There has yet to be another meeting scheduled of GOP chairs in the New York 27th Congressional District and Genesee County's GOP chairman, Dick Siebert, isn't feeling overly optimistic that the chairs will find a way to get the name of Chris Collins off the November ballot.

Collins, the two-term congressman for the NY-27, suspended his campaign a month ago after being arrested by federal authorities for allegedly providing an illegal stock tip to his son, Cameron Collins.

"I’ve got of got a feeling that he’s not coming off the ballot but what do I know," Siebert said. "How it looks at this stage is, he’s on the ballot."

Siebert hasn't heard anything from the other chairs since the eight of them from the district met with potential candidates to replace Collins a week ago. 

There have apparently been attempts to find a ballot line for Collins in a more diminutive seat in a town in Erie County, but as the Clarence Bee reports, those efforts aren't being embraced by local town officials.

Siebert said he isn't surprised.

"He’s pretty toxic," Siebert said. "I’m sure some town boards wouldn’t want anything to do with this."

All of that wrangling, though, Siebert said, is for others to worry about. Collins said he will cooperate with any effort to get his name removed from the NY-27 ballot, which Siebert said he is counting on, and then it's up to the attorneys to figure out how to do it in a way that will withstand a legal challenge by Democrats. As far as Siebert's concerned, the only job of the GOP chairs is to pick a replacement for Collins if his name is removed.

"If we do anything, let's find the best candidate, at least," Siebert said. "Let's try to find the best one if the opportunity presents itself and if it doesn't, well, then, we did our best to try and be ready."

There are reportedly still eight GOP hopefuls. Siebert noted that only one remains from Genesee County, Steve Hawley.

"I've lost two candidates, (David) Bellavia and (Mike) Ranzenhofer but I've still got one candidate and I think highly of him," Siebert said. "I thought Steve and Ranzenhofer both did very well and were both very highly rated by our group."

While Ranzenhofer has withdrawn his name from consideration, Hawley told The Batavian yesterday that he's waiting for the process to play out, at least for now.

Right now, it looks like there will be professional baseball in Batavia in 2019, according to General Manager Dave Chase.

As the team heads into its final week of the 2018 season (barring a playoff appearance), Chase said last night that he's pretty confident the team will be back -- he gave it a 90 to 95 percent chance -- and he said he's getting good signals from league officials.

“We do have a draft of the 2019 schedule and we’re on it, so I’ll take that as a sign we’re playing," Chase said.

The NYPL took over ownership of the Muckdogs early in 2018 and hired Chase, with decades of experience in Minor League baseball, to run the team. He promised to improve on-field playing conditions and in-stands fan experience. He thinks both goals were achieved.

"The team has played much better," Chase said. "We don’t win a lot at home but we’re usually in it in 7th, 8th, and 9th inning and we believe if you’re not going to win them, at least be in them, and then when people go home, they’ll forget whether you won or lost, they’ll just know they had something to cheer about late in the game."

Attendance continues to be a concern but Chase said some of the attendance problems can be blamed on the late start he and the rest of the front office got on preparing for 2018. Tickets sales, including season ticket sales, started later than normal and there was no time to push group sales. While support from the local business community was very good this year, Chase said, the staff needs more time than they had in 2018 to work on obtaining sponsorships.

The biggest improvement has been on the field, especially the infield. In April, the infield was laser-leveled with the help of Batavia Turf and DuraEdge and the infield dirt was replaced with the same mixed by the Miami Marlins on their home field. Joe Mogavero took care of the field for more than the first half of the season and then Cooper Thomson finally got his visa to fly in from Australia and become the new head groundskeeper at Dwyer Stadium.

The improvements have been noticeable by players, coaches, and the front office, especially since Cooper Thomson joined the staff.

"Cooper was by far a step in the right direction," Chase said. "He has a vision. He knows what he wants. The question will be whether I can afford it but we are talking about him coming back in April.

That's well in advance of the 2019 season, but not as soon as Chase would like to get him to come back to Batavia.

"I tried to get him to come in March but he said his heart would break if he had to look at a baseball field covered in snow," Chase said.

Manager Mike Jacobs took over the team in 2017 and returned in 2018. He said the improvements on the field and off have been welcome by both him and the players.

