COVID-19

Press release:

"Socially distanced but strategically focused," that is how administrators at Genesee Community College are describing the Fall 2020 semester, which introduces new micro-credentials and some important curriculum changes all aimed at helping students secure or create long-term careers to sustain success in these uncertain and uncharted times ahead.

Professional Sales Micro-Credential

Careers in professional sales are evolving with new tools and strategies to reach ever-more sophisticated consumers and many new marketplaces. Professional sales careers offer the benefit of high earning potential, job security, scheduling flexibility, unlimited industry options and the joy of applying both the entrepreneurial spirit with basic business skills.

In just three business courses or nine credit hours, the Professional Sales Micro-credential at GCC provides up and coming, as well as seasoned sales professionals across industry lines with a skill set that launches or actively advances sales careers.

This program can be completed in one semester and is offered via GCC's HyFlex learning modality which provides students the ultimate convenience of learning anywhere, anytime, on any device -- including a classroom.

To discuss the Professional Sales Micro-credential opportunity, contact Lina LaMattina, Ph.D., GCC assistant professor and director of Business and Commerce, at:   LMLamattina@genesee.edu, or call (585) 343-0055, ext. 6319.

Computer Repair Certificate

Since March, millions of people worldwide have relied on their computers and the internet to work from home, maintain an income, place online orders for groceries and other essentials, complete academic coursework and even engage in religious worship and socializing.

The reliance on technology has increased the demand for people who can maintain computers, laptops and other electronic devices that are now our lifeline. With that in mind, GCC refreshed the Computer Repair Certificate program, which introduces computer hardware and various software and operating system components.

Students will learn hardware installation, configuration, repair, systematic troubleshooting, internal operation, peripheral devices, operating system installation and system tools. Students will also gain invaluable experience during lab work that includes computer assembly and real-time repair projects.

Individualized Studies Associate in Applied Science

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the average individual experiences a half dozen careers in a lifetime. Everyday new businesses are being created and people are inventing entirely new careers born of innovation, creativity and the desire to satisfy and address new needs, opportunities and trends.

GCC's Individualized Studies Associate in Applied Science degree has been meticulously redesigned to encourage students of all ages to select courses and program parameters that align with individual goals and interests while meeting core learning requirements. It is a degree that supports unique dreams, aspirations and budding business plans.

"The faculty at Genesee Community College are focused on their students in a way that most people don't realize," said Kathleen M. Schiefen, Ph.D., GCC provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. "They are not just teaching students day-to-day and meticulously following their progress through a course. They are also staying abreast of industry trends, technology changes and job forecasts.

"This information becomes the foundation for curriculum and programmatic changes. Every program is carefully reviewed and scrutinized every five years with the help of several hundred industry professionals who make up GCC's broad network of academic advisory councils. GCC students receive an education based on the latest data, research and a close evaluation of best practices and future forecasts."

This scrutiny can lead to grants that may bring in new equipment or a new adjunct faculty member, or small adjustments such as eliminating a three-credit language requirement. Collectively, it means GCC students waste no time in securing the education, experience and often the connections that lead to success.

Anyone one who is currently working, but looking to add a skill set or change a career path; out of work and wanting to try something new; or just graduating from high school or a GED program and looking for the next steps toward a college degree, now is the time to apply.

The Fall 2020 semester starts Monday, Aug. 31. Most courses are available online offering maximum flexibility and the comfort and safety of learning from home.

Contact a GCC student success coach by calling (585) 345-6805 or email ssc@genesee.edu, or start your free application online.

Press release:

Following the announcement and guidelines released yesterday by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Genesee Community College will shift its Fall 2020 athletic season and combine it with the Spring 2021 season in light of the challenges and safety concerns created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

GCC men's and women's soccer, basketball, swimming and diving, and women's volleyball competitions will be rescheduled from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021, in line with the NJCAA and the majority of Region III team decisions.

GCC coaches are communicating this news to their teams while planning for the College's student-athletes to experience safe athletic training and conditioning activities this fall.

GCC's new athletic facility, the Richard C. Call Arena, which features an indoor field house, state-of-the-art Fitness Center and Human Performance Lab, classrooms and coaches' offices, and a press box overlooking the turf field opened in 2017.

The new Call Arena joined the original Anthony B. Zambito Gymnasium which supports basketball and volleyball, and the College's unique second-story swimming pool. These combined facilities make GCC well-positioned to manage the dual scheduling challenges ahead.

"Our athletic complex is among the finest in the region and I am confident we will rise to the challenge of giving our Cougar athletes the best experience possible," Kristen Schuth, GCC's assistant vice president of Student Engagement & Inclusion and athletic director said.

