Stories from

Diana Prinzi seems like a no-nonsense type of person, someone with a shy smile backed up by a passion for law enforcement and keeping the protocols in check.

So, it may come as no surprise to those who know her best that her latest role falls right in line with her goal to continue being a central point of the organization. She worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement for 22 years before retiring in 2019, and then two years later, she worked part-time for Genesee County, becoming program coordinator for Genesee Justice in 2022.

She began as Genesee County Jail superintendent on Jan. 1.

“This job was a continuation of a path that I had with ICE, as far as with an open facility. I worked on policies and procedures and the accreditation. So this is sort of a branch off of that. It's the administrative portion of that now, and having oversight of a new facility, bringing that to fruition, and getting everything in place,” Prinzi said during an interview Wednesday at the West Main Street Road jail. “Obviously, this new jail has been open and things were up and running, but there's still a lot of growing to do, and getting everything in tune with a much larger facility, all different aspects of how it operates compared to what it was at 14 West Main. I enjoy the administration oversight of it, trying to get all those different parameters in place. And everything that comes to mind, whether it’s policies and procedures, whether it's training, whether it's security oversight, whether it's just daily operations staffing, there's a lot to it. And I like that aspect of bringing all those pieces together.”

Those pieces include 106 inmates, of whom 86 are men and 20 are women. There are approximately 50 correctional officers and a dozen vacancies; three kitchen staff; and medical, religious, and financial service providers, including Genesee County Mental Health. There is a Bible study and Sunday church service, and Genesee Valley BOCES provides lessons for a General Education Diploma program. As she said, there are a lot of working pieces.

Prinzi also noted her deputy superintendent, Jason Queal, aka “my right hand.”

“He’s invaluable,” she said.

Backing up a bit, what led Prinzi, who was born and raised in Le Roy, to follow a criminal justice path? She figured it was some of her college classes, such as research methods and a criminal justice course.

“I got drawn in at the time I graduated from college. They were just building the immigration facility (in Batavia). So that’s really where my path went, that’s really what led my pathway,” she said, bringing it to her current position. “It’s the care and custody of the inmates inside, and what we provide to them, the services that they need, whether it's medical care or food, outside providers for religious services or classes instruction, making sure that we meet the compliance with the Commission of Corrections and what their standards are. So all those types of things tied together, you know? So, sort of it's like a direct oversight of all those things, and I like seeing how all those inner workings come together.”

What else is part of the job?
Certainly, paperwork is part of the job, she said, because “if you didn’t like paperwork, you wouldn’t do the job.” There is a lot of documentation involved when someone is brought into custody, she said.

“You have to make sure that everything's being done properly, everything's being documented properly, and that you can show that the things are being done. So that's a very important aspect,” she said. “So definitely, there's a lot of aspects to this position. It's very fluid. Every minute, there's something new. Being a county jail, arrests come fresh off the street, so there are all different aspects of what people bring in with them. Whatever their care needs are, their backgrounds, they could have immediate needs that need to be attended to.

“Whether it's their situation, where they just came from, their home life, drug use, things like that. Little bit different than somebody that's going into city department corrections, that’s already been through a county jail and spent some time here in terms of just transitioning to basically a new facility,” she said. “So that has been a little bit eye-opening, because I didn't have the county jail aspect under me before, I had more of a controlled environment, I should say, from what we had when working with Genesee Justice.”

She wanted to take special note of National Correction Officers’ Week, thanking them all for their work and stating that they “should be very highly respected.”

“I don’t think people understand the job that they do and the sacrifices that they make and what they deserve for all the work that they put into it, but they see things every day that they come in here that most people never imagine seeing,” she said. “And everything that they do is obviously to support the criminal justice system, but it’s to keep our community safe, too. So it’s definitely a whole different world when they walk in those doors, and what they take every day when they go in the back and they leave.”

Prinzi and other personnel were put to the test a week ago when a fire erupted at nearby Hodgins Engraving, causing chemical explosions and billowing smoke to create potentially toxic air quality for the jail and other building occupants.

"It was a little bit chaotic. You have to understand that, working in the jail, there's different safety and security procedures. I worked with my supervisory staff and with emergency management and our facilities team, just checking to make sure that things were where they needed to be. I mean, we had air quality checks going on. We obviously had smoke everywhere. The wind was blowing in our direction; we couldn't avoid it. We kept an eye on things like that,” she said. “There was talk about whether or not we would have to evacuate. There was a very close eye kept on that. So we were reviewing how we would handle that, and we made close contact with other facilities that we would utilize as resources for that. So we had things in place. Fortunately, we did not have to go that route, because that's a significant undertaking to have to move 100 inmates out.

“I was here long hours that day, as everybody was, making sure people were safe. And unfortunately, people do get affected by it. They can't stop what happens on the outside in the environment. But everybody took their roles. We had the air quality testing coming in … the sheriff was here,” she said. “We had a lot of people, my deputy was here, my deputy superintendent, everybody was trying to do their part to figure it out, besides the staff and the supervisors and the people that are normally here, medical here, we had some extra medical staff evaluate the inmates and stuff. So we just took the precautions that we needed to. Being in a jail, you can’t just pack up and walk out.”

What has been the most challenging part of the job so far?
“There’s a lot of daily challenges, and that’s just part because it is a county jail and we deal with a lot of different things every single day, part of it is generally our staffing. We have a lot of staffing still we're catching up on. There isn't one challenge that stands out above everything else. I think that if you're working in a jail and you're not being challenged, then something's not right, and you should be aware, or be cautious, because you're missing something,” she said. “If those challenges aren't there, challenges make us better, because we have to address them. And we find things every day. You can find something that you've been doing, and you can look at it a different way, and realize, oh, well, we should have been doing this a little bit differently, and we would have been doing it better. And to me, that's just a way of progressing, and improving upon who we are and what we do.”

Prinzi and husband Sam have five children and three grandchildren and when she has any free time, they enjoy traveling or doing projects around the house and spending time outdoors.

As for her free time, she smiled when asked if she had a daytime shift or not. Her hours are during the day, but “it’s a 24-hour shift,” she said. She and Queal are often catching up on busy work — computer, emails, and she is on call — after hours. That means 24/7, 365 days a year, she said. It’s just part of the job.

“It’s part of what the job is, and you need to know that going into it,” she said. “Any law enforcement job has that type of connection to it.”

Prinzi has no qualms about being a female leader of primarily male employees at the jail. She exudes controlled confidence when stating her open-door leadership style and goals for the facility, which was completed and opened toward the end of 2024.

She values input from the most experienced, veteran officers to newer ones just starting out, she said, and understands that all of them "bring something to the table."

“There's a lot of potential in this building, as far as what the staff can bring to the table, what we can do with the physical plant, as far as what the classroom is, what we can offer. And just make it a good place to work and get the staffing where we want it to be. So we have a lot of goals when it comes to that,” she said. “I have my thoughts on things that I want to see based on my experience, and those things are important, and they will definitely trickle into what I'm doing. But I also am very open to the fact that I have not worked in this county jail for all these years. I am very open to what they have to say and to the knowledge that they have, because they work back there every day.

“I will never discount an idea or suggestion. I can't implement all of them. They're not all going to be feasible for what we have, but I'm going to listen to them all and know what they say,” she said. “We have oversight, but we can make it into the best place possible.”

Wednesday was more than a typical hump day for about 15 volunteers measuring, cutting and assembling new galvanized steel beds, filling them with fresh soil, lifting out the old wood-framed beds, spreading mulch and installing new artwork at Batavia Community Garden.

It was more like getting over the hump of the past while moving onto more efficient and long-lasting solutions as resident gardeners prepare to get their own hands dirty this weekend.

“We’re doing a lot of weeding. We have to have the garden ready to plant this Saturday,” Cooperative Extension Executive Director Jocelyn Sikorski said at the garden property on MacArthur Drive. “We sold out at the end of March. We always sell out, but this is the first time it’s so early. It was phenomenal.”

What used to be a city-owned community garden operation transitioned to Cornell Cooperative Extension three years ago. Many dots connected since the nonprofit has a master gardeners program, enthusiastic volunteers, and a strong focus on agriculture.

RaeAnn Engler helped put together steel garden beds while other volunteers pulled weeds, raked soil, moved materials in a wheelbarrow and kept busy during the sunny day.

