news

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has opened registration for the Harvest Dinner program.

Income-eligible Genesee County residents who qualify will receive a food box and Aldi’s gift card.

To reserve a registration appointment, please call (585) 343-7798. ID for all household members and current proof of income is required at the time of your visit. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Organizations referring multiple clients should contact case manager David Dodge at (585)343-7798 x 114.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has served low-income and disadvantaged families for over forty years. Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunity to those who are not yet self-sufficient. 

Press release:

Leadership Genesee will present awards honoring the 19 members of the Class of 2022 along with the 2022 Outstanding Alumnus Award at the Annual Graduation Celebration at Terry Hills on Dec. 1.

Paul Osborn, a graduate of the Class of 2005, has been named the Leadership Genesee Alumnus of the Year. The award is presented annually to an alumnus who works to fulfill the program’s mission displaying exceptional achievements and contributions to the community and Leadership Genesee.

When Paul was asked what Leadership Genesee meant to him, he said, “Leadership Genesee was an opportunity for me to learn more in-depth details regarding our community and focus on how I could become a better leader. The program provides tools and activities that make you more self-aware of the bigger picture, to think before you react, and ways to understand people to communicate more effectively.”

Tim Hens LG 2001 nominated Paul, sharing, “Paul is involved in every organization that you can imagine. He spends literally his entire time making life better for the residents and youth of his village, town, and county.”

Paul’s community involvement includes active participation and leadership roles with the following organizations: Oakfield Lions Club, Oakfield Betterment Committee, Alabama-Oakfield Dollars for Scholars, Oakfield Recreation Committee, BEA Camp Hard Hat for students providing experience in a building trades environment, GLOW Corporate Cup, Green Genesee/Smart Genesee, Genesee County Youth Board, Genesee County Parks Advisory Committee, Genesee County Job Development Youth Employment Program and the Association for the Conservation of Natural Spaces (ACORNS), to name some of the organizations Paul helps steward.

Paul shared that it’s been difficult to stay directly active with Leadership Genesee as his professional responsibilities as the Deputy Highway Superintendent for Genesee County include overseeing the Genesee County Jail Project, which takes much of his time. However, Paul continues to help Leadership Genesee because he gained tremendous insights and opportunities for engagement with many Genesee County agencies that are the backbone of our community. Paul shares, “Leadership Genesee is a catalyst for motivating graduates to get out and get involved. Doing what I can is my way of giving back to LG.”  

Leadership Genesee director, Peggy Marone LG ’02 shares, “Paul has always been an advocate for Leadership Genesee, concentrating his efforts in the community, which is a goal of our program. When we knew we were losing the opportunity to hold Outdoor Leadership Challenge at Camp Hough, we talked with Paul about relocating the session to the Genesee County Park. He worked to ensure the elements he built were done to specifications allowing LG classes to experience teambuilding activities at the County Park.” 

Paul is a Landscape Architect by training and has volunteered his love of natural beauty with so many organizations, including helping in the design of the International Peace Garden. Paul has led the transformation of the Genesee County Park system and has turned things like the DeWitt Recreation Area and the Ellicott Trail into regional award-winning community assets. Paul received the 2020 American Public Works Association Western Region award for involvement in the design and construction of the 9.8-mile Ellicott Trail project and the 2022 American Planning Association Upstate Chapter Award for Excellence in Comprehensive Planning for involvement in the 2050 Comprehensive Plan for Genesee County.

Paul’s advice to anyone who is thinking about applying for LG is, “Go…don’t hesitate!  There is so much more to the program than meets the eye.  This program will provide you an opportunity to engage, learn, network, share your story, and most of all…be open to different ways of thinking.” Paul enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and learning about other places, especially Europe.

The Outstanding Alumnus Award is sponsored by Skip Helfrich of Human Energies.  Leadership Genesee is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. For more information about Leadership Genesee, please visit our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/leadership-genesee.

Photo: File photo of Paul Osborn, 2012, by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The Morganville United Church of Christ, 8466 Morganville Road, Stafford, is hosting a Christmas Hymn Sing on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 3 p.m.

The public is invited. 

