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Press release:

The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation is celebrating our Diamond Derby Day Gala. This is the Foundation’s 10th year hosting this amazing event, which has provided the resources to make great strides in our mission to “Lend a Hand for Hope”. We continue to assist families with the diagnosis of pediatric cancer, where we provide necessary financial assistance in the many challenges they face. We provide grants to youth organizations to help provide opportunities for youth in our communities. We support research in hopes to find a cure, but we are yet to reach the finish line.

With the support and generosity of our donors and event sponsors, we continue to stay strong in carrying out the mission of the Foundation. To date we have distributed these funds:

• Family Assistance $632,675
• Research Support $91,000
• Youth Activities and Grants $68,000
• Golisano Children’s Hospital $50,000
• United Memorial Pediatric Unit $25,000

So, grab your best hat, your best outfit, and your best friends and come Win prizes, Place bids and Show your support in celebration of our Diamond Derby Day Gala. Please consider helping us with the event through sponsorship, donations, and/or prizes. Your generosity helps us to “Lend a Hand for Hope” to those in need.

Please join us for a fantastic evening, fabulous prizes, and heartfelt stories of our pediatric warriors. The event is being held at Terry Hills Golf Course & Banquet Facility in Batavia, NY on Saturday, May 6th, 2023, with post-time at 4PM.

For registration, tickets and sponsorships or for more information about the Gala, please go to our website: www.michaelshope.org , find us on Facebook or call 585-861-0550.

Come and enjoy a great night for a great cause!

Photo: File photo from 2018 Derby Day. By Howard Owens.

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) recently cosponsored the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act of 2023, which ensures dairy farmers can price their products to reflect today’s market environment. This bill will increase transparency and modernize the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system, giving our farmers confidence that any future changes to the program reflect economic fundamentals.

This bipartisan bill is being led in the House by Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25) and Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and has a Senate companion led by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

"I am honored to represent New York's 24th District, the largest dairy-producing district in the Northeast. The Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act ensures that dairy farmers and producers across New York can stay competitive amidst rising inflation rates, labor costs, and energy prices. This bill is essential so farmers can focus on the important work of producing food for our nation. I will continue to advocate for our nation's farmers and producers and promote stability in the dairy market," said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

“Federal milk marketing reform is a key priority for AFBF, and we are pleased to see Rep. Langworthy incorporate several of our requested changes into the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act. Dairy farmers deserve clarity and confidence in how they are paid, and all-inclusive cost and yield surveying of processors is a good first step to ensure make allowances are being calculated fairly and accurately. Switching back to the “higher-of” Class I formula as quickly as possible is a priority of our dairy farmers. We commend Rep. Langworthy for including a provision that would require USDA to initiate a National Federal Order hearing process that will allow us to pursue this change administratively while we also pursue the change legislatively. We look forward to working with Rep. Langworthy to get this legislation passed,” said Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“Meaningful Federal Milk Market Order reform is essential for New York’s dairy farms to help ensure they receive a fair price for their milk. Farm Bureau has long been advocating for federal order changes and created a special working group made up of farmers and industry leaders to help identify areas for the key change. We thank Representatives Langworthy and Morelle for introducing the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act, which will modernize the federal milk marketing order system to more equitably support our farms and food supply,” said David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau President and dairy farmer.

Additional original cosponsors include Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22), Congressman Trent Kelly (MS-01), Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Congresswoman Mary E. Miller (IL-15), Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09), Congressman Chris Stewart (UT-02), and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01).

Photo: File photo of Claudia Tenney by Howard Owens.

Greg Kinal taught social studies at Pembroke High School for 52 years.  He's also a history buff, and after his retirement in 2022, for another project, he compiled a history of the school district.  He provided The Batavian with a timeline of the district's history to share with readers.

The Pembroke Central School District- A Timeline

CORFU

• In the 19th century, rural schoolhouses were strewn across towns and villages. They usually consisted of one-room buildings with a single teacher to teach a number of grade levels.
• In 1811, the first school opened in the Town of Pembroke. It was private and was operated by Anna Horton. She ran it in her home in the village of Long’s Corners, now named Corfu.
• In 1814, a village meeting was held to determine the future of education in the village. The meeting was held at the home of Josiah Lee, who was part of a team to accomplish this.
• By 1819, a log schoolhouse existed on what is today Alleghany Road, the present site of the Pembroke Intermediate School.
• The year 1820 saw the first public school open in the village of Long’s Corners.
• The 1860s witnessed Long’s Corners now being called Corfu. In 1867, a new schoolhouse was located in Corfu at 39 South Alleghany Road. James McGraw was the teacher as well as the head of the fledgling district.
• Twenty years later, the Corfu residents planned a new school. However, there were complications. The school would be built where an existed cemetery was located. So, in 1881, graves were relocated so the new school could be built. The location is the present site of the Intermediate School. The new building was a two-story wood-frame structure with three classrooms on the first floor and a large room upstairs for the high school. The Corfu residents were proud to witness the graduating class in 1884 of just four girls.
• The 20th century witnessed more school expansion. In 1906, a two-story addition was added to house another elementary classroom, a cloakroom downstairs, another high school room, and a new principal’s office.
• On June 13, 1906, the Corfu school became an accredited high school and was then known as the Corfu Union Free School District.
• (Note: A common school district is a school district first created by legislative action back in 1812 to operate elementary schools (kindergarten through eighth grade). Even though they lack the authority to operate a high school, common school districts remain responsible for ensuring a secondary education for their resident children. The term union free school has nothing to do with unions of any kind. A union free school district is a school district generally formed from one or more common school districts to operate a high school program, which common school districts cannot do.)
• The Corfu school became a teacher training center between 1913 and 1916, to help supply teachers to rural grade schools.
• In 1930, a moveable building was added to the rear of the Corfu school at a cost of $2,500.
• In the middle of the Great Depression, the Corfu Union Free School District believed a completely new building was needed to deal with a growing population. The District hired architects Harbach and Kideney to produce plans for the new school. The cost of the new school was $156,363. The new school would be funded in a number of ways. $70,363, or about half the cost would come from a New Deal program called the Public Works Administration, with $86,000 coming from a bond issue paid for by taxpayers.
• The District believed the best location for the new building would be directly behind the school built in 1881. Ground was broken in January 1935 and the new school was completed on February 1, 1937. The old school was leveled shortly after the new school opened. The Batavia Daily News reported that the new building was a “two-story fireproof structure of red brick trimmed with Indiana limestone, 158 feet wide across the front and 56 feet on the ends and 100 feet deep in the center where the auditorium is located.” This building could house 350 students. In 1940, a new auditorium was added.

