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The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department during the Meek Mill/Future concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Sunday:

Kaylauni C. Factor-Hamilton, 18, Kalar Road, Niagara Falls, Canada, is charged with harassment, 2nd, resisting arrest, and criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, after allegedly slamming a gate into a Sheriff’s deputy, resisting that arrest and then being found in possession of a fictitious Quebec Identification Card. Factor-Hamilton was arraigned in Alexander Town Court and jailed in lieu of $1000 bail.

Joseph M. Dilaura III, 26, McKoon Avenue, Niagara Falls, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Kyle W. Ruge, 23, Polaski Street, Freedom, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Jacob M. Bell III, 21, Post 5, Niagara Falls, Canada, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly striking a Live Nation Employee in the face. 

Donald P. Mullen Jr., 21, Locust Street, Lockport, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Tyler L. McKeown, 21, Robinson Road, Lockport, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Kennedy R. Kuzma-Ball, 21, Locust Street, Lockport, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Brittany C. Cotton, 25, Trent Square, Cheektowaga, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly shoving a Live Nation employee.

Kesi F. Muhammad, 25, West Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly shoving a Live Nation employee.

Takiesha M. Jackson, 23, Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with false personation and trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return, and then providing false information about her identity.

Several residents of Galloway and Lewiston roads in the Town of Batavia spoke out tonight against a plan to build a 19.8-acre, 4-megawatt ground-mounted solar system at 3565 Galloway Road, citing potential adverse effects on the environment, property values and the aesthetic benefits of rural living.

Bright Oak Solar LLC is proposing to place the solar panels on property in an Agricultural-Residential district owned by Wayne Dunham.

His neighbors who commented at a public hearing, attended by about 30 people prior to the Batavia Town Planning Board’s meeting at the Town Hall, didn’t see it as such a bright idea.

“It will be in my backyard and I’ll have to look at it,” said Brandon Miller, of Lewiston Road, who added that he would be hampered in a bid to sell his home. “It is right in the middle of almost two roads like that (with many houses). It’s ridiculous.”

Miller’s words were the first in a half-hour’s worth of remarks pointed at Tom Healy, project manager for Prowind Inc., the developer, and Daniel Yanosh, project manager with Hunt engineering out of Rochester.

Yanosh explained that the solar system would be placed on the southern part of Dunham’s property, facing Galloway Road (see diagram), with the land to the north remaining as agricultural acreage.

He said that a gravel access road would be installed, that the solar farm would be surrounded by a 7-foot chain link fence and that part of it would be screened by plantings and trees. He added that the plan calls for five utility poles (but planners later requested that number be reduced to three or four).

“The grading goes up and falls off, so you’re not going to see much of it from across the road,” Yanosh said. “It’s 300 feet off the road and with the natural topography, there will be minimal visual impacts.”

Mike Hall, who lives on Galloway Road, asked if developers considered moving it back further from Galloway, if an environmental impact statement had been done and who is going to benefit from this.

“Are we going to see any benefit from this? Where is the electricity going and who benefits from it?” he said.

Healey responded that developers strive to minimize the distance from the connection point (in this instance, on Galloway Road) and will be upgrading an existing gas track that runs from the road through the middle of the solar panel array.

“As far as who benefits, energy is exported to National Grid, and the state has a community solar (program), which offers a discount on your energy bill (to those who opt in to the program),” he said.

Linda Fox, of Lewiston Road, said she sees the solar farm as a disruption to her enjoyment of wildlife in the area.

“I’m totally against that,” she said. “I look outside and see deer, all kinds of animals … chipmunks, birds, everything you can think of. If he decides to do this, we might as well sell the house and go.”

Healey countered by saying that the project is at its maximum capacity, which is correct due to Town code restrictions.

But Hall said he wasn’t convinced of its value.

“Maybe in the future we could see some benefit from it, but I am concerned about the environmental impact. I’ve seen these things all over the United States, and they’re really ugly.”

Planning Board Chair Kathy Jasinski then noted that the board is charged with conducting a State Environmental Quality Review -- gathering information from the town engineer, project engineer, zoning officials and staff to make an informed decision.

