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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Press release:

The Genesee County 4-H Program celebrated the completion of the 2020-2021 4-H Program Year by announcing its 4-H Year-End Award Recipients.  Year-End Awards recognize 4-H members who have excelled in a certain project area and show leadership during the 4-H program year.     

Congratulations to all of the 4-H members and volunteers who received an award.  Highlights include: 

• Achievement Award: Alexandria Tarbell
• Leadership Award: Amelia Brewer, Morgan Harrington, Maggie Winspear, Tyler Jirovec, Ben Kron
• Outstanding 1^st Year Member Award: Raegan Bessey, Alicia McCarthy
• 4-H Member of the Year: Eva Rhoads
• 4-H Spirit Award: Cody Carlson, Brooke Frega, Morgan Harrington, Madison Paddock, Brook Pagels, Kasey Pagels, Ty Reilly, Makayla Sugg, Bing Zuber
• Arts & Crafts: Layla Baker, Clare Mathes, Bing Zuber
• Beef Cattle: Kaden Cusmano, Kameron Cusmano
• Dairy Cattle: Amelia Brewer, Carolyn Sybertz, Tate Zuber
• Clothing & Textiles: Alexandria Tarbell
• Food & Nutrition: Alex Boldt, Emma Tanner
• Goat: Layla Baker, Lily Haacke, Riley Henning, Tyler Jirovec, Clare Mathes, Campbell Riley, John Riley, Gabe Winn
• Horticulture: June Dorman, Mae Grimes
• Livestock Master: Ben Kron
• Photography: Caroline Luft, Colton Tarbell, Alexandria Tarbell
• Poultry: Madison Harrington, Morgan Harrington, Hudson Luft, Clare Mathes, Teagan Mathes, Kasey Pagels
• Rabbit: Amelia Brewer, Madison Harrington, Morgan Harrington, Brook Pagels
• Sheep: Mya Grant, Chelsea Lippert, Colten Sugg
• Swine: Bentley Lowe, Emmalee Lehman, Tate Zuber
• Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Recognition: Cindy Bovier, Joy Brewer, Cole Carlson, Sue Johnson, Joanna Miller, Jamey Pagels, Taylor Schofield, Kathy Winspear

The Genesee County 4-H Program is a youth development program for youth ages 5-18.  New 4-H youth members, adult volunteers, and clubs are always welcome.  For information about how to join the Genesee County 4-H Program, please contact the 4-H Office at genesee4h@cornell.edu or (585) 343-3040 ext. 131.  Enrollment information is available on our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/4-h-youth-development/how-to-join-4-h

Submitted photo: Genesee County 4-H Member of the Year Eva Rhoads.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider a final resolution supporting a mixed-use development adding six market-rate units in the town of Pembroke at its board meeting on Thursday, October 7, 2021.

The proposed $1.7 million investment by J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC would construct a 14,000 sq. ft. two-story building on 2.6 acres at the 67-acre Buffalo East Technology Park. The project would be located adjacent to Yancey’s Fancy’s facilities on Brickhouse Drive.

The 14,000 sq. ft. project includes a 7,000 sq. ft. flexible layout for commercial tenants on the first floor and six 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments on the second floor.

The project has requested $254,336 of sales, mortgage, and property tax assistance. The project is estimated to create a 4-to-1 return on investment for Genesee County in addition to increased commercial and residential benefits in the town of Pembroke.

A public hearing on the proposed agreement will be held at 4 p.m., October 5 at the town of Pembroke offices, 1145 Main Road.

October 7, 2021, the GCEDC Board meeting will take place at 4 p.m. at 99 Med-Tech Drive.  A livestream and on-demand recording of the meeting also will be available at www.gcedc.com.

Photos by Phillip Casper.