EAST PEMBROKE

• In 1856, a number of “interested and generous citizens” met and pledged $3,413 toward the building of a new school in East Pembroke.
• On October 7, 1856, the Old Rural Seminary opened on School Street in East Pembroke on an acre of land donated by Rev. Daniel C. Houghton. The previous March, 15 trustees were elected to oversee the running of the school.
• The new school had a principal named I.A. McFarlane, who was paid $600 for his services, and the teaching staff included Helen Page, Elizabeth Rich, and Helen A. Gould. In today’s world, McFarlane’s salary would be a lot higher, and there would be many more teachers.
• Changes occurred toward the end of the century. In 1893, the Old Rural Seminary became the East Pembroke Union Free School. They could now operate a high school program.
• Like other rural areas, East Pembroke was broken up, education-wise, into Districts that led to some consolidation. In the late 1890s, repairs were made to the East Pembroke school building at a cost of $600, and in June 1897, the East Pembroke High School graduated its first class of one member, Leona Seamans.
• The East Pembroke School was a site to behold. The two-story structure had a cupola on top with a bell. Boys entered the building in one entrance and girls at the other.

CORFU-EAST PEMBROKE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

• In 1938, the New York State Education Department required that rural school districts be consolidated into centralized districts.
• Corfu and East Pembroke each had to prepare their own consolidation plans. However, their plan was negated and the State mandated they join both school buildings into one district.
• The plan instructed that the existing Corfu building would house grades 1-12. Then, a new building would be built in East Pembroke to house grades 1-9. Grades 10-12 at the existing East Pembroke School would be bused to Corfu.
• On September 7, 1938, the Corfu Union Free School and the East Pembroke Union Free School officially became centralized.
• The two schools, plus the 18 rural districts from the towns of Pembroke, Darien, Batavia, and Alexander, would now make up the new Corfu-East Pembroke School District.
• The Public Works Administration (PWA) would once again play a role in the Corfu-East Pembroke District. The Batavia Daily News reported on September 30, 1938, that “controversy over school centralization in the Town of Pembroke appeared ended today with the approval of a $340,000 bond issue for construction of a combination junior high and grade school at East Pembroke and an addition to the present Corfu High School.” The $340,000 bond issue represented only 55 percent of the total cost, with the remaining 45 percent to be furnished by the PWA.
• This building project for the school also included the construction of a bus garage, the purchase of school equipment, and acquiring land for the school and athletic field on West Avenue in East Pembroke. Also included in this monetary package were funds for the Corfu school to purchase land for an athletic field.
• The East Pembroke School construction began on December 27, 1938, with numerous speakers, including Master of Ceremonies, and Principal Laurence B. Lane.
• The East Pembroke School was completed for the 1940 school year. In 1958, the schools were realigned, and East Pembroke became a K-6 building, while Corfu maintained its K-12 status. (Note: Historian Lois Brockway said kindergarten did not come to Pembroke until 1949).
• In the early 1960s, school overcrowding led to the Corfu and East Pembroke Grange halls being used for 6th-grade classes. Also, the growing student enrollment meant that regular school hours had to be adjusted. The Corfu High School went on split sessions during the 1960s, with grades 9-12 attending classes from 7:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. and grades 6-8 attending classes from 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
• With the new buildings, students had physical education classes in the gymnasium instead of recess and playing games outdoors. Buses were now used to pick up and drop off students at their houses.

PEMBROKE CENTRAL SCHOOL

• The student population increased in the Pembroke district, and officials realized a new high school needed to be built. The new school would be built at the corner of Routes 5 and 77. Ground was broken in August 1962, and the new junior/senior high school opened its doors in January 1964. The district principal (now called superintendent) was Laurence B. Lane.
• The Pembroke Central School became a 7-12 building and could hold 800 students. The Corfu and East Pembroke buildings each became K-6 buildings.
• The late 1960s brought about more improvements in the district’s buildings. An addition was added to the East Pembroke School, which opened in 1967, and a large lecture hall (the Round Room), and 17 instructional classrooms (the 500 wing) were added to the high school, along with a swimming pool, library research center, guidance offices, and a cafeteria.
• The elementary schools saw a major educational change in 1971. The new superintendent, Dr. Richard Nealon, along with the Board of Education, decided that elementary students’ education would be better served by having the East Pembroke School be a K-2 building and the Corfu building serve as a 3-6 building, becoming the Pembroke Intermediate School.
• This move was not popular. Some teachers in both schools chose to retire rather than switch buildings.
• With the 1970s came more improvements. In 1972, the Wilson Choate Outdoor Education Area was dedicated along with the Kip Mantor football field.
• On June 10, 1987, Pembroke Central School suffered a horrible tragedy. Three Pembroke students and their Driver Education teacher were killed in a DWI accident. The following year, Pembroke’s Redesign Team, part of the Art Department, created a memorial sign to be placed in front of the school. The Pembroke Community Rainbow Memorial Committee, including students, school and community members, constructed this memorial. Dedicated in 1988, it serves as a reminder of the tragedy, as well as a marquee for school events. In 2022, the memorial’s marquee was upgraded to an LED digital sign, bringing a beautiful addition to the front of the school.
• The last major renovation at Pembroke Central School came in 2008. Taxpayers passed a $25 million bond issue to upgrade the three buildings. It took two years to complete. In those two years, infrastructure upgrades were done at the Primary and Intermediate schools, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and lighting and plumbing. The high school received most of the updates. Tiles were replaced, and new ceilings, lighting, and floors were installed as well. New boilers were also on the list for refurbishing, along with upgrades to the technology and home economics room. The “Round Room” was turned into an art and music center, the auditorium was air-conditioned, new offices were built, and a new library complex was added.
• The Pembroke community has a lot to be proud of with its school community. They have come a long way from Anna Horton’s 1811 school in her home, to our modern educational facilities of today. One wonders what the future holds for this dynamic community that has always risen to the challenge of caring for our most precious commodity: our children.

Submitted photos:  Top photo, students at Pembroke High School in a typing class in the 1970s.

Pembroke High School under construction in 1963.

Corfu High School.

East Pembroke Seminary.

Pembroke High School students in the 1970s.

Editor's Note: The name of this student has been changed to preserve confidentiality. 

Howard wasn’t really into vaping.

Yet he was doing it socially when hanging out with friends.

And he would also vape in school.

He didn’t get a buzz or feel much of anything at all, he said. But he wanted to go along with the group.

“I think they thought it was mostly cool,” he said at Batavia High School. “I used them from my friends.”

Howard never actually bought any vaping products, and only used them when friends offered.

That is, until it all came to a crashing end. He got caught vaping in class.

“I was mad, kind of scared. I knew my sports would be done,” he said. “I got ATS, and talked to the assistant principal.”

ATS, alternative suspension, is done in-school during the day instead of placing the student at home. Howard was also given another option to take a session of Vape University to reduce his sentence. The university was a pilot program and Howard was the pilot, so to speak, to go through it.

He met one-on-one with math teacher Mark Warren, who was one of four or five teachers who had volunteered to train for the program. They reviewed facts about and negative consequences of vaping.

For example, do you know what’s in a vape cartridge? It may sound all fruity delicious with bubblegum, strawberry cream, blackberry lemonade and watermelon flavors, but, according to the Vape U materials, it contains nicotine, acrolein, an herbicide used to kill weeds, aldehydes, one of the most toxic components of tobacco smoke and cause of cardiovascular disease, ultra fine particles that include heavy metals and flavoring ingredients that can cause irreversible lung damage.

