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Christmas trees for sale from Elba Betterment Committee

By Billie Owens

The Elba Betterment Committee announces that Christmas trees go on sale from now until Nov. 25th and cost $30. Order forms available at Chap's Elba Diner.

Also, the second annual Christmas in the Park, a lighted tree celebration representing area families, businesses, churches, etc. will take place starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Village Park.

There will be a ceremony and Christmas sing along with Santa, refreshments and fun!

Contact Joanne Soules 409-3183 for more information.

Mini Titans win championship

By Howard B. Owens

The Oakfield/Elba Titans in the Mini Division won their league's championship today, beating Albion 27-19.

Photo and info provided by Kevin Zito.

Haunted Rectory - St. Padre Pio, Elba

By Kimberly Perl

Friday, October 31st from 7pm-9pm; St. Padre Pio on Main Street (Rte 98) in Elba, immediately before the school on the left, is holding a Haunted Rectory. Oriented more toward older chldren and teens - be prepared to be scared! Trick or treats for little ones. Movies, popcorn and drinks while you wait to go through. Donations gratefully accepted of cash or canned goods, but not required. 

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Law and Order: Allegations of domestic violence, pot possession, skipping out on hotel stay

By Billie Owens

Carolina M. Frias, 34, of Law Street, Batavia, is charged with theft of services, petit larceny and criminal mischief. She was arrested Oct. 23 at about 6:20 p.m. in front of 140 W. Main St. for alleged petit larceny, criminal mischief, 3rd, and theft of services stemming from an incident on Oak Street on Oct. 22. Frias is suspected of damaging and removing various items from a hotel without permission along with not paying for her stay. She was jailed in lieu of $2,500 cash or bail. The incident was investigated by officer Nedim Catovic, assisted by officer Eric Foels.

Abner C. Black, 60, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree assault and criminal mischief, 4th. Black was arrested in front of City Centre on Oct. 25 following an incident on Oct. 24 in which he was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute on Chandler Avenue. He allegedly shoved a female against a refrigerator and took her cell phone when she tried to call 9-1-1. He was jailed in lieu of $3,000 cash or bail. The incident was investigated by officer Nedim Catovic.

Donna Ann Corcoran, 41, of St. Mary's Street, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana, and second-degree promoting prison contraband. She was arrested in the Town of Pavilion on Oct. 24 and brought to jail for an incident related to a DWI investigation. While inside the Genesee County Jail, it is alleged that Corcoran possessed a controlled substance and marijuana, which led to the aforementioned charges. She was issued an appearance ticket and is to answer the charges in city court on Nov. 19. Corcoran was also charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, failure to keep right and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle in the Town of Pavilion. She received traffic tickets for those alleged offenses and is to appear Nov. 18 in Pavilion Town Court. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Graff.

William J. Mellema, 50, of Almay Road, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and driving over state 55 mph limit. On Oct. 11 on Route 98 in Elba, Mellema was arrested on the charges following a traffic stop in which he allegedly admitted to having a bag of pot and a glass smoking pipe. He was arraigned in Elba Town Court and jailed on $800 cash bail or $2,000 bond. He is scheduled to reappear in Elba Town Court on Nov. 18. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Loftus, assisted by deputy Joseph Graff.

Harold Chinn, 49, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny for an incident that happened on Sept. 23 on Veterans Memorial Drive. Chinn allegedly stole a cell phone that another patron of Walmart had left behind at the check-out counter. He was arrested Oct. 19 and issued an appearance ticket for Batavia Town Court on Nov. 3. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Loftus.

Monique Annette Mcmillian, 30, of Elmdorf Street, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, 3rd, and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration on Oct. 9 in Stafford. Following her release from Monroe County Jail, Mcmillian was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and subsequently arrested and jailed on $175 bail or $250 bond. She is to reappear in Stafford Town Court on Nov. 13. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Graff.

Law and Order: Man accused of punching patron at bar in Elba

By Howard B. Owens

Samuel Christopher Dilcher, 31, of Lewiston Road, Oakfield, is charged with assault, 3rd. Dilcher is accused of punching a patron in the face at the Stumblin Inn in Elba causing the person to require medical attention, including several stitches. Dilcher was issued an appearance ticket.

Justin David Moscato, 21, of Riddle Road, Lockport, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs and uninspected motor vehicle. Moscato was arrested following a citizen complaint of a person staggering around a vehicle at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday at a location on Hopkins Road, Pembroke.

In clash of 4-2 teams, Alexander comes out on top, 21-0

By Howard B. Owens

Before facing off against Elba/Byron-Bergen, Alexander's Head Coach Tim Sawyer offered an assessment of what it would take the Trojans to beat the Lancers.