 

Press release from AAA: 

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.20, up one cent from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.19. The New York State average is $3.28 – no change from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.26. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $3.26 (down one cent since last week)
• Buffalo - $3.23 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca - $3.28 (no change since last week)
• Rochester - $3.27 (down one cent since last week)
• Rome - $3.30 (no change since last week)
• Syracuse - $3.23 (no change since last week)
• Watertown - $3.27 (up one cent since last week)

After holding steady for more than a week, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose by a penny as oil prices continue to increase. The latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that gasoline demand increased. Locally, drivers are finding mostly stable pump prices this week. However, high crude prices (above $75 per barrel) will help keep pump prices elevated.

 

Several articles have been written on the early public schools from this area, including those still in use today.  When the very first schools were built, Catholic schools were also built alongside their churches.

Rev. Thomas Cunningham established the first Catholic school in 1873. He became the first priest to settle permanently in the village. With him came six Sisters of Mercy.  The sisters lived in the Davis Building on Jackson Street that served as their convent until 1873.  The sisters started a school in a barn next to the convent.  Due to a fire, the sisters had to move the school to a large stone building on Jackson Street that became Marshall News Store many years later.

In 1882 St. Joseph’s Parish began to build a new school and convent on Summit and East Main Street.  It was a solid unadorned building with a small turret over the front door and little towers on the front corners.  It had four rooms on the first floor for the younger students and three rooms above for the older children.  High school students were enrolled at the school until 1912.  Music lessons were taught in small spaces in the corridors.

St. Joseph’s School served as a parochial elementary school until 1959.  The building was listed as unsafe for young children, so in the fall of 1959, a new school with twelve classrooms and a cafeteria was built.  The old school was razed.  In 1973 office space and a new gymnasium and assembly hall were added to the eastern side of the new school.

Rev. Peter Pitass started Sacred Heart School in 1904 when he organized Sacred Heart Parish.  The school’s classrooms were ready for pupils by 1918.  Those classrooms served the Polish community until the flood of 1942. The school and church were located at the foot of Jackson Street.   By 1954 the school was also deemed a fire hazard, and plans were drawn up for a new school and church.  The new school would be located east of the church facing Sumner Street.  By the end of the year, a new fireproofed school building was built for $8,000.00.

In 1904 approximately 20 students were enrolled at Sacred Heart School.  By 1934 the number had increased to about 60 students, and registration remained at about that level until the ‘60s. Then, in the ‘60s, enrollment began to decrease. Finally, in 1974 enrollment was so small that Sacred Heart School merged with St. Anthony’s. Thus, after 70 years, there was no longer a school in the Sacred Heart Parish.

In 1908 Rev. Hyacinthe Ciabbatoni brought two Sisters of Mercy to Batavia to organize a school.  In 1909 property was bought on Liberty Street at Central Avenue; members of the parish put together two old houses to serve as a school and a parish hall.  In 1930 a new school was built by Frank Homelius, one of Batavia’s native architects.  He designed a school building with two floors, a social hall, and a gymnasium behind it.  It was dedicated as St. Anthony’s Community Center.  It was the most prominent meeting place in the city.  The school had nine classrooms on two floors along central corridors, with offices on either main entrance.  The basement had a nursery room, kitchen, and lavatories.  It was a T-shaped building with a gymnasium used for athletics and as a meeting hall or a dining room.  This community center was used for political rallies, union meetings, Grange meetings, fundraising, and Bingo. Many a bride will remember having her wedding reception at the Community Center with dinner on one floor and dancing on another.  

By 1908 there were between 200 and 250 students enrolled at St. Anthony’s School.  By 1970, 7th and 8th-grade students attended St. Mary’s, where junior high classes were offered.   In June 2006, St. Anthony’s School closed its doors after 95 years as an educational and social activity center on Batavia’s south side. 

Rev. Edward J. Ferger established St. Mary’s Elementary School when he organized the building of a Catholic High School, Notre Dame High School, in 1951.  The school opened before the buildings were complete.  The first-year students met at St. Anthony’s Community Center for classes until the school was finished.  In 1952 St. Mary’s school was built and faced Woodrow Road. St. Mary’s had eight classrooms and a small gym in a separate building.  Sisters of the Holy Cross were the first teachers at St. Mary’s, and then the school was run by the Felician Sisters.   At the end of the 2003-2004 academic year, St. Mary’s Elementary School closed its doors due to limited financial resources and fewer students.

