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An obituary appeared today in the Buffalo News for Jared Peters, child of Timothy and Linda Peters.

Friday, Pembroke Central School District announced the death of one of its students. We cannot confirm at this time that the reports are connected.

Visitation will be.. at the Wendel & Loecher Funeral Home, 27 Aurora St., Lancaster, 4 to 8 p.m. tomorrow. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary's RC Church, Lancaster, at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Jared's sisers are Megen and Kristin.

A suspected 20-year-old drug dealer from Rochester was nabbed in the Batavia Downs parking lot at 5:15 p.m. on Friday.

At the time of his arrest, Steven Anthony Bertolone, of 28 Sand Pebble Drive, Rochester, was allegedly found to possess a wide array of drugs and cash.

Bertolone was identified as a suspect in local ketamine distribution by the Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force. Bertolone allegedly sold ketamine to an undercover agent.

At the time of his arrest, Bertolone was allegedly found holding four packages of ketamine, 10 packages of dimethyltryptamine, 20 packages of LSD, as well as cocaine and marijuana, along with $1,200 in cash.

The charges against Bertolone: Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree (misdemeanors), and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The suspected drug dealer was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Uninformed deputies as well as the District Attorney's office assisted in the investigation and arrest.

Now is the time to step up.

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are in the semi-finals of sectional play, one of four teams remaining in their class, and that means the blue and gold will be facing some tough hombres.

Tomorrow, Notre Dame gets one of its toughest challenges of 2009 when the team takes on the Golden Knights of York. Both teams will enter Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester with 6-1 records.

Notre Dame comes in as the #2 seed vs. York's #3, but Head Coach Rick Mancuso isn't taking anything for granted.

"There’s only four teams left in our class," Mancuso said. "Everybody’s good now. We’re not playing an eight, we’re not playing a seven. We’re playing somebody else who has earned their way here. They’re 6-1. They come from a great league. They’ve beat some very, very good teams. The only loss they had came against a team in an absolute torrential downpour, so you can throw that one out the window. They’re a very good team and they deserve to be where they’re at. They deserve all of our respect, which we’re definitely going to give them."

Mancuso expects Notre Dame's defense to face a team that features an attacking, passing offense.

The Irish managed to win against a passing team -- uncommon in the Genesee Regional League -- this past week in Red Jacket, but gave up more than 200 yards.

"I’m sure they’re going to try and throw the ball," Mancuso said. "It looks like that’s what our weakness is. We’ve got to try and be a little more disciplined and stop that."

In its preview coverage, the Livingston County News also highlights York's passing game, shining a spotlight on wide receiver Adam Illerbrun.

Illerbrun, a 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior wideout, leads the Golden Knights’ air attack with 302 yards on 17 catches (18 avg).

The News also notes that Golden Knights are plus-16 on turnovers, among the best turnover ratios in the section.

Notre Dame's game time is 6:30 p.m..

The winner will face either #4 Cuba-Rushford (5-2) or #1 Dundee (7-0), who square off at 4 p.m. in Rochester.

In other Saturday games, in Class C, #6 seed Marcus Whittman (5-2)  visits #3 Holley (6-1) at 3 p.m. In Class DD, #3 Alexander (5-2) takes on #2 Avon (6-1) at 1:30 p.m. in Rochester.

Tonight, Attica played South Seneca, but that score is not yet available.

Town of Batavia Engine 24 and Mercy EMS are responding to reported vehicle accident at 5210 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia.

There are reportedly injuries, but EMS was just told to respond non-emergency.

UPDATE: Engine 24 being called back. Only Rescue 20 responding at this time.

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City Fire is being dispatched to UMMC for a reported hazardous material situation in an operating room.

Reportedly, approximately four to eight ounces of a noxious material has spilled.

The area has been evacuated and cordoned off.

Engine 12 and Ladder 15 are responding to evaluate the situation.

UPDATE 10:13 a.m.: Fire officials are saying it's a minor spill and can be cleaned up with soap and water.  I believe it is Chief Ralph Hyde who just said, "This is a minor spill that we can handle with no problem."

Robin Lee Buckman, 40, 7 Otis Street, Batavia Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Buckman is accused of shoplifting four DVDs from the TA Travel Center in Pembroke.

Officials of the Pembroke Central School district announced on the district Web site this morning that a student died late Thursday afternoon (pdf).

