Submitted by Bob Fussell:

It’s a mystery.

On 3-13-13 three trustees voted “no” to sell the Wiss Hotel to the Le Roy LLC for $10,000, and “yes” to pay a Grand Island demolition company $132,000 to destroy the building. The Board also paid almost $4,000 for an asbestos removal study, and will pay between $5,000 and $10,000 more to another company to monitor the air quality during the demolition, making a hit to the taxpayers of at least $151,000, and that’s only what they’ve committed to spend so far.

But it seems that only those three know why they cast those votes. (One of the “no” voters is a member of the Conservative Party, and another is a Republican - parties that say they strongly oppose spending taxpayer dollars.)

One of the three said, about his community, “we’ve gotten better” after other Village buildings were demolished. But, he didn’t tell us if Village taxpayer paid for those demolitions, or present any proof that Le Roy actually got “better” because of the demolitions.

Many Le Royans disagree with that trustee. They believe the demolition of those older buildings is, instead, directly related to our economic decline that’s been spiraling downward at an ever-increasing rate over the last 50 years. This decline, many believe, began decades ago when a mansion was demolished and replaced with what is now Save A Lot.

All three of the “no” voters said they gave the issue “a lot of thought” -- one claiming he “lost sleep over it.” Others claimed they spoke to a lot of “people” about the issue.

But what “people” did they talk to? And, what expertise and knowledge did these people have that convinced the three to vote to demolish?

Taxpayers don’t know the answers to those important questions because the three won’t answer them. (I specifically asked them and they refused to disclose the names of the people they spoke to, as if they were members of a secret club, instead of elected officials in a free and open democracy. I asked them to tell me who they spoke to, because all three admitted they aren’t experts in demolition or rehabilitation, so they had to get their knowledge and information from others.)

All three admit they “respect” the “hard work” done by the LLC. But, of course, that’s because the LLC earned their respect by doing much hard work, such as:

Hiring an outstanding architect to do a study to answer important questions, such as  - (1) Is the structure of the Wiss too far gone to save? And (2) Can the restored building be profitable for investors?

That architect, Rick Hauser, could be the best person in Western New York to answer those questions. He not only obtained a master's degree in architecture from one of the top three architectural schools in America, the University of Virginia, after graduating from Cornell, and teaching architecture at Hobart University, but also, most importantly, has rehabbed buildings that were in much worse condition than the Wiss, and did it in a way that revitalized communities.

Former Le Roy mayor Jim DeLoose said in a comment on The Batavian that, “Le Roy has a very low-median income …. What a developer is willing to spend in Le Roy is much different than what they’re willing to spend in Fairport where the median income is approximately 3 times that of Le Roy’s.” This is an admission that Le Roy has reached such a sorry state of financial decline, that we can’t stand up to Walgreens and get it to construct an architecturally appealing building in our community –the kind of pharmacy stronger communities would require it to build. Our squat WALGREENS building, with its huge, bright neon signs, tells potential newcomers that Le Roy is too weak and poor to have an attractive pharmacy and encourages people, who might otherwise want to live, and pay taxes in Le Roy, to move elsewhere. (I doubt that Fairport’s median income was 3 times that of Le Roy’s in the past. If so, why has Le Roy declined while Fairport prospered? Is it possible that Fairport is better managed than Le Roy?)

And despite what some Le Royans claim, Mr. Hauser doesn’t need the Wiss, or Le Roy, to make a fine living. He’s got plenty of work elsewhere. Unfortunately for Le Roy, we need Rick Hauser, much more that Rick Hauser needs Le Roy.

After conducting his study, Mr. Hauser answered "no" to the first question the LLC asked him and "yes" to the second, so the LLC moved forward in its attempt to save, not just the Wiss, but Le Roy itself.

The LLC then consulted four highly respected local contractors, to investigate the issue -- Joe Condidorio, of Whitney East, Jerry McCoullough, of Ryan, Bryan Colton, of Master Care, and Jim Sickles, of Sickles Corporation. All investigated and agreed the project was doable, and showed interest in the restoration project.

The LLC also prompted research into the question of the owner of the land where the Wiss is located and learned that the State owns part of it, and that once the Wiss is demolished the size of the portion of land left for the construction of a new building will be smaller.

When the LLC asked the architect and contractors what it would cost to rebuild the Wiss after it was demolished, they said it would cost much more because, even though the building is a filthy, moldy mess, the building’s “shell” is still intact, meaning the new (smaller) building would have to be rebuilt from scratch. One contractor said that about 25% of the rehab work is already completed, because the foundation, and the rest of its shell are sound and straight.

One of the three “no” voters said he hopes the community can “respect” their decisions.

But respect is earned, and it takes more than just “thinking” and “talking” to unnamed “people” to earn the respect of the taxpayers – those who will ultimately pay the upcoming huge bills.

