Scott DiMartino played in local bands as a teenager. He had all the sound equipment needed for his big idea. In December, he approached his brother, Danny DiMartino, with the idea to set up a portable night club in Batavia. They bought a light setup and are now staging events at T.F. Brown’s and Billy Goats with their business, Esdee Entertainment.

“Batavia has a lot of culture for bars,” Scott said. “There is Center Street, Bourbon & Burger and other places. As far as dancing goes, there isn’t really much to offer. It’s the same bars, the same bands, the same nights.”

The brothers never thought that Batavia was big enough to support a nightclub for more than six months. Scott is hoping that monthly events will get people out and give them exposure to a different scene they may not have necessarily seen before.

“We want to bring something different to this town,” he said. “People in Batavia may not have seen real mixing on turntables and that’s what we want to bring.”

The idea came to Scott after his friend, Macy Paradise, came back from Colorado for a visit. He asked Scott to play a show with him at T.F. Brown’s. At the event, Paradise spun records and DiMartino played the drums. The response was overwhelming.

“Tons of people showed up,” DiMartino said. “We received so much support from the people of Batavia that night.”

DiMartino praises Paradise and his brother for their help with bringing his idea to life, but he really does it out of his love for music. He works 55-hour weeks at his full-time job. Yet, he somehow finds the time to plan events to share his passion with the rest of Batavia.

“We are just two brothers who love music and bought a bunch of stuff with a ton of support from the community,” he said.

The duo is hosting their next event on July 24 at Billy Goats. The $5 throwback dance party is for the 21-and-over crowd. Music will be exclusively from the '80s, '90s and early 2000s. The brothers hope to turn the occasion into a giant karaoke party.

“I want to see the looks on people’s faces when they say, ‘Oh my god, I forgot this song existed!’ ” DiMartino teased. “People are going to have a really good time. I couldn’t be more excited to share this with my hometown.” 

Check out their Facebook page for updates on their future events. 

Photos by Steve Ognibene

While incidents involving apparent synthetic-drug use in Genesee County have dropped dramatically since the closure of the 420 Emporium, on Ellicott Street, in July 2012, the use of drugs created in clandestine overseas labs to mimic more common street narcotics is still an issue locally, according to officials.

A federal agent revealed in a press briefing in Buffalo today that there are "a couple" of ongoing investigations in Genesee County into the sale and distribution of Flakka (aka Alpha-PVP).

"The investigations involve Genesee County people," said Special Agent Brad Brechler, with Homland Security, but he offered no further details.

Brechler and Special Agent Frank Zabawa conducted a briefing for a few members of WNY media in Buffalo today to discuss what they're seeing in the region regarding synthetic drugs and how federal authorities are responding.

The issue is much bigger in Buffalo and Niagara County than it is in Batavia, a point seemingly underscored by Brechler when pointing out that the first arrest in WNY for the sale and transportation of Alpha-PVP was in Genesee County in January 2013, but in that case the two suspects were from the Steuben and Niagara counties, not Batavia, and there was no suspicion in that case of the drugs being sold locally. Batavia was just a convenient meeting place for dealer and distributor, Brechler said.

Greg Walker, head of the Local Drug Task Force, said in a separate interview today that the task force has not been involved in the current federal investigation into the local sale of Alpha PVP, but he said there have been recent indications of synthetic drugs in and around Batavia, such as deputies coming across subjects with medical conditions that suggested chemical injection of some type or subjects behaving strangely.

It's not been common or widespread by any means, Walker said.

Flakka is described in media reports as a potent hallucinogen that officials consider addictive and dangerous.

The primary country of origin appears to be China, the agents said, and that's a trade the Chinese government is doing little to stem.

"The Chinese say one of their main industries is researching chemicals for the world," Brechler said. "Until a drug is illegal in their country, they're not interested in doing anything about it."

The drug is easily obtainable over the Internet. Often, the Chinese drug manufacturers will provide U.S. dealers with Web sites, and when federal authorities seize a drug-trade Web site, the Chinese companies will have a new Web site with a new domain name set up for the same dealer in a matter of days.

Online ordering, however, does not necessarily translate into widespread sales to users.

Most online sales go to distributors.  

Users tend to be cautious about getting purchases traced back to them and most distributors require a minimum order of 25 grams, Brechler said. 

That would cost from $300 to $350, a steep price for an addict.

