Press release:

The Genesee County Libertarian Party is pleased to announce our endorsement of Lisa Whitehead to be a candidate for Batavia City Council Ward #2.

The Downtown Public Market opened yesterday on Bank Street and Alva Place parking lot. The public market will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday through the end of September. The public market offers a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, maple syrup, crafts, flowers and homemade dog treats, and more. Stop by for lunch -- Alston's BBQ pulled-pork sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs are also available for sale.

At approximately 5 p.m. there was a bear sighting near South Main Street and Wortendyke Road in the Town of Batavia. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and police are at the scene. Updates will be posted as they become available.

UPDATE 10:40 a.m.: There has been no further information from the DEC.

The Genesee County Legislature objected to a salary increase in the proposed union contract with the Deputy Sheriff's Association at the Ways and Means Committee meeting Wednesday night.

The proposed contract called for a 7.5-percent salary increase over three years. County officials said the total cost of deputy salaries for three years would be more than $390,000. The contract would have covered 46 employees.

For the legislature to make a decision, Jay Gsell, county manager, provided information on deputy union contracts in adjoining counties and all of their salary increases were lower. According to county officials, the salary increases stated in deputy contracts in Orleans County and Livingston County were 2 percent for two years.

"I think based on the numbers involved and what it's going to cost the county I think it's excessive," Legislature Chair Raymond Cianfrini said. "If this contract came from any other union in the county, I would have had the same objection."

The legislature recently approved a management salary schedule for an average 1-percent increase for five years in an attempt to bring nonunion employees in line with what they pay union employees. According to Cianfrini, if the legislature approved the Deputy Sheriff's Association contract it would be unfair to other management employees.

Cianfrini hopes to resolve the contract issue with the Deputy Sheriff's Association as soon as possible.

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) has scheduled public hearings on June 22 and June 23 for project applications submitted by ADK Hospitality, LLC, and Manning Squires Henning Co., Inc. The public hearings are required because both projects have applied for incentives totaling more than $100,000 from the GCEDC.

A public hearing for ADK Hospitality will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 22 at Batavia Town Hall. The company is proposing to build an 82-room hotel connected to Batavia Down’s gaming facility. ADK Hospitality is seeking an estimated $638,193 in sales tax, mortgage tax and property tax exemptions. The planned capital investment is approximately $5.49 million.

A public hearing for Manning Squires Hennig Co. will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, at Batavia Town Hall. The company is proposing to expand its corporate offices and maintenance facilities in the Town of Batavia by up to 5,000 square foot. Manning Squires Hennig Co. is seeking an estimated $170,556 in incentives.

Hardly the mental image conjured whenever one hears the word marsh, Ringneck Marsh has greened up considerably in recent weeks.

A young angler tries his luck from the shoreline...........   

while his brother fishes from the dock. Part of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Ringneck Marsh is home to northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish.

A variety of furbearers and birdlife also call Ringneck home. An osprey nest is seen in the above photo ......

and a pair of adults tending to the nests occupants. To give you an idea of how big this stick nest is, an osprey is a large fish-eating bird with a massive wingspan -- perched atop this nest they look pigeon-sized. For much of the morning this pair alternated between visiting the nest and soaring high above the marsh.

Discovery! When the fish failed to cooperate, this young angler took to exploring among the shoreline rocks and was rewarded for his efforts.

These fellas stuck it out a bit longer.....then joined their brother exploring the shoreline and searching for frogs, snakes and aquatic bugs.

Calling it a day!

Year-over-year job growth for Genesee County was stagnant in May, according to data released by the Department of Labor.

In May of 2014 and 2015, there were 23,900 jobs locally, according to the department's count.

The unchanged non-farm jobs number comes in a month that New York State as a whole added more than 142,000 jobs, jumping from 9.133 million jobs to 9.276 million jobs.

The Rochester area added 7,100 jobs and the Buffalo region added 13,000.

Wyoming County was also flat in jobs growth for May, holding steady at 13,500 jobs. The data for Livingston and Orleans counties are included in the Monroe County data.

 A man was taken by Mercy Flight for lower body injuries after a motorcycle vs. pickup truck accident in the Town of Pembroke.

Motorcyclist Stephen R. Ryan, 36, of Corfu, was flown by Mercy Flight. Pickup driver Peter J. Hilchey, 33, of Oakfield, had no injuries.

The crash happened at 6:02 a.m. at the intersection of Cohocton and Lake roads.

The northbound motorcycle hit the westbound pickup truck. Hilchey was issued a traffic ticket for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign. Charges are pending for Ryan.

