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Ryan Duffy decided in high school that he wanted to work in a history museum.

Now, he's running one.

Duffy is the new director of the Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia and yesterday the museum held a reception to welcome him to his new job.

He started Jan. 17 and said he's already fascinated by what he's finding in the museum.

"I go upstairs every day to work on some things and I find something new that I find I’m amazed that it’s here, that you would expect to be some place much bigger than here," he said.

One reason Duffy is going through the collection is he's trying to plan future exhibits, which he said may focus on local history, or he may explore cooperative efforts with other museums for exhibits with ties to Genesee County, but not specifically Genesee County. He's currently working on a possible World War I exhibit and he's found some items he was surprised might be part of the local collection, such as a war department document. He said he's also impressed with the range of military uniforms the museum owns, representing all branches of service spanning the history of the country.

To help get more people to visit the museum, he's exploring the idea of trivia nights and more family-oriented events.

Duffy, originally from Eden, received his BA in history from St. Bonaventure University. He received a master's dpegree in history from Bowling Green University and a Master's Certificate in Museum Studies from SUNY Buffalo State College.

"I’ve become more and more interested in local history as I’ve gone along, so I thought, ‘I’m still in Western New York -- it’s still my history in that regard,’ " Duffy said, explaining why he applied for the job when he heard HLOM was looking for a new director. "I still feel a connection to it and I get to do what I actually want to do.”

No snow? No problem for the Genesee Sno-Packers, who went ahead with their third annual Bikini Snowmobile Rally at their clubhouse in Oakfield.

The event is a fundraiser for the Roswell Cancer Institute.

Research released last year concluded that firefighters suffer incidents of cancer at a higher rate than the general population and Congressman Chris Collins thinks more data needs to be gathered to help researchers figure out why.

Collins is sponsoring legislation that will task the Department of Health and Human Services with creating a nationwide database to track and retain information on the emergency responses of firefighters, both career and volunteer. 

"I like to call this good common-sense legislation," Collins said during an announcement event at the Town of Batavia Fire Hall on Lewiston Road. "We know Congress is very divided these days, but this is a piece of legislation that will be bipartisan. There is no difficulty whatsoever in getting both Republicans and Democrats to step forward something that is very commonsense and very low cost."

The legislation is backed by firefighter groups both in New York and across the nation. It is in response to a CDC report (pdf) based on a study of 30,000 career firefighters in three large metro departments who served from 1950 to 2010 as well as data from 18,000 current firefighters. The six-year study found a greater number of cancer diagnoses and more cancer-related deaths among the cohort. These were mostly digestive, oral, respiratory, and urinary cancers. Firefighters may also be exposed more frequently to asbestos, increasing the rate of malignant mesothelioma.

Firefighters tend to respond to many instances where not only asbestos might be present, but a whole range of hazardous materials.

Dan Coffey, Town of Batavia's fire chief, said helping HHS gather the data may not be much of a burden on volunteer chiefs. Currently, every firefighter who responds on every call is logged and if there is suspected exposure to something hazardous, that is also logged and kept on file forever. If there are additional data points HHS requires, that may mean a little more work, but he said he would just have to wait and see about any additional burden, if any. 

He thinks the effort is worth it, he said. 

"It is very important and something that hits near and dear to us," Coffey said. "There has been a lot of discussion about higher cancer rates in this profession and certainly that would lead to a little more comfort knowing why we have higher rates and hopefully that leads to better equipment and protection and reduces the rate among firefighters."

Freezing rain, snow and wind are in the forecast for Sunday from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m., Monday.

Snow accumulation could range from four to seven inches.

Winds will be from the northwest at 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

Blowing and drifting snow on top of icy conditions are expected.

Visibility could be as low as a half mile at times.

This weekend and next, Batavia Players, now in its 85th season, is presenting "The Magic Kingdom On Broadway VIII." The musical review features performances from a variety of Disney productions, including "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," "A Spoonful of Sugar," "A Whole New World," "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," songs from "Frozen," and songs from "High School Musical," plus several other numbers. 

The cast includes 37 local dancers and singers from age 8 to 40. The show consists of five segments with a 15-minute intermission and a total run time of an hour and 45 minutes. The show is appropriate for theatergoers of all ages.

There is a performance at 56 Harvester today at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. Next weekend there are performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for students and seniors. 

Boys Basketball 

• Alexander 69, Attica 56 FINAL
• Byron-Bergen 48, Holley 33 FINAL
• Elba 71, Lyndonville 43 FINAL
• Hornell 70, Le Roy 55 FINAL
• Cal-Mum 91, Warsaw 41 FINAL
• Mt. Morris 77, Pavilion 56 FINAL
• Newark vs. Batavia – PPD due to weather

Girls Basketball

• Pavilion 54, Mt. Morris 46 FINAL
• Cal-Mum 47, Warsaw 34 FINAL
• Hornell 73, Le Roy 38 FINAL

Hockey

• Victor 5, Notre Dame 0 FINAL

On Senior Night, with a girls and boys basketball doubleheader, Pavilion officially unveiled its new Golden Gophers logo, with their gopher mascot carrying the flag.