Miller brought up the solar farm’s effect on property values. When asked if it was going to drop, Jasinski advised him to talk to his assessor, but also noted that there isn’t enough data in this area to make an accurate determination.

Hall, stating out loud that this is “probably a done deal,” said any impact upon assessments should be considered before approval of projects such as these.

Galloway Road resident Sonja Armbrewster requested that the developers add screening on the southeast portion of the system, which is near her property.

“It’s just off my backyard and all I will see is a bunch of solar panels,” she said. “Now, we’re able to look at deer and nature.”

Moments later, she too asked about the impact on property values, stating “these people are making a lot of money. Who is going to reimburse us?”

Tim Call, of Galloway Road, asked Yanosh about the construction involved.

“We drive piles into the ground. We’re not running concrete trucks like crazy and it’s a stone base,” Yanosh said. “There will be some deliveries but once it’s done, there will be only two or three trips per year. And when it’s decommissioned (put out of service in 25 years), it's back to farm land.”

Responding to a question from Hall about possible flooding, Yanosh said grass, pollinators and clover will be planted.

“This will provide a lot more vegetative uptake and slow that rush of water quite a bit,” he said. “That’s a benefit for the stormwater aspect.”

After all comments were heard, the board declared lead agency status for the SEQR, approving a negative declaration (no serious environmental impacts) but stopped short of voting on the special use permit and site plan.

Instead, acting on board Member Steve Tanner’s request, they asked Yanosh and Healy to come back to the Oct. 1^st meeting armed with another visual assessment of the land, taking into account the calls for additional screening, reduction of the number of utility poles, decommissioning bond details and other information requested by the town engineer.

Upon exiting, Yanosh said they will add more trees to the southeast side.

In other action, the board asked representatives of Borrego Solar Systems LLC to provide more information as to how their plan to construct two 20-acre, 7.2-megawatt ground solar systems at 8050 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98) does not run contrary to the parameters set forth by the Town in connection to 600 acres earmarked as a Planned Business Development District.

Borrego is hoping to place the solar farm on land owned by Eric Saile, located north of the NYS Thruway interchange.

The board was looking to declare lead agency status for the SEQR review, but put that on hold after Town Engineer Steve Mountain brought up several points – farmland protection, archeological study, zoning inconsistencies – that need to be cleared up.

According to requirements of the PBD District, the minimum development size is 100 acres. This was set up by the Town to ensure large-scale commercial development that would benefit the municipality, preserve the agricultural land and avoid piecemeal projects that could hinder future marketability of the parcel.

Marc Kenward, senior engineer with Erdman Anthony, and Emilie Flanagan, project developer for Borrego, contended that their project is in line with Town code in that solar farms are allowed in all zoning districts by a special use permit and also is of a “temporary nature” in that the solar farm would be decommissioned in 25 years.

“I can see that a lot of commercial developments could come from this,” Flanagan said. “As we read it, the plan meets every detail of the (Town’s) Comprehensive Plan.”

Mountain acknowledged that since this is the first project submitted for the PBDD, it is “very unique” and could be open to interpretation. He urged the developer to take the time to provide more information, detailing how the plan fits in.

Flanagan agreed that more dialogue is needed and proposed a meeting with Town officials before presenting the new information at the board’s next meeting on Oct. 1.

Previously, the Genesee County Planning Board recommended disapproval of a special use permit and area variance based on the PBD District guidelines.

The matter will have to be addressed, once again, by the Town Zoning Board of Appeals, which doesn’t meet again until Oct. 21.

Unlike what transpired with the solar project on Galloway Road, no one spoke at a public hearing on this project prior to the board meeting.

Photos: Mike Hall, white shirt in center, makes a point during a public hearing tonight about a proposed solar farm on Galloway Road. Looking on are developers Tom Healy, left, and Dan Yanosh and Town Building Inspector Dan Lang (in orange shirt). Diagram shows Galloway Road at bottom and Lewiston Road diagonally. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Press release and submitted photos:

The Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame Committee will be honoring the Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2019 during an Alumni Hall of Fame weekend scheduled for Oct. 10th-12th.

