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Recruitment and retention continue to be the biggest challenge for Mercy Flight Inc., especially in its ground operations in Genesee County, Mercy EMS, said Scott P. Wooton, executive VP and treasurer of the Buffalo-based non-profit.

On Monday, Wooton delivered the agency's annual report to the Human Services Committee of the County Legislature.

It's a competitive job environment with record-low unemployment in the region and rising wages throughout the nation, and not as many young people are choosing an EMT career path, he said.

"As wages continue to rise in part-time and even entry-level positions in other industries, it's imperative that the EMS system is able to continue to offer competitive wages and benefits for long-term sustainability," Wooton said.

It's difficult to remain competitive, Wooton said, when the Federal government is not increasing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to keep up with rising expenses.

"The stress on the EMS system as a whole could approach a breaking point," he said. "This is almost verbatim what we had in our report last year. It continues to be the number one challenge in EMS."

The pandemic has also made recruitment and retention more of a challenge.

"We feel that there may be folks who are choosing other occupations as opposed to one which will put them in the way of this virus and other such situations," Wooton said. 

Mercy Flight recently gave its employees an across-the-board 5.9 percent raise, he told the committee.

"We intend to continue to champion the courageous men and women who do choose EMS as their way of life, and will lead the charge ensuring that they're adequately compensated for their service," Wooton said.

As for numbers for the fiscal year, Mercy Flight was called upon 209 times in Genesee County. Of those, 123 resulted in patient transports. There were 72 of those 209 calls for service canceled by the requesting agency and 14 canceled due to weather.  

For Mercy EMS, there were more than 10,000 calls for service resulting in more than 7,000 patient contacts. Those contacts included both transports and lift assists.

"These figures are down about five percent as compared to pre-COVID numbers," Wooton said. "We feel that essentially, some patients would rather choose to delay care at times, especially during the pandemic, rather than having our service coming and assist them. Certainly, we tried to make it a point of public information that's not the right thing to do. When you need an ambulance, when you feel you need an ambulance, certainly you need to call and at the very least let our first responders give you sort of a checkout and see what your condition is."

The pandemic has also hampered community outreach, Wooton said. There have been fewer safety training classes and events, fewer ground training sessions for firefighters, fewer career days, and fewer DWI drills at high schools.

"Those are very impactful, and we were able to fit in a few in the previous fiscal year," he said. "All were canceled the year before. We're looking forward to getting back and doing those again, as well as our participation in various third-party open houses in recruitment demonstrations."

Wooton also addressed the recent fatal accident in Elba that claimed the life of Mercy Flight Pilot James Sauer.

"This is the first time that this has ever happened, and God willing, the last time that it will ever happen that we've lost one of our own in the line of duty," Wooton said. 

He had just come to the meeting from Sauer's funeral in Churchville.

See also: Mercy Flight pilot killed in Elba crash on Tuesday lauded as 'top-class human'

He said Mercy Flight voluntarily grounded its aircraft out of an "overabundance of caution and safety" following the accident, and Mercy Flight Central has been filling in for emergency ambulance service.

"We suspended all of our flights not only just to ensure that we're able to ensure the mechanical functioning of our helicopters, but also to give our providers time to process and integrate."

Mercy Flight tentatively plans to return to normal operations on Thursday, he said.

Photo above: Scott P. Wooton presents Mercy Flight's annual report to Genesee County Legislature's Human Services Committee Monday. Photo by Howard Owens.

James Sauer, the Mercy Flight pilot who died Tuesday when the Bell 429 he was flying crashed just off Norton Road in Elba, was laid to rest today following a funeral service at Open Door Baptist in Chili.

Hundreds of first responders from throughout Western New York attended the service.

The 60-year-old husband, father, and grandfather lived in Churchville. He retired from the New York Army National Guard after 40 years in 2020. During his career Sauer also worked as a Rochester police officer, from 1993 to 2001, and for 17 years as a pilot for the State Police, retiring in 2021.  He also worked for a time with the Holley Police Department.

He joined Mercy Flight in October 2020.

"Mercy Flight was his retirement job," said Scott P. Wooton, executive VP and treasurer of Mercy Flight Inc., during an emotional statement this afternoon at the Genesee County Legislatiure's Human Services Committee meeting. "He joined Mercy Flight out of a wish to continue to serve his community with his special skills.

"Not only was he an outstanding aviator, a top-class aviator, absolutely, but he was a top-class individual as well, a top-class human. He was a man who loved his family, loved his friends. And he's gonna be greatly missed."

Photos by Howard Owens, except inset photo (social media photo) and second photo.

 Press pool photo courtesy Democrat and Chronicle.

When it came to words and action, Catherine Roth respected each for its place in society.

Whether her efforts were for guidance of youth, beautification of a landscape, advocacy of a historical landmark or to correct the label of a piece of Batavia architecture, Roth’s head and heart were in the right place. When it came to doing any actual physical work on a project, Roth was there too, pitching in to help.

She had deep convictions and stood up for what was right, said the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia’s First Presbyterian Church.

“Catherine was a very strong and yet compassionate woman. She cared about the common good … and preserving the history and character of Batavia,” Alkhouri said Friday to The Batavian.  “Catherine always spoke her mind but was also willing to listen to other points of view. She was ahead of her time on many social issues. She took history very seriously and often taught us about the Civil War and the history of Batavia and Western New York. Catherine experienced a lot of loss in her life but stayed strong and resilient. In fact, her losses often motivated her for action and for advocacy.”

Roth died this week while residing at an assisted living facility in Albany. As one of triplet sisters, the Batavia native made her mark here in many ways, from swimming lessons and advocacy of historical treasures to board participation and planting flowers. Roth had a hand in many projects and organizations throughout Genesee County. 

She was behind the effort to secure the listing of First Presbyterian and Batavia Cemetery for the National Register of Historic Places, helped to save the former Engine House and St. James Episcopal’s adjacent rectory, served on multiple nonprofit boards, provided her eloquent insight and, perhaps most importantly, wasn’t afraid to do the hard work.

Bill Kauffman, Elba author and screenwriter, who had taken swimming lessons in Roth’s pool back in the day, knows well of her contributions. In the mid-1960s, when Batavia’s city fathers were making “the catastrophic decision to embrace Urban Renewal,” she stepped up her advocacy chops.

“She was the passionate and articulate leader of those who spoke up for the preservation and the history and integrity of Batavia,” Kauffman said. “She warned that Urban Renewal would be a disaster as well as an insult to our ancestors, and she was right.”

