A group of local supporters of President Donald Trump say the Pledge of Allegiance before riding off in a "Trump Train" of five semi-trucks volunteers in Pembroke painted to read "Trump 2020." The five traliers were parked in strategic locations on Route 5 and Route 33 after the caravan.

Pembroke Town Park was filled with classic cars today -- perhaps more than ever -- for the 13th Annual Pembroke Corfu Darien Kiwanis Club Annual Car Cruise & Fall Festival.

Rep. Chris Jacobs and Assemblyman Steve Hawley were on hand for the opening ceremonies, to meet constituents, and admire the beautiful cars.

A group of area residents came together Saturday night to hold a vigil in Le Roy in memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away Friday at age 87.

Ginsburg was appointed to the court in 1993 following an already distinguished legal career as an advocate for equal rights for women.

Photos by Philip Casper.

A possible serious ATV accident is reported in the area of 5946 W. Sweden Road, Bergen.

Bergen fire and ambulance along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

Photo: Miss Anne Marie Peca's third-grade class at Wolcott Street School in 1972.

It was September 1972 and I was about to begin my first year of teaching at Wolcott Street School in LeRoy. My whole life I had wanted to be a teacher but to be able to teach where my mother grew up and where my grandmother still lived made it all the more exciting and memorable.

I have so many memories from that first year. My first week at Wolcott Street School I was in the workroom making dittos (mimeograph copies) by hand when a teacher who I think taught my mother came in and yelled at me and said students are not allowed to use the machine and ordered me back into the high school building.

I will always remember my very first class, of third-graders, and the many rules I broke. I didn’t realize you needed permission to take your class for a walk or you shouldn’t adjust the thermostat in your classroom to 90 degrees to teach the children about what it’s like to live in a desert. My thermostat regulated the heat for the entire second floor.

That year we did the play "Mary Poppins" on the big stage (above is a "ditto" of the program).

I do have so many treasured memories of being a teacher in LeRoy but I also have so many memories living in LeRoy.

One highlight was visiting my grandmother who lived at 25 South St. I loved going to mass with her at Saint Joseph’s Church and visiting Saint Francis Cemetery. We would water all the flowers on the graves of our relatives and it seemed like it was half the cemetery.

Later on, when I was a teacher in LeRoy I learned to appreciate the beauty of the village.

In 1974 I was married and we moved to LeRoy and lived at 15 Lake St. in Mr. Miceli’s upstairs apartment. It was a beautiful two-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen and a storage room. The rent was $100 a month and that included utilities.

I always enjoyed walking to school to teach because walking down Main Street was so beautiful, plus we only had one car. I would walk past the village hall and I would wave to Mrs. Fernaays, who I always thought was the mayor of LeRoy.

After school on my way home I would stop at the LeRoy Drugstore to pick up a prescription or a card. My next stop was Peck’s Meat Market to buy two pork chops or a half pound of ground beef. On Saturday, our date night we would walk to the LeRoy Theater and watch a 50-cent movie and then stroll home.

I do remember one thing that took getting used to was a very loud siren that would go off if there was a fire. We lived very close to the village hall and the first time we heard the siren go off, we jumped out of bed and thought we were being attacked.

I will always treasure my time in LeRoy, not just the beautiful village, but the wonderful friends I made, and the outstanding teachers I had the privilege to work with. I was also able to create treasured memories with my beautiful grandmother, Jennie Bellow.

Now when I visit St. Francis’s Cemetery it is to visit my grandparents, aunt, uncle and baby sister’s gravestones. As I sit there I remember that little girl running all around the cemetery watering flowers with her grandmother.

The Village of LeRoy is as beautiful today as it was when we lived there in the '70s.

My memories can’t compare to someone who is a true LeRoyan but I want to thank all of you for letting me be one for a few years!

Images courtesy of Anne Marie Starowitz.

Ed Rath, running for State Senate, Rep. Chris Jacobs, also in the ballot for the NY-27 in November, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley, up for reelection stopped in Corfu this afternoon to check out a group of trailers that have been painted to support President Donald Trump's reelection bid.

The trailers are the project of a group of veterans, business leaders, farmers, truckers, and other community members who came together for many hours of work -- often into the night so a projector could be used to stencil the lettering -- to create the trucks.

Tomorrow at noon, the trailers will be positioned on Route 33 in Corfu, on Route 5 in East Pembroke, and on Route 5 in Bushville.

A 5-year-old girl was reportedly bitten on the face by a dog on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation and has a facial laceration in the 6900 block of Meadville Road.

Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between Council House Road and Lone Road.

