Incumbent John Canale retained his Ward 3 City Council Seat and challenger Al McGinnis captured the Ward 4 seat after the last of the absentee ballots were tallied today.

Polling place and absentee ballots gave Canale a total of 123 votes ot 103 for Richard Richmond, and McGinnis had 180 votes compared to 143 for incumbent Pier Cipollone.

Downtown business owners, especially bar owners, want to see a change in the restrictions on overnight parking Downtown, Laurie Oltramari, new executive director of the Business Improvement District, told City Council members during Monday's meeting.

Oltramari spoke during the open public comments portion of the agenda.

She's asking that the city adjusts the parking law, which prohibits on-street parking and parking in public lots from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., during the spring, summer and fall to allow bar patrons to leave their cars overnight if they decide that's the best option.

"The bar owners came to me because they felt their patrons are being penalized for leaving cars after drinking (at the bar)," Oltramari said. "When you have to make that choice between moving your car because you might get a ticket or leaving it when you're intoxicated or a little tipsy, you might make that wrong choice."

City Manager Jason Molino said he became aware of the request for the change for the first time when Oltramarie raised it during the meeting. He said with the city about to embark on a new comprehensive planning process, that process is the appropriate venue for addressing the issue.

"I think there is positives and negatives with it," Molino said. "It does create a maintenance issue at times. I really don't know if the restriction on overnight parking really does or doesn't create a problem. I mean, it's been in existence and I don't think it's prevented anything from happening."

One of the primary reasons for the restriction is to make snow removal easier during the winter, which is why Oltramari is asking for a seasonal adjustment, not a blanket, year-round change.

Oltramari presented a list of other small cities in Upstate New York and their various parking restrictions, many of which have seasonal parking laws, including Fulton, Geneva, Hornell (restricted overnight in the fall for leaf cleanup), North Tonawanda, Norwich, Ogdensburg, Olean (based on snowfall levels) and Rome.

Molino said he's spoken with many of his colleagues throughout the state about the issue and it's not that straightforward.

"They say, 'when you find a solution, let us know,' " Molino said.

As for going through the comprehensive plan process, Oltramari said something should be done sooner rather than later. 

"I think it can be addressed with the comprehensive plan, but that's a long process," Oltramari said. "Why would we want to wait for that when this is the right choice in the meantime?"

A months-long vacancy in the executive director position for the Batavia Housing Authority has been filled, Brooks Hawley announced during Monday's City Council meeting.

Nathan Varland, most recently the housing director for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, has accepted the position.

Hawley said Varland was one of four candidates interviewed for the position and the board of directors were impressed with his qualifications.

Varland steps into the role while the board conducts an internal investigation into the death of a 91-year-old resident of 400 Towers, who apparently wandered onto the roof of the building and died of exposure. Batavia PD is still awaiting results of an autopsy report in the death of the resident, who may have suffered from mild dementia. 

Hawley, president of the City Council, also serves on the BHA Board.

Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator Matt Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

On the night before Thanksgiving, friends and family reunite, celebrate, and kick off the holiday. However, it's also become known as "Blackout Wednesday," the start to a dangerous weekend, with more drunk drivers out on the road. Law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Nov. 25th and will end on Nov. 29th. New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.

“Thanksgiving is a time when families travel, sometimes great distances, to be together” said Genesee County Undersheriff William Sheron. “It’s our intention to have extra patrols out to make our roads and highways as safe as possible during this holiday season.”

Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunk driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem.

City of Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch wants to remind drivers that, “Thanksgiving is a special time to spend with friends and family, make sure that you have a plan to get home safely. Our officers will be extra vigilant for impaired drivers this Thanksgiving season to ensure your safety.”

The STOP-DWI Thanksgiving Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation. Throughout the remainder of the year the Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign will also target the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. It is significant to note that in 2012, 416 motorists died in traffic crashes during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, the highest toll of deaths for any holiday weekend period. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Press release:

Students at Byron-Bergen Elementary School have focused their efforts on an impressive goal to benefit their school for well over a year. They have been busy planning, organizing, budgeting, working with partners, and raising needed funds. They finally saw all their hard work pay off at an outdoor ceremony at the school’s playground on Nov. 4 when Principal Brian Meister cut the ribbon and opened the new four square playing court.

The project began with the school’s Student Council. Student leaders from grades four through six recognized that a need existed for a safer location for students to play the popular playground game, four square. For years, students had played on a concrete sidewalk next to the parking lot. Errant balls often came much too close to cars and traffic. Student leaders created a proposal to build a new play area with a permanent four square court, partnering up with the community's STEP Boosters, and finding support from the Board of Education and administration leaders.

