news

Submitted photo and press release:

The Arc Transfer Station & Redemption Center, a NYS essential service located at 3785 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, is now open more hours to meet the needs of the community.

Since mid-March the transfer station had been on a three-day schedule, but this week Fridays were added back into the mix and later hours on Wednesdays.

The new hours are Monday, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Wednesdays 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.

According to Director of Business Services, Paul Saskowski, the enhanced schedule was necessary.

“We initially went to a three-day schedule in order to limit our (COVID-19) exposure to both our customers and employees," Saskowski said. "The wait times were getting too long so we are opening on Fridays from 8 to 2 and staying open on Wednesdays until 6 p.m.

"We really appreciate the cooperation and continued patronage we have been getting from customers."

For everyone’s protection, Arc asks that customers please remain in their car or truck onsite. Team members will remove trash and recycling from vehicles.

More information is available at www.arcgo.org (business services), or you may call (585) 343-4203.

Nelson E. Figueroa Jr. (inset photo, left), 31, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with: criminal sex act in the first degree -- actor age 18 years old or older / victim under age 13; first-degree sexual abuse -- victim less than 13 years old / actor 21 years old or older; predatory sexual assault against a child -- specified sexual offense against a child under age 13. At 4:31 p.m. May 1, Batavia police were called to Maple Street in the city for an unknown problem and Figueroa was subsequently arrested. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. Figueroa is due back in city court at 11 a.m. on June 4. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Samuel Freeman, assisted by Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Jeffery M. Johnson (inset photo, right), 32, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with: second-degree strangulation -- obstruction of breathing / causing physical injury; second-degree menacing; second-degree assault during a felony; criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, with a previous conviction; and endangering the welfare of a child. Johnson was arrested after a domestic incident that occurred at 8:37 a.m. on April 29 at an apartment on North Spruce Street. He was arraigned in jail via Skype with Batavia City Court, then jailed on $10,000 cash bail, $20,000 secured bond, or $30,000 unsecured bond. Johnson is due back in city court at 11 a.m. on June 4. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Marshawn J. Singletary, 38, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree reckless endangerment. He was arrested following the investigation into an incident that occurred in March. It is alleged that at 11 p.m. on March 24, Singletary dragged a female with his car while backing out of her driveway on Osterhout Avenue. He was arraigned in jail via virtual conferencing with Batavia City Court, then released on his own recognizance. He is due in city court on June 10 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Alec Roberts, assisted by Officer Miah Stevens.

Rajea Shaiek Thomas Sr., 31, of Averill Avenue, Rochester, is charged with: criminal contempt in the first degree, criminal obstruction of breathing, and fourth-degree criminal mischief. At 2:19 a.m. on April 30, police responded to an apartment on Thomas Avenue in Batavia for a domestic incident. Thomas was arrested and issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on June 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Jordan McGinnis.

Amanda S. Dombrowski, of Versailles Road, North Evans, is charged with third-degree manacing and endangering the welfare of a child. She was arrested following the investigation into a domestic incident that occurred at 7:09 p.m. on Kibbe Avenue in Batavia. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on her own recognizance. She is due in city court June 18. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

James J. Sears, 51, of Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- with a previous conviction; refusal to submit to a breath test; failure to keep right; and moving from lane unsafely. He was arrested after a property damage accident that occurred at 10:07 p.m. on Prospect Avenue in Batavia. He allegedly struck a parked car. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and is due back there June 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Adam Tucker, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Amanda S. McDonald, 37, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, is charged with making unnecessary noise. She was arrested at 12:33 a.m. on April 26 after a complaint of an alleged city code violation of the noise ordinance. McDonald was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on June 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Officer Jordan McGinnis.

Niasia Shakema Jiggetts, 28, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt. At 2:45 a.m. on April 30, Jiggetts was arrested following an incident that occurred at a residence on Thomas Avenue. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on June 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan McGinnis, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.

The Genesee Wyoming Music Educators Association celebrates previous scholarship winner Andrea Gilebarto, a former Batavia High School who will graduate this spring with a degree in music education from SUNY Fredonia.

