The sturdy red brick building at the corner of Center and Main streets was built by Batavia's Masons in 1908 and has been their home ever since.

That will change this summer.

Members of Batavia Lodge No. 475 of Free and Accepted Masons have made the difficult decision to leave their finely crafted and ornate temple to merge with the Olive Branch Lodge in Le Roy.

Jim Rosenbeck, master of the 151-year-old lodge, explained that since the Batavia Masons' lease expires this year, they are working on a merger with Le Roy to hopefully, "...get greater strength in numbers and get a higher profile for Masonry by merging and doing collaborative things."

In the process the lodge -- formed on April 9, 1859 -- will be dissolved.

The move is necessary because it's not financially viable for the 50-member lodge to pay rent. The lodge has occupied the building rent free for at least 15 years.

Rosenbeck said he wished nothing but the best for the Masonic Temple building and hoped that owner David Howe could find the right tenant to take care of it in the future.

Howe, who also owns Charles Men's Shop, acquired the building 15 years ago.

He gave The Batavian a tour of it earlier this week.

I was most impressed with the look of the "Lodge Room." Walking through the double doors and into the great hall, a view of throne-like chairs at the opposite side gave an almost humbling feeling. History seems to ooze out of the cracks of the walls in that place.

Theater seats line the sides of the great hall and a balcony that once held a pipe organ overlooks the room. The carpet is a fittingly ornate pattern and one of the earliest of "dimmers" can be found hulking underneath the light switches. When the giant crank is turned, the lights soften to a haunting glow.

"I love the history of this building and anything historic -- anything that is bigger than life," Howe said during our tour.

From the beginning, the Masons rented the first floor of the building to retail businesses and the second floor has always contained rented office space -- mostly used by attorneys until a few years ago.

The third and fourth floors have been shared by the Masons and Blue Pearl Yoga.

What happens next, Howe isn't quite sure.

He guessed that a theater group could work well, and apartments are possible, but improvements will be needed with either scenario.

At the time Howe acquired the building, the roof was in bad shape and a portion of the southeast corner of the building collapsed down to the basement. That's all been fixed, but other repairs are yet to be made.

As for the Masons, making tough choices to ensure their survival certainly isn't a new thing. The Le Roy Masons sold their lodge to make way for a Walgreens a few years ago, and after months of searching, decided to make 12 Bank St. in the village their new gathering place.

Historically, the Masons have found ways to keep their society thriving despite hardships. Former Holland Land Office Museum Director Patrick Weissand tells an interesting tale of William Morgan -- who learned the Masons' secrets but wasn't allowed to remain part of the lodge because he had a tendency to "shoot off his mouth" after drinking too much.

Although no one can prove exactly what happened to Morgan -- historians do know he was kidnapped and silenced after threatening to publish a book about the rituals of the freemasons. Weissand tells the riveting tale in a three-part video series here.

Although the Masons may have been a secretive society with an alleged political agenda in the past, Rosenbeck says that isn't what being a Mason is about.

"Basically, we are a benevolent organization that makes good men better," he said. "One of our goals is to provide services to the community that we're in and it's been sort of an issue with us lately because we have so few active members to do anything meaningful."

A good portion of the Batavia lodge treasury will be donated to local charitable groups, once the lodge disbands, Rosenbeck said. The rest will go to the Le Roy lodge, probably to help with construction of a kitchen there.

Rosenbeck says they do their best to donate to worthy causes. He pointed out that in order to be a Mason, one criteria is the belief in a Supreme Being.

"It's unique that the brotherhood of Masonry doesn't discriminate between religions. Christianity, Catholics, Muslims and Jewish beliefs and a few others can become Masons.

Rosenbeck said he regrets having to leave "the glorious old building" but it was a choice made out of necessity.

"Our decision to merge and join Le Roy has nothing to do with our feelings towards David Howe or the lodge building. We are going to really miss the beautiful place but this is something we need to do for our survival."

The permanent fixtures of the building -- such as distinctive door handles and the carved wood of the temple -- stay with the building. But the Batavia lodge owns all of the furniture -- such as the palace-like chairs in the temple and the two couches in the hallway -- and those will be taken to Le Roy. 

