Cattle thieves were strung up by their necks once upon a time.

“Yes, they were,” Sarah Noble-Moag acknowledged softly with a smile.

Nowadays the law investigates the matter and hopefully justice is found, maybe even the livestock.

That's the hope of Noble-Moag and others at Noblehurst Farms, Inc., after thieves made off with three female Holstein calves, valued at about $500 each. Because they will become profitable milk cows, they are more valuable than bull calves.

Their pens along York Road in the Town of Pavilion were found empty mid-morning Monday. Genesee County Sheriff Deputy J.L. Baiocco is investigating the larceny.

“They'll be looking at the livestock market (auction), the one outside Pavilion toward Pearl Creek,” Noble-Moag said. “(The calves) are tagged in their ears, and the tags would probably be removed (by the thieves), but you'd still be able to tell they'd been tagged.”

Noblehurst Farms, whose corporate headquarters is in Linwood, also had several calves stolen three years ago. Genesee County sheriffs solved that case, Noble-Moag said.

The black and white female calves taken this week were among 615 cows at the farm. The calves raised to be milk cows are initially kept in individual pens to prevent the spread of disease. Once their immune systems are strong, they are put into small groups until they are two years old and ready for milking.

The individual pens are about the size of a large dog house and the calves are about the size of a large dog, 100 pounds. The calves are collared to a lead that hooks on top of the structure. The pens are only a few feet from the roadway.

What about security?

“We have a light out there at night,” Noble-Moag said.

PHOTO: Used for file photo purposes. It is not a photo of one of the stolen calves. Copyright Ian Hayhurst.

Rep Chris Lee says he wants to help small businesses. His latest effort, announced in a press release today, is a tax break for start-up costs.  He co-sponsored the legislation with a Democratic congressman from Maryland.

Apparently, a small business can currently only write up $5,000 of its start up costs for tax purposes. Lee's proposal would bump the limit to $20,000.

That sounds good as far as it goes, but at a time when credit is tight for small business start-ups, is it really going to provide the needed stimulus for entrepreneurs? Just asking.

Click on "read more" to view the full press release.

Press Release:

H.R. 1552 endorsed by nation’s leading small business association: “Congressman Lee’s plan to jumpstart the small business sector of our economy is the right approach to getting our economy back on track.”

WASHINGTON – Congressmen Chris Lee (R-NY) and Frank Kratovil (D-MD) held a joint press conference call today to discuss bipartisan legislation they have introduced that would boost small business start-ups by expanding a critical tax incentive. This is one of two bipartisan initiatives Congressman Lee has proposed this month to jumpstart job creation and aid Western New York’s economic recovery.

Congressman Kratovil added: “The men and women who own and operate small businesses are the driving force behind job creation; employing half the nation’s private work force.  These entrepreneurs need encouragement and motivation to create jobs and spur innovation in these challenging times; giving them a start-up expense tax break will do exactly that. “

H.R. 1552 has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association representing small and independent businesses.

Mike Elmendorf, state director of NFIB/New York, said in a statement, “Congressman Lee’s plan to jumpstart the small business sector of our economy is the right approach to getting our economy back on track.  His proposal to quadruple the start-up deduction will give thousands of small businesses the incentive they need to invest in growing their business and creating jobs.”

Last week, Congressman Lee joined with Congressman John Boccieri (D-OH) to introduce bipartisan legislation (H.R. 1545) to make the research and development (R&D) tax credit permanent. Unlike other proposals to make the R&D tax credit permanent, H.R. 1545 would also offer a bonus tax credit to companies who manufacture most of their products in the United States.


 

Blogger Stephan Lewandowski tells of his recent visit to Elba and Batavia, with the requisite visit to the Pok-A-Dot and search for a bookstore that sells Gardner and Kauffman.

On my way north on 63 near downtown I see the Pok-A-Dot is open for lunch business. The Pok-A-Dot is a 40s lunch counter, a tent of a building erected for temporary shelter but surviving into a new century. It must be nice in the summer because you can order your food, then sit under shelter off to the side of traffic to eat it up. In the winter, it seems to be made mostly of glass, and everybody crouches over the heat sources at the stove top, grill, and deep fryer. Almost all the patrons are men, and most have their coats and hats still on. All the cooks and servers are women.

In the Pok-A-Dot, there are six or eight tables and a counter seating twelve or fifteen that bends around the grill. I sit at the counter, nearer the heat. The waitress never offers me a menu. She just comes up and says, “What will you have?”

