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Beginning this January, Genesee Community College will host a pair of related courses for three successive semesters on "Exploring Business Opportunities" and "Entrepreneurship." Associate Professor Barbara Shine welcomes innovators large and small. If you've got the sure-fire idea for the next big thing, you're welcome. If you're not sure what you want to do, but you know you've got the gumption, you're welcome, too.

As for the best news: it's free, and anyone can attend the courses. College students. Retirees. Workers. Anyone. Just be sure to get your application in by January 15 to be considered for this coming semester. (Scroll down to the end of the post for all the details).

Earlier this week, we took a moment to sit down and chat with Barbara Shine, to pick her brain a bit about what it takes to build a successful business. Here's what she had to say:

The Batavian: Much has been made in advance of the courses about the rough economy and this being, in fact, a great time for entrepreneurs. In the press release sent out by the college, for example, we read: "With the unemployment rate at 6.5% and expected to climb higher, entrepreneurs and energetic American inventors and innovators are an essential element in the recovery of the nation's economy." Can you explain why that is the case?

Barb Shine: Well, we know, because of the employment world, that small businesses hire more people than the total who work for large corporations. That's where the opportunities are. We as entrepreneurial educators need to remind folks from an economic standpoint that it's the small businesses that raise the opportunities to support our communities from an economic standpoint. However, small businesses may have a poor track record of staying in business for a long time. But that is where we as educators can help out. There are a lot of places for entrepreneurs to get education.

What advice might you have for folks who may be considering going into business for themselves? What should they consider at the outset?

First, you need to verify that the market is interested in your concept. I call them concepts. You need to do market research. Find out what alternatives are out there for a consumer. Find out how does your product differentiate itself. Those questions need to be answered. Also, the market has to be big enough to be profitable for the individual. So you look at marketing, first, then financial feasibility, then operations.

One of the beauties of the course is that we will tell people what's out there, what the market will bear from a trend standpoint. People need to understand that (doing) what we're passionate about and making it work in the marketplace can be two different things.

An entrepreneur needs to always be looking out for the next best thing. You do this by social networking, reading the magazines, looking at the competition—and not necessarily the logical competitors. Who would have thought that the customer service style for Disney would work in a bank? In fact, Disney sells their customer service package to large financial institutions.

What will each class entail? Do people need to attend both? Can they attend one and not the other?

In the first class, "Exploring Business Opportunities," the questions that should get answered include: Do I have the right concept that the market would be interested in? Am I passionate enough? Because it requires lots of energy, time, money. Do I have what it takes? What do I need to think about from marketing, operations and financial standpoints? Then we need to verify that there is a market, make sure there is enough of a popoluation and buyers.

In the second class, "Entrepreneurship," we will put a plan together. This class qualifies the details of what I need to do to make it happen. It's the five P's: proper planning prevents poor performance. The goal is to plan... And assuming they need funding, they will use that plan to support loan or investor options. In most cases, folks do bootstrapping entrepreneurship: That's where funding is minimal: from family, savings, second mortgage—they bootstrap it if they can.

How are things looking right now as far as loan options?

It depends on how much money an individual is looking for, their personal credit line. Do I think it's at a standstill because of the credit crisis: No. The basics are still important. There are other alternatives aside from banks, other investor opportunities. Personality, their own financial background—there's an array of variables. An entrepreneur shouldn't be deterred if they have a great idea and there's a market... but they need to come to the table with the right plan to turn their business into a profitable entity.

Shine also spoke about specific trends that are hot right now on the market. They include: green energy, organic foods, Web applications, and alternative energy solutions. In fact, the December issue of Entrepreneur magazine is devoted to the upcoming trends and might be a good read for those considering taking the courses and testing the waters with their own idea.

From the press release:

The Genesee Community College scholarship program is part of the collaborative WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) grant, wherein eligible participants will be reimbursed for the cost of tuition and books for two college entrepreneurship courses offered in this coming Spring, Summer and Fall of 2009. The scholarship grants are valued at approximately $500 per semester for enrolling and completing Business 111: Exploring Business Opportunities; and Business 225: Entrepreneurship.

