Press release:

I write this letter to you, your readers and your viewers because I am sickened by the comments that have been made by Donald Trump regarding women. They have also been reinforced by his surrogates who continue to defend him and his misogynistic old boys’ club. Even my opponent, Rep. Chris Collins (R), stands by his man.

There is a particular type of ugliness when women are made fun of, degraded and dismissed. However, we shouldn’t be surprised because we’ve seen it before throughout Donald Trump’s campaign. What is most disturbing though is the merry band of men and women who support him and echo his words. Some may not say it out loud, but their very support of him speaks volumes.

He crossed the line years ago when he accused President Obama of not being a U.S. citizen. He crossed the line when he called Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers. He crossed the line when he mocked a disabled reporter. He crossed the line when he said John McCain was not a hero and that POWs were not heroes because they allowed themselves to be captured. He crossed the line when he disparaged a Gold Star family. And yet, his defenders tried to tell us how we misinterpreted or misread his statements. We waited patiently for the press and media to question him, call him out on his bigotry and prejudices, but the lies kept coming and his surrogates kept getting their sound bites.

Now the attack is on all women -- our daughters, our mothers, our grandmothers. Finally people are getting angry and saying they have crossed the line for the last time. But have they? Mr. Collins has not. In spite of the now growing list of Republicans saying they cannot support a President who says such things, Mr. Collins has said “there is no change in my support of Mr. Trump as our nominee."

This latest degradation of women should offend everyone, even Chris Collins, and it is amongst a long list of abusive behavior. I am a Mom who has a daughter. My instinct is to immediately try and shield her from these horrible comments, just as my Mother would have done for me and my grandmother before her. I ask myself, “who brought this man up? Who raises these people to hate women so?"

Mr. Trump and Mr. Collins, women are 51 percent of the population and we vote. We are married to men who respect their wives, their mothers, their daughters and they vote. We have sons and daughters whom we have brought up to be fair, open, non-prejudiced, wonderful human beings who want a better world without bullies, bigots and misogynists and they vote, too.

The time has come for all the voters in NY-27 to take a long, hard and unbiased look at the candidates and when you cast your vote I hope you take into consideration the kind of country you want to leave to your children. It has to be about issues, but it must also be about a person’s character as well. We should all keep in mind the words of Billy Graham, “when wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”

Three people were assaulted in two separate incidents overnight in the Byron and Bergen areas, and both attacks may have been perpetrated by the same suspects, and those suspects may have been identified. 

The first attack was reported at 1:42 a.m. in the parking lot of Playmates in Byron. 

The victim was reportedly Elliot P. Arnold, 29. Investigators say he was jumped by two males and was left bleeding and semiconscious. He was transported to Strong with facial cuts and other injuries.

The second incident was reported at 1:52 a.m. at the 7-Eleven in Bergen. 

That incident is believed to have involved the same two suspects.

Attacked were Natalie M. Mazurzak, 18, and Zachary M. Bower, 20, who were punched several times by the suspects.

No information provided on a possible motive or if robbery was involved.

The investigation is ongoing and being handled by Deputy Howard Carlson, Deputy Ryan Young, Sgt. John Baiocco and the State Police.

A hunter has reportedly fallen and broken a leg on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.

The hunter is located in the woods about 300 yards east of the parking lot on Casey Road.

A caller is waiting in the parking lot for responders to guide them to the hunter's location.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding.

There is a report of smoke in the building at the Rolling Hills Asylum, on Bethany Center Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire and Alexander fire dispatched.

The building is evacuated.

UPDATE: We've heard nothing further on this.

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Starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, Batavia Middle School will host its annual Open House for parents and students. The school is located at 96 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

Participants may visit classrooms and other learning areas in a relaxed manner, meeting with any or all of their child’s teachers.

In addition, the Library Media Center will host the Book Fair, which is sponsored by our Parent Teacher Group.

Open House is focused on teachers and parents becoming acquainted and for parents to learn about the curriculum for their child(ren) this year. Each teacher will have materials on display and be available to meet and greet parents and answer general questions. Individual conversations about the progress of your child should be held at a parent-teacher conference, which can be set up at any time by calling the Counseling Center. 

There will be refreshments in the cafeteria, along with a Parent Portal table to sign up to be able to view your child’s electronic grade book. In addition, there will be table displays with information about various clubs.

