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Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) is relocating its urgent care services in Le Roy from 8745 Lake Street Road to 3 Tountas Ave. The move is part of Rochester Regional Health’s plan to expand primary care, diagnostic and urgent care services in the area.

After a renovation project at the 3 Tountas Ave. location, residents will have more timely access to care in a convenient, modern and comfortable setting. 

“It is important we remain focused on patient-centered care and acknowledge the needs of the community. Centrally locating these services will enhance access, operations, communication and patient engagement,” said Jennifer Dunivent, United Memorial Medical Center’s director of operations, outpatient services. 

To accommodate the project, Urgent Care services in Le Roy will temporarily close effective Friday, Feb. 16 until the project is finished this spring.

During this transitional period, patients can visit UMMC’s urgent care location at 16 Bank St. in Batavia. The urgent care in Batavia will have additional staff, expanded hours and onsite laboratory and radiology services. The location is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Diagnostic services at the 8745 Lake Street Road location in Le Roy will not be affected and will remain open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

This latest project reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to ensuring patients have local access to the care and services they need; all while staying connected to emergency room services and a team of highly skilled specialists when patients need them.

The Batavia City Council is poised to pass a budget with few changes from the one proposed by former City Manager Jason Molino a month ago, one with a 3-percent tax rate decrease for local property owners.

The sale of the County Nursing Home, putting that property back on the tax roles, along with several years of conservative budgeting practices by Molino, have helped the city hold the line on spending.

"I think it's trim," said Council President Eugene Jankowski following the council's second budget workshop last night. "I think it's well laid out and it does show a 3-percent decrease, thankfully, because the nursing home is on the tax rolls now. We haven't jumped forward because we have that nursing home. We haven't suddenly gone off on wild spending. We've kept it as trim as we can keep it."

The current city property tax rate is $9.27 per thousand. The proposed tax rate is $8.99. The $120,000 the nursing home as private property this fiscal year will add $120,000 to the tax roll. About half of the tax rate decrease, 13 cents, can be attributed to the nursing home property passing into private ownership.

Molino's budget process, which won the city awards, has allowed Batavia to build healthy reserves and establish a sound financial base for the city.

The biggest dilemma facing Interim City Manager Matt Worth is how to come up with $4,500 to improve the softball and baseball fields in the city's parks.

Michael Jamil, who has spearheaded the return of slow-pitch softball leagues to Kibbe Park, came to the council last week and asked for improvements to the playing field. Council members responded favorably to the request and have instructed Worth to figure out how to purchase new baseball soil, the necessary equipment and provide the manpower to get the job done.

At last night's meeting, Worth said he thinks there is enough money left over from 2017 to cover the costs without revising the 2018 proposed budget.

Councilwoman Kathy Briggs suggested using funds left over from Vibrant Batavia, but that would actually require adjusting the 2018 budget.

"If there’s surplus money in a reserve account, it would be easier to use that money this year to start ordering that stuff than to take it out of the 2018 budget," Jankowski said.

The talk of parks sparked Councilwoman Rosemary Christian to pitch one of her perennial requests: A spray park on the Southside.

"We need some stuff on the Southside," Christian said.

"I understand that," Jankowski responded, "and the ball field is a start."

"What does that have to do with little kids having a spray park?" Christian shot back.

"From the people I talked to, they're not really happy about taking on more debt to create another park and pay a water bill," Jankowski said.

He argued that the spray park in Austin Park serves all of the city's needs and it wasn't difficult to reach for people living on the Southside.

"It’s more than just a drive down the road if you’re a single mom and it’s 85 degrees," Councilwoman Patti Pacino said.

Jankowski said that building the spray park in Austin Park 14 or 15 years ago was one of the reasons the city wound up more than $3 million in debt a decade ago. He said he doesn't think people want to see the city go down that path again.

"I don't see support for a spray park," Jankowski said. "I just don't see it."

Christian said that's because he only talks to people their age.

