Buffalo Pundit links to a story about the economic hard times in Detroit and draws a comparison with Western New York.

From the Time.com story:

When a state lives with a story line of decline for so long, it doesn’t just affect the mood. It becomes part of the culture. Whereas America’s history has been one of expanding horizons, yours has become funnel-shaped. Much like the postbellum South, Rust Belt culture looks backward at an idealized past–a nostalgia not for plantations but for three-bedroom houses paid up on blue collar salaries. (See pictures of the remains of Detroit.)

“It used to be you could get a job at one of those factories, even without an education, and make a decent living to support your family,” says letter carrier Dina Schueller, 33, of Saranac. Now her husband has been laid off from his construction job, and her brother moved to Maryland for work. Like many left-behind Michiganders, she’ll be seeing fewer family members this season.

We've had discussions about the future of Western New York before, and I know some people are skeptical that the local economy can ever grow again, but when you look at efforts to bring new manufacturing businesses to Batavia and Alabama, for example, then it's hard not to be hopeful that renewed growth is a real possibility.

WNY has a lot going for it, such as natural resources, open spaces, an available work force, affordable housing.  There's no reason there can't be a renaissance of sorts.

Philip visited the Genesee County Economic Development Council today and is working on a post now about some of the things GCEDC is doing to help expand business opportunities in the county.

Sean Dobbin, with Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle, spent some time out at Graham Corp. recently. He put together a fine piece on the Batavia manufacturer.

Following a recent drop in the company's stock price, Graham Corp. executives set up a guided tour of the facilities Wednesday for six potential investors.

From that article:

(Chief Executive Officer Jim) Lines told the group, which was a mix of financial advisory executives and private investors, that the company didn't adequately prepare for the economic downturn, citing improper staffing as the reason for some of Graham's struggles. But the company is in the midst of overhauling its in-house processes in hopes of emerging from the recession stronger.

Dobbin picked up on a sense of optimism among the investors.

Investors seemed impressed with Graham's presentation, which included lunch and a question-answer session with the executives. Some saw Graham's stock as a potential bargain. "It was probably too high at $54, but then it got all the way down to $6.85, and now it sounds like it's too cheap," said Gary Lindsley, a private investor from Clyde, Ohio.

The article also includes a couple of good photographs.

Genesee County sheriff's deputies are seeking a "person of interest" relating to yesterday's bomb scare at Genesee Community College. Deputies first received the call yesterday at 12:34pm that a student at the college had received a text message stating that a bomb had been placed inside the school's library that was set to go off at 1:00pm. Deputies and state police arrived on scene to evacuate everyone from the college while they investigated the threat, which was later determined not credible. We spoke with Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster this morning. He informed us that the sheriff's office knows the identity of the perpetrators, they have been interviewed, and arrests will soon be made.

UPDATE: The Daily has an updated story this morning on the bomb threat.  No arrest yet.

Martin A. Miller, 48, of Le Roy, was charged with a felony count of third-degree grand larceny and a felony count of first-degree scheme to defraud, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Earlier this week, Scott DeSmit of the Daily News reported on the several complaints received by the office that Miller's contracting firm had collected payment without rendering services. Miller was arrested on the specific accusation that he had taken $3,800 to repair a roof in Alexander and failed to do so. Miller is also accused of accepting money from other homeowners in Genesee County and some surrounding counties. He allegedly also failed to perform the work stated in those contracts. Miller was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.

Keith O. Patterson, 53, of 17 Clifton Ave., Batavia, was charged with felony driving while intoxicated Tuesday night, sheriff's deputies said. Patterson was seen driving on Route 5 in the town of Batavia and swerving several times over the lane lines. Patterson was also ticketed with failure to keep right and moving from the lane unsafely. He was sent to Genesee County Jail without bail.

Jon H. Bush Jr., 25, of Elba, was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment last Thursday, deputies said. Bush is accused of pushing a woman over a log causing her ankle to break.

The Genesee County Legislature approved next year's budget with little comment last night, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. The property tax rate will remain the same at $9.82 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Investigators are citing an overheated furnace as the cause of a fire that gutted a home on Fisher Park yesterday morning. The total damage was figured at $85,000.

The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign in Batavia has a little more than halfway to go to reach its fundraising goal for the season. So far, the group's volunteers have taken in $31,000. They have two weeks left to reach $65,000.

Here's one of the more interesting free classifieds placed on The Batavian yet:

I am will to trade charges from the Batavia Police for the return of the brown box that was stolen from my truck on Friday night.

Here's to hoping Richard Clark of Alexandar is able to make the swap.

