Paul Ohlson, Founder Of Care-A-Van Ministry and Elder Ron discuss challenges of the day at one of our trips out.

What a glorious day God provided for Care-A-Van today! The sun was shining brightly as we headed out.  There was a bustle of activity outside the bus. As I was walking back up from one apartment, a mom was walking back down the still icy driveway. I helped her back to her home. Her son was going to come back up and get the groceries.

As we entered the home, I gathered up her precious daughter into my arms. Jalisa (mother’s permission given to use her name) smiled brightly up at me. She was so precious! Her son was busy getting on his boots to come back to the bus with me.

I asked if Jalisa could walk yet. She said she takes tiny steps. I set her down on the floor and took her hands. The sight below me was stunning. Her tiny little bare pudgy feet began to take tiny little steps across the floor. As each step was taken she would topple from one side to the other. It then dawned on me! This is how it is when we begin our walk with Jesus. We start our walk and belief with small tiny steps. With not quite sure what is happening in our hearts and souls, we topple from side to side. However, just as I was there to hold Jalisa’s hands, Jesus is there holding us up. He never lets go of us. He is our comforter and provider.

Provision and comfort was in great need today at the apartment complex. As the economic tide is turning, there are more and more needs in the community. We prayed with families for God to provide employment. A young mom needed a mattress for a bed for her young child. We called RAP and got a listing of where places that the mom might find this need met. We prayed with a young mom who had just moved out on her own with her young son to start a new life for the two of them.

Comfort and hope was given to a young couple who were struggling with so many challenges and issues in their life. The ministry team shared of God’s love with this beautiful young couple. We shared of the hope and life there is with having Jesus in your heart and life. Paul offered prayer and support to the young man as Sue and I prayed and comforted with the young woman. We encouraged them to find a church. God showed them hope with that allowing Christ in their hearts and taking those tiny steps one at a time that there is peace for them in their future life together.

We are thankful for all of you that continue to partner with us. We are thankful for the steps that are being taken by all of us to walk one step at a time with each other to bring hope to the city of Batavia.  We saw so many issues that were discussed at the Interagency meeting this past week. I felt so much hope within knowing now who the contacts are for the needs of these people. I am thankful for the time that Vicki from Domestic Violence has taken with us. We are thankful for the offer of training from this organization. We are thankful for RAP. We are thankful to all you churches who are waiting with open arms to receive these hurting souls. We are just thankful that with Jesus as our pilot, we can all walk one tiny step together to truly make a difference!

As the sun comes up each new day, may we all step into the day with the reminder of the peace and hope that comes from our Lord! Praises to our Lord for another blessed day on the streets!

God Bless

Robin Walters

Care-A-Van Ministries

Attica's Luke Pariso wasn't supposed to beat defending New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion Cody Hutcheson of Bath. Pariso has won a couple of sectional titles, but Hutcheson was a monster.

Pariso won the 171-pound title at SuperSectionals Saturday at Rochester Institute of Technology, but that was far from the biggest upset of the day.

Holley's Kyle Steadman has a season record of just 35-10 after the weekend, but he's moving on to states after shocking the thousands of people there to watch the SuperSectionals. He beat Genesee Region League foe Dave Jennings of Attica at 189 pounds, 3-1 in overtime, to move on.

"It feels really good, coming back from sixth place and taking the title," Steadman said.

Steadman wasn't even ranked in the top five by armdrag.com and was seeded sixth in his weight class. It was the second Holley grappler to win the championship on Saturday and could be the fourth to advance to states next weekend.

"I hope Tim (Banks) goes because he has a lot of points," Holley coach John Grillo said. "He should go to states because of his past reputation and history of going to states. Quinton Murphy had an electrifying match, but Kyle Steadman was a surprise. He had a lot of losses, but has wrestled quality kids all year. We knew he had it in him and we just had to get it out of him."

"I wrestled him before and I know he's really strong on top," Steadman said. "I just had to go my hardest and give it all I had - never quit."

Steadman had a pin and a decision in Friday's opening two rounds before winning a 7-2 decision over Caledonia-Mumford's Jon Grann in the semifinals.

The other Holley wrestler to win a championship was Murphy at 119 pounds. The defending state champion at 103 pounds didn't need much time in the finals to get a return ticket to the big show. 

After a technical fall and two pins earning him a trip to the championship match, he dropped Palmyra-Macedon's Tyler Marlow in 1:36.

"It felt great," Murphy said. "I'm really known for that move so when I knew it was there, I went for it."

Banks was the other Holley finalist at 130 pounds, but lost to Pal-Mac's Matt Hausbrouck 3-1 in overtime.

