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Kathy Hodgins, of Medina, has accepted the new position of Chief Clinical Officer for the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

The appointment of Hodgins to the high-level supervisory post was announced by John Bennett, the agency’s executive director.

“We are excited about Kathy taking on this vitally important role at GCASA,” Bennett said. “She will work closely with all of the clinic directors, medical director and medical staff to ensure the care for patients is seamless across our systems.”

Under the direct supervision of the executive director, Hodgins, a 19-year employee at GCASA, will oversee the development and monitoring of the existing and future quality systems of the Clinical Services operation.

Hodgins has extensive experience in the substance abuse treatment field, beginning her career as a chemical dependency counselor at GCASA in 2002.

In 2006, she became the agency’s assistant director of forensics and satellite services, facilitating services to Orleans County Drug Court and Albion Correction Facility’s work release program, and three years later, moved up to the assistant director of treatment, managing daily outpatient treatment operations and supervision of clinical staff.

In 2012, Hodgins was promoted to director of treatment services in Orleans County, managing and supervising programs and staff at the outpatient center, and in 2018, she took on the dual role as senior service director in Genesee and Orleans counties. Her responsibilities expanded to include not only the outpatient services in both counties, but also management of the Opioid Treatment Program at GCASA’s Batavia campus.

A licensed social worker and credentialed alcohol and substance abuse counselor, Hodgins also is an adjunct instructor at Genesee Community College, where she implements lesson plans on the use, misuse and abuse of drugs and alcohol, and supports the Royal Employer Assistance Program as a counselor.

She received her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Buffalo after earning a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Brockport State College and an associate degree in Human Services from Genesee Community College.

Her civic involvement includes Leadership Orleans, Orleans Recovery Hope Begins Here and WNY Chemical Dependency Consortium.

Disclosure: Story written by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Durin B. Rogers, formerly the part-time judge for the City of Batavia, will assume the role and responsibilities as Batavia’s next full-time City Court Judge.

Rogers was elected to the full-time position on Nov. 5 and will take over on Jan. 1 for Judge Robert Balbick who will retire at the end of the year. 

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at noon on Friday, Dec. 20 in the Batavia City Courtroom located in the Genesee County Courts Facility, 1 W. Main St., Batavia.

All are welcome to attend.

An Albion resident's first 800 series and a Batavian's eighth 300 game share the headlines this week in league bowling action across the Genesee Region.

On Monday, 31-year-old right-hander Brandon Gurnsey posted games of 276-279-257 for an 812 series in the Sneezy's Monday Night League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

It is the first USBC-certified 800 series for Gurnsey, who eclipsed his previous high series of 789. A league bowler for the past nine years, the big effort on lanes 7-8 improved his average to 220.

Gurnsey, a bus mechanic for the Spencerport School District, registered 29 strikes for his Brooklyn Bombers team -- 10 in game one (with the front seven strikes), 11 in game two (with the front nine strikes before leaving a 4-pin) and eight in game three.

He said he wasn't sure if he still had a chance for the 800 late in the third game.

"I asked a teammate if I could still get it (800) since I'm not the greatest at keeping score while I'm bowling," Gurnsey said. "He said I needed a double in the 10th, which put a little more pressure on me."

Gurnsey struck on the first ball in the 10th and then finished with an eight count and spare.

"I was kind of upsest because I thought I missed it," he said.

His frustration quickly turned to joy when he learned that he, indeed, did hit 812, having received some incorrect information from his buddy.

While Gurnsey recorded an 800 series without the benefit of a 300 game (his high game is 290), Batavian Rob Stefani posted his eighth USBC-certified perfect game but just missed out on his first 800.

Bowling on lanes 5-6 in the G&W Vending League on Tuesday night at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, the 35-year-old righty opened with 12 straight strikes for the 300.

"I caught a break in the eighth frame with a Brooklyn strike, and then after the 11th strike, I saw (fellow bowler) Chris Bardol videotaping me, so that made it a little more nerve-wracking," Stefani said. "I never had one on video before."

He came through despite the distraction and went on to roll 227 and 259 for a 786 series -- six pins less than his all-time high of 792. He entered the night with a 219 average.

"Once I shot the 300, I started thinking about an 800," said Stefani, an employee of the Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. "But the second game hurt me."

Although he fell short of the 800, Stefani said he had a great week -- both indoors and outdoors.

"I bagged a 10-point buck on Wednesday while hunting in Alexander and thought, 'Now all I need to do is shoot a 300,' " he said.

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

The success of individuals and organizations working to prevent drug and alcohol use in the teen and young adult population hinges upon having access to science-based statistics that reveal current trends. All too often, however, misinformation and misconceptions cloud the landscape and hamper attempts to achieve effective change.

