Julie Calvert and Brittany Bozzer, team members of Tobacco-Free GOW, share information and resources on the impacts of tobacco use and how to get support with quitting. Submitted photo.
Press Release:
Batavia Downs held its annual Employee Health Fair yesterday. Staff from Tobacco-Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GOW) answered questions and provided educational materials about the dangers of vaping and tobacco use.
“Attending employee health fairs like this is the best way for us to reach community members and help improve their heath,” said Julie Calvert, community engagement coordinator for Tobacco-Free GOW. “We can address concerns people have about smoking, about their kids vaping and help them get the information, resources and support they need.”
The health fair gave the TF-GOW team the opportunity to connect with their Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center colleagues from the Department of Indigenous Cancer Health.
Indigenous communities face some of the greatest cancer health disparities, higher mortality rates and persistent challenges in health equity. Together, their goal is to reduce the impact of cancer.
The New York State Smokers' Quitline is a confidential service for all New York State residents who wish to overcome dependence on commercial tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
Free offerings include individualized coaching and assistance with quit-planning from highly trained tobacco treatment specialists, text and online chat support and free shipping of stop-smoking medications such as nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges or nicotine gum for those 18 and older.
Residents of all ages may contact the Quitline for support and educational materials. In addition, the Quitline encourages teens and young adults (ages 13-24) to text “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 to join “This Is Quitting,” a free texting support program for help with quitting vaping.
For more information, text QUITNOW to 333888 or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) seven days a week, beginning at 9 a.m.
Members of Tobacco-Free GOW and the Department of Indigenous Cancer Health, both programs of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, share information on cancer screening, as well as how to live a tobacco-free life. Submitted photo.
Parris and Holly, a Batavia-based folk/pop duo, headlined the second of a four-night residency at GO ART! on Thursday, with featured artist Alex Feig opening.
The residency continues on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. with Billy Lambert as the featured guest artist and on Oct. 24 with Chris Humel.
Legislator John Deleo, Diana Fox (current director), Ruth Spink (former director), Jill Yasses, and Legislator Gregg Torrey. Photo by Howard Owens.
Dining and dancing highlighted Thursday evening's celebration of the Genesee County Office for the Aging at Batavia Downs.
The agency was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Founded on June 1, 1974, the agency's mission is to promote the independence of seniors and improve their quality of life by offering services and providing information, support, and advocacy for those 60 and older.
Currently, the office employs 33 people and receives support from numerous volunteers.
The primary funding for the agency is a federal program authorized by the Older Americans Act.
The LeRoy Police Department would like to commend Officer Smith and Matthew Nielson for their actions during a recent emergency call, which ultimately provided a critical window of time for a driver experiencing a medical emergency to spend precious final moments with his family.
On August 23 at approximately 10:40 a.m., Officer Terrez Smith and Matthew Nielson responded to a report of a car accident on State Route 19 near North Road in the Town of LeRoy.
The scene revealed a vehicle that had gone off the road, and the driver, a 79-year-old male, was found unresponsive inside.
Quickly realizing that the situation was more than just an accident, Officer Smith and Nielson conducted a swift assessment and determined the driver was experiencing a severe medical event.
Demonstrating exceptional training and composure, Officer Smith and Nielson administered first aid, performed CPR, and utilized their department-issued Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to stabilize the individual. These immediate actions successfully revived the driver, who regained a pulse and began to show signs of life.
The driver was then transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by LeRoy EMS for continued medical treatment. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the medical team and the immediate care provided by Officer Smith and Nielson, the driver passed away nearly a week later. Crucially, the life-saving measures taken at the scene afforded the driver the valuable opportunity to be with his family, who remained by his side during his final days.
The quick response exhibited by Officer Smith and Nielson exemplifies the highest standard of service and dedication. While the outcome is deeply saddening, we take comfort in knowing that his actions allowed the family to have a meaningful time together during these difficult days.
Our condolences go out to the driver's family and loved ones. Officer Smith and Nielson’s swift intervention underline the importance of the continuous training and preparedness of our first responders.
