Check out WBTA for these and other stories:

• Everybody's favorite steer on the lam has been brought into custoday — or so we thought. It was reported earlier today that "Woody" the 1,200-pound show steer that escaped from the Genesee County Fairgrounds early last week was picked up nearby the Batavia-Stafford Townline Road after being subdued with tranquilizers last night. In fact, the tranquilizers wore off and the steer escaped yet again. Dr. Cricket Johnson said they are "weary" of the chase and the solution now might just be to shoot to kill.
• A Walgreen's store that will go up in LeRoy was granted $62,000 in tax incentives by the Genesee County Economic Development Center. The store will go up at the corner of Main and Lake streets and employ 18 people full- and part-time.
• Investigators still have not determined the origin of the fire that caused more than $250,000 in damage and destroyed the kitchen and a dining area at Cristina's Restaurant. Batavia's Acting Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Day that they will have to wait until laboratory tests come back.
• Ange Bell of LeRoy passed away Friday. He was 97 years old and well known for his portrayals of Santa Claus in LeRoy for more than 50 years. Dan Fischer has assembled a few audio clips from interviews with Bell, including one in which he talks about how he was tricked into attending Santa school but soon fell in love with it.

No community is an island.  The larger world finds its ways to intrude, from Middle East instability driving up gas prices, to presidential elections that will impact the economy and schools, there is more to the world than our home town.

And we all have an opinion about the world around us.

When we say "The Batavian -- Online News. Community Views."  The community views part isn't just about what you think about events in Genesee County; it's about what you, as people concerned with and involved in your local community think about all of those issues beyond parochial borders.

In such a spirit, we've expanded the range of headline links in the right column.

We've also added a "Nation & World" tab to the top navigation.  This is where you can post blog items about national, international and political issues you want to talk about.  I've started the conversation with a blog post about my dislike for political parties.

When you want to start a conversation with a new blog post, go to "Create Content" in the left column, then select "Blog Entry" and then select "Nation" or "World."  If you make that selection, when you save your post, it will appear under the Nation & World tab for all readers of The Batavian to find.

Also, if you're really into nation and world news. there's another way you can contribute to The Batavian -- and that's by adding headlines to the blocks on the right side of the page. 

It would be easy for us to set up some automated system to add headlines from major news sources around the globe, but that's so impersonal.  We're not a fan of automation when it comes to human communication.  We think that Batavians suggesting to other Batavians what might be interesting to read is far more useful than what some computer program might suggest.

If you would like to contribute "suggested reading" to the headline buckets, send me an e-mail (howard at the batavian dot com) and I'll provide instructions and the necessary permissions to make such a contribution to the site.

One of our readers got curious after reading a post on The Batavian from earlier today about the postponement of the Walnut Street reconstruction and addition of a roundabout. Many thanks for Russ Stresing for getting us the following images. The first is an artist's rendering of the roundabout, once it is completed. Below that is a satellite view of what the area looks like now — that image is borrowed from the Genesee County Web site.

In case you don't know about it (we just found it), there is a still-image web cam on  the Thruway that shows the Batavia exit and the free way. It might come in handy for morning commutes.

All of the following calls were reported by the City of Batavia Police Department. Listed offenses do not imply that charges were filed. Calls may result in no official action.

Monday:

• 10:31am, 25 Brooklyn Ave., larceny
• 11:07am, Jefferson Avenue, burglary
• 11:42am, 106 Evans St., harassment
• 11:44am, 638 E. Main St., criminal mischief
• 1:56pm, 34 Hutchins St., larceny
• 2:46pm, 22 Tracy Ave., larceny
• 3:16pm, 390 W. Main St., accident (car + bike)
• 3:19pm, 9 Walden Creek, harassment
• 3:38pm, 15 W. Main St., criminal mischief
• 5:54pm, 15 W. Main St., larceny
• 7:03pm, 132 Ross St., endangering the welfare of a child
• 9:17pm, 6 Maple St., criminal mischief
• 9:42pm, 209 Bank St., harassment
• 10:35pm, Jackson Street, criminal mischief

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Batavia Middle School will get a rock climbing wall. The city School Board approved the purchase of the $55,000 wall at its meeting last night, according to the Daily News. Reporter Joanne Beck writes: "The district can afford the purchase with surplus year-end funds from 2007-08, Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said."

