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Press release:

Broad regional and national concern regarding institutional water quality prompted the Batavia City School District to voluntarily test the water in all of our school district buildings at the end of the 2015-16 school year.

While not a public water supply issue, as all public water supplies are subject to regular water quality testing, our district voluntarily took the proactive step of testing the water sources in each of our school buildings for lead concentrations as a precaution and out of abundance of care for our students and staff.

The District contracted with Leader Professional Services Inc., which collected multiple samples from locations in each building (for example, drinking fountains, kitchen sinks, classroom sinks, custodial closets, etc.).

The samples were then tested through a certified lab that follows protocols set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

We tested 353 fixtures throughout the District. Three fixtures did not meet the USEPA's guidelines. They are:

1. A restroom wash sink at an outdoor bathroom at John Kennedy School;
2. A classroom sink at the Robert Morris building in a room not currently used;
3. A sink in the lunchroom at the Richmond Memorial Library.

Upon our receipt of these results, the affected sources were taken out of service and an investigation was implemented to correct these problems.

While we know that this information may cause some concern, the District has taken the necessary steps to address the situation and confirm the safety of water throughout the District. There is nothing that we take more seriously than the well-being of our students and staff.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber’s Annual Awards Committee has announced that the 2016 Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at The Quality Inn & Suites, Park Road, Batavia (formerly The Clarion Hotel).

This is the County’s premier event that honors businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service and volunteerism.

Please note that a brief write-up will qualify your nominee for consideration. Nominations are now being accepted for Business of the Year, Entrepreneurial Business of the Year, Agricultural Business of the Year, Innovative Enterprise of the Year, Special Service Recognition & Geneseeans of the Year.

Business nominees must be a Chamber Member (If unsure of your nominee's membership, call the Chamber to verify).   

Nomination forms are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, 210 E. Main St., Batavia, and can also be downloaded from the Chamber website at www.geneseeny.com. 

Nominations MUST BE RECEIVED BY Dec. 30 to be eligible for consideration.

If you would like more information, feel free to call Kelly J. Bermingham, director of Membership & Special Events, at the Chamber office, 343-7440, ext. 26.

Submitted photo of Franklin Davis, selected as the 2016 LeRoyan of the Year.

Press release:

Botts-Fiorito Post #576, American Legion, Le Roy, takes great pride and pleasure in announcing Franklin Davis as its selection for the 2016 “LeRoyan of the Year Award."

The community has benefitted in countless ways from his 85-year-long residence in Le Roy, and "Frank" has loved and been proud of his hometown always.

Although Frank was not an active serviceman, both of his parents as well as all three brothers were. He did serve in the National Guard prior to college. As a result, Frank has always held our country in highest esteem. Friends point out that he usually has two flags flying in his yard on any given day.

Frank started out after college with a florist business in Le Roy, and then went on to work for Jones Chemicals, eventually as Director of Sales. Frank’s family consists of his wife Martha, and five children Selby, Benson, Hugh, Andrew and Hannah.

He is a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church, having served on numerous committees, currently on the Church Maintenance Committee. He is an "over-50-year" member of the Le Roy Fire Department, as well as the Olive Branch Lodge #39 F&AM. Frank is also a member of the Oatka Hose Company as an active firefighter recently honored for more than 50 years of continuous service.

Frank has served on committees devoted to making Le Roy a better place to live, including the Planning Committee, a life member of the Le Roy Historical Society and the Le Roy Business Council. Frank served as President of the MacPelah Cemetery Board, and also served as the Disaster Chairmen of the Local Chapter of the American Red Cross. He was active in the Republican Committee for years. Frank was a member of the Le Roy Rotary as well.

There are two personal qualities that Frank possesses which stand out and make him a unique and exceptionally qualified person in terms of qualifying for this award. The first is his outstanding ability to be helpful in times of need or difficulty. Whether a friend has a need, or the community, an organization he belongs to or not, a family member, or a dog. In addition, is his best quality is his friendship. Frank makes friends and leaves a good impression wherever he goes. His cheerful demeanor makes others comfortable and he is the first to ask others how THEY are doing. He has many lifelong friends and makes new ones often.

The bottom line is that Frank Davis will be there for you, and he will be the best friend you have ever had (as long as you don’t mind his cigar once in a while).

The 48th annual Award Dinner will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8th. Social hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:45 p.m. at the American Legion, 53 W. Main St., Le Roy.

Tickets for this year’s Award Dinner are available at the American Legion. Cost is $20 per person.

The young man whose body was found on Labor Day in the lake at DeWitt Recreation Area has been identified by police as 25-year-old Kyeongseop Woodhams.

Woodhams is originally from South Korea and notification of the next of kin required the assistance of Sen. Charles Schumer's office.

The cause of death has not yet been determined and investigators are awaiting results from toxicology tests to see if that provides any clues.

There were no signs of trauma.

Investigators are asking that anybody who may have seen Woodhams between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5 to contact Det. Todd Crossett at (585) 345-6353.

