Press release:

Leaders from State University of New York (SUNY) campuses in the Finger Lakes region today called on local elected officials to continue supporting public higher education by creating a new investment fund and extending NYSUNY 2020, including the successful rational tuition policy, in the 2015-16 New York State Budget.

At Monroe Community College today, five SUNY presidents, including Genesee Community College President James Sunser, Ed.D., were joined by students and faculty members to present a unified voice advocating for all 64 SUNY colleges and universities.

The key component of SUNY’s budget request is an investment fund that will enable SUNY to graduate 150,000 students annually by 2020 through the system-wide scale up of evidence-based programs known to support student success, including Finish in Four completion promises, applied learning, Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP), and expanded advisement services.

“Community colleges have become key economic drivers within our local communities,” Sunser said. “The academic programs and workforce training we offer brings competitive salaries and wages to our graduates, and increased productivity and profitability to our business community.

"Community colleges produce a very positive net economic return to our communities, and without question, increased New York state investment in our 30 community colleges goes hand in hand with economic growth.”

SUNY continues to be a huge economic driver for the state, serving 3 million New Yorkers every year — including students, faculty, staff, and others — and an economic powerhouse that generates $21 billion annually for New York.

Since NYSUNY 2020 was first enacted, SUNY campuses have used additional revenue generated by rational tuition to grow and expand student services, including the hiring of 520 instructional staff, 270 of whom are full-time faculty, and the implementation of 100 new degree programs reflecting high-demand areas in New York’s workforce.

The 2015 Tree & Shrub brochures and order forms are available from the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Categories include:

• Coniferous tree seedlings;
• Deciduous tree seedlings (new -- swamp white oak, black gum);
• Wildlife shrubs (new -- winterberry, witch hazel, Midwest crabapple);
• Flowers (new -- yarrow, aromatic aster, bee balm, zebra mallow, cross gentian, English lavender, wild columbine;
• Grasses and sedges (new -- feather reed or diamond grass, red head fountain grass, banana boat sedge);
• Variety packs = nut trees / edible (apricot, plum, butternut, pecan) / edible berries / wildlife shrub or windbreak pack;
• NEW! Apple tree packages (only these must be ordered by March 15);
• Planting, garden & habitat supplies (new -- Whiff Deer Deterrent, how-to guide book "Backyard Fruit Production"), bat houses, marking flags, tree shelters, etc.;
• Wildflower seed packs;
• Plus, tree seedling planters available for rent (day or half-day).

The GC Soil and Water Conservation District office is located at 29 Liberty St. in the City of Batavia. Phone is 343-2362.

E-mail:  <genco.soil_waterconservation@yahoo.com>

Deadline is April 1 for all orders except apple tree packages (March 15). Orders placed after deadline may be filled until supplies last, but cannot be guaranteed. Quantities are limited. Distribution is mid-April and you will be notified of the pick-up date. Plants are sold for conservation purposes only. The district is not responsible for the success or failure of the plants.

Checks may be made out to:  Genesee Co. SWCD.

Althea Penepent (right) with her daughter-in-law Jeanne and daughter Valerie. Mrs. Penepent is speaking out on the need for expanded services for people with developmental disabilities in New York State for her daughter and thousands of others on a waiting list for residential services.

Press release:

BYRON – Althea Penepent often wonders (and worries) what will become of her daughter Valerie after she’s gone. So, Althea has joined a growing number of families across New York State advocating for expanded services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. The “Families Cannot Be Caregivers Forever Campaign” calls current funding in the New York State Budget completely inadequate to meet the needs of these New Yorkers, many living at home with aging parents.

Valerie is the seventh and youngest child of Althea and Richard Penepent, born Feb. 2, 1977. Althea shares that her pregnancy and delivery with Valerie were the same as her first six children. She was blindsided when her doctor came into her hospital room after Valerie was born and coldly stated, “Women over 40 shouldn’t have a child because she’s mongoloid,” then turned on his heel and left. A nurse’s aide called Richard Penepent, plowing snow in the aftermath of the Blizzard of ’77, to come talk to his wife.

When Althea told Richard their baby girl had Down syndrome, he calmly and confidently said, “Althea, we’ll handle it.” Those words from her husband were all Althea needed to hear to reassure her that her new baby would have every opportunity to thrive and learn in a home filled with love.

Today, Richard Penepent, 88, has dementia and has been in the Le Roy Village Green Nursing Home for 13 months. In looking back on this last year, Althea reflects, “He doesn’t recognize very many people any more – but he always knows Valerie, no matter what, and calls her by name.”

Genesee ARC Medicaid Service coordinator Roxanne Monteleone has worked with the Penepent family for the last ten years.

“Valerie’s future weighs heavily on Althea. Valerie is on a waiting list for residential placement, but with no funding in the State Budget, every agency’s hands are tied,” Monteleone said. “It’s a very real concern for many families we serve."

Valerie has had an amazing 38 years, and she will proudly share her many accomplishments.

“I graduated from Batavia High School in 1998 and then began working at the workshop (ARC Sheltered Work Center), Valerie said. "I like to cook, dance, do laundry, crafts, go shopping and do jigsaw puzzles.”

According to her sister-in-law Jeanne Penepent, “Valerie loves to gives birthday cards and is always sharing little gifts for special occasions.”

The recent death of Althea’s sister and sister-in-law combined with her husband’s health and her own glaucoma has Althea even more concerned for Valerie’s future.

