WBEN's "Hardline with Hardwick" featured a debate between the three Democratic candidates for the 61st Senate District.
The full audio is available here.
It is, at times, a spirited discussion, with Joe Mesi and Michelle Ianello, especially mixing it up, while Dan Ward plays it more low key.
(via Albany's Insanity .)
They're back.
Students returned to class yesterday as Genesee Community College opened for the first day of classes of the fall semester. Enrollment was up over last year. First day totals came in at 4,098, up from the 4,032 from last year, and the college expects those numbers to increase as courses in area high schools get underway in the coming weeks.
Among those 4,000 students are nearly 100 from 19 countries around the world, proving once again that the college is an international destination. "Students came from Belarus, Canada, China, Columbia, El Salvador, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Mali, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, and Venezuela."
In addition, Genesee Community College is among 21 other campuses across the state to welcome 150 students from China.
[They come] from the city of Chengdu in the Sichuan Province of western China, which was the site of a massive earthquake in May. The students will have the ability to continue their college studies for one year in the United States and then return to their homeland to help with the rebuilding effort.
WBTA's Dan Fischer picked up some great audio of last night's concluding debate about the mall sign—which was approved for purchase by a vote of 6-2. He has posted the views of two City Council members who held opposing views on the mall: Rosemary Christian and Charlie Mallow.
In other news, the former highway superintendent of the Erie County town of Marilla, David Pierce, told a judge yesterday that "alcoholism and greed" made him break the law. Pierce was sentenced to seven months in jail for using town employees to work on his property, doing such things as building a fishing and swimming pond.
The Crosscutters (32-30) scored sixteen runs to Batavia's (39-24) seven to put an end to the Muckdogs' seven game win streak. Adam Veres (0-1) had a shaky start that gave him the loss. He lasted two innings with six hits, six runs, two walks and four strikeouts. For Williamsport, Justin De Fratus (5-4) picked up the win in five and a third innings with seven hits, four runs, four walks and nine strikeouts.
Williamsport got the lead right off the bat in the 1st on two singles and a double. Batavia answered with one run in the bottom of the inning when Jose Garcia reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and came home when Colt Sedbrook hit a double down the middle. However, the Crosscutters added twelve runs in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th innings to make the game unreachable.
Batavia wasn't quite finished, though, as they had a three-run 6th inning when Charlie Cutler and Jairo Martinez had back-to-back singles and Chris Swauger tripled to drive them in. Swauger then came in to score on a Brett Lilley single. They also had a three-run 8th inning. Swauger, Garcia and Sedbrook all singled and Shane Peterson had a two-run double, giving the Muckdogs seven total runs, but it was not enough as the Crosscutters plated sixteen on the night.
Swauger went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. Peterson was also 3-for-5 with two RBI. Sedbrook continued to raise his average, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Batavia looks to get back on the winning track Tuesday as they travel to Mahoning Valley for two games with the Scrappers.
While the "soap opera" (the phrase of the week, thanks to Jason Molino) of the Davis/Powers fight has provided many entertaining moments on The Batavian the past few weeks, Buffalo Pundit drags Alice Kryzan into the fray.
From the Buffalo News in 1998, Alice Kryzan spoke on the 20th anniversary of the Love Canal fiasco. (We just this year remembered its 30th anniversary):
Alice Kryzan, an attorney who represented Hooker and Occidental, said Hooker’s waste-disposal policies in 1978 “were entirely legal and well-ahead of the industry standards of the times.”
And, she said, scientific studies have yet to prove a link between chemical exposure of people living in the area and health effects.
In the more Democrat-than-thou debate, where do you think these three fall?
After weeks of asserting that he would not recuse himself from a City Council vote to purchase a sign for the mall, Councilman Bob Bialkowski abstained when it came his turn tonight, doing what everyone had been saying was the right thing to do and nullifying any purpose to convene the city's ethics board. So ends that debate.
That vote, by the way, won with a clear majority, and the city will purchase a new sign advertising the mall, not to exceed $20,000. Council members Charlie Mallow and Marianne Clattenburg voted against the purchase.
"I'm really frustrated with this whole situation," said Clattenburg. "I'm ambivalent on the sign. I was for it when we voted for the budget, but I don't know now that this has become so hostile."
After the vote, Bialkowski said that in the end he abstained so as not to hold up procedure.
"Everything else aside," said Councilman Frank Ferrando, "We took the sign down. We should put it back up."
