Information provided by the Western New York Maple Producers Association.

This weekend and next weekend (March 17-18 & 24-25) is Maple Weekend as the sweet tradition continues. Two of the many maple producers in the region are in Genesee County and will be participating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. They are:

• Randall's Maple Products, located at 10307 Smithley Road in Alexander;
• Sweet Dream Maple Farm, located at 1116 Reynolds Road in Corfu.

According to the Maple Producers Association, maple syrup has become a powerhouse crop for New York State farmers. In the last decade, production of syrup has tripled, while the crop value has quadrupled.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NY Maple Producers manufactured 760,000 gallons of maple syrup last year, the highest production rate ever. It's an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year.

The 2016 crop in New York was valued at $31.3 million, with an estimated economic impact of almost $141 million. The value for the 2017 crop will be released in June.

There's plenty of room to expand production because the U.S. Forestry Service data shows that more tappable maple trees are in New York than any other state in America.

The 22nd annual Maple Weekend is family friendly and free to the public. Take a tour and learn about tree tapping and boiling, see displays and best of all -- taste some of America's greatest maple syrup.

A complete list of participating sugarhouses, site maps and more information about Maple Weekend can be found here.

How Sap Becomes Syrup

Syrup is produced as the sugar maple holds starches in storage during the winter, which change to sugars as spring approaches. These sugars are released into the tree sap.

When a tree is tapped, a clear liquid runs out. When that liquid is boiled down, approximately 44 gallons of the sap produces a gallon of maple syrup.

Techniques vary from producer to producer -- some use state-of-the-art methods while others are traditionalists.

During Maple Weekend, many maple producers also offer additional activities including horse and wagon rides, snowshoeing, guided walks in the woods and kids' corners. And across Western New York, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts will abound over the next two consecutive weekends.

Did You Know?

Also, there's more to maple syrup than its delicious taste. University of Rhode Island researchers recently found 20 compounds in maple syrup that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to help fight cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses. Other established health benefits of pure maple syrup include its calcium and potassium content -- a quarter cup of maple syrup has more calcium that the same amount of milk and more potassium than a banana.

New York is the second-largest maple producing state in the nation, with 2.65 million taps, producing 760,000 gallons of syrup, and accounting for 18 percent of the maple syrup in the United States in 2017.

Besides pure maple syrup, products that contain maple syrup include: maple cream, maple sugar, maple candy, maple jelly, maple mustard, maple tea, maple coffee, maple cotton candy, maple oatmeal bread, maple apple butter, maple walnut fudge, maple suckers and maple butter.

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Submitted photo and press release:

A car versus tree accident with two people injured is reported at 6742 Lewiston Road in Oakfield. Oakfield Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: Traffic control is called to Macomber Road to stop traffic at Lewiston Road. A second ambulance is called to the scene. The accident location is between Macomber and Bliss roads.

Please click here to view the full listing for 1 North Park, Batavia.
Please click here to view the full listing for 5774 Shelt Road, Byron

Press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

At about 6:24 a.m. today the Genesee County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a head-on motor-vehicle accident with serious physical injury in the area of Route 5 and Clipnock Road in the Town of Stafford. Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2007 Chevrolet pickup truck being driven by Thomas J. Manzella, 24, of Batavia, was traveling westbound on Route 5 when he lost control of the vehicle on snow-covered roads.

The pickup truck spun counterclockwise, sliding sideways as it crossed into the eastbound lane and into the path of a 2006 Mack roll-off container truck being operated by Curtiss L. Mallory, 32, of Buffalo.

Following the impact, both vehicles traveled off of the south shoulder of Route 5 where they came to rest. Mallory immediately called 9-1-1 prompting the response of Sheriff's Office patrols along with ambulances from Mercy Emergency Medical Services and responders from the Stafford Fire Department.

Manzella was extricated from the vehicle and transported via ambulance to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, where he succumbed to his injuries sustained in the crash.

Weather conditions including blowing snow and poor road conditions are believed to have been contributing factors in the crash.

A minor fuel spill from the Mack container truck was addressed at the scene by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Route 5 in the area of the accident remained closed for several hours while the accident was being investigated.

The accident investigation is being conducted by deputies Nati, Andre, Wilson, Erion, and investigators Diehl and Parker, and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office Crash Management Unit.

Assisting at the scene were Mercy EMS, the Stafford Fire Department, NY State DEC, and the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management.

GO ART! hosted the opening of its annual juried art show Thursday night at Seymore Place in Batavia.

Top prize this year was awarded to Alex Sergovia for his painting (top photo) Celestial Blues. Sergovia could not be present at the opening last night.

The work displayed was selected from numerous entries by the jury, which also selected the winning entry.

Above sits Artist David Burke. His three paintings are the tree on the left, and the two paintings above him on the right.

Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey reads to students at Jackson Primary School on Thursday night during the school's reading night, part of its annual Parents as Reading Partners Program.

This year's theme is "Wild About Reading at the Jackson Primary Zoo."

Molly Corey reading.

Linda Conway reading.

Students and parents playing Zoo Bingo.

Students from St. Joe's Elementary School joined members of Batavia Kiwanis Club yesterday to help announce this Sunday's annual Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner.

