Stories from

A vehicle fire is reported on the eastbound Thruway between mile marker 375 and 378. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Le Roy medics are responding.

UPDATE 7:26 p.m.: It's a white Ford Escort. UPDATE 7:35 p.m.: Le Roy medics are back in service. There were flames coming from the vehicle, now there's just some smoke, and they're watering it down to cool it off.

A motorcycle accident with minor injuries is reported in Alabama at the curve where Ledge and Reuben roads meet. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

This is the final story in a series about the 2011 award winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

One of the most satisfying meals Donna Saskowski ever had was simple fare -- pork chops, Tater Tots and corn. It's one she has never forgotten although it was 20 years ago. A gentleman named Curtis cooked the food at his apartment for his special guest, the lady who worked at Genesee County ARC, and who still does, now as the executive director.

Saskowski, who is the chamber of commerce 2011 Geneseean of the Year, could sense the great pride Curtis had for his accomplishment -- from setting the table and serving the food, to having a pleasant conversation and saying a fond farewell. Guest and host became friends. And Curtis, who is still served by ARC, remains Donna's friend.

Seeing people like Curtis, who is developmentally disabled, accomplish new things, learn a skill or develop a hidden talent gives meaning to Donna's work, helps motivate her and keeps her grounded.

Her inclination to help others improve their lives was fostered in no small part by her mother, the late Helen A. Trowbridge, who was a full-time registered nurse, mother of nine children, working farmer, community volunteer and a graduate of Clown Alley. Yes, Helen attended clown school in her 50s and loved entertaining people, for free, at the ARC, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. With her loud suits and zany bag of tricks, "Gorgible" the Clown made a big impression on her big family to do for others.

Donna grew up in Corfu on the family farm, which is still operated by family members today. Both her parents held full-time outside jobs and also raised crops, chickens, dairy cows and black angus cattle. In other words, "all the things my parents needed to keep nine kids fed and give us activities. It was good," she said.

After graduating from high school, Donna went to college to become a social worker and was briefly employed after getting married. But she decided to stay home and raise two daughters until they entered school. Then she looked for part-time work and landed a job as a residential assistant at ARC after "cold calling" the facility seeking an application.

It was, as they say, a good fit.

"They help me, they give me a lot of inspiration and make me feel good about myself," Saskowski said.

When the people in the ARC community get the support and services they need, they often have new experiences that are life-changing.

"Suddenly, they realize -- maybe because they haven't had other opportunities in their life -- the level of skill they have, how much of a contributing part of the community they can be.

"Sometimes people with developmental disabilities aren't given those opportunities and so they kind of lack confidence or the courage to step up. They know they can do it, but I don't think -- because we often don't have faith in them -- that they want to express it."

When they do, the results can be amazing. Donna has a couple of art works in her office, and there are others displayed elsewhere in the facility on Walnut Street, that show real talent, and certainly beauty.

Events like the Challenger Dance and the Sprout Film Festival also give her clients a chance to blossom.

And that helps her stay energized and focused so she can advocate for them effectively.

In addition to her work at ARC, Donna is active in the community. She is currently serving as secretary for the Batavia Rotary Club, which she joined in 2004, and is a board member of the Regional Action Phone Network.

In 2006, she was named a Leadership Fellow at the Community Health Foundation of Western New York and that was a tremendous experience for her. It enabled her to meet leaders from throughout the region and engage them in a dialogue about the state of health care and health in general.

She has also been a Girl Scout leader and served on the board of the YWCA. She is a member of Leadership Genesee's Class of 2005.

She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Social Work from the University of Buffalo and was named Social Worker of the Year in 2010 by the Western Division of the New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Donna is highly regarded for her leadership, exceptional ability to work collaboratively, and her commitment to community development.

She lives in Darien with her husband, Paul.

As for being named Geneseean of the Year, Donna is most pleased.

"I have a great support system or else I wouldn't be able to do the things I do -- my staff here, but especially my family, my husband. If he didn't cook all those meals and do all those things when I was in graduate school, and raise the kids for three and a half years, it would have been a tough go. And he did that."

A rollover car accident is reported on R. Stephen Hawley Drive near Batavia Stafford Town Line Road. The car rolled over several times, according to a witness at the scene. There is entrapment. Mercy Flight out of Buffalo is airborne. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy Medics are responding. It is not blocking traffic.

