Business

Press release:

Batavia Downs Casino generated more than $11.5 million for education during the first two fiscal quarters of 2012 (January - June), according to the recently released data by the Division of Lottery. As part of Batavia Downs Casino’s ongoing support of New York’s education, 51 percent of Batavia Downs Casino net win is given to the New York Lottery.

“We’re proud to our contributions to New York State Education, year after year," said Mike Kane, president and CEO of Batavia Downs Casino.  “Compared with the revenue generated last year in the same time period, we’re looking at major growth.”

Batavia Downs’ contributions from January – June in 2011 were 9.86 million dollars, making this year’s contribution a 17-percent increase from last year.  Since opening in 2005, Batavia Downs Casino has generated more than $120 million in education funding for New York.

Rep. Kathy Hochul heard a good suggestion from constituents today during an agriculture roundtable she hosted in council chambers at Batavia City Hall: Young people need to be taught more about farming.

Lorna Klotzbach first raised the issue.

In the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District, Klotzbach noted that "there is no FAA and there wasn't when I was in school that I can remember. There are very few teachers with an agricultural background. There is no training for farm careers. There is very little of that in Genesee County altogether."

Klotzbach noted that she's heard students suggest that farm work is really only for illegal immigrants.

"The smartest, most skilled people I've known are farmers and we hold them in such low esteem," Klotzbach said.

Hochul said she could envision supporting some sort of pilot project to help fund agriculture training in local schools and getting support for an informational campaign to elevate farming as a career choice.

Domestically produced food is a key component of national security, said Hochul, who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee.

"Congress has a roll to play in directing funds (to ag training)," Hochul said. "We need to help people embrace the patriotic sense you get from the American family farm. That's what we're all about, the entrepreneurial spirt that this country is built on."

Farm labor was a big part of the morning discussion, with much of it centered on the difficulty farmers have these days in finding qualified, legal labor.

Hochul noted that with the opening soon of the Alpina and Pepsi yogurt plants, the demand on local milk supplies will increase 15 percent, and that doesn't mean more cows and milking parlors. It means more farm workers will be needed.

"If we don’t get more people in this workforce, we’re not going to be able to capitalize on the opportunities that we have right here in Genesee County," Hochul said.

The congresswoman said she is looking at how to move some of the recent refugees -- who are mostly from agrarian countries -- in Rochester and Buffalo to work on Genesee County farms.

There is apparently a growing Burmese immigrant community in Buffalo, with many people from rural communities.

The problem Hochul said she wanted to tackle is transportation, but Matt Lamb said transportation isn't an issue.

"We can house these people," he said.

If the workers are qualified and willing to work, there's work and shelter available for them now.

Klotzbach said that if Burmese workers were going to be brought to Genesee County to work on farms, it needs to be approached in a comprehensive way, with assistance to school districts for appropriate classes and ensuring Burmese families have a chance to retain their culture while assimulating to a new one.

"It doesn’t do any good to bring one Burmese family to Pavilion," she said. That doesn’t work. They need a community."

Hochul said she will look into available options to help find qualified refugee labor and ensure any move of the labor force to the area is done the right way.

Some farmers complained about overzealous U.S. Border Patrol agents, even conducting raids when there was no apparent probable cause for illegal workers being on a property.

Hochul said she's spoken with the director the border patrol and suggested that the Western New York border with Canada has too many agents for the threat level and perhaps some agents should be transferred to Texas or Arizona.

"Our homeland is not in any danger or threat from our farmers," Hochul said. "We need a different attitude."

Eric Betz says he and a lot of his friends are pretty unhappy with what they're seeing in Batavia right now.

Betz wants to do something about it: raise awareness of the dangers of bath salts and send a message that not everybody who enjoys an alternative lifestyle approves of this behavior.

"We don't want people who enjoy their freedom of expression to be equated to these scumbags," Betz said.

He's working on organizing a community event sometime soon that he hopes will bring the community together to rally against bath salts.

He said a few local businesses, such as Bourbon & Burger, Foxprowl Collectables and CPR Computer, have signed on to support the event. Next he wants to talk to the City of Batavia to get permission to hold the event in Austin Park. 

He's also looking for a donation of a car that people can take a whack at with a sledge hammer as a "your brain on bath salts" message.

At $5 a hammer swing, Betz is hoping to raise money for GCASA or another substance abuse program.

