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Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service, which serves blind and sight-impaired people throughout Western New York, including Genesee County, is seeking your help during a fundraiser next week.

Sponsored by Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, the event, Give 716, will benefit charities including the reading service, a small nonprofit that is "deeply dependent on private contributions to exist," staff member Mark Robinson said.

"Please consider helping spread the word ... This is a low key, no-pressure occasion and is meant to be fun, informative and an easy way to support great charities," he said in a press release.

This event runs from 7:16 p.m. July 14 to 7:16 a.m. July 16, and it will go "live" when the event starts.

"There will be lots of prizes given away and all kinds of other surprises for participants," Robinson said. "Most importantly, you will be helping us so that we can help the blind and sight-impaired people throughout Western and Central New York. We are committed to being there for them and we have blind faith in every one of them."

For more information or to donate, check out Give 716

Batavia City Schools residents are invited to not one, but two public hearings about the district's conduct code and the addition of another school resource officer at about $100,000 a year.

The hearings are part of combined reorganizational and regular meetings of the board this week. The session is to begin at 6:15 p.m. Thursday in the Superintendent’s Conference Room at Batavia High School, 260 State St., Batavia.

Public hearings are scheduled after what is usually a boilerplate type of meeting to plug in various district details, including swearing-in of board members, electing the president and vice president, and appointing people to a yearly list of roles. The list is fairly long and varied, from a school pesticide representative, tax collector, and purchasing agent to a faculty auditor, data protection officer and an extracurricular activities account treasurer.

Other board action includes votes to approve miscellaneous items, including the mileage reimbursement rate, existing bylaws and policies, and staff attendance at conferences and similar training.

Hearings are to follow for the review and public input of a District Code of Conduct and then of a School Resource Officer Contract to hire a second officer for the district. A prior hearing about the Code of Conduct brought out no one for comment. The school resource officer is obtained through the city of Batavia and its police department, with the school district picking up the tab. Each officer costs -- in salary and benefits -- approximately $100,000 each, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch confirmed with The Batavian.

Superintendent Jason Smith is to provide the review of each topic, and district residents are invited to sign up prior to or during the review to voice comments or questions. Speakers are given a three-minute time limit each per topic. 

Smith and Business Administrator Scott Rozanski had previously discussed that payment would be possible with leftover federal grant money (American Rescue Plan Act) paid out for COVID-related initiatives and responses. There is about $200,000 from that ARPA money available for another resource officer, Rozanski said.

After the public hearings are closed, a regular meeting is to commence with district “Good news to share,” a superintendent’s report, board votes for various appointments, contracts, a district strategic plan, Code of Conduct, and school resource officer services.

These meetings may be viewed on YouTube. 

For more information, go to bataviacsd.org

It’s fair to say that Stephen Kowalcyk is intense about what he does.

He has a passion for all things music — from playing the drums to working on the production elements of shows big and small. He might be doing the sound and lighting for a small town bar one night and then for a James Taylor concert the next. It has been his life now for the last two decades.

“I was a drummer since I was a little kid and that's what got me into this. I originally started playing in bands in Jackson Square and bought some lights for my band that I was in, and then when that band broke up, people kept calling me to bring the lights to shows, and next thing I know, I realize I can make money at it. And 20 years later, I'm doing some of the biggest names in the country,” Kowalcyk said to The Batavian during the annual Ramble. “I’ve been in 40 states, toured as a lighting designer, I've been a drummer in some regional bands. I do sound and I'm a union stagehand for some of the biggest concerts at Darien Lake and the Sabres arena, the Blue Cross Arena. I've done in the past month everything from cover bands to Kenny Chesney. So that's what I do for a living.”

A Batavia resident and volunteer fireman with the Town of Batavia, he is a partner with Genesee Production Group, which is “basically a bunch of sole proprietors that all work together,” he said.

As Batavia Ramble hit its 15th year this past weekend, Kowalcyk wants to see the venue of Jackson Square get better and better. He and co-organizer Paul Draper, with help from Jordann Luce, had nothing but praise for how this last Ramble went. Record attendance, beautiful weather, a great line-up of talent and but a few “hiccups,” as Kowalcyk described them. The two-year pandemic break made for a small learning curve to get back up and running smoothly,  he said.

This year featured input from GO ART!, which pleased the Ramble organizers, they said. A variety of cultures, performances, food and art lined Jackson Street for a good part of the day, with Ramble musicians finishing out the late evening in the Square. A basket raffle housed inside Eli Fish was to raise money for kids’ music lessons. That was a plan before Roxy’s owner Rose Caccamise died, and now Kowalcyk and Ramble co-organizer Paul Draper are looking for another nearby music store and teachers to help with the effort.

“We have a larger kids section this year than we've ever had, thanks to GO ART! And that has been extremely helpful. I've seen a lot more kids here than we have in the past,” he said. “So having kids here is something that we wanted to do before. But Paul and myself were never really good at that. We didn't know how to advertise for that and how to do that.”

All of the positives aside, Kowalcyk is perhaps a bit "protective," he said, about the space at Jackson Square and an impending redesign. The city has been awarded a Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant of $750,000 for a project to “transform public space in a public plaza.” Grant specs state that an upgraded plaza is to become a “lively hub and common space for community interaction” while also providing connections to multiple businesses throughout the alleyway.

Who's involved ...
Architectural Resources is the city's firm in charge of the redesign. The city hosted two public meetings in 2021 to gather input from community members regarding the space. The initial plan was to begin construction in the fall of 2021 for a revamped Square by the spring of this year. Bids for the work have been rejected twice due to not fitting the financial cap for the project. City Council more recently rescinded acceptance of a contractor after the company raised the initial bid.

Kowalcyk and Draper want very much to be part of the redesign process and feel that they have been left out in these final stages.

“I have my own opinion on how this area should be taken care of, as I played my first gig here 20 years ago. So it's kind of, it's very sensitive to me, this area's worries,” Kowalcyk said. “One of my first gigs ever was here in 2002-2003. I’ve been playing with bands since then. And it's actually been really huge to the music scene here. A lot of people my age can say that they played some of their first shows in Jackson Square. So it's very sentimental to people our age because in the early 2000s, that was one of the very few places that people that weren't 21 could play shows. So we don't want to see it turn into something that it's not … it's not an amphitheater, we know that. But we also know that being a free and open venue that the city allows us to use, it's a great asset to the city and to our music scene.”

Wanting to be more involved ...
Based on the last plans he was aware of, Kowalcyk heard that the roof would be made of glass, the stage wouldn’t be very high and a handicap-accessible ramp was targeted for the front of it. He appreciates that City Manager Rachael Tabelski “was very good to me once she realized how much it meant to us,” he said. But after those initial conversations with the design team, “there’s been no communications with us.”

“And obviously, I will straight up say, this is the largest event that happens in Jackson Square. We should be a part of the conversation on what happens with the design team. And I feel like we weren't a part of that initially until I kind of stuck my foot in the door and said, ‘Hey, we really need to be, you should listen to what we have to say. Because we have a lot of people that have a strong opinion on what happens back here.’”