“She has come a long way,” Althea said.

Besides regular and special education schooling, the family paid for private math and reading classes for Valerie for 20 years in a program that originally began at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Valerie has been attending the Genesee ARC Sheltered Work Center day program since she turned 21. She has learned a lot of new skills and tackles every job with great pride. When asked her favorite job, her immediate response is, “cheese boxes,” a longtime Work Center contract for Yancey’s Fancy.

“What concerns me is where she will live, who will care for her after I’m gone,” Althea said, “Valerie is a blessing, but my other children have families and concerns of their own. I feel a residential placement is the best for Valerie’s future.”

According to the most recent data provided by Genesee ARC’s state association, NYSARC, Inc., 12,000 people in New York are on a waiting list for residential options, while 4,000 people are in critical need.

The last time there was any major residential development in New York State was in 1998 with the announcement of the NYS CARES (New York State Creating Alternatives in Residential Environments and Services) program by then Governor George Pataki. NYS CARES was pegged as a five-year plan to virtually eliminate the waiting list for out-of-home residential services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

“While NYS CARES resulted in meeting the needs of thousands of New Yorkers, at the time, development has been at a standstill for years,” Genesee ARC Executive Director Donna Saskowski said. “New York needs to step up and provide the necessary funding, to help the thousands more families like the Penepents."

While facing so many life changes, Althea Penepent wondered aloud how different life might be if Governor Cuomo was in her shoes.

“If he had a handicapped child, maybe then he would understand,” the mother said. “Valerie votes --- 'people with disabilities have rights, too.' "

NYSARC statistics estimate nearly 200,000 people with developmental disabilities in New York State live with family caregivers; more than 50,000 live with family caregivers over 60 years of age.

Families across New York are urging their state legislators to advocate on their behalf to include funds in the upcoming budget to provide critical residential services, at last giving families peace of mind, knowing when they’re gone their child with a disability will be cared for.

A link to the Families Cannot Be Caregivers Forever Action center is on the Genesee ARC Web site, www.geneseearc.org.

Press release:

For the 11th consecutive year Site Selection Magazine has recognized Batavia/Genesee County as one of the Top Micropolitans in the United States. Among the criteria for receiving the recognition includes capital investment and job creation. Through the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), approximately $58.07 million in new capital investments were made in the county creating more than 140 new jobs in 2014.

“Throughout 2014, we continued to see tremendous growth in Genesee County as a result of our strategic business attraction and expansion efforts to generate capital investment and create more job opportunities,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “Further development of the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP), among several other shovel-ready sites, will remain a top priority on our agenda as we move forward into 2015.”

In 2014 the GCEDC achieved 20 project “wins,” and celebrated the $20 million expansion of Yancey’s Fancy, one of Western New York’s most prominent food manufacturing companies. Yancey’s investment will result in a new 112,000-square-foot building at the Buffalo East Technology Park in Pembroke and will create 50 new jobs in the region. Other significant projects the GCEDC assisted with were the expansion of Liberty Pumps in Bergen and US Gypsum in Oakfield.

The ranking of Top Micropolitans is based on cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people which cover at least one county. To make the rankings, the projects must be at least $1 million in value, employ at least 50 people, or involve construction of at least 20,000 square feet. There are approximately 576 micropolitans in the United States according to Site Selection Magazine. Batavia was tied for fourth place in the national rankings.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center will unveil its 2014 annual report highlighting its project “wins” at the organization’s annual meeting on Friday, March 6th, at noon at Batavia Downs.

It's been a bit nasty out today, but at least it's not sub-zero.

There's more winter weather on the way, too.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a winter weather advisory for noon Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday.

The forecast is for a mix of snow and freezing rain and sleet. 

Snow accumulations of one to two inches and ice of a tenth of an inch.  

Visibilty will be less than a mile at times.

Caution when traveling is advised.

Top Photo: Ray Tortorice walks his Cub Cadet on Trumbull Parkway to clear snow from his walk and his neighbor's walk this afternoon. Bottom photo: a tree in Centennial Park.

A two-car accident, with one person complaining of a head injury, is reported at Byron and Walkers Corners roads. Byron, South Byron fire and Mercy medics are responding.

Luis A. Castro Maldonado, 21, of 27 E. Main St., Le Roy, is charged with assault, 2nd. During the early morning hours, Sunday, Le Roy PD was dispatched on two separate occasions to an excessive noise complaint at 27 E. Main St., Le Roy. Later, police were dispatched to investigate an alleged assault. Castro Maldonado is accused of hitting a person in the face with a snow shovel. The alleged victim suffered cuts and was treated at the scene by Le Roy Ambulance. Castro Maldonado was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Allysa L. Castro, 22, of 91 S. Main St., Perry, is charged with harassment, 2nd. During the incident reported above, Castro allegedly struck another person in the hand and then punched that person in the face.

Gerald L. Barber, 40, of 143 Jackson St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, refusal to take breath test, driver's view obstructed and side window/rear window not transparent. Barber was stopped by Le Roy PD on an alleged tinted window violation. He was jailed on $250 bail.

A 16-year-old resident of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 5th, unlawful possession of marijuana, endangering the welfare of a child, obstructing governmental administration and aggravated DWI/drugs with a child in the vehicle. Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Washington Avenue at 6 p.m., Thursday. When approached, all occupants attempted to flee. The driver was apprehended and found allegedly impaired by marijuana and in possession of marijuana. There was a 14-year-old youth allegedly in the vehicle. All of the other occupants have been identified. (Name of the youth withheld by Batavia PD).

