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As Friday’s deadline for residents to register to vote on Nov. 2 nears, Genesee County’s Board of Elections commissioners this afternoon informed the county legislature’s Ways & Means Committee that they expect a light turnout for both early voting and on election day.

According to the report submitted by Lorie Longhany and Richard Siebert, Democratic and Republican commissioners, respectively:

“With our county judge, district attorney and six legislative seats on the ballot without opposition, it is difficult to achieve voter enthusiasm. There will be some contested races in the City of Batavia (Council at Large) and several of our towns but certainly not countywide.”

Siebert predicts that early voting -- as was the case in June’s primary elections when only six residents voted prior to election day – will not generate much activity.

“Without real opposition and gas prices the way they are, realistically, who’s going to come from Le Roy, who’s going to come from Darien for early voting? It’s just not going to happen,” he said.

Early voting for the Nov. 2 General Election will take place at the ARC Community Center, 38 Woodrow Rd., Batavia, starting on Saturday, Oct. 23.

Dates and times are as follows:

• Oct. 23-24, noon to 5 p.m.
• Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oct. 26-27, noon to 8 p.m.
• Oct. 28-29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oct. 30-31, noon to 5 p.m.

Longhany said that for early voting “the even years are going to be the trouble years, (and) odd years are going to be the easy years.”

Siebert agreed, noting that parking at the ARC location is limited.

Currently, they are looking for another site in the city for 2022 early voting, while advising the committee that they are “aware of legislation which may require our early voting to expand from nine days to 15 days – which we could take advantage of during presidential elections but not local ones as we experienced this past June.”

Longhany said training has been completed for more than 200 poll workers, who will be subject to following the county’s COVID-19 protocol that calls for mask wearing unless proof of vaccination is provided. She said the workers are “very loyal” while Siebert added that they are well paid, receiving $290 for the full election day.

Siebert reported no safety or health issues in June, but acknowledged that the process was “tough for all of us.”

“Everything we do at the Board of Elections is very cyclical,” he said. “Last year we had a presidential election with 75 percent of the vote coming out. It was tough. We had to protect our workers, we had to protect our voters (while abiding by COVID-19 restrictions). We got through it.”

Another issue moving forward, Longhany said, is that the county’s number of permanent absentee voters has increased from 500 to 1,100, which – with the change to “no excuse” absentee ballots -- will create more work for their office.

Key dates for registration are as follows:

• Oct. 8, Mail Registration for General: Last day to postmark application for general election; it must also be received by board of elections by Oct. 13.

• Oct. 8, In-person registration for General: Last day application must be received by board of elections to be eligible to vote in general election. If honorably discharged from the military or have become a naturalized citizen since Oct. 8, you may register in person at the board of elections up until Oct. 23.

• Oct. 13, Changes of address for General received by this date must be processed.

CLICK HERE for a list of county races and candidates.

As one of only about three dozen Level 3 arboretums as classified by the industry’s leading accreditation organization, Draves Arboretum – featuring 800 different species over 27 acres on Sharrick Road in Darien – has a significant role in the protection, education and appreciation of trees.

About 30 people who took part in the 31^st annual Decision-Maker’s Agriculture Forum sponsored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce found that out this morning as they heard a presentation from and were led on a walking tour by Tom Draves, facility president and curator.

Draves, who also has a tree and landscaping business, said he and his family have carefully and meticulously built the arboretum over the past four decades to its status as one of the best in the world.

After forming a board of directors and establishing itself as a not-for-profit corporation, Draves Arboretum earned the Level 3 endorsement in 2019 through The Morton Arboretum’s ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program.

“There are hundreds and hundreds of arboretums that they have accredited and there’s only about 35 in the world that are Level 3; it’s a giant hurdle,” Draves said. “With Level 3, you have to do a tremendous amount of education, you have to collaboration with other arboretums … and you have to have documented improvement and scientific research in the betterment of trees and shrubs.”

A member of several New York tree associations -- he’s even patented some species of trees, Draves said he embraces the chance to teach college students, mentioning that Niagara County Community College, Finger Lakes Community College and Alfred State College provides degree and certificate programs that require tree identification courses.

“We have had to introduce new trees to accommodate for the classes,” he said.

Draves said the property had just 40 trees at the beginning.

“We have a piece of property, approximately 27 acres, and where we are standing right now (in the Richards Complex conference center) was a cornfield,” he said. “Every single tree that you see here was planted; the right tree in the right spot.”

He said he was encouraged by colleagues to expand the arboretum, telling him that “there was no collection like this in Western New York and that he needed to take steps to move forward to preserve it …”

Over the years, new components have been added, he said, including a pond patio, The Fairway (shaped like a golf fairway with a bridge), The Sanctuary (along the entrance road), a gazebo, The Pinetum (featuring fir and spruce) and, most recently, the dwarf conifer garden.

Conifers are trees that bear cones and needle-like or scale-like leaves that are typically evergreen.

Just this year, the American Conifer Society designated that section, which has 30 to 40 conifers, as a “reference garden,” Draves said.

About 20 years ago, irrigation was installed throughout the facility – “Every tree can be reached with a 75-foot hose,” Draves said

The arboretum also has accreditation by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, he said, giving it the same credentials as a school or college as an education facility.

“There are very few in New York State that are privately owned – most are an extension of a college or arboretum,” he advised.

He said expansion plans include a granite stone for the front entrance, an iron gate at the front, and a new bathroom facility.

Just prior to leading the tour, Draves reviewed the NYS Inherent Risk Law, warning participants to be aware of a dozen or so hazards on the land – things such as poison ivy, deep ponds, bridges with no handrails and depressions in the ground caused by the animals that also called the arboretum home.

Photo at top: Participants in today's Agriculture Forum sponsored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce learn about the spruce tree on a tour conducted by Tom Draves of Draves Arboretum.

Tom Draves taking a close look at a 'Shiloh Splash' river birch.

A single-needle fir.

Cherry blossom.

Bristlecone pine.

Sassafras.

Crossing the bridge.

A black oak.

Golden larch.

Draves explaining the finer points of the honey locust.

In front of the 'Slender Silhouette' sweetgum tree.

Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Twenty-two students, teachers and staff at Genesee County school districts are listed as “new positives” as of Tuesday on New York State’s COVID Report Card dashboard.

Of that number, 15 are students, three are teachers and four are staff members, and of the students, five are in the Batavia City School District, four in Le Roy and Oakfield-Alabama and one in Pavilion and Pembroke.

The numbers also include two Elba teachers and one Pavilion teacher, and three Le Roy employees and one O-A employee.

Since Sept. 13, however, per data reported by the individual schools, 174 students, teachers and staff have tested positive for the coronavirus, with 74 of those at Batavia and 50 at Le Roy – the county’s two largest schools.

At Batavia, 69 of those 74 are students, while three are teachers and two are staff members. At Le Roy, 38 of those 50 are students, while one is a teacher and 11 are staff members.

Breaking down those numbers further:

• From Sept. 22 to Oct. 5, Batavia – 45 students, one teacher, two staff; Le Roy – 24 students, no teachers, 10 staff.

• From Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, Batavia – 26 students, one teacher, two staff; Le Roy – nine students, no teachers and nine staff.

