There were 382 people who signed up for the United Way Day of Caring today, but Susie Boyce thinks more people than that are participating because organizers ordered 425 T-shirts and they ran out.

The volunteers will work on 32 projects today, which amounts to about $36,000 in labor contributions.

The group from Genesee ARC.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia.

Joe Saco sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful.

Last year, Amber, on the right, received a bicycle that had been reconditioned by volunteers at Adam Miller Toy and Bicycles. Today, she read a message about how much the bike has meant to her to help her get around town and go to and from her job. Shelley Falitico, from Genesee ARC, is with her.

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It will be another summer of new commercial development in the Town of Batavia, with three  projects already up for Planning Board review, and that doesn't include the expansion project at Batavia Towne Center.

• GCEDC/GGLDC is planning a second two-story building at the Upstate Med-Tech Center on R. Stephen Hawley Drive, across from GCC. The complex will be 60,000 square feet and be planned for industrial, research and office space.
• An as-yet-undisclosed company is planning a 60,000 square foot cold storage facility at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. It will be on 10 acres adjacent Alpina's plant and serve Alpina's cold storage needs. The facility require a 42-foot high silo, which is seven feet higher than allowed under current code without a variance.
• A local man is planning a plant that will digest waste from yogurt production -- about 70 percent of the milk product from making yogurt becomes waste -- into products that can be used for other needs or converted into energy.

All three projects will be discussed at the planning board's meeting May 21.

Applications for COR's conversion of the former Lowe's location into four retail spaces hasn't reach the town yet.

There's also the housing development off Seven Springs Road that's still going through the planning process.

A possible fire reported behind the residence at 8924 Creek Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:38 p.m.: Responder on scene reports nothing showing.

UPDATE 4:46 p.m.: "Looks like they were disking (plowing soil) on the east side of Creek Road. I think they may have seen dust." The town assignment is back in service.

Press release:

The Landmark Society of Genesee County will hold its annual Preservation Awards Dinner on May 11 at the St. James Episcopal Church 405 E. Main St., Batavia. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the awards presentation will follow (at approximately 7).

Five buildings in Genesee County will be recognized this year.

“The five award winners this year show that preservation is alive and well in Genesee County. Not only are different towns of Genesee County represented, but also different types of styles. Preservation can come in many forms: restoration, adaptive reuse, and rehabilitation, for example. The goal is not only to pay homage to history but to recognize that communities which value preservation will become the healthy and vital communities of tomorrow,” explained Landmark Society President David Gann.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County is a nonprofit, volunteer-operated organization. Since 1965, The Landmark Society has encouraged local communities and individuals to work together to preserve our architectural heritage. Preservation, protection and improvement of the landmarks located throughout Genesee County are the objectives of this organization.

Award Winners:

• Mullin property on Watson Road, Elba honored with Landmark Society's Tender Loving Care Award
• For the first time, Landmark Society honors Midcentury Modern home
• East Main Street home honored for outstanding exterior paint treatment
• Le Roy House honored as "vernacular example of mid-19th Century Italianate residential architecture"
• St. James Episcopal Church honored for extensive restoration work

Kailee Bridges is fighting for her life right now with a rare bone cancer. She is a 20-year-old Marine, with a newborn daughter named Lilly, and a husband, Justin, who is also a Marine.

To help this Batavia family, major Christian recording artist and Dove Award winner Bebo Norman, who lives in Nashville, has graciously agreed to perform a benefit concert called "Love for Lilly: A Concert for Hope." It's this Friday evening, May 10, at Grace Baptist Church, Batavia, located at 238 Vine St.

Tickets are $30 and $25. Monetary donations are also welcome and the church has set up an account for them called the Lilly Trust Fund.

The concert will undoubtedly draw a packed house of people from Canada to Connecticut to help raise funds for Kailee and her family.

To get tickets, go online to itickets.com

Kailee was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as osteosarcoma during her pregnancy. It was found in her pelvis and she was not expected to live. She had emergency, high-risk surgery in an effort to save her life. She pulled through, and so did Lilly, who was subjected to chemo in the womb.

But their ordeal is not over. Her cancer has metastasized and she faces more battles with it.

Press release:

For a complete list of winners, click here (PDF)

At one meeting about the future of the Wiss Hotel building, Trustee Jim Bonacquisti said he looked forward to driving south on Route 19 and seeing the Presbyterian Church without the Wiss blocking the view.

After the building was done, Mayor Greg Rogers said, "The other day I had the opportunity after the building was somewhat down to come up Lake Street. My personal opinion is nothing looks more inviting and I'll say more New England than to see a wooden white church with a steeple and and open porch as you drive into a community. It's pretty striking. It really kinds of shows you the place where we all live."

This is a picture taken this morning of the church from behind where the Wiss once stood.

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While out and about late this afternoon, early evening, working on a future story, I took a few pictures.

Above, Oatka Creek, Village of Le Roy.

State Street, Batavia, near the Thruway overpass.

Watson Road, Elba.

Two Batavia-area athletes competing for Fredonia State made strong showings this past week at the SUNYAC Outdoor Track & Field championship meet at SUNY Cortland.

Eric Williams won the 110-meter high hurdle title and Max Radley finished second in the men's hammer throw.

Williams, a freshman, won with a time of 14.70 seconds.

Radley's best toss measured 52.34 meters. Radley is a senior.

Fredonia is a Division III NCAA school.