A 16-year-old resident of Dellinger Avenue is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 5th, and endangering the welfare of a child. The youth was allegedly involved in the incident above (name withheld by Batavia PD).

Rene N. Brochu, 31, of Lewiston Road, Oakfield, is charged with failure to appear. Brochu allegedly failed to appear on a traffic ticket issued Jan. 14. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Joshua E. Blue, 28, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. Batavia PD responded at 1:55 a.m. Sunday to a report of a large fight at 345 W. Main St., Batavia, and Blue allegedly tried to physically interfere with an officer making an arrest of another person. Blue was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Tabatha Holly Clark, 29, of Telephone Road, Le Roy, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and drugs. Clark was arrested based on the return of a toxicology report just completed that stemmed from a police response at 12:30 a.m. Dec. 12 to a report of a woman sleeping in a running vehicle on Willow Street for two hours.

Alexandra R. Lasky, 24, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, charge. Lasky turned himself in to Batavia PD and posted $200 police bail.

Kirk D. Baker, 27, of Center Street, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, reckless driving, no headlights and failure to keep right. Police received two complaints of a possible DWI at 7:59 p.m. Thursday. Baker's vehicle was stopped on Ellicott Street by officer Devon Pahuta. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Marquis D. Flowers, 22, of Frost Avenue, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charge. He was held in jail pending his next court appearance.

Sarah M. Wilson, 30, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Wilson was arrested on a report received by police at 1:27 a.m. Feb. 5. No further details released.

Destiny N. Green, 18, of Walnut Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a trespass charge. Green was arrested at her residence. She posted $100 bail.

Richard Allen Townley, 38, of Francis Road, Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to stop at stop sign and no/inadequate directional signals. Townley was stopped at 1:23 a.m. Sunday on Francis Road, Bethany, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Chandler James Wingling, 18, of Ellicott Street, Pavilion, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Wingling was allegedly found in possession of marijuana during a traffic stop at 4:01 p.m. Feb. 20 on Route 77, Darien, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Jessica Lynn Hoff, 35, of Knapp Road, Akron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, no front license plate, broken windshield and insufficient tail lamps. Hoff was stopped at 1:34 a.m. Thursday on Route 77, Darien, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Thomas Michael Kunes, 45, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana and no/inadequate headlights. Kunes was stopped at 7:27 p.m. Saturday on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Jacob Wendell Cole, 30, of Wiscoy Road, Portageville, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes and driver's view obstructed. Cole was stopped at 1:27 p.m. Feb. 25 on Route 77, Pembroke, for alleged traffic violations by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Cole was allegedly found in possession of 1,400 untaxed cigarettes.

Jovenia Ann Corcoran, 52, of River Street, Hornell, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes and speeding (59 mph in 40 mph zone). Corcoran was stopped at 11:53 a.m. Wednesday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Corcoran was allegedly found in possession of 3,400 untaxed cigarettes.

Thomas James Rose, 19, of Ford Road, Elba, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and petit larceny. Rose is accused of stealing checks and a debit card.

Pamela B. Crespo, 19, of Newark, N.J., is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd. Crespo was arrested by State Police at College Village.

Michael J. Maniscalco, 27, of Greece, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Maniscalco was arrested by State Police in the Town of Le Roy.

New York Times: The White and Gold (No, Blue and Black!) Dress That Melted the Internet

Answer this question later today on the smartphone app Reacht for a chance to win a $5 gift certificate from Southside Deli. To download Reacht on your smartphone, click here.

Six years ago, there were critics who gave us six months.

I heard it in Batavia and read it from pundits online.

When Billie and I assumed ownership of The Batavian, the site had three sponsors and hadn't yet cracked 2,400 visitors in a day. There were naysayers who thought we were foolish to sell our home in Pittsford and rent a tiny duplex on Maple Street and pretend we could be local online news publishers in Batavia.

That was March 1, 2009.

Today, thanks to the support of our readers, we have more than 140 sponsors and employ three people (including our editor for the Wyoming County Free Press).

Last week, we had 12,000 visitors to The Batavian every day. That's normal now, and on big news days we're well over 15,000 visitors and sometimes as high as 20,000.

In a county with a population of only 57,000 people, we get 120,000 visitors to the site per month, who visit the site 550,000 times per month. (Source for these numbers is our Google Analytics account, which tells us nearly 60 percent of that traffic comes from within Genesee County, with the bulk of the rest coming from the rest of Western New York (likely local residents checking us out while at work.)

Those might seem like staggering numbers, or perhaps not. There are sites online where those traffic numbers would be considered abysmal, so some context is needed.

We get context by comparing our traffic with the local news organization we consider our competitor, the Batavia Daily News.

The chart above comes from a site called Quantcast, which measures the traffic of both TheBatavian.com and TheDailyNewsOnline.com.

The top line is The Batavian, which covers only one county, and the bottom line is the Batavia Daily News, which counts as its market area three counties (Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans).

Billie and I are really proud of how people in Genesee County have embraced The Batavian as the go-to local news source. The spikes in the chart above especially illustrated how important we are to local readers when there is breaking news.

