Oakfield

50 S Main Street,  Oakfield, New York 14125 Here’s your opportunity to move right in to a super solid and clean village home in great location! This 3 bedroom home has great layout and space-definitely appears much larger than sq footage indicates! First floor features welcoming back mudroom with laundry and leads into a bright and cherry kitchen with new laminate flooring tons of cupboards ,oversized island perfect for doing all your cooking prep or entertaining or work from home station! Formal dining room was fully gutted rewired and insulated and leads to oversized living-room. Main floor also has first floor bedroom and full bath. Upstairs has two good sized bedrooms and living space perfect for sitting area/toy room/office space. The home sits on a fantastic deep Village lot , fully landscaped with awesome large two tiered low maintenance deck. The rear yard is also fully fenced perfect for pets, kids or gardens! There is also a 20x28 garage and a 10x12 shed both with electric for all your outside storage needs or hobbies The yard adds so much opportunity for those who love hanging out and has one of the most unique gold fish ponds you will come across! The home is within walking distance of school, shopping and restaurants as well as being minutes from thruway entrance . This home has been well maintained and is ready to go now! Delayed negotiations until November 24 at 5:00

Press Release:

We’ve Only Just Begun” Sr. Luncheon, the theme this month is  HONORING OUR VETERANS. It will be held on Tuesday, November 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the South Alabama Firehall, Route 63 (2230 Judge Road, Oakfield). 

We will be starting lunch promptly at 11:45 a.m.  We are open to the public and welcome all!  

Our speaker this  month will be  William Joyce, Director of our Genesee County Veterans Service Agency. He will be talking about the  new Western New York National Cemetery located in Indian Falls, NY as well as all the services they offer to  our Veterans. All Veterans are invited to attend our luncheon. We are open to the public and welcome all.  

You won’t want to miss this informative program this month! Bring your favorite dish to pass OR make a donation at the door! Come and enjoy lunch and an afternoon of fun with old and new friends. 

We will also be taking paid reservations for our Annual Christmas Luncheon, on December 10. We moved it up a week because so close to Christmas! It will be catered by the Alabama Hotel for $15 per person. 

All Reservations must be paid in advance and received by December 1. Please contact LaNora Thompson at 630-888-8966, mail checks to LaNora Thompson, 3611 Batavia Oakfield Twnln Rd, Oakfield, or pay in person at the November luncheon. You must have a reservation paid in advance!

50 S Main Street Oakfield, NY 14125. Here’s your opportunity to move right in to a super solid and clean village home in great location! This 3 bedroom home has great layout and space-definitely appears much larger than sq footage indicates! First floor features welcoming back mudroom with laundry and leads into a bright and cherry kitchen with new laminate flooring tons of cupboards, oversized island perfect for doing all your cooking prep or entertaining or work from home station! Formal dining room was fully gutted, rewired, and insulated and leads to oversized living-room. Main floor also has first floor bedroom and full bath. Upstairs has two good sized bedrooms and living space perfect for sitting area/toy room/office space. The home sits on a fantastic deep Village lot , fully landscaped with awesome large two tiered low maintenance deck. The rear yard is also fully fenced perfect for pets, kids or gardens! There is also a 20x28 garage and a 10x12 shed both with electric for all your outside storage needs or hobbies The yard adds so much opportunity for those who love hanging out and has one of the most unique gold fish ponds you will come across! The home is within walking distance of school, shopping and restaurants as well as being minutes from thruway entrance . This home has been well maintained and is ready to go now! Delayed negotiations until November 24 at 5:00. Call Lynn Bezon at Relaint Real Estate today! 585-344-HOME (4663) 

Jon H. Bush, 41, of Batavia, is charged with menacing a peace officer, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Bush is accused of threatening two probation officers with a knife at an unspecified location and preventing them from arresting another person during a home visit on June 28. He was arrested on Oct. 18. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed. Cindy L. Bush, his mother, was also charged with obstructing governmental administration and issued an appearance ticket.

