When people leave Dwyer Stadium laughing and smiling, Robbie and Nellie Nichols know they've done the right thing, whether it's after a concert, a Halloween costume party, or a baseball game.

Special events at the stadium aren't about making money, Robbie said.  In fact, the two concerts the Nichols hosted this summer were costly and a lot of work, that's why there are only two of them. But they fulfill a mission and keep a promise, he said.

"For us, it's not about the money," Nichols said. "It's about us seeing people having a good time at the stadium and us keeping our word when we signed the lease for Dwyer, that you would see more than just baseball there."

On a golden summer evening on Saturday, Dwyer was filled with the happy vibe of Zac Brown fans there to see the Rochester-based Zac Brown Tribute Band.  Frowns were impossible to find on the infield grass or in the stands or in the concession area where Robbie Nichols himself was serving up cocktails in palm-tree-top plastic containers and tall cans of beer.

The good times had by all might also help fill up the stands during Muckdogs games, Nichols acknowledged.

"Maybe 50 percent of the people there had never been to Dwyer before," Nichols said. "A lot of people came from Buffalo and Rochester.  I just want people to get used to coming to the stadium. I had a couple of people say they didn't know the stadium was this nice and that they will definitely be back for a Muckdogs game."

Given the amount of work and expense that goes into putting on a concert, there won't be any more shows at Dwyer this year, but given the success of the two events this summer, Nichols plans on doing it again next summer once the baseball season is over.

"I think my wife and I like to see people happy and having a good time," Nichols said. "We like seeing smiles on their faces, and I think we accomplished that with these concerts."

The next events at Dwyer are a baseball camp hosted by GCC and Geneseo College playing a ball game against alumni, and then there is the Alzheimer's Walk on Oct. 1, followed by the Halloween bash, which was a big success last year, on Oct. 22.

Photos by Howard Owens

Robbie Nichols

A pair of run-down sheds on an old farm on Edgerton Road, Elba, yesterday evening.

Photo by Howard Owens.

The Pembroke Dragons were in total control in their eight-man match up Saturday against C.G. Finney/North Star, leading to a 55-22 victory at home to start their 2022 season.

The Dragons amassed 460 yards on offense with the line of Chase Guzdek, Jayden Mast, Ben Steinberg, and Jayden Bridge leading the way.

Cayden Pfazler carried the ball 10 times for 193 yards and was 3 for 3 passing for 33 yards.  He scored four times. 

Caleb Felski and Sean Pustkulla also scored touchdowns.

Tyson Totten rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 9 carries.

On defense, Cayden Pfalzer led the way with 10 tackles while Totten had 8, Jacob Von Kramer, Jacob Dulski, Chase Guzdek, and Nate Duttweiler, had six each.

Dulski had four fumble recoveries and snagged the ball on three separate successful onside-kicks to open the game.

Photos by Elizabeth Gabby.  Game information provided by Brandon Ricci.

Sunset yesterday on Ledge Road at Route 77.

Photo by Joanne Meiser.

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies started off the 2022 season with a convincing win over Cardinal O'Hara, 76-6.

Noah Currie had six carries for 114 yards and four touchdowns.  QB Bodie Hyde carried the ball three times for 78 yards and three TDs. 

Aiden Warner scored on a 66-yard run and on defense had four tackles and an interception that he returned for a 25-yard TD.

Connor Scott returned a kickoff 75 yards for a score and had five tackles and an interception on defense.

Jake Walczak also returned a kickoff 75 yards for a TD.

T.J. Andrews had six tackles and a sack and Brayden Smith had six tackles.

Head Coach Tyler Winter said:  "It's always good to start the season off with a win. It's even better when you can do it with this type of performance.  We had a high level of execution on all three sides of the ball, we came out healthy, and a lot of our guys got to eat today.  We'll take what we can from the film and look to get ready for the next opponent."

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more photos, click here.

In its season opener, Attica hosted Notre Dame and won the game Friday evening 28-14.

The Batavian has not received stats for the game.

In other games:

• Batavia beat Wayne Central, 27-7
• Oakfield-Alabama/Elba beat Cardinal O'Hara 76-6 (click here for the game story).
• Pembroke (eight-man) beat C.G. Finney/Northstar 55-22
• Alexander beat Avon 33-15. The Trojans racked up 407 yards of total offense.

Notre Dame game photos by Pete Welker.

When Corey Brown and Dean Brewer started working together in the kitchen at Sport of Kings they immediately struck up a friendship.

They both liked to cook and had aspirations to stretch their culinary skills.

Brown was born in New Orleans, where he came up through the ranks of some top Bourbon Street-area restaurants and Brewer started 25 years ago as a dishwasher at Sportos and kept looking for ways to learn new things and improve his skills.

Brown moved to Genesee County after meeting a girl from the area who convinced him there was a need for real Cajun dishes in Upstate New York.

Recently, they took over management of a restaurant located in Oakfield -- the former Oak Grill and Cafe -- running it for Kim Turner, Brewer's sister, who leased the location with the specific intention of letting Brown and Brewer put their culinary skills to work.

"Before we started, I had to do a lot of cooking in my house so she can taste it and she can say, 'Okay, I'm not gonna put my money behind it," Brown said.

Much of the menu of the old Oak Grill remains in place while Brown and Brewer introduce Cajun specialties, but some of the items diners might experience at the new Straight Out The Boot include jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, boudin balls, dirty rice, fried chicken, blackened catfish topped with crab meat,  and trinity and crawfish.

"Like I say, what we got now, a majority of the stuff still will be on there," Brown said. "But a couple of the things we'll be taking off and we'll be doing more Louisiana-style cooking."

Staying are hamburgers, which Brown said Brewer can grill better than anybody else he knows.  

"Dean does his burgers like, man, he makes some mean burger," Brown said. "I don't know. I'll put a burger on the grill they may not come out as juicy and tender as the way he does it."

Cooking came naturally to Brewer, he said.  It was the way he was raised.

"I'm a hillbilly from New York," Brewer said. "I was raised on the Southern Tier and the entire family can cook. They just can. I was always in the kitchen. It was just a natural thing. My grandfather told me once, 'The key is to be in the kitchen because that's where the coffee is and where the women usually work.'" 

Brown didn't set out to become a cook but once he started working in restaurants and seeing how the people who made the food got the praise for making customers happy, that appealed to him.

His biggest information came from a chef named Greg Craig.

"What he was doing was making big portions like he was a production cook," Brown said. "He did 50 gallons of gumbo, 50 gallons of crawfish one burst. I hear people talk about how good it is, even the workers, the other chefs, the owners, and I'm like, you know, I like that, you know, I like to hear the compliments. So I went over to him one day, I'm like, 'Man, I want to help out, you know, I want to cook  like you.' He said he needed an extra chef. 'I need the help.'"

Brown went on to work at Arnauds, off of Bourbon Street, and another restaurant on Bourbon Street and other restaurants, picking up tricks of the trade all along the way, including learning to cook Italian, and learning Greek cuisine when he moved to Batavia.

The name of the restaurant -- Straight Out the Boot -- is a play on the way Louisiana looks on a map.  The state is shaped like a boot, and Brown and Brewer want the restaurant to become known for providing really good Louisiana-style meals.

"Straight up, the boot is slang for everything we cooking," Brown said.

So far, Brown said, the Louisiana fare is going over well with diners.

"We've been getting a lot of good feedback off the jambalaya," Brown said. "We get a lot of feedback off the crawfish etouffee. Dean came out with a spicy chicken sandwich with the boom sauce, which is chicken topped with his creative barbecue spices, barbecue sauce. We've been getting good feedback from people."

Straight Out The Boot is located at 7062 Lewiston Road, Oakfield. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. This weekend during Labor Daze, the restaurant is featuring fried chicken.

Photo by Howard Owens. Corey Brown, left, and Dean Brewer

Three days of fun, food, music, and activities to celebrate Labor Day start tomorrow in Oakfield.

It's the 38th Annual Oakfield Labor Daze, which includes Oakfield's annual parade at 10 a.m. on Monday.

The family-friendly event is alcohol-free and centers around Triangle Park in the Village of Oakfield. 

Along with live music, food, children's events, and the parade, there is a car cruise, 5K race, fireworks, craft vendors, and a community worship service on Sunday.

For more information, visit the Oakfield Betterment Committee's website. 

Photo:  Members of the Oakfield Betterment Committee and helpers at Triangle Park during event preperations today, Joel D'Alba, Maria Thompson, Maxxum Waterson, Chris Marcott, Lincoln Waterson, Christopher Dickens, Jamie Lindsley, Scott D'Alba, Darla Allen, and Jeff Allen. Photo by Howard Owens.

There are three candidates for the 2022 Elba Onion Queen.  The winner will be announced on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. in the Elba Village Park.

Press release:

Emily Rowe: 
My name is Emily Rowe. I am an incoming senior at Elba Central School. I have lived with my mom and dad, Scott and Jennifer Rowe, and my younger brother Jason in Elba for all of my life.

I am involved in Girls Soccer, Basketball Cheerleading, and "Boys" Tennis in the spring season. I have had an active role in Student Council, Yearbook Club, Class of 2023 activities, Future Teachers, Student Athletic Association, Multicultural Club, and National Honor Society. I attended the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY) in the New York West chapter in 2021 at a wonderful weekend of virtual seminars in 2021.

I am a high honor student. I have been a dancer at Center Stage Dance Company for 15 years. I plan to attend NTID at RIT in the fall of 2023 for American Sign Language-English Interpretation.

I look forward to working with the children at church, taking tennis lessons, and going for long bike rides with my mom. I love Elba and am so grateful to get to be a role model for the younger students.

I'm proud of the academic and athletic programs that Elba has to offer and all of the support that the community gives to every member of it.

Amelia Brewer:
My name is Amelia Brewer and I am the daughter of Richard and Joy Brewer. I am 17 years old and will be a Senior this year at Elba Central School. My family has been in Elba for many generations. I live on my family's dairy farm Post Dairy Farms, LLC here in Elba.

I participate in many activities in and out of school. Some of them include Student Council, National, Honor Society, Tennis, FFA, Genesee County 4-H, New York Jr. Holstein Association.

Onion Queen is a great tradition that the town of Elba has kept running and it is an important tradition to keep running. There are many reasons why I am choosing to run for Onion Queen. One reason is I am passionate about AG-vocating and being the Onion allows me to talk about the great farmers in our community. It is also the Onions Queens job to tell everyone about our town and how great it is and why it is a place they should visit. Something that I hope to get from this experience is more connections in our town and gain more knowledge and experience from people within our community.

Isabella Mateos: 
I am Isabella Mateos, although most of my friends and family call me Bella. I am 17 years old and will be a senior at Elba Jr/Sr High school this upcoming fall. I am the daughter of Leandro and Emma Mateos. My father works at Torrey Farms and my mother is a bilingual preschool teacher at Agri-Business Child Development. I have an older brother named Lean, who graduated from Elba Central School and received his bachelor's at the University of Rochester and his master's at SMU Guildhall. He now works at Gearbox Software in Dallas, Texas.

I come from a very supportive family-oriented home where my family encourages me in my dance, bilingualism, and most importantly academics. Both my parents and my brother always encourage me to put my very best effort into everything that I do.

This past school year I was involved in clubs such as Envirothon, Masterminds, Scholastic Bowl, Student Athletic Association, Student Council, Senior National Honor Society, and was also President of the Multicultural Club. In addition to clubs, I was on the Winter Varsity Basketball Cheerleading game team and competition team and ran the Instagram social media account for the Class of 2023. Outside of school, I have danced for ten years and nine of those years have been competitive. I currently dance at Fusion Dance Center and am also on the Senior Dance Competition team there. I am an alumna and a dedicated volunteer at Agri-Business Child Development.

My hobbies and interests include baking, babysitting, gardening, reading, yoga, traveling, community service, and learning about new cultures and languages  

After graduating high school, I plan on attending a University on the pre-med track in hopes of becoming a pediatric oncologist. 

State and local human services agencies, supported by the federal government, must pool their services to fight the scourge of substance use disorder that resulted in 108,000 overdose deaths last year, according to the general counsel of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

“It’s no longer an ‘either or’ proposition, treatment instead of medication. We’re losing 100,000 people, so it’s everything and anything we can think of to get to people before they die,” said Rob Kent of Haymarket, Va., a Syracuse native who served as general counsel at the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports for 13 years prior to his appointment with the Biden administration.

Kent spoke at The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road as guest of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, which kicked off its National Recovery Month activities this morning. About 30 people from GCASA and other organizations attended.

As a key figure in the adoption of the 150-page National Drug Control Strategy, Kent said his office has placed a high priority on harm reduction – principles and services that include prevention, testing, treatment and care, along with distribution of overdose reversal supplies such as naloxone kits (NARCAN), fentanyl test strips, sharps disposal and medication disposal kits, and sterile needles and syringes.

Kent said billions of dollars have been appropriated to this initiative.

“We were accused of being very heavy in the strategy of harm reduction by certain folks in Congress, but we have to be -- we've got to get to people before they die,” Kent said. “We need to get them connected.”

He added that he will use whatever laws are on the books in an effort to save lives.

'THE RIGHT THING TO DO'

“I'm completely uninterested in winning people's hearts and minds. We will force them to do what they need to do because the law helps us. They'll figure out, by the way, down the road, that it was the right thing to do on a human level,” he said. “They might not be there at the beginning … but they’ll figure it out when they're doing it.”

Kent said that he kept the goal of reducing drug overdose deaths at the forefront of his mind as he wrote the criminal justice section of the national strategy.

“I will say that I'm proud of the document; we believe it is a good blueprint,” he said. “We're going to go around the country trying to tell the folks what we think needs to be done to stop the number of people who are dying from drug overdose.”

He emphasized that law enforcement needs to stop arresting people for drug use or drug possession.

“It just doesn’t work and it has not worked,” he said. “It overwhelms the criminal justice system with folks they're really not equipped to deal with. We want people to be deflected, diverted. And we've written model laws for states. And I'm going to preach that everywhere I go. We ought to be offering help and services to those folks, whatever that might mean.”

Kent acknowledged that people with addictions will commit crimes, and those people may have been receiving counseling and medication-assisted-treatment in the community.

PROVIDING HELP FOR THOSE IN JAIL

“We can't end that when they end up in a state and local jail. We have to continue that,” he said, noting that jails in Niagara, Monroe, Erie and other New York State counties are offering medications for opioid use disorder. “We need a plan and connections, before they reenter society … and we’re working on that across the nation.”

One of those connections locally is GCASA’s Reentry Program, which provides case management, peer recovery support and housing to individuals returning to the community after incarceration.

He said another priority is to “massively increase access to Naloxone.”

“Personally, I believe everybody ought to carry naloxone. And I say that everywhere I go, and some folks will say, ‘No, I don't need to carry that because I'm not around those kinds of people.’ And I politely say, ‘Well, you are.’”

Calling addiction “a human addiction,” Kent said it’s a matter of caring for others and showing love for those in need.

“I don’t like to throw numbers around because those are people (who have died),” he said. “Yesterday I spoke in Rochester, and a woman came up to me and gave me the mass card for her daughter. She was 27 years old and died in April. One time. It only takes once now.”

CARTELS POISONING AMERICA

Kent was referring to the fentanyl epidemic that is being fueled by the cartels south of the border.

“Not only do I know what's happening on the demand side -- the treatment side, prevention, recovery and harm reduction, but I hear about what's coming in,” he said. “And it's scary. The cartels are now pressing fentanyl into fake pills, fake oxycontin, Adderall, Xanax, you name it. And most people don't even know it.”

He said folks will come in and say they’re using meth or using cocaine, “and when you test the drugs, it’s all fentanyl. That’s what’s going on.”

Kent credited the professionals at GCASA, mental health and other agencies who have invested their lives into seeing others recover and succeed.

“If you don't think that the staff in a program is pained when one of their folks who left dies, then you don't understand the programs,” he shared. “I've been to too many conferences where staff came up to me and talked to me about the trauma they were experiencing because people left treatment. Before, when people would leave (treatment), they were able to come back. They might not now.”

Photo: From left, Lynda Battaglia, director of Genesee County Mental Health & Community Services; Avi Israel, president and founder of Save the Michaels of the World, Inc., of Buffalo; Rob Kent, general counsel of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; John Bennett, executive director of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse; Danielle Figura, director of Community Services of Orleans County Department of Mental Health. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

Paul Guglielmo was sitting at his desk chatting with wife Ryann while he multi-tasked with emails, and spotted one message in particular.

He apologized for the expletive.

“I think I literally went ‘holy s—, I think we got selected for Grow New York,” Guglielmo said during an interview with The Batavian. “The realistic future of the next five years or so … this would accelerate it from a five-year plan to become a two-year plan.”

Earlier this summer, at the end of June, Guglielmo, CEO of Craft Cannery in Bergen, submitted an application for the 2022 Grow-NY competition. He was one of 390 entries. Touted as one of the biggest food and agriculture business competitions in the world targeting companies in the Finger Lakes, Central New York and the Southern Tier, Grow-NY provides opportunities for business owners to go on to a final competition with prizes of $250,000 up to $1 million for business investments.

Guglielmo attended last year’s event and ended up watching every single one of the 20 finalists. They each gave a 10-minute pitch, followed by five minutes of questions from the judges. Think: Shark Tank minus Mark Cuban.

He was impressed, to say the least, with those contenders, and thought ‘how smart’ they all were. It didn’t seriously cross his mind to enter until after a trusted friend and mentor suggested that he go for it. Tom Riggio, who is also his business partner for Craft Cannery, helped Guglielmo with the application.

“We sat down together and went through the application, and kind of punched it up,” Guglielmo said. “There was an option to add a video.”

As it turns out, a prospective company asked for some help to make a batch of new sauces at Craft Cannery. The company had someone who could shoot videos, so they bartered to make some sauce and record a video for the competition.

Guglielmo, who is also founder and CEO of Guglielmo Sauce, said he felt pretty confident going into it at that point. He had the two-minute promo and his own experience and knowledge of what he has — a two-year-old company that began with three employees and now has 10 — and the potential for so much more to double his staff, he said.

He will attend an orientation and get a mentor and a coach to prepare until the final competition on Nov. 16 in Syracuse. His pitch, not quite yet fully fleshed out, is three-pronged:

1. Funding us means funding the creation of other businesses.

“What I love about us is you’re funding all of these other businesses too, at least a few a month,” the 39-year-old said.

2. In order to service our bigger customers, we need the equipment.

3. Sustainability: Craft Cannery takes tomatoes deemed inappropriate for the retail market (they don’t look perfect) and uses them to make “perfect” sauce. By working with Intergrow Greenhouses, there is a potential to process 500,000 pounds of tomatoes that otherwise get tossed due to aesthetics.

“We rescue a couple tons a week of tomatoes headed to the dump … they’re undersized, oversized, and didn’t look good,” he said. “If we were operating in pure perfection, we could do about 200,000 pounds a year. I want to do all 500,000 pounds.”

Right now the company is doing much of the prep work by hand — scrubbing tomatoes, for example — and larger processing equipment would streamline that for more efficiency and ability to take on more product, he said.

Guglielmo’s vision is to create an entire line of New York State grown tomato products, with a full slate of crushed, chopped, diced and sauced versions of the red fruits. All of these plans need an infusion of money to expand the physical footprint of the business and fill a production room with equipment, such as large high-pressure hot water containers that spin tomatoes on metal wheels to peel off their skins and remove the seeds for puree and other similar seedless items.

He could easily spend the top $1 million award, Guglielmo said, but would be grateful for any amount, and is going into the final competition an optimist.

“I’m literally speaking out loud, talking to myself in my car. I want to bring some energy to the room, being energetic and enthusiastic without being corny,” he said. “Worst-case scenario, we come out of it with a really fine-tuned plan.”

Empire State Development is funding the competition through its Upstate Revitalization Initiative connected with the three regions—Finger Lakes Forward, CNY Rising and Southern Tier Soaring. Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement is administering the competition.

Craft Cannery specializes in taking recipes from individuals, restaurants or food production brands, and adjusting it for large production. Customers range from marinara sauces to oils to hot sauces and BBQ sauces to salsas for brands across the region. It’s the exclusive production facility for Guglielmo Sauce, Sticky Lips BBQ, Old Pueblo Grill, Coach Tony’s, Uncle Ralph’s, Red Osier and dozens of other high-profile food brands.

File Photo of Paul Guglielmo, CEO of Craft Cannery in Bergen, by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The Run for the Acorns is from Friday, Sept. 23, with the virtual run going to Oct. 1. It includes the following events: 10k Run (In person), 5k Run/Walk (In person), Virtual 10k Run, and Virtual 5k Run/Walk.

Race in person or use the virtual option. Both courses are marked with signs and direction arrows, and the app tracks the courses using GPS points.   Your start and finish times will be recorded and posted to the results automatically.  To join the virtual race run the 5K or 10K course at the park between 8 a.m. Sept.  23, and 5 p.m. Oct. 1, using the RaceJoy tracking app.  Your start and finish times will be recorded and posted to the results automatically. 

The courses are on single and double-track trails through the forest, along a creek, and up and down rolling hills in the Genesee County Park & Forest, with an estimated 100 feet of climb in the 10K loop. Trails are very wide and easy to negotiate (rocks and roots are clearly marked for safety). The courses start on asphalt and then lead into the woods for a truly beautiful run through the countryside. Surround yourself in the beauty of the forest in October on trails through the woods, along the headwaters of Black Creek, and over rolling hills.

Grab a friend for some great exercise and fun in the park!! Meet at Pavilion B for the race start.  This 5k/10k trail run and walk is designed for people of all ages and activity levels.  Awards will be given to the top overall male and female running finishers in each race.   Awards will also be given to the top male and female running finishers in each age group.  Enjoy post-race snacks and drinks as you congratulate your fellow participants!

DETAILS

Starting Times for October 2nd: Check-in 8:00 a.m. 10K Run 9:00 a.m. 5K Run/Walk 9:15 a.m.

Virtual Run:  You must run the 5K or 10K course at the Genesee County Park & Forest between 8 a.m. Sep. 23, 2022, and 5 p.m. Oct. 1, 2022, using the mobile RaceJoy tracking app which you can download when you register.

10K Run: You must finish the first 5K of the race in 50 minutes or less or you will be disqualified.

Shirts: Must register by September 10, 2022, to receive a long-sleeved tech race shirt. No guarantee of a shirt if you register after this date.

Awards: Medals to the overall top two male and female finishers in the 5K and 10K run, to the winning team in the 10K Team Relay event, and to our top male and female finishers in each age group (14 & under for the 5K run, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 & over) – you must be present to receive your medal. No awards to virtual race participants.

Fees: October 2, 2022: $30 in advance (must be received by 5 p.m.  Sept. 25, 2022); $35 late and race day registration.

Virtual Race: $10 in advance for virtual race participation plus a $20 option to purchase a race shirt (order for shirt must be received by 5 p.m. Sept. 10, 2022). 

Packet Pickup: Friday Sept. 30, 2022 4:30 – 6:00 pm at DeWitt Recreation Area 115 Cedar St., Batavia, at Pavilion 1 or on race day.

Register online:  runsignup.com/Race/NY/EastBethany/RuntheAcorns

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

Anthony Louis Liberi, 50, of Burrow Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle 3rd, reckless endangerment 2nd, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, reckless driving, and failure right of way to an emergency vehicle.  Liberi is accused of fleeing from deputies attempting to make a traffic stop at 12:33 a.m., Aug. 27, on Buffalo Road in Bergen. The pursuit ended when Liberi's vehicle struck a median and his vehicle become disabled in the Town of Gates.  Gates PD assisted in the pursuit.  He was arrested by Deputy David Moore and Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Thea Mauritia Irons, 29, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Irons is accused of shoplifting at Walmart on Aug. 29 at 5:02 p.m. and was arrested by Deputy Zachary Hoy. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Donald S. Lewandowski, 44, of Pembroke, is charged with DWI. Lewandowski was stopped by State Police on Main Road, Newstead, on Aug. 23. According to State Police, Lewandowski failed a field sobriety test. He was processed at SP Clarence following his arrest where he allegedly refused a chemical test.  He was released on an appearance ticket.

Stanley F. Piasecki, 61, of Alexander, is charged with DWI. Piasecki was stopped at  DWI checkpoint on Broadway in the Village of Alden. State Police say he failed a field sobriety test.  He was arrested and transported to SP Clarence for processing where he allegedly recorded a .11 BAC. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Alfred A Wasielewski, 63, of Pembroke, is charged with DWI and refusal to submit to a breath test. Wasielewski was stopped at a DWI checkpoint on Aug. 25 on Route 33 in the Town of Alden.  He allegedly failed a field sobriety test. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Press release:

The GCEDC board approved a final resolution for a proposed $17.6 million project by NEXgistics to construct a 140,000 sq. ft. warehouse distribution center and national headquarters in Pembroke at its board meeting on Thursday, September 1, 2022.

NEXgistics is a fast-growing third-party logistics provider specializing in consumer electronics, sporting and outdoor goods, e-bikes and related products with operations in New York and Nevada.

The facility will be located on 30 acres of land on Vision Parkway in the town of Pembroke. NEXgistics currently leases space at two locations in western New York and will build a centrally located facility that enables the company to retain 21 full-time positions and create three new jobs.

“Thanks to our local and state officials, Genesee County is becoming a business ecosystem that companies across the country want to be a part of,” said Steve Hyde, Genesee County Economic Development Center president and CEO. “Along with our friendly business environment, companies have access to talent developing at our high schools and career-focused Genesee Valley BOCES, and institutions such as the Monroe Community College FWD Center, Northland Workforce Training Center, Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association, and other partners.”

NEXgistics has requested sales tax exemptions estimated at $812,000, a property tax abatement of approximately $1,116,360, and a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $154,650.  For every $1 of public benefit the company is investing $7 into the local economy.

Even though the end of summer is now upon us, construction marches on for as long as the weather permits.

Batavia Development Corporation Director Tammy Hathaway recently reviewed a list of projects — from completed and in progress to still in the design phase — throughout downtown.

Hunt Real Estate’s new home at 97 Main St. is set for its debut with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday while architectural and design firms are working out details for a revamped Batavia City Centre and Jackson Square.

Ellicott Station — the $22.5 million project of 55 units within an apartment complex, office suites and a restaurant/brewery is coming along, Hathaway said, sharing that she and City Manager Rachael Tabelski had taken a tour of the south side construction zone.

Standing just outside of the four-story, naked wood complex, one can hear power tools and occasionally see workers on the top floor. Peeking through the window and door cut-outs, one can see traffic along Ellicott Street and businesses on the opposite side of the street.

The project is moving along swiftly, Hathaway said during the BDC meeting at City Hall.

“It’s a gorgeous building,” she said of the defunct Della Penna site that’s part of the project.

Theater 56 will be going into the next phase of construction at its new location in Batavia City Centre, she said. BDC member Pierluigi Cipollone asked if the project was still on course for year-end completion. “As far as I know,” Tabelski said.

Other projects are underway from 99 to 216 Main Street, including a $5.25 million "Carr's Reborn" renovation, and focus has been placed on 60 Evans St., known as Creek Park LLC, Hathaway said. The LLC company is a subdivision of Batavia Development Corporation: "BDC will take ownership of  Creek Park LLC for land development," she said. "To make the unknowns known."

For example, Savarino Companies went through Creek Park LLC for its Ellicott Station project, she said. There is also a piece of property called Creek Park that sits behind the ice arena on Evans Street.

“We’re working on getting that into Brownfield development,” she said.

Brownfields are identified for potentially needing remediation to remove toxic materials from those sites. There has been some interest in the site, so far, Hathaway said, and it's unknown right now whether remediation will be required, so that will need to be explored.

“It’s been extremely exciting lately,” she said. “I have a major crush on this job.”

Three different blocks of projects have so far tallied estimated investments of $2.4 million, $66 million, and $1.14 million, she said, for all of the above sites, plus the Healthy Living campus, which is also under construction, and Ellicott Place, which has been completed on top of the Save-A-Lot building at Ellicott and Jackson streets.

A majority of the $69.4 million investment has been from private developers, with the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and New York Main Street grants providing about $10.8 million toward the cost.

“I would say to pack your hard hat and work boots because so much is going on with tours,” she said to the BDC members.

Top Photo: Creek Park on Evans Street, Batavia, has been identified as potential development property; Ellicott Station developer Savarino Companies continues to progress toward a 55-unit apartment complex with 52 balconies, nine units dedicated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, 37 garage parking spots and 44 surface parking spaces, a laundry room, elevator, community room, bicycle storage and an enclosed ADA playground on Ellicott Street. Photos by Joanne Beck.

The clear evening sky at sunset in Pembroke.

Photo by Joanne Meiser.

Jim Owen, in red, back row, a familiar face as a long-time substitute teacher at Batavia City School District and honorary Mayor of Redfield Parkway, visited the high school to check out the newly named Frank E. Owen Auditorium, dedicated to his late father for forging a new and successful music program at the district during his 37 years as music director.

Owen was not able to make last week's dedication in person, but he was present in spirit, and via a pre-recorded video message of how much the event and naming meant to him, emphasizing that it was in honor of his father, music students, teachers and all that use the State Street auditorium. Superintendent Jason Smith, left, and BHS Principal Paul Kesler, right, flank Owen in a group of Blue Devils students happy to join in.

Earlier this week during a Board of Education meeting, the board accepted a $5,000 donation from Owen. He gave it for "any enhancements in the Frank E. Owen Batavia High School Auditorum at the discretion of the district."

Photo submitted by the city school district.

File Photo of last year's Walk to End Alzheimer's by Howard Owens. Walk organizers opted to have a hybrid version of the walk to include both virtual and in-person participants after the pandemic prompted a virtual-only event in 2020.

Press Release

The Alzheimer’s Association, Western New York Chapter, is inviting Genesee and Wyoming County residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® on October 1 at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m., and the actual Walk commences at 11:15 a.m.

Lynn Westcott, senior director of development at the WNY Chapter, says: “The Genesee/Wyoming Counties Walk to End Alzheimer's is our signature event for awareness and we are thrilled to bring the Walk back as a completely in-person event this year.” Covid-19 concerns prompted the Alzheimer’s Association to hold a virtual Walk in 2020 and a hybrid version in 2021.

On Walk day, participants come together to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s and raise funds that ensure the programs and services provided by the Alzheimer’s Association are free to all who need them. In addition, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with the poignant Promise Garden ceremony, with the colors of the Promise Garden flowers representing people’s connection to Alzheimer’s – their personal reasons to end the disease.

Kim Arnold, chair of the Genesee/Wyoming Counties Walk to End Alzheimer’s, shares, “I volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association in support of the families and caregivers of those who live with Alzheimer's disease. We have so many outstanding people and families in these two counties' communities who have been affected by Alzheimer’s and consistently support the Walk, and the Alzheimer’s Association. The dedication and turnout has been heartwarming year after year. We look forward to seeing all those smiling faces again for Walk 2022! It's a morning full of fun with music, performers and activities to interest all ages.”

More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In New York alone, there are more than 410,000 people living with the disease and 580,000 caregivers. 

This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is presented by Uniland. To register and receive the latest updates on the Genesee/Wyoming Counties Walk, visit act.alz.org/GeneseeWyoming. To learn more about the planning committee or sponsorship opportunities, contact Lynn Westcott at lwestcott@alz.org or 716.440.4251.

Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s^®

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.  Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk^®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s.  

Alzheimer's Association^®

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.