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At this hour, National Grid reported about 410 homes are without power in Genesee County.

The areas most widely struck:

• Town of Batavia: 260
• Town of Bergen: 25
• Town of Pavilion: 53
• Town of Stafford: 56

There is no ETA  listed for power to be restored in those locations.

UPDATE: Most of this power -- all except Bergen -- has been restored.

A tree has fallen on a house at 21 Warren St. in Batavia, causing significant damage to the roof.  No injuries are reported.

Meanwhile, a power or telephone poll at 99 Jackson has been struck by ligtning. (UPDATE: Not sure if related, but also a poll on Center Street has been struck, but no lines down.)

Also, a tree is down and blocking Ellicott Street Road.

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UPDATE: Here's the radar map at 10:25 p.m.

It's exceptionally gratifying to meet people who love The Batavian. It's common for me to attend a public event and meet people who say, "I love your site. I visit it several times a day to find out what's going on."

So I have a request for all the readers who love The Batavian: Support our sponsors. Without them -- 51 of them now -- there is no local news site like The Batavian.

Please patronize The Batavian sponsors first, and when you do, it is exceptionally important that the owners or managers know that you saw their ad on The Batavian. Please tell them, "Thank you."

Here is a list of our sponsors:

Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle
Affordable Floor Covering
Alex's Place
Amelia's Antiques and Collectibles
Angelican Community Church
Barrett's Batavia Marine and Sporting Supplies
Batavia Cycle Center
Batavia Downs Casino
Batavia Muckdogs
Blue Pearl Yoga
Bonarigo & McCutcheon
Carlson's Studio
Cedar St. Sales and Rentals
Center of Attention Auto Spa
Center Street Smokehouse
Charles Men's Shop
D'n'R Fireplaces and Stoves
Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern
Diegelman Plumbing
Eclectic Creations
The Enchanted Florist
Fastec Automotive
Genesee County Red Cross
Genesee Feeds
Godfrey's Pond
Herbly Wonderful
Holland Land Office Museum
Jackson St. Grill/Belladessa's
The Insurance Center
Larry's Steakhouse
Lewis and Lewis
Main St. Pizza Company
The Mane Attraction
The Manor House
Max Pies
O'Lacy's Irish Pub
Oliver's Candies
Pellegrino Auto Sales
Picasso's Pizza
Present Tense Books
Pudgie's Lawn and Garden Center
Reeb Family Moving
Roxy's Music Store
Settler's Family Restaurant
South Main Country Store
Southside Deli
Sport of Kings
T.F. Brown's
Total Image Hair Salon
T-Shirts Etc.
Valle Jewelers

Nobelhurst Farms in Pavilion runs enough cows to produce 5,000 gallons of milk a day. That many cows also produce a heck of a lot of manure.

Manure means methane and methane can be a pollutant, or it can be a source of power generation.

At Noblehurst, reports the D&C, the manure is being fed into a contraption that turns the methane into electricity.

Over the years, Noblehurst has had to work out some bugs with its digester, but now it is running smoothly and pumping out about 788,400 kilowatt-hours of power a year. On a typical day, manure is moved from 1,700 dairy cows toward the center of the main barn, where it is pushed into underground tubes that feed into a 28,000-gallon pit. The manure is mixed with effluent and pumped into a large digester tank. At the top of the tank, gas accumulates and powers a generator that produces electricity and gives off water and carbon dioxide. Every half hour or so, new manure feeds bacteria that produce the gas. A spout releases gas if too much pressure accumulates.

"That way we don't have a mess," said farm president John Noble.

Nationaly, about 100 suggest manure-to-electricity machines are in use, and 17 or so in New York. Noblehurst received a $250,000 state grant to help pay for the $1 million machine.

Driving back from the Elba Onion Festival, I happened down Weathermax Road and spotted this rocket pointed toward the stars in somebody's front yard. Nobody was home, so I couldn't get more information, but the rocket reads "Pack #17 Space Camp" and on the tail fin, "09 Ethan Austin Holden."  It looks like Ethan constructed himself a nice rocket.  Look for him to join the team at NASA soon.

Bill Kauffman has a post over at Front Porch Republic about finding great localist/regionalist songs, songs that celebrate place and home.

He leads off with this wonderful piece by Iris DeMent.

Which I'd never heard before.

He includes this classic by The Pretenders.

What a simple, angry song about paving over of our cities and rural lands by chain retailers, destroying the heritage of communities all across the country.  Chrissie Hynde sings about Ohio, but I always associate this song with my former hometown, El Cajon, Calif., which has something in common with Batavia -- a downtown pretty well damaged by urban renewal, though El Cajon was left in much worse shape.

The other classic anti-urban renewal song comes from a Brit, Ray Davies, and The Kinks.