Shawn P. Wolcott, 42, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 3rd, criminal possession of stolen property 5th, and petit larceny.  Wolcott broke into a building on Harvester Avenue and stole property on Oct. 12.  He was arraigned and released.

Carolyn L. Kurek, 82, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful imprisonment 2nd and harassment 2nd. Kurek is accused of blocking another person from leaving a room at an apartment building on West Main Street, Batavia, on Oct. 16. She allegedly struck a person with her cane. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Kamau S. Freeman, 30, of Buffalo, was arrested on Oct. 15 on a warrant. Freeman was previously arrested on July 23 and charged with robbery 3rd, grand larceny 4th, criminal contempt 1st, and criminal mischief 3rd. The warrant was issued after he allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned and released.

Morgan A. Schoonmaker, 28, of Perry, and Jaqulyn A. Dueppengiesser, 40, of Perry, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Schoonmaker and Dueppengiesser are accused of possessing narcotics during a traffic stop on Pearl Street on Oct. 15. They were issued appearance tickets.

Emily D. Shea, 29, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Shea was stopped on Oct. 10 on East Main Street by a Batavia patrol officer for allegedly driving putout headlights. She was issued tickets and released.

Ryan A. Decillis, 32, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Decillis was allegedly caught speeding after Batavia PD received a traffic complaint on Oct. 5 (location not disclosed). He was issued tickets and released.

Kristen L. Kocent, 36, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Kocent allegedly passed narcotics during an investigation on Oct. 13 at an undisclosed location. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Douglas G. Goodwin, Jr., 33, of Alabama, is charged with petit larceny. Goodwin is accused of stealing a gold chain from another person on Sept. 19. He was arrested on Oct. 21. He was arraigned and released.

Alicia M. Lyons, 45, Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest. Lyons is accused of resisting police on Oct. 17 when they attempted to take her into custody on multiple warrants. She was arraigned in City Court and was released.

Tek B. Giri, 46, of Scottsville, is charged with DWI. Giri was stopped on Clinton Street on Oct. 17 after Batavia PD received complaints of an erratic driver. Giri was issued tickets and released.

Mark J. Schultz, 38, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Schultz was stopped on Oct. 20 on West Main Street by a Batavia patrol officer who reportedly observed him driving without tail lights. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Francis A. Coombs, III, 57, of Batavia, was arrested on Oct. 16 on a warrant. Coombs was initially arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with criminal mischief 4th. He was issued an appearance ticket but allegedly failed to appear in court. Coombs was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Carolyn L. Kurek, 82, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful imprisonment 2nd and harassment 2nd. Kurek is accused of blocking another person from leaving a room at an apartment building on West Main Street, Batavia, on Oct. 16. She allegedly struck a person with her cane. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Arnold B. Colopy, 67, of Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass. Colopy is accused of unlawfully entering an apartment on School Street on Oct. 19. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kelly Marie Zwolinski, 45, of Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Zwolinski is accused of damaging the property of another person at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at a location on Broadway Road, Darien. The value of the property is reportedly in excess of $250. He was held pending arraignment.

Harold Phillip Duell, 62, of Perry, is charged with felony DWI, open alcohol container, license restricted, driving on shoulder, and aggravated unlicensed operation. Duell was stopped at 1:24 a.m. on Oct. 28 on Richmond Avenue by Deputy Matthew Wesolowski. He was released on tickets.

Paul William Zeches, 36, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to report a change of address. Zeches was arrested on Oct. 30. He was jailed on the charge.

Nathaniel Ashton Finta, 20, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with assault 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. Finta is accused of burning another person's clothing and of striking that person in the face with an open hand causing an injury. Finta was held pending arraignment.

Press Release:

The Harlem Wizards are coming to Oakfield-Alabama Middle/High School, Wednesday, October 30, at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for this fun-filled family event hosted by the Oakfield-Alabama PTO, and sponsored by Pro Seal & Paving, Care and Landscaping, Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel, along with many other generous community sponsors. 

