Three graduates of Genesee Community College who went on to successful careers and have been active in their communities were selected as 2011 inductees into the GCC Hall of Fame.

The new inductees are Jacquelyn Dwyer, class of '76, Benjamin Bonarigo, Class of '77, and Matt Locker, class of '88.

Dwyer went on to become a nurse in Batavia City Schools and then an instructor of Human Services and Health Careers at Genesee Valley BOCES.

Bonarigo (pictured) is a local attorney who enjoys serving the community.

Locker started his broadcast career at GCC and has appeared in television and motion pictures. He has been active with the GCC Alumni Association. He currently resides in Wanaque, NJ.

The induction is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 30, in the Conable Technology Building, North Lobby.

Full press release after the jump:

BATAVIA, NY (03/16/2011)(readMedia)-- Genesee Community College will induct three new members to its Alumni Hall of Fame on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 4:30 pm in the Conable Technology Building, North Lobby at the Batavia Campus.

"This year's recipients have a wide variety of degrees and career backgrounds," Jackie Christenson, alumni affairs coordinator, said. "These outstanding alumni serve as inspirations to our current and future students at Genesee. They not only have created successful lives after attending Genesee, but have found the time to serve their local communities and give back to the college."

The 2011 Genesee Community College Alumni Hall of Fame inductees are:

Jacquelyn Dwyer, Class of 1976 – Jacquelyn "Jacquie" Dwyer received her associate's degree from Genesee in Nursing in 1976. Prior to that, she earned a bachelor's degree in Education from St. Xavier University and later went on to obtain a master's degree in Education at SUNY Brockport.

She began her career in education and became a registered nurse in 1976 after attending classes at Genesee as a non-traditional-aged student. She began her nursing career at Batavia City Schools as a school nurse and then became an instructor of Human Services and Health Careers at Genesee Valley BOCES. She has dedicated her life to not only the education and health-care fields, but has also dedicated much of her time to volunteer in dozens of local community groups.

From Go Art to the American Red Cross, to Community Mental Health Services to the Richmond Library, Jacquelyn has made volunteering an important commitment in her life. She currently remains active in the UMMC League, Friends of the Library, YWCA My Sister's Closet, and Resurrection Parish.

Jacquelyn and her husband John have supported Genesee for several years and have participated in Encore, various capital projects and the GCC Foundation's Annual Fund. Jacquelyn and John had nine children together and currently reside in Batavia, NY.

Benjamin J. Bonarigo Esq., Class of 1977 - Benjamin Bonarigo, a first-generation college graduate, began his education at Genesee with a degree in Business Administration and later went on to the University of Buffalo where he earned a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctorate degree.

Mr. Bonarigo has been a practicing lawyer in the local community for over 25 years. He has been appointed a member of the NYS Bar Association House of Delegates, NYS Appellate Division Grievance Committee for the Fourth Department, Secretary of the Genesee County Bar Association and a former Independent Judicial Qualification Commission Member.

He has served the local community including the Batavia Youth Football League where he has been a board member for over 20 years and was recently honored with the Notre Dame Service and Volunteer Award for having served in various positions on the Notre Dame High School Board of Trustees for 10 years.

Mr. Bonarigo has also supported many vital organizations such as UMMC, Go Art, United Way, GCASA, CASA and the Holland Land Office. Mr. Bonarigo currently lives in Batavia with his wife Diane and they have three children, Benjamin, Justine and Elizabeth.

Matthew B. Locker, Class of 1988 - Matt Locker came to Genesee by way of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and focused his talents on WGCC, the college's brand-new radio station in 1985. He dedicated his years at GCC to developing the station and even having a highly successful radio program. He coined the phrase "This is the Music FM, WGCC in Batavia, New York" and created the first logo WGCC ever had. His work on the radio has led Matt to be successful over the airwaves as well as in front of and behind the camera.

Matt has worked as the managing editor/anchor of "The Staten Island NewsCenter" in Staten Island, NY, as well as an anchor and program director on news stations in New Jersey. He has appeared in motion pictures, television programs, commercials and live stage theater performances.

Matt's commitment to the college has been remarkable and his efforts were the driving force behind the great alumni turnout for the first Homecoming celebration back in October 2010. He continues to help out with the student radio station and currently updates the WGCC Alumni Facebook page to continue to connect with Communications and Media Arts alumni.