In an effort to give community coalitions the best chance to reach their goals of reducing drug, alcohol and tobacco use among middle school, high school and college students, the NYS Office of Addiction Supports and Services have placed six “prevention resource centers” around the state.

One of those centers is the Western New York Prevention Resource Center and its office is located at the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse’s main campus at 430 E. Main St. in Batavia.

The WNY PRC, under the direction of Sharon Koenig since 2013, assists community coalitions in the eight counties of Western New York (Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Niagara and Erie), providing technical trainings and workshops, pertinent literature and the expertise of a Community Development Specialist.

Her staff includes Dawn Sagerman, senior community development specialist, and Sharon O’Neil, community development specialist assistant.

“We work with stakeholders in the development of new coalitions and support established community coalitions, with a focus on the Strategic Prevention Framework – a public health, outcome-based prevention approach,” Koenig said. “The SPF is a five-step, dynamic, data-driven approach that helps coalitions move toward the goal of reducing substance abuse, risky behaviors and consequences in their communities.”

Seven Points to Success

Koenig outlined the SPF’s seven areas that are fundamental to setting a coalition’s strategy:

• Assessment: Collection of data to decide on the most pressing issue that can be successfully addressed with available resources, with three key components – identifying and understanding the population’s needs, determining necessary resources and assessing whether the community is ready to tackle the issue.
• Capacity: Building the coalition (people, available finances, organizational chart) to carry out the plan to reduce substance use, including training and technical assistance provided by the PRC.
• Planning: Developing a strategy (logic model) aimed at meeting community needs and creating community-level change.
• Implementation: Putting the plan, strategies, programs, policies and practices into action.
• Evaluation: Efforts are evaluated in terms of process, impact and outcome, with the results used to make ongoing adjustments and improvements.

The SPF has a pair of key concepts at its center and both must be incorporated into every step:

1. Cultural Competence: Behaviors, attitudes and policies that enable coalitions to make a difference in culturally diverse environments;
2. Coalition Sustainability: The capacity to keep the coalition going long enough to achieve its long-term goals.

Fueled By Scientific Data

Koenig said that while prevention providers (such as GCASA) primarily focus on change at the individual level, the WNYPRC in conjunction with community coalitions concentrates on environmental or broad-based strategies that can impact a large number of people.

“The PRC strives for policy change and reduction in the percentages of those using drugs, alcohol and tobacco based on scientific data,” she said. “Without the data, it’s just another person’s opinion.”

Another part of the PRC’s mission – one that is in the forefront of late – is managing and dispelling those opinions and misperceptions that can trigger strategies that fail to hit their intended targets.

Earlier this month, the WNYPRC sponsored a full-day training in Hamburg that centered upon using a social norms approach to successfully reducing youth risk behaviors.

About 50 people representing community coalitions, substance abuse prevention agencies, law enforcement, schools and the National Guard (a partner with the PRCs around the state) attended the presentation by H. Wesley Perkins, Ph.D., professor of Sociology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.

Perkins is a leader in the “social norms approach” field, having conducted surveys of tens of thousands of college, high school and middle school students over the past two decades to evaluate how perceptions of drug and alcohol use compare to the reality of the same.

“Students misperceive their peers pretty badly,” said Perkins, backing up his claim with survey data that shows that students perceive that their peers are engaging in risky behavior much more than what the actual numbers show.

Not Everyone is Doing It

The numbers from a 1996 study of 5,000 students at a New York college show that the perception was that 89 percent of students drank alcohol twice a month and that 25 percent drank daily. The actual numbers revealed that 60 percent drank alcohol twice a month and that only 5 percent drank daily.

Similar outcomes were obtained when it came to marijuana use, hallucinogens and cocaine, said Perkins, who went on to provide several more examples of surveys that produced the same degree of misperception.

“The same phenomena occur time and time again,” he said. “For example, a survey showed that 25 to 30 percent engage in bullying. The perception is that it is 70 percent or more.”

Perkins said that a “naïve” response to the data would be that the problem isn’t that significant, but that misses the point. Rather, the best response, he said, is to devise strategies, such as traditional and social media campaigns, that reflect the reality of the situation.

“The causes of these misperceptions are psychological … we’re more accurate about our own situation than others’; social psychological … much of our conversation is focused on the extreme; and cultural … as entertainment, advertising, news and health advocacy media focus on the bad behavior of a small percentage,” he said.

Truth or Consequences

Perkins said the consequences of these misperceptions include a “reign of error” that controls our behavior, use and abuse increases if young people think it is expected of them, those in opposition to risky behavior are discourage from speaking out and intervention by others declines.

