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Press release:

Following the completion of the DRAFT City of Batavia Police Reform Plan it was presented to City Council for their input and subsequently made available to the public for further input.

The City has created a feedback form on the City’s website to receive written comments. The Plan and form can be located here:

https://www.batavianewyork.com/police-department/webforms/city-of-batavia-police-reform-plan

Please take the time to review the Plan and submit your comments as they relate directly to the plan.

Press release:

Building on the company’s comprehensive efforts to help slow the spread of the virus, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will begin to administer COVID-19 vaccines to eligible populations on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 32 CVS Pharmacy locations across New York, including Batavia.

For CVS Pharmacy locations that will begin to offer COVID-19 vaccinations on Feb. 11, appointments will become available for booking as early as Feb. 9 as stores receive shipments of vaccine.

Supply for the limited rollout in the state, which is sourced directly from the federal pharmacy partnership program, will be approximately 20,600 total doses.

Participating CVS Pharmacies are in communities throughout New York, including Batavia, Bethpage, Clinton, Cooperstown, Eastchester, Glenville, Hamburg, Hudson Falls, Kingston, Mattituck, Owego, Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Stony Point and Westfield.

As more supply becomes available the company will expand to more locations and offer additional appointments. 

“One of our greatest strengths as a company is our presence in communities across the country, which makes us an ideal partner for administering vaccines in a safe, convenient, and familiar manner,” said Karen S. Lynch, president and chief executive officer, CVS Health. “We continue to be grateful for the commitment of our frontline colleagues whose dedication has allowed us to deliver care and peace of mind throughout the pandemic.”

Vaccines at participating CVS Pharmacy locations in New York will be available to individuals meeting state criteria, which will confirmed by the state in advance of the rollout.

Patients must register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app, and people without online access can contact CVS customer service: (800) 746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.

The availability of COVID-19 vaccines in New York is part of an initial 11 state rollout and includes approximately 335 CVS Pharmacy locations across California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Vaccines will eventually be available at CVS Pharmacy locations throughout the country subject to product availability, with the capacity to administer 20 – 25 million shots per month.

In addition to making COVID-19 vaccines available in local pharmacy locations, CVS Health continues to make progress in its effort to vaccinate residents and staff at more than 1,200 long-term care facilities across New York. As made clear by regularly updated data CVS Health makes publicly available, first doses at all facilities in the state that selected CVS Health to provide COVID-19 vaccinations will be complete by mid-February with second doses well underway.

Multimedia assets, including b-roll and still photography from long-term care facility and in-store COVID-19 vaccinations, are available here. More information on steps CVS Health has taken to address the pandemic is available at the company's frequently updated COVID-19 resource center.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a different kind of health care company. We are a diversified health services company with nearly 300,000 employees united around a common purpose of helping people on their path to better health. In an increasingly connected and digital world, we are meeting people wherever they are and changing health care to meet their needs.

Built on a foundation of unmatched community presence, our diversified model engages one in three Americans each year. From our innovative new services at HealthHUB® locations, to transformative programs that help manage chronic conditions, we are making health care more accessible, more affordable and simply better. Learn more about how we're transforming health at www.cvshealth.com.

Press release:

As 2020 has drawn to a close, the City of Batavia Fire Department has evaluated the services and programs provided throughout the year in its continuous quality improvement process.

According to Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano, “the current pandemic has forced the department to implement a number of significant changes to our operational model and service delivery. Our service to the public remains our main mission.

"We are here to serve and these changes ensure that we are able to continue to provide the highest levels of service during this most unsettling time. Our ability to maintain our core mission and essential services such as fire protection and emergency medical services hinges on the ability of our staff to respond in the most efficient and sensible way possible while ensuring the health and safety of fire department staffing.”

