batavia

It's a growing problem around the United States -- criminals have figured out how to chemically wash the ink off of $5 bills and reprint them as $20, $50 and $100 bills.

Now the crime has come to Batavia.

Det. Kevin Czora said that nine local businesses have been hit by bogus $50 bills. He expects more reports to come in.

It's early in the investigation, Czora said, so he doesn't yet have a total of how much fake currency has been passed in the city.

The bills get by some employees and shop owners because they will pass a pen test -- they are, after all, printed on legitimate U.S. currency paper.

The fake bills, however, are not completely undetectable. There remains a security strip embedded in the bill that says USAFIVE.

The U.S. Treasury Department also maintains a Web site with information on currency printing and how to detect fakes.

One alleged counterfeiter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area reportedly said he produced more than $10,000 in fake bills.

He even bragged about how good the bills looked.

"These bills here are good enough that I think they could have passed," Runge said. "Some of these bills will stay in circulation for quite a while."

A Google search shows that such fake bills are showing up all around the country. There was an arrest recently in Buffalo of a person who allegedly used a fake $50 bill, but the Buffalo News story doesn't mention whether the bill was a washed $5 bill or if some other method was used.

Det. Czora said businesses owners and employees should be extra vigilant when accepting large denominations and to report any suspicious transactions to the City of Batavia Police Department at 345-6350. Descriptions of suspects and their vehicles should be reported as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

Photos: Above, one of the fake $50 bills passed at a local business; below, a surveillance-camera picture of a subject wanted for questioning in the case.

The Batavia School Board met in the John Kennedy Elementary School cafeteria last night. Left to right: school board members Gary Stich and Gail Stevens, and BHS senior Sahil Jain, student ex-officio.

The superintendent of the Batavia City School District says a key goal of the proposed budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year is to make cuts as need be "without hurting any student programs."

Yet it calls for fewer coaches and their support staff, and cutting teaching positions in each core subject as well as three aides. Decreased enrollment in secondary schools is partly to blame, according to Superintendent Margaret Puzio. There will be no transportation provided for summer school either.

The good news is that BOCES will be getting a 15-percent increase in funding.

Overall, Puzio said the school district projects a "flat budget" for the upcoming fiscal year, meaning minimal or no increase. Certain cuts to be made in order to make room for investments in other areas, according to the trustees.

District Business Manager Scott Rozanski attributes the stable budget to conservative financial practices in recent years, the availability of budget surpluses and the district's decision to pay for some expenses -- for example, construction work on the Administration Building's roof -- with reserves. These factors balance out with a slight decrease in state aid to keep the overall budget where it is now.

Here are some highlights of the budget meeting:

• Almost all extracurricular and athletic activities that are now available will also be available next year. However, there may be fewer assistant coaches and support staff.
• Some changes are going to be made in the elementary summer school programs. Transportation will not be provided for kids attending summer school; they will need to either walk or be driven by their parents. This year, summer school will focus exclusively on improving the reading skills of at-risk students and will consist of small classes. There will be six teachers in each school -- Jackson, John Kennedy and Robert Morris -- and a lot of small-group interaction.
• Because of a significant decrease in enrollment projected at the secondary level, there will be staff cuts in each core subject. Puzio said that there are only about 160 students in the upcoming sixth grade class. The cuts will only effect teachers with the lowest seniority, and they will not lose their jobs if there are retiring teachers in their subject areas.
• Three teacher aide positions will be cut, one from each elementary school.
• There will be a 15-percent increase in the funding of BOCES services, including special, alternative and occupational education, and technology. Rozanski said that the district cut some technology expenses last year; this year, it will be able to "put new purchases back in and move forward with the wireless trend."

The budget's tax-rate information depends on factors that remain to be seen, and will therefore not be available until the fall.

The board unanimously approved the 2010-2011 budget, as well the election of BOCES Board Members. It also approved keeping the student ex-officio stipend so that the board will always have someone to keep them informed on what goes on in the schools.

The public can vote on the school board's budget from noon until 9 p.m. May 18 at one of three locations:

• Jackson Elementary School, 411 South Jackson St.
• Robert Morris Elementary School, 80 Union St.
• Batavia Middle School, 96 Ross St.