Her “prophetic voice” aside, Roth was also a “tireless volunteer” who did, quite literally, get her hands dirty, he said.

“In her 80s she was working in the old Batavia Cemetery on Harvester, helping to right toppled tombstones and cursing gopher holes--and suffering numerous bouts of poison ivy,” Kauffman said. “She planted and tended flowers at Dwyer Stadium, where she and her husband Larry were constant presences over the years. The Landmark Society, the Hospital League, the ARC; they all benefited tremendously from Catherine's hard work.”

Speaking of swimming lessons, Kauffman also shared that Roth informed his wife, Lucine “that I was the worst student she ever had,” he said. “This illustrates two of her outstanding qualities: she embodied the volunteer spirit, and she told it like it was.” Roth had no fear communicating what she felt was right, even in the face of being called out for being a pushy woman. She even contacted a reporter or two and chided them on the misuse of a particular word or piece of history. 

Roth’s long list of accomplishments includes being a founding board member of the Landmark Society in 1964, spearheading the publication of “The Architectural Heritage of Genesee County,” serving decades as Girl Scout troop leader and on City Council, Holland Land Office Museum and YMCA boards was a member of the United Memorial Medical Center Hospital League, baked and donated hundreds of pies sold at the snack shop, tirelessly lobbied to change state law that allowed elderly people to retain their driver’s licenses after her son was killed in an auto accident, and was a member of the oldest living triplets in the United States. 

She’s been called a “force of nature” and credited for being the type of person that "every community needs to thrive." For Alkhouri, Roth, who served as a trustee at First Presbyterian, made a difference and left many church members with indelible visuals.

“People have fond memories of Catherine in her 80s going up the bell tower to clean and to help with its maintenance. They also have fond memories of Catherine being in charge of all the church meals as she coordinated volunteers and helped cook meals, especially for life celebrations,” Alkhouri said. “Catherine had a great sense of humor. Even though she seemed to be serious most of the time, she often found humor in many situations in life. We shared many laughs. Catherine loved God and found great comfort in worship and in serving others.”

A recipient of many awards, Roth was more recently bestowed a granite bench in her name at Batavia Cemetery. She had once said that her service was not a well-mapped-out plan, but just something that she did. Roth had also said that she didn’t want to be bored.

Suffice it to say, she couldn’t possibly have been. Roth touched so many lives through her good works, and that kept her busy into her late 90s. She never lost her Long Island accent, Kauffman said, and surely “was one of Batavia’s greatest citizens.”

Alkhouri never expected to have grown so close to Roth, she said.

“When I first started as the pastor of Batavia First Presbyterian Church, I had no idea how I would become so connected to Catherine. She was always affirming of my ministry and always honest in where she was on the journey of faith and of life,” Alkhouri said. “I feel personally blessed to have known and loved Catherine.” 

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens from 2015.

A woman sustained serious injuries in Darien this evening when the car she was in left the roadway on Erie Street and struck a utility pole and a house before the operator attempted to drive away from the scene. 

He could only get his 2005 Toyota TC another 500 feet down the road before it stalled.

The driver, Michael J. Antonucci, 39, of Darien, and the other two passengers were not seriously hurt. In fact, one of them, with blood dripping down his face, declined medical attention at the scene and walked home.

Both rear passengers were pinned in the vehicle and could not self-extricate.  One of them was seriously injured and identified as Tanya L. Captain, 34, of Darien.

The other passengers were Shawn M. Kwiatek, 43, of Darien, and Steven N. Zink, 30, of Darien.

Captain was transported to Erie County Medical Center by Mercy Flight Central, which was filling in for Mercy Flight of WNY, presently standing down following a fatal accident earlier this week involving one of its helicopters.

At the time of her transport, Captain's injuries were considered life-threatening.  The Crash Management team responded to the scene because of the seriousness of the injuries to Captain.

"Right before she got loaded in a helicopter, she was talking with paramedics," said Sgt. Kyle Krzemien of Genesee County Sheriff's Office. "Right now we're still not 100 percent, but I would say for right now, we're just gonna go with life-threatening until we hear otherwise."

Krzemien said the vehicle was westbound on Erie Street when it crossed the double center line and hit an embankment before becoming airborne. The vehicle then struck a utility pole, shearing it from its base, and, because of the speed of the vehicle, continued southwest until it struck the front porch of a house at 1390 Erie St.  The driver then tried to drive out of the front yard of that house, going back East on Erie Street, and only getting 500 feet down the road before it stopped, the sergeant said. 

There was a power outage in the area that included the traffic signals at Route 20 and Route 77.  At the time of publication, 11 National Grid customers remained without power and power was not going to be restored before 4:30 a.m., according to National Grid.

Criminal charges are pending against Antonucci, according to the Sheriff's Office.  The investigation is ongoing.  

Darien Fire and Corfu Fire responded to the scene along with Mercy EMS.

(Initial Report)

Top photo: A car after it struck a utility pole and a home on Erie Street in Darien Sunday evening, the damage caused by the accident, and Mercy Flight Central removing one seriously injured woman from the scene. Photos by Howard Owens.

A car has struck a utility pole in the area of 1390 Erie Street, Darien.

There are multiple injuries and two people require extrication.

There is at least one serious injury.

Responding units are asked to enter the scene from Tinkham Road because wires are down in the roadway.

Darien Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 7:12 p.m.: An engine from Corfu is requested to the scene.  Dispatchers checking on availability of Mercy Flight

UPDATE 7:54 p.m.: Mercy Flight Central has landed near the scene.

UPDATE 8:03 p.m.: Mercy Flight has departed with one patient, and is headed towards Erie County Medical Center.

Celebrating 110 years of serving the people of Genesee County, the YWCA held its first Women of Inspiration Awards brunch on Saturday at the Batavia Country Club.

Honored were Rev. Roula Alkhouri, pastor of Batavia First Presbyterian Church, Maureen Notaro, principal at Jackson Primary School, Marci Redband, accounting specialist at Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, and Jacquelyn L. Swinarski, a retired teacher and community volunteer.

Rev. Roula Alkhouri
In 2000, Alkhouri made history as the first Syrian-American woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church.  She has served the community as a strong advocate for building bridges between people, according to Donna Blake, who nominated her for the award. Blake said she is committed to YWCA's mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, and freedom for all.  She created Los Samaritamnos, a group that provides food, transportation and support for detainees released from the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia. 

Led by Alkhouri, Batavia Presbyterian has built supportive relationships with Crossroads House, Jackson School, Justice for Children, the Alzheimer's Association, and the Little Free Pantry.

