A rollover ATV accident is reported in the backyard of 6687 W. Sweden Road in Bergen.

The location is between Swamp and Evans roads.

Bergen Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

The victim is a 60-year-old man.

I got out to the Bergen Fire Department's open house a little later than I would have liked yesterday due to other coverage, but I was told there was a big turnout -- more than 300 people. I did get there in time to find Grace, a little unsure about the whole thing, checking out a firetruck for the first time.

The Easter Bunny made his annual appearance at Oliver's Candies on West Main Street, Batavia, on Saturday. 

While I was up at GCC for the Eco-Fest, I noticed both the women's softball team and men's baseball team had games going.

This post contains a few shots from the softball games and I'll have a post later with the baseball photos along with more information about the 2011 men's team.

The Cougars split their double-header with Hudson Valley CC 2-5 and 10-5. The women's team is 4-9 overall on the season and 3-0 in its conference.

More pictures after the jump:

Hundreds of residents drove up to Genesee Community College CC on Saturday to drop off old computers, monitors, printers, TVs and other household electronics so they could dispose of the broken, outdated technology in a safe, environmentally friendly way.

While there, Todd Sloat, of Sloat Tires, would check the air pressure on the motorists' tires, if they wished.

Among the many things to do in Genesee County on Saturday was to stop by the Holland Land Office Museum and meet some Civil War reenactors and see some of their guns, swords and household items.

A 60-year-old Elba resident turned himself into police today, reportedly admitting he was the driver involved in a minor-injury, hit-and-run accident on Vine Street on Thursday night.

Craig Yunker, 60, of 6464 Transit Road, Elba, was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and moving from lane unsafely.

Yesterday, Batavia Police issued a request for help in identifying the driver of a white pickup truck involved in an accident at 9:40 p.m., Thursday. The truck reportedly suffered heavy front-end damage in the head-on crash, but was reportedly able to drive from the scene.

The unidentified driver of the other car was transported with minor injuries to UMMC.

After turning himself in, Yunker was issued citations and ordered to appear in Batavia City Court at a later date.

A driver who died in a one-car accident on Little Canada Road, Bethany, this afternoon was reportedly not wearing a seat belt, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

Suzanne M. Stratton, 51, of Clipnock Road, Bethany, was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Donald Coleman.

Her passenger, 16-year-old Peter C. Couch, also of Clipnock Road, was wearing a seatbelt. He was transported to UMMC with minor injuries.

Stratton was driving at 1998 Dodge Stratus westbound on Little Canada Road just before 3:30 p.m. when she apparently failed to negotiate a curve. Her car flew off the roadway and overturned several times before coming to rest on its wheels in a field.

Stratton was ejected from the car.

The investigation is continuing and is being conducted by Deputy Cory Mower, Sgt. Greg Walker and Deputy Ron Meides.

Alcohol is not considered a factor.

Assisting at the scene were the Bethany Fire Department, Mercy EMS and State Police.

A gas tank has fallen off a vehicle and is leaking in the roadway on Summit Street, near North Street.

Batavia City Fire Department is responding.

Dan's Tire is en route with a flatbed tow truck.

UPDATE 8:17 p.m.: City fire crew is returning to quarters.

An SUV is reportedly on fire at the junction of Sumner and Fargo roads in Darien.

Darien Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: Fire is out. Darien crew back in service.

A serious rollover accident is reported at 5751 Little Canada Road in Bethany. There is a person outside of a vehicle, unconscious.

Mercy Flight is en route and will land at the scene.

Bethany Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Stafford Fire Department is called to standby in its hall for possible mutual aid.

UPDATE 3:39 p.m.: Stafford is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: A "second passenger" is reported to be out of the vehicle and walking around. Little Canada Road is being shut down to traffic at Fargo Road by fire police. Mercy Flight has been cancelled.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: Bethany fire has cancelled mutual aid from Stafford.

UPDATE 4:05 p.m.: The front-seat passenger suffered minor injuries and is being transported by Mercy medics to UMMC.

UPDATE 4:22 p.m.: All emergency personnel are released from the scene with the exception of fire police to control traffic.

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: Little Canada Road has been reopened.

Daisy Girl Scouts Alyssa Ognibene, Lidia Pehrson, Brooklynn Pariso, Arianna Armstrong and Kelsey Verton (front, left to right) were on Thomas Avenue in the city today along with troupe co-leader Tara Pariso (back).

They were collecting cans to raise money for Brooklyn Sputore, a baby girl who suffers from a life-threatening condition called Vein of Galen Brain Malformation. Click on the following link for previous coverage: www.thebatavian.com/tags/brooklyn-sputore

Tara attends Northgate Free Methodist Church along with the Sputore family. She wanted to do something to help Brooklyn while at the same time giving the Daisies a community service project.

As of noon today, the girls had been to 25 houses in Batavia and collected more than 2,000 cans and bottles. They will present their proceeds to the family tomorrow at a fundraiser for Brooklyn, which will take place at St. Joseph's School, 2 Summit St. in Batavia and include a spaghetti dinner, Chinese auction and other raffles.

Pre-sale tickets to tomorrow's fundraiser can be purchased from Paul Sputore, 781-8138, or at the door. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger. But you might want to hurry, because there are less than 50 tickets left.

For more information on Brooklyn and the fundraiser, please visit the family's Facebook page via the following link: www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Grace-Sputore/122679241137680?sk=info#!/pages/Brooklyn-Grace-Sputore/122679241137680?sk=wall

Multiple fire alarms are sounding within the Harvester industrial center building at 56 Harvester Ave. Also, alarms indicating water flow problems are sounding.

Batavia City Fire Department is on location.

UPDATE 11:51 a.m.: The alarm company is in communication with dispatch. There has been no mention of smoke or fire.

UPDATE 12:01 p.m.: City fire crews are back in quarters.

Press release from Kathy Hochul campaign:

“Tonight, with just over one hour before a massive a government shutdown, the United States Congress finally came to a budget compromise. 

“For days, I have called on my opponents, Republican Jane Corwin, and Tea Party-endorsed candidate, Jack Davis, to join me in supporting a budget compromise to no avail. I am thankful Congress has worked through their disputes and finally come to this compromise that cuts spending. However, I am greatly dismayed at the lack of concern Jane Corwin and Jack Davis have shown on this issue. Instead of supporting what was right for the people of the 26th District, my opponents chose to play politics and avoid the issue at hand. 

“If Jane Corwin and Jack Davis were currently serving in Congress, their apathy towards the budget compromise would have delayed students their loans, seniors their social security benefits, small business owners their loans, veterans their benefits, military men and women their paychecks, and hard working families their tax refunds.

“We cannot allow partisan politics to stand, which is why once elected I will work with all Members of Congress to make sure this fiasco does not occur again. I will work hard to pass a 2012 budget on time that makes substantial cuts, while still ensuring essential services are not disturbed. We cannot decimate Medicare and break the promises made to our seniors.”

Ian Murphy, the Green candidate for the NY-26, was barred from a Tea Party candidates' forum by organizer Rus Thompson of Buffalo because, supposedly, Murphy isn't a "serious" candidate.  

David Bellavia, who didn't even get a line on the ballot, was allowed to speak.

The forum was hosted somewhere in the Buffalo area.

Murphy showed up dressed in Revolutionary War-era garb.

Press Release:

ERIE COUNTY – Kathy Hochul, candidate for New York’s 26th Congressional District, today released a new television advertisement.

The 30-second spot, entitled “The Truth,” responds to misleading attacks made against Hochul in one of her opponent’s most recent TV ads.

“Jane Corwin has once again chosen to literally leave out half the story in her most recent television ad – distorting Kathy’s remarkable record of fighting for Western New Yorkers,” said Fabien Levy, communications director for Kathy Hochul. “Kathy Hochul saved Erie County residents over $200,000 when a new federal program came down on us from Washington.  Meanwhile, Albany politician Jane Corwin is playing political games by saying she supports budget cuts, and then voting against them.”

The campaign also included three supporting documents (all three files are PDF):

• Appendix 1
• Appendix 2
• Appendix 3

When I heard there was going to be a Mexican Folk Art Festival in Batavia, I was excited about it, but I neglected to do one thing -- put it on my calendar.

The festival was March 19. The other day, Kelly Kiebala, director of GoArt, sent along a couple of pictures from the festival, and even though it's a little late, I thought them worth sharing. I'm hoping this is something GoArt will sponsor again in the future.

A 19-year-old woman suffered minor injuries following a head-on collision at 9:40 p.m. Thursday, and police are looking for the driver of the vehicle that struck hers.

The other driver was able to drive his car from the scene and fled before police arrived.

The driver is described as age 50 or older, white male. He was driving a white full-sized pickup, possibly a Ford. The truck should have extensive front-end damage.

The identity of the accident victim, who was transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC for treatment, was not released.

Anyone with information that might assist in identifying the suspect driver is asked to call Officer Marc Lawrence at (585) 345-6350.

A landing zone for Mercy Flight has been set up in the parking lot of United Memorial Medical Center on North Street in the City of Batavia.

But first the flight crew out of Buffalo will need to pick up a special medical team from Children's Hospital, with an estimated arrival time of about 10 minutes.

We have no other details.

However, within the past hour, there was a call for medics to respond to a 6-year-old boy, not breathing. That location, we believe, is in the vicinity of Old State and Griswold roads and Route 33, Bergen. The boy was transported to UMMC and administered CPR along the way.

UPDATE 8:20 p.m.: Mercy Flight is on the ground.

This is our fifth and final installment of stories on the 2010 Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards winners. The awards will be presented at a dinner tomorrow evening at the Clarion Hotel.

Among the many good works that 2010 Geneseean of the Year Joe Teresi has been active in over the years is the Challenger Sports program.

His involvement began when a local woman came to him with an idea for a program serving kids with special needs, giving them a chance to play sports, but wondering how to insure those activities. As vice president of Tompkins Insurance, he might have the answer. 

His plan, rather than burdening the upstart program with its own policy, was to get it under the umbrella of the YMCA.

With that insight, one of Genesee County's most enduring and endearing community activities was born.

Teresi said that seeing the joy on the faces of the kids in the Challenger program is reward enough for the volunteer work that he does, but he’s had to find the best way to balance nonprofit work with his career.

“Sometimes, I’m able to mix the two like with the Challenger Sports,” he said.

But other times, Teresi just donates his extra time to a cause he feels is worthy.

“Being able to give an organization 100 percent of my effort is great,” he explained. “But one thing about volunteering is sometimes the same thing gets old and when that happens, you’re ready to move on to the next challenge.”

Teresi has been an officer and director on the Genesee and Wyoming counties YMCA board and his knowledge of the organization was crucial when he helped found Challenger Sports.

According to Teresi, a lot of things in his life have led him toward volunteerism.

“It’s been instilled in me -- – probably through my parents, high school at Notre Dame where they make community service a big part, and also through my company here,” Teresi said as he sat in his office at Tompkins Insurance.

“We get so much from the community that we make it a big point for all of our employees to give back to the communities where we live and serve – both with some money if they can, but more importantly with their time and effort.”

But Teresi doesn’t volunteer his time just because it’s encouraged at work.

“It’s the smiles,” he said.

“For Christmas dinner this year we served over 300 people and probably over 100 of them were kids…seeing the smiles on their faces when they got not only a good meal, but when they received their present and had a taste of Christmas that they might not have had a full taste of before.”

Teresi worked with the Lions Club of Batavia for years to make a free Christmas dinner possible to those who might need it. He explained that his whole family gets involved and it’s a special time for each one of them.

“The Lions Club does a lot of good for the community that goes unnoticed and it was really my beginning of giving back as an adult,” Teresi said.

He thanked Rocco Della Penna for introducing him to the Lions Club, and the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce for choosing to honor him this year -- along with Rick Mancuso and Shelly Fallitico for nominating him – especially because being named Geneseean of the Year came as a surprise.

“I was in shock and awe,” he admitted.

“Then I realized that it would be a great thing to be recognized for some of the work over the past few years, but there are many other people who do good work that often go unnoticed."