Sports is a booming business for tourism in Genesee County, according to Kelly Rapone, tourism marketing director for the Chamber of Commerce.

Between soccer at Batavia Sports Park, the Darien Lake baseball and softball tournaments, golf getaways, and various other competitive sports events that attract people from throughout the region and the Northeast, Genesee County hotels are often selling out during the spring and summer, Rapone told members of the County Legislator's Ways and Means Committee yesterday.

"Every weekend, I would say, from May right through July, we are booked up, our hotels, for sports," Rapone said.

That helps contribute to one of the major funding sources for the Chamber of Commerce, the county's bed tax.

Last year, the bed tax fell a little short of projections but Tom Turnbull, chamber president, said it looks like the revenue will exceed the $420,000 target, despite a rainy June.

Revenue was up 3 percent in the first quarter, 3 percent in the fourth quarter, but down 1 percent in the third quarter.

"The big factor there is probably Darien Lake," Turnbull said. "They are a big contributor to the bed tax and it was a rainy summer. Their numbers were, I know, down a little bit, but still 1 percent is not too bad."

The fourth quarter should make up for it, Turnbull said, with a projected increase of 17 percent.

Rapone said the golf packages the chamber sells fell off significantly in June, from leading to the booking of 93 room nights a year ago to just 29 this June.

"You can see, they all kind of shifted out to later in the summer and then we did another push for fall packages," Rapone said.

The chamber's budget for 2017 expected $66,000 from New York in matching funds for the "I Love NY" tourism promotion program, but the chamber received only $64,400 this year. That is the number the chamber will budget for 2018 and hope for an increase in that amount.

The chamber also generates its own revenue through a visitors guide, dining guide, coupon book and the golf packages. The budget anticipated $106,000 in revenue from these sources and the actual revenue for 2017 will be at least $108,000. The chamber will budget $110,000 for 2018.

Rapone said the county may see an increase in Chinese tourists, with a shift away over the next four years from bus tours to more individual travelers.

This year, the chamber hosted a group of 16 Chinese travel guides who were touring the state.

She also talked about how the Chinese pay for things. There is only one national credit card and that isn't always accepted by businesses in the United States.

"A Chinese traveller would never pull out his Chinese credit card to pay for something if he thought there might be the slightest chance it would be denied," Rapone said.

So what they carry is a card called Union Pay. What a lot of merchants don't understand, she said, is if they can accept Discover, they can accept Union Pay.

She said she visited a deli over the summer and the owner complained that the Chinese who came in never bought anything. She told him about Union Pay. The next week, he had all the signage up in the store to show he accepted Union Pay.

"It's the simple things that make us more welcoming," she said. "Like, they don't like ice in their drinking water. They want their water and tea at room temperature."

Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Nov. 22^nd and will end on Nov. 26^th.

This Thanksgiving weekend, millions will hit the roads eager to spend time with family and friends. It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year, and unfortunately Thanksgiving has become one of the deadliest times of the year on America’s roads because “Thanksgiving Eve,” the Wednesday before the holiday, has become one of the year’s biggest drinking days.

Whether it’s young people home from college or adults who know they have the next day off from work, Thanksgiving Eve has contributed to a rise in drunken driving deaths around the holidays. More people on the roadways mean the potential for more vehicle crashes.

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2015 (6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 30), there were 301 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation. Tragically, 50 percent of those killed were not buckled up at the time of their fatal crash.

In a combined effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads. New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.

Genesee County Sheriff, William Sheron said, “We have much to be thankful this time of year. Let's be sure that our loved ones make it home safely for the holidays. Don’t drink and drive, stay off the phone while driving and give driving your undivided attention.”

The STOP-DWI Thanksgiving Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation. Throughout the remainder of the year the Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign will also target the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Press release:

Batavia Players Inc. is holding its second annual Craft and Vendor Fair and Open House from 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, at Harvester 56 Theater on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. Also on Sunday, auditions will be beld for "On Broadway 9" -- a show choir style review.

