CMYK
A6 Thursday, February 4, 2021
Winning a community’s heart
CONTEST: Batavia woman, three-legged cat, are each other’s valentine
By KORI SCIANDRA
ksciandra@batavianews.com
Valentine’s Day has a spe-
cial meaning for each different
person. To some, it means a day
filled with romance and dining
out. To others, it means a quiet
night at home.
To Allison Crawford it means
a quiet night in, with her fa-
vorite three-legged cat, Rocky
Road Balboa.
Crawford, 42, of Batavia, is
the winner of the 2021 Valen-
tine’s Day Couples Contest
presented by The Daily News
and The Livingston County
News. The contest was open
to all couples who submitted
the photo of their choice to the
Batavia Daily News or Livings-
ton County News Facebook
pages. The winner was chosen
by whichever pictures received
the most likes on Facebook.
There were 178 photographs
submitted from across Gen-
esee, Livingston, Orleans and
Wyoming counties.
Crawford’s photo of her and
her cat, Rocky, received the
most likes, totaling 1,600 votes.
A total of 15,570 votes were cast.
Crawford, who shops for and
delivers groceries for Instacart,
found Rocky in the middle of
the road in East Bethany in
2019.
She was driving home from
work and saw that Rocky need-
ed an act of compassion and
kindness. She “did a U-turn
immediately and went back to
pick him up.”
“He was tiny. The vet and I
estimated he was probably 6
weeks old when I found him.
He was starving, dehydrat-
ed, covered with fleas which
caused him to be anemic, and
the biggest issue was that his
front right leg was completely
mangled,” said Crawford. “The
injury was old. He had been that
way for days in the very least.”
As her love for Rocky grew
quickly, Crawford sought help
from a Batavia veterinary clinic,
Perry Pet, one of four compan-
ion animal clinics affiliated
with Perry Veterinary Clinic.
“Rocky desperately needed
his leg amputated, but he also
Allison Crawford and her three-legged cat, Rocky Road Balboa,
where voted winner of the 2021 Valentine’s Day Couples Contest
presented by The Daily News and The Livingston County News.
needed to be kept at the hospi-
tal, so they could get his health
back in order. The surgery itself
was risky, but because of the
poor shape he was in there was
almost no guarantee that he
would survive,” said Crawford.
Rocky spent three weeks in
the hospital and went home
with only three legs after his
amputation.
“It took him awhile to learn
how to maneuver, but he is a
pro. When he’s walking his gait
is more of a hop but when he’s
running you can’t tell anything
is different about him,” said
Crawford.
Rocky, who earned his name
because he is a fighter who was
found in the road, has siblings
but he’s known to “run the
show” in the Crawford house-
hold.
Valentine Specials
ALL WEEK!
Sunday, February 14
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The DAILY News
Provided Photograph
Crawford submitted to
the contest for fun, but never
thought she and Rocky would
receive so much support.
“Honestly, I was shocked. I
don’t know most of the people
that voted for us (really him) so
it really touched me that people
would be so kind,” she said.
In her submission, Crawford
shared how she found Rocky
and the connection they made:
“He was in bad shape – he
needed me,” she wrote. “As we
were driving back to my house I
told him, ‘Don’t worry baby, I’ll
take care of you.’ ”
While Crawford and Rocky
will be celebrating with a quiet
night at home this Valentine’s
Day, Crawford said she’ll
“probably let him decide which
movie to watch.”
A giver’s guide to
Valentine’s Day jewelry
Metro Creative
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to
bring a little sunshine into a special some-
one’s life.
Nestled between the end of the holiday
rush and the beginning of spring renewal,
Valentine’s Day occurs at a time of year when
days are short, weather is chilly and people
might be looking for an excuse to celebrate.
Gifts that accompany romantic sentiments
expressed on Valentine’s Day can make the
holiday that much more memorable. The
National Retail Federation says that around
20 percent of Valentine’s celebrants are ex-
pected to buy jewelry as gifts. CNN reports
that Americans spent $4.7 billion on jewelry
in 2018 for Valentine’s Day.
Jewelry is a personal gift and one that
should be presented with care. These tips can
help Valentine’s Day celebrants as they give
that special someone jewelry.
n Opt for jewelry only if you’re in an es-
tablished relationship. Roma Designer Jew-
elry says jewelry can “speak” commitment
without saying a word. Those who are living
together, have been dating for some time or
married couples are good candidates for ex-
changing jewelry, which can reinforce cou-
ples’ commitment to one another.
n Mark milestones. Use jewelry to cele- Metro Creative
brate not only Valentine’s Day, but also mile- Jewelry is a personal gift and one that should
stone events. Jewelry can be given on a special be presented with care.
birthday or anniversary in commemoration
of children being born and other special mo- shoppers can get jewelry at a discount at these
ments. times. Zales recommends staying informed
n Take note of style. Scour social media of special deals through a favorite jewelry re-
posts or peek inside an existing jewelry box tailer by signing up for emails. Engraving time
to use as a visual guide for clues regarding may be longer around Valentine’s Day, so
the style of jewelry your partner prefers. This plan accordingly.
makes shopping easier and increases the n Stick with simple classics. Those who are
chances the item will be a hit.
unsure what to buy can opt for simple, classic
n Pay attention to allergies. Metal allergies
items. Stay away from anything with a lot of
are a consideration when purchasing jewelry.
Earrings tend to be the biggest culprits for al- color or beading. Small, delicate items tend to
have universal appeal.
lergic reactions because posts are inserted in-
to the earlobe. If you’re unsure if your partner Jewelry is a popular Valentine’s Day gift.
When buyers put the time in to find the right
has a metal allergy, stick to sterling silver and
14k gold. Always opt for nickel-free materials. piece, they can be confident knowing they’ve
n Plan in advance. Many jewelry stores run given that special someone an item they will
sales throughout the summer and the fall, so cherish for years.
 CMYK