Quantcast says in the past 30 days, The Batavian has had 127,000 unique visitors (kind of like counting individual computers that visit the site) compared to 99,000 for the Batavia Daily News. We've had 663,081 visits (counts people visiting multiple times) compared to 422,000 for the Batavia Daily News.

Marketers use a term called Defined Market Area to measure audience for media companies, and Genesee County is divided between Buffalo and Rochester. Our traffic in the Buffalo DMA was 64,566 people and for Rochester, 23,785. For the Batavia Daily News, the numbers are 37,694 and 18,702.

While it's gratifying to compare ourselves to our competition and see we're on top, that's not the real point here. As I go around town, I get asked all the time, "How's The Batavian doing?" This is how we're doing.

More than our raw traffic numbers, those comparisons speak volumes about how The Batavian has been accepted and embraced by Genesee County residents.

It also puts our success in context on a larger stage. There are, at best, only a handful of online-only news sites in the United States that have achieved our level of success in readership and local business support. I don't even know of a newspaper in a comparable market that matches The Batavian's online success with its Web site.

Publications that cover media are full of pundits who pontificate on the failure of local news media and are self-assured that the Internet destroys the audience for local news. The numbers for The Batavian demonstrate, I think, how wrong those proclamations are. People do want local news, and if they get it in a style and format they like, they will flock to it.

Billie and I are grateful for your support. We're transplants from Southern California who have come to love Western New York and enjoy our life in Batavia. We're excited about our community's future and prospects for growth and intend to do all we can to be a supporter of an ever more vibrant and successful community.

Of course, we wouldn't be in business without the support of our sponsors, but there again, we need to thank our readers. You all have been most generous in supporting our sponsors. We continually get rave reviews from sponsors who are pleased with the results they get from their ads on The Batavian. Please continue to support the local and regional businesses who so graciously support The Batavian.

On the sponsorship front, we've promoted Lucie Ann Griffis to an expanded sales territory to include Genesee County, so if you have a local business and are ready to experience a great way to market your business, call Lucie at our office, (585) 250-4118.

Elisha Muir will be playing the key role of chimney sweep Bert in the classic musical "Mary Poppins" later this week at Pembroke School. Though Elisha is no stranger to the stage -- he has been in a number of Pembroke productions as well as Batavia Players -- this will be sort of a new experience for him.

Last summer he went suddenly and profoundly deaf, possibly due to a virus. He's since been on a remarkable journey -- diagnosis, surgery, learning, re-learning and preparing for his role.

He will be hearing with new ears, so to speak, made possible with surgical implants. The result is sure to delight the listening audience, starting Thursday night.

In early August last year, Elisha was working when he felt “off balance” and was diagnosed with vertigo. This dizziness progressed and with it he started to experience hearing loss -- first in the right ear, then in the left. In a few short weeks, just prior to the start of his senior year, Elisha was deaf.

He had been to a number of physicians and they are theorizing that a virus found its way into the cochlea, which led to a condition known as vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis.

“They think this is what happened but the doctors really don’t know," he said.

The start of the school year posed a challenge and Elisha had to change his course schedule and missed some class time due to numerous appointments and surgery. Elisha could have opted to be home tutored while going through this, but chose to continue in school making changes as necessary. Jody Benatovich, Elisha’s mother, credited Pembroke School in promptly assisting Elisha with necessary accommodations.

In October, only a month after the start of school and a day before his 18^th birthday, Elisha underwent surgery and received bilateral cochlear implants. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that helps to create sound and makes it possible for the wearer to hear again. A microphone, worn behind the ear picks up the sound and sends a message to a speech processor, which is worn on the body. This then changes the sound into information that gets transmitted via the implant to the brain.

At first, Elisha said “that all sound came in at once…I had and continue to practice listening in different environments."

In November, Elisha auditioned for "Mary Poppins" despite his inability to hear himself sing.

“Singing without hearing, is like driving without your eyes," he said.

With the help of his music director, Dan Reisdorf, Elisha has been preparing to play the role of the loveable character Bert in the upcoming play. Residorf used special music education techniques (i.e. solfege, audiation) to assist Elisha when he had lost his hearing.  

The most amazing thing about Elisha is his attitude about this significant and swift change in his life.

“It is something that 'is', not something that has to be overcome," Elisha said, matter-of-factly. "It’s a different fork in the road.”

He continues to make progress and is making plans to study anthropology after graduation. He's looking at University of  Buffalo or Rochester Institute of Technology (National Institute for the Deaf). His mom said he has maintained a good attitude throughout this ordeal, which has been inspirational for both her and Elisha’s sister.

“Elisha’s ability to maintain his sense of humor and strong work ethic throughout his senior year has been impressive and admirable," Reisdorf said.

As Elisha takes the stage for the first time fitted with his cochlear implants, listening and feeling rhythmically for his cues, he will be joined by a talented cast.

The leading lady is Harmony Bordinaro, who has the title role of Mary Poppins. Harmony participated in the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) for Musical Theatre and was an alto in the NYSSMA All-State Chorus this past December. Her plan is to major in Musical Theater in Florida.

Matthew Kowalski, who plays Mr. George Banks, appeared in last year's production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" as Jimmy Smith. Matthew plans to attend college for music composition.

Emilee Houseknecht, who impressed the audience last year as the lead character Millie Dillmount, returns as the wonderful Mrs. Winnifred Banks.