Voters must live in the Batavia City School District and be registered to vote.

For more information, please contact the board office at 343-2480. 

ADDITIONAL NOTE

As the meeting came to a conclusion, Puzio distributed a letter from Genesee Valley BOCES Superintendent Michael Glover regarding Governor Patterson's school-aid cuts. According to Glover, these cuts affect less wealthy Upstate districts significantly while unfairly privileging wealthier Downstate districts (he cited Nassau County, Long Island, as an example). For more information on this, contact Rick Timbs, executive director of the Statewide School Finance Consortium, at 315-749-3637, or e-mail <rtimbs@statewideonline.org>.

From left, board members Steven Hyde and Pat Burk, and Bobbi Norton, assistant to the superintendent.

Batavia is looking for a new fire chief.

The city ran an ad in the Democrat and Chronicle over the weekend offering the position with a salary range of $68,000 and $82,350 per year.

City Manager Jason Molino told WBTA that the new chief needs to be a leader who isn't inflexible.

"We’re looking for a fire chief who’s got an open mind, is eager and has the enthusiasm to move the department forward for the best interest of the community," Molino said.

Interim Chief Ralph Hyde came out of retirement in May 2009 to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Tom Dillon, who was prohibited by the state from drawing a pension and a full-time salary.

"We will have a parade," City Council President Marianne Clattenburg said tonight after a member of the VFW Auxiliary asked that the council step forward and ensure that the annual Memorial Day Parade is not canceled this year.

Last month, the veterans group that had been organizing it said putting on the annual parade had become just too much.

Barbara Lewis spoke for the Auxiliary and said the parade is just too important to let go.

"It’s so gratifying when you see these proud faces, no longer able to march, coming out of the nursing homes, and the UPS volunteers pushing those wheelchairs, it just breaks your heart. I mean, what can you say? Doen’t that say it all?" Lewis said.

After she spoke, Clattenburg said, "With all of us working together, we can have a parade."

She said the entire council would help make it happen.

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian has already started working on organization efforts and said she will be at City Hall on May 5 getting all of the parade participants to sign "hold harmless" agreements, which is necessary for them to participate in a parade.

She said recruiters for the major military branches have committed to participating in the parade.

Councilman Frank Ferrando said as important as the Memorial Day Parade is, the city should spearhead the organization efforts from now on, since volunteers sometimes move, die or move on.

"I just think that’s the heart and soul of who we all are," Ferrando said. "It’s why we’re all here and why we’re able to talk like this. We ought to do it. We ought to make sure it happens. We ought to make sure it’s a big event."

The bargaining team that represented the City of Batavia's 17 CSEA members were fair negotiating partners, City Manager Jason Molino said tonight after the council unanimously approved a new contract with the union.

The council approved the new five-year agreement without any discussion before the vote.

It's the second time Molino has negotiated a contract with the Civil Service Employees Association. Both times union representatives were realistic about the economic situation they faced, he said.

The first time, four years ago, the city was in deep, dire financial straits. This time, New York is facing massive deficits and a prolonged recession.

"The CSEA has always been very responsive to the city’s needs," Molino said. "They’re set on doing what’s best for the community."

The new contract includes no raise in the first year -- just as the last contract did four years ago -- with graduated raises after that, with raises higher than 2 percent in the fourth and fifth year. The contract also asks for greater contributions from employees for health care.

He said negotiations took six months, and there were no major hurdles. Both sides were willing to lay their issues on the table and discuss them openly.

"Like any negotiation, you’ve got to be willing to work at it and come to the table being willing to compromise," Molino said.

Kenneth Herrmann Jr. (on the right above) is an associate professor of Social Work at SUNY Brockport and an Army Vietnam veteran. The Batavia resident was stationed there between 1968-1969. He's had many great achievements over the years, including publishing three books: "I Hope my Daddy Dies," "Mister, I'm Nobody's Child," and "Lepers & Lunacy: An American in Vietnam."

But perhaps his greatest achievement is his involvement in the Danang/Quang Nam Fund -- also known as Agent Orange Children, which he founded in 2001. He currently serves as its president and executive director.

