news

Richard Beatty (right) with Kelli Pease (center), WGCC faculty advisor, and student announcer Austen Vroman (left) at GCC’s recent Student Club Fair.

Submitted photo and press release:

Richard Beatty, of Batavia, and Cody Catlin, of Waterport, opened their new radio show with a long song by Big Brother and the Holding Company, and they continued on to play a little Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival and even a Chet Atkins number.

All were songs from the WGCC library of music that don't see a whole lot of play time anymore.

Those tracks of music from the '50s, '60s, '70s and beyond will begin to see a bit more airtime on most Thursday nights from 8 - 10 p.m.

Genesee Community College's student-run radio station, WGCC (90.7 FM), has welcomed the interest of Beatty, who has many years of music appreciation and a wide personal collection of albums, CDs, a few cassette tapes and now streaming playlists.

At 67 years old, he quickly reflects back on 50-plus years of attending concerts across the country. 

"One of my first concerts was the Who opening for Herman's Hermits -- after experiencing Pete Townshend's windmill attack on his guitar and Keith Moon's drumming, I didn't bother sticking around for Peter Noone's crooning," Beatty said.

"I was lucky enough to see many of the greats before their lives were cut short -- maybe the best was the Allman Brothers in '71 at a University of South Florida gym in Tampa -- my recollection it was a four-hour show."

RaeAnn Engler, Richard's partner in life, has shared many great club shows in the 21st century.

"We shy away from arena shows and prefer club shows featuring largely unknown acts," Engler said. "We saw a Jeffery Lewis show in Medina where the band outnumbered the audience. It was still a great show!"

Beatty, a retired industrial property appraiser for New York State Real Property Services, approached the College about his interest in developing a weekly program to feature music from earlier years, creating a community opportunity that he hoped would allow him to interact with GCC students, exchange an appreciation of music and even feature of few special guests on his "Geezer Radio" show.

On March 22, his first guest is local author and screenwriter Bill Kauffman, who was also GCC's 2017 Commencement speaker. Other proposed guests may be Craig Yunker, another friend of the College who attended Woodstock, GCC retirees and musicians Ray Chaya and Bob Knipe, Richard Schauf, detective for Batavia Police Department, and maybe even GCC President Jim Sunser.

Working with the students has been a pleasure for Beatty. He has enjoyed helping them relocate station equipment during the renovation project between the fall and spring semesters. He regularly attends station meetings, and he supported WGCC at the Student Club Fair.

"Cody (Catlin) has been a real pleasure to work with, and I appreciate all that he is teaching me about the equipment and airtime guidelines," Beatty said. "And Kelli Pease, the faculty advisor to the station and also a GCC alumna, has also been a joy to work with. In the world of being retired, it doesn't get better than this."

This spring, Beatty plans to help out at GCC's Scholars' Symposium on March 29.

Beatty is also president of Landmark Society of Genesee, a docent volunteer for the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, and a regular supporter of Richmond Memorial Library Books Sandwiched In program.

WGCC is a not-for-profit non-commercial radio station run by the students, faculty and staff of Genesee Community College. It's been on the air since 1985 and has become a well-loved part of the Batavia community.

Join the Genesee County Master Gardeners this spring as we “Catch the Gardening Bug.” Our first gardening program this spring will be “Companion Plants for Bearded Iris” on March 28 from 6 to 8 p.m., presented by Master Gardener Brenda Fox.

Bearded iris are some of the most beautiful flowers, yet are surprisingly easy to grow. The first half of the program will focus on how best to grow iris, and will discuss when to plant or divide, soil preparation and sun requirements. The second half will explore colorful combinations with shrubs and perennials. These will be illustrated with lavish photos showing both contrasting and complementary color schemes.

Other topics will be “Dahlias 101” on April 5; “Permaculture 2.0” on April 18 and “Dividing Perennials” on April 25.

Classes will be held at the Genesee County Cornell Cooperative Extension at 420 E. Main St., Batavia. Cost is $10 per person. Preregistration is required as class size is limited.

Contact Brandie at 585-343-3040, ext. 101 or stop by our office to register. Visit our website at: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information.

