The Empire State Games have officially been canceled.

The Democrat & Chronicle just reported that because of all the financial cutbacks we wrote about last week, the games have been called off.

Joseph Spector writes:

Organizers of this summer’s Empire State Games in the Hudson Valley announced today that they will not host the games because of a cut in state aid.

The state announced last week that because of budget constraints they will be unable to spend the $2.7 million to run the annual games, which date back to 1978 and include 30,000 youth and adult amateur athletes.

The games have become a huge event each summer for athletes from all over New York State and were scheduled to be in Hudson Valley from July 22-26. But it looks like the event, which averages 6,000 athletes and 24,000 spectators per year, is finished.

The D&C story says there was no immediate comment from the state Parks Department as to whether the games would be moved to a different location. But with the amount of preparation involved, it is highly unlikely.

With Hudson Valley putting an end to the this year's games, and with no promise of state funding in future years, this looks like the end of the Empire State Games.

“The Hudson River Valley LOC arrived at this regrettable decision based on an overwhelming feeling that the participation fee violates the spirit of the Games and that objections to this approach are so strong among our host site partners, sponsors and volunteers that maintaining the support necessary to successfully host the games has become untenable,” Steven V. Lant, chairman of the games and CEO of CH Energy Group, wrote to Parks Commissioner Carol Ash

Here it is: the final installment in our three-part video series on William Morgan. Please be sure to check out part one and part two, both posted earlier today.

For more information on the story of William Morgan, visit the Holland Land Office Museum Web site, where you can find an enhanced podcast on the topic. You can also head down to the museum at 131 W. Main St. to check out the Morgan exhibit and to pick up a copy of Morgan's book, Secrets of the Masons Revealed.

Dave Wellenzohn has a championship ring and had a great experience while meeting "great people in Batavia".

But he was let go as general manager of the Batavia Muckdogs after this season by the Rochester Red Wings, who are owned by the Rochester Red Wings Management, LLC.

Things happen fast in minor league baseball, and Wellenzohn found his new job quickly after searching since the end of the season.

Just yesterday, Wellenzohn was hired by the Savannah Sand gnats as  Director of Tickets and Sales.

"I was the one left holding the short end of the stick (after the season)," Wellenzohn said. "I'm thrilled to be leaving Batavia. I'm happy to be going to Georgia because I've lived there before. I'm looking forward to setting up residence and hopefully being there for a while."

Wellenzohn being happy about leaving Batavia has nothing to do with the people or his experience during the season. In his interview he used the words "bitter sweet" very often. 

Batavia won its first New York-Pennsylvania League title in 45 years on September 14 and he was let go on the 15th. 

"I would not trade my experience in Batavia for anything, but I wouldn't do it again either," Wellenzohn said. "It was bitter sweet and I was the only one that lost. But it was nice. We won a championship and I met a lot of nice people."

Wellenzohn literally was ready to move back to his home town of Buffalo. He had the moving truck booked, found an apartment and had an appointment to have his satellite TV set up.

After having no luck finding a job, he was just going to head home.

But he was hired by the Sand gnats yesterday and is now looking for a place to live there, while canceling his plans to move to Buffalo.

"One of my former employees at Jamestown is there and is the public relations director for NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, and she's helping me to find some housing. I need to find a place that allows dogs because I still have my trusty companion, my german shepard."

The Sand gnats are a full-season Class A team that is an affiliate of the New York Mets that plays in the South Atlantic League. The team has one of the oldest stadiums in the country, but there is talk of a new one being built in the near future.

He will be wearing his first championship ring when he starts his job on February 2.

"Baseball continues to move on and the calendar moves on," Wellenzohn said. "I'll be with a new team and a new affiliate, but I'll have my first championship ring on my finger. We won 50 games and that is neat. It's something I'll never forget."

This is the second video in our three-part series on William Morgan. Please, check out part one, The Vanishing of William Morgan, if you have not already done so. Part three should be on its way soon.

For more information on the story of William Morgan, visit the Holland Land Office Museum Web site, where you can find an enhanced podcast on the topic. You can also head down to the museum at 131 W. Main St. to check out the Morgan exhibit and to pick up a copy of Morgan's book, Secrets of the Masons Revealed.

It has been a while since we've been down at the Holland Land Office Museum to take a look at the artifacts and get a lesson from everybody's favorite local historian, Pat Weissend, the museum's director. Well, to make up for that, we've put together a three part video series on "probably the most important story in the whole Genesee country"...

William Morgan.

