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Elba defeated host Notre Dame, 49-44, in Genesee Region girls’ basketball action Wednesday night.

Sofia Falleti recorded a double-double for the Irish, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Nina Bartz added 12 for ND.

ND Coach Vinny Falleti:

“Our team played hard tonight and made runs to come back but couldn’t put together a complete game against a physical Elba team. The game was back and forth with a lot of intensity. We will see each other again late in the season.”

Statistics from Elba have yet to be submitted.

For more high school sports competition from last night, click on the Sports tab at the top of the home page.

Photos by Debra Reilly

The top-ranking official of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. says many factors will be taken into consideration in the coming weeks to determine the future of the public benefit company’s OTB branches.

Meanwhile, the representative of the employees’ union is reiterating her insistence that the workers at those eight locations are included in the process.

With only two of the branches projected to show a profit for 2024, management and the board of directors will be taking a deep dive into that segment of WROTB’s organization soon after the first of the year, President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said on Friday.

“It’s definitely a concern, and it’s something that the board has asked us to address,” he said. “We will address it with our employees, we will look at it and we will make decisions that are in the best interests of the company as to what the mix might be between branches and EZ Bet locations.”

As she did after a WROTB board meeting in August, Antonella Rotilio, labor relations rep for United Public Service Employees Union Local 1222, contends that no decisions should be made without the input of the branch employees.

"Right now, we're in the dark,” she said, also on Friday. “There have been no conversations about saving the branches. We know that Henry’s goal is to close the branches. All we’re looking for is some transparency and to be part of the conversation before they take action and go to the board to approve what they’ve done.”

Rotilio (photo at left) said she believes that management nor the board respects the union.

“We have employees who have been with the corporation for 30 years and they should not be reading anything in print about possibly losing their jobs. It should be a discussion at the very least with the union,” she said.

When asked about respect for the employees, Wojtaszek replied that he has “great respect for our employees; they do a great job. We've tried to reward them for the great year that they've had (with a 4 ½ percent raise for 2024). We love the way they treat our customers. We love our employees.”

When asked about respect for the union, he said, “We love our employees.”

Over the years, WROTB, headquartered at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road, has whittled down the number of branches to the current eight while increasing its EZ Bet location presence to 28. EZ Bets are employee-less sites at existing businesses where customers can wager on horse racing.

Rotilio said the branches employ about 40 people, many who have been on the job for quite some time, in Auburn, Jamestown, Rochester, Monroe County (two), Erie County (two), Niagara County and at Batavia Downs Gaming.

The corporation’s operating plan for next year lists only the Clinton branch in Erie County and the Lyell branch in Rochester as profitable. All told, the projected net loss for the branches is close to $300,000. The total handle for all the branches is projected to exceed $22 million.

Rotilio said the branches provide a vital service to the customers and host communities and believes that more effort should be put into promoting them.

“They (management) don’t come to us and say, ‘Hey, this branch has been underperforming for this amount of time or this many years, we need to work on a plan. It’s just they show up one day and say, ‘We're closing the branch.’ So, it's coming out of nowhere,” she said.

In October, the board voted in favor of the sale of OTB branches in Phoenix, Oswego County, and West Ridge Road, Monroe County.

Branch employees’ lives are in limbo, fearing that their jobs could be terminated at a moment’s notice, Rotilio added.

“I have said to board members that before you vote on a decision based on (financial) numbers that you’re seeing, you need to meet with us, talk to the members (union employees) because it affects the communities as well,” she said. “We hear from the customers, telling us that this has been part of their lives for a long time.”

Wojtaszek said the plan is to communicate with the employees and share their concerns with the board.

“In the end, the board will do what is best for the company,” he said, emphasizing that no one in the corporation has brought up eliminating all of the branches.

He noted that he would like to see legislation at the state level that would allow sports betting to take place at OTB branches.

“We've always talked about that. If sports betting was allowed in these OTB branches, that certainly will make a difference,” he said. “Part of the problem is they made it available so that some of these sports betting companies can take horse bets but not the reverse. FanDuel now has horse race betting on their website, but we can’t offer sports betting.”

A raise for all Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. employees, a plan to expand The Hotel at Batavia Downs and an application to add more terminals to the gaming floor.

Those items and the passage of about 65 resolutions that had been in the hopper for up to three months gave WROTB directors plenty of activity at this morning’s board meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

Directors voted in favor of a resolution granting all employees of the public benefit company a 4 ½ percent raise, effective Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2024.

“The organization is only as good as the people who support the organization,” said Temporary Chair Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester). “… It a step in the right direction for us as a board.”

The pay increase extends to all employees, union and non-union, including senior management, who were given a three-year contract last spring.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said the (United Professional & Service Employees) Union signed a contract “that gives those workers the same raise as the entire corporation.”

“In the old days, they had a separate clause in there where they would have a raise depending upon what they negotiated that year,” he said. “But the latest contract that they signed, they get the same as every other employee at WROTB.”

The resolutions stated that Batavia Downs Gaming’s net win (money left in the gaming machines after payouts to customers) rose by $7.2 million from 2022 to 2023 and attendance increased by more than 58,000 during that same period. Additionally, food and beverage, and hotel room sales increased by 14 percent.

Update: Antonella Rotilio, UPSEU labor relations representative, said that the union is "very pleased that the board acknowledges the success of the corporation because of the members and the employees. Those are big steps."

HOTEL FEASIBILITY STUDY APPROVED

The board passed two resolutions pertaining to The Hotel at Batavia Downs – one to extend its contract with Hart Hotel Inc. to manage the 84-room facility for three more years at a cost not to exceed $9,000 per month and the other to authorize spending up to $100,000 for a feasibility study to determine if expansion is warranted.