We will have an organ accompanist to lead us through some of the old, familiar hymns we love to sing.  A light soup and dessert supper will be held after in a former one-room schoolhouse.  It’s a great opportunity to invite a friend to join you. 

Submitted photo: Gracia Leavy, Cheryl Hale, Marianne Garigen and organist Carin Wade.

Press release:

Western Region Off-Track Betting (WROTB) and Batavia Downs President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek was joined by staff from Make-A-Wish Western New York as they were presented with a check for  $7,500.  These proceeds were from this past summer’s Chair Rentals, Glow Jewelry and Can Coolers at Batavia’s Summer Concert Series.

“Make-A-Wish Western New York does so much good in this community, we were pleased to continue our Chair Rental Program with them this past summer,” Wojtaszek said. “All of us here at Batavia Downs are proud that we could help ‘Make-A-Wish’ in their efforts to grant wishes for so many young Western New Yorkers.”

Throughout the 10 concerts of Batavia Downs’ Rockin’ The Downs Summer Concert Series, volunteers from Make-A-Wish worked a chair-rental booth.   From there the volunteers collected money for chairs while also selling glow jewelry and branded can coolers.  The chairs are adorned with the Make-A-Wish logo and the message:  The person sitting in this chair is helping to transform lives.

“Make-A-Wish is incredibly appreciative of our partnership with Batavia Downs for the “Rockin’ the Downs” Summer Concert Series to raise both awareness and crucial funds to help support children and families fighting critical illnesses, not only in the Batavia community but throughout this 17-county region, said Ben Marchione, Regional Director, Make-A-Wish® Western New York.  “Thank you to all the concert goers who supported this year’s efforts and to Batavia Downs for making it possible. It is only through vitally important partnerships such as this that we are able to continue to serve our essential mission and we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”

The 2023 Concert Series lineup is expected to announced in the coming weeks.

Press release:

New signage reminds residents that they can take advantage of the free wi-fi at the Haxton Memorial Library in Oakfield. It is available 24/7. The best reception is at the front of the building along Pearl Street and Drake Street, as demonstrated by Kim Gibson, Library Director.

Press release:

With the holiday season upcoming, members of many different local police and community agencies have come together to collect gifts for underprivileged children up to age eighteen across Genesee County.

Representatives from the Genesee County Probation Department, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department, the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Genesee County Department of Social Services will be collecting gifts in front of Target and Kohl’s in Batavia from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 19.

Commonly donated items are new toys, new clothing, small denomination gift cards, personal care gift sets, hats/gloves and accessories, and non-perishable food items. All items collected will stay in Genesee County and will be distributed to children and families in need this holiday season. 

Photo: File photo from 2019 by Howard Owens.

If all goes as projected, Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.-member municipalities will receive about 16 percent more in distributions in 2023.

That was one of the key points shared by WROTB Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach this morning at a 2023 operating plan workshop for the public benefit company’s board of directors at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

Leach (photo at right) said that preliminary numbers indicate that, overall, net revenue available to the 17 municipalities, which include Genesee County, will increase by about $800,000 to $5.8 million – a 15.9 percent jump. Those figures are based on net revenue before post-employment benefits.

She also predicted that the amount of money handled at the corporation’s nine branches will go up by $850,000 to $47.4 million while Batavia Downs’ net win will increase by $3 million to $77.5 million, and intertrack wagering and live racing handle will be remain unchanged.

Moreover, Leach said that Batavia Downs’ net gain from operations will increase by about $375,000 to $6.6 million – with net losses from operation decreasing by about $409,000 to $1.4 million and branch retained surcharge revenue increasing by about $16,000 to $619,000.

The surcharge consists of a 5 percent tax that the corporation collects from pari-mutuel (horse racing) winning tickets and, in timely fashion, distributes to its member municipalities and other counties in New York State that have a race track.

Leach emphasized that the operating plan has not been finalized and the numbers could change prior to a vote by the board at its Dec. 1 meeting.

“This is still a work in progress,” she said. “The board, ultimately, will either vote to approve or disapprove the recommendations of management that really will come to fruition in the final plan that will be sent out in summary form to members next week."

Nine of the 17 board members attended today’s workshop, including a new member, Vincent Horrigan, who has been appointed to represent Chautauqua County. Richard Siebert, Genesee County’s director, was not at the non-mandatory meeting.