This promises to be an awe-inspiring event for all in attendance with all proceeds to benefit the Oakfield-Alabama School District and community.   

At a Wizards’ game, fans will witness amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy. It’s two hours of family time where parents, grandparents, and kids can all laugh together. When you’re in the stands, you’re more than a spectator; you’re part of the show with loads of audience participation. 

Throughout the game, fans will experience a magical display of tricks, coordinated ball handling, fancy passing, and aerodynamic athleticism combined with high-energy comedy and audience interaction.

Tickets are available at www.HarlemWizards.com or by checking out the O-A PTO Facebook page. Student tickets are $10 and General Admission tickets are $15. There are loads of upgrades available for those who want to enhance their Wizards experience. Tickets will also be available at the door.

7487 Fisher Road, Oakfield, New York 14125. Country hidden gem! One owner custom built home that was lovingly up-kept throughout the years and it shows! This ranch home has so much possibility for the new owners but can be immediately moved into as it is immaculate and freshly painted thruout and the hardwood floors shine! From walking into large breezeway entrance with parquet floors to the bright and homey large kitchen with plenty of cupboards and counter space you will be impressed with all the room thru out! The bedrooms are large with hardwood floors and closets and the oversized livingroom will make you just want to stay and relax! There are beautiful windows with gorgeous views and very pretty glass French doors to add to the charm. Downstairs adds an **ADDITIONAL almost 600 sq ft!** Clean and brite with cozy gas fireplace and walk out entrance to amazing back yard that boasts an **extra tax ID included with sale that adds an additional 7.4 acres and TWO barns!!**Taxes and assessment reflect both parcels Additionally there is central vac a tear off roof(2014) and charming Eternal Gas lite outside!! Come take a walk and enjoy all of this and more!!

24 Columbia Avenue, Batavia-City, New York 14020. Solid house for the money and ready to move in immediately! This home has been freshly painted, cleaned and all new carpeting thru out! There are two xtra large bedrooms upstairs and first floor bedroom if needed-currently has laundry hook ups should you prefer first floor laundry. Living room and kitchen are both very spacious! Many upgrades thru out the years including brand new water lines from road to house. INCLUDED with the home is 20 Columbia Ave -true building lot with garage that has new trusses, siding and metal roof-used as driveway to 24 Columbia and provides perfect opportunity for hobbyist or someone who needs to also park their RV or any other toys! There’s a lot of opportunity here for the money!! Easy to see!
Call Reliant Real Estate - 585-344-HOME (4663).

Press Release:

The next “We’ve Only Just Begun” Sr. Luncheon's theme will be FALL. On Tuesday, October 15 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the South Alabama Firehall, Route 63 (2230 Judge Road, Oakfield). 

We will be starting lunch promptly at 11:45am to give our speakers more time. We are open to the public and welcome all!  

Our speaker this month will be Gregory P. Kinal, former History teacher at Pembroke Central School.  

He will be speaking about “DAY’S THAT SHOOK AMERICA” a program that touches on major news stories from 1900 to present.  

This fast-paced program covers a multitude of tragedies as well as triumphs experienced in the USA. You won’t want to miss this informative program this month!  

Bring your favorite dish-to-pass OR make a donation at the door! Come and enjoy lunch and an afternoon of fun with old and new friends. Co-chairpersons: Michael Hamm and LaNora Thompson.  

For more information contact LaNora Thompson at (630)-888-8966.

Christine R. Brien, 53, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, and Johnathan B. White, 32, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, are charged with false written statement.  AT 4:11 p.m. on Aug. 23, Deputy Alexander Hadsall was dispatched to a report of a disturbance where a male had a firearm. When Hadsall arrived on scene, he was advised the male had left the scene on foot in an unknown direction. The male returned and was placed into custody. After further investigation, Hadsall determined both subjects had signed sworn statements that were not true. They were both arrested and processed at the Genesee County and released. 

