Part 2 of the Daily's FAQ on ambulance service is up.

I'm posing about it only because I get a little bugged when I see people not answering questions.  In this case, it's Greg Ireland:

To fire department union President Greg Ireland, would the union renegotiate its current contract to lessen the cost to the city?

Mallow and the union signed a contract on Sept. 4, 2007, that ran through March 2010, Ireland said, noting that at the time, Mallow was quoted as saying "every single thing that was brought up previously by council, we addressed with them."

"We have an agreement with the city to establish a labor-management committee to discuss concerns ... and the city has not approached the union to discuss any concerns they have with our current contract," Ireland said.

Notice that Ireland doesn't answer a very simple yes or no question. He obfuscates by pushing it back on the city, saying the city never asked.  But the question wasn't, "Did the city ask you?" It was, "would you?"

There's logical question back for Charlie Mallow: If the union were willing to renegotiate, would the city reconsider its position?

And is it simply too late to even consider such questions?

I have a pre-arranged trip to the West Coast I'm taking. I fly out in the morning and won't be back for a week.  I figure I should take the trip while I can and see my parents, as well as take care of a little business (there might even be a positive development or two for The Batavian as a result).

While I'll be able to check on the site and even post here and there, Brian Hillabush has volunteered to stay on top of things, too, and help keep the site updated.

"They've been around forever. It's just another sign of things in the past," (Police Chief Christopher) Hayward said.

Hayward was talking about the once bright red fire alarm boxes along LeRoy village streets that will soon be removed by an electrician.

Must everything old eventually be replaced, or might preserving the past be a community value worth keeping?

Daily News staff writer Scott DeSmit includes these interesting details:

The first boxes were made in 1852 and used the telegraph system. When the box was triggered, a spring-loaded wheel spun and tapped out a signal, which was telegraphed to a fire station.

Eventually, the boxes were linked to fire stations or dispatch centers using phone lines, about the only advance in technology the boxes ever underwent.

Of course, in these tight times, saving money is a virtue.

Each box has its own phone line, meaning the village will cut its phone bill by almost half by discontinuing the lines, Hayward said. The nine boxes, plus two fire sirens, accounted for $239 of the village's $650 monthly bill. The two sirens will remain.

DeSmit reports that none of the boxes have been used for a real incident in two years.

One person reported chest pains following a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of routes 33 and  in Stafford at about 2:30 p.m.

A state trooper on scene said the investigation was not yet completed and would not release the names of the drivers. He said a Chevy SUV was west bound on 33 when a pick up truck traveling on Route 327 apparently failed to stop.

We'll provide more details later as we're able to get them.

The Daily News has posted the first of a two-part FAQ on the ambulance service controversy.

It's well done and should be pretty informative to anybody (is there anybody?) who hasn't been following the issue.

There's been much discussion on The Batavian over an allegation that the city transferred money from ambulance funds to the city treasury. City Manager addresses the question:

In past years, money has been transferred from the ambulance fund to meet personnel costs associated with running the city ambulance service. Eliminating the ambulance service allows the city to cut those positions, which will end the city's need to take money from another fund.

On the issue of "scare tactics," as City Council President Charlie Mallow has characterized the union's lobbying effort, Mallow and union president Greg Ireland each get their say.

Mallow:

"The union's literature, signs and words imply that the city will somehow not have ambulance service after Sept. 1 and that no one will come to help when you call 911," Mallow said. "The county has made it clear that they have a process in place ... there is no reason to believe the hysteria being asserted by the union that there will be no one to provide ambulance service after Sept. 1."

Ireland:

"Our campaign is in NO way negative," Ireland said. "We simply want the public to be aware of the decision that council has made to eliminate their ambulance service, and City Council has no definitive plan for the future needs of their citizens. Passing the buck to someone else is not a responsible way to govern the people that elected you, and I am one of them."

Read the whole thing.

The Genesee County Assisted Living Center posted a sign on its front door yesterday informing patrons that the facility closed "until further notice."

Paster Charlie Piscitello, chairman of the board of directors, said the center has not received from Albany more than $53,000 needed to cover operational expenses for the first quarter. The state also owes more than $40,000 for the final quarter of 2008.