Maybe if the three would give us details of the “work” they performed before deciding to cast their “no” votes, they might earn respect.

Maybe if they told us, for example –

• What studies they relied upon when making their decision? (The Village engineers did a study, but that study doesn’t help them, because it concluded the building can be restored.)
• The names of the “people” they talked to?
• The backgrounds these “people” have in building restoration and/or community revitalization?
• The studies these “people” conducted on the Wiss building, or on the economic condition of Le Roy?
• The biases or prejudices these “people” might have about the restoration plan?
• Any agendas any of these “people” might have that led them to hope to make sweet profits for themselves after taxpayers pick up the demolition tab for them?
• Any facts showing these “people” had no confidence in Le Royans to restore the Wiss. “People” who believe Le Royans aren’t smart, driven or community-minded enough to take care of themselves or their community. ”People” who instead, hope a “Big Brother” corporate power from far away will save us. (“Corporations, who, of course, care only about enriching themselves while impoverishing us -- that is by whisking money out of local pockets and slipping it into their faraway pockets.)

Just think –What if the three “no” voters worked for an independent businessman (instead of the taxpayers of our community) whose building was in serious need of repair and had the choice of accepting an offer to sell it for $10,000 or spending a bare minimum of $151,000, to demolish it. And this boss trusted the three to study the question, and to make the right decision. And what if the three came back to him several months later reporting only that they had, “thought about it to the point of losing sleep” and had talked to a lot of “people” and that based on this thinking and talking they rejected the offer to sell, and signed a contract to pay $141,000 of the boss’s money to destroy the building. And when the boss asked the three to tell him the names and qualifications of the people they spoke to before making their decision, the three refused, claiming the names were confidential. How, do you think that boss would react?

In this case, we taxpayers are the bosses of those three. What should we do with them?

It’s great that Le Royans are very concerned about their History.
But, don’t you think it's time we get as involved in our future as we are in our past?

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce held a gala at the Clarion Hotel this evening to honor its 2012 award winners.

Above, Barb Toal accepts an award on behalf of Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden.

Jim Neider accepting his Genesean of the Year Award.

The award winners, Lois Gerace, Jim Neider, Jeremy Liles, Tim Call, Karen Green, Carol Grasso and Barb Toal.

Below, our stories about the winners:

• Geneseean of the Year: Lois Gerace
• Geneseean of the Year: Jim Neider
• Oliver's Candies is Business of the Year
• Agriculture Business of the Year: Empire Tractor
• Special Recognition of the Year: St. Joseph Catholic School
• Innovative Community Contribution of the Year Award: Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Le Roy Christian Community Project hosted its first ever dodge ball tournament today at the former Holy Family School in Le Roy.

The event drew eight teams and raised more than $1,000 to benefit LCCP.

The winning team was Squad Grey, manned by Bobby Humphrey, Greg Humphrey, Ian Humphrey, Mike Humphrey, Quentin Humphrey, Brian Humphrey and Jim Burns.

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

A woman was injured in an ATV accident near the old West Shore tracks near West Sweden Road, Bergen.

The woman suffered a head injury and is not alert.

Bergen fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 4:42 p.m.: A chief is out with the victim at West Shore and Route 19.

UPDATE 4:43 p.m.: Checking on Mercy Flight availability.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: Mercy Flight not required. The patient will be taken to Route 33 and Route 19 to meet up with Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 4:52 p.m.: Mercy Flight now requested to Route 19 and Hunter Street.

UPDATE 4:55 p.m.: Patient transported by ground ambulance.

Corfu Mayor Ralph Peterson may have won the 2013 election by a mere two votes, but it was clear Friday night that whatever support he once had in Corfu has largely evaporated over the course of his two weeks in office.

Following a week in which he has come under increasing attack by fellow trustees and Corfu residents, not one resident showed up to Friday's evening meeting to support Peterson, even though it was clear beforehand that his leadership would be challenged.

Peterson told trustees shortly before the meeting that he had a court appearance to attend, even though 24 hours earlier he indicated he would attend the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, Trustee Ken Lauer made it publicly known that he would ask Peterson to resign, and the first action of the meeting was a motion by Lauer demanding Peterson give up his office.

The motion failed 2-1. Deputy Mayor David Bielec has been out of town all week and also missed Friday's meeting. With Peterson absent, any motion would need the three votes of all three present trustees to pass.

Trustee Art Ianni voted against the motion, he said, merely on the principle that a man with only a week or two on the job shouldn't be tossed aside, but should be given a chance to improve his performance.

More significantly, Keith Busch, who ran on the Corfu-only party line of the Corfu United Party with Peterson, supported the motion asking Peterson to resign.

When residents challenged Ianni's "support" of Peterson, Lauer jumped to Ianni's defense and said he didn't read Ianni's position as one of support of Peterson, but rather a position based on principle.

Ianni had said he never had a problem with Peterson while Peterson was a trustee, and Lauer defended that statement as well.