This year's honorees are: Daniel Hopkins ('70), Linda Baldwin Potter ('72), and Kim Wolcott ('72).

On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 12th, there will be a community dinner and ceremony to induct our newest members. The dinner will be held at the OACS High School cafeteria, located at 7001 Lewiston Road in Oakfield.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with appetizers for guests to enjoy and the dinner will begin at 6 o'clock.

Tickets are on sale only through Oct. 4th and are available at the high school attendance office or by contacting Committee Member Brandon Brummert through email at bbpennstate10@aol.com. Tickets are $25 each.

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. 

Beginning public service as a trustee on the Haxton Library Board, Dan continued on to be a village trustee and Mayor of Oakfield. In these roles he helped establish the current village offices and headed the project to improve water quality in the village.

An early advocacy of ARC group homes in the community helped earn him NYS ARC Public Official of the year and Genesee County Public Official of the year awards.

As a member of the Board of the Children's Home Association Dan helped allocate funds for underpriveleged children. Dan was also a fixture at Labor Daze and Oakfield Youth Baseball.

Dan worked at Batavia Metal Products before being given an opportunity to buy Kaplan Container in East Rochester. He ran Kaplan Container for several years before selling it, and returning to Batavia Metal Products, which had become Strong Forge, in a leadership role.

An early supporter of computers for students, Linda was instrumental in placing the first computers in Texas schoolrooms.  She also played key roles in helping the corporate world adapt to computerization and continual new technological advances. Linda received an award from the state of Texas for accomplishments in the War on Drugs.

While raising her two children, Linda also became deeply involved in public service in the Houston area, beginning with school and Girl Scout volunteer leadership roles, culminating in her 2017 role as head of the Hurricane Harvey Family Relief Shelter at NRG Center, and including several other past and ongoing volunteer and leadership roles.

She is the Global Shared Services manager at Powell Electrical Systems Inc. in Houston. Multiple charities in the Houston Area benefit from Linda's involvement through her role at Powell.

Linda has devoted her life to others in the Houston area. For this and her professional accomplishments, Linda Baldwin Potter is inducted into the OACS Alumni Hall of Fame.

Starting as an installer at Will's Wallpaper and Floor Covering in Batavia in 1974, Kim rose to the position of sales representative, president and part owner.

He continues in these roles today and has helped shape Will's Carpet One Floor & Home into one of Genesee County's leading businesses.

Kim's community involvement begins with the Oakfield Baptist Church as a youth group leader and trustee.

An active participant in Labor Daze, Kim also helped coach OACS's girls' soccer teams for many years.

We hope to see you there!

For more information about the Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame, click here. 

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department along with other local agencies, will be offering free car seat inspections and education to parents and caregivers on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Fire Headquarters (18 Evans St.).

This event is part of National Car Seat Check Saturday, and will include instruction on how to choose the right car seats for children, with an emphasis on how to install them correctly.

Many parents and care givers assume they know how to choose and use the correct restraint for their child, but sadly these restraints are frequently used incorrectly. In fact, car crashes are a leading killer of children, and the latest research from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that nearly two out of three car seats are misused or installed improperly.

Beginning Nov. 1, all children age 2 and under will have to be secured in a rear-facing car seat per New York State Law.

It is recommended keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. It’s the best way to keep them safe.

Once a child outgrows the rear-facing seat, he or she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.

After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat, a child should ride in a booster seat until tall enough to fit in a seat belt properly.

The safest place for a child under the age of 13 is in the back seat.

National Seat Check Saturday is part of Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 15- 21). The week is dedicated to teaching caregivers and parents about the importance of correctly choosing, installing, and using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.

Parents and caregivers will also be reminded of the importance of registering car seats with manufacturers so they can be notified in the event of a recall.

For further information please call the City of Batavia Fire Department at 585-345-6375.

A resident at 511 Ellicott St., Batavia, was seriously hurt in a 1:57 a.m. fire, according to City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano.

The woman was rescued from a second-floor bedroom by firefighters shortly after the alarm came into City Station.

It took city crews about three minutes to arrive on scene, Napolitano said.