Press release:

Primary Instrument: Voice -- studying with Robert Strauss at SUNY Fredonia Secondary Instruments: Ukulele, Piano, and Flute

When asked what her favorite High School and College memories are Andrea Responded: My favorite high school experience is playing Mary Poppins in "Mary Poppins the musical." My favorite college musical experience was when I was in Chamber Choir under the direction of Dr. Vernon Huff. I think a close second was playing one of the stepsisters in the Hillman Opera's production of "Cendrillon" by Massenet, the French opera of the "Cinderella" story.

When asked where is your favorite performance venue you have performed at Andrea responded:

My favorite venue was when the Chamber Choir went to Churchville Chili High School to be a part of a promotional tour. We performed four songs that evening, and closed out the concert. The auditorium was huge and had plenty of space for our sound to resonate in. My favorite song we performed that night was "All My Trials" and "Rockin' Jerusalem," both arranged by Stacey Gibbs.

In addition to teaching, Andrea aspires to be a part of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus one day. She also aspires to be in more operas down the line.

When asked who her main influences are Andrea responded: My main musical influences are Joyce Didonato, Billy Joel and Luciano Pavarotti. I have tickets to see Billy Joel in concert, and cannot wait to see him live!

Andreas ultimate music goal is to be able to teach middle school general music and choral music while still having time to participate in an opera or a musical theater performance.

Andrea loves playing ukulele! She finds chords to pop songs she loves, and plays along to recordings.

We would like to congratulate Andrea on all of her accomplishments up to this point! We wish you much luck as you start your career as a music educator!

Above, Village of Corfu Police Department Officer Scott Johnston.

Photos and press release from the Office of the Sheriff, Genesee County:

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week.

Typically, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C., to participate in a number of planned events which honor those officers that have paid the ultimate sacrifice during this week.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic these events have been cancelled this year.

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr., City of Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch, Village of Le Roy Police Chief Christopher Hayward, along with the Genesee County Legislature, recognize this week in honor of all those in the law enforcement profession for the countless hours each officer dedicates to the community in which they serve.

The Genesee County Legislature will be issuing a proclamation at its Wednesday night meeting recognizing May 10 – 16, 2020, as National Police Week. The lights on the Old County Courthouse cupola will be changed to blue to acknowledge this week.

Law enforcement officers are always prepared to respond and aid our residents, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“We commend the women and men of the law enforcement community for their selfless dedication to the protection of the citizens and communities they serve. May God bless them and their families. Please take a moment and join us in paying tribute to these tremendous individuals and remember those that have given the ultimate sacrifice,” said Sheriff Sheron, Chief Heubusch and Chief Hayward in a joint statement.

Above, Village of Le Roy Police Department, from left: Officer Adriano Medici, Detective John Condidorio, Officer Zachary Klafehn, Officer Chris Ford, Sergeant Greg Kellogg, Officer Curt Miller, Officer Steve Cappotelli, Officer Connor Denz.

Above, Genesee County Sheriff's Office, from left: Sergeant Michael J. Lute, Deputy Rachel M. Diehl, Investigator Joseph D. Loftus, Deputy Robert C. Henning, Deputy Travis M. DeMuth.

Above, City of Batavia Police Department, from left: Officer Austin Hedges, Officer Felicia DeGroot, Officer Josh Girvin, Officer Nicole McGinnis, Officer Sam Freeman.

Press release:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $1.85, up 7 cents since last week. One year ago, the price was $2.87. The New York State average is $2.15 – down 1 cent from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.96.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.21 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.21 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.13 (no change since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.19 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.11 (no change since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.06 (no change since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.12 (down 1 cent since last week)

Increasing demand for gasoline continues to push pump prices up around the country, as more states reopen businesses. Gas demand is expected to continue to grow, leading pump prices to continue to rise. Reports from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirm that demand for gasoline has increased, though demand level is still lower than last year at this time.

Oil prices are fluctuating, but have gained some steam, as the market continues to believe that crude demand will increase as more states reopen businesses. However, global crude demand is expected to remain low due to COVID-19, tempering price spikes.

