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Multiple injuries from dog bites reported in area of State Street and Hutchins Place in the city

By Billie Owens

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An unidentified friend of the dog owner is holding onto the dog who is said to have bitten two people a short time ago.

Mercy medics are told to stage in the area of State Street and Hutchins Place for a victim or victims with multiple dog bite injuries. Law enforcement is responding.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: A German shepherd allegedly got loose and bit two people. The wounds are described as superficicial, but one person was transported to UMMC for evaluation. The dog owner was not home at the time of the incident, said Batavia Police Sgt. Chris Camp. The incident is under investigation. A friend of the dog owner, pictured, said the canine is about 2 years old.

Great Batavia Train Show set for April 10 at Clarion Hotel, Batavia

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will be holding their semi-annual GREAT BATAVIA TRAIN SHOW Sunday, April 10, at the Clarion Hotel in Batavia. Details follow:

  • Show Name:      The Great Batavia Train Show
  • Date:                  Sunday, April 10
  • Location:            Clarion Hotel, Park Road, Batavia
  • Admission:         $5 adults, $2 under 18, free for children under 13
  • Hours:                9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Features:            Vendor tables, door prizes, free parking

Additional Train Show information:

For more than 30 years the Great Batavia Train Show has been one of the premier hobby events in Western New York. All forms of model railroad and train-related merchandise will be available. Items offered include all scales of model trains, clothing, historic railroad items, books, videos and toys. Modeling demonstrations, and door prizes featuring great railroad items, will be part of the fun. Free parking.

About the organizing group:

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers has promoted the hobby of model railroading in the Western New York area for more than 40 years. This not-for-profit organization is headquartered at 50 Main St. in Oakfield. In our facility above the M&T Bank, our membership maintains three operating model train displays. An open house is offered free to the public each December, and visitors are welcome on Tuesday evenings.

Contact Information:

  • Train Show Chairman:      Mike Pyszczek
  • Phone:                  585-768-4579 (residence)
  • E-mail:                  bataviatrainshow@gsme.org
  • Web site:            www.gsme.org
  • Mailing address:      GSME, P.O. Box 75, Oakfield, NY 14125

Apparent gunshot shatters window of deputy's patrol vehicle in Byron

By Howard B. Owens

A deputy making a traffic stop was reportedly fired upon early this afternoon at the Arrow Mart in Byron.

Deputy Andrew Hale and Deputy Joseph Corona were conducting a traffic detail when Hale initiated a traffic stop, according to Sheriff Gary Maha.

After speaking with the driver, Hale was returning to his vehicle when he heard a pop and the rear window of his patrol vehicle shattered.

He radioed for backup and Corona noticed that an upper floor window of the Byron Hotel was open.  

Once backup arrived, Hale, Corona and Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble entered the building and located a man inside.

The suspect "made some admissions" and is currently in custody, Maha said.

No one was injured in the incident.

The Sheriff's Office is planning a press conference for 4 p.m.

GC Nursing Home improves overall quality rating

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Nursing Home was recently notified of changes to its “Star Rating” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 160-bed Nursing Home, located at 278 Bank St. in Batavia, has improved its overall rating from 3 stars to 4 and improved in quality measures from 4 stars to 5.

The federal Web site (known as “Nursing Home Compare”) measures many statistics and awards a star rating for every nursing home in the United States. The system is designed to make it easier for consumers to compare the quality of various Homes. Ratings range from 1 star (“Much below average”) to 5 Stars (“Much above average”). The overall rating is a composite of quality measures, staffing, and health department inspections. Ratings are updated monthly.

Genesee County Nursing Home is rated 5 stars for quality measures, 4 stars for staffing, and 2 stars for health inspections – with an overall rating of 4 stars.  The rating covers only the 160-bed skilled nursing portion of the Home.

Administrator Christine Schaller said, “I’m proud and grateful to our staff for the improvements we have made during 2015, and I look forward to even better results in 2016. Our goal is to improve our performance on New York State Department of Health inspections to achieve an overall rating of 5 stars.  

The County-owned Nursing Home and 80-bed Adult Home are scheduled to be sold to Premier Healthcare Management, LLC, this year.

'Meet and Greet' sessions to be held this week with BMS principal finalists

By Billie Owens

Press release:

After a rigorous interview process that involved constituents from all aspects of the Batavia Middle School community -- including teachers, parents and clerical, custodial and administrative staff -- the search for a new principal is down to two finalists. BMS staff, students, families and interested community members are invited to attend two “Meet and Greet” sessions to learn more about these final candidates.

  • At 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, Mrs. Linda Dickey, will be at Batavia Middle School. She is currently the Ithaca City School District associate middle school principal;
  • At 3 p.m. on Thursday March 10, Mr. Ashley John Grillo, will be here. He is currently Holley Central School District elementary assistant principal.

Both sessions will be at BMS, 96 Ross St., in the cafeteria. Refreshments will be provided.