COVID-19 positives are low at other school districts, with Alexander reporting no cases at all since Sept. 13 and Notre Dame just two – with none in the last 14 or seven days.

Data from other schools is as follows:

• Byron-Bergen: 15 students, two teachers, one staff since Sept. 13; five students, no teachers, one staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; four students, no teachers, one staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.

• Elba: No students, two teachers, no staff for all reporting dates.

• Oakfield-Alabama: 15 students, no teachers, two staff since Sept. 13; 11 students, no teachers, two staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; five students, no teachers, two staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.

• Pavilion: Three students, one teacher, no staff since Sept. 13; two students, one teachers, no staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; one student, one teacher, no staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.

• Pembroke: Five students, two teachers, no staff since Sept. 13; three students, two teachers, no staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; two students, two teachers, no staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.

COUNTY OFFERING TELEHEALTH TO SCHOOLS

In an effort to make it easier for school districts to interact with health care professionals, the Genesee County Health Department, as part of its comprehensive COVID testing plan, has set up a contract with Mobile TeleMed LLC of Buffalo to provide in-school telehealth sessions at no charge to school districts through July 2022.

“Schools that want to participate will be able to have a Telehealth cart down at the nurses’ office where students and/or staff come down and engage with varying levels,” Public Health Director Paul Pettit said.

“It could be a lower level, an RN (Registered Nurse), or mid-level, an NP (Nurse Practitioner), PA (Physician’s Assistant) or even a physician, where they can have that engagement in real time, on site, through the Telecart, and they can provide potentially a diagnosis, whether it’s COVID, along with on-site testing. There are a lot of ways they can leverage that relationship right at school.”

Pettit said this program could take the place of parents having to go to the doctor’s office after they get out of work or go to urgent care centers.

“We’re pretty confident that this type of technology will help us to avoid some of those unnecessary visits and allowed it to be taken care of right on site,” he said.

Pettit said Le Roy Central School district is very interested in participating.

 “We need the schools to sign on. We believe that Le Roy is very close. We’ve been working with them and have a couple of carts there.”

Le Roy Superintendent Merritt Holly confirmed that the district is “exploring the possibility and how we can further assist and help our students and families.”

The program is being funded by a grant to the health department, Pettit said, adding that the school district will contract directly with TeleMed, which will handle billing to the students’ family. Parents would need to sign consent forms for their children to access the videoconference technology.

“My hope is that this will be a sustainable access to care beyond COVID,” Pettit said. “Obviously, they (schools) would have to fund it after that point (after July 31, 2022). If the school found value in continuing to have something like this for their staff and their students, they could continue on past our grant funds. They’d already have the relationship and they could continue to use it as a way to engage health care.”

Fees (which will be paid for by the grant for through next July) are as follows:

• Base pricing per district is $1,200 per cart per month, plus $500 for training and implementation.

• Small school pricing is set at $2 per district student per month, starting at a minimum cost of $800 per month plus the $500 training and implementation charge.

Pettit said COVID testing is taking place in local schools, with testing kits provided by the county.

The Genesee County Legislature is expected to vote on the contract with Mobile TeleMed at its Oct. 13^th meeting.

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Update, Oct. 7, 9 a.m.:

A check of the NYS COVID Report Card this morning reveals that under the Lab Reported category, Alexander Central School District has had an estimated 18 positive cases among students since Sept. 1, 14 from Sept. 23-Oct. 6, nine from Sept. 30-Oct. 6, and one since Oct. 6. Lab Reported numbers and School Reported numbers can vary. As indicated in the story above, Alexander CSD apparently did not report positive cases to the state Department of Health or its report was not received.

Story and photos by Alecia Kaus

Just before noon today, the City of Batavia Fire Department responded to 127 Tracy Ave. for a report of smoke coming from the roof vents of a single-family home after an alert neighbor reported seeing smoke coming from the roof. 

Genesee County is on track to spend more than $9 million on Medicaid this year and New York State is doing very little to help alleviate this local obligation, according to the director of the county’s Department of Social Services.

Presenting his departmental review at Monday’s Genesee County Legislature Human Services Committee meeting, David Rumsey (photo above) said the county has little input over the government-financed health insurance program for eligible people.

Approximately 3,000 county residents are on Medicaid, he said, and that number continues to increase.

“The transition of Medicaid administrative functions from the county to the state remains unchanged. There has been no additional movement by the state to take over the Medicaid administrative functions,” he said.

Rumsey also mentioned the inordinate amount of time spent on determining people’s eligibility in light of the required five-year lookback period for chronic care (nursing home) cases.

“The Medicaid assistance programs have the greatest burden to the county, but for which we have little control,” he added, reporting that projected spending by the county for Medicaid in 2021 is $9,052,134.

In his report, Rumsey touched upon other programs and services offered by DSS as well as its budget status.

2021 BUDGET STATUS

Anticipated 20 percent cuts in state aid did not occur, he said, keeping the DSS budget on track for 2021.

“The pandemic continued to bring uncertainty about the projected funding streams and allocations, and it still does,” he said.

Rumsey said he is monitoring state training school expenses since the number of youths currently in detention will need to be budgeted for in 2023 (two-year billing cycle). 

He also reported that required training for new employees hired over the last year was put on hold at the state level.

“The state is currently formulating a plan to move the virtual training back to in-person, but this plan is reliant on the continued safety for the trainees that attend,” he said.

PROGRAMMING

-- Temporary Assistance (Public Assistance): This unit provides cash assistance to individuals or families, with benefits provided based on eligibility and on-going case monitoring.

“The overall monthly caseload is trending downward with a decrease in both Family Assistance and Safety Net,” he said. “There has not been a significant increase in homelessness noted yet.  The eviction moratorium is extended through January 15, 2022 which may change this trend.”

-- Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP):  This was rolled out by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to assist renters and landlords, but the start was “slow and not successful,” Rumsey said.

He said most of the funds went to renters, while assistance to landlords lagged behind.

“A lot of landlords had property damaged,” he said. “Now, they are getting a few more rights.”

-- Fraud: The DSS Fraud Department has been very busy, Rumsey said, with its two investigators following up on Font End Detection System referrals, Intentional Program Violations, prison matches, and allegations of welfare fraud.

-- Child Support: Federal guidelines strive for a minimum collection rate of 80 percent; DSS is at 78.94 percent, well above the state average of 67.20 percent, Rumsey said.

“This unit continues to work to ensure right sized orders are established and appropriate modifications to existing orders is occurring,” he said. “The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the operations of this unit as the Child Support Court was temporarily closed.”

Other programs include Home Energy Assistance and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance.

SERVICES

-- Family First: In a move that will save the county money, the state is requiring the local DSS offices to reduce the number of residential placements by 12 percent.

“The Family First initiative is also requiring us to have at least 30 percent of our total foster care population in a certified Kinship (relative) foster home, and we are currently meeting both requirements,” Rumsey reported.

He also said that the Family First Prevention Act reforms federal financing to prioritize family-based foster care, preferably with kin, over residential care by limiting federal reimbursement for certain residential placements.

