A nearly perfect week — at least in terms of no rain clouds to disrupt outdoor fun at Genesee County Fair — ended with a continuous downpour Saturday, muddying the parking lots and puddling the stage for the 2023 talent show.

The weather didn’t dampen the competitive spirits of nearly two dozen contestants, however, including Batavia’s Aria Fox, who was concerned that her hard work might have been for nothing.

“She really likes performing,” her mom Karla said. “She was so excited. She saw the rain, and she goes, ‘I’m so glad they didn’t cancel it.’ I watch her try new things and be comfortable.”

Mom was speaking on behalf of the 6-year-old later Saturday because she had earned a visit to her grandmother’s after her performance. Aria played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on piano. 

There were several piano entries, plus mostly kids and a few adults playing the flute, violin, dancing, singing, and leading a cheer. 

Isabella Danahy, 12, performed a solo cheer routine, and her younger sister Marilyn played the classic “Fur Elisse” on piano.  They also played a duet of  “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with Isabella on flute and 10-year-old Marilyn on piano.

“I was nervous. I didn’t really like doing stuff in front of people,” Marilyn said, explaining why she pushed herself to participate. “So I can get over that fear.”

Both girls take band at school in Cheektowaga. They knew about the talent show through their teacher and show organizer, Laura Kauppi of Corfu.

"I think it makes me more confident,” Isabella said. 

Sabrina Sanner of Pembroke was looking for those signs of confidence and other winning attributes while scoring as the single judge for the event since 2019. With two degrees in music education, having taught full orchestra and band in school and teaching private music lessons in voice and piano, she brings it all to the table when each contestant walks up on stage.

First, it depends on what they’re performing, she said.

“Some of it is the difficulty level, like the person who won the tiny tots category. She did two hands, stayed in time, had all of her things in the right place. She did very well. And it was more complicated than the other pieces that were played. So like, obviously, she did something harder. And she did it very well,” Sanner said. “When it comes to things like judging dance against music, it depends on how well they do the dance versus how well they play their song. I did learn from the back, when we used to have a panel, how to judge dances and stuff like that because I'd asked them questions on how they were doing. And it's how well they're smiling, you know, where their movements are with the music, how much impact it has on you watching them, which is a very kind of hard thing to judge. So I've learned a lot from the other past judges that we've had on how to do this.”

This was the first year she’s had to judge a cheerleading routine, but she also brought some experience for that task too.

“I used to do cheerleading, so I also know about that. It is hard to cross-judge them. But as I said, it's the difficulty. So I do know a lot about the difficulty levels of everything that they were doing and has to do with how well they're doing. You know, with cheerleading, it's like how straight your limbs are; there were a lot of her jumps where her legs are still bent or something like that,” Sanner said. “And with music, it's like, if you pause while you're playing, you're not supposed to do that, or if you hit a wrong note, and I don't think anybody really had any wrong notes this year, which was impressive also. But stuff like that. So you kind of just see where people are kind of missing things in their performance, and then go by which ones are bigger, like with dancing, it's smiling is a really huge one. So if they're not smiling, you get a lot off for that.

“But I've been doing this for a while. I judge other things too. So other events. Yeah, the studio I work for and teach privately for they do a competition every year,” she said. “And I've obviously like gotten kids ready for music competitions and stuff for years and years now.”

One new challenge this year was the unrelenting rain. The talent show is under the yellow and white entertainment tent, yet still — water pooled on the ground around the stage and on top of it. Sometimes a judge has to take Mother Nature’s effects into consideration when rating a performer, she said. 

“I don’t think it's ever been this bad. I do think it rained a few years ago, but it's definitely never been on the stage like this,” she said. “The three dancers … the middle girl who had that solo, her flags got all wet when they were sitting on the floor. So I did take that into consideration that their flags weren't moving the way they were supposed to because they were weighed down.”

Kauppi was very pleased with the turnout, not only the number of kids but the quality of their skills, she said.  There were several winners, and everyone received a goodie bag for participating. 

“The students are all extremely talented people, they’ve worked really hard this year. I know some families started their work on this year's (talent show) at the end of last year. So people were really excited to perform. And it was amazing to have everybody come out despite the rain and the challenges that the rain brought technology-wise,” Kauppi said. “I ended up grabbing a new speaker this morning because I wanted a speaker that was absolutely waterproof. And that (pointing to the one she chose) is super waterproof.”

