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Public comments about a remediation project on the city’s east side will be taken up to Sept. 21, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials say.

The project, first outlined in an April 21, 2023 article on The Batavian, is part of the Clean Water Act for Basket Place LLC, located at 34-40 Clinton St., Batavia. 

Action on the privately owned Basket Place parcel was to begin in May, to address contamination, with a site-specific health and safety plan and a Community Air Monitoring Plan to be implemented during remediation activities. 

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Lapp Insulators Co. LLC changed a decades-old process to incorporate new technology and equipment that results in energy savings, lower operating costs, and a safer work environment. The changes also earned the Le Roy-based company $27,000 in energy efficiency incentives from National Grid.

Lapp is a leading

The Birds and Bees Protection Act is a seemingly simple enough and all-natural sounding title that most anyone would be for it, wouldn’t they?

Well, not everyone. Shelley Stein, CEO of Stein Farms in Le Roy, said she had to speak up as a farmer and "a person who understands the ramifications of policy on our farmers, and our consumers, and what this is going to mean to the economy of Genesee County."

Jennifer Wesp had about a month to prepare for her first big day in welcoming students onto Batavia High School’s State Street campus Wednesday.

And prepared she was, anxiously waiting to greet them at 7:20 a.m.

“It was so exciting to see the students today. Many teachers and support staff came in early in order to spend some connection time before the first bell,” the newly hired principal said after a full day of meet-and-greets and ensuring all went well on this day of return after summer. “The air was filled with chatter and laughter. I was able to get into many classrooms throughout the day. Teachers had planned many activities that revolved around building community and getting to know each other. Overall, it was an amazing start to the year.”

The next steps are yet to be determined.

That seems to be the ongoing response from city and county officials in the aftermath of an announcement by CEO Samuel Savarino that his company will be ceasing operations and laying off its employees.

Savarino is the developer of Ellicott Station, the four-story apartment complex touted as an economic lifesaver for downtown Batavia and for working individuals and families in need of an affordable, quality and safe place to live.

That economic vision was blurred earlier this year when the online rental application indicated income requirements of very low to low ranges, seemingly squelching the notion that the units would indeed be for workforce individuals. The Batavian had reached out to Savarino requesting details about a lottery that awarded rentals to 55 tenants. He wasn’t privy to such information, he had said at the time.

The Batavian was the first and only news source to report on the apparent requirements and changes in income at Ellicott Station. You can help community-minded local reporting continue by joining Early Access Pass.

By Chris Suozzi

Accelerating as they hit the final stretch to cross the finish line, pairs of boxcar derby racers dipped their heads. It was one of many lessons I was pleased to share with youth aged 7 -13 gained through a Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation-sponsored program.

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Friends, families, and community members gathered at the Batavia Downs Wednesday evening to celebrate Arc GLOW’s inaugural Awards Banquet and Annual Meeting since their merger in 2021.

Over 250 people came, including Erik Geizer, chief executive officer for The Arc of New York; Merle “Skip” Draper, from

Based on feedback from the community, the engineer and property owner planning an apartment complex at 8900 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, have scaled back the project, the Pembroke Planning Board learned on Wednesday night before voting 6-1 to let the development move forward.

A month ago, when the plan was last publicly discussed, developer Michael Schmidt and engineer Michael Metzger were planning six buildings in the complex and a total of 144 apartments with 326 parking spaces.

The new site plan calls for four buildings -- plus garages -- with 96 apartments and 168 parking spaces.