The Elba Betterment Committee will be presenting our fifth and final concert of our summer series in a setting that only Elba can create. August 8, The Elba Village Park, Genesee Ted and our annual kids bash with Torrey Farms and Good Tymes Party rentals.
The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. with music at 6:30 p.m. There will be bounce houses and games, and whatever fun the Torreys are planning – we know it will be delicious!
The 50/50 that night will be to benefit the Jordyn Torrey Augello Foundation, providing monies towards Strong Hospital and the new gym floor at the YMCA.
The music will be all of our favorites from our local boys, and the food will be outstanding with The Original Red Osier and Islands Hawaiian, the fun foods from Good Tymes, Ice Cream and Chill and Circle B Winery.
And if that’s not enough, we will be drawing the winner of our giant 50/50 raffle that night. You will not want to miss this one!
All concerts are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by GoArt.
The Elba Betterment Committee is coming up on week 4 of our summer concerts in our beautiful Village Park. Up next on August 1, is the Batavia Swing Band. A professional 17 piece jazz/swing band, they will be bringing us everything from standard jazz and swing tunes to more modern and contemporary sounds.
We love our local musicians, and we know you will too. And perhaps there will be dancing!
The fun begins with food and beverages from Agatina’s Italian Restaurant, More Than A Mouthful, Ice Cream and Chill and Circle B Winery starting at 5:30 p.m. with the music starting at 6:30 p.m.
The 50/50 Raffle that night will help to provide a scholarship to Go Art’s Creative Art Camp to help support underprivileged children who may not be able to afford it.
All concerts are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO Art.
As always, we are collecting non perishable food and hygiene items and selling raffle tickets for your chance to win up to $5000. This is gonna be such a fun time – you know you gotta be there!
Bobby is Back! The Elba Betterment Committee is so looking forward to local musician Bobby and the Pedestrians back to the Village Park for our summer concert series on Thursday, July 25. The music starts at 6:30 p.m.
Bobby and the boys perform “high energy cosmic rock born around a fire that smelled faintly of onions”.
Starting at 5:30 p.m., you can enjoy food and beverages from Islands Hawaiian Grill, Agatina’s Italian Restaurant, Lizzies Ice Cream Truck and Circle B Winery.
At the band’s request, we will be holding a 50/50 to benefit the PAWS Amimal Shelter in Albion. We continue to collect items for the Open Hearts Club Food Pantry at every concert.
All concerts are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO Art.
In a joint venture with Elba Central School, the Elba Betterment Committee is pleased to announce the crowning of the 2024 Elba Onion Queen at our second concert in the Elba Village Park.
Thursday, July 18 the Elba Onion Queen crowning will be at 6 p.m. with a concert following at 6:30 p.m. with music by It’s My Party. What better way to enjoy a summer evening than by celebrating the amazing Onion Queen contestants and taking a stroll down a musical Memory Lane with the all-female singing ensemble of It’s My Party. We guarantee you won’t be crying!
Food and beverages by More Than A Mouthful, Agatina’s Italian Restaurant, Ice Cream and Chill, Blue Groove Coffee, and Circle B Winery will only make the experience more enjoyable.
The 50/50 this week will benefit Volunteers for Animals in Batavia, and you are still invited to bring your non-perishable food and hygiene items to support the Open Hearts Club Food Pantry. And in case you have forgotten, you can still purchase tickets on our Big A$$$ 50/50 Raffle for your chance to earn up to $5000.
All concerts are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO Art.
The Elba Betterment Committee is pleased to announce the first of our 5 summer concerts in The Elba Village Park.
On July 11, come on down and listen to Trolls 2.0. Calvin Nichols, of the original Trolls is back with 2 of his sons and a family friend to bring a variety of classic rock, alternative and pop with a little metal sprinkled in. There will be something for everyone!
Islands Hawaiian Grill, The Original Red Osier Restaurant, Ice Cream and Chill, and Circle B Winery will be providing food and beverages starting at 5:30. The music starts at 6:30, so come and pick out a good spot on the lawn to enjoy it all.
