Crews have spent the morning getting the demolition site ready for removing the former Wiss Hotel building from the corner of Main and Lake streets in Le Roy.

The first backhoe whack at a wall will take place sometime after lunch hour.

A supervisor for Empire Dismantlement Corp. said demolition starts at the back of the building and works toward the front. First order of business is to make room for dump trucks to park on the building site.

By Saturday, crews should be ready to take down the front facade. When they get to that point, Main Street will need to be closed for a time.

The building is being taken down "hot," meaning that any existing asbestos in the building has not been removed prior to demolition.

We've also learned that the iron awning that was on the west side of the building has been removed. The owners of the Smokin' Eagle (formerly the Eagle Hotel, and soon to be the last standing old hotel in the Village) plan to use it on their back entrance. Demolition crews will recover the chains that held it to the Wiss when demolition gets to that point.

UPDATE 4:36 p.m.: Had to leave Le Roy a little earlier than anticipated because of the situation at the middle school, but did snap a couple shots following the start of actual demolition.

Robert Thomas Seager, 43, of East Main Road, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .08, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failure to stop at stop sign, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and refusal to take breath test. Seager was arrested following the investigation into a property damage accident reported at 9:51 p.m. Tuesday at Putnam and Creek roads, Bethany. (Initial Report)

Autumn Marie Sierra, 19, of 77nd Street, Brooklyn, is charged with criminal nuisance, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Sierra is suspected of covering the smoke detector in her room at College Village making it inoperable. Upon investigation, Sierra was also allegedly found to possess marijuana. Also charged was Mona'e Kristin Damon, 18, of Thompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, as well as Oumou Sy, 18, of East 102nd Street, New York City.

Christopher Leo Stone, 30, of Willow Pond Way, Penfield, is charged ith DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Stone was stopped at 1:09 a.m. April 13 on Route 33, Byron, by Sgt. Greg Walker, for allegedly driving 84 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Rodeny Ira Dean, 45, of Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with felony DWI, moved from lane unsafely, refusal to submit to pre-screen device, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Dean was reportedly involved in a single-car accident at 8:18 p.m., Monday, on Akron Road, Pembroke. Dean's vehicle struck the guy wire of a utility pole, shearing the pole and knocking electrical wires to the ground. Dean suffered minor injuries and was transported to ECMC for evaluation. Additional charges may be pending. The accident was investigated by Deputy Chad Minuto.

Michael Lewis, 42, most recently a Batavia resident, was found guilty Tuesday of sexually assaulting two girls under age 14 in East Bloomfield over an 18-month period in 2010 and 2011.

Lewis was originally indicted on 335 counts by an Ontario County Grand Jury. It took a jury more than four hours to reach a guilty verdict on 38 counts.

According to an Ontario County District Attorney's press release, "Under the law, in indictments of this magnitude, a judge is authorized to submit representative counts of the indictment to the jury. In this case, Hon. Frederick G. Reed submitted 8 counts of Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child, 4 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and 26 counts of Rape in the first, second and third degrees. The jury convicted Lewis of every single submitted count."

Lewis faces up to life in prison. Sentencing is set for June 26.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Ritts.

The press release praises the work of Ritts and the four girls who testified:

ADA Ritts did a masterful job of preparing the case and presenting it to the jury, making the huge number of crimes manageable and understandable. And real credit goes to the four young girls who testified in this case — two victims and two other witnesses. Each of them was able to summon the courage to describe to the jury, while sitting mere feet from the defendant, the sordid acts they endured or witnessed.

The Batavia Daily News: COR: Tax breaks would be offset by jobs, new revenue
The Batavian: It doesn't always take massive tax subsidies to get COR to build in a community

The main concerns of residents who live near a proposed housing development off Route 5 and Seven Springs Road are traffic and the proximity of duplexes to their own homes.

The project was the subject of a public hearing before the Town of Batavia Planning Board on Tuesday night.

Peter Zeliff, the lone investor in the development, said the plans he's presenting at this point are preliminary.

The location of streets in and out of the 120-unit development are subject to change and the configuration of where homes are placed isn't written in stone, he said.

A Batavia native, Zeliff made his money building power plants and eventually sold his company.  While he's built houses before, this is his first housing development.

