More than a dozen distillers were on hand at the annual Bourbon and Whiskey Fest at Batavia Downs to share their various bourbon, whiskey, and rye libations.
The event was held Saturday in conjunction with the running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Springs.
Photos by Howard Owens.
A motor vehicle accident is reported in front of Darien Lake Theme Park, 9993 Alleghany Road, Darien.
A possible neck injury is reported.
Darien Fire and ambulance dispatched.
UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: Two vehicles blocking.
Bergen hosted its annual Park Festival on Saturday. The event featured a parade, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, fun and games, and live music.
Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.
With a cheerful wave and greeting of "Happy Pride," participants in Batavia's annual Pride Parade celebrated LGBTQ identity and acceptance Saturday in a stroll that took them along a route from Batavia First Presbyterian Church down Summit Street, to Washington Avenue, Bank Street to Main Street.
The parade was part of an hours-long Pride Month celebration in Downtown Batavia, organized by GLOW Out, centered around a festival in Jackson Square and on Center Street.
Photos by Howard Owens.
A structural fire is reported at 2910 West Main Street Road, Batavia.
A second alarm has been called.
East Pembroke Fire dispatched with mutual aid from Town of Batavia, Darien, Alexander, and City Fire's FAST Team.
UPDATE 2:16 a.m.: A deputy spotted a wire connected to the house arcing and sparking, which caused some smoke damage to the exterior of the structure. East Pembroke Chief Don Newton said there was a small interior fire involving fan. He said they didn't know yet if there had been a power surge in the area but a neighboring residence did have brown-out conditions.
Press Release:
“Another session has concluded and with it, the hope that this would be the year when those in power would finally tackle the problems New Yorkers care about most.
If my Democratic colleagues read the same public surveys that I do, then they’ve seen that approximately 60 percent of New Yorkers believe the state is on the wrong track and that their top concerns are the cost of living in New York State, the migrant influx and crime. However, judging by the bills and priorities they pushed again this year, it is clear that Albany Democrats aren’t letting New Yorkers’ top concerns influence their agenda.
Here is a yardstick of their ‘progress’:
- Due to New York’s sanctuary policies, over 200,000 migrants have flooded into the state in the past two years, creating enormous logistical strains, a $4.3 billion burden on taxpayers, and increased pressure on city services. One city official this week reported that they have more migrants in their DHS system than New Yorkers. My Republican colleagues and I have urged state leaders to rescind sanctuary policies to stop the influx. We’ve also pushed for Laken’s Law to allow law enforcement to cooperate with ICE on migrants who’ve committed crimes. The response to both proposals has been silence and inaction.
- Five years into their failed experiment, the toll of Democrats’ disastrous bail reform and other criminal justice changes continues to mount. In just a six-week period earlier this year, four police officers were killed and two others gravely wounded by suspects they apprehended. The National Guard was called in to patrol the dangerous subways, and NYC assault rates are at record levels. Robberies, shoplifting, and DWI offenses have surged to decades-high levels. The governor’s tough talk on retail theft amounted to a meager measure to create a low-level penalty for assaulting a retail worker. Numerous Republican proposals to reverse bail reform, combat antisemitism, and increase penalties for shoplifting, gun crimes, and DWI were ignored.
- Unaffordability and our highest-in-the-nation taxes continue to make New York State the number one state for outmigration. The fuel for higher taxes is excessive spending and that trend continued. The $237 billion state budget spends $8 billion more than last year, is twice the size of Florida’s budget and represents the second highest per capita spending plan in the nation. While Texas and Florida post double-digit budget surpluses and tax cuts through prudent spending and strong economic growth, New York State’s debt continues to rise, and its productive, taxpaying residents and businesses continue to leave.
