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GCC hosted its 34th Annual Fashion Show Saturday. These photos are from the 3 p.m. show.

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Sunrise this morning taken on the property known as Gateway II off Route 98, Batavia.

You know, it could be you rolling down Route 98 on a bright, blue and breezy summer day on your way to the twists and turns of the Southern Tier aboard a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.

It could be you atop that iron mount filled with the same pride the men and women have who volunteer for their local fire departments.

It could be you at the Town of Batavia Fire Hall on Lewiston Road sometime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., tomorrow, buying a ticket for a chance to win that Harley, and signing up to be a volunteer, or at least having a hot dog...maybe get a free smoke detector, a coloring book or fire helmet for the kids and just hang out with the men and women who help keep our county safe. They'll cook you a hot dog. Or a hamburger.

Imagine, that.

Only a limited number of tickets are sold for the Harley Raffle, so you better tool on down to the Fire Hall tomorrow and plunk down some cash, or it might be somebody else riding that Harley.

Somebody's going to win it. It might as well be you.

A teenager accused of participating in a violent robbery in March on Central Avenue is facing a possible three years in prison after entering a guilty plea in County Court this afternoon to a charge stemming from that attack.

Tyshon L. Taylor was originally charged with assault in the first degree, but the plea deal reduced the charge to attempted assault, 2nd.

In the initial report, Taylor was accused of hitting a person with a gun, but when Judge Robert C. Noonan questioned Taylor as part of the factual admission portion of his hearing, Noonan asked about the use of a knife. Taylor said no weapon was used at all.

After a conference among the attorneys at Noonan's bench, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman amended the count Taylor would admit to. Instead of second-degree assault, the charge was changed to attempted assault, 2nd. That kept it as a Class D violent felony and preserved the three-year potential prison term.

Taylor then admitted to participating in the forcible theft of property from a person while working in concert with another suspect.

His co-defendant is Preston Daigler, who is scheduled to appear in County Court on Monday on a possible plea deal.

Taylor was soft spoken and respectful throughout the hearing, often answering Noonan's questions with, "yes, sir."

Sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m., July 6.  

Taylor remains in custody without bail.

Blue Devil Jeff Redband has been named to the All-State First Team by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

With 27 points per game, Redband had the second highest PPG average of all the Class A ranked players.

Redband recently signed a letter of intent to attend Daemen College in Buffalo on a basketball scholarship.

Notre Dame's Josh Johnson was named to the fourth team in Class D.

Press release:

Pembroke High School has made The Washington Post’s America’s Most Challenging High School List, published online this past Sunday.

Unlike Business First’s rankings, which consider a variety of factors in determining Western New York’s top schools, The Washington Post publishes a list of their top schools based on one factor, healthy Advanced Placement participation. If the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests is greater than the number of graduating seniors, the school makes the list.

Pembroke High School was able to meet the challenge by having 86 test takers last May with graduation for 67 seniors, an accomplishment that places Pembroke in the top 10 percent of all 22,000 high schools across America.

“We continue to embrace high expectations, and we do not shy away from challenging our students to the fullest,” stated Superintendent Matt Calderón. “We believe Pembroke students are fully capable to meet increased rigor in a variety of areas, and we are fortunate to have strong partnerships with parents and a community that also embraces that vision.

"When the NYS Commissioner of Education visited our District, it was our students that told him they wanted more rigorous and demanding coursework because they want to be prepared for life beyond high school; and they know the AP curriculum will give them a good taste of what their future holds in regard to college-level courses and career expectations.”

Ten years ago, Pembroke offered only two AP courses, Biology and Calculus AB, taken advantage of by 17 students. Now Pembroke offers AP English Literature, Psychology, Studio Art, U.S. History, World History, and Environmental Science. Music History and Physics were added for 2014-15 with a handful of students taking AP Computer Science through an online grant. For students who perform well on the AP exams, many colleges and universities offer college credit.

“No doubt, it is a lot of hard work but very rewarding when filling out that college application and vying for your school of choice. It can also be rewarding when entering college with 18 credits under your belt. That $546 investment translates to about $10,000 in savings at many of the colleges our students typically attend,” reported senior high school counselor and AP coordinator Toby Beahan.

