Press Release:
Batavia Lion's Club inducted new members at their monthly meeting, Dr. Ross Fanara led the induction.
Western Regional Off-Track Betting was informed on Monday that the office of NYS Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli is conducting a financial audit of the corporation, according to a statement issued to The Batavian on Wednesday.
Jennifer Freeman, communication director for the comptroller's office said that the audit will start in February.
"It will take several months to complete," Freeman said. "During an audit, we do not comment on specifics or what we are finding."
Michael DeGeorge told The Batavian on Wednesday that the OTB was told that the audit could include a review of the past three to five years of financial operations, including internal controls.
"The president and CEO (Byron Brown) made it clear that the new management team will fully cooperate with the comptroller's office throughout the process and that we welcome outside review," DeGeorge said.
There has been recent controversy regarding executive buyouts, other perks, and executive-level expenditures as a result of the transition from the leadership of Henry Wojtaszek to Brown.
Previously:
Coupled with a discussion about the astronomical rise in healthcare costs Monday evening, City Manager Rachael Tabelski and City Council members also kicked around the idea of paying a larger portion of gym memberships for city employees and council members.
The proposal was to pay from $100 to $500 toward a membership to one of three city facilities, with the $500 going to the brand-new Healthy Living YMCA. Employees already receive the $100 perk for gym memberships, and the $500 and adding council members is new.
The money would come from a slush fund of sorts, Tabelski said.
“So as the city continues to incentivize health and wellness of our employees through various programs, such as our premium reduction for their health screenings, physical fitness incentives for firefighters and police officers and the $100 gym reimbursement, I believe the city should partner with the new Genesee County YMCA and offer a discounted membership for all city employees, including council members," Tabelski said during the conference meeting at City Hall. "I've had many employees come to me, council members come to me, saying, wouldn't it be great if we could provide some kind of membership or incentive towards using the new facility.
"So I went and looked at this year's budget. We have interest in earnings right now at about $24,000 that might pop out around $50,000, so we could cover the majority of employees and council members if they were to sign up for this incentive," she said. "So I leave it to you to discuss and determine if this is something you'd like to move forward with.”
Meanwhile, the remaining budget talks included increasing the tax cap with an override that will require a future public hearing to deal with about $1 million more in expenses for healthcare and retirement this coming year.
The only council member who vocally seemed to have an issue with the proposal was Bob Bialkowski, who apparently was one of the people who asked Tabelski about such a perk.
Paying $100 to the other gyms and $500 to the YMCA, and all are “paying property tax, local tax,” seems “discriminatory,” he said.
“We could get rid of the $100 and force them to join the Y. It’s just an offering,” Tabelski said. “You're actually the council member that asked me about joining, right?”
To clarify, YMCA is a nonprofit and is exempt from paying county, city and school taxes.
Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. and Kathy Briggs were in favor of the gym proposal.
“It’s a perk for employees, I like it,” Briggs said.
Jankowski said that a YMCA membership is from about $600 for a single to $1,000 for a family membership per year, so the person would still have “some out-of-pocket costs.”
“I think it's a great idea. I think you could get rid of the $100 if you'd like, and just do the $500 to the Y. I don't know that we'd want to incentivize $500 to any gym across America, you know what I mean, because it'd be way too hard for us to track,” Jankowski said. “I like the idea. I like where we're going with it, because in the long run, when you stay healthy, it saves us money.”
No one brought up the inclusion of council members in the package. If they are covered and all of them choose YMCA, that would mean an additional $4,500 in the budget, plus their annual salaries of $5,000 per council member and $7,000 for council president.
Council took a vote to move the topic to the next business meeting on Feb. 10, and approved it by 6-1. Members Briggs, Jankowski, Al McGinnis, Rich Richmond, David Twichell and Derek Geib voted yes and Bialkowski voted no. Paul Viele and Tammy Schmidt were absent.
With all of the availability of artificial intelligence — AI for short — and the myriad apps available to help with research, to answer questions, and figure out how to do most anything, comes a new dilemma for educators wanting to ensure their students aren’t misusing the technology, State University of New York Chancellor John King says.
“We actually just added artificial intelligence to our general education requirements around information literacy, because we think our students will need to understand how AI works, how to use it ethically,” King said during a recent visit to Batavia. “And so we’re now building that into the general education requirements for all undergraduates across SUNY, and we’re doing a lot of professional development with faculty thinking about both, how do you teach students about using AI, but also, how do we think about the role that AI plays in the classroom?”
That might change how teachers dole out homework, he said, moving them from at-home assignments to asking students to complete them during class time.
“Because you want to make sure that students are engaging with the material themselves and not just relying on AI. You know, some of the work is actually helping students understand how best to use AI, you know, the prompt development, for example, the kind of question you ask matters a lot with what you'll get back from AI, and so helping students think about, how do you design the right question?” he said. “Also helping students be skeptical readers of what they find, whether it's on the internet or from AI, they have to ask, is this right? How do I know? Let me go check these sources.”
There are so many interesting things that college faculty members are working on with AI, he said, including simulated conversations in foreign languages.
“It’s such an incredible tool if used well,” he said.
The State University of New York — of which Genesee Community and Empire State colleges are included — will require undergraduate students to take courses in AI and civic discourse as part of their general education curriculum beginning in fall 2026.