Jane and Michael Banks are being played by seventh-graders Brianna Warrant and Michael Pfenninger, newcomers who have stepped into their roles beautifully. Juniors Alison Reiner (Mrs. Brill) Greg Pelkey (Robertson Ay) and Quinn Audsley (Miss Andrew) bring new characters to life from the original book by P.L. Travers.

"Mary Poppins" runs March 5th, 6th and 7^th at 7:30 p.m. with an added matinee at 2 p.m. on March 7. Tickets are $8 for students and senior citizens, and $10 for adults and can be purchased at www.pembrokemusicals.com.

Danser suffered traumatic injuries in the accident and remains in the intensive care unit at Strong Memorial Hospital.

He will need months, perhaps years, of neurological care. Perhaps, he will never fully recover.

Brandon's mother, Karin Meyer, has been living in Seattle with her husband, Dan Meyer, and their foster children.

Dan Meyer said this afternoon that his wife is holding up as well as can be expected, that she's pouring everything she has into caring for her son, and holds out hope for his recovery.

"It's an emotional roller coaster," Meyer said. "We have to deal with what might happen, and then this that happened and each new piece of news and each improvement is a step in the right direction. We're getting past the point where his life is in danger and that was the first relief after that initial shock. After that, each improvement is really a positive thing."

Brandon is showing improvement. He can answer short questions, though there are times he can't remember people. He spends more time out of bed and sitting in a recliner.

"He has shown good success picking up and tossing a Nerf ball, which is another major improvement," Meyer said. "He is not able to stand on his own but when supported on each side he has been able to take tentative steps and move across the room. He has good hand and arm motion and has been generous squeezing hands and giving out hugs."

The emotional roller coaster hasn't stopped since Karin received that early morning phone call Feb. 21 with the horrible news of the accident.

She got on the first flight East she could book and when she arrived at Strong and walked into Brandon's room, he was still completely unresponsive, Dan said.

"When she's away from Brandon, she gets a chance to release those emotions," Meyer said. "She gets time to recharge and even think about eating and sleeping for herself."

Meyer joined his wife in Rochester yesterday after making arrangements for their foster children in Seattle. He's here to provide the care for her she needs as she cares for her son, Meyer said.

It's a completely open question as to how long Karin will need to be in Rochester.

Doctors don't yet know when Brandon might be released from ICU. The most likely next step for Brandon is in-patient care at Unity Hospital's Restorative Neurology and Rehabilitation Center in Rochester. When he's able to be flown to another location, he could be taken to the Mayo Clinic, or he could return with Karin and Dan to Seattle.

Any scenario will be difficult for the family.

Out of concern for her sister's well-being and the financial stress of her family, Marianne Bowen has set up a GoFundMe.com page, Help Brandon Heal, with an initial goal of raising $10,000, though Bowen thinks the family's financial needs will far exceed $10,000.

"My sister believes, she hopes he will be back but there is a lot of work ahead of him," Bowen said.

The accident is such a tragedy, Bowen said. It's still unclear what happened. The driver, Hannah Dibble, was the designated driver and wasn't drinking, according to information given to Bowen. Brandon was wearing a seat belt, but still ejected from the vehicle when it was struck.

The Sheriff's Office investigation is being supervised by Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster (Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble is the great uncle of Hannah Dibble, so he recused himself from the investigation), and Brewster said late this week there are still no conclusions to share. There have been no charges filed or citations issued.

In all, six people were in the little brown 1997 Geo Prism driven by Dibble when it crossed Route 20 on a dark, bitterly cold morning from northbound Molasses Hill Road.

Of the six, Brandon was seriously injured and 18-year-old Alyson D. Krzanak died of injuries sustained in the accident. Jamie Scherer, 21, of Pembroke, was seriously injured, but is now listed in satisfactory condition at Strong. Felicia Fazzio, 20, of Darien, was also hospitalized, but her condition is not available. Dibble was treated and released at ECMC and Gabrielle Uzarowski, 21, of Pembroke, was treated at the scene and released.

Last night, members of the Pembroke community held a vigil for Krzanak. Visit The Batavian's news partner, 13WHAM, for a report.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce held a gala at the Clarion Hotel last evening to honor its 2014 award winners.

(Pictured above L to R) 2nd row -- "Business of the Year" Applied Business Systems, Lisa Ormsbee, Connie DiSalvo, Jim DiSalvo, Jason DiSalvo, Steve Samis;  "Geneseean of the Year" Margaret "Peggy" Lamb; "Industry of the Year" Muller Quaker Dairy, Karen Banker, Kevin Williams. "Geneseean of the Year" William "Bill" Schutt.

(Pictured above L to R) 1st row -- "Innovative Community Contribution of the Year" Merrill Lynch, Steve Tufts, Joshua Dent, John Riter; "Agricultural Business of the Year" Corcoran Custom Services, Stacy Corcoran, Bill Corcoran. "Special Service Recognition of the Year" Genesee Cancer Assistance, Inc., Dr. Kevin Mudd.

To purchase and view pictures contact: https://www.facebook.com/SteveOgnibenePhotography

Steve Samis - Applied Busniess Systems

Kevin Williams - Muller Quaker Dairy

Bill & Stacy Corcoran - Corcoran Custom Services

Steve Tufts, John Riter, Joshua Dent - Merrill Lynch

Joe Gerace, Carol Grasso, Toni Funke, Paul Figlow, Dr. Kevin Mudd, Ellen Bachorski together pictured for Genesee Cancer Assistance

Jay Gsell with Margaret "Peggy" Lamb - Geneseean of the Year

William "Bill" Schutt - Geneseean of the Year

More pictures on Steve Ognibene Photography's Facebook page.

