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City Church hosted a Fall Festival at its St. Anthony's campus on Liberty Street on Monday, with activities, games, a hay ride, a bounce house, face painting, candy and grilled cheese.

There was a cute petting zoo at one house on Allanview in Batavia Monday evening.

However, the creatures looked like they hadn’t eaten in a while — they were nothing but bones.

The display was part of a Landers’ family Halloween extravaganza. From the front archway, towering villain, graveyard, and seasonal blazing orange and purple hues, the county manager’s home screamed all hallow’s eve.

“We’ve been doing it for years, my daughter’s 16 now, and we probably started it 10 years ago when she was six,” Landers said as darkness fell Monday. “I was actually thinking of scaling back, and the kids said no, dad, you’ve gotta do it.”

Placing blame on the kids aside, Landers admitted that he’s “a Halloween nut too.” 

“I love all the scary movies, I love the genre in general, I’ve got to admit,” he said.

Although he didn't don a monster mask to coordinate with the outside setup, he and wife Melissa took a peaceful dive back to the Summer of Love with tye-dye, headbands and free-flowing hair for both.

Photos by Howard Owens.

An airplane with a flat tire is stuck on the runway at the Genesee County Airport.

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 8:27 p.m.: The Town of Batavia chief is clearing the scene at the airport. "They're all set here," he reports.

Harry Rascoe (seated), director of The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road, welcomes a variety of characters during this afternoon's Trunk or Treat event. Six vehicles -- trunks decorated with Halloween themes -- were stationed around the parking lot and each offered treats for children of all ages.

"Pirate" Jess Budzinack, right, provides treats for 3 1/2-year-old Nevaeh, and Ariel Goldstein.

Jessica Powers and her children, Aleah and Cierra Greig, embrace the holiday spirit. The Recovery Station is a program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

Photo by Kristin Smith, North Byron Road, Elba.

Photo by Tom Tharp.

Crosby's convenience stores have apparently become the target of burglars after closing hours recently.

The most recent burglary was at 12:05 a.m. on Saturday at the Crosby's on Clinton Street Road, Batavia. The store closed at 10 p.m. on Friday night.

A source said it doesn't appear that anything of value was taken, but the burglars did make a mess of the store.

The State Police are investigating the Batavia burglary, said Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Joseph Graff.

He confirmed there was also a burglary at the Crosby's in Elba on Oct. 23, which is under investigation by the Sheriff's Office, and in Albion on Oct. 22.

"Preliminary indications all look to be similar MOs," Graff said. 

Press release:

Just a reminder to voters about Early Voting times and locations.

There are nine days of early voting beginning Oct. 29 thru November 6 at the ARC Community Center, 38 Woodrow Rd., Batavia.

The schedule:

• Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 1, noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 2, noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The poll site is accessible.

Call the Genesee County Board of Elections with any questions or concerns -- (585) 815-7804.

Press release:

The following phone lines are currently experiencing outages:

• Administrative (585-345-3000)
• Non-emergency Genesee County Dispatch Center (585-343-5000)
• Genesee County Jail (585-343-0838)

THE EMERGENCY 9-1-1 PHONE LINE IS WORKING.  Due to the sporadic nature of the outage, it is highly recommended to use a cell phone if you are experiencing a true emergency. 

Until the issue is resolved, other alternatives for non-emergency/administrative communication include e-mail to 911.Center@co.genesee.ny.us, Sheriff.Dept@co.genesee.ny.us.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that this issue is resolved shortly.

Things were spooky in Oakfield on Saturday evening with the Oakfield Betterment Committee opening up a haunted house.

Photos submitted by Jamie Lindsley

As Alina Kovalenko and her daughter Vlada settled onto a comfy-looking couch bathed in soft blush lighting from a nearby lamp, it was hard to imagine the terror and destruction that surrounded them not long ago.

Alina had been teaching English at a university, and her teenage daughter was finishing high school with a goal to study languages — English, French and Dutch — in college. Their lives were flowing along as Russia placed troops in Belarus, and by February, fighting began in eastern Ukraine.