Wojtaszek said that Dave Hart, owner of Hart Hotel Inc., will “take the lead on looking for an architect to do the drawing and for a company to study how an expansion would affect our business.”

He said the board will not make a decision until the feasibility study is complete and submitted for review. He said adding 40 rooms has been talked about but “nothing is definite at this point.”

MORE GAMES ON THE FLOOR?

Vice President/Operations Sean Schiano has applied to the New York State Gaming Commission for the right to add 18 more Video Lottery Terminals to the gaming floor.

Wojtaszek said the addition of 18 games would max out the floor, increasing the total number to 928.

“After that (approval) we probably will not have much more room to expand on the current floor, so we’d have to take a different approach,” he said. “But those 18 will fit on our current makeup.”

In other action, the board voted to approve the 2024 Operating Plan that was submitted by Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach and her staff. 

Previously: Member municipality distributions to approach $10 million in 2024: WROTB chief financial officer

The makeup of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. board of directors is changing once again.

As a result of a New York State law prohibiting political party officials from obtaining a license from the state Gaming Commission to serve on the WROTB board, Jennifer Hibit, who was appointed to represent Erie County in June, has resigned.

Hibit is the secretary of the Erie County Democratic Committee.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek today confirmed that Hibit is no longer on the 17-member board and has been replaced by Deputy County Comptroller Timothy Callan.

Callan was not at this morning’s directors’ meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming because he has yet to receive his license from the Gaming Commission.

Following the meeting, Wojtaszek told The Batavian that the law covers two areas – someone who is a party officer and someone who is a public officer that potentially could have a conflict of interest.

“The law defines a party officer as someone with a national, state or county political committee, and that applies to Hibit as well as Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney (City of Buffalo representative),” he said.

Wojtaszek noted that Rodriguez-Dabney, who is the vice chair of the Erie County Democratic Committee, has not indicated whether she will be resigning yet.

Continuing, he said the when looking at the public officer portion of the law, it defines someone that could be ineligible as an elected or appointed official “who has a conflict due to dealing with the pari-mutuel betting process or taxation thereof.”

When exploring that section of the law, there are five current WROTB directors that fall into that category:

-- Terrance Baxter, Moravia (Cayuga County) town supervisor;
-- Edward Morgan, Orleans County legislator;
-- Paul Bartow, Schuyler County planning commission and historical society board member;
-- Michael Horton, Savona (Steuben County) Village Court judge;
-- Susan Way, member of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors.

Wojtaszek said those five were required to sign a form indicating there was no conflict of interest, action that was confirmed by Morgan during a break in today’s meeting.

“They can stay on the board as long as they certify that there is no conflict and that the prohibition does not apply to them,” Wojtaszek added.

With Hibit not there because of her resignation and Rodriguez-Dabney also absent, the board needed the presence of Monroe County director James A. Wilmot to be in attendance – and he was -- to have a quorum. Erie County has 24 votes and Buffalo has 10 out of the 100 votes in the weighted voting system; Monroe County has 20 votes.

Hibit’s replacement, Callan, works for County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick, who has publicly spoken out against WROTB’s policies and practices.

In a report from a Buffalo-based publication, Hibit said she had disclosed her role with the Democratic Committee when she applied for the position, and a Gaming Commission official stated that it was an oversight until recently.

In a related matter, the board is scheduled to vote on a new permanent chairperson at its January meeting. Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) has been serving as the temporary chair.

A senior associate with a Rochester-based engineering firm on Tuesday night updated the Batavia Town Planning Board on a proposed solar project on Oak Orchard Road, outlining four changes from the site plan that originally was submitted nearly a year ago.

Marc Kenward of Erdman Anthony LLC, representing New Leaf Energy of Lowell, Mass., said revisions have been made in four areas – type of solar panels, potential glare, the entrance to the array and location of National Grid’s inner-connection service line.

The plan is to place a 5-megawatt solar farm on 20 acres at 7757 Oak Orchard Rd., property owned by Batavia businessman and farmer Tim Call. As initially presented, the solar installation will go on an 85.5-acre parcel just south of Daws Corners on Route 98.

The large tract already contains a 15-acre solar farm, which will share its existing entrance with the New Leaf Energy project, Kenward told the board during the meeting at the Batavia Town Hall of West Main Street Road.

Kenward, working off a large drawing of the area in question, said that “the company that owns the array out back – we’re still waiting on that signed agreement to use this existing entrance, which we were rather forced to do because the DOT (state Department of Transportation) only allows one entrance to a parcel like this.”

Earlier, he informed the board that the New Leaf Energy project is switching from “fixed” solar panels to what he called “trackers” that move “and follow the sun the whole day.” The trackers will be placed in a north-south direction, unlike the fixed panels that were lined up in an east-west direction.

He said a glare study was conducted about three months ago and has been deemed “satisfactory” and that the National Grid inner-connection was moved south by about 80 to 100 fee to become perpendicular with Route 98. A turnaround for National Grid trucks to maneuver also has been added.

Following his 11-minute update, the board unanimously voted to approve the revised site plan. Work on the property is several months away, Kenward noted, added that construction plans need to be drawn up.

Other than three longtime Western New York Off-Track Betting Corp. directors, no members of the company’s board are receiving or will be eligible to receive health insurance benefits going forward.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek, responding to a Freedom of Information Law request from The Batavian today, said that the public benefit company is paying the health insurance premiums for Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester), Thomas Wamp (Livingston County) and Richard Ricci (Seneca County).

