On Wednesday a little rain couldn't stop the Pembroke community from coming out and honoring one of its own with one of the highest honors for a coach. 

Ron Funke, retired Pembroke teacher and Varsity Softball coach, was honored with Funke Field and a dedication ceremony.

More than 100

Many of the honors on Saturday night during the Pembroke Fire District Awards and Installation Dinner at the Fire Hall in Pembroke went to those men and women who showed up for more than 100 calls during 2023 and to those who have put in at least 50 years.

But the Firefighter of the Year Award went to somebody who didn't go on the most calls and hasn't yet made it to 50 years but, despite battling an illness, has still made his presence felt.

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Alexander trailed 4-2 in the bottom of the third on Thursday when Emily Pietrzykowski tied the game with a 2-run homer to right center.  

Melanie Bump knocked in the go-ahead run, but the Trojans never looked back.  

Carley Shepard, Ella Felski and Faith Goodenbury lead the Trojans in the batter’s box with hits, each of them finishing the day going 3-for-4 at the plate. 

Melissa Sawyer, Ava Yax, Melanie Bump, and Brianna Neyman all finished the day with 2-hit performances.

Senior Madison Boyce pitched for Alexander, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, and 3 earned runs with 7 strikeouts in 6 innings.

For Pembroke, Reagan Schneider, Aleena Maynard, Taylor Bischoff, Peyton Liss and Ashley Johnson all had singles on the day.

It was a picture-perfect evening to play softball, and we took advantage of it," said Alexander Coach John Goodenberry. "Jen is doing a good job coaching Pembroke, but this one just went our way today. Their catcher (Schneider) has a rifle for an arm, and if you’re not paying attention to the corners, she’s not afraid to let you know it. I like that. Madison didn’t have her best stuff today, but isn’t that how life goes?  She still tossed a good game, and our girls came through on offense, putting up 21 hits to support her."

Submitted photos.

Notre Dame scored three in the top of the first and sprinkled runs in the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th innings en route to the 8-2 victory in the league matchup over Pembroke.  

Loretta Sorochty pitched another gem for the Lady Irish, going the distance, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs (0 allowed) and striking out 19 batters, which sets a new single-game record for Notre Dame High School.  

Jayden Hootman went the distance for the Pembroke Dragons, giving up 10 hits, 8 runs (3 earned) and striking out 4 batters.

Offensively for the Lady Irish, Sofia Falleti led the way with 3 hits (including a triple) and a run scored, while Mia Treleaven and Gianna Falleti each collected a pair of hits, with Gianna adding an RBI.  Katie Landers led off the scoring in the first inning with a 2-run home run (1 hit, 1 run, 2 RBIs).  Also collecting base hits were Loretta Sorochty (2 runs scored) and Cayleigh Havens (1 run scored, 3 RBIs). 

Offensively for Pembroke, Regan Schneider, Taylor Bischoff and Jayden Hootman each had a base hit.\

"I like how we came out strong offensively tonight, scoring 3 in the first inning, but don't like how our bats quieted down a bit after that," said Coach Otis Thomas. "I'm proud of our ace Loretta for setting a new school record for strikeouts. She was hitting her spots tonight.  We have a tough stretch with 7 games in 6 days, so it is great to get a win to start the week.  We have a really tough matchup tomorrow against Avon, where we are going to need not only our ace pitcher but our bats to step up as well.  We are looking forward to the challenge."

Pembroke Superintendent Matthew Calderon said the state provided the district with no increase in foundation aid.

He said the tax levy will stay within the tax cap limit, with an increase slightly below the cap for the 13th consecutive year.

"We needed to pair down our initial budget draft by $870,000 to get down to the final number," Calderon said. "Thankfully, no current full-time employees were cut."

The proposed budget will be presented at a public hearing at 6 p.m. on May 14 at Pembroke Central School.

The budget vote is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. noon to 8 p.m. on May 21 in the high school auditorium.

Matthew O'Neal Bader, 41, of Batavia, and Jennifer M. Shaffer, 41, of Batavia, are each facing several charges. Bader is charged with two counts of petit larceny, burglary, and identity theft, two counts of grand larceny, two counts of criminal possession of stolen property, unlawful possession

The Pembroke Dragons triumphed over the Byron-Bergen squad 9-2 on Monday. 

Hayden Williams led the way from the pitcher's mound, dominating with 13 strikeouts. 

Jayden Bridge emerged as a standout player at the plate, going 3-4 with two doubles, driving in crucial runs and keeping the pressure on the Bee's defense.

Anthony Abbatiello also went 3-4.

Speed also proved to be a weapon for the Dragons, with the team racking up 6 stolen bases. Landon Santini swiped three himself.

In his first victory as the head Varsity Coach for the Dragons, Coach Lang expressed immense pride in his team's effort and dedication. The win not only highlights the talent of the players but also speaks volumes about the resilience and determination of the entire team, he said.

Photos and information submitted by Allison Lang.

Two days after more than 100 local residents turned up at a town of Pembroke board meeting to protest increased property assessments, the board voted in an emergency session on Saturday to roll back the increase for 2024.

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Kyle Beaver, a Grappling World Champion and Canadian National Pro Champion, won the NYS Absolute Grappling Championship representing Lumber City Combat Sports. 

His son Jojo Schafer-Beaver, from Pembroke, made his grappling tournament debut and took 2nd place!