If I may be allowed a moment to digress... Sometimes, folks, things just work out. Even in such municipal farces as these, what we all know ought to happen happens despite the rancor, despite the bitter clash of personalities and despite the obstinacy of otherwise good people who inexplicably act contrary to common sense. God bless America.
Council was also supposed to appoint a five member board of ethcis, but that was postponed owing to the efforts of Rosemary Christian who said she "didn't even know" the city was "looking for an ethics committee."
"My concern," said Councilman Tim Buckley, "is that nobody here can explain to me what exactly the ethcis board does. It might be spelled out, but there has been no action. I'd like to spend some more time on this and make sure it's done right. I'd like to define their job a little more, instead of just saying that these are members of a board that do nothing."
Council members Mallow and Clattenburg sounded the sole votes against postponing the appointments. Clattenburg said that such a move "means we're rejecting these members."
Mostly optimistic talk about Batavia's financial upswing at tonight's council meeting took on some shades of gray when the topic turned to the fate of the city's ambulance corps.
City Manager Jason Molino warned council that "we have to get a financially stable point" before the city looks forward to reacquiring services that have been cut down to keep a sinking ship from going under altogether.
"We talked about a surplus," he said, "but when you look at the cash perspective, there is no surplus. ... We're going to have to take another month to look at this [amublance service] and decide if you want to continue to supply this service or not. It's extremely expensive, and we cannot maintain it."
Little specifics were given—we will fill in more details tomorrow—but it was understood that the council would get together sometime in the coming weeks to consider whether to continue paying for its ambulance service.
Council President Charlie Mallow said that the city received a letter from the fire and ambulance union about the poor state of its emergency vehicles. We will get that letter.
"The ambulances are in disrepair," said Mallow. "There has been a lot of pressure to abandon this."
City Manager Jason Molino had a few words for the mall merchants in an article by Joanne Beck that appeared on the cover of the Daily News Saturday. Beck starts the article with a lengthy quote from Mitchell Chess, president of the Mall Merchants Association.
What Chess has to say can be boiled down to a single sentiment: "The situation needs to be resolved. Since we can't have those type of negotiations to resolve this amicably, we have to take the city to court." Chess has said this before: in news articles, in a letter to the editor, and here on The Batavian. In other words, this isn't really news.
What it is, instead, is a springboard, fashioned by Beck to allow Jason Molino a high dive into the foray—and that he does, with no lack of bravado.
But first a little background supplied by Beck: Following a somewhat productive meeting of the city and mall merchants in April, the relationship between the two sides quickly soured, and Molino blames it on the merchants, who in turn, blame the city.
Molino says the city was supposed to have six months to "gather information" related—I presume, as this "information" is never qualified outright—to a request by the merchants for repairs to the mall and replacement of the sign.
Not only has the merchants group not allowed the time necessary to do that, but it has fueled the matter by making negotiations public, he said.
...
It all became a "soap opera" that has done nothing to rectify the situation, he said. He stressed the importance for merchants to perhaps not to be so vocal.
"If you [the mall merchants?] continue with the unprofessionalism and badgering ... it's not going to move forward," [said Molino]. "We had identified the issues to be discussed, and we had a timeframe. This is very simple. If we want to resolve this issue, we can. If not, that's up to you. I will not engage in this public hysteria."
Fine bit of euphemism there: "the importance for merchants to perhaps not be so vocal." I like that. That's nice. A lot better than the more direct route: "Keep yer mouths shut!"
The saga continues tonight at 7:00pm at City Hall, when the Council will vote on whether to replace the mall sign, among other matters. I'll be there. Will you?
Batavia bids an early adieu to another of its downtown amenities. Last week, the city announced the closure of the spray park two weeks early due to mechanical problems. Today, the Daily News tells us that the downtown public market is closed for the season, several months early—it was supposed to run through October 11.
Business Improvement District (BID) Manager Don Burkel said the decision was made Friday due to "a shortage of vendors and the lack of community support." The market that opened in late June ran from 9:00am to 2:00pm Saturdays in the parking lot at Ellicott and Jackson streets. On opening day there were maybe 10 vendors total. Lorraine Schaub said she was one of only three vendors when she showed up for the market most days. Schaub owns Cookies & Milk inside the mall. She blamed Burkel and the BID for the poor support, citing a lack of planning and promotion.
Says Schaub: "I don't think they worked on it ahead of time. It's a good thing we had tents; otherwise nobody would've known we were there."
