A bit of cold and rain didn't prevent residents of the Greens of Le Roy from enjoying their annual fall festival on Sunday -- they just moved the event indoors.

From Kim Pasquale: "Many vendors brought their fall harvest along with some arts and craft vendors. The residents of The Greens truly enjoyed this special event."

Pictured above are resident Paul Emerling and his daughter Donna Mellander providing musical entertainment.

Press release:

The City of Batavia recently engaged the consulting services of CZB, a nationally recognized planning firm. CZB is assisting with the development of a Community Improvement Plan to assist the city with neighborhood and economic development revitalization efforts.

Over the summer CZB met with various stakeholders throughout the community such as volunteers, property owners, property managers, Realtors and business owners in order to better understand the challenges and demands facing Batavia. The information shared during the meetings was helpful in developing valuable strategies for promoting neighborhood revitalization, business sustainability, growth and entrepreneurship and community development.

CZB will be conducting a public meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 in the Board Room in City Hall to share and present a preliminary report on the housing market, downtown and Main Street, neighborhoods and possible future actions.

The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for the public to give feedback and ask questions. Feedback is crucial to the research and development of community / economic development strategies for the city.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C – Batavia) wrote to Governor Andrew Cuomo, urging action on mandate relief. The assemblyman said that the state Senate and Assembly must be convened as soon as possible to address this issue that is crushing local governments and school districts.

“As representatives of New York state, we are all shirking our duties by our inaction regarding the financial position we have put local governments in by not instituting true mandate relief,” said Hawley in his letter to the governor. “I am asking you to reconvene both houses of the Legislature immediately to begin the arduous task of reducing the burden on local governments and taxpayers.”

Jon Nelson Roblee, 36, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Roblee is accused of throwing a coffee pot at a victim, cutting the victim's hand, and displaying two knives at victims and threatening to kill them. Roblee was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Trevor M. Rich, 30, of 7142 Randall Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Rich is accused of sending threatening text messages to a female he was ordered not to contact. Rich was jailed without bail.

Steven Thomas Schum, 52, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to signal and moved from lane unsafely. Schum was stopped at 2:25 a.m., Oct. 1, on Darien Alexander Townline Road, Alexander, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Charie Marie Oddo, 50, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Oddo is accused of stealing clothing items from Kmart.

Robert Edward Greene, 30, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Greene is accused of violating an order of protection by placing a phone call to a protected person.

The two youngsters in the photo above have their eyes riveted to something in the flower bed behind their home. That's Joshua on the left along with brother Tim. Whatever it is they're watching has also gotten the attention of their father. Five-year-old Joshua has a fascination with the smaller members of the animal kingdom, particularly insects. Crickets and grasshoppers are old stuff for Joshua, and he has on more than one occasion caught dragonflies with his bare hands, been stung by bees, etc. ... that may be one reason why he is ordered to empty his pockets before coming back into the house.

While Joshua has spent countless hours in the backyard catching a variety of bugs, this praying mantis was a first for he and his brother. As with the rest of his insect discoveries, he began to move in for a capture -- until he was warned not to. See that brown claw? It's sharp and lightening fast.

The praying mantis has long been considered good to have around your shrubs and garden plants for pest control. They reportedly have a healthy appetite for insects but they are actually quite adept at taking small animals as well. If you care to, Google mantis vs. snake or praying mantis vs. hummingbird and you will see how truly deadly they can be.

The mantis obviously had enough interaction with humans and decided it was time to turn tail and head back to the brushy confines of the flowerbed.

Back among the greenery, the mantis blends in well, all the better to ambush its intended quarry.     

To no one's surprise, Joshua was totally enrapt with the praying mantis. I told him that, if he let the mantis be, I'd take him to a really great place to see "all the critters he enjoys so much." That turned out to be an equally fun outing for both of us and I hope to have it posted tomorrow. 

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants at about 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, in the areas of: Apollo and Treadeasy drives; Brooklyn, Roosevelt and Dewey avenues; and Industrial, River and Pearl streets.

Homes and businesses nearby may be affected. These flows may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

More than 60 parents gathered at Jackson Elementary School on Tuesday evening for the final public forum on the pending city school district building consolidation.

Most of the acid-tongued sentiments heard at the first building consolidation forum last month were absent this time, although several parents did bring up some already-heard concerns, such as the financial worth and viability of actually selling the Washington Avenue administration building. Those concerns were readdressed without issue.

The only true "new" idea proposed was closing the Batavia Middle School. One parent proposed shuffling the district's 6th-, 7th- and 8th-graders off into the elementary and high schools, as a way to save neighborhood schools. Administrators expressed that they had considered the idea before, but eliminated it due to the size of the middle school and the amount of learning technology it currently houses for those students.

Now, the Batavia City School Board has six months to choose from a number of different plans for building consolidation. Those plans might do anything from keeping all three elementary schools open in some capacity, to shutting one down and running two larger neighborhood schools, or closing two schools altogether and housing all elementary students in an expanded John Kennedy School. Click here for coverage from WBTA News outlining all of the proposed plans.

The school board will mull over the options with help from the Budget Ambassadors committee. A final decision on the building consolidation is due in March.

NOTE: This letter was read aloud by Superintendent Margaret Puzio at the Monday night meeting of the Batavia City School District Board of Education.

Margaret Puzio - Superintendent of Schools, Batavia City School District

Gail Stevens - President Board of Education, Batavia City School District

Subject: Letter of Resignation

Margaret - Gail,

I am sorry to inform you that I am writing this letter to inform you that I am resigning my position on the Batavia City School District Board of Education effective November 1, 2011. Last school year I made it known to both of you and the other BOE members that I would not seek re-election when my term expires on June 30, 2012. Since then things have changed considerably with my job and I can no longer give the time that is necessary to be an effective Board Member. As you are well aware that due to the added travel that is associated with my job, I have only made half the BOE Meetings since the new school year started and have made none of the consolidation public meetings. This is not fair to the employees of the district, other members or to the community that voted me on to the Board.

This is by the far the most challenging year this district has seen in a long, long time. Very difficult decisions need to the be made and the District needs Board Members that can give the time necessary to process the information and act on it. I no longer have that time and I can't in good (conscience) do a job that I can't give 100% to. This year more than any other is just too important!

The 5-plus years on the Board I have served have been a tremendous experience for me. The district is blessed to have an excellent leader in Margaret, top notch Administrators, teachers, support staff and a highly dedicated Board of Education. I wish you all continued success and want you to know I will always be an advocate for the Batavia City School District!

Good luck as you continue to move forward!

Sincerely,

Andrew G. Pedro

Press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Representatives Kathy Hochul (NY-26) and Richard Hanna (NY-24) introduced a bill to help Northeast dairy farms hire legal workers, which would allow for more production of local food rather than imported food, and keep farms in business to support Upstate’s overall economy.

Hochul and Hanna introduced H.R. 3024, the Access to Agricultural Labor Act of 2011, to help farmers secure a reliable and legal workforce.

* The bill would allow foreign dairy workers to temporarily come to the United States to perform agricultural labor and services under the H-2A visa program.

* Under the program, dairy workers would be able to work in the United States for extendable periods of three years.

The H-2A program allows foreign workers to enter the U.S. for seasonal or temporary agriculture work. The program was instituted to meet a need for temporary agricultural labor without adding permanent residents to the population. Currently, dairy workers are unable to participate in the H-2A program because dairy is a year-round industry, but the need for more labor is real and urgent in Upstate New York.

During the past 15 years in the Northeast, farmers have reported difficulties hiring native-born local workers. Even during the recession, farm businesses have still been unable to hire and retain local workers.

“The viability of the dairy farm industry is critical to the long-term sustainability of Western New York’s economy,” Congresswoman Hochul said.  “We need to do all we can to support these family farmers, which is why it is unfair to exclude dairy farmers from the H-2A visa program.

"They face many of the same labor shortage issues that other sectors of the agriculture community face, which is why Rep. Hanna and I are working to ensure they have the same resources available to get their jobs done.”

“Ever since I came into office, I’ve heard from our dairy farmers about the labor crisis facing their industry.  If we want to continue to have a safe and reliable food supply produced in Upstate New York, then this program will be incredibly helpful for dairy farmers,” Congressman Hanna said.

“Allowing dairy farmers access to legal and stable workforce through the H-2A visa program will keep our farms running, and it means agriculture-related businesses will continue to bolster our economy.”

Dean E. Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau, said this issue has been a high priority for several years and the three-year renewable visa would serve the dairy industry well.

