Bill Kegler, left, spent 22 years in the military and has been fighting fires since he was 18. Now he is fighting a different enemy, and hoping his winning hand gets dealt next week.

Kegler is a Pavilion resident and six-year member of the Community Fire Company; he is pictured above with Vice President Nick Wright. He is battling myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease that causes poorly formed or dysfunctional blood cells.

"I found out that there was something going on with my blood through the (Batavia) VA back in 2011," Kegler said. "They told me to see a hematologist (blood doctor), who diagnosed what I had through a bone marrow biopsy."

He has since been receiving treatment -- first from the Batavia hematologist who diagnosed him, and now at the Wilmot Cancer Center at Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital. In addition to chemotherapy, his treatment includes experimental drugs that are part of a national clinical test.

"I get chemo treatments every month," Kegler said. "It lasts for seven days straight, and then I'm off for 21 days. Then it starts all over, and that will go on forever until they find a bone marrow match."

To that end, at the instigation of Secretary Kathy Wright, the Community Fire Company is hosting a bone marrow drive for Kegler from 5 until 9 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be at the Pavilion Fire Department Hall at 11302 Lake St. in Pavilion.

Anyone age 18 to 44 and in good health is encouraged to participate. There is no cost, and it only requires a few moments of people's time and a mouth swab.

"I would be very grateful to anyone who comes out," Kegler said.

Until then, he stays in high spirits.

"I think the biggest thing is all the support and prayers I'm getting from everybody I know," he said.  "And people I haven't even met are coming up to me and saying they have me on their prayer lists. My own spirituality is also going a long way in keeping me on an even keel."

Originally from Alden, Kegler has resided in Genesee County for more than 40 years. He and his wife raised their six children in Batavia, sending their two oldest to Notre Dame High School and the younger children to the Batavia City School District. Kegler has also lived in Oakfield and served as a member of the Oakfield Fire Department.

For more information, call Nick Wright at 813-1288.

June 1980, Northern Manitoba -- We had a great fishing adventure and a bit of an education as well. I learned that lake trout and brook trout are actually members of the char family. Note the white piping on the pectoral and ventral fins of the laker pictured above, distinctive markings on all char.                   

We also I discovered that it was wasn't necessary to fish deep for lake trout thanks to the frigid temps of subarctic waters. But those cold waters also make for a slow growth rate, as little as a half pound per year. That means the laker I'm holding in the above pic had been around for 48 years.                    

Winter, 1991 -- Slow but steady wins the race...Nick Calarco's hounds had this coyote on the run for a considerable time before it finally stopped for a breather.       

It may be winded but it's still full of fight -- note the hair standing up on its back. 

A young Massasauga rattlesnake. These are known to exist in two locales in all of New York State -- in Genesee County's Bergen Swamp and in the Cicero Swamp north of Syracuse.               

This is what it will look like when it's all grown up.

Playtime for Bandit..........Bandit and his siblings were discovered living between a wall and a partition in a small barn that served as chicken coop. Concerned for his chickens, the owner urged the mother raccoon to relocate, which she did -- one baby at a time. She took the first three and never returned for Bandit. After several days passed Bandit was adopted and nurtured by loving hands.

   Nap time!

USAToday: Celebrate National Poetry Month with 10 notable lines of poetry

Early this afternoon workers with Turnbull Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration hoisted a new air-conditioning unit onto the rooftop of a building on Liberty Street, Batavia.

Centennial Blog -- eighth in a series

Batavia officially became a city on Jan. 1, 1915 after having been an incorporated village since 1823. The transition involved a progression through several steps during 1914. During 2014, I will be acknowledging each of these events 100 years after their occurrence.

On April 15, 100 years ago, the governor of New York, Martin H. Glynn, had before him a bill proposed by the Village of Batavia Aldermen and passed by the State legislature. It was a bill that would make Batavia the 54^th city in the state. However, there was a question as to whether the governor would sign the bill. His predecessor, William Sulzer had vetoed a highly similar bill a year earlier because of opposition from Batavia’s Charter Revision Commission.

On the surface, the situation hadn’t changed much. Members of the Commission still favored a city government run by a city manager and five nonpartisan councilmen elected at large. The Aldermen’s bill, approved by the State legislature and now on the governor’s desk, provided for a mayor, six councilmen each elected from a city ward, and all seven affiliated with a political party.

However, there were two differences this year. One was that the Aldermen’s bill had been amended to require a referendum vote by the residents of Batavia. If a majority voted against the Aldermen’s bill, its provisions would not go into effect. A second difference was the existence of another bill moving through the legislature, the so-called Murtaugh Bill. Under this bill, residents of a city could petition for a change in the form of their city government; and if a majority of voters favored that change, it would go into effect.

Among the options under the Murtaugh Bill was one that matched the form of government favored by Batavia’s Charter Revision Commission. So, even if the Aldermen’s bill was approved in the referendum, Batavians could later vote to change the form of Batavia’s government to the one proposed by the Commission.

Under this new set of circumstances, the members of the Charter Revision Commission chose not to seek the governor’s veto of the Aldermen’s bill. And so, on April 15^th, Governor Glynn signed it into law as Chapter 354 of the Laws of 1914. The next step would be the required referendum vote to be held on June 8^th.