They planned and organized a number of successful fundraising events and activities. Students researched court building guidelines and rules, designed the court, managed the budget, hired contractors, and directed the work.

“This project came straight from student ideas and has been entirely executed by our students,” Meister said. “It is reality today because our students made it happen.”

The opening ceremony featured a short speech from Student Council President Elli Schelemanow, who thanked the Board of Education, the Byron-Bergen Administration, the Bergen Highway Department, The Pike Company, the Byron-Bergen Maintenance Department, Visual Impact Signs and Graphics, and the elementary school Art teacher Melissa Coniglio. Student Council Vice President Frank Hersom, Treasurer Lexi Vurraro, and Secretary Kendall Phillips were also on hand to assist in the ribbon-cutting, along with BOE President Debra List and Amy Phillips, and STEP Boosters Treasurer Carrie Baubie.

The student court design includes four courts for four square play, with additional areas for shuffleboard and hopscotch. 

If you haven't heard yet, coloring books are now a thing. OK, sure, we all had coloring books as kids, but now that we're all grown up, we're finding coloring books again, but not the "see spot run" type of coloring books, the pirate-on-the-ship coloring book that 3-year-olds scribble on, but books with pages of complex designs, fine lines and thin strips of blanks awaiting our choices of ruby, ginger or burgundy.

Adult coloring books are the hottest item at Karen's Yarn, Paper, Scissors, said owner Karen Crittenden. Her Saturday morning coloring sessions are popular enough that reservations are required and she's added a monthly evening session. This Saturday, more people than anticipated turned out for a coloring group at the Richmond Memorial Library.

"I find it very soothing to take a thing that is just black and white and turn it into something that is beautifully colored," said Lynn Bartlett Taylor during Saturday's event at the library. "Even though I'm not an artist, it makes me feel like I am in my own way."

Read articles or talk to participants and the common themes of why adults color in coloring books are it's meditative and it's a stress reliever.

In a recent article for Parade Magazine, psychologist Alice Domar, Ph.D., executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in Boston, said one reason adults find coloring so relaxing is it engages the entire brain. It's impossible to multitask or worry about kids or money when both sides of your brain are absorbed in coloring between the lines. 

“It’s impossible to worry about dinner or the laundry or anything else when your mind is completely engaged,” Domar explains. “With knitting or other crafts, you can watch TV or multitask, but coloring really requires you to be in the moment. And that makes it meditative.”

She suggests coloring to patients who need stress relief, particularly those who loved the activity as a child.

“Coloring brings you back to a simpler time. It’s pleasurable. It’s a chance to sit and be mindful -- and at the end you get this beautiful result. You have a real sense of accomplishment.”

Taylor said she gets totally absorbed in the pictures she's creating.

"It's very meditative," said Taylor, who started coloring with her grandchildren in 2004, then stopped for awhile, then came back to it after hand surgery as a form of physical therapy.

"I can't make pictures of my own but I can fill in the colors for somebody else and everyone turns out different and I can't see the picture when I start out, but as I add the color, it starts coming alive. It's like each picture has its own personality."

For somebody just getting into adult coloring, Crittenden said they have a lot of options, from whether they want to start with complex designs, what themes to choose (mandalas are popular, but there is a host of other subjects available from birds and flowers to fanciful landscapes and seascapes), the medium to use (pencils, markers, crayons) and whether the colorist has enough skill and experience to handle more artistic expressions such as gradients and shading.

"The biggest thing I don't want them to do is get frustrated," Crittenden said. "They'll look online. They'll look in the stores. They'll look at the picture books and say, 'I want to do that,' and a lot of those techniques out there take some time and practice and some skill."

New colorists can also get started cheaply, if they like, or make a pricier splash, depending on their budget.

"There are $4 coloring books and you can get a set of pencils for $7," Crittenden said. "It's not expensive to get into, but you can go upwards. I mean some of these coloring books, like this one, it's an actual book. That's $25, and you can go on up from there."

Part of the thing of color is it works both as a solo pursuit and as a social activity. Across the country, adults get together in small groups on a regular basis to color together. There are Facebook and Pinterest groups dedicated to adult coloring. Colorists loving sharing their work.

But seeing all of this public activity it would be tempting to think adult coloring is just a woman thing, but that's not the case at all, Crittenden said.

