Oakfield

Press Release:

Donald Hall of Oakfield was recently granted his wish to sit on a FARMALL-H tractor one more time in his life. As a boy, that was the tractor that he worked with on a farm in Basom. Mr. Hall mentioned his wish to LaNora Thompson at a We’ve Only Just Begun luncheon he attended. LaNora’s husband Robert knew of a tractor collector in Elba. He passed the information along to our wish-granting committee and thanks to the kindness and generosity of John Torrey - Donald’s wish came true. Not only was he able to sit on a FARMALL-H tractor but he and his family were given a personal tour of the tractor museum.

Senior Wishes’ grants wishes to lower-income seniors living independently and to those living in care facilities in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming counties. Wishes have included attending sporting and cultural events, visiting a loved one not seen in years, and re-engaging a senior in a hobby. Requests for needs are also considered.

Wish recipients must be 65+ and a resident of Western New York with an annual income under $38,000 for a household of one or under $44,000 for a household of two. Permanent residents of care facilities are exempt from the income qualification.

Founded by the United Church Home Society, Senior Wishes strives to bring special moments to seniors across WNY and allow them to feel seen, important, and not forgotten.

Two new art projects at the GOOSE Community Center in Oakfield are not just visual embellishments to the Main Street property, founder Susan Zeliff says.

They are embodiments of what the center stands for and has become. 

One is a mural based on a quote that Zeliff chose: “This I have learned from the shadow of a tree, that my influence may fall where I will never be.”

“It spoke to me a lot about our community center and the people that support it,” Zeliff said. “They’re helping people that they may never come into contact with.”

She commissioned artist David Burke, thanks to a grant through GO Art!, to paint the mural on an exterior wall of the center. It features a large grassy area with a tree’s shadow and the quote. 

The easy part was knowing what to do, Burke said. He used a scaffold for the piece measuring about 10 feet high and 40 feet wide. It took about 35 hours over the course of three or four trips to complete it with rollers and brushes.

What’s it like to have pedestrians and motorists going by observing your handiwork?
“It’s great, I love it. Several people in Batavia have been doing murals and all over the country,” he said. “Murals are coming back. It’s exposing people to art. I just like the idea of teaching and art. I really kind of enjoy turning people onto the idea that anybody can make art; anyone has the capacity for making any kind of art or music.”

Zeliff plans to apply for a GO Art! grant to bring in some art teachers, including Burke, for lessons, hopefully at the beginning of 2024, she said.

Those lessons will complement a host of activities, including chair yoga, which has doubled or tripled in attendance since first offered; a Family Fun Bingo night on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, drawing some 60 participants of all ages; a continuously growing food pantry that serves 80 to 90 families each month; a farm market that operates separately in the back of the building on Saturdays; and community room space that is rented out for special events. 

Zeliff has been turning to GO Art! more regularly with applications for grants, last year providing “different styles of art, an expressive kind of art,” she said, which featured Burke and Bill Shutt, who returned this year to provide the second latest piece of exterior artwork for the GOOSE at 33 South Main St.

He and Zeliff loosely talked about how his piece could somehow represent the site, and the symbol of hands came to him.

“I asked her the reason for the GOOSE, and she said to connect the GOOSE to the community and to resources and to connect businesses, connect organizations, etc. So that kind of led me to thinking about handshakes, and we’ve seen some of the logos of the four interconnected hands, so that was where the thought process for this piece came from,” he said. “The shapes came from recycled material … so all the hands are different. The material is all different, again, trying to show that we’re all made up of different pieces, and different parts, and we can all connect together.

“Connecting hands, connecting communities is what the GOOSE is all about,” Shutt said. 

A mechanic and welder fabricator for many years, Shutt was used to “making stuff” from the odds and ends of motorcycle parts and other materials that were the remains from an old farm, he said. 

“A lot of it was stuff around the house or around the shop. I've tinkered with cars and motorcycles. Probably five or six years ago was the first time that I really made something that was an art piece, per se. And that started off with old pieces, parts, motorcycle parts and car parts that I made into some musical instrument-inspired pieces,” he said.

He has crafted stringed musical instruments and other creations  — including some metal sculptures on boxes depicting the inequity of humanity outside of the GO Art! site in Batavia.

For the Oakfield project, he used galvanized tubing, stainless steel, chrome steel, motorcycle parts, and an old, high-pressure gas cylinder tubing. He appreciates using recycled materials and will be working on a project using part of an old Erie Canal lift bridge. 

Connecting hands is freshly tagged, so he hasn’t gotten a whole lot of feedback just yet, but “hopefully, the main message got across,” Shutt said. 

“If they see something positive out of it, it was a success,” he said. “It took about three months to complete. It was a lot of trial and error, a lot of R and D time, how I was going to make the hands, positions he hands. Sometimes the material dictates what you’re doing.”