-- Foster Care: The DSS foster care unit has certified nine new foster homes this year, with three more pending by the end of the year, Rumsey said. Of the nine, three were “kinship” and six were regular foster care. DSS also was able to certify one new cluster foster home, increasing that number to four.

Rumsey said the county saved money this year through a reduction in voluntary agency therapeutic foster care placements and utilizing certified county foster homes.   

-- Preventive Services: Mandated preventive services are provided to assist families and children in meeting their needs and keeping the youth out of foster care placements. Rumsey said that through August, DSS has worked with 222 children with only five being placed outside of the home.

-- Child Protective Services: Through August, DSS has handled 646 cases of suspected child abuse and maltreatment, he said, with investigations taking place within 60 days as mandated by New York State. For September, there were 32 more CPS cases compared to September 2020.

“Moving forward these cases will be harder to determine because there is the movement from needing just credible evidence to having a preponderance of the evidence, which is a higher standard that must be met,” Rumsey advised.

-- Adoptions: DSS assisted in the adoption of four children with expectations that another three will be finalized by the end of the year.  Of the 54 youth in foster care, 10 are freed for adoption, he said.

Rumsey said that 115 children are currently receiving adoption subsidy payments.

The current annual adoption subsidy rates are basic $7,800, special $9,358 and exceptional $12,453.

“The other concern is that once a foster family adopts children, they rarely continue as foster parent resources for other children who are placed,” he said. “Permanency for children often results in shortages of foster parents.”

-- Adult Services: Currently, DSS has 155 Adult Preventive and Protective Services for Adults cases, with 33 of those personal care cases being monitored.

“DSS continues to partner with the Office for the Aging, the District Attorney, the Sheriff and Lifespan in a coordinated Enhanced Multi-Disciplinary Team to work together to assist our elderly Genesee County residents in combating elder abuse and financial exploitation,” he reported.

-- Detention: In 2021, five youths were placed into OCFS State Training Schools, which are very costly to the county, Rumsey said. The current detention rate is $468.17/day.

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Carrie Anne Clay, 27, of Albion, is charged with burglary 2nd, assault 2nd, criminal mischief 4th. Clay was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident reported in Byron at 7:28  a.m., Sept. 25, by Deputy Kevin Forsyth and Deputy Rachel Diehl.  It is alleged that Clay attacked another person with a hammer. She was reportedly thrown out of the residence and broke back in and attempted to attack the same person again. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined EMS assistance. Clay was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and held on $5,000 cash bail.

Tamaneeka T. Perez-Smith, 42, of Britton Road, Rochester, is charged with felony driving while impaired by drugs, felony  DWI, resisting arrest, driving without an interlock device, leaving the scene of a property damage accident,  failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, failure to move over for an emergency vehicle, insufficient turn signal, failure to stop at a stop sign, moved from lane unsafely, unlicensed operator. Perez-Smith was allegedly driving erratically on Park Road in the Town of Batavia and fled from a patrol attempting a traffic stop. She was taken into custody by Deputy Nicholas Chamon and issued an appearance ticket.

Mary Grace Vaughan, 25, of Charlesgate Circle, East Amherst, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely.  Vaughan was arrested by Deputy Zachary Hoy after a report at 12:58 a.m., Oct. 2,  that a vehicle had struck a  guard rail on Main Road in Pembroke.

Colleen Beth Gill, 51, of Spring Road, Alexander, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving without an interlock device, aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd, driving to left of pavement markings. Gill was stopped at 6 p.m., Monday, on Main  Street, Alexander, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Daniel W. Knauss, 52, Pavilion, is charged with assault 2nd, obstruction governmental administration 2nd, resisting arrest, and criminal contempt 2nd. Knauss was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 3:06 p.m., Sept. 29, in the Town of Pavilion. Knauss was ordered held in jail. No further information about the case was released.

 

The Batavia businessman proposing the development of a 60-unit senior housing complex and eight single-family home building lots in the Village of Le Roy on Monday night offered to pay the lion’s share of the cost to extend East Avenue to make room for those lots.

Toward the end of what turned into a 2 hour and 43 minute public hearing at Memorial Auditorium, Eric Biscaro addressed the need to extend the road – something that Village Mayor Greg Rogers previously had said the village would consider doing.

About 50 people, most of them residents of the East Avenue, Poplar Lane and Orchard Drive area, attended.

Biscaro said he could extend East Avenue by about 1,000 feet to the south for considerably less than the $1 million estimate the village had received, comparing the work to the road he put in at his Clinton Crossings Adult Community development in the Town of Batavia.

Holding a photograph of the road (pictured above), Biscaro said, “The road is perfect and that was put in 15 years ago.”

He pitched the idea of the village contributing $26,000 for stone and gravel plus the time involved in trucking the material toward the construction of the road, which he said would be 24 feet wide. It would extend south to a point where an access road or emergency exit could be carved out on South Avenue, connecting to South Street.

The village board did not make any commitments last night and tabled a couple resolutions on the State Environmental Quality Review that is part of the requirements before the project can progress.

When asked about the village’s stance on paying for the East Avenue extension, Rogers said that news of a potential Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement between Biscaro and the Genesee County Economic Development Center changes things.

“(With the PILOT) our recapture (of taxes) is a lot less now,” Rogers said. “That one million (dollars) is not on the table at this point.”

Rogers said that no voting on the project – including the rezoning of the 20-acre parcel to the east of East Avenue designated for the senior housing complex – would take place until an agreement on the road extension is reached.

After Biscaro said that “the project can be done without the road,” Rogers countered by restating the village’s position that it wants single-family homes (as well as the rental properties for those 50 and over).

Mark Masse, GCEDC vice president of operations, spoke first at the public hearing to give details about Biscaro’s application for incentives.

He also reported that the county has a need for 1,400 new single-family homes and market rate apartments over the next 20 years “to keep up with the (projected) growth.”

Concerning the tax abatements, Masse said the project qualifies for sales tax (materials) and mortgage tax breaks as well as a PILOT, which would reduce Biscaro’s tax bill on a sliding scale over 20 years.

Specifically, Masse said, Biscaro would be responsible for 10 percent of total taxes (county, village and school) for the first four years, 15 percent for the next three years, 20 percent for the next three years, 50 percent for the next five years and 75 percent for the final five years. The PILOT does not cover taxes and fees for any special districts, such as water and sewer.

When a resident mentioned that the village would be losing out on tax revenue, Masse said completion of the project would bring in more than what the village is receiving now on the vacant land. He also noted that tenants would pay their own water and sewer bills.

Masse said the GCEDC has approved incentives for similar projects, mentioning The Manor House and DePaul Properties in Batavia, with a difference being that those projects did not have to be rezoned.

The Village Board would have to approve rezoning of the land earmarked for the senior apartments from Residential to Planned Unit Development. The single-family home building lots on East Avenue would continue to be zoned Residential, however, Rogers said.

Residents asked questions and offered opinions on several other pressing issues, most notably the project’s impact on traffic, stormwater runoff, property values, tax implications and housing opportunities – basically the same concerns that were expressed during a public hearing on Aug. 18 at Memorial Auditorium.