The victim was transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS and then transferred to Strong Memorial Hospital. Napolitano said he believed her to be in critical condition with lung damage.

Her name has not yet been released.

The fire may have started in the kitchen area, cause unknown at this time, but the fire is still under investigation, the chief said.

When the first crew arrived, heavy smoke and flames were showing from a first-floor window on the east side of the structure. Firefighters made an aggressive initial attack, he said, while other firefighters used a ladder to reach a second-floor window to rescue the woman who was trapped upstairs.

Five adults and one child lived in the two apartments, according to the chief, and the four other adults and the child escaped the fire unharmed.

All have been provided shelter by the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross will provide further assistance.

One apartment unit is still habitable, the chief said, but all utilities were cut off during the fire and have not yet been restored.

The fire quickly went to a second alarm and additional city crews responded. Alexander Fire's Fast Team also responded along with a heavy rescue truck from Le Roy Fire Department to assist with refilling air bottles. Town of Batavia fire filled in at the city fire station to cover city calls during the incident.

Batavia PD and Batavia DPW also assisted at the scene.

Photos by Frank Capuano.

Rachael Anderson shared this picture from this evening of sunset in Alabama.

The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the Rascal Flatts Concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Friday.

Jason E. Cook, 39 of Ritt Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, harassment, 2nd, and disorderly conduct after allegedly fighting with Live Nation security while being ejected from the concert and refusing to be taken into custody. 

Patricia Cook, 46, of Ritt Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly fighting with Live Nation security guards.

Joseph D. Gerace, 31, of Beatrice Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly fighting with Live Nation security guards.

Matilda M. Martin, 44, of 15th Street, Buffalo, is charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly fighting with Live Nation security.

The Local Drug Task Force has nabbed two suspected drug dealers they believe were operating in the Batavia area, one selling Adderall and suboxone and the other dealing in cocaine.

Chad S. Bzduch, 33, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd; criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd; criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th; criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th; and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

Bzduch was arrested on a warrant after being spotted walking on Bank Street on Thursday by Batavia PD. He is accused of selling Adderall and suboxone to an agent of the task force on two occasions. He was allegedly found in possession of fentanyl at the time of his arrest. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released on his own recognizance.

Sergio I. Santana, 38, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Santana was picked up on Ellicott Street on Thursday by Batavia PD. Santana is accused of selling cocaine to an agent of the task force on two occasions. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released on his own recognizance.

The Batavia Middle School Kindness Project is an effort by fifth- through eighth-graders at the school, led by teacher Sarah Gahagan, to spread a bit of warmth and joy.

The students look for opportunities to be kind to each other. 

Friday, Gahagan's class sent letters to a fifth-grader in Tennesee who is battling leukemia. The letter-writing effort followed a schoolwide "circle up" meeting on the theme of perseverance.

Gahagan said students discussed different levels of problems we have in our lives and successful coping strategies.

This year's Genesee County participants are:

1. David Burke art (David Burke, Ell Bee Arts (Lyndsay Baker), Miranda Fix (Linda Fix), at GO ART’s Tavern 2.o.1, 201 E. Main St., Batavia;
2. Ivy Lane/The Potter’s Nest (Jean Grinnell) – 3384 Broadway Road, Alexander;
3. Art a la Carte (Kimberly Argenta) – 39 Jackson St., Batavia;
4. Shelley Acquard Moore art (Shelley Acquard) – 9510 Alleghany Road, Corfu;
5. the ART of Mandy (Mandy Humphrey), 20 Main St., Le Roy;
6. Julie Lambert Coleman – 44 Summit St., Le Roy;
7. Eric Wulfgang – 23 Lincoln Ave., Le Roy;
8. Bethany Arts and Antiques (Terry Weber) – 5769 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany.

For more information, contact GO ART! at 343-9313, or email Executive Director Gregory Hallock at: ghallock@goart.org

Taylor S. Wyder, 25, of Alleghany Road, Alabama, is charged with unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Following the investigation into a complaint of an adult serving alcohol to a minor at 1 a.m. on Sept. 16 on Alleghnay Road in Alabama, Wyder was arrested, then released on his own recognizance. An order of protection was issued against Wyder favor of the victim. Wyder is due in Alabama Town Court on Oct. 3. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

Colby L. Ellis, 30, of West Academy Street, Albion, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. Ellis was arrested at 4:35 p.m. on Sept. 13 on Apollo Drive in Batavia. He allegedly violated a stay-away order of protection during a traffic stop in the parking lot. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court at held on unspecified bail. He was due in Batavia City Court this afternoon (Sept. 16). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Schnell Alexandria Ogletree, 30, of Eagle Lane, Canillus, is charged with: aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; driving while ability impaired by drugs; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree; speeding; and unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. At 9:14 a.m. on Sept. 14 on Clinton Street Road in Stafford following the alleged observation of a vehicle and traffic observation. She was subsequently arrested on the charges. She was taken to Genesee County Jail and evaluated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Schildwaster, a certified drug recognition expert. She was issued appearance tickets and is due in Stafford Town Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Brock Cummins, assisted by Deputy Ryan DeLong, and also aided by Deputy Ryan DeLong and Deputy Chris Erion.

Jesse James Smoody, 43, of 8th Court, Westfield, Wis., is charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated -- with a BAC of .18 percent or more, and DWI. At 1:13 a.m. on Sept. 15, Smoody was arrested on Byron Holley Road in Byron following the welfare check on a male who had fallen off his morocycle in the parking lot of a convenience store. He was arrested and released on appearance tickets for Oct. 21 in Byron Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore.

Matthew C. Olcott, 40, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of drugs and criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree. Olcott was arrested at 1:16 p.m. on Sept. 12 on Osterhout Avenue in Batavia after a search allegedly led to the discovery of narcotics paraphernalia. Olcott was taken to Batavia Police Department and processed, then released on an appearance ticket for Sept. 17 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker. 

Somewhere in the city, Batavia police are responding to a complainant who called emergency dispatch after a having a verbal dispute with a neighbor about "children playing in the front yard."

Photos and information from the VA Western New York Healthcare System:

The Batavia VA Medical Center hosted a "Cruising for Veterans" car show and healthcare enrollment event on Saturday (Sept. 14).

About 25 cars were displayed. Veterans from the three Community Living Centers on the campus were taken down from their lodge residences to view the cars.

Below, the 1963 silver Corvette is a rare car. Only about 6,000 of this type were made.  

DARIEN CENTER – Six Flags Darien Lake, the Thrill Capital of New York State, is taking no prisoners as it prepares for one of the biggest Halloween events in the nation. Fright Fest is so scary it is definitely NOT recommended for children 13 and under after 6 p.m.

Fright Fest 2019 begins Friday, Sept. 27 and ends Oct. 27 and it promises more bone-chilling terror than ever before featuring an all-new maze, Corridors of Chaos. Enter a post-apocalyptic future where society has crumbled and there are no rules as killers and creeps lurk around every corner.

All four fog-filled mazes transform park walkways into endless, winding miles of sinister sights and eerie sounds. Scarier-than-life theming and innovative special effects combine to create movie-like haunted attractions brimming with the stuff of nightmares.

In addition, last year's viral sensation, the 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, is back for a second year with more gruesome challenges and more prize money on the line. Registration for the challenge begins today (Sept. 16) and closes Thursday, Sept. 26. To find out more and register, click here.

Six brave souls will try to last 30 hours in death-defying coffins while participating in frightful challenges and being visited by ghouls and monsters.

This year's challenge will be held Friday October 11 at 6 a.m. to Saturday October 12 at 12 p.m.

Those chosen for this peculiar and claustrophobic challenge will: try to dwell in one of six, deluxe, 2’ x 7’ "slightly used" (?) coffins; "enjoy" three meals; be grateful to get 10-minute phone and bathroom break every three hours; be subjected to random visits by our Fright Fest Freaks; and have a Six Flags representative present at all times.

Oh and by the way, coffin dwellers must also participate in timed challenges including, but not limited to, eating creepy foods, haunted-attraction scavenger hunts, and lying in a bed of live, wriggling worms.