“We had these feed trough beds for ADA compliance, but they're really not that good because they dry out. So this year, we've gotten a three-foot deep, two-foot-by-eight-foot galvanized steel. I think that's going to work out really well,” Engler said. “It's a garden for everybody. We have flowers, vegetables, and fruit. People do melons, beans, tomatoes, eggplants.”

She has been chair of the garden committee since the idea took root in 2011 with help from Leadership Genesee. This is another dot connecting this effort to Cooperative Extension.

“They organized it, and the city was overseeing it at that point. And Jocelyn was working for the county and commissioned with the city at the Youth Bureau, so she’s been involved also from the start,” Engler said. “(Some members of the Class of 2011) started it, and then three years ago, I believe the city handed it over to Cooperative Extension to be the head agency. And that worked out well because Leadership Genesee is with Cooperative Extension, and master gardeners are with Cooperative Extension.

“Now that it is under that umbrella of Cooperative Extension, we accept membership from the county, any resident; it used to be limited to city residents, but no longer.”

Although membership has expanded to the county, people with a plot get first dibs on renting it the following year, she said, so “it does kind of limit it.”

“We have room for expansion. We’ve talked about that area,” she said, pointing to a parcel of grass nearby. “It’s a matter of having more people involved in helping to organize to be able to expand that much. We have some space available here, and we also have the additional panels, four-by-fours to make more beds if we get that option. 

"Whether we change that, I’m not sure, but this is the first year that we sold out before the garden opened," she said. "Something to really think more about going forward.”

Everyone is positive about the growth and direction of GLOW YMCA as a search to replace CEO Rob Walker nears completion, Board President Dean Bellack says.

Walker retired on Jan. 31, and a search committee was formed shortly after to sift through an initial 40 applicants from throughout the country, Bellack said this week. Those were carved down a couple of times for the three finalists.

“We did a very large search. We had a large number of initial applicants, which we whittled down to a smaller number of applicants. Then we whittled it down again in terms of the people that we wanted to do preliminary interviews with, and a lot of those happened this week,” he said to The Batavian Wednesday. “And then we've narrowed that down to, again, a very small group of applicants that we're going to be doing personal interviews with here in about a week and a half, and then we'll be making an announcement.”

Applicants were from New York State and other areas, including Virginia, Indiana and Florida, he said. Two of the finalists are local, and one is from out of state. YMCA national assisted with the process and advertising the position, and Bellack is “confident in the candidates that we have,” he said

Membership at the Genesee YMCA began at 1,100 and is now around 2,400 to 2,500.

“It’s significant growth, but we still have growth to do,” he said. We’re planning to be at 3,000. We have some ways to go, and we’re confident we’re going to be there. Typically in the summer season, the amount of people searching for new memberships at YMCAs tend to level off a little bit. We're not predicting any decline in terms of where we are. The growth could slow a little bit during the summertime, and then I'm sure we'll be at the numbers that we need to be at once we get back into the fall.”

He acknowledged that “obviously, Rob was CEO during that time” of fundraising and planning for the new downtown Batavia facility, which was completed for a New Year’s opening. He also credited the strength and dedication of “a lot of volunteers” who supported the cause.

John Riter and Paul Battaglia were integral project leaders, he said. There are also high levels of expertise on staff, including treasurer Mike Grover and Chief Financial Officer Greg Watson, who is serving as interim CEO, he said.

“It was a tremendous effort; they deserve tremendous congratulations,” Bellack said. “We’re very positive on the growth of the new facility and where we’re going to be with the association. We’re planning big things ahead.”

Walker declined to comment. An email announcing his retirement was sent out to members in the GLOW region at the time, Bellack said.

For the ninth year in a row, Genesee County management recommended funding of $12,825 Monday toward the operations of Mercy Flight as it has worked to rebound from a tragic accident and loss of a beloved pilot and costly vehicle three years ago.

Director of Medical Operations Michael Gugliuzza reviewed the nonprofit's annual report during this week’s Human Services meeting with Genesee County legislators and County Manager Matt Landers.

“We are still kind of rebuilding from the loss of our two aircrafts. We’ve made great strides,” Gugliuzza said. “We have all our aircraft back in service last year, this year, so that’s been going very well, and things are definitely progressing in the right direction, both from the aircraft perspective and our staffing perspective on the flight and the ground side as well.”

From July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, Mercy Flight received 161 requests for helicopter ambulance service from within Genesee County, which was down from 187 the previous year, resulting in 64 transports, which was one less than 65 that prior year, he said.

Of those 161 requests, nine were serviced by the company’s flight crew in a Specialty Care Transport-equipped ground ambulance when bad weather prevented staff’s ability to fly, he said. 

Of those requests, 46, or 29% were subsequently canceled as “not needed,” and 40, or 25%, were canceled due to inclement weather conditions. Two times out of those same 161 requests, air ambulance resources were unavailable due to already being on another call.

“So even though the requests were down our transfer, our transports, were still close to the same for last year, and within that, we only had, I believe, two two times that there was a request that we couldn't fulfill because all of our aircraft were out,” he said. “So again, that's been a big advantage for us, since getting all four back in service, gives us a little bit more leeway, and being able to make sure that we can cover as many of these calls as we possibly can.

“One of the things we're working towards right now, our program flies on what they call VFR, meaning you have to have visual flight rules. You have to be able to see everything you're doing and where every place you're going. And there's some type parameters we are approved in our training and shifting towards being able to fly instruments as well,” he said. “So that will actually broaden our ability to take some of these flights when the weather conditions currently don't allow that. There are still parameters, but it's a much bigger window for us to be able to take these flights, to be able to fly instruments in order to do that.”

That training would allow pilots to have IFR, instrument flight rules, most of their pilots are IFR trained, just not through Mercy Flight’s program, he said, “so they have to go through the training anyways.”

Mercy Flight EMS, the ground ambulance service, received 10,883 requests, up from 10,803, resulting in 8,250 instances of patient contact, which was down from 8,269 the previous year, he said.

“There was a lot of demand” for the ground ambulance to assist with special events, and had requests for 40 fire/police standbys throughout the year, he said. 

Staff provided First Aid and EMS services to the Live Nation concerts at Darien Lake, WROTB’s harness racing and summer concert series at Batavia Downs, the Wings Over Batavia Air Show, and Batavia Notre Dame High School football games.

Although ground ambulance numbers are included in the report, there is a separate contract with the county. The county and nonprofit struck a deal that runs from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2026, for $452,460 per year. 

Training continues to be an ongoing effort, “working closely with Genesee County Office of Emergency Management Director Tim Yaeger” and the county’s many volunteer fire departments to perform ground crew safety training classes — providing for more than 120 first responders across the county, he said.

“We do ground schools for the fire departments to help ensure the safety and setting up landing zones to ensure that it’s the right size, right spot, right place,” he said. “Communication, so people understand how to operate around the aircraft when it lands. We look to do that every year.”

Other appearances included landing the helicopter at Genesee County Fair, and participating in DWI “Prom Promise”drills at area high schools, including Pavilion, Byron-Bergen, Le Roy, Elba, Oakfield-Alabama and Batavia.

Overall, the company continues to “kind of keep pushing the bar forward in Genesee County,” he said, “to continue to provide the best service possible, both ground and air.”

“Looking forward, the support that we've gained from the county, both in our air and our ground operations, continues to be directly reinvested back into our operation. It goes right back into personnel, payroll, benefits, equipment. We are constantly investing back into our staff and our crews,” he said. “Equipment wise this past year, we made a substantial investment for both flight and ground in all brand new cardiac state-of-the-art cardiac monitors. It was a large investment. We purchased 32 of the new striker life pack, 35 monitors, which offer us great capability to take care of these patients, to be able to do live streaming of events with our doctors so that they can view what's going on. It really raises the bar on the patient care side. We’re very grateful for you standing with us.”

Legislator John Deleo, who works in security at Batavia Downs, said he had an opportunity to see first responders use a LUCAS Device on site, and how it was “really impressive.” 

This device does mechanized chest compressions, which frees up staff to perform other medical treatments or gives them a break to avoid fatigue during an emergency call. They cost $19,000 each.