From GasBuddy:

"Gasoline demand continues rebound across the United States as more states reopen, with a week on week rise of nearly 5 percent, according to data from GasBuddy's free payments card. The boost in demand has led oil and gasoline prices to rally, and as long as states continue to loosen restrictions, it'll mean more motorists on the roads and filling their tank," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"Most states saw prices rise last week, but yet again Great Lakes states, which were the largest beneficiaries of ultra-low prices, saw the most pain as retail gasoline prices fall back into their normal territory against the national average. For now, the continued recovery in gas prices will nearly completely depend on improvement in the coronavirus situation, as so long as refineries boost production again as demand continues to rise again."

More than three weeks ago, I asked a few of our local school districts to shoot their own videos about their cafeteria workers and to send me the clips to put together in a single video. For various reasons, it's taken me some time to complete but here it is.

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received four more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has three new cases (bringing the total to 132) and Genesee has one (bringing the total to 164). 

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individuals will be notified by Health Department staff. Two of the Orleans County individuals are residents of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center and one is a community member. Genesee County’s individual who tested positive is a community member.

We have also received word of the death of an individual who had tested positive for COVID-19 and was a resident of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad time.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and locations. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon.

We continue to encourage all residents to be vigilant about handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, properly wearing cloth face coverings over the mouth and nose, keeping your hands away from your face, limiting time out in public and when you do need to go out for essentials you designate one person from your household, keep social distancing and stay home if you are sick.

Story and photos courtesy of Anne Marie Starowitz.

In touring the Holland Land Office Museum a visitor can be taken back to the time when Joseph Ellicott surveyed the land with the help of our Native Americans. They can imagine what it was like to cook on the hearth of a fireplace.

The numerous artifacts illustrate our early history. Every decade has its own memories and artifacts. Fast forwarding to the 1960s, people in their 60s might have shared some of these childhood memories with their children.

It always seems an exaggeration, the “hardships” our parents endured, until parents in their 60s are telling similar stories to their children.

In the ‘60s, your summer would include playing outside. What that really meant was you would create your own fun and the word “bored” was not part of your vocabulary.

Children still love to play kickball today, but kickball in the ‘60s was a game that could be played for hours. Where it was played was quite an adventure. If your front yard was big enough, that was where the bases would be put. The bases would be very creative depending on what you could find for the day.

Sandlot baseball games could be found in almost any vacant lot.

If you had a piece of cardboard from Max Pies Furniture Store you could be seen sliding down the side of the South Jackson Street overpass.

Other games included hopscotch and 7UP (not the game played in school today but one that involved a ball and a slanted roof). The players had to catch, bounce, and throw a ball in seven different ways. The one who completed the seven steps was the winner.

Rollerblades were unheard of but roller skates with ball bearings were the skates to own.

The skater needed to have a pair of shoes that had leather soles.

The skates were clamped on the shoes with a skate key.

They were quite heavy but if you were lucky enough to have a pair you learned how to maneuver them.

Misplacing the key was the biggest problem with these skates, so the skater would wear the key on a string around his or her neck.

If it was hot out, which seemed to be almost every day, a sprinkler was set up and you would run through it. There was a rope swing over the Tonawanda Creek for the daring swimmers at Kibbe Park.

Many children frequented the two wading pools in the city. In the winter the wading pools were transformed into ice rinks.

Young people also could ice-skate on the tennis courts at MacArthur Park with music playing and hot chocolate to warm them up.

On any given winter day there would be a line of children waiting to slide down the State Street Hill, today known as Centennial Park.

Backyard pools were very rare, but there was the Community Pool or as it was called by kids of the ‘60s, the New Pool. Most of the young people were very coordinated, probably because everything they did was outside, running, walking, hopping, riding a bike.

There were many versions of playing tag and there was a game called Spud (Scroll down the link's list of 30 classic children's games to find Spud).

There was also the saying that “when the street lights come on, you are to come home.”

A highlight of the summer was the Parks Program. A young person would be waiting at the park for the park supervisor to open the door to the day’s activity.

When a child would bring home a plaster of paris mold of "The Last Supper," the mom would say how much she loved it and would wonder what she was going to do with another mold from the park. It weighed a few pounds and was painted in multicolors and had a little hook attached to the back to hang it. Somehow next summer "The Last Supper” would be gone but another plaster of paris craft would soon be brought home to be admired by the parents.

Many dads were proud owners of rattlesnake ashtrays.

