Yankees ace Andy Pettitte, rehabbing from an injury, is going to make one more start for one of the Yankees' minor league teams before returning to the big club, probably on Saturday or Sunday.

Which team Pettitte will start for hasn't been announced, but one possibility is the Empire Yankees.

The Triple A farm club is playing three games at Dwyer Stadium this weekend against Pawtucket, the farm team of the Boston Red Sox.

So ... there is some chance, perhaps a good chance, that one of the premier pitchers in baseball and a likely Hall of Famer, will be pitching in Batavia on Saturday or Sunday.

Yankees -- Red Sox, maybe Pettitte, warmer weather ... it could be a very good weekend for baseball in Batavia.

Town of Batavia firefighters are scouring the Clarion Hotel on Park Road for any signs of fire after alarms sounded there about 15 minutes ago. The alarm system has been silenced and will likely be reset shortly. They have found nothing so far, other than the odor of cigarette smoke in the northwest stairwell, which a firefighter on scene said "I believe that's associated with employees."

The hotel is now allowed to "be repopulated" and people can go about their business. Alarms sounded for the fifth floor, the penthouse, the duct work and the first-floor atrium.

"Wow, and nothing showing -- how 'bout that!" said the chief in amazement.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m.: The alarm system has been reset.

UPDATE 5:57 p.m.: Town of Batavia is back in service.

Contestants are being sought for the 2012 Genesee County Fair Queen Pageant.

If you would like to compete for the title, please submit an application to the Pageant Coordinator at debrabaris@yahoo.com or by mail ro 7301 Griswold Road, Bergen, NY 14416.

The Genesee County Fair Queen Pageant would like to promote, confidence, community service, poise and talent for our young women.

Contestants must be:

• Female
• 15 to 18 years old
• In grades 10, 11 or 12 in the 2012 or 2013 school year.
• Genesee County resident

Completed applications are available at all Genesee County high school offices and are due by Friday, June 15.

Questions: call Debra Baris at 813-4149.

Sponsored by: The Genesee County Agricultural Society, Inc.

The Genesee County Fair runs July 17 – 21.

Genesee Community College welcomes James Sunser, EdD, as the fourth president with inauguration ceremonies beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. They will be held in the Stuart Steiner Theatre on the Batavia campus, located at One College Road.

The keynote address will be delivered by Onondaga Community College President Debbie Sydow, with special remarks by State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, and greetings by numerous dignitaries.

All this week, a number of events and activities that are free and open to the public are scheduled to welcome President Sunser.

For a complete list visit: http://www.genesee.edu/gcc/inauguration/events.cfm

The auditorium at UMMC's Cary Hall (next to the YMCA) is all set up for important patient care -- with all of the care stations, instruments and devices of good medical care ready to help heal any teddy bears or dolls that are brought in today.

The event is UMMC's annual Teddy Bear and Doll Clinic, designed to give pre-schoolers, kindergarteners and first-graders an understanding of what is involved in medical care in case they or anybody else they know needs significant medical care.

The clinic is sponsored by Healthy Living Department and is open until 5 p.m.

U.S. Attorney for WNY William Hochul spoke to a room of mostly college students this morning at Genesee Community College's Law Day lecture series.

Among the topics covered by Hochul were rules of evidence and what it takes for a prosecutor's conviction to survive a successful appeal.

Earlier in the morning, Genesee County Court Judge Robert C. Noonan spoke.

A structure fire is reported at 4 Kibbe Ave. in the city. Batavia Fire Department is on scene.

UPDATE 7:32 a.m.: This was apparently a very small fire, which is now out. Ladder 15 and Engine 12 are back in service.

A group of Tibetan monks are at Genesee Community College this week creating a sand mandala as part of the inauguration ceremony celebration week for new college President Jim Sunser.

Sand mandalas are created using colored sand and the art form goes back at least 2,500 years.