Asked why was doing it, he said, "I like seeing Genesee County, Batavia grow. I saw a need for this and it seemed like a good project."

Zeliff doesn't own the 100-acres of farmland he would like to development. He has a purchase agreement in place contingent on the project being approved.

The homes Zeliff is planning are more patio homes than townhomes, he said. The price range for the houses will range from $150,000 to $300,000.

Some of the houses and duplexes will be be pre-built and sold as completed homes, while other lots will be filled with custom homes.

Everything will be built according to a design standard and there will be a homeowners' association that approves new development.

The current site map shows multi-family units on the east side of the property, closest to the current homes on Seven Springs Road.

A couple of area residents asked if the site plan could be flipped so the single family homes were closer to Seven Springs Road and Zeliff suggested he was open to such changes, but geology and topography may prevent a different configuration, said Keith Ewald, project planner from Barton & Loguidice.

Ewald said people who buy single-family homes are likely to want basements and to ensure proper soil compaction, the single-family homes would need to be on the west half of the property.

The current plan has three streets going into the development -- one on Route 5 and two on Seven Springs Road. These are subject to change based on upcoming traffic studies.

The main entrance will be on Route 5.

Zeliff has already purchased the former location of Zigrossi Buick. The property will serve partially as an entrance into the housing project and Zeliff plans some sort of commercial development on the rest of the property.

Development of the parcel will begin at that entrance because that's where the development will connect with water, sewer and electrical.

If the approval process goes as planned, Zeliff hopes to break ground in August with the first houses being built during the winter or next spring.

Zeliff figures and hopes it will take three to five years to complete the development, but that will depend on how quickly the homes sell.

With anticipated growth at the Genesee Valley Ag Park and the proposed STAMP project, Zeliff (who joined the GCLDC board less than a year ago) thinks there is going to be more demand for housing locally).

"This area is going to boom," Zeliff aid. "It's about time Western New York booms."

A chief is on scene in Pembroke of what was initially reported as a grass fire off the Thruway but now appears to be a motor vehicle accident where the car caught fire.

The car was pretty far along burning by the time it was found.

No indication at this point that there is any victims in the area.

The location -- I think on Stage Road -- is actually in Newstead's district. Newstead is being dispatched.

It's possible the location is in Erie County.

UPDATE 10:53 p.m.: Nobody is in the car.

UPDATE 10:55 p.m.: Fire is out. Scene has been turned over to Erie County Sheriff. Pembroke not yet back in service. 

A motor-vehicle accident is reported Putnam and Creek roads. The vehicle is in some water in a ditch; wires are down and arcing. The male driver reportedly fled on foot. No one else is in the car. Power is said to be out on Ellicott Street Road. National Grid is notified. Bethany Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 10:03 p.m.: The driver is said to be tall and white. The wires are no longer arcing, but power is out. The car is a red Ford.

UPDATE 10:05 p.m.: The suspect is wearing blue jeans, sneakers and a light-colored ball cap.

UPDATE 10:40 p.m.: A flatbed tow truck requested to the scene. The vehicle is in four feet of water about 50 feet off the road. 

UPDATE 11:06 p.m.: Bethany back in service.

Contractors will arrive in the Village of Le Roy tomorrow to start demolition of the former Wiss Hotel building, Mayor Greg Rogers confirmed.

Tomorrow, work crews will begin prep work.The entire demolition process is expected to take about a week.
 

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) is set to host a public forum on New York’s new gun laws. The event, taking place on Thursday, April 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Genesee Community College (GCC) in Batavia, will give residents a chance to ask questions and learn about what passage of the NY SAFE Act means to their rights as law-abiding gun owners. Hawley will be joined by New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) President Tom King, Shooters Committee on Political Education (S.C.O.P.E) President Steve Aldstadt and a number of local law enforcement and government officials at the event.

“New York’s new gun control laws were jammed through the legislature with no time for public input or review,” Hawley said. “As a result, many law-abiding gun owners are unaware of the new rules, regulations and requirements that now encroach on our Second Amendment rights. This forum will give residents a chance to ask questions and voice their concerns over the NY SAFE Act, helping ensure that we can all protect our privacy and civil liberties to the fullest extent possible.”