And the winners were:

Tiny Tots

• 1st -  Emma Snyder, piano
• 2nd - Chelsie Kho, piano 
• 3rd - A tie between Aria Fox, piano, and Azalea Sieczkarski, piano

Mini

• 1st - Chelsie Kho, piano
• 2nd - dance with Chelsie Kho, Maisie Kho, Charlotte Jin
• 3rd - Keyon Thomas
• Honorable Mention - Isabella Danahy 

Maxi 

• 1st - Trevon Byrd, vocal
• 2nd - Seren Byrd, piano

Adults (Top photo)

• 1st - Vee Owens, vocal
• 2nd - Steve Kho, Chelsie Kho and Maisie Kho, family band
• 3rd - Avantae Owens and Vee Owens, piano duet 

The Auburn Doubledays erased a two-run deficit with two-run rallies in the seventh and eight innings on Sunday to beat Batavia in a first-round playoff game at Dwyer Stadium, 4-2.

Ryan Kinney, who has been perhaps the Muckdogs ' best starter of 2023, took the loss, going 6 1/3 inning, giving up four earned runs and six hits. He had not previously surrendered more than two earned runs and three hits in a game.  He finishes the season at 4-1. His season ERA doubled after today's loss, from 0.84 to 1.64.

The Muckdogs scored both of their runs in the second inning.  Kyle Hetherington reached first on an error after striking out. Matt DeStefano followed with a double to right, scoring Hetherington. Trey Bacon singled. Chad Falcon reached first on an error by the first baseman, and DeStefano scored.

But with Auburn's rallies, the season came to an unexpected early end for the Western Division's #1 seed/

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Country music band Barnstorm closed out the Genesee County Fair's of live music entertainment on Saturday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Racers found slick conditions when they were at last summoned for the 24-lap championship of the Genesee County Fair RC Racing event on the north end of the fairgrounds.

Eight cars were sponsored by local businesses, and race fans tried their skills at the oval track multiple times a day throughout the fair. Each winner received a small trophy and an invitation back to the final race on the final day of the fair on Saturday.

There were two semifinal races and then the final championship run, which came shortly after a bit of drizzle began to fall.

Photos by Howard Owens

It was a damp day on the final day of the Genesee County Fair on Saturday, but on the Midway, the show must go on, and as the fair wound down, photographer Nick Serrata took one final look at the fun and games to be had at the Midway.

A man who is apparently a Batavia resident is in custody facing possible criminal charges after allegedly leading State Police on a high-speed chase from Byron into the city and then barricading himself in an apartment that was not his own.

The name of the suspect has not yet been released.  He is facing likely charges from both State Police and Batavia PD, and both agencies said more information will be released once criminal charges are sorted out.

It's not known yet why or at what location in Byron a trooper first tried to stop the subject, but he apparently refused to yield to emergency lights from a patrol vehicle.

Speeds eventually reached in excess of 90 mph.

As he headed into the city on Bank Street Road, Batavia PD deployed spike strips on Bank Street.

The strips were successful at deflating the Toyota's tires, said Sgt. Arick Perkins, Batavia PD, but the subject continued into the driveway of Northside Meadows, 335 Bank Street, where the car eventually ran into a small boulder along the driveway. 

The subject ran from the vehicle and entered a second-floor apartment.

The apartment has been unoccupied for about four months while its tenant is incarcerated, according to witnesses.

The witnesses stated that they believe the man resides in a downstairs apartment, but he, along with other people, has been accessing the upstairs apartment for some time without permission.

"I could see that as being a possibility," said Perkins, who said it wasn't clear yet how the man gained access to the supposedly locked apartment this time or if he had ever been in the apartment before.

With troopers, deputies, and officers, including two K-9 units (one from Batavia PD and one from DEC) on scene, the man refused to exit the apartment.

Officers secured a key to the front door from a family member of the tenant and were able to unlock it, but the subject had barricaded the door.

Once inside, the man offered no other resistance, Perkins said, and was taken into custody without further incident.

K-9s could be heard barking when officers made their way into the apartment, but Perkins said the K-9s remained in the hallway since the suspect did not resist officers further.

A trooper said the driver of the vehicle was not the registered owner. It's unclear at this time whether the driver had permission of the owner to operate the vehicle.