Georgia-Pacific, located at 4E-Treadeasy Avenue in Batavia, will be performing its annual water pump testing on Friday, September 27, at 11:30 a.m., as required by applicable fire protection codes.
This test may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until it is clear."
The theme for this year’s annual downtown Wine Walk is "masquerade," and the Batavia Business Improvement Distric invites you to join us for an evening of fun and entertainment during the event from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 5 in Batavia.
Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) will host registration from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m., and ticket holders can stroll, sip, and shop 23 participating downtown businesses during the four-hour walk.
Only 600 tickets are being sold and they are going fast, BID Director Shannon Maute says.
“Come downtown, taste great wine, meet new people, see old friends, and create memories while you shop small and support your local businesses,” she said. “You must be 21 years of age or older to attend, and please no children.”
Tickets are $35 and are available at Yngodess Shop, TVFCU, Adam Miller Toys & Bicycles and at Eventbrite. For more information, go to BID’s Facebook page for the link and details.
The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the 105th “Great Batavia Train Sale” on Sunday, October 13, 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m., at the Richard C. Call Arena, Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia. Admission is $6 for Adults, $3 for under 18 years, and Free for under 13 years.
The popular train show typically attracts 1,200 to 1,500 model railroad enthusiasts and railfans from across Western and Central NY, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. There are over 100 vendors occupying 250 tables offering merchandise ranging from antique railroad artifacts to the most modern digitally controlled model trains. This bi-annual show has steadily grown to become one of the premiere events of its kind in Western New York.
The train club hosts two shows each year, a Spring show, and a Fall show. A free Open House is held, typically, on the first Saturday of December at the Club’s facilities in Oakfield where club members maintain operating layouts in O Gauge (Lionel), HO & N scale.
The Genesee Society of Model Engineers is located at 50 Main Street (Rte. 63), Oakfield (above the M&T Bank), and is open Tuesdays from 7 - 9 p.m. Business meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month. Visit www.gsme.org. Like us on Facebook. Visitors welcomed. (Stair access only.)
Tickets for the 2024 Raffle Quilt are available from guild members and will be available for purchase at the show. The quilt measures 77” x 73”. The winner is to be announced Saturday evening at the end of the show. Submitted photo.
Press Release:
The Museum Quilt Guild of Batavia will present their biennial “Stitches In Time” quilt show on Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day.
There will be more than 150 quilts displayed at the Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall at 10708 Alexander Rd (Rt 98) in Alexander. All of the quilts have been made by guild members.
In addition to our professionally judged quilt display, we will have vendors, demonstrations, a raffle quilt, silent auction, boutique, basket raffle, and a fabric pool.
Admission is $6, children 10 and under are free. For more information, contact Elaine 585-880-0456, or visit our website @ www.Themuseumquiltguild.com.
The Western Regional OTB Board of Directors on Thursday morning, by unanimous vote, approved a contract offer to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to become the next CEO and president of the OTB.
Brown will receive a salary of $295,000 in the first year, with the possibility of incentive bonuses. The contract will have an annual renewal clause, said Board President Dennis Bassett.
Bassett declined to release copies of the 18-page contract to the press until Brown signs it.
Brown is expected to announce his future plans next week, a spokesman for the mayor's office said.
"We have a unique situation here at Batavia Downs where we have harness racings, we have a casino, we have gaming, we have a number of different avenues in which we endeavor to make sure that we do well," Bassett said when asked to defend the size of the salary. "I'm not so sure that other areas that are in this business have as diverse and as complex an operation as we do here in Batavia Downs, so we think that for what we are asking our new president and CEO to do, that he is being paid comparable."
Henry Wojtaszek, the outgoing CEO and president, makes $264,898.
The 65-year-old Brown became Buffalo's mayor in 2006. He served in the state Senate from 2001 to 2005. He was a member of the Buffalo Common Council from 1996 to 2001. He has a dual bachelor of arts degree in political science and journalism from Buffalo State College. He worked in sales for a year at Bristol-Myers before starting a legislative staff career.
