A possible gas leak has been reported at Lapp Insulators, 130 Gilbert St., Le Roy.

The leak is reportedly on the roof.

Le Roy Fire Department is dispatched.

There's more to history than can be learned in a book. Sometimes, you've got to be there.

Of course, none of us were alive in 1812. We never fired a musket, skinned a squirrel or tried to survive a harsh winter without gas or electricity.

Reenactors do those things, trying to achieve a degree of authenticity that comes only from a passion for history and an enduring curiosity about how our ancestors did it.

"When you talk to people during these reenactments, you take on the persona of the person," said Tony Consiglio, who does reenactments with his entire family. "It's not just a stage act. They're trying to reach you history by showing it to you and by living it."

Consiglio was at the Pembroke Town Park on Saturday as part of a reenactment group known as the Genesee County Militia.

Founded by Batavia resident John Della Penna in April, the group of 10 people has already mustered for four events with many more on the calendar throughout Western New York in the coming months.

The project centers around reenacting the War of 1812, so the reenactors who have invested in the appropriate garb and equipment will be in their roles for at least four years.

In Pembroke on Saturday, the group included Consiglio and his wife, Laurie, and twin boys Anthony and Vincent, along with Della Penna, Jim Ferris, Beverley Weyhrauch, Brian Seward, Ford Best, Bob Smith and Pete Bosch.

Getting dressed up in costumes for tourists might seem like play acting, but each reenactor takes his or her role seriously. They learn everything they can about the period of history they are portraying.

They take on a role of a person they can identify with -- a farmer, a sharpshooter, merchant, sailor, an immigrant, a Native American -- and work to try and understand how just such a person would think and act that era.

The clothing is as authentic as they can make it -- no synthetic fabrics, but the stuff of the Earth -- wool and leather and cotton.

The muskets may be reproductions, but they're faithful to every detail.  What they can't buy, they make.

Reenactors can spend a couple of thousand dollars or more on clothing and equipment, but Della Penna said all that is really needed to get started is the right era shoes, pants, shirt and hat.

The minimum requirement isn't much different from what a farmer or merchant of 1812 might have faced when joining the militia for a 90-day stint. They might have a musket, they probably had a canteen, but beyond that, they showed up for training with the clothes on their back.

"You need the clothes appropriate to the period and the right attitude," Della Penna said. "What we've adopted with the Genesee County Militia is if a guy wants to come in, as long as he's period correct, then that's the way they fell in (in 1812), just with their clothes."

Basom resident Jim Ferris portrays a 19th Century woodsman.

He spent his time Saturday showing families that attended the picnic for Pembroke's bicentennial how to make fire, explaining how to hunt, showing off his weapons, tools and utensils, and giving an expert demonstration on how to throw a knife and tomahawk and hit your target every time.

Like many reenactors, Ferris portrays a role that is appropriate to eras other than 1812.

Nearly all of the reenactors also portray Revolutionary War characters (Rev War, as they all call it), and Della Penna is also a seaman, being attached to the U.S.S. Constellation docked in Boston Harbor.

Militia members, such as Seward, Smith and Bosch, demonstrated how to fire a musket.

The old-school flintlocks gave us a couple of terms that are now cliches today, such as "keep your powder dry" and "flash in the pan."

Loading a flintlock involves pulling out a pre-made paper pouch of black powder, ripping of the top with your teeth, pouring a small amount into the pan, dumping the rest down the barrel and then using the ramrod to stuff the power, bullet and paper down the shaft (no bullets were used Saturday).

Seward said different militia had different standards for how many bullets a soldier should be able to fire in a minute using this method -- from three to five, usually.

Of course, if the powder got wet, the spark from the flint wouldn't ignite it. And it might also happen on occasion that the bullet didn't fire, even though the powder in the pan flashed.

The time Seward and others spent explaining the history and technique of muskets is common for reenactors, Consiglio said. That's why it's important for reenactors to be thorough students of the history they want to portray, right down to adopting period-appropriate political views.

