A serious injury accident involving a car and an ambulance is reported in the area of 5566 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire, Stafford fire, and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:30 a.m.: Route 63 is closed between Bethany Center Road and Paul Road. It will likely remain closed for a couple of more hours. 

UPDATE 3:35 a.m.: We can now confirm this is a fatal accident. The victim was the driver of a sedan, heading northbound on Route 63, that crossed the center line in heavy rain and struck a southbound Bethany Volunteer Fire Department ambulance. The driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene by Coronor Don Coleman. The ambulance was returning to the Bethany Fire Hall after responding to an earlier call and was not carrying a patient. A three-person crew was aboard the ambulance. All three were taken to UMMC for evaluation of non-serious injuries. The accident remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Crash Management Team. The Sheriff's Office will release the name of the victim later this morning. We are withholding publication of photos from the scene until after the name is released.

The Batavian has always had a policy of publishing most press releases from elected officials who directly represent us, Assembly, State Senate, U.S. Congress.

During the campaign cycle, we’ve published most verbatim press releases from the candidates for those offices.

It’s also been our practice in the past to interview the candidates in tightly contested races for our congressional seat.

This year, so far, we’ve interviewed Nate McMurray (to be published at a later date) and will interview Larry Piegza.

So far, Rep. Chris Collins has brushed off requests for an interview, never saying no but refusing to commit to a date for an interview.

An interview is a chance to clarify a candidate’s positions on specific policy questions, to probe their errors in logic or counter-factual claims, as well as pin them down on campaign promises. Interviews with the press by politicians and candidates is an important part of our democratic process. It’s how we hold to account and ensure transparency from those who might represent us.

A good example of how this can play out comes from the 2012 contest when the Kathy Hochul campaign used, in our opinion, a Chris Collins quote out of context. We were able to publish the full context of the quote to correct the record.

For The Batavian, in a contested race, interviews, either a sitdown formal interview or along the campaign trail, are also a way to balance out the unfiltered claims politicians make in their press releases.

For that reason, we don’t think it is fair or right to continue publishing press releases from the campaign of Chris Collins without a firm commitment to a sit-down interview.

Chris Collins has told The Batavian many times that he appreciates the fair, factual and challenging questions we have peppered him with in past interviews. He said he considers our coverage of him fair and accurate. He has said he enjoys the challenge of tough questions.

But since his arrest on insider trading charges, he has tended to try and avoid the press, giving only one interview since to a Buffalo TV station, and confining his public appearance to friendly audiences with no prior notice to news outlets.

In my opinion, a person running for Congress should not be able to cloister himself in his office and avoid the accountability of public appearances and interviews.

We will continue to publish as appropriate press releases from the congressional office of Chris Collins but we will not publish campaign press releases until we have a time-certain appointment for an interview with no limitations on questions (and, of course, Collins must keep his appointment with us).

Of course, in the meantime, we will continue to publish campaign press releases from Nate McMurray and Larry Piegza since they're playing by the rules.

Terrez Smith (top photo) carried the ball 20 times for 208 yards adn four touchdowns to help lead Alexander (6-0) to a 26-6 win over Notre Dame.

Dylan Busch was 3-6 passing and Jake Jasen had 23 tackles.

For Notre Dame (3-2), Jed Reece scored on a 40-yard run in the second quarter.

Alexander's Chris McClinic was injured on the Trojans' first possession and did not return to the game.

In other Friday night games:

Batavia beat Wellsville 61-7. Ray Leach carried the ball five times for 147 yards and four touchdowns. Alex Rood had five carries for 103 yards and two TDs. Ethan Biscaro, two rushes for 77 yards and a TD. Biscaro was 6-7 passing for 117 yards and three TDs. Andrew Frances had three receptions for 33 yards and TD. Taiyo Iburi Bethel had a 22-yard TD reception and Leach had a 58-yard TD reception. Rood had six tackles.

Le Roy beat Haverling 27-8. Jake Hill and Reece Tresco connected on four touchdown receptions.

Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen fell to Livonia, 33-20.

York/Pavilion beat Geneseo 48-8.