Applications for the position of BMS principal closed on Monday, Jan. 18, and the District received 38 diverse and impressive applications. From those, 15 applicants were invited to a phone screening interview, then eight met with a constituent committee comprised of BMS parents, teachers, staff and administrators in late February. A few final candidates met with a District interview committee before these Meet and Greet sessions were scheduled with the final two candidates. A decision and Board approval is anticipated on March 15.

Le Roy's Statue of Liberty ready to come home

By Raymond Coniglio

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Le Roy’s miniature Statue of Liberty is pictured recently at McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory in Ohio, where experts refurbished the 65-year-old statue. (Photo courtesy of Lynne Belluscio.)

After three months in Ohio, Le Roy’s landmark Lady Liberty is finally ready to come home.

When is she due back?

Historical Society Director Lynne Belluscio isn’t saying. But it will be sooner rather than later — and she encourages residents to be on the lookout for the miniature Statue of Liberty, which has stood on the Oatka Creek bank since 1950. 

An official rededication won't take place until this summer, but the statue could make a surprise appearance or two before then, she said.

In any case, it's been years since Lady Liberty looked so good. Belluscio shared a photograph from McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory in Oberlin, Ohio, where the statue was shipped in November for repairs and restoration. Its thin copper plating — which was coming apart at the seams, and damaged in places — has been repaired and its color brightened.

The project was funded by a “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty” campaign that raised more than $15,000 to have the statue refurbished and its base replaced.

Alumni groups, the Le Roy Family Moose Center and numerous individuals contributed to the fund. Le Roy’s Orcon Industries donated the customized crate Belluscio used to drive the statue to Ohio this past November.

She gave a “special thank you” to everyone who donated to the project, as well as the Orcon team that built the shipping crate.

Donations to the fund are still being accepted care of the Le Roy Historical Society, P.O. Box 176, Le Roy, NY 14482.

The statue — which stands about 8 1/2 feet tall — was one of many installed across the United States to mark the 40th anniversary of Boy Scouts of America. Le Roy’s version was sponsored by local Scouts.

Belluscio is organizing a rededication celebration in conjunction with the Oatka Festival in July.

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Here is how the statue looked when it was brought to Ohio in November. (Photo courtesy of Lynne Belluscio.)

Law and Order: Batavia man accused of using somebody else's dumpster

By Howard B. Owens

Justin T. Calmes, 37, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass and illegal disposal of items. Calmes allegedly dumped items into a dumpster at North Spruce Apartments when he did not have permission to use the dumpster.

Andrei P. Sliker, 25, of Silver Road, Bethany, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Sliker was taken into custody at 9:31 p.m. Thursday by Batavia PD and transported to City Court, where the matter was resolved.

James R. Kosiorek, 23, no permanent residence, was arrested on a warrant out of City Court by Rochester PD. Kosiorek was turned over to Batavia, was arraigned in City Court, and released.

Jessie M. Cramer, 30, of South Jackson Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Cramer was located on Jackson Street during an investigation into an unrelated matter. He was released on $500 police bail.

Kimberly M. Volk, 27, of Montclair Avenue, is charged with criminal using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Volk was contacted by police in front of Dollar General after a report of a verbal argument. She was allegedly found in possession of two glass crack pipes.

Shane Eric Ashton, 46, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and moving unsafely from lane. Ashton was stopped at 2:34 a.m. Sunday on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Triton Adam Drock, 21, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with failure to register change of address within 10 days. Drock was arrested on a warrant  of Town of Batavia Court. 

Blue Devils come tantalizingly close to berth in final four

By Nick Sabato

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Batavia is no stranger to Far West Regional games. The Blue Devils have been to a few under Head Coach Buddy Brasky, including a thriller against Olean in 2013 that saw Jeff Redband's game-winner find itself on a SportsCenter Top 10 on ESPN.

Not many imagined that Batavia would be playing in a Far West Regional game this year, but the Blue Devils were indeed there, taking on a Williamsville South squad that saw its season come to an end in that very game last year.

The Billies came in riding a 13-game winning streak and were seemingly a heavy favorite to win, but Batavia withstood everything its opponent had to throw at them, holding a one-point lead late in the game.

Williamsville South, like a championship team does, rose to the challenge as Jordan Buell knocked down a three-pointer with 10.2 seconds left to give his team a two-point lead.

Batavia had one more crack, and chose to get the ball to a fifth-year varsity player, Malachi Chenault -- the only holdover from the 2013 team -- but the ball was knocked away and Brasky felt his player was fouled.

The call was not made and Williamsville South escaped with a 53-51 lead, ending Batavia's season at Buffalo State College on Saturday night (March 5).

"Did he get thrown to the ground or didn't he?" said Brasky when asked about the play after the game.

Midway through the third quarter it didn't seem like the Blue Devils would even be in position to have such a call matter late in the game.