Weissend had a lot to say on the subject. Nearly ten minutes worth of a lot to say, in fact. But since it's all so darned interesting, and we just couldn't bring ourselves to edit any of it out, we've instead divided up his tale into three separate videos: The Vanishing of William Morgan, Theories: Masons vs. Anti-Masons, and Origins of the Republican Party. We'll get up part one now and then post the other two later this afternoon. Be sure to watch for them. Enjoy!

For more information on the story of William Morgan, visit the Holland Land Office Museum Web site, where you can find an enhanced podcast on the topic. You can also head down to the museum at 131 W. Main St. to check out the Morgan exhibit and to pick up a copy of Morgan's book, Secrets of the Masons Revealed.

This is just one of those stories that everyone is talking about... A news search on Google for the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River yesterday afternoon yields no less than 7,211 articles—and counting—on the story that have gone up in the past 18 hours. Most of you have likely heard the details by now: an emergency crash-landing of a passenger jet in the Hudson River after both engines burned out; a heroic pilot; a freezing river rescue; 155 people aboard and nobody seriously injured; and so on.

Already, not even a full day later, this story has become ... Someone has already posted a montage of images from the crash landing on YouTube set to synthesized 1980s disco rock. New media reactions on the instantaneous dissemination of cell phone photos via services such as Twitter are as frequent as traditional media coverage. Everyone has something to say about almost every aspect of the event. One religious publication urges: "Yesterday's amazing airplane rescue... provides spiritual ponderings," according to the Village Voice, in its cheeky roundup of some coverage on the fringe.

Here are some other headlines from stories out there right now:

• How the Hudson River plane crash brought us together

• Landing hailed as 'Miracle on the Hudson,' probe begins

• How Birds Can Down a Jet Airplane

• Passenger: 'It seemed like it lasted an eternity'

• Breaking news from the office window

Lucas M. Roggen, 28, of Akron, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Roggen was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at the intersection of Klossen and Meanville roads in Alabama. Rogged failed to stop at the intersection and slid into a snow bank. He was also ticketed with failure to reduce speed, unsafe passing, moving from the lane unsafely and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Anthony J. Reisdorf, 61, of Alexander, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, deputies said. Reisdorf was driving on East Bethany-Le Roy Road in the town of Le Roy when his vehicle crashed, overturned and landed in a creek. He was uninjured. He was also ticketed with failure to reduce speed and moving from the lane unsafely.

A wind chill advisory for the region has been extended through today up until about 11 o'clock Saturday morning. Temperatures with the wind chill could drop as low as 20 degrees below zero this morning and overnight, according to the National Weather Service out of Buffalo. Right now it feels like about 14 degrees below zero, and it may not get any worse than that as long as the winds hold steady.

And of course: more snow. From the National Weather Service:

Bitterly cold wind chill values with significant lake effect snows east of the lakes through Friday night.

A frigid arctic airmass will remain in place across all of western and north central New York through at least Saturday morning. Temperatures during this period will average some 15 degrees below normal.

In addition to the bitterly cold wind chills, winds will be aligned well enough for organized lake effect snow east of both lakes Erie and Ontario. Some areas could see storm totals close to 2 feet.

Anyone else catch that: "a frigid arctic airmass." Doesn't sound friendly.

A look at the radar shows that most of this snow will be south and east of us, maybe reaching Attica and Warsaw, and well north on the Lake Ontario shoreline. For now and for the rest of the morning, at least.

A question to our city leaders ............ All those huge piles of snow recently deposited in the parking lot of Dwyer Stadium......  When it melts and it will, where will the water go? Let's guess together, shall we.  Water will seek the lowest level which at this time is the Visiting Clubhouse , the area around the deck and then right field. This water will be both above ground and below. Right Field is always the wettest spot due to the low spot that is and has been there for years. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the parking lot is part and parcel  a part of the stadium, which means it is covered by the existing lease with Rochester. I'll also guess that Rochester wasn't asked about using the stadium as a snow and ice dumping ground. 

I'm about to become a "former citizen" of Batavia in 2 weeks. It was a great and eventful , some might say CHAMPIONSHIP year. It's Jan. 14th, city of Batavia. GCC baseball starts in about 2 months.  Look at the mountains that continue to be built and ask :  "Did we think this thru?"  

 GOODBYE BATAVIA, IT'S BEEN AN ADVENTURE !           Dave Wellenzohn GM    NYPL 2008 Champions Batavia Muckdogs

 Last week I wrote about the cutbacks and possible $300 charge for the Empire State Games.

Keith McShea followed up with a great story in the Buffalo News today, basically saying the games are dead and should just be canceled.

Hopefully some sort of funding can be restored. State funding for the Games went from $2.7 million to zero. The Games can certainly be streamlined — a scholastic-only competition isn’t the worst thing. But making athletes pay? No way. How about cutting funding in half? Since when does Albany work this quickly and decisively?

The state’s announcement included the caveat that for the 2010 Games, scheduled to be held in Buffalo, that there is “hope of reinstating the suspended competitions, as well as revisiting the new fee structure.”

But we know how that goes. Once something is cut from a budget, good luck getting it back.

The story is a good read and makes some great points. As one of many Empire State Games fans, I am sad to hear about all these cut-backs. But I hate to say it, this is the beginning of the end.

Join The Batavian and your friends and neighbors Tuesday for the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States.

Whether you're a Republican, Democrat or independent, you're surely mindful of historic event we'll witness Tuesday as Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his First Inaugural Address.

The Batavian will supply some appetizers/finger foods.  Guests will be responsible for the purchase of any lunches or beverages.

The Inauguration Party starts at 11:30 and will run until shortly after Obama completes his speech.  Obama takes the oath at noon.

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday at TF Brown's, 214 East Main Street.

Dan Fischer reports on WBTA this morning that Batavia manufacturer Graham Corp. let go 14 full-time employees yesterday. Most of those who received the pink slips were in the engineering department, Fischer says. A brief statement that was issued to the radio station did not give any reason for the layoffs, which were figured at about 5 percent of the total workforce.

We left a message at Graham Corp. to find out more. We will be sure to post any more information as it becomes available.

Yesterday, we got up the announcement of No. 4 in the Holland Land Office Museum's countdown of The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous. It was none other than the eponymous Holland Land Company.

So... that brings us to the top three, and the way we've got it worked out, there are still five likely contenders for those three slots. Surely, William Morgan and Jell-O will be among those three. But the third is something of a toss up. A couple of our readers suggested the state School for the Blind. Others have suggested Bill Kauffman. Quite a few more were sure that Barber Conable would make the top five. What do you think? What else has a chance at fame?

Scenes similar to this clean up yesterday at the site of a head-on collision on Clinton Street Road in the city have been common over the past few days. Below zero temperatures have kept the road salt from doing its work and frequent snowfalls have kept the plows more than busy.

In response, the city of Batavia police have issued a statement urging motorists to drive cautiously and maybe drive a little more slowly than they normally would.

In the past 24 hours the Batavia Police Department has investigated about 15 motor vehicle accidents. Only a few resulted in minor injuries. With the extreme cold weather conditions and the snow we have received, the city streets remain slippery and icy especially at intersections. Even after being treated, the intersections and streets become icy quickly with the near zero temperatures we are experiencing.
 
We are asking all drivers in the city to use extreme caution and to slow down, especially when approaching intersections.

Kim M. Mobley, 45, of 11 Pringle Ave., Batavia, was charged with two felony counts of third-degree criminal sale of a cotrolled substance and two felony counts of third-degree criminal possession of  controlled substance Wednesday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Mobley was arrested at her home Wednesday afternoon following an investigation into the alleged sale of crack cocaine to an undercover agent of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force. Mobley was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $7,500.

Jessica R. Henry, 23, of Oakfield, was charged with a felony count of use of a child in a sexual performance, a felony count of promoting a sexual performance by a child and a felony count of promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Henry is accused of directing a child to perform multiple sexual acts with Corey Klase, who was arrested by the sheriff's deputies last week. Klase faces multiple charges, including two felony counts of third-degree rape.

Henry was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. She was released under the supervision of the sheriff's office.

Eric C. Zglinicki, 46, of Darien Center, was charged with driving while intoxicated early this morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Zglinicki was stopped on Route 77 in Darien. He was also ticketed with failure to keep right.

This morning may not be too bad here in Batavia... But that wasn't the case in Rochester when I left shortly before 7 o'clock this morning. A few inches of snow had already accumulated and more was falling. Streets were greasy and driving slow almost all the way down I-490 to Bergen. So be careful if you're heading in that direction today in your commute.

As for the rest of the day: cold. We're at about 9 degrees right now and could see a low of zero! Yikes. Fortunately, we will not see significant wind until later this evening into tomorrow. In fact, a wind chill warning is in effect from 4:00am until noon tomorrow.

The National Weather Service out of Buffalo warns us that wind chills could dip as low as 20 to 25 degrees below zero. As if that isn't enough:

In addition to the very cold wind chills, winds (will) become well enough aligned later today and tonight for bands of heavy lake effect snow east of Lake Erie. Warnings will remain in place for southern Erie County and also Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.

Here's a look out at the Thruway interchange in Batavia right now:

 The Batavia boys basketball team couldn't hit a shot in the first half, then the pressure defense led to offense in the second half as the Blue Devils wound up thumping visiting Greece Odyssey 56-38.

The defense was there, but there was a lid on the basket for Batavia in the first half. Andrew Hoy had some good looks, that didn't fall. And most of the supporting cast didn't have much to add offensively.

Dakota Irvin managed eight of his 10 points and Josh Budlong had an inspired six points, all in the first half as the score wound up being tied at 24.

But coach Buddy Brasky must have had one of his famous halftime speeches because the Blue Devils dominated the third quarter.

Irvin started things off with a basket and Marcus Hoy had five of his points. He also had six assists and four rebounds.

Andrew Hoy also hit a 3-pointer as Batavia scored 12 straight points before Ray Diaz drained a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left. It was 36-27 after three periods of play.

Batavia continued to own the fourth quarter, owning a 20-11 advantage.

Andrew Hoy scored six of his points with seven steals for the game in the final frame. The other big thing to take from the fourth quarter was the minutes and play of Donovan Rolle, who scored two points but looked like he can provide another rebounder for the Blue Devils.

Tim Aledsio led Odyssey with 13 points.

Batavia improves to 9-1 and is at Mendon on Friday before next week's showdown with Pittsford Sutherland.

West Jackson Corners is a small village built by members of East Shelby Community Bible Church.  A namesake of the original settlement, it comes complete with a town hall, general store, water wheel, black smith shop, open hearth and much more.

            In the north east corner of West Jackson Corners sits an oversized tepee. Hanging above the tepee entrance is a sign reading “Swamp Stories.” The tepee was built by Charlie Ralph and during church festivities like “Old Tyme Days held in July or December’s “Christmas at West Jackson Corners,” Charlie can be found inside the tepee, probably warming his hands over a fire and more than willing to share local swamp lore with those who enter.

            Charlie grew up in the Alabama swamp, his homestead was in the area now occupied by the Swallow Hollow foot trail on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Charlie’ father also farmed a small parcel of their land, but only after clearing the standing timber. Charlie and his father began by cutting down large trees then using their team of Clydesdales to pull the stumps from the ground.

            In his youth Charlie and friends swam in the waters of Oak Orchard Creek just down the road from his home. On those outings they brought along a jar of salt – for the removal of leeches.   

            Generating income was tough in swamp country, so when a city fellow offered to pay Charlie and his friends for any water snakes they caught, they were happy to oblige.  Charlie never did find out what the man did with the snakes, only that he was willing to pay for them.

            In his early years Charlie traipsed around the swamp with a fellow he knew as “Trapper Jim.” Originally a cook on a Great Lakes tug boat, Trapper Jim took Charlie under his wing while he made the rounds along his trap line and also while acting as caretaker for a group of duck hunters from Buffalo who at the time owned a large tract of the vast wetland.

A mantle of ice lines a stretch of Oak Orchard Creek. This is the same stretch where Charlie Ralph used to swim in his youth. It is still a popular embarking point to access the swamp’s interior.

Several weeks from now, when thousands of waterfowl descend on the swamp, this empty nesting box will house a clutch of ducklings.  

One of the many species of fur bearers inhabiting the swamp, this fox emerges from cover.

The swamp has become popular with outdoor enthusiasts over the years. Birdwatchers, canoeists, kayakers, hunters, fishermen, hikers and nature photographers frequent the area. Come winter, the area takes on a different look. While somewhat desolate at this time of year, the swamp is perhaps more picturesque, and on calm, windless days, certainly quieter. But a couple months from now, in late winter or early spring, the spring peepers will make their presence known by celebrating the spring rain. Dormant for months, their nighttime chorus will herald the change of seasons. Soon afterward the swamp will once again be bustling with activity. 

The Holland Land Company has made the list of The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous, landing in fourth place. This picture to the right may look familiar. For those who don't already know, the Holland Land Office Museum inhabits the very same building that was used by the Dutch investors who hired none other than Joseph Ellicott to survey their land purchase for them back in the 18th century.

Pat Weissend, museum director:

The origins of the Holland Land Company go back to 1789, when four Dutch investment firms sent an agent to the United States in search of investment opportunities. The Club of Four, as it was called then, started to buy large tracts of American land in 1792. Two more investment firms joined the original four, creating the Club of Six. The six firms decided to merge their individual holdings into one stock company, and so the Holland Land Company was formed on November 20, 1795.

In September 1797, the company purchased 3.3 million acres of Western New York land from Robert Morris. The plan was to sell off the land in large tracts to speculators and make a quick profit, but the economy changed and they were forced to hang onto the land, develop it and sell it over the next 40 years.

For more info on the Holland Land Company and Joseph Ellicott, please visit the museum's Web site—there's plenty of interesting links and podcasts and histroy lessons—and be sure to keep up with the countdown. Only three more to go!