elba

Press release:

The Elba Onion Queen program is getting back on track after COVID-19.  The Crowning ceremony for the 2021 Onion Queen will begin at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 11^th at the Elba park.  There six contestants this year are as follows:

Dakota Brinkman 
Dakota is the daughter of Brian and Danielle Brinkman.  She and her family are lifetime Elba residents.  She enjoys going for walks with her mom and dog, shopping with friends, and being a part of this special community.  She loves helping with youth basketball with her dad, who runs the program.  Dakota also participates in soccer, basketball and softball.  Along with the National Honor Society, Student Athletic Association and Girl Scouts.  She is the Vice President of her class. Dakota’s goal after high school is to major in physical therapy. 

Selena Franco
Selena is the daughter of Fernando Franco and Teresa De J. Roque Roman.  She has spent her whole life in Elba, NY and would never want to change that.  The Elba community has had such a strong, positive and supportive impact on Selena and has helped make her the person she is today.  Selena is currently a Senior at Elba Central School. She participates in National Honor Society, Student Athletic Association, softball, and hopes to participate in basketball cheer in the winter.  Selena is very family oriented and appreciates everything her family does for her.  Her family has always pushed her to be the best version of herself.  Selena also enjoys drawing, playing softball, going on walks, and spending time with friends.  After graduation, Selena plans to attend college and eventually pursue a career in dentistry.

Adrianna Long
Adrianna has lived in Elba her entire life alongside my parents, Jeff and Kara Long, and siblings Jacob, Michael and Maci.  She is extremely family oriented and involved in basketball, soccer and softball.  Adrianna is the Secretary of her class and currently employed at Crazy Cheap Cars. In her free time, she babysits for family and family friends.  Adrianna is running for Onion Queen in hopes to give back to the great community she was fortunate enough to grow up in. 

Georgia Luft
Georgia is the daughter of Matt and Laura Luft and has lived in Elba her entire life with her brother Hudson and sister Caroline.  Georgia is a three sport athlete participating in soccer, basketball and softball.  She  has participated in National Honor Society, Student Athletic Association and FFA as a member and past officer.  Outside of school Georgia is part of travel basketball teams and has been active in 4-H since she was eight.  She is part of the fur and feather club as well as dairy club.  She has been a member of Genesee County Dairy Princess program for several years and really enjoys promoting the dairy industry.  She is also a member of the Padre Pio Church in Oakfield.  Georgia’s spare time is spent with her family, friends and her animals.  Georgia will be going on to college after graduation but is unsure of where. She is undecided in what career path she will head down but is considering business or law enforcement. 

Laci Sewar
Laci is the daughter of Marc and Darcy Sewar. She has lived in the town of Elba for her entire life and has made many friends along the way.  Laci enjoys going out to eat with her friends and going on camping trips with her family.  She likes making apple crisp and baking holiday treats with her dad.  Doing this every year makes the holidays extra special.  Laci also enjoys shopping and going on road trips with her mom.  She looks forward to these trips as it is a good bonding time.  Laci has been the class Treasurer since 7th grade and is a high honor student. She has participated in the Yearbook Club, Future Teachers, National Honor Society, Student Athletic Association, Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball.  Outside of school, she participates in travel basketball, volunteers at church, and is active in Girl Scouts, where she earned her Bronze and Silver Awards.  Laci is currently two thirds of the way done with her Gold Award.  Her Gold Award project consists of refurbishing the stations of the cross at the Elba church and making a station of the cross program for children in grades 3-6.  After graduation she plans on attending Daemen or D’Youville to obtain her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Carolyn Sybertz
Carolyn is 17 years old and lives in Elba with her mom, dad and  younger sister.  She attends Elba Central School where she will be a senior this fall.  She participates in volleyball, softball, Student Athletic Association, National Honor Society, the Genesee County 4-H program and she is a Genesee County Dairy Princess Program Ambassador.  Carolyn also works at Zuber Dairy Farm in Bergen New York.  After graduation she plans on attending a four year college to hopefully major in animal Sciences.  Carolyn chose to run for Onion Queen this year in hopes of representing the small town of Elba that has helped shape her into the person she is today. 

Tori Ganino isn’t afraid to admit that self-assertion is her thing.

At least when it comes to dogs. That canine characteristic of extreme self-assertion — and unwanted aggressiveness — has fueled her career and prompted the 35-year-old to continue her education.