A fourth suspect has been rounded up in the joint-agency investigation into thefts in the Le Roy area of high voltage wire from industrial facilities.

Dustin G. Nicometo, 25, of Bernville, Pa., has been charged with burglary, 3rd, and grand larceny, 2nd.

Nicometo is the brother of Michael A. Nicometo 28, 45 North St., Le Roy.

The older brother was arrested in March. Later, two alleged accomplices were also taken into custody: Jonathan D. Smeak, 22, of State Street Road, Batavia, and Joseph Paul Pratt, 18, of Church Street, Le Roy.

Police allege that Dustin was living with Michael at the time of the thefts and participated in the crimes.

Le Roy PD arrested Dustin in Bernville and returned him to Le Roy for arraignment. Correction: Dustin was arrested locally.

The found men are accused of being part of a ring that stole high voltage wire and copper wire from a warehouse on Lake Street in the Village, from Dolomite's Gulf Road facility and from other locations in the town and Village of Le Roy.

Dustin is accused of participating in the thefts between Nov. 30 and Jan. 2.

According to Le Roy PD, no further arrests are expected in the case.

Bail for Dustin was set at $15,000 cash or $30,000 bond.

Oak Orchard Road, north of Lanckton Corners (the intersection with North Byron Road), Elba, will be closed for a bridge replacement.

Work begins in the morning.

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A reader told us how this pile of trash wound up in Dewitt Recreation Area. He and his wife went to the park Saturday evening and police were talking to two gentleman by a truck near the playground. After talking with police, the men went to a party in the Pavilion. As the party broke up, one man with the group gathered all the garbage, walked over to the woods and dropped what you see above. So here's a request of whomever dumped this: Go clean it up. Don't litter our parks.

A tree on fire is reported in Swallow Hollow, on a trail off Knowlesville Road near the Orleans County line. Alabama Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 5:21 p.m.: Five firefighters are hiking on foot to the blazing tree, which is about a quarter mile off the road.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: They are now on scene with a smoldering tree.

UPDATE 5:38 p.m.: The tree fire is out and the firefighters are heading back to their trucks.

Trustee Denis Rohan and Mayor Scott Schuler removed the gateway signs for the Village of Elba this afternoon so they can be given a fresh coat of paint and spruced up a bit.

The big question is what to do with the "Pop.: Just Right" on the sign. Rohen and Schuller said the village might add a motto to the bottom sign. The concern is that "Pop.: Just Right" sends the wrong message, a message that indicates new residents aren't welcome. Rohan said it's important to communicate that everybody is welcome in Elba.

Elba Central School teachers Jeremy Rath and Tammy Plucknette were recognized today in a faculty meeting in the school's cafeteria for their recent accomplishments.

Rath (right in the top photo) has been named an Outstanding Music Teacher by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Plucknette (second photo) was selected from among 3,000 applicants to be among 200 teachers on the Learnzillion Dream Team.

Learnzillion is developing curricula and material to help teachers implement common core lesson plans as part of new federal guidelines.

She just returned from a four-day trip to San Francisco to learn how to make videos for Learnzillion's Web site.

Rath was selected from among music teachers in nine Western New York counties and will be honored at RPO's concern May 9.

"This means great things for Elba," said Stephanie Rudman (with Rath, top photo), who helped organize the recognition reception. "We're a little school in Genesee County and we have two awesome teachers. It's a small reflection of all the teachers we have in Elba. It's a great school."

Below, Principal Chris Salinas presents the teachers with certificates of appreciation.

An anti-religious vandal damaged three church buildings in Batavia overnight.

The person used black spray paint to scrawl "Religion is a mind virus." 

At Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St., the tag "NOZ" was added.

Also struck were the Assembly of God at 24 N. Spruce St. and City Church downtown on East Main Street.

The perpetrator, if ever caught, is facing possible prosecution for a hate crime under New York law, said Officer Jamie Givens, who is handling the investigation.

She said the other charges include graffiti and criminal mischief.

At City Church the phrase was sprayed on glass and was easily washed away by church staff.  At Grace Baptist the vandal damaged painted brick, and at Assembly of God, wood, which will be more costly and difficult to repair.

In all three locations, Givens said, the vandal used black spray paint and the handwriting matches in all three cases.

Nobody has reported seeing anything suspicious around the churches last night and there are no suspects or suspect descriptions available.

There were no cameras in the area that could be used to help identify the suspect.

There are no other reports so far of other churches being hit.

Givens said there's no apparent "rhyme or reason" as to why these three churches were targeted.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation can contact Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350.

City fire is on scene at a fire in or near a building behind Ferrallgas at 655 Ellicott Street. It is possibly a building of Hanson Aggregates at 645 Cedar St.

UPDATE 12:53 p.m.: City police are on scene to control traffic and shut it down at Cedar and Edwards. DPW is called to put up barricades at Cedar and Ellicott and Cedar and Edwards.

UPDATE 12:57 p.m.: A third platoon is called into city fire headquarters for standby. A Hanson building rep is arriving at the scene.

UPDATE 1:02 p.m.: Fire knocked down. Checking for extentions.

UPDATE 1:29 p.m.: Crews are picking up equipment and preparing to return to service.

UPDATE 1:37 p.m. (by Howard): Chief Jim Maxwell said the preliminary indication is that some smoldering insulation went unnoticed after crews finished installing some new water pipes and new water meter in one of the rooms of the structure. The fire was contained to the small room. A torch or soldering iron had been used. The facility is used to mix ready-made concrete.