When county legislators went looking for ways to cut expenses in 2012, they asked several department heads to target certain percentages of cost reductions.

Gary Horton, public defender, needed to trim 10 percent from his budget.

That meant ending one of the services his office provides, he said. He couldn't cut criminal defense, and he couldn't reduce family court expenditures.

That left, he told the Public Service Committee today, his office's appeals division.

The division was staffed by a single attorney, and that attorney is now in private practice, receiving assignments from Randy Zickl, the attorney who handles the county's assigned attorney program.

Zickl told the committee that while the assigned counsel program is slightly under budget, it won't end the year that way because the office will be picking up so much of the appeals work for indigent defendants.

It wasn't an expense anticipated in the county's budget for the assigned counsel office.

"It hasn't been too bad, but it's building up," Zickl said.

Committee Chairman Ray Cianfrini guesstimated the eventual cost overrun could be $100,000. Zickl didn't argue the estimate and Horton told Cianfrini if the original appeals attorney was still on his staff, the cost would be significantly less.

An appeal can cost the county from $2,400 (sometimes, but rarely, less) up to the thousands of dollars, Zickl said.

And since defendants have a constitutional right to adequate defense, the county has no choice but to foot the bill one way or the other.

"There's much more work to do on the defense side of an appeal," Horton said.

The defense attorney must read every page of every transcript from every appearance a defendant makes in court, identify points to appeal, formulate an argument, find the proper citations and write a 50-page or longer brief.

The prosecution, he said, need only respond to the points raised by the defense and such responses tend to be about only five pages long, Horton said.

That's why, he said, appeals can get so expensive.

Years ago, he said, his office didn't handle appeals. They were always handled by assigned counsel, and that's another reason he said that if cuts to his office were mandated, cutting appeals made the most sense.

Horton also explained that Genesee County is joining with several other counties in the region to apply for a grant that would create a regionwide appeals office that would assist defendents with appeals throughout the region.

If the program doesn't come together, Horton still hopes Genesee County will get the grant -- it was the first county to apply for the funds from the state. The money can be applied to funding a local appeals division.

Genesee County officials took dead aim at Medicaid on Monday afternoon -- not at the idea that the neediest among us receive free medical care, but that the state and federally mandated program is forced on local governments with no cost controls.

About 40 percent of the tax bill of each property owner in Genesee County -- a total of $9.8 million -- goes to help fund Medicaid.

Each week, the county wires $185,572 to the state to pay for Medicaid.

"As a county, we have waited to present our case -- that change needs to happen and fast before the ship sinks," said Legislator Annie Lawrence (pictured). "I ask you now Albany electeds, don't come home without real mandate relief for all counties in the state."

Lawrence was among several county officials who spoke at a "May Day" rally for mandate relief for local governments.

County officials also took aim at health care premiums that can't be reduced by law, and the spiraling cost of employee pensions.

All told, the nearly $2.2 million in anticipated new costs from these mandated expenses exceed the ceiling of the property tax cap by more than $1 million.

Officials are calling on Albany to enact meaningful mandate relief so that local taxes can go to local programs, such as law enforcement and highways.

The rally is being duplicated this week in counties across the state.

A two-car accident with one injury is reported at Indian Falls and Cleveland roads. East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:57 p.m.: The accident is not blocking traffic and the vehicles involved are off the roadway. Law enforcement is en route.

UPDATE 6:23 p.m.: A pair of tow trucks are on scene. One of the vehicles is a commercial vehicle.

UPDATE 6:27 p.m.: A 24-year-old male, with no complaints of pain, is being transported to UMMC. He is backboarded and collared as a precaution.

UPDATE 6:47 p.m.: A 49-year-old male is also being taken to UMMC and is said to have some bruising and seat belt rash.

Batavia City School officials have released an FAQ related to the proposed school budget that is posted on the district's Web site (PDF).

The FAQ covers such topics as administrative salaries, positions eliminated by school consolidation and moving to a centralized business office at BOCES.

The vote on the school budget, along with the trustee election, is tomorrow. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday is Race Day at Stan's Harley-Davidson, when visitors can stop by the store and meet racers, check out their bikes and learn more about dirt track racing. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jeff Eddy's (pictured above) Team 126 will be at the store signing autographs.  Area 51 will provide free passes for races at its track for people who attend. At 11 a.m. there will be a children's Big Wheel drag race. Stan's Harley-Davidson is located at 4425 W. Saile Drive, Batavia.

Sheriff's investigators are looking for information on a spate of weekend vandalism in Darien that left several mailboxes damaged, a railroad crossing broken and a burned-out motor home in its wake.

Officials aren't sure if all of the incidents are related, but they suspect some of it is, and some of it may be tied to prior vandalism in the same area, said Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble.

Some time between 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:45 a.m. Sunday, a person riding in a car or truck and wielding an aluminum baseball bat struck six mailboxes on on Countyline Road and possibly another four on Fargo Road.

According to Dibble, Erie County law enforcement also reports eight mailboxes struck in the same time frame.

"This (mailbox vandalism) has been a problem as long as I've been in law enforcement," Dibble said. "Lately it's kind of plagued the area there."

Within the past few weeks, similar vandalism has occurred on Mammot Road and Seven Day Road, Dibble said.

Also, during the same time frame somebody smashed warning lights at the railroad crossing at Fargo Road and broke the crossing gates.

"This sort of crime is hard to solve," Dibble said. "It's the sort of thing where you're here today and gone in minutes."

There was also a mysterious motor home fire with no obvious cause on Countyline Road near Route 33, Dibble said.

While it occurred during the same time as the other vandalism, he said a fire doesn't really fit the pattern of quick-hit vandalism.

Dibble said that while this sort of vandalism is common in rural areas, it's frustrating for home owners who must then go to the trouble and expense of repairing or replacing mailboxes.

He said somebody in Darien must know who is responsible for the vandalism and he would encourage anybody with information to call the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000.

City firefighters are responding to the area of 121 Bank St. for an open burn complaint.

UPDATE 11:48 a.m.: City fire is returning to service. Upon inspection, the complaint was determined to be unfounded.

A motor-vehicle accident was reported at 9:45 a.m. in the area of Richley and Simonds roads in Darien. A pickup truck will need to be wenched out. The scene is at a curve at the bottom of a hill. Darien Fire Department and Mercy medics are there. Authorities are handling traffic control.

UPDATE 10:13 a.m.: One lane of traffic is being reopened. A couple of Darien units are leaving, back in service.

UPDATE 10:28 a.m.: A male in his 50s is being taken to UMMC for evaluation and to have his blood drawn because he allegedly had positive results on a breathalyzer test for alcohol at the scene. The accident is described as minor -- vehicle vs. road sign and fence post.

UPDATE 10:39 a.m.: The truck has been towed away. Both lanes of traffic are open. All Darien unites are back in service.

Paul Edward Reynolds, 57, of Rose Road, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, following too close, leaving scene of property damage accident and operating without proof of insurance. Reynolds is accused of following another vehicle too closely and then rear-ending that vehicle at the intersection of Rose Road and Wortendyke Road at 4:20 p.m., Saturday. Reynolds allegedly failed to produce an appropriate exchange of information and then left the scene. Sheriff's deputies allegedly located him and his Toyota pickup a short time later at his residence.