Those 25 grams have tremendous street value, however. A gram typically sells for $80 to $120, making 25 grams worth at least $2,000.

"The drug is so addictive, you will see people hosting house parties and just giving it away," Brechler said.

Dealers also convince their buyers that it takes a special connection in China to get the drugs.

"Some users don't realize how easy it is to get," Brechler said.

Flakka is now a controlled substance, but that doesn't make it any easier to detect when it's coming into the country. The favored port of entry is the JFK Airport because JFK deals with the highest volume of overseas mail. It's easier to slip a package through just because of the massive amount of mail officials must sort through.

Drug-sniffing dogs won't detect it and the package sizes tend to be small.

As part of an investigation, agents purchased a supply of synthetic drugs from a Chinese company and it arrived with four large pills inside. Three pills were benign chemicals and one contained the drugs, but agents e-mailed the distributor to ask which pill was their order.

"Your drugs are in the blue pill," was the reply.

"The Chinese are open about it in their e-mails," Brechler said. "Some of the more sophisticated dealers in the U.S. use coded communications, but they don't always use code and talk about it openly because of the gray area legally of drug analogs."

Synthetic drugs are illegal either because they've been identified as controlled substances, or their chemical make up is clearly intended to mimic a controlled substance. Those are known as analogs and are governed by another set of laws.

Because synthetic drugs are changing constantly and are easy to distribute and hard to detect, one of the most important responses to the drug isn't enforcement, the agents said, it's education.

Homeland Security provides bar owners, schools and concert venues information on how to recognize a possible overdose on a synthetic drug and how to provide immediate treatment until medical professionals arrive.

There was no indication from the agents when and if arrests will be made in connection with the local investigations.

Top Photo: the agents hold recently seized drugs. Bottom photo, an agent demonstrates a device that can detect synthetic drugs. It uses a laser that can detect the chemical makeup of a substance inside a bag so the agents do not need to open the bag and risk their health and safety. The device can only identify a substance already in the federal database of chemical compounds that are controlled substances or analogs, otherwise, the device reports an "inconclusive" test.

Press release from the city's Bureau of Maintenance:

On Monday, July 20, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. North Street from Ross Street to Naramore Drive will experience traffic delays. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane for cold milling operations. Then on Wednesday, July 22, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., the same area can expect traffic delays because of paving operations.

The following streets that intersect with North Street will see temporary traffic closures preventing access to North Street while cold milling and paving operations are ongoing:

• Manhatten Avenue
• Columbia Avenue
• Vine Street
• Trumbull Parkway
• North Spruce Street
• Allenview Drive
• Naramore Drive

Residents and businesses are not to park on the roadway during cold milling and paving operations.

Residents and businesses of North Street, from Ross Street to Naramore Drive, will have access to their properties, but should expect delays when cold milling and paving operations are in front of their properties. If work is postponed by weather, work will be rescheduled for the next calendar day.

All other traffic is asked to avoid this area and seek alternate routes. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Police Facility Task Force recommends the 35 Swan St. site as the most viable location for the new police station.

The task force voted 6 to 1 in favor of the site at its final meeting Tuesday night. The next step is to bring the recommendation to City Council.

"Really what we felt in terms of the Swan Street location is we think financially it was the second-cheapest option," Chariman Marc Staley said. "The location is excellent and the property has already been demolished."

The industrial site is located near Main Street and Ellicott Street and the cost of the project is estimated at $12 million. The large site opens up the opportunity for expansion of the police station if it is needed in the future. 

Some environmental cleanup was done by the owner of the site. If City Council moves forward with the recommendation, environmental studies will be conducted before any purchase.

The majority of the task force has been favoring the location for a couple months now.

Member Peter Garlock's vote against the location came as a shock to the task force. Garlock sent a two-page letter outlining his opposition to build a new police station a few hours before the final meeting -- opposition he never mentioned before in prior meetings, Staley said. In the letter, Garlock stated the current police station should be renovated and shared services with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office should be considered.

The task force has been meeting since December analyzing approximately a dozen sites. After walking all the sites, conducting studies and having numerous architectural drawings done, Staley feels comfortable with the recommendation. The task force has also been working closely with Chief Shawn Heubusch who supports the site.

"Now the decision is whether to invest in the community or not," Staley said. "If we go ahead and build the new police station, I think it's a spot that will hold our police here in the city for the next 75 to 100 years."