Submitted photo and press release:

St. Joseph Catholic School is proud to announce that its Special Education Teacher, Mrs. Kate Winters, was nominated for the Inclusive Teacher of the Year award.

The Foundation for Inclusive Catholic Education (FICE) held its fourth annual Taking Flight Dinner on March 8^th where it announced this year’s nominees.

Being nominated for this award is an honor as it recognizes the teaching professional who has dedicated their time, compassion, and creativity toward making an impact on the lives of students receiving inclusive education within their school.

Congratulations to Mrs. Winters as well as the nine other nominees from Catholic Schools within the Diocese of Buffalo.

Pictured above are: Back row, from left – Karen Green (St. Joseph School Principal), Kate Winters, Christopher Suriano (NYSED Assistant Commissioner of Special Education), and Sister Carol Cimino (Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Buffalo); Front row, from left – Gina Bergman, Elizabeth Hofmaster, Sharon Fischer, Marianne Clattenburg, Diane Fraser, and Alicia Palmer (St. Joseph School teachers).

More than three dozen Le Roy residents attended a class Monday evening at the Village Hall led by Officer Greg Kellogg and Detective John Condidorio on how citizens can react and respond if they find themselves in an active shooter situation.

Using lecture, videos, and question and answer, Kellogg covered such issues as having a plan -- thinking ahead, knowing where the exits are, what objects can be turned into weapons, what you will do to protect yourself if a bad guy with a gun showed up. Imagining various scenarios and how you would respond, not as a hero, but as somebody who can escape or hide, and perhaps help others do the same, will help you avoid panic.

The first rule, they said, is to get out of you can. Then call 9-1-1. Once out, if police are already on scene, follow their orders.

Your priorities, they said should be:

• Avoid (escape or hide);
• Deny (barricade);
• Defend (fight back only when there is no other option).

If it gets to the defend point, knowing ahead of time what items can be turned into a weapon to either disable or disorient the shooter -- a chair, a table, a fire extinguisher, a pen -- can help save lives.

Kellogg said Le Roy PD can provide additional classes for the community upon request.

Press release:

The Genesee Community College Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (CURCA) Committee is excited to invite the entire college community to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our students at the third annual Scholars' Symposium -- a celebration of inquiry and scholarship.

GCC students and faculty pour countless hours and precise attention to their work. As a result, our academic year is full of achievement. On Thursday, March 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., students, faculty, staff, community leaders and friends, will gather at the symposium to educate and demonstrate their scholarly achievements which transcend all disciplines.

The presentations, poster exhibits and performances provide an opportunity to expand horizons, hone presentation skills and engage our collective brain power for all to enjoy and to appreciate. The entire event is free and open to the public.

The full schedule of events for GCC's Third Annual Scholars' Symposium is as follows:

• 8:15 - 9 a.m.: Judges' Meeting with Karen Wicka and Charles Scruggs (T104)
• 8:30 - 11 a.m.: Registration (William W. Stuart Forum)
• 9 - 10 a.m.: Oral Presentation Session A (Conable Technology Building, T102, T122, T121, T119 A & B)
• 10 - 11 a.m.: Oral Presentation Session B (Conable Technology Building, T102, T122, T121, T119 A & B)
• 11 a.m. - Noon: Poster Session (William W. Stuart Forum)
• Noon - 1 p.m.: Symposium attendees are invited to purchase lunch in the Cafeteria or Subway located in the Wolcott J. Humphrey III Student Union)
• Noon - 1 p.m.: Symposium participants, judges and mentors will enjoy a private lunch in T119A/B (RSVP required).
• Noon - 1 p.m.: Guests are invited to visit various art exhibits in the Steiner Theatre Lobby; Media Center of the Alfred C. O'Connell Library; and Penumbra Exhibition Space -- second floor hallway between B205 and B207.
• 1 - 2 p.m.: Dr. Deborah Nawoczenski, Keynote Address, "Curiosity Does Not (Always) Kill the Cat -- Extending Discovery Beyond "OK, Google" (Stuart Steiner Theatre)
• 2 - 2:30 p.m.: Award Ceremony & Reception (Stuart Steiner Theatre)

The symposium will include keynote speaker, Deborah Nawoczenski PT, Ph.D., to address the benefits of being involved in research. Nawoczenski received her BS in Physical Therapy and Master's in Education from Temple University in Philadelphia. She completed her PhD work at the University of Iowa with a specialization in Exercise Science and Biomechanics. Nawoczenski was a full-time faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy at Ithaca College's Rochester Center for 21 years.

