Several engines in Genesee County have already been dispatched to a house fire at 6714 Brownell Road, off Route 19, near Pavilion. The Batavian is heading out now to find out more. 

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(Updated at 2:15pm): No injuries have yet been reported at the scene of this house fire. Plenty of crews were on hand from areas in and around Genesee County. At least a dozen engines, trucks and emergency vehicles were lined up outside the residence. The fire seemed mainly confined to the back corner of the house, where flames chewed through the back wall.

We will update with more information as it becomes available. Also check back for more photos and a brief video clip of the scene.

(Updated at 3:30pm): It doesn't look like we'll be getting any specifics on this fire until morning, according to the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management. What we can say right now is what we can see.

Now, I'm not exactly sure where this home is located. Google shows this as Wyoming, but it's in the Pavilion fire district and just outside of Pavilion Center. Yet, on the scanner, I heard reports that this is actually the town of Covington.

At the scene earlier this afternoon, there were no reports of any injuries, and fire damage seemed to be confined to the back of the house. Crews from Pavilion, Wyoming, even as far off as York, lined the street out front of the home on Brownell Road and stretched in either direction on Wyoming Road, as well. We first heard reports of the fire shortly after one o'clock, and some crews on scene were already being dismissed by shortly after two o'clock. I would assume the large turnout helped keep everything under control and get the fire tackled as fast as it had been.

As soon as we have more details, we will be sure to pass them along.

Most of the folks who have taken our poll so far today are in agreement that "maybe" we will get a couple inches of snow overnight tonight. In fact, it's an overwhelming 76 percent of poll-takers who feel that way right now. That "maybe" attitude may change a little bit, however. The National Weather Service has upgraded their winter storm watch to a warning, and it sounds like we could get "slammed" over the next 24 hours.

The warning goes into effect tonight at 11:00pm, through to 11:00pm Wednesday night, although it sounds like overnight and tomorrow morning will be the worst of it. So plan for a tricky commute. Here are the details:

Moderate to heavy snow will bring difficult travel to the western New York tonight through Wednesday evening. Snow is expected to overspread the region by around or shortly after midnight, with periods of snow continuing through Wednesday evening. The snow may be heavy at times, especially late tonight and Wednesday morning.

Storm total accumulations are expected to reach 8 to 10 inches by late Wednesday evening.

Well, folks... we're stumped. You see, there's this old highway traffic sign posted up along Route 19 in the town of Le Roy, just outside the village. On it, a flashing message board communicates the message: Shop Main St Leroy in glowing orange letters.

We thought, that's kind of curious. How could an old traffic sign be appropriated to advertise downtown businesses? Seems like a clever idea, and we wanted to find out more about it. Unfortunately, no one seems to know anything about it. We started with a call to the Le Roy village clerk. Sharon Jeary didn't know anything about it. She told us to call Gene Sinclair, the code enforcement officer. Sinclair couldn't tell us anything, either. He knew of the sign, but he hadn't the foggiest where it came from and who put it there. So we called the Le Roy town clerk. Nothing there either. We were told to contact Sinclair again.

Bizarre.

Anyhow, in addition to the message: Shop Main St Leroy, the sign also flashed the messages: Vintage and Vogue and Hobby Horse. Now, I don't know what "vintage and vogue" might mean, but I've been to the Hobby Horse, a neat little shop on Main Street in Le Roy that sells everything from alpaca wool socks to antique gewgaws. In fact, The Batavian interviewed the shop's owner, Anne Walters, last summer. You can watch the video of that interview and learn more about the Hobby Horse by checking out that post.

We'll see what we can find out in the meantime.

(Updated 1:00pm): It seems we've solved the mystery of the sign. Anne Walters, over at the Hobby Horse, told us that the sign is owned by a fellow in Le Roy whose sister-in-law is an antiques dealer who rents space at the Hobby Horse and... you guessed it, Vintage and Vogue, also a shop on Main Street in Le Roy. He likely bought the sign at a state auction and thought it might be a good way to advertise downtown business.