“The carriers of misperception contribute to the problem,” he said. “It is contagious.”

The most effective social norms model leads to a healthy dose of reality, Perkins said, and it incorporates identifying the actual vs. the misperceived, intervention, less exaggerated misperceptions and a focus on the “healthy majority.”

“Print media campaigns need to accentuate the actual norms – most aren’t engaging in the risky behavior – and then there needs to be peer education program and workshops for the targeted risk groups,” he said. “Beyond that, new student orientation presentations, counseling interventions, curriculum infusion and electronic multimedia are effective.”

Perkins and his colleagues have put his theory to the test, with encouraging positive results, he said.

In the first 18 months of one campaign, advancing positive messages such as “70 percent of us (students) don’t drink,” Perkins said surveys showed that: frequent heavy drinking dropped by 21 percent; property damage decreased by 36 percent; those missing class went down by 31 percent; unprotected sex decreased by 40 percent; and inefficient work fell by 25 percent.

Applying This to WNY

The professor said that these social norm techniques can be applied at various levels of education and to groups outside of the school settings, explaining that subsequent campaigns and surveys showed similar outcomes at several colleges and “across varied demographic profiles.”

“Social norms are most effective when there are clear, positive norm messages, credible data, the absence of competing scare messages, a high dosage of message, multiple strategies and a broad student population,” Perkins said.

Koenig said this is important to the mission of the WNYPRC, which can use the information from Perkins’ presentation to help move the needle in areas of concern for local coalitions.

“The fact that Dr. Perkins stressed getting good data, specific to the intended target audience, meshes well with the objectives of the PRC,” she said. “Obtaining a representative sample size and conducting surveys on a regular basis, and specifying frequency of use, quantity consumed, the context of consumption, the negative consequences and the protective behaviors are factors that we can address.”

To learn more about social norms, go to alcoholeducationproject.org or youthhealthsafety.org.

More information about the WNY PRC can be obtained here, or by sending an email to Koenig at skoenig@gcasa.org.

Photo at top: WNY Prevention Resource Center staff, from left, Sharon O'Neil, Sharon Koenig and Dawn Sagerman, with Prof. H. Wesley Perkins.

Disclosure: Story written by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski has reached out to David Zanghi and his sister and advocate, Mary Ellen Wilber, in an attempt to get them in touch with emergency relief agencies after Zanghi’s life was disrupted earlier in the week.

Jankowski said today that he has met with Zanghi and talked on the phone to Wilber, and pledged the City’s support in finding the assistance Zanghi needs as a result of the 20-hour standoff at his Liberty Street residence on Monday and Tuesday.

“I’ve spoken to the City (management) and to Mr. Zanghi and they definitely want to put him in touch with agencies that can provide assistance,” Jankowski said. “It’s the same as with a major fire … we need to provide that connection.”

On Thursday, Zanghi informed The Batavian that his downstairs apartment at 209 Liberty St. and his personal belongings were extensively damaged from tear gas canisters fired by police. Subsequently, he has been displaced from his apartment and currently is staying with a relative.

A dialysis patient, Zanghi also said his medications were compromised during the ordeal, which saw Daniel Wolfe hold police at bay throughout the night as he barricaded himself inside his upstairs apartment with a pellet (BB) gun and a sword.

The situation ended around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when Wolfe surrendered to City Police.

Jankowski noted that Zanghi is “obviously in poor health and needs some help.”

“Let’s help him get the help he needs and help Mary Ellen navigate the system,” he said. “She is coming into town this weekend and we’ve set up an appointment for her to meet with the City Manager (Martin Moore) and Assistant City Manager (Rachael Tabelski)."

Jankowski said that Wilber was “very receptive” to his call.

“She is a longtime civil servant and is acquainted with the system,” he said. “We will give her all the help we can as we would do anybody else in this situation.”

The council president said that agencies such as Genesee Justice, Veterans Services and Social Services are out there to assist victims of incidents such as this, and noted that law enforcement could provide the names of other organizations that could help out.

He also said that City Police did provide Zanghi with some phone numbers of agencies that could provide assistance, but said communication broke down after that.

“It was confusing to us since he never contacted us directly,” he said. “We were taken back a bit by the published report (in The Batavian).

Earlier today, Council Member Rose Mary Christian, who represents the Sixth Ward (which includes Liberty Street), weighed in on the matter – saying that she sympathized with Zanghi’s plight while also opining that contemporary society has made it difficult for the police.

“It’s very unfortunate what happened to him – he is a good person for that area -- but it could happen to anybody,” she said. “Any place, any time. That’s why it’s extremely important to have renter’s insurance.”