"It’s been great, just even on the field, new dirt, finally got our regular head grounds crew guy and he’s been great, Cooper," Jacobs said. "Since he's been here, the surface has played extremely well compared to what it was last year. They’ve made improvements inside the clubhouses on both sides. There are still things to touch up but overall I can’t complain. It’s been great."

The field is also getting high marks from the players, especially those who played on it in 2017 and came back in 2018. Both Demetrius Sims and Sean Reynolds said the improvement was noticeable on the first day of the season and the field has only gotten better as the season has gone along.

"We always looked forward to playing on the road last year but with the improvements from last year to this year, it’s been a lot better with the surface and all the upgrades to the field," Sims said.

Reynolds said he's impressed with the work Thomson has done since he joined the team.

"(He) has done an unbelievable job making sure the field is in shape every night," Reynolds said. "The surface itself is 10 times better than it was last year. Last year it was like, you didn’t know if you were going to be playing on gravel or sand every night. That’s been great."

While Chase is also pretty confident the Marlins will be the Major League parent of the Muckdogs again in 2019, that decision won't be made until the middle of September or later.

Jacobs said he thinks the Marlins should come back to Batavia and neither Sims nor Reynolds expressed any reservations about the team returning.

The one thing they all want to see is more fan support.

"We don’t have the biggest crowds," Jacobs said. "I would say this year we’ve had bigger crowds then what had in the past and that’s a testament to the front office here in Batavia, whether through advertising or whatever to get fans in the stadium. You look at a night like tonight and it was pretty filled up for a Tuesday.  I know they’re trying and I would like to see us be able to come back."

Reynolds said if Batavians want to keep professional baseball in Batavia, they probably need to come to more games.

"Obviously, places like State College and Mahoning Valley, Tri-City, wherever else, they have a pretty cool set up compared to this," Reynolds said. "I think it’s just a matter of people getting out to the game. I know every year there’s kind of deal where it’s like nobody wants baseball in Batavia to leave because it’s a staple of minor league baseball but at the same time if you don’t want it to leave then, you know, you’ve got to show a little bit of support."

The fan support, he said, matters to the players. There should be more games like the July 3 match against West Virginia when Dwyer was packed.

"There was, what, 2,500 people (ed. a little over 2,300) here, I think, and that was incredible because they were all cheering and they were chanting for us to win," Reynolds said. "That’s what real baseball should feel like."

If asked by a prospect just starting out his career next year whether Batavia was a good place to play ball, Sim said he would say yes, but with a caveat.

"It depends on where you’re from," Sims said. "If you’re a big city guy, then you’ve kind of got to adapt to the area and what’s around, but it’s been more than welcoming to be back here."

Top photo: Manager Mike Jacobs in the dugout on opening night.

Muckdogs Manager Mike Jacobs says Sean Reynolds, is, without a doubt, his most valuable player in 2018.

That might surprise anybody who knows that Reynold's has one of the lowest batting averages in the NY-Penn League (.192, fourth lowest of qualifying players) and has already broken the league's single-season record for most strikeouts (currently, 121, with nine games to go, breaking the previous record of 117 set in 1982).

But Reynolds also leads the league in home runs (16), RBIs, (47), Runs scored (47), base on balls (40) and leads his team in stolen bases (13). He's also the only player in the NYPL to play every inning of every game (70 so far).

"Without a doubt, he’s having a great year," Jacobs said. "It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to watch the progression of watching him continue to get better every day."

This is the second season in Batavia for the 20-year-old Southern Californian who was a fourth-round draft pick right out of Redondo Union High School for the Marlins in 2016.

The Marlins will be patient with their young power bat, Jacobs said. 

"What he can bring to the table you just can’t find that every day," Jacobs said. "I think the more he plays, the more games he plays, he will cut down on his strikeouts. I think he will put the ball in play more, and ultimately if he just does that, all those numbers are going to continue to rise."

Reynolds is well aware of his strike out record and his average but he's also pleased with his progress and believes he will continue to improve the more he plays.

"Obviously, that’s the thing going forward in my career that’s going to be the focal point, being able to put the ball in play more," Reynolds said. "Personally, I don’t see any reason why I can’t improve because it’s all about getting at-bats. This is my first full year in a sense of playing over 70 games and getting 300-plus plate appearances."