The 50/50 raffle will benefit the Open Hearts Club Food Pantry at ECS. Please bring a non-perishable food or hygiene item to support this cause.
All concerts are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO Art.
Doug King with one of his photos. Photo by Howard Owens.
Lovely golden-hued sunrises and flaming sunsets, wildlife caught momentarily frozen still in a field, and snow-capped villages are quite the contrast to Doug King’s early career as a Batavia police officer and crime scene photographer.
Yes, King, who lives with his wife Sherry in Elba, was that guy who snapped photos of homicides, suicides, burglaries, arsons, and severe auto accidents.
“Anything that could help to solve the crime,” he said, answering a question about how difficult the job was. “The ones that stuck in my mind were the homicides and suicides. It’d take about a month, and I could still see the victim. That goes with the territory."
He didn’t exactly set out on that career trail while studying at college in Maine. But it was when at college that his father, E. Douglas King, of Kentucky, had a heart attack. The junior King quit college to return home, get a job and help out his mom, who was from Batavia.
The Kings — E. Douglas and Lucille — had met during World War II when he became injured and was shipped to Oakfield as a military police soldier for a prisoner of war camp. They ended up living in Batavia.
Doug was the only child in the family and did what he could to help after his dad died. Meanwhile, the city police chief knew him through sports as an umpire for games.
“He knew my dad had passed and asked if I was interested in becoming a police officer,” King said. “He gave me three books to read overnight and said if I was interested, he needed a part-time officer and to let me know the next morning. I ended up with a 21-year career.”
Not only had that connection led him to a successful occupation, but King continued with photography, only moving away from the grim and gruesome scenes of his job onto nature and the outdoors — “Anything that can bring a smile on your face,” he said.
About 100 of his framed photos and 10 painted artworks from locals, including the late Pat Burr, MJ Thompson, and Jeffrey Crofts, will be up for purchase during this weekend’s Mother’s Day Craft Show and Basket Raffle. Doors open at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Elba Fireman’s Recreation Hall in Elba, and the show runs until 3 p.m.
King enjoys hiking through the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge to serve as inspiration for his photos, and finds many picturesque scenes in the great outdoors, he said. Now that he and Sherry are considering downsizing, they are more eager to rid themselves of the overflow of artwork they’ve amassed over the years, he said.
“One thing about downsizing, you can’t take everything you have,” he said. “I do a lot of outdoor photography … a lot of wildlife … sunsets and sunrises. Anything that can be eye-catching. I gotta shoot turtles, tree frogs, turkeys, eagles, ospreys. I mean, foxes, every kind of animal you can think of that’s in this area, but there's a lot of scenic stuff that I've taken too.”
To the chagrin of his wife (he uses a lot of gas on his photo-seeking escapades), King gets up around 5:30 or 6 a.m. every day and spends a few hours driving around taking pictures.
“I’ve got about 100 framed. I know I will never sell that many, I hope to sell three or four, maybe,” he said. “But I thought it'd be nice to display them and let people see, you know, what's around the community in our area here that they most often don't think about or realize. They're here to enjoy.”
There are a few cherished paintings that will remain with the couple, and most everything else will be at this weekend’s event. One such painting was by Pat Burr, and is a feed sack with GLF Quality on it. The moment Doug saw it, he had to buy it: his dad, grandfather and an uncle had worked at GLF Quality, a grain mill and fertilizer plant in Batavia way back in the day.
Burr had confessed at the time that she never thought anyone would buy such a painting, King said, but as artwork goes, it found its home and sentimental value with the right owner.
One of the Elba Betterment Committee organizers, Pauli Miano is happy to have King’s participation and local art as part of this year’s event, she said. She believes that event visitors will find his pieces “quite interesting” as they illustrate various views from throughout the county and include pieces of nostalgia from late and local artists.
This event will also feature items from local artisans and farms. The first 50 mothers will receive a carnation, and refreshments will be available.
This project is made possible with grant funds from the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO ART!
Top Photo of Doug King with one of his framed photographs; and a mix of his photos and artwork collections that are to be available for purchase at the craft show. Photos by Howard Owens.