For any of our readers who stopped by our booth at Christmas in the City and answered the question on video of "What Christmas means to you?" and you're wondering why we haven't posted that video ... truth is, I lost it.

I remember just before leaving the office, I stuck the tape in my jacket poket, but didn't have it the next afternoon when I went to edit the video.  I was afraid, or hoped, I left in my truck, which I took in for service Saturday morning and didn't get back until last night.

It wasn't in the truck.

So I double checked the office.

Today, I stopped in at Sunny's, where Hilly and I went for dinner that night, to see if it fell out of my pocket there -- no luck.

Well, there's always next year ...

A double-occupancy residence at the corner of Elm and Fisher Park was gutted in a fire that was reported at 7:40 a.m.

Both families evacuated themselves without incident according to Batavia Fire Chief Thomas Dillon, who said the fire was a hard one to fight because of the age of the building.

No injuries, either to the families or firefighters, were reported.

We'll have a video interview with the chief posted within an hour. (as you can see, video now up) The Daily News has three photos posted, but no additional information.

UPDATE: Here's a Google Street view of the location.

View Larger Map

UPDATE II:  Photo of the aftermath:

Google has recently updated their Maps with Street View for Batavia. Here are a few places of interest:

City Hall

Present Tense Bookstore

Holland Land Office

Genesee Community College

 It's fun to see if you can find your car or someone you know walking the streets. What do you think, is this an invasion of privacy?

After months of "we'll have a web site soon" -- some tell us years -- the Batavia Daily News finally does. 

The site launched some time in the past two hours.

The site, hosted by Town News, which is a favorite content management system used by many small publishers, is rather basic.  The platform offers limited ability for big news packages or posting breaking news.

But the daily will offer comments on stories, at least for now. However, the registration process is rather lengthy and submissions are held in a moderation queue pending approval, a process often used by papers on Town News, but tends to inhibit community conversation.

We'll see if the comment I just left on a Joanne Beck story gets posted!

Of course, Daily News staffers are always welcome to leave comments on The Batavian.

Many people have asked me what the launch of the Daily News site means for The Batavian. To me, it only bodes well.  The Daily is going to help create more community interest in local online news, which means many, many more people will find The Batavian and like the different way we handle news.

Go take a look at the site and let us know what you think of it.

UPDATE: They did publish my comment ... at least for now.

Festivities at this year's Christmas in the City were fervid enough to warm the people of Batavia inside and out, despite the frigid winds and snow that whipped down Main Street from time to time throughout the evening.

"It was the best one we've had so far," said Lynn Garlock, owner of Grugnale's deli and restaurant on Jackson Street. "At one point we were so busy, I thought we were going to have to start a waiting list. All the tables were filled up."

Sandwiches, subs and salads were churned out en masse. Clarinets, flutes and a capella vocals were on hand to serenade the diners. All the while, you could hear the steady clop clop as a horse and buggy trotted past the storefront, carting its mittened passengers on downtown.

Garlock was particularly taken with the talents of the Bluebells, a group of about six or seven young female vocalists from Batavia's middle and high schools. In fact, she was so fond of their singing that she has asked them back.

"We liked them so much, we're going to have them come sing during lunch," she said.

Don Burkel told us that this year was a raging success. Burkel is the director of the downtown Business Improvement District, the event's sponsor. No less than 43 vendors came out to set up a table and wares in the Batavia City Centre. Not bad, considering most years the event doesn't draw many more than 30 or so, said Burkel. Add to that all of the downtown shops who stayed put, hosted musicians and held sales.

"We had a record number of vendors," said Burkel. "It was good to see a nice turnout. ... We need to support these business people. That's the key in this economy."

Garlock's praise is typical of the business owners who participated in the event this year, whether they hosted carolers or set up in the mall. Passers-by were treated to a warm cup of chili out front of Adam Miller's Toy and Bicycle.

"We had a great night," said John Roche, the store's owner. "We had a lot of traffic, a lot of people in. And, the chili was really good."

People especially enjoyed the entertainment from the carolers and other musicians who rotated in and out of the store all evening, he said. He didn't spot a single empty seat in the horse and buggy all night.

Of course, you might not know the event was such a success—that is, if you saw the article that ran in the Daily News Saturday. Two photos ran with the article. One depicts a short stretch of Main Street out front of the mall entrance. The sidewalk is empty. The street is lined with parked cars. The caption reads: "Cold temperatures drove people off the streets during the annual Christmas in the City Friday downtown."

