I'm sure you've heard the joke that in Western New York there are only two seasons - winter and construction. Around this time of year, the road work wraps up and we are able to enjoy the results of our paid taxes. Unfortunately, not all taxpayers are pleased.

This was the first topic of discussion at the LeRoy Town Board meeting Thursday night. Randall Road resident Paul Mooney brought attention to concerns he had about the work done in his and his neighbors' front yards.

"They did the water project out there much to the dissatisfaction of almost all of the folks on that short strip," he complained.

"I think my driveway is the biggest problem that I have. Installing the pipe along the road required that the construction company dig up a good portion of residents' lawns and driveways to complete the project. When they finished, the way they repaired the lawns and driveways were not up to everyone's standards.

Mooney was left asking, "...where do we go from here?" The board assured him that they would have the work reviewed again, but other residents have taken repairs into their own hands. Another Randall Road resident spent over $1,000 of her own money to have her damaged driveway repaired to its pre-construction condition.

While the building process was a temporary nuisance, the scars are here to stay. The driveways show apparent damage that no homeowner wouldn't appreciate. When does improvement become damage? 

This driveway shows a wide strip that was taken out along with a concrete patch placed there to repair damage. There are no plans to bring the property back to its original state.

NOTE: Randall Road is a county road and the construction was carried out with the Genesee County Highway Department, not the Town of LeRoy Highway Department.

A black bear has been seen on Vallance Road in LeRoy.

The first sighting was reported two weeks ago by a concerned LeRoy citizen but others say the bear has been in the area for at least a month.

"We first saw him in the field where there was corn being chopped, from there he went down Vallance Road," said the citizen who reported the incident.

Residents also noted that at a neighbor's house, the bear knocked over some garbage cans and had been attracted to, and damaged, both of their bird feeders. The citizen tells of other reports around town that the bear has been spotted near the Thruway exit.

Pat Flaherty, a Vallance Road resident, said, "The first time the bear came here was during the night when it knocked down bales of hay in our yard that were being used for archery."  She said that happened about a week ago.

"It completely took down a big birdhouse on a pole and had broken down a clothesline that (we found) lying on the ground," she said.

On Aug. 22, a LeRoy resident shot this photo of the bear in his yard enjoying yet another bird feeder. The incident was reported to DEC that same day. Below is a picture taken early in the morning on Sept. 28 of bear prints across the same resident's driveway.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 80 percent of bear sightings are related to bird feeders. The DEC says, "Although many people find it difficult to believe, an animal as large and powerful as black bear is readily attracted to bird feeders as a source of food."

It is important to break them of this habit because the bear will associate the areas with bird feeders as a good place to get food. Removing the feeders is the only sure way to avoid attracting bears. The DEC claims that "bears that learn to approach one house will approach other houses."

Other options include bringing the feeder in at night and removing excess seed. Without available food, the bear shouldn’t return to the area.

In the event of a black bear sighting, it is advised that you contact the DEC at 585-226-6335.

If you’ve ever driven down Center Street, I’m sure you’ve noticed the garage next to the Smoke House painted as a “Fire Headquarters.” This garage has just recently become the newest spot for local bands to perform.

Hosted by Glass Roots next door to it, the venue's third show took place Friday night. It's open to artists of all types and Friday’s show featured three very different genres of music. 

First to perform was Greengage, a local jam band with a reggae influence. Then, the duo known as Davey O. played a set of acoustic folk rock. Lastly, Steve Ditzel, a Batavia resident, took the stage with his turntables and got the crowd moving to his electronic beats. 

The show started around 7:30, drawing a large crowd of highly diverse people and ran up until last call for drinks. There was a 50/50 raffle, too. While there's no firm schedule for future events, Glass Roots shop owner Jeremy Almeter says that there will be more shows and to stop by for more details.