"I'm finding that a lot of men are doing it, too," Crittenden said. "The last time we had a set of insect coloring books in, they went out of here fast. A lot of women were buying them for their men. A lot of men color with their wives. They're like secret colorers. A lot of times on Facebook women will post and say 'this one belongs to my husband,' or 'my husband did this one.' The wives are posting about them. It's probably just that more women are open about coloring."

After all, men have stress, too.

Crittenden herself using coloring to relax her mind.

"I have the skill to draw this, but drawing this takes too much of my concentration," Crittenden said pointing to a design in a book. "If I'm coloring this, I'm coloring it at the end of the day. My coloring books are up by my bed with my pencil tin. When I do this, I'm doing this at bedtime. For me, it gets my brain to stop, because I have a brain that doesn't stop.

"It's going like all the time and if I don't stop it at bedtime, I can't sleep because my brain keeps going and going and going and going and going. Ideas just keep flying into my head. If I don't stop, it just keeps going and this helps my brain stop working enough so I can fall asleep."

I got back to Genesee County from Batavia's game in Rochester yesterday shortly after sunset.  

A motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported in the area of 7652 Clinton Street Road, Bergen.

Bergen Fire and ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 8:35 a.m.: All occupants out. Pole snapped.

Batavia's landscape is changing, with more vegetable gardens, chicken coops and solar panels, and that's a trend the city would like to see continue, said City Manager Jason Molino while showing off his family's new greenhouse in the backyard of their home on Vernon Avenue.

Molino said code enforcement officers Ron Panek and Doug Randall report seeing more and more of these sort of backyard amenities, which is right in line with the city's strategic thinking about creating a more livable and sustainable environment, the kind of environment marketing studies and news reports show Millennials are seeking.

"This is just one example of what you can do," Molino said. "It shows how you can take your space and make it more livable and enjoyable for the whole family."

This particular greenhouse cost Molino a bit less than $900 to build, and the size of it required a city permit. But greenhouses can be built for a lot less and at a smaller scale so that no permit is required. As the city goes through its comprehensive plan review, one thing planners will be asked to consider is how to both streamline the process and protect the ability of residents to incorporate these sort of projects into their yards.

Every board, nail and pane of glass was locally sourced, Molino said, including the unique roof, which is a green roof grown right here in Batavia.

Comprised of several varieties of sedum, which is a plant that stores water and grows well in a wide range of climate zones, green roofs help insulate a building, control stormwater runoff (and thereby inhibit the flow of pollutants into storm drains) and improve air quality.

Vegetal I.D. is a company based in Batavia (the U.S. division of the French company Le Prieuré) that grows trays of sedum for green roofs on land leased from C.Y. Farms. The company's customer base, said Sander Teensma, is within a 500-mile radius of Batavia, which brings in a variety of climates where these sedum roofs thrive.

"This is an idea that is gaining momentum," Teensma said. 

For the Molino family, the greenhouse is a project "that took on a life of its own," Jason said. For the past few years, the Molinos have been growing vegetables in their backyard, and as their children have gotten older, they've become more active participants in the process. It's a life-learning lesson the Molinos want to encourage. So they started talking about what they could do next -- more raised beds, a chicken coop, or perhaps a greenhouse.

Molino got his uncle involved and they started designing a greenhouse and finding sources of local material for construction. One thing led to another, and Molino decided a green roof would be perfect for the project, especially since there was a local company that could provide the roof.

And the whole project fits right in with the direction of the city's plan for a revised comprehensive plan that aims to focus on amenities and lifestyle choices for the up-and-coming generation of Americans who seek a life less defined by corporate dictates, more authentic in food choices and more environmentally conscious.

The comprehensive plan can help guide the city toward the kind of living environment people increasingly seem to be seeking so it doesn't lose out on the growth opportunity.

"We incorporate those ideas into the comprehensive plan so we advance the ideas and they can be done more easily," Molino said. "It helps market the community to capture a lot of the growth that's going to happen in the county over the next 10 years."

If projects such as STAMP are successful -- and the coming of 1366 Technologies is a hopeful sign -- then it should mean an influx of the kind of jobs Millennials will seek, then it's critical for Batavia to position itself as a livable community for those workers, or risk losing most of them to Buffalo or Rochester.

"The comprehensive plan reflects the values we want to see in the community over the next five to 10 years," Molino said. "We want to encourage and make it easier (to build these sorts of projects). If these are the amenities and quality-of-life features that people want, and we're seeing a trend when they buy homes and properties, how do we ensure that we can continue that trend and how can we build off of that? That's what the comprehensive plan does."

