Press release:

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, in partnership with the Lake Plains Waterfowl Association, will host its 42nd Annual Young Waterfowlers Program. The program will include an orientation class at the refuge headquarters and a youth-only hunt day on Saturday, Oct. 3.

This date is tentative pending approval of the recommended New York State youth waterfowl hunting dates. The Young Waterfowlers Program will be open to junior hunters between 12-15 years of age. There is no charge but space is limited with preference given to first time participants. Pre-registration does not guarantee participation. Those selected will be notified by mail.

To pre-register, complete the Waterfowl Lottery Application Form and return it to the refuge headquarters at 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013 by the deadline of 4 p.m., Sept. 8.

Application forms can be requested by mail, by phone, in person, or email at iroquois@fws.gov. A PDF version of the form may also be downloaded and printed from the refuge Web site http://www.fws.gov/refuge/iroquois.

The orientation class date will be announced at later date. The morning session of the orientation class will consist of a New York State sanctioned Waterfowl Identification Certification class from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The afternoon session from 12:30 – 3 p.m. will cover decoys and calls, ballistics, clothing and equipment, hunter ethics and safety, an overview of the refuge waterfowl program as well as a retriever demo and trap shoot. The afternoon session is mandatory in order to participate in the hunt, except for those who have been through the program at least twice before.

All junior hunters will be required to have a guide with them on the day of the hunt. We strongly recommend each junior hunter secure their own guide prior to orientation in accordance with DEC Junior Hunting License Regulations. We have a limited number of guides who can volunteer; therefore we cannot guarantee a guide for each junior hunter.

For additional information about the program, please contact Madeline Prush at 585.948.5445. Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact refuge staff at 585.948.5445 or at the Federal Relay No. 1.800.877.8339.

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is located midway between Rochester and Buffalo and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Press release:

Darien Lake and Live Nation have teamed up to offer concert-goers free park admission for the Rascal Flatts show on Saturday, Aug. 29. Tickets for this show are on sale now at www.livenation.com

Anyone who purchases a ticket to this concert at the Performing Arts Center will have full access to Darien Lake on the day of that show, Aug. 29, free of charge. To take advantage of this end-of-summer deal, guests can simply show their concert ticket at the park’s main gate window.

Parking at the theme park is also included with proof of concert ticket purchase. The concert itself starts at 7:30 p.m. The theme park is located at 9993 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

Benjamin J. Bullard, 28, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Bullard is accused of stealing $6,000 from an acquaintance's bedroom while she was on vacation. The incident happened at a residence on Swan Street. He was jailed without bail.

James C. Emerson, 53, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with allowing his dogs to habitually bark following an investigation into an alleged complaint where a dog was repeatedly left outside unattended for several hours and barked continuously. On Aug. 3 Emerson's dog was allegedly barking habitually from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m.

Robert L. Williams Jr., 24, of West Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant following a traffic stop by Deputy Joseph Corona. Williams was later turned over to the Batavia Police Department. He was put in the Genesee County Jail on $500 bail.

Cory J. Trybushyn, 27, of West Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Trybushyn allegedly stole merchandise from a business in the City of Batavia.

A 22-year-old Buffalo resident is in critical condition at ECMC after an overnight accident on Route 77 in Indian Falls that required volunteer firefighters to extricate him from his vehicle.

Luis A. Martinez-Morales was airlifted by Mercy Flight following the 12:10 a.m. collision at the intersection of Route 77 and Indian Falls Road.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash.

The Buffalo-man allegedly failed to stop at the intersection. He was westbound on Indian Falls Road. His car was struck by a northbound 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe driving by Dixie Woodworth, 53, of Maple Avenue, Lyndonville.

The Honda Accord driven by Martinez-Morales and the Santa Fe both skidded off the west shoulder of Route 77 just north of Gabbey Road.

A passenger in the Accord, 22-year-old Brian Ortiz-Guevara, of Puerto Rico, sustained minor injuries. He was taken by Mercy EMS to ECMC for evaluation.

Woodworth also sustained minor injuries and was transported by the Darien ambulance to ECMC.

The Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments responded to the scene.

The investigation is being conducted by Deputy Rich Schildwaster and Sgt. Ron Meides. Charges are pending. Alcohol is not considered a factor in the crash.

