A UPS driver making a left hand turn reportedly did not see an oncoming car causing an accident at 1020 Akron Road, Pembroke this morning.

The second driver, Kenneth Benware, II, 56, of 365 Wright Road, Akron, was injured and transported to an area hospital.

The driver of the first car was Adam M. Stone, 29, of 27 Spencer Court, Batavia. He was driving a truck owned by United Parcel Service.

Stone was given a ticket for allegedly failing to yield the right of way.

A structure fire is reported near the north corner of South Main and Walnut streets, by the roundabout, in the City of Batavia. Smoke was said to be coming from a yellow house. But a fireman reports: "I'm in the area, I don't see anything yet."

UPDATE (12:57 p.m.): Fireman says "Nothing showing, We're clear here."

A two-vehicle accident with injuries is reported on Akron Road in Pembroke, east of Wyman Road. Pembroke and Indian Falls are responding, along with Mercy EMS. Fire police are requested to block traffic on Akron and Wyman and Akron at Route 77.

A motor-vehicle accident with injury is reported in front of Tim Horton's restaurant at 20 Main St. in the City of Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS are handling it.

Billie will handle the bulk of the site update duties over the next two days.

I'll be in Washington, D.C.. I'll be participating in a meeting on the future of journalism, where I've been invited to discuss The Batavian. The group hosting the discussion is preparing a White Paper on the topic. The study group is made up of academics and government officials.

I'll be online as often as possible (multitasking as always, except when I'm on a plane or it's my turn to speak).

The Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center is on track to become one of the elite dispatch centers in the state, if not the country, with Director Steven C. Sharpe setting the bar high.

It's Sharpe's goal -- and has been since 2006 -- to have the dispatch center receive an Accredited Center of Excellence rating from the the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

No New York county has received an ACE rating since Monroe did it 18 years ago.

"It’s aggressive, but if you want to be the best and you want to say you’re the best, then you prove it by doing it," Sharpe said.

Sharpe, along with dispatchers John Spencer and Beth Hynes-Fisher will attend a training program in Orlando, Fla., in April that will provide the trio with more information on what it takes to win the accreditation as well as training in leadership, educating others and quality assurance. There will also be a series of classes on specific dispatch situations they can take.

The accreditation focuses on emergency medical dispatch, but Sharpe said the benefits go beyond sending ambulances out.

"The thing is, it doesn’t just effect our emergency medical dispatching," Sharpe said. "It makes us better dispatchers for police and fire as well.”

While achieving the accreditation is something Sharpe set his eye on as far back as 2006, he couldn't have dispatchers focus on the training during the years of moving into a new facility and consolidating with Batavia and Le Roy. Sharpe said his team started concentrating heavily on the accreditation in June and has already achieved a better than 90-percent compliance with protocols and calls. Accreditation requires at least 90-percent compliance on most calls and more than 95 percent on certain types of calls.

Part of the procedure required is that dispatchers go through a series of questions with callers in emergency medical situations. It's important for dispatchers to correctly assess the situation so they send the right personnel and ensure the emergency responders are properly prepared for what they might find.

"People often ask, 'why am I being asked all these questions?'" Sharpe said. "What we’re trying to do is find out what all the signs and symptoms are, and more importantly, give you instructions so you can help the person who is in need of assistance."

He said callers don't often understand that while one dispatcher is conducting the interview, another dispatcher is already starting an ambulance to the scene. Callers sometimes express concern that an ambulance isn't being sent right away, and that usually is not the case.

Sharpe joined the Sheriff's Office in December 2005 after eight years in the Air Force working in intelligence. He said his USAF background plays a critical role in how he approaches his job now.

"One of the core values of the Air Force is excellence in all we do and this is one of the things I carry over into here," Sharpe said "It’s what we expect of our dispatchers. It’s a very challenging job. It’s a very difficult job. It’s very stressful. But they hold themselves to such a high standard."

Dispatch Center photo is a file photo.

Danger: Slippery, icy roads.

That's the warning tonight from the National Weather Service, which has issued a winter weather advisory effective through 11 a.m.

The wet snow of this afternoon is giving way to a freezing drizzle overnight.

The icing will be minimal, notes the Weather Service, but it doesn't take much to put a thin glaze on roadways.

