agriculture

Bed, Bath & Beyond opened for business Tuesday at the Towne Center off Veterans Memorial Drive in the town of Batavia, according to the Daily News. Target already opened in July and a Lowe's home improvement store is currently getting ready to "co-anchor" the shopping complex along with the large-scale retailer. Michael's Crafts expects to open Sunday, and Petco hopes to hold its grand opening on September 26. An AT&T store is likely to occupy another of the buildings on site. Roger Muehlig reports that the developer was hoping to get a restaurant to settle into one of the 8,500-square-foot buildings at the site, "but no occupant has been announced."

A couple of stories in today's paper were already posted to this site. News of Dave Wellenzohn's departure from the helm of Muckdogs management was featured on The Batavian yesterday afternoon. Sophie's Run: a run from Ontario, Canada to New York City by Nicole Chuchmach and her team of runners in an effort to raise awareness for colorectal cancer was featured on The Batavian Monday.

Genesee County's Chamber of Commerece is gearing up for the 19th annual Decision Makers Forum and Tour, which will be held at Batavia Downs Tuesday. Tom Rivers reports:

The Chamber each year uses the forum to focus on a topic critical to agriculture. The forum in recent years has explored renewable energy, groundwater and other environmental issues, new technologies on the farm, wind energy and immigration policies.

This Tuesday, the Chamber will discuss careers in agriculture.

Anyone can attend the forum but they must register. Call (585) 343-7440 ext.27 or send an e-mail to the Chamber to register.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Ag industry revenue in Genesee County and statewide surged, according to the Daily News. Tom Rivers reports that farms in the state brought in $4.45 billion in 2007 as compared with $3.49 billion in 2006. Genesee County alone climbed up 27 percent, from $140.2 million to $178.5 million.

Typically, the total agricultural receipts vary 1 or 2 percent each year, said Steve Ropel, director of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in New York.

"This is one of the sharpest increases I've ever seen," he said Monday by phone from Albany. He (has) worked 36 years studying farm statistics.

Increased demand for dairy (overseas) and corn (for ethanol) fueled the 28 percent increase for the state. That means you can thank the increase in the price for a gallon of milk and, in a way, the increase in the price of a gallon of gas—indirectly for encouraging the use of biofuels—for driving the surge in ag revenue.

See the article in the Daily News for the full details and figures, including a chart listing the comparable revenue between 2006 and 2007 for nine upstate counties.

Surplus school revenues for the 2007-08 school year mean a reduction in the district's tax levy of $45,000, and that means a decrease of $1.12 per $1,000 in assessed value for taxpayers.

A public hearing is scheduled for 7:00pm tonight at the Batavia Town Hall, 3833 W. Main Street Road, for anyone interested in learning more about the environmental impacts of the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park being planned for E. Main Street Road.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

A Wal-Mart store in the works for the village of Le Roy may be the company's first ever to be shrunken down from its original size, according to the Daily News. Of course, that doesn't mean it still won't be a "Supercenter"—retail's answer to the question: What if people could buy socks, tomato sauce, a new bike and a gardenia all at the same store? So yes, the store planned for West Main Street in Le Roy will still be a Supercenter, only getting reduced from 163,700 square feet to 138,000.

Claims made in the article that this will be a "more environmentally-friendly" Wal-Mart seem somewhat dubious. Check out this quote from Le Roy's Code Enforcement Officer Gene Sinclair:

"It's still going to be a Supercenter, just smaller," he said. "The parking lot is more environmentally friendly, with four islands and a natural filtration system of trees and shrubs."

"We're told it's a new design for their stores and the first in the United States like this."

It's wonderful that everybody has caught the going green bug—especially the marketing departments of massive corporations—but I think we have to draw the line at "environmentally-friendly parking lot." Hasn't anyone ever listened to Joni Mitchell? What did they pave to put up a parking lot? Yep, that's right: paradise.

Anyway, good for Le Roy. Now they've got a Wal-Mart to go with the new Walgreens. Speaking of the Walgreens... construction of that is on hold now owing to a "blizzard of asbestos" encountered during the demolition of the old Masonic temple and its neighbors. (Hmm. Is there any connection between this blizzard of asbestos and the blizzard of words Charlie Gibson attributed to Sarah Palin last night?)

In other news, Tom Rivers paid a visit to the Rochester Public Market where a lot of Genesee County farms head every weekend to ply their wares before the big city crowds. It's another great article from a talented writer about a fun topic. So read it.

