City firefighters are responding to a complaint about "a recreational fire" behind the residence at 7 Ross St. Law enforcement is also dispatched to the scene.

Press release:

Genesee County Sheriff Gary T. Maha shares the following safety tips to help you plan a safe, fun Halloween for your family. Review these safety guidelines with your family and set ground rules before heading out. The sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies will have increased patrols on October 31 but planning on your part is the best way to ensure a safe Halloween.

Never leave your house unattended. If you have to leave your house, make sure all the doors are locked.

Parents DO:

• Map out your route and check it against the New York State Sex Offender Registry at www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor

• Accompany your young children and plan to go when it’s light out.
• Feed your children a meal or substantial snack before trick or treating.
• Have children save all candy until they get home.
• Inspect all treats; throw away unwrapped, open, or suspicious looking goodies.

Trick-or-Treaters DO:

• Travel in pairs or groups and stay together.
• Walk on the sidewalk or on the left side of the road facing traffic.
• Stop, look and listen at corners.
• Plan a safe route; stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick.
• Carry a cell phone if going without an adult.
• Be respectful of people and their property.

Trick-or-Treaters DON’T:

• Go into a stranger's house or get into a stranger's car.
• Run across yards or streets.
• Venture down dark, empty streets.
• Approach dark, unlighted houses.
• Go between parked cars or crisscross back and forth across streets.
• Eat any treats before your parents check them.

At Home:

• Put away anything children could trip over.
• Turn the lights on and replace any burned-out bulbs at the walkway and front door.
• Remember, your jack-o-lantern and any other candles or electrical decorations can be a fire hazard. Keep them out of the reach of small children and away from flammable materials.

Press release:

Genesee Community College will offer two open house events this fall at the Main Campus in Batavia, allowing perspective students and their families to explore the many opportunities the College has to offer. Those interested in attending are encouraged to pre-register at www.genesee.edu/OpenHouse or by calling 866-CALL-GCC.

The first event is scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 - 11 a.m. The admissions, financial aid and advisement staff will be available to answer questions, and enjoy complete tours of the Batavia Campus, College Village and the College's Nursing labs and classrooms located across the street in the Med Tech Building.

The College will also hold its annual Veterans Day Academic Open House on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. As the biggest recruitment event of the year, visitors have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with professors and instructors at the Academic Fair which runs from 9 to 9:45 a.m., gaining inside knowledge about GCC's many majors and some long-term career projections. In addition, representatives from several four-year colleges will be on hand to talk about transfer options from GCC. If you want a comprehensive look at academics, admissions and the overall GCC experience, don't miss this event!

Genesee Community College provides a variety of convenient learning options for students of all ages. Students can take classes at the main campus in Batavia or at one of six campus centers in GCC's four-county service area, including Lima and Dansville in Livingston County, Albion and Medina in Orleans County, and Arcade and Warsaw in Wyoming County. GCC also has a robust online learning program with more than 100 online courses offered each semester and 15 degrees can be earned fully online.

Establishing new degrees, certificates and concentrations that are focused on careers and jobs of the future has always been a priority for GCC. Among the newest programs are Food Processing Technology AAS, Polysomnographic Technology, AAS, (the study of sleep disorders), Supply Chain Management Concentration and Economic Crime Investigation as two concentrations within the Business Administration program, and GCC recently realigned the science programs into four Natural Science concentrations, specifically Physics, Environmental Biology, Biology and Chemistry.

"I have been at GCC for nearly 20 years and I continue to be impressed by the diversity of our student body," Tanya Lane-Martin, assistant dean for Enrollment Services and director of Admissions said. "While we enjoy our traditional aged students who come from high school, I'm also delighted by our growing number of international students, parents and some grandparents who are attending classes with their children, students from Downstate who love our rural community, and the displaced workers who want to retrain and get back into the workforce ASAP. Serving the needs of all these students and helping them achieve their success is what makes GCC such a special place."

For those interested in upcoming courses, a complete listing of GCC's Winterim, Spring and Summer 2016 course schedules can be viewed here: http://www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule/

Plans are being made to honor Don Read, former Genesee County Clerk who retired on Sept. 11, with a dinner at Terry Hills Restaurant. He served as county clerk for 22 years.

It is planned for Saturday, Nov. 7th, with social hour starting at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Cost is $30 per person.

To reserve a seat, send your check -- made out to Richard Siebert -- to P.O. Box 171, Batavia NY 14021.

Also, if anyone would like to participate honoring Mr. Read, please let Mr. Siebert know.

Press release:

The Village of Oakfield’s Department of Public Works plan to flush hydrants throughout the Village and Town of Oakfield beginning Oct. 19th and concluding Oct. 23rd. Residents may notice some discoloration in water and possible low pressure.

(Also, a reminder to Village residents -- street parking regulations change beginning Nov. 1st through April 30th.)

A caller is reports an open burn is causing a nuisance at 251 Bank St. City firefighters are responding. The location is between Hart and Douglas streets.

The Business Teachers Association of New York State awards the Julian A. Milkes Award for Outstanding New Business Educator each school year. Notre Dame High School is proud to announce that its Business Teacher, Lindsay Warner, is the recipient of the 2015 award.

