Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 13

315 ROCHESTER, NEW YORK DemocratandChronicle.com WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008 Local 3 Party says county plan relies too heavily on one-time revenues. spending, lacks any hint of long-term solutions to move from the historical Republican borrow-and-spend approach to a fiscally responsible pay-as-you-go approach," said Minority Leader Harry Bronson, D-Rochester. County spending in 2009 is projected to increase by 4.6 percent over 2008. Brooks maintains that non-mandated spending, which she said accounts for 20 percent of the county budget, has risen by about 3 percent, while inflation is about 5 percent. The increases cover rising prices for commodities, She said that one-time revenues are a preferred alternative to raising taxes.

Democrats suggested trimming cell phone and vehicle use, renegotiating leases that provide the county with office space and "cutting spending growth to 25 percent of the inflation rate. Trimming growth in spending by that much alone would save $21 million, Democrats said. Brooks unveiled her 2009 proposed budget to wreck families' homes JILL TERRERI STAFF WRITER Democrats in the' Monroe County Legislature on Tuesday criticized County Executive Maggie Brooks' proposed 2009 budget, saying it does not trim spending enough and relies too heavily on onetime revenues. Brooks, a Republican, said Democratic suggestions would not bridge the $33 million deficit that the county started with when it began to plan the budget. Fires Two blazes in Penfield, Gates this week ruled accidental.

VICTORIA E. FREILE and CLAUDIA VARGAS STAFF WRITERS Two suburban fires, in Gates and Penfield, that occurred within 24 hours of each other this week were ruled accidental, though the cause in both cases remains undetermined. Monroe County fire coordinator Sam DeRosa said both homes were destroyed. Gates firefighters were called to 129 Hinchey Road just before 8 a.m. Tuesday to fight a blaze that took just over an hour to control, said Gates Fire Chief Jim Harrington.

"It was a very stubborn fire," he said. The 1 2-story house sustained heavy damage on all floors and will likely need to be demolished, Harrington said. No one was home when the fire broke out, he said. A family of three lived there and had all left for work and school by 7:15 a.m. Though none of the family was injured, two family pets a dog and a cat died.

Heavy smoke was rising from the structure when firefighters arrived. Harrington said three firefighters were using a thermal imaging camera to search the second floor when fire came up through the wall. The firefighters escaped safely though a second-floor window onto the roof of the garage. "The situation deteriorated rapidly and they bailed out," Harrington said. Two other firefighters were injured.

One was NEIGHBORHOOD NOTEBOOK GREECE Applications for schools due The application deadline for the Central School District's Signature Schools is Dec. 12. Brochures outlining the program were mailed late last month to all incoming kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The packet contains information about each of the elementary Signature Schools and contains an application. Acceptance is on a space available basis.

Families will be notified in February. For details, call (585) 966-2473. BROCKPORT Brockport play going to Philly The theater department at the State University College at Brockport has been invited to perform its production of Colorblind: The Katrina Monologues at a regional theater festival in Philadelphia. Based on the performance at the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival from Jan. 13 to 17, the cast and crew could earn an invitation to present the show at the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Colorblind was performed at SUNY Brockport in September. The production is about the questions raised by inadequate relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. HILTON Four added to Hall of Fame Four alumni will be inducted into the Hilton Central School District Sports Hall of Fame during a Dec. 27 ceremony at the high school. This year's inductees are: Gary Schwonke, class of 1963; Craig Eichmann, class of 1990; Lisa Boet-trich, class of 1999; and Jordan Christiano, class of 2001.

The free ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. in the school's Commons III. The event annually recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the Hilton athletic program and in some cases, at a higher level, through their participation as athletes, coaches or administrators. Nominations are sought on a continual basis. For details, call (585) 392-1000, ext.

