Families in need can stop by the Oakfield Community Bible Church, 80 North Main St., Oakfield, on Tuesday's from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. for free bread, and perhaps other food items when available.
The free-food ministry is supervised by Carol Lowe (who wasn't able to be at the church today) and has been ongoing for three or four months now.
Families can receive up to three loaves of bread and when available canned and boxed food items such as tuna, vegetables, mac and cheese and peanut butter and jelly.
"When we can we try to provide a meal," said Jacquie Lindke, (right in the photo).
Availability depends on what has come in from donors.
All of the food is free, no questions asked.
Pictured with Lindke is Tom Petter. Both are residents of Basom.
From 10 to 2 p.m., Dec. 8, the church will be giving away clothes to anybody who needs clothing items, including coats, boots, hats and gloves for men, women and children.
The stop-and-go lights at Lewiston and Main weren't doing a great job this afternoon of managing traffic. Drivers were pretty much on their own in the congested intersection to take turns based on the flashing yellow for Main Street cars and the flashing red for vehicles on Lewiston Road. The DOT has restored the lights to proper operation now.The exact cause of the technical problems has not been released.
The Royal Rangers and the Batavia Assembly of God have put together a team to go to Island Park in NYC to help work on houses that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.
We will be leaving on December 6th. This will be our second team that has been sent to that area.
Our work will consist tearing out drywall, insulation, flooring and anything else that was damaged by the water. The community that we will be going to got power back just over two weeks ago. The need is still very great with very few people able to live in their homes.
We are looking for donation: Ensure, water, baby food, baby formula, diapers, small bags of pet food, winter hats, winter gloves/mittens, scarves, sneakers, winter boots, new winter socks, coats, jackets, new blankets, hand sanitizer, large heavy-duty garbage bags, dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning gloves, face masks, Lysol disinfectant, Clorox wipes, bleach, mops and pails.
Beacuse it is the Christmas season we are also asking for homemade Christmas cookies. These cookies will be dropped off at the volunteer fire department so that they may hand them out. These people have lost everything!
Donations mybe dropped of at the Batavia Assembly of God Church at 24 N. Spruce St. in Batavia. Please have all donations at the church by Dec. 5th. Thank you for your support.
The Town of Alabama today released results of a survey presented to residents of the town to gauge their support for the proposed Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). It is a 1,200-acre site in the Town of Alabama which is currently under development by the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC).
The survey found that more than two out of every three residents in the Town of Alabama who responded to the survey are in favor of the STAMP project (68 percent), while 62 percent of residents feel that the proposed $10.2 million Incentive Zoning Agreement between the town and the GCEDC is “sufficient” for the STAMP project to continue.
The town negotiated for additional amenities including expanding the new water district to include more households. With this change, 433 households will now receive water through the project. The town also negotiated additional revenue to be used for capital projects in future years.
“Given the size and scope of the STAMP project, feedback from the residents in the Town of Alabama is critically important as the board approaches a decision,” said Alabama Town Supervisor Daniel Mangino.
Both the Genesee County and Town of Alabama planning boards have recommended the rezoning of the site. Final approval of the rezoning rests with the Town of Alabama.
Conducted by Goldhaber Research Associates, LLC (GRA) on behalf of the Town of Alabama, the survey was mailed to 1,500 Town of Alabama residents from Oct. 12-14. A one-page flier with information about STAMP as well as a copy of the Incentive Zoning Agreement were included in the mailing. The survey generated 707 total respondents, including 53 that arrived after the Nov. 2 deadline.
To maintain confidentiality, names of the respondents were not associated with the responses in the data files, and the information about who completed the survey or who responded in a particular way to the survey was not shared.
A 42-year-old Porter Avenue resident is in custody facing multiple criminal charges following a high-speed chase Monday night on the Thruway that covered 43 miles, both west and east, and reached speeds of 107 mph.
The chase ended at the toll booth road and Route 98, Batavia, when Ronald L. Worthington allegedly rammed a State Police car not once, but twice, and Worthington's sedan became disabled.
It already had two driver-side flat tires from hitting spike strips placed on the westbound Thruway exit by a deputy.
Worthington is charged with DWI, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, speeding and numerous other vehicle and traffic law violations, according to the State Police.
He was arraigned in city court and ordered held in the Genesee County Jail.
The chase started in the westbound lane of the Thruway, mile marker 401 in Pembroke, at 10:48 p.m.
Worthington allegedly continued west until reaching the toll booth plaza in Williamsville, at which point, the white sedan made a U-turn and headed back eastbound on the Thruway.
State Police units assigned to Troop A, Batavia, were dispatched to the Thruway. Deputies were sent to the Batavia exit -- knowing the suspect was driving a vehicle registered to a Porter Avenue resident -- and a deputy deployed the spike strips just minutes before the suspect reached Batavia.
After running over the spike strips, through the toll both and ramming the trooper car, the white sedan came to a stop and police officers from the State Police, Sheriff's Office and Batavia PD descended on the vehicle. The window on the driver's side was smashed out and officers grabbed Worthington and pulled him out of the vehicle.
Worthington was treated by Mercy EMS personnel for minor cuts caused by broken glass.
At this time, there is no report of a Taser or similar device being used to subdue the suspect.