At the same meeting, following the purchase of the rock wall, the board then approved an increase in breakfast and lunch prices at city schools, reported Beck. Breakfast will now be $1.10 at the elementary school and $1.25 at the middle and high schools; lunch will be $1.55 and $1.85, respectively.

Work on the Walnut Street roundabout and street reconstruction will be postponed until next year. City Manager Jason Molino told the Daily News that "the decision was made by contractor CATCO." It was decided to hold off on the project "to minimize disruptions to the normal traffic flow," and meetings will be held in February to "help people understand how best to navigate and use the roundabout."

Mercy Flight and the Batavia Muckdogs will join together for a fundraiser that will grant two lucky raffle winners the chance to ride a helicopter from the airport to Dwyer Stadium and throw out the first pitch of that night's game. A $10 ticket will include admission to the Muckdogs game on August 4, as well as entry into the drawing. "Mercy Flight will get $6 out of every $10 ticket sold." Tickets can be purchased at Dwyer Stadium and at Mercy Flight's base at Genesee County Airport. Winners will be announced at the August 1 Muckdogs game.

Congratulations to Batavia's 11-year-old Little League Baseball all-stars whop took home the District 3 championship last night in the second straight defeat of Oakfield. In its past three games, Batavia has outscored its opponents 34-4. Talk about an offensive powerhouse!

As always, we encourage you to get out and pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newsstands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

The Deomcratic Party this year is making an effort at promoting "grassroots" involvement in the presidential campaign by soliciting the input of anyone willing to give it in a series of platform meetings that will be held across the country. They are calling it "Listening to America." Questions and concerns brought up at the meetings are supposed to then be integrated in the Democratic platform in the upcoming presidential election.

From Saturday, July 19th to Sunday, July 27th, everyday people all across America will hold Platform Meetings in their homes, or in their local churches and even coffee shops, to help build the Democratic Party's platform for change from the bottom up.

Attend a Platform Meeting and tell us what matters to you, so we can incorporate your ideas into the party's platform. A few participants may even be invited to appear and testify at the National Hearing.

Batavia will get its chance to participate this week. Blogger Robert Harding (with the Albany Project) and President of the Genesee County Young Democrats Dan Jones will host a local "Listening to America" meeting at Batavia's City Centre Wedenesday at 7:00pm.

Jones says that he and Harding will write up "a recommendation in the form of a position paper to send to the (Democratic National Committee) and Senator Obama's campaign based on the discussion."

Batavia city police responded to a confrontation between neighbors on Highland Avenue Monday afternoon. Lydell Nauden, 44, of 14 Highland Ave. Apt: 6, was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct. Nauden was accused of throwing a hammer from his home into his neighbors yard and nearly hitting some people who were standing nearby.

For the second Sunday in a row the Muckdogs were rained out, this time after not quite a full inning of play.  The game is re-scheduled for August 6th when Auburn comes back into town.

The Muckdogs were on the road this past Wednesday through Sunday for a three-game series against Staten Island and a game in Auburn.  They finished the trip 2-2.  Here is a quick recap of those games:

• Wednesday, July 16: Staten Island 6, Batavia 5:  Ramon Delgado (1-1) got the start and the loss, going three and a third innings with eight hits and six runs (five earned). Jameson Maj had a strong performance, throwing the last four innings allowing only one hit with six strikeouts and no walks.  Offensively, Batavia had twelve hits to Staten Islands ten.  Colt Sedbrook went 2-for-5 with his first homerun of the season.  Jermaine Curtis and Domnit Bolivar went 4-for-5 and 2-for-4, respectively, each with a double.
• Thursday, July 17: Batavia 4, Staten Island 2: Scott Gorgen started the game, going four innings with three hits, two runs, one walk and two strikeouts, but Miguel Tapia (3-2) scored the win.  Tapia pitched three and a third innings with three hits, two walks and three strikeouts.  Adam Reifer pitched a scoreless 9th with one strikeout for the save.  Sedbrook was big at the plate again, going 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base.
• Friday, July 18: Staten Island 3, Batavia 2:  The Yankees broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 9th to win the rubber-match.  George Brown (0-1) suffered the loss in three innings, letting up five hits, three runs and one walk with three strikeouts.  Thomas Eager started the game, throwing five innings with two hits and three strikeouts.  Frederick Parejo went 2-for-4 with a homerun and Christian Rosa went 2-for-3 with a stolen base.
• Saturday, July 19: Batavia 7, Auburn 5:  Josh Hester had a great start, pitching four and a third innings, allowing only one hit and five strikeouts.  Hector Cardenas (2-0) pitched three innings with a walk and two strikeouts for the win.  Reifer pitched another scoreless 9th with one strikeout for his eighth save.  At the plate, Sedbrook went 2-for-4 with a triple.  Shane Peterson went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, and Rosa went 2-for-5, also with a double and a RBI.

The Muckdogs (17-14) are now tied for second place in the Pinckney Division with Auburn, whom they play tonight.  They then come home for a three-game series against the Oneonta Tigers.  Tuesday and Wednesday's games start at 7:05 and Thursday has an early start of 11:05.

Students in the Genesee Community College summer youth theatre workshop will present Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, adapted by Maryanne Arena on Friday, July 25 at 7:00pm and Saturday, July 26 at 2:00pm at the Stuart Steiner Theatre.

This year's Performing Arts Experience at Genesee has attracted 36 youth ages 7-15 from all across Western New York. They have spent several weeks with the musical director and choreographer and have now begun full rehearsals.

Admission is free, though advanced reservations are encouraged as seats may fill up quickly. Call (585) 343-0055 ext.6814 or send an e-mail to boxoffice (at) genesee (dot) edu to reserve yours.

Thanks to Steve Ognibene for sending us these photos from the final day at the Genesee County Fair Saturday. (The little lady on the "Scrambler" ride is his five-year-old daughter, Alyssa.) If you have any pictures or video or poetry or whatever about your time at the fair this past week, send it along, and we will put it right up on the site. Mail your submissions to: philip (at) thebatavian (dot) com.

There's little in the way of hard, breaking news in today's Daily News. The front page includes a profile of County Legislator Annie Lawrence, the next installment of Tom Rivers' farm labor series — Tom shows a heifer at the fair — and an article about scrap metal dealers picking at the carcasses of beat-up demolition derby cars.

By no way do we fault the paper for this dearth of big news. If you've already read the police blotter for the weekend, you'll see that it was mostly accidents, and the only way the sheriff's deputies were able to record numerous arrests was to go out and set up road blocks.

It seems a slow, newsless weekend was upon us. Maybe the heat — that putrid bog of stifling ozone and gnats — played a part. For sure it kept me locked in the bedroom with the air on full blast. How about you? Or maybe you disagree with me altogether, and you experienced a weekend overflowing with newsworthy happenings. If so, write about them. Or send them along and we'll write about them.

As always, we encourage you to get out and pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newststands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

All of the following calls were reported by the City of Batavia Police Department. Listed offenses do not imply that charges were filed. Calls may result in no official action.