During the pandemic, she encouraged her congregation through regular online video messages and services, and members of the congregation encouraged others by delivering cards to nursing home residents. 

In her acceptance speech, Alkhouri admitted she was "down in the dumps" because both her father and mother had recently passed away and her brother was diagnosed with cancer.

"I was at a low point," she said. "All I wanted to say was, 'No, I'm not inspired at this moment.' But then I remembered the power of community. And that's the word that I want to leave you with today -- that community is so important for all of us."

Maureen Notaro
Nominated by co-worker Brian Sutton, Notaro was honored as a role model for students and staff of all ages. 

"I have worked with her for five years and I have witnessed students flock to her, admire her, and strive to make her proud by listening to her sound advice and guidance," Sutton said. 

Notaro credited her mother, a single mom, with instilling in her and her sisters a sense of empowerment. 

"She taught me and my sisters that the world could be ours if we were determined and persistent and never gave up on our dreams," Notaro said. "She taught us that everyone has a story and never to dismiss what someone has to say, and that everyone deserves the right to be respected and treated respectfully. She taught us never to judge anyone and to have an open mind. She taught us that all people are equal and that what matters is how a person treats others. I realized that my mother surrounded us with strong supportive women and led by example."

Marci Redband
Redband was nominated by her husband Tom Redband.

"When I read the nomination criteria for the Women of Inspiration, which includes how the nominee inspires others, how she serves as a role model for women and girls, how the nominee contributes to her community, and how the nominee promotes the mission and vision of the YWCA -- it was a no brainer when I read this," Tom said. I immediately thought of Marci Redband."

He praised Marci, who has coached high school sports -- including alongside her husband until a season ago at Elba in basketball -- since college graduation, as one of the best female role models he has ever met.

He said she contributes to her community as a coach, including that Elba girls basketball team, which won five straight sectional titles under the combined leadership of the Redbands.

"Marci's passion and drive were to encourage and lead these young women to not sell out themselves to society's expectations of what women are supposed to do and act like, and instead push themselves to become their best selves," Tom said.

Marci said that 10 years ago, she was struggling, struggling to get through college, and a counselor encouraged her to reach out more. Marci responded by pointing how involved she was in her church. The counselor told Marci she needed to get out of her comfort zone.

The next day, she got a call to become an assistant softball coach at Elba. 

She said sometimes God places something right in front of you and you've got to do it.

"The biggest lesson that I took from (being a coach) was that consistency, and showing up and being a calm face for some of these young women, is the best thing that you can do for them," Marci said. "It was a life-changing moment for me. And it was how I met my husband."

Jacquelyn L. Swinarski
Swinarski was described as the "energizer bunny" of Robert Morris when she taught kindergarten there for 30 years. She was a role model for other teachers. 

She organized the annual 4th-grade Architectural Drawing Contest for the Landmark Society. She was active in the Batavia Teachers' Association. She's volunteered at Crossroads House and organizes the Mega Garage Sale. She volunteers in the community more than 50 hours a week. And, she's been involved in fundraising at St. Joseph's School.

Swinarski encouraged people to treat other people better and to volunteer.

"When you volunteer, you give yourself to others," she said. "When someone does something to you, it's wonderful for a moment but then it's gone. When you do something for someone else, you always find people that are gracious, and loving, and you make more friends."

Millie Tomidy-Pepper, executive director of the YWCA presented Synia Morrison, a senior at Batavia High School, with the first ever Frances G. Francis Scholarship. Francis was founder of the YWCA in Genesee County,

A new business on Harvester Avenue is taking an old concept of “brick-and-mortar” and feeding it with some bright thinking, owner Macy Paradise says.

Paradise, a 2003 Batavia HIgh School grad and owner of Paradise Fit in Elba, has branched out to include an all-inclusive facility for kids, adults, seniors and developmentally disabled folks. His logo is a brain inside of a lightbulb to represent a bright idea.

“The goal of this space is to have a more skill-building style,” Paradise said during the grand opening of The Brick Community Enrichment Center on Friday at The Harvester Center, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. “The Brick concept comes from an original idea that Joe Mancuso had in 1959, offering kind of a brick and mortar flex-use space for entrepreneurs. We wanted to rebrand that here, this being a flexible space, using it for all sorts of reasons. So we are trying to rebuild the community brick by brick.”

Paradise spoke while taking a short break from his DJ gig at the event. A versatile host of all things music for special events, celebrity debuts and even dance parties for, in this case on Friday, kids aged three to 12. The site’s overall concept was to host group fitness classes for all ages, and that grew into allowing space for skill-building classes, private events and to offer a more affordable rental option for bridal and wedding showers, birthday parties and the like. 

Paradise, 37, is a Batavia native who returned after a stints in each of Los Angeles, Calif. and Colorado. While living out west, he frequently returned to host events at the former City Slickers and Billy Goats, plus TF Browns. He also ventured into Erie County to host various entertainment gigs, such as international Electronic Dance Music producer and DJs Barely Alive and Virtual Riot, in Buffalo.  

The Brick Community Enrichment Center offers fitness classes from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in May, and Paradise is planning other sessions for young and older alike, and also for people with developmental disabilities. It complements his main business, Paradise Fit, which offers personalized training, coaching, nutrition programs and meals, and an app for support. A personal trainer who also owns and operates the Elba-based fitness facility, Paradise initially started with personal training in Elba, doing one-on-one training sessions with clients. He proudly calls Elba home, having purchased one there in 2019, two years after moving back to Western New York. 

Meanwhile, he began to look for a space to do group fitness classes and was also hired as the Harvester Center's marketing director. 

“I found this space … and decided to open it up,” he said. “It’s another thing to do in Batavia.”

For more information or to get in touch with Paradise, call (585) 356-7737, email paradisemacy@gmail.com or visit www.brickcommunitycenter.com or check out @TheBrick on Facebook.

Top photo: Owner Macy Paradise cuts the symbolic ribbon to his new place, The Brick Community Enrichment Center, during a grand opening dance party Friday at The Harvester Center, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. Macy Paradise and partner Nici Johnson show off the logo for The Brick Community Enrichment Center. Photos submitted by Steven Falitico/Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

There will be no taxpayer-funded trial on criminal mischief charges for a man already serving a life sentence on a jury-trial conviction for attempted murder and arson.

Judge Michael Mohun dismissed the charges against Plush Dozier this morning at the formal request of District Attorney Kevin Finnell.

Finnell cited the inability of Dozier to pay restitution, the cost of a trial, and the fact that, given how sentencing works in New York, if convicted, Dozier would be given credit for time served, since it would run concurrent to the term he's serving now. That means he would get no additional prison time (which could be a factor if he became eligible for parole).