“We’ve got them on about 17 or 18 ambulances, plus all four helicopters. It’s a great tool,” Gugliuzza said, answering Deleo about if they buy them on sale. “I wish.”

Landers recommended the funding, and a vote will go on to the full Legislature May 14.

Serving as a perfect metaphor for what’s happening at Cornerstone Church, seeds of an idea have been planted and are being nurtured by members and leaders for a future organic, self-sustaining farm on several acres adjacent to the Bank Street Road site, Pastor Paul Doyle says.

Growing right out of the book of Genesis, where it says, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it,” Doyle said, he believes that this project is a type of divine intervention that has drawn people and their farm-related talents to participate in an effort that will help feed those in need.

“He thought of everything. He put the nutrients in, and certainly, the movie that we saw, that inspired us, contrasted with what we see happening to food. And I don’t know what they’re putting in it, I don’t know how it’s been manipulated. It’s scary to me, and we don’t always know what we’re putting in our bodies. God already thought of all this, and so we just kind of connected the dots and said, you know what? We’ve got the land, we’ve always wondered we’re like this church out in the cornfield, and we’re surrounded by land, and then the land became available and we just began to get into prayers and we really felt strongly.”

What served as inspiration
That movie was “The Biggest Little Farm,” a documentary film that follows an eight-year journey of John and Molly Chester as they depart urban life in Los Angeles and embark on a farming quest to create a sustainable, biodiverse 234-acre farm named Apricot Lane Farms. 

Their efforts to work with nature encounter drought, pests, predators, and soil depletion as they tirelessly learn how to establish a balanced system of vegetation and animals.

Divine intervention, human efforts
Alan Goodfellow, a church elder, stepped forward to lead Cornerstone’s project, not because of his most recent experience from Kodak and as a financial advisor as much as from growing up on a farm in central Pennsylvania and an agricultural heritage stemming from Montana.

“Because of his background, his heart, when he retired, was to do some farming. He’s already done a lot of research, and when we announced it, all of a sudden, people came out of the woodwork in our church and go, I have background in compost, I have background, and so it just felt like things were coming together,” Doyle said. “So some of it’s logical, and some of it feels like it’s divine intervention. But the Bible says that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. He did it for years without man’s manipulation.”

They plan to work the ground, just not fill it with chemicals and pesticides and deplete it of natural nutrients, he and Goodfellow said. The church plans to use 18 acres that it owns, with a potential opportunity to purchase more property in the near future. 

"We don't believe it's happenstance. We believe it was in the mind of God to bring this into being, where everything works together. It's an experiment where we want to try it, and we don't grow it. God grows it. We just made a decision and we have a conviction, I think, because we saw somebody else kind of be the forerunners,” Doyle said, referring to the Chester couple. “They showed it can happen. Why not? Why not here in Batavia, with rich soil? We have plenty of precipitation. You know, we have a beautiful winter that fertilizes the ground, and there's certainly a need.”

Goodfellow seems to know his stuff, rattling off a system of fixing nitrogen in the ground and grouping crops, such as corn, beans and squash so that the beans have something tall to grow against — the corn stalks — and squash leaves provide natural ground cover to discourage weeds and protect the soil.

He keenly understands that plowing the earth year after year only takes away from Mother Nature, which is why chemical fertilizers have to be used to boost the soil back up for the next go round of planting. But by not disturbing the soil as much with aggressive tilling, and using a drill to plant seeds for crops, which uses the elements already provided by nature, he said.

“They’re throwing up dust, right?” he said, nodding to a tractor plowing out in a field along Bank Street Road. “So one of the primary principles that we’re going to have is that we’re not going to till the ground. There’s going to be cover on the ground at all times. So there is such a thing as no-till planting, where you have what they'll call a drill.

“It's not really a drill in the sense you think of … it opens the ground enough to create a trench, and then you drop the seeds in the trench,” he said. “But you do that even with the covering on top of the ground.”

And what's the advantage of that?
“You're not losing soil, and the soil is really a living mechanism, so all the root structure, enzymes, bacteria, earthworms, and other kinds of bugs live under the soil. And when you're doing this, what we call monoculture, single crop, you have to spray to control weeds,” Goodfellow said. “You have to put chemical fertilizers into replenish what's been taken out of the soil before. And instead, what we're going to do is replenish by using cover crops constantly.”

There will be a cover crop, such as low-lying cold grasses, flowers or squash, planted on top of those.

“So you’re always building up your soil to keep the organic material down in the soil,” he said. “So if you have dry spells, having all that organic matter below that moisture is going to feed the growth. And there’s all kinds of things that take place, where the root system that develops underneath the ground, amongst all those different types of cover crops, is going to help bring the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium levels in the soil up so you don’t require chemical fertilizers. That’s why they have to use fertilizer, because there’s nothing regenerating the soil.

“That’s our whole plan to regenerate the soil, put more back into the soil, and the cycle then will come down to adding animals to it as well,” he said. “Because the animals will forage on the cover crop, then leave the manure on the field, and that will be dissipated through other techniques that will spread, get down into the soil system, and move all around so it’s shared into large sections.”

Completing the plan
They’re thinking of adding chickens, cows and pigs to the system as the primary three additions. Following a farmer from North Dakota who has hardy stock that can weather most climates, Goodfellow believes these animals can thrive outdoors without a barn if they are the appropriate breeds for the Western New York climate.

Everything seems to fall in line with this system, as the cows and pigs eat the cover crops and deposit manure, the chickens scratch at the manure for the larvae left by flies, and the manure breaks down into fertilizer for the soil, Goodfellow said.

Harvested crops may be sold to those who can afford them, or distributed through the church’s food pantry. Remainders that can be kept, such as winter squash, beets, onions, or potatoes, will be stored in an adjacent 50-by-50 warehouse on the premises along with FoodLink supplies and massive toy collections for Christmas giveaways.

They recognize the need for “lots of equipment” for this objective, so another 30-by-50 maintenance room will be handy for upkeep and repairs.

Goodfellow has organized teams of about 30 volunteers so far, intending to have a garden by the end of this summer. He said hives of bees should also contribute to the pollination effort. For everything he learned from his elders, he now must take a different path.

“My grandfather, my mother, myself, we were all raised on the monoculture, industrial type farming, even if it was a truck farmer, he planted in rows, he planted on bare ground. He tilled the ground with plows and discs, etc.,” he said. “And so I'm in the process of unlearning everything I knew about agriculture and relearning new ways, new techniques, new reasons why. That's really where we are right now at the present time. And now we’re going to try out some of the stuff we’ve learned.”

He said people who farm this way end up with higher yields for their crops than the average in their area versus the traditional crop. The more he learns, the more “it makes so much sense” and is consistent with “God's thinking.”

“That you would be replenishing, regenerating all the time, instead of just getting rid of the weeds,” he said.

Follow The Batavian for periodic updates on this project.

The food pantry is open 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Sundays at the church, 8020 Bank Street Road.

After two months of training with retiring director Diana Fox, Jessica Riley has now taken her official seat to lead Genesee County’s Office for the Aging as of May 1.

Riley presented a line-up of requests to the Human Services Committee on Monday for caregiver support, a security contract renewal, meal preparation services, marketing, and funding grants. She said one of her top initiatives is keeping up with an ever-changing world.

“Technology is changing a lot of things that we all interact with on a daily basis, so adapting and adopting new technology practices for our office — something as simple as an online registration form or getting electronic newsletter — and also some of those services that can be provided through technology to guard against social isolation, are some of the new things we'd like to look at,” Riley said to The Batavian.

Is this something the senior community is comfortable with and finds user-friendly?
“It’s actually our community members who are looking for those types of resources. We certainly will continue to provide traditional hands-on resources that we have always provided,” she said. “But if you go to a restaurant and look at a menu, sometimes you have to use a QR code now to actually get it, and there's no other way to get a hard copy menu. So we want to make sure that we're educating and we're helping, and we're driving some of the resources to make those available to individuals as they so choose to utilize them.”

I realize you only just began your position, but there has been a lot of talk about federal cuts especially hurting Meals on Wheels. Has this OFA been affected yet?
“No. So we have not received any notification of any direct loss, as mentioned in Human Services. If you look at the Office of Management and Budget, pass back budget, there is a proposed reduction, but the federal impact from us is, is really not going to make an impact,” she said. “We're really, really happy about that.”