Once created, mandalas are destroyed in a ceremony and the sand dispersed in the nearest body of flowing water.

On Friday, at 10 a.m., the monks will sweep away the sand of their painstakingly created work of art, take the sand in bags to the Tonawanda Creek and dump it into the flowing water.

Spokesman Tanzin Nawang said the process reminds us that life is just temporary.

The monks are members of the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Tibet.

Besides the mandala being painted by the monks, students and members of the GCC community are also working on mandalas in order to learn about the art form.

Every mandala has symbols with various means. Nawang said the mandala being created by the monks visiting GCC is about love and compassion.

"Everybody by nature wants to be happy and live in peace and harmony," Nawang said. "They do not want to suffer, so it is important to devote love and compassion, and when you devote your life to love and compassion, you will receive love and compassion.

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

The video below of Monday's opening ceremony was posted to YouTube by Karen Reisdorf.

What started as a Pepsi Challenge award for a new playground has evolved into something much more ambitious at Alexander Elementary School.

Rather than build just another set of swings, slides and monkey bars, faculty at the school have started an ambitious project to build an outdoor classroom.

"There's a lot of the research out there no indicates that kids don’t get enough time outside," said Ellie Jinks, the teacher behind the push for the $50,000 Pepsi grant, but after doing more research, realized the money would be better spent starting an outdoor classroom.

Jinks noted that research shows that children who don't play and learn outside are more susceptible to obesity and later in life, substance abuse.

Principal Matt Stroud also thinks it's important to get children outside more often.

"I know with my own kids at home we try to push them outside as much as possible, but in a school setting it sometimes gets pushed to the wayside," Stroud said. "This is just a great opportunity to get them back to what kids used to do."

Phase one of the project -- which must be completed to specification for the area to be certified as an outdoor classroom -- has 10 stations, with each having a different learning focus.

The goal of the outdoor classroom is to offering learning experiences in not just nature and science, but math, music, art, reading and physical education.

"The focus really is on learning," Stroud said, "but there will also be unstructured play time."

The Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation are helping with the planning of the outdoor classroom, but once construction is complete, Dimensions will also provide teacher training and professional development to help Alexander's educators get the most out of the four-acre classroom for the kids.

While the elementary school has pushed the initial effort for the classroom, it's not intended to be just a young-child learning and play area. Once the focus shifted from a playground to an outdoor classroom, teachers from the high school were also brought into the planning process and the classroom is designed to meet the needs of students all the way through 12th grade.

Jinks, who teaches pre-school, hopes the classroom will give students a chance to explore, to learn cooperation, but also develop an appreciation for nature.

"When my pre-schoolers go out now they just want to step on all the bees and kill all the ants," Jinks said. "We talk about protecting nature and why we want to protect it, so we hope that will be an outcome of the classroom."

To complete all three phases, it will take more community support, Jinks said. The school is actively looking for volunteers to help with the project, as well as donations of money and material.

At 6 p.m., May 9, the school will host a community open house, when residents can see first hand what the outdoor classroom is all about and learn how they can contribute. The school is located at 3314 Buffalo St. in Alexander.

For more information about the Alexander outdoor classroom, click here.

Top photo: Pre-school students Deacon, Catrina and Rachael check out some of the animal prints pressed into the concrete walk way at the entrance of the outdoor classroom.

Jinks and Stroud

Deacon on the wheel toy path.

It was Deacon's birthday Tuesday, and when asked how hold he was, he happily showed us. He's 5.

Voters in the Batavia City School District will be asked to approve a 1.99-percent increase in the tax levy May 15, Superintendent Margaret Puzio said Tuesday following a public hearing on the proposed 2012-13 school district budget.

The budget -- at least on paper -- increases spending to $40,086,732, up $720,687 over the previous year.

But Puzio said the increase can really be attributed to changes in accounting rules.

In fact, district spending will decrease, according to Gary Stich (top photo), who made part of the budget presentation.