"I am sure that the 2020-2021 season will be one to remember, but I'm also confident that with a lot of strategic planning and scheduling, we will move forward during this difficult time and give our student-athletes every opportunity for success."

All of GCC sport-specific updates will be shared as they become available at www.geneseeathletics.com. GCC posts the latest updates and information on the College's COVID19 webpage that is available from the College's homepage on its main website, www.genesee.edu.

Submitted photo and press release:

Le Roy resident Karen Samis (far left in photo) participated in the American Lung Association's first-ever Virtual Fight For Air Climb Buffalo.

Samis completed more than 48 hours of physical activity all over New York State and raised nearly $1,000 for the Lung Association's mission.

That mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through advocacy, education and research of lung diseases, including COVID-19.   

The 10th annual in-person event was originally scheduled for late March. It regularly attracts hundreds of people to walk or run up the 24 flights of stairs, or 470 steps, to the top of Main Place Tower in Buffalo.

This year, COVID-19 required the event to be moved online, and participants from all over Western New York joined in to stay active by choosing a challenge such as climbing, running, walking or cycling from home or near their own neighborhoods.

In total, the event raised more than $165,000.

To support Samis and contribute to her effort click here.

Pictured in Lake Placid, from left are: Karen Samis, Diane Yarosis (her cousin and lung cancer survivor), Pete Yarosis (her nephew), and Steve Samis (her husband).

County legislators dealt with two law enforcement-related contracts at Monday's Public Service Committee meeting that, as one member put it, are "mysteries" because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

It is unknown whether there will be on-campus learning at county schools this fall, but the Sheriff's Office is expected to provide School Resources Officers to six campuses if students return to classrooms, so that contract needs to be in place.

Right now, it doesn't look like Live Nation will host any concerts at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center but in case they do, the contract for the Sheriff's Office needs to be in place.

The committee recommended both contracts be approved.

For SROs, three school districts -- Alexander, Byron-Bergen, and Pavilion -- employ deputies year-round and reimburse the county for that expense. Those SROs remain employed by their respective districts.

Pembroke, Oakfield-Alabama, and BOCES use SROs for only 10 months during the year, so the Sheriff's Office gets reimbursed for those deputies' salaries for only those 10 months.

The year-around school districts have continued to use their SROs even during the lockdown, even during the summer, but it's uncertain what will happen with the partial-year SROs if students don't return to campus in the fall.

Currently, the Sheriff's Office has three open road patrol positions. Rather than hire and train new officers, the three deputies who are SROs in Pembroke, O-A, and BOCES are fulfilling those duties, so the cost to the county of not getting those salaries covered by the school districts is a wash.

As for Darien Lake, there's no expense to the county if there are no concerts and Live Nation pays for any deputies put on duty at concerts.

However, discussion of the concert season had legislators asking about the impact that closure of Darien Lake -- the theme park, concert venue, and hotel -- would have on county revenue. The county derives significant revenue from sales tax at the theme park as well as gas tax for people who travel into Genesee County for the park and subsequently buy gas here. The bed tax from the hotel is about a third of the bed tax revenue for the county, said County Manager Jay Gsell.

Chairwoman Rochelle Stein told the committee that based on her communication with industry and state officials, Darien Lake is part of an amusement park lobbying group trying to get the governor's office to authorize theme parks to reopen.

She said Darien Lake has drafted a thick binder of guidelines the park would follow if it reopened.

"They've put their safety plan in front of the governor's office," Stein said. "There is a whole lobbying arm of the amusement park industry that as a group is trying to convince the governor to let them reopen. So far, that has fallen on deaf ears."

Photo: The socially distanced Public Service Committee meeting.

Press release:

The New York State Department of Labor today announced that so far this year, nearly 2,600 businesses have joined the state’s Shared Work program, which allows companies to avoid layoffs by connecting workers with partial unemployment benefits.

In total, these companies have leveraged the program to retain or rehire nearly 45,500 New Yorkers — the majority of them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, the DOL announced more than $31 billion in unemployment benefits have been paid to more than 3.1 million New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic — amounting to over 14 years’ worth of benefits paid in just over four months.

“This public health crisis has upended our lives and economy, but New Yorkers are finding ways to support each other and build back stronger than ever," said Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. "Our Shared Work program helps businesses weather tough times like this, while preventing New Yorkers from losing their jobs.

"This program is a crucial resource that is helping thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of New Yorkers navigate these difficult times — and as the economy continues to reopen, we hope more businesses take advantage of this program.”

