Press Release:
Last year was certainly one for the books, though the reasons 2021 was so notable aren’t necessarily worth celebrating. Our governor resigned in disgrace, more of the businesses we love in our communities shuttered, taxes increased, prices increased and we passed a budget that cost us more than ever. All while doing less than ever to actually help working families. Throughout, we have also continued to contend with a pandemic that has worn on our economy and the fortitude of New Yorkers across the state, as some in government yet again consider mandates and lockdowns that would assuredly take a tremendous toll on our collective recovery.
I say this not to elicit feelings of doom or gloom but out of a hope, that by recognizing the mistakes made in state government this year, we can work together to rectify them and put our state on a path toward growth. The circumstances we face have often been described as “unprecedented,” so given the challenges before us, I feel that we have an opportunity to work collaboratively to deliver solutions many in the Legislature haven’t given a fair shake in the past.
To put it simply, I believe that the best way of fostering prosperity here in New York state is to unleash the power of its people by staying out of the way of their success. By creating a business climate that will attract the brightest minds our nation has to offer, and that will retain the talents we have. More than anything, we need to give people a reason to believe New York’s brightest days are still ahead.
Perhaps, most important, we must also ensure that people feel safe living and starting families here. To do so we must give our law enforcement and judiciary the tools they need to protect our neighborhoods. The end of the decay of our villages, towns and cities will begin with the rescinding of our state’s dangerous bail reform laws. These changes have tied the hands of our judges and empowered criminal elements to act with impunity, knowing that they will be released back onto the streets, even if they’re apprehended. In 2022, we must collectively recognize that bail reform was a mistake and restore law and order throughout New York.
Here in New York we’ve tried raising taxes, we’ve tried heavy-handed mandates and we’ve tried various police “reforms,” all to the detriment of our state’s public safety and prosperity. If there was ever a time for a change to give New Yorkers a chance to chase their dreams and lift up their communities in the process, that time is now. This year, let’s give New Yorkers a chance to control their own destinies, put an end to one-size-fits-all mandates and empower individuals and local governments to do what’s best for their families and the municipalities they know and love.
New Yorkers are the toughest and most industrious people in this entire country and they deserve a legal and economic climate that will allow them to unleash what they’re capable of onto the national and global marketplace. This year let’s make New York work for those who seek to better their lives and communities through hard work.
Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, Orleans and parts of Monroe County. For more information, please visit Assemblyman Hawley’s Official Website.
Press Release:
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Winter Surge Plan 2.0, a new targeted effort to bolster New York's fight against the winter surge. Governor Hochul's comprehensive plan focuses on five core areas: keeping students in school, doubling down on masks and testing, preventing severe illness and death, increasing access to vaccines and boosters, and working together with local leaders. Hours before the New Year begins, Governor Hochul also urged New Yorkers to celebrate New Year's Eve in a safe, responsible way.
"As we head into the holiday weekend, New York State is mobilizing every resource at our disposal to fight the winter surge and keep New Yorkers safe," Governor Hochul said. "We can get through this surge through targeted actions, partnerships with local leaders, and by taking common sense steps to keep us all safe: get vaccinated, get boosted, and wear a mask indoors."
"We have every tool to keep our families and communities safe," Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said. "We must ensure we use them all. Governor Hochul's targeted plan to expand vaccination and booster access, mask and test, and increase measures to protect our health care workers is the comprehensive strategy needed to combat the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Leveraging these layered mitigation tactics is how we will protect the health of New Yorkers and effectively manage the winter surge."
1. Keep Schools Open: After two years of remote learning and school closures, Governor Hochul is focused on keeping students in school in the upcoming year. The first plank of Governor Hochul's 5-part plan includes:
- Providing tests to students and school districts: 5.56 million tests arrived for schools this week and between six and seven million more are expected to arrive in the coming days. New York has mobilized 40 trucks and 86 state personnel to distribute tests. Overall, New York State has secured 37 million tests for distribution.
- Working with counties to implement Test-to-Stay: Test-to-Stay policies have proven successful at keeping our kids safe and schools open. If a student tests positive, classmates can take a test kit back home with them and return to the classroom upon receiving a negative result instead of mandatory quarantining.