The Batavian emailed questions to Tabelski, who said that her response is the same as it was when Kowalcyk and Draper spoke out in 2021. Input from citizens has been “heard and considered, and incorporated into the design,” she said, including those affiliated with the Ramble, which happens once a year.

“For the design side and bidding, we have to use a professionally licensed architect and engineer to complete the project for safety and liability reasons. The City will continue to look at the project and get the best outcome for the public gathering space and fulfill the DRI funding commitment,” Tabelski said.  “Just like with many public works projects, after citizen input is solicited and incorporated, the design/engineering/construction process is managed by professional city staff.  In this case, the project should already have been completed and I will be re-evaluating the architectural bid specs and seeking modifications so we can achieve an on-budget construction project that enhances Jackson Square.”

No throwing of stones, just suggestions ...
Well, if by chance the architects are listening, Kowalcyk wants to pitch his thoughts: no ramp right in front of performers and a solid roof for the stage “would prove beneficial.” Glass is a nice design element, he said, but given the open space with little shade, glass could make it unbearable for performers on a hot sunny day.

“We need shade at this time of year and almost every year when we do this. It's nearly the longest day of the year, and it's almost one of the hottest days of the year. Yeah, so we're looking for shade. That is the biggest thing,” he said. “Everyone knows that I'm a liaison between this event and the city, okay, so they've been coming to me, and I've been getting emails and phone calls and text messages saying you cannot let them go with a glass roof.”

Another complaint he’s been hearing is that a large portion of that $750,000 was going to replace the concrete and brick in Jackson Square. It wasn’t that long ago since it was last repaired, he said, and “really not that bad.”

“I hate to see the majority of our budget go to that aspect, where I don't think it's going to make that much of an improvement. The average person's not gonna come in there and see that much,” he said.

No disrespect to the design team, he said, but other missing elements (as far as he’s aware) include permanent lighting for night show options and a screen that could be pulled down for movies and other uses.

“With the right design of a stage, we could have built a little small AV corner to do that. And we're only talking hundreds of dollars, not thousands of dollars. It would have been easy to do the power button,” he said.

After speaking with a member of the City Council last year, Kowalcyk said he was told that the DRI grant was on a timeline and that money had to be spent and work completed to fulfill the requirements as a “use it or lose it” situation.  The member had indicated that it would be better to “get it done and then fix it later.”

“And I’m like no, that is not how you do that. That is a PR nightmare; you do not fix it after the fact,” he said. “I would like to do it right the first time and not come back and try to fix it because, why spend the extra money?”

To be clear, this was one person’s remark to Kowalcyk and apparently not an official comment about the design team’s approach.

Other team players ...
Kowalcyk has a sincere interest in promoting and utilizing the Square for a full plate of events beyond the Ramble, he said. He hopes to work with the Batavia Business Improvement District for future Rambles and other ideas, as the Square is right in BID’s backyard. BID has hosted the Jackson Square Friday night music series for several years, plus some Thursday nights this summer.

The Batavia BID board is updated monthly on the project, and has provided feedback to the City through the process, Tabelski said. BID Executive Director Shannon Maute said Tuesday that she is “open to anything” that would benefit the downtown area. She didn’t know why Ramble and BID organizers ever stopped collaborating on the effort, but she would be willing to do so, Maute said.

As for the Jackson Square redesign, aside from cleaning up the area, leave well enough alone, she said. An old relic of the past, it's a nostalgic space that she appreciates.

“As for me personally, I want it the way it is … it’s one of the very few things unchanged in downtown. The stage has worked,” she said. “If the city wants to revamp it, I’m fine with that as well.”

Kowalcyk likewise wants to work with the BID, he said. His vision of the Ramble is to perhaps make it a two-day event. As for the venue, he’d like to include affairs beyond the current line-up, such as themed DJ, 80s, hip-hop nights and other genres. 

“In the future, I see us actually being involved together, I fully plan on working with them. It just didn't happen this year, because we got far behind on where we wanted to be. GO ART! actually approached us to work together on this event. We've talked to them in the past and said that this would be a great event to work together on, and it didn't come to fruition. So this year it actually benefited both of us at the same time. It's been great working together; it’s fun.”

As co-organizer Paul Draper said, they believe Jackson Square is “a great space, a wonderful space, and it should be utilized to the maximum amount.”

“And we’ve just got to make sure that what they're planning is going to be able to benefit that, I guess,” Draper said. “I don't ever want to leave the square, I think this is a beautiful spot. It's just, you know, it's kitchy coo. For visibility, … I think we did a really, really good job. GO ART! is doing a fantastic job on the other end of it. So I'm happy with what we've been able to do so far. So going forward, just kind of what we've been doing is, changing, building up, seeing what works, what doesn't work, and kind of go from there. But I like what we have to offer this year.”

He and Kowalcyk agreed that one of the Square’s best-kept secrets — and not always fully recognized — is that it allows musicians that typically are in their own venues to get together, see one another and enjoy that rare time together.

“It's an interesting thing because a lot of us are in bands. We don't necessarily get to go out and see our friends that are in bands because we're in bands playing,” Draper said, as Kowalcyk admitted he had never thought of it that way.

“This is like the only time where we can actually see all our friends play in the same place,” Kowalcyk said. “That's actually really cool.”

Photo: Batavia Ramble organizers Stephen Kowalcyk, Jordann Luce, and Paul Draper take a moment on July 2 to pause during this year's music and arts festival at Jackson Square. Photo by Howard Owens.

After evaluating the possibility of providing more free meals during the summer, Batavia City Schools officials have been able to extend the Keep Kids Fed program for Batavia students up to 18 years old.

Meals will be provided at two sites per day for these students beginning this Wednesday, Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said Tuesday afternoon. This extended program will run to August 26.

Or families may get a free breakfast and lunch bundle from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays at the Jackson Primary School, 411 South Jackson St.

Batavia’s district already has summer extended programs at Batavia High School-BOCES for breakfast, and at Batavia Middle School, Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate for breakfast and lunch, Rozanski had said in a previous article.

Beginning June 27, these meals will be provided to YMCA’s youth program Monday through Friday, and also Monday through Friday for the city’s Parks and Recreation program from Tuesday, July 5 through Aug. 12.

Once it was announced late last week that the Keep Kids Fed program was being funded to extend the service, city schools officials needed to "determine if we have sufficient personnel to staff either of these two options and, if not, what adjustments can we make to our current summer programs to be able to accommodate this program,” he said during a prior discusion with The Batavian about the program. “We are also waiting for the approval from NYS Child Nutrition (CN).”

Click here for prior article about this program, or go to bataviacsd.org for more information.

Chuck and Kathy Walters just happened to be driving down Main Street, Batavia Saturday when they noticed some commotion on Jackson Street.

The entrance was closed, but the rhythmic beat of drums and tents along the street enticed them to stop for a visit.

“We didn’t know this was happening,” Mrs. Walters said during the annual Batavia Ramble Explore Art and Music Fest. “We watched the African drummers and dancing … it’s the first time I’ve seen African music that’s not on TV.”

Womba, a group of authentic African performers, was a new element to the music festival. Organized by GO ART!, a series of culturally rich musicians and dancers, artists, crafters and puppeteers filled the street with activities throughout the day.

