The leaves explode with color to mark the start of fall. It’s the season for apples, pumpkin-carving, graveyard walks and ghost hunts. The slight chill in the wind is refreshing, the smell of autumn is in the air.

It’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy all your favorite fall-related activities. From farm-fresh goodies to spooky surprises, we’ve rounded up a few of the best ways to celebrate the season, right here in Genesee County.

Ongoing Events & Activities

Roanoke Apple Farm
Let’s kick things off with a quintessential fall favorite -- apples! This year, Roanoke’s farm stand is serving up five different varieties of apple – Jonamac, Ginger Gold, Autumn Crisp, Gala, and Paula Red. Stop by with an empty belly, because apples aren’t all they offer. This apple farm in Stafford is also the place to grab apple cider, cider slushies, cider donuts, muffins and more.

Downtown Batavia Public Market
Stock up on delicious produce from local farmers! Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through Oct. 26, the Downtown Batavia Public Market is farm-fresh and full of fun. Browse through a selection of fruits, veggies, meats, flowers, maple syrup, wine, crafts… even treats for your favorite pup! There are only a few weeks left, so don’t miss out.

Fright Fest at Darien Lake Theme Park
Fright Fest is back! By day, families can enjoy trick or treating throughout the park, along with other kid-friendly activities. By night, the park transforms into a terror zone. Zombies roam the paths, turning this theme park into a scream park. Everywhere you step you’ll find new scares, haunted houses, mazes, and a “Spooktacular” laser light show. The fun and fright runs every weekend through the end of October. Check the calendar – times vary by day.

Ghost Hunts at Rolling Hills Asylum
History and hauntings go hand in hand here in Genesee County. At least, they do at Rolling Hills Asylum, considered the second most haunted site in the United States by Haunted North America. This place is not your typical haunted attraction. The spirits here are real, documented, and often cause the inexplicable to happen. If you’re brave enough to explore, public ghost hunts are happening now through October – and beyond! Rolling Hills is open year-round for the para-curious.

September Events

National Alpaca Farm Days
(9/29 – 9/30)
The last weekend in September marks National Alpaca Farm Days! There are five farms in Genesee County who are home to these fuzzy friends: Alpaca Delights, Alpaca Mercantile, Alpaca Play Pen, Enchanted Alpaca Forest, Northwoods Alpacas, and Triple B’s Alpaca Farm. Call to see if one near you is participating in Alpaca Farm Days – or schedule a private visit any time of year to experience alpacas up-close, feel their fleece, tour the farms, catch demonstrations on alpaca grooming and care, and even take home a soft souvenir.

October Events

Fifth Annual Fall for Le Roy
(10/6)
Fall for Le Roy is a hometown event celebrating the autumn season! Support small businesses and local merchants, catch demonstrations and open houses, or join in on an array of games – both for adults and for the kids. You’ll find special menus and drinks at the local restaurants, and endless amounts of fun in every direction. 

Downtown Batavia Wine Walk
(10/6)
New York State Wine, with a Hollywood twist. Need we say more? Take on the style of your favorite movie character, then taste your way through more than 20 local varieties of wine stationed at businesses across Downtown Batavia. As you wander from stop to stop, keep an eye out for creative and classy costumes – Best Dressed goes home with a prize. You’ll also have the chance to vote on “Best Place to Taste” for those businesses going above and beyond, participate in photo booth fun, and more.

Fall Foliage Train Excursion
(10/13, 10/17, 10/20, 10/21)
The best way to see fall foliage, might just be from a train. As the colors begin to pop, embark on a two-hour round-trip train ride with the Medina Railroad Museum. You’ll ride through wooded scenery and along the Erie Canal to see picturesque fall foliage, vibrant colors, and the beauty of Upstate New York. Lunch is available on the train for hungry passengers – or just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Halloween DIY Fairy Garden
(10/17)
Fairies are known to bring good luck with them wherever they roam. And the best way to welcome them to your home is by creating your very own Fairy Garden – a place built and tended with constant love and care. In the spirit of the Halloween season, join in on this Fairy Garden DIY class from 5 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Pudgie's Lawn & Garden Center in Batavia. Get creative with succulents, decorative stones and items, natural elements and colored sand. You’ll also have the choice of a fairy or gnome to add to your creation to make it complete! Cost for class is $20.

