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Press release:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional survey results are as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He said that social distancing will present quite the challenge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the Genesee Orleans Public Health Departments:

Love Your Own…Leave the Rest Alone! – Rabies Prevention

As stay-at-home restrictions progressed in New York State due to COVID-19, many people took this opportunity to adopt a new pet to spend their time with. Animal shelters all over the state were reporting increased adoptions and some ran out of animals altogether.

Now that it is summer and your new pets are going outside more, it is a perfect time to remind everyone how dangerous rabies can be and what you can do to prevent exposure to you, your family, and your pets.

Rabies is an infectious disease that can be fatal once symptoms (signs) show up. Rabies is a central nervous system disease which attacks the brain and causes death. It is most often spread through bites, scratches, and contact with infected saliva.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that any mammal, including humans, can get rabies but it is most common in wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes, so it is wise to stay away from these animals (alive or dead).

In New York State, cats are the most frequently diagnosed domestic animals.

The best way to prevent rabies exposure is to prevent your pets from contracting the virus by keeping their rabies vaccine up-to-date, so that they do not bring it into your home. Even indoor-only pets require a vaccination.

Sarah Balduf, Environmental Health director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, reported that so far in 2020, the two counties have tested 22 animals and six tested positive for rabies. Additionally, 111 dogs and cats were observed in 10-day confinement.

An animal is subject to 10-day confinement if they are involved in an incident (i.e. biting a human) while apparently healthy. The animal’s health is monitored for 10 days to determine if rabies may be present and if further action is required. Complete details below. 

Genesee County -- Animals Tested for Rabies as of June 26

Cat     

Dog    

Bat     

Woodchuck     

Raccoon     

Skunk     

Total Tested

  1

  2

  2

  1

  3

  1

Total Positive

  1

  0

  0

  0

  2

  1

Total 10-Day Confinements

  23

  53

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

Orleans County -- Animals Tested for Rabies as of June 26

Cat     

Dog     

Bat     

Woodchuck     

Raccoon     

Cow     

Total Tested

  2

  0

  4

  1

  4

  1

Total Positive

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

Total 10-Day Confinements

  4

  31

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

************************************************************************************************

One of the first signs of rabies in animals includes a change in the animal’s behavior.

“Animals may become unusually aggressive and try to bite you or other animals," Balduf said. "A wild animal might act friendly or move slowly so that you could easily get close to it. Other symptoms include staggering, convulsions, choking, excessive drooling at the mouth, and paralysis.”

When a human is infected with rabies, they may not show symptoms for up to three months. Early symptoms of rabies are often flu-like and include fever, headache, and general weakness.

As the disease progresses, symptoms include anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water), and insomnia.

Once symptoms have developed, rabies is almost always fatal to both humans and animals so it is crucial to report any possible exposures as soon as they occur.

To protect yourself from rabies, people are encouraged to avoid feeding, touching, or adopting wild animals and stray domestic animals such as cats and dogs that have not been properly rescued and vetted by a shelter and veterinarian.

People are required by NYS law to keep their pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) up-to-date on their rabies vaccination.

It is recommended, though not mandatory, that livestock animals, especially valuable ones, are vaccinated as well.

It is also recommended that people keep a close eye on children who are playing outdoors and telling them the dangers of playing with wild or stray animals (alive or dead). 

Anyone who has been bitten by any animal or who otherwise may have been exposed to rabies needs to take immediate action!

If you can do so safely, being careful not to damage the head/brain, capture the animal and call your local health department or a doctor to report the incident.

Capturing the animal is vital in order for it to be tested for rabies. Testing will confirm if the animal is infected with the virus or not, making sure that only those who need treatment get it.

Additionally, make sure exposed wounds or bites are cleaned thoroughly with soap and water and call your health care provider for further instructions.  

(*If a bat is found in a room where there are unattended children, someone sleeping or someone who cannot speak for him/herself or your family pet, do not let the bat out of the house. To learn how to capture a bat safely, view this short video.

A doctor in consultation with the health department will determine who needs to be vaccinated with rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (RPEP).

A person who is exposed and has never been vaccinated against rabies may need to receive four doses of rabies vaccine on the following schedule: immediately, day 3, day 7, and day 14 after exposure. People who have weakened immune systems may require a fifth dose and some people required only two doses, as determined by a doctor. 

