Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone rocked the Downs on Friday along with supporting acts the Grass Roots and the All-Star Band.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

The Batavia Muckdogs close out the regular season at Dwyer Stadium tonight with a chance to repeat as Western Division champions on the line.

Trailing the Elmira Pioneers by mere percentage points, the Muckdogs need a win against Niagara Power after a doubleheader split on Friday against Newark.

Batavia won the first game 2-0 behind the pitching of Rijnaldo Euson and Garrett Beaver.

Euson tossed six innings of shutout ball, scattering five hits and fanning eight. Euson finishes the regular season with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.48. He amassed 35 strikeouts.

Beaver picked up his second save in 12 relief appearances. He's 3-0 with a 1.22 ERA.

Lucas Lopez reached base three times, twice on a walk and once with a hit in three plate appearances.

Newark took the second game 4-2.

For Batavia, Lopez was 2 for 3 and Kyle Hetherington went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Muckdogs are 26-16 and Elmira is 27-16.

Saturday, July 29th – KIDS DAY

• 8:30 AM – NIOGA Dairy Showmanship Show (Main Show Ring)10 AM – Exhibition Halls & Buildings Open
• 10:30 AM—NIOGA Dairy Show (Main Show Ring)
• 1 PM – 9 PM—Midway Opens Kids 16 & Under Ride for $15/wristband from 1 PM—5PM
• 2:30 PM – Color War (Lawn West of Bathrooms)
  3:30 PM- Small Fry Tractor Pull (Exhibition Building) Sponsored by Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Genesee County Pamona Grange, and Duane Schmigel
• 7 PM – Enduro ( Race Track Grandstands)
• 7 to 11:00 PM – BarnStorm – (Entertainment Tent)
• 10 PM – Exhibit Halls & Buildings Close

A stalwart of the Le Roy, and Genesee County, community for more than 50 years, Robert L. Boyce, has passed away at age 88.

Boyce, a native of Hamburg and an Army veteran, moved to Le Roy in 1968 after graduation from the University at Buffalo to go to work for an insurance company that eventually became Tompkins Insurance.

He quickly became involved in the community, joining Jaycees and Rotary, eventually becoming a Paul Harris fellow.

He served the Le Roy Ambulance Service for 27 years, including 13 years as president.

His honors and awards include the Genesee County Health and Humanitarian award (2014), Botts-Fiorito Post #576 LeRoyan of the Year (2018), Boys Scouts Distinguished Service award (2019), and the Alpha Medal of Service award at GCC Foundation (2020).

Boyce is survived by his wife of 61 years, Beth, and daughters Ann (Alan) Nordyke and Tracey (Jim) Carter, and son David (Irena) Boyce. His 8 grandchildren, Laura Nordyke Boland, Andrew Nordyke, Megan Boyce, Ryan Boyce, Emily Carter, Madelyn Carter, Gil Katz, Ella Katz and 2 great-grandchildren

For his full obituary, click here.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.

Press Release:

Registration is now open for the 2023-24 Faith Formation Program at Resurrection and Ascension Roman Catholic Parishes in Batavia. The parish families are excited about this joint venture to share our Catholic faith with our families and children.  

All sacramental preparation classes (Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation) will be offered as well as enriching programs for the entire family.

Classes will begin on Sunday, September 10 at 10 a.m. Mass at Ascension Parish, followed by lunch, meetings, and a fun kick-off event!  Come and join us!

Please contact Jason Smith from Resurrection Parish at resurrectionff14020@yahoo.com or Ann Pratt from Ascension Parish at mgp1731@gmail.com for information.

It has taken nearly five attempts for a Take 5 oil change business to receive final blessings to move into a former T Mobile building on the west end of the city, due to special use and variance requests that agent Evan Gefell needed before proceeding with his plans.

Gefell, of Quattro Batavia LLC, agent for the proposed Take 5 oil change business at 425 West Main St., Batavia, spoke about the project during the city’s Planning and Development Committee meeting Tuesday after a preliminary meeting in May and a subsequent trip to the County Planning Board.

Fellow Quattro Development representative Peter Pavek attended in May and asked for approval to remove the existing building at the site — formerly used for the phone business — and to construct a new building with pits to do oil changes. That revision required a special use permit.