"Our funds were frozen that we need to keep the doors open," Piscitello said. "It got to the point where with no money you can't pay anybody. You can't even pay their health insurance."

The center employs 11 people and serves more than 1,100 clients.

"This is a money crunch in Albany," Piscitello said. "This isn't a case of mismanagement."

Piscitello said the center expects its funding by Tuesday, but WBTA quotes the executive director as saying the center won't open again until a week from Monday.

Meanwhile, the center's employees are on furlough.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley told WBTA that some paperwork had not been completed and that he's working with the Albany agency taking care of the reimbursements. Listen his audio quote from WBTA.

WBTA will report on its 12:30 newscast that Lapp Industries Corp. in LeRoy is concerned about a proposed environmental clean up, which VP and COO Robert Johnson tells WBTA would cost more than it should.

If forced to pay for a $3.4 million price tag for the proposed clean up on the 80=acre site, the survival of the company would be put in jeopardy.

Johnson says 140 local jobs could be lost. He maintains the job can be done just as well for $1.4 million, which the company can afford and is willing to pay.

 On March 16, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor will work with John Kennedy Elementary School's string students from 10-11 a.m.

From the Press Release:

Miss Baldwin was one of five educators to be honored last spring by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with their Award for Outstanding Music Educators. The award recognizes teacher's contributions to their students, schools, and communities. Ms. Baldwin has spent approximately 25-30 years in education at the Batavia City Schol District, which is the only public school district in Genesee County to offer a string program.

She teaches instrumental music/strings, is director of the elementary Suzuki String Program, directs the beginning and advanced elementary string orchestras, is a NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) certified adjudicator, has served as president for the NYSCAME (New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education, and most recently, co-hosted a Baroque Music Festival in the District.

WBTA reports this morning:

• Unemployment hit 9.1 percent in Genesee County, up from 6.7 percent a year ago.
• A knife-wielding suspect threatened two Batavia police officers this morning. Ryan Shumway, 29, was taken into custody after the confrontation, in which Shumway was told several times to drop the knife before he did.

Tune into WBTA 1490-AM for these and other stories throughout the day.

Dustin R. Cleveland, 23, of Byron, was arrested Thursday, for reportedly playing music too loud in his residence. He was charged with disorderly conduct. The Sheriff's office reported numerous complaints about the loud music. In report does not include the time of the incident.

Joseph Julyan, 44, of Oakfield, was arrested Thursday. He is accused of aggravated DWI with a prior conviction. He is also charged with improper use of restricted lane. He was taken into custody at 11 Jefferson St, Batavia. No other details were released.

On Sunday, March 8th, volunteers from the Museum will be traveling around town putting signs up promoting the Annual Antique Show at Batavia Downs. If you live on one of the major Batavia routes, we would love your permission to put up a sign in your yard! (See the photo of the sign)

The signs will go up on Sunday, March 8th and we will pick them up on Sunday, March 15th.

If you will allow us to put up a sign in your yard, please call the Museum at 343-4727.

The Fifth Annual Antique Show will be held at Batavia Downs on Friday, March 13th from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday March 14th from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Over 40 of the best dealers in the region will be there. The admission fee for the event is $4.00 for adults and children under 12 are free.

For a $1 off admission coupon, a list of dealers and more information check out www.BataviaAntiqueShow.com

On Sunday, March 8, volunteers from the Museum will be traveling around town putting signs up promoting the Annual Antique Show at Batavia Downs. If you live on one of the major Batavia routes, we would love your permission to put up a sign in your yard! (See the photo of the sign

Morgan L. Cox, 17, of Corfu, was injured when he was thrown from an ATV while jumping snow banks behind a residence on Main Street in Batavia, the Democrat and Chronicle reports.

Cox was taken to United Memorial. There is no word of the nature of his injuries nor his condition.

I'm really not a fan of the New York State Thruway. I don't like paying the toll, and it too quickly zips you past some of WNY's beautiful scenery. When I do drive it, I can't help but feel I'm being jettisoned down a pneumatic tube. There's not much to the right of me, and even less on the left. Just zoom, zoom past guard rails and weeds to my destination.