The Batavia Blue Devils had no difficulty tonight knocking off Wayne in a second-round Section V Class A2 playoff game at BHS tonight. The 75-45 win sets Batavia (17-2) up for a semi-final match Wednesday evening at Blue Cross Arena againt College Prep (15-4).

Tonight, Jeff Redband scored 28 points, Malachi Chenault, 17, and Jarrett Laskett, 11.

Notre Dame also won tonight, beating Lyndonville 77-55 in the Class D1 playoff game. Notre Dame (13-7) faces Mt. Morris (12-8) on Wednesday at a location to be determined.

To purchase prints, click here.

It was a nifty little move under the basket, a no-look reverse layup from Byron-Bergen's Abbie Kelley. The kind of play good players make.

In this case, it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Head Coach Rick Krzewinski said it was perhaps the difference maker in the game.

The Lady Bees got to that point by allowing Notre Dame to go on an 11-0 run at the start of the third quarter to erase a 10-point lead for Byron-Bergen in the Section V Class C1 playoff game.

The reverse of fortunes had a familiar ring to the Bees, who lost a home game earlier this season to the Fighting Irish after blowing a first-half lead.

Krzewinski told his players in the locker room at the half, "looks familiar doesn't it?"

One of his girls said, "don't even talk about it."

"Oh, we're going to talk about it," Krzewinski told his team, "because we're not going to let happen what happened last time."

The Bees apparently got the message, and Kelley's nifty basket provided the spark they needed to beat back Notre Dame's momentum.

"Players make plays and that was the perfect time for it," Krzewinski said. "We got our composure back, I thought, and started hitting some shots."

That basket and a three possession change of defense to a 2-3 zone, seemed to break the rhythm of the Irish girls.

Kelley, who has 393 points on the year, did more to carry her team than drop that one score. She was the game's leading scorer with 23. Nobody else on her team was in double digits.

"Today was Bergen's day," said Irish Head Coach Dave Pero. "In the fourth quarter, Abbie Kelley took the game over. We missed way too many free throws. We probably missed 14 free throws (10, actually) and in sectional play, in any game, you can't miss 14 free throws and think you're going to struggle to win. Sometimes you'll get lucky, but the luck of the Irish wasn't with us today."

B-B's diamond defense held Notre Dame's top two scorers to totals a shave below their season PPG averages. Becca Krenzer had 12 points and Shea Norton, 11.

Emma Francis didn't hit a single three and was held to seven points for the game.

"We had the shots we wanted," Pero said. "You have days when they're not going to go in and today was one of those days. But we fought to get back in third quarter and I don't know if we ran out of gas a little bit, we might have, but I've got to take my hat off to Bergen. They played a great basketball game. They played for 32 minutes and that's why they're moving on and we're not."

The Bees had 13 days off before the game and Krzewinski said the team used that time to work on the diamond defense thinking it would be effective against Notre Dame.

"We were hoping maybe we could force some turnovers, worst case maybe slow them down," Krzewinski said. "I thought the girls worked it well and the message was, it will work if you move and they moved. We got out of it what I wanted."

It's been 2008 since Byron-Bergen beat Notre Dame in a girls basketball game, and the Irish seem to be a chief rival for just about every team they play.  The win certainly made Bees fans happy, who whooped it up in the closing seconds of the game.

"Yeah, everybody wants to beat Notre Dame, obviously,"  Krzewinski said. "Year in and year out they're a team that everybody wants to beat and to be able to do this in a sectional game just makes it really sweet. I'm so proud of the way they (his team) played and hung in there and did this. I don't even know what to say."

Next up for Byron-Bergen, the #3 seed in the tournament, is #2 seed Gananda (16-3) at 6 p.m., Tuesday, at a location to be determined.

Pembroke, also a C1 team, lost today to East Rochester.

Oakfield-Alabama and Alexander also lost playoff games today, leaving Byron-Bergen, Batavia and Elba as the three Genesee County girls basketball teams still alive in the postseason. All three have games scheduled for Tuesday.

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A kitchen fire is reported at College Village.

Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

The call was first dispatched as an automatic alarm of fire. A minute later the dispatcher came on with "updated information" and said there is a confirmed kitchen fire, confirmed via the alarm company.

UPDATE 10:36 p.m.: Alexander's Fast Team dispatched to College Village.

UPDATE 10:38 p.m.: Security reports the fire may be out, but responding units asked to continue.

UPDATE 10:40 p.m.: Alexander can stand down.

A structure fire is reported at 8705 Brick House Corners Drive, Pembroke. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire crews are responding, along with Mercy medics. A Sheriff's deputy on scene reports light smoke showing.

UPDATE 7:37 p.m.: Command has entered the building and it's "no longer smoking, investigating at this point."

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: City Engine #12 also responded and is now returning to its station. The City's Fast Team, initially called into action, is told by Pembroke command to go back in service.

UPDATE 7:59 p.m.: The Pembroke assignment is back in service.

This is the seventh and last profile of the 2014 Chamber of Commerce Award winners. The awards will be presented at a dinner at the Clarion Hotel tonight.