Jordan-Albert Grayson Finnin, 16, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with attempted assault, 2nd. Finnin is accused of trying to stab a DSS youth worker during a home visit. Finnin was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Joshua Lanair Webster, 25, of York Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Webster is accused of illegally possessing hydrocodone on April 16 while being arrested on a burglary charge. Webster was arrested on the new charge Friday while already being detained in the Genesee County Jail on prior charges.

Michael J. Elmore, 21, of 148 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Elmore is accused of damaging another person's vehicle.

Christopher James Gorman, 20, of Darien, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol under 21. Gorman was allegedly found in possession of alcohol after being involved in an off-road motor-vehicle accident at 8:10 p.m., April 30.

Dakota Dean Roberts, 20, of Darien, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol under 21. Roberts was allegedly found in possession of alcohol after being involved in an off-road motor-vehicle accident at 8:10 p.m., April 30.

Keith E. Robinson-Blue, 19, of Rugby Road, Rochester and Shawn D. R. Phillips Jr., 20, of Bartlett Street, Rochester, are charged with trespass. No details were released.

Charlene Anastasia, 40, with no permanent address, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd. Anastasia was allegedly located inside a locked storage facility and was there without permission of the owner. Anastasia was jailed on $500 bail.

Veronica Paula Barajas, 17, of Albion, is charged with petit larceny. Barajas is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Victoria Marie Fleck, 18, of Albion, is charged with petit larceny. Fleck is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Reminder: To be eligible for the drawing, you must both "Like" the page on Facebook and complete the registration form. Only registered entrants are eligible in the drawing.

To enter the contest, click on the graphic, or click here.

From The Batavian on Friday: While Ranzenhofer claims neutrality in congressional race, petitions for Collins seem to tell a different story

A car has hit a deer on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 387.7 in the eastbound lane.

A person is reportedly injured.

The location would put it in the area adjacent the college.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS responding.

This post has been updated with the write-up for the Griffen home.

Press release:

The Landmark Society of Genesee County will hold its annual Preservation Awards Dinner on May 19 at the St. James Episcopal Church ((405 E. Main St., Batavia). The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the awards presentation will follow (at approximately 7 p.m.).

Six buildings in Genesee County will be recognized this year. Each year the awards committee tries to choose a group of structures that is varied in styles of architecture, geographic location, building materials, and type of building such as residences, churches, commercial, and public facilities.

“Historic preservation does not mean that everything must stay the same.  Rather, it focuses on the character and quality of construction,” explained Landmark Society President Laurie Oltramarie.

“Preservation comes in many forms --renovation, restoration, adaptive re-use, rehabilitation, and even reproduction. In a neighborhood, the ultimate goal of preservation is to maintain the character of a place and activity within it. And we think this year’s honorees accomplish that beautifully.”

The Landmark Society of Genesee County is a nonprofit, volunteer operated organization. Since 1965, The Landmark Society has encouraged local communities and individuals to work together to preserve our architectural heritage. Preservation, protection, and improvement of the landmarks located throughout Genesee County are the objectives of this organization.

Above, the home of Dave Howe on Alexander Road, Alexander. Here's more info on the house:

David Howe purchased this circa 1888 Shingle Style home in 1986. This handsome home features multiple gables and the original porte cochere.  Mr. Howe recently had the cedar shingles and clapboards restored and repainted. The interior features leaded and stained glass windows, inlaid hardwood floors, three original fireplaces with elaborate oak trim and ceramic tiles, original sliding window shutters, and natural oak trim.  Leaded glass windows in the dining room are bowed to produce a rainbow effect throughout the room. The matching shingled carriage house still stands and was recently re-roofed.

Here's a slide show of pictures of each the winners. If you have trouble viewing the slide show, click here. After the jump (click on the headline), pictures and write-ups of each of the other winners.

Roy and Frances Griffen

11137 Buckman Road

Pavilion, NY 14525

The proud owners of 11137 Buckman Road are Roy and Frances Griffen. This home, recognized by the Landmark Society for their tender, loving care, has been in Mr. Griffen’s family for almost 100 years. Mr and Mrs. Griffen have owned the home since 1980 and began living in it around 1984.

The current home is not the first one on this property. Prior to the construction of the existing home in 1916, there was another home on the property that burned. Mr. Griffen’s grandfather, Wakefield Burks and his wife Magdalena, built the home that stands today. Originally from England, Wakefield Burks was a farmer. All the lumber to build the home came by train to Linden and was brought by horse to the property, according to Mr. Griffen. One year after the home was built, one of the barns was built in 1917. Mr. Griffen still possesses the original plans for the house. It should be noted that the year 1874, that is located near the top of the front of the house is not the year that the home was built, rather it is the year that Mr. Griffen’s grandfather came here from England.

Upon the death of Mr. Griffen’s grandfather, the side door located in the front of the home was never used again after Mr. Burks’s casket was brought through it. Mrs. Burks and her son, Glover, along with a helper, Richard, continued to live in the home and kept the farm going. Mr. Griffen recalls sheep being on the farm and remembers his Uncle Glover delivering cream, milk and eggs to Batavia. Mr. Griffen spent a lot of time during the summer while young on the farm.

Mr. Griffen’s uncle never married and thus left the home and land to Mr. Griffen. At the time, Mr. and Mrs Griffen lived in Warsaw and decided to move to Buckman Road so that Mr. Griffen would be closer to where he worked in Batavia. Since the Griffens have owned the property, they added the garage onto the home. A previous garage was a distance from the home, making it difficult to bring in groceries and other items. The Griffens also have had the home painted every 10 years. Prior to their ownership, the home was painted all white. Their painter suggested a colored trim and the Griffens agreed, allowing the painter to add a light blue to the house.

Mr. Griffen recalls many events in this home, but feels that the best memory he has is that his whole family has lived in the house that he and his wife call home. Today, it is rare that one family resides in a town for 100 years, yet alone a home, making the Griffen’s story even more special. Mr. Griffen has no plans to even sell the home and foresees it staying in the family, for others to provide the same tender, loving care that he and his wife have given during their ownership.

Kistner Concrete Products, Inc.
10 Ellicott St.
Batavia, NY 14020
Renovation

By Larry D. Barnes

The story of the former St. James Rectory building really begins in 1812 when missionary bishops of the Episcopal Church started to visit the Batavia area.  Occasional services were held in the part of Ellicott Hall known as Hickock’s Inn.  Kneeling cushions for these services were stored at the home of Robert Smith and had to be carried to the Inn for each service.

In June of 1815, those who had been attending the Episcopalian services gathered for a business session to choose a committee to arrange for incorporation. The Holland Land Company gave the incorporated congregation a lot on Ellicott Street (then called Big Tree Street) and ground was broken in April of 1816 for a church building.

