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Convicted sex offender from East Bethany pleads guilty to child porn

Submitted by Billie Owens on May 23, 2013 - 3:08pm

Press release:

BUFFALO -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Jerald Kicinski, 48, of East Bethany, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio, to receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that between December 2010 and December 14, 2011, the defendant received child pornography on his computer at his residence in East Bethany. These images had been transmitted to the defendant in interstate commerce via the Internet. Kicinski was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the second degree in 2002 and sexual abuse in the third degree in 1990. Both of the defendant's prior convictions involved minors.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of James C. Spero, special agent In charge. Sentencing will occur in front of Chief Judge William M. Skretny. No sentencing date has been scheduled.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Four local students made the dean's list at Rensselaer Polytechnic University

Submitted by Billie Owens on March 31, 2013 - 1:00pm

Press release:

Students have been named to the dean's list at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for the Fall 2012 semester. The dean's list recognizes full-time students who maintain grade-point averages of a minimum of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 and have no grades below "C."

The following four students were granted an achievement for earning a spot on the dean's list at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:

Austin Kubiniec, of Batavia

Robert Hoy, of Batavia

Tyler Murtha, of East Bethany

Rosalie Mortellaro, of Elba

Rensselaer is America's oldest technological research university, offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in architecture, engineering, information technology and Web science, management, the sciences, and the humanities, arts, and social sciences. Rensselaer offers more than 145 programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Students are encouraged to work in interdisciplinary programs that allow them to combine scholarly work from several departments or schools. The university provides rigorous, engaging, interactive learning environments and campus-wide opportunities for leadership, collaboration and creativity.

SUNY Geneseo names a dozen local students to its dean's list

Submitted by Billie Owens on January 22, 2013 - 5:34am

The State University of New York at Geneseo has announced its dean's list for the fall semester 2012. To be on the list, a student must have achieved a 3.5 grade-point average while taking at least 12 credit hours.

Students on the list from this area are:

  • Chelsey Brinkman, from Alexander
  • Amanda Gouger, from Batavia
  • Christina Mortellaro, from Batavia
  • Grey Musilli, from Batavia
  • Abigayle Brown, from Batavia
  • Calli Raines, from Batavia
  • Clarisse Birkby, from Corfu
  • Sarah Lawson, from East Bethany
  • Mitchell Gillard, from Elba
  • Michael Ramsey, from Elba
  • Briana Pangrazio, from Le Roy
  • Alicia Rohan, from Oakfield

SUNY Geneseo is a public liberal arts college recognized nationally for excellence in undergraduate education and for its professional and master's level programs.

Trespassers with flashlights reported inside Rolling Hills Asylum, East Bethany

Submitted by Billie Owens on November 19, 2012 - 9:59pm

The owners of Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany called dispatch to report that an unauthorized person or persons are inside the building and a flashlight can be seen probing the darkness. Sheriff's deputies are responding. The location is 11001 E. Bethany Road in East Bethany.

GCC Spring 2012 President's List honorees

Submitted by Billie Owens on August 6, 2012 - 9:21am

Genesee Community College proudly announces that the following students are among 540 students who were named to the President's List for the Spring 2012 semester. Students honored on the President's List have maintained full-time enrollment and earned a quality point index of 3.75 (roughly equivalent to an A) or better. (The college also maintains a Dean's List comprised of students who earn a quality point index of 3.50 to 3.74. Genesee's Dean's List will be released in the next several weeks.)

This year's Genesee Community College Spring 2012 President's List honorees, with their hometowns, are listed below:
 

Basom

Danielle Hirtzel
Jessica Pfalzer
Theresa Rainey
Elias Seward
Leah Snyder

Batavia

Russell Jackson

Bergen

Elizabeth Jarnot
Charles Lee
Lindsay Stumpf

Byron

Tiffany Harrington
Richard Lucas
Stacy Maskell
Arlene Olmstead
Adrienne Payne
Danielle Thom

Corfu

Angel Alexander
Stacy Brockway
Rachel Doktor
Tracy Kearney
Michael Kraus
Kyle Maurer
Kayla Meyer
Alyssa Reeb
Dawn Roberto
Dawn Smith
Trevor Spiotta
Dana Wolbert