She cofounded (with Dr. Judy Baumhauer from the University of Rochester) the Center for Foot and Ankle Research at Ithaca's Rochester Center, and also was codirector of the Movement Analysis Laboratory. Throughout her career, Nawoczenski's research focus was directed to the study of foot and ankle pathologies and to the analysis of shoulder pain in people with spinal cord injuries.

This work was funded through a number of different organizations including the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, the National Institutes of Health, the Arthritis Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation and has led to more than 60 publications in major peer-reviewed journals.

Nawoczenski considers herself privileged to volunteer as a Physical Therapist in this country as well as in Jamaica and Poland. She recently served as a visiting professor in Kenya, India and Brazil. Her presentation at the Scholars Symposium will center on her own path to research and publishing and how others can enrich their lives through scholarly endeavor.

"We are so proud of the hard work and learning our participants have accomplished," says Director of English, Communications and Media Arts JoNelle Toriseva. "And we are very grateful for the support we received from the President's Innovation Award (PIA) in our initial launch of this program.

"The Scholar Symposium has become a legacy celebration of the collaboration between students, faculty and administration at GCC."

The Symposium will feature GCC's student Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects in Photographic Exhibitions on display in the Alfred C. O'Connell Library, the Penumbra Exhibition Space (second floor hallway between B205 and B207), and the lobby of the Stuart Steiner Theatre.

Under the leadership of the COIL Center, the Latin American Academy (LAA) has developed and implemented course-based partnerships between SUNY GCC and universities in Latin America, which are members of the growing Global Partnership Network (GPN).

The team-taught courses use technology to expose students in different countries to each other's cultures resulting in an enriched intercultural learning experience. The course-based partnerships emphasize experiential and collaborative student learning and help sustain long-term international teaching and learning partnerships. 

The 2019 Scholars' Symposium has been scheduled for April 11, 2019.

For further information on the Scholars' Symposium, visit: www.genesee.edu/home/events/scholars-symposium/ and please contact Director of English, Communications and Media Arts JoNelle Toriseva at jrtoriseva@genesee.edu or at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6627 with any questions.

Press release:

Genesee Cancer Assistance will hold its Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Thursday, April 19, in memory of Joe Gerace, an incredible, dedicated volunteer to the organization for more than 22 years.

This year's event will be held in Batavia from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ascension Parish Hall on 17 Sumner St.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children and are available at the door or pre-sale from any board member. Takeouts available.

You can also call or stop by the GCA Office to purchase tickets, now located at UMMC hospital, 127 North St, Batavia.

Again this year, there will be raffles on site throughout the night including baskets of wine and chocolate along with a “Money Tree” valued at $100.

Genesee Cancer Assistance Inc. was founded in 1995 and is a community-based, nonprofit organization committed to providing financial assistance and free services to cancer patients in Genesee County.  In its 23 years of continuous service to our community, GCA has given over a half million dollars to more than 200 patients.

GCA depends on successful fundraisers. All money raised stays in Genesee County. Genesee Cancer Assistance reaches out to the community for help through local support, monetary donations, memorials, and volunteers.

This year each cancer patient receives $600 of financial assistance to help lessen the burden that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

For more information about this event, future events, and our organization, please visit us online at www.geneseecancerassistance.com

Press release:

The best way to get over the end-of-winter slump is to plan something for the summer! Genesee Community College reminds students of all ages that registering for a summer class is the best kind of spring seedling to plant.

Higher education is like putting money in the bank with lifelong interest. And because GCC serves such a wide age range of students, the summer course listing has something for everyone.