Interested individuals should submit the scholarship application form and related materials as soon as possible. The application deadline for the Spring 2009 semester is January 15th. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Scholarship awardees will be notified prior to the start of each course.

For more information on the program or to get a copy of the scholarship application, visit the college's Web site.

Coincidentally, SUNY Geneseo is right now looking for business mentors for their Young Entrepreneurs Academy at the college. From the Academy:

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a program for middle and high school students that teaches them how to launch and run their very own business.

Mentors will have the opportunity to assist their student group in the process of developing and writing a business plan and creating an investor presentation used to request funding. We also encourage mentors to share their business experiences with the groups over the course of their meetings. Previous students have indicated that hearing first-hand accounts from members of the business community make a significant impact on what they are learning.

Visit the program's Web site for more information.

A grain barn on Creek Road in the town of Bethany caught fire this morning and all but burned to the ground, according to the Daily News. One farm worker on scene was taken to United Memorial Medical Center for treatment of minor smoke inhalation. No one else was injured in the blaze that, at one point, threatened to explode a row of propane tanks.

Reporter Scott DeSmit tells the story of the fire in a vivid narrative. Here's just a snippet:

Flames quickly tore through the thin metal roof and sides of the barn. Electrical service in the front popped like fireworks, sending bursts of green and white sparks into the air and causing concern that the live lines would soon catch fire and fall.

More than a dozen fire crews were still on scene at 10 o'clock this morning, two hours after the fire erupted. WBTA's Dan Fischer informs us that Creek Road was closed off between Putnam and Brookville roads.

Batavia Downs will close the track for the season after this Saturday. Unlike last year, Tom Rivers reports that the horses will be allowed to stay at the raceway instead of having to head to Buffalo, as they did last year.

Batavia city school students will be allowed to attend a biotechnology at Genesee Community College for free and earn a college credit thanks to a grant from Bank of America.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Daryl M. Oar, 38, of 3865 Pike Road, Batavia, was charged with second-degree harassment and resisting arrest Sunday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Oar was picked up by deputies following an investigation into a fight at his address. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

Pavilion's Steve Rigoni is the subject of an article in today's Buffalo News. Rigoni is a cash crop farmer, descendent of three generations of upstate dairy farmers, who has been featured in a pair of videos on The Batavian for his construction of a corn dryer that is fueled by switchgrass rather than propane. (If you haven't seen either of those videos yet, please check them out. It's pretty remarkable what Rigoni put together... from scratch.)

In the Buffalo News piece, Rigoni is in the spotlight again for his allegiance to alternative energies—this time, for mounting a windmill outside his home. From that article:

It’s easy to spot Steve Rigoni’s place in Pavilion — just look for the wind turbine spinning high above his house.

“I look at it as my midlife thing,” Rigoni said. “Some people get a Corvette, or a new woman — I got a windmill.”

His 10-kilowatt Bergey Windpower rig is hardly a wanton spree, however. While it cost him $25,000, after state incentives, it has nearly wiped out electric bills that used to average $120 to $140 a month.

Reporter Fred O. Williams calls it "wind power to the people."

For Rigoni, converting to wind power was as much a labor of love, he said, as it was about economics. A proponent of alternative energy, he also heats his home partly with wood, and burns switchgrass instead of propane to dry corn for his farming operation.

But the wind turbine pays its way. For the last two years, it has pumped out about 800 kilowatt-hours a month, powering Rigoni’s washer, dryer, water heater, fridge and lights.

When the wind is blowing but the appliances aren’t on, the turbine spins his electric meter backward, generating a small credit toward future energy use.

“We don’t ever make much money on it,” he said.

It turns out that the Great Lakes region is "a prime wind-resource area," especially in the colder months, which would be good news for folks like us who max out our energy bills come January and February. But is it really worth it?