In 1951 Notre Dame High School welcomed its first class of 58 boys and girls to temporary quarters at St. Anthony’s School.  Notre Dame High School was dedicated on September 6, 1952.  The school has two floors with classrooms along Union Street and a large gymnasium in the rear.  A cafeteria is below the gym.  A small chapel and library are on the second floor.   In the early years, Notre Dame’s faculty consisted of nuns and priests.  There were times when up to 500 students walked the halls between classes with one-way traffic jamming corridors. Over the years, Notre Dame’s enrollment has fluctuated, but today it remains an alternative to public school education.    

All students will remember the attractive uniforms the girls had to wear.  Sacred Heart had a plaid jumper, St. Anthony’s a brown uniform, St. Joseph’s a blue uniform, and St. Mary’s girls wore a blue jumper crossed in the front and the back.        The actual everyday uniform at Notre Dame HS was a pleated skirt and a long-sleeved blouse buttoned to the neck, and to add to the uniform’s lovely appearance was a bolero. If you rolled over the waistband of the skirt to make it shorter, you would get detention.  Besides the unattractive uniforms, some might remember the classrooms overflowing with students, singing Gregorian chant at Mass, attending a High Mass on Sunday, and no meat on Friday. 

One could also not forget the Notre Dame Girls’ Basketball uniform the girls had to wear in the ‘50s and ‘60s.   The uniform was a royal blue, pleated, heavy cotton jumper that had to touch your knees, a long-sleeved white blouse that had to be buttoned at the top, and bloomers. The inspiring girls’ basketball team had only two girls who could run down the court, and the rest could take three steps and pass the ball.  It made for a very “fast-moving” game.  The windows had to be covered when the girls were playing just in case a “boy” might try to look in the window.    

Over the last century, schools were established, moved, burned down, and closed.  Many of these schools closed due to low enrollment, but the memories these students hold in their hearts remain. A young girl remembers living next to old St. Joseph’s School, sneaking over to the old school, and peeking in the windows.  A nun would let her come in and sit and color.  Her older siblings all attended the school.  In the early days at St. Joseph’s School, there was not a gymnasium. Instead, students would gather every day on the blacktop in the parking lot and jump rope or shoot baskets on the outdoor basketball court.

Grade school, high school, it didn’t matter if it was a public or private school; the memories would be the same. So many will still be in touch with that special friend they hung around with in grade school and possibly high school.  Stories get better with age as they are told over and over again. 

Today St. Joseph Regional School is the only Catholic elementary school left in Batavia. Yet, it offers everything the public schools provide.  Notre Dame High School still proudly stands on Union Street, graduating boys and girls on the same grounds their parents and grandparents stood many years ago.

The 2021 The Downtown Batavia Business Improving District Wine Walk was from 5pm until 8p Saturday evening.  This year’s theme was Prom. The streets were filled with 600 participants visiting over 20 business that were hosing a wine tasting.  

YNGODESS

Valle Jewelers 

Bourbon and Burger

Eli Fish

Islands Grill

Adam Miller Toys

Adam Miller Toys

Charles Men's Shop

My Cut Barber Shop

Empire Hemp Company 

Empire Hemp Company

Batavia Bootery

GO ART!

T-Shirts Etc.

Unless you are over 103 years old and remember the Spanish Flu worldwide outbreak of 1918, then the COVID virus is your first (and hopefully last) pandemic. Enduring all of the shortages, masking, social distancing, quarantining, and isolation for the past year and a half has caused me to think back to when I was a kid growing up in Batavia in the 1950s and 1960s.

What kind of health care did I receive? Who were my providers? What kind of medical problems did I experience? Did we have fears back then like there are now with COVID?

Doctor In The House
My first memory of a doctor is when I had appendicitis at age 5. We lived at 26 Thomas Avenue and our family physician , Doctor Mansueto, lived across the street at number 23. He regularly made house calls after office hours and my mother summoned him to see me.

