WHAM was in Batavia yesterday to cover a class project for 7th grader to interview their parents and others about the election. The big concern: the economy. Here's the video.

Ann Gavenda didn't only talk about the Elba History Barn when we met a few weeks back. She had some great stories to tell me about working in the muck on the Elba onion fields back in the 1940s, when her and the other girls ran into snakes, cigars, highly articulate Jamaicans and more dimes than you can shake a stick at—and she had the blisters to prove it. Without further ado:

A few weeks ago, I paid a visit to the new History Barn in Elba, built to store all the ancient farm equipment and other relics that were locked up in who knew how many barns all over the town and its environs. Ann Gavenda was kind enough to come down and tell me a bit about the town's new treasure and the treasures inside it. Here's what she told me:

Were you able to make out the price of a gallon of gas on the old Esso pump?

Ann didn't only tell me about the history barn. She told me a lot more about growing up in Elba and working in the muck fields. Please be sure to check out that video which should go up later this afternoon.

Rob Williams has been having one tremendous season so far for the Batavia football team.

Yet he hadn't won Section 5 Class B Player of the Week for offense or defense yet.

His numbers were hard to ignore from this past Friday's 32-13 win over Penn Yan and now the Batavia senior has been named Offensive Player of the Week this week.

Williams picked up 267 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns, while catching a pair of passes for 29 yards and returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, one for 90 yards and another for 94.

I spoke with coach Dan Geiger after the game it he was pretty confident that his tailback had to get the award this week.

"If he doesn't win it this week, they just aren't going to give it to him," said the coach.

Williams was held to just 17 yards on seven carries in the season opening loss to Le Roy, but has been putting up impressive numbers every week since.

He now has 878 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns.

He has also been a star on defense and special teams.

He had an interception, two fumble recoveries and a big stop on a 2-point conversion play in a Week 2 loss against Pal-Mac.

Williams also had a 99-yard fumble recovery in a Week 4 win over Midlakes.

He's been having a great season in all three aspects of the game and could be in the running for Class B Player of the Year of Batavia keeps getting the job done on the field.

The Blue Devils are 3-2 and currently the No. 8 seed in Class B, with a great chance of making the sectional tournament.

From the sound of the article in today's Daily News about last night's meeting of the Charter Review Commission, that group doesn't know a whole lot about its government. Here we have a group of city residents come together to review the document that forms the backbone of city goverment, and Joanne Beck writes that "no one" even knows the responsibilities of the city clerk/treasurer. One member, John Deleo, wanted to scrap the position of assistant city manager before he even knew what it entailed. That same member admits flat out: "We're shifting a lot of responsibilties with the stroke of a pen without understanding what everyone does."

Wait a second... What!? Why would anyone who doesn't know what government staffers do be charged with the responsibility of deciding whether or not they should contintue to do it?

At the very least, shouldn't members of such a commission be trained and educated before they begin their deliberations rather than trying to get them up to speed during the proceedings? John Roach heads up the commission, and I know he's a frequent contributor to the site, so I'm hoping he'll come on here and clarify a few of these points for us.

Another question for John: Beck writes that Councilmen Sam Barone and Bob Bialkowski have asked the commission to "consider how much responsibility council has over department heads ... and giving council the power versus city manager." Have those issues come up yet? What does the commission think?

While we're at it: What about going back to a strong mayoral form of city government?

County Manager Jay Gsell told the Daily News that "it will be an "extremely difficult" task to keep the tax rate at or below" its current level. That's a fine assertion, but it makes for a whole lot of confusion sandwiched by statements to the contrary. Gsell also says: "I wouldn't bring anything to" the legislators that would exceed the current tax rate. For their part, the legislators say that they hope to "decrease taxes."

So which is it?

Reporter Paul Mrozek writes in the article summary line: "Gsell's goal: Cut the tax rate." That's a fine goal, but if Gsell himself doesn't believe it's possible, what's the point of calling it a goal?

A meeting of the town of Batavia Planning Board scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. The board had only one item on its agenda—the "draft generic environmental impact statement" for the agri-business park—and it was not ready. It should be ready for review for the next meeting on October 21.

Another decision was postponed, this time in Albion. There, the Town Board put off voting on its local wind law Monday in order to make the revisions—"very minor word changes"—recommended by the Orleans County Planning Board. The proposed law will limit "wind energy conversion systems" to not exceed 120 feet. They will take up the vote at the next session on October 20.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Most viewed posts for September:

• Responding To Mike Wrona, by Robert Harding
• Your thoughts on the Republican veep..., by Philip Anselmo
• See you at the Pole, by Nancy Baxter
• Letter to the editor flat out wrong about Senator Obama, by Philip Anselmo
• Chris Lee appears to be dodging debates and questions, by Howard Owens
• The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, by Tom G.
• Alice Kryzan's position on financial crisis and bail outs, by Howard Owens
• Palin stumbles in first televised interview. Just the jitters? Or more?, by Philip Anselmo
• Muckdogs sweep Jamestown to win NY-P crown, by Howard Owens
• Driving in Batavia, by Melissa George

Stephanie R. Cotton, 33, of 335 Bank St., C1, Batavia, was charged with a felony count of first-degree perjury Monday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Cotton is accused of making false statements while under oath during a county family court proceeding in April when she was facing a charge of fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Cotton was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000.