Details on the event are as follows:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley Presents: An Educational Forum on the NY SAFE Act.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

6:30 to 8 p.m.
Genesee Community College
Auditorium at Conable Technology Building
Room T102
Assemblyman R. Stephen Hawley Drive (1 College Road)
Batavia

Special Guests Include:
Tom King-NRA board member and president of the NYSRPA
Steve Aldstadt - president of S.C.O.P.E
Chief Deputy and Supervisor of Criminal Investigation Jerome Brewster - Genesee County Sheriff's Office
Representative from Orleans County Sheriff's Department
Karen Lake-Maynard - Orleans County Clerk
Don Read - Genesee County Clerk

A young female in Le Roy who fell into Oatka Creek about 10 or 15 minutes ago, was rescued and medics are at her home on Myrtle Street to get parental permission for treatment. Le Roy fire and rescue were initially called to Trigon Park.

UPDATE 4:51 p.m.: Responders are back in service.

This item was submitted by Byron Hoot, from Wexford, Pa., who has made a couple of trips to Batavia in the past year in connection with his appreciation of John Gardner, including this past Saturday's John Gardner Conference at GCC.

“The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” So began the first presenter for the 15th Annual John Gardner Conference hosted by Genesee Community College organized by Tracey Ford and Charley Boyd of GCC, coordinated by Sandy Hortdahl of Northeast State, Tennessee. 

It was “the spirit (that) giveth life” throughout the conference. The spirit of Gardner was alive and well among the conference attendees, who came from across New York state, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. 

Presenters spoke on a wide range of topics, from Paul Johnston’s “Taggart Hodge, Antinomian” to John and Helen Maier’s reading of “The Miller’s Tale” in Chaucer’s Middle English, to Denise Divins’ probing look at the archetypical world of Grendel. In addition, there was Bette Smith’s excellent performance of Gardner’s one-act play, Days of Vengeance, and Jennifer Duncan’s talk of Gardner’s influence on her own writing. 

Attendees had a chance to examine some of the original Gardner materials housed at GCC and overseen by librarian Phyllis Andrews. Finally, as a visual coda, there was a screening of "The Sunlight Man," a documentary made by Gardner’s son, Joel. As important as the ideas and insights, the presence of Gardner’s brother Jim and his wife, Wanda, added the personal touch of stories from family members who loved and love Gardner still.

A pilgrimage to the Pok-a-Dot for lunch gave conference attendees added time to socialize. A hidden gem, Genesee Community College deserves much credit for keeping alive the spirit of an important American writer. This is a pilgrimage well worth making.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) announced today that the public hearing on the COR Development project application, originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd at 4 p.m., has been rescheduled to April 30th at 7 p.m. to accommodate requests for the meeting to be conducted outside of normal business/working hours.

“The GCEDC strives to be a transparent and accommodating agency so when we get these types of requests we do everything we can to honor them,” said Charlie Cook, GCEDC board chairman. “It’s evident that this project has generated quite a bit of interest so we want to make sure that the community has the opportunity to learn more about the project and have their voices heard.” 

At the meeting, the GCEDC will provide a comprehensive overview of the project – including the benefits COR Development is applying for to develop the vacant Lowe's building – as well as a full disclosure of the fiscal and economic impacts the Batavia Towne Center has had on the surrounding community since it came to fruition. Following the presentation, the hearing will be open for public comment; the GCEDC also will read any written comments received by the agency prior to the public hearing.

Written comments can be sent to the GCEDC’s Marketing and Communications Director, Rachael Tabelski at Genesee County Economic Development Center, 99 MedTech Drive, Suite 106, Batavia, NY 14020.  Written comments must contain the individual’s contact information, including address and phone number, and should indicate if he or she would like the comment read at the hearing. All comments and public hearing testimony will be reviewed by the GCEDC board prior to a vote on the COR Development application for support.

It was pretty much back to business as usual Monday night in the Village of Corfu, which should be good news for residents concerned about the possible loss of the village clerk and assistant.

Sandra Thomas, the village clerk/treasurer and Denise Beal, assistant, returned to work Monday, following a week of turmoil sparked by an incident between the two employees and Mayor Ralph Peterson.

