thebatavian

Join The Batavian Club and SAVE: Currently, members will receive $220 in gift certificates to local businesses -- far more value than the cost of the membership! (more info below).

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers.

Top 15 most viewed posts for 2012:

• State health officials discuss outbreak of tics in Le Roy, but say they can't share the cause
• BREAKING: Jacquetta Simmons sentenced to five years in prison
• Teen killed in head-on crash on Route 33, woman seriously injured
• Angry mother confronts store employees she believes sold bath salts to her son
• Batavia woman's cause of death not yet known
• Four smoke shops on reservation raid by feds -- cigarettes, fake pot, bath salts seized
• Chris Collins wants to go to Washington to restore the American Dream
• Two people killed in Sunday morning accident
• Specialist questions scientific validity of Le Roy district's environmental reports
• DEA raids 420 Emporium in Batavia as part of nationwide assault on bath salt sales
• Attorney, young celebrity arrested in Pembroke on charges of DWI and prostitution
• Potentially dangerous synthetic drugs readily available in Genesee County
• Three members of Le Roy family jailed after scuffle with police
• Report: Cyberbullying at local high schools
• Woman accused of giving bath salts to minor allegedly said she thought it was OK

Look at how many of these stories The Batavian broke or brought you more information about than available in other news sources. The Batavian broke the story about Jacquetta Simmons at Walmart on Christmas Eve, 2011 and was in front of the competition as the story developed. The Batavian brought to light the local issues with bath salts and either broke stories or had stories the competition never even carried. The Batavian carried more in-depth stories that were widely read on the tic disorder issue in Le Roy. We work hard to bring you news about Genesee County. We ask that you support the effort by becoming a member of The Batavian Club.

In 2012, TheBatavian.com was visited 3.8 million times and we served up 5.5 million page views.

Top 10 most viewed stories for December:

• Teen killed in head-on crash on Route 33, woman seriously injured
• Person struck by vehicle in front of Batavia Downs, minor injuries, by Billie Owens
• BREAKING: Firefighters accused of bookmaking plead guilty to greatly reduced charge
• Car parked by St. Joseph's Cemetery reported to be a 'suspcious condition', by Billie Owens
• Jacquetta Simmons posts $50,000 bail
• Corfu teen dies in Orleans County crash Sunday night
• Weather related reports, Dec. 26
• Property between Lewiston and Main will be more than just a Tim Horton's
• Driver who died on Route 20 accident wasn't wearing a seat belt
• GCEDC board approves 2012 bonuses, raise for agency's CEO

If you've appreciated our coverage of Genesee County in 2012, help us grow in 2013: Become a member of The Batavian Club today. Club members will get at least $220 in savings at local businesses.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

Four-day sale on annual memberships: Join before midnight Monday, Dec. 31, either through PayPal or with a credit card set up on a recurring annual payment of either $50 or $100 and get a $10 rebate on your first year's dues.

We currently have about a dozen businesses that will provide gift certificates to club members with a total value of $220, plus we'll continue to e-mail out coupons to members.

Join today and save!

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers.

People ask me from time to time why we created The Batavian Club. The simple reason is, it's all about creating an ongoing business.

A newspaper makes money from retail advertising, from classified advertising and subscription fees.

For an online news site, we already know people are no longer willing to pay for classified ads and they don't want to pay for news.

Typically, then, that leaves one revenue source for an online news site: advertising.

Billie and I very much appreciate the revenue we get from our sponsors. It has allowed us to keep up with our bills and hire a single employee. We would like to hire more people, but the advertising pie is going to get only so big (and it's probably as big as it's going to get now).

That's where you come in: Help support The Batavian by becoming a member. The membership fee is less than a typical newspaper subscription.

Here's our promise of what we'll do for you in return: Not only will we work to make The Batavian better, we'll work to bring you real member benefits, primarily in the form of savings at local businesses.

Tonight we e-mailed coupons from three local businesses -- Valle Jewelers, West Main Wine and Spirits, and Southside Deli -- to our current members.

With these three coupons, plus the discounts previously available, members have achieved a potential savings of more than $50 (not counting the free calendar for annual members).