Building the church turned out to be a slow process with financing of the project a major obstacle. It took six years to complete the construction. Finally, in 1822, the congregation had a habitable brick building on a gray stone foundation standing about where the recent Ponderosa Restaurant used to be and where the Mexican restaurant Rancho Viejo currently stands.

Apparently the structural quality of this brick building left something to be desired and, in 1836, the Episcopalians tore it down. On the same foundation as the first church, they then erected a stone building that stood until 1975. (Incidentally, that building had problems, too, and the roof structure had to be torn off and rebuilt not too many years after the building’s erection. Observing the work now taking place on the tower of the current East Main church where stones have been falling from the building, it would seem that the Batavia Episcopalians have been unusually cursed with structural problems in their houses of worship.)

When the first church building was taken down in 1836, the bricks were saved for re-use. That “re-use” was the construction of a rectory next door at 10 Ellicott St.  This handsome building served as a rectory until 1909 when the congregation moved into its current church building at 405 E. Main St. The rectory building then entered into a series of new uses.

Starting in 1909, 10 Ellicott St. was owned by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 550. However, by 1912, the lodge had grown to 275 members, too many to meet comfortably in the former rectory. So, the Elks sold the building and moved to 213 E. Main St. where the organization remained for the rest of its existence. (Recall that the Main Street Elks building was torn down this past year.)

In the 1920s, the former rectory building became the property of the E. N. Rowell Co. The Rowell Company manufactured cosmetic boxes. One of its two main buildings was located where the new Genesee County Courthouse is situated.  The Rowell Co. used 10 Ellicott St. to print box labels and to store paper and cardboard. By the 1970s, it was in pretty sad shape. Many expected that it would be demolished, along with the other Rowell buildings, during Batavia’s urban renewal deconstruction phase.

In 1979, the Landmark Society of Genesee County purchased the old rectory building to save it from demolition. The Society restored the exterior and rebuilt the interior. (At one point, Catherine Roth and her husband, Dr. Laurence Roth, gave a $25,000 loan to fund the work.) Following restoration and renovation of the building, the Landmark Society sold the building in 1981 to Stephen B. Hughes, a local attorney. For a number of years, the structure was then used for law offices.

In 2007, 10 Ellicott St. was purchased by Kistner Concrete Products, Inc., a family owned business. William M. Kistner is the current head of the operation.  During the last five years, Tom Hume, construction and maintenance supervisor for the company, has been engaging in further restoration work on the building.  Mr. Hume has commonly been assisted by up to two employees working full-time on the project.

Time has not been kind to the old rectory. By the time Kistner Concrete purchased the building, it again needed major work. Most notably, a wall at the rear of the building was leaning severely and in danger of collapse. Stabilizing and repairing this wall was a major undertaking complicated in part by a need to replace about half of the brick work. The challenge of locating brick from the proper era was solved by salvaging brick from the former Masonic Lodge that was being torn down in Le Roy.

Brick work in other areas of the exterior wall required replacement of between 750 and 1,000 bricks. This was in addition to repointing the brick work, a significant undertaking in its own right.

Four second-floor windows have been replaced with custom-made units designed to replicate the original windows. The part of these windows exposed to the elements is made of painted aluminum. The interior parts are made of wood.  Four cellar windows have also been replaced. Ultimately, all the windows in the building will be replaced. It should be noted that this work has been undertaken in cooperation and under the supervision of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. In fact, the Commission has recognized the work on the property with a plaque mounted on the exterior.

Additional exterior work has involved efforts to protect the foundation from water infiltration. A trench was dug down 6 feet around most of the building’s perimeter, the foundation surface was cleaned, re-mortared and parged, a tar coat was applied below grade, and a drainage system was constructed.

Extensive work has also occurred in the basement which had a dirt floor. In order to provide more ceiling clearance, 250 cubic yards of dirt were carried out in 5-gallon pails. Then a concrete floor was poured. An interesting feature of the basement is a fireplace located in the rear. A replacement mantle and hearth have been cast from concrete in a manner designed to create the appearance of stone. (Incidentally, when excavation occurred near the fireplace, large numbers of chicken bones were discovered, indicating that food preparation must have taken place there in the basement.) The walls of the basement were also cleaned and re-mortared. The space is now being used, among other things, for storage of records.

Work on the basement led to the discovery that the building is sitting over a bed of water-soaked sand. It’s one more support for the claim that Batavia is built on a swamp.

Other interior work on the first and second floors has involved removal of partitions to open up work areas. Trim has been installed which is historically appropriate, when the original couldn’t be retained. One particularly nice touch is the installation of floor registers made of cast iron and made in a style typical of the early 1900s.

Floors have been sanded, repaired as necessary, and stained. In some areas, the ink stains from the period when the Rowell Co. used the building have been deliberately left in view, a feature which evokes a part of the structure’s history.

Restoration and renovation of the building is an ongoing process with much left to be done. An example of such future work will be the resetting of the front steps which have settled considerably over the years. In another area, where blackened walls signal a past fire of some magnitude, the ceiling will be raised along with the roof above. How much longer will it take to finish this extensive undertaking? When pressed on the matter, Mr. Hume indicates that he hopes to be finished by his targeted date of retirement seven years from now.

Coffee Culture
6 Court St.

Batavia, NY 14020

Adaptive Re-use

By Laurie Oltramari

Preservation comes in many forms -- pure preservation, renovation, restoration, adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and even reproduction. In our urban setting of Downtown Batavia, the ultimate goal of preservation is to maintain the character of a place and activity within it.

This corner of Court and Ellicott streets has had a lot of activity over the years including a hotel that predates the Park Hotel, which was built around 1880. In 1919, the hotel became the Lafayette Hotel. And in later years, the hotel was reported to serve as an overflow annex for the Hotel Richmond. In later years the building was sold to the Continental Motor Corporation. By mid-century it housed Trailways offices and terminal. The building was ultimately razed in 1965.

Its replacement was a one-story corner building within the downtown. Express Opticians occupied the space until 2009 when Coffee Culture offered to buy the building to house its Canadian-based coffee business. Although the building was not actually for sale, the price was right and thus, a form of rehabilitation took place.

A corner site is a prime location in terms of urban design and promotes the business mantra, "location, location, location." Its high visibility is good for business, but maintaining the corner anchors the downtown and its success can affect the overall block. Rehabilitation plays a huge role in the preservation of a downtown because it can make spaces functional once again.

Historic preservation does not mean that everything must stay the same. Rather, it focuses on the character and quality of construction. Coffee Culture has successfully taken the building and turned it into an inviting space. It has captured the essence of a cozy coffee shop with warm color tones, lighting, wood grains, and a reproduction tin ceiling. Its seating, both indoor and outside, are welcoming. Currently, Coffee Culture rents the space next door for meetings.

Brenda Richardson is the current manager of Coffee Culture and has brought tremendous energy to the downtown. Although Coffee Culture is located at the corner of Court and Ellicott streets, you will see Coffee Culture participate in all the downtown events -- the Downtown Batavia Public Market, Cinema in the Square, the Wine Walk, and the Taste of the Holidays, to name just a few. Community begins with communication and commitment, and Coffee Culture is most welcome in our community of Batavia.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County would like to present Coffee Culture with a Preservation Award for its role in the adaptive re-use of 6 Court St. in Batavia.

