More than 350 people attended Sheriff Gary Maha's retirement party at Batavia Downs on Saturday night and Maha was feted with more than a dozen gifts, certificates and plaques. 

Maha started his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher and film processor for the State Police 50 years ago. After a year with the State Police, the undersheriff of Genesee County invited Maha to apply for a deputy's position and he's been with the Sheriff's Office ever since.

He never set out to become sheriff, he said, and when Doug Call announced his retirement, he thought the appointment by Gov. Mario Cuomo would go to a fellow Democrat, but based on Call's recommendation (Call was a Democrat), Maha was appointed to the position. Maha never faced any opposition in any election.

Maha's final term ends Dec. 31 and Undersheriff William Sheron will become sheriff.

Livingston County Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty presents a plaque to Maha.

The County's Deputy Sheriff's Association presented Maha with a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, exactly like the one he would have carried as his first service revolver. They also presented him with an updated permit to include the revolver.