Shawn Michael Walburn, 45, of East Main Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with: DWI; driving while ability impaired with alcohol; driving without a vehicle inspection; and speeding. Walburn was stopped at 3:07 a.m. Sunday on Main Road, Stafford, by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Ryan Brent Callison, 41, of 14th Street, Zimmerman, Minn., is charged with: DWI; driving with a BAC of .08 or greater;and failure to yield right of way. Callison was stopped at 9:39 p.m. Monday on Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Howard Wilson.

Karen M. Gath, 57, of Rochester, is charged with conspiracy, 6th, and petit larceny. Gath was arrested by State Police and ordered held on bail for an incident in the Town of Batavia. No further details released.

Jacob R. Lorek, 24, of Rochester, is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Lorek was stopped by State Police at 6:04 p.m. Thursday on Route 19, Bergen.

Stevie R. Marshall-Carter, 20, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Marshall-Carter was stopped on Route 33, Bergen, by State Police.

Dale J. Wissinger, 38, of Oakfield, is charged with assault; 3rd; and criminal mischief. Wissinger was arrested by State Police on charges related to an incident reported at 1:47 a.m. Saturday and ordered held on bail. No further details released.

Press release:

Notre Dame High School is proud to announce that its 2018 Sports Hall of Fame Induction Program will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Notre Dame campus, 73 Union St., Batavia.

This Fall's program will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner and the alumni student-athlete and contributor recognition program to follow.

Inductees honored on Nov. 3 will include:

• John Francis, '66
• Mike Callahan, '67
• Mike Cordes, '76
• John Stisser, '80
• Sue [Burns] Keefe, '81
• Kathy Dwyer, '90
• Members of the 1973 ND Smith Division Co-Champion Football Team
• Rick Mancuso, '76 -- Inducted as a Coach
• Joe, '68, and Patty Jurewicz, '69, Flynn -- Inducted as Supporters

Tickets for the program will be $40/person and will be available through the ND Advancement Office.

Please contact ND Advancement coordinator Emily Patrick for more info at 343-2783, ext. 106, or Emily.Patrick@ndhsbatavia.com.

Individual inductee bios will appear in print closer to this Fall's program!

Press release:

O-AT-KA Milk Products, of Batavia, is proud to announce the completion of its recent 20,000- square-foot building expansion. The walls are up and the equipment is installed, but the most important piece – the people – is the final stage of the project.

The expansion, nicknamed Project Gator, is the third of its kind in the past six years and will boost O-AT-KA’s current workforce of 440 employees, as promised during the planning phase. Support from local municipalities, the Genesee County Economic Development Center and Empire State Development made the expansion a reality.

“I am so pleased to see a great hometown company like O-AT-KA continue to grow, thrive and add 40 new jobs to be filled by local residents," said Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia). "Our area is primed for growth and it makes us a stronger community to witness a commitment like this from a great homegrown company like O-AT-KA.

"New York’s agricultural industry is one of the best in the country and that is a testament to the dedicated and innovative farmers and dairy producers we have right here in Western New York. I wish O-AT-KA the best of luck and success moving forward.”

The expansion has significantly expanded O-AT-KA’s beverage capabilities and ability to meet growing customer demand. Production and packaging lines are currently undergoing thorough quality testing before full production starts early this fall.

“The work we do matters," said CEO Bill Schreiber. "We partner with our customers to create unique products while adding value to local milk. The ongoing efforts of our team have resulted in sustained growth and investment for the business, while supporting our dairy farmer owners and creating a rewarding work environment for our employees.

"New employees have an immediate opportunity to succeed and learn new skills. They also have the opportunity to grow as individuals and be part of a winning team.”

Hiring has begun, with the intention to fill 40 additional jobs immediately.

"We’ve grown by more than 150 team members since 2015. We plan to hire and train an additional 40 individuals," said Donna Maxwell, VP of Human Resources. “The work we do here serves our farmer-owners and supports local agriculture. We’re looking for people with a farmer’s work ethic; people who take pride in their work.

"As a premier employer in Western New York, we offer an outstanding compensation and benefits package along with the opportunity for career growth for those who desire it. Our Pay for Skill program allows employees who learn more to earn more. In fact, many of our employees – about 40 percent – commute from outside Genesee County because the employment package O-AT-KA has to offer -- pay, benefits and career opportunity -- just can’t be beat.”