Leading by six at halftime, Williamsville South exploded out of the gates, using an 11-3 run -- capped by a one-handed dunk by Graham Dolan -- to take a 14-point lead. It seemed like the Billies were going to cruise to Glens Falls, but Batavia was not ready to go down without a fight.

The Blue Devils went on a 13-4 run to end the third quarter down by just five points...and then T Sean Ayala took over.

The sophomore went 0 for 7 in the first half, scored seven points in the third quarter and then went on to score 13 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter.

"It was just a matter of me feeling it," Ayala said. "I just told myself to come out and lead the team as best as I can because I'm the best shooter on the team."

Ayala would help lead Batavia all the way back and eventually they took a 51-50 lead on a Chenault free throw with 1:16 to play.

The Blue Devils had a chance to increase the lead but Chenault missed the front end of a one-and-one and Williamsville South grabbed the rebound.

The Billies were looking to use a play that had previously gotten star point guard Greg Dolan into the lane successfully, but Batavia closed it off, forcing them to kick it out and eventually it fell into the hands of Buell for the game-winner.

"We ran a play that had worked twice in a row for Greg to get in the lane and they guarded it very well," Williamsville South Head Coach Gabe Michael said. "But Jordan is always in that backside corner so it's hard to get over to him if we work the ball and Myles [Hall] did a nice job passing that shot up to get Jordan wide open."

It was just Buell's second basket of the game and Batavia was ultimately unsuccessful in tying or taking the lead on its last possession, regardless of the foul or non-foul call.

Hidden in the spoils of defeat was the fact that the Blue Devils battled back from a double-digit lead in the second half to eventually take the lead and put themselves in position to win the game late.

"In my 25 years coaching, in the fourth quarter, that's the most heart I've ever seen a team show," Brasky said.

Greg Dolan had team-high 17 points, six rebounds and six assists while his older brother Graham had 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for Williamsville South (21-3).

Chenault scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds while Trevor Sherwood had eight points and 14 rebounds in their final high school games for Batavia, which finishes 17-8.

Twitter: @SabatoNick

Video of controversial play at close of the game (by Nick Sabato):

Photos by Howard Owens.

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To purchase prints, click here.

Vehicle reportedly flips over at Liberty and East Main in the City, unknown injuries

By Howard B. Owens

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A vehicle reportedly flipped over at Liberty and East Main streets in the City of Batavia, unknown injuries. City firefighters and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 2:50 a.m.: No injuries. Three people in the vehicle. A male said he was the driver and police were conducting a field sobriety test when we left the scene.

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Chamber Awards: Barry Miller had outsized impact on community

By Raymond Coniglio

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(File photo: Barry Miller serves as Genesee County coroner during a May 2014 DWI drill at Pavilion High School.)

The posthumous recognition of Barry Miller by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, is a reminder of the positive difference one individual can make in his community.

Miller, a lifelong Bergen resident and volunteer firefighter, died Sept. 23, 2015, while aboard an ambulance responding to an emergency call. He has been chosen by the Chamber as a 2015 Geneseean of the Year.

“I think what you could learn from Barry’s life, is that you can have an impact if you’re willing to put in the time,” said Don Cunningham, Bergen’s town supervisor.

“It takes a lot of dedication, and Barry was willing to give that dedication,” he said.

Miller, 50, grew up on Buffalo Street, the son of Tracy and Loretta Miller. He graduated from Byron-Bergen High School in 1983. He was the owner of Miller’s Millworks, a custom-designed furniture business he started in his basement and eventually located on Lake Avenue in Bergen. He also owned the Beaver River Lodge in the Adirondacks

Miller was passionate about emergency services. He joined the Bergen Fire Department when he was 18, and continued to volunteer for 31 years. For the past decade he had been the department’s chief of Emergency Medical Services.

He started the fire department’s Explorers Program, and was also a Genesee County coroner.

Cunningham grew up with Miller, but established a close friendship while they were both serving on the Bergen Town Board. “His mind was always going,” Cunningham said. “He always had ideas for things, and he was driven to follow through.”

“It was just constant. Fundraisers, local projects — he had his hand in everything.”

What made Miller unique, Cunningham said, was that he was drawn to respond to emergency medical situations. But community causes especially close to his heart, were those dedicated to children, and battered women.

Whatever the situation — a fire alarm or a fundraiser — it seemed like Miller was always “the first guy on the call.”

“That’s what makes his loss so profound,” he said. “There are not that many people like him, and in a small community, when you lose that individual, it leaves a big void.”

Chamber Awards: Susie Boyce -- 'fair-minded, dependable and tireless'

By Billie Owens

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Susie Boyce works indefatigably to help make her community a better place. She's got a reputation for being good at organizing, a multitasker with a ready smile and the ability to work well with behind-the-scenes colleagues who take on events, from the mundane to the sublime, fund-raising, and scores of committees.

"Susie is passionate about the organizations that she serves and gives 110 percent to everything she is involved in," said Jane Scott, of Five Star Bank, in her nomination paper. "(She) is well respected and liked throughout the community. She is fair-minded, dependable and tireless."