- Efforts to meet the reckless goals of the state’s Climate Agenda are driving us toward less reliable and more expensive energy sources. Thanks to our vocal opposition, the HEAT ACT was removed from consideration this year, preserving our natural gas access, keeping energy costs down and saving jobs. However, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act is another extreme mandate that would impose costly and unworkable burdens on manufacturers without making any measurable impact on the environment. The mandated packaging reduction will result in manufacturers pulling their popular products out of stores in New York, leaving consumers without the option to purchase many of their favorite brands and grocery store staples. Other manufacturers will be forced to pass their added costs onto already inflation-strapped consumers. Either way, consumers lose, a fact that has become the defining feature of all of the left’s climate proposals. The truth is that banning things like cool whip containers won’t save the planet, it will only appease the radical left. BUT, it hasn’t yet passed the Assembly, so I urge them to protect New Yorkers from this terrible bill and let it die.
Ultimately, the session concluded without the legislature’s majorities taking any steps towards addressing New York’s most serious problems and making it a place where people want to live rather than leave. Democrats will have to answer for that when they return home.
They will have to explain to their constituents why crime in the streets and subways isn’t improving and why their pharmacies are still locking up toothpaste and soap but allowing criminals to remain free.
They will have to explain why their tax bill and energy costs are three or four times higher than those of their friends and family members who live in other states.
They will have to answer for why our state continues to invite those who have violated our nation’s immigration laws to come to New York to access taxpayer-provided housing, food, healthcare, education, and legal services and why we shield them from federal authorities, even when they have committed crimes.
I remain hopeful that the concerns and common sense of my Democratic colleagues’ constituents will finally prevail over the demands of the progressive activists who have run Albany’s agenda for the past six years. In the meantime, my advocacy for the hardworking, law-abiding people in our region will continue.”
President Vicki Wolak, along with committee members, awarded 13 scholarships to Genesee County students from various high schools. Peggy Johnson presented the candidates with an award certificate, and each received a thousand-dollar scholarship. They are:
Ed Spence presented Sarah Forness, Pembroke GVB, with the Jill Spence Memorial Scholarship Fund award.
Donna West, committee chair, presented service awards to the following non-profit organizations in Genesee County. Each received a check for $400.
Bobbi Norton received the 2023 Woman of the Year award, which the club presented at the May meeting and also recognized at this meeting.
To view or purchase photos, click here.
The message came through clearly at the end of a DWI drill staged for Oakfield-Alabama seniors on Friday -- nobody wants to be at a scene like this one -- one where a drunken driver has been involved in an accident, taking the life of a young person.
Firefighter Chad Hilchey said they affect everybody. He's come home crying from responding to fatal accidents.
O-A Superintendent John Fisgus told the seniors on the morning of their prom night that he wants them to have fun at their prom but he also wants them to make it home safely. He said all of the people involved in the drill -- Oakfield Fire, Alabama Fire, Mercy Flight, the Sheriff's Office, and the coroner -- were there because they cared about the students. Fisgus called them his family and said while he wanted them to have fun tonight, it was a night he didn't look forward to. None of the teachers and administrators do. It's a night they know they won't sleep, worried about getting a call they don't want to get.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Press Release:
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today voted in favor of H.R. 8580, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025, to fund essential military construction projects and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This legislation passed the House by a vote of 209-197.
"Ensuring our nation's servicemembers and veterans have access to top-tier benefits, facilities, and care while strengthening our national security is essential to our country's prosperity," said Congresswoman Tenney. "H.R. 8580 guarantees that servicemembers, veterans, and their families are supported and receive the benefits they are owed for their service and sacrifice. The bill provides a vital investment in U.S. military infrastructure by improving Department of Defense facilities and enhancing the lives of military families through much-needed funding for family housing and child development centers. Additionally, this bill takes steps to uphold pro-life principles, protect our veterans’ Second Amendment rights, and crack down on the Biden administration’s “woke” policies. By passing this bill through regular order, House Republicans reaffirm our commitment to uphold Congress's power of the purse and curb the wasteful spending of the Biden Administration while supporting our military. Voting in favor of this bill today reaffirms my commitment to our veterans and active-duty military by ensuring their housing, health care programs, and benefits are fully funded while bolstering our national security."
