Byron Fire is responding to the smell of natural gas at 7232 Byron-Holley Road.
A first responder reports the strong smell of natural gas in the area and another fire official asked for dispatch to contact RG&E. "We've been here numerous times," he said.
E-mail from Steve Boldt:
I would like to wholeheartedly thank the residents of Stafford for their vote of confidence. I’m proud to be a resident of Stafford and even prouder that I’ve been given the opportunity to serve another term as Highway Superintendent. You have my word that I will continue to work hard and do what is best for the Town and its residents. Family and work obligations prevented me from visiting with each and every resident before the election, but I encourage residents with concerns or suggestions to contact me at 343-2907. (I’m often out on the roads but I will return your call.)
Thank you!
Steve
T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. "If it happens in sports, it happens at Brown's." We have a $20 gift card for $10.
Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, NY: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. It's best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.
Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Authentic Southern BBQ, from ribs to brisket with all the fixin's. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.
Jackson St. Grill, 9 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: Try the fresh, skinless haddock fish fry on Fridays. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.
Herbly Wonderful, 3701 Pearl St., Batavia, NY: Winter teas, spices and fall colors for your home in stunning floral arrangements and seasonal wreaths are now available at Herbly Wonderful. We have a $25 gift certificate for $11.
Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., Batavia, NY: To me, Delavan's is one of those restaurants where you want to eat frequently until you try everything on the menu. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
Main St. Pizza Company, 206 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: Pizza, wings, subs and even hamburgers and hot dogs, Main St. Pizza makes everything deliciously. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.
Kravings, Valu Plaza, W. Main Street, Batavia, NY: Recently opened, it offers soups, salads and sandwiches, fresh and flavorful; Monday through Saturday. We have $10 gift certificates for $5.
NOTE: If you've never bought Deal of the Day before, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the rules and process, click here.
SOLD OUT
Congressman Chris Lee has returned from a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan. WBTA interviewed him this morning and Dan Fischer has posted an extended audio file on WBTA1490.com (mp3).
Tune into WBTA's Main and Center tomorrow to hear Lee talk about the health care being considered in the House of Representatives.
Computer problems kept the votes from being tallied last night, but this morning the Board of Elections released unofficial numbers for the referendum on revising the City of Batavia Charter.
It passed, 748 to 503.
When I visited a couple of polling places last night, poll workers told me they heard from several people who had no idea what the revisions were. They hadn't seen the coverage, and more importantly, hadn't read the actual document.
It is kind of hard to find on the City's Web site, so here's a link to what you just approved (PDF).
What's more surprising than the Republicans winning all of the key contested races is the margins. That may merely reflect the GOP registration advantages and the fact there were no real wedge issues to define the campaign. Voters basically said they're happy with the GOP incumbents on the City Council and satisfied with the GOP majority in the County Legislature.
Go back and look at the video of the interviews we did with the candidates in conjunction with WBTA: There were few disagreements. There was no big issue to sway voters toward a particular candidate or a particular party. The Democrats just didn't have a big enough flag to wave to say "this is what voting for us means." I've not been around Batavia politics long enough to say this with certainity, but it seems if Democrats want to win multiple-ward seats, they need to articulate issues that set them apart. And they need to unite around the candidate(s) with the best chance to win.
What may have hurt the Democrats the most was infighting. The "Coffeecake Caper" brought a lot of that to the surface, with Tim Paine explicitly accusing a faction of Democrats with bringing forth Julie Wallace to block him from a clear path to the nomination.
Speaking of Julie Wallace, she seems like a really goodhearted person and a sweet lady. I bet she's fabulous with kids. Good luck to her on her quest to be a CASA volunteer. She will undoubtedly do a great job. That doesn't mean she was qualified to run for City Council.
Did the Coffeecake Caper sink Rose Mary? I don't think so. In the end, I think it was a wash. Rose Mary came out looking like an honest, tell-it-like-it-is, stand-up person, which is why she's represented her ward for 18 years. But the Republicans, particularly Joe Gerace, played their cards just right by disavowing Tim Paine's actions without hesitation, which probably neutralized any benefit Rose Mary might have gained from the attack on her.
Word has it it (though numbers aren't available yet) that the City Charter revision passed. That's good and bad. John Roach is right -- the city engineer position should be done away with. But opening the door to the elimination of the Police Department without fully vetting the options could be a mistake.
Following this campaign helped me get greater insight into local politics, and I came away with the impression that the local political parties, especially the city parties, are less about partisan ideology and more like civic social clubs. Both the Republicans and Democrats work very hard to try to help their candidates win, but not in the name of pushing a partisan agenda, but rather because they want to see their own club do well in the big game. At least that's my impression this time around.
Final Unofficial Numbers, posted 11:09 p.m.
Note: City Charter question not yet tallied and those numbers are not expected to be announced until tomorrow between 11 a.m. and noon.
Office Votes Percent County County Clerk Don M. Read 4610 District Attorney Lawrence Friedman 5077 City - Vote for 1 Genesee County Legislator District 7
About 9:45 p.m. as I arrived at the Board of Elections, voting machine tallies were being checked in as well.
There were some dour faces when I left the Democratic HQ at the Elks Club, with one candidate whispering to me as I left, "It's not looking good for Democrats tonight."
Republicans were smiling broadly by the time I reached the Polish Falcon Club. Joe Gerace told me, "It looks like a clean sweep."
I'm now at the Board of Elections awaiting first unofficial tally.
It's still quite at Dem HQ at the Elks Club on East Main Street in Batavia. The first early numbers are being tallied, but nothing to report yet. From here I'll head to the Falcon's Club and the GOP HQ.