Christian went on to say that today’s “politically correct” climate has tied law enforcement’s hands.

“Our society has done this. In years past, maybe even 10 years ago, if there was a problem like that, (police) would knock down that door, grab him and have him arrested,” she said. “Today, the liberals would just question what happened here and (say), ‘Oh, the poor guy.’ ”

“That’s nonsense. The legal system doesn’t have a shot in hell.”

As far as 45-year-old Wolfe is concerned, he currently is in Genesee County Jail without bail, facing five charges, including three felonies. His case has been adjourned until Dec. 12.

A longtime Batavia resident is calling upon the City of Batavia to take responsibility for “destroying my home and hindering me mentally and physically” in the aftermath of Monday’s 20-hour standoff at his Liberty Street residence.

“I am a victim of this,” said David Zanghi, 66, who lives in the downstairs apartment at 209 Liberty St. “The only ones who caused damage to my house were the police. They were very non-caring.”

Zanghi was forced to evacuate his downstairs apartment when City Police responded to a domestic disturbance call around 1:18 p.m. Monday.

According to dispatch reports, the caller said an intoxicated male hit a female and was in possession of a sword.

When police arrived, they saw that the male, later identified as Daniel Wolfe, 45, had barricaded himself inside his apartment upstairs and began shooting at officers with a pellet (BB) rifle.

The standoff continued until around 9:30 in the morning on Tuesday, finally coming to an end when Wolfe exited the residence and surrendered to City Police Det. Sgt. Kevin Czora.

During the standoff, City Police were assisted by several other agencies, including the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Orleans County SWAT; State Police troopers; negotiators; drone unit; K-9 unit; and SORT teams; the NYS DEC K-9 Unit; Monroe County Crisis Negotiating Team; Genesee County Emergency Management; Genesee County Dispatch Center; City Fire Department; and Mercy EMS.

Wolfe sustained self-inflicted injuries and was transported for treatment to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. Currently, he is in Genesee County Jail.

While the suspect faces multiple charges, Zanghi, who is on dialysis waiting a kidney transplant and suffers from emotional and physical ailments, now is staying with a relative in the City due to the damage done to his residence.

“They destroyed my house … busted all the windows, my clothes are shot because of the tear gas. I may be able to get the couch fixed. It’s ridiculous what they did to me,” he said.

Zanghi reported that his landlord, Duane Preston, has promised him another apartment in mid-December.

“Duane has been good to me,” he said. “He even gave me my rent check back for the month.”

Zanghi also said that he is upset that no one from the City has contacted him about the possibility of receiving some victim assistance support, and plans to confront City Council and management at the next City Council meeting on Monday (Nov. 25).

City officials, however, did respond to a request from The Batavian for a comment in light of Zanghi’s grievances.

“While the City sympathizes with Mr. Zanghi as an innocent bystander to the events that unfolded Tuesday, November 18th, there is no specific assistance that the City can offer,” Assistant City Manager Rachael J. Tabelski said.

“In any type of emergency response situation there will be unintended consequences, however the city is not liable for the damage. There are many organizations and individuals that volunteer to help residents in need, and I am hopeful Mr. Zanghi will find relief through these individuals and organizations.”

Zanghi said that his sister, Mary Ellen Wilber, who splits her time between New Jersey and Batavia, will represent him at the meeting.

Contacted by phone this afternoon, Wilber said she is “disgusted” over the City’s lack of action despite being contacted numerous times about Wolfe’s violent behavior.

“I will be there to advocate for my brother, who has called police at least seven times over the past year, year and a half, about this guy,” she said. “He’s an alcoholic who has harmed the woman (girlfriend). All those times David called and it’s all for naught.”

Wilber said law enforcement’s actions have “traumatized” her brother, who is on a fixed income and under the care of the VA Medical Center. 

“He had to go to the hospital to get his medicine because all of his pills, along with his clothes and bedding, were contaminated.

“They shot tear gas canisters into David’s downstairs apartment, knowing the guy was upstairs,” she said. “They destroyed his apartment.”

Wilber said she also questions the way the situation was handled and the cost to the City.

“I was told that the police said they were using this as a tactical exercise,” she said. “It should have never gone on this long. They could have used a Taser instead of attacking him with a dog. The cost to the City is going to be very high. They could have done things in a much better way.”

Photos by Howard Owens.

David Zanghi points to a window broken by police actions.

David Zanghi said a CS gas canister apparently exploded in his bedroom. He's pointing to all the medicine on his dresser that the VA had to replace for him. He said he has expensive suits, including a $1,500 tux, that now reek of tear gas and he's not sure they can be properly cleaned.