The Batavia resident is the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce 2015 Genessean of the Year.

(The late Barry Miller is also being honored with this award tonight.)

Scott says she has known Boyce since 2004, when they met while attending Leadership Genesee. Since then, they have worked on numerous committees and boards, and served with organizations together.

Where does Boyce get all the energy to work full time as an account executive at Lawley Genesee Insurance agency and volunteer countless hours on behalf of nonprofits?

"When you're helping people in the community," Boyce said, "you don't think about the energy or effort it takes. If you're helping others and you're passionate about what you do, you just get it done."

But she credited others for helping make her contributions possible: her employer, one that encourages community involvement; her fiance, who doesn't complain about their lack of dinners together; coworkers, who share her passion for public service; and great, smart people who serve with her in various organizations.

"It's just a part of my life," Boyce said. "I always stay busy. I volunteer because that's how I was raised. My mother volunteered. It's who I am. Luckily, I have great parents who taught me to give back."

Her volunteerism can be traced to her teenage years, when she attended Byron-Bergen High School.

These days, Boyce volunteers on behalf of Genesee County United Way for years, chairing the 2008 pledge campaign and spearheading its annual Day of Caring, which she continues to co-chair. The event brings together hundreds of volunteers to do about three dozen much-needed, long-overdue projects countywide -- from picking up trash and painting, to planting flowers and cleaning attics. In addition, Boyce serves on the United Way's Allocations Committee, helping to distribute more than $250,000 to community agencies.

The Batavia Rotary Club awarded her its highest honor for her exemplary contributions, naming her a Paul Harris Fellow. In Rotary, Boyce is the Social Director and chairs the popular annual Christmas Party, plus she serves on its Scholarship, Brewfest and Fly-in Breakfast committees.

She has served on the board of the Rochester Regional Healthcare/United Memorial Hospital since 2008 and is now serving as the hospital Foundation president. In the past, she has served on its finance and executive committees. She is chair of the Dessert Dash Committee for the annual Hospital Auction.

In Leadership Genesee, from which Boyce graduated in 2004, she was named Alumni of the Year in 2011. She has served on various Leadership Genesee committees, led day sessions, and was the former Class Radar for Leadership Wyoming's Class of 2008.

Since 2004, Boyce has volunteered on behalf of the Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic, which benefits children via the Kelly for Kids Foundation.

For Eagle Star Housing, a private not-for-profit (with facilities in Pembroke and Spencerport) providing transitional homeless housing for veterans and their families, Boyce chairs fundraising events.

She's on the board of the Batavia Development Corp. and has been since 2007; currently serving as treasurer.

Annual "Walk the Villages" -- an initiative started by former NY Sen. Mary Lou Rath -- is also something Boyce participates in. Participants visit and “walk the villages” of as many participating municipalities as possible. Walkers are encouraged to learn more about each community and visit local merchants.

As for the Chamber award, Boyce said "I actually was surprised. I am humble that somebody would be honoring me as Geneseean of the Year. We live in a great community. We are lucky to have the Batavia Development Corp., the hospital, the Day of Caring, which has the most wonderful committee. There are so many good people out there."

Rollover accident reported on Lewiston Road, Alabama

By Howard B. Owens

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported in the area of 2421 Lewiston Road, Alabama.

A person reportedly suffered a neck injury.

The victim is in the car of a passerby and is roadside awaiting the arrival of first responders.

The vehicle is on its side in a ditch.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Darien man accused of hitting woman with board, pushing her from pickup truck

By Howard B. Owens
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   Timothy Weinstein

A 43-year-old Darien man has been charge with a felony and jailed on $20,000 bail for allegedly striking a woman with a 1x1 wooden board (length unspecified) and pushing her from his pickup truck at Route 77 and Sumner Road, Darien, just before 8 a.m. this morning.

The board strike broke the woman's arm, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Emergency dispatchers received a call about a woman with a broken arm who had been pushed from a vehicle at 7:52 a.m. The initial report also said the woman's face had been cut by a knife, but the Sheriff's Office report doesn't mention that injury.

Timothy M. Weinstein is also accused of breaking two mobile phones belonging to the victim and of growing marijuana.

He was identified as the suspect soon after the incident was reported and taken into custody a short time later.

He lives not far from the incident scene on Alleghany Road.

Weinstein is charged with secomd-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, criminal mischief, 4th, criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, criminal possession of marijuana, 3rd, and unlawful growing of cannabis.

Following arraignment in Town of Darien Court, he was jailed on $20,000 bail or $40,000 bond.

The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by deputies Lonnie Nati and Andrew Hale, investigators Chad Minuto and Joseph Graff, the Local Drug Task Force, Corfu PD and the State Police.