- Keeping college students and faculty safe: SUNY and CUNY will be introducing a new requirement for all students to get boosters, campuses will require mandatory mask wearing in public indoor spaces, and will require all faculty to be vaccinated. Students will also be required to submit negative tests upon returning to campus.
2. Keep Masking, Keep Testing: Governor Hochul recognizes that to stop the spread of the virus, New Yorkers must continue wearing masks and getting tested for COVID. Governor Hochul will:
- Extend the mask-or-vax requirement: the Department of Health will extend the mask-or-vaccine requirement for an additional two weeks, protecting workers and allowing businesses to remain open.
- Make masks more widely available: New York State has already distributed 5 million KN-95 masks, and more will be distributed through state legislators. Hundreds of thousands of masks will also be distributed for nursing home visitors.
- Launch new testing sites: Governor Hochul will open six new testing sites on January 4, totaling 19 state-run sites statewide. Additionally, Governor Hochul announced the launch of two new testing sites at MTA stations, in addition to previously announced MTA pop-ups.
3. Preventing Severe Illness and Death: With case counts rising, Governor Hochul is making it a priority to prevent severe illness and death by supporting our hospital system. The Winter Surge Plan 2.0 will:
- Distribute antiviral treatments: New York is working with the Biden Administration to secure doses of the antiviral drug Pavloxid and make this treatment more widely available.
- Boost hospital capacity: Governor Hochul will continue enforcing the November 26 Executive Order to boost hospital capacity. Since it took effect, the number of hospitals with limited capacity needing to pause non-essential surgeries has declined from 32 to 21.
- Launch National Guard EMT training: to ramp up our long-term health care workforce capacity needs, the Department of Health and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs will be launching two pilot EMT training classes on January 5th. This will cover two classes of 40 service members (80 service members in total) who will be able to be deployed by February.
- Secure additional help from Federal partners: in the coming days, we will receive federal Department of Defense (DoD) Medical Response and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs). This will include a 35-member DMAT to SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, 23-member DoD Medical Response Team to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, and 50 new ambulance teams deployed to NYC.
- Protect nursing home residents and workers: the Hochul Administration is in constant contact with all 606 nursing homes in New York and will be providing them with additional PPE to ensure the safety of all patients and staff. Additionally, the Administration is coordinating with hospitals and will be deploying durable medical equipment in continued support of the care for all New Yorkers.
4. Expand Access to Vaccines and Boosters: Vaccines continue to be the best defense against COVID hospitalization and death. While 95% of adult New Yorkers have received at least one shot, there's more to do to increase vaccination and booster rates, especially among children:
- Provide boosters to nursing homes: New York will begin requiring each nursing home to demonstrate their plan to increase vaccination and booster rates among their residents.
- Increase pediatric vaccination: the most unvaccinated eligible cohort is New Yorkers aged 5-11. New York will increase our focus on pediatric vaccination.
- Get booster shots to teenagers: we anticipate approval of Pfizer's booster shot for children aged 12-15 and will immediately begin outreach to that population once ready.
5. Work With Local Partners: From the beginning, Governor Hochul has emphasized that the fight against COVID must take a collaborative approach. Fighting the winter surge requires close collaboration with local partners:
- Let local leaders lead: from New York City to Erie County, local leaders are making smart choices. We will continue this surgical, targeted approach.
- Provide resources to local partners: Governor Hochul will continue to lead a whole-of-government approach to fight COVID, making sure county emergency managers and local school boards have the tests and masks they need.
A structure fire is reported at 3687 West Main Street Road, Batavia, following a possible furnace explosion.
The building is reportedly unoccupied.
Town of Batavia Fire and East Pembroke Fire responding.
UPDATE 5:03 p.m.: A second alarm requested.
UPDATE 5:08 p.m.: Route 5 is being closed to traffic in both directions, at Kelsey Road, and at Wortendyke.
UPDATE 5:20 p.m.: Corfu to fill in at East Pembroke.
UPDATE 5:25 p.m.: Mercy EMS requested to the scene to stand by. National Grid requested to the scene. The fire is knocked down. Firefighters are starting overhaul.