Thousands of senior citizens in Genesee County have gratefully enjoyed nutritious food prepared and delivered to their door because Margaret "Peggy" Lamb was key in launching Meals on Wheels here in 1974. Showcasing local farms beginning in 1989 with the annual Decision Makers' Agricultural Tour, underscoring the sector's economic impact, was her brainchild.

Although these two accomplishments are among her proudest achievements, she has helped out on many fronts.

Named one of two Geneseeans of the Year for 2014 by the Chamber of Commerce, she is all about serving the community. (The other Geneseean of the Year 2014 is William "Bill" Schutt.)

Her record of volunteerism spans 46 years, and the beneficiaries include: the United Memorial Medical Center Foundation; the YWCA Board of Directors; Oakfield Methodist Church, where she is trustee and has served in several leadership roles over the years; CASA for Children (Court Appointed Special Advocates); the Genesee Symphony Orchestra Board; the Muriel H. Marshall Fund Planning and Advisory Team; the Chamber of Commerce; Oakfield Betterment Committee; and the recently formed Richmond Memorial Library Foundation.

As the saying goes, "If want something done, ask a busy person." She stays active and gets things done.

And those who know her well, like Elba resident Lucine Kauffman, who nominated her, not only vouch for that, they also appreciate her honesty, wit, generosity, intellectual curiosity and just plain hard work.

Peggy and her husband, Gordon, live in Oakfield and have three grown sons, Craig, a veterinarian, and Jonathan and Matthew, who work in the family business -- Lamb Farms. It operates in three locations, mostly as a dairy farm, but they grow some vegetables, too. They have more than 100 employees.

She knew nothing about farming when she married in 1968, two years after earning a degree in Christian education at Keuka College. She grew up in Hamburg and her dad worked for a state utility company -- 8 to 5 -- and was "always home on weekends."

Not so with farming. The long hours were "a shock" she says, requiring a great adjustment. She, obviously, managed to balance things -- her duties on the farm, including being the bookkeeper, raising the boys, and giving her time and talent to worthy causes.

She keeps on giving.

As a court advocate for children with CASA, for example, she's had to learn the intricacies of the legal system and the mix of resources that are available or required to handle the caseload and assist families.

"It was a real eye-opener," Peggy said. "It's not for the weak of heart. I don't think the average person in Genesee County realizes all what happens. There's a whole group of people with needs -- that we had no idea there were so many of them or how extensive their needs were."

But helping them has been rewarding, she said.

"I'm working very one-on-one with the children and learning all about their backgrounds so I can give my best advice to the judge on what I think should happen to these children."

With age has come the realization that she can't volunteer to the degree that she once did.

"I feel I'm glad to help when I can," she said. "I'm glad to be doing what I'm doing now."

Dr. Joe Scanlan, a man with the steady, gentle temperament of a parish priest, is stepping away from a job he loves in a few months.

Appropriately enough, for the past 11 years, Scanlan has been principal of Notre Dame High School, the private Catholic school on Union Street in Batavia.

"It takes a lot of energy to do this job," Scanlan said. "I pretty much do everything here except business. And you wouldn't want me to be the business manager. Tommy Rapone does a nice job. In addition to being principal, you're talking admissions, recruitment, pubic relations, newsletter and all the rest of the stuff. It's time to give somebody else a chance."

Scanlan's tenure at Notre Dame caps a 47-year career in education, which includes 15 at Byron-Bergen as a history teacher, assistant principal and principal, and 11 years as principal at York Central School.

Scanlan has found it particularly rewarding to shepherd area teens through their preparatory education at his own alma mater.

"I love it here, especially the kids," Scanlan said. "It's a great group of kids here. There's great kids in every school, so it's not just Notre Dame, but the students here are special group. They're pretty gritty. They're competitive, but they're respectful."

There are 170 students in grades 9-12 at Notre Dame. When the seniors graduate this spring, it will be Scanlan's final graduation with the school, it will also be the 50th anniversary year of his own class's graduation.

It's tradition for classes to be invited back for the graduation ceremony on their 50th anniversary, so Scanlan is hoping he'll see a lot of his former classmates.

Scanlan said the school board already has a number of qualified candidates who have expressed interest in the job.

There is also a $5 million capital campaign under way at the school, so the next principal will have plenty to do from the first day on the job.

As for Scanlan's own plans he says, "right now the plan is to have no plan."

He has a son and granddaughter living in Cleveland and more time to travel will mean more time with his family.

He plans to continue living in Le Roy.

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2013, William ("Bill") Schutt wound up with lots of other emergency personnel at an icy Alabama swamp trying desperately to rescue a lone deer hunter who became stranded. Sometime after 2:30 that afternoon and into the cold of night, Alabama's assistant fire chief fretted and planned and coordinated as dozens of volunteers risked their lives, tempted frostbite, and went through plans A, B and C to haul Vermont visitor Colin Phillips to safety.

At 6:59 p.m., this was relayed over the scanner, "Alabama command -- all the men and equipment are accounted for. We're out." A grateful Phillips, Schutt and the other exhausted emergency responders could look forward to the holiday and leave what could easily have been a tragedy behind them.

As Schutt would later say, "This is what we do."

He has been handling emergency situations with quiet aplomb for more than two decades and is one of two people chosen as Geneseean of the Year for 2014 by the Chamber of Commerce. (The other is Margaret "Peggy" Lamb.)

