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Meet Shirley, a black Labrador retriever/German shephard mix. This adult female is not only good looking, she's also a considered a loyal companion.

Shirley would love for you to visit. Come on down and see if she can be your buddy.

This handsome fellow is Moe. He's an adult, neutered male, dark gray and white, domestic short hair cat.

Moe is mellow. He's sitting in a box, but not "using" it, of course, for this portrait. He likes to hang out and "be in the moment," something a lot of people ought to do, too. If you'd like to live and let live with Moe, you know where to go.

Chamilia is a brand-new line of jewelry offered at Valle Jewelers in Batavia and it's creating some buzz among the clientele, says Maria Valle.

Fans of these beautiful baubles are booking private parties in the store so friends and family can ooh-and-aah at the many choices and, of course, add some to their own collection. The after-hours parties are for 15 or more guests -- and the hostess gets a special gift.

Think of Chamilia (as in chameleon) as a new kind of beaded charm bracelet - or necklace - available in sterling sliver, 14-K gold or a combination of them.

You choose the charms, either as symbolic of something special in your life or simply for color or style. Whatever you string together is sure to dazzle.

Making your own beaded jewelry is not new, of course, but Camilia has taken the idea to a new level of affordable sophistication and craftsmanship with a stunning selection of unique pieces.

Its creator, Killian Rieder, according to a brochure, was inspired to create a way for herself and all women to "hold onto friends, family memories and experiences in a meaningful way...every bracelet tells a story about the person wearing it."

Take Maria for example, who showed me the sterling silver pieces on her bracelet.

"This one is a little cake, because I like to bake cakes, this little baby shoe is because I'm a mom, these have my children's birthstones in them," she said.

It's exciting and fun to pore over the catalog and look at the jewelry in the display case. They are so detailed! Some have sparkling cubic zirconias. There are licensed Disney characters, too, like Nemo, Tinkerbell and A.A. Milne's classic Winnie-the-Pooh.

Genuine hand-blown Murano Glass from Murano, Italy, is featured in a kaleidoscopic array of bands. Some others are enameled or have colorful stones.

Here are just a few of the kinds of symbols offered: a camera, a gingerbread man, a ghost, vintage suitcase, puzzle piece, giraffe, tennis ball, football helmet, etc. There are ones that dangle, too.

Some beads aren't intended to be symbolic of anything, they're just pretty shapes and styles. There's also a variety of bead spacers, locks and connectors. In addition to bracelets and necklaces, there are drop chains (for making pendants) to choose from, and pink or gold leather.

Bracelets, which come in a variety chain lengths, start at $35, regardless of size. Bangle bracelets are also available. Silver charms start at $25.

If you'd like to get a group of friends together for a private, after-hours Chamilia party at Valle Jewelers (located at 21 Jackson St.) give them a call at 343-3372 or email at <valles@rochester.rr.com>. Hostesses get a gift!

Thirty one adults with mental illness, all currently residents of group homes in Darien and Pembroke, will soon have a chance to begin new lives of independence and a degree of self care.

They will be moving into the attractive new housing facility being built at 559 E. Main St., Batavia.

The new living arrangements are a result of new thinking in the treatment of mental illness: People can be cured, and their best chance at recovery is through independent living.

Living Opportunities of DePaul, in Erie County, is in charge of the $6.6 million project. It's one of several branches of DePaul in Rochester, a 51-year-old community service nonprofit for Western New York.

The project is expected to be finished early next year and will accommodate people whose primary diagnosis is mental illness and they are working to recover from it. They are not MICA -- mentally ill with a chemical addiction(s), said Marcia Dlutek, DePaul's vice president of communications and development.

In addition to the 31 "licensed beds," 11 more units are designated as affordable housing for low-income individuals.

Two aspects of this project are particularly notable: it will provide individually tailored assistance to mentally ill people living in their own apartments, versus communally in a group home; and it operates under the relatively new premise that mental illness is sometimes curable.