Riley has been with the OFA for about three years. She previously served as the program coordinator for New Kirk Connect central intake, where she supervised the recreation, and as a certified health insurance counselor for the Medicare program.

County officials said she has “contributed across a range of programs — from internal systems and operations to coordinating services for older adults and their families.”

“With a leadership style grounded in both empathy and practical experience, Riley is well-prepared to guide the department as it adapts to the growing and evolving needs of Genesee County’s senior population,” officials said.

While technology is certainly one area of focus, Riley said another main target is “just continuing to provide services as our population grows.”

“We’re going to have the same dollars to serve more people. So that's really what our main goal is, maintain quality services to scale as the population grows, and then also meet the needs of consumers in creative ways,” she said, agreeing that a shortage of home health care aides is an ongoing issue. “They certainly have. As we have more and more people in need of those services, absolutely, and it's a concern in New York state and across the country.”

An interview committee selected and interviewed three "highly qualified individuals" for this position and unanimously recommended Riley. The county Legislature approved her base salary of $77,756, effective March 3.

During the meeting, committee members approved a contract renewal with Arc GLOW for meal preparation services for OFA congregate and home delivery for a total cost of $403,812.15 effective July 1 to June 30, 2026. This will go onto the Ways & Means and full Legislature for final vote.

The Batavian will publish a more thorough interview after Riley has settled into her new role.

A fire that was updated to possible magnesium on fire at Hodgins Engraving Friday morning caused the evacuation of people and animals and calls for a hazmat team, law enforcement and several fire companies to the scene.

What began as an automatic alarm at 11:18 a.m. at 3817 W. Main St., Batavia, was then updated to the possible chemical fire, followed by a working structure fire, said Chief Chris Strathearn, of Town of Batavia Fire Department. A second alarm was then called.

“When we arrived, there was heavy smoke blowing out the back corner, which we will call the Charlie Delta corner. Initially, we tried an interior attack, and we had to pull back because of the heat and smoke. At this point in time, we've upgraded to multiple departments here. At this point we're drafting out of the creek across the street,” Strathearn said later Friday. “At this point in time, we have 20 departments that have been called, 15 that are on scene in conjunction with New York State Police, DEC, Office of Emergency Management for Genesee County. We're operating at a building approximately 200 by 400 at this point.”

The chemicals of magnesium, nitric acid and ferric chloride were known to be involved, he said, with the challenge that “magnesium doesn’t mix well with water.”

“So we’ve had several explosions at the beginning of this call, which there’s none at this point,” he said. “The environmental hazards are being monitored by town of Batavia water, City of Batavia water, DEC and Office of the Emergency Management.”

They were working to mitigate water run-off and watching wind direction, as it could be a hazard as well “because it’s blowing smoke to the west,” he said. Several businesses in the area were being monitored, with some having been evacuated or told to shelter in place.

Water, or the lack thereof, was an issue for firefighters.

“We started at the hydrants, which is not enough water to support what we're doing at this point in time. So there's four engines at this point at the creek flowing water to the aerials and the hand lines that we're using,” Strathearn said, explaining the need for more water. “It's just the size of the building. Trying to get everything coordinated at that point, and then having a plan B and a Plan C after that. When water hits (magnesium), it explodes, essentially, so that's a hazard to the firefighters, obviously, that was mitigated by the crews in the back.

Ask if with the magnesium,  “You gotta wait it out? You gotta let it burn itself out?” 

Strathearn said, “Well, the building was on fire, so we had to put water in the building.”

Genesee County Animal Shelter was evacuated, with the animals going to Perry Pet in Batavia. Genesee County Jail and the adjacent government buildings were being monitored by Emergency Management as the HVAC systems were shut down immediately.

Sgt. Michael Lute  gave an update on the jail and said “everything is set to move if need be, but right now it’s sheltering in place.”

“Emergency Management has consulted with Superintendent (Diana) Prinzi and the air quality and wind direction is sufficient and they’re confident it’s going to be knocked down in the next couple of hours and it’s not posing grave risk to anyone in any of the county buildings, town buildings, or the jail and the inmates,” Lute said. “I don’t know who’s in or out, if they left, they left, or they’re sheltering in place.”

By late afternoon Strathearn estimated that it would be at least another six hours of fighting the fire and keeping Route 5 closed during that time (from Lewiston to Kelsey roads). Some of the building’s firewalls were holding back fire growth and at least a third of the building had been “consumed” by the fire. He believed it may have begun in some type of maintenance area, but an investigation has not yet been conducted.

“So this is something that's going to be ongoing, because … it's tough to estimate this as far as how to gain access to the fire and get water on the fire, but, I think it's at least about another six hours that we think that we're going to be combating the fire and obviously disruption, and it's unfortunate, but West Main Street is closed and is going to have to stay closed for that time frame. “It makes it difficult, the size of the commercial building, and then the chemicals that are involved. So obviously, the firefighter safety is the most paramount. So gaining access to that type of fire, I think it had a pretty good growth pattern to it, so it was already well involved. They did make an initial attempt to get in and combat the fire, but it was unsuccessful. Just because of the size of the fire and the type of chemicals that were inside, they chose to withdraw for safety.”

There had been no civilian or firefighter injuries reported at that time, he said. And weather helped the situation due to the wind direction blowing the smoke away from the public, he said. The wind was at “such a speed” that it was moving all the smoke away, though it was not helping the firefighting effort, “because it’s feeding oxygen to the fire.”

“But we're able to at least get this smoke on its way and away from here and away from the public, and that's our biggest concern, just West Main at this point. So there is some information out to avoid the area of downwind from the smoke. There's smoke all the way out to the New York State Thruway. It's drivable, but you just don't want to be in this smoke shouldn't be driving through it,” he said. “Shouldn't be breathing, and that's with any fire not just this one. Because I would still say that there's a small amount of chemicals, considering the size of the building. So you know, 150 gallons of chemicals. By now, those chemicals have been consumed by the fire, so that hazard is gone. But now it's just a commercial building fire with hazard to the components or the combustion byproducts.”

Emergency Management Services Director Tim Yaeger said that the business has had “some small magnesium fires” in the past, but not anything recently, and has done a really good job safety wise.

“But I think some of the processes, they end up having a small magnesium fire, which the town of Batavia Fire Department’s handled. Over the last 15, 20 years, they've handled it very well. But apparently, again, our investigation hasn't started yet, so we really have to get more information to find out what actually started the fire, and that's going to be ongoing over the next couple days,” he said, explaining about shelter in place. “So that's basically shut down your heating or air conditioning system, close your windows, bring your animals indoors and just stay inside. It's the safest place to be. Don't go out and get in your car and breathe it. You stay in your house for the next few hours until this smoke can dissipate.”

There were 20 fire departments called, and at least 15 at the scene, with several standby units, from Genesee, Erie, Livingston, Monroe and Wyoming counties.

Richmond Memorial Library district residents approved this year’s budget — including a tax levy increase of $27,905 — by an overwhelming vote of 179 yes to 49 no in Thursday’s annual vote for the 2025-26 budget and trustee positions.

The vote was to authorize “the Board of Education of the City School District of Batavia to raise by tax $27,905 to increase the annual appropriation from $1,395,283 to $1,423,188 for the benefit of the Richmond Memorial Library.”

The 2% tax levy increase would mean adding 2 cents more per $1,000 assessed property valuation, or $3 total for a property assessed at $150,000.

Assistant Director Samantha Stryker gave a comment in the absence of former Director Beth Paine who recently resigned.

“We are grateful for the continued support of our patrons and Community,” Stryker said.

There were three candidates for three trustee vacancies, and they each received votes of:

Trustee Leslie Moma was reelected with 198; and Rebecca Oshlag and Marcia Bohn were each elected to three-year terms with 209 and 207, respectively.

Genesee County Office of Emergency Management has issued a request that, due to an active fire in the area on Friday, the public is asked to avoid the vicinity of the Batavia Towne Plaza and surrounding businesses.

Emergency crews are actively fighting the fire on West Main Street —please steer clear to ensure their safety and yours, county officials said. Updates to follow.

Heavy smoke can be seen as part of a working industrial fire at Hodgins Engraving Friday, as reported by The Batavian at the scene. There have been two explosions in the building, and everyone has been evacuated as of noon. 

A hazmat team was called in and a residence next to the business, at 3817 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, was also being evacuated. 

Town of Batavia Fire and City of Batavia Fire departments responded to the scene, and East Pembroke, Elba, Alexander and Stafford fire companies are also responding to the scene. Bennington and Albion responded a short time later.

Genesee County Jail is being used as shelter in place mode for now, officials said. Route 5 is being closed in both directions, at Lewiston and Kelsey roads.

Tankers from Darien, Corfu and Attica are at the scene. Extra water is needed, and a five-inch line was run across the road from the creek, since Route 5 was shut down. 

Animals from Genesee County Animal Shelter are being moved to the fairgrounds Perry Pet in Batavia.

Update 2:25 p.m.: Oakfield, Alabama and Pavilion fire companies are on scene, Mercy EMS is on standby, and a ladder truck from Clarence has been requested. State fire, Genesee County Sheriff's Office and State Police are all on scene.

Photos by Howard Owens

What are the odds of two bakers with the same last name applying for a position at GO ART!’s Audrey 2.0.1 Bakery at Seymour Place? As it turns out, the odds were in the arts council’s favor, and both landed a sweet — and savory—spot in the fully equipped kitchen at 201 E. Main St., Batavia.

While Kiel Green opened up shop at the bakery last September as part of an Artist Incubator Program to hone his skills, Grace Greene also sent in her resume for a position as she was completing her degree at the Culinary Institute of America. One could say she brought her CIA game.

“So, I actually originally applied for just the baking position, and (Executive Director) Gregory Hallock ended up seeing my resume after they had hired the last person. And so he ended up being like, 'Hmm, you know, maybe she can take on a little bit more.' So they ended up welcoming me in and starting a new job description, basically. So I kind of am overseeing everything in the kitchen as well as I'm going to eventually make it into the bar area and work on some mixed drinks and specialty items on that side of things too, because I took a mixology, a wines class and a beer-making class at school, so I have a background in a little bit of all of it,“ Greene said on her first day open Thursday. “We'll definitely have the sandwiches next week, and then we'll probably tack on one at a time in the following weeks. And then I'm also working on a breakfast menu for Saturdays, so we'll have things like waffles, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast. And then I'm also going to make fresh doughnuts every Saturday as well. So we'll have a few different options, and then hopefully a specialty.”

Greene, who moved back to Rochester after finishing culinary school in Hyde Park, obtained her bachelor’s in professional studies with a concentration in baking and pastry. She graduated on April 16 and made a quick move back in with family to take this job, with the intention to move closer by the fall, she said. 

The 25-year-old did a lot of hands-on training, working in a bakery and for a large restaurant in Poughkeepsie, she said, finessing handmade dough into stuffed dumplings by being in charge of making 700 pierogi each week. (So don’t be surprised if this Polish specialty makes it on the menu eventually.)

For those who have missed the aroma and taste of fresh baked bread, that’s “my favorite thing,” she said: a tall, airy house focaccia with sautéed onions and garlic, and her own version of a glaze-topped cinnamon roll focaccia, brioche, rustic baguettes, ciabatta, sour dough and a rye sour. They will be available for purchase and as the base for future build-your-own sandwiches with assorted meats, cheeses, and toppings, a turkey club, and bruschetta topped with tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and then topped off with fresh mozzarella.

What is it about making your own bread?
“It’s really just, since it is so hands-on, relative to other things, finally getting that product and seeing what you made with your hands, is just great to see,” she said. “It’s a lot of waiting around, it's on its own time, you can't rush it. I feel like a lot of times, people don't let it, at the very end, proof long enough, and that's when you get it popping out and all that kind of stuff. So it's really a hurry up and wait kind of thing.”

Soups will begin with a chicken noodle and perhaps a cheddar broccoli, garden vegetable, or classic Caesar with homemade croutons for salads, with homemade dressings. For the sweet tooth? Large sugar cookies, cakes, brownies, brookies — a crunchy creamy combination of a chocolate chip cookie layered with Oreos in the center and topped with brownie mix  — muffins, cupcakes, special orders of decorated cakes, cupcakes, the increasingly popular Rice Krispie treats, cake pops, and bridal or baby shower dessert boxes, and that's probably not even the exhaustive list, as she will work with customers for special requests.

There will also be espresso and regular drip coffee, decaf, French roast, and latte drinks with — you may have guessed it — house-made caramel and chocolate sauces. Speaking of made in-house, Greene will be whipping up her own butter for the bagels, waffles and pancakes.

She plans to tack on Sundays to the three-day schedule at some point as part of future expansion of hours and days “as things go forward.” Other goal are to:  work with some culinary arts students from Genesee Valley BOCES to allow them hands-on experience and offer more variety to the community as they learn. There are likely to be cake and cupcake decorating classes for adults and children, and more opportunities “to have people in the kitchen” learning, she said.

"There's actually a couple of students over at the BOCES program who we were thinking about bringing in kind of as a mentorship or part-time work. One of them is very much into adapting recipes and making them healthier by substituting flours and sugar types, and all kinds of things. So I have a background in all of it," Greene said. "But the one thing with school is, basically, every three weeks we'd switch classes. You only had a three-week period to get exposed to all of the different types of things. So I have a good groundwork for everything, but there's definitely a lot that I still need to explore on my own."

As for her own mentor, Greene’s favorite cooking show was “Cake Boss” as a kid, she said, though “no one really presented it as a career for me.”

“So when I was kind of in between jobs, I was like, what do I do? I’ve gotta figure something out. And I decided to apply to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America),” she said “And once I got in, I was like, well, we’re gonna really go for it then, all places, definitely, to really absorb as much as you can and learn as much as you can as well.”

Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

She is working on the menu, which will be available, along with options for take-out, HERE.

Photos by Howard Owens.

After nearly a decade of grant applications, designs and redesigns, surveys, an estimated 20 meetings, Covid delays, price increases, and finally having Water District 5 within reach, there has been one more glitch in the process, Bethany Town officials say.

Eight households in the district haven’t signed an easement and right-of-way to allow the project on their properties. Town Attorney Dave DiMatteo and Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. informed a room full of interested residents on Wednesday that the water project has been stalled without the necessary signatures, despite repeated attempts to contact the homeowners.

“He's going to their houses, I'm going to their houses. I leave my business card with a nice message: ‘Please call me.’ I text them, I call them, I send them nice letters, crickets,” Hyde said during an informational meeting at Bethany Community Center.

DiMatteo added that he’s thought about scrolling their names on the town’s digital bulletin board outside.

“That way, at least they know we’re looking for them, right?” he said.

At one point early on during the meeting, a blush-faced DiMatteo said the delay was “because of you and not us,” as he stared at the crowd, prompting residents to shout back rebuttals and complaints about another delay.

Ferris Hazlett yelled that he’d had enough, and stormed out of the room of at least 100 people. As someone who has lived in Bethany for 35 years, he has “listened to so many lies,” he said, and he can’t sell his house without a water hook-up.

“Before Carl Hyde got elected, he stood in my driveway and told me we’d have public water. Then there was an excuse, and then Covid. And that's all you hear, and they’re blaming it on us. What about right of domain?” Hazlett said. “I’ve been told by Carl Hyde that shovels will be in the ground by April. We’re here to find out when we’re getting water. Don’t lie and continue to lie. How much digging are you going to do in the winter?”

The Batavian asked DiMatteo about whether the town has the right-of-way for easements onto properties, such as how National Fuel does when installing gas meters outdoors.

“We have the right to do it, but these easements are outside of our right-of-way, on their private property,” he said. “And our respect for their private property, we need their permission.”

The new time period for breaking ground on the district is in the fall, Hyde said. Unless those people who haven’t signed “have a change of heart or mind,” he said, then it could be earlier. He has texted, called, and sent letters to no avail, and likewise for DiMatteo.

Except that’s not the case for all of them. Zack Anderson of Clark Patterson Lee, the lead engineer on the job, said that there are some residents who haven’t signed due to having issues with their easements.

“I don't know all the particulars. Carl and Dave DiMatteo have been discussing those things with the property owners,” Anderson said. “I’ve only been in touch with, I think, a handful of property owners that have had questions for me, that I've met out on site … but I guess there are some that are still outstanding.”

