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Genesee County Staff were invited to contribute $2 donation to Crossroads House and were able to dress in their Bills gear on Friday, Submitted photos.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved a final resolution for a proposed $8.5 million financial investment by Mega Properties Inc. for the purchase of a vacant 147,000 sq. ft building in the town of Batavia at its board meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

 

The new warehouse distribution facility located at Federal Drive will retain nine full-time employees and add 11 new positions to the site. The project will receive approximately $600,000 in sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions.

 

A public hearing on the proposed project assistance was held Dec. 21 in the town of Batavia.

 

The GCEDC also approved assistance in Gateway GS LLC’s (Gallina Development) proposal to invest $2.9 million as part of an expanded project in the Gateway II Corporate Park. The financial investment supports the construction of a 33,600 sq. ft. facility.

 

Gateway GS LLC plans to create 21 FTEs with an average salary of $42,000 annually plus benefits. The expansion will generate an estimated $28 in economic activity for every $1 of public investment. 

 

An initial resolution has been accepted by the board for two 8-unit market-rate apartment buildings located south of Buffalo East Tech Park in the town of Pembroke by Franklin Real Estate and Development.

Press Release:

Senator Rath has published a legislative survey, asking residents to share their opinions on issues that arose from the 2022 State of the State. The brief 12 question survey is available on the Senator’s website, rath.nysenate.gov. 

“Countless issues will be in front of the Legislature this year, hearing from residents is crucial.  As we enter the 2022 legislative session, there are a lot of timely issues facing our state and residents.  From COVID vaccine mandates to voting laws, hearing from my constituents has never been more important.  I hope you will take a moment to share your opinions,” said Senator Rath. 

Press Release:

Le Roy Ambulance Service was founded in 1970 and is a locally owned, operated, and staffed ambulance service. We are now one of the busiest EMS agencies in Genesee County, responding to over 1,300 calls per year. Like your family car, that results in a lot of wear and tear on our ambulances.

Due to continuous repairs and anticipated maintenance costs, there is a need to replace our older ambulance. We are hoping that you value LAS as much as we do and will consider making a tax-deductible donation to Le Roy Ambulance Service, Inc.

Donations can be made securely on our website under the “Donate” tab at leroyems.org or via the QR Code below.

100% of all donations will be applied directly toward the fund for a new ambulance.

Thank you for your anticipated donation with Le Roy Ambulance Service.

Press Release:

 It takes everyone, both locally and globally, to adjust and improve the conditions of climate change. Ask Peter Boyd. "There is no Planet B. This is a decisive decade to get on a sustainable path. Fortunately, there are multiple benefits from action, but also a huge cost of inaction," according to Boyd. He has been Launch Director and COO of Richard Branson's global initiative, an advisor to the "B Team[1]" on their 'Net-Zero by 2050' initiative and Chair of The Energy Efficiency Deployment Office for the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change. Currently he serves as Executive Fellow at Yale University's Center for Business and the Environment. His latest venture, Time4Good Group, allows sought-out leaders to optimize their time so that they have more energy to dedicate themselves to the environmental and social causes they care about.

Boyd headlines the College's 2022 Wolcott J. (Jay) Humphrey III Symposium on Leadership and Community Life. He will speak on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in The Richard C. Call Arena. A panel moderated by Dr. Benjamin Houlton, The Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, will present after Boyd's message.

2022's topic, "Climate Change and Sustainability" will inform community members of global issues and encourage action to improve our local economy and environment. A panel, moderated by Dr. Houlton will include perspectives from industries including solar, wind, dairy, viticulture, fuel cell and hydrogen energy. CEO Andrew J. Marsh, CEO of Plug Power; William Carleton, General Manager, Solar O&M of Clearway Energy; Suzanne Hunt, Co-Owner of Hunt Country Vineyards; and Curt Gooch, Dairy Environmental System Solutions Expert, Land O'Lakes Truterra, give perspectives on their areas of expertise.

The Humphrey Symposium honors the memory of one of the region's foremost civic leaders, Jay Humphrey. After his sudden passing in 2001, his family worked with the College to develop the Symposium to continue Jay's commitment to leadership development. A committee of community and college leaders work together to explore various kinds of speakers and topical issues, and to coordinate a community event that not only honors Mr. Humphrey's memory, but also engage the community in a meaningful way.

"We are well into a time of disruptive change here at home in Western New York and across the world. Our planning committee felt it was important to bring together subject matter experts to help us better understand the impacts and implications of what we are experiencing from a changing climate.

From impacts on cropping patterns, yield results and new production opportunities, to the frequency and severity of weather events, there is much to discuss and digest in this arena.

We trust you find this an exciting panel discussion and compelling keynote presentation and welcome your attendance and participation." said Nathan Rudgers, director of business development at Farm Credit East and current Humphrey Symposium committee chairman.

Registration is available online at https://gccfoundationinc.org/humphrey. Lunch is included along with the opportunity to network with others.

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

Press Release:

Is your New Year’s resolution to do more gardening? If so, join the Genesee County Master Gardeners for their monthly Garden Talk starting February 3. We’ll take off with “Monarchs - their flight, their plight and what you can do.” Master Gardener Pam M. will talk about the Monarch butterfly and the challenges it faces. Monarch butterflies have had huge population declines over the past 20 years. One reason is habitat loss. Once a common sight, they are perilously close to being added to the Endangered Species List. Join us to learn about their life cycle, what they need to thrive, survive, and how you can help rescue these beautiful creatures with your garden.

March 3 – “Plants of Shakespeare” with Master Gardener Connie B. Although Shakespeare most likely was not a gardener, he constantly referenced plants in his plays and sonnets. The program will focus on plants found in Shakespeare's literary works, as well as plants popular in Elizabethan gardens and folklore.

April 7 – “Spring into the Garden” with Master Gardener Suzanne B. Once the spring weather hits, everyone wants to rush out into the garden, but sometimes the garden isn’t ready for every chore. We’ll have plenty of tips on what you can do to get your garden ready for spring.

May 5 – “Kitchen Gardens” with Master Gardener Kathie W. Kitchen gardens have been around for as long as humans have lived in communities. And no, they are not gardens in your kitchen! Join us to find out a little history, a little design, and what exactly is a kitchen garden, and what can be planted in yours.

June 2 – “Playing in the Dirt - Risks and Benefits” with Master Gardener Irene H. Gardening offers many health and life benefits to the gardener, but it also has its risks. Some will surprise you!

We hope to be able to return to an in-person option for Garden Talk programs, but the February program will only be available via Zoom. Garden Talk runs from Noon to 12:45 pm. This free series is open to all. Registration is required. Please visit our events page at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee

County website http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events. After registering a Zoom link will be sent to your email with your personal link to the event.

Master Gardener events will be posted on the CCE Genesee County website and on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee. Garden Talk programs are recorded and posted to our CCE Genesee YouTube page at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaXK_W80PkoUBj-HBm8OFMA/videos.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 50th Annual Awards Ceremony & the 2021 Award Recipients. This year’s ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at Batavia Downs Gaming, 8315 Park Rd., Batavia. This is the county’s premier event that honors businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service and volunteerism. Tickets are $50.00 per person or a table of 8 for $360.00. The evening begins at 5:00pm with hors O’euvres, entrée tables & cash bar.

The Awards Program starts at 7:00pm. We are honored to announce the following award recipients:

This year’s honorees are:

• Business of the Year: Valle Jewelers
• Agricultural Business of the Year: Alleghany Farm Services
• Entrepreneurial Business of the Year: Batavia Muckdogs
• Geneseean of the Year: Jay Lazarony

To purchase tickets, contact Kelly J. Bermingham at 585-343-7440, ext. 1026 or email kbermingham@geneseeny.com

Press Release:

New York high school seniors who are graduating and interested in pursuing a career in agriculture can apply for New York Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Youth Scholarship. Eligible students can use the financial award for college or advanced training in the skilled trades. Statewide winners can earn up to $3,000 towards their future education.

The applicant or their family must be a New York Farm Bureau member, and the student must live and/or work a farm or be involved with agriculture in the state. The student must also complete the application which includes writing an essay addressing what they value and stand for in agriculture and life and how these values have impacted their decision to pursue an agricultural career.

Scoring will determine both county and district winners and may include a personal interview.  Each district winner will receive $250 and then compete for one of two state scholarships worth $3,000 and $2,000, based on their submitted applications. Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2022, and the judging will take place prior to April 20, 2022.  

For more information, including the online application, go to New York Farm Bureau’s website at www.nyfb.org. The scholarship information and web-based application can be found under “Promotion and Education” in the programs section of the website. You can also call the New York Farm Bureau office at 1-800-342-4143 for more information.

Press release:

On Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 11:51 am, the City of Batavia Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 22 Porter Ave. in the City of Batavia. Initial fire units arrived at 11:54 am to find a large volume of smoke emanating from a two-and-a-half-story, single-family home. Fire crews entered the home to find a fire in the attic space that was quickly extinguished. Two occupants were home at the time of the fire and escaped unharmed prior to the fire department's arrival. Residents are being assisted by the American Red Cross.

No civilian injuries were reported. There was one minor firefighter injury reported.

The cause of the fire was determined to be unintentional by City of Batavia Fire Department fire investigators.

The City of Batavia Fire Department was assisted by the City of Batavia Police, Bureau of Maintenance, Water and Codes Department, Town of Batavia FD, Alexander FD, Elba FD, Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center and Emergency Management Office, Red Cross, National Grid and National Fuel 

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Rettig yesterday calling for the IRS to address the backlog in amended tax returns and asking specific questions on operations.

“For months, my constituents have waited for their amended tax returns from IRS and have received no answers. My constituents, and Americans around the nation, are anxiously awaiting their returns and are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of action from the IRS. This is unacceptable and represents a massive dereliction of duty from the agency,” Jacobs said. 

In a letter from November, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) reported the IRS had a backlog of over 2.7 million unprocessed amended returns. TAS also recently stopped accepting congressional inquiries from offices due to the high backlog. Currently, some NY-27 constituents are reporting delays of up to 30 weeks to receive their amended tax returns from the IRS.

“2021 tax season is rapidly approaching. This problem must be resolved by then, or millions of Americans face massive backlogs for their returns,” Jacobs said. “The IRS has been using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to deny timely service to millions of Americans. It is far past time to drop that excuse and get back to work safely and efficiently as many other government agencies have been able to do – Americans are relying upon it.”

 

Read Jacobs' full letter here.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined members of the Senate and Assembly Minority Conferences, law enforcement, and public safety advocates on Tuesday to call for the passing of anti-crime measures, following a rise in violence throughout New York state during the past two years. 

The legislative conferences advocated for the restoration of judicial discretion to locally-elected judges, among several other proposals. Since the passage of bail reform in 2019, the ability of judges to hold lawbreakers they know to be dangerous to the community on bail has been heavily restricted. The state has seen a 46.7% increase in murders throughout the state from 2019 to 2020. Criminals released under the bail reform law have gone on to frequently re-offend, at times retaliating against victims mere hours after their pretrial release.

“If we want New York to be a place people want to live, start families and spend their money, it must first and foremost be a safe place,” said Hawley. “During our governor’s State of the State address, there was a glaring absence of any discussion of the marked rise in violence we’ve seen in our communities all across New York. So putting public safety back on the agenda for the upcoming legislative session is a priority for me and our conference as a whole.”

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider a final resolution for a proposed $8.5 million financial investment by Mega Properties Inc. for the purchase of a vacant 147,000 sq. ft. building in the town of Batavia at its board meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

Mega Properties Inc. plans to develop the Federal Drive building into a warehouse distribution facility.  The proposed $8.5 million financial investment would retain nine full-time employees and create up to 11 new jobs. The project has requested approximately $600,000 in sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions.

A public hearing on the proposed project assistance was held Dec. 21 in the town of Batavia.