Meteorologists are holding true to their winter storm watch, still expecting the massive system now sweeping up from Ohio to hit hard tonight—check out our post from this morning. Although, initial predictions of up to a foot of snow for the region have already been eased. We're know expecting between five and eight inches of snowfall. Still, looking at this thing, there seems a chance that it could just sail right by us, never lifting north enough to cause any damage.

Last year, if I remember correctly, there were about a half dozen "major" snow storms that were predicted that never came to pass. Are we looking at another flop, or should be all be picking up our shovels?

Jeffrey W. Scott, 25, of Le Roy, was charged with two felony counts of fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two felony counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance Monday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Scott allegedly sold "quantities of pills" to an undercover agent of the county's local drug task force. He was sent to Genesee County Jail without bail pending a court appearance later today.

Kaitlyn M. Schicker, 20, of Hamlin, was charged with driving while intoxicated Monday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Schicker allegedly crashed her car into a snow bank on Oak Orchard Road in the town of Elba. She was also ticketed with failure to keep right and operating the motor vehicle on a mobile phone.

Martin Pacer, 28, of 16 Jackson St., Apt: Upper, Batavia, was charged with second-degree criminal contempt and fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana Monday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Pacer is accused of violating a court order of protection by getting too near a family member.

A winter storm watch first issued yesterday evening is still in effect for tonight and tomorrow. Initial predictions were between 6 to 12 inches of snowfall.

From the National Weather Service out of Buffalo:

A storm system tracking northeast from the southern plains could bring a significant general snowfall to the area tonight and Wednesday. Some uncertainty still exists on the exact path the storm system will take, and therefore the amount of snowfall which may occur. Probabilities remain high enough that significant snowfall may occur to maintain the winter storm watch.

Again, here's a look at this storm right now. As you can easily see: it's enormous, stretching from Dallas to Philadelphia. It looks as if the real threat is the mass of snow currently creeping up through Ohio. Maybe we'll get lucky, and it will drift on by south of us.

Not much to report on this yet, but a half dozen people spoke at the City Council meeting tonight, asking the city to seek new management for the Falleti Ice Arena in Batavia. They spoke in pretty condemning terms, claiming that the arena is no longer "a family-based skating wrink." One speaker went as far as to say that under the new management: "We've had our right to skate taken away."

The central issue among all the complainants was the allegedly unceremonious banishing of skate instructor Joan Disbrow from the arena. According to the mother of one young skater, a member of the management crew, Firland Management, vociferously dismissed Disbrow from the premises while she was on the ice with one of her students.

Councilwoman Marianne Clattenburg spoke up after all of the comments had been made. She said she has heard from several families that have made similar claims. "I think we may have made the wrong mistake with Firland Management," she said.

Council members Kathy Briggs, Rose Mary Christian and Bill Cox all agreed.

"I'm concerned with the volume of complaints—all one-sided," said Cox. "We need to give citizens the right to have a good skate and enjoy their sport."

A representative of Firland Management, Jim Cain, was scheduled to speak at the meeting. He cancelled. City Manager Jason Molino said that Cain called earlier in the day to say that he was not feeling well and could not attend.

There was some mention, as well, about the unsatisfactory budget report provided by Firland for the city's consideration.

We will look into this story and see what more we can find out.

(UPDATED: Tuesday, 12:03pm): A Daily News article by Joanne Beck features some more details on this issue. Worth checking out.

It's official. Batavia's out of the ambulance business. City Council voted unanimously tonight not to continue funding and operating the county-wide ambulance service. True to the word of Council President Charlie Mallow, there was no discussion to be had by the city leaders. Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian was the only member to speak.

"It's a shame that the county hasn't come to the aid here," she said. "They're always passing the buck."

Further, despite the packed house—at least a couple dozen residents filled the audience—only two citizens spoke.

Saturday was quite an experience for me.

I've taken a bus ride with the Batavia basketball team before, but this one with Notre Dame was completely different and was a ton of fun, even though the team lost to Prattsburgh 70-64.

I live less than 10 minutes walking from Notre Dame, so I decided to walk to the school. As soon as I got in the building, coach Mike Rapone was doing a walk-through with his squad.