The Julian A. Milkes Award recognizes exemplary efforts of new business educators early in their careers. Individuals must have made significant contributions to Business Education through some combination of program development, professional association activities, professional contributions (through presentations/publications), and civic and community involvement. They will have been involved in innovative, unique and novel programs and have shown extraordinary professional commitment early in their careers.

Retired principal Joseph Scanlan, Ph.D., said “Mrs. Warner has brought Business Education into the new millennium at Notre Dame High School.”

Lindsay’s hard work and diligence have resulted in Notre Dame obtaining college course accreditation for three high school business courses she currently teaches in conjunction with Genesee Community College.

“She is a mover and shaker who teaches business courses using real life business applications," Scanlan said. "Course requests for the courses she teaches are off the charts as the word has traveled quickly that her classes are indeed the real deal."

Warner also masterminded her senior-level marketing class’s participation in the Virtual Business Competition held at GCC in March. The Notre Dame “Cupcakery” team captured four first-place awards and one for second in the competition with 12 other regional schools. She planted the seed, encouraged them to do their best and oversaw their efforts.

Warner has also started a quality shadowing experience program, which is placing interested juniors and seniors in real-life career opportunities during the school year and summer vacation.

A Notre Dame High School graduate, she received her master's in Education from Nazareth College in 2009. She holds a NYS Professional Certification in Business and Marketing Education. She lives in Le Roy with her husband, Jeremy, and two young sons. Congratulations to Lindsay on this prestigious award!

We are informed that the phones are not working at the Genesee Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center. So if you want to attend tonight's program about bats, including a slideshow and guided nature tour afterward, please register via e-mail to: Shannon.Morley@co.genesee.ny.us

Or message the park people on Facebook, Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry.

Either way, registration is required.

You will learn that bats are experts at staying warm -- they have a fur coat, keep a cozy home, and they love to cuddle!!

Le Roy finished out the regular season with a loss to Livonia, 28-22.

The Oatkan Knights will head into sectional play with a 4-3 record.

Nick Egeling carried the ball for 176 yards and a TD on 22 rushes. Dom Filio gained 54 yards and scored 11 carries. Josh Laurie had nine carries for 43 yards and a TD. He was 4-20 passing for 20 yards. Ryan Boyce had a 35-yard reception and Benny Piazza caught one for 34 yards.

Nate Flint had seven tackles, and with six each are Piazza, Egeling, Dave Englert and Laurie.

Also on Friday night:

• Pembroke over CG Finney, 36-28
• Attica, 34, Oakfield-Alabama, 21
• Elba/Byron-Bergen, 35, Alexander, 32
• Cuba/Rushford, 47, York/Pavilion, 22

Notre Dame hosts Holley today at 1:30 p.m.

Le Roy game photos by David Boyce.

A bicyclist was struck by a vehicle and is possibly injured on Veterans Memorial Drive in front of Peebles department store. Town of Batavia fire is responding. Mercy medics are on scene to evaluate the patient.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: The town assignment is back in service.

A cold steady rain for three quarters of last night's football game did not effect the undefeated Batavia Blue Devils as they took control before halftime and finished with a 42-16 win over the home team Geneva Trojans.

Batavia battled a tough first quarter but came up leading 14-8 on a key play by freshman Ray Leach pictured above.

Dominic Mogavero scored on this handoff from senior quarterback Greg Mruczek.

Ryan Hogan caught a long pass from Mruczek where he scored a touchdown to make it 28-8 at halftime.

In the third quarter, both Batavia and Geneva added touchdowns within minutes of each other. However Batavia scored again late in the third quarter that eventually was the final 42-16.

Batavia finishes the season with a perfect 7-0 record and will play home this Friday at Vandetta Stadium at 7 p.m. versus Midlakes or Pal-Mac pending the results of today's games.

Brian L. Brennan, 46, of Maple Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with criminal sale of marijuana, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Brennan allegedly gave a quantity of marijuana to a 15-year-old in Attica Village Park on Monday. The park is monitored by surveillance cameras and patrolled frequently by Attica PD. Following an investigation by Attica PD, he was arraigned and jailed on $2,000 bail, or $5,000 bond.  

Kevin Scott Ludwig, 41, South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving while using a mobile phone and failure to signal a turn. Ludwig was stopped at 2:17 a.m. on Stevens Street, Oakfield, by Joseph Corona.

Joseph Benjamin Baldassara, 29, of 3rd Street, Youngstown, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and inadequate muffler. Baldassara was stopped at 10:26 p.m. Friday on South Main Street, Oakfield, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Ramon Alberto Quinones, 21, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Quinones is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

A photo submitted by Emily Muench yesterday of a Fall scene in East Pembroke.

American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett visited Batavia Friday and spoke with veterans at the VA Center.

His Fall Meetings in communities nationwide are aimed at publicizing three things, primarily: the Walk with Veterans campaign to raise awareness about veterans; the VA healthcare system and its value; and role the Amercian Legion plays in fighting for veterans' rights regarding education, jobs, and mental health/reintegration services.