“The dairy industry is the largest sector of farming in New York and is very important to the underlying agricultural services that are available throughout the state for all types of farming,” Norton said. “However, because dairy requires a year-round workforce, it has not been eligible for the H-2A program. While H-2A has many problems and inadequacies that will make it difficult to use, it is the only legal way for farmers to secure foreign labor at this time when local labor is not available.”

Among the benefits this bill will bring to Upstate New York farm business:

* It will allow for more jobs to be created and maintained;

* More food will continue to be produced locally rather than imported;

* Upstate farms will continue to be working farms and not vacant   farmland;

* Farms have a ripple effect on the economy and benefit many businesses and industries around them.

One year ago, then-Board of Education President Andy Pedro proposed a resolution creating a review committee for all city school field trips, with the hope of instating some sort of moratorium or strict criteria for all trips. Pedro was looking ahead to the dark days under a possible property tax cap, and thinking creatively on how to save money with cuts to non-mandated programs.

The resolution passed, and the committee was formed.

That committee has not met one time since. But its vision was realized Monday night, as the board voted 5-2 to deny the Batavia High School hockey team its annual trip to play in an out-of-area tournament.

“It’s got nothing to do with the hockey program, nothing personal against hockey,” Pedro said. “My opinion was no field trips, period.”

But what will make the ruling frustrating for players, parents and coaches is that the trip would not have cost the district a dime. All of the money was raised by the players and the Hockey Boosters club, to completely fund the cost of the tournament.

“If these organizations are raising this kind of money…our district is in a tough financial situation right now, and it’d be nice if that money could help alleviate the pain the district is feeling,” Pedro said.

In other words: have the sports teams at least partially pay for themselves.

Senior Board Member Patrick Burk echoed that sentiment.

“We’ve been given a directive to cut all of our interscholastic athletics, as well as clubs and activities for students, by a large amount,” Burk said. “When you’re looking at sports…in order for (them) to even be in the district next year, they may have to raise this amount of money just to save their program.”

Burk noted that imposing “pay-to-play” restrictions on high school athletes is illegal in New York. But, it’s not illegal to have a sports boosters' club raise the money to fund a program. Burk pointed to the Elba Central School District, which cut football out of its budget in the middle of the last decade. A football boosters club was able to adequately fundraise and save the program that year.

“At some point, somebody’s got to be the ‘bad guy,’” Burk told his colleagues, or all sports and other extracurriculars could suddenly disappear simply because they’re not mandated.

The two board members voting to approve the hockey team trip were Amy Barone and Steve Mountain. Mountain saw no reason to deny the kids a trip they’d worked toward throughout the year.

“To me, it’s giving the kids the opportunity to do what they want to do,” he said. “I think that they deserve the opportunity to go.” But he also expressed that he never hears much feedback from area parents, which may have skewed his decision.

Pedro says he does hear a lot of feedback from parents, who say enough is enough when it comes to fundraising.

“I had two kids who played sports all through high school, and the fundraising just gets out of control,” Pedro said. “I think (the hockey team) can accomplish what they need to accomplish by staying in our area, playing competitive teams.”

PHOTOS: inset top, Patrick Burk; inset bottom, Amy Barone, left, and Steve Mountain.

For every department in Genesee County, this year’s mandated budget cuts are hard to swallow. The county legislature is forcing 5-percent cuts across the board, in order to fit the county budget under New York State’s new 2-property tax cap.

Nowhere is the hurt more apparent than at the County Office for the Aging. Director Pamela Whitmore had already lost $102,000 in annual state grant money this year – a significant blow to her 2012 budget. With the mandated 5-percent cut on top, the Office for the Aging will now have to eliminate over $134,000 in spending.

Whitmore likened the 5-percent cut to that proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

“People are not going to get the level of service that they’ve gotten in the past,” Whitmore told the legislature’s Human Service Committee on Monday night.

She announced a planned $5,000 reduction to “Meals on Wheels,” which will now be on a three day-per-week delivery schedule if her budget goes according to plan. There are also pending staff cuts, social program reductions and fewer hours available for in-home services.

“Less staff means less time to do that face-to-face information and assistance – which is really the majority of what we do,” Whitmore said after the meeting.

Her message is further highlighted by this year’s census report, which shows a 16-percent increase in the over-60-year-old population in Genesee County. The census bureau also estimates that the population over 85-years-old, which is the most expensive to serve, has jumped by 33 percent in Genesee County the past decade (official numbers are not yet available for that category).