After Thursday's meeting, Bassett reiterated previous statements that Brown was hired primarily because of his extensive legislative background and productive relationship with key powerbrokers in Albany.
"We hope that Mayor Brown's influence and his knowledge of the individuals who work in that environment will help us open doors that we haven't been able to open before," Bassett said.
The OTB is interested into expanding operations into other ventures, such as sports betting and online betting. Bassett has expressed concern that Wojtaszek, a Republican disliked, it seems, by at least some key Democrats, wouldn't be effective in lobbying on behalf of the OTB on those issues.
"The thing that is important for all thriving institutions is change," Bassett said. "Change is good, and change is inevitable, and the most important thing around change is how you manage to change, how you deal with the change. We think that we have done a thorough job to get where we are today, the success we had and what we need for tomorrow to continue our success. And I cannot say it enough that we are extremely fortunate to get an individual like Mayor Byron Brown to lead this organization after the job Henry Wojtaszek has done. I think we've just been extremely fortunate. And we look to continue to grow. We look to continue to venture into things that we have not ventured into before."
Batavia Downs is on pace for its third consecutive year of record revenue and record payouts to the 17 municipalities that are OTB's owners.
As for potential bonuses for Brown, Bassett indicated that the pending contract does not include specific language. The board will develop incentive criteria and the nature of the incentives.
Before Brown can sign the contract, the state's gaming commission must issue him a license to run a gaming operation. Wojtaszek's last day with the organization will be Dec. 31. Bassett said he expects Brown to be able to start his new job before then and enter into a period of training by Wojtaszek.
When the board agreed over the summer to buy out Wojtaszek's contract, they also voted to buy out the contracts of CFO Jackie Leach and VP of Operations William White.
Bassett said Brown, who has spent nearly all of his professional career as a public servant, is ready to step in and run Batavia Downs like a business. To that end, he expects whoever Brown hires to fill those vacancies to be based on business qualifications and not political affiliation.
"Brown expressed to us that he's taken over a position now that he's managing a corporate entity, and he's looking to make sure that we run this organization in a corporate way and not in a political way," Bassett said. "And that's a big 'a-ha,' because I've been on this board 14 years, and I can honestly say, as much as you (the press) may not believe me, the decisions that we've made in this room have never been political," Bassett said.
Bassett noted that for the majority of his tenure on the board, he's been a member of the minority party and only after voting rules were changed did he join the majority (weighted vote based on population). Bassett is a Democrat. Until the change in weighted voting, the large majority of the board were the Republican-run municipalities.
"I have never felt slighted. I have never felt disadvantaged. You know why? Because on this board, we make business decisions," Bassett said. "We make business decisions for 17 municipalities because they're interested in whether we are going to write them checks at the end of each month, and we continue to write them record-breaking checks each and every month, and that's what I'm most proud of."
Arc GLOW will be holding its second Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on October 9 at 5:30 p.m. at Batavia Downs. Rebecca Leclair, the President of Rebecca Leclair Communications, LLC and former anchor and reporter from WHEC-TV (Channel 10), will be the emcee.
Individuals will also be providing entertainment. For a month, Arc GLOW nominated staff, individuals and community members for a variety of different awards.
The award winners are the following:
Self-Advocate of the Year
To honor a person served by Arc GLOW who has grown and is meeting their personal outcomes. They also have positively influenced the lives of others.
Nathan Johnidas, Albion
Supported Employment Person of the Year
To honor a person supported by Arc GLOW who has demonstrated a strong work ethic, dedication to their job, ability to learn new community employment skills and maintain successful employment.
Elizabeth Padilla, Walnut Street, Batavia
Pre-Vocational Person of the Year
To honor a person supported by Arc GLOW with a dedication to learning about the world of work including new job skills, striving to complete quality work and showing attention to the task of learning.
Tammy Reimels, Hilltop
Residential Person of the Year
To honor a person supported by Arc GLOW who resides in residential services, grew in their independence and learned life skills.