“There is no better or scarier place to celebrate Halloween than Six Flags Darien Lake," said Park President Chris Thorpe proudly. "When Fright Fest begins we trade guests’ screams of delight for shrieks of terror." 

“Our gang of ghastly ghouls will be prowling the midways looking for prey and our fright-filled mazes and scare zones are creepier and freakier than ever.”

For Thrills by Day, families can enjoy a trick-or-treat trail and other kid-friendly activities.

But once the sun goes down, it’s Chills by Night as all hell breaks loose -- and there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide -- as guests experience the fiendish terror of:

• Blood-thirsty zombies roaming around every corner;
• Four haunted mazes (including the brand-new Corridors of Chaos);
• Free scare zones;
• Halloween-themed food and beverages;
• “Monstertainment” including the Laser Spooktacular and;
• Thrilling rides and attractions like the all-new Six Flags SkyScreamer.

Admission tickets are available for as low as $39.99 visit the park’s website for more information.

Park hours during Fright Fest are:

Saturday, Sept. 21 --- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 22 --- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 27 --- 6 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 28 --- 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 29 --- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 4 --- 6 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5 --- 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 6 --- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11 --- 6 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 --- 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 13 --- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 14 --- 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 18 --- 6 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19 --- 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 20 --- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 25 --- 6 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 26 --- 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 27 --- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

BERGEN – The playground in Bergen’s Hickory Park has been really popular for decades, so when it became apparent the repairs needed would be incredibly costly, the Village Board and Mayor started looking for other solutions.

“We have replaced plastic parts in the past due to wear and tear and, unfortunately, vandalism, but replacement parts are becoming extremely expensive,” Mayor Anna Marie Barclay said. “In researching replacement costs for the playground, I found that, even with grant money, the cost would be between $30,000 and $40,000.”

Working with the DPW’s Zack Kuter, Barclay said they surveyed the playground for options. The structure was sturdy, so they decided to repaint it, rubber coat the walkways and use climbing ropes in place of damaged plastic tubes.

“Our staff will do the rubber coating, and the climbing ropes have been ordered,” Barclay said. “I asked members of the park committee to join me in painting the playground to further cut costs.”

On Sept. 14, Todd Cargill, Lynn Wilkins, Trustee Vickie Almquist and the mayor, all members of the Park Committee, painted from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with just time out for lunch.

“The playground is now a beautiful bright red,” Barclay said.

(Reader submitted photos.)

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.56, no change since last week. One year ago, the price was $2.85. The New York State average is $2.72 – down 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $2.69 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Buffalo - $2.69 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Ithaca - $2.61 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Rochester - $2.69 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Rome - $2.72 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Syracuse - $2.58 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Watertown - $2.68 (down 2 cents since last week)

In its latest petroleum status report, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed that gas demand increased by 336,000 barrels per day to 9.8 million barrels per day. This latest rate is 158,000 barrels per day higher than the first week of September 2018, which is surprising as demand generally slows post-Labor Day.

AAA has noticed a trend this year where the summer travel season is extending into fall. We have seen an uptick in the number of requests for fall road trips and travelers began booking fall foliage tours earlier than usual this year. Popular locations include the Finger Lakes, the Niagara wine trail, and Northeast destinations including Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

EIA’s data also showed that total domestic gasoline stocks fell. Although demand rebounded to a level seen during a typical summer, cheap crude prices have helped to keep the national average mostly steady this week while regional prices all dropped.

After the initial press release went out, AAA sent the following update:

Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia experienced drone attacks on two major oil facilities – including the world’s largest, Abqaiq. The attacks have taken 5.7 million (crude) barrels per day off the market, accounting for about 6 percent of the global supply.

Prior to the attacks, global crude oil supply was very healthy, in fact sitting on a global glut of stocks. This had driven the price of crude oil cheaper – as low as $52/bbl (West Texas Intermediate, WTI) this year – and led to lower gas prices, too.

Despite the global glut of crude, initial market reaction to the attacks spiked crude oil prices.  At the start of the work week, crude oil (WTI) is trading for $5/bbl more than on Friday’s closing, up to $61/bbl – a price point for crude not seen since May (when gas prices were at their highest point this year). 