Pembroke lost to Canisteo-Greenwood, 48-14.

In eight-man football, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba beat GC Finney/Northstar 68-22. Ty Mott rushed for 150 yards on eight carries. OA-E is now 4-0 on the season.

To purchase keepsake prints of game photos, click here.

Attention juniors and seniors at Pembroke High School, BOCES and home-school students and their parents and guardians: the third annual Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars Meet, Greet & Eat will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Denny's Restaurant in Corfu.

It is located at in the Flying J Travel Plaza at 8484 Alleghany Road.

Denny's will award 20 percent of all meal proceeds generated between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m. on Oct. 10 to Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars.

By attending, you can learn how to increase your chances of winning one or more of 17 locally provided scholarships, which range from $250 to $4,000.

Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars plans to award $13,000 in scholarships next June. The smaller graduating classes put ODDS of winning one or more of these scholarships from our organization in your favor!

In the last 10 years, Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars organization has awarded more than $65,000 dollars to 107 Pembroke graduates.

Grades count, in some instances, so do service, character and intended area of study after graduation. Scholarships are available for those interested in being involved in art, the medical field, health care, special education and much more.

Interested? Then contact Mr. Beahan in the PHS Guidance Office. (585) 599-4525, ext. 1922, or lbeahan@pembrokecsd.org and please attend Wednesday's Meet, Greet & Eat at Denny's.

Dr. Paul J. Mroz, Treasurer, Corfu-Pembroke DFS

P.O. Box 72

Corfu, NY 14036

Friends of Assemblyman Steve Hawley invite everyone to a political fundraiser at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel on Friday, Oct. 19.

The 11th annual Night ot the Races will be attended by Hawley and Republican candidate for governor Marcus J. Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive and a former mayor of Tivoli.

The fun starts at 6 p.m.

Cost is $80 per guest, or $150 per couple.

There will be a two-hour open bar, a special buffet dinner, racing and $20 in Free Play at the casino per person.

RSVP by Oct. 13 by calling (585) 356-0686.

Sponsorship opportunities are available:

• $1,000 -- Triple Crown Level: 10 tickets, race named for sponsor, special gift, tote board and program recognition, group picture with "Triple Crown" race winner and Assemblyman Hawley;
• $800 -- Kentucky Derby Level: 8 tickets, program recognition, special gift, group picture with "Kentucky Derby" race winner and Assemblyman Hawley;
• $600 -- Belmost Stakes Level: 6 tickets, program recognition, group picture with "Belmont Stakes" race winner and Assemblyman Hawley;
• $400 -- Preakness Stakes Level: 4 tickets, program recognition.

Friends of Steve Hawley -- State Assembly 2018: mailing address is 7768 Oatka Trail, Le Roy, NY 14482. Visit www.hawleyforassembly.com

K-9 "Destro," who joined the Sheriff's Office in 2013, has died after being diagnosed with cancer recently.

Sheriff William Sheron confirmed Destro's passing this morning. He is planning to release a statement later this morning.

Destro's partner was Deputy Chris Erion.

Since joining the force, Destro has been instrumental in helping police capture bad guys, find lost people, and serving as an ambassador for local law enforcement.

Photo: File photo, Destro and Deputy Chris Erion at the Corfu Winterfest in 2014.

UPDATE -- noon: The following press release is from Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr.

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. announced the untimely death of K-9 “Destro” following a very short battle with cancer. Destro developed heath concerns earlier this past week and passed away yesterday, Friday Oct. 5, 2018 at the Cornell University Companion Hospital with his handler, Deputy Christopher Erion, by his side.

Destro, an 8-year old German Shepherd, joined the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in August 2013.

Destro will continue his service in death, as his body will be made available to Cornell University Veterinary Students to learn and study from for a brief period of time. His remains will then be returned to his family home in Byron where he will be laid to final rest alongside two other family dogs.

“Destro was a true asset to all law enforcement agencies across Western New York," Sheriff Sheron said. "He has been instrumental in tracking suspects, missing persons, and locating narcotics, just to name a few skills he brought to the job. He will be truly missed and our sympathies are with his handler, Deputy Christopher Erion and family."