More than 2,000 Genesee County residents have registered to vote since September 26, and nearly half (850) will be first-time voters, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. Fischer spoke with the Democratic and Republican election commissioners for the county who attribute the surge in voter registration to the cult of personality: Barack Obama for the Dems and John Mc—oh, wait, no, not him—Sarah Palin for the GOP.

This Saturday will be the last chance to register for those have have not yet. Registration in Genesee County will be open from 1:00 to 9:00pm. Batavians can head down to the fire station on Evans Street or the Batavia Town Hall to register. Visit WBTA's Web site for a complete list of locations around the county.

Chris Lee, GOP nominee for the 26th Congressional District,  made a campaign appearance in Lockport and again knocked the bailout bill for being loaded with pork. He also said he'll push for the line-item veto if elected.

“The way things are now ... for the greater good we’re forced to accept the warts as well. A line-item veto is one of the first things I would fight for in Congress,” Lee said. “I hope most of these guys get voted out. If you saw me doing the same thing two years from now, I hope you’d vote me out, too.”

The problem with the line-item veto is it invests too much power in the executive branch, and in an age of imperial presidencies, that's going in the wrong direction. Congress needs to wrest some power back from the executive, not add to it. If Lee wants to portray himself as a conservative, he should give this position a little more consideration.

I wonder if Lee has a position on signing statements?

The Democrats paid for this attack ad on behalf of Alice Kryzan:

The Chris Lee campaign has this ad out now:

Shame on both camps.

This may be an indication how serious the Democrats are about winning the 61st Senate District: Candidate Joe Mesi has raised nearly $140,000 from outside-district sources, while getting only not even a fraction of that from within the district ($350).

This, according to the Buffalo News.

Mesi's campaign says the next finance filing, which will cover donations received after Sept. 29, will show a lot more in-district fund raising.

Mesi himself, incredibly and suspiciously, was not available for an interview, according to reporter Tom Precious

Meanwhile, they hit Ranzenhofer with this:

“We’re dismayed Mike Ranzenhofer continues to rely on cash from government contractors seeking subsidies and sweetheart deals,” said Emma Wolfe, a Mesi spokeswoman.

Is this where this once admirably issue-based campaign turns nasty?

When we've written about Mesi, our Democratic readers haven't shown much interest in him. When I talk with people around the district, they also note that Mesi isn't generating much interest in the area.  I wonder why that is? He's a credible candidate, whom state Democrats obviously want to win, with the kind of off-beat bio that can resonate with voters.  Why the big yawn so far?

Has Mesi made any public appearances in Genesee County yet.  My perception, though potentially unfair, is he's been pretty much a no-show around these parts so far.

If you've met Mesi, tell us what you think of him?

Meanwhile, the New York Times is reporting that Gov. David Paterson is on a mission to help Democrats win control of the Senate.

Mr. Mesi’s race in particular is considered a must-win for Democrats in their quest for a Senate majority.

“I think four or five months ago, David was not where he is today,” said Senator Eric T. Schneiderman, a Manhattan Democrat. “I think he’s concluded we’re going to win and that he has a better shot at mobilizing the state against the challenges we’re facing with a Democratic Senate.”

Do you think it's good for one party to control all levers of power in Albany? To me, as much as I distrust the two-party system, I'm even more leery of a one-party system.

Here's a new TV commercial from Ranzenhofer (nothing new from Mesi on YouTube):

Today, on my drive around Genesee County, I came across a few signs and flier for various church dinners or other community meals coming up this month.

It reminded me of a dinner at attended at Emmanuel Baptist Church on Oak Street a few weeks ago.  A woman at the event said, "Emmanuel has always put on the best dinners of any church in Genesee County."

Is that true?

If you could go to only one community dinner in October, which one would it be?  And if not in October, what church or civic group serves the best dinners?

The Daily News leads off today's edition with coverage -- and a family photo -- of the GOP open house Saturday. It's typical, work-in-every body's-name, newspaper coverage. No real news.  The Batavian covered the event Saturday and used it as an opportunity to get Chris Lee on the record regarding his position on the Wall Street bailout.

Monday's paper also features an interview with Beth Ryan, president of Genesee County Right to Life. Ryan says, "I want to end abortion. I want people to understand that abortion shouldn't just be illegal. It should be unthinkable."