Photos by Howard Owens. Top, interior of the Masonic Temple. First inset, Jim Rosenbeck and his son Mike Rosenbeck. Mike is the last member of Lodge No. 475 to complete his Third Degree and sign the charter. Other insets, details from inside the building. Postcards provided by Dave Howe.

Heavy snow melt and rain could lead to minor flooding in parts of Genesee County, according to the National Weather Service.

There is a flood watch in effect for late tonight through Monday evening.

Minor flooding is possible along creeks and rivers as well as low-lying, poorly drained areas.

Thunderstorms may produce localized heavier rainfall and pose a risk for more significant flooding in those areas, according to the NWS.

Though rainfall will cease around midday Monday, some streams will not crest until Monday night or predawn Tuesday.

A coal stove reportedly caught on fire and the fire may have gotten into the mantle, but the callers report they think they got the fire out.

Oakfield Fire along with Alabama and Batavia fire departments responding to 3319 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield.

First on scene reports driveway is snow covered. He's requesting a thermal camera and requests a line be laid as a precaution.

The location is between Downey Road and Lewiston Road.

UPDATE 2:07 p.m.: There is smoke coming from the residence.

UPDATE 2:29 p.m.: "The fire is extinguished."

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This pileated woodpecker gave me ample opportunity to try out our new camera. For half an hour or more it made two large cavities in a young cottonwood, one of seven within a stone's throw of the house. Whenever they visit they tend to ignore the huge cottonwood as well as the walnut, hickory, white ash and maple trees, instead focusing their attention on the young cottonwoods -- smoother bark, easier to penetrate, is my guess.

As you can tell from the photo sequence, the pileated's rountine was to pound away for a bit before tilting its head back as if to inspect its work, sometimes probing around inside the fresh excavation or even repositioning itself before renewing its efforts.

When it was time to leave it flew across our property, over the tops of our neighbor's woods, performing its trademark "swoop and dip" on the fly.

A possible house fire is reported at 365 Wright Road in the Town of Alabama.

Pumpers from Alabama and Indian Falls' fire departments are called to respond.

A woman who lives there reported that she returned home to find her house full of smoke and the couch smoldering. She also said the hot-water heater appeared to be knocked over.

UPDATE 6:41 p.m.: A chief reports the house is charged with smoke, but the fire appears to be out. Pembroke Fire also dispatched.
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A fuel spill has been reported at the Flying J on Route 77 by the Thruway exit.

At the time of the call, the fuel had not been shut off.

A first responder reported "significant saturation."

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding.

Weather: Overcast all day. There's an 80-percent chance of snow tonight, but no prediction of significant accumulation.

Photos, an abandoned farmhouse on Route 262, Bergen.

Today was "Winterfest" at Byron-Bergen school. It is a fundraiser for the middle school and high school featuring vendors from throughout the region.

Seated above, Kari Pardun, from Brockport, explains her business, Tastefully Simple, to Pavilion residents Cheryll Ferneays, left, and Roberta Graney.

Below, Katrina Wilkins, of Byron, drops by Reggy Pollizi's Tupperware booth.

The City Centre was packed with Zumba dancers this afternoon as part of a "Party of Hope" to raise money for Genesee Cancer Assistance.

Zumba is a fusion of Latin beats, international music and fitness dance moves.

Dancers donated money to participate.

An 18-year-old female has suffered a head injury in a rollover accident on Route 490 in the westbound lanes near the Bergen exit.

Bergen Fire Department and Mercy EMS are responding, and possibly Churchville, since this incident is close to the Monroe County line.

UPDATE 8:40 p.m.: Churchville responders and Monroe County Sheriff's deputies are cancelled.

For the second time in less than 13 months, the Ricigliano family is looking for a place to live and trying to figure how how to replace all of their belongings.

On Wednesday night, they were burned out of their apartment at 20 Vine St., Batavia.

The suspected cause and origin of the fire has yet to be released by the Batavia Fire Department.

A year ago, Nick and Melissa were living 132 State St., where a woman died after reportedly starting a fire by smoking too close to her oxygen tank.

"My son’s birthday is Feb. 7," Melissa Ricigliano said. "Last year, two days after his birthday, he lost everything. This year, two weeks after his birthday, he loses everything."

Both Melissa and Nick work (at Sunny's restaurant and McDonald's), but after spending the past year replacing all of their belongings, money is tight and they can't afford the expense of a new rental.

After the State Street fire, they knew they needed to get renters' insurance and started the process but hadn't yet signed the paperwork.

Meanwhile, they lost all of their clothes, a new couch, TV and Xbox.

"It took almost a whole year to buy all of our stuff back and now it’s all gone again," Melissa said.

Melissa said she's been disappointed in the response she's gotten from the American Red Cross. On Wednesday, Ricigliano was given $300 and told to come back the next day.

The next day, the woman she talked to said, "What are you doing here?" The woman said there was no more assistance available. When Melissa said, "I'm homeless and we need food," she was told she should have used the $300 for food.

The $300, Melissa said, went for two sets of clothes for each member of the family, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Judy Nagel at the Genesee Region Red Cross said the available money for fire victims is tightly regulated by the national headquarters. Each victim, she said, is given a debit card and a form that says, "spend X amount on clothing and X amount on food."

"It's all put into a computer and there's a formula based on policies set by headquarters," Nagel said. "The computer creates the debit card. We're not able to do more than that. We don't have any control over the amount (of assistance)."

Nick and Melissa are currently staying with friends. Their children, Dominic, 6, and Martha, 3, are with family in Chili. Melissa also said the people at John Kennedy School and New Hope Church have been trying to help, as well as several others in the community.

Her sister is working on organizing a fundraiser at a town fire hall, but no date has been set yet.

Melissa said she has a message for any potential landlords: "You might want to put out there that I am a good tenant and I don’t have a curse.”

"New to area. Very fit classy, successful guy. 39, 6ft 190lbs, blond/blue. Smooth hard body. Looking for a sexy ts/cd that i can spoil. I promise not to disappoint."

In a shocking new post, this is the ad Gawker.com suggests  ex-Congressman Chris Lee posted on Craigslist in January.

However, almost by writer Remy Stern's own admission, holes could be poked into the "evidence" that Lee was seeking transgender and transvestite hook-ups through the free classified site. Yet, there's enough to the story that makes it hard to ignore.

Hardest to disregard is the new photo published by Gawker that seems to show a shirtless Lee posing in front of a mirror. It's very similar to an image Gawker published with the initial story about the married Lee allegedly trolling Craigslist for dates. Still, it's different enough in key ways, making makes it hard to believe it's a PhotoShop counterfeit.

Stern reports that the photo was submitted by a transvestite prostitute, whom Gawker calls "Holly."

"The first thing Holly sent us was a never-before-seen picture of Chris Lee's now-familiar torso and red Blackberry. She edited the picture to obscure the Congressman's face, however, and printed her e-mail address over his chest. (We have covered up the address in the photo above.)" If we wanted to publish the unedited image, Holly explained, we'd have to pay her for it."

As for the ad above, Stern claims that it came from a transgender woman who said she found the ad posted on Craigslist and later figured out that the person who posted it was allegedly Lee.

Read the whole thing and see what you think about the claims.

The storm that passed through Genesee County this morning has passed to the east and the National Weather Service has canceled the storm warning for our area.

Some light snow, with as much as an inch accumulation, is expected this evening and tonight.

The picture above was taken during some of the heaviest of the snowfall out on Prole Road, Stafford.

This information is from Genesee Community College.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow Genesee Community College students to connect with peers, faculty and staff almost instantaneously. And in just two months time, GCC's social media presence has seen rapid growth thanks to a renewed, re-focused effort.

Whether it's information about the study abroad options, its Army ROTC program, campus closing information under the threat of an impending snowstorm, or just a place to connect and share memories with a friend -- the importance of social media is increasing exponentially.

"With 600 million people on Facebook alone, social media platforms are a great place to have a conversation with students, alumni and the community," said Kevin Manne, Genesee's new media specialist, who was hired in December.

"Students are becoming more comfortable using social media than traditional forms of communication like direct mail or even e-mail."

Genesee's Facebook page has seen 169-percent growth, with a total of more than 1,100 "likes" from students, alumni, faculty, staff and local community members. Genesee's new Twitter account, @sunygcc, was established in December and has already connected with more than 140 "followers."

A big advantage of these digital platforms is the analytical information that can be compiled and analyzed for future use and reference.

"The majority of our Facebook fans are between the ages of 18-24, a segment that we regularly communicate with because that's the age range of most of our students," Manne said.

"But the demographics show that we're connecting with people from 13 to over 55, illustrating that the reach of these platforms goes beyond the 'traditional' student."

Social media are attractive to businesses because most are free to use. But Manne said organizations should be prepared to invest a significant amount of time to them if they hope to achieve social media success.

"Facebook and Twitter don't shut down when you leave the office at the end of the day," he said. "A social media administrator should listen, respond and provide relevant and entertaining information in a timely manner – and that means keeping tabs on your social networks beyond traditional office hours."

Along with the college's Facebook and Twitter pages, the YouTube page (videos), Flickr page (photos) and student Wordpress blogs have been revamped with a new look and more unified usernames.

Other new communication technology Genesee is using includes applying Quick Response (QR) codes to print ads, fliers and posters. These black and white, two-dimensional bar codes allow users to "scan" the code using the camera on their mobile device or smart phone to instantly connect online.

In addition, the college will soon begin using geo-location-based social networks such as Foursquare and Facebook Places to offer special deals when users "check in" to the Stuart Steiner Theatre for discounts on tickets.

Get connected with all of GCC's social media pages from the college's homepage using the special icons on the lower right corner.

Manne leads Genesee's communication efforts across social media, blogging, Web and other emerging mediums. He previously served as communications and public relations specialist at Catholic Charities of Buffalo.

Manne earned his associate degree from GCC and graduated magna cum laude from Buffalo State College with a bachelor's degree in Public Communication. He serves as secretary on the Public Relations Society of America, Buffalo Niagara Chapter Board of Directors and is a member of its E-Communications Committee.

In 2009, he was awarded the platinum "best of show" Excalibur Award for development of a Web-based employee newsletter and in 2010 he received a silver Excalibur Award in social media.

Manne and other guest speakers are available to make presentations to local community groups at no cost to their organization through the Genesee Community College Speakers Bureau.

For a complete list of speakers, visit:

<http://www.genesee.edu/resources/SpeakersBureau.cfm.>

WHAM13's Sean Carroll shared this picture of the Thruway with us showing the traffic snarl from one of the accidents this afternoon.

While traffic was congested, a trooper told me there were no significant injuries. "It sounded much worse than it was," he said.

UPDATE: Also for those who might need to travel west (or returning to Batavia), the Thruway is closed between Hamburg and Dunkirk.

There are multiple accidents countywide due to weather conditions. The Thruway has accidents at several paces eastbound and westbound, most thought to be noninjury.

Many calls are flooding the dispatch center and dispatchers are asking for all scanner communications to be kept to a minimum.

A propane truck and another truck have crashed at 8053 Lake St. Road in Le Roy. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance are called. Injuries unknown.

Bergen Fire Department is asked to standby in its quarters.

UPDATE 11:50 a.m.: Bergen is now requested to go to the scene. A second ambulance is called. State Trooper is on scene.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: Bergen is told to go back in service. A trucker trying get through the clogged traffic is reportedly "in a hurry," to which someone replies "no doubt."

A serious accident involving a tractor-trailer and another vehicle on the Thruway is reported. There are believed to be multiple injuries.

The location is eastbound at mile marker 387.3. It's nearest to the Byron Road Bridge.

Town of Batavia Fire Department is called to respond along with Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 11:47 a.m.: Oakfield Fire is requested to standby in the Town of Batavia's hall.

Several inches of snow have fallen this morning and we seem to be in the heaviest band of the storm right now.

There's a 50-60 percent chance of snow through the afternoon, tapering off by this evening.

The winter storm warning remains in effect.

There is a report of smoke in the basement of a house at 210 Osterhout Ave., Batavia.

City fire dispatched.

UPDATE: Never heard any more on this and when I went by about 30 minutes after the initial call, the fire department had cleared.

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