I had a fever, was vomiting, and had severe lower right side belly pain – the class signs of an infected appendix. But when Dr. Mansueto began examining my abdomen I started giggling like he was tickling me. My mom was exasperated by my reaction until he touched the right spot and I let out a screech so loud that the customers at Olivers Candies probably heard me. It was off to St. Jerome's Hospital for me.

This was in 1952 and a year earlier a major renovation of St. Jerome's had been completed so they were all ready for me. I recall that the anesthesia that was used for my surgery was ether which causes a lot of nausea upon awakening. In between throwing up, all they would give me was ice chips to moisten my mouth. After several days' stay, I got to go home minus my appendix and plus the first of many scars.

Dr. Biagio Mansueto had gotten his degree from the University of Bologna in Italy and then served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Europe during WWII. In 1946 he began his medical practice as a family physician in Batavia with an office upstairs at 73 Main Street above what was Critic's Restaurant. He had a 35-year career and helped deliver over 2,000 babies before retiring to California in 1980. He passed away in 1995.

We had many occasions in our family to call on the services of Dr. Mansueto over the years. When I was about 7 or 8, I had a bad case of strep throat and he had me hospitalized for several days at St. Jerome's. Back then your own family doctor would visit the hospital and oversee your care. The only thing I can remember is that I was given some Hydrogen Peroxide to gargle with and for some reason the nurse left me alone to do that. I spilled it in my bed and lay uncomfortably in the wet sheets until someone discovered it.

A Bad Dime Was Had By Me
A more humorous incident that ended up at the doctor's house began in St. Mary's Church. While attending Sunday Mass my mother gave me a dime (talk about inflation) to put in the collection basket. Me being a goofy little boy, the dime ended up stuck in my nostril. After a couple of embarrassing minutes trying to extricate it (resulting in a lot of runny snot), mom dragged me (probably literally) out of there.

She got me in the car and proceeded to Mansueto's across the street from our house. Fortunately, the doctor was home and calmly removed the stuck coin with tweezers. He told my mother and me that he would be required to keep the coin as payment. This became a funny family tale in subsequent years, but I got my ears blistered (as my mom used to say) that day.

College Interruptus
Probably my last interaction with Doctor Mansueto was after my sophomore year of college in 1966. The whole school year I had been feeling off health-wise and had been losing weight. While working a summer job at Coca- Cola on East Main St. I developed a nagging cough. Eventually, the doctor suspected pneumonia and had me admitted to St. Jerome's for tests and observation.

I have 2 memories of that stay. First, one night the dinner that was served was a not very fresh plate of fruit. Nutrition-wise I guess that was okay ( if it didn't look like it had been left out for a couple of days), but not exactly what a 19-year-old would want. I think I had my mom go to Kustas Kandies on Main Street and get me a big cheeseburger.

Secondly, I know people seem older when you are that young, but there was one nurse who looked about 80. She was walking so slowly entering and leaving the room, with tongue only partially in cheek I asked the young man who was my roommate if he thought we should get out of bed and assist her.

As it turned out. I ended up at a specialist in Rochester and had to withdraw from St. John Fisher College to have surgery for a benign (thankfully ) tumor in my lung. That was definitely not a fun experience but did result in my spending an extra year getting a degree and delaying immersion into the real world of adulthood.

Take Your Best Shot

One other very clear memory I have from back then is how frightened my friends, classmates, and I were of polio. Of course, adults including our parents were concerned too. There had been a polio outbreak in 1939 resulting in school closings and some quarantining. Everyone knew someone in the community who had been paralyzed or crippled by it. In fact, the President during the 1930s and 1940s, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was debilitated by polio including needing leg braces and having to use a wheelchair.

But by far the things that scared us the most were the newspaper and magazine photos of kids in “Iron Lungs”. These were the precursors to ventilators and consisted of a large metal tank which the patient was placed into with only their head sticking out. The apparatus helped you to breathe easier and helped the lungs and diaphragm to regain their strength.

