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UPDATE 4:42 p.m.: Confirmed with caretaker Colleen Henderson that lil' miss GiGi is home safely and all is well. Thank you to all who helped out!

An itsy-bitsy tan shih tzu -- aka the "chrysanthemum dog" -- is running helter-skelter somewhere in the city after making a mad dash out the front door of her home yesterday.

"GiGi," resplendant in a purple doggie shirt and pink collar, is 6 years old and recuperating from bladder stone removal surgery a week ago. She needs her medication.

GiGi lives on Vine Street in the city; at last glimpse, her neighbors saw her at Vine and North Street heading toward Summit.

Normally, she's home alone with mom, longtime community volunteer Peppi Palmer, to whom she is said to be "joined at the hip," metaphysically speaking.

But Palmer is in the hospital with an ankle injury, so her daughter-in-law, Colleen Henderson, drove up from Ohio to watch over the beloved "baby," who enjoys being gussied up in her cute outfits, playing with squeaky toys and eating homemade, peanut butter dog treats.

(Hear that? It's people saying "SPOILED!" in unison.)

Henderson's theory is that skittish GiGi was well aware mom was not in the house and hearing a car pull into the driveway, was anxious to meet up with mom. Instead it was Henderson at the door with a basket full of clothes for her stay, and when the door opened, out bolted GiGi.

"She booked it, so many people started chasing her -- that freaked her out," Henderson said. "She was running all over; even kids couldn't catch her."

The shy but sweet shih tzu, whose preferred gait is "moseying," became a little pistol, off to ends unknown -- sort of.

'Bold Adventure' for Timid Toy Breed

Apparently, GiGi has been spotted a few times. Kelly Hansen wrote The Batavian this afternoon to say:

"Within a short time, sightings of GiGi on her bold adventure began to be reported. She was seen on Washington Avenue, Bank Street, Summit Street, then she was spotted Downtown. After 4 p.m., she was seen running near Liberty Street by Crossroads House (where Palmer has lovingly volunteered), Ficarella's (Pizzeria), and near the (Mancuso's) Bowling Center..."

So, if you see this spiffy scamp -- "Please do not chase." -- call one of these phone numbers:

(440) 382-0398 (Colleen Henderson, daughter-in-law)

(585) 343-6803

(518) 698-9986 (Andrea Casey, daughter)

OR email the Volunteers For Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter:   info@vol4animals.org

The City of Batavia offers nine parks for citizens to enjoy, starting at 7 a.m. until dusk each day.

All city officials are asking in return – at least for this recreation and picnic season – is for users to take out any and all trash that they take in.

“We are not accepting pavilion rentals this year, which means that the park is open to the public and anyone is free to use it,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. “If residents use the pavilions we are asking them to ‘carry in and carry out’ (their trash) at this time.”

Tabelski added that trash receptacles will be placed in high use areas for patrons to use, especially around the playgrounds.

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, she emphasized that trash containers will continue to be available on Main Street as well.

Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said that he wasn’t sure why comments found on social media sites indicated that the city would not be placing trash cans along Main Street.

“It wasn’t a city official spokesperson that even mentioned Main Street,” he said.

Tabelski said that Council, during budget discussions, decided to reduce overtime for the parks department “and one of those ways was to ask citizens who use the pavilions to carry in and carry out.”

The city’s nine parks are as follows:

• Austin Park, 15 Jefferson Ave.;
• Centennial Park, 151 State St.;
• Farrall Park, 101-111 Otis St.;
• Kibbe Park, 105-111 Kibbe Ave.;
• Lambert Park, 100 Verona Ave.;
• Lions Park, 108 Cedar St, and 8 Wallace St.;
• MacArthur Park, 252B State St.;
• Pringle Park, 14 Pringle Ave.;
• Williams Park, 101 Pearl St.

More information about the parks can be found by clicking HERE.

It will featuring original poetry written and read by Jacqueline Fields.

The Genesee County Legislature on Wednesday issued a proclamation designating May 2-8 as National Correctional Officers' Week.

Taking part in the presentation at the Old County Courthouse were, from left, County Jail Superintendent William Zipfel; Legislator Marianne Clattenburg; Jail Corrections' officers Marissa Jacques, Michael Cox and John Garlock; Undersheriff Bradley Mazur, and Sheriff William Sheron.

The proclamation read, in part, that the legislature "wishes to acknowledge the difficult job we ask these correction officers to perform, locked within a facility for a large part of their day where they must securely, safely and humanely keep those committed to the jail, respecting the rights and dignity of all inmates ..."