Press release:

Nate McMurray, the Democratic and Working Families Party candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District, released the following statement after Congressman Chris Collins broke his silence one month after suspending his campaign when he was indicted on charges of insider trading.

“Tonight voters heard from a man who has lost the public trust. Congressman Collins played the victim, has refused to resign from Congress and tonight expressed surprise that the rules do, in fact, apply to him.

“Mr. Collins admitted that this ballot bait and switch, ‘has never been done before’ and there’s a very clear reason: it’s undemocratic, it’s wrong, it’s insulting to voters, and it’s a joke. Most importantly, it’s illegal and will not stand. Our laws exist for a reason and party bosses don’t get to change them just because their candidate was indicted.

“The truth is that Mr. Collins is willing to be a sham candidate, willing to dupe voters by running for whatever position these kingmaking ‘powers that be’ can manipulate the easiest.

 “I’ve been crisscrossing the district and talking to the voters Mr. Collins pledged to represent and the truth is that they’re angry, they feel betrayed, and they don’t want to trust the system that knew about these allegations and propped up Mr. Collins anyway.”

In other NY-27 news, the deputy chief of staff for Collins, Michael Kracker, has resigned and taken a job with Unshackle Upstate as executive director.

Acting on Interim City Manager Matt Worth’s analogy that the City will benefit from “a thinner piece of a larger pie,” the Batavia City Council on Monday night agreed to set a special business meeting to vote on a new sales tax agreement with Genesee County.

A revised sales tax arrangement with the county is necessary since the current 10-year pact – which gives the City 16 percent of the county’s 50 percent share of the 8 percent sales tax -- expires at the end of this year.

County legislators, looking at future big ticket items such as bridge replacements and a new county jail, balked at extending the existing agreement, setting the stage for negotiations between the two entities.

The proposed deal calls for the City to receive its current 16 percent of the county’s share through this year, with provisions for that amount to grow in future years by a maximum of 2 percent per year.

“This allows the City to increase in growth by up to 2 percent a year until the City’s portion of the pie becomes 14 percent,” Worth said. “So we go from 16 percent to 14 percent as that pie gets larger and larger.

At that point, once that floor of 14 percent hits, all the restrictions go off and there’s no more restriction of 2 percent growth. So if the sales tax goes up by 5 percent, and we’re at 14 percent, the City gets a 5-percent increase as well.”

In any event, the City’s share will be no less than 14 percent for the remainder of the 40-year contract, Worth said.

“The 14-percent floor is an additional safety net for the City to share in good years above 2 percent, once that threshold is reached,” he said, noting that historically sales tax goes up by 2.5 percent annually.

The County Legislature is expected to vote on the matter on Wednesday of this week, while City Council scheduled a business meeting to address the agreement in conjunction with its conference meeting on Sept. 24. From there, it goes to the state comptroller’s office for approval. If approved, it would go into effect on Jan. 1.

The new agreement, unlike the current one, does not include wording about allocations to Genesee County towns and villages because, according to Worth, the towns have no taxing authority and are not a “sign-on” to the contract.

“It is my understanding that the comptroller was not comfortable with the towns being referenced in the agreement, and that the county will have separate agreements with the towns and villages,” he said.

Responding to questions from Council Member Adam Tabelski and Interim City Manager Worth, Council President Eugene Jankowski said the new agreement should be a “stabilizing” factor in annual budget preparation.

“We’ve been in a holding pattern for the last couple years, not knowing if the agreement would go through,” Jankowski said. “We’re in a better position now.”

In other action, Council:

-- Voted to send a resolution calling for the rezoning of the St. Anthony’s Church area on Liberty Street from residential to commercial to the City Planning & Development Committee.

City Church, which purchased the former Catholic church in 2016, filed a petition to reclassify the campus to allow for some activities (dance school, art school, community education classes, etc.) that could be considered a business activity and a non-conforming use in an R-3 district.

Should the planning board approve, a public hearing will be scheduled.

-- Approved the placement of 10 bicycle racks and six trash cans in downtown locations per a request from the Batavia Business Improvement District.