A five-month investigation into three residential burglaries in the West Main Street area of the Village of Le Roy concluded on Oct. 4 with the arrest of 48-year-old Thomas A. Park by the Le Roy Police Department. Park is from the Le Roy/Pavilion area but is currently living in the City of Rochester. It is alleged that during the months of April, May and June, Park unlawfully entered three different residences in Le Roy and stole items from each consisting of cash, jewelry and a crossbow. It is further alleged that Park then pawned some of the property in Batavia. Park was charged with three counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class C felony, and three counts of petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. Park was arraigned before the Le Roy Town Court and released RUS as he is being overseen by Genesee Justice and the Rochester City Drug Court. 

A 17-year-old who lives on Myrtle Street in Le Roy is charged with two counts of third-degree burglary. Following an investigation in the Town of Le Roy, it is alleged that at 12:45 p.m. on July 20 the defendant entered a garage in the 8000 block of Route 5, without the owner's consent, and stole a 17-caliber long gun. It is further alleged that on the same day, the defendant entered another garage in the vicinity on Route 5, without the owner's consent, and stole a pellet gun. The defendant was arraigned in Le Roy Town Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. The investigation was conducted by Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Hale and Investigator Bradley Mazur.

Dolores M. Urban, 50, of Goodrich Road, Clarence, is charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operator, a felony, misdemeanor DWI, misdemeanor aggravated DWI (with a BAC of .21 percent), and having an inadequate muffler. On Oct. 6 at 114 Route 77 in Corfu, Urban was stopped for having an inadequate muffler. According to the report of the Viilage of Corfu Police Department: "Upon activating patrols emergency lights to affect the stop, the driver pulled off the east shoulder of the roadway, striking the bridge over the creek." After interviewing Urban and having her perform field sobriety tests, she was arrested. She was released on appearance tickets and is due in Village Court on Oct. 24.

Dean D. Root, 35, of 40 Main St., Apt. # 2, Le Roy, was arrested on Oct. 7 by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with one count of petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged that on that day Root shoplifted an item from a pharmacy in the Village. Root was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in the Le Roy Town Court on Oct. 17 to answer the charge.

Pictured from left: BHS Principal Scott Wilson, Business Administrator Scott Rozanski, Board of Education (BOE) Student Ex-Officio Member Madison Moore, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Molly Corey, Citizen Action Member Eddie Jones, BHS teacher and Batavia Teachers Association President Mark Warren, Citizen Action Member David Cates, and Board of Education President Patrick Burk. (Superintendent of Schools Christopher Dailey was in Albany on school business so was unavailable.)

Submitted photos and press release.

The Batavia City School District welcomed Citizen Action of Western New York activists David Cates, Eddie Jones, and Samantha Nephew as they made a stop at Batavia High School this week on their way to Albany with an important message about education.

New York State has reneged on its constitutional and court ordered obligation to students, particularly students in high needs* districts such as Batavia, and it is payback time.

Board of Education President Patrick Burk presented Cates and Jones a “Past Due” invoice for $3.5 million to be delivered to the Governor’s Office on behalf of the Batavia City School District.

The trio is collecting other such invoices and statements from school districts as they travel to the state capital where they will meet up on Tuesday with like-minded activists and, they hope, lawmakers. Cates and Jones -- who both work in the educational field and whose inspiration for the trip comes from their own children as well as from working with other young people in their community -- are biking the Buffalo to Albany route with Nephew following by car.

Other affiliates of Citizen Action of New York from various parts of the state are walking to Albany.

The group’s intention is to spur lawmakers to pay the money owed to school districts in New York, as dictated by a 2006 court ruling which then was translated into the Education Budget and Reform Act of 2007. The court ruling affirmed the State’s constitutional obligation to provide essential resources for a quality education to all public school children in the state in order to graduate college-ready or career-ready citizens, regardless of their zip code. Subsequently, the legislation established a formula, to be phased in over a four-year period, designed to ensure adequate and equitable funding for all schools by calculating state aid based on students' needs and a district’s ability to raise revenue.

Legislators obeyed the law for two years, but when the economy took a downturn, they stopped obeying it and have not looked back. According to the Education Law Center, first, aid was frozen in 2009 at 37.5 percent of the four-year target. Then for the next two years, aid was cut by $2.7 billion in the name of Gap Elimination Adjustment that used school aid to balance the state’s overall budget. The GEA money has recently been restored, but the Reform Act has yet to be rekindled.

Thus, the bill for $3.5 million.