UPDATE 5:36 p.m.: Code enforcement and Red Cross are responding.
UPDATE 8:20 p.m. (Photos and info via Alecia Kaus/Video News Service): Whether a furnace exploded in connection with the fire is under investigation, said Don Newton, the East Pembroke fire chief. The fire appears to have started on the second floor and the furnace is in the attic, Newton said. While Newton was in route to the fire, a firefighter first on scene called Newton on his mobile phone and informed him there was heavy smoke but no visible flames. Before Newton arrived, the firefighter called back and said flames had broken through the rear of the structure. Newton called for a second alarm. There was apparently no one home when the fire started. Once firefighters confirmed the house was vacant they searched for pets and most of the pets appear to have escaped the fire, Newton said. There is heavy smoke damage throughout the structure and the structure is not habitable.
For the first 12 minutes of their championship match at GCC on Thursday night, Le Roy and Attica looked pretty evenly matched, then in the waning minutes of the first half, the Oatkan Knights offense caught fire.
By the end, the score wasn't close.
Le Roy won the large school division crown of the 39th Annual Pete Arras Lions Tournament 58-34.
The Knights held the Blue Devils to only 14 points in the second half, only four points in the final quarter.
For Le Roy, Mitchel Hockey scored 28 points, Merritt Holly scored nine, John Penepento, 9, and Finn Shelby, 9.
For Attica, Cole Harding scored 11 points.
The all-tournament team for the large school division:
Oakfield-Alabama prevailed over Notre Dame on Thursday to win the small schools division of the 39th Annual Pete Arras Lions Tournament at Genesee Community College.
The final score was 74-61.
Kaden Cusmano scored 20 points for the Hornets, Kam Cusmano, 18, and Gaige Armbrewster, 11.
For Notre Dame, Jordan Welker scored 24 points and Cody Henry scored 17 points.
The small schools' all-tournament team:
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos, click here.
Click here for more information!
All the votes are in and the results show that 15 of the 20 municipalities in Genesee County are “opting out” of allowing cannabis retail dispensaries and on-site consumption places.
The Town of Byron and Village of Alexander earlier this week joined the other communities who previously opted out prior to the New York State-imposed deadline of Dec. 31.
As a result, the following is the situation as it pertains to the state’s Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act, legislation that was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on March 31:
OPT OUT
Towns – Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Stafford.
Villages – Alexander, Bergen, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield.
OPT IN
City – Batavia.
Towns – Darien, Pavilion, Pembroke.
Villages – Corfu.
Communities opting out can opt in at a later date, but those opting in will not be permitted to opt out.
Cities, towns and villages that have opted out are subject to permissive referendum should residents wish to push for retail dispensaries, such as storefronts to buy products for home consumption and adult use consumption sites.
Sales tax on cannabis will be 13 percent, with 9 percent going to the state, 3 percent to the host municipality and 1 percent to the county. Additionally, a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) excise tax will be imposed.
A motor vehicle accident is reported at Ellicott Street and Jackson Street, Batavia.
Mercy EMS requested to the scene to evaluate a patient.
City Fire on scene.
A flat-bed tow requested to the scene.
Freshman forward Jameson Motyka recorded a hat trick Thursday afternoon as Batavia Notre Dame closed out the 2021 portion of its varsity hockey schedule with 5-5 tie against Frontier of Section VI at the LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo.
It’s the second straight tie for BND United, which battled Hamburg to a 6-6 draw on Wednesday night at the HarborCenter.
United, 5-3-2, is off until Jan. 4 when it takes on Aquinas Institute at Lakeshore East in Rochester.
BND got on the board first when senior Gavin Schrader, one of Western New York’s most prolific goal scorers, found the back of the net at 11:04 of the first period. Assists went to Ronin Hofmaster and Brady Johnson.
Frontier pulled even with 3:20 left in the period on a goal by sophomore Tanner Smaczniak.
The Hamburg club struck twice in a minute’s time early in the second period on power play goals by junior Jake Losey and senior Matt McCarthy to take a 3-1 lead.
Motyka scored the first of his three goals at the 8:56 mark (assisted by Andrew Kasmarek and Vin DiRisio) before Frontier’s Max Conklin broke free for a shorthanded goal with 5:10 on the clock to make it 4-2.