Westside Ghostwalk
(10/19)
Murder, hangings, grave robbers, ghosts, and other eerie happenings plague Batavia’s past. Take a walk on the west side, and you’ll learn it all, and the culprits behind these mischievous and murderous moments. This Halloween season join the Holland Land Office Museum for this dark tour of discovery and intrigue on Oct. 19.

Candlelight Ghost Walk of Historic Batavia Cemetery
(10/20)
Meet the notable men and women of Batavia – long after they’ve passed into the afterlife. At this Candlelight Ghost Walk, you’ll make your way through the Historic Batavia Cemetery, meeting costumed interpreters who are truly bringing the past to life. Encounter people like Philmon Travel, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the north, Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws, and William Morgan, a man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons. Learn the history of the area like you’ve never seen it before. Tours run every 15 minutes. Cost is $10 and proceeds help maintain the cemetery. Reservations are required.

For more fun fall activities right in your backyard, head over to www.visitgeneseeny.com. 

Deputy Corey Mower, resource officer for Pavilion Central Schools, shared this early morning picture from the school of the sun rising behind the flagpole.

Earlier tonight a caller on State Street reported a disturbance involving a large group of people at State and Lewis with the suggestion "you better send anybody."

Multiple units from Batavia PD, the Sheriff's Office, and State Police responded.

There was no physical altercation though some officers have remained on scene as area residents have continued to mill about in their yards with several people gathered at 131 State St.

At 9:30 p.m., even with officers there, a caller reported to dispatch that there was another disturbance though officers could not confirm any other disturbances in the area.

Witnesses said the disturbance started with a group of youths and then the adults got involved.

That has been the pattern most of the week they said.

The first disturbance was after Friday night's football game.

Police have made no arrests and no injuries have been reported.

A car vs. bicyclist accident with injuries is reported at 10273 Perry Road, Le Roy. Pavilion fire and Mercy medics are responding,

Photo, from left: Pat Stefani Iamon, Chris Stella, Dar Costa Hawkins and Bob Stefani stand in the piazza of Asiago, Italy. Photos provided by Pat Iamon.

By Pat Iamon

On the last day of a two-week trip to Italy a group of LeRoyans were able to visit their family’s homeland, Asiago, Veneto, Italy. The Go2Italy trip the group was part of was organized by Jim Frascati, owner of Capish! Pizza-ristorante on Main Street in Le Roy.

Frascati has been organizing trips to Italy for more than 20 years. He is an Italian American, a retired police officer from Rochester who came from Sicily as a teenager. Frascati speaks perfect Italian and escorts his trips with his partner, Frank Cordiddi, and their wives.

The trip began on Sep. 5^th on the doorstep of Capish! where the group of 46 boarded a bus to Toronto Pearson Airport. Their Alitalia flight dropped them off in Rome where they quickly boarded their connecting flight to Catania, Sicily. Once there, Go2Italy had a bus waiting with their personal driver of more than 10 years, Luigi.

A ferry, then "harrowing bus ride"

Over the two weeks the group toured Savoca, Mt. Etna, Taormina, Cefalu, and then left the island of Sicily in a ferry at Messina. The ferry took about 30 minutes to cross the couple mile Strait of Messina landing at Naples. The bus headed north along scenic highways up and around the mountains and through many tunnels.

The next few days the tour group took in Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and the Isle of Capri which included a harrowing bus ride through narrow mountain roads. The next stop was Rome where the group toured the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral. The next day they took in most of the other tourist sites in Rome.