Matt and Laura Luft
4747 Oak Orchard Road

Elba, NY 14058
Restoration

By Loren Pflaumer

Nestled on just under two acres and surrounded on three sides by farmland, sits this quaint circa 1880 national style farmhouse. Matt and Laura Luft have spent the last five years painstakingly restoring and repairing their home. The house, which in the 1930s was known to travellers on Route 98 as the Happy Acres Tea House, was purchased at auction in 1996 by Torrey Farms. The Lufts attended the auction and were lucky enough to move into the home as renters. After living at the house for a few years, the Lufts purchased the property in 2005 and have been busy restoring it ever since.

The inside of the house is almost completely restored. The original wood floors have been sanded and refinished and saved wherever possible. Many of the rooms were suffocating under layers of wallpaper (12 layers were removed in one room!). The paper was removed, the walls painted, and all the trim and door hardware were cleaned up and re-used. An original light fixture was re-wired and salvaged. The brick fireplace was cleaned, touched up and a mantle was added. The stairs were stripped and refinished. The kitchen boasts built in cabinetry which Matt stripped and repainted and a swinging door leftover from the Happy Acre Tea House days. When a new exterior door was needed, the original was saved and repurposed. Matt and Laura have gone to great lengths to keep the house as true to its original style and layout as possible.

The work that the owners have done on the exterior is what gets this house noticed. Lifetime Elba resident Don Gavenda moved into this house as a child and lived here for many years. As far back as he can remember, the house was always painted white with green shutters. Matt and Laura were certain they were going to be the first to add more color to the place. Yellow and green were both considered, but when the new Bank of Castile building on West Main Street was built, the combination of brown and beige caught their eye. Having inquired at Sherwin Williams as to this color combination, they were told that the paint on the bank building could be matched exactly, as it had been mixed and bought at their store. So with the final color scheme in hand, Matt painted the entire place with no more than a coffee can and a paint brush. The contrasting colors really show off one of the homes best features, the arched porch supports.

The circa 1910 barn was also given a face lift. Originally built to house farm animals, the barn was later converted into a cold storage for onions. Former owner Maureen Marshall remembers buying fresh muck-grown produce from the owners when she was a child. Produce that she remembers as being the best and freshest around. The barn has had the faux brick siding removed, and the original underlying wood repainted. A new metal roof was added and a large entry door was moved from the side to the front. The smaller entry door is the door that was salvaged when the kitchen was redone. The finishing touch to their outdoor renovations was the addition of the split rail fence, which is always blooming and seasonally decorated.

It is such an honor to give the Lufts our Restoration Award this year. They have so much passion and love for their home that you sense it when they talk about it. They are not yet finished with all they plan to do and we look forward to watching the continuing transformation.

Tim and Lisette Stoddard
20 Ellicott Ave.
Batavia, NY 14020
Renovation

By Lucine Kauffman

The first thing you notice about this painted lady is the large circular front porch.  Upon closer inspection, you find an architectural surprise in every nook and cranny of this circa 1890 Queen Anne style home. Many of the ornamentation designs are drawn from the Colonial and New-Classical styles. In particular the oval window and wooden molding in the porch gable of an urn form reflect turn of the century design. There is also a small ornate “sleeping” porch on the second floor; and a recessed window with a balustrade in the top-most pediment suggesting another porch.

Each gable has its own unique decorative trim with variations of sunburst and foliated motifs.

Shingles, clapboards, and wooden panels cover the exterior.

Maria Kibbe purchased the residence in 1928 and it stayed in the Kibbe family until 1968. Real Estate Broker Harry Smith Kibbe, son of Chauncey Kibbe, lived here.

When the Stoddards bought this elegant home in 2006, they bought a “diamond in the rough.” The house had been divided into three apartments and the front porch was dangerously rotted. When they embarked on their long journey, they lived in one of the small upstairs apartments…with their four young children.  Their first priority was to create a functional kitchen and bathroom to accommodate their family. The house had other plans, though. The front porch collapsed, thus diverting their interior plans to the exterior. They put down a new mahogany floor, replicated the balustrade, and painstakingly bent wood boards to conform to the porch’s curve. Only the original top spindles were savable.

Back inside, the Stoddards set out to uncover the original floor plan. Doorways had been moved, walls built up and others torn out, and windows had been boarded over. The clue that guided them throughout the process were the intact narrow strips of mahogany wood that framed each room’s floor perimeter. 

Where able, they restored the existing original gumwood trim around the windows and doors. The living room fireplace mantle had several coats of white paint.  Lisa used knitting needles and a lot of patience to strip the paint from the crevices of the intricate design, and refinish the wood. They are currently in the process of restoring the main stairway. 

Where the Stoddards had to rebuild doorways, they recreated the trim style using poplar stained to replicate mahogany.  These doors were purchased in Pennsylvania years ago in anticipation that some day they would find a good home. 

The original stained glass foyer window provided inspiration for the kitchen window they had custom built. They also had a new stained glass window built for the dining room to replace the board that had been covering the opening.  Another original stained glass window brightens the living room. A curved glass bay window also graces the living room. Notice the narrow wooden strips border curved in concert with the windows.

Lisa diligently researched period appropriate interior decoration such as hardware, wall treatments, window treatments, furnishings, and light fixtures.  She scoured Ebay and estate sales to find items from the period. Of special note are the plaster medallions Lisa handcrafted to frame each ceiling light fixture.  Some have been given a “mod podge” treatment.

Building the kitchen was the first interior project the Stoddards took on. With Lisa’s skillful direction, Tim’s carpenters were able to create a room that blends with the rest of the house while incorporating all modern conveniences. The glass cupboard doors surrounding the range were custom built to match the kitchen window. Lisa sewed a curtain out of antique flour bags for her broom closet.  Again, period appropriate hardware accents were employed. On the kitchen walls wainscoting was installed topped with a plate rail.

The downstairs bathroom was also meticulously appointed with antique and reproduction fixtures. The hardwood floor had to be replaced because a bathroom pipe burst and ruined the original floor. 

The Stoddards believe that Tim’s office is the same room that Harry Kibbe used for his office. They stripped and refinished the original cupboards. Lisa antiqued the walls using a rag rolling painting technique. She then painted narrow frames on the wall to simulate panels. 

The Stoddards picked a five-color scheme for the exterior.

The carriage barn remains intact.

The Landmark Society is pleased to present Tim and Lisa Stoddard a Preservation Award for the excellent work they have done on their home, a stunning example of Queen Anne Style architecture inside and out.

Volunteers were in Pembroke yesterday installing new playground equipment partially funded by a Pepsi Challenge grant. The total cost is about $60,000 and the grant was for $50,000.

The playground is nearly finished -- some concrete needs to cure and then the final touches can be completed.

Photos by Brian Schollard.

Seven ducklings lost their mommy on Mother's Day morning. Batavia resident Sarah Grice watched them helplessly as they all walked over a storm drain grate near the Bank of Castile building downtown and fell in. She called city fire and firefighters responded to rescue them.

Firefighters had to remove the grates from four drains on the north side of Main Street and round them up.

The firefighters then search a wide area of downtown looking for mom, but without luck.

Officials at Godfrey's Pond have agreed to take in the ducklings and care for them in one of their pens until they're ready to fly free.

Photos below submitted by Grice.

The Batavia City School District Board of Education will have its budget vote and member election on Tuesday, May 15. The candidates for election/reelection have shared their views in a series of interviews with The Batavian. Click the names of the candidates below to read the interviews.

There are five candidates running, including three incumbents -- Phil Ricci, Gary Stich and Gail Stevens -- and two newcomers -- Gretchen DiFante and Dennis Warner.

Warner declined our request for an interview.

Phil Ricci interview

Gary Stich interview

Gretchen DiFante interview

Gail Stevens interview

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. at Batavia's John Kennedy Elementary School, at 166 Vine St., for school district residents who live north of Route 5, and Batavia High School, at 260 State St., for those who live south of Route 5.

For more information on the budget, see the May 1 article, Batavia district pitches budget with a nearly 2-percent increase in the tax levy.

For some specifics on the background of each candidate, see their short biographies on the district Web site.

The first candidate interviewed was Phil Ricci, who has been on the school board since November. Ricci is a military veteran who currently works as a branch manager of two Bank of America locations, and he has years of experience in business/management, process improvement, financial management and consulting, as well as in working with youth.

Ricci is also a member of the Batavia City Youth Board and a budget ambassador for the school district's Audit Committee. He lives in Batavia with his wife and three children.

Could you talk about the experience you bring to the school board -- especially in terms of business and working with youth?

On the business side, I've worked for both the private and public sector. I've managed millions of dollars in funds, as well as teams ranging from five people to five hundred people. That said, school districts are a whole other beast of burden. They're not like how normal businesses work. The hard thing about experience is that, yeah, I have it, but in order to learn how a school district works, you have to learn how the state thinks and try to apply your business experience to that. Anyone who knows about New York State will tell you that if the state was a business, it would have been bankrupt 10 times over at this point. People on the school board learn real quickly that business experience doesn't go a whole long way with the way New York State does things.

As far as working with youth, when I was in Germany (in the military) I built a program from the ground up. It's called "Skies Unlimited," of which I then became the regional director of instruction for all of Europe. I got to work with every different type of population, and I learned the real message of advocacy. There are so many people out there who do not view youth programs as essential, and I challenge that every time I hear it. If you don't have solid youth programs, solid education, and solid support structures for youth, you end up having higher crime rates. You end up having a less educated workforce.

I think the biggest thing I've learned over the years -- working with kids in the military and being on the Youth Board here -- is that advocacy is huge. Even being on the school board, I can see that the way the state distributes money is inequitable. There are a lot of downstate districts that are not being affected to the same extent that our kids up here are being affected. And if you don't think that fighting for that is important because you don't like the way the system is, I'm not going to disagree with you that the system is broken; but those kids are suffering in the meanwhile. So I think the big thing for me with all the work I've done is learning how to be a solid advocate.

What made you want to run for the school board in the first place?

When Andy (Pedro) left, I was asked to come in and help out, so I threw my hat in the ring. There was a need, because (the school district is in) a really tough situation. The reason I'm asking to stay is that I know how bad it is, and I've seen what still needs to be done. We've got a lot of work to do, and it's far from being over. I know what it's going to take, and I just want the opportunity to help get us there. My big thing is and will continue to be to protect programs and to be equitable for all kids -- haves and have-nots. I'm not going to take away something from one youth that I wouldn't take away from another. But my main object is to not take anything away, and to do the things that need to be done to try to protect as many programs as we can.

I've been involved in the district for about seven years. I haven't always been on the board, but I've been involved. So I know what goes into (making a difference in the school district) and I know I can make a maximum impact.

Is there anything you would you like to change or see changed if you are reelected?

There's lots of things I'd like to continue to change. I think the biggest thing we need to work on right now in the district is our communication. I just think that we have to get better at expressing what we know and why we know it to everybody out there. That's an opportunity we've missed the ball on a lot. Some principles can't be explained simplistically, but it is our job to try and do that.

So one thing I would be pushing for from day one is more transparency, a clearer message, and just putting out there as much as we can.

How would you respond to people who express outrage that all other businesses and organizations are having to cut back and do more with less while the school district continues to propose tax increases? The implication is that the district thinks itself exempt from doing more with less.

I understand why they say things like that, and this goes back to the district not explaining things clearly enough. It's completely false. The district is doing a lot more with less. We're cutting programs. We're cutting positions. We've cut costs. We just closed a school. I think what's not being explained well enough is that these costs that keep pushing things up are not all controllable. Most of them out of our control -- they're coming down from the state. And at the state level, what they're doing is having their costs keep going up, and then they're pulling millions of dollars out of funding each year.

Imagine you have a job and a house budget. And every year, your costs are going to keep going up for whatever reason -- because of inflation or whatever it is. Then your employer comes in and says, "We're going to take eight-percent of your salary away each year for the next five years." So each year your costs are still going up, but you're losing an additional 8-percent of your income. If you're not making cuts, if you're not using your reserves, will you still be able to live in your house? Probably not.

My point is, of course we're cutting. Of course we're doing more with less. Because if we didn't, we wouldn't have a district. But we don't have control over all of our costs and expenditures. There is only so much you can cut, and there is only so much you have in reserve, before you start getting into these situations.

Just to be clear, before last year the board wasn't really raising the tax levy at all. It stayed pretty consistent. In the past couple of years, things have gotten really bad. You have a governor and a state legislature that has cut nearly 20 percent of your income over the past three years. So I would challenge anyone to show me how you can manage to not raise taxes in that situation -- as you're cutting positions and all this other stuff -- when 20 percent of your income goes away.

What are your thoughts on the proposed budget?

It's ugly -- I'm not in love with it, but because of the position we're in...I mean, I also didn't want to close Robert Morris School. My kids go there, and as a parent it was a hard thing to look my kids in the eyes and tell them I was closing their school. But it was a necessity. It was not a decision anybody wanted to make.

Do I think we could have lowered the taxes a little bit more? Yes, and I've already said that publicly. But overall, am I displeased with what we did to keep things going? No. It's not what I would want, and I don't think anyone on the school board wants it. I think everyone would love to deliver a zero-percent tax increase and still keep all the programs and all the schools open. But that's not the reality we live in right now.

What will happen if the budget gets voted down?

What happens is this: If it gets voted down two times, under the new tax cap law our ability to raise drops down to zero. So what that will mean, to put it plainly, is that all the programs we reinstated (with the consolidation) will go away -- for example, the ACE program, different music programs, and I'm sure more on top of that. Non-mandated programs will get looked at. These will get cut, because we're going to have to come up with an additional $500-$600. And plus we have other costs, too. So the people who vote "no" will get their zero-percent tax increase and kids will lose out on programs. It's that simple.

Can you comment on the house administrator position that is being created at Batavia Middle School?

This is another thing I don't think we're explaining well enough. The house administrator position is a re-purposed position. It's a new position as far as title goes, but it isn't a new hire kind of position.

What we did was take a model that is being used all across the country in larger schools. We're going to be adding a ton of kids to the middle school, so to make this really work we've re-purposed an assistant principal position, and we're making that person an in-house administrator; that means that this person is going to be in charge of the fifth and sixth grades. This person will be a direct point person for all parents, oversee all of the teachers, and stuff like that. Sandy Griffin is still in charge of the middle school, but because she is going to have over 800 kids in that school, we wanted to give her some additional support.

We understand that parents are nervous about the fifth-grade integration. We recognize that. And we wanted to make sure that next year and years into the future, that program is strong and the kids can go into the seventh grade with no problems. So all we did was utilize the resources we already had and the resources that we were going to have, and we're using them in a smarter way so that we can have a strong integration program with the fifth-graders coming into the middle school.

Do you have any closing comments?

I'll just say this: I understand the frustration that's out there. I'm not blind to it. Every time I make a decision, I'm doing it with four voices in my head. I hear a retired grandmother who is on a fixed income, for whom a 2-percent increase is not just a simple thing. I hear a working, single mom who is struggling to pay her bills -- or even unemployed. I hear the parents -- and the parent that I am -- about protecting programs for their kids so that they have a good future. And then I hear the kids' voices. How many kids have shown up crying at meetings because we're taking away things that change their lives?

These are the voices you hear (when you're on a school board). These aren't easy decisions. Any person who has the courage to go onto a comment board and tell people to vote something down, but not the courage to hear all of those voices and know what goes into making these decisions is someone who doesn't understand fully what it takes to do this job. I do, I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I wish to continue to do it. I've been called crazy for this, but I know I have the right demeanor and the right approach to this...and I care. And I think you need all that in order to be successful.

Photo courtesty of the Batavia City School District.

Gary Stich has been on the Batavia City School District Board of Education since 2005. He is the president and CEO of OXBO International Corporation in Byron. He and his wife, Beth, have two sons, one of whom is still a student in the Batavia schools.

What do you believe it takes to serve as a valuable member of the school board?

The situation for school board members is pretty complex, because we have to deal with a whole host of regulations -- coming mostly from New York State, and to a lesser extent from the federal government. And here locally, we have the complexities of dealing with various unions as well within the environment we operate in. So it's a pretty complex situation, and I think it takes a fair amount of effort and time to learn the lay of the land in order to be effective.

We have a good group of board members, and I think it's important to note that we work together collegially. We work well with the administration, but we ask tough questions and bring in our perspectives as individual board members from our professional and community backgrounds as well.

You've been on the school board for years. Why are you seeking reelection?

I'm seeking reelection because I don't think the job is finished. We're going through a very difficult period here, and there are a lot of difficult decisions to be made. And they're not over. The situation is not going to improve in the short term due to cut-backs from the state, unfunded mandates and so forth. (These things) make the situation for everyone in education -- including students, taxpayers and all the professionals in the district -- more difficult year by year.

Is there anything you would you like to change or see changed if you are reelected?

Sure. What I'd like to see changed is the attitude in Albany of jamming things down the local communities' throats in terms of unfunded mandates and regulations.

How would you respond to angry citizens who say that the school board is out of touch with the taxpayers?

I think we are trying to do more with less, and I'm not very happy either. I think you can consider me one of the angry taxpayers. But I think where the anger needs to be directed is to Albany. The problems in Albany are very deep. Everybody up here in Western New York and communities such as Batavia are paying the price for all the problems in Albany, and many of them are really issues from downstate. We have a state government that's dysfunctional, and we pay the price all the time.

What are your thoughts on the proposed budget?

Well, I think the school board and the administration have tried to present a budget that recognizes the need to control expenses tightly at the local level and not increase the burden more than we absolutely have to. I'd like to see the burden decrease for the local taxpayers, but in this environment, with cutbacks from Albany, it's difficult. But I think in the long run, we've got to continue to tighten our belts. It's an ongoing project, and the belt-tightening isn't over.

Can you comment on the house administrator position that is being created at Batavia Middle School?

Well, we're going to have a very full building at the middle school. We're adding another grade level there, and from our perspective it's important to provide support for the teachers and the students to make sure that the environment is very positive and conducive to learning. So I think it's the right move.

Photo courtesy of the Batavia City School District.

Gail Stevens has been on the Batavia City School District Board of Education for six years. If reelected, she will be serving her third term.

Stevens has a daughter, Michelle, who graduated from Batavia High School and a son, Eric, who will be graduating from BHS this year.

She works as a secretary to the Supervisor of Fleet Management at the New York State Police Troop A and is active in many community volunteer activities (see her short biography on the school district website for more details).

What experience do you have that makes you a valuable member of the school board?

I served on the Pavilion Board of Education before I moved to Batavia 14 years ago, and I have been active at all the parent/teacher groups in the Batavia school district -- first at Robert Morris, then at the middle school and right now at the high school. We now have a district-wide parent/teacher group meeting twice a year, and I was instrumental in developing that, communicating with all the groups, pulling names together and setting the agenda.

I'm also on the Genesee Valley School Boards Institute's board -- they're the ones who develop training programs for different school districts in this area. In addition to that I'm a second vice president for the Genesee Valley School Boards Association, and then I'm currently on the legislative committee for Genesee Valley Educational Partnership Board (GVEP) -- formerly BOCES.

Serving on the GVEP board has been a very enriching and wonderful experience, because it takes you one step above the local school district. BOCES oversees 22 component schools, including Batavia. It really helps you to see the big picture. I've had wonderful opportunities to go to Washington and network with other school districts across New York State.

Also, over the past six years I've attended many school board training sessions, be they conventions, conferences or just all-day workshops. The school district is a whole different entity than what people see it as. It has its own laws -- laws that pertain to education and the State Education Department -- and different guidelines that have to be followed, and it's completely different in how it runs, how it can be run, and what you can and cannot do. So it's been a gradual process, and it's been a fun journey along the way learning and developing myself in that way. That's why I do this. I don't want to sit back and complain or make statements that aren't fact-based. I'm not that kind of person. If anyone comes to me and asks me a question, if I don't know the answer, I'll get it for them. And I'll make sure my answer is not based on hearsay or emotions. That's not my style. I'm a very fact-based person.

Why are you seeking reelection?

I've been part of the consolidation process for a long time, and contrary to what people think, this is not something that has just been thought about or mulled over during the past year. I remember us talking about it years ago, because -- also contrary to what people think -- we (the school district) do plan for the future.

Another thing I want to point out is that people say we don't communicate enough. But the more information you put out there, sometimes I think the more people get confused. Also, some of the information is evolving over time, like with anything else. It's kind of like when you have a job interview; you don't go out and tell the world that you got the job, because anything could happen.

We've had some really tough times and really tough decisions (to make) with this consolidation process -- and contrary to the popular opinion that the board always agrees, we don't always agree. So because of the consolidation process, which I was present for in the starting phases, I would like stay. I want to continue to help with the transition to consolidation.

Of the things you have seen during your tenure as a board member, what do you think the board has been doing well (that you would like to see continue), and what do you think needs to change?

We are very good at communicating with each other when we're at the table working. There's no screaming, no yelling...I've heard of other districts where board members walk out of meetings, and to me that's just a huge waste of time. (At Batavia school board meetings) everyone sits, everyone listens, everyone speaks their peace, and if they don't agree they will say, "I don't agree, but I will support this for the sake of the district," or "for the sake of the students," or "for the sake of the taxpayers," or what have you. Everyone thinks we're all "yes" people, but we really aren't all "yes" people. It's a very diverse section of people, and I think that's what makes it so good. We don't all have the same professional background, some of us have younger kids, some of us have older kids, etc. I think it's a good cross section of the community.

At this point, I don't believe anyone on the board has a personal agenda. I know I never have, and I still don't. I've seen other districts go through some very controversial times because of one or two board members. You can't be out in the community condemning your colleagues or other board members. If you're going to do that, you shouldn't be on the board.

As for the second part of your question, there is going to be a lot of change. The Batavia school district, as we know it now, is going to look totally different in the fall. Right now, I think that's enough change. I think that if you bite off more than you can chew and make too many changes at once, that upsets the equilibrium of the district. You have to take baby steps. You have to stop, see what you're doing, see where the problems are, and go forward. At this point, I think the biggest change will be the consolidation and any bumps that come out of that. That's enough for the district to handle at this point.

What are your thoughts on the proposed budget?

Obviously, I support it. If I didn't, I would not have voted in favor of it. Like I said before, sitting on the BOCES board, I obtain a lot of knowledge of what's going on in other districts. I think Batavia was very proactive and out ahead of everyone else, but the flip side of that was that we took a lot of heat from everybody. I had someone sit next to me at a meeting when I talked about the financial situation and the consolidation, and that person asked me, "Why are the districts around us not doing any of this?" Since we were upfront and making people aware of the consolidation, and the districts surrounding us -- not neighboring districts in this area, but other districts in New York State -- hadn't really come out publicly about their financial situations, we came across as acting too fast. But that's how it is. You've got to be proactive. Some districts don't have buildings to close, and they're in serious trouble.

Some people are opposed to the budget because they feel that school district employees are demanding excessive pay and benefits. How controllable are these things at the local level?

They're not. And it's not just the schoolteachers, it's any unionized group -- be it state workers, county workers, etc. If you have a contract, that's a binding agreement. Some people have said, "Make them take a pay freeze." Well, we can't. We would then have to spend even more taxpayer dollars fighting a lawsuit.

And you've got to work with them. That's one thing I can say about our administrators -- they work very well with the staff. We have a committee looking into cheaper medical insurance costs, and there are administrators and union people on that committee. So we're working on it. And that's one of the reasons I work on the legislative committee for BOCES. When we go to Albany every year, we draft a position paper, take it with us, sit down with the senators and the assemblymen, and we talk about (the various laws that pertain to this issue). There's a whole slew of laws in New York State that we would love to see changed, but New York State is a huge ship. You can't turn it suddenly.

So the salaries/benefits that people object to will remain in place even if the budget doesn't pass?

Absolutely. The only things that will be taken out are programs for the students. When you vote down the budget, the only people you're really hurting are the students. If you have an ax to ground with the teacher's association or the union, voting "no" isn't going to help. It's going to be nothing other than self-serving -- so that you can say "I'm happy because I voted 'no.' "

What these people should do is come to board meetings, listen, and educate themselves. (One of these people should) start as a budget ambassador -- that's how I started out. I was budget ambassador two or three years in a row before I half understood what was going on. My biggest pet peeve in life is complaining about something without being willing to do something to change it. If you're not going to work to change it, then don't complain.

What was the rationale behind the in-house administrator position at Batavia Middle School?

We've listened to the parents and their concerns. One of the biggest concerns was the fifth grade moving to the middle school. When all was said and done, parents' biggest concern was with the lack of supervision, the program there, what will be going on...there are going to be a lot of changes. We want the transition to the middle school to be a positive thing for the students, for the parents, and for the staff. As a parent myself, I would have been thrilled if my kids could have gone to the middle school for fifth grade and had the enrichment opportunities these kids will be getting, the exposure to technology, and everything that goes along with it. We want to make sure we don't short ourselves with personnel in that area, because we want this to succeed.

We don't want to set up any of our buildings for failure at all. That's one thing I have to say again about the administration: Contrary to what people think, they are very intelligent people, and a lot of the decisions they make are really well thought out.

Also, everyone keeps saying that we haven't cut administrators. The fact is, we have cut one administrator per year for the last four years. It's right on paper, and I've mapped it out for many people.

Do you have any closing comments?

I just encourage people to go out and vote. Vote however you want to vote, but please vote. It's sad to see the apathy that goes on sometimes. We typically don't see public participation as important until something bad happens, and then everybody's there. Well, we'd like to have everybody there at every meeting, listening, learning, obtaining information and sharing it with others.

Photo courtesy of the Batavia City School District.

Gretchen DiFante, a newcomer to the school board, has four children who are currently in the Batavia City School District and a daughter -- Lauren, age 19 -- in the Air Force. Her son John, 17, and daughter Nina, 15, both go to Batavia High School. Her two younger daughters -- Elena, 10, and Eva, 7 -- go to John Kennedy Elementary School.

Her children have attended all schools in the district except for the middle school (her three oldest children attended Robert Morris, and one of them switched to that school from Jackson Elementary School; all three attended St. Joseph School for grades six through eight); her daughter Elena will be attending the middle school next year.

DiFante is currently the executive director of a Penfield-based nonprofit called Agape Counseling Associates, which just opened up an office in Batavia. Before that, she was the executive vice president of P.W. Minor shoe company and the director of efficient customer support for Rich Products.

She has won awards for her work in marketing and communications. During Operation Desert Storm, she was part of an award-winning public affairs unit for the Air Force Reserves' 914th Tactical Airlift Group in Niagara Falls. Her wide range of experience includes customer relations, communication and conflict/stress management.

What experience do you have that makes you a valuable member of the school board, and how will your degree in Communications help?

My concentration was in Public Relations, but Communications is a pretty open field. It has given me the opportunity to work in advertising, marketing and public relations -- being a general degree, it has opened up a lot of doors and allowed me to use a lot of different skills. My experience with customer service allows me to be more savvy at looking at budgets and managing departments, processes and flows, and how they come together.

As far as the school board goes, I think that when your community has a need, and there is a piece of it that you believe is missing -- something that you can supplement with your particular set of skills -- then that's an opportunity for you to step forward. And I believe that the particular skill set that encourages open communication, knows how to communicate during a crisis, and knows how to manage change is absent on the board right now.