Sheron commended the work of the jail staff, stating, "they went through hell this past year (in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic) and came through with flying colors."

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Le Roy residents Glen Adams and Mike Ciociola, both members of the Genesee County Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs, today threw their support behind a proposed local county law that would allow deer hunting by 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters with a firearm or crossbow under the supervision of a licensed adult.

Speaking at a meeting of the Genesee County Legislature this afternoon, Adams said, “We’re both here to encourage this body to vote positive on opting into the new state law, for a two-year trial period, for youth 12- and 13-years-old to be able to hunt – with supervision.”

Moments later, lawmakers voted in favor of setting a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. on May 12 on what has been designated as Local Law Introductory No. 1 Year 2021 of the County of Genesee. The public hearing will take place at the Old County Courthouse and via Zoom videoconferencing.

If approved, the law would enable Genesee County to take part in the state’s pilot program permitting 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer during season with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun or muzzle loaded firearm through Dec. 31, 2023.

When asked about possible opposition to the law, Adams said the strict supervision component is important to the community of sportsmen and sportswomen.

“That (opposition) is always a possibility but we’ve been pushing for it for a long time through the New York Conservation Council, through our federations – trying to move it to a younger age, but it’s under supervision,” he said. “You’ve got to be within physical restraint of the kid, you’ve got to be on the ground. We see it as a positive thing. I’ve got five boys and I would have loved to been able to take them out earlier than I was.”

Ciociola, who also represents Genesee County on the NYS Fish & Wildlife Management Board, said he didn’t expect the state to approve such a measure in 2021.

“I was very surprised that New York State would actually put it in the bill this year,” he said. “I normally wouldn’t have thought that public opinion would have steered it in that direction. But also, just from the fact that I believe that the education – hunting -- rather than waiting until they’re 14, 16, I think they’ll make for safer hunters … more ethical, better hunters if they start at the age of 12.”

Both men said they believe many parents will capitalize on the opportunity for their sons and daughters to take up the sport.

“Although I’m a father of five boys, I would love seeing the young ladies out there,” Adams said. “I do coach the Le Roy trap team and we have female youth. We’d love to see them out there, also.”

Legislator Christian Yunker said the law is needed at this time.

“This was put into the governor’s budget and we know that we need to get the next generation of hunters involved, and we know that we have a deer management issue,” he said. “And this is going to help us.”

Along those lines, City of Batavia Manager Rachael Tabelski this week said the Batavia Police Department will be selecting a deer program coordinator this year to work with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to "implement and executive the (city's) deer management plan. She said the hope is that the program to cull the deer population could be started this fall as long as the City School District continues full in-person learning.

Previous: Proposed county local law permits 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer with strict supervision

In other developments, the legislature:

• Approved four capital projects, totaling $225,000, that were accounted for in the 2021 budget: Holland Land Office Museum exterior paint ($15,000); Genesee County Park Interpretive Center moisture protection and siding ($80,000); DeWitt Recreation Area Pavilion No. 2 parking lot ($65,000); and Genesee County Park and Forest water system upgrade ($65,000).

The project will be paid from the county’s 1 percent sales tax revenue.

• Heard from County Manager Matt Landers that today was the final day of “first doses” of the COVID-19 vaccine at Genesee Community College. “Second doses” will be administered at GCC for a few more weeks, and then everything will be moved to County Building II on West Main Street Road.

Calling it a “milestone,” Landers said the operation at the college went “smoothly, effectively and efficiently.” Still, he said he had hoped more people would have been vaccinated at GCC.

Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein thanked the community and volunteers for working “on behalf of the goal” and urged residents to get the vaccine because “it does matter.”

Press release:

• Genesee County reporting 18 new positive cases of COVID-19. (The County continues to have IT issues and the hospitalizations will be updated as soon as the issue is fixed, hopefully in the next day.)
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford) 
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 40s, 50s and 60s. 
  • Eleven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  

​

• Orleans County reporting 21 new positive cases of COVID-19.  
  • The positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
    • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
    • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
  • Eight of the new positive individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Four of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Updated, 7:30 p.m., with comments from Henry Wojtaszek, Batavia Downs Gaming:

For more than a year, restaurants, bars, bowling centers and similar establishments have had to operate under strict COVID-19 mandates from New York State, including the stipulation that patrons must purchase food when having an alcoholic beverage.

Well, judging from today’s announcements from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature, some of those executive orders are about to become part of history.