The approach is worlds apart from 20 years ago, when groups homes began to flourish in response to the downsizing or closure of many large mental health institutions nationwide. Advances in psychopharmacology and findings in behavioral science research have modified approaches to treatment as well.

"Other modes of community housing are deemed more appropriate for recovery for  people living in the mental health system," Dlutek said. "Clients want to live alone rather than in communal living areas.

"This is a new approach. It is person-centered, recovery-oriented -- a housing option that will truly benefit them."

They will have access to 24-hour staffing, medication, life-skills assistance with such tasks as meal planning and budgeting. Plus, the location was chosen because of its easy and convenient access to transportation, stores, businesses and social services.

"It's really going to provide integrated housing for mental health consumers," she said. "We're very excited about this project. It took a lot of collaborative effort to accomplish, between our organization, the (NY) Department of Mental Health, the city, the county and the Economic Development Center.

Located next to East Town Plaza, the 43,000-square-foot, two-story complex covers 5.7 acres of prime city property. As it nears completion, it's shaping up to be an inviting design with curb appeal and solid structure -- certainly a far cry from the drab, institutional-looking warrens historically built for the mentally ill.

(However, it also seems a somewhat "boutique" alternative given the cost for housing just 31 mentally ill people, out of the many eligible.)

Since nonprofits are not required to pay property taxes, the GCEDC worked out an agreement wherein DePaul will pay $12,000 a year in lieu what the city could get from commercial or residential development..

Funding for the housing center came primarily from the state Office of Mental Health and the Department of Housing, Community Renewal Division. The design work was done by Parrone Engineering of Rochester and Lecesse Construction Corp. in West Henrietta is the builder.

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It's been a good year for the Anglican Community Church in Batavia. Several months ago, the congregation was accepted as a member of the Convocation of Anglicans of North America (CANA), and to top it off, this month the church is hosting a VIP.

That would be Bishop David Bena.

The local Anglican church was established in 2004 and since then, its goal has been to become a member of CANA. And so sanctioned, it now has oversight by bishops, much to the Anglicans' delight.

"After being in sort of limbo, to become members of CANA, it is a great joy to have Bishop Bena come so far to meet us," said parishioner Onolee Grower. "It is a strong visible sign of our inclusion into a wonderful church. Knowing there is a real person --  not just a name at some distant place -- to turn to for guidance and help is a real comfort."

Parishioner Terrey Lee agrees that Bena's visit marks a milestone.

"It is a great pleasure as well as a great honor to have his presence known in our church," Lee said. "This visit marks, for us, an inclusion into a large family of Anglicans across North America.

"We all believe in one Lord, his Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We are now part of a great Communion of believers. This single accomplishment has been of the utmost importance to our church and each of its members."

Even as the parishioners look forward to Bishop Bena’s visit on Sunday, Oct. 25, they cannot forget their struggle to become a part of CANA. It took a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance to realize their dream. They credit church leaders and also "the grace, love and blessings of our Lord" with the success.

Reverend George Quibell, an Anglican priest from Canada, has led the church.

Canon Simon Howson is also scheduled to attend the special service and luncheon for Bishop Bena. Before the inception of Batavia's Community Anglican Church, its parishioners attended St. James Episcopal Church on Main Street, which was led by Howson.

(Parishioners say he was removed by a Bishop on false charges and exonerated last year. Canon Howson remains a priest in good standing in another diocese, having settled his lawsuit against the Bishop and the Diocese of Western New York for an undisclosed sum and a full letter of apology and exoneration, a copy of which is on file at the Anglican Church.)

About Bishop Bena:

The Rt. Rev'd David J. Bena, Suffragan Bishop of Albany, was consecrated as a bishop for Albany in 2000. For seven years, he served under Albany's senior bishop, the Rt. Rev'd Daniel Herzog, to help make Albany one of the largest and most active dioceses in the nation.

Bena retired from his post in Albany and in March 2007 joined CANA, which is an orthodox Anglican church body offering Americans an authentic connection to Anglican Communion.