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is truly appreciative for the tremendous care and comfort afforded to Destro and Deputy Christopher Erion by the Hilton Veterinary Clinic and the Cornell University Companion Hospital.

It's almost like saying, "build it and they will come," but that is exactly what WNY real estate expert Bob Richardson, of Buffalo, told staff and board members of the Genesee County Economic Development Center during a presentation at the Med-Tech Center on Thursday.

"It's a hard pill for us real estate people to take," Richardson said. "We've always been real estate centric -- location, location,location -- but now we have to be workforce centric. It's primarily about having highways and access points.

"The question businesses ask is 'can I fill the jobs I need to fill?' The balance of this generation, the Millennials, make decisions differently than previous generations. Their decision-making process is about where can they find the lifestyle they want to determine where they want to live. They chose to live where they want to live and then figure out where they're going to work."

For a community like Batavia, Richardson suggest, the city's downtown needs to be come more vibrant, more active, and that comes from density.

He flashed a map of downtown on the screen and said Batavia has too much surface parking. There needs to be more buildings, more busineses, more apartments, and with that Batavia will become a more attractive place to live, work and play.

Today's young adults, he said, are more interested in renting than buying a home, and they're looking to do that in a place with density and a lifestyle conducive to social activities.

For that to work, though, rental prices can't approach double what a purchase price of a single-family home might be because then renters are more likely to become buyers. Without renters, it's harder to build the kind of vibrant urban core that will attract a young workforce.

Building new is more expensive than adaptive reuse and Batavia still has spaces available that could be converted to apartments.

A dense downtown would bring more people into the center of the city, Richardson said, and as e-commerce destroys the big box business model, it's a chance for small retailers, who can provide a great shopping experience, combined with an online experience, to reassert themselves and fill up those downtown storefronts.

As an example of Millennials picking lifestyle over career, he pointed to Northern Colorado, where universities graduate 9,500 people a year in STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math -- fields. Those graduates could move anywhere in the country but they choose to stay in Northern Colorado because they love the lifestyle.

There are 37,000 people in Northern Colorado with degrees in STEM careers who don't have STEM jobs.

"They're waiters, waitresses, bartenders and dishwashers," Richardson said. "They want the lifestyle and don't care because they want to live there and it's a cool place."

To be a community that attracts STEM companies, you need a higher supply of STEM workers than available jobs, he said.

"In the City of Batavia, you can't really wait for the private sector to lead on this," Richardson said. "You have to have a vision. You have to have an urban plan that starts to address the issue. You've got to pave the way."

Press release:

"Holistic Wellness through Ayurveda: Intro to Yoga's Sister Science" will be taught by K. Sonam Targee of Ancient Universal Medicine from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Blue Pearl Yoga in Downtown Batavia.

Cost is $60.

Have you heard about Ayurveda but don't quite know where to start?

Are you interested in learning more about the body’s natural rhythms and how you can use the five elements to bring balance to the body mind, and spirit?

Did you know that simple dietary and lifestyle adjustments can have a dramatic impact on your physical, mental and emotional well-being?

Not sure how to detect an imbalace in the body?

If you answered yes or maybe to any of the questions above, then this course is for you.

In this introductory class, we will focus on making the information immediately useful and easy to understand with practical applications.

Ayurvedic theory is explained, including the three Doshas, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether), and the viewpoint of Ayurveda in anatomy, subtle anatomy and physiology.

Diagnosis and treatment strategies will be discussed including herbal medicines and dietetics. The information is for anyone who has an interest in self-healing and wellness, or would like to simply understand the basics of this ancient Indian modality.

Lastly, this class will discuss Prana and how this energy moves in the body and mind. Acknowledging that there is an inner vitality circulating throughout the body is a profound gift from Asian medicine to the world. Learning how to consciously work with it is a tremendous advantage for living a healthy life.

Imagine having great mental clarity, emotional stability, and peace of mind and heart.

Includes yogasanas and pranayama where applicable.