Monica Mineo, Garfield IRA in Batavia
Day Habilitation Person of the Year
To honor a person supported by Arc GLOW who participates in day habilitation activities, strives to learn, and demonstrates effort and commitment to be included in their own communities.
James Gibbs, WOW Day Hab in Batavia
Community Services and Self Direction Person of the Year
To honor a person served by Arc GLOW who shows outstanding participation and contribution to their community. Shows the initiative in trying new activities and gain leadership potential through community involvement.
Brittany Murphy, Genesee County
KidStart Employee of the Year
To honor an employee who demonstrates exceptional support to children and families, and is committed to assist in all areas of their growth and education.
Maggie Putman
Direct Support Professional Person of the Year (DSP)
To honor a DSP who provides a variety of activities to adults with developmental disabilities within a home setting, day programs or recreational activities in the community. Provides excellence in support in living skills, personalized goals, arts and crafts, sensory activities, and facilitates our individuals to take their active role in the community.
Heather Taft, residential manager at Avon IRA in Avon
Employee of the Year
To recognize an employee of Arc GLOW who is committed to the mission and vision. They demonstrate the values of diversity, respect, integrity, visionary, equality, empowerment and excellence.
Heidi Wyant, transportation manager
Friend of the Year
Community friend and supporter of Arc GLOW’s mission and vision.
Hoffman Hanafin & Associates, LLC
Business Partner of the Year
A partner who supports our mission and vision through excellent customer service or providing work opportunities for employment.
Aunt Cookies in Geneseo
Volunteers of the Year
To honor a person who is committed to Arc GLOW, volunteering their time by serving the local community and supporting the Arc GLOWs mission and vision.
Kevin and Dawn Fisher
Reservations are open until Sept. 30. at ArcGLOW.org/event/awards-banquet-and-annual-meeting. For any questions, contact Tracey Jones at (585) 343-1123 ext. 1735 or TJones@ArcGLOW.org.
Vanessa & Lola's Legacy, Inc. is hosting a Buffalo Bills-themed fundraiser with a basket raffle and other items for sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tractor Supply Co. in Batavia. Submitted Photo
Kerry Dudek and Kim Folger are animal lovers no doubt, and advocates especially for pitbulls and Rottweilers, both which can experience breed bias and the serious health issue of cancer.
They founded Vanessa & Lola’s Legacy, Inc. more than a year ago in an effort to help out with financial support for the owners of those breeds when fighting cancer, in addition to collecting food for people with disabilities at the Independent Living of the Genesee Region in Batavia.
“People don’t really have the money, so our goal was to help people with pitbulls or Rottweilers help with their vet bills. And then I started volunteering at Independent Living, and a lot of Vanessa's supporters were homeless from Batavia, and they would actually come out to the rallies with their pitbulls, so I kind of wanted to honor her and them at the same time,” Dudek said. “So now we donate cat food and dog food to the homeless that Indedependent Living put up in their houses or apartments. We have about 13 animals through them.
“I’m a mental health therapist. So to me, it really helps people's mental health, especially when they're homeless, to keep their pets with them. A lot of people are having to give up their animals,” she said. “I have a pitbull now that has three legs. She goes to work with me, and they just love her. She’s a pet therapy dog.”
Vanessa was a pitbull in Ogden that had an encounter with a woman on the street, and Vanessa was accused of allegedly biting her, Dudek said. It spread across social media and turned into a huge battle to keep Vanessa alive. Justice for Vanessa has many followers, Dudek said.
Although Vanessa survived that scuffle, she ended up getting lymphoma and died three years ago, after very costly medical treatments and a tracheotomy, Dudek said. Vanessa garnered many supporters and drew much attention in the process, she said.
Dudek works with people with disabilities and has experienced how much animals can minister to one’s emotional needs. Vanessa also served in that capacity to her own son, the Oakfield resident said.
