Alabama

Notre Dame moved to 4-0 tonight, but anybody who came into the Friday night showdown with Oakfield-Alabama thinking the Hornets (who entered the game with a disappointing 1-2 record) would be pushovers, they learned something about how a proud football program can rise to the challenge of a tough opponent.

The Hornets never trailed in the game until the end, with ND only pulling even twice, once at 7-7 midway through the second quarter and then at 17-17 in the final seconds of regulation time on a Matt Thompson field goal.

After getting the ball first in overtime, but failing to convert the opportunity into a score, OA saw the Fighting Irish preserve its undefeated season on a six-yard TD rush by Beau Ritcher.

The Hornets had every opportunity to even its record, but OA's defense was eventually worn down by a relentless Notre Dame running attack.

The Hornets scored first on a first-quarter drive keyed by a Jason Stanley 60-yard run, but ND pulled even midway through the second quarter when Mike Pratt capped a grinding Notre Dame drive with a three-yard TD rush.

As the first half drew to a close, there was a real sense that Notre Dame could lose the game. At a time when the Fighting Irish should have controlled the ball, at least well enough to preserve a tie going into half-time, ND went three-and-out with enough time on the clock for OA to push the ball into the red zone. With seconds left in the half, Jon Fisher put three points on the board allowing the Hornets to head into the locker room with a 10-7 lead.

In the third quarter, it really seemed as if OA was in charge of the game, taking the ball down on a scoring drive that was capped by a 15-yard TD pass from Tyler Tamblin to Brent Crawford.

In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame's ground game began to take a toll on OA's defense. Pratt and Ricther eat up a lot of yards, and eventually Pratt plows into the end zone on a 10-yard run to put the score at 17-14.

After an exchange of downs in the fourth quarter, ND again moves the ball into striking range, and this time Thompson puts through his field goal to tie the game at 17-17.

OA got the ball first in OT, but only managed a first down before coming up short. The OA defense fought hard, putting ND in a third-and-long situation before Pratt bulled his way to a third down. With the ball inside the 10, Notre Dame fought for yardage and managed to get the ball to the one-yard line before a penalty forced the offense back five yards. On the next play, however, Ritcher burst through the line of scrimmage and into the end zone to keep the Irish undefeated.

There are more pictures after the jump below.

Oakfield-Alabama, already off to a slow start in 2009, will have its hands full tonight when it meets undefeated Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish (3-0) has averaged 20 first-quarter points so far this season, while the Hornets are averaging only 3. Overall, Notre Dame's per-game scoring average is 26 points compared to 12.3 for the Hornets.

OA comes into the game with a 1-2 record.

"We're confident in where we're going and what we're doing right now," said OA head coach Brian Palone. "We're continuing to make progress each week. We lost a lot of experience from last year. We had only one returning player on defense. We really worked on defense this week, because the defense really struggled last week."

Alexander beat OA last week 42-17.

Notre Dame's head coach, Rick Mancuso, isn't taking the Hornets lightly, though.

"From our standpoint going into this game, Oakfield is always one of the perennial powerhouses in our league," Mancuso said. "Regardless of what their record is, like every team in our league, they work week in and week out to improve, and Oakfield is no different."

Mancuso praised the OA coaching staff and said he knows Palone will have his crew ready to play.

The Fighting Irish need to rebound, he said, from a sloppy effort last week.

"We made a lot of mental errors," Mancuso said. "Defensively, we did not play tight. We didn't play really disciplined. We need to be a more disciplined team going forward."

Norte Dame beat Barker last week 43-18. The 18 points represented the first scores against ND this season, after the team beat Pembroke 21-0 and Attica 14-0.

We'll have coverage posted by the morning. This weekend, The Batavian will also cover Alexander at Holley. Alexander comes into the game 2-1, but Holley is one of the surprises, if not THE surprise of the Genesee League so far this season. Holley is 3-0, opening a season undefeated for the first time in program history.

A car has driven off the road and into the trees in the area 1950 Roberts Road in Alabama.

Unknown injuries at this time.

UPDATE: First responder reports minor injuries.

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The approval of $1 million for Phase 2 of the Western New York Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) was granted by the Empire State Development Corporation today.

Senator Michael Ranzenhofer was among those who applauded the allocation to help build the Western New York Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). He sent along this press release:

“The WNY STAMP park project allows Genesee County to compete in a 21st Century global economy. The project paves the way for technologically advanced companies that manufacture computer chips, semi-conductors and photovoltaic cells for solar power to locate in Western New York. This project would create over 9,300 jobs here in Western New York."

The WNY STAMP park has been planned as a prime mega-site, suitable for large scale advanced manufacturing projects. The 1,340 acre project, located in Alabama near the intersection of Route 77 and Judge Road, will be the second of only one other similar park in New York State. Phase II of the project allows the Genesee County Economic Development Center to complete design and engineering work.