United closed to within one at the end of the period as Motyka scored again, with Orion Lama picking up the assist with 1:37 remaining.
Schrader tied things up at 4 apiece just 29 seconds into the third period (assisted by Parker Corbelli).
A game misconduct penalty on Frontier coach Brian Dehlinger with a little over 10 minutes left for excessive arguing with referees gave BND the man advantage and it capitalized when Motyka scored again. Hofmaster picked up the assist.
BND held the lead until three minutes remained in regulation but a turnover in its own zone led to a goal by Frontier’s Nick Falcone.
Neither team scored in the five-minute overtime period although Frontier came close with only eight seconds to play. United outshot the Falcons 34-31.
Schrader now has 20 goals in United’s 10 games.
Photo at top: Jameson Motyka celebrates one of his three goals Thursday against Frontier.
Photos by Steve Ognibene
To view or purchase photos, click here.
United's Noah Whitcombe looks for an opening in the crease.
Gavin Schrader propels a slap shot at Frontier goaltender Kyle Kacmarski. Schrader recorded his 19th and 20th goals of the season.
Vin DiRisio looks to put a move on the Frontier defenseman.
BND's Zack Eschberger and Addison Warriner dig the puck out along the boards.
When Bergen Assistant Chief Garrett Dean arrived on the scene of a structure fire at 84 Woodside Lane, in the Hidden Valley Meadow Park, Thursday night, he observed a mobile home with flames shooting out of one corner of the residence and was informed by a neighbor that a woman may be trapped inside.
The neighbor said he had tried kicking in the front door but the door was blocked, possibly by the woman who lived there.
Dean said he was able to reach around the door, grab her and carry her to safety with the help of the neighbor.
"They said they talked to the neighbors and the neighbors said they were pounding on the door, but couldn't get a reply," Dean said. "I believe the neighbor that was pounding on the door was the one that actually kicked the door in and when I got on location helped me get her out."
At first, the woman wasn't breathing, Dean said. With the assistance of the neighbor, he used first-aid techniques to get her breathing again.
It felt like minutes but was probably only about 30 seconds, he said.
The resident, whose name has not been released, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital but Dean said he's been informed she may be transferred to Syracuse for a higher level of treatment for her smoke inhalation.
"She was very lucky," Dean said. "It's a good thing this is a very tight-knit community. They're all older adults that live here and they take very good care of each other."
Departments from three counties responded to the fire.
The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation.
A firefighter at the scene also needed treatment at the scene for minor smoke inhalation but remained on scene following treatment.
Top photo: Reader-submitted. Bottom photos, Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.
Alecia Kaus/Video News Service contributed to this story.
There’s a joke at Bergen’s Craft Cannery about the necessity to document even the most minute details.
Except that it’s not so much a joke as it is a principle for owner Paul Guglielmo. And it was just that type of meticulous business practice that earned the Bergen businessman a coveted Safe Quality Food certification.
“Let's say it's required to have a bachelor's degree to do food safety. This would be like getting a doctorate, Ok? It's really rigorous in the sense that the joke is, you know, if you sneeze, there's a procedure and a form to fill out. But the truth is, it's just a really, really dedicated paper trail on everything you do and everything that comes in and out of your building,” Guglielmo said during an interview with The Batavian. “I’m an entrepreneur flying by the seat of my pants, and I don't necessarily have the time or the wherewithal or even the intelligence to put all these systems in place. And this puts systems in place for you and essentially forces you into a system that is used by some of the most successful plants in the world.”
Graduating from that Safe Quality Food program — similar to obtaining a doctorate degree — has meant more and higher-level opportunities, including acquiring the business of “bigger, regional brands,” he said.
About the cannery ...
It may help to put this into perspective by knowing more about Craft Cannery, a Genesee County hidden secret tucked behind Liberty Pumps at 7100 Appletree Lane in Bergen. Craft Cannery specializes in taking recipes from individuals, restaurants or food production brands, and adjusting them for large production. The cannery then takes those more voluminous recipes and produces, bottles, labels, and ships the final goods for companies across the region.