The full 12-week session begins May 29, so now is the time to register to ensure your seat. Go to: https://www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule/. 

Among the many classes to consider is Female Role in Film (CIN242) taught by John Reich. Over the winter, the major social movement, #MeToo started in Hollywood. Learn how American films have depicted women in a variety of genres: melodrama, romance, comedy, film noir and more. In this online course students will study how societal changes affected the way women were presented by Hollywood from 1920 through to today.

Other interesting coursework dovetails with GCC's beautiful new 64,000-square-foot sports complex, the Richard C. Call Arena -- home of the 2017 NJCAA Champion Men's Soccer Team. The Arena houses health and athletic classrooms, coach's offices, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

All these facilities are available to GCC's students studying healthy living, fitness and bodying conditioning. Beginning Personal Fitness (PED259) covers fitness theory, training and conditioning techniques, as well as nutrition, flexibility, injury prevention and the dangers to health and fitness such as smoking and alcohol all in the online learning modality.

"Students enrolled in Beginning Personal Fitness establish individual fitness goals and apply the course teachings to work towards those goals throughout the summer semester," said Rebecca Dziekan, director of Health and Physical Education.

"Students use our brand new training facility to learn the proper use of free weights and a variety of exercise machines. However, as an online course, students can choose any training facility or even chose to do the workouts at home."

Intro to Healthy Living (HED204) focuses on healthy lifestyles, examining influential factors such as stress, drug, alcohol and tobacco use and abuse, nutrition and weight control, healthy relationships and sexuality, and much more. Students will learn to identify dangerous environments and prevent child abduction, fire and arson and communication skills all leading to a Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Legislation Certification. This course is offered online during the full summer session and also at the Dansville and Albion Campus Centers during the five-week session starting July 9, 2018.

Another online course, Community Health and Safety (HED115) teaches the four major requirements for the New York State Education Department's Certification under SAVE Legislation that covers identifying and reporting child abuse; alcohol, tobacco and sign of drug use, as well as preventing fire and arson. 

Many other fascinating GCC course options are designed to accelerate the path to higher education. Some of those other courses, which are all available online include:

• Principles of Business (BUS101)
• Introduction to Computers (CIS102)
• Microcomputer Applications (CIS116)
• Intro to Criminal Justice (CRJ101)

To apply to GCC or to register for a summer session class, please visit https://www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule/ or contact one of our dedicated student success coaches at ssc@genesee.edu or call (585) 345-6805 today!

About Genesee Community College:

Genesee Community College serves over 6,000 students through more than 70 hands-on and high-tech academic degrees and certificates. GCC operates its main campus at One College Road in Batavia and campus centers in Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw.

Visit the new Student Success Center for admissions, registration, financial aid, student counseling and more. Mark your calendars for upcoming events in both the Stuart Steiner Theatre and Roz Steiner Art Gallery.

Genesee Community College is a student-centered college committed to providing the educational experiences which promote intellectual and social growth, workforce and economic development and global citizenship.

The County Legislature is likely to support a state bill to provide funding to local school districts for school resource officers.

Yesterday, the Public Service Committee voted unanimously to forward a resolution to the full legislature for approval to express support for such a bill.

Currently, Assemblyman Steve Hawley is backing a bill that would provide $50,000 to each school district in the state to help fund a school resource officer.

The New York Association of Counties is proposing state funding of $100,000 per year.

That would cost state taxpayers more than $2 billion a year.

Sheriff William Sheron supports paying resource officers in schools.

Currently, there are deputies working at the BOCES campus and Byron-Bergen High School and a Le Roy police officer at Le Roy High School.

Sheron said a deputy assigned to a school would cost $111,000 a year, excluding a vehicle, for 10 months assigned as a resource officer. The price climbs above $120,000 for an officer employed for a full 12 months.

The county could be on the hook for additional costs, but legislators yesterday made it clear they expected school districts to cover any unreimbursed costs for resource officers.

School resource officers are armed and sworn law enforcement officers who can provide security at the school but also interact with students and assist them with life issues.