But not all great localist songs lament what used to be. Some great ones celebrate home, like CCR's "Looking Out My Backdoor."

The first week I moved to New York from California, one of my favorite music artists, and there's no pretense in calling him an artist, Dave Alvin released a new CD of songs by California songwriters writing about California.  The first time I heard "California Bloodlines," I couldn't help but tear up.

The song was written by John Stewart and you can see him perform his version here.

I could do a whole post of Dave Alvin "California" songs, going back to his early days with The Blasters.

The last place in California I lived was Bakersfield, which is the subject the classic, "Streets of Bakersfield."  You know that song was written by somebody who lived in Bakersfield for a long time, as it opens up with the perfect conundrum that describes Bako: "You don't know me, but you don't like me / You say you care less how I feel ..."

Bakersfield got slammed pretty good by this local rap due in "Armpit of the State."

The last song to share is another classic picking on Bakersfield's less positive attributes, "Kern River."  That river claims five or six lives every year. 

OK, one more Merle Haggard song, because it takes me back to a time when I lived in a big city and longed to move to a small town ... and I finally made it when I arrived in Batavia.

Do you have any favorite localist songs, songs of place?

To post a video in your comment, use a bracket "[" and then the word "video" followed by a colon ":" then the URL to the YouTube video, then close bracket "]"

Like this (but with no spaces) [ video : http : //www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_q0WJJKFxA ]

If there's a state regulation that you find burdensome or unnecessary, here's your chance to complain about it and possibly get rid of it.

Gov. David Patterson has signed an executive order forming a committee of top advisers to review state regulations and eliminate any that are outdated or overly burdensome to business.

Agencies are already required to conduct lengthy reviews of new procedures and regulations before they become final. But under the new order, they will also be required to review such rules after they are put into effect.

Officials will be required to invite public comment on whether any existing rules and regulations — no matter when they were enacted — are “unnecessary, unbalanced, unwise, duplicative or unduly burdensome.” The committee would then reconsider rules that have generated the most criticism.

The first round of review will involve seven departments and agencies, including those responsible for environmental, health, liquor and labor regulations.

Some groups, such as labor unions, have previously opposed the governor's office taking on such sweeping power.

Three people were reportedly injured in a three-car accident at Oak Street and Richmond Avenue.

Traffic is blocked at this time and two cars will need to be towed.

Emergency crews are on scene now.

The state Department of Health and federal officials are girding for more cases of the H1N1 flu strain, from talking about quarantines to issuing guidelines for schools.

The state has also allocated more financial aid for county health departments dealing with H1N1 outbreaks.

We didn't have a deal of the day on Wednesday, plus just to mix up the times a bit and give more people a chance to win -- here's a Saturday morning deal of the day!

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Gifts, jewelry, expert cleaning and jewelry repair - $50 can go a long way in Valle Jewelers. We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, N.Y.: One of the region's premier restaurants and a favorite place for business lunches. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, N.Y.: Ribs, brisket, steak, prime rib -- Center Street is a meat lovers' paradise. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., Batavia, N.Y.: Have you tried the homemade Italian sausage yet? You should. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: 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. When you need to book your next party, think T.F. Brown's. See the ad on the right side of the page for contact information. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Jackson St. Grill/Belladessa's Pizzeria, 9 Jackson St., Batavia: From homemade soups, desserts to pizza, the Grill and Pizzeria offers a fully menu of great meals. Today, we have a Family Deal (value $25), which includes a large one-topping pizza, 24 wings and 2 liter soft drink for $12.50.

Settler's Restaurant, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Settler's has a 25-year history in Batavia of serving great, affordable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. Only one gift certificate per-merchant per-person every six months. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. Individuals buying gift certificates must use their own personal PayPal account for the purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Unless other arrangements are made immediately after purchase, the gift certificate will mailed to the winner at his or her PayPal-provided postal address within two or three days of purchase.

Valle Jewelers

SOLD

Delavan's

SOLD

Alex's Place

SOLD

Center Street Smoke House

SOLD

T.F. Brown's

SOLD

Belladessa's

SOLD

Settler's

SOLD

A fire alarm has sounded at 229 Summit St., Batavia. Batavia Fire trucks are responding.

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Batavia Downs is celebrating a world record set in 1977 by a horse named Excalibur, with Fred Haslip at the controls. Excalibur set the world record for a double-gaited gelding when he trotted home in 2:03.3. That matched his lifetime best pace record. The combined time of 4:07.1 erased the previous record, set by Leon in 1939.

Full press release after the jump:

Batavia, NY --- It was one of the biggest nights in Batavia Downs history. A new world record and new track record in the same night, and it came 32 years ago.