Guglielmo branded his family name for a tomato sauce seven years ago and had been producing it at a nearby site in Bergen. That has morphed into specializing in sauces, dressings, oils, marinades, teas, soups, meat sauces, meal-in-jars and other items under other local labels, including Uncle Tony’s, Sticky Lips BBQ, Uncle Ralph’s, Old Pueblo Grill, Red Osier and dozens of other “high profile” brands, he said.
The cannery is one of six USDA-certified manufacturing canneries in New York State, which allows the company to produce meat-based products. Led by Guglielmo, with the support and input from his wife Ryann, and a team of seven employees, the cannery most recently earned Safe Quality Food certification through Safe Quality Foods Institute. That entailed a two-day audit after what Guglielmo describes as a “year in-the-making” preparation with the help of a quality assurance consultant and SQF practitioner.
The Audit …
So what exactly is a Safe Quality Food certificate? It’s a methodical system of checking all aspects of the cannery’s business practices to ensure that all ingredients, operations, documentation and canning/bottling processes are noted and verified as meeting the guidelines of being safe, quality food. The auditor takes a randomly selected batch of product and tests it based on things like the ingredients, where they’re from, when they were shipped to the site, how they were prepared, the temperature at which they were cooked, and the backup paperwork on all of it.
“In late July they did the audit; it was two days going through everything with a fine-tooth comb. Now that we have (SQF status) it’s a big deal,” Guglielmo said. “It unlocked the door for us … it took us to the next level.”
From the airwaves to bottling …
Guglielmo started out in media as a radio host for 15 years. A budding entrepreneur, he took his childhood experience of canning tomatoes with his grandfather and decided to bottle and sell his elder’s tomato sauce under the label Guglielmo’s. He was doing that in a manufacturing plant in Bergen before discovering that “I can do bottling for a living,” he said. That was a “pinch yourself moment."
“I was loving running this little sauce business. I’m more of a bull in a china shop, full-speed ahead. (The SQF process) forces you to slow down,” he said. “If you want to work with big brands, then you need to have this certification. And it allowed us to start to work with some big brands. And so it has really been a breakthrough moment for us.”
Through a connection with "Coach" Tony Perry, the founder of Permac, and who was planning to soon retire, Guglielmo drove out at 4:30 in the morning to meet with the early riser about buying his Bergen-based operation. A deal was made, and Guglielmo’s grew into Craft Cannery. He started Guglielmo's sauce with 20 cases of marinara sauce in the summer of 2014, and today the product is available in over 500 stores, including Wegmans, Tops, and Whole Foods, and hundreds of locally owned small businesses across the Northeast. The operation moved into 5,000 square feet behind Liberty Pumps. That move included going more automated, which, contrary to popular belief, required more employees and not less, he said. He and partners Tom Riggio and Jay Perry, the son of Coach Tony, are hoping to expand the current site in the near future.
Guglielmo, who lives in Rochester with his wife Ryann and their 3-year-old son Leo, believes in giving back to the community. He is a Rochester Business Journal Forty Under 40 award recipient, serves on the Board of Directors for Rochester Rotary and Big Brothers Big Sisters, has spoken to culinary arts students as a member of Genesee Valley BOCES Culinary Board, and is heavily involved and active in the community.
His wife is in marketing, and she helped with Guglielmo’s logo and public relations efforts. She has enjoyed watching her husband navigate the entrepreneurial world. He admittedly has had some tough lessons, and learned that it’s ok to oversee employees and direct them on what to do, he said. In fact, he learned that his employees welcomed the idea and were looking for guidance versus ample latitude to figure things out on their own. He credits his and the team’s resilience to keep going even on the hard days, because the good ones will come around again.
It has been that kind of education that has strengthened his business skills, Ryann said.
“It’s been such a journey to see Paul become a leader … as the sauce came around, it was just him and I working every festival. Now he’s leading a team of nine people,” she said. “He takes such pride and taking care of his team, he takes that so seriously. He is really becoming a great leader and he cares about his team.”
His next big goal is to triple the size of his current plant and break ground by 2023.
“I like Bergen. Genesee County has been really, really great,” the 38-year-old said.
Recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the SQF family of food safety and quality codes are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements for all sectors of the food supply chain – from the farm all the way to the retail stores. Audits will be conducted once a year to maintain the SQF status, with the first two being scheduled in advance, followed by surprise, unannounced visits beginning in year three. The time, effort and tracking have been worthwhile for his bottom line, Guglielmo said.
“I want nothing more than to produce safe, quality products for my customers,” Guglielmo said. “The thing I am most proud of is how hard every single team member has worked towards this SQF certification. The approval of our SQF program is a testament to this Craft Cannery team. We’ll always be committed to food safety, and we’re ready to keep working and making products our clients – and their customers – love.”
Top photo: Craft Cannery owner Paul Guglielmo shows some labels for his own product, Guglielmo's tomato sauce, at the company site in Bergen. Labels are just a portion of his business that also includes recipe creation, cooking, bottling and shipping of several local and regional brands. Cannery partner James Perry is shown pouring product into bottles and employee Steven Coakley watches a line of labeled product move along an assembly line. Photos by Howard Owens.
A mobile home fire is reported at 84 Woodside Lane, in the Hidden Valley Meadow Park, Bergen.
One person has been taken from the residence by a firefighter.
Bergen Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched
UPDATE 8:04 p.m.: This is a working structure fire. Byron, South Byron, Stafford, responding.
Press Release:
As 2021 comes to an end, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) want to wish you a healthy and Happy New Year! 2021 was a very busy year for the Health Department and a majority of staff efforts were focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, staff have also been working hard to ensure conditions in the community promote optimal health for the residents we serve. The Community Health Services staff have been working diligently at COVID- 19 testing and vaccination clinics, conducting COVID-19 case investigations and gathering/analyzing local COVID-19 data. In addition, staff have been educating on lead poisoning, investigating disease/foodborne illness outbreaks, providing guidance to pregnant moms and families with new babies as well as providing migrant health outreach to assist farm workers in both counties. Staff of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness team have been instrumental in planning, organizing and implementing the mass testing and vaccination clinics that occurred throughout the first six months of 2021. In the last six months, staff have been administering smaller testing and vaccination clinics that have been held weekly at the respective health departments. The Environmental Health Team members have been active in assisting with COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics, but also assuring the community is safe from foodborne illnesses by conducting food inspections and issuing health permits to temporary food service establishments. Staff have also been inspecting septic systems, enforcing the NYS Clean Indoor Air Act, and offering free rabies clinics in both counties. The Lead Program continues to promote education and outreach to enhance lead poisoning prevention and promote testing of children to determine potential lead exposure. Through a federal The Genesee Orleans County Health Departments (GCHD/OCHD) uses 4 types of documents to provide important information to medical and public health professionals, and to other interested persons. Health Alerts convey information of the highest level of importance which warrants immediate action or attention from New York health providers, emergency responders, public health agencies, and/or the public. Health Advisories provide important information for a specific incident or situation, including that impacting neighboring states; may not require immediate action. Health Guidance contain comprehensive information pertaining to a particular disease or condition, and include recommendations, guidelines, etc. endorsed by GCHD/OCHD. Health Updates provide new or updated information on an incident or situation; can also provide information to update a previously sent Health Alert, Health Advisory, or Health Guidance; unlikely to require immediate action.
“Healthy People in a Healthy Community” grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), GO Health addresses lead-based paint hazards and other housing issues by funding health-related home repairs, maintenance, and upgrades to eligible homeowners and landlords. In October, GO Health was awarded a five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand the primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning to the entire GLOW region. Staff within our Children’s Programs spent the first half of 2021 assisting with COVID-19 contact tracing and vaccination clinics. In the second half of the year, Service Coordinators have been instrumental in assisting parents and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provided education, case management, support and referrals to help children succeed and have a good quality of life. The Public Health Education team have worked diligently to provide up-to-date data and information related to COVID-19 to the community through press briefings, press releases, social media and website updates. GO Health launched their joint website this past spring, which is a centralized location for residents of Genesee and Orleans Counties to access forms and find resources. Weights & Measures (W&M) completed 345 inspections accounting for over 1,160 devices within the two counties. These tests involved pumping more than 21,000 gallons of fuel and using more than 5 million pounds of test weight ensuring all commercial weighing and measuring devices meet NYS standards. The department collected 132 fuel samples confirming fuel sold within both counties meet a variety of parameters. In the last two years, the W&M program has shown a savings in excess of $100,000.00 through GO Health shared services. In 2022, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties will be developing the new 2022-2024 tri-county Community Health Assessment (CHA)/Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and in partnership with local hospital systems, Community Services Plan. We will be looking for community members in all three counties to assist in the process by participating in community conversations and taking the Community Health Assessment survey. We are also looking forward to completing the Public Health Accreditation Process in November of 2022. “It is our pleasure to serve the residents of Genesee and Orleans Counties,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “We thank you for the opportunity and look forward to a productive 2022. We wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy New Year.”