"It's in the public interest not to hold a trial," Finnell said.

The decision apparently came at Mohun's suggestion during a conference on the case, Defense Attorney Fred Rarick suggested during the case and reiterated to a reporter as he was leaving the courtroom.  He said it was the right thing to do and saved the taxpayers the expense of transporting Dozier daily during a trial from Sullivan County.

Mohun, a county court judge in Wyoming County, has been assisting Genesee County since January while also mentoring new County Court Judge Melissa Cianfrini because of a backlog of cases. He inherited more than 80 cases that were more than years old -- going back to Cianfrini's time in the District Attorney's Office.  Much of the delay in the cases can be attributed to COVID-related shutdowns and slowdowns.

He said after court that the last of the cases will be cleared from his calendar on Monday and his duties in helping to catch up Genesee County will be completed. 

Dozier was convicted of attempted murder and arson in October. Dozier intentionally set fire on June 15, 2018, to the house at 35 Maple St., Batavia, in an attempt to kill a person inside the residence.

He appeared in court this morning, accompanied by three state prison guards, including a sergeant. Dozier was dressed in a green state prison jumpsuit, wearing on his head a white knit cap with a band of copper and black stripes knitted in and around it.  Four people, friends and family, sat in court in support of Dozier.  After the hearing, they thanked Mohun for his kindness in handling the case.

It was alleged that on Aug. 4, 2018, Dozier kicked out a plate of glass in a holding cell at the Genesee County Jail, which caused more than $5,000 in damage. He's also accused of causing more than $250 of damage to a Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle on Aug. 20, 2018.  That lead to charges of criminal mischief 3rd and criminal mischief 4th. 

Finnell said he consulted with Sheriff William Sheron on the dismissal and Sheron agreed with the decision.

Sheron said this afternoon, "Dozier is serving a life sentence, therefore in the interest of justice, we agree with the dismissal of the charges."

After about a year as Batavia's assistant city manager, Jill Wiedrick has resigned her post for a job in Monroe County, City Manager Rachael J. Tabelski says. 

Wiedrick was hired in June 2021 as a lifelong resident of Western New York and 15 years of experience in local government. She had been the senior county planner for Genesee County and was manager of zoning for the City of Rochester when she was hired for the assistant manager position.

"I would like to congratulate Jill Wiedrick, Assistant City Manager, for her time with the City of Batavia.  She is moving to a new job with the Village of Fairport.  It was a pleasure to work with Jill, and I wish her all the best in her career pursuit," Tabelski said in an emailed response to The Batavian. "Her last day with the City of Batavia is Friday May 13, 2022.  The City will actively advertise the position of Assistant City Manager in the near future to fill the position."

File photo of Jill Wiedrick 

There have been nine accidents involving the Bell 429, the model helicopter being flown by James E. Sauer, 60 of Churchville, and Stewart M. Dietrick, 60, of Prosper, Texas, when it went down in a field near Norton Road in Elba at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined the cause of four of those accidents.  Three of them were the result of human error and one was an apparent mechanical failure.

The preliminary evidence in Wednesday's crash of the Mercy Flight aircraft, said Aaron McCarter, air safety investigator with the NTSB, is that the rear tail section of the aircraft became detached during the flight.

"Onboard (the helicopter) were two pilots and seasoned professionals about 1300 or 1 p.m. local time, several credible witnesses of the helicopter transitioning the area behind me over Elba, New York, at about 2,000 feet observed and heard a loud boom. We don't know which occurred first (the tail separating or the boom). The tail separated from the helicopter and was found 300 feet from the main wreckage."

The main wreckage was in a gully just a few yards from the edge of Norton Road, about a mile north of Edgerton Road.

McCarter said he will be at the accident scene gathering evidence for three to five days.

"The on-scene portion of the investigation is only a small part of a much larger list, or process," he said. "Most of the work being done by the investigative team happens behind the scenes when the on-scene portion is over. In 10 days, I will be completing the preliminary report. In approximately 12 months, the factual report, followed very shortly by the probable cause, signed off by the Transportation Safety Board members (will be released)."

The cause won't be determined until the investigation is complete, and that investigation, regardless of what the evidence shows now, looks at all factors of the case, McCaster said.  That includes mechanical, environmental, and human elements, and how all three elements interacted.

While both Sauer and Dietrick are experienced pilots, they were on a training mission.

"Even though they are seasoned pilots, you know how much time they had in this particular helicopter?" McCarter said. "I'm not trying to equate aircraft with cars, but have you ever gotten to a car rental that was completely different than yours? It takes you a while to kind of figure out where all the buttons are and how how to maneuver. So that's what we're looking at, we're looking at their familiarity with the machine, how much experience did they have in this particular machine, in addition to all the other aircraft that they have flown."

Wreckage to be examined in Delaware
The wreckage, which was spread over a 2,000-foot area from beginning to end, will be transported to Clayton, Delaware.

"It will be transported back to this facility to a two-dimensional assembly of it on a hangar floor and we'll be able to see how the helicopter -- it can assist us in determining how the helicopter came apart and what happened first."

He added, "We will be doing a thorough engine check. We're gonna be checking on the rotor blades. We're gonna be checking the tail rotor. And we're gonna be downloading data."

While the Bell 429 doesn't have a "black box" as most people are familiar with -- its data isn't in a hardened protective case -- McCarter is confident the flight recorder data can be recovered.

Investigators will also look at flight and maintenance logs and any reports on the helicopter's performance on previous flights.

The aircraft was manufactured in Canada so by international treaty, Canadian aviation experts will be participating in the investigation.

McCarter indicated he doesn't believe there was anything of the ordinary for a training mission prior to the crash.  The mission started at the Genesee County Airport at 11:15 a.m. and the crew did a typical training flight pattern around the airport for about an hour before heading toward Elba.

Once the tail separated, McCarter said, the pilot would have found it impossible to maintain directional control over the aircraft.

"That tail rotor is what keeps the nose of the helicopter pointed in the correct direction," he said. "Because the torque when the rotor blades are spinning around the helicopter, the fuselage wants to spin in the opposite direction, if you remember your high school physics, so the tail rotor actually keeps the nose of the helicopter pointed in a specific direction."

Of the nine prior crashes involving the Bell 429, four claimed six lives.

Prior aviation crashes locally
Of the nine Bell 429 crashes, one was in Batavia on Oct. 6, 2021. That 429 was also owned and operated by Mercy Flight but was not the same aircraft involved in Wednesday's accident. There were no injuries when that helicopter had a hard landing at the Genesee County Airport.  The cause has not yet been determined.