(Initial Report)

The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the Kid Rock Concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Tuesday:

John C. Difante, 21, of Garden Drive, Batavia, is charged with strangulation in the 2nd degree after he allegedly choked another subject unconscious. Difante was arraigned in Darien Court and put in jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Tayler J. Appell, 19, of Pullman Street, Brockton, is charged with false personation and unlawful possession of marijuana after allegedly providing false personal information and being found in possession of a quantity of marijuana. Appell was arraigned in Darien Court and put in jail in lieu of $500 bail.

Jessica J. Hawkins, 30, of Park Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, is charged with second-degree harassment after allegedly punching and pulling another patron's hair. Hawkins was arraigned in Darien Court and put in jail in lieu of $500 bail.

Christopher G. Cooke, 18, of Bush Road, Leicester, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd, after allegedly reentering the concert venue after being ejected.

Brian P. Moody, 33, of Greenview Terrace, Niagara Falls, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly punching another person in the face.

Matthew C. Amesbury, 34, of Parkway Drive, North Chili, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly pushing and grabbing a deputy by the throat.

The city is holding an educational meeting to provide residents with information on deer management strategies and to discuss any concerns about the deer population.

The community-based deer management meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at City Hall. 

The city is partnering with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation for the meeting. The NY DEC Senior Wildlife Biologist Art Kirsh will present information on several topics including ecological damage, deer-related accidents and disease transmission. Kirsch will also cover deer management practices such as repellents, frightening devices, fencing and alternative plant species that are less attractive to deer.

 City Manager Jason Molino has received an increased amount of complaints from residents in the northeast part of the city regarding deer eating plants and gardens this year. The harsh winter may have caused more deer to move into the city from rural areas Molino said. However, there has been no increase in the amount of deer accidents.

The goal of the meeting is to discuss residents' concerns and damage-control techniques.

D&C: Cuomo: Subsidies needed for business growth

An accident with injuries is reported at Route 77 and Gabbey Road, Pembroke.

Extrication is required and Mercy Flight is dispatched.

A landing zone is being set up at the Methodist church in Indian Falls. Darien's ambulance also dispatched.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments have responded.

UPDATE 12:34 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 12:36 a.m.: Darien ambulance in route to the church.

UPDATE 12:47 a.m.: Mercy Flight transporting patient to ECMC.

An accident with possible injuries is reported at West Main and Clay streets in Le Roy. Le Roy Ambulance Service is already en route and Le Roy fire is responding.

The Muckdogs game tonight has been postponed due to the threat of a thunderstorm.

The Muckdogs will play a doubleheader on Wednesday against the State College Spikes with the first game starting at 5:05 p.m. and the second game will directly follow the conclusion of the first game; both games will be seven innings.

Any ticket purchased for tonight’s game can be redeemed for any future regular season game.

An automobile accident is reported at the intersection of Batavia -- Elba Townline Road and Pekin Road. A 5-year-old female requires medical evaluation. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

Vinyl Sticks in Batavia finished a project for Mercy Flight today involving a retired helicopter that the Buffalo-based medical emergency organization wants to display at events and at its headquarters.

A BOCES class in Erie County restored and painted the exterior of the craft and then it was trucked to Batavia for Vinyl Sticks to apply the ship's decals.

Adam Lowder handled the project.

Their baby-back pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, Southern-style collard greens, and five-bean chuck-wagon beans were beloved by those who enjoyed the food. But the location of The Rib Shack on Ellicott Street Road proved too difficult, so the owners have pulled up stakes and are looking for a new location, said co-owner Melissa Penders.

The lack of a lunch crowd in an isolated location hurt cash flow, Penders said, but part of the decision to close was landlord due to difficulties.

The landlord is Rosemary Christian. Jim and Melissa Penders claim she illegally evicted them.

Melissa Penders said she will be happy to meet Christian in court because she has all the cancelled rent checks. She said Christian is claiming they owe "a ridiculous amount of money," but that all of the rent was paid.

Christian said she doesn't care what Penders has to show in court, the restaurant owners owed her money.

Over the weekend, all the signs came down and on Monday the Penders tried to remove the rest of their equipment, Penders said.  

Christian called the Sheriff's Office, Penders said, and Christian confirmed that local law enforcement responded.

"They were robbing me blind," Christian said.

Christian claims the building was left in "a mess." Penders said Christian wouldn't allow her inside the building to complete a final clean-up.

Penders said Christian was pushing them to sign a new lease, but they didn't want to commit to being in that location for another year, both because of the lunch-crowd issue and because she didn't want to deal with Christian for another year.

"Rosemary is very difficult to deal with," Penders said.

