Some members of the Knights of Columbus along with Father David Glassmire invite you to their pancake breakfast this Sunday at Ascension Parish Hall, 19 Sumner St., Batavia.
Tickets can be purchased at the door. Adults -- $5; children 4-12 -- $3; and under 3 years old eat for free. This event is open to the public.
There will also be a 50/50 and basket raffles available. All proceeds to support catholic education locally.
Don't call NY-27 Reform Party candidate Larry Piegza a spoiler. He may be behind in the polls but if the media had just given him as much attention as Chris Collins and Nate McMurray he would be leading those same polls, he believes.
He is, after all, the only not-arrested, not-out-of-jail-on-bail, pro-Trump candidate in the race.
The tech-company CEO says he has the data to prove he is a logical alternative to incumbent Chris Collins, who has a federal court date pending in 2020 on insider trading charges.
"What I did was I had a robocall," Piegza said. "I called every single Republican, conservative, independent and unaffiliated voter that has voted in the last in an off-year election. In five seconds explain it, 'Hi, I'm Larry. I'm a pro-Trump candidate running against Chris Collins. He's the guy who recently got arrested. Would you consider voting a pro-Trump, third-party Republican?' "
In all, his computer dialed 125,000 phone numbers. Of those, 19,000 phones were answered. Of those, 1,900 completed the survey. Of those completing the survey, 59 percent said they would consider voting for a pro-Trump alternative to Collins. Only 22 percent of the respondents said they would still prefer Chris Collins.
"So as soon as they were actually given a choice, people were actually willing to consider a third party conservative," Piegza said during an interview with The Batavian two weeks ago at Moonjava Cafe. "These are the people that actually vote in off-year elections. Interesting. So, I'm actually convinced that if I can just get my name out that clearly I cannot only win this election but if I don't it's because Chris Collins is actually the spoiler."
Piegza entered the race well before Collins was arrested Aug. 8 by federal authorities on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and lying to the FBI (charges Collins denies, though has refused to explain), not just because he wanted to run for Congress as a minor-party candidate but because he knew trouble was looming for Collins, who was already facing a Congressional ethics investigation for his dealings with Innate Immunotherapeutics.
For Piegza, who jumped on the Trump "drain the swamp" bandwagon, Collins is just another corrupt politician out to serve himself rather than the voters of the NY-27.
"I actually believe if the liberal media started to actually realize that I am a real candidate, and get my name out there, I believe I have an excellent chance of winning this election."
Piegza shares the president's concern about "fake news" (though he wishes the president would stop calling reporters "the enemy of the people"), so much so that he and software engineers who work for him, created a now-defunct website, Identifact.org, designed to rate reporters and news organizations on their adherence to facts.
The site never gained traction but Piegza has continued to look toward technical tools to help solve democracies' problems.
His other venture is eDemocracy.us.
Piegza has big ambitions and eDemocracy is at the heart of his plans, now that his company GAP Technoligies Inc., has reached a sustainable level of success, giving him more time to try and make the world a better place.
"(Collins) never had town hall meetings and I thought to myself, 'well, how can I do better than that?' " Piegza said. "It occurred to me that we should really be putting constituent feedback online. Why can't somebody who is actually in the district and has an opinion on a piece of legislation or wants to contact their congressperson, why can't they just log online, go into a secure website and tell their legislator how to vote?"
According to Piegza, eDemocracy is designed to match constituents with their representatives, contain every piece of legislation coming up for a vote, provide a place to petition representatives on any topic, and allow representatives to explain themselves to the voters. The site is also designed to contain a reservoir of fact-based information to help voters better understand issues so they can provide more informed advice to elected officials.
Piegza has a lot of faith that such a system would temper the partisan divide and get representatives to actually do what their constituents want them to do rather than legislate based on sound bites.
"If we can get the entire United States onto a system like this that it would be really, really exciting because you'd be able to break down each district, what their residents feel," Piegza said.