Senator Ranzenhofer expressed appreciation to the efforts of many to move the project to the next phase.

“I would like to thank Senator Mary Lou Rath, Senator Bill Stachowski, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Assemblyman Dan Burling, Genesee County Economic Development Center President and CEO Steve Hyde and the Empire State Development Corporation for their tireless efforts to create a business-friendly environment and create jobs in Western New York."

Genesee County Economic Development Center President and CEO Steve Hyde had this to say:

“The WNY STAMP (Science, Technology, Advanced Manufacturing Park) project, located in close proximity to the NYS Thruway in the Town of Alabama, Genesee County, is a transformational regional effort which will, over the long term, help to transform Western NY’s economy from Buffalo to Rochester by growing high paying, advance manufacturing and technology oriented jobs. This...site is being developed as NY’s next generation Mega-Site similar to Luther Forest, the home of Global Foundries and AMD’s recent multi-billion investment.

"...I, along with many of the elected officials and people of Genesee County and the region, would like to thank Senator Ranzenhofer, and his predecessor Senator Rath, for all the support and hard work that has gone into helping WNY STAMP become a reality.” 

A caller to the dispatch center reports that a telephone pole has been sheared off on Ledge Road, just east of 77, in Alabama.

"It appears to be a motor vehicle accident, but no vehicle around," according to dispatch.

Pole and wires are down on the ground.  The pole is in three different pieces.

There was a suggestion from a responder that the pole down is a result of an accident last night.

UPDATE: Alabama Fire Chief: "This is the same pole from Friday night, so I'm clear."  Notifications have already been made.

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A two-family residence in the Town of Alabama was heavily damaged by an early morning fire.

The fire was reported at 4:37 a.m. at 6967 Knowlesville Road.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

All residents escaped the fire without injuries.

The front porch and a kitchen were heavily damaged in the blaze, according to a Sheriff's Office press release.

Responding to the fire were the Town of Alabama Fire Department, Oakfield, Town of Batavia, City of Batavia, East Pembroke, Indian Falls, East Shelby, City of Batavia Medic, Genesee County Emergency Management Office, State Police, Sheriff's Office and National Grid.

Harris G. Reed, 28, of 27 Perry St., Holley, is charged with petit larceny. Reed is accused of stealing a cell phone from a counter top at 11293 Lake Road, Pavilion. The alleged theft took place June 3. Reed was arrested Aug. 7. He will be arraigned in Pavilion Town Court Sept. 8.

A 17-year-old boy from Alabama has been charged with distributing indecent material to minors via a computer and endangering the welfare of a child. The youth allegedly sent nude pictures of himself to a minor female.

Jason W. Wolf, of the Town of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, falsifying business records and 25 counts of offer to file a false instrument. The investigation by State Police is ongoing. The alleged crime was first reported Nov. 5. Wolf was arrested last week. He was released on his own recognizance. No other details were available on the SP media web site this morning.

A motorcycle driver suffered a minor head injury yesterday afternoon when he came up behind a car on Bloomingdale Road that he thought was moving, only to realize once he was upon it that it was stopped, causing him to swerve off the roadway.

Gary Newton, 63, 11909 Boncliff, Alden, was not transported to the hospital following the accident.

The driver of the other vehicle was not identified.  It was apparently stopped at Bloomingdale Road and Martin Road in Alabama to make a left-hand turn.

Deputy Timothy Wescott investigated the accident.

Michael C. Buzzell, 31, 26 Main St., Oakfield, is started with stalking and menacing following an incident outside the County Courthouse yesterday afternoon. Buzzell allegedly threatened another person in the parking lot of the court facility around 12:15 p.m. He and the other person were apparently appearing in court yesterday on the same matter. The alleged victim reports being threatened repeatedly by Buzzell. Buzzell was taken into custody at 4:42 p.m.

Lynn Desiree Bettilyon, 21, of 749 Washington St., Spencerport, is charged with attempt to evade or defeat tax and possession of untaxed cigarettes. Bettilyon was stopped for allegedly speeding in the Town of Alabama. She was allegedly traveling at 51 mph in a 40 mph zone. Deputy Tim Wescott investigated and allegedly found her in possession of 400 untaxed cigarettes. Bettilyon was also issued citations for unlicensed driving and driving left of pavement marking.

A motorcycle group out on a fundraising ride through Alabama on Sunday was confronted by a shotgun-wielding motorist when he apparently didn't like an intersection being closed by members of the group while the caravan passed.

William E. Buncy, 64, of Depew, was arrested by State Police and charged with a misdemeanor count of menacing.