Its sole purpose is helping families and, more importantly, Vietnamese children affected by the notorious chemical dropped on vast areas during the war.

He received a Certificate of Merit by the Danang People's Committee for his humanitarian effort, hard work and involvement with Agent Orange Children. The Web site offers a wealth of information about the fund and Agent Orange, including a paper Professor Herrmann wrote (it can be found under Links and Resources).

The U.S. Government used the herbicide Agent Orange, a very toxic dioxin, because it killed foliage and undergrowth so that the enemy soldiers would be visible. Unfortunately, not only did Agent Orange strike the plants and enemies, but innocent civilians as well. None were spared.

The environmental pollutant killed not only the trees, but poisoned the soil as well. The food and wildlife were contaminated and when the Vietnamese people ate the food, they ingested the chemical, too. Once Agent Orange entered into the human body, the chemical altered DNA, passing down generation after generation, a host of mental and physical deformities. Because it transformed their DNA, people may never get well, according to scientists who've studied the effects of Agent Orange.

"Twenty million gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed," Herrmann said. "To put that in perspective, if a person takes a glassful of Agent Orange and dumps it on the front yard, the Environmental Protection Agency would come in and destroy all the homes within a half-mile radius, dig three feet down to remove the contaminated soil and tape off the area for the next 30 years as hazardous."

Herrmann's first postwar trip to Vietnam was in 1998. What he saw was devastation. Generations of children born with countless birth defects: blindness, deformation, extra limbs, fingers and toes, cancers, tumors, mental disabilities and more. He has returned 45 times since then, including his latest visit last month.

Several generations have passed since the Vietnam war and yet the number of cases are on the rise. During one visit, he met a man who first developed marble-sized tumors but each tumor grew larger until they were the size of soccer balls, all as a result of direct contact with Agent Orange.

The man was being cared for by his two adult daughters. He told Herrmann of when he was a boy and how he and two other boys were foraging for food when they came across potatoes covered in a white substance. All three boys ate the potatoes and two of them died soon after. They were the lucky ones. The third boy appeared to have no ill effects for years and led a normal live.

It wasn't until after he had his two daughters, that the tumors begin to develop.

"I'm sorry for the part I played in this war," Herrmann told him.

The man responded, "No need to apologize. America did not make me eat potatoes.  That was fate." 

Herrmann was surprised by this attitude. The man was lying on his deathbed but did not blame or hate America for destroying his people and his way of life. Even more surprising, many Vietnamese echoed the man's opinion. The professor learned that after the man's death his two daughters were also diagnosed with tumors.

When Herrmann returned from that visit, he wrote a paper detailing everything he had witnessed: the conditions of the land, the mutations and birth defects, and the state in which the people lived. Due to an unending plague of illnesses, many people are unable to find work or are even capable of doing any work if they found some. This means the people have no money for food or medical aide.

After Herrmann published his paper on Agent Orange, his work attracted attention.

"I was approached by the president of SUNY Brockport about organizing a study abroad program to help provide medical aide, food, clothing, and other essential supplies as well as building homes, creating jobs and educating people," Herrmann said.

Thus, The College at Brockport Vietnam Program was born. Professor Herrmann stayed in Vietnam in the Danang/Quang area for almost a year to help organize the program and the Danang/Quang Nam Fund.

Through volunteer work and internships, students from colleges all over travel to Vietnam to help the people, even if all they can do is hold hands with the dying. Now students enrolled in work in Vietnam for a semester and some students are there year round. Currently they operate two group homes, a day care, and job training center and more outreach is planned.

To date, Herrmann estimates that they have helped over 13,000 victims of Agent Orange. The Danang/Quang Nam Fund is completely supported through volunteer work and donations from people. It receives no grants or government money. Since no administration costs are taken from the fund, all donations go to the afflicted families. If a person donates $100, the entire sum would be used for medicine or other supplies and every donation is tax deductible. Also, there's a small leper community in the area, which the fund also provides with medical aid and supplies.