Police officers searched the vehicle while the incident was ongoing and then inventoried its contents before impounding it after the incident was over.

Officers remained alert for the possibility that the subject had access to a weapon, Perkins said they did not believe during the incident that he was armed.

While being led by officers to a patrol car, the subject made statements indicating he didn't understand why he was being arrested, why he was being taken to a State Police car when he was in the City of Batavia, and why police had reporters there taking his picture.

Photos by Howard Owens.

State police attempted a traffic stop in Byron Sunday afternoon, and the suspect fled, leading to a high speed chase past GCC, according to state police. The subject drove down Bank Street, and spike strips were deployed.

The subject then turned into Northside Meadows apartments, fled from the vehicle, and ran into an apartment that is the residence of a woman currently incarcerated. The apartment should have been vacant, and somehow the subject gained entry, and police are now dealing with the  barricaded subject.

The driver of the vehicle was not the registered owner, and police said they believe they know who the subject is.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Suspect taken into custody about 10 minutes ago.  The suspect, according to a witness, lived in an adjacent apartment and knew the apartment he entered was vacant and made prior entry over the past days or weeks. 

An eagle drawing by Tylin Torcello, of Batavia, received the most votes during two days of voting at the Media Center at the Genesee County Fair from readers of The Batavian to earn the People's Choice Award. The prize is a harmonica.

To see all 20 of the staff favorites that were finalists in the People's Choice Award, click here.

Previously:

• Batavia resident wins Red Osier gift certificate in eagle-drawing contest at fair
• Local news site shares love of music, community during fair concert
• The Batavian's guitar contest inspired by the area's community of music artists, today's opportunities for young musicians
• Muckdogs fans show artistic flair during drawing contest Monday

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With a convincing win over Niagara Power on Saturday and loss by Elmira, the Batavia Muckdogs clinched the Western Division in the regular season finale at Dwyer Stadium.

Batavia won 9-2.

This is the second consecutive Western Division crown of the Muckdogs, coming in their third season in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. The team has posted winning records in all three seasons while being managed by Joey Martinez.

Michael Pedraza came on in relief with one out in the fourth inning with Batavia up 6-0 and got credit for the win. Pedraza went 3 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, one run, and striking out four.  He finishes the regular season at 4-2 and a 3.85 ERA.

Hilton resident Preston Prince started, going 4 1/3 innings, surrendering three hits, five walks and one unearned run.

Caleb Rodriguez went 2-3 for the team's only multi-hit game.

Matt DeStefano, from Westbury, went 1-4 and drove in four runs.  DeStefano ends the regular season with a .321 average, smacking 21 hits and driving in 13 runs while gathering 11 walks.

The playoffs for the Muckdogs (27-16) start at Dwyer Stadium this evening (Sunday) against the Auburn Doubledays (23-19), who knocked off Elmira on Saturday, to help Batavia get the #1 seed in the Western Division postseason.

Press Release:

Depending on the weather, aerial and hand distribution of oral rabies vaccine baits will take place in Western New York from Aug. 15 - 17. Areas of New York State are once again taking part in a nationally coordinated effort to halt the spread of raccoon rabies in 16 states. Ongoing field evaluation of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) called ONRAB will occur in Clinton, Essex counties in the Empire State as part of an evaluation that also includes parts of northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

Additionally, evaluations will also occur in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming counties. These sites were selected in part because of
ongoing collaborations with Quebec and Ontario, Canada in the fight against rabies to protect human and animal health and reduce the significant cost associated with living with rabies across broad geographic areas.

“Rabies is a serious public health concern because if left untreated it is generally fatal. Costs associated with detection, prevention, and control of rabies conservatively exceed $500 million annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, greater than 90 percent of reported rabies cases in the United States are in wildlife,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). 

The cooperative USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) was established in 1997 to prevent the further spread of wildlife rabies in the United States by containing and eventually eliminating the virus in terrestrial mammals. The majority of the NRMP efforts are focused on controlling raccoon rabies, which continues to account for most of the reported wildlife rabies cases in the U.S. 

Raccoon rabies occurs in all states east of the established ORV zone that extends from Maine to northeastern Ohio to central Alabama. Continued access to oral vaccines and bait options that are effective in all target wildlife species remains critical to long-term success.