"We need 48 minutes of perfect football," he said.

After the game, Sawyer said his team got pretty close.

"I feel like we get maximum effort out of our boys, a good effort, but we still continue to make some mistakes," Sawyer said. "Today we played a pretty complete game. I'd say 42, 44 minutes of pretty good football."

The result was a 21-0 win, giving Alexander a 5-2 record on the season and carrying them into sectional play on a four-game win streak.

Pre-game, the meeting of the two 4 and 2 Genesee Region rivals promised to be a close battle, and for the first 11 minutes of play, that's exactly what it was. But as the scoreless first quarter drew to a close, LB Derrick Busch cut in front of a Lancers receiver to snag a Garrett Chapell pass and dash 28 yards unimpeded for the score.

"That gave us the momentum that carried us through the game," said senior Tyler Laird.

In the second quarter, RB Tristan Aldinger scored on a 44-yard run and RB Jacob Wozniak scored on a 50-yard run.

"Running up the middle, my fullback, Al Hadsall, had a really good block on the inside, so I broke it off on the outside of him and the whole team really put it together on that play and helped me score," Wozniak said.

Sawyer said he knew coming into the game that the Lancers feature a strong, aggressive defense, and he came prepared.

Six different players took snaps and four backs took turns taking handoffs.

"We wanted to use our speed early to get out wide and get them to spread and they did," Sawyer said. "Then we started running zone run up the middle, and you guys saw the game kind of open up for us."

Wozniak and Aldinger shouldered most of the load out of the backfield. Wozniak had 23 carries for 108 yards and the TD, and Aldinger had 128 yards and a TD on 14 carries.

Elba/BB isn't an easy team to shut down offensively. It's a good team with Chapell, John Hochmuth and Steele Truax to power the scoring.

Yet, they were shutout.

"I give all the credit to (Defensive Coach Matt) McCracken," Sawyer said. "I think he's under 30, but he's (the) mastermind."

Laird said the defensive line really sparked the performance.

"Our guys were working hard," Laird said. "Our D-line has got a push and they were opening up the lanes for me to make tackles. That goes for me and the other linebackers Cody Trzecieski and Jake Wozniak. The linemen really opened it up for us."

This is the second year the Trojans have run a three-man front on defense, and it's kind of a secret weapon, Sawyer said.

"I think that confuses our opponents a bit and we're getting pretty good at it," Sawyer said.

On Saturday, Alexander travels to Honeoye Falls for a first-round sectional game against Avon.

Last year the Trojans made it all the way to Section V finals. This year's team is a very different kind of team, with more speed and not as much power, but Laird said that's the only difference between each year's teams.

This year's team is just as ready to challenge for a title.

"It was rough at the beginning of the year trying to adjust to a new scheme, but these kids are working just as hard as that team did last year and they just keep getting better every single week," Laird said. "It's basically the same atmosphere as last year. Five and one in the GR and I'm excited. It feels great."

Top photo: Jacob Wozniak breaks free for Alexander's third, and final touchdown -- a 50-yard run.

Elba/BB's Mike Shanley comes close to blocking Zach Shilvock second of three extra points.

Steele Truax dives for a few extra yards in the third quarter.

Tristan Aldinger comes close to a third-quarter pass interception.

Samuel Browne picking up yardage in the third quarter.

Mike Shanley on a run in the third quarter.

UPDATE: Rick Franclemont also took pictures of the game. You can view them here.

To purchase prints, click here.

Car/deer accident with injuries on Drake Street Road, Elba

By Billie Owens

A car/deer accident with injuries is reported at 4189 Drake Street Road. Mercy medics and Elba fire are responding.

UPDATE 7:41 p.m.: The Mercy medic on scene reports to Elba command that the patient is a sign-off. Elba is back in service.

Harlem Wizards entertain hoops fans in Elba

By Howard B. Owens

The Harlem Wizards, a traveling basketball team that entertains through trick shots and comedy routines, visited Elba on Tuesday for a charity game against the Sherwood Shooters, a team comprised of community members, including teachers, administrators, pastors, doctors, coaches and family members.

The event was hosted by Batavia Assembly of God Church. Proceeds benefited the church's building fund and the Stan Sherwood Memorial Scholarship.