One issue constraining the ability of the county to cover the expense is the property tax cap. If the county exceeds the tax cap, the state won't reimburse the county for expenses related to Raise the Age adjustments in courts and incarceration for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Elizabeth Michelle Grattan, 27, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd. Grattan is accused of stabbing another person with a steak knife during a fight reported at 9:50 p.m. Friday at a residence on Lewis Place, Batavia. Grattan was ordered held until her next court appearance.

Jason J. Raffel Jr., 25, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd. Raffel is accused of refusing to leave an active crime scene at 10:27 p.m. Saturday on State Street, Batavia.

Bryan D. Bates, 38, of East Center Street, Medina, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Bates is accused of violating an order of protection at 11:22 p.m. March 11 at a location on Oak Street, Batavia.

Moises Garza Jr., 21, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and unlawful imprisonment, 2nd. Garza was charged following an investigation into an incident reported at 4:45 p.m. Saturday at a residence on Washington Avenue. Garza was ordered held without bail.

Eric Jon Merritt, 28, of Rose Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Merritt allegedly contacted two protected parties at 8:49 p.m. Saturday in violation of stay away orders of protection.

Eric James Olverd, 45, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and no taillamp. Olverd was stopped at 12:51 a.m. Sunday on Central Avenue, Batavia, by Investigator Christopher Parker.

A Darien dog is in need of rescue after breaking through the ice on a pond at 10904 Darien-Alexander Townline Road. Darien Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 10:32 a.m.: A first responder on scene reports the dog is on the ice, not in the water. The location is across from Skyline Campground.

UPDATE 10:44 a.m.: Darien command reports dog has been extricated from the pond.

The Batavia Ramparts 18U Empire team won the Rock and Roll Tournament championship this past Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio.

The team won all three preliminary games leading up to Sunday's final where they won by a score of 6-1.

Photo and information provided by Michael Freeman.

Press release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is seeking public-spirited citizens to spend a couple hours assembling bundles of materials that can be used to create artworks, to go to artists with disabilities.

The “Second Annual ARTcovz® Packaging Party” will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 31, at the ILGR office, 113 Main St. (near Center Street), Suite 5, in Batavia.

The Agency offers participants a light breakfast and the opportunity to make new friends, as they assemble: clay art packages; card boards, colored pencils and paint for drawing and painting; folding paper for origami projects; glue and binding materials for creating books, etc.

This is made possible thanks to the generosity of the North-Buffalo-based University Heights Arts Association (UHAA), a group of artists that serve as a driving creative force and educational resource to make a positive difference in people’s lives through the arts.

UHAA has stocked an ARTcovz® self-serve kiosk of art supplies in the ILGR lobby since March 2016, which has included: colored pencils, watercolor pencils, drawing (graphite) pencils, watercolor/ drawing paper, craft paper, origami paper, polymer clay, and art-oriented audio books on CD.

Having placed many ARTcovz® booths in public areas around Western New York, UHAA has partnered with ILGR to expand their outreach to people with disabilities.

While not mandatory to participate, those who plan to attend are encouraged to preregister, so there will be enough food on hand. For questions, or to RSVP, please call Bridget Mosman at (585) 815-8501, ext. 400.  

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Press release:

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce another exciting Job Fair with more than 50 companies expected from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, at the College's centrally located William Stuart Forum.

Genesee's Career Services Center continues to solicit businesses from all types of industries to join the popular, two-hour event that introduces potential new employees to employers, and also provides businesses an opportunity to present their trade and services to the local community.

The event is free to employers and attendees.

Employers must register; job seekers are not required to register prior to the event but must sign-in upon arrival. Potential new employees are encouraged to dress for success, and bring their current resume.

