The idea of consolidation of local governments is on its face appealing. It holds out the promise of cost savings, if not lower taxes, as well as reduced regulations on businesses.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo thinks there are too many government agencies in New York.

“Simply put, our system of local government is broken. It has been outpaced by globalization, regionalization, and an ever changing marketplace,” he said. “The density of local government in New York is astounding. There are 10,521 overlapping government units, providing duplicative services creating needless, wasteful bureaucracies.”

The questionable assumption in Cuomo's statement is that globalization and regionalization (never heard that word before) is a good thing.

One could make the case that the smaller the government agency, the closer it is to the people it effects, and the more responsive it is to small group or individual needs.

Here are some other assertions worth further examination:

The law is filled with anachronisms. More disturbing is that the law contains provisions that are relics of the past that conjure up images of “poll taxes.” In some cases, an individual may vote to dissolve or consolidate governments, such as special districts, only if they own taxable real property in the area.

Comparing current laws in New York to racist policies of a Jim Crow era is a pretty loaded. What civil rights are being impinged by the current system?

Again, the idea of consolidation has its appeal. With 10K+ government bodies in New York, you can be assured that many are receiving totally inaccurate oversight.

As a young reporter in California, I loved covering special districts because they received such little attention from journalists. That lack of oversight encouraged a devil-may-care attitude among the officials charged with running the districts. Their expense reports were often a playground of excess if not outright maleficence. There's no doubt that there are redundant and uncessary districts in WNY.

However, I would be leery of any consolidation scheme that diminishes a small town's ability to engage in self rule. Residents shouldn't lose the ability to rub elbows with the elected officials who decided how to spend their tax money.

(Link via Buffalo Pundit)

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce it’s first ever snowman building contest. The event, sponsored by thebatavian.com, will take place on the east lawn of the Museum on Wednesday, December 31^st from 9:00 a.m. until noon.

If there isn’t any snow outside, we’ll build them inside!

Prizes will be awarded. And, we are planning to have a celebrity judge. We can't announce the name yet, because this person isn't confirmed.

Check out www.wonderlandoftrees.com or call the Museum at 343-4727 for more information.

A child riding in a vehicle northbound on Alexander Road suffered a minor injury when a southbound Jeep Grand Cherokee reportedly served into oncoming traffic.

The Jeep clipped the other vehicle and then careened into a telephone poll -- severing the poll about half-way up its length -- near 8804 Alexander Road.

The child was transported to a hospital for evaluation, according to Deputy Richardson, primarily, he said, as a precaution.

The Jeep was driven by Kayla Tyoe, and the vehicle had two additional passengers.  The other vehicle was driven by Tracy Cooper.

Richardson said the investigation is ongoing to determine what caused Tyoe's vehicle to reportedly cross into the oncoming lane.

UPDATE: The Daily just posted a story with a few additional details.

The second house in our series of Christmas lights is located on North Spruce St. in Batavia. 

There isn't nearly as much volume as our first example from Thursday, but does a nice job of spreading out the displays over a large front yard, with great trim around the house itself.

Here in Orleans County, we have quite a dilemma on our hands. Last year, the Orleans County Legislature notified the public that we needed a new jail. The jail we have now is crowded and needs to expand. But due to our jail being landlocked (right now, the jail sits in downtown Albion next our courthouse, meaning there is no room for expansion) and the jail having serious wear and tear, we are in the market for a new jail.

The county has formed a Jail Advisory Committee to address issues surrounding the construction of a new jail. However, the Orleans County Legislature decided a few months ago to pursue a study (which, according to news reports, the Genesee County Legislature agreed to) that would look into a regional jail shared between the two counties.

For some in Orleans County, this looks to be a great deal. The cost to build a jail in Orleans County has been projected to be between $20 million to $30 million, although the Legislature has not always been united on the cost. So sharing that burden with Genesee County might not be such a bad thing on the surface.

But I worry about this for a few reasons:

(1) Our jail was officially opened in the early 1970's. The Genesee County Jail, according to its website, was built in 1985. That tells me the two counties are at different points. Again, I'm not sure how necessary it is for Genesee County to build a new jail or join in with Orleans County on plans for a regional jail. That is why I'm writing this to get feedback from the citizens (and hopefully members of county government) in Genesee County.