How did Batavians vote in the referendum? In seven weeks, I will let you know.

A fire is reported 3505 Railroad Avenue. A bench inside the shop there was on fire. Alexander Fire Department is on scene and shortly after arriving declared the fire out, cancelled a mutual aid request for the Town of Batavia's ladder truck. Now the chief is calling for more manpower from his department. The location is between Sandpit and Buffalo roads.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: All Alexander units are returning to quarters, in service.

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) has been approved for a grant up to $130,000 from National Grid that will be used to continue the development of the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park (GVAB). The Agri-Business Park is home to Alpina Foods, LLC, and Muller Quaker Dairy, LLC.

The GGLDC, the real estate affiliate of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), recently acquired 37 acres of land adjacent to the Agri-Business Park. The grant from National Grid will be used to extend the current electrical distribution line along the newly constructed access road, as well as the engineering and design of the extension of the road, water and sewer lines.

The approximate $600,000 project is being funded by the GGLDC and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Agency and is expected to create approximately 100 construction jobs.

“National Grid continues to be a phenomenal partner in our economic development efforts in Genesee County and you have to look no further than to the continued growth of Agri-Park to see the return on investment of the various grants the company has provided through the years,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO, GCEDC.

“Genesee County continues to be a model for how to do economic development in New York State,” said National Grid Regional Executive Dennis Elsenbeck. “We are confident that the job creation and capital investment made to date in the Agri-Business Park will continue to occur as Steve and his team expand its footprint.”

The approved grant will be paid out upon project completion and comes from National Grid’s Shovel-Ready Incentive Program, which was created to help make high-potential sites more marketable for the expansion of job-creating companies. Information about National Grid’s suite of economic programs is available at www.shovelready.com.

Rhonda L. Reisman, 41, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with restrictions on running at large, prohibited nuisances (harboring a vicious dog) and harboring an unlicensed dog. Reisman is accused of owning a dog that was loose at 2 a.m. Monday and attacked a woman and her dog while on a walk. The woman and the dog both suffered injuries. Police believe this is not the first time this same dog has attacked the same woman. The dog was seized and is currently under the supervision and care of the Animal Shelter.

Robert M. Freeman, 22, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment. Freeman is accused of driving the wheel of a vehicle being driven by another person at 10:38 p.m. Monday while on East Avenue, Batavia, causing the vehicle to strike the curb. There was allegedly a small child passenger in the car at the time. Freeman was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Ramel Joshua Askew, 20, of Rosedale Avenue, Bronx, is charged with disorderly conduct. Askew was allegedly using obscene and abusive language at 3:56 p.m. Tuesday while in front of the entrance of 14 W. Main St., Batavia.

Paul Dennis Barth Jr., 23, of Cohocton Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Barth is accused of violating a Family Court order by contacting the protected person through a text message.

New York Times: Reading Valentine’s Card, Pistorius Leaves the Stand

A proposed rule change by the EPA regarding "navigable waters" could have a serious impact on agriculture and local taxpayers, Chris Collins said today during a press conference at Stein Farms in Le Roy.

He was joined by Dean Norton, president of the New York Farm Bureau, Dale Stein, owner of Stein Farms, and County Legislator Shelly Stein.

Norton said farmers have been fighting the proposed rule changes for years; and years ago even won a court case on what Congress intended when it passed the Clean Water Act in 1972.

"The Supreme Court has ruled that Congress was very specific at that time on what navigable water was," Norton said. "If you can run a canoe down it, if you can have commerce effected on that water, then it's navigable. A pothole is not navigable. A pond is not navigable. The puddle out there in the drive way is not navigable."

The proposed rule change -- being pushed by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers -- would redefine "navigable water" as any body of water that stands for at least four days and could eventually drain into a navigable waterway.

"If Dale Stein wanted to regrade his driveway to make it level and get rid of the puddles, he would have to call the Army Corps of Engineers and get a permit," Collins said. "That would probably cost him $250."

Norton said the EPA is using a scientific study to back its position that hasn't even been peer reviewed.

If the proposed rule changes go through, then any agriculture work affecting what the EPA has classified as navigable waters would have to be approved and reviewed, at great cost and delay to farmers.

The same rules would apply to cities, villages, towns and counties.

"(The rule change) is also going to effect everyone who is a taxpayer and I think they're (the Administration) going to find they're on the wrong side of the issue," Norton said.

Dale Stein said he's already going through a similar issue with land the farm leases from another property owner. Because some government official signed the wrong piece of paperwork 29 years ago, Stein is unable to open some irrigation ditches needed to properly, in an environmentally sound manner, farm the land.

"Now we're in the process of trying to get through all that so we can farm it correctly," Stein said. "It's just another giant bureaucracy to try and get the proper permit, and if somebody makes a mistake along the line, our children 30 years from now could be paying for it."

The proposed rule change could put farmers out of business, Shelly Stein said.

"Should the EPA be successful in gaining this rule change to classify each temporary puddle as navigable water, our daily farm operation activity would stop," she said.

The good news is public pressure works, Collins said.