The Batavian asked Hyde about this, and he said he could go down the list about the various problems, such as one property owner not wanting anyone on his property at all and is against the water district; another who was listed under the wrong address; a pest business with an address in Philadelphia; and another accusing the town of trying to force him into an easement. So it does seem like there has been contact. Many of these people are refusing to sign or just say no, Hyde said to The Batavian after the meeting.

“They won’t do anything. For two months, we’ve had 94 easements. I’ve got seven we’re finding this week, they don’t want to do it,” Hyde said. “We’re having a conversation with the engineering firm.”

A mother had asked DiMatteo after the meeting if he would go to her son’s house to notarize his signature, and the attorney said his response was “let’s go right now.”

The water district plan will have to be altered to avoid those properties without a signed easement. That, plus attorney and staff time, mailings, and “chasing people that wanted the water district,” has been a waste of money coming out of the $21.6 million from low-interest government loans, Hyde said.

“We’ve done everything we can; the ball is in their court,” he said. “We’re recalculating a way around their property. Every time we have to add legal fees, that comes out of the $21 million.”

The plan was reduced from two water towers to one because it was located on the highest property in town, at an elevation of 1,305 feet, said water operator Paul Barrett of the Town of Batavia. There won’t be any leftovers from savings, Hyde said, as he’s “not giving back one penny” of the lump sum.

The debt service to property owners is expected to be around $850 to $880 per year, and it is anticipated that this total will decrease in subsequent years as more people join the district.

Residents were instructed to complete a form related to their property — residential, commercial or agricultural — and submit it for Barrett to work on details for the district. They were encouraged not to buy or do anything for their property until the next meeting, which has not been scheduled yet.

“You’ll find out what you need for your particular property,” Barrett said.

Go HERE for prior coverage.    

There may be more market-rate apartments in Batavia’s future if City Council approves an offer to purchase vacant property on Orleans Avenue Extension.

Bruce Curtis of Corfu has offered to buy .45 acres of wooded land in the R2 residential district of the city’s west/southwest side, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said during this week’s conference meeting.

“The resolution before you would allow the city to abandon and discontinue the public use of the paper street and sell 20,750 square feet, point four five acres, to Mr. Curtis, who has offered the city the appraised value of $15,500 for the parcel,” Tabelski said Monday at City Hall.

Curtis owns six parcels, including 120-122 Pearl Street and 23, 25, 27, 29, and 31 Orleans Avenue, all of which abut Orleans Avenue Extension. His intentions are to redevelop the property and build five to seven market-rate single-story duplex residential units, Tabelski said.

This plan falls in line with the city’s Comprehensive Plan that was written in 2017, as it “highlights a mixed use of new housing units as a designated priority for the city.” Curtis also owns units similar to what he intends to create on 32 and 36 River Street, Tabelski said, and they are of “very nice quality.”

The units would be two-bedroom apartments with all of the necessary utilities. Orleans Avenue Extension is now listed as a “paper street,” since it has no utilities connected to it, she said. The parcel was not advertised and no one else approached the city about purchasing it, she said.

The property is “landlocked,” City Attorney George Van Nest said, so it would be difficult for the city or any other developers to make good use of it.

Curtis offered a price that has been deemed a fair market value by a recent appraisal from Bruckner, Tillett, Rossi, Cahill & Associates. All of the appraisal fees and closing costs would be paid by Curtis, Tabelski said in a memo to council.

Another piece of good news is that the property would go onto the tax rolls.

Tabelski recommended that the city “continue to foster housing development,” and authorized council to approve the sale of this property at a future business meeting.

The Batavian was unable to contact Curtis for additional comments.

Bethany Water District 5 residents are encouraged to attend a meeting this week to discuss water hook-ups with water department personnel, Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. says.

"This is not a meeting you want to miss," he says.

Bring any questions or concerns you have at this time.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Bethany Community Center, 10510 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

With four festivals under its belt, and a new one added this year, GO ART! needed a designated special events coordinator, Gregory Hallock says, and tacked the extra duties and label onto Social Media Director Courtney Henderson’s title.

Henderson has taken on this year’s Just Kings' Juneteenth Celebration Festival, in collaboration with Just Kings, a grassroots group that has been organizing fundraisers and giveaways in Batavia for the last several years. With a growing event to celebrate Juneteenth, Just Kings organizers wanted to pool resources and also use GO ART!’s nonprofit status for donations and sponsorships, Hallock and Henderson said on Monday.

“It’s growing, and they’re a group of volunteers trying to make that happen,” Hallock, GO ART!’s executive director, said. “They’re growing to secure its continued success and wanted to go with a nonprofit to make sure that happens. We want this to happen, we’re just helping to make that happen, and we will have a booth at Juneteenth as well.”

Working with a 501(c)(3) means that any donations and sponsorships can be declared as tax write-offs, Hallock said, which is helpful to organizations and businesses. 

GO ART! has been a supporter of the Juneteenth celebration for several years, said Greg Munroe, one of the event's organizers.

"After the first or second year, GO ART! reached out and wanted to help us out, and they helped us get a grant, I want to say, like three years ago," Munroe said. "To this point, that grant has basically run out. We're looking for funding help, and we've reached out to GO ART! again. They said they would love to collaborate with us."

Henderson has been particularly helpful with social media and promotion, and helping bring together some funding for the event.

Just Kings is still running the event, he said.

While Juneteenth, the nationally recognized holiday, is on June 19, this event is set for noon to 8 p.m. on June 14, which is a Saturday. (Being Pride month, there will also be a related event going on that day at Jackson Square.)

“We’ll have a sign at each event asking people to support both,” Hallock said. “We’re working on adding a bunch of educational and art components to Juneteenth.”

Last year’s event was busy with vendors and attendees, music and food, and this year should not disappoint, Henderson said. She welcomes applications from nonprofits, businesses, food trucks and booths, and musicians.

“I am in the search right now for a storyteller, an enthusiastic storyteller for kids, who can give educational tales as part of our entertainment/culture portion," she said. "We're also looking into trivia, like toy trivia when it comes to black inventors -- did you know the Super Soaker was invented by a black man? And I know we're looking into getting a double Dutch team, okay, and we're trying to find a step team.

“We are asking for anybody who is a food vendor to have at least one item that culturally represents the black community, and that obviously can vary widely based on what they serve," she said. "But that will also flow with the educational portion. That way, there’s education throughout the entire event."

On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas received official emancipation, marking the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is celebrated annually, often with parades, parties and festivals that highlight African American history and culture.

"GO ART! is excited to host just King's Juneteenth Celebration Festival, a day dedicated to honoring freedom, unity, and the rich cultural heritage of Juneteenth," Henderson said.

On the group’s social media site, Just Kings invites folks to “celebrate freedom, culture, and community at this vibrant, family-friendly event in the heart of downtown Batavia! Enjoy live music, African drumming, spoken word, food trucks, Black-owned vendors, art, history, and kids’ activities — all honoring the legacy and significance of Juneteenth.

Munroe said that anyone who would like to donate in support of the event can contact Just Kings directly. If the donor seeks the tax benefit of a charitable donation, donations can be made through GO ART!

“Bring the whole family for a day of joy, learning, and connection,” organizers state. “Let's celebrate Black excellence, community strength, and the power of unity!”

The deadline for vendor and food vendor submissions is May 15. For more information, email festivals@goart.org.

Wholesome nutrition, doing chores as needed, daily exercise and family have been the staples to ensure Celia Puccio’s longevity all these years.

Just how many years? A native of Batavia, she just celebrated her 103rd birthday earlier this week.

Celia grew up on Hutchins Street with her parents, Josephine and Rocco, grandmother, and nine siblings, plus brother Tony’s hunting dogs. They grew a garden and canned vegetables, baked bread, sharing chores either before and/or after school, she said.

“I did whatever had to be done, they were always baking or cooking, and we had to pick up after them,” Celia said at her Oak Street home. “They did the canning process, and you had to clean up all the messes.”

Was it ever tough to get attention or enough to eat in that brood? “Never,” she said. “It was wonderful.”

“My brother said ‘never eat everything on your plate, give some to the dogs,’” she said.

His sisters would clean up after dinner, and Mary didn’t listen to him; she ate everything on her plate, Celia said with a smile. Celia went to Lincoln, then Jackson Elementary School, finally attending the former Batavia Jr-Sr High School on Ross Street. She didn’t graduate, because “I met him,” as a junior, she said, pointing to her framed wedding photo of her and the late Charley Puccio from decades ago.

She dropped out of school a year early and married Charley, and they first moved in with her grandmother in Oakfield before settling into their longtime home on Oak Street. Charlie set up a barbershop with his uncle, beginning at age 12 before meeting the love of his life. He incrementally built onto the original structure as money allowed, to create a larger home, barber shop and garage. Those renovations more than doubled the space, Celia said.

He died in 2002 after the couple was married for nearly 60 years. And the barbershop carries on with daughter Kathy, who stays with mom about three days a week. Just thinking about all of that commotion and dry wall dust made Celia wince a bit.

“I wouldn’t want to go back,” she said. “I was a stay-at-home mom ,and in later years I worked as an assistant cook at the high school. I enjoyed cooking for the family.”

Every Sunday meant the air was filled with simmering homemade tomato sauce — with tomato paste added in — for the weekly spaghetti supper.

Her meals have been nutritious, such as beans and greens of all kinds, with lots of garlic. And she used to take daily walks, meeting four girlfriends at the corner of Oak and Richmond. She also refused a few habits, such as smoking and drinking.

Walking is more difficult now, and Celia likes to watch cooking shows and use a bike pedal machine. She pointed to a picture frame of scrolling family photos.

“They mean more to me than TV,” she said.

Family includes four children, five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and two twins on the way for a September arrival. That's a new goal to make, her daughter said. 

Visits with family are golden.

“I enjoy it very much,” Celia said, sharing a piece of life advice she’s learned along the way. “Just love one another.”

Aerobatic pilot Rob Holland, who performed in the return of Wings Over Batavia Air Show in 2023 and 2024, and became an integral member of the local team effort to secure a host site in Batavia for the 2026 World Aerobatic Championships, died in a crash Thursday at Langley Air Force Base.

An announcement posted on Holland’s social media site on Thursday afternoon stated that the cause of the crash was unknown at the time and was under investigation.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I am sharing that Rob Holland lost his life today, 24 April 2025, in an accident at Langley AFB, VA.,” the post stated. “Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history. Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday.”

Holland was a premier air show performer and freestyle aerobatic competition pilot with nearly 20 years of experience. He flew his MXS-RH, an all-carbon fiber, single-seat aerobatic airplane designed and built by MX Aircraft, for a show that thrilled fans with his breathtaking performances, local organizers had said. He was in the line-up for this year's Wings air show.

Genesee County Public Works Commissioner Tim Hens, who helped to resurrect the air show and worked to continue its momentum ever since, was taken aback to hear the news. Being on the front line meant for him and many others a familiarity with the performers beyond a spectator’s view.

“I was in shock to hear about Rob’s accident. He was the best of the best and an amazing human,” Hens said Thursday night. “My heart goes out to his family and his air show family.”

Holland, of New Hampshire, was a 2012 recipient of the Art Scholl Award for Showmanship and had more than 14,000 hours of flight time. The MXS-RH contained modifications suggested by him based on his aerobatic experiences.

One of his moves is to let out a plume of white smoke from his aircraft and seemingly stall in mid-air before continuing with deep dives and loops in his signature shiny red and black MXS-RH.

When air show leader Pete Zeliff and his team presented a plan to host the World Aerobatic Championships in rural Batavia, that team included Rob Holland, a past world participant. Holland had won the national competition 13 times, but never the world.

Holland was “one of the ones that came to us and asked what we thought about putting in an application to hold it in Batavia,” Zeliff had previously said.

Due to that prompting, the competition is scheduled to be held this summer at the airport in Batavia.

There were hundreds of mourners and well-wishers on Holland's social media site, expressing condolences, yes, but also sweet memories and messages.

“This is going to hurt me a lot. You are my inspiration to the aviation world. You got me where I didn’t think I would be,” posted one person. “I know deep down I gotta push through to make you happy. You brought me into this aviation world, and I will continue it just for you, Rob Holland.”

Another wrote that “he had a way of showing up just when you needed him. If Rob knew you were at an air show, he’d find you just to say hello. If you had a mechanical or logistical issue, he was the first to roll up his sleeves and help. He led not with ego, but with heart — setting an example of how great talent can be paired with even greater character,” the post stated. “In a world where grace and humility can feel rare, Rob embodied both. He made our lives richer by simply being in them. His legacy is not only written in the skies he painted with his aircraft, but in the countless lives he touched with kindness and compassion.

“Godspeed, Rob,” the poster signed off. “You were one of a kind, and we’re all better for having known you.”

Zeliff was not available for comment Thursday evening.

This year’s annual Genesee County Youth Bureau awards banquet was not shy of people to highlight, celebrate, and recognize for their work and efforts for making a difference in the lives of youth.

Led by Carla Mindler, Erika Geer, Sarah Gregory and Theresa Osborn, Youth Bureau programs include:

• A Youth Court for restorative justice
• Genesee Youth Lead to develop leadership through monthly topic sessions, STOP-DWI awareness, and education about impaired driving
• Safe Harbour, a state program to address the impacts of human trafficking and related exploitation
• Community Outreach efforts, such as youth conferences, family game nights, Halloween kits, summer carnivals, and recognition events.

The annual Youth Recognition Award, given to young people who have demonstrated outstanding or extraordinary contributions to their communities or families, was presented to the following during this week's banquet:

Isabelle Best, Elise Fisher, Greyson Fix, Damian Frazer, Ava Goff, Rachel Hanel, Tatum Higby, Megan Jarkiewicz, Chance King, Clara Langridge, Abbigayle Leone, Leilah Manuel, Stellah Manuel, Colin McConnell, Roselin Sanchez, Reagan Schneider, Brooke Schramm, Elizabeth Starowitz, Michael Summers, Rhys Tanner, Alyssa Turner, Dominic White, and Xavier Williams.

"Highlights of the amazing work these youth do includes exceeding volunteer requirements for school, being leaders in their classrooms, extracurriculars, and athletics, dedicating their time to volunteering at their churches, taking on caregiver roles in their families, and much more," Youth Bureau Coordinator Erika Geer said in a news release. "These youth truly encompass what it means to be a leader, role model, and have a positive impact in their community."

Jennifer Bertrand received the Adult Youth Worker Award for her position as an educator at Le Roy Central School. 

"Jen manages the learning center program, which aims to help struggling learners, including those with behavioral challenges, succeed in high school," Geer said. "Additionally, Jen runs the 'Knights Closet' at the school, which is stocked with clothing, school supplies, hygiene products, and much more for all students to utilize."

Her nominator and co-worker, Jenna Essig, added that “Jen’s impact goes well beyond her formal duties; she consistently surpasses expectations.” 

Patrick Patton was honored as the Youth Volunteer of the Year. This posthumous award was presented to his wife, Beth, who accepted the award on behalf of his "unwavering commitment, dedication and exceptional talents." 

He was nominated by Le Roy Supervisor Jacqueline McLean for his "17 years of set designing, painting, and building for the Le Roy Central School Musical Program." 

"Pat designed his first set in 2007 for 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' and continued to create beautiful sets until his last show, 'Chicago,' in 2024," Geer said. "Pat’s dedication to designing, constructing, and painting LeRoy’s sets was truly a special part of the program and he has left an incredible legacy as well as 17 years’ worth of art to the community."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Local trends are showing an increased need for mental health care, with more behavioral challenges that lead to emotional disabilities, additional specialized programs, and larger learning gaps between students, Special Education Director Kellie Marciano says.

In 2024, there were 283 students with disabilities at Batavia City Schools versus 287 this year, and “by the end of the year we're going to have more students classified just based on the number of students from the multi-tiered system support that have been referred, as well as some parent referrals,” Marciano said during a report to the school board during its regular meeting this week.

"This year, it is an increase for us, though, from 13% to 14%. The region has a total of about 1,003 students currently classified, with 938 last year. So as a region, we've really been talking a lot about why we're seeing an increase. Why are we seeing a high level of need?” Marciano said. “We've kind of come up with, there's a lot of mental health concerns currently that we're supporting our students with. We're also seeing a larger academic gap in the last couple of years between the intermediate and middle school levels. 