Zeliff is pleased with both projects as an extension of yet continuing growth of the GOOSE center, which falls under the Warrior House program. Shutt’s artwork depicts one person standing with a “whole lot of hands behind them, and that’s my everyday,” she said. 

“I am very excited about all the activity that’s been happening within the community and just building relationships,” Zeliff said. “We do coffee hour on Wednesdays, and one year ago, it was me and one person, and now it’s two dozen people. It’s exciting to see the room become full.”

Press Release:

The OACS Alumni Hall of Fame Committee will be honoring the Class of 2023 on Saturday, October 14, at a community dinner and induction ceremony at OACS High School Cafeteria. This year's inductees are as follows:

• Jeff Allen - Class of ‘85
• R. Pauline Brundage - Class of ‘40
• Melissa Evarts Gardner - Class of ‘99
• Paul Osborn - Class of ‘89

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding OACS alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community, or through personal achievements, providing incentives for current and future students. For tickets and for more information:

Email committee member Liz Conway at: conwayej@frontiernet.net.

Visit OACS Elementary & Middle/High Schools

Visit Oakfield Family Pharmacy

Here's a slide show of photos from over the Labor Day weekend in Oakfield of the Labor Daze Music and Food Festival, including many previously unpublished photos.

All photos by Howard Owens.

The Batavian provided the community with the most comprehensive, daily coverage of Labor Daze.  If you appreciate what we do, please sign up for Early Access Pass.

Rochester-based Public Water Supply, an alt-Americana band that artfully mixes tasteful covers with well-written originals, played Monday afternoon at Labor Daze in Oakfield.

The Pink Floyd tribute band, The Floyd Concept, is on the main stage from 7 to 10 p.m.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Main Street in Oakfield was lined Monday morning with parade spectators as the community hosted its 39th Labor Daze Parade.

Photo by Howard Owens.

It was a packed park in Oakfield on Sunday night during the high-energy performance of Nerds Gone Wild.

Here's today's (Monday's) line of live music at Labor Daze:

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
• 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
• 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
• 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Music fans were clearly having a good time on Saturday night at Labor Daze during performances by a hardcore country band, Hazzard County, and the rockin' trio, Dave Viterna Group.

There is more music planned for the rest of the long weekend.

Sunday:

• 9  to 10 a.m., Christian Music Hour
• 10 a.m., Church Service
• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Russ Peters Group
• 12:30  to 3:30 p.m., Songbirds
• 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Dark Horse Run
• 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nerds Gone Wild

On Monday:

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
• 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
• 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
• 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Photos by Howard Owens. 

While driving back to Batavia from Labor Daze in Oakfield on Saturday evening, the Wings Over Batavia air show was clearly visible from Route 63.

The Batavian will have ongoing coverage of the air show on Sunday.

Labor Daze is underway in Oakfield, and organizers have set up two stages so that the entertainment continues pretty much non-stop throughout the event.

Batavia Players kicked things off with a set of show tunes, and then the SkyCats started rocking on the other stage at 1 p.m.

Hazzard County took the stage at 4 p.m. and performs until 7 p.m., followed by the Dave Viterna Group from 7 to 10 p.m.

Tomorrow, Sunday:

• 9  to 10 a.m., Christian Music Hour
• 10 a.m., Church Service
• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Russ Peters Group
• 12:30  to 3:30 p.m., Songbirds
• 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Dark Horse Run
• 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nerds Gone Wild

On Monday:

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
• 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
• 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
• 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

At the end of nearly three hours of racing on Oak Street in Oakfield, Elias Pamer won the younger division and Cody Pangrazio won the older division in the Inaugural Oakfield Labor Daze Box Car Derby.

Photos by Howard Owens.

When you’re heading into an event that’s nearly four decades old, it might seem tempting to press repeat and do the same things over, but that’s certainly not the case with this year’s 39th ever-growing Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival, committee Chair Jamie Lindsley says.

Several new musical groups and food offerings, plus more arts and craft vendors, a new boxcar derby and sharing this year’s 5K proceeds through scholarships to local students is an indicator that board members and hands-on volunteers are continuing to shake things up.

Bigger and better might just summarize it. Plus, it’s free, Lindsley said. Most of the action happens in Triangle Park in the heart of the town, Saturday through Monday. 

“We try to make sure we include local organizations, whether it's the fire department, the school, and also, our community is very dependent upon and really helped by agriculture. And we really like to make sure that they're included in anything that we do. So we'll have tractors in the parade. We're also going to have the Shriners in the parade this year. So that's not new, but it's just something we haven't had in several years,” Lindsley said during an interview with The Batavian. “And new this year is the boxcar derby. And we're really thrilled to have that because it's got that nostalgia; it's a family-friendly event.

