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Photos: 'Worm Moon' over Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens
full moon
Photo by Jessica Pfalzer, taken in Corfu at 12:02 a.m.

The early moon of Monday is known as the Worm Moon, the first full moon of Spring.

The naming of full moons comes from Native American traditions.

Upcoming full moons are the Pink Moon (April 23), the Flower Moon, May 23, and the Strawberry Moon (June 21)

full moon
Photo by Frank Capuano.

GC government offices to close early April 8 for solar eclipse activities

By Press Release

Press Release:

In preparation for the upcoming 2024 Solar Eclipse, Genesee County Government will implement a temporary closure for all County Offices and non-emergency services, effective from noon on Monday, April 8 until 8:30 a.m. on April 9.

This decision reflects the county's proactive approach to eclipse readiness. By suspending county operations during the eclipse, the county aims to reduce traffic congestion, enhance public safety, and enable residents and visitors to partake in this extraordinary event. County offices will remain open in the morning on April 8th to accommodate residents who need to conduct business that day. 

"Ensuring the safety of our community is our top priority, and the closure of County Offices during the eclipse will contribute to ensuring a safe environment for all to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event," stated County Manager Matt Landers.

To learn about the eclipse in Genesee County, visit: www.geneseetheeclipse.com For important safety information on the eclipse, visit: www.iloveny.com/events/eclipse-2024/safety/

Pavilion Fire honors volunteers, installs officers at annual dinner

By Howard B. Owens
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Codey O'Neill, Jason Everett, Bryen Murrock, and Firefighter of the Year, Ken Weaver.
Photos by Howard Owens.

Members of the Pavilion Volunteer Fire Department honored their own on Saturday at the fire hall with an awards and installation dinner.

Ken Weaver was named Firefighter of the Year. Dave Clor received the EMS Person of the Year award. Paul Daugherty received the President's Award.

Tom Garlock, Jason Everett, Chris Holley, and Don Roblee Jr. received a special EMS award for their effort to deliver a baby during a snowstorm in January. The baby was named Cinderella.

Matt Jacobs received the Lifetime Member Award.

Jerry Fitzsimmons was honored as a 50-year member for 2022, and Don Roblee and Ken Weaver were honored for 50 years in 2023.

The 2024 officers:

  • Jason Everett, chief
  • Bryen Murrock, 1st asst. chief
  • Codey O'Neill, 2nd asst. chief
  • Chris Holley, captain
  • Kelly Murrock, captain
  • Jason True, lieutenant
  • Dewey Murrock, lieutenant
  • Ken Weaver, fire police captain
  • Dave Clor, safety officer
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Codey O'Neill, Jason Everett, Bryen Murrock, and Dave Clor.
Photos by Howard Owens.
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Chris Holley, Don Roblee Jr., Tom Garlock, and Jason Everett.
Photo by Howard Owens.
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Paul Daugherty and Ken Weaver.
Photo by Howard Owens.
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Jerry Fitzsimmons
Photo by Howard Owens.
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Doug Wright, Ken Weaver, Don Roblee, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
Photo by Howard Owens.
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Photo by Howard Owens

Kings defeat Stars 6-1 in Men’s League Hockey Championship

By Steve Ognibene
Team championship members and coach Charlie O'Geen of the BMHL Newstead Holmes Kings  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Team championship members and coach Charlie O'Geen of the BMHL Newstead Homes Kings  
Photo by Steve Ognibene 

Newstead Homes Kings beat Kelly's Holland Inn Stars, 6-1, on Sunday at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to win the Batavia Men's League Hockey Championship.

The Kings came out of the locker room hot, opening the first period with goals by Dan Eckerson, Evan Eckerson, and David Holtz. 

"We knew going in that they were going to come out flying, and we just had to play our game," Evan Eckerson said. "Gary (Schum), our goalie, he played a heck of a game, and you can't really ask anything else of him. He didn't allow a goal until 10 seconds left."

Eckerson said his team scored "not the greatest goal" to take a 1-0.

"But, hey, they all count. They all look the same on the score sheet. That got us on the board and that got us the momentum to keep going through the first period."

In the second period, the Kings took advantage of a penalty, with Shane Wiseman netting a power-play goal, assisted by Mitch Ernst.   