The Shared Work program is designed to help businesses manage the impact of economic downturns, while sparing workers from losing their income and other benefits like health insurance.

Employers who are considering layoffs or furloughs can instead keep employees at work with reduced hours while allowing workers to receive partial unemployment benefits for 26 weeks to make up for lost work.

Companies that are reopening but facing reduced demand can also leverage the program to rehire their entire workforce with reduced hours.

So far this year, 2,580 employers have joined New York State’s Shared Work program, compared to just 195 last year — an increase of 1,223 percent. In total, 45,455 employees have received Shared Work benefits in 2020, up from just 2,000 between January and June 2019.

In addition to keeping New Yorkers employed and helping businesses control costs during downturns, Shared Work allows businesses to retain skilled employees — avoiding the expense of eventually recruiting, hiring, and training new workers when the economy recovers.

Employers and workers can learn more about the Shared Work program here.

The DOL also released a new fact sheet on the Extended Benefits Program in New York which became effective July 5.

Thanks to the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Extended Benefits (EB) programs, New Yorkers receiving traditional Unemployment Insurance are now eligible for up to 59 weeks of benefits — up from 26 weeks before the pandemic.

Under federal law, those receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) are now eligible for up to 46 weeks of benefits.

To be eligible for EB, claimants must first exhaust all 26 weeks of traditional unemployment insurance benefits and all 13 weeks of PEUC benefits (a total of 39 weeks of benefits) and continue to be unemployed.

Alternatively, if a claimant’s benefit year for regular unemployment insurance expired after July 1, 2019 and they received the 13 weeks of PEUC benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, they may be eligible for 20 weeks of Extended Benefits.

For updates about the PEUC and EB programs, New Yorkers should continue to check the Department of Labor website.

Press release:

• Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 234 positive cases.
  • The positive individual resides in Oakfield.
  • The positive individual is in their 20s.
  • The positive individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • One of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
  • No new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • No individuals are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 269 positive cases.
  • The positive individual resides in Yates.
  • The positive individual is in their 20s.
  • The positive individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • One of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Three new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

RTS Genesee will resume fare collection on Wednesday, July 15.

(In Monroe County only launches its new RTS Go contactless fare payment system. The system uses a real-time trip planning app called transit (available at the App Store or Google Play). Customers who don’t have a smartphone can purchase an RTS Go reloadable smartcard from ticket vending machines (TVMs) at the RTS Transit Center, or online at myRTS.com.)

• Route 211 bus #1 only will run regular service.
• Route 214 will run regular service.

Please call the office at 153 Cedar St. in Batavia for more information: (585) 343-3079.

To help keep you safe during the coronavirus pandemic, RTS is continuing its enhanced bus-cleaning program. Bus operators have access to masks, face shields, hand sanitizers and disinfectant.

When riding RTS please:

• Wear a face covering or mask;
• Wash/disinfect your hands often;
• Maintain social distancing when possible;
• Stay home when your are sick.

Here's the previous story published June 15: RTS will launches contactless payment system, will restart fare collection July 15.

(Editor's note 12:48 p.m. July 14: This story was updated to clarify that the RTS Go contactless fare payment system -- and the app or reloadable smartcard for it -- is only being used in MONROE COUNTY, which was specified in the lead of the original post June 15, but not the July 13 post reminding people that bus fare collection resumes tomorrow. The Batavian regrets the omission. The headline was subsequently changed, thereby removing a comment(s).

Press release:

The Salvation Army in partnership with The United Way, City Church, Byron-Bergen Central School District, Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and Foodlink would like to announce the schedule for the upcoming drive-thru food distributions.

When participating in this distribution please have your trunk/hatch/backseat cleared out to receive three to four boxes of food. Volunteers are not permitted to move your property due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Should you need to pick up for a friend or neighbor you may do so by providing their photo ID showing a separate address. Please wear a mask. 

You will remain in your car and volunteers will load the food.

Should you have any questions about a specific distribution contact that organization directly.