Paul Mrozek writes about invasive plant, with honeysuckle being noted as a particular problem. He features Peter Smallidge, who demonstrated using a propane torch to burn the plants at Genesee County Park. Burning the plant at the base doesn't immediately kill it, but weakens it so it will die. Honeysuckles, which are non-native, can crowd out other shrubs and birds that nest in them have fewer successful hatches.

To subscribe to the Daily News, visit the paper's web site.

WBTA reports that you can get a free flu shot (with insurance card) today.

The Genesee County Health Department will offer the shots (along with Pneumonia shots) from 9 to 11 at County Building Two on West Main Street.

Also, the Batavia City School board meets at 7 p.m. tonight Robert Morris School

Shaun A. DiSalvo, 30, of Linwood Avenue in Batavia was apprehended Saturday morning at 4:30 a.m. for allegedly operating an ATV while intoxicated and unlawful possession of Marijuana.  Batavia officers report they spotted DiSalvo operating the ATV north on Route 98. When they attempted to stop ATV, he initially tried to flee, according to the report. After a brief pursuit, he stopped on South Jackson.  He also received citations for operating an ATV on a public highway.

Edwin L. Stancliff, 29, of Ocala, Fla., was arrested in Pembroke Thursday at 5:43 p.m. for allegedly operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Corfu police officers report they made the arrest after a traffic accident. According to the report, Stancliff was driving without a license and fled from the scene of the crash.

Melvin G. Draper, Jr., 27, of Walnut Street in Batavia, was arrested Saturday at 10:19 p.m. after reportedly operating a vehicle involved in a single-car accident that left a female passenger hospitalized with internal injuries. A 15-year-old passenger was uninjured. Draper was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, endangering the welfare of a child, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and speed not reasonable.  The accident occurred with Draper was reportedly operating the vehicle eastbound on Batavia-Elba Townline Road at a high speed on a wet road. Police say Draper lost control of the vehicle and it slid into a ditch and became airborne after hitting a driveway.  The report says Draper then left the scene and went to a nearby friend's house. He later returned to the scene.

David W. King, Jr., 27, of Lockport Road, Elba, was arrested Friday at 11:28 p.m. for allegedly operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs. He was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, speeding and an unsafe lane change. Police report that they found King with a glass crack pipe and crack cocaine.

Gordon C. Gonyo, 54, of Byron Road in Byron, was arrested Saturday at 6:37 p.m. for allegedly driving while intoxicated. Gonyo was apprehended after a complaint about a vehicle being operated erratically on Byron Road.

LeRoy resident and Genesee County Farm Bureau president Dale Stein gets to talk politics in the Democrat & Chronicle this morning.

Spoiler alert: He says he is voting for John McCain. He says that's his personal decision, not an endorsement from the Farm Bureau.

Among his concerns are the high cost of energy and immigration.

"Too much of this country believes we have enough labor, and we don't," said Stein, who owns Stein Farms in LeRoy, Genesee County.

The labor shortage hasn't affected Stein's own farm but he said it has caused 25 percent less cabbage to be grown in western New York because farmers knew they wouldn't have the workers for harvest.

Congress won't talk about it because they won't get re-elected," said Stein, president of the Genesee County Farm Bureau.

On energy, he favors more drilling and nuclear power.

Stein's energy costs have increased 40 percent in two years, and now his electricity bill is $7,000 a month. Electricity powers the milking system and the fans that keep the cows cool.

Mike Ranzenhofer, GOP candidate for the 61st Senate District, wants to cut taxes for you and me.  He announced his plan at the Harvester Center last week.

His opponent, Joe Mesi, tells the Buffalo News his proposal is reckless and vague.

“It’s basically a lot of fluff,” said Joe Mesi, the former professional boxer. “We agree on the need to cut state spending. The difference is, I can tell you where and how. I’m not sure he can.”

Ranzenhofer does offer the means to pay for his tax cut. He wants a mandatory 15 percent across-the-board cut in state spending and says $19 billion in savings would flow from those changes.

...

His bold proposal prompts the question: Is it credible enough to be taken seriously in Albany?

And how does one lawmaker, especially a freshman who may or may not be in the Senate majority, convince the rest of the State Legislature to cut spending at all state agencies by 15 percent?

“One legislator makes it happen by having the backbone to stand up,” he said. “I also believe my vote will be very important.”

It’s no secret the Ranzenhofer- Mesi race is one of the most pivotal in the state this year. The GOP is eager to maintain control of the Senate — it currently holds a one-seat majority — and Ranzenhofer is running for a seat that historically has been Republican.