Press release:

Following the news of United States Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg’s passing Nate McMurray, Democratic candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District, released the following statement:

“My family and I join with Western New Yorkers and all Americans mourning the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a woman who personified ‘fight’ every day of her groundbreaking and accomplished life. Justice Ginsburg fought for all that she achieved: her education, her children and family, and her distinguished career as a teacher, lawyer, judge, and Supreme Court Justice. At each step, she championed the cause of equality between the sexes and justice at every level of society. 

“Justice Ginsburg encouraged Americans of all ages to ‘fight for the things you care about.’ With reverence and renewed spirit, we will continue to do just that.”

From Anna Sorensen:

I am organizing a Ruth Bader Ginsburg candlelight vigil tonight at 8 o'clock at Le Roy Village Hall, located at 3 W. Main St. We will be meeting by the women's suffrage post.

Wear black, wear a mask, and bring a candle. Parking may be an issue. Please consider walking if possible!

Press release:

The Town of Bergen and the Byron-Bergen Public Library will host a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. to celebrate the renovations that were completed last spring at the 13 S. Lake Ave. building.

The ribbon cutting was originally scheduled for April but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While officials will be in attendance at the library for the ceremony, the public is asked to join the celebration remotely via the Byron-Bergen Public Library Facebook page.

The purpose of the renovations was to remove the architectural barriers that prevent people with physical disabilities from fully participating in the numerous social, educational, recreational and civic activities provided at the facility.

The building also houses the offices of the Town Assessor and Town Code Enforcement Officer.

The work included: renovation of restrooms and kitchenette; new carpeting; new electric and fire alarm system; accessible doors; new entryway; new circulation desk; new lighting; renovation of offices, multipurpose and storage rooms.

The project was funded by a SAM grant through Senator Ranzenhofer, a NYS Library Construction grant and the Library itself. The renovations were designed by Architect David Strabel and the general contractor was Whitney East.

“The Byron-Bergen Public Library has long been a valuable asset to our community,” said Bergen Supervisor Ernie Haywood. “Now it is a facility that is accessible and modernized. The public will be able to enjoy it for many years to come.”

Press release:

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933-2020

Corfu -- The Cloth Option, a national cloth diaper bank, has expanded to Genesee County with a local advocate distributing diaper sets and collecting donations in person and working toward setting up donation sites throughout the county as well as providing cloth diapering classes.

Corfu resident Kim Long is tasked with diaper duties locally, by networking with others. At this time, there is no physical "diaper bank" site for the public to go to.

Long is one of about 60 cloth diaper advocates nationwide who are working to end diaper need through cloth diaper access.

The member-driven organization was founded in 2018 on principles of transparency, communication and social justice.

The Cloth Option is run entirely by volunteers and relies on generous donations from individuals and corporations to distribute cloth diapers to families in need and those interested in making the switch from disposable to cloth diapers.

The mission of the "kitchen table nonprofit," in part, is to help reduce landfill waste.

"Using cloth diapers has a huge impact on landfill waste," said Sadie Cora, one of seven board members for The Cloth Option, who spoke to The Batavian today from her home in Massachusetts. "One cloth diaper can be used at least 200 times, compared to a single-use disposable" wrapped in plastic -- thereby eliminating thousands of them from landfills -- for just one child.

In addition to reducing plastic pollution, advocates say there are many benefits to adding cloth diapers into your family's diapering routine. Whether used full or part time, cloth diapers can help your family save money and reduce diaper rashes.

Qualifying families receive a free starter set of cloth diapers that contain up to 20 cloth diaper changes, depending on the age of the child.

Each kit includes a mix of styles and brands, so that families can find what works best from them.

The Cloth Option also lends newborn diaper sets to both "new-to-cloth" families* and established cloth diaper families who may need that size. Our diaper distribution program is completely free to families, and has no income or citizenship requirements.**

Since no government programs exist to subsidize the cost of diapers, families are often faced with the choice to pay utilities, purchase food or buy diapers at an average cost of $80 per month for disposables. The $80 average increases when families are in poverty and do not have access to club memberships and big box stores.

Using cloth diapers can save a family more than $1,000 on diapers for one child, and even more when used on subsequent children. Studies show that access to a sufficient amount of diapers improves mental and physical health, and has the potential to assist in breaking the cycle of poverty for families. 

Since January 2019, The Cloth Option has provided cloth diapers to more than 2,400 children, replacing at least 7.3 million disposable diapers.

To reach Genesee County's cloth diaper advocate Kim Long (pronouns: she/her/hers) email:   kimberly.NY@theclothoption.org. Text her at:  (716) 949-0127, or visit on Facebook.

*Editor's note: For more on the myths and realities of using cloth diapers, click here.