The Stars got some quality shots on Schum in the second and third period, but the goaltender was equal to the task.

"This team has been all about energy, checking the whole season long, and today they did a great job in front of me -- pressuring the puck and resolving the turnovers," Schum said. "Defensively, they were just great in our own zone today."

The Kings' netminder kept the Stars scoreless through four penalty kill opportunities in the third period until, with 9.3 seconds to play, Jason Hauesser scored for the Stars.

Evan Eckerson added two more goals late in the third period, getting the hat trick and securing the most valuable player award for the game.

Kings Coach Charlie O'Geen, the last original active member of the league, won his sixth championship.

"We won the championship with Charlie a couple of years ago," Eckerson said. "There's no better guy who deserves it more. He's one of the first ones. He's been here since the start, and he's still here, still winning championships, picking championship teams."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

BMHL Kings vs Stars  Photos by Steve Ognibene
BMHL Kings vs Stars  Photos by Steve Ognibene
BMHL Kings vs Stars  Photos by Steve Ognibene
BMHL Kings vs Stars  Photos by Steve Ognibene
BMHL Kings vs Stars  Photos by Steve Ognibene
BMHL Kings vs Stars  Photos by Steve Ognibene

Several post 700 series at local bowling centers

By Mike Pettinella

Several bowlers cracked the 700 mark in league action around the Genesee Region USBC last week.

At Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Brian Cline led the way with a 239-268-269--776 series in the Mancuso Real Estate Monday Doubles League, raising his average to 239.

Also at Mancuso's, fellow left-hander Nick Johnson posted a 736 series in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples League.

At Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Mike Lyons started with 278 on his way to a 743 series in the Wednesday Men's Handicap League, with Scott Gibson next at 715, and Mark Mack registered a 715 series in the Thursday Owls League.

At Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, four bowlers exceeded 700 in the Sneezy's Monday Night League -- John Beadle 267--748, Brandon Gurnsey 257--711, Troy Fanton 259--710 and Robbie Hanks 246--705.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

Photo: GSO's Young Artist Competition held on Saturday

By Howard B. Owens
gso-young-artist-competition-2024
Photo by Howard Owens

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra held its annual young artists' competition on Saturday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church.

On hand as judges were board members and Musical Director S. Shade Zajac. 

The winners will be announced prior to the 2024-25 season and be featured soloists in the winter concert.  There were a half-dozen entrants this year, including 14-year-old Tristan Zhang, pictured, from Pittsford, whom Howard Sounder accompanied.

Photos: Community Easter celebration at Batavia First Presbyterian

By Howard B. Owens
first-presbyterian-easter-egg-hunt-2024

The Easter Bunny visited Batavia First Presbyterian Church on Saturday.

Snow and cold moved the Easter egg hunt indoors. There were also games, face painting, refreshments, and a basket raffle. The event was also a fundraiser for the North Bergen Community Food Pantry.

Photos by Howard Owens.

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Photos: Two more golden Easter eggs found at Centennial Park

By Howard B. Owens
kiwanis golden easter egg
Killian Henry with the golden Easter egg he found in Centennial Park on Saturday.
Submitted photo.

The hunt for gold Easter eggs hidden in Centennial Park in Batavia continues, with eggs found on Saturday and Sunday.

The Batavia Kiwanis Club is hiding a golden egg daily through Thursday. The egg contains a prize ticket for a large chocolate bunny from Oliver's Candies. The ticket can be redeemed at the club's annual Easter Egg Hunt in Centennial Park at 9 a.m. sharp on Saturday.

kiwanis golden easter egg
Ivan and Clifford Heddy with the golden Easter Egg they found in Centennial Park on Sunday.
Submitted photo.

'Brush fire' reported in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A brush fire was called into dispatch in Le Roy, with the caller stating the fire was about 15 feet from a residence.

What the first responders from Le Roy Fire actually found: A metal fire ring with some wood smoldering it, surrounded by snow, about 75 feet from a structure.

Photos: Blue lights in Oakfield honoring Sgt. Sanfratello and as show of support for his daughter

By Howard B. Owens
oakfield blue lights sanfratello

Last week, in the wake of the death of Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello, the Oakfield Betterment Committee distributed blue lights to local businesses and Oakfield residents.