Murphy says that he "just wants to re-win" a state title, while it is a different story for Steadman. He will be working with 2004 state champion Andrew Grillo - John's son - over the next week to prepare for another shot at an upset.

"Coach has to get me prepared because I've never been to states before," Steadman said.

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 Hutcheson will get to states with a wild card, but his loss to Pariso definitely stung. 

The Attica senior was ranked second but very few gave him a shot to knock off a state champion because he had never advanced past sectionals. But Pariso scored early and then got defensive to earn the title and a trip to Albany next weekend.

"I knew I had to go hard," Pariso said. "He has really good endurance so I knew I had to push the pace on him. I had that inside trip and put him on his back."

Pariso got that 2-point takedown with just 15 seconds left in the first period and then had an escape midway through the second to make it 3-0. He simply hung on in the third period to get the 3-0 decision.

"I didn't want him to get a reversal and put me on my back," Pariso said. "It could be 4-0, 4-3 or maybe a pin. I just rode him real tight and kept on at his cross-wrists and rode him for the rest of the match."

Pariso had two decisions on Friday and then topped Batavia's Anthony D'Aurizio 3-1 to advance to the finals. Now he looks forward to facing an even bigger challenge than what he's seen in Section 5 next week.

"I can't wait," Pariso said. "There is a real tough kid from Section 4, Kyle Beckwith, who has won a couple of national titles. I'm going to have to push the pace and beat him to, win a state championship."

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 The Batavia wrestling team had nine grapplers compete in SuperSectionals, but end up with just one champion.

Nick Lazarony was the second ranked wrestler at 112 pounds and won three decisions to make it to the finals, where he was paired up with top-seeded Joe Smaldone of Geneva. 

Both were going to get a trip to states via wild card, even if they lost. That was enough reason for Smaldone - who took second at 112 last year - to forfeit his finals match. 

Lazarony had a crack at states last year and will have another one this season. 

"He's looking good," Stewart said. "There are a couple of good kids we've scouted so far. He is in the top six there for sure. He still has to wrestle, but it's well deserved. He's given us four good years."

Ryan Darch was seeded No. 1 at 160 pounds and three easy decisions en route to the finals, where he was paired up with Brandon Mills of Canisteo-Greenwood, who was the No. 2 seed.

Darch took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Mills was called on a technical violation, then scored another point in the second period on an escape.

But Mills had a takedown at the mid-point of the frame and tied the match at 2. He had an escape in the third period and then kept Darch from making a move the rest of the way. He tried, making a few attempts to lunge and get ahold of Mills, but the Canisteo grappler was too slippery.

"It was a very defensive match," Stewart said. "He got caught in that little scramble there and tried to battle back from it. It is what it is."

Darch should get a wild card trip to states, but we will not know until it is announced Monday night.

Batavia's Troy Ireland lost to Mills in the semifinals, but won his wrestle-back to take third. He won a 7-6 decision over Wellsville's Ethan Lamphier.

After losing to Pariso in the semifinals, D'Aurizio lost his bid for third place against Byron-Bergen's Zack Green. Green won the third-place match with a pin at 3:53.

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The highlight match of the Division II card was at 135 pounds, where two three-time defending state champions and NCAA Division I scholarship recipients squared off.

Warsaw's Ian Paddock - who will attend Ohio State next year - won a 3-0 decision over Pal-Mac's Alex Ekstrom - who will attend Oklahoma. 

Two other Genesee Region League wrestlers made the finals but lost as Kendall's Jake Requa took second at 96 pounds and Lyndonville's John Brabon was second at 140.

 Notre Dame coach Mike Rapone will accept Notre Dame's 11th top seed in sectionals Saturday night.

You might think that even though the other 10 plaques are in his basement, because of a lack of room to display them, this one doesn't mean anything. But it does.

"It is nice because it is a nice accomplishment," Rapone said. "I always use the expression, and the kids never get it, that the top seed a $1.61 will get you a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. All it does is put a bulls-eye on your back. It is a nice accomplishment, but it makes you the No. 1 target."

Even though the Genesee Region League has had some strong teams, as have Le Roy and Batavia, this is the only local team to earn a top seed in the boys tournaments.

The Fighting Irish are 17-3 and have been tested, playing strong GR teams like Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke, Elba and Kendall as well as non-league foes like Prattsburgh and Houghton.

"I think my goal is always to get as competitive a regular season as I can," Rapone said. "You want your team to be ready for what the future brings. I think our schedule this year was one that will have us ready."

This postseason could be historic for Notre Dame as Rapone is nearing second on the all-time wins list in Section 5. With just one win, Rapone will tie Scio's Roger Rigby for second on the list with 527 career wins.