ORV was designed to test the safety and immunogenicity (provoke an immune response in the body of a human or other animal) of the oral human adenovirus-rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine ONRAB (Artemis Technologies Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ceva Sante Animale S.A., Guelph, Ontario, Canada), which has been successfully integrated into comprehensive rabies control programs that resulted in elimination of raccoon rabies from Canada.

Encouraging results from the U.S. trial in West Virginia represented a major milestone that led to expanded evaluations in 4 additional states (NH, NY, OH, and VT) in 2012-2021 and expansion into 2 new states (PA and TN) in 2022. Data from these evaluations could lead to licensing of this vaccine for broader, more aggressive management of raccoon rabies
by the NRMP and partners, with the goal of eliminating the variant of the rabies virus that cycles in raccoons.

The ONRAB bait consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blister pack, containing the vaccine. To make the baits attractive, the blister packs are coated with a sweet attractant that includes vegetable-based fats, wax, icing sugar, vegetable oil, artificial marshmallow flavor, and dark-green food-grade dye. 

Humans and pets cannot get rabies from contact with the bait. However, people who encounter baits directly are asked to leave the bait undisturbed. Should contact with bait occur, immediately rinse the contact area with warm water and soap and contact your local health department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 for Genesee County or 585-589-3278 for Orleans
County.

Please do not attempt to remove a bait from your dog’s mouth. The bait will not harm the dog. If you have additional questions related to the field evaluation in New York, please contact the Wildlife Services office in Rensselaer at 518-477-4837.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, Aug,. 10 at 7 p.m. This month's topic is Anne Frank and her well-known diary. The trivia night will be held at GO ART! located at 201 E. Main St. in Batavia. Their Tavern 2.0 will also be open to anyone interested in a beverage. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, August 16 at 7 p.m. The museum welcomes local author and historian, Julianna Woite, as she shares what our area was like from around 1880-1920. The Gilded Age is a fascinating point in the history of the United States, as the country was going through such dynamic change and perceived prosperity, with WNY at the heart of much of that, but an ugly underbelly was just hiding below the surface. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend. “This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of the museum's Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, August 24 at 9 a.m. The museum welcomes Batavia School District Superintendent, Jason Smith, as he presents on his most famous predecessor, John Kennedy, and his educational system started here in Batavia. John Kennedy School bears his name. Admission is free with coffee and donuts. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, August 24 at 7 p.m. Stephen Tulowiecki will be presenting, "The Letchworth State Park Atlas: A Fresh Look at America's Favorite State Park". Admission is $5/$3 for museum members. Stephen J. Tulowiecki, Associate Professor of Geography at SUNY Geneseo, will discuss the creation of his recently-published The Letchworth State Park Atlas, shining new light on the nature, history, and tourism of the park. He will discuss aspects of the park's geology, ecological communities, Native American settlement, nineteenth-century settlement, tourist origins, and beyond. Copies of his atlas will be available for purchase. “This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) introduced the Fostering Innovation and Research to Strengthen Tomorrow (FIRST) Act, to enhance the research and development (R&D) tax credit for small businesses and startups, allowing them to create jobs and boost American innovation.

“Now more than ever, the United States must work to out-compete and out-innovate our adversaries by investing in proven policies like the R&D tax credit,” said Congresswoman Tenney. 

“Once a leader in promoting R&D, the United States has recently fallen behind other countries around the world who are offering greater R&D incentives. China, in particular, has chosen to invest heavily in R&D by providing a “super deduction” for R&D expenses. By enhancing the R&D tax credit, we can help small businesses and entrepreneurs across America invest in innovation that will unleash economic growth and create jobs on American soil. The FIRST Act is a crucial step in boosting American innovation and advancing our competitiveness on the world stage, reinforcing our nation’s position as the economic powerhouse of the 21st century.”

“Manufacturers in the United States perform more than half of all private-sector research and development in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector," said Chris Netram, Managing Vice President, Policy, at the National Association of Manufacturers. "The Fostering Innovation and Research to Strengthen Tomorrow Act recognizes the importance of R&D in creating well-paying U.S. jobs and supporting innovation. We thank Rep. Tenney for her leadership in ensuring that manufacturers in the U.S. continue to be the world’s leading innovators.”