Thomas had no statement about her return to work, but smiled and said yes when asked if she was glad to be back.

In a budget meeting Monday, the trustees got down to business and, compared to a board meeting a week ago, there was much less rancor and a greater focus on getting work done.

The current budget proposal -- which is still in draft -- would raise the village property tax rate from $2.19 $2.97 per thousand to $4.20 per thousand.

A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday.

The meeting opened with a presentation by Mark Masse, VP of operations for GCEDC. Earlier this year, Masse learned that a new grant became available through the USDA's Office of Rural Development for certain types of job creation projects.

The planned expansion of the village sewer treatment plant in conjunction with the Town of Pembroke is a qualifying project.

The expansion at cheese maker Yancey's Fancy depends on the sewer project, Masse said.

"We really need the sewer project," Masse said.

The board approved applying for the $99,999 grant ($1 less than $100,000, Masse said, because the scoring of the application goes down with that additional dollar).

The section of the budget discussed was the Village Court.

Newly elected village justice David O'Connor (top photo) made it clear right away he wasn't happy with Peterson's proposal to eliminate the full-time court clerk position and replace it with two part-time positions.

"With the case load we have, we should have one full-time and one part-time clerk," O'Connor said. "The paperwork with one traffic ticket is about an inch high and if you don't get it right, it's not fair to the people and guess who it all falls on? Me."

The Pembroke Town Court has two full-time clerks to handle 3,400 cases a year. Corfu's case load is 2,600.

O'Connor praised current clerk Pam Yasses and said she is doing an outstanding job of handling court business by herself.

Yasses said there is minimal need for a part-time clerk, but she would like to have help on court night.

At the request of O'Connor, Peterson reappointed Yasses as clerk. If the budget is approved, the position will be full time.

Some residents questioned and pushed back on the idea that O'Connor will only be paid $15,000 this year when last year the justice was paid $17,000.

O'Connor said several times, "I'm OK with $15,000."

During the discussion, Yasses noted that in 2011, the last year Brandi Watts served as clerk, the court collected $221,144, while in 2012, the first full year Yasses handled court duties, ticket fines jumped to $309,726.

Watts is the daughter of former justice Robert Alexander.

A comptroller's audit alleges that at least $10,000 was missing in 2011 from the court's treasury, but some village residents fear the number could be higher.

There was also concern, noted in the comptroller's audit, that Watts often wasn't in the office when people came in to pay traffic fines.

A special prosecutor is now overseeing the State Police investigation into the alleged missing funds.

Perhaps the most contentious issue of the evening had to do with the police department and how administrator Jim Meier is scheduling work hours for all of his part-time officers.

Recently, part-time officer Gene Nati has complained that the officers hired through the civil service process (competitive hires) are being given almost no hours, while non-competitive hires are being given, in some cases, more than 19.5 hours per week.

Nati brought the issue to the attention of Karen Marchese, HR director for Genesee County, complaining that civil service law prevents non-competitive employees from working more than 19.5 hours a week when there are competitive employees on staff.

Marchese wrote a letter to Peterson on April 10 informing him that working non-competitive staff more than 19.5 hours a week is a violation of the civil service law.

At a meeting on April 10, Nati demanded the mayor enforce the language of the letter immediately, requiring Meier to start scheduling more hours for competitive employees.

"Karen Marchese may have some ax to grind against the village," Meier said.

Peterson gave Meier until Monday (yesterday) to bring forward information that would back his position.

According to Peterson, he spoke with Marchese yesterday (she reportedly retired Friday), and Marchese stood by her letter of April 10. (UPDATE: County Manager Jay Gsell said this morning that Marchese's last day was yesterday.)

"I would like us to come into compliance," Peterson said. "In my position, I'm the one who got the formal letter saying we're not in compliance. It's my name on the letter. I would like to be in compliance until it's resolved."

Meier asked for more time, saying Marchese did not return his calls all last week and other people who can help provide information that will back his position have not returned his calls.

He said if he starts scheduling competitive employees for more hours, and the non-competitive can't work more than 19.5, the village will be left without police protection at times, because the competitive employees often call in sick.

