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Your morning weather photos

By Howard B. Owens

Here's four photos of what things looked like in Batavia around 9 a.m. Looking at the weather radar map, it looks like the worst of the storm won't hit us until 1:30 p.m. Currently, there is no travel advisory from the Sheriff's Office, but Chief Gordon Dibble said one may come later today. County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens has recommended residents stay home today.

If you have weather photos to share today, e-mail them to howard@thebatavian.com. In focus, properly exposed, no camera shake, please.

City plow and salt truck on Porter Avenue.

Centennial Park

On East Main Street

Law and Order: Alleged beer theft leads to jail on $500 bail

By Howard B. Owens

Phillip Daniel Burrs, 32, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Burrs is accused of stealing a can of beer from the Hess Express at Main and Oak streets, Batavia. Burrs was arraigned in City Court and jailed on $500 bail. (Burrs was charged with DWI following an alleged bank robbery by a passenger in his vehicle in Batavia on Jan. 18.)

Philip J. Grazioplene, 44, of South Lyon Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or higher and passing a red light. Grazioplene was stopped at 3:07 a.m., on East Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Darenisha M. Thomas, 18, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and harassment, 2nd. Thomas is accused of attacking a fellow student at Batavia High School.

Don't let the calm before the storm fool you, officials recommend you stay home

By Howard B. Owens

The National Weather Service said it: "Do not let the benign weather conditions this morning lull you into a false sense of security."

Here's the prediction:

Snow will rapidly overspread Western New York by 9 to 11 a.m. and become heavy. Snowfall rates may reach two inches per hour during the peak of the storm this afternoon. Temperatures will plummet through the 20s and into the teens with rapidly increasing northeast winds producing widespread blowing and drifting snow with blizzard conditions from midday through the evening.

County Superintendent Tim Hens had this to say:

With forecasted snow rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, snow may accumulate up to 6 to 8 inches deep in roadways today before plows can return on a standard plow route. The morning driving conditions will entice people to head out, but conditions will deteriorate rapidly through the day and evening driving conditions will be treacherous. I would recommend staying put today. It will be a quick storm and road conditions should be back to normal tomorrow. I can't emphasize this enough.

The Weather Service concluded in its press release:

Travel will become extremely hazardous or even nearly impossible at times due to the combination of very heavy snow and blowing snow. Those who venture out this morning in the good weather may have a difficult time returning home later today as conditions worsen.

UPDATE 8:23 a.m.: Spoke with City Manager Jason Molino. He's also recommending people stay home if at all possible today. He also asked that people not park their cars on the streets so plow trucks can operate more freely. "When we're getting into several inches per hour, it's going to be a constant battle to keep the roads clear," Molino said. The priority will be on the major thoroughfares such as Main Street and Ellicott Street, Molino said.

Announced winter storm closings for Wednesday

By Howard B. Owens

We'll add closings to this list as we receive them. E-mail closings to howard@thebatavian.com.

  • Oakfield-Alabama Central School District. This closing includes all afterschool and evening activities.
  • Le Roy Central Schools has announced closures for Wednesday.
  • Pavilion schools are closed.
  • St. Joseph School will be closed.
  • P.W. Minor will be closed.
  • MedEx Billing, Inc., in Le Roy will be closed.
  • Notre Dame is closed.
  • Batavia City Schools
  • Byron-Bergen school
  • The Town of Darien business offices and Transfer Station operations are closed today.
  • All programs are cancelled at Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee County.
  • Batavia Supercuts
  • Chassix/Automotive Corp. – closed for 2nd & 3rd shifts
  • Hair Studio B
  • Wyoming County has issued a travel advisory.
  • Empire Tractor is still planning to hold its annual open house. iPad giveway at 1 p.m.
  • All Wyoming County offices are closed.
  • GCEDC and Upstate MedTech Center Building closing at 11 a.m.
  • GCASA’s Batavia and Albion locations are closing at noon.
  • All locations of Pembroke Family Medicine closed.
  • Batavia Youth Center
  • Genesee Couinty Animal Shelter will be closed for adoption hours this evening.
  • Town of Pembroke Regular Board Meeting and Public Hearings scheduled for this evening have been postponed until tomorrow, Thursday March 13th at 6 p.m.
  • Pembroke Town Hall will be closed.
  • Due to severe weather conditions, all Courts in Genesee County will be closing at 11 a.m. This includes Genesee County and Supreme Courts, Genesee County Family Court and Batavia City Court.
  • Bergen Town Hall and Byron-Bergen Public Library
  • Pediatric Associates
  • Due to Blizzard conditions the Town of Pembroke Regular Board Meeting and Public Hearings scheduled for this evening have been postponed until tomorrow, Thursday March 13th at 6 p.m. Pembroke Town Hall will be closed this afternoon.
  • Due to the inclement weather the GCFC Board meeting scheduled for today March 12, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. is CANCELLED.
  • Hot Heads Salon, Le Roy
  • United Memorial will close all outpatient services and physician practices at 11 a.m. The Urgent Care Centers in Batavia and LeRoy will not open today. The emergency department at 127 North St., Batavia will remain open.
  • LeRoy Federal Credit Union will be closing at 1 p.m.
  • LeRoy Physical Therapy and Village Fitness will be closing at 3:00pm
  • The County Legislature meeting for tonight is cancelled and that it is rescheduled for Friday at 5:30.
  • Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Insurance Agencies and Tompkins
    Financial Advisors will be closing all WNY locations at 12 today due to the
    weather.
  • Village of LeRoy Board of Trustees meeting tonight has be cancelled.
  • Classic Optical
  • CPR (Computer and Phone Repair)
  • Tech Wars tomorrow at GCC is cancelled.
  • Delivery of the Daily News today may be delayed because of weather.
  • Bontrager's Wednesday March 12th Auction postponed until March 19th
  • Alli’s Cones & Dogs closed at 3 p.m.

For more closings, check WBTA's Web site.

BHS students getting ready for second annual Mr. Batavia contest

By Howard B. Owens

For the second year in a row, students at Batavia High School are putting on a Mr. Batavia contest aimed at building relationships between the high school and the community, particularly local nonprofits.

There are 10 contestants this year representing 10 different charities. Money raised will go to the winner's charity.

"We weren't sure how it was going to go last year and we raised $1,700, so we're hoping to exceed that this year," said Lisa Robinson, one of the faculty advisers for student government.

Along with the 10 boys competing, 15 girls are putting together the show (not everybody participating was available for a picture late this afternoon).

The contestants begin the show with a group dance, followed by a lip-sync contest, a talent contest, a swimsuit portion and then the boys come out in tuxedos donated by Charle's Mens Shop for a question-and-answer period.

Nine of the 10 charities have committed to having displays set up in the cafeteria for the evening.

The show starts at 7 p.m., Friday, March 21. Tickets are $7, $5 for students.

Destro shows his skills at youth conference; new K-9 fundraising effort launched

By Howard B. Owens

Destro will do just about anything to get permission for a minute or two of play time while on the job -- sit and stay, chase a bad guy, search for a human scent, bark at a cornered criminal, find some dope.

If he were in the wild, it would be like any dog catching a rabbit and having a bit of fun with it before it became a snack. That's what dogs do, Deputy Chris Erion explained to a group of seventh- and eighth-grade students during a seminar on law enforcement at the 26th annual Genesee County Youth Conference at GCC.

Erion put Destro through his paces demonstrating common dog tricks such as sit, down and stay, and then had Destro chase after him a few feet and then bark at him as if he were a fleeing criminal suspect. Destro then found a marijuana sample hidden in the room.

After each task, Destro got to play with a tug with a small rubber ball attached, or he got to chew on his favorite toy -- an old piece of fire hose.

Erion recounted one of Destro's greatest law enforcement feats yet, finding a post-it note that had been used in an alleged armed robbery. The job well done really demonstrates Destro's ability to pick up human scents, Erion told the students.

After the demonstration, Erion shared information about a new Facebook page set up by the children of Deputy Brian Thompson to help raise funds to support the K-9 program.

"The care and maintenance for a police K-9 is above what it typically is for a household pet," Erion said. "Their teeth have to be regularly maintained. Often they break teeth -- he's broken a couple of teeth already that had to be fixed -- care, feeding, all those sorts of things go into the K-9 fund to support the dog."

There isn't a specific budget amount the K-9 fund is trying to raise. The goal is to maintain an ongoing source of revenue to help take care of Destro and Pharoah, who retires in October, when Thompson retires, though Erion believes it would be a good idea to maintain a fund balance of $5,000 to $10,000.

"Then, if something were to happen, we could handle that immediately," Erion said. "We could put a new dog and handler into the field immediately."

The Facebook page was set up by Thompson's daughters Olivia and Sophia. They also came up with the idea of an envelope fundraiser. People can send a message through Facebook requesting an available envelope -- once a numbered envelope is taken and returned, it's counted as "filled," so you'll need to pick a different number -- and they will receive the requested envelope to fill with a donation and return.

The goal is to raise $10,000. According to the page, $2,000 has already been raised.

"If you think about it, the only life (Thompson's) children have known is life with a police K-9," Erion said. "He's worked K-9 his entire career with the Sheriff's Office and before that. It's part of their life, just having a police K-9 in the house, and they came up with an idea for a fundraiser. I just think it speaks volumes about their character and Brian's character to have that thought to do that."

Since becoming a K-9 officer, Erion said he's really learned a lot about the generosity of the Genesee County community.

"This assignment has opened my eyes to a lot of good things in our community," Erion said. "There's a school right now (where) the whole school is working on a K-9 fundraiser and I've had other people approach me to find out how to go about raising funds."

Visit the Facebook page Genesee County NY K-9 Support and click "Like"

Above, Kyle Mott gets a chance to pet Destro.

Le Roy candidates love their community, residents concerned about delapidated properties

By Howard B. Owens

Village living conditions were of the greatest concern to residents at a candidates' forum in Le Roy on Monday night.

Property upkeep by landlords and homeowners, vacant and abandoned properties, the care for the village demonstrated by downtown business owners, and the condition of streets and sidewalks were all touched on by residents at some point.

Meanwhile, the candidates talked of their love for Le Roy and desire to make the village a place where people want to live and raise families.

"We choose to live here," said Jennifer Keys. "We're not lifelong residents. We're here because it's a great community. You can walk down the street after dark and be safe. I love the architecture. The community. These are things we can sell to get other people to come here."

Keys, who won her first term on the village council four years ago, is seeking reelection along with incumbent Robert Taylor. There are two four-year terms up for election and joining the fray in the March 18 election are John Mangefrida and William Kettle.

Keys opened the forum in the dining room of the Greens of Le Roy by talking about her first bid for election four years ago. She campaigned on the pool, the comprehensive plan, working better with the town, and the matter of blighted houses. She said she was able to work with others to help get the pool reopened, which now serves record numbers of patrons, communications with the town have improved, and the council is still working on the comprehensive plan. Blighted houses, she said, remain an issue.

Kettle noted his dedication to the village as a Main Street property and business owner.

"If you're going to be in the game, you've got to be able to step up to the plate and I'm willing to do that," Kettle said. "I'm committed to Le Roy. I'm invested. I'm vested. I love Le Roy, as everybody here on the board does."

Mangefrida, whose been a trustee before, said he decided to run again because he loves the village. He recalled that during his military duty he knew he could count on the people of the community to help watch over and care for his family.

"It isn't about policies," Mangefrida said. "It's about maintaining the quality of life in Le Roy. We need to take care of our infrastructure and take care of the things that have gotten us here. If elected, I'm going to listen to everyone and make informed decisions and represent the people of Le Roy."

Taylor noted that except for the years he was away in college, he's lived his entire 72 years in Le Roy.

"We do this because we all love the community, and that's the only reason," Taylor said. "Without a good foundation, nothing lasts forever, and we've lasted a long time because Le Roy has a good foundation."

When the Q&A started, much of the discussion focused on vacant and abandoned housing. It's a vexing problem because these are typically properties that the banks refuse to foreclose on because it's cheaper just to pay the taxes and any fines related to lack of upkeep.

There's also a problem with property owners -- both landlords and homeowners -- who let their property fall into disrepair to the point of them being a nuisance to neighbors and other residents.

 "We all have a right to live in a village that is kept up and if it takes a sharp stick, then we need code enforcement that does it," Kettle said.

These are tough problems, Taylor said.

"The amount of problems we have are not going to be fixed in 10 minutes, but they are being addressed," Taylor said.

One resident called for a full-time code enforcement officer.

Mangefrida took a realist tact to the question and said the money to pay for a full-time officer, rather than a shared part-time officer with the town, would have to come from somewhere.

"Do we hire a full-time code enforcement officer?" Mangefrida asked. "If we hire a full-time code enforcement officer with the current budget are we willing do without one of our part-time police officers? Because that's what it's coming down to in running a village in the State of New York."

Another residents probed candidates on how much they know about the comprehensive plan, which he suggested needed to be revised to meet changing times.

Keys said the plan was last revised in 2007 and has been under review during her time in office.

John Mangefrida

William Kettle

Robert Taylor

Jennifer Keys

Donated buildings in the city provide invaluable training resource for fire department

By Howard B. Owens

The chance for city firefighters to train and practice in an actual structure in the city is invaluable to the department, Chief Jim Maxwell said today while discussing an opportunity to use to houses on West Main Street this week.

Since the houses are slated for demolition, firefighters can cut, chop and smoke up the place ("cold smoke," as it's called, since it's not heat generated).

"From the new firefighter to the 20-year veteran, it's very valuable," Maxwell said. "It's a controlled situation, but they get to go in and practice what they would do in a normal fire."

The houses are being provided to the department for training by the owners of Castilone Chrysler, Steve Castilone and Greg Strauss, and are located at 310 and 312 W. Main St., Batavia.

Castilone and Strauss are expanding their dealership (rather than move it out of the city) and they acquired the neighboring properties for that purpose.

Maxwell said having structures in the city for training really cuts down on overtime. Rather than requiring firefighters to come in during typical off-duty hours and train at the Fire Training Center on Bank Street Road, on-duty firefighters can train in the city so they're still available for calls as needed.

"We're able to get all of the platoons through without getting into an overtime situation, so it's very valuable to use," Maxwell said.

Training includes ventilation (cutting holes in the roofs), search and rescue (artificial smoke is generated). There will be more training over the next few days, weather permitting, and it will be squeezed in with hazmat training taking place this week at the fire station.

There won't, however, be any live fire training at the two houses, Maxwell said. It's just too risky to do in the city.

Photos submitted by Frank Capuano

Law and Order: Vine Street resident allegedly threatens EMS personnel after requesting help

By Howard B. Owens
Tonia Doell

Tonia M. Doell, 44, of 14 Vine St., Batavia, is charged with three counts of menacing, 2nd, one count of criminal possession of a weapon, and one count of attempted assault, 2nd. Doell is accused of requesting medical assistance at 2:21 p.m. and when Mercy EMS personnel arrived at her residence and attempted to enter, Doell allegedly threatened them with a kitchen knife. Doell was arraigned and jailed without bail.

Jason D. Lang, 27, and Ashley R. Keene, 26, both of 244 Liberty St., Batavia, are charged with grand larceny, 4th. Lang and Keene are accused of stealing 10 pairs of eyeglass frames valued at more than $1,600 from the Lencrafters location in Hamburg. Hamburg detectives received several calls identifying Lang and Keene as the suspects after police posted pictures of the shoplifting suspects on Facebook and Buffalo media outlets picked up the story. Upon further investigation, Lang and Keene were asked to appear at Hamburg PD and did so voluntarily. Hamburg detectives report that Lang and Keene confessed to the theft. They were issued appearance tickets.

Pamela Kristene Goerss, 43, of Oak Hill Road, Silver Springs, is charged with DWI, speed not reasonable and prudent, unlicensed operator, leaving the scene of an accident and parked in roadway. Goerss was reportedly operating a 2011 Volkswagan Jetta southbound on Perry Road at 3:16 a.m. Sunday when she was involved in an accident. The other vehicle left the scene. Goerss also allegedly tried to drive away from the scene, but her vehicle became disabled. The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in identifying the other vehicle and driver. Anybody with information can contact Deputy Frank Bordonaro at (585) 343-5000. Goerss was jailed on $500 bail.

Brian Lee Smith, 52, of Colonial Boulevard, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, and aggravated family offense, a felony. Smith is accused of yelling a vulgar word at the victim, who has an active order of protection in place, Smith allegedly yelled at the victim while she was in her own driveway. Smith was jailed on $20,000 cash bail or $40,000 bond.

Bryan R. Bartholomew, 27, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Bartholomew allegedly violated an order of protection by being at the residence of the protected party. Bartholomew was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Matthew D. Derrick, 29, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Derrick is accused of being involved in a domestic incident March 6.

Dariel A. Giffith, 21, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Griffith is accused of striking another person in the hand during a dispute on South Swan Street at 4:56 p.m. March 6.

Jon David Vega, 48, of 78th Street, Howard Beach, was arrested on two bench warrants for alleged failure to appear. Vega was arrested upon his release from the Monroe County Jail on unrelated charges. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.

Christina M. Colantonio, 27, of Snipery Road, Corfu, is accused of failure to appear after appearance ticket served. Colantonio was located walking westbound on West Main Street near Union Street by Officer James DeFreze and she was arrested on an active warrant. Colantonio posted $500 bail and was released.

Heather Daffney Stone, 19, of Elwood Drive, Rochester, was arrested on a bench warrant related to a third-degree burglary charge. Stone was released from Monroe County Jail on an unrelated matter and taken into custody on the burglary charge. Stone was held without bail.

Johnny Uylesse Troche, 28, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd. Troche allegedly threatened another person with a knife at 9:26 p.m. Saturday.

Francisco Rodriguez, 37, of Portland Avenue, Rochester, is charged with possession of untaxed cigarettes. Rodriguez was stopped at 8:43 p.m. Saturday on Lewiston Road, Batavia, for alleged failure to dim high beams by Deputy Joseph Corona. Rodriguez was allegedly found in possession of more untaxed cigarettes than legally allowed.

Christina Sandra Baudanza, 37, no address given, was arrested on a Family Court warrant. Baudanza was arrested upon her release from the Wyoming County Hospital. She was arraigned in Family Court and released to a social service worker who took her to temporary housing.

Katie Lee Winnie, 20, of Exchange Street, Attica, was arrested on bench warrants related to charges of petit larceny and possession of marijuana. Winnie allegedly failed to appear for a court date in the Town of Batavia. She turned herself in and was jailed on $500 bail.

Eric X. Williams, 22, of Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Williams was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported at 10:46 p.m. on Feb. 24. No further details released.

Joshua J. Clark, 37, of Le Roy, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Clark was stopped at 1:50 a.m. Friday at the junction of routes 5 and 63 by State Police.

Brush fire reported off Transit Road, Byron

By Howard B. Owens

A brush fire is reported in the area of 6063 Transit Road, Byron.

Byron and South Byron were dispatched more than 10 minutes ago and are on scene.

A brush truck from Elba was just requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:43 p.m.: Elba requested to fill in at Byron's hall.

UPDATE 9:54 p.m.: Mercy EMS requested to the scene. Unknown reason.

UPDATE 10:27 p.m.: Elba's tanker is back in service.

CORRECTION: It was the brush truck from Elba, not a Mercy ambulance requested to the scene.

Former Bergen resident told second trial on fraud charges will be July 7

By Howard B. Owens

Michele Ann Case, granted a second chance at a trial on fraud charges after her first conviction was overturned, is likely to get that trial starting July 7, Judge Robert C. Noonan said in County Court today.

Case will have until April 18 to accept any plea offer, if one is forthcoming, Noonan said.

It's Noonan's practice to set plea cut-off dates, after which point a defendant must either go to trial or plead guilty without any conditions.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman has not publicly stated whether there is any potential plea offer.

Case, 47, a home health care nurse, formerly from Bergen, is accused of bilking her former employer out of $14,000 by filing fraudulent financial records about her hours and travel.

For previous coverage, click here.

Council passes budget 5-4 after Hawley and Christian swap positions

By Howard B. Owens

Story by Dan Fischer, WBTA:

By the slimmest of margins the Batavia City Council Monday night approved a budget for the coming fiscal year that includes the hiring of an assistant city manager.

The budget approval process nearly derailed when Ward 6 Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian withdrew her support of the budget and voiced opposition to the assistant manager’s position.

The budget was approved by a narrow 5-4 margin.

Joining her in opposition were Ward 5 Councilwoman Kathleen Brigs and Councilmen-at-large Eugene Jankowski and John DeLeo.

Christian said that after “dozens of telephone calls” she learned that the federal government would soon step in to address the rising cost of FEMA flood insurance.

The study of flood insurance, and how to control rising premiums, would be the primary responsibility of the new assistant, according to City Manager Jason Molino.

“We really don’t need an assistant now that the federal government is stepping in,” Christian said.

Molino took exception to Christian noting that federal intervention into the flood insurance issue was only a proposal and not a certainty.

Still, it was enough for Christian to change her vote and touch off a lengthy debate among council members to table the budget.

Councilman-at-large John DeLeo favored a delay in the budget vote and remove funding for the assistant’s position. “My constituents have told me ‘hell no’ on this assistant manager issue,” DeLeo declared.

When a vote to table the budget failed by a 5-4 vote it was clear the budget, with funds for the assistant manager, would pass.

Council President Brooks Hawley, who had stated his opposition to the assistant manager’s position in early budget debates, said his objection did not rise to the level of scuttling the entire budget. Hawley voted in favor the budget along with council members Kris Doeringer, Patti Pacino, Pier Cipollone and John Canale.

The $24-million budget calls for a reduction in the tax rate of 13-cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. A separate measure to increase water rates passed unanimously. The increase will cost the average city water customer another $10 per year.

CORRECTION: The tax rate is 13 cents less per thousand. The original store misstated the amount.

Woman given second chance on drunken driving charge sent to jail for six months

By Howard B. Owens

A Pavilion mother twice arrested under provisions of Leandra's Law will have to serve six months in jail after blowing a chance to avoid lockup given to her by Judge Robert C. Noonan a year ago.

Angela R. Kruse, 42, will also be on probation for five years.

Kruse was first arrested in Le Roy for driving drunk with her children in her car in June 2012. She was arrested again four months later in Wyoming County following a rollover accident.

Kruse appeared before Noonan last March after going through rehab and was told if she could stay out of trouble for 11 months she could have a chance to put her Genesee County charge behind her, but she violated the terms of her release and appeared before Noonan again today to answer for the lapse.

Police want to question man in connection with theft from downtown liquor store

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia PD is looking for the public's assistance in locating a man suspected of stealing a bottle of Jack Daniel's Honey from the YNGodess Shop on Main Street, Batavia.

Owner Christine Crocker reported the alleged theft to police last weekend after confronting a person she believes took a bottle of booze from the store. Crocker chased the man down and recovered a bottle of alcohol, but the man then fled.

Crocker said she had refused to sell liquor to the man, citing state law, because she believed he was already intoxicated.

The man in the photos is wanted for questioning in connection with the incident.

The suspect is described as a white male, thinner build, with a shaved head and a goatee. He was said to be wearing a dark zip-up jacket and white and black Nike sneakers.

The anonymous tip line for BPD is (585) 345-6370.

Genesee County Chamber announces opposition to Seneca casino in Henrietta

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce has joined the growing opposition to the expansion of casino gaming in Western New York.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors has unanimously passed a resolution opposing any new proposed casino in New York west of Route 14 and specifically the location of a new tax-free, Las Vegas-style casino in Monroe County owned and operated by the Seneca Nation.

The addition of another casino located in Western New York would over-saturate the regional gaming marketplace and would have negative impact on Batavia Downs Gaming and its operations. Batavia Downs Gaming is located in Genesee County and has shown to be an outstanding partner in the community and is directly and indirectly responsible for thousands of jobs in our region.

An additional casino in such proximity to Batavia Downs will greatly jeopardize the livelihoods of those thousands of individuals who rely on the continued operation and success of Batavia Downs Gaming. Not only would Batavia Downs Gaming be affected, but the addition of a full Las Vegas-style casino has shown to have a negative impact on surrounding restaurant, hotel and other hospitality businesses as well.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce has asked fellow business organizations in the region to join in opposition to expanding gaming in Monroe County and all other locations in New York west of Route 14.

Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation donates $10K to Golisano Children's Hospital

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation donated its first installment of $10,000 to the new Golisano Children's Hospital which is currently under construction in Rochester, NY, with opening date slotted for 2015.

This is the first installment as the foundation has pledged a total of $50,000 to the project. The monies will be earmarked for the Child Life Office in the new facility. Child Life provides the hospitalized children with therapeutic programs, play and other activities to help children and families cope with the challenges of illness or hospitalization.

This is another way the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation continues to fulfill its mission and Lend a Hand for Hope. For more information on fundraising events, or to see how you can help, go to www.michaelshope.org.

Photo: Darien fire rekindle

By Howard B. Owens

Brittany Hodge sent his picture of the rekindle of this morning's fire at 1363 Broadway, Darien.

There have been a couple of rekindles today, but this one required both Darien fire and Corfu fire to be dispatched, along with a fill-in by Pembroke at Corfu's hall.

UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: Alexander fire has been dispatched to the rekindle.

Previously:

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