The 1.99-percent increase in the levy is still well under -- according to state formulas -- the property tax cap. The district could have increased the levy by 2.59 percent and still been below the cap, Puzio said.

The budget will include an allocation of $330,000 in anticipated state aid to cash reserves, which have beed depleted in recent years because of increased mandated costs and less state aid.

At one time, the reserve was $1.5 million. This year it dropped to $55,000.

The reserve is necessary to help cover expenses when there's no revenue coming in during the summer months, or to deal with budget-breaking, unannounced cuts in state aid, which has happened at least once in recent years.

One of the biggest mandated expenses for the district is payment into the state's teacher retirement fund, which in recent years has gone from a $916,000 contribution to a $1.9 million contribution.

"That's almost $2 million in expense and it has a huge impact on the district," Stich said. "Again, we have no control over it."

About 45 percent of the district's funding comes from state aid, and another 45 percent from local taxes. 

Last year, a big part of the difference was made up by dipping into reserves.

The district will realize cost savings this year from school consolidation, Puzio said.

At the same time, the distirct is restoring some programs cut in the past year, include the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) program and some music programs.

To help students compete in the fast-evolving job market where written communication skills are more critical than ever, the district will focus more education resources on core state standards, which means more text study in all classrooms.

New teacher and principal accountability standards are also being implemented, by state mandate, including a requirement that principals spend 70 percent of their time with teachers in classrooms.

Also on the ballot May 15 is a measure to change student transportation rules, putting all middle-school students on the same transportation eligibility standard.

This will mean an additional 120 students will be eligible for bus transportation, but only about half of the current eligible students use school transportation, so the district doesn't know yet how many new riders will use the bus.

The change is necessary because of the school consolidation plan.

There are also five candidates in the election for three school board positions. The candidates are Gretchen DiFante, Phill Ricci, Gail Stevens, Gary Stich and Dennis Warner.

Polls on May 15 are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and locations are John Kennedy Elementary School and Batavia High School.

An oven fire is reported at 232 N. Spruce St., Apt. B. City firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 7:29: The fire is out. Mercy medics are called to the address for a victim(s) of smoke inhalation. Ladder 15 is back in service.

UPDATE 7:45 p.m.: City fire command and Engine 12 are back in service.

A two-car accident with unknown injuries is reported at Cole Road and Route 77 19 in Le Roy. Le Roy fire and ambulance are responding.

UPDATE 6:45 p.m.: Injuries are minor. The ambulance is told to respond in non-emergency mode. A responder says "As soon as we can get law enforcement here, we'll probably clear."

Suzanne E. L. Dizak, 39, of Windmill Road, Pittsford, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, a felony. Dizak was initially arrested for allegedly stealing $800 in jewelry from Target on April 1 and charged with petit larceny. During a search of her vehicle, proceeds from an alleged larceny the day before uncovered another $300 worth of allegedly stolen jewelry from Target. Dizak was arraigned and jailed on $2,000 bail.

Jayson Michael Connolly, 38, no current address, is charged with falsifying business records, 1st. Connolly is an inmate in the Genesee County Jail and is accused of using another inmate's personal identification number to place a phone call to a person protected from contact by Connolly by court order. Connolly is being held on the charge without bail.

Lawrence T. Zielinski, 38, of Davey Street, Buffalo, is charged with petit larceny. Zielinski was arrested after he reportedly fled the parking lot of Kmart when he was spotted allegedly stealing a television, valued at $500. Following his arrest, Zielinski was turned over to the Cheektowaga PD on an outstanding bench warrant.

Mercy medics and Batavia firefighters are responding to 18 1/2 Ellicott St. for a pizza box fire that is believed to be out; however, the resident reportedly suffered burns to her hands while dealing with the fire.

The pizza box was in the oven.

UPDATE 6:08 p.m.: Engine 12 back in service.