The search for someone to fill the open position of part-time Batavia City Court Judge is under way.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski said that City Manager Martin Moore is soliciting applications for the opening. After that, Council will conduct interviews and fill the position.

The vacancy occurred when Durin Rogers, the current part-time justice, won the election for the full-time post earlier this month in a race against Ben Bonarigo.

Rogers said that he expects to be sworn in in mid-December.

PHOTO (9:32 a.m.): Det. Kevin Czora worked into the evening to establish a relationship with the man who had barricaded himself in an apartment on Liberty Street and came back this morning and resumed the conversation. He spent at least 90 minutes talking to the man before the subject slowly came out and Czora then coaxed him around the corner of the house and then walked him down the street, with the assistance of only one other officer, and into a waiting ambulance. The man was clearly fearful of both the other people around and the environment (he looked up at the sky and all around him at least once).

UPDATE 9:21 a.m. (By Billie): City fire units on Liberty Street are clearing the scene; back in service.

BREAKING -- 8:50 a.m., Nov. 19

Howard Owens has just reported that the suspect is out of the house and is being placed into an ambulance by law enforcement and EMT personnel.

Also, Jackson Primary School is in session; school official reports "business as usual."

Prior to the end of the standoff, the school district sent a telephone message to parents informing them of the situation, noting that bus service would be at St. Anthony's for those living on Liberty Street.

Watch for more updates and photos. The Batavian will have exclusive video of the subject being coaxed by Det. Kevin Czora from the house and walked to an ambulance.

----------------

Previously:

Nov. 18, 4:18 p.m.

Batavia City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch reported that the man barricaded inside of a house at 209 Liberty St. has fired several shots at police with a pellet gun and is refusing to come out peacefully.

"Our patrols responded to an address (about two hours ago) on Liberty Street for a domestic disturbance situation," Heubusch said. "Upon arrival, there's this male subject in the upstairs apartment that has barricaded himself in and is refusing to come out. He has a pellet rifle or pellet gun that he is shooting at us, if you will.

"Right now we're working through the process of trying to get him to come out and talk to us."

Heubusch said that the victim of the alleged dispute (the man's girlfriend) is no longer inside the house and the downstairs neighbor also has been evacuated.

He added that police are "working with the (Batavia City) school district, busing the children from Jackson (School) and making sure the kids stay safe and there's no traffic in the area."

"We're keeping the kids away from the area and keeping the neighbors indoors at this point until we can get the subject in custody."

According to David Zanghi, the downstairs tenant, the incident started when the upstairs tenant (name being withheld at this time) punched his girlfriend in the right eye and took some of her prescription drugs. Zanghi said the suspect also is in an intoxicated state.

"He's got a sword and a BB gun, and he's already shot out a couple windows," Zanghi said. "They (police) won't go in there until they get a warrant; that's what the police told me."

Previously (3:12 p.m.) (by Billie):

A man who was reported to dispatch for allegedly carrying a sword while walking down Liberty Street in the City of Batavia is barricaded in one of three houses cordoned off by police.

The incident began about an hour ago and police immediately established a perimeter around the Liberty Street trio of homes.

Jackson Primary School at 411 S. Jackson St. was put on lockout -- meaning no one is allowed to enter or exit until the scene is secure.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: The students have been dismissed and have boarded buses.

UPDATE 9:30 p.m. (by Howard): The standoff continues. Chief Shawn Heubusch said a little while ago that law enforcement is prepared at this point to wait as long as they must for the man in the house to exit on his own safely. The Orleans County SWAT team responded to the incident about 7:30 p.m. and at about 8 p.m., once in position around the house, fired a volley of CS gas canisters into the house. The suspect did not exit the house and there was no communication between law enforcement and the subject for at least 45 minutes, at which point negotiations began again. Heubusch said he's reluctant to send in officers to try and apprehend the suspect because that could lead to serious consequences for either the suspect or an officer and the goal is to ensure there are no serious injuries or fatalities. Trying to make entry could force a confrontation that would require an officer to take decisive action. (We'll post a video and photos later.)

UPDATE 10:53 p.m. (by Howard): Heubusch just confirmed that about three hours ago the suspect tried to stab "Frankie," the K-9 of Deputy Chris Erion. The attempt was unsuccessful. Frankie was not injured.

UPDATE 6:09 a.m. Nov. 19 (by Howard): The individual is still barricaded in the apartment. Law enforcement is still waiting him out. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has provided additional manpower to provide relief for officers who had been on scene for hours. The contingent from MCSO includes a negotiator who has been trying to talk with the subject. From about 2:20 a.m. to 3 a.m., he did not respond to repeated requests to speak and shortly after 3 a.m. he responded to the officer. The Batavian is continuing to withhold publication of photos and video until the situation is resolved.