At 6'7", Reynolds invites comparisons to Dave Kingman, AKA "King Kong," who hit 442 major league home runs over 16 seasons starting in 1971. He also struck out in prodigious numbers (153 times in 1975, when he hit 36 homers for the Mets, and 138 times in 1979 when he hit 48 homers for the Cubs). He finished with .236 career average.

Whether Reynolds makes contact more often, time will tell, but he is arguably already better than Kingman in one key aspect of baseball: Defense. 

Where Kingman was atrocious in the field (career .895 fielding percentage including 3B and outfield) Reynolds is already doing better (.983) and has improved throughout the season.

"A lot of people may not realize it but he’s played outstanding first base for us," Jacobs said.

Jacobs knows a thing or two about hitting the ball hard at the major league level (100 career homers, including 32 for the Marlins in 2008) and Reynolds credits Jacobs for helping him get better.

"Jakes is a big the influence on me, him and Jesus Merchan, our hitting coach," Reynolds said. "He’s been able to help me with things I wouldn’t even think about because he’s played and been around the game for 20-plus years now. He’s been in the big leagues and able to have a lot of success in the big leagues for the time he was there. When I’m not going good, he knows what to say and how to help me out without saying too much, and then when I'm going good, it's a high five when I’m going around third base and that’s all I need."

Reynolds knows he's getting better and he's obviously playing with more confidence.

"It’s funny we should talk about this right now because this was probably my best series of the year," Reynolds said (he had five hits, three homers, six RBIs). "I was more consistently putting bat to ball and making loud outs even if I wasn’t getting on base, so that was good to feel but obviously for every success and every home run there’s been a lot of struggle."

If Reynolds were hitting .250 instead of .192, he would probably already be holding down first base in Greensboro or Jacksonville. As it is, State College last night showed enough respect for his bat that they used a defensive shift on the left-handed hitter, something you rarely if ever see in short-season Class A ball.  

He was also a member of the NYPL's 2018 All-Star Team.

"You look at where he was last year and you look at even where he was in spring training and the improvement is 10 fold," Jacobs said. "He didn’t hit one homer in spring training and he played in a lot of games down there and obviously you see the numbers he’s putting up and, really, the batting average, it is what it is. He has a lot of swing-and-miss but there’s also a lot of damage that’s in that bat."

Photos: File photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Come explore the active and adventurous sport of orienteering at the Genesee County Park & Forest! Learn how to find your way without batteries or a cell phone signal, by using a map and compass. All materials provided, no experience necessary! Orienteering is a family friendly sport for people of all ages and ability levels.

Join us for the Orienteering Event with the Rochester Orienteering Club on Saturday, Sept. 15th, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This program is FREE.

Meet at the Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest. Beginner class and basic training will be given from 9 to 10 a.m. Orienteering start is open 10 a.m. to noon.

All courses close at 1:30 p.m. Perfect for individuals and families who love the outdoors!

Come have some fun and find your way in New York State’s First County Forest. More information on the sport of orienteering and the Rochester Orienteering Club can be found here.

Please preregister online here or by calling 585-344-1122.

For additional information on programs at the Genesee County Parks visit our website here, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or 344-1122.

Information provided by GCC:

Two artist receptions will be held simultaneously at Genesee Communtiy College tomorrow afternoon (Aug. 30) and the community is invited to attend.

"Portraits on Recycled Trash" is a collection of paintings and drawings by Dion Hitchings which offer a glimpse into his unique world.

On display now through Sept. 22, this glimpse is available to the public through a display in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery at Genesee Community College in Batavia. There will be a gallery reception with the artist at 1 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Hitchings' exhibit features portraits created on recycled trash; empty cereal boxes, discarded furniture, and other non-traditional media deemed "trash" by society. In Hitchings's Artist Statement, he describes his process of "break(ing) down pre-existing print, images and textures while allowing the type and pictures from the recycled objects to become organically part of the portrait" he creates with crayon, marker and other supplies.

The resulting portraits appear shattered and broken, often with missing pieces and "form a more powerful, interesting and often disturbing viewpoint" says Hitchings in his Artist Statement. More of Hitchings's work is available on his website here.