Lola was Folger’s Rottweiler who lost her battle to osteosarcoma two years ago. The emotional stress, coupled with the financial challenges, were enough to fuel their motivation to file for a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit to help others going through similar circumstances.
Support comes through online and in-person fundraising, including an event happening this weekend. There will be a basket raffle of nine themed baskets with Buffalo Bills, pet and other items (see some of the items below) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tractor Supply Co., 4974 East Main St., Batavia.
There will be a tent in the parking lot throughout the day, and a pizza basket that includes a Ficarella’s gift certificate and another one with a Monroe Muffler oil change certificate, plus other baskets with football-related items, she said.
One basket is dedicated to China, a pitbull with lymphoma, and includes tailgating stuff of Buffalo Bills themed items, such as wine, wine glasses and a football. There will also be harnesses and dog clothes for sale. Proceeds will go to offset vet bills for those with pitbulls and Rottweilers fighting cancer.
For more information, to help out with dog and/or cat food for ILGR clients, or to donate, go HERE.
If you love Broadway, Batavia Players has just the show for you this weekend.
"Just One More Time & Something New" is a celebration of 100 years of the best musicals to grace the stages of 42nd Street in the heart of Manhattan, better known as Broadway.
The choral review covers the music of Tin Pan Alley to state-of-the-art contemporary Broadway.
You will certainly hear some familiar classics as well as a few tunes that might surprise you.
There are shows at Main Street 56 Theater on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $24 at the door or $22 for seniors and students. There is a discount to buy in advance online.
Tailgating, in the context of sporting events, is defined as fans gathering in the stadium parking lot to build excitement for their team's home game. From the backs of their cars and trucks, football fans enjoy food, drinks, and games for hours. It's a tradition unique to American culture and offers a fun, lively experience.
HomeCare & Hospice (HCH) of Batavia is introducing a new event to their Fall lineup – Tailgate Thursday to be held Thursday, November 7 at Batavia Downs beginning at 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
This tailgate event is where you will eat, drink, and play games – basically a tailgate before the football game that night (exchange out the Raven’s M&T Bank Stadium for the Park Place Event Center at Batavia Downs)!
HCH operates with offices in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, and Wyoming Counties.
"Our staff was tasked with organizing a 'fun' and 'fund' raising event in our northern service area. This time of year, everyone in Western New York is a Bills fan, and we all love chicken wings. What better combination than football, wings, and fun?" stated Melissa Sullivan, HCH Chief Executive Officer.
Tickets are $35 which includes your tailgate pass, wings, additional tailgate foods, and entry into fun and games. The food staff at the Batavia Downs will be (tentatively) serving up wings in these flavors: mild, medium, BBQ, garlic parm, honey garlic, spicy BBQ, Old bay, Original Buffalo, Teriyaki, and lemon pepper. Of course, there will be celery, carrots and bleu cheese – but the menu also includes Buffalo’s Finest Station of house-made potato chips, pizza logs, mini beef on weck, and pretzel bites. Attendees will have 10 wing tix which they can sample/taste from the variety of wings that will be on hand.
“Support from the corporate and business sector plays a vital role in the success of our event. Their involvement helps raise awareness, attract attendees, and spread the message about our cause to a wider audience. With their support, we can reach more people, enhance community engagement, and increase the impact of our fundraising efforts,” added Ms. Sullivan.
The event needs additional local businesses and organizations to become a 12th man sponsor or a blitz backer to put on this FANtastic event. 12th Man OPTION: This option ($250) includes your company logo/name on our poster, social media posts indicating your participation, event signage, and two tickets to the event (value $80). BLITZ Backer OPTION: This option ($500) includes your company name mentioned in radio ads, company logo/name on poster, social media posts, event signage, and four event tickets (value $160).
The complete roster of events is not firmed up yet, but hoping to add music, trivia contests, football toss games, (pre-recorded) football games streamed on tvs, and pre-game of the Bengals – Ravens game.