The plan, which projects the goals of the corporation’s components in monetary terms, is “a collective effort between officers, department heads and staff,” Leach said, adding that the packet features historical data from 2021 and 2022 and anticipated 2023 numbers.

WROTB’s major segments are gaming, of course; live racing and intertrack wagering, food and beverage, and The Hotel at Batavia Downs.

“Keep in mind those two major revenue sources, which are the pari-mutuel wagering and the video gaming activity, are based on our patrons,” she said. “That’s why we say this is a fluid, working document. It is a guideline for the corporation in which to maneuver in the next year.”

She said part of management’s responsibility is to “react” to situations and trends, such as snowstorms that keep customers away from the branches and Park Road, inflation, rising product costs or public health concerns such as COVID-19 – “and I hope we don’t have to deal with that again,” she noted.

“We have adjusted some of our expenses upward … such as the utilities or any of our cost of goods, our food costs,” Leach said. “And, conversely, forecast what are our increases in our … product to end user, the patrons, the customers. So, there's a lot that goes in to putting this plan together. Not only the historical trends and current trends, but where we are going as well. And where do we want to be? And how do we achieve … our net win goals for the next year.”

BRANCH OPERATIONS

Leach said the nine OTB parlors employ 31 people (about 10 percent of the total WROTB employee count) and are projected to generate about $760,000 in surcharge in 2023. This segment, however, has not been profitable in recent years – and the 2023 operating plan indicates a net loss of about $1.2 million.

When asked by Director Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) if it might be beneficial to eliminate the branch operation, Leach and Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said management has downsized that part of the corporation in recent years.

During the OTB parlor heyday, the corporation operated more than 30 branches.

Branch wagering did increase during the six months that Batavia Downs Gaming was closed due to COVID, Leach pointed out.

“That’s when the OTBs and Batavia Bets (online wagering) became invaluable to the corporation,” she said. “Batavia Bets stayed open and then our OTBs opened up at the end of May (2020) and beginning of June. So, at least we had money coming in the door.”

She also spoke of the importance of the EZ Bet locations (in restaurants and bars), which feature TVs, simulcast equipment and terminals for wagering without the overhead of paying staff members.

BATAVIA DOWNS GAMING

Leach said that credits played into the VLTs and credits won make up the “net win” – which is projected to increase from $74.5 million to $77.5 million in 2023.

“So, our total gross operating income increased just about $2.7 million (per the preliminary plan),” she said, adding that a revision is coming due to a decision to reduce the number of summer concerts from 10 to eight in 2023, and upon receipt of the hotel operating plan.

WROTB pays 49 percent of the net win to the state Division of Lottery, and that is expected to increase by $1.5 million, Leach said. Operating expenses also are going up, with the biggest increases to the horse racing purses, breeders’ fund and to the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association.

All told, net gain from Batavia Downs Gaming operations is projected to increase by about $374,000, she said.

GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE

Leach said that in 2023, management (per information received from department heads) will be assigning 65 percent of the $6.7 million General & Administrative expense to the Batavia Downs Gaming side of the operation and 35 percent of that amount to the off-track betting (racing, intertrack wagering, branches) side of the operation.

This is up from a 51/39 percent split in 2021 and 2022.

“And it makes sense because in the past two years we have closed eight brick-and-mortar facilities,” Leach said. “This procedure and how the corporation allocates those funds have been approved by Western’s outside audit firm. It’s sound reasoning the way it's done.”

HOTEL AT BATAVIA DOWNS

Leach said she just received a report from The Hotel at Batavia Downs, which is operated by an outside company.

“Those numbers will be incorporated into the final plan,” she said. “It was an addition of 92 rooms, which increased the bottom line by about $12,000.”

At Stafford's Town Board meeting on Monday night, members of the public who said they would like copies of the town budget were told they couldn't obtain copies until after the budget was approved by the board.

One member of the public, Cathy Worthington, said she tried to obtain a copy but was told she could only read the copy on file with the Town Clerk's office. She couldn't have a copy to take with her.

This appears to be contrary to New York's Town Law and New York's Freedom of Information Law.

The town's attorney, Mark Boylan, agrees.