Key Provisions in the FY25 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill:
- Provides $337.4 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to fully fund veterans’ health care, benefits and VA programs
- Includes $2 billion for Military Family Housing
- Supplies $75 million above the enacted level for child development centers
- Issues $1.1 billion for investments in the Indo-Pacific region to improve the United States strategic posture in the region
- Prohibits funding to promote or advance critical race theory and the Biden Administration’s DEI agenda
- Bans taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions
- Protects Veterans’ Second Amendment rights by prohibiting the VA from reporting a veteran to NICS for using a fiduciary to apply for a lawful purchase
The International Peace Garden Committee unveiled five new interpretive panels along the Peace Garden trail on Thursday.
The panels help explain the history and significance of the Peace Garden.
"Fourteen years ago, we had no idea what an impact this garden would have on its citizens," said Barb Toal. "This beautiful spot in Downtown Batavia brings visitors from all over the world to celebrate peace among other countries."
The intent of the garden, Toal said, is to foster peace throughout the world.
"We get visitors from all over the world," said founder Paula Savage. "Someone will be here from Germany, someone from the Netherlands, and they bring their families with them because the garden is connected to the world. That's the reason for the flags (in the garden). Every flag represents a country that has received a Peace Garden."
The panels were funded by a NYS Re-Grant program administered by GO ART!
The annual Father's Day Retro Jam & Musicians Reunion returns to the Oakfield Rod and Gun Club on Sunday, June 16.
There will be live music from 1 to 7 p.m. featuring The Double Image Band, Tim's Healing Committee, Prospect, Front Porch Pickers, Rock-A-Bully's, Bad Sign, Patrice & Friends, and "K" Rick "Howe."
Good fans, families, food, music, friends, and times are promised.
Bring your own lawn chair, cooler, and pop up.
Admission is free with donations accepted for WNY Heroes Inc, supporting veterans.
The club is located at 3199 Maltby Road, Oakfield.
Press Release:
The Genesee County Board of Elections announces essential information regarding the upcoming Republican Primary Election on June 25.
As New York State operates a closed primary system, only registered Republicans are eligible to vote in this primary election. The ballot includes a countywide Primary for US Congress and a local Town Council Republican unexpired term Primary for voters in Byron.
Early Voting Details
There will be nine days of early voting beginning June 15 - June 23 at the ARC Community Center, 38 Woodrow Rd., Batavia. The schedule is as follows:
- Saturday, June 15: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Sunday, June 16: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Monday, June 17: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 18: 12 - 8 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 19: 12 - 8 p.m.
- Thursday, June 20: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Friday, June 21: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Saturday, June 22: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Sunday, June 23: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Primary Election Day
On June 25, all polling sites will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and are accessible to all voters. To find your designated poll site, visit Voter Lookup or contact the Genesee County Board of Elections at (585) 815-7804.Poll Site Change
Please note that the Bergen poll site has been relocated from the Bergen Town Courtroom to the Gillam Grant Community Center, 6966 W. Bergen Rd., Bergen.Absentee Ballot Information
Voters can request an absentee ballot by contacting the Board of Elections or using the NY State Portal: Absentee Ballot Application.Key deadlines include
- June 15: Last day for the Board of Elections to receive absentee ballot applications.
- June 24: Last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot.
- June 25: Absentee ballots must be received by the poll site or Board of Elections by 9 p.m.
- June 25: Last day to postmark a ballot, which must be received by July 2.
- July 2: Deadline for military/special federal absentee ballots to be received.
Voter Registration Deadlines
Applications must be received by the Board of Elections by June 15, to be eligible to vote in the Primary. The office will be open for registration from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at County Building 1, 15 Main St., Batavia. Please use the elevator door entrance.In-Person Registration
You can register at the Genesee County Board of Elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act on any business day throughout the year. To be eligible to vote in the Primary, your application must be received by June 15.Address Changes
All changes of address must be received by June 10.
If you have any questions or need registration forms or absentee applications, please contact the Genesee County Board of Elections at (585) 815-7804 or visit our website at Genesee County Board of Elections.
Press Release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C-Batavia) attended a joint press conference to call out the unacceptable and persistent release of cop-killers by the New York State Parole Board. Since 2017, 41 cop-killers have been released. Hawley was joined by his colleagues in the state Assembly and Senate and members of the law enforcement community to advocate for police officers and their families.