**However, proof of residency and of child are required for assistance.

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse staff hosted a Recovery Games event today at the agency's Recovery Station social gathering place (formerly Bohn's Restaurant) on Clinton Street Road.

Activities included ladder ball (top photo) and cornhole, and everyone was treated to lunch.

In bottom photo, Sue Gagne, recovery center coordinator, assists a couple of attendees.

Photo by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Longtime Corfu resident and dedicated community volunteer Dave Saleh was honored with the dedication of a new bench at the village hall this morning.

Saleh, who is battling cancer, now lives in Batavia, but he's never far from the hearts of Corfu residents and he's still only a phone call away when people have questions or need help with something.

An attorney by training, Saleh has used his legal expertise to help the Village and the volunteer fire department. In 1995, he helped lead the effort to create a fire district to support the department and relive the village of the expense. He's volunteered with the department for more than 40 years.

"He's always given of his time and energy to the people of the village," said Mayor Tom Sargent.

Saleh said he felt overwhelmed by the gesture.

"I raised my kids here," Saleh said. "I have a number of very close friends here who are near and dear to my heart. All of these people are close to my heart. I can't express the appreciation I feel for all the things they do for me."

A pair of luxury sports cars -- a 2007 Lotus Elise and a 2008 Lotus Elise California -- were involved in an accident at about 9:20 a.m. on Colby Road, Corfu, at the railroad crossing.

One of the drivers, from Clarence, said the Lotus doesn't have great clearance for going over railroad tracks so he slowed to go over the tracks and the driver behind him, from West Seneca, didn't notice him slow. The red car rear-ended the orange car, driving it off the road and into a utility pole.

The driver said, "I'm not upset by it. Accidents will happen." 

He figures insurance will cover the damage and nobody was hurt, and that's what really matters.

The two drivers, along with a third Lotus owner in the caravan, were on their way to Watkins Glen for a rally.

Owners of property in the City of Batavia identified as archery-only hunting zones in an approved deer management plan say they are either noncommittal or not willing to participate in any culling operation.

The Batavian contacted four residents and previously obtained comments from a fifth, Noah Majewski of Alexander Road, who spoke at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

At the meeting, Council members voted in favor of the City Deer Management Plan, a 25-page document that puts the Batavia Police Department in charge of selecting and registering hunters, forging cooperation agreements with landowners and other related responsibilities.

The plan is set up to mirror, to some degree, a deer management program run by the police department in the Town of Irondequoit, and came to fruition after eight months of work by a now defunct Council-appointed City Deer Management Plan Committee.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch reported that he will be reaching out to citizens who own land near and around three of the five designated areas where deer congregate to see if they wish to permit hunting on their property.

Those areas are:

-- Unit 1: A parcel north of Clinton Street, owned by the Reinhart family.

-- Unit 2: About three acres at the end of Northern Boulevard stretching north of Evergreen Drive, owned by Assemblyman Stephen Hawley;

-- Unit 3: Five acres west of State Street (across from Batavia High School), with the majority owned by Duane Preston and another acre for hunting owned by Russell Nephew. (Nephew had served as spokesperson for the deer management committee that resigned last month over miscommunication involving changes to the plan).

The other two zones are city property:

-- Unit 4: Route 98, south of Walnut Street area near the Waste Water Treatment Plan, and adjacent to land owned by Majewski;

-- Unit 5: Law Street (about one and a half acres), east of the city’s Yard Waste Station going toward Tonawanda Creek.

The plan stipulates that city employees only will be permitted to hunt in Unit 4 and Unit 5.

Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski responded to an email asking about liability insurance by forwarding the NYS General Obligations Law (GOL 9-103).

The law provides general liability protection to landowners who allow a number of types of recreational activity on their lands, including hunting, provided that the landowner is not receiving a fee for providing that access, and also provides that the owner does not owe a duty to users or assume liability for injuries, and does not attach gross negligence of the owner.

“As we move toward implementation of the plan, we will look into this further as we engage with potential landowners with the collective goal of reducing the deer population in our city,” she said.

Concern over liability in case of injury, for example, seems to be the main reason why a couple of the landowners are apprehensive about getting involved.

-- Hawley said he received information about the plan a couple months ago from Samuel DiSalvo, also a member of the deer management committee, but hasn’t had a chance to look them over.

“I’d have to take a look at the specifics of it … I have a dog and grandchildren, so there is some concern, but at the same time there are certainly a plethora of deer, and they’re bold,” he offered.

He acknowledged that there is a deer problem.

“It’s something we’ve talked about forever -- and if this is a plan that looks as though it could work and cull out some of them, then that’s a positive thing.”