Also now on display at GCC through Sept. 22, in the Stuart Steiner Theatre Lobby, is an international photography exhibit called "Landscape Interaction/ Intervention." It features work of students at both GCC and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)​ in Melbourne, Australia. Contributing photographers will join the reception in the theatre lobby on Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. and again at 5 p.m.

Expanding the boundaries of education, students in Genesee Community College's Intermediate Photography Class have collaborated with teachers and students at RMIT to create an impressive photography exhibit. It is the result of a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) assignment, which brings the resources, teachers and students from GCC into a virtual classroom with those at RMIT.

The two institutions use Google Drive, e-mail and social media channels to share lectures and resources and to work collaboratively on progress critiques and assessments. For this assignment, students were challenged with expanding their knowledge of their surrounding landscapes while applying not only trans-national but trans-cultural and trans-photography concepts between the two countries.

In the artists' statement describing the exhibit, GCC student Kasey Edgerton names the rapid adoption of technology as the primary catalyst to the loss of humanity's "innate bond to nature" and its "alienation from the natural world."

About Roz Steiner Gallery

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery is open to the public Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery is also open during special events as published at www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts. Admission is free.

For more information, contact Gallery Coordinator Mary Jo Whitman at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6490, or via email: mjwhitman@genesee.edu.

Submitted photo above: "Thaw" by GCC Student Lucas Cook.

Lucas Cook's statement about "Thaw": It was finally sunny out and I was excited. Taken on the last day of Spring Break, I was fed up with the seemingly continuous cycle of gloomy days and snow showers. So, I made the most of the rare early Spring sunny day. Although, my time on my Spring Break had nearly run dry just like the frozen elements whose current state wouldn't last much longer. My laid back state at the time wouldn't last much longer either, as the relaxed days of Spring Break were gone. As I'm writing this, the semester is coming to a chaotic close and after this wave of academically induced stress clears, I'm looking forward to letting this hectic life thaw out and relaxing once again."

Submitted photo above: ​"The Irony Toilet" by artist Rohan F. Saric-Skews, RMIT University of Melbourne, Australia.

Saric-Skews' poetic caption for "The Irony Toilet":

"Sitting lonely,

Confined by vastness,

Sheltered by hefty resilience,

An Iron toilet lay.

However, 

The irony lay,

In its exteriors, 

Ecological dismay. 

Corrugated Iron; a modern day luxury of the developed world, that is derived from elements of the earth. The Irony Toilet intervenes ones view of the landscape as an entirely natural space, preventing our ability to maintain a distanced gaze."

Photo: Sara Vacin, of Batavia, is the GCC's first diversity and inclusion coordinator.

Submitted photo and press release:

Officials at Genesee Community College secured a SUNY Performance Improvement Fund (PIF) grant for a new project entitled "Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion." This two-year grant will support the development of programs and strategies that advance inclusive excellence at GCC by providing opportunities for adjunct internships; faculty scholarship and mentorship; college-wide professional development; and direct support to diverse student groups.

Additionally, Genesee Community College will participate in the State University of New York (SUNY) Cultural Competency Community of Practice. The Community of Practice connects GCC with other SUNY colleges working toward similar objectives. Dr. Kate Schiefen, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, is serving as the College's principle investigator on this project.

This past June, GCC took the first step toward implementing the Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion project by naming Sara Vacin, of Batavia, as the College's first diversity and inclusion coordinator. As such, Vacin will work with various departments within the College to accomplish the following three strategic priorities:

• Create a training video for hiring committees to understand and combat implicit bias;
• Establish a mentorship program for potential underrepresented adjuncts;
• Design a visiting scholar program to allow faculty members to experience diverse campuses and shadow a faculty member in their discipline.

GCC's efforts directly related to the inclusive excellence can now be viewed on the new webpage here. In addition to promoting events, this webpage houses resources for faculty, students and staff on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as information on how to foster cultural competency.

In correlation with GCC's recently released 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, Framing Our Future, Vacin will work to "…cultivate a community that fosters respect and appreciation for individual and group differences, as well as demonstrate our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion throughout all endeavors." (2018-2023 Strategic Plan, Priority 3. (View the Strategic Plan here.)

