The Spring Vendor Blender at the Fairgrounds on Sunday looked like another success. I walked away with coffee, honey and organic salad dressing. There were certainly lots of interesting vendors to visit.

A car vs. pole accident with minor injuries is reported at routes 5 and 77. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding along with Mercy medics. A responder on scene says the pole snapped and wires are down.

The Story of My Dog

We have had a 5 pound Yorkshire Terrier for about 12 years now. When Butch (we have other names for him, too) was 3 years old he became very sick. We took him to the vet and were told that Butch had a severe infection, maybe in his kidneys, and that he would soon die. Well, after a course of antibiotics, Butch was able to get his teeth cleaned and they took a few bad teeth out. Butch was a new dog. Where do you think that infection was coming from? Every now and then Butch's breath would get worse than ever and he would seem sick again. We would get his teeth professionally cleaned and as usual, they would take the bad teeth out and yes, he would be better again. Recently, it happened again but, he must have just lost that bad tooth. His breath went from "I can smell him from across the room" to "why doesn't Butch smell any more?". And Butch, now at 12, is as healthy as ever.
     
The moral of the story? Easy. Butch is only 5 pounds so a tooth infection might affect him more than it might affect us. But, a tooth or gum infection might take its toll on us all the same. It is true, though rare, that a tooth infection can kill us. We also know that gingivitis alone probably takes years off one's life. Ask your dentist or hygienist if you have any questions. And Butch? I think that he is running out of teeth. That is another story.
Dr. Russell Marchese Jr. -- 585-343-2711. Like us on Facebook for more information.

Jennifer Moran makes a balloon octopus for Lucian during the Darien Spring Festival held today at Berried Treasures on Broadway Road, Darien.

The 4-H Swine Club hosted its annual pulled pork BBQ at the Fairgrounds today.

The Seneca Siberian Husky Club, which is based in Rochester, held its show today at Falleti Ice Arena.

Above, Shira Barkon, of Pennsylvania, with Jewel.

Rick Church, of Michigan, with Sadie.

Jan Haring, of New Jersey, showing Trooper for judge Dr. Richard Hideman.

GO ART! hosted an Appraisal Fair today at Seymour Place.

Appraiser H.P. Prazer with John Seartz and Louis Call.

Appraiser Jason Helenbrook of Gold N Time.

Set up is under way for today's Beertavia in the parking lot off School Street, behind Angotti's Beverages. More than 50 craft brews will be served.  The event is from 3 to 6 p.m. Tickets start at $40 and are available at the door.

Here's your chance to enjoy a special Date Night every night for a year (significant other not included). 

Employees at the Bank of Castile branch on East Main Street, Batavia, are auctioning off this grand prize as a fundraiser for Relay for Life.  The prize value is more than $700. 

Tickets can be purchased at the branch, $1 for one ticket, $3 for five, and 10 for $5.

The raffle was organized by Michelle Cryer, who wasn't available today at picture time. Pictured are Lauren Drier and Amber Reese. 

The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance held its annual meeting this morning at Terry Hills. The event featured presentations by students who have been through BEA programs, awards and election of officers.

Jay Wolcott, a teacher with Byron-Bergen High School, received an APPLE Award, as did Ed Shaver (second picture), a teacher with Elba High School.

Other awards: Business Partner of the Year, Dan Harvey, formerly of Graham Manufacturing; and partner in education awards to Graham Manufacturing and Amada Tool America.

Wolcott and Shaver are pictured with Eve Hens, director of BEA.

Nick Corsivo

 Students from Alexander Central School who attended BEA Camps last summer. Lauren Young, Nick Allen, Andrew Young.

Heather Dries and Chrstine Stevens, students at Byron-Bergen, in Wolcott's manufacturing systems classes.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at Main and Jackson streets in Batavia. City fire is responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.: One person was transported to UMMC with a hand injury.

From our news partner, WBTA:

In a nationwide fundraising effort to fight childhood cancer, an Oakfield family will represent New York State.

This is the story of Brady Williams, a lemonade stand, and a whole lot of determination.

The Foundation’s fundraiser, called Alex’s Lemonade Days, occurs during a weekend in June and is designed to raise money for fighting childhood cancer as well as raising awareness of the issue.

"We'll have our lemonade days fundraiser on June 13th and then we'll have our annual stand that we do every year during the Oakfield Labor Day celebration in September," says Brady's mother, Megan Williams.

Alex Scott was an 8-year old girl who passed away from neuroblastoma in 2004, the same cancer affecting Brady. 

She and her family helped raise more than $1 million to help find a cure with homemade lemonade stands.

The cancer in Brady was first detected in his chest wall before extending into his spinal cord and column.

He was diagnosed with cancer when doctors tried to determine why he hadn’t learned to walk as a baby.

After undergoing two surgeries as well as chemotherapy, the lively second-grader is in remission.

Brady and his family speak at schools to spread awareness of childhood cancer.

Alex’s Lemonade Days runs from June 12-14 this year.

