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Three honored for combined 40 years of service at HomeCare and Hospice

By Press Release
batavia-yos.jpg
Submitted photo of (from left to right) Kim Pauly, Sandra Grant, Patricia Meek, Megan Morlock, and Gage Reiss - Employee Relations Coordinator, HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care.

Press Release:

HomeCare & Hospice celebrated 10 years at its current location on Liberty Street in Batavia in November 2013. Several employees also reached milestones at the Batavia office in 2023: Patricia Meek, Sandra Grant, and Megan Morlock.

HomeCare & Hospice (HCH) helps maintain independence at home with compassion in communities throughout Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, and Wyoming counties. 

Patricia Meek is the volunteer coordinator for HCH. When asked about her time with HCH for twenty years (!), Ms. Meek stated, “After my 30 years as a teacher in the Rochester School district, I am now spending time on the opposite end of life – dignity in dying. What we do here at hospice is remarkable and I thoroughly enjoy making connections for people.” 

From the aides to the nurses, Ms. Meeks connects staff and volunteers with our patients. It was an eye-opener for her when she applied what she learned from her many years with HCH to keep her partner, Harvey Granite alive with serious CHF, renal disease, and COPD for 3 wonderful years. 

Sandra Grant was recognized for her fifteen years with the organization. She started out as a part-time RN providing hospice care and now is currently a per diem homecare RN for Wyoming and Genesee County. “I love providing education, comfort, and compassion to our patients – I have learned so much from those I’ve cared for throughout the years.”

“Working at HCH has made me value the little things in life. It has made me appreciate life’s lessons more. I love what I do – my heart is with hospice,” added Megan Morlock. Mrs. Morlock celebrated five years of service with HCH. She started out as an RN care coordinator out of Little Valley (HCH office) and is currently the Nursing Services Manager. 

The employees were recently recognized at the Batavia office with the senior staff team. The three employees were recognized with an achievement certificate, pizza, cake, and a gift. 

Kim Pauly, Human Resources Director, HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care commended the staff, “Please know that you are an important member of our team, and your abilities and contributions are an important part of our continued success.

HomeCare & Hospice encompasses a licensed home care program allowing patients with short-term needs or chronic conditions to remain in their own homes and a hospice program providing medical care and emotional support for patients and their families coping with a terminal illness. Both focus on quality of life.

For more information, please call 585-343-7596, visit homecare-hospice.org, or email lgeorge@homecare-hospice.org.

Richmond Memorial is calling artists to participate in first ever Tiny Art Show

By Press Release

Press Release:

Interested in participating in a small program that is taking over libraries around the country? Richmond Memorial Library is excited to announce the first-ever Tiny Art Show.

Starting Friday, March 1 register online to reserve a kit that will be available for pick-up starting Monday, March 4 from the library’s Reference Desk. Each take-home kit includes a 4”x4” canvas, paints, a palette, and brushes. 

This program is for ages 12+ and is open to the first 30 who register. Using the supplies provided and/or your own materials, create a tiny artwork (no larger than a 4-inch cube). 

This is an art show for ages 12 and up please create your art with that audience in mind. The artwork must be suitable for display in a public space for all ages. 

Objects, paper, and materials of any kind except food may be glued to the canvas or turned into a sculpture, but artwork must be 4" in all directions or smaller. 

Nonfiction and IT Librarian Elizabeth Beardslee shares that, “We are excited to offer this program to our patrons! We hope they love the idea as much as we do. We look forward to the tiny art bringing people into the library to see the displays. Our hope is that this is a program that can grow and get bigger each year!”

These tiny artworks will be displayed in the main area of the library, as well as on the library’s social media pages starting April 1. 

The deadline to return the artwork to Richmond Memorial Library by March 29 to be included in the Tiny Art Show. One entry per artist. 

Artwork can be retrieved from the library by the artist after the show, starting May 6. Artwork that is not picked up by June 31 will become the property of Richmond Memorial Library and may be discarded. The library reserves the right to exclude any work. 

The registration link will appear online at batavialibrary.org/calendar on March 1. For more information, contact Librarian Elizabeth Beardslee at ebeardslee@nioga.org or Teen Services Library Assistant Ellen Caton at ecaton@nioga.org.

Chamber Award: Alabama Hotel recognized for history of community service and success

By Howard B. Owens
alabama hotel chamber award business of the year
Bonnie Woodward, owner of the Alabama Hotel, and Joe Bradt, general manager.
Photo by Howard Owens.

NOTE: This week, The Batavian is highlighting the annual Chamber of Commerce Award winners with a story daily through Friday. The awards dinner is Saturday evening at Batavia Downs. This is the final story in the series.

Bonnie Woodward has owned the Alabama Hotel for a relatively short time, but big news events have twice already taken center stage in the restaurant's business operations.

She bought the restaurant and bar from another Woodward, Danny, in 2019, and a few months later, COVID-19 forced her to close the tavern in the town of Alabama.

Then Winter Storm Elliott on Christmas Eve 2022 brought unexpected challenges that she and manager Joe Bradt met with such cheerful charity they made national news.

"(The attention) definitely shocked me," Bradt said. "In the days afterward, all the media attention and the phone calls and the messages from people shocked me."

The attention, Woodward said, warmed her heart.

"It really does," she said. "So many people were thankful for such a simple thing that anybody should have done, you know, just open up your home to people and take care of them while they're in trouble."

What Bradt did, with Woodward's blessing and support, was let stranded travelers stay in the restaurant, providing shelter, warmth and food while the blizzard made travel conditions potentially deadly. For those 48 hours, he was the sole member of the Alabama Hotel staff on-site to take care of more than 100 stranded travelers.  He prepared meals (with guests and a local resident and neighboring business owner helping) and kept guests comfortable while the storm raged around them.

The Alabama Hotel -- along with hundreds of first responders, other generous residents in Genesee County, and countless other government workers and residents -- are the reason nobody died during the storm.

That dramatic role the restaurant played during the storm, along with its long history of providing charitable support to the community, is why the Alabama Hotel is the 2023 Business of the Year for Genesee County.

Winter Storm Elliott
Events started on Dec. 24 as Elliott rolled into Western New York and the Thruway Authority, with no apparent plan to ensure traveler safety, closed the I-90, forcing travelers unfamiliar with the area onto snow-covered, wind-swept two-lane roads during whiteout conditions.  When travelers realized they wouldn't get far, they looked for shelter, and Google told them about the Alabama Hotel at the crossroads of Route 77 and Route 63.  A hotel would be a good place to go, right?

The restaurant didn't open on Christmas Eve as planned to keep employees at home and safe during the storm. Bradt spent the morning getting things in order since the restaurant wouldn't reopen until Jan. 4. 

When he was done, "I loaded up the Jeep with my Christmas dinner and Bonnie's Christmas dinner, which I was going to drop off at her house, and left here about 12:30. I didn't get a quarter mile up the road, and there was no visibility. The roads were completely covered, and there was already an accident right here," Bradt told The Batavian the day after the storm ended.