Another vendor, Joan Shuknecht, owner of Ole Barn Country Market of Elba, said the BID did a fine job of promoting the market. She said she was doing well at the market though she could have done better. That sentiment is contrasted with Shuknecht saying elsewhere that during the Summer in the City festival she had to throw out 10 crates of produce because of a lack of sales, in part due to a lack of access to the market because of all the efforts concentrated on Summer in the City. She then told Burkel she would not be returning to the market.
We have not yet been able to reach Burkel for further comment, though he told the Daily News that he is not sure the BID will again support the market in 2009.
In other news:
As always, we encourage you to get out and pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newsstands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.
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It was an honor and privilage to watch Joe Gerace at Batavia Downs Gaming this past Saturday night.
Joe spoke after the 7th race and being awarded for the "2008 Italian-American of the Year". Many Batavia residents, friends and family members gathered in celebration of Joe receiving his award. Joe thanked the love of his family, god and everyone who knew and supported him.
Here is a picture of Joe and his wife Lois just before entering the Batavia Downs. For more pictures of Joe receiving the award: Pick up your own copy of the Daily News at local newsstands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.
Batavia's City Council will meet tonight at 7:00pm at City Hall, according to WBTA. The meeting, originally scheduled for August 11, was postponed twice. Council is expected to vote on whether to fund the replacement of a sign for the mall. Also meeting tonight at 7:00pm is the Board of Education. They will assemble at the administration building on Washington Avenue.
No cause has yet been determined in the fire at Willow Industries at 34 Clinton Street that erupted Friday night. The fire was brought under control shortly after midnight. Damage was confined to the warehouse, and some of the materials inside are reported destroyed by fire. Steve Ognibene was driving by that evening when he spotted the fire trucks. He put together this video footage of the scene, which was sent to the Batavian over the weekend:
A four-run 8th inning for the Muckdogs (39-23) was enough to get the 4-3 win against Williamsport (31-30). Arquimedes Nieto (6-0) picked up the win, pitching the 6th, 7th and 8th with one strikeout. Adam Reifer (19) earned himself the save in the 9th with two hits, one run and two strikeouts. Jesse Oster (1-1) blew the save and got the loss throwing one inning with two hits, four runs and two walks for the opposition.
The Crosscutters started their early lead in the 3rd, scoring one run when Brandon Haislet singled, Bryan Frew walked and Steve Susdorf came up with a RBI single. They added another in the 5th after Haislet was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Haislet came around to score on a Susdorf sacrifice fly.
However, Batavia came through in the 8th to score enough for the win. Jose Garcia got on base with a walk and advanced on a wild pitch. Colt Sedbrook came up and singled to send Garcia home. After Osvaldo Morales also was walked, Xavier Scruggs drove one over the fence in right field to bring three runs home.
Williamsport threatened in the 9th by scoring one run on a Troy Hanzawa double and Tim Binkoski single, but Reifer struck out the next two he faced to finalize the win.
Sedbrook had a big game, having three of the team's five hits in four at bats, including a double, RBI and a run scored. Scruggs was clutch in his 1-for-3 day with a homerun and desicive three RBI. The Muckdogs look to sweep Williamsport and increase their streak tomorrow night at home.
Saturday's edition of Batavia's Daily News front-paged a story of our local law enforcement performing their duties in the full spirit of the oaths they take. Sheriffs deputies from Livingston, Genesee and Wyoming counties dovetailed their efforts in apprehending a group of robbers that have been victimizing local immigrant workers. Using the workers' fear of immigration authorities, these thugs forcibly invaded migrant housing, beating and robbing with the confidence that local law enforcement wouldn't be notified. However, local farmers worked with our law enforcement professionals to convince the victims to come forward.
' "Many of the victims felt helpless, due to the fact many were illegal immigrants in this country, fearful of reporting the crime and being deported," Livingston County Sheriff John York said Friday during a news conference.' But the local law saw things in black and white. Later in the article, York says, "....I want to make it clear to everybody that even illegal immigrants or legal immigrants have the right not to be victimized in this country."
Those sentiments were repeated by many of the fine people who worked in an "intensive, round-the-clock" effort to stop the victimization of some of the most defenseless among us. To read the story is to be proud that our law enforcement officials take their duty to "serve and protect" to mean they'll serve and protect everybody.
Batavia's (38-23) four errors looked to be costly, but the Muckdogs took the game into extra innings to get the 4-3 over the Williamsport Crosscutters (31-29). Josh Hester started the game positively, going five innings with four hits, one run (unearned) and three strikeouts. LaCurtis Mayes (4-0) threw the 11th and 12th innings for the win. He walked one while striking out three. Williamsport's Michael Schwimmer (0-2) got the loss in two and a third innings with two hits, one run, one walk and three strikeouts.