The GCEDC Board also will consider a final resolution for Gateway GS LLC’s (Gallina Development) proposal to invest $2.9 million as part of an expanded project in the Gateway II Corporate Park. The financial investment supports the construction of a 33,600 sq. ft. facility.

Gateway GS LLC is requesting $478,418 in sales, mortgage, and property tax incentives. The expansion will generate an estimated $28 in economic activity for every $1 of public investment.

An initial resolution will be considered by the board for two 8-unit market-rate apartment buildings located south of Buffalo East Tech Park in the town of Pembroke by Franklin Real Estate and Development. 

GCEDC Pre-Board Meeting Release
The multi-unit buildings will include one 1-bedroom apartments and seven 2-bedroom apartments. Franklin Real Estate and Development is requesting $243,402 in sales, mortgage, and property tax incentives. 

Finally, the board will consider accepting an initial resolution from Apple Tree Acres, LLC which is proposing to invest $3.1 million to build a 50,000 sq. ft. facility on its property at Apple Tree Acres in the town of Bergen. 

The facility would create three full-time jobs with an average annual salary ranging from $30,000-$35,000. The project is estimated to create a $10-to-$1 return on investment for Genesee County. 

The January 13, 2022, GCEDC Board meeting will be held remotely at 4 p.m. A livestream and on-demand recording of the meeting also will be available at www.gcedc.com.

Press Release:

The Batavia High School Scholastic Winter Guard will host an alumni concert on Sunday, January 23, at 2:00 pm in the BHS Gymnasium to raise funds for the winter guard to compete in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Winterguard Regionals and the WGI National Championships respectively. 

Led by BHS Band Director and Music Department Chair Jane Haggett, numerous Batavia City School District alumni, including new superintendent Jason Smith (Class of ‘90) on trombone, will join the BHS Alumni Jazz Ensemble. The St. Joseph’s Alumni Drum Corp will also appear at the concert. 

Members of the BCSD staff will play alongside Superintendent Smith including, BHS Principal Paul Kesler, on trumpet, and music teachers Sean Williams, Collin Murtaugh, and Stuart Mclean in the ensemble. Additional BHS alumni, including Paul Spiotta, Brandon Luce, Jackie McLean, Matt Holota, Harold McJury, Frank Panepento, Joshua Pacino, Quentin Branciforte, Mark Hoerbelt, Ross Chua, Mary Murphy, Jason Mapes, and Bob Pastecki, will also perform in the ensemble. 

Tickets for the concert are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the door. Money raised from this event will defray the cost of winter guard trips in March and April. This will be the Scholastic Winter Guard’s first appearance at the WGI National Championships. 

Press release:

The City Water Department is making repairs to a water line on the corner of Liberty and Ellicott Street today.

Expect the water to be turned off from on Liberty from Main to Ellicott Streets. Due to the uncertainty of the repair water may also be turned off or experience low pressure in adjacent areas.

Traffic will not be allowed through the southern side of the intersection of Ellicott and Liberty, while repairs are being made.

We do not have a time frame for this work at this time.

We appreciate the public's patience during this repair.

Press Release:

The Genesee County & City of Batavia Youth Boards are looking for nominations for their annual Youth Recognition Banquet.  There are three awards presented at the Youth Recognition Banquet:

• Youth Recognition Award—This award recognizes young people who have performed exceptional service to the community and/or have assumed extraordinary roles in their families.  Typically, the best candidates for this award are high school students, but we also know there are 12, 13, 14 year olds who exemplify distinctive qualities of service.  Several youth will be recognized; however the Youth Boards reserve the right to limit the number of recipients.
• Adult Volunteer—This award recognizes an adult who provides service as a volunteer to youth in Genesee County.
• Adult Youth Worker—This award recognizes a youth service professional whose work surpasses normal expectations.

Recipients will be honored at the Youth Recognition Banquet on March 31, 2022.  Nominations are due by Friday, February 11th.  For more information or to receive nomination forms, please call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960 or youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us.  The forms are also on the Youth Bureau page of the Genesee County website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.