Batavia administrators, teachers, and Board of Education trustees agree that $3.5 million could provide a lot of “more and better” for our students, and ideas of how to spend it abound: reinstate courses; reduce class sizes; provide a greater variety of courses; offer multiple sections of selected courses so more students could take advantage of opportunities; hire more aides for classrooms; increase individualized instruction; increase professional development opportunities; and/or lower taxes.

“It’s important to make sure all of our students have their needs met,” said Burk as he thanked Cates and Jones for highlighting the issue. “This could do a lot.”

*“High needs” is typically defined as having a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-priced meals.

Outside construction firms and city workers have been extremely busy over the past year "and it's still going," said Matt Worth, Department of Public Works superintendent, (photo at right), during an interview at his City Centre first-floor office on Friday.

In all, residents from various parts of the municipality have witnessed (and have been inconvenienced by, to a certain extent) street reconstruction; water main, sewer system and sidewalk installations; and extensive paving as part of the city's long-term goal to update its infrastructure.

"A few years back, we put together a capital plan with a (viable) rate structure," Worth said. "But this only happens if City Council is supportive of it. And as far as sidewalk replacement goes, Council has been very supportive."

Promoted to DPW superintendent in July 2015, Worth is in his 30th year with the City of Batavia. He leads a department that has 50 employees, including 21 in the water/sewer bureau and 24 in maintenance. Four people run the inspection bureau and DPW has two administrative assistants.

On Friday, Worth provided summations of the current projects, the most extensive being the nearly finished reconstruction of Summit Street in the heart of the city and the ongoing alum sludge removal at the wastewater treatment plant on Industrial Boulevard, off Pearl Street.

SUMMIT STREET RECONSTRUCTION

A $2.5 million project that started about four months ago will see "substantial completion" by the end of this month, Worth said.

"All of the curb is in, the eastside sidewalk is complete and they're working on the westside sidewalk now," he said. "After that, the trees will go in."

Independent construction companies under the guidance of Rochester engineering firm of Erdman Anthony removed the old road, put in new storm, sewer and drainage systems, and paved the road. Federal and state funds covered all but about $100,000 of the price tag for this project, with the city picking up the rest.

At the same time, the city totally funded a $350,000 project to install new water main on Summit Street.

Worth credited his predecessor, Sally Kuzon, for her role in getting funding for the project, and noted that it was less expensive to include the water main component at the same time "rather than on its own."

"We could have broken it up into two or three projects, but we decided to do it once," he said. "That way it was disruptive for just one summer. I'm sure these people will be glad to see us go, but hopefully they will be happy with the finished product."

When asked about the status of Summit Street, north of North Street leading into the United Memorial Medical Center campus, Worth said that portion of the street was not included in this project, and much-needed work there is "up in the air" (subject to negotiations with the hospital).

WASHINGTON AVENUE SEWER

Another project that started in June -- replacement of about 2,330 feet of sanitary sewer main on portions of Washington Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and State Street and the resurfacing of Washington Avenue -- will be wrapping up next week, Worth said, adding that State Street from Washington to North would be open to traffic by the end of the day Friday.

The $1.3 million endeavor was paid for by city sewer funds and (the paving portion) by a CHIPs (Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) grant.

WASTEWATER PLANT ALUM SLUDGE

The removal of alum sludge from the wastewater treatment plant is going so well that Worth will be recommending continuation of the program -- at a cost of an additional $400,000 -- at Tuesday's (Oct. 11) City Council meeting.  This would raise the total expense to $1.9 million, which is still less than the $2.3 million that was budgeted, Worth said.

Fifteen percent of the cost is paid by the Town of Batavia, which is part owner of the facility, with the majority funded from the city's sewer account.

The project entails removing sludge caused by the alum that is used to rid the pond of phoshorus. Worth said that the sludge has accumulated over 25 years, but the current removal process will last for another quarter of a century.

SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT, STREET RESURFACING

The city is spending about $600,000 and much of the work is being done by city crews, to replace sidewalks and resurface roadways on the southside streets of Wood Street, Cherry Street, Pringle Avenue, Highland Park, Central Avenue and South Main Street.

"Our strategy was to combine the sidewalk and paving into one, concentrating on one dedicated neighborhood for more significant impact," Worth said.

City crews also paved a parking lot at Kibbe Park.

LOOKING AHEAD

Worth said that projects for 2017 include the Healthy Schools sidewalk initiative that will see new sidewalks along Washington Avenue, Tracy Avenue and Liberty Street (funded at a 75 percent federal/25 percent city split), sewer and water main work along Elm Street, Vine Street and Chase Park, electrical improvements at city pump stations, and a tree management plan (funded by a grant of $15,000 from the state Department of Environmental Conservation).