The park opened at 6 a.m. on Labor Day and a fisherman discovered Woodham's body at 8:54 a.m. and immediately called police.

The body was partially submerged. 

A scuba team searched the area where the body was found, in the southeast corner of the lake, behind the land bridge created by historically low water levels, but investigators have not revealed if any items of interest were located.

No further information has been released about Woodhams.

Press release:

Genesee Community College’s Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) Program and the Genesee County Youth Bureau are partnering to offer local sophomores, juniors and seniors the Genesee County Youth Lead Program. 

We are currently recruiting our fifth class and are looking for 15 youth representing our nine high schools who would like to improve their leadership skills and expand their knowledge on the community and resources therein.

Genesee Youth Lead is designed to help our youth assess their strengths, weaknesses and potential for personal and intellectual growth. We provide the opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills by being a part of a team, the community and by hands on learning within the county.

This fall students were able to take field trips, speak directly with government officials, and so much more. The areas of the community to be explored during the fall program are Government & Law Enforcement, Health & Human Services, and Agriculture.

The Youth Lead Program will take place at GCC & Genesee County Youth Bureau beginning Oct. 15^that GCC with a Meet & Greet and then class to follow. The class sessions are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays:

• Oct. 15, 22, 29
• Nov. 5, 12, 19;
• Dec. 3 and 10.

The program costs $55 and students will earn one college credit through GCC. If there is an economic hardship please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau. 

Applications for the program will only be accepted until Sept. 21 and can be found at: http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/youthbureau/.

Please contact Chelsea at the Genesee County Youth Bureau with questions at (585)344-3960 or at Chelsea.Elliott@co.genesee.ny.us.

The future, if not the present, of all aspects of work and life is digital and connected, and to help ensure students are ready to keep pace with a fast-changing world, the City School District is investing in the equipment and infrastructure to help kids succeed.

This morning, Batavia High School began handing out Chromebooks to students.

Chromebooks, running a browser-based operating system from Google, will give students instant access to the world, their teachers, and their classmates as well as provide a suite of software tools they can use for research, study and creation. 

"Whether going on to college or the world of work, you have to know how to gather information, analyze it and interpret it and we're going to be able to help our kids do that at a much higher level," said Superintendent Chris Dailey.

The overall experience of using digital devices will make academic life at Batavia HS more like what students will experience in college, so Dailey thinks those students who continue their education will be better prepared.

"By giving kid a college experience at an early age, when they’re going on, whether it’s to the world of work, military or college, they are on par, if not above, everybody else in our region," Dailey said.

The experience begins in elementary school where students have also been assigned Chromebooks and students participate in classes, such as the one that teaches keyboard skills to students at Jackson Elementary using games for lessons and practice.

The Chromebook rollout culminated in the three-year planning an implementation process that included upgrades to the Wi-Fi network at the high school.

Daily praised IT director Jeff McKinney and his staff.

Students will also be able to take classes in repairing the computers, which will give them, Dailey said, another level of understanding about technology as well as better equip them for their future in work or academics. 

The program is being paid for entirely within the school district's regular budgeting process because there are also cost savings associated with it, such as a reduction in costs for laptops and desktops. 

"A traditional history textbook cost more than these devices, so we can now get that history textbook online, plus all the others, for significantly less than before," Dailey said.

Dailey said he's also well aware that the future of work is based on technology and students need to be prepared for that new world, which in many ways has already changed dramatically.

"My father-in-law owns a printing business and where they used to have eight guys running the press, now they have two and both of them are computer literate because they’re running a computer that is running the press," Dailey said. "Computers are changing everything."

Press release:

National Grid today announced that the company has invested approximately $300,000 through its 3-Phase Electric Power Incentive and Electric Capital program to help farms in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) region retain and create new jobs. The grants will assist Stein Family Farms LLC, Udderly Better Acres LLC, Friendly Acres LLC and East View Farms Inc. with various redevelopment and expansion projects.

$100,000 was awarded to Stein Family Farms LLC, located in the town of Caledonia, to support expansion of the farm’s dairy operations and increase productive capacity through necessary electrical infrastructure updates. The project’s total capital investment is approximately $1.2 million, and will retain 11 jobs and create one new job.

Udderly Better Acres, located in Le Roy, received approximately $58,000 to support the upgrade of its current electrical operations from a single-phase system to a three-phase system, a required improvement for the building of an additional barn and lagoon pond with a pump system. With a capital investment totaling approximately $374,000, the project will result in the retention of three jobs and the creation of six new jobs.

Friendly Acres LLC, a dairy farm which milks more than 500 cows in the town of Attica, was awarded $86,000 to assist in expanding the farm’s dairy operations and increase capacity through a 3-phase power system, which will result in improved efficiency for its new milking herd facility. The project’s capital investment totals $4.2 million.

Lastly, East View Farms Inc., located in the town of Pavilion, received $100,000 for electrical upgrades to assist in the expansion of its dairy cattle herding operations. The project’s total capital investment is $2.8 million and will result in the retention of five jobs, as well as the creation of five new jobs.