At the GOP HQ open house yesterday, the message was Republicans would need to work hard to get Ranzenhofer elected. With a Democrat as governor and the Dems controlling the Assembly, the GOP can't afford to lose this only open Senate seat.  Among other things, the next round of redistricting is at stake.

It could be a tight race.

LoHud.com reported this week the campaign filings for each candidate:

—61st District: Joe Mesi, Democratic candidate, raised $140,250, spent $97,044 and had $52,042 on hand. Republican candidate Mike Ranzenhofer raised $67,743, spent $106,299 and had $146,746 on hand.

Top picture is Ranzenhofer, lower is Mesi.

Batavia-based Graham Corp. hasn't been immune to the recent tumble in stock prices.

The company, which traded at a 52-week high of $109.82 in mid-August, closed Friday at $40.18, only 18 cents above it's 52-week low of $40, achieved in early January.

The stock lost 32 percent of its value in the past week, falling $18.68 per share.

On August 31, the Democrat and Chronicle ran a story noting that Graham was the region's best performing stock for the previous 12 months.

You can read company press releases and see it remains a strong financial performer.

In July, GHM announced a dividend increase and a 2-for-1 stock split to take effect tomorrow.

Paul M. Rossiter, 19, of Woodstock Gardens, Batavia, was arrested Saturday evening on Route 237 in Byron for alleging possessing marijuana. Rossiter was reportedly the passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over in a traffic stop by a sheriff's deputy.

William Stephans, Jr., 41, of Lake Street in LeRoy, was arrested for allegedly driving while under the influence. He was stopped by a deputy on Route 5 in Stafford.

Both of these incidents were reported in press releases from the Genesee County Sheriff's Department.

 After losing games to Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke and Attica, the Alexander football team has found the right equation to win in the Genesee Region League.

The Trojans play a physical style of football that involves pounding away with the ball on offense, are attempting to force turnovers on defense and - most importantly - making all the right moves on special teams.

Alexander won for the second consecutive week and are now 2-3 after beating Elba/Byron-Bergen 28-13 Saturday night in the first game ever played under the lights in Elba.

The Trojans spoiled Elba/Byron-Bergen's homecoming, but it didn't take away from the cool atmosphere of seeing a game in Elba played under lights, which did an excellent job of lighting the middle part of the field.

It almost wasn't spoiled as the two teams played a pretty close first half.

The two squads exchanged punts on their first possessions and a special teams mistake by Elba/Byron-Bergen on the team's second possession proved costly.

The snap sailed over the punters head and the Lancers picked it up and ran to their own 30-yard line.

Alexander had a couple of decent running plays before Jay Schaefer ran one in from six yards out. The extra point was missed.

Elba/Byron-Bergen's Zach Green then returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. Again, the kick failed and the score was tied at 6 after the first quarter.

Alexander coach Dave Radley wanted to make sure I mentioned kicker/punter Lucas Czechowski in my preview this week and for good reason - he came up big. 

His first big kick was a 22-yard field goal early in the second quarter that put the Trojans up 9-6.

Elba/Byron-Bergen missed a field goal later in the half and that was the score at intermission 

Alexander had a long drive to open the second half - aided by some costly Elba/B-B penalties - that led to another Schaefer touchdown, this time from two yards out. The kick made the score 16-6.

The Lancers scored on another big play as Green rumbled 61 yards for a TD. The extra point brought Elba/Byron-Bergen to within three points.

Alexander marched down the field, going 68 yards down to the Elba/B-B 1 with a long kickoff return and a key pass from Zach Burke to Czechowski. But the Trojans fumbled the ball away and the Lancers took over deep in their own territory near the end of the third quarter.

Green broke off a 15-yarder, but the drive stalled and the Lancers had to punt again.

For the second time in the game, the snap sailed over the punter's head. This time it went through the end zone for a safety.

Alexander got the ball back and was moved into field goal territory because of an Elba/B-B facemask call.

Czechowski hit the 22-yard kick to make the score 21-13.

Ryan Piechocki had a key sack and forced Elba/B-B into a passing situation where Jordan Leitten took advantage, intercepting a pass at the 20-yard line.

Mike Woodrow had a 4-yard run a few plays later to make it a two touchdown game.

Leitten capped off the victory with another interception in the closing seconds, allowing the Trojans to take a knee and run out the clock.

Elba/Byron-Bergen falls to 1-4 and the biggest crowd to attend a game in the town of Elba in years was treated to a cool homecoming experience. But the team will have to work on limiting penalties and making huge mistakes on special teams if it is going to beat Notre Dame or Bishop Walsh in the final two weeks of the season.

Alexander is now 2-3 and will wrap up its regular season with a home game against Barker next Saturday. The Trojans were the No. 4 seed in the Section 5 Class D playoffs before the win and should move up to No. 3 with Avon's loss to Le Roy last night combined with the victory.