When my wife and I needed to drive to Massachusetts for a wedding last spring, we traversed nothing but New York's "back roads." Avoiding the Thruway added two hours to our trip both ways, but it was worth it.  We saw every rustic village along the way and ate in some nice locally owned restaurants, rather than cookie-cutter chains at Thurway rest stops.

As we drove along the 5 & 20, I thought what a great route -- the businesses should band together along the 5 & 20 to promote tourism. When I got home, I found this 5 & 20 Web site.

Kelly Rapone, over at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, is involved in a 5 & 20 promotional project and asked that I pass along a link to a survey the group is doing. If you take the survey you will be entered into a chance to win a $100 gas card.

So, take the survey, drive the 5 & 20, and support local and regional businesses.

My first northern pike came from the waters of Tonawanda Creek where it flows past Kibbe Park. That was in 1962, and while the fish wasn’t of legal size, it conjured memories of fishing trips to Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region with my Aunt Faith and Uncle Jim. 

That pike, while miniscule in comparison, bore a strong resemblance to the muskies I watched my uncle battle up north. 

For the first eight years of my life my world evolved around my Aunt Faith and Uncle Jim. In 1958 they moved to my aunt’s hometown in rural Georgia and I missed them a great deal. Staring at that first pike and thinking of the muskies Uncle Jim caught, something clicked then and there. Strange as it may seem, somehow the northern became a link to my aunt and uncle.  

Not long after catching my first northern, Elmwood Avenue friends Donny Joy and Frank “Junior” Ficarella were fishing the Tonawanda from a row boat. They were located along the creek bank opposite the dike on Jackson Avenue. Junior was standing up in the boat, using an oar to shake loose lures that were caught in the trees. While Junior was trying to extract the lures, something took his bait. It turned out to be a rockbass. Junior reeled it in, then, deciding to have some fun, gave it some line. The fish promptly headed for the bottom. As he attempted to reel it back in, Junior discovered the fish was stuck fast.       

“See what I get for messin’ around”, he said. “Now I’m snagged.”

Still keeping his line taut, Junior felt it slowly coming toward the surface. Looking down into the murky water he saw a long, dark object. His first thought was he had snagged a railroad tie that had fallen from one of the train bridges upstream. Then his brain registered just what he was looking at. Much to Junior’s surprise, directly alongside the boat was a very dark colored, very long and hefty northern pike. The rockbass was clamped firmly in its toothy maw. The fish was apparently taking stock of the situation as it was lying just beneath the surface, moving only its pectoral fins. The big fish then opened its mouth, releasing the rockbass before drifting back into the murky depths from whence it came.

That same summer I was catching crayfish a few yards downstream from the dike. A blackbird, maybe a grackle, was perched atop a small tree branch on the opposite shore.         

I was aware of the blackbird, yet not paying it any mind – not until the water directly beneath it exploded. An obviously very big fish tried to eat that blackbird and to this day I’d always assumed it was a pike. Admittedly, I didn’t see the fish, just a lot of frothy white water. That incident shed some light on the pike’s nickname, “waterwolf. “ 

Time spent with my Aunt Faith and Uncle Jim, in addition to the above mentioned events on the banks of the Tonawanda were but a few of the catalysts leading not only to a lifelong infatuation with northern pike, they also paved the way for a series of fly-in fishing trips into the Canadian far north in search of Esox lucius, the “waterwolf.”

I’ll keep you posted.

Following the news that the prospects of funding for a high-speed passenger rail line between Albany and Buffalo seem good, I sent an e-mail to Congressman Chris Lee's office asking for a fuller statement about the project.

I asked specifically if Lee would work to ensure Batavia had a train station along the route.

Spokeswoman Andrea Bozek wrote back, "Chris is certainly reviewing Batavia's infrastructural capacity as part of this effort."