There were many activities that involved movement. There was the (pre-skateboard era) bongo board, a pogo stick, and tetherball (plus, jump rope and hand-clapping games*). Youngsters could also play baseball, ride bicycles or just plain walk.

Parks would play other parks in baseball and started preparing for the annual Parks Parade on the first day the parks opened.

One year the theme was "I Never Saw a Thing Like that!" Farrall Park created a "Zelepea," which had the head of an elephant, body of a zebra, and the tail of a peacock. The head moved and water squirted out of the nose.

Every park entered a float, scrapbook and crafts to be judged on the final day of the parks program.

One could not list all of the technology the young people today have at their disposal. In the ‘60s you were lucky if you had a transistor radio and a high fidelity stereo (Hi-Fi) to play your 45-RPM records on.

Popular music included The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Franki Valli & the Four Seasons to only name a few.

As far as a telephone, the phone was attached to the wall and if you were lucky it had a long cord you could stretch to another room or a closet for a little privacy.

Today a child learns at an early age, not only the rules of a fire drill, but how to react to an active shooter or a bomb threat.

People in their 60s remember the bomb drills that included hiding under their desks with their arms over their heads.

Young people today will someday have to share with their children what it was like to live in their decade. One cannot imagine using the story the people in their 60s heard when they were young -- “I had to walk to and from school in blizzards, rainstorms and extreme heat uphill both ways.”

Today, there is still the Parks Program. It has changed but then everything changes over time. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 there will not be a parks program this year.

These are only a few memories of growing up in the 1960s, unforgettable to those who lived them.

*(Watch an updated epic patty-cake demo.).

Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship in Le Roy hosted a drive-thru parade today to benefit Crossroads House.

Taken this afternoon in Le Roy.

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received six more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has five new cases and Genesee has one. 

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individuals will be notified by Health Department staff. Two of the Orleans County individuals are residents of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center and three are community members. Genesee County’s individual who tested positive is a community member.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and location. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon.

As you celebrate Mother’s Day, please honor your Moms and Grandmothers by celebrating virtually or by phone so as not to potentially spread germs. 

We continue to encourage all residents to be vigilant about handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, properly wearing cloth face coverings over the mouth and nose, keeping your hands away from your face, limiting time out in public and when you do need to go out for essentials you designate one person from your household, keep social distancing and stay home if you are sick.

From Genesee County Board of Elections' commissioners Dick Siebert and Lorie Longhany:

In the next few days all registered voters will be receiving an absentee application in the mail from the Genesee County Board of Elections.

This allows voters to use “temporary illness” due to the COVID-19 pandemic to apply and mail in your application with a prepaid envelope.

After we receive your application, we will mail your ballot (or ballots in the case of some voters who will receive multiple ballots) out to you, so that you will be able to vote safely.

This application is good only for the June 23^rd Primary Election. If you have any questions please call (585) 815-7804 or email us at:   election@co.genesee.ny.us

It snowed in Genesee County today, so of course, Santa paid us a visit.

Photo submitted by Jean Grinnell.

A resident on Main Street in Stafford has placed anti-lockdown protest signs in their yard.

Press release:

• State is partnering with Northwell Health to establish 24 temporary testing sites at churches in predominately minority communities;
• Results of state's diagnostic and antibody surveys and comprehensive survey of newly admitted patients hospitalized for COVID-19 found communities of color are most impacted by COVID-19;
• Preliminary results of antibody testing survey of more than 1,300 transit workers in the NYC Region show 14.2 percent have COVID-19 antibodies;
• Confirms 2,715 additional coronavirus cases in New York State -- bringing statewide total to 333,122; new cases in 48 counties.

Governor Cuomo: "Today we're launching a new initiative, again to address exactly this which is to expand access to testing in low-income communities and communities of color. We're partnering with Northwell Health which is the largest health system in New York and they're going to set up 24 additional testing sites at churches in predominantly minority communities."

Cuomo: "This is a different kind of partnership, it's creative, but it's necessary. We're working with both churches individually and association of churches and Northwell. Northwell will provide the testing in churches in lower-income communities and communities of color. The churches will help us outreach to the community to get people to come in and explain why it's important that people come in and get tested when you put the church-based sites together with the drive-thru sites, together with the walk-in testing sites, and our sites at public housing, the coverage will be extensive."