Betz, manager and a tattoo artist for Affliction Ink, 440 Ellicott St., Batavia, said "almost every one of my clients is against this crap."

Affliction Ink is owned by Eric Weiss. Both Weiss and Betz are former employees of The Laughing Buddha (440 Ellicott is the Buddha's original location) who left their jobs there, Betz said, because they were concerned about Jason Lang allegedly selling synthetic marijuana. 

Now they're just down the street from 420 Emporium (located at 400 Ellicott St.), which Betz believes has sold bath salts, and he said if they were or are, it's bad for the neighborhood.

People sometimes confuse the two businesses, he said, and he wants to make the distinction clear. Affliction Ink has nothing to do with bath salts, he said, though some people still come into the store looking to buy packages of the narcotic.

"It's getting out of hand," Betz said. "We see people walk by every day high on this stuff. It's disgusting."

One of the big dangers of bath salts, Betz said, is that it makes people paranoid and they might act irrationally, making them a danger not just to themselves but anybody in the community.

"We want to raise awareness about it," Betz said. "I'm tired of hearing people saying they want to leave Batavia because of it. This is my home. I love it here."

Rich Clark of CPR Computers has set up a Facebook page for the planned event, "Let's Beat Bath Salts."

UPDATE: The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 28, at L&L Transmission, 8781 Alexander Road, Batavia.  Additional businesses supporting the event: Neptunes Gardens Pet Shop, Rochester Metal Booking, B-Town Yellow Taxi, My T-Shirts Etc.  Also, I'm told I got Eric's profession wrong. He does piercings for Affliction Ink.

The new LCD-based sign, replacing the old neon sign, atop Batavia Downs was illuminated for the first time Thursday evening.

In California, I didn't see many asphalt driveways. For whatever reason, most homeowners there prefer concrete (weather, I imagine, is a factor).

It didn't take long after moving to Western New York to figure out that here asphalt is the preferred surface for driveways, and if you're a homeowner who takes routine maintenance seriously, you periodically get your driveway sealed.

A couple of years ago I suggested to Scott Kopper, owner of WNY Blacktop Sealers, that I come out to one of his jobs some time and take a few pictures and learn a little bit about why sealing an asphalt driveway is important. This morning, we actually finally got together for one of his jobs.

Here's what he told me: "A blacktop drive way is a big investment and you want to protect that investment. What blacktop sealing does, not only does it look good, but it makes your driveway more resistant to oil, gas leaks, power steering fluid, and it doesn't oxidize as quickly from the sun beating on it, which means it doesn't crack and break as easily. "

I was surprised to learn the sun does more damage to asphalt than winter salt and snow. Winter damage occurs when a driveway does crack and then ice gets into those cracks, expands and makes them worse.

Josh Dibble was helping Scott this morning at a residence on Vine Street.

Projects approved by Genesee County Economic Development Center:

Triple F Services (Falcone Family Funeral): Sales tax exemption on materials, $27,200; mortgage tax exemption, $6,250; property tax exemption, $0. Falcone is planning on investing $602,000 to build a 4,500-square-foot funeral home in the Town of Le Roy. The company is planning to apply for property tax assistance through the Town of Le Roy. Projected new jobs: three.

Upstate Dodge Chrysler and Jeep, Inc.: Sales tax exemption, $24,800; mortgage tax exemption, $0; property tax exemption, $0. Upstate is planning on making a $655,000 investment to renovate an existing building at 125 Prospect St., Attica (Genesee County) and relocate its existing dealership from 15 West Ave., Attica (Wyoming County). Projected new jobs: 17.

Will Greek yogurt mean a boom for local dairy farmers? Marwa Eltagouri takes a look at that question for the Buffalo News.

Local dairy farmers Gordon Offhaus and Dale Stein are featured.

In order to keep up with the Greek yogurt demand, it is estimated that milk produced by Western New York farmers must increase by 15 percent over the next four to five years, said Dave Dean Norton, president of the New York State Farm Bureau.

Since there isn't enough milk in the state right now to feed the Alpina Foods and PepsiCo plants, the plants will have to pay additional costs to freight the milk in from another state, likely Michigan, said Stein, the farmer from Le Roy.

The article is full of useful information to know if this segment of the local economy is important to you.

Workers this morning carefully dismantled the landmark Batavia Downs sign atop the roof of the grandstand of the legendary racetrack.