Specifically, this bill would:

• Increase the "Traditional" Credit to 40 Percent: Established companies would see their current traditional credit rate, determined by a complex formula, boosted from 20 percent to 40 percent of the increase in R&D spending.
• Raise the Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) to 28 Percent: The existing ASC rate, calculated through a simpler formula, would be raised from 14 percent to 28 percent of the increase in R&D spending.
• Significantly Enhance the Credit for Firms with Limited Research History to 14 Percent: Companies without any U.S. research track record in the past three years would experience a more than twofold increase in the credit from 6 percent to 14 percent of R&D spending.

 Read the full text of the bill here.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Police Department announced that Batavia Downs Gaming, Upstate Niagara/O-AT-KA Milk Products and WNY Heroes have signed on as Diamond Sponsors ($2,500+) for the department’s annual Batavia Police Community Night.  

The event is in partnership with The City Church and will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Anthony's, 114 Liberty St., Batavia.  Batavia Police Community Night is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make safer neighborhoods. 

Various organizations and groups once again will be participating in the annual event which will include free food, a bounce house, games for kids and more.  

There are various sponsorship opportunities at the Bronze level ($249 or less); Silver level ($250 - $499); Gold level ($500 -$2,499); and, Diamond level ($2,500+). There will be several interactive displays and booths available. The sponsorship deadline is Tuesday, August 1, 2023. 

“This event is aimed to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community,” said Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch. “The support of sponsors is critical to this effort and we are extremely grateful for the generosity of various businesses across the city and region as they recognize the vital importance between law enforcement and the community we serve.” 

Gold sponsors include Chapin, Genesee County Youth Bureau, Ken Barrett Chevrolet Cadillac, Mogavero's Auto and the Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union. 

Silver sponsors include Batavia Teachers' Association, Batavia Original Pizzeria, GCASA, Genesee County Economic Development Center, Habitat for Humanity Genesee County, Horizons Health Services, Northside Deli, Salmon Orthodontics, Southside Deli, V.J. Gautieri Constructors, Inc., and the WNY Association of Chiefs of Police. 

Bronze sponsors include Bob Bialkowski, Batavia Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home and Roman’s. 

For more information and for those interested in a sponsorship opportunity, should contact Batavia Police Department Detective Matthew Wojtaszczyk at 585-345-6357 or at mwojtaszczyk@batavianewyork.com.

Press Release:

The Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force, in conjunction with the National Institute of Health’s HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Initiative, will be commemorating Overdose Awareness Day next month to raise awareness of the dangers of opioids and to remember the lives of those who have succumbed to an overdose.

The annual event is scheduled for 4 - 7 p.m. on August 30 at Austin Park in Batavia.

Residents are invited to take part in the family-friendly activities – which include face painting and live music courtesy of Groove -- and enjoy free pizza and refreshments.

Narcan (naloxone) training is on the agenda and local health and human services agency representatives will be on hand to provide information on recovery resources, medications for opioid use disorder, and the benefits of staying on medication treatment for people in recovery.

Guest speakers include:

• John Bennett, chief executive officer at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, who will provide updates on substance use treatment programs and lead a moment of silence in memory of those who have died.
• Dawn Stone, a peer advocate from Spectrum Health in Wyoming County, who will discuss the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and steps that are being taken to remove unhealthy perceptions.
• Cheryl Netter, a community “hope coach,” who will share a story of hope and healing.
• Scott Davis, a certified peer recovery advocate for the Rochester Regional Health system, who will share how medication has helped him in his recovery.
• Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments, will share local data and the initiatives that the health department and local partners are implementing to address overdoses.
• Nikki Lang of Batavia, who lost a loved one to an overdose.

Additionally, Lynda Battaglia, director of Genesee County Mental Health & Community Services, and Danielle Figura, director of Community Services at Orleans County Department of Mental Health, are expected to talk about opioid use disorder related to mental health.

Participants will be offered the opportunity to leave a note on the task force’s memory board for a deceased loved one.

Registration is recommended, but not required. To register, go to www.gowopioidtaskforce.org/events.

Genesee County's own Audibull provided live music entertainment at the Genesee County Fair on Friday.

Audibull is Tim Pitcher on guitar, Bill Christiano on bass, Chris Iannone on drums, and Todd Tracy on lead vocals.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Photos by Debra Reilly