Ed Nietopski from Cardinal Mooney leads the Section 5 wins list with 545.

"You don't sit down when you start coaching and say this is what you want to do," Rapone said. "As I get closer, I realize that it is a great accomplishment for the school and our basketball program, as much as for myself. It is also about all the players I've coached over the years. They are the ones winning the games."

Notre Dame's top player right now is senior point guard Kevin Francis, who has been on the team through a top seed and two No. 2 seeds that didn't win titles.

"In the last couple of weeks he's been a little more vocal in terms of what we need to do," Rapone said. 

Rapone has seven sectional championships and is looking for an eighth this season. Standing in his way could be fourth-seeded Elba (11-9), which knocked the Fighting Irish out of the playoffs in the semifinals last season.

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Oakfield-Alabama won the GR Division I title with a 17-3 record, but are only a third seed in Class C1.

This might be the best team O-A has ever had, but Avon (19-1) and East Rochester (18-2) are the top seeds in what might be the toughest bracket from top to bottom.

Pembroke went 13-7 and are a ninth seed in that class while Byron-Bergen went 4-16 and are ranked No. 15.

The Batavia boys squad went 17-3 and are relegated to a second seed in Class A1. The Blue Devils are behind Aquinas (17-3) in a very competitive group.

Attica (10-10) are the sixth seed in Class B1 and Le Roy (9-11) are the third seed in Class B2. Holley is 4-16 and ninth in the classification.

Kendall went 12-8 and is a fifth seed in Class C2, with a great shot at pulling an upset and winning a title. Alexander (8-12) is 10th and Lyndonville (1-19) is 16th.

BATAVIA, N.Y. — Three potential ambulance providers are being talked about to replace the city of Batavia ambulance service, which will cease to operate as of September 1, according to the Daily News.

Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell told a group of municipal representatives from across the county last night that Rural Metro Corp., Twin City Ambulance and Monroe Ambulance would "likely" submit proposals to the county to take over service.

Explains Joanne Beck in that article:

Volunteer fire companies would still have a role ... and would be able to respond to emergencies and do some transports unless the provider specifically asks for every transport. UMMC has offered space to house ambulances of the future provider and that provider would set itself up as a business, Gsell said. It would make its money by charging customers for each service call. There isn't to be any type of fee charged to the municipality, he said.

Rural Metro is a nationwide corporation whose stock currently trades at $1.25 per share with a six-month high of $2.50 coming at the end of September. The company operates out of 22 states in the continental U.S.

From the company's Web site:

What began with one man's vision has grown today into a company with approximately $500 million in annual revenues and more than 8,000 employees who provide health and safety services throughout the United States. Annually, Rural/Metro's employees respond to more than 1 million calls for assistance.

Monroe Ambulance is a 34-year-old service that operates out of Rochester. From the mission statement:

Monroe Ambulance provides Advanced Life Support with area volunteer ambulance and fire departments, ensuring that patients who live in outlying areas have access to all of our life saving paramedic services. This includes back-up Advanced Life Support to area volunteer agencies, fire departments, and ambulance corps.

We provide medically supervised transports for patients needing transport with minimal assistance (i.e., patients able to move, sit, and walk on their own with slight assistance, such as those traveling home from same day surgery).

We are seeking information on staffing levels for Monroe.

Twin City Ambulance is based in Erie County and serves the suburban Buffalo area. More than 200 technicians make up its core staff.

Twin City was in the news a few years back over a controversial call not to send an ambulance to assist two policemen who had been shot in Buffalo. Critics claimed the call was a callous rejection. Company representatives said that the call was outside the ambulance crew's service area. That report:

We're seeking further information from Gsell on the logistics of having an outside company take over the ambulance service for the county. We will provide those details as they become available.

BATAVIA , N.Y. — Reports are coming through over the scanner. A tractor trailer has rolled over in the westbound lanes of the Thruway in Batavia, near the Lewiston Road Bridge. Multiple vehicles are believed to be involved in the crash. All available crews are being called to the scene, and Mercy Flight has been placed on standby.

We will provide more details as they become available.

Update (12:11 p.m.): The tractor trailer has rolled over into the median and three other vehicles are involved in the crash. Traffic is still moving westbound on the Thruway at this time.

Update (12:43 p.m.): Visibility at the scene of the crash is reduced nearly to nothing. From nowhere on Lewiston Road were we able to get a clear site on the crash scene. Whipping winds kicking up snow blotted out most of the scene. We were able to shoot a few seconds of video that show the traffic moving at a crawl heading westbound and just barely trickling through eastbound. The overturned trailer could barely be made out in the median. No other vehicles could be scene from the overpass.