2135. IRONDEQUOIT Seniors move to Kings Park The senior center will be moving from its Pine-, grove Avenue site to the Kings Park office complex on Kings Highway. Town Board members have voted to lease 20,185 square feet of first-floor space in Kings Park on a year-to-year basis for up to five years. Kings Park will serve as an interim home until a permanent location can be found. The site at 154 Pinegrove Ave.

is old and in need of repairs, town officials said. The new site will provide an additional 8,000 square feet of space. The cost to lease the site will be about $220,000 in 2009; $229,000 in 2010; and $237,000 in 2011, along with utility costs, according to paperwork filed with the town. NEWS TIPS Contact the metro desk at (585) 258-2252 or (800) 767-7539 (outside Monroe County) or by e-mail at: metronews Democratand i Ft creases. They also did not commit, to offering any amendments to Brooks' budget proposal.

They said their support of layoffs as a way to cut spending would be a "last resort." Brooks' budget does not call for layoffs. To balance the budget, Brooks plans to sell tax liens and future revenue from payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements negotiated by the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency. These sales are expected to raise $32 million. "We cannot support this budget, which increases A tf1" Gates firefighters, above, work on extinguishing a fire at 129 Hinchey Road, left, on Tuesday. The house sustained heavy damage and a cat and dog were found dead inside.

TINA YEE staff photographer though the exact cause will remain undetermined because there were two items near the place of origin that could have caused the fire. Several fire departments responded to the fire call, which came in at 6:11 p.m. Monday. Two Penfield firefighters received treatment Arts Center displays 1930s paintings STUART LOW STAFF WRITER The 40 paintings at the new Livingston Arts Center once cheered up tuberculosis patients during the Great Depression. Now this art is enshrined in a New Deal Gallery that debuts Friday in the midst of a global recession.

The coincidence is not lost on Kathryn Hollinger, executive director of the Genesee Council Valley on the Arts. "We're opening in the worst possible moment, just as this art was developed at the worst possible time," she said. "But these paintings raised people's spirits, and that's what we hope to do." The county and council have spent lVi years creating the center, built from DEMOCRATAND CHR0NICLE.COM Do you think the county relies too much on onetime revenues? Click on this story to discuss. including road salt, Brooks said. Democrats do not agree that mandated spending accounts for 80 percent of the budget.

They also charge that services mandated by other levels of government can be performed with greater cost efficiencies. BUDGET, PAGE 4B Mother of dead child accuses ex-beau MICHAEL ZEIGLER STAFF WRITER The mother of a 16-month-old girl who was allegedly beaten to death was escorted from court Tuesday after screaming at her former boyfriend during his arraignment on charges that he killed the child. Carmen Cruz began shouting at Abner A. Gomez, 29, who is charged with second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in the death of Jasmine Velez. Court deputies removed Cruz from the courtroom after the outburst.

Gomez pleaded not guilty. State Supreme Court Justice Joseph D. Valentino ordered Gomez held without bail in Monroe County Jail after Assistant District Attorney Sara Van Strydonck said Gomez had no ties to the Rochester area. A City Court judge had previously set bail at $30,000 cash or $90,000 bond. Jasmine was found dead in her mother's apartment on Locust Street on the morning of Nov.

5. An investigation showed she had multiple bruises, broken ribs and internal bleeding in her head and chest, Van Strydonck said. Police said Jasmine was under the care of Gomez the night before she died. They said she was put to bed after suffering injuries and died during the night. MZEIGLERDemocratandChronicle.com If you go What: Opening of the Livingston Arts Center.

When: Open house with tours and refreshments from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Family Day with hands-on crafts activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Regular hours will be 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Where: Livingston County Campus, 4 Murray Hill Drive, Mount Morris.

Admission: Free. Call: (585) 243-6785 or go to www.gvca online.org. Brooks Bronson the legislature on Nov. 12. The $1.1 billion spending plan does not raise the tax rate, but spending on operations increases by $42 million over 2008.

The legislature's Ways and Means Committee will debate the budget at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and the legislature will vote on it Tuesday. Democrats said they are not advocating for tax in .42 A family of five and their dog were displaced from their 2488 Penfield Road home on Monday after a fire severely damaged the residence, built in 1820. Neighbors said the family had recently replaced the roof. That blaze was also accidental, DeRosa said, al- Lord.

It was always on his mind," she said. As well as being the restaurant's namesake, Gladys Burke worked alongside her husband in the kitchen. They would whip up various items on the menu, including their locally renowned sweet potato pie. "He was an outstanding cook," said Gladys Burke. "If he wasn't working for the church, he was working in the kitchen." To the Rev.

William Bradley, Bishop Burke was more than just his uncle-in-law. He was a spiritual leader and a listening ear, especially when he came back to Rochester after being in the entertainment business in California. "I was into things that I shouldn't have been into and Bishop Burke helped get me back into the church," said Bradley of Rochester. "When I was a young minister, he was a beacon of wisdom and knowledge about religion and everyday life." a ELAM0THEl5iDemocratandChronicle.com v. is- to it a .13 lata! DEM0CRATANDCHR0NICLE.COM For more photos of the fire, click on this story for injuries they received at the scene.

It was unclear whether the house had smoke detectors. Monroe County has seen an increase in structure fires this year, DeRosa said, adding that 80 percent of house fires in the suburbs are accidental. Sometimes it is difficult for fire officials to rule out all other possibilities, so some are left classified as undetermined, DeRosa said. The American Red Cross of Greater Rochester responded to both fires to provide aid. a VFREILEOemocratandChronicle.com CLVARGASDemocratandChronicle.com 1 i V.T 4 -1 treated at the scene for shortness of breath; the other crushed his finger and was taken to an urgent care center for treatment, Harrington said.

Firefighters said they believe the fire started accidentally in the basement. He said the home did have smoke detectors. co-owned Glady's Place Restaurant, 171 Dr. Samuel McCree Way, known for its pies and soul food. Haygood described Bishop Burke as an outgoing man with a smile on his face and honesty spiraling out of his mouth at all.

times. "He was willing to help someone, but he was also a man who would tell you the God's honest truth whether you wanted to accept it or not," he said. "He wasn't going to sugarcoat anything for you, but he had your best interest at heart. I kept those lessons and taught them to my children." Bishop Burke's wife, Gladys, will remember the long car rides they took together when they were traveling to different churches. Before Bishop Burke would preach, they often had lengthy conversations about God.

"We almost never took an airplane. Instead we enjoyed those long trips and he loved talking about the If 'V iv. MU Burke, former pastor of House of God, dies 11 j. Provided by Genesee Valley Council on the Arts The New Deal Gallery debuts Friday at the Livingston Arts Center. The gallery features Depression-era art.

ERNST LAM0THE JR. STAFF WRITER When Deacon David E. Haygood Sr. was 12 years old, there were days when he would rather play basketball with his friends on Sunday than attend church. During those times, he received guidance from two places his parents, who were prominent leaders in the church, as well as Bishop Sylvester J.

Burke. "He would tell me that God gave you six days and the least you could do was give him one," said Hay-good, 71, of Rochester, a deacon at House of God Church at 427 Jefferson Ave. "He had a lot of influence on me when I was a young man. Someone you could frankly look up to." Bishop Burke, 90, of 140 Frost died Saturday evening of pancreatic cancer. He was the House of God Church's pastor from 1950-2000 and also presided as state bishop in Michigan.

In addition, he four doctors' homes at the former Mount Morris Tuberculosis Hospital. It will be a showcase for 250 his-' toric paintings sponsored by the federal Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. The program helped artists subsist in tough times and provided instant uplift for the hospital's patients with mood-enhancing images. This WPA art is one of the largest collections outside of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C, said County Administrator Nick Mazza. The county plans to publicize it throughout the Rochester ART, PAGE SB Chronicle.com.

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