The courses will be part of the university’s effort to prepare students to engage with emerging technologies and evaluate information, as King said, ethically.
According to SUNY's website, students will be learning how to use AI tools to locate information, evaluate that information from different sources, understand the ethical implications of using AI, how to weigh information for bias, truthfulness and other factors and how to navigate and assess the impact of AI in society.
The second annual Pembroke Teacher's Federation (PTF) Pizza Night was held at Homeslice 33 Pizzeria in Corfu on Jan. 22.
The PTF was excited to team up with Homeslice 33 to raise funds and awareness for mental health resources in Genesee County, members said. Ten teachers volunteered to help make pizza, wings, and fried goodies.
Aaron Brown, a sixth grade teacher at Pembroke, said "Teaming up with Tom and his amazing staff is awesome. Seeing the community support not only mental health but also their teachers is what makes Pembroke a special place!"
During the four-hour event, the PTF raised $450 for mental health.
Photos by Kara Richenberg.
Please submit cancellations and closures to: news@thebatavian.com.
With $1 million more in expenses, an expected flat sales tax per the state comptroller and unstable revenue sources such as video lottery terminal money, the city should consider a tax cap override this year, Manager Rachael Tabelski says.
She talked Monday evening about the juxtaposition of raising the tax cap due to increased property assessments, even though the tax rate itself is to decrease by 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
“I believe the city has been extremely fiscally responsible in restraining tax hikes for our citizens, but keeping up with the inflationary demands of our expenses continues to remain challenging. This year, we face a million dollars of additional expenses for health care and retirement alone, as well as a nearly flat sales tax projection, so we need to rely on more revenue from other sources, including, in this case, property tax,” Tabelski said during City Council’s conference meeting at City Hall. "Obviously, the city needs to be careful and conservative in projecting our revenue, especially the sales tax, and find a balanced approach to raise enough money to support current services with our property tax while also using reserves, unassigned fund balance and other revenue sources to keep a healthy financial position.
“Recently, the state comptroller's office was very vocal in advising municipalities to stay flat on your sales tax numbers because we didn't know what the economy was going to do with the new administration,” she said. “And it's only a few days in, and we're still finding out how quickly the economy will change and move.”
That tax cap is not absolute, she said and can be overridden by a vote of 60% of the local governing body. Because the tax cap “seldom actually equals 2%,” it's extremely hard for governments to use this formula and remain under 2% while expenses for employees, wages, health care and retirement continue to grow, she said.
“The only way that the tax cap is fair is if the tax cap actually equals the inflation rate, so therefore, it can keep up with the additional spending just to provide the same core services we do today,” she said. “Right now, inflation is three, three and a half percent. As you see, our general fund budget, as proposed at this time, increased by 2.6%, which is $600,000 over last year. Even with the override consideration, property tax owners will see a 50-cent decrease per $1,000 in their taxes this year.
“At this time, I recommend the City Council move forward to schedule the tax cap override legislation to be considered at the February business meeting, and the legislation does call for a public hearing.”
A public hearing is to be set at the next business meeting on Feb. 10. On that date, the council is also expected to set hearings for the 2025 budget and both the proposed water and sewer rate increases.
Council also had its first budget session, at which Tabelski reviewed city data numbers for the $38.8 million total proposed 2025 financial plan and the municipality. These are the numbers that tell a story of decreased population from a high of 18,210 in 1960 to 15,596, according to the latest census, with males tipping over at 52% and females at nearly 48%.
The median age in the city is 40, and healthcare and social services jobs weigh in at a hefty 4,240, with manufacturing in second at 3,488 jobs, retail at 2,080, and public administration at 1,778. Healthcare was at its peak in 2022, with more than 6,000 jobs here, which fell to 4,186 a year later.
The 64% white-collar and 35% blue-collar workers total 9,476 employees in Batavia, and more than half of the businesses — 54.96% — employ one to four people, followed by nearly 21% employing five to nine people, and the lowest of 2.36% having 100 or more employees under their roof.
At least 34% of the population has obtained a high school degree, with more than 39% going on for an associate’s degree or higher.
Demographics aside, property owners are to pay a projected $8.46 per $1,000 assessed value, or $846 for a home assessed at $100,000, and a $50 decrease from last year if assessed property values remain the same. The current rate is $8.96 per $1,000.
Tabelski arrived at that decrease by pulling revenue from several other areas, including $526,000 from the unassigned fund balance, $310,000 from retirement reserves, a $300,000 water fund transfer and $250,000 departmental income.
“You're basically saying that you're using a bunch of variety of funding sources to balance the budget so that we're not taking too much out of savings, and we're balancing it between the decrease and the reserves. So we're trying to get a little bit from everything to kind of balance it all out,” Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said. “Hopefully, we'll see more information in the next year, and we'll have a better prediction of how inflation is going to either level up or increase. We don't know yet, so right now, we're being cautious about funding. Correct?”
That’s right, Tabelski said, and if city officials could have raised sales tax, “we wouldn't have needed to have done the override.”
“Particularly if we could have had a flat year in health care and retirement, same thing, but those costs are essentially out of our control,” she said.
It’s about trying to “rough it out,” Jankowski said. These calculations help.
“It’s not a huge savings, but it is a big savings, “ Jankowski said. “And I think that's where we should continue to work on is trying to keep that tax rate as low as possible, and even lower, if we can do that extra with good sales tax and possible, the governor increasing the AIM aid on a permanent basis instead of throwing a little out here and there.