JULY

July 15 at 9 a.m. -- Northgate Free Methodist Church -- 8160 Bank Street Road, Batavia (585) 343-6284

July 22 at 9 a.m. -- Oakfield-Alabama CSD -- 7001 Lewiston Road, Oakfield (585) 948-5211

July 29 at 3 p.m. -- Byron-Bergen High School -- 6917 W. Bergen Road, Bergen (585) 343-6284

AUGUST

Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. -- City Church (St. Anthony’s)— 14 Liberty St., Batavia, (585) 343-6895

Aug. 12 at 9 a.m. -- Oakfield-Alabama CSD -- 7001 Lewiston Road, Oakfield (585) 948-5211

Aug. 19 at 3 p.m. -- Byron-Bergen High School -- 6917 W. Bergen Road, Bergen (585) 343-6284

Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. -- Northgate Free Methodist Church -- 8160 Bank Street Road, Batavia (585) 343-6284

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 2 at 9 a.m. -- City Church (St. Anthony’s)— 114 Liberty St., Batavia (585) 343-6895

Press release:

Genesee Community College has made the decision to suspend its fall athletic season to protect the health and safety of the students and community in light of the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision will affect men's and women's soccer, basketball, swimming and diving, and women's volleyball, which is in line with the majority of Region III decisions.

GCC coaches have communicated this news to their teams, and are maintaining continual engagement with the College's student-athletes, as well as providing opportunities for safe athletic conditioning activities where possible.

"This decision, although not without its disappointments, is the best path for us to ensure the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and training staff," said Assistant Vice President of Student Engagement & Inclusion Kristen Schuth.

"While we are eager to move forward with such an important part of the student and campus experience, the landscape of this semester just does not allow us to do so in a method that would have been convincingly without associated risks. I look forward to the day when it is safe for the fields and floors of GCC to hold competitions again."

GCC will honor all signed scholarship agreements for incoming student-athletes and for those returning. At this time, the length of the fall sports suspension is unknown, and decisions regarding winter and spring sports have not yet been made. Sport-specific updates will be shared as they become available at geneseeathletics.com.

Press release:

Citing COVID-19 costs too big for New York school districts to carry alone, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer revealed that without specific federal funds New York schools might not be able to reopen safely come fall. 

“Everyone wants our schools to reopen, but the federal government must lead the way by funding the safety measures that would open the doors of New York and the nation’s schools in a way that helps ensure the coronavirus does not needlessly spread or infect teachers, kids or staff,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. 

“Without federal dollars to cover the massive costs of PPE, barriers, cleaning supplies and more, local school budgets across Upstate New York would be crushed, local taxes could rise and some schools might simply stay closed—and we do not want that. That’s why we need to take action in ‘COVID-4’ and commit $175 billion to the goal of safely reopening K-12 schools for all,” Schumer added.

Schumer said costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), physical barriers and other supplies at schools, like those used for cleaning, could badly drain local resources, making it much harder for New York districts to open safely and ensure the collective protection of kids, teachers and staff.

He announced a new legislative push to include much-needed assistance in a “Corona-4” legislative package. His plan would work to substantially cover the aforementioned costs with federal dollars, allowing schools to safely reopen. Schumer is pushing for $175 billion dollars for K-12 schools across the country, and says New York would see a massive chunk of that allotment. 

Schumer’s plan, crafted alongside U.S. Senator Patty Murray, was just introduced as the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA), and includes other efforts as well, each critical to supporting childcare and education amid the pandemic. Schumer explained that without major help from the federal government, New York would be devastated and the nation would risk losing 4.5 million child care slots and losing 1.9 million education jobs, exacerbating students’ learning loss. 

“The bottom line here is that the coronavirus brought with it unprecedented health and economic challenges for students, families, educators, and learning institutions across the country—challenges disproportionately felt by students of color, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and more,” Schumer said. “So, action is needed now to save teaching jobs, preserve millions of child care slots, and ensure every student has access to a safe, quality education.”

Highlighted aspects of the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA) Schumer will fight for in COVID-4 include:

• $50 billion for a Child Care Stabilization Fund, to ensure that child care providers can stay open, educators can continue getting paid, and working families get tuition relief;
• $1.5 billion to address and prevent child abuse and neglect, to support the child welfare workforce and to fund community-based prevention programs that strengthen families;
• $345 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund, including:
  • $175 billion for K-12 schools, to help schools address learning loss, implement public health protocols, and provide quality education to all students—whether they open in-person, remotely, or a hybrid of both;
  • $132 billion for higher education, to help colleges and universities deliver a quality education for their students, implement public health protocols, and provide emergency financial aid to students for expenses like food, housing, child care, and technology;
  • $33 billion for a Governor’s Fund, to allow governors to allocate funds for needed educational services to areas of their states hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

Photos and information from Amy Swanson:

There's a new Little Library in Stafford. It's at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, located at 6188 Main Road (Route 5).

It looks like those you've probably seen -- a little post-held structure standing upright in someone’s front yard, a bit like an oversized birdhouse. 