The last hotel stop on the tour was Venice where the group took a water taxi to walk to St. Mark’s Square.

Before the final day of the tour Frascati tried in vain to rent a car and drive the group up to Asiago. However, it was Sunday and all the car rental companies were closed and not answering their phone. Frascati then helped the group hire a car and driver to take them up into the mountains to Asiago.

Rising up very early on Sept. 17, the group left their Venice hotel and boarded their van at 5:45 a.m. for the 90-minute drive to Asiago. Pat (Stefani) Iamon, her brother, Bob Stefani, and Chris Stella, who are from Lime Rock, along with Dar (Costa) Hawkins and her husband Ron, of Le Roy, rode along the three-lane highway to the two-lane mountain road.

Foothills of the Alps

That mountain road had many switch backs. As their van approached the foothills of the Alps the group anxiously awaited the sign announcing the little town of Asiago. The Stefanis' grandmother, Catherine Stella, came from Asiago with her family as child, her 4-year-old brother got sick and died before reaching the United States; their great-grandfather Stefani came as a young man.

Stella, whose grandparents were from Asiago, and Dar (Costa) Hawkins' grandparents also originated from there. Asiago at 3284-foot elevation is framed by Northern Italy’s picturesque limestone mountains.

“It looks just like a little Alpine village,” Iamon said.

The population today is about 6,500. There is a beautiful church in the heart of the village.

“It is such a quaint and welcoming little place,” said Dar Hawkins. The group stopped first at the piazza (village square), which is surrounded by many little restaurants and shops and town buildings that at the early hour were all closed.  In the piazza there was a stage with a colorful banner that seemed to welcome the group. The words on the upper left side of the banner, when translated to English, say: “Asiago a jewel in the midst of green.”

The group posed for photos that were taken by their driver, Allesandro, and a polite young man that was sitting on a bench there.

Cheese, green meadows, and graves

Asiago is famous for their soft cheese; as was evident by signage along the way and the cows grazing on the beautiful green meadows.

“It is the green mountain grasses the cows feed on that make the milk that make such delicious cheese!” Bob Stefani said.

The group headed into the countryside for a five-minute drive to the town’s beautifully kept country cemetery to look for their family names. At first it seemed like the gates of the cemetery were closed, however, there was an open door to the left of the gate that led to the main part of the cemetery.

The group spread out searching for graves with their surnames. It did not take long before they were able to find not only the graves of their families, but also other familiar Le Roy surnames such as Regoni, Bennetti and Forte.

No one in the group was certain what lured their ancestors from Asiago to the little town of Le Roy; however, rumors were that the stone crusher on Circular Hill Road sent for them to work at crushing and loading the limestone. Many in the group had ancestors; grandfathers, fathers, or cousins that worked at that facility, some retired from stone crushing at the plant.

“None of our family members ever returned to the village of Asiago or to Italy for that matter, which seems very sad," Iamon said. "I wore a locket containing my dad’s ashes that my son made for me. So, in a way I brought him with me. On our way back to Venice, we all felt quite nostalgic seeing and walking the same land that our ancestors spoke about and called home.

"We were all very happy that we had made the trip. Our ancestors must have really missed this beautiful scenery and rolling hills in this lovely town. I would certainly like to visit here again!”

Local government agencies are enjoying an additional $4.84 million in new revenue derived from projects approved for assistance from the Genesee County Economic Development Center since 2006, according to a report by CEO Steve Hyde to the County Legislature yesterday.

A key tax abatement awarded to qualifying projects is Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). While PILOTS afford companies some temporary tax relief on the increase in the assessed value of a property, the company is making PILOT payments and as the PILOT matures, new tax revenue is also generated.

Hyde said once all of the current PILOT projects on the books mature, additional tax revenue will surpass $7.5 million.

IN 2017, school districts in Genesee County received an additional $2.93 million in revenue from GCEDC projects, the county an additional $1.26 million, and local governments, $640,000.