State lawmakers reported they are pushing to shelve several of the governor's commands, while Cuomo, himself, also said that the 12 a.m. food and beverage service curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining starting on May 17 and for indoor dining locations starting on May 31.

Local reaction to the news indicates that these restrictions went on too long and were counterproductive.

“Serving food with beverage was a total distraction for customers,” said Kent Ewell, owner of O’Lacy’s Irish Pub, 5 School St., Batavia. “It was a very … again, you bend with the law, but you actually sometimes question it.”

But Ewell said that the imposition of a curfew for dining at midnight really doesn’t pertain to a rural area, such as Genesee County.

“A lot of the stuff that gets taken care of is affecting Downstate more than Upstate. Everything is throughout the state, but in Batavia, most of the guidelines announced do not pertain to anybody,” he said. “How many people do you know go out and get a steak at midnight? When they’re saying dining at midnight, that’s mostly New York City or where people are up later and hours are later – maybe in Buffalo there is some of that.”

Ewell: Finding Workers is Another Issue

Still, Ewell said he is glad to see Cuomo relaxing some things.

“I know that every state is different … obviously, I’ve questioned some things throughout this whole pandemic and hopefully soon we will get back to normal,” he said.

He acknowledged that coronavirus mandates limiting hours of operation and halting indoor dining took a toll on his business.

“We’re open from 11 a.m. to midnight but now we’re closed on Sunday and Monday,” he said, adding that it likely will stay that way due to difficulties finding employees.

“I won’t tell you why they’re not working, that’s my own opinion, but everybody is having trouble hiring people. It’s happening in a lot of industries,” he advised. “We’re still open, but financially it has not been a pleasant ride, let me put it that way.”

Cuomo also revealed the lifting (on May 17) of the 1 a.m. curfew for catered events where attendees have provided proof of vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test result and the end (on May 31) of the curfew for all catered events.

Governor Announces More Changes

Other changes include:

• The resumption of catered events at residences beginning May 3 above the state's residential gathering limit of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, as long as the events are staffed by a professional, licensed caterer, permitted by the respective locality or municipality, and strictly adhere to health and safety guidance, including social and event gathering limits, masks and social distancing.

• The rethinking of dancing among attendees at catered events to be aligned with neighboring states, starting on May 3. This would replace fixed dance zones for each table with social distancing and masks.

• Starting May 3, seating at bars will be allowed in New York City, in line with the food services guidance that is in effect statewide.

Sen. Rath: It's About Time

Sen. Ed Rath, NYS Senate District #61, said the easing of these mandates are long overdue.

“While I am extremely happy for our restaurants that these arbitrary mandates are being repealed, it has taken far too long. It should never have had to come to lawsuits and court hearings for our restaurants to be able to operate,” according to his statement. “The industry has struggled for over a year, at no fault of their own, and the state should be doing everything they can to aid them in their recoveries. Instead, we are seeing the state continue to place unnecessary and cumbersome burdens on our restaurants and bars.”

Rath thanked “our amazing restaurants throughout Upstate who have adapted and continued to serve our communities throughout the pandemic.”

“During such a chaotic and stressful year, for many being able to order their favorite dish from their local restaurant was a much-needed sense of normal,” he said.

NYS Restaurant Leader: A Win for the Industry

On a state level, Melissa Fleischut, president and chief executive officer of the New York State Restaurant Association, issued the following statement:

“We’re encouraged by the news that the state legislature plans to eliminate the burdensome mandate that food be purchased with alcohol. This will singlehandedly boost the bottom line for restaurants and bars all over the state, and many have yet to reopen because of this specific requirement. While this is a win for the industry, and one that the New York State Restaurant Association has been pushing for months, this is just one step. Let’s work together to create a plan that details full reopening.”

Cuomo, in his announcement, warned, “To be clear: we will only be able to maintain this progress if everyone gets the COVID vaccine. It is the weapon that will win the war and we need everyone to take it, otherwise we risk going backward.”

The governor also said that, starting May 15, gyms and fitness centers outside of New York City will increase from 33-percent to 50-percent capacity, casinos and gaming facilities will increase from 25-percent to 50-percent capacity, and offices will go up from 50-percent to 75-percent capacity.

"We are encouraged that things are moving in the right direction since ... we’ve certainly had our struggles with the state’s rules," said Henry Wojtaszek, president of Western Region Off-Track Betting Corp. "We welcome the ability to have more people on the gaming floor. We are actually installing more games in the next few weeks and will continue to adhere to the state’s guidelines on social distancing and our cleaning schedule."