"I just think it’s amazing this is the lowest tax rate we’ve had in 17 years,” he said. “It’s nice to see that even though inflation is going up.”
Water rates are to increase by 1% or 6 cents to $6.52 per 1,000 gallons and sewer by 3% or 9 cents to $3.23 per 1,000 gallons. An average family of four can expect to pay about $850 to $900 a year, including meter and capital improvement fees, Tabelski said. That does depend on consumption at the property and a home with no leaks, she said.
Police and fire expenses make up 47% of the budget, Tabelski said, and with healthcare, it's more than 55%. Property taxes go toward services, including police and fire response to emergencies 24 hours a day and for similar responses from the public works department, she said. Taxes also go for repair and replacement of infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, parks, water and sewer plant and lines, storm sewer and parking lots, and investing in economic, business, job, housing and community development, plus maintenance of street lights.
Given the close proximity that homes were built to one another at one time, Jankowski is grateful to have a paid fire department nearby, he said.
“It's important to have a fire department that can respond very quickly, or else, my house goes up when my neighbor’s house goes up and the next neighbor, but you end up in a chain reaction kind of thing. So that good response time, I think you said you're approximately three to four minutes … when I had the experience of my neighbor's house was on fire, and it was a dramatic one years ago, it's nice to have the fire department there very quickly to bring it under control and contain it,” he said. “I mean, we're an old-style city, so everything nowadays, they spread things out. But that's important. Same thing with police and fire police as well. I think a lot of people I talk to when they live in the city, kind of expect a paid fire department, a paid police department, DPW, actively involved, because it's just the nature of the business of having that many people in a small area.
“So I think it's important that that's why Council focuses on public safety, police, fire, DPW, those are our core funding. So for our tax base, that's what people want. They want their infrastructure, want their police, they want their fire,” he said. “So that's the feedback I'm getting. So that's where we've kept our focus, and we're not looking for pet projects here and there that maybe would cost a lot of money to try to stay focused on.”
The next budget session will include a review of the fire department, general government and administrative expenses. It’s set for 5 p.m. Feb. 4 at City Hall.
Febrewary is returning to Downtown Batavia, however, there’s a new time slot, organizers say.
The annual event will run from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 22 throughout the Business Improvement District area, which will this year feature 23 participating businesses, including four new ones, for a brisk and fun beer walk.
BID invites you for an afternoon and early evening of tastings of great beers and ciders, and entertainment while you meet new people and see old friends, create memories, shop and support small, local businesses.
Tickets are $35 each and available at Yngodess Shop, Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, Adam Miller Toys and Bicycles, and online at Eventbrite, BID’s Facebook page or bataviabid.com, or email director@downtownbataviany.com.
Registration is at TVFCU, in the west end parking lot behind Batavia City Centre, from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are expected to sell out, so get yours soon.
Participants must be 21 years old, and are reminded that this is an adult-only event. Please don't bring children.
Monday night's heavy winds snapped a utility pole in the area of 434 East Main St., Batavia, just before 9 p.m. causing a power outage in the area.
National Grid was on scene quickly to begin repairs.
Eastbound lanes of East Main Street were closed during repairs.
A high-wind warning is in place until 6 a.m. with winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts up to 60 mph.
Currently, the largest power outage in Genesee County is centered in Elba, stretching south into the Town of Batavia, affecting 327 National Grid customers.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Nichole Dykstra is missing her "sweet boy" Max, a 90-pound German shepherd, who was last seen on Naramore Drive in the city of Batavia. If anyone spots him, please call her at 585-250-3891.
Press Release:
Genesee County’s ACT Work Ready Communities campaign has quickly achieved its first milestone with the support of manufacturing, Main Street, and professional service employers.
ACT Work Ready Communities is a workforce initiative connecting area students to businesses and in-demand careers available across Genesee County. The program demonstrates a community’s engaged participation by its workforce and businesses through the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
Genesee County has completed the first of four targets to achieve ACT Work Ready Communities certification. 92 businesses located in and/or serving Genesee County have signed up as supporters of the initiative, matching the program’s goal.
“Genesee County is the second county in New York state to pursue work ready community status, and as a result of an expedited sign-up process by local businesses we see the region’s commitment to addressing workforce development needs,” said Fred McConnel, Senior Director, ACT Workforce. “As this initiative continues, more connections between these employers and the current and emerging workforces will grow.”
To reach the Work Ready Communities goal, Genesee County will also need to achieve targets for participation by students, incumbent workers, and job seekers in NCRC for applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents. This assessment can be utilized to assist individuals in their job searches and by employers to match skills with job opportunities.
“As we grow our region's workforce readiness, there are many great pathways for our youth and adults to grow their careers. Through ACT WorkKeys assessments, apprenticeships, and training programs, these are paths to success. And with direct support available for qualifying jobseekers and workers to complete training and start their new careers, we are truly ready to help you get ready,” added Jay Lazarony, Executive Director, GLOW Workforce Development Board.
Genesee County businesses that have signed up to date include companies in advanced manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, education, professional services, hospitality, and more.
“The National Career Readiness Certificates will fast-track current and future job candidates who are exploring career opportunities and provide companies across Genesee County with a pool of applicants that can easily match their skills with job openings,” said Chris Chadbourne, Plant Manager, Oxbo.