The board and administration do recognize (that they struggle with communication), and I appreciate that. I work with clients who work in places where people are in a crisis mode at work; it's normal for communication to shut down when you're in conflict, because you don't know what to say and you're trying to protect yourself. Not everybody needs to be crafting that communication. Sometimes if you speak without having the right knowledge or experience, it can bite you back. When GCC was putting together a leadership certificate program for our public employees and they asked if I'd do the PR part of it -- how to train people on what to say to the media and so forth -- I found that sometimes the biggest part of the job is getting people to know when not to say things to the media, because sometimes people just don't think. It takes practice, skill, and a certain type of knowledge.

I believe that my background in change management and crisis communication goes into the places that need to be fixed and that nobody really wants to take over. When I was working at Rich Products, they made me an interim department head because they were looking for a new vice president. That seems to be how things happen for me, and I enjoy that. I enjoy the challenge of going into places where there is a lot of change, people are stressed, and the customer communication is failing because people forget about how to do that during times of change and stress. I think my particular background and experience is only going to enhance what is needed right now.

People say business experience doesn't go a long way on school boards because school districts and New York State are so different from businesses in how they operate. How do you plan to translate your business experience into this completely different environment?

I have a very unusual business background. I got into working with different organizations when I was at Rich Products, because I was an "executive on loan." Mr. Rich would basically lend me out. He lent me out to one of the public schools, the Erie County Clerk's Office, the Saddle & Bridle Club...just whenever people needed help doing a strategic plan, a marketing plan, or communication (both within the company and between the company and the public).

I don't think translating my business experience to a school board is going to be a problem. Right now I'm the executive director of a small nonprofit, and that's a whole different ball game from being an executive vice president at P.W. Minor or running a $2 billion department at Rich Products. So I'm very flexible, and I have experience that's varied. I love learning, and I love trying to figure out what (a given) group needs at a particular place and time, and how I can help meet that need. Right now, the school board needs vision, strategy, structure, communication, and public relations, and I've brought those skills to every job I've had. Don't get me wrong, it's a big learning curve (being on the school board). But believe me, in the military you deal with a lot of federal mandates. Right now I'm running a nonprofit that has to do with medical work, and I deal with HIPAA laws and insurance companies. I'm used to complications.

What made you want to run for the school board in the first place?

(What made me want to run was) looking around and seeing the trust break down between the schools, teachers, parents and the community. It was painful to go to those public forums and to see all the (bad communication) on the Internet, at Tops, while jogging at the track...it's the most critical dilemma facing Batavia right now. I do strategic planning with the city, and to start that off I interviewed council members one-on-one. Even their constituents want to talk about what's going on with the schools. I looked at that and at what's missing (on the school board and in the district), and I knew I had the skills to fill in those missing links. And that's what being a good citizen is about.

Part of your platform is the fostering of creative community partnerships. Could you talk a bit more about that? What exactly do you have in mind?

I'm in a unique place, because I work with leaders in our community at a strategic level. I also do that with Genesee Community College, and they are a recipient of the "products" that we graduate from our schools. There definitely has to be a lot of collaboration between the SUNY schools and our high schools and middle schools. A lot of the problems GCC sees start way before high school or middle school. I've also been on the steering committee that formed Leadership Genesee. So my exposure to leadership is very high. And everybody complains about the same thing. They'll say, "If only this group of people or this organization would partner with us..." They are struggling to figure out the answer to their problems themselves, but I know there are other groups that are trying to figure out the same thing. So why can't we all just get together? Everyone generally agrees that we all need to come together, but who is taking the lead?

The school board is going to keep losing money. I don't think there's a plethora of surplus money that's going to come down from New York State or the federal government. We have to be realistic and plan for the future. We have to ask how, for example, we can supplement our ACE program with programs that GCC could offer, that Leadership Genesee could offer, etc. I would love to see our district have a mentorship program. We have a lot of dynamic, intelligent people in this community, and yet we don't have active mentorship programs that I'm aware of. On my website, I mentioned a grant for creativity training that GCC got, which is for students going into middle school. We could work with them and seek out grants that will supplement needs in the schools instead of just stumbling upon them. So I'm talking about a much different level of collaboration. I think there is so much opportunity and that we need to start sitting down and getting to know each other, finding out what's available, and figuring out how to create opportunities for our students. We cannot allow their education to suffer just because we're not getting what we need in order to fund the school district.

What are your thoughts on the proposed budget?

I do believe the budget needs to pass, because we have a lot of key programs that we had lost reinstated. If the budget doesn't pass and the contingency budget is adopted, the ACE program and the music programs that have been reinstated will go away. That's where the $300,000 savings will come from. I think it's important that the voters understand that.

I believe the proposed budget meets the needs of the consolidation. Obviously there are some things that are being taken away. And the consolidation is hard for me -- it's hard for everybody. My three oldest kids were students at Robert Morris Elementary School, and I have very fond memories. We're emotional about our schools. We have ties to them, but we have to let those go. We need to move toward whatever's next.

The problem is that we don't have "whatever's next" defined. We've got to do a better job of defining what the future looks like for us. I don't want to sit around and lament what we've lost, I want us to make sure we have the best district in the state of New York. I want people to benchmark it because we are doing such a great job providing this great, enriched, well-rounded education for our students and because they're going places...To me it's not so important what the school district looks like. What's important are the results.

Getting back to the budget, I think it's also important for people to understand that we are depleting our fund balance. At a couple of the public forums I attended, people said: "You know, you've got $1 million, why don't you just wait another year and let us figure this thing out?" But what people need to understand is that it's not "money-out, money-in," it's just money-out. So they've got to have a strategy now for what they're going to do when there is no more fund balance. I would hate to see us take a step back and not pass the budget. I would hate to see us automatically lose another $300,000 just because we don't pass our budget. That's one of the alternatives, and I don't want to take that chance.

You've talked about the possibility of having a third-party mediator at the district's public forums. Could you talk a bit more about that?

Well, first of all, I have certification in conflict mediation from the Litigation Center of Rochester, which I got when I started working in consulting. The reality is that healthy organizations allow themselves to face conflict using measures and smart processes to get through the conflicts and come out on the better end. People disagree because they have different ways of looking at the same situation. When you are trying to bring two sides of a conflict together, you never use anyone who represents either party to be the mediator. What I have seen at the public forums for the school district is that mediators who represented the board of education got defensive, which is natural. It's good to have an objective third party so that you can listen. The board needs to be listening, not getting involved in the conversation. And that was not what happened in those forums.

Somebody who understands communication and its dynamics needs to help. And believe me, I know 100 percent that I could find someone who would facilitate these forums for us and would not charge us. There are people who want to serve. We just need to recognize what we need, and then go out and ask.

Do you have any closing comments?

I want us to be proud of Batavia. I want us to be proud to send our kids to school here and of the opportunities available. Batavia is the 13th city I have lived in, and it's the city in which I've chosen to raise my family. We're here for the long haul, and we want to see it become the best school district in the state. Whatever it looks like, that's my vision. We can do this -- we have a lot of resources, a lot of potential. I'm amazed at the talent we have in our area. We just need to get talking to each other, to have a vision that people can rally around and move forward.

For more information on DiFante and her background and platform, visit difante4schoolboard.com.

Photo courtesy of David DiFante.