Here's the summary for 2020:

• Total Incidents -- 2,264
• Fires -- 55 (vehicle, cooking, chimney, vegetation, forest, brush, rubbish, dumpster, outside equipment)
• Building Fires -- 7
• Overpressure Rupture, Explosion, Overheating -- 8
• Rescue & Emergency Medical Services -- 1,451
• Motor-vehicle Accidents -- 68
• Elevator Rescue -- 3
• Ice Rescue -- 1
• Swift Water Rescue -- 2
• Hazardous Conditions -- 120
• Service Calls -- 120
• Good Intent Calls -- 85
• False Alarm & False Calls -- 310
• Special incident Type -- 5
• Mutual Aid Given -- 29

Busiest Month -- January

Busiest Day -- Wednesday

Busiest Time of Day -- 7 to 8 p.m.

Slowest Month -- April

Slowest Day -- Saturday

Slowest Time of Day -- 2 to 3 a.m.

Response Time (dispatched to on-scene arrival)

8 minutes or less -- 100 percent

6 minutes or less -- 88 percent

4 minutes or less -- 53 percent

Number of times of two or more simultaneous calls -- 454

In addition to answering calls for service, the City of Batavia Fire Department conducted the following Community Risk Reduction (CRR) services and programs.

• Fire Prevention Programs -- 1,656 Points of Contact
• Fire Extinguisher Training -- 720 Points of Contact
• Smoke Detector Installations -- 27
• Carbon Monoxide Detector installations -- 7
• Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detector Battery Installs -- 25
• Car seat Inspection/Installation -- 72
• Car Seat Replacements -- 7
• Fire hydrants Flushed & Maintained -- 128
• Fire Hydrants Flow Tested -- 12
• Inspections, Commercial -- 354
• Inspections, Multi-family -- 42

Overall, the total call volume for the year was down by approximately 5 percent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic especially during the first and second quarters of the year. However, at this time, call volume for the current year are trending higher.

Lastly, the Fire Department would like to express their thanks to the many individuals and businesses who have shown support throughout the past year.

As always, you can contact the City of Batavia Fire Headquarters for any questions that you may have at (585) 345-6375.

Data Update –

• Genesee County received nine new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 30s, 50s, 60s and 80s. 
• Twenty-three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Twenty of the positive individuals are hospitalized.

​

Orleans County received 25 new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Four of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Eleven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Four of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Two of the new positive individuals are residents at the Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab.
• Two of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Orleans Correctional Facility.

A student from the GV BOCES Practical Nursing Program was named to serve on the New York State (NYS) Advisory Board to Post-secondary Vocational Practical Nursing Education Programs.

Lauren Zaino has the distinction of being the only student to serve on this board, which is made up of nursing educators and public employers. 

Zaino attended her first board meeting, held virtually, in December. Her role on the board is to speak of the student experience, providing insight into the issues discussed and their possible impact.  

A Genesee County resident, Zaino will graduate in March with her Practical Nursing Certificate from the Genesee Valley BOCES Practical Nursing Adult Education Program.

It is a New York State Accredited program; the certificate allows her to take the NYS board exam in order to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Her future goals include becoming a Nurse Practitioner.

“This is truly an honor for Lauren to be selected,” said Heidi Mix, Regional Medical Programs coordinator for the GV BOCES. “This is a great opportunity for our Adult Education Program and most importantly, helps our students to get involved early on in professional committees.” 

The purpose of the Advisory Board is to assist the Director and the staff of the Office of the Professions, Division of Professional Education Program Review, in the accreditation process for licensing qualifying practical nurse programs offered in post-secondary vocational schools and Educational Opportunity Centers. Mix is the acting chair of the 2021 Advisory Board. 

The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by these institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, with programmatic, institutional, regional or national scope, develop evaluation standards and criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether those standards and criteria are met.

Press release:

The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund, a collaborative philanthropic effort launched in March 2020 to address the COVID-19 crisis in our community, is announcing an important mark of progress for one of its Moving Forward Together initiatives convened to address food security. 

Understanding that food security has been a major need during the COVID-19 crisis, a community-focused, regionally coordinated planning initiative is now underway. This initiative called Food Future WNY includes more than 100 partners representing the entire spectrum of the food system in our region.