“By supporting the ACT Work Ready Communities, we are supporting the future of our workforce,” said Matthew Gray, owner, Alex’s Place. “Encouraging students, job seekers, and incumbent workers to gain a nationally recognized certificate and demonstrate their skills provides us with applicants ready for work.”
Any business located in and/or serving Genesee County can sign up to be a certified organization that recognizes or recommends the NCRC for applicants.
With this achievement, Work Ready Communities supporters are focused on achieving the next set of goals by collaborating with schools, workforce institutions, and other stakeholders to recruit candidates and local companies to participate in the ACT Work Ready Communities initiative.
“Partners across economic development and workforce development have demonstrated, through the ACT Work Ready Communities initiative, an ecosystem that allows our local and growing business to thrive,” said Chris Suozzi, Executive Vice President of Business and Workforce Development, Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC). “ACT Work Ready Communities shows how we will continue to prepare our students and residents for in-demand, good-paying careers.”
To see the list of participating businesses please visit https://www.workreadycommunities.org/NY/037/businesses.
Press Release:
The City of Batavia is working with the Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) to apply to New York State for a second Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant.
Governor Hochul and State Legislative leaders have ensured that New York Cities can continue to grow their tax base and business by championing the DRI grant program. The City was a recipient of a DRI in 2018 and have completed seven (7) out of eight (8) transformational projects in the core of downtown Batavia.
“Without the Governor, the Department of State, and Empire State Development the City of Batavia would not have seen such a dramatic transformation from a fledgling downtown into a flurry of investment; sparking retail, commercial, and residential progress.
The DOS Brownfield Opportunity Area program gave Batavia the blueprint to focus investment on contaminated and underutilized sites. The DRI added the funding to move these projects from the planning stage to construction and completion. The City is ready to extend this winning combination and apply for another DRI grant with a new project boundary,” said Rachael J. Tabelski, City Manager, Batavia.
Over $75 Million of investment by the private sector was matched to the $10M grant funds to make major improvements in the City.
- DRI 1.0 Grant Projects
- City View Residences
- Healthy Living Campus/YMCA
- Carr’s Department Store
- Main Street Theater 56
- Building Improvement Fund
- Jackson Square
- City Centre Improvement Project
- Savarino
One of the primary goals of the DRI was to identify projects that are catalytic, leverage additional private and public funding, and are ready to move from planning to construction.
Batavia’s first DRI Steering Committee recommended 16 final projects ready for investment and New York State choose the top 8 projects for funding.
“The DRI program was a tremendous success in the City of Batavia providing our citizens with new opportunities for recreation, arts, culture, entertainment and housing. I’m thrilled to work on new opportunities for investment in the City,” said Eugene Jankowski Jr., City Council President.
The City and the BDC continue to assist and incentivize many new projects across the City, however, there are many more projects that are ready to spur more economic development, building revitalization, and housing construction with grant assistance that a DRI award could provide.
“The BDC continually pairs properties and building owners with grants and incentives to drive investment and business development in the City. Since the first successful execution of the DRI program there has been an increase in developer interest within the City. New projects that qualify for the DRI 2.0 will continue to boost the quality of life in our City,” said Tammy Hathaway, Executive Director of the BDC.
If you are interested in learning more and have a project in the City please send a letter to Tammy Hathaway, BDC Executive Director expressing your interest. Please include the following:
- Name of Project
- Address
- Proposed Project or Idea
- Potential Investment
After you submit your letter of interest you will be contacted by a member of the DRI Steering Committee to assist you with preparing a full project application and due diligence.
Full Project Application https://www.batavianewyork.com/home/pages/downtown-revitalization-initiative
Full Project Applications will include:
- Drawings, renderings, or plans.
- Order of magnitude cost estimates
- Description of project benefits
- Timelines and schedules for implementation
- Proof of funding
- Zoning and other permit information
An initial map of the project area is attached, however if you have a project outside the boundary please send a letter of interest to the BDC Executive Director Tammy Hathaway at director@bataviadevelopmentcorp.org.
Press Release:
The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery is kicking off 2025 with an exciting new sculptural exhibit! The Bennington Concrete Collective features artwork by Ed Hallborg and J. Brian Pfeiffer. Hallborg and Pfeiffer both use concrete/cement as the foundation of their pieces.
Hallborg creates relief sculptures by spreading layers of cements onto wood, and then carving into it. Recently, he has been experimenting with color in his artwork by layering chalk pastels onto the dried cement for added dimension. Take note of the colorful strokes used in Collaboration Piece, which consists of many interlocking sculptures on display together for the first time.
Pfeiffer creates stone blocks out of concrete and marble dust, which he then carves into to create his free-standing sculptures. In contrast to his smaller pieces on display, Pfeiffer also creates large scale sculptures, some of which you'll find permanently displayed around Western NY. This requires him to weld metal armatures to create a stable base, which he then covers in concrete.
Pfeiffer says most of his sculptures are built for interaction, and he encourages viewers to get up close to his artwork. Feel free to take a seat on Sitting Man when you visit the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery. Texture and shadow take center stage in The Bennington Concrete Collective. There is a playful mix of abstract artwork on display next to figurative pieces, from both of these talented artists.