There will be 17 specialized crafters and vendors at the fair, and FREE kids activities throughout the afternoon (participating kids will be leaving with two crafts that they can gift for the holidays). Plus, there will be music, refreshments, raffles, silent auction and more. There will be fresh baked goods for sale just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The fair is a great event to get ready for the holidays and support the arts. Proceeds support local business and the arts.

The Sunday audition will take place at the theater from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All ages are welcome to audition.

More information is available at www.BataviaPlayers.org.

For questions or more information, call Amanda Melissa Taylor at 716-622-2747.

The state provides a tax exemption to industrial solar projects and until recently county officials didn't realize they had any say on whether to allow these exemptions.

Typically, the projects are built on farmland and the county can continue to tax the property at the established assessed value, but if the solar farm increases the assessed value of the land -- typically 10 acres -- then the property is exempt from taxes on the amount of the assessment increase.

The options for the county are to opt-out, through a local law, on the tax exemption, or establish a PILOT on projects on a case-by-case basis.

PILOT stands for Payment In Lieu of Taxes, and typically a PILOT ramps up the amount of payments made as a percentage of the increase in assessed value over a period of years.

Under state law, the solar farm properties are exempt from taxes on the increase in assessed value for 15 years for county, town and school taxes.

"I think everybody should be able to do what they want with their land but the real issue is the state telling us what we can’t tax them on," said Legislator Andrew Young during a discussion of the issue during yesterday's Ways and Means Committee meeting. "Because of that reason, I think we should at least do something to maintain a little control."

By consent, the committee agreed to have County Attorney Kevin Earl draft a local law to have the county opt-out of the exemption.

There are three solar projects under construction and all three were started before the county learned it had the choice to opt-out of the exemption or establish a PILOT.

The issue came to the county's attention because the builders of a fourth project on Pearl Street Road came to the county and volunteered to pay a PILOT.

That caused Legislator John Deleo to wonder why the company would volunteer for to make PILOT payments.

"I think they know counties are going to start taxing everybody, so they’re going to get ahead of it and don’t want to get stuck with the full no-exemption later on," suggested County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens.

It's unclear if the county can go back to the projects already under construction and void the exemption or require a PILOT.

The company with the project on Pearl Street Road told county officials that not only did they anticipate building other projects in the county, but that officials should expect more solar companies seeking farmland for solar farms locally.

The developers typically lease the farmland at $6,000 a year for 15 years.

Legislator Marianne Clattenburg said that should be a big concern to legislators.

"My fear is we have pretty reasonable land costs here and that these are going to pop up everywhere and it’s open season because Geneses County hasn’t really established any kind of policy regarding (solar farms)," Clattenburg said. "If other counties do start doing it, then we’re going to get the brunt of it all."

Legislator Shelly Stein noted that two of the three solar farms going in are on "wet land," less than prime farmland, and that she's aware of four projects proposed in Le Roy that were turned down by National Grid because the nearest power station is over capacity already.

Hens said the typical project is 2.5 megawatts and costs $5 million to build.

How they should be assessed has yet to be established.

If the Pearl Street Road project goes forward and PILOT is instituted, it won't produce any revenue for the county before 2020, maybe in 2019.

Kevin Andrews, deputy county treasurer, said the PILOT payments won't help the county increase its overall tax levy.

"There’s no overall revenue benefit to the county at that point," Andrews said. "It’s more of a shift so the solar companies are picking up a little extra versus the rest of the taxpayers."

Photo: Taken today of a solar project under construction off State Street Road near West Saile Drive.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee Community College History Club is excited to kick off the holiday season as Charles Dickens, played by WKBW-TV's Meteorologist Mike Randall, presents "A Christmas Carol." All are invited to the College's Batavia Campus on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. to enjoy this festive and heart-warming storytelling experience.