A brush fire was reported in Elba at 4819 Hundredmark Road at about 10:30 this morning.

While the fire is near a structure, the structure does not appear threatened at this time.

This morning's Buffalo News story contains an exceptionally scary phrase:

Gov. David A. Paterson on Tuesday to threaten ... the prospect of billions of dollars in tax hikes on residents to help balance the moribund budget.

Paterson is also planning to cut more than 8,000 jobs from the 141,000 in the executive branch.

So is New York going to test just how high taxes can go before it completely kills the economy?

Funeral services for Claire Dominque Gsell, the daught of Jay Gsell, county manager, and his wife, Ann Marie will be Friday, WBTA reports this morning.

Claire Gsell, 27, passed away sometime over the weekend.

Visitation will be at Turner Funeral Homes from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 403 E. Main St., Batavia.  A Mass will follow at Noon at Ressurection Parish, St. Mary's Church, 18 Ellicott St.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the theft of three Holstein calves from the Noble-Hurst Farm in Pavilion, according to a statement issued this morning. The theft occurred between 8 a.m. Sunday morning and 9 p.m. Monday night. The investigation is being led by Deputy J.L. Baiocco.

Randall W. McKeown, 46, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt in the first degree and harassment in the second degree. McKeown allegedly sent repeated text messages to a person he was ordered by the court not to contact. He is being held without bail.

Joshua Gebhard, 21, of Churchville, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Gebhard was found to allegedly possess the marijuana after Sheriff's deputies responded to a loud noise complaint in Stafford.

Michael Smoke, 20, of Basom, is alleged to have had inappropriate contact with a 12-year-old child in Alabama. Basom is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17-years-old.

Joseph C. Hufford, 42, of Middleport, was arrested in Byron Monday for alleged DWI. Hufford was allegedly involved in a single-car accident. Upon investigation, Sheriff's deputies concluded he appeared to be operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. He was charged with DWI and driving with a BAT of .08 or more. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued the following statement today on the lack of cooperation and transparency in New York's budget process:

Last week, we started the annual Assembly Minority “Budget Countdown Clock” and, one week later, I remain discouraged that despite a lot of talk about inclusion and bipartisanship, this year’s budget negotiations have continued to resort to three New York City men in a room – from Harlem, Manhattan and Queens – and worse.  In the past, the only opportunity to publicly vet the budget was during Joint Budget Conference Committees; yet, with one week remaining until this year’s budget deadline, they have not even been announced.

Without this opportunity to discuss the budget in a fair and open manner, the people of New York are left in the dark.  For all those individuals and groups that have made the trek to Albany, who have taken the time to write a letter or e-mail, or who have called expressing their concerns, this is a slap in the face to them and to our democratic process.

My door is always open.  As a public servant, I do not believe in working behind closed doors.  I have had the pleasure to meet with many groups, not only from Western New York, but from across the entire state and to hear their concerns regarding this proposed budget and the closed-door process.  I can tell you that people are upset, from Long Island to Buffalo.  This is not the type of change they hoped for.

I believe very strongly that positive change can happen by taking that first step and while I encourage the legislative leaders to take that step into the daylight, I will also continue to serve the people of New York State with openness, transparency and accessibility.  I will continue to do everything within my power to make sure your voices are heard in the State Capitol during this budget’s final negotiations and throughout this legislative session.

A fire that was supposed to be a conrolled burn got out of hand and became a blaze that required four engine companies to respond.

The fire consumed a barn at 7411 Oak Orchard Road, but apparently not the one intended to be destroyed, reported WBTA on it's afternoon news.

I was unable to get to the fire this morning.

Here's a map of the location:

Jell-O, the jiggly treat that has delighted billions of happy childhood days, is the number one thing that helped put Genesee County on the map, according to historian and Holland Land Office Museum direct Pat Weissand.

Americans love Jell-O. In fact, Americans eat more than 300 million boxes of Jell-O every year and about 160 products are sold under the Jell-O name.   Jell-O is as much a part of Americana as baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet. By proclamation of the state governor, it is the official state snack of Utah. Residents of Utah eat more Jell-O per capita than anyone else.

Jell-O is an American icon. Since the early days of the company, Jell-O has mastered the technique of successful advertising campaigns. They used well-known artists such as Rose O'Neil, Maxfield Parrish, Cole Philips and Norman Rockwell in their print advertising; Jack Benny, Lucille Ball and Kate Smith in radio advertising and Bill Cosby in their television marketing campaigns.

Wikipedia says powered gelatin was patented 40 years before it was dubbed Jell-O in LeRoy, N.Y.

Gelatin has been well known and used for many years. It was popularized in the Victorian era with spectacular and complex "jelly moulds". Gelatin was sold in sheets and had to be purified, which was very time-consuming. It also made gelatin desserts the province of the relatively well-to-do. In 1845, industrialist Peter Cooper (who built the first American steam-powered locomotive, the Tom Thumb), obtained a patent (US Patent 4084) for powdered gelatin.

Forty years later the patent was sold to a LeRoy, New York-based carpenter and cough syrup manufacturer, Pearle B. Wait. He and his wife May added strawberry, raspberry, orange and lemon flavoring to the powder and gave the product its present name in 1897.

Whether invented in LeRoy or LeRoy was merely the launching pad for one of America's most commercially successful food products, Jell-O has contributed much to life and fame for Genesee County.

Tim Rivers disagrees.

Maybe Jell-O is famous, cute and conjures warm fuzzies about childhood (especially when dolloped with whipped cream). But Jell-O hasn't had the same long-lasting local impact as the muckland in Elba and Byron.

The muck is listed No. 21 in things that made Genesee County famous. The 7,000 acres of muck stretches into Orleans County in Barre and Clarendon. The dark, highly organic soil brought hundreds of hard-working immigrants to the community in the 1920s and 1930s.

...

Unlike Jell-O, the muck is still here, still producing crops, still creating jobs, still unleashing human potential. There are 10 farms today working the muck and those farms continue as community cornerstons. Torrey, Bezon, Yunker, Halat, Starowitz, Vigneri, Mortellaro, Panek, Smith and Shuknecht remain, tilling the soil, planting seeds and harvesting crops.

Well, nothing like a little controversy to close out a months-long instructive and entertain journey through Genesee County history. 

Though, Tom left out another key point: The local ball club ain't called the Jell-O Dogs!

If you've never visited the Jell-O Museum, it's worth the time. Here's the museum's Web site.

A few months ago, Philip produced this video:

Yesterday, we posted an item about planned NYPA rate hikes after the authority had agreed to ship $500 million to the state budget.

Now, with criticism mounting, The Buffalo News reports this morning that the authority may be backing away from its rate increase.

In an e-mail entitled "rate cancel advisory," the power authority scheduled a news conference for this afternoon at the Niagara Power Project for what the e-mail would only say involves "an announcement related to hydropower rates."

...

The development follows a statement from Gov. David A. Paterson Monday that the power authority should halt both a planned rate hike for upstate electricity consumers and any plans to give its 1,500 workers salary bonuses, Monday.

Now if we could just get the NYPA do to something about those 200 Google jobs it cost WNY.

At last night's City Council meeting, council members debated whether to continue a $235-per-month car allowance for the city's top-three employees, WBTA reports this morning.

Councilman Bill Cox suggested that the monthly allowance be changed to a per-mile-driven reimbursement for the city manager, police chief and fire chief. WBTA posts audio of his comments.

Mary Ann Clattendburg spoke in favor of the stipend, saying that removing the allowance would amount to a cut in pay. Here's audio of her comments.

Note, yesterday we picked up an item from WBTA about Wanda Frank being inducted into the GCC Alumni Hall of Fame.  Here's the full press release from GCC:

Genesee Community College is inducting four new members to its Alumni Hall of Fame on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 4:30 pm in the Conable Technology Building, North Lobby at the Batavia Campus.

"The Alumni Hall of Fame serves two important purposes," said Patti Pacino, Alumni Affairs Coordinator. "It recognizes the accomplishments of former students and their exceptional business and civic contributions. And it serves as an example for current students to see these highly successful alumni and know that their remarkable careers began right here at Genesee."

The 2009 Genesee Community College Alumni Hall of Fame inductees are:

Wanda Frank (Class of 1997) - Wanda is currently a radio personality on WBTA 1490 AM radio in Batavia, NY and hosts her own show on Wednesday mornings. Wanda went back to school as an adult student to complete a degree in Theatre Arts from Genesee. She served for 10 years as the executive director of the Genesee Arts Council. She is very active in local community theatre, including Batavia Players, Rotary and Genesee Community College's theatre programs.

Ellen (McCarthy) Ryan (Class of 1976) - Ellen was one of the first supporters of Genesee when it was established in 1965. She completed a Registered Nursing degree and worked for many years at Saint Jerome's Hospital. She was vital to the creation of Hospice Care in the local community and continues to support its efforts. She is active with the Genesee Community College Foundation by attending varying events, as well as supporting two endowed scholarships, the Michael T. Ryan Fund for the Future and the Michael T. and Ellen M. Ryan Scholarship for Excellence.

George E. Schaefer (Class of 1976) - George is currently the clerk of the Norfolk Circuit Court Clerk's Office in Norfolk, Virginia. After obtaining his Bachelor's degree from SUNY Brockport in 1978, he earned his J.D. from Ohio Northern University of Law in 1984, and launched his career in education as a social studies teacher. In the early 1990's, he shifted his profession and began his distinguished tenure within the Virginia legal system. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar Association and the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association. He is very active in his local community, including sitting on various school boards, local churches, and the Knights of Columbus.

Paula (Miller) Schaefer (Class of 1979) - Paula is presently a member of the Virginia House of Delegates 87th District - Norfolk since January 2005. She serves on many committees including the Science and Technology Committee, Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee and the Joint Subcommittee Studying Land Use Development. For several years, Paula was a news reporter and substitute anchor for WTKR-TV 3 in Norfolk, Virginia. She is an active member in the Norfolk community and is a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Past inductees into the Genesee Community College Alumni Hall of Fame include: Joseph H. Bell '79, Monica Dawson '72, Jerry Reinhart '71, Lori Stupp '89, Paula Savage '76, Margaret Weissend '99, Ann M. Bell '88, Steven G. Hyde '82 and Gary Maha '76.

Gina M. Kalish, 41, or Rochester, was stopped by a Border Patrol agent while driving on I-490 through Bergen Monday night after the agent reportedly observed her vehicle moving erratically on the freeway.  Upon further investigation by a Sheriff's deputy, the deputy arrested Kalish for allegedly operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs.

Laurie J. Lerkins, 32, of LeRoy, was arrested Monday for allegedly biting a child on the arm and throwing items at him. Lerkins is charged with harassment in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child. Det. John Gondidorio said the charges stemmed from a January investigation after the 10-year-old child, a relation of Lerkins, developed bruises above his arm and on his head. Det. Gondidorio said, "During the investigation it was alleged that Lerkins, during the course of a disturbance with the child, bit the child on the arm causing a bruised bite mark and also threw items at him striking him in the head, bruising his head."  Lerkins was arraigned in LeRoy Town Court and released on her own recognizance.

Fire units are responding to a "good size" brush fire at 8910 Lehigh Road in the Town of Batavia.

One crew on the scene has reported the fire spreading.

No further information available at this time.

UPDATE: A few minutes after this initial post, crews reported the fire was largely put out and clean up was in process.

View Larger Map

Four-legged critters had the Town of Batavia's public works department scurrying around Monday morning.

First there was the passel of sheep munching on trash in the front yard of a house at 2905 Galloway Road, creating a bit of a traffic hazard.

A dozen sheep and a lamb were spotted chomping garbage shortly after 10 this morning. A cow mooed encouragement from the back yard. Forty-five minutes later only crumbs remained.

A public works employee for the Town of Batavia showed up and said the foragers lived behind the two-story white house and had gotten out of the pen again. Usually the owner's home to round them up, the worker said.

The commotion caused the sheep to mosey away from the road and head toward the rear of the property.

A Sheriff's deputy arrived. They reported shortly thereafter that the wooly ones were shooed into their pen, which was then jerryrigged to stay shut. Hopefully.

Meanwhile, a skunk was lolling about in a park tennis court. On the scanner, authorities considered how best to remove it. One suggested shooting it. Another said it would be saved for lunch, prompting another to recommend roasting the skunk. None of the options were exercised.

The next critter call was about dogs in the road someplace, hampering traffic.
 

Claire Gsell, the 27-year-old daughter of County Manager Jay Gsell, was found dead in her Rochester apartment by her parents on Sunday.

WBTA reported this afternoon that Gsell and his wife became concerned when Claire failed to answer her phone on Sunday.

The cause of death is unknown at this time, but foul play is not suspected, according to Dan Fischer.

Our condolences to the Gsell family.

UPDATE: Mary Pat Hancock, chair of the County Legislature, issued a brief statement to WBTA.