County officials have been aware of what Corfu has been doing for a long time, Meier said, and nobody at the county raised a red flag until this month.

"The fact is, we've been scheduling non-competitive employees for more than 19.5 hours a week for four years and it hasn't been an issue until a lone person went to Karen Marchese last week and complained," Meier said.

Trustee Art Ianni expressed concern that this issue was being used to undermine the authority of the police administrator.

In the end, Peterson agreed to give Meier until May 1 to either get another opinion the village can rely on or change his scheduling practices to comply with Marchese's opinion of civil service law.

City fire is being dispatched to Pizza Hut, 412 E. Main St., Batavia, for an "unknown type fire on the ground."

It might be a mulch or hedge fire next to the building.

UPDATE 8:33  a.m.: Engine 11 on scene. Nothing showing. Investigating.

UPDATE 8:37 a.m.: Somebody was burning some weeds off using gasoline. City fire is back in service.

Nearly every city, village, town and even most hamlets in Upstate New York hold at least one parade a year.

It might be for Memorial Day or some local observance or festival, but parades in the state's rural counties are as common as apples and corn.

New Department of Transportation rules could doom one of the state's last vestiges of public Americana.

Legislator Shelly Stein informed the Public Service Committee today of a proposed new law that would require parade organizers to file a five-page application, pay hefty deposits and jump through dozens of bureaucratic hoops to get permission for a parade on a state highway.

For example, the Oakta Festival Parade, which Stein chairs, takes place on Route 5 every year. The City's parades for Memorial Day and St. Joe's Penny Carnival are also on Route 5. Oakfield's Labor Day Parade is on Route 63. Byron's parade is on Route 262. In Bergen, the parade crosses Route 19.

"This has always been a municipality's prerogative," noted Legislator Marianne Clattenburg, a former City of Batavia council member. "Every time a parade or festival took place, it always got approval through the city and the council voted. So why is this now being taken out of local control?"

Stein and other legislators suspect it's about money. The new law requires a deposit sufficient to cover any potential damage to state property, which the state will fix and deduct from the deposit.

It could just be bureaucracy.

The list of new requirements include:

• Demonstrate that a licensed traffic engineer has reviewed the operation and safety plan;
• Identify every location and every way where participants will violate normal traffic laws;
• Show how the event will affect normal traffic and how measures taken to minimize conflicts;
• Identify all temporary traffic control devices that will be placed in the highway;
• Demonstrate that there is a plan for addressing injured participants;
• Demonstrate that the owners of facilities used by the event have been contacted and agree with the use;
• Prepare an event map that shows start and finish lines, show direction of event, show all intersections, show railroad crossings, show jurisdictional boundaries and show facilities being used (roads, parks, schools, parking lots, etc.);
• Write a detailed description of the event;
• List all existing traffic control signs;
• Prepare sketches of all locations that require additional traffic control devices;
• Show on a map all locations of traffic control personnel;
• Provide a map of detours with a drawing of proposed detour signs;
• Detail pre-event public notifications;
• Describe pre-event coordination with local police or state police and other agencies;
• and, describe event-day communications systems.

The changes also apply to 5K races, bike races and other public events that use state highways.

The proposed changes are not law yet. Currently, the DOT is accepting public comment on the proposed new rules. The DOT can be contacted at NYSDOT Main Office, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12232.

Stein shared a comment about the proposed changes by Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer. She said, Ranzenhofer told her, "I really don't see this going too far because we all walk in parades."

But, Stein said, without public feedback, the new law could go into effect, making it much harder for local communities to host their traditional parades and other public events.

In the first quarter of 2013, felony investigations in Genesee County have increased 71 percent over the same period in 2012, according to Sheriff Gary Maha.

Maha delivered a report today to the Legislature's Public Service Committee.

The increase (52 cases up to 89) seems to be the result of more burglary and grand larceny reports.

There have also been more sex-related criminal reports.

For the office of investigations, there's also been a significant increase in pistol license background checks.

For the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force, the most prevalent drugs seen locally are cocaine and marijuana, but there has also been an ongoing increase in the possession and sale of prescription medications, particular hydrocodone and OxyContin.

For road patrol, deputies responded to 7,032 incidents during the quarter. That's a 10-percent hike over 2012.