Working across nine counties and various sectors, the objective is to address the entrenched and chronic conditions that have perpetuated long-term food insecurity and hurt food-based economies. The highly participatory nature of this project will assure that authenticity of all voices will be evident in the process and final product. 

A food system includes all the processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population. Regional food systems refer to place-specific clusters of agricultural producers of all kinds, along with consumers and institutions engaged in production, aggregation, processing, packaging, distribution, marketing, consumption, and disposal of food and food-related items.

Following a national search for best-in-class experts that understand the complexity of the food systems from rural to urban challenges facing all sectors of the system, the effort is pleased to announce they have hired SCALE Inc., led by Anthony Flaccavento, for this nine-county effort stretching from Chautauqua County to Monroe County (including Genesee County). Southern Tier West Development Foundation has taken on the role of fiscal sponsor and project co-lead. 

“The ultimate goal of this new effort is to tackle entrenched challenges in new ways and to emerge from COVID-19 with a regional food system that is more effective, efficient and resilient," said Kimberly LaMendola, regional development coordinator, Southern Tier West Regional Planning & Development Board.

"Farmers, producers and processors will be more independent and less reliant on large, centralized hubs; families will have easier access to healthy and affordable groceries; and we will create new food-related jobs that contribute to the economic development of the region. Our collective group is excited about the SCALE team’s wide range of proven experience in strengthening food systems and we are excited about moving this regional effort forward together.”  

SCALE is joined by a curated team of food systems experts: John Fisk, former director of the Wallace Center and instigator of the National Good Food Network; Euneika Rogers-Sipp, founder of Destination Design School of Agricultural Estates, who has also been a Loeb Fellow at Harvard and a BALLE Local Economy Fellow; and Michael Shuman, one of the leading national thinkers and global experts on building local economies and harnessing local capital and investment.  

“We recognized tremendous potential to make much needed change in Western New York to improve the food system and we are already impressed by the level of collaboration underway across the region,” Flaccavento said. “As a farmer myself, I know how challenging it can be to manage the land well, help local communities eat better, and still make a little profit.

"But every one of those challenges is an opportunity. That’s why we are committed to helping facilitate the development of a community-led strategy for shifting the region’s food system to one that is more equitable and resilient, builds wealth in rural and urban communities, promotes health, and is environmentally sustainable.”

Beth Gosch, executive director of the Western New York Foundation, has taken a lead role in designing a process to address this challenge facing our community that is effective and highly inclusive.

“I am so proud of my colleagues who recognize and support an effort that puts the practitioners, experts, and those most impacted by the inequities of the system, at the center, and in a position to assess the regional needs that they are so intimately aware of," Gosch said. "This effort will empower many to recommend the strategy to address the challenges and create new opportunities for prosperity in this region. With the guidance of Anthony and his remarkable team, we can expect to see real change that will affect real people.”

“In addition to addressing the immediate and real food security needs in our communities through the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund, this new planning effort has the opportunity to help nurture a best-in-class food system that can ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all, and building the food ecosystem can also be a platform for economic growth and prosperity in our region,” said Lavea Brachman, vice president of Programs for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

As of Dec. 31, the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund has awarded more than $8.1 million to more than 400 nonprofits through immediate emergency grant funding and the Moving Forward Together initiative, including a grant to partially support this food systems effort. Other funders of this food system initiative include the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the Western New York Foundation. 

Learn more about the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund at www.WNYResponds.org.

Press release:

There are many aspects to consider when starting a livestock farm, such as land, what to sell, and how to sell it. Cornell Cooperative Extension’s specialists Nancy Glazier and Joan Sinclair Petzen are offering a beginning farmer educational series via Zoom beginning 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24; second session is Wednesday, March 10.

The two sessions will cover resource assessment, business planning, basic bookkeeping and budgeting. Time will be available each evening for discussion. Follow-up sessions will be held biweekly if there is enough interest.

The goal of workshops is to provide livestock farms the right tools to get started.  