Councilman Adam Tabelski suggested that the discussion of a water park should be reserved for work on a new parks master plan. The council quickly seemed to adopt that consensus.

Councilman John Canale then asked Christian if she was going to, again, have any last minute amendments or objections to any raises in the budget.

Christian said her only concern is that she thinks city police officers don't make enough money.

"I really don’t think they get enough money," Christian said. "I figure their lives are in danger every day they leave. Our fire department, OK. I don’t have a problem with it this year. I have a problem with management in this beautiful comfortable building while these guys (motioning to Police Chief Shawn Heubusch and Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano) here have to go out and freeze their asses off.

"They don’t know what is going to happen behind that door. They don't know what is happening down the road. They don’t know if they’re going to get shot, nothing, and I really don’t think they get enough money."

Canale pointed out that is really an issue for the collective bargaining process.

Jankowski said the feedback he's getting is city police officers are more concerned about the state of their deteriorating police station than they are about their pay.

"The main thing these guys want is a building," Jankowski said. "They’re not saying, 'I’m underpaid.' They’re saying 'we’re in a (horrible building) and this is a tool.' The building is their tool to do their jobs."

Christian said she is fine with the police getting a new headquarters.

Asked if she was going to vote for the budget, Christian, often a nay vote on budgets, said, "maybe."

"I've got my sidewalks," she said. "I’ve got my two roads to be resurfaced this year. I expect four next year."

The budget session included a report from Napolitano on his budget request, which represents an 11-percent decrease in spending.

The primary reason for the decrease, Napolitano said, is that the fire department is once again fully staffed and all members have completed training. That greatly reduces the amount of overtime paid out.

Council members took a keen interest in his request for a new leaf blower as part of the small-equipment budget request.

"The leaf blower is one small piece of safety equipment that has multiple functions at the fire station," Napolitano said. "What we do is we keep the apparatus floor clean, rather than using water in the wintertime to clean the apparatus floor. This helps really remove the fine-grained sand that comes in. You can broom the fire station floor down all you want but you can't really eliminate all the sand and debris (without a blower)."

The other key feature of the $3.6 million fire department budget is a request for five to seven new sets of turnout gear.

"We're on a replacement program for turnout gear," Napolitano said. "I'm looking to purchase between five and seven a year. Turnout gear has10-year NFPA scheduled life and rather than to purchase 36 sets all at one time at $3,000 dollars a set, I'm looking to stagger five to seven sets every year so this really isn't a large expense for the city."

As for the budget, the proposed tax rate will be the lowest its been since 2006, supporting a total expenditure of $24.3 million. That's a total spending increase of 1.9 percent, keeping the tax levy below that tax cap requirements.

The council will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget Feb. 26.

Meanwhile, the council continues to move ahead on the process of replacing Molino. Jankowski said eight or nine search firms have expressed interest in helping the council find a replacement. A committee is reviewing those applications and within the next week will interview what they consider the best two or three options. Jankowski said the goal is to have a recommendation for a search firm -- which will cost the city about $20,000 -- by the council meeting on Feb. 26.

       Linda Feeley

Linda C. Feeley, 59, of Hulberton Road, Holley, is charged with third-degree grand larceny, first-degree identify theft, two counts of first-degree forgery, four counts of second-degree forgery, two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy, and four counts of fifth-degree conspiracy. Feeley is accused of participating in a fraudulent purchase of a vehicle at 4300 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, March 28. Feeley, along with her boyfriend David Gurgir and with Eric Holliday, a car salesman, allegedly conspired to complete paperwork to facilitate the transfer of a vehicle under a forged identity, namely, Feeley's mother. Gurgir and Holliday were previously arrested as a result of the investigation by Investigator Christopher Parker and Detective John Condidorio. UPDATE: We've clarified the charges against Holliday. He is charged with four counts of conspiracy 5th and two felony counts of conspiracy 4th. Gurgir is charged with is charged with two counts of conspiracy, 4th, and four counts of conspiracy, 5th. The alleged conspiracy began at a local car dealership. Investigators say the final transaction took place in the parking lot of a department store.