TRAFFIC IMPLICATIONS

Andrew Kosa, engineer with CPL (Clark Patterson Lee), reported that by using numbers provided through a traffic study conducted by the Le Roy Police Department, that the project would result in twice the number of vehicles on East Avenue and East Main Street during peak morning and afternoon times.

Still, Kosa said, that would not significantly impact traffic flow, stating that East Avenue traffic would continue to be at a satisfactory level.

This prompted a resident to bring up the “dangerous” situation where motorists are unable to see clearly as they move from East Avenue onto East Main Street, and asked if the Village Board could look into this.

STORMWATER RETENTION

A major topic of discussion, Kosa said CPL’s role “is to ensure compliance,” adding that any water discharge from the project has to be equal or less than what is running off now.

Biscaro’s plan includes a retention pond in the northwest quadrant of the 30-duplex layout (see photo below).

LeRoyan James Gomborone, who owns nearby Mercy Grove and Le Roy Country Club, said his property gets considerable runoff now – and frequent flooding when it rains heavily – and said he wasn’t convinced of the stormwater plan’s effectiveness.

Biscaro responded by saying the water will flow to the north “and be considerably less than it is now or the same when it leaves the property.”

“My responsibility (under the law) is for it to come out the same or less (than it is now),” he said.

Kosa also responded to a question about the East Avenue extension, noting that CPL would have to mitigate any water issues or be subject to being fined by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Biscaro reported that only 18 percent of the 20-acre apartment complex would be comprised of impervious cover, such as pavement, roofing, etc.

It was mentioned that Biscaro would be open to developing additional building lots on the west side of East Avenue. If so, a separate stormwater plan would have to be devised.

ZONING CHANGE

Resident Tom Condidorio contended that any zoning changes would affect home values, and called out the village board for not listening to its taxpayers.

Rogers responded by saying the overarching plan is to “try to grow the tax base so your property values don’t go down.”

It then was mentioned that another resident put in a retention pond in a different part of the village with duplexes and the average sale of homes in that area increased by 28 percent over assessed values.

TAX IMPLICATIONS

Biscaro read from a spreadsheet that breaks down the tax revenue starting with 2022 and going out to 2047.

He said the village is collecting $400 a year and the Le Roy Central School District is collecting $960 a year on the property as it currently stands, but each entity would collect six times that amount in the first year.

In year 10, with the completion of the apartment complex and new home builds, he said the village would receive $61,500 in tax revenue and Le Roy Central School District would earn $147,600.

All told, Biscaro’s projections show the village receiving $1.5 million in taxes and the school district capturing $3.7 million in taxes over the 25 years.

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

A LeRoyan said she was in favor of creating residences for those people 50 and over, noting that “Le Roy residents have no place to go.”

She said her father is 76 and “this would be the perfect place for him.”

“This is designed to be for rentals,” she said. “Some people don’t want to own (their homes any longer).”

Biscaro, responding to calls for the project to be moved outside the village, said, “This is a fabulous location. We want to be in a good place.”

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Moving forward, Rogers said the village board will evaluate Biscaro’s proposal to construct the road, with an eye on possibly making a decision at its Oct. 20 meeting.

Drawing of the 60-unit senior apartment complex, showing the oval-shaped retention pond at upper left, as well as the proposed extention of East Avenue along the left side with eight building lots.

Previously: East Avenue area residents defend their 'jewel' of a neighborhood at public hearing on Le Roy development

Over the past nine years, William Joyce has built a reputation as the go-to guy – the person with the knowledge and skill to provide answers and direction to former armed forces members in his role as director of the Genesee County Veterans Service Agency.

Joyce, (photo at right), who served in the Army for 40 years, retiring as a sergeant major following tours of duty in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, not only assists county residents, but on a regular basis is called upon to help those across New York and in neighboring states.

While he said he’s not retiring as the GCVSA leader in the next few months, Joyce said he is thinking about it and desires to impart some of his wisdom and know-how to a veteran willing to serve the agency in a part-time role.

“I want to teach what I have done – the broadcasting and the networking that I’ve done – to teach he or she what I do,” he said.

Unfortunately, he told the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee this afternoon that he hasn’t been able to find someone eligible and qualified yet to be his right-hand man or woman.

Joyce, responding to a request for an update on the part-time position from Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein, said he had two applicants but they didn’t meet the qualifications, and he hasn’t had any more applicants since.

“It’s still being advertised, but they’re not knocking down the door to get in,” he said.

The county has put out the call for an assistant since June, County Manager Matt Landers said, adding that the prospective employee must be a veteran and meet other criteria. The 19 ½-hour per week job is in the county’s budget.

“We have a succession plan in place but so far, no luck,” Landers said.

Recently, Joyce was elected president of the Western New York National Cemetery Memorial Council, which is set up to raise funds and solicit donations in support of the cemetery, which is located at Route 77 and Indian Falls Road in the Town of Pembroke.

Joyce said that 638 burials have been performed since the cemetery’s opening last December.

He reported that the council, a nonprofit organization, established the “Avenue of Flags” in which families donate their burial flag of a veteran to be flown at the entrance driveway on 26 flag poles (also donated) from May through Veterans Day each year.

The WNYNC is one of only three VA National Cemeteries authorized for this display, Joyce noted.

“What better honor can you give veterans who are coming in for their last services to have their interment flags of veterans that passed and are buried there?” he said. “It’s an awesome sight and pictures don’t do it justice.”

Joyce reported that the Veterans Service Agency office had 4,464 contacts and provided 5,521 client services over the past year, and completed 136 veterans’ property tax exemptions. He said the latter number is bound to increase due to the returning active duty reservists/guardsmen.

He said the agency’s relationship with the county’s Department of Social Services is working out as DSS referred 58 people to the agency, resulting in 25 veterans and/or widows gaining access to federal benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“This results in a greater reduction in the cost of local Medicare benefits,” he advised.

In another development, he reported that 48 veterans have graduated from the Veterans Mentorship Program, a restorative justice program for those who have been in trouble with the law.

“If there’s a veteran that has been arrested for drugs, alcohol or driving while intoxicated, they have a choice to attend a special treatment court and they have to go through a program (which lasts up to a year),” he said. “If they graduate successfully, they can come out with a lesser charge than what they originally were charged with.”

He said the program has been very successful as indicated by a large number of graduates who now have become mentors to others.

The agency’s office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For an appointment or more information, call 585-815-7905.

As would be expected, the superintendent of the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District is keeping a close eye on the fire protection dispute between the Village and Town of Oakfield.

“I’m hesitant to throw the District into the mix of this debate. However, I am very concerned about the suggestion of not responding to an emergency call here if it was on our campus,” John Fisgus said today in response to an email from The Batavian.

As reported as part of an update to a story on Sept. 28, Sean Downing, chief of the Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department, indicated that the fire company has been in contact with its attorney regarding the situation.

Downing said that if the disagreement over money that Village Mayor David Boyle said is owed by the town isn’t settled by a Nov. 30 deadline, the fire department, “by written order of the mayor or the board of trustees of the Village of Oakfield, we will not be able to respond into the town, which includes the elementary and the high school.”

Contacted today by telephone, Boyle said he has not heard recently from anyone representing the Town of Oakfield – neither Supervisor Matt Martin or the town’s attorney. Martin has indicated that the matter has been turned over to the town’s lawyer.

