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From the county health department:

New York will once again be taking part in a nationally coordinated effort to halt the spread of raccoon rabies in 16 states. The Oral Rabies Vaccine Field Evaluation will be held in New York, July 26 – Aug. 24.

Ongoing field evaluation of a new oral rabies vaccine (ORV) called ONRAB will occur in Clinton, Essex counties in the Empire State as part of an evaluation that also includes parts of northern Vermont and New Hampshire.  Additionally, evaluations will also occur in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming counties.

These sites were selected in part because of ongoing collaborations with partners from the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, Canada, in the fight against rabies to protect human and animal health and reduce significant costs associated with living with rabies across broad geographic areas.  Aerial and hand distribution of baits will take place in New York from July 26 – Aug. 24. 

Rabies is a serious public health concern because if left untreated it is invariably fatal. Costs associated with detection, prevention and control of rabies conservatively exceed $500 million annually.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, greater than 90 percent of reported rabies cases in the United States are in wildlife. The cooperative USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) was established in 1997 to prevent the further spread of wildlife rabies in the United States by containing and eventually eliminating the virus in terrestrial mammals.

The majority of the NRMP efforts are focused on controlling raccoon rabies, which continues to account for most of the reported wildlife rabies cases in the United States. Raccoon rabies occurs in all states east of the established ORV zone that extends from Maine to Northeastern Ohio to central Alabama.

Continued access to oral vaccine and bait options that are effective in all target wildlife species remains critical to long-term success. 

During 2011, the NRMP worked with other Federal, State, and local partners to conduct the first raccoon ORV field trial in the United States in over 20 years.

This field trial was designed to test the safety and immunogenicity of the oral human adenovirus-rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine ONRAB (Artemis Technologies, Guelph, Ontario, Canada), which has been successfully integrated into comprehensive rabies control programs that resulted in elimination of raccoon rabies from Canada.

Encouraging results from the U.S. trial in West Virginia represented a major milestone that led to expanded evaluations in four additional states (N.H., N.Y., Ohio, and Ver.) during 2012-2020.

In 2021, the use of ONRAB will further expand into two additional states (Pa. and Tenn.). Data from these evaluations will support licensing of this vaccine for broader, more aggressive management of raccoon rabies by the NRMP and partners, with the goal of eliminating the variant of the rabies virus that cycles in raccoons.

The ONRAB bait consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blister pack, containing the vaccine. To make the baits attractive, the blister packs are coated with a sweet attractant that includes vegetable-based fats, wax, icing sugar, vegetable oil, artificial marshmallow flavor, and dark-green food-grade dye.

Humans and pets cannot get rabies from contact with the bait. However, people who encounter baits directly are asked to leave them undisturbed.  Should contact with bait occur, immediately rinse the area with warm water and soap and contact your local health department at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555, for Genesee County or (585) 589-3278 for Orleans County.

Please do not attempt to remove a bait from your dog’s mouth. The bait will not harm the dog. If you have additional questions related to the field evaluation in New York, please contact the Wildlife Services office in Rensselaer at (518) 268-2289.

Submitted photo and press release:

The recent infestations of the gypsy moth (right photo) (also known as Lymantria dispar dispar -- LDD) and emerald ash borer -- EAB (also known as Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), along with other pests and diseases, have been the cause of a lot of concern in Western New York recently.

The adult gypsy moths are emerging. While the initial damage from their caterpillars is done for this year, now is a great time to learn about how to reduce or mitigate damage that may occur from next year’s caterpillars.

Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District, along with our partner the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, will be hosting a FREE online webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 4th, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

NYSDEC forester Gary Koplun will present about ways to manage the gypsy moth, as well as speak about the emerald ash borer and other issues that stress trees.

There will be an opportunity for questions as well as resources provided.

You can register today by visiting the Conservation District's website.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E -- Shooters Committee On Political Education -- announces a summer picnic Aug. 10 at “The Sportman Coon Hunters Association,” located at 8770 Hopkins Road, Batavia.

The gathering will start at 4 p.m.

Members, former members, and the public are welcome to attend.

Come out, have some picnic food, and meet others interested in preserving the Second Amendment.

