genesee county

Press Release:

Starting Tuesday, September 3 Genesee County offices and departments will return to the general business hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., concluding the summer hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

The change will not affect the total number of hours that County offices are open to the public.

Conundrum.

It’s what folks with their backs against the wall call a state protocol that mandates they abide by it no matter the cost, even when the cost might be astronomical, and in more ways than one.

The more official definition is a confusing or difficult problem or question. Insert New York State’s impending electric vehicle mandate, expected to fully begin taking effect by 2030, and ask Genesee County Public Works Commissioner Tim Hens what that’s going to mean in terms of expense and logistics for the department, and the two-digit conundrum he will face as result.

Would you believe about $80 million?

“And that’s not even counting the fact that you probably aren’t going to have the electric in the system to provide chargers for 54 trucks all at the same time,” Hens said during an interview with The Batavian. 

Just how does he arrive at such a figure? Well, electric vehicles have an estimated hour’s long charge to go out and do the snow plowing, he said, which means you would need back-ups for the trucks you need out on the roads in the first place. Each truck takes six hours to charge, so that would have be accounted for as well. 

“So we have six trucks that run snowplow routes. So if I’ve got to do six times nine, I’ve got to buy 54 trucks. My building is designed for six, so I need a new building to hold 54 trucks. I need 54 chargers. The Level One chargers are a couple hundred thousand a piece, so I’m looking at a new building. So there’s a $30 to $40 million building, plus 54 trucks at, let’s say, $700,000 a piece. That’s another $40 million.”

Then there’s dealing with the staff, having drivers out with a truck an hour at a time before having to return for another vehicle. They have to plug the used truck back in, load the other one up and go back out. He said what used to take three hours is most likely going to now take five or six hours. It’s a longer shift, or more help would have to be hired, he said. Overtime would have to be managed. 

“Instead of three-hour routes, we have three times as many people and three times as many trucks, and everybody goes out at the same time. And now the routes are only an hour long instead of three hours long,” he said, noting the strain the electric use would have. “Right now, a Level Three charger is a 90 amp, and I think the heavy-duty ones might be 90 to 120 amps a piece. So if you’ve got 54 of those, that’s almost five megawatts. And that’s probably three or four times what’s available in the grid at any given point.”

When Hens thinks back to the blizzard in December 2022, he knows the outcome would have been different with these future regulations in place.

“You know what's going to end up happening is the taxpayers are going to have to foot such an exorbitant bill, they're going to flip out. And really, what will be the straw that breaks the camel's back? It will be if there's a blizzard and people die because they're stuck in snow, or we can't plow because the plows don't push snow when it's five below zero in a 60-mile-an-hour wind,” he said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do what we did. We would have had people dying.”

Yet when members of the County Highway Superintendent Association have raised their concerns with the people establishing these regulations, they’re told, “We’ll figure it out.”

“It's so disjointed that you can't even really describe it to somebody. When people look at you like, what? What is Albany planning? you guys tell them this, and no one's listening to you. It's frustrating. And it honestly doesn't matter if it's a Republican county or a Democratic county. It is full on. None of the professionals in the industry think it makes any sense, and everyone's against it,” Hens said. “We had a presentation at one of our professional development conferences last January and the guy worked for Tesla, he’s an electronics guy. He was even saying electrifying the heavy-duty, over-the-road and construction fleet is not feasible at this point. 

"If you electrified every over-the-road truck, every single truck stop in the United States across the map, you would have to have a 40 to 50-megawatt power source at that truck stop so the trucks can recharge and keep going on the roads," he said. "It's hysterical. It's comical if you start throwing out the real numbers and the facts out there.”

He said that inside that climate-friendly vehicle are 20,000 pounds of batteries in a heavy-duty dump truck that will be dead and without any resale value in 10 years. 

To clarify, Hens is not against going green where possible and helping to save the planet. But there are ways that make more sense than using heavy-duty trucks, he said. 

“I want to be as green as the next person. There are a lot of places where the electric vehicles make sense, like the postal routes, or even like our facility maintenance vehicles for the county that just go from building to building to building all day,” he said. “Absolutely, those could be green, you know, plugged in, or some other green system. But you have to be practical about it.”

New York’s Advance Clean Truck Rule is to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. It will build upon existing regulations enacted in New York in 2012 by requiring all new sales of passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs to be zero-emission by 2035. It would require an increasing percentage of new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), starting with 35 percent of sales in the model year 2026, 68 percent of sales by 2030, and 100 percent of sales by 2035. 

New pollutant standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles with internal combustion engines from model years 2026 through 2034 would also be required. The regulation allows manufacturers to meet the emission requirements and successfully transition to cleaner vehicles.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley has appealed to Gov. Kathy Hochul to delay the regulation’s enforcement after he has been contacted by several constituents that tried to purchase new trucks for their small businesses. 

“The regulations set to start in January 2025 are already affecting vehicle retailers to sell heavy-duty vehicles because there are so many unanswered questions for the consumers,” Hawley said in a letter to Hochul. “The Legislature passed, as part of the 2024-25 budget, a directive to the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (ERDA) to conduct a highway and depot charging needs evaluation within the next 18 months. This study should be done prior to implementing mandates on an industry that is imperative to New York State.”