Craig Yunker, of C.Y. Farms, Jason Molino, Sander Teensma, and Paul Brent, production manager for Vegetal I.D.

The watchword for the Batavia Blue Devils this football season has been relentless. Coach Brennan Briggs has it stenciled on the back of his game day windbreaker. But there's another word that can apply to the 2015 edition of the team: dominating.

Over the past six games, no opponent has been able to finish a game within three touchdowns of the Blue Devils. Whether on the ground or through the air, the Batavia offense has scorched every defense they've faced and the defense has been, well, relentless.

The Blue Devils started the year ranked #1 in a coaches' poll, but Briggs wouldn't discuss on the record how much confidence he had in his team. After today's win over Livonia by a score of 52-20 for the team's second straight Class B Section V title, Briggs admitted he believed this team was that good all along.

"It's what I expected," Briggs said. "I downplayed it all year because there was a lot of hype. I don't like the high expectations. I just like to out there and get the job done. The kids have answered the bell every single week."

Briggs (top photo with the trophy) is in his fourth season as head coach and he becomes the first head coach in school history with back-to-back sectional titles in football to his credit.

A lot of credit for today's win goes to the ground game led by Dom Mogavero and Ray Leach, and senior QB Greg Mruczek's performance was certainly title worthy, but what it really comes down to, the players say, is the play of the offensive and defensive lines.

"They've been incredible all season for us," said Mruczek, who was 9-11 passing for 158 yards and two TDs. "They work hard every single day at practice. They work hard. The trenches are where football games are won and I think people overlook that sometimes."

Mogavero put together another stellar performance, rushing for 177 yards on 14 carries, scoring twice, and he gave all the credit to the linemen.

"Those guys work hard in the trenches," Mogavero said. "They played their tails off."

Danny Williams, who has been a team leader on defense all season and had eight tackles today, said it's an amazing feeling to be part of a winning team that works so hard together.

"We're such a family," Williams said. "I've never been on team that's got my back more than this team does. However I play, they've got my back. If I mess up, there's somebody right there to make the tackle. If I don't mess up, I make the tackle or they make the tackle. It's so easy to get down, but they just help me pick up. It's great."

Batavia came ready to play a tough, physical game, Briggs said.

"The nice thing is, they're (Livonia) a smashmouth team and we wanted to show that 'hey, we can beat people up in the trenches and we can do a great job,' " Briggs said. "Our kids just played relentless football all day long. They wanted it and nobody was going to take it from them."

Trevor Sherwood had three catches for 32 yards and a TD, Malachi Chenault had two grabs for 15 yards and Anthony Gallo scored on a 60-yard TD reception, which was the second play of the game and set the tone for the day.

"It was definitely huge," Mogavero said. "It definitely gave us a little kickstart."

That well-balanced game is part of what makes Batavia hard to beat, Briggs said.

"We have athletes all over the field and we also have tough guys in the trenches, and if we want to run the ball we can run it," Briggs said. "If we want to throw it, we can throw it. A lot of it comes down to what we're seeing, what we think we can do and what we can do to open other things up. Our line, our receivers and our running backs -- all of them together just make a great football team."

Next week, we get to find out if Batavia is indeed that good. They will play Cheektowaga for the Far West Regional Championship, a stepping-stone to a shot at a state championship game. The Blue Devils went into last season's regional with high expectations, only to bump into the reality of the Warriors, losing 35-18. The 2015 edition of the Warriors are 12-0 and have as many dominating wins as Batavia.

They players are eager to go against the Warriors, they said, with some thoughts of avenging last year's loss and some just out to prove they deserve the victory.

"We're going to want some revenge, but we've got play hard just like we played today and then we'll see what that score, what that outcome, is," Williams said.

Mruczek is excited at the prospect of matching up with Cheektowaga again.

That's definitely going to be a fun game," Mruczek said. "We're all looking forward to the opportunity to play them again for sure."

Asked if the team was looking for a chance for revenge, Mogavero wouldn't go there, not quite.

"We're definitely grateful for the opportunity to play them again this year," Mogavero said.

Briggs downplayed any talk of revenge, even after saying, "we feel like we owe it to them."

"They're a great football team," Briggs said. "We're going to have to come prepared and I know they're going to come prepared."

Game time for the regional is 1 p.m., Sunday, at Sahlen's Stadium.