The Walters found a spot at a picnic table to nosh on grilled hotdogs from a nearby food stand. Troupe Nisaa members, dressed in sparkly, colorful outfits, performed a traditional bellydance at one end while a singer belted out tunes at the Jackson Street stage on the other end near Ellicott Street.

“They should have more of these,” Mrs. Walters said, adding that they would “definitely” come again next year.

The Bergen couple agreed that it was nice to visit Batavia, especially since “they’ve got so much more than Bergen.”

When asked if they would like to see anything else at the event, Mr. Walters suggested a large sign with a schedule for visitors to know what’s happening, when and where. They had never attended a Ramble and had not been to Jackson Square before.

Mrs. Walters likes country western music, she said, and would like to see that featured.

Overall, though, she was ready for more.

“I would like a two-day event,” she said.

As the Walters finished and walked away, Jay and Christine Elmore and a friend, all of Le Roy, sat down to enjoy some Red Osier fare. Mrs. Elmore’s sandwich was filled with prime rib, coleslaw and barbecue sauce, capped by a roll with salty crystals promising a sweet and savory bite.

“This is so good,” she said.

She and her friend had gone to a concert at Batavia Downs Friday, and decided to return Saturday to use their freeplay money. They then stopped downtown, first at O’Lacy’s and then the Ramble just around the corner.

Foot traffic had thinned out some, and most art vendors had left by that time in the early evening. Mrs. Elmore suggested that a corn hole tournament would be a fun addition to draw people and provide more interaction.

“My husband is a huge cornhole (fan), that would be a big draw,” she said. “It would bring a lot of out-of-towners.”

Her husband Jay agreed that he’s really into the game, but not exactly sure why. His wife suggested that it’s about the competition and camaraderie of people getting together.

It may be something for Ramble organizers, including lighting and sound man Stephen Kowalcyk to consider for next year. During a talk with The Batavian, he had mentioned wanting to expand the offerings at Jackson Square, including themed music nights.

“This is an awesome asset to this music scene. Typically, I would like to see some new stuff in here. I've talked to the owners in here (Eli Fish), we have some ideas of doing some DJ nights out there, or doing an 80s night, one night, maybe a hip hop night or something just to change things up,” he said. “And I think that benefits all the restaurants around here. So it'd be a fun thing to do.”

See also:

• Ramble mixes art, dance, music, food and people for winning recipe Saturday
• Photos: Batavia Ramble Art and Music Festival 2022

Top photo: Chuck and Kathy Walters of Bergen stop for a bite during Batavia Ramble Explore Art and Music Fest Saturday downtown. Photo by Joanne Beck.

Womba entertains spectators at the GO ART! tent, a crowd enjoying the art vendors, food, and cultural performances on Jackson Street Saturday. Photo by Howard Owens.

Raymond Doward had a couple of tables full of his acrylics and watercolors during Saturday’s Batavia Ramble Explore Art and Music Fest.

Paintings focused largely on people — often in silhouette form — plus animals, landscapes, sports and a bit of politics, he said. There was a watercolor eagle with a U.S. flag in red, white and blue, and a portrait of former President Obama. Other works featured dogs, mostly of their faces, looking endearingly at the observer, and some abstracts that he's been including more recently, he said.

A Batavia native, Doward has a studio at Harvester Center and sells online through eBay. The soulful earthiness of his work seems to lend well to his role as a “minister of the Gospel.” Or maybe it’s the other way around.

A soft-spoken Doward feels as though he has a God-given talent that he’s not about to squander.

“I’ve always enjoyed art. I could be looking at the sky and think, oh, that'd be a beautiful painting, and it in and of itself inspires me,” said the 1978 Batavia High School grad. “I like painting families; the importance of family. Also, I love to see the work of other artists. And then I can kind of gain some insight.”

His biggest accomplishments so far have been to have a work published in International Artists contemporary magazine, he said, and to have another piece — in grays and turquoise-hued blues — licensed by NBC Universal Studios as a backdrop for the Megyn Kelly Today show.

“I do I feel like He gave me the gift and the talents and so I don't want to waste it,” Doward said. “I’m also trying to show my grandchildren that they can do the same thing if they are motivated and stay focused.”

His young granddaughter Aniya helped her grandfather at the vendor booth. It’s an understatement to say she appreciates his art.

“There's so many emotions about it. Yeah. Every piece is different and tells its own story,” she said. “When I get older, like when I get my own house, I already know no other painting will be in my house.”

For more information, check out Raymond Doward 

Meanwhile, down the alley between Jackson and Center streets, a main stage was rocking with continuous bands into the evening.

Spectators in lawn chairs were lined up in rows in front of the stage. Many people opted to duck inside adjacent Center Street Smokehouse or Eli Fish Brewing Company for a drink, food or to get some relief from the hot but gorgeous weather outside.

One spectator apparently fainted from the heat and had to be escorted out by stretcher for medical follow-up. That was a brief bump in the day, as all involved continued on with their tasks at hand.

Restaurant manager Sydney Carli said the day had been busy at Eli Fish. The restaurant had obtained a permit so that drinks could be taken outside, she said.

“It’s been great, the bar’s been hopping,” she said. “It seems like it’s been going really well.”

Organizers Stephen Kowalcyk and Paul Draper agreed that it was one of -- if not the -- best Rambles in its 15-year history. Kowalcyk estimated some 2,000 to 2,500 people in attendance throughout the day and early evening. Still, the event had a bittersweet taste to it, Draper said. Prior Rambles had up to three stages on nearby streets with 30 or more bands playing. This year featured 26 bands.

"I say bittersweet because the bands are back in business. And I love that, you know, everyone's working out for the holidays,  the bands are getting back out there getting gigs. It's a truly wonderful thing," Draper said. "So even though it's a little bit smaller on the band side this year, we had more things to offer on the art side. So I'm really, really pleased about that. And yeah, everyone that we had here this year, tremendous talents. I mean, everyone brought their A game, so I couldn't be happier."

See also:

• Time for some music, pedestrian-friendly fare and a visit during Batavia Ramble
• Photos: Batavia Ramble Art and Music Festival 2022

Top photo: Raymond Doward of Batavia shows one of his larger works on display at Batavia Ramble Art and Music Fest Saturday on Jackson Street, Batavia. Musician and longtime Ramble participant Michael Murray plays with Beethoven's Dream in Jackson Square, as spectators relax in their chairs during the all-day event. Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release

The City of Batavia Water Department will be repairing a water main break in the Walnut and Law Street area. Adjoining streets should not be impacted during the time of this repair. The length of time the water will be off is unknown.

Traffic will not be closed in the area of Walnut and Law streets while the repairs are being made.

As always, when the water is restored it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.

We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.

City Council took a final step this week toward getting some new sidewalks on five city streets.

During its business meeting, the group approved a contract with Master’s Edge, Inc. to replace approximately 6,400 linear feet of sidewalks and handicap accessible ramps on portions of Chase and Fisher parks and Seneca, Miller and Columbia avenues.

Work has already begun to repair sections of those streets, and the sidewalks are part of a “complete streets” program to pair adjacent walkway replacement with milling and paving of streets.