Untreated roads will be quite slick.

An 80-year-old woman from Akron died this evening after a car she was riding in slid on ice-covered roads into oncoming traffic.

Audrey E. Micciche was transported to UMMC and pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.

The driver, Mario J. Micciche, 80, also of Akron, was transported to UMMC with serious injuries.

The accident occurred at 4:52 p.m. on Route 5 about a tenth of a mile west of Indian Falls Road in Pembroke.

Mario Micciche was driving a 2001 Saturn Suburban west bound when he apparently lost control of the vehicle. The car slid into the eastbound lane where it was struck by a 2003 Ford Taurus.

The Taurus was driven by Deborah B. Osborne, 55, of 8896 Fargo Road, Stafford.

Osborne was transported to UMMC where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

There were no other passengers in either vehicle.

The crash is being investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Deputy Tim Wescott, Investigator W.T. Ferrando.

No charges have been filed.

Responding to the scene were East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department, Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department, the Pembroke Highway Department and Mercy EMS.

It's snowing lightly right now, and the light snow is expected to continue into tonight and tomorrow morning.

It should taper off to flurries by Friday, but there's some bit of snow in the forecast through Monday.

And some wind, up to 20 mph at times.

And cold -- below 30 degrees until Saturday, when the temperature might reach a blistering 31 degrees.

Photo: Another barn shot. This one on Route 63 heading out toward Oakfield, but still in the Town of Batavia, I beleive.

A 125-year-old newspaper industry trade group announced today a third-place award for The Batavian in the General Excellence category for news Web sites in small circulation markets.

This marks the first time the Inland Press Association -- which counts among its members more than 1,100 newspapers in North America -- has given an award to an online-only news site.

Entrants in the contest were judged by a group of seven academics and industry experts. The judges said of The Batavian:

With many interactive storytelling features including polls and feedback on each story, The Batavian serves its audience with a well-edited community-focused site.

The top winners in the category were the Statesboro Herald, out of Statesboro, Ga., for its Web site, StatesboroHerald.com, and taking second was NVDaily.com, the Web site of the North Virginia Daily, out of Strasburg, Va.

The Batavian entered the contest in the 20,000 or less circulation category after being informed by officials at IPA that its entry would be welcome. Even though The Batavian has no print circulation, the category seemed appropriate given the newspaper in the local market, the Batavia Daily News, has a circulation somewhere in the 10,000 to 11,000 range.

Taking top honors in the over 20,000 category was The News-Gazette, Champaign, Ill. for its Web site, IlliniHQ.com.

The Inland Press Association first gave a General Excellance award for Web site publishing in 2006. Winning that inaugural award was Bakersfield.com, the Web site of the Bakersfield Californian. Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, was VP of Interactive for the Californian just prior to IPA honoring the Web site.

There is at least some interest among Batavia City Council members in setting up a committee structure similar to what the County Legislature uses.

When voters approved a revised City Charter in November, they granted the council the ability to reorganize the way it does business by going to a committee system.

City Council President Marianne Clattenburg said that the first priority for the new year was getting a budget passed, and with that vote scheduled for Monday, the council can turn its attention to strategic planning, which includes reviewing committee structure and options and deciding what would be best for the city.

"This is something for council to decide -- whether we want to have standing committees or set up temporary ad hoc committees -- as part of our strategic planning process," Clattenburg said. "I haven't really looked at it that closely yet. I’m going to let the council debate that as a group and go with the majority opinion."

At the County Legislature, the legislature has divided itself into three standing committees -- Public Safety, Human Services and Ways and Means. Resolutions are drafted by staff, brought to the committee and reviewed by the elected officials on the committee. Resolutions that involve an expenditure often go through two committees, with one of them being Ways and Means. By the time a resolution reaches the entire legislature, all members have reviewed it in one or more committees. When the legislature meets as a body, the resolutions are usually passed with very little discussion.

That is not a process that received universal support from council members.

Fifth Ward Councilwoman Kathy Briggs said she supports the idea of standing committees, but doesn't believe that issues shouldn't also be discussed when the full council meets.