Prattsburgh and Notre Dame make trips each year to play together and their home courts and it is always a great game, with the home team usually winning.

We then got on the bus and it took exactly two hours to get to Prattsburgh, which is a great town that is old time. The buildings on the main street are from the way-back and the people there are just good folks.

The ride there was a lot of fun.

The kids from Notre Dame know how to bust each other's chops. There was the ribbing of Tommy Rapone on his Pokeman fetish, the gum wrapper belt put on Rick Lair when he fell asleep and just a lot of goofing off.

But when the Fighting Irish arrived at Prattsburgh, it was all business. I had some business to attend to, visiting friends from Notre Dame and Section 5 Talksback that made the trip.

I watched the jayvee game with the varsity squad for the third quarter, then midway through the fourth I went down with coach Rapone to hear his pregame speech. 

Rapone is not a yeller and not a big ra-ra coach. He's one of those guys that has been around long enough to know everything the other team is going to do and he ran through it with his kids. He knew what players on the Vikings did and what to do if they pressed or went box-and-1 on Kevin Francis.

Notre Dame jumped out to a quick 15-6 lead  in the first quarter. But Francis picked up his second foul and had to sit down, and that's when the flow of the game changed. Prattsburgh took advantage of arguably the Genesee Region League's best player being on the bench and wound up leading 34-27 at the half.

There was nobody on ND that could rebound in the second half and Prattsburgh was dropping 3-pointers like crazy. Patrick Wightman scored 21 points and hit five 3-pointers and Ryan Caron scored a game-high 29 points.

The crowd was totally into the game, with fans from both sides cheering when big things happened.

When the game ended and Notre Dame took it on the chin, Rapone gave his post game speech and basically told his team what they did wrong and hopes that they learn from the mistakes made in this game and become a better team from the loss.

Then the two teams, coaching staffs and all of the media and some locals that were there got together to enjoy pizza, subs and cookies together. It is a tradition that when the two teams play that they get together afterwards and enjoy and meal.

This is not done with any other rivalries as far as I know. Very cool.

As we loaded the bus to go home, I was expecting a depressing ride and kids sleeping. Yes, some were depressed and yes some slept, but it wound up being as much fun as the two hour ride there.

It started with Greg Barr leading a chorus singing songs from cartoon movies of the past. I could not stop laughing. 

Then those that were not sleeping, gathered around my seat to talk and hang out. The conversation was good and everybody got a preview of the video, seeing the footage I took on the bus ride up.

There is a sad point that I must end on. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association is attempting to cut the amount of games that a team can play in a season.

That would mean Notre Dame would play it's regular season games and then have three open slots. They aren't going to back out of the Lions Club tournament, which only allows them to play one extra non-league game. This very well might be the end of a great rivalry and tradition that has lasted for many years. Rapone and Prattsburgh coach Jim Burke are both over 500 career wins and good friends.

The kids enjoy playing each other and making the long trips.

But it looks like a great tradition is over.

Sad news for local gastronomes: Sallome's Deli in Batavia is dark. The Oak Street eatery has been closed up since at least last week. A sign on the door simply reads: "Closed until further notice," and a number is given where customers are encouraged to leave a message. We called that number and left a message. Anyone with a gift certificate is encouraged to call the same number (201-7300) and leave an address where a refund can be mailed.

Sallome's opened up this past summer.

We will keep you informed of any updates.

A storm system creeping over the midwest could hit our region Tuesday night and bring up to a foot of snow. The National Weather Service out of Buffalo has issued a winter storm watch, in effect beginning tomorrow night.

A storm system tracking northeast from from Texas has the potential of producing a widespread 6 to 12 inches of snow across the area Tuesday night and Wednesday. The heaviest amounts are likely to be across the Southern Tier counties. It is still too early to be certain of these amounts. Remember, this is just a watch at this time. Warnings or advisories will be issued when we are more certain.

A watch is essentially the first alarm in the storm prediction business, so don't go warming up the generator yet.

Here's what we may have to look forward to—now looming ominously in the form of a wintry mix over Oklahoma and into Missouri.