The contract is with Master’s Edge, Inc. of Cheektowaga as the lowest responsible bidder of $493,500 for the project. As part of the vote, Council also agreed to budget increases of $94,500 to each the revenue and expense accounts. State-funded Consolidated Highway Improvement Program money is to help with the remaining expense.

Meanwhile, over on Richmond Avenue, between Oak and State streets, motorists can expect delays as street resurfacing is to begin July 6.

From concrete to fluid ...
Another city initiative is to update water meters. Forget going door-to-door for readings, Water and Wastewater Superintendent Michael Ficarella says, installing radio heads will allow the readings to be done remotely and more efficiently from outside the home.

Some one-third of city meters have already been changed out for the higher-tech radio heads, and the remaining meters need to be done eventually, Ficarella said during the meeting.

He estimated that it would take up to six months for completion, as appointments will have to be made with homeowners to get inside access to their water meters. Council President Eugene Jankowski suggested that evening appointments be considered as an option to make it more convenient for those that work during the day.

Having such technology will mean “real-time” readings, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. Jankowski added that it should also help alleviate undetected and ongoing water leaks. A message could be sent to the homeowner “ a lot quicker and sooner,” he said, improving the whole process.

Think that little drip, drip, drip won't cost much extra? A 1/32 inch drip adds up to 18,500 gallons per quarter, the city's website states. For more information about water leaks, how to prevent them and how much they can increase your total bill, go to the city's Water Leak page.

City Council voted to submit a consolidated funding application for the Green Innovation Grant Program for water meter upgrades.

The total cost is expected to be $1.97 million, and the city needs to commit a 25 percent local match as part of the grant application. That local match of $492,100 would be paid with Water Fund reserves, Tabelski said.

In other action, Council approved the appointments of Nicholas Harris, Marc Staley, and Paul Battaglia as citizen members, and Bob Bialkowski and Tammy Schmidt as council representatives of the city’s Audit Advisory Board.

File photo of a city street being paved. Photo by Howard Owens.

Batavia wants to buy back some lights from National Grid.

No small order, the purchase totals more than $226,000. The move will allow city public works crews to perform their own, more immediate, maintenance and repair of all lights throughout the city, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

“We do have a great working relationship (with National Grid). I think their ability to service the lights as quickly as they go out, sometimes it's difficult. They do their best to keep the lights up to date and to replace them, but there's definitely advantages to moving to the LED lights; we will have less outages,” Tabelski said during an interview with The Batavian. “And when we do have an outage, we'll be able to take care of them in house right in the city.”

Phase I to replace all regular lights with LEDs has begun, with a goal to have all LED lights in the city within the next six months, she said. This plan is to save on energy consumption, maintenance and expense while improving the overall quality of light that’s emitted.

According to the city’s presentation materials, LED (light-emitting diode) type lights are directional, which reduces light “trespass” onto adjacent properties and dark spots between street lights. They are also said to have a “higher color rendering index,” which allows the human eye to detect colors better, improving drivers’ ability to see pedestrians or other potential hazards.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski liked the idea when presented earlier this week at a council meeting.

“So they’ll be brighter, less costly, and we’ll have more control over them,” he said.

Council is expected to vote on the purchase of 948 lights for $226,038 at its July 11 meeting. A letter will also be sent to National Grid requesting the buyback, followed by a purchase and sales agreement to be approved by the Public Service Commission, Tabelski said.

Once the PSC approves, National Grid and the city of Batavia will close on the streetlight sale. At that point, the city will own and maintain its own lights, and will continue to pay National Grid for electric and delivery, but not for operations and maintenance costs.

The entire LED conversion program is to cost an estimated $1.7 million, to be paid for through long-term financing and the yearly cost savings of more energy efficient LEDs, Tabelski said.

Photo: Traditional streetlights, on the left, cast an orange glow, versus the whiter LED lights on the right. Photo part of the City of Batavia LED Street Light Conversion program.

Now that graduation is officially over, Batavia City School District is assessing its current summer meals program to potentially provide children with remote meals in July and August, Business Administrator Scott Rozanski says.

The review stems from an announcement this week about the Keep Kids Fed Act that funds free meals for children throughout the summer. That bill was signed into law and extends child nutrition waivers for schools, daycares, nonprofits and other meal providers, according to a press release from Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer.

“No child should ever go hungry, and now schools will have the funding and flexibility needed to ensure kids stay healthy and fed this summer ... this bill gives our schools the support they need to continue to provide free nutritious meals and the flexibility they need to operate amidst the ongoing supply chain challenges,” Schumer said. “Summer is often the time of year when food insecurity is highest for children and this support comes just in the nick of time.”

Batavia’s district already has summer extended programs at Batavia High School-BOCES for breakfast, and at Batavia Middle School, Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate for breakfast and lunch, Rozanski said in response to questions from The Batavian.

Beginning this week (Monday, July 27) through Sept. 1, breakfast and lunch is also being provided to YMCA’s youth program Monday through Friday, and also Monday through Friday for the city’s Parks and Recreation program from July 5 through Aug. 12.

“Given the late announcement, we are in the process of determining how we can offer this important program for those children that are not involved in the programs previously listed,” Rozanski said. “Tentatively, we are looking at offering one to two options for remote meals from July 5 through Aug. 31, 2022.

“We first need to determine if we have sufficient personnel to staff either of these two options and, if not, what adjustments can we make to our current summer programs to be able to accommodate this program,” he said. “We are also waiting for the approval from NYS Child Nutrition (CN).”

District officials are hoping to receive definite word by Friday, he said. If the district receives approval for the additional option(s), it plans to publicly announce that to district residents, he said.

During the pandemic, Congress authorized the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive various school meal program requirements for school districts and increase reimbursement rates so that schools and meal program operators could continue to feed children. This allowed school districts across New York to make sure that students got meals all year long, including during the summer. 

These child nutrition waivers were set to expire Thursday, June 30. A recent  USDA survey showed that 90 percent of school districts food programs are depending on these waivers to offer free meals, with 92 percent experiencing supply chain issues and a quarter experiencing staffing challenges for their nutrition programs, according to the press release.

The fully paid-for Keep Kids Fed Act has been signed into law by President Biden.

For the full release, go HERE

Photo of a family celebrating during this past Saturday's BHS graduation ceremony at Van Detta Stadium in Batavia. Photo by Stephen Ognibene.

Chris Suozzi’s word of the moment is "align."

As someone who is heavily involved in workforce development initiatives, especially with youth, Suozzi likes to bring that effort full circle -- into alignment -- for kids to see the why of what they’re doing.

Add in the fact that his father, Joseph, grew up in an era when kids were hands-on with projects, and he won a 1951 soap box championship with his own self-built miniature car. Who’d have thought that a modern-era miniature car derby would work so well into that mix? 

It all aligns perfectly with downtown officials' and Suozzi's goals.

“My dad grew up in the 50s … everybody is working with their hands, they're mechanically inclined, and then all of a sudden, we went away from that, and we went all towards a college thing. And then all of a sudden, now we're looking at, hey, we need technicians, we need skilled trades again, and plumbers and electricians and carpenters and builders,” he said during an interview with The Batavian. “So, it's trying to change the mindset, again, of parents, and guidance counselors … that you're successful if you're a mechanic or a technician, just like you would be as a doctor, or a lawyer, or whatever the case may be. Working with your hands is just as important as working in a textbook, so we’ve just got to level that out right now.”

