Three people are injured following a two-car accident at Dry Bridge Road and Sand Pit Road, Alexander. Alexander Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medic #1.

UPDATE 12:17 p.m.: A first responder at the scene canceled the medics, which are back in service.

People like to make discoveries. It makes them feel important, that they've found something unique. Children especially like to have something to show off and I was no different. When I was about 9 or 10 I tried to get something I found put in a museum -- the Holland Land Office Museum.

As it turned out, the thing I found belonged in a dumpster, not a display case.

It all started because of jealousy. A kid I knew had uncovered an arrowhead in his backyard or somewhere. The local museum had it displayed in a case with his name by it and every time I saw it I turned green with envy. Why wasn't it me who unearthed something while digging around as kids do?

I loved that museum. They had antique guns, a drum from the Civil War, an actual hangman's noose from the old jail -- great stuff. But nothing contributed by me, David Reilly. Every time I went there I imagined a card with my name on it next to something that every visitor would remark about.

One day while prowling around the attic of a house where we were renting an apartment, I found an old, dented, beat up bugle. I ran to show it to my mother and asked if it could be a valuable souvenir, possibly from the Civil War. She didn't think so, especially since if it was valuable no one would have left it in the attic. Of course.

Crushed, I trudged back upstairs. But as I went to put the bugle back in the cobwebs, a seed of a scheme entered my mind.

What if my mother was wrong? After all, wasn't our house on Ellicott Avenue? And wasn't Joseph Ellicott the man who was the land agent for the Holland Land Company and the one who made the plans for the city of Batavia, New York? And wasn't my favorite museum down the street named The Holland Land Office where Joseph Ellicott had his office for many years?

That bugle could have been his! Or at least belonged to someone that he knew.

I thought, “Maybe if I take this bugle to the museum they will put it in a case, type up a card with my name on it, and finally I'd be famous, at least in Batavia. Nah, they'd never fall for it. But on the other hand... oh why not give it a try?”

The next day I went to the backyard, rubbed some dirt on the bugle so it looked like it had been dug up, and nervously headed for the museum. I hung around in front playing by the cannons for awhile trying to get up my nerve. Finally, I entered.

“What can I do for you young man?” the elderly woman at the desk asked.

“I found this bugle and it's got dirt on it and it was in my backyard right across the street on Ellicott Avenue and I dug it up and I bet it was lost there by Joseph Ellicott or at least by someone he knew look see how old it is can you put it in the museum?” I spewed out the words like my voice was trying to win the Indianapolis 500.

“Oh,” the woman said thoughtfully. “Ellicott Avenue you say? Well, that's right close by isn't it? What is your name young man?”

“Oh boy!” I rejoiced in my mind. The neatly printed card next to my donated bugle was looking pretty clear to me now.

“David Reilly,” I replied, “and I live at 20 Ellicott Avenue where I dug it up.”

"Well, David,” the woman said, “I'm going to show this to our museum experts and we will check it out very carefully. You come back next week and we'll let you know.”

All week long I couldn't sleep, paced the floor, and thought incessantly about that bugle. Finally, the big day came. I walked to the museum, marched straight to the lady's desk and looked imploringly into her eyes.

“What can I do for you young man?” the woman asked.

My heart dropped to my stomach. She doesn't even remember me? But wait. She's old; at least 90. She's just forgotten.

“I'm David Reilly. I brought in Joseph Ellicott's bugle last week.”

“Bugle? Oh yes, of course. I wouldn't forget a thing like that. We took a very close look at it I can assure you.”

My stomach felt like butterflies were having a gymnastics competition. “Yes! I'm in! I've got it!" I thought. If there was such a thing as a high five back then I was giving myself plenty of them mentally.

“Unfortunately, David, that bugle is no more than 20 years old at most. Are you sure that you dug it up in your yard?”

"Oh boy. What now?" I thought. "I'm done for on the display case. Can I get arrested for lying?"

But I proceeded nonetheless.

“Oh yes ma'am, it was way down there," I told her, then blurted out this realistic tidbit: "I thought it was gold when I first saw it."

My palms were sweating so badly now that they were leaving streaks on the sides of my corduroys.

The lady reached into the drawer of her desk and pulled out the bugle. She handed it to me with some of the dirt still clinging to the sides. She wiped her hand on one of those little old-fashioned hankies.

“Well, young man, I'm sorry that we couldn't use your discovery, but it's always nice to see someone your age so interested in history. If you ever come across anything else be sure to bring it in.”

I took the bugle and managed to utter a quick “Yes, thank you ma'am” before making a hasty exit.