As of today, March 19, the following employers are scheduled to be in attendance:

• ARC of Genesee County
• Baker Victory Services
• Barnes & Noble College
• Batavia Police Department
• Carolina Eastern -- Crocker, LLC
• City of Rochester
• Conesus Lake Nursing Home
• Episcopal Senior Life Communities
• ESL Federal Credit Union
• Frito-Lay
• Genesee County Human Resources
• Heritage Christian Services
• Hidden Valley Animal Adventure
• HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care
• Independent Living of the Genesee Region
• Iroquois Job Corps Center
• Jewish Senior Life
• Lifetime Assistant Inc.
• Living Opportunities of DePaul
• Livingston County DSS
• Manpower
• Medical Staffing Network
• Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties
• Monroe County Sheriff's Office
• Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES
• NYS Department of Corrections & Community Services
• NYS Department of Labor
• NYS Park Police
• People Inc.
• People Ready Inc.
• Pioneer Credit Recovery
• Premier Designs Inc.
• ProAction of Steuben and Yates Inc.
• Real Agency Pro LLC
• Remedy Staffing
• Rochester City Police Department / City of Rochester
• Rochester Psychiatric Center
• Select Custom Door
• Southern Tier Security & Event Management
• Sterling Tents
• Sutherland Global Services
• Tahoe Pines Custom Sewing & Design
• Tender Loving Family Care Inc.
• TL Cannon Applebee's
• The Student Conservation Association
• United Healthcare Community Plan
• United Memorial Medical Center
• U.S. Air Force Recruiters
• U.S. Army
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Vetco Clinics
• WBTA AM & FM
• Weed Man Lawn Care
• Wright Beverage

For more information, visit:  http://www.genesee.edu/career/events/. For a detailed listing of job opportunities by employer, please email a request for the list to career@genesee.edu

Press release:

Do you have a passion you'd like to turn into a business? Ready to start writing a business plan? Join us at Genesee Community College for a FREE Business Plan Basics workshop to get you started!

Great entrepreneurs of our time have great business plans! On Thursday, March 22, GCC will host a special workshop that teaches the basic components of a good business plan led by Sam Campanella of the Small Business Development Center. 

Business Plan Basics will take place on from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in room T121 of the Conable Technology Building at GCC's Batavia Campus.

Campanella will also lead a workshop on Idea Pitch Preparation on Thursday, April 12, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. to help you prepare to pitch your business idea.

This workshop is free and open to the public; you do NOT have to be participating in the Business Idea Pitch Competition to attend these workshops. To sign up for a workshop, please contact Amy Conley at avconley@genesee.edu.

Ready to test out your business idea? Consider participating in a Business Idea Pitch Competition! You could even earn a cash prize!

The first-ever local Business Idea Pitch Competition will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, April 19, in the Conable Technology Building at the Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus. The deadline for competitors to register is Friday, March 30.

Business Idea Pitch Competition details are available at https://www.genesee.edu/home/events/businesspitch/. To register for the Pitch Competition, please contact Lina LaMattina, Ph.D., at lmlamattina@genesee.edu or (585) 343-0055, ext.6319.

A priest assigned to St. Mary's in Batavia for 12 years starting in 1991 has denied allegations that he sexually molested three people during his time with the Buffalo Diocese.

The Buffalo News has reported that three men have claimed that they were molested by Rev. Donald Becker, including one who said he was paid a settlement by the church.

While the News did not report Becker's connection to St. Mary's, a spokesman for the diocese said he was assigned as pastor there for a six-year term in March 1991 and reappointed pastor in March 1997. His second term ended in March 2003.

The News reports that Becker served nine parishes in the diocese from 1968 through 2002, including: St. Mark's in Rushford; St. Mary's of the Assumption in Lancaster; St. Bonaventure in West Seneca; SS. Peter & Paul in Hamburg; Nativity of Our Lord in Orchard Park; St. Stephen's on Grand Island; and St. Agatha's in Buffalo.

Becker, who now lives in Florida, told the News that he retired for medical reasons. He suffers from Parkinson's disease.

Two of the men who spoke to the News, but were not named in the story, said they were teens when they encountered Becker. The other said he was 9 years old.

The accusations against Becker has apparently increased pressure for the diocese to be more transparent about priests accused of sexual abuse.

Det. Eric Hill said there have been no criminal complaints against Becker in the City of Batavia and there is no current investigation since there have been no complaints.

Press release:

The Genesee Country Farmers' Market located at the Downtown Batavia Public Market* opens for the season on Friday, June 8th, at the market's location on the corner of Bank Street and Alva Place in the Downtown Batavia Business District.