The cost of the workshops is $20 per person or farm couple. Preregistration is required by Feb. 17. Register online, or by calling Brandie Waite at (585) 343-3040, ext. 138. For workshop questions, please call Nancy Glazier at: (585) 315-7746 or email nig3@cornell.edu.

Press release:

Genesee County received 46 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. 
• Fifty of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 
• Twenty of the positive individuals are hospitalized.

​

• Orleans County received 36 new positive cases of COVID-19. 
• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• Seven of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Fifty-six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Four of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Five of the new positive individuals is a resident at the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.
• We are very sad to report the COVID-related death of three of our county residents. Two of the individuals were under the age of 65 and one of the individuals was over the age of 65. We will not be reporting any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their families. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these individuals at this very sad time.
• We are saddened to report the COVID-related death of a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. The individual was under the age of 65. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual at this very sad time.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.42, up 2 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.48. The New York State average is $2.51 – up 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.66.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.39 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.43 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.47 (no change since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.46 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.53 (up 2 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.43 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.54 (up 2 cents since last week)

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $2.42, only 6 cents less than last year at this time. Local prices still have a larger disparity compared to last year. Pump prices are increasing while gas demand is dropping, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Although gas demand dropped, and total refinery utilization decreased, pump prices have increased moderately, signaling that expensive crude oil prices are driving the price.

As of this morning, WTI crude is priced over $52 a barrel. Recently market concerns signaled that crude demand may take more time than expected to recover this year due to new coronavirus infections and associated travel restrictions.

From GasBuddy:

"Gas price increases continue to slow down as oil prices fail to continue moving upward, even as gasoline demand continues to show new signs of improving recovery," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "According to Pay with GasBuddy data, Friday gasoline demand was the highest since November, while Saturday gasoline demand was the strongest of any Saturday since the pandemic began.

"The rise in gasoline demand has certainly been behind oil's rally in the last few months, as COVID restrictions continue to ease and the economy slowly continues recovery. While the next few weeks may see gas prices rising slightly, the real pinch could come in March and lasting through summer, should demand continue on this path."

Press release:

Continuing his advocacy for New York’s craft beverage industry, today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced the inclusion of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) in the FY2020 end-of-year omnibus legislation.

It will permanently reduce excise taxes for brewers, vintners, cider makers, and distillers and remove regulatory barriers to help New York’s craft beverage industry stay afloat.

Schumer explained that the legislation will provide critical economic relief for craft beverage alcohol producers across the state, many of whom have seen a significant decline in revenue and are struggling to remain open as a result of the ongoing economic crisis, especially those whose sales are mainly on premise.

“Craft beverage producers throughout New York not only brew, bottle, and distill great products, but they also attract visitors and pour hundreds of jobs into their local communities,” Senator Schumer said. “By making permanent the reduced tax rates for New York producers and removing regulatory barrier to accelerate growth, we can help local brewers, vintners, cider makers, and distillers make it through this economic crisis.”

Schumer added, “I have always said that New York’s breweries, wineries, and distilleries are the crown jewel of so many of our communities, with many of them bringing the added benefit of growing and reinvesting in their local economies. So by putting more money back into the hands of these businesses and making sure they are not choked off by bureaucratic red tape, we can ensure our craft beverage producers can tap into their full potential and make a full recovery from this downturn.”

There are an estimated 462 breweries, 450 wineries, 186 distilleries and 72 cideries across the state, supporting tens of thousands of New York jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the state’s economy:

• According to the Brewers Association, the craft beer industry has created approximately 29,000 full-time jobs in the state, with an annual economic impact of $4.9 billion.
• The New York Wine and Grape Foundation’s 2019 Economic Impact Study reveals that New York’s wine and grape industry directly created 71,950 jobs and contributes $6.65 billion in direct economic impact.
• According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, New York’s distilled spirits industry supports 93,860 jobs and contributes $8.3 billion to the state’s GDP.