The neon sign is being replaced with a more energy efficient and less costly LCD sign that has been fabricated to exactly match the lettering of the old sign.

Ryan Hasenauer, marketing director for Western Regional OTB, said officials plan to keep the B and the D from the old sign and display them in some manner on the property, but the future of the remaining letters of the sign has yet to be determined.

Bottom photo: The first two letters of the new sign, time permitting, will be fitted into place some time today.

Joy Hale is this year's winner of the annual Don Carroll's Toys for Kids lottery ticket basket raffle. The basket contained more than $200 in scratchers and gift certificates (not counting potential winnings, of course). Hale's ticket was drawn by Jeff Heubusch, owner of Southside Deli, who donated the lottery tickets. Above, Carroll, left, and Heubusch.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand spent some time in Western New York on Tuesday, including at least two stops in Batavia.

Gillibrand met with area Democratic leaders for lunch at Larry's Steakhouse and then toured the Alpina Products factory under construction at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.

The facility, which will produce Greek yogurt and other dairy products, is nearing completion and should open in late August or September.

Gillibrand said seeing what is happening at the ag park -- which includes construction of a dairy production facility across the road from Alpina by PepsiCo and the Theo Muller Group -- is "really exciting."

"It's such an opportunity for agricultural growth in this region," Gillibrand said. "Not only is Greek yogurt production one of the fastest growing products in New York, but nationwide, and it's so well located with all of our dairies that are so close by. It makes business sense. Not only do we have a great workforce, but we have a great product, so it's going to be exciting to create these jobs, to have this industry grow in Western New York."

While there's been conflicting reports on whether New York dairies can produce enough milk to meet the demands of the new and existing Greek yogurt factories in the state, Gillibrand said she believes the dairies can meet the demand.

She said she has also introduced legislation to help New York's small dairies increase production without driving up their insurance costs.

Currently, if a small dairy wants to add a significant number of milk-producing cows, they're going to hit a cap on production imposed by insurance rules.

Gillibrand's legislation would remove the cap.

"That might give the ability of a small dairy to go up to 300 or 400 cows to meet the needs of their customers," Gillibrand said. "That would make a big difference for these projects."

Yogurt producers, Gillibrand said, don't want the expense of trucking in milk from other states to keep their production lines going and her legislation would keep the local milk flowing, she said, adding that there would be no regulatory burdens for small dairies to grow to meet local demand.

Steve Hyde, CEO of Genesee County Economic Development Center, also introduced Gillibrand to the STAMP project -- the 1,300 acre high-tech/nano-tech park that has been in planning for five years.

The senator took quite an interest in the project. She noted that with New York's previous success in Luther Forest -- the nano-tech corridor developing between Buffalo and Albany -- the surrounding technology-oriented university system, and the investment already made in the project, STAMP has a good chance to attract major manufacturers.

It was a validation of how the community and region came together on the ag park to have Gillibrand in Batavia on Tuesday to tour the Alpina facility.

"It’s really kind of heartwarming because this ag park was really nine-and-a-half years in the making," Hyde said. "Once we found a way to get it all done, get it funded, get it built, having two very significant manufacturing projects land in our back yard – like we talked about today, talk about the multiplier effect, Alpina’s working with OA-T-KA, and Stueben Food and a company in Rochester on packaging -- it’s just really really awesome."

Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District has awarded four more façade improvement grants to its downtown businesses. The recipients are: Kenneth Mistler, owner of City Slickers, 59 Main St.; Rich Clark of CPR (Computer & Phone Repair), 216 E. Main Street; Paul Marchese, Marchese Computer Products, 220 Ellicott St.; and Gerald and Thomas Williams, The Williams Law Firm, 2 Court St. Plaza.    

They received the following matching funds for improvements to their structures: Ken Mistler and City Slickers - $1,944 for new signage on the front and rear of his building; CPR - $286.69 for signage on their frontage; Marchese Computer - $1,205 for signage and gooseneck lighting; and Williams Law Firm - $1,487.50 for awnings on the second floor. These funds were awarded based upon the Business Improvement District’s design guidelines.  

The Batavia Business Improvement District is a not-for-profit, municipal / business incorporated association. It was established back in 1997 by a group of business owners to make improvements above and beyond what the municipality was normally responsible for.

B.I.D. provides programs, events and economic benefits to more than 190 downtown property owners and tenants. It has contributed greatly to the renewed vitality of downtown, the preservation of the character of its structures and development of its streetscapes.

According to Don Burkel, downtown manager, these improvements demonstrate a long-term commitment by these business owners to downtown and positive steps for its future. Eighty-seven businesses within the district have benefitted from this program and received more than $323,380 in funding. You also have to consider that these businesses have reinvested in total project costs of over $2,450,935 in Batavia’s downtown, which is pretty impressive.

Frank Kulikowski has been planning and preparing to open his own design studio since 2008.

The Batavia native graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2005, worked in the design field with other companies, designed and patented a product that's sold on QVC and then returned to Batavia with the idea of taking all he's learned and opening his own business.

Kulikowski did that this week when he opened Frankly Design at the corner of Ellicott Street and Otis Street. (His shop is right behind Foxprowl Collectables and Affliction Ink -- decades ago, the building was the location of Ellicott Street Manor, a restaurant owned by Kulikowski's grandfather.)

Frankly Design's services include logo creation, complete design services for business branding and marketing, laser engraving and product design.

Laser engraving and product design are two areas in which Kulikowski believes he can carve out a unique niche in Batavia.

Kulikowski said he can engrave any sort of wood, glass or other hard surface with logos or messages of personal interest -- such as a headstone for a deceased pet or a cutting board as a custom anniversary or wedding present, or companies and sports organizations might need glass or acrylic awards.

Fans of QVC might recognize Kulikowski's most successful product design project. In 2008, Kulikowski came up with the Tilt-Pot. It's a pot with a pivoting strainer. The design gives cooks an easy way to boil food, such as pasta, and then drain the water without losing any food or getting scalded.

There's no other product design studio in Batavia, Kulikowski said, and he has the background and knowledge to help a product idea get from a concept to a design on paper and finally a prototype that can be shown to companies that might build or market the product.

"I like taking products and making something that’s never been made before," Kulikowski said. "It’s like, ‘Why don’t they make it this way?’ and then take it to the next step, make a prototype, pitch it to companies."

Kulikowski's new business is located at 440 Ellicott St., Batavia, and his phone number is (585) 343-6336.

Officials with Western Regional OTB, Batavia Downs and invited guests were in Rochester today for a ribbon cutting and unveiling of the work done so far on the new marquee signs for Batavia Downs.

The work is being completed by Premier Sign Systems.

Ryan Hasenauer, director of marketing for Batavia Downs, provided the pictures.

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center is pleased to announce that Urgent Care Services will open at the Jerome Center located at 16 Bank St., Batavia on July 2. Urgent Care will be co-located with Laboratory and Medical Imaging Services.

Urgent Care services are a cost effective and convenient way for patients to receive quality medical care when their primary care physician is unavailable and they do not want to spend time waiting in an emergency room to be treated for a non-life-threatening injury or illness. Co-payments for urgent care are typically less than emergency room co-pays.

UMMC’s Urgent Care Center in Batavia will be well equipped to treat a variety of ailments, including sprains and fractures; cuts and lacerations, animal and insect bites and stings, cold and influenza symptoms; ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, urinary tract infections, asthma, sore throats/strep and mono and influenza vaccines.

Urgent Care at the Jerome Center will be supported by United Memorial’s state-of-the-art medical imaging services, the most advanced in Genesee County. The Jerome Center is conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Batavia. It offers handicap accessibility, convenient parking, a gift shop and refreshment kiosk.

In July 2010, United Memorial opened Genesee County’s first Urgent Care Center at 3 Tountas Ave., Le Roy. There were more than 5,000 patient visits to the Urgent Care Center in Le Roy during 2011. This volume had no noticeable impact on the number of emergency room patients treated at United Memorial during the same time period.

Both Urgent Care centers will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

Jeremy Yasses really misses those Friday afternoon lunches with his dad at St. Nick's, and after a while, he figured the only way he was going to get them back was if he bought the building on South Swan Street, Batavia, and provided the help to reopen it.

Today, Yasses closed on his $40,000 purchase, which included the contents of the building.

At 6 p.m., June 24, Yasses will host a meeting at the St. Nicholas for anybody who is interested in talking about forming a new club.

So far, he said, many former St. Nick's members have expressed interest in getting the club going again.

Yasses has also tried contacting former Elks Lodge members about sharing the space, but so far the response from the Elks has been cool.

"I'm willing to give free rent or a free lease for some period of time," Yasses said. "I really want to get the club going again. If that doesn't happen, well, OK, I have other people interested in the building."

Yasses said there are doctors interested in the space, or it might work for a veterinarian's office, and of course with all the space, the kitchen and large parking lot, it would also work for a restaurant. Whatever the space becomes, Yasses said, it needs to fit the zoning for the sake of the residential neighbors.

Recently, Yasses renovated a house at 38 Montclair St., Batavia, that he purchased out of an estate sale. Prior to that, he renovated a house on Ellicott Street that he purchased at a city tax lien auction.

"I've gotten only positive feedback (from city officials) on the properties I'm going to flip or renovate," Yasses said.

He said the initial feedback from the city has been supportive of his purchase and plans for the St. Nick's building.

Officially, if the new club is formed, it can't be known as the St. Nicholas Club. That business name has too many judgements against it and there are too many vendors that won't work with that business any longer.

Still, Yasses is hopeful the club -- if not in name, at least in spirit -- can be revived.

"I was a member, my dad was a member and my granddad was a member," Yasses said. "My idea is if we can get 300 members -- I believe they had 500 or 600 members when they shut down -- get 300 members to give $100, that's 30 grand. That will get the place going."

Genesee County Economic Development Center has approved the following projects for development incentives:

Batavia Animal Hospital (Perry Vet), 3699 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, is constructing a new 6,300-square-foot facility behind its current building. The project will receive a sales tax exemption of $76,960, a mortgage tax exemption of $16,250 and a property tax exemption of $80,994. Perry Vet is investigating $1.733 million in the project. The project will create five new jobs and retain 11 jobs.

Merrill Lynch, 24 Masse Place, Batavia, is moving into new office space. Merrill Lynch is receiving a $13,360 sales tax exemption. The company's total investment is $867,000. The project will create 16 new jobs.

Genesee & Mohawk Railroad - GVT, 100 Evans St., Batavia, is adding a 2,800-square-foot headquarters building next to a 31,000-square-foot transload warehouse constructed in 2008 for $2 million. The headquarters project will receive $13,600 in sales tax exemption, $3,750 mortgage tax exemption and $42,762 property tax exemption.The company is investing $360,000. The project will create two new jobs and retain 19.

Le Roy Motors, 7000 W. Main Road, Le Roy, is expanding its current facility by 2,400 square feet and renovating its interior. Le Roy Motors will receive $33,600 sales tax exemption, $9,375 mortgage tax exemption and a $29,631 property tax exemption. The company is investing $785,000. The project will create three new jobs and retain 35 jobs.

If you happened by GCC this morning and saw the entire fleet of Turnbull Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration trucks on the parking lot -- no, the college was not undergoing some sort of massive HAVC overhaul.

Owner Bill Hayes, rather, had his entire crew out at the BEST Center this morning getting customer service training.

It's one of several programs offered by BEST to local businesses. Customer service is available to individuals or companies, which can bring their entire staff in for training that's specific to the company, Director Ray Chaya said.

"Sometimes, the best customer service is just better internal communication," Chaya said.

The training not only helps employees communicate with each other better, but with customers, and it stresses the importance of product knowledge, and dealing with customers who might be impatient or irritated.

Chaya said good customer service can also lead to more sales -- when employees have good product knowledge and know how to communicate what they know, it helps customers see the benefits of upgraded purchases.

"You want good customer service because you want people to come back, and word of mouth will help get new customers," Chaya said, "but more knowledge can also lead to more sales."

While Turnbull has long had a reputation for good customer service, Hayes said he's never put his employees through this sort of training before. He called the training program a "Turnbull Tune-Up."

"Nobody is perfect," Hayes said. "There's always room for improvement. We never want to fall down on customer service one iota."

"The BEST Center has some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people and that's what they do -- they help businesses and people be better themselves. That's why it's the BEST Center."

It was scary, Hayes said, to completely shut down his business for half a day, but it was worth it. His answering service reported back that customers understood.

"Who would have thought when we scheduled this four months ago for a heating and air conditioning company, it would have been the hottest day of the year," Hayes said.

"My employees came out of there feeling very comfortable about where they need to go from here with customer service," Hayes added.

Three-year-old Sam Stisser of Le Roy, enjoys a juicy, fresh strawberry just off the stem at Duyssen Family Farm in Le Roy. Sam was there to pick strawberries with his mother, Kari, who said she brings her three kids out to the farm a few times during the week during strawberry season.

Below, Carissa