"For every dollar, the county invests in economic development, we're seeing about $25 coming back in property taxes," Hyde said.

While GCEDC generates revenue for itself from fees charged to businesses that it assists, Hyde said it also relies on the financial support of the county, which has been reduced by 33 percent in recent years.

Meanwhile, GCEDC's workload has increased and the agency is actively marketing WNY STAMP in Alabama, which Hyde said continues to generate interest among site selectors, but for that $50 million project the IDA has only been able to budget $50,000 for marketing.

"That’s a bit of challenge right now but we work it and we’ll continue to work it," Hyde said.

GCEDC's support for business projects, Hyde said, have added 2.38 million square feet in new construction and another 1.28 million square feet in renovated space.

The number of PILOT projects in Genesee County in 2002 was 38. The peak was 2010 with 99. The number has fallen off steadily since then to 71 in 2017.

"Just because the number of our PILOTs are trailing off the past few years doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing," Hyde said. "It’s a good thing. It means we're graduating projects."

GCEDC is also working to help to finalize financing for the Ellicott Station project in Batavia. Hyde said it's the most complicated financing scheme he's worked on, and bringing state and federal requirements into line is a challenge. He's meeting today with the chief financial officer for Savarino Companies to work on some of those details. The IDA may need to adjust its initial PILOT plan for the project to help bring the pieces together.

The project has been delayed for months because of the difficulties faced by Savarino, the city and GCEDC in putting the financing package together.

Public Notice

Board of Fire Commissioners - East Pembroke Fire District: Resolution to Sell Equipment Subject to Permissive Referendum

Whereas, the Board of Fire Commissioners of the East Pembroke Fire District has determined that the 1991 Pierce Fire Truck is deemed surplus

Whereas, the vehicle is valued at $5,000; and

Now therefore be it resolved, the Board of Fire Commissioners has determined that the 1991 Pierce Fire Truck is deemed surplus and it shall be sold to the highest bidder.

This resolution is subject to permissive referendum of the qualified voters of the East Pembroke Fire District. The resolution shall take effect 30 days from the publication hereof unless a petition requiring a referendum is filed within said 30-day period, pursuant to section 6(g)(7) of the General Municipal Law.

William R. Joyce, Secretary

East Pembroke Fire District

Assemblyman Steve Hawley helps Bill Wakeman with his bag as he prepares to board the Trailways bus for Hawley's 11th Annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C.

The trip is a chance for veterans to visit war memorials in the nation's capitol. Each year, Hawley hosts two busloads of veterans on the trip.

In a statement issued after the departure, Hawley said: “Each of us owes our local veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice to defend the values and freedoms we hold dear.

"I am so grateful to be able to share the unforgettable experience of visiting our nation’s capital with these brave men and women each year on our Patriot Trip, and look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come.”

The players participating in the first season of youth flag football in Batavia got a special visit after their practice yesterday at Williams Park, Batavia, from Preston Teague, director of community relations for the Buffalo Bills.

Otis Thomas, one of the parents who organized the new league in Batavia, sponsored by the NFL, said Teague has been instrumental in promoting flag football youth leagues in Western New York, and has been helpful and supportive in getting the program in Batavia started. Teague said there are now 6,000 children participating in NFL-sponsored leagues in WNY.

Teague came with swag, handing out a few prizes to players who provided correct answers to trivia questions about the Bills, including a game football, an autographed hat, and an autographed cleat. All of the players also got other items including rubber footballs, yearbooks, towels, stickers and magnets.

Previously: Pair of football dads bring new NFL flag football league to Batavia

Carson Caton, 10, from Le Roy, won the game football, from the first game of the season, for knowing that Josh Allen is the highest drafted QB in Bills history.

A natural gas leak has been reported at Alpina Foods on Ag Park Drive, Batavia.

The building has been evacuated.

Town of Batavia fire dispatched.

National Fuel has been notified. No ETA.