Brewers, vintners, cider makers, and distillers across New York celebrated the inclusion of the CBMTRA.

Sam Filler, executive director of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, said, “The New York grape and wine industry applauds Senator Schumer’s steadfast advocacy for the industry in Washington, D.C., by making CBMTRA permanent, which will ensure that the industry continues to grow and positively impact New York’s economy.”

Paul Leone, executive director New York State Brewers Association, said, “For five years we’ve been trying to make the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act permanent, and for all of those five years Senator Schumer has been right there with us leading the charge to make this a reality. With everything going on in the world, he never forgot about the craft beverage community in New York State and thanks to his efforts, along with strong bipartisan congressional support, brewers in this state will continue to save money on their federal excise taxes to help them through this pandemic and beyond.”

“Thanks to Senator Schumer and his staff for working hard to build bipartisan support for this critical legislation that prevents a costly tax increase to all brewers and beer importers,” said Mary Beth Popp, vice president of corporate communications, FIFCO USA, parent company of Labatt USA and Genesee Brewing. “This legislation recognizes the significant impact our industry makes, providing millions of jobs while also contributing to the U.S. economy.”

“This is a huge help to small breweries like Ithaca Beer,” said Dan Mitchell, founder of Ithaca Beer Company Inc. “It allows us to take the savings we see from TTB taxes and put them back into the business to help us grow. Specifically, it allows us to hire more people, and address some other financial challenges we see as a small Craft Brewer."

Jason Barrett, president and master distiller Black Button Distilling in Rochester, said, “Words cannot fully express what making CBMTRA means to my team and I. The ability to not only keep our staff working, invest in our community and follow our passion has been secured by this action. When we came to Senator Schumer a few weeks ago we were just hoping for a one year reprieve.

"I never would have imagined we would have the ability to actually make long term plans for our business and sincerely thank Senator Schumer for pushing to make this happen. Thousands of New York state families will sleep a little easier now knowing their jobs will still be there in 2021.”

Kim Wagner, owner Stoutridge Vineyard and Distillery in Marlboro, said, “Small, family businesses are the backbone of the economy. The uncertainty over the last few years regarding the CBMTRA has significantly impacted our ability to grow our business. Because we age our products for multiple years, we had to manage production and cashflow to ensure that if the CBMTRA expired we would be able to make our excise tax payments when our products were ready for sale.

"Having the CBMTRA made permanent gives us the predictability we need to increase production and optimize investment in our business. Senator Schumer’s leadership and the strong support of the New York Congressional delegation was critical to making this happen. There are over one thousand craft beverage businesses in New York State and each of us, our staffs and our communities will benefit from this legislation.”

Elizabeth Ryan, farmer and owner, Breezy Hill Orchard and Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider in Staatsburg, said "The Craft Beverage Modernization Act has been a critical instrument for supporting the expansion of the Craft Beverage industry. The growth of domestic craft beverages has been an economic engine for farms and local economies, stimulating investment and job creation.

"I have been producing hard cider in the Hudson Valley since 1996. There have been many hurdles to overcome on the regulatory and taxation front. Particularly now as craft producers face challenges both financial and operational due to the COVID pandemic, the permanent extension of the CBMA will significantly help craft producers expand and thrive instead of contracting and struggling. On behalf of farmers, apple growers, we thank Senator Schumer for his continued commitment, vision and hard work."

Schumer joined Senator Wyden (D-OR) and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the CBMTRA. Specifically, the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act:

• For beer, it reduces the rate for small brewers (making no more than 2 million barrels annually ) to $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels, and $16 per barrel on the remaining ones. Large brewers and beer importers can benefit from a reduced excise tax rate of $16 per barrel, reduced from $18 per barrel, on the first 6 million barrels. It also allows for the transfer of beer in bond between two breweries, regardless of who owns such facility.
• For wine, it establishes a new tiered tax credit system for wine produced in the United States or imported: $1 for the first 30,000 wine gallons, $0.90 for the next 100,000 wine gallons, and $0.535 for the next 620,000 wine gallons. Hard cider is taxed as wine, subject to lower rates and a reduced credit amount.
• For distilled spirits, it makes permanent the reduced rate of $2.70 per proof gallon for the first 100,000 proof gallons of distilled spirits produced or imported annually, and a rate of $13.34 per proof gallon for the next 22,130,000 proof gallons of distilled spirits.