"Our six-year total is over $20,000, so this year we're hoping to break $25,000 but I may adjust that based on how we do here June 13th. We may have to push that up even higher," says Megan.

Everyone wants lemonade around June, so the Williams family will continue to satisfy customers as well as work to fight for childhood cancer.

A smile like Brady’s shows a hope that never fails.

The Williams family lives on Drake Street in Oakfield.

Brady is one of a set of triplets.

Via our news partner, WBTA:

The Genesee County Republican Committee has endorsed its slate of candidates for this Fall’s election. The county committee met last night, Chairman Richard Seibert told WBTA this morning. All incumbent GOP legislators were endorsed for reelection except Legislative District 7 and city wards 1 and 6.

Incumbent Frank Ferrando is retiring and the nod went to Batavia City Councilman-at-large John DeLeo.

DeLeo was challenged for the endorsement by fellow councilman-at-large Eugene Jankowski.

DeLeo won the endorsement.

The republicans have no candidate for District 9, the post held by the legislatures lone Democrat Ed DeJanerio.

The GOP Endorsed Slate: (i) = incumbent
Coroner: (i) Barry Miller
County Attorney (i) Charles Zambito, recommendation
Legislative Districts:
Dist. 1 Alabama and Oakfield: Raymond Ciantrini (i)
Dist. 2 Elba: Robert Bausch (i)
Dist. 3 Pembroke and Darien: Michael Davis (i)
Dist. 4 Batavia and Stafford: Andrew Young (i)
Dist. 5 Le Roy: Rochelle Stein (i)
Dist. 6 Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion: Gregg Torrey (i)
Dist. 7 City Wards 1 & 6: John DeLeo
Dist. 8 City Wards 2 & 3: Marianne Clattenburg (i)
Dist. 9 City Wards 4 & 5 no candidate

Via our news partner, WBTA:

Joseph Kuzma, a 35-year-old Byron resident, has been sentenced to four months of weekend jail time for stealing hundreds of veterans markers from local cemeteries and selling the metal for scrap.

Kuzma was sentenced Thursday in County Court by Judge Robert C. Noonan.

Previously, he had pled guilty to grand larceny, 3rd.

He will be required to pay more than $17,000 in restitution.

Last fall, Kuzma hit cemeteries in Byron and Bergen and then sold the metal to a scrap yard in Rochester. 

Casey Kosiorek, third from left, superintendent of schools for Byron-Bergen, was honored last night in Rochester by the Genesee Valley ASCD with a Supervision Award.

The award recognizes Kosiorek's outstanding leadership of the school district from an organization with a mission to highlight exceptional curriculum and supervision practices.

Also honored were J. Kenneth Graham Jr., of Rush-Henrietta, Renee Williams, of Honeoye Falls-Lima, with a Curriculum Award, and Mark Kokanovich, president of the Brighton Board of Education, with a Service Award.

The name of Frank Bordonaro, the Genesee County deputy who died at age 44 after completing a shift last year, is now etched into the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Several members of the local law enforcement community, including officers from the Sheriff's Office, Batavia PD and Le Roy PD, along with his family, are attending the ceremonies this week in Washington. Members of the group sent us these pictures.

The event, which honors fallen police officers, attracts thousands of law enforcement personnel from all over the nation and lasts several days.

A plan to relocate Arby's further west on Main Street is meeting some stiff opposition, both from residents of Vernon Avenue and planners.

County Planning staff recommended to the County Planning Board that members reject a series of zoning variance requests, and after hearing from several Vernon Avenue residents and receiving a petition signed by 95 percent of the residents in opposition to the fast-food restaurant proposal, the board members followed staff recommendation.

The board's vote doesn't kill the project, but it means the City of Batavia Planning Board needs a majority plus one vote to approve the plan.

Kyle Hessler was among the Vernon Avenue residents who spoke and he acknowledged that he lives next to property that is zoned for commercial development -- though it's currently residential -- and he isn't opposed to commercial development in the city, or even on the property. He just thinks the proposal as presented is bad for Vernon Avenue residents.

It would unduly impact traffic on the street and the ability for traffic to easily pull onto Main Street. He doesn't think the barrier for sight, vision and sound between the restaurant and the neighborhood is adequate. And he thinks the parking will prove inadequate. 

Some residents complained that they felt like the developers were trying to sneak the project through, but Robert Kiesler, an architect from Rochester representing the developer, said there is nothing secret about the process. It is going through the public approval process completely in the open, as required by law.

Out of that process, the developer gets a chance to learn what modifications to the plan need to be made to ensure it doesn't negatively impact residents, or if the development is even viable.

The process is designed to give residents a chance to have their say, as Thursday's meeting demonstrated, he said.

The developer is proposing a 2,100-square-foot restaurant that would replace three residential units. It would have a drive-thru with a driveway on Vernon Avenue. 

Among the variances requested is reducing the buffer between the commercial property and residential property from 10 feet to two feet, constructing a building one foot higher than allowed, constructing a smaller driveway than normally permitted and reducing the number of required parking spaces from 84 to 24.