Blue Pearl Yoga is located in the Masonic Temple building atop Charles Mens Shop at Main and Center streets.

bp-yoga.com

About K. Sonam Targee

K. Sonam Targee is a professional complementary medicine practitioner with more than three decades of experience counseling thousands of people in the art of gaining the knowledge necessary to improve their health. Sonam endeavors to help the individual do what works for them, given the wide array of therapeutic modalities in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.

The HomeCare & Hospice Foundation will host its first Holiday Wined-Up for Hospice fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 30^th from 6-9 p.m. at Terry Hills Golf Course in Batavia.

All proceeds will support area patients and families and will help us to continue our mission of “Today, make a difference.”

The event will include wine/beer tasting, music, dancing, canvas painting, wine glass painting, a basket raffle and a cash bar. The Art of Mandy will sponsor the painting festivities.

A Gust of Sun Winery, Deer Run Winery, Wright Beverage Distributing and Eli Fish Brewing Co. will also be sponsoring the event.

Tickets are $55 per person or $100 per couple. You must be 21 years of age to register for the event. Anyone under the age of 21 will not be admitted. Please bring a valid ID.

Volunteers are still needed to help with setup, cleanup and various onsite duties.

If you are interested in volunteering, please call 716-372-5735. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, or to purchase tickets, please contact Ellen Brokaw at 585-343-7596 or ebrokaw@homecare-hospice.org.

Tickets can also be purchased online at www.homecare-hospice.org/holiday-wined-up-for-hospice/. Come celebrate the holiday season and support a great cause!  We hope to see you there!

Elba Girl Scout Troop #42222 members are pictured above from left: Alexandra Belluscio, Lindsay Augello, Laci Sewar and Dakota Brinkman.

Submitted photos and press release:

Elba Girl Scout Troop #42222 is proud to announce the completion on Sept. 30 of the requirements for their Cadette Silver Award.

Their project focused on making multiple improvements to the horse barn at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. The horse barn is used by various horse programs throughout the community during the year.

Just a few of the areas the Troop focused on were various structural improvements made to the west entrance way and gate of the barn.

This consisted of: the replacement of the damaged primary entrance way walls; hand digging 4-foot deep holes to replace support beams for the entrance walls; adding a weed barrier prior to placing fresh mulch; installing a wheel on the gate; and organizing the tool supply storage area after making the necessary wall repairs to improve its usability.

The girls spent numerous hours painting donated wood, walls and doors as well as obtaining several supply donations (rakes, shovels, water buckets, etc.) for shared use by those using the horse barn.

The Troop would like to thank the many donors and volunteers who helped to make this project a successful one. The girls will now bridge from a Cadette to a Senior level Girl Scout and can begin thinking about their Gold Award Project!

Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

"Every October with Breast Cancer Awareness Month we are reminded of the fact that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point during her life.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to schedule their preventative screening. In fact, thanks to legislation I supported (A.5677 of 2017) women in New York have more options than ever before to get screened, including a 3-D mammography process known as tomosynthesis that is now covered by insurance companies.

"No matter which screening process you and your doctor decide is best for you, there is nothing more important than early detection. Please make an appointment to get screened today or for more resources, visit www.ny.gov/programs/get-screened-no-excuses.”

Press release:

The OACS Alumni Hall of Fame Committee will be honoring the Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2018 during an Alumni Hall of Fame weekend scheduled for Oct. 19th-20th.

This year's honorees are: Mark Boyce ('76), David Reed ('97), and Brett Willmott ('91).

On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 20th, there will be a community dinner and ceremony to induct our newest members. The dinner will be held at the OACS High School cafeteria. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event begins at 6 o'clock.

Tickets are on sale only through Oct.13th and are available at the high school check-in main entrance, at Santino's Pizza on Drake Street in Oakfield, or by contacting committee member Brandon Brummert through email at bbpennstate10@aol.com. Tickets are $20 each.

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding OACS alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community or through personal achievements. 

We hope to see you there!

For bios of this year's honorees, click here.

Jacqueline Corbelli

Submitted photos; bios and event information from the Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation:

October is National Italian-American Heritage Month and also the month that Paolo Busti was born, on the 17th actually, in 1749. He established the Batavia office of the Holland Land Company, and was its principal agent starting in 1800 until his death in the summer of 1824.