In the girls' game, Pavilion prevailed over Mt. Morris 54-46. Mt. Morris won the nightcap over the boys 77-56.

The National Weather Service is predicting freezing rain starting at 11 p.m. with an advisory in effect through noon Sunday.

An accumulation of a 10th of an inch is possible.

Lows will be in the lower 30s overnight and upper 30s Sunday afternoon.

Driving and walking conditions could be hazardous.

Byron-Bergen's Brandon Burke scored his 1,000th point last night, becoming the first player at the school to hit that milestone in boys basketball. In a submitted photo, Burke is pictured with his family.

A car fire is reported in the Court Street Plaza parking lot behind the M&T Bank in Batavia.

City fire is responding.

UPDATE: Photo via City of Batavia Firefighters -- IAFF Local 896. Firefighters reported a quick knock down. No injuries. This was also the first fire for two new members of the department, Sean Huggins and David Pollock.

The women organizing the third annual Eve Conference at Northgate Free Methodist Church are excited about the event next month that they believe will help bring more joy into the lives of all the women who attend.

The conference is March 25 and will feature keynote speaker Pam Washburn, whose talk is titled "Defending Our Joy."

The Eve Conference is open to teen girls and women of all faiths. 

There are also 12 breakout sessions, including three specifically for teens, two worship services, and an optional lunch.

Sessions include "The Interruption of Joy," "Surviving Divorce," "Marriage," "Living the Full Life," "Daughters of Miriam: Hearing the whispered heroism of the women of the Old Testment," and "Jesus 1st."

Registration is $25, $15 for teens and the optional lunch is $7.

“We’ve had people’s lives transformed in here in one day," said Jennifer Berry. "It’s amazing. It’s a day where you walk away thinking anything is possible and you have the tools you need to improve your life.” 

For more information and tickets, click here.

Photo: Jennifer Berry, Jessica Barone, Meg Hoistington, Gloria Roorda, and Julie Varland.

Two solar farm projects in the Town of Batavia were recommended for approval by the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday night.

One project is at 3833 W. Main Street Road. It is an 11.6-acre project on a 83.5-acre parcel.  

The other is at 8169 Bank Street Road, Batavia. It is 11 acres on 93.3 acres.

Both projects are being developed by Forefront Power, formerly SunEdison, with Forefront agreeing to leases of 25 years with the property owners.

The projects are expected to produce enough electricity each to power the equivalent of 300 residential homes.

Timothy P. Ahrens, in charge of project development for Forefront, said the projects will help create additional renewable energy sources for the region.

The projects will be eligible for state and federal incentives to help offset the costs.

Planning Board members asked questions about what happens to the farm if it's ever decommissioned and Ahrens said part of the agreement with the landowners is to remove all of the infrastructure and return the land to its prior use.

Both lots are less-than-prime farmland.

Pending final approval by the Town of Batavia, Ahrens said Forefront hopes to begin construction by the fall.

Thomas L. Gibson, 29, of Watson Street, Batavia, has been arrested on suspicion of drug dealing and jailed on $20,000 bail or $40,000 bond.

Gibson was arrested on a warrant. The arrest stemmed from an investigation by the Local Drug Task Force into the alleged sales of crack cocaine in the City of Batavia.

He is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Girl Scouts with Trop 42123 in Le Roy created a Bright Board for students at staff at Wolcott Street School. The board is filled with positive messages on bright sticky notes. Students and staff are invited to take a note to brighten their days or leave positive words for someone else to take. The scouts made a prototype and presented it to the principal, scheduled shifts and created the final project. The project took hours and hours to complete.

Literacy Genesee-Orleans held a ribbon cutting and grand opening yesterday at their new location at 27 City Centre.

Director Bob Curtis said the agency had been at a location on North Street, but they wanted to find a space that was more centrally located. The new location is larger and $200 a month cheaper.

"Not only did we save money, but we also enlarged our facility from one large classroom to two classrooms plus office space and in a location that is more convenient for everybody," Curtis said.

Clients of the center range in age from 18 to 74. While there are some volunteers, many on the teaching staff are older adults, 55 and over, who receive a wage paid for through a federally funded program.

The center offers help in reading, math, and computers as well as classes and tutors for people learning English as a second language.

Photo: Tom Turnbull, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Jim Owen, Sandra Gillard, Bob Curtis, Jay Grasso and Ben Bonigrigo. Photo by Kelly Bermingham.

The Le Roy Central School District’s Board of Education (BOE) has named Merritt Holly as the district’s next Superintendent. Pending final contract negotiations, Holly is expected to begin in his new post on April 1.  

“I am excited and honored to have been chosen as the new superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District and look forward to working collaboratively with the school board, teachers, staff, parents and community. I’m committed to providing all students with exceptional educational experiences, which will assist them in having a varied skill set in order to be college and career ready," Holly noted.

School Board President Don Hobart said Holly possesses the key qualities that the Board is seeking in a Superintendent.

“As a visible and engaged leader, we are confident that Merritt Holly is the best choice for our district. We look forward to working with Merritt as we deliver the best education possible for our students,” Hobart said.

Merritt Holly has served as principal of Caledonia-Mumford High School (HS) since 2011. Previously, he was the principal of Oakfield-Alabama Middle School and was the Dean of Students at Oakfield-Alabama Middle and Senior High School from 2007-2008. Holly started his teaching career in 1999 as a ninth-grade Social Studies teacher at Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools, a position he held for eight years.

As principal, Holly is responsible for the supervision of faculty, staff, and students for grades 9-12. During his tenure as principal of Caledonia-Mumford HS, the school was designated a New York State Reward School three times. The New York State Department of Education presents this award to schools that are high achieving and high-progress schools. He is presently a Central Committee member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and represents Section V.

Holly holds a Bachelor of Arts from The College at Brockport, a Master of Science in Education Curriculum and Instruction from Medaille College and a master’s in Educational Administration from The College at Brockport. Holly holds a number of certifications including New York State Provisional and Permanent Certification in Secondary Social Studies grades 7-12 and an Advanced Certificate as School District and School Building Leader.

Kevin MacDonald, District superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, acted as the search consultant and noted that the search process was a true collaboration between the Board of Education, district staff and community.

Bergen's ladder truck has been dispatched on an emergency call, asked to expedite, to the Town of Riga, where a man is stuck in a lift 40-foot in the air.

The emergency response is requested because the lift is leaking hydraulic fluid and workers are afraid it's going to come down.

UPDATE 11:30 a.m.: Our news partner 13WHAM sent a reporter to the scene and they tell us that man trapped in the lift is on the ground, safe and uninjured. He was 60 feet in the air, he said. He said there was a hydraulic fluid leak and the lift wouldn't budge. His partner on the ground called for help. He was in the air for about 45 minutes. He said he wasn't afraid of the height, but it was cold up there. He is a tree trimmer from Monroe County.

The Lady Blue Devils' record fell to 4-15 on Thursday night with a 42-53 loss to Wellsville. Batavia closes the season at home Tuesday, game time 7:15 p.m., against Odyssey.

No stats available for the game.

Girls Basketball

• Oakfield 40, Pembroke 30 FINAL
• Alexander 44, Attica 35 FINAL
• Byron-Bergen 59, Holley 25 FINAL
• Elba 46, Lyndonville 35 FINAL
• Wellsville 54, Batavia 43 FINAL

A building permit for a duplex near Presidential Acres in Le Roy was legally issued, a judge has ruled in a multi-party lawsuit over the development in the subdivision.

The ruling is a victory of Pete McQuillen, a Le Roy businessman, who has been embroiled in legal battles with property owners in the area for years.

The latest round of legal action began in 2014 when 11 property owners in Presidential Acres filed an Article 78 proceeding against the Village of Le Roy, various officials in the village, and McQuillen and his business.

At the time, McQuillen had already completed two duplexes on 10 lots he owned on the west end of Presidential Acres, near Robbins Road. There had been no challenge to the building permits for those structures.

When a code enforcement officer issued a permit for Lot 18, that's when neighbors got together and tried to stop further development of duplexes in the neighborhood.

David Boyce, one of the plaintiffs, said in an affidavit that when he bought his lot on Filmore Drive, nothing in the record nor in the documents he researched, indicated that the neighborhood was zoned for anything other than single-family residences. He believes, he said, the presence of the duplexes lowers the value of his property. 

The plaintiffs also alleged that the duplexes run contrary to the comprehensive plan for the village.

In his affidavit, McQuillen said he relied on village board meeting minutes from when the subdivision was created to conclude that the subdivision was planned from the beginning to include 10 duplexes.

Judge Emilio Colaiacovo, who inherited the case from Judge Robert C. Noonan upon his retirement, ruled that based on the fact that the first two duplexes went unchallenged, that the code enforcement officer was acting within his authority to issue the permit, and nothing in the record indicated that the zoning board of appeals, upon reviewing the permit, acted in an "arbitrary and capricious manner" so he was compelled to rule in favor of McQuillen. 

Case law is clear, he said, that in the absence of evidence of an arbitrary or capricious decision, courts should respect the decisions of local bodies, such as the ZBA.

Before the duplex issue, McQuillen was involved in another legal battle over a planned senior community on property he owns next to Presidential Acres called Robbins Nest. He eventually lost that case, then subsequently built a storage shed on the back property line of Town Supervisor Steve Barbeau. A dispute over that structure resulted in a bit of shoving and the arrest of Barbeau. The storage shed was a subject of this lawsuit, alleged to be an illegal auxiliary structure, but Colaiacovo ruled that issue became moot once McQuillen built his single-family home on the lot once intended to be Robbins Nest.

We emailed Amy Kendell, an attorney for the plaintiffs, to ask if there was going to be an appeal of the ruling and we have not received a response.

UPDATE: We received an email response from Amy Kendell. She said there will be an appeal of the decision.