According to high school Principal Keith Palmer, “If students want to challenge themselves, we try to provide the opportunities. We regularly work on developing an expectation with our students that a demanding and rigorous course load will be the best route in preparing for both college and career, especially during one’s senior year. And fortunately, we have talented teachers that are able to meet the challenge.”

Add to the mix student course-interest surveys, weighted grading for students who take on the challenge, recognition for students who score well, quality training for teachers, and you end up with healthy student participation in a quality AP program.

For more information about The Washington Post’s best high schools, visit http://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/

Press release:

Genesee County Deputy Sheriff Joseph A. Corona has been selected by the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) New York State to receive its “2014 Recognition Award."

Deputy Corona was nominated by Genesee County Sheriff Gary T. Maha for his very aggressive DWI enforcement during 2014. Deputy Corona made 43 alcohol-related arrests (38 DWI, three DWI Drugs and two DWAI) and also made 30 arrests for unlawful possession of an alcoholic beverage with intent to consume by persons under the age of 21. In May 2014, Deputy Corona was awarded an Exceptional Service Award by the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) for his efforts in combating DWI. 

The award was presented to Deputy Corona during a luncheon held in Schenectady on April 23 (see attached photo). He was one of among only 23 individuals statewide to be selected for this award. Attending the luncheon were Sheriff Maha, Chief Deputy Gordon L. Dibble and Genesee County Stop DWI coordinator Matt Landers.

A 33-year-old Bank Street resident has been accused of selling drugs following an undercover investigation by the Local Drug Task Force and the execution of a search warrant at her residence.

Shannon H. Dick is charged with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal possession of criminal possession of controlled substance, 5th.

As a result of the search warrant, she was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Prior to her arrest, the Grand Jury of Genesee County, indicted Dick on the first set of charges.

She allegedly sold cocaine to an agent of the task force while in the City of Batavia.

Dick was jailed pending arraignment in Genesee County Court.

The warrant allegedly uncovered crack cocaine and marijuana. She was issued an appearance ticket on those charges. 

Batavia PD and the District Attorney's Office assisted in the arrest and investigation of the suspect.

Desa died in Rochester this morning, reports WBTA.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Among Dr. Desa's service to the community was time spent on the boards of United Memorial Medical Center and HomeCare & Hospice.

He was also always open to sharing with local residents his knowledge of the healthcare system, making frequent public appearances to speak on the topic.

Previously:

• Renowned Batavia surgeon weighs in on health care -- part 1
• Renowned Batavia surgeon weighs in on health care -- part 2
• Seminar focuses on broken health care system and failures of Obamacare

The collapse of a proposed merger of Time Warner Cable and Comcast will have little impact on the city's efforts to negotiate new cable franchise agreements with cable providers, said City Manager Jason Molino.

The proposed merger spurred the city this summer to revive efforts to update a long-expired franchise agreement with Time Warner and form a cable advisory board to help with the process. 

In July, Molino told council members, "Time Warner is noncompliant with some franchise benefits. We haven't had negotiations since 1993. There are a number of improvements that need to be made."

This morning, Molino said the city is still negotiating with Time Warner, not with Comcast, so the fact that Comcast won't be taking over local service has no bearing on those negotiations, Molino said.

"It (the collapse of the deal) doesn't affect those negotiations and it doesn't affect the residents," Molino said.

At the same time, the city has been negotiating a franchise agreement with a new player in town, Empire Access.

Empire has already started delivery of a 100-megabit broadband service to local residents and businesses, but so far can't offer its TV package due to the lack of a franchise agreement with the city.

Asked how those negotiations were going, Molino simply replied, "We're in ongoing negotiations."

Asked now negotiations are going with Time Warner, Molino said, "We've been in negotiations the past few months. We are still trying to resolve some issues."

The old franchise agreement with Time Warner generates about $200,000 a year in revenue for the city.

Franchise agreements are non-exclusive, but are required for cable providers to deliver services to local residents.

"With both providers we're looking to capture the best franchise agreement that will provide the best service to the city and most success for residents," Molino said.

Notre Dame High School hosted its annual spring concert at the school Thursday night with jazz ensemble and concert choir performing such pieces as the "Overture of the Magic Flute," highlights from "Harry Potter," Disney movie tunes and a portion of Pachelbel's "Canon in D." Theresa Kehl is conductor of both the ensemble and the choir.