Does small wind save money? The rule of thumb is that a well-located turbine with an average wind speed of 12 mph and with 10-kilowatt capacity can generate about 1,000 kilowatt- hours a month, or enough to power a typical home — not counting heating or air-conditioning. Whether that will break even over the 20-year life of a turbine depends on current and future electricity rates. Utility rates of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour begin to make the cost of wind attractive.

Wind power economics just got a push from Congress. The financial bailout package enacted in October included a tax credit of up to $4,000 for small wind systems.

So, would you do it?

A dozen prison farms across the state will be closed down over the next six months, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. That includes the farm in Attica. The State Department of Corrections has said that the cost of maintaining the farms exceeds the revenue brought in by the produce. Don't know about anyone else, but I was surprised to hear that these farms still existed.

A JP Morgan Call Center based in Albion will remain open, and its 850 employees will remain at work. Fischer reports that there had been concern over whether the center would remain open after Chase acquired Washington Mutual two months ago.

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Now that the almost inevitable selection of Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State is official, the already drawn out speculation of who will fill her seat is in full swing and will no doubt dominate news coverage for the next few weeks.  I was thinking today though, what if Governor Paterson had to choose from Genesee County, seeing how close the Democorats are to having a 60 vote majority, the likelihood of him picking a Republican is slim....so popular Republican Assemblyman Steve Hawley, or really any other known Republican would be out of the question.

In this fun hyothetical, or shall I say, localthetical, who would Governor Paterson pick if he had to choose from Genesee County leaders?

Obviously, in terms of name recognition he would start with major Government leaders, so number 1 on the list would probably be Batavia City Council President Charlie Mallow.  Love the guy or hate him (personally I like the guy), he brought the City into the black, worked across the aisle to bring proposed tax increases far down from their original expectations and was the leader of two tickets that led to Democratic control of the City Council, he's also shown that he has the fundraising ability to help large scale fundraising efforts in Batavia and county wide. 

Perhaps Paterson would also consider the straight-shooting Rosemary Christian, with her reputation as a fighter and her popularity with the local ethnic communities, she wouldn't back down to Republican pressure in the US Senate.  Paterson also might be credited for picking a 'maverick' , who sincerley votes with her conciense and puts the interests of working people first. 

The level headed Kathy Briggs may also play a factor in Paterson's mind, she also has shown that she can work well across the aisle and still stands up for what she believes in, her background as a teacher may also be a major bonus, Briggs also has good relations with the local Conservative party, and could possibly pull their support. 

Ed DeJanerio would also be given obvious consideration, he's defined himself locally as a scrappy campaigner who doesn't just beat his opponents, he gives them an electoral thrashing through careful and positive messaging and by hitting every single house in his district.  Ed is a careful and moderate leader in the County Legislature who focuses on constituant services.

Batavia School Board President Pat Burk would cleary be the "education" choice, he's been working with education on the board before I was even a thought in anyone's minds he's lead the district through thick and then and has brought Batavia into respectability state wide, especially with Batavia High School being such a high-performing school.  His selection would also be a bonus because of his work with the State School Boards Association, Burk could act as a representative on education on behalf of President Obama statewide. 

Paterson could also pull a triple whammy by selecting School Board Member Gary Stich, the current President and CEO of Oxbow corporation, thus adding private sector bonfidias along with an obvious interest in education with the know-how and connections to turn around the upstate economy, I'm not entirely sure of his partisan affiliation, so obviously some agreement with him caucusing with the Democrats would have to be worked out (if he isn't already one).

Maybe Paterson would reach into LeRoy for his selection, former party Chair Ray Yaccuzo has been active in environmental issues and has been a community leader outside of politics for most of his life, in addition he has valuable executive experience being the former mayor of LeRoy. 

Speaking of former LeRoy mayors, Jim Delooze would also recieve close attention, he also has good relations with the local Conservative party and really put his heart and soul into Leroy.  Despite his defeat in his last election, it appears that his careful budgeting and smart governing left LeRoy in a pretty good position, and with his energetic campaign style he certainly would be an asset to the Democrats.