"I would like to have a committee do research, come up with recommendations and go from there and we have a healthy discussion (at council level)," Briggs said. "I would never want to have a situation where it’s 'here’s the recommendation and here you go.' I don’t think that would go over well."

But operating more like the County Legislature is exactly what the council should do, according to Fourth Ward Councilman Bob Bialkowski.

"I honestly feel we can streamline the way we’re doing our business," Bialkowski said.

At-Large Councilman Frank Ferrando said he's interested in the committee system and believes a majority of his colleagues are intrigued by the idea, but he wants to know more about how Batavia might move forward with a reorganization.

"I think committees, in my personal opinion, are committees working on specific assignments, whether ad hoc or permanently, and they can work more efficiently and effectively to help the council in a way that will make the council better and better able to react to situations," Ferrando said.

In the Third Ward, Councilman Sam Barone isn't sure about committees. He said he hasn't decided one way or the other whether he will support a committee system.

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian, representing the Sixth Ward, said she needs to know more about how a committee system would work before deciding whether to support it.

Council members Bill Cox, Tim Buckley and Patti Pacino could not be reached for comment.

Batavia Downs is not closing.

That's the message this morning from Western OTB Board Member Dick Siebert, who was part of a committee that met with State Lottery officials in Schenectady yesterday.

"We want our friends in the community and our employees to know that they're not going to be out of jobs," Seibert said. "Batavia Downs is not closing and that never really was the plan according to them (Lottery officials)."

The OTB told Lottery officials that they will begin immediately the process of hiring a consultant to help Batavia Downs come into compliance with Lottery regulations. The consultant will be hired in cooperation with the Lottery.

There have been no allegations of any misuse of funds, missing funds or serious wrongdoing. The Lottery issued a letter Feb. 3 raising concerns about procedural and administrative practices at the Downs and threatened to pull its video lottery terminals by March 1 if the Downs did not take steps to correct the reported deficiencies.

Siebert said he believes Lottery officials are now satisfied that the OTB board has a plan and is on the right track to address the state's concerns. The March 1 deadline has been lifted, he said.

"I'm sure as long as we show we're working diligently to do what the Lottery wants us to do, I'm sure the Lottery will be flexible (on the deadline)," Siebert said.

The consultant -- which must be approved by the Lottery -- will help the Downs comply with Lottery requirements and ensure it remains open.

The Enchanted Florist, 202 E. Main St., Batavia, NY:  Spring is almost here, but you an make your home or office feel like spring now with flowers! We have a $20 gift certificate for $9.50.

Present Tense Books and Gifts, 101 Washington Ave., Batavia, NY: Whether your taste runs to local authors, the finest in fiction or nonfiction or you're looking for a unique and special gift, this charming store in a cozy Victorian house on the edge of downtown is a great place to stop and shop. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Margarita's Mexican Restaurant, 15 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: When you're looking for an authentic Mexican meal, Margarita's is the place to go. The food and atmosphere are perfect and the service is always outstanding. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

The Color Salon, 35 Center St., Batavia, NY: Susan Francis, the owner and stylist at The Color Salon reminds women, "your hair is your greatest accessory." Francis has more than 20 years of experience helping women get the best hair color. We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Authentic Southern BBQ, from ribs to brisket with all the fixin's. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

Sallome's Italian Deli, 40 Oak St., Batavia, NY: Wraps, subs, paninis and pasta as well as pizzas -- Sallome's offers a tasty variety of Italian deli items for eat-in or take-out.  We have $10 gift certificates for $5 eac

Great Kutz, in the Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: The Batavian is able to offer a limited number of reduced price hair cuts for children under 12. Click Here for details of the offer and to purchase vouchers.

NOTE: If you've never bought Deal of the Day before, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the rules and process, click here

A person reportedly has a minor hand injury, but is trapped inside a vehicle following an accident in Corfu.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS have been dispatched to the intersection of Route 5 and Hartshorn Road.

It's time for Genesee County to update its emergency preparedness plans, and today the Public Safety Committee approved spending $89,355 of Homeland Security grants on a consultant to help get the job done.

Emergency Response and Global Security Solutions, out of Cadillac, Mich., has been selected to help Genesee County's emergency management team get local preparedness plans in order.

Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger said bringing in a consultant is necessary because of the time involved in preparing the plans, and to ensure that the written documents meet state and federal specifications.