Friday:

• 8:50am, 413 W. Main St., accident (car + bike)
• 10:38am, 220 Richmond Ave., accident
• 11:05am, 4 Lewis Ave., larceny
• 12:00pm, Clinton Street, accident
• 1:51pm, W. Main Street, accident
• 2:25pm, W. Main Street, accident
• 3:11pm, Court Street Plaza, accident
• 4:05pm, 10 W. Main St., harassment

Saturday:

• 12:01am, 332 W. Main St. (Apt: 2), larceny
• 12:48am, 329 W. Main St., accident
• 1:11am, 5 Thomas Ave. (Apt: Lower), aggravated harassment
• 11:07am, 12 S. Main St., accident

Sunday:

• 11:57am, Ellicott Street, accident
• 8:42pm, 114 Liberty St., menacing

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Rochester-based Veterans Outreach Center will be hosting three summits "for improving out veterans' reintegration system" on September 19, 20 and 26 in Rochester, Canandaigua and Batavia (see below for details). From the release:

This is a first-of-its-kind summit that will bring veterans, family members of veterans, and service providers together. The mission: improve upon the health and quality of life for service-members and their families post-Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). To accomplish this, we will explore what it is we need, in terms of services and resources, to create a better system of reintegration for all.

Service members and their families are invited to attend, along with providers such as social workers, Veterans Affairs nurses and doctors and clinicians. There does not seem to be any cost to attend, but the center urges folks to register early as space is limited.

For more information, contact Jocene Preston, Director of the center's Operation Welcome Home & Recovery. She can be reached at (585) 295-7854 or (866) 906-8387, or by e-mail at jocene (dot) preston (at) veteransoutreachcenter (dot) org.

Each session will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the following locations:

• Crosswinds Wesleyan Church, Canandaigua, September 19.
• Nazareth College, Rochester, September 20.
• Genesee Community College, Batavia, September 26.

You can download the registration and information form: here.

A pair of road checks set up Friday night by Genesee County sheriff's deputies in Stafford and Bergen yielded 25 "uniform traffic tickets," the arrest of four illegal aliens, who were then given into the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, and the following seven arrests:

• Wesley E. Baun, 51, of Bergen, was charged with driving while intoxicated.
• Steven P. Alvarez, 42, of Brockport, was charged with driving while intoxicated.
• James C. Whitcroft, 18, of Webster, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
• Adam T. Shipwash, 28, of Greece, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.
• Michael R. Cole, 27, of Elba, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.
• Markel L. Hill, 19, of Medina, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.
• Anthony F. Leonardo III, 27, of Spencerport, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Alan B. Costa, 64, of Rochester, was charged with driving while intoxicated, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of marijuana, deputies said. Costa was stopped by deputies early Saturday morning on Route 98 in Alexander. He was also ticketed with speeding, moving from the lane unsafely and refusal to submit to a breath screening device. Costa was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $1,000.

Batavia city police reported the arrest of Mary F. Hicks, of 35 Clinton St., Batavia, who was charged with driving while intoxicated after Hicks drove into the rear of another vehicle that was stopped in traffic.

All of the above arrests were reported in published releases from the departments.

Check out WBTA for these and other stories:

• Batavia's city School Board will hold its meeting at 7:00pm tonight in the administration building on Washington Avenue.
• Parent company of the Bank of Castile, Tompkins Financial, was recognized by a "national rating company" for "consistent performance."

Hello to all our friends in New York, we just learned of the Batavian and thought it would be nice to hear from some old friends. So here we are if your interested. Nothing to tell you about florida except it is hot here but  the boating and fishing are great. Hope to hear from you-all soon                  

Holland Land Office Museum Director Pat Weissend tells us why our forebears saw fit to end New York state at Lake Erie instead of just continuing on to the Mississippi... or on to the Pacific. Why not? Pat tells us. Also included in this third installment of our series on what's going on over at that museum is Pat's explanation of why Transit Road is called Transit Road. Really, this one's a gem, folks. Enjoy!

Here's a schedule of events for tonight at the Genesee County Fair:

Friday:

• Chainsaw artist Rick Pratt shows off his skills at 5:00, 6:30, 8:00 and 9:30pm.
• The MacMahon School of Irish Dance takes the stage from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
• Country music fans can delight to the tunes of Prairie Reign from 8:00 to 11:00pm.
• Motorcycle races will dominate the Grandstand starting at 7:00pm.
• Middle-Eastern dancers Gems of the Nile groove from 7:30 to 8:00pm.
• Don't forget the fireworks!

Visit the Fair's Web site for a full schedule of weekend events and other information.