The cost to treat an individual varies considerably based on weight, number of doses, and insurance. In 2020, treatment costs have ranged from $2,360 to $6,130.

Local health departments will work with the patient’s insurance company but what is not be covered by insurance is ultimately the responsibility of the taxpayers.

So far in 2020, Genesee County has had to treat six people with RPEP and Orleans County has had to treat three.

It is important that all individuals do their part to prevent rabies in the community by vaccinating their pets and practicing caution around wild or stray animals. 

To protect your pets from rabies, please visit one of the upcoming rabies vaccine clinics (subject to change due to COVID-19, watch GOHealthNY social media for updates and instructions to follow COVID-19 guidelines for everyone’s safety.):

• Genesee County: Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Genesee County Fairgrounds, 5031 E. Main Road, Batavia from 4 to 7 p.m.

​For information on Health Department services:

• Genesee County Health Department at: 344-2580, ext. 5555, or visit their website.

Press release:

Starting next week, the Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AEOC) located at Genesee Community College is hosting a series of six FREE Zoom meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays to provide information to any adult thinking about college enrollment, financial aid, the college application process, and/or a wide range of different career path options.

Specifically, Monday sessions will cover the financial literacy and the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, loan options and college affordability; while the Tuesday sessions will cover the Common App for college application, obtaining a GED high school diploma equivalent, and a multitude of career path opportunities.

• What: AEOC Office Offers FREE Virtual Information Sessions in July
• When: Three Mondays: July 13, 20 and 27 at 1 p.m. / Three Tuesdays: July 14, 21 and 28 at 1 p.m.
• Where: Zoom Meetings Accessible from any Computer with Internet Access
• Who: GCC Adult Education Opportunity Center and any Adults Seeking College and/or Career Information

To sign up for any of the six sessions, email Staci Williams, AEOC director, at:   slwilliams@genesee.edu or call (585) 345-6836.

For further information about the AEOC go to www.genesee.edu/AEOC.

Jillian L. Hupp, 30, North Street, Le Roy, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31. On July 9, after an investigation by the Genesee County Social Service investigator, Hupp was arrested on the charges. She was released with an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia Town Court on Aug. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jenna Ferrando.

Colby Le-Andrew Ellis, 31, of Albion, is charged with second-degree burglary, petit larceny, and first-degree criminal contempt. At 3:03 a.m. on July 8 in Alexander, Ellis was arrested on the charges after allegedly violating a full stay-away order of protection issued by City of Batavia Court. He was put in jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond or $40,000 partially secured bond. He is due in Alexander Town Court on Aug. 18. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Heberlein, assisted by Nicholas Chamoun.

Roy Alvin Watson Jr., 31, Shepard Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Watson was arrested on July 6 on the charges. Prior to that, on June 16, he was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Orleans County. During the execution of the arrest warrant, Watson was allegedly found in possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He is due in Batavia City Court Aug. 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen. 

Kaleb James Bobzien, 22, of Lockport, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. He allegedly made numerous phone calls to a protected party who lives on West Main Street in Batavia starting on Jan. 28. He was arrested July 6 and issued an appearance ticket to be in City of Batavia Court on July 14. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Joseph Loftus.

While doing renovation work in his home, Batavia PD Chief Shawn Heubusch found under his old flooring layers old newspapers, all from 1927. 

The headlines help tell a story of at least one case that should be of interest to a lawman: The escape, escapades, and eventual capture of Floyd Wilcox.

Wilcox, of Oakfield, escaped from Genesee County Jail, presumably to avoid a possible sentence of life in prison after his fourth felony arrest, this time for grand larceny, under the recently enacted Baumes Law.

According to the articles, Wilcox (aka Floyd Gill), and an associate convinced a farmer to give them gas with a promise to pay once they were fueled up. When the duo drove back by the farm and didn't stop to pay, the farmer pulled out his pistol and started firing at the fleeing vehicle. The farmer jumped in his own truck and gave chase. A short time later, he found the abandoned vehicle with a flat tire from a bullet and spotted the two men running over a hill.

Later, Wilcox was a suspect in a safe-crack job in Hornell and a stealing a vehicle in Rochester. He was eventually apprehended by a Batavia PD officer on a street in the city. A subhead in the Batavia Daily News reads, "Did Not Try Very Hard to Keep Out of Reach of the Authorities."