Excalibur, with Fred Haslip at the controls, set the world record for a double-gaited gelding when he trotted home in 2:03.3. That matched his lifetime best pace record, set earlier in his career. The combined time of 4:07.1 erased the previous record, set by Leon in 1939. His time was 4:07.5, performed in an era before time was kept in fifths of a second.

Later that same evening Stanley Dancer would team the great pacing filly Mistletoe Shalee to a new track record, when she went wire-to-wire in 1:59.1, in a New York Sire Stakes event for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

On Saturday night (August 8), Batavia Downs Casino continues its tradition of honoring a horse that has a profound impact in the history of harness racing in Western New York. This year we honor Excalibur, the locally owned horse that set the world record back in 1977.

The sensational double-gaited gelding came on the local scene as a pacer in 1972 when Fred Haslip and Paul Zambito, Jr. purchased him for $3,500, an excellent investment considering he made his owners almost $200,000 lifetime. Driver, trainer, and co-owner Haslip used Excalibur predominately as a pacer until he was a 6-year-old, but noticed he did not take kindly to hobbles.

“I never dreamed he wanted to trot until 1974 when I had trouble getting him going in training. He had been a decent pacer up until that point and was making money, but he wasn’t happy on the pace,” Haslip remarked in 1977.

Additionally, upon further investigation in 1974, Haslip discovered that Excalibur’s mother, Spanish Lady, was a royally bred trotting mare.

His best mile as a pacer was 2:03.3, set in 1974.

Between 1975 and 1977, Haslip used Excalibur to his strength as a double-gaited gelding, competing in pacing and trotting events each year. However after the 1977 season Excalibur would strictly remain on the trot.

During his career he would start 169 times and make 50 winner's circle appearances. He notched 12 victories with hobbles on and 38 as a square gaiter. Excalibur raced until the veteran age of 14, retiring in 1982. His combined lifetime earnings were $196,668.

He was always a force in the featured trotting events at Batavia Downs and Buffalo Raceway and because of his uniqueness, a fan favorite.

Come out to Batavia Downs Casino this Saturday as we honor the gusty gelding by rolling back prices to 1977. Zweigles hot dogs and sodas will be just 50 cents beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Paddock Room all night long. The Batavia Downs program will feature a special four-page insert with newspaper clippings and photos of Excalibur, as we take a walk down memory lane.

Todd Haight
Promotional Marketing Specialist
Batavia Downs Casino

Carlson's Studio, 39 Jackson Street, Batavia, N.Y.  Family photos are more than just photographs. When you need photos for that special occasion, Carlson's is a great choice in Genesee County. We have a $100 gift card for $50 (with $2 PayPal fee).

Larry's Steakhouse, 60 Main St.  The name says it all -- Larry's is a great place for steak. Larry's is a fine dining atmosphere with a great menu and outstanding service.  We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

The Enchanted Florist, 202 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Brighten up your home or office with flowers!  We have a $20 gift certificate for $8.50.

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Need a gift? Need some sparkle? Valle's has a large selection of jewelry and gifts starting at under $25. We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., Batavia, N.Y.: If you're looking to try a perfect neighborhood eatery, check out Delavan's. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Main St. Pizza Company, 206 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Main St. wins consistent praise from diners for every item on its menu, but of course Main St. is most famous for its pizza and wings. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. Only one gift certificate per-merchant per-person every six months. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. Individuals buying gift certificates must use their own personal PayPal account for the purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Unless other arrangements are made immediately after purchase, the gift certificate will mailed to the winner at his or her PayPal-provided postal address within two or three days of purchase.

Carlson's Studio

SOLD

Larry's Steakhouse

SOLD

Valle Jewelers

SOLD

Delavan's

SOLD

Main St. Pizza

SOLD

The Enchanted Florist

SOLD

Craig L. Schrutt, 56, of 50-2 Spring Meadow Drive, Williamsville, is charged with two counts of grand larceny and two counts of issuing a bad check. Schrutt, the former operator of of CARP's Auto Sales in Clarence, is accused of writing checks that were later returned for insufficient funds to a local car dealership. The reported amount of the checks were for $11,300 and $2,500. Schrutt was sent to the Genesee County Jail on $10,000 bail. The investigation was conducted by Warrant Officer Eric Olson with assistance by Investigator Timothy Weis, and deputies James Diehl and Tim Wescott.

Jean Rebecca Fili, 31, of 8089 E. Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny and possession of a controlled substance. Fili allegedly stole merchandise from Wal-Mart and was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance at the time of her arrest.

Molly A. Crowe, 45, of Bergen, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18 or greater, and refusing an initial roadside breath screening. Crowe was reportedly stopped on Route 262 in Byron by state troopers after allegedly driving her car across the center line several times. Crowe was sent to Genesee County Jail on $250 bail.