THE HARLEM WIZARDS ARE COMING TO ELBA CENTRAL SCHOOL

By Tracy Byrnes

The Harlem Wizards are coming to Elba Central School Tuesday, October 14th, at 6:30pm to play in a Stan Sherwood Memorial Game sponsored by Post Dairy Farms, Eugene Bezon Farms and Mugs and More. The Wizards will take on the Sherwood Shooters, a home team featuring Genesee Region teachers, coaches, principals, pastors, family and friends! The evening promises to be a fun filled event that is great for kids and adults and it will guarantee to put a smile on your face! This event is hosted by Batavia Assembly of God Church.

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St. Padre Pio Parish 7th Annual Oktoberfest

By Nadyne Karas
ST PADRE PIO PARISH 7th ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST

Saturday, October 4, 2014

5PM- 9PM

Oakfield Fire Hall, 20 Albert Ave. Oakfield, NY

Money Raffle Tickets $20 for a book or $5 each.

$5000 To Give Away

1:00pm -7:00pm Basket Raffle

Drawings Begin at 7 PM

5:00pm - 9:00pm Food and Entertainment

Piggy Platter $6

(Pork Sandwich, Salt Potatoes, Coleslaw, Dessert, Beverage)

Hot Dogs/Sausage

Beer Tent $3:00 Domestic Beer/$3:50 German Beer

Live Music

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Richenberg wins sixth straight ARC 5K

By Howard B. Owens

For the sixth consecutive year, Mike Richenberg won the ARC 5K in Elba on Saturday. He finished with a time of 19:06. Claire Skowronski, 12, finished the race in 22:08.

Richenberg overcame a nagging calf injury to notch the win.

Photos by Amanda Earl.

Lindsey Coniber, 13, and Laura Neumann, 12 participated in the race.

Notre Dame's first win knocks Elba/BB off unbeaten path

By Howard B. Owens

One team enters the game 2-0, the other is 0-2. Who do you think is going to win?

It's fair to say, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish upset the Elba/Byron-Bergen Lancers on Saturday with a 15-8 win at home.

The Irish struggled in the first two weeks of the season against Oakfield-Alabama and Alexander. It was looking like it might be a long season for Head Coach Rick Mancuso and his squad.

Meanwhile, the Lancers crushed Pembroke and Holley.

But as Elba's Mike Cintorino said after beating Holley last week, when it comes to matches between the Lancers and Notre Dame in any sport, you can throw the win-loss records out the window. These teams grapple no matter what the expectations.

Mancuso downplayed the rivalry after the win, however. A win is a win, and Notre Dame very much needed a win.

"This is more about us coming together as a team and playing the game and getting our first victory," Mancuso said. "That's really what it was about."

Mancuso credited a defense that held Elba/BB to 148 yards total offense, but what made the difference was an offense that showed it could move the ball effectively.

Take away a couple of turnovers and some mental error penalties and the final score might have been more lopsided than a victory just eked out.

The big difference, Mancuso said, was the offensive line.

"We've got a lot of young guys along the line," Mancuso said. "They may be juniors, but they don't have a lot of varsity experience. I really think they're starting to understand it. They're starting to click. They're working really, really hard. We saw it in practice this week. It started coming together. We're happy with where we're at, but we've got a lot of work to do."

Joe Zickl replaced and injured Connor Logsdon at QB and was six for 10 passing for 67 yards and a TD. Josh Johnson caught that TD pass (top photo) to give the Irish the lead in the third quarter.

Peter Daversa rushed for 84 yards and a TD on 15 carries.

Johnson had three receptions for 32 yards. Jack Sutherland carried the ball nine times for 33 yards.

For the Lancers, Garrett Chapell was 11 for 23 passing for 75 yards. Steele Truax rushed for 70 yards and a TD on 16 attempts. Mike Shanley had three catches for 23 yards and John Hochmuth gained 20 yards on three receptions.

Jack Sutherland had 10.5 tackles for Notre Dame. Johnson had six and Casey Midwick had five. 

Hunter Taylor and Truax each had five tackles for the Lancers. Taylor also had a sack.

Someday, your sons are going to be all grown up and you're going to wish you had some quality photos of them on the gridiron. To purchase prints, click here. Proceeds help improve The Batavian's photography.

Annual Barn Dance to benefit Elba Historical Society

By Billie Owens

The annual Barn Dance to raise funds for the Elba Historical Society will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. It's at Torrey's barn on Route 98, two miles south of Elba. Look for a white barn, red roof and a windmill.

The Front Porch Pickers will kick things off at 4. Then at 6:30 Kelly's Oldtimers will perform and everyone can round and square dance until they are good and tired!

Good food will be available. Coffee, tea and cocoa are free.

Hay bales will be there to sit on, but you are welcome to bring your own chairs.