"I immediately turned around and said the safest place I can be is here for now. You know, I'll just wait it out here. No sooner did I put the key in the back door and unlock the back door than people were knocking on the front door. That didn't stop for two days."

The weather outside was vicious.  Heavy, lake-effect snow blown around by 35 mph winds with 70 mph gusts. The roads were nowhere for anybody in any vehicle, let alone people unfamiliar with the area in sedans, minivans and luxury SUVs. 

People came looking for a hotel. They found a friendly place with no proper guest rooms, not entirely prepared for this level of hospitality, but willing to provide shelter from the storm.

Once first responders learned the Alabama Hotel provided a warming shelter, they started shuttling stranded motorists there.

As many as 140 people passed through the restaurant over two days, with 120 staying the night on Christmas Eve.

Was it stressful?

"I don't know if stressful is the word for it," Bradt said. "I think, at times, it was overwhelming. You know, I spent some time at the bottom of the basement stairs, whether on the phone with Bonnie or with my wife or chef Swimline, getting advice from him and just crying it out, you know. I'm gonna take a few minutes for myself to figure it out. Where are we at? what's our next step? What are we doing now? You know? It wasn't just a blizzard, right? It was a blizzard in the middle of Christmas."

History
The Alabama Hotel was once a key stagecoach stop between Buffalo and Rochester.  It was built in 1844, and at one time, the second floor was an actual hotel.  It was always a place that served meals and libations, but Woodward doesn't know when the hotel ceased being a hotel.

It has always been a community hub in the town of Alabama.  At one time, it was the main meeting hall and the courthouse, as well as a venue for weddings. It's still a place where locals gather for drinks and camaraderie, even while the restaurant attracts patrons from throughout WNY.

"It's like Cheers," Woodward said. "They're really friendly, and when strangers come, they'll bring them into their fold, and they'll talk to them, and they feel comfortable. People like that."

Earl Woodward purchased the Alabama Hotel in 1956.  His wife was Agness, known to friends and family as Bunny.  

Earl had cancer and wanted to make sure he left behind something that could provide for and shelter his family.  After he passed, Bunny, her children, and her mother, Nannie, lived upstairs in the former hotel and Bunny and Nannie ran the business.

Earl and Bunny's son Mike -- Bonnie's husband, who passed away in July -- ran the business next.  Patrick Woodward ran the business from 1990 until he passed away in 2000.  Danny, his son and Bonnie's nephew, ran the hotel for the next 29 years.  

Bonnie bought the restaurant in 2019 to keep it in the Woodward family, though her experience didn't extend much past washing dishes in the kitchen as a youngster.

"Most of the employees are employees I inherited with the restaurant," Woodward said. "They took me under their wing and taught me the business."

Shortly after she took over, Josh Swimline approached her about a job. He already had a successful food truck but was looking for a chef's job as well.

"He's done a marvelous job in the kitchen," Woodward said.

The other thing that happened shortly after she took over the business, besides the storm, was COVID-19.  Without the community's support and people buying take-out meals, the restaurant might not have survived the shutdown.

Then she hired Bradt as her general manager, just months before Winter Storm Elliott.  They had known each other for years because both have been frequent volunteers in the community -- youth sports, the Lion's Club, and just about any volunteer effort in the community, they would both be there helping out.

"We both had the same goal all the time," Bradt said. "Who can we help? How can we help? So deciding to come here and work with Bonnie was easy."

To the uninitiated, the location of the Alabama Hotel might seem rather isolated for a restaurant to be as popular and as successful as it has been for all these years. Bradt said it comes down to the food.

"I'm surprised by the amount of people, with the amount of good food in Buffalo, who come this way," Bradt said. "I'm surprised at the number of people that come this way versus going that way."

Woodward said the restaurant's fame has mostly spread by word of mouth. 

"People say, 'We've always heard about this place, and I wanted to just stop and see what it was like,'" Woodward said. "During the summer, a lot of people would walk the refuge (the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge) and birdwatch and all that other stuff, and then they would stop here for lunch or dinner."

Good Food and Friendly Ambiance
The restaurant is also a popular destination for bikers in the summer and snowmobilers (when there is snow) in the winter.

The Alabama Hotel has always been known for its fish fries, chicken and biscuits, and it's also taken on a reputation far and wide for its salad bar, Wednesday night pizza night, prime rib on Thursdays, and the swamp burger, which is a hamburger with cajun seasoning, mushrooms, onions, and American cheese.

The fish fry, Bradt said, remains something special and also illustrates the care they put into meal preparation.

"We've have half a dozen suppliers, Bradt said. "We will stop at no end to find the best quality fish and the rest of the ingredients. We've tried different things, and we go with quality. Quality might cost us a little bit more, but quality is our number one goal."

The publicity from Winter Storm Elliott has helped business, too.  Woodward said business is up more than 60 percent since the storm. Bradt said he gets stopped by customers in the restaurant regularly to let him know they heard about what he and the restaurant did to help out travelers.

And on Saturday comes one of the county's most prestigious honors, Business of the Year from the Chamber of Commerce, and Woodward and Bradt are both a little surprised by it.  They're also honored because, to them, it doesn't just represent that single 48-hour event.  It represents what the Alabama Hotel has meant to the community for so many decades and that through turmoil and change, it's still a popular place for food and friendship.

Because of the awards ceremony at Batavia Downs, the restaurant will be closed on Saturday. Bonnie Woodward booked six tables so 48 people could attend, including nearly all of the employees and "diehard" customers, as well as members of the Woodward family.

"It's really important to us to make sure that the employees feel included in this," Bradt said. "It's more than just the blizzard, you know. Without our employees and our staff and the people who continue to come through those doors every day, whether it's to grab a quick burger or have a drink, the doors wouldn't be open."

Previously: Alabama has its own Christmas story to tell, and stranded travelers aren't 'home alone'

alabama hotel chamber award business of the year
Photo by Howard Owens.
alabama hotel chamber award business of the year
Photo by Howard Owens.
alabama hotel chamber award business of the year
Photo by Howard Owens.
alabama hotel winterstorm elliott
Christmas Eve at the Alabama Hotel during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022.
Submitted photo.
alabama hotel winterstorm elliott
Weary travelers at the Alabama Hotel during Winter Storm Elliott.
Submitted photo.
alabama hotel winterstorm elliott
Travelers who were stranded at the Alabama Hotel during Winter Storm Elliott help prepare a meal in the restaurant's kitchen.
Submitted photo.
alabama hotel winterstorm elliott
Christmas Eve dinner during Winter Storm Eillott at the Alabama Hotel.
Submitted photo.

Everybody's getting 'Footloose' this weekend at BHS

By Joanne Beck
Batavia High School opens this Friday evening with Footloose musical.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
BHS Production Club presents "Footloose the Musical" this weekend, running at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Batavia High School, 260 State St., Batavia. 
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Amidst the stress of rehearsals, learning lines and choreography, and directing 34 people with varied levels of experience, there were welcomed moments of levity tucked into the tension for everyone taking part in “Footloose the Musical,” Director Caryn Wood says.