A multifaceted actor, Randall studied both theater and meteorology in school and since 1983, Randall has reported the weather on WKBW-TV in Buffalo. An award-winning reporter, his interview repertoire includes such talents as Willie Nelson, Jerry Lewis, John Candy, Steve Allen, Gregory Peck and Robert Goulet. This September, Randall was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Back in 1868, Charles Dickens toured the country bringing his classic novel, "A Christmas Carol" to audiences everywhere. Nearly century and a half ago, Dickens' performances were completely sold out in Buffalo.

For the last decade, with only a replica of Dickens' famous velvet, fringed reading lectern and a copy of "A Christmas Carol," Randall has been transforming himself into Dickens, recreating the original tour atmosphere in stages, halls, classrooms and many other venues.

Randall performs in a period costume with a beard and wavy hair, and through his expert theatrics he brings Charles Dickens to life. He plays each of the novel's characters with distinguishing voices and mannerisms capturing all of the subtle comedic timing of Dickens' original work.

The performance will take place at GCC's Batavia Campus in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building. Tickets for the performances are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Advanced ticket purchases are strongly recommended as seating is limited! 

Proceeds from the performance will go to the Genesee Community College History Club.

"Coordinating the event is part of the service learning experiences for GCC students and members of the College's History Club," sais Derek D. Maxfield, GCC's associate history professor.

"This event is great opportunity for students to learn about the value of community engagement as well as history, and it is a terrific opportunity for local families and friends to enjoy a festive holiday event that is fun for all ages." 

For advanced tickets or more information, contact Associate Professor of History Derek D. Maxfield at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6288, or via email: ddmaxfield@genesee.edu.

Press release:

Genesee Community College's History Club proudly welcomes the public to the Batavian Campus to hear Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard present, "Fear of the Unknown: Creating the Illegal Immigrant in 19th Century America." 

The theme of immigration to the United States is a relative topic in current events, but the establishment of the "illegal immigrant" only dates back to the turn of the 20th century.

In the earliest years of immigration, Europeans were accepted without restriction, but an influx of new immigrants during the latter half of the 19th century raised concerns about potential impacts on American society. Uncertainty and unfounded fears created excessive restrictions focused on limiting access to specific ethnic/racial groups, religious groups, the disabled, the infirmed, and those likely to become a "public charge." 

This lecture, the fourth one in the fall Historical Horizons Lecture Series, will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building at GCC's Batavia Campus.

The lecture is FREE, open to the public and an RSVP is NOT necessary. The lecture series is sponsored by the GCC History Club and the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore.

Carlene V. Santiago is indicted for the crime of first-degree falsifying a business record, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on April 30, in the Town of Batavia, that Santiago acted with intent to defraud by making a false entry in the business records of an enterprise. She is accused of entering fraudulent merchandise return information into the Walmart computer system; it is alleged that her intent to defraud included the commission of another crime or to aid or conceal its commission. In counts two through five, Santiago is accused of the same felony on May 13, 27, 31 and June 4, respectively. In count six, the defendant is accused of the crime of petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly stealing cash or property worth $622.67 between April 30 and June 4.

Marquis R. Brown is indicted for the crime of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 3, Brown knowingly entered or remained unlawfully inside a building on South Lake Road in the Town of Bergen with intent to commit a crime. In count two, he is accused of the unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two, that the defendant, knowing he did not have the owner's consent, took a 2006 BMW motor vehicle. In count three, Brown is accused of the crime of fourth-degree criminal mischief. It is alleged in count three, that without having the right to do so, he intentionally damaged property belonging to another person.

Stephen J. Turkasz is indicted for the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class C felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 30 in the Village of Corfu, that Turkasz drove a 2010 Chevrolet on Route 33 while holding a conditional license and while under the influence of alcohol or a drug. In count two, he is accused of driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor. In count three, the defendant is accused of failure to keep right, a violation of vehicle and traffic law. In count four, Turkasz is accused of consuming or possessing an alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle on a public highway. In count five, he is accused of the offense of refusal to submit to a breath test, another vehicle and traffic law violation.

Chris K. Mukendi and Darazian W.P. Williams are indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony. It is alleged on on May 25, the defendants knowingly and unlawfully possessed a stimulant which weighed one gram or more -- about 1.8 grams of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine capsules.