B8 Thursday, February 4, 2021 The DAILY News

Different types of chocolate

to give your valentine
7 ways to celebrate a METRO CREATIVE
More than 70 million
pounds of chocolate are pur-
unregulated, so one manufac-
turer’s bittersweet may not be
as bitter as another’s.

socially distanced Valentine’s Day chased each year for Valen-

METRO CREATIVE
The last year has been chal-
lenging for social butterflies,
as the COVID-19 pandemic has
limited opportunities to social-
ize in person with close friends
and family members.
Social distancing guide-
lines affected various holidays
throughout 2020, but such
guidelines were issued after Val-
entine’s Day 2020. Valentine’s
Day may be the easiest holiday
to celebrate while still adhering
to social distancing restrictions.
After all, Valentine’s Day is typi-
cally a day to spend time alone
with the person you love.
The following are seven
socially distant Valentine’s Day
celebration ideas.
1. Order a take-out dinner for
two from a favorite local restau-
rant. It gives you the night off
from cooking and helps support
a small business.
2. Watch a romantic movie
on your preferred streaming
service.
3. Treat each other to a pair of
cozy pajamas and spend the day
under the covers catching up on
cuddles and rest.
4. Bundle up and, if weather
allows, take a hand-in-hand
stroll through a park or favorite
sightseeing spot. Just follow any
protocols for remaining safe,
such as wearing masks.
5. Those who reside in cli-
mates that are mild in February
can rent a small boat and enjoy a
few hours on the open water far
away from others.
6. Purchase the ingredients to
a recipe you both enjoy and pre-
pare the meal together. Don’t
forget to leave room for dessert.
7. Take turns giving one an-
other back massages at home.
These are just some of the
ways Valentine’s Day can be
enjoyed safely while adhering to
pandemic-related safety guide-
lines.
tine’s Day. Chocolate connois-
seurs can learn more about the
different types of chocolate to
find the one their loved one
will find most appealing.
n Milk chocolate: Milk
chocolate is produced with
low levels of cocoa and high
amounts of sugar and milk.
It contains cocoa butter and
chocolate liquor. Milk choco-
late is made up of 3.39 percent
butterfat, 10 percent chocolate
liquor and 12 percent milk sol-
ids.
n Semi-sweet chocolate:
An American creation, semi-
sweet chocolate contains at
least 35 percent cocoa solids
and is darker than sweet dark
chocolate. The amount of sug-
ar varies by brand.
n Bittersweet chocolate:
Bittersweet chocolate typically
contains at least 50 percent
chocolate liquor, but some
will have between 70 and 80
percent. The sugar content is
n Baking chocolate: Also
known as bitter chocolate, this
is pure chocolate liquor made
from ground cocoa beans. It
may look like chocolate, but
it is used in recipes where it is
combined with sugar. Do not
eat on its own.
n White chocolate: White
chocolate has cocoa butter but
no chocolate liquor or cocoa
products. Therefore, it is not
truly chocolate.
n Candy coating chocolate:
This has no cocoa butter and
uses vegetable or palm oils in
the recipe. It often is used in
dipping or enrobing because
of its excellent melting ability.
n Couverture chocolate:
In the United States, the ideal
standard for couverture choc-
olate involves a minimum of
35 percent cocoa solids and
31 percent cocoa butter. This
chocolate is tempered and
used when coating ingredients
or dipping items in chocolate.

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Metro Creative

Valentine’s Day 2021 will be very different from Valentin’s Day 2020. But fear not, Valentine’s Day may be the easiest holiday
to celebrate while still adhering to social distancing restrictions. After all, Valentine’s Day is typically a day to spend time alone
with the person you love.

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