"In general, documents retained by the town are public documents subject to FOIL unless they contain personal information," Boylan said.

He didn't want to comment further based on the discussion at Monday's meeting because he wasn't there, and it appears he was not consulted prior to the meeting.

Town Supervisor Robert Clement told meeting attendees that the board was following the law, an assertion supported by board member Ron Panek.

Worthington asked at the start of the public hearing, "Why couldn't we get a copy of that budget to look over leisurely? I had to come in and just sit and go through it. Why couldn't I have gotten a copy of that?"

Clement said, "The rules and regulations, I guess, didn't permit it."

Worthington: "I guess what rules and regulations? Because all the other towns give them out. Some even posted on their websites for people to look at. Could I get a copy now to look over?"

Panek: "When it's approved."

Worthington then pressed on with her questions about the budget.

Several minutes later, another citizen in attendance said, "there's no law that says you can't hand them (copies of the budget) out."

Panek then cited Section 108 of Town Law, saying, "'a copy of the preliminary budget is available at the office of the town clerk and may be inspected by any interested person during office hours,' so that's what we're doing."

That is what Section 108 says.

But Section 106 says, "The preliminary budget shall be filed in the office of the town clerk and the town clerk shall reproduce for public distribution as many copies as the town board may direct."

The town board, in accordance with the law, based on Worthington's experience in trying to obtain a copy of the budget, did not direct the town clerk to reproduce any copies of the preliminary budget for public distribution.

Also, the state's public record law, the Freedom of Information Law, makes all government documents public record, with members of the public guaranteed a right to obtain copies of those documents, except for a handful of narrowly defined exceptions.  A preliminary budget does not fall under any of those exceptions, and based on Town Law, the preliminary budget is expressly a public document.

The Batavian twice contacted the Town Clerk's Office on Tuesday to request a copy of the budget, which was approved by the Town Board on Monday, and did not get a response.

Worthington has multiple questions of the board during the public hearing -- noting she would have perhaps had fewer questions if she had been able to study the budget at home -- about various expenditures.

When asked what the new tax levy would be and what the tax rate would be, Clement said he didn't have those precise numbers. 

Panek said, "I recall some of the estimates Heidi came up with were over $1-- $1.12, $1.20 -- something like that."

The current tax rate, Worthington noted, is 89 cents per $1,000 assessed value.

During the board's regular meeting Monday evening, it unanimously approved the budget resolution.

The Batavian can't provide more information on The Budget since we weren't able to obtain a copy.

CORRECTION: The name of the board member who spoke at the meeting has been corrected.  The Batavian regrets the error.

As property manager, Jarrod Clark has really taken the Harvester Center under his wing.

After all, he discovered that his family four generations ago once owned and sold the property to Johnson Harvester, and how rich it has been with successful incubator business start-ups and well-known products, including Massey Harris farm equipment and Melton shirts.

“It’s kind of gone full circle for me,” Clark said after Tuesday’s Planning & Development Committee meeting. “It bleeds history.”

Fairly soon, it might just be brewing beer — as in locally produced brews in a tasting room and an adjacent small restaurant. He was representing Bill and Michelle Snyder, owners of Windy Brew in Strykersville, who want to open a similar site at 56 Harvester Center.

“It’s not going to be a huge facility,” he said. “It probably would seat 20 to 25 at the bar, and another 10 to 15 at tables, and everybody is drinking their beer and eating their pizza and pretzels.”

Originally proposed as a brew pub, the owners had applied for a special use permit. However, they quickly changed course after the committee informed Clark that a pub wasn’t allowed in that zone, but that a restaurant was allowable, and beer could be served there.

Windy Brew produces beer that will be available, along with other New York State brews and possibly wine, at the Batavia location, Clark said. Someone who he won’t identify just yet has also expressed interest in opening a commercial kitchen adjacent to the Snyder’s property.

“There would be room for multiple different users. So there'll be some lockers and stuff in there. There might be some seating as well. The idea is, we're really lacking a bakery in Batavia. So we're trying to find somebody that would be willing to operate a bakery out of there,” he said. “Primarily, we have a big Italian heritage here, where are you going to buy fresh Italian bread? So you're getting it shipped in from Rochester and dropped off at Southside Deli. So that would be a huge benefit … and cookies, pastries, things like that.”

“I think it’s going to be great for our building,” he said. “We both (the anonymous tenant) want to see it succeed. My goal is to get like-minded people there.”

One of the Center’s best-kept secrets is that it houses 75 business tenants that manufacture and/or sell products and services. The Snyders were “ecstatic that they don’t need a special use permit,” he said, and are shifting plans immediately. He and his other future tenant should be disclosing their plans in the next few weeks.

“For the last eight to 12 months, we’ve been looking for people in an operation or looking to do this,” he said. “There is a need for this. It’s the community driving what’s needed; many people are wanting to open a kitchen.”

Food trucks would be able to use the communal kitchen for food prep before loading up and going on the road to sell items, he said, and there are those types of mobile businesses that would benefit from such as operation.

After all, it’s costly to operate a bakery — early morning work hours, utilities, inventory, finding good recipes and people experienced in baking, plus maintenance of bathrooms. It would hinge on a kitchen set-up, he said.

“So when you have some networking and some people that you're working with, and you have other people coming in that may be visiting some of the other kitchens, you have an outlet of selling your product,” he said. “It’s not all on you. You're not the only one paying the gas bill, you're not the only one paying the electric bill. So the idea would be to get some sort of a house tenant that's a bakery and then possibly add three or four food trucks in there. And there should be enough room where there could be maybe a small Mexican takeout only or an Italian restaurant.”

Admittedly, the building — quite large with many compartments and business ventures, and a bit difficult to navigate  — can be a confusing concept for folks, Clark said.

“So it's not unlike this building to do new and different stuff that nobody's seen or heard of before,” he said, referring to the latest building applicants. “They kind of really fit us well. And we're willing to work with people that kind of look outside of the box.”

File Photo of Harvester Center on the east side of Batavia, and photo of Jarrod Clark from an online site.

Malcolm K. made his personal best catch at DeWitt Recreation Area on Monday, a 43-inch, 21-pound Northern Pike.

Submitted photo.

City residents who own the breeds of farm animals listed on the newly adopted ordinance are being given a six-month grace period to find new homes for them, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

City Council approved a revised local law Monday evening that prohibits any city resident from owning, possessing or harboring the following farm animals:

• Cloven-hoofed
• Cattle
• Horses
• Sheep
• Goats
• Pigs
• Swine
• Llamas
• Alpacas
• Ducks
• Turkeys
• Geese
• Ponies
• Donkeys, Mules

Exceptions include being allowed to have a maximum of six chickens, as long as they are penned and maintained appropriately, with no accumulated feces, odors or related mess; special events with prior approval of an event application; and animals in transit to or from a veterinary facility or other destination out of city bounds.

“This ordinance shall take effect immediately after the date of passage and in accordance with law,” it states. “Residents with existing animals that are now regulated will have a six-month grace period before enforcement action will be taken.”

Since the city doesn’t have enough staff to physically check out every residence in the city, this ordinance will be enforced based on complaints about alleged offenders.

The resolution initially included feral cats on the list. However, a public hearing about the law brought out about 15 people to speak about that inclusion. Council members agreed to table a prior vote to further discuss the cat situation. The group later removed feral cats from the list.

 “So yes, it does not restrict feral cats in any way,” Tabelski said Tuesday. “The folks who came in to discuss feral cats were extremely informative. And I was glad to hear that they're still out there working in our community, and have plans to address any type of cat colonies and cat communities.”

During the meeting, advocate Todd Vaarwerk spoke on behalf of Independent Living of the Genesee Region and those with service animals. He noted that the resolution had not changed other than excluding cats, and was concerned that ADA rights were going to be violated.

“I implore you one last time to fix this error,” he said.

Anyone with a certified service animal who is protected by federal Americans with Disabilities Act stipulations will not be affected by the local law, City Attorney George Van Nest said during the meeting.

If someone complains about a neighbor, and that person has a documented service animal, the city’s code enforcement staff will verify it before issuing any penalty.

“We will be relying on any type of complaints to look and see if there is a violation and go from there,” Tabelski said. “There's other federal laws that supersede our ordinance, such as the ability of residents to have support animals, and we'll certainly understand and take that into consideration upon responding to any type of complaints.”