Betterment Committee President Jamie Lindsley stated:

The Oakfield community likes to support one of their own, as was evident ever since the line-of-duty loss of Sgt. Sanfratello, a member of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department. Last week, caring citizen Kristen Porter decided to show support for Sgt. Sanfratello's daughter Alexis, who is a student at Oakfield-Alabama Central School, by lighting a blue light in honor of the fallen deputy. Another community member, Kate Engle, took this tribute to the entire community by engaging the assistance of Oakfield Betterment Committee members. Together, they contacted local Home Depots, Lowes, and other stores and arranged pickups and distributions to the entire Oakfield area and some surrounding communities. Joshua Schultz took it upon himself to drive all the way from Syracuse with a delivery of 50 blue light bulbs. A dozen bulbs were donated to illuminate all front windows of School House Manor in the middle of the village. In total, over 300 blue light bulbs were donated and handed out to the community, and each night, the night is brightly lit blue to honor our fallen deputy and show our support as a community for Alexis.

The committee shared these photos with The Batavian.

For prior coverage of Sgt. Sanfratello, click here.

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oakfield blue lights sanfratello
oakfield blue lights sanfratello
oakfield blue lights sanfratello
oakfield blue lights sanfratello
oakfield blue lights sanfratello
oakfield blue lights sanfratello
oakfield blue lights sanfratello

Students from GLOW region explore healthcare careers

By Joanne Beck
Students from GLOW region partake in 2nd annual healthcare career day  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Students from the GLOW region partake in the second annual healthcare career day on Friday.
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Of the 235 representatives from various areas in the healthcare field at a four-county event, student Rylee Serusa-Herndon connected with someone in particular during her visit with BOCES Health Dimensions classmates to Genesee Community College Friday.

“I came to the GLOW With Your Hands field trip to be a neurosurgeon, I’m interested in that, and I came to kind of understand, to know what I have to do to be able to be that,” she said. “I did go to a booth, and one of the girls was actually a neurosurgeon, and she told me it is very difficult; you have to do a lot of schooling. But she said ‘you know, there’s not many girl neurosurgeons,’ and that kind helped me out. I definitely want to do it.”

Rylee was one of more than 500 students in grades eight through 12 from 31 schools in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. The event was to help connect interested students to a couple hundred representatives from 57 companies, municipal agencies, nonprofits, and educational institutions and further excite, educate, and empower them to seek success in the healthcare field of study after high school.

Educational providers and employers were on hand to demonstrate in the fields of emergency medical services, healthy living, healthcare, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy, and the various sciences.

There were mannequins stationed so that students could get some CPR lessons, a physical therapy demonstration, and a virtual reality program to offer more high-tech ways to explore careers, “which is cool,” said Chris Suozzi, Vice President of Workforce Development for Genesee County Economic Development Center. 

“The whole reason that we do these events and career exploration in high school is so kids can really expand their horizons. It's so difficult for someone to really know what they want to do for a career. It's taken me 30-some years to figure out what I wanted to do … but for kids, the more they see the, the better. So they're seeing careers that they would never see in a classroom and in a textbook,” Suozzi said. “And then there's careers that they may look at and say, ‘Oh, I definitely don't want to do that.' And I know it's a good thing. But when you look at the opportunities for what are possibilities, it's almost endless here. 

“So, you know, when you hear about healthcare, you think a doctor or nurse, but then when you look here, there's a lot more than doctors and nurses,” he said. “There's all these technicians and EMTs, physical therapy, and the list goes on and on. So that's the whole idea. Explore their mind, explore opportunities for a great career.”

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Photo: First Kiwanis golden Easter egg of 2024 found in Centennial Park

By Howard B. Owens
kiwanis golden easter egg
The first golden Easter egg of the season hidden by the Kiwanis Club of Batavia in Centennial Park was found on Friday by Aria and Mila Solis. Matt Landers said the egg for Saturday was hidden around 10 a.m. The annual Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt will be at 9 a.m. sharp on Saturday in Centennial Park, Batavia.
Submitted Photo

City of Batavia puts hold on Hood project due to town exceeding wastewater capacity, taking lead role

By Joanne Beck
HP Hood expansion pic
2023 File Photo of HP Hood in the Agri-Business Park in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens

The city of Batavia has temporarily halted a $120 million expansion project with HP Hood in the town of Batavia due to “violations of the town’s contracted wastewater capacity limit,” and both municipalities are working to rectify the situation, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

Tabelski sent the town Planning Board a letter on March 13 notifying the group that the city had not been informed in a timely manner that the town had been established as lead agency for the proposed expansion of process lines at HP Hood on Feb. 13, 2024, and the city did not receive word of that until March 4. The city, therefore, objects to the town acting as the lead agency, Tabelski said.