The Crosscutters led 1-0 after the 4th when D'Arby Myers reached on a throwing error and came around to score on a Steve Susdorf double. The Muckdogs took over the lead by scoring three in the 7th. Colt Sedbrook singled and Shane Peterson reached on catcher's interference. They then both advanced on a balk before Xavier Scruggs came up with a double to score them both. Charlie Cutler followed with a single to move Scruggs to third. A wild pitch then allowed him to score.
However, Williamsport came back in the next inning to even things up. Arlon Quiroz and Myers both singled, then Susdorf had a RBI double. The other run came on a sacrifice fly that scored Myers. The game remained at a 3-3 standstill until the bottom of the 12th inning. Edwin Gomez started off the inning with a single. After Frederick Parejo was intentionally walk, Sedbrook singled through the right side to let Gomez come in to score to win the game.
Sedbrook and Gomez both finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Xavier Scruggs went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. The two teams meet again today at 1:00.
The Muckdogs picked up a 4-3 Saturday night over Williamsport, and with Jamestown beating Auburn by an identical 4-3 score, Batavia retains its half gain lead in the Pinckney Division.
Xavier Scruggs went 2-5 and drove in two runs, while Edwin Gomez and Colt Sedbrook each gathered two hits.
The winning pitcher was LaCurtis Mayes (4-0) who tossed two innings of scoreless ball.
The starter, Joshua Hester, went five innings and surrendered four hits and one unearned run.
Hector Cardenas was tagged for two runs in 2 1/3 innings.
The Muckdogs move to 38-23 (Standings).
Attendance was 1,070.
A report in The Buffalo News seems to show why Jack Davis is ducking the debates proposed by the other two Democratic primary candidates, Jon Powers and Alice Kryzan. In a speech at The Center for Inquiry in Amherst,NY, Davis warned of a coming civil war in the Southwest.
"WASHINGTON — Congressional candidate Jack Davis, in a speech earlier this year, warned that increasing immigration from Mexico could lead to a new civil war between northern states and Mexican-influenced Southern states that may want to secede from the United States.
“In the latter part of this century or the next, Mexicans will be a majority in many of the states and could therefore take control of the state government using the democratic process,” Davis said in the speech. “They could then secede from the United States, and then we might have another civil war.”" http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/421229.html
Its the sort of thing that a Congressional candidate might not want to be associated with and Davis is expectedly trying to walk back from his statements. Sort of.
" Asked this week about his speech, Davis said he no longer believed Southern states would be prone to leaving the union in order to assert Mexican control over what is now U. S. territory.
“I think they’ll do it without a civil war,” he said. “They’ll take control of the state governments and start voting themselves anything they want."
There's a theme that runs through Davis' remarks that is distinct from any inference about his opinions of immigrants and farmers. It seems that Jack might be out of touch. In addition to telling local farmers to forget about immigrant labor , http://thebatavian.com/blogs/russ-stresing/where-am-i-how-did-i-get-here Jack doesn't seem to understand other things about the tough business of farming.
" Many Western New York farmers rely on migrant workers from Mexico to bring in the crops.
After hearing quotes from Davis’ speech, John Lincoln, the president of the New York Farm Bureau, said: “The farmers overall would be really concerned about his statement.”
Told what Lincoln said, Davis replied: “He’s not a regular farmer. He’s one of these big guys . . . I’d call him a multinational farmer.”
Lincoln, 70, is a dairy farmer with 200 head of cattle in Bloomfield, a village of 1,258 in Ontario County, southeast of Rochester. Asked if he had ever met Lincoln, Davis said he had not."
Jack's high paid handlers should be given credit for realizing that the highest level of stagecraft is what serves their candidate best. They are well advised to keep Jack away from spontaneous interaction with voters and to keep tight control over his press appearances. There's little likelihood of a debate or series of debate so long as Jack has the balance of his $3 million self-pledged campaign funds to buy TV ads and radio jingles.
With our 5th win in a row tonight, we hold on to our first place standing in the Pinckney Division. Jamestown was able to pull out a win in extra innings to remain just a half game back. Here's a look at where we stand in other areas of the NYPL:
Make sure you get to the ballpark this weekend for some great promotions! Tomorrow (Saturday) the first 500 fans will receive a Chase Utley bobblehead. Sunday, the ZOOperstars will be in town for some added entertainment at the game, and as always, kids can run the bases after the game.