1366 poised to power the planet and local economic growth

By Howard B. Owens

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When the 1366 Technologies plant opens in Alabama in 2017, it will be profitable on the first day of operation, Brian Eller, VP of manufacturing, revealed today during the annual meeting of the Genesee County Economic Development Center at Batavia Downs.

The solar wafer manufacturer has recently completed contracts with solar panel manufacturers that will fulfill orders for 60 percent of plant's production capacity, Eller said.

"This is part of the steady, deliberate process," Eller said. "We keep knocking them off to reduce the risk to the business, because if you sell everything before you start, then you execute, you don't have to go to market and figure out your market."

Eller was the keynote speaker for the annual meeting, which was attended by more than 350 people.

During his 20-minute presentation, Eller described the methodical approach 1366 Technologies has taken to build its business and the foundation for success. It's a classic start-up model: Begin with a prototype product and get it to market and see how it does, concentrate on a single product, then target a niche of customers, then scale your production once you're ready to reach a market with the potential to achieve substantial returns on investment.

The company was founded in 2008 in Bedford, Mass., where it set up a small, prototype plant to test its proprietary process for manufacturing silicon wafer chips for solar panels. That plant has produced and the company has sold thousands of wafers.

With the process established, 1366 began looking for a site appropriate for its business, settling on Alabama and GCEDC's STAMP project because of the promising local workforce, proximity to universities and the availability of clean, hydro energy.

"One of STAMP's strengths is the talent pool in the region," Eller said. “You know, the thing about changing the world is you need skilled people around you."

The company is planning a $700 million investment in its new facility, to be constructed on about 8 percent of the 12,500-acre WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park. STAMP is the brainchild of Steve Hyde, CEO of GCEDC. The center is assisting in the project with tax abatements worth a potential $97 million over 10 years. The state and federal government have also pledged millions for infrastructure at the project site, which GCEDC and regional economic development agencies are working to fill with other high-tech manufacturers.

When the plant is at full capacity -- producing enough wafers each year to provide three gigawatts of electricity -- it will employ 1,000 people. In the near term, 1366 will hire 150 people, though Eller said there isn't a timeline on the hiring process yet. The company is still in the process of hiring consultants, planners, architects and engineers.

Eller did promise the development process will be public and transparent and that all who compete for contracts on the project will do so on a level playing field.

Eller is full of confidence that 1366 will revolutionize solar technology.

"Our process slashes the cost of making the wafer in half and in doing so drastically reduces the cost of solar energy," Eller said. "Those reductions, well, they accelerate adoption. We believe solar will be ubiquitous. It will displace coal as the cheapest fuel source on the planet."

The current process, which the industry has used for nearly four decades, requires multiple steps, using several machines and takes days. The 1366 process involves one machine that will produce a new wafer every 20 seconds.

The technology was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Instead of cutting and grinding solar ingots into flat wafers, which takes energy and produces waste, the 1366 process melts the silicon and floats it into thin layers that harden into silicon wafers.

Eller compared it to the Pilkington float glass process developed in the 1950s and still the process used today for manufacturing flat glass.

"Manufacturing process innovations like ours have true staying power," Eller said. "They simply don’t come along every day."

The solar industry is booming the world over.

Last year, 59 gigawatts of new solar capacity was brought online. That's the result of 240 million solar panels being produced. Eller said that's a big number, so to help understand it, he said, that's more electrical capacity than needed for a year by the entire State of New York.

"We make the most expensive part of the solar panel for half the cost," Eller said. "That was a hard problem to solve, but we've done it. Now we're free to pursue an $8 billion and growing solar market without distraction."

Eller acknowledged that there has been some bad news in the solar industry in recent years, with companies going under or changing directions, but Eller said the slow and deliberate process 1366 has pursued to build the company puts it in a position to succeed.

"The industry consists of exceptional businesses, both established and new, that are efficient, innovative and motivated," Eller said. "To be young in solar is not without its challenges and we are aware of other companies in solar that struggled to compete globally, focused on the wrong technologies or just simply scaled too quickly," Eller said. "We are focused on bringing a highly innovative product to market with deliberate and steady progress."

CLARIFICATIONS:

The folks at 1366 asked us to clarify, by "Day 1," they mean when the first plant is at full production, not the day the plant doors open. There will be a three- or four-month ramp up period to bring the plant up to production levels, which includes hiring and training workers.

Also, in reference to the amount of power from last year's productions of solar panels, we misunderstood.  It's not enough electricity to power of all of New York. It's enough for all New York households.

For prior coverage of 1366 Technologies, click here.

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Above, silicon nuggets. Silicon is produced from super heating silica, commonly found in sand, but also found in clay and rock (it's the most common mineral on the planet). When 1366 started to develop its process, silicon was still not a common wafer ingredient, but now 90 percent of all solar wafers manufactured today use silicon.

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Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer (above) and Assemblyman Steve Hawley (below) both spoke briefly and praised and thanked each other for their united effort to help provide the legislative support to bring 1366 to STAMP.

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Steve Hyde.