Amidst the shock of Russia’s infiltration and gradual obliteration within sections of Ukraine territory, Alina still didn’t quite believe that it would reach her beloved hometown of Kharkiv. It was her 17-year-old daughter who kept up-to-date with friends and began to give mom nudges that they should move.

After weeks of disbelief that military maneuvers and bombings were heading their way, the pair eventually — and reluctantly —  left their homeland in search of peaceful existence. They went to Poland but realized that, since Poland had assisted Ukraine, it was not a safe country either.

Meanwhile, Art and Carla Wahls were sitting in their Batavia home’s living room in April watching television.

“We saw things on TV about the war. And then one night there was a piece on that President Biden was saying that he was going to allow at least 100,000 Ukrainians come to the United States through the United for Ukraine program,” Carla said during an interview with The Batavian. “So we're watching that, and Art turned to me, and he said, ‘we need to do something. We need to help.’ And we started the search process to find the perfect family.”

Alina’s disbelief was further validated by her parents, who felt that it was going to be ok for them to stay, even though her brother encouraged Alina to keep her car full of “petrol” and have a backpack filled with necessities at the ready. The sounds of bombs grew ever closer, and Ukraine residents’ lives changed into that of a fugitive — sleeping in their clothes, having the backpack nearby, and ready to run at a moment’s notice.

Of course, unlike a criminal fugitive, Alina, Vlada and their family and friends had done nothing wrong. Vlada kept asking her mom if they could move far from the violence, and there came a point when the worried mom conceded.

They had a curfew not to be outside from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day, and shopping lines were very long due to the short amounts of time they had to get somewhere and back before 4. Roads were dangerous, with officials checking for valid passports and Russian soldiers shelling the town.

“It was first a shock to see shelled cars in Kharkiv,” Alina said. “It was surrounded by Russians. I didn’t want to believe it would be as bad as it was.”

They moved to Poland, but Russian troops were getting ever closer to the country, so — with Vlada’s prompting — Alina decided it was time to seek safety farther away.

“Children shouldn’t see this all. Vlada was afraid all the time,” Alina said. “I told her ‘if you wish, you can try.’”

So Vlada researched online, and Carla was also doing her research, and they eventually got connected through Icanhelp.com. After registering, the Wahls received “a plethora of people looking for help,” Carla said, but many of them had the money and means to move. They were just looking for a United States citizen to host them. So she sifted through applicants as Vlada looked at profiles, and they eventually met via Zoom.

“So we were afraid that if the worst comes to the western part of Ukraine, they could easily (cross the border) and come to Poland. My brother, he’s a military soldier, they're in Kharkiv and our family friend, Stas, he's also there and he protects all this, but I also didn't believe that there are some people who can give you housing, who can give you financial support and mental support and any kind of support,” Alina said. “After the first (Zoom) video, I say no. It’s a huge responsibility that people have to take.”

But as they talked, some patterns arose. Alina is close in age to the Wahls' daughter Andrea. Arthur was Alina’s brother’s name and that of Carla’s husband. Both Art Wahl and Alina’s dad were mechanics.  These little details slowly forged a trust between them that this relationship was meant to be.

The women’s English was fairly good, and Carla has been giving them further help. Vlada is studying at the university online — beginning at 1 a.m. to coordinate with Ukraine time — and taking dance, playing acoustic guitar and writing songs about the war.

“You can’t understand what she’s saying, but you understand the feeling,” Carla said.

Vlada displayed an obvious spark of enthusiasm for acting, singing, playing piano and guitar and dancing.

“My soul is music,” she said, sharing one possible goal. “Maybe working in the theater.”

It has taken a while for them to get used to noises — such as a loud thunderstorm — and realize they are no longer in danger.

“For us, it’s important to be in a safe place and not have to run away from bombing,” Alina said. “Each of us had a life that we could control. We had a job, money, a home. Vlada was going to have her first concert, but war (stopped that from happening). We planned to buy a dress for her prom … I said ‘tomorrow we will go,’ and we never did.”

Memories of their journey are still vivid, as the women spoke of sleeping in shifts with family members and being cognizant of where they would go if they had to move quickly. Basements were considered safety zones.

As Alina grappled with explaining the terror they felt -- with crumbled buildings, fires, death -- she credited her daughter for doing much of the legwork for their final escape to a U.S. family.