Darien Center

Shannon Bates
Kylynn Bank
James Erb
Matthew Herod
Hannah Zimmermann

East Bethany

Autumn Atkinson
Julliane Ingalls
Alec Kirch
Bryce Kirch
Sarah Lawson
Janet Gohlke

East Pembroke

Anthony Nati

Elba

Michael Anauo
Nicole Beardsley
Richard Dorf
Chapin Guthrie
Chelsie Pangrazio
Samantha Walker

Le Roy

Kevin Callahan
Andi DeBellis
Eric Hayes
Stephanie Heisler
Jeanice Howard
Gregory Humphrey
Donald Kahm
Mark McAvoy
Cody Niccloy
Willard Prevost
Michele Rast
Bethany Roth
Heather Schroeder
Brenda Sheflin
Denise Simcick
Michael Sullivan
Conor Tomaszewski

Linwood

Deena Hernandez

Oakfield

Della Balduf
Jonathon Cassiano
Lindsay Chatt
Benjamin Cherry
Angela Larmon
Laura Ostrowski
Sara Read
Joseph Sullivan
Meghan Vandersteur

Pavilion

Samantha Barclay
Patricia Brown
Wendy Edwards
Kaleigh Kingsley
Jonathan White

South Byron

Halle Davalos

Stafford

Michelle Jackson

 

Genesee Community College offers over 60 academic programs and certificates, including the new Veterinary Technology (Vet Tech) and Polysomnography (Sleep Tech) programs. Genesee is accessible through seven campus locations throughout Western New York, as well as through online classes in the Distance Learning program. College housing is available at College Village, just a three minute walk from the Batavia Campus. With small class sizes yet state-of-the-art technology both inside and out of the classroom, Genesee Community College is known for being "high-tech" and "high-touch."

Forty-five local students make the Deans' List at SUNY Brockport

Submitted by Billie Owens on June 29, 2012 - 3:07pm

The College at Brockport, State University of New York, recently honored students who excelled academically by naming them to the Deans' List for the Spring 2012 semester. Students who earn a GPA of 3.70–3.99 are named to the Deans' List with Honors (***), while students who achieve a 3.40–3.69 are named to the Deans' List.

The honorees, and their hometowns, are:

Basom

Krystal Rivers

Lori Stellrecht

Bergen

Mary Cocking

***Joanna Menzie

***Samantha Elliott

***Melanie Monroe

***Shane Chatham

Danielle Lovett

Kathleen Lovett

Harjit Singh

***Brian Burgay

Byron

***Patricia Johnston

Melissa Dilcher

Melissa Hale

Darren Kwiatkowski

Capri Sullivan

Corfu

Casey Herman

East Bethany

Amanda Boulden

Elba

Torianne Cavallo

Bronson Cole

Le Roy

***Danielle Ford

***Gena Korn

***Antonio Madau

***Christina Mancuso

***Joseph Patton

***Emily Kovatch

***Abigail Graham

Katlyn Brooks

Chelsea Dillon

Chelsey Macomber

James Mangefrida

Jason McElroy

Danielle Merica

Joel Pitts

Justin Toland

***Lyman Rhodes

***Katherine Rogers

Oakfield

Kristen Casper

***Samantha Denton

Zackary Kibler

Shelby Kielbasa

Pavilion

***Theresa Raponi

Sarah Merritt

South Byron

Kallee Stein

Stafford

***James Mignano


The College at Brockport offers 50 undergraduate majors, more than 40 graduate programs as well as 24 teacher certification programs. The college has been rated among the "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, a "Best Regional University" by U.S. News & World Report, and a "Best Value" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

Supermoon May 5th, 2012

Submitted by Doug Yeomans on May 6, 2012 - 12:21pm

Canon T3i with an EF-S 55-200mm lens.


Moonshine on the roofs of the barns and on the road..a few stars showing, too

GO ART! announces winners of student poetry contest

Submitted by Billie Owens on May 4, 2012 - 1:26pm

GO ART! has announced the winners of the 2012 Genesee/Orleans Student Poetry Contest.