The native of Milan, Italy, is of course the namesake of the Batavia-based Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation, which holds a fall fundraiser every year honoring two outstanding movers and shakers in the local Italian-American community.

The feast funds one of the deepest scholarship coffers for high school seniors in Genesee County: all proceeds go into it.

This year, the foundation honors Jacqueline Corbelli and Dr. Matthew J. Landfried.

They will be feted at a sit-down Italian dinner, replete with Cannoli cake, at Terry Hills Banquet Facility next Wednesday, Oct. 10. It is located at 5120 Clinton Street Road in Batavia.

Cash bar opens at 6 p.m.; dinner is at 6:30.

Tickets are $30 each. For reservations, tickets or more information, call Michelle Fuller at (585) 768-7016.

Tickets are also available at: Ben’s Appliance, Kitchen and Bath at 634 E. Main St. in Batavia; V.J. Gautieri Constructors Inc. at 45 Liberty St. in Batavia; and from Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation board members.

About Jacqueline Corbelli

Jacqueline is the daughter of the late Octavio ("Tubby") Corbelli and Patricia Panepento. Her stepfather was the late Alfred Panepento. Her paternal grandfather, Carlo Corbelli came from Camarda, Province of L’Aquilla, Italy in 1920, and her grandmother, Dominica, came from Tacca, Assergi, Italy, at age 7. They married in 1921 and had 14 children!

Her maternal grandparents were the late Anthony and Catherine (Pricola) Gringer. Her grandmother’s family came from Rocconova, in the Naples region. As the matriarch of Jacquie’s family, Catherine was not just her maternal grandmother, but a rock of guidance and steady support in her life that Jacquie credits for her steely will and determination to both personally succeed, and for bringing kindness and Italian passion to her family and community.

Jacquie graduated from Batavia High School in 1982. She was named Batavia High School Graduate of Distinction in 2008 and is a proud member of the NYC Italian Gun Club, Tiro a Segmo, in Greenwich Village. She married her husband, Mark Joseph Modzelewski, in 1990. They are the proud parents of Kaitlyn Rose, 19, Kristiana Grace, 17, and Alexandra Maria, 14.

Jacqueline is a transformational leader that drives positive business growth and societal change. She tackles issues that redefine industry verticals, reshape culture and rebuild communities.

As the CEO, founder and chairman of BrightLine, Jacqueline built and continues to lead a technology platform company that ushered in the reinvention of television advertising from 30-second interruptive spots to immersive, interactive units. BrightLine is the cornerstone of advanced TV advertising and interactive content for all of America’s leading broadcasters, including NBCU, ABC/Disney, CBS, and Fox, among others.

What drew her to advanced TV advertising was the sweeping change being ushered in by the Internet and digital technologies. As an astute executive, she saw the prospect that shifting consumer behaviors held for media platforms and brands and the opportunity to put her change management skills to work to help redefine the relationship between the two.

Before BrightLine, Jacqueline served as president of Aston Associates, the leading advisory firm for financial institutions and their investors.

Jacqueline applies her transformational change methodologies outside of business and into the world of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) Jacqueline served as chairman of the board of Millennium Promise, overseeing integrated economic development work in 10 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa from 2005-2015. Millennium Promise was the leading international nonprofit organization solely committed to accelerating the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the eradication of extreme poverty, hunger and preventable disease.

Jacqueline serves in leadership roles for both the United Nations and the Vatican. She is extensively involved in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, where she sits on the board of The Sustainable Development Goals Center of Africa and she leads an effort to guide women CEOs in 10 countries and provides strategic oversight on development bank reform in the countries of Rwanda and Uganda.

She is also a Leadership Council member of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and a governor at the New York Academy of Sciences.  Jacqueline also plays a leading role for the Vatican as a founding member of Pope Francis’ Ethics in Action Forum created under the auspices of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences, where she assists the Vatican to identify how technology, media and data can generate justice in society.

Throughout her career Jacqueline has been recognized for her important achievements. In 2017 alone Jacqueline was named as one of Adweek’s Disruptors, a Broadcasting and Cable Digital All-Star, a Cynopsis Top Woman in Digital and New York Business Journal’s Woman of Influence. 