"I run into a lot of people who just never realized all of the reasons of why these things actually happened," Consiglio said. "They don't know the details of the different wars or how they started."

Consiglio said his interest in reenacting was sparked when he was a Boy Scout on a camping trip to Fort Niagara, where a group of reenactors were putting on a demonstration for the scouts.  The Akron resident said he also had a fifth-grade teacher who loved to stage historical plays with period-appropriate clothing.

As he got older, he continued to enjoy camping and as he tired of the "glitz and ease" of modern camping, he gravitated toward more primitive tools.

His wife's father is an antique dealer and he acquired a musket that Consiglio started using on his camping trips. In 2009, he was invited to join an reenactment group. A short time later, he invited his wife to join in and then his children when they were old enough.

Della Penna said Vincent and Anthony are really smart, kind children who help attract visitors to the camp.

The boys do draw interest, Consiglio said, but it's also just a hobby the family can enjoy together.

"It allows me to enjoy my family doing what I like to do instead of feeling that I'm away from them doing my own thing," Consiglio said.

It's also an educational experience for the boys.

"It teaches them what people went through in the early days to build this country," Consiglio said. "It's a chance for them to learn how to manage a lot with a little."

As for Consiglio's charcter, he portrays a man from Kentucky who relocated to the Batavia area, drawn by the land grants available through the Holland Land Office.

Back then Batavia was hailed as an area of opportunity, he said, and his charcter traveled here trying to better himself.

Rather than act out some role in history, typically the reenactors invite visitors into their camps, their tents, their lives as their characters would have lived them.

Militia members even let some visitors fire their muskets, which is what American Legion members Tony Kutter and Richard Beal got to do under the instruction of Seward and Smith.

Kutter, a veteran of the Korean War, thinks reenactors have an important role to play in educating the public.

"Of course, a veteran of the Civil War, if you've seen all that carnage, the last thing you would have wanted to do was reenact it," Kutter said. "It is part of our history and people should know.

"A lot of time we don't learn from our history. We get carried away by our emotions. I think it's very interesting. It's part of our history and our heritage."

PHOTOS: Top, Jim Ferris; first bottom photo, Jerry Fulmer; second, Pete Bosch, Tony Consiglio, Bob Smith and Brian Seward fire their muskets; third, Tony Kutter and Richard Beal look on as Smith loads his musket; fourth, 19th Century dining inside the tent of Jim Ferris; inset photo, a file photo from the Peace Garden dedication of John Della Penna. First photo in the slide show below is Vincent Consiglio.

If you're unable to view the slide show, click here.

Nicole Reilly was playing a game on her computer Monday afternoon when she heard a banging on her window and someone yelling.

"I had no idea what was going on," she said. "Justin looked out the window and said, ‘The house is on fire,’ so we just got out."

The fire, reported at 1:38 p.m., at 33 Pearl St., Batavia, displaced 10 residents and claimed the life of a 10-week-old chihuahua.

Two kittens and a cat were rescued, and while the garage was totally destroyed and the second floor apartment was heavily damaged, the structure is still standing.

However, owner Thomas J. Mazerbo is uncertain of the building's ultimate fate.

Mazerbo, had nothing but praise for the work of city firefighters, the police and Mercy EMS.

"With the response time, I appreciate everything that was done," Mazerbo said. "Everybody (fire, PD and EMS) was here fast. The important thing is nobody was hurt or injured."

The fire started in the garage and police took two people in for questioning. The two men may have been in the garage when the fire started.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

Chief Jim Maxwell said the garage was fully involved when Engine 12 and Ladder 15 arrived on scene, and there were already flames licking the rear of the structure, pushed toward the two-story apartment building by westerly winds.

"Our initial concern was to get some lines on the garage," Maxwell said. "We set up an unmanned master stream. The garage was pretty much written off when we got here, so our main concern was to make sure we didn't lose the house."

The garage and house were covered in asphalt shingles, which is a good fire retardant, Maxwell said, but once ignited, burn hot and fast.

