Law enforcement is in route to the village of Oakfield where reportedly a large group of youths have gathered and may start fighting.

"There's just pushing and shoving right now," according to dispatch.

The group has gathered at Weber and Main.

UPDATE 5:57 p.m.: The group was breaking up just as deputies arrived. A deputy is talking with at least one of the subjects.

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: All units back in service. No arrests.

At 4:35 p.m., City Fire responded to a report of a fire at 216 Ellicott St., Batavia. A caller reported smelling and seeing smoke. A person may have been yelling, "fire."  It turned out to be a stove fire that was extinguished before city crews arrived. The building was ventilated and City Fire was back in service by 5:05 p.m.

They could call the team the Albany ValleyCats, but that's not a popular city in New York these days. Instead, they're the Tri-City ValleyCats, and that's who the Batavia Muckdogs will play in the first round of the NY-Penn League playoffs.

Tuesday's first game is in the ValleyCat's home park, which is on a college campus in Troy.

Games two and three (if a third is necessary) are at Dwyer Stadium. Both games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City finished the regular season with a record of 38-36 to win the Stedler Division. The Muckdogs took the Pinckney Division crown with a record of 45-29. Brooklyn comes into the playoffs with the most wins in the season with 51. The Jamestown Jammers grab the wild card spot with a record of 43-32.

The Muckdogs will come into the game fresh off a win against Auburn, beating the Doubledays 7-0 in a Sunday afternoon match-up.

Starter Nick McCully (pictured, file photo), pitched six scoreless innings, giving up six hits to move his record to 4-2.

Matt Valaika and Jon Edwards each had two RBIs on two hits. Audry Perez, Joey Bergman and Pat Biserta also had two hit games.

Nick Longmire finished the season in the top 10 in seven offensive categories: Second in runs scored with 53; seventh in hits with 76; sixth in triples with 7; fifth in homers with 9; third in RBIs with 55; fifth in total bases with 128; and eighth in slugging percentage at .483.

Jon Rodriguez finished: third in homers with 12; 10th in RBIs with 40; sixth in total bases with 122; and seventh in slugging percentage at .500.

Audry Perez finished seventh in RBIs with 47.

Victor Sanchez finished sixth in doubles with 19.

Joey Bergman finished eighth in on-base percentage at .400.

In pitching, Zach Russell had the ninth best ERA at 2.93.

Jose Rada, who was called up earlier in the season, had 10 saves while in Batavia, which was the sixth best in the league.

Justin Edwards (77 1/3) and Andrew Moss (75 1/2) were seventh and eighth, respectively, in innings pitched. Also, Edwards was fourth in strike-outs with 66, and Moss was eighth with 61.

Moss's eight wins were tied for second in the league.

If you like good wine, you'll love a new event coming to downtown Batavia in early October. The premier of the "Taste of Fall Wine Walk" will introduce you to 15 of the finest wines produced in Western New York.

And it will give you a chance to take your own sweet time visiting 15 participating businesses and see what they have to offer. Mark your calendar for Saturday, Oct. 2, anytime from 5 until 9 p.m.

Tickets are $15. The Wine Walk ends with a raffle for prizes.

It is sponsored by the Batavia Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

The self-guided tour begins at the chamber office -- at 210 E. Main St. -- where each person will be given an etched wine glass and a program to guide them from location to location.

There will be plenty of hors d'oeuvres to sample along the way, too.

In preparation, businesses will be going autumnal in decor. BID Executive Director Don Burkel said that he and the BID Promotional Committee hope to get started with decorating after Sept. 11.

Burkel also said that anyone who'd like to help decorate is more than welcome.

"Just give us a call," he said, adding, "We'd like to see the businesses get creative with this. For example, each business might have a different type of scarecrow to distinguish itself."

Michael Anthony's Salon & All-Star Barbershop is way ahead of things. The proprietor has gone well beyond scarecrows, creating stunningly beautiful wreaths and floral arrangements that he made himself. He also sells the needful beauties. Many are on display in the salon and he crafts custom-made ones as well.

The impetus behind the Wine Walk, according to Dawn Ireland-Monsees, the chamber's tourism information coordinator, is to promote Batavia as "a great place to be in the Fall."