However, 9-1-1 calls dropped 11 percent year-over-year to 6,033.

Non-9-1-1 calls are up 10 percent to 30,472.

At the same time, the jail population has dropped from an average of 76 inmates to 72, though the female population has increased from 12 to 15.

The Sheriff expects the Commission of Correction to recommend adding seven corrections officers (which includes two supervisor positions).

More female inmates, since they must be housed at facilities in neighboring counties, could add $150,000 in expenses.

Genesee Justice currently has a caseload of 594. There were 203 new case files opened in the first quarter, compared to 214 a year ago.

The Child Advocacy Center handled 65 new cases, compared to 57 a year ago.

For Sheriff's Office administration, the Sheriff continues to work on fundraising for a new K-9. The villages of Bergen and Oakfield renewed their patrol contracts.

Maha anticipates a need for more seasonal deptuties to handle the Darien Lake concert series.  Last year, there were 10 positions. He's requesting 15. Darien Lake reimburses the county for the cost of these positions.

THANK YOU BATAVIA!

Thank you for being a great community to live in and do business in. And thanks to all those who help us to better serve our clients. 

If not for the great service of the Post Office, the banks, the brokers and the attorneys who help us with our clients, and the police who watch out for us late at night, and the DPW for treating our street like their street, and the restaurants for keeping us fed and smiling, and our business neighbors for helping and caring, we wouldn’t be successful.

Especially, thank you to each and every client for allowing us to serve you.

Batavia is a GREAT place to live and work.

We are proud to be Batavians!

Matteo & Mullen CPAs

Thomas D. Matteo & Jeffrey R. Mullen

Genesee County Libertarian Committee held its first meet-and-greet fundraiser over the weekend and it was a huge success.

“Saturday night's Celebrate Liberty Night event was a great success! Not only did we raise money, but we had the pleasure of meeting many new people that will become new members!” says Phil Ricci, county chairman.

“It goes to show that anywhere you find the will to achieve something, you will find achievement! I would personally like to thank all of the members of the Membership Committee, their chair, Bob Brown, and everyone of you that added to the experience!”

Approximately 70 people were in attendance at the event which was held at Batavia Downs Casino. A great dinner and excellent service accompanied the fun casino atmosphere and social vibe of the Grandstands Bar. A basket raffle was held also with 14 baskets donated by members and supporters. Thanks to all who attended and supported the local liberty movement.

Do you think these four people know how you should live your life?

Neither do they, that's why they are Libertarians.

Genesee County Libertarian Committee Board:

 L to R: Dave Olsen, vice-chair; Jim Rosenbeck, secretary; Phil Ricci, county chair; Chelsea O'Brien, treasurer

What is a Libertarian? A Libertarian is someone who holds the rights of individuals as paramount, and seeks to minimize the role of government wherever possible.

Most Libertarians start out from one of three reference points, and then discover that all three are inseparable: Personal liberty, economic liberty and non-intrusive government. Libertarianism (small letter “l”) is a political philosophy that places Liberty – the absence of government in personal choice – as its first principle. This was the bold American ideal, the noble purpose for which our nation was formed, the reason we prospered. It was radical at first, then mainstream, and is now radical again.

The Genesee County Libertarian Committee (soon to be Party) has three parts to its message: Education, Advocacy and Choice.

The GCLC is not a homogeneous group, nor seeks to be one by defining what is right for one or all of society. Further, we maintain that no government, political party, or any societal group ever has the right to impede those individual freedoms by legislation, blunt force, taxation, or other types of coercion. We are quite different from all other political parties. These differences make us lively debaters, and a most entertaining crowd to socialize with.

For more information we openly invite those who ‘lean libertarian’, or are just curious to like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GCLP.NY/info or e-mail at gclp.ny@gmail.com.

Tom Hallock thought the weather good enough today -- the sun was out this morning -- to pull his '30 Ford roadster replica out of storage and take it for a drive. He stopped at the Pok-A-Dot for lunch. The car, originally from 1978, is built with an engine and interior out of a 1978 Ford Granada.

Speaking of the Dot, the famed diner's 60th Anniversary celebration is set for June 22, starting at 5 p.m. with live music.