For information about GO Health, visit GOHealthny.org . For the Genesee County Health
Department, call 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 and for the Orleans County Health Department, call
585-589-3278.
Press Release:
Tobacco Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming (TF-GOW) and Reality Check invite youth ages 13-18 to participate in a contest aimed at shining a spotlight on the tobacco industry’s use of smoking imagery on screen to normalize and glamorize tobacco use. The statewide winning video will be highlighted on the Reality Check and Tobacco-Free New York websites and promoted through social media.
As reported by The University of California San Francisco’s in its Smoke-Free Media ‘What is Hollywood Hiding from Parents Action Toolkit:
“Big Tobacco secretly bought its way on screen for decades. The U.S. entertainment industry still refuses to give parents and audiences advance warning before exposing kids to tobacco imagery that is proven to recruit millions of new young smokers and kill them as adults. Tobacco on screen is the single biggest media risk to children and teens. Hollywood has known of the danger since at least 2003. Yet movie studios and TV producers have never updated their rating systems to even mention smoking or tobacco. They are concealing toxic content. Ratings, warnings, and TV parental controls all need to be reinforced to stop tobacco addiction from trapping another generation. With the streaming revolution now underway, it’s easier than ever for kids to watch movies and TV shows packed with toxic tobacco content. And, the more young people see smoking on screen, the more likely they are to start smoking."
Contest Details:Create a 60-second video exposing the tobacco industry’s manipulative tactics within the entertainment industry. Show how tobacco imagery is used to promote and glamorize smoking and e-cigarette use. Judging will be based on quality, creativity and effectiveness, and accuracy of messages. Each video must have the following key facts and a minimum of one key statement from the following:Key Facts:1. Youth who are exposed to images of smoking in movies are more likely to smoke. (US Surgeon General)2. It is projected that on-screen smoking will kill two million U.S. children and teens alive today. (US Center for Disease Control)3. R-rating future movies with smoking would reduce the youth smoking rate in the United States by 18%. (US Center for Disease Control)Key Statements:· One little letter could save a million lives. Rate smoking R.· Protect youth from on-screen exposure to tobacco.· Smoking in movies kills in real life.Video submissions are due February 9, 2022. One video will be recognized as the statewide winner. This video will live on www.realitycheckofny.com and highlight the issue through the lens of New York State youth. Four regional winning videos will also be awarded and recognized at the regional level. All winners will be announced on March 9, 2022 as part of the New York Tobacco Control Program’s annual Statewide Legislative Education Day. All awards will be recognized at regional press events (dates and locations to be determined) and promoted through local media outlets. All youth participating in the contest will receive a Reality Check Swag Bag.For complete contest rules and to submit entries, visit www.realitycheckofny.com. For questions specific to the contest, please email tobaccofree@cvfamilycenter.org
James L. Simonds is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree, false report: fire, explosion, hazardous substance upon school grounds, and endangering the welfare of a child. Simonds is accused of entering John Kennedy School, 166 Vine St., Batavia, on Jan. 28 with the intent of committing a crime and while at that location did communicate false or baseless information about the occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, or hazardous substance, on school grounds in a manner that was likely to cause public alarm. He is accused of knowingly acting in a manner to be injurious to the physical, mental, or moral welfare of a child.