Take, for example, Batavia High School senior Ephraim Hanna, who is playing the character Willard Hewitt. 

“Just in general, the student that plays Willard is hilarious. In personality, the student himself is very calm and quiet. And a little bit reserved and shy. And then when he goes on stage, he's absolutely hilarious,” Wood said during rehearsals Thursday at the high school. “And the kids aren’t used to doing southern or like country bumpkin-type accents. And so, one of the students who plays Reverend Shaw Moore (student actor Peyton Woeller) has to say the word creek and, of course, pronounces it crick. And a lot of the cast laughs. They think it’s hilarious because they're just not accustomed to that.”

BHS Production Club plans to present the fun and laughter — plus a whole lot of music and dancing — at the Frank E. Owen Auditorium stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at BHS, 260 State St., Batavia. 

Based on the movie made in 1984, this musical “bursts onto the live stage with dynamic new songs” and celebrates the exhilaration of youth, wisdom of listening to one another and the power of forgiveness, according to its promotional description. 

The story is about Ren McCormack, a city kid who loves dancing as a form of escaping the stresses of life, and he and his mom end up moving to Bomont, a small southern town where Rev. Shaw Moore just effectively banned the activity. Ren and Willard end up befriending one another as Ren also gradually builds relationships with others as they discover they may have more similarities than differences. 

With the title of “Footloose,” it might go without saying that this show includes a lot of fancy footwork, from jazz and lyrical to country line dancing to tap influences. However, it really also means “a lot of choreography and a lot of intense, long dance rehearsals,” Wood said. 

Dance instructor and choreographer Denise Leblanc-Chatt returned again for what has become a longtime relationship of providing her experience and expertise so that students can envelop those lessons and deliver them onto the stage. 

“The kids have no dance experience. And this is a very physical thing for them that they are not accustomed to,” Wood said. “And they have done an excellent job rising to the challenge to bring a ton of energy to this dance-heavy show.”

They have been learning dance steps and practicing since the end of December for about two hours at a time for two to three days a week and for even longer as it grew closer to show time, she said.

LeBlanc-Chatt owns and is head instructor at The Dancing Place Dance Academy in Batavia and has studied the art for the past 50 years.  

“She’s a phenomenal choreographer and dance teacher, and we are lucky to have her,” Wood said. “She does an excellent job of making non-dancers look impeccably energetic on stage.” 

So, most definitely, learning the dance routines in and of itself was a major challenge, she said. But there are always other hurdles to consider, especially when you’ve got a mix of more versed actors and newcomers, which was true of many of the freshmen, sophomore and some junior novice actors, she said.

“I also think that any time you're working with students, especially students who don't have a lot of performance experience but want to be involved, you're really training them physically and emotionally, to deep dive into characters and what are their characters' motivations? Why are they doing this? What are they feeling? What is their physical appearance right now? Making fully well-rounded, fully fleshed-out characters can also be a challenge for a new performer,” she said. “Our cast is made up of kids that had been performing for several years and done a couple of shows a year, and kids where this is their very first show.”

Most of the characters are high school kids, along with some parents, school administrators, and a restaurant owner. Costumes are street clothes, but they had to be plentiful, with characters needing five or six different costumes throughout the show, Wood said. 

If you’re at all familiar with the original movie, you will “definitely hear and see all of those people,” she said. And then some.

“There’s also a lot of additional music and dance numbers added to make it a full musical. I think that the musical version of Footloose stays really true to the original movie but also pulls in influences to make a broader range of shows where it doesn't have to be set in the 80s; it is applicable in its message at any time period. It will always work, and it's very transferable and very, very entertaining, very upbeat and positive and can be explosive with energy at various points,” she said. “Overall, I feel like the message is of healing and forgiveness, definitely forgiveness. I think that there's some characters who are struggling with forgiving themselves and other people for tragic events in their past. And that message of forgiveness and healing through music and dance and relationships is a powerful one. And I think the kids are doing a fantastic job relaying that message.”

Advance sale tickets are $10.50 online, $10 for students/seniors and $12 for adults at the door.

Buy tickets HERE

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Elba Drama Club presents 'Little Mermaid' this weekend

By Howard B. Owens
elba little mermaid

The Elba Central School Drama Club presents "The Little Mermaid" this weekend.

Show times are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and are available at the door.

Key roles are: 

  • Ariel, Laina Casper
  • Prince Eric, Emilio Rosales
  • Sebastian, Sadee Dillon
  • Ursula, Aerianna Cintorino
  • Scuttle, Jocelyn Miller
  • Flounder, Evan Armbrewster
  • Triton, Bailey Brunner

Photos by Howard Owens.

elba little mermaid
elba little mermaid
elba little mermaid
elba little mermaid
elba little mermaid
elba little mermaid
elba little mermaid

Chamber Awards: Batavia resident travels afar to discover local community need

By Joanne Beck

 

michelle gillard genesean of the year chamber awards
Batavia resident Michelle Gillard, recipient of this year's Geneseean of the Year Award, and many of her cherished keepsakes from mission trips are below. 
Photo by Howard Owens

NOTE: This week, The Batavian is highlighting the annual Chamber of Commerce Award winners with a story each day through Friday. The awards dinner is Saturday evening at Batavia Downs.

It took traveling thousands of miles from home to realize how much need there was right in her own backyard, Michelle Gillard says. 

And from that point on, she’s been on a nonstop mission to help out locally.

“When I was growing up on South Jackson, we didn’t have a lot; my parents weren’t wealthy; we lived paycheck to paycheck, but we never wanted for anything. I never had to worry about where my next meal was coming from, I had a roof over my head, we were taken care of as kids, my parents were hard workers,” Gillard said during an interview with The Batavian. “I was honestly pretty oblivious to the need and unfortunate lifestyles other people had to endure. I didn’t know there was homelessness, I didn’t know there were people that didn’t have meals; I was very naive to all of that. It all kind of turned for me when I went on a mission trip in 2018 to Africa with the Young Living Foundation.”

She and her group washed people’s feet full of jiggers, which are parasitic sand fleas, hung mosquito nets in remote villages, and observed “the real-life tragedy of human trafficking” before their very eyes, she said. 

“So when I came home from that trip, I think I had PTSD, I was a little shell-shocked,” she said. “It really opened my eyes, too. There’s a whole lot of need in this world that I didn’t realize was there. And I started digging in more around our community.”

After that first mission trip, she went on a couple more, including to Puerto Rico, still devastated by a hurricane two years earlier. That’s what prompted her own local missions that just “kind of morphed,” she said. 

Her dad, Louie, that kind of guy who would stop and help you out if stuck on the side of the road, gets some of the credit. If you ever needed something in the neighborhood, “he just went and helped you,” she said. She watched her father as he became a true role model and mentor for giving back. He didn’t want any money; it was “just something he did.”

So naturally, Gillard gravitated to groups that did likewise, such as the Batavia Business & Professional Women’s Club, which has raised money to hand out scholarships to students or donate to Genesee Cancer Assistance and Crossroads House to help them continue their missions.