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Cuomo today announced the launch of a new initiative to expand access to testing in low-income communities and communities of color. The state is partnering with Northwell Health to establish an initial 24 temporary testing sites at churches in predominately minority communities in Downstate New York to build on the state's network of Downstate testing sites.

The results of the state's diagnostic testing and antibody testing surveys show that low-income and minority communities are suffering the most from COVID-19. The largest statewide antibody testing survey of 15,000 New Yorkers found a greater infection rate in communities of color.

Additionally, the state's comprehensive survey of all newly admitted patients hospitalized for COVID-19 found communities of color are most impacted and of the 21 zip codes with the newest COVID-19 hospitalizations, 20 have greater than average black and/or Latino populations. A deeper look into two of the most impacted communities in the survey, in Brooklyn and the Bronx, found communities of color are also lower-income and have a greater percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations and infections than New York City overall.

Today's testing expansion initiative builds on previous state actions to address inequalities and deliver for those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, the state has partnered with Ready Responders to bring healthcare services, including COVID-19 diagnostic testing, to residents of public housing in New York City and delivered one million cloth masks and 10,000 gallons of hand sanitizer to public housing.

The Governor also announced the preliminary results of the state's antibody testing survey of more than 1,300 transit workers in the New York City region show 14.2 percent have COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 19.9 percent of the general population in New York City.

From St. Jerome Guild Inc.:

The St. Jerome Guild Inc. is announcing a new initiative to show gratitude for the COVID-19 healthcare workers of the Rochester Regional Health/UMMC and the Jerome Center in Batavia.

As a special tribute to these employees during this pandemic, those serving on the front lines as well as supporting personnel, the Guild would like to honor each one with a gold-embroidered star.  

For the Wall of Warriors 2020, the Guild asks Genesee Livingston Orleans Wyoming (GLOW) community to support this intiative by donating $10 per star, representing each UMMC employee.

We hope to sell 1,000 "gold stars" to honor a thousand UMMC workers.

A star can represent an employee who may be a family member or friend, or just serve as a thank you for health-care providers’ tireless dedication and courage.

It acknowleges the outstanding care they give to patients suffering through these unsettling and disconcerting times.

There is no limit to donors wishing to honor more than one employee!

The star donations will be accepted by check, made payable to:

St. Jerome Guild, with notation "star" and mailed to:  St. Jerome Gift Shop at 16 Bank St., Batavia, NY 14020.

The final project will incorporate all the stars to be embedded into frames that will be on display at the North Street and the Bank Street campuses entitled, UMMC “Home Town Heroes -- Wall of Warriors 2020.”

All proceeds from this initiative will be donated to UMMC to purchase vital equipment needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Guild’s mission is to continually support our local hospital, and especially, now, during these extraordinary times.

Photos courtesy of Rochester Regional Health/UMMC.

Whether it’s to provide services or a lend a sympathetic ear, representatives of the Independent Living of the Genesee Region continue to meet the needs of disabled residents of Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans counties.

“The mission of Independent Living is to assist anyone with a disability – there’s no age requirement and all of our services are free of charge,” Executive Director Rae Frank said on Friday, during the latest “Genesee Connects” informational video. “The disability can be physical, cognitive or related to mental health, and it’s something that substantially limits one or more life activities.”

Frank said she understands that many people are experiencing panic and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that ILGR employees are ready to assist “whether their disability is temporary or permanent.”

Classified as an essential business, ILGR’s staff consists of 18 people, some in the office and others working from their homes, Frank said, adding that agency staff is unable to meet with clients face-to-face during the health crisis.

Kristen Lazarony, Medicaid facilitated enroller, is one of two specialists working from home to assist elderly, blind or disabled citizens with applications and submission of required documents.

“We can do their entire applications (including marketplace applications) over the phone … and certified application counselors in the building can submit them directly for you,” she said.

Lazarony added that ILGR staff is able to transport food and pharmacy orders, and loan closet equipment and can take individuals to the store.

“We also have a Consumer Directed personal aide program,” she said. “They’re able to provide masks for all of our aides, regular prescreenings and assistance with the enrollment process. They can verify your insurance, and they’re still able to do all of that over the phone.”