"This would take all of the politics out of it," he added later, "because you would actually know what the people in the United States want. It's an exciting concept and I really believe it can revolutionize policymaking in the United States."
If elected, Piegza said he will use the system and will vote according to how voters on eDemocracy tell him to vote. If 60 percent of those who log on and express their opinion tell him to vote a certain way, that's how he will vote.
We grilled him on this idea a lot.
For example, as far-fetched, as it sounds, what if the district flipped on Trump and 60 percent of the voters told him to vote to impeach the president? He ran as a pro-Trump candidate. Would he really betray that campaign promise because a poll told him to change his mind?
"That's a great question," Piegza said. "I think most people, given the fact that it's one of the few parts of my platform that I say 'this is what I'm standing for,' I would follow my conscience, most likely," Piegza said. "Obviously, if 80, 90 percent of people said yes, absolutely. We need to oppose this particular Trump policy, yeah I consider it."
Piegza thinks eDemocracy can help untangle complicated topics such as immigration. If eDemocracy were widely used, he said, the country would be less divided over the issue.
"Take something like immigration," Piegza said. "Everyone wants legal immigration, but that means different things to different people. They have different tolerances for various things. So since nobody really has a great handle on what the people want, the parties are fighting. There's all the chaos that's currently going on.
"What would happen if you could administer a survey across the United States and everybody who cares about immigration logs in and completes this 50-question survey? It asks questions like: Do you want a border wall? How much are you willing to pay for a border wall? Do you support DACA? You administer this across the entire United States and you find those places where it's extraordinarily calm, like 80 percent of the people agree that on whatever, like we should have a border wall, and then we craft legislation that's custom tailored to what you know 80 percent of the people want."
That, Piegza said, would make policymaking easier and less political.
However, immigration is also a good example of a policy conflict where facts don't matter to popular opinion. For example, we pointed out, it's well documented that farmers need immigrant labor to help bring the crops in, yet much of the opposition to immigration comes from residents in those same rural counties.
Piegza said he believes if people are given good facts through eDemocracy they will come to the right decisions.
Which brought us to a discussion of climate change, a topic where the data is clear yet some people hold steadfast to the belief that climate change is a hoax.
Piegza said he would approach legislation related to climate change like any other issue that might pop up on eDemocracy. We would want the facts presented, the policy issues fully vetted, and he would vote the way his constituents said he should vote.
"I would consider a carbon tax," Piegza said. "We'd have to figure out how to pull it off so it doesn't damage any businesses or limit small business growth. I believe that we as the United States should be encouraging small businesses in research and development to make sure that we can have businesses that are running more effectively.
We also asked about confirmation bias and the tendency of people to put the belief of their political cohort ahead of what the data says -- people defend their beliefs no matter how wrong on the facts might be presented to them that contradict their beliefs.
It turns out Piegza is well acquainted with confirmation bias. He has a degree in Psychology. He believes eDemocracy can overcome confirmation bias.
"If there's one thing that I could add to our culture or to the United States, it's that there has to be an attempt at getting Democrats and Republicans to see eye to eye," Piegza said. "It is eDemocracy? I'm not saying that's a complete solution or anything like that. What I am saying is that it can't hurt knowing exactly what the Americans feel exactly and what each district feels."
For a guy who believes political harmony can be achieved in the United States, it might be surprising he supports Trump, who calls Democrats "evil" and has a tendency to come up with derogatory nicknames for his opponents ("Lying Ted," "Little Marco," "Low-energy Jeb"). He does wish Trump wouldn't go there.
"He's got he's got a bombastic personality," Piegza said. "He likes charging events and charging words and using explosive phrases. As a leader, I think he should step back from that. I'm a big believer in getting consensus. I'm a big believer that we can make better decisions together. So I'm not a big fan of the explosive language. You know to be perfectly honest, if there's one thing I could do it could be to grab the President's phone and throw it in the toilet."