Residents in the City of Batavia are reporting a spate of larcenies from unlocked vehicles, according to police.

There have been reports of cars being entered from various parts of the city for at least each of the past two nights.

Police remind residents to lock their vehicles at night.

A robbery larceny is reported at Plaza Spirits, 563 E. Main St., Batavia.

Police are responding.

The suspects are described as two black males. One is wearing a black jacket, black hat and glasses. The other is in a double-lined gray hoodie and glasses.

One suspect reportedly left the scene in a maroon 2004/2005 Chevy, possibly a Malibu, westbound on East Main Street. The other was last seen walking toward McDonald's.

UPDATE (By Billie) 2:14 p.m.: After police investigators spoke with personnel at the liquor store, it was determined that this was a larceny, not a robbery. No weapon or force was used. The suspects simply grabbed a cash box and ran from the store. The two black male suspects remain at large. Both are said to be between 40 and 50 years old.

(Editor's note: The initial dispatch indicated a bank robbery.)

If you drive past the Original Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford and think its holiday lights have a bit more twinkle this year, your eyes are not deceiving you.

Owners Tim Adams and Steve Foster are adding lights this year. Last year, they had a million lights on display and decided this year to boost the number to more than 1.5 million, but when they learned the DiSalvo family was taking the year off from its annual Christmas light display, the decided to add even more lights.

Soon, they'll have installed more than two million lights.

And Adams and Foster are doing all of the installation themselves.

"It makes you feel good," Foster said. "People drive by and say how good it looks and they think we've had help. We've done it all ourselves."

"Every light passes through our hands," Adams said.

With the DiSalvos' Fargo Road display on hiatus, Adams and Foster have decided to host two community days, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11. They are inviting children and their parents to walk the grounds and take in the lights. Santa will also be on hand to greet the children. Light viewing and the visit with Santa are free.

Red Osier will also open its smaller catering trailer, the lunch trailer, to serve sandwiches, cookies and hot cocoa.

Also, the restaurant will be open on Thanksgiving, serving traditional Thanksgiving dinners, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local charities.

Residents at 43 Tracy Ave. report an unknown type explosion in their basement.

They've been advised to evacuate.

City fire responding.

UPDATE 11:56 a.m.: Possible furnace malfunction. No smoke or flames at this time. Investigating.

Two men have reportedly been seen beating a small dog, possibly a terrier, in the area of Liberty Street.

The two men, both wearing dark clothing, are reported to now be in the area of the Pok-A-Dot.

Police are responding.

UPDATE 2:21 p.m.: Police said they arrived within two minutes of the initial call and no one was around, neither was a dog.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: Nicole Johnson witnessed this event and says, “Saw the whole thing at the Pok-A-Dot. Dog got away and weaving in and out of traffic on Ellicott Street. The two were chasing the dog, not beating it. Rest assured. They were hugging and kissing it when they finally got it. The young boy was in his socks running down the street to get the dog. The dog was safe! And happy to be caught by the two. No abuse was seen.”

Press release:

The New York State Department of Transportation will hold an information session on Tuesday, Nov. 28 to discuss proposed plans for a project to improve safety at the intersection of Route 77 and Ledge Road in Alabama, Genesee County. The meeting will be held in an open house format from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Alabama Fire Hall, located at 2230 Judge Road. No formal presentation will be given.

The preferred alternative is to build modern roundabout. The proposed project will improve safety at the intersection by reducing crashes. A preliminary layout of the roundabout will be available to view and discuss with NYSDOT representatives.

Construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2019.

The location is accessible for people with disabilities. If anybody requires special accommodations to participate in this public outreach, please contact Colleen Williams by Nov. 20 at 272-3363 or by e-mail at colleen.williams@dot.ny.gov

Bank Street is closed today for water line repairs.

The work will result in service disruption for some water customers in the area.

UPDATE 1:46 p.m.: Bank Street is reopened.

Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post says he sees three positives in the municipality’s 2018 budget, a $5,052,614 spending plan that was adopted tonight at the Town Board’s monthly meeting at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road.