The Elba Betterment Committee is pleased to announce the first concert in their summer concert series -- EBC Music and More 2.0 this Saturday, July 10 at the Elba Village Park.
Rockin' the Gazebo at Elba Village Park
It is located in the center of the Village on east side of Main Street.
Music starts at noon with Bobby and the Pedestrians, a local Reggae rock and roll band that will introduce listeners to a didgeridoo while they combine their original style with familiar tunes that will have you singing along and asking for more.
Second in the lineup (at about 2 o'clock) is the ever popular Genesee Ted who will be bringing the '60s and '70s rock we all love with a mix of old-school country.
Closing the day (at about 4 p.m.) will be the hard-rocking Savage Cabbage. Expect some Grand Funk Railroad and Bad Company mixed with a little Marshall Tucker, and of course, Johnny Be Good.
Tying it all together on our smaller stage will be the acoustic stylings of The Elba Guys -- John, Tom and Lee, who will be familiar to most from their long local music past. This is our first venture into the "festival" business, and after the raging, but unfortunately, restricted response we had last summer, we expect this to be a fun, musical event for the whole family.
Bring Your Own Lawn Chair, Lots of Food and Drinks to Purchase
Bring your lawn chair, and have lunch and maybe even dinner in beautiful Elba. BEST (Building Elba School Together) will be serving Andy's Pizza and and ice cream from Zuber Farms; Mac Daddy's Ultimate Mac 'n' Cheese; Center Street Smokehouse and Pub Coffee Hub will be there with their trucks as well.
Eli Fish Brewing Co. will be bringing the beer, and Circle B Winery the wine -- what more do you need? And last but not least (sometimes it's OK to eat dessert first) will be Lori's Delectable Edibles (think cake bites, brownies and cookies) and her delicious Bubble Tea.
Get Yours! Onion Capital of the World T-shirts
The Betterment will be selling their Onion Capital of the World T-shirts and conducting a 50/50 raffle and invites other nonprofits to contact us if you would like to have a booth or stand at any of our events.
Taking a Free Will Donation for the Down Syndrome Parent Support Group
There is never a charge for all of this great music, but we will be taking a free will donation to the Down Syndrome Parent Support Group of Genesee County. This wonderful organization provides support and encouragement to individuals with with Down Syndrome who reside in the GLOW area. Representatives will be at the park to talk to anyone who is interested in joining or assisting this group.
This and all of our summer concerts is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the Support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, and administered by GOART!
Our second show will be in August. Look for more information to come.
The Elba Betterment Committee will hold a chicken BBQ at the Village Park on Sunday, June 13 to earn money for a trio of concerts this summer at the park.
Tickets for the chicken BBQ are $12 and limited in number. Some will be sold the day of the BBQ, but the bulk must be ordered by June 1.
You can order tickets via the committee's Facebook page or they can be bought at:
Chap's Elba Diner, 5 S. Main St., Elba
Sweet Life Country Store, 100 S. Main St., Elba
The Village Office, 4 S. Main St., Elba
The Town Office, 7 Maple Ave., Elba
Elba Central School District Office, 57 S. Main St., Elba
The three music "festivals" will feature EBS Music and More 2.0. Details for that will be coming soon.
The Old Hippies and What About Jane teamed up Saturday for an evening of memorable music as part of a summer concert series sponsored by the Elba Betterment Committee in the Elba Village Park.
Food venders included Dubby's Wood Fired Pizza (pictured below), Los Compadres, Lori's Delectable Edibles (desserts), and Bubble Tea.
The final concert of the season will be Wednesday featuring the Corfu Pembroke Community Band in an All-American-themed evening that will include the Betterment Committee hot dogs and hamburgs and serving Mom's apple pie. And, of course, there will be ice cream. Showtime is 7 p.m.
The Old Hippies and What About Jane are teaming up for a special concert, sponsored by the Elba Betterment Committee, in Elba from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 12.
The concert will be livestreamed and it will also be broadcast on FM radio so people can come to the park and site in their vehicle. Erakare Productions will record the entire concert for future release.
There will be food trucks at the Village Park.