A woman with a large bag has reportedly just left the Totem Pole on Ledge Road in Basom with a stash of stolen cigarettes.

The thief jumped into a maroon four-door sedan with a white male driver behind the wheel and headed east on Ledge Road.

Law enforcement is responding to the area to look for the vehicle.

UPDATE 8:43 p.m.: A BOLO (be on the lookout) for the vehicle has been issued to local law enforcement. It is a 2015 Nissan Sentra, color red.

Rep. Chris Collins announced on Twitter today that he will "actively" seek reelection to the NY-27 seat he's held through three terms despite being under federal indictment for alleged securities fraud, wire fraud and lying to the FBI.

Collins released his statement in a graphic. Below is the graphic:

Below is a response from Nate McMurray, who is challenging Collins in the November election:

Nate McMurray, the Democratic and Working Families Party Candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District, reacted to today’s news that indicted member of Congress and master insider trader Chris Collins would suspend suspending his campaign.
 
“It looks like the criminal is returning to the scene of the crime – and I’m not just talking about insider trading, lying to the FBI and everything else he’s been accused of – I mean the derelict(ion) of duty he did by ignoring his constituents and their interests for every second of his elected life.

"I’m curious to know what Mr. Collins means by ‘actively campaign’ because he hasn’t talked to his constituents, hasn’t held town halls, and has been hiding in his penthouse since the FBI arrested him. Now he thinks that the voters of this district who are getting hurt by a trade war, are struggling to make ends meet, and know that Washington is more corrupt than ever, he thinks they’re going to trust him? Give me a break. He looks out for himself. And maybe his donors.

"Chris Collins has been charged with a crime. He can’t buy his way back into his job.

"Chris Collins thinks the rules don’t apply to him. They do.

"Chris Collins represents everything that’s wrong with Washington.

"Chris, if you’re listening from Manhattan, here are a few words you may remember, ‘lock him up’ ‘drain the swamp’. I hear your next court appearance is on October 11. I bet some folks from NY-27 may take a road trip.

"In the meantime, I welcome you on the campaign trail, sir. Bring it.”

A hazardous weather outlook was issued this afternoon by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo.

It is for portions of Western New York, including Genesee County, through Tuesday.

This afternoon and tonight the probability of widespread hazardous weather is low. Gusty southwest winds will develop Friday ahead of a strong cold front. Winds may gust to over 50 mph northeast of Lake Erie, including much of the Niagara Frontier to near Rochester.

Scattered thunderstorms will then develop from mid-afternoon through mid-evening Friday along and ahead of the advancing strong cold front. There is a slight risk that some of these storms may contain damaging winds.

Throughout the concert season at Batavia Downs, basketball players at Elba High School volunteered their time after the shows to help with clean up, gathering recyclable bottles and cans.

Ryan Tenney, owner of McNickel's Redemption, on Ellicott Street, Batavia, collected the bottles and cans for redemption.

Today, he handed a $1,700 check to the Elba Sports Boosters.

Heather Dillion, not pictured, organized the bottle and can drive.

Photo: First row: Ryan Tenney, left, Mike Nolan, COO for Western OTB, Bill White, CIaci Zambito, Elba basketball coach, Henry Wojtaszek, CEO of Western OTB, and Jackie Leach, CFO of Western OTB. The basketball team is (not in photo order): Jon Boyce, Evan Hare, Colton Dillon, Collin O'Halloran, Greyson Huntington, Holden Brinkman, Tyler Stevens, Caleb Scouten, Andrew Hare, Jake Long, Zack Marsceill, Cj Gottler, Zach Howard, Jayden Hughes, Drew Hare, Travis Kauffman, Kyle Norton, Caden Muehlig, Nate Esten, and Jaykob Belluscio.

A corn chopper is reportedly fully engulfed in flames in a farm field at Colby and Sumner roads, Darien.

Darien fire is dispatched.

UPDATE 2:03 p.m.: Fire is out.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Darien fire is back in service.