In addition, ”due to violations of the town’s contracted wastewater capacity limit, the project cannot proceed,” Tabelski said in the letter.

When asked for further comments in an interview, Tabelski said, “As we are in active negotiations with the town regarding a new purchase capacity agreement, I’m going to respectfully decline an interview at this point.”

She did provide the two-page letter sent to the planning board, which includes background about the apparent increased wastewater discharge that was “identified as part of the state environmental quality review (SEQR) for the project application and 2021 SEQR amendment for the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.” 

“The city was never furnished a copy of the 2021 GEIS (generic environmental impact statement) amendment and is an involved agency,” Tabelski said. 

In 1983, the city and town entered into a wastewater facility agreement that outlined ownership and operation of the new treatment plant. In February 2015, they entered into a wastewater facility agreement and a wastewater metering agreement. The city currently owns 84.55% of the total plant capacity, and the town owns 15.45%. 

Due to ongoing development in the town, including the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, the town’s sanitary sewer flows are exceeding the contractual limit of .85 million gallons per day (MGD) or 15.45% of the total capacity, Tableksi said. 

Each city and town resolution in May 2023 identified the parties’ mutual concerns about potential increased flow resulting from the Kings Plaza pump station project, and the average sewer flow was 1.2 MGD. In fall 2023, the town advised the city that HP Hood was expanding but that it was only the warehouse and would not create additional demand for water or sewer capacity. Hood already discharges 1.1 to 1.2 MGD. By the end of 2023, the town’s average sewer flow had increased to 1.33 MGD, Tabelski said. 

“This is well in excess of the town’s contractual limit of .85 MGD,” she said. “Consequently, the town has no capacity to allocate to expansion of HP Hood or any other facility at this time.” 

The city also cannot permit increased sewer flows from the town of Batavia until the wastewater treatment plan expansion study is complete, she said. 

“The city and town still need to enter into a proposed wastewater agreement that was circulated in January 2024. However, this agreement will still not allow for increased discharge beyond 1.2 MGD. This pending agreement will be the town’s limit for wastewater discharge.”

As for its objection to the town being lead agency for the Hood project, Tabelski said that “the town has failed to accurately and timely inform the city about the expansion of wastewater capacity demand at the Ag Park.”

“In addition, the town is in breach of the wastewater agreement with the city by discharging in excess of .85 MGD,” she said. “A lead agent under SEQR is responsible for thoroughly and accurately evaluating the potential environmental impacts prior to making a determination of significance on the action.

“The town’s excess wastewater discharge beyond contract limits threatens the city’s discharge limits and has the potential to exceed the city’s (State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit,” she said. “As a result, the city objects to the town’s lead agency designation for this action under SEQR.”

The Batavian sent questions on Wednesday to Planning Board Chairwoman Kathy Jasinski about why the town exceeded its wastewater capacity and what the town would do to rectify the matter so that it could proceed with the Hood project, which has received the blessings of Genesee County Economic Development for the $120 million expansion. 

Jasinski replied on Friday, referring The Batavian to the town engineer. The Batavian has sent questions to Steven Mountain and received an auto-response that he will be out of the office until March 27.

The Hood expansion is to be 32,500 square feet and pledges to create 48 new jobs while retaining 455 full-time equivalent jobs at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. This project accommodates its automatic storage and retrieval system refrigerated warehouse. It will also include new batching and processing systems and other upgrades, which will allow the company to increase capacity and begin a new production line.

HP Hood’s investment is projected to result in a local economic impact of $49.87 million in wages and tax revenue. The GCEDC approved sales tax exemptions estimated at $4.52 million, a property tax abatement estimated at $549,705 based on an incremental increase in assessed value, and a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $536,000, bringing the value of the proposed financial agreements to approximately $5.6 million. 