Orleans County bowlers found a great deal of league success last week as three men posted perfect games at Medina Lanes and Oak Orchard Bowl.

All three 300 games were rolled on Thursday with Jacob Rosenbeck and Scott Allis finding perfection in the Firefighters League at Medina Lanes, and Robbie Hanks stringing 12 consecutive strikes in the Thursday Triples League at Oak Orchard Bowl.

Rosenbeck notched his first USBC-certified 300 on lanes 11-12 while Allis added to his long list of perfect games on lanes 9-10, both in the second game.

Hanks registered his fifth 300 game en route to a 752 series at his place of employment, Oak Orchard Bowl.

In the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes, Alex Allis had a 290 game in a 752 series, and in the Wednesday Men's Handicap League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Rodney Jopson posted a 279 game in a 757 series.

For more high league scores last week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Mike Pettinella's Pin Points column is scheduled for this Thursday, exclusively on The Batavian.

The “Wahoo Wave” waterslide made a big splash with Genesee County planners on Thursday night as they recommended approval of the site plan for the state-of-the-art 60-foot attraction that will be coming to Darien Lake in the spring.

The planning board, at its monthly meeting at County Building No. 2 on West Main Street Road, said the ride should pose no significant impact to the amusement park’s landscape.

“It’s the latest and greatest,” said Ed McCarthy, director of maintenance and construction at Darien Lake. “Now, we’ll have one (a waterslide) on each side of the park, and this will definitely decrease the wait times (for guests).”

In September, Darien Lake officials announced the addition of the waterslide, which propels water at a rate of 3,400 gallons per minute, to their newly named Hurricane Harbor water park.

Touted as the only four-person curved wall ride in the world, the waterslide is actually branded as the TornadoWAVE 60 Water Ride and is made by ProSlide Technology Inc.

According to a press release, Wahoo Wave takes riders, settled into a four-person tube, through a hairpin turn, then a corkscrew turn and finally a three-story drop that takes them on the top of a massive water wall before landing in a pool.

Construction is expected to be completed by May of next year.

In other action, the board recommended:

-- Approval of a downtown design (site plan) review requested by Vance Group LLC to make exterior changes to a mixed-use building at 242 Ellicott St., at the corner of Liberty Street.

Members of the Valle and Lawrence families, owners of the structure, plan changes that include two fixed awnings, six new window sections to replace the storefront, stucco finish throughout and new upper floor windows. The building is located in the Batavia Improvement District.

-- Approval of a special use permit to convert the first story of an historic South Lake Avenue mixed-use building in the Village of Bergen from offices to a gym.

Mike and Kelly Marsocci (Mike’s Gym LLC) will be leasing the space from the Masonic Temple Association of Bergen to operate a commercial fitness center in the Central Commercial (C-2) District.

The couple’s report to the planning board showed that the gym will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for those at least 15 years old.

Members will be able to enter the premises with a key fob or similar entry mechanism, with exercise equipment ranging from cardiovascular and pre-loaded machines to free weights.

-- Approval of a site plan review and area variance to construct a 2,160-square-foot addition to the Churchville Fire Equipment Corp. building at 10246 Perry Road, Pavilion.

Documentation from the applicant indicates that the company is investing $500,000 on the 36- by 60-foot addition to house a paint booth.

-- Approval with modifications of a special use permit for Samantha Volkmar to operate the Great Expectations Dog Grooming business in her home on Big Tree Road in Pavilion.

The board OK'd the plan as long as the business sign does not exceed 4 square feet and is not located closer than 10 feet to any lot line.

According to her business plan, Volkmar, in the dog grooming business since June 2018, plans to convert an existing mudroom to provide services such as full grooms, bath and blow dry, touch-ups and nail trims.

Hours of operation are by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

-- Approval of the Bethany Town Board’s request to amend its zoning text to establish a six-month moratorium prohibiting solar farms.

The board, in its endorsement, noted that the moratorium gives the municipality “enough time to study and draft changes to its zoning law to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community.”

This action paves the way for the town to enact a local law barring large scale solar installations.

Rejected in his bid for a landlord’s assistance, a Ross Street man tonight appealed to City Council to help him resolve an ongoing situation with his next-door neighbors.

“I’ve never been the squeaky wheel, but I’m hoping for a little bit of grease,” said Robert Cook of 172 Ross St. as he spoke during the public comments portion of the Business Meeting at City Hall Council Board Room.

Cook, who said he purchased the house last June, said he and his children have been subjected to intoxicated, verbally abusive and combative neighbors at 174 Ross St. (on the southeast corner of North Street). He added that he has learned that police have been called to that address more than 24 times since 2014.

“My children aren’t comfortable sitting on the porch or playing in the front yard,” said Cook, who noted that two or three families are renting at 174 Ross St.

Furthermore, he said that the property owner, Duane Preston, not only was unwilling to assist but sent Cook a letter that “was very dismissive and condescending.”

That left him no choice but to come before City Council, where he said he “humbly is asking for guidance to resolve this” and to set the wheel in motion to hold landlords responsible for their tenants’ behaviors.

His predicament spurred varied responses from council members and City Manager Martin Moore, ranging from Moore’s touting of the success of neighborhood watch groups in the City, to Council Member Paul Viele’s pointed words: “It looks like Mr. Preston doesn’t give a crap about Mr. Cook and that’s a shame.”

Council Member Kathleen Briggs asked if Moore had contacted Preston, who owns numerous properties in the City, (Moore answered "No") and urged someone to talk to the tenants and tell them that they’ve “become a disturbance.”

Council Member Patti Pacino confirmed that City police officers have been there many times, while Rose Mary Christian -- putting the blame on the tenants -- called for increased police surveillance in the area.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said his department’s efforts have been hampered by the lack of complainants to go on the record and by the fact that there hasn’t been an issue when police have arrived.

“We will reach out to him (Preston), but we can’t put a car there 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “We are aware of the property and have increased our presence there.”

Council President Eugene Jankowski suggested that several neighbors band together and also noted that if Cook’s neighbors are under public assistance, the bad behavior could put them “in jeopardy of losing the apartment and being moved out.”

“We need to let the police handle it and work with other agencies – parole, probation, HUD,” he said. “(Speaking with) the landlord is the other avenue.”

Following the meeting, Cook said he was disappointed in Preston’s response.

“He (Preston) said he was taking the same position as other landlords in the City – he’ll keep the properties up to code and let the police handle the tenant issues,” Cook said. “He said that I should have done more research before buying the house. I say that he should have done more research before renting to these tenants.”

Approval of a 40-year water supply agreement between the City of Batavia and Genesee County is a win-win situation for both municipalities, according to a City official who has played an integral role in the negotiations.

Speaking after tonight’s Batavia City Council meeting – at which council members unanimously approved the amended agreement through the year 2059, Public Works Director Matt Worth said the new pact equally benefits both entities.

“The important parts of it are, from the City point of view, is the City (last month) entered into a 40-year agreement with the sales tax with Genesee County -- which gives it stability as a financial revenue long-term – and, in addition, the City now does not have to build a new water plant,” Worth said.

Worth estimated the cost of a new water plant at $35 million, expressing relief that the city no longer has that responsibility.

From Genesee County’s perspective, Worth said the agreement’s additional 60-cent surcharge (per 1,000 gallons) gives the county the long-term stability to fund necessary improvements.

“Over the 40 years, the county can go for long-term bonds and has the ability to say ‘Yes we have the revenue stream to pay for those bonds’ (and that leads to) better rates and long-term stability to do those improvements and bring the additional water in,” Worth noted. “Hopefully that spurs all the economic development and growth that usually comes along with public water.”

Worth said the prior agreement -- an extension of the original contract from 2000 -- runs through Dec. 31 and included a 60-cent surcharge to help pay for water improvements. This new agreement goes out to Dec. 31, 2059 and tacks on another 60-cent surcharge to the City.

He said it could provide the impetus to get water into other areas of the county.

“It could mean getting public water into some of those towns and areas that have not had it – Bethany being a prime example,” he said. “Alabama didn’t have water for quite a while, now they’re starting to get water into that town as well.

“That’s kind of the avenue that has been put forward for long-term stability financially and long-term stability as far as providing safe, public drinking water to an awful lot of the county.”

City Council also passed, by 9-0 votes, a restated lease with Genesee County for water treatment facilities that would transfer the plant to the county once it is no longer being used, by mutual agreement, and a restated operations and maintenance agreement for the water treatment plant that takes into account actual costs compared to budget costs, with the City and County equally splitting any surplus end-of-the-year funds.

Both of these agreements are for 10 years.

Talk about making up for lost time!

Out of action since the beginning of the season due to a partial left knee replacement, Medina's Jim Foss erupted for an 823 series on Sunday (Nov. 10) in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes.

The 57-year-old right-hander and 2019 inductee into the Genesee Region USBC Hall of Fame posted games of 258-267-298 while substituting in the singles league. It was just his fourth league series as he is coming back from the April 30 surgery.