"Rosie has come up with many good ideas," Lauer said. "He did many good things, he's just going through a rough time right now."

Ianni is still willing to give Peterson the benefit of the doubt and have a chance to redeem himself.

"I saw a newly elected official kind of push his way through office and it's a shame he did it," Ianni said.

Both Ianni and Busch supported every motion that followed the resignation motion, all of which ran against Peterson's prior actions or statements as mayor.

All three present trustees supported reappointing Sandra Thomas and Denise Beal to the clerk's office.

The mayor had tried to tell the two women on Tuesday, by his own admission, that they wouldn't be reappointed. Witnesses say Peterson fired the clerk/treasurer and assistant.

With the support of the majority of trustees, both Thomas and Beal have been promised jobs for at least the next two years.

It's still unclear if Thomas and Beal will return to work, if they do, trustees promised they will be welcomed back with no penalty and full pay for the time they've missed during the week of turmoil.

If they don't return, Lauer said, the board will be faced with no option but to try and hire new clerk and treasurer staff because village business must still take place, including completing a village budget and applying for a long-anticipated grant to complete a sewer project.

The trustees also voted 3-0 to reappoint Mark Boylan as attorney for the village.

On Monday, Peterson tried to push through Kevin Earl as the new village attorney. The motion to appoint Earl was mishandled and for much of the next several days it was unclear who exactly filled the village attorney position. This afternoon, Earl e-mailed the trustees and said even if the board held a new vote to appoint him, he would decline the position.

The board also passed a motion 3-0 demanding that Peterson have no further contact with village employees. The resolution is probably unenforceable because Peterson is the elected mayor, but if Peterson does contact an employee and the employee files a harassment complaint, the village will not provide legal assistance to Peterson if he is sued.

The village board is scheduled to meet again at 6:30 p.m., Monday.

During the meeting residents passed a petition they intend to send to Governor Andrew Cuomo asking Cuomo to remove Peterson from office.

"What we have to do as community is all stand together," said former Mayor Todd Skeet near the end of the meeting. "Maybe we go door-to-door and maybe we get everyone on this campaign. Like I said, the people of this community and this village put this man in power. The only way this man can be taken out is by the people in this community. Each meeting, it looks like more and more people are coming. That is good. Let's keep it up and we work together to ask this guy to step down."

Top photo: Lauer, Ianni and Busch. Bottom, a resident signs a petition asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to remove Peterson from office.

Previously:

• Trustee asks Corfu mayor to resign
• Trustee will open Corfu village office tomorrow while return of staff remains uncertain
• Apparent blow-up between Corfu mayor and employees has village administration in jeopardy
• Corfu trustees spend four sometimes testy hours Monday trying to untangle issues
• Corfu's deputy mayor accuses trustee and village justice of working against best interests of the village
• Corfu trustee denies running afoul of closed session protocol
• Court clerk in Corfu files harassment complaint against village justice
• No resolution yet in alleged financial irregularities in Village of Corfu Court
• State Police investigation finds no criminal conduct in Corfu STOP-DWI funding
• Village of Corfu officials bicker at meeting about lost STOP-DWI funds
• State audit finds irregularities in Corfu's court records

This is the last of a series of articles highlighting the winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards for 2012. The awards gala is Saturday evening at the Clarion Hotel.

It’s clear when you talk to Lois Gerace for any length of time, why she’s a successful businesswoman and such an asset to Genesee County. Her ability to connect with people, her sincerity and genuine niceness are readily apparent. She’s also a real lady with a fun sense of humor.

A natural born real estate broker who's been in the game for more than 37 years, she also volunteers for a number of nonprofits and worthy causes.

Lois is one of two Genesseans of the Year selected for 2012 by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. (Jim Neider is the other honoree.)

“It’s a really, really humbling experience because I know of so many who’ve come before me who’ve done more than I have,” Gerace said.

Born in Alexander and a graduate of Alexander High School, she got a job as a secretary in Batavia after graduation and married Joe Gerace in 1960. They have three children.

When the kids were little, selling real estate gave her flexible work hours to care for them as well as aging relatives.

It was what she chose to do after the Trailways Bus Diner they bought in 1961 – where Coffee Culture is now – became history.

“They (city officials) came in and said ‘you’re done’ – we were in Phase One of the disaster that was urban renewal.”

The early phase merchants didn’t get any compensation either. They just had to go figure something out.

So the road eventually led to real estate and then in 1986, she and Joe bought Bob Harris Realty. The firm’s name was already well established, easy to pronounce and remember, so they kept it.

The business grew because her real estate knowledge and great service impressed customers, who in turn recommended the agency to their friends and families.

The hallmarks of dedication and personal attention were instilled in her agents and staff. As a team, they’ve weathered the ups and downs of the market without ever losing sight of the importance of friendly, hometown service when people are making a life-changing investment like buying a home.

