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Assemblyman Steve Hawley invites you to join him at a free electronics recycling event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 23, at the parking lot of the East End Business Center, 5130 E. Main St., Batavia.

Enter off of Ag Park Drive; it's next to National Grid.

This E-waste event is in conjunction with Spectrum and Sunnking.

***There is a limit of four television tubes per vehicle.

Bring your old broken cell phones, computers, monitors, printers, audio and video equipment, small devices, other electronic equipment.

For more information, contact Hawley's office at (585) 589-5780 or email  hawleys@nyassembly.gov

Press release:

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease makes planning for the future a very important task for families. Concerns about care planning and programs that can help offset costs mean that families need accurate information about legal and financial matters specific to the disease.

"Legal and Financial Planning for Alzheimer’s Disease" is an opportunity to learn about important legal and financial issues to consider, how to put plans in place and how to access legal and financial resources in the community.

The Alzheimer’s Association WNY Chapter is offering the program at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, at the The Manor House at 427 E. Main St. in Batavia, which is also providing an American Sign Language interpreter and a light meal.

Topics to be discussed during the 90-minute program include:

• Making legal plans that fit individual and family needs;
• Legal documents and what they mean;
• How to find legal and financial assistance;
• Practical strategies for making a long-term plan of care;
• Government programs that can help pay for care.

The program is free and open to the public, but seating reservations are requested by calling 1-800-272-3900.

Press release:

The Batavia Concert Band will be returning for their 93^rd season of public concerts in Batavia’s Centennial Park (rain venue is the Stuart Steiner Theater at Genesee Community College).

Concerts will be held at 7 p.m. on June 27, July 11, July 18, July 25, Aug. 1, and Aug. 8, as well as the ever-popular July 4^th Picnic in the Park sponsored by GO ART!

The July 25^th concert will feature percussionist Christopher Taylor, Alexander Central School District Music teacher, as part of the Pam Frisby Memorial Concert Series.

The band will also perform a special tribute concert on Aug. 1^st in memory of Neil Hartwick, made fully possible with memorial donations. Hartwick was a longtime and beloved music teacher at Batavia and Brockport whose former students have and continue to play in the Batavia Concert Band.  In addition, he was a good friend of the Batavia Concert Band, and his former students have been invited to join the band for this tribute concert.

The Batavia Concert Band’s repertoire has something for everyone: marches; Big Band and swing numbers; popular songs from musicals and movies; rock favorites; classical adaptations, and everything in-between.

The Band consists of 45-55 brass, woodwind and percussion players ranging from talented high school students to 60-year veterans. Many have professional experience, others are advanced amateur musicians, but one thing is for sure -- all love to play!

Returning for his sixth season as conductor is John Bailey, Instrumental Music teacher at Lyndonville Central School.

The July 4^th Picnic in the Park concert will be conducted by Joshua Pacino.

Founded in the early 1920s, the Batavia Concert Band has brought musical pleasure to the region every year except World War II.

Concerts are currently supported and funded in part by GO ART!, local businesses, program advertisers, and individual patrons. The City of Batavia graciously supplies chairs for musicians, while Genesee Community College generously donates rehearsal space and a rain venue.

The Band also sponsors 50-50 raffles at every concert, bake sales, and other fundraisers. Individuals or businesses interested in supporting the Band should contact a Board member at any concert.

The Batavia Concert Band is also excited to announce WBTA 1490 as the Official Media Sponsor for our 2018 summer concert series! Be on the lookout for appearance by band members on WBTA’s “Main & Center” program, where we will go into some depth about the band’s makeup and its history. Also be listening for weekly radio ads promoting the musical selections for the upcoming concerts, and announcing our weekly sponsors.

Downbeat for regular season concerts is 7 p.m., Wednesday evenings, in Centennial Park, Batavia. (* In the event of rain, concerts will move to Genesee Community College’s Stuart Steiner Theatre. Notices will be posted at the NW corner of Centennial Park, announced on WBTA radio AM1490, posted on http://TheBatavian.com, and on the Batavia Concert Band’s website http://bataviaconcertband.net.