"We're also still kind of, as a team, have been talking about, is this because those students also missed a lot of foundational skills due to COVID. So how do we address that?" she said. "That's something we've looked at. They're seeing a bigger need in more of that specially designed instruction, and more of our students need more self-contained support. So that's a goal that we've been working on.”

The primary focus for the Special Education Department this year is to:

• Establish a guiding coalition for special education, known as the “Pupil Support Network.”

“This consists of our department leaders, who are our special education teacher department leader, we have related service department leaders, a counselor department leader, a social worker department leader, and then we also have a school psychologist who also serves as the UPK and preschool department leader,” she said. “They coined themselves "the pupil support network," so we're really trying to support a variety of needs. This year, they worked on a team, really looking at what our special education curriculum is.”

This network’s tasks include creating a special education continuum and determining a profile of current students in the continuum of services.

“We looked at our current continuum, and then determined what do our students need based on the profiles that we're now seeing for students, and is there any need for improvement or change?” Marciano said.

• Individualized Education Program (IEP) writing and development
• Develop professional learning communities for special education: developing a mission, vision, developing our values and our goals.

Mission - to promote logical progression, non-communication across the district with the usage of related services, specialized instruction, and the multi-tiered system of supports to ensure student success with a data-driven approach to support decision-making policies and processes.

Vision - will provide continuity between buildings with a logical progression of procedures and policies; communication within buildings and throughout the district through collaboration.

Values and Goals include collaboration between buildings and disciplines to support multi-tiered supports, measuring student success, developing policies and procedures, and using data to inform decision-making.

“It’s a nice team that works really collaboratively together that really represents the entire district,” she said. “We have people from every building who’s there, and our main focus, again, is that these are our students, we work together to create a newsletter that goes out to our special education staff.”

• Services related to professional learning teams include three domains of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
• Continue to grow Batavia’s preschool program, which supports Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. This program provides service for 23 kids in Batavia, three each in Le Roy and Alexander, two each in Pavilion and Attica, one each in Medina, Albion, Pembroke, Byron-Bergen and Elba.
• Continue to grow the Work Study program, which may includes tasks of cleaning and organizing, sorting silverware and dishes, collecting cans and bottles, and helping a teacher hand out papers in middle school; and recycling, helping with mailing, putting menus in staff mailboxes, shredding, manning the coffee cart, making copies,  or being part of the seedling sale in high school.

“So, we’ve actually expanded our work study to also make sure our middle school students are starting to gain access to work study skills,” she said. “We continue to make connections with the community organizations. This year is really exciting, our students are out at Tops, they’re helping with shelving, and they are helping get things organized in the back. We have more connections this year to different organizations, such as the Arc, and we’re really discussing post-secondary opportunities and helping families get connected so when they leave us, either at 22 or 18, they have a path to continue with support.”

• There will be a Special Olympics this year from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Van Detta Stadium, featuring athletes from the 12:1:1 classrooms at Batavia Middle and High schools and students from the New York State School for the Blind and Genesee Valley BOCES.

“It'll be a great activity for our students. And our hope is that we can expand it to more students … next year, and then maybe looking at adding districts who are interested as well, and then continuing focus for next year,” she said. “And our goal is going to be continuing that development of (a student’s) portrait, and in more professional learning communities, more professional development around goal writing for IEPs, looking at our professional learning communities for both our 6:1:1 teachers, and then also adding in our 12:1:1 who are our multi-age academic team. And then continue criteria for determining program placement, and looking at our students who need more restrictive placements, and how do we support them as long in the district as possible.”

Go HERE for the full presentation.

While it’s nice to memorialize someone after death, a group of Broadway actor John Bolton’s friends and colleagues decided to forego that route and do something while the living can also soak in how much he is appreciated, Jackie McLean says.

That’s why Bolton, a Le Roy High School graduate who has never forgotten his humble roots, is instead being honored — alive and in person — with a Lifetime Achievement Gala next month.

“Millie Tomidy is a community member in Le Roy and one of John’s very best friends from high school, and she also graduated in 1980 with John. She had been talking to retired music teacher Denise Duthe about how she wants to do something for John; he’s had such an impact on the community and in the school itself and the students in the region,” said McLean, Le Roy Central School’s music director. “And it just always felt like we always wait to celebrate people often until after they’ve passed away, and we’re honoring their life, and Millie and Denise are like, why are we waiting?

“We want to celebrate him, and we bounced a bunch of ideas around, and we talked to the school and (Superintendent) Merritt Holly and colleagues, because we wanted to have the school involved,” she said. “And we wanted to do a gala ceremony to just show John how much we appreciate him and how much he’s given back to the community, but also to celebrate all of his achievements.”

The Gala has been set for 3 p.m. May 18 at Le Roy Central High School, 9300 South Street Road, Le Roy. Doors open at 2 p.m., and a Taste of Le Roy Reception is to follow the ceremony. There is no charge, however, donations are welcome at the door.

Other Le Roy faculty, students, residents and alumni have jumped on board, including Laura Williams and Jim Bonacquisti, McLean said. There are to be speeches from a variety of community members “to make John realize how important he is to all of us,” she said.

A committee has been formed and everyone is “throwing our different expertise together,” she said, for the different components of the event, including speakers, performances and some “secret surprises.” There will be a Taste of Le Roy, featuring a dish from several local restaurants for a reception after the ceremony.

Will there be music? Oh yes. “A good amount of music,” she said, with a performance from current students from the musical “because John has so graciously attended our shows over the last few years and shown that support to those kids,” plus “some special shout-outs via videos, and a bio and video about John so that anyone who doesn’t know him can get a taste of why we’re celebrating him.”

So why are they celebrating him?

"For years he has given back to the Le Roy Community as well as the Rochester area," she said. "Working with students, budding actors, and schools, we are all so fortunate to know him."

According to Bolton’s bio, he is best known as a Broadway theater actor, starring on Broadway and nationally in "Anastasia," "Wicked," "Hello, Dolly!," "A Christmas Story: The Musical," "Dames At Sea," "Curtains," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," "Young Frankenstein" and "Damn Yankees."

He was in the original Broadway productions of "Titanic," "Contact" and "Spamalot," all three of which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Nominated for Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lortel, Astaire, and Rivera awards, Bolton headlined sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. The world of TV has not ignored him, with appearances in "The Good Wife," "Gossip Girl," "Madam Secretary," "Belles du Jour," "Con Heir," "Boardwalk Empire," and "Where the Vile Things Are."

Perhaps not quite as well known were his roles as a soloist with the NY Philharmonic in 2012, or appearances in the David Letterman Show skits about a singing cowboy, an accountant guarding Oscar ballots, and a crazed Letterman fan.

Similar to the myriad past and present students and community members, McLean has her own story of how Bolton was gracious with his time and earned wisdom while in Buffalo touring with “Hello Dolly.” The Covid pandemic shut his show down, and a day later also shut down Le Roy’s musical.

“However, we were able to do what we called an open dress rehearsal for the Stars of Tomorrow judges, and John didn't know what was happening, nor did any of us, obviously. And he was in Le Roy with a friend, and he said, ‘I really I want to go over to the high school and see these kids. You know, their show is closing,’ and on a night that was kind of the worst for a bunch of teenagers thinking all this work they'd put in for five months and the school year ending with barely being able to open the show,” she said. “And John shows up and gives them this amazing speech and comes into the theater and talks to them about, how this might just be a pause, and how theater will be back. And obviously, he was right. It was a very inspiring speech. It really meant a lot to the students. Several of the students who were part of that cast are actually coming back for this event to share their talents.”

His gesture to offer them some words of comfort “was so kind,” McLean said, and the two have become good friends since. He supported student Evan Williams, a 2023 Stars of Tomorrow winner who went to the Jimmy awards, and was very supportive of McLean, an inspiring teacher award recipient, she said.

Bolton also came to Batavia in 2023 to help support a Main St. 56 Theater fundraiser and to teach a master class for Batavia Players.

“He is a special, special teacher and a good friend,” she said. “He is humble, but look at all the people he’s worked with, the shows he’s been in … the idea of legacy is so important to John, and he has definitely left one.”

RSVPs are requested by May 1 to ensure an accurate count for food. Go HERE to register.