Anthony Gallo made a 60-yard TD reception on the second play of the game, and after that, there was no more looking back for the Blue Devils.

Dom Mogavero scores on a two-point conversion after Gallo's TD reception.

Ray Leach on the carry.

Ray Leach headed for the end zone.

To purchase prints of game photos by Howard Owens, click here.

Slide show of photos by Howard Owens:

Slide show of photos by Jim Burns:

A two-car accident with injuries is reported in the area of mile marker 397.5 on the eastbound Thruway.

The injuries initially described are not serious.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 6:16 p.m.: A second Mercy ambulance requested to the scene, non-emergency.

Batavia defeats Livonia 52 to 20.

Complete coverage to follow.

Steve Foster got into the handcrafted gift business when he started making metal sculptures at Adams Welding and Fabrication, and today he expanded the gift business into a space open to other crafters. On the Adams Welding property, 5782 Main Road, Stafford, Foster opened a gift shop filled with crafts of his own creation along with other artisans who have brought items by for him to sell.

It was Try Hockey for Free Day at Falleti Ice Arena and Nora, almost 3, couldn't wait to play, said her father Brian Gildner. In fact, Nora is eager to play every time Brian takes her older brother to practice.

A 54-year-old Batavia resident is facing an attempted assault on a police officer charge after allegedly trying to drive his vehicle away from a traffic stop while an officer's arm was inside the vehicle.

David J. Martin, of Elm Street, allegedly led law enforcement on a pursuit into Stafford, where he was stopped with the aid of spike strips.

Following arraignment on several charges, including DWI, Martin was jailed without bail.

The incident began with a traffic stop after a Le Roy PD officer observed a vehicle in the village without license plates. Martin was identified as the operator. The officer observed that it appeared Martin had been involved in some sort of altercation. During the investigation, officers came to believe Martin had been driving drunk. Martin was instructed to step out of the vehicle, which, at that point, had its engine shut off. Martin allegedly started the engine and while patrols attempted to prevent Martin from putting the vehicle in drive, Martin allegedly started driving away while an officer's arm was still in the vehicle. Martin allegedly continued on the roadway and patrols tried to get him to stop.

Charges against Martin include: attempted assault on a police officer, a Class D felony; DWI, second offense, a Class E felony; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony; unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor; resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor; obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor; two counts of reckless driving, a misdemeanor; no distinctive plate, a violation; driver’s view obstructed, a violation; unsafe start, a violation; two counts of improper or unsafe turn/turn without signal, a violation failure to keep right, a violation; and refusal to take a breath test, a violation. Along with these charges, the Genesee County Sherriff’s Office has also charged Martin with: fleeing a police officer in motor vehicle in the third degree; speed over state limit/55 mph, a violation; and speed in zone, a violation.

Martin is scheduled to reappear in Town of Le Roy Court at 1 p.m., Nov. 19.

Brodes J. Gibson is accused of the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle in the first degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Oct. 11 in the City of Batavia, Gibson drove a 2008 Cadillac on Main Street while knowing, or having reason to know, that his driver's license was suspended, revoked or otherwise withdrawn by authorities. Furthermore, Gibson was allegedly under the influence or alcohol or a drug at the time. In count two, he is accused of the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, for driving without a valid license while having three or more suspensions in effect on at least three separate dates -- for failure to answer, appear or pay a fine -- and while under being under the influence. In count three, he is accused of driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor for driving on Main Street, and the parking lots and driveways of the Batavia Gardens apartments on East Main Street, while he was under the influence. In count four, Gibson is accused of the crime of reckless driving as a misdemeanor for operating the Cadillac in a manner which "interfered with the free and proper use" of Main Street. In count five, he is accused of unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Knowing he had been stopped by police, he then allegedly attempted to flee by driving at speeds which equaled or exceeded 25 mph above the speed limit or engaged in reckless driving. In count six, Gibson is accused of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly knowingly acting in a manner likely to be injurious to a child less than 17; one or more children were present in the courtyard vicinity of the playground at the Batavia Garden apartments at the time he allegedly drove through the courtyard area.

Colton A. Cole is accused of the crime of driving while intoxicted as a Class E felony. On June 20 in the Town of Byron, it is alleged that Cole drove a 2009 Chevrolet on Townline Road while intoxicated. In count two, he is accused of aggravated driving while intoxicated, per se, as a Class E felony, for allegedly having a BAC of .18 or more at the time.