(2) Would Genesee County be in the financial position to pick up its end of the deal? The reason I ask is because Orleans County would be in a tough bind with the jail project, whether it is a shared sacrifice or not. Such a project would raise taxes (without question) and it would prove to be a long-term burden to pay off. One can assume that if it would cost Orleans County to build a larger facility (projected at one time to be a 120-bed facility), then a regional jail will cost at least slightly more.

(3) Is it worth conducting this study to see if a regional jail would be viable? At last check, the study itself would cost $40,000. That's a big gamble to take if the study comes back and says that such a venture would not be viable.

As a resident of Orleans County, I feel its safe to say that myself and several other citizens are worried about the jail project. If this regional jail doesn't come to fruition, we will need to build a facility sooner rather than later. That burden will fall on us and it will be a tremendous burden to take on.

However, I'm turning to the people of Genesee County and I hope some of the leaders in Genesee County (I'm looking at you Jay Grasso) are reading this. Are you in the market for a new jail or a regional jail? Are you in the financial position to make such an investment? And is this something Genesee County would want?

Reynolds Game Farm is closing down after 81 years of operation, the Binghamton Press reports.

The farm is a victim of state budget cuts, according to the article. No word on the immediate fate of pheasants still on the farm.

The farm has been in various administrations' crosshairs for decades. In fact, if memory serves, the state sought to turn the Reynolds farm over to Cornell University to be used as a wildlife rehab facility in the early 1990s. The news leaked to the Conservation Council and some quick maneuvering and brokering -- ostensibly involving a license fee increase -- saved the farm at that point.

The state consolidated the pheasant program in 1999 when it closed and sold the White Farm in Batavia and moved all the equipment, etc. to Reynolds.

The fate of the pheasant program is still unknown. Commissioner Grannis had expressed in the fact that pheasants could be purchased for the program at far less expense than it took for the Reynolds farm to raise them. Maybe this means the program will continue.

Roger Muehlig reports that the Genesee County Economic Development Center is selling its Mill Street headquarters and will lease back its office space from new owners.

The move paves the way for the property to move back onto the tax roles.

The  price: $675,000. The buyer: Harris Mill Street Properties.

A mortgage tax and sliding scale property tax exemptions package approved by GCEDC directors for the sale totals about $187,745. The largest part of that is an estimated $180,995 in property taxes on a sliding scale over a 10-year period.

The agency is considering relocation within the next three years to one of its other project locations.

Muehlig says that more than 35 new companies have been launched from the business incubator the GCEDC runs from the location.

The agency is working on at least three major development project in Genesee County.

The National Weather Service has issued a weather advisory for Genesee County with chances of freezing mist and a wind child factor of 5 degrees.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND WEATHER OBSERVATIONS AT NIAGARA FALLS AIRPORT INDICATE THIS FREEZING MIST TO BE SPREADING TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NIAGARA FRONTIER. THIS COULD RESULT IN ICY SPOTS ON AREA ROADS, ESPECIALLY UNTREATED OVERPASSES AND THE LESS TRAVELED ROADS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL OF THESE ICY CONDITIONS AND PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES, AND SLOW DOWN IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC. SIDEWALKS AND PARKING LOTS MAY ALSO BECOME SLICK AND SLIPPERY, SO BE CAREFUL WALKING EARLY THIS MORNING. THE ICY CONDITIONS SHOULD DIMINISH BY MID MORNING.

Anthony Dimarzo, 18, of Byron was arrested yesterday in his home at 6404 Millpond Road, for allegedly possessing marijuana.

The arrest by Sheriff's deputies came after a probation office reported his suspicion that Dimarzo had marijuana in his house.

Dimarzo is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5.

WBTA reports on a two-truck accident at the intersection of Routes 98 and 262, with some diesel fuel being spilled.

The accident occurred just before 6:30.

School bus service was not disrupted, but traffic is being rerouted and motorist are being asked to avoid the area.

Tune into WBTA this morning for updates.

We heard from a few sources that one of the hang ups the Daily News ran into was getting its print classifieds online.  This, we hear, delayed the launch of the web site, and when the Daily launched on Tuesday, classifieds were not part of the launch.

That's not surprising -- many newspapers have struggled with getting legacy ad systems to transfer files cleanly to online systems.

It looks like the Daily has worked out the kinks -- the ads are now online.

 The Batavian will be posting at least one photo of a house in Genesee County decorated with Christmas lights each day until Christmas.

Our first post is a fantastic example of a well decorated home. The house, located on at the corner of Eugene Street and Fordham Drive in Batavia, had lights on all sides of the house and must have taken hours to set up. It is well worth the short drive to check this one out.

Dan and Debbie Fischer sure know how to throw a party.

There was plenty of food and laughs tonight at 113 E. Main St., in the studio of Batavia's WBTA.

The radio station hosted the Chamber's monthly mixer and made sure all guests were quite entertained.

Below, Dan received a certificate of recognition from the Chamber for hosting the event.

I spotted this mural on Swan Street in Batavia a few days ago and was taken by the idea that it was probably painted prior to 9/11, and it's still there -- on what is otherwise a pretty run-down old building.  The mural, which consists of two panels of the New York City skyline, is signed "John Howard."

Everybody loves a good auction, and at this time of year, an auction can be a great way to pick up an interesting present.

Batavia's WBTA is holding another of its periodic auctions this Saturday. For rules, information and a list of the items up for grabs, visit WBTA1490.com.

Among the many interesting items:

• Gift certificates from Center of Attention Auto Spa
• NY Trailways Casino Bus Trip
• Gift certificates from Batavia Restaurant Supply
• Various items from Flowers by Dick Burton
• Two $50 gift certificates from Valle Jewelers
• Three-month membership to the YMCA
• Party of 10 at the Jell-O Factory Paint Ball
• Gift certificates (wine only) from Mr. Wine and Liquor

Genesee County sheriff's deputies have made an arrest following their investigation into the bomb scare yesterday afternoon at Genesee Community College. Kimberly M. Volk, 20, of 27 Dellinger Avenue, Apt: Upper, Batavia, was charged with a felony count of first-degree falsely reporting an incident. Volk is accused of sending a text message to a college student who was on the campus at the time. The message read: "I planted a bomb in the library last night, make sure your out of the building by one." The student who received the text message then notified security, which resulted in the evacuation of the campus and the subsequent search for an explosive, which was never located.

Volk was released under the supervision of the county court. She is scheduled to reappear in Batavia town court on December 16.

There has been a rash of out of town people telling Batavia City Council how to spend city resident’s money as of late. I always sit back in amazement when people who don’t live in the city or pay our taxes call for raising the burdens on city residents. City Council represents the interests of city residents, period. It is not in the interest of city residents to provide “extra” services or expend dollars we don’t have to support wasteful spending being demanded by residents who don’t live in the city.

From the New York Farm Bureau:

New York Farm Bureau members today elected Dean Norton, a dairy farmer and agricultural consultant from Batavia, N.Y. as the organization's new president.  Eric Ooms, a dairy farmer from Kinderhook, N.Y. was elected as vice president.

The election was held at Farm Bureau's State Annual Meeting in Albany.  Membership delegates representing farmers from around the state cast ballots. New York Farm Bureau is the statewide lobbying/trade organization that represents approximately 30,000 farm families.

Norton takes over for John Lincoln who retired today after 14 years as president and 29 years in various leadership positions in Farm Bureau.

Norton is a Senior Agriculture Consultant with Freed Maxick & Battaglia CPA's.  His family owns a dairy farm in Elba, N.Y. and runs a custom trucking operation for forage and commodity harvesting.  Norton has served on Farm Bureau's state board of directors since 2004 and was the Genesee County Farm Bureau president from 2000-2004.

"I am proud to have the opportunity to represent this organization during such a critical time for the farm families of New York," Norton said.

Ooms owns and operates a 425-cow dairy farm with his father and brothers in Kinderhook in Columbia County. 

He has served New York Farm Bureau for 10 years as Columbia County Farm Bureau President, and six years on the State Board as Young Farmer and Rancher Chair and District 10 Director.

"It truly is an honor to be selected by the membership to help lead this great organization," said Ooms.

Photo courtesy of the Farm Bureau. Pictured: Outgoing President John Lincoln (left) congratulates newly elected President Dean Norton.

We found this video on YouTube and thought to share it with everyone. Genesee Community College's media crew did a great job on this nine minute documentary about the Holland Land Office Museum. We especially enjoyed this line from the text: "For those unfortunate individuals who are geographically removed and incapable of visiting our museum, we now offer our overview video for visitors online."