As I slunk back home I could almost hear the guffaws of the museum staff as they mocked my find of the “bugle of Joseph Ellicott.”

Looking back on it, the museum volunteer probably had a little laugh after I gave it to her, then put it in the drawer and never thought about it again until I came back.

As I clumped up the back steps, I chucked the bugle into the garbage can where it clanged forlornly, never to be seen again.

As I went through the kitchen my mom stopped me. “Where've you been Dave?” she asked.

“Oh, just down at the museum,” I replied.

“Again? You must have been there a hundred times. Anything new down there?”

“Nope. Nothin' to toot about anyway,” I told her and headed off to check out that new comic I had stored under my pillow.

PHOTO: Bugle shown is for illustration purposes only; it is not the bugle David found.

The Fighting Irish battled the heat, their own mistakes, a good Canisteo-Greenwood, and to some partisan eyes, some questionable penalty calls but in the end the home team came out top.

Notre Dame beat the Redskins 31-25, scoring the winning touchdown on a five-yard reception by Zach Cocking (top photo) with 30 seconds left on the clock.

"We persevered and one thing I've been telling these kids all year is to believe in themselves," said Head Coach Joe Zambito, who notched his first win in his first official game at the helm. "It was something in previous years that they would get down and they would hang their hat and they just would quit. Today, they wouldn't quit and they kept coming back and they kept coming back and you know a lot of things didn't go our way today. But at the end of the day, we had the ball last and we were the last team to score and we made it happen."

Zambito said it was a team effort and many ways it was but Gabe McDonald had a special game, going for 210 yards on 23 carries leading to two touchdowns.

Tim Klotzbach was 12-21 and 147 yards at QB, tossing two TDs. He also had three interceptions.

His favorite target was Cocking, who had seven catches for 82 yards and that game-winning reception in the end zone.

The defense was lead by Lucas Calarco and Dakota Sica, who had nine tackles each. McDonald had seven and one interceptions.

There was little scoring in the first half and the Irish took an 8-0 lead into the locker room at the half. After the Redskins scored to make it 8-6, Zambito sensed his team was playing a little flat. He mentioned to a coach at that point that here they were with the lead but the team looked like they were losing.

"Bad habits are hard to break," Zambito said. "They've had two wins in two years and they're just not used to being the dominating team on the field. They're not used to being ahead. They're used to playing from way behind. I think that played a role in it but as the game went on I think they realized that we had a shot."

Zambito would like to keep the momentum going but Notre Dame gets an usual bye next week because Oakfield-Alabam/Elab dropped out of 11-man football just before the season started, leaving a hole in the schedule (O-A/Elba elected to play eight-man football). His team, he believes, that with day-by-day improvement, they do indeed have a shot at post-season play.

"Yeah, I think we've got a shot to get to sectionals," Zambito said. "I mean this Canisteo-Greenwood team is a good football team and obviously Alexander is just phenomenal. But I think we have a shot to get to sectionals and we know what do we have to do. We have to limit our turnovers we have to limit our penalties. Our mistakes. We have to play mistake-free football but then again we didn't do that today at all and we still managed to come out of here with a win. And it's all because they persevered."

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Press release:

The Genesee County YMCA was chosen as one of 151 Make a Splash Local Partner programs in the United States to receive grant funding from the USA Swimming Foundation in 2018. The awarded money will go toward Genesee County YMCA’s continued efforts to provide free or reduced cost swim lessons to underserved communities.

The USA Swimming Foundation awarded a total of $702,819 to programs across the country that will help provide swim lessons to an estimated 27,239 children, the most distributed since Make a Splash’s inception in 2007.  

 “We are excited and honored to be chosen for this grant,” said Aquatics coordinator Megan Boring. “The funding we received will be put toward our goal of reaching 50 new kids from within our community to have them be a part of the YMCA’s Learn to Swim Program.

"We are specifically reaching out to children in our community who may not be able to afford swim lessons, and therefore have not learned how to swim. We feel this is a great opportunity to introduce kids on how to be safe around water and learn the basics of swimming.”

The Genesee County YMCA will be working with the Genesee County Youth Bureau to identify participants who would most benefit from free or reduced-cost swim lessons.

The YMCA’s Learn to Swim Program has been around for more than 100 years. At the Genesee County YMCA, we offer swim lesson classes to all ages and abilities.

  The USA Swimming Foundation vetted more than 200 applications through a competitive annual review process and chose 151 programs to receive funding, many of whom are first time Make a Splash grant recipients.

“We are thrilled to be awarding this funding and so proud that it will be used to create a valuable swimming experience for thousands of children who may not have had the opportunity to learn how to swim,” USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hesse said.