From Bill Davis, city superintendent of Water and Wastewater:

The City of Batavia has contracted a water service replacement project on Swan, Hutchins and Otis streets starting on Monday May 3. This will run until approximately July 15.

During the project, these streets will open to local traffic only from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will have parking restrictions that will vary day to day. Temporary "No Parking" signs will be posted in the areas affected each day.

The contractors will do their best to keep driveways open and traffic flowing.

Residents in the area will be notified ahead of time if the contractor will redo their water service, so they can make arrangements as needed.

We appreciate the patience and cooperation from the residents in the area.

Press release:

Greg Olsen, director of the New York State Office for the Aging, urges all New Yorkers to take the CV19 CheckUp, a free, anonymous, personalized, online tool that evaluates an individual’s risks associated with COVID-19 based on their circumstances.

CV19 CheckUp assesses each person’s unique situation and presents options to help reduce risk and enhance quality of life. It provides recommendations and resources to help reduce an individual’s pandemic risks.

CV19 CheckUp uses artificial intelligence to analyze data provided by each person who completes an anonymous online questionnaire. It is designed for those who are considered high risk, including older adults, individuals who are low income, members of ethnic and racial minority groups, and the LGBTQ community.

The tool’s algorithms are driven by science and medicine, using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

CV19 CheckUp is free and anonymous. It does not require a name, email address, or identifier of any type.

Upon completion of the questionnaire, CV19 CheckUp immediately delivers a personalized report, presenting options for reducing risk and enhancing quality of life during the pandemic.

According to Director Olsen, “The time for reminding the public about the risks of getting COVID-19 is now, while people are still getting their vaccination and as COVID fatigue sets in. We must continue to ensure that older New Yorkers understand there’s still a risk of getting sick. This is especially true as CV19 CheckUp data shows those age 75 and older dangerously underestimate their personal risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.”  

Olsen continued, “Even though vaccinations increase each week, it is critical that all New Yorkers continue to follow safety protocols. Now is not the time to let our guard down, but to continue to practice safe behaviors. New York State continues to move forward with reopening, but some lower-risk individuals have begun to relax. Many people have stopped social distancing and practicing safe pandemic behaviors, which threaten the health and well-being of those who are at higher risk.”

The CV19 CheckUp is generating helpful information that is educating individuals about their risk of contracting COVID-19 based on their behavior. To date, more than 67,000 people have completed the CV19 CheckUp survey.

Director Olsen said, “The results generated so far by the CV19 CheckUp show that most adults (77 percent) underestimate the lethal threat risk they pose to older adults, and half of them underestimate the risk to themselves of contracting COVID-19. The good news revealed by the CheckUp is that after learning about the risks to themselves and their loved ones, more than half (58 percent) of respondents say they would modify their behaviors to keep older friends and loves ones safe.

“This tool can also help reduce hesitancy about getting vaccinated. Researchers believe educating individuals about their pandemic risk will motivate them to get vaccinated. When people understand the lethal threat they pose to their relatives and friends, getting the vaccine becomes more appealing. In addition, with this new knowledge, individuals are more likely to reach out to others and urge them to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Through the CV19 CheckUp, governments and health organizations receive data facilitating the development of methods to help target high risk populations. The data is completely anonymous, and findings may be used to gain insights on:

• What people know and believe about the pandemic;
• Compliance levels with recommended safety protocols;
• Behaviors by location, race, ethnicity, economic status, etc.;
• Unmet needs for health care, social services and financial support.

To learn more, about the CV19 CheckUp, please visit newyork.cv19checkup.org.

From Laura A. Wadhams, P.E., assistant County Engineer:

Brown's Mill Road at the West Bethany Road intersection, on the border of Alexander and West Bethany, is closed for approximately two weeks for a culvert replacement project.

This work will not affect traffic on West Bethany Road. 

The public will be notified once the road is reopened.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is joining his colleagues in the Assembly Minority in standing against the extension of a legislative moratorium on evictions.

The Assembly Majority has introduced a bill (A.7175) to extend the moratorium through Aug. 31. Hawley has opposed extending the moratorium in the past, as it has greatly burdened small landlords throughout the pandemic that have been unable to collect rent to pay the mortgages on their properties. 

“The landlords impacted the most by this moratorium are people who have worked their entire lives to buy property to generate an income to take care of their families, and we’ve left them helpless for over a year now,” Hawley said.

“Addressing the burden placed on our housing system by COVID-19 means helping both tenants and landlords, and this moratorium deprives them of their rightful legal and financial recourse.”

Small-scale solar projects are on hold in the Town of Batavia until municipal officials, working with a paid consulting firm, can find the right ingredients to ensure a fair and effective solar ordinance.