Vacin earned a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion through Cornell University this year and graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Clinical and Applied Nutrition from New York Chiropractic College in 2010. She also earned certification for Secondary Education in 7-12th Grade Theatre Arts from the Graduate School of Education at Trinity University in 2005, and magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts from Towson University in 1999.

She has served as an adjunct professor at GCC since 2015 and at Niagara County Community College since 2009. She is currently the program developer and director for the Third Prison from the Sun Theatre Group at the Attica Correctional Facility, as well as teaches college classes there. She is excited to bring her theater skills to the development of the video and to use her extensive teaching and presenting background to educate the campus and community on the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Submitted photo and press release:

In 2010, Erinn Diaz founded Letters From Home in Winston-Salem, NC, with a mission to tour the country honoring our nation’s veterans, active military heroes and their families, by reviving patriotism through music. Since that time it has become one of the fastest-growing musical movements in the nation, touring over 40 states.

The show is coming to Batavia at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5, for the residents and families of the New York Veterans’ Home, 220 Richmond Ave.

Letters From Home is a group that travels the country on a mission to revive patriotism (not politics)...through MUSIC! The performers present high-energy singing and dancing reminiscent of the USO shows of years ago, all in support of veterans, active military and families. This show is PERFECT for your veteran neighbor, friend, or relative.

The incredible singing harmonies, charming personalities and phenomenally energized tap dancing will have you rolling in the aisles with laughter and reviving your patriotic passion!

Diaz produced the show at the suggestion of her late father, Pat Dearth, a Coast Guard veteran. She is currently touring several versions of Letters From Home, and is also the founding artistic director of Spring Theatre in Winston-Salem, a published author, a national tap dance champion and has been seen in more than 200 productions and movies.

The show will not only feature Diaz, but also Dan Beckmann, of Minneapolis, who has performed in six of seven continents. Dan currently resides in New York City, and will be joining Diaz as her duo show partner in the charming tribute, “Voices of Victory.”

With six games left in the season, including three-straight day games at home, the Batavia Muckdogs are contending for a post-season playoff berth.

They could get there by making up a four-and-a-half-game deficit behind division-leading Mahoning Valley, their next opponent on the road, and three and a half behind Brooklyn in the wildcard race. Any combination of two Muckdog losses or two Mahoning Valley wins would eliminate Batavia in the division (in other words, the Muckdogs must sweep the Scrappers) and in the wild-card race, the magic number is four.

That means, the hometown team can't really afford to lose any of their final six games.

Fortunately, they're the hottest team in the NYPL right now with four straight wins and a 7-3 record over the last 10 games.

"Our fate is in our hands," said manager Mike Jacobs after last night's 8-1 win over State College, completing a three-game sweep of their division rival. "The step coming in and taking care of business these last three games like we have. If continue to play the way we’re playing, it may go down to the very last game and it’s exciting."

Last night, the Muckdogs scored early and scored often, taking a 2-0 lead by the bottom of the first and piling on six more runs in the third.

The first two runs came on a home run by third baseman Bubba Hollins, an undrafted signee of the Marlins from Orchard Park who played college ball at St. Bonaventure University. Hollins is on his second stint with the Muckdogs, after a cup of tea with the team in 2017. This was his first home run with Batavia.

With one out in the third, Hollins drew a walk, setting the table for Sean Reynolds, who whacked his league-leading 16th homer of the season over the right-field wall. 

The rest of the scoring came on walks to Albert Guaimaro and Igor Baez, a double by Ricardo Cespedes, a Luke Jarvis single, and ground out by Davis Bradshaw.

Josh Roberson, from North Carolina, worked five innings, giving up only one run and picking up his first NYPL win on a 1.80 ERA.

Big Texan Tyler Kolek (top photo and second photo) worked two scoreless innings, whiffing three, and Panamanian Humberto Mejia came on for the final two frames and also K'd at trio of Spikes.

The next home game, the final homestand of the season, is Saturday at 1:05 p.m. against Auburn.

Brayan Hernandez

Luke Jarvis

Demetrius Sims

Demetrius Sims at short.

Albert Guaimaro

The Oakfield-Alabama Central School District will welcome its young stars in the making by rolling out the red carpet, literally, on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 5.

They have been busy gearing up for another exciting academic year and the Red Carpet Welcome is just the ticket to kick things off spectacularly.