Ed Hallborg is a Western New York based studio artist, theatre designer, educator and musician. He first began working with wood forms and concrete while studying as a Carpenter's Apprentice in the Southwest United States. Graduating SUNY with a BS of Design in 2002, he currently serves as Professor of Practice and Resident Designer/Technical Director for the Theatre Department of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
In June 2024, he was selected as one of the four Roycroft Emerging Artists:Cohort 2024, sponsored by the Roycroft at Large Association, a Craftsman community in East Aurora, NY. In October of the same year, he was juried in as an exhibiting member of the Buffalo Society of Artists. Ed just finished up a delightfully collaborative NYSCA Independent Artist Grant working with elementary aged artists in the fall of 2024 which he'd be happy to tell you about. He has shown at gallerys throughout the Western and Central NY region.
J. Brian Pfeiffer is a self-taught sculptor, born in 1964. He has been creating sculptures using concrete or stone (alabaster) since 1984. Pfeiffer is the owner of A Sculptor's Soul Studio, which is located in the rolling hills of Bennington, a small town in Western New York. He has abstract and figurative sculptures of all sizes scattered around his property, as well as commissioned pieces in private collections and public installations peppered throughout Western New York. The largest being a 6-ton concrete sculpture, which is called UNITY, a 911 Memorial donated to the Fireman's Home/Museum in the Hudson Valley. He is a recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts Community Arts Grant in 2024, and has won numerous awards for his sculptures at the Allentown Arts Festival.
Two receptions will be held on January 30 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and at 5 to 7 p.m. Meet our artists and enjoy some refreshments while viewing this exciting new sculptural exhibit.
The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Wednesdays 5 - 7 p.m. The gallery is also open on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Any changes to the gallery hours will be posted on the gallery social media pages.
For more information please contact: Jessica Skehan at the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery via email jeskehan@genesee.edu or gccgallery@genesee.edu or telephone 585-343-0055 ext. 6490.
Press Release:
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) reintroduced the Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act to protect pro-life pregnancy centers from attacks by radical activists and ensure attackers are held accountable for their violent actions.
Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson 's decision in 2022, pro-life pregnancy centers across the nation have faced an increase in violent attacks from radical pro-abortion extremist groups. In Upstate New York, CompassCare Pregnancy Services, a pro-life center in Amherst, New York, was firebombed in 2022 and was criminally vandalized again in 2023.
The Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act aims to strengthen protections for abortion-alternative providers and places of worship by:
- Elevating first-time offenses from misdemeanors to felonies and increasing fines from $10,000 to $25,000;
- Ensuring that successful lawsuits by pregnancy resource centers and religious facilities result in compensation of no less than $20,000, up from the current $10,000 minimum; and
- Raising the mandatory minimum sentence for arson-related attacks from 5 years to 7 years.
"Radical pro-abortion extremists have targeted pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide by attacking workers and volunteers, vandalizing facilities, and even firebombing buildings like CompassCare in Amherst, New York. The Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act is a critical measure to protect women and families who depend on pro-life health centers like CompassCare for compassionate care. This legislation also strengthens penalties to ensure violent perpetrators are held accountable for their attacks on pregnancy resource centers. I remain steadfast in my commitment to defending the sanctity of life and supporting these essential pro-life care centers,” said Congresswoman Tenney.
“A recent study revealed that nearly 70% of women who had an abortion were coerced. Pro-life Pregnancy Resource Centers like CompassCare provide a third of a billion dollars of free medical care and support to women facing unplanned pregnancy every year. Pro-life Pregnancy Resource Centers provide a woman with true choice: the ability to say ‘no’ to abortion. And yet, pro-abortion domestic terrorists have attacked hundreds of pro-life Pregnancy Resource Centers—firebombing CompassCare in 2022, vandalizing us in 2023, and engaging in cyber terror acts in 2025. Added to that, Big Tech censored us, preventing women from finding our free, ethical services in their time of need; pro-abortion politicians like NY Gov. Hochul weaponized legislation against us; NY Attorney General Letitia James engaged in lawfare, seeking specifically to prevent women from receiving life- saving emergency abortion pill reversal at our medical offices; all while a politicized federal law enforcement turned a blind eye. From the terrorists to pro-abortion politicians, the goal of their attacks is the same: shut down all competition to the abortion industry. What Congresswoman Tenney understands is the need to shut down the unjust attacks and abuse of peaceful pro-life citizens, sacrificially investing in their neighbor in crisis. Rep. Tenney’s bill is a strong step in that direction,” said Reverand Jim Harden, CEO of CompassCare.
Press Release:
"Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal represents a staggering and deeply troubling escalation of spending at a time when New York cannot afford it. With a record $252 billion price tag, this budget is $19 billion higher than last year’s Executive Budget proposal. The unchecked growth in spending is not only reckless, but it is the driver of the high cost of living that is pushing out residents and jobs.
The state is staring down major multi-billion-dollar budget gaps in future years, underscoring the structural fiscal issues we are failing to address. At the heart of this problem is Medicaid, where spending continues to skyrocket with no meaningful plan from the Governor to rein it in—even as she herself has called the current trajectory ‘unsustainable.’ New York’s Medicaid program has long been known as the ‘Cadillac’ of state Medicaid programs because it is the most expansive and costly, outpacing even California’s. It’s long past time for the state to align its benefits with those of other states and take stronger measures to root out the waste, fraud and abuse. Without reform, we are simply ignoring reality and setting the stage for painful tax increases and cuts in other areas of the budget in the near future.