-- Jerry Reinhart Jr. said he hopes that the program will be able to “make a dent” in the large deer population, but the property owned by his family is big enough for only a couple people – “and our family hunts on it.”

Thus, he said that parcel of land would not be available for the city’s deer management plan.

-- Preston, owner of Preston Apartments in Batavia, said he is waiting for official paperwork from city management and would forward that on to his attorney for review.

“I’ve seen all the people bailing out on this so I would have to get attorney approval at this point as far as liability involved with people being on your property – if somebody gets injured,” he said. “So, I am not sure as far as the legality aspect of having individuals on my property with arrows.”

He added that he isn’t ruling out participating in the program.

“I am affected by the deer issues on my property. I can well attest that the deer have a grand buffet on my bushes,” he said.

A resident of Carolwood Drive on the northeast side of the city, Preston said there were only four or five deer in that area when he moved there 23 years ago.

“But now, there are 25 deer just roaming through the back of Hawley’s land all the time. They go right up through North Street, over to Allenview Drive down Garden Drive, and it’s the same with State Street (where he owns an apartment building across from the high school) and at my Parkview Apartments on Pearl Street. Three of my properties in the city are affected so I know it’s an issue.”

-- Nephew went a step further, stating that he wants no part of the program, evidently still displeased over the way things turned out between the committee and city leaders.(See the links to previous stories below).

“I don’t want anybody on my property,” he said.

-- Majewski said liability issues will prevent him from getting involved.

He said he was concerned that someone might get hurt, and was upset by the fact that people trespass onto his property.

He added that he runs “nuisance beaver traps” with a nuisance beaver permit from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. He said the traps are set around a swamp and he would hate to see someone step in one of those traps.

“I just feel like this is opening up a whole new can of worms to bring more people into an area that’s populated with people, that has people running around there," he said. “It’s a big area of concern for me. I have a fiancée. She hunts with me. She hunts on the ground. I’m also worried about her being on the ground and people not shooting safely around her.”

DEC Weighs in on Police-Run Plan

An email was sent to the DEC about the city’s decision to have its police department coordinate the program.

Its response:

“The City would be the managing lead and administrator if they were to develop a police run hunt. If the City police managed a localized hunt it would provide more direct regulation related to deer that travel onto lands outside the jurisdiction of the hunt.

“Unless the City of Batavia seeks a special permit from DEC for additional harvests, opportunities or methods, via the Deer Management Assistance Program or Deer Damage Permit program, then their hunt program would simply fit within the framework of our general deer hunting regulations (seasons, tags, implements, etc.). Batavia may opt to set specific controls that are more restrictive than State regulations, but they could not be more liberal.”

Previously: City Council seeks public input as it forwards deer management plan to its August meeting

Previously: Council, manager attempt to smooth things over with their deer management plan committee

Previously: BREAKING: City's deer committee resigns in 33 second meeting this morning

Previously: Police department to manage Batavia's deer culling plan that places restrictions on city property

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is releasing the following statement following the news of the passing of Justice Ginsburg.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a force on the Supreme Court, never compromising her values, and impacting our nation for decades to come. She served our nation with integrity, was a role model for many, and raised the standard for debate and discourse. As the second woman to ever to be nominated to the Supreme Court she broke barriers and all Americans, regardless of ideology, (we) should recognize her incredible achievement and mourn her loss. My deepest condolences and prayers are with her family,” -- Congressman Chris Jacobs.

Submitted by JoAnne Meiser.

Photos taken this evening in Le Roy.

The Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576 this evening honored those who were captured and never returned or lost in war as part of POW/MIA Recognition Day with an empty chair ceremony at their post in Le Roy.

Press release:

 Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is releasing the following statement after the announcement Thursday evening that an additional $14 billion would be committed to the Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Rep. Jacobs is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture.

“I applaud the President for his continued commitment to our nation’s farmers. With this additional $14 billion in coronavirus aid, farmers will be better equipped to weather the effects of the coronavirus and to continue to feed American families,” Jacobs said. “While this aid has helped the agriculture industry, more assistance is needed. Regrettably, Senate Democrats blocked legislation last week to provide more funding for farmers, and now Speaker Pelosi is refusing to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation that funded this additional CFAP aid. Farmers have supported our nation throughout the entirety of this pandemic, now is not the time to be playing partisan games with their livelihoods. I urge Congressional leadership to resume negotiations on a new coronavirus package and to provide the critical assistance our farmers in Western New York and across the country need.”

The $14 billion will support the second version of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2). The program was created to support growers and producers of agricultural commodities. More information and a list of eligible commodities can be found here: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap