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Are you a maker? Perhaps you are, and don't even know it.

There's makers all over the country these days -- people who are inventive and like creating new and innovative things.

It's a whole culture.

And it's coming to Batavia, where business innovation has strong roots -- the Harvester Center.

Tom Mancuso and some of his friends have been talking for a year about creating a maker community locally. Last week, they put their plan into action, hosting a 3-D printing demonstration with local design and manufacturing expert James Dillon.

3-D printing is one of the widely used tools for creating in the maker community. The printer works much like any printer, except it doesn't use ink or paper. It uses plastics and other material to layer material into a computer generated form. It might be a cup, a model airplane or a part for a car, or just about anything the maker can imagine.

Makers also work with electronics, robotics, metalworking, woodworking, and traditional arts and crafts.

Mancuso said the plan is to create a space in the Harvester Center -- if there's enough interest in the community -- where makers can come and create and innovate together.

The space will be open (possibly with a fee like a health club) to artists, hobbyists, trainees and budding entrepreneurs. 

Makers will have available a variety of tools, from welding equipment, vacuum forms, laser cutters and, of course, a 3-D printer. There will be big spaces, which the hobbyist doesn't necessarily have at home.

"Maybe you work at home, but you want to do a bigger project," Mancuso said. "Where do you go to do that? You're limited by your equipment, by your workspace. We're trying to help those start-up hobby guys maybe go to the next level."

A gear created by the 3-D printer.

James Dillon with one of his first 3-D printing projects, a model jet.

3-D printer on the right.

The owners of Frost Ridge Campground have been told Judge Robert C. Noonan has lifted his court order barring live, amplified music at the campground, at least for this weekend.

The band Blackberry Smoke headlines Sunday Saturday.

At a hearing last week, David Roach, attorney for Frost Ridge, told Noonan that if the order wasn't lifted in time for this weekend's show, Frost Ridge was facing insolvency. 

David Luetticke-Archbell, co-owner of Frost Ridge, called The Batavian a short time ago to share the news. We're still awaiting a copy of the order.

Frost Ridge will still be barred by the original court order from selling alcohol, but that doesn't mean patrons can't bring their own beverages.

The temporary suspension of the temporary order baring amplified music at Frost Ridge comes as court proceedings in a pair of civil suits against the campground have bogged down.

Two neighboring residents, the Cleere and Collins families, along with the Town of Le Roy, are suing David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell alleging that the campground as a whole and live music and alcohol sales in particular, are not permitted under current zoning.

David and Greg contend that those uses are grandfathered in by the property's prior zoning and they have two Zoning Board of Appeals rulings that support such a claim.

The Cleere and Collins' suits challenge the ZBA's 2013 determination, and here's where the case has bogged down: If it's proven that the ZBA's 2013 determination was filed with the town clerk more than 30 days before Cleere and Collins filed their suit, it could mean their complaint could be thrown out of court. Attorneys and the court have been unable so far to hold a hearing on that point

Since the hearing can't be scheduled now until the end of the month, Roach sought for his clients, permission from the court for the concert this weekend.

The Baby Cafe is a place of encouragement and support for breastfeeding mothers. UMMC opened the room at Cary Hall recently and held an open house yesterday.

Expectant mothers, breastfeeding mothers and mothers experienced with breast feeding are invited to the room every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Baby Cafe is supported by a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping mothers who are breastfeeding.

Cary Hall is located at 211 E. Main St., Batavia.

Buffalo News: Bon Jovi letter, Trump bluster apparently violate Bills' nondisclosure agreement

Amanda Earl submitted these photos of the band "It's My Party" performing Friday night at Jackson Square.

The attorney for DaShawn Butler -- the Batavia resident accused of firing gunshots at a person on State Street last September -- has filed a motion to have the charges against Butler dismissed because, he said, his client's rights have been violated.

Attorney Thomas Burns argued in court this morning that information about two witnesses wasn't available to him before a grand jury hearing on the case, and that the lack of information under those circumstances is so egregious that the case should be dimissed "in the interest of justice."

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman countered that the information was available in the City Court case file and that even if the witness had been made available to testify, their testimony would not have helped Butler's defense.

Burns also requested a hearing on the timeliness of Butler's arrest in December. Burns contends that the police had ample opportunity to locate and arrest Butler after he was named as a suspect in the shooting because Butler never left town.

The lack of due diligence, Burns told Judge Robert C. Noonan, means there was a violation of his client's right to a speedy trial.

Noonan scheduled the hearing for 3 p.m., Aug. 27. He is reserving his decision on dismissal motions by Burns.

According to Burns, there are three witnesses he didn't know about before the grand jury presentation. Two, he said, initially said the shooter the night of Sept. 27 was white and a third said the alleged victim was the shooter.

Burns said there was only an incomplete report in the City Court file prior to the hearing, which is why didn't know about these witnesses.

He questioned why the police waited weeks to interview the witnesses.

Friedman called the initial statements attributed to the witnesses "double hearsay." He said the investigators were simply doing what good cops do, an investigation when they went out to find the witnesses and try to find out what they actually saw.

Once they were actually interviewed -- rather than the police just getting information from intermediaries -- they described the shooter as black and the other did not name the victim as the shooter.

He said the information was in the City Court file prior to the grand jury hearing.

In June, Butler entered a not guilty plea to counts of criminal use of a firearm, 2nd, a Class C violent felony, criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, a Class C violent felony, and attempted assault, 1st, also a Class C violent felony.

He is out of jail on $25,000 bail.

Local artist Brandi Bruggman has been comissioned by Vibrant Batavia to paint two of the fire hydrants downtown. Here she paints the one at Main and Bank, in front of Seymour Place (GO ART!). She said this hydrant will have a colorful paisley design on it. Her other hydrant will be painted like a lighthouse.  

Below, a hydrant on Center Street completed by another artist.

UPDATE: Amanda Earl submitted these photos of Brandi's hydrants from later in the day.

A firefighter's reflective safety vest makes for a unique scarecrow outfit in Oakfield.

The old Oakfield water tower -- replaced by a new one a year ago -- was dismantled today by crews that used torches to cut it into pieces.

Children participating in the summer program at John Kennedy School were at the City of Batavia Fire Hall this morning to learn about fire safety. Among the activities, putting on a firefighter's jacket and spraying water from a fire hose.

Jeff Allen's daughter found this dog wandering on Albion Road, Oakfield, last night. Jeff said he checked with neighbors and nobody had seen the dog before. It appears to have been at large for some time. The dog has a collar but no tags. If it's your dog, contact Jeff at (585) 356-9705. The owner should be able to describe the collar or present proof of ownership.

UPDATE: All spiffed up:

Town of Batavia fire is on scene at 9 Valley Drive, Batavia, for a car that has reportedly hit a tree.

Possible injuries and the car is said to be smoking.

The driver apparently called in the accident and said he hit a water slick and went off the road and hit the tree.

Friends and family of Derek Sheldon gathered this afternoon in Trestle Park in Byron to remember the young man who died a year ago tomorrow in an accident at West Bergen Road and Selden Road, Le Roy.

Friends created a memorial to Sheldon near the pond in the park. It consists of the memorial post that was originally erected at the accident site, a tree and a log bench inscribed with Sheldon's name, birthdate and date of his death, and a quote from Derek, "People come and go I guess that's life no matter how hard times get put your head up and take the punches because someone's always looking down on you."

The bench was designed and built by Jake Maurer and Josh Lathan. Devon Jessop, JBR Grafx, sandblasted the words onto the back of the bench. Dan Sheldon provided the marker on the original tribute pole.

After people visited for about an hour at the site, Derek's mother, Karen Lashbrook, said a word about how it's hard to believe Derek's already been gone a year.

Ashley M. Stillwell, who was riding on the back of Derek's motorcycle and was seriously injured in the crash a year ago, was at the gathering today and is in much better health.

Previously:

• Young man from Bergen killed in motorcycle accident in Le Roy, passenger seriously injured
• Derek Sheldon remembered with tears, laughter and duck calls

The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the Blake Shelton concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Saturday. 

Richard A. Laskowski, 47, of Claudette Court, Cheektowaga, is charged with criminal mischief, 4^th, after allegedly recklessly causing damage to a vehicle over $250.

Farron R. Rich, 23, of Slaterville Road, Brooktondale, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly biting a CSC Security Guard.

Kayla D. Michael-Lane, 18, of Gulf Road, Holley, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly punching another concert patron in the nose.

Matthew Lilly, 25, of Marsh Road, Lyndonville, is charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly being involved in a fight in the parking lot.

Anthony M. Conrad, 26, of East Center Street, Medina, is charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly being involved in a fight in the parking lot.

Holly M. Bernhardt, 52 of Sovocool Hill Road, Groton, is charged with trespass after allegedly reentering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

A motor-vehicle aciddent is ported in the area of 11151 Alexander Road, Alexander, and one person reportedly has a head injury.

Alexander fire and ambulance responsing.

A tree is down with wires across the roadway on Main Road, Stafford, near Fargo Road.

Stafford fire is responding.

UPDATE 7:13 p.m.: Traffic is being slowed, not stopped, on Route 5.

Genesee County Emergency Management Services was conducting water pump operations training for new recruits this afternoon at DeWitt Recreation Area, with assistance from Le Roy fire and Byron fire departments.

The goal while I was there was to get the flow up to 1,500 gallons per minute. Town of Batavia's Ladder 25 is capable of flowing 2,000 gallons a minute.

If you want to do fun stuff like this, become a volunteer firefighter in your community. Visit Ready Genesee for more information.

A Security Roofing pickup truck was traveling north on Bank Street at about 8 a.m. when it swerved to miss a dog in the road, hit the curb and then a guy wire of a utility pole, causing it to roll onto its side. 

The location was just north of Washington Avenue.

The driver of the pickup, a male in his 30s, was transported to UMMC to be checked out. 

The truck's load of scaffolding spilled onto Bank Street.

National Grid called to the scene to fix the guy wire.

City fire also on location for leaking fluids from the truck.

Photos and reporting by Alecia Kaus / Video News Service.

Jenny Hoehn received her $10,000 prize today as the winner of the Wheels and Heels charity raffle. Executive Director Jeanne Walton presented the check.

Photo submitted by Jeanne Walton.