Most people only needed the iron lungs for several weeks, but somehow we kids got the impression that if you got polio you'd have to spend your whole life in there.

So, needless to say, when we and our parents learned of Doctor Jonas Salk's vaccine discovery that would keep us from those horrible contraptions we counted the days until we could get our shots. Sound familiar in 2021?

It was in the spring of 1955 when the vaccinations finally came. I was in the fourth grade at St. Mary's School and it was announced that doctors would be going to the schools and be assisted by nurses in doing the inoculations. Dr. Samuel Gerace came to our school and I recall him being very friendly and soft-spoken to make the nervous kids more at ease.

I don't remember which kid it was, but one of the boys was boasting about how easy it was going to be and no one should be a “scaredy-cat”. As he waited in line for his turn, he saw the needle go into a child's arm and fainted, going down like an electric pole in a hurricane. For the rest of the year, he was the one that got needled.

Later on in the 1960s, my younger brother was protected against polio by an oral vaccine developed by Doctor Albert Sabin. Instead of a shot, the medication was placed on a sugar cube and you just had to pop it in your mouth. No more fainting.

You Know The Drill
I would be remiss if I didn't mention my experiences with dental care. Our dentist was Doctor Lawrence Mulcahy whose office was in a big white building on the northeast corner of East Main and Ross Streets. I'm sure that he was a very capable dentist, but I would have rather eaten bugs than endure a session with him. I used to stress for days before my appointment.

I don't recall Doctor Mulcahy giving an injection (what most people call Novacaine but used to be Procaine and is now Lidocaine) to numb my mouth for fillings. Rather, he administered Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas.

This is a chemical that apparently people have fun with at Grateful Dead concerts, but I can assure you that I wasn't doing any laughing in the dental chair. It made me feel a little lightheaded but did practically nothing for the pain. I'm pretty sure I yelled out in agony on several occasions.

I was so traumatized by my dental visits that I did not go to the dentist for many years. Eventually, when I finally did go, I had so many cavities that I had to have them taken care of in stages. Dental care was not as bad in the 1950s as in the Old West days when the barber doubled as the dentist. But, I'm sure happy that my appointments for dental care today are painless and anxiety-free.

A lot of folks who get on board the nostalgia train seem to think that everything was better back then. Admittedly, you were more likely to have a personal relationship with your family physician, especially in a small town and particularly when they sometimes came right to your home. But, advances in scientific discoveries ( for those of us who trust them) and medical technology have enabled us to have a longer and healthier life today.

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

The theft occurred on Sept. 12.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

According to a press release from the state:

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

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

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

Submitted photos: Views of the Molasses Hill Tower.

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

Press release:

Today, marks the announcement of Arc GLOW, a chapter of The Arc New York. Arc GLOW is the result of 18 months of strategic planning of two successful and long-standing organizations, The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming and Arc of Genesee Orleans.

As a result of this merger, our programs and services will expand to cover four counties. We are a family-founded agency serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties. Our four-county service area covers roughly 2,400 square miles—geographically, the largest Arc chapter in New York State and the FIRST four-county chapter. 

As a unified organization, the employees of Arc GLOW will benefit from the collective knowledge and to continue to use the best practices, procedures, and policies that are focused on the people we serve and their families.

Arc GLOW is dedicated to helping people we serve to meet their full potential and find fulfillment in learning, personal relationships, employment, volunteerism, recreation, the arts, and more. We invite you to learn more about us, ask questions and visit our facilities as we put our combined 100-plus years of dedication and experience to work creating a bright and exciting future for our communities.

 

Press release:

After 35 years of service, Communications Coordinator Russell L. Lang is working his last shift Friday, October 1, at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Russ began his career on August 9, 1986, as a Dispatcher, and on June 17, 1989, he was appointed Communications Coordinator and has held this position ever since.  During his communications career, Lang earned several awards that include two Distinguished Service, three Meritorious Service for continuous excellence, and six Commendations.   