“With these unique incentive programs, it is our goal to support small businesses throughout the region, especially agribusiness customers like these four farms, in dramatically reducing their electric costs and remaining competitive,” said Kenneth Kujawa, regional manager for National Grid. “Our continued investment into these types of projects plays a critical role in the retention and creation of new jobs in the GLOW region.”

National Grid’s 3-Phase Power Incentive Program provides grants of up to $50,000 to extend electric service to eligible customers. A 3-phase electric system provides an increased level of reliability and allows modern farm equipment to operate more efficiently. 

National Grid’s Electric Capital Investment Incentive Program provides funding to businesses to help offset costs associated with upgrading utility infrastructure to accommodate a business expansion or new construction project. Specifically, the program supports business attraction or expansion projects located in National Grid’s Upstate New York service territory.

Information about National Grid’s suite of economic programs is available at www.shovelready.com.

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra hosted a special performance in Batavia Saturday night at Vinyl Record Revival of the Asteria Quartet.

The quartet includes Shade Zajac, the GSO's new conductor and musical director, along with Evie Boughton on the viola, Kiram Rajamani and Leah McCarthy on violin.

The quartet performed Mozart’s 8th Quartet K. 168, Stostakovich’s 8th Quartet, and Zajac’s own composition, “Willard.”

Between each piece, the members took questions from the audiences about the pieces, the performance and the history of the music.

The evening including a wine tasting hosted by Chris Crocker, owner of the YNGodess Shop.

Photos are from Saturday.

From yesterday afternoon.

A caller to dispatch believes he may have discovered the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident shortly after 10:30 Saturday morning on Transit Road in Byron.

Law enforcement units are responding to Spoil Bank Road in Elba, in the mucklands, where the caller found a vehicle well off the roadway with heavy front-end damage. 

There were no serious injuries in the accident, which resulted in one vehicle rolling over multiple times and landing on its side.

For initial report click here.

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Genesee County until 8:15 p.m.

The storm was located in Clarence and is moving northeast at 50 mph.

Wind gusts of 60 mph and penny-size hail are possible hazards due to the storm. These can damage roofs, siding and trees.

Specifically mentioned are Batavia, Darien Lakes State Park, Le Roy and Pembroke, including the Thruway between exits 48A and 47.

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

Timmy Bartz, 8, is selling vegetables he grew at a stand on Bank Street this afternoon.

A rollover accident is reported at 6465 Transit Road in Byron. Occupants are out but "shaken up." Injuries, if any, unknown. The vehicle is on its side. Another vehicle involved left the scene. A first responder on scene says units can come in non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 10:45 a.m.: Law enforcement is on scene. Debris in the intersection will need to be cleaned up.

Press release:

RTS Genesee announced it has resumed its Friday night service to connect Genesee Community College’s (GCC) College Village to the business district. The route will once again connect the Walden Estates and Woodstock Gardens apartment complexes to businesses on the west side of town. The service is designed to connect customers with retail, entertainment and dining destinations.

The new Sunday service is called the “34 Rush Bus” and will make it easier for residents looking to catch the Buffalo Bills game at 34 Rush at Batavia Downs.

The “Friday Night Fun Run,” kicked off on Friday, Aug. 26 and will run through May 5. The Friday night service begins at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 12:20 a.m. 

The “34 Rush Bus” will run from Sunday, Sept. 11 through Dec. 11. The Sunday service will begin at 12:15 p.m. and end at 6:10 p.m. As there are some dates the service will not run, customers are encouraged to see the schedule for dates of operation.

“Thanks to the partnership of Genesee Community College and Batavia Downs, we are able to continue improving the service we provide to the community," said James Mott, regional manager for RTS Genesee and RTS Orleans. “This service will help meet the demand of customers who want more access to these popular destinations.”

The standard fare of $1 for a one-way ride will apply for both the Friday and Sunday services.

The schedule for the Friday Night Fun Run and the 34 Rush Bus are available on the RTS website.

It is alleged that she sold a quantity of heroin and oxycodone, a controlled substance, to an agent of the task force. She was put in jail and was arraigned in Genesee County Court today.

Dutton is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both are third-degree Class B felonies.

The task force is comprised on police officers from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia Police NET, and Le Roy Village Police Department. Task Force members were assisted by uniformed deputies of the Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office.

The Lei-Ti Campgrounds Association and Lei-Ti, in Bethany, hosted a charity auction on Labor Day and raised nearly $8,400 for Camp Good Days and Special Times.

Located on the shores of Keuka Lake in Branchport, Camp Good Days provides camping and recreational activities for children stricken with cancer and their families.

Photo: From left, Sandra Sekuterski, Gerald Sekuterski, Val Rosehart, Peggy McVea, Sheila Hollwendel (Lei-Ti's co-owner), Bob McVea and James McCauley, a coordinator at Camp Good Days.