"It's also a great social opportunity and a reason for people to get together in small groups," Ireland-Monsees said. "Wine tours have always proven to be very popular."

Did you know that Western New York is second only to California in wine-grape production in the United States? And it offers wines that can stand up to long-famous European vintners, particularly its white varieties.

The regional portfolio includes perennial favorites like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Gris, and more.

Forget about "forward" "nose," "finish" and other wine terminology used by aficionados. Most wine experts say a good wine is simply one you enjoy. Price does not necessarily dictate taste.

Tickets can be purchased on the evening of the event, in advance at the chamber or at these businesses:

• Adam Miller's Toys & Bicycle, 8 Center St.
• Michael Anthony's Salon, 43 Jackson St.
• Next Level Fitness, 85 Main St.
• The Daily Grind, 85 Main St.
• Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St.

You may also reserve your tickets by calling the BID at 344-0900 or the chamber at 343-7440.

For more information, visit www.downtownbataviany.com.

James C. Oehler, 18, of Route 19, Bergen, is accused of possession of stolen property, 5th. At 9:16 p.m., Sunday, Oehler was allegedly found in possession of a dirt bike that was reported stolen from a residence in the Village of Bergen on July 25.

James Anthony Marchegiano, 22, of Westside Drive, Chili, is charged with a DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. Marchegiano was stopped at 11:36 p.m., Friday, on Sumner Road by Deputy Chad Minuto. Marchegiano was allegedly observed driving his car in an erratic manner in the parking lot following the Rascal Flatts concert at Darien Lake.

Grant Arnold Sundown, 46, of Skye Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with criminal mischief. Sundown allegedly punched another person in the head. When that person attempted to call 9-1-1, Sundown allegedly ripped the phone line from the wall while the caller was on the phone with Genesee County Emergency Dispatch.

Steven James Scott, 19, of Ford Road, Elba, is charged with trespass and unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21. Scott was allegedly on the property of College Village at 12:52 a.m., Friday, without permission.

Narciso Gullen, 36, of Route 98, Elba, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Gullen allegedly tried to use a forged federally issued residency card. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Richard Anthony Orlando, 31, of Cable Street, Buffalo, is charged with criminal mischief and unlawful possession of marijuana. At 12:30 a.m., Sunday, deputies responded to a report of a verbal domestic incident at a campsite in Alexander. Orlando allegedly smashed a television set and a fan and turned over a refrigerator. Orlando was jailed on $150 bail.

Joseph Aaron Monkelbaan, 38, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with trespass. Monkelbaan is accused of going onto a neighbor's property at 7:21 p.m., Friday, without permission and causing a disturbance.

Kevin A. Hutzler, 21, of Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Hutzler was stopped by State Police at 8:41 p.m., Thursday, on Colby Road.

Anthony R. Cogdill, 40, of Darien, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Cogdill was stopped by State Police at 9:23 p.m., Thursday, Harper Road, Alexander.

Richard J. Rookey, 77, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Rookey was stopped by State Police 8:14 p.m., Wednesday, on Clinton Street and East Avenue.

James V. Wells, 25, of Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct/obscene gestures. Wells was arrested by State Police at 12:24 a.m., Wednesday at College Village. No further details were released.

Two people were hurt Saturday on Ellicott Street Road when a car making a left-hand turn into a church parking lot was hit by another car from behind, pushing the first car into the path of two motorcycles.

The driver of one of the bikes was ejected and injured.  The driver of the car making the turn was also injured.

The bike rider was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong and the other driver was taken to UMMC.

The second driver was accused of following too closely.

The accident occurred just before 3 p.m.

The State Police report the following people were involved:

Driver 1: Neil Anthony Bingham, 26, of Castile

Driver 2: Joan M. Dowdell, 71, of Batavia

Driver 3:  Jeffery H. Maurer, 55, of Maspeth, N.J.

Driver 4: Joseph Paskas, 43, of North Arlington, N.J.

The State Police report did not specify who was injured.

(initial report)

This weekend Area 51 Motocross hosted their biggest event of the season, The Can/Am Air.

Saturday gave competitors a chance to get in some practice time on the main track, and featured a grass race and the Dunlop "Minicross" race. The minicross race was a chance to introduce young kids to the sport in a safer and less competitive environment.

Sunday was the main event, which was expected to bring out 600 riders to compete for over $40,000 worth of prizes. There were 19 classes ranging from "schoolboy" (ages 12-16) to the women's 50+ category and everything in between.

The competition was tough, and the racers really pushed their limits to try and get on the podium. Every racer I talked to couldn't wait to come back next year, Thank you to everyone at Area 51 for putting on such an awesome event!!

2 young riders fighting for the win in Saturday's minicross race

More photos after the jump:

A rider tries to hang on to the lead in the grass race.

Trying to get around the corner as fast as possible.

Huge air time, it is amazing what these guys are capable of.

A caller reports smoke in her basement at 1073 Bethany Center Road.  She said she started her furnace just prior to the smoke appearing.

Stafford Fire and Bethany Fire being dispatched.

First responder reports: "Nothing showing."

UPDATE 11:43 a.m.: Crews and equipment being held in their halls while the situation is further investigated.

UPDATE 11: 47 a.m.: Stafford standing down.

UPDATE 12:25 p.m.: Bethany back in service.

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About 100 people participated today in the Batavia Area Jaycees 5K Run and Walk, which started and finished at MacArthur Park, taking runners down Bank, to Washington, to Ellicott Avenue and back via State Street.

New York Times: Housing Woes Bring New Cry: Let Market Fall

Le Roy Police are looking for a person who broke into a residential garage and moved several items Sunday at a Lake Street address.

The burglary was interrupted when the resident heard a dog barking at the rear of the house and went outside to investigate. The resident spotted a man in the garage; the suspect ran into a wooded area.

He is described as a male wearing a red baseball cap, a yellow checkered short sleeve shirt and jeans.

This is the second garage burglary in the past month. A previous burglary occurred on East Main Street on Aug 6. It is unknown if these two incidents are related.

A witness was found who said that a person matching the suspect's description was seen walking the railroad tracks behind 101 W. Main St. shortly after the burglary. Police think it's possible the suspect lives in the area of West Main Street.

Anyone seeing a person wearing the same colored clothing or having information pertaining to this crime is asked to contact the Le Roy Police Department at 768-2527.

A 42-year-old man suffered back injuries after a horsebacking riding accident in Darien. The accident occurred at 9711 Ridge Road.

Darien fire and Mercy EMS are responding. It is reported that the he was on the horse, which reared up, he fell off and the horse sat on him.

UPDATE (1:55 p.m.): Mercy EMS is transporting the injured man to Erie County Medical Center. Darien fire is back in service.

On the way back home from the fire on Roanoke Road, Stafford, yesterday, of course I stopped along the way to take some pictures.

Above is a series of barn and silo structures on Sweetland Road, Stafford.  Below, the back of the barn at Ellicott Street Road and Stafford-Batavia Townline Road, and under that a railroad mile marker along the railroad track next to Lehigh Road, Batavia.

BTW: If you like my photography, you might enjoy the photoblog I set up: Vufindr.com. Of course, many of the shots will have appeared on The Batavian, but I set up Vufindr.com to allow for larger format pictures.

A 12-year-old motocross rider is reported to have neck and back injuries after crashing at Area 51.

That's on Harloff Road in Batavia. East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responded. Mercy Flight is deemed not needed.

A driver says he glanced down at his gas gauge and then didn't see a car in front of him slowing to make a turn, causing a rear-end accident on West Main Street in Batavia on Friday.

Nicholas J. Fenner, 19, of Clarence, was cited for allegedly following too closely.

Four people in the car Fenner reportedly hit were transported by ground ambulance to UMMC with non-life-threatening injuries: Shartanay R. Gibbs, 19, of Batavia (the driver of the second vehicle), Farah St. Cloud, 18, Delore Opoku-Boateng, 18, and Kyla R. Preston, 18.

Also in the second car, but not injured, was Shaday D. Gibbs.

There were no passengers in Fenner's car.

Shartanay Gibbs was cited for allegedly driving without a license.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chad Minuto.

(initial report)

It took Norte Dame two quarters to get its running game untracked in its season opener against Attica, but once the Irish were putting positive yardage on the board, a ball control game led to a 7-0 victory.

Mike Pratt punched the ball into the end zone with seconds left in the third quarter.

In all, Norte Dame had its offensive squad on the field for 27 minutes.

Pratt gained 70 yards on 18 carries. Bo Richter had 8 1/2 tackles, including 3 1/4 for a loss.

Pratt also blocked a field goal attempt (pictured above).

More pictures after the jump:

In 1823, James Monroe was president, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were still alive, and it would be more than six decades before Thomas Edison would start the first electric company.

It was also the year a brick house was built at 9418 Roanoke Road.

Today, electricity sparked a fire, driven by high winds, that gutted the little red brick house.

"It's a nice old house," said Betty Smart, who lived on the former farm property for 40 years with husband Terry.

It first started when winds disconnected a electrical wire leading from the house to the barn. The live wire hit the metal roof over the kitchen igniting combustible material under the tin.

Once there were flames, wind gusts quickly fed the fire.

“It’s an abnormal condition that we normally wouldn’t see, but that wind got into the interior and just moved the fire right through the house," said Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator.

The Smarts called 9-1-1 as soon as they spotted the fire and immediately got out of the house. Nobody was injured in the fire, or in fighting it, and the Smart's three pets live outside and were not harmed.

Yaeger said beside the winds, water supplies were a challenge. Firefighters used two hydrants, but one of them was nearly 3/4 of a mile from the scene. Crews also trucked water in from a pond two miles away.

Assisting Stafford were fire departments from Pavilion, Bethany, Byron, Bergen, Le Roy, Town of Batavia, Caledonia, York, along with Le Roy's ambulance service and Mercy EMS.

More pictures after the jump:

Dispatch has received a call from a man on Route 77 in Darien who apparently fell, hit his head, was knocked on unconscious, awoke, then called 9-1-1.

It's unknown how long he was unconscious.

He is still lying beside the roadway. He fell in the area of Darien Lake.

Law enforcement and Mercy EMS are in route.

A woman has possibly suffered a back injury in an ATV accident at 3500 Harloff Road, Batavia.

That's the location of Polar Wave.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

UPDATE 7:21 p.m.: Mercy Flight requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:49 p.m.: Mercy Flight in route to Strong Memorial Hospital.

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High winds blew live electrical wires onto a roof at 9418 Roanoke Road in Stafford. It's smoking and the fire has spread to the kitchen. It's now a second-alarm fire.

Stafford, Bethany, Le Roy, Town of Batavia and Pavilion are responding to fight the fire and control traffic. National Grid has been notified.

The location is between Sweetland and Westacott roads. The homeowner is outside with fire personnel.

UPDATE (3:12 p.m.): All available manpower in the area is called to the scene. There are three areas on fire inside the home. More traffic control is called for.

UPDATE (3:28 p.m.): Wyoming County is asked to standby in their own quarters with a full crew in case they are needed. Tankers, pumpers, hydrants are all being used and at the ready to fight the fire. Countywide, more crews are called to stand in at the responders' stations. Caledonia is called to help out. National Grid is at the scene. Power inside the house is out. The fire has spread to the garage.

UPDATE (3:40 p.m.): This is now a three-alarm fire. Firefighters were ordered out of the garage, which was "buckling" due to fire damage. There are four fire sites inside the structure now. It has spread to the second floor.

UPDATE (3:46 p.m.): A thermal-imaging camera is requested at the scene. Fire is now in the attic, too.

UPDATE (3:53 p.m.): Inside fire crews are getting out of the structure. They will be fighting it now from the outside only.

UPDATE (4:48): Fresh crews have been called in to replace tired firefighters. The structure is still smoking. The Wyoming County Correctional Facility Fire Brigade is being contacted to aid with equipment, we believe additional lengths of fire hose. Refreshments for the firefighters are requested. The modest, brick home appears to be a total loss. It was built in 1823 and for the past 40 years it has been the home of Terry and Betty Smart.

UPDATE 7:33 p.m.: All units back in service.