Jay Markle, 60, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, and Darlene Martaus, 58, of Batavia is charged with DWI. Markle was stopped at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly speeding on Route 33 in Bergen by State Police. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test. He was processed at the Batavia barracks where he was allegedly found to have a BAC of .12 percent. Maurtaus arrived at the barracks at 12:33 a.m. Wednesday to pick up Markle and a trooper detected the odor of alcohol. Martaus allegedly failed a field sobriety test. She was also charged with aggravated unlicensed operation; 1st, driving without an interlock device, and other vehicle and traffic violations. Her BAC was allegedly .12 percent. She was arraigned and jailed.

Brandon C. Morgan, 24, of Pittsford, Samantha R. Smallidge, 23, of Rochester, and Kyle Z. Morgan, 21, of Rochester, are charged with criminal possession of marijuana, more than 16 ounces. Morgan, Smallidge, and Morgan were arrested by State Police at 9:38 p.m. Tuesday in the Town of Stafford. No further details released.

Thomas J. Wolcott, 33, of Batavia, and Ashlee E. Corter, 32, of Kent, are charged with petit larceny. Wolcott and Corter are accused of shoplifting in the Village of Oakfield at 2:10 p.m. on Nov. 7. They were arrested by State Police on Tuesday. No further details released.

The Elba Central School Drama Club presents "The Wizard of Oz" this weekend.

Shows are at 7 p.m., Friday, and 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday.

Tickets are available at the ECS district office and Roxy's Music store in Batavia. Advance tickets are $6 for students and seniors, $8 for adults. They are $10 at the door.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported in the area of 6344 Main Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A manure truck was involved in an accident in the area of 5050 Cacner Road, Bethany, this afternoon.

A utility pole was damaged but there were no injuries.

The road remains closed at this time.

Photographs by Glenn Adams.

Legendary local broadcaster Wayne H. Fuller, 70, was lain to rest today.

He died Friday.

Following a service at H.E. Turner Funeral Home, Fuller was loaded by his pallbearers into the cargo hold of a Trailways bus for transport to a cemetery in Bethany.

Fuller worked for 50 years as a dispatcher at Trailways. It was one of his final wishes that a Trailways bus carry him and people attending his funeral to the cemetery.

A graduate of Batavia High School in 1965, Fuller is best remembered for his work at WBTA both spinning records and broadcasting sporting events, as well as his decades-long work as a public address announcer at Batavia sporting events, including Batavia HS basketball and Batavia Muckdogs games.

For his full obituary, click here.

For our prior story about his passing, click here.

Under new ownership, Batavia's oldest company is going to get lean.

That doesn't mean layoffs at P.W. Minor. Far from it. It means implementing a process of production that eliminates waste and increases productivity.

"Lean manufacturing is nothing fancy at all, but it is a set of fundamentals that if you follow them you know your production will go way up," said Hundley Elliotte, the new CEO of P.W. Minor. "It has been proven time and time again. It's not the solution to all problems but when you're in a challenging manufacturing environment and you have price pressures and cost pressures and all those kinds of things, lean is a very good way to root out waste and boost productivity."

Elliotte is a partner with Tidewater + Associates, the investment company that acquired P.W. Minor from Pete Zeliff earlier this month. Zeliff and then-partner Andrew Young saved P.W. Minor from certain closure in 2014. More than 100 jobs that were outsourced to China were returned to Batavia as a result and Zeliff instituted a program of equipment upgrades to the plant, including increasing automation.

Tidewater's acquisition of the company, Elliotte said, is just the next step in a process of growing the company, Elliotte said during an interview with The Batavian this morning.

There's no plan to cut the workforce, move the production out of Batavia, or do anything other than grow, Elliotte said.

"We felt like there was something powerful here in the fact that this company has been here for so long," Elliotte said. "I think you bring bad luck and find yourself in a bad spot when you break up something like that. It's almost like firing a legacy coach. You know when you watch it happen, whether it's Bobby Knight or Bear Bryant, or whomever, when they leave it's always a void. You know it's hard to pick up the momentum again."

The reception to the transition, which took place at the beginning of the month, seems to have been positive among employees, Elliotte said.

"We felt like the response was very positive and I think everyone knows this has been a journey and there's still some journey left," Elliotte said. "There's still choppy waters out there. We have to work hard. We have to get better. We hope to get better every day but I think I think everyone's bought into that.

It's only been a week since the lean manufacturing process was introduced and it hasn't spread yet throughout the entire organization but already there are charts on boards that provide employees with metrics to measure their performance.

Employees are also being trained on processes that will boost productivity.

An example shared by Elliotte was establishing a process for getting a machine ready for production before the next shift so when the shift starts, production can ramp up quickly.

"It's just about getting that discipline of how we operate and making clear who has responsibility for what and making sure that it's done, so that when the machine is supposed to be running you know it's running," Elliotte said.

The process of tracking and measurement helps motivate employees to meet goals, he said.

"Everybody wants to do a good job," he said.

To help keep these jobs in the United States, Empire State Development provided P.W. Minor with an incentive package and the Local Gateway Development Corp. provided the company with a loan. Zeliff said as part of the acquisition deal he is personally paying off the loan.

Tidewater was attracted to P.W. Minor as an acquisition target because it already fits the profile of the kind of companies the investors like in their portfolio -- sustainability and promoting U.S.-based jobs.

The welt constructed by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for P.W. Minor boots, for example, means they will last a long time. That's good for the environment, Elliotte said.

He would like to see the Batavia plant eventually become sustainability certified. It's what consumer surveys and buying preferences say a large portion of the market wants, Elliotte said, and financially there is little reason for a company like P.W. Minor not to pursue that course.

"I'm not necessarily a big environmentalist but we all care about the planet," Elliotte said. "There are other things we can do. You know course A is better than course B and you know each of them has the same kind of financial outcome; course A is much more sustainable so do that.

"It's something that people care about," Elliotte said. "It's not that it has to overwhelm the business, but if you can run the business that way, every day make yourself more environmentally sustainable, that's a good thing, right?"

He said Tidewater is also committed to creating and sustaining U.S.-based jobs.

"There's no reason for P.W. Minor to go away and just to make all those boots in China," Elliotte said. "I understand that it makes sense in certain situations where you have you know a lower price point shoes or things like that, but there's no reason not to make boots that retail at $250, $300, or $400 in the United States. That's kind of where we've drawn the line and are trying to do our part to keep those jobs here."

     Jason Giuliani

Jason M. Giuliani, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and Ian K Leblanc-Chatt, 32, of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and moving from lane unsafely. Sgt. Colin Reagan and Deputy Amy Nowak, of the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office, initiated a traffic stop on Route 19 in the Village of Wyoming, at an unspecified time on Sunday. Giuliani was a passenger in the vehicle. During the investigation he was allegedly found in possession of 60 bags of heroin, leading to a felony charge related to the intent to sell narcotics. Leblanc-Chatt was allegedly under the influence of multiple narcotics while driving by a drug recognition expert. Giuliani was jailed on $25,000 bail. Leblanc-Chatt was released to a family member.

Nicholas John Stefaniak, 36, of Westview Drive, Perry, is charged with assault, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Stefaniak is accused of seriously injuring another person during an incident reported at 8:18 p.m. Thursday in Byron, and of damaging property of that person. Stefaniak was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

 

Before most of the snow melted, the Miller, Ivison, and Randall families got together to build a big snowman.

Mandy Miller is taking the selfie. Linsey Ivison on the left, holding Frank Morrison, Carter Morrison, Lacie Ivison, Natalie Randall, and Curt Randall.

Submitted photo.

Should New York ban Tide Pods?

Reason Magazine: New York Legislators Unveil Legislation Banning Tide Pods

Alexander wrestler Nick Young won a Section V title yesterday at 132 pounds and will advance to the state championship rounds.

Young beat Le Roy's Andrew Englerth on a 7-2 decision.

He was one of two Section V champions representing local schools. Josh Barber won at 285 pounds for Attica/Batavia.

Young now has four class sectional championships making in the most decorated active high school wrestler in the area. 

He's qualified for the state tournament four times. Earlier this year he placed fourth in the Eastern States tournment. He's ranked #2 in the state in his class.

Besides winning the title yesterday, he won the Brad Paddock Memorial Scholarship Award and Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Submitted photos.

Coaches Tom Aldinger and Dee Gugel with Nick Young.

Invictra, arguably the best local band right now (they are, after all, (the reigning champs of the only local battle of the bands showcase in the area), will be among the more than dozen local and nationally known acts to take the stage at The Ridge in Le Roy in the first days of June for the annual American Warriors Concert.

The concert honors veterans and raises money to assist them. All veterans and active military can attend for free.

Also on the bill, Madison Rising, James Wesley, JB Aaron, Alyssa Trahan, BC Psychos, Pete Griffith, Jon Dretto, Jack West, Dylan Desmit, Kenny Drury, and Vinyl Orange Ottoman.

The two-day concert event is June 1 and June 2.

Campers, click here.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Here's a press release about the event:

AWC is known for its "Celebration of our Troops, Veterans and American Way of Life." We pride ourselves on offering free admission to veterans and active/reserve military personnel.

This event also donates to a nonprofit veterans' organization of its choice. This year's beneficiary is WNY, Heroes Inc. It's an organization that provides veterans, members of the armed services, and the widows and children of deceased veterans with access to essential services, financial assistance and resources that support their lives and sustain their dignity.

The American Warrior Concert is possible by partnering with The Ridge NY, and sponsorship from by local businesses including Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, TJV Mechanical, CAM Construction, Oliver’s Candies, Livingston Associates, Batavia Legal Printing, Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet, Stan's Harley Davidson, Genesee County SCOPE, Watson Guitars, Leroy Hardware, Orcon Industries and Genesee Valley Penny Saver to name a few.

We will have many bands from many genres of music, many local vendors and other organizations aimed at servicing the needs of our veterans.

We will also be featuring an Honor Wall with local submissions made by people wanting to honor their military friend/family hero.

We hope to make this year's event bigger and better and would love to see more veterans come and enjoy our concert for free.
 

James Wesley

Madison Rising

Alyssa Trahan

Dan Adams was named Firefighter of the Year for the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department at the department's annual awards and installation dinner Saturday night.

Pictured with Adams are Jamie Fluker, Jeff Pietrzykowski and Jeff Fluker.

The 2018 officers are: Jeff Pietrzykowski, chief; Jeff Fluker, first assistant chief; Jamie Fluker, second assistant chief; Kyle Rombaut, captain; Christopher Page, lieutenant; Mel Davis, first aid captain; Jim Duval, first aid lieutenant; and George Larish, fire police captain.  

The board officers are: Christopher Page, president; Kyle Rombaut, VP; Corie Rombaut, secretary; Jeff Wolak, treasurer; with board directors -- Vicki Wolak, Peggy Johnson, Wayne Walker, Todd Mogenhan, Mel Davis, Bill Shea. The chaplain is Rev. Walter Whenhold.

Jamie Fluker received the Chief's Award.

The department responded to 132 calls. Jim Duval responded to 91 of those calls, the most of any member.

Greg Johnson put in 107 training hours, the most of any member.

The dinner featured a ceremony honoring all of the first responders in Bethany. A plaque will be hung in the Fire Hall that reads, "We Are All Heros."

Pictured, Jeff Fluker, Mel Davis and Peggy Johnson.