-- Voted in favor of two resolutions pertaining to the Ellicott Station project coordinated by Savarino Companies of Buffalo.

One grants a stormwater easement due to the fact that a major city storm sewer lies within the boundary of the project; and the other distributes a National Grid Urban Center/Commercial District Revitalization Grant in the amount of $250,000 to enhance the Ellicott Trail Project, which will run along the southern boundary of the Ellicott Station site.

-- Voted to submit an application for Transportation Improvement Program funds for the rehabilitation of four city streets – Harvester Avenue, Jackson Street, Bank Street and Richmond Avenue – that qualify under federal guidelines.

A new arrangement this year between the Village of Le Roy and the Le Roy Central School District will ensure both Wolcott Street School and Le Roy MS/HS will have a nearly constant law enforcement presence.

The arrangement is possible with the retirement of Officer Eric Miller, who was the School Resource Officer at the high school, splitting some time with Wolcott, since 2003, and a change in state law that allows Miller to now become an employee of the district to perform the same duties, and the willingness of the Village to continue to partially fund an SRO position.

The state has created a classification of school employees known as "special patrol officers." These are former law enforcement officers who remain qualified to perform the duties of an officer.

In Miller's case, not only is he still qualified, he has returned to Le Roy PD as a part-time officer, which will help him maintain his qualifications.

While Miller is at the high school, Le Roy PD has assigned two part-time officers to rotate coverage, one week on, one week off, at the elementary school.

"I think when we looked at what the county proposed, though we were interested in that idea, we felt that getting coverage in both buildings was non-negotiable," said Superintendent Merritt Holly. "I think the setup that we have here provides us with the opportunity to have an armed police officer in this building and a special patrol officer in the other building, so it gives us now the coverage that we're looking for."

His SRO position was created in 2003 shortly after Columbine (the April 1999 high school massacre in Jefferson County, Colo.) and he served both campuses.

His job, both as an SRO and as it's defined now, isn't just to provide security for the school. It's a job that involves getting to know students, assist them where he can, and providing information about school and personal safety.

Chief Chris Hayward said the new state law helps make the situation more flexible.

"I'm not a one of those who believes that in order to keep our kids safe there have to be uniformed police officers," Hayward said. "Do I believe that it should be someone like Eric who has that experience and has that training? Absolutely. But I don't think that it has to be an active police officer because there are requirements of Eric. Even if he hadn't been hired back by us, there are still those requirements where he has to go to the annual training with firearms, use of deadly physical force etc., so there still those safeguards, for want of a better term, in place to make sure that they're maintaining that level of training to respond in an appropriate manner."

Photo: Eric Miller, Tim McArdle, middle school and high school principal, Carol Messura, Wolcott principal, and Officer Heath Mattingly, one of two part-time officers assigned to Wolcott.

Todd A. Gailie Jr., 27, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy was arrested on Sept. 7th by the Le Roy Police Department for petit larceny and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, Class A misdemeanors. Le Roy Police Department responded to a business on Lake Street in the Village after receiving a complaint of a male allegedly leaving a restaurant without paying for food and drinks that he consumed. Upon arrival, the patrols located Gailie on the railroad tracks in the area and when the patrol confronted Gailie, he allegedly ran from officers. After a brief foot chase Gailie was taken into custody. Gailie was arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $1,500 cash or $3,000 bond. Gailie is to return to Le Roy Town Court on Sept. 20th.

Roy A. Watson Jr., 29, of Porter Avenue, Batavia, is charged with having two unlicensed dogs. He was arrested at 9:35 a.m. on Sept. 4 at 24 Porter Ave. following an investigation into a complaint that his dogs were unlicensed. He was issued an appearance ticket for City Court and is due there Sept. 18. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer James Sheflin.

Marissa Eve Michaels-Connors, 26, of LaSalle Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with: first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle; DWI, first; operating a vehicle while using a cell phone; refusal to take breath test; and moving from lane unsafely. She was arrested at 5:09 p.m. on Sept. 9 on Vallance Road in Le Roy after a one-vehicle accident in which her vehicle struck a guard rail. It is alleged that she was driving while intoxicated and that she drove while her license was suspended for alcohol-related circumstances. She was jailed in lieu of $1,500 cash or $3,000 bond. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Howard Wilson.