Since the price of crude accounts for at least 50 percent of the total retail price, as crude increases so will the price Americans pay to fill-up.

Right now, AAA is forecasting that Americans can expect local pump prices to start to increase this week.

The jump could end up being as much as a quarter seen throughout this month. Whether this is a short or long term trend will be determined by the price of crude oil and how quickly the facilities in Saudi Arabia can recover. Damage to the facilities is still being accessed, but there is no word if it will be days, weeks or even months before infrastructure is repaired and back online.

To ease concerns, President Trump said he has authorized the release of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Other Saudi-oil-consuming countries also have emergency reserves to help backfill the global loss, if needed.

Notably, the United States currently depends less on crude imports from Saudi Arabia. The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) report showed that the United States imported the least amount of crude oil from Saudi this decade. In the first half of this year, on average, the United States imported about 18,000 bbl compared to 35,600 bbl in the first half of 2017.

According to the EIA weekly gasoline stock reports, U.S. gasoline stock levels have been decreasing the past few weeks. Today, total domestic stocks sit at 228 million bbl, which is ahead of the five-year average for this time of year by several million.

After I finished up at Batavia Downs last night (video coming), I opened an email from Brian Graz suggesting a photo of the full moon.

Well, we already had a great one from Jim Burns Friday but thinking about it on the way I home, I wondered what the moon might look like behind the Upton Monument.

Well, the top of the monument wasn't sufficiently illuminated at that time of night to properly expose in a shot with the moon in it (at least not with the equipment I had with me) but it did work out pretty well to get a shot of the moon and the Old Courthouse cupola.

Family, friends and the local community got together Saturday for the second annual “Fight WITH Ike” Euchre Tournament & Raffle at the Excelsior Hook & Ladder Co. in Le Roy.

The benefit was held in honor of Batavia local Ike Styer.

Ike is battling stage 4 brain cancer known as glioblastoma and has been unable to work while undergoing several treatments to fight this aggressive disease.

In addition to the everlasting support of his loving wife, Jen, and young children, Chastin and Hailey, he has community support.

To make a donation to help his family at this critical time, here's the link to his GoFundMe page. Of his fundraising team's $25,000 goal, $8,115 has been raised so far.

To follow more about Ike’s journey, visit the “Fight WITH Ike” Facebook page.

(Photos courtesy of Lisa Ace.)

Information from Penny Arnold:

The Pembroke Corfu District Kiwanis Club will hold their 12th Annual Car Cruise & Fall Festival tomorrow, Sept. 15, at Pembroke Town Park on Route 77 (next to the high school).

Time is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine!

Why not take a ride in the country and head over to the Pembroke Town Park (8799 Alleghany Road (Route 77)) for an afternoon of fun, and support a great cause at the same time?

There will be music, an awesome basket raffle to benefit Crossroads House, plenty of vendors, and delicious food options available -- Babz BBQ, hamburgers and hotdogs from Crossroads House, Pink Cow with breakfast sandwiches and ice cream, pizza from the wood stove, and awesome desserts.

Plus more than 200 cars are expected.

New this year is a free Kids Car Cruise for ages 8 and under, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kids register your ride-on vehicle and get a kid's goody bag.

Cruise registration starts at 9 a.m. Preregistration fee is $10 per car; $15 day of the cruise.

For cruise info, call John at (716) 937-9918 or email him at drogicd@gmail.com

To preregister, download a car registration from the PCD Kiwanis website here.

Participants vote and trophies are awarded at 3 p.m.

Vehicle owners assume liability for vehicle damage.

Proceeds from the cruise registrations will benefit the PCD Kiwanis Kids Projects.

Unique dash plaques and goody bags are guaranteed for the first 100 cars. The big question of the day will be: what does this year's dash plaque look like? Come and see!

There will also be: a Kiwanis party package raffle; Crossroads House HUGE BASKET RAFFLE; 50/50 raffle; and more than 40 venders, many of them new vendors with very unique products.

File photos from the 2015 Car Cruise & Fall Festival.

City fire is called to respond to the report of a large bonfire at 243 S. Swan St.