There has been one other helicopter crash in Genesee County over the past 30 years. On Dec. 27, 2003, in Byron, when a pilot practicing autorotations over an airport open field made a hard landing. The pilot was seriously injured. 

The NTSB reported, "The pilot reported that he felt a shudder during the autorotation and tried to regain airspeed by using forward cyclic, but he was unable to regain airspeed. Examination of the helicopter found evidence of low main rotor rpm. No discrepancies were found with the flight controls and engine."

Previous airplane accidents, as reported by the NTSB, in Genesee County:

• March 31, 1983, Batavia, Cessna 182, mechanical failure, four aboard, no injuries;
• Sept. 24, 1983, Batavia, Cessna 152, an unexpected gust of wind on landing, two aboard, no injuries;
• Oct. 7, 1984, Cessna 150H, pilot error at dusk, no injuries; 
• May 17, 1985, Batavia. Piper PA-22-150, commercial-rated flight instructor encountered unexpected wind at takeoff, no injuries;
• May 29, 1985, Batavia, Piper PA-28-235, loss of power during takeoff, two aboard, no injuries;
• Oct. 15, 1986, Le Roy, Piper PA-38, instructor error, two aboard, no injuries;
• June 20, 1987, Batavia, Cessna 177RG, mechanical failure resulting in an emergency landing, no injuries;
• March 17, 1991, Le Roy, Cessna 172M, inexperienced pilot error in poor lighting conditions, four aboard, no injuries;
• Feb. 15, 2004, Batavia, Cessna 172E, the inability of the pilot to maintain control in winds on an icy runway, no injuries;
• June 15, 2007, Cessna 172s, student pilot error, no injuries;
• Feb. 7, 2009, Le Roy, Cessna 172A,  pilot error in heavy winds, no injuries;
• July 15, 2011, Batavia, Murphy Aircraft Elite, pilot error, one serious injury;
• Aug. 2, 2012, Alexander, Piper PA-25-260, pilot error, no injuries;
• Sept. 20, 2014, Bethany Center, Cessna 182A, pilot error, no injuries;
• June 11, 2915, Le Roy, Brandt Leroy E Challenger II, pilot error, no injuries;
• Oct. 27, 2019, Batavia, Beech A36, pilot error in heavy winds, four aboard, no injuries;
• June 1, 2020, Le Roy, Beech 36, pilot error, no injuries.

The only other fatal aviation crash in Genesee County since the early 1980s was on Oct. 2, 2020, in Corfu, which claimed the lives of attorneys Steve Barnes and Elizabeth Barnes. The cause of that crash remains undetermined.

CORRECTION: There was another fatal airplane crash in Genesee County on Aug. 11, 2001.  Two people were killed when a Dominiak Kitfox crashed in Byron. Alcohol and drugs were found in the inexperienced pilot's blood.

Garlyn Maurice Gause, 42, of Brookhaven Terrace, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, tampering with physical evidence, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and insufficient turn signal. Gause was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at 10:20 p.m., April 24, on Swan Street, Batavia, but Deputy Nicholas Charmoun.  Deputy James Stack and K-9 "Rayzor" responded to the stop. Rayzor reportedly alerted on the vehicle. Upon a search of the vehicle, the deputies allegedly located narcotics in the vehicle.  Gause is accused of possession of narcotics with the intent to sell the drugs. Gause is accused of attempting to conceal evidence after he was in custody. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail. 

Lourdes M. Castaneda, 33, of Le Roy, is charged with DWI. Castaneda was stopped by State Police on Transit Road, Lancaster, and troopers reportedly determined that she exhibit signs of impairment.  Castaneda is accused of failing a field sobriety test.  She was processed at SP Clarence where she allegedly registered at .13 BAC on a breath test. She was released on an appearance ticket.

The community spread risk factor for SARS-2-CoV in Genesee County has been raised to medium by the CDC after a seven-day period in which 278 new positive COVID-19 tests were reported.

There were 212 lab-confirmed positive tests during the week and 66 self-reported positive tests from home test kits. There is no way of knowing how many people tested positive with a home test kit and didn't report the results to the health department.

This fifth straight week of increasing positive tests in the county.  

No additional deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses were reported.

The total number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations are no longer reported but UMMC does report being at 70 percent capacity with ICU also being at 70 percent capacity.

If you test positive with a home test kit, you can report the results to the health department through this link.

Le Roy Central School District is planning to increase the tax levy by $66,000 after calculating how much state aid the district can expect to help cover its $27,708,988 spending plan.

The good news for residents of Stafford, who this year reportedly saw a substantial increase in their property assessments, is that if the numbers hold, their property tax rate for public education will go down about $2.37 per $1,000 of assessed value. The anticipated rate is $19.80. That's 13 cents more than it would have been had the Board of Education decided to balance the budget with reserves rather than increase the levy.

Property owners in the district in Pavilion, Bergen, and Caledonia are also looking at a projected tax rate of $19.

However, property owners in the Town of Le Roy pay the same rate they did this year, $24.14. 

State law requires that all property owners in a district share the burden of education equally so a formula will be applied to Le Roy's tax rate to make it equitable.  

Business Administrator Brian Foeller presented anticipated revenue numbers to board members at a Monday afternoon meeting and then all members of the board participated in a discussion about the tax levy before reaching a consensus decision (no motion nor vote was required) to raise the levy by $66,000.

These are all estimates because final assessment numbers will not be available until July, which will affect the total tax levy.

The tax levy is the total amount of revenue raised through property taxes.  The tax rate is the amount per thousand of assessed value that property owners are billed to pay into the levy.

Board President Jacalyn Whiting (top photo) said she was confused by the Town's decision to forego assessment adjustments this year given the state's required equalization rate and that the town must eventually get assessments up to 100 percent of fair market value.

"How is this going to make things better?" Whiting said.

The spending plan is covered by $16,135,963 in state aid, $10,663,025 tax levy, and $910,000 in local revenues.

Local revenues are:

• Fund Balance carried forward
• PILOTS
• Late taxpayer penalties
• Out of district tuition paid by other schools
• Interest earnings of investments
• Medicaid
• BOCES Refund

Budget increases include:

• Professional support and staff salaries, $364,963
• Special Education out-of-district tuition, $282,000
• Staff health insurance, $150,721 (a 12.5 percent increase)
• Grounds/facilities equipment, $81,000
• Debt payment on existing loans, $56,611

The district is adding one full-time equivalent position, replacing a part-time BOCES employee due to an increase in BOCES attendance. 