Yet the marketing makes the product seem innocuous and homes in on kids. Perhaps that’s why the first e-cigarette or tobacco product that four out of five youth try is flavored. Want a creme brûlée draw anyone? By 2019, there were 5.4 million middle and high school students using e-cigarettes across the country, the material states.

That’s one of the more surprising facts to Howard, he said. He didn’t realize how many kids were actually vaping. He knows it goes on, but it doesn’t seem all that prevalent, at least not at BHS, he said.

Did you know that some of the short-term effects of vaping include:

• Reduced lung function
• Shortness of breath and wheezing
• Nicotine dependence
• Decreased sense of smell and taste
• Teeth discoloration and decay
• Bad breath
• Diminished capacity in sports
• Skin appears pale and unhealthy

And a few of the long-term effects include:

• Asthma, lung cancer, COPD
• Diabetes complications
• Stomach cancer and ulcers
• Wrinkled skin
• Mouth and throat cancer
• Heart disease
• Infertility
• Weak bones

Warren also talked to students about their reasons for getting into the habit, and replacements for the behavior. He also listens when needed, he said.

“I’m an additional person, so they can talk to their teachers or counselors administrators, other people in the building, and this just gives one more friendly face,” Warren said.

And what happens if the student doesn’t show up?

“So that would extend the consequence side of it. That's part of our work with the parents. And so we definitely want a consequence side to vaping. But we also really want to help students out, that's why we would have a program like that in the first place, our goal is for (this student) or any of the other students that number one, they were educated on it, and that we were able to come up with a good plan to see if the nicotine is really affecting them, and that they have some replacement behaviors in school,” high school Principal Paul Kesler said. “You know, and so, ultimately, we don't want to see the students missing a lot of class, if it's something that we can help with on the education side of it, and the replacement behavior side of it.”

Students are also given a Quit Kit containing the essentials: suckers, gum, a hair tie to fidget with, and mints. While seemingly frivolous tools to combat potential addiction, it’s important to have something to replace the vaping behavior, Warren and Director of SOAR Chris Merle said.

Students are also confidentially referred to a GCASA counselor who has been working with the district for at least the last five years, Merle said. Referrals are for various issues, including vaping and drug use.

“And so she meets with them confidentially. So, you know, she's very aware of our programming with Vape University and we're very aware of the work that she does with our students. The parents are on board and know that it's happening,” Merle said. "But again, that's sort of part of our combination of … really working with students and giving them access, they might reveal the level that they're struggling with, and then GCASA working with parents could offer further services, or any other agencies in the area as well.”

Students caught vaping don’t have to attend Vape University, but it would reduce the amount of time that they’re out of class and in suspension or alternate suspension. For Howard, his automatic removal from sports also meant another step that he chose to take.

He faced a committee and “I had to tell them why I should be on the team,” he said. He spoke of his qualities and that he was an asset to his team. And that he wasn’t going to be vaping any more.

He was allowed to return, and as a multiple-sport athlete, was grateful for that.

“They let me back on, that made me happy,” he said. “I got a second chance. It made me prove I could be better.”

The downside was that he couldn’t maintain some of his friendships with kids that continued to vape.

“I told them I’m not doing it any more. It’s not cool; it’s just the appearance (of it),” he said. “I didn’t want to surround myself with things they were doing. I pulled myself away from them.”

One success story down, many to go. At least from how Merle describes it. Most school districts are seeing an increase in vaping, she said. “Everywhere.” COVID, as with other issues, can be blamed for this too, at least somewhat. Merle believes that when kids were home a lot more, often alone, there was more opportunity to vape.

“The market has grown exponentially. It’s hit that demographic as well,” she said. “That’s what the American Lung Association will tell you as well, and more research, that it’s really grown a ton in the past few years.”

As for Batavia district’s own research, Vape U leaders will be looking at repeat offenders as markers of their program’s success. With this being year one that began in January, and about a dozen student graduates of Vape U, they have a ways to go before being able to identify solid trends and positive habits, but organizers feel it’s a good start. No repeats yet. There is a survey given to participants at the beginning of the program that will also be used to collect data.

Meanwhile, students will probably continue what students have been doing for decades — smoking (or vaping) in the bathroom, locker rooms, outside of school, in their cars, and the brave ones will do it in classrooms, until they possibly get caught one day. And Batavia officials will introduce them to Vape U.

Warren has noticed a few differences between cigarettes and vaping in the minds of kids today.

“There are kids who would never fathom smoking a cigarette, but think that vaping is ok,” he said. “They see vaping as so less harmful than cigarettes.”

Kesler wants parents to know that this is not just for students.

“As we move into next year, if you have a concern, please contact us. We would love to have this as a resource for parents,” he said.

The district is launching a similar program at the middle school.

Top Photo of Director of SOAR Chris Merle, BHS Principal Paul Kesler and teacher Mark Warren; and individually as they discuss issues about vaping; a Quit Kit with replacement supplies; and materials used at Vape University. Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors will consider an initial resolution for GSPP Route 262, LLC’s 5 MW community solar project at its board meeting on Thursday, March 30, 2023. The project’s total capital investment is estimated at $13 million and will be located in the town of Byron.

GSPP Route 262, LLC’s project is aligned with New York's goals for renewable energy, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions, and will offer customers a 10% discount vs. average market rates for the generated power.

Agreements negotiated for GSPP Route 262, LLC’s project PILOT would generate $4,000/MWAC + a 2% annual escalator of revenues with Genesee County, the Town of Byron, and Byron-Bergen Central School District.  This project is estimated to generate a $627,303 increase in property-tax type revenues to host municipalities. 

If the project application is accepted, a public hearing will be scheduled on the proposed project agreement in the town of Byron.

The March 30, 2023, GCEDC board meeting will be held at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia. Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting is available at www.gcedc.com

Press Release:

Richmond Memorial Library invites you to attend the 2023 Spring Series of Books Sandwiched In!

Now in its 42nd year, this program is a familiar favorite for many RML patrons and new attendees are always welcome. Guest speakers will share book reviews, generally of non-fiction titles. This series will also include fiction and non-fiction reviews from the Books Sandwiched In Committee.

“We’ve got a wide variety of titles to hear about this series,” shares program coordinator and Community Adult Services Librarian Samantha Basile. “We’ve got bestsellers, timely reads and some titles that people may not be familiar with but will find really interesting. Both 'The Last Slave Ship' and 'The Escape Artist' are newer and share very important forgotten histories. 'Braiding Sweetgrass' has been on the NYT Paperback Non-Fiction list for 153 weeks now and was first published in 2013, so it is also really interesting to hear how these books stay relevant and their messages continue to resonate with readers.”

Sessions will take place at the library on Wednesdays in April from 12:10 – 1 p.m. Enjoy refreshments and enter for a chance to win a door prize at each program! Each session will feature a drawing for a $10 gift certificate to a local lunch spot. Attendees do not need to read the books prior to the program and copies of the chosen titles will be available for checkout. Each session will also be recorded and will be available to view on the library’s YouTube page .