Take Suozzi’s passion to get kids excited and more knowledgable about skilled trades and available local jobs, his father’s prior involvement and enthusiasm for building his own racing vessel, and add Batavia Business Improvement District’s interest in hosting a fun, family-friendly event, and the BID Boxcar Derby was born.

The race is set for August 27 down Ellicott Avenue in Batavia. Kids from two categories, ages 7 to 10 and 11 to 13, will make and decorate their own cars, use hands-on basic science, technology, math, and engineering skills in the process, and have fun discovering how such skills can be used in real life.

“That’s what excites me about doing these events,” Suozzi said.

BID Executive Director Shannon Maute liked the idea as a community activity, she said. Plus, she promised her former Eli Fish boss, Matt Gray, that she would bring a derby here in her new BID role.

"Matty used to hear the races going off from his house, and he used to run down to watch; it was one of his favorite childhood memories. So when I talked about doing more activities for kids, he asked that I bring back the 'soapbox derby.' Everyone I mentioned the derby to all had such great reactions and memories, that there was no way I wasn’t going to bring it back," Maute said. "This is a community-based event that we would like to grow bigger every year, and next year we may even have adults racing." 

She wants everyone’s children and grandchildren to also gain those same memories for when they’re older, she said.

Slots for the derby are nearly filled, with just a few left in each category.  Thanks to sponsorships from Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, GLOW With Your Hands and Genesee Lumber, registration for participants is $10, which includes the car materials, entry and a post-race picnic, Maute said. Volunteers are needed to help build the cars and on race day, from the start and finish lines to the check-in point.

Spectators are encouraged to line up along Ellicott Avenue, starting from Richmond Avenue and down the hill toward Washington Avenue. There will be 28 participants vying for a top winner spot through elimination rounds. A black and white checkered sign, ramps, hay bales and — hopefully, Maute said — lots of cheering and clapping for the racers.

There will be first, second and third place winners in each of the two categories, and a grand winner will receive a memorial plaque in honor of Suozzi’s father Joseph, brother Patrick and sister Teresa Wormley, all of who died much too young, Suozzi said.

Participants will be able to pick up their materials at 10 a.m. July 23 in Jackson Square. They can stay and build their cars right there, or take them home and do it.

After Joseph Suozzi won his 1951 local championship, he went on to a race in Rochester, where he lost to another competitor who ended up racing in the nationals in Akron, Ohio. The trademarked term of Soap Box Derby was founded in Ohio, with the first race reportedly in 1933. Cars were not powered by gasoline or any other type of fuel; they simply rolled down the hill with a child inside.

According to Ohiohistory.org, Myron Scott, a Dayton reporter, covered one of these races and decided that children across the United States could enjoy this activity, so he began to promote it across the country. In 1934, Dayton held the first "All-American Race," where soap box racers from across the country brought their creations to race. The following year, the race moved to Akron, Ohio due to its hillier terrain. Since 1935, the All-American Soap Box Derby has taken place in Akron.

In 1936, Akron city officials decided to build a permanent facility for the race. With the assistance of the Works Progress Administration, one of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal programs, the city completed Derby Downs, a soap box racetrack, the website states.

Thousands of children from across the United States and from other nations -- including Joe Suozzi's competitor -- have come to race their creations at Derby Downs every year since the track's completion. The only exception to this was during World War II, when many activities, including soap box derbies, came to a halt so that people could concentrate on the war effort. 

Kids would use various materials, including wooden boxes and crates for soap or apples, random lumber, and wheels from roller skates, or bicycles. Suozzi remembers that his father kept the wheels from his derby car in the garage, and would talk about the thrill of the race.

BID is providing car kits, including the wood and wheels, valued at more than $200, Maute said.

“Not everyone can afford that. We want everyone to be able to do this,” she said. “It’s just something fun for the community.”

Gray was not available for comment.

For more information or to donate or volunteer, email director@downtownbataviany.com

Submitted photos of Joseph Suozzi, top, Patrick Suozzi, and Teresa Wormley. Above, a slight but long incline from Richmond Avenue down Ellicott Avenue alongside Centennial Park will serve as the venue on derby race day. Photo by Howard Owens.

A deeper dive may be needed for a Jackson Square project that's already gone out two times for bids, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

She had recommended Monday that City Council vote to rescind a bid from Mark Cerrone Inc. due to the company’s last-minute revision of its original low bid of $654,000. After all, bids were received and council agreed to award Cerrone with a contract, the Niagara Falls-based company hiked its bid up to $847,950.

That move didn’t exactly seem kosher to Council President Eugene Jankowski.

“Is that even legal,” he said, addressing City Attorney George Van Nest. “We certainly have a lot of concerns with the communication that took place … there was some back and forth between the architects and the city, and contractor. At this point, we have a new contract. I’m just trying to get educated here for the future. It almost appeared that once they brought out their bids, then they mysteriously appear to be just under the next bid. Once someone bids, that’s it.”

Van Nest agreed.

“In general, I’d say that’s accurate,” he said. “There are some other nuances with this. Just to be clear, you’re not rejecting Mark Cerrone Inc’s bid; you’re rescinding that bid and rejecting the other two bids.”

Council agreed to move the item to the business meeting that would follow. The council later unanimously voted to rescind Mark Cerrone Inc’s bid due to "failing to honor" the original bid of $654,000 and reject the other two from Scott Lawn Yard, with a bid of $870,000, and Whitney East with a $1,002,800 bid.

An architect had originally recommended that council approve a contract award to Mark Cerrone Inc. for construction enhancement of Jackson Square. That bid would have included an alternative plan that would add about $31,000 for a total bid of $685,500.

However, once the city agreed, the contractor “refused to proceed with the project as bid, claiming significant mistakes and the need to adjust the contract price,” according to Director of Public Works Brett Frank.

The Batavian reached out to Senior Project Manager Jeff Salvatore of Mark Cerrone, Inc. earlier Monday for comment about the revised bid and council’s impending decision to rescind it. Salvatore offered “no comment.”

The project is to be primarily funded with a $750,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, plus $225,000 from National Grid, Tabelski said.

“When we go out for bid, they look at the scope of work, and they put a price to that with the materials and the labor … so it necessarily doesn't always line up with the budget we have,” she said to The Batavian. “So we will be re-examining our bid specifications to make sure we think that pricing can come in within that.”

She was hopeful that a contractor with an acceptable bid can be approved within the “next few months.” That leaves the door still open for a construction start date this fall or winter, she said.

“But we do want to take a deeper dive at the design of it. Because this is the second time it's been bid out,” she said. “So yeah, we have some review work to do internally. Construction projects can certainly start in the fall. But again, we'll have to analyze when; it could technically happen in 2022.”

Illustration: File photo. One of the architectural renderings for the proposed redesign of Jackson Square.

A new management company for the city’s ice arena is expected to come before City Council for vote at its meeting next month.

A number of submissions had been received during the city’s request for proposals process, and it’s likely that one company will be selected, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

“We received responses back. And we have worked on scoring them and we're looking to get under contract with one management company by the July 11 meeting,” she said during an interview Monday evening with The Batavian. “That would be a full lease agreement with a new management company for the rink.”