We're still waiting on reports of injuries. Emergency crews on scene did report a slight leak coming from the tractor trailer. That was not identified, but it was reported to be contained.

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BATAVIA, N.Y. — On March 12, Batavia Middle School's eighth-graders will listen to a powerful and emotional story of what it was like for Henry Silberstern to experience the Holocaust at the age of 14 and later be married by the rabbi who liberated him at the end of the war.

Boonie Abrams, Director at the Center for Holocaust Awareness and Information in Rochester, said these lectures are so important for today's eighth-graders because they will likely be the last generation to hear the living survivors speak.

"The survivors who speak will tell kids: You are the next generation; you will be in charge of creating a world where perhaps genocide will disappear," said Abrams.

Silberstern is the only person out of his 54 relatives to survive the Holocaust. Out of the 15,000 boys who came through Terezin, only 150 survived the Holocaust, Silberstern being one of them.

Abrams said most of the survivors lost their parents and some or all of their siblings. She said eighth-graders are old enough to understand this, and young enough to imagine the pain of the loss.

"Sometimes, kids leave these presentations with renewed love and affection for the siblings they fight with and the parents they get mad at," said Abrams.

The emotional impact varies with each student. Abrams said Silberstern speaks in a "matter of fact" way. He explains that this was life as he knew it.

There is a positive influence on students who hear a survivor's story, and studies prove it.

"Studies of students who heard survivor testimony have shown that a higher number of these students go into helping fields or programs designed to bring relief to areas of the world where there is a lot of suffering," said Abrams.

It is important for students to share these stories with others.

"In thirty years, when there is no one left who remembers the Holocaust, and Holocaust deniers say, "It never happened," today's eighth-graders, now middle-aged adults will say, "Yes there was, I met someone who lived through it, and I am a witness to their experience," said Abrams.

She said even those students who dread the lecture for fear it will upset them or even bore them are usually riveted by hearing a survivor speak.

"And the impact lasts a lifetime," said Abrams.

Images courtesy of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo.

Many of you have noticed -- I know because I've gotten calls and comments -- a link that joined the top navigation of the site a couple of weeks ago: Local Businesses.

It is a new online business directory for Genesee County.

Every business in Genesee County gets a free basic listing.  We encourage you to use it to find local goods and services.

For business owners and managers, here's what  is important for you to know: Upgrades are available.

For a fee, business get enhanced listings which includes more information about the firm.

Our first two enhanced listings have been posted:

• Diegelman's Plumbing
• Fastec Automative

But an enhanced listing is not the coolest part of this directory.

We're working with a company out of California called Search Initiatives to power our directory.

As most business owners now recognize, hardly anybody uses the yellow pages these days. When people with online access want to find a business, they go to Google or Yahoo.  If your business isn't part of the top search results, it's almost as if your business doesn't even exist.

Search Initiatives specializes in helping businesses get found on the Web.  They've been helping businesses for a number of years and is maybe the leading such firm in the world.  We're proud they picked The Batavian to launch its new directory product.

So when you buy an enhanced listing on The Batavian, you're not just buying an ad on The Batavian, you're helping improve your business's search ranking in Google and Yahoo!

The standard package is $49 to set up and then $59 per month.  Businesses that sign up prior to March 31 will get a free "trackable" phone number -- what that means is we'll be able to deliver monthly report showing you how many times you're phone rang because of the service.

We also can offer a limited number of upgraded packages that adds more features to help your business be among the best ranked in Google and Yahoo. These packages are $70 set up and $89 per month.

Here's a full media kit for directory advertising.  And as long as we're talking about advertising, here's our display advertising media kit.

If you want to get your business started advertising on The Batavian, or have questions, contact me at howard (at) thebatavian dot com.

Dawn C. Rogers, 33, of Jamaica, N.Y., was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct Thursday afternoon, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Rogers is accused of "using obscene language" at the 48 Deli Express in Batavia. When deputies tried to place Rogers under arrest, she allegedly resisted, yanking her arms away and locking them under herself so that she could not be apprehended. She was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Patrick Wolff, 18, of 8170 Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, was charged with controlled substance in non-original container and unlawful possession of marijuana Wednesday evening, deputies said. Wolff was apprehended at the Genesee Community College Village, where village security investigated a "suspicious smell" coming from Wolff's room.

For Elba, getting the top seed in Section 5 Class DD isn't the biggest deal in the world, because that, and sectional titles have happened more than a couple of times. But for the Alexander girls basketball program, it is something that is beyond rare ... if it has happened at all.