Chupco Harjo, 33, Council Hosue Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with assault 2nd and criminal mischief 3rd, and Rhonda Nancy Harjo, 68,  of Council Hosue Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with assault 3rd and criminal mischief 3rd. The suspects are accused of assaulting another person at 5:50 a.m. on Aug. 22 at a location on Council House Road, causing physical injury and of damaging the victim's mobile phone. Both were jailed pending arraignment.

Willie Albert Sabb, Jr., 50, unknown address, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, false personation, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, failure to stop at stop sign, speeding. Sabb was stopped at 4:54 p.m. on Aug. 24 on South Lake Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Nicholas Jennings. Sabb was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was also wanted on a Family Court warrant. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Ashley Jordan Gallagher, 35, no permanent residence, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and tampering with physical evidence. Gallagher was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine during a traffic stop at 4:54 p.m. on Aug. 24 on South Lake Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Nicholas Jennings. She also allegedly had suspected drug contraband concealed on her person. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Cain Alexander Catino, 53, of Valley View Drive, Batavia, is charged with falsifying business records 1st. Catino is accused of signing a Pawn King bill of sale stating that he was the sole owner of property that was allegedly stolen. He was held pending arraignment.

Summer Rose Prentice, 31, of Drake Street, Oakfield, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Prentice is accused of intentionally damaging the property of another person at a location on Drake Street, Oakfield, at 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 22. There is no release information available.

Jonathan Mathew Toledo, 32, of Victory Avenue, Hamburg, is charged with harassment 2nd. Toledo is accused of fighting at Darien Lake on Aug. 20 at 10:07 p.m.  He was held for arraignment.

Jorden Elizabeth Prescott, 30, of no address listed, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and harassment 2nd. Prescott is accused of kicking and punching a victim multiple times during a fight at a location on Oak Orchard Road, Elba, at 11:48 a.m. on Aug. 24. She is also accused of breaking the victim's property. She was held pending arraignment.

Aldrin Josue Solorzano, 23, of Clifton Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Solorzano is accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart at 9:52 p.m. on Aug. 23. Solorzano was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released. Also charged was Yanela Karen Molina, 23, of Clifton Avenue, Batavia.

Jennifer Jean McCarty, 52, of Macomber Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. McCarty is accused of shoplifting at Walmart on Aug. 26 at 4:32 p.m. She was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Brett Nelson Mogoffin, 49, of River Road, Pavilion, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and criminal obstruction of breathing.  Mogoffin was arrested on Aug. 29 in connection with an incident reported at 8:18 p.m. on Aug. 22 at a location on River Road, Pavilion. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Eric Nshimirimana, 28, of Churchlea Place, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Nshimirimana was topped at 2:41 a.m. on Aug. 30 on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Kathleen Melissa Pritchard, 45, Main Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd and harassment 2nd.  Pritchard is accused of breaking a TV by knocking it off its stand and hitting a person multiple times in the face during a disturbance on Main Road, Stafford at 10:55 a.m. on Aug. 29.

Holly Lynn Fearby, 34, of Edwards Street, Batavia, is charged with welfare fraud 3rd and offering a false instrument for filing. Fearby is accused of failing to list sales income enabling her to received $3,505 in SNAP benefits. She was arrested on Sept. 2 and held pending arraignment.

Charles William Piehl, 56, no address given, Cohocton, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, driving on a suspended registration, and driving without insurance. Piehl was stopped at 3:04 a.m. on Aug. 3 on Clinton Street Road, Bergen, by Deputy Soren Calderon.  He was allegedly found in possession of drug paraphernalia with narcotics residue. He was released. Also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance was Christina Maria Semmel, 21, no address given, Rochester.

Gustavo Segundo Diaz-Carvajal, 29, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd.  Diaz-Carvajal is accused of assaulting another detainee at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility at 7:35 p.m. on June 23 with the intent to cause serious physical injury. He was arrested on Sept. 4.