Lois has also kept investing in the business, keeping it up to date with computer technology, a Web site of information and services for customers, and in creative advertising.

Being out in the community, being involved with charity is good for business, too.

For about 20 years, she has been a key figure in raising funds for Genesee Cancer Assistance, along with her husband, who himself is a past recipient of Geneseean of the Year.

“It’s local – it’s based here and helps people with their co-pays, for example, and it has low overhead.”

Each year in April, Genesee Cancer Assistance holds its popular spaghetti dinner fundraiser. She gets in the kitchen and does whatever is needed, including cooking, right alongside Joe, who is renowned for his Italian fare.

Then in June, there’s the organization’s big Festival of Hope at Dwyer Stadium.

A golf tournament is another fundraiser she is part of for the Association of Retarded Citizens – ARC.

And she’s on the local board of Habitat for Humanity.

“It helps families that may not be able to afford to buy or fix up a home, and it helps the community by sprucing up homes that are run down.”

Plus, she serves on the city’s Assessment Board of Review – a grievance committee that tries to help people who dispute their assessments.

There are no retirement plans in the works. She’s just going to keep up the good works.

This is one of a series of articles highlighting the winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards for 2012. The awards gala is Saturday evening at the Clarion Hotel.

From 1968-70, James Neider served in the Army and was stationed in Germany. Today he is a retired elementary school teacher whose greatest satisfaction is serving the veterans of Genesee County.

His tireless efforts and devotion to his cause have earned him the honor of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce’s selection as one of two 2012 Genesseans of the Year (Lois Gerace is also being honored).

Jim, who’s a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, knows firsthand that sometimes the toughest tasks are also the most rewarding. In his case, he is deeply moved by the appreciation of veterans’ families when their fallen heroes are given a proper funeral.

“They get their honors, they get their taps and they get their American flag," Neider said. "A lot of times it’s people we know. I’ve been the pallbearer for a number of friends. It’s tough. I’m proud of getting veterans the help they need.”

As with many volunteers, his involvement in veterans’ causes started out casually.

Initially, it was exclusively through the American Legion, which he joined somewhat hastily after being approached by a commander at a meeting of local magistrates. (Neider was a Town of Batavia justice in the mid-‘80s.)

He went to one Legion meeting, then four, and more.

“My father, who died when I was 13, was very much involved in things and he always said if you’re going to live in a community, you’ve got to give back to it…I realized that those of us who came back whole and alive were obligated to help those who didn’t and that sort of got me on this path.”

Neider, a long-time Batavian, expanded his volunteerism after retiring from 30 years of teaching fifth- and sixth-graders.

He wondered what he should do with the rest of his life and it turns out the married father of two grown daughters found plenty to keep him busy.

One Memorial Day, Hal Kreter was swamped with observance rites and Jim helped out. Kreter is a retired Marine Corps master sargeant and director of the local Veterans Services Center.

“That’s how I first got involved in (doing veterans’ funerals)– and it just sort of took off.”

He has served in many capacities for the Genesee County American Legion, Glenn S. Loomis American Legion Post #332, the Genesee Veterans Support Network, and played a significant role in resurrecting the Joint Veterans Council, which in turn led to the creation of a Joint Veterans Honor Guard.

In addition, he is a liaison working with federal officials in the plan to bring a National Veterans Cemetery to Western New York, specifically Pembroke.

“Genesee County is the most veteran-friendly county in New York State,” he says proudly. “We’re the only county in the state that has a VA Medical Center, a Veterans Home and an assisted living facility on the same grounds.”

Add to that a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic and a Women’s Health Clinic and it’s clear that vets are highly valued here.

At this point in his life, he’s 66 years old, his greatest desire is more participation by younger men and women, veterans and non-veterans alike, in support of those who served and are serving our country.

The veterans who currently advocate for the issues that affect their lives are getting older and more people need to step up and carry the torch, Neider said.

“If the younger veterans don’t get involved, they may not have the benefits that we have as older veterans. Those benefits aren’t carved in stone."

The situation has gotten to the point in Corfu, Trustee Ken Lauer believes, that Mayor Ralph Peterson should step down.

Lauer e-mailed Peterson this morning asking him to resign and Lauer plans to restate his request at a village budget meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Lauer said he believes that while Peterson has been on the job for only about two weeks, he's already been caught lying, has taken action contrary to agreements with the other trustees and made it difficult for the village to operate in an effective and efficient manner.

"We as a board have addressed the issues that have been caused by the mayor," Lauer said. "No one else has caused them. Absolutely no one, except the mayor. He's taken responsibility and claimed he's new to the thing and learning and he apologizes. We've accepted those. I accepted those, but up to a point."

The tipping point, Lauer said, came this morning

According to Lauer the trustees and the mayor reached an agreement to allow Sandra Thomas and Denise Beal to take the weekend to decide whether to return to work.