Jacqueline frequently publishes and speaks on her work in business and NGOs. She shared her extensive expertise and learnings as the author of “REVEALED: Thoughts on the Connected Television Ad Revolution,” published in 2014. She followed her first book with a collection of articles she wrote in 2017 titled “TVTOPIA.” Jacqueline provides industry knowledge regularly in articles and on the airwaves of Variety, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Radio, Business Insider and Advertising Age.

Jacqueline sits on numerous boards, including the Atlantic Theater Company, International Radio and Television Society, Second Curve Capital, Luminari Capital, Women’s Voices for Change, and NBCU Women’s Advisory Board.

Jacqueline received her master’s in International Banking, Business, and Finance from Columbia University.

Dr. Matthew J. Landfried

About Dr. Matthew J. Landfried

Dominic and Vincenza Rizzitti Greco immigrated to Pennsylvania from Calabria, Italy, in 1903, beginning Dr. Matthew J. Landfried’s deep connection to his Italian heritage through his great-grandparents. Matt was raised in Greenville, Pa., strongly influenced by his Italian mom with lots of tradition, stemming from his rich ancestry.

Matt has made two recent trips to connect with his Greco family relatives in Calabria, and of course to experience some amazing food and wine! On recent visits there, Matt was excited to spend time with cousins – to whom he bears a strong resemblance.

He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine in 1985; spent the next few years at Hamot Medical Center completing his residency in Orthopedic Surgery; and joined the Batavia community in 1990. Matt is currently the medical director of Surgical Services, and chairman of the Department of Surgery at UMMC as well as serving on multiple committees at UMMC and its partner Rochester Regional Health.

Dr. Landfried is an Adjunct Professor at LECOM Medical School and D’Youville College and mentors PA students, medical students and residents.  Professionally, Matt is well respected in his field and has been published in multiple medical journals. Among other honors, Dr. Landfried has been named a “Top Doctor” by U.S. News & World Report.

He is a member of the HHS (NDMS) Trauma and Critical Care response team. Through this volunteer commitment, Matt has spent significant time in Haiti, Texas, and other disaster sites supporting the critical medical need of communities struck by disaster. He has recently returned from continuous training and was certified in Bio Chemical/Medical Hazmat Preparedness.

Dr. Landfried is the medical lead for several area sports programs including the Batavia City School District and Notre Dame High School, as well as assisting with various sports medicine needs at Genesee Community College. He donates his time, and often medical assistance, outside of the office to athletes in need.

On a larger scale, Matt has served as an orthopedist for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins, both at the local Muckdogs level and at the higher professional tier. He and his wife, Kerry, have hosted several baseball players on our Batavia farm team over the years and have maintained long-lasting relationships with those who had the pleasure of being welcomed by the Landfrieds while playing in Batavia.

Personally, Matt and Kerry are the proud parents of two children -- Bekah and Matthew, as well as their “unofficially adopted son” Jermaine. He and Kerry have been married for 36 years and he proudly states that his family is his most valuable treasure.

Family is a theme for Matt and the stories of him helping a family in medical need are endless -- and not simply as a doctor – but as the person who has helped the whole family through the difficult times that often surround older relatives, young ones or just everyday injuries. If there is an athlete, elderly person, or anyone of any age that needs an orthopedic surgeon, Matt turns no one away.

His office staff would tell you that he adds long hours to their days by squeezing in friends, before or after hours. The thing is, with Matt being Italian, everyone he meets is “family” and you treat family well -- always! Home visits, special treatment and donations for whatever is needed, are his daily focus. He is not simply a doctor in business; he is a talented, compassionate man who has made it his business to use his gift to help his community.

Throughout Matt’s 28 years in our area, he and Kerry have financially supported too many causes to mention; he has physically shown up – FOR YEARS -- to support young athletes on hours upon hours of donated time; and stayed in the background of the causes he passionately believes in such as our local hospital, his local church, The Ricky Palermo Foundation (to name a few) – while selflessly donating his time, talent and treasure. Our community is infinitely enriched by the presence of Dr. Matthew J. Landfried.