Chief Heubusch isn't the only person finding old newspapers in old homes these days. The 1942 edition of the Batavia Daily News was found by our contractor in a wall of our house, which is undergoing renovations following our fire in April.

One of the stories is about an Army officer accused of sedition for distributing "America First" literature. It turns out, the publication of this story by Associated Press was controversial because the Army released the information to a reporter on a stipulation that no newspapers in the nation run it with only a one-column headline. Many editors found this AP requirement an unethical bargain giving the government power to dictate the nature of coverage. You can read about it in this book on Google Books.

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

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

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

Criteria used to grade the towns and villages:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Public Notice

In an effort to curb the trespassing, littering and generally disrespectful behavior exhibited by those swimming and jumping at the falls in Tonawanda Creek in the Hamlet of Indian Falls, the Town of Pembroke Board has passed an Emergency Parking Ban effective through Sept. 30^th.

The Emergency Parking Ban covers all of Waddington, Ogden and Short streets. The Emergency Parking Ban also covers portions of Gilmore, Little Falls, Phelps and Meiser roads.

Persons parking in these areas will face a $100 fine and the possibility of having their vehicle towed at their own expense. 

While the Town Board recognizes the right of people to assume the risk for their actions, we ask that people be mindful about the impact their actions could have on friends and family should an accident happen.

The lifelong impact of a death or paralysis can be devastating to friends and family. People also need to be mindful of the hazards potential rescues can pose to our first responders in the event of an accident.

CORRECTION 7:27 p.m.: We published the wrong tally of votes for NY-27 district special election candidate Duane Whitmer. It is 159, not 1,059. The Batavian regrets the error.

Unofficial ballot counts are done for Genesee County in the Democratic primary for the 61st State Senate and the NY-27 special election, according to Lorie Longhany, Democratic commissioner for the Board of Elections.

In the primary:

• Kim Smith: 1,083
• Joan Seamans: 796
• Jacqualine Berger: 769

In the NY-27 special election:

• Chris Jacobs: 6,127
• Nate McMurray: 3,848
• Duane Whitmer: 1,059  159
• Michael Gammariello: 71
• Write-ins for Beth Parlato: 188

The count of the NY-27 GOP primary has not yet been completed.

Longhany said that count along with official results should be released on Monday.

Press release:

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

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

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

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

All Pre-Op Testing

Patient Service Center

Address

Hours

Batavia PSC

106 Main St., Suite 47B 

Batavia, NY  14020

Monday - Friday:  8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday:  8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Clifton Hospital PSC

2 Coulter Road

Clifton Springs, NY 14432

Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Linden Oaks PSC

10 Hagen Drive Suite 120 

Rochester NY 14625

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

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

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

10 Hagen Drive 

Rochester NY 14625

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

Newark Union PSC

165 Union St.

Newark NY 14513

Monday- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Park Ridge/Unity POB PSC

1561 Long Pond Road, Suite 111 

Greece NY 14626

Monday- Friday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Titus PSC 

485 Titus Ave.

Rochester NY 14617

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

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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

Immediate Care

Address

Hours

Immediate Care – Chili

3170 Chili Ave. 

Suite T1A

Rochester, NY 14624

Monday -- Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care Webster

1065 Ridge Road

Webster, NY 14580

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. -- 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. --  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Penfield

2226 Penfield Road

Penfield, NY 14526

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Immediate Care – Irondequoit

2701 Culver Road

Rochester, NY 14622

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Wilson

1425 Portland Ave., Wilson Building 

Rochester, NY 14621

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Greece

2745 W. Ridge Road

Rochester, NY 14626

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Henrietta

2685 E. Henrietta Road

Henrietta, NY 14467

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. -  8 p.m.

Immediate Care – Batavia (The Jerome Center)

16 Bank St. 

Batavia, NY  14020

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

She was even on duty in the middle of winter on her 90th birthday.

Five days ago, Burrell, at the age of 92, passed away.

Burrell rarely missed a shift and said in 2017, "I don’t believe in missing time unless something is really wrong. I guess I'm too dedicated."

Her dedication made her a community icon and a treasure.  It was common for members of the community to volunteer to do spring cleanup in her yard for her, as they did in 2015.

Click here to read her full obituary.

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

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

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

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

The Batavia Business & Professional Women's Club Inc. honored seven local nonprofit organizations in Genesee County with monetary awards in recognition of their service to our community this week.