Students from schools in both counties were invited to participate.  
The winners in Genesee County are:

  • Ian Edwards -- Grade 2, Alexander
  • Will Johnson -- Grade 5, Byron
  • Emily Leone -- Grade 6, Le Roy
  • Anna Dembowski -- Grade 12, East Bethany

East Bethany student honored at SUNY Empire State College

Submitted by Billie Owens on April 9, 2012 - 4:40pm

Kevin L. Lawson, a student at SUNY Empire State College, has earned the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. He is a resident of East Bethany.

Lawson is one of only five Empire State College students to earn this prestgious honor.

Three local student named to Deans' List at Buffalo State College

Submitted by Billie Owens on March 12, 2012 - 6:09pm

The following students were named to the School of Natural and Social Sciences Fall 2011 Deans' List at Buffalo State College.

  • Ashley Kingsley, of Pavilion. Kingsley is the daughter of Karen and Larry Kingsley, and a graduate of Pavilion Central School.

 

  • Joe Miano, of Pembroke. Miano is the son of Joe and Joanne Miano, and a graduate of Pembroke High School.

 

  • Elizabeth Miller, of East Bethany. Miller is the daughter of Louis and Mary Miller, and a graduate of Pavilion Central School.

To qualify, students must earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.

Founded in 1871, Buffalo State is the largest comprehensive college in the SUNY system. Buffalo State offers more than 165 undergraduate and 62 graduate programs in the arts, sciences, professions, and education. Each year nearly 12,000 students choose Buffalo State for its superb academic programs, applied learning opportunities, affordable tuition, and metropolitan location.

Workshop offered on protecting, enhancing woodlots

Submitted by Billie Owens on February 21, 2012 - 3:55pm

Protecting and enhancing your woodlot will be the focus of a workshop on Saturday, March 10, at the Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Center.

Cost is $10 and the deadline to register is March 3. The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to noon, with a tour at 1 p.m. (You may want to bring your lunch if staying for the tour.)

This workshop will show you how to protect your woodlot from human and natural threats and offer ways to maintain a healthy and productive woodlot. Topics include: how to avoid timber theft; pool logging practices; recognizing invasive species: developing a management plan; and resources available to help landowners get the most from their woodlots.

To register, send payment (make checks payable to NYFOA -- New York Forest Owners Association) along with your name, address and phone number to:

Ron Reitz, 6086 Canadice Hill Rd., Springwater, NY 14560.

For more information, contact Mike Seager, seager_michael@yahoo.com or (585) 414-6511. Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany.

Tractor-trailer jackknifed on Route 63 in East Bethany

Submitted by Billie Owens on January 13, 2012 - 2:39pm

A tractor-trailer is jackknifed on Route 63 in the Hamlet of East Bethany. The location is between East Bethany and Le Roy roads. It is completely blocking the roadway and yet some vehicles are attempting to go around it. State police are called to the scene.

GCC today announced Dean's List students for Fall 2010

Submitted by Billie Owens on April 18, 2011 - 6:25pm

Today, Genesee Community College announced the Genesee County students who are among 612 on the Dean's List for the Fall 2010 semester. These students earned a quality point index (grade-point average) of 3.50-3.74.

The honorees, their hometowns and attendance status, are:

