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It was back to normal for Batavia on St. Patrick's Day on Thursday as revelers hit the local dining establishments and watering holes to party in public for the first time on the holiday in two years.
We visited O'Lacy's, Center Street Smokehouse, and Eli Fish Brewing. The Rince an Tiarna Irish Dancers performed at both Center Street and Eli Fish.
A return of an air show to the Genesee County Airport?
In the eyes of Genesee County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens, the stars are aligned for the county to show off its renovated airport by hosting an air show – maybe as soon as the summer of 2023.
Hens, who is responsible for overseeing operations at the East Saile Drive facility, made the suggestion at Wednesday’s county legislature’s Public Service Committee meeting.
“There is interest in an air show,” he said, adding that the airport has been “completely redone,” including installation of water and sewer systems to accommodate such an event. “It would be a showcase for the community.”
The last air show in Genesee County took place in 1998, Hens said, and was well-attended. Air shows in other communities, such as Geneseo, Niagara Falls and Rochester, continue to be successful.
Hens said the event can be a moneymaker for the county – namely through fuel sales and sales tax revenue from purchases at the show. He said he would be able to line up a promoter and performers as soon as the legislature grants its approval.
In other news involving the airport, the committee forwarded the following resolutions to the legislature meeting next week:
The county would receive reimbursement for that amount, but would be responsible for $39,250 of the expense, which would be paid out of the 1 percent sales tax fund.
Hens said he had been seeking funding for this venture from other sources and was “surprised” to learn that the county had received the grant. He said snow blowing equipment will be purchased since it’s more efficient using plows to clear the runways.
Press release:
Twenty-one teams and 17 doubles sets will be competing this weekend in the 15th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament, that gets underway with a 7 o'clock squad tonight at Mancuso Bowling Center.
Squads are set for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday (11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. both days), with competition in Team, Doubles and Singles.
Plenty of spots remain on most shifts for next weekend.
The deadline for paid entries to be received in the Genesee Region USBC office is Tuesday, March 22.
First prize in the Open Team event is $1,000 guaranteed. Prizes in all categories in both the Open and Women’s Divisions will be paid on a 1:5 ratio.
The schedule is as follows:
Friday, March 18, 7 p.m. (Team event only);
Saturday, March 19, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 20, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Friday, March 25, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 26, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 27, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.The entry fee is $30 per person per event. The All-Events fee (Team, Doubles and Singles scores combined) is $10.
For an entry form, go to www.bowlny.com.
To reserve a spot, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.
It has got to stop!
That’s the message Genesee County legislators likely will be sending to Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Assembly and Senate next week through a resolution that calls for Albany to end the practice of taking local sales tax revenue from communities and putting it into the state’s treasury.
The legislature’s Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday passed the measure – sending it to the full board for consideration at next Wednesday's meeting.
Genesee County is taking action in conjunction with a directive from the New York State Association of Counties for municipalities to make their voices heard.
“This has been proposed before, but I guess NYSAC is trying to hone in on the fact that they weren’t hearing enough from localities – that we weren’t making enough noise,” Ways & Means Chair Marianne Clattenburg said.
According to the resolution, since 2019, New York State has diverted more than $677 million in local sales taxes away from cities, towns and villages and into the state’s general fund.
It reads, in part, that “local sales tax revenue should stay in the community where it is collected. It is time to return to responsible budgeting to keep local tax revenue in the communities where it can fund local programs such as parks, community colleges, meals for seniors, day care services, 9-1-1 programs, mental health and addiction services and other quality life programs.”
The resolution calls for this practice “to expire permanently at the end of this fiscal year as originally intended.”
In other action, the committee approved:
Harold Gage has been drawing sap from maple trees and turning it into sweet syrup for 15 years at The Ridge NY (formerly Frost Ridge) but its been a long time since his syrup has been a featured menu item at the campground's restaurant.
That changes this Saturday and Sunday with the first of two Maple Syrup Weekends at The Ridge.
The restaurant, not normally open for breakfast on Saturdays, serves pancakes smothered in Gage's syrup produced from trees right on the campground's property and transformed in a maple shack Gage built himself for more than a decade ago.
Gage learned to make maple syrup from the previous owner of Frost Ridge, who hosted Pancake Sundays, and eventually took over the entire operation. He now gets help from his son.
Asked what he liked about making syrup he laughed and said, "Well, it's a lot of work."
Breakfast will be served from 9 a.m. to noon this weekend and during the same hours on April 9 and 10.
Patti Unvericht, the new events coordinator at The Ridge, said next year she plans to expand the number of weekends and perhaps even bring back tours of the maple-making operation.
The Ridge is located at 8101 Conlon Road, Le Roy.
It has been a nearly two-month hiatus for Jennifer Gray’s newly named restaurant just over the Batavia border, and she’s not alone in waiting for it to be re-opened.
Gray has been posting updates on social media about The Tiny Piney on Main Road, Stafford, with as many as 2,000 anxious viewers.
“A lot of people follow it,” she said to The Batavian Thursday. “It’s just a weird little bar that people go to, a nice little quiesce place. I’m hoping to open next week, as soon as I get the license in the mail.”
Gray had purchased the bar and grill, formerly known as Pine Grove Inn, in March 2021. A temporary liquor license came along with that until New York State Liquor Authority informed Gray that there were “a couple of pieces of missing paperwork.” She had to shut down the place until the new license was processed and sent to her.
She posted a “temporarily closed” sign on Feb. 3 this year, and has anxiously been waiting for the permanent license. There was a mix-up in the Tiny Piney’s address, which is physically situated in Stafford but has a mailing address of East Main Street, Batavia, she said. She was told that the license was sent out this past Monday, and she is expecting to get it any day now.
Gray has been making some aesthetic changes, with tropical colors and decor. For those former customers concerned with the decades-old ceiling memorabilia of hand-written messages, that’s not going anywhere, she said.
She has two people helping to form volleyball leagues and a drop-in King’s Court, which is to get going by May. Two new volleyball courts have been carved out of the backyard and filled with sand. Outdoor lighting will ensure nighttime play.
Part of the bar’s new name hints at its size: “it’s tiny” Gray said, and accommodates 35 people. However, the large back deck accommodates the same amount of patrons and doubles the total capacity.
The menu has been slightly shifted to include more fresh — versus frozen — foods, and Gray’s certified Angus beef hamburgers are her jam. Well, those and her freshly created margaritas and the Tiny Piney punch — a coconut-flavored concoction with rum and vodka.
Jennifer is not a new face in town, as she has helped out husband Matt when needed at their restaurant, Alex’s Place, worked for a couple of years at Genesee Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and has filled in for temporary leadership gaps at GO-ART! and United Way. When COVID-19 hit, she resigned from the orthopedic firm, and her most recent role has been as a busy hockey mom of two children.
Now she has found her “vibe” at the tiny pub at 5609 Main Road.
“It’s just a chill place,” she said.
For more information about volleyball leagues, call (585) 201-7283. For re-opening updates, go to https://m.facebook.com/The-Tiny-Piney-126142346292656/?ref=py_c
Images of the pub's new logo and a burger creation are from Jennifer Gray.
The Batavia High School Production Club opens the romantic musical comedy Mamma Mia at 7 p.m. on Friday the school's auditorium.
Tickets purchased online in advance at www.showtix4u.com are $10. At the door, they are $10 for students and $12 for adults.
Additional performances are Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Press release:
On Thursday, March 17, 2022, at approximately 6:38 p.m., State Police responded to a report of a serious injury crash on I-90 westbound in the town of Batavia, Genesee County.
The crash occurred in the area of mile marker 389.7, between the Le Roy and Batavia exits.
A preliminary investigation determined the crash involved a tractor-trailer and an SUV. As a result of the collision, the SUV became fully engulfed in flames. One individual was flown to the hospital by Medicac with life-threatening injuries and two others were transported by ambulance for serious injuries.
All westbound lanes are currently closed. Traffic is being diverted at exit 47 (Le Roy) until accident reconstruction has been completed.
More information will be released when it becomes available.
Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service
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A truck hauling an as-yet-unidentified fluid has rolled over on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 381.1 in the westbound lane.
There is a leak.
The driver is out and walking around but may have sustained a shoulder injury.
Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responding.
UPDATE 2:27 p.m.: Stafford to stand in at Town of Batavia Station #2 and Oakfield to stand in at Town of Batavia Station #1
UPDATE 2:36 p.m.: Stafford cannot get a crew. Standing down.
Genesee County sales tax revenue is trending in the right direction, County Treasurer Scott German said on Wednesday afternoon.
“Sales tax revenue is doing well,” said German, speaking at the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse.
Supported by Excel spreadsheets showing fund balances and tax revenues over the past 15 years or more, German reported that sales tax revenues in 2021 totaled $48.95 million, an increase of approximately 19 percent from the previous year.
As for the first quarter of 2022, sales tax revenues are up by 31 percent from the same time period in 2021.
“Much of that can be attributed to the increased gas prices,” German said, noting that sales tax on gasoline accounts for about 18 percent of the county’s sales tax revenue. It also must be noted that sales tax revenue was down in 2020 and 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county shared $6,852,960.75 (14 percent) of its sales tax received with the City of Batavia and $5 million – as a voluntary revenue distribution – with the towns and villages last year, as well as an additional $5 million in sales tax to the towns and villages.
Bed tax revenues (from hotel stays) rebounded from the COVID-19 ravaged 2020, German said, increasing from $180,000 to almost $400,000. Three-fourths of that amount was allocated to the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.
Mortgage tax revenue also increased by 38 percent from 2020 to 2021, he reported.
German said key points of his financial outlook are as follows:
However, he noted, the rating could have been higher if not for the county’s low per capita income level.
Looking at the county’s fund balances, German said the general fund balance of $16.9 million represents 14 percent – “a good number,” he said – of 2021’s budgeted expense.
Other fund balances, such as self-insurance ($1.8 million), county road ($385,000), road machinery ($574,000) and water fund ($4.2 million), are adequate, he said.
On the real property tax side, Director Kevin Andrews said sales of property has increased by 11 percent in 2021 – up from 6 percent the previous year.
Andrews said the county supported reassessment projects in the City of Batavia and the Towns of Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, Oakfield, Pembroke, and Stafford for the 2021 assessment rolls.
The Batavia Town Board on Wednesday night set a public hearing for 7 p.m. April 20 on Local Law No. 2 of 2022 – a provision entitled, “A Local Law to Amend the Town of Batavia Zoning Ordinance for Solar Energy Systems.”
The public hearing, which will take place at the Town Hall at 3833 West Main St. Rd., comes on the heels of several months of work by a committee charged with revising the ordinance on the installation of solar systems.
CLICK HERE to access a final draft of the updated solar law.
Supervisor Gregory Post thanked Town Council member Chad Zambito, committee chair, for the group’s efforts, with Zambito acknowledging the input of Building Inspector Dan Lang in the process.
In other action, the board passed resolutions to:
CATCO is the general contract for the project on 1.2 miles of Park Road between Route 63 and Route 98.
Additionally, the board approved a contract for $55,000 for Ravi Engineering and Land Surveying to provide inspection services for the installation of watermain on Park Road, which also is part of the major project.
Tourt, who has announced his retirement at the City of Batavia’s maintenance superintendent, moved into the elected position following the resignation of Thomas Lichtenthal, whose term expires on Dec. 31, 2025.
Universal Pre-Kindergarten to accommodate more than 100 children for the 2022-23 school year is on the table for consideration at Batavia City Schools.
A recommendation by Molly Corey is on the school board’s agenda for this week’s meeting. It’s set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Batavia High School, Superintendent's Conference Room, 260 State St.
Corey, the district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction, has proposed UPK sites at Imagination Station and GLOW YMCA, in addition to Jackson Primary School, in order to accommodate 112 students. The expected price tag is $672,719, to be paid with federal UPK grant funding, Corey said in a memo to the superintendent.
In other meeting items, the board is expected to vote on a proposal from Johnson Controls of Rochester for an energy performance contract. Promising a “positive cash flow” from state rebates and energy savings, the contract is for $2,357,531, to be paid off over the course of nearly 18 years at 2.75 percent interest.
If approved, construction would begin in September of this year with a completion date of August 2023.
Other votes and discussions include:
The meeting includes time for public comments and an executive session to discuss a resolution to “assert paid leave for an employee until further notice,” followed by the vote in open session.
To view the meeting, go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JI99xyBJt1sGdRzmCW2Kg
Officials of the Genesee County Economic Development Center are asking Genesee County legislators to consider expanding the “jurisdictional reach” of a locally controlled funding unit to facilitate $218 million in bond funds for Rochester Regional Health’s expansion projects.
Speaking at the legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting this afternoon at the Old County Courthouse, GCEDC President Steve Hyde encouraged passage of a resolution that would permit the Genesee County Funding Corp. to act as a conduit bond issuer for a business enterprise – either for-profit or not-for-profit – located in Genesee County that has operations directly or through affiliated entities in other counties in New York State.
The resolution, which was passed by the committee and forwarded to the full legislature, calls for an expansion of the “mission and public objective” of the GCFC to promote economic development and expand the jurisdictional reach by making the GCFC eligible to issue bonds for projects outside of Genesee County.
If passed, Rochester Regional Health, which operates United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia along with health care facilities in other counties, would be the beneficiary of the amendment to the GCFC’s current certificate of incorporation.
Hyde said that RRH is planning to invest $42 million in Batavia, primarily on the construction of a 105,000-square-foot medical center off Route 98, north of the city, and another $50 million or so on an expansion in Potsdam (St. Lawrence County).
“That’s almost $100 million in new money plus they are refinancing existing debt,” he said, pointing out that the issuance of the bond through GCFC would enable RRH to get a tax-exempt corporation interest rate instead of a taxable rate. “If not, they would have to seek multiple bonds in a number of communities and the fees would be much higher.”
He said RRH leadership approached the GCEDC “to use our GCFC, which is a county affiliate that we manage on your (the legislature’s) behalf.” The GCFC board consists of five members, all appointed by the legislature.
Mark Masse, GCEDC senior vice president of operations, said Genesee County has seen tremendous growth of companies with locations in other counties.
“This won’t affect the county’s bond rating,” he said. “It is similar to a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) with no risk to the county.”
Hyde said RRH is focusing on the adaptive reuse of its North Street and Bank Street campuses, including expanding senior health care at the Jerome Center and possible razing a couple buildings on North Street because parking is an issue.
“And there will be more specialties at the new medical center, such as cardiac care and surgical (improvements),” he said.
Should the legislature vote in favor of the resolution, it would not change the fact that every project connected to the GCFC would have to be approved by the governing body and a public hearing would have to be held for tax exempt circumstances, Masse said.
County Attorney James Wujcik said the resolution’s wording was appropriate, adding that the expansion of the GCFC territory “makes Genesee County more attractive for investment.”
With too few members present to form a quorum, the Le Roy Planning Board on Tuesday night could not vote on a proposal by developer Eric Biscaro to build a 60-unit housing development on Lake Road.
Even so, Biscaro, planners, and residents were given a chance to discuss the project and it will move forward with the next step in the approval process -- a public hearing with the Village of Le Roy trustees.
Since the property is already zoned for a multi-unit development (R-3) -- Biscaro is planning to build duplexes -- and no variances are required, it's unlikely there are any legal hurdles for Biscaro to clear.
Previously, Biscaro tried to undertake a similar housing development off of East Avenue but because the zoning there is R-1, he needed village approval to modify the zoning.
On Tuesday, Biscaro laid out his plans and answered questions from those in attendance.
The project calls for 30 duplex homes on 16 acres off Route 19. The complex will be open only to people age 50 and older. Megan Hensel, project manager, said in Clinton Crossing in Batavia, which Biscaro developed, the average age of residents is 75.