The good doctor is also an apiarist and viticulturist. In his small amount of free time, he can be seen in his beekeeper suit tending to his hives or picking grapes in his garden for homemade red wine. Winemaking is certainly a passion rooted in his Italian genes, and Matt’s yard mimics that of his great-grandfather’s with grapevines, chestnut and fruit trees. Also, like Grandpa Greco – Matt generously shares his wine with friends and proudly boasts about his Italian heritage!

The dairy industry needs exports to really thrive, according to an Elba dairy farmer who, like a lot of dairy farmers these days, is happy there is a potential new trade agreement between the United States and its largest agricultural trade partners, Canada and Mexico.

"The name of the game in dairy now is exports," Jeff Post said. "Years ago it was all about national consumption, but if we're going to survive as the dairy industry in this country, we need to export as much product as possible and we have to rely on our government to help us with trade deals."

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump knocked the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as "a really bad deal" and promised a better deal if elected. For the most part, local farmers think they got that with the new deal with a new acronym, USMCA.

The deal must be ratified by the legislative bodies of all three countries before going into effect.

For dairy farmers in New York, the big hang-up with NAFTA was its lack of provisions for Class 6 and Class 7 milk, also known as ultrafiltered milk, which has become a big part of cheese production. Those classes didn't exist when NAFTA was approved in 1994 and nearly two years ago, Canada blocked imports of those classes.

Once elected, Trump took up the cause of dairy farmers and used the increased difficulty in exporting U.S. dairy products to Canada to push for a new deal and threatened to withdraw from NAFTA.

Craig Yunker, CEO of CY Farms, approves of the new deal but thought the heated rhetoric from the president, such as accusing Canada of cheating the United States,was unneccessary.

"Generally, it's a positive for dairy and for wheat, specifically, but I'm not sure that it's going to completely undo the hard feelings north of the border," Yunker said. "That's going to take some time, but it's going in the right direction. I think it'll take some time to repair the hard feelings."

Le Roy dairy farmer Dale Stein sides a little more with the president on his view that the United States hasn't been treated well by its trading partners, and while he welcomes the new provisions related to dairy, he thinks overall the new deal will help out the country as a whole.

"Our trading partners have been abusing us and that's been a fact," Stein said. "All the previous presidents have allowed it. There are other things in this trade agreement that I think will help with everything and have nothing to do with farming."

In 2017, the United States had a $63.6 billion trade deficit with Mexico on a total of $615.9 billion in trade. While the United States imported more goods than it exported, it still exported $276.2 billion in goods to Mexico, up from $52 billion in 1993. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that some six million jobs in the United States depend on trade with Canada and Mexico.

Besides agriculture, much of what's new deals with auto production. New provisions require at least 45 percent of an automobile to be built by people earning at least $16 an hour, and that at least 75 percent of the auto's content be made in North America.

Whether these provisions will result in more car production jobs in the United States in unclear, according to economists, but it is likely to make cars more expensive.

Yunker thinks the new deal is much like the old deal with many provisions that had been part of the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, which Trump scraped as soon as he took office.

"I don't see it as a major accomplishment," Yunker said. "We had NAFTA in place and while it needed some tweaking, this is a big improvement over it throwing Canada out of the deal altogether. Well, I don't see that as a major accomplishment of the Trump Administration. The major accomplishment is that it was negotiated after the rhetoric insulting Canada."

One of the big issues besetting the dairy industry is oversupply and Yunker noted that Cornell ag economist Andy Novakovic doesn't anticipate the new agreement doing much to increase milk prices anytime soon.

"He hasn't really changed his price projects for 2019 based on this," Yunker said. "It is good it opens up the market for ultrafilteration milk; that's a positive. But we still have an oversupply of milk, so I'm not sure that this cures the low price for producers but it's certainly the right direction."

Yunker remains dissapointed that TPP didn't go through.

"A lot of work went into (TPP)," Yunker said. "We lost the initiative to be the lead in Asia trade and then replaced by China taking the lead in that. I'm still disappointed over pulling out of the TPP but I'm a free-trade guy."