Here's the exciting part: We're working with local businesses to bring you even more savings. We are developing a membership package that will include gift certificates to local businesses. So far, 11 local businesses have agreed to participate. The total value of the gift certificates so far is $173. Over the next few weeks, I'll talk with more local business owners about participating (We'll announce details of the membership program in January; the first membership packages will go out when we reach 100 members (we're at 58 now)).

So, already, we can tell you, a membership in The Batavian Club more than pays for itself. If you love The Batavian, as many of you tell me everyday that you do, please help us become even better.

Here's how to JOIN:

Join via PayPal below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check or credit card, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal or credit card. To pay by credit card, use the form, or call (585) 250-4118.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

People who become annual members will of The Batavian Club by the end of the day tomorrow will receive a 2013 calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens. After tomorrow, no more orders for calendars will be accepted and the calendars will not be available for sale.

You can purchase the calendar for $25, or the better deal is to become an annual member of The Batavian Club by Dec. 15 and receive a free copy as part of your membership.

We're only printing as many copies are as sold (plus a few for gifts) and have been ordered by Dec. 15, so the calendar will not be available as a membership premium after Dec. 15.

Plus, we still have $5 gift certificates available for the first 60 members of The Batavian Club.

The slide show above contains the photos that will be used in the calendar. You can also click the "view gallery" link embedded in the slide show to visit my photography Web site and purchase individual prints, if you like.

To pay by check or credit card, click here to download our membership form and mail your payment to our office (or for credit card payment you can call (585) 250-4118).

Order a 2013 Calendar - $25
Photos of Genesee County by Howard Owens. Some of the photos you've seen on The Batavian, some have not been published on The Batavian before.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Most of you have already seen Billie's post from this morning about my taking some time off today for medical tests.

There was a health concern we thought it best to examine, and it turned out to be nothing.

I did have a minor surgical procedure performed and for that reason I can't leave the house tomorrow (Thursday) and need to take it slow for a few days, but the bottom line is the tests were negative and I'm fine.

I will start working again tomorrow, but for tomorrow, just on news I can cover from home.

I do want to say the staff at UMMC today was outstanding -- friendly, cheerful, caring and, most of all, professional.

Thank you for the notes of support from several readers.

Most viewed posts for November:

• BREAKING: Jacquetta Simmons sentenced to five years in prison
• Dollar General store on East Main Street in Batavia just robbed, by Billie Owens
• Popular local restaurant closes for good after most recent cook quits without notice
• BREAKING: Prison sentence for Jacquetta Simmons stayed pending appeal
• Three people injured, two needing helicopter transport, in accident on West Main Street, Batavia
• Church burglar gets near maximum sentence from Noonan
• Another good bow season for Batavia's Pietrzykowski brothers, by Jim Nigro
• Batavia PD seeks assistance in identifying Dollar General robbery suspect
• Rowell Mansion finding new life in the hands of couple with Hollywood and Batavia ties
• Today's Poll: Are you surprised that Obama won?

There are still some $5 gift certificates for Settler's available for the first 60 members of The Batavian Club.

Plus, any future discounts with local businesses, plus a membership card, plus a bumper sticker, plus a chance to win prizes (we have a neat prize from a local merchant that early members will be eligible to win, which we'll announce Monday or Tuesday).

Plus, new annual members who join by Dec. 15, will receive a 2013 calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens.

Membership in The Batavian Club just keeps getting better and better, and it will get better yet.

You can join via one of the PayPal buttons below, or CLICK HERE to download a form and mail us your check (annual payments only) or credit card number (monthly or annual). Or you can phone in your information to (585) 250-4118.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Advance Order a 2013 Calendar - $25

Photos of Genesee County by Howard Owens. Some of the photos you've seen on The Batavian, some have not been published on The Batavian before.

We're now in the final 24 hours to join The Batavian Club and be eligible to receive a two-for-one dinner coupon from Settler's. To get your coupon, join by Thursday night.

Thank you to all who have expressed their support of The Batavian by joining our new club. Your support is critical to our future growth.

Special Offer: Join with an annual membership before Dec. 15 and receive at no additional cost a 2013 calendar of Genesee County Photos by Howard Owens.

Join via PayPal by clicking on a button below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal).

If you'd like to pay by credit card, you have two options:

• Download this form and mail it to The Batavian with your credit card information (use the same form if you prefer to pay by check).
• Call our office at (585) 250-4118. Please be prepared to provide all the information as requested on the form above.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

People have asked if they could pay by credit card, and now they can. Yesterday, I checked off a long-standing item on my to-do list and set up credit card processing for The Batavian.

To pay by credit card, you have two options:

• Download this form and mail it to The Batavian with your credit card information (use the same form if you prefer to pay by check).
• Call our office at (585) 250-4118. Please be prepared to provide all the information as requested on the form above.

Of course, PayPal is still an option. Click here for a page with the options.

Your membership is critical to helping The Batavian grow and thrive as a news organization. If you love what we do -- and nearly everybody says they do -- we need your help to take it to the next level.

Current incentives for joining:

• Join by close of business Thursday and receive a two-for-one dinner coupon from Settler's.
• Pay for an annual membership by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar for 2013 of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens.
• Receive any future special offers or discounts from local businesses.
• A personalized membership card and a bumper sticker. (The sooner you join, the lower your ID number on your membership card!)

Billie and I along with Lisa Ace would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

Every year we remain thankful for the support of our readers and sponsors. We truly enjoy living in Genesee County and providing news coverage for our community. We've made a lot of friends here and without the support of our friends and neighbors we could not continue doing what we do. Thank you.

You already love The Batavian. We appreciate your daily visits to our site and telling your friends about the stories you read here and supporting our sponsors. Now we're asking for your direct financial support. Reader support will help us grow and become better at what we do.

We've set up four membership tiers -- Subscribe to the club monthly as one person or as a household, or annually at either of those levels. 

Currently, the primary benefits of joining are a membership card and bumper sticker. As the club grows, we'll work with local businesses to provide club-exclusive discounts and special events. The more people who join, the better and more frequent the offers.

It's important to note, this isn't a subscription to read the site. Our stories remain free to read. This is a membership club with benefits (and we'll add benefits as it grows).

Special Offer: Join with an annual membership before Dec. 15 and receive at no additional cost a 2013 calendar of Genesee County Photos by Howard Owens.

Join via PayPal below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal (soon we'll be able to accept credit card payments separate from PayPal).

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

One-Time Pledge of Support
Includes membership card, bumper sticker and entry into iPod Nano drawing.
Special Offer: Join by Dec. 15 and receive a calendar of Genesee County photos by Howard Owens

Advance Order a 2013 Calendar - $25
Photos of Genesee County by Howard Owens. Some of the photos you've seen on The Batavian, some have not been published on The Batavian before.

Billie and I always appreciate running into people around town who shower The Batavian with praise. We always love to know that people appreciate our work.

We've always asked our fans and supporters to help The Batavian thrive by supporting our advertisers, which you all have been great about doing.

Now, to help us grow, we're asking you to support The Batavian through direct financial contributions by joining The Batavian Club.

Today, 19 people signed up, which we find is a pretty great start to getting this new idea going.

Hard to believe I haven't done this since June, but here are the most viewed posts for each month of June, July, August, September and October.

June:

• Three members of Le Roy family jailed after scuffle with police
• People swimming in pond at Dewitt Recreation Area, Batavia, by Billie Owens
• Local business owner accused of impersonating cop to keep potential competitor out of town
• Photo: Plane refueling over Batavia
• Police unsure how man fell from seventh-floor window at 400 Towers
• Lawn mower driver said to be enjoying a brew near Maple and North, Le Roy, by Billie Owens
• At first concert of Darien Lake season, 24 arrests and 70 citations
• Today's Poll: Is racism still a problem in the U.S.?
• Photos: Johnny Bananas at City Slickers
• Driver of golf cart involved in fatal accident enters a guilty plea to negligent homicide

July:

• Angry mother confronts store employees she believes sold bath salts to her son
• DEA raids 420 Emporium in Batavia as part of nationwide assault on bath salt sales
• Woman accused of giving bath salts to minor allegedly said she thought it was OK
• Mother's grief has turned her into a crusader against bath salts
• Chris Collins wants to go to Washington to restore the American Dream
• Three people arrested after suspected marijuana field discovered unexpectedly
• Relatively speaking, a calm night at Darien Lake for Dave Matthews show
• 420 Emporium raided by multiple law enforcement agencies, by Billie Owens
• Small turn out, but lots of support for bath salt protest at 420 Emporium
• Broadbent: One Batavia family learning the hard way the damage bath salts can do

August:

• Attorney, young celebrity arrested in Pembroke on charges of DWI and prostitution
• Jacquetta Simmons takes the stand, tells her side of the story
• BREAKING: Jacquetta Simmons found guilty
• Witnesses punch holes in defense contention that Jacquetta Simmons hit victim accidentally
• Simmons' attorney vows appeal, cites jurors' pre-trial media exposure
• Boyfriend allegedly takes pregnant girlfriend's pack of smokes, by Billie Owens
• Metal spikes reportedly placed at the bottom of slides at Le Roy playground
• Defense argues Simmons' punch was unintentional attempt to break free of person holding her
• Business owned by Chad Zambito closed, assets up for auction to pay debt
• Fight inside Wendy's restaurant in Batavia, by Billie Owens

September:

• Pembroke woman, 53, arrested on child pornography charge
• Two men may be headed to Genesee County intent on robbing a farm
• Complaint: Children playing in the street!, by Billie Owens
• Today's Poll: Are 47 percent of the people in the U.S. takers, dependent on government?
• School bus and big rig collide on West Main Street Road, by Billie Owens
• Evicted tenants forgot the dogs, by Billie Owens
• Six-month jail term and probation given to teenage golf cart driver involved in fatal accident
• Ten arrests at KISS concert at Darien Lake
• Investigators unable to determine cause of death for Alyce Huntoon
• Pavilion mother faces second felony DWI charge under Leandra's Law

October:

• Head-on collision on Route 20 in Darien claims life of mother, seriously injures her daughter
• Byron-Bergen school district won't discuss apparent termination of artist who worked as counselor
• Court clerk in Corfu files harassment complaint against village justice
• Fatal accident reported in Oakfield, on Lockport Road
• Corfu trustee denies running afoul of closed session protocol
• No settlement from insurance company on Settler's sign
• Winning drug-free posters from local students (post from 2010)*
• Route 19 closed after suspected hand grenade found in trunk of a car
• Alleged drunken driver destroys Settler's Restaurant sign
• 'Wife Swap' celeb in media spotlight at court appearance on prostitution charge

*That post showing up from 2010 is rather odd. As near as I can tell, that post on The Batavian is a top-ranking search result for "drug free posters." I'm guessing October was the month for students to look for ideas for creating a poster for a drug-free poster contest.

As you know, here at The Batavian, we're always encouraging local residents to support local businesses. We especially like programs that help connect local shoppers with their neighborhood shops.

A couple of months ago, some friends in the online news business showed us a new smartphone and tablet app that is aimed at rewarding local shoppers for patronizing local businesses.

It's called Zebra Reach.

We're all familiar with loyalty cards -- buy five lunches, get the sixth free, buy nine books get the 10th free. A lot of businesses run these sort of programs, but they usually come with flimsy paper punch cards that either get lost or crammed in your wallet with a dozen other cards.

Zebra Reach makes loyalty reward programs digital and easier to use -- one app stores all of your purchase points for multiple participating businesses.

For the past couple of weeks, Lisa Ace has been busy asking a bunch of local businesses to participate. We wanted to make sure that when you first learned about Zebra Reach, there would be plenty of local rewards to, well, reward you for shopping locally.

To download the app, with your iPhone or iPad, click here. For your Droid powered phone or tablet, click here.

To visit the Zebra Reach Web site, click here.

And, if you don't have a smartphone -- coming really, really soon are plastic cards that will work pretty much the same. The participating businesses (those with smartphones or tablets) will scan your card, but you'll have only one card to carry for all participating local businesses.

Here are the participating businesses and initial offers (and of course, we're looking for more businesses to participate):

Adam Miller, 8 Center St., Batavia
Model Club Rewards -- $5 off your next purchase. For every dollar spent earn 1 point. Earn 50 points, receive $5 your next purchase.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia
1 Free sandwich.
Buy any 5 sandwiches, get 6th free.

Charles Men's Shop, Inc.,  200 E. Main St., Batavia
1 Free tie. Buy 3 shirts, get 1 free tie.

Dog Crazy Daycare, 1 Mill St., Batavia
Earn points toward a free doggy overnight stay. For $25 spent, earn 1 point toward the doggy overnight. New clients receive 2 bonus points.

Fisher Sports, 412 Main St., Batavia
10% off hockey equipment, For each visit you'll earn 5 points. Earn 25 points -- you'll receive 10% off your next purchase of any hockey equipment purchase.

Glass Roots, 12 Center St., Batavia
1/2 off glass. Buy 2 pieces of glass, get 1/2 off the 3rd.

Kravings Kafe, 4152 W. Main St., Batavia
$5 off. Receive 1 point for every $5 spent. Earn 16 points, get $5 off your purchase.

Main St Pizza, 206 E. Main St., Batavia
Free small pizza with 1 topping. Earn 15 points and redeem your free small pizza with 1 topping. Earn points with any purchase.

RW Vapors, 224 Ellicott St., Batavia
Buy 5 bottles of E-Liquid, get the 6th free.

Salsa & Curry, 15 Jackson St., Batavia
Buy 1 lunch, get the 2nd for 1/2 off.

Sweet Ecstasy Bakery, 6173 Main Road, Stafford
Free cookie, cupcake or muffin. Purchase any 10 bakery items and receive a free cookie, cupcake or muffin.

Sweet Pea's Cupcakery & Cafe, 23 Jackson St., Batavia
Free cupcake. Buy 11 cupcakes, get the 12th free.

Terry Hills, 5122 Clinton St. Road. Batavia
Free lunch. Buy 5 lunches, get the 6th free.

The Detail Shop, 3875 W. Main St. Road, Batavia
Free deluxe wash. Buy 5 deluxe washes, Get the 6th deluxe wash free.

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia
Free Chamilia bead. Buy 3 Chamilia beads, get 1 free.

T.F. Brown's, 214 East Main St., Batavia
1 free lunch. Buy 5 lunches, get the 6th free.

West Main Mini Mart, 3845 W. Main St. Road, Batavia
Buy 7 pizzas, get one free.

Local business owners: To sign up for Zebra Reach, contact Lisa Ace (lisa@thebatavian.com or (585) 250-4118).  Participating is a no-cost, no obligation program to start. There's only a fee, $50 per month, once you have 50 customers participating in your offer(s).

UPDATE: Just added, Lambert's Design Jewelers, 375 W. Main Street. Batavia. "One point for every $10 spent on purchases.  Earn 20 points and receive $10 off your next purchase"

We provide support, in-store promotional materials and the marketing power of The Batavian. There is also a Web site where you can login and manage your offers and check stats on participation to see how your offers are working.

At about 3 p.m., we noticed a problem with the Web site. The wrong headlines were appearing on stories. The wrong comments were appearing on stories. If we tried to edit a story, the wrong edit screen would open.

All of the content of The Batavian is served out of a database. Databases have segments known as tables. Different tables perform different functions and are related to each through numeric sequences. One of the tables of our database stores revision history. This table had become corrupted, which caused the content to get scrambled.

We don't believe any malicious act caused this, or even human error. It just happened.

The most recent available back-up of the site was from 10 p.m., Thursday.

It took a great deal of time to first figure out the problem and then look over our options for recovery. We decided to back up some files on the server, back up the back-up database and then install everything on a secondary server and make sure that the restored database wasn't also corrupted.

We then had to restore the primary server.

All-in-all, the site was offline for about seven hours. It came back online at 10 p.m. or so while I was at the Cal-Mum vs. Le Roy football game. Then we had a house fire on River Street, so this is my first opportunity to post something and fill you all in on what happened.

The worst of the news is -- besides being down for seven hours -- is that everything posted on Friday was lost. The good news is, I was able to manually save copies of all the home page posts from Friday, so my next task is to repost those. From the best of my memory I'll time stamp the stories to the approximate times originally posted.

Unfortunately, all of the comments left on those posts are gone. Any obituaries, events, announcements, etc., posted on Friday are gone, too.

We apologize for the inconvenience of all of this. It wasn't any fun for us, either. It reminds me of the time I was a reporter at a daily paper in California and the press broke down just as it started the afternoon paper's run. The sense of helplessness feels the same. It's an unhappy situation, but tomorrow's a new day.

In a few hours I'll get on a plane headed toward California.

I'll be in San Francisco tonight through Saturday evening, and then fly down to Bakersfield, visit my parents, and return to Batavia on Tuesday.

While I'm gone, Billie will be here, monitoring the scanner, of course, and covering anything that needs covering, plus we'll have help from our usual correspondents and our news partner, WBTA. And I'll be able to do a little news coverage from California. So while the coverage changes a bit with me gone, there will still be news about our community.

On Thursday I'll speak on two panels -- one on advertising sales, and another on running a small online start-up -- at the annual Online News Association conference.

ONA has become the largest trade association for online news in the world and will be attended by representatives from a lot of large news organizations. I've never spoken at the conference before and the last time I attended was in Toronto about four or five years ago. In 2004, the news site I ran then, for the Ventura County Star, won the ONA's General Excellence Award.

The industry has changed a lot in the past few years though, and when I looked at the roster of attendees the other day, I realized I will actually know very few people who will be there.

I don't expect to attend the entire conference. This will be my first trip to San Francisco since I took to photography in a serious way, so I expect to get out and wander around a bit with my camera.

This is the second of three closely timed out-of-town trips. Billie and I still look forward to a trip together to visit family in California this autumn, but we have no idea when that trip can be booked. We're still waiting for the funds to pay for it.

The second of my previously announced, closely packed set of trips begins this morning.

I'm flying to Chicago for a gathering of local independent online news publishers. The conference is called Block by Block and it's in its third year.

The big news for our gathering in Chicago this year is the official unveiling of LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers. I'll be on the board of directors of the newly formed nonprofit and serve as its treasurer. LION brings together a group of successful online news publications with the purpose of promoting our segment of the industry, educating publishers on business and editorial practices and providing resources for aspiring publishers.

Of course, news coverage while I'm gone will be altered, but not nonexistent. Most importantly, Billie will be here to stay on top of any breaking news. We also have the help of our official news partner, WBTA.

I should be back Saturday just in time for the Wine Walk (skipping out on the conference a little early, in fact, to catch a flight that should allow me to get into Buffalo by 3 p.m.).

As I mentioned previously, I won't be here for high school football coverage, at least not to take photographs of a game.

Games this week include: Attica at Pembroke (Friday, 7 p.m.); Avon at Le Roy (Friday 7:30 p.m.); Livonia at Batavia (Friday, 7:30 p.m. (the Blue Devils' first home game this season)); Finney at Oakfield-Alabama (Friday, 7 p.m.); Holley at Elba/BB (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (that's what the schedule says ... does that mean Elba is bringing in lights?)); Notre Dame at Alexander, (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.).

Some time before 1:30 p.m., the company that handles a good portion of routing Internet traffic was attacked.

Traffic reaches Web sites through what are known as Domain Name Servers. TheBatavian.com's traffic direction is handled by GoDaddy.com.

That site was targeted by an apparent denial-of-service attack (overwhelming servers with a bunch of meaningless data).

A person with a Twitter account of @AnonymousOwn3r claimed responsibility for the attack, though there is no confirmation that he or she engineered the attack. The attacker claims to be a leader in the cyber-anarchist group known as Anonymous, but several known members of Anonymous on Twitter have mocked his claim and denied any connection between Anonymous and the attack.

The good news is, since I'm able to post this, we are back online.

Millions of Web sites went off-line today because of the attack. A company of GoDaddy's size should really have stronger security than the success of, and duration of, this attack suggests.