There's also possible picks from the surronding towns, such as Barb Kapperman, a former candidate for County Treasurer and who has had much experience working with Government finance, can you say budget balancer?

Now we go back to the reality of Governor Paterson's possible picks, Andrew Cuomo, Brian Higgins, Byron Brown, Nydia Valesquez and Steve Israel, all great possible picks without a question....but just think of all the great choices Governor Paterson would have if he was limited to Genesee County.

Driving through downtown Batavia earlier today, I spotted a curious motor vehicle parked out front of a home on North Street, just east of Bank Street. In fact, it so caught my attention that I turned around at Dwyer Stadium and drove back just to take its picture.

One need catch only a mere glimpse of this truck to be dazzled, and that's without even knowing what splendors might be tucked away in its spacious cab—itself retro-embellished with umber stripes that can still be somewhat discerned beneath the cacophony of stickers. And oh, such stickers! It's probably impossible to see in these couple of photos here, but the stickers are no less than a paean to our American identity, albeit one that leans to the right. From "Fishaholic" and "Semper Fi" to "Let Freedom Ring" and "God Bless Ronald Reagan" (yikes), they are a testament to the wonder and ubiquity of American products, presidents, pastimes and... branches of the military.

Yet this truck has more to recommend than carpet cleaners (you might be able to make out the "Castle" sticker to the right and near the bottom of the window). It tells a story, some of which we can decipher from the few superficial clues we have here. We may infer, for example, that the owner is a traveller who once served in the military and enjoys the sport of fishing. This truck is an enormous symbol of self decked out in hundreds of smaller symbols that sharped the bigger picture we get in the first glance. In addition to the United States sticker, the hood also bears one for Wales and another for Poland. Are these indicatiors of ancestral nationality or places the owner visited? What of the stained-glass windows above the windshield and doors? Are they symbols of a religious sentiment or merely decorative?

How would you imagine the owner of this truck? Perhaps... A middle-aged fellow. A bit grizzled. A bit gray. Laughs heartily. Eats beef jerky. Doesn't mind if he gets lost, although he likely never does, having travelled coast to coast to coast, and back again. What do you think?

Do you know this truck? Is it your truck? Can you tell its story?

Clocking in at No. 7 in the Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous is Terry Anderson, America's longest-held hostage in the Middle East, whose release set off a media blitz upon the city of Batavia, the likes of which Genesee County had never seen.

Holland Land Office Museum Director Pat Weissend:

On March 16, 1985, former Batavia resident Terry Anderson had just finished a game of tennis in Beirut, Lebanon when three gunmen pulled up in a green Mercedes and kidnapped him. This was day one in a 2,454 day ordeal that captivated the City of Batavia, Genesee County, the United States and the world.

[...]

His captors were a group of Shiite Muslims. During his captivity, Anderson was tortured and beaten. He didn’t know from one day to the next if he would be released or killed. He turned to the Bible for peace and wrote poetry.

After being imprisoned for nearly seven years, Anderson was released on December 4, 1991. After his release he spent a few days in a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany before returning to the United States. 

For more on Terry Anderson, visit the museum's Web site.

In a side note: This terra cotta sculpture here of Anderson was dropped off at the Holland Land Office Museum last week and should be up on display for folks who want to check it out up close.

We're looking for a family in need. In particular, a family in the Batavia area with young children whose parents will be unable to provide gifts this holiday season. Over the weekend, The Batavian received a request from a reader who is coming to the area with his family during the upcoming holidays. He wrote to us:

"Myself and my family are going to be vacationing in the Batavia area visiting family for the Christmas and New Year's Holiday. We would like to find a family with children who will not be able to provide gifts and/or food for the children."

If you know of a family who might fit the bill, please pass along the information so that we may get them in touch with this giving family from Phoenix. You can reach me via e-mail or by phone: (585) 802-3032. Call anytime. Leave a message if there's no answer.