While the Governor has included so-called ‘affordability’ measures such as middle-class tax cuts and rebate checks, against the backdrop of skyrocketing spending and looming deficits, the net effect for taxpayers will be more financial pain in the form of higher taxes, fees, or other burdens to fund this irresponsible budget.
Adding to the chaos is the unaddressed $33 billion gap in the MTA’s capital plan. While this massive shortfall is conspicuously absent from the budget, it will need to be addressed in the final budget—likely through new taxes or fees that will once again hit hardworking New Yorkers.
Traditionally, it has been the Governor’s responsibility to serve as the ‘adult in the room’ during budget negotiations, balancing ambitious priorities with fiscal discipline. Unfortunately, this proposal suggests that Governor Hochul is content to pass the buck instead of passing meaningful reforms. New Yorkers deserve better. It’s time to stop treating taxpayers like an endless ATM and start making the tough choices necessary to secure our state’s financial future."
At 21, Leah Wroten was diagnosed with cancer, and life as she knew it changed for the foreseeable future, special education teacher Natalie Keller says.
“She had life-changing surgery," Keller said to The Batavian about her fellow Batavia City Schools colleague. "She had not been working for six months.”
Wroten, a BHS 2020 graduate, had major surgery, chemotherapy and related treatments since her diagnosis in 2024. School staff members have had football square and Dress Down Day fundraisers, and one coming up in February is expected to be the biggest so far, Keller said. It will be a 26 Shirts for Leah.
As a special ed teacher’s aide, Wroten was not paid during her time off, and it hurt her financially during those six months off. Keller has been aware of 26 Shirts, a Buffalo company that does popular one-of-a-kind shirt designs for worthy causes, and staff added their friend to the waiting list last April.
Wroten’s shirt design will be sold online for two weeks beginning Feb. 24, with $8 from each purchase going to her. Designs usually involve sports themes, such as with Buffalo Bills, and Keller is hoping that the Bills win the Super Bowl and the design can incorporate that. She has heard good things about the 26 Shirts company.
“They’ve been doing this for six or seven years. They said they make about $6,000 to $8,000 for each shirt design,” she said. "Some of this will be getting her back on her feet.”
Given that Wroten began in October 2023 and hadn’t been at the district very long when she got sick, she has rather quickly made a difference at the school, with adults and students alike.
Special education teacher Chris Gorton works in the same room with Keller and Wroten, and has enjoyed the experience of this teacher’s aide.
“Leah is amazing,” he said.
Keller also shared how she works with people.
“She’s very patient, she’s a good balance to me. She’s very patient with the kids at school and with my daughter, Sara. I think this group of kids that she works with a high school, she kind of found her people,” Keller said. “I don’t know that she was interested in doing that kind of work, but once she started, it’s just very natural for her to be caring and patient but to challenge the kids too.”
Sara, 16, has Down Syndrome, and Wroten has been taking her to youth group while working three jobs and preparing to continue her own education to become a special education teacher or study library science, Keller said. Her plans were temporarily shifted when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 21, and had to take time off from work for surgery and treatments.
She is in remission but still has to get scans and have follow-up appointments, “which means every time she takes off, she’s still not getting paid for those days; it’s hard to amass any time when you’re off,” Keller said.
“I’d like her to be in the position that if she has to go to a doctor’s appointment, she doesn’t have to worry about food and rent,” Keller said. “We’re hoping to get her back in a good place.”
About 26 Shirts
According to the website, 26 Shirts sells different limited edition Buffalo-themed t-shirts that give back. After a shirt's respective fundraising campaign is over, the design is retired and (usually) never sold again.
For every shirt sold, a donation is made to a specific family in need or charitable organization.
“Our primary focus is needs associated with health/medical concerns or unexpected family emergencies,” the site states. “Our goal is to provide customers with the highest quality, softest fabric shirts. So not only will they be designs you love, they'll be on shirts you love wearing.”
Wroten’s shirt will be released on Feb. 24 on the website and be available for purchase online for two weeks.
The many years that Frank Babcock took his family camping resulted in a hobby that will help area veterans be a little more stable in their walk through life.
"We used to camp a lot. I had a big motor home," said Frank Babcock, an 89-year-old Albion resident. "We camped, and it (Frank's hobby) was something to pass the time. You always were near or in the woods. It was something just to pass the time."
Babock passed the time by walking through the woods looking for interesting saplings, ideally, a young tree that nature (perhaps because of the placement of a rock) had grown with an L-shaped root. The L-shaped root makes for the perfect cane handle.
The prize sapling grew up with a vine wrapped around the trunk, giving it a corkscrew shape.
Babock hasn't kept track of how many years he's been making canes.
He's often given them away while out camping, but the idea to donate 21 of them to area veterans came to him during a trip to Walmart. He saw a man walking with a wooden cane, and he asked where he got it, the man said he was a veteran, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley gave it to him.
Babcock told his son Jimmy, and Jimmy called Hawley's office.
The canes are being distributed to the three counties that Hawley serves in the 139th Assembly District. They are being distributed according to the population in each area Steve serves -- five to Orleans County, three to Monroe County, and seven to Genesee County.