The 10 residents included an elderly woman who was about to move into a single-story flat, Mazerbo said.

"We'll need to hurry up now and get that ready," he said.

Among the first people to report the fire was Jim Lucki, a Batavia resident, whose in-laws live next door. He was driving past the house when he saw the garage fire. He stopped, ran to the house, and alerted the people inside. He tried to get to the second floor, but the smoke was too heavy at that point, he said.

Once all of the residents were accounted for, the ones at the scene turned their attention to the safety of the animals. It wasn't until the fire was nearly out that a cat and two Persian Himalayan kittens, Samson and Sebastian, were rescued.

The deceased puppy was located in the second floor apartment a short time before fire crews went back in service.

Assisting at the scene were the Alexander and Elba volunteer fire departments as well as Emergency Services and the Red Cross.

PHOTOS: Top, Alexander 1st Assistant Chief Marshall Merle carries Sebastian to safety. Second photo, Stacy and Matthew Johnson with Samson, relived that he was rescued. Very bottom photo, fire investigators begin sifting through rubble in the garage in the hope of finding clues on how the fire started.

If you're unable to view the slide show, click here.

Two flower beds that in recent years haven't looked like much got a hosta makeover by city staff Monday afternoon.

City Manager Jason Molino, himself an avid gardener, organized the effort and convinced several local businesses, including Genesee Dental, Hawley Insurance, the Bank of Castile and WBTA, to pay for the hostas.

City staff from several different departments turned out today and got the 21 plants in the ground in about 30 minutes.

The plants were selected by Molino, who also drew up the plans on where each should be planted, and purchased from Pudgie's Lawn and Garden.

Asked, why hostas, Molino said, "Partially, because I’m a big fan of hostas myself. Hostas don’t need a lot of care. They’re pretty hardy. They’re a good no-brainer in terms of maintenance and something that will come back every year. As they come back and fill out more, you’ll see more and more the hostas themselves and less of the dirt."

Photos: Above, Molino and Sally Kuzon. Below, Sgt. John Peck, Batavia PD, and bottom photo, most of the staff (and Sgt. Peck's wife) who participated in the planting.

If you happened by GCC this morning and saw the entire fleet of Turnbull Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration trucks on the parking lot -- no, the college was not undergoing some sort of massive HAVC overhaul.

Owner Bill Hayes, rather, had his entire crew out at the BEST Center this morning getting customer service training.

It's one of several programs offered by BEST to local businesses. Customer service is available to individuals or companies, which can bring their entire staff in for training that's specific to the company, Director Ray Chaya said.

"Sometimes, the best customer service is just better internal communication," Chaya said.

The training not only helps employees communicate with each other better, but with customers, and it stresses the importance of product knowledge, and dealing with customers who might be impatient or irritated.

Chaya said good customer service can also lead to more sales -- when employees have good product knowledge and know how to communicate what they know, it helps customers see the benefits of upgraded purchases.

"You want good customer service because you want people to come back, and word of mouth will help get new customers," Chaya said, "but more knowledge can also lead to more sales."

While Turnbull has long had a reputation for good customer service, Hayes said he's never put his employees through this sort of training before. He called the training program a "Turnbull Tune-Up."

"Nobody is perfect," Hayes said. "There's always room for improvement. We never want to fall down on customer service one iota."

"The BEST Center has some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people and that's what they do -- they help businesses and people be better themselves. That's why it's the BEST Center."

It was scary, Hayes said, to completely shut down his business for half a day, but it was worth it. His answering service reported back that customers understood.

"Who would have thought when we scheduled this four months ago for a heating and air conditioning company, it would have been the hottest day of the year," Hayes said.

"My employees came out of there feeling very comfortable about where they need to go from here with customer service," Hayes added.

Press release:

Representative Kathy Hochul (NY-26) today announced that a grant of almost $1.2 million for Head Start projects has been awarded to Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Inc.