Wednesday, April 5, 12:10 – 1 p.m.: Meet the Books Sandwiched In Committee as they share short fiction and non-fiction reviews! Committee members include Stacey Anderson, Richard Beatty, Christina Mortellaro Frank, Cathy Uhly and program coordinator Samantha Basile. Titles to be discussed include "Louise Blanchard Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect" by Kelly Hayes McAlonie, "The Librarian Spy" by Madeline Martin, "Chasing the Boogeyman" by Richard Chizmar, "Of Women and Salt" by Gabriela Garcia and "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix.

Wednesday, April 12, 12:10 - 1 p.m.: Retired attorney and community volunteer Julia Garver reviews "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom," "Scientific Knowledge" and the "Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013)

“In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, Robin Wall Kimmerer circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.” (from publisher summary)

Wednesday, April 19, 12:10 – 1 p.m.: Retired history teacher and community volunteer Ron Chrzanowski reviews: "The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World" by Jonathan Freedland (2022)

“In April 1944, Rudolf Vrba became one of the very first Jews to break out of Auschwitz and make his way to freedom--one of only a tiny handful who ever pulled off that near-impossible feat. He did it to reveal the truth of the death camp to the world -and to warn the last Jews of Europe what fate awaited them at the end of the railway line. Against all odds, he and his fellow escapee, Fred Wetzler, climbed mountains, crossed rivers and narrowly missed German bullets until they had smuggled out the first full account of Auschwitz the world had ever seen.” (from publisher summary)

Wednesday, April 26, 12:10 - 1 p.m.: Rev. Dr. Roula Alkhouri and Rev. Dr. Shiela McCullough review: "The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning" by Ben Raines

“The complex history behind the recent discovery of the last known slave ship to convey Africans to the U.S. before the Civil War. In 2019, environmental journalist Raines, who lives in Alabama, helped unearth from the muddy delta outside Mobile the sunken remains of the schooner Clotilda, which made its infamous run to the west coast of Africa in July 1860 and returned carrying 110 slaves…A highly readable, elucidating narrative that investigates all the layers of a traumatic history.” (from Kirkus starred review)

Books Sandwiched In is generously sponsored by The Friends of Richmond Memorial Library. Support of the Friends is always welcomed through donations and memberships! Visit the library to learn more. Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia. For more information about the library and its programs, visit batavialibrary.org.

Submitted Photo.

Press Release:

Genesee County, in collaboration with Genesee Valley Conservancy, Western New York Land Conservancy, and Genesee Land Trust, have announced that the Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board will be accepting pre-applications from landowners interested in being considered for New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Farmland Protection program or other state and federal farmland protection initiatives that may become available in the future.

The Farmland Protection program buys conservation easements on the State’s most productive farmland. The program is completely voluntary, and the seller retains ownership of the land and can continue farming the property. However, the land will have permanent restrictions on commercial, residential, and industrial uses.

A workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Genesee County Building 2, located at 3837 W Main Street Rd, Batavia) to provide landowners with information about the program. All interested landowners MUST ATTEND this workshop prior to submitting an application. If any interested landowners cannot attend, contact the County Planning at planning@co.genesee.ny.us or 585-815-7901 to inquire about make arrangements.

The State Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program reimburses farmers up to 87.5 percent of the
value of the development rights on their land. Three land trusts serve Genesee County and can submit applications for this grant funding. All farmers wishing to apply to the State program must complete a pre-application with their respective land trust. Pre-applications will be evaluated by the land trust and will consider the amount of development pressure, quality of soils to be protected, and farm viability. The highest scoring pre-application(s) will be invited to have full applications submitted to the program. These pre-applications may be used to select eligible farms for other future state and federal farmland protection programs.

The Genesee County Planning Department, the Genesee Valley Conservancy, the Western New
York Land Conservancy, the Genesee Land Trust, and the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation
District work cooperatively to manage the pre-application phase.

The pre-application process will be open year-round for interested landowners in the County but will be reviewed annually by each Land Trust. The full application deadline to the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets has not yet been announced, and there is no guarantee the State will release a funding opportunity this budget year. However, establishing a pipeline of interested farms is crucial to demonstrating funding needs and critical to leveraging other non-state funding.

For more information on the New York State Farmland Protection program, visit HERE.
 

Looking back at Scott Davis’ journey to recovery, it is clear to see that the Orange County native – and former Batavian – was ahead of his time.

Davis took his first sip of alcohol at the age of 11, escalated his drug use to LSD and ecstasy in his early teens and eventually became addicted to heroin and fentanyl, behavior that resulted in separate stints in rehabilitation, shock camp and prison.

Today, the 43-year-old Davis has been in recovery for more than three years. He has a good job as a certified peer recovery advocate for the Rochester Regional Health system, a loving fiancée, Heather, and a beautiful 18-month-old daughter, MacKenzie.

While his story may seem like the typical “former drug user who went to jail and came out on the other side” variety, there’s much more to it than that when you learn that Davis relied upon his instincts and intellect to turn his life around.

Even before it was accepted as a key component of substance use treatment, Davis said he embraced the concept of “medication for opioid use disorder” – MOUD for short.

In 2012, as he was fighting a losing battle against cocaine and heroin, Davis found out that there was medication available to counteract the hard drugs.

“I had spent time in county jail and nine months in prison shock (camp) after violating probation (stemming from burglary and other felony charges),” he said. “I went on methadone because I could not stop using heroin. The legal system did not understand the importance of medication. They said I was replacing one drug for another.”

Davis said neither law enforcement officials nor counselors supported his desire to use methadone at that time.

“The stigma was alive and well,” he said. “I tried to be responsible on it. It was working for a while. But they didn’t care; they did not approve of it. It was all judgment.”

He went to outpatient and inpatient treatment facilities but all he heard was that he needed to get off hard drugs without any so-called replacement therapy.

“It definitely wasn’t the person-centered care that we have today,” he said.

Davis recalled that he got into drugs as a result of his feelings of isolation as a kid and it only got worse after his mother’s death in 2008.

“After that, I went right to heroin,” he said, adding that it led to the destruction of his marriage six years later.

His legal problems continued as well when he tested positive for heroin and was sent to separate 90-day rehabilitation programs – St. Christopher Inn in Garrison and St. Joseph’s in Saranac Lake.

“During that time, I was using suboxone off and on,” he said, referring to another type of MOUD. “It was really difficult to maintain recovery for 14 months, having no resources, support, peers or maintenance services.”

Short stays in three jails and two more shock camps finally “led me to where I’m at today,” he said. “I was valedictorian (in the camp class) and was successful each time I was evaluated for meeting certain criteria. I am proof that you can bounce back physically.”

He was still living downstate at that time when he was paroled to Batavia in December 2016.

“I was sent to live with my father (David, who died of cancer in January 2021) and my stepmom in Batavia,” he said. “I was able to complete one semester of a college course online as I wanted to become a counselor, while using suboxone.”

Unfortunately for Davis, he hadn’t hit rock bottom yet. He succumbed to his demons once again, and started using crack cocaine, heroin and “a full year hard core on fentanyl,” he said.

“I sold everything that my father had and everything I had, and I drained all the bank accounts,” he noted.

From there, it was on to Hope Haven (a RRH facility) and then to the Atwater Community Residence, a program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. He successfully completed his time at Atwater before he was admitted into GCASA’s Supportive Living program for 18 months.