She also sent along this statement from Congressman Lee:

High-speed rail presents a great opportunity for advancing the long-term economic development of Western New York. Yesterday (ed. now day before yesterday), we had an excellent meeting between members of the upstate congressional delegation and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. We came to a consensus on the need to move this project forward with the goal to use the existing rail corridor and hit initial top speeds of 110 miles per hour. That will cut two hours off of current travel times. Transportation experts who have analyzed the plan believe the first segment of service can be open in two-to-three years, with its full opening in three-to-five years. The delegation will continue to closely work with the Secretary and New York state transportation officials as the planning turns to stops along the corridor.

The Batavia City Council meets Monday at 7 p.m.

For the Conference Meeting, Councilman Bob Bialkowski, requested a discussion of the Falleti Ice Arena and non-union wage increases.  Councilman Bill Cox requested a discussion of the Walnut Street construction project.

For the business meeting, the council is scheduled to vote on whether to grant a 2.8 percent wage increase for non-union employees.

Daniel Brusie, 33, of Medina, is accused of entering a back yard on Pratt Road in Pembroke, and stealing a riding lawn mower (described as a Poulan 21 HP 42-inch cut hydrostatic riding lawn mower).  Brusie is being held without bail and scheduled for arraignment this evening.

Christopher I. Shippers, 20, of Bergen, is accused of DWI and refusal to take a breath test. He was arrested Tuesday in connection with accident involving a train and the truck Shippers was reportedly driving.  Shippers vehicle reportedly became stuck on the track and all four occupants exited the vehicle. A train then came along, striking the truck and totalling it. Sheriff's deputies say after a subsequent investigation, they suspected Shippers fo driving while intoxicated.

Patrick Wolff, 18, of Batavia, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of unlawful possession of marijuana. Wolff was allegedly found to have marajuna in his possession following a fire alarm investigation.

Joseph Barsuk, 50, of Batavia, is accused of trespass. According to the Sheriff's release, Wal-Mart personnel said Barsuk entered and remained on Wal-Mart property "without license due to a prior restriction from the property" on Jan. 3, 2009.

It is often said that basketball is a game of runs.

While there were several runs in Wednesday's Section 5 Class A2 semifinals at the Blue Cross Arena, Batavia's last was the biggest as the Blue Devils won a thrilling 60-57 game over Geneva.

"Coach called a timeout and called a great play, and I hit a 3," said Andrew Hoy, who scored a game-high 27 points. "It is all about runs. Junior Collins doesn't normally shoot like that, even though he's a great player. He banged in two 3-pointers to put them up. We knew we would make our shots."

The second Panther run - and biggest - came after the team had fell behind 14 points midway through the third quarter.

Joe Schlossel scored to put the Blue Devils up 39-25 but Hoy went to the bench with foul trouble.

Geneva ripped off eight consecutive points with Batavia's top gun on the bench.

The Blue Devils held on to a lead, but the Panthers had five straight points at the end of the third quarter and tied the game at 45.

Geneva took a 53-49 lead when Collins hit a pair and Mickel Soloman hit one 3-pointer over a minute stretch.

Timeout Batavia.

"They were shell-shocked when Geneva had that big run," Batavia coach Buddy Brasky said. "I told them basketball was a game of runs and we had to answer."

Batavia answered right back with Andrew hitting a 3, Marcus Hoy dropping one in and Andrew hitting another in just over a minute. The Blue Devils had recaptured the lead, 58-53, with just two minutes left in the game.

"It helps a lot that I was here last year," Andrew Hoy said. "At one point I was like 0-for-10 last year, I didn't even hit the rim. It was good to get that experience last year."

Geneva cut the deficit to 58-56 when Darnell McDuffy scored and had an and-1, then stole the inbounds pass and missed the shot.

Andrew hit two free throws before Shamar Bridges hit a free throw in the closing seconds for Geneva. The Panthers had a look in the closing seconds but Collins missed the trey.

Batavia (19-3) will play Freddie Thomas in the finals on Saturday at 2 p.m.

"Freddie Thomas is as good as anybody in A1 or A2," Brasky said. "They have the fifth leading scorer in all of Section 5. It's a whole different ballgame for them. We'll watch film and get ready for Saturday."