Hawley fully supports and agrees with the state Automobile Dealers Association and the Trucking Association, both which expressed concerns about the new regulation, he said. Both organizations just want a more thorough examination of the regulations before they are fully implemented, and Hawley asked that Hochul allow for the ERDA to complete its evaluation. 

Previously: New electric vehicle regs frustrate local waste hauler as he finds a way to keep moving forward

Press Release:

Both on and off the field, the Genesee County Spartans achieved what they set out to do this season in the Northeastern Football Alliance semipro league.

That’s the assessment of Head Coach Harry Rascoe and Board President Tammy Hathaway, who pointed to the team’s 7-3 record and an “all for one, one for all” attitude that bodes well for the 2025 campaign.

“We made great strides this year, without a doubt,” Rascoe said. “Our only losses were to (league champion) Lockport and there were no instances of misconduct. We’re only a couple players away from contending for the title.”

In its return to the football scene last season, the organization was hampered by a lack of discipline on the field.

Hathaway said that the codes of conduct put into place this season and the leadership of the team’s captains resulted in an organization that local fans could get behind.

“Speaking for the board of directors, I couldn’t be more pleased with the players’ performance in every aspect,” Hathaway said. “Hopefully, we’re building something special here.”

Recently, the team learned that nine players were named as league all-stars and have been invited to play in an East vs. West game on September 28 in Apalachin, home of the Broome County Stallions.

All-stars on offense: Wide receiver Deyonci Farley, tackle Jordan Chambers and guard Anthony Natrigo.

All-stars on defense: Linebackers Kaden Marucci and Marley English, linemen Gunner Rapone, Steve Kowalczyk and Jalen White, and defensive back/returner Jzhon Henderson.

Rascoe said the team’s awards banquet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. October 5 at T.F. Brown’s Restaurant in Batavia. For more information, contact Rascoe at rascoeh@yahoo.com or go to the Spartans’ Facebook page - Genesee County Spartans.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is seeking applicants for the Deputy Sheriff exam, with applications due by August 28. The examination is scheduled for September 28.

Interested candidates can find the exam application, job description, and minimum qualifications on the Genesee County Human Resources page at www.geneseeny.gov.

The Sheriff's Office is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified individuals to apply, regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or marital status.

For additional information and to apply, visit www.geneseeny.gov/departments/humanresources/exams.php.

Press Release:

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes is allocating more than $8 million in multi-year program grants and bridge funding support to nonprofits across its six-county service area—the investment will create transformative change in communities in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region.  

Thanks to the considerable generosity of the 30,000 donors who invest with the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, and its workplace partners, the multi-year program grants— the first available funding opportunity in United Way’s 2025 funding and resource allocation strategy--were awarded to 97 programs representing 89 nonprofit organizations. Additional bridge support funding is available to the nearly 200 current multi-year grant recipients. Funding distribution beings in January 2025.

“United Way is a community-driven organization. We listen and respond to the community needs,” said United Way President & CEO Jaime Saunders. “The multi-year grants are one component of a robust support strategy for our nonprofit sector. We recognize that the needs of our neighbors are significant and immediate—they can’t wait for our full strategy evolution, thus we are not only committed to supporting the 2025 multi-year recipients but also supporting any transition of important services provided by our current multi-year partners today.”

2025 Multi-Year Program Grant Recipients 

The following multi-year program grant recipients represent nonprofit organizations and/or their funded program. This is an initial award list. Approximately forty-one programs awarded 2025 multi-year grants are in process and not listed. We will share a full list at the end of the year once the campaign and contracts are finalized. 

Recipients were selected through a double-blind, comprehensive review process based on many factors including their alignment with the following United Way Worldwide informed impact areas. The reviews were conducted by staff and a volunteer review committee.  Two-, three-, and five-year program grants were awarded. The total funding received by all is dependent on the success of United Way’s 2024 campaign with an estimated $6 million to be distributed for this initial grant offering.  

Financial Security

United Way’s partnership supports programs that ensure our neighbors have access to the necessary tools to increase income, build wealth and improve financial stability. 

• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc.’s Financial Counseling Program
• Family Promise of Greater Rochester, Inc.’s Eviction Prevention & Homelessness Diversion Program
• Keeping Our Promise, Inc.’s Safe Passage Housing Initiative Program
• Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County, Inc.’s Adult Tutoring Program
• MHA Rochester/Monroe County’s Peer Training Academy Program
• Monroe Community College Foundation’s Money Smart Financial Coaching Program
• PathStone Corporation’s PathStone Genesee County Housing Stability Program
• Person Centered Housing Option’s Housing First and Care Management Program
• Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Career Ladder Program
• Wayne County Action Program, Inc.’s STEADY Work Program
• Worker Justice Center of New York, Inc.’s Rise Up! Women in Motion Program
• Healthy Community  
• United Way’s partnership supports programs that improve the health of our community throughout the lifespan with a focus on the social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.
• Cancer Action, Inc.’s Mapping My Journey in Communities of Color Program
• Catholic Charities Steuben/Livingston’s Emergency Services, Livingston County Program
• Challenger Miracle Field of WNY’s Miracle Field: Health Equity for People with Development Disabilities Program
• The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester’s Supporting Children and Families Impacted by Abuse Program  
• Dansville Food Pantry’s Dansville Food Pantry Program
• Deaf Refugee Advocacy, Inc.’s Healthy Deaf Community Supports Program
• Family Promise of Ontario County, Inc.’s Homeless Shelter and Eviction Prevention Program
• JustCause’s Volunteer Attorney Family Law Legal Services Program
• The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY, Inc.’s Access to Justice for Survivors of Domestic Violence Program
• The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY, Inc.’s Immigrant Basic Needs Advocacy Program
• The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY, Inc.’s Youth Advocacy for Academic Success Program
• Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.’s Finger Lakes Community Legal Assistance Program
• Reach Advocacy, Inc.’s Project Haven Program
• Salvation Army of Geneva, Geneva’s Emergency Assistance Programs
• Spot-Canandaigua, Inc.’s School Based Resource Rooms Program
• St. Vincent DePaul Society’s Food Voucher Program
• Survivor Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes’ Bridgeway: Connecting Survivors to an Empowered Life Program
• The Housing Council at PathStone’s The Housing Council Housing Stability Program
• URMC Noyes Health’s Home Safe Home Program
• Venture Compassionate Ministries, Inc.’s Food Pantry Program  
• UR Medicine Home Care’s Meals on Wheels Program
• Volunteers of America Upstate New York’s Emergency Shelter for Homeless Families Program
• WAVE Women, Inc.’s My Way Project: Transcending Humanity Program
• Warrior House of WNY’s Aging Strong Program
• Wayne County Action Program, Inc.’s Optimal Health Program
• Willow Domestic Violence Center’s Emergency Shelter Program
• One Stop Re-entry Continuum of Care Expansion 2025 Program

Youth Opportunity

United Way’s partnership supports programs that help put children on the path to success by supporting their development from early childhood to young adulthood.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester, NY’s Mentoring Youth for Educational Success Program
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester, NY’s Site-Based Mentoring Program
• Boy Scouts of America, Seneca Waterways Council’s Career Exploration Program
• Hillside Children’s Center’s Hillside Work Scholarship Connection Program
• Hillside Children’s Center’s Parents as Teachers Program
• Hope Center of Leroy’s Fresh Start Tutoring Program
• Hub585, Inc.’s Mentoring Program
• Mission Fulfilled 2030’s Certified BIPOC Boys Initiative Program
• Mt. Hope Family Center’s Building Health Children Program
• Roc Royal, Inc.’s 585 Dream Afterschool Program
• Society for the Protection and Care of Children’s Teenage Parent Support Services Program
• The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc.’s Neighborhood-based Youth Organizing Program
• United Youth Music and Arts, Inc.’s Socioemotional Learning with Drumline Program
• Wayne County Action Program, Inc.’s Community Schools Integrated Supports Program
• Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center, Inc.’s Health Career Exploration Program
• Women's Empowerment Program  

Community Resiliency  

United Way’s partnership with programs that help individuals and communities have access to disaster relief and recovery, emergency preparedness, crisis hotline and support, and environmental stewardship and sustainability.

• Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ 211/LIFE LINE Program

Bridge Support Funding Recipients

• Action for a Better Community, Inc.
• Alex Eligh Community Center
• All Babies Cherished Pregnancy Assistance Center
• American Red Cross, Greater Rochester Chapter
• Baden Street Settlement
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester NY
• Bishop Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation
• Bivona Child Advocacy Center
• Boy Scouts of America, Seneca Waterways Council
• Boy Scouts of America, Western New York Scout Council
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester
• Boys and Girls Club of Geneva
• Catholic Charities Family & Community Services
• Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes
• Catholic Charities Steuben/Livingston
• Center for Employment Opportunities
• Chances and Changes, Inc.
• Charles Settlement House, Inc.
• Children’s Institute, Inc.
• Clifton Springs Area YMCA
• Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Inc.
• Community Place of Greater Rochester
• Compeer Rochester
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc.
• Coordinated Child Development Program
• Dansville Food Pantry
• Empire Justice Center
• EnCompass Resources for Learning
• Family Counseling of the Finger Lakes
• Family Promise of Ontario County, Inc.
• Family Promise of Wayne County
• Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency
• Focus on the Children
• Foodlink, Inc
• Friendship House of Middlesex, Inc.
• Gateway Home Comfort Care, Inc.
• Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern, Inc.
• Genesee Valley Health Partnership
• Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council
• Geneseo Groveland Emergency Food Pantry
• Geneseo Parish Outreach Center, Inc.
• Geneva Family YMCA
• Geneva Lakefront Child Care Center
• Gillam Grant Community Center
• Girl Scouts of Western New York
• GLOW YMCA
• Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
• Hillside Children's Center
• Homecare and Hospice
• Hope Center of LeRoy
• Ibero-American Action League, Inc.
• Jewish Family Service of Rochester, Inc.
• Junior Achievement of WNY
• JustCause
• Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.
• Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc.
• Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County, Inc.
• Literacy Volunteers Ontario Yates
• Literacy West NY, Inc.
• Mary Cariola Center, Inc.
• Medical Motor Service of Rochester and Monroe County, Inc.
• MHA Rochester/Monroe County
• Monroe Community College Foundation
• Mt. Hope Family Center
• Partnership for Ontario County
• PathStone Corp
• Phelps Community Center
• Rochester Rehabilitation Center
• Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes
• Salvation Army, Canandaigua
• Salvation Army, Geneva
• Santa Hat Society, Inc.
• Serenity House of Victor, Inc.
• Society for the Protection and Care of Children  
• SouthWest Area Neighborhood Association, Inc
• St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center, Inc.
• St. Vincent DePaul Society
• Survivor Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes
• The Center for Youth Services, Inc.
• The Housing Council at PathStone
• The Legal Aid Society of Rochester NY, Inc.
• The Rochester School of the Holy Childhood, Inc.
• The Salvation Army, Batavia Corps
• The Salvation Army, Rochester Area Services
• Trillium Health, Inc.
• UConnectCare  
• UR Medicine Home Care
• Urban League of Rochester New York, Inc.
• URMC Noyes Health
• Villa of Hope
• Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester and Monroe County, Inc.  
• Volunteers of America Upstate New York
• Warrior House of WNY
• Warsaw Food Pantry
• Wayne Pre-Trial Services, Inc.
• Willow Domestic Violence Center
• Wyoming County Community Action
• YMCA of Greater Rochester
• YWCA of Genesee County, Inc.
• YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County