Louis Steven Szabo, 24, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, and Brandon Marshall Weig, 36, of Vine Street, Batavia, are charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Szabo and Weig are accused of working together to shoplift from Walmart at 5:59 p.m. on Sept. 3. They were processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Tucked into rural Genesee County is a little-known greenhouse filled with automated technology. It’s overseeing a sweet crop of strawberries that just might turn agriculture on its head.

At least that’s what founder and CEO Gilwoo Lee is banking on with Zordi, her autonomous greenhouses with robots and artificial intelligence (AI) designed to make delicious, high-quality produce available anywhere in the world. Her company has two locations: the most recently acquired farm in southern New Jersey and, through the connection of co-founder and head grower Casey Call, a greenhouse in Oakfield. 

Zordi has made the top 20 list for the annual Grow-NY, a business competition focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage, and agriculture innovation cluster in upstate New York. Winning companies will be required to make a positive economic impact in the Grow-NY region, which includes 22 counties located in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier regions.

Lee isn’t quite certain what the pitch will be to snag the winning spot in the contest, but she knows her end goal.

“So basically what we need to prove out, is the largest market in the U.S. gonna love us?” she said. A native of South Korea, Lee has a unique vantage point of that area’s use of controlled environments.

 "I applied to Carnegie University's Robotics Institute. That's like the number one when it comes to robots. So I started studying there, and then, long story short, I graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a Ph.D in AI and robotics. I really wanted to take that to where it felt personally, very meaningful and passionate about climate change sustainability and where there's labor shortage, and that led me to control the environment in agriculture like greenhouses and indoor farming in general,” she said. “One thing just historically is interesting about Korea, and that's kind of why I was a little bit more familiar, is that they do a lot of greenhouses, mainly because they get a lot more scarcity, like land, and not all the weather is as great as California. So I was just studying that and started my company.”

An AI roboticist and product of MIT, University of Washington and Carnegie Mellon University, Lee wants to build robotic greenhouses anywhere, and perhaps even more importantly, “deliver the best food.”

Before she could proceed, though, she needed to get the best farmer/grower for her initiative. After securing a venture capital company, she was able to meet with some 30 different head growers across the country.

She ended up meeting this one guy “doing a lot of greenhouses and vertical farm, indoor farm stuff. Turns out I really, really liked what the person that stood out the most, like way above everybody else in terms of the mission and expertise and knowledge, was working at a company called Plenty, which is in the Bay Area. It is the largest vertical farm, completely indoors, without sunlight,” Lee said. “And he was in charge of the production, and he was ready to basically, and it's super expensive, by the way, to do those things, so he was a little bit really looking for a more affordable, effective solution. And so I asked him to join the company ... So he was my first employee/co-founder.”

His name is Casey Call, son of Peter, president of My-T Acres in Batavia. Lee learned that Casey is a sixth-generation farmer, and she was drawn to Western New York. The co-founders ended up leasing a greenhouse that Pudgie Riner was retiring with Triple P Farms, she said. 

"We were building a new greenhouse as a complete startup; it takes a lot of expertise, and we're like, how do we get this right? You don't have that much time. You kind of have time and money to kind of balance out, and Pudgie at Triple P was really kind to offer a greenhouse that was ready to retire. So we took that, and we are leasing it," she said. "We completely retrofitted it, put a lot of infrastructure to make it essentially, you can flip the season inside of the greenhouse. So that's how we started growing these very new, exciting varieties of strawberries that are really sweet varieties. 

"And we've been very small, and that's why I've been very stealth, not necessarily stealth, it was just a really small growing them, running a robot," she said. "And as a startup, you do actually have to kind of prove it and put your best effort in one location.” 

The crop has been small in volume and Zordi has sold to two stores in Manhattan, and is selling to a Wegmans in New York City, in addition to using family members as guinea pigs to taste test the sweet product, so no one locally will have seen it or been able to purchase these berries yet, she said. 