GCC students have been working hard all week to put the finishing touches on the 34th annual fashion show. When we stopped by the campus yesterday, we found three of the models rehearsing their runway presentation. Pictured are Kiatta Whipset, Halee Santiago and Brittney Malone. 

Here's a GCC press release about the fashion show:

Whether they're "Walking Among the Wildflowers," preparing for a "Battlefield," or turning desert beasts into beauties in a scene called "Transcendence," GCC fashion students are getting ready to wow crowds again this year at the 34th Annual Fashion Show, "Fata Morgana."

Advance tickets are highly recommended for the event on Saturday, April 25. Two complete shows are planned, at 3 and 7 p.m., in the William W. Stuart Forum on the GCC Batavia campus.

"Fata Morgana" is produced by GCC Fashion Merchandising and Design students under the guidance of GCC Business Professors Rick Dudkowski and Donna Ehrhart. This year's theme is inspired by the beauty of the desert and the show, like a fata morgana mirage, will feature rapidly changing views as desert colors bloom onstage.

Students have been busy rehearsing with the more than 140 models who will appear in the 12 scenes. A number of the scenes will feature original creations by Fashion Design students.

"Since we introduced the Fashion Design concentration, more and more of our students are creating their own designs for the fashion show," Ehrhart said. "Audiences love seeing these original pieces and there will be many of them in this year's show."

Fashion Merchandising students are also collaborating with both local and national vendors including Batavia's own Charles Men's Shop and denim jeans maker Buffalo David Bitton. The scenes planned for "Fata Morgana" include:

1. "Battlefield" -- Designed and Coordinated by Amber Coan;

2. "Among the Wildflowers" -- Coordinated by Taylor Bunch and Katie Strong with apparel by Lord & Taylor and Gymboree;

3. "Transcendence" -- Coordinated by Angelique Porey & Sara Elliott with apparel by Porey;

4. "Inevitable" -- Coordinated by DJ Simmons with apparel by LovelyWholesale;

5. "Bare" Coordinated -- by Jocelyn Eade & Eunice Goeun Park with apparel by Eade;

6. "Bri-Jhn" -- Coordinated by Brittany Breedlove with apparel by B.B.;

7. "Minuit Désert" -- By T. LaShaé; Coordinated by Tiffany Hill & Chiho Nakayama with apparel by T. LaShaé and jewelry by Na'kaylas Jewelry Box;

8. "Festival Haze" -- Coordinated by Ami Cornell and Kylie Dunn with apparel by Buffalo David Bitton and Lord & Taylor;

9. "Oasis" -- Coordinated and Designed by Abby Lee Wilcox with jewelry by Kana Tatsumi;

10. "Opulence" -- Coordinated and Designed by Catherine Morales;

11. "Veni Vidi Vici" -- Coordinated by Ariana Sneed with apparel by Candace Cooper;

12. "Sandar" -- Coordinated by Lekha Anderson with apparel by Charles Men's Shop and M.A. Carr Bridal;

Along with enjoying the fashions presented during the show, which is a capstone project for many GCC students, guests will have a chance to win a variety of door prizes from restaurant gift certificates to gift cards and baskets. They will also have an opportunity to meet the scene coordinators at the postshow after-party in the cafeteria.

Tourism and Hospitality Management students develop the exquisite after-party and assist with the decorating, Criminal Justice students provide security at the event, and GCC's Communications and Media arts students promote the event on WGCC.

"The way our students from various departments come together to make this annual Fashion Show a huge success always impresses me," Dudkowski said. "We're excited for people to see the students' hard work come to fruition at showtime."

Tickets for the shows are available for $5 in advance or $7 at the door and can be purchased by calling 585-345-6830 or e-mail cmyoung@genesee.edu. Advance tickets are strongly recommended and must be purchased by April 23.

You can read more about the creation of the scenes, the students and happenings in the fashion program at the GCC fashion blog http://gcccampusblog.wordpress.com/category/fashion/

D&C: Should the Bills take a swing at drafting a QB?

Four people remain hospitalized in satisfactory condition as a result of a head-on collision on Clinton Street Road, South Byron, on Monday.

Both drivers involved in the crash were cited by State Police.