The shotgun, which was reportedly unloaded at the time, along with three other unloaded firearms, were taken from Buncy at the time of his arrest. Buncy was returning from an event at a local gun club at the time of the incident.

The motorcycle group had 150 riders, and a few members of the group blocked the intersection at Lewiston Road and Route 63 to make it easier and safer for the entire group to pass through the intersection.

Titled the Jonathon Cote Memorial Motorcycle Run, it featured 150 riders and began in Amherst and was headed to Wilson Boat House in Wilson.

Buncy will be arraigned on the charge on Aug. 25 in the Town of Alabama Court.

Mercy Flight is responding to an accident involving a motorcycle at Bloomingdale and Parker roads.

The motorcycle driver is reportedly unconscious.

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Apparently, Dannie Sims didn't want to pass through a State Police road check on Route 63 in Oakfield today.

Troopers spotted a Chevy Lumina making an alleged illegal u-turn after it started to approach the road check, so a trooper initiated a traffic stop.

It turns out that Sims may have had good reason for avoiding the road check -- a felony warrant in Monroe County. He is also a suspect in several alleged larcenies of purses, wallets and other items at several retail store locations. Sims is a "person of interest" for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office in several alleged larcenies in the Batavia area.

Sims, 53, is a resident of Alabama.

After his apprehension, Sims was turned over to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. The investigation is ongoing in Genesee County.

The purpose of the road checks is to check all safety related equipment that is required by the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws as well as ensuring that all vehicles are properly registered, insured and inspected.

William G. Potter, 53, and Tina L. Ground, 49, of 6924 Council House Road, Alabama, are charged with crimes stemming from a dispute at their residence. During a fight, Ground allegedly threatened Potter with a claw hammer. Potter allegedly made contact with Ground, which violated a court order. During the investigation of the incident, Deputy Kevin McCarthy and state troopers allegedly found seven potted marijuana plants in the house. Ground also allegedly had marijuana on her person. Potter is charged with criminal contempt. Ground is charged with menacing, unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful growing of marijuana.

Robert M. Browne, 48, of 282 Route 20, Room #3, Darien, is charged with DWI and criminal contempt. Reportedly, law enforcement received a report that Browne had contact with a person he is ordered not to contact. Deputy Patrick Reeves was dispatched to find Browne, and reportedly found him driving on Route 20 in Darien. Reeves determined that Browne was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Browne was also charged with unlicensed operation and operating a vehicle that was unregistered, uninsured and that had improperly switched plates.

Oakfield-Alabama Central School has $6 million to spend on building repairs, new technology and safety measures for its students, thanks to an EXCEL grant they got four years ago.

“The best part is, there is literally no (additional cost) to the taxpayer…” said Christopher Todd, OA superintendent. “We will not go over our $6 million dollar cap – although we plan to get as close as we can.”

First, OA will spruce up the memorial site in the front of the building. A light will illuminate the flag and new greenery will make the site more eye-catching.

Part of the grant money has been dedicated to making the schools more energy efficient, so new heating/AC units were installed in the elementary school. The new units will also be cheaper to maintain if they happen to break or need repairs. “Here at OA, we like to make sure our kids are cool!” joked Todd.

Parents will have no reason to sweat this year when it comes to the safety of the students during school hours. New doors were installed in the lobbies of both the elementary and high schools – doors that will only open if visitors are approved and buzzed in. The offices in both schools have been remodeled to make this an easy process. (Below is the new elementary school office.)

The biggest changes that affect parents of OA students are the drop-off zones for each school. At the elementary drop-off, parents and their children won’t have to avoid the giant puddle of water that seemed to always form directly in front of the school. The drainage system will be repaired before the beginning of the school year. (When this picture was taken, it hadn't rained for about two days.)

 The drop-off system at the high school has been improved as well. Since the Department of Transportation mandated that the school move its main entrance, parents have the front of the building all to themselves. That includes the new three-lane roadway that extends across what used to be the school’s front lawn.

“It will be much easier for parents to make quick drop-offs, it will keep traffic off the main road, and they won’t have to interfere with the buses' drop-offs either,” explained Todd.

So where will the buses load and unload their students if they’re no longer at the front of the building? Well, it’s hard to see from the road, but behind the middle school there will be a new circle for buses only. There used to be a small administrative parking lot in that area.

“I told [fellow administrators] they couldn’t complain, because I’m losing my parking spot too!” laughed Todd, “I’ll be parking way out there!” he said gesturing toward the far end of the student parking lot.

Also, another roadway will stem from the new bus circle and head straight back for the football fields to a small handicapped parking lot. 

Athletes in OA will benefit from this grant too. The football fields will have new lights, the track will be resurfaced, and ball fields will get new clay and dirt skins called “baseball mix." Plus, a few machines in the fitness center are being leased – they’ll be easier to replace if they happen to break or need repairs.