Jeff Fluker, who just finished a three-year stint as chief, and has been chief for nine of the past 11 years, received a gift from the department.

A driver spotted a German shepherd wearing a bandana walking along the roadway in Bergen and stopped, opened her car down and the dog jumped in.

The dog seemed friendly at first, the caller told a dispatcher, but now it's growled a couple of times.

The caller is parked at the 7-Eleven in Bergen awaiting the arrival of Animal Control.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: As Animal Control was showing up at the 7-Eleven, so did the dog's owner. Owner and dog reunited.

A group of veterans being treated at the PTSD clinic in Batavia got a special Valentine this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.

Students participating in a history class there presented each of the veterans with a patriotic Valentine's Day card that they made themselves.

Anne Marie Starowitz also presented a $250 check to the veterans, a donation to the clinic or however they want to use it. She said they could throw a party for themselves if that's what they wanted to do with the money.

The money comes from the sale of her book, “Back in the Day, Snapshots of Local History, the Way I See It!”

Starowitz said she was inspired to make the donation and support the veterans after a group from the PTSD clinic in Batavia visited the museum and she felt so moved to meet them and learn something about them.

Several of their veterans expressed their gratitude, including ones who said the gesture was so meaningful because they are currently separated from their own children while undergoing treatment and they miss their kids.

"One of the symptoms I deal with is kind of numbing everything out, but this really cracked through the ice," said one veteran. "This is special."

Carl, who served two terms in Iraq, said the cards meant a lot to him but wanted to remind the children that the word "hero" has a special meaning.

"To us, hero means the people who didn't come home," Carl said. "That's something that we hold dear to our hearts and I'm sure you do, too, but on the other hand, it's people like you guys who are willing to do this and support us and happy to do it that make it easy for us to go over there and fight."

Genesee Sno-Packers held their fourth annual Bikini Rally in Oakfield today. The event brings together people with a passion for snowmobiling and also helps raise money to assist in the fight against breast cancer. 

And for the first time in a couple of years, it was also a good wintery day for the event, with plenty of snow and some cold.

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will be offering its first annual Teen Academy July 23 – 27 at the Byron-Bergen Central School.

“The Teen Academy is a one-week structured program which consists of instructional classes designed to provide high-school-aged students within our community an introduction to law enforcement training and gain an understanding of law enforcement’s role in their community," said Sheriff William Sheron. "It is our hope that teens will build confidence while learning good decision-making and leadership skills."

Academy instructors are experienced Deputy Sheriffs who will discuss day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

Participants will also:

• visit the Jail, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Dispatch Center, and Sheriff’s Office;
• observe displays of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Hostage Negotiation, SCUBA Team, K-9 Unit and Evidence Recovery;
• be provided insight into motor-vehicle accident reconstruction;
• participate in daily physical fitness runs, defensive tactics and team-building exercises;
• participate in a classroom setting and learn about the  NYS Penal Laws and Vehicle & Traffic Laws;
• participate in mock traffic stops and DWI procedures.

Qualified candidates will be selected for an interview screening process if they meet the following requirements:

• must be entering grades 10-12;
• must be in good academic standing with little to no disciplinary issues;
• must be able to participate in physical fitness activities;
• must have a positive attitude;
• must have their parent’s permission.

“This is a unique and forward-thinking opportunity offered by Genesee County Sheriff Sheron and the Department; Teens are invited to immerse and be exposed to the real law enforcement experience," said the chair of the Public Service Committee.

"More than imagining, the academy opportunity is live, in-the-minute learning about today’s community policing needs of an exciting career in law enforcement. Students are encouraged to ‘try on’ a law enforcement career role.” 

There is no charge to attend the academy. Application deadline is March 30.

For more information, contact Deputy Matthew Butler at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3252, or (585) 494-1220, ext. 2304, or via e-mail at matthew.butler@co.genesee.ny.us

Visit http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/sheriff/index.php to learn more and download an application.