“We’re reducing overall spending, we’re keeping the taxes flat and we’re maintaining steady growth,” Post said following the meeting.

Post was pleased to report that the tax rate will remain the same as 2017 -- $2.64 per thousand of assessed valuation – although the amount to be raised by taxes increased slightly from $1,000,000 to $1,008,000.

For a town resident with a home assessed at $90,000, the yearly tax bill will be $237.60.

Overall spending in this year’s budget, including general and highway funds, goes down slightly from the $5,140,462 figure in 2017.

“(The final budget) is pretty consistent from the preliminary budget, and we may see an additional uptick in revenue – north of $6,000,” Post said, noting that final revenue numbers won’t be available until after the first of the year.

However, he said he is apprehensive of what will come from negotiations with Genesee County on the sales tax agreement, hoping that the share to the Town doesn’t decrease.

The supervisor praised the Town’s staff for “being pretty efficient" -- "most of the employees wear two to three hats,” he said -- and touted the Town’s efforts in attracting “millions of dollars in grant funding” to create opportunities for economic development.

“We’re also seeing some of the PILOTS (payments in lieu of taxes) coming off properties,” he said. “On one parcel (where the PILOT ended) we made an additional $48,000, which could stabilize and perhaps offset (any loss in sales tax revenue)."

He also pointed to the board’s decision to take out a five-year bond to finance a new nine-ton excavator from Admar Supply Co., based in Buffalo, as a fiscally prudent move. Admar submitted the lowest of four bids -- $102,687.

“Rental costs have been going up,” Post said, “so we felt that purchasing one with the use of serial bonds would be the best way to go. Now, when we need it, we have it (instead of using a neighboring town’s excavator).”

The board also appropriated $542,934 from the unexpended fund balance to keep taxes in check, up from the $475,808 that was used for the 2017 budget.

Post said the Batavia Fire District tax rate is expected to remain the same as last year (that will be approved at the Dec. 20 meeting), and that the Town’s water and sewer rates show “single digit increases.”

The base residential water rate for May 2018 to February 2019 is set at $5.36 per thousand gallons and the agricultural water rate for the same period is $3.87 per thousand gallons. The sewer rate is $6.68 per thousand gallons for one year beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

In other developments, the board:

-- Signed on to an agreement with the Town of Alabama to operate and maintain that municipality's water distribution, a 255,000 linear feet system that essentially covers the entire town.

-- Approved a contract with New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal for $65,516.04 to provide health insurance coverage for one year, starting on Nov. 27. The cost includes cyber coverage.

-- Authorized payment of $1 for an easement on Call Parkway for the contractor of the new Mercy Flight building to install 450 feet of water main.

-- Voted to buy of a new 10-foot snow pusher blade from George & Swede Sales & Services of Pavilion for $2,245, agreeing to trade a 96” HLA front-end loader bucket in the deal.

-- Approved a three-year commitment at $10,000 per year to CY Farms for the latter’s development, operation and maintenance of the Batavia Sports Park soccer fields on Bank Street Road, and the funding of four summer youth recreation programs for 2018: City of Batavia ($3,442), Oakfield-Alabama ($997), Elba ($906) and Byron-Bergen ($906).

-- Accepted two property donations to benefit the Ellicott Trail pedestrian/bicycle project – one from Oakwood Hills LLC off East Main Street Road to relinquish abandoned railroad land and the other from Ellicott Station LLC.

• 1. The workers’ compensation system is complex, confusing, and often difficult to navigate.
• 2. We will look out for your best interests, fight on your behalf against the insurance carrier to maximize your benefits, and make sure your questions are answered.
• 3. In some cases, you may be entitled to a financial award, even if you did not miss any time from work as a result of your work-related injury.
• 4. The insurance carrier will have a team of attorneys working on their behalf, having an attorney fighting on your behalf helps to level the playing field.

Please call Kristin Allen at Dolce Panepinto 585-815-9003 for any of your workers’ compensation needs.