“We are honored to support new and longstanding partners through our multi-year grants,” said United Way Chief Impact Officer Dr. Ashley N. Campbell. “Over the next few months, we will focus our efforts on expediting the remaining grant opportunities for our
region. These one-year grants include support for community resiliency, capacity building, innovative concepts, summer programming, and more.”

Additional funding opportunities will be available in early 2025. In the coming weeks, United Way will meet with nonprofit partners to discuss the next steps for engagement.  

To make remaining grant opportunities possible and ensure multi-year grant recipients can collectively receive a minimum $6 million in support, United Way needs to finish its 2024 campaign year strong, and that depends on community support.  

“United Way’s work is fueled by the generosity of our community. What we raise goes out into the community,” said Saunders. “When you give to United Way and our Community Impact Fund, your dollar goes farther by joining with your coworkers and neighbors, which
bolsters funding and provides critical support to those who need it most. We are seeing increased needs and call on our community to donate. Please join in and make a gift today.”

To learn more about United Way and donate, visit unitedwayrocflx.org. 

Press Release:

Genesee County law enforcement agencies, including the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and Village of LeRoy Police Department are participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI Campaign starts on August 14 and run through September 2. Law enforcement officers across New York State are taking to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives.

STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug related fatalities, however, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. 

Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaigns aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

Don’t let alcohol take the wheel. Designate a driver.

Press Release:

Depending on the weather, aerial and hand distribution of oral rabies vaccine baits will take place in Western New York from August 12- August 17. Areas of New York State are once again taking part in a nationally coordinated effort to halt the spread of raccoon rabies in 16 states.  

Ongoing field evaluation of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) called ONRAB will occur in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Clinton, Erie, Essex, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and
Wyoming counties. 

These sites were selected in part because of ongoing collaborations with Quebec and Ontario, Canada in the fight against rabies to protect human and animal health and reduce significant cost associated with living with rabies across broad geographic areas.

“Rabies is a serious public health concern because if left untreated it is generally 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,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).  

The efforts are focused on controlling raccoon rabies, which ontinues 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.

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.  
• While humans and pets cannot contract rabies from the bait, those who come across the bait directly should leave it undisturbed. Most bait packets are consumed within four days, and nearly all of the bait will be gone within a week.
• Please do not attempt to remove a bait from your dog’s mouth. The bait will not harm the dog and could lead to vaccine exposure.
• Should contact with baits occur, immediately rinse the contact 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.  

If you have additional questions related to the field evaluation in New York, please contact the Wildlife Services office in Rensselaer, NY at (518) 477- 4837.

Press Release:

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. announces the graduation of Correction Officers Kelsey Kasmarek, Trent Ryan, and Tyler Brown from the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy’s 28th Basic Course for Correction Officers.

These Correction Officers recently graduated in a class of 10. At the top of the class was C.O. Kasmarek who received the Academic Excellence Award and C.O. Ryan received the Defensive Tactics Award.

The 247-hour course included training in effective communications, essential services, use of force, NYS Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Inmate Transportation, Firearms, Pepper Spray, Taser and Defensive Tactics, and other topics pertaining to corrections.

“Congratulations to all three of these Correction Officers. We look forward to their future in Corrections at the Genesee County Jail,” stated Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr.

Lorie Longhany’s mind was on personal business that Sunday afternoon six days ago when a history-making decision was making news. Then she got a phone call from the county’s Board of Elections deputy commissioner.

“She told me that President Biden bowed out. And as soon as it happened, even before I could get on Twitter or Google anything I had already decided in my head, it’s got to be Kamala Harris, I don’t care what anybody says, I’m backing Kamala Harris. And so I guess I was thinking the way most everybody else was,” Longhany said during an interview with The Batavian. “I felt strongly about Joe Biden, and I feel even more strongly about Kamala Harris, I’m excited.”

Longhany will get that chance since, in December, she was nominated as a delegate for New York State’s 24th Congressional District to the Democratic National Convention. She didn’t apply for the role, but was recognized for her years of service and involvement to the party.  

This won’t be her first rodeo, so to speak, as Longhany, Genesee County’s Democrat election commissioner, was also a delegate for former President Barack Obama at the Charlotte, NC, convention for his second term and was on the ballot for the 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 

She didn't make it that time.