On Aug. 10, the task force will present its recommendation in a written final report to the City Council. 

Tyler J. Long, 20, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana following an underage drinking investigation in the Town of Sheldon. Long allegedly was drinking alcohol in a concert parking lot when deputies found him to be in possession of Ecstasy, Adderall and marijuana.

Matthew D. Schwartz, 23, and Victoria L. Brown, 19, of Bergen, are charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, a class A misdemeanor. State troopers responded to a residence within a trailer park on Clinton Street Road, Bergen, for a report of criminal mischief. After an investigation, troopers found there were orders of protection in place prohibiting contact between the two. Schwartz and Brown were put in the Genesee County Jail on $1,000 bail.

Katherine J. Vail, of Fitch Street, Churchville, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, failure to stop  at a stop sign, speeding and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Following a traffic stop on Parkview Drive in Bergen, Deputy Joseph Corona allegedly found Vail in possession of a quantity of marijuana.

A 17-year-old male from Rochester was found to be in possession of a small quantity of marijuana following a traffic stop. Officer Michael Petritz pulled over the male for speeding and no right on red on Route 77 in Corfu. The male was issued tickets and an appearance ticket.

The Wyoming County Sheriff's Department responded to a two-car accident with entrapment on Route 238 in Attica on July 5. All the occupants were removed from the vehicles and treated before deputies arrived. Following an investigation, Russell Irwin, of Batavia, was allegedly found to be following too closely behind David Snyder. Sndyer was making a right turn into a driveway when Irwin struck him. Irwin was issued a citation.

A gasoline leak is reported at Richmond Avenue and Oak Street. Law enforcement is on scene. City fire is responding, non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 2:46 p.m.: Fuel spill clean up. Engine 11 returning to service.

A possible rollover accident is reported in the area of Judge and Cedar roads. Alabama fire and Mercy medics are responding. The call was an automated one from the vehicle's OnStar security system and there was no voice upon a call back from a dispatcher.

UPDATE 11:28 a.m.: Alabama's Engine 1 is back in quarters. Law enforcement is on scene with the vehicle and driver.

After a rough start to the season, the Muckdogs pitching staff is starting to find their groove as they pitched the Muckdogs to a 4-1 victory on Wednesday night.

The Muckdogs were home to face off against the Auburn Doubledays after taking 2-of-3 from the West Virginia Black Bears over the weekend.

Justin Jacome started for Batavia and threw three quality innings. He struck out four, walked one and only allowed one hit.

Nestor Bautista would come in relief of Jacome in the fourth. Bautista only allowed four hits over four and two-thirds innings pitched. He struck out three.

“Solid job, they pitched to contact and kept them of balance,” Manager Angel Espada said. “They used their stuff really well."

The Muckdogs would plate one run in each of the first three innings in route to their sixth win of the year. 

Giovanny Alfonzo sparked the offense when he singled in the first and was able to get to second base after an overthrow to first base. Hot hitting Brad Haynal would single, scoring Alfonzo from second, making it 1-0.

Batavia would score again in the second when Eric Fisher would triple to lead off the inning.

Left-fielder Brandon Rawe would then single, scoring Fisher from third.

Haynal was once again involved in the action in third inning.

Stone Garrett worked a two-out walk and then stole second. Haynal would then single to score Garrett, making it 3-0 Muckdogs. Batavia would threaten with runners on first and third but Doubleday pitcher, Taylor Hearn was able to get Fisher to fly out to second.

“It’s starting to come around better as a whole team,” Haynal said. “It’s not just one guy doing it, we got everyone through the lineup moving guys.”

The Muckdogs were able to plate another run in the eighth to make the game 4-0.

Garrett would reach base on an error by the third baseman and be moved to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run with Dunbar.

Fisher then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Garrett.

“Our pitching got better, like we knew it was going to get better, and we are getting some timely hitting,” Espada said. “You put those things together and you should be coming on top."

Auburn was able to break up the shutout in the ninth inning when David Kerian crushed a Steve Farnworth pitch for a one-out single. He would then move to second on a wild pick-off attempt.

Matthew Page then doubled to score Kerian. Farnworth dug deep and ended the threat by striking out Jakson Reetz and Randy Encarnacion to end the game.

Unlike in the beginning of the season, the Muckdogs can count on hitters one through nine instead of just the guys at the top of the lineup.