I made a video of whats called a "Foxhole radio" takes no batteries info found on youtube if you notice at the end the radio station is WBTA. Pretty cool.
Into found on youtube about foxhole radios
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=foxhole+radio&search_type=&aq=0&oq=foxhole
All my video's found here some dumb some are OK if your into online games and electronics
http://www.youtube.com/toomyg155
This morning, Buffalo Pundit embeds a YouTube video that attacks Jack Davis for being old and rich -- nothing said about his positions on policies.
The video is cute and well produced, but it's also offensive.
First, Jack Davis is a self-made man. He represents the historical promise of America -- that anybody with a good idea, who works hard and makes good decisions can be successful. Attacking Jack Davis for being rich is like attacking America, because you're saying it's wrong to build successful businesses and to create jobs, and that people shouldn't have the basic economic freedom to benefit from the fruits of their labor.
Second, imagine a political video that attacked a candidate for being a woman, or black, or handicapped. Who -- especially among self-described progressives -- would find such prejudice anything but outrageously bigoted? So why is ageism suddenly OK? Is it bad to grow old, to acquire experience, to have a perspective that reaches back further than "Friends"?
The question needs to be asked: Are Democrats making a mistake to throw so much support behind Jon Powers while attacking Jack Davis so voraciously?
Voter registration for the 26th District, as of April 1, 2008, is 40 percent Republican. Despite the GOP stranglehold on the mostly rural counties, Davis picked up 48 percent of the vote in 2006, and his 44 percent in 2004 (when Bush garnered 55 percent of the district vote), was pretty darn respectable when compared to the 22 percent Ayesha F. Nariman tallied for the Democrats in 2002 (which shows you to what extent Democrats in the 26th are willing to vote Republican -- there still seem to be a lot of Reagan Democrats around).
In both of Davis' loses, he was running against an incumbent. This time, the seat is open.
Setting aside his wacky anti-immigration pronouncements, Davis has a message that appeals to rust-belt conservative voters -- protectionism on jobs, cut spending and taxes, save social security and reduce the influence of special interests.
While Powers has an admirable position on job growth, he seems squishy on spending and taxes (his website addresses neither issue). He'll be vulnerable to the tried-and-true GOP "Liberal" attack.
At first glance, Republican Chris Lee looks like an urbane empty suit. He has career-politician-in-the-making written all of him. He seems to have no ties to nor affinity for a rural county like Genesee. If he wins in November, he's likely going to represent Western New York for the next five terms.
So the question Democrats attacking Davis might want to ask themselves -- are they ready to accept that outcome?
Davis may not meet any body's picture of the ideal candidate, but at most, he's going to serve two terms, then the race is wide open again and anything can happen.
Just some food for thought. Again, I'm non-partisan and have no affinity for any particular candidate.
The Batavia Muckdogs improved their record to 37--23 with a 10-1 win over Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Dwyer Stadium tonight.
The Muckdogs retained their half-game first-place lead over Jamestown, who beat State College tonight 2-1.
Thomas Eager improved his record to 4-3 by going five innings and giving up only two hits and one run, though he did walk four.
Eager carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when a line shot from the first batter he faced bounced off his glove toward the third base line. The next batter singled to left and then Eager issued a walk. A run scored on a double play, and then Eager walked the next two batters -- missing badly on several pitches -- to load the bases again. He retired the next batter he faced, however.
(Sorry, while I was there -- I wasn't keeping score, so I don't have the names of the Scapper batters involved in that one-run inning.)
In only his third game as a Muckdog, second baseman Alejandro Castellanos went 3-4 with a triple and two RBI.
Chris Swauger also had three hits, while Edwin Gomez and Cold Sedbrook each had two (Box Score).
Eight of the Muckdog's runs came in an explosive third inning, which proved to be a preview of the fireworks that would follow the game.
The post-game show was worth the $5 GA by itself. It was a major league exhibition lasting for at least 20 minutes.
The announced paid attendance was 1,490.
There should have been at least another 1,000 people there to see the first-place Muckdogs continue its quest for a division crown (not to mention the great fireworks show).
Dave Wellenzohn was energetic as always with between inning games and promotions. He certainly throws himself into supporting the team.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see my favorite Muckdog, sweet-swining Beau Riportella, who rode the bench for the night.
Saturday at 7:05 p.m. the Muckdogs take on Williamsport while Jamestown visits Auburn. Game time for Sunday is 1:05 p.m.
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