On Friday, Babcock, with the help of his son Stephen, delivered the seven canes to William Joyce, veterans services officer for Genesee County.
"It just so happened this started just before Christmas," Hawley said. "The timing was absolutely unbelievable. Those psychological and heartfelt gifts from one veteran to another. Fellow veterans are going to use Frank's canes to get around. And that's what it's all about: fellow comrades helping one another, regardless of the branch of service, regardless of how old we are, regardless of whether we served in combat or not. We want veterans who served to have these canes."
Joyce said he was grateful for the generous donation.
"I have a couple of veterans in mind right now that as so I had these available, I was going to give them a call, because they can use one," Joyce said. "They get one issued by the VA and they're not really happy with them. I think they are going to feel more comfortable walking with one of these."
Press Release:
The Genesee County Office for the Aging (OFA) is inviting dedicated individuals to join its Advisory Council and play a role in shaping programs and services for older adults in the community.
The OFA is seeking representation from both community members and service providers.
- Community Members: Residents of Genesee County aged 60 and older, including minorities and individuals with economic or social needs, are encouraged to participate.
- Service Providers: Professionals from agencies such as Social Security, healthcare, and other related organizations are also welcome to apply.
By joining the Advisory Council, members will have the opportunity to share their voice, advocate for older adults, and help improve services across the county.
The OFA is particularly seeking members from different municipalities to ensure countywide representation.
For more information or to apply, please contact the Genesee County Office for the Aging at 585-343-1611 or visit this link to apply.
Press Release:
Do you know an artist or organization from Genesee or Orleans County that deserves recognition for their accomplishments in 2024? GO ART! is inviting community members to submit nominations for the Annual Genean Awards.
“Why “Genean” you ask?” says Executive Director, Gregory Hallock, “Well, simply put, we decided that we needed to have our own unique awards (like the Oscars or Tony awards) for GENesee and OrlEANs counties, to recognize a few of the amazing people and organizations we have within our counties.”
The categories for nomination are as follows:
Organization of the Year - This award honors a not-for-profit or for-profit organization for its outstanding achievements in 2024
Individual Artist of the Year - This award honors an individual artist in any discipline for their achievements in 2024 or career-long body of work
Arts and Culture Supporter of the Year - This award honors an individual or an organization outside of the arts and cultural sector for their work directly aiding in the arts and/or cultural sector during 2024.
To submit a nomination visit www.goart.org/genean. All nominations are due by March 1.
While surrounded by a group of onlookers, Madeline Wilson dramatically pumped a male’s chest with crossed hands repeatedly Thursday while watching a nearby heart monitor to see whether her actions were effective enough to resuscitate him.
Not only was she under pressure with the cardio maneuver, but she had an audience for her first attempts.
“So, especially in this, we can apply this knowledge to the community when we go into clinical and work,” the nursing student said during the demonstration at Genesee Community College’s Med-Tech building. “So if this did happen to our patient, we would be totally prepared and know what to do.”
Unlike old-school upper torso mannequins that don’t really resemble human persons besides crude physical mechanics, this male was a full-body specimen with working features. GCC purchased the $28,000 mannequin, an accompanying defibrillator and other equipment with 2024 state funding of $8 million to expand community college healthcare workforce training and mental health programs.
This investment will allow students opportunities for hands-on learning with the most up-to-date technology, officials said during a tour of the nursing, child care center and HVAC wings with SUNY Chancellor John King and Senator George Borrello.
Nursing faculty member Rebecca Herlan gave a close-up view of a mannequin, encouraging King and Borrello, who noted that the patient was even blinking, to touch the skin and feel the pulse from hands to toes.
“One of the things that we love about nursing simulation is mannequins is we can use them throughout the program. So one of the nicer things for these particular mannequins is you can see the chest, right? So some of our older model mannequins, you can't necessarily see that, and that is actually how we teach students to check, like a respiratory rate. So this is a more realistic mannequin for the students to work on,” Herlan said. “Other things you'll notice, if you actually touch the mannequin, it's more realistic skin. You can actually feel the pulses. So our old mannequins did not have great pulses. You have radial pulses, also pedal pulses, which our old mannequins definitely did not have.”
Herlan said that “we have IV access for this patient,” pointing out an adjacent IV monitor atop a pole.
“Actually, just now, Rochester hospitals are thinking of expanding what they allow students to do in terms of IV medication. So having this in the lab lets them practice sufficiently so that when they're in the clinical space, they can sort of confidently do this, but obviously, you want to have that instructor with them at all times,” she said. “But we really utilize our mannequins throughout the program, and these mannequins, as opposed to our previous mannequins, sort of have better functionality and more true to what students are actually going to see.”
The models in that room ranged from $5,000 for lower fidelity to $60,000 for a full functionality mannequin, she said. Another much more compact cut useful piece of equipment, she said, is an arm sleeve used to practice inserting an IV — “you can kind of see some of the veins” — that gets hooked up to fluid that flows through the needle to simulate when drawing blood.
King thanked Borrello for his help in getting a bill passed that increased the amount of time training nurses could spend in these simulation type exercises.
“I want to appreciate you because two years ago, we had the bill to allow the simulation to count for a third of the clinical hours. So if not for the support of the legislature, we wouldn't be able to leverage the simulation experience as effectively,” King said. “And then last year, with the $8 million in operating aid, we were able to dedicate $5 million across the system, at community colleges to healthcare workforce, and that made these purchases.”