“It’s hard when only a couple guys are pulling weight,” Haynal said. “Now I think everyone through the lineup is able to do some damage…a lot of people around baseball know hitting is contagious.”

Haynal finished the game 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Fisher was also 2-for-3 with a triple, a RBI and a scored run.

Bautista improved his record to 2-1 while Farnworth picked up his third save.

The Muckdogs travel to Auburn today but will be back home on Friday to take on the Doubledays in the series finale.

There will be fireworks following the conclusion of the game.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.   

Local photographer Jim Burns is featured for the next three months at Muller Quaker Dairy with some of his photos. 

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) rotates photos at the dairy for people that come to visit to take tours and also for employees to view. 

The display will be up until Sept. 30^th. 

More of Jim Burns' work can be found here: Jim Burns Photography

Working midnight shifts in the days before he died of a heart attack, Deputy Frank Bordonaro handled some very stressful calls -- a fire where he may have saved the life of a homeowner and a farm-vehicle accident that took the life of a 22-year-old man. 

People don't realize it, but stress and motor-vehicle accidents claim the lives of more police officers than crimes of violence, said Gary Pullen, of the Badge of Honor Association.

Bordonaro was honored today by the Badge of Honor Association in a sign dedication outside the Sheriff's Office headquarters on Park Road, Batavia.

A few tears were shed as Bordonaro's two sons, Bryce and Chase, stood solemnly with their heads bowed and unveiled the sign dedicated to their father. Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of his death. Bordonaro died unexpectedly of a heart attack after handling several high-stress calls. 

On July 5, Bordonaro responded to a house fire on North Road in Le Roy. He saved one of homeowners from reentering the fire to rescue his dog. On July 6, he responded to a farm accident involving a pea combine and a car. Carmelo Rivera, 22, of Holley, was pronounced dead at the scene after he crossed the center line on Route 19 near Bissell Road in Bergen and struck a pea combine head on. Bordonaro completed both the investigations himself and worked his last shift on July 7, a night of heavy rains.

Bordonaro's family, officers from throughout the county, state troopers and members of the community attended the ceremony to remember a heroic comrade. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office and the Badge of Honor Association worked together to plan the sign dedication and memorial site. 

The association, a group of volunteers, many of whom are police officers, travel all over the state to put up memorial signs for officers who die in the line of duty. According to President Justin Collins, they have dedicated 150 signs in Upstate and Western New York. 

Next to the sign, a tree and flowers were planted. Bubba's Landscaping donated all the work and materials.

A tree was chosen to be planted for several reasons. The roots on the tree symbolize Bordonaro's roots as an officer. The trunk stands for the foundation and strength of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. The leaves are living proof that Bordonaro's roots will carry on.

Sheriff Gary Maha remembered Bordonaro as a hard worker who was dedicated to serving the community. He served at the Sheriff's Office for 19 years. According to Maha, he put the safety of other officers before his own and would always be the first one to knock down the door and enter a dangerous situation. 

"He was there to back up his guys," Maha said. "He was a mentor for many of the young officers and you could depend on Frank."

Bordonaro's wife, Robin, is grateful for the tribute the Badge of Honor Association and Sheriff's Office dedicated to her husband. She knows her husband will never be forgotten and his memory will last among the department.

"The whole Sheriff's Department has been amazing to us and has treated us like family this whole time," Robin Bordonaro said. "They are our extended family and it's a brotherhood and we're still a part of it and they still will always be a part of us."

Robin Bordonaro urges people to consider the extensive amount of stress officers have to endure and the toll it takes on their health. Her husband had investigated several high-stress calls including a house fire and fatal motor-vehicle accident days before he took a heart attack and died. According to reports from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the risk for cardiovascular disease is higher among law enforcement officers than for the rest of the population.

"I wish more people would realize throughout the county agencies that a line-of-duty death is more than just being shot and killed on the job," Frank's widow said. "The stresses of the job can cause heart attacks and take them away from their families and the county doesn't want to realize that. They are fighting us on that and it's a shame."

In addition to the sign dedication, the Badge of Honor Association is setting up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for the Bordonaro family.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A two-car accident is reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 397.5.

That's by the Pembroke Service Area.

One vehicle is reportedly on fire.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy medics dispatched.

UPDATE 7:58 a.m.: Minor injuries reported.