Town Building Inspector Dan Lang took some time out of his busy day Tuesday to update The Batavian on the status of the new code, which he hopes will be drafted and approved over the next few months. In January, the town placed a moratorium on solar farms without establishing an end date.

“We’re putting out bids for a consultant and want to make sure it is the right fit for the town and matches up with our comprehensive plan,” Lang said. “We want to remain solar-friendly but we also want to make sure that we’re putting them in the right areas.”

As is the case with determining real estate values, the phrase “location, location, location” applies in the solar arena, Lang said.

“We have much to review and to sort out, but I can tell you that we’ve been tossing around the idea of incentive zoning for these systems – a tiered approach where you have your best locations, followed by areas that we would allow but would come with more restrictive setbacks and guidelines,” Lang explained. “Then, finally, a third tier where we really don’t want solar on prime farmland but if you’re going to put it here, this would have to be in a specific spot (and likely costlier for the developer).”

Part of the siting process is to identify areas where the transmission power lines have enough capacity to hook into the grid, Lang said.

Thus far, the Town of Batavia has approved five solar projects, all of them active and sitting on parcels of 20 acres or less and generating 2 to 5 megawatts of electricity. Those five are on Bank Street Road (on land owned by Thomas Lichtenthal), on Lewiston Road (two, Call Farms) and on Pearl Street Road (two, Dan Miller).

Five more are at various stages of construction and/or review and are yet to be activated. Those are on West Main Street Road (two, Fred Bowman), on Batavia-Stafford Townline Road (Daniel Underhill), on Galloway Road (Wayne Dunham) and on Ellicott Street Road (Donald Partridge).

Another five are in limbo, Lang said, due to the moratorium and the effort to adopt a new solar ordinance.

Lang said town officials have learned much through the process of approving the five systems, notably that they weren’t up to speed on the amount of buffer and screening needed to hide them from neighbors, and that they would have been better served by limiting the number of utility poles.

That’s where the consultant comes in.

“From experience, we realize we need to reach out and have a consultant come in and tell us some of the better areas for the solar – more or less, what companies will be looking for as far as transmission lines that have the capacity to move electricity from solar farms,” Lang said.

He admitted that it has been difficult keeping up with an industry that is constantly changing.

“For example, we’re finding that we can get away with more underground lines instead of looking at the ugly utility poles,” he said. “No matter what, it continues to evolve and then there is the matter of battery systems and battery storage to deal with. It’s all moving at a rapid pace.”

Lang said the objective is to respect the landowners’ right to put solar on their property while producing cleaner and greener energy in a location that doesn’t negatively impact the surrounding community.

“We realize – and this is a big thing – that supplemental income for the farmer who wants the solar there is important and we encourage that because that’s the highest and best land use value for them,” he said. “And we’re trying to find areas where it’s ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and not intrusive to the neighboring properties.”

Currently, the town requires a decommissioning bond on every project, Lang said.

“If something does go south with it, the system will be removed. It really is a farmland protection. If it is removed five or 10 years from now, you have soil that has been untouched and ready to go again for farming,” he said,

Lang acknowledges that solar projects draw complaints from those who live next to the proposed site.

“We’ve heard them all – they’re an eyesore, they pollute the land and so on,” he said.

When a consultant is selected and a new ordinance is drafted, the plan will be reviewed by county and town planning boards before going to the Town Board, Lang said. Until then, more meetings of a six-person committee that includes Lang will be scheduled and citizens are invited to send their opinions via email to solar@townofbatavia.com.

Other members of the committee are Town Board Member Chad Zambito, Town Planning Board members Paul McCullough and Donald Partridge, citizen representative Nancy Brach and Zoning Board of Appeal Member Brittany Witkop.

• Genesee County reporting 23 new positive cases of COVID-19. The County continues to have IT issues and the hospitalizations will be updated as soon as the issue is fixed, hopefully in the next day.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford) 
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. 
• Twenty-eight of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  

Orleans County reporting 10 new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
• Twenty-one of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

With close to 80 percent of its fundraising goal of $14 million in hand, the principals of the Healthy Living Campus for Downtown Batavia this morning announced the start of a public “community challenge” to bring in an additional $1 million.

“Today, on behalf of the GLOW YMCA, I am excited to announce that we are launching the public phase of the “Transforming Lives” campaign,” said Rob Walker, chief executive officer of the GLOW YMCA. “This campaign will allow the Y to build a Healthy Living Campus in Downtown Batavia, in partnership with Rochester Regional Health’s United Memorial Medical Center.”