Attica resident Roddy Harris wrote a postapocalyptic novel about a brother and sister who try to rebuild their lives after 99 percent of the world is killed by terrorists who release "vast amoiunts of chemical and biological agents into the atmosphere." The article's headline is misleading: Attican pens 9/11 book. That's just not true. While the article begins by saying that Harris "turned his thoughts and feelings about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, into a novel," the novel is not about 9/11 at all. The book is titled: After Terrorism: A Survival Story. It's available from Publish America.

Former Chairman of the United States Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors Paul S. Speranza told an audience at Genesee Community College yesterday that if the state wants to fix its economy, communities need to join together.

Speranza said New Yorkers need to move beyond parochialism and regional feuding. Speaking with one voice and forming coalitions among groups with divergent views is the way to get the state's economy back on track and to improve its quality of life, he said.

Paul Mrozek does an excellent job covering the speech, so be sure to check out the article if you're interested.

We encourage you to get out and pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Head down to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Saturday, September 13, between 9:00am and 1:00pm for the Fall Harvest Gala.

There will be a traditional mum sale, as well as unusual Colorblends of spring flowering bulbs, perennials right from the master gardeners own gardens, house plants, a Chance auction, free soil testing, and refreshments.

Participants may also try “taste testing” heirloom vs. traditional varieties of vegetables.  Lunch will also be available for a nominal fee at the event.

Don’t miss your chance to pickup some great plants for your own garden.

Call Gail Culver at (585) 343-3040 ext. 132 or stop by the extension at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia for more information.

After 87 years, the Genesee-Orleans Vegetable Growers Cooperative Association voted to dissolve the organization Monday, according to the Daily News. No summary will do justice to the fine piece by Tom Rivers, so today might be a good one to go out and pick up a copy of the paper, if you don't already have one. Rivers really has his finger on the pulse of this agricltural community, and it shows in the depth of his reporting.

Reporter Matt Surtel informs us that the Citizens for Wind Energy in Perry and the Wind Information + Responsible Energy group from Alabama have joined forces and become part of the statewide organization: Renewable Energy Advocates Coalition, which is some 80,000 members strong.

For those who haven't yet heard, Sen. Barack Obama says that he has made his choice for vice-presidential candidate. But he's not telling anybody. Why say so, then? Oh, politics.

Congratulations to the Alexander girls track team, which won the Genesee Region League Championships, the Section 5 Class CC title, and now send 10 girls to the 2008 Genesee Region League girls track all-star team. Not to mention that their very own Dave Radley was named coach of the year. The lucky all-stars from Alexander are: Stacey Flint, Courtney Aldrich, Taylor Antinore, Kayleigh DeAngelo, Amanda Zielonka, Maranda Ohlson, Alyssa Hinkson, Jodie Skidmore, Eleonara Costa and Sidney Flint.

If you don't believe me that the talents of Tom Rivers are enough of a reason to buy today's paper, let me entice you further with another fun feature story by Virginia Kropf. In this tale, she sits down with Catherine Roth, who turns 88 on Saturday, along with her two sisters. They're triplets, and may be the oldest surviving triplets in the whole country. Kropf writes a fabulous tale about the sisters, full of such great lines as: "She liked it when they started wearing different things, because if one wanted to borrow the others clothes, they had a variety." Or this one from Catherine: "We were spoiled collectively." So much fun. Thanks again, Virginia.

As I've already said twice, you should head out and pick up your own copy of the Daily News. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Who among you can look upon these faces and not feel that all too human sense of pity and awe that only an animal can excite in us?

They're as silly as they are cute, and they've got cute too spare. They're alpacas, close cousin of the llama, though much smaller and a lot easier to keep in a pen on a farm and manage without too many outrageous episodes.

Although, from what I understand, there are plenty of shennanigans going on at an alpaca farm, especially when one of them gets loose and tears hide all over the place, looking for all the world like some crossbreed of the roadrunner and a camel, hurling front legs over back legs over front legs. Then there's the neck wrestling among siblings or peers. Don't forget the spitting of regurgitated alfalfa or the trancelike naps in the sun when even a blowhorn wouldn't rouse the beasts. Oh, oh, and the bugle calls and the humming and the funny faces and the exaggerated underbite.

Here to tell us all about alpacas, why they're great and what they're doing in Le Roy, New York, instead of Peru or Bolivia, is Martha McCutchen, owner of Enchanted Forest Alpacas.