“These exciting and lifesaving opportunities would not be possible without the support of our USA Swimming Foundation partners and donors, who continue to help us make a difference across this country.”

More than 850 Make a Splash Local Partners in all 50 states promote water safety education in their communities and provide scholarships and transportation for children to participate in their swim lesson programs.

For more information on the Make a Splash grants distributed, visit www.USASwimmingFoundation.org.

For more information on swim lessons at the GLOW YMCA contact the YMCA at 585-344-1664, or visit www.glowymca.org.

The Batavia Blue Devils have a message for the rest of Section V Class B: We're coming for the block.

They delivered that message loud and clear last night to #2 ranked Hornell (Batavia is ranked #1), the team that took the block (the Section V sectional trophy) from them in 2017, with a convincing 48-14 win at home.

The Blue Devils relished the win against a perennial Class B rival and Southern Tier powerhouse.

"It means a lot," said senior QB Ethan Biscaro. "To lose last year (in the Section V title game) and have them open up here at home, it couldn’t have been any better."

The message the rest of the class might want to heed is the 2018 Blue Devils are more than their two-time All-Greater-Rochester star Ray Leach. This team has weapons in players like Biscaro, Alex Rood, and Cody Burns who can also chew up yards and put points on the board.

Batavia had 379 total yards on the ground. Rood carried the ball 13 times for 168 yards and a TD. Burns had five carries for 95 yards and a TD. And Leach ran 14 times for 88 yards and two TDs.

Biscaro was also 3-5 passing for 32 yards and a TD. Burns had the TD reception.

Head Coach Brennan Briggs can't deny he's excited by the talent on the team but he also pointed out, it's one game, it's early in the season, the team still has a lot to learn and improve on and if they don't improve every week they won't be able to handle the rigors of post-season play.

"I'm never going to get complacent with where we are I can guarantee that," Briggs said. "I'll be watching film tonight. I'll be watching it tomorrow morning. I'll be going down watching Lavonia a couple hours away tomorrow. So we'll we'll have his team ready to go next week and we'll fix our mistakes and hopefully get better every day."

Briggs is never going to come into a game expecting his team to lose, even against a team like Hornell, but he did not predict a blow-out win.

"I still don't know if the score tells the true story," Briggs said. "You know, as the season goes on we'll see. This is a great win. But you know it's going to be more important if we see them in the sectionals, sometime in the sectional tournament, to see if we play our best game against them."

Rood and Leach, along with Briggs, gave all the credit to the offensive line for the team's dominant performance offensively.

"They did a fantastic job and we're tough on them," Briggs said. "We're as tough on them as any of the positions on the team because we told them, 'hey you know you win or lose games up front.' They take pride in it. They're a brotherhood."

For Burns, a junior, this was a break-out game. At 5'6", he's one of the smallest players on the field but he plays big. And he's fast. He scored his TD on a busted play where the offensive line pushed left and he ran right. By the time the Hornell defense realized it was following the line and not the ball, it was too late. Burns was gone. Nobody could catch him. He streaked more than 60 yards untouched for a TD.

On defense, he started at linebacker. Yes, at 150 pounds, linebacker.

"On defense, he plays tough," Briggs said. "He's not big at all but he'll bring it. He's ready to go bust the wedge on kickoff or knock their teeth in."

This season was also a test for the home team. They had to show they could overcome off-season turmoil and focus on football.

A month ago, Leach and teammate Antwan Odom got into a fight on Ross Street. Odom is accused of pulling out a pocket knife and stabbing Leach at least 10 times, leaving him with eight wounds that required stitches.

Briggs said his players did a good job of keeping the off-field antics out of the locker room and off the practice field.

"Everybody really put it behind them," Briggs said. "It's an unfortunate thing, but you know we're here now and we're living in the moment and moving forward."

Leach said he's feeling much better and came into the game ready for the season.

"I just had to stay positive and lean on my teammates," Leach said. "My teammates picked me up and I just had to work hard and practice on whatever little things I can do."

Also in Genesee County football on Friday: 

• Alexander beat York-Pavilion 50 to 12. Chris McClinic had 11 carries for 149 yards and 1 TD run and 1 kick return for TD. Terrez Smith rushed five times for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Ty Woods hauled in three passes for 64 yards and a TD. QB Dylan Busch was 6-7 for 81 yards and a TD. Jake Jasen had 19 tackles. He also rushed three times for 15 yards and TD late in the game.
• Geneseo beat Pembroke 30-9.
• Le Roy beat Avon 47-13. Le Roy's offense rolled up 413 total yards. Cineque Robinson had 11 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown, Jake Hill had eight rushes for 93 yards and two TDs, Kyler LaCarte picked up 62 yards on 13 touches and scored twice. Hill was 5-10 passing for  60 yards and TD. Anthony Leitte led the team with seven tackles.