“I got beat. Not by a lot. I got beat because they pick a female, male, female, male, and the male got in, and I didn’t get in,” she said. But I went to that one, too. That was in Philadelphia. I went just as a Hillary supporter.”

This one has so far been somewhat different, however, since Harris hasn’t actually run for the position and has been preliminarily nominated on a Zoom call.

“I’ve had mixed feelings about it because I really think that Joe Biden has been the most consequential president, maybe not of my lifetime, but a good part of my lifetime. He's accomplished so much. And most of it is just not even recognized by people,” she said. I look around Genesee County, and there's a lot going on. And maybe none of it has to do with some of Biden’s, with the infrastructure bill and the Chips and Science Act, but I have a good idea that some of it does. I think he's made a lot of good things happen in four short years.”

Although she’s a big Pete Buttigieg fan, Longhany also believes that Harris, as a former attorney general and prosecutor in a major city, brings a lot to the table.

“I like her a lot; I’m very energized by this candidacy right now. And even though I love Joe Biden and I think the world of him, and I think he’s the most compassionate man that I’ve ever seen in public office, I didn’t have this kind of energy. I wasn’t that excited about going to Chicago. I’m excited to go to Chicago now,” she said. “I think she carried a lot of Biden’s good stuff with her. She’s a woman, or she’s a woman of color; it’s that we’re ready for this. And we don’t have to sugarcoat it anymore. I think she can bring so much to the table.” 

The first Monday she’s in Chicago, there's an early delegate breakfast meeting, and that week, she rolls through a convention that she will be “learning as I go,” she said. 

“I don’t know the process for this; it's different from the last two,” she said. Because I am a pledged delegate to Joe Biden, I think he has to release all the delegates because it’s huge. Well, I’m not going to guess; it’s just, I’m gonna play it as it goes.”

She hasn’t landed on who she thinks Harris should pick as her vice president, but the right names have been bandied about: Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, Mark Kelly from Arizona, Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, and maybe even  Buttigieg will get some consideration — any of them would be a good choice, Longhany said.  

She said she would definitely strap in for a debate between Harris, the Republican contender, whoever Harris picks for a V.P. and the newly announced J.D. Vance. She has cringed at the level that political discourse has sunk to lately.

“We shouldn’t be doing this to each other,” she said. "I don’t like the tone, the tenure, or the rhetoric—I don’t like any of it.”

She will be packing for a week-long convention in mid-August, with the event wrapping up with what members hope is a final nomination for Harris. There might not be a world wrestling icon up on stage as there was for the Republican convention, Longhany said, but there might be Carole King, James Taylor, and — who knows — Taylor Swift and her Swifties, perhaps? coming out in solidarity against recent politically charged comments about single, childless “cat ladies.” 

New York’s 307-member delegation includes 268 pledged delegates who are eligible to vote on the first ballot at the convention. If Harris wins at least 1,976 votes in that first round, she would win the Democratic presidential nomination outright. 

According to cityandstateny.com, an unofficial survey of delegates by the Associated Press found that Harris had the support of at least 1,640 pledged delegates, not including New York’s delegation, prior to the vote. With the support of New York’s 268 pledged delegates, Harris had the support of at least 1,908 delegates – putting her fewer than 100 delegates away from securing the nomination in the first round of voting. 

Shortly after the New York vote, California’s delegation held its own vote, and its more than 400 delegates unanimously pledged to support Harris. That put her well over the 1,976-vote threshold needed to secure the nomination, cityandstate.com stated.

There were so many delegates crammed onto the Zoom call that only four or five faces could be seen at once, Longhany said. As far as she could tell, that vote was unanimous for Harris.

If Harris somehow fails to reach 1,976 votes in the first round at the convention, then New York’s other 39 delegates would come into place. They are “automatic” delegates, also known as “superdelegates,” who can only vote if no candidate gets enough support the first time around.

Longhany is a former Democratic County Committee Chair and currently serves as one of two Genesee County election commissioners. Both major parties are represented at the Board of Elections. The Republican commissioner is Richard Siebert.

As election commissioner, Longhany wants folks to know that she’s careful to leave politics at the doorstep when she enters the Board of Elections office. It's her job to ensure that everyone’s vote counts no matter what side of the aisle they’re on and who they’re voting for. 

“I don’t want people to worry about elections in Genesee County, that everybody can vote easily,” she said. “I want people to trust that I care about this job, even if they’re not voting who I want them to vote for … when I’m in the office, there’s no politics in that office.”

Press Release:

The Genesee County DMV, Genesee County Clerk’s Office and Genesee County Department of Social Services are now operating business as usual. The previous system outages have been resolved.

Press Release:

Genesee County has been notified that it will be awarded $14,237.00 for Phase 39, $28,155.00 for Phase ARPAR, and $9,966.00 for Phase 41 federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) funds through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as appropriated by Congress through FY2022.

Applications are due from qualified organizations by July 31. 

The National Board consists of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Jewish Federations of North America, The Salvation Army; and, United Way Worldwide. More about the national program is available online at www.efsp.unitedway.org.

A Local Board is charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help supplement food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country. The Local Board will determine how the funds awarded to Genesee County are to be distributed among local qualifying agencies. 

The Genesee County Emergency Food & Shelter Program (EFSP) Board is encouraging local agencies that meet requirements to apply for the funds. Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 

1. Be private voluntary non-profits or units of government
2. Be eligible to receive Federal funds
3. Have an adequate accounting system
4. Practice non-discrimination
5. Have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs
6. If they are a private voluntary organization, have an active voluntary board of directors. 