The board of directors consists of 17 members, representing 15 counties plus the cities of Rochester and Buffalo.

“These individuals have qualified for a Medicare plan through Western Regional OTB due to their longevity prior to the board being terminated by state mandate,” Wojtaszek said. “No one else on the board has any coverage.”

New York State legislation last May dismantled the previous board and forced the municipalities to either reappoint the director or appoint someone new. Bassett, Wamp and Ricci were reappointed along with seven other rural county directors.

Following Wednesday’s board meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming, Wojtaszek reported that WROTB’s revamped health insurance plan for employees, other than board members, will be unveiled soon.

“We have the members of the (Labor Management Health Fund) coming in to speak with our employees within the next two to three weeks to inform them of the program,” he said. “And we'll see who takes advantage of it.”

Wojtaszek said two programs will be offered, with an eye on providing something affordable for younger workers and their families. He said WROTB is part of a large consortium with other businesses in the area.

WROTB’s program is a self-insured one where the company pays the cost of claims and also a firm to administer the plan.

When pressed about board members’ health insurance – something that has been in the press for several months and labeled as a “gold-plated” plan for directors, Wojtaszek said all of that changed for any board member approved after July 1, 2021.

“Nobody who is a board member currently is involved in our active (LMHF) program. They could be on Medicare because of an old program (referring to Bassett, Wamp and Ricci),” he said.

Directors who had health insurance through WROTB prior to the reorganization this summer are no longer eligible for the corporation’s LMHF plan, he said. The plan is administered by Lawley Insurance.

In related action, the board approved a resolution to renew a contract with Garland Insurance & Financial Services of Phoenix, Ariz., to provide commercial insurance – liability, property and directors & officers – from through May 31, 2024 at a cost of $1,147,215.46.

Wojtaszek said the premium reflects an increase of 8 percent. 

He also mentioned that WROTB has hired a consultant, Alterity Group, to work on a bidding process after the contract expires. WROTB has contracted with Garland since 2015, he said.

Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. management is projecting net revenue from its racing and gaming operations to approach $86.4 million in 2024, resulting in nearly $10 million in surcharge and earnings to be distributed to its 17 member municipalities.

At Wednesday’s board of directors meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road, WROTB Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach went over the operating plan – or budget – for next year.

The plan is a comprehensive document detailing income and expense streams for all aspects of the public benefit company, and is based on actual numbers through October of this year and industry trends.

“It’s a work in progress,” Leach said, but acknowledged that it close to being finalized. The final plan will be presented to the board for review at its December meeting. After board approval, it is submitted to the New York State Gaming Commission.

According to the report, the 17 municipalities, including Genesee County, are expected to receive $606,616 in surcharge distributions and $9,268,586 in earnings distribution for a total of $9,875,202 in the 2024 calendar year. That is up from $9,654,748 to be distributed in 2023.

Surcharge funds are derived from a 5 percent fee collected from patrons on winning wagers at WROTB branches and EZ Bet locations. Leach said the earnings distribution is about 11 percent of the net revenue from operations.

While the 2024 distribution projections reflect the corporation’s record earnings the past two years, Leach said the numbers are more impressive when looking back to 2019, when surcharge and earnings distributions hit the $3.6 million mark, and considering the impact of COVID-19 the following year.

WROTB lost $9.6 million in 2020, Leach reported. Despite that, the corporation has and is projected to distribute $38 million in surcharge and earnings for the six-year period, 2019-2024.

“We ate into our coffers some $9.6 million in 2020. And that, from a financial perspective, is incredible if you think about it. That we will be distributing and anticipate, project, to distribute $38 million,” she said.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek added that profit realized in that year, beside the Payroll Protection Plan money to keep employees on the job, was from the off-track betting internet wagering side.

Batavia Downs Gaming was closed for six months due to the pandemic. It has bounced back strongly, however, with revenues, net win (credits played into the Video Lottery Terminals minus credits won) and distributions increasing each year. Leach is anticipating the net win total to increase to $89 million in 2024.

Leach and Wojtaszek touted the “very good news” when talking about gaming, food and beverage, and The Hotel at Batavia Downs, but painted a different picture when the subject turned to the harness horse racing industry and the financial health of the corporation’s eight brick-and-mortar OTB branches.

Only two of the branches – Lyell Avenue in Rochester and Clinton in Erie County – are expected to be profitable in 2024. Operational losses of the branches are at $418,202 through Oct. 30, 2023, continuing a downward trend.

Leach reported that all of WROTB’s EZ Bet (self-service) locations, however, have increased the company’s bottom line; none are in the red.

“On the OTB pari-mutuel side, they’re competing for the gambling dollar with sports betting, which came into New York State in January 2022,” she said. “Plus, we’re required to make statutory payments to other racing entities in New York State based on antiquated handle numbers from 1993 and 2002 when the handle was much more robust. We’re getting no legislative relief on that end.”

Wojtaszek said a “day of reckoning is coming” for horse racing, again mentioning sports betting and also a doping scandal that has rocked the industry.

“The sport has been damaged. The numbers are down,” he said. “Jackie's just giving the numbers from the last couple of years. If you look at what our handle was relative to OTB, when you go back a decade or two, it was $200 million. That was the handle -- $200 million.”

He said the horse racing industry needs to “police itself” better. He mentioned a recent CBS “60 Minutes” story that focused on a doping (drug) scandal that has resulted in deaths to numerous horses and prompted Congress to create the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to institute uniform rules for the sport across the country.