They are quite popular because there are purportedly 60,000 of them around the world, in 80 countries! At first glance, passersby might wonder “What is that…?” And then, after seeing a few of these little nooks filled with books, no doubt a few have wished they'd stopped by to browse the titles.

Well, beginning this week in Stafford, you can do just that.

We welcome the community to take a peek at the Little Library at St. Paul’s. Step right up, open the doors, and poke through the books inside.

If a title or subject seems interesting, take it home to enjoy. After you’re finished simply return it, or not.

This easy access encourages a bit of joy -- the free giving and keeping or sharing of books. That's nice and it's kind, too.

The Stafford project initially began as a way to give visitors a place to share books of interest for children and for adults. It promotes family literacy by offering a variety of books, encouraging parents and children to join together to read, imagine, learn and explore.

In our ever-changing world, the Little Library offers bit of safe entertainment and adventure for families who may be spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Books will be cleaned and held in time frames for safety before being replaced on the shelves for distribution again. 

Stafford’s Little Library offers a safe spot to pull your car into if you are driving by, so you can look for a book and sit on the outside bench and read if you like.

Each week a different theme will be highlighted. Follow us on Facebook as well.

Donations are always welcome as are comments and questions.

Please email us at:   Staffordlittlelibrary@gmail.com

Stafford’s Little Library was made possible through the generosity of the Outreach grant through the Episcopal Partnership of the Diocese of Western New York and the Batavia, Morganville and Stafford communities.

(Editor's Note: As the Peter Max poster noted in 1969: "Be all you can be. Read.")

It is the 1950s, the first week of summer vacation and the official opening of the City Parks Program. Children would run out the door at 8:50 a.m. to be the first one waiting to meet the new or previous year’s park supervisor.

You know that a great summer is about to begin. You will spend every day at the park from 9 to noon, and from 1 to 5 p.m.

Batavia at one time was divided into parks: Pringle, Kibbe, Lincoln, Austin, Williams, Farrall, MacArthur, and later as Batavia grew and some parks closed and new ones opened, John Kennedy and Lambert Park.

Children went to your neighborhood park and were so proud to say what park you were from. Parks competed against each other in softball and volleyball games. Every Friday night the scores and contest winners would be recorded in the newspaper.

There was a family feeling with every park. Every day there were scheduled arts and crafts projects.

When it was your park’s week for boondoggles (inset image left), the children would have the choice of three, four or eight strands to work on.

The park supervisor sometimes ended up making them for the little ones so they could wear them around their necks as lanyards or a small bracelet.

The favorite craft was the plaster molds. I can still picture the molds being lined up in the sun and the children standing behind the one they picked to make that particular day.

There were so many choices, a favorite was the mold for "The Last Supper." That was probably the largest mold and the most difficult to make.

There was a technique to make this craft. You had to carefully mix the plaster and when it was the right consistency you poured it into the mold. As it dried in the sun, you were hoping your plaster would set. After the plaster dried you would carefully pull back the rubber mold to see if your mold took the plaster.

You couldn’t forget the little tab you put in the back to hang this very heavy item proudly created for your parent’s wall. The last step was to paint your creation. You couldn’t wait to take it home to show mom and dad.

The highlight of the summer program was the park parade. Every year there was a theme and your park had to come up with a float to go along with the theme. Every day you would talk about the parade and the float and how this year your park would beat Kibbe.

The supervisor would keep samples of every craft because they would be judged at the end of the summer event.

Every park had been secretly working on their float that consisted of chicken wire and crepe paper flowers. Everyone had a job. Main Street would close down at the end of August and the street was transformed into a parade of children proudly walking with their float that was being pulled by a tractor.

The store owners would come out of their stores to watch the annual parade. The celebration after the parade was at Austin Park. After the parade, floats would all be lined up to view and every park had a booth. You would stand with your park friends to wait for the results of what park would be the winner this year.

Of course, you always thought your park deserved to be the winner.

It was now time to go back to school and the summer program was coming to an end. New friends were made, memories to last a lifetime were created. When the park kids return to Batavia as adults and drive by “their park,” those wonderful summer memories will come flooding back.

So, this is what we tell our children what it was like back in the day.

As someone who loved going to my neighborhood park as a child and growing up to be lucky enough to be a park supervisor, I commend the Batavia Parks Program for creating summer memories we will never forget.

My years as a park supervisor will always be a cherished time.

The rules for the parks program was to have fun and most of all, be safe. In this time of so much unrest due to COVID-19, thinking back to those summertimes makes you realize how lucky you were to be a Baby Boomer.

Please share your memories, I only touched a few.