To read the resolution, go HERE.

Photo submitted of goats in the city that were part of a neighborhood's complaints to City Councilman John Canale, who brought the issue to council earlier this year.

Ninety to 120 every day.

That’s a goal that Batavia Middle School has set for students: to do purposeful reading, writing and interactive talking for 90 to 120 minutes each weekday. Principal Nate Korzelius introduced that as one part of the middle school’s strategic plan.

“So we've spent a lot of time this year looking at and reflecting on our vision and mission, as well as our strategic plan and empowering students, and within the vision statement, working with the community, creating a nurturing environment for our students,” he said during a presentation to the school board Monday evening. “So that was our starting point, as we were looking at our middle school goals for the year. And then, in the past year, establishing the strategic plan: create and maintain a safe and orderly school environment, collaborative culture theory, accessible curriculum, and effective teaching in every classroom.”

A leadership team activity during the summer led middle school staff “to come up with tangible things to meet our students where they are, trying to adjust for some gaps that have occurred as a result of COVID.”

“And also just find ways that we can creatively build a culture of learning and also try to break down some barriers for students,’ he said. “So, beginning this school year, this was the goal that I outlined for the staff on day one. Our goal is to promote authentic literacy practices by increasing purposeful reading, writing and discussion as moments of both learning content and critical thinking. 

A daily dose of literacy
"So specifically, what we've worked on the most so far this year are ways we can ensure that students will participate in 90 to 120 minutes of purposeful reading, writing and discussion every day,” he said.

That’s likely good practice for anyone. A quick online search produces several articles about the benefits of reading, such as Healthline’s claim — using MRI scan results — that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As one’s reading ability matures, “those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated,” the site states. 

Teachers will introduce various methods for kids to accomplish the daily goal, such as having guest readers, creating reading quizzes, writing letters or a daily diary, hosting debates and asking open-ended questions.

“We have data meetings every couple of months. But then we want, now especially that we have more access to data post-COVID, to focus on those, and establish the needs for our students to make sure that we can individualize things as much as possible to meet students where they are,” Korzelius said. “Those teams are focused on the individual needs of students and customizing the approach for students within their teams.”

Beginning Tuesday (Nov. 15), students will have a task during Lunch Learning Lab, which means at the beginning of the second marking period, each student “is to drop everything and read” a book for 20 minutes. District officials contacted each household to notify parents of this initiative, and to encourage them to find out what might engage their child.

“Half the battle is to find something that they’ll enjoy reading,” he said.

Teaching strategies
The focus isn’t just on students, though. A shared Google Classroom will begin in the next month for all middle school faculty. It will provide a list of various strategies for teachers to try — one at a time for a month — and then report back on how it went and offer suggestions for improvement before selecting another strategy the next month.

A key piece that has become more prevalent since the pandemic is SEL: social-emotional learning. That piece includes providing useful resources for students to help manage their emotions, set positive goals, work on proper attitudes and behaviors, have healthy relationships, be able to feel and show empathy, make responsible decisions, plus an ideal academic correlation to each student’s SEL success, Assistant Principal Lindsey Leone said.

“And really, what I found through all my experiences, if you don't have that SEL piece, it's going to be really hard to get that academic piece. And I think in general, we've all learned that from COVID times, and so we've spent the last year or so really establishing our SEL committee,” she said.

Circle Up Fridays happens on the first Friday of every month, and includes an extended homeroom time so that students and staff can literally “circle up” to engage in meaningful conversations, she said.

This work is about “creating connections at school,” she said, amongst students and teachers. Two years of COVID, isolation and social distancing seem to be ebbing away.

“I really think they're excited that it feels a little bit more, a little back to normal for them like they have loved the opportunity to have dances again … and options to look at trips and those types of things. So I think it's a lot for them on an energy level, you know, it's a much different day coming every day to school versus some of what we were doing in a hybrid setting,” she said. “I think every day that we're getting better and more comfortable.”

Data — a huge component amongst school districts — has been part of the strategic plan, Korzelius said. Pulling people together through regular faculty meetings of about 80 people has also been a positive step, he said.

