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Community members young and old came to Austin Park tonight for Batavia's "National Night Out," a chance for residents to mingle together, see old friends, make new ones, learn about public safety issues, have their children receive ID cards and play a few games and enjoy some local music.

More pictures after the jump:

At National Night Out in Austin Park this evening, Batavia City Fire Department was on hand with Ladder 15. My joke, pointing to the top, "What's the price of the ride?"

That evolved into permission to get an actual ride high over Batavia aboard the platform of Ladder 15.

Thank you to city fire for letting me get a view of Batavia from such a great vantage point.

Firefighter Bob Fix drove the rig up and back down, and I know he was laughing under his breath when he said, "You know you can let go of the railing. You're wearing a harness."

The wind and any movement causing the bucket to sway wasn't frightful so much as it was disconcerting. I politely declined his offer to not keep one hand on the railing to steady myself.

More pictures after the jump (and more pictures from National Night Out T/K):

Today, I came upon this barn -- though I'd seen it before -- on Old Creek Road, Batavia. Today seemed like the right day to take a shot of getting it on film (so to speak).

Another great post-game fireworks show at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday.

Here's three photos of the show.

Behind another strong outing by starting pitcher Andrew Moss, the Batavia Muckdogs locked up a 16-win July and their six consecutive victory to move into first place -- by one percentage point -- over Williamsport.

The Muckdogs took down the Jammers, whom they play twice today in Jamestown, 6-1.

Moss went five innings for the Muckdogs (24-16) giving up one run and four hits to the Jamestown Jammers (23-17). Moss struck out six and moves his record to 5-1 with a 3.35 ERA.

Hot-hitting catcher Audry Perez was removed for a pinch runner after smacking a double in the third inning. He did not appear seriously injured, but there is no word on the extent of his injury.

He was replaced by Roberto Espinoza, a Venezuelan picked by the Cardinals in the June 2006 draft. Though Espinoza has four years of minor-league experience, this is his first season in Batavia, joining the team in mid-July. Espinoza picked up his first two hits as a Muckdog as well as drawing walk.

Fifth-rounder Nick Longmire had three hits and an RBI raising his average to .319.

Joey Bergman and Yuner Castillo each had two hits.

Perez and DH Victor Sanchez each had two RBIs.

More pictures after the jump:

Genesee Youth Soccer held its championship matches Saturday and Sunday at Byron-Bergen High School.

Teams in several age brackets from throughout the region competed.

We expect to get results e-mailed to us tonight or tomorrow and will post them as soon as we are able to.

I was able to only spend an hour or so at the matches and split time between two games on adjacent fields. More pictures after the jump:

UPDATE: Here are game scores:

U19 Boys - Medina over Batavia 3-1
U16 Boys - Batavia over Lyndonville 2-0
U16 Girls - Attica over Pavilion 4-1
U14 Boys - Pavilion over Batavia 3-0
U14 Girls - Albion over Attica 2-0
U12 Boys - Leroy Knights over Batavia 5-0
U12 Girls - Leroy Strikers over Batavia 1-0

While in Byron on Saturday, I walked around in Trestle Park, which I've never done before. I came across this patch of wild pink flowers. Can anybody identify the species?

Saturday, Bryon celebrated its annual Heritage Festival. I missed the parade, but stopped by for a bit of the classic car show and picnic, which included music (while I was there) from the band Brick.

More pictures after the jump:

When I got my new camera, one of the first barns I went out and photographed was on Griswold Road in Stafford.  

I was actually never really satisfied with the results, so I've been looking for a chance to try it again. Yesterday, with clouds in the sky and bales of hay on the ground, it seemed like a good time to give it another try. These two pictures are the result.

And after the jump, two other previously photographed subjects.

Yesterday, Batavia Downs opened its 64th harness racing season. Officials were kind enough to let me hang out in the stables and take pictures.