Wojtaszek said WROTB is working with a consultant to help the corporation going forward “but it’s going to be much more expensive to have our live racing relative to the testing. But it’s something that’s necessary.”

State law mandates that Batavia Downs Gaming must operate a horse track to keep its gaming license.

The corporation has reduced the number of OTB branches (or parlors) over the years and more cutting may be on the way.

Director Vincent Horrigan (Chautauqua County) asked if WROTB will continue “to live with” the branch losses or “do we turn it around?”

“That’s a great question and worth a discussion after the first of the year,” Wojtaszek replied.

Currently, the eight branches – located in Auburn, Jamestown, Erie County (two), Monroe County (three) and Niagara County -- employ 31 people.

Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. directors today took on the task of passing a couple dozen resolutions that had been set aside, so to speak, while members of the revamped board obtained their licensing and right to vote from the New York Gaming Commission.

Many of the resolutions dealt with routine contract renewals such as maintenance, promotions and computers, and were passed with little or no discussion.

Such wasn’t the case for Resolution #62-2023, a measure authorizing the public benefit company to spend up to $25,000 through the end of the year for food and beverages at Highmark Stadium for Buffalo Bills’ games and concerts. When that came up, directors were ready with their questions.

The use of sporting event and concert tickets has been a sore subject for WROTB management since a 2021 audit from the state Comptroller’s office that, among other things, pointed out a lack of oversight of perks given to major players at Batavia Downs Gaming.

Erie County Director Jennifer Hibit, who holds the most voting power under the weighted voting system installed last May, asked whether a list of who attended a specific event could be provided to the board.

Marketing Director Ryan Hasenauer said he keeps track of who received the tickets, adding that the tickets could then be given to somebody else.

Hibit said, “I think it would be helpful to see who’s attended.”

“I mean, we know there have been issues with this in the past, and I think it’s important to know who’s attending these events – who the tickets went to,” she said.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek credited Hasenauer for maintaining the ticket list.

“And that’s why we’ve released it to the public and anybody else who has “FOILed” that information,” Wojtaszek said, speaking of the Freedom of Information Law.

Hasenauer then referred to the state Comptroller’s audit.

“Their recommendation was to track the tickets in the way that we are doing – the way we were already doing it – and they wanted to make sure we’re doing that moving forward,” he said. “What we’re doing now is at the recommendation of the state.”

A suggestion then was made to have a “sign-up sheet” at the events, not only for suites at Highmark Stadium but also when tickets are used for events at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester and the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

Director Edward Morgan (Orleans County) said he didn’t think that was necessary because the board is now keen to the situation and will be monitoring events more closely.

Hasenauer clarified that tickets are awarded in two ways – to high rollers who reach a certain level of activity and as giveaways on “soft nights” such as Tuesdays and Wednesdays to drive traffic to the Park Road facility.

Temporary Chair Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) said that “in the spirit of transparency, we should know in advance who is going to use the tickets.”

Wojtaszek said that once the ticket is issued, it belongs to the recipient. 

“We can’t stop them from giving it to someone else,” he noted.

Bassett then replied, “My goal is not to stop them, my goal is that when we get questioned, I’d like to be able to articulate that we're using these things in a way we want to use. I'm not I'm not trying to police them …”

Director James Wilmot (Monroe County) said he has attended events hosted by other businesses and never has seen a sign-up sheet.

“Whether I bring a spouse, friend, colleague, I'm not one of those people to get suspicious with sign-up sheets, but I know a lot of people that would,” he said. “And based on my previous experience with gamblers, who own various properties, they have no interest in listing who's with them. And there's some privacy stuff with that too.”

Hibit said she understood that once the ticket was issued, WROTB had no right to it. She did, however, ask if the board could see a report of the event “to see if there’s an issue that we could address it moving forward.”

Bassett said he appreciated the dialogue over this matter, acknowledging that the board “might be a little sensitive because we’ve been scrutinized with regard to these tickets.”

“We don’t want to over-scrutinize ourselves and cause problems with the people that we want to entertain ... so, I’m not in favor of a sign-in.”

Hasenauer advised that the resolution, as well as similar measures at Blue Cross Arena ($30,000 for food and beverages) and KeyBank Center ($75,000 for food and beverages), will run through the 2023 season and into the spring of 2024. All three resolutions passed unanimously.

In other action, the board:

-- Approved spending $275,000 with Tops Friendly Markets for $20 gift cards used to promote the Hotel at Batavia Downs. Hasenauer said the Sunday through Thursday promotion, which started in June 2022, has been a tremendous success. “We’re booking over 700 rooms a month with this package,” he said, adding that most customers use the cards for gas or groceries at the nearby Tops Market.

-- Approved a resolution to conduct winter racing in January and February 2024 on Monday and Thursday afternoons. The Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association has agreed to reimburse WROTB for any and all costs associated with conducting the additional 16 meets.

-- Voted to keep Bassett in the interim chair post through next month’s meeting. The board is expected to decide on a permanent chairperson in January.

-- Held a moment of silence in memory of Kenneth Lauderdale Jr., longtime director from Wayne County, who passed away on Oct. 25.

In Trisha Allen’s eyes, the need to help men and women returning to the community after being incarcerated far outweighs her job title at UConnectCare’s Reentry Program.

The Lyndonville resident recently was promoted by the agency, formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, for her efforts over the past 2 ½ years to develop and solidify the program that provides case management and peer recovery services to those who have been in jail or prison.

A five-year employee at UConnectCare, Allen (photo at right) has moved up from coordinator to project director -- with expanded duties that include overseeing seven full- and part-time employees and communicating directly with the officer of the Offender Reentry Program grant from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that funds the local initiative.