“I am pleased that Community Action of Orleans and Genesee will be receiving this funding to support the Head Start program that so many families depend on to prepare their children for school. The continuation of this program is great news for the children of Orleans and Genesee counties and their parents,” Rep. Hochul said.

The total grant award of $1,174,114 is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Head Start promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development.

Valerie Ann Parker, 32, of Parker Road, Basom, is charged with assault, 3rd. Parker was reportedly involved in a verbal argument with another woman when she allegedly head-butted the woman, breaking her nose.

Shawn MIchael Twardowski, 29, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Twardowski was taken into custody on a warrant out of Town of Oakfield Court and jailed on $2,500 bail.

Albert Andrew Ackerman, 47, of Silver Road, Bethany, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Ackerman is accused of grabbing, pushing and punching a woman during a domestic dispute. An order of protection was issued requiring Ackerman to stay away from the woman.

Jason Robert Sando, 45, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Sando is accused of restricting a woman's movements and subjecting her to physical contact during a domestic dispute. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Tammy L. Price, 40, of 1526 Kingsley Road, Wyoming, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or higher, unsafe start and uninspected motor vehicle. Price was taken into custody by Le Roy PD after her vehicle was allegedly observed pulling out of a parking lot in an unsafe manner.

Joshua A. Mead, 27, of Downing Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and following too closely. Mead is accused driving drunk at the time he was involved in a motor-vehicle accident at 12:04 a.m. Sunday on Route 77 in Darien. Mead was taken into custody by Sgt. Greg Walker. Darien Fire Department assisted at the scene. (Initial Report)

Terrance A. Falk, 47, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Falk is accused of dumping a plastic tote filled with paper over his wife's head during a domestic dispute.

Ashley Allen Wayne, 46, of Rose Circle, Hamlin, is accused of being a fugitive from justice and was cited for no seat belt. Wayne was stopped on Route 237, Byron, for allegedly not wearing a seat belt. During the stop, Deputy Chris Parker discovered Wayne was wanted on a warrant out of Pennsylvania for allegedly endangering another person. Wayne was jailed pending extradition.

Daniel Gordon Vanderwalle, 33, of Stuart Avenue, Newark, was arrested on a bench warrant. Vanderwalle is accused of not appearing on a charge of petit larceny in Town of Batavia Court.

The 18-year-old Byron woman who is accused of causing the death of a friend entered a guilty plea today to negligent homicide and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Cortney L. Greene entered what is known as an "Alford Plea." The plea indicates she believes she would be convicted if the case went to trial, but does not admit factual guilt.

The District Attorney's Office agreed to the plea because Greene is facing a potential lawsuit in connect with the death of Zachary J. Rusin, 18, of Holley.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Finnell recited the evidence against Green, which Green then agreed was sufficient for a likely conviction.

According to Finnell, Greene was operating all-black golf cart in the middle of northbound Route 237 just seven minutes after midnight, Nov. 26, when a car driven by Emmaleigh R. Odom, 19, of Pavilion, crested a hill near Warboys Road and stuck the golf cart.

Finnell said that with the hill and the lighting conditions, Odom had no time to react before her car struck the cart.

A blood alcohol test, Finnell said, found that Greene had a BAC of .04 and there were traces of marijuana in her blood.

Both Greene and Rusin were ejected from the vehicle. Rusin succumbed to his injuries two days later.

The maximum penalty for the homicide charge is four years in prison. Greene will also likely lose her driving privileges.

The plea did not include a sentence cap.

Greene will be sentenced Sept. 6.

Press release:

City Manager Jason Molino announced his appointment of Shawn Heubusch as the chief of police for the City of Batavia. Chief Heubusch was selected following a nationwide recruitment process.

Chief Heubusch is a 15-year veteran and current assistant chief of police for the Warsaw Police Department. He graduated from the Rural Police Training Institute at Genesee Community College in 1997, and served as a police officer for seven years prior to becoming the assistant chief in 2004.

City Manager Jason Molino said, “Chief Heubusch brings a fresh perspective of leadership and experience to the department and the community. I look forward to working with him in the future as we have many challenges ahead of us.”

“I would like to sincerely thank Chief Randy Baker for his commitment to the City of Batavia for over 34 years. I’ve come to know Randy well over the past four years as both a friend and colleague, and have the utmost respect and appreciation for what Randy has accomplished for the City of Batavia and police department. I will truly miss his character and desire to serve the community and the officers of the police department.”

Chief Heubusch and his wife, Danielle, have two sons and one daughter: Skyelar, age 20, Preston, age 10 and Reagan, age 7. Chief Heubusch currently lives in Warsaw, but will be relocating to area in the upcoming months.

Chief Heubusch will begin June 18 and his starting annual salary will be $70,271.

The city manager encourages all our citizens to celebrate this appointment and welcome Chief Heubusch to his new position.

A garage fire, with heavy smoke showing, is reported at 33 Pearl St. City fire is responding. It's now a second alarm.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: A responder on scene says the fire is fully involved. There are no people inside. There is some fire exposure to an adjacent structure. Alexander's Fast Team is called to the scene and the Town of Batavia will send a fire crew to fill in at the city station. Two mercy rigs are called in case needed.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: Now they are saying people are believed to be still inside the structure on the second floor.

UPDATE 1:49 p.m.: Elba's "Cascade" is called to the scene.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: The fire has spread to the house. The location is between Franklin Street and Brooklyn Avenue.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: The fire inside has been knocked down.

UPDATE 1:54 p.m.: A truck at the site is also on fire.

UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: They've confirmed that there's no one inside the structure. National Grid is called to the scene.

UPDATE 2:09 p.m.: They checked for extension into the small attic. There is smoke and heat, but no flames.

UPDATE 2:16 p.m.: The Salvation Army is called to provide cold drinks at the scene.

UPDATE 2:22 p.m.: Power to the structure has been disconnected. The American Red Cross is called to provide housing for five adults.

UPDATE 2:28 p.m.: City command reports that the fire is under control.

UUPDATE 2:41 p.m.: Three cats and one puppy are unaccounted for. The three cats lived in the downstairs unit and the puppy lived in the upper apartment, where the fire extension occurred.

UPDATE 2:58 p.m.: The cats are actually kittens, and two of the three have been rescued.

UPDATE 3:07 p.m.: All three cats have been rescued -- only two were kittens. No word still on the pup.

UPDATE 3:16 p.m.: Residents of the building say more than five people lived there. They say five lived upstairs, three lived downstairs and two in the basement. The fire started in the garage. Two people are being interviewed at the police station.

UPDATE 3:27 p.m.: Town of Batavia and Elba are back in service, and so is East Pembroke, which filled in at the town's station.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m. (by Howard): As of about 20 minutes ago, the puppy had not been located. It's a 10-week-old chihuahua.

UPDATE 4:16 p.m. (by Howard): City building inspector requested to the scene.

UPDATE 4:25 p.m.: Ladder 15 and Engine 12 are back in service. Others from city station remain at the scene to continue their investigation. The code enforcement officer is there. Regretably, the puppy was found. He didn't make it.

How Racist Are We? Ask Google

A bicyclist is in the roadway, unknown reason, at 1655 Lewiston Road. Alabama fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 7:52 p.m.: Mercy is put back in service. 

A car and motorcycle collided at the intersection of routes 77 and 33. The motorcyclist is still in the roadway. Corfu Fire Department and two Mercy medic units are responding.

UPDATE 7:58 p.m.: A Mercy ambulance is transporting one patient to Erie County Medical Center.

UPDATE 8:07 p.m.: A second patient is transported to ECMC. Three people at the scene were sign-offs. Corfu is back in service.

With prayer and praise, members of the Indian Falls United Methodist Church, celebrated the congregation's 150th anniversary Saturday with an outdoor service led by Rev. Karen Grinnell.

The service circled around the building with stops for a message from Grinnell, prayer, singing and Old and New Testament readings.

"We wanted to not only rededicate the building, but rededicate the congregation," Grinnell said.

The Indian Falls congregation is an active one and Grinnell said it's always had a strong sense of its mission.

"We like to be a strong, faithful presence in the community," Grinnell said.

The chuch was organized June 9, 1862, when Indian Falls was known as Tonawanda Falls, in the Robinson schoolhouse by 12 men as the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The current building was first erected in 1945 and added to over the years.

Faith is what has enabled to church to survive through 150 years of changing times and still be vibrant today.

"This is a very strong farming community and you see God at work in nature all the time," Grinnell said. "The descendents from the original 12 men had a strong faith and that faith has been passed down from generation to generation and this is what we have today."

The annual Bergen community picnic was held Saturday in the town park. The event featured live music, games, food and what you would expect to find at a picnic -- pick-up football and basketball games. After sunset, there was a fireworks show.

If you're unable to view the slide show, click here. To purchase prints, click here.

On June 8, 200 years ago, the most western part of what is now Genesee County was divided from Batavia and became the Town of Pembroke.

That event was celebrated in the town park Saturday with proclamations, music, food and fireworks.

Local reenactors were also on hand to give a little insight on what life was like in WNY in 1812 (We'll have a separate post about the reenactors later).

A year ago, teacher and volunteer firefighter Jim Burkhardt, a lifelong distance runner, decided to do a community fundraiser.  His plan: run around the track at Alexander Central School for 24 hours.  Between rain and injuries, he didn't quite make it, but the effort is starting to evolve into an annual event.

This year, the community came together to raise money for Dollars for Scholars and the Alexander Volunteer Fire Department.

Instead of just Burkhardt running, the whole community was invited to the track from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to run or walk was much as each they wanted.

Thirty-seven walkers and runners joined the event this year, from age 2 to age 84.

The event included music, food and door prizes.

Organizers say they're already starting to plan for next year. They might cut down from an all-day event to a half-day event, so more participants will be at the track at the same time.

The Notre Dame girls softball team got a homecoming befitting state champions Saturday night with a police and fire escort from the Thruway, down Oak Street, east, then west on Main Street and finally down Woodward to the parking lot of their school.

The girls swept two games in Queensbury Saturday to become the state's Class D champions.

It's the third straight year the softball team had a chance at a title and it turned out truly to be a case of the third time's the charm.

"It took a lot of heart and dedication, waking up super early, getting to practice before games, hitting, throwing, the whole thing," Kaylin Young said. "It was definitely worth it."

In the semi-final game, the Fighting Irish beat Hamilton 9-2, but the championship game was much tighter with Notre Dame (19-7) taking a 1-0 victory over Deposit.

"We were the visiting team so I was the lead-off hitter and I got two early strikes," Laurie Call said. "I'm thinking, 'oh, my gosh,' and then I got a single. Then I just remember each time something bad happened, I just had to tell my adrenaline to go back down and make sure I'm focused on the game and not to worry about the state title. It's just another game."

It's the first state title in softball for Notre Dame.

"It means an awful lot to the Notre Dame community and the family that is Notre Dame," Coach Rick Mancuso said. "We're very proud of the girls and we would like to thank the community for coming out tonight, welcoming us as the newest state champions."

The newest state champions were greeted at the Thruway exit by Engine 12 and Ladder 15 of the Batavia Fire Department and three Batavia patrol cars. With lights and sirens, the caravan of players, parents and fans paraded through the city with dozens and dozens of people turning out along Main Street to cheer for the team.

Laurie said the city's greeting was really overwhelming.

"It’s really, finally like all that weightlifting you've been doing, all those pitches you’ve taken in the legs, like everything finally means something and you just kind of want to stop and cry," Laurie said.

A small brush fire is reported off the eastbound lanes of Route 490. Bergen Fire Department is on scene but since it's determined to be in Churchville's district, that fire department is handling it.

The Notre Dame Girls Softball Team has won the New York state championship.