GCEDC’s board recently approved the Hood financial package, prompting The Batavian to ask if the agency was aware of the wastewater situation and request comment about the city’s action to put a hold on the project.

“We are aware that the city and town of Batavia are continuing discussions regarding the current capacity at the wastewater treatment plant as our communities plan for the future,” Director of Marketing and Communications Jim Krencik said. “The GCEDC Board of Directors approved incentives that directly support HP Hood’s warehouse expansion. All IDA incentives cannot be approved until the completion of a project’s SEQR.  The non-warehouse project is currently under the SEQR review by the town. Soliciting comments and feedback from interested and involved agencies, such as the city’s letter, is the first step in that process.”

In her conclusion, Tabelski said the city is willing to consider “other mitigation options to decrease wastewater discharge by the town” so that it can remain within the contractual limit.

“Unfortunately, until such wastewater reduction options are implemented by the town, there is no wastewater capacity,” she said. 

Richmond Memorial Library 2024-25 budget and trustee election information

By Press Release

Press Release:

Richmond Memorial Library Trustee Position

Any qualified voter of the City School District of Batavia and a resident of the City School District for at least 1 year immediately preceding the date of the election (May 2, 2024) can run for one of two Richmond Memorial Library Board of Trustees seats. They are for 3-year terms which start July 1, 2024.  

Petitions for the positions can be picked up at the circulation desk. At least twenty-five (25) signatures are required from qualified voters of the School District. The petition must be turned in at the circulation desk between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on or before April 2.

Public Hearing April 8

A Public Information Meeting on the 2024-25 Richmond Memorial Library Budget will be held in the Richmond Memorial Library Gallery Room on Monday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. Future plans for the Library will be presented along with the 2024-25 budget. The regular monthly meeting of the Library Board of Trustees for April will take place immediately following the public meeting.

RML Voter Registration Day April 9

Any person qualified to vote who is not currently registered under permanent personal registration in the election district in which he or she resides, or who has moved to another residence within that district following the date of such registration, or who has not voted at a general election at least once in the last four successive calendar years, should, in order to be entitled to vote, present himself or herself personally for the registration or otherwise register at the Genesee County Board of Elections. 

Voter Registration for this year’s Library Vote will be held at Richmond Memorial Library on April 9 from 1 - 5 p.m. and from 7 - 9 p.m.

Richmond Memorial Library Budget Vote/Trustee Election May 2

Richmond Memorial Library’s Annual Budget Vote/Trustee Election will be held in the Library’s Gallery Room on Thursday, May 2 from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Any registered voter residing in the Batavia City School District is eligible to vote.

'Drop the Vape' program to help reduce youth tobacco usage and addiction

By Press Release

Press Release:

To spring into better health outcomes, Tobacco-Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties (TF-GOW) are encouraging teens to “Drop the Vape” and stop smoking all types of tobacco products. 

Among high school students In New York State, nearly 1 in 5 (18.7 percent) reported vaping nicotine compared to a record low of about 1 in 50 (2.1 percent) who reported smoking cigarettes in 2022. There is some evidence that current vaping among youth could lead to future cigarette use.

“Research shows that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future,” says Brittany Bozzer, Reality Check Youth Outreach Coordinator at TF-GOW. “It’s important that we do everything we can now to protect the health of our community’s young people. This is our mission at Tobacco-Free GOW and we invite parents, health care providers teachers, and all those who work with and care about youth to join us.”

DropTheVape is a free text-based youth and young adult vaping cessation service for smokers aged 13-24 provided by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). The service is evidence-based and was developed by the Truth Initiative® with input from young people who wanted to quit vaping. 

“With findings showing that over half of young e-cigarette users want to quit and many have tried, it is more important than ever to promote resources and tools that will help young people successfully quit vaping,” says Julie Calvert, Community Outreach Coordinator at TF-GOW.

This program makes it easier to stop. Any New York State resident in the targeted age bracket can text “DropTheVape” to 88709. Enrollees in the program receive interactive daily text messages tailored to their sign-up date or their target quit date, should they choose to set one. Messages include encouragement, motivation, tips, coping strategies, and exercise to help build their belief that they CAN quit. 