Allen said the Reentry Program has helped numerous men and women get their lives back on track.

She said the men and women who utilized the services that are offered and “did the work” are the ones that have made a successful transition from incarceration.

“In the end, it’s a matter of ‘what you put into the program is what you get out of it,’” she said.

Chester Shivers, a key member of the UConnectCare Reentry Program team since 2020, said he can relate to what people are going through as he advanced through a reentry program at another location.

“It has helped me to learn patience and to make healthy decisions,” he said. “I take one day at a time and wish to share the same hope that was given to me to others.”

Currently, the program is serving more than 90 participants in the Genesee and Orleans counties, with some of those people living in transitional housing provided by UConnectCare.

The Reentry Program helps connect participants with the following services: substance use disorder treatment, mental health treatment, housing, food, clothing, employment and/or job training, childcare, transportation and medical care. Direct case management and housing services are not billed through insurance, enabling participants to avoid those expenses.

Initially, individuals with a history of substance use who were sentenced to jail for a minimum of three months were eligible to qualify for the program. Today, eligibility is not as restrictive.

“We’re now able to serve people that were sentenced to a minimum of 30 days and have served that sentence,” Allen said. “Government is noticing … especially with changes in bail laws that people are not incarcerated as much and for shorter durations.”

Allen said she would like to see the program expanded to include those who haven’t been formally sentenced but served some time through pre-trial release or have had their case diverted through Genesee Justice or Drug Court. She said she also is an advocate for Medication Assisted Treatment for those in recovery.

Since May of this year, Allen has served as the jail counselor in both counties. She said that role ties in nicely with her job with the Reentry Program.

“We’ve been able to get nine or 10 new clients from the counseling sessions,” she said, adding that she visits the Genesee County Jail on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Orleans County Jail on Wednesdays and Fridays.

A graduate of Genesee Community College, where she received an associate degree in Human Services, Allen also has certification as a peer advocate and is working toward become a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor.

For more information about the Reentry Program, send an email to reentry@uconnectcare.org or call 585-813-6570.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for UConnectCare.

For the first time in several months, the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. board of directors had a quorum at today’s meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming and was able to conduct a bit of business.

Initially, the board elected Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) as the temporary chair to cover just this meeting, but later on (following several minutes of discussion about other matters), decided to keep him in that position through the November planning meeting.

The unattended resolutions have been piling up, with WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek informing the board that up to 70 resolutions will need to be considered before the end of the year.

With that being said, it was incumbent upon the board to have a chair in place, Wojtaszek noted.

A motion was made to elect Bassett as the permanent chair, but that failed to pass due to the board’s weighted voting system. All board members eligible to vote, except Erie County’s Jennifer Hibit, supported Bassett. However, since Erie County’s vote has more strength, based on population, the motion was defeated. City of Buffalo director Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney apparently was not eligible to vote as she is waiting for licensing from the New York State Gaming Commission.

Subsequently, other motions were brought forward to elect Bassett temporarily – first for October and then into November – and they carried unanimously.

The board did pass a pair of resolutions pertaining to sales of former WROTB branches in Phoenix, Oswego County, and West Ridge Road, Monroe County.

WROTB sold the Phoenix parlor for $750,000 to CM Family Trust and the West Ridge Road branch to Michael J. Cerone for $500,000.

Wojtaszek said he, with assistance from attorneys and procurement staff, did their best to maximize the sale prices.

Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach said the proceeds from the West Ridge Road sale will count toward the public benefit corporation’s bottom line as distributions in a normal sale but would not have an impact on distributions to municipalities for 2023.

She did say that the Phoenix sale has the “potential” to increase funds to the 15 counties and two major cities.

City police and firefighters responded to a two-car accident around 7:15 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of North Street and Vine Street. Police reported that a dark blue Chevrolet sedan was heading east on North Street and was almost through the intersection when it collided with a light blue Bronco SUV, which had been traveling north on Vine Street. The driver of the Bronco reportedly suffered a minor arm injury and was transported from the scene by ambulance. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) has promoted Christen Foley to the position of project director of the Western New York Prevention Resource Center.

The Batavia resident will oversee the implementation of training programs and technical assistance to community drug and alcohol prevention coalitions in the eight-county region. Foley, (photo at right), with the support of two community development specialists, is responsible for collaborating with the prevention providers, coalitions and community groups that make up the WNYPRC.

One of six prevention resource centers in New York State, the WNYPRC is based at UConnectCare’s offices on Clinton Street Road in Batavia and is an initiative of the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports.

Its focus is on engaging community stakeholders in the development of new coalitions and supporting established community coalitions as they work to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Additionally, the center provides technical assistance, training and support to communities and coalition partners.

“The WNYPRC encourages the use of the Strategic Prevention Framework, which is a public health, outcome-based prevention approach,” Foley said. “This seven-phase approach helps coalitions assess the community’s needs and address them accordingly. The key is to respond appropriately by utilizing the data that reveals each community’s specific needs.”

Foley was hired by UConnectCare in 2019 to lead the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force. Her efforts helped expand the task force to various segments of the community and resulted in it receiving the 2020 Community Star from the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. The award is given annual to only one rural entity in New York State.

Shannon Ford, services director of Communications and Development and director of Prevention at UConnectCare, said Foley is “a natural fit” for the project director role.

“Christen was able to refine her community engagement skills with the GOW Opioid Task Force and will now be able to help community coalitions across the region,” Ford said. “Most people don’t understand the science behind substance use disorder prevention and coalition activities. Christen and her team will help community coalitions effectively reduce underage substance use using evidence based approaches.”