He's already received bipartisan support for a letter he's drafted to the EPA and the Corps of Engineers opposing the rule change. More than 160 members of Congress have signed on and he believes, with public support, more will follow.

"There's no doubt that when you can raise the awareness on any issue, the chances of stopping the absurdity of it dead in its tracks is improved," Collins said. "I've got at least a level of optimism that we an get them to re-look at this rule."

A dusting of April snow made for a beautiful drive this afternoon on Oatka Trail Road in Le Roy.

It was all fun and games in the children's section of the Richmond Memorial Library this afternoon as staff threw a birthday party for the library.

Batavia's library, founded with a gift from the widow of Dean Richmond, is 125 years old this month.

Today, the children participating in the party made birthday hats and played games.

SAVE THE DATE! Our Spring Fashion Eyewear Event will be held Thursday, April 24th from 3-7 p.m. Featuring the new Prada and Dolce & Gabanna 2014 collections. Come and browse all their newest Italian-made designer frames, offered at substantial savings!!

A Batavia man who admitted in February that he stole a debit card to make purchases over the Internet told Judge Robert C. Noonan today that he's turned his life over to Jesus.

Bruce J. Brade, 33, of Galloway Road, read from a long, typed-written statement that ended with his request for leniency. 

Within terms of his plea deal, Noonan sentenced him to six months intermittant jail time and five years probation.

That settles a case from January in which Brade was arrested on charges of identify theft, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th.

He still faces future prosecution for allegedly stealing checks from his grandmother over the course of several months in 2013 while he was living with her. The value of the checks allegedly totaled $3,680.

Brade told Noonan that he knows he's done wrong and that he's hurt people. He said he's sold many personal items in order to make restitution to his victims and intends to pay back every dime he stole. He said he relies on his relationship with God to move forward and three men in his church who mentor him and hold him accountable. He said he's enrolled full time in a four-year college and has applied to a nursing school.

He's also receiving guidance and a counseling through the Veterans Court and is involved with the VA. He's receiving tuition assistance through his G.I. Bill of Rights.

"I take full responsibility for my stupid choices," Brade said.

He said he hates jail and never wants to go back. He said he doesn't understand why some people who have been in jail get themselves in trouble again.

Noonan said he found the Probation Department's pre-sentence report on Brade "rather interesting." The report says Brade is disingenuous about some of his statements, according to Noonan.

Probation, the judge said, "is probably a good way to ensure you're supervised."

It's supposed to be spring, right? Well, it snowed today and it should be in the low 20s overnight.

That might seem unseasonably cold, but according to the Farmer's Almanac, the average last day of frost in Batavia -- with a 50 percent probability -- is May 4.

Plan your spring planting accordingly.

Above, snow dusting cars at Falleti Motors.

A woman with a snow-speckled blue umbrella on East Main Street.

The Tonawanda Creek along West Main Street.

An accident involving a truck and another vehicle is reported in front of the Community Action Center, 5073 Clinton Street Road. The driver of the truck is pregnant and law enforcement on scene has requested a medic to evaluate her. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding and Mercy medics are on scene.

UPDATE 10:51 a.m.: The town assignment went back in service about five minutes ago.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) declared today, April 15, as "Big Government Day" in New York State. While April 15 is well known as the deadline to file your taxes, it carries even more significance this year as it is also the deadline for gun owners to register their so-called "assault weapons" with the state or become felons. Hawley is using the day as a reminder to his constituents of the need to stand strong in the face of ever-growing state and federal governments.

“The government was not content simply taking your money, so they’ve decided to take your guns, too,” said Hawley. “It is appropriate that we commemorate this day as Big Government Day and take a moment to understand the massive scope of the government’s size. New York State is both the highest taxed and least free state in the entire country thanks to the forces of New York City liberals. On this day where the government is coming after both our money and our 2nd Amendment rights, let’s make sure that those of us who love our families and communities make a stand for smaller government.”

While New Yorkers are unfortunately accustomed to paying oppressive taxes on Big Government Day, this is the first year that the registration requirement of the SAFE Act is also in effect. Numerous reports in the media have indicated that the rate of compliance with the SAFE Act is expected to be less than 10 percent, with local officials refusing to enforce the law. Hawley sees the flawed gun control legislation as not only unconstitutional, but also as a case study of the ineffectiveness of big government.

Big Government Day is a sober reminder that New Yorkers live in the least free state in the country. According to a 2013 report by the Mercatus Center, New York “is by far the least free state in the Union.” The reality that Upstate New Yorkers know too well is that their neighbors are leaving the state. Big government forces families to flee New York for areas where they are not overburdened by highest-in-the-nation taxes and unconstitutional infringements on personal freedoms.

Reason Magazine: John Paul Stevens wants to "fix" the Second Amendment.

After many years of trying to find a proper use or proper buyer for its old Town Hall -- built in 1836 -- the Town of Bethany is prepared to transfer the property to the Landmark Society of Western New York on a $10 purchase price.

The board passed a resolution 4-0 Monday night that will help make transfer of the property to the society.

Officials hope the Landmark Society of WNY is better suited and will have better luck finding a buyer who will preserve the historical character of the building.