Thomas and Beal were either fired Wednesday by Peterson or they walked out of their jobs, depending on who's version of events you believe.

This morning, according to an e-mail shared with The Batavian by Lauer, Peterson wrote to attorney Kevin Earl asking for advice on how to get new personnel into the clerk's office Monday morning.

Lauer feels Peterson is ignoring a prior agreement with the other trustees and replace Thomas and Beal before they've been given a  fair chance to return to work.

In an e-mail that appears to be from Peterson to Earl, Peterson writes, "Sandy walked off the job with the misunderstanding of being fired. She has been contacted several times informing her she has a job and return to work and she has not. What actions can be taken? How many day are required to have a job abandonment situation."

It's Lauer's understanding that Mark Boylan is still the attorney for the village, not Earl, because Earl was not duly appointed earlier this week.

Among Lauer's complaints is that Peterson is unilaterally contacted legal council and asked for advice, causing the village to run up legal fees without board concurrence. That's exactly the kind of activity that Peterson accused former mayor Todd Skeet of taking, Lauer noted.

"You might want to know that the residents of the village are very disgruntled with you and will be using their rights to ask the Supreme Court and Governor of the State to remove you as Mayor," Lauer wrote in his e-mail. "I would ask that you seriously consider resigning from your position as Mayor before more harm and legal costs are created and borne by the residents of the Village of Corfu."

Last night Peterson said he was done talking with The Batavian. We sent him a text message this afternoon asking for comment on Lauer's request that he resign and so far have not received a response.

It's Lauer's belief, he said, that Peterson's actions are meant as a smoke screen to divert attention -- if not actually attempt to conceal evidence -- away from the current Commission on Judicial Conduct investigation, and apparent -- now -- criminal investigation, over the alleged disappearance of funds from the court of former Village Justice Robert Alexander.

More than a year ago, a state audit alleged that at least $10,000, if not more, is missing and unaccounted for from the coffers of the court.

Alexander's daughter, Brandi Watts, was clerk for Alexander at the time the money allegedly went missing.

Much of the conflict on the board of trustees between Peterson and former mayor Todd Skeet along with former trustee Al Graham started about the time allegations of misappropriations first arose.

Peterson and Alexander are reportedly friends.

According to a letter sent to Peterson on Wednesday by Donald G. O'Geen, district attorney for Wyoming County, there is a criminal investigation being under taken in the case.

O'Geen is acting as a Special District Attorney since the Genesee County District Attorney's Office may have a conflict of interest. The local DA's office has previously tried cases in Alexander's courtroom. Alexander is also still a justice for the Town of Pembroke and the local DA's office must try cases in the Pembroke Town Court.

The letter from O'Geen follows a complaint filed Monday by Thomas and Beal that Peterson had been pressuring them to give up their passwords to the village computer system.

The village system acts as a back up for the court sytem and has court records on it.

"It has come to my attention through numerous sources that you and the other members of the board wish to secure documents and/or records pertain to the court," O'Geen wrote in his letter. "I am putting you all on notice that any actions, regardless of intentions, that may impair, obstruct or tamper with any items relevant to court operations may be grounds for action by the Genesee County Grand Jury. Please do not make copies, remove, or touch in any way, court documents or any court business records, including equipment until further notice. Any such action may be deemed to be an action to tamper with physical evidence. You should be aware that every record of the court sytem that currently exists may be used in an official proceeding at some point in the future."

O'Geen continues, "It is clear from your actions prior to and after the election that you may be biased toward one side or the other in this investigation and any actions on your part or on the board's behalf may present a very clear appearance of impropriety."

O'Geen also warned Peterson not to take any administrative action that could be construed as tampering with witnesses.

Current court personnel as well as village staff are potential witnesses in the case.

In the e-mail Peterson appears to have sent to Earl this morning, Peterson wrote, "I am concerned that the actions of the office personnel saying I fired them, the delay of allowing me access to the computers are related to this (O'Geen's) letter. I was not aware there was sensitive investigation information on the Village computers. If there was why didn't they remove it before I took office they had two weeks to do it! There seems to be a plot of some kind here."

Lauer also shared an e-mail exchange he had with O'Geen.  Lauer asked if the DA's investigation extended to the village, not just the village court.

"The other aspects of the village are not being investigated but the way things are going you never know," O'Geen wrote. "The only non-court related property that I am concerned with is the Village Clerk and/or Deputy Village Clerk's computer because apparently there may be back up court records on either of those and the fact that someone had tried to gain access at 1:15 in the morning two days ago indicates to me that this probably the case."

A Maple Street resident heard noises, became suspicious and wound up in a scuffle with a pair of apparent burglars overnight and Batavia PD is looking for information that might lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.

The call of a disturbance on Maple came in about 3 a.m.