All concerts are fully funded by local businesses and sponsors and are open to music lovers of all ages. Light refreshments are available. Bring your family and friends, lawn chairs or a blanket, and enjoy. We’ll meet you in the park!

This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!

For more information on the Band, how to sponsor, etc. see http://bataviaconcertband.net

Press release:

As part of the $2 billion Smart School Bond Act that was approved by voters in 2014, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that both Pembroke and Oakfield-Alabama Central school districts will be receiving funding to make technology and security upgrades in their schools.

“Technology is ever-changing and that means the way our students learn must be ever-changing and adaptable as well," Hawley said. "The whole idea behind the Smart Schools Investments was to provide a higher quality of education for our students and bring every classroom up to par with the digital age of tablets, laptop computers, whiteboards and high-speed wireless Internet access.”

In addition to technology and Internet capabilities, a portion of the funding will be allotted to high-tech security upgrades.

Hawley wrote Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie earlier this year asking for $50,000 per school statewide to hire armed resource officers. Furthermore, he recently introduced legislation that would make it easier for school districts to hire armed security personnel.

“The safety and security of our students is preeminent and I am glad some of this funding will go toward technological security upgrades,” Hawley said. “Our students, teachers and faculty deserve to feel safe and protected from the moment they step inside a school and that starts with taking a proactive approach.”

Press release:

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today joined their Senate colleagues in urging United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to continue to ensure Mexico honors its existing trade commitments.

They want Lighthizer to fight back against the EU’s recent proposal to exclusively use common cheese names, like “parmesan,” “feta,” and “asiago” in Mexico.

According to the senators, through a recent trade agreement with Mexico, the EU is seeking to prevent cheese producers from exporting their products using common cheese names or geographical indications.

Schumer and Gillibrand argued that this would be a huge hit to Upstate dairy farmers as they look to continue to export cheese and compete for new markets.

“No matter how you slice it, Upstate New York’s cheese producers could lose a big chunk of their business if the EU successfully convinces Mexico to place geographic restrictions on cheese labeling,” Senator Schumer said.

"From Western New York to the Hudson Valley, cheese production is an important industry in Upstate New York, which is why I'm urging Ambassador Lighthizer to hold nothing back and use every tool in his disposal to protect U.S. cheese producers and ensure that Mexico continues to honor their existing trade commitments."

“This harmful proposed trade agreement between the EU and Mexico could hurt our farmers and rural communities by taking away export opportunities for New York cheese producers,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

“We need to do everything possible to protect and promote New York’s dairy industry, which is already struggling in the face of historically low milk prices and other challenges, and I’m urging U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer to fight against any proposal that would hurt local cheese producers.”

Schumer and Gillibrand pointed out that Mexico is the largest export destination for American cheese, accounting for virtually one-third of the $1.3 billion in dairy products the United States exported to Mexico last year and that implementing geographic indications on cheeses could devastate New York’s cheese industry.

The senators explained that this is not the first time the EU has tried to claim cheese names based on geographic locations, in the same way, that the EU has argued that champagne can only be sold as "champagne" if produced in the Champagne region of France.

Among the labels sought by EU are muenster, feta, parmesan, fontina, gorgonzola and others. Schumer warned that if the EU succeeds in claiming those names, New York producers will no longer be able to export cheeses with their current names. They would have to export the cheese under a different name, meaning that producers could lose market share they have spent years fighting for.

A copy of the joint Senate letter to Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer appears below:

Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:

We write today expressing our concerns about Mexico’s recent trade negotiations with the European Union (EU) and the devastating impact these actions could have on American cheese exports to Mexico. On April 21, 2018, the EU and Mexico reached an agreement in principle to modernize their current trade agreement.