The Trojans are the top seed in Class C and the division's Coach of the Year, Marcia Hirsch, doesn't know for sure but she thinks it might have happened in 1974. It is either the first or second top seed for Alexander.

"It is a really good feeling," said Hirsch, whose squad won the Genesee Region League Division I title with a 14-4 record. "We set goals at the beginning of the season and this wasn't one of them. We really hadn't given it a lot of thought."

Alexander's rise to the top of the division was never a given this season. 

A solid Perry (14-6) team was on their heels all season long and while the Trojans were mostly solid, they weren't able to beat GR powerhouses Elba and Notre Dame.

"(The race for the top seed) hadn't really affected me or bothered me," Hirsch said. "We can't worry about them, we just had to play. I told the girls that if we won out we would get the honor and be the top seed."

Alexander has had some good squads and quality players under Hirsch's leadership, but this group is easily the best she's had. There are many quality players on the roster and Hirsch's fun approach to practice and the game of basketball has definitely given the team a fun attitude. The winning has given them a swagger that breeds more winning.

"These girls are always prepared," Hirsch said. "They always play hard. Usually we start quick and slow down in the second quarter. But we always find a way, we dig in and play hard. I never count us out of a game. These girls are ready (for sectionals)."

Alexander will open up the playoffs on Saturday with a game against 0-19 Red Creek. The Trojans will get a second straight home game in the second round before the semifinals are played at a neutral location.

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Elba coach Tom Nowak has been one of the best in Section 5 for a long time and his squad has won numerous sectional titles and he himself has been named Coach of the Year 12-14 times, by his estimation.

But the Lancers only have about five top seeds going into sectionals, mainly because Nowak schedules the stiffest competition possible for his team during the season.

"We have won more sectional titles when we had lower rankings," said Nowak, who is the Class DD Coach of the Year. "We played in the Hilton Tournament years ago. We would lose one or two games and not get the top seed, but we played really good competition."

Nowak's squad is the top seed in the upcoming Class DD tournament and they've done it in an unconventional manner. The Lancers start five girls, then have five girls coming off the bench to replace them. This innovative style of coaching has given Elba fresh lungs and a better team late in games.

"This whole year has really been great because you tell a bunch of kids that they are making a sacrifice that is good for the team, and they are for it," Nowak said. "Often today, kids aren't willing to do that; it's all about their stats. My kids are all about the team and they sacrifice their own stats for the team."

Nowak didn't show his team the top-seed plaque at practice Thursday, and didn't have to. The sectional championship - and beyond - is the real prize.

"That isn't going to score us any points or get us any wins," Nowak said. "It is a piece of hardwood that is something we can remember down the road."

The Lancers get a bye in the opening round and will face the winner of Avoca and Bolivar-Richburg in the second round. But there is no easy way to a championship as Jasper-Troupsburg (19-1), Notre Dame (16-4) and two-time defending champion Romulus (12-8) are expected to be in the mix.

But the veteran coach likes his team's chances.

"You really have to be ready and play every game," Nowak said.

Nowak mentioned retirement a few years back, but that is nowhere near something he is thinking about right now. He should be around to compete for sectional titles for years to come.

"I tell everybody that life is a one day contract," Nowak said. "You wake up and hope to sign the contract and move on. I have enjoyed coaching, it keeps me young. Somewhere down the line I'll make a decision as to how long I'm going to stay in coaching. We have a philosophy on our team that you can't worry about things you don't control. We cross things when we get there."

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While Alexander and Elba won top seeds, other local teams will be fighting for sectional championships.

Elba's biggest competition every year seems to be Notre Dame, which went 16-4 and earned the third seed.

Lyndonville (9-11) is the ninth seed in Class C and would love another crack at Alexander.

Pembroke had a solid 12-8 record, but is just the sixth seed in Class CC. Oakfield-Alabama (10-10) is 11th and Byron-Bergen (9-11) is 12th in the class.

Holley (5-11) is the fifth seed in Class B with Le Roy (2-17) coming in at the bottom ninth seed.

Attica (1-19) is the ninth seed in Class BB and Batavia (14-5) is the fifth seed in Class A.

Scott F. Doll has been indicted by a grand jury today on a count of murder in the second-degree, Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said. Doll is accused of killing his business associate and acquaintance, Joseph A. Benaquist, who was found beaten to death in the driveway of his Pembroke home early Tuesday morning.

An arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, at 2:15 p.m. in county court.

Friedman explained by phone that second-degree murder is "what you usually hear about" in such homicide cases. "That is the intentional killing of another person," he said. That is to be distinguished from first-degree murder, which would involve an intentional killing of a police officer or a judge, for example.