He credits peer advocates and Atwater Residence staff at GCASA for helping him to set some goals and sharing their life experiences.

“They and all the staff at The Recovery Station, another GCASA program, inspired me, motivated me and encouraged me,” he said. “They saw something in me before I could see it myself.”

He also mentioned a close friend, Toby Nagel, who runs The Bridge House in Batavia, for providing a spiritual component.

“Toby was there for me and still is,” he said.

Knowing that he had to stay in recovery to get a job as a peer advocate, he attained that goal in September 2020 when GCASA offered him a position. A year later, he was hired by RRH as a recovery coach, peer advocate who works with clients through Monroe County treatment courts – providing support, transportation and other services.

“It’s a very fulfilling position,” Davis said. “Aside from providing support and encouragement to individuals who accept treatment court and/or are coming out of jail, we provide bed-to-bed transportation for individuals going straight to inpatient from jail.

“Transportation is very important for those who have made that decision to get help, and the peers play a key role by providing not only rides but as caring listeners in these individuals’ road to recovery and a better life.”

As far as MOUD is concerned, Davis was prescribed suboxone.

“I had hard-core cravings for fentanyl and it was my personal choice to go on the suboxone,” he recalled. “I knew that suboxone, at that time, was going to save my life.

“I trusted what the doctor at GCASA said and I could see that he was on my side all the way,” he said. “We had a plan, and I knew I was going to be successful. Today, I am working the plan for my life.”

His advice to others was to not give up because MOUD does work.

“Medication is a vital component to treatment. Anybody can be successful with the right program and support and can maintain a successful life. I don’t know where I would be without MOUD,” he said.

To learn more about the HEALing Communities Study and to help end overdoses in Genesee County, visit:

•           HEALing Communities Study Website: www.HealTogetherNY.org/Genesee

•           GOW Opioid Task Force Website: www.gowopioidtaskforce.org/

•           GO Health Facebook: www.facebook.com/GOHealthNY

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

City management is inching closer to the crucial phase of a new police facility: being able to afford it.

Not that all of those plans and blueprints and virtual trials haven’t been important, but without the money, it’s not going to get very far.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski asked City Council for permission to apply for the funding during council’s meeting Monday evening. Or at least she broached the topic for a final vote to be placed on the next business meeting agenda. So there’s at least one more step before grant and loan applications are a go.

Recent estimates for the new facility are $15.5 million, Tabelski said, to be paid off with a 30-year public improvement serial bond, a $2.5 million USDA grant and potential use of facility reserves with a current balance of $790,000.

Annual payments for the $15.5 million bond would range from $700,000 to $800,000 at current interest rates, she said.

“We talked at length about this during the budget, this is why we bumped reserves up so high this year, so we had that money ready to go to make debt payments. I'd also like to say under USDA, we'll be getting a 3.75 percent interest rate, which is locked in. And we do not close until the completion of the building. And if the interest rate for some miraculous reason goes down with USDA at any point during that process, we can capture a lower rate,” she said. “So in the general obligation bond market, you're not going to see these types of rates. So while I think it's still high, right now with the rates the way they are, it's a very good situation we put ourselves in using USDA as a lender.”

Council agreed to move the vote to the next business meeting.

The new facility has been mapped out for the parking lot along Bank Street across from the Jerome Medical Center. Police Chief Shawn Heubusch has said the police station is the second most publicly traveled city facility — with City Hall being first -- and it’s important to get the building and details right, he said, and should save money from the typical myriad change orders of large construction projects.

A total of construction, engineering, equipment and material costs were estimated late last year to be from $13 million to $15 million, which have apparently gone up now, to $15.5 million.

During that last presentation a few months ago, at least 115 public parking spots were to remain after construction, in addition to free public parking on surrounding streets, “which would more than adequately serve the needs of existing businesses on Washington, Alva and State Streets,” Tabelski had said.

This has been a long time coming, given prior consultant studies, Task Force Committee meetings and discussions about how to proceed with the current station housed in a 167-year-old building. Known as the Historic Brisbane Mansion, the Main Street site has been deemed unsuitable for police operations, and renovations were ruled out as being too costly.

“There have been no less than five studies conducted since 1991 to determine the future of the police station in Batavia, as well as a citizen task force commissioned to investigate possible site locations,” Tabelski said.  “The location of the new facility was identified by the task force in their top three site recommendations.” 

The new facility will improve “the quality, efficiency, security, and regulatory compliance features of the services and activities of the department,” she said.  It will also enhance the opportunities to meet community-oriented policing needs, and become a space to conduct community events, including educational forums, police-assisted addiction recovery initiatives, explorer post, citizen academy, and focus groups.

Rendering by Ashley McGraw Architects courtesy of the City of Batavia. 

Some business owners would look at the destruction of a fire ripping through their store and be ready to throw in the towel, but not Brandon Lewis.

Three days after flames erupted in his building, the owner of The Firing Pin on Buffalo Road in Bergen is already looking forward.  He's going to rebuild.

When a reporter quipped, "you can build back better," Brandon said, "absolutely."

He was pretty young when he opened The Firing Pin in 2013, and though he had worked in the industry, this was the first firing range and gun shop he owned.  Now he's got some experience as he contemplates a fresh start.

"Not that I have all the answers, but I've got at least 10 years' worth of more answers," Lewis said.

The fire was spotted just before 5 p.m. on Friday. A customer noticed some smoke coming from a backstop in the firing range and alerted an employee.  Some employees tried attacking the hot spot with fire extinguishers but quickly realized the effort was futile, so they dialed 9-1-1 and evacuated the building.

Everybody got out of the firing range and retail shop safely.

Once the rubber in the range got going, Lewis said, it was an extremely difficult fire to put out.  Firefighters battled until about 9 p.m.

"I can't thank the Bergen volunteers enough," Lewis said. "I mean, they're incredible. They came, and that's the only reason there's anything here to look at now."

The walls are still standing, but Lewis said professionals will need to evaluate how much of the building, which contains a lot of wood construction, can be saved.

"The important thing is the concrete looks salvageable," Lewis said. "The electrical infrastructure, the plumbing, the septic system, all that is some of the most expensive parts of the building, and that all looks saveable."

The fire got into the rafters and spread across the building, so the store sustained a good deal of smoke and water damage.

All of the firearms in the store were safely retrieved.

"They're at a secure off-site storage location right now under armed guard," Lewis said. "A lot of the ammunition was saved. Luckily, the fire didn't get anywhere close to where the ammunition was stored."

The business is open on a limited basis, Lewis said, particularly for customers who purchased firearms and were waiting on registration with the Clerk's Office before picking them up.

Lewis already has a tentative meeting set up with the town's planning board.  He's also working on trucking a portable firing range up from North Carolina so he can provide range service for his customers during the rebuild.  He had been planning an expansion anyway, acquiring a couple of neighboring acres and including a possible indoor/outdoor firing range.  He said he will talk about sound and safety issues with the town with a possible outdoor firing range in place during the rebuild.