A summary of the agreement provided by the European Commission notes that Mexico agreed to protect 340 European geographical indications. While the final text of the agreement—and the full list of restricted names—has not been released, media reports indicate that Mexico has agreed to restrict food imports with names—most notably of cheeses—considered generic in the United States.

As you work to re-negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we urge you to engage with your Mexican and Canadian counterparts to ensure that future trade policies do not limit export opportunities for American dairy farmers and processors. In light of Mexico’s proposed agreement with the EU, we are deeply concerned that American cheesemakers will be harmed by a reversal of their current access to the Mexican market, and will be denied the opportunity to sell products to Mexican consumers using common cheese product names that have been marketed for decades.

In addition, this threat to American dairy exports underscores and reaffirms the need for a renegotiated NAFTA that ensures strong market access for dairy exports to Mexico and Canada and addresses Canada’s trade-distorting Class 7 dairy pricing scheme.

Geographical indications link a product to a particular region, implying that the product possesses a certain quality or reputation associated with that locale. The EU has aggressively pursued restrictions for cheeses, such as feta (Greece), muenster (France), and parmesan (Italy), in their domestic and international trade policies. While these names are covered as geographic indications within the EU, they are generic in the United States and in numerous other countries around the world.

Mexico is the largest export destination for American cheese, accounting for roughly one-third of the $1.3 billion in dairy products the United States exported to Mexico last year. If Mexico grants European cheese producers exclusive rights to use common cheese names, as reports indicate it has agreed to do, American producers will lose market share they have spent years developing.

This policy change will have a detrimental impact on American cheese and dairy producers, who are already adversely impacted by Canada’s trade-distorting policies.

The 2015 Trade Promotion Authority statute—which is currently in force—included a principal negotiating objective on geographical indications:

“The principal negotiating objective of the United States with respect to agriculture is to obtain competitive opportunities for United States exports of agricultural commodities in foreign markets substantially equivalent to the competitive opportunities afforded foreign exports in United States markets and to achieve fairer and more open conditions of trade in bulk, specialty crop, and value-added commodities by [. . .] eliminating and preventing the undermining of market access for United States products through improper use of a country’s system for protecting or recognizing geographical indications, including failing to ensure transparency and procedural fairness and protecting generic terms.”

In order to meet this objective, the United States should engage with Mexico on geographic indication restrictions to ensure Mexico honors its existing trade commitments with the United States. American cheese exporters should be allowed to continue using common food names that Mexican consumers are familiar with.

Anything less would grant European producers access to the market share that American producers have developed over decades and unjustly award them the future growth opportunities of those products. We appreciate your attention to this matter and stand ready to work with you to protect American cheese exports.

Press release:

This Sunday, June 10, the public is invited to the Batavia VA Medical Center for a special ceremony to honor the American flag.

The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. honoring those service men and women who have fought to protect that flag and our country.

There will be a motorcycle procession, Special Presentation of Colors, and a special thank you from the Batavia Middle School to honor Mr. Leo Pelton (98 years young) for his service in World War II.

"Let's Ride" -- motorcyclists carrying the names of our fallen warriors listed on Batavia's memorial wall -- will gather at Stan's Harley-Davidson, 4425 Saile Drive, Batavia, at 11:30 a.m. for the noon memorial ride to the Batavia VA Medical Center. They will present those names to the veterans in the hospital to let them know they are not forgotten and present a new American flag on their behalf to the hospital.

Essays will be read by the student winners from BMS who won the essay contest on “What the American Flag Means to Me.“ 

St. Joseph’s of Batavia Brass Ensemble will perform its patriotic/military set for the VA patients and the general public.

It promises to be a great afternoon! Come on out and be part of this special celebration. Help us make this a very special Thank You to our veterans and service people!

The Batavia VA Medical Center is located at 222 Richmond Ave. in the City of Batavia.