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Ray Cianfrini, chairman of the Genesee County Legislature.

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GCEDC presented an Economic Development Award to the Batavia Development Corp., represented by Ray Chaya, the City of Batavia, Eugene Jankowski, and the Town of Batavia, Patti Michalak. Steve Hyde, back row, and GCEDC Board Chairman Paul Battaglia to the right.

Chamber Awards: Post Dairy Farms honored for excellence, advocacy

By Raymond Coniglio

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Running a family farm is enough to keep anyone busy.

That’s certainly true for Jeff Post, a fifth-generation owner of Post Dairy Farms, LLC, located at 4103 Batavia Elba Townline Road, Oakfield. Nevertheless, Post makes time for still another role  — that of ambassador.

His family’s farm welcomes hundreds of visitors each year, many of them youngsters from the surrounding area.

“We’ve been really active in getting people on the farm and seeing things,” Post said. “A whole gamut of people. And I’m always happy to host. Especially children with their parents, so they can know that their food is safe and where it’s coming from.”

A tradition of both excellence and openness are among the reasons Post Dairy Farm was chosen by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce as its 2015 Agricultural Business of the Year.

Mike Davis, a county legislator and manager at Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., in Batavia, praised the farm for its role as educator.

“The Post family has hosted numerous tours for key customers, students of all ages, as well as groups of Cooperative employees and have provided all a better understanding not only of their operations, but agriculture in general,” Davis wrote in support of the nomination.

“The farm produces an extremely high-quality product using innovative technology, while also being good stewards of the land,” he added.

Post Dairy Farm has deep roots in the community. Seward Post — “my grandfather’s grandfather,” Jeff post said — began farming on Pearl Street, Batavia, during the late 1800s. The farm moved to Townline Road about 1890 “and has just grown since,” Post said.

Ownership passed to Leo Post and then Ken Post — Jeff’s grandfather — who continues to work every day. The 900-acre farm is currently owned by Jeff Post, his father Dan and uncle John.

Two other family members, Jeff’s aunt Laurie Post and cousin Kailynn Stacy, work on the farm. They are joined by two non-family employees.

The dairy operation includes about 400 cows and 300 young stock. The family grows feed corn and alfalfa for cattle, but also wheat and string beans for human consumption, Post said.

Perhaps the farm’s biggest innovation — and an attraction for many visitors — is the robotic milking system that opened in June 2010. It milks 240 cows, three times a day, Post said, and allowed the farm to significantly grow is operations without adding to labor costs.

“You have to be reinvesting in your business, obviously, to stay in business,” Post said.

The family still operates a traditional milking parlor, where 120 cows are milked an average of twice a day.

Farming — dairy farming in particular — faces numerous challenges. Two of the biggest, Post said, are depressed milk prices and the prospect of higher labor costs forced by minimum-wage increases.

Added to that, he said, are often emotion-driven concerns about food safety, labeling and animal welfare.

“That challenges farmers to be advocating for ourselves all the time,” Post said.

He hopes that advocacy, also inspires young people to consider careers in agriculture. It’s a field that needs young talent, and embraces a wide range of interests, from herdsmanship to high technology.

Indeed, the farm has hosted a Genesee County Business Education Alliance “robotics camp” for middle school students.

“This is one thing I always talk to kids about,” Post said, “even if you don’t want to be a farmer, there are so many skills that farming and agriculture support — cattle nutrition, welding, manufacturing. There’s just so much out there.”

Post Dairy Farms has racked up a number of honors over the years, including recognition as a Dairy of Distinction. It was named 2013-14 Business Partner of the Year by the Business Education Alliance, and 2014 Conservation Farm of the Year by the Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Post said the Chamber award is appreciated.

“It’s always nice to be recognized for what you do,” he said.

Chamber Awards: the New p.w. minor steps forward one shoe at a time

By Billie Owens

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The oldest business in Genesee County was set to shut down on July 31, 2014, nearly done in by lackluster sales and a frumpish product line, despite having outsourced 100 jobs to China in an effort to keep costs down and stay afloat.

But thanks to two local guys who stepped up and came to its rescue, creating the New p.w. minor company, the 150-year-old shoemaker and orthodics producer is still standing, striving to thrive.

Fifty jobs were retained by keeping the business, located at 3 Treadeasy Ave. in the City, in operation. Then the hard part of rebuilding began.

Peter Zeliff and Andrew Young, although the latter is no longer with the firm, invested in the business, worked with local and state officials to work on bringing back those jobs from China, hired new designers and are revamping the product line. Things are turning around. This is why the New p.w. minor was named the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce's 2015 Business of the Year.

"I honored to be named Business of the Year," Zeliff said. "I don't know that we deserve it yet. But we're moving in the right direction. It's taking longer that I had planned on, but we're going to get there."

Zeliff and Young didn't need to take the risk, but they valued a mainstay business of the local economy and did not want to see it close. Zeliff is now CEO of p.w. minor and sits on the board of Oakfield-based EIF Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC, where he once was an executive. Young is a real estate broker and investor.

"Our goal is to bring manufacturing back to Batavia and expand it," Zeliff said in August of 2014. "We are excited to be a part of the resurrection of this American icon."

The company was founded in 1867 by two brothers shortly after they returned from fighting in the Civil War. But despite its historic roots and rich tradition of making high-quality leather footwear, like many small and mid-size businesses, worldwide economic trends and the withering of manufacturing in the Northeast took its toll.

Reversing the gloomy course of p.w. minor took money, business acumen, vision and commitment, according to the leaders who embraced Zeliff and Young's plans, including Gov. Cuomo, Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, Steve Hyde, president and CEO of Genesee County Economic Development Center, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development, County Legislature Chairman Ray Cianfrini, et al.

Last year, p.w. minor outlined long-term plans to upgrade and automate its production facilities, putting the total price tag at $7.5 million. Empire State Development pledged to provide up to $1.75 million in performance-based tax credits, including a $900,000 state-backed aid package to re-shore the China jobs and add jobs.

Since the acquisition in 2014, Zeliff said 30 jobs have been added, but five of those were temporarily cut today (not the 10 as rumored).

"We expect to bring those jobs back in four to 12 weeks," Zeliff said this afternoon.

He explained that later this year -- late summer, early fall -- newly purchased production equipment should be in place in Batavia-- to help do the jobs that were being done in China. So far, Zeliff said $1.3 million has been invested in new equipment to upgrade and automate facilities here; and another $500,000 will be spent this year on shoemaking equipment, including molds, from Italy, known worldwide for shoes and leather goods.

New shoe designs were rolled out, or are being developed, that offer not just the fit and comfort p.w. is renowned for, but style, too.

There's been a big learning curve, and sometimes it's been frustrating. Zeliff said it's sometimes s-l-o-w going when it comes to dealing with state bureacracy. And developing new molds and products, likewise, has taken more time to achieve than he initially anticipated.

"I was a landfill gas-to-energy person," Zeliff said. "I may have underestimated what it takes to do this, but we'll get there."

Chamber Awards: Even after 23 years, Jay Gsell's passion for his government job remains strong

By Howard B. Owens

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It might seem odd that a man who has spent his entire professional career in government would distrust government, but if you understand there are different levels of government, it makes perfect sense.

And it explains why a man like Jay Gsell would use the experiences that shaped him as a youngster growing up in the 1960s to drive his chosen career path.

From the outset, Gsell avoided jobs in state and national bureaucracies and instead focused on local government, where he thought he could have the greatest impact, do the most good for the most people.

"I still have a rampant skepticism of state government and the federal government in terms of, you know, the attitudes in many cases where I don’t sense there has been a necessary evolution in many cases," Gsell said. "I like to think that what we do here at the local level, whether it’s at the city government level, a village level, town or county level, is we’ve done a lot a more, been a lot more progressive, been a lot more creative, tried to do things that work for the greater good of the greater number, with, I guess, a  sort of altruism."

Gsell's approach to his work as county manager -- a single-minded focus, dedication, and that sense of civic purpose -- is why he is the recipient of the 2015 Wolcott “Jay” Humphrey III Community Leadership Award from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

Not that local government is always perfect. Gsell, after all, grew up in New Jersey.

"Where I grew up in New Jersey, it was always government is just bad, you know," Gsell said "Even today you look at it and it still happens in New Jersey.  You look at the last three or four mayors in the city of Atlantic City. It’s not only a city that is totally bankrupt, but three or four of them were indicted. It’s kind of like the governors of Illinois. There’s a Who’s Who list on the post office in Atlantic City and it has more public officials on it than it does regular criminals."

There are bad actors everywhere, of course, but the value of local government is it is the government that is closest to the people and where the average citizen can have the most impact.

As a child of the 1960s, Gsell is well acquainted with the Vietnam War and Watergate. Those towering events influenced his views on bigger governments tremendously.

In college, Gsell's English class was given an essay assignment, asking the students to share their take on the Vietnam War. Gsell's response, "Why don't we get the hell out?" The U.S. had no business being there in the first place and people were spitting on returning soldiers.

"To me, that's really where I started to say, 'wow, I’m having sort of an epiphany here' in terms of, you know, the attitude," Gsell said. "Shortly thereafter we started seeing what was going on in the next administration in Watergate and other things and it just kind of kept reinforcing the fact that those next levels, those upper levels of government were, one, not the place I wanted to work, and two, the trust factors, things of that nature, were not real high."

Gsell couldn't escape Jersey right away. He needed a place to start, and he landed a job in Trenton. While at Trenton, he completed his master's in public administration, finishing the course work in 18 months. Gsell ran track in high school and in college, so he was able to get his master's at American University at no cost by becoming a track coach at the campus.

Gsell doesn't run anymore, because of a heart condition discovered and dealt with in 2010, but he can be found most mornings on the city's streets out for long walks. It's how he prepares his mind and body for a full day of work.