Press release: 

Less than a century ago, Batavia’s downtown was bustling with industry, where innovators relocated from New York City to mass produce farm implements to World War II incendiary bombs. These factories employed thousands of workers and took advantage of easy transportation, the railroad and nearby markets. But, the bygone era left a wake of deteriorating buildings, vacant lots and ground contaminants within City limits, a.k.a brownfield sites. Today, City leadership proclaims robust performance-based tax incentives available for the taking to return these underutilized or abandoned locations into vibrant mixed-use places.

In April, the New York Department of State (DOS) officially designated Batavia’s central corridor a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) listing five strategic redevelopment sites. On a parallel track, the City’s local development corporation encouraged Councilmembers to adopt real property tax exemptions and they chased other tax credits to motivate real estate investment. Bold incentives are now in place.

“We could stand by and let these properties continue to decay the neighborhood or do something about it,” City Manager Jason Molino said.

Do something about it, they have. The City has worked to increase its bond rating to A1, turned a multimillion dollar deficit into a balanced budget with capital reserves and secured more than $5,000,000 in grants to improve existing industrial areas, upgrade infrastructure and study the longtime stagnant community.

A Community Improvement Plan was released in 2012 emphasizing an upgrade in housing stock followed by local adoption of real property tax exemptions that offer 12-year tax-bill discounts for converting non-residential buildings into mixed-use spaces. Shortly after, a sizeable $265,000 New York State Department of State BOA grant enabled local activists to grease the skids even further.

“It took four years but, the grant allowed us to hire a consulting team and organize a local Steering Committee to define market opportunities, investigate the ground and write a plan to move our central business corridor into the 21st century,” Molino said. “We know our small city can offer the conveniences and experiences of a larger city, but at an affordable price.”

The challenge was to determine if the real estate community would invest in the area. Now, the market reports and community confidence suggest they will.

The expert-led and community-inspired BOA plan was formally adopted by City Council in June 2014 and handed off to the City’s local development corporation to implement. The Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) immediately retained Harris Beach PLLC, a known deal-maker in the State to guide the efforts.

“It’s funny how the BOA designation appears like a badge of honor,” said Julie Pacatte, BDC coordinator. "It reads like a proclamation from DOS. In truth, it’s bittersweet. Sad we have these blighted areas but happy it sanctions bonus tax credits rewarding investment.”

Gaining access to that tax credit program is a whole different process, according to Pacatte.

The BDC Board authorized cash reserves to extend environmental investigation and to hire Harris Beach and LaBella Associates to prepare the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) application. DEC serves as the gatekeeper to request access to the State tax credit program.

“It is a 643-page document enumerating data with compelling narrative to justify access to the program,” Pacatte said. “The BDC Board is clearly determined to advance the BOA plan.”

Unfortunately, their ambitious goal to go to market last year was stalled by expanded data collection, typical land assembly delays and uncertainty with the BCP as it under-went reform during the State’s budget process. Nevertheless, advocates still believe Batavia remains milestones ahead of other communities.

“The BDC’s approach is aggressive and recommended,” said Bob Murray, partner, Harris Beach PLLC. “To enter the BCP prior to marketing the property assures a preferred developer significant refundable NYS tax credits potentially worth up to 64 percent of total costs incurred for remediation, site preparation and new capital expended on that parcel. Not many communities are as proactive and committed.”

The BDC has released its first request for proposals addressing “Ellicott Station” a four-acre downtown redevelopment area that has confirmed acceptance to the BCP. The proposals are due next month, by Aug. 12.

“It was a no-brainer to spend the time and money necessary to line up these credits,” said Ray Chaya, BDC Board president. “No longer do we need to stand by to wait for investors, we are bringing the ROI to them.” 

For more information, visit the BDC Web site.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today criticized Gov. Cuomo’s moratorium of roadwork done by private contractors during the Independence Day weekend. The governor announced in a press release last week that private contractors working on state roads and highways would have to cease work and remove equipment not behind a permanent barrier starting July 3 at 6 a.m. until July 5 at 10 p.m.

“I certainly understand the need to make last weekend’s travels as convenient as possible for motorists but it is unfair and burdensome to small businesses to ban them from making a profit for three days,” Hawley said. “This added a large cost to local businesses by denying a potential three days of work and mandating that equipment be moved without reimbursement from the state. Gov. Cuomo should not be penalizing the private sector for a bad traffic experience he had during a holiday weekend several years ago.