Nimora C. Chong is accused of the crime of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Sept. 25 in the Town of Batavia, Chong stole property having a value in excess of $1,000. Chong is accused of stealing $2,650.52 worth of merchandise.

Assistant Principal Jon Wilson, left, and Principal Carol Messura greet students Friday during a celebration of Wolcott Street School's designation as a 2015 National School of Character. 

Call it a show of good character, featuring a cast of “good characters.”

About 700 of them, to be exact.

The Wolcott Street School community gathered along Trigon Park on Friday afternoon to celebrate — cheerfully and loudly — its designation as a 2015 National School of Character.

Principal Carol Messura and Assistant Principal Jon Wilson arrived aboard a Le Roy Fire Department ladder truck, which carried a National School of Character banner and was escorted by the fire department along Main Street to the school.

They exchanged high-fives with students, before heading indoors for an assembly in Memorial Auditorium.

The elementary school was named a National School of Character in May by Character.org (formerly the Character Education Partnership), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for character education. School administrators traveled to Atlanta last month to accept the honor.

Messura said it’s something to share.

“This award represents every single student, every staff member, every worker here, every parent, every administrator past and present, board members, families and our fabulous community at large,” she told students.

“This award lives in all of you.”

National Schools of Character are schools and districts where character education has had a positive impact on academics, student behavior and school climate, according to Character.org. Designated schools have the right to use the National School of Character name and logo for five years.

Messura said 276 schools from across the United States applied for the honor this year. Wolcott Street School was one of only 64 schools and three districts that were awarded.

For Wolcott Street School, the story actually began about 15 years ago, when a Character Education Committee was created under the direction of then-principal Jim Thompson.

After his retirement, the character education program continued under his successor, Casey Kosiorek. The school earned a “Promising Practices” award in 2010, the same year it adopted the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. 

Wolcott Street School was named a New York State School of Character in 2012.

Thompson and Kosiorek were among local dignitaries on stage for Friday’s celebration.

“You know what we’re all here for? To make a difference with kids,” said Thompson, who now directs the Instructional Coaching Service for the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

The Character Education Committee was formed in light of changing times, Thompson said. It had become clear that developing good character, was a responsibility schools had to share.

“It needed to be taught and it needed to be celebrated,” Thompson said. “And not in a heavy-handed way, but in a good way.”

Highlights from the assembly:

— John Panepento and Riley Wood each spoke on behalf of the sixth grade, which was asked to describe what character education has meant to them.

— Sixth-graders also sang “Hakuna Matata,” from Disney’s “The Lion King Kids.” The class presented the musical — to rave reviews — on Thursday.

— Wilson announced that every student will receive a T-shirt to commemorate Friday’s celebration. Students chose shirts over wristbands in a school-wide vote.

Friday’s celebration capped “Character Day” at WSS. Students participated in class activities throughout the day.

“Building character in each and every classroom is really our goal,” Wilson said.

“There’s a lot going on in education right now,” he added. “But we can never lose sight of the fact that character education is the heartbeat of our school district.”

Wolcott Street School Principal Carol Messura and Assistant Principal Jon Wilson, center, are pictured Friday with former principals Jim Thompson, left, and Casey Kosiorek.

Press release:

The Salvation Army in Genesee County will begin its annual Red Kettle Campaign on Friday, Nov. 13.

“This year our goal is $70,000,” said Major Robert Kurtz. "The money raised not only supports our holiday assistance programs but also enables us to provide emergency services.

"Last winter we provided 12 men a warm place to sleep, helped 15 families avoid homelessness, and gave away over six tons of food.”

All funds raised during the Red Kettle Campaign are used to provide food, toys and other services to Genesee County residents throughout the year.

Again this year individuals have the option of creating their own virtual Red Kettle online. Money raised through this online tool will be added to the Red Kettle Campaign and be used for Genesee County residents.

If you are interested in “ringing the bell” online go to our secure Web site www.empiresalvationarmy.org to create your “kettle."

Volunteer bell ringer slots are still available. If you, your family, or group is interested in participating in the Genesee County Red Kettle Campaign please contact Major Robert Kurtz at 585-861-0676 or robert.kurtz@use.salvationarmy.org.

Use your smartphone to check out our bell ringing app @ red kettle bell.

A car vs. tree accident is reported in the area of 7691 Caswell Road.

There are unknown injuries.

Byron and South Byron fire departments along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: A utility pole may also have been hit.

UPDATE 6:37 p.m.: Byron is back in service.