Top Photo: Biscaro (#8) and Burns (#12) celebrate after Burns scored a TD on a busted play.

Alex Rood

Ethan Biscaro scores.

Ray Leach just about to cross the goal line on the second of his two TDs.

Rood with a tackle in the backfield. He had eight tackles to lead the team Friday.

Rood breaks away for another TD.

Cody Burns

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A two-car accident is reported in the area of 364 W. Main St., Batavia.

A person has a complaint of chest pain from the shoulder harness of the seat belt.

The vehicles are blocking traffic.

City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:38 a.m.: Vehicles have been removed. The street is clear. City fire back in service.

A shrub is on fire in the area of South Swan Street and Ellicott Street, according to a caller to dispatch. A red Chevy Impala is nearby. The shrub is near a structure. City fire just arrived and reports the location is at the rear of 400 Ellicott. Light smoke is showing.

UPDATE 6:35 a.m.: "Porch on fire. Water on the fire. Overhauling. Will be investigating," says command.

UPDATE 6:39 a.m.: Fire command asks for the owner of the residence at 400 Ellicott St. to be contacted to come to the scene.

UPDATE 6:43 a.m.: The owner says he will try and locate the tenant to respond or he, the owner, will respond. Command says the owner might want to respond regardless of the tenant's availability because "quite a bit of this porch" is damaged from the blaze.

UPDATE 6:53 a.m.: Ladder #15 is back in service.

UPDATE 6:58 a.m.: Command at the scene awaits the owner, with a five- to 10-minute ETA.

UPDATE 7:19 a.m.: The owner arrived and contacted the tenant. Fire command is back in service.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A full card of harness racing action, food specials and a driver’s bicycle race are all on tap as part of the annual Labor Day activities at Batavia Downs on Monday (Sept. 3). 

The live harness racing action kicks off at 1:15 p.m. with 10 exciting races. But there will also be something for the whole family to enjoy all day long and no one will go hungry for sure. 

The featured meal is a $10.95 chicken barbecue provided by the Center Street Smoke House from noon to 3 p.m. in the clubhouse. The smell of the on-site prepared barbecue chicken with “all the fixin’s” will permeate the grandstand and come with built in value. Every meal purchased comes with $10 in Batavia Downs Gaming Free-play to be used on the gaming floor after earning one base-point. 

If chicken is not to your liking, there will also be $1 Sahlen’s hot dogs, $1 draft beer and $1 soda available on the track apron outlets from noon until the last race. 

Then after the seventh race, Batavia Downs will present the annual Driver’s Bicycle Race sponsored by Crazy Cheap Cars of Oakfield. This race features eight of the top drivers at the Downs competing in a race on bicycles that will then be given away to the fans who correctly picked the winner of the race. 

Our live guests may place an entry in the box of the driver that they think is going to win from noon to 2:30 p.m. There will be eight names chosen from the winning driver’s box after the bike race is completed and each name drawn will receive one of the bikes used in the race. There is no purchase necessary, you must be 18-years-old or older to enter and you must be present to win. 

This year’s competing drivers include (in post-position order) are John Cummings Jr., Rock Vinci, Billy Davis Jr., Denny Bucceri, Shawn McDonough, Drew Monti, Jim McNeight Jr. and Brad Jackson. 

Monti, Vinci and Bucceri have all won this race and bragging rights will be on the line Labor Day for the next 12 months.

Press release:

As co-chairs for Genesee Community College Foundation's 2018 Encore celebration, Thomas A. and Kim M. Cox have been busy finalizing details that are sure to deliver a dazzling "Let it GLOW" evening! Join the entire GCC community for the all-new 2018 Encore celebration on Saturday, Dec. 1, in the new Richard C. Call Arena at the Batavia Campus. Put on your dancing shoes! 

Since its inception, the Encore Gala has provided an opportunity for the local community to raise funds for student scholarships. In 2017, the Foundation awarded over $224,000 in scholarships. As the world and economic factors change, the need for scholarships grows -- and so does Encore!

The Let it GLOW 2018 Encore Celebration will be full of surprises! For the first time ever, the Encore celebration will transform the new Richard C. Call Arena into a festive, jovial party place with lights illuminating the space and adding to the atmosphere. Attendees will find convenient parking, and there will be no need to walk around campus-rather everyone can enjoy all the fun in the new facility!