"We will be working with a consultant from Geneva on a comprehensive plan for trees on city-owned right-of-ways and city parks," Worth said. "We have found we have an overabundance of maple trees, so in the future we will be planting other types of trees."

An array of fresh, healthy, tasty salads, wraps, fajitas, pitas and "fun food" like Jersey Shore "Disco fries" is offered at a new eatery on West Main Street in Batavia's Valu Plaza.

Fab Fajita & Pita is a place where you can "Wrap up some WOW!" The menu boasts a moveable feast that spans the globe: Mexico, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Asia with options to build your own or suit to your liking.

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll appreciate the flaky, honey-laden baklava, moist cookies and hefty brownies -- all made from scratch.

"What we offer is fresh, high quality, afforable food," said owner Victor Canastraro, who lives in East Amherst and would like his first foray into the restaurant business to be successful enough to grow into several locations.

Crafting the menu and trying out different combinations and flavor profiles took time. The result is a range of uncommon fare prepared in a spotlessly clean kitchen for diners in a spotlessly clean, spacious eating area.

Some menu items that "just hit" and just right, too:

One appetizer is the Red Eye Fries ($4.25) -- fries topped with two eggs sunny side up and a spicy Sriracha sauce that "will make your eyes pop!" The Asian Salad ($5.95) is made up of a fresh spring lettuce mix with mandarin oranges, Roma tomatoes, fresh strawberries, sliced almonds, served with sesame ginger vinagrette, topped with crispy Asian noodles.

"The Greek" ($5.95) is a traditional pita filled with gyro meat -- a mixture of beef and lamb perfectly seasoned, with lettuce, tomato and feta cheese, topped with a snappy Tzatziki sauce. "The Sicilian" ($6.50) features succulent calamari, wrapped with lettuce, tomato, lemon juice and topped with a special homemade sauce.

At Thanksgiving time, they plan to offer a wrap and/or pita that will include turkey, stuffing and gravy.

"We experimented," Canastraro said. "We wanted something that explodes in your mouth. I enjoy making flavor. I pride myself on being creative."

He has some experience in the flavor department. For the better part of the last decade, he has grown a successful chain of electronic cigarette shops, and flavor is mighty important to e-cig consumers. He has two stores in Rochester, one in Irondequoit, one in Gates, one in Depew, and two in Florida.

The 43-year-old also knows the food business can be "a nightmare" -- his dad was in the restaurant business. But he's up to the challenge of building something from the ground up after an official with Valu Plaza convinced him that a specialty restaurant would be a good fit for the location.

Getting it ready to open was "a hell of an awakening."

He spent $80,000 on new equipment that included refrigerators and freezers, new paint, new tables and chairs. He took some solace in at least not having to buy a new heat and fire-suppression system. That was, until an inspector came out and found two holes on the sides of the existing system (used at this former restaurant site) and said it, too, would have to be replaced.

Done.

A week ago Monday, some friends and family and a few others stopped by for a training day, which ended up being quite busy and prompted some additional equipment purchases. Fab Fajita & Pita officially opened Sept. 30.

His credits his father, the son of Sicilian immigrants, with teaching him the value of hard work.

"My father was the kind of guy who always had a full-time job, plus a part-time job," Canastraro said. "He always told me 'If you want anything in this world you have to work for it.' "

One lesson was learned when the younger Canastraro became a new father at age 20 and money was tight. His utility bill came due and he needed money to pay it. He asked his dad for help. His dad said "Are you hungry? Come over and I'll feed you a bologna sandwich. You need a loan? Go to the bank."

"It was the best thing he could have taught me," Canastraro says in hindsight.

Eventually, the grandson of Sicilians got into the mortgage and finance business and succeeded. He's lived in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla., and in Colorado.

In sensing the economic climate and the state of the real estate business in 2007, he convinced his wife, Dawn, to sell their assets in 2007 and move back to Buffalo in 2008. It was a fortuitious move.

"I like Buffalo," says its native son. "People drive a Chevy Impala if what they can afford is a Chevy Impala, not a BMW."

Dawn is the baker in the family. He credits her with the ability to make "50-pound brownies" that will have you "grinning from ear to ear."

"It's all about love," Canastraro said, noting he is "blessed with an unrivaled faith in God." "Take care of people. If you do that -- the guy upstairs -- whatever you want to call it -- takes care of us."

To that end, he said he hopes to grow with the community in Genesee County, which he believes is uniquely poised for growth, and be charitable, especially to first responders, the disabled and veterans.

Fab Fajita & Pita is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Closed Sunday. The address is 4125 W. Main Street Road. (www.fabfajita.com).

Holiday Hollow in the Town of Corfu is truly a magical place. It’s billed as “America’s only Halloween & Pirate themed mini-Renaissance fair.” This autumn attraction features seven, live family-friendly shows, throughout a Renaissance-themed village. Holiday Hollow is part vaudeville, part Disney World and a fun place to be.

Guests can enjoy seven “shows” in five unique seating areas throughout the forest village. The newest show is the “Mad Tea Party,” which features slapstick comedy. Each show is performed twice throughout the day. In between shows visitors can play games, explore a maze, visit the haunted parlor and more. There are also opportunities for crafts, food and gift buying, too.

Holiday Hollow is only open during Saturdays and Sundays in October from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is also open on Monday, Oct. 10^th of Columbus Day Weekend.

Hollow Hollow is located at 1410 Main Road, Corfu.

All Photos: © Andy Olenick

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more...

Press release:

Genesee Community College continues to demonstrate a commitment to student success and community connections on Thursday, Oct. 27, when more than 25 of the area's top healthcare employers and four-year universities will attend the ninth annual Fall Nursing Job & Transfer Fair to explore career and educational opportunities.

The event is open to the public and will be held from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Batavia Campus of Genesee Community College in the Forum. Parking and attendance are free.

The fair is designed to introduce potential new employees and/or transferring students to four-year nursing colleges or a future employer, and also provides healthcare businesses an opportunity to present their trade and services to the local community. It is free and open to all community members.

As of today (Oct. 6), the following employers and universities represented will include:

ArnotHealth, Elmira

Elderwood, Williamsville

Nursefinders Inc., Rochester

The Arc of Monroe County, Rochester

GreenField Health & Rehab Center, Lancaster

Visiting Nurses of Rochester

Guthrie Healthcare System, Sayre, Pa.

Jewish Home of Rochester

Campanion Care, Rochester

Livingston County Center for Nursing, Mt. Morris

Kaleida Health, Williamsville

Medical Staffing Network, Rochester

Newfane Rehab & Health Care, Newfane

Air Force

Highland Hospital, Rochester

Rochester Psychiatric Center, Rochester

Lifetime Care, Rochester

HomeCare & Hospice, Warsaw

Chamberlain -- College of Nursing

The College at Brockport

D'Youville College -- School of Nursing

Grand Canyon University

Keuka College

Nazareth College -- Nursing Dept.

St. John Fisher College -- Wegman's School of Nursing

Roberts Wesleyan College

SUNY Alfred State

SUNY Delhi School of Nursing

Trocaire College

Participants are encouraged to dress prepared for an interview and to bring their resume. Students will have the opportunity to access real jobs, promote themselves and get their "foot in the door" at several local health centered organizations. This is also an opportunity to obtain information about furthering their education to obtain their BSN. For a full list of attendees, please visit www.genesee.edu/career and log into and/or create an account with Purple Briefcase.

For directions and additional details, please contact the Career Services office at 585-345-6888.

Information provided by Mental Health Association of Genesee & Orleans Counties:

The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Genesee County is hosting a film screening on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College.

The docu-film is "Hollywood Beauty Salon" and it is part of a film series about mental illness called the Reel Mind.

The film portrays life at an intimate beauty parlor inside the NHS Germantown Recovery Community, a nonprofit mental health program iin Philadelphia, where staff and clients alike are in the process of recovery. By gathering together to get their hair done, share stories, and support one another, they find a way to rebuild their lives.

It was work-shopped at the Salon over the course of four years and is also part of the recovery process, and the subjects of the film played an active part in shaping their own narratives and determining their unique individual styles.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie starts at 6:30.

There's a suggested donation of $5.

There will be a Q & A session afterward with Rachel "Hollywood" Carr, owner and operator of the Hollywood Beauty Salon in Philadelphia, filmmaker Glenn Holsten, and Rochester Psychiatric Center's Dr. Lawrence Guttmacher, who is co-director of the Reel Mind Film Series. Genesee County Suicide Prevention Coalition Chair Vern Saile will facilitate the discussion.