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'Old Bottles' presentation by Elba Historical Society at Elba Firemen's Hall

By Billie Owens

The Elba Historical Society will host a program on "Old Bottles" presented by Gary Harkness. It will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, in the Elba Firemen's Hall at the Four Corners.

Harkness will show bottles from Batavia, Oakfield, one-of-a-kind from Byron, and a new acquisition and also one-of-a-kind from a Dr. C.L. Curtis, who practiced in Elba from 1851 to 1871.

The regular meeting will follow and there will be discussion about the upcoming Roast Beef Dinner & Basket Raffle to be held Oct. 2 as well as the Barn Dance on Oct. 11.

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Hiram and Lucine are the Talk of the Town on WBTA

By Howard B. Owens

The way Hiram Kasten and Lucine Kauffman see it, Genesee County is a great place to live.

It's beautiful, there's a lot going on, and you'll meet some of the nicest and most interesting people if you just get out on the town a bit.

It's these qualities that they want to highlight in their new weekly, one-hour radio show on WBTA, which debuts Oct. 1.

"Talk of the Town" will feature talk about what's going on and some of the region's interesting people.

It's a cultural show -- arts and entertainment -- but it's more than that.

"There's a national trend toward localism," Kauffman said. "It's not just shopping local. It's living local. We want to capture that idea."

Kasten and Kauffman like interesting people, but they are, of course, interesting people themselves.

Kasten has been a professional entertainer for decades with a long resume in New York and Hollywood that included recurring roles on "Seinfeld" (Hiram and Jerry came up through the New York comedy club circuit together) and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Diana Kisiel Kasten, Hiram’s wife, is from Batavia and operates Pinnacle Manufacturing on Harvester Avenue. She convinced Hiram to move here a year ago. The couple has a grown daughter who attends Cornell University.

Kauffman is the former town supervisor for Elba and has been active in local theater for years. She grew up in Southern California and graduated from USC. She moved to Genesee County with her Batavia-born-and-bred husband, Bill, 25 years ago. Their daughter attends Notre Dame University. Bill Kauffman is the author of nine books and the screenplay "Copperhead," which had its theatrical release last year.

"We're going to talk about the cultural aspects of Genesee County and the region," Lucine said. "It's more than just arts and entertainment. There are farm co-ops and local artisans and people who enrich life in Genesee County. It's all about quality of life and the quality of life here is very good."

Hiram said he often knows the comedians passing through Rochester and Buffalo, so that will be an opportunity to hear from nationally recognized talent, but they'll also feature the volunteers who make community theater so vital to Batavia.

"There's a lot to celebrate in Genesee County," Lucine said.

"Celebrate. That's a good word," Hiram added. "There is a lot to celebrate here."

The show will air Wednesdays from 9 to 10 a.m. on WBTA-1490.

Lancers off to a fast start with second win against Holley, 32-6

By Howard B. Owens

Elba/Byron-Bergen grabbed a share of the Genesee Region lead Saturday with a convincing 32-6 victory over Holley Central.

In week two, only the Lancers and Attica remain undefeated.

The victory Saturday, Head Coach Mike Cintorino said, shows his team can bounce back from adversity.

"We had a couple of guys go down last week and a couple of guys go down this week and we had guys ready to step in and do those jobs," Cintorino said. "It shows that they've been putting in the work both during the off season and during practices. They know their responsibilities and their jobs and they're ready to go."

The offense Saturday was led by Steele Truax, who rushed for 108 yards and two TDs on 20 carries.

"That's what Elba does is ground and pound," Truax said. "That's what we do. That's what we like to do."

QB Garrett Chapell was 4-8 for 56 yards and two touchdowns.  

John Hochmuth caught both of those two TD passes and gained 44 yards on the day.

Pitching in on the ground game was Richard Flores with seven carries for 46 yards and a TD.

On defense, Truax had 18 tackles. Hunter Taylor had 13 tackles and Mike Shanley had an interception.

The Lancers held Holly to 108 total yards of offense.

Holley's lone score came on a five-yard run by Zachary Day with about two minutes left in the 4th quarter.

Cintorino said he was really pleased with the play of his young linemen, who are still all underclassmen.

"They've come a long way from where we were last year," Cintorino said. "You know, we had almost this same exact starting line last year. We have them again this year and we have them for another year, so the more they continue to learn, the better  job they're going to do and the more they're going to spring their teammates like they did today."

Chapell said he's looking forward to seeing how this team performs over the course of the season.

"We'll have a good year," Chapell said. "We've got a good receiving corps, good line, good backs, so the rest of the season will be interesting."

Next up for Elba/BB, archrival Notre Dame.