To date the initiative has helped more than 600,000 young people nationally on their journey to quit vaping. The program also directs users to the NYS Smokers’ Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487), or http://www.nysmokefree.com which provides free and confidential quit coaching for people who vape or smoke, and free starter kits of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to eligible New Yorkers to help them break their dependence on smoking or vaping tobacco.

NYSDOH and the NYS Education Department are working together to provide materials in English and Spanish to help young people quit vaping. The free materials are available here to view, download, and print. You can also contact Brittany Bozzer at (716) 254-1540 or brittany.bozzer@roswellpark.org to get printed materials.

Xtreme International Ice Racing returns to Batavia March 29 and 30

By Press Release
ice-racing-batavia.jpg

Press Release:

XiiR (Xtreme International Ice Racing) returns to Batavia for two shows. Friday, March 29 & Saturday, March 30 at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.

XiiR is a motorcycle racing tour…ON ICE! Man and machine going from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, with speedway bikes and quads that are modified to compete on an indoor ice arena. There are over 2000 metal studs added to the tires and there are NO BRAKES!

What does that mean? PURE ADRENALINE! It is the fastest sport on ice and one of the fastest sports in the world. 

Last year’s event sold out at the McCarthy Ice Arena so get your tickets early online at www.mccarthyicearena.com in person at the rink (22 Evans Street Batavia), or call 814-504-9979.

GCC's Kristen Schuth named NACDA 2023-24 Athletics Director of the Year

By Press Release

Press Release:

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Photo of Kristen Schuth, courtesy of Genesee Community College.

Genesee Community College is thrilled to announce that Kristen Schuth has been named National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY). The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions, and Junior College/Community Colleges).

Kristen, who serves as the Administrator in Charge of Student and Enrollment Services and Director of Athletics at GCC, has been recognized for her commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, GCC, and the surrounding communities. Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 59th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, June 11.

Kristen was appointed as GCC's Director of Athletics in 2013. Under her leadership, the college has achieved incredible success, capturing many regional & conference titles and two national championships. The athletic department has produced numerous All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and placed in the Daktronics Cup for the first time ever in school history, a testament to Schuth's dedication to both athletics and academics.

Beyond her contributions to GCC, Kristen is involved at the regional and national levels, serving as the NJCAA Region 3 Women's Director, Region 3 Board of Regents Representative, and Board of Regents Secretary. 

She is the NATYCAA secretary and executive committee member, and chairs several NJCAA Division III committees, including the D3 Oversight Committee, putting her at the forefront of decision-making processes that influence the direction of D3 athletics. 

She also played a crucial role in hosting several regional and national championship events at GCC. Schuth is a two-time recipient of the Region 3 Athletic Director of the Year award and was previously named the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year in 2021. 

In 2023, Kristen was the recipient of the prestigious NJCAA George Killian Award of Excellence for her outstanding commitment to voluntarism, service, leadership, and excellence.

"Receiving the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year award is a tremendous honor, not just for me personally, but for the entire Genesee Community College family. This recognition underscores our collective commitment to excellence in both athletics and academics, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of our student-athletes and our institution. I am truly humbled and excited to continue supporting our athletes as we strive for even greater achievements in the future," said Schuth.

The ADOY Award program is in its 26th year and has recognized a total of 584 deserving athletic directors to date.

All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who met the criteria were eligible for the award. Among the criteria were service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty, and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Additionally, each AD's institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.), in which the institution could not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control during the tenure of the current athletics director.

Nominators were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents, and conference commissioners, as well as other respected intercollegiate athletics administrators. Special Divisional Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, current and former commissioners, and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award. Additional history surrounding the ADOY award, including a list of past winners, can be found here.

For more information contact Vice President, Development and External Affairs Justin Johnston at (585) 345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.

Top Items on Batavia's List

Tourism Marketing Assistant Position The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, serving as the official tourism promotion agency for Genesee County, NY is seeking an experienced marketing professional to assist in the overall Chamber tourism and marketing initiatives for Genesee County. https://visitgeneseeny.com/about/join-our-team
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Town of Batavia Court Department is seeking a part time as needed Court Officer. Court Officers are responsible for maintaining order in the court room and court facility during proceedings. Please send resume to Town of Batavia, Attention Hiedi Librock, 3833 West Main Street Road, Batavia, NY 14020. Complete job description is available on the Town web site or at the Town Hall Application deadline is April 15, 2024.
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