The neighbor knew an apartment should have been unoccupied at the time and upon investigating found two people trying to flee from the residence. He confronted them and became involved in a physical altercation with at least one of the suspects.

The suspect is likely to have a facial injury, according to BPD.

Both suspects are white males. One was wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt. The other was described as approximately 5’8” in height, with black hair and wearing a dark blue hooded sweat shirt and blue jeans.

Reportedly stolen was a gray personal safe containing a quantity of cash and medications.

BPD can be reached at (585) 345-6350 and the confidential tip line is (585) 345-6370.

This is one of a series of articles highlighting the winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards for 2012. The awards gala is Saturday evening at the Clarion Hotel.

Whether it's the salty, sweet perfection of Cashew Glaze, colorful Christmas Ribbon Candy or the unique regional favorite Sponge Candy, Oliver's offers treats that are handmade, high quality and tasty.

For 81 years now, the Batavia landmark has built a loyal following that, aided by a robust online presence, today includes customers everywhere from Irondequoit to Korea, France to Corfu. Oliver's Candies, LLC, is the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce 2012 Business of the Year.

Located at 211 W. Main St., the Swiss-chalet-style building is where founder Joe Oliver lived and operated his candy shop. It had add-ons built in the '50s, '70s and major upgrades a couple of years after John and Sheila Quincey bought it in 1998. Sheila's son, Jeremy Liles, came on board in 2001 and is general manager.

"It's exciting being named Business of the Year and we appreciate the recognition of other business people," Liles said.

He credits his parents and staff, past and present, with Oliver's continued success.

"I didn't build this business to where it is today," Liles said. "My parents took a business that was doing OK in the '90s -- it was surviving -- but they just made it boom. They put their own money into it. They said this is something that can really grow and do a lot."

In 2000, the candy-making facility was completely revamped. The size of the retail store was tripled -- now it's about 3,000-square-feet -- and the size of the kitchen was doubled. There are no ovens. All the candy is made using commercial-grade, air-induction stoves and giant copper kettles. In 2002, "a full-blown ice cream parlor" was cranking out cones of ice cream blended especially for Oliver's.

Making candy isn't like running a restaurant. Although goods are being made fresh all the time, the process is more like manufacturing and can be done in shifts. And there's a shelf life, unlike what comes to a cafe table hot on a dinner plate.

But as with restaurants, running a successful candy operation requires "a lot of devotion." And the toil and talent of a capable staff.

"Those guys in the kitchen make it happen," said Liles, who is 38 and the father of three. "They're the backbone of the business."

A number of employees have spent a good chunk of their lives working at Oliver's.

Bob Pacer, with about 34 years of service, and Bonnie Battaglia, with about 33, both retired earlier this year. Their knowledge of candy and customers and their skills are no doubt sorely missed.

Then there's retail manager Diana Cuttita, with 20-plus years, and Beth Diegelman, 33-plus years.

"Beth can hand-temper chocolate," said Liles, with a little awe in his voice. "I can't do that, a machine can. But her hands are just cold enough to be able to get just the right consistency by hand."

It takes years to learn that kind of stuff. In fact, it takes about 10 years to become a master candy maker and it's typically learned through apprenticeship.

Ron Drock, who worked at Oliver's for 51 years, learned from his predesessor and he taught current master candy maker and longtime employee Doug Pastecki. Adam Horton is the assistant candy maker learning all he can from Doug.

There are currently about 15 full-time staff people and 15 part-timers, including seasonal workers, high school and college students, and crews for nights, weekends and summer.

"Thank God for them," Liles says, noting that they get to hone some practical math skills like counting back change, converting ounces to pounds or the fact that there's three teaspoons in one tablespoon.

As for increasing sales, Liles says two factors are key (A) consistent store hours and (B) having a successful online shopping site.

"We're open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, and we're only closed on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. If you're not open, how can you sell?"

Their online sales have soared. Online is a great way to expand sales without going the brick-and-mortar route.

In addition, they are selling favorites like Merry Mints, French Creams, Sponge Candy and Cashew Glaze wholesale to national catalog order companies, something which has "become huge" for them.

In terms of challenges, besides small business depressors like high taxes and  minimum wage increases, commodity fluctuations can have an impact on them. Higher prices for sugar and cocoa, for instance, are somewhat offset by product-line diversity -- no-added sugar products, savory snack mixes, and candies that don't require chocolate.

"If something happens on the Ivory Coast because of politics, it can affect us because that's where our cocoa is coming from. Normally it's not a problem because the United States imports so much of it; we can get our hands on it. But we're not as big as Hershey's. They have their own plantations. We depend on small growers.

"So if our costs shoot up, we're not like the gas station across the street -- we can't raise and lower our prices all the time. We (small business candy makers) have set a standard -- we're the same price as anybody else in Western New York."

"Some people don't understand that and they go in Oliver's and say 'This is expensive. I can get this cheaper at Walmart.' But it's really a different ball game altogether. We're dealing with really high quality products, no preservatives, fresh made. There's a huge difference. I think people realize that and that is why our customer base is what it is and growing.

"I think people are acquiring the taste for finer chocolates, finer wines, whatever, and (the trend of) Shop Local."

And Oliver's does shop local whenever possible, whether it's buying dairy products from Oatka, kitchen wares from Batavia Restaurant Supply, or seasonal produce from Harrington's and farmer's markets.

Liles is encouraged by Batavia's potential and what lies on the horizon and says the future looks sweet. Things already are at Oliver's.

This is one of a series of articles highlighting the winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards for 2012. The awards gala is Saturday evening at the Clarion Hotel.

In Tim Call's mind, there's little separation between the success of Empire Tractor and the hard work and dedication of the company's employees.

Whether it's sales or customer service, the conversation with Call either starts or ends with praise for Empire's 112 employees at six Central and Western New York locations.

"We have some of the most friendly and knowledgeable people in the industry," Call said.

Eighteen years ago, Call acquired a company on East Main Street Road, Batavia, then known at Tri-State Tractor. Through growth and partnerships, Tri-State became Empire and is one of the most successful farm equipment companies in the region.

Customers of Empire range from people with just an acre of land to farmers with 10,000 acres of land, Call said. The company doesn't handle push mowers or weed eaters, but the guy with just an acre of lawn to mow can get a nice zero-turn rider while the largest grain farmer in the area can buy the biggest tractor you can imagine.

In May, 2011, Empire moved to a bigger facility on East Main Road that gave Empire more room and paved surfaces that makes the whole business look more attractive.

"Everything is clean and everything just displays so well," Call said. "It's given us a whole different image and it's helped us increase our sales."

The entire service operation is now under one roof, Call said, which helps improve efficiency.

Even with the better facility, it's the people at Empire who make the sales process work, Call said.

"We want a sales process that is easy and fun and not too hard," Call said. "People buy from people and we try to remember that. When a farmer comes in, however much money he's spending, that's a lot of money to him to spend and we want him to feel happy and comfortable and satisfied that he got a reasonable deal."

Some employees have been with the company for more than 30 years, and that's saying something, Call said, especially for those who deal with farmers who had a piece of equipment break down.

When a farmer has to come into the shop because of a broken tractor or broken combine, it means he or she is not out in the field plowing or harvesting or herding. It means work that must get done isn't getting done.

"It's the employees who take care of customers every day," Call said. "A farmer comes in because he's broke down and he's not happy. There's a lot of thankless chores and when you're dealing with a guy who's beating on you and you're trying to be happy and upbeat, well, our guys are pretty darn good at that."

Good employees and a pleasant experience are so key to success in the competitive farm equipment business, Call said.

"Most of our business is referral, and if a customer has a bad experience, he's not going to come back and he's going to tell his friends," Call said. "We've done everything we can to try and make it easy for people to do business with us."

The village office in Corfu will open tomorrow morning, but rather than being staffed by longtime Clerk Treasurer Sandra Thomas and assistant Denise Beal, Trustee Ken Lauer said he expects he will be answering phones and handling whatever business he can.

The trustees held a budget meeting Thursday night, but didn't address the clerk situation in public session.

After the meeting Lauer agreed to discuss the clerk issue and said the actual employment situation with Thomas and Beal has yet to be resolved.

He said he's hopeful they will return to work. He said he spoke with both of them Wednesday night and had "productive" conversations, but he all he knows is they are considering their options.

On Monday, Thomas and Beal filed a complaint through Lauer against Mayor Ralph Peterson, accusing Peterson of trying to pressure them into handing over their computer passwords.

On Wednesday, Peterson showed up at the village office and by the time he left, Thomas and Beal had packed up their belongings and turned in their keys.

Whether the two women were fired or walked out is a fact in dispute between Peterson and people who say they witnessed the exchange.

We initially tried to ask Peterson, after the meeting, about the clerk situation and he said he was done talking with The Batavian and silently packed up his briefcase.

Trustee Art Ianni said he had "no statement" on the matter.

The budget meeting was held entirely in closed session.

Prior to going into closed session, Peterson said the session was being held to discuss personnel matters, specifically to talk about salary considerations with the two highway department employees.

More than an hour later, the trustees emerged (some 10 minutes after the two employees had left the meeting) and reported to community members at the meeting what they had discussed.

Besides the two employees agreeing to a cut in pay, Peterson said the trustees also agreed to sell some surplus equipment, expecting to raise $26,000, and cut $3,000 from the equipment budget.

Resident Greg Lang objected to the non-personnel issues being discussed in closed session as a possible violation of the New York Open Meeting Law.

Ianni said, "You know how it is. You get into a discussion and it just starts to flow."

Lauer almost didn't make the meeting.

When the meeting was first called to order, Peterson said, "Where's Ken?"

After Peterson, Ianni and Keith Busch went into closed session, former trustee Al Graham called Lauer and when Graham came back in the room he said Lauer told him that Peterson had called him earlier to say the meeting was canceled.

Lauer confirmed later he did receive such a call from Peterson. He also said Peterson had tried calling him just prior to the meeting but didn't leave a message.

Once Lauer arrived, Lauer said that Peterson apologized, but didn't elaborate.

A public hearing has been set for COR Development's request to receive financial assistance to renovate the former Lowe's location in Batavia Towne Center.

UPDATE 7:40 p.m.: The hearing has been rescheduled. It is now at 4 p.m. April 23 at Batavia Town Hall. (It was previously set for April 22.)

COR is seeking nearly $1 million in tax incentives for the project.

Genesee Community College's second-highest ranking administrator, the interim VP for Academic Affairs, Michael Stoll, was reportedly arrested on Good Friday in Rochester for alleged public lewdness.

The 66-year-old resident of Warboys Road, Bergen, allegedly exposed himself to an undercover police officer at 11 a.m. while in a Rochester municipal park.

Our news partner WBTA learned of the arrest from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The charge against Stoll is a Class B misdemeanor.

Stoll posted $250 bail the same day.

The senior administrator began his career at GCC 42 years ago when the college first opened.

GCC spokesman Richard Ensman told WBTA that the college was not aware of Stoll’s arrest. Ensman said GCC is investigating.

The 2013 Regional Mock Trial Tournament will be held Saturday, April 20, in the Genesee County Courthouse with four teams competing for the regional title.

The first trials are at 9 a.m., are free and open to the public.

Round one will pit Frewsburg vs. Clarence and Batavia vs. Pittsford Mendon. In the second round, Batavia will go against Clarence and Pittsford Mendon will square off with Frewsburg.

The top two teams will advance to the final round, which will start at 1 p.m.

Judges will be Eugene F. Pigott Jr., who sits on the NYS Court of Appeals (the highest court in the state), Genesee County Court Judge Robert C. Noonan and Family Court Judge Eric R. Adams.

Press release:

The American Legion Botts Fiorito Post is hosting a World War II remembrance on April 21st. The reception, open to all World War II Veterans and their families, will be held on Sunday April 21st beginning at 1 p.m. at the Post Home, 53 W. Main St. Le Roy.

Local dignitaries are expected to join with current Legionnaires in recognizing those veterans of World War II who will be in attendance.

The intent of the program is to provide an opportunity for these veterans to join together and renew old acquaintances, share experiences and memories from World War II Era. Transportation will be provided if needed. Contact Post Adjutant Don Vescovi 768-7017.

Pictured: John Graney -- 2nd Vice Commander; Tim Sheflin -- Past Commander; Don Schafer -- Commander; Don Vescovi -- Adjutant; Jerry Diskin -- Vice Commander; and Dave Moore -- of Sons of The Legion.

A down wire(s) requires the closure of Bethany Center at Batavia-Bethany Townline roads. The pole is across from 4986 Batavia-Bethany Townline Road.

UPDATE 3:16 p.m.: National Grid is notified. No ETA given.

UPDATE 3:19 p.m.: The Town of Batavia fire responded and removed a broken pole from the roadway. Their assignment is back in service.

Press release:

The City Yard Waste Station will open for the season on Friday, April 12. The station will be open from noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

City residents are requested to bring all yard waste material (grass, leaves and limbs) to the Law Street Yard Waste Station as there is no spring curbside pickup of these materials.

No building materials or other debris will be accepted. Please use Law Street to enter and exit the City Yard Waste Station.

Le Roy Fire Department is responding to a report of smoke filling an apartment on Lake Street. A firefighter on scene reports nothing showing outside, but confirms smoke is inside. Bergen is also called to provide mutual aid. A woman said she returned home to find her son's bedroom filled with smoke. The building is being evacuated. Pavilion is also called. The address is 33 Lake St., apt. A.

School and Bacon are the crossroads. Le Roy medics are also called to the scene.

UPDATE 2:54 p.m.: Fire in the room is confirmed. They are shutting down the Route 5 and 19 intersection. Fire police are called.

UPDATE 2:57 p.m.: Fire command reports it's not clear where the fire is coming from. An engine from Stafford is called in. Mill Street is shut down.

UPDATE 3:02 p.m.: Caledonia is asked to stand by in their fire hall. A check of an upstairs apartment found no fire. They are checking the basement.

UPDATE 3:06 p.m.: National Grid is contacted.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: The source of the fire has been found and they are extinguishing it.

UPDATE 3:21 p.m.: The fire is out. They are overhauling the scene. Caledonia is released. Stafford will stand by in Le Roy's fire hall.

UPDATE 4:04 p.m.: The Le Roy assignment is back in service.