Le Roy Fire Chief Craig Johnson expressed concern about the 20-foot-wide streets in the development and whether they would be wide enough to get apparatus to an emergency call if any cars were parked on the street.
Biscaro said given the average age of his tenants, they're not hosting many large gatherings and that while the garages for the units are single-car, the drives are all two-cars wide and most can accommodate up to four cars.
There will be very little on-street parking, he said. But he stopped short of saying on-street parking is prohibited.
Johnson said he would still like to see wider streets.
"It's just not a matter of not wanting to pave it," Biscaro said. "You wouldn't want to see it (wider streets). It wouldn't be a nice neighborly place."
There was also concern from Johnson and others in attendance that the driveway on Route 19 is close to a bit of a hill and the additional traffic will create an accident hazard.
Biscaro said the complex will generate little automobile traffic in and out of the entrance, reducing the risk of accidents.
Neighboring residents expressed concern about losing the open space near their homes, night lighting, and a possible stormwater pond on the property.
The project will use only five of the available 16 acres, Biscaro noted.
"We could take four times the buildings in there and still meet code," Biscaro said.
As for the lighting, in accordance with current standards, the lights will all focus their beams down toward the ground. There won't be lights shining into neighboring homes, Biscaro said.
One neighbor said he had two young sons and expressed concern about the stormwater pond and asked if it would be fenced.
Biscaro said the pond is still a concept and hasn't been engineered yet but if it does go in, it wouldn't be fenced but would be no more than two feet deep.
At Clinton Crossing, Biscaro said, most of the residents come from Batavia but they also come from Attica and Elba and other neighboring towns. He expects the occupancy of the Le Roy development to be the same.
"Le Roy could use some extra people and our clientele are good people and they will be your neighbors," he said.
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Article submitted by Chelsea Green, Genesee County Youth Bureau.
The Genesee County Youth Conference Coalition sponsored the 32nd Annual Youth Conference at Genesee Community College on March 15, 2022.
This conference is offered on an annual basis to local seventh- and eighth-grade students in Genesee and Orleans County in an effort to address pertinent social issues of interest to youngsters of middle-school age. There were approximately 175 seventh- and eighth-grade students in attendance.
This year’s theme of the conference was “We Are Stronger Together.”
The inspiring speaker, Earl Ameen made the trip up from Texas to speak with our students. Earl’s message inspired youth to believe in themselves, embrace love, and to become more kind and compassionate while respecting everyone.
A variety of human service organizations in Genesee County contributed to the event by organizing a workshop for students to attend that day. Workshops were tailored to be interesting, engaging, and hands-on while being taught valuable lessons. Some of these workshop topics were: healthy eating habits, building functional relationships, Geocaching, learning about disabilities, teambuilding, and internet safety. Dance, Yoga, and WERQ were popular workshops attended as well!
Members of the Youth Conference Committee are extremely grateful to the workshop presenters who volunteered their time to educate our area's seventh and eighth-graders. We are also grateful to the following businesses/organizations that provided discounts or donations for the conference…Genesee Community College, Genesee and Orleans County Stop DWI Programs, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee County, and Subway.
The Genesee County Youth Conference Committee is comprised of representatives from the following agencies: Genesee-Orleans County Youth Bureau, Genesee Community College, Genesee County Job Development, YMCA, Community Action, and Reality Check/Roswell.
For more information on this year’s Genesee County Youth Conference or to find out how you can participate in the next event, call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 585-344-3960.
Photos by Howard Owens
There are two power outages reported by National Grid in Alexander, one affecting 372 customers and the other 907.
About half of the Village of Alexander is without power and that outage area stretches down Route 98 to Attica Central School, also north to Hunn Road and east almost to West Bethany/Molasses Hill Road.
The outage affecting 907 customers is along much of Route 238 and also covers a substantial portion of Wyoming County.
Nearly all of the National Grid service area in Wyoming County (a panhandle down the middle of the county) is without power.
The power outages in Alexander started at 2:54 p.m. and are expected to be resolved by 5 p.m.
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