"Completing a thorough plan that complies with state and federal regulations is very time consuming," Yaeger said.

The series of plans will cover responses from emergency personnel ranging from pandemic disease outbreaks to airplane crashes to extreme weather events.

The plans include ones on dealing with mass fatalities, special needs sheltering (for people, for example, with disabilities), animal rescue (dealing with pets when whole areas need to be evacuated and people don't want to leave their pets behind) and a comprehensive county plan.

"Once the plan is developed, that plan identifies needs, gaps to be filled and we start addressing them through training and exercises," Yaeger said.

Among the most likely scenarios emergency personnel need to be ready to deal with are ice storms or blizzards, Yaeger said.

After natural disasters, emergency personnel need to be ready to handle hazardous material spills, either because such materials are stored in the county or often get transported through the county on trains or in trucks.

Genesee County isn't a likely to be a priority area for a terrorist attack, Yaeger noted, but deadly diseases can strike anywhere, and officials and volunteers need to be be ready to deal with any such outbreak.

After entering Mike Hilchey’s town of Elba home, the first thing that caught my eye was the number of fishing rods lining the wall. Turning to hand him my jacket, I saw the glass covered display cases full of vintage spoons and spinners. And that’s just inside the entranceway.   

As Mike leads Claudia and me through a narrow hall, we see a few paintings on the wall, mostly waterfowl, including one signature Roy Mason watercolor. Entering the den was like stepping back in time five, six, seven decades and more. Here was the treasure trove of vintage fishing lures: hand-carved wooden lures with glass eyes, bronze spinners, deer hair frogs & mice for the fly-fishermen, even a tiny Redeye Wiggler made for the fly-rod. And that barely scratches the surface of his collection.  

There are boxes bearing the names of Heddon, Creek-Chub, Eppinger, Arbogast and others, all synonymous with noted fish catchers of the mid-20th century.  Others are dated even further back in time, bearing the names of South Bend, Pleuger, Chapman, and the Paw-Paw Bait Co. There is also a collection of Buell spinners from the late 1800’s.

Mike was born and raised locally. The Hilchey homestead was on Trumbull Parkway, but his dad, the late Weldon Hilchey made his living in rural Genesee County. “Dad had a welding shop in Elba and he knew all the local farmers. Any that had farm ponds we had access to,” Mike stated. As a result, Mike began wetting a line with his dad early in his formative years, decades before Take a Kid Fishing became a slogan.   

Fishing was hot in those years for the father and son, and there were days when it seemed like the bass were just waiting for the lure to hit the water. “Some days we’d catch a fish on almost every cast.” he said. There were also yearly family trips to Canada, up beyond North Bay, Ontario. “Me, mom, dad and my sister all fished. We fished for everything, pike, bass and walleye.” 

Having listened to Mike Hilchey’s accounts of fishing trips to local farm ponds with his dad, of family outings to Canadian waters, its no wonder he’s taken to collecting vintage lures. Then I asked how long he’s been at it.

“Roughly I’ve been collecting for 28 to 30 years” he said. “I got started before many people got into it. At that time I could go to flea markets and garage sales and buy a whole tackle box full of lures for as little as $20 or $25.”       

Today many of Mike Hilchey’s mint condition lures are listed anywhere from $100 to $150 apiece. Some, like the Heddon Spin Diver, command an even higher price. “You can’t get one for under $500”, he said. Still, the Spin Diver’s price tag is not the costliest among his collection. When Claudia asked if he had come across any really unusual or unique stuff, he replied, “I’ve had my share of good finds – sold some, traded others” he said. One of his most valued is the Shakespeare Rhodes Minnow, pictured below. For vintage lure collectors, a mint condition “Rhodes” is considered a rarity and will command a price in the thousands!

His passion for collecting vintage fishing lures hasn’t put a damper on Mike’s angling enthusiasm. For the most part his days of farm pond angling are a thing of the past and he now spends much of his time on the bass tournament circuit. Now retired, Mike Hilchey puts his boat in the water sometime after ice-out, fishing every chance he gets until November 30, the day bass season closes. 

 Below are a few more photos from Mike's yesteryear collection

An unusual splatter-finish

A 1942 South Bend fishing catalog

About 70 parish workers, clergy and volunteers from Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties took part in a luncheon and volunteer training workshop Saturday at Bohn’s Restaurant & Lounge in Batavia. The annual event was held in preparation for the 2010 Appeal for Catholic Charities, which carries a goal of $10.5 million.

Fund-raising events and activities for the annual campaign are already under way. One week in particular – Appeal Week which will take place March 21 through March 28 – is vital to the overall campaign as parishes across Western New York will celebrate those parishioners who have already donated, and encourage those who have not yet donated to consider what they can do. The theme for Appeal 2010 is “Whoever. Whenever. Wherever.” capturing the very essence of the organization’s mission - to serve anyone in need throughout our eight-county region, empowering individuals, children and families to achieve and maintain meaningful, healthy and productive lives.

Catholic Charities serves tens of thousands of people across the eight counties of Western New York each year. Catholic Charities helped more than 3,200 people from Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming counties alone in 2009; through such programs as emergency assistance and advocacy, Our Kids: Parent Education and Awareness Program, Domestic Violence Program for Men, the School Intervention Service program in LeRoy schools, and ProjecTruth.

Bishop Kmiec recognized that the Appeal goal of $10.5 million is an aggressive one, but he reminded attendees at today’s workshop how essential this year’s Appeal is to the Western New Yorkers in need, who depend on Catholic Charities each day.

“Our goal is 10.5 million dollars, down slightly from a year ago, reflecting the challenges we face raising funds in the current Western New York economy while also taking into consideration the ongoing, and great necessity for the programs and services we offer,” he said.

Offices in Batavia, Warsaw, Albion and Arcade provide individual, couples and family counseling, as well as assessment, evaluation, assistance or referral to Catholic Charities or other community programs as appropriate.

The agency also offers other specialized programs in the area, including Our Kids: Parenting Education and Awareness Program for separated, divorced or never married couples experiencing conflict raising their children, and a Domestic Violence Offenders Program, a court-mandated program that holds offenders accountable and works for change to end domestic violence.

Those in attendance heard from a counseling client* who shared her story about how she found herself at Catholic Charities in Batavia after fleeing a domestic violence situation at home.

“I had tried in the past to reach out for help – and when I didn’t find it, I felt trapped,” she said. “So I left home, and found myself living in a safe home that helped me meet my immediate needs. From there, I was referred to Catholic Charities. My counselor Tammy helped me to get back into my career and into a situation at home that is healthy for me and for my children. Catholic Charities is my lifeline for support.”

Also in attendance at the event were Sister Mary McCarrick, interim diocesan director of Catholic Charities; 2010 Appeal Chair Michael “Mick” Whipple; members of the Appeal leadership team; Paul Battaglia, CPA, member of Catholic Charities Board of Trustees, who served as emcee for the luncheon., as well as community volunteers, clergy and lay leaders from the 19 parishes in Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming counties.

Sister McCarrick said, “Catholic Charities is always there for whoever is in need of help …infants, children, the evicted adult and single parent, low-income families; wherever help is needed –– we are in every city in Western New York, and whenever help is needed – in a troubled marriage, with parenting skills or in a basic needs crisis.”

Appeal Chair Mick Whipple recognized and thanked the volunteers in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties who have once again pledged their time and commitment to the Appeal.

He went on to tout the efficiency of Catholic Charities and how each donation will help.

“Catholic Charities is an excellent steward of donations – fund-raising costs are very low, at about seven percent, administrative costs are just 11 percent,” said Whipple. “Share the story you heard today – the success story – with people you come across so they know that when they donate to this organization, change happens.”

Catholic Charities is the most comprehensive direct human service provider serving all eight counties of Western New York, with 70 programs and 61 locations. Founded in 1923, Catholic Charities also provides, without regard to religious affiliation, comprehensive counseling services for children and families, anti-domestic violence programming and emergency services, among other social and mental health services.

The goal for the 2010 Appeal is $10.5 million and is under the patronage of Saint Damien.

For more information on the 2010 Appeal or to make a donation, contact Catholic Charities at (716) 218-1400 or go to www.ccwny.org.

*Client wished to remain anonymous.