She couldn’t name the company due to being in progress with finalizing a contract, Tabelski said. The new prospective company, if approved by council next month, will take over management operations of the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street. Former company Firland Management did not renew its contract, which is to expire on June 30.

2022 File Photo of a dedication ceremony of the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.

So there’s some good news and some bad news about Fourth of July festivities this year. While there don’t seem to be too many local events taking place on the actual day, including the long-standing Picnic in the Park, (the bad news), there are plenty of activities during the long weekend leading up to the patriotic holiday.

That should be good news for anyone interested in baseball, fireworks, live music, cultural and artisan entertainment, a road race and the camaraderie that naturally accompanies family and friends gatherings.

Friday, July 1
First up is the Old Hippies from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in Jackson Square (between Jackson and Center streets, Batavia. You should know the drill by now: bring a lawn chair, relax and enjoy. Across town will be a Muckdogs game at 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium. In addition to swing-batter-swing, there will be fireworks following the game.

Or how about “Get(ting) the Led Out” at Batavia Downs Gaming, where a Led Zeppelin tribute band takes the stage at 5 p.m. trackside. Click here for tickets

Josh Groban will be taking the stage at 7 p.m. at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, 9993 Alleghany Road (Route 77). For tickets, go here 

Restaurants are also planning to provide some live music for patrons, including the Red Osier on Route 5 in Stafford, and Center Street Smokehouse on Center Street in Batavia.

Saturday, July 2
From 6:30 to 10 p.m., the Sinner Band will be at Jam at the Ridge, 8101 Conlon Road, Le Roy.  Click here for tickets

Saturday will also bring the family fun all day and night long with the Batavia Ramble Explore Arts & Music Fest downtown in Jackson Square. Live bands, cultural dances, hands-on artist crafts, and more will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more details, see prior coverage here 

Big Time Rush Forever Tour is set for 8 p.m. at Darien Lake Amphitheater at Six Flags Darien Lake Theme Park. For tickets, go here

Public Water Supply will have the music flowing from 8:30 to 11 p.m. at Cherry Hill Campground, 1516 Sumner Rd Darien Center. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/CherryHillCamp/

Sunday, July 3
Sunday will feature another Muckdogs home game at 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium, complemented by a nightcap of fireworks. For more information or tickets, go to Muckdogs. 

Backstreet Boys: DNA World Tour is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Darien Lake Amphitheater. Click here for tickets 

Monday, July 4
Holiday? What holiday? Lace-up your sneakers for a little early morning exercise before firing up the grill and enjoying picnic treats. You’ve got a week to prepare for the annual Kiwanis Club Independence Day 5K, set for 9 a.m. July 4 at Centennial Park.

The annual fundraiser is back on the road this year, after a temporary pandemic virtual option, says club member Dave Chua. For those runners not willing or able to take on the morning 3-mile jaunt, there will be a virtual option again this year, Chua said.

Runners will be helping Kiwanis Club raise money for the Autism Nature Trail and Batavia City School District Foundation.

As for no Picnic in the Park, Chua didn’t think that would impact the number of participants in the 5K, especially since the event has always wrapped up before the picnic festivities began anyway. It will mean, however, the rental and expense of port-a-potties. Participants have previously been able to use the ones already put in place for the picnic, he said.

This year’s race is going with a new timing company, Spirit Timing, which seems to be well-organized, he said. As part of that change will be fewer paper registrations versus online. There will also be a phone app to register that way ahead of time or while standing in line that morning as a day-of registrant.

Those that do register ahead of time are pretty much guaranteed a T-shirt with the official race logo, and all runners will get a bib with the timing chip on race day. Fees are $25 for each of the July 4 and virtual races.

Packet pick-up (and pre-registration) will be at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 3 at Batavia’s Original, 500 East Main St., Batavia. For more information, go to Batavia Kiwanis 5K

With all of the construction and a one-way Park Road along Batavia Downs Gaming, there won’t be any fireworks at the site this year, marketing director Ryan Hasenauer said. He recommends checking out the Friday concert as part of the Rockin' the Downs series, above.

Godfrey’s Pond is hosting a fun, members-only parade on July 4, complete with decorated bikes and golf carts. A step out of the county will find Genesee Country Village & Museum with a good old-fashioned Independence Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Mumford. For more information, go here.

As Batavia High School’s Class of 2022 sat quietly Saturday on VanDetta field dressed in blue and white robes, many family members and friends hurriedly tried to find a seat in the packed stadium before the ceremony began.

It was perfect weather with no rain in sight, though the scorching temperature of 85 and climbing made for some hot metal seats. Marya Cole had found a spot to watch her niece Jaylene Dersham receive her diploma, but soon had to duck under cover for some relief.

“It was so hot up there,” Cole said, finding some shade in the stadium lobby. “I’m very proud of her. She lost her dad when she was young. But she went all the way through, and I’m really proud of her.”

Jaylene, 17, who was a notable Blue Devils Girls Basketball player, was one of 169 graduates to cross the makeshift stage and realize a dream along with her fellow seniors. She had decorated her cap in honor of her father, Jayson Dersham, with the word “Dad” across the top. Cole wasn’t certain what her niece will be doing from here but knows that the new graduate wants to go to college, possibly for nursing or something more secretarial.

That wasn't her proud aunt's concern at the moment.

"She did it; she made it," a smiling Cole said.

Robert Lin, Valedictorian

Although they were saying goodbye to the last days and years of high school, the graduates were reminded of what they accomplished. Class Valedictorian Robert Lin spoke about the hardships of isolation, separation, and the mental and physical turmoil his classmates encountered with a pandemic. "It had a “devastating effect on us,” he said.

Despite the challenges, everyone rallied to come back and finish.

“Throughout these four years at high school, we’ve developed skills, connections, and characteristics to move forward in society,” Lin said. “These events will develop us to be harder, better, faster, and stronger. As today ends, we will all tread our own paths. As we move on, life will have many surprises or events in store for us.”

His nuggets of advice included the phrase “you only live once,” which he encouraged for those willing to take the consequences of trying something new. There’s nothing wrong with taking a shorter path or the long way, he said. Just never give up. Never let yourself down.

“We have to enjoy life to its fullest, and the changes it throws at us will keep us eager, and when they start coming, they don’t stop coming,” he said.

The 100+ average student received the E.G. Richmond Award for having the highest average in all courses of study. He also completed and excelled in 13 college or AP level courses, doing his homework assignments in between helping customers at his family’s restaurant after school.  A role model to his fellow students, he was described as always wanting to be better.

Elizabeth McCarthy, Salutatorian

Less than one point under Lin's average was the 99.9 of Salutatorian Elizabeth McCarthy. Not only was McCarthy a high school graduate, but, due to her diligence in taking 11 AP and/or dual enrollment courses while in school, she also just graduated from Genesee Community College with an associate degree.

The past four years have been “a wild ride,” she said, also pointing to the challenges of COVID.

“I am so proud of how our class was able to overcome this huge challenge. We would not have been able to overcome such adversity without the help and support of our family and friends, as well as the exceptional staff at BHS,” she said. “I would like to remind everyone to be kind. I’m sure we can all think of someone who has brightened our lives in some way. Someone who was there for us with a helping hand -- or maybe simply a smile -- when we needed it most. I encourage all of us to be the light in someone’s day, in case that person needs it.”