From the Democratic committees in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties:

"We congratulate Senator Gillibrand on her appointment as our new Senator, and we commend Governor David Paterson on making sure that the unique interests of upstate New York are reflected at the highest levels of government.  The position of Senator is of special importance to residents of the GLOW region (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties).  Unfortunately, since almost all of our residents have no representation in the majority of the Assembly, State Senate, or House of Representatives, our federal Senators are our only majority representatives.  Therefore, we are especially pleased that Senator Gillibrand comes from an upstate, rural Congressional district that is similar to our own.  We are delighted to have a Senator so attuned to our issues.

"These are very difficult times for everyone, but the GLOW region faces particular challenges.  We are pleased that Senator Gillibrand has asked to serve on the Agriculture Committee (as she did in Congress) and mentioned 'the dairy farmers of western New York' as the first group she recognized in her remarks upon her appointment.  We invite her to visit us at her earliest possible convenience and are eager to introduce our region and to work with her on its issues.  Many of our leaders were privileged to meet and hear then-Congresswoman Gillibrand at last year's New York Democratic Rural Conference.  We know she will be a strong advocate for the GLOW counties.  Senator Gillibrand has also pledged to continue her policy of accessibility and transparency for which she has been renowned in Congress, so we are confident her "Congress on Our Corners" program will come to our communities soon.  We are pleased that Governor Paterson has appointed someone who will be an upstate leader for New York."

Later tonight, Batavia's City Council will vote to cease its funding and operation of the county-wide ambulance service managed by the city fire department. Discussion among members of Council was had at a recent budget meeting, and Council President Charlie Mallow has assured us that they are essentially all in agreement and that tonight's vote is merely the formal act on what has already been decided.

Seventeen of the 18 other municipalities in the county that benefit from the ambulance service have expressed their desire to continue with the city-run service. So we may see a few speakers at tonight's meeting. The vote will follow the Council's conference meeting, which begins at 7:00pm at City Hall.

The Buffalo News reports this morning that Gov. David Paterson will meet and negotiate with the leaders of the Seneca Nation before any shipments of cigarettes to Seneca retailers are halted. Aaron Besecker reports:

During a rally Sunday just south of the Route 438 Thruway overpass, [Seneca President Barry E. Snyder Sr.] read a letter from Gov. David A. Paterson in which the governor indicated his desire to begin talks with the Indian nation about the dispute over tax collection on cigarettes sold by Native American merchants to non-Indians.

It sounds as if the governor is considering backing off from enforcing the law that he himself signed in December that requires wholesalers to show to the state tax department that they are not selling tax-free cigarettes to retailers. If they fail to comply, they could be charged with perjury. In the meantime, a justice of the state Supreme Court "issued a temporary restraining order ... that blocks the state from enforcing its policy."

Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook said he would not comment on a private conversation between the governor and Snyder, but he did say a negotiated compromise on the cigarette tax issue “is an avenue [Paterson] would like to take.”

“The governor sees it as a window of opportunity,” Hook said.

What exactly would Gov. Paterson negotiate? This seems to be a pretty cut and dry issue. Either the state enforces the law or the law is repealed. Can you see any compromise on this?

Our newest state Senator, Mike Ranzenhofer, has taken positions on several state committees, including agriculture and aging.

Ranzenhofer beat out Democratic challenger Joe Mesi to win the seat last Novemeber. When The Batavian spoke with Ranzenhofer prior to that election, he told us a little bit about his plan to seek an across-the-board 15 percent cut to help reign in the state budget. We hope to hear more about Ranzenhofer's efforts in Albany. We'll be sure to keep you filled in.

From the release statement:

State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Amherst) has become the Ranking Member of the State Senate Committee on Aging.  He will also serve on the Agriculture, Banks, Corporations, Judiciary and Tourism Committees.