"This is another example of how Downstate issues are projected throughout the state and inconvenience those in Western New York who are only marginally affected. If we are truly open for business, we should keep our actions consistent with our words and stop burdening small businesses trying to survive.”

A bicyclist has been struck by a vehicle on Trumbull Parkway. The person is conscious and alert and injuries are believed to be minor. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:51 p.m. A man with leg pain is being taken to UMMC. The medic says the patient was "bumped by a truck."

Elba Betterment Committee & Chap’s Elba Diner are proud to sponsor the 3rd Annual Pig Roast and Craft Show on Sunday July 12th, from 12 to 7 p.m. at the Elba Village Park, Main Street, Elba, NY 14058. 

• Music
• Antique Tractor Show
• Balloon Show by Bourke Balloons 4 to 5 p.m.
• Photo Booth
• Fun for the whole family

Elba Community Garage Sale Days -- July 10-11 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. To get a map, call Pauli at 757-9339. If you’re interested in being a a crafter/vendor, please don’t hesitate to contact Kim at 585-409-0963 OR e-mail: KIm31ball@gmail.com. ​Pig cooked by The Mud Pit!

The Elba Betterment Committee and Chap's Diner would like to thank the following businesses for sponsoring the advertisements on The Batavian: Portraits by Peter Miano, 585-815-3217, http://petermiano.zenfolio.com/contact.html; Frank The Brush, Inc., 3999 Ridge Road, Elba; Valerie's Hair & Nails, 3 N. Main St. Elba, 585-757-9217; Monachino Service Station, Inc., 2 Main St. , Elba, 585-757-6611; G. Mortellaro & Sons, Transit Road, Elba; Torrey Farms, Maltby Road, Elba, and Penna's Catering, 585-757-2432, Elba; Batavia Turf, Transit Road, Elba. Charles Zambito, Attorney

(Deputy Kevin McCarthy shows parent Kari Powers how to use the tracking bracelet.)

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office partnered with Genesee ARC to provide tracking bracelets to children with disabilities and reassure parents that their child can be safely located.

Twelve children with disabilities were fitted for tracking bracelets today. Transmitters inside the bracelet emit signals and the Sheriff's Office can pick up the the signals with a receiver. The missing child can be located within 15 minutes. 

Sheriff Gary Maha has been trying to implement Project Lifesaver, an program that provides equipment to police officers to locate children who are at risk of wandering, in the county for several years. However, Maha was not able to get the funding until recently. The Sheriff's Office received the equipment through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Service. The 13 transmitters and two receivers they were given cost approximately $7,500. Each transmitter is worth $350 plus the cost of batteries, which need to be replaced every month.

"I think it's important because there are children out there with disabilities including autism and Down Syndrome and many of these children have a tendency to wander," Maha said. "We have met with parents and they are overjoyed that we were able to get Project Lifesaver here in the county."

The Sheriff's Office worked with the Genesee ARC to help them implement the project. The ARC reached out to the families and assisted them with the process.

Morgan Powers, an 8-year-old with autism, was one of the children who received a bracelet. Her parents, Brian and Kari Powers, were relieved their daughter was getting a bracelet because she has wandered off several times and safety is their biggest concern.

"We are very excited to be here," Kari Powers said. "It has been a couple of months since we found out about the program and we are very strong advocates for it. Morgan is a risk taker. She does a lot of wandering off especially these past two weeks since she has been out of school."

Maha hopes the Sheriff's Office can get more funding in the future to continue the program every year.

Jamie Englerth, senior at Le Roy High School, learned how to state her case in court and participate in government elections at Empire Girls State last week.

The Empire Girls State is an educational workshop where girls from all over the state are selected to partake in political processes at the county and state levels. The girls are divided into groups to represent 11 counties and each county is assigned to the Nationalist or Federalist Party. They participate in a variety of activities including court cases, political campaigns and debates.

Englerth's favorite activity was assuming the role of district attorney in her county's court cases. She got the opportunity to learn how to build a solid case and prosecute crime. She won all four of her cases.  

During the program, she also learned how to write bills and participate in a caucus. Four girls from each county were nominated to run for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller. All the nominees gave speeches on why they would be the best candidate for the position. Then all the caucuses met and voted. 

"It was an awesome experience and I wish every girl could have because you learn so much and make so many friendships that will last you a lifetime," Englerth said.