Hawley has sponsored a proposal (A.3481) that would require life without parole for the first-degree murder of a police officer. The Majority, however, has not allowed this initiative to move forward in the lawmaking process.
“New York State’s Parole Board has failed us,” said Hawley. “These are the people who are supposed to keep dangerous criminals locked up, but instead, they’re letting them move in next door. Our police officers are the fabric of our society. An attack on one of them is an attack on our way of life. These cop-killing cowards belong in jail, no ifs, ands or buts. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the state Assembly and Senate until we have a parole board that actually cares about protecting victims, not rewarding criminals.”
Press Release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors will consider an initial resolution for GE Bergen Owner, LLC’s proposed 196,000-square-foot facility at Apple Tree Acres in the town of Bergen at its board meeting on Thursday, June 6.
The proposed facility would be leased to an end user and proposes to create 60 new full-time equivalent positions.
“This expansion continues the success of the development of the Apple Tree Acres business park similar to the growth we have experienced at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park which also is almost at full capacity,” said GCEDC Senior Vice President Mark Masse. “In just the last few months, we celebrated the expansions of Liberty Pumps and Craft Cannery and the continued success of businesses in the logistics and manufacturing sectors.”
GE Bergen Owner LLC is requesting sales tax exemptions estimated at approximately $1.75 million, a property tax abatement of approximately $2.15 million a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), and a mortgage tax exemption of $366,000.
The proposed incentives for the project are estimated to generate $38 million in wages/benefits and revenues for local governments generated by the development over 10 years. The project generates a $13 fiscal impact for every $1 of proposed incentives.
The project is pending, subject to receiving Empire State Development incentives.
The June 6 GCEDC board meeting will be held at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia. Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting is available at www.gcedc.com.
Alexander Fire hosted a DWI drill on Thursday at its Rec Hall for Alexander High School seniors.
The fatal accident simulation is designed to remind the students of the dangers of drinking and driving and the impact one poor decision can have on the lives of friends, family, and the community.
Area volunteer fire departments from throughout the county hold DWI drills at this time of year in advance of prom nights.
Photos by Philip Casper.
Now in its 40th year in Genesee County, Kinderfarmin' may hold a unique spot in New York -- the last event of its kind in the state.
What started as a dairy farm day for first graders evolved into a more comprehensive introduction to farming for kindergartners, according to Natasha Sutherland of Stein Farms in Le Roy and one of a small group of local farmers who organize the annual event.
This year, it was held at Hildene Farms in Pavilion, the same location it has been held at for the past few years.
"We talk about ecosystems, habitat lifecycles, the kids meet farmers, and it takes up the entire day's curriculum so the teachers get a day off," Sutherland said.
The event is supported by donations at the Celebrate Ag Dinner and by support from Dairy Farmers of America, Upstate Niagara, Genesee County Soil and Water, and Farm Credit East.
More than 700 students from Genesee County visited the farm on Wednesday.
To view or purchase photos, click here.
On Wednesday, the Genesee Country Decorative Painters presented more than two dozen hand-painted decorative boxes for staff at the VA Hospital in Batavia to hand out to patients.
Helen Ronin said that every year, the group selects one or two community projects. This year, they decided to give back to the VA for its ongoing support of the group. The VA allows the group to meet regularly in the hospital's auditorium.
"We did this to present to the veterans because e of their service and what they've done for us," Ronin said. "And they let us meet here every time we need it."
The boxes contain a couple of useful items. Veterans might receive them on their birthdays or other special occasions or just because they need a "pick-me-up."
"They just need to know sometimes, if somebody is having a really hard time, that people do care," Ronin said.
The Decorative Painters are hobbyists who paint on objects.
"We paint pictures, wood, furniture, whatever. Whatever is in our way we get rid of it by painting on it," Ronin said with a laugh.
Cindy Baker, volunteer services specialist for the Batavia VA, said the VA is grateful for the donations.
"These are beautiful," she said. "They are gorgeous. I'm happy to be able to hand these to veterans and they will be very, very happy to receive these."
Photos by Howard Owens.