UPDATE 1:36 p.m.: The vehicle is a full-size Chevy van. It's on its side. They are going to take out the windshield to rescue the patient. The van is leaking fuel. Mercy Flight has a 10-minute ETA, and the landing zone will be just east of the campus on a grassy hill.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: The patient is a male, approximately 50 years old. He lost consciousness but is now conscious. He's complaining of back and arm pain. He will be transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

UPDATE 1:47 p.m.: The patient has been extricated.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 1:54 p.m.: A flatbed tow truck is requested. The van came to rest 30 feet off the roadway on the driver's side.

UPDATE 2:01 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne but the destination has been changed to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo.

UPDATE 2:06 p.m.: Town of Batavia fire is back in service.

UPDATE: We'll have more pictures from the scene with our follow-up story, pending release of accident report from the Sheriff's Office.

In an effort to educate students and the community on recycling, conserving energy, and going “green” in general, the City of Batavia Youth Bureau is sponsoring its annual Earth Day event beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 21 at Austin Park.

Morning refreshments will be provided by Tim Horton's.

This year’s event will feature a short presentation on energy efficiency and how to reduce your "carbon footprint" to kick off the event.

The following agencies will set up booths and interactive displays for the participants to visit:

• GLOW Solid Waste
• Finger Lakes Energy Smarts Communities Program
• Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Program
• Youth Bureau, City of Batavia
• Genesee ARC
• Pathstone Corporation
• Smoke Free NOW.

Students will also receive giveaways at some of the booths. After folks have visited all of the booths, school/student groups from John Kennedy, Robert Morris, Batavia Middle schools, Students United for Positive Action as well as others, will be sent out to clean a park or an area in the city.

Volunteers from Kiwanis Club will accompany several of the student groups. We will then meet back at Austin Park and will proceed to Centennial Park for a Tree Planting Ceremony, where the students in attendance will actually plant the tree.  Everyone will then be invited back to Austin Park for a pizza lunch. The event will conclude at approximately 12:30 p.m.

If you would like more information on Earth Day or would like to participate, call the Batavia Youth Bureau at 345-6420.

A fully involved shed fire with exposure to a residence is reported at 245 Martin Road, near the intersection with Bloomingdale Road in Alabama. Alabama Fire Department is responding. Akron is responding because it had somebody already at the scene. Indian Falls is standing by in their hall. The shed is about 10 by 15 square feet.

UPDATE 7:42 a.m.: The fire has been knocked down. Firefighters are checking for any extensions.

A two-car accident with two minor injuries is reported at 9367 Warsaw Road, just south of the Village of Le Roy and north of Perry Road. The accident is blocking and there was air-bag deployment. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance Service is responding along with Le Roy police. The mildly injured persons are refusing treatment.

UPDATE 7:43 p.m.: Le Roy firefighters are returning to service. Tow trucks are en route.

Pictured above is Tom Ronan, who has worked at Graham Corp. nearly five decades. This is the third story in a series about the 2011 honorees of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

The Graham Corp. is the only publicly traded company currently operating in Genesee County. What began as a small business in 1936 is now a global enterprise, with offices in Suzhou China, Michigan and Houston. The headquarters are still at 20 Florence Ave. in the City of Batavia.

This employer of about 350 people (around 285 locally) is a leading designer and builder of vacuum and heat transfer equipment for process industries. And it’s the Industry of the Year chosen by the chamber of commerce for 2011, Graham’s 75-year Jubilee.

One of the most remarkable things about Graham, in addition to its ability to expand internationally and grow its U.S. customer base, is its steadfast allegiance to Batavia and its employees.

President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Lines put it this way: “We think ‘This is where our founding was.’ We really enjoy the small community. We find the work force … is very committed, very loyal to the company and has just become a tremendous asset to us.

“And I can’t envision another location providing the wealth of strong employees that we’ve been able to pull from this community and I’m just very fortunate to have that as a benefit.”

There are quite a number of longtime employees at Graham, and Lines is one of them, joining the ranks in 1984.

The longest-serving employees presently are Tom Ronan and Roger Becker.

Tom’s been around for a whopping 48 years, thus has never drawn unemployment, and put his two kids through college with his steady paycheck. In addition to his inarguable work ethic, he’s known for being a bit of a jokester. He’s certainly straightforward.

Here’s a sampling from a recent Q & A:

So what’s kept you around here for 48 years? “It just went day by day and the years went by.”

What do you do now? “I do a multitude of things.”

How have you liked working here? “There’s been good days and there’ve been bad days. Hopefully there weren’t too many of the bad ones in a row.”

You used to work for Mr. (Duncan) Berkeley (the son of one of the co-founders who ran the company from 1968 to 1995). What did you do for him? “I did whatever he wanted me to – he was the boss.”

The former Marine and Vietnam vet expounded a little more when asked about the chamber award.

“It’s nice to see a company that I’ve spent my life with is appreciated by the community that they help support. Many times people thought we made crackers, you know.”

Actually, the equipment that Graham Corp. creates is used in the processing of everyday products used by people everywhere – from synthetic fibers and electric power, paper and steel, food and fertilizer, to pharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum-based goods.

During World War II, it supplied steam ejectors, surface condensers and heat exchangers for shipboard applications.

Harold M. Graham first incorporated the business as Graham Manufacturing Co. in 1936 and since 1942, the company has grown its clientele far and wide. In 1983, it became the Graham Corp. Today, about half of its sales are outside the United States.

It is overseen by a seven-member board of directors, which includes Jim Lines. The others are President and Chairman of the Board Jerald D. Bidlack, and James J. Barber, Ph.D., Helen H. Berkeley, Alan Fortier, James J. Malvaso and Gerard T. Mazurkiewicz.

Its stocks, with the ticker symbol GHM, are traded on the NYSE Amex and on Tuesday one common share was $20.64.

The ongoing success story is rooted, according to Lines, in management practices put in place long before he took the helm as CEO.

“There’s a fairness the management team and the leaders have to the employees and, in exchange, the employees have tremendous support for the management team, enabling us to do what the business needs to do.

“We look at it really as a mutual responsibility to grow our company, to serve our customers. … We want our employees to recognize us as a place to build a career, not just a business to come work at.”

In addition to Mr. Graham and Mr. Berkeley, he gives a lot of credit for building a remarkable company to Al Cadena, who ran the business from 1995 to 2004.

When asked if the rap against New York for having high taxes and too much regulation has been a hindrance for Graham, Lines said “We’re choosing to be in New York State and we’re choosing to be in Batavia.

“Is it easier in other locations? Perhaps. But I would place my money, and I do, behind the workers we have in this location. They outweigh the challenges that we face. … There’s no assurance that if we were to relocate somewhere else we would have the same strength and that strength is our people.”

Looking forward, part of Graham’s plan is to: expand sales to businesses in China; increase nuclear power operations; and to focus on opportunities with the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.

But this week, right here in Batavia, the folks at Graham are delighted to be honored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

“I think that’s tremendous,” Lines said, “that’s a great recognition of a wonderful company that really thrives globally. … it’s a recognition of 75 years of commitment to our customers, 75 years of commitment to our employees and then a recognition that we’re of good service to the community as well.

“We’re very proud to have our company acknowledged in this way.”

A grass fire is reported by Route 20 near Bowen Road. Alexander Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6:34 p.m.: Alexander is back in service.

Heavy black smoke is spewing from a vacant structure at 6553 Ellicott St. Road in Pavilion. They are not sure whether it's coming from the first or second story. Pavilion Fire Department is responding and so is Le Roy's.

UPDATE 12:34 p.m.: A responder on scene reports this is a "controlled burn" -- a rubbish fire, which includes tires, and it's behind the house. The second-alarm responders are told to stand by in quarters-- they include Alexander, Bethany, Stafford and the City of Batavia's Fast Team.

UPDATE 12:37 p.m.: They anticipate being able to "knock this out quickly."

UPDATE 12:43 p.m.: Bethany's tanker is en route, non-emergency mode. Stafford is cancelled. (We presume the city and Alexander are also standing down.) They are going to shut the road to traffic.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: "We've got it pretty well knocked down for the most part."

UPDATE 12:54 p.m.: The fire is out.

UPDATE 12:57 p.m.: Le Roy is returning to service.

UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: The road is reopened.

UPDATE 1:16 p.m.: Bethany and Pavilion are back in service. A representative of the Department of Environmental Conservation responded to the scene to investigate and is now leaving.

A brush fire is reported behind 37 Gibson St. in Bergen. Bergen Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:18 p.m.: The fire is out. Bergen is back in service.

A mulch fire is reported behind the Radio Shack store at 4234 Veterans Memorial Drive. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:38 p.m.: The fire is out. Town of Batavia is back in service.

A fire is reported at 4822 Broadway Road, between Marsh and Silver roads, in Bethany. It is at the farm on the corner of Broadway and Silver. It's in a "courtyard next to a silo" and near barns. Bethany Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:25 p.m.: A responder said the fire is by a 20-foot, round silo that has a bottom filled with hay.

UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: The fire is under control.

UPDATE 3:57 p.m.: The fire is out. Bethany is returning to service.

A grass fire is reported at 9286 Colby Road. It is near a structure and there's an abandoned car nearby as well. This is the Reed's residence. Corfu Fire Department is responding and a person on scene says there's some smoke showing but the problem "doesn't look too big."

UPDATE 3:09 p.m.: Apparently, they've extinguished the fire because they told a firefighter calling to check on their status that they were "packing up the hose now."

UPDATE 3:16 p.m.: Corfu is back in service.

A grease fire is reported in the kitchen at 16 Highland Ave. in the City of Batavia. The residence has been evacuated. But the city fire department is on scene and reports nothing is showing.

UPDATE 2:32 p.m.: The fire was contained to a pot on the stove and it's now out. The home is being ventilated.

UPDATE 3 p.m.: All units clear of 16 Highland. City Fire back in service.

A robbery just occurred at the Five Star Bank on Cato Street in Pavilion. The suspect is described as a black male, 5'6" tall, slim build, wearing a blue and white striped shirt, jeans, a red ball cap and sunglasses. He told the teller he had a gun, but one was not shown. He fled the bank on foot and his direction of travel is unknown. Several law enforcement units are on their way to the scene.

UPDATE 3:43 p.m.: They are going to set up a perimeter to scour for the suspect. Patrols on the interstate highways are alerted as well as those traveling other routes, so are Wyoming and Livingston counties.

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: They are going to ask Livingston County to send in its canine unit and are also checking the availability of the one in Genesee County. Officers are now interviewing neighbors to determine whether the suspect got into a vehicle and, if so, to provide a description of it.

UPDATE 3:50 p.m.: The canine unit from Livingston County is en route. A neighbor told officers that she saw the suspect get into a vehicle parked at the adjacent St. Mary's Church and there was another black male driving the car. The car's wheels squeeled out of the parking lot and the witness "was so shocked she doesn't remember anything (else)." They are going to check all the streets in the vicinity of the church and along Route 63. A pizzeria in the area had a security camera on and they are going to check it.

UPDATE 3:56 p.m.: "It appears they took off in the car pretty quickly." The suspects are estimated to be in their mid- to late 20s. The canine unit from Genesee County is not available.

UPDATE 3:59 p.m.: The camera by a nearby ATM machine is being screened to glean possible information.

UPDATE 4:04 p.m.: After speaking with a woman in the area, they are looking for a full-sized, silver-colored pickup truck with a regular cab. The witness saw it shortly before she was telephoned about the robbery and it was parked by the basketball courts by St. Mary's.

UPDATE 4:31 p.m.: Wyoming County authorities are reporting that they found a green car roadside (didn't catch which road) and the engine is still running, but no one is around it. They are checking the plates. It is unknown if this is related to the robbery or just an odd circumstance.

UPDATE 4:35 p.m.: They are saying the abandoned vehicle found with its motor running is a green pickup truck car. It's in the vicinity of Crossman and Starr roads, "by a trestle" in Wyoming County. 

UPDATE 4:38 p.m.: The license plates come back to a Le Roy resident, born in 1934, and there's no (telephone) answer at the owner's residence. Again, this may be completely unrelated to the robbery.

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: Now they are checking on another matter, saying it's unknown whether related to the robbery. A person is going door to door in the area of 10982 S. Lake Road (Route 19) in Pavilion asking for gasoline. The caller could not provide a description of the person because of poor vision.

A shed fire is reported at 2082 Lewiston Road near Knowlesville Road. Alabama Fire Department is responding. Oakfield Fire Department is called to stand by in its hall.

UPDATE 12:19 p.m.: According to the National Weather Service, there's an elevated fire risk today "due to a combination of dry air, lingering vegetation from last year" and moderate northwest winds. (Also, tonight there's a freeze likely, with temperatures expected to be 25 to 30 degrees.)

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: Alabama Engine 2 is on scene "with a working shed fire."

UPDATE 12:24 p.m.: Alabama engines 1 and 5 are on scene.

UPDATE 12:26 p.m.: Oakfield is told to stand down.

UPDATE 12:29 p.m.: The fire is extinguished and they are now doing overhaul.

UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: Alabama is back in service.