Qualifying agencies are urged to apply. 

The deadline for applications to be submitted online is July 31. Non-profit organizations or public agencies interested in applying for funding may contact local board chair Katrina Standish at (585) 589-5605, ext. 103 or via email at KStandish@caoginc.org.

Press Release:

Did you know that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, your risk for developing lung cancer significantly increases. 

Testing your home for radon is the only effective way to determine if you and your loved ones are being exposed to toxic levels of radon gas. 

Radon can enter your home through cracks in the foundation, walls, joints, dirt floors, opening of sump pump, in well-water supply, and from gaps around suspended floors and pipes. Any home can have high radon levels, whether it is old or new, has a basement or is built on a slab.

“Radon is prevalent across the country; however, Genesee County is among several counties in New York State with higher than normal radon levels,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “Testing your home is important and one of the easiest preventative health measures a homeowner can take.”

The Genesee County Health Department's Radon Program provides short-term radon test kits to residents of Genesee County. The program also offers educational materials and in-services programs on the danger of radon prevalence, and mitigation options for new or existing homes, all available at no charge. In other counties, short-term test kits can be purchased at your local hardware store or through the New York State Department of Heath website https://www.health.ny.gov/forms/doh-2247.pdf. 

For more information about radon, contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us. 

Press Release:

Why is a group with Tobacco-Free in its name so passionate and determined to promote plastic-free living for the month of July? Because tobacco product waste, especially the tiny but troublesome discarded cigarette butts, is a form of plastic waste?

“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year, making them the most littered item on the planet,” says Brittany Bozzer, Reality Check Youth Coordinator for Tobacco-Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GOW). “That’s a problem because cigarette butt filters are made of a nonbiodegradable plastic called cellulose acetate.”

When tossed into the environment, cigarette butts dump not only plastic, but also nicotine, arsenic, formaldehyde, lead and cadmium that leaches into our soil, waterway systems and surrounding environment, affecting all kinds of living things from plants and flowers to wildlife and marine life.

Beyond cigarette butts

Bozzer notes that cigarette butts are just one form of tobacco product waste that is plastic litter. Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes or vapes, are also toxic to the environment. Add plastic cigar tips, tobacco product wrappers and smokeless tobacco product containers and the local, state and global pollution problem continues.

What can you do in your community

1. Host a cigarette butt cleanup? Cleanups can help build awareness about the extent of the tobacco product pollution and why it’s important to stop. Be sure to wear gloves and pick up discarded vapes, cigar tips and plastic packaging as well.
2. Help people quit. Eliminating tobacco product waste for good also means helping smokers and vapers quit.

The New York State Smokers' Quitline is a confidential service for all New York State residents who wish to overcome dependence on commercial tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. 

Free offerings include individualized coaching and assistance with quit-planning from highly trained tobacco treatment specialists, text and online chat support and free shipping of stop-smoking medications such as nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges or nicotine gum for those 18 and older.

Residents of all ages may contact the Quitline for support and educational materials. In addition, the Quitline encourages teens and young adults (ages 13-24) to text “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 to join “This Is Quitting,” a free texting support program for help with quitting vaping. 

For more information, text QUITNOW to 333888 or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) seven days a week, beginning at 9 a.m.

Press Release:

AT&T is experiencing a network service outage affecting the ability to deliver AT&T wireless 9-1-1 calls in our area. AT&T is working to isolate and resolve the issue.

AT&T cell phone users may experience interruptions, degradation, or the inability to connect when calling 9-1-1. In Genesee County, if you have an emergency and cannot get through on 9-1-1, please call (585) 343-5000.

Press Release:

Effective July 9, the official internet domain for Genesee County will change from co.genesee.ny.us to geneseeny.gov. This transition aligns with State legislation requiring counties to utilize .gov domains for their official network presence prior to August 1.

This change reflects the County’s dedication to safeguarding public data. A .gov domain ensures that the public can easily identify official Genesee County government information. 

While the County has officially moved to geneseeny.gov, there are areas where co.genesee.ny.us will still exist. These web locations will be eliminated over time but remain in place to ensure a smooth browsing experience for County website users.

In addition, Genesee County email addresses have also been updated to @geneseeny.gov. Emails sent to @co.genesee.ny.us addresses will be automatically redirected to the new @geneseeny.gov inboxes.

Press Release:

Library users are invited to participate in Nioga Library System’s “Library Adventure Map” program this summer! This program is open to all patrons and community members within Niagara, Genesee and Orleans Counties. A library card is not required to participate in the program!

Library Adventure Maps can be picked up at any Nioga library. Visit any of the libraries on the map and get a unique library-specific sticker. Each sticker is like a passport stamp! 

Those with a map who get a sticker will also get a raffle prize ticket for the chance to win a Kindle Fire and a $50 Amazon gift card. Certain libraries may also offer additional prizes or have challenges to complete.

The six Genesee County libraries are also working together to offer a special incentive. Participants who visit each public library in Genesee County will have a chance to win one of six gift cards to great local businesses!

