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Bethany issues State of Emergency for water shortage

By Joanne Beck

The Town of Bethany has declared a State of Emergency for water services during a year-end meeting on Thursday due to the town’s inability to provide water services to the affected parcels of approximately 100 residences and two dairy farms in the town.

The town’s Water District 5 had previously

Santa visits Bethany Friday morning, in the form of a water donation, as officials wait for word on district funding

By Joanne Beck
Water donation in Bethany
A donation of four pallets of drinking water by Eric Santos, second from left, of Casella Waste Systems, arrives at Bethany Town Hall Friday morning for residents who have been struggling without water.
Submitted Photo

As town officials and residents work through a water shortage brought on by drought, all of them have said it has been the worst they have ever seen since living in Bethany, many of them for decades. Fill dates are being scheduled week by week from a tanker that was provided by the state Office of Emergency Management.

Santa came early again for a visit Friday morning in the form of a donation of four pallets of bottled water all ready to be distributed to residents, Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. said. Operations Manager Eric Santos of Casella Waste Systems had heard about Bethany's plight and showed up with his crew and the much-welcomed donation of water at town hall, Hyde said.

Photos: Water rescue training at DeWitt

By Howard B. Owens

1_dewitt_rescue_training_6-23-16.jpg

Information and photos submitted by Glenn Adams.

Yesterday morning, City fire along with a group of volunteers from other departments in the county, participated in water rescue training at DeWitt Recreation Area in Batavia.

The boat and motor and gear were purchased with a grant from Homeland Security.

The first

In the midst of drought, Bethany gets a splash of good news with $5M grant

By Joanne Beck
bethany water tanker nov. 2023
2023 File Photo of Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. reviewing the town's water districts, including the latest Water District 5, which will be a go, thanks to the $5 million WIIA grant awarded to the town. 
Photo by Howard Owens

Tuesday afternoon was unexpectedly busy and gleeful for Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr.

And while still being embroiled in town residents’ plight of dry wells and being in need of daily water supplies, he found something to smile about, he says.

“We’re on the list,” he said about the town’s placement on the state’s Water Infrastructure Improvement Award approvals. “My phone’s been ringing off the hook. I heard from Steve Hawley and J.W. Cook from the governor’s office. He called to say congratulations, you got your grant. I’m very happy.”

Volunteer firefighters converged on Baskin Farms in Bethany Monday for training

By Billie Owens

 

Photos and information submitted by Glenn Adams, a member of the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department.
 
On Monday evening, Sept. 26, the Bethany, Alexander, and Wyoming Volunteer Fire departments held a joint training exercise.
 
They met at Baskins Farm on Creek Road in Bethany to practice tanker drills, bringing water from distant

A sad day in Bethany after passing of Supervisor Louis Gayton

By Howard B. Owens

People in Bethany are mourning tonight following the unexpected death of Town Supervisor Louis J. Gayton.

News of Gayton's death spread shortly after volunteer firefighters and medics were dispatched this morning to his home on a report of a 79-year-old unresponsive male.

Town Clerk Debbie Douglas heard the call on

Farm building in Bethany used for storage destroyed by fire

By Howard B. Owens

It was just a storage shed. Some straw. Some sawdust. Bedding for the animals on a farm started by Michael Adams and his family in 1979.

The family built that shed. The first one of the Adams Farm property. Talking to Michael Adams after fire reduced the structure to rubble

Annual Stefani-Costa Family Reunion fun for all

By Billie Owens

(Submitted photos and information.)

The families of the late Baptist and Christina (Costa) Stefani, and Dominic and Johanna (Rigoni) Costa gathered for their 36th consecutive annual family reunion at  Mumford’s Freeman Park on Sunday, July 24, 2016. Both founding families made their homes in Lime Rock.

Christopher and Ann (Tracy)

Area family shares news of 36th annual family reunion

By Howard B. Owens

p7240148-2.jpg

Submitted:

The families of the late Baptist and Christina (Costa) Stefani, and Dominic and Johanna (Rigoni) Costa gathered for their 36th consecutive annual family reunion at  Mumford’s Freeman Park on Sunday, July 24, 2016.  Both founding families made their homes in Lime Rock.

Christopher and Ann (Tracy) Publow of

Environmental professor weighs in on Genesee County's 'most intense' drought conditions

By Joanne Beck
Stephen Shaw
Associate Professor Stephen Shaw
Photo from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry website

With so much talk about global warming and climate change, that would seem to be the likely culprit for drought so extreme it has dried up dozens of wells in pockets of Genesee County.

However, Stephen Shaw, associate professor for environmental resources engineering at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, says it might be much more random than that.

Shaw has just completed a 20-year analysis and a report about dry wells across the entire northeast. He found that a drought in 2016 was “pretty intense,” especially across Western New York and Buffalo in particular. That didn’t match what these towns — the volume of households — in Genesee County have experienced, he said.

Baskin Livestock named Conservation Farm of the Year

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors has announced the selection of Baskin Livestock as the 2013 Genesee County Conservation Farm of the Year. Baskin Livestock will be the honored guests of the District at the Celebrate Agriculture Dinner on March  22th at the

Rollover accident on Ellicott Street Road, one person trapped and unconscious

By Billie Owens

bethaccoct192016.jpg

Bethany Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding to 5402 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany, for a rollover accident in which one person is out of the vehicle and another is unconscious but breathing and trapped inside.

UPDATE 11:57 p.m.: Mercy Flight #5 out of Batavia is on ground standby.

UPDATE

Local volunteer fire departments hold Open Houses this weekend

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Genesee County volunteer fire departments will open their doors to residents this weekend so they can learn about what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter. This is part of the fourth annual RecruitNY statewide initiative of the Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY).

Over

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