Recipients included: Genesee Cancer Assistance, Bethany Fire Department, Project Stork, Crossroads House, Alzheimer's Association, Lake Plains Community Network and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County. 

Several students also received scholarship checks, including: Wyatt Gaus and Paige Haile of Batavia High School and Madison Heaney of Leroy High School along with Sarah Adams, Lydia Geiger, Andrew Lin, Morgan Reimer of Batavia High School, Ally Flint of Leroy High School, Montana Weidman of Notre Dame High School and Evan Whitmore of Alexander High School. (Not pictured: Ally Flint, Lydia Geiger, Madison Heaney).

The funds awarded will be used to further their education in the field of their choice.

For more information about the club, visit the club's Facebook page.

Information and photos submitted by Joy Hume.

Press release from the campaign of Ed Rath, candidate for 61 State Senate:

New York State and the Department of Health's failure to protect our most vulnerable citizens is extremely troubling. That is why, I launched a petition demanding a transparent investigation into the State’s handling of COVID in nursing homes. Dozens of residents signed my petition and shared their concerns with me. I will continue to call for an independent investigation and work everyday to protect our seniors and keep our community safe. To sign my petition, you can do so here https://edrathforsenate.com/2020/06/03/our-seniors-deserve-justice/.

A pedestrian has reportedly been hit by a car at West Main Street and Oak Street in the City of Batavia.

The patient is said to have a head injury but is conscious and alert.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:49 a.m.: The patient is being transported to UMMC for evaluation and has a small laceration above his eye.

Genesee County planners tonight recommended approval of a site plan application from Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to tack on a two-story, 20-bed detoxification center to the agency’s Atwater House residential facility at 424 E. Main St.

The new 8,788-square-foot addition of the medically supervised detox center enhances GCASA’s ability to treat people afflicted with substance dependency who are seeking support and recovery.

“The great thing about this project is that it allows for the continuum of care,” said Raymond Murphy, representing the Orchard Park architectural firm of Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst on behalf of GCASA.

The detox center will be constructed as a two-story, wood-framed building attached to the southern end of Atwater House. It will consist of 16 beds serving state regulations for medically supervised detoxification and four transitional residential beds (similar to those available at Atwater House).

Murphy pointed out that the architecture is “in kind to what is already on campus .. the proposed volume is two stories to match and fit in nicely with the existing volumes.” He added that clapboard siding and roofing materials similar to those already on Atwater House will be used.

Earlier today, GCASA Executive Director John Bennett said the new configuration will streamline the delivery of services to those in need.

“Operationally, the Atwater residence and the new 816.7 facility (denoting the Office of Addiction Services and Supports Part 816.7 regulation) will benefit from close proximity to one another,” Bennett said. “This will offer more flexibility, comfort and support to clients in transitioning to a residential program – a key component in the continuum of care.”

Bennett said overdose rates have increased significantly due to the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic.

“Addiction is a disease of isolation and the pandemic has certainly isolated people from being able to attend self-help meetings, group counseling and other forms of support,” he said. “When you couple people in early recovery with isolation, the odds of relapse become increased. We need short-term medical detox more than ever in our communities.”

A letter from the architect to the planning board indicated that the proposed location of the addition is fairly open and will require the removal of about 10 trees directly within the building and parking footprint.

It also noted that a new 13-space parking lot will be added, increasing the total number of spaces to 113 (including 18 of them leased from Cornell Cooperative Extension to the west).

Plans call for the first floor of the detox center to house the “communal” functions of the building such as dining, serving, group rooms, intake and employee offices, while the second story will be split into two wings, each of which will contain four shared bedrooms (two beds each) and a bathroom.

The center block – situated between the wings – contains a central lounge, client laundry and nursing/physician spaces.

The $3.6 million addition is being funded by OASAS capital projects and will create 20 or more new permanent jobs -- nurses, counselors and support staff -- as well as several temporary construction jobs, Bennett said.

Planning Board Member Tom Schubmehl called the detox center “a welcome addition to the community … relatives and friends who have had to go for any help have had to go a long ways to get there. So, it is nice that GCASA is doing this.”

Bennett said that the proposal and architectural renderings previously were reviewed by the City Planning & Development Committee.

“They loved the way we designed it in that we made sure that it flowed with the existing Atwater House,” Bennett said. “Overall, the response was very favorable.”