Elba Fire, with assistance from Mercy Flight/EMS, the Sheriff's Office, Emergency Dispatch, Byron Fire, H.E. Turner Funeral Homes, and the Office of Emergency Services, staged the annual pre-prom DWI drill for seniors at Elba High School on Wednesday morning.
The drill stages the scene of a DWI-related fatal accident. The purpose is to give students a realistic view of what happens at a serious injury/fatal accident scene and how it impacts family, friends, and community members.
Photos by Howard Owens
The Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation honored area outstanding students on Tuesday at its 40th Scholarship Awards Dinner.
Honored were:
Andrew David Strollo. Andrew Strollo is a student at Le Roy High School and is the son of Jeff and Jessica Strollo. He will graduate this spring, Summa Cum Laude. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Deca, Knight Media, and the Scholastic Bowl.
Julia Clark. Julia Clark is a graduating Senior at Batavia Senior High School and the daughter of Paul and Patricia Clark. She plans to attend Mercyhurst University and double major in Business and Intelligence studies. Julia will also play softball for Mercyhurst.
Previously:
To view or purchase photos, click here.
A major telecommunications company's application to erect a new mobile device cell tower is a fairly straightforward approval process for local planners, and on Tuesday evening, Robert W. Burgdorf of Rochester, an attorney representing Verizon, provided several useful nuggets of information.
It was an initial meeting in the regulatory process with the Town of Batavia Planning Board. The application must still undergo an environmental review and a public hearing, but Burgdorf was happy to discuss the process and some of the technical issues involved in installing a cell tower.
Cell towers are extremely location-sensitive because they have to be high enough to reach the neighboring towers but not so high that there is a spillover of signals into the neighboring cells.
"They've got to be placed so that they can hand off to the neighboring cells, again without interfering," Burgdorf said.
They wind up in a honeycomb-like grid, not too close but not too far apart.
Cell towers generally serve a one or two-mile area and can't be too close together or too far apart.
If the tower is under 200 feet tall—this one will be 154 feet tall—the Federal Aviation Administration does not require lighting or striping.
This down will be a matted steel gray.
"We've learned, and we've actually done studies, that this blends in with our skies in Western New York," he said.
An observation a couple of board members quipped was a depressing thought.
Oh, and 5G doesn't cause COVID.
A board member's question prompted the discussion of health concerns about cell towers. Burgdorf said federal law preempts that as a concern for local planners, which he regrets because it also preempts an opportunity to educate the public.
"This is a radio signal, that's all this is," he said. "It is an incredibly weak radio signal. We've had radio signals around since the 20s, the 30s. The only difference between this and a television or radio station is that those operated tens of thousands of watts, sometimes megawatts. So the power levels, from radio and television, just radio signal is much, much stronger than these. These are incredibly weak. They have to be incredibly weak for two reasons. One is they can't interfere with neighboring cells, which are often a mile, two miles away, and we have to be able to get a return path from the user"
He said that if anybody is concerned about cell phone signals, the first thing they should do is seek to do is shut down radio and television signals.
"The issue does come up, but anybody who looks into it, who's being rational, will see that that's not really an issue," Burgdorf said.
The tower will be located at 9300 Wilkinson Road on a 100x100-foot leased parcel. It will be fenced, and a small gravel road will connect it to Wilkinson. There will be minimal traffic to the location—maybe one maintenance worker a month will visit the site.
The board voted to seek lead agency for coordination purposes under the state's SEQR regulations (pronounced seek-ur, it stands for State Environmental Quality Review Act) even though Burgdorf informed lead agency designation for this project is not strictly required.
The board did it as a matter of course, because that is its standard practice, but board members said they will seek their attorney's opinion.
"It's not a fatal error to declare yourself lead agency," Burgdorf said, so he didn't object.
He said a lead agency is only required when there are other "involved" agencies. In this case, other agencies, such as the Genesee County Planning Board, are only "interested" agencies, so there is nothing in the SEQR process to coordinate with other involved agencies.
"Look, the SEQR regs are a pain. They really are," he said. "They're pretty convoluted and they force a lot of municipalities to really become an expert. It is a pretty intense set of regulations, so for what it's worth, if you declare yourself lead agency, that's not the process, but it doesn't make it defective, so whatever you want to do."
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