She has recently obtained certification as a Dynamic Dog Practitioner. 

“My passion is aggression. We need to know what’s going on internally,” she said during an interview Friday.“ This certification is more helping out and spotting behavior in dogs. I can see myself applying this to the dogs I work with and to my own dog. I just want to keep learning.”

Ganino is not new to embracing knowledge when it comes to working with dogs, and the canine behavior specialist eagerly added dynamic dog practitioner to her resume. Never heard of such a thing? That’s because the rigorous four-month course is only available in the United Kingdom. Other people have enrolled in the course but Ganino said that she is the only one in the U.S. to successfully complete it. 

While dynamic dog practitioner may seem like an embellished title, it makes sense as Ganino explains it. Say your dog Rufus is a bit more surly than usual, and he has been barking at visitors, and — especially uncharacteristic of Rufus — nipped at one of them. You might think he is just being a bad boy, however, there very well might be underlying issues at play. 

“Dogs are so extremely stoic; they hide things so very well,” Ganino said at her Elba residence. 

Beneath that quiet strength might be hip pain, an achy spine or pulled muscle, she said. By thoroughly assessing the dog, she will be able to pinpoint likely sources of the pain that are causing and coming out as aggressive behavior. Contrary to popular belief that older dogs would be more prone to this occurrence, Ganino said that she has seen it in younger dogs more often. They may be working dogs that herd animals or train for agility courses, or simply playful dogs that throw their little bodies out of whack scampering on slippery floors, she said.

An online dictionary defines dynamic as “a process or system characterized by constant change, activity, or progress; relating to forces producing motion.” Just like humans often do, dogs may overcompensate an injury in one area by overusing the other, Ganino said. That can in turn create a lot of pain and/or discomfort within the dog's body, she said.

The course taught her to understand what normal movement is for the dog so that she can determine what is abnormal movement. That involves taking a history of how the dog moves, what it was like before becoming more aggressive and how it behaves now, such as biting, barking or lunging at people. 

Ganino had owned and operated Calling All Dogs daycare until the dreadful Covid-19 struck. She made the difficult decision to close in March 2020, which ended up opening up a window.

“It has given me the opportunity to do this intense four-month course,” she said. “I had to present six case studies.  There’s not a similar program in the world.”

The programme (spelled properly in England) teaches how to spot potential pain and discomfort in dogs “using specific, measurable and professional techniques from the ground up, whilst giving you an in-depth knowledge of the canine body,” the course website, allaboutthedogtherapy.co.uk, states. 

“There are so many excellent dog training and behaviour courses out there that give you the latest up to date science based techniques to make you become an expert in your chosen field,” it states. “Despite all of them teaching you about A, B, C's they are ALL missing one vital component that is key to understanding most problem dog behaviours.”

Only 14 students are admitted at a time, and they are forewarned that the course is intensive with a blueprint for how to use the material, conduct an assessment and present the findings to the client’s veterinarian. This last piece is key to a fully implemented plan, Ganino said. She will perform a two-hour assessment of the troubled canine to evaluate its activities, movement, walking, running, standing and sitting, and the overall behavior of the dog, she said. 

The finished product includes a report, video and recommended plan of action that may include prescription meds, X-rays, physical therapy and exercises. That will go to the client, behavior consultant and vet. The vet will be the one to recommend a more specific route, such as the type of medical tests or prescriptions to implement for the dog's treatment.

“There’s a lot going on when it comes to behavior and aggression; it’s not just on the outside, but a lot going on inside. Unless you’re trained, you don’t see it,” Ganino said. “We can be that team to work through these problems.”

For more information, or to find out if your dog could benefit from Ganino’s expertise, go to callingalldogsny.com, and click on Schedule a Free Consultation.

Photo by Gina Sierra, ginasierra.com

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba started its 2021 season in dominating fashion, beating Cuba-Rushford 64-6.

Gaige Armbrewster had seven carries for 202 yards and four touchdowns. Bodie Hyde, three carries, 68 yards, two TDs and one passing reception for a TD to go along with five tackles on defense.

Kameron Cusmano rushed four times for 80 yards and a TD and caught a 15-yard TD pass.

Aiden Warner, six carries, 52 yards, and a TD.  

Nate Finta lead the team with 13 tackles and Angelo Penna had 10 tackles.