A part-time BOCES speech therapist position is being eliminated. There is also a reduction in spending on COVID-19 supplies and several retirements, with not all positions being replaced.

"We've done our part to try and keep this in mind with rising costs," said Superintendent Merritt Holly. "It's tough. These are not easy decisions."

 Whiting agreed, saying the district has done the best it can to control costs.

"This is hard, because I feel we've done a really good job, even adding $66,000 to the levy to bring it to $2 lower per $1,000," Whiting said. "But the assessment part is out of our control. By the same token, you know, we have to balance out here, too."

One thing helping the district this year is the state increased the amount of state aid, a portion called Foundation Aid, to offset shortages to the district in previous years. The increase is only temporary and the district cannot count on it in the future.

Trustee Jason Karcher expressed concern that without a levy increase, the district will face a steeper hill to climb at some point.

"That's gonna be a shock to the system when, and we don't necessarily know when, that would happen," he said. "That's lovely."

Trustee William MacKenzie agreed.

"Eventually the Foundation Aid is going to go away," he said. "It's going to happen."

Trustee Denise Duthe said she believes the district has a history of being responsible for taxpayers' money.

"I think has always done a good job of keeping things basically straight or just a little bit up, not these kinds of wild gyrations," Duthe said. "Everything costs a little bit more. Keep in mind that we want to be as fiscally responsible as we can but we also don't want to do a giant jump next year."

The budget public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium.

The vote on the budget and candidates for trustees will be on May 17.

There are four candidates for three open seats.  There are two three-year terms and one two-year term open.  The candidates are  Peter W. Loftus (Incumbent), Randa Williams, Jason Karcher, and Rachael Greene.

Photos by Howard Owens

As Genesee County school districts provide details about their 2022-23 budgets, there seems no escaping inflation, and Elba Central Superintendent Gretchen Rosales isn’t afraid to admit she’s looking to cut corners.

Rosales, with the assistance of her district treasurer, Lisa Penna, has joined the list of district administrators who have pointed to the problem of rising prices for everything from electric and gasoline to wood.

“Some of the issues that we face include the sharp increase in utilities and other expenses. We have found that materials we need to operate have doubled in price. For example, the lumber for the high school construction class has nearly doubled,” Rosales said to The Batavian this week. “In order for our students to have the same experiences they have always had, we need to figure out where to cut corners in other areas. Everything from the cost of food to the topsoil we purchase has increased dramatically.”

Rosales and Penna have been working closely to create a budget that is “both fiscally responsible and also maximizes our expenditures to best serve the needs” of Elba Central School students, the superintendent said. 

The district has proposed a budget of $11,215,950, which is a 2.5 percent increase from the current budget. Rosales doesn’t expect any related tax rate increase, as the rate has decreased over the last year due to the estimated average assessed property values, she said. 

The financial plan includes a $100,000 Capital Outlay Project for enhancements to district security (re-keying the building, installing reinforced doors) and improving the heating/ventilation and air conditioning system and the boilers. 

A 65-passenger bus is also in the budget,  and that should be reimbursed by the state for up to 90 percent of the cost, she said. 

While the 2.5 percent increase is partially due to contractual obligations, instructional programs and BOCES services (occupational and special education), there are other reasons for this year’s proposed extra spending, she said.

Those rising prices, coupled with a steep increase in health insurance for employees, have prompted a focus on making cuts of any unnecessary expenses while “still providing top-notch instruction,” she said. 

“Being good stewards of the public's investment in education is not something that we take lightly; schools are not the only organizations feeling the pain of supply chain issues and rising costs,” Rosales said. “The families in the Elba community are feeling it just like everyone else.   Being cognizant of that reality is our primary focus right now.” 

She is thankful for a “great leadership team” that’s willing to be creative with new ideas for the student population. The district wants to hire a part-time social worker to better meet the needs of students in a post-pandemic time period, she said. That’s another common thread amongst county districts: counteract what was lost to students during two years of remote and hybrid learning away from class. The hiring process has just begun for this position, she said.

“We are also looking at enrichment and extension programs to help students bridge the learning gap that happened during COVID.  Schools will certainly need to contend with the COVID pandemic for years to come,” she said. “Elba is lucky in the sense that our small, tight-knit community is nurturing and supportive; we will continue to work through any challenges with this in mind.”

Another part of the upcoming budget vote are board members, both new and long-serving, she said. Current President Mike Augello will be stepping down from his role later this year, while newcomer Mercy Caparco and Travis Torrey run for two open seats.

Collaboration has been key to working on a budget, Rosales said, and she is “very thankful” for the help of Penna as district treasurer, her district clerk Donna Harris, a leadership team composed of department heads and the board.

“Of course, the Board of Education has always had the community's best interests at the forefront of this process; we want to be fiscally responsible while still providing the best education around,” she said. “I think we have a great balance in the 22-23 budget.”

The district’s vote will be from noon to 8 p.m. on May 17. There are four propositions to be on the ballot: The total budget, purchase of a new 65-passenger bus, authorizing a $100,000 Capital Outlay Project, and a vote for two Board of Education seats. 

For more information, go the district’s website at: elbacsd.org

Lisa Marie Bautista, 37, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Bautista was arrested on a warrant by Le Roy PD on April 21 in connection with an incident reported at 8:28 p.m., Nov. 19. She was released on an appearance ticket. Bautista is also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 5:36 p.m., April 25 on East Main Street, Le Roy.  No further details released.

Jeremy Munn, 40, of Lincoln Avenue, Le Roy, was arrested on two warrants on charges of menacing 2nd and criminal mischief 4th following a traffic stop by State Police. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Kyle Thomas Purdy, 26, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Purdy is accused of violating an order of protection at 3:30 p.m., April 24, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Michael Zachery Vigrillo, 24, of Smith Street, Buffalo, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Vigrillo is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection by contacting the protected party at 11:48 p.m., pril 25, at a location on State Street Road, Batavia. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and ordered to reappear on May 24.

Charlene Schultz is used to hearing helicopters over her house on Edgerton Road in Elba.  She seems to live in a flight path for both the military and Mercy Flight. So she knows what a helicopter passing overhead sounds like when all is all right.

Shortly before 1 p.m. today, she knew she heard a helicopter that was in trouble.

"The motor sounded weird," Schultz said. "You know when you start your car and it goes woo-woo? That's what it sounds like to me twice. Like it won't start. Then it went out completely. Then it came back on and I heard the Big Bang."