Previously, Boyle said the village is suing the town in an attempt to secure $78,648 that was charged to the town for fire protection provided by the village during the 2020-21 fiscal year. The village also said it would withhold fire protection from the town if the bill isn’t paid by Nov. 30.

The village owns fire trucks and equipment, and runs the fire service through the Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department, which owns the building on Albert Street, Boyle said.

Fisgus concluded his brief statement with words that likely mirror what Oakfield village and town residents are thinking:

“I hope there is a resolution soon and both the town and village can come to an agreement,” he said.

Previously: Village of Oakfield threatens lawsuit, withholding fire protection over payment dispute with Town of Oakfield

Genesee County could receive around $1 million to battle the opioid epidemic in funding from New York State’s legal settlement with various manufacturers and distributors which have been deemed responsible for perpetuating the opioid crisis.

Attorney General Letitia James announced today that she will be embarking upon a “HealNY’ tour to dole out up to $1.5 billion to all regions of the state. All 62 counties in New York will receive funds from the settlements.

CLICK HERE for today’s press release from James’ office.

Genesee County Manager Matt Landers reacted to the news that the county is in line to get anywhere from $597,359.78 to $1,043,594.62.

“We will be meeting internally and with related agencies to better understand where we should put those monies and what limitations there are to those monies, so hopefully we will have a plan relatively soon,” he said. “It’s quite a large range so, until we know better what the exact amount is, that is going to drive what we want to fund.”

Landers said he will set up meetings with stakeholders such as Genesee County Mental Health and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Genesee & Orleans Public Health and law enforcement “to set up a game plan where we can get the most bang for the buck.”

He also noted that the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force already is receiving some grant money but suggested that this new influx of funding could be used to keep that initiative going for a longer period of time.

Per James’ press release, the Finger Lakes Region is expected to receive between $28,886,077.70 and $52,744,110.35 with other GLOW Region counties set to receive as follows:

• Livingston County: $570,600.77-$996,846.31;

• Orleans County: $347,049.64–$606,299.83;

• Wyoming County: $346,041.37–$604,538.38.

Quarterback Ryan Whitney ran for one touchdown and passed for another Friday night to lead Geneseo/Mount Morris to a 14-6 victory over visiting Notre Dame in Section V varsity football action.

The 6-2, 190-pound junior opened the scoring with a 9-yard scamper on a first-and-goal play late in the first quarter and then found junior wide receiver Eghosa Okpefe in the end zone for the two-point conversion to make it 8-0.

The Blue Devils, 3-2, upped their lead to 14-0 with just 16 seconds remaining in the half when Whitney launched a deep pass that was on the money to Okpefe, who had raced behind the secondary and sprinted untouched into the end zone. A pass for the two-point conversion fell incomplete.

Notre Dame, 1-4, had the ball in Geneseo/Mount Morris territory throughout the opening half but three potential scoring drives were thwarted by an interception by lineman Giovanni Provo, Fighting Irish quarterback Jimmy Fanara being stopped just short of a first down at the 20-yard line and a dropped pass around the 10-yard line.

The Fighting Irish offense broke a nine-quarter scoring drought late in the third period when, on a first-and-10 play at the Geneseo/Mount Morris 46, Fanara connected with sophomore wide receiver Ryan Fitzpatrick for a touchdown.

Fitzpatrick hauled in the pass, put a fake on the defender around the 20-yard line and beat the defense to the end zone. A run for the two-point conversion was unsuccessful.

Notre Dame got the ball back right away when Jay Antinore intercepted a Whitney pass at midfield.

A 25-yard run by Evan Cummings moved the ball to the Geneseo/Mount Morris 30, but a holding penalty negated another nice gain by Cummings, and the drive stalled.

Cummings came up with interceptions on consecutive Blue Devils’ possessions to start the fourth quarter – the second one giving ND the ball at the home team’s 39.

On offense, Cummings picked up 13 yards on three runs before Geneseo/Mount Morris’ defense stiffened. Two incompletions and a short gain on fourth-and-20 turned the ball over the Blue Devils, who – with Whitney carrying the load – ran out the clock.

Whitney ran the ball 24 times for 80 yards and completed six of 19 passes for 127 yards, one TD and three interceptions. Okpefe had three receptions for 90 yards and the touchdown.

For the Irish, Cummings rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries and Fanara gained 60 yards on eight attempts, including a 40-yard scamper late in the first quarter. Fanara was 6-for-21 passing for 68 yards and a TD.

On defense, Camden King recovered a muffed punt.

The Irish will host Alexander at 1 p.m. Saturday as part of the school’s Homecoming.

Activities include a “celebration of life” in honor of the late Ricky Mancuso Jr. (Class of 2005) at noon, prayer service led by Walter Szczesny (Class of 1976), halftime ceremony renaming the football field in honor of the late coach Bill Sutherland and a reception hosted by the Sutherland family at T.F. Brown’s Restaurant following the game.

The Sheriff's Office is looking for the public's help in identifying two people suspected of stealing more than $1,000 in Buffalo Bills merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods in Batavia.

The theft occurred on Sept. 12.

The suspects reportedly left in a light blue Honda Odyssey with no visible license plates. 

Information, including anonymous tips, can be phoned into the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000 or by contacting Investigator Ryan DeLong at (585) 345-3000 ext. 3572

Although word of a $700,033 award from the Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant program came much later than expected, news that the funds have been released will allow Genesee County to receive reimbursement of expenses connected to a major communications tower project in the Town of Attica.

“The … award was anticipated as part of our 2021 Communications operational budget and our Molasses Hill Public Safety Communications Tower Capital Improvement Project,” said Steven Sharpe, director of Emergency Communications for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. “We received the award letter from the State of New York (on Thursday), and we plan to present a resolution to the (Genesee County) Legislature to accept the grant.”

Sharpe, responding via email from The Batavian, said the performance period of the grant began on January 1^st of this year.

In March, prior to the release of the funds, he requested a reallocation of $301,833.67 in unexpended money and unanticipated revenue from the county in the form of a resolution – which eventually was passed – to advance the public safety capital project that included the building of a communications tower on Molasses Hill Road (located just over the Wyoming County line).

Sharpe said the county has “current eligible expenditures that we will seek immediate reimbursement upon approval of the grant contract with the State.”

“The expenditures included tower heating, ventilation and air conditioning repairs; microwave line dehydrator replacements; microwave ​power plant replacements; tower lease payments; tower utilities; public safety radio system maintenance, and costs associated with the new tower.”

The grant was authorized as part of the 2019-20 fiscal year state budget, Sharpe said, and “brings (the county) up to date on existing costs.”

He said he will work with the state to expedite funding for 2022, using the 2020-21 fiscal year SICG – Formula authorization.

The three other GLOW counties received funding from this grant as well, with Livingston getting $612,806; Orleans $526,529 and Wyoming $422,761. All told, the state released $45 million in SICG grants during this cycle.

According to a press release from the state:

This funding will enable local governments to expand their ability to communicate, exchange valuable data, and streamline information to enhance collaboration and assist first responders.