He told the local group that he believes the Veterans Administration is a system worth saving, that it provides greatly needed services for veterans and their families.

Barnett mentioned the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, which the legion successfully lobbied in favor of, state licensing credits, the expanded GI Bill of Rights and new educational opportunties, including the ability to transfer educational benefits to spouse or children.

"We're fighting for benefits that affect them," he said. "We fight for veterans and their families."

Asked about efforts to shore up declining membership, especially among younger vets, Barnett said education and awareness are key. They can't help fix problem if they aren't aware of them.

Since active duty military personnel and National Guards reservists can't lobby legislators about proposed defense cuts, Barnett said, so it's imperative that newly retired and non-active personnel fill that gap, both for the sake of U.S. safety and preparedness, and the benefits and services at stake.

Asked about the alarming rate of suicides among young veterans, he noted that every day 22 veterans take their life. Barnett said the VA is branching out in its efforts to help self-healing, "with less reliance on narcotics, over-medication that may have occurred in hospitals nationwide."

Plus, they've help develop creative programs to help war-weary vets meld back into society and overcome bad experiences, citing a program that pairs vets with horses in Saratoga and another equine program in Montana. There's also the "Dogs for Heroes" program.

And no one is better suited to understanding the wounds of war better than other veterans, Barnett said.

Photo and information provided by our news partner, WBTA.

As a guest of the New York Farm Bureau, I will be in Waterloo for the next two days to attend the Farm and Food Experience, a symposium for journalists on the agriculture industry. I was thrilled to be invited to attend. It's a great opportunity to learn more about farming.

Naturally, news coverage will be more limited while I'm away, but will continue.

Four years ago Mark Fanara, whose Batavia tattoo business High Voltage had become very successful, thought he should do something to give back to the community that had nourished him his entire life, so he decided to hold a charity tattoo event and donate the proceeds to local community groups. The event was so popular and raised so much money for local charity that he decided to do it again the next year, and the next, and the next.

This year, Mark needs the community's help. Hospitalized with lymphomatoid granulomatosis, a rare cancer, the father of little two boys has only limited means to deal with his illness.

To help him out, two of his employees, Andrew London and Jeremy Fridman, are holding their own three-day event of tattoos and piercing to benefit Mark. The event is from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 23 through Oct. 25. Customers can select from a specific set of designs for a small tattoo for $30. Piercings are $15. Proceeds benefit Mark Fanara.

High Voltage is located at 110 W. Main St., Batavia.

There will also be a spaghetti dinner at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Alexander Fire Hall. Live music with Nix Vega starts at 6 p.m.

Pushing through adversity and not giving up on your goals are keys to success, said Brittany Salmon, Batavia native and one of the top-ranked speed skaters in the nation, while speaking this afternoon to students in the Girls on the Run program at Batavia Middle School.

Salmon always dreamed of being an Olympian, starting as an 8-year-old hockey player with the Batavia Ramparts. And though she went on to play Division I hockey at Princeton, she found she wasn't quite good enough make the Olympic hockey team. More as a chance to compete and have fun, she took up speed skating after college and a coach encouraged her to take a shot at making the U.S. Hockey Team.

She moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and started training with the team, but then she suffered a series of injuries. She had two knee surgeries, a broken back and various tears and sprains of muscles and tendons. That kept her from physical training for two years.

She admitted to feeling discouraged, even depressed, and she thought about giving up speed skating.

"It's hard to keep motivated and keep pushing through when you can't do something that you love," she said.

Then she had a realization. If she couldn't prepare to compete physically, she could still prepare to compete mentally. She started reading books on competition and training, and mental preparation, and nutrition ,and started visualizing exercises.

"So, all the sudden, even though I'm injured, I'm still working towards my goal," Salmon said. "Even when roadblocks come up, there are ways to work around them. Even though you're injured now, maybe you can do sit ups. There's always a way around a roadblock."

By the time she returned to competition, she jumped from a top 16 skater, she said, to maybe a top six.

"After all that hard work of reading and visualizing, I got back on the ice," Salmon said. "I made Olympic trials. I didn't make the Olympic team. I'm bummed about that, but I made our World Cup Team and I earned my USA suit and I got to skate with all the Olympians and I got to race against all of the Olympians. I got my butt kicked, because they're so good. That was my first international race, but it was super cool and I'm so happy that pushed I through it and kept working toward my goals and didn't give up at all."

Press release:

Kevin Carlson from the Warsaw Kiwanis Club presents a $1,000 check to Jeanne Walton, president of the Kiwanis Club of Batavia. The check is a donation the Warsaw club is making to  the JFCAC (Justice for Children Advocacy Center) Glow Foundation as part of the 5th Annual Bidding on a Brighter Future Auction and Gala which was hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Batavia on Sept. 19th.

The event was part of a long-term effort by the Kiwanis Club of Batavia to raise the funds necessary to acquire a permanent home for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center in Batavia. The Kiwanis Club of Batavia would like to thank the Warsaw Kiwanis Club as well as everyone else who donated money and volunteered their time for another successful gala.