Gillard admits to straddling the line of extremes after returning home from Africa. She wanted to clear her entire home of all material possessions, similar to how people lived so meagerly there. They had one room and few items, and yet seemed happy, she said. They appreciated the simple things in life and found them more meaningful.

“I said, ‘We’re doing everything wrong.’ How wasteful we are,” she said.

That experience shifted her perspective to the point where Gillard became a regular volunteer, first for Habitat for Humanity and then the Salvation Army, the Batavia Business & Professional Women’s Club and Batavia Girls Fastpitch Softball.

It is for her community service over the years and involvement with these organizations that Gillard has been named the recipient of this year’s Geneseean of the Year Award from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

When asked why she thinks it took a trip to Africa to expose her to the need here, Gillard paused only a few seconds.

“I was really blind and naive to all of it,” she said. “ I’ve always been in a two-income family; money was never something we had to worry about. It opened my eyes. Until I started looking, I can help the world for as many people as I possibly can.”

She’s a collector — not of figurines and knick-knacks — but, rather, diapers and soaps and shampoos on sale. Then, she gathers the items and donates them to people or places that can use them. 

“I like to collect things. It's funny, I don't keep that stuff, but I collect food for people, or I collect diapers for people, or I collect whatever it is. I run this kind of almost drives. I collect whatever it is in as big of a quantity as we can, and then we get it where it needs to go. It's just, to me, it’s, I don't know, I just enjoy doing it,” she said, naming one of her favorite programs. “The Salvation Army Christmas program. Those really hit, so people come in, and we take their application, and we get their needs, and a few wants for the children. But a lot of those scenarios are a grandmother got her three grandkids two weeks before Christmas or a month before Christmas because dad's in jail and OD’d on drugs, or you know a woman left a domestic violence situation and is now living in a hotel with her three kids. I get very attached to it because I try to put myself in that situation, and it's heartbreaking.

“I delivered presents and a Christmas meal to a lady at the Red Roof, and I can't imagine being in a hotel with my kids on Christmas like that. There are so many families, and so many donations are needed. I put a post out, and we got hundreds of donations. The universe or God provides,” she said. “Volunteers are such great people. Whenever you hear somebody complain about Batavia, it angers me -- just do something small for somebody; it fills your soul. Neighbors help neighbors. We need it so badly, whether it’s holding the door for somebody or paying for someone’s coffee.”

Bobbi Norton was one of the people who nominated Gillard for this award, and she said that as she thought about the letter she'd write, "Unlimited thoughts enhance all the fine qualities that Michelle possesses, filling my heart and mind with nothing but good words and thoughts."

"I had the opportunity to meet Michelle through the Batavia Business and Professional Women's Club several years ago. Not only did she welcome me with a warm, friendly smile, she was there to support me and provide any answers to my questions. We have now become good friends and work collaboratively on the BBPW Board of Directors," Norton said. "There are unlimited activities within the Batavia community and the Genesee Region that Michelle has supported over the years. She is currently extremely active with the Salvation Army, dedicating countless hours to ensure that families and individuals receive a little gift and/or food at Christmastime and all year long. She's a bell-ringer, planner, organizer, gift wrapper, you name it -- she does it, all while wearing a smile in even the most stressful, overwhelming times.

Michelle also has professional connections with Genesee County Youth programs, A Day of Caring, serving as a judge for Mr. Batavia, Project Stork, as a former finance director for Batavia Middle School Parent Boosters, and is treasurer for the Batavia Business and Professional Women's Club, Norton said. The list goes on and on, she said. 

Furthermore, Michelle just coordinated a gift-raising effort to supply local veterans with baskets of essential items to get them through the holidays. She volunteers her time at the animal shelter, Crossroads House, Food Pantry, and photos with Steve Ognibene, all while working and running a household. 

"As a businesswoman, Michelle works full-time, is a small business operator (Young Living Essential Oils), a dedicated, loving wife to her husband, Scott, and mom to their daughter, Olivia," Norton said. "From what I see, her family and friends are held close to her heart, always including them and looking out for them. She is constantly sensitive and caring to the needs of others." 

Beyond the organization and cause, there’s a primary reason why she devotes so much time to them.

“People are the main reason why I do what I do. I’ve formed so many friendships,” she said, describing how she responded to being named for this award. “I couldn’t talk, and if you know me, I’m Italian and I have no shortage of words. I really was just so honored and blown away, being honored by the Chamber. It’s really a little surreal.”

Her family includes mom and dad Louie and Linda Scafetta, husband Scott, 12-year-old daughter Olivia, and "bonus kids" Tori and Brendan. 

Photos by Howard Owens.

michelle gillard genesean of the year chamber awards
michelle gillard genesean of the year chamber awards
michelle gillard genesean of the year chamber awards
michelle gillard genesean of the year chamber awards
michelle gillard genesean of the year chamber awards

Professional development courses give boost, broaden ethics insights, to deputy manager

By Joanne Beck
Tammi Ferringer with wall art
Deputy County Manager Tammi Ferringer in her office at the Old County Courthouse in Batavia.
Photo by Joanne Beck

A quick glance around Deputy County Manager Tammi Ferringer’s office gives the impression of a light-hearted, whimsical air, with upbeat quotes on the wall from Dr. Seuss to author Erin Hanson, a mischievous elf devilishly hanging upside down near the window and other unpretentious decor dotting the shelves.

Yet this administrator -- a longtime county employee of more than 18 years --  has taken her career and job duties seriously while shying away from the limelight. So when her boss, County Manager Matt Landers, publicly congratulates her for a job well done in completing the necessary course work for a certificate from the state Association of Counties and Cornell University, it’s worth noting.

Ferringer was recognized this week at NYSAC as one of five graduates from the County Government Institute. 

"First, I just want to recognize Tammi Ferringer, who was recognized at the conference we always went to for completing the training of the county government institute," Landers said during Wednesday's Legislature meeting. "This is something that I had gone through and some legislators have gone through as well. So she's done the coursework and the classes ... good work."

Ferringer's class included a legislator from Niagara County, a supervisor from Seneca County, a Madison County finance director and an Orange County legislator. She registered for the program in 2022 and celebrated graduation Tuesday in Albany.

“There's criteria that they outline, from learning about budgets to learning about the organization of county government and how it works with the state. It helps to guide leaders in county government and the ins and outs of New York State,” she said. “And from ethics to the organization of counties, how they intertwine. And then there's electives that you can choose to take throughout the program. And there's specific courses that you have to take. And then, when you go to conferences, there are other criteria that can count as credits toward graduation. It's not something that you have to do; it was something I was interested in. And I was going to conferences anyways, so I might as well record that as credit towards continuing education.”

Required courses for a certificate of achievement include Building Consensus in a Political Environment, Principles of County Budget and Financial Management, Foundations of County Government, Public Sector Labor Management Relationships and Ethics in Government.

There are many other electives to choose from, such as health and human services, public safety, social media training, government technology and economic and rural development.