While the professor was in Vietnam, he contacted Vietnamese newspapers and asked them to print an article asking people to send him letters about how Agent Orange affected individuals and their families. He intended go to Washington and use the stories to illustrate the hardships and crises these people faced because of America's actions long ago. He was staggered by the amount of letters he had received -- eventually totaling more than 4,000. (The letters have been posted on the Web site.)

And Herrmann did go to Washington, but to no avail. He was unable to obtain any grants or funds to help the Vietnamese people. The government has paid for the medical costs to veterans who were affected by Agent Orange, seemingly an acknowledgment that it knew how lethal and dangerous the chemical was. But in legal actions, the government maintains that Agent Orange was not harmful. A lawsuit filed by Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange against the companies which produced the chemical, was thrown out of court. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Herrmann says all three branches of the government have failed to do what is right and have sided with the manufacturers of Agent Orange against the Vietnamese.

He still has questions, but no answers: how can the U.S. government say that the herbicide is not toxic; why won't it do more to clean up the soil and other hotspots it created in Vietnam; why does it refuse to provide medical aid to these foreign victims of its actions?

One of the group of men who admitted to breaking into a home on State Street in September is going prison for seven years.

Joseph D. Dash, 24, has an extensive criminal history going back to 2002, according to his defense attorney, Fred Rarick. As part of his plea agreement, Dash's participation in two other burglaries -- one on Maple Street and one on Pringle Avenue -- were not charged.

Rarick asked Noonan for a five-year sentence, saying that the sentence with a five-year supervised release would give Dash a chance to get his life back on track.

Noonan said that with Dash's prior violent felony conviction and the other two non-charged burglaries, the maximum sentence available to him was the appropriate option.

"You're lucky your attorney negotiated a good agreement so that all you’re charged with is a D felony, so the most I can impost is a seven-year sentence," Noonan said.

Dash and 18-year-old Dillon Brito admitted to their roles in the State Street burglary. Reginald M. Wilson, 37,was convicted by a jury last month. Brito was sentenced to three years in prison. Wilson is scheduled for sentencing on May 12.

A fourth suspect, Quentin L. Gibson, 25, still faces charges for his alleged participation in the State Street burglary.

It's a little hard to imagine stained-glass art still having a place in American churches, with modern renovations such as movie theater set-ups, overhead projectors contemporary band music taking over the worship scene. But on Sunday, a tour sponsored by the Landmark Society of Genesee County took Batavia residents to five local churches where stained glass windows still have an important place.

The "Stained Glass Window Tour" was created in 1990. According to Landmark Society President Laurie Oltremari, this is the first time the tour has been revived in almost 20 years. This time around, it was done in order to raise money for the restoration efforts of St. James Episcopal Church.

"We thought it would be good exposure for the churches and their artwork," Oltremari said. "We hope we can make it an annual event."

The tour started at 1 p.m. and ended at 4 p.m., and tourists could visit the churches in any order they wanted. The five churches spanned several denominations, and the quantity and style of stained-glass art in each location reflected that.

The different sites were as follows:

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 20 Ellicott St.

Designed by Leo P. Frohe in the early 1900s, the stained-glass windows at St. Mary's demonstrate the Catholic tradition of making sacred art an integral part of worship. As a sacramental religion, Catholicism often uses art and architecture to help remind believers that they are surrounded by heavenly realities and by the Communion of Saints.

All of the windows that run along the east and west sides of the church depict events in the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, after whom the parish is named. Catholics believe that Mary's life is about and centers around the life of Christ; accordingly, the majority of the windows illustrate key moments of His life and ministry such as the crucifixion and resurrection (right above the front entrance and to the right of the altar, respectively). Basically, people who go into St. Mary's can see the Gospel narrative unfold in the form of visual art.

The church also includes a window dedicated to Saint Peter -- to whom Jesus gave the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, according to Catholic tradition -- with the emblem of crossed keys, as well as a window dedicated to Saint Paul with the emblem of a sword (symbolic of truth and its victorious power). These windows are paired together and located at the left of the altar.

Oltremari led the tour of St. Mary's Church; she pointed out that it is "the oldest Catholic Church in Batavia."

St. James Episcopal Church, 405 East Main St.