This weekend, Tom Rivers delivered another in his series of farm work articles for the Daily News.

Again, it's a stunning piece of writing and reporting. We could never summarize if for you in a way that would do it justice. You will need to find a copy of the paper for yourself and read it.

Besides producing a fine article, I admire Tom for sticking with such a physically demanding job under adverse conditions for a full 10 hours.

The article makes the point well that if you like -- as Jack Davis apparently does -- that there are locals ready, willing and able to do this farm work, but they're just being pushed out of the way by immigrants, you're deluded.

Darren, 42, seems a little bewildered by my interest in the job. He can't remember anyone from around here ever wanting to cut cabbage. The farm puts many ads in local newspapers seeking field help, and no locals have even called about a job in at least two decades, Darren said.

Cutting cabbage may not be "skilled" labor as we traditionally define it, but you better have the right muscles and motor skills developed, and have built some level of mental immunity to the demands of the job. This is a job that not just anybody can do. Clearly, farmers can't just hire a crew of anybody off the street and expect to fulfill the tons of orders for their crops.

Rivers is doing a good bit of public service journalism with this series.  We wish him well in the appropriate journalism awards competitions.

Of course, what these stories lack are video. We've offered the Daily News help in this regard. So far, they've declined.

Tom Rivers was in Pike Saturday for the start of the Wyoming County Fair in today's Daily News. For complete fair info, including show times, schedule changes and admission prices, visit the Fair Web site.

Rivers also features an interview with state Senate hopeful Joe Mesi, who said: "Job creation and job stability are the main reasons I'm in this campaign. This is more than statistics to me. It's happening to me."

Pick up a copy of the paper to check out these and other stories. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Noblehurst Farms of Pavilion just bought Le Roy Lake for $500,000, according to the Daily News. Water from the lake will be used to irrigate crops on the 2,200-acre farm. Reporter Scott DeSmit tells us:

Lake Le Roy had been the source for village water until 2004, when Le Roy hooked up with Monroe County Water Authority to provide water to residents. The property, a 70-acre lake, 40 acres of land and a caretaker's house, had been listed for $3.8 million in 2004.

Village trustees even tried to sell the property on eBay! But no one was interested. From $3.8 million, the price dropped several times, until it was set at just under $1 million. But still, no takers. Not until Noblehurst picked it up for a fraction of the initial cost. Village trustees said they plan to use the money to "reduce debt."

In today's sports section, there's an interesting story by Christ Metcalf about a wrestler from Warsaw who is in high demand from college coaches. The profile of the wrestler, Ian Paddock, spans the whole front page and another half page inside.

In other news:

• Robert Morales, 52, of 113 Bank St., was sentenced to 1 1/2 to 4 years in state prison after pleading guilty to a second-degree assault charge and admitting that he stabbed a man in the arm during an argument earlier this year.
• Batavia's 25th anniversary of National Night Out drew about 100 people to St. Anthony's Parish Center last night. Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) sponsored the event. GCASA Prevention Educator Kevin Keenan told reporter Scott DeSmit: "Parents need to find out who their child's friends are, where they're going, what they're doing."
• Tom Rivers packs produce in the latest installment of his farm labor series.

You can pick up your own copy of the Daily News wherever the paper is sold. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

If you're looking to learn more about washing zucchini or cutting lettuce, today's Daily News will not disappoint. In the latest installment of his farm labor series, Tom Rivers takes us through the vegetable fields of an organic farm in Elba — the "area's biggest," we're told.

We learn that zucchini should be picked when it's between six to eight inches and lettuce should be cut from the ground very deep on the stalk to keep the leaves from unfurling. Fans of the series — such as myself — will be pleased to find the usual dose of Rivers' wit and self-deprecating sincerity. Like when he writes:

I admit an odd thrill using the knife, as if I had graduated from the minor leagues of picking berries a few weeks ago to working with the knife-wielding pros.

Or, when he watches Katie "the Cornell grad" haul a heavy tote of veggies and gets a little showed up in his moment of machismo:

I figure I'll grab the next one and I grab a tote. It must weigh 75 pounds, and I adjust my grip about five times, take a few deep breaths and stumble over a sink... I tell Katie to enter an arm wrestling tournament.

Tom Rivers' tales of the farm aren't the only agriculturally-minded articles in today's paper.

Cornell Cooperative Extension wants 70 low-income residents of Genesee County to enroll in its eight-week nutrition education course. Extension Direction Bev Mancuso told Paul Mrozek that

it's important that people with limited incomes or those on food stamps shop wisely and not just buy "the cheapest food possible without even considering whether it's good for you."

Call (585) 343-3040, ext. 134 for more information or to register for the course.

Meanwhile, LeRoy will be holding a public information meeting at 7:30pm tonight at Town Hall, 48 Main St., to discuss protecting and preserving farmland in the town.

In other news:

• Union Street will be closed Wednesday from Richmond Avenue to Union Square from 7:30am to 3:00pm for sewer repairs.

You can pick up your own copy of the Daily News wherever the paper is sold. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

There's little in the way of hard, breaking news in today's Daily News. The front page includes a profile of County Legislator Annie Lawrence, the next installment of Tom Rivers' farm labor series — Tom shows a heifer at the fair — and an article about scrap metal dealers picking at the carcasses of beat-up demolition derby cars.

By no way do we fault the paper for this dearth of big news. If you've already read the police blotter for the weekend, you'll see that it was mostly accidents, and the only way the sheriff's deputies were able to record numerous arrests was to go out and set up road blocks.

It seems a slow, newsless weekend was upon us. Maybe the heat — that putrid bog of stifling ozone and gnats — played a part. For sure it kept me locked in the bedroom with the air on full blast. How about you? Or maybe you disagree with me altogether, and you experienced a weekend overflowing with newsworthy happenings. If so, write about them. Or send them along and we'll write about them.

As always, we encourage you to get out and pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newststands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Genesee County's 4-H'ers logged record sales of more than $100,000 at the 38th annual meat auction at the Fair yesterday, according to the Daily News. Unfortunately, the ever-increasing costs of feed, straw and fuel mean that the higher sales prices were barely enough to break even in many instances. Check out the article by Tom Rivers for more details.

Animal shelters in Genesee and Wyoming counties are "inundated" with cats this summer. PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion is already "at capacity" with 190 cats — and more getting dumped in the donation slot regularly.

News of the potential relocation of Youth Football to John Kennedy that is noted on today's front page appeared on The Batavian yesterday.

Batavia sluggers will travel to Oakfield tonight for the District 3 youth baseball championship. Batavia's pitchers threw two no-hitters in the past two matches (versus LeRoy and Oakfield). If they win tonight, they clinch the championship and travel to Elmira for the sectionals. If Oakfield wins, the two square off Monday for a tie-break match. Tonight's game is at 6:00pm.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newsstands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

LeRoy police have identified the body discovered in Oatka Creek Wednesday afternoon as that of 41-year-old Glenn Kanaley, according to the Daily News. No cause of death has been determined, and the body has been taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office where an autopsy will be performed.

LeRoy Police Chief Christopher Hayward dispelled rumors on television that the death was a suicide. "Nothing indicated he was suicidal," writes reporter Scott DeSmit.

In other news, the New York State School for the Blind opened its "Sensory Park" playground Wednesday. The park is designed to"stimulate senses (and) help students with motor skills" and includes an herb garden, slides and a swingset, pedal cars, go-carts and a "spongy carpet, which gets thicker under any areas where students are apt to fall."

The Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park was approved for a $225,000 grant from the Batavia Town Board at its meeting last night.

Consolidation is under way as city police officers begin training on the new computer system they will share with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Once the consolidation is complete — should be in September — there will no longer be a dispatcher in police headquarters. Instead, "the city will have a clerk on duty during day-time hours."

Investigation into the fire that scorched Cristina's Restaurant Saturday continues, though "the probe has shifted ... to interviewing people," writes Paul Mrozek. Cristina's owner Charles Brumsted has declined to comment to the Daily News and has not returned messages left by The Batavian.

Pick up your copy of the Daily News at local newsstands — such as Main Street Coffee. Or, better yet, subscribe online at BataviaNews.com.

Check out WBTA for these and other stories:

• Reports have come in that the 1,200-pound show steer that escaped from the Genesee County Fair Monday was spotted last night along Batavia-Stafford Townline Road. The steer's owner cautions people not to approach the steer. He doesn't want anyone to get hurt. If you've seen the steer in that area today, call Dr. Johnson at (585) 704-1839.
• City Manager Jason Molino told Dan Fsicher that the lawsuit filed by Sally Kuzon, assistant city manager, with the village of Williamsville, was "a private matter." Kuzon, who was phoned yesterday morning by The Batavian, has yet to return our call and declined to comment with WBTA.

Big breaking news on WBTA this morning! Dan Fischer is calling it a Bovine Bulletin. Yes, it's true. There's a 1,200-pound steer on the loose in Batavia, escaped from the Genesee County Fairgrounds yesterday. The "show steer" was last seen on Cedar Street around 9:00pm last night. If you see it — white with a tan face and a number 37 tattooed on its right hip — call the police.

From the Daily News (Tuesday):

• O glorious day! Today's Daily News features the third installment of Tom Rivers' adventures in agriculture series — cherry picking. Rivers begins the article with a confession of his rampant fear of heights, ladders in particular, which makes for a tense and funny start to what proves another gem in a great series. Go read it.
• United Memorial Medical Center received a $2.2 million state grant that will help finance the renovation of the Jerome Center on Bank Street. Reporter Paul Mrozek writes: "The project will provide 37 condominium-style apartments for low-income senior citizens, ages 55 or older. Rent will be from $475 per month to $575 per month, depending on the person's income." The total cost of the project is about $8.2 million. No date has yet been set for the start of the project, but UMMC spokeswoman Colleen Flynn said that they hope to start soon.
• The Genesee County Nursing Home was told it will get $800,000 in "retroactive Medicaid reimbursements," money that was supposed to be granted by the state as reimbursement for Medicaid patient care provided by the nursing home. Also, the state will start to pay more for Medicaid services and the county should see an added $600,000 "in unanticipated revenue," writes Paul Mrozek, which means more good news for an institution that hasn't heard much of it in recent months.
• And the money just keeps flowing... The city of Batavia received a check for nearly $630,000 from the state thanks to Batavia Downs video gaming facility. An article in the Daily News Friday made mention of the state funds — some went to the county and some to the town, as well. After reading today's article, I still don't quite understand why the state gives money to community's for hosting video gaming centers, which I believe are no more than video slot machines. Reporters Tom Rivers and Joanne Beck explain how it came about: "The state last year approved legislation allowing host communities to receive payments for having video gaming centers within their municipal borders. They share 3.5 percent of the total net revenue generated by the video gaming centers." I assume that "they" here refers to the "host communities." But then the next sentence says that the "money comes from the state and not the tracks that operate the gambling centers." I'm confused. Whose money is this? Is it the state's or does it belong to the Downs? Why do municipalities get a share? Anyone know how this works?
• A fire at a home in Corfu Monday morning resulted in the death of two cats and caused about $50,000 in damage. No one was home at the time, and the Corfu fire chief said the house is not habitable.
• The owner of BrightLine, a television marketing company, was honored as the Batavia High School Graduate of Disctinction Sunday. Jacqueline Corbelli Modzelewski graduated from the school in 1982.
• Brian Hillabush reports on the NFL-sponsored football camp at Batavia High School. More than 400 kids are enrolled in the camp, and they come from schools all over the area. It's an interesting article, worth reading.

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

From the Daily News (Wednesday):

• Onion fields in Elba that looked ravaged by the hail storms that tore through the region early last week seem to be recovering nicely. Reporter Tom Rivers writes: "A week later and the onion growers say they couldn't be happier with the turnaround. Many of the plants have shed bruised and battered leaves and grown new ones, with some already a foot high."
• Incoming Batavia City School Superintendent Margart Puzio told reporter Joanne Beck that she wants to be accessible to all who need her services. "I have an open door," she said. "If there are ever any problems, please, please, please contact me." Puzio takes over as superintendent tomorrow.
• Another great article by Tom Rivers on the front page today. This one is about a group of onion growers that meets for coffee once a week to chat about their farms, their lives and whatever else. But they don't meet at a coffee shop. Or anywhere else indoors. Instead, this crew gathers beside a frog-filled drainage ditch along Transit Road in Elba. Fun read!
• Traco Manufacturing, a retail display manufacturer, may soon move into a 24,000-square-foot plant in Gateway I Industrial Park in the town of Batavia. That means a move out of the city, where it currently resides on Mill Street. And, since the plot in the town is categorized as an Empire Zone, that also means Traco will be eligible for tax breaks. For more about last night's meeting of the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board, check out the article by Paul Mrozek.
• Today's editorial takes up the issue of the upcoming public hearing July 2 on potential changes to the state rules on open burning. The Batavian posted about the hearing about three weeks ago.
• Brian Hillabush previews the fall lacrosse season at Genesee Community College on the front page of today's sports section. Worth checking out.

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.