Matt currently works as a freelance voice-over artist, and is president of Winbeam Light Labs, the company he founded upon developing the world's first high definition fluorescent lamp. Matthew resides in Wanaque, NJ.

The GCC Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes those alumni who have achieved outstanding success and made a lasting impact on the community. Nominations to the Hall of Fame are received from alumni, community members, faculty and staff.

The criteria for nominating an individual to the College Alumni Hall of Fame are based on the individual's contributions to his or her profession, distinguished service to the community and/or service to Genesee Community College. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected from a committee of distinguished alumni, including past Hall of Fame honorees.

For more information regarding the Alumni Hall of Fame, please contact Jackie Christenson, Alumni Affairs Coordinator, at 585-343-0055, ext 6265.

As the snow melts, months worth of trash is being revealed in some of the flower beds on Main Street.

Don Burkel, executive director of the Business Improvement District sent out a timely reminder to downtown business owners to do a little clean up in front of their establishments.

Burkel said that if everyone would pick up trash, debris and cigarette butts in front of their stores or offices, it would have a big impact on the impression customers get when visiting downtown.

Earl Lockhart, 18, of 437 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with burglary, 2nd, criminal mischief, 4th, and petit larceny. Lockhart was arrested by Det. Kevin Czora for allegedly breaking into a neighbor's residence in February 2009.

Jonathan A. Brenkus, 22, of 5244 Bridge Road, Elba, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Brenkus was stopped for an alleged equipment violation on his vehicle at 4:53 p.m., Tuesday, by Officer Thad Mart, on Clinton Street. During the traffic stop, Brenkus was found to allegedly possess marijuana.

Jon D. Vega, 45, of 518 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Vega allegedly threatened a person with physical harm during a phone call.

Terry L. Smith, 55, of Corfu, is charged with DWI, failure to use designated lane, crossing road hazard markings and refusal to take breath test. Smith was stopped by State Police at 9:25 p.m., Sunday, on Route 77 and Indian Falls Road, Pembroke. Smith was held in jail on an unspecified bail status.

Here are four pictures from an evening drive in Alabama.

Above, an old farm wagon and rundown car on Roberts Road.

Combine on Roberts Road.

I took this picture on Sour Springs Road. If my online sleuthing is correct, this reed, which I see in Genesee County a lot, is commonly called a Burma Reed (Neyraudia reynaudiana) and is non-native in North America and highly invasive.

Telephone poles as the sun sets along Maple Street Road.

Nothing says spring more than baseball.

Today, in Oakfield, I came across Ryan Byrnes and Joe Colon, both originally from Elba, having a first catch of the season.

They said nothing felt better after a long winter than tossing a ball around.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley has announced that he is sponsoring legislation which would limit public assistance benefits to "true New York residents."

If passed, the bill would implement a 90-day residency requirement for social services applicants.

“One of Albany’s worst-kept secrets is the fact that people come to New York from all over the country to take advantage of our wire-thin requirements for public assistance,” Hawley said in a news release.

“This legislation seeks to limit these benefits to people who actually live, work and raise a family in New York state, rather than people in search of a cash grab for New York’s all-too-easily obtainable buck.”

Current New York laws hold no requirement regarding length of residency for benefit recipients. Applicants must only reside in New York and show intent to remain in the state for the foreseeable future, which is proven through documents such as a land lease or a driver’s license.

“This bill is about protecting the limited resources we have to serve true New Yorkers that depend on these funds,” Hawley said. “New York can barely sustain the level of assistance we are committed to within our own state borders. It is vital that we make sure every dollar spent is done so judiciously and effectively.”

Here's a letter to the community from friends of the Sputore family.

Dear Friends, Families & Business Owners:

This letter is to inform you of “Brooklyn’s Journey” -- a fundraising effort to assist a beautiful young family in Batavia whose child is facing a life-threatening situation.

Beyond her big blue eyes and her fair skin, Brooklyn Grace Sputore is suffering from a condition called Vein of Galen Brain Malformation, which is a form of an aneurysm. This is a life-threatening condition that requires special care.

The family will be traveling to Roosevelt Hospital in New York City for the appropriate treatment, including a number of surgeries.

Brooklyn Sputore is the daughter of Michael and Julie Sputore, of Batavia, the grandaughter of Paul and Mary Sputore, and Doug and Jan Hawley, both of Batavia. Michael and Julie also have a 5-year-old son.

In addition to the challenges of the condition alone, the parents will need to take leave of their jobs while caring for the child, which will create further financial need.

“Brooklyn's Journey” is a community effort to support the challenges this young family faces. There is a fundraiser planned for April 10 at St. Joseph's School at 2 Summit St., Batavia, from 12:30-5:30 p.m.

This will include a spaghetti dinner, a Chinese auction and other raffles. The tickets can be purchased pre-sale from Paul Sputore 781-8138 and other committee members. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Brooklyn's Journey T-shirts are $15 and can be purchased from Bruce Dedman 716-560-0031 or T.F. Brown’s /Mancuso Bowling Center. All proceeds will assist this family in this difficult time.

The family is seeking donations of baskets, prizes or gift certificates for the fundraiser. Monetary donations are gratefully accepted and can be sent to Brooklyn Sputore, c/o: Paul & Mary Sputore, 18 Sumner St., Batavia.

Please consider helping this family. Any questions, ideas or for more info, please call Chris Sputore (716) 316-3744. Your help is gratefully appreciated!

A police check on a parolee Saturday night led to the arrest of three Batavia residents on drug charges.

Numerous bags of cocaine were reportedly found either on the individuals or in an apartment at 29 Central Ave.

Taken into custody were Derek Leach, 31, of 29 Central Ave., Eric Williams, 45, of 219 Washington Ave., and Randy G. Leach II, 24, of 58 South Main St.

All three were charged with crimes, including criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal using drug paraphernalia.

The incident began at 8:30 p.m. when a NYS parole officer went to 29 Central Ave. to do a home check on Derek Leach.

Once there, the officer heard several voices inside the house and called for assistance. Officers Chris Camp, Eric Boles and Marc Lawrence arrived on scene.

Once officers were inside the house, a second parolee, Eric Williams, was identified.

Williams was searched and allegedly found in possession of a large quantity of individually wrapped bags of cocaine. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd (with intent to sell).

Randy G. Leach II, was identified as a suspect wanted on a warrant out of drug court.

A small bag of cocaine was allegedly found on Randy Leach. In addition to the warrant charge, Leach was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

Randy Leach was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Police then searched Derek Leach's residence and allegedly found a large amount of individually wrapped bags of cocaine, scales and packaging material.

Derek Leach was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd (with intent to sale) and criminal using drug paraphernalia.

Williams and Derek Leach were jailed without bail.

The Sheriff's Office K-9 unit assisted in the search. Det. Todd Crossett also participated in the investigation.

Photos: Top, Derek Leach, Eric Williams, Randy Leach.

David Allan Showler, 43, Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and unlicensed operation. Showler was stopped on Trumbull Parkway at 5:09 p.m. Monday, by Sgt. Greg Walker. Showler was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Robert Howard Harris, 29, of Stephanie Court, Hilton, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd.  Harris is accused of making a phone call that was harassing in nature.

Darik Robert Michael Orbaker, 18, of Forest Edge Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Orbaker was allegedly at a residence at 9:50 a.m. Monday that he was barred from being at by a Town of Batavia Court order.

David T. Neuhaus, 24, 335 Bank St., Batavia, is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle. Neuhaus is accused of taking a car belonging to an acquaintance without permission.

City crews were on State Street late this morning dealing with dirt and an old stump where a tree once stood.

The tree was among 30 dead or dying trees removed from around the city over the winter.

More than 400 middle-school students were at Genesee Community College this morning for the 2011 Genesee County Youth Conference.

Students heard a keynote speech by bullying expert Michael Nerney (pictured below during a workshop later in the morning with teachers) called "Taking the Bully by the Horns."

Then they broke into a series of workshops lasting less than an hour each in three consecutive sessions. The workshops included "Hmmm ... is this the right decision?", "Energy Smart Choices," "Who Wants to Make a Good First Impression?", "Building Your Potential," "Nutritional Jeopardy" and yoga.

Above, Joni Yaskulski leads a class through a yoga session.

Nerney's talk focused on adolescent brain development and the negative effects of bullying on development. The message was geared to the concept of changing social norms among middle-school students so that everyone, especially bystanders, understand that bullying is not acceptable nor is it harmless.

Students from Holy Family, Oakfield-Alabama, Batavia, Elba, Alexander, St. Joe's, Byron-Bergen, Le Roy and Pavilion participated in the program.

The conference was organized and sponsored by Genesee Youth In Action, 4-H, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Genesee County Stop-DWI.

We've added a new section to the site: "Milestones."

It's a place were you can post those important events in your life or the lives of friends and relatives, such as births, engagements, weddings, graduations, dean's list, military service, promotions, etc.

To post to "Milestones" you must be registered and logged in. Once logged in, go to the "Create Content" link and then click on "Blog Entry." Tag your post "milestones" and once it's saved it will automatically show up in that section.

A tractor is reportedly on fire at a farm in the area of 10423 East Road, Bethany.

The tractor is near a structure.

Bethany Fire Department being dispatched.

UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: Pavilion fire is being dispatched, along with Wyoming fire for mutual aid.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: The structure is smaller and not yet involved in the blaze.

UPDATE 2:12 p.m.: Fire is out.

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A dozen city school students in second through fifth grade met at Jackson School today for a spelling bee to determine the top speller at each grade level.

Students represented Jackson, John Kennedy and Robert Morris.

Pictured here are fourth graders Jonathan Slezak (John Kennedy), Ellen Fulton (Robert Morris) and Caitline Kingston (Jackson).

Fulton won the fourth-grade round.

Also winning today were Brandon Bartz, second grade, John Kennedy; Madeline Taggart, third grade, John Kennedy; and, Carli Reynolds, fifth grade, Jackson.

About 20 local business owners and managers attended a talk by Kevin Manne at T.F. Brown's this morning on social media, sponsored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

Manne, new media specialist for Genesee Community College spoke about how digital media is empowering customers, how that power can be harnessed to benefit a business and how to effectively promote a business on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube.

Previously: College hires new media specialist, sees rapid online growth

It would be a good idea, according to County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens, to install cameras to monitor the gas pumps used to fill up county vehicles.

In some counties employees have been caught stealing gas. Hens didn't come right out and say any Genesee County personnel are stealing gas, but he would like to have a system that would much such theft easier to prove.

"The only way to catch somebody now is to compare like vehicle to like vehicle," Hens said. "If one pickup truck is getting 15 miles to the gallon and another is getting only nine, then I'm going to say 'something is not right here,' but you're still dealing with somebody with only circumstantial numbers."

A camera would allow supervisors to check tapes (digitally stored) and see if employees are bringing in personal vehicles at the same time they fuel county vehicles, or filling up gas cans.

Legislators Ray Cianfrini and Bob Baush balked at the $19,000 price tag for the video surveillance system during the Public Service meeting Monday. They wondered if fewer cameras could be used, or if surveillance was necessary at all.

"Is it worth paying $19,000 to save $40 in gas?" Cianfrini asked.

Besides monitoring the pumps, the proposed system can also monitor the parts garage and could eventually be expanded to monitor nearby DeWitt Park.

Hens said that as much as $2,000 annually from potentially pilfered gas could be saved and the camera system -- which needs to be infrared to read license plates at night -- has a 10-year life expectancy.

But it isn't all about how much might be stolen, which is a hard number to pin down with the current system, Hens said.

"On principle, I don’t know if you want an employee who is stealing $40 of gas," Hens said. "I think you would rather catch those people."

Currently, fueling county vehicles involves a two-card process -- one card for the employee and one card for the vehicle.

As the meeting progressed, Tim Yaeger, director of Emergency Services, walked in. He and Undersheriff Bill Sheron spoke briefly and then Yaeger piped up, saying there might be Homeland Security grants available for the camera system.

Since the fuel yard is essential to critical services in an emergency, it needs to be protected, Yaeger said.

The motion to buy the system was tabled until Yaeger could research the availability of grants.

Local businesses can now use The Batavian to help promote their social media marketing efforts.

Glance down the right side rail of local ads and you'll find two boxes, one with links to the Facebook pages of local businesses and another to promote the Twitter feeds of local businesses.

Social media is becoming a powerful tool for small businesses to connect with customers and one of our primary goals at The Batavian is to help local businesses use the Internet intelligently.

Besides offering the best online advertising program in the region, working with local businesses in their social media efforts helps us further that goal.

If your business already has a presence on Facebook or Twitter, call Howard Owens at 260-6970 to find out how to get a link added to our Facebook and Twitter boxes. And if you haven't put your business on Facebook or Twitter yet, call us and we'll help you get started. We can even manage your social media efforts for your business.