An investigation is being done by Sheriff's Deputy Chad Cummings. Pembroke, Corfu and Indian Falls fire departments and Mercy Medics responded to the scene.

In its third year Genesee Kickball League has continued a tradition for adults to have some fun on the field after work. Playing at Batavia Sports Park last evening were six teams in the Spring league. 

“We have had as much as 10-12 teams in a session,” said league organizer Matt Smart. "We have two sessions, spring and summer, starting in May and depending on weather and daylight we may get in a fall league.

"Tonight’s teams were the Fireballz vs. Pitches BeCrazy, One Kick Wonders vs. Grass Kkickers, Purple Fother Mickers vs. Kermit Killers. We come up with some relevant names to the sport but it’s all for fun and then we go to our sponsors businesses afterward. 

"There are typically one to two sponsors per team and they are recognized on our team shirts. The summer league starts on July 1^st."

For more information to register go to Facebook: Genesee Kickball

The County Legislature has voted to sell the Genesee County Nursing Home to Premier Healthcare Management, LLC, for $15.2 million at the Ways and Means Committee Meeting tonight.

The final details of the contract still have to be finished and signed by the legislature. As an alternative until the contract is finalized, the legislature has issued a letter of intent for the sale and transfer of Genesee County Skilled Nursing Facility and Genesee County Adult Home.

The letter of intent is needed so Premier can meet the Department of Health's application deadline for licenses and certificates of need. The entire process can take anywhere from six to nine months.

Premier owns several nursing home facilities and is a well known for-profit healthcare corporation in New York.

"There will be no reduction in the quality of care at our nursing home, which is our biggest concern,” Legislature Chairman Ray Cianfrini said. “The fact that they can do it at a profit is something I give them credit for. They have a different set of parameters that they work within that allows them to do that. This is not the only nursing home they own so they have the economy of scale they can use to make profits. That doesn't bother me at all."

Members of the legislature were impressed after touring their facilities and talking with residents.

Legislator Marianne Clattenburg said she believes Premier can provide advancements to the nursing home that the county couldn’t do.

“What struck me was their willingness to make investments,” Clattenburg said. “We saw one facility that had a multimillion-dollar dialysis unit installed after they had taken over the building.”

Finding a qualified buyer for the nursing home has been an extensive process.

“It was a long thorough process,” said Legislator Frank Ferrando Jr.. “Right from the beginning nothing happened rashly or quickly. Places were visited and questions were asked. We interviewed eight from a list of 14 that were original applicants. I’m very confident this is going to be a real plus for our community.”

When the contract is finalized, Premier plans to seek community input and will hold community meetings and forums for families and employees.

According to county officials, after debts are paid the county hopes to net $6.7 million from the sale.

Meet Jason Moneau (pictured above) on his first week on the job with Michelle's Catering Company and Bakery. I found him tonight serving to customers at the Batavia Sports Park.

Moneau is the first male employee driver since the business opened in 2010. He is enjoying working with the public and says to stop out at lunch time daily during the week at the bakery to grab a hotdog or hamburg. He's a friendly guy that delivers a smile and fills the tip jar too while making new friends.

Driving a pink truck is one thing, wearing it would be another.

"Well as long as I don't have to wear anything pink I'm good with that," Moneau said.

Terrence D. "Spaz" Butler, 33, of Swan Street, Batavia, has been arrested on a sealed indictment warrant for allegedly selling crack cocaine on two occasions.

Butler was taken into custody when located as a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Le Roy PD at midnight Saturday in the Village of Le Roy.

Butler is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Butler was jailed on $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond.

Mark W. McWethy, 47, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, was arrested on warrants stemming from the alleged sale of oxycodone to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force and for allegedly possessing drugs with the intent to sell during a traffic stop on Law Street, Batavia, in August 2014.

At the time of the stop, McWethy allegedly possessed heroin, with the intent to sell, and cocaine.

He was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

McWethy was jailed on $25,000 bail.

Michael A. Hahn, 36, of Lincoln Avenue, Attica, was arrested on a warrant out of Town of Darien Court for allegedly selling methamphetamine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force.

He is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal sale of a controlled substanc, 7th.

Hahn was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Press release:

The Genesee County Bar Association is in the process of establishing a repository for memorabilia on the Bar Association and its members. They are seeking photographs of Bar Association gatherings and members of the Bar, minutes from past Bar Association meetings, newspaper articles and other items of interest relating to local attorneys and judges, as well as the Association itself.

It is believed that many practicing attorneys, retired attorneys and relatives and acquaintances of former attorneys may have such items of interest and the Association is seeking donations of these items for the purpose of establishing a location in Batavia where anyone who is interested will be able to view the collection of memorabilia.

If you have such items that you would like to donate for this purpose, please bring them to Deputy County Clerk and Bar Association member Mike Cianfrini at the County Clerk’s Office or contact him by phone (585-344-2550 x2316), fax (585-345-3076) or e-mail (michael.cianfrini@co.genesee.ny.us).

If you know of anyone who may have such memorabilia, please contact Mike with the name and contact information for that person, so that the individual can then be contacted to see whether they might want to donate any such items.

A white SUV and green Chevy Cruze collided at a four-way stop at the intersection of Bank Street and Washington Avenue. According to Sgt. Christopher Camp, the SUV was heading south on Bank Street and the Chevy Cruze was heading east on Washington Avenue. There were no injuries.

Support your local farmers at your downtown farmacy in Downtown Batavia!

The Public Market is held on Bank Street & Alva Place Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday from June 18th - Sept. 24th.

There you'll find fresh baked goods, vegetables, fruit, fresh cut flowers & herbs, dog treats, maple syrup, homemade sausage, jerky & smoked meats, handmade clothing, quilts, wooden toys & planters, pulled-pork sandwiches, hot dogs & BBQ sauces, and much more...

We'll have Master Gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension, drawings every week for a free gift basket!
 

SPONSORS: Java Farm Supply, DelPlato & Casey Law Firm
Interested vendors should call 585-344-0900
Market brought to you by: Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District

Billie and I will catch a plane for San Diego in a couple of hours. We're going to visit family.

We've made arrangements to ensure there is ongoing local coverage on The Batavian while we're away. Traci Turner, our intern, will be on the job, of course, and we're working with several of our freelancers on event coverage and other stories as well as ensure we have systems in place to handle breaking news.

We return in a week. We'll try to bring some extra sunshine back.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County showed a second screening last night of its documentary on Federal-style Architecture to highlight the importance of the historical style.

The event at GO ART! featured the live action documentary and insights from guest speaker Bernard Schmieder, producer of the film and past president of the Landmark Society.

The film takes you back to the early 1800s when the Federal Style was the most popular home design for family farmers and artisans settling in Batavia. The style differed from Colonial-style homes in many ways. Federal homes were typically rectangular structures with symmetrical elements. The style was mainly composed of simple designs and furnishings. Many of the design elements included circles, semi-circles and ellipses. 

Most of the materials used to build the homes could be found on the land. All the wood needed to build the framework was cut down from nearby forests. Locally water powered sawmills made construction easy. Brick was also a common material used in building the structure. The bricks were made from locally dug clay and fired at brick yards.

Windows and doors were all made on sight as well. The large windows were divided into several panes with simple molding. The doors were flat paneled with latches. The main door was usually in the center of the house and the most decorative element of the exterior. The flooring was primarily made out of chestnut wood because it was easy to hand plane. 

The distinguishing interior characteristic of a Federal-style home was the fireplace. There were no iron stoves so homeowners used brick fireplaces as their main source of heat. The largest fireplace was located in the center of the house and had a cooking hearth. Typically next to the cooking hearth was a beehive oven for baking bread. Smaller fireplaces were built in the bedrooms.

Following the screening, Schmieder held a discussion about making the movie and the restoration of the 1815 Federal-style home he and his wife, Jane, own in Bethany.

Schmieder restored the home room by room using the sawmill and blacksmith shop on the property. 

"I enjoy woodworking so I was interested in restoring the home and using all the old hand tools," Schmieder said. 

Although the home is not symmetrical it still has many Federal-style features including six fireplaces, a beehive oven, large windows, flat-paneled doors and chestnut board floors. Schmieder also made furniture by hand to match the Federal Style.

There are only a small amount of these Federal-style homes remaining in Genesee County. The Landmark Society hoped the screening revived the community's interest in historical architecture and the importance of preserving the Federal-style homes that remain.

In November, the Landmark Society will hold another screening for the second part of the architectural series which explores the Greek Revival Style. DVD copies of the series are also for sale.

Kurtis Dunlap, a 2012 graduate of Oakfield-Alabama High School and a journalism student at the University of Missouri's Reynolds School of Journalism, will cover the Batavia Muckdogs for The Batavian this season.

He'll cover home games and write occasional features about the team and its players.

Dunlap is studying sports journalism at Missouri.

He's the oldest of three siblings and in high school played football, basketball and baseball. For three seasons, he was a batboy for the Muckdogs. 

"Someday I hope to have my own column in a newspaper where I can share all the crazy things that pop into my head," Dunlap said.

The 2015 season opens Friday.