Foley has been attending trainings and workshops since her appointment to the new position in June, including the Foundation in Prevention Ethics Training and the CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute, the latter a four-day conference in Dallas.

“As a result, I will now be certified to host and facilitate the six-hour, in-person Foundations in Prevention Ethics course for our prevention providers, coalitions and community partners,” she said, adding that she also is working towards becoming a certified Substance Abuse Prevention Skill Training Trainer.

She said she plans to host an ethics training next year and will be working on establishing coalitions in Genesee and Orleans counties.\

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for UConnectCare.

A longtime director of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. this morning threw his unwavering support behind President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek, stating that the public benefit company has “weathered the storm” to produce record results over the past two years.

“We’re excited about how Henry has kept his eye on the ball,” said Dennis Bassett, the City of Rochester representative since 2009 (photo at right), following the monthly board meeting at WROTB’s Park Place headquarters. “He's been a good leader for Batavia Downs. He's garnered the support of the board, and I think we should continue that support moving forward.”

When asked to comment about the legal turmoil that has surrounded WROTB in recent years – pending lawsuits, a critical report from the New York State Comptroller’s Office and a state-mandated reorganization of the board of directors, Bassett said he sees it more as “opportunities” for the corporation.

“Well, I wouldn’t call it turmoil as much as I would call it opportunities for the board,” he responded. “We went through some times where we were questioned about a number of things, and we feel the board has weathered that storm -- we've weathered the storm.

“We have made sure that we made good business decisions with the hotel. We didn't have concerts three or four years ago. We didn't open up the facility to corporate meetings. Now we have close to 100 corporate meetings now. Five years ago, we probably had five or six corporate meetings.”

Bassett said expanding the facility’s use has been the result of “good board input, its business experience and … the help of leadership to make this place a destination.”

He declined to comment on any pending litigation, which includes a whistleblower lawsuit by former Chief Operating Officer Michael Nolan against WROTB, former Board Chair Richard Bianchi and Wojtaszek.

“That is something that I would like to stay away from. I really don't want to comment on those things,” he said.

Bassett defended the previous board’s decision to extend three-year contracts to senior management – an action that took place in May, just prior to state legislation that disbanded that board and put new voting parameters in place (giving more weight to Democrat Party-controlled municipalities, including Rochester).

“I think our decision to do that was very important because it gives us a little stability with our leadership here at Batavia Downs,” he said. “We don’t want good, talented people to be looking elsewhere. So, the contracts showed that with any change in the board and any changes moving forward, we have a solid group of people who can manage the business. And they've been managing it successfully for the last few years. And this year -- and last year – we’ve seen record results.”

VP/Operations Sean Schiano reported at the meeting that the net win for August of $7.1 million puts that month in the top five all-time and that September's net win is expected to surpass the $7 million mark. Net win is the amount money left in the Video Lottery Terminal after paying out customers.

Directors present at today’s meeting were unable to conduct any official business (such as passing any resolutions) because of the lack of a quorum. With directors from Erie County and the City of Buffalo (Jennifer Hibit and Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney, respectively) absent, only 68 percent of the board in terms of voting power was in attendance, Wojtaszek said.

Erie and Monroe, plus Buffalo and Rochester, account for 62 of the 100 votes in the weighted format. Genesee County, the host municipality, has two votes. A group of rural counties is mounting a legal challenge to the state's decision to eliminate the previous board, citing "Home Rule" legislation that has been in place for quite some time.

Wojtaszek said that he expects all of the directors to receive licenses from the State Gaming Commission by the October meeting.

The U.S. Court of Appeals, Second District, on Monday, overturned a statute of limitations ruling by a lower court and reinstated a lawsuit brought by Michael Nolan, a former Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. chief operating officer, against the public benefit company, its former board chair and its current president.

A panel of three judges ruled that Nolan, a longtime WROTB employee until his dismissal in December 2020, filed his Notice of Claim complaint in August 2021, which was within the three-year time period as permitted by law.

The appellate court found that Judge William M. Skretny of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York applied the wrong amount of time – a year and 90 days – for Nolan to file.

Yesterday’s action returns the case back to Skretny to consider the other claims made by Nolan, who contends that he was retaliated against by the corporation, former Board Chairman Richard Bianchi and current President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek for sharing information with federal and state authorities as part of an inquiry into practices such as health insurance plans for board members, use of sports tickets and luxury boxes, and awarding of contracts.

An attorney for WROTB today said that he expected Skretny’s decision to be overturned, calling the appellate court’s judgment “just a very technical issue.”

“We had sought to dismiss the complaint on multiple grounds applying to all the claims, but Judge Skretny just focused on one claim in his order. So, his decision in the issue on the appeal was, like, very, very narrow,” said Aaron Saykin of Hodgson Russ LLP of Buffalo. “What happens now is that it’s been remanded back to Judge Skretny to consider, potentially, all of those other grounds that we moved on.”

Saykin said his firm “moved to dismiss every claim, and we had multiple grounds to do it.”

As reported on The Batavian in August 2021, Nolan’s lawsuit calls for $14.5 million in compensatory damages plus Nolan’s reinstatement to his former COO position, reinstatement of full fringe benefits and seniority rights, damages sustained due to the violation including, without limitation, the compensation for lost wages, benefits and other remuneration, and payment of all reasonable costs, disbursements, and attorney's fees.

Steven M. Cohen of Tiveron Law LLC, also of Buffalo, contacted today, said the case “immediately” reverts to Skretny’s courtroom and that “we will see justice done.”