From Trenton, he traveled to Norton Shores, Mich., and Eau Claire, Wis. 

He worked in both cities for an administrator named Steve Atkins, who became a career-long friend and mentor.

After several years of working together, Atkins told him it was time for him to strike out on his own, lead his own administration. Gsell went to Marshalltown, Iowa, and Atkins ended up in a new job just down the road in Iowa City.

Atkins retired five years ago, but he and Gsell still talk regularly.

"We never stopped communicating in terms of what we’ve done throughout our careers," Gsell said.

In Marshalltown, Gsell found himself inheriting a financial crisis brought on by corruption. Marshalltown's treasurer and the president of the Iowa Trust were involved in what turned out to be a Ponzi scheme that wiped out $107 million worth of investments for 88 local governments.

"We woke up one day in December of 1991 and everything was gone, except the stuff he (the president of the trust) had, the boats and houses and some of the other, shall we say, accoutrements of a high lifestyle that he still possessed," Gsell said. "The local governments were on the verge of bankruptcy."

Marshalltown itself was out $7 million.

"About a year and a half later after we recovered 95 percent of the money," Gsell said. "The city attorney and I worked together and we got rid of the city treasurer. He had her escorted out by a police. She was 15-year employee who thought that she was untouchable but I said, 'Elaine, you had to know better.' "

Even though the fiasco started before Gsell took over as the administrator in Marshalltown, the turmoil didn't leave him unscathed. After it was resolved in 1993, "it became fairly obvious that it was time for me to seek other employment."

So he applied for the open county manager's spot in Genesee County, replacing Charlie Myers, who had been on the job for 11 years -- a long time for anybody to hold a top slot in local government.  

The county started with 90 candidates and when it was reduced to 10; the final 10 were brought to the town of a series of interviews with three or four panels of local community members.

Obviously, Gsell won the job. He's been at it for 23 years and though he knows retirement can't be too far away, he has no immediate plans to stop.

He's still energized by the challenge of making local government work, even in a climate of state and federal mandates, financial restrictions and ever tighter budgets.

Among the accomplishments Gsell thinks he can point to are assisting with the consolidation of emergency dispatch and helping the city get out of the ambulance business, and now he's charged up about potentially helping the YMCA expand its programs and possibly move into a new building.

Genesee County has provided the kind of stability he expected when he took the job.

"To me, this is pretty nonpartisan at the county government level," Gsell said. "I recognized that yes, Sheriff is Republican, Country Clerk is Republican, the DA is probably a Republican, and certainly the majority of legislators. But when it comes to my job, because my code of ethics says you have to be apolitical or basically you don’t belong in this profession, that’s worked out very well here and I think this country, in general, has conducted itself in that way.

"We have a service to provide. We have to do the best for the people that we serve and also we have to keep thinking about the idea that it’s not because that you have a political persuasion or that you have a certain status in the community."

Gsell leads a healthy and sober life. He sees that sort of straight-and-narrow discipline as part of his chosen career as much as understanding the numbers behind pension plans and the complicated formula for figuring out the tax cap. He hasn't consumed an adult beverage since the day he watched O.J. Simpson in his white Bronco on an L.A. freeway in 1994. 

"You will never see me in a police blotter or blowing anything but a .000000," Gsell said. 

He's also never even touched, even in college, any recreational drugs.

"I lead a pretty pedestrian life in that regard," he said. "To me, it's part not putting myself in those situations where it's like 'oh wow, look at that. That person thinks that they could get away with stuff because of his possession and his title.' I don't run that way. Basically, you live like you wanted to be treated. That means you are pretty much clean as the driven snow. I am not perfect certainly, but I also don't put myself in situations that I think reflects on what I think should be the image of this organization and what I would like to think is my personal persona in the community."

Gsell has served on the Board of Directors for United Way in every community he's worked. He's also active in Rotary, as well as other community organizations over the years. Community involvement, he said, has always been a way for him to expand his horizons and meet new people.

"I guess I call it my passion to be involved in those kinds of initiatives and those kinds of efforts, that say, 'This isn't just my day job, but it is also how I try to improve the community,' " Gsell said.

Oakfield fire takes delivery of bright red engine

By Howard B. Owens

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Oakfield Fire Department has a new pumper. Well, not new, exactly. It's what's called a demo model, so it's like new, but allows the department to upgrade at a lower price.

The department spent $356,000 on the new engine, which is red, continuing the department's evolution away from lime green apparatus.  

The pumper is "an attack truck." It will be dispatched first to the scene of a fire for equipment and manpower. It's a side pumper and cab-over, which increases cargo space as well as personnel space.

The department took delivery of the new engine last night and expects to have it in service in about a week.

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Fire Chief Pete Scheiber hands over a check for the new engine to Rick Chick, sales rep for Churchville Fire Equipment. Also pictured, Fire District President Jeff McIntire.

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