Nicole M. Bilby, 26, of 3476 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, is charged with trespass and resisting arrest. Bilby was allegedly unruly and disruptive while at the Batavia PD at 9:05 p.m., Friday. Officers directed Bilby to leave several times and she allegedly refused to leave. When taken into custody, Bilby allegedly resisted arrest. Bilby was jailed on $1,000 bail.
Joshua L. Baltz, 36, no residence provided, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd. Baltz is accused of offensive conduct in violation of an order of protection. Baltz allegedly called the protected person derogatory names and postured in a threatening manner. A child was reportedly present at the time. Baltz was jailed on $5,000 bail.
Rae C. Cook, 23, of 218 Ellicott St., upper, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Cook is accused of threatening and pushing another person while at UMMC at 3 p.m., Saturday.
Tasshire T. Brown Sanders, 18, of 7 Caffery Place, Rochester, is charged with disorderly conduct. Brown Sanders is accused of standing in front of a residence on Oak Street and shouting obscenities and refusing to leave the area.
Eric D. Mancuso, 18, of 20 Woodrow Road, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Mancuso was allegedly found in possession of marijuana during at traffic stop at 10:33 p.m., Saturday, by Sgt. Dan Coffey.
Dan'l R. Fischer, 35, of 139 Jackson St., Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant after allegedly failing to appear for a court date. Fischer was incarcerated in the Livingston County Jail at the time of his arrest.
Jeffrey Lynn Hayes, 48, of Meadow Circle, Avon, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Hayes was turned over to the Sheriff's Office on an arrest warrant out of Town of Byron Court.
There are still some $5 gift certificates for Settler's available for the first 60 members of The Batavian Club.
Plus, any future discounts with local businesses, plus a membership card, plus a bumper sticker, plus a chance to win prizes (we have a neat prize from a local merchant that early members will be eligible to win, which we'll announce Monday or Tuesday).
Plus, new annual members who join by Dec. 15, will receive a 2013 calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens.
Membership in The Batavian Club just keeps getting better and better, and it will get better yet.
You can join via one of the PayPal buttons below, or CLICK HERE to download a form and mail us your check (annual payments only) or credit card number (monthly or annual). Or you can phone in your information to (585) 250-4118.
Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing. Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens
Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing. Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens
Advance Order a 2013 Calendar - $25
Photos of Genesee County by Howard Owens. Some of the photos you've seen on The Batavian, some have not been published on The Batavian before.
Number of Calendars
1 Calendar $25.00 USD2 Calendars $50.00 USD3 Calendars $75.00 USD4 Calendars $100.00 USD
The first part of the old farmhouse at 7694 Batavia Stafford Townline Road was built before the Civil War. Today, all of those years became ashes in a controlled burn conducted by the Town of Batavia Fire Department that capped a morning training session at the structure.
Firefighters showed up at the former Dorman family farmhouse early this morning and conducted several interior firefighting exercises.
Town of Batavia Fire First Assistant Chief Nathan Fix said some of the fires really got going, and all were knocked down by interior firefighters in training.
"We had fireman who got to see real fire in real conditions for the first time," Fix said. "We had at least 10 firefighters here who never experienced real fire, real heat, before."
Volunteers from Batavia as well as Bethany, Byron, Bergen, Corfu, South Byron, Oakfield and Elba all participated in the morning exercises.
Bergen's ladder truck was then set up in position to help contain the anticipated inferno, as well as a handful of charged fire hoses, then using road flares, Fix set the structure on fire.
Once the house was ablaze, the firefighters were give a chance to do something that never happens at a real fire scene -- pose for a group photo in front of the burning building.
It took more than an hour for the structure to be completely consumed.
Mark Hare, who was about 5 when his family moved into the house in 2000, made a video of the destruction of his childhood home while his mother, Dawn Hare, looked on. Andy Hare, a retired city firefighter, is in Georgia and couldn't be here for the fire. The Hares' daughter is also out of town.
The Hares built a new home on the hill behind the old farmhouse two years ago, and it's now for sale.
Dawn said the whole family was sad to see the old house go, but it had to be done. The structure had numerous deficiencies and had deteriorated beyond repair. Even when the Hares lived in it, there was no heat on the second floor, the kitchen sink backed up every winter and the electric was out of date.
Fix said it took him six months of work to get all of the proper permissions to burn down the structure, including insurance letters, letters from every utility company that ever serviced the house, the Hares themselves and the DEC.
Since all of the proper paperwork was only recently completed, and it's the onset of winter, the fire department decided to do all of its training and the final bonfire in a single day.
If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.
There are 10 black and white photos in the slide show. They were shot with a Nikon F4 and Illford XP2 film.
When I left Le Roy, there was a long line of children waiting to talk with Santa and fill his ear with their Christmas dreams. I drove straight to Oakfield, and by the time I arrived, Santa was already there. It's amazing how that guy gets around.
Above, Santa with Mrs. Claus and their 5-week-old grandson.
Oakfield held a new Christmas event for the village today. It included the annual Christmas tree display, but moved this year to the memorial park between South Main and Pearl. The event included wagon rides, cookie decorating, games and the Genesee Model Train Engineers held an open house.
Organizers expect the event to become an annual celebration of Christmas in Oakfield that will get a little bigger each year.