Bottom line: venture capital investors are looking to confirm that Lee and Call know what they are are doing and can do it well before moving on to the next stage. 

So what’s the next stage?

“We opened a second farm in South New Jersey as part of that kind of one step ahead for kind of proving our points," Lee said. "So we are running both of the farms. Both of them are still pretty tiny; we’re not actually scaling. It’s more like we’re proving these out across these two locations.”

The Oakfield greenhouse opened in September 2022, and Southern New Jersey a year later. They employ up to four full-time people and have three different types of robots on site: scout, which involves the robots moving throughout the greenhouse and capturing all of the growing data; harvest, to collect the plants; and spray the plants. The first two were built in-house, said Lee, an engineer who really likes robots, abstract things, math and computer science and loves it “when I can bring things to real life.”

She foresees using robotics in the greenhouse for other healthy fresh produce, such as cucumbers and tomatoes. As for the Grow-NY contest,  “we’re still trying to hash out the best project, but this particular site and what we’re bringing in is certainly very innovative and futuristic,” she said. 

“We have our own proprietary robots and AI kind of fully managing the greenhouses. We certainly have a lot of experts kind of coming in and really contributing. But really the ultimate goal is, can we make this farming easy enough for young growers to run these farms or young operators to run these farms and have really high yield and quality, that is what we’re tracking,” she said. “We do have, for example, monitoring robots that are running around the farm, literally capturing every single plant, every single day, and then the AI that’s making decisions, harvesting robots that are helping out all the harvesting labor, spraying robots.

"So a lot of these are automation to help the farms scale up. Those are the key things that we’re putting together and pushing demonstrating that it results in a much better quality product, enabling the better quality products to be delivered at a very affordable price," she said. "That, I think, is the ultimate goal of our business, and we’re starting that out. We have been proving that out in Western New York.”

Casey Call, who obtained his master’s in business administration from Boston University, was an agronomist for more than 15,000 acres at Grimmway, the largest carrot grower in the world, and head grower for Plenty, a leading vertical indoor farming system, floats between the two Zordi greenhouse sites in New York and New Jersey to manage them. 

A total of 312 startups applied from 50 countries, including Canada, the UK, and Italy for the Grow-NY competition. Domestic teams also showed strong interest, with 26 states represented in the applicant pool, including 89 entries from New York. Forty-four percent of applicants included a female founder, and 60 percent included a founder from a culturally diverse group.

A panel of 30 judges, reflecting a depth and breadth of regional economic development expertise, knowledge of the region’s agriculture and food production communities, and entrepreneurial experience, reviewed all the applications to determine the top 20 finalists that will pitch their business plans at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit in Ithaca in November. 

Grow-NY will award seven winners a total of $3 million in prize money. This includes a $1 million top prize, two $500,000 awards, and four $250,000 prizes.

Just two years ago, a local company, Craft Cannery of Bergen, won a $500,000 award for Paul Guglielmo's pitch. A tip for future applicant Lee, perhaps: he opted to play the soundtrack from the Broadway musical "Hamilton" to pump him up, and it really energized him, he said. 

“From farming to food production, New York is an innovative, world-class leader in agriculture. Year after year, the Grow-NY competition is instrumental to bringing new, high-growth businesses in the industry focused on critical areas to our state,” State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said. “This event has once again brought to light just how critical agriculture is to our communities and to our economy, and I congratulate these finalists on their innovation that will help bolster our food systems, feed our communities, and move our state forward.”

The last several months and leading right up to the final pitch have included mentorship opportunities, introductions to the region’s leaders and resources to connect applicants with potential partnerships and other strategic opportunities; site visits, business tours, industrial and economic development agency introductions, and pitch training.

The accelerator culminates with a live pitch at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit, scheduled for November 6 and 7 in Ithaca at the brand-new Downtown Ithaca Conference Center. 