Press release:

Children who reside in the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and who will be 4 years old by Dec. 1 are eligible to be registered for our Universal prekindergarten (UPK) program for the 2021-2012 school year.

The children attend five days per week, each day, for 180 days, at no cost to you. Transportation is provided for students who are 4 years old

Students that start the program at 3 years old must be transported by the family until they turn 4.

Registration packets have been mailed. If you do not receive a packet by Feb. 15 please call the elementary office at (585) 948-5211, ext. 3211, or email kfisher@oahornets.org to request one.

Registration paperwork needs to be returned by mail or in person to the elementary school office by March 5.

Space is limited so please return your paperwork as soon as possible in order to avoid being placed on a wait list.    

Press release from Genesee Region USBC:

A little more than 14 months after recording his first United States Bowling Congress-certified 800 series, Albion resident Brandon Gurnsey has a 300 game to go along with it.

Gurnsey, a 32-year-old right-hander, rolled games of 201-300-221 for a 722 series this week on lanes 9-10 in the Sneezy's Monday Night League at his hometown bowling center, Oak Orchard Bowl.

It was on Nov. 25, 2019 when Gurnsey, a bus mechanic for the Spencerport Central School District, posted an 812 series at Oak Orchard Bowl with games of 276-279-257.

In Monday's action, he said he moved a few boards right on the approach after the opening 201, placing his Roto-Grip Halo ball between the second and third arrows. He proceeded to guide the next 11 balls to the pocket for strikes before tugging the 12th shot and coming up high.

"I could hear people in the background who were videotaping (the last frame) on their phones yell out, 'Oh no,' " Gurnsey said, realizing that he pulled the ball left of target. "I left the 6-7-10 split, but the 6-10 fell over and then the 7-pin somehow fell off the back of the deck."

Bowling for the Brooklyn Bombers team, Gurnsey raised his average this season to 219, his best ever. His previous high game was 299, which he achieved on two occasions.

In other action around the Genesee Region:

• William Yates of Churchville just missed perfection, leaving a 7-pin on the final ball for a 299 on lanes 1-2 in the Thursday Owls League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen. The 64-year-old right-hander started with 228 and finished with 233 for a sparkling 760 series.

• Diane Hurlburt of Warsaw continued her stellar bowling of late with a 694 series in the Thursday Night League at Perry Bowling Center. The previous week, Hurlburt registered a 738 series.

• In action from the previous week, Curtis Foss of Medina rolled his third 300 game of the season en route to a 775 series in the Thursday Men's Triples League at Oak Orchard Bowl.

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

Submitted photo and press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) has designated Margaret Peri of Batavia as the New York 27th Congressional District Veteran of the Month for January of 2021.

“Western New York is home to incredible veterans who not only served our nation honorably but have returned and dedicated their lives to serving our communities,” Jacobs said. “Margaret Peri has continuously answered the call to serve our nation, our local community, and distant communities that have been struck by natural disaster.

"Her selfless and dedicated service exemplifies what it truly means to be an American, and I am honored to designate her NY-27’s Veteran of the Month.”

Peri served in the Army from July of 1975 through September of 1978. Throughout her military service, she was a Chapel Activities Specialist, and her dedication to comforting and caring for patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center earned her the Army Commendation Medal.

Following her military career, she served the people of Genesee County for more than 38 years in the Department of Social Services. She has also been a dedicated volunteer going on natural disaster relief mission trips to Ireland, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Peri is also a member of the Eight Days of Hope Ministry and has been actively participating in food drives and food delivery for Western New York residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Press release:

Please be advised that Batavia City Council will be holding the 2021/22 budget work sessions on the following dates:

Monday, Feb.1 at 6 p.m. -- 2^nd  Budget Work Session (General Gov’t, General Admin. Services, & Police);
Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. -- 3^rd  Budget Work Session (DPW, Fire);
Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. -- Business Meeting, introduce budget ordinance;
Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. -- Conference Meeting, last opportunity to make budget amendments;
Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. -- Adopt budget and related resolutions.

As the Yellow Zone restriction was lifted from Batavia, this meeting will be open to the public with appropriate facemasks, social distancing and temperature screening upon arrival.

Data Update –

• Genesee County received 46 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.  
• Thirty-nine of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Correction: The following two cases previously identified as residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility were double counted and have been retracted from today’s data; A case in his/her 80s and a case in his/her 60s.
• Twenty-one of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive cases is a resident of the Batavia VA Medical Center. 
• One of the new positive cases is a resident of Premier Genesee. 
• We are saddened to report the loss of two individuals over the age of 65 who were residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility. We do not provide any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. Our deepest condolences to the families and friends during this very difficult time.
• Correction: Two cases previously reported as residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility are community members and have been retracted from today’s data. 

Orleans County received eight new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 40s and 70s.
• Two of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Twenty of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Seven of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive individuals is a resident at the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.
• We are very sad to report the COVID-related death of one of our county residents. The person was over 65. We will not be reporting any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual at this very sad time.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) has joined a bipartisan group to call on the Biden Administration to work with the Canadian government to develop a cooperative plan to reduce cross-border travel restrictions.

“Reopening our Northern Border will have a direct impact on improving our local economy and allow for businesses and key industries relying on cross-border travelers to receive a much-needed boost,” Jacobs said.

“In addition to injecting needed dollars into our struggling local economy, opening the border is of great personal concern for family members who have been separated for almost a year and property owners who have been unable to maintain or even check on their homes.”

The letter, signed by 24 representatives including Rep. Jacobs and New York reps. Stefanik, Higgins, Katko, and Reed calls for the Biden Administration to develop a binational plan to cooperatively reopen the Northern Border and identifies five key actions that need to be taken:

• Establish a Bilateral Plan for Restoring Travel – Both U.S. states and Canadian provinces have created extensive frameworks for reopening their respective economies based on public health metrics and criteria identified by public health experts. While these have guided reopening decisions in their respective territories, the U.S. and Canadian governments have yet to work collaboratively to use their existing frameworks to develop guidance for reopening the U.S. – Canadian border.
• Prioritize Vaccines and Testing for All CBP Staff – Agents and staff of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) work on the frontlines to protect American interests and citizens. We need to ensure they have a continued supply of necessary PPE and that eligibility for vaccinations is expanded beyond its current level of only personnel within a 200-mile radius of a Veterans Affairs hospital.
• Allow for Families to Safely Reunite – Since the travel restrictions were first implemented, Canada has expanded exemptions to allow family members and extended family members to enter Canada. However, the United States has yet to offer a similar procedure for land border crossings.
• Develop a Policy for Property Owners – Individuals who own property in Canada have been unable to travel by car to their homes to conduct maintenance and collect necessary belongings, despite the ability to implement safe procedures such as a negative COVID-19 test before traveling and implementing quarantine guidance.
• Ensure Reciprocal Access to Transit through Boundary Waters – During the coronavirus pandemic, Canadian boaters and boat tour operators have enjoyed access to U.S. waters so long as they did not dock at a U.S. port. U.S. boaters have not had the same reciprocal treatment from Canadian authorities. This has particularly harmed the U.S. boat tour industry, which has been unable to conduct unrestricted tours resulting in lost revenues.

“The Biden Administration has indicated through an executive order that they are pursuing a plan to open the U.S. – Canadian Border safely. I urge them to work collaboratively with the Canadian government to develop an actionable plan that puts a stop to the endlessly extended travel restrictions and uncertainty for thousands of businesses, cross-border families, and American homeowners,” Jacobs said.