“We really try hard to focus on our strategic plan,” he said. “Where our goal of mission and vision is 90 to 120 minutes for every student throughout the school day.”

The mission is to empower students to achieve their maximum potential, and the vision includes providing a safe and nurturing environment. The targeted end result is to help students become socially responsible citizens who are able to successfully meet life’s challenges.

School board member Alice Benedict wanted to know if and how data would be collected to show how well the SEL lessons were working. Yes, it will be collected through DESSA, a social-emotional learning measuring tool, and student surveys, Korzelius said.

“It's something that I want us to build on, and just continue to find new and better ideas. I mean, this is a great idea, which is our first time,” he said. “We have to take a look at it at the end instead of just gauging success.”

Files photo of 245 Liberty St., Batavia being demolished in July 

City school board members approved more than $89,000 in change orders this week for work being done at Jackson Primary and Batavia High schools.

The nine change orders — additional expenses usually for “unforeseen” work discovered during the job-in-progress — ranged from $1,369 to $24,443. With no questions or discussion, the board approved the financial revisions during its regular meeting Monday at the high school.

Work includes:

• Having to disconnect and remove an unforeseen utility service at Jackson Primary for $7,209.
• Development, labor and materials associated with installing a fence, posts, and to extend sidewalks to accommodate setting the fence posts within a walkway at Jackson Primary, $9,592.
• Installing curb work along Liberty Street and Blakely Place at Jackson Primary, $4,112.
• Removing the unforeseen underground storage tank during excavation at Jackson Primary, $3,311.
• Having to lower the ceiling grid system in room 167 as well as construct a bulkhead and lower 40 square feet of ceiling to accommodate lighting at BHS, $1,369.
• Installing insulation to the exposed water lines at BHS, $1,392.
• Installing plyron flooring (impact resistant, hardboard-faced plywood) in lieu of plywood sub-flooring at stage sacrificial floor at BHS, $18,394.
• Labor and materials for plumbing and heating company to replace the incoming gas line at the loading dock at BHS, $19,266.
• Labor and materials to replace an underground gas line feeder from the loading dock to the gas meter at BHS, $24,443.

A capital project stemming from 2020 at Jackson Primary includest the expansion of outdoor amenities at the southside school.  It has included demolition of a building at 245 Liberty St., Batavia, which was donated to the city school district in December 2017. Taking down the former Country Pride Bakery Mart is part of a plan to create additional parking and green spaces, and a pedestrian walkway adjacent to Jackson Primary School. 

Work at the high school includes an emergency replacement of two water boilers.

It says right on the building, "Arts Council," but GO ART! Director Gregory Hallock has been concerned that people don't realize that Seymour Place at 201 East Main St. is a place anybody can come in and see art.

"I think a lot of people don't see our sign, and a lot of people still think we're a membership club," Hallock said. "Yes, we have members but you don't have to be a member to come in."

His solution: Install some works of art -- in this case, sculptures -- in the garden plots in front of the red brick building at the corner of East Main and Bank streets in Batavia.

Hallock and the GO ART! staff had become familiar with the work of Bill Schutt from his showing at the Ramble, what's on display at Eli Fish Brewing Co., his entries into an art competition there, and knew he worked in metal, which seemed like the perfect medium for sculptures placed outside the building.

It might come as a surprise to some that Schutt is an artist.  The Basom resident has been a volunteer firefighter for 32 years and spent a dozen years working for either Genesee County Emergency Management or Mercy EMS.

He often tinkered around the house, working with metal, installing bookshelves or other useful items for the house, often embellishing whatever he made with artistic touches. A few years ago he became inspired to make sculptures using scrap metal on his property.

He's recently branched out into making larger pieces, so the commission from GO ART! came at an opportune time to expand his portfolio.

Schutt's pieces are about "our shared humanity," he said.

The first one is a riff on a popular social media meme about the difference between equality and equity. In the meme, three people of different heights are shown standing on boxes, trying to see over a fence to watch a baseball game.  They're all on the same size box.  The tall person can see, the smallest person can't see at all. That is equality, according to the meme. When the boxes are restacked, so the tallest has no box, the medium-height person has one, and the shortest has two, all three can see.  The meme labels that configuration, "equity."