The tables are turned a bit in week three compared to recent history. While the Lancers are undefeated, the Fighting Irish come into the came at 0-2.

"When you get into that game, you throw the records out," Cintorino said. "We've been on the other side of it and we kind of know where they're at right now in terms of being 0-2."

Both teams will be highly motivated when they hit the gridiron on Notre Dame's home turf, Cintorino said.

"It's one of those things where you throw the records out because at the end of the day it doesn't matter," Cintorino said. "They're always focused to face each other, no matter the sport. No matter if it's football, boys basketball, girls basketball, softball, soccer, it's a nice little rivalry between the two schools, so records really don't mean anything going into that game."

Top Photo: John Hochmuth sprints toward the end zone for a touchdown.

Steele Truax scores in the first quarter.

Richard Flores breaks free on his way to the end zone.

Garrett Chapell hands off to Steele Truax.

Garrett Chapell sweeps wide on a keeper for some positive yards.

To purchase prints and ensure you have copies of these pictures for years to come, click here.

Football Preview: Lancers, a year older and a year hungrier

By Howard B. Owens

It's hard to find a high school football coach who will predict a winning season during an August practice session, and Elba/Byron-Bergen Head Coach Michael Cintorino is no exception.

But clearly, he has a lot to be excited about.

He's got a starting QB coming into his second year leading the varsity squad who's gotten bigger and stronger in the off season and put in the hard work to improve his skills.

He has two proven veterans to run the ball, and both his offensive and defensive lines are stocked with second- and third-year players.

Last year's 3-5 season was merely a chance to grow and learn for this group of players.

"This year, they're a year old, a year hungrier and they've been extremely competitive in practice and looking forward to the start of the season," Cintorino said.

The offense will be led by Garrett Chapell, who was shaky at times last year, but Cintorino said he's playing now with a whole new level of confidence.

"He looks fantastic this year, Cintorino said. "He put in a ton of work in the off season."

He'll have three first-year receivers, but Cintorino said they look like real weapons for Chapell so far.

The backfield will be bolstered with the experience of Steele Truax and Mike Shanley, who both proved last year they can run for positive yards and put points on the board.

So will this all add up into Ws for the Lancers, maybe a nice post-season run.

Cintorino dosn't want to go that far. Not yet.

"It's tough to say (how good the team will be)," Cintorino said. "Everyone else is probably saying the same things that we are right now, so we have to see what the league is going to look like once the season actually kicks off. Our goal is obviously to compete for a league championship and make it to sectionals and compete in the Class C sectionals, but there are a lot of good teams putting in the same work we are, so we have to wait and see until we get started."

Photos: Elba Pig Roast 2014

By Howard B. Owens

The Elba Betterment Committee is hosting a pig roast in the village park today. The event goes until 8 p.m.

Premiere Elba Community Pig Roast happening right now - with cool cars, music, crafts and more

By Billie Owens

Right now the premiere Elba Community Pig Roast is under way at their Village Park. So if you're looking for an afternoon of food, music, fun and a Super Cruise car show, this is a great option.

The event started 15 minutes ago and runs until 8 p.m.

The Super Cruise will be along on West Avenue starting at 1 o'clock with prizes in three categories: Best of Show, Best “Super Rod” and Best Antique.

The pig roast costs 10 bucks and includes a pork sandwich and three sides. There will also be hots, hamburgs, blooming onions, fries and ice cream. All of the food is provided by Chap’s Elba Diner.

Mercy Flight will be flying in and the Elba Fire Department will have a truck on display. There will be music from 1 'til 8 with the Ghost Riders performing from 5 to 8.

There will be crafters, wine tasting and 50/50 raffles. The Historical Society will also have their museum open from until 4 p.m.

Money goes toward the Elba Betterment Committee's fund to help provide activities for families in Elba and to assist the Town and Village with beautification projects.

Genesee County ARC's 5K Walk/Run in Elba is Sept. 20, benefits scholarship fund

By Billie Owens

Genesee County ARC is having 5K Run/Walk in Elba on Sept. 20.

It starts at the ARC Day Habilitation Center, located at 4603 Barrville Road.

Check-in / registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the run/walk starts at 10 a.m.

There will also be music, fun, face painting, and more.

Funds raised benefit education through the local ARC's Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Cost for the run is $15 for pre-registration, including a T-shirt. Walk-in registration on the day of the race is $20, with T-shirts only on an as-available basis (no guarantee).

Cost for the walk is $10 pre-registration and $15 for walk-ins. T-shirt availability same as stated above.

To register online:  www.geneseearc.org

For more information, contact Sandy at 343-4203, ext. 223.

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