Picnic is FREE and you could win a FREE door prize.

Questions? Contact Dave Kaufman (585) 690-7429.

Submitted photo and press release:

Last week, eight students became the first to take part in the Certified Nursing Assistant program available at the BEST (Business Employee Skills Training) Center at Genesee Community College. From Buffalo, Medina, Arcade, Strykersville and Lockport these eight unique individuals, in photo above, have jumped onto the fast-track into the rewarding and high-stakes healthcare industry.

The eight students are: Joshua Gross, Jacquelyn Francis, Charli Wright, Paige Tittel, Madison Meyers, Maria Garcia, Allyssa McKeever, and McKayla Trombley.

Through a combination of minimal eligibility requirements which are listed online at www.bestcenter.org, concentrated instruction and hands-on clinical experiences, the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program is designed to be completed in just six weeks or 132 hours. 

"The entire BEST Center is excited about this program. Our partnership with both Genesee County Job Development Bureau and the Orchard Rehabilitation Nursing Home in Medina, New York mean these students will complete the program with valuable, real-life experience in real clinical settings that will translate directly into employability," said John McGowan, Ph.D., director of the BEST Center.

The BEST Center offers a variety of Certification and workforce training programs that are starting this Fall including the 100 percent in-person, Phlebotomy Technician Program beginning in September, a Supervision Certification to prepare you for that next promotion, and the popular Mechatronics, which integrates mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and microelectronic skills.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact McGowan today at jmmcgowan@genesee.edu or by calling (585) 345-6868 to learn more.

Some students may be eligible to receive funding for the CNA or other programs through the Genesee County Job Development Bureau. To find out more, contact Teresa VanSon at (585) 344-2024, ext.4223, or at Teresa.VanSon@co.genesee.ny.us.

Press release:

All are welcome to attend a meeting on the topic of "Divide NY Genesee Co." at 7 p.m. Monday, July 26 at Bethany Town Hall.

It is located at 10510 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany.

Attend to learn more about this plan and how we can begin to implement it here in Genesee County!

We ask that you please RSVP to: divideny.genco@gmail.com

Press release:

The Genesee County Youth Bureau is seeking applicants for the Genesee Youth Lead Program. Applicants should be a Genesee County high school student entering their freshman through senior year.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 3.

The eight-month program is focused on developing leadership skills within an individual through each specific session and through hands on experience. Each session will have a different focus on our community and leadership.

The Youth Lead Program will take place at GVEP BOCES beginning Oct. 13, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be held once a month on the second Wednesdays of each month. Students will take the BOCES bus from their school to attend the program.

The program dates are: Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 9, March 9, April 13, and May 11.

Youth that complete the program are encouraged to use the skills and information gained through their experience to support the communities in which they live.

The selection process will be done through an application and interview process by the staff. The class size is limited.

The program will cost $75 for each student. If there is an economic hardship please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau.

Applications for the program can be found at https://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/youthbureau/genesee_youth_lead.php

Please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau with questions at (585) 344-3960 or at youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) held a press conference this morning with Jim Butera, president of the WNY Chapter of the NYS Restaurant Association and owner of Butera’s Craft Beer and Craft Pizza, to discuss the labor shortage caused in part by enhanced unemployment benefits.

“I consistently hear from small businesses in my district that have multiple open positions and cannot find anyone willing to work. In February, against numerous warnings, Democrats and President Biden forced through a massive partisan package filled with unnecessary spending. The result is they have made it more lucrative to stay home than to seek employment,” Jacobs said.

“This has become detrimental to our economic recovery, and many businesses are losing money, shortening hours, or closing down entirely because they cannot find employees. Unfortunately, this translates to longer wait times, higher prices, and shortages of numerous products families need.”

“The government keeps providing stimulus money instead of encouraging people to find and get employment, and it is hurting my business and all those around me," Butera said.

"This is equivalent to ‘give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for life.’ Our government needs to end disincentives, get back to working for the people, and make our economic recovery and small businesses a priority."

Jacobs introduced the Help Wanted Act (H.R. 3148) in May to combat these disincentives and prioritize our economic recovery. Specifically, the legislation: 1) restores work search requirements, 2) removes the expansion of unemployment to individuals who voluntarily left their job, and 3) clarifies that general safety concerns related to COVID-19 are no longer sufficient grounds to claim unemployment benefits.