She speculated the pilot managed to get the motor started again as the helicopter was heading down but it was too late.

She went outside expecting to see smoke but there was no smoke.  She got in her car and drove to the scene.

"Three men stopped me and I was from here to your car (less than 50 yards) and saw what I didn't want to see. So I turned around and came back home."

Major Eugene Staniszewski, State Police, confirmed this afternoon that two crew members aboard the flight died in the crash. Their names have not yet been released.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. Investigators from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been dispatched to the scene.

"We will be here for quite a while," Staniszewski said. "This could be into tomorrow while we're still on scene and then after that, it usually takes quite a while, it could be months until they come up with a final determination (as to the cause of the crash)."

The helicopter was on a training mission, Staniszewski confirmed, and it was flying out of the Mercy base at the Genesee County Airport. 

The major said there is at least one person who saw the helicopter go down and several who heard the helicopter in the area.

One neighbor said she saw a Mercy Flight helicopter circle the area before she and her husband went to Walmart.  They only learned of the crash while at the store and returned home immediately.  Schultz, however, said she believes the helicopter that circled the scene showed up after the crash.  She said when she first saw it, she hoped it was a sign that the crew survived but then the Mercy Flight helicopter left without landing.

"We are interviewing several witnesses and local neighbors that live on this road," Staniszewski said. "We'll be working with Mercy Flight and NTSB and FAA to come up with a reason for this crash."

UPDATE:  The pilot was James E. Sauer, 60 of Churchville. The second person was a Bell Helicopter employee and pilot, Stewart M. Dietrick, 60 of Prosper, Texas. They were flying a Bell 429 that was based in Batavia. They were pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.

An unidentified helicopter circled the scene an hour or so after the accident.

Power lines were cut because lines had fallen dangerously close to the helicopter, impeding the investigation.

File photo of a Mercy Flight helicopter taken April 24 at GCC following a serious injury accident at Clinton Street Road and Seven Springs Road. Photos by Howard Owens.

Photo by Howard Owens

Multiple callers report a helicopter going down in the area of Norton and Edgerton roads in Elba. Elba Fire and Town of Batavia Fire, along with Mercy EMS, responding.

Genesee County Emergency Management Services has ordered the area to be closed to all unauthorized traffic.

UPDATE 2:03 P.M.: An area resident said that shortly before the crash she had seen a helicopter circling the area. It has been confirmed that it was a Mercy Flight helicopter. No information has been released yet about the crew. The crash site is at 7269 Norton Rd.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: National Grid removes power lines that fell on the helicopter. Photo by Howard Owens.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: State Police said that two crew members died in the crash; their names have not yet been released. The helicopter was on a training mission. The cause of the crash is undetermined at this time.

There’s one thing for certain with the City of Batavia lately: entertainment is not taking a back seat to anything.

Live and DJ music, arts, a dunk tank, parades, dancers and food will be filling up calendars from May 30 to July 2 now that City Council has reviewed the requests and passed them on to a business meeting for official votes.

During its Monday conference session, the council looked over several requests for downtown events, from an old standby, the Memorial Day parade, to a new happening of a carnival.

Participants will be lining up at Eastowne Plaza the morning of Memorial Day and walking along Main Street to Bank Street, settling into the city parking lot on Alva Place. A yearly event to honor military veterans, the parade is being organized by City Council member Bob Bialkowski. It’s to begin at 9:45 a.m. and end before 11 a.m.
For more information about this event, go to: www.batavianewyork.com

Next up is a GLOW OUT 5K Run and Celebration that begins and ends at Centennial Park. This event is set for 5 to 9 p.m. on June 9.

GLOW OUT also has scheduled a parade and festival from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 11 at Batavia City Centre parking lot downtown. Some 15 vendors and an estimated 600 participants are expected for the event, according to the organizer, GLOW OUT President Gregory Hallock. It begins on Richmond Avenue in front of Centennial Park and winds around Bank and Ross streets, Washington and Ellicott avenues and back to Centennial.

Also on June 11 (expected to be very busy Saturday), is the Eli Fish Brewing Company Carnival in Jackson Square. Various food dishes from Eli Fish, beer, carnival games, a dunk tank, live entertainment and vendor booths are on the event menu from 4 to 10 p.m.

Council members had few, if any, questions or comments about the events, all of which have completed event request forms and supporting documentation. Council President Eugene Jankowski noted that the GLOW OUT parade is on the same day as the carnival, but there shouldn’t be any conflicts.

“I know these are two on the same day, one is in the square and the carnival itself is not going to require anything from the city,” he said. 

For more information about the carnival, go to: https://www.facebook.com/elifishbrewing/

A former Ramble event that now includes a GO ART! Music and Art Festival, is set to run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 2 downtown. Two stages for music from 20 to 30 bands, an Artisan Alley of artist demonstrations, an arts and craft vendor fair, food trucks, a folk art stage with dancers and other performers and a children's craft area will spill out from Jackson Square onto Jackson and School streets and into a portion of the Save-A-Lot parking lot.

Costs for these events include $2,571 for the Memorial Day parade, with $922 for city police and $1,649.17 for the Bureau of Maintenance; $538 each for the GLOW OUT 5K Run and Celebration and parade and festival ($1,076 total); $538 for city police and $919.29 for the GO ART! Music and Art Festival and no costs involved for the Eli Fish Carnival. 

The following disclaimer is included on the Event Summary page of the council’s meeting packet: 

“Event sponsors are responsible for any costs that may be incurred from their event and have been made aware of estimate costs, if any.”

Bialkowski wanted to clarify how conference meetings work, given that council seems to be voting once at a conference and then once again at a business meeting. 

“I think we’ve been remiss in conference meetings,” he said. 

Council gives a general consensus agreement about moving the agenda item forward to a business meeting, Jankowski said. “There’s been some confusion that we’re voting twice,” he said. The consensus is merely a group agreement to put the official vote onto the business agenda after discussing details in a conference work session, he said. 

The next council business meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 9 in Council Chambers, second floor, City Hall.

Rufus Garrett Johnson, 28, of Park Way, Chili, is charged with petit larceny.  Johnson is accused of stealing multiple items from Walmart at 9:36 a.m. on April 24. Johnson was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Cameron J. Sokolowski, 29, of Batavia, he's charged with harassment 2nd, menacing 2nd, unlawful imprisonment 2nd and criminal mischief 4th.  Sokolowski allegedly threatened a woman with a knife and threatened to kill her. He's also accused of damaging property and not allowing the woman to leave the room. Sokolowski was arraigned in city court and released under supervision. CLARIFICATION: Sokolowski was originally arraigned on April 8st and held on  $20,000 bail, $40,000 bond and $80,000 partially secured bail.  He was then arraigned on April 21st on four separate misdemeanors and one violation in City Court and held on bail of $100 bail each on two separate commitments. He was not released under supervision. (Source, Jail Superintendent William Zipfel).