Anne Marie Starowitz was a proud supervisor for Farrall Park for three years in the '70s (inset photo right).

Photos and images courtesy of Anne Marie Starowitz.

Press release:

• Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 233 positive cases.
  • The positive individuals reside in Batavia.
  • One of the positive individuals is in their 20s and one of the positive individuals is in their 60s.
  • One of the positive individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Three of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • No new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • No individuals are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 268 positive cases.
  • The positive individual resides in Carlton.
  • The positive individual is in their 30s.
  • The positive individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Three new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Six of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

A full two-thirds of respondents to a Batavia City School District survey concerning reopening want students back in the classroom this fall in a traditional setting with health-related guidelines in place.

“Most of our parents want in-person classrooms and so do we,” said Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. today following the first meeting of the BCSD Reopen Batavia Strong Task Force.

The Google Meet videoconference drew 51 participants, with 35 of them being parents of Batavia students.

Thus far, 875 people have responded to the survey, with nearly 600 of them identifying themselves as in the parent/family category. About 650 of the respondents said they had students in grades 5-12.

Soler said he is hoping to get 2,000 responses before the survey concludes on Monday, which also is the day that guidelines from Gov. Andrew Cuomo are expected to be released.

The BCSD survey can be found on the district’s Facebook page.

On the subject of reopening, 67 percent of the respondents either “agree” or “strongly agree” that in-person school should reopen in September with some new procedures to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

When asked if in-school should resume in September with face coverings when social distancing is not possible, 46 percent said “agree” or “strongly agree” and when asked if distance learning should be used until a COVID-19 vaccine is found, 68 percent clicked “disagree” or “strongly disagree” while 10 percent said “strongly agree.”

Additional survey results are as follows:

-- On the impact of COVID-19 on their family: 72 percent, some impact/noticeable impact; 22 percent, significant/severe impact; 6 percent, no impact.

-- On their confidence level to send their child back to school knowing the district will comply with all CDC guidelines: 33.6 percent, strongly confident; 28.8 percent, confident; 23.3 percent unsure.

-- On sending their child to kindergarten this fall: 54.3 percent of 247 responses said they will enroll the child; 45.7 said they won’t.

-- On having half the students in school, the other half learning remotely: 49 percent either “strongly disagree” or “disagree.”

-- On transporting their child to school to reduce the number of bus riders: 66 percent “strongly agree” or “agree.”

-- On their comfort level with busing, even with sanitizing: A mixed bag with 24 percent who “strongly disagree,” 22 percent who are “neutral” and 28 percent who “strongly agree.”

When queried about the most important safety measures, hand sanitizer in classrooms/common areas, daily temperature taking and no sharing of materials were the top three. Other measures included in the survey were COVID-19 testing, wearing masks at all times and no use of the auditorium, lunchroom or playgrounds.

Sixty-two percent said they expect sports and extracurricular activities to be provided with reasonable safety measures. Fifty-one percent responded that fans should be able to attend and 34 percent were in favor of just parents being able to attend. About 14 percent indicated that events should go on without any fans.

“The biggest thing is let’s not forget the health and safety of everybody,” Soler said. “I’m hoping we’re pretty good in the (Finger Lakes) Region; our data has shown that we’re good and that we’re able to open and welcome kids back.”

He said that social distancing will present quite the challenge.

“You’re not going to have 20 kids in a class,” he said. “With having six feet between everybody, it’s going to change things and make things a little bit interesting. We’re going to have to look at how we use our space and our buildings.”

Batavia City School District buildings are Jackson Primary School (PK-1), John Kennedy Intermediate School (2-4), Batavia Middle School (5-8) and Batavia High School (9-12).

Soler said he put the task force together to look at the big picture – reopening -- but also, through the work of subcommittees, “to peel away at some of the smaller conversations.”

“In anticipation of that official guidance we feel it is important to begin to run through potential scenarios, challenges and also include student and parent voices in that process,” he said.

Subcommittees are health, safety & athletics; transportation, facilities & nutrition; teaching & learning; equity & digital access; budget & fiscal; social-emotional needs; Special Education, English language learners & multilingual learners; and staffing & human resources.

The district, in line with directives from Albany and Center for Disease Control guidelines, is considering three models of teaching and learning:

-- In-Person (w/masks & social distancing);
-- Hybrid (Flex Model) Alternate Schedule (Distance Learning & In-Person);
-- Virtual School  – 100-percent online with an emphasis on proficiency.

“Do we bring all the kids back or certain grade levels back? That’s what I was doing today with our parents and various stakeholders," Soler said. "We have to think of these various scenarios and various teaching and learning models. I don’t have any answers yet but knowing that next week we’re supposed to get some guidance, we need to think about this now.”