She also said the agency offers employment services, adult behavior health, peer support, coping skills, resources on staying safe and healthy, and can assist with resume building, job search and online applications.

The ILGR plays a strong role in finding places to live for disabled individuals, said Dominique (Dom) Johnson, Rapid Rehousing program specialist.

“We have regular independent living specialists who can help you find housing and complete applications (by) contacting you over the phone and walking you through the applications,” Johnson said.

“They may be filling it completely for you if that’s what you need, or if you’re able to fill it out, they can mail you the application and talk with you while you fill it out for any questions that you may have.”

Johnson said the Rapid Rehousing program is for eligible people who are currently homeless or previously have been homeless, and it starts with a phone call and screening.

“This is because you have been sleeping in a car or a community organization such as Community Action, Catholic Charities or Social Services is paying for you to be at a hotel or motel, or you are at a shelter – even though we don’t have shelters in our county,” he said.

“But if you are a county resident and you’re in the shelter and your residence is in one of the counties we serve, I can complete that screening to see if you are eligible for the Rapid Rehousing program."

He said that the program pays for security deposit and rental assistance for the apartment within the three counties, with the monetary allotment based on the applicant’s family size.

All three ILGR staff members emphasized that agency employees make themselves available for those who just want to hear some words of assurance during these troubling times.

“Yesterday, I spoke with a consumer that wasn’t actually in our county and after I got down to figuring out what he needed, I found out he just needed someone to talk to and vent to about everything that is going on,” Johnson said.

“I was the first person that he was actually able to get a hold of. (We’re) just letting the public know, maybe they don’t actually need a service, maybe they just need somebody to listen to them and that’s what we’re here for.”

The ILGR is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is (585) 815-8501. Johnson’s cell phone number is (716) 235-0934. More information can be found on the agency’s Facebook page.

To view the “Genesee Connects” video session hosted by Assistant County Manager Matt Landers, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC1z-CGNy0w

The head of the state’s Department of Labor shook off a question about her job performance today as she updated the agency’s efforts to get benefit checks into the hands of around 470,000 New Yorkers with pending claims.

Responding to a reporter who brought up that state Sen. Patty Richie has called for her to step down, Commissioner Roberta Reardon (inset photo below) said she doesn’t have time to worry about her critics in the midst of COVID-19, a pandemic that has thus far triggered more than 1.5 million claims and nearly $7 billion in payments in the Empire State.

“I haven’t seen those news reports,” Reardon said toward the end of a 20-minute conference call with the media. “I’m squarely focused on my job, which is getting benefits to unemployed New Yorkers and I know that the rest of the team at the DOL feels the same way.”

Reardon said the DOL is “moving faster and more aggressively in New York than any other major state, and as of today, we have paid over $6.8 billion to New Yorkers in just two months, and that’s over three times that we paid in all of last year.”

She said she understands that those still waiting for benefits are angry and confused, but emphasized that the agency is proceeding as quickly as possible.

“I do understand the frustration. I have spoken to people personally about this, and if you haven’t gotten your benefits yet, then none of these numbers matter,” she said. “That’s why I’m going to keep working night and day to process applications, complete certifications and make payments. And I’ll leave the politics to the politicians because I have a job to do.”

Reardon said that every state’s labor department is staggering under the weight of claims for both traditional unemployment insurance and the pandemic unemployment assistance passed by the federal government.

“Earlier this week, the federal government announced that over 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the coronavirus pandemic began to affect businesses,” she said. “And today, the federal government released figures showing that the unemployment rate in the USA hit 14.7 percent in April, and that is the highest rate since the Great Depression.”

The commissioner said the DOL has implemented several measures recently to streamline the claims process.

The latest, launched today, is designed to communicate more clearly the status of an unemployed New Yorker’s claim, she said.

“One of the things we heard from the media and directly from New Yorkers is the frustration with understanding where their application actually is in the process,” she said. “The system we have sees applications in binary terms – an application is ‘pending’ until it is ‘processed.’ So, we’ve worked within that system to figure out what milestones we can identify right now and communicate them as an application reaches those points.”