Tickets will go on sale September 27 online at homecare-hospice.org/events/, at the HomeCare & Hospice office, 29 Liberty St., Suite 6, Batavia or by emailing snegron@homecare-hospice.org. For more information, please call 716-372-2106.
All motorists please be aware the following streets (listed in the following predicted order) will experience traffic delays on Friday, September 27 between the hours of 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. for resurfacing operations:
Kibbe Avenue Oakland Avenue Jackson Avenue Evans Street
While work is being performed in these areas, local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.
All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the operation. All motorists that regularly use these streets are asked to seek alternate routes while the delays are in place.
This work is weather dependent and will continue on the next business day if necessary.
Contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400 opt. 1 if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your cooperation.
More than 30 schools around the GLOW region participated in the 6th annual event. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Students from school districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties engage with employers throughout the event, exploring careers that could unveil new opportunities they may not have previously considered.
Over 70 businesses provided hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades sectors as well as the various branches of the military. Students learned about career opportunities in their own backyard that offer good-paying opportunities immediately after high school graduation, as well as accelerated training programs available in the region.
“We have seen GLOW With Your Hands participants grow into successful professionals, and businesses that participate in our manufacturing and healthcare event grow their next generation. Having over 1,000 students and a record number of employers at our event reaffirms that there is a significant need for these connections and a significant benefit created at our events,” added GLOW With Your Hands, Co-Chair Karyn Winters.
Led by Platinum Sponsors LandPro Equipment, National Grid, and newcomer Davis-Fetch, many businesses have participated in every GLOW With Your Hands since 2019, including representatives of the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage manufacturing, and construction trades.
Davis-Fetch specializes in commercial building construction services focusing on building interior spaces, walls, ceilings, and acoustical wall panels. This is the company’s inaugural GLOW With Your Hands event featuring a hands-on demonstration of installing drywall screws and using a drywall zip tool around electrical boxes. Davis-Fetch used this as an opportunity to engage with the next generation of workforce candidates in the GLOW region.
“Rather than setting up a booth and speaking with students, we were able to interact with the next generation of workforce candidates with a hands-on approach that was educational and informative of our work, " said Davis-Fetch President Frank Kittlinger. “After witnessing the engagement of over a thousand students today, we look forward to being a part of GLOW With Your Hands annually.”
After launching in 2019 with 800 students, GLOW With Your Hands has grown into the premier workforce development program in the region. Including GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare, a hands-on medical careers program held annually in March, more than 5,000 students have participated in GLOW With Your Hands events since 2019.
“Our goal is to provide local youth with family-sustaining career opportunities that lead to fulfilling lifestyles and positively impact local communities,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair Angela Grouse. “By getting hands-on and informational experiences, our students are taking the first step toward that goal.”
Albion High School Senior Joseph Schoberlein said he was not aware of many of the careers present at GLOW With Your Hands before today and came away with an understanding of what opportunities are available to him after graduation this upcoming spring.
“There are a number of jobs you learn about at GLOW With Your Hands that you do not experience in a traditional classroom setting, a lot of these careers do not require a college degree. I can enter the workforce immediately out of high school with a good-paying job without taking the college route,” stated Schoberlien.
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) issued the following statement in response to the Hochul Administration’s failure to address her inquiries by the September 18 deadline regarding the Department of Justice's recent indictment of Linda Sun, a high-ranking official in the Hochul administration, for allegedly acting as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“Governor Hochul's failure to respond promptly sends a dangerous message not only to the CCP but to all foreign adversaries seeking to infiltrate our government. Clearly, Governor Hochul does not take this issue seriously and is content with CCP infiltration of her administration. We must hold Governor Hochul accountable and ensure any other CCP operatives within this administration are exposed and removed. In addition, Hochul must recognize the serious consequences this has had on the state's relationship with Taiwan and our economy. Her administration must immediately address these concerns and initiate a bipartisan investigation to ensure no compromised CCP agents remain employed by New York State," said Congresswoman Tenney.
View the letter Tenney sent to Governor Hochul on September 5 here.