The screening at GCC is sponsored by: Living Opportunities of DePaul; Indepnedent Living of Genesee County; GCASA; Care + Crisis Helpline -- a program of YWCA of Genesee County; Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties.

Genesee Community College is located at 1 College Road in the Town of Batavia.

For questions or more information, please call the Mental Health Association of Genesee & Orleans Counties at (585) 344-2611.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today announced he has earned an A+ rating and the full support of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the nation's premier firearms education organization.

“The unconstitutional regulations passed in Washington and Albany have stripped Western New York gun owners of their Second Amendment rights and freedoms," Congressman Collins said.

"In Washington, I have been proud to advocate on behalf of the law-abiding gun owners whose constitutional rights are constantly under attack by President Obama and Governor Cuomo. I am honored to receive an A+ rating and the full support of the NRA, and will continue to fight for our Second Amendment rights."

Chris Cox, chairman, NRA-PVF, said: “On behalf of the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and our five million members, we are proud to endorse Chris Collins. His pro-gun record and steadfast support for the Second Amendment speaks for itself, earning him an 'A+’ rating from the NRA-PVF. New Yorkers can trust Chris Collins to fight against the gun control agenda of President Obama, Hillary Clinton and former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg in Congress."

NRA ratings for Members of the 114^th Congress are based on their respective votes and efforts to promote and protect the Second Amendment. Since he was elected to Congress, Congressman Collins has voted in support of a number of Second Amendment legislative items, including:

- H.R. 402 – National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act

Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state, and who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state.

- H.R. 4321 – Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act

This legislation and would prohibit federal funding for enforcement of any executive action in violation of the Second Amendment.

- H.R. 3516 - Social Security Beneficiary Second Amendment Rights Protection Act

Would prohibit Social Security from entering seniors into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System as a “mental defective” if they use a “representative payee,” which would prohibit them from gun ownership.

Congressman Collins also introduced H.R. 1488, the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act. This legislation ensures that despite financial troubles, Americans' Second Amendment rights will be protected.

Congressman Collins was elected in 2012 and reelected in 2014 to represent the 27th District of New York. The district includes 105 towns spread out over all or part of Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, and Ontario counties.

Ret. Army Gen. Kenneth Chrosniak receives gifts from members of the Alexander Girls Volleyball Team prior to last night's game, which was a fundraiser to benefit cystic fibrosis research. Chrosniak's son, Christian, lost his battle against the disease last November. He is a cousin of Haley Fletcher, a member of the volleyball team. Chrosniak made the trip from Pennsylvania to attend the game played in his son's honor. 

The event included a basket chance auction as well as drawing for a Hall of Fame football signed by Jim Kelly, a Matt Anderson signed jersey, a signed jersey from Sammy Watkins and a hockey stick signed by Marcus Foligno.

In the volleyball game against Pembroke, after dropping the first set 25-22, Alexander won the next three, 25-12, 25-20 and 25-17.

Bill Buckenmeyer clocked in with the best time in the YWCA's annual Stiletto & Sneaker Walk to help raise awareness and raise funds to combat domestic abuse. 

Participants in the event included student-athletes from area high schools and Genesee Community College, all wearing purple as a sign of support for the victims of domestic abuse. 

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) approved an application for Growing the Agricultural Industry Now! (GAIN!) revolving loan fund for a project in Pavilion. The Board also approved a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) extension for Empire Pipeline in the town of Oakfield at its Oct. 6 meeting.

The GCEDC board approved a GAIN! loan in the amount of $65,000 to Cottonwood Farms for the acquisition of milking equipment that would combine wind and solar power in one turbine in order to increase efficiency and electric energy output. The new equipment for the farm’s robotic dairy system is expected to reduce annual electricity costs by approximately $7,000 to $8,000. Cottonwood Farms LLC operates a 300-cow organic dairy farm in Pavilion.

Empire Pipeline owns and operates a compressor station and pipeline in the town of Oakfield. The GCEDC Board accepted the application and will set a public hearing for Empire Pipeline’s request to extend their PILOT agreement for 15 years.

“The GAIN revolving loan program has the opportunity to provide significant benefits to the agricultural sector in Genesee County,” said GCEDC Board Chairman Paul Battaglia. “While the program was just launched in May, the GCEDC has made a tremendous effort to get the money out to the farms, and working in our local economy.”

Through funding provided by Empire State Development, the GAIN program provides loans to qualifying businesses in Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties, all of which are in the top 10 agricultural counties in New York State.