ALABAMA

Jake Nadolinski, full time

ALEXANDER

Daniel Dudek, part time

Sabrina Herman, full time

Clayton Miller, part time

Teresa Morris, full time

John Ognibene, full time

Laurie Schwab, part time

Cindy Schwartz, part time

Stacy Wirth, full time

Lacey Wolfley, full time

BASOM

Kassondra Conrad, full time

Andrew Greene, full time

Danielle Hirtzel, full time

Ely Winnie, part time

BATAVIA

Jenise Albert, part time

Valeria Antonetty, part time

Jessica Barone, full time

Christopher Blachowicz, full time

Ann Brade, part time

Alex Brasky, part time

Katherine Clemm, full time

Neil DeLillo, part time

Richard DelPlato, part time

Nicole DiSalvo, full time

Erin Dobbertin, full time

Melissa Dorman, full time

Ian Dries, full time

Delores Dyer, full time

Ashley Falcone, full time

Charles Ferraro, full time

Kaelie Grazioplene, full time

Rachel Guppenberger, full time

Kimberly Gutzmer, full time

Brett Hake, part time

Shauna Hutchinson, part time

Kimberly Ianita, full time

Jessica Jaszko, full time

Katie Kosciolek, part time

Gregory Kryman, full time

Jenna Lynn Leach, full time

Shelly Lopez, full time

Elizabeth Martin, full time

Emily Mott, full time

John Mullen, part time

Colleen O'Donnell, full time

Daniel Oquendo, full time

Joseph Pedro, full time

Theresa Pellegrino, part time

Joshua Que, full time

Meagan Roese, full time

Amy Roggow, part time

Erin Ruzzi, full time

Erin Schafer, part time

Joseph Schlossel, part time

James Schnellinger, part time

Amber Shea, full time

Trisha Smith, part time

Brian Sprague, full time

Kathryn Svensen, part time

Mark Temperato, part time

Wendy Walker, part time

Todd Warren, full time

Katelyn Wickson, part time

Caitlin Wilkinson, full time

Mercedes Wollek, full time

Cameron Wright, full time

BERGEN

Karen Beaney, part time

Ryan Chatham, full time

Carrie Cooper, part time

Samantha Elliott, full time

Amanda Heale, full time

Gary Heale, part time

Kelsey Hill, part time

Cynthia Mack, part time

Rebecca Mosher, full time

Tavy Shippers, part time

Ashley Spangenburg, part time

Miranda Tardy, full time

BYRON

Kevin Jackson, full time

Mark McLaughlin, full time

Timothy Nicholas, full time

CORFU

Eric Allen, full time

Shannon Bartlett, part time

John Bernardini, part time

Patrick Betz, full time

Stacy Brockway, part time

Joseph D'Amato, full time

Lisa Falkowski, part time

Melissa Gardner, full time

Jessica Gerould, full time

Ashley Ingram, full time

Jamie Johnson, full time

Tracy Kearney, full time

Victoria Rebmann, full time

Kara Rykert, full time

Ashlin Thuman, part time

Dana Wolbert, full time

DARIEN CENTER

Larissa DeMuth, part time

Abigail Engel, full time

Nadine McClurg, part time

Alexander Muench, full time

Rebecca Piechowiak, full time

Michelle Waldo, full time

EAST BETHANY

Sarah Baird, part time

Karen DeFelice, full time

Ian Lawson, part time

EAST PEMBROKE

Lucinda Barber, part time

ELBA

Michael Anauo, full time

Keenan Hughes, part time

Christopher Johnson, part time

Jeana Pfalzer, full time

Danyelle Scarborough, part time

LE ROY

Jennifer Beherns, part time

Joeylyn Berl, part time

Jacob Bortle, part time

Ashley Carney, part time

Jason Coniber, part time

Chad Cummings, part time

Margery Fitzsimmons, part time

Jamie Givens, part time

Bridget Grayson, part time

Anthony Macaluso, full time

Sharlene Majors, full time

Melissa Meadows, full time

Brenda Melton, full time

Caleb Nicodemus, full time

Joel Pitts, part time

Bethany Roth, full time

Katherine Stearns, part time

Jeremy Tiede, part time

Duane Weber, part time

Bradley Wight, part time

Sharon Wynn, full time

OAKFIELD

Kari Adams, full time

Amanda Bachorski, full time

Ariel Bentkowski, full time

Kristen Casper, full time

Julie Mendez, full time

Kendra Moak, full time

Sara Mooney, full time

Nathan Oaksford, part time

Veronica Rebert, full time

Maria Sanders, full time

Olivia Waldron, full time

PAVILION

Matthew Berkemeier, part time

Daniel Case, part time

Marie Hart, part time

Jeannie Kirch, part time

Brian Leach, full time

Emily Mess, full time

Julia Sallade, full time

Deborah Schroeder, full time

Peter Sherman, part time

James Smart, full time

STAFFORD

Amber Carmichael, part time

Jacob Cone, part time

Mark Williams, part time

Genesee Community College offers more than 60 academic programs and certificates, including the brand-new Veterinary Technology A.A.S. degree and Polysomnographic Technology A.A.S. degree, (the study of sleep disorders).