• $50 to PapaRoni's provided by Hollwedel Memorial Library
• $50 to Greg'ry's Bakery provided by Byron-Bergen Public Library
• $50 to Oliver's Candies provided by Richmond Memorial Library
• $50 to Caryville Inn provided by Haxton Memorial Public Library
• $50 to Sprinkles Creamery provided by Corfu Public Library
• $40 to Mama Chavez's Taqueria PLUS four passes to the JELL-O Museum thanks to Woodward Memorial Library!

Get your stickers to complete your map by August 31! The winners will be announced in early September. Info about all the libraries can be found on the Adventure Map and also at niogalibrary.org/member-libraries. Questions? Call your local Nioga library or the reference desk at Richmond Memorial Library at 585-343-9550 x3.

A new program by the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern (GCMOC) is designed to bring a much-needed benefit to school children in Orleans and Genesee counties.

Jami Allport, executive director of GOMOC, is excited about their new Back to School Program and hopes it will prove to be very successful.

She explained her agency used to do school supplies, but it has been evident that most schools are now providing the necessary supplies to children, so the need there is not as great as it used to be.

At a recent staff meeting, Allport said "Rose Friedl, newly appointed youth coordinator, came up with the idea of providing new sneakers and clothing to school children. Friedl was formerly with GOMOC’s furniture program, and this is her first big event as youth coordinator."

Previously, GOMOC provided clothing and gifts for children at Christmas time, but they realized that many other organizations step up at that time also, including Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Medina Area Association of Churches, the Salvation Army, and local churches. But, other than doing backpack programs, no one does anything for going back to school.

Allport said GOMOC provided gifts and clothing for 137 children last Christmas, so she knows the need is out there.

“We hope this program will bridge that gap,” Allport said “If we can help 100 children – 50 in in Genesee County and 50 in Orleans, I will be happy.”

To take advantage of the program, families must visit GOMOC’s office in the First Presbyterian Church of Albion and make out an intake form, and provide the size, ages, color, and a list of what their children would like. The entrance to the office in the church basement is off Platt or East State Street. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. They are closed on the Fourth of July.

Allport stressed how important it is for a child of any age to have nice clothing for school.

“We want kids to feel confident and happy when they go back to school, and sometimes having a new shirt or pair of sneakers will do that,” Allport said. “Many children have never had a new pair of shoes or outfit. Even kids at pre-K level are aware of how the others look.”

Allport is asking the community to step up and donate money or gift cards so they can purchase what these children need. If donating clothing or footwear, the tags must be on them. The public is also encouraged to adopt a family, and either shop for what is on their list or donate money so the items can be purchased.

For more information, contact GOMOC at (585) 589-9210. The drive will run through August 22.

“The program will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and if we are able to surpass 100 children, that would be wonderful,” Allport said, “We want to help as many kids as possible.”

Press Release:

Genesee County law enforcement agencies, including the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department, and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will be participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign will start Wednesday, July 3 continuing thru Sunday, July 7. The Fourth of July is a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends but all too often festivities turn tragic. 

The fact is this iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to impaired-driving crashes. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaigns aim to further reduce the incidence of impaired driving.

Impaired driving is completely preventable – all it takes is a little planning.

Press release:

The Genesee County Spartans improved its record to 3-1 on Saturday night with a 15-6 victory over the host Watertown Red & Black in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action.

Quarterback Corey Turpin passed for 230 yards, halfback Jed Reese ran for 94 yards on 23 carries and a pair of touchdowns and wide receiver Deyonci Farley caught five passes for 143 yards to lead the Spartans.

“This is the biggest win in our organization’s history,” said Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “Our first-ever game was there (against Watertown), and we didn’t fare very well. The score of this game was not indicative of the way we controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”

Genesee took a 6-0 on its opening drive, with Reese running it in from five yards out. On the extra point attempt, Keith Neureuter picked up a bad snap and burst over the goal line for two points to make it 8-0.

The Spartans upped their lead to 14-0 on their first drive after intermission, set up by a long pass to Farley from Turpin, who completed 14 of 25 attempts. Reese scored from a few yards out to set up the extra point kick by Julia Petry.

Rascoe credited injured QB Alex Rood for his effort filling in as offensive coordinator for Jermaine Henderson, who could not make the trip to Watertown.

The Red & Black, 2-2, scored with about three minutes left in the game.

Defensively, Jzhon Henderson and Tre Woods had interceptions, and Gunner Rapone, Max Rapone and Steve Kowalczyk recorded sacks. Kaden Marucci was in on 11 tackles.

Next up for the Spartans is a home contest against the Rochester Chargers at 5 p.m. this Saturday at Pembroke Town Park. Genesee defeated the Rochester squad, 19-12, on June 8 at Franklin High.

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser to benefit the Spartans is set for July 6 at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road. To register for the event, which includes youth and adult divisions, go to bit.ly/SpartansBball

It took more than 60 years of evolving duties and departmental responsibilities plus the current trend of in-your-face social media posturing to bring about a change of title for Genesee County’s highway department, and it’s one whose time has come, Highway Superintendent Tim Hens says.

The shift from Highway to Public Works Department and revising Hens’ title to commissioner will go to a public hearing on July 24. 

“I’ve always worried more about doing the job and not worrying about the title, but with the recent need to coordinate water emergency notifications as well managing a resurrected air show, I’ve noticed increased questions, especially in social media, as to why the highway superintendent is involved with water and airports,” Hens said. “It’s always been part of my job going back 25 years, but I think in order to quell some of the confusion, it’s prudent to rename the Highway Department to the Public Works Department.”