She said Christian presented them with an ultimatum to either sign a lease or get out, they chose to get out. As they were on their way out the door, Christian issued an eviction notice.

Christian said there was no demand to sign a lease or close. This was nothing but an eviction, she said.

Meanwhile, Jim and Melissa are looking for a new location and running their catering business out of their home, getting their kitchen upgraded to commercial and health department standards. All of their obligations for weddings and graduations and other events will be met, she said.

NOTE: Deal of the Day buyers, Melissa Penders said if you hold on to your gift certificates, they will be honored with the restaurant reopens. The expiration date will be honored. They are also good toward catering services. However, per The Batavian's policy, if you purchased your gift certificate within the past 30 days, we'll refund your money. Mail the gift certificate back to The Batavian, 200 E. Main St., #5, Batavia, NY 14020. If you elect to hold onto your gift certificate, e-mail howard@thebatavian.com and we'll send you a coupon code for a free ad posting on Batavia's List.

From the city's Bureau of Maintenance:

Gateway Drive will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 6, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. for paving operations.

Residents and businesses are not to park on the roadway during paving operations. Please park on the adjacent side streets. Please plan accordingly.

If work is postponed by weather, work will be rescheduled for the next calendar day.

All traffic is asked to avoid this area and seek alternate routes. Thank you for your cooperation.

Tonight (Tuesday, Aug. 4) between 6 and 8 p.m. the Batavia Police along with the Batavia Youth Bureau will be presenting National Night Out 2015 at host site Birchwood Village on Dewey Avenue.

The City of Batavia has been celebrating NNO for 11 years. Communities from across the nation will be partnering with Police and other government agencies to celebrate their relationship to reduce crime. Several other community agencies will also take part in tonight’s activities in Batavia.

The event will culminate in a walk through Birchwood Village as neighbors turn on porch lights to symbolize bringing light to the darkness of crime.

Press release:

Genesee ARC Friends & Family 5K & Fun Walk will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Elba. The starting location is 4603 Barrville Road.

Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. The 5K Run starts at 10 o'clock and the Fun Walk begins immediately after the runners have left, within, say, five minutes.

Food, fun, music, kids activities, face painting.

Sign up today! Sponsorships available.

Online registration is available for 5K participants, fun walkers and post-party attendees only @ www.geneseearc.org

You can also e-mail Race Director Sandy Konfederath, at skonfederath@geneseearc.org or call 585-343-4203, ext. 223.

If you wish to support the Genesee ARC Friends & Family 5K as a sponsor, contact the race hotline at (585) 343-4203, ext. 223, or please print and complete the race form and send it with your donation to:

Genesee ARC Friends & Family 5K

64 Walnut St.

Batavia, NY 14020

Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District (BID) will once again host the 13th Annual Summer in the City Festival in Downtown Batavia on Saturday, Aug. 15th, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Last year, the event brought in more than 5,000 people from all over Western New York with over 200 classic cars. This year is expected to be even bigger and better.

The festival includes the annual Don Carroll 5K Race, a Summer Car Cruise, and at least 50 food and craft vendors. The KidsZone will include a Eurobungy (NEW), bounce houses, and lots of activities including workshops by The Home Depot. You can also participate in the GOArt! “Chalk the Walk” to win several prizes. (You must register with GO ART! to participate in this activity.)

New to the festival is a Bicycle Wheelie Contest by Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle on Center Street.

Entertainment for Summer in the City includes the Old Hippies (1-2 p.m.), Flatop Gypsy (Country music, 4-6 p.m.), and, of course, Terry “Elvis” Buchwald (7-9 p.m.).

The BID, which is an independent nonprofit organization, is dedicated to the revitalization of downtown. Every year it has a group of dedicated volunteers to help organize the event and/or help the day of the event. If anyone would like to help the day of the event, they are still looking for strong volunteers for setup and take-down.

The BID would like to thank its major sponsors Alpina Foods, The Batavian, The Home Depot, and WBTA Radio as well as several other sponsors who helped make this annual event happen once again.

For more info contact the BID Office at 585-344-0900 / e-mail Laurie at LOltramari@DowntownBataviaNY.com, visit us at www.DowntownBataviaNY.com, or  LIKE us on Facebook at DowntownBataviaBusinessImprovementDistrict.

With any luck, this dude from Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada, won't come down and pop-a-wheelie with the locals...