Cynthia M. Mack is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree and criminal mischief in the fourth degree. Mack is accused of entering a dwelling on Lake Street in Le Roy on June 4 with the intent of committing a crime and while in the dwelling did intentionally damage property.
Robert C. Strollo is indicted on a count of failure to register a change of address as a sex offender. On or about Dec. 1, 2020, Strollo allegedly failed to register a change of address with the NYS Criminal Justice Service within 10 days of changing his address from a residence on Bethany Center Road, Bethany.
Members of a committee charged with updating the Town of Batavia’s solar law on Wednesday night acknowledged that a compromise on setback distance requirements may be in order after hearing from two couples seeking to place ground-mounted systems on their property.
Speaking at an informational meeting at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road, Dan Reuter, a Corfu resident, said he has issues over the 200-foot setback criteria listed in the final draft of the town’s Solar Energy Local Law.
Reuter and his wife, Kathy, own 68 acres on Alexander Road (Route 98) in the Town of Batavia.
“The setbacks proposal is extremely constraining,” Reuter said, adding that such a condition would put an end to his plan to place a 1.8-megawatt solar array on 9 acres of his property. “It will make it not viable.”
As currently written, the final draft stipulates that Tier 3 systems shall meet the following requirements:
Reuter said his property is vacant and, for the most part, unusable, farm land that already is limited in scope due to requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He said that he is looking to put in the solar system to assist in the couple’s retirement.
“We ask that you would revisit that,” he said, noting that 200 feet “would kill us” but that a 50-foot setback would work.
John and Kerry Hylkema said they applied in 2016 for a permit to place solar on their property on Alexander Road.
“We saw other solar farms go in,” Kerry said. “and we’ve been waiting and waiting.”
Her husband said he also disagreed with the setback requirements, and asked for the committee’s “consideration to work with us.”
Buffalo attorney Charles Malcomb, representing solar developer Renewable Properties on behalf of the Reuters and Hylkemas, referred to a letter that he wrote to the committee highlighting other projects where the setback was less than 200 feet.
“The main issue is the setback from non-participating properties,” he said. “Two hundred feet is a real problem.”
Malcomb pointed to projects in the towns of Alabama and Sardinia where a 50-foot setback was in place.
“We think that’s a sufficient setback,” he said, noting that screening provisions would help to “hide” the panels – one of the goals of the solar law.
At that point, Dan Lang, who also is the town’s building inspector, asked other committee members to weigh in on the 200-foot setback. He then proposed keeping the 200-foot limit on the front and changing it to 50 feet on the side and rear.
“The intent is to get these away from roads and houses,” he said.
Committee member Nancy Brach, a town resident, asked Malcomb to modify his renderings to show various distances, and he agreed that he would fulfill that request.
The committee has been working on a new solar law – one that would mesh with the town’s Comprehensive Plan – for about a year.
Drew Reilly (photo above) of Wendel Companies of Williamsville is the group’s consultant and he spoke at length last night about the progress it has made.
Reilly said that the solar environment is changing rapidly.
“If you have a solar law and it’s more than three years old, it’s probably outdated,” he said. “NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) is even updating its law” (because it doesn’t address everything).
Lang said the committee will take another look at topics brought up last night (others included the percentage of Smart Growth land to be used for solar and the role of planning boards and zoning boards of appeals in the process) and submit the revised law to the Batavia Town Board sometime next month.
Town Supervisor Gregory Post, who was in attendance, said he hopes to have the law passed by April. Before that can happen, the law needs to go through a State Environmental Quality Review, review by the Genesee County Planning Board and Town Planning Board, and a public hearing.
Photo: Town of Batavia solar committee members, from left, Brittany Witkop, Nancy Brach, Dan Lang, Paul McCullough. Reilly is at right. Photos by Mike Pettinella.
Previously: Town of Batavia committee drafts revised solar energy law, sets informational meeting for Dec. 29
Press release from Carl Hyde, Jr, Bethany Town Supervisor:
The NY State Comptroller has given his consent to the Bethany Water District # 5, which is a $ 16,680,000 project funded by USDA thru Rural Development. The Town of Bethany will proceed with David DiMatteo the Towns attorney and Clark - Patterson Lee the Towns engineering firm to move this project to reality.
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