Genesee is accessible through seven campus locations throughout Western New York, as well as through online classes in the Distance Learning Program.

College housing is available at College Village, just a three-minute walk from the Batavia Campus. With small class sizes and state-of-the-art technology both inside and out of the classroom, Genesee Community College is known for being "high-tech" and "high-touch." Find out more at <http://www.genesee.edu >.

Historical program: How 1918 Spanish Flu affected Genesee County

Submitted by Billie Owens on September 12, 2010 - 9:43am

A historical program about how the Spanish Flu impacted Genesee County will take from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 7 at the Genesee County Park and Forest Nature Center.

It is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany. Pre-registration is required by calling (585) 344-1122. Cost is $5 per person; $10 per family.

In 1918, a deadly influenza pandemic erupted during the final stages of World War I.

Using newspaper articles and other resources, the county historian will explain how this pandemic started and how if affected life in Genesee County.

Correction: 'Batavia native brings fresh creative energy to local theater'

Submitted by Daniel Crofts on June 9, 2010 - 12:48pm

In the June 6 article, "Batavia native brings fresh creative energy to local theater," Heather Ackerman was quoted as saying that the East Bethany Old Town Hall (her theater company's venue) has seating for 100 people.

The East Bethany town supervisor has since stated that the venue can really only seat 50 people. Because of the building's age, town officials do not feel comfortable with it being advertised for too large a crowd.

Batavia native brings fresh creative energy to local theater

Submitted by Daniel Crofts on June 6, 2010 - 1:42pm

This Saturday, Heather Ackerman invites you into an alternative universe with alternative theater...

Well, all right, maybe that first "alternative" is a bit over the top...but the second is definitely real.

The venture

Ackerman's new East Bethany-based theater group, "Honesty Theatre," will be putting on their second production Saturday, June 12. It will be made up of a series of individual performances grouped under the theme of "alternate realities."

"All of these stories will be based on different 'what if' ideas," Ackerman said, citing as an example a vignette that has Sophocles' Antigone winding up in New York City.

Ackerman describes Honesty Theatre as "an experimental writing company for the stage." The group is made up of small teams of actors, each responsible for writing, producing and performing a short play...all in one day.

Each teams' play is included in a single, themed performance every month. At Honesty Theatre's premiere last month, the plays that were all about "beginnings." Subjects included Adam and Eve, beginning relationships, the first day in a new town, etc.

Ackerman says this style of theater is good for both audiences and actors; audiences get to see something "no one has ever seen before" (since it's being more or less created and performed at the same time), while actors have the chance to explore their creative instincts.

"Our emphasis is on the creative process, what we learn along the way and being creative with words, rather than on the final product."

Nevertheless, the Honesty Theatre troupe is taking advantage of lessons learned from their last show to enhance the quality of the next one. For example, instead of writing the scripts on the day as the performance, they decided to "workshop" the scripts well in advance this time. Spontaneity will still be very much in play, but with scripts prepared in advance, the actors can focus more energy on the performance aspect of the show.

"Acting on the fly is a lot better than writing on the fly," Ackerman said.

She also encouraged more interaction and reciprocal feedback between the different acting teams, as well as some advance rehearsal time. During the first production, the actors had to rehearse while the other vignettes were being performed. This time, they will be able to see and offer feedback on their fellow actors' work.

The brains behind the operation

Though currently a resident of East Bethany, Ackerman is a Batavia native. She has been acting since she was a youngster and has an impressive repertoire of local theater performances, including roles in Summer Youth Theater productions of "Alice in Wonderland," "Godspell" and "Oliver." She has also worked with a local independent theater company called Something-or-Other Productions, acting in such plays as "The Laramie Project" and "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged" from 2004-2007.

While a student at Genesee Community College, she had starring roles in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "A Christmas Carol."

In addition to acting, she also has experience writing local theater productions. Her first stage play, an experimental piece about young girls and their perspectives on relationships (love, breakups, etc), premiered at GCC in 2003.

After earning a bachelor's degree from the NY University at Buffalo, she spent six months living in Boulder, Colo. It was there that the seeds of Honesty Theatre were planted.

"I was looking at the want ads and I noticed that there were these people looking for a theater writer," Ackerman said. "I called them right away, got the job, and wrote for them the whole time I lived in Boulder."