The second sculpture is of people in silhouette. Their faces look the same but they're all different based on hairstyle and the jewelry they wear.

"It's kind of a reminder that we are more the same than we are different," Schutt said. "We need to celebrate our differences and find our common humanity.  Art does that. It brings together all walks of life."

Hallock loved the work, he said.

"I didn't know what he was going to do, and I'm pleasantly pleased with the pieces," Hallock said.  "The message of equity and unity is there."

Submitted photos.

 

Catrina Colvin and her family are hoping that their apricot-colored mini toy poodle has been spotted -- and perhaps rescued from the cold -- since he went missing at the corner of York and South streets around 7 p.m. Sunday in Pavilion.

Thomas Jefferson was in his yard for a few minutes, and when Catrina's mom opened the door for him to come back inside, the 7-pound fluffly pooch was gone. 

"We're hoping and praying someone saw him walking down by the corner and picked him up to get him some warmth," Catrina said Monday. "After four hours of searching, he's still nowhere to be found. My kids are absolutely devastated and we're not doing so well ourselves."

At 14 years old and mostly blind, the family thinks that perhaps he became confused with the falling snow. He never stays out longer than a minute or two because he gets cold quickly, Catrina said.

"He's always been my baby boy and I can't imagine life without him," she said. 

Her family has checked with the local animal shelters with no luck. Anyone with information or sightings is asked to please call her at 585-315-3971. 

Photos are submitted of Catrina, top, her daughter Alli, and brother Roy with Thomas Jefferson.

A motor vehicle accident with a possible head injury is reported on Route 33 just west of Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford.

Stafford Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 10:14 p.m. A chief on scene reports two vehicles roadside and the bridge is "really icy."

A ceremony honoring veterans took place Thursday at the Western New York National Veterans Cemetery in Pembroke.

Bill Joyce, head of the Genesee County Veterans Council and president of the Western New York National Cemetery Memorial Council, arranged the ceremony, which took place on the 247th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Cemetery director James Metcalf said the observance was scheduled on Thursday to allow veterans to spend Veterans Day (Friday) with their families.

Metcalf opened the ceremony with a welcome to all veterans in attendance and a shout-out to Tun Tavern, the brewery in Philadelphia, which is regarded as the site where the U.S. Marine Corps held its first recruitment drive during the American Revolution.

Metcalf and Brenda Serena, a U.S. Army veteran and Erie County Officer in Charge, placed a wreath under the giant American flag.

“Today, we gather to honor our veterans' memorial service and sacrifice by placing this wreath in this National Shrine,” Metcalf said. “This day is your day and it’s an honor to spend it with you.”

He urged those in attendance to remember and recognize the service, sacrifices and selflessness of the nation’s veterans.

“These veterans raised their hands and swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” Metcalf said. “By fighting our nation’s wars and defending us all during periods of peace between wars, veterans have protected our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy – the freedom to speak without fear, to vote as we see fit and to gather as we do today.

“We owe them all a debt of gratitude for the burdens they have borne,” he said. “And so, today, we recommit ourselves to upholding that promise and all the principles of democracy for which veterans have fought and bled to defend. That is our most sacred responsibility as Americans – today, on Veterans’ Day and every day.”

After Metcalf and Serena placed a giant wreath under the flag, an Honor Guard of members of the Medina American Legion and VFW presented a three-gun salute.

Metcalf said in the future, Veterans’ Day observances will be more formal when the construction of the cemetery is complete.

Joyce explained the WNY National Cemetery Memorial Council was formed to help the cemetery with projects, such as purchasing golf carts to get veterans to funeral services.

If you are the owner of this cat, or know who is, the light tan and cream feline has apparently been hanging out in the city's north side for quite some time, a concerned citizen says. Please contact joanne@thebatavian.com with any information you may have about this seemingly young, lost kitty in Batavia.

Submitted photo.

Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County had the first of its two-day Holiday Festival Saturday at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. The event will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the venue, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

This is the club’s 10th annual artisan and vendor marketplace, with at least 100 vendors, a visit from Santa Claus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a Buffalo Bills door prize.

Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County has a mission to enrich the lives of women and girls, and is dedicated to advancing the status of women worldwide through advocacy and action.

Photos by Howard Owens.