“As the decision indicates, WROTB’s defense acknowledged at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that they knew the basis for their motion to dismiss was meritless and they were expecting Judge Skretny to be reversed,” Cohen said. “Since they are funded with taxpayer’s money, WROTB has resources to do things like this and wear Michael Nolan down. But we are not going away. We will see justice done.  Henry’s political influence has found a limit. “

Cohen added that Gov. Hochul’s decision to dismiss the entire board of directors (in May) “for ethical violations, speaks volumes.”

Saykin said the statute of limitations issue was a Federal (constitutional) claim, while the other claims are State issues that can be heard in State court.

Going forward, he said his firm has asked the court to submit some supplemental briefings on the other issues.

“The court will decide whether to do that and what the timeline will be,” he said. “But we feel very good about all the other arguments that we've made that are yet to be considered.”

Previously: Lawsuit seeks $14.5 million for former WROTB officer

Previously: WROTB fires chief operating officer who files Notice of Claim seeking $5 million in damages

The Batavia Town Planning Board met for 4 ½ minutes on Tuesday night, just enough time to unanimously pass a site plan from Country Line Electrical Distributors, Inc. to construct an accessory building on its East Main Street Road property.

William Massett, business owner, submitted the proposal to build a 12- by 84-foot open air pipe storage building in the Commercial district at 5065 East Main St. Rd. The plan previously was recommended for approval by the Genesee County Planning Board.

Initially, the project calls for the construction of a roof in case of rain to make it easier for loading and unloading, said Jennifer Massett, who was at the meeting. She said that owners eventually will fence it in for safety and security.

That was the only item on the board’s agenda.

Mancuso Bowling Center has elevated its game with the installation of the Brunswick Sync scoring and management system.

Tuesday Night Coed bowlers were the first league bowlers to experience the state-of-the-art platform last night – a system that features 50-inch, full color upper monitors and interactive, touchscreen lower monitors along with six 55-inch color televisions strategically placed across the 24 lanes.

Two more big screen TVs have been placed behind the service bar and the customer service desk.

“It’s nicely lit and easy to read,” said Rebecca Bates, a league bowler for the past three years. “So, we’ll see if it keeps score good.”

General Manager Mike Sputore reported no scoring problems on opening night of what is an eight-month fall-winter league season.

“Sync is Brunswick’s latest model of automatic scoring, and it controls food and beverage (point of sale ordering) as well as far as restaurant capabilities,” Sputore said. “And there are a bunch of different (bowling) games – not just standard bowling.”

Sputore said the lower monitors are “very user friendly” and the upper monitors are loaded with numerous colorful and high-tech graphics. Casual bowlers can even upload their photo onto the upper monitor when playing a specialty game known as Angry Birds.

Other games (some are 10 frames and some are five frames) include Creature Feature, EZ Bowl, HORSE, Ka Pow!, My Shot, Pin Pals, PinPix, Rival Rumble and 3-6-9 Free Strike. 

“It has so many different features, including the Open Lane app, where bowlers’ scores can be downloaded and then sent to their email,” Sputore noted.

The scoring upgrade replaces the Brunswick Frameworx system that had been in place for the past 25 years or so.

“(Proprietor) Rick (Mancuso) did a good job of research and getting the right stuff that works – and it looks beautiful,” Sputore said. “It’s quite a substantial investment.”

Sputore said that Sync interfaces with league secretarial software and handles a multitude of back office tasks.

The Sync system also reads the down-lane speed of the bowling ball and posts that number on the upper monitor after the bowler’s delivery.

“Yeah, it does the ball detect; average first ball speed,” he said. “It’s very convenient for league and tournament bowlers. Now, if you make a bad shot and you see that you threw it three miles an hour slower than your last one, that’s probably the reason.”

Providing a safe and secure place to live for women battling substance use disorder, including those with children, is yet another vital phase of the mission of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to offer a wide spectrum of care.

“This project is only one of maybe three similar facilities west of Syracuse,” said GCASA Chief Executive Officer John Bennett, speaking of the agency’s 25-bed women and children’s residence that will be located on Butts Road in Albion. “We will serve Genesee and Orleans counties, primarily, and also the Western and Finger Lakes regions.”

Part of the wooded nine-acre lot just outside of the Albion village limits is being cleared to make way for the construction of the building frame and roof this fall, Bennett said. The home – which will take on a woodsy look of green siding and black window trim -- is expected to open around October of next year.

“Once open, it will include an early childhood learning center, walking paths in the woods, a large playground, a small workout area for residents, an area for arts and crafts, and more,” he offered. “We continue to find ways to break down barriers for individuals to enter and remain in treatment services. We currently offer extra services such as our drop-in daycare, transportation, case management, recovery services, and a 24/7 peer hotline, as well as our core services.”

GCASA has expanded its programs exponentially under Bennett’s guidance, with its workforce tripling in size over the past 15 years. The women’s and children’s residential facility in Albion fills a great need in substance use treatment, he noted.

“Since 2015, we have seen a significant increase in our female (client) population,” Bennett said. “It used to be 75 percent men and 25 percent women. Now, with opioids – pills – becoming more popular among women, the need in the community to serve women has multiplied.

“One of the barriers for women entering a residential program is, ‘Who will care for their children?’ In our program, women will be able to have their children (under school age) with them while in care.”

Bennett said the Albion location will provide services to women 18 and older during their recovery, with five of the 25 units set up to accommodate women with children younger than kindergarten age. Up to two children can live in those units.

GCASA will operate the facility, with staffing at all hours, seven days a week, Bennett said. A grant from the New York State Department of Health has covered $4.6 million of the $5.2-million cost of construction.