Tonya M. Weber, 38, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Weber is accused of stealing from a business on East Main Street, Batavia. Weber was issued an appearance ticket.

Lakeisha A. Gibson, 35, of Albion, is charged with assault 3rd, menacing 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child. Gibson is accused of hitting another person in the face, causing an injury, and threatening to stab that person with a pair of scissors. Gibson was arraigned and City Court and released under supervision.

Robie Dersham, 53, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Dershamwas stopped by State Police at 12:38 a.m., April 24, at a location in the Town of Bethany. Dersham was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Anthony J. Gonzales, 30, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Gonzales was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 7:33 PM, April 22. Gonzales was issued an appearance ticket. No further information released. 

John Marucci would have loved to have had a 0 percent tax increase, falling in line with the district’s last two years, but student needs prevailed, he says.

“Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get there,” he said this past weekend in response to The Batavian’s questions to the board. “I’m very happy that (Superintendent Jason Smith and Business Administrator Scott Rozanski) were able to get us to 1 percent. The BCSD BOE and administration have saved Batavia city property owners $25 to $30 million over the past seven to 10 years.”

Those savings, according to Rozanski, were calculated based on small or no tax rate increases over the last decade. 

Marucci and fellow board members Barbara Bowman and Jennifer Lendvay were not able to respond to questions before the weekend, they said, and those answers are being provided here. 

Additional teaching positions are federally funded with stimulus funds, Marucci said, and will “help to address the students with a learning loss due to Covid over the past couple of years.” This budget was not easy, he said. 

“And a lot of hours were put in by all to get it to where we are now,” he said. “I think it’s a good budget for the students and taxpayers.”

That “learning loss” is at the top of the other two board members’ concerns as well. Transitioning out of a pandemic has meant discovering how hybrid and remote learning affected students during the last two years, Lendvay said.

“A vast number of our students in the elementary and intermediate level are receiving assistance in literacy, math and reading,” she said. “We are fortunate to be able to utilize federal funds to focus directly on this issue. While the kids are back in the swing of ‘normal’ school again, it was important to maintain the programs that the students want to take advantage of.”

Those programs include extracurricular activities, athletics, arts, drama, music, Advanced Placement and ACE and academic, special education and counseling support services, she said. All of these offerings are being maintained within the current budget she said. 

Bowman spoke not only a board member but as a counselor “who oftentimes works with marginalized people within our district.” Intervention and literacy are important pieces of addressing student losses in learning, she said, and she is very supportive of using federal Covid relief funds “to help all our students catch up and move forward.”

“I worked hard at this process and was grateful to reduce overall tax increase to 1%, keeping it under the state tax cap,” Bowman said. 

Lendvay emphasized that the budget decision was not made lightly.

“We understand the financial challenges the community and taxpayers are facing during this time and worked diligently to get our figure well below the 1.62% tax cap,” she said. “Looking at the past 10 years we have been able to adjust to a 0% tax cap half of the time; unfortunately with the rising cost in utilities and health insurance, we did not see that as an obtainable figure for this budget.”

“It is important to understand that while this is education, it is still a business, and sometimes businesses are forced to make tough financial decisions,” she said. “This is the decision of the BOE and again, I stand behind it completely.” 

To recap the board’s vote at this month’s recent meeting, it was to approve the $54,802,593 budget for 2022-23. That was an increase of $2,705,932 from the current budget or a 5.194 percent increase. That includes a tax levy of $19,688,898, which is an increase of $1.94 million, or a 1 percent property tax increase. The board unanimously approved/adopted the budget. It will go up for a public vote by district residents on May 17.

 The levy put the district under the tax cap of 1.62 percent by $120,776, Superintendent Jason Smith said. Expenses reflect the signs of inflation and increased utility and medical insurance costs, he said.

Up to four new positions are “100 percent federally funded” through stimulus funds, he said, and two other positions have been added due to increased enrollment. Those stimulus funds are designated to specifically address the learning loss of students as a result of the reduced time in school from 2020 through 2021, he said.  

“The District is currently engaged in a formal study to determine future staffing needs based on enrollment trends,” Smith said. “While our students were on a hybrid program last year, we are still in the process of addressing learning loss and making sure our students are on pace with essential math and literacy skills.  We appreciate the additional federal funds that have allowed us to provide additional and needed support for our students.”

There was an additional $2.08 million in state aid for this next year’s budget, however, overall revenues are flat, he said. The appropriated fund balance received a one-time boost of $520,800 from the stimulus funds.

City schools board members and administration staff worked on the budget for the past several months, which has resulted in this proposed $54.8 million budget, “that we are pleased to present to our community for review,” he said. 

“This budget closely aligns to our mission, vision, and core beliefs of the Batavia City School District and preserves all existing programs while recognizing the ongoing financial challenges,” he said. “In addition, we are using our federal funds (COVID relief) to address learning loss in our students, focusing on intervention and literacy at the elementary grade level.”

He listed several program components that will remain “firmly in place,” including: 

● All extracurricular activities and athletics
● Advanced Placement and dual GCC enrollment courses
● Music, arts, and drama
● Counseling services
● Academic supports
● Special Education services
● School safety, including our School Resource Officer
● Gifted and Talented programs (ACE)

“The Board of Education and I fully embrace our important roles as financial stewards, along with the importance of balancing an exceptional and well-rounded educational program with the needed support from our community,” he said. “This budget is a community partnership, with the tax levy under our allowable cap, as it has been for the past several years.”  

In other school news, Tim Batzel, Alexander Central School’s business administrator, also addressed the issue of “learning loss” due to the remote, off-campus learning that students faced during the last two years of a pandemic. 

“The goal is to continue addressing learning loss, and the social and emotional impacts caused by pandemic to all students,” Batzel said in response to The Batavian's questions.

Alexander’s proposed 2022-23 budget is $19,404,099, which is a 1.18 percent increase from the current budget. This includes a 0 percent tax levy increase, which falls below the 2.26 percent tax cap. The district’s revenues increased by 3.98 percent and there are no additional or eliminated positions in the budget, he said. 

All school budget votes are on May 17. 

2022 File photos of Jennifer Lendvay, top, and Superintendent Jason Smith during a Batavia City Schools Board of Education meeting. Photos by Howard Owens.