“She was searching for them. She was texting everybody. So she did all the job. And then she just said, ‘Mom, I found the family. We need to make a chat. Okay, okay, I'm ready. Let's chat,” Alina said. “So in Poland, we leave like with people who also gave us housing, food and that's all, and I understood that I just couldn't go anywhere because we couldn't even buy tickets. So that's why we decided to go farther because we were afraid to be in the same situation like we were in Kharkiv.”

Since being in Batavia for nearly two months, they are experiencing a better life, a safer existence. There have been walks through a park, a trip to Niagara Falls, afternoon tea (from Carla’s English heritage),   discovering buttery Eggo waffles with syrup “a dream come true,” Vlada said with a grin — and the recognition of Ukraine flags hanging at random homes and office buildings.

“It’s so nice when in a different country and to see the Ukraine flag; it’s in our DNA,” Alina said, explaining the Coat of Arms blouses that she and Vlada quickly changed into for a photo. “This became our national protest. We are Ukraine, we belong to Ukraine. Everybody wears it to show that Kharkiv is Ukraine.”

When Art first suggested that they help a Ukraine family, his reason was simple, he said.

“They’re people like us,” he said. “What if that happened in the U.S.?”

They have each discovered how true that is — despite different cultural backgrounds, Alina and Vlada have been embraced by their hosts and become part of the Wahls brood.

“They’re already in our hearts. Our children (Andrea and Jamie) love you, and our grandchildren love you,” Carla said. “You’re family.”

If anyone is interested in serving as a host family and would like some guidance, email Carla.

Top photo of Alina and her daughter Vlada Kovalenko, who came from Kharkiv, Ukraine to stay with host family Art and Carla Wahls of Batavia, having afternoon tea with Carla and posing in front of the Wahls' U.S. and Ukraine flag, and relaxing in their living room together, above. Photos by Joanne Beck. Photos of the destruction in Ukraine and of Alina's brother, Arthur, and good friend Stas, submitted by Alina Kovalenko.

Chris Crocker said about a few dozen cutely-dressed little trick-or-treaters stopped by her store, the YNGodess Shop on Main Street, Batavia, on Saturday to add some candy to their baskets.

Photos submitted by Chris Crocker.

With a course that encompassed the lake at DeWitt Recreation Area and took runners through two fall-colored cemeteries, the Batavia Rotary Club hosted its second Trick or Trot 5K on Saturday evening.

There were 61 runners in this year's contest, and Zak Jantzi (top photo in white shirt) won with a time of 18:05.

The top woman runner was Joanne Kachelmeyer (second photo) with a time of 21:31.

Photos by Howard Owens.

North Darien Bible Church on Simonds Road hosted a "trunk or treat" on a Noah's Ark theme on Saturday.  The event also featured a juggler.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Meat and potatoes man: City Councilman Al McGinnis gets some food supplies downtown at the first-time Mall Market Saturday at Batavia City Centre. Kathy Riggs-Allen of Porter Farms was on hand with some of the Elba-based farm's produce. 

Four vendors and Batavia Stagecoach Florist greeted shoppers Saturday morning during the first of several Mall Markets at Batavia City Centre.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski and City Councilman Al McGinnis stopped by to check out the goods offered by local farms and companies set up in the mall concourse.

“Several other vendors will be joining in the coming weeks,” Tabelski said. “There were shoppers, but we need to grow awareness. The vendors all agreed it's a start.”

Considered a “launching point” for the initiative to put the otherwise vacant concourse to better use, city officials plan to continue the market throughout the end of this year. 

Hours are 8 to 11:30 a.m. on the following Saturdays:

Nov. 12, Nov. 19, Nov. 26, Dec. 10, and Dec. 17

Applications are still being accepted for vendors. The Mall Market's mission is to assist in the revitalization of the Batavia City Centre Mall. The cost of a 10 x 10 space is $40 per day, $100 for three days, and $125 for six days. 

Anyone interested in endorsing their business or promoting their products is encouraged to apply.

Tabelski has been promoting the weekend market, and plans to put her money where her mouth is.

“I will be there to shop as often as possible,” she said.