“We looked at buying the Cloverhill Adult Home building in the village but it really wasn’t set up appropriately for the project. It would have taken much to convert and to rehab it,” he said. “When we did purchase the property on Butts Road, the Town of Albion was incredibly welcoming. It’s near to the village but provides privacy for the residents.”

Responding to questions from citizens in the area, Bennett said that only a small part of the land is designated as wetlands and that area will be left untouched, and that GCASA will put in plantings along the driveway upon completion to provide privacy for those living along Butts Road.

“GCASA always strives to be a good neighbor,” he said. “All of our buildings are well-kept.”

The agency is working with the firm of Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects, P.C., of Orchard Park, the same company that has contributed design expertise for seven other GCASA projects. Whitney East, Inc., based in Le Roy and Rochester, is the general contractor.

Bennett said that once operational, the women and children’s residence will enable GCASA to make the Atwater Community Residence in Batavia a “male-only” facility.

“When this is done, we’ll have significantly expanded our bed capacity for all -- providing stabilization, rehabilitation and re-entry into the community,” he said.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

A late surge in volunteer sign-ups has Batavian Pete Zeliff, catalyst of Genesee County’s return to the air show arena after a 25-year hiatus, feeling pretty good just hours before the start of the star-studded Wings Over Batavia event.

“After the last volunteer meeting we had, another 180 people signed up to be volunteers. So, we’re near 400 volunteers right now for this show, which is about right where we wanted to be,” Zeliff said on Friday at the rehearsal for the show that takes place today and Sunday nights at Genesee County Airport on Saile Drive.

Zeliff said he’s projecting attendance of 10,000 to 12,000 per day. The show runs from 5-9 p.m. both days.

“Yesterday, when Nate Hammond went up and did the sky writing, every time he went up and did that, the online ticket sales spiked. So, that was great to see that,” he noted.

The show is being sponsored by more than 30 businesses and individuals from the surrounding area.

“We did okay on sponsors, but I wish we could have done a little better,” he said. “But we’ll get there. It’s our first year.”

Zeliff said he is impressed by the caliber of performers who have flown into Batavia to participate.

“Well, I think a lot of people didn’t realize (the magnitude of the show) or didn’t think that it was really going to happen,” he said. “Now, with everything going on here, people are seeing that this is going to happen.”

When asked how Genesee County was able to attract such top-notch talent, a couple of the performers said it was due to their respect for Pete’s wife, Doreen Hillard-Zeliff.

“Dennis (Dunbar, show chairperson) helps, but Doreen is the reason why everybody’s here. Doreen is it,” said Kevin Coleman of the Red Bull team. 

His partner, Luke Aikins, agreed.

“I think Doreen and Dennis, that combination of those two. At every air show Dennis has ever organized, everything runs smooth. They take care of the performers. And that's what Doreen and Dennis are known for from us. They keep us safe, and they give us great support. And we're happy to be here for them,” he said.

Zeliff had no problem getting on that bandwagon.

“Doreen was the air show mom to all these guys when they were young and getting started,” he said. “You can see that they have a lot of respect for Doreen.

“And it’s amazing to have the lineup that we have. The A-10 sitting out here on the ramp. There hasn’t been – other than helicopters at practice here from the National Guard – a military plane on the ramp in 26 years. Plus, Mike Goulian, Rob Holland, Lee Lauderback. We’ve got the top performers in the industry.”

Photos from Friday's rehearsal flights by Jim Burns.

Kevin Coleman is living the dream.

“I’m 33 years old and I started flying air shows when I was 18. So, I grew up in an air show family and my dad flew air shows. Ever since I was 3 years old, this is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” the Coushatta, La. resident said this afternoon while getting ready for this weekend’s Wings Over Batavia Air Show.

Coleman and skydiver Luke Aikins comprise the Red Bull “Airforce” team that wows audiences all over the world. The event at the Genesee County Airport is their 16^th show this year.

Their airplane is an Extra EA-300, a 1,200-pound, 400-horsepower machine that was built specially for aerobatics, Coleman said.

“Basically, it was built to do all the cool stunts or tricks, whatever you want to call it,” he added. “So, it's not comfortable; it's not a good traveling airplane. It's built for one purpose and that's to fly air shows and do all the cool stunts.”

Sponsored by Red Bull, Coleman said he’s been flying this plane since 2010.

“I own the airplane, while Red Bull is our partner that makes the deal go around,” he said.

Aikins, 49, of Seattle, said he’s been skydiving since 1989, amassing 22,000 dives over that time.

“I’ve done lots of jumping all over the place. I think the thing that is most known about me happened in 2017 when I jumped out of a plane without a parachute and landed in a giant net,” he said. “I did that on live TV and that was from 25,000 feet.”

Coleman quickly responded, “When he says it was a giant net, it was not a giant net. It was a small net.”

Aikens then said it was a 100- by 100-foot net “and I landed in that, without a parachute.”

He won’t be attempting that stunt this weekend, but he said he has something really special in store.

“Here in Batavia, I’m going to jump into a big American flag to start the show and Kevin’s going to circle around me with smoke while the national anthem goes on,” he said. “After that, Kevin’s going to put on an awesome display with the extra flip-and-twist-into-it turns and blow your mind.”

Later at night, Aikins said he’s going to come out wearing a wingsuit with pyrotechnics (sparklers) on his feet.

“I'm going to come out with a wingsuit with a sparklers on my feet and I’m going to jump out from about 7,000 feet and fly my wingsuit at night … and open a parachute and land in that.”