Friends and family are welcome to be there to greet students beginning at 8:15 a.m., with the actual back-to-school walk down the red carpet at 8:45 ("Lights! Camera! Action!") 

(Alas, autographs would only hold up the line...)

Feel free to bring your cameras, and signs welcoming students back and encouraging them. Flash your biggest smile and employ your loudest cheering voice, say Elementary Principal Lynn Gehlert and Interim Assistant Principal Jennifer Stearns.

In other words, make a big, auspicious spectacle.

Press release:

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s May 2018 decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which freed states to legalize sports betting, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today released a new proposal to establish a desperately-needed federal framework to protect consumers and the integrity of sports.

Senator Schumer’s proposal, Protecting the Games We Love After Murphy v. NCAA: A Federal Framework for Consumer Protection and Sports Integrity, is centered around three core principles: protecting young people and those suffering from gambling addiction, protecting the integrity of the game, and protecting consumers and individuals placing bets.

Specifically, the federal framework, which Senator Schumer hopes will be taken under consideration as state legislatures across the country begin efforts to develop legislation in the coming weeks and months, includes proposals to prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from betting, require that official league data be used to determine betting outcomes, require agreement between the league or appropriate governing body and those entities taking bets on what types of bets will be permitted, and much more.

“As a New York sports fan – especially my Yankees and Giants – and a senator, my priority in the wake of the Murphy v. NCAA decision is making sure the integrity of the games we love is preserved, that young people and those suffering from gambling addiction are not taken advantage of, and that consumers that choose to engage in sports betting are appropriately protected,” Senator Schumer said.

“With the Supreme Court’s ruling, it’s incumbent on the federal government to take a leadership role and provide the necessary guidance to prevent uncertainty and confusion for the leagues, state governments, consumers and fans alike.” 

Senator Schumer continued, “The stakes are too high -- legal sports betting laws must be crafted and executed in a careful and thoughtful way. As state legislatures develop new legislation in the weeks and months ahead, I hope they will take these principles under consideration. I also support the efforts in the Congress to debate and develop bipartisan federal legislation that would adhere to these principles. The integrity of sports is too precious to not protect as best we can.”

Senator Schumer’s full proposal, “Protecting the Games We Love After Murphy v. NCAA: A Federal Framework for Consumer Protection and Sports Integrity,” can be found here and the key components of the proposal are follows: 

1. Protecting young people and those suffering from gambling addiction: Senator Schumer believes minors should not be encouraged to participate in sports gambling, and adequate resources must be provided to support those struggling with gambling addiction. To this end, Senator Schumer’s federal framework proposes to:

a. Prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from betting.

b. Prohibit advertising targeted at young people and otherwise require responsible advertising.

c. Require that information be provided by any entity taking bets about the dangers of addiction and available resources to help encourage responsible betting.

2. Protecting the integrity of the game. In order to protect the integrity of professional and collegiate sports a strong framework must be provided for coordination and enforcement. Therefore, Senator Schumer proposes the following:

a. Require that any entity accepting bets share appropriate information in a timely fashion with the league or governing body of the sport in question as well as relevant state, federal, and tribal law enforcement or other appropriate oversight bodies. This data should be scrubbed so that personal and sensitive information has been removed but must be sufficiently detailed so as to provide the league or governing body with a basis by which to identify problematic trends.

b. Require that all parties involved, including sports leagues, entities accepting bets, and state and tribal law oversight agencies where appropriate coordinate enforcement actions and notify each other of suspicious or abnormal activity or any other conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of a sporting event.

c. All leagues and sports should have effective tools to protect their own game and that includes strong limitations and prohibitions on any athlete, coach, official, team, or league representative from taking a financial stake in any wager.

​3. Protecting consumers and individuals placing bets. As sports betting becomes legal it is important that those choosing to place bets are able to avail themselves of the same protections afforded to other consumers. To that end, Senator Schumer would:

a. Require that official league data be used to determine betting outcomes.

b. Require agreement between the league or appropriate governing body and those entities taking bets on what types of bets will be permitted.

c. Provide appropriate consumer protections and requirements that deter unfair or deceptive practices, and provide safeguards against financial crimes and predatory tactics. Furthermore, consumers should have a mechanism for appropriate redress should they be unfairly harmed by some betting activity or fraudulent scheme.

d. Provide a pathway for legal online and mobile betting so that sports betting can come out of the shadows and we can further remove the competitive advantage of illegitimate online sports books.