Code Enforcement Officer Doug Randall had said that per zoning, they wanted to change the number of bays, and asked if the company would be good with that, and Pavel had agreed.

Given the minimal use for a waiting area, there was also no use for so many parking spaces, and Pavek said they could reduce the parking spots and add to the green space.

“Any additional green space you can maintain, that’d be great,” committee member Ed Flynn had said.

According to company data, the sites typically get 50 vehicles per day, with variations of busiest times throughout the day — mid-morning and especially at 3 p.m. reaching peak times.

The committee gave a preliminary thumbs up, with instructions to return with a detailed site plan, which Gefell had done on Tuesday.

“So the model of this is, you stay in your car, it's a 10-minute oil change, and then you continue on. It's a little traffic generator, it doesn't require a lot of parking, it's just kind of for the staff since the user stays in their vehicle,” he said. “This allowed us to really expand the green space on site. It's increased the green space from 24 percent to 47 percent. You can see some of the trees and the buffering and landscape that we've added. You know, we're not concerned about queuing with the two bays. And I think some traffic or data was presented or provided, but peak hours, you know, it's not a significant amount of customers at one time for traffic generators.”

An average location serves 40 customers a day, he said. They don’t do ancillary services outside of oil changes, wiper blades and air filters. 

“So it’s really quick,” he said. “There’s no transmission, there’s no brakes, no anything like that. So the idea is to get in and out quickly and not have any queuing.”

The meeting included a public hearing. There was no communication submitted regarding the business, and no one signed up to speak.

The committee approved the site plan and special use permit and gave a negative declaration for the environmental review, meaning that there would be no negative impact on the environment with the business in place.

Chairman Duane Preston liked the plan, he said. 

“It’s a good plan, lots of green space,” he said. 

The committee also referred the plan to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the zoning variance as the next step in the process.

After five days of entries, narrowing down the pool to staff favorites, and a final random drawing at the Genesee County Fair, The Batavian finally had its winner for the guitar giveaway contest. 

And on Thursday, the luck-winning artist, 14-year-old Colton Smith, who has been visiting Genesee County from West Virginia this week, received his prize during The Eaglez concert at the fairgrounds in Batavia. Colton had drawn one of the best eagles for the contest, and he walked away Thursday evening with a white polished Harley Benton Big Tone Trem guitar with gold-colored hardware.

Meant as a source of inspiration for young musicians and as a token of appreciation to the community for all that it has given us in terms of fantastic musical entertainment, the guitar was purchased by The Batavian's publisher, Howard Owens. His hope is that someday we will all be seeing Colton up on stage rocking out or otherwise reaping wild enjoyment out of some musical genre. 

Don't forget to stop by The Batavian's booth on Friday to cast your vote for the People's Choice Award: the Top 20 staff favorite eagle drawings. The winning artist will be announced Friday evening and will receive a harmonica. 

We will also be announcing the 18 and older prize of a $100 Red Osier Landmark Restaurant gift certificate on Friday, so remember to check back and see who won these great prizes!

Sitting in the entertainment tent at the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Thursday evening, if you closed your eyes, you could be forgiven if you thought you really hearing Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner

The musicianship was that precise, and the harmonies that tight as a group of veteran Buffalo-area musicians, now performing at the Eaglez Tribute Band, ran through 28 hits of the Eagles over three hours of music.

The Eaglez are, in reality:

• Randy Barnard, Lead Guitar/Keyboard
• Dennis Makowski,  Guitar/Vocals
• Bob Brummitt, Bass Guitar/Vocals
• John White, Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
• Mike Nierenberg,  Vocals/Percussion
• Micky Judware / Rich Keigley, Drums
• Paul Vanacore, Sax/Keyboard

Note: Sadly, and unknown at show time, Randy Meisner passed away on Thursday. An original member of the Eagles, he was 77. Glenn Frey, another founding member, passed away in 2016.

Previously: The Eaglez highlights GC Fair's five nights of live music that spans genres and eras

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.

It’s a bit ironic to know the song that saved Jelly Roll’s music career is called “Save Me.” The ballad seeped in despair is getting a second life as a featured track on Jelly Roll’s new album, “Whitsitt Chapel,” as a duet with Lainey Wilson. 

“Save Me” first appeared in a stark acoustic guitar-and-vocal version on Jelly Roll’s 2020 independently released album “Self Medicated,” and the success the man born as Jason DeFord is enjoying now can be traced back to that song.

“For lack of a better word, ‘Save Me’ went viral,” Jelly Roll said in a mid-July phone interview. “It was undeniable. I had built a pretty good career. Keep in mind I had a billion views on my YouTube show. But I couldn’t get it, I was missing that one song that made people go ‘Oh, OK, this guy can do it all.’ I think ‘Save Me’ was that.”

Soon Jelly Roll was getting meetings with multiple record labels. He said the labels had plenty of ideas for his music, but it wasn’t until he met with Jon Loba, president of BMG Nashville, that he heard what he wanted to hear from a label.

“The cool thing was from go, Loba and everybody in the office sat me down and said the biggest thing we want from you is to do what you’ve been doing. It was awesome. I had complete creative control,” Jelly Roll said.

“Save Me,” however, wasn’t the song that put Jelly Roll on the radar of country and rock audiences. First came “Dead Man Walking,” a robust rocker from his first album on BMG, 2021’s “Ballads of the Broken,” which topped “Billboard” magazine’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and pointed to Jelly Roll’s potential to cross genres. Then a rootsy acoustic ballad from that album, “Son of a Sinner,” topped the magazine’s Country Airplay chart and spent a record-setting 28 weeks atop the Emerging Artist chart, which tracks the most popular developing artists across all genres.

Now “Whitsitt Chapel” is out, and he is starting a lengthy, highly anticipated tour headlining outdoor amphitheaters. Jelly Roll is doing his best to make sure his show lives up to the expectations.

“Knowing we have a chance to touch so many people, we’ve spared no expense,” he said of the show, which will feature not only new songs but selections dating back as far as to 2013. “I’m bringing tons of lights, video screens. Our goal is to kind of bring a mixture of a hip-hop show, a rock show, a country show and a little bit of a backroad tent revival.”

It’s quite a turn of fortune for someone who grew up on the streets of the working-class Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, did drugs and spent parts of his teens and 20s in jail for offenses ranging from robbery to drug dealing.

It was during one of those stints behind bars, though, that Jelly Roll, 38, was spurred to break his cycle of dead-end behavior. Informed by a guard that he had just become a father to a newborn daughter, he set his sights on making something of himself. Having begun making mix tapes in his teens, he decided that music was his ticket to a better future.

Around 2009, Jelly Roll began releasing a steady stream of indie albums, mixtapes and singles. His early music was predominantly rap and hip-hop, but as time went on, he began to broaden his sound.

“Ballads of the Broken” offered a preview of where Jelly Roll is now taking his music, as it spanned country, rock, pop and hip-hop. “Whitsitt Chapel” offers a similar cross-genre appeal as it touches on country (“Save Me,” “Nail Me,” and “Church”), muscular rock (“Halfway to Hell” and “The Lost”), hip-hop (“Unlive”) and songs that blend those styles (“Need A Favor,” which is currently a top 5 country single) with raw and emotional lyrics that continue to touch on his past struggles, but hint at the redemption he has started to attain.

It took some time and effort for Jelly Roll to find the direction of the album, as he set aside more than 70 songs after he realized only two of those songs – “Church” and “Hungover in a Church Pew” – were calling to him.

“I said, ‘Man, these two songs kept kind of putting their hands up to me, ‘Church’ and ‘Church Pew,’” he said. “Then I started thinking how God had kind of brought me to these two songs out of 70, the two I kept thinking of. And I was like, ‘That’s it. I’m going to write an album called ‘Going To Church.’”

“And my producer, Zach Crowell, sat me down and said, ‘What was the name of that church you went to?’ (I said) ‘Whitsitt Chapel,’” Jelly Roll said. “He was like, ‘You write songs that nobody else in this town could sing because they’re so personal to you.’ He said ‘Anybody in this town could have an album called ‘Going To Church.’ There’s only one person in this town who could have an album called ‘Whitsitt Chapel.’ That was the birth of the ‘Whitsitt Chapel' album. Me and Zach Crowell scratched everything but those two songs and started from there.”

Jelly Roll will be performing at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Thursday.

 Friday, July 28th – GENESEE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NIGHT

• 10 AM – Exhibition Halls & Buildings Open
• 11 AM—4-H FCS Club Activity (Kennedy Building)
• 4 PM – 9 PM—MIDWAY OPEN
• 6:15 PM Kids Power Wheels Demolition Derby (Grandstands)
• 7 PM – Demolition Derby (Grandstands)
  **FIREWORKS at the completion of the Demo Derby**
• 7:30 PM  to 11 PM – Audibull  (Entertainment Tent)
•  10 PM – Exhibit Halls & Buildings Close

Daily at the Fair:

• Air Sculpture (Balloon Display Build All Day Every Day and Balloon Demonstrations 12pm & 4:45pm) (All Day Every Day)
• Pig Racing – Show Schedule (SAT 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; SUN 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; MON 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; TUES 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; WED 2pm, 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; THURS 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; FRI 2pm, 4pm, 6pm & 8pm; SAT 2pm, 4pm, 6pm & 8pm)
• Niagara Down Under (All Day Every Day)
• Wings on Wheels (All Day Every Day)
• Pony Rides (All Day Every Day)
• Chain Saw Carver (All Day Every Day)
• Fame Racing – Radio Controlled Car Racing (SAT 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; SUN 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; MON 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; TUES 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; WED 1pm, 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; THURS 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; FRI 1pm, 3pm, 5pm & 7pm; SAT 1pm, 3pm, 5pm & 7pm)
• CLICK HERE FOR 4-H Daily Schedule  

Events & times on the schedule and this website are subject to change. Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with changes. Click here to see each day's schedule.

Two young men and a teenager from Batavia were taken into custody early Thursday morning following a report of shots fired in the area of Washington Avenue and Willow Street in the city, followed by the sound of gunshots on Dellinger Avenue.

The initial call of shots fired was received by emergency dispatchers at 11:22 p.m. on Wednesday.  

Police officers responded to Washington Avenue and Willow Street and found evidence at the intersection consistent, according to Batavia PD, with a weapon being discharged.

The nature of the evidence was not disclosed.

While officers were canvassing the area, multiple shots were heard coming from the area of Dellinger Avenue, and officers immediately responded.

At that location, officers again discovered evidence, police said, consistent with a weapon being discharged.

As the investigation continued, police reviewed footage from pole cameras, which helped them develop a vehicle description.

Information about the shooting and the suspect vehicle was shared with surrounding law enforcement agencies for their assistance in locating the vehicle and potential suspects. 

After the scene had been secured, the City Fire responded to the Willow Street scene to provide ground ladders for officers to assist officers in their search of the scene. 

At 1:11 a.m., four males were located walking in the area of Chase Park and North Spruce Streets. 

The males were transported to a business parking lot on East Main Street, where a vehicle apparently matching the vehicle viewed on the surveillance video was located. 

Officers at that scene located evidence consistent with a weapon or weapons being discharged, and all four males were taken into custody at that time. 

After interviews, one male was released, and the other three were arrested. 

Tmario H. Ayala, 20, Bryson R. Gentile, 18, and a 17-year-old male, all of Batavia, were taken into custody and charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C felony, and reckless endangerment in the first degree, a Class D felony. 

Police did not say whether a weapon was recovered, nor did they reveal who or what may have been targeted, or if there was a target, by the alleged shooter or shooters.

They did not say which individual, or if it's multiple individuals, may have discharged a weapon.

The investigation did conclude, police said, that a residence had been struck by gunfire on Dellinger Avenue. 

No injuries were reported.

Ayala and Gentile were arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $100,000 cash bail, $200,000 bond, or $300,000 partially secured bond. 

The 17-year-old male was arraigned in Youth Part Court and was held on $25,000 cash bail, $50,000 bond, or a $100,000 partially secured bond. 

Batavia PD was assisted by City Fire, the Sheriff's Office, and Emergency Dispatch. Citizens also assisted by providing information that aided the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing, and Batavia PD asks that any members of the public with information that may be relevant to the incident to contact the detective bureau at 585-345-6444.

41 Kingsbury Ave., Batavia- Super solid and lovingly maintained 4 bedroom 1 1/2 bath home on one of Batavia's great neighborhood Streets! This homeowner did all the right things with maintenance such as updated roof, electrical furnace and central air and windows throughout the years- now all the next person has to do is come in and update their decor to their taste! The woodwork is all beautifully untouched, lending to a charm that you don't always get without paying a lot of money! The layout and room sizes are all very spacious and there is tons of great storage from top to bottom-not to mention a garage with side office or more storage space! So much for the asking price-come see for yourself! Delayed negotiations until Wednesday Aug 2 at 10:00 a.m.

22 Bennett Ave, Oakfield - Solid 3 bedroom 2and 1/2 bath home located on prime Village St. This yard is the fun yard! Fully enclosed and private backyard with large sunny open deck, awesome xlarge playset and plenty more yard space for entertaining and games!! Stepping inside you will be greeted by large and bright kitchen with so much space and cupboards plus an oversized pantry closet for all the supplies! There is also conveniently a large 1/2 bath and laundry room for your guests and you right as you walk in to catch all the mess! There is a great spacious layout between the formal dining room and oversized living room and front foyer and all three rooms boast hardwood floors and beautiful unpainted woodwork and even a set of beautiful wooden and glass pocket doors! Upstairs there are 3 large bedrooms -the master is roomy and bright with a sunny connected bath that everyone will want to use! There is also a large attic for all your storage needs and a full basement that once upon a time was partially finished off and could be again! There's a lot here for the next owner to enjoy so make it yours today! Delayed negotiations until Monday July 31 at 5:00.

The Karaoke Contest, Genesee County Fair's version of American Idol or The Voice, held its finals of a two-night competition on Wednesday evening.

Here are the winners for 17 and under:

• 1st: Carly
• 2nd: Hannah
• 3rd: Jesse 

And, 18 and over:

• 1st: Melissa
• 2nd: Laura
• 3rd: Jim

Photos by Howard Owens.

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello and enter our eagle-drawing contest in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.

The best part of teaching golf to a bunch of kids is seeing how much fun they had, said local Pro Tom Tucker.

About a dozen years ago, Tucker founded the Batavia Country Club Junior Golf Camp.

"I like seeing the kids have fun, and every once in a while, we have somebody who really has some golf DNA in them, and it's fun watching them progress as golfers," Tucker said. "And I like being with the kids. It helps keep me young."

Tucker has been a United States Golf Teachers Federation certified instructor since 2005. He's been listed as a Top 100 teaching pro by the World Golf Teaching Federation since 2010.

The annual summer camp is broken into two groups.  This week the camp is filled to capacity -- 25 students -- with 7 to 10-year-olds.  Next week, the 12 to 15-year-old group arrives at Batavia Country Club.

Each group gets a week of instruction, practice and competition, with a tournament on Friday.

For the younger students, the focus is more on ensuring the kids learn to enjoy the game of golf while older students are given a bit more instruction.  Both groups compete in chipping, pitching, lag putting, accuracy putting, and drives. The winners of each competition receive a medal. 

"We've produced a lot of good golfers," Tucker said.  Some students have gone on to play for their high school teams, Tucker said.

Tucker, this year is assisted by Roxanne Noth and Dominic NiCastro.

For more information on the golf camp and photos from past years, visit TomTuckerGolf.com.

Photos by Howard Owens

At the conclusion of this morning’s Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. board meeting that featured glowing reports – financial and otherwise -- from management, Director Vincent Horrigan of Chautauqua County commended the staff for a job well done during a tough stretch.

“With all the turbulence in Albany, the results speak for themselves,” said Horrigan, a “holdover” from the previous board that was terminated in early May through legislation approved by Gov. Kathy Hochul and leaders in the state Assembly and Senate. “I wish to congratulate the incredible team, from the lowest worker to Henry and the rest of the management team.”

Horrigan is one of 11 directors who were reappointed by their governing bodies to four-year terms as stipulated by the new guidelines.

New members of the board, all of whom were in attendance today, are Charles Zambito (Genesee County), Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney (City of Buffalo), Terrance Baxter (Cayuga County), James A. Wilmot (Monroe County) and Jennifer Hibit (Erie County). 

Wilmot, the newest director, is in charge of casino development for the Wilmorite Management Group in Rochester.

Schuyler County officials have yet to announce their representative to the 17-member board.

While each municipality that benefits from WROTB proceeds (operational earnings and surcharge) has one director, the May legislation instituted a weighted voting system, eliminating the one-director, one-vote format that had been in force.

As a result, the majority of the voting power rests with Democratic Party-led counties of Erie and Monroe and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. The remainder of the municipalities are Republican-leaning, and some of those are joining together in litigation challenging the recent changes, citing Home Rule entitlement.

Today’s meeting was the second straight conference that was informational only since four of the new directors have yet to be licensed by the New York Gaming Commission. WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said he expects that to happen soon, likely in time for committee meetings and the full board meeting on Aug. 23-24.

Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach had the floor for most of the 90-minute session, providing monetary figures that shine a favorable light on the Batavia Downs Gaming operation.

Calling it “a very strong month,” Leach said the “net win” for June of $7.06 million is the highest ever for June – beating the corporation’s projected amount by 8 percent. Net win is what is left in the Video Lottery Terminal machines after paying out the customers.

She reported that credits played in June were $97 million – up $9.3 million from June 2022 – and attendance for the month hit the 80,000 mark – up 12,000 from June 2022.

Year-to-date earnings are at $4.6 million, she said, which represents a $1.5 million increase from the same period last year.

Earnings and surcharge (5 percent) go back to the member municipalities. Genesee County has received $106,544 in earnings and surcharge thus far in 2023, including $4,484 in the month of June.

Leach attributed food and beverage sales, special events, the Batavia Downs Concert Series and the success of the Hotel at Batavia Downs as contributing factors to the uptick in activity. She said the hotel has generated $262,000 in profit so far in 2023.

“The hotel (which was purchased by WROTB in April 2021) has proven to be such a great addition to the corporation – a tremendous benefit,” she said.

Looking ahead, Leach said that July “is shaping up to be another record month for the Batavia Downs Gaming side of the business.”

In other developments:

-- Wojtaszek said management’s plan is to reduce the number of Off-Track Betting branches from the current eight to five by 2025. He said more emphasis is being placed on EZ Bet, which are self-betting terminals in existing bars and restaurants. WROTB has 27 EZ Bet locations across Western New York.

-- Director of Live Racing Don Hoover reported that Wednesday’s opening night of harness racing generated a handle of $242,306, which puts it in the top 10 of all handles since WROTB purchased the track 20 years ago. The 53-date season concludes on Dec. 9 but Hoover is in discussions with the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association to schedule racing dates next January and February.

-- VP/Administration William White advised that Batavia Downs Gaming’s pay scale for security guards is lagging behind the area’s average and is looking at forging an agreement with the employee union to increase the pay as soon as possible. White said that the company is having trouble recruiting and retaining security personnel. 

Graham Manufacturing is currently looking for welders, and Justin Deleo might be a good candidate for one of those openings if he was just a little bit older.

The Byron-Bergen sophomore won a welding competition at the Genesee County Fair under the supervision of William Muoio from Graham.

Justin loves welding, but perhaps, unfortunately for Graham, he also loves farming.

He's thought about welding as a career, "but I really would just like to learn how to weld and then use that in running my own farm," Justin said.

He got his start welding by helping out his grandfather on his farm, Forest Lawn, at the bottom of the hill by Genesee Community College.

"I like building things," Justin said. "I have worked on my grandpa's farm, and I helped him weld hay wagons, and ever since then, I've been interested in welding."

For first prize, Justin had his choice between a set of torches and a mask or an auto shade helmet, and he picked the helmet, said Todd Hofheins, Future Farmers of America advisor.

Hofheins said the welding competition and a tractor skills competition are organized by FFA and 4-H and supported by sponsors who provided more than $3,000 in prize money and prizes.

In welding, second place went to Michael Jewart, a student at Pioneer, and third place went to Cooper Harkins, from Pavilion.

In the tractor competition for junior category:

• Cooper Harkins
• Evan Winspear
• Justin Deleo

In the senior competition:

• Carson Warner
• Ian Keberle
• Michael Jewart
• Colton Yasses

Photos by Howard Owens

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello and enter our eagle-drawing contest in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.