Matthew Vincent Pragel, 23, of Forest Hill Drive, Williamsville, is charged with: operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs; driving while ability impaired -- combined influence of drugs; unlawful possession of marijuana; and moving from lane unsafely. At 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 4 on Bloomingdale Road in the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, Pragel was arrested after an investigation of a single-vehicle accident. He is to appear in Alabama Town Court at a later date. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Adam Robyn Chaddock, 31, of Virginia Manor Road, Rochester, is charged with: DWI; DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or higher; failure to keep right. Chaddock was arrested at 10:46 p.m. on Sept. 9 on Clinton Street Road in Stafford following a traffic stop. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Stafford Town Court on Oct. 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Giancarlo A. Miranda, 20, of West Saile Drive, Batavia, is charged with possession of a dangerous weapon on county property. At 2:32 p.m. on Sept. 4, Miranda was arrested for allegedly possessing a knife while entering the Genesee County Probation Building. He was issued an appearance ticket for City Court and is due there Sept. 11. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Catherine Mucha, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

Ian Kyle Leblanc Chatt, 33, of Hart Street, Batavia, is charged with: petit larceny; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument; criminal use of drug paraphernalia; and sixth-degree conspiracy. Le Blanc Chatt was arrested at 1:59 p.m. on Sept. 7 following a larceny complaint at Walmart in Batavia. It is alleged that he walked past the point of sale with an 18-ounce can of Rain X. He was arrested and released with an appearance ticket for Town of Batavia Court on Sept. 20. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Hale, assisted by Deputy Lonnie Nati.

Brandon James March, 33, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; possession of a hypodermic instrument; criminal use of drug paraphernalia; and sixth-degree conspiracy. March was arrested at 1:59 p.m. on Sept. 7 following a larceny complaint at Walmart in Batavia. March allegedly conspired with another person to steal property and was found in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and released with an appearance ticket for Town of Batavia Court on Sept. 20. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Press release:

New York State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has secured $72,000 in state funding for public libraries throughout Genesee County.

“Our local libraries enrich our communities with invaluable services, and this critical funding will assist libraries across Genesee County with providing more programming to their patrons,” Ranzenhofer said. "As your State Senator, I am proud to be a strong supporter of Genesee County’s libraries."

The total funding will be distributed among Genesee County’s six public libraries:

• Byron-Bergen Library, $12,000;

• Corfu Free Library, $12,000;

• Haxton Memorial Library; $12,000;

• Hollwedel Memorial Library, $12,000;

• Richmond Memorial Library, $12,000; and

• Woodward Memorial Library, $12,000.

The funding can be used for a variety of purposes, including capital improvements, new books, learning materials, software, programming and computers. The funding is part of the 2018-19 State Budget. The funding is administered by the New York State Education Department.

The Genesee County 4-H Fur and Feather Club is hosting a youth poultry show on Saturday, Sept. 22. at the Merton Building on the Genesee County Fairgrounds, located at 5056 E. Main Street Road, Batavia.

The show is open to all local youth ages 19 and younger, youth don’t need to be a 4-H member to participate. Entries must be postmarked by Sept. 17; no day-of-show entries will be accepted.

Showroom opens at 7:30 a.m., birds must be cooped by 9 a.m. For complete show rules and entry form please visit: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events or contact the Genesee County 4-H Office at 343-3040, ext. 101.

Press release:

Uber today announced that Batavia native Rebecca Messina will join the company’s executive leadership team as global Chief Marketing Officer.

As Uber’s first-ever CMO, Messina will bring together Uber’s marketing teams around the world, building a global marketing organization that can support the company’s growth going forward.

“Rebecca brings deep experience in building global brands, and she’ll be a terrific leader for Uber’s marketing teams around the world,” said Barney Harford, Uber’s Chief Operating Officer. “We’re excited to learn from her as we work to make Uber one of the world’s most valuable brands, supported by cutting-edge marketing systems.”

“Joining Uber is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a true privilege. My focus has always been on three things: people, growth and brands,” Messina said. “Uber checks all three boxes: a rapidly growing global business, with the opportunity to build an iconic brand alongside a team that’s committed to transforming the future of mobility. I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Rebecca to Uber. She’s exactly the right leader to build our marketing efforts globally and to showcase the ways Uber is igniting opportunities for our customers around the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO. “Very few brands become verbs; for Uber to have achieved this shows how we’ve captured imaginations and become an important part of our customers’ lives. I’m excited to bring on Rebecca as a steward for our brand moving forward.”