Daily News reporter Roger Muehlig spoke with some shoppers in Batavia Saturday, chatting with those who did not come out for Black Friday.

That's about it for today.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Cory R. Markidis, 19, of Rochester, was charged with a felony count of first-degree gang assault Saturday, city police said. Markidis was picked up on a warrant that dates back to April, 2007, for an incident in which he allegedly beat someone on East Main Street in Batavia, breaking the victim's nose and causing vision damage. Markidis was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Christopher E. Krauss, 45, of no permanent address, was charged with second-degree obstruction of government administration Saturday, city police said. Krauss is accused of failing to abide by the rules of the Batavia Drug Court. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Joshua A. Harris, 19, of 24 Columbia Ave., Batavia, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a child Sunday, city police said. Harris allegedly punched a hole in a bedroom door and smashed a glass picture frame during a domestic dispute in the presence of three young children. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $3,500.

Marilyn J. Drilling, 47, of 4136 Colonial Blvd., Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Drilling was stopped on Route 5 in the town of Batavia. She was also ticketed with speeding.

Derrick D. Pearce, 27, of 3440 Pearl Street Road, Apt. B, Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated DWI Saturday, deputies said. Pearce was allegedly found by deputies asleep at the wheel, pulled off to the side of the road on East Main Street in Corfu, with the vehicle still running.

John Boyce, 20, of Oakfield, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana Thursday, deputies said. Boyce was stopped in Alabama. He was also ticketed with operating a motor vehicle with obstructed vision and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on the highway.

Jon H. Bush Jr., 25, of Elba, was charged with second-degree criminal contempt Wednesday, deputies said. Bush Jr. was allegedly spotted by probation officers drinking alcohol at the Oakfield Hotel, thus violating his probation. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

Thomas L. Gray, 25, of Le Roy was charged with driving while intoxicated Wednesday, deputies said. Gray allegedly struck a telephone pole with his vehicle on South Street Road in Le Roy, then fled the scene and later took off on foot. He was also ticketed with leaving the scene of a property damage accident and moving from the lane unsafely.

Renee M. Bermel, 20, of Attica, was charged with petit larceny and unauthorized use of a computer Tuesday, deputies said. Bermel allegedly used a computer at the Target store in Batavia sometime several months ago to create a false gift card which she then used to purchase merchandise.

Robert L. Drozdowski, 27, of 232 N. Spruce St., Apt. E, Batavia, was charged with three felony counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and three felony counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, deputies said.  Drozdowski allegedly sold a quantity of cocaine and Oxycodone to an agent of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force. He was sent to Genesee County Jail without bail.

Nick A. Hawkins, 24, currently an inmate at the Genesee County Jail, was charged with a felony count of third-degree burglary Tuesday, deputies said. That charge is related to a robbery that took place back in 2001 at the Frost Ridge Campground in Le Roy, where change was forcibly removed from vending and video game machines. Christopher D. Nolan was initially charged with the crime of burglary in 2002, because a fingerprint found at the scene matched his own. He was 21 years old at the time. After Nolan pled guilty to the charge, he was sentenced to five years of probation and restitution. Since then, a DNA profile of blood found at the scene of the crime has been found to be a match with Hawkins.

State police conducted another DWI saturation patrol following the Buffalo Bills home game this past Sunday. Four arrests were made for driving while intoxicated, among other charges. Jason A. Zymowski, 34, of Darien, was chargedw ith a felony count of driving while intoxicated, as well as a felony count of aggravated unlicensed operation.

A Batavia business mainstay for more than a century, Loose Ends Vending & Food Service, has been sold, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. A Massachusetts company will take over the vending service and incorporate it into "the nation's largest vending company," Next Generation, which operates out of Canton. Fischer reports that: "Many Batavia workers will be transferred to the new company's offices and warehouses in Buffalo and Rochester." No mention of how many workers will be affected, or if any stand to lose their jobs. Loose Ends was owned by brothers Thomas and John Houseknecht, along with their brother-in-law William Barton and nephew Michael Houseknecht. The family also owned the Pepsi-Cola Batavia Bottling Corp., which was sold nine months ago to the Pepsi Bottling Group.

Multiple accidents on the Thruway eastbound near Pembroke kept the highway closed down and backed up for nearly 20 miles yesterday evening. Slick wet roads are likely to blame for the crashes.

 No team plays perfect basketball at the start of the season.

The Batavia girls definitely were not at their best Saturday night in the finals of the Attica Tip-off Tournament, but overcame some issues in the paint and defeated Dansville 59-49 to capture the championship.

The Blue Devils opened up a seven point lead in the first quarter as Brittany Mazurkiewicz had the hot hand. The senior guard scored 11 of her team-high 19 points in the opening frame, giving Batavia an 18-11 advantage.

But Dansville came back and trailed just 24-20 at the half because of a solid effort in the paint. Batavia struggled to hit layups and gave the Mustangs too many second-chance points in the period.

Margaret Infantino's 3-pointer in the closing moments brought her team to within four points going into the break.

After Infantino dropped in another trifecta early on in the second half, Dansville took a 25-24 lead on a Ryan Doerr bucket. Infantino hit another 3-pointer after Michelle Jordan scored for Batavia and Dansville had a 28-26 lead, the team's biggest of the game.

Infantino scored seven of her game-high 20 points in the third quarter and the Mustangs led 36-35 after three periods of play.

Kristen Klein scored three points near the end of the third quarter and took over early in the fourth. The 5-foot-9 junior was one of several Batavia players looking to be a strong option at forward, next to Jaycee Shirk, and she very well could be.

Klein had several fourth quarter rebounds and scored her other four points in the fourth, with the second basket putting Batavia up 45-36. In all, Batavia scored the first 10 points of the final period.

Dansville cut the deficit to four points with just over 3 minutes left, but Mazurkiewicz hit a free throw, Stacy Hein ht a pair and Shirk scored to make it 50-41 with less than two minutes to play.

Hein hit 8-of-8 foul shots in the last minute and finished with 13 points.

Mazurkiewicz won the tournament MVP as she finished with 19 points, five assists and four steals. Shirk made the all-tournament team with eight points and four blocks and Jordan pitched in six points.

Infantino made the all-tournament team with 20 points and was joined by Ashley Amidon, who scored eight points.

Dansville falls to 1-1 while Batavia and new coach Bill Wade improve to 2-0 and bring home the championship trophy.

Alexander's Rachel Pettys made the all-tournament team as her Trojans beat rival Attica 44-32 in the consolation game. She scored 11 points with 13 steals and seven boards. Anna Dominick poured in 15 points with Kate Kochmanski grabbing 13 boards to go with her five points.

Attica's Christina West had 10 points and made the all-tournament squad.

The Blue Devils fall to 0-2 while Alexander improves to 1-1.

Managing editor Mark Graczyk has a great story in Saturday's edition of The Daily News.

Batavia is a city with a rich history and Graczyk takes a fascinating look at the Depression era and looks at how people that survived those times remember them. Some of the people interviewed by Graczyk remember things being a little more positive than the history books tell us.

"I don't ever recall it feeling like a hardship," 86-year old Francis Guppenberger says. "We may not have ever had a lot of money because the pay wasn't that high, but we didn't think we were poor ... I don't remember any hard times, even when my dad was out of work."

Others remember things being  very tight.

"When I got married, we knew that there was a certain amount we could spend for heat, food and rent," Virginia Temple says. "If there was something left you could do something special. Otherwise you didn't do it. Very seldom did you have extra."

Later in the story, Temple says that she thinks right now are pretty bad, stating "It's probably a little worse now, with people losing their money."

The story is a great look back at a time many people are talking about because of the current state of the economy. The only problem with the story would be the run-over. At the end of the story it says you can find the rest of the story on page A-8. I looked, it wasn't there. You should make sure to just turn the page and find the rest on A-2.

The piece continues on B-1 as 14 readers submit memories of the Great Depression in their own words.

If any members of The Batavian family has any memories of the Depression, or remembers any stories they may have heard from parents or grandparents, please post them in comments section. It is always fun to look back in history and we would love to hear your stories.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

 It must have felt like hell for the Hornell community.

It has been exactly one month since the tragic death of Hornell football player Dillen McCormick, a loss that devastated a town, a football family and all of Section 5.  The passing was a total shock and under circumstances that are as tough as can possibly be for a family to deal with.

But Dillen's family has been able to survive the crushing loss of a son, and a brother, in do so in many ways because of the love and support shown by the football program and fans from all throughout Section 5.

News of Dillen's death quickly spread as a thread was started on Section 5 Talksback, just hours after the news broke in the town of Hornell. Athletes and fans from everywhere from Bath to Oakfield-Alabama to Geneva and all over one of New York State's largest sections delivered classy, touching and supportive messages. McCormick's passing made an impact on people that were related to him, were friends with him and had never met him.

If you had never met the young man, you very well have heard enough about him by now to feel like you did. One message sent to me personally by one of Dillen's good friends described him as a weight lifter, a class clown, a daredevil, athletic, funny and a kid that loved his family and his friends more than anything else.

Whatever the reasons for Dillen's tragic death, it could never take away from the person that he was and the amount of people he touched in his life can never be in doubt. The evidence is in the Talksback thread, and when you look at the 279 members that are members of a Facebook group set up in his honor.

Or just pay attention on I-390 when you drive past Hornell, where you will see a rock decorated for Dillen. 

The football team rallied around Dillen as well, with the Section 5 Class B semifinal game against Geneva played the weekend after his passing. Legendary coach Gene Mastin asked his players if they wanted to forfeit the game or play, and Dillen's friends took the field in honor of their fallen friend. The Red Raiders lost the game, 21-12, but the result was more than could be expected as football was probably the furthest thing from those kid's minds.

Those closest to Dillen, his family, have been through a lot but are doing okay as well. Darrin and Carol - Dillen's parents - are back to work, doing well and have presumably had the pain of a son's death eased by the kids that are showing support. In the message I mentioned earlier, Mr. and Mrs. McCormick are described as "the most kind, loving, welcoming people you could ever meet." In this hard time, they have opened their home to many of Dillen's friends, giving them as much support as they are receiving in return.

Anybody with a brother or sister could only imagine what Dillen's brother Pat has had to go through. He was pulled out of a football practice and informed of his brother's death. The two were very close.  But he is back to school and playing on the Hornell jayvee basketball team this winter. Pat has seen some great relationships develop with friends of his older brother, which has hopefully helped him through this difficult time.

It is always tough when a high school kid loses his life and it is easy to look at the negatives of a devastating loss. But in just a month, there are a lot of positives to come out of a big negative. Dillen may be gone, but he has united a town, a football community and all of Section 5.

 The big news of the day Friday is on A-3 as Sam Pontillo tells Daily News reporter Joanne Beck that the Main Street Batavia Pontillo's pizzeria is unlikely to reopen soon.

The Daily News originally reported that the restaurant was shut down for renovations before The Batavian reported that the reason was $112,000 in back taxes. Pontillo talked with Beck a couple of days later and revealed a messy situation with the family, causing the restaurant to close because of the tax situation.

Originally Pontillo said that the pizzeria would reopen in a couple of weeks, but now says it is not going to happen because he feels that when he obtains the business from the family estate that there will be a lot of work that will actually have to be done before he can open the doors.

"I'm wondering, 'should I tear the building down and build a new one?'," Pontillo told Beck on Wednesday. "I need to decide that before I put some big money into the (current) building. I want to take the proper course of action. I'm still up in the air, I'm trying to get the estate settled, I'm working the numbers. No one wants to put money into a property they don't own."

Pontillo also says he has had preliminary talks with an architect to redesign the restaurant and has no intentions on keeping Pontillo's closed. He did tell Beck that if a "a big-monied drug store came along and made a generous offer to buy, he would consider it."

The Le Roy branch of Pontillo's is still open and the Batavia site has a sign saying Pontillo's is open for delivery.

The Batavian called the number on the sign (343-3303) at about 1:15 p.m. Friday and spoke with a woman named Maddy, who says that orders can be placed and will be delivered from the Le Roy restaurant to Batavia on Thursday through Sunday nights after 4 p.m. She says the full menu is available.

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Daily News reporter Tom Rivers handled the yearly Black Friday story and spoke with some shoppers that got up early to bargain hunt at Wal-Mart and Target.

Even with the current state of the economy, the stores were packed this morning. Rivers writes "The line (at Target) stretched for at least 500 people, extending to Bed Bath & Beyond.

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An inmate at the Genesee County Jail has been charged for a seven-year-old burglary in Le Roy, thanks to a DNA link writes reporter Scott DeSmit.

Genesee County sheriff investigator Timothy Weis tells DeSmit that 24-year-old Nick A. Hawkins was charged Tuesday with third-degree burglary for a Dec. 28, 2001 robbery at Frost Ridge Campground in Le Roy.

DNA submitted by Hawkins because he was a convicted felon matched blood taken from the crime scene, according to Weis.

Hawkins is the second person charged in the crime as Christopher D. Nolan was arrensted and charged in July 2002. He received five years probation and had to pay restitution. 

As always, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

    The yearnings began before my school years. My Aunt Faith & Uncle Jim first took me off the beaten path early in life. In the pre-war years Aunt Faith had been a school teacher. Having grown up on a farm in the deep-south, it was the naturalist in her who introduced me to Mother Nature. Both she and my Uncle Jim combined to give me a good case of the fishing bug. In the late fifties they moved down south, but before that, they took me along with them on a couple of Canadian fishing trips – exciting stuff for a youngster. 

     My father wasn’t the outdoor type, he bowled and golfed. After my aunt and uncle moved away my ticket to the wild places was temporarily voided. It wasn’t long before I discovered northern pike in the waters of Tonawanda Creek barely more than a stone’s throw from my Hutchins Street home. After reeling in my first pike, I noticed they were a smaller version of the muskellunge, fish I had seen my uncle do battle with on Canadian lakes.         

     On an October afternoon in the mid-fifties, I saw Sal “Savie” Capuano and Jim Holvey seated on the tailgate of the latter’s station wagon. At the time the car was parked below a maple that on the corner of Sumner and Hutchins Sts. The tree’s foliage was a blazing orange, and it only enhanced the scene below. Savie and Jim were sitting on the tailgate, displaying a bag limit of ringneck pheasants. Among the pheasants was a red fox, its coat sleek, its tail full and lush.

     It was in this same time frame when I faithfully tuned in to a television show called Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges portraying Navy frogman Mike Nelson. Despite his mask being partially filled with water at all times, I wanted to emulate this guy.

     Thanks to a few high school teammates, I discovered waterfowling and experienced some pheasant hunting before the ringneck numbers declined.

     My pike dreams, took me from north central Ontario, to Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. Along the way I discovered fishing for spectacular-colored lake trout in shallow water. Time spent in Alaska resulted in catching grayling in the Arctic Circle (not to be confused with the polar ice cap) and experiencing total daylight for a month.

     My skin-diving began on Cedar Street, behind the phone company. One day I grabbed a mask, fins and snorkel and I was off. Ensuing years led to dives off Martha’s Vineyard, LaJolla (where I finally coaxed my wife into giving it a try), the Florida Keys and Abaco, Bahamas.        

              The dreams of my earliest years have all come true. More importantly, God has blessed me with a wonderful wife who, since our LaJolla adventure, has been a dive companion on numerous trips, some with our children and grandchildren. Yesterday we celebrated our thirty seventh anniversary.

     Unlike my childhood dreams and aspirations, Claudia came along unexpectedly. God’s plan is perfect. That being said, there is much to give thanks for today.  Happy Thanksgiving!