At one point during the speeches, Samantha Koons had stepped into the lobby, where a nice small breeze was flowing through to the parking lot. She and her boyfriend Ed McDonald were there for his 18-year-old son Cory, she said.

“We’re a little emotional that his baby is growing up,” she said. “We’re very proud of him, very proud.”

About a dozen chaperones and security staff kept an eye on the premises during commencement. Some spectators asked about water as the blazing sun kept its heavy gaze on participants and the audience. Security guard and BHS 1997 grad Nick Burk attends every graduation, he said, and the events “traditionally are very well attended.”  He also coaches three sports and has become invested in the students' success, he said.

“It’s really exciting and awesome to see students whom I’ve known since they were 14 or 15 … some are going into the military, some are starting their careers,” he said. “It’s great to see that development and growth.”

Photos by Steve Ognibene.  To view more photos and to purchase photos, click here.

Top photo: Batavia High School Principal Paul Kesler addresses the Class of 2022 during commencement Saturday at VanDetta Stadium in Batavia. Speakers included Superintendent Jason Smith, who gave an analogy about filling one's jar first with golf balls -- the big priorities in life -- before worrying about the smaller things, represented by pebbles and sand. He later gave each student an inscribed symbolic blue golf ball to remind them "about prioritizing your goals as you move into this next exciting phase of your lives." Molly George and Laura Tenebruso -- longtime teachers at the city school district -- present a poem made up by several of the seniors' quotes. Photos by Stephen Ognibene.

Alexander Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a fully involved vehicle fire at about 2:45 p.m. today.

The fire possibly started in the exhaust system. The Alexander chief said the driver told him there was smoke coming up from the bottom of the vehicle, so he pulled over just west of Gillate Road. When the driver got out of the Jeep, it burst into flames.

There were no injuries. 

Photo by Howard Owens.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

That’s a popular quote with a ring of cliche, but a truth nonetheless that was center to Batavia Police Department’s active shooter training Thursday evening.

And for nearly three hours, Officer Arick Fleming and Detective Steve Cronmiller not only reviewed the history of events — devastating as they were — but discussed how lessons can be gleaned from each scenario. Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events, or CRASE, training was conducted by the police department as a way to better equip ordinary citizens with the knowledge to survive a possible future attack.

While some scenarios illustrated the surprise element of an attack and how it can paralyze people with fear, many others contained gems of insight into how survival really comes down to each individual.

Three key words to keep in mind are denial, deliberation and decisive, as each one will become an action taken by people caught in a surprise assault or tragic event, Fleming said. He asked the group of about 25 attendees how long they might have before emergency responders arrive on scene. Answer: Three minutes. While that isn’t a whole lot of time, it’s three minutes that can mean life or death for the person that hesitates to act in the face of a horrific situation, he said.

Denial: Not acknowledging that something might be happening and ignoring possible warning signs. He gave the scenario of hearing a bang and dismissing it as a car backfiring. Or, as shown in some actual video footage, not reacting when seeing flames on the other side of a building or when an angry, armed man disrupts a government meeting. Most people remained where they were as if gripped with fright or ignorance that something tragic was about to happen.

Deliberation: Assessing a situation for what is actually happening and what are some possible actions to take.

Decisive: Choosing to act in some way, whether it is to flee the situation, find a hiding place or actively combat the danger (a gunman or fire, for example).

“The ones who can make better, quicker decisions are the ones to survive,” Fleming said.

All too often, people look for the lead when in a crowd, he said, instead of acting upon their own instincts. Another video, in which actors lay on the ground acting ill, demonstrated how group-minded individuals can be, as one by one, passersby ignored the person on the ground. In one experiment, 34 people walked by in the first 20 minutes without any acknowledgment of the situation.

The brain’s response to stress …
There is a response to stress, Fleming said, that involves the “lizard brain,” in which a person will either fight, flee or freeze. Their brains may lock up and focus only on one solution — one way out of a burning building, for example.

Yet another video of an actual fire at a nightclub showed a crowd of people seemingly oblivious to a fire that had erupted and was visible. They remained in that group-minded mentality that, since no one else was moving, convinced them it must be the right thing to do. And when it became a mad rush out of the building, people flocked to one main hallway. They became wedged against each other unable to get out. More than 30 people died in that hallway, while several others perished at other points within the building due to not acting immediately, Cronmiller said.

Another interesting but tragic lesson was that nobody even thought to use an alternative exit within the club, he said. Caught up in panic and a gradual thawing of shock, folks just made a mad dash by following everyone else.

“If just one person had thought of breaking the plate glass windows, they could’ve gotten out,” he said, adding that if a building has a kitchen, there is always an exit door there.

A taped interview with a surviving teacher from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut proved that there are options to take in order to survive. She hid 15 children in a small bathroom and hushed them throughout the time period a gunman ransacked the school and took 26 lives. Even when police finally came to the door, she wouldn’t let them in. Fleming agreed with that choice.

“I wouldn’t open the door for police if I didn’t believe it; if I wasn’t 100 percent sure, I wouldn’t open the door,” he said.

Law enforcement would be able to obtain keys or otherwise find a way into that bathroom, he said. For those who do choose to hide in a room, use whatever is available to barricade the door, he said, from a doorstop to desks and chairs.

A physical response ...
When it comes to fighting off an attacker, the same advice applies: use whatever is handy. Attendees suggested a water bottle, fire extinguishers, chairs and the U.S. flag in council chambers. Being the victim of an attack should make you mad, he said.

“Use that anger. The more things we can throw at his face, that’s going to mess him up,” Fleming said. “You’re buying us time. What you do matters; we need to make it through those first three minutes.”

Philosopher George Santayana seemed to have it right: don’t forget history and don’t repeat the unfortunate mistakes of others. Fleming and Cronmiller wanted everyone to learn from the past and survive a catastrophic event.

The recent attack by a gunman in Erie County prompted Lynda Kelso to attend and obtain those lessons, she said.

“The attack in Buffalo really hit close to home. I saw an opportunity to educate myself a little more. I have one kid in every school, and I’m a stay-at-home mom. I can be available to help,” she said. “If I can learn even one thing to help … I’ll be better equipped should something happen here in Batavia. I would be the one to react; if I can help, I can help.”

Top photo: Batavia Police Officer Arick Fleming talks about active shooters during a civilian training Thursday at City Hall. Above, Officer Fleming and Detective Steve Cronmiller conduct the training as part of the department's Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events education. Photos by Howard Owens.

For anyone in the vicinity of Centennial Park Thursday, you may have spotted a bunch of lemonade stands, correlating yellow decor and people enjoying the warm weather with a cool cup of lemonade. 

What you may not have noticed so readily was the fundraising taking place with each cup of beverage sold. The event, hosted by Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center, was to raise money for baby swaddles. A goal was set to purchase 500 of the infant wraps to give to local moms. 

So why baby swaddles? What are they and why are they important enough to warrant a specific fundraiser? Over at the Healthy Living stand, registered nurse and maternal health educator Jay Balduf put it succinctly with a  two-digit number: 93.