Guests will be welcomed into the Arena for cocktail hour at 6 p.m. featuring several special Let It GLOW themed signature drinks sponsored by the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel LLC and the Dibble Family & Event Center on behalf of Michael and Valerie Tomaszewski. Mingle and taste test the delicious beverages while listening to stylish jazz holiday music provided by The DSP Jazz Trio. Following cocktail hour, at 7 p.m. guests will delight in a gourmet dinner prepared by American Dining Creations.

Then, beginning at 8 p.m. put on your dancing shoes and dance the night away on the Arena field house dance floor as your holiday favorites are performed by nationally acclaimed "Nik and the Nice Guys."

There is still time to become a sponsor for this fabulous new Encore celebration and Scholarship fundraiser. Visit here today for details!

Sponsorship opportunities are critically important to the event and are available at: the Holiday Chord Circle -- $1,000; the Golden Guitar Society -- $600; and the Inner Circle -- $300. Each of these includes tickets (six, four or two respectively) for the gala and recognition in the Encore 2018 program and the live Encore 2018 display.

To become a Let it GLOW sponsor, please visit here or contact the Foundation Office at (585) 345-6809, or foundation@genesee.edu today.

ALABAMA – A new solar-powered sign, which has just been erected on Route 63/77, is indication the Genesee County Economic Development Center is moving ahead with plans to develop the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the Town of Alabama.

The STAMP sign stands near the new road, which was built last year from Route 63/77 to Crosby Road to divert traffic around Alabama Center.

Also, a new row of power poles is being installed by National Grid by the STAMP grounds, so existing poles can be moved to allow for widening of Route 63/77 and to create a turning lane, said Mark Masse, vice president of operations at GCEDC.

Masse said the county continues to actively search for a tenant for the site and has companies with various levels of interest in locating here.

He also said they have been working on the final piece of archeological work and are moving forward with infrastructure work.

Photos by Virginia Kropf.

Learning to get along has always been one of the toughest challenges for schoolchildren and when children fight, it's disruptive to a school's instructional environment.

Educators in the City School District think they've found a better way to help children avoid angry resentments and reduce lost class time because of conflicts.

Administrators and teachers have been trained in the practices of peace circles and restorative conversations. The practices are being used in all four of the district's schools.

"It aligns with our districtwide model on promoting social-emotional learning," said Kia Evans, principal at Jackson Elementary. "At our level, with 5-year-olds, social-emotional learning for us means helping kids learn to process very, very big emotions, helping them deal with different situations; helping them come up with the words to articulate it instead of some of the negative behaviors that are attached to it."

Currently, the district has a pretty young crop of principals. Ashley John Grillo is entering his third year at Batavia Middle School; Paul Kesler was principal at John Kennedy but is entering his first full year at Batavia High School; Evans is entering her second year at Jackson; and Amanda Cook took over at John Kennedy Intermediate in the second half of last year.

But a test of whether an innovative program is really working is whether its proponents would carry it with them if they changed employers and all four principals said, about peace circles and restorative conversations, yes, they would, absolutely.

"What’s nice about those things is you get kids talking about those things and then they start writing about them and it just flows nicely," Grillo said.

Grillo said the practices of the peace circle aren't just used in conflict situations. Students also get a chance to use them and learn from them in academic situations.

"In the science lab, you have hypothesis and conclusion, and as you go around the circle, they're all going to have different results in some cases," Grillo said. "Then they can come up with a consensus in class and decide, what is the main takeaway from doing this activity. We call those academic circles but those fall on the same protocols as doing peace circles or a restorative circle."

A peace circle usually involves an entire class and at least one adult facilitator (though at the higher grades students can become their own facilitators). An object, such as a ball, is used -- the peace object -- and only the person holding it is allowed to speak. The students are encouraged to talk about what's bothering them in respectful ways and what concerns them about a particular situation. There are guidelines to follow but the students respond well, even at the younger grade levels, the principals said.

"It forces you to listen and process and a lot of times if you’re still upset and you're passed the ball, you might say pass," Evans said. "But the next time it comes around, you’ve heard and you’ve had an opportunity to process things, you can go further. Sometimes the person who was upset never contributes but it still feels like a healing process."

Grillo said a peace circle is a safe setting with rules of engagement and the students respect the protocols.

“I’ve seen it work beautifully," Grillo said.

Peace circles are also a way of building a sense of community among students.

"Teachers are using it to set values," Cook said. "This is a classroom community. We are all learners. How are we going to best take care of our classroom?"

Restorative conversations more often take place at the high school level, Kesler said. They usually involve a student who has been the subject of disciplinary action but the conversations are a chance to resolve conflicts once the disciplined student returns to class.