The City PDC is expected to make a final ruling on the site plan at its July 21 meeting.

In other action, planners recommended:

-- Approval of a special use permit site plan and downtown design review application from V.J. Gautieri Constructors Inc., to create 10 apartments on the second floor of the Save-A-Lot building at 45-47 Ellicott St.

A previous story of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative project, known as Ellicott Place, appeared on Wednesday.

Planners’ approval suggested that future development of ground floor commercial space address access and activation of the south elevation toward Ellicott Street, and that the applicant apply for 9-1-1 address verification with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department to meet Enhanced 9-1-1 standards.

The DRI award was for $1.15 million; the balance of the $2.3 million venture will be funded through a loan with a financial institution, said Victor Gautieri, president of the Batavia company that owns the building.

In response to a question from Schubmehl about Save-A-Lot parking lot disruption during construction, Gautieri said crews will be operating for the most part within the east parking lot where most of the Save-A-Lot employees park their vehicles.

“We will be working in conjunction with those folks to make sure they still have access to the loading dock and make sure they have access to their side doors,” he said. “Save-A-Lot has been a tenant for quite some time and we have a good relationship with them.”

Gautieri said store management is “welcoming the redevelopment of the building and believe it’s going to enhance their sales.”

He said Save-A-Lot is planning a facelift of its own – “with new signage and reorientation within the store to freshen it up.”

Previously, Gautieri said the renovation will give the Ellicott Street neighborhood a long overdue modern look.

“When Ellicott Station (across the street) comes to be, it will complementary to ours and ours to theirs,” he said. “Hopefully, we will be able to attract some businesses that are not in Batavia now, which would be very good for the downtown area.”

-- Approval of a special use permit for Krista Lewis, on behalf of the Hesperus Lodge #837, to convert the first story of the historic building at 12 S. Lake Ave. (Route 19) in Bergen from a hair salon (Radiant Hair Designs) to a laundromat with micro-salon rentals.

In documents submitted to the planning board, Lewis indicated that she plans to install six washers and six dryers for the startup. The proposal calls for the laundromat to be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Additionally, three spaces are being set up for hair stylists to rent.

-- Approval of a site plan review submitted by Russ Walker to operate a candy shop in an existing commercial building at 21 Main St., Oakfield, location of the former Warner’s Flower Shop.

Approved as a gift shop in March, the operator is looking to add a 20-foot by 40-foot addition to the rear of the building. The addition would house a commercial kitchen, storage space and renovated bathroom.

According to plan documents, the new construction would be a pole barn design, with steel siding similar to the building on the other side of the municipal parking lot.

-- Approval of zoning text amendments to address solar energy systems and battery energy storage systems for the entire Town of Alabama.

Planning Director Felipe Oltramari said Alabama is the first local municipality to put battery energy storage systems into its zoning code, noting that he considers these primarily as standalone “accessories” to solar systems.

Beating the heat at the Austin Park Spray Park.

Press release:

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

A car vs. pedestrian accident with what is believed to be a minor hand injury to a young male is reported in the area of 38 Dellinger Ave. in the city. City fire and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between Washington Avenue and West Main Street. A box truck involved is reported to be in Tops Plaza on Lewiston Road and city PD is responding there.

Genesee County officials today learned that its mental health department will be getting 20 percent less in state aid this year.

The cut equates to a loss of $132,710 in revenue for mental health clinical services in the county, said Assistant County Manager Matt Landers.

“We’ve been told all along that there would be cuts of 20 to 50 percent,” Landers said. “We’ve been bracing for that.”

The county’s budget for the mental health department for 2020-21 is $5.6 million, he said, with state aid just one part of the revenue stream.

New York State took a bigger chunk – a 31-percent cut – out of its annual support to the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, action that will have a direct impact upon services provided by Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

“Just in the third quarter alone, this is a $160,000 loss in state aid, with $134,000 of that for Genesee County,” GCASA Executive Director John Bennett said. “Not only will this affect services, but it could very well result in potential layoffs.”

Bennett mentioned that the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program loan will help soften the blow somewhat.

There has been no word on cuts to the state Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (formerly Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities).

In another development, Landers said the county has called back 19 of the 48 employees who were furloughed, including a Department of Motor Vehicles worker needed to help process a heavy load of work since the office reopened.

The furlough program ends on July 31, said Landers, adding that the county’s strategic hiring freeze continues.