"Howard (publisher of The Batavian) kind of summed it up when he said it's nice to see a volunteer firefighter is getting the award," Schutt said. "I'm not getting out of bed at 3 in the morning because I might win an award some day. I feel like this award is for all the volunteer firefighters and emergency responders."

The 52-year-old native of West Seneca has lived in the Town of Alabama for about 25 years. He's married and has a son, a daughter and a baby granddaughter ("She's got me in training," he said of the little one.)

He serves as the West Battalion coordinator for the Genesee County Emergency Management Office and is employed full-time as general manager of Mercy EMS, where he manages a staff of more than 60 and its fleet of vehicles.

What kind of person donates more than 25 years to a volunteer fire department -- chairing committees, recruiting members, serving as chief, assistant chief (his current rank), captain and lieutenant? What type of guy spends countless hours on training and offers to do both menial and heroic tasks for free, and does them with equanimity?

Not your average citizen, that's for sure.

"Bill manages to help people everywhere directly and indirectly, from rescuing them from a fire, to transporting them safely and quickly to a hospital," wrote nominator Wendy Allen-Thompson in a letter to the chamber. "Bill is a true hero every day."

Lynn O'Donnell, Mercy's local outreach coordinator, agrees wholeheartedly.

"When everyone else is running out of a burning building, you're running in," O'Donnell says of firefighting volunteers, which includes herself. "Nights of planned dinners, family functions, quiet evenings ruined by the sound of a fire pager telling you of some soul's plight. ... We have to be on our best game when those who call us are having their worst day."

Like Colin Phillips had a couple of years ago in that swamp.

After the incident, Phillips said of his rescuers -- volunteers from fire departments in four counties, "I owe them my life. If they didn't come out and get me, I'd be dead tonight. I appreciate every second of it. They're great people."

Asked by a reporter, what can you say to that? Schutt said the most you can say, really, is "Thank you."

He continued "These guys are out here in the cold for hours, but it's something you do for your community. When you're part of a volunteer fire department, somebody calls for help, it's not something you complain about. None of these guys are going to complain about being out here in the cold and away from home for hours."

Least of all, Bill Schutt. Thank you.

The law of averages was bound to catch up with the Lady Panthers in their Friday night Section V playoff match with the Lady Blue Devils in Batavia.

Yes, Maddie McCulley, Sam Cecere and Tiara Filbert were held to only nine points combined in the first half, but they were getting open looks. If they kept shooting, shots would fall.

That's just what happens when good shooters keep shooting.

McCulley finished the night with 17 points, including a trio of threes in the fourth quarter, and Filbert notched 13 points and Cecere added seven as Batavia pulled away for a 46-37 to advance to the Class A2 semifinals at 8 p.m., Tuesday, in Mendon.

"Tiara had a bad first half, Maddy had a bad first half, Sam had a bad first half, yet were were behind by only three," said Head Coach Marty Hein. "There was never a time with these girls where we thought we would be only at 15 at half time. We told them, 'just keep shooting.' "

There was a time midway through the third quarter when the game had that feel of one that was slipping away.

Batavia trailed by 11, 26-15.

Successive baskets from McCulley, Filbert and Abby Allien, tightened the score.

A switch to a 3/4 quarter pressure defense got Geneva off balance and created some turnovers.

Suddenly with 18 seconds left in the quarter it was a different game.

Taylor Stefaniak, who finished with five points, sunk a crucial free throw (top photo) to tie the score and the Lady Panthers would never be out in front again.

To win, Batavia had to overcome a Geneva team led by senior Mia Morrison, 313 points on the year, 161 rebounds, 36 assists, 21 steals and 13 blocked shots and the athletic ability to dominate a game.

The job of slowing her down went to Filbert.

"She's definitely their star," Hein said. "We just wanted her to work from one end of the floor to the other. The first half we played a lot of man and put Tiara on her. We were joking around with Buddy Brasky (Batavia's boys head coach) the other day, about whether Tiara could even handle playing at the boys' level. When she guards you, it's intense."

The assignment helped get Filbert in foul trouble in the third quarter, so Hein switched the defense to give Filbert some help, but left his own star in the game.

"Tiara can play smart with four fouls," Hein said. "She knows, fine, let the girl score a layup, she's more valuable on the floor than on the bench."

It was an unorthodox approach that Hein stuck with when Cecere was whistled for a fourth time with about four minutes left in the game.

He didn't lift his junior center, either.

"Most of the time you sit somebody, they're in foul trouble and you sit them for almost a whole quarter and then they never get a foul the rest of the game, so it's like, go ahead and let them play, if it happens it happens," Hein said.  "It's such a close game. It's a live and die game. We lose and we're done. We win, we move on to the next step, so we'll go out swinging, I guess."

Pittsford-Mendon in the semis is going to be another tough matchup.

Like Batavia, the Lady Vikings are 15-4, but Mendon also held Batavia to 33 points in the second game of the season, in the Blue Devils' most lopsided loss of the year, 54-33.

The Vikings feature three players in triple figures in scoring (Alley Phillips, 232, Darby Kreienberg, 159, Emily Sullivan, 139).

Even so, Hein likes his team, which he believes has really come together well over the course of the season.

"Mendon really took it to us in the second game of the season," Hein said. "We were good and played with them in the first half, but we got shelled in the second half. Our team has a whole different identity from the beginning of the year to where we're at now. Todd Julien is a great coach. Mendon has some great basketball players, but I like mine, too. We'll give them heck on Tuesday."

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