The SICG, which is administered by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, has awarded $472 million to municipalities over nine rounds since December 2011. The grant is formula based and funded by cellular surcharge revenue.

The program has allowed counties to make vital improvements in the way first responders can communicate between each other and different regions of the state using land mobile radio systems.

Submitted photos: Views of the Molasses Hill Tower.

Previously: Reallocation of funds moves Genesee's public safety communications tower project forward

Early confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness has kept The Manor House free from any health problems for residents and staff alike, according to the administrator of the upscale assisted living facility at 427 East Main St.

“All of our staff were really confident in the vaccine in the beginning so most of us were already vaccinated,” Kristin Cronk said on Thursday. “We had a very high vaccination rate to start with so fortunately for us it has not affected our staffing.”

All of the building’s 65 residents and all but two of the 50 employees have received the vaccine, she said, “and we’re working on the last two right now.”

“Vaccination-wise we’re doing really well. We’ve never had a COVID case to date in this building,” she added.

Cronk said The Manor House is experiencing the same staffing issues that similar agencies are experiencing, but noted they are not related to the vaccine mandate.

When asked about applying for financial relief from New York State, she said she is looking into that.

“Relief is something that many of the buildings are advocating for, especially because a lot of the employees, us included, had to cover the cost for their testing – when we did have to do testing for so long,” she said. “That’s something that is very important to us but we haven’t gotten very far on that yet.”

Human Resources Director Renee Arieno commended The Manor House team “for keeping our residents safe.”

“We’re really fortunate that we’re not experiencing the hardships that others are with the vaccine mandate,” she said.

A private-pay facility, The Manor House offers 89 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, which are rented on a monthly basis. Employees include licensed practical nurses, aides, receptionists, cooks, housekeepers, servers and security.

Currently, 12 apartments are available, Cronk said.

Renovation of the commercial building at 39-43 Jackson St. in Batavia's Downtown Business Improvement District has begun, with Thompson Builds of Churchville as the general contractor. Supported by a Building Improvement Fund grant through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative, work includes building out storefront entrances flush to the face of the building, replacing windows, installing exterior down lighting on the face of the elevation, removing existing ridged canopy projections and installing new retractable fabric awnings. 

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Previously: County planners to consider site plan for renovations at 39-43 Jackson St.

The chief medical officer at Rochester Regional Health today said that due to nursing home admission limitations as many as 80 patients who are ready to be transferred to long-term care facilities or rehabilitation centers are stuck in the system’s hospitals.

“There are, on any given day, in our … hospitals, a combined 60 to 80 patients in this category,” Dr. Rob Mayo said. “So, it is a considerable number.”

RRH is an integrated health care system with nine member hospitals, including United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

Mayo (photo at right) took part in a video press conference with Adam Bello, Monroe County executive; Dr. Michael Mendoza, Monroe County commissioner of public health, and Dr. Michael J. Apostolakos, chief medical officer at University of Rochester Medical Center Strong Memorial and Highland Hospitals.

The session focused on the vaccine mandate imposed upon health care workers by Gov. Kathy Hochul and its effect on staffing at hospitals and nursing homes, as well as the situation in schools and delays in receiving care at hospital emergency rooms.

Mayo said RRH is working with the other health systems and community partners to alleviate the hospital-to-nursing-home logjam.

“What we do is continue to care for them, and we continue to look for options,” he said. “We work with our partner home care agencies … but, by and large, it is a challenge to do this.”

All three doctors emphasized that employee vaccination rates at their hospitals are very high – up to 99 percent at RRH and URMC locations – but acknowledged that lower levels at nursing homes are causing significant problems.

“Among nursing home staff not all staff fit into the same categories,” Mendoza offered. “When you look at the positions, the nurse practitioners who work in the nursing homes, the vaccination rate is like among other positions – upwards of 99 percent.

“What we’re seeing among other staff, particularly the nurse aides and CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants) and so forth, their vaccination rate more appropriately parallels the demographic from which they are representing. So, if many live in the city (of Rochester), their vaccination rate as a population is roughly the same as the vaccination rate that we’re seeing in the city.”

Mendoza called it “an absolute concern … that represents a disparity in care and health access that we’ve been seeing all across this pandemic. It is a very important problem.”

He said nursing homes are limiting the number of admissions from the hospitals in order to “keep appropriate ratios in place.”

“Right now, unfortunately for the rest of the health care system, they’ve decreased their admissions, which is creating a bottleneck, if you will, across the entire system.”

Apostolakos said the nursing home issue has resulted in the inability to transfer 55 patients in the URMC system – almost 10 percent of its inpatient capacity.

“… those patients are still taking up acute care beds in our acute care hospital,” he said. “It is causing a significant percentage of our beds to be taken up and, therefore, making it more difficult to get patients through the emergency room and into our hospital, and to accept transfers into our facility.”

 HIGH PERCENTAGE ARE VACCINATED

Mayo said that as of Monday, more than 99 percent of RRH employees are vaccinated, with less than 1 percent placed on administrative leave because of their unvaccinated status. He also said that a small percentage requested religious or medical exemptions – and those were granted in compliance with New York State regulations.

Those employees who do not qualify for an exemption and refuse to get vaccinated will be terminated sometime in the morning of Oct. 3 (this Sunday), he reported.

“Despite the successes with this vaccination mandate and regulation, we do have understaffed areas,” he said. “Many people are working overtime. We have patients in our hospitals awaiting discharge and we pleased to participate in a community-wide effort to create solutions for hospitals and for nursing homes … so we can all move patients into their appropriate environments as quickly as possible.”

He also said RRH is participating in efforts to managing strains on pediatric practices and the impact of COVID in schools.

Apostolakos said that more than 96 percent of URMC employees have been vaccinated, another 3 percent received religious exemptions and less than 1 percent elected to resign their positions.

“The not so good news,” he said, is the increasing number of COVID cases.

Sixty-nine patients at Strong have COVID, with 15 of those on a ventilator, he said, and another 84 are at other URMC facilities.

“That number continues to increase,” he said, adding that most of those patients are unvaccinated.

He pleaded with the community “to get vaccinated for yourself, for your family, for your community and for our health care workers that have been under stress and strain for the past 18 months.”

Bello said 93.8 percent of workers at Monroe County Hospital are vaccinated, with 61 employees not vaccinated, seven receiving exemptions and one who has resigned.

He said the unvaccinated workers have been placed on unpaid administrative leave for three months, but would be welcomed back if fully vaccinated.

The county executive said employees are working under stressful conditions and that he was disheartened to see people protesting in front of hospitals.

“The patients inside are sick; they’re seeking care. The health care providers are working long hours, under considerable stress. Neither patients nor health care workers deserve the disdain and anger that’s being targeted towards them and where they work,” he said.

MENDOZA: STUDENT ILLNESS INCREASES

Mendoza spoke about situation in schools, noting that they are seeing an unseasonal increase in Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV, which causes mild symptoms in school age kids but can be serious for infants, toddlers and older adults.

Also, a growing number of school age children who have contracted COVID-19, he said.

Per state Department of Health guidelines, the only authorized tests are the NAT and PCR tests, he said, and not the rapid antigen tests due to Monroe County’s “high” transmission status.