After learning of the state’s guidelines, tentatively set for Monday, Soler said the task force will proceed with: subcommittee meetings; posting of the survey results; a second task force meeting (July 17) sharing data with the Board of Education (July 20); a third task force meeting (July 24); submission of the district’s plan to the state (July 31); and the governor’s decision (Aug. 1-7).

The City of Batavia has received a “B” grade for its handling of meeting documents and accessibility during the month of June from the New York Coalition for Open Government following the nonprofit organization’s review of the websites of 20 municipalities across the state.

According to the report that took a look at local governments with populations between 10,000 and 32,000, the minutes of Batavia City Council meetings have not been posted on its website since April 27 although three meetings took place in June – a Business Meeting on June 8 and a Conference Meeting and Special Business Meeting on June 22.

The coalition report, titled “Local Governments Struggle with Timely Posting of Meeting Minutes,” did acknowledge that the City’s meeting videos are posted on Facebook and/or YouTube, but recommended that “it would be helpful if the City website directed people to where videos can be seen or provided a link to the Facebook/YouTube page.”

Criteria used to grade the towns and villages:

-- Are all meeting documents posted online prior to the meeting?
-- Are meetings being livestreamed on the local government’s website?
-- Are meeting videos/audio posted on the website after the meeting?
-- While not required by the Open Meetings Law, are local governments posting meeting minutes online in a timely fashion?

Batavia (population: 14,400) earned the “B” grade by performing three of the four actions (all except the fourth one listed above). 

Contacted today, Acting City Manager Rachael Tabelski explained that the meeting minutes are posted to the website following review and approval by City Council.

“The minutes from the June meetings will be posted after July 13 (the next Council meeting) so that Council members have the ability to approve them,” she said, adding that the City is committed to being “transparent and open.”

The City’s policy concerning the posting of the minutes doesn’t rise to the level of the New York Coalition for Open Government’s recommendation, however.

The coalition’s opinion is that “meeting minutes are timely if the minutes of the last meeting are posted before the next meeting is held. This can be done, by posting draft minutes or at the very least including the minutes from the prior meeting in the next meeting agenda packet.”

Tabelski concurred with the report that all meeting documents can be found on the website prior to the meeting. She also advised that the meetings are broadcast on Spectrum’s government access channel and on Video News Services’ YouTube page.

“There is no law requiring livestream (but) during COVID we tried livestream as it was specific to guidance during COVID because we restricted access to the meetings to the public, per Executive Order 202.1 and 202.48,” she said.

Ten other municipalities also received “B” grades while three – Geneva, Plattsburgh and Rotterdam – got an “A.” On the low end of the scale, Olean received a “D” for performing one of four standards and the Town of Lockport got an “F” (zero of four).

The study revealed that 80 percent of the municipalities surveyed, including Batavia, posted their meeting documents online before the scheduled meeting date, but Batavia was one of 12 to be more than two weeks behind in posting meeting minutes.

In conclusion, the coalition called for the New York State Open Meetings Law to be amended to require that meeting minutes be posted online within two weeks of a meeting occurring. Currently, the law in New York is that meeting minutes must be made available if requested within two weeks of a meeting.

Per its website, the New York Coalition For Open Government is a nonpartisan charitable organization comprised of journalists, activists, attorneys, educators, news media organizations, and other concerned citizens who value open government and freedom of information.

Through education and civic engagement, the coalition advocates for open, transparent government and defends citizens’ right to access information from public institutions at the city, county and state levels.

Press release:

Rochester Regional Health transitioned care back to Emergency Departments and Immediate Cares from evaluation tents at Unity Hospital, United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, and Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic this week.

The drive-thru evaluation tent at Wilson Immediate Care on the Rochester General campus will remain operational for employee testing and respiratory evaluations only.

The pre-operative testing done in these tents will now transition to Patient Service Centers and the Linden Oaks Surgery Center. The locations and hours of these sites are listed below.

Since the pandemic began, nearly 25,000 patients and 21,000 COVID-19 tests were performed in the tents. This is in addition to the more than 800 discharges of patients from the hospital systemwide (more than 750 in Monroe County). 