Physical activity is important to elementary students too, so they’ll be getting a new playground behind the cafeteria. All the pieces have arrived, but the playground itself may not be finished before school begins. All other construction is scheduled to be finished by the time school starts next month.

A head-on collision on Bloomingdale Road near Tesnow Road in Alabama has been reported.

The initial report stated two people were entrapped, but the latest report is that there are two victims who are out of the vehicles.

Mercy Flight remains enroute.

UPDATE: A landing zone is being established for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 2: At least one person was being helped (not sure if "extracted" would apply) from one vehicle. He is apparently the driver of one vehicle and he reportedly told emergency responders that he fell asleep at the wheel.

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Joanne C. Buchanan, 50, of Box 70 Country Road Route 37, Central Square, and Jayne E. Best, 52, of 9384 Woodlawn Drive, Brewerton, were arrested for allegedly attempting to evade or defeat tax and possession of untaxed cigarettes. Deputy Tim Wescott initiated a traffic stop for alleged speeding and reportedly found 10 cartoons of cigarettes in the car Buchanan and Best were in.

Donald J. Cummins, 60, of 104 Bernice Drive, Seneca, is charged with DWI. Cummins was reportedly driving westbound on Route 33 at 11:53 p.m. when his vehicle allegedly strayed from the roadway toward the left shoulder striking a road cone. Deputy Kevin R. McCarthy stopped Cummins and found he was allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was also cited for allegedly driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from a lane unsafely.

Susanna E. Venti, 60, of Alexander, is charged with DWI. Venti was stopped by a state trooper on Walker Road in the Town of Darien for allegedly crossing the center line. Venti's alleged BAC was .08 percent. Venti was cited for DWI, failing to keep right and driving an unregistered vehicle.

An overwhelming majority of residents of Alabama want piped-in water to replace their current well-water supply, a fact that was brought into light by a survey conducted in 2003. The survey also made it apparent that residents were willing to pay for public water, but those in attendance at the informational meeting last night were leery over the $5.2 million dollar price tag.

Residents in the town gathered in the fire hall to go over the pros and cons of public water, the cost and responsibilities of the homeowner, and the logistics of the project that were projected thus far.

The owner of Chatfield Engineers, Paul Chatfield, presented the proposed district as well as the dollar amounts that came along with it, saying that each resident would have to pay a target charge of $702.

“If it would only cost me $700 to get water, I’d write you a check today!” said Bill Maragliano. He and his wife have lived on Roberts Road for four years. They were upset that the projected water lines were (as of right now) not going to reach them. Later, he showed me a bottle of water he’d taken from the faucet at his house, and it wasn’t pretty.

 The Maragliano’s plan to get a petition signed by their neighbors saying that they want water. Supervisor of the Town of Alabama, Guy Hinkson asked that anyone else who wants water on their street to bring it to his attention with a petition as well.

A show of hands around the room indicated that the majority of people in attendance did want water, but when it came time for questions and concerns it was clear they were wary of the cost. 

Chatfield explained that the interest rates for loans have been nearly cut in half over the past few years. He said now is the time to take advantage of grant programs, such as the one offered by USDA Rural Development – a federal agency that provides loans and grants based upon the incomes of the residents in the town.

The total cost of the project that USDA Rural Development is willing to pay (the projected grant plus the projected loan) is approximately $5,258,000. The estimated target charge per house is approximately $702 per year (debt service plus the cost of water). Loan specialist Dawn Kuras for the USDA Rural Development assured that even if the loan or grant amounts change, the target charge per household would remain around $700 per year.

That $700 does not include the cost to run the water line from the road to the resident's house (approx. $8-12 per sq. foot), or the purchase of water.

Many people were concerned about senior citizens on fixed incomes and how they would afford a new cost. Kuras explained that the USDA was there to help individuals as well as the town afford water. She said to contact her office in Batavia with inquiries.

“We have a lot of details to work out in regards to this project,” said Chatfield. The application process is time consuming and the general schedule for water districts from formation to completion is projected to take almost four years.

Supervisor Hinkson concluded the meeting by saying “This has been a long time coming… people need water.” 

Not everyone in attendance agreed that the town should go ahead with the project as projected right away, however.  Co-legislator in District 1 of Oakfield and Alabama, Ray Cianfrini brought it to attention that there could be other ways to get this project paid for. He suggested they seek funding through Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP).

Cianfrini also mentioned that the Town of Oakfield was “basically mandated” to replace their water tower and they are having trouble finding grant money. He said that two municipalities combined would increase their chances to get grants, so “Why not take advantage?”

Supervisor Hinkson stressed throughout the meeting that the project was still “conceptual… We are in the preliminary phases of getting all this accomplished.”