“Seeing children work together with their parents or their mentors to decorate the cars and to race the cars and troubleshoot and figure everything out; it’s really amazing,” she said. “I’m a big fan of science and math, and all of that is interrelated with what it takes to do the boxcar derby and to operate the boxcars.”

Where to begin? How about with the Hornet Hustle 5K at 9 a.m. Saturday. This year’s proceeds will be used for two $1,000 scholarships beginning with 2024 Oakfield-Alabama grads, and then to be awarded annually. This is a change from past years, when the race usually targeted one nonprofit, such as Warrior House or Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Lindsley said. 

“We've had multiple different causes over the years,” she said. “We would like to just have one and stick with it. And hopefully that will help it grow.”

Feel like lacing up and joining in? You can still register by Wednesday or the day of the race. Runners and walkers are welcome, organizers said.

Then get over to Drake Street to watch the 22 drivers steer their boxcars off the ramp and down the street for the first-ever derby at 11 a.m. Saturday.

“We’re very excited about this. The shells were prepared and put over the chassis,” Lindsley said. “The kids decorated the cars with stickers. We hope to have a ton of spectators.”

Committee member Scott D’Alba came up with the idea, and everyone was on board with it, and fellow member Chris Marcott was going to be gleaning some tips and experience from helping out at Batavia’s boxcar derby this past Saturday, she said. Some of those derby cars were also going to be used in the Oakfield event.  

Kiddie Fun Day goes from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. That used to happen at Schoolhouse Manor, but due to construction, fun day has been moved over to the town park on Drake Street. 

“So kids can just walk down the street and get there. But we're going to have bounce houses and horse and pony rides. We're going to have games. We're gonna have like little arts and crafts and coloring stations. That should be fun,” she said.

There will also be vehicles, including a school bus and a tractor, parked for kids to see and perhaps climb onto,  and a visit from a K-9 officer, she said.

By this point in the day, Dance Images will be taking to the stage, from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by Batavia Players at noon. 

The Saturday entertainment line-up also includes:

• 1 to 2 p.m. Skycats 
• 4 to 7 p.m. Hazzard County
• 7 to 10 p.m. Dave Viterna Group 

And that's just Day One. 

Some 50 vendors will be selling their creative wares from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. You may notice more than usual, as “there’s a little more this year,” Lindsley said.

“I’m glad. We have a lot of repeat vendors because they enjoy doing our show,” she said.

There will be lots of entertainment on Sunday:

• 9 to 10 a.m. Christian Music Hour and church service to follow
• 11 a.m. Russ Peters Group
• 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.Songbirds
• 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dark Horse Run 
• 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Nerds Gone Wild

So far, that brings two new musical groups onto the Labor Daze scene. Hazzard County, according to its website, has been nominated as “one of the top country cover bands of the year for WNY,” made possible by its five-member band’s passion for delivering “authentic country sound combined with the dedication of our talented members” with a combined century of experience.  

As for Nerd Gone Wild, it is just what you might expect — musicians with pocket protectors, taped glasses, bowties and suspenders in a lively, energetic and interactive performance of 1980s tunes, choreographed dance moves, trivia questions, contests, and a tribute band showcase “like nothing you’ve seen before,” its website states.

What better way to top that off than to check out the fireworks to follow at 9:30 p.m. at the town park on Sunday? 

If you’re going to the parade at 10 a.m. Monday, it is suggested that you get there early, since roads are closed by 9:45 a.m. to prepare for the groups that march down the Main Street, Lindsley said. If you’re interested in being a participant, there’s still time to register.

Of course, one of the biggest attractions to any festival is the food — whether it be grilled, crunchy, soft, sweet, savory, spicy or something in between, Labor Daze seems to have it, with several food trucks and local organizational food booths, she said. 

New items include fried ravioli, empanadas, fresh-cut fries and a poutine truck. The O-A Music Boosters will have pizza, Alex’s Lemonade Stand will be there, and the O-A Lions Club will be selling its “world famous Italian sausage with peppers and onions, as well as a loganberry drink.”

“And then we're going to have lots of other amazing things like ice cream and shakes and milkshakes. Kettle Corn. Novelty desserts, like a high-end dessert truck, so things like French macarons, cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate covered strawberries, lemon bars, cupcakes, cookies, all kinds of deliciousness,” she said.

Other food trucks include Sweet Lisa’s, Ice Cream and Chill, Lori’s Delectable Edibles, which offers bubble tea and iced coffees, Islands Hawaiian BBQ (on Monday), plus the parent-teacher group will be selling cotton candy. It’s a safe bet that no one will go hungry in Oakfield this weekend. 