Photo courtesy of Rachael Tabelski.

Cody Harloff was caught clowning around Friday evening at Harvester Center.

Of course, the stark white face with black-rimmed eyes and deep red lips didn’t seem quite so jovial as you might expect from a clown, but that’s because Harloff was part of the haunted house on the first floor of 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia.

“I’m gonna give them the thrill and, kind of keep pushing and make them shake a little bit. It's been a mix of reactions. Some people have no reaction. Some people are screaming and running. We've had a bunch of people run through faster than they should be, going through. But it's been quite fun,” he said. “I feel like there's not enough organizations like this in Batavia that do stuff like this. So I think it's just good for them to come and get out. Whether it's, you know, the thrill of Halloween or just spending some quality time and having fun.”

Walk right up, and wait for the heavy metal door to open. An escort will wave you in by rapping his heavy wooden dowel on the door. Once inside, the door slams shut. It’s a first-time haunted house at Harvester Center sponsored by the Just Kings Social Club. It runs through this weekend.

Not to give anything away, but a group of girls just ahead screamed their heads off, albeit, not literally. With each flinch and movement of the key house inhabitants, the girls let out a whelp and scream until finally out the other end with some fluttered breathing. The Batavian asked Chloe Cullington, 13, what got to her during the walking tour of gravestones, creepy residents, corpses, and a very loud noise reminiscent of a massacre-esque movie.

“The clowns, they were the worst,” Chloe said while trying to catch her breath. “And the chain saw.”

Her friend Meki’ayla Vazquez, 15, agreed that the clowns were pretty scary, especially in the hazy darkness filled with fog. “I couldn’t see anything.”

They were in a group of about a half dozen girls, and each one let out a scream during various points throughout the haunted house.

The evening offered up a trunk or treat and hay rides earlier on the street, followed by the Halloween feature inside. Kristyn Thomas greeted visitors as they lined up, estimating toward the end that at least 100 people — youngsters, teens, and adults — came through.

“It’s been steady, with no break. It’s kind of cool because you have people who never had the opportunity to go to a haunted house, other than in Buffalo or Rochester,” she said. “It’s kind of exciting.”

She’s the wife of Victor Thomas, one of the chief organizers with Just Kings Social Club, a civic group that aims to give voice to the black community and raise money to then spread some kindness and cheer amongst local children. The Kings’ initiatives have included backpacks for school and, for this fundraiser, buying Christmas gifts again this season for kids.

“We’re hoping to raise a bunch more money so we can help a bunch more families. We just wanted to find a way that we could do something that we can raise money to really help out on Christmas,” Thomas said. “Hopefully we can, on top of doing what we usually do, by getting toys and donated items and giving that back to the community. Hopefully this year, we'll be able to start a little earlier and have kids actually write to us, and maybe we can grant that one wish. So like, say, if a kid had a specific wish, and he wanted an Xbox, well, this is gonna give us enough money that we can actually grant a wish instead of just donated gifts.”

More details will be publicized, probably after Thanksgiving, he said. Just Kings has a membership of 10 people, all of who work to raise money through activities including barbecues, and now the haunted house. A first-year event, Thomas believes it may be a yearly happening. For the moment, though, he was focused on this weekend.

“Tomorrow is going to be even bigger. There will be live music and different events, the scavenger hunt, so hopefully, it just gets bigger and bigger,” he said. “We really don't have a goal … just to help more kids than we had last year."

The nonprofit assisted nearly two dozen kids and 12 families last Christmas, he said.

He and three fellow members, Ray Williams, Terry Smith and Greg Munroe, worked every night after work to build the haunted house atmosphere. Harvester Center Manager Jared Clark offered the use of the Center, which has a perfect landscape for such a creation — a cemetery across the street and a cavernous building that certainly could stoke one’s imagination.

“Me and a couple of the other guys have been here every day, busting our butts to get this done. So I know our wives and our girlfriends are happy that this is the final weekend because they'll see a little more of us around the house. The way it's going now, it can definitely generate money for our Christmas drive. So if we can get this to go annually, that'd be awesome,” Thomas said. And bring something back to Batavia for Halloween, because there's really nothing other than trick-or-treating, so it’s a different idea.”

The guys had some fun developing ideas for the house, with a barbershop — just where is he going to use that razor? — and a creepy doll room, to name just two. Local companies stepped up to sponsor, including My Cut Barbershop, WNY Concrete Corporation, and Keith Roth Allstate Insurance.

Rob Credi, owner of Pub Coffee Hub, extended his shop’s hours to correlate with the haunted house, reaping him at least another 15 or more customers for the evening. He will be selling Thriller Pizza on Saturday as part of the spookfest.

Saturday’s line-up happens from 5 to 8 p.m., with hay rides for $2, and a scavenger hunt; and the haunted house goes from 7 to 11 p.m. Festivities on Sunday include a House of Bounce activity, hay rides and penny carnival from noon to 5 p.m., and the haunted house from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission for the haunted house is $12 a person.

“So we're just trying to continue something to give these little kids something to do on a Friday, Saturday night that they usually don't get to do,” Thomas said. “We just had a seven-year-old coming through here and he wasn't scared of anything. So if your parents are watching, if you're watching scary movies at home with your parents, and you're watching them with your little ones or whatever, and they're not scared, bring them on down. It's a good time.”

Top Photo: Haunted house occupants are waiting for your visit this weekend at Harvester Center, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia; a group of visitors catch their breath after walking through the spooky exhibit; other creatures look forward to entertaining people on Saturday and Sunday. Photos by Howard Owens.

United Memorial Medical Center and the Cancer Services Program of Genesee and Orleans hosted their annual Pink Hatters Night Out at Batavia Downs on Thursday.

The event supports those battling cancer, celebrates survivors and honors those who have passed.  

And people get to wear fun pink hats.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Photo by Guy Clark of sunrise over DeWitt Recreation Area.

Photo by Frank Capuano.

Press release:

Evan Sidhu and Evelyn Northrup of Pavilion ranked seventh in the nation among Future Farmers of America for their agricultural science research project in the field of natural resources and environmental science.

The two students spent countless hours researching the effects of roadway pollution shown through the dissolved solids in snow.

Evan and Evelyn designed, organized, and executed their research project last winter. They placed first at the New York State FFA Convention in May 2022 and earned a spot in the Top 10 in the nation.

This fall the team competed in an intense interview regarding their research and conclusions. This earned them the seventh spot in the nation. 

"This is a great honor for the Pavilion FFA and Pavilion School Community," said teacher Kylie DeBerardinis

Press release:

Monday, Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Harford Livery Museum and the Historian's Office invite you to stop in for a photo while you are out Trick or Treating on Monday night. We have designed a fall-themed backdrop for you to get a quick picture of your ghosts and goblins or have us take a family picture. There is no charge for this opportunity. We hope to see you there!!

There was no tin or aluminum present when Genesee and Orleans County officials celebrated a decade-old relationship, but it might have been proper, given the description of the two-county health system.

Gifts have been tin or aluminum for such 10-year bonds, as the metals traditionally symbolize strength and resilience. 

A proclamation to commemorate the occasion did include a gold seal and description that aptly translated to those two character traits. It states that residents of both counties have “benefited fiscally and operationally,” and that staff of both health departments “worked cohesively to fill workforce gaps, provide natural redundancy, drive efficiencies and look at innovative ways to advance collaborations” since an agreement was signed on Oct. 1, 2012.

Working as integrated departments, both were able to manage the needs, surges, tests and vaccinations, plus provide updated information to the public, during those crucial times of the pandemic, it states.

Perhaps most importantly, the proclamation — signed by Genesee County Legislature Chairwoman Rochelle Stein and Orleans Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson — calls on their respective citizens to celebrate by “helping our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and leaders better understand the value of public health, and integrated services.”

In doing so, there would also be an understanding of how this connection supports "great opportunities" as officials acknowledge  "GO Health's accomplishments over these last 10 years and into the future."

The event was conducted in Genesee County’s chambers as members of Orleans County participated via Zoom.

Being able to count on such a merged relationship has meant a lot to Genesee County, Stein said.

“It is absolutely an incredible service to this community,” she said.

Photo of Genesee County Legislature and GO Health members courtesy of Steven Falitico.