“911 emergency communications and public safety systems have changed dramatically over the past 35 years.  Russ has always been a very reliable, dedicated employee, always willing to learn new systems and provide the best service possible to the first responders of Genesee County.  He will truly be missed, and we all wish him the very best in his retirement,” stated Sheriff Sheron.

Lang said he and his wife expect to move to Myrtle Beach, N.C., on Nov. 1.  In the spring he will become the box office manager for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a Single-A team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.

Photos by Howard Owens

Frank Riccobono, Asst. Director of Emergency Communications, Undersheriff Bradley Mazer, Legislator Gary Maha, Russ Lang, Sherriff William Sheron, and Steven C. Sharpe
Director of Emergency Communications.

The word haven means a place of safety, a refuge.

And so it is with Batavia native Haven Armstrong. Despite his rocky childhood — dropping out of high school and a constant journey of getting into “a little bit of trouble” — Armstrong has since become a leader in the military, with his family, and for the community.

The 36-year-old Irondequoit resident has fulfilled the very reason his dad named him Haven.

“It means a safe place; he liked that word. My dad taught me how to carry yourself like a man,” Armstrong said during an interview Wednesday. “I just want to be as honest, as real, as open as I can be.”

A Rocky Beginning

It took him a while to reach this point. As a teen, Armstrong dropped out of school at 16. Admittedly, he was “running with the wrong crowd, skipping school” and believing he was a man before his time.

“Thinking I was grown up before I was grown up,” he said.  “My mother didn’t let me get away with a lot. She guided me.”

His mom, Patricia Armstrong of Batavia, not only devoted her support to her eldest son and his siblings, but to Haven’s daughter. At the precarious age of 15, he became a father to Makayla. That was “a definite eye-opener,” he said and began his slow trek into adulthood. He eventually got his General Education Diploma (GED) and worked “every job” at various places, from gumball factories and roofing companies to fast-food restaurants.

He acknowledges now that he probably should have listened to his mom more than he did. When his second child, Hasan, was born in 2007, Armstrong genuinely tuned into reality, he said. At 23, he decided to enlist in the Army National Guard. He never looked back.

Falling in Line

“I saw the way my life was going,” he said. “I kind of just took right to it. It’s always something I wanted to do. I believe it was the structure I was yearning for. It was a personal journey that helped me as a father, helped me as a brother, helped me as a son.”

Geographically, he said, the role of infantryman has taken him to Germany, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and just about every state in America. Once a kid on the street looking for trouble, Armstrong, a Staff Sergeant in line for a promotion to Sergeant First Class, has established a solid career. Much of his work has been to evaluate infantry units and train them for deployment. His team trained 50,000 troops across the country, he said. While overseas he helped to shut down highways and safeguard vehicles carrying ammunition.

“We made sure it was a safe route for the ammo to travel,” he said. “We were getting proficient and becoming experts in what we did. It taught me a lot.”

Two years ago he took another opportunity with National Guard to become a recruiter. Based in Geneseo, Armstrong visits schools throughout Genesee County and a portion of Wyoming County during the school year. Summertime means seeing prospective recruits at festivals and fairs. Although he misses the hands-on duties of his infantryman status, Armstrong enjoys sharing his own story with youths who may be experiencing a similar upbringing. The Army National Guard has given him a needed outlet, he said.

“I didn’t know how to channel that energy,” he said. “That’s why I got in trouble.”

Gaining a Voice

His story’s latest chapter is to become part of the Just Kings Social Club, a 10-member organization to help raise up the community. It began with Armstrong’s brother, Brandon, and a few of his friends who organized a march last year in memory of George Floyd and to raise awareness of “why people are upset,” Haven said. Unlike many other rallies that scored big publicity for wreaking havoc on the streets, this one was meant to be peaceful and powerful, Haven said. And he got caught up in the emotion of it all.  During the march, he seized the opportunity to speak his truth.

“I grabbed the bullhorn and shared my story,” he said. “We wanted it to be as non-violent as possible.”

As part African American, he has experienced and observed racial profiling — getting pulled over and searched by law enforcement more often than other ethnicities — and watching as minorities received heavier penalties than white people for similar offenses, he said. His military service has brought enlightenment that it doesn’t have to be that way, he said.

“I’ve seen the most diversity … black leadership with white subordinates and white leadership with black subordinates. We don’t see color; everybody’s green. That was the real way of doing everything. When doing a job, we were all treated the same.”

Establishing a Foothold

He is careful to ensure his children, which also include Haven Jr., receive a well-rounded education and not just what is in traditional history books, he said. He wants to instill “a moral guideline” along with providing valid information about his family’s heritage.

“To give them everything I can give them in this crazy world we live in,” he said. “I don’t hide anything from them.”

He also brings that truth to Just Kings, a group of humble beginnings purposely devoid of a leader in lieu of a board of peers. Just is for justice and Kings is a term of endearment in the black community. Juneteenth celebrations, chicken barbecues, Thanksgiving food drives, and a school backpack program have served as fundraisers and philanthropy efforts to help bring about change and let people know that someone has their back, he said.

“We’re just trying to be that extra support for the community. People felt like they’re not represented,” he said. “We felt like we needed to put our foothold down in the community.”

The group’s mission statement is “to provide a voice for the local black community. We work to educate and mentor the youth, our neighbors, and ourselves as we continue to fight to end Racism (White Supremacy).”

Haven praised the generosity of local individuals and businesses and law enforcement. Just Kings has forged relationships with Batavia City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch and others in the criminal justice system. The outreach has been “overwhelming,” he said, and these efforts have given people a voice.

“We’ve been silent for so long,” he said.

For more information about Just Kings, how you can help, and future events, check out: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Kings-101243478338314/

Photos courtesy Haven Armstrong.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®)—the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years—to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” This year’s campaign, October 3-9th, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. 

The City of Batavia Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2021 Fire Prevention Week theme.  “It’s important to learn the different sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. When an alarm makes noise—a beeping sound or a chirping sound—you must take action!” said Dan Herberger, Fire Chief. “Make sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond. To learn the sounds of your specific smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, check the manufacturer’s instructions that came in the box, or search the brand and model online.”

The City Batavia Fire Department wants to share safety tips to help you “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”

• A continuous set of three loud beeps—beep, beep, beep—means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out.
• A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed.
• All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years.
• Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
• Make sure your smoke and CO alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• The City of Batavia Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”, including several presentations at area schools, residences, and the library.

Along with our public events, The City of Batavia Fire Department has a FREE smoke alarm installation program,” said Fire Chief Herberger. “If you do not have a smoke detector or if you are unsure the batteries are working properly, members of the City of Batavia Fire Department will come to your home and ensure that you have a working smoke detector, absolutely free of charge. Call (585) 345-6375 to set up an in-home appointment.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is kicking off a series of visits to local small businesses to commemorate National Women's Small Business Month, starting with a visit to Gilliana's Diner in Batavia. In the weeks to come, Hawley will be visiting other women-owned small businesses in the district throughout October.

Gilliana's Diner is a business opened by local resident Jill Antinore during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawley will be visiting the restaurant on Oct. 2 at 12:30 p.m. to honor Jill Antinore for her community-minded actions and perseverance in opening her business during a challenging period, all while looking out for her neighbors. They will also discuss her experience opening and operating her business, along with the challenges she and her staff have faced along the way.

“The dedication and generosity displayed by Jill Antinore in opening her business amid a pandemic is truly commendable, and her restaurant is the perfect place to start our celebration of National Women's Small Business Month,” said Hawley. “What she has done for the community, even while working to get her restaurant up and running, is truly astounding. I look forward to hearing from her firsthand about how she managed to do so much for so many people.”