Post is less enthused about TPP but believes U.S. dairy farmers need Asian markets and hopes now that the NAFTA makeover is done there's a chance to open up Japan and other Asian nations.

"I look forward to hopefully getting some of these Asian markets opened up, too," Post said. "I wasn't a big fan of the TPP agreement -- only for what it did for ag. Hopefully, he government is negotiating with Japan and negotiationing to South Korea and we're going to get more more access to export to markets there."

Stein is also looking forward to getting past the trade conflicts and open up more export markets.

"We were looking at very high prices this fall or the end of the year until all this (trade conflict) started because of the exports and now we will get the exports back," Stein said. "We should be able to compete against against anybody. We haven't really sold a lot to China to begin with. We've exported dairy to Mexico primarily and a fair amount in Canada. By reopening them up again, hopefully, they will get back trading so we can use up some of our milk supply."

(Submitted photos) The condition of the abused puppy at the time she was found last night in Stafford.

The public is asked to help law enforcement find the owner of this emaciated puppy found last night on Route 33 and Prole Road Extension in Stafford.

The fawn-and-white colored female weighs only 9.2 pounds. The dog is not able to stand on its own. It was covered in urine and feces. It is severely dehydrated and malnourished.

The puppy was picked up by a Good Samaritan and turned over to the Batavia City PD and the case is now being investigated by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Due to the nature of the wounds present on the puppy, this is being investigated as animal cruelty.

The puppy was immediately examined and treated by a local veterinarian and was being cared for at the Genesee County Animal Shelter with the assistance of the Volunteers for Animals. They have named her "Opal" and she is now in a foster home until she is well enough to be adopted.

If you any ANY information about the owner of this puppy, please contact Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Forsyth at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3233.

Below, "Opal" today, clean and wrapped snuggly in fleece at the vet's office.

At 10 a.m. today (Oct. 5) Batavia's oldest continuously operating company, shoemaker P.W. Minor, ceased operations. Forty-two workers were laid off last week; 40 people lost their jobs today.

Local businessman Pete Zeliff, who, in partnership with Andrew Young, acquired P.W. Minor in 2014, still owns the company's headquarters and factory building at 3 Treadeasy Ave., as well as the production equipment. He was leasing the building to Tidewater + Associates. Zeliff carried the paper on the loan for Tidewater's purchase of the company earlier this year.

This afternoon, Zeliff said he foreclosed on the company last week.

Last week, P.W. Minor CEO Hundley Elliotte announced the company would eliminate 45 jobs, ending production of its welt boot line, but would continue with orthopedic shoe production.

This morning's decision to shut down the company completely came as a surprise to everybody.

Zeliff said he has no plans to reenter the shoe business, but he said there is some hope that investors can be found to resurrect at least the orthopedic line of shoes, and perhaps the boot line, and he believes Tidewater is working on finding new investors. We were referred to Elliotte for any questions about the future of the company.

We have an email out to Elliotte requesting comment.

This afternoon a customer of P.W. Minor's forwarded an email to The Batavian from Brian Benedict, VP of sales for P.W. Minor, that read, "I regret to inform you that as of 10AM this morning, PW Minor has ceased operation. There will be a formal announcement via email, but since you are drop ship customers who rely on us, I wanted you to know as soon as possible so you can modify your sites accordingly."

UPDATE -- Press release:

P.W. Minor LLC, a Batavia, NY footwear manufacturer, has ceased operations as of today and laid off all employees.

All assets of P.W. Minor LLC, have been transferred to our senior creditor Batavia Shoes LLC, per an agreement signed today. 

“Our focus through this entire process has been on our employees' well-being. We want to thank them for their dedication, loyalty and hard work.” said P.W. Minor CEO Hundley Elliotte. “We would also like to thank the NYS Dept. of Labor, the Genesee County Workforce Development Board and the local business community for their responsiveness and offers to help get our affected employees back to work as soon as possible..”

P.W. Minor, founded in 1867 and located in Batavia, New York, is the second oldest footwear manufacturer in the United States and the maker of orthopedic and diabetic athletic, dress and casual shoes.