Market hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays with the season running from Friday, June 8th, through Friday, Oct. 26th.

"This year marks the third year of collaboration with BID (Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District)", says Market Manager Mike Bakos, "The Market, presently in this year's planning stages, is accepting new vendor applications."

Parties interested in joining the market to become a Seasonal or Day Vendor may obtain application forms by contacting Bakos at (716) 866-4958 or by email at mbakos@rochester.rr.com.

The market also offers a FREE market stall to qualifying charities, service groups, or 501c3 organizations that would like to participate in the market. Contact the market for more information.

* Providing "Locally Grown" Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Items to the Greater Batavia and Genesee County Area for 44 Years.

From the Zonta Club at Batavia High School:

Let Us Learn Madagascar 5K Run/Walk, sponsored by Batavia High School’s Zonta Club, will be held on Sunday, April 29.

Z-Club members are excited to invite you to participate in this charity run/walk that benefits educating girls in Madagascar.

Registration at 1 p.m., race begins at 2. The race starts and ends on Denio Street, near the Muckdogs' baseball field.

Race Entry: $15 for individuals (prior to April 29); $20 race day registration; $50 for a team registration of five runners/walkers. *Teams need to combine and submit registration forms.

If you have any questions feel free to contact:

• mlholsopple@bataviacsd.org
• jcorbelli@bataviacsd.org
• ldisanto@bataviacsd.org

Tariffs on steel and aluminum announced by the Trump Administration last week could put a squeeze on profits for local manufacturers, according to the executives at Graham Corp., Chapin Industries, and Liberty Pumps.

"Yes, we are adversely impacted by higher costs from imported carbon steel and stainless steel," said Jeff Glajch, chief financial officer for Graham. "We are also seeing significant increases in costs from our domestic suppliers. Making the situation more challenging is that our foreign competitors are not impacted, and if they import finished product, it is not affected by the tariffs."

While details of the tariff plan have not been released, the administration has said it plans to impose in just a few days a 25-percent tariff on steel and 10-percent tariff on aluminum. This would be a tax on all steel and aluminum imported into the United States from other countries. 

The tariff was announced under rules that allow a nation to impose a tariff for national security purposes in order to protect an industry considered vital to a nation's defense.

Even though the tariffs have not taken effect yet, manufacturers around the country are reporting that prices on steel and aluminum have been rising and are getting a bump by the anticipated tariff and are expected to rise further. Those price increases get passed on to consumers or profits must be cut.

"In steel, we use many many tons," said Jim Campell, CEO of Chapin. "Over the last 12 month, steel prices have already increased significantly. We have absorbed and offset these cost, however, we have not raised prices to our customers.

"If and when steel manufacturers raise prices again, it will impact our bottom line," Campell added. "Depending on the amount of the increase, we may be forced to raise prices, which in the end will truncate our sales and hurt our bottom line. As you know tariffs are a two-edge sword, helps some, hurts others (mostly the consumer)."

At Liberty Pumps, price increases so far have not had a big impact.

"I just had a conversation yesterday with Purchasing," said CEO Charlie Cook. "Yes, prices are going up. It has been widespread but so far just moderate percentages. When blended into the total cost of products including overheads, etc., it’s not something we’re going to react to yet. We really can’t anyway since we just imposed a price increase in January.

"Have to say," he added, "it will be good to see some U.S. furnaces cooking again."

The tariffs, however, come at a time when the steel industry in the United States is healthy. The sector is coming off of 22 consecutive profitable quarters, according to the latest report from the Department of Commerce (pdf), with net income (profits) of $869 million in the final quarter of 2017. 

In the final month of 2017, domestic steel production increased by more than 2 percent, from 6.6 million metric tons in November to 6.8 million metric tons in December while prices went up 6.7 percent. 

The tariffs are ostensibly aimed at China, which has become the world's largest steel producer, producing more steel than the United States, Mexico, Canada, the EU, and Russia combined, but China accounts for only 2 percent of the steel used in the United States. Seventeen percent of imported steel comes from Canada, 14 percent from Brazil, 10 percent from South Korea, and 9 percent from Mexico.