Nicholas Ronald Schramm, 18, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Schramm is accused of damaging property of another person while at a residence, not his own, on Byron Holley Road, Byron, on Monday. He was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Connor D. Gardner, 18, of Kemp Drive, Macedon, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Justin Daniel Pursel, 28, of North Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Pursel was allegedly involved in an accident on Batavia Elba Townline Road at 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The accident was investigated by Deputy Mathew Clor and Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Kyle J. Stack, 32, of Medina, is charged with DWI, unlawful possession of marijuana, and obstruction of governmental administration. Stack is accused of driving drunk in the Town of Bergen at 11:11 p.m. Tuesday though he was arrested by State Police in the Village of Medina. He was ordered held on cash bail. No further details released.

Quinton V. Holmes, 27, of Churchville, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, failure to keep right, and speeding. Holmes was stopped by State Police on Buffalo Road, Bergen, at 3:43 p.m. Saturday.

Jennifer L. Blake, 44, of Elba, and Christopher W. Blake, 44, of Byron, are charged with trespass. The two people were arrested by State Police for allegedly trespassing on property in Byron at 7:45 p.m. Thursday. No further details released.

Jay R. Howcraft, 58, of Rochester, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Howcraft was stopped by State Police at 8:21 p.m. Friday on Pratt Road, Town of Batavia.

Press release:

Late blight was detected in Genesee County on Aug. 28th. Late blight is a devastating, airborne disease of tomatoes and potatoes best known for causing the Irish Potato famine. Late blight is caused by a fungus-like organism that spreads dozens of miles on storm fronts.

Late blight can kill plants in just one week. Disease spots are often dark gray to brown in color and may or may not have a ring of pale green tissue around them. They are often irregular in shape and size, and often become as large as a quarter. Leaf spots will often have small fuzzy white spores on the underside of the leaf in wet and humid conditions.

Late blight will put dark brown to black smears on plant stems. Tomato fruit may also develop large, firm, greasy-looking, brown, gray, or black smears on the upper part of the fruit. Potato leaves show dark spots with fuzzy white spores on the underside during humid weather. Potato stems show similar lesions to those seen in tomato.

As this disease is aggressive and very damaging to area farmers, Cornell Cooperative Extension asks that anyone suspecting they have late blight please contact their local CCE office for assistance. In Genesee County, the CCE office can be reached at 585-343-3040. Commercial vegetable farmers should contact the Cornell Vegetable Program at 585-406-3419.

Some Batavia High School seniors have completed the design and painting of their parking spaces. Here are a few photos to share before the official full day of school starting next Thursday, Sept. 6th.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is doing pretty much what the rest of us in the 27th Congressional District are doing -- waiting to see if the regional GOP leadership can come up with a plan to remove the name of Chris Collins from the November general election ballot.

If that happens, he hopes the GOP chairs will select him as the Republican candidate for Congress to replace Collins, currently under federal indictment on counts of securities fraud and lying to the FBI about an alleged insider trading scheme.

"I know nothing more than when we met last Tuesday," Hawley said, referring to a confab of GOP chairs from the eight counties in the NY-27 at Batavia Downs. At the gathering, the candidates hoping to replace Collins on the ballot were interviewed. "We each gave a presentation. We talked about how each of us viewed what a congressman should be, we reviewed backgrounds, reviewed finances, reviewed whether we’re ready to go or not, which I am, and I haven’t heard anything since then."

David Bellavia, the other Batavia resident who considered a run for Congress if the GOP chairs could get the Collins name off the ballot, withdrew his name before Tuesday's meeting. Mike Ranzenhofer, the state senator for Genesee County, withdrew his name yesterday.

Hawley is by no means certain the county chairs have figured out a plan for getting the current congressman's name off the ballot.

"I have to say, the longer this goes on the chances of A) getting his name off B) having the court challenges, which there will be, makes me more and more happy that I’m running for reelection to the state Assembly," Hawley said. "If the process doesn’t heat up here pretty quickly, I’m going to be serving, hopefully, another term in the state Assembly."