Senator Ranzenhofer is excited to start work on behalf of his constituents.  "These committee assignments will allow me to be an effective voice on the issues that matter most to the residents of the 61st Senate District and to fight for the resources that are necessary for our industries to grow and our communities to prosper," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

He plans to be a strong voice on issues important to the farming community as a member of the Agriculture Committee.  "Agriculture represents a major economic engine in the 61st District, especially in Genesee County.  I am looking forward to protecting and promoting agribusiness and tourism in our communities," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

As the Ranking Member on the Aging Committee, Senator Ranzenhofer is particularly interested in working with his Senate colleagues on issues related to the elderly.  "During this legislative session, we are going to have to address budget cuts proposed by the Governor that would directly impact senior homeowners.  I strongly believe that we must do all that we can to keep the STAR property tax relief program.  This program allows seniors to stay in their homes.  We must protect seniors from budget cuts that threaten basic health services and should work to cut the Albany bureaucracy," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

Senate Republican Leader Dean G. Skelos said: "As the number of older Americans increases, so does the responsibility of government to ensure that their needs are met.  I appointed Senator Mike Ranzenhofer to a leadership role on the Senate Aging Committee because he understands the challenges seniors face, especially in Western New York.  I am confident he will do an outstanding job ensuring that state government provides the help senior citizens need for a strong quality of life."

Senator Ranzenhofer was elected to the New York State Senate in 2008.  The 61st District includes part of the city of Tonawanda, the Towns of Amherst, Clarence, Newstead and Tonawanda in Erie County and all of Genesee County.

Andrew Sargent, 32, of 9 Pearl St., Apt: Upper, Batavia, was charged with three felony counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Sargent is accused of forging the name of his boss on three payroll checks and redeeming them for cash during the months of November and December, of last year. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Robert L. Miller, 56, of Williamsville, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, Corfu village police said. Miller was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on Route 77 in the village. He was also ticketed with failure to keep right.

Robert J. Fackelman, 48, of Rochester, was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Fackelman was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on Route 33 in the town of Stafford. He was also ticketed with speeding.

Justin Bird, 20, of 7963 State Street Road, Batavia, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful dealing with fireworks Friday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Bird was stopped for an alleged traffic violation in Batavia. He was also ticketed with operating a motor vehicle with obstructed vision and moving from the lane unsafely.

Cody L. Osborn, 21, of Caledonia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Saturday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Osborn was picked up after he crashed his vehicle on Route 19 near Bissell Road in Bergen. He was also ticketed with moving from the lane unsafely.

Joshua A. Harris, 19, of 24 Columbia Ave., Batavia, was charged with second-degree criminal contempt Sunday, city police said. Harris allegedly violated an order of protection during a domestic dispute with a female acquaintance. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

James E. Ellott, 19, of 6 Forrest Edge, Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Sunday, city police said. Elliott was picked up after he crashed his vehicle into a snow embankment on East Avenue near Trumbull Parkway. He was also ticketed with unlicensed driver and unsafe lane change.

James M. Stepp, 57, of Le Roy, was charged with a felony count of driving while intoxicated and a felony count of aggravated DWI Saturday, city police said. Stepp was picked up after he crashed his vehicle into a snow bank at the corner of Ross Street and Washington Avenue. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

One of the things I love about Western New York in general, and Genesee County in particular is the sense of history I get from visiting its villages and towns.

All of the county's of WNY once played such a prominent role in the economic vitality of the nation, not to mention its contribution to culture and politics.

For all the short-sightedness of the city to tear down three city blocks of majestic historic buildings and build an ugly, non-functional mall, WNY is nothing like California, where the words "new" and "progress" are nearly sacred.  The idea of preservation is nearly unheard of.

Thankfully, most of WNY's villages are still in tact. There are so much great architecture on display when you drive from town to town (avoiding the Thruway as much as possible).

Yesterday, while searching for a picture of Le Roy, I stumbled across this collection of historic photos of Genesee County.

Above is an old postcard from the collection, a picture of The Batavian Office Building the Masonic Temple on East Main Street.

Brian Mann says the appointment of Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton as New York Senator re-exposes the Urban-Rural divide in New York.

Within the Five Boroughs, the reaction to her red-state tendencies has been fierce. Before she had been officially named, Gillibrand had liberal opponents lining up to dethrone her.