The Summit will be held in two formats simultaneously, in-person and virtually, with finalists pitching their business ideas live in front of an audience and answering questions from a judging panel. The event also includes a food and agriculture symposium, ecosystem expo, and student pitches. The 2024 Grow-NY winners will be revealed in a live awards presentation at the conclusion of the Summit. 

James Christopher Francis, 45, of Falconer Street, North Tonawanda, is charged with menacing a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, menacing 1st, and criminal mischief.  At 2:32 a.m. on Aug. 12, deputies responded to Buffalo Street, Bergen, for a report of a man threatening people with a knife. Deputies were able to disarm the suspect and take him into custody. James was held pending arraignment.

Matthew Aaron Howe, 34, of Country Route 64, Hornell, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, and inadequate plate lamps. Jpw was stp[[ed at 10:57 p.m. on Aug. 1 on Broadway Road, Bethany, by Deputy Zachary Hoy. Howe was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Tahja Denise Allen, 22, of Schreck Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater.  At about 12:45 a.m. on Aug. 7, the Sheriff's Office received a report of a vehicle on a ditch at the Darien Lake campground. Deputy Zachary Hoy was dispatched to investigate. Allen was identified as the driver. Allen was issued an appearance ticket.

James Edward Brown, 43, of Maltby Road, Oakfield, is charged with sex offender failure to provide a photograph.  Brown is accused of failing to provide his photograph to the NYS Sex Offender Registry while being classified as a Level 2 Sex Offender. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Brandon Roddy Brade, no age provided, no residence provided, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd.  Brade is accused of violating an order of protection at 12:19 a.m. on Aug. 8 at a location on Phelps Road, Pembroke. He was held pending arraignment.

Tonya Roselynn Hadsell, 31, Clair Carrier Road, Friendship, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. At 3:46 p.m. on Aug. 8, Deputy Leah Bezon and Deputy Zachary Hoy were dispatched at the Dollar General on Route 63 in Pavilion to investigate a possible intoxicated driver.  As a result of an investigation, Hadsell was allegedly found in possession of Fentanyl. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Cheryl Ann Maines, 55, of Chadlee Drive, Brockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, improper left turn, and unsafe turn. Maines was stopped at 12:40 a.m. on Aug. 10 on Park Road, Batavia, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Kipler was issued an appearance ticket.

Malik Isiah Ayala, 32, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Malik is accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart at 4:10 p.m. on Aug. 13. He was arraigned and released.

Brandi Nichole Arbia, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th and offering a false instrument for filing 1st. Arbia is accused of stealing $2,372 in SNAP benefits. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Noah Stuart Smith, 19, of Chipman Place, North Tonawanda, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Smith is accused of intentionally damaging a mobile phone while at the Chris Stapleton Concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center at 10:45 on July 12. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Ahmire Dionzlyer Morgan, 19, of Delsan Court, Buffalo, and Raequan Ariz Reed, Sr., 28, of Delsan Court, Buffalo, are charged with grand larceny 4th. Morgan and Reed are accused of stealing merchandise from a retail store on Veterans Memorial Drive. The Sheriff's Office did not release the name of the store.

Chad J. Evans, 34, of Weever Street, Rochester, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and three counts of aggravated unlicensed operation. Evans was stopped at 2:05 a.m. on Aug. 17 on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Evans was held pending arraignment.

Joseph Michael Flanagan, 39, of Lawrence Road, Hilton, is charged with DWI, failing to yield the right of way on a left turn, and failing to yield the right of way when entering a roadway. Flanagan was stopped at 2:22 a.m. on Aug. 17 on Park Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clo. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Brandon Michael Crawford, 22, no address listed, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Crawford was stopped at 1:41 a.m. on Aug. 10 on Route 5, Batavia, by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

In two years, the Songbirds, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, has gone from playing for a couple of dozen people at a block party in Batavia to headlining at some of Western New York's top music venues.

On Monday, they closed out, as headliners, the Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival, drawing, likely, in the area of hundreds of fans for a three-hour set of all the best of Fleetwood Mac along with some deep tracks.