Messina joins Uber from Beam Suntory, the world's third largest premium spirits company, where she has served as global Chief Marketing Officer since 2016. Prior to Beam Suntory, she spent 22 years at The Coca-Cola Company, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Innovation for Ventures & Emerging Brands. Previously she served in a number of different marketing leadership roles across the company, both in the United States and internationally.

Messina currently serves on the boards of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the Ad Council, and has also served on the National Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Georgia State Marketing Roundtable and the Atlanta Executive Board of the AMA.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). The Batavia High School alumna speaks English, Spanish, Italian and French. She is married, with two children, and currently lives in Chicago.

The police surveillance video of Central Avenue, Batavia, the night of May 17, when Nathaniel D. Wilson Jr., murdered Terry J. Toote with a knife, shows that Wilson was a threat to harm other people in the area, according to an attorney for Jennifer K. Urvizu-Hanlon.

Urvizu-Hanlon, former owner of La Mexicana store on East Main Street, is charged with criminal liability for conduct of another/criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd. She is accused of giving a handgun, which she was permitted to carry, to Samuel R. Blackshear, a 17-year-old who is accused of shooting Wilson.

"This individual was trying to keep the other individual from stabbing other people, which I believe is legally justifiable," said attorney Christian Kennedy.

Today's County Court appearance for Urvizu-Hanlon was a hearing related to motions filed by both the defense and the prosecution with arguments for further hearings in the case.

Kennedy revealed his theory of the case while arguing that the prosecution needs to turn over to him a list of witnesses along with any statements they made to police and reports generated from witness statements.

Under the rules of evidence, the defense isn't automatically entitled to this material. There are rules regarding "discovery," or evidence the people must turn over, and then what is known as "Brady material" (the name comes from a precedent-setting case dealing with evidence). Brady materials are statements and reports that the defense believes may contain information that would support a defendant's claim of innocence. 

Kennedy argued that given the number of witnesses, the statements he believes the police collected (there's no information available to indicate such statements were obtained) would almost certainly contain contradictory views of events, which then would almost certainly be Brady material. And if all the statements agree, he said, that might indicate the police relied on a single witness statement, which under the circumstances, could be used by the defense to demonstrate a problem with the investigation.

Either way, Kennedy argued, it's Brady material.

Judge Charles Zambito pressed him for more definitive information that would indicate Kennedy knew there was information in the material favorable to his client, and Kennedy said he couldn't know that without seeing the material but that in Monroe County the material is always provided to the defense for the reasons he outlined.

Zambito said he would review the material to determine if it contains information favorable to the defense and turn it over if necessary.

During the discussion in court today, it was suggested that Urvizu-Hanlon had said to Kennedy that she gave the gun to Blackshear to protect others. Kennedy corrected the statement, saying that he hadn't indicated one way or the other what his client may have said to him. He was stating, he said, that the video itself indicated Wilson was threatening others at the scene.

He said while the video clearly shows events on Central Avenue that night, it is too grainy to help the defense identify witnesses.

Blackshear is charged with: attempted murder, 2nd; attempted assault, 1st; assault, 2nd; and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd.

Urvizu-Hanlon, 48, apparently made statements to police after being read her Miranda warnings. A hearing on whether the proper procedures were followed by police will be held at 3 p.m., Oct. 19.

He's also seeking a probable cause hearing, arguing his client was arrested May 18 without a warrant, so he wants to probe whether police had at that point probable cause to take her into custody. Zambito is reviewing that request.

The 31-year-old Wilson entered a guilty plea to murder in the second degree Aug 20. 

At his plea hearing, District Attorney Lawerence Friedman cited witness statements indicating Wilson approached the scene making statements that indicated he intended to "kill everybody." He then attacked Toote.

Several people then jumped on Wilson and Wilson continued to fight with them.

Wilson entered his guilty plea on an Alford basis, which means he didn't admit to facts of the case, only that he would likely be found guilty if the case went to trial, so he was, therefore, accepting a plea deal more favorable than what he might receive if found guilty by a jury.