“It’d be one thing if the grant losses were just taking one program away…but most of our losses just took parts of each grant away,” Whitmore said. “So in essence, most of our services are still available, but there (are fewer) resources to provide them.”

In another Human Services report Monday, Chris Kuehl from the county nursing home told committee members that the home was able to reduce five positions to just three by consolidating some worker duties. That will save the nursing home $47,233 this year, and $104,439 in 2012, if the cuts are approved by the full legislature.

Also at the Human Services Committee, members approved the nomination of David Whitcroft as the interim public health director for Genesee County. Whitcroft's nomination comes on the heels of Randy Garney's abrupt retirement a week-and-a-half ago. Whitcroft will be paid $65,106 plus $600 in longevity pay. He officially takes over on Wednesday, if approved by the full legislature.

Michael Victor Blackcloud, 66, of Sackett Road, Bergen, is charged with forcible touching. Blackcloud is accused of touching the intimate part of a woman's body without her consent.

Cody A. Bush Jr., 25, of 7614 Oak Orchard Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Bush is accused of going to Jackson Elementary School and contacting a child he is ordered by Family Court not to contact.

Andrew A. Crimes, 39, of 649 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. In violation of a court order, Crimes allegedly sent text messages and made phone calls to a woman he is ordered not to contact.

Saturday, Empire Tractor Company President Tim Call and his crew were seen moving office equipment and parts into the former Mike Ognibene Ford Dealership location. According to Tim, Empire's new shop is only a mile and a half down the road from the former location but will be a better mix for them. The move was going well and they will be in operation Monday.

Running back Zach Dubois helped carry Elba/Byron-Bergen to a 19-14 victory over Notre Dame.

Dubois had 152 yards on 23 carries, scoring three touchdowns.

Elba/BB (4-1) jumped out to a 12-0 first-quarter lead, with Dubois scoring on runs of three and four yards. The first TD followed a fumble by the Fighting Irish on the opening kickoff.

Sophomore Quarterback Tim McCulley was involved in both of Norte Dame's TDs, rushing three yards in the second quarter to score and tossing a third-quarter TD to Nick Taylor on a 10-yard pass play.

Dubois scored earlier in the third quarter on a 62-yard run, which proved to be the decisive score.

Tom Fowler led the Elba/BB defense with 15 tackles, including four for a loss. Alex Jasinski had five tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Cody Naylor had seven tackles and one sack.

The Lancers had 253 total yards compared to 173 for Notre Dame (4-1), however, time of possession was greatly in Notre Dame's favor, 29:59 to 18:01.

For Notre Dame, Nick Taylor had 61 yards on 16 carries. McCulley had 83 yards passing.

With Notre Dame's loss and Baker's 49-7 win over Holley, Barker is in sole possession of first place in the Genesee Region League at 5-0.

In other Genesee County football action:

Alexander fell to 0-5 with a 26-7 loss to Attica (4-1).  Lucas Phillips scored Alexander's lone TD, a 48-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Le Roy, now 3-2, scored 35 points in the second quarter on its way to a 62-26 win over Perry (1-4). Tommy McQuillen had 213 yards rushing on 18 carries, scoring six TDs. Andy Lowe completed all eight pass attempts for 136 yards and two TDs. Jeremy Poles had three receptions for 55 yards.

No stats are available on the following games:

Hornell beat Batavia 49-7; Pembroke beat Oakfield-Alabama 43-22.

On Friday, John Kennedy Elementary School hosted its annual Community Night.

Jen Houseknecht and the John Kennedy Parent Group welcome attendees and provide information on upcoming school events

The Kissing Booth offers hand-stamps and chocolate "kisses"!

Students and their families meet local law enforcement and emergency personnel -- and get to try out the sirens!

The event, sponsored by the John Kennedy Parent Group, brings representatives of local businesses and service organizations together with students and their families for a fun-filled evening of activities and information. It also serves as an opportunity for new students and their families to learn more about the school and the Batavia community.  

Ron Cain of Cain's Taekwondo teaches a lesson in the basics of control.

Shaylene Kilner and Karissa Kesler of the John Kennedy Post Office.

Attendees enjoyed free pizza and ice cream, a Scholastic Book Fair, giveaways, face painting, games and other entertainments. More than 20 organizations participated, including Batavia Bulldawgs, Art Ah La Carte, GCASA (Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse), and the Batavia police and fire departments, as well as local youth sports and after-school activities. Sponsors included Pauly's Pizza, Bob Harris Realty, and Summit Physical Therapy & Sportscare Center.  

Attendees get their faces painted, learn to dance, guess pumpkin weights, race and much more in the John Kennedy gymnasium.

The Scholastic Book Fair features story and activity books for all ages and reading levels.

Kim Argenta of Art Ah La Carte describes art classes available to children and adults.

Sheriff's K-9 Unit's Mike Ballow and Rov walk the halls.

More pictures from the event can be found at Francletography.com

Eric James Harter, 36, of Beaver Meadow Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, failure to stop for stop sign, no seat belt and speed not reasonable or prudent. Harter was charged following an investigation into a motor-vehicle accident at 6:04 p.m., Sept. 3, at the intersection of Cockram and Transit roads. Harter's vehicle hit a tree.

Eddie Lee Miles, 39, of Ellicott Street, is charged with assault, 3rd. At 5:40 p.m., Sept. 17, Miles allegedly punched another person in the face. The alleged victim suffered cuts that required stitches. 

Press release:

The Rochester Red Wings announced today that the New York Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, will play 37 of their home games at Frontier Field in 2012 while their ballpark in Scranton (PNC Field) undergoes a $40-million renovation.

Batavia’s Dwyer Stadium, home of the New York-Penn League short-season Single-A Batavia Muckdogs, who are managed and operated by Rochester Community Baseball, Inc., will host seven games.

“We are delighted to be able to bring these additional Triple-A baseball games to the fans of the Rochester and Batavia areas," said Red Wings President/CEO/COO Naomi Silver. "This expanded schedule will provide lots more opportunities for our fans to enjoy additional games during the upcoming season. We’ve put a considerable amount of time and effort into working with the Scranton ballclub to make this a reality.

“We very much appreciate the franchises in Rochester, Batavia, Syracuse, Buffalo, Lehigh Valley and Pawtucket welcoming us into their stadiums and hosting our SWB Triple-A team’s games next season. We will establish our base of operations in Rochester with more than half our home games played right there in Rochester.

New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said: "This will be a very interesting experience for our players and we’re looking forward to having our highest-level prospects playing in front of the legions of Yankees fans all across Upstate New york and into Allentown and Pawtucket. In 2013, we will return to Scranton Wilkes-Barre to a dramatically rebuilt stadium which will be our Triple-A home for a very long time."

“We are all excited about this opportunity, but we are also aware of the challenges that are ahead of us as an organization. Without a staff like we currently have in place, we wouldn’t have been able to consider this opportunity. We feel there is no better place than Frontier Field for Scranton to play,” Silver added.

The International League has approved the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees plan to play all 72 of their 2012 home games at alternate locations while renovations to PNC Field take place this off-season.

International League President Randy Mobley said: "As the title of a current article in 'Baseball America' states 'Passion Runs Deep in Rochester.' There are many baseball-loving communities in Minor League Baseball, but there is none that has supported the game for a longer period of time or loves the game any greater than in Rochester. There may not be another community or organization in Minor League Baseball that could tackle this challenge in this manner.

"The International League is grateful to both the Red Wings and Muckdogs organizations for being the cornerstone elements in establishing a home base for the Scranton/W-B Yankees games in 2012."

For the last several weeks, SWB Yankees LLC and the International League have been working diligently on a final proposal to have Scranton/Wilkes-Barre play all their home games at alternate locations in 2012.

“From an economic development standpoint it will also be a home run for our community because it will create more jobs, fill more hotel rooms, and spur on more business in our community thanks to the Yankees and visiting teams being here for those additional 37 dates," said Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason.

"This should also be an economic boom for Batavia as well as a great opportunity for Muckdogs fans to see Triple-A baseball in their own backyard for the first time ever."

Scranton, for the most part, will make Upstate NY their home away from home in 2012. In addition to the 37 home games at Frontier Field, Scranton will play six home games in Buffalo, seven in Batavia, and 10 in Syracuse.

Scranton will also play eight games in Lehigh Valley and four games in Pawtucket.

“The International league has always prided itself in helping each other out when needed," Mason said. "The Scranton/W-B club needed a place to play and we were happy to come to their assistance along with our North Division partners in Buffalo, Syracuse, Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley. This is a shining example of the spirit of cooperation within the International League."