Since the Albany diocese is a staunch supporter of the Anglican Communion and traditional theology, Bishop Bena's move to CANA came naturally. He now serves as CANA's Suffragan Bishop, assisting CANA's Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns with leading the growing number of CANA congregations and clergy. 

"I have sensed God's call to minister to disenfranchised Anglicans around America who are in need of episcopal oversight." says Bena. "I feel extremely privileged to have been asked to take on this ministry."

Bishop Minns is also glad to have Bishop Bena on the CANA team.

"The growing CANA family will be tremendously blessed by the presence of Bishop Bena," says Minns. "He brings years of experience and lots of high-energy leadership to CANA. I count David as a personal friend, and am very happy that he's here."

Bena served as a Marine officer in the Vietnam War. He did his undergraduate work at Stetson University, and completed his training at Virginia Theological Seminary (in Alexandria). He served as both an Air Force chaplain and a parish priest for over two decades. 

Bena has earned a doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation, which is an interreligious institution based in South Bend, Ind.. He also holds an honorary doctorate from The Episcopal Church's Virginia Theological Seminary.

Bena and his wife, Mary Ellen, have been married 40 years. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

About the Anglican Community Church:

Parishioner Lee said: "The Anglican Community Church is made up of members who are not only part of a congregation that worships together; we are a church family with a true commitment to our church and to each other.

"Since planting the church, we have experienced deaths, weddings, births, baptisms, and confirmations. All of these were dealt with as a church family, with care and great love for one another being shown to all members. Such life changes as these have brought us closer to one another as well as closer to God."

Good afternoon, prospective pet owners. My name is Maxine, a Labrador-retriever mix.

In the world of greeting cards and cartoon characters, there's also a Maxine. She's famous for being an old lady who wears funny clothes and hats and has a wry sense of humor.

I am not like this rather eccentric human, of course, but I am a funny adult female with a nice sense of humor. People say I'm friendly and playful, too.

Besides that, I'm already spayed. I'd love to have a real home and someone to rumpus with. 

I'm a real cool cat named Smoothie. You can sorta tell by my unflappable gaze and black goatee. Even though I'm female, I'm still a feline and this two-tone look, especially the goatee, makes me the bees' knees among my peers. (I got burned out on "cat's pajamas" and the decidedly overused "bad.")

It's an old, old country song. In this case, an adult female searching for love in all the wrong places, "hopin' for another heart lookin' for love." At this point, I'd settle for lasting friendship, some kibble and a box. Howza 'bout it?

A lot of times, people think of life-science workers as some nerds in white lab coats enthralled with Petri dishes and gaseous vials of God-knows-what simmering on Bunsen burners.

Of course, that's a stereotype and one that regional educators, employers and professionals are actively working to erase. They have a plan as to how to accomplish this and to enlightened people about the plethora of job opportunities available in life sciences.

The cornerstone was announced Tuesday by the Genesee County Economic Development Center. It's dubbed "iSciWNY," a collaborative effort out of the University of New York at Buffalo.

Touted as a "comprehensive life-sciences workforce development program," it's designed to prepare Western New Yorkers -- not just scientists -- for new positions in the region’s growing life-sciences industry.

Its funded in part by the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) through a workforce development grant by the NYS Department of Labor (DOL).

iSciWNY uses its Web site, workshops, training programs and popular Career Pathways kit to demystify the life-sciences industry for Western New Yorkers and prepare them for jobs, whether they’re high school students looking for their first job or established professionals looking for a new challenge.

Through the DOL grant, the GCEDC was able to provide funding for Web site development as well as money to train nearly 50 teachers in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming, Monroe and Steuben counties. Funding and support was also provided to Genesee Community College (GCC) for two summer programs that trained 80 regional students in life sciences. Those students also earned seven college credits upon completion.

iSciWNY is available at no charge to Western New York organizations and individuals. According to Marnie LaVigne, Ph.D. -- director of business development at UB’s Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, and co-developer of iSciWNY -- many regional residents are unaware of the extraordinary diversity of the life-sciences industry here.

This includes companies that develop and test everything from powerful, new drugs and innovative medical devices to computational tools and new research and development methods.

“The iSciWNY slogan, ‘Stay here, go far,’ means that thanks to our growing life-sciences industry, Western New Yorkers can stay here and find successful careers in many more fields than the typical laboratory position people picture,” she said.

“It is incredibly rewarding to be involved in a career with great opportunities at all levels, in technical and nontechnical jobs that offer professional advancement, while helping people live better, healthier lives through innovative products and services.”

GCEDC’s President and CEO Steven G Hyde explained how iSciWNY has been launched and piloted in the GLOW region.

“We have had great collaboration with our local partners including GCC, the Business Education Alliance and Genesee Valley BOCES, along with the 22 school districts it serves. With our grant dollars, we were able to hire John Jakubowski, a well-known local educator, to implement iSciWNY materials into our schools and he’s done an excellent job.”

According to its developers at the UB Center of Excellence and the Educational Opportunity Center, iSciWNY is a unique program nationally because of the way it addresses workforce development needs.

“iSciWNY creates a pipeline approach,” says LaVigne. “It links all the organizations that need to be involved to develop a skilled workforce – whether through advising, educating training or employment – with the community-at-large.”

She added that other regions statewide and across the nation have expressed interest in using isciWNY as a model.

For more information, please visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.isciwny.com" http://www.isciwny.com

This information stems from a GCEDC press release.

The odor of something burning in a structure at LeRoy High School has been reported and a Pavilion pumper truck and a ladder truck have been requested. It's at 9300 S. Street Road.

A three-man crew is now at the scene. A LeRoy ladder truck is in route. Wyoming County is also ready to respond.

UPDATE: heard on scanner: "They can get to (the smoke) from inside -- they don't need a ladder. Response: "I don't want them inside now."

Ladder truck now on scene.

UPDATE: Smoke is definately coming from the building, which has been evacuated.

UPDATE (12:07 p.m.): Bergen's fire truck is being returned to service. Pavilion is staying on standby. Students are being let back into the school. Things are under control.

UPDATE: (12:18 p.m.): All units are back in service.

A man suspected of robbing Five Star Bank in Pavilion at about 11:30 a.m. is still on the lam as law enforcement units from three counties (Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston) scour a heavily wooded area southwest of the village.

A state police helicopter is surveying the area, too, along with ATVs and a canine unit.

"We think he's still in the area," Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha said. "But we're not sure."

Pavilion School has been in lockdown since the incident, but that is being called off now and school officials say the students will be dismissed at the regular time.

The suspect is described as white, between 25 and 35, between 175 and 180 lbs.. He's wearing a black jacket with light blue stripes down the sleeves, with a Husqvarna logo, sunglasses and a green and white hat.

According to Sheriff Maha, the suspect did not brandish a weapon when demanding money at the bank. He was seen running from the bank, then he dropped out of sight. Soon thereafter, a Sheriff's deputy spotted a man running down the railroad tracks nearby. He acted suspiciously and ran into the woods.

The heat-sensor equipment on board the helicopter is virtually ineffective in locating the suspect's whereabout in the thick woods. Law enforcement set up a wide parameter around the scene and eventually let the dog loose to help in the pursuit.

Meanwhile, officers were checking parked cars in the vicinity to clear them of any possible involvement. Fresh four-wheel drive tracks were spotted before the police ATVs arrived, but it's unknown if they relate to this incident.

No one apparently was injured in the heist and the Sheriff said it's unknown at this point, how much money was taken. Although it was intially reported by The Batavian that a bag with money was found, that is not the case. The suspect brought a "Target-type" bag into the bank, but it has not been found.

If this is another case of an urban resident robbing a rural bank, and that's not known yet, it would seem to indicate, according to Maha, that: "maybe they think we're easy pickin's. "

He said, on average, there's one or two bank robberies a year in Genesee County.

AUDIO: Press Conference with Sheriff Maha (mp3)

AUDIO: Statement from Sheriff Maha about releasing bank photo (mp3)