Everybody was in good spirits when I stopped by 400 Towers this evening, just as the annual bake sale was wrapping up.
If you're disappointed to find many races in Genesee County with only a single candidate, many voters in rural communities across the country are having the same reaction.
In fact, Genesee County may be among the fortunate to have candidates for all of its seats at all, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
State officials and political scientists say finding candidates has always been a problem for small towns and rural communities, but the recession has made it particularly tough this year.
"It's a very scary time out there, economically. They're under the gun with their own finances, let alone being responsible for their town's financial health," said Marty Newell, chief operating officer for the Center for Rural Strategies, a Kentucky-based advocacy group.
...
Being a local politician, even in tiny towns, is not an easy job. The pay is low, the hours long and the complaints loud.
The most interesting anecdote is about the mayor of one small town who has never actually run for office. From his first election in 1987, he's been a write-in winner.
Dofner, a fire department engineer and diesel engine mechanic, had just gotten home from work when his phone started ringing with congratulatory calls.
"I thought it was a mistake," said Dofner, now 63. "Then, I thought it was a joke."
...
The town held an election. No one ran for mayor, so the residents wrote in Dofner's name again. And again. He expects to be reelected by write-in vote today for a 12th term.
He said he'll take the job.
"I can't say no. I can't leave my community in a lurch," Dofner said. "It's just not right. A town needs a mayor."
(via the Rural Blog)
A little while ago, there was a two-car accident at Main and Center in downtown Batavia. There were apparently two people injured.
The Batavian's election coverage will start some time around 8 p.m.. We'll spend time during the evening at both Republican and Democratic headquarters and plan to stop by 400 Towers and anyplace else we hear there's election-related activity.
We will post results as soon as they are available.
WBTA will be on the air with election coverage at 9 p.m.. The Batavian and WBTA1490.com will provide live online streams of WBTA's on-air coverage.
James M. Kulik, 19, of Alden, is charged with assault in the third degree, unlawful imprisonment, criminal mischief and harassment. Alden was arrested by State Police in Darien at 6:10 p.m. yesterday. He was jailed on a cash bail. No further details were released.
Kyle Earl Viehdeffer, 21, of 114 Bank Street, Lower/Front, is charged aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. Viehdeffer was turned over to the Sheriff's Office on a bench warrant issued out of the Town of Batavia Court. Viehdeffer was released on $200 bail.
Juan Alberto Ramos, 19, of 110 E. 177th St., Apt. 2E, Bronx, is charged with trespass. Ramos allegedly entered College Village without appropriately signing in with security.
Christopher Patrick Ball, 27, of 4902 Route 63, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment. Ball allegedly called a woman's cell phone numerous times, causing an annoyance. Justice Tom Williams issued an order of protection.
The railroad crossing at Wortendyke Road in the Town of Batavia is closed until Thurdsay afternoon.
A boy whose death Oct. 22 shocked the communities of Pembroke and Corfu is a confirmed case of H1N1, according to Randy Garney, interim director of the County Health Department.
In a news release this morning, the health department said it would not identify the boy, but when we spoke to Garney, he said the death was the same one as a boy who died in Erie County.
That boy has been previously identified as Jared Peters, child of Timothy and Linda Peters.
Meanwhile, the county has begun receiving supplies of the H1N1 vaccine and is scheduling clinics as doses become available.
The priority group for vaccination include pregnant women, caregivers for infants 6-months and younger, health care and emergency medical personnel, people from 6-months to 24-years of age, and people over 25 with health conditions associated with a higher risk of complications from the flu.
UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: Randy Garney asks that we clarify that he did not explicity provide the name Jared Peters.
South Main Country Gifts, 3356 Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: Handcrafted items, gifts with a regional flair, candles, teas and spices -- South Main has a wide selection to please most any interest. We have a $20 gift certificate for $9.
Blue Pearl Yoga, 200 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Exercise your soul as well as your body in a friendly and relaxing atmosphere. We have a gift certificate for a seven-week session (one class per week), which is a $56 value, for $28.
Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Authentic Southern BBQ, from ribs to brisket with all the fixin's. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.
Jackson St. Grill, 9 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: Try the fresh, skinless haddock fish fry on Fridays. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.
Settler's Restaurant, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Settler's has a 25-year history of serving great, affordable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
Herbly Wonderful, 3701 Pearl St., Batavia, NY: Winter teas, spices and fall colors for your home in stunning floral arrangements and seasonal wreaths are now available at Herbly Wonderful. We have a $25 gift certificate for $11.
Vintage and Vogue Inspirations, 36 Main St., Le Roy, NY: Just the kind of store to help make your home more warm and inviting. Handcrafted items, including quilts, candles and quality antiques. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.
Kravings, Valu Plaza, W. Main Street, Batavia, NY: Recently opened, it offers soups, salads and sandwiches, fresh and flavorful; Monday through Saturday. We have $10 gift certificates for $5.
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There is a report of a pedestrian being struck by a train in the Bergen area.
Firefighters from Bergen are heading to Route 19 and the railroad crossing, as well as Townline Road and the old Buffalo Road crossing.
There is also some chatter on the scanner about kids throwing pumpkins.
Churchville fire officials have checked their side of the tracks and now Genesee County deputies and State Police are checking the Genesee County side of the tracks.
UPDATE 9:18 p.m.: The train is stopped at the county line. Train personnel are checking the area. According to the train operator, there was a subject wearing a red shirt in proximity to the track.
UPDATE 9:20 p.m.: There is pumpkin residue on the front of the train. So far, two reports of areas checked on both sides of the track are clear.
UPDATE 9:36 p.m.: More reports of clear tracks. The training being advanced from the crossing. EMS personnel have been put back in service.
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