What did you find to be most insightful?
“I think that ethics piece was the most insightful because I only knew what I knew from our ethical procedures. But this broadened that for me,” Ferringer said. “I knew the importance of serving your community and our role and how important that role is to the community. And no one should take advantage of that power along the way.”

Ferringer, a Batavia resident, has worked in many positions since beginning her career with Genesee County in 2005, first as señor financial clerk-typist in the Health Department after earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance from Brockport State College and steadily advancing from that point on. 

She became an accounting supervisor, administrative officer, director of fiscal operations and child support for the Department of Social Services, and county compliance officer before accepting her current role during the 2020 pandemic. Her job title was changed to deputy county manager in January 2024.

She appreciated the opportunity to strengthen her skills and understanding through these professional development courses, which have also been taken by the county manager and legislative chairwoman, Shelley Stein.

So just what is a piece of whimsy on the wall of her downstairs office in the Old County Courthouse? It’s a popular quote borrowed from author Erin Hanson that she has obviously taken to heart:

“What if I fall — Oh, but my darling, what if you fly.”

Longtime employee honored for 'spirit of collaboration' and dedication

By Joanne Beck
Mary Spaulding and Marianne Clattenburg
Mary Spaulding receives a proclamation for her more than 40 years with Genesee County from Legislator Marianne Clattenburg Wednesday. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

Sometimes all it takes is a retirement to prompt folks to show up at what’s often a sparsely attended county Legislature meeting.

And so was the case when clerk typist Mary Spaulding, a 40-plus year employee at the Job Development Bureau was celebrated for her dedication with a proclamation Wednesday at the Old County Courthouse.

Gensee County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg read the citation as a group of supportive colleagues sat in the audience in the legislative chambers.

WHEREAS, Mary Spaulding has loyally served the County of Genesee for over 40 years and will retire on March 4, 2024, and

WHEREAS, on Dec. 12, 1983 Mary began her decades-long employment with Genesee County as a Part-Time Clerk Typist working at the Job Development Bureau, and

WHEREAS, Mary was subsequently promoted to the positon of Senior Account Clerk on July 23, 1984, and then Principle Account Clerk on July 1, 1987 serving in those capacities for over 16 years of her career, and

WHEREAS, Mary was promoted to the position of Accounting Supervisor on May 13, 1998, and has faithfully discharged the many diverse duties of that position since that date, and

WHEREAS, Mary has devoted her career to the Job Development Bureau as well as serving the citizens of our community, and

WHEREAS, over the many years of steadfast service to Genesee County, Mary has demonstrated fiscal responsibility, a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, and a willingness to do what it takes to keep the office organized and our valued citizens served.

Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Genesee County Legislature does hereby commend Mary Spaulding for over 40 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Genesee County and be it further

RESOLVED, that well-deserved congratulations and sincere thanks are extended to Mary, along with best wishes for a retirement rich in good health and happiness.

After a round of applause and congratulations, she was offered the chance to say a few words and joked that “I’ve always got something to say.”

“Thank you for this honor and allowing me to be part of the Genesee County team. Over 40 years I have met and worked with several wonderful people, not only in Job Development, the Career Center and several Genesee County departments,” Spaulding said. “I plan on spending more time with my family and friends, continue community service work that I do, and also finally do some traveling; I haven't done much since COVID. So once again, thank you for this recognition. I truly appreciate it.”

Genesee County seniors have until Friday to file for new tax law 'to help them stay in their homes'

By Joanne Beck

If you’re a senior aged 65 or older living in Genesee County, you have until Friday to file for a real property tax exemption that the Genesee County Legislature just voted to adjust as a means to help out qualifying property owners.

The Legislature unanimously approved Section 467 of the Real Property Tax Law during Wednesday’s meeting to give Genesee County the option of granting a reduction in the amount of taxes paid by senior citizens based on a sliding scale of income amounts.

Deputy Treasurer Kevin Andrews brought the issue to the attention of legislators a few weeks ago, suggesting that they may want to consider shifting the income amounts to better reflect this county’s senior incomes and cost of living increases and correlate with adjacent county numbers.

“So the exemption is intended to benefit individuals who are 65 years or older that are on a limited income. So for those individuals, it's a means to help them stay in their homes and afford the taxes to remain in their homes,” Andrews said, giving a tangible example of how this new law can help. “So it depends on their income threshold. At the maximum end of the scale, if their income qualifies, they'll get a 50 percent exemption on their taxes. So let's say we had somebody who had an assessment at about $100,000, and they're getting a 50 percent exemption … that would equate out to roughly $400 of savings for county tax purposes.”

That senior would own a home valued at $100,000, and with the sliding scale for an income of more than $23,800 but less than $24,800, that person would receive a 50 percent break on taxes for the $400 in savings.

The higher the income, the lower the discount, up to $32,200 at five percent. The full table is below. The caveat is that folks have until Friday to file at their assessor’s office. Andrews said that there will be an application available on the county’s website on Thursday, or one would be available at each municipality’s assessment office.

“It’s going to be a very tight turnaround, which is why we have been as proactive as possible. Kevin, your office has sent out press releases and worked very closely with the assessors in the community so that they would know this was coming out. We did have a comment from one assessor who indicated that she was going to be contacting the folks in her community that were now eligible for this revised and higher limited tax exemption,” Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein said. “We’re grateful for her; we're grateful for the work that you've put together to make sure that we get this information out as fast and as credibly as possible.”

There was a public hearing about the proposed change during the meeting, and no one showed up to speak.

In its resolution, the Legislature voted to adopt this measure “to keep pace with increases in social security income and to assist senior citizens with limited incomes to be able to afford to stay in their homes.” 

The scale tax exemption is as follows:

  • Less than $23,800 - 50%
  • Equal or more than $23,800 but less than $24,800 - 45%
  • $24,800 but less than $25,800 - 40%
  • $25,800 but less than $26,800 - 35%
  • $26,800 but less than $27,700 - 30%
  • $27,700 but less than $28,600 - 25%
  • $28,600 but less than $29,500 - 20%
  • $29,500 but less than $30,400 - 15%
  • $30,400 but less than $31,300 - 10%
  • $31,300 but less than $32,200 - 5%

This action is to take effect March 1, 2024.

Table Top Art Show winners unveiled at Eli Fish

By Howard B. Owens
table top art competition 2024
Chris Stangler, pictured with Brian Kemp, won the annual Table Top Art Competition, collecting a $200 cash prize.
Photo by Howard Owens.

Nearly 100 artists -- 99 to be exact -- entered 264 works of art to the annual Table Top Art Competition, which honors winners with cash prizes and reproductions of their work on placemats that will be on table tops at local restaurants in March.

From that wealth of creativity, 20 finalists were selected and unveiled at Eli Fish on Tuesday night.

There were five honorable mentions and 15 winners, with each of the 15 works of art being reproduced on placemats and the top three winners receiving cash prizes of $200, $100, $50, and a People's Choice winner receiving $100.

The top three winners were Chris Stangler,  Vanessa Loftus, and Debra Meier.  Shauna Blake won the People's Choice voting.