Bowling on three different pairs per the league format, Foss, co-manager at Medina Lanes, started with at least six strikes in all three games, stretching the string to 11 in the last game before leaving the 4-8 on his last ball.

Still, the 823 is his high series, eclipsing his previous best of 815.

Elsewhere around the Genesee Region, Matt Balduf stayed hot in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday night league at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia with a 299 game and 766. The previous week. Baluf recorded a 300 game and 768 series.

At Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, Reid Cole rolled a 299 game and Robbie Hanks registered a 763 series to lead the way.

For more high scores from the past week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Press release:

The executive director of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is aiming to have the agency’s new recovery recreation center on Clinton Street Road up and running by the end of the year.

“We’re hoping to be open sometime around Christmas or possibly New Year’s Eve,” John Bennett said earlier this week. “We have started minor renovations and we’re also looking for a name for the building.”

Bennett said he and his staff are excited about the potential of the Recovery WOW program’s new home – the former Bohn’s Restaurant at 5256 Clinton Street Road, just a stone’s throw from the intersection of Seven Springs Road.

GCASA closed on the purchase of the building last month and is gearing up for what Bennett called “a big kickoff” leading to consistent and effective programming to support those on their road to sobriety.

“The plan is to partner with other agencies and groups in the community to have events there and also to offer the large conference room for others to use,” said Bennett, adding that GCASA intends to hold an open house for nearby residents and business owners.

The floor plan, after conversion, will feature: offices for program staff and Peer Recovery Advocates along with a computer room; meeting room with a riser for live music; training/conference room to hold up to 40 people; exercise center; game room (pool, ping-pong, foosball, and video games); living room with large-screen TV; and a large commercial kitchen.

Bennett said the long-term plan is to move the Prevention Education Department and the Western New York Resource Center offices to the building.

“I think it would be a good fit to have Prevention there,” he said. “Plus, we have just run out of room at the main campus (430 E. Main St.).”

He said that renovations on the inside are ongoing and that volunteers will be enlisted to clean up the outside of the building. Springtime plans include putting in an outdoor basketball court in the parking area.

Currently, the Recovery WOW (With Out Walls) program, under the supervision of Sue Gagne, has a full schedule of events each month for those in recovery.

The recovery recreation center is being set up as a destination where those dealing with drug and alcohol use issues can interact through sober living activities.

For more information, like us on Facebook – Recovery WOW.

Disclosure: Story by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

The first USBC-certified* 700 series for a Batavia youth bowler and a ninth USBC-certified perfect game by a South Byron adult league bowler highlighted this past week’s action around the Genesee Region.

Tony Sprague (photo at right), a 17-year-old senior at Batavia High School, posted a sparkling 752 series while participating in the Turnbull Heating Junior League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

Sprague, a lean right-hander, registered games of 236-258-258 using a Storm IQ Tour Emerald ball to eclipse his previous high series of 694.

He said he used more of a “swing” shot than normal, standing left and launching the ball to the outside boards to consistently hit the 1-3 pocket. He also felt some added pressure toward the end of the set.

“I was pretty calm the first two games but I knew I was getting close (to the 700 mark), so I got a little nervous,” he said.

He kept it together very well, however, to raise his league average to 203. He also has a 201 average in the Rochester Youth Travel League, with a 276 game last week at Empire Lanes to his credit. In that game, he started with nine strikes before leaving a 4-pin.

Balduf finished with a 300 game for a 768 series in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday League at Mancuso’s.

The 51-year-old righty had a 299 on Oct. 26 in the Handicap Bracket Challenge Tournament at Mancuso’s (more on that event in Mike Pettinella’s Pin Points column this Thursday).

At Livingston Lanes in Geneseo, Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls added to his lengthy list of honor scores with 290—823 in the Monday Ontario-Livingston League.

For more high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

*(United States Bowling Congress)

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- After 56 games over five days, five competitors, led by Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., have advanced to the championship round of the 2019 U.S. Open.

The quintet conquered four challenging oil patterns at Victory Lanes and now will battle for the $30,000 top prize, coveted green jacket and final major championship on the 2019 Professional Bowlers Association Tour schedule live on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

TELEVISED STEPLADDER FINALS
(Will be live Wednesday on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern)

Match No. 1: O'Neill vs. Anthony Simonsen
Match No. 2: Jason Belmonte vs. Match No. 1 winner
Semifinal: Francois Lavoie vs. Match No. 2 winner
Final: Sean Rash vs. semifinal winner

For more details, click on the Sports or Pin Points tab at the top of this page.