He said health officials are working with schools to increase testing capabilities, a procedure that is also taking place in Genesee County.

“Do not send your sick children to school. Make sure they are properly masking and follow all of the other safety protocols in place … and if they are eligible, please get them vaccinated,” he said.

EXPECT DELAYS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM

Both Apostolakos and Mayo said that for the immediate future, delays in the emergency rooms, waiting rooms and even some urgent care centers are inevitable.

The emergency department has a triage process, with priority is given to patients depending upon severity of illness or injury, Apostolakos said, “so the wait could be several hours.”

“We encourage our patients to call their primary care providers to seek health care at urgent care if their illness is less severe,” he advised.

He also said URMC is pausing temporarily some elective surgeries where hospital stays are necessary to ensure there is enough space for patients admitted with COVID and other non-COVID illnesses.

Mayo said RRH emergency rooms and urgent care facilities have been crowded over the last couple weeks.

“It’s disappointing to acknowledge … but waits in our emergency rooms can be long; they can be several hours,” he said.

Many outpatient services have been unaffected, he said, but RRH hospitals are limiting some elective surgeries, primarily at Rochester General Hospital.

Tylur Tyshawn Harper, 27, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd and criminal obstruction of breathing. Harper is accused of breaking the rear window of a vehicle and applied pressure to the throat of another person during a disturbance at a location on Swamp Road in Byron at 10:42 p.m., Wednesday.  Harper allegedly fled the scene on foot following a traffic stop by Deputy David Moore and was later located by Sgt. Mathew Clor and Trooper Ruckdaschel and Trooper Serio  on Byron Holley Road with the help of tracking from  Swamp Road by Batavia PD Officer Stephen Quider and K-9 "Batu."  Harper was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court with an order of protection issued.  Harper was released on his own recognizance.

Elizabeth Christine Lambert, 26, of Swamp Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Lambert was stopped at 10:42 p.m., Wednesday, on Swamp Road, by Deputy David Moore.

Wendy Marie Rivera, 56, of Redwood Avenue, Albion, is charged with stalking 4th and harassment 2nd. Rivera is accused of stalking and harassing another person while following that person in a car on Clinton Street Road in Stafford.  Rivera was located and arrested by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

Vaccination rates for United Memorial Medical Center employees are right around the 90 percent mark as hospitals and other facilities around the state contend with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Sept. 27^th mandate requiring health care workers to get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

According to statistics on the New York State COVID-19 vaccine website -- www.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov, 94 percent of workers at UMMC’s Bank Street campus have been vaccinated compared to 89 percent at UMMC’s North Street campus.

UMMC is part of Rochester Regional Health System, which is showing a 90 percent vaccination rate for all of its employees – a percentage point less than data for Strong Memorial Hospital University of Rochester Medical Center.

(Watch for an update later today).

The percentage of hospital workers vaccinated in the Finger Lakes Region is 90 percent, with Genesee and Orleans counties at 89 and Wyoming County at 90.

These figures are calculated from the number of hospital staff eligible for vaccination and the number completing the recommended series of a given COVID-19 vaccine product (e.g. 2 doses of the 2-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or 1-dose of the 1-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine), per the state website.

Statistics for nursing homes and assisted living facilities reveal the following for Genesee County (as reported by the individual facilities as of Sept. 27):

Nursing homes:

• Le Roy Village Green – Residents’ complete dose: 92.7 percent; Staff complete dose: 83 percent.
• Premier Genesee – Residents’ complete dose: 90.3 percent; Staff complete dose: 92.4 percent.
• The Grand – Residents’ complete dose: 91.4 percent; Staff complete dose: 90.7 percent.

Assisted living:

• Genesee Adult Home – Residents’ complete dose: 94.5 percent; Staff complete dose: 72.7 percent.
• Le Roy Manor -- Residents’ complete dose: 97.2 percent; Staff compete dose: 92.3 percent.
• The Manor House, Batavia – Residents’ complete dose: 100 percent; Staff compete dose: 93.6 percent.

Calls seeking comment from the administrators at the nursing homes listed above were not returned at the time of the posting of this story. Samantha Vagg is the administrator at Le Roy Village Green, Sharon Zeams is the administrator at Premier Genesee and Timothy Srye is the administrator at The Grand.

All told in Genesee County, skilled nursing facilities vaccination rates as of Sept. 28 were 94 percent for residents and 90 percent for workers and adult care facilities vaccination rates as of Sept. 28 were 97 percent for residents and 87 percent for workers.

REPORT FROM GOV. HOCHUL

On Wednesday, Hochul said that 92 percent of hospital and nursing home workforce have gotten at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, and 89 percent of adult care facilities employees have received at least one dose.

Based on total number of hospital employees in the state, an 8 percent unvaccinated rate equates to more than 41,000 who have not received at least one dose. As a result, the governor’s staff is monitoring the impact of her mandate, with the possibility of bringing in health care workers from out of the state or even from other countries.

The Genesee County Legislature, along with about seven other counties in the region, has sent a letter to the governor asking for her to include a coronavirus testing option for health care workers.

“I fully support the legislature’s position … to ensure that we didn’t have any lapse in service,” County Manager Matt Landers said today. “It’s a common sense, logical approach to the situation at hand. Obviously, we’d like to see as many people vaccinated as possible, but at the end of the day, we can’t jeopardize the care of our sick and our elderly because of the mandate.”

DATA FOR GENERAL PUBLIC

Latest statistics (as of Sept. 29) also show that 56.1 percent of Genesee County residents age 12 and over are fully vaccinated, which is less than the 63.6 percent for all New York state residents.

By zip code (as of Sept. 28), these are the percentages of those fully vaccinated:

• Batavia – 50.4
• East Bethany – 38.8
• Alexander – 44
• Basom – 44.4
• Oakfield – 45.3
• Byron – 48
• Corfu – 49.6
• Darien Center – 51.1
• Pavilion – 53.8
• Bergen – 55.3
• Le Roy – 56.5
• Stafford – 65.5
• Elba – 73.6

In the Finger Lakes Region, the total number of people with at least one vaccine dose has increased over the past week by 7,695 to 760,752, and the total number of people with the complete vaccine series has increased over the past week by 5,590 to 706,944.

BOOSTER SHOT STATUS LOCALLY

Nola Goodrich-Kresse, public health educator, reported that the Genesee Orleans Health Department has set up clinics for those eligible for booster shots, beginning next week.

“Boosters are offered during the regular clinic day with the only difference being registration is required for boosters,” she said.

The booster shot schedule, for those 65 and older who became fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago:

• Oct. 6 from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m., Genesee County Health Department, 3837 West Main Street Rd., Batavia;

• Oct. 7, from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m., Orleans County Health Department, 14016 State Route 31, Suite 101, Albion.

These shots are administered by appointment only.

If not for a flooded basement many years ago, today’s grand opening of Ellicott Place and City View Residences at 45 Ellicott St. likely would have never taken place.

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For a look at the apartments, click on the link at the bottom of this story.

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Speaking to a gathering of about 40 people in front of the entrance to the second-floor apartments above the Save-A-Lot store, Vito Gautieri, founder and chairman of VJ Gautieri Constructors Inc., recalled circumstances that took place not long after the completion of the building in 1968.