That can't be entirely true. A frequent contributor to The Batavian, Daniel Cherry, was not only out in the cold, but documenting the night's festivities—he posted several of his photos to the site. Cherry even snapped a few photos of the horse and buggy, which we're told ran until well after the event officially ended because so many people came out to take a ride.

As for the other photo that ran with the article, a shot inside the mall, the people in the picture are so distorted because of the poor quality of the image, that it is more likely to excite pity than joy.

One Attica resident is even quoted as saying that this Christmas in the City was "terrible." Terrible!? Despite the hundreds of people who were crowded into the mall concourse throughout the evening, she goes on to say that: "There's hardly anyone here." She also laments that there isn't enough "free" stuff.

Not everyone agreed, however. One Batavia resident judged the mall "full" of people. Another felt that "people were more excited this year."

I say we practice a little bit of that gratitude we boned up on over the Thanksgiving holiday. We may be a little too quick to stuff that altruism back down the dirty stocking of the rest of the year. Christmas in the City sure saw a lot of folks come out. There was free chili, free bread, free horse and buggy rides, free entertainment all over downtown. Santa danced around a stage in the mall with his chipper, glittered elves. So yeah, I say it was a success. How about you?

Photos taken by Brian Hillabush.

Over the next few days, we will take a closer look at the credit market here in Genesee County. Much has been made in the mainstream national media about the "credit freeze" now faced from businesses across the board. Banks aren't lending to other banks, which, in turn, aren't lending to the clients, be they consumers or producers. Everyone, we're told, is feeling the pinch, and lending is rare, if and when it's happening at all. We hope to find out how true that is here in our own region by chatting with those in the know, the sources and go-betweens of those supposedly hard-to-get loans: the auto dealers, the bankers, real estate agents and restaurateurs.

In today's contribution, we will hear from a pair of auto dealers on the availability—and unavailability—of loans in the county...

Harry Zigrossi owns the Zigrossi auto dealership on East Main Street in Batavia. We spoke with him by phone last week.

"It was a very weak November," he said. "There has been a dramatic slowdown in the percentage of approvals... Banks are very tight. Less people are seeking out vehicles."

Zigrossi attributes the slowdown to two factors: Doubt that a consumer would even be approved for a loan, and, if they are approved, worry that the interest rate will be high, if not excessive.

Yes, there are alternatives to financing through the dealership, Zigrossi admits. There are credit unions, local banks. "We have lending institutions," he said. "There are places to apply, but the likelihood of approvals at desirable rates has diminished."

As an example of the tightening credit lines, Zigrossi cites GMAC Financial Services, the financing arm of the GMC dealers. Zigrossi deals in Pontiac, Buick and GMC autos, and acquires much of the funding for his customers through GMAC.

"Their minimum score for approval is 700," he said. "That's pretty selective in my opinion. A couple months ago, approval was based on credit worthiness. There was no set number in the past. ... GMAC's position is: 'We lost several hundred million (dollars) last year. We have very limited funds.'"

You could call it the trickle down economics of the credit crisis. GMAC has a tough time getting its loans—"their ability to borrow is limited," as Zigrossi puts it—so anyone seeking loans from GMAC will have a tough time, as well. It's simple math: you've got so many people seeking loans via so many lines of credit. If the lines of credit are diminished, as Zigrossi indicates, but the same number of people are seeking loans... there's just not enough to go around.

Ken Barrett cites such logic as a reason why some folks may not even bother applying for a loan. Barrett owns Ken Barrett Chevrolet-Cadillac on West Main Street in Batavia.

"We haven't, at this point, had much difficulty, if any, arranging financing for our customers," said Barrett by phone last week. "What I can't really qualify is if there are a cadre of customers that are self-excluding themselves. In other words, based on what they hear in the news media, they're not even going through the process. But I don't have any empirical evidence to say if that's the case. It's more of a gut feel."

In a recent article that ran in the Daily News on the possibility of an auto industry bailout, Barrett was quoted: "I don't think business conditions in Genesee County reflect what we're hearing in the national media. Of all the business people I've talked to, not one has said their business is really bad."

Barrett said that the people of Western New York are the reason business is doing well, as he sees it. We've got smart, responsible consumers.

"In Genesee County, people pay their bills," he said. "Maybe because of the way we're brought up, we dont live excessively beyond our means as other parts of the country may be experiencing. As a community, we pay our bills."

But consumers are only one half of the equation in Barret's estimate. He's also quick to talk up his business practices as one good reason why his dealership is not "having much difficulty" in the midst of this recession.

"We've never aggresively targeted sub-prime activities," said Barrett. "Some dealers really developed that business. Now they're seeing a precipitous slide in their business."

However optimistic a note Barrett might ring for the local auto dealers, the situation doesn't look so rosy elsewhere in the country. From a New York Times article, by Clifford Krauss:

In October alone, 20,000 employees of auto dealerships lost their jobs nationwide, more than half of those who were newly unemployed in the retail trade, according to the Labor Department... And now the credit market—the lifeblood of any car dealership—is frozen.

More than merely a question of credit, however, Krauss hones in on the cultural value of the "small town" dealership, and the further consequences hinted at by the loss of jobs and the tightening of credit. Barrett is right to tout best business practices as a key to remaining financially solvent. But it's not all business...

The auto dealers are not just businesses, of course. Most of them are deeply rooted in their communities, and each is a slice of Americana—their big flags flying, their radio advertisements compelling attention and their Little League sponsorships and other charity helping to improve the lives of local people.

What about you? Have you tried to purchase a car recently and been declined? Approved? Has the ostensible credit freeze iced your chances at getting a loan? How would you feel about the loss of a longtime local dealership: Just another business that couldn't make it? Or much more than that?

After all, no one ever sings: "Drove a Hyundai to the levy..."

The Batavia Players will be presenting the show "Child's Christmas Quilt", on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 at Genesee Community College. The shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. on those nights.

The 10th Winter Theatre Celebration is directed by Patrick D. Burke and will feature the All City Children's Choir.

Tickets are just $5 and are sold at Go Art! at 201 East Main St. in Batavia and at the door at the Stuart Steiner Theature at GCC.

You can get more information on the show by calling 585-343-9313 ex. 31.

Joanne Beck covered last night's meeting of the Batavia City Council in a pair of articles in today's Daily News. Both stories—a parking ban on Oak Street and a discussion on changing the city's system for payment of trash collection—were featured on WBTA this morning. The Batavian referenced both articles in our morning news roundup.

Genesee County sheriff's deputies are looking into a string of complaints about a contractor not providing services that were paid for in advance. Lakeside Home Beautification, operated by Martin A. Miller, is based in Stafford. One homeowner, Jennifer Taberski, told Scott DeSmit that she paid Miller $3,800 to fix their roof in June. Nothing has yet been done, and her money was never returned, she claims. "He basically kidnapped my money," she said. Another homeowner was recently refunded their $1,750 after Miller allegedly failed to repair a roof.

DeSmit reports:

Miller, 48, served two one-year jail terms from a criminal case in Wyoming County.

He pleaded guilty in 2002 to four counts of petit larceny for scheming people out of more than $12,000.

Sheriff's deputies are encouraging anyone with information about Miller, or anyone looking to make a complaint, to contact them at (585) 343-5000.

In other news, Virginia Kropf put together a folksy piece on five Albion families who got together Monday for a reunion of their golden retrivers, all of which—unbeknownst to the owners—came from the same Valentine's Day litter. Interesting.

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

Batavia residents will continue to pay for trash collection through their property taxes... at least, for now, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. City Council took up the issue last night, debating whether it might not make more sense to switch to a non-exempt fee system. Fischer cites an example brought up by Councilman Sam Barone last night who said that the Genesee ARC costs the city $900,000 per year in trash collection, yet the group is exempt because of its non-profit status. Council will take up the issue again in April.

Eight property owners from Oak Street told the City Council last night that they oppose the state's proposal to reduce that street from four to three lanes, one heading north, one south, and one that would be used for turning only. A public informational meeting will be held on the proposal on December 18.

When Chris Lauzze filled out information for his University at Buffalo football profile, he put that one of his dreams was to play in a bowl game.

After red-shirting one year, Lauzze is a fifth year senior at UB and now that dream is going to come true as the Bulls will be playing in the International Bowl on Jan. 3. It is the first Bowl game UB has played in since becoming a Division I school in 1999.

"This is really amazing," said Lauzze, who is a Pembroke graduate. "I said on my profile that it was my goal to play in a bowl game. It's kind of fun to accomplish that. It wasn't the easiest trip - there was a lot of losing in my first three years, but to win a MAC championship and go to a bowl game is huge."

Lauzze graduated from Pembroke in 2003 when he led the Dragons to a share of the Genesee Region League title. He is one of the most dominant offensive lineman ever to come out of the GR.

He redshirted his freshman year and worked out with the UB scout team. Lauzze spent the next season working with the scout team, but was considered a freshman on the team.

As a sophomore, he appeared in five games, and then earned the back-up center position in his junior year. He played in 11 games that year and was the team's long-snapper.