Even as they opened their doors during tumultuous times, Jill and her husband worked through nights and early mornings to prepare meals to donate to the United Memorial Medical Center. Not stopping there, the business has continued its generous acts by donating 30 percent of all take-out dinner sales to benefit the Batavia Business & Professional Women's Club, as well as providing scholarships to local youth, and monetary awards to non-profit organizations engaged in bettering the community.

As Hawley continues with his series of visits to other businesses throughout National Women's Small Business Month, he will continue to highlight women-owned businesses that have overcome adversity, gone above and beyond to benefit their community, or have otherwise become famed fixtures within local areas. He will be announcing more of these visits to businesses in the near future.

“In a year that has been challenging for small businesses throughout the state, I am excited to use this opportunity to highlight the hard work and managerial prowess of women who own small businesses in our district,” said Hawley. “They have worked through a pandemic to continue serving their communities, all while adapting to rapidly changing laws and regulations, and that is something truly admirable.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Currently, 12 apartments are available, Cronk said.

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

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

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

I should have posted these photos earlier today but got sidetracked or something.  I took the top photo on the drive home from Rochester yesterday on Route 33.  The bottom photo is from Indian Falls by Joanne Meiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 HIGH PERCENTAGE ARE VACCINATED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MENDOZA: STUDENT ILLNESS INCREASES

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

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

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

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

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

EXPECT DELAYS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Press release:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that certain populations receive a booster shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after the completion of their Pfizer vaccine primary series (two doses). In addition, the CDC recommends that individuals that are in high-risk occupational and institutional settings should also receive a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

Based on these recommendations, the following groups should receive a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer vaccine primary series:

• People 65 years and older
• Residents in long-term care settings 
• People aged 50 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions

The following groups may consider receiving a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer vaccine primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks:

• People aged 18 to 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain underlying medical conditions
• People aged 18 to 64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting

Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are promoting booster shots to those that are eligible beginning the week of October 4th.

“We are prepared to provide booster shots to eligible residents who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine six months ago, stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and this will help provide these individuals with the extra protection needed against COVID-19.”

Appointments are required for Booster shots. Individuals will self-attest that they fall under one of the above categories to receive a booster shot. At this time, boosters are only recommended for those who have received the Pfizer vaccine for their primary series. The CDC is continuing to evaluate the data to make recommendations for those that received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for their primary vaccine series.

Wednesday 10/6

12:45pm - 3:30pm

 

Genesee County Health Dept.

3837 W Main Street Rd

Batavia, NY 14020

J&J: Walk-ins & Appt.

http://bit.ly/JanssenGenesee

 

Moderna: Walk-ins and Appt.

http://bit.ly/Moderna1Genesee

 

Pfizer Walk-ins and Appt.

http://bit.ly/Pfizer1Genesee

 

Pfizer Booster: Appointment required https://bit.ly/GeneseePfizerBooster

Thursday 10/7

12:45pm - 3:30pm

Orleans County Health Dept. 14016 State Route 31

Suite101

Albion, NY 14411

J&J: Walk-ins and Appt.

http://bit.ly/JanssenOrleans

 

Moderna: Walk-ins and Appt.

http://bit.ly/Moderna1Orleans

 

Pfizer Walk-ins and Appt.

http://bit.ly/Pfizer1Orleans

 

Pfizer Booster: Appointment required

https://bit.ly/OrleansPfizerBooster

“We also encourage anyone who has still not received their primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine, to do so and to talk with their primary care provider with questions related to the vaccine,” stated Pettit. “Everyone should also continue to practice the public health prevention precautions detailed below.”

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• If water is not readily available, use hand sanitizer, containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Wash and sanitize frequently shared/touched items.
• Stay 6 feet away from others and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
• Wear a face mask indoors in public and crowded outdoor settings.
• Monitor your health daily and stay home if you are experiencing any symptoms.
• Get tested if you are experiencing symptoms and self-isolate until you get your results back. If you test positive for COVID, you are to isolate for 10 days.

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots or to make an appointment, visit https://gohealthny.org/covid-19-vaccine-information/.

            For COVID-19 updates, visit https://gohealthny.org/emerging-issues/.