Previously: It's more than just ‘Rumours’ that Songbirds pay tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Photos by Howard Owens.

After the parade, on a beautiful blue-sky Labor Day, the third and final day of the music portion of the Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival opened with power trio Salvatore, an Albion-based band, followed by Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald. 

Photos by Howard Owens.

More than 50 years after the war ended, Vietnam War veterans in Oakfield, at long last, have an appropriate memorial in Triangle Park.

A new granite bench in the park was dedicated on Monday during the final day of the Oakfield Labor Daze Music and Food Festival.

About 18 months ago, an Oakfield resident, George Norway, sat in Triangle Park in his electric wheelchair with a sign on the back.

It read, "Shame on Oakfield."

When people inquired, he disclosed he was upset with the fact that in the park there were memorials to veterans of the world wars and Korea but nothing honoring the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans.

Norway was not himself a veteran but he had seen friends and family go off to war and was not happy that they were forgotten.

Jill Klotzback, Robyn Gage and Laurie Nanni, along with members of the Oakfield Historical Society, got together and began to plan an appropriate memorial.

After the company they were working with to create the memorial more than doubled the price of the monument, Justin Calarco Smith of H.E. Turner spoke with the company's distributor and he was able to get the bench for less than the original quote.

Before the bench was unveiled, Assemblyman Steve Hawley spoke about how Vietnam veterans were forgotten, ignored, even shunned after the war.  He recalled that for the first five years of his annual trip to Washington D.C., the Patriot Trip, there were never Vietnam War veterans who took the trip.  Over the past few years, their numbers have been increasing. When the tour stops at the Vietnam War Memorial, Hawley speaks with those veterans and thanks them for their service and apologizes on behalf of the nation for how they were treated upon their return. "Thank you for your service and welcome home," he says.

The brother and sister-in-law of George Norway then placed a bouquet of roses on the bench to dedicate it.

Photo by Howard Owens

Photos by Howard Owens

The Oakfield Labor Daze Music and Food Festival has two main components. We've covered the weekend's music.  Here's a look at the other part of the festival -- all the good food being served up by about a dozen vendors.

Monday's Schedule:

• 10 a.m.: Parade
• 11 a.m.: Salvatore
• 1 p.m.: Terry Buchwald (Elvis)
• 4 p.m.: Songbirds (Fleetwood Mac)

And food vendors all day.

Like any serious collector of vinyl records, Cheektowaga resident Joe Spath comes across many decades old records with little to no value—copies of the soundtrack to “South Pacific,” for example, or any Mitch Miller LP. Ditto Burl Ives. To say these records are a dime a dozen is to overstate their value.

That's why Spath grabs those records from the pile when he finds them to turn them into wall art.

Using computer-guided cutting tools, Spath turns the vinyl records into tributes to legendary artists, such as Chuck Berry, Paul McCartney, Elton John, ABBA, the Bee Gees, and so on.

He carves an artist's image or logo into the record and prints out a faux record label he downloads from the Web to cover over the original less desirable label.

Spath is one of the vendors this weekend at the Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival.

He started cutting records about 12 years ago. 

"I've been doing this because it makes people happy," the Navy veteran said Sunday.

A former DJ, Spath said he has cataloged in his collection of "keepers" 8,000 LPs, 2,000 45s, 1,500 CDs, and even a lot of cassettes.

The collection spans the 1940s to the 2000s and pretty much every genre of music.

"Variety is the spice of life," he said.

There are close to three dozen vendors at the festival this weekend.

Sunday night's headliner, Nerds Gone Wild -- perhaps Western New York's most popular cover band -- thrilled all their fans who turned out in Triangle Park for their headlining performance on the second day of the Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival.

While waiting for the band make its grand entrance, one woman from Arizona approached a reporter and praised the festival. She couldn't believe all the music was free. And she loved all the food options. She said she extended her vacation an extra week just to see Nerds in Oakfield.

Photos by Howard Owens.