Press release:

GCC has founded a new history club, which is proudly sponsoring a new lecture series called Historical Horizons. Starting this September, and continuing on each first Wednesday of the month, a different dynamic speaker will be offering new topics about historical events, people, places and topics that continue to impact the world today. 

The club is a follow up to the college's successful Civil War Initiative, established in 2011, which has included numerous lectures, encampments, parades, Victorian balls and the Heritage Heroes recognition ceremony in Orleans County.

"The success of the Civil War Initiative continues with the GCC's new History Club and our Historical Horizons Lecture series," said Derek Maxfield, GCC's associate professor of History. "As the end of the Civil War Initiative approached, many people asked me, 'So what's next? Does that mean no more lectures? No more living history events?' Thankfully with the support of our new History Club, we can continue the lecture series, and open it up to any historical topic. It is my hope that we can build on that in the future and support living history events and heritage festivals."

The Fall 2015 semester lineup for the Historical Horizons speakers includes:

• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2 / Batavia Campus / T102

Tom Schobert, president of Buffalo Civil War Roundtable and Robert E. Lee impressionist, will kick off the series with "The Alamo – The Myth, the Reality...and John Wayne!" Like other high-profile events in American history, the story of the Alamo is shrouded in legends and myths. This lecture will cover the known facts as well as the legends and lore, and also how John Wayne got involved.

• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 / Batavia Campus / T102

Kristopher D. White will present, "Hell's Half-Acre: The Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania." White, co-author of "A Season of Slaughter: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House," is an adjunct professor of History at Allegany Community College, and also co-founder of Emerging Civil War online journal. He will explore the reasons for this bloody battle, the innovative tactics used to break the Confederate lines, and tell the horrific tales from the men who were trapped in a no-man's-land between two armies.

• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 / Batavia Campus / T102

Jim Simon, GCC associate dean of Orleans County Campus Centers, will explore how the philosophy of history impacts politics and culture in a talk entitled, "The Philosophy of History: What does it Matter?" From the recent Supreme Court case legalizing gay marriage to the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina state capitol, Simon will discuss how history informs students, teachers, citizens and policy makers in the 21st Century.

• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 / Batavia Campus / T102

In "Recalling Reconstruction: The Ugly Story of a Splendid Failure," Derek Maxfield, GCC associate professor of History, will discuss the end of the Civil War and how President Lincoln counseled his generals not to gloat in victory and to avoid bitterness and animosity. "Let 'em up easy," he said. Lincoln did not live to oversee the Reconstruction, which wound up taking a dark turn.

All lectures are free and open to the public. Maxfield also encourages attendees to stay tuned for other dates at Genesee Community College campus centers.

Gina L. Avino, 40, of Haven Lane, Batavia, is charged with two counts of public lewdness, harassment, 2nd, and resisting arrest following an investigation of a person exposing themselves near Wendy's on July 19. Witnesses reported that Avino allegedly was exposing her breasts and making sexual explicit gestures toward them. Batavia Police located Avino at her residence. When officers went to place her under arrest, she is accused of physically fighting with them. While in custody, she allegedly exposed herself again and spit on an officer. She was put in the Genesee County Jail on $3,000 bail.

Leslie R. Parris, 32, of Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, criminal contempt, 1st, and criminal contempt, 2nd, following an alleged domestic incident with another individual. Parris was put in the Genesee County Jail on $1,000 bail.

George J. Budzinack Jr., 35, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and criminal contempt, 2nd. Budzinack is accused of breaking property belonging to another person. There was also an order of protection issued by Batavia City Court protecting the other person from Budzinack. He was put in the Genesee County Jail on $1,000 bail.

Jason E. Carpenter, 36, of Sunrise Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and criminal trespass, 2nd, after an arrest warrant was issued for an incident on Washington Avenue in Batavia. Carpenter allegedly entered a residence without permission and broke a car window. He was put in the Genesee County Jail on $1,000 bail.

Faith L. Finnin, 21, of Brockport, is charged with petit larceny. Finnin allegedly stole approximately $900 worth of cash and miscellaneous items while employed at Kmart in Batavia.

Steen L. Bordonaro, 49, of Woodcrest Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, following an alleged road rage incident. Bordonaro is accused of using his motorcycle helmet to dent a vehicle door.

Daniel L. Pelton, 58, of Stafford, is charged with aggravated DWI and consumption of alcoholic beverages after he arrived at State Police Barracks to follow up on a previous complaint. Troopers stated they immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol and Pelton was given a standardized field sobriety test which he subsequently failed.