The notification informs parents that tests for influenza came back negative and that the Genesee County Health Department determined it was safe for children to attend school today.

Counselors are available for students who need to talk about their friend's passing.

No further details were given.

Superintendent Gary Mix is currently meeting with district staff and not immediately available for comment.

UPDATE 10:36 a.m.: Superintendent Gary Mix just issued a written statement to the media, but included no new information apart from the prior statement.  It says, "It is out of respect for the family of our student that we cannot release any additional information at this time."

UPDATE 10:59 a.m.: Randy Garney, interim health director for Genesee County, said he can't legally release any information. A source tells me the death occurred in Erie County.  A woman I spoke to at the Erie Couny Health Department said that department isn't likely to release any information, and that nobody would even be able to return my call until late this afternoon.

UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: A spokesman for the Erie County Health Department just called. He referred me back to Gensee County, saying that even though the death occurred in Erie County, "it's Genesee County public health case."

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: Gary Mix just released this statement: "As an update, in our most recent consultation with the Genesee County Health Department and the New York State Department of Health, the District has been informed that the cause of death for the Pembroke Central School student is still to be determined."

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: I e-mailed Randy Garney asking for more information.  Here is his response: "This is a pending investigation.  Due to HIPPA Act, by Federal Law, I can not share any patient medical information.  However I will tell you that the NYSDOH or the GCHD has never ruled out influenza as a cause. "

Full announcement after the jump:

It is with a great deal of sadness and sympathy that we are notifying you that one of our
students passed away late Thursday afternoon.

Medical tests did indicate that the influenza screen came back negative, therefore ruling
out the flu.

In consultation with the school district’s physician, who in turn consulted with the
Genesee County Health Department, it was determined that it is safe and appropriate to
have school in session today.

The student’s principal, Mr. Calderon did personally contact the parents of the child’s
immediate classmates to inform them of the loss of a dear friend on Thursday evening.

Plans have been made to provide counseling services for our students who may wish to
talk with a counselor.

If you should have questions please feel free to contact your building principal or school
nurse.

Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Great Kutz, in the Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: Great Kutz is Batavia's newest full-service hair salon. Women, try Great Kutz for a haircut at the incredibly low price of $7, exclusive offer from to The Batavian. (gift card can be applied toward other services, but not products).

Kravings, Valu Plaza, W. Main Street, Batavia, NY: Recently opened, it offers soups, salads and sandwiches, fresh and flavorful; Monday through Saturday. We have $10 gift certificates for $5.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Authentic Southern BBQ, from ribs to brisket with all the fixin's. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

Jackson St. Grill, 9 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: Try the fresh, skinless haddock fish fry on Fridays. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.

Herbly Wonderful, 3701 Pearl St., Batavia, NY: Winter teas, spices and fall colors for your home in stunning floral arrangements and seasonal wreaths are now available at Herbly Wonderful. We have a $25 gift certificate for $11.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, NY: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. It's best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

South Main Country Gifts, 3356 Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: Handcrafted items, gifts with a regional flair, candles, teas and spices -- South Main has a wide selection to please most any interest. We have a $20 gift certificate for $9.

NOTE: If you've never bought Deal of the Day before, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the rules and process, click here.

SOLD OUT

A one-vehicle accident has been reported in the roundabout on Oak Street.

The car apparently hit several traffic cones.

The initial call indicated there may have been an injury and City Fire and Mercy EMS were dispatched. A police officer who was first on scene reported no injuries and fire and EMS were canceled.

UPDATE: Police on scene have requested the nearest available tow. The car is stuck on the median, its front axle is damaged and the rear tire is going flat. The car is a Saturn.

Why do a small town's best and brightest young people relocate to big cities?

The common assumption is that they leave to seek better opportunities or more excitement.

Bill Kauffman has a different theory -- our teachers, civic leaders, parents and American culture try to convince rural young people that to be an achiever, you have to go elsewhere. There's little thought to the notion that you can achieve right where you're rooted.

Kauffman discusses this idea in a book review for the Wall Street Journal:

The sharpest insight in "Hollowing Out the Middle" is that "small towns play an unwitting role in their own decline" by inculcating, in school and too often at home, the belief that fulfilling one's promise means leaving for the city lights or the manicured suburbs. The purpose of education today, as Kentucky poet-farmer Wendell Berry argues, is to train young people to leave home. And so, the authors note, "the investment the community has made in them becomes a boon for someplace else."

Batavia is full of bright, young people who have decided to stay, or who have come back. I've met them. Batavia's future would be even brighter if we could convince more of them to stay and help build new businesses and invest in the community that nurtured them.

Read the whole thing.

Old Engine 24 will soon find a new home with a rural fire department in Latin America.

The Batavia Volunteer Fire Department transferred ownership of the engine, which was replaced in July by a new rig, to the 911 FUND today (warning: site has automatic audio).

"The Town of Batavia Fire Department is committed to doing its share to help rural fire departments in Latin America where such assistance could literally mean the difference between life and death for firefighters and the civilian population who they protect," said Michael Jones, president of the department in a statement.  

During the past eight years, the 911 FUND has donated dozens of fire trucks, ambulances, millions of dollars in equipment and extensive training to Latin America and other parts of the world.

UPDATE: I e-mailed Michael Jones with a couple of questions I had about the transfer of the truck. Here is his reply:

The Truck was purchased for $3k by the 911 fund.  Our board didn't feel it would be a responsible decision to give the truck free and clear without recouping some of its value when taking our communities taxpayer's into consideration.   However, the $3k was a deep discount fro the $8k that it was posted for sale as.  In addition to the vehicle we also included pike polls, ladders, hard suction lines, and various other equpiment that will greatly aide those in Argetina, which is the engine's final destination.  The 911 Fund tells us that the engine will be the only vehicle that that rural fire department will have.  Although we are sad to see the vehicle go we are equally happy knowing that our engine will help reduce the loss of life by increasing protection to those fire fighters their community.

Ryan Lee Krupp, 24, 13 Pringle Ave., Batavia (pictured), is charged with criminal possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of marijuana. These are additional charges stemming from his arrest Oct. 16, which involved an alleged escape and an alleged assault on a deputy. At the time of his arrest, Krupp was allegedly found in possession of a stolen credit card and marijuana. Krupp remains in custody without bail.

William Didir Gamble, 18, of 144 Leicestershire Road, Rochester, is charged with harassment. Gamble is accused of striking and threatening two roommates at College Village.

A 10-year-old boy in Pavilion has been charged with sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from a report filed with the State Police on Aug. 25.  The arrest was Sept. 11. It was in the State Police blotter today. The boy was released without bail. No further details are available.

Spencer T. Johns, 18, of Castile, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Johns was issued an appearance ticket by State Police after being arrested in the Town of Bethany at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. No further details are available.

In a decision that allowed Batavia City Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian to receive unemployment benefits after her termination from Wal-Mart, an administrative law judge in Buffalo found that Christian's supervisor previously let employees eat damaged food items.

Mark Sokolowski said he found the testimony of Christian about the matter more credible than the testimony of the Wal-Mart representative, who is not named in Sokolowski's ruling.

Rose Mary Christian, who is a candidate for District 7 County Legislature, dropped a copy of the ruling off at The Batavian's office this afternoon. Christian's termination from Wal-Mart became a public issue when former Democrat Tim Paine provide an e-mail to local media where Christian admits to fellow council members that Wal-Mart let her go.  Paine is admittedly disgruntled over what he sees as Christian blocking his plan to run for City Council this year.

The ruling states:

"Although the claimant acknowledged that she was aware that she was supposed to scan a damaged item and throw it out, since the claimant's supervisor allowed deli associates to eat damaged food items as samples, I am not persuaded that the claimant was aware that she placed her job in jeopardy when she ate a piece of cake on January 26, 2008," Sokolowski wrote. "It is also significant that the claimant was not the first associate to eat a piece of cake, reinforcing to the claimant that it would be okay to eat the cake. At worst the claimant used poor judgment when she ate a piece of cake on January 26, 2008, however her poor judgment in this instance does not rise to the level of misconduct within the meaning of the Unemployment Insurance Law."

"Accordingly," he adds, "I conclude that he claimant was separated from her employment under non-disqualifying circumstances."

Sokolowski overturned a prior Department of Labor finding that Christian was not qualified for unemployment benefits because of her termination.

The Sno-Packers Snowmobile Club thought they had all the approval they needed to build a recreational bridge over a creek in Alabama.

County officials disagree. County Manager Jay Gsell said this morning the bridge violates state law and the only option for the county is to remove it.

Department of Highway workers are tearing down the bridge today.

The bridge, which club members say took 400 man hours to build and is worth at least $40,000, spans a creek off Sour Springs Road, which is a dirt road off Roberts Road.

The club installed the bridge -- which club members largely pre-built in a garage prior to installation -- about a month ago. It's already been heavily used, according to club secretary Jane Chaddock, by fishermen, birdwatchers and hikers.

"It's nothing but a fiasco for something that was so beautiful and so much work," Chaddock said.

Doug Hagen, Genesee County snowmobile coordinator, said the club felt it had approval for construction of the bridge -- from County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens signing off on plans, to the County Legislature's Public Services Committee saying it should be built, to officials from the Town of Alabama saying they didn't oppose the construction.

Gsell said there was never any official permission given from the county and since the bridge is on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, there needs to be more than tacit approval from the federal government for snowmobilers to ride right through the preserve.

But the main issue from a county perspective, Gsell said, is that any bridge over 5-feet long becomes county responsibility.

The county would be liable for any injuries resulting from use of the bridge should there be a problem.

And although club officials, according to Hagen, believe the bridge exceeds engineering standards for its intended use, Gsell said that's not necessarily true.

"Because the snowmobile club has actually admitted that they're going to use that bridge to put their snowmobiles on to cross that body of water, that bridge must meet state and federal guidelines as far as structural integrity, the distances, the accessibility...and that's not presently the case," Gsell said.

"The highway superintendent then, under state highway law, has to deal with the issue in terms of either removing it, which right now is our only logical option, or at some point involving some major capital project - we're talking about a couple of million dollars of replacing a bridge structure, because anything over 5 feet is the responsibility of county government. But, that doesn't mean we have to take ownership of something that people put there illegally and without anybody's permission."

According to Hagen, Sheriff's deputies are on scene at the bridge tear-down ensuring club members don't get out of hand.

Hagen said all of the material and labor to build the bridge was donated, but if he had to guess at the cost of material and construction, he would put it at $40,000.

"That bridge was built at absolutely no taxpayer expense," Hagen noted, "and now taxpayers are paying for that bridge to be ripped out."

Chaddock fought back tears while we spoke. She said people who have seen the bridge love it.

"People say it's the best bridge they've ever seen," Chaddock said. "People have said  they wanted to get married on that bridge."

UPDATE 11:43 a.m.: The bridge is gone. It was, however, removed in one piece and will be put in storage, Tim Hens said. He just returned to his office from the site, he said.

"Unfortunately, when the club put the bridge in without permission, it kind of forced our hand," Hens said. "I don't think anybody from the county wanted to remove that bridge, but it's what we had to do to protect county taxpayers from liability."

Hens said the county -- which has helped the snowmobile club raise $500,000 in grants from state and federal agencies over the past several years -- was trying to find a way to either get a bridge in place, or allow a bridge to be built, but had not been able to complete that process before the bridge went up.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. (Billie Owens): The bridge came down easily and quickly this morning, according to the workers who remained at the scene afterward.

"It was a solid, well-built bridge, made of steel and wood," said county employee Aaron Zinkovich.

Another worker added that County Highway Superintendent Hens got verbally thrashed by snowmobile enthusiasts at the scene.

"They beat up on him pretty good - called him every name in the book," he said.

The snowmobilers wasted no time getting lawyered up. They've retained Roland R. Georger, of Damon Morey Attorneys at Law in Clarence, to advise them on the matter.

"I have a lot of investigating to do," Georger said, adding that will include looking at the permitting process.

Agenda minutes of the Byron-based Genesee County Snowmobile Association from Sept. 8 -- under the Old Business section -- reported that the county attorney "has told Co. Highway and Town of Alabama that the county cannot support the bridge concept because of liability. We all need to lobby Hawley and our county legislators for adopting a county law." Hagen attented the meeting along with other snowmobile group representatives.

The Sour Springs Bridge was built in the ensuing weeks.

UPDATE: Photo above by Billie Owens

UPDATE: Picture below submitted anonymously with no comment.  It looks like this would be the old bridge that was destroyed by an alleged drunken driver.

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County Jay Gsell has laid it out there -- in order to meet Genesee County's budgetary needs, residents will need to pay an additional 8 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

Gsell expects $24.7 million of the county's revenue to come from property tax. That's up 2.7 percent from the previous year.

The 8-cent increase works out to about $7 per year in higher taxes for a home owner with an $80,000 piece of property.

Gsell:

This 2010 recommendation is at best a hedge against continued fiscal pressures delivered at Genesee County’s doorstep with regard to increasing human services clients, criminal justice activity, poor economic indicator performance in the regional and state economies and the current mandated service delivery programs that harken back to the 1970’s origins with the unrealistic New York State spin of hooking county governments into not only delivering and administering what are typically state and federal partnerships in the rest of the U.S., but also having counties directly funding actual benefits – the so called “local shares.” 

There will also be no new county jobs created in county government, Gsell said.

Overall, the county budget is going up .01 percent to $140,666,000.

Gsell is also freezing pay at current levels -- no pay increases -- for top county management staff.

Mandated costs -- Medicaid, Early Intervention/Preschool, Handicapped Children’s, Mental Health LGU, Probation, County Jail and Public Defender/Assigned Counsel -- consume 84 percent of the county's property tax levy.

If elected, he will not serve.

Byron Town Supervisor Tom Felton announced at a recent Town Board meeting that even though he's a candidate for another two-year term as supervisor, he's decided he's done with town politics.

"Over the last few weeks, there have been a series of events that have discouraged me greatly with this position," Felton said in a statement he wanted read into the record of the meeting minutes.  "In order to combat the negativity of a handful of individuals in the Town, I will need to spend considerably more time defending the half truths and misinformation that this group has the time to spread in the community."

Fellow board member John Ivison said that he didn't want to speak for Felton -- who was not available for comment this morning -- but among the issues that have come up recently is some people in town are saying there's a move afoot to consolidate with Byron and Elba.

Ivison said two board members from each of the towns have met three times in 2008 to share information about how the towns operate. Topics have included how to deal with snow plows, infrastructure, planning and budgeting.

The meetings, he said, were purely information sharing and not designed to start a discussion about consolidation.

"It's been blown out of proportion by a few people," Ivison said.

The big issue, as Ivison sees it, is that this kind of small-town politics is what keeps talented and capable people from serving on town boards.

Felton, a bank vice president, was picked to fill a vacancy on the town board three years ago. Then, when the Supervisor position became vacant mid-term, he was appointed to that position.

In his statement, Felton said he wasn't an eager candidate for another two-year term from the beginning.

"Earlier this year, I met with the Republican committee and hesitantly agreed to fill another two-year term, if and only if they could not find anyone else qualified for the position," Felton said. "After our meeting, I was endorsed by this group. Since that time another individual has expressed his interest in the position, and as you know, both he and I will be on the ballot in November. "

If Felton wins the race, he said, the board will have to appoint a replacement. He will not serve as supervisor in 2010, he said. Rather than deal with the politics of the position, Felton said he would rather spend more time with his family and on his career.

Full statement after the jump:

I would like to enter these comments for the record.

My priorities are and will remain to be family first, profession second, and community third. Three years ago, I was elected to fill a vacancy on the Town Board, after a year and 9 months I was appointed to fill the vacant position of Town Supervisor. These terms both end 12/31/09. Earlier this year, I met with the Republican committee and hesitantly agreed to fill another two-year term, if and only if they could not find anyone else qualified for the position. After our meeting, I was endorsed by this group. Since that time another individual has expressed his interest in the position, and as you know, both he and I will be on the ballot in November. 

Over the last few weeks, there have been a series of events that have discouraged me greatly with this position, and in order to combat the negativity of a handful of individuals in the Town, I will need to spend considerably more time defending the half truths and misinformation that this group has the time to spread in the community.

In addition to my full-time employment, I have spent 10-20 hours/wk in my capacity as Supervisor (mostly evenings and weekends), and with the assistance of this Board, we were able to make some positive change for the Town. There is a tremendous amount of work that still needs to happen in order to improve this Town. With that said, I wish to inform the public that I will complete my term through 12/31/09 but I will not be your Supervisor in 2010. I plan to spend more time with the two things in my life that bring me great joy and satisfaction — my family and my profession. If the community votes for me, it will be up to the Board to appoint a person to this leadership position, as it is too late to remove my name from the ballot.

I wish you all well and thank you for allowing me to serve you.