The tour continued into the next room, which included a CPR simulation by students. The monitor has a feedback feature that shows if the compression is deep enough, are the hands in the right position, and gives “feedback in real-time,” Harlan said. Instruction also includes logistics, such as whether a student is tall enough to perform the maneuver or if a stool is needed, or if there’s no stool, “we’re climbing on the bed,” she said.
“This particular mannequin can give us that feedback on whether we're doing it appropriately. There's a lot of moving parts. So it's not a great idea to do CPR on any mannequin, but this one is specially designed, and it's really great,” she said. Like I said, we are showing the students some of the heart rhythm, help them kind of see what we were talking about in class.”
Some stats about the nursing program: there are 214 students and about 100% of them will walk away and right into a job. An amount of $310,000 was earmarked for GCC’s new Health Care Programs recruitment specialist, four new adjunct professors for the Physical Therapist Assistant and Respiratory Care programs, and to purchase equipment for respiratory care simulation education. Part of the program upgrade also includes enhanced student mentorship.
King asked what the limiting factor was for there not to be 300 students. Faculty and space, Herlan said.
Most of the students are adult learners, some come from the military, and another limitation for students living in New York City is transportation, she said. They often don’t have their own vehicle, and there’s no regular public transportation to and from GCC. After some quick head math calculating how many miles would be traveled in the program with clinicals, King nodded.
“This seems solvable,” he said, adding later that it’s a topic he will carry back with him for further discussion.
From nursing to puppies
King and his entourage, which also included GCC President Craig Lamb, stopped by the Child Care Center across the road at the main campus. Kids were excitedly chatting and playing, hitting upon a favorite subject of puppies. Lamb pulled out his phone and showed a photo of the one he has at home while King talked to a youngster at the child’s play station.
Center Director Kayleen McEwan talked about the services, facility and the fifth classroom that opened in August 2024 with funding the college received last year. No sooner had the additional room opened, and it was full, she said. When asked by King what she could she do with more resources — a question he asked of every department — McEwan didn’t take long with her answer.
“We could open eight rooms,” she said, with the caveat that staffing is a challenge.
King is aware and said so is Gov. Kathy Hochul, that childcare needs are great in New York, and SUNY’s growing population of adult learners is ripe for that service.
Keeping cool under pressure
Heating and cooling was also part of the tour, and instructor Bill Hayes exuded the enthusiasm that perhaps only a veteran HVAC business owner could display. He shared the importance of imparting his 30-year experience to students, especially when it comes to proper maintenance of appliances.
“I have a lot of people that really talk about this class. It's really a groundbreaking opportunity here for people that just walk out of here, be able to look at a furnace, look at an air conditioner, put the gauges on there, change the maintenance, oh my gosh. Maintenance is probably 50% of the problem with any type of service call; stuff's not being maintained,” Hayes said. “The college is invested here, has invested into their staff, their maintenance staff, to take this course so they can do a lot more of the HVAC work here and not have to bring in outside contractors.
"That's a huge investment for people, not only here, but also when that word gets out, there's going to be other facilities out there," he said. "They're going to want to send their people here so they can save some money. That's the game plan.”
Closing in at nearly two hours, the group ended with a talk about mental health issues and counseling challenges that most believed have been exacerbated since COVID.
Worrying about mental health
Certainly, the use of social media can be a cause of stress, and counselors also see “suicidal ideation, anxiety and panic disorders, personality disorders, autism and ADHD and major depressive disorders,” said Macy Reyngoudt, assistant director for counseling services.
“There’s lots more, but those are the biggest patterns that we see almost daily,” she said.
Remedies have included quiet meditation spaces, counseling, lots of talk and communication to let students and faculty know the counseling center is available, yoga, Mindful Mondays, and focused health talks, Assistant Dean for Student Services Monica Romeo said.
One population that hasn’t needed as much assistance is the older adult learner, Reyngoudt said, because “they’re ready” when they come to college and don’t seem to have the same problems or distractions as younger students do. That’s good news, given that Hochul’s proposed 2025 budget includes $28 million for free tuition, books, supplies and fees for adult learners to obtain an associate’s degree or certificate at community colleges in the state.
“We're very excited about the governor's proposal for free community college for folks 25 to 55 in high-demand career areas like nursing, like advanced manufacturing, like cyber security, renewable energy and green jobs. And so we're pleased that she's put real resources behind that," King said. "I think that will make a big difference as we think about what our community colleges need as we grow those high-demand workforce programs. We also need to continue to invest in equipment. We need to continue to invest in faculty, one of the big challenges for nursing. We’re looking at ways we can partner with healthcare providers to have job shares so that we have the faculty that we need.
"We need more child care in New York. You know, they have a long wait list, particularly as we try to attract more adult students to community college campuses, child care is going to be a significant factor. So that's something I'll be thinking about," he said. "It's great that they were able to use the additional resources from the governor and legislature last year to support more counseling, more services around meeting mental health needs, but more is needed, and you heard that so clearly that there is a lot of pain that folks are carrying and experiencing, some of it carrying over from COVID, and we've got to make sure that we help our campuses support student mental health needs."
Copyright © 2008-2022 The Batavian. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