Bill McDonald, of the Old Hippies, said the Health Department has approved the plans for the concert.
"There will be plenty of spacing for parking and sitting for this end-of-summer event for many to enjoy in a number of ways," McDonald said.
The video below of What About Jane playing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."
The fourth annual Pig Roast and Craft Show will be held at Elba Village Park from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 10. Admission is free.
"We're expanding off of the Onion Festival to bring community closer," said Carrie Mudrzynski, member of the Elba Betterment Committee, which is hosting the event.
More than 50 local vendors and businesses will be there, along with live music. The Mud Pit is cooking the meat. Plates are $10 and you can choose from pulled pork or hamburgers, and more. The Elba Betterment Committee is providing additional food.
Musicians include:
Front Porch Pickers
Mac and Company
Bobby and the Pedestrians
Although the beloved Onion Festival is history, after it began nearly 80 years ago, an Onion Queen will still reign. The Elba Volunteer Fire Department is holding the contest, so the tradition will continue.
The Onion Queen Parade will start at 3:45 p.m. Eight girls will be in it, riding on convertibles, and waving, of course. At 4:30, they will crown the Onion Queen.
Beforehand, at noon, there will be a Kiddie Parade.
Elba sports boosters will have a dunk tank.
There will also be four bounce houses, costing $5 for unlimited use, and various games provided by Extended Sound from Wyoming. (Prices to be determined.)
Antique tractors from local farms will also be on display.
"Our biggest objective is to make this family affordable,” said Joanna Soules, president of the Elba Betterment Committee.
On-site parking is provided along with traffic control by Elba Volunteer Fire Department.
"While there are many donations, this event is funded by the Betterment Committee using monies from previous fund raisers," says Elba resident Pauline Miano.
This event is rain or shine; there is shelter available in case of rain.
If you are a vendor and want to be included you can email the Elba Betterment Committee at: vendors@elbabetterment.com
Editor's note: The story has been corrected to reflect information provided by Pauline Miano and "Kim."
Elba Betterment Committee & Chap’s Elba Diner are proud to sponsor the 3rd Annual Pig Roast and Craft Show on Sunday July 12th, from 12 to 7 p.m. at the Elba Village Park, Main Street, Elba, NY 14058.
Music
Antique Tractor Show
Balloon Show by Bourke Balloons 4 to 5 p.m.
Photo Booth
Fun for the whole family
Elba Community Garage Sale Days -- July 10-11 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. To get a map, call Pauli at 757-9339. If you’re interested in being a a crafter/vendor, please don’t hesitate to contact Kim at 585-409-0963 OR e-mail: KIm31ball@gmail.com. Pig cooked by The Mud Pit!
The Elba Betterment Committee and Chap's Diner would like to thank the following businesses for sponsoring the advertisements on The Batavian: Portraits by Peter Miano, 585-815-3217, http://petermiano.zenfolio.com/contact.html; Frank The Brush, Inc., 3999 Ridge Road, Elba; Valerie's Hair & Nails, 3 N. Main St. Elba, 585-757-9217; Monachino Service Station, Inc., 2 Main St. , Elba, 585-757-6611; G. Mortellaro & Sons, Transit Road, Elba; Torrey Farms, Maltby Road, Elba, and Penna's Catering, 585-757-2432, Elba; Batavia Turf, Transit Road, Elba. Charles Zambito, Attorney
Robert Given, of Elba, is the first winner of the first raffle put together by the brand new Elba Betterment Committee.
A group of Elba residents have come together to help improve and promote Elba and they kicked off things with a raffle for a basket filled with more than $1,000 worth of gifts.
Given's name was picked during a drawing Friday at Chap's Elba Diner.
All items in the basket were donated by Elba merchants small businesses and farmers, according to Pauli Miano (who submitted the photos). Prizes included an iPad mini, bags of potatoes, Lottery tickets, a weed eater, over $300 worth of gift cards, craft items, pet supplies, books autographed by local authors, shirts and sweatshirts.
In a second raffle, anyone who came to Chap’s today was able to buy a chance on a hundred dollar bill. Sandi Chappius of Elba was the winner.