The names of the two individuals in question were Erin Kelly and Jesse McDonald, and they ran a spontaneous theater company just like Honesty Theatre. Kelly, in fact, was one of the founders of "L.A. Café," which was the first group to experiment with this type of theater.

"They're actually doing very well in Boulder," Ackerman said. "In the time since I left, they've already become a larger theater company."

Ackerman was so intrigued by their approach to live theater that she wanted to bring it to her own neck of the woods. She asked Kelly and McDonald for their permission, and they granted it happily.

The venue

Honesty Theatre productions take place at the East Bethany Old Town Hall, at 10440 Bethany Center Rd., which Ackerman says has "exactly what (they) need" in spite of its smaller size. The hall contains an old vaudeville stage.

"It has seating for 100, and it's great as a theater because it has an old-fashioned look and bright polished wood."

Saturday's show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last about an hour and a half. Tickets are $8 and will be for sale at the door.

For more details, call Ackerman at 356-4678.

East Bethany holds annual ice cream social

Submitted by Daniel Crofts on June 4, 2010 - 7:53pm

West Bethany Baptist Church's annual ice cream social will be held from 4 until 7 p.m., Saturday, June 26 at the church, located at 10333 W. Bethany Road.

The event and the food are free, including hamburgers, hot dogs, sloppy joes, baked beans, chips and, of course, ice cream sundaes and milkshakes.

For more details, call the church at 343-4841.

Event Date and Time

June 26, 2010 - 4:00pm - 7:00pm

'Secret World of Spiders'

Submitted by Daniel Crofts on June 4, 2010 - 7:13pm

The Genesee County Park and Forest Interpretive Nature Center, at 11095 Bethany Center Rd. in East Bethany, invites you to learn about the world's many breeds of spiders and to meet some live spiders Saturday, June 19.

This event runs from 10 until 11 a.m. Admission is free, but advance registration is required.

For more details, please call Judy Spring at 344-1122 during the Interpretive Nature Center's regular hours:

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Saturday

Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday

Event Date and Time

June 19, 2010 - 10:00am - 11:00am

Chicken BBQ this afternoon at Catholic Church in East Bethany

Submitted by Daniel Crofts on May 12, 2010 - 4:37pm

Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, at Rt. 63 in East Bethany, will be serving a chicken barbeque until 5 p.m. today

The cost is $8 per adult and $4 per child. Adults can also buy the chicken without any sides for $4. Call 343-4537 for more info.

Event Date and Time

May 16, 2010 - 11:00am - 5:00pm

New movement, old worship at Seeker Community Church

Submitted by Daniel Crofts on April 22, 2010 - 1:06pm

They are private, and they are public.

They are contemplative, and they are active.

Their ways are ancient, and modern.

They are Presbyterian, but with a Celtic flavor, and with a bit of Franciscan spirituality and the Desert Fathers thrown in.

They are local -- and they are nationally significant.

They are the Seekers of East Bethany's Seeker Community Church, and they have just been named a "New Church Development" in the Presbyterian Church USA.

This group of Seekers was founded in 2007 by Rev. Bill Hockey, a pastor for 30 years and currently a half-time pastor at North Bergen Presbyterian Church.

It started as a spontaneous project between friends (Hockey included) who wanted a new worship experience, one that would let them live differently from the fast-paced and goal-driven culture around them and be present to the people in their lives and communities who needed them.

They modeled their commitment on the New Monastic movement, which is built on the premise that people become more aware of and available to serve the needs of their neighbors by fostering a deep connection with God and His presence in their lives.

As a recovering alcoholic, Hockey appreciates that angle on spirituality.

"I made a lot of connections in the 12-step recovery program," he said. "I found there were a number of people who longed for a place to worship but didn't feel connected to the churches they had been to."

Right now, the Seeker Community Church -- which currently has about 15-20 members -- meets every Sunday at East Bethany Presbyterian Church. But the Seekers will soon have a space to call their own, thanks to an anonymous donor who gave them 22 acres of woodland in East Bethany. There they hope to build a "refuge of prayer" to which the people of the Genesee Valley can come to get away from their hectic lives and "seek the Lord."

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