No weapon has been found yet, said Friedman. "But that's not necessary, just like a body is not necessary for a murder conviction. It is certainly something that will be looked for, but we can proceed without it."

It's still too early to say whether or not the case will go to trial. "It's the very beginning of the proceeding," said Friedman.

Doll was found walking along North Lake Road in Pembroke late Monday night "stained with fresh blood." A subsequent investigation led officers to the home of Benaquist, where they discovered the body. Doll was charged with second-degree murder the following afternoon.

Please see our initial post for the full details.

A constant chorus of car horns sounded support of the protestors circling the walk out front of City Hall this morning. Some two dozen members of Firefighters Local 896 braved the bitter winds to picket the City Council's recent decision to end its ambulance service by fall.

Some of the signs read: "Think! Where's your ambulance coming from?" and "Chest Pain? How long will you wait?" Such statements punctuated the argument that the gap in service could have quite dire consequences. Union President Greg Ireland spoke of a past incident, before the city had instituted its own ambulance service, when a man in arrest lay in the street with no transport available to get him to a hospital. In another instance, a victim suffering from third-degree burns had to drive himself to the hospital.

The occasion was also used to get out the word on a new Web site the union has launched at www.bataviaambulance.com.

Overall, the mood was civil yet determined as union members stalked the ground with purpose. Ireland stepped aside to speak with the media during the protest. We will post his comments in a video within the hour.

Jennifer Lutz, 35, of Gasport, was driving on Lewiston Road in the town of Alabama Wednesday evening when she lost control of her vehicle due to slippery road conditions, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. She then crossed over the center line and crashed into a car in the oncoming lane. Jessica L. Taylor, 20, of Medina, was the driver of the other vehicle, which contained three other passengers.

Twenty-four-year-old Christopher J. Doxey was the only person in the car who had to be taken to the hospital. He was transported to Medina Memorial Hospital to be treated for pain in his abdomen.

No other injuries were reported. No tickets were issued.

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A union of Batavia firefighters will set up outside City Hall "later this morning" to protest the City Council's decision to end the city-supported ambulance service this fall, WBTA's Dan Fischer reports. No time is given for when members of Fire Fighters Local 896 will hold the rally, which is being called an "informational picket."

I haven’t seen our resident Great Horned Owl in some time now. I hear her once in a while, sometimes after taking the dogs out prior to sunrise. Or the crows let us know she’s about with their harassing cacophony. Being Great Horned owls are among the first to nest, even as early as late January, maybe she’s tending a clutch of eggs – or preparing to.

The last time I actually saw her was while canoeing with my grandson Sam. We heard the crows long before we saw the owl. The crows finally quieted down and we continued paddling upstream. That’s when my grandson got his first look at the awesome sight of a Great Horned Owl up close and on the wing. The owl had roosted in a black willow on the creek bank. She took flight as we drew near, willing to take her chances with the crows.

It might at first seem like a bad choice on her part, but perhaps she had good reason. Maybe she remembered me as one of the guys who tried to swipe her meal.

A late summer canoeing-fishing trip a couple years back resulted in one of those wildlife dramas that occur only when no one thinks to bring a camera.

Two days earlier I had hooked and lost a sizeable northern pike. At the time I was on the Tonawanda, about two hundred yards upstream from our home.  

The following Monday, John Lawrence and I returned in an attempt to relocate the big fish.

We weren’t far from where I had hooked the pike when John said “There’s an owl!”

“Where?” I asked, looking into the trees.

“It’s right there! On the bank!”

Along the east bank, right at the water’s edge, a mature Great Horned Owl was straddling a very-much alive hen mallard. One of the duck’s wings was swept back at an odd angle, obviously broken (actually, “mangled” would be a better word) during the owl’s attack. Judging from the owl’s size, about 26 inches tall, it was probably a female.

“Let’s get closer,” said I. We paddled in for a closer look. John, seated in the business end of the canoe, didn’t mind. He was in the bow, scant feet from a very intense-looking bird of prey with piercing eyes.  

Glowering at us, the owl stood its ground, not willing to give up the duck.

A notoriously nocturnal bird of prey, she pounced on that mallard at 4 pm. The fact that she hunted with the sun high in the sky came as no surprise. Besides being lethal birds of prey, Great Horned Owls are creatures of opportunity.

I was still in my teens when I became intrigued with the Great Horned Owl. My first encounter was at extremely close range, and awe-inspiring to say the least. It was late spring and I was hiking a clear-cut that would lead to the Hawley farm where I might find a woodchuck or two. There were woodlots on both sides of the clear-cut and from the woods to the east came the sound of crows, both numerous and frenzied. Though not far away, I couldn’t see them as the foliage was dense - both the woodland canopy and its understory.   Moments later – and with no warning whatsoever – this larger than life feathered critter with an incredible wing span exited the woods directly in front of me. Momentarily stunned, I literally stopped in my tracks. Seeing me as it cleared the wood line, the owl banked sharply to the right and kept flying along the clear-cut.

It took a few moments before I realized what I had seen. I knew it was a bird of prey, I just wasn’t exactly sure of the species.  I knew it wasn’t a hawk as it had a big round head. And there was something else strange, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on - at least not right away. Once realizing I had my first encounter with a mature Great Horned Owl, I set about to do some homework. Not long afterward I learned just what it  was about the owl that made the moment a bit surreal. Despite its size, it hadn’t made any noise at all. Even though passing by within spitting distance, the owl flew in total silence. Its feathers are made for silent flight. That’s how it hunts, like a stealth fighter of the woodlands. There is no “swooshing” sound as air passes through its feathers.

The sight of the Great Horned Owl emerging from the woods with no warning and passing so closely is etched in my mind. Up until that moment I was under the impression all owls were the size of the “wise” bird pictured on a bag of potato chips. I also learned that crows and owls have an intense dislike of one another.  

In addition to hunting in silence, the Great Horned owl possesses a powerful, razor-sharp beak, needle-sharp talons and the ability to swivel its head nearly 280 degrees 

Having gotten my attention that day long ago, I find the Great Horned Owl both fascinating and lethal. Through the years I have been made aware of just how deadly they are.

I’ve heard some great owl stories from folks who have spent considerable time in the wilds. Author and naturalist, the late Jack Denton Scott once documented a Great Horned Owl attack on a human. “The man should have known better,” Scott said of the ranger that was attacked. “But there is a lot of boy in man, and the ranger was wearing a muskrat fur cap while making his late afternoon rounds in the wilds of northern Minnesota. He never heard a sound until the fury fell upon him.”  The owl apparently targeted the muskrat cap thinking it was something to eat – or maybe not. Mother Nature is not without mistakes, nor does she always play by the rules. The ranger did not survive the attack.

The late Don Meyers once told me of driving down Sour Springs Rd. at dusk. Alongside the road is a small pond with a mallard house. “I was watching a muskrat swim across the surface of that pond,” he stated. The evening was calm, the surface placid, excepting the muskrat’s wake. Out of nowhere a large shadow swoops. “This big owl snatched that muskrat right off the water. It happened so close I could see the muskrat’s feet scurrying in mid-air.”    

Jim Joyner of Alabama, NY is an avid outdoorsman who spends a good deal of the year hunting, fishing and canoeing near his cabin in the southern tier. A while back Jim had an experience similar to the aforementioned ranger. Seated in his tree stand while bow hunting, a Great Horned Owl flew in without warning and knocked Jim’s hat off. Jim was fortunate in that the owl’s talons latched onto his hat alone.            

Going off the beaten path isn’t always necessary to encounter a Great Horned Owl.  All that’s needed is a food supply – and a city-dwelling owl has no problem locating items to feed on. Squirrel’s, domesticated animals such as cats, and barnyard fowl, like baby ducks have all found their way on the horned owl’s menu. A few years ago a friend of mine attempted to raise ducklings in his back yard. One morning he noticed one or two ducks were missing. A few mornings later more baby ducks were gone. My friend had no idea what could be preying on the ducks as he heard no commotion during the night. His first thoughts were a neighbor’s cat or maybe a marauding raccoon were responsible. After another raid on his ducks my friend spent the evening in his backyard covered with a sheet. Later that night a Great Horned Owl failed in its attempt at a fourth duck dinner.

 The Batavia hockey team had a speed advantage over Geneseo/Livonia, but didn't get much of a chance to use it and because of that had a close game in the opening round of sectionals, which they won 3-2 at Faletti Ice Arena Wednesday.

The fifth-seeded Blue Devils couldn't get the offense going against the 12th seed because officials called a total of 15 penalties in the game.

"I think we tend to play at the other team's level," Batavia coach Paul Pedersen said. "I told the team that anytime you are in sectionals, any team can beat any other team. We have been coming out flat and we need to fix that."

Batavia had a power play early in the first period, but couldn't capitalize and Geneseo/Livonia didn't wait long before starting the scoring. Max Hartnett scored off assists by Jeff Webster and Xavier Copeland at the midpoint of the frame.

It took five minutes, but the Blue Devils managed to tie the game with 2 1/2 minutes left in the opening period when Erik Pokornowski scored an unassisted goal.

The Lakers didn't wait long to get the lead back, scoring just 40 seconds later when Webster scored off passes by Copeland and Mike Donals.

"When we fell behind 2-1, we knew we had to work hard," Pokornowski said. "We had to keep working our system and just work hard and we would be okay."

Batavia failed to convert on three more power play chances before finally taking advantage of one. Geneseo/Livonia's Rick Hilimire was whistled for a cross-check and a game misconduct, meaning the Blue Devils had a power play for 1:30 and Hilimire had to sit for 10 minutes. Pat Finnell scored seconds later to tie the game off an assist by Pokornowski.

All momentum had shifted and Blake Polito scored 1:30 later to give Batavia an edge they wouldn't give up. It was his first varsity goal.

Geneseo/Livonia had some quality chances in the closing minutes, but a pass to the point bounced over a players puck with seconds left, killing any chance of a comeback.

Batavia (14-8) had a 29-16 shots on goal advantage as Austin Thiele made 26 saves for G/L (3-19-2) and Adam Kurek had 14 stops for Batavia.

The Blue Devils will play No. 4 Spencerport at the ESL Centre at Noon on Saturday.

"They beat us pretty good the first time," Pokornowski said. "Our goal is to win sectionals and we are going to have to play our best to beat them."

Officers were out at the scene today searching for the murder weapon in the death of Joseph Benaquist, Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha said. Scott Doll is currently in custody on the charge of second-degree murder for allegedly beating Benaquist to death two nights ago.

Maha informed us that investigators were "searching the area" around Benaquist's home at 683 Knapp Road in Pembroke to "see if (the weapon) had been discarded by Mr. Doll." No weapon has yet been found. Investigators also have yet to determine a motive for the alleged homicide. Benaquist and Doll both served as corrections officers, and they were in an auto sales business together. Maha stressed, however, that a motive "does not need to be established."

The case against Doll is being prepared for a grand jury hearing tomorrow. District Attorney Lawrence Friedman will present the case for indictment. If the jury decides to indict, Doll will then be arraigned in county court.

We haven't yet connected with Friedman for more details on the grand jury appointment tomorrow.

Jerome Grasso, LeRoy representative of the Genesee County Legislature has posted 14 comments over the past four weeks as Michael Barney.

In a conversation this afternoon, Grasso admitted that he made the posts because in his new part-time job he is discouraged from blogging.

"I love the site," Grasso said. "I ain't going to bullshit you, but I missed the site and I enjoy the site immensely."

A few weeks ago, Grasso took a two-day-a-week job with State Senator Mike Ranzenhofer working out of his Erie County office.

"They haven't banned me from it (leaving comments on The Batavian), but they just don't want me on there.  But it's a good source for news and let's be real, it's damn entertaining. What can I say? I missed it."

We were alerted by local Democrats (we will let them reveal their identities in comments if they wish) that they suspected Barney was really Grasso. They noted similarities in outlook and writing style.

Upon further investigation, we found that on a handful of occasions, Barney left comments from the IP address associated with previous comments by Grasso. The Barney persona and Grasso where the only users to ever post from this IP address.

When we spoke to Grasso this morning, Grasso identified Barney as a good friend and member of the GOP county committee.  He said he wasn't surprised Barney might post from the same IP address because they were close friends.

During the conversation -- which covered a range of local topics -- Grasso mentioned that he didn't post as frequently on the site because his new employer "wasn't keen" on him blogging.

We checked with local election commissioners and found that there is no Michael Barney on any GOP committee, nor is there a Barney registered to vote in Genesee County.

During our second call with Grasso, he quickly fessed up and said he and his wife discussed the issue on a shopping trip around noon and agreed he should admit to the nom de plume.  "I can't bullshit you, Howard," he said. "I shouldn't have done it, but I just missed the site."

The Barney comments can be viewed here. Some of them do discuss county business, particularly related to the recent ambulance service controversy.

Outside of sticking up for the county's position on the ambulance service and a general conservative/Republican point of view, none of the Barney comments can be said to promote Jay Grasso. Though in one comment, he clearly contradicts the fact that Barney and Grasso are one and the same person:

Most local electeds will contact you if you reach out to them by phone. Perhaps you see Mallow and Grasso on here because they are younger. I am not sure how old they are. Does anyone know their ages? I am thinking older electeds are not familiar with blogs.

There is a term on the Web for prominent people who use fake names to promote their own causes: Sock puppets.

While I sympathize with Jay's predicament and constraints related to his new job, we clearly can't knowingly allow elected officials to post under false identities. The sock puppet issue is one of the primary reasons we do our best to enforce a real name policy on The Batavian.