“Our regional economy relies heavily on the service industry and manufacturing – the businesses hurt most by this government spending,” Jacobs said.

“The President’s reckless spending has forced businesses to compete with the government. As long as these benefits remain in place, businesses will continue to struggle from massive labor shortages, prices will increase, and supply chains will suffer. I call on the House to consider the Help Wanted Act to end these disincentives to work.”

Press release:

St. Ann’s Community is proud to announce that the organization is raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all new and current team members.

This new minimum wage will be fully implemented by the end of 2021.

The impacts of COVID-19 have fundamentally changed the workforce -- this wage increase demonstrates St. Ann’s commitment to existing and future team members, who care for the most important people on Earth.

In 2019, St. Ann's acquired The Greens of Le Roy. The independent living facility for seniors is now known as St. Ann's Community at The Greens. It is located at 1 West Ave., Le Roy.

In New York State, the minimum wage increase to $15 is being phased in. New York City large employers -- 11 or more workers -- were the first required to make the increase as of Dec. 31, 2018, followed by NYC small employers on Dec. 31, 2019. Long Island and Westchester are now at $14 an hour and will go up to $15 the end of this year.

The remainder of the state, including the Finger Lakes Region, went to $12.50 an hour at the end of last year.

Continuing increases until the $15 hourly minimum wage is met for the remainder of the state will be announced annually by the NYS Department of Labor on or before Oct. 1.

The raise will be based on percentage increases determined by the director of the Division of Budget, based on economic indices, including the Consumer Price Index. Therefore, it is undetermined when $15 an hour will be the requirement in this region.

From the National Weather Service:

At 8:32 p.m. a Special Weather Statement of Hazardous Weather Conditions was issued by the National Weather Service Office in Buffalo.

A line of scattered thurnderstorms will affect Genesee County and other localities. Radar indicated thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Point Breeze to near Varysburg.

Movement was south at 20 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with these storms, along with brief torrential downpours and frequent lightning.

Locations impacted include Batavia, Attica and Byron. This includes Interstate 90 between exits 48 and 47.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the return of its History Heroes Summer Program will be running Saturdays from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. The dates are: July 24, Aug. 14, Aug. 21, Aug. 28 and Sept. 4.

The theme is "Fun in the Roaring '20s" -- learning about different aspects of life 100 years ago. Join us to learn about the 1920s! Dance, sing, read, play, create, explore, and learn some history.

The program will explore many facets of the era through many creative and interactive activities, and includes daily local walking field trips around Batavia.

The program is open to children 7-12 and is limited to 16 participants each day. Registration is available for each individual day or for all five.

Admission is $10 per child with discounts for multiple children and museum members. The program includes a field trip on Sept. 4th to the Arcade & Attica Railroad, which has a $20 admission.

Registration forms can be found at the museum's website, Facebook page, or by contacting the museum at (585) 343-4727.

Masks and social distancing requirements are required. Lunches are available for participants.

This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!

From Melzie Case:

Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, July 17, the Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s 75th Season Reveal Event has been moved to the Batavia City Centre.

The FREE concert will be at 4 p.m. Saturday and GSO patrons can enter through the entrance by the former Sunny’s restaurant.

From Roxie Choate:

GSO .... "along with advice from the Batavia Parks Manager made the decision to have the REVEAL Event move from Austin Park to the Batavia City Centre Concourse. Our rainy weather prediction has caused our problem.

"Austin Park is going to be one mushy, soggy grass situation after the all night rain and rain into Saturday till afternoon also.

"We are playing it safe. Our food trucks can still park on the JCPenney wall in the back entrance to the mall. Use the back entrance next to where Sunny's Restaurant used to be.

"Remember to bring your own chair. We will set the orchestra up on the stage area.

"We cannot enter the mall until 3 p.m. We are hiring a city custodian to be our entrance and lock up person for the mall. We will be carrying 60 chairs for the orchestra into the mall at 3 p.m. if anyone would like to help. COME ON DOWN..."

From BPD:

The City of Batavia Police Department will host the annual Community Night Out from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 10, at City Church's St. Anthony's campus, located at 114 Liberty St. in Batavia.

Expect free food, a bounce house, games, horses (horses, of course), vendors, "& more!"

If you want more information about how to become a sponsor or have a booth at the event, contact Detective Wojtaszczyk at:  mwojtaszczyk@batavianewyork.com

Press release:

Tops Friendly Markets is pleased to now offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligible customers the ease of shopping online with Instacart.

SNAP shoppers can now pay for their same-day pickup or delivery orders with their EBT card while shopping online at Tops that partner with Instacart in New York State.

Tops offers Instacart services at 126 convenient New York locations.

“Tops Friendly Marketsis excited to pilot these services in our largest market of Instacart stores,” said Jill Sirica, manager, digital marketing for Tops.

“At the core of Tops mission is combating food insecurity and this will help bridge that gap of helping families gain accessibility to healthy and affordable food, something we have strived for since we began our partnership with Instacart. We are truly excited to see it come to fruition.” 

David Healy, who is in charge of retail partnerships at Instacart, said “Providing people access to the food they love is at the core of Instacart’s mission. We’re proud to partner with Tops Friendly Markets to provide more families with a convenient and accessible way to get their fresh food and pantry staples.

"Expanding EBT SNAP to reach same-day online grocery delivery and pickup is important to help people access the food they need, and we look forward to expanding this payment integration to even more retailers ...”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides assistance for low- and no-income U.S. residents to purchase food. SNAP benefits are processed through the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) debit card system.

By associating your EBT card to your Instacart account (either website or mobile app), you confirm that your card information is current and valid. To successfully use your EBT card at a Tops location online, a credit or debit card must be linked to your Instacart account to cover non-food fees, such as bottle deposits in some states, taxes, delivery tips, and any other non-EBT SNAP-eligible items that you may want to purchaseper federal SNAP guidelines.

Customers can then enter their zip code to determine if they are near a participating Tops, and begin shopping and selecting items from Tops’ EBT-eligible products. Once items are added to their cart, customers will be able to select how much of their benefits they would like to allocate to the order. Orders for delivery and pickup can be placed by customers for receipt in as fast as an hour or scheduled several days in advance. 

To help subsidize costs for EBT SNAP participants, Instacart will waive delivery or pickup fees through Sept. 16 on up to the first three EBT SNAP orders for each customer with a valid EBT card associated with their Instacart account. For more information about EBT SNAP on Instacart, visit www.instacart.com/ebt-snap.

Press release:

On July 7, 2020, 35-year-old Timothy Barber, of Le Roy, collapsed at the end of his shift after working on the Genesee River Bridge Project in Geneseo. Treated for heat stress and heat exhaustion, he died from hyperthermia on his second day on the job.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Barber’s parents, Le Roy residents Jim and Kathy Barber, are recognizing his death today in order to raise awareness of occupational heat hazards and safeguards among employers, workers and the public in Genesee County and Western New York. They hope to prevent additional work-related heat illness and deaths.

​Recognizing the anniversary of Barber’s death, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reminds Western New York employers and workers that when temperatures soar, so does the degree of danger associated with work in high temperatures. OSHA also urges all to take proper actions to work safely in hot weather.

An OSHA investigation into Barber’s death found he had been performing light-duty work -- sorting bolts in 90-plus degree temperatures. Working alone without shade, he was without water and not acclimated to the heat.

OSHA also determined that his employer, Pavilion Drainage Supply Company Inc., of Pavilion, failed to train him and implement other safeguards to protect him and other employees against extreme heat hazards.

“Timothy Barber should not have died," said OSHA Area Director Michael Scime in Buffalo. "We call attention to this worker’s death so that other workers do not suffer from or succumb to heat-related death and illnesses. They are preventable. Employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety hazards. This includes protecting workers from extreme heat.”

“We hope something positive comes out of the tragic death of our son, Tim,” said James and Kathy Barber, his parents. “We join OSHA in wanting to bring awareness to the dangers of heat stroke to businesses for the safety of their employees. No family should have to suffer a loss that is completely preventable.”

Symptoms of excessive heat exposure include heat stroke, heat stress, cramps, headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, heavy sweating and confusion. Occupational factors that may contribute to heat illness include: high temperature and humidity; low fluid consumption; direct sun exposure; no shade; limited air movement; physical exertion; or use of bulky protective clothing and equipment.

Employers with workers exposed to high temperatures should establish and implement a heat-illness prevention program and communicate it to supervisors and workers. This includes:

• Providing workers with water, rest and shade;
• Allowing new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize to, or build a tolerance for, working in the heat;
• Planning for emergencies and training workers on heat hazards and appropriate first aid measures;
• Monitoring workers for signs of illness and taking prompt action if symptoms occur.

“Don’t wait until a worker is sickened to address heat stress – take action,” Scime said. “Employers in Western New York and other areas must take action to keep workers from becoming ill.

"Effective preparation and knowledge of the hazards of heat can save lives today, and in the future. Three simple words: water, rest, shade can make a huge difference when implemented in the workplace.”

OSHA’s Occupational Exposure to Heat page explains what employers can do to keep workers safe and what workers need to know, including factors for heat illness, adapting to working in indoor and outdoor heat, protecting workers, recognizing symptoms and first aid training. The page also includes resources for specific industries and OSHA workplace standards.

OSHA has numerous other heat safety tools and information available free for employers and workers including a heat safety app for Android and iPhone devices at www.osha.gov/heat.  

Learn more about OSHA.

Press release:

Following his successful passage of the broader American Rescue Plan earlier this year, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer heralded the Child Tax Credit expansion, which will allow payments of up to $300 per child to automatically go out to families across New York each month – starting TODAY July 15. Schumer said the plan will impact more than 86 percent of New York children.

The Finger Lakes Region, which includes Genesee County, is expected to receive Expanded Child Tax Credits totaling more than $435 million.

“Help is here for working families across New York in the form of enhanced Child Tax Credits that put more money in families’ pockets to recover from COVID even as its boosts New York’s economy,” Senator Schumer said. “Over 86 percent of families throughout New York will benefit from the enhanced Child Tax Credit just as they begin to fully recover from the global health and economic pandemic that rocked our country for the past year.

"That is why I made sure this relief bill included help for New York families, because this significant expansion of the Child Tax Credit will cut the nation’s child poverty rate in half and bring necessary relief. The credit expansion – on top of the $1,400 direct checks that came earlier this year – will provide New York’s families with thousands of dollars of relief, directly in their pockets. Getting additional federal dollars into the hands of struggling families not only makes sense, but it’s what’s needed to help the New York recover from the pandemic.”

Schumer explained the Child Tax Credit (CTC), one of the most powerful and effective anti-poverty tools the federal government has, was significantly expanded for American households in the American Rescue Plan. This tax-credit expansion will deliver an estimated $7.03 billion in additional economic relief to families with children across New York and have a major impact on working families.

Schumer highlighted that researchers have estimated that the American Rescue Plan – including the expanded Child Tax Credit – will cut the child poverty rate in half nationally. Specifically, the relief bill increases the Child Tax Credit amount from $2,000 to $3,000 per child age 6 to 17 (and $3,600 per child below the age of 6) for 2021.

Additionally, the bill makes the CTC fully refundable and removes the $2,500 earnings floor to receive the credit for 2021, ensuring that the lowest income households will be able to benefit from the maximum credit amount for the year.

This change importantly corrected flaws in the credit that prevented around 27 million children nationwide whose families have little or no income from receiving the full benefit – and in New York State alone, this credit expansion will benefit 1,546,000 of these children who were previously left out of the full Child Tax Credit.

The increased $3,000 or $3,600 CTC is available to families making less than $150,000, and it phases down above that income level, so household incomes of more than $150,000 will see a reduced credit.

This boosted credit amount is particularly impactful in lower-income households, as it has been found that increasing a low-income child’s family income early in their life has numerous, critical longer-term benefits on education, health, and even employment. Specifically, it is estimated that a $3,000 increase in annual family income for children under age 5 translates into an estimated 19-percent earnings increase in adulthood.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, an estimated 3,564,000 children across New York will benefit from this expanded tax credit – including 583,000 Black, 954,000 Latino, and 266,000 Asian American children. It will also lift 680,000 children in the state above or closer to the poverty line.

The total amount of Expanded Child Tax Credit headed to each region in New York State can be found below:  

REGION

TOTAL EXPANDED CTC

Southern Tier

$264,503,932

Capital Region

$502,125,581

Central

$471,279,544

Hudson Valley

$847,414,412

Long Island

$1,028,580,062

NYC

$2,997,872,107

Finger Lakes

$435,560,223

Western

$482,651,024

TOTAL:

$7,029,986,887

Press release:

The 51^st Annual Genesee County 4-H Market Animal Auction will be held Thursday, July 29, at the Genesee County Fair.  The auction will feature chickens, goats, lambs, beef steers, dairy steers and hogs raised by local 4-H members. Animals will be auctioned by William Kent Inc. of Stafford. 

New this year, the 4-H Market Animal Auction will offer online and in-person bidding. Online pre-bidding will be available on www.williamkentinc.com starting Tuesday, July 27^th.  The live auction will be held at 7 p.m. in the Main Show Ring at the Genesee County Fair.

Registration for bidders attending the live auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the 4-H Kennedy Building.

The fairgrounds are located at 5056 E. Main Street Road, Batavia.

For more information, please contact the Genesee County 4-H Office at (585) 343-3040, ext. 101, or visit www.williamkentinc.com and look for the Genesee County 4-H Market Animal Auction.

Top photo: Four members of the Sutherland Family at the 24th annual ND Foundation Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament June 13.

Submitted photos and press release:

This year's 24th annual Notre Dame Foundation Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament was held on Sunday, June 13. The golf portion of this year’s tournament was held at the beautiful 27-hole Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility in Batavia. The tennis competition took place on the newly refurbished tennis courts at Batavia Senior High School and the bocce competition was held at the adjoining MacArthur Park.

A great time was reportedly had by all in attendance on this sun-filled, rain-free Western New York afternoon! 

A total of 144 golfers [a record 36 foursomes!], 17 tennis players and four Bocce teams participated in this year's successful annual event, the proceeds of which will be used to help prospective ND families with the tuition costs of a quality, private Catholic high school education.

A big word of thanks goes out to all alumni and friends of Notre Dame who either:

• Participated in one of our events or made donations to support our annual fundraiser;
• Served as a major event sponsors

                -- Blue and Gold level [$3,500] -- Skyworks -- Jerry Reinhart Jr.

                -- Shamrock level [$2,500] -- Lynn and Tom Houseknecht/Crickler/MTE

                -- Donald L. Bausch ('60) Corporate level [$1,000] -- Russ Marchese, ('73) DDS

                -- Jerry and Carm Pellegrino Reinhart ('69)

                -- Reinhart, Clark, Patterson, Lee Architects and Engineers

                -- DelPlato ('64) Casey ('10) Law Firm

                 -- Sunny Hill and Thunderhart/Kevin Smith ('87) 

                -- T.F. Brown's Restaurant/ Mancuso Real Estate/Rick Mancuso ('76)

                -- Friends of Our Lady [$500] -- Freed Maxick CPA

• Sponsored our annual event as one of this year’s 53 T-sign sponsors!
• Sanzo Beverage and C.H. Wright Beverage Distributors

***A special word of thanks goes out to Tournament Chairperson Jim Sutherland (’86), ND Advancement Office coordinator Kate Edwards, and ND Special Events coordinator Kathy Antinore for the key roles they played in helping to coordinate this year's overall event.***

Special recognition also goes out to:

• Batavia CSD Athletic Director Mike Bromley and the Batavia City School District for the continued use of their newly refurbished tennis courts;
• The City of Batavia Parks Department for the use of MacArthur Park for our bocce tournament;
• Terry Hills Director of Golf Casey Brown, and General Manager Danielle Rotondo, and owner Nick Rotondo for their expertise and assistance on the day of the event at the golf course.

2021 Tournament Dedication -- Bill Sutherland ('67)

On behalf of this year's tournament Committee, Chairperson Jim Sutherland presented his brother Bill's wife, Melanie, and her ND grad children Billy Sutherland ('96) and Jennifer Sutherland ('00) Forsyth with a commemorative plaque in appreciation for Coach Sutherland's longtime support of ND and our annual Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament.

The plaque read:

"To the family of Coach Bill Sutherland . . . With genuine love and gratitude from the thousands of students, athletes and co-workers that he touched during his long and storied tenure at Notre Dame. The 2021 ND Golf, Tennis and Bocce tournament is held in his honor. June 13, 2021."

2021Award Winners

Winning teams/individuals for this year’s golf and tennis competition were as follows:

Golf

First Place Overall Non-ND Foursome [18 under par 54] -- West Herr: Lionel Rhim, Brian Cline, Tom Hungerford and Donnell Holloway.

Second Place Overall Non-ND Foursome [13 under par 69] – Joe Flynn ('68), Dennis Buckley, Matt Buckley and Tim Sprague.

First Place ND Alumni Cup Foursome – Sanzo Beverage [17 under par 55] -- 2nd year in a row!: Zach Goodsell (‘05), Bobby Martin (’04), Cam McDonald (‘10) and Arron “Red” McDonald (’13).

First Place Womens' Foursome [-2 under par 70] -- Karen Green, Seana Logsdon, Sharon Fisher and Sue Penepent            

Putting Contest sponsored by C.H. Wright: Chad LaCivita

Closest to the Pin -- Males – Jack Chmielowiec; Females – Sally Barie

Longest Drives – Males – Mikey Rapone ('02); Females – Katelyn Ferris

Tennis

First Place Singles: Diane Bonarigo

Second Place Doubles: Karen Tomm ('81) Hughes and Pavlo Huda

Second Place Doubles: Gary May and Mike Teresi ('08)

Bocce

First Place Team: Pat and Maria Robusto

Second Place Team: Annie Lawrence and Diane Fiorentino

2021Tournament Committee Membership

This year’s Committee did an amazing job organizing this year’s tournament under the trying COVID-19 conditions, which we were all forced to experience. Zoom meetings were held on a regular biweekly basis in order to coordinate what turned out to be a very successful outing! 

Chairpersons for this year's 24th Annual ND Foundation fundraiser included:

• Overall Tournament and Golf Chair: Jim Sutherland (’86)
• Tennis Chairperson: ND Board of Trustee Member Carm Pellegrino Reinhart ('69)
• Bocce Chairperson: Charlie Messina ('62) with assistance from Mike Del Plato ('64)
• Additional 2021Tournament Committee members included: ND Advancement coordinator Kate Edwards, ND Special Events coordinator Kathy Antinore, ND Principal Wade Bianco, and ND grads Jim Fanara (‘94), Jeremy Warner (’00), Connor Logsdon ('16) and Joe Scanlan, Ed.D. (’65).

Our 2021Tournament Committee would also like to recognize this year’s non-Committee volunteers: Brandi Fanara, Krista Fisher, Maria Fitzpatrick, Melanie Sutherland and Sarah Welker and ND employees Shannon Plath and Lorie Fix for a job well done, as well as extending a thank you to longtime ND faculty member Father Dick Csizmar [1969 -1994] for attending and saying Grace prior to our meal.

We hope to see everyone back for our 25th Annual ND Foundation Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament in 2022! Stay tuned to our ND webpage -- www.ndhsbatavia.com -- and Facebook pages, as well as upcoming ND online newsletters and e-blasts for more information about next year’s event date and location!

Thanks again for your participation in our annual tournament and support of Notre Dame High School’s tuition assistance program for families in need.

Go Irish!

From BPD:

The Batavia Muckdogs are proud to host the inaugural "Battle of the Badges" game between our local Police and Fire departments in Batavia.

The game will take place this Sunday, July 18th, on Give716 Day at the ballpark -- Western New York's community-wide day of giving.

Batavia will host the Elmira Pioneers for a 4:05 p.m. start, with the "Battle of the Badges" game following the completion of the Muckdogs vs. Pioneers game.

Tickets will be required for the police vs. fire matchup, and admission will be counted toward both games that occur on Sunday. Tickets range from $9-11, and a dollar is added if purchased the day of. For tickets, call (585) 524-2260.