There are 34 area restaurants participating in the art show.
 
table top art competition 2024
Vanessa Loftus, second place, with Brian Kemp.
Photo by Howard Owens.
table top art competition 2024
Debra Meier, third place, with Brian Kemp.
Photo by Howard Owens.
table top art competition 2024
Photo by Howard Owens.
table top art competition 2024
Photo by Howard Owens.
table top art competition 2024
Photo by Howard Owens.
table top art competition 2024
Photo by Howard Owens.
table top art competition 2024
People's Choice Winner Shauna Blake.
Photo by Howard Owens.

Car reportedly hits house on Akron Road, Pembroke

By Howard B. Owens

A car has reportedly hit a house at 304 Akron Road, Pembroke.

Dispatchers are checking on the availability of Mercy Flight.

Entrapment is reported. 

Pembroke Fire and Indian Falls Fire along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:20 p.m.: The Indian Falls chief on scene reports the house WAS NOT struck. A fence was struck away from the house.  He is checking for entrapment.

UPDATE 10:21 p.m.: The chief reports the driver says he is not injured. Firefighters will need to get the door open.

UPDATE 10:25 p.m.: The driver is out of the vehicle.

Soul Food Brunch dishes ‘food for thought’ while commemorating Black History Month

By Mike Pettinella
kenyetta
Kenyetta Reese
Photo by Mike Pettinella.

The first Soul Food Brunch at GoArt! on Tuesday afternoon provided both tasty African-American cuisine and some honest food for thought.

The gathering at East Main and Bank streets drew about 60 people, including members of Genesee County’s Black-owned businesses that were featured on a flyer handed out to the attendees.

After enjoying a menu of fried chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, eggs, greens, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding and lemon pound cake, many of the attendees stuck around for a brief presentation led by brunch organizer Kenyetta Reese, a case manager at UConnectCare.

While the event was set up to highlight Black History Month, Reese noted that she and her family have been subjected to racism in recent months and years.

“I’ve actually experienced racism in the past six months,” she said. “So, if you could raise your hand here if you have also experienced racism in the past six months? How about in the past 30 days?”

Several people raised their hands.

Reese said recent events “have stirred up some trauma that she had from all of the hockey seasons that I was quiet.”

RECOUNTING INSTANCES OF RACISM
“My presence was loud, but I was somewhat quiet,” she recalled. “So, this event is for my son. He’s somewhere in this building.

“For every single time he was called the N-word on the ice, from the stands, for every unnecessary penalty, for the time parents called the police on him for checking their kid into the boards. Yes, someone actually called the police.”

She said her son was kicked out of games “for no reason.”

“For every game he cried, and I didn’t know. This event is for him, and I will no longer be quiet. His time is right now,” she said to applause.

Reese said that blatant racism is dismissed or disregarded.

“Microaggressions or exclusionary behaviors, if you will, boldly still exist and live hard for people of color still in 2024,” she offered. “With that said, we are here to celebrate Black History Month by sharing knowledge and a meal. Most importantly, to celebrate one another with two allies of our community and our workplace.”

She encouraged attendees to meet someone new today as “there’s a lot of power and strength in this room and in this building right now.”

MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IS LACKING
Reese’s daughter, Tzyonah, took the stage, providing statistics pertaining to Black people and mental health.

“Did you know that 63 percent of black people believe that a mental health condition is a sign of personal weakness?” she said. “People may experience shame about having a mental illness and worry that they may be discriminated against due to a condition.

“Nearly 90 percent of Black and African American people over the age of 12 with a substance use disorder did not receive treatment.

"In 2018, 58 percent of Black and African-American young adults with serious mental illness did not receive treatments.

"According to the APA (American Psychological Association), only 4 percent of psychologists are African-American. African American adults are 20% more likely to experience mental health issues than the rest of the population.

"Twenty-five percent of African-Americans seek treatment for a mental health issue compared to 40 percent of White individuals.”

Tzyonah said that she “struggles with” mental health issues … but continues to “work on myself and I continue to grow.”

“I remain so unbelievably vibrant, positive, resilient, strong, independent, hardworking.”

She said her custom printing business, Made by Tzy, provides her with a creative outlet “that brings me joy.”

“It gives me a voice and a platform to create dialogue and showcase the beauty, triumph and struggle of the Black experience through my art.”

THE MOORS: AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
From there, Brandon Armstrong, owner of the first Black-owned barber shop in Genesee County – Royals at 317 Ellicott St., Batavia, took a few minutes to talk about the Moors, African people around the 700s AD that, in his words, “were very smart and civilized back in those days.”

“They were well-studied in science and math … and they ushered in like a renaissance era,” he said. “Europe was very uncivilized. They weren’t bathing; there was a lot of sickness, a lot of diseases, and they were living with their animals.”

Armstrong said the Moors “came in with medicine – rubbing alcohol, disinfectant, soap – and showed the people how to groom themselves and bathe. They brought them clothing.”

He mentioned that the Moors originated the famous Italian dress shoe, the Moorigator.

“If you just look at that the word Moori, it’s a variation of the word Moorish. Right? And then if you look at the gator, the gator isn't indigenous to Italy, right? So, we see the black influence, even to this day, down to the shoes and from African culture.”

GOART! TO CREATE ‘BLACK SPACE’
GoArt! Executive Director Gregory Hallock followed Reese by announcing the agency has received a grant from BlackSpace, a New York City-based nonprofit collective of planners, architects, artists and designers devoted to creating spaces in communities to shine a light on Black culture and creativity.

He said he has scheduled a gathering at 6 p.m. March 11 at GoArt! for people to share ideas with architects for the new space.

“So, a space that we're digging down is available for us to do what we want to it, because it's not historic,” Hallock said, speaking of plans to install two art studios/classrooms, wood workshop, storage room, gallery and other amenities in the building’s basement. “It will become historic once it’s finished.”

Cathy Mack, a GoArt! director said most in the Black community aren’t aware of the programs that are available and encouraged those citizens to make reservations to attend the meeting and provide their input.

Hallock also reported that the agency is collaborating with another nonprofit to build a new 18,000-square-foot space in Medina that will include galleries, a podcast studio, a film studio, artisan shops, a music studio, artist-in-resident spaces, art classrooms and a music garden.

soul food brunch
Fried chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and mac and cheese were on the menu at Tuesday's Soul Food Brunch at GoArt!
Jada
Jada Rolle of Le Roy's Transformation Salon addresses the gathering at the Soul Food Brunch on Tuesday. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Borrello announces his candidacy for reelection

By Press Release

Press Release:

Senator George Borrello officially announced he is seeking re-election to the New York State Senate to represent the 57th District.

“Representing my constituents in Western New York is a great privilege and one that I strive to honor by giving 110 percent every day.  Albany is dominated by New York City legislators and activists whose priorities and values are a world apart from ours. I’ve made it my mission to be a champion for our district and rural New Yorkers,” said Senator Borrello.

“Right now, our state is facing a crisis of epic proportions caused by the unrelenting influx of migrants into New York. It is consuming billions in taxpayer funds at an alarming rate. Yet our governor refuses to rescind the ‘sanctuary’ status that is fueling the crisis,” said Sen. Borrello. “We need elected officials who will stand up for everyday New Yorkers who are rightly saying ‘enough is enough’”.

“As the City’s dominance has grown, the fight to secure our fair share of resources for our schools, roads, and other essential services has intensified. It is also critical that we continue to push back against one-size-fits-all policies that neglect to account for upstate realities,” said Sen. Borrello. 

“There is no better example than the natural gas bans and electric school bus mandates that are slated to go into effect in just a few years. Our rural setting and cold, snowy winters aren’t compatible with all-electric energy sources and, in the worst scenario, represent life and safety hazards.”

Senator Borrello noted that while statewide issues garner headlines, constituent service is a core priority.

“I am proud of the record my team and I have when it comes to helping our constituents. We logged more than 2,000 constituent cases in 2023 alone, spanning a wide range of issues. Behind those figures are real folks who reached out for help with problems – some complex and others that were addressed through a phone call. But in a rural area like ours, where services can be scarce, we recognize the vital importance of this assistance.”

“I’ve been a leading voice against the government overreach that is threatening our constitutional freedoms. We not only won the first court ruling against the governor’s ‘isolation and quarantine’ procedures, but we’ve also mobilized people across the state who realize the risks of giving the executive too much-unfettered power,” said Sen. Borrello.

“New Yorkers are asking for help. In the most recent Siena poll, a majority cited affordability and crime as their top concerns and a majority also said the quality of life in our state is declining. There is too much at stake to sit on the sidelines. That is why I am running for re-election. The future of our region and our state is at stake, and I am committed to doing everything I can to make the changes we need to not only survive but thrive in the years ahead," said Sen. Borrello.

Senator Borrello has represented the 57th District since winning a special election in 2019 and being re-elected in 2022. The district, one of the Legislature’s largest geographically, encompasses Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Genesee, and Wyoming counties, as well as a portion of Allegany County.

More information on George Borrello is available at www.georgeborrello.com and @BorrelloforNY on Facebook.

GO Health warns of increased encounters with wildlife

By Press Release

Press Release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are warning residents to stay away from wildlife and stray animals.

“Due to the mild winter and warmer temperatures, there has been a rise in the instances of people encountering wild animals and strays throughout Genesee and Orleans Counties,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “In the past month, several residents have required rabies treatment following an animal encounter.”

Rabies is most often found in wildlife such as raccoons, bats, and skunks, but pets can be at risk of the virus too. “If you see an animal in need, even if it is a baby animal, avoid touching it and contact animal control, stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for GO Health. “It is also important to keep your pets up to date on their rabies vaccination.”

Rabies can be fatal if left untreated. It can be transmitted through direct contact with saliva through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth. 

If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention. All bites should be reported to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. 

To prevent the spread of rabies, the health department reminds residents to take the following precautions:

  • Keep your pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations
  • Obey leash laws. Keep your pets under direct supervision and on a leash so they do not come in contact with wild or stray animals. If an animal bites your pet, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact the health department.
  • Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Do not handle, feed, touch, or attract wildlife (raccoons, skunks, bats, bunnies, rabbits, and foxes) or stray dogs and cats.
  • Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. 
  • Prevent bats from entering living quarters. If you find a bat in your home, safely capture it and call the health department. DO NOT release it! For a video on how to safety capture a bat, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puP8qbATPKg
  • Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood or if you see an animal showing signs of rabies. Signs of rabies in animals may include aggression, excessive drool or saliva, confusion, hair loss, and loss of movement or function.

Residents are encouraged to take note of our upcoming drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics for dogs, cats, and ferrets in Genesee and Orleans Counties which are offered at no charge. 

Genesee County Rabies Clinics at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia)

  • Thursday, May 16, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, August 8, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 10, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Orleans County Rabies Clinics at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 State Route 31, Albion)

  • Saturday, April 13, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, June 5, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, August 10, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, October 19, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.

For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department: 

  • Genesee County- 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us 
  • Orleans County- 585-589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov 

Photos: Sunset, Kelsey Road, Batavia

By Staff Writer
batavia sunset

Two photos of the sunset taken off Kelsey Road in the town of Batavia on Tuesday evening.

Photos submitted by Corey Coles.

batavia sunset

Chamber Awards: VFA earns special recognition in its 40th year caring for animals

By Joanne Beck
vfa chamber award
Members of Volunteers For Animals gather at Genesee County Animal Shelter in Batavia. 
Photo by Howard Owens

There they were: a dozen frightened, skinny, matted, shaking dogs — mostly poodles or poodle mixes — desperate for food, medical care, flea treatment, and, most of all, a loving and safe home.

Lucky for them, they were rescued by Genesee County dog control officers and delivered into the caring arms of Volunteers For Animals. From that moment on, those little guys and gals received much-needed baths and grooming, veterinary attention, dental work, and one by one — or in some cases, two by two — they were adopted to forever homes. 

It would be nice, perhaps, to think that this was an isolated case of animal neglect or abuse; however, there are many more stories. And for each one that volunteers share, they also share a smile when it ends in adoption. 

“It’s the happiest thing ever to see one walk out the door, and when the right family comes along, we say ‘yay, they got adopted,” VFA member Marcy Colantonio says.

Colantonio feels so strongly about the nonprofit that, in addition to being a member for the last seven years, she nominated the group for the Chamber of Commerce Special Anniversary Recognition of the Year Award.

“I think we do so much for the community and for the cats and the dogs. You know, this isn't home. And they need people to speak for them to help them find the right homes and the perfect homes for them. They don't need to be sitting in a kennel or in a cage, and I just like to promote this,” she said. “All we do, we take care of them, make sure they have a good life here, but it's not the best life. Ideally, they all need homes. So that's why I'm here, to help them find the perfect place for them.”

In 1984, there was an eager and active group of caring individuals who wanted to help four-legged creatures, and so it formed a nonprofit that, as the name implied, was truly about Volunteers For Animals. 

Those volunteers began at the modest — and often described as sad — shelter on Mill Street on the south side of Batavia until a new one was built in 2001. Ever since that first day, they have been cleaning cages, doing laundry, washing dishes, feeding cats and dogs, ensuring they get proper medical treatment and tests, and taking the pups out for regular walks, greeting and screening prospective adopters and — the most gratifying job of all: watching temporary shelter guests go home with their new families.

In more recent years, VFA has focused on fundraising for a strong spay and neuter program so that animals don’t reproduce and potentially create more unwanted innocent offspring. But all of this seems so clinical compared to what actually goes on at the shelter on Route 5 in the town of Batavia.

Amidst the feedings and tests and medical treatments — all valid in their own right — are the dozens, or hundreds, of stories, the tears, the smiles, the laughter, the compassion of people, pulling for an animal’s victory from abuse, abandonment, neglect, and putting in tireless effort, whether it’s to provide hands-on care, map out successful fundraisers or promote the nonprofit and shelter occupants. 

Colantonio joined for a reason familiar to most others: because she had a heart for the work.

“I wanted to do something for the animals, I knew someone who always shared good things about Volunteers For Animals and she said give it a try,” Colantonio said inside the adoption visit room at the shelter. “I fell in love with it.”

She has adopted a beagle and cat from the site, and as she and fellow volunteers Angie Knisley and Wendy Castleman began to think of rescue stories, the names just rolled off their tongues. 

There was Gigi, a white pitbull mix who had been at the shelter for 300 days and went through the Pathways to Home program, Ricky the cat, who was very sweet and landed a wonderful home eventually, Brad Pit, who was involved in an unfortunate long-term court case who had to remain at the shelter until the case was resolved, and was adopted once it was over. 

And Ruffles, a pretty tiger cat, who came in as a stray with a bad uterine infection. 

“Within days, you could tell she was feeling much better,” Castleman said. “She would’ve died on the street. She simply needed to be spayed.” 

Colantonio and Knisley waved and smiled as Ruffles and her new pet parent said goodbye and left the shelter. 

Castleman, who has been a member for two decades, said that VFA used to be mostly focused on the shelter itself and has expanded outward into the community, with a satellite location for cats at PetCo, a low-cost spay and neuter program, and the Path to Homes program, which began in 2018, with selected dogs being placed with inmates at Albion Correctional Facility and volunteer trainer and VFA member Tom Ryan working with them to prepare the dogs for adoption. 

Way before then, however, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, VFA answered the call for those residents who not only worried about their own lives but the lives of their beloved pets left behind in the massive flooding. 

“Things seemed to change with Katrina. There was a huge shift, and there was a more of a recognition that there were places that had large volumes of animals that needed to be adopted and were adaptable,” Castleman said. “And for me, personally, it was a huge game changer. And I think those core volunteers are still very active. And to include the community and make it a more positive experience for both the public and the animals.”

Those rescues became a big source of news and more happy local adoption stories as volunteers drove dogs back to Batavia to a safer harbor. They have continued to snatch dogs from the jaws of high-kill shelters in other states for quick turnaround adoption times, as folks here always seemed eager to help out and welcome a four-legged into their own homes.

There’s a core of about 30 volunteers — some committing once a week and others more or less often — with 40 foster families tending to kittens to free up space for adult cats in the shelter but willing to bring the young ones in for visits when needed.

“We have a really good adoption rate because of the public; people think about adopting,” Knisley said. “I think, too, the gratitude that we feel towards the volunteers themselves because our volunteers come in and cover every day of the year. Somebody is here helping, and it's such an important integral part of us is having people here, and besides the wonderful donations that we get with the money to do what we do, it's the people.”

They are proud to say that 95 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to help the animals in Genesee County and the surrounding area, and there are no salaried employees in the organization. The breakdown for 2023 includes 76 percent for veterinary care, which was $170,827; 17% for medications, vaccine and food supplies, or $37,856; 5% for fundraising, $11,047; and 2% for rescue dog fees, or $4,560. 

It is rewarding, emotional and sometimes difficult being an animal welfare volunteer, Colantonio said. 

“We see the best of humanity and the worst of humanity,” she said. “From being saved from an abusive situation, rescued from a hoarder home to simply taking in a pet that is no longer loved or wanted, the well-being of the dog or cat is always our first priority.”  

One of those situations involved a barely recognizable pooch that came to the shelter with so much puss from infections that he had to stay in a bathtub for a while, Castleman said. 

“His ears and mouth were pouring with puss,” she said.  “We took him to a vet clinic, and the vet said ‘we can clean it up, he needs antibiotics, vet care and he had dental work.”

While the prognosis was iffy, and the amount of grotesque puss was “heartbreaking,” that dog turned out to be a “gorgeous Pomeranian.” His name was Nook, and he was most definitely a cutie. He proved positive that miraculous transformations can take place for what might seem like a hopeless cause.

It was the same for those dozen poodles, rescued from a hoarding situation. Most of them recovered and were adopted, including two little girls who went on to live for nine years with a local reporter. They had major dental work, anxiety, social issues, inability to take stairs, walk on a leash or hold down their meals many times or remain housebroken, but were loving, comfortable and loved. 

“They just rebound,” Castleman said.

After all, that’s what Volunteers For Animals, celebrating its 40th year, is all about: hope for hopeless animals. 

Photos by Howard Owens

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Retired sergeant is presented with proclamation, best wishes

By Joanne Beck
Eugene Jankowski and Daniel Coffee
City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. listens as retired Sergeant Daniel Coffey says a few words with his proclamation during Monday's conference meeting at City Hall. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

A devoted leader and public servant passionate about his community and what he does, those are a few descriptions for retired Sergeant Dan Coffey, who was given a belated proclamation and best wishes from the City Council this week for his 20 years of service with the Batavia Police Department.

Coffey walked out the door of 10 W. Main St. for his Jan. 5 retirement this year after a career that put him in positions of police officer, field training officer, general topics instructor, lead firearms instructor and having served on the department’s emergency response team, before being promoted to sergeant in June 2012.

He took command of the first platoon soon afterward. He was in charge of the department’s fleet of vehicles, credited for being “integral in the day-to-day operations of the department,” for taking on many projects, and for serving his community and the department with passion and dedication. 

A lifelong city of Batavia resident who graduated from Notre Dame High School, Coffey attended Genesee Community College and obtained an associate degree before he earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Brockport State College. 

He began his career as a police officer at the City of Batavia Police Department on Oct. 5, 2003. His other career experiences include time as an emergency services dispatcher at Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, a manager at a local restaurant, and as a former chief for the Town of Batavia Fire Department, where he continues to volunteer.

The public has recognized Coffey with “many appreciation letters and positive comments,” the resolution read. He is a past recipient of the Kiwanis Club Criminal Justice Award and has received other departmental awards, the proclamation states.

He has also distinguished himself as a leader and mentor within the department and the city of Batavia, it states.

“Now, therefore, in a true spirit of appreciation for 20 years of dedicated service to the city of Batavia, City Council makes this proclamation to sincerely thank Daniel J. Coffey for his dedicated service to our community and to wish him well in retirement,” City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said, reading the proclamation to Coffey during Monday’s conference meeting.

Coffey accepted the citation from Jankowski, a fellow retired police department member, and said a few words to the audience, which included some department personnel.

“Thank you very much for the sentiment. I really do appreciate it,” he said. “It was a good career. I enjoyed working for the city of Batavia, and it really does mean a lot to me that my service was recognized. I really do appreciate all the people here. Thank you.”

His retirement did not last long. Coffey was hired in January as director of campus safety for GCC in Batavia.

Town of Byron changes location for Wednesday informational meeting

By Press Release

Press Release:

The Town of Byron Sewer District and Waste Water Treatment proposed project informational meeting has been changed from the Town Hall to the South Byron Fire Hall, 7398 South Byron Rd. Byron on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.

This change was made to accommodate the number of attendees. 

MRB Group, project Engineers will be explaining the reasons leading to the proposed project and the plans going forward.

Public questions are welcome.

The regularly scheduled Byron Town Board Meeting will immediately follow the informational meeting.

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