Even with all those imports, U.S. producers still control 70 percent of the domestic market, according to Scott Lincicome, an international trade attorney associated with the Cato Institute.

Many economists are predicting higher prices for consumers as a result of the tariffs. When President Barack Obama imposed a tariff on tire imports from China, it may have saved 1,700 U.S. jobs but at a cost to U.S. consumers of $900,000 per job saved.

Many economists have predicted that the new tariffs will unleash a trade war, but since the tariffs are being implemented under national security rules, the United States can make exceptions for countries considered allies. These include its foremost trading partners, allowing trade negotiators to zero in on China, leading Harvard economist Martin Feldstein to speculate that the real target of the tariffs is China's continued insistence on obtaining U.S. technology from companies trying to do business there. The tariffs, Feldstein speculates, could be used as leverage in trade negotiations over the issue.

The situation for aluminum is very different than steel for the United States, which imports 90 percent of its aluminum used in everything from beer cans to jet fighters, and imports are rising, according to The Washington Post. That said, higher prices for aluminum will mean higher prices for beer and soda pop.

None of the Genesee County companies anticipating higher prices on steel and lower profits anticipate layoffs as a result of the changing financial picture, even though some economists have predicted from 140,000 to 170,000 jobs lost across the country as a result of the tariffs.

Campell at Chapin said there will be no local layoffs. 

"We have not had a production layoff in the last decade," Campbell said. "We go to great lengths to keep our workforce intact. It may, however, slow some of our growth."

Glajch, at Graham, said even with the increased production costs, the business is growing.

"We are not anticipating layoffs," Glajch said. "On the contrary, we are hiring. Our core markets have shown early signs of some improvement and our Navy business is doing quite well. We are hiring for direct labor and certain engineering and sales roles."

Press release:

Sleep Insights, an established, local sleep medicine practice, recently expanded and moved to 47A Batavia City Centre in Downtown Batavia.

For people who struggle to regularly get a good night’s sleep, Sleep Insights provides a welcoming approach to help people sleep better: as an integrated practice, they diagnose and treat over 80 types of sleep disorders, provide physician appointments (ages 5+), offer home sleep apnea testing, overnight sleep testing and CPAP services—all at one site.

“This is the same clinical model we use at our Rochester site,” noted Dr. Jacob Dominik, Sleep Insights’ medical director, who sees patients at the Batavia site.

“It’s really a game changer when it comes to providing continuity of care, since we manage patients from start to finish. I personally meet with patients to determine the cause of their sleep problems as well as the appropriate next steps, which we can also provide.

“If people have problems sleeping or staying awake, testing isn’t always needed. So that definitely shouldn’t deter people from seeking help.”

Patients are seen at Sleep Insights for a variety of sleep disorders affecting their sleep quality and ability to function. Some of the most common conditions impacting sleep include snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, restless legs syndrome, shift work disorder, narcolepsy and parasomnias (abnormal behavior during sleep).

“Sleep is critical to emotional and physical health,” Dr. Dominik added. “We’re here to help anyone who isn’t regularly waking up and feeling refreshed. Our focus is on helping each patient as soon as we can, the best we can.”

In January, Sleep Insights moved from 653 E. Main St., Batavia, to 47A Batavia City Centre, Batavia. Their new location provides a soothing, upscale environment with expanded room for CPAP supplies and support from a Registered Respiratory Therapist.

In addition, three bedrooms for overnight testing are slated to be added by late spring. Their phone number remains the same: 585.219.4330. New patient appointments are available and no healthcare provider referral is needed.

About Sleep Insights

Founded in 2005 by Kenneth E. Plotkin, MD, and currently owned by Jacob Dominik, MD, Sleep Insights is a regional, comprehensive sleep medicine practice offering consultative, diagnostic testing and sleep therapy services. Sleep Insights is an independent sleep center, not owned by or affiliated with a hospital. The company’s main site is in Rochester, with eight locations throughout Central and Western New York.