In the morning, members of The Batavian Club will receive an e-mail with a coupon from T.F. Brown's for 15-percent off.

Join The Batavian Club by 8 p.m., Wednesday and receive the same coupon, which is good until Jan. 30.

The coupon is addition to the $285 in gift certificates members will receive to local businesses. For a list of participating businesses, click here.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Press release:

The staff of Batavia Downs Casino and Thurman Thomas are now accepting entries to name the Hall of Famer’s new restaurant on site at Batavia Downs Casino.

The facility’s $28 Million dollar expansion begins within a month and includes construction of a new Thurman Thomas sports bar. Customers may tweet a suggestion for the Sports Bar’s name on Twitter by tweeting from their account and including the name of the Sports Bar with the tag @BataviaDowns. The contest will end at Noon on Friday, Jan. 18.

Staff from Batavia Downs Casino and Thurman Thomas will review the entries and declare a winner before the end of January.

The person that submits the winning name will win dinner for two inside the new sports bar with Thurman Thomas and Batavia Downs Staff when the new facility opens sometime in the fall. The winner shall also receive a Batavia Downs Casino Prize Pack valued at more than $250.

If more than one person suggests the winning name, then one person shall be randomly chosen from those who suggested that name. Winner will be notified via twitter that they have won. Full rules can be found on Batavia Downs Casino’s Web site at www.bataviadownscasino.com.

“Thurman’s new sports bar will offer great food, a stage for live entertainment on weekends, and many large flat screen TVs where our patrons can enjoy all their favorite sporting events,” said Ryan Hasenauer, director of marketing for Batavia Downs Casino. “It will also feature various pieces of football and Thurman Thomas memorabilia.”

Information courtesy WBTA:

A big change in garbage pick up, a shake up of the police department and a pay raise for council members are the main features of the proposed city budget.

City Manager Jason Molino told council members about the proposed changes in garbage collection, dubbed PAYT for "pay as you throw," which will remove garbage collection from property owners' tax bills and have users of the service foot the bill.

The user fee will extend to nonprofit agencies and churches.

"You pay for what you throw away," Monlino said. "So, if you want a smaller tote or larger tote, you are going to pay respectively. If you throw away more, you are going to pay more. You throw away less, you are going to pay less. Another aspect of the program is unlimited recycling, and that also has the ability to help control your costs of what you throw away."

The automated system -- one-driver trucks will use a mechanical arm to pick up the totes -- will also help reduce costs, Molino said.

The apparent lower bidder for the program is Allied/Republic, a national waste management company headquartered in Phoenix. The company operates in 39 states and has 30,000 employees according to its Web site.

Allied/Republic submitted the lowest of four bids at $4.34-million dollars over the next five years.

Genesee ARC, which had been providing the service to the city for nearly 30 years, bid 4.99-million dollars. It appears ARC's bid was the highest.

ARC Executive Director Donna Saskowski said the loss of the city contract hurts the human services agency:

"I will have to lay off between 8 and 10 people," Saskowski said. "The agency will loose $800,000 in revenue, and we will have to find different jobs for the people with disabilities."

Saskowski said half of the people expected to lose jobs have some form of developmental disability.

The 2013-2014 proposed budget technically calls for a reduction in the city tax rate from $10.71 to $9.15. However, when the average cost of the garbage fee is factored in, Molino said the impact on the average homeowner will be a “wash.”

A big change in police department operations will save about $10,000, according to Molino.

Currently, the supervisory structure of the department includes three lieutenants. The lieutenant position will be eliminated, replaced by two police officers, a sergeant and a deputy chief.

The deputy chief position will be non-union.

The current lieutenants, Eugene Jankowski, Jim Henning and Greg Steele, have elected to retire rather than accept a demotion to sergeant, Molino told council members.

As for council members, a raise for the elected officials approved 6-3 in February, will be instituted, increasing compensation from $2,000 per year to $3,500 per year, beginning April 1.

The only way pay raises could be prevented, Molino said, was for the council to vote down the entire budget proposal or opt to pull the pay raise allocation from the budget plan and vote on it separately.

Council members Patti Pacino and Pier Cipollone said on Monday night they would not support a pay raise. Both had supported the pay raise measure in the February vote.

UPDATE: The city has posted all available documents about the changes to garbage collection.

A Le Roy resident who trashed the home of a person she knew and was later charged with burglary will be required to pay $169,161.71.

Karen L. Stone, of Elm Street, will also serve six months in jail and five years on probation.

Stone was arrested in August and entered a guilty plea Oct. 30 to burglary in the third degree.

Water line repairs in the area of 10 Bogue Ave., Batavia, on Tuesday will disrupt traffic access and water service.

The work will begin at 8:30 a.m. and result in possible lower water pressure and possibly discolored water.

A rollover accident with minor injury has been reported at 8825 Route 98, near L&L Transmission.

The vehicle is off the road in the ditch.

Mercy medics and Town of Batavia Fire Department are on scene.

UPDATE 10:06 p.m.: Subject is not injured at all and the car is well off the road. Town of Batavia back in service.

Batavia police are responding to a residence on State Street to help a homeowner with a cat that is preventing the resident from getting in the house.

The cat is located on the porch and won't leave. Dispatch says it might be 110 or 115 State St.

Christina M. Sanchez-Anderson, 24, of 2 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Sanchez-Anderson is accused of leaving her two children at home alone and unsupervised. Her 3-year-old was allegedly found at 9:58 a.m., Saturday, outside and not wearing any shoes. Sanchez-Anderson was jailed on $2,500 bail. Department of Social Services assisted in the case.

Ashley M. Kreutz, 25, of 10 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged endangering the welfare of a child. Kreutz allegedly left her two children unsupervised for more than four hours Saturday morning. One child was transported to UMMC for a medical evaluation. Kreutz was jailed on $5,000 bail. Department of Social Services assisted in the case.

Eric J. Bratcher, 24, of 7 1/2 South St., Le Roy, is charged with criminal impersonation, 2nd. Attica PD responded to a report of a complaint of noise and underage drinking at an address on Washington Avenue, Attica, and Bratcher allegedly gave police officers a false name. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Wendi L. Provost, 37, of 19 Riverside Parkway, Massena, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, driving without headlights and failure to keep right. Provost was stopped 1:10 a.m. on West Main Street by Officer Eric Bolles.

Bryan Pettinella, 27, of131 Bank St,, Apt. A, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. During a verbal argument, Pettinella allegedly punched the car of another person causing damage.

Curtis J. Doward, 18, of 25 Ganson Ave., Batavia, is charged with two counts of failure to appear as directed, criminal contempt, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child (second two counts are warrants). Doward turned himself in to Batavia PD on a failure-to-appear warrant. He was jailed on $2,500 bail on each count.

Christopher W. Cummings, 33, of 19 Cherry St., Batavia, is charged with coercion, 2nd, aggravated harassment, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Related to a domestic incident, Cummings allegedly sent numerous unwanted text messages in an attempt to compel or induce the victim to engage in conduct she had the legal right to abstain from, thereby threatening her. Cummings is also accused of spitting on the victim.

Christopher W. Colantonio, 23, of 110 South Swan St., Batavia, is charged with a violation of probation. Colantonio was taken into custody by the Probation Department for an alleged violation of probation.

Pavel V. Yefremenko, 24, of 8 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, speeding and consumption of alcohol in a vehicle. Yefremenko was stopped at 1:27 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street, Batavia, by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Kayla Marie Baker, 22, of Union Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Baker is accused of stealing more than $900 in merchandise from Target over a several month period.

Howard Clarance Schultz, 54, of Keeney Road, Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant out of Greece, for aggravated harassment, 2nd. Schultz was located during an incident at 8798 Keeney Road, Le Roy, reported at 9:51 p.m., Friday.  Friday's incident remains under investigation.

Joshua James Burns, 26, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with stalking, 4th. Burns is accused of sending a text message to another person after being warned by law enforcement to cease all contact with the person.

Philip Chase Smith, 28, of South Old Wire Road, North Carolina, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and obstructed license plate. Smith was stopped at 11:05 p.m. Friday, on Route 5, Batavia, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Jason Lee Perry, 18, of Telephone Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Perry is accused of violating an order of protection barring him from offensive conduct toward a family member.

David Bernard Marsceill, 35, of Old Ford Road, Elba, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, strangulation, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 3rd. Marsceill is accused of choking another person during a domestic incident, causing that person to lose consciousness, of damaging a vehicle during the incident and possessing brass knuckles on two separate occasions.

Randy Lee Smith, 55, of Swamp Road, Byron, is charged with petit larceny and trespass. Smith is accused of stealing railroad tie plates located in the CSX Railroad right of way in the area of Route 19, Village of Bergen.

Russell P. Cessna, 24, of Batavia, is charged with burglary, 2nd. Cessna was arrested by State Police in connection with a burglary reported in the Town of Stafford on July 28. No further details released.

Jimmy R. Wenzel, 26, of Wyoming, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Wenzel was arrested by State Police in connection with an alleged incident reported at 2:45 a.m., Saturday, in Pavilion. No further details released.

Friends and family of Kelsey Milks met at the Richmond library parking lot this evening to walk in remembrance of her. Milks, 19, died in a three car motor-vehicle accident Dec. 16, 2012 on Route 63 in the Orleans County, Town of Shelby.

Daniel King says he decided to organize a walk for Kelsey because some people were unable to make the prayer walk they had for her in Pembroke on December 19th.

King says, "People do care care and need more love and community. It's important to show how much people matter. She made a difference in a lot of lives."

About 20 people walked from St. Joseph's Church down Main Street to the Falletti Ice Arena on Evans Street. She loved to ice skate King says. Kelsey's dog Ace made the trip, too.

Jesse Winnicki, from Corfu, says Milks helped him through college.

"She made such an impact on me," Winnicki said. "I don't know how things are going to be without her."

Parking was at a premuim near the corner of Libery Street and Central Avenue this morning as hundreds of Catholics filled St. Anthony's Church for the closing Mass of Thanksgiving. Bishop Richard Malone of the Buffalo Diocese presided over the last mass at the proud Italian parish.

Since 1908, St. Anthony's has served many on the Southside of the city. Today, some parishoners said they felt like they were attending a funeral. Many with tears in their eyes, and some even dressed in black. Ann Valerych has been going to St. Anthony's for 84 years. "This is more of a funeral Mass. It's the end of St. Anthony's and it didn't have to be."

In 2008, St. Anthony's was merged with Sacred Heart to become Ascension Parish. This was part of the Buffalo Diocese's Journey in Faith and Grace program. In September, the Ascension Parish Council recommended that St. Anthony's close its doors Jan. 1, 2013, because of the financial difficulties operating both churches.

The only bright spot of the Mass was one last baptismal. Daniel Fix and Gretchen Gautieri and Godparents Aaron and Kristen Fix brought Sadie Lynn Fix to the alter before the Bishop and the congregation to instill a feeling of a new beginning and celebrate a new life in the church. Gretchen and her family are long-time members at the parish.

"We still have a church to go to, even though it's not this one," Gretchen said. "It's still a sense of community and we will be able to pray together no matter where we are." 

In his homily, Bishop Malone expressed his understanding of people's feelings of anger and sadness over the closing. Malone says there are many Catholics across the Northeast experiencing the same things as you are here. He told parishoners, "We do this as a people who are strong in faith, who have profound hope that Christ leads us forward and to be able to have a kind love in our hearts to overcome the wounds. It's time for a real act of trust."

Paula Fischer says she has tried to fit in with folks at Sacred Heart but has had enough politics. She says it's bittersweet and she won't be staying with Ascension Parish/Sacred Heart.

"I don't feel that sense of community. The meshing of the two parishes never happened and I don't feel welcome." Fischer says. "The Catholic Church in America today, I don't like the path it is going. I have a strong faith, I will always be Roman Catholic. I will find another place to worship."  

The Buffalo Diocese has not said what its plans are for the church or any of the buildings on the property.

A barn fire in the Village of Attica at 69 High St. has closed down Route 98 between Dunbar Road and Route 354. Alexander, Bethany and Darien fire departments are responding.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: Town of Batavia also responding.

UPDATE 7:10 p.m.: According to the property owner Gene Reding, the barn was fully engulfed when he arrived home. The two horses that are normally housed in the barn were out in the field at the time and not injured. There was some equipment and hay for bedding inside. He says he has owned the property since 1975 and the barn was built in 1919.

Attica Fire Chief Bob Willard says the wood frame barn went up in flames in five minutes. It looks like the fire started in the basement and it could have been an electrical problem that caused it. It is a total loss.

Seven companies were called to the two-alarm blaze and no one was injured.

A security person at Godfrey's Pond is reporting a group of people on the CSX railroad bed shooting something. There is a pickup truck parked near the railroad bed.

The security person is not going to get any closer to the subjects.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: Genesee County Sheriff's deputies have spotted the pickup truck on Route 19 at a residence. Asking to speak with them unarmed.

A Sheriff's deputy is asking dispatch for assistance with a very large, deep pothole in front of 2725 Galloway Road. It is in the westbound lane east of Macomber Road.

"It's very deep and will need some attention tonight," the deputy says.

The deputy tried to fill it in with some stone from the road but it was not enough.

A vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Route 98 in Alexander has pulled into a driveway near Lang Road in Alexander. The driver has exited the vehicle and is now running on foot.

No direction of travel has been given. Genesee County Sheriff's deputies have responded and are investigating.

Le Roy police are investigating several calls from residents on Lake Street and Glenwood Drive of a suspicious salesperson looking at meters on homes. The subject is wearing tan pants, glasses, and a dark jacket.

After a short investigation, Police have determined there are six salespeople canvassing the area for a company called Invenergy. After a check of one of the subjects, police determined he has a suspended license and is from the Syracuse area. Police will be escorting him to the McDonald's on Main Street in Le Roy for a ride home.

Invenergy is one of North America's largest independent wind power generation companies, according to its Web site. They develop, own and operate power generation facilities in North America and Europe. They deal with natural gas, solar, and wind projects for utilities and suppliers.

The city fire department is responding to Lewis Place to hose off "a large amount of blood in the street" at the request of emergency responders. Regrettably, we don't know how the blood got in the street in the first place.

UPDATE 11:55 a.m. (by Howard): Called dispatch. There was a fight on Lewis Place last night. Somebody got a bloody nose.

We told you it was coming months ago ... and the day has finally arrived.

This afternoon, Billie and I board a plane in Buffalo and head off to California for a week.

We'll visit family in Ventura, Bakersfield and San Diego.

Alecia Kaus will monitor the scanner, handle breaking news and write a few other stories, so, dear readers, you're in good hands. We'll also pick up coverage from our news partner, WBTA.

And in the Digital Age, I'll never be far from The Batavian. I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to post over the week, maybe just not as timely as usual.

Nick Sabato will cover some sports for us.

Lisa Ace will be in the office all week (except Friday) during normal business hours to handle all of your advertising needs or sign you up for The Batavian Club. She can be reached at (585) 250-4118.

We're scheduled to return to Buffalo around noon on Jan. 20.

For the past three years, we've offered photos for sale through one particular site and a couple of months ago, we started selling photos through my photography site, howardowensphotography.com.

That is working pretty well, so I'm retiring the old photo sales site (so I no longer have to pay the hosting bill).

It would be a monumental task to transfer three years worth of photos from one site to another. So to ensure everybody who still might like to buy photos from the past three years a chance to buy those photos, I've drastically reduced their prices.

Click here to buy photos from the old site at ridiculously low prices. These photos will NOT be available for purchase after Jan. 31.

Of particular interest might shots from this past football season:

• Le Roy v. Hornel, Class C, Section V championship game
• Notre Dame vs. Avon, Class D vs. Class DD, Section V Playoff
• Notre Dame Section V Championship 2012
• Le Roy vs. Bath, Section V playoff game
• Elba vs. Bath, Section V Class C Quarter Final
• Le Roy vs. Holley, Section V Playoffs
• Notre Dame and Attica, football
• The 80th meeting of Cal-Mum and Le Roy
• Elba/Byron-Bergen at Attica, Genesee Region football
• Batavia Blue Devils and Hornell Raiders in Batavia
• Oakfield-Alabama Hornets at Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Genesee Region, Section V football
• Alexander at Elba/Byron-Bergen, Football, Section V

There are also:

• Oakfield Labor Days Parade 2012
• Batavia Downs Wiener Dog Race 2012
• Town of Batavia Fire Training, Dorman Farm House, Batavia Stafford Townline Road
• Downtown Batavia Wine Walk 2012

And again, click here, to access the home page for all of the event albums from the past three years.