It's been a banner year for the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce -- more ribbon cuttings, more members, more tourism dollars, and even higher attendance at the chamber's annual meeting at Terry Hills.
This year, 156 people turned out for the luncheon and Chamber President Tom Turnbull's upbeat review of the past year of chamber activity.
Membership has increased from 425 businesses on the Chamber's rolls to 464, a 9-percent increase, the largest single-year climb in membership on record.
"I think we've done a better job of conveying the value of being a Chamber member," Turnbull said after the meeting. "From our improved staff, improved social media, improve the communication with our members, we've been able to let people know what the chamber does and that it's growing.
"It also is a reflection on the business community. Businesses are growing. We're doing ribbon cuttings because there are new businesses. I think we that reflects what's happening in the business community."
The new visitor center on Park Road has given a boost to local tourism, Turnbull said, but new hotels, more travel, a good economy, are also giving a boost to the bed tax, which funds tourism promotion in Genesee County. Bed tax revenue was up 11 percent in 2017.
Tourism is the county's second leading industry, after agriculture, Turnbull said, with nearly two million visitors passing through the county annually contributing $180 million to the local economy. Darien Lake alone draws 800,000 people during its short 100-day season.
During the summer, sports events have become a big draw for the county, leading to all rooms booked at every hotel in the county on many weekends.
This past summer, 53 events in Genesee County drew 123,000 people.
Asian tour companies have discovered Batavia is a convenient location for an overnight stay, Turnbull said, because it's still close to Niagara Falls but with competitive room rates. As many as 10 tour buses a day stop in Batavia.
Local tourism employes more than 2,000 people at 380 tourism-related business with a $58 million annual payroll, Turnbull said.
A motor-vehicle accident is reported, possibly two, on West Main Street at Bogue Avenue, with minor injuries.
City fire and Mercy EMS responding.
David J. Somerton, 36, of Kelsey Road, Batavia, (in photo above) is charged with five felony counts of disseminating indecent material to a minor. Somerton was arrested and arraigned on Oct. 31 following an investigation into an offense that occurred on Kelsey Road in the Town of Batavia on Oct. 13. Additional charges are pending. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Howard Carlson, assisted by Investigator/Youth Officer Timothy Westcott. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division was assisted by the FBI Buffalo field office.
Victoria Lynn Jacques, 49, of Seward Road, Alexander, is charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, with a BAC of .18 or higher, and DWI -- first offense. Jacques was arrrested at 8:42 p.m. Oct. 27 on Broadway Road in Bethany. She was operating a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle cited in a traffic offense complaint called into the Emergency Dispatch Center. Genesee County Sheriff's deputies pulled her vehicle over and allegedly determined she was intoxicated. She was transported to Genesee County Jail and released on appearance tickets for Town of Bethany Court Nov. 22. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.
A bit of rain didn't stop 2-year-old Braxton going out trick-or-treating for the first time with his father Russell Schmidt, of Batavia.
Below are photos from Washington Avenue, Ellicott Avenue, Summit Street, and City Church's Halloween party at St. Anthony's.
The second picture is Officer Kevin DeFelice right after he ran out of candy for the kids on Ellicott. DeFelice said BJ's donated candy and he had 20 pounds to give out. He gave two pieces to each child and ran out in two hours.
Press release:
Nate McMurray, Democrat and Working Families Party candidate for Congress in NY-27, today pledged to vote against any cuts to Medicare and Social Security once he is elected.
"Social Security and Medicare are vitally important to so many folks, who now live in fear that these programs will be cut by politicians in Washington," McMurray said. "My opponent voted to create the deficit that is now being used as a justification for these cuts; he was wrong then, and he’s wrong now if he refuses to take this pledge.
"These are programs that seniors have paid into their entire lives and benefits they have earned. But Chris Collins lacks the independence to stand up for our seniors, and the integrity to admit that he was wrong."
McMurray has made Social Security and healthcare key components of his campaign, a stark contrast to indicted incumbent Chris Collins who has a 0 percent rating from the Alliance for Retired Americans.
McMurray believes Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits, and he notes that many senior citizens of Western New York and across the country depend on them to survive. He believes in protecting coverage for preexisting conditions and making healthcare accessible to all Americans.
A group of youths was reportedly smashing pumpkins and yelling at people before possibly entering a blue house near the intersection of East Avenue and Vine Street in the city. Batavia police are responding.
A minor-injury, two-car accident is reported at Richmond Avenue and Oak Street, Batavia.
City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
With rainfall anticipated of 1.5 to 2 inches anticipated, and the ground already saturated, the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Genesee County starting Thursday afternoon and continuing through Friday afternoon.
The NWS stated:
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall may result in minor flooding of poor drainage areas and small creeks from late Thursday afternoon through early Friday morning. Minor flooding is also possible on some of the larger creeks and rivers on Friday, including the upper Genesee River, upper Allegheny River, and Buffalo area creeks.
Crews have been working on removing a large tree from the front of 113 Jackson St. for a couple of days. Today, they had a crane out to help as the tree was cut into sections and lowered to the ground.
Press release:
On Monday, Nov. 12, at noon Genesee Community College will host a special Veterans Day Honor Ceremony at the Batavia Campus, including featured speaker Michael H. Ranzenhofer, New York State Senator from District 61. The ceremony will follow the College's annual Open House event, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. 'til noon.
The honor ceremony will be live-streamed in each of the College's seven campus locations and online for added convenience. The public is encouraged to attend at any of the following locations:
GCC will have approximately 25 front-row, handicap-accessible parking spots reserved for veterans on Nov. 12.
The Genesee County Joint Honor Guard opens the ceremony at 12 p.m. performing a salute to the flag on the stage of the centrally located William W. Stuart Forum. With Jim Simon, GCC's associate dean of the Orleans County Campus Centers acting as emcee, audiences will hear from GCC's College President, James M. Sunser, Ed.D., who will welcome guests and introduce Senator Razenhofer.
Following Senator Razenhofer's speech will be a series of short, special presentations by GCC student veterans. Featured speakers include Specialist Ricky Henderson and Corporal Laura Bukowski both of the Marine Corps; Ace Strickland of the Army, who will read a poem about the meaning of Veterans Day; and Jessica Cary, of the Navy who will sign a special veteran's version of "Hallelujah."
Audiences will also enjoy musical arrangements by members of the Batavia High School Band.
"For 20 years, GCC has made this ceremony a tradition, but it is also a privilege," says Jim Simon, a veteran serving 22 years in the Air Force. "Coming together to recognize, honor, and celebrate the veterans of this country and their families is a demonstration of the very rights earned by their sacrifices."
All veterans and their families in attendance are invited to join GCC in a special lunch at 1 p.m. provided in the Wolcott J. Humphrey III Student Union.
In addition, representatives from the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY Inc. (VOC of WNY) will be onsite welcoming our veterans and their families and providing information about the many services and opportunities available to them. The VOC of WNY provides veterans and their families' access to a holistic range of social and health services designed to assist in the transition to civilian life and the accomplishment of their goals.
GCC is proud to have representation from the VOC of WNY at this ceremony and encourages all veterans and family members in attendance to meet with representatives and explore their options.
For more information regarding the Veterans Day Honor Ceremony, contact Director of the Adult Educational Opportunity Center Kate Trombley at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6285, or via email: kbtrombley@genesee.edu.
The K-Kids were on hand at St. Joe's today to help the Batavia Kiwanis Club promote its annual Pancake Day, which will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at the school.
Tickets are $6 for an adult and $4 for children and seniors.
Press release:
Crime scene analysis, 3-D printing processes, welding applications, animal care methods, and the newest cosmetology trends are just a few of the practices students learn at the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center (CTE). The Batavia CTE Center will hold an Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1.
Students, parents and community members are invited to tour the center and discover the many skilled trades opportunities available at this facility.
All programs housed at this campus will also be open for tours, including the Batavia Academy, the Intensive Therapeutic Program, the Transition and Practical Assessment Exploration Systems Programs, and other school-age special education programs.
This event is open to the public. The Batavia CTE Center is located at 8250 State Street Road, Batavia. Please call (585) 344-7711 with any questions.
About Batavia CTE Center
The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services providing shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York state.
No injuries are reported in an accident in the area of 1506 Broadway, Darien, but a utility pole and wires are down.
Darien fire and ambulance dispatched.
David A. Leach Jr., 24, of Stafford, was arrested Oct. 20th by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with: first-degree burglary, a Class B felony; second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony; third-degree criminal mischief, a Class C felony; and third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor. In the early morning hours of Oct. 20th, Le Roy police responded to the report of physical domestic incident in progress. Upon arrival, the suspect, later identified as Leach Jr., had fled the scene and was believed to be operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. It is alleged that Leach Jr. broke into a residence causing damage to property in the process, and once inside the residence a physical altercation occurred. During the altercation, Leach Jr. allegedly placed his hands around the victim’s neck, obstructing the breathing of the victim, and he bit the victim, causing physical injury. The defendant was subsequently located by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and faces additional charges. He was arraigned in the Le Roy Town Court and jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail. Leach Jr. is to return to the Le Roy Town Court at a later date to answer to the charges.
Heather M. Coates, 32, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, and charged with one count of hindering prosecution in the third degree and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, both Class A misdemeanors. On Oct. 25, the Le Roy Police Department assisted New York State Parole with attempting to locate Rob H. Hoag. New York State Parole received information that Hoag was allegedly at Coates’ residence and at the time there was a child under the age of 17 also present in the residence, in violation of Hoag’s parole conditions. Patrols responded to the residence and spoke with Coates, who allegedly made several statements to the patrols hindering their investigation to locate Hoag. During the investigation, Hoag allegedly jumped from a second-story window at the residence then fled from police on foot. The Le Roy Police Department was assisted by the New York State Police and DEC K9 Unit in an attempt to locate Hoag. To avoid capture, it is believed Hoag was picked up in a vehicle and then left the area. Hoag was not located on the date of the incident. Coates was arrested as a result of assisting Hoag from being located by the police as well allowing Hoag to be in the presence of a child under the age of 17. Hoag was located and taken into custody on Oct. 26 on parole violations. Hoag also has pending charges with the Le Roy Police Department as a result of the incident on Oct. 25. Coates was arraigned in the Le Roy Town Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. Coates is to reappear in the Le Roy Town Court on Dec. 3.
Recognizing the leading entrepreneur of his time, Leonardo Da Vinci, the Business and Commerce department at Genesee Community College will host its sixth Creativity Conference on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Batavia Campus. The lineup of speakers will serve both aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners looking to take their business to the next level.
Conference attendees should check in at 8:15 a.m. for a continental breakfast and the conference will begin at 8:45 a.m. with a welcome from Provost Kate Schiefen, Ed.D.. Keynote speaker, Trace R. George, GCC class of 1993 and owner of VSP Graphic Group in Buffalo will begin at 9 a.m. sharing his inspiring story.
From 10:30 a.m. to 11a.m. GCC students will host a poster presentation highlighting various creativity-specific concepts and creative thinking tools designed to help participants learn to leverage their own creativity.
Beginning at 11:10 a.m. attendees will select two of the following 10 sessions to attend. Each workshop will be offered at 11:10 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.
These presenters will cover an array of helpful business building topics ranging from important lessons learned during their own climbs to success, to "Leveraging Social Media to Grow your Business," "Options Thinking to Increase Organizational Creativity," "Using Creativity to Build and Grow a Business" and "Personal/ Organizational Vision Board for Future Growth."
At 1:10 p.m. everyone will come together for a sit-down lunch, provided by American Creative Dining served in the centrally located William H. Stuart Forum. Winners of the Poster Presentation will be announced during lunch.
Small business owners or employees, entrepreneurs and the general public are invited to attend the conference and workshops. The cost is $39 per person, which includes a continental breakfast and delicious lunch. Seating is limited, so register today with The BEST Center! For GCC students, faculty and staff, the conference cost is $25 per person. GCC students, faculty and staff are encouraged to register with the Math, Science and Career Education (MSCE) office.
Click here for details on the associate degree and certificate programs available at Genesee Community College.
The entire conference is made possible through GCC's collaboration with Startup Genesee Committee to provide an agenda full of learning and networking opportunities, inspirational stories and education.
For more information, contact Director of Business Programs Lina LaMattina, Ph.D., at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6319, or via email: lmlamattina@genesee.edu.
The Genesee Society of Model Engineers announces that their semi-annual Great Batavia Train Show will be held at the Richard C. Call Arena in Batavia on Sunday, Nov. 11. The new venue on the campus of Genesee Community College offers unmatched convenience and for attendees and vendors.
• Date: Sunday, Nov. 11
• Location: Richard C. Call Arena at Genesee Community College
• Admission: $6 adults, $3 under 18, children under 13 are free
• Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Features: Vendor tables, door prizes, free parking
For more than 40 years the Great Batavia Train Show has been one of the premier hobby events in Western New York. Our move to the Richard C. Call arena at Genesee Community College has allowed us to grow the event in a state-of-the-art facility.
All forms of model railroad and train-related merchandise will be available. Items offered include all scales of model trains, clothing, historic railroad items, books, videos and toys. Modeling demonstrations, and door prizes featuring great railroad items, will be part of the fun.
About the organizing group:
The Genesee Society of Model Engineers has promoted the hobby of model railroading in the Western New York area for nearly 50 years. This not-for-profit organization is headquartered at 50 Main St. in Oakfield. In our facility above the M&T Bank, our membership maintains four operating model train displays. An open house is offered free to the public each December, and visitors are welcome on Tuesday evenings.
Train Show Chairman: Mike Pyszczek
• Phone: 585-768-4579
• Email: bataviatrainshow@gsme.org
• Website: www.gsme.org
• Mailing address: GSME, P.O. Box 75, Oakfield, NY 14125
Press release:
For the second time in the past year, indicted incumbent Chris Collins has ducked high school student who want to hear from their representative. Nate McMurray, Democrat and Working Families Party candidate who is challenging Collins in NY-27, condemned Collins for his refusal to engage with high school students and failure to participate in any debates with less than a week before the election.
"It says a lot about a guy if he’s too scared to talk to high school students, and it makes it even worse when it’s his job to listen to the people he represents,” McMurray said. “In the spring, it was Clarence students wanting to talk about gun violence in schools.
Today, it was St. Joe’s students who have proudly hosted debates for the last 30 years. These aren’t political operatives or insiders, they’re young people who will be the future of our country and who just want to have a voice in the discussion.”
In April, Collins declined an invitation to a “Town Hall for Our Lives” hosted by Clarence High School students, calling the students “radical partisans.”
Today, St. Joe’s learned that Collins planned to skip the debate from a local radio broadcast. McMurray attended both events and plans to meet with Clarence High School students on Friday. He will also be at the forum hosted by the League of Women Voters.
"It’s typical of millionaires like Collins to look down on voters like us, and he just doesn’t have the backbone or character to talk with students or debate. Eleven felony counts, out on bail and a flight risk, and he just makes himself more of an embarrassment to our community with his cowardice. He’s got one more chance today, and then it’s three strikes and he’s out -- of office!”
East Pembroke fire has been dispatched to the Apple Grove Mobile Home Park on Pratt Road, Batavia, to assist a man whose leg has become stuck in a sinkhole.
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