That isn't to be read, apparently, that Hawley has any intention anytime soon of withdrawing his name from consideration. He wouldn't say that when pressed on the question, or at what point he might decide to withdraw.

"We'll play it by ear," he said.

Hawley said residents of the 139th Assembly District have been wholly supportive of his request to be considered for the Republican line on the November ballot in the congressional race.

"I’ve received nothing but encouragement from the moment Mr. Collins suspended his campaign and, as I mentioned before, all kinds of emails, all kinds of Facebook posts, all kinds of personal visits from constituents," Hawley said. "This is all about people I’ve been able to serve the past 12 and a half years. They’re the ones who encouraged me to look at it and that’s what I try to model myself after, what people want."

L&M Speciality Fabrication is moving from Albion to a new, bigger location on East Saile Drive, Batavia, and today, company owners and local officials officially broke ground on the site of the new 23,000-square-foot facility.

The company specializes in onion harvesting equipment, custom farm machinery and repairs of farm equipment.

The company is investing $2.2 million in the project. The new facility will include a production area and retail space for farm equipment parts.

Co-owner Lee Schuknecht said the new location was attractive because it's central to three rural counties (Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming), Batavia is already a central location for businesses that support farmers, and West Saile Drive has easy Thruway access.

While the company might be known for its onion harvesting equipment, L&M works with farmers to meet a variety of needs. They've built harvesters for other crops as well as custom conveyors and wagons for a variety of produce.

"With most farmers, we try to figure out their needs for different growing areas and try to meet those needs," Schuknecht said. "A lot times people come to us with something they need or a problem they have and we try to engineer a solution for their problem, so a lot of things we do, we may only build one or a couple."

Genesee County Economic Development Center assisted the project with a sales tax worth $84,000 for building materials and supplies, and property tax abatement valued at $158,656. The company currently has seven employees and plans to hire two more once they are in their new building.

Photo: Chris Suozzi, VP of business development for GCEDC, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Lee Schuknecht, Matt Geissler, Sarah Geissler, Robin Schuknecht, and Dale Schuknecht. Lee, Matt, and Sarah own the business. Dale and Robin, parents of Lee and Sarah, assist in the business.

Press release:

Sleep Insights, a local sleep medicine practice, is now offering testing at their Batavia sleep center.

The sleep center provides board-certified sleep physician appointments (ages 5+), home sleep apnea testing, overnight/daytime sleep testing and CPAP services. They are the only sleep medicine practice in Batavia and the surrounding area to comprehensively offer all these services all at one location. Sleep Insights is neither owned by nor affiliated with a hospital system.

In January, Sleep Insights moved into 47A Batavia City Centre and has been remodeling ever since: new interior paint, exterior lit signs, and the creative use of space for patient appointments and sleep testing offers a welcoming environment. The bedrooms resemble upscale hotel rooms with cable TV, WiFi, and sinks.

A small snack and beverage area is available, as is curbside parking for testing patients.

“We want people to feel relaxed and comfortable at our practice, particularly our overnight/daytime testing patients,” said Dr. Jacob Dominik, Sleep Insights’ medical director.

In addition, Dr. Kenneth Murray, a board-certified sleep specialist and neurologist, joined Sleep Insights and began seeing patients at the Batavia location in response to patient demand.

“We’ve seen a steady increase of new patients since we opened here, so that tells there was an unmet need,” noted Dr. Dominik, “People come to us for all types of sleep issues and questions. Testing isn’t always needed, so that definitely shouldn’t deter people from seeking help.”

People go to a sleep specialist when they aren’t regularly waking up and feeling refreshed or when they suspect they have a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, insomnia or parasomnias such as sleep walking, nightmares or sleep paralysis. Many patients are referred by their healthcare provider or dentist, but patients can self-refer to Sleep Insights for a physician appointment. 

Their new location provides a soothing, upscale environment with expanded room for CPAP supplies and support from a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Their phone number is 585.219.4330. New patient appointments are available and no healthcare provider referral is needed.

About Sleep Insights

Founded in 2005, Sleep Insights is a regional, comprehensive sleep medicine practice offering consultative, diagnostic testing and sleep therapy services. Sleep Insights is an independent sleep center, not owned by or affiliated with a hospital. The company’s main site is in Rochester, with 10 locations throughout Central and Western New York.