Stepping into this church is a lot like stepping back in time to another era!

Batavia native Robert North built St. James Episcopal Church in 1908 after living in England for a year to study English Gothic architecture. As is common in the Gothic style, the inside of the church is shaped like the inverted hull of a ship and features a plethora of Anglican-styled windows.

Because it is close to the Catholic tradition, the Episcopalian denomination places a similar importance on artistic depictions of Christ, the saints and Christian symbols.

"It helps to remind people of why they are in church in the first place," commented Jeanette, the St. James tour guide.

Right when you walk into the church, a huge window right above the altar will catch your eye. It depicts Christ on the cross with angels above him and his closest followers below him, mourning his suffering and death.

The windows along the sides of the church feature the symbols of various saints from the Judeo-Christian tradition, ranging from the Old Testament prophets to Saint Margaret, Queen of Scotland.

The church's Chapel, which branches off from the altar and features even older church architecture, has two windows devoted to the Virgin Mary and her Child and one to the church's namesake, St. James. The latter window is called the "Pilgrim Window," and shows the saint carrying a bag labeled with a scallop, the sign of pilgrims (Saint James is believed to have travelled all the way from Israel to Spain to spread the Gospel).

There are also many stained-glass windows in the upper part of the church, in addition to a window dedicated to the "Four Evangelists" (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) right above the front entrance. This particular window is built into the tower and is what people see when driving past the church.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 31 Washington Ave.

The windows at St. Paul's were made by Henry Keck, a Rochester-based glassmaker, in the 1950s. They are based on the Lutheran theological tradition, which keeps the sacramental and liturgical forms of Catholicism while at the same time eliminating other aspects of it -- the intercession of the saints, for example -- in order to try to portray a more one-on-one relationship between the believer and Jesus.

The windows on the east side of the church are illustrations of the various names of Jesus. Examples include:

• Jesus the Good Shepherd

• "I am the Door" (to eternal life)

• Christ the Friend of Children

• Christ the King

On the west side of the church are stained-glass windows with images that narrate the life of Christ from His nativity to His ascension into heaven.

The large rose window over the altar shows Jesus in the center, with a young family on the left and an elderly couple with an ailing son on the right. The purpose of this is to announce Jesus as the Great Healer toward whom all people should come.

Directly across from this, in the church loft, is the St. Paul Window -- dedicated to the church's namesake -- which has an open Bible with a sword over it. Symbols of the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity are also included in the window.

Other window images in St. Paul's include depictions of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Martin Luther Rose (symbolizing the four tenets of the Lutheran Church) and the symbols of the four evangelists and the 12 apostles.

One of the tourists who is also a member of St. Paul's said that the stained-glass art is important because "we [Lutherans] need history and tradition, and to be reminded of our roots even as we make certain changes with the times."

First Baptist Church, 306 East Main St.

The windows of First Baptist Church were designed by Pierce and Dockstader, an Elmira-based architectural firm, in the late Nineteenth Century. There are only two of them, and their content is less obviously religious than the previous churches' windows. Baptists emphasize the believer's interior connection with Christ, so the artwork of the windows is meant simply to help inspire an attitude of worship.

"It [the stained glass] presents an environment that calms our hearts and minds and gets us ready for prayer," said Wendy, one of the tour guides.

Carol Wade, a second tour guide and a deacon at the church, said that sometimes, when she finds her mind wandering during a sermon, the windows help her to refocus her attention.

"There's something about the blend of colors and the sun shining through them that just makes you feel this warmth," she said.

First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St.

First Presbyterian is one of the oldest churches in Batavia, and no one really knows who made its stained-glass windows.

There is an artificially lit rose window above the altar that was added to the church in 1954 by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Schultz. This is the most elaborate illustration in the church, featuring a dove -- which is the symbol of the Holy Spirit and a common feature of all the churches involved in this tour -- along with the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, a cup symbolizing the Last Supper, the Bible, the Ten Commandments, and seven candlesticks that represent God's Church and other Biblical symbols.

The other stained-glass windows have heraldic designs and flowers, but nothing too elaborate. Because it has roots in the tradition of the Calvinist reformers, the imagery and symbolism in traditional Presbyterian art and architecture is pretty minimal.

Please contact the Landmark Society of Genesee County by mail -- P.O. Box 342, Batavia, NY 14020 -- for more information on the history of these churches and their architectural features.

Photos by Howard Owens

St. Mary's

St. James

FIrst Baptist

First Presbyterian

It's one of the most serious traffic infractions in New York -- passing a school bus that has stopped to drop off or pick up children.

A first offense will add five points to your driving record (speeding is only four), and it could lead to a $250 to $400 or 30 days in jail, or both. Possible penalties for second and third offenses in a three-year period increase dramatically, up to a $1,000 fine, 180 days in jail and license revocation.

As part of a statewide effort to crack down on drivers passing stopped school buses, the Batavia Police Department is participating in "Operation Safe-Stop Day" on April 15.

City police officers will be observing school buses on their routes and will operate radar and laser speed enforcement in school zones.

Frankie McQueen, 19; Nickol Burnett, 19; Erick Horning, 20; David Klecker, 18; Joseph Striegil, 19; Christopher King, 18; Andrew Wright, 19, are charged with possession of alcohol under 21 years of age. Batavia Police reportedly responded to a complaint of a loud party with possible underage drinking at Woodstock Gardens Apartments. Allegedly, McQueen was hosting a party where people under 21 were consuming alcohol. McQueen was also charged with criminal nuisance.

Crystal L. Goodrich, 26, of 1090 Water St., Apt 1, Perry, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, failure to stop at stop sign, operating while registration suspended, operating without insurance and unlicensed operator. Goodrich was stopped at 1:56 a.m., Saturday, on Perry Road in Pavilion by Deputy Howard Carlson.

Jared Christopher Dawe, 22, of 6469 Swamp Road, Lot #39, Byron, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Dawe was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute at 1:54 a.m., Saturday, with his girlfriend. During the investigation by Deputy Frank Bordonaro, Dawe was allegedly found to possess marijuana.

Amy Lou Platten, 40, of 337 Main Road, Pembroke, is charged criminal contempt, 2nd. Platten is accused of contacting a person she was ordered not to contact.

Leon James Pocock, 36, of 83 S. Lake Ave., Studio 1, Bergen, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Pocock is accused of violating an order of protection by texting a person he was ordered not to contact.

Bryan P. Umlauf, 24, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Umlauf was issued a ticket by State Police in Le Roy at 2:10 p.m., Saturday.

Timothy J. Tryjankowski, 31, of Alabama, is charged with DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation. Tryjankowski was stopped by State Police at 5:30 a.m., Sunday. He was jailed on cash bail.

Jeremy D. Lyons, 25, of Oakfield, is charged with trespass and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd; and, Robert J. Spenton, 24, unknown address, is charged with trespass. Lyons and Spenton were charged by State Police for an alleged incident March 31 at Park Avenue and Route 63. No further details were released.

Patrick J. Puccio, 36, of Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Puccio was charged by State Police follow a one-vehicle accident 3:20 a.m., Saturday, on Reuben Road, Alabama.

Amy L. Brown, 37, of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 3rd. Brown was arrested by State Police on Thursday in connection with an alleged incident on Jan. 13. No further details are available.

Accidents from the State Police Blotter:

2:17 p.m., April 9, Thruway, mile marker 375.5, two vehicles; Driver 1: Jennifer P. Gebbie, 42, of Rochester Hills, Mi.; Judith E. Corbin, 55, of Springwater. No injuries reported.

The Youth of Byron Presbyterian Church along with their members held their first ever Missions Extravaganza on this beautiful spring day.

This event was two fold. First and foremost was a benefit day for Kaytee Ivision. Kaytee is a 14 year old Byron resident recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia. She is currently undergoing treatment with plans for Bone Marrow Transplant in the near future. Kutz for Kaytee was organized by Jolie Yauchzee, Director of Continental School of Beauty and Jillian Cole, Stylist at JC Penney Salon of Batavia. Many area stylists and businesses donated time and raffle door prizes.

The second part of the day was to bring awareness to the Local links of other missons in their church and other missions in the area.  It was interesting to learn today that this church does the Backpack Program for kids, where backpacks are packed full of food every Friday and sent home wtih children who's families are in need of food.

It was an wonderful event organized by Pam Kenward, Missons Moderator.

Valerie Lyles with Upper Case Living raises funds for BPC Fellowship Hall

Elizabeth Weber raises funds for Crossroads by donating profits for the sales of Rada Cutlery

Audrey Blount, member of the church helping giving samples of homemade jelly away.. yum!

Luan Riner helps the church out with taking care of the homemade goodies and free spaghetti servers

Jolie Yauchzee, of Continental and hr helper little Gianni Ferrara do nail art

Jillian Cole of JC Penney  on right was co organizer of Kutz for Katee

Gary Draper is really happy to have a bicycle again. It will allow him to get back out on the road raising thousands of dollars for the American Diabetes Association.

Despite being the victim of a hit-and-run driver ran on Center Street in Batavia on Thanksgiving Eve, Draper is ready to hit the road, doing what he's done since 1995 with great success -- soliciting donations for his favorite charity.

The hit-and-run driver, who has never been identified, put Draper in the hospital for eight days with bleeding around his brain, fractured check bones, a broken hip and back. He says he's fully recovered now and will hit the road, riding from Albion to Warsaw and Akron to Scottsville in his quest to garner more donations.

"I've been doing it for 15 years and I've raised $110,000 so far," Draper said this morning after taking a ride for the first time on his new bike.

The new bike itself is a story of community charity. It was donated by a Batavia police officer (who asked not to be identified). John Roche, owner of Adam Miller Toy and Bicycles, said the officer bought the bike years ago for his mother-in-law but she had stopped riding it. 

P.W. Minor, Brach Machines and Tri-County Welding all donated funds, time and material to not only repair some broken items on the bike, but improve and enhance it.

"We know there were quite a few repairs that we didn't pay for that John (Roche) did," said Nancy Brach.

The repairs included re-enforcing the frame, adding more lights, a computer to track Draper's miles and a new paint job.

The one piece of salvageable hardware on the old bike was a seven-speed hub. It didn't quite fit the new bike, Roche said, so Dan Mattice "made it fit."

"As many miles as he rides, he needs those gears," Roche said. "Just a regular one speed or three speed wouldn't be enough. He'd be killing himself out there."

Draper said he estimates he puts on 2,400 miles a year on his bike.

Roche said Adam Miller repaired his old bike many times just to keep it going.

It's important for Draper to get back on the road, he said, because so many people will only donate if he comes around.

"A few people say they won't give to anybody else," Draper said. "When the Diabetes Association dials, they say, 'No, thanks. I'll wait for Gary Draper to come around.'"

Well, he'll becoming around soon, on a new black bicycle, a gift from his friends in the community. He said he plans to start his charity rides by the end of April.

Photo above from left: Nancy and Bill Brach, John Roche behind Gary Draper, and Joyce and Dan Mattice.

Photo below: Gary Draper asked for a picture of himself on the bike in profile.

A driver whose car was hit on the driver's side at the intersection of Route 98 an Batavia-Elba Townline Road was treated and released for her injuries at Erie County Medical Center yesterday.

Jennifer M. Olsen, 24, of 8042 Allegheny Road, Corfu, was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC following the 4:32 p.m. accident.

The other driver, Rachel J. Lombard, 39, of 237 S. Main St., Albion, was also injured. She was taken to UMMC by Mercy EMS.

Deputy Matt Butler investigated the accident and concluded that Olsen, who was eastbound on Batavia-Elba Townline Road, stopped at the stop sign, but then proceeded into the intersection. Her 2007 Ford sedan was struck by a 1997 Buick sedan driven by Lombard.

Olsen was cited for alleged failure to yield right of way at a stop sign.

When I drove past Batavia High today, I saw the JV baseball team getting ready for a game. Coach Buddy Brasky told me the varsity team was getting ready for a game at Dwyer, so I went over there and snapped a couple of photos, too.

More pictures after the jump:

A big crowd and lots of great bargains this morning at St. Joe's annual Mammoth Sale.

The sale covered three floors, for the first time, this year.

More photo after the jump:

The Genesee Valley PennySaver's Batavia office has moved from Ellicott Street to a corner location and Liberty and East Main, Downtown Batavia. The staff was in the office this morning getting the new location set up.  Pictured are Brittany Walker, left, Drew Muehlig, Leanna DiRisio, Becky Michalak, Ethan Biscaro, Chris Harrison (back) and owner Steve Harrison.

Pavilion's H.O.R.S.E Rescue group hosted an event at Tractor Supply, Batavia, today to help raise money for the organization. There were live horses and demonstrations along with horse rides, face painting and a prize drawing.

Pictured are Victoria Gooch and Deb Nanni with their horses. 

Gooch said the group currently has 25 horses up for adoption.

With the recent economic downturn, Gooch said, a lot of people have been giving up their horses because they can't afford to feed them and keep them in good health.

"You can go onto Craigslist and horses are very cheap or free," Gooch said.

Recently, a ranch in Rochester had 75 horses taken away from it and all of those horses now need homes, Gooch said.

Here are some questions for parents of children with special needs: How often do you feel alone or overwhelmed? Do you ever wish you could connect with other parents and find the resources you need to give your kids what they need?

Firsthand experience and awareness of these anxieties are what motivate Lyndy Branton and Melody McMaster in heading up EaGeR -- "Extra Grace Required" -- a parent support group at the North Campus of Batavia's Northgate Free Methodist Church, 8160 Bank Street Road.

Both are mothers of children on the autism spectrum and each week they -- along with McMaster's husband, Sean -- share their experiences and invite other parents to do likewise.

The last meeting was Friday evening in Room A-3 of the Adult Wing. It was an open discussion involving parents whose experiences ranged from that of the mother of a 2-year-old whose diagnosis is still in the works to that of the mother of an autistic teen getting ready for college.

Topics of discussion included:

• Different approaches to telling kids about their own disabilities

• The frustrations and fears of raising autistic children

• Attention to what sorts of things set their children off and what to watch out for

• Prevalent misunderstandings about autism

• Limitations encountered in getting their children the assistance they need

• The experience of dealing with teachers, relatives and even strangers who make them second guess themselves, thinking that they know the children's needs better than the parents do

• When and how to use discipline

• How to encourage kids to use positive ways of getting attention -- by focusing on their talents, etc. -- instead of socially inappropriate behavior

Many EaGeR attendees are the parents of autistic children -- and their children range widely across the autism spectrum -- but the group welcomes and addresses topics that are important to the families of all special-needs children. Many of their meetings are devoted to specific topics, such as IEP (Individualized Education Program) plans, CSE (Committee on Special Education) meetings, family, behavior modification, social skills, diet and treatment.

"It seems like we get a different group every time," McMaster said, "but it always seems to hit the spot. To connect with someone in the same boat and to know you're not alone...that in itself means a lot."

"These meetings seem to have been especially helpful for families who are noticing things in their young children and are trying to get them diagnosed," Sean commented. "It's very helpful to speak with people who have been through the experience and had to overcome a lot of the same obstacles, and just to know that help is available."

Because EaGeR is sponsored by the church, faith is an integral part of its meetings and mission. McMaster, who leads the group in prayer at the end of every meeting, stated that "our Christian faith has had a positive impact on our journey...

"One of our goals is to help prepare the church to work with special-needs kids, who need Jesus Christ as much as anyone else. As Christians, we always have to be ready to deal with them in a merciful way. If they experience rejection at a young age in church, that could make or break their faith."

At the same time, EaGeR is not limited to Christians. All families who struggle with raising special-needs children are invited to attend and to take advantage of the encouragement and support offered by other parents going through similar experiences. McMaster and Branton hold a Christmas party every December as well as a picnic for families in June in order to make people feel comfortable "regardless of where they are in their faith journey" (McMaster's words).

EaGeR meetings take place on the first Friday of every month from 7 until 9 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

For more information, please contact:

Melody McMaster -- 343-4707, or e-mail <samcmaster@juno.com>

Lyndy Branton -- 409-8079, or e-mail <lbranton@mtb.com>