A deputy is in pursuit of a motorcycle rider speeding southbound on Route 77 from Darien into Wyoming County.

The rider, on a small "crotch rocket" style bike, is allegedly going in excess of 100 mph, and the pursuit has just turned onto eastbound on Church Road.

The male rider is wearing a black jacket.

UPDATE 5:41 p.m.: The deputy backed off the pursuit and eventually lost sight of the motorcycle, but an Attica PD patrol is now behind the motorcycle southbound on Route 98.

Many people in the Batavia area are mourning after a well-known mother has passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. Forty-four-year-old Deborah J. Dancy, died Monday at her residence on Shepard Road.

Deb, who is the mother of Lindsey Penders and Nicole Dancy of Batavia, was well known in the Batavia area and school district and liked by both students, teachers, parents and athletes.

Deb was very involved with Batavia cheerleading events and became a friend to many in the area throughout her time. 

Many high school and college students, parents and teachers expressed their love for Deb on Facebook late Monday night and all day today.

One posted "You have touched so many hearts with your amazing strength" while another student added "So many hearts are broken today but God gained an amazing angel." Others posted the lone letters "YOLO" meaning "You Only Live Once" -- the phrase that Deb and many close to her used during her long courageous battle. 

Deb was born Nov. 19, 1967 in Warsaw, NY, the daughter of Richard and Donna McCaughey Ellis. Deborah was a graduate of York Central School. She was a secretary for Upstate Auto Transportation Corporation in Batavia.

Visitation will be held at the Rector-Hicks Funeral Home, 111 Main St. in Geneseo on Thursday, May 3, 2012 from 4-8 p.m.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 4, 2012 at 10 a.m. at St. Lucy's Church in Retsof with Walt Purtell officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Valley Cemetery in York. 

Memorials may be made to the Highland Hospital Oncology Unit, 1000 South Ave. Box 67, Rochester, NY 14620.

Divine Chaos Tattoo in Rochester is planning a tattoo benefit for Deb and Pink Gorilla Tees & Graphics has printed T-shirts to benefit the family.

A teenage boy was assaulted and suffered a head laceration at Byron-Bergen Central School. Sheriff's deputies are responding along with Mercy medics. The bleeding is controlled now. The student is in the art room.

The school is located at 6917 W. Bergen Road in Bergen.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: The student is 16 years old and he is being transported to United Memorial Medical Center. He has a 6 centimeter slash (which is 2.36 inches) in the back of his head. He is alert and oriented and suffered no loss of consciousness.

It's one of those situations where everybody wins -- people dependent on Meals on Wheels will once again get five days of meal delivery, Genesee ARC is able to expand the services it provides the county, and the county's budget won't be severely impacted.

On Monday, the Public Service Committee approved a contract with Genesee ARC to handle the Meals on Wheels program for the Office of Aging.

The cost to the county will be about the same -- $186,425 annually -- as the current program, which delivers meals only three days a week.

The new program will also deliver hot meals, instead of cold dishes.

"We think it will be a nice service for people, with the personal check for people and they get a nice hot meal," said Pam Whitmore, director of Office for the Aging.

The previous meal provider was the American Red Cross out of Rochester.

The cost works out to about the same because it was costing nearly a $1 per meal just for delivery of meals from Rochester. That $1 will now go toward increased service and improved meals.

The meals will be prepared by Genesee ARC staff and clients at its renovated facility at 38 Woodrow Road, Batavia.

Whitmore said one reason Genesee ARC won the contract is the organization's emphasis on customer service.

"Being part of Genesee County, they really wanted to do what was best for the people in the program," Whitmore said.

WBTA's Dan Fischer contributed to this story.

A car fire is reported on the westbound Thruway at mile marker 399.2. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding.

UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: A responder on scene says the fire is mostly out. There's still some smoke visible that's coming from the console between the seats.

UPDATE 1:34 p.m.: The fire is out. All units are back in service.