Thirty-three more pictures after the jump:

I spotted the possibility of this hay field with its crop cut and rolled a few days ago, but wanted to go out on a clear morning for a picture. I did that this morning. The location is on Clinton Street Road near Griswold.

In what may be the Town of Batavia's biggest party every year, the Volunteer Fire Department held its Harley Raffle at the Lewiston Road Fire Hall/Rec Hall last night. Hundreds of people were there enjoying live music from Seventh Heaven, food and a beer tent.

No word yet on who won the Harley.

UPDATE: Here's the winners:

1st $500.00 Ticket # 833 - Billy Ouweleen
2nd $500 winner Ticket # 1251 - Dave Winzig
3rd $500.00 ticket # 1358 - Scott Adams
4th $500.00 winner ticket # 976 Daniel Stiles
Grand Prize (Fatboy) goes to ticket # 2308 Linda Camp from Adams, N.Y.

A record 934 people attended the event.

Saturday night at the County Fair was demolition derby night.  I was there for two races and took some pictures. It was a big, muddy mess, but a lot of fun.

More pictures after the jump:

The driver here is being disqualified for getting out of his car before the race was officially declared over. The disqualification cost him second place. Two pictures below, he protests the decision.

After taking pictures at the demolition derby, I spotted this guy doing a little juggling as I left in the food vendor area.

I'll post derby pictures, and Town of Batavia Fire Department raffle/party pictures on Sunday.

The Genesee County Fair opened Tuesday.

All of the typical county fair goodness is available this year -- carnival rides, food, games, big farm equipment, a chance to get up close to farm animals, livestock competitions, crafts and contests, music, dancing and live entertainment.

There will be a meat auction on Thursday.

The fair runs through Saturday.

More photos after the jump.

The horses are returning to Batavia Downs for another season of harness racing. The first dozen or so horses arrived today -- by Monday, officials expect the stables to be full and bustling once again.

Live harness racing makes its 2010 debut Monday. First post time is 6:40 p.m.

While out in Alabama today I spotted these two cars for sale at the corner of Bloomingdale Road and Route 77 and thought they looked pretty interesting together.

This afternoon I set up a chair in the shade of a backyard tree, brought along my laptop and camera, thinking I'd get some work done and maybe snap a bird picture or two.

It wasn't long before this ne'er-do-well trespassed (notice, no allegedlies here -- sue me, Mr. Squirrel) onto our property and committed the crime of petit larceny, stealing bird feed.

Methinks this isn't his first such thievery, the scoundrel.

Even as he seemed quite aware at times of my presence with my camera, he brazenly continued to thumb his nose, so to speak, at my attempts to keep him from his dastardly deeds.

More after the jump:

After I chased him off the branch once, he returns to the scene, scoping out the terrain for my presence. Satisfied that I'm at a safe distance, he begins again, munching from the feeder.

After I knock him from his perch with a well tossed walnut, he wastes no time in scavenging for seeds on the ground. After seemingly getting his fill, he high-tails it back to the confines of the neighbor's yard.

Even more brazen than before, he dashes to the birdbath ...

... and steals water ...

... after chirping out a taunting "nah-nah-nah," Mr. Squirrel returns to the scene of his original crime.

So after posting this irrefutable photographic evidence of this scofflaw's crimes, I expect a the Batavia PD to appear forthwith to take a report and make an arrest.

If not, I trust that publication of these photos will serve as ample humiliation for Mr. Squirrel and perhaps as a warning to other squirrels who might be tempted to abscond with our bird food and water.

Another summer weekend, another parade in Genesee County. This one in the photogenic setting of the Village of Le Roy for the Oatka Festival.

More pictures after the jump:

Arriving back in Batavia from Geneseo at dusk, I remembered that one of the pictures I've been thinking about trying to get, is the front of Batavia Police Station at night because of the funky green lights on the front of the building. That led to a general playing around with night photography at the intersection of Main and Ellicott streets. These are the four photos from that session.