“We built this building … owned it with the bank,” Gautieri said. “Montgomery Ward had a 25-year lease when we got done with this. What you see upstairs – the second floor – that was not supposed to be there.”

Then, he pointed to a car parked to the west, in an area toward the front of Batavia Tailors & Cleaners, which his company built and his late brother, Vin, owned for many years.

“That (location of the Montgomery Ward storage and warehouse) was supposed to be in the cellar (of this building). All of a sudden we came back after the weekend (and it was) like a pool – full of water,” he said. “We had pumps going for hours and days, and nothing.”

Gautieri said an engineer was called to inspect the damage.

“He comes over. We had to stop construction. In a week’s time, they had the second floor up,” he continued “That’s why this project … From the day one that I got this project, I knew we were going to do something with that on the second floor.”

After noting that his son, Victor, had thanked all those associated with the completion of one of the City of Batavia’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative ventures, he said, “That without the help from New York State, this would never had been possible.”

Indeed, Victor Gautieri, company president, moments before did thank the people and agencies that contributed to the construction of 10 apartments on the second floor along with the development of first-floor storefronts and building-wide façade improvements. It is a $3.1 million project, supported by $1.15 million in DRI funding.

“VJ Gautieri Constructors with the help of governmental agencies, professionals, contractors, skilled workers and the like have given new life to an aging building,” Victor Gautieri said. “It wasn’t an easy task. We started the project in the middle of a pandemic, which created a lot of obstacles. Supply chain issues and cost increases forced us to re-evaluate nearly every aspect of the project on a daily basis.”

He pointed out that his team “was up to the task – upgrading and modernizing nearly aspect of the property as well as creating 10 well-appointed, elevator-serviced apartments that are filling the downtown Batavia housing need.”

“We currently have eight of those apartments rented and the other two will be rented very shortly.”

Victor Gautieri’s “thank you” list started with his father, “who through his forward thinking many years ago had a vision of the building’s transformation (drawing a round of applause).”

“Next is David Rowley, project manager, through his dedication, expertise and problem-solving that we were able to make it to the finish line,” he said.

He also commended Dan Seeler of Seeler Contracting, Inc., of Holley, and Lenora Page, owner, Flower City Monitor Services, for their efforts, as well as his wife, Julie, and sister, Valerie, for assisting with the interior décor and rental process, respectively; Mark Dean of Dean Architects, and Frank Cipriano of Upstate National Bank.

Victor Gautieri thanked the City of Batavia for “an excellent job” preparing the DRI grant application, to the Genesee County Economic Development Center for providing "much needed: financial assistance, and John Hedlund, owner of Save-A-Lot for his “continued commitment to downtown Batavia,” noting that Hedlund just renewed a long-term lease.

Other speakers included Assemblyman Steven Hawley, Senator Edward Rath, City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. and Genesee County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein. Batavia Development Corp. Director Brett Frank facilitated the proceedings.

Assemblyman Hawley:

“All you have to really do is look around, behind you and to your left and right, and this is downtown Batavia. And we’re here to talk about revitalization – not just for businesses but for great living, affordable apartments that the Gautieris have worked long and hard to see come to fruition.

“Affordable housing is extremely important for businesses to be able to survive and succeed, and today’s open house is going to be a step in the right direction. If you’re looking for clothing or (prescription) drugs or insurance or banks, there are lots of places to choose from. And the folks who live here and other places in downtown Batavia will be the benefactors of living right here in the beautiful City of Batavia.”

Senator Rath:

Noting that eight of the 10 residences are already rented, he said, “That goes to show you that is already a destination right here in the City of Batavia.”

“This is the hub of economic activity and investment that is happening right here in the great City of Batavia. (On a tour of the city with City Manager Rachael Tabelski), he was able “to hear first-hand the vision and the strategy and the approach to bringing the City of Batavia further along in the 21^st Century."

“This is a tremendous investment for this community. This is where you want to have people living and working and spending their time and recreation is right here in the City of Batavia.”

Rath said he serves on the Cities II Committee in the State Senate.

“There used to be just one Cities Committee and you can all guess where all the attention was paid for the Cities Committee in New York State. It was New York City. That’s all they did was prioritize policies and legislation to benefit New York City.

“This year, we brought about the Cities II Committee to focus on and prioritize all of the other cities across New York State. We are going to carry the issues, needs and concerns of all of our upstate cities back to Albany to create policies, procedures and regulations that are city-friendly outside of … New York City.”

City Council President Jankowski:

“It’s no secret that this building needed to be repurposed for many years, and it’s going to have a serious positive economic impact on our community. But not only that, it’s going to create 10 homes for people that can live downtown and enjoy the benefits of living downtown. The fact that eight apartments are already rented so quickly is a sign that we need more of these type of apartments in our community.”

Mentioning that he lives on the city’s southside, he acknowledged Victor Gautieri’s perseverance through the COVID-19 pandemic, and said, “I’m proud to go by everyday and I smile when I see the transformation that took place.”

Legislature Chair Stein:

Thanking the Gautieri family, she drew a round of applause when saying that “family business today is important in Genesee County and we honor you and your work today.”

She also thanked the DRI committee members for their hard work and “the constant conversations that you had to ensure that these projects would make it through and actually get through to completion. Your work is most incredible and you saw the future that is here today.”

“For the rest of us, the City View (Residences) is an absolutely wonderful name because there will be sunrises and there will be sunsets that people have in their homes – and homes that people didn’t have before. They are our workforce. These are the folks that are putting down roots in Batavia and congratulations to all of them.”

Photo at top: Taking part in the ribbon cutting at City View Residences are, from left, Vito Gautieri, David Rowley, Victor Gautieri, Senator Edward Rath, Assemblyman Steven Hawley, Lenora Page and Eugene Jankowski Jr. Photos at bottom: Vito and Victor Gautieri as Rath and Jankowski look on; Rath at the podium. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Previously: A first look: City View Residences (aka Ellicott Place) on the second floor of Save-A-Lot building

Robert C. Paris, 31, of West Lee Road, Albion, is charged with felony DWI,  moving from lane unsafely, aggravated unlicensed operation, refusal to take a breath test, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. At 11:40 p.m., Tuesday, deputies were dispatched to a residence on  Downy Road in the Village of Oakfield for a possible domestic dispute. While en route, deputies were notified that a male suspect had fled the incident location in a vehicle and was heading south on South Pearl Street.  A few minutes later, Deputies located a vehicle that had crashed into a utility pole and had come to rest in a field. The driver had left the scene.  After an investigation, deputies Zachary Hoy and David Moore arrested Paris. He was also charged with no or inadequate lights and speed not reasonable and prudent. He reportedly has two prior DWI convictions in the past 10 years. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and issued an appearance ticket.

Erik Robert Motquin, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Motquin is accused of switching price tags on items at Walmart in order to pay less for certain items. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Joshua Edward Wayne Sager, 31, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, Aggravated DWI (child passenger), aggravated unlicensed operation, endangering the welfare of a child, and running a red light.  Sager was stopped at 10:22 p.m., Sept. 18, on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, by Deputy Trevor Sherwood.