I'll admit it: I was taken aback. I thought the obvious backing of New York's Democratic elite -- Schumer, Paterson, Clinton, Lowey, etc. -- would be enough to establish her progressive credentials.

Not so. The liberal blogs have issued a collective shriek of rage.

The main issue, according to Mann, is gun control.

Unfortunately, he links to no urban/progressive blogs to support his statements. I'm not sure if he's fairly characterizing the position of urban bloggers.  It wouldn't surprise if it were true, but I'd like to see some links.

Do you agree with his basic proposition, that urban progressives see Gillibrand as a rural rube, a gun-toting hick? Do you care?

(via The Rural Blog)

 Anni Lehtola has mad game.

She is 17 years old and has been playing club basketball in her home town of Tampere, Finland for a decade. But she loves to travel and wanted to spend a school year in America, specifically New York.

She was placed at Alexander, which was a great surprise for coach Marcia Hirsch. Out of the blue, a solid returning group got a superstar. Lehtola has average just under 17 points with six rebounds and two assists per game as the Trojans are currently 9-3.

Many teams that return four quality seniors and a few juniors that can put in serious minutes and contribute would be mad that somebody comes in and takes a starting position away.

But that is definitely not the case with the Trojans. The girls all play well with Lehtola, who fit in right away, and Hirsch has developed a good relationship with her. The two spend most of their time together busting each other's chops. There is tremendous team chemistry with the entire Alexander squad.

In Finland, you don't play for a high school team, so Lehtola and other people that want to play basketball must try out for club teams, which is very competitive. She was one of the top players on her team.

There are high school teams, kind of.

Each high school will develop a team that gets together three times per week (in addition to her five days a week of club) that practices three times per week. And club goes on all year round. 

Lehtola was placed with Keith and Wendy Jensen and has enjoyed being with her adopted family. 

The girl that loves to travel had a chance to visit New York City, which has been a highlight of her visit to America.

There is one drawback for Lehtola, but she doesn't mind. Because she went to the U.S.A for a year, she loses a year of high school in Finland. So she'll go back to her home country and have two more years of high school. 

She will continue to play with her club squad and practice with her high school team. Then she will either go to college, and she's thinking about coming back to America for school. She might also stay in Finland, where she wants to earn a law degree.

There is also the potential of her playing professional basketball in Finland, Spain or Italy.

But that is not what she is thinking about right now. She wants to lead the currently top-seeded Trojans to a sectional championship and bring that patch back home.

From the Batavia City Fire Department:

City of Batavia firefighters were kept very busy for hours with back-to-back house fires in the city, Saturday night beginning at 10:22 PM.

The first alarm came in for 12 Elm Street with report of a possible explosion and flames showing Within three minutes, city firefighters arrived on scene and quickly extinguished a fire that was found in the side stairwell of the three-story apartment house. Four residents were alerted by smoke detector and were safely outside the structure when the firefighters arrived. Firefighters performed a search and rescue for a fifth resident, thought to be on the third story. After searching the apartment, it was determined that the resident was gone for the evening. Damage was confined to the stairwell. The home was ventilated for smoke removal. The American Red Cross provided the residents with temporary accomodations. Total damage was estimated at $2,500. The cause is under investigation.

While still on scene at the Elm Street fire, a second fire alarm was called in for a house fire located at 45 Walnut Street. With a two-minute response time, the firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the windows of the two-apartment structure.

A general alarm of fire was made to all off duty city firefighters as well as a mutual aid request to the town of Batavia Fire Department. The town supplied an engine and a rescue truck to the scene and a second engine to stand by at City Fire Headquarters. The fire was declared under control in approximately 25 minutes.

The homeowner smelled smoke and discovered the fire in the ceiling above a wood stove. He alerted the other occupants and all escaped safely before firefighters arrived. The American Red Cross was also able to assist the occupants of this second fire of the night.

The home was completely gutted with a damage estimate of approximately $50,000.

Fortunately, there were no injuries to residents or firefighters in either fire with fire crews returning to quarters at 2:20 AM.