All Pre-Op Testing

Patient Service Center

Address

Hours

Batavia PSC

106 Main St., Suite 47B 

Batavia, NY  14020

 

Monday - Friday:  8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday:  8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

Clifton Hospital PSC

 

2 Coulter Road

Clifton Springs, NY 14432

 

Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Linden Oaks PSC

 

10 Hagen Drive Suite 120 

Rochester NY 14625

 

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

 

Linden Oaks ASC 
(Drive-thru in the parking lot)

 

10 Hagen Drive 

Rochester NY 14625

 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 

Newark Union PSC

 

165 Union St.

Newark NY 14513

 

Monday- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

Park Ridge/Unity POB PSC

 

1561 Long Pond Road, Suite 111 

Greece NY 14626

 

Monday- Friday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

Titus PSC 

 

485 Titus Ave.

Rochester NY 14617

 

Monday- Friday: 8 a.m. -- 4 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

COVID-19 Evaluations  -- These are NOT walk-in testing sites, patients will be evaluated and tested only if they meet the criteria (we do not test everyone. The MCC state-run tent does.)  

Immediate Care

Address

Hours

Immediate Care – Chili

 

3170 Chili Ave. 

Suite T1A

Rochester, NY 14624

 

Monday -- Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care Webster

1065 Ridge Road

Webster, NY 14580

 

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. -- 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. --  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Penfield

 

2226 Penfield Road

Penfield, NY 14526

 

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Immediate Care – Irondequoit

 

2701 Culver Road

Rochester, NY 14622

 

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Wilson

 

1425 Portland Ave., Wilson Building 

Rochester, NY 14621

 

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Greece

 

2745 W. Ridge Road

Rochester, NY 14626

 

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Henrietta

 

2685 E. Henrietta Road

Henrietta, NY 14467

 

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Batavia (The Jerome Center)

 

16 Bank St. 

Batavia, NY  14020

 

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Staff at the Le Roy Village Green prepared hot dog drive-thru meals for Le Roy residents on Thursday evening to thank them for the community's support of the senior residential health care facility during the pandemic.

Residents also made signs to display at the Green's entrance expressing their thanks. Residents were kept inside during the event because of the heat.

Above, Director Samantha Vagg delivers two meals to a Le Roy couple.

Sam Vagg, Sue Diflippo, Kate Flint, John Gagnon, and Kellie Kreiley.

Press release:

• Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 231 positive cases.
  • The positive individual resides in Darien.
  • The positive individual is in their 50s.
  • The positive individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • None of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Five new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • No individuals are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
  • Two new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Six of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Press release:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made other adjustments to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data.

Producers will be able to submit applications that include these commodities on Monday, July 13. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting through Aug. 28 applications for CFAP, which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic. USDA expects additional eligible commodities to be announced in the coming weeks. 

“When we announced this program earlier this year, we asked for public input and received a good response," Secretary Perdue said. "After reviewing the comments received and analyzing our USDA Market News data, we are adding new commodities, as well as making updates to the program for existing eligible commodities.

"This is an example of government working for the people – we asked for input and we updated the program based on the comments we received.”

USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22.

Changes to CFAP include:

• Adding the following commodities: alfalfa sprouts, anise, arugula, basil, bean sprouts, beets, blackberries, Brussels sprouts, celeriac (celery root), chives, cilantro, coconuts, collard greens, dandelion greens, greens (others not listed separately), guava, kale greens, lettuce – including Boston, green leaf, Lolla Rossa, oak leaf green, oak leaf red and red leaf – marjoram, mint, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnips, passion fruit, peas (green), pineapple, pistachios, radicchio, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, fresh sugarcane, Swiss chard, thyme and turnip top greens.
• Expanding for seven currently eligible commodities – apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines and taro – CARES Act funding for sales losses because USDA found these commodities had a 5 percent or greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for marketing adjustments.
• Determining that peaches and rhubarb no longer qualify for payment under the CARES Act sales loss category.
• Correcting payment rates for apples, artichokes, asparagus, blueberries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, garlic, kiwifruit, mushrooms, papaya, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines and taro.

Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

• Using an online portal, accessible at farmers.gov/cfap, allows producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication—to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center. New commodities will be available in the system on July 13.
• Completing the application form using our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center. An updated version with the new commodities will be available on the website on July 13.
• Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers.gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status of your local office.

USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete and securely transmit digitally signed applications through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are interested in digitally signing their applications should notify their local service centers when calling to discuss the CFAP application process. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs.

Getting Help from FSA

New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file. 

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment.

Service Centers that are open for appointments will prescreen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in office, by phone and using online tools.

More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 230 positive cases.
  • The positive individuals reside in Batavia and Darien.
  • One of the positive individuals is in their 40s and one is in their 60s.
  • The positive individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • One of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Six individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • No individuals are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
  • Nine individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.