Monday’s musical line-up includes:

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Batavia Swing Band
• 1 to 4 p.m. Exit 13
• 4 to 7 p.m. Public Water Supply
• 7 to 10 p.m. The Floyd Concept

Public Water Supply, out of Rochester, bills itself as an alternative rock/indie Americana act of five university-trained musicians in a blend of "distinctive songwriting, spectacular vocals and incredible instrumentalists," and The Floyd Concept, a Pink Floyd tribute band, are two more new bands to the festival this year. 

The committee lines these groups and vendors up months in advance, beginning its planning the day after — or days before in some cases — the current Labor Daze festival, Lindsley said.

“We’re making notes right now,” she said of next year’s event. “We are a nonprofit, and we're 100 percent volunteer-driven, and a lot of our vendors at the event are also nonprofit organizations. This is an event that's beneficial to them for their fundraising and for raising awareness about their organization, and it’s hopefully driving new membership for everyone.”

What were the biggest challenges for this year’s festival?
“The two main challenges, or opportunities I'd like to call them, is finding out that the air show is the same weekend. It doesn't overlap the entire weekend, so I don't think that'll be as big of a problem as my worst fears were,” Lindsley said. “But the other thing is the construction of Schoolhouse Manor. It's really just such a stately old lady of a building, and we really are happy she's being restored, but not being able to use that space was a bit of a challenge for sure.

“I think the reception has been pretty good. People are excited about both (the air show and Labor Daze). We anticipate people going to the air show, and we encourage them to do that; what an amazing opportunity,” she said. “Personally, I'm sad that I won't have a chance to. But the community is still planning on coming out. And, you know, we have a lot of volunteers from within Oakfield-Alabama and surrounding communities that actually volunteer in our food booths. And I think the reception has been pretty good. I have a really good feeling about this year.”

Lindsley is president of the Oakfield Betterment Committee, which also includes board members Ritchie Kirkum, Scott D’Alba, Diane Klos, Emily Kolpack, Chris Marcott, Jeff Allen and Jaden Ohlson.

Rob Ostrander took this picture on Main Street in Oakfield on Sunday morning and entitled it, "A leaf's last stand."

Press Release:

Baby and Preschool Storytimes will resume in September at Haxton Memorial Library in Oakfield.

Preschool Storytime is held on Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. and is designed for children ages 2-5. It includes stories, rhymes, songs, and activities related to a theme. Older and younger siblings may attend.

Baby Storytime is held on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and is designed for infants and toddlers ages 0-24 months and a caregiver. Older siblings are also welcome to attend. We will share rhymes, songs, and simple board books,
followed by playtime!

The Haxton Memorial Library located at 3 North Pearl Street in Oakfield, provides residents with a variety of programs, events, and materials that are listed on the library’s website at www.HaxtonLibrary.org.

More than 80 participants — children, teens and adults — attended an end-of-summer-reading ice cream party this past week at Haxton Memorial Library in Oakfield, Director Kim Gibson says.

Soft serve ice cream was served, and all of the prizes were distributed during this fun-filled evening at the library on Aug. 17. 

The library had a lot to celebrate: a busy summer of 200 children, teens and adults in the “All Together Now” Summer Reading Program, and children and teens reading more than 70,000 minutes combined as the library offered 35 programs, and an attendance of more than 1,020 participants during the six-week program. 

 “We had such an amazing turn out and we are so proud of all of our readers this summer,” Gibson said.

A motor vehicle accident with unknown injuries is reported at Lewiston Road and Fisher Road in Oakfield.

Oakfield Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 4:17 p.m.: A chief on scene reports the southbound lane blocked by one vehicle. Two vehicles involved. One injury. "Minor" extrication needed.

UPDATE 4:19 p.m.: MInor injury.

OPEN HOUSE - Saturday, Aug. 5th from 11am - 12:30pm! 22 Bennett Street, Oakfield. Solid, 3 bedroom,  2and 1/2 bath home located on prime village street. This yard is the fun yard! Fully enclosed and private backyard with large sunny open deck, awesome xlarge playset and plenty more yard space for entertaining and games!! Stepping inside you will be greeted by large and bright kitchen with so much space and cupboards plus an oversized pantry closet for all the supplies! There is also conveniently a large 1/2 bath and laundry room for your guests and you right as you walk in to catch all the mess! There is a great spacious layout between the formal dining room and oversized living room and front foyer and all three rooms boast hardwood floors and beautiful unpainted woodwork and even a set of beautiful wooden and glass pocket doors! Upstairs there are 3 large bedrooms -the master is roomy and bright with a sunny connected bath that everyone will want to use! There is also a large attic for all your storage needs and a full basement that once upon a time was partially finished off and could be again! There's a lot here for the next owner to enjoy so make it yours today! Call Reliant 585-344-4663.