Head coach Tyler winter said, "Our guys did a great job of making sure the focus for this week of practice was to put in the work necessary to put the best product of OAE football on the field.  Without the preseason scrimmage and a lack of scouting, we couldn't really put the focus on the opponent.  They had a great week of practice and the success they achieved today was a total team effort."  

Also on Saturday, Pembroke beat Wellsville, 55-26. Tyson Totten carried the ball 13 times for 291 yards and five touchdowns. Dakota vonKRamer, two carries, 65 yards, and a TD. Alex Lamb scored a rushing TD.  Caleb Felski returned a kickoff 85 yards for a TD.  On Defense, Chase Guzdek had six tackles and a sack. Pete Farrington also had six tackles and a fumble recovery. Jacob Dulski had five tackles.  Jyden Mast, four tackles and a sack. Sam Pfeiffer, two tackles and a sack.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Press release: 

The Hundredmark Road Bridge, at the intersection of Spoil Bank Road, will be closing on Sep. 7 for a bridge replacement project. This project is expected to take three months. During this time the road will not be passable to regular traffic or emergency vehicles. A detour will be posted.

"Butterscotch," a cow passed around among members of the Batavia Rotary Club, has gone missing and is presumed stolen.

Typically, the cow moves to-and-from the residence or business of Rotary members as a joke but this time "Butterscotch" just disappeared from a yard in Elba.

The Sheriff's Office is asking for anybody with information on the whereabouts of "Butterscotch" to call  (585) 343-5000.

Tristine Vanice submitted this photo and said, "I love little moments that give me a sense of unity in our country, towns, villages.  I had this view whilst sitting on a park bench in Elba this afternoon.  There is so much about it that just made me smile. Small town charm, neighbors, the innocence of a children's bicycle, and the colors of a vibrant summer day.  My 10-year-old is the one who initially noticed the flags stating, 'Mommy look at those flags. They love our country I bet.'

"Everywhere and everything we put on the TV, radio, newspapers ... it all tends to diminish a sense of pride and love for our country.   There is a lot of turmoil in our world, but I appreciate a need to also always look for the good. It's there. It's here." 

Press release:

Hecate Energy, a leading developer, owner, and operator of renewable power projects and energy storage solutions in the United States, held an informational open house on August 25. Located under a pavilion at the Elba Village Park, the event was designed to inform members of the community about the proposed Cider Solar Farm. More than 50 attendees were present to learn about the scope of the project and the ways in which the local community and environment are expected to benefit.

Due to health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus, Hecate has held three prior informational open houses in a virtual format. In this in-person event, Hecate’s first relating to the Cider Solar Farm since the outset of the pandemic, guests were able to visit educational stations while enjoying refreshments catered by Chap’s Diner, a local restaurant. Representatives from Hecate Energy were on hand to discuss the information and answer questions.

“I think the people in this area were really happy to be able to come out and see why we’re so excited about this project,” said Harrison Luna, Cider Solar Farm’s project developer. “It was also an opportunity to hear some specific concerns from residents and how we can improve the project to address them. In most of these cases, we are able to refine our design to address such concerns.

The proposed Cider Solar Farm is expected to create over 500 construction jobs and will be capable of supplying 920,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year – enough to power over 120,000 average New York households

Music, music, and more music, along with food and refreshments (some of the adult kind), are in store for those who make their way to the Village of Elba and its charming central park on Sunday.

The fun sets off at noon with Elba's own Front Porch Pickers plucking out old favorites.

Then the Simon Fletcher Trio takes the stage, starting at 1:30.  Simon Fletcher is a substitute teacher at Elba Central School and the trio plays jazz and bebop.

At 3 p.m., the Old Hippies, featuring Bill and Kay McDonald, will stroll down memory lane with Vinny Pastore along with Liam and Emma Raines on guitar, violin, banjo, and vocals.  There might even be a surprise artist or two joining the Old Hippies.

There will be food and drink vendors such as Lori's Delectable Edibles, Center Street Smokehouse, Los Compadres (besides tacos, margaritas!), and Pub Coffee Hub. Cirlcle B Winery and Eli Fish Brewing Company are bringing the wine and beer. For dessert: Lori's Delectable Edibles and Ice Cream and Chill. 

"In all, this is going to be more music, food and fun than should be legal in NYS!!," said co-organizer Pauli Miano.

Keep in mind, the Village Park is a no-alcohol park.  You can't bring in your own adult beverages but can consume what is available from licensed vendors.  

These concerts are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the NYS Legislature and administered by GO ART.

VIDEO: A Elba Village Park picnic earlier this summer.

New listing: 7335 Whitney Mill Road. Here's your chance to get a sweet little ranch on a quiet country road. This home is centrally located to everything -within minutes to schools shopping and thruway! Home is located in Elba school system. There has been many upgrades to the property including a new metal in 2020, all blown in insulation 2020, hot water tank 2020 and furnace is 10 years young! Newly hooked to public water and all plumbing is brand new! Inside is neat as a pin and everything is conveniently placed-great use of space!! First floor laundry and all appliances are staying. Home is located on 1.5 acres. Newly blacktopped double wide drive leading to large 2 car attached garage for all your extras! With some work this house is a real gem! Click here for more information or call Lynn bezon at Reliant Real Estate today, call 585-344-home (4663)

A Batavia resident figures he missed being involved in a serious accident by one second with a car "easily going 100 mph" on Bank Street Road yesterday.

"(The car) had to swerve towards college road," David Austin told The Batavian in an email. "I thought for sure he was going to wipe out but he corrected and I could hear him accelerate. Scared me more than I have ever been. If I would have made that turn 1 second later I probably wouldn't be here."

The alleged driver of that car was James Matthew Lepore, 23, of Rio Grande Drive, North Chili.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Lepore failed to stop for a deputy who spotted his car exceeding the 55 mph speed limit on Route 33 in Stafford.  The deputy pursued and the car continued into the Town of Batavia and then into the city before heading north on Route 98.  There law enforcement successfully deployed a spike strip and the car was forced to a halt.

According to the arrest report, Lepore "recklessly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death by unlawfully fleeing a deputy in a motor vehicle and intentionally went into the opposite lane of travel causing other motorists to swerve out of the way to avoid a head-on collision, all while traveling at speeds in excess of 90 to 100 mph."

After the stop, Lepore was allegedly found in possession of an unregistered firearm and a controlled substance. 

Lepore is charged with:

• Reckless endangerment in the first degree
• Criminal possession of a firearm
• Unlawful fleeing a police officer in the third degree
• Criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th
• Speed in excess of 55 mph
• Plus, 21 traffic offenses.

Lepore was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and under terms of bail reform released on his own recognizance.

The lead investigators in the case are Deputy Travis DeMuth and Investigator Kevin Forsyth.  Assisting in the incident were Sgt. Andrew Hale, Investigator Howard Carlson, Investigator Joseph Loftus, Investigator Ryan DeLong, Deputy Kyle Krzemien, Deputy Josh Brabon, Deputy Kyle Tower, Deputy Andrew Mullen with K-9 "Frankie," members of Batavia PD and the State Police.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported on Main Street between Church Street and Oak Orchard Road in Elba.

Injuries are reported.

Elba fire dispatched. Mercy EMS, including a second ambulance requested to the scene.

UPDATE 6:57 p.m.: A first responder reports no vehicles blocking traffic. Two vehicles are parked in the driveway of a house.

UPDATE 6:58 p.m.: Only one vehicle had people in it. A third ambulance requested to the scene because three children were involved.

UPDATE 6:59 p.m.: Mercy Flight is not available.

UPDATE 7:03 p.m.: Darien Byron ambulance requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:04 p.m.: Route 98 from Church Street to Oak Orchard is being shut down.

UPDATE 7:10 p.m.: An officer informs dispatch there was a single vehicle "occupied times five" struck a parked vehicle.

UPDATE 7:20 p.m.: Three children are being transported in three separate ambulances to Strong Memorial Hospital.

UPDATE 8:14 p.m.: Elba assignment back in service. The roadway is reopened.

43 S. Main Street, Elba. Stately home that took 2+years to build! CENTRALLY LOCATED- this amazing home is MINUTES from thruway, CLOSE to airport and short distance to LAKE ONTARIO and half hour to BUFFALO or ROCHESTER!

Home boasts large beautiful rooms, gorgeous woodwork, wide pegged hardwoods and intricate crown moldings. Sunken living room has 3 sets of French doors leading to beautiful yard and covered patio. Upstairs has master bedroom with fireplace leading to beautiful white tiled bath. 4 additional bedrooms boasting walk-in closets. 3rd floor ballroom has 4 built in benches and spring loaded hardwood floor -- AWESOME BONUS RECREATIONAL SPACE!

Well kept and MODERNIZED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS with NEW gas boiler 2019 as well as H2O tank, painting of exterior in 2020, kitchen and baths have all been modernized, updated electrical panel, some new carpeting upstairs as well as most hardwood on 2nd floor refinished AND an AMAZING SLATE ROOF! So many neat architectural gems spread throughout this amazing home.

There’s also a 24x48 POLE BARN on this well maintained 1.3 acre lot. Think outside the box-could be amazing Air BNB or perfect IN LAW situation! OWNERS WILLING TO ENTERTAIN ALL SERIOUS OFFERS! Click here to view the full listing and call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today -- call 344-HOME (4663)

Visit our Facebook pages: Oliver's Candies, Sweet Life Country Store.

From the National Weather Service office in Buffalo:

A severe thunderstorm warning remains in effect until 5:15 p.m. EDT for Southeastern Orleans and Central Genesee counties.

At 4:30 p.m. EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Oakfield, or near Batavia, moving east at 35 mph.

Up to 70 mph wind gusts pose a hazard, according to radar. Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Locations impacted also includes Darien Lakes State Park, Attica, Corfu, Elba, Alexander, East Bethany, and Interstate 90 near exit 48.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

UPDATE 4:54 p.m.: A low-hanging cable wire and possibly a tree are reported down in the roadway in Elba in the area of 4119 Lockport Road. A first responder says the roadway is partially blocked. The roadway will be shut down at Route 98 and Lockport Road. Spectrum is notified; no ETA.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: The Elba chief says the cable line has been cleared; now removing other debris before reopening roadway.

From Pauli Miano:

The Elba Betterment Committee is pleased to announce the first concert in their summer concert series -- EBC Music and More 2.0 this Saturday, July 10 at the Elba Village Park.

Rockin' the Gazebo at Elba Village Park

It is located in the center of the Village on east side of Main Street.

Music starts at noon with Bobby and the Pedestrians, a local Reggae rock and roll band that will introduce listeners to a didgeridoo while they combine their original style with familiar tunes that will have you singing along and asking for more.

Second in the lineup (at about 2 o'clock) is the ever popular Genesee Ted who will be bringing the '60s and '70s rock we all love with a mix of old-school country.

Closing the day (at about 4 p.m.) will be the hard-rocking Savage Cabbage. Expect some Grand Funk Railroad and Bad Company mixed with a little Marshall Tucker, and of course, Johnny Be Good.

Tying it all together on our smaller stage will be the acoustic stylings of The Elba Guys -- John, Tom and Lee, who will be familiar to most from their long local music past. This is our first venture into the "festival" business, and after the raging, but unfortunately, restricted response we had last summer, we expect this to be a fun, musical event for the whole family.

Bring Your Own Lawn Chair, Lots of Food and Drinks to Purchase

Bring your lawn chair, and have lunch and maybe even dinner in beautiful Elba. BEST (Building Elba School Together) will be serving Andy's Pizza and and ice cream from Zuber Farms; Mac Daddy's Ultimate Mac 'n' Cheese; Center Street Smokehouse and Pub Coffee Hub will be there with their trucks as well.

Eli Fish Brewing Co. will be bringing the beer, and Circle B Winery the wine -- what more do you need? And last but not least (sometimes it's OK to eat dessert first) will be Lori's Delectable Edibles (think cake bites, brownies and cookies) and her delicious Bubble Tea.

Get Yours! Onion Capital of the World T-shirts

The Betterment will be selling their Onion Capital of the World T-shirts and conducting a 50/50 raffle and invites other nonprofits to contact us if you would like to have a booth or stand at any of our events.

Taking a Free Will Donation for the Down Syndrome Parent Support Group

There is never a charge for all of this great music, but we will be taking a free will donation to the Down Syndrome Parent Support Group of Genesee County. This wonderful organization provides support and encouragement to individuals with with Down Syndrome who reside in the GLOW area. Representatives will be at the park to talk to anyone who is interested in joining or assisting this group.

This and all of our summer concerts is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the Support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, and administered by GOART!

Our second show will be in August. Look for more information to come.