Still hospitalized are: Malik Dietz, 20, of New York City, who was transported by ground ambulance with a complaint of pain in the lower leg; and Zemirah Huges, 18, of the Bronx, who had a complaint of back pain, according to Trooper Victor Morales. 

Cited, and still hospitalized, are: Gracien Ibambasi, 20, of Greece, who is charged with moving from lane unsafely and unlicensed operation; and Brittany Breedlove, 26, of Rochester, charged with aggravated unlicensed operation. 

According to the State Police investigation, Ibambasi was driving eastbound, crossed in the westbound lane, missing one vehicle then striking the car driven by Breedlove.

Also injured were: Alexis Thomas, 19, of Chili, who had facial bleeding; Macayla Brown,18, of Gates, who had minor facial bleeding; and Sade Brown, 18, who had a complaint of pain throughout her body.

All patients were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital by ground ambulance.

A suspected drug dealer from Rochester was arrested Wednesday following a traffic stop on Route 33, Stafford, which led to the alleged discovery of 27 individual bags of crack cocaine.

Ronnie D. Edmunds, 24, of Alice Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd.

Following arraignment in Town of Stafford Court, Edmunds was jailed on $20,250 bail.

The investigation was led by the Local Drug Task Force with the assistance from the District Attorney's Office and uniformed Sheriff's deputies.

Girls on the Run, a group of students at Batavia Middle School, are holding a shoe drive as one of their charitable projects in the community. 

Teacher Sarah Gahagan, along with a friend, introduced Girls on the Run to the middle school and is looking to spread the word about the program. They're looking for a community project that the girls can take on.

"This is solely based on what the girls want to do in order for them to feel a sense of ownership and empowerment as they work toward their goal," Gahagan said.

The 12-week program culminates in a 5K in Buffalo.

"The girls set running goals every week in order to gear up for the final event," Gahagan said. "Each girl will cross the finish line with one of their coaches, a parent or a running buddy that they have asked to run with them from the school."

Gahagan described the program as a physical-activity-based youth-development program designed to inspire girls in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades to be joyful, healthy and confident.

In the photo, starting with the front row on the left: Sarah Gahagan, Breeann Wilcox, Juliana Branche, Tiffany Brown, Courtney Lougheed, Aliza Green, Riley Macdonough, Destiny Griffin, Andrea Merchant, Meghan Houseknect, Madison Dedman and Lindsey Mathis.

Combining environmental awareness with a photography assignment, Genesee Community College instructor Joe Ziolkowski asked his students to create sustainable still life photographs. From plastic cups to light bulbs, images about carpooling and recycling shoes, students responded in interesting and thought-provoking ways.

The community is invited to view the works as the exhibit, Sustainable Still Life, moves to the Genesee County Park and Forest. An opening reception is planned May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park's Interpretive Nature Center, 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

Since he came to GCC, Ziolkowski has developed an excellent relationship with the staff at the Genesee County Park and Forest. This is the third exhibit of GCC student work that will be shown at the Park's Interpretive Nature Center. Previous displays have included "Around the Bend: The Shared Landscape" and "Environmental Portraits of Western New York."

"The exhibits have been very well received by the community and are an excellent opportunity for our students to show their work beyond the campus," Ziolkowski said. "This particular show is especially fitting for the Park setting as we think about preserving the Earth and reducing our carbon footprint."

The works have been on view in the Lobby Art Gallery of GCC's Stuart Steiner Theatre and were a part of the College's annual ECO-Fest celebrating Earth Day. The pieces represent work by students in Ziolkowski's COM 118 (Introduction to Digital Photography) and COM 103 (Introduction to Black & White Photography) classes.

They will be on view in the Gallery at GCC through April 29. Ziolkowski will install them at the Interpretive Nature Center on Saturday, May 2. They will remain there through the summer. The exhibit will close on Friday, Sept. 11.

"We're excited to once again show student work at the Nature Center," Parks Supervisor Paul Osborn said. "We hope many people will join us for the Opening Reception on May 8th. It's a great way to celebrate a long-awaited Spring!"

Megan Ange / "Saving Water"
On a day-to-day basis, we use water for many things. We use water to wash our hands after using the bathroom, to wash dishes, brush our teeth and take a shower. We all forget to turn the water off from time to time when we are not using it, myself included. There could be a faucet leaking, and if that is the case then maybe you should check to see if you turned the knob of the faucet all the way so it is turned off instead of wasting the water. Everyone takes water for granted, but if you do the little things to save it, then you will be less likely to have a high water bill and not have to worry about problems that might happen if you leave it on. "Water is the driving force of all nature." - Leonardo da Vinci

Ellen Fridman / "Pin It"
REDUCE. Line-drying is back! Dryers are not going to go away any time soon but it seems like more people are returning to the use of the sun and wind to dry their clothing and linens. There are several benefits to clothesline drying. Hanging laundry out to dry instead of turning on the dryer lowers carbon emissions, reduces gas or electric bills, helps clothing and linens last longer, and establishes an excuse to get outside. Experts say that if all Americans line-dried for half a year, 3.3 percent of the country's total residential output of carbon dioxide would be saved. For those in colder climates, try using drying racks inside. Go Green!

Miguel Ortiz-Teed / "The Legend of Books"
As time progresses -- technology advances. This progression has lead from hand-held books where you can flip a page with your hands to tablets where you swipe to turn the page and have a massive library in the palm of your hands. This causes bookbinders to lose their jobs and technology takes their place. Eventually books will revert into a legend where only the wealthy will be able to afford them. This also produces a risk for all the knowledge that is stored within technology to be lost if an Electrical Magnetic Pulse were to hit either by a solar flare or warfare.

Paul Thater / "Light at the End of the Tunnel"
The photo was based off of the joke: "The government had to turn off the light at the end of the tunnel due to budget cuts." The light bulb has a black background to symbolize darkness in a tunnel with the light bulb off. This photo shows saving money by not using and saving electricity, which makes your bill smaller and gives you more money to spend on necessities.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today commented on the actions of Assembly Majority Codes Committee members, who killed two bills that would have repealed the unconstitutional SAFE Act. Despite an impressive showing from pro-Second Amendment sportsmen, members of the Assembly Majority killed two bills sponsored by Hawley, A.2651 and A.3350, that would have repealed the NY SAFE Act, which was passed controversially in 2013.

Hawley said the SAFE Act continues to violate New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights and was irresponsibly jammed though the Legislature in the middle of the night as a political stunt by Gov. Cuomo.

“I have, and always will be, a supporter of the Second Amendment,” Hawley said. “Any legislation that takes away a law-abiding citizen’s ability to possess firearms is an unconstitutional act of government tyranny. I am from a rural district in Western New York and my experience with gun owners has been exemplary. Most gun owners are responsible hunters or firearm enthusiasts, and to prohibit them from adequately protecting themselves or their families is indefensible and governmentally oppressive.

"New Yorkers, in no way wanted this bill to become law, that is why it was rushed through the process in the middle of the night using a message of necessity. A truly fair and transparent government would allow this bill to come to the floor for a vote, but apparently that is not how New York functions.”

Austin Park is a long way from Florida, especially when just two weeks ago, when Cheri Pitcher was there, it was 90 degrees.

"I was surprised how cold it was this morning," Pitcher said while braving the cold and dusting of snow to take her dog for a walk.

It was 28 degrees this morning.

Jason P. Andrews, 38, of Lake Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Andrews is accused of selling an unspecified controlled substance in the form of pills to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force. Andrews was arrested at his residence, arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Jonathon Grant Browne, 22, of Leighton Avenue, Rochester, is charged with possession of untaxed cigarettes, unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, speeding and driving a vehicle without stop lights. Browne was stopped at 4:08 p.m. Tuesday on Main Street, Oakfield, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

A 17-year-old youth, residence not specified, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. The youth was arrested in Alexander by State Police. No further details released.

Jenna L. Josephite, 26, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and Dillon M. Brito, 23, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Josephite and Brito were arrested and charged by State Police at 3:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 5, Town of Batavia. No further details released.

Grand Jury Report:

Veronica Garcia is indicted on a count of felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or higher, two counts of driving drunk with a child less than 15 years of age in the vehicle and endangering the welfare of a child. Garcia is accused of driving drunk Dec. 19 on Route 98, Alexander, with two children in the vehicle. She allegedly has a prior DWI conviction from February, 2011, in the City of Batavia.