Reardon said that in the coming days, the DOL is going to roll out “a new effort to proactively inform New Yorkers about the status of their unemployment benefit application – using emails and text messages to communicate directly with New Yorkers when their application reaches the milestones in the process, and letting them know what step they are on and if any action is required and what to expect next.”

She pointed to previous action to speed up the process, including:

-- Issuing a directive to employers, reminding them they are required to provide New Yorkers who lose their job with the information they need to easily and completely file for unemployment;

-- Identifying and proactively emailing 90,000 New Yorkers with complete, processed and payable claims who have not submitted their first federally required weekly certification to release their payments;

-- And launching a new online process to allow 470,000 New Yorkers who did not certify in previous weeks to submit their prior week certifications and receive their back pay easier and faster.

Reardon said the DOL has processed more than 100,000 applications for PUA, which, she offered, is a more difficult application than the one used for traditional unemployment benefits.

“At the same time, today, 20 other states have not even begun to pay a single cent of PUA benefits yet and some have not even started accepting their applications,” she said. “This has truly been a colossal undertaking but I know these numbers are cold comfort for someone waiting for their first payment, and I want all New Yorkers to know that we will continue to work tirelessly to process their claims and make their payments.”

She also said that the agency has begun paying the $600 weekly payments to individuals with just “forfeit days” on their accounts, and that includes retroactive pay through April 5.

“For folks with other issues on their accounts beyond just forfeit days, we’re continuing to review what can be done,” she said.

After her prepared comments, Reardon answered several questions:

-- Asked about a wish list of resources needed, she first thanked the “voluntary state workforce” of 3,000 who have “stepped up and stepped out to help their fellow New Yorkers and that is really remarkable.”

She mentioned the addition of third-party call centers, 60 more servers on their main frame, thousands of new ports for the phone system, and the efficient Google application.

“But actually, my wish list would be a magic wand to make it go away,” she said.

-- Asked why it to so long to fix the DOL website and application system, that crashed in 2008, she pointed to the sheer volume of claims.

“We have 1.6 million New Yorkers processed in the last report, and we know that’s not the end of the applications; more people are coming into the system as we speak,” she replied. “There’s no state that hasn’t staggered and fallen to their knees under this. All of the states, even the states that recently rebuilt their systems, had their systems crash.”

She acknowledged that the DOL system needed an update and that one was under way.

“We did an RFP, it was an elaborate and articulate RFP that took a couple years to really get it through the system. We got our contractors and we were in the middle of a five-year rebuild and then the pandemic happened. It was a lot of forces all at once,” she said.

-- Asked about the problems processing of the PUA applications, she said things got off on the wrong foot.

“We all need to admit that it did not exist until March 27^th. It was signed into law on March 27^th … and we didn’t even get federal guidance on how to administer it as a program until April 5^th and then the guidance was complicated and, frankly, contradictory,” she said.

“Early on, people were told they had to apply for unemployment insurance and go through the process of being denied, and then they had to fill out another application – PUA – and this was very difficult.”

She said the DOL developed a streamlined application on April 20^th, but there were a lot of people who “got caught in that original glue-trap of bad regulation. And we are working on all of that; it’s moving much faster now.”

“The universe of potential filers for the $600 PUA checks is large and I don’t think they all will because many freelancers are working, frankly,” she said. “I’m very happy to say we are moving them through the system and more and more of them will be made whole every day.”

-- Asked if people were eligible if they turned down a job for health concerns, she said mentioned the state mandates regarding business reopening and the health protocols and advised anyone who “feels they are working in an unsafe environment should report it to the DOL because we will immediately investigate the situation and send inspectors out.

She then offered the following:

-- “Under federal law, if you are receiving PUA, you can not turn down a job because of generalized fear of COVID-19 or dislike of the job. And the same goes for traditional unemployment insurance.

--"Two, you can turn down a job because of a specific COVID-19-related health issue. For instance, if someone is told by her doctor that she is immune-compromised and had to self-quarantine, she would qualify for PUA.

-- “And, three, you can turn down a job because of other non-health COVID-19 scenarios and qualify for a benefit. For instance, you’re a child’s primary caretaker, and the child is unable to attend school or other childcare options because of COVID-19, you would qualify.”