Next week is National Flag Week. Flag Day is Thursday, June 14. The National Flag Day Foundation holds an annual observance for Flag Day on the second Sunday in June, which includes a ceremonial raising of the national flag, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem, a parade and other patriotic events.

Three suspects were arraigned this afternoon in Genesee County Court for crimes stemming from a May 17 incident on Central Avenue in Batavia in which one man was stabbed to death and another man shot with a handgun. All pled not guilty to the charges.

Nathaniel D. Wilson Jr., 30, was ordered held without bail. He is charged with second-degree murder, which carries a maximum prison term of 25 years to life, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.

He was in court represented by criminal defense attorney Fred Rarick, who made routine demands for discovery of evidence and the "bill of particulars" for the crimes alleged.

Motions in the case are scheduled for July 19; answers July 26; oral arugments at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6.

Wilson made no statement in court.

He is accused of stabbing 41-year-old Jerry J. Toote to death in the confrontation between a group of people on Central Avenue.

Jennifer Urvizu-Hanlon, 48, was granted $50,000 cash bail or bond by Judge Charles Zambito.

She allegedly handed her revolver, which she is licensed to carry, to 17-year-old Samuel Blackshear that night and he, in turn, allegedly shot Wilson in the leg. The owner of La Mexicana store in the Valu Plaza is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, both Class C violent felonies.

The District Attorney's Office asked that no bail be granted in her case and First Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini told the judge the defendant was harboring Blackshear in her home at the time of his arrest.

Urvizu-Hanlon's counsel, public defense attorney Marty Anderson, told the court his client is a 20-year resident of Genesee County and has been a small business owner here for six years. He noted further that she has no substance abuse issues and no criminal history.

Wearing bright lemon-lime jail clothes, Urvizu-Hanlon smiled wanly as she entered the courtroom with hands shackled at her waist. Petite, about 5' tall, she softly pronounced her name for the judge when prompted to do so.

Anderson asked that she be released into the custody of Genesee Justice.

Zambito said he would not release Anderson's client to Genesee Justice but allowed that bail was appropriate and he asked the people what bail they would prefer for Urvizu-Hanlon. The people suggested $50,000 and the judge agreed to that sum.

The judge also ordered Urvizu-Hanlon to surrender her gun(s) and informed her that her license to carry a concealed weapon in New York State was suspended.

"My client's ex-husband was in possession of a gun, both their names were on the permit, and he sold it," Anderson said. "I will provide documentation to the court as soon as possible."

Motions are set in the Urvizu-Hanlon case for July 19; answers July 26; oral arguments at 2 p.m. Aug. 6.

Blackshear is charged with attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, and two counts of criminal possession in the second degree. He facees up to 15 years in prison.

A private attorney hired by his sister appeared with Blackshear in court, James Hinman.

Hinman asked for "reasonable bail" to be set for his client. He said he received the bail evaluation from Genesee Justice, provided to him by public defense attorney Michael Locicero, and noted that Blackshear has a misdemeanor case (criminal possession of a controlled substance) pending in Batavia City Court and two failure to appear citations.

Blackshear, tall and lanky with a prematurely furrowed brow, has extended family here and is a lifelong resident, his attorney said. About eight family members were in the gallery in a show of support for their kin.

Hinman disputed Cianfrini's claim that Blackshear was being harbored by Urvizu-Hanlon and said his client had been staying with his mother for a couple of days at a motel at the time of his arrest.

The teenager, if he is able to bail out of custody, would live with his father, Hinman said.

"He has no violent history," Hinman told Zambito.

The District Attorney's Office suggested bail be set at $100,000 and said Blackshear actually failed to appear on the misdemeanor in city court on three occasions not two -- March 28, April 17 and May 11 -- and the current charges are way more serious.

Hinman said his client witnessed the individual he is accused of shooting, stab his uncle, Toote, to death so "his behavior is not as egregious as Mr. Friedman would have the court believe." He suggested bail should be set at $25,000.