The $30 million project, which is a key component of the city’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award from New York State, will integrate services provided by the two entities under one extremely large roof. Construction is slated to begin this fall, with completion anticipated for some time in 2023.

The two-story building will cover a distance starting just east of the current YMCA and extending all the way to Wiard Street. Twenty thousand square feet of space will be available for hospital services and 60,000 square feet of space will be utilized by the YMCA.

Walker, during a 30-minute event for local media, said the YMCA “dedicated” volunteers have raised more than $11 million toward our $14 million fundraising goal.

“With us nearing the goal, we are now here to ask the community for support to help us reach our public phase goal of $1 million,” he said. “In addition, we are excited to share a donor match challenge. With the generous support of Peter Zeliff, we have a community challenge to support the new YMCA. Until September 2021, his support will match dollar-for-dollar all new gifts up to $500,000.”

Zeliff: We Need the Y for the Kids

Contacted by telephone this afternoon, Zeliff, chair of the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board of Directors and developer of the Oakwood Estates housing complex on East Main Street Road, said that in his view, it's all about providing opportunities for youth.

"I’ve lived in this area pretty much all of my life. I was born here and raised here, and I really think that this community needs the Y – mainly for kids," he said. "So, kids can have someplace to go and something to do. I believe in that project and I believe it will be good for Batavia and it will be good for Genesee County."

Zeliff said it is remarkable that $11 million has been raised thus far.

"When we started working on the Y project, myself and a bunch of other people thought that was an awful big ask for Genesee County residents to raise $14 million here. But, we’ve already raised over $11 million and that’s pretty amazing," he said.

Walker said that the timing of the project will “ultimately be determined by completion of the capital campaign.”

He then read a list of the planned services, starting with a state-of-the-art wellness center, indoor pool, group exercise studios, and gymnasium with indoor walking/running track.

Other features include a teaching kitchen, indoor playground, youth spaces, living room, and meeting rooms.

Integrated Services Under One Roof

“Our partnership with UMMC will provide primary care, behavioral health/crisis intervention services, telemedicine integration, cancer prevention outreach services, chronic illness services, and education services all in the same facility,” he said, noting that co-located services will include chronic disease management, rehabilitation, mental health, and community education.

“The new Y is for the children, adults, and families in our community. It will be a place for people from all walks of life to come together, gather and improve the quality of life,” he said.

UMMC President Dan Ireland predicted the Healthy Living Campus will be “a dynamic change to Downtown Batavia.”

“A thoughtful process has been undertaken to determine how to bring the right services that will complement each other,” he said. “So, as we look at our primary care center, which will grow and expand from what we offer today at Batavia Primary Care, it will allow more patient access, but also allow our doctors, our nurses, our resident physicians to leverage the work with the Y and integrate wellness and fitness into the regimens they use to care for patients.

“It’s a perfect match as we try to look holistically at people’s health to be able to then to work with Rob’s team to create ways and pathways for people to continue their journey to a healthier lifestyle.”

Ireland said an emphasis will be on cancer screenings, diabetic care, healthy eating, and education.

“There are a lot of ways to bring that all together, inclusive of our Baby Café, which will help breastfeeding moms – maybe the first time or subsequent times as they’re trying to work through the struggles that some people experience with breastfeeding, as well as leveraging from the childcare services that the YMCA offers for patients who are coming for visits at the hospital,” he explained.

Project Rep: Going for That Urban Feel

David Ciurzynski, design consultant and representative for both organizations, spoke about the look of the building prior to the fundraising appeal.

“We’re trying to bring in elements of the brick and the glass,” he said. “The brick is going to highlight the brick buildings and brick facades that we currently have on Main Street, Batavia – playing homage to the Seymour Building (GO ART! headquarters), which is a historic building. And then we have the glass and the panels, trying to mix of materials that give that urban feel – that modern, bright, fresh look that we want to achieve.”

Ciurzynski also reported on the last week’s initial site plan review by the City of Batavia Planning and Development Committee, stating the purpose was to help the PDC understand the status of the design process and to gain insight from the committee members.

“We are encouraged by their thoughtful questions and comments, such as the desire to enhance the project from Main Street,” he said. “We are working with the design team at CPL (Clark Patterson Lee) to develop concepts that enhance the entrance and Main Street courtyard. It is our hope that weather permitting, this courtyard can be utilized as an extension of our indoor program and activities.”

Board Director: A Transformative Build

Paul Marchese, chair of the Genesee Area YMCA Board of Directors, said he sees the campus as “the most transformative and impactive build in my history – and I’ve been living here all of my life.”

“I’m happy to support this project, which will significantly change Downtown. It is one of many investments that are going to reinvigorate Downtown. We think that our membership will significantly increase in factors. It is an amazing structure,” he said.

Walker said the YMCA was last renovated in 1975, He said he expects Downtown activity to triple once the campus is complete.

Plans call for the current YMCA to stay open until the new building is finished, meaning that there will be no disruption in services.

Others on hand for the announcement were Christopher White, chair of the GLOW YMCA Board of Directors; Paul Battaglia, capital campaign chair; and John Riter, capital campaign cochair.

Photo at top: Rob Walker addresses the media this morning. Middle: Walker and David Ciurzynski; Bottom: Dan Ireland and Walker. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Press release:

Amid the opening up of the Small Business Administration (SBA) "Save Our Stages" online application for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer confirms about 6,000 applications have already been filed in the first five hours of the program, with more than 8,000 additional applications being worked on.

He is urging New York stages and other venues and cultural institutions to ready their paperwork, log on to the SBA.gov website for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program and file an application for their relief.  

“Knowing the SBA has already received 6,000 applications, with over 8,000 additional requests in the works, for stages and venue relief shows both the need that exists, but also the desire to bring back a variety of venues, entertainment and arts options that make New York one of the greatest states – and strongest economies,” Senator Schumer said. “So, I am urging New York stages to ready their documents, log onto the SBA site and file applications for their relief. The shows will go on!”

Schumer successfully fought to include $15 billion in the end-of-year COVID-19 relief bill in December for the "Save Our Stages" (SOS) program to provide national assistance for independent live venue operators, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions such as live performing arts organizations and museums that have been significantly impacted by the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

The American Rescue Plan that passed into law in March included an additional $1.25 billion for the program following Schumer’s efforts to add more money to the national pot. Schumer says that New York will receive the lion’s share of the total national pot and that the legislation will provide temporary relief not only to the venues, but also to the employees, promoters, managers, producers, and entertainers that support them.

Specifically, the COVID relief package created a new Small Business Administration (SBA) grant program which independent live venue operators, promoters, producers, talent representatives, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions are eligible for.

To be eligible, an entity must have experienced at least 25 percent lost revenue due to COVID-19. Schumer said the SBA grants are designed to provide up to six months of financial support that could be used to keep employees paid and New York’s prized cultural hubs open for business.

“Independent venues, like theaters and concert halls, are the beating heart of New York’s cultural life and a driving force across our economy,” Schumer said. “Our local stages, from those on Broadway to the ones in Binghamton, Buffalo, and everywhere in between, were among the first to shut down at the start of the pandemic, are struggling to stay afloat, and will be among the last to fully reopen—so they need this SOS relief, and I want to make sure they apply.” 

Specifically, the new program includes the following components:

• Creates a new grant program at the Small Business Administration to provide assistance to independent live venue operators, promoters, producers, talent representatives, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.
• Permits recipients to use grants for various costs, including those associated with COVID-19:

                 -- Rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases; and

                 -- PPE procurement, capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines.

• Grants are narrowly targeted and appropriately calculated to provide 6 months of operating assistance for small and independent live venue operators and their industry partners.

                 -- Grants are equal to the lesser of 45 percent of gross revenue during 2019; or

                 -- $10 million.

• To ensure the hardest hit of eligible applicants receive assistance, there are two priority application periods. The first 14 days, only eligible entities that have lost more than 90 percent of gross revenue can apply. The next 14 days, only eligible entities that have lost more than 70 percent can apply. A reserve of 20 percent of overall appropriated funds, $3 billion out of the $15 billion provided, will remain available for all other eligible entities to apply for after 28 days.
• There is a $2 billion set-aside of funds for eligible entities with 50 or fewer employees to ensure smaller applicants are not left out.
• An entity is still eligible for a grant if they have received a PPP loan prior to implementation of the program, but the entity may not receive a PPP loan and a grant after implementation of the program.

More details on the SBA program, including the application, can be found here.

From Sen. Ed Rath (NYS 61st):

"I wanted to update you on a dangerous proposal that has come to light in Albany. Albany Democrats are proposing a massive new tax on gasoline, an estimated 55 cent-per-gallon tax on New Yorkers at the pump. This is on top of the billions in news taxes included in this year's budget.