There's also the annual freedom festival in June. That, he said, will go on as planned even if it means setting up 20 tents.

The planned After Hours event with the Chamber of Commerce, scheduled for April, may need to be rescheduled, he said.

While Lewis expects insurance to cover all of the property losses, that doesn't replace any lost business in the coming months.  He said he isn't worried about it.

"We're gonna be okay," Lewis said. "I just have so much faith in this community and not just Genesee County, but like the gun community and not just the community in general, but all of Western New York. We've got an amazing customer base behind us. And I know they'll be there to support us."

He said members who stay current on their dues or sign up for new memberships will get their names memorialized in some way, such as a plaque, in the rebuilt business.

Information about membership can be found at nytfp.com.

The mother of one of his employees set up a GoFundMe page to help assist, and Lewis said he's grateful for the support.

"I'm too modest, I guess. I don't feel right setting that up myself, but someone else felt like it was necessary, and I'm forever grateful to them," Lewis said. "But I'm putting it out there now, so you know, for anybody who donates, we're gonna donate half of that money, whatever is raised, to the Bergen Fire Department because, like I said, we'd be looking at just a pile of rubble completely if it wasn't for them and all those volunteers. It was amazing. I always knew I had a lot of customers that were firemen, but I saw it on Friday. I saw how many of my customers showed up in turn-out gear to save this place. It was touching."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Well-informed, polite, and a wonderful person with her own style.

That’s how City Councilwoman Patti Pacino’s colleagues described the Second Ward representative. Pacino announced Monday evening that she would be stepping down from her position due to health-related issues. After 13 years taking a seat in Council Chambers as one of nine elected city leaders, she will miss it and will be missed, her colleagues said.

“I’m already missing it,” she said after council’s meeting at City Hall.

Pacino explained that, in addition to her medical condition the last several months — a bilateral ear infection that resulted in a December brain surgery and difficulty with walking and hearing — “I’m very tired,” she said. Her family has been helping to transport her to and from places, and she made the decision that it’s too much to continue.

Good news includes her regained memory, vocabulary and ability to use a fork and a pen. Hearing aids should help to replace part of her hearing, and she’s working on being able to walk again.

She read a prepared statement at the beginning of the meeting that read, in part:

"In light of these changes, I have sadly decided to stop early on my council work. Tonight will be my last meeting as a City Council member. I’m sure I will still visit meetings to share my opinions, just behind a different microphone,” she said.  “I wanted time tonight to offer my sincere thanks to all the city policemen, firemen, departments, the city manager and staff at City Hall, all the Batavia citizens who have shared questions and suggestions, and most of all to all the dedicated people who have sat in these nine council seats during the past 13 years sharing hours of reading, studying, discussing, and agreeing to work overlooking the management of the City of Batavia.

“This has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life,” she said. “My great thank you to all.”

Pacino has jumped on board no matter the topic, whether it’s the deer on Ross Street, an old police station, or a picnic in the park. She hasn’t been afraid to speak her mind, but not in a flashy or ignorant way.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. commended Pacino for being so well-informed. She reads everything, he said.

“And she knows what she's talking about when she makes comments. And so I have a lot of respect for her because of that,” he said to The Batavian. “She's well educated, and does her research. And that's one of the important things, I think, of being on council, to make sure you understand both sides of the situation. And she has been very, very good in that respect. I liked her comments, and she usually contributes some good information. So she's going to be sorely missed.”

Pacino was great to work with and knew how to interact professionally during meetings, Councilman Bob Bialkowski said.

“I can only wish her good luck. And I think she knows what she needs to do. She knows what’s best. She’ll be missed on council, that’s for sure,” Bialkowski said. “I mean, working with her, it's always been a pleasure, it's always been polite, polite exchanges. She helped me one year on the parades.”

Councilwoman Kathy Briggs agreed. “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Patti,” she said.

“I enjoyed discussing City issues with her and getting her opinions,” Briggs said. “I’m going to miss her, but she won't be forgotten. I will still contact her and talk about everything.”

Sixth Ward  Councilwoman Tammy Schmidt has known Pacino for decades. From her large-framed glasses to a comical moment after a council meeting, Schmidt has fond memories of Pacino, a well-known community advocate.

“I have known Patti since high school.  She worked there when I was in school.  I also thought she was a wonderful person with her own style and her signature eyeglasses.  I did not recognize her without them!  I have only worked on council with her 15 months, but I believe her heart was in her work no matter what the job was,” Schmidt said.  “My most recent memory is when she got locked behind the gate with John Canale after a meeting, and nobody knew how to set them free.   I have a nice photo to look back on.  Patti will be missed and I hope she will be replaced with a person who has a love for this city and a passion for the job and our citizens.”

Councilman Richard Richmond, chair of the City Republican Committee, said that the committee had already pegged David Twichell to run for the Second Ward seat when Pacino had indicated that she wasn’t going to run for re-election in November. So the plan is to temporarily fill her seat with Twichell until he runs for a term in November, Richmond said.

Twichell is president of the city’s Youth Board.

Top Photo of Patti Pacino during Monday's council meeting at City Hall, by Joanne Beck; her official city photo; and above, a file photo from 2010 when she was sworn in the day after she misunderstood the time of the official swearing in ceremony, by Howard Owens.

The annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner -- this year, as in the past, held at the Alexander Fire Hall -- is as much a chance for farmers and community leaders to mingle and enjoy a good meal as it is the time to honor the Soil and Water Conservation District's conservation farm of the year.

This year, the award went to Naas Farms, a 700-acre grain and vegetable farm owned and operated by Bruce and Jessica Naas in Oakfield.

"We are really honored here in Genesee County to have such a diverse, vital, robust agricultural economy in our county, and to be able to honor one of our own this evening is always just a wonderful honor for the Legislature," said Shelley Stein, co-owner of Stein Farms in Le Roy and chair of the Genesee County Legislature while presenting Bruce and Jessica Naas with a proclamation passed by the Legislature recognizing the farm's conservation efforts.

From a previous press release announcing the award:

The farm has adopted many best management practices over the years to improve its land and the environment. The farm grows crops with limited tillage or no-till equipment. Cover crops are planted after the harvest of the commodity crop to improve soil health and reduce soil erosion. The farm sells cover crop seed and occasionally lends equipment to their neighbors to promote soil health beyond their acreage. The farm recently constructed an agri-chemical storage and mixing facility to reduce the environmental risk of storing and mixing fertilizers and herbicides. The farm has also created a pollinator habitat to promote the populations of our native bees and insects.

Top photo: County Legislator and farmer Christian Yunker, Soil and Water Director Jared Elliott, Jessica Naas, Bruce, Naas, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, County Legislator Chair and farmer Shelley Stein, and State Sen. George Borello.

Photos by Howard Owens

Rep. Claudia Tenney (on right in photo above), whose NY-24 District has included Genesee County since January, took the opportunity of the ag dinner to make her first public appearance locally.

She encouraged everybody to attend a roundtable discussion at 10 a.m. on April 4 in the Old Courthouse in Batavia do discuss the upcoming renewal of the Farm Bill.

"This is the number one agricultural district in New York and the entire Northeast," Tenney said. "It's also the number one dairy district, so that's also important as well. I just wanted to encourage you all to attend on April 4. We're going to be hosting our first forum on the new farm bill that's coming up for a vote this year. We'd love to have your participation. We're going to be doing them throughout the district. So as many people as we can get there that would be great."

It's important for the district's voices to be heard on the new Farm Bill because, she indicated, people tend to forget how important agriculture is to New York.

"We have a lot of really important initiatives coming up this year," Tenney said. "I'm hoping that we can get some things that we need in the Farm Bill. They tend to forget us tend to focus more on the ethanol producers out in Iowa and some of the cotton producers."

Tenney encouraged people to visit her website and sign up for her newsletter, tenney.house.gov

"We have a newsletter that comes out every Friday, and I explain every vote that I take in the house in detail," Tenney said. "I don't just put how I voted. I tell you why. It's my attempt to try to make us understand what's going on in Washington to decode it to ensure that we're self-governing."

State Sen. George Borrello also presented a proclamation to Bruce and Jessica Naas. 

"As the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and also a small business person myself, there are no greater, more resilient people than farmers, and to recognize someone who has risen to the top, there isn't a greater achievement," Borrello said. 

Borrello promised to keep fighting for farmers.

"You know, the biggest threat to agriculture in New York State? It's not climate change," Borrello said. "It's not even the price of commodities or even the labor. The biggest threat to New York State agriculture is bad policy out of Albany. That's the biggest threat to agriculture. And we are going to continue to push back at the people in New York City who don't know where their food comes from, who are trying to tell us how we should feed them. And that's gonna become a bigger problem for them as we move forward. We're making progress. And I promise you, your state will continue to be one of the best states, if not the best state, to farm in as we continue to make progress."

Assemblyman Steve Hawley also congratulated the owners of Naas Farms as well as talk about his efforts to hold back what he called "the electrification of New York."

"We're fighting very, very hard against the electrification plan out of touch folks from New York City," Hawley said.

He praised both Tenney and Borrello for their efforts to represent the new parts -- including Genesee County -- of their redrawn districts and said he admires them both.

Under the leadership of Chef Tracy Burgio, left, culinary students with BOCES prepared the buffet dinner using many locally sourced ingredients. 

Dave's Ice Cream in Batavia donated 400 dishes of ice cream.

A transformer has blown on Cockram Road, causing a small fire in the woods.

Route 237 is being closed to traffic.

The call started with a report of a tree down leaning against wires.  Shortly after a chief arrived on scene, the transformer blew.

Since, additional wires have come down.

A crew is needed to cut down the tree, and National Grid is being notified.

UPDATE 12:42 p.m.: If there is a power outage in the area as a result of this transformer going out, the information is not yet available.  There is a power outage from this morning in the area, along Byron Road, on each side of Cockram Road, affecting about 19 customers.

Multiple small power outages are reported in Genesee County, and two affect at least 600 National Grid customers each.

A power outage throughout most of Bethany stretches from Route 20 to the City of Batavia and another within city limits is in the southeast corner of the city.

On the first one, National Grid expects to restore power by 1:30 a.m.  On the second, in the city of Batavia, the ETA for power restoration is 3 a.m.

Press release:

Families in the Batavia area are invited to attend the annual Kiwanis Club of Batavia Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8 at 9 AM sharp.  The event will take place at Centennial Park with three age categories: birth-3, 4-7 and 8-10.  Along with the thousands of eggs hiding in the park, there will be nine golden eggs.  The nine lucky children who discover the golden eggs will be able to exchange them for a chocolate bunny from Oliver’s Candies.

There will also be one golden egg hidden each day in Centennial Park beginning on Saturday, April 1 through Thursday, April 6.  The golden eggs will be hidden at different times each day to allow for families with different schedules to search and have an equal chance of finding them. The golden eggs are restricted to kids age 12 and under, although older siblings and family members can help search!  The winning golden eggs must be turned in at the Easter Egg Hunt on April 8th to receive an Oliver's Candies chocolate bunny.

The club is asking those who find golden eggs prior to the Easter Egg Hunt, please send pictures to the Kiwanis Club of Batavia Facebook page at facebook.com/kiwanisclubofbatavia.

Kiwanis Club of Batavia is proud to offer fun, healthy family activities that serve children in our community.  For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page or their website at www.bataviakiwanis.org.  The club meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday at 12:10 at Batavia’s Original Pizza and welcomes new members.

There are reports of trees down in both Pavilion, Alexander (two calls), and Town of Batavia, with wires arcing and sparking as high-wind weather event rolls into Genesee County.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning, but that warning isn't in effect until 6 p.m. and lasts until 5 a.m. on Sunday.

The prediction for overnight is winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts of up to 60 mph.

The NWS states, "Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. ... People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive."

Alexander's calls are in the area of Hickox and Halstead roads and Town of Batavia's call is on Bank Street Road.

Email weather-related photos with information about the photos to howard@thebatavian.com.

Elba Central School was alive with the sound of music late Friday afternoon.

No, not Julie Andrews and the captain in the Sound of Music, but vocals and instrumentals from elementary, junior and senior high school students mostly from Genesee County and Attica.

And, after an unwelcome four-year interruption due to pandemic-related snafus, students and organizers were happy to get the show back on the road. The Genesee-Wyoming County Music Association All-County Festival will be performing this weekend.

The all-county elementary chorus, junior high band and senior high chorus was rehearsing Friday, to be continuing on Saturday and capping off all of that musical talent and energy with a concert at 2 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Pembroke sixth-grader Brynlee Amend (second photo) plays saxophone and sings, though she’s at the festival with the chorus. She’s been singing “all my life,” the 11-year-old said.

“I got into chorus as soon as I could,” she said with a big grin. “It just brings joy, I believe I have a good voice. I just enjoy it.”

She has put her voice to the test before all-county, including at Genesee County’s Fair talent contest. Brynlee took home two first-place prizes, one for her rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Our Song.” She has a piece of advice for making a song work.

“Sing things you enjoy singing,” she said.

There are four or five songs in the concert, and two of them are in different languages, French and Chinese, she said. The chorus director will help students with the words, Brynlee said, and overall, she’s good at remembering songs.

“I learn music words pretty fast, so hopefully, I’ll memorize them by tomorrow,” she said. “I think it’s going to go really well. My mom, dad, sisters and stepmom are coming, they’re my biggest supporters. It makes me feel happy that they came to see me.”

Stephanie Gietler, president of the G-W Music Association, said the event is "a great learning opportunity" that's outside of the kids' typical school district music program. And gathering them together has been a great experience.

"Oh, it's so nice to hear the kids making music and being with others," Gietler said. "All-county is a great opportunity because it gets the kids to push their limits of learning and gives them another opportunity. A lot of these kids in the instrumental world go audition on a solo. So they work hard, and it's an honor to be selected into All-County."

There are 11 schools and about 250 students involved in the event, she said. 

Musician Sean Pietrzykowski’s (third photo) reasons for choosing tuba might not have been so noble in the beginning — “my sister picked sax, and I wanted to be a little louder” — but he’s glad that he did. The Alexander eighth-grader has excelled with the brass instrument, playing in jazz and concert bands, qualifying for all-state and all-county.

“I really enjoy it, I enjoy the atmosphere,” he said. “It opened a lot for me, it’s one thing I can fall back to.”

A country music fan — George Strait and Riley Green top the list — Sean, 14, has also made solid connections through music with students and his teacher, Dan Klinczar, who’s also vice president of the G-W Music Educators Association.

Rehearsal was going well, and Sean was feeling confident about the final outcome.

“We’re sounding good,” he said.

It was hard to miss Evan Williams (fourth photo) on stage, both from his 6-foot-4-inch stature and tenor vocals. He said that sometimes he wishes he wasn’t quite so tall, as people expect him to have more baritone quality, though it hasn’t seemed to hurt him any.

The Le Roy High School senior has performed in many school musicals, being cast in a lead role as Jean Valjean for this year’s “Les Miserables,” and going to college with a Regents music scholarship.

Evan, 17, hasn’t yet nailed down which college he’ll go to, but his aspirations are concrete: musical theater. Given his upbringing, he really has no other choice. As a toddler, Evan would sit on the sidelines while his parents rehearsed with their band, Exit 27.

“I always saw the performance aspect of it,” Evan said. “In grades seven through 12, I joined the music department, It felt like home.”

He sang a lot in choir, in and out of school, and plays percussion in band. Music is about more than notes on a page, he said. Especially when it comes to his family.

“My dad (Justin Williams) still gigs out on his own solo. He has such an eclectic style, like performing country. And then he'll do some Aerosmith. And then he's just all over the place. But it's really cool. And it's cool to sort of have grown up in that because everyone in Le Roy is like, Le Roy is so small, and they're always like, Oh, I've seen your parents perform,” Evan said. “And then they'll come to see me. Which theater is completely different than what they perform. Choir is completely different from what they perform. And it's like, it's cool that we've got a little melting pot of voices in our family.”

Asking Evan for a favorite music genre wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Even the ones he thought he could rule out were reeled back in when he thought more about it. He would’ve cast away country, but then again, he likes Sam Smith.

“I feel like Sam Smith is not only an incredible performer in the pop industry realm, but I also think the way that they hold themselves as a person and just have always been true to themselves. And I think that's really important to have an industry. Because I think no matter where you end up, people are going to try to put you in a spot that isn't you, and I think it's always very important to just be who you are,” Evan said. “And if it's not working for you, do what's best for you. And I think that that's something that Sam Smith has really grown to do over the years.”

Evan is drawn to New York City and can see himself working there someday, hopefully on Broadway or filming a movie. He and his classmates have enjoyed being able to resume life after COVID and entertain an audience.

“I feel like we're finally coming back to full things after the pandemic, and it's sort of cool to see people fall in love with performance again,” he said. “And I think that that's really cool to be a part of.”

Top Photo of band rehearsal during the All-County Festival Friday at Elba Central School; Brynlee Amend, Sean Pietrzykowski, and Evan Williams,  rehearsal and choir and band groups being led by their music directors. Photos by Howard Owens.

It's good news, Bergen Fire Chief Kevin Bruton said this evening after a structure fire at The Firing Pin, 8240 Buffalo Road, that the building was still in tact.

It's even better news that nobody was hurt.

It's not easy heading to a fire, listening to dispatchers report flames showing, for a popular business such as The Firing Pin, which stocks live ammunition.

"It's very difficult to listen to something like that," Bruton said. "People are the biggest priorities, but now they're surrounded by dangerous things that under heat and fire aren't really good to be around."

When Bruton arrived on scene, he learned all occupants exited the building safely.

He could see heavy smoke in the sky as he left the Village of Bergen and immediately requested a second alarm, he said.

The fire seems to have started near the back of the building, in the firing range, Bruton said. The cause is still under investigation.

There was heavy smoke damage throughout the building, including the front retail store.

"Luckily, the fire didn't get down to the walls and take up that whole building," Bruton said. "There is still a lot of smoke damage and I honestly don't know what the inside condition is of that building, so I can't really comment on that."

"Right now, we've got a good portion of it still standing so it's pretty awesome," Bruton said. "Right now everything's under investigation as to what happened, but everybody's safe, and, you know, it's gonna be a long night."

Among the responding departments were Stafford, Town of Batavia, Churchville, and Brockport.

Photos and interview by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

A one-vehicle accident is reported in the area of 6817 Lewiston Road, Oakfield.

A car went off the road, and the caller reports the car is off in a field "quite a ways."

Unknown injuries.

Oakfield Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:44 p.m.: A first responder reports heavy damage.

UPDATE 11:46 p.m.: "Everybody's out of the vehicle," a first responder reports.

UPDATE 11:54 p.m.: No need for Mercy Flight. Two more basic life support ambulances requested to the scene.

UPDATE 12:15 a.m.: Three patients transported to ECMC.

Press release:

More than 600 students from 28 school districts from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) counties experienced a hands-on healthcare career exploration event Friday.  Supported by business and educational groups and sponsors led by Platinum Sponsor ESL Federal Credit Union, the inaugural GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare event took place at Genesee Community College.

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare was manifested from the annual GLOW With Your Hands: Manufacturing event that educates students through simulations and other hands-on experiences in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and skilled trades sectors on career opportunities available in students’ own backyards. 

“This event was such a special opportunity for our organization, with roughly 200 beds and six outpatient clinics within our health system, we are actively searching and hiring for the next generation of workforce candidates,” said David Kobis, Wyoming County Community Health System CEO. “Representatives from WCCHS participated in multiple hands-on workshops and a career fair where students were able to ask our team members about their roles and what it is like to work for our organization.”

The inaugural GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare event welcomed dozens of healthcare organizations from various sectors of the industry, including hospitals and health systems and career opportunities in nursing, mental health, social services and first responders as well as educational pathways into healthcare through BOCES, local colleges, and universities.

“Based on our success of engaging the future workforce with employers across the GLOW region in the manufacturing, agriculture and skilled trades sectors, we were optimistic that this same type of format would benefit healthcare providers and more importantly students who have an interest in a career in healthcare,” said Angela Grouse, Education to Employment Director at the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “With the current staffing challenges in the healthcare system, especially in rural areas, vendors recognized the benefit of participating and engaged enthusiastically.”

Students received hands-on instruction and experience in first aid/CPR, nursing, caretaking, and other healthcare-related activities. The students were also provided information about secondary career paths such as physical therapy, complementary and alternative medicine, Doctor of Medicine, and more.

“Our planning team is comprised of dedicated individuals who want to provide our youth with opportunities of exploring future career paths that fit their talents and aspirations,” said Karyn Winters, director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “Students will now be able to go back to their clubs, counselors, and classrooms and have an idea of what career path they could see themselves in and will be able to build upon the connections they have made as a result of this engagement with healthcare organizations.”

Various local and state-level officials and stakeholders participated in the event at Genesee Community College to learn more about initiatives the GLOW region is taking to prepare its youth for future career and employment opportunities. This event showcased why there is a need for investment in rural healthcare entities and the number of students interested in these careers.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene