Sad news for local gastronomes: Sallome's Deli in Batavia is dark. The Oak Street eatery has been closed up since at least last week. A sign on the door simply reads: "Closed until further notice," and a number is given where customers are encouraged to leave a message. We called that number and left a message. Anyone with a gift certificate is encouraged to call the same number (201-7300) and leave an address where a refund can be mailed.

Sallome's opened up this past summer.

We will keep you informed of any updates.

A storm system creeping over the midwest could hit our region Tuesday night and bring up to a foot of snow. The National Weather Service out of Buffalo has issued a winter storm watch, in effect beginning tomorrow night.

A storm system tracking northeast from from Texas has the potential of producing a widespread 6 to 12 inches of snow across the area Tuesday night and Wednesday. The heaviest amounts are likely to be across the Southern Tier counties. It is still too early to be certain of these amounts. Remember, this is just a watch at this time. Warnings or advisories will be issued when we are more certain.

A watch is essentially the first alarm in the storm prediction business, so don't go warming up the generator yet.

Here's what we may have to look forward to—now looming ominously in the form of a wintry mix over Oklahoma and into Missouri.

From the Democratic committees in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties:

"We congratulate Senator Gillibrand on her appointment as our new Senator, and we commend Governor David Paterson on making sure that the unique interests of upstate New York are reflected at the highest levels of government.  The position of Senator is of special importance to residents of the GLOW region (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties).  Unfortunately, since almost all of our residents have no representation in the majority of the Assembly, State Senate, or House of Representatives, our federal Senators are our only majority representatives.  Therefore, we are especially pleased that Senator Gillibrand comes from an upstate, rural Congressional district that is similar to our own.  We are delighted to have a Senator so attuned to our issues.

"These are very difficult times for everyone, but the GLOW region faces particular challenges.  We are pleased that Senator Gillibrand has asked to serve on the Agriculture Committee (as she did in Congress) and mentioned 'the dairy farmers of western New York' as the first group she recognized in her remarks upon her appointment.  We invite her to visit us at her earliest possible convenience and are eager to introduce our region and to work with her on its issues.  Many of our leaders were privileged to meet and hear then-Congresswoman Gillibrand at last year's New York Democratic Rural Conference.  We know she will be a strong advocate for the GLOW counties.  Senator Gillibrand has also pledged to continue her policy of accessibility and transparency for which she has been renowned in Congress, so we are confident her "Congress on Our Corners" program will come to our communities soon.  We are pleased that Governor Paterson has appointed someone who will be an upstate leader for New York."

Later tonight, Batavia's City Council will vote to cease its funding and operation of the county-wide ambulance service managed by the city fire department. Discussion among members of Council was had at a recent budget meeting, and Council President Charlie Mallow has assured us that they are essentially all in agreement and that tonight's vote is merely the formal act on what has already been decided.

Seventeen of the 18 other municipalities in the county that benefit from the ambulance service have expressed their desire to continue with the city-run service. So we may see a few speakers at tonight's meeting. The vote will follow the Council's conference meeting, which begins at 7:00pm at City Hall.

The Buffalo News reports this morning that Gov. David Paterson will meet and negotiate with the leaders of the Seneca Nation before any shipments of cigarettes to Seneca retailers are halted. Aaron Besecker reports:

During a rally Sunday just south of the Route 438 Thruway overpass, [Seneca President Barry E. Snyder Sr.] read a letter from Gov. David A. Paterson in which the governor indicated his desire to begin talks with the Indian nation about the dispute over tax collection on cigarettes sold by Native American merchants to non-Indians.

It sounds as if the governor is considering backing off from enforcing the law that he himself signed in December that requires wholesalers to show to the state tax department that they are not selling tax-free cigarettes to retailers. If they fail to comply, they could be charged with perjury. In the meantime, a justice of the state Supreme Court "issued a temporary restraining order ... that blocks the state from enforcing its policy."

Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook said he would not comment on a private conversation between the governor and Snyder, but he did say a negotiated compromise on the cigarette tax issue “is an avenue [Paterson] would like to take.”

“The governor sees it as a window of opportunity,” Hook said.

What exactly would Gov. Paterson negotiate? This seems to be a pretty cut and dry issue. Either the state enforces the law or the law is repealed. Can you see any compromise on this?

Our newest state Senator, Mike Ranzenhofer, has taken positions on several state committees, including agriculture and aging.

Ranzenhofer beat out Democratic challenger Joe Mesi to win the seat last Novemeber. When The Batavian spoke with Ranzenhofer prior to that election, he told us a little bit about his plan to seek an across-the-board 15 percent cut to help reign in the state budget. We hope to hear more about Ranzenhofer's efforts in Albany. We'll be sure to keep you filled in.

From the release statement:

State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Amherst) has become the Ranking Member of the State Senate Committee on Aging.  He will also serve on the Agriculture, Banks, Corporations, Judiciary and Tourism Committees.

Senator Ranzenhofer is excited to start work on behalf of his constituents.  "These committee assignments will allow me to be an effective voice on the issues that matter most to the residents of the 61st Senate District and to fight for the resources that are necessary for our industries to grow and our communities to prosper," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

He plans to be a strong voice on issues important to the farming community as a member of the Agriculture Committee.  "Agriculture represents a major economic engine in the 61st District, especially in Genesee County.  I am looking forward to protecting and promoting agribusiness and tourism in our communities," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

As the Ranking Member on the Aging Committee, Senator Ranzenhofer is particularly interested in working with his Senate colleagues on issues related to the elderly.  "During this legislative session, we are going to have to address budget cuts proposed by the Governor that would directly impact senior homeowners.  I strongly believe that we must do all that we can to keep the STAR property tax relief program.  This program allows seniors to stay in their homes.  We must protect seniors from budget cuts that threaten basic health services and should work to cut the Albany bureaucracy," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

Senate Republican Leader Dean G. Skelos said: "As the number of older Americans increases, so does the responsibility of government to ensure that their needs are met.  I appointed Senator Mike Ranzenhofer to a leadership role on the Senate Aging Committee because he understands the challenges seniors face, especially in Western New York.  I am confident he will do an outstanding job ensuring that state government provides the help senior citizens need for a strong quality of life."

Senator Ranzenhofer was elected to the New York State Senate in 2008.  The 61st District includes part of the city of Tonawanda, the Towns of Amherst, Clarence, Newstead and Tonawanda in Erie County and all of Genesee County.

Andrew Sargent, 32, of 9 Pearl St., Apt: Upper, Batavia, was charged with three felony counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Sargent is accused of forging the name of his boss on three payroll checks and redeeming them for cash during the months of November and December, of last year. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Robert L. Miller, 56, of Williamsville, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, Corfu village police said. Miller was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on Route 77 in the village. He was also ticketed with failure to keep right.

Robert J. Fackelman, 48, of Rochester, was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Fackelman was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on Route 33 in the town of Stafford. He was also ticketed with speeding.

Justin Bird, 20, of 7963 State Street Road, Batavia, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful dealing with fireworks Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Bird was stopped for an alleged traffic violation in Batavia. He was also ticketed with operating a motor vehicle with obstructed vision and moving from the lane unsafely.

Cody L. Osborn, 21, of Caledonia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Saturday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Osborn was picked up after he crashed his vehicle on Route 19 near Bissell Road in Bergen. He was also ticketed with moving from the lane unsafely.

Joshua A. Harris, 19, of 24 Columbia Ave., Batavia, was charged with second-degree criminal contempt Sunday, city police said. Harris allegedly violated an order of protection during a domestic dispute with a female acquaintance. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

James E. Ellott, 19, of 6 Forrest Edge, Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Sunday, city police said. Elliott was picked up after he crashed his vehicle into a snow embankment on East Avenue near Trumbull Parkway. He was also ticketed with unlicensed driver and unsafe lane change.

James M. Stepp, 57, of Le Roy, was charged with a felony count of driving while intoxicated and a felony count of aggravated DWI Saturday, city police said. Stepp was picked up after he crashed his vehicle into a snow bank at the corner of Ross Street and Washington Avenue. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

One of the things I love about Western New York in general, and Genesee County in particular is the sense of history I get from visiting its villages and towns.

All of the county's of WNY once played such a prominent role in the economic vitality of the nation, not to mention its contribution to culture and politics.

For all the short-sightedness of the city to tear down three city blocks of majestic historic buildings and build an ugly, non-functional mall, WNY is nothing like California, where the words "new" and "progress" are nearly sacred.  The idea of preservation is nearly unheard of.

Thankfully, most of WNY's villages are still in tact. There are so much great architecture on display when you drive from town to town (avoiding the Thruway as much as possible).

Yesterday, while searching for a picture of Le Roy, I stumbled across this collection of historic photos of Genesee County.

Above is an old postcard from the collection, a picture of The Batavian Office Building the Masonic Temple on East Main Street.

Brian Mann says the appointment of Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton as New York Senator re-exposes the Urban-Rural divide in New York.

Within the Five Boroughs, the reaction to her red-state tendencies has been fierce. Before she had been officially named, Gillibrand had liberal opponents lining up to dethrone her.

I'll admit it: I was taken aback. I thought the obvious backing of New York's Democratic elite -- Schumer, Paterson, Clinton, Lowey, etc. -- would be enough to establish her progressive credentials.

Not so. The liberal blogs have issued a collective shriek of rage.

The main issue, according to Mann, is gun control.

Unfortunately, he links to no urban/progressive blogs to support his statements. I'm not sure if he's fairly characterizing the position of urban bloggers.  It wouldn't surprise if it were true, but I'd like to see some links.

Do you agree with his basic proposition, that urban progressives see Gillibrand as a rural rube, a gun-toting hick? Do you care?

(via The Rural Blog)

 Anni Lehtola has mad game.

She is 17 years old and has been playing club basketball in her home town of Tampere, Finland for a decade. But she loves to travel and wanted to spend a school year in America, specifically New York.

She was placed at Alexander, which was a great surprise for coach Marcia Hirsch. Out of the blue, a solid returning group got a superstar. Lehtola has average just under 17 points with six rebounds and two assists per game as the Trojans are currently 9-3.

Many teams that return four quality seniors and a few juniors that can put in serious minutes and contribute would be mad that somebody comes in and takes a starting position away.

But that is definitely not the case with the Trojans. The girls all play well with Lehtola, who fit in right away, and Hirsch has developed a good relationship with her. The two spend most of their time together busting each other's chops. There is tremendous team chemistry with the entire Alexander squad.

In Finland, you don't play for a high school team, so Lehtola and other people that want to play basketball must try out for club teams, which is very competitive. She was one of the top players on her team.

There are high school teams, kind of.

Each high school will develop a team that gets together three times per week (in addition to her five days a week of club) that practices three times per week. And club goes on all year round. 

Lehtola was placed with Keith and Wendy Jensen and has enjoyed being with her adopted family. 

The girl that loves to travel had a chance to visit New York City, which has been a highlight of her visit to America.

There is one drawback for Lehtola, but she doesn't mind. Because she went to the U.S.A for a year, she loses a year of high school in Finland. So she'll go back to her home country and have two more years of high school. 

She will continue to play with her club squad and practice with her high school team. Then she will either go to college, and she's thinking about coming back to America for school. She might also stay in Finland, where she wants to earn a law degree.

There is also the potential of her playing professional basketball in Finland, Spain or Italy.

But that is not what she is thinking about right now. She wants to lead the currently top-seeded Trojans to a sectional championship and bring that patch back home.

From the Batavia City Fire Department:

City of Batavia firefighters were kept very busy for hours with back-to-back house fires in the city, Saturday night beginning at 10:22 PM.

The first alarm came in for 12 Elm Street with report of a possible explosion and flames showing Within three minutes, city firefighters arrived on scene and quickly extinguished a fire that was found in the side stairwell of the three-story apartment house. Four residents were alerted by smoke detector and were safely outside the structure when the firefighters arrived. Firefighters performed a search and rescue for a fifth resident, thought to be on the third story. After searching the apartment, it was determined that the resident was gone for the evening. Damage was confined to the stairwell. The home was ventilated for smoke removal. The American Red Cross provided the residents with temporary accomodations. Total damage was estimated at $2,500. The cause is under investigation.

While still on scene at the Elm Street fire, a second fire alarm was called in for a house fire located at 45 Walnut Street. With a two-minute response time, the firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the windows of the two-apartment structure.

A general alarm of fire was made to all off duty city firefighters as well as a mutual aid request to the town of Batavia Fire Department. The town supplied an engine and a rescue truck to the scene and a second engine to stand by at City Fire Headquarters. The fire was declared under control in approximately 25 minutes.

The homeowner smelled smoke and discovered the fire in the ceiling above a wood stove. He alerted the other occupants and all escaped safely before firefighters arrived. The American Red Cross was also able to assist the occupants of this second fire of the night.

The home was completely gutted with a damage estimate of approximately $50,000.

Fortunately, there were no injuries to residents or firefighters in either fire with fire crews returning to quarters at 2:20 AM.

Firefighters were battling a blaze at 12 Elm St. Saturday night, when a second alarm was sounded for a fire at 45 Walnut St., according to a report in the Democrat & Chronicle.

The Elm St. fire caused an estimated $2,500 damage to a multil-family complex, 

The two-apartment building on Walnut was gutted, causing an estimated $50,000 in damage.

Off-duty firefighters and units from the Town of Batavia were called in to help Walnut St. blaze, which took 25 minutes to suppress.

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 Notre Dame jumped out to a 15-6 lead to start the game.

As strange as this sounds, that might have been a bad thing. The Fighting Irish started relaxing and couldn't grab a rebound and Prattsburgh was getting all the boards and hitting a lot of shots and came away with a 70-64 win.

The Vikings won by six points, but the game was far from that close.

After the Irish opened the 9-point lead to start the game, star guard Kevin Francis got into foul trouble and sat for a good portion of the second quarter.

That was when Prattsburgh took over.

Notre Dame led 21-12 at the end of the first, but wound up trailing 34-27 at halftime.

Ryan Caron may have played the game of his life for the Vikings, with 29 points. He scored seven of those points in the second period as Prattsburgh dominated.

Patrick Wightman hit two 3-pointers and had another basket in the frame. Wightman finished with 21 points, including five 3-pointers.

It looked good for Notre Dame as Francis opened up the third quarter with a basket and-1.

But again, Prattsburgh took over with Garrett Parker scoring twice, Wightman dropping and 3-pointer and Caron adding a bucket to give the Vikings a 47-35 advantage.

Kevin Schildwaster hit two 3-pointers and another basket in the third quarter to keep the Fighting Irish within striking distance, but the third quarter ended with Prattsburgh leading 58-49.

That lead was expanded to 68-54 as Caron had two free throws, and three baskets in a quick stretch.

Notre Dame made a late charge with Vinny Zambito hitting a long 2-pointer and Nick Bochiccho draining a trey, but the game wound up being a blowout.

Garrett Parker scored eight of his points in the second half for Prattsburgh while Schildwaster added 13 points to Francis' 18 and Tommy Rapone scored eight points, all in the first half.

 Prattsburgh (12-3) is currently ranked third in Class D2  in the Section 5 sectional bracket, while ND is 10-2 and the top ranked in D1.

With the NYSPHSAA looking force teams to drop two games in the season, means this might be the end of the great rivalry.

Notre Dame will only have three non-league games, and two of those will be in the Lions Club Tournament, leaving just one open slot.

The Green Monster, as the Alexander cheering section likes to be known, chanted "defense, defense" for the entire game.

Maybe that chant pumped the players up, but Alexander played some wicked D in beating an Elba team that had just knocked off Oakfield-Alabama by a score of 56-38.

One quarter totally made the difference.

The Trojans shut out the Lancers, 17-0, to take a 29-17 lead that Elba could never come back from.

Trailing 17-12 after a period of play, Alexander came out in the second quarter focused on defense 100-percent, forcing Elba into tough shots and grabbing every rebound.

Ryan Wilson kicked off the second quarter with two offensive rebounds that he turned into baskets. Mike Galletti then knocked in a pair of 3-pointers and Alexander had a firm 12 point lead at intermission.

The Lancers cut the deficit to seven points as Dan Ramsey and and Sonny Giuliano hit both hit two foul shots.

Wilson had a bucket and an and-1 to get the lead back up to 10 points, 40-30.

Elba made an attempt to come back late in the fourth quarter and couldn't score. The Trojans scored the final seven points off rebounds of Elba misses.

Kyle Woodruff led the Trojans with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists, with Stephen George adding 11 points.

Wilson had seven points and 10 rebounds and Jared Quinn (5) and Troy Shelnut (4).

Alexander has won three-straight games by double figures and have improved to 5-7.

Elba falls to 7-6.

Check out a huge collection of photos from the game here.

Whenever I drive down Route 5 into Batavia, I pass by the Pine Grove Inn, which always looks like an inviting roadside bar and grill.

But I've long been perplexed by the "Legal Beverages" on the sign.

I stopped in for a beer late this afternoon and chatted with owner Michele Klees.

She's friendly and quite willing to talk, but she doesn't know much about the sign either. It was there when she bought the place 10 years ago.

As far as she knows, the location has always been a bar, but she's heard that long, long ago, it was a filling station.

I'm far from the first person to stop and take a picture of the sign, she said. It generates a lot of curiosity from Route 5 travelers, but she's never been able to find anybody who can explain the history of it.

Apparently, such notification was required by the state of New York, but I didn't turn up any history in a quick Google search.

Anybody know anything about the sign?

One other curiosity about the Pine Grove Inn -- there are darn few pine trees around the location.  A friend of Michele's told me there was once a grove of pines there, but disease took all but one of them.

The bar, beautifully handcrafted by the man mentioned above and another friend of Michele's, is made of a thick piece of pine. I think I'll stop in there again some time. It was a friendly visit.

Most of my day out in Le Roy today was spent wandering around Main Street and environs, snapping photos of whatever caught my eye. I've put together this post to share a few of those pictures with you. A few of these places have much more going on that what I have been so far able to dig up. While I continue the dig, maybe you can share some of what you know.

This façade is typical of the fronts on Main Street: tall, flat and home to a Christian fellowship. You can see that the top row of windows are all boarded up. Do you know of any plans for those flats?

This here is the front of One Main Street, one time home to the Ganson Inn, though most recently occupied by the Creekside Inn restaurant and bar. A fire put the place out of commission a few years back, we were told. Fortunately, the building is being renovated and will once again be transformed into a restaurant and bar.

This is what the building renovations look like on the side of One Main Street. As you can see, they're pretty extensive. A lot going on. We're hoping to get more details once we get in touch with the current owner. Look for more on that in the future.

This photo doesn't quite capture the splendor of this view. It's too small. Anyhow, the view is of a liberty statue next to what I believe is the school, looking out over the frozen creek.

I'll be back out in Le Roy next week, looking for more stories, more news. Please don't hesitate to contact me in the meantime with tips and suggestions.

It's been a placid day out here in Le Roy today. It's cold but not too cold. Grey but not too grey. So many homes here have shutters. It reminds me of the Parisian suburbs, peopled with tree-lined rues and avenues and stately, majestic homes. After a morning of work and wandering and talking up the few folks I already know in the area, I pulled up a stool at the Eagle Hotel for a hot lunch.

You can't read the plaque in this photo—obviously—but it's there, behind the tree. It reads: "Here at the Eagle Hotel the LeRoy village government was organized on July 12, 1834. Presented in honor of the LeRoy Sesquicentennial 1984." Sesquicentennial means 150th anniversary. Of course, 2009 would then make this the 175th anniversay of the village. Rochester and Toronto are also in the midst of their 175th. That's the demisemiseptcentennial for you other logophiles out there.

So we know that the Eagle Hotel, too, has been around for at least 175 years, likely more. Unfortunately, the owner, Nancy Scott, was not around to chat with me when I stopped by for a fish fry—tasty and served with a smile—earlier today. I'm looking forward to finding out more about the place. A couple folks at the bar were able to tell me enough to only whet my appetite further. For example, it used to be a stagecoach stop on the route between Buffalo and Canandaigua. A few folks even swore that much of the furniture inside, including an old liquor cabinet and the bartop, are leftovers from the days when the Eagle likely served sarsparilla and the clientele knew the difference between the withers and the croup.

Anyhow, the Eagle is old, and, according to the bartender who readily admits a fear of the ghosts who haunt the place, it's got its share of stories to tell. Once we find out more about the place, we'll share it with you.

Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand will leave Congress to take the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, who took the position of Secretary of State in the new administration. News of Gillibrands appointment spread quickly this morning, and most of you have already at least read a little bit about this two-term Democratic Congresswoman. So, what do you think?

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2008 Chamber Awards winners. Awards honor individuals and businesses in Genesee County that have shown a commitment to community.

This year's recipients are:

Business of the Year

Roxy’s Music Store
Rose Caccamise
228 West Main Street
Batavia, NY  14020 

Special Service Recognition: Agriculture

Tom Rivers
c/o The Daily News
2 Apollo Drive
Batavia, NY  14020

Special Service Recognition: Business

The Mancuso Family
C/O Rick & Ben Mancuso
216 Main Street
Batavia, NY  14020

Geneseean of the Year

Betty Lapp
9464 Creek Road
Batavia, NY  14020

From the Chamber:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 37th Annual Awards Dinner which will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at the Batavia Holiday Inn. This is the County’s premier event that honors businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service and volunteerism. Ticket prices are $55.00 per person or a table of 10 for $500.00. 
 
Come enjoy an evening of Awards, Fun, Friends & Food. This year’s theme is GROW-4U, Genesee Region Organizations Working For You.
 
If you are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities you can select from the below or contact Kelly J. Bermingham, Director of Membership & Special Events, to create a package specifically tailored to your requirements/needs. Call 585-343-7440, ext. 26 or email kbermingham@geneseeny.com.

Sixteen-year-old Richard T. Brairton, of Pavilion, was charged Thursday with a felony count of second-degree criminal sale of marijuana and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Brairton is accused of selling marijuana to a 15-year-old boy at the Pavilion Central School. An investigation into the alleged activity included assistance by the school, the sheriff's deputies and the local drug task force. Brairton has been released under the supervision of Genesee Justice.