"It was kind of a weird situation," Lauzze said. "I was going into winter workouts last January and I was competing with another kid. During spring ball I was battling with him and after spring I had a meeting with coach (Turner) Gill, and he said I was the clear-cut winner. That was a great thing."

Lauzze has been the team's center all season long as the Bulls compiled a 7-5 record en route to earning a trip to the MAC title game. Buffalo shocked previously undefeated Ball State 42-24 to claim the first title since joining D1.

"It was real crazy because we were big underdogs," Lauzze said of playing the 12th ranked team in the nation. "I keep thinking about how far we've come, with this being my fifth year here. It is crazy."

A big reason why the Bulls have turned around is coach Turner Gill, who has completely turned the program around.

Buffalo had won just 10 games in seven years before Gill was hired. The Bulls went 2-10 in his first year, then 5-7 last season. UB had not won five or more games since 1996, when the team went 8-3 while playing a Division I-AA schedule.

Gill - who is one of just three black head coaches to lead a Division I team - is now getting serious looks from a lot of schools. He played football and was an assistant coach on NCAA championship teams at the University of Nebraska. 

The head coaching job was open for the Cornhuskers last year and Gill was one of the top candidates. Right now he is being considered as a top choice for the Syracuse and Auburn jobs.

"He brought a different attitude to the (UB) program," Lauzze said. "In terms of building relationships with players, he did that. He brought in new coaches and a new system. He's a players coach, I'd say."

Lauzze has been taking one class this semester, finishing up his business degree. He already has job offers and is continuing to look for what's best for his future.

But right now, he's enjoying being one of the few Genesee Region League athletes to play sports at the Division I level.

"There aren't that many guys playing college football at any level." Lauzze said. "Many guys play Division III for a year and then quit. To play Division I and start in my final year is definitely rewarding."

Last week, we asked readers to consider what one project Batavia should pursue if the funding were in the bag, no strings attached. Batavia's City Council President Charlie Mallow called for the resurrection of the city's old plans for reconstruction of the Masse-Harvester industrial complex downtown. We were curious to hear more of these plans, so we sought further information. Here's what we've found out so far.

Let's start with the graphic, shall we...

This swank boulevard would be the view from the ground in the midst of the "Industrial Powerhouse Square," otherwise known as the "Swan Masse Village" in Batavia's Central Corridor between Harvester and Swann streets downtown.

From the original project proposal:

Overall, the goal in this project area was to rejuvenate the Swan Masse Village, as it once was a renowned downtown industrial hub and “business incubator.” The plan introduces separate structures of mixed-use light industrial, commercial and housing with an urban appeal and vibrancy that consists of lighting, pavement enhancements, pedestrian pathways, open space and streetscape amenities. Central to the development was keeping the powerhouse intact for two important reasons: 1) to keep costs down by retaining the boiler system for the nearby structures that rely upon it, and 2) to strengthen the image as an industrial center as well as maintain the historical integrity and sense of place.

This "downtown hub" of mixed-use structures, tree-lined avenues and "streetscape amenities" would rise from the ashes—or in this case the demolished rubble—of some 40 acres of vacant land and crumbling infrastructure. It would look something like this:

We've been informed that the Genesee County Economic Development Corp. is looking into potential state grants totalling some $2.7 million that would be used for the city's Central Corridor. Other grant opportunities are being researched by the city, as well. Whether or not anything like this plan for the Swan Masse Village would be part of those plans remains to be seen.

What do you think? Would this be a wise way to remake the city's Central Corridor? Would it provide the spark to send Batavia into its renaissance? Do we need more? Less?

Click here to download the plans.

Last month, the state Department of Transportation came to the Batavia City Council with a proposal to transform Oak Street from four lanes to three and use the center lane for turns only, according to the Daily News. At least one Oak Street resident, Carol Grasso, plans to oppose that proposal because it would mean that vehicles would no longer be able to park on the street. (Parking is currently allowed, save between the hours of 7:00 to 9:00am and 4:00 to 6:00pm.) Grasso will voice her disapproval of the project at this evening's Council meeting.

In other news, this year's Toys for Tots campaign has kicked off for the season. Wal-Mart in Batavia will host a collection this Saturday and Sunday. Other barrels will be out for collection at the Genesee County Career Center, the Batavia City Fire Department, HSBC Bank and Hospital Heart Rehab Center. Call Ed Weiss at (585) 343-8279 if you would like to donate or to find out how your business can host a collection barrel.

Crossroads House will remain closed temporarily for construction and to allow the home to potentially locate a new full-time director and better organize its internal management. Crossroads, a "comfort home for the terminally ill," is funded almost exclusively by public donations. The group hopes to be back open soon.

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