More than 300 girls attended the weeklong workshop at the College at Brockport. The program is sponsored by the New York American Legion Auxiliary.

Englerth was chosen by the American Legion Auxiliary Le Roy Botts Fiorito Unit 576. Teachers at Le Roy High School first picked the top three candidates to be interviewed by the auxiliary. Then the auxiliary picked Englerth as its top choice. Only a handful of girls are chosen to participate from Genesee County.

At school, she is a member of the National Honor Society and plays basketball and soccer. Outside of school she volunteers at local triathlons, American Legion dinners and the Open Door Mission.

In the future, Englerth plans to study pre-law and Social Sciences at a four-year college and continue onto law school to fulfill her dream of becoming a district attorney for special victims.

"Women and children voices in court are often lost, especially children, and they need people to advocate for them," Englerth said. "People are always worried about what is going to happen to the person who did the crime, but I want to know what happens to the kids.

"I would be thinking about sentencing the person that hurts them and making sure they get what they deserve but I also would be thinking about what is going to happen to the kids or women after."

On Sunday, "Challenger Sports," a joint program of Genesee ARC and the YMCA for physically, intellectually and developmentally disabled kids ages 5 to 21, marked its 10th season with an alumni baseball game at the Little League field in Batavia. Alumni players faced off against alumni coaches and volunteers.

Pictured: alumni volunteers, coaches and players; half of them are in this photo...

...and here is the other half.

Shelley Falitico, director of development at ARC, recalled the program's humble beginnings in 2006.

"When we started, it was 'Challenger Baseball,' " Falitico said. "A local parent expressed interest, and contacted ARC and the YMCA. We started recruiting volunteers, we sent out notices for kids with special needs, and we had 70 kids sign up. When it ended, parents came up to us and asked, 'What's next?' "

Since then, the program has grown to include indoor soccer, tennis, dance and, over the last year, basketball and swimming.

Many of the Challenger alumni, according to Falitico, have gone on to play softball in the Special Olympics.

"They've been learning and playing for 10 years," Falitico said. "I take some pride as the coach, helping them learn the fundamentals of baseball on a real baseball field."

From left, alumni volunteers Eric Houseknecht, Craig Houseknecht, Danielle Hirtzel, Brian Falitico and Mark Houseknecht.

Falitico also expressed great pride in the volunteers who have devoted their time to the players over the last decade.

"When we first started," she said, "we had coaches, but I needed more volunteers to help the kids learn different fundamentals of the game."

For that, she turned to area high schools. After recruiting young volunteers, she provided disability awareness training -- and the rest, as they say, is history.

"They volunteered with us all through high school," Falitico said. "What I found really touching was that when they came home from college in the summer, they would call me and say, 'Are you still doing that baseball program? I want to help.' And when I contacted them about a 10-year alumni game they said, 'Absolutely.' "

Some of these volunteers came from as far as Pennsylvania and Boston to participate on Sunday. One gentleman, according to Falitico, was home for the weekend from South Carolina, stopped by to congratulate the team, and then flew back home.

However great the difference the volunteers have made in the kids' lives, the impact has gone both ways.

"(The volunteers) see kids with a variety of disabilities just wanting to get out there and play the game and have fun," Falitico said. "Their perseverance and dedication taught a lot of them to appreciate what they had, and I've had a couple volunteers say to me that it changed the way they viewed themselves and the world."

Pictured current "Challenger Sports" baseball players, coaches and volunteers; half are in this photo, along with Assemblyman Steve Hawley...

...and here is the other half.

The alumni game was preceded by a regular Challenger game with current players. This game ended with the standard Challenger outcome, which is always a tie.

"(Our goal) is just to make it a fun game where everybody gets a chance," Falitico said. "Everybody gets an at-bat, everybody gets to swing -- no matter how many times -- until they hit the ball. We want the kids to learn good sportsmanship."

However, this did not stop Falitico, who coached the alumni players, from squeezing in a small boast about their 30-7 victory over the alumni volunteers.

"We mercy-ruled them," she joked.

For more information about Challenger Sports, call Genesee ARC at 343-1123 or the YMCA at 344-1664.

Additional photos:

Assemblyman Hawley throwing the inaugural pitch of the alumni game

"Hammerin'" Hank Stratton, a 10-year veteran player, up to bat.

Past Batavian coverage: