A leaking propane tank at 7556 Bank Street Road has prompted the response of Elba fire, which is in command, along with mutual aid from Corfu and Byron. The location is just north of Batavia Elba Town Line Road.

The homeowners have contacted the fuel company and a rep is responding to the scene.

UPDATE 6:32 p.m.: Elba has requested a tanker from Barre to stand by in Elba's fire hall.

UPDATE 7:01 p.m.: The fuel company rep is on scene. Barre is now in Elba's fire hall.

UPDATE 7:18 p.m.: Byron is leaving the scene, returning to service.

UPDATE 7:20 p.m.: The roadway, which had been closed by Fire Police, is being reopened. The assignment is back in service or will be shortly. Barre is released from standby.

It's easy to spot customers who have never been in Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle. They tend to point at things and ooh and aah -- a lot. That's because the inventory is comprised of an amazing array of classic toys and amusements not usually found in one place, certainly not in Big Box stores.

Spinning tops, a stuffed menagerie that can include bats, otters, zebras, squirrels, not just bears and bunnies, and models, kites, puzzles, bikes, trikes, and metal cars of the future as envisioned in the Atomic Age. Games anyone? Remember Mystery Date? Stratego? Or SNL's beleaguered Mr. Bill? Cap guns, authentic Silly Putty?

But more important than retro toys that don't require batteries or electricity is the sublime customer service and personal attention that is more or less lost in the nexus of retail commerce today.

Reason enough, perhaps, that this 96-year-old institution on Center Street in Downtown Batavia is the 2013 Retail Business of the Year, so designated by members of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

"I think it's cool," said owner John Roche of the unexpected accolade. "I guess being nominated by a friend of ours (attorney Michael Rivers) and getting people to vote for us -- it's a task and can't be the easiest thing to do. But I think it's cool. It's a good thing."

So is the toy biz in general, he says, because "It's not a real job. I guess it's one of those jobs where you go to work and it's not work. You have fun and you never work a day in your life."

He and his wife, Cathy, bought the business in 2002.

The enterprise began as a "wheel goods store" in 1918 owned by Walter J. Davis. The building was constructed at 8 Center St. in 1929. Back then, people went to places for specific services; no one-stop-shops existed. There was, say, the baker, the blacksmith, the dry goods merchant, the green grocer, and a place where items with wheels were purchased and repaired. Davis also sold a few toys and tobacco products. He sharpened ice skates, lawn mower blades, and even strung tennis rackets to keep the business running.

In 1946, Adam F. Miller bought the Davis Wheel Goods store, which became Adam Miller Wheel Goods. In the mid-'50s, he put up the distinctive neon sign hanging out front. The business expanded in the 1960s to include toys and hobbies "for kids of all ages" and a year-round full-service repair shop.

Adam retired in the '70s and handed the business over to his children, Joyce Masse and Gary Miller, who ran it for 25 years during which time it garnered the reputation of being "The Neatest Store in Town."

The neon sign was restored in 1990. Long gone was the antiquated term "Wheel Goods" (although the legal corporate name remains Davis Wheel Goods).

Adam continued to visit regularly to make sure all was running smoothly. He died in 2000 at age 90. Subsequently, his children decided to retire themselves and the business was sold to the Roches, of Corfu. The families had known each other for years and were associates in the bicycle industry.

The tradition of quality customer service continued seamlessly.

Moreover, "You don't have to deal with someone who can't make change if the register goes down."

They gladly do special orders, offer free gift wrapping, free layaway, and help with selecting the right gift or choosing the best bicycle.

"Ninety percent of our customers are loyal, repeat customers. They tell their friends, tell everybody about us. That's who I have to thank are these customers for keeping us around so long."

And he doesn't mean just his customers, but also those who've been patrons for 30 or 40 years.

"They bring their kids and grandkids and show them what a real toy store is."

Being available to chat and help select something special results in practically zero returns. They had two after last Christmas.

"I like to tell people, if you buy something and they don't like it -- keep it for yourself, and they often do."

The challenge in bringing in new customers is overcoming the assumption by some that because Adam Miller is a small, family-owned business it's therefore pricey.

"Once they come in here they get it. They can see that's not the case. It's just getting them in the door. We don't have a million dollar advertising budget, so for us, it's definitely by word of mouth that you get people in."

And when they walk through the door, the fun begins.

"You see the smiles on their faces, or the memories that come back to them that make them smile and have good thoughts."

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A fight involving about 12 subjects was reported at Batavia's Original Pizzeria at 500 E. Main St. A caller to dispatch said a baseball bat was involved and one person was struck in the head. The group subsequently left and went to Harvester Avenue. Multiple city police units are on scene and Mercy medics are staging in the area.

UPDATE 1:08 p.m.: So far no victim has been found, although now police are going to check inside the restaurant.

UPDATE 1:10 p.m.: No word on a dozen subjects; police are having I.D. checks done for four people at the scene.

UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: A victim with a laceration to the head was found inside the restaurant and medics are given the go-ahead to enter and treat the person.

UPDATE 1:24 p.m.: At least two people will be taken into custody.

UPDATE 1:34 p.m.: The victim declined transport to the hospital. Police are taking subjects to police headquarters to speak with them further.

New York Times: On "Settled Science"

Metal can be molded, shaped and welded together so that it becomes something stronger.

So can the youth of our community.

In a manner of speaking, Tim Adams does both.

As owner of Adams Welding and Manufacturing in Stafford, Adams makes and repairs farm equipment and commercial products.

As a community member who grew up on a local farm, Adams remains deeply committed to 4H and donates hundreds of hours of his time each year to the organization.

Adams grew up in 4H and even after turning 19, he remained involved.

"You don't realize right away the impact 4H has on you and the values it instills in you until later on," Adams said. "It's not that you're out of 4H at 19 -- you don't realize at 19 all the values that you've taken from 4H until later on. This last year really hit home that without people who are willing to volunteer there's not going to be organizations like 4H."

This commitment to our community, both as a volunteer and a local business owner, is the reason Adams will receive a Geneseean of the Year Award from the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday night.

"I'm surprised to be getting the award," Adams said. "That's not why I did it. I didn't do it to get an award. I do what I do to help 4H. It's truly an honor to get it, but I never thought what I did was that much more than anybody does. I just did what I did to get it done."

The son of Mike and Debbie Adams, Tim grew up on their farm in East Bethany, where he developed an appreciation for farm equipment that is in good working order.

"I was pretty meticulous about it," he said.

At first, the Adams farm was a hog farm (later adding replacement heifers) and Tim got involved with the 4H Swine Club, where he met the late Ron Komer, whom he said was a big influence on his life and his view of leadership.

"He was always there to help you if you needed something," Adams said.

In high school, Adams was taking a class at BOCES and a classmate, Jake Pocock, asked him if he'd ever tried welding. He hadn't. Jake had him put on the protective gear and weld two pieces of metal together.

 "All it took was one stick rod and I was hooked," Adams said.

Two years of welding classes at BOCES and two years of more study at Alfred State and Adams had a career, and with his connections to the ag community in Genesee County, Adams had a place to start to build a business.

In early 2012, Tim Adams and his brother Scott (Adams Trucking) took a big step together for the growth of both of their businesses and built a shop in Stafford on Route 5.

Adams' involvement with 4H includes leading the Swine Club, conducting the tractor safety courses, serving on various committees and taking charge on some key fundraising efforts.

This past year, he helped organize -- with John Duyssen, Keith Carlson, Heather Weber -- the Swine Club's first pulled pork BBQ, which Adams believes is the most successful fundraiser in the history of Genesee County 4H.

This was also the first year the Swine Club sold a club pig at the County Fair's livestock sale.

Among the most cherished contributions Adams makes to 4H is teaching the tractor safety classes. He took his first class from Bob Mullen at age 14 and has been involved in tractor safety ever since.

He said it's such a critical class for farm kids and does a lot to prepare youngsters to help out around their family farms.

"Being involved in 4H teaches responsibility, it teaches community service, it teaches you to take responsibility for an animal and be accountable, and it teaches a lot of life skills," Adams said.

He is also a member of a welding trade association, the Farm Bureau and has helped raise money for Crossroads House.

All of this community involvement has inspired Scott Adams to get more involved.

"It's something to see somebody actually carrying off and pulling off as much effort as he does," said Scott Adams, who's chairing the fair committee this year. "He actually cares about what he does. He goes that extra mile to get something done. From what he does with 4H, he's got me more involved with the fair and the ag society. He's motivated me to get involved more in the community. It's an eye-opening experience that one person can make a difference."

Clearly, making a difference is important to Tim Adams. He wants to make a difference in lives of young people the way people like Komer and Mullen did with him. Maybe today's 4H members will remember what Tim Adams did for them.

"I hope they look back like I did 10 years after I was out and look back and say, 'Hey, he was helping make me the person I am today,' " Adams said. "I'm hoping that's what they'll say."

A tractor-trailer versus car accident is reported at the intersection of routes 33 and 77. A female is complaining of lower back pain. Law enforcement is on scene and Mercy medics and Corfu fire are responding.

UPDATE 3:38 a.m.: The patient is being transported to Erie County Medical Center.

UPDATE 3:43 a.m.: Corfu is back in service.

Ellen M. Martinez Brayley, 26, of West Main Street, Batavia, pled guilty to one count of falsifying business records first degree in Genesee County Court this afternoon.

Martinez Brayley pled guilty on an Alford plea, which means she does not admit guilt, but does admit that sufficient evidence exists to convict her of the offense.

Martinez Brayley was charged in October of 2013 after an investigation found that she had falsified business records to wrongfully obtain benefits through Pathstone Section 8 HUD and Social Security Administration.

Martinez Brayley agreed to pay restitution to Pathstone in the amount of $10,059.
She will also pay restitution to Social Security Administration in the amount of $13,086.

Martinez Brayley could face up to six months in jail when she is sentenced in Genesee County Court on April 22 at 1:30.

In addition to the flood watch for Genesee County issued by the National Weather Service, a high wind warning has been issued along with a hazardous weather outlook.

The flood watch is for 6 p.m. through Friday afternoon.

The high wind warning is in effect from 2 a.m. through 10 p.m. Friday.

The hazardous weather outlook starts tonight, potentially lasting until Wednesday.

As a cold front crosses the area Friday morning, there is the potential for the development of a squall like that could producd damaging winds and heavy rain. Strong winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph, are predicted. Additional strong winds with gusts from 45 to 50 mph are possible for Saturday.

"Winds of this magnitude will bring down some trees and power lines. Travel will be difficult in high profile vehicles, especially along the Thruway."

Its expertise in agri-business, along with its high quality standards, has made the the family-run company, Bonduelle, a household name in Europe for canned, frozen and fresh vegetables. It has 47 plants around the world and sells in 100 countries.

Headquartered in France, Bonduelle is a worldwide market leader in prepared vegetables. The recent addition to Western New York has been named the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Business of the Year.

“We are proud to be recognized by the community,” Byron Facility Manager Jim Newcomb said. “Our company is pleased with the local grower base, the skill of the employees and the opportunity to market in the U.S.”

Bonduelle purchased two Genesee County plants in 2012 from the former Allen food processing facilities in Bergen and Oakfield, along with a plant in Brockport. They retained all of the existing full-time staff and employ nearly 800 people in the United States, 400 of whom are full-time workers.

The Bergen plant deals with peas, green beans, sweet corn and carrots, while Oakfield processes green, lima and wax beans, along with butternut squash.

Both locations will produce more than half of the 257 million pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat, vegetables that Bonduelle’s American operations are projected to sell in 2014. The Brockport packaging facility will handle 130 million pounds of processed vegetables.

Bonduelle posts more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues and has invested $1.7 million into the three New York facilities in its first year, upgrading equipment, improving training, as well as ensuring that only the best produce is purchased from family farms within the area.

They work with a network of local growers and the Bergen and Oakfield plants harvest most of their vegetables from within a 30-mile zone. Growing crops in close proximity to freezing facilities allows them to preserve maximum freshness. Since vegetables only travel a short distance from field to plant, they’re frozen just a few hours after harvest, capturing freshness at their peak of maturity.

Bonduelle’s operations are supplied by local growers who are part of more than 130,000 acres contracted by the company, and its team of experts ensure thorough control over every step in the food processing chain, from seeding to packaging.

People are the driving force of Bonduelle. Therefore, it's important to provide them with opportunities to upgrade and hone their skills. Whether it's in farming, production, quality assurance, sales or another sector, the company credits its team members as the company's driving force.

They include longtime Bergen facility employee Newcomb, who started there in 1971 when it was CB Foods, pushing pea carts, and who has worked his way up as the company has changed hands several times. As previously noted, he's now a Bonduelle facility manager.

“I’m excited to be working here, which is hard to believe since I’ve been here since 1971. Bonduelle has invested capital dollars into the facility, bringing money into the community and we are definitely on an upswing,” Newcomb said.

The company has been in the frozen, ready-to-eat vegetables business since 1970. Products are marketed under private-brand labels for U.S. food distributors and supermarket chains, such as Wegmans store-brand frozen vegetables. Its sales team operates on the major retail trade and food services networks.

Bonduelle’s plants, equipped with modern technology, enable flexibility and greater production capacity. The company is poised to grow and increase volume. Their Northeast operations are a prime focus and that means expansion for Genesee County plants.

“We are currently at about 80-percent capacity, which is up from the 65- to 70-percent the plant ran in the past, but we plan to increase capacity even more, as well as introduce new crops,” Newcomb said.

File Photos. Photos by Howard Owens.

Volunteerism is a way of life for Laurie Mastin.

It is a way of life made possible because of two things. Her employer and her family.

Laurie has been working with National Grid (Niagara Mohawk) for almost 35 years. She started as a steno clerk in Dunkirk.

After transferring to the Batavia Office 31 years ago, and taking the necessary math and electrical theory courses needed to become a consumer representative, she says her life has come full circle.

"I believe in paying back," Mastin says. "That's how I was raised."

Her volunteer work in Genesee County all began with her kids, she says.

"In the 1990s I was the soccer mom."

With three boys playing in the Pavilion Amature Soccer Association and being heavily involved in Boy Scouts and a regular volunteer at St. Mary's in Pavilion, Laurie and her husband, Randy, were always on the go outside of their everyday jobs.

Laurie and Randy have been married for 31 years and their sons are, Gregory, 30, Andrew, 28, and Michael, 25.

Laurie, who is originally from Fillmore in Alleghany County, met her husband at the age of 15. They became friends after working a Rotary Camp in Pike with their fathers. They never dated until they were 21. They married at 22, and Laurie had their first son at age 23. Randy is originally from Dansville.

When they married, they decided that Pavilion would be a great place to settle down and live because it was located in between Randy's job in Dansville and Laurie's job in Batavia.

In 2002, Laurie's employer asked her if she would like to go through Leadership Genesee.

It's a 12-month course that works on team building and networking. She says this course was a pivotal, life changing time for her. It was also a springboard for Mastin.

"It makes you look at what is going on in your community. It makes you look at the mirror and at your strengths and weaknesses and what you want to change and how to get there."

Mastin says she did not feel very outgoing at the time and did not like to go outside of her comfort zone.

After completing Leadership Genesee, Mastin says she has taken some chances professionally and is a lot more confident. She joined the steering committee for Leadership Genesee and was the editor for their newsletter and helped with curriculum planning.

A classmate sponsored Laurie for Rotary in February of 2003.

"Rotary does so many things -- it's not just having lunch once a week, we raise a lot of money that goes right back into the community," Mastin says. "We fund 15 to 20 organizations for different grants they ask for on an annual basis."

Mastin is currently the Rotary board secretary and says over the years the Rotary Genesee County Nursing Home Christmas Party has become her favorite event. The event is in its 93rd year and began when the home was located in Bethany. 

All the nursing home residents who are able to attend are brought to the atrium and Bill Pitcher and the Ghost Riders entertain everyone while each resident in the facility gets a Christmas present. Mastin says, "Each time I've gone to this event and had someone say 'this is the only present I got this year, thank you so much.' "

Mastin has also been involved in the past four Rotary theatrical shows and is an active Rotary chairperson for the Youth Exchange Selection, Girls basketball tournament, Oktoberfest, Christmas at the County nursing home and the United Way Day of Caring.

In recognition of her tremendous Batavia Rotary volunteer efforts, Mastin was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award.

Membership in Rotary then led to her being asked to be on the board for the Genesee Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!). She spent two three-year terms on the board and is very proud of the revamping of the GO ART! building at Main and Bank streets in Donwtown Batavia in 2005.

"It was a huge undertaking," Mastin says. "Getting the money and figuring out how to get it done, it was very meaningful." 

During her term at GO ART!, Mastin was then recruited as a Junior Achievment presenter at John Kennedy School in Batavia. She volunteered in the kindergarten class for seven years.

In 2008, Mastin was the recipient of the YWCA Fabulous Female Award. The award is given out each year to a female in the community who is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice and freedom and dignity for all people.

In addition to being a volunteer for education, the arts and business, Laurie shared her volunteer skills with those who are less fortunate in the community.

Laurie provided leadership to the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern by serving on its board of directors from 2009- 2011. The Ministry of Concern works with people to provide emergency services for the poor and encourages needy members of the community to become independent and self-sufficient members of society.

When Laurie's mother became ill in 2011, she decided to step down with the Ministry of Concern and devote her time to taking care of her mom in Fillmore.

Mastin lost her mother this past year. Her 89-year-old father, who is also a Rotarian, still lives in Fillmore.

When Mastin's boss, Paul Kazmierczak, nominated her for Geneseean of the Year, she says she felt she did not deserve it this year.

"I am just doing Rotary now," Mastin says. "I feel uncomfortable about getting this award. I have worked with so many people on all these different avenues."

Kazmierczak says, "Laurie Mastin is a volunteer 'leader' who keeps on giving to all facets of Genesee County. She is a special person and a unique asset and ambassador."

"People are doing the work here in Genesee County," Mastin says. "I think that's what sets us apart from other counties across the state. Other counties don't see the collaboration we have here with local governments and economic developement.

"We have infrastructure here. We can disagree on things, but come to a table and hash things out and not stonewall things and that is how things get done here."

Over the last 31 years National Grid has allowed Laurie to do her job largely unsupervised, but if she needs help her bosses are always there.

"They kind of let me do what I do here to be successful not just in my job, but in the community, and I support that. I am very grateful." 

Photo by Howard Owens

Some of the evidence used against a former Bergen woman in her trial for fraud a year ago shouldn't have been submitted to the jury, so the woman should get a new trial, an appeals court has ruled.

Michele Ann Case, 47, of 1037 Chili Center-Coldwater Road, Rochester, was found guilty by the jury on criminal counts for allegedly bilking her employer out of more than $14,000 in fraudulent mileage and reimbursement claims.

Case was a home care nurse.

In prosecuting the case, the District Attorney's Office used as evidence summaries of financial and accounting documents as evidence.

According to the justices of the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department, Case's attorney, Public Defender Gary Horton, did not challenge the admissibility of the documents.

The documents were not admissible, the court ruled, because the defense was not given a chance to review the data used to create the summaries.

The lack of review denied Case her right to a fair trial, the court ruled.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said the prosecution is "back to square one" -- at the same point the case was at before Case went to trial, but unless there is a plea deal, Friedman indicated he intends to proceed with the case.

"It's not like this decision indicates in anyway that we can't prove our case," Friedman said. "It's a question as to the admissibility and accuracy of the records that were used. It's certainly something that's curable for a retrial.

"This is not anything in my mind that weakens our case," Friedman added. "It's a matter of going back and reviewing the records and eventually redoing summaries that were used for the jury."

Press release:

The Genesee County Baseball Club will hold its annual Batavia Muckdogs Hot Stove Dinner and Auction on Saturday, March 22nd, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel at 8250 Park Road in Batavia. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under.

The evening will begin with a cocktail hour followed immediately by dinner. The Hot Stove Dinner is a time for good food, friendship and baseball talk. The night also features silent and live auctions of baseball-related memorabilia (including signed bats and balls), work by local artists, and gift certificates from a variety of local businesses. This year’s dinner will also benefit the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit.

Tickets may be purchased in Batavia at Dwyer Stadium, Gerace’s Hair Care, the Williams Law Firm, and the office of Dr. Alan Barcomb.

Shawn Powers, 48, of Wyoming County, is charged with failing to register a change of address. Powers, a registered Level 2 sex offender, was arrested by Le Roy PD for alleged failure to register a change of address as required by state law for registered sex offenders. He was previously a resident of the Village of Le Roy. Powers has a prior conviction for the same offense, making the new charge a Class D felony. He was jailed on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Richard Thomas Elliott, 82, of West Park Street, Pavilion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and operating with driver's view obstructed. Elliott was stopped at 1:54 a.m., Wednesday, on Cato Street, Pavilion, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Andrew J. Paladino, 34, of Shelter Street, Rochester, was arrested on Family Court warrant for alleged support violation. Paladino turned himself in on the warrant. He paid $200 toward his support obligation and was released pending his next court appearance.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at 192 Sumner Road in Darien. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 11:35 a.m.: The accident is in Crittenden. Erie County and Alden are handling. The patient is a sign-off. Darien and Mercy medics are back in service.

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced his opposition to Gov. Cuomo’s plan to give free college degrees to people in prison. The governor’s plan reflects the misplaced priorities of Downstaters who continue to ignore the needs of hard-working Western New York families. Instead of rewarding criminals, Hawley says the state should help the families who are taking on overwhelming debt to put their kids through college.

“The governor’s plan to give free college to convicts is one of the worst ideas I’ve heard during my tenure as an assemblyman. It’s insulting to middle-class Western New Yorkers who are taking on debts over $50,000 to go to college,” Hawley said. “This plan punishes law-abiding citizens while rewarding criminals. Not only is this idea wrong in principle, but it may cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. We should never ask taxpayers to pay for the college education of convicts while they are taking on debt to pay for their own.”

Press release Congressman Chris Collins:

“The Governor’s latest plan to fund college educations for convicted criminals with New Yorkers’ tax dollars is an insult to law-abiding citizens all across our state who are struggling to pay for higher education or find employment in this stagnant economy. This plan is just the latest sign that for a state that is the highest taxed and ranks among the worst in job creation, Albany has its priorities all screwed up.”

The Wall Street Journal: New Gov. Cuomo Initiative Will Fund College Classes in Prisons

UPDATE -- from Chris Collins:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) will introduce legislation to prohibit the use of federal taxpayer dollars to provide a college education to convicted criminals. The pending legislation is in response to Governor Cuomo’s announced plan to use taxpayer dollars to fund college degree programs for convicted criminals in New York State prisons.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides states with funding for educational and other programs at state prisons and correctional facilities. Collins’ legislation would ban states from using the federal taxpayer dollars to fund college degree programs for convicted criminals.

“We hear over and over again from politicians concerned about the growing cost of higher education and the amount of student debt our young people are sacked with after earning their degree," Collins said. "Strangely, many of these same politicians think tax dollars should be spent to give convicted criminals a free college degree.”

According to The Project on Student Debt, 60 percent of college graduates in New York State carry student debt. The average amount of student debt for New Yorkers is $25,537.  

Congressman Collins will formally introduce the legislation in the coming days. As the House moves forward with the Appropriations process later this year, Collins will also introduce a limiting rider to ensure no appropriated funds in a particular bill are used to fund college courses for convicted criminals. Collins’ bill would not ban states from using federal dollars to support GED or work training programs in prisons and correctional facilities.

New York Times: Review of Fat Chance Cookbook

The Bergen Business and Civic Organization was created in 1896 as the Businessman's Club and was reorganized in 1969 to include not only women, but all civic-minded citizens. The club currently has 48 business members and 15 civic members from Bergen and the surrounding communities and they are dedicated to the betterment of not only Bergen, but Genesee County as a whole.

In 2014 they will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the reorganization of the group and the 25th anniversary of the Bergen Park Festival. This family-oriented alcohol-free, community event includes a parade, car cruise, food, craft vendors, a book sale, a bounce house, zoo animals, pony rides, games, contests, live music and culminates with fireworks. All proceeds from the event go back to the village and town parks.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is honoring the Bergen Business and Civic Association with the Special Service Recognition of the Year Award.

Anne Sapienza is the current president of BBCA and she has been a member for 30 years.

“I, along with the membership, am very honored to be recognized by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce,” Sapienza said. “Volunteers do so because there is a feeling of self-satisfaction in a job well done. The team effort necessary to have an organization continually put forth positive community programs is huge and although not essential, a pat on the back is always welcome. I believe this award has brought some awareness to our organization and hopefully it will entice area residents and businesses to join."

Sapienza became involved because it was an organization devoted to the whole community.

"We support school events, veterans, hospice care and more. We have sponsored the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Hickory Park in the Village of Bergen for over 35 years," Sapienza said.

The BBCA publishes the Bergen Directory every two years, which allows businesses to advertise locally and promote their services. They also offer tours of businesses so that citizens can learn about their operations and how they affect the community.

The group hosts a recognition dinner every year, which honors five or six individuals, businesses and organizations that have contributed to the community in a positive way.

The BBCA organized the 200^th Birthday Celebration of the Town of Bergen with a dedicated garden and time capsule, along with special events at the Park Festival of 2013.

The club donates to the the Byron-Bergen Public Library, Masons' Christmas gift baskets, Genesee County Fair, Genesee County Veterans Services and Byron-Bergen Central Schools.

As is the case with volunteer organizations, although there are many members, only a core group of longtime members regularly attend meetings and assist with programs.

“Although the Town and Village of Bergen have been very supportive and assist with different projects, we always encourage new members and younger members to join as well,” Sapienza said.

Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at 13 S. Lake Ave. in Bergen at noon and everyone is welcome to attend.

Photo by Howard Owens. Clockwise: President Anne Sapienza (white sweater), Secretary Charlie Cook, Treasurer Maria Rowland, and Vice-President Michele Smith.

A car slammed into a pole at 201 Liberty St. and injuries are reported. Fluids are leaking. City fire, Mercy medics and police are responding.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: National Grid is notified about the damaged pole. No ETA given.

UPDATE 2:34 p.m.: The assignment is back in service.

A possible electrical fire in the wall is reported at the McDonald's restaurant on West Main Street. City fire is responding. An employee told dispatch that the business was not being closed.

UPDATE 10:47 a.m.: Small electrical problem in the office. The breaker has been tripped. Maintenance will be responding to fix it. City fire is back in service.