The Genesee Amateur Hockey Association is offering a Beginner Ice Hockey Learn to Play Program at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, located on Evans Street next to the Batavia Fire Department in Batavia. This program is open to boys and girls ages 4 and up, and no prior skating experience is needed.
Session I lasts for 15 weeks and costs $125, while Session II is also 15 weeks and costs $75. The program starts on October 5.
A Beginner Orientation will take place on Wednesday, October 2, at 6 p.m. at the rink, and everyone is invited to attend. For additional information, including the schedule and registration instructions, please contact Marcia Barnes at 585-409-1383 or via email at Barnes.marcia21@gmail.com.
For more details, visit www.BataviaRamparts.com. Don’t go through life without goals—play hockey! GO RAMPARTS!
The Batavia Society of Artists (BSA) will host artist Shauna Blake for a hands-on silk painting demonstration on Tuesday, October 8, from 7 - 9 p.m. at GO ART!. Blake will explain her creative process and provide attendees with the chance to try silk painting themselves.
In addition, BSA member Adrian Morris will hold a solo art show at the Richmond Memorial Library, with an opening reception on Thursday, September 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. His exhibition will be available for viewing during regular library hours through the end of October.
Shauna Blake, Artist Bio
Shauna Blake started painting in her early teens and has devoted her entire working life to her artwork. She has a love for nature and the outdoors and uses the inspiration and energy it provides to create her art.
She paints in a wide variety of mediums including, silk painting, watercolors, acrylics and pastels.
In 1994 she graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a major in Graphic Design and Illustration. She worked in the Graphic Design field for 7 years before joining her husband, Brendan in his glass art business in 2001. Here she expanded her art by studying and creating lampwork glass beads.
Then in 2009 she discovered silk painting. She found that painting on silk was the perfect fit for her creative and expressive artistic style. She sold her hand painted silk scarves, silk ribbons and art prints worldwide until earlier this year.
In 2022 she started her next business Nail Fox where she designs and sells 100% Nail Polish Wraps.
Shauna currently sells her nail polish wrap designs worldwide on her website. www.Nail-Fox.com
Shauna will demonstrate her unique silk painting techniques. This a hands on demo, where everybody will have a chance to try out this exciting medium. Supplies will be provided.
An aerial view of Bank Street between Main Street and Washington Avenue in downtown Batavia that has been the subject of a walkability study, pedestrian survey and a design to slow things down in the area. Photo courtesy of Genesee County
Money was committed, a state Department of Transportation grant obtained, TY Lynn International was hired, and a Walkability Study literally laid the groundwork and surveyed pedestrians last fall to find out how people felt about landscaping, bump-outs and painted pavement along Bank Street from Main Street to Washington Avenue.
“So project objectives, basically, the ultimate goal is to provide a safe and comfortable, pedestrian- and bike-friendly community along Bank Street, from Main Street to Washington,” TY Lin Project Manager Nate Buczek said during the presentation at City Hall. “It does include a little bit of Alva Place, not a lot due to the funds of the project, but it does include at least the intersection a little bit to the west.”
The project's objectives are to provide traffic calming with streetscape enhancements, curb bump-outs and ramps, new decorative crosswalks with flashing crossing signs, improved street accessibility, dedicated bike lanes and complement the new police and YMCA facilities in progress on the east and west sides of the Bank.
A focus is to improve the pedestrian experience via more seating and planters as part of the infrastructure, he said. Perhaps some Honey locust, serviceberry, black-eyed Susans and Salvia Blue Hill.
At issue is that Bank Street is too wide, and “the wider the lane width, the faster they want to go,” Buczek said.
How to improve it? Dedicated five-foot-wide bike lanes that may be painted green, moving landscaping out toward the street as bump-outs, moving the senior center crosswalk north a bit and make it stand out with lights and fluorescent signage and adding a second crosswalk near Alva Place near the new police station.
There would also be a bus lane in front of the senior center to accommodate a bus that regularly drops off and picks up seniors for outings, he said.
A member of the audience who drives the bus was concerned with the available space for a bus with bump-outs, an adjacent bike lane, and especially during winter when snowplows have to get around.
One answer was that there shouldn’t be as much congestion since children will be dropped off in the parking lot off the street toward the back of the new YMCA entrance. But that concern should be checked out, and the recommended plan should be verified before moving forward, City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said.
“There’s a lot of pavement in the roadway, a lot of pavement and more concrete within the sidewalks. So we’re looking to break that up, add some green space, similar to Main Street,” Buczek said.
Jankowski asked if the design team had considered actually doing what was done on Main Street and adding a median down Bank Street instead of bump-outs on the side. Buczek wasn’t certain why it wasn’t proposed, but thought it had to do with cost. He was asked to keep the design within an $800,000 budget, he said.
“It’s going to be much safer for pedestrians,” Buczek said. “The bump-outs are going to provide, basically, or close off or make the driver sense that they need to slow down to become aware of the area. And then we’re going to have pedestrian LED signs at both crosswalks,” he said. “Basically, you’ll walk up, push the clocks in and we’re going to look at automobile versions or sensor versions when there’s someone waiting to cross. We also are going to relocate the access driveway into the city parking lot west side of Bank Street as part of the project.”
City Manager Rachael Tabelski has said the city committed more than $1 million to help reduce the street’s girth and slow down the hustle of motorists, with $944,943 coming from the state TAP grant. The streetscape project is targeted for a fall 2025 completion.
There are still some questions and concerns to address, however, it seemed as though GO Art! Executive Director Gregory Hallock summed up the general consensus of the project.
"I think all of this is going to make people slow down," he said.
In fall 2023, members of a county health committee had set up displays of potential future curbing, lights and artistic license to demonstrate ways to help slow down traffic and make crosswalks a more viable way to cross over from the east and west sides of Bank Street at three points between Main Street and Washington Avenue.
Ninety-four people gave positive feedback during the nearly four hours the Genesee Orleans Health Department staff surveyed walkers.
There’s an expected surge in traffic on Bank Street with the impending new police facility right on Bank and Alva in the next year, and the Healthy Living campus on the opposite side behind where the current YMCA is now, to be completed by the end of 2024. City officials have an infrastructure project planned to coincide with the developments, at which time there would also be upgrades to the streetscape layout.
City officials will consider a tax exemption for seniors over the age of 65, similar to what Genesee County passed in late February.
The county’s exemption of Section 467 of the Real Property Tax Law grants a reduction in the amount of taxes paid by senior citizens based on a sliding scale of income amounts from less than $23,800 for a 50% exemption up to $32,200 for 5%.
Deputy County Treasurer Kevin Andrews proposed the move earlier this year for the county and also emailed the city about this municipality considering doing a similar exemption, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said this week.
“And it's something. If you'd like, we can have staff look into it and get back to you with a recommendation at a future meeting,” she said during Monday’s City Council meeting. “We do know that it would affect the taxable status of properties to the tune of about $2.6 million, but as a whole, in terms of how much our entire assessment value is, this is a very, very small percentage. So, like I said, we can come back to this if you'd like us to email the information so you can take a look at it and get a little better analysis of what that would look like if we were to implement it.”
City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said that “it's definitely worth looking into” the exemption as an option for seniors to save some money.
“Anything we can do to help people keep their homes and sustain their homes,” he said. “If they’re qualified for the exemption, then they definitely should be getting it.”
When the county approved the measure that took effect on March 1, The Batavian asked Andrews for a tangible example of how much savings that could mean for an eligible senior. At the maximum end of the scale, if the income qualifies and they were to receive 50 percent exemption on their taxes with a home assessed at $100,000, that would equal roughly a $400 savings for county tax purposes, he said. County taxes for 2024 are $5.80 per $1,000 assessed value versus city at $8.96 per $1,000.
The full table for the county is below to show how the sliding scale works:
Less than $23,800 - 50%
Equal or more than $23,800 but less than $24,800 - 45%