Friedman said it's not a matter of what he believes -- he reviewed the evidence and viewed the video of the incident -- and maintains there is "no valid self defense claim here."

Zambito said he is concerned about where the youth would live, his young age, his failure to appear three times on a misdemeanor charge.

The judge agreed to set the higher bail as requested by the people of $100,000 cash or bond.

Motions are due by July 20; answers by July 27; oral arguments at set for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 13.

GO ART! and local poetry lovers will have a special event featuring poet Stephen Lewandowski at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at historic Seymour Place in Downtown Batavia. It is free and open to the public.

At "Poetry in Batavia," Lewandowski will read poems and this will be followed by an open reading -- an opportunity for people to read their own work or that of a favorite poet.

Lewandowski has published 13 books of poetry, and his poems and essays have appeared in regional and national environmental and literary journals and anthologies.

He was a student of poet Howard Nemerov, a graduate assistant to philosophical essayist William Gass and later studied with folklorist Louis Jones.

His two most recent books are "Under Foot" from May Apple Press in Woodstock (2014) and "Last Settler in the Finger Lakes" from Foothills Publishing in Avoca (2015).

He is working on "Local Life, a Natural History of the Finger Lakes."

GO ART!, in the Seymour Place building, is located at 201 E. Main St. The bar will be open for those wishing to purchase beer or wine.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported in front of Jan's Smoke Shop at 383 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama. One person is injured, according to a firefighter at the scene. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 8:47 a.m.: A first responder at the scene says two vehicles are involved and they are blocking traffic.

UPDATE 8:48 a.m.: Alabama command says the ambulance can continue in non-emergency mode for evaluation of two patients, possibly sign-offs.

A large fight is reported in the City of Batavia at Austin Park, 10 Jefferson Ave. City police are on scene with "a large group on Jefferson."

Law enforcement is responding to the parking lot on Veterans Memorial Drive in the Town of Batavia outside GameStop for a report of a dog locked inside a blue Chevy Silverado truck. It's 79 degrees now here.

GameStop is located at 4232 Veterans Memorial Drive, unit E-2.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Lewiston and Park roads in front of Town of Batavia Fire Station. Four vehicles were involved. "All the vehicles are clear; there's just a lot of debris in the roadway."

Injuries are reported; one victim is a 12-year-old child. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m.: A second ambulance is requested for a victim with a knee injury.

Two motorcyclists struck a deer and injuries are reported in the area of 1162 Broadway Road (Route 20), Darien.

Darien fire and Mercy EMS are responding along with law enforcement.

UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: Two people are injured. The location is between Route 77 and Warner Road.

UPDATE 2:18 p.m.: Law enforcement on scene reports the motorcycle and a trailer attached to it are well off the roadway. The two victims have arm injuries. The motorcycle license plate is from Arkansas.

Press release:

Girls Varsity Tennis and Softball Coach Jim Fazio will be hosting instructional camps this summer for basketball, tennis, and softball.

The Softball Camp will be open to girls ages 9-16 on July 9-11, from 9 a.m. to noon, with rain dates on the 12th and 13th, at the Batavia High School Varsity softball field. Cost is $50; multiple children from the same family pay $40 each.

The Tennis Camp will run July 16-18, from 1 to 4 p.m. with rain dates on the 19th and 20th at the Batavia High School tennis courts for boys and girls entering grades 3-9. Cost is $50; multiple children from the same family pay $40 each.

The Basketball Camp will run Aug. 13-17 at John Kennedy School from 9 a.m. to noon for boys and girls entering grades 3-8. Cost is $65; multiple children from the same family pay $55 each.

All camps will focus on the fundamentals of each sport, sportsmanship, safety, and fair play. Drills and contests will be held daily.

Each participant will receive a free T-shirt.

For more information, and to get applications and the required waivers, please contact Coach Fazio at 585-356-0901 or at jfazio@gvboces.org