After a quick glance at other nearby counties -- Erie, Orleans and Niagara -- this isn't an uncommon title for the department or person leading the way. Albany County has a General Services department and Monroe County lists several divisions with no specific Public Works, such as Pure Waters and Parks departments. Tioga County does have a Public Works Department, and also lists Emergency Management Services (see below), so it seems as though there's no one established language that counties use for their various departments.

When Hens began in 1988, he was highway superintendent managing primarily the highways, bridges and fleet.

“Over the years, mostly in the early 2000s, duties were added: water, parks, airport, environmental health review and then we added facilities, I think, in 2016,” he said. 

He oversees seven divisions, 57 full-time and 11 seasonal or part-time employees within the department, including highways and bridges; fleet management; engineering; facility management; parks and forestry; Genesee County Airport; countywide water; and environmental health, which means engineering reviews for water, septic, campgrounds and pools.

Water has become the monster to tackle — financially, physically and environmentally — as the county has enacted a three-phase water project, with Phase 3 estimated to cost $150 million, to shore up its infrastructure while also having to put out a yearly plea for residents to be thoughtful about water use due to potential shortages.

As for what he sees as levels of importance, “water seems to be number one for sure,” Hens said.

“So much depends on it — public health, economic development, etc.,” he said. “We can’t do much without water, so the emphasis has overwhelmingly been to advance expansions of the water supply system to match growth of demand and support new industries, including agriculture."

Officials still want folks to be mindful of their water usage, however, “we decided to hold off on any preemptive restrictions this year,” Hens said, “as we have made some improvements that are making a difference, and we don’t want to seem like the boy who cries wolf.”

He doesn’t believe the spray parks in Batavia and Le Roy will have to shut down as they did temporarily last year because those instances were due to mechanical failures at the water plant and a well simultaneously and during a very hot stretch of summer weather, he said. It was unusual, but it is an option when necessary. “If we have supply issues,” he said.

Hens was integrally involved in the resurrection of Wings Over Batavia Air Show, which was during Labor Day weekend in 2023, from early planning committees, special training, oversight, and implementation to wrap-up. 

Though the air show is a privately funded event run mostly by volunteers, Hens serves to ensure “the county airport is safe, so the overall coordination and daily operations needed from the county to support the air show to make this happen will continue to be under my umbrella,” he said. 

As for priorities, the water project remains a top one with Phase 2 water supply improvements in progress.

“We have many portions of this supply increase complete but are still working on upgrading four pump stations in the Monroe County Water Authority system that will bring more water to Genesee County. We continue to be delayed by supplier issues and long lead times as well as scheduling in the numerous shutdowns needed on an active pump station,” he said. “It’s a very complex project and has taken way longer than I could have imagined. The other priority is the design and funding of the Phase 3 water supply improvements, which are also critically needed. The biggest effort lately has been tracking down grant funding opportunities so that Genesee County can move the project ahead with outside help rather than asking county residents to pay more water surcharge to support the development.”

That doesn’t end his list of county projects, as there’s a long list that includes many bridge replacements across the county.

“There are currently 13 bridges under various levels of construction and design,” he said. “We’ve been very successful in obtaining both federal and state aid to move these ahead.”

Other to-do items are transitioning from the old to the new county jail and rehabilitating and/or renovating the Engine House (home of the county’s public defender’s office), Holland Land Office Museum, which is bursting at the seams and plans are to expand toward the westward parking lot, and Genesee County Animal Shelter in order to meet updated state requirements.

With all of that on his plate, Hens said he would “love the water project to be complete before I go,” but his retirement plans are two years out, and it’s not quite realistic to think it would all be finished “based on the size, scope and complexity.”

The public hearing has been set for 5:30 p.m. July 24 at the Legislative Chambers, 7 Main St., Batavia during a county Legislature meeting. Anyone interested may speak about the topics of dissolving the highway department and creating the Public Works Department, and also to create the position of county commissioner of Public Works to correlate with that change. There is no salary change or budget impact. 

The highway department was established in 1962 to maintain county roads and bridges and control snow and ice. It has evolved to provide additional services, such as maintenance of facilities, parks and forests, airports, engineering, signage, fleet maintenance and development of water infrastructure.

The county intends to consolidate the various Public Works functions and duties of the County of Genesee performed by the Highway Department under a single county department and administration to more efficiently and economically serve the needs of the residents of Genesee County, the resolution states.

While they’re at it, county legislators will also consider revising the name of the Office of Emergency Management Services to more simply and broadly Office of Emergency Management to better clarify the scope of coverage and functions provided by the office. 

In 1984, the Fire Mutual Aid Department and the Civil Defense and Disaster Preparedness established the Office of Emergency Management Services, but “over time the agency was misconstrued as being limited to the oversight and coordination of emergency medical services, and in fact the agency provides coordination of a wide variety of emergency response services to enhance the capabilities of area first responders, including but not limited to fire, medical, mutual aid, mobilization of resources, planning, mitigation, response, recovery, hazardous materials response, confined space rescue, high angle rescue, search and rescue and fire investigation.”

Coordinator of Emergency Management Services Tim Yaeger proposed the change to more accurately depict the array of services provided to all first responders and county citizens. The hearing on July 24 will include this name change, as well.