He faces a possible prison term of 20 years to life.

A car has reportedly struck a utility pole at 19 Walnut St., Batavia.

Injuries are reported. Two patients, one with a head and arm injury and the other possible minor injuries.

City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

The YNGodess Shop in Batavia today hosted a fundraiser to benefit the family of Michael A. Tenebruso, who succumbed to cancer Aug. 31.

The fundraiser included a chicken BBQ sale and a basket raffle.

Above, Amy Kelsey and Chris Crocker, owner of YNGodess, prepare a pair of chicken dinners.

Flamenco guitarist Dan King provided entertainment. King was born and raised in Batavia and currently lives in Rochester. He just released his first album, available on Spotify and Apple Music.

Press release:

Join us for some spooky fun on Saturday, Oct. 20th, when the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia.

The tours will feature the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia.

The guided tour will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both: Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth the unknown victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons. These are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

Also visiting will be: Rev. John H. Yates, poet, preacher, philanthropist, journalist and author of nationally known hymns; Civil War veteran General John H. Martindale, who was Military Governor of the District of Columbia in 1865; and Dean and Mary Richmond, who greatly influenced civic life in Batavia in the 1800s, will meet with guests in their mausoleum on the last stop of the tour.

Dean Richmond made a great fortune in Great Lakes shipping and was the second president of the New York Central Railroad. Mary Richmond vastly expanded her husband’s fortune after his death and sat on the boards of many businesses and civic organizations. 

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Reservations are required.

Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, contact 343-3220.

The Genesee Rugby Club opened its home schedule Saturday with a match against the Binghampton Barbarians at the Batavia Sports Park.

The local club won 17-5.

Their next home game is at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Batavia Sports Park.

Press release:

The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund on Friday announced Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel as the host of the 2019 New York Sire Stakes Finals, also known as the “Night of Champions.” The Fund’s Board of Trustees selected Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel at a scheduled board meeting Sept. 7, following a proposal submission process. The date for the 2019 Finals has yet to be set.

The Fund invited race tracks from across New York State which host New York Sire Stakes events to submit proposals. Tracks were considered on various criteria including the offering of a 24-hour detention barn, ability to promote the event and offer an exciting fan experience. Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel was chosen based on the merits of an impressive proposal, and its capacity to host the championship finals for the top state-bred 2- and 3-year-old Standardbred horses.

"Batavia Downs Gaming is extremely proud and excited to have been selected to host the 2019 New York Sire Stakes Finals,” said Todd Haight, director/GM of live racing at Batavia Downs Racetrack. “This series has annually been a centerpiece of our live racing presentation since its inception in 1965, as our track has been so committed to the development of New York-bred horses going back to the 1950s when we facilitated our own colt and filly stakes.

"We look forward to welcoming all the owners, horse people and horses that make the New York Sire Stakes the premier program of its kind, to Batavia Downs to enjoy our new paddock, new hotel and excellent clubhouse facilities."

“The Sire Stakes Night of Champions shines a spotlight on the excellence of our equine industry, which supports the agricultural economy across the State,” said M. Kelly Young, executive director, Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. “Having hosted significant New York Sire Stakes events in the past, Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel will provide an excellent showcase for the 2019 'Night of Champions,' our premier event of the season. Batavia Downs offers a fantastic clubhouse and fan experience that will only complement an outstanding racing program.”

The 2018 “Night of Champions” is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22, hosted by Yonkers Raceway. The eight-race event will hand out $1.8 million in purse money.

The New York Sire Stakes program promotes the breeding, buying, and racing of Standardbred horses in New York State, and is administered by the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. It was the first program of is kind, featuring 2- and 3-year old colts and fillies, and has become the model for state-bred racing programs in North America.

About the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund:

The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund is a public benefit corporation established in 1965 by the Laverne Law (Laws of New York, Chapter 567 of the Laws of 1965). The mission of the fund is to promote agriculture through the breeding of Standardbred horses and the conduct of equine research within the state. To carry out its legislative mission, the Fund administers the New York Sire Stakes races, Excelsior/State Fair Series races, and County Fair Races. Additionally, the Fund provides assistance to county agriculture societies and contributes to the statewide 4-H program and to the Harry M. Zweig Fund for Equine Research.