“Ninety-three babies die annually in New York State alone, either by being rolled on by another person or loose bedding,” she said. “So that's why we promote the Safe Sleep initiative on the unit. Sacks play a role in teaching new parents, and any parent, really, about the importance of safe sleep. And it just helps us also to give back a little to the community, because most of these kids were probably delivered at UMMC.”

Baby swaddles and sacks are promoted for infants as a safe way to be in a crib and for sleep time. Other embellishments — pillows, blankets, clothing — can become a hazard if the baby gets entangled or covered with such material, said Linda Stoiber, an RN and lactation consultant.

“The hospital is a Baby-Friendly Hospital and a safe sleep designated hospital where babies are placed on their back. They are swaddled with these new swaddlers,” Stoiber said. “There should never be another blanket or a pillow, or anything around the crib, nothing else that would affect the baby then cover their face and cause them to suffocate.”

Megan Boring learned early on — with two Neonatal Intensive Care Unit babies of her own — the importance of making them feel safe, helping them to grow and be warm. A coordinator of Healthy Living’s MOMS (Medicaid Obstetrics Maternal Services)  program, she supports the belief that babies don’t belong on their bellies, she said, but more safely on their backs. Swaddling them keeps their arms tucked nicely inside, and it mimics a cocoon “as if they're sleeping still inside … the mom's womb,” she said.

“So the Safe Sleep initiative is really to help keep them on their back while they're sleeping,” she said. “I think there are moms that don't understand the importance of the swaddles. They can be expensive to some moms too. They are upwards of $25 to $30 and not all moms have. So I think that this fundraiser is important because it's going to help moms get at least one to have so that they can also be educated on safe sleep for their babies. (See related story, Lemonade stands bring out supporters, creativity and lots of yellow.)

For more information about Healthy Living programs, call (585) 344-5331 or go here.

Top photo: Healthy Living's Baby Cafe staff Linda Stoiber, left, and MOMS program coordinator Megan Boring, hand out lemonade with information for anyone interested in baby swaddling, breastfeeding and other maternal-related issues Thursday during the Lemonade Stand fundraiser at Centennial Park. Above, Jay Balduf, Megan Boring and Linda Stoiber greet a visitor at the Healthy Living stand. Photos by Howard Owens.

Jason and Ashley Mlyniec and their two sons were some of the many people — adults and kids alike — sporting sunny yellow attire Thursday at Centennial Park.

The Batavia family had set up a table with a pitcher of lemonade and glass jars of lemon suckers and lemon puffballs. They definitely fit the theme of the inaugural lemonade stand fundraiser hosted by Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center.

“We’re on the hospital foundation board,” Mrs. Mlyniec said. “This is for a good cause. We’ll do it again next year.”

Under the umbrella of RRH, each lemonade stand was created by individual families and groups that wanted to help raise money for the Swaddle Program. While one participant blew bubbles at her table, another stood behind a Charlie Brown-themed “the doctor is in” sign, and all of them had a special twist to their decor, including plenty of lemons.

The first-time event chairman was 10-year-old Patrick Casey, chosen for his prior involvement with fundraisers.

“I had some spare money, and I gave it to a fundraiser for the hospital, because it’s for a good cause,” he said. “If you’ve got some spare money lying around, give it to a good cause.”

Last year his mom, Lauren was talking with others about how to get young kids involved in the lemonade stand idea, and she in turn told Patrick about it.

“He thought it would be pretty fun to do for the summer,” she said.

The Caseys — including the chairman's father Peter and sisters, Madelyn and Emily, who wanted to help out — weren’t certain how many glasses of lemonade they handed out. Though Patrick did have to make a run or two for some more cups. Overall, the experience has been “cool,” he said.

“Knowing that you made all this happen, and all these people coming here to raise money,” he said.

As for the money raised, it will go for the purchase of baby swaddles, Senior Development Officer Lori Aratari said.

“Working with the maternity department, we realized that we didn't have the funds to be able to purchase the baby swaddles. So I kind of put my thinking cap on and said what can we do that would interest the community and engage families to want to support purchasing the baby swaddles for every baby that's born?” she said. “We obviously want to make sure our babies are safe when we let them leave the hospital. We're hoping that this will become an annual event. And as you can see, folks are outdoing themselves with the variety of displays that they have to sell their lemonade, so it really was open to them to be creative.”

The goal was to raise $4,000 to buy 500 baby swaddles, and $3,600 had already been raised before the 5 p.m. start time through the hospital’s Just Giving online platform, Aratari said.(For more about the Baby Swaddle initiative, see related story, Tuck 'em in, keep 'em safe.) 

Photos by Howard Owens

Top photo: Patrick Casey, 10, this year's chairman of the first-time Lemonade Stands fundraiser for Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center Foundation.

Second photo: The Casey family -- Patrick, Madelyn, Peter, Emily and Lauren -- enjoys working its stand Thursday at Centennial Park, Batavia. 

Emerson Warner with lactation nurse Jay Balduf

Marigrace Cummings pours a cool cup of lemonade for Rick and Jane Scott

Maiy, Knox and Fae work at their lemonade stand

Mercedes Houseknecht plays in bubbles.

Rendering by JMZ Architects and Planners for the new Student Success Center, shows the Conable Technology Building, to the far right, which is slated for a new roof.

It looks like Genesee Community College will be getting a new turf field, cooling tower, arts center connector and a roof for Conable Technology Building, with half of it to be paid for by Genesee County.

The county Legislature approved the request for 50 percent funding — $1.3 million — of the college’s capital projects during its Wednesday meeting.

The projects are to cost $950,000 for the turf field; $1.06 million for a new roof; $410,000 for cooling tower; and $180,000 for the  Arts Center connector replacement for a total of $2.6 million. The Legislature had committed to paying for half in November 2021, and the bill has been delivered. The county’s Ways & Means Committee had previously reviewed and recommended that the county pony up for the expense.

During talks last fall, college President James Sunser had called the projects “long-standing critical needs,” and urged the Legislature to enter into a 50-50 agreement to pay for them. The projects are part of GCC’s Facilities Master Plan, which was approved by the college’s Board of Trustees before being submitted to Genesee County and New York State’s Dormitory Authority. If the county committed to paying for half, the state would do likewise, Sunser had said.

The turf field will be a replacement for the nearly 13-year-old soccer and lacrosse field adjacent to Richard C. Call Arena; a new cooling tower would replace one that is “well past its useful life,”while an updated connective corridor will be situated between original buildings, from the cafeteria to the fine arts building and theater. A new roof for the Conable Technology Building would shore up one that was part of the original 2000 structure, which has developed leaks, Sunser had said. A new parking lot for Conable, at a cost of $800,000, would have made the county's total $1.7 million, and is not on the list approved by the Legislature.

At that meeting in November, Legislator Gary Maha had expressed concern about doling out $70 million for a new county jail, and that this additional spending was “kind of hard to swallow in one year.” Nonetheless, the full Legislature agreed to the move on Wednesday.

The county plans to transfer $1.3 million into the general budget, with 1 percent of sales tax offsetting the increased spending.

“Genesee County will be responsible for $1.3 million for said projects,” the resolution states.