"It really does allow both parties to share how they feel they've been harmed what express what they would like to see as the intended outcome," Kesler said.

Kesler said not all of the BCSD teachers have been trained in peace circles. Many have taken the one-day seminar, several others have been through the full, three-day training session during a summer break.

As evidence students respond to it, Evans recalled the time a student saw a friend being mistreated in a hallway before class and he came to the teacher and requested a peace circle.

"He was in first grade," she said.

It might seem like peace circles take away from precious classroom academic time, but all four principals said the time spent on peace circles is a good investment.

"Your return on that time you’ve invested in a peace circle is going to pay back 10, 20 fold because you’ve already laid that groundwork," Cook said.

If small conflicts fester, other kids start picking sides and egging on the main antagonists. That's what administrators and teachers are trying to avoid.

"That 15 minutes is well spent," Evans said, "because later on the teacher has to address the behavior or address situation that could have been mitigated with a peace circle. That will cost more time academically."

The main data point the principals have to know protocols are working is the number of referrals to the principal's office. At his school, Grillo said referrals are down 50 percent.

"I really feel a big part of that, I’m not saying it’s the only answer but a big part of that is the restorative practices that the two assistant principles, the counselors, myself, and the teachers are all using," Grillo said. "We try to really get control of student issues and be proactive instead of reactive. I always feel that secondary education is reactive when it comes to discipline and I feel like we’ve turned that tide at the middle school."

A dispatcher just notified the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department that the Bethany Center Bridge has reopened.

The old bridge was built in the 1930s and in recent years had eroded into a crumbling, rusting eyesore. It was replaced this summer with a new $1.4 million span by the Department of Transportation.

Photo: From Aug. 17, when a construction foreman told The Batavian work would be completed by the first week of September.

Photo: Emily Mikel and her cow, Bingo, received the award for 2018 4-H Holstein Master Showman at the New York State Fair in Syracuse.

Submitted photo and press release:

Genesee County 4-H’er Emily Mikel, of Pavilion, finished her 4-H career with top honors at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

This year marks Emily Mikel’s 11th and final year in the Genesee County 4-H program.

Emily has been active in both the 4-H Dairy Club and 4-H Swine Club. She has shown great leadership and passion for both 4-H and the dairy industry. Her honors also include being named Genesee County Dairy Queen in 2015.

She is a prime example of the leaders that the 4-H program annually graduates.

In her final season of 4-H, Emily exhibited her quality Holsteins at the 2018 New York State Fair. She won many awards with her animals including Grand Champion.

Emily competed against more than 40 4-H’ers from across the state for title of 2018 4-H Holstein Master Showman. After facing tough competition, Emily and her cow, Mikelholm Dempsy Bingo,won it all.

Congratulations to Emily as the 2018 4-H Holstein Master Showman at the New York State Fair.

To learn more about Genesee County 4-H visit: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/

Press release:

Tops Markets LLC (“Tops” or the “Company”) today (Aug. 31) announced that it has filed a Plan of Reorganization (the "Plan") and a related Disclosure Statement with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The Plan incorporates the Company’s court-approved agreements with its unions and is supported by certain of the company's senior secured lenders that hold more than 87 percent of its Senior Secured Notes due 2022.

"The filing of our Plan moves Tops another step closer to a successful completion of our financial restructuring," said Frank Curci, CEO of Tops. “We are pleased to submit a plan that will establish a sustainable capital structure and provide the financial flexibility to create an even more exceptional shopping experience for our customers and emerge from this process as a stronger competitor.”

Curci added, "We thank our employees for maintaining our high quality of customer service and dedication to Tops, as well as our loyal customers, suppliers and other stakeholders for their support as we progress through this process."

A hearing to consider approval of the Disclosure Statement is scheduled for Sept. 27. Following approval of the Disclosure Statement, the company intends to seek confirmation of the Plan on Nov. 8.

Additional information is available on Tops’ restructuring website at www.topsrestructuring.com or by calling Tops’ Restructuring Hotline, toll-free in the United States, at (888) 764-7358. For calls originating outside of the United States, please dial (503) 520-4457. Court documents and additional information can be found at a website administrated by the Company’s claims agent, Epiq, at http://dm.epiq11.com/TOPS.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is serving as legal counsel to Tops, Evercore is serving as Investment Banker and FTI Consulting, Inc. is serving as restructuring advisor.

About Tops

Tops Markets, LLC, is headquartered in Williamsville and operates 169 full-service supermarkets with five additional by franchisees under the Tops Markets banner. Tops employs over 14,000 associates and is a leading full-service grocery retailer in Upstate New York, Northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont. For more information about Tops Markets, visit the company's website at www.topsmarkets.com.

Rachel Brittany Solomon, 26, of Meadville Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with criminal mischief, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest, and harassment, 2nd. Solomon is accused of damaging the property of another person at 6:39 p.m. Thursday at a location on Meadville Road. Solomon allegedly resisted arrest and kicked a deputy while holding a child. Solomon was jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond.

Nicholas David Frayne, 21, of Two Rod Road, Alden, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and criminal trespass, 3rd. Frayne allegedly stole scrap metal from an enclosed property on Sumner Road, Darien, on July 21 and Aug. 9. The case was investigated by Deputy Kyle Krzemien and Investigator Joseph Loftus. Also charged, Dalton James Offhaus, 21, of Brookville Road, Alexander.

Robert C. Hayes, 28, of Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Hayes was stopped by State Police at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday on Route 20 in Pavilion.

Editor's Note Aug. 31, 4:45 p.m.: The Kickstarter link was broken and was replaced with a new, correct one.

Charlie and Penny Marble of County Line Road have been offered what they call “the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Penny is a lifelong quilter, who has won awards for her quilting patterns. Until recently, they traveled the Eastern United States attending quilt shows. She ships her patterns all over the United States and five countries.

Charlie is a sewing machine repair technician for a company in Depew, whose owner has decided to close the business, and has offered it to the Marbles.

In order to take on the new business, the Marbles must complete a studio they had built in 2016 by Amish friends. While the Amish put up the shell, it was the Marble’s intention to finish the inside themselves.

Then Penny got sick last year and was hospitalized. At first doctors thought it was just exhaustion, but after many tests, she was diagnosed with System Exertion Intolerance Disorder, a serious form of chronic fatigue.

It meant they must put their dreams of a new studio on hold.

“It broke my heart,” Penny said.

Now the couple has to complete enough of the inside of the studio in order to take on the sewing machine repair business. To do this, they need to raise $5,000 for materials and have launched a Kickstarter campaign.

“The sewing machine repair business comes with some large contracts, and we would be foolish not to take it over,” Penny said. “We will hire one of the technicians from the business, as well as Charlie.”

The Marbles will also be taking over classes on embroidery, sewing and quilting, which have been offered at the Depew shop. They will also become an authorized Brother (sewing machine) Service Center.

“It is a priority now to finish our building,” Penny said.

Pledges to their Kickstarter campaign will help them finish the interior of the studio, purchase tables, chairs, and electronics for the classroom and install a kitchenette so visitors can have a cup of coffee.

Readers can help the Marbles achieve their dream by logging on to: www.kickstarter.com/projects/pmqdthestitchery/the-studio-2 to make a pledge.

Pledges start at only $5 and Penny is offering rewards for donations, which include: having the donor’s name permanently written on a 2 x 4 or drywall; discounts on future orders; a personalized mug rug; free classes at the studio; and, for a $50 donation, a 1 foot by 1 foot barn quilt or an award ribbon pillow. Pledges of $100 or more will entitle the donor to: $100 off any long-arm quilting project; or two weeks of maker space rental, in which an artisan may set up a booth with their wares and use the classroom for workshops.

Other awards for larger donations include a personalized baby quilt, a T-shirt/ memory quilt, and larger barn quilts.

The Marbles already have instructors lined up for various classes. Charlie and the second sewing machine technician come with years of experience and are qualified to service and repair any make, model or age sewing machine.

“This is going to be a fun place once it’s up and running,” Penny said.

Their target date to open is Dec. 1.

Photo: Charlie and Penny Marble, of Darien, stand amid construction in a shop they are trying to complete in order to take on the business from a Depew sewing machine repair shop which is closing. The couple has launched a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise $5,000 by Oct. 3. Photo by Virginia Kropf.

Submitted photos and press release:

With the start of a new academic year, Genesee Community College will take an evening to "Discover the Stars" with its annual scholarship reception. On Monday, Sept. 10 from 5 - 7 p.m., the Stuart Steiner Theatre at the Batavia campus will be filled with scholarship donors, recipients and the families of both to celebrate the shared significance of academic achievement.

The annual Discover the Stars Scholarship Reception celebrates "Scholarships in Action."

"The Discover the Stars reception is an annual opportunity that brings together the families, legacies, and stories of GCC's cherished scholarship donors and puts them in the room with the bright, hopeful, and promising faces of the scholarship recipients," said Robert J. Bennett, event emcee and member of the Genesee Community College Foundation Board of Directors.

(Jane M. Bickett)

The 2018 Discover the Stars event will feature two keynote speakers: Jane M. Bickett, GCC Class of 1981, a senior business systems analyst of Eastman Kodak Company, as well as Scott A. Gardner, GCC Class of 1998, who is president and CEO of the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce.

At Eastman Kodak Company, Jane Bickett is responsible for the technical functionality and business processes for global billing and invoicing in more than 30 countries. Her business experience includes computer system administration and serving as a team leader of a computer programming group involving frequent international travel.

Through her 36-year career, she has actively participated in the technical evolution of business from implementation of basic local word processing applications to global procedures and computing. She is a native of Le Roy, and earned her Computer Programming A.A.S degree from GCC in 1981.

(Scott A. Gardner)

Born and raised in Warsaw, Scott Gardner became president of the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce in 2013, continuing his lifelong interest in making Wyoming County a vibrant community. He previously was a legislative aide and chief of staff to Assemblymen Thomas M. Reynolds and Daniel J. Burling, respectively. He currently serves as the chairman of the Wyoming Foundation, and holds the rank of Major in the Civil Air Patrol, in addition to a number of other volunteer and leadership positions.

Gardner earned his A.A.S Paralegal from GCC in 1998 and attended SUNY Empire State College where he concentrated on Public Policy and Public Affairs. He was recently inducted into GCC's Alumni Hall of Fame and served as honorary chair of GCC's Cougar Classic Scholarship Scramble Golf Tournament and also the Nursing program's Gatsby Gala.

The Genesee Community College Foundation accepts scholarship donations throughout the year and has full-time dedicated staff in place to assist any donor in establishing a scholarship, or even in funding an existing one, such as the Genesee Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

Details on the scholarships available to students is available at https://www.genesee.edu/offices/finaid/scholarships/ and new applications will be accepted starting Sept. 1st. Interested applicants are encouraged to review and apply right online! The simple online application collects information and matches applicants with a list of scholarships they may qualify for. Experts are available in GCC's Financial Aid Office at (585)345-6900 or via email at financialaid@genesee.edu.

Country Line Electric Supply is a true family business, said Sarah Rosenbeck, who with her brother William “Billy” Massett III has been involved in the company since they were young.

“Billy and I grew up spending time at the shop,” Rosenbeck said. “When we were old enough, we worked there weekends, after school and during summer vacations.”

In April, the company reached its 40th anniversary and they are spending the rest of the year celebrating.

Rosenbeck, who works in the Batavia location with her husband, Justin, handles the office managerial duties, while Billy, who works in the Silver Springs shop, takes care of product line and knowledge. His wife, Jen, is office manager there.

The Rosenbecks have three children and the Massetts have two.

“It is our hope the tradition of us growing up in the business will be passed on to our children,” Rosenbeck said. “If they choose to join the business, it would be wonderful.”

Country Line Electric was founded to fill a void in the business community, Rosenbeck said. Her father grew up in West Seneca, where he worked installing elevators. While doing side jobs with his grandfather, many of them in the Genesee/Wyoming County area, William realized there was no electrical supply company nearby.

William was familiar with Silver Springs, having visited Silver Lake growing up. He first opened his business in Silver Springs, which remains the main headquarters. He purchased the old Silver Springs school when it merged with Letchworth Central, and 30 years ago moved into Batavia, opening a business just west of their current location at 5059 E. Main.

Rosenbeck and her brother took over in 2015, but their father remains on the board, she said.

Country Line Electric sells commercial products for the heating, plumbing, ventilation, cooling and waste industries, as well as serving residential customers. Agriculture is a large part of their business, also, Rosenbeck said.

The company continues to grow and currently has several job openings at its Silver Lake location.

They are currently near the end of a two-year process to become certified as a “woman-owned business” in New York State.

“This certification will open more doors for us, and allow us to work more on the municipal level,” Rosenbeck explained.

They are also looking to put on another addition, she said.

The company has been celebrating since April by offering free hot dogs to customers on “Hot Dog Wednesday," handing out free tee shirts and sponsoring several contest giveaways on Facebook.

“I asked Dad when he started this business, did he ever imagine to see 40 years,” Rosenbeck. “He said this has been a dream come true for him.”

Top photo: Sarah Rosenbeck and her husband, Justin, stand in front of Country Line Electric Supply on East Main Street, Batavia, the company founded 40 years ago in Silver Springs by her father, William Massett.

Sarah Rosenbeck is the daughter of William Massett, who started Country Line Electric Supply in 1978 in Silver Springs. She and her brother William Massett III “Billy” now run the company, which is celebrating its 40^th anniversary. Rosenbeck works in the Batavia location with her husband, Justin, while Billy mans the Silver Springs store with his wife, Jen. Photos by Virginia Kropf.