"This proposed legislation does not just increase the prices at the pump, it will also increase the cost of natural gas heating for homes by 25 percent. New Yorkers already pay enough to fill their cars and heat their homes; this is only going to add to the already overly burdensome taxes we have in our State. This bill, like many others, will disproportionately hurt Upstate and have negative consequences on our communities. 

"As we all know, many New Yorkers are facing some of the hardest times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; to increase taxes even further on necessary goods and services is unconscionable. We should be helping our hard-working taxpayers and businesses, not increase their already high costs of living and doing business in New York State."

Press release:

Northgate Free Methodist Church will once again be holding a Rummage Sale that will be hosted at Northgate’s South Campus, located at 350 Bank St., Batavia.

The sale will take place Friday, May 7 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, May 8 from 8 a.m. - 12.p.m.

Donations were collected, sorted, and priced accordingly, all by a volunteer group out of Northgate.

All proceeds from this Rummage Sale will be donated to Northgate’s "Connected Community in Gahanda, Rwanda, Africa. Please consider joining Northgate for this sale and contributing to the livelihoods of those in Gahanda, Rwanda.

For further information, please contact the Northgate office at (585)343-4011 or email office@northgatefmc.com.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel is pleased to announce the following additions to the upcoming Rockin’ the Downs Summer Concert Series.

Now kicking off the series on Friday June 11^th is Almost Queen. The Ultimate Queen Tribute show delivers a live performance, showcasing signature four part harmonies and intricate musical interludes. Donning genuine costumes, Almost Queen recaptures the live energy and precision that is the Queen experience.

Closing the Summer Concert Series now on Aug. 27th will be American rock band The Spin Doctors, who will be making their Batavia Downs debut. Forming in the late '80s, this band went on to commercial success with chart topping hits like "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" from their smash hit album "Pocket Full of Kryptonite."

These two concerts are being put on in conjunction with Buffalo-based twenty6 Productions. 

“We are excited to begin working with Batavia Downs," said CEO and Founder of twenty6 Productions, Josh Holtzman. “We know people have been waiting for the return of live events and we’re looking forward to putting on great shows at Batavia Downs while adhering to all the safety measures instituted by New York State.”

As per guidance from New York State, capacity for all concerts at this time will be 2,500 ticket holders but more tickets will be added if capacity increases. All concertgoers MUST show proof of:

• A negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of show time;

OR

• A negative Antigen COVID-19 test within six hours of show time;

OR

• Must show proof of completed immunization (14 days since final vaccination prior to event date).

There will be a Rapid Antigen test site in the parking lot the day of the concerts in order to allow ticket holders to get a rapid test on event dates. For concertgoers age 21+ with tickets each test costs $34.95. (For any New Yorker age 18 and up without a concert ticket, the rapid test costs $65.)

It his highly recommended that concertgoers get a vaccine or test prior to concert date in order to avoid any wait times on the day of the show. Concertgoers are responsible for scheduling and paying for any tests.

As per New York State Regulations, pairs of seats will be 6 feet apart and masks must be worn unless a person is seated and eating or drinking.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday, April 29^th, tickets for all concerts already announced will be available at www.BataviaConcerts.com. Tickets will be available for purchase at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop located in the lobby ONLY on concert days if any tickets remain unsold on concert date.

Due to limited capacity, concert attendees MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. A limit of four tickets purchased per person will be enforced.

If between now and the concert date the regulations change, then Batavia Downs will adopt any modifications. Ticket holders are encouraged to visit www.bataviadownsgaming.com or their social media pages to stay up to date on any new information.

Press release:

In light of the Governor’s press conference today, the Genesee County Ag Society and its volunteers that make the Genesee County Fair possible, have been receiving an abundance of emails and phone calls questioning whether we will be able to hold the Genesee County Fair for 2021.

At this time, while it is promising that the State Fair will go ahead with planning for the 2021 season, we, the county fairs, have not been given any guidance as to what or how we should be planning for Fair Season. 

The Genesee County Ag Society volunteers have been moving ahead with plans for the Genesee County Fair, to be held July 24-31.

In 2020, we were able to hold the Livestock shows for our youth and did so successfully. We are hoping to continue with that in 2021. We are looking to expand upon what we were able to do in 2020, but please know that we are working closely with Genesee County officials and our Genesee County Health Department so that we can keep our attendees safe while adhering to New York State Guidelines. 

We are hoping that, in the near future, the Governor and his office will be addressing how the county fairs should proceed so that we can move forward with some great entertainment and Livestock shows for our community.

Stay tuned, as we wish to keep the community and our supporters updated on how we are able to proceed with our Genesee County Fair July 24-31.