The dinner will be held at St. Joe's starting noon. Dinner will be served until 3 p.m.

Tickets are $6 per person and takeouts are available.

Proceeds benefit the charitable efforts of the Batavia Kiwanis Club.

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A serious injury accident is reported at the intersection of Main and Clipnock roads, Stafford. It was a head-on collision. There is entrapment. "One driver is OK, the other driver is not."

The male driver of a pickup truck is confirmed to be unresponsive; first responders will need assistance in getting the door open to get the victim out.

Diesel fuel is spilled in the field. The pickup is located just west of Clipnock. Stafford fire is responding along with Mercy EMS. Deputies are on scene. Mercy Flight was contacted but unable to fly due to weather.

UPDATE 6:46 a.m.: Traffic control will be set up at Sanders Road and Route 5; no traffic will be allowed through.

UPDATE 7:09 a.m.: The driver of the pickup is being transported to UMMC. The other driver is being evaluated by medics and is probably going to be a sign-off.

UPDATE 7:13 a.m.: The driver evaluated at the scene by medics declined medical treatment and Mercy medics are back in service.

UPDATE 9:22 a.m.: We'll post more photos from the scene and information, probably in a separate story, once the Sheriff's Office releases more information later today.

UPDATE 11:26 a.m.: The Sheriff's Department has confirmed that this was a fatal accident. The driver of the pickup truck succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. 

As I walked out of Batavia City Hall tonight, the snow had just started falling.

The forecast is for periods of snow tonight and tomorrow. The total accumulation tonight is expected to be less than an inch.

      Jonathan Hoges

Jonathan C. Hoges, 35, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Hoges is accused of selling crack cocaine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force on two occasions.

He was arrested on Jackson Street on Tuesday by members of the Task Force with assistance from Batavia PD.

Following arraignment, he was jailed without bail.

 

 

      Lisa Sinclair

Lisa Marie Sinclair, 43, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with forgery, 2nd, and grand larceny, 3rd. Sinclair, employed by a company in Stafford, allegedly falsified checks on her employer's bank account, enabling her to steal more than $23,000. She was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Philip David Amedio, 18, of Hartland Road, Gasport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Amedio was charged following an investigation by Deputy Matthew Bailey of an accident on Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, at 3:18 a.m. Wednesday.

 

      Lance Mercado      Mitchell Freeman

Among the 11 people arrested on drug sales charges over the past few weeks in Wyoming County were two Genesee County residents, according to arrest reports released today by the Wyoming County Drug Task Force.

Mitchell Freeman, 29, of Quinlan Road, Le Roy, was arrested Feb. 17, and charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Freeman is accused of selling buprenorphine in the Village of Attica in the fall. He was ordered held in the Wyoming County Jail.

Lance Mercado, 27, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Mercado is accused of selling buprenorphine on two occasions in the fall in the Village of Attica. He was arrested Feb. 1 and jailed on $25,000 bail.

Wyoming County Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph said the task for continues to seek several other suspects on drug indictment warrants and that his office will continue to do its part to help fight the current drug epidemic.

“The Wyoming County Drug Task Force continues to diligently investigate in the enforcement piece of this drug epidemic," Rudolph said in a press release. "Enforcement will not combat addictions and intense treatment is needed to tackle that difficulty, however, we as a law enforcement community are all committed to investigating and arresting drug dealers who prey and profit from those addictions.

"It is also our hope that taking drug dealers off the street contributes to the prevention piece of this epidemic, particularly with our youth. Stemming the opioid crisis is a multi-prong approach and the Wyoming County Drug Task Force is resolved in doing our part.”

A fire at 20 Columbia Ave., Batavia, in the early morning of March 6, appears to have been caused by an electrical issue and was accidental, according to City Fire Chief Steve Napolitano. 

Several animals apparently lost their lives in the fire, though no people were hurt.

The house was owner-occupied by Peter and Marilyn Demmer and five people, including a newborn infant, were home at the time of the fire, which was reported at about 4:15 a.m.

Napolitano did not have a count of how many animals lived at the residence. Firefighters located four deceased pets. One dog escaped the fire.

The structure of the house is sound, Napolitano said, but the interior was a total loss. The ground floor sustained massive damage from heat, smoke and water and the second floor had extensive smoke and heat damage. The total loss estimate is $180,000 to $200,000.

"Firefighters were able to recover some personal items of value to the family," Napolitano said.

Napolitano said the residents were offered assistance by the Salvation Army and Red Cross but he is uncertain if they accepted or made other arrangements on their own.

Press release:

YWCA of Genesee County is facing major financial challenges, including problems of cash flow. The Board of Directors, working with newly appointed Executive Director Millie Tomidy-Pepper, who began Feb. 5, has retained an independent auditor to assist in determining the extent and causes of the problems.

They are also actively pursuing financing options and revenue-generation opportunities to enable the 150-year-old organization to continue its mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Details will be shared with the community as soon as they become available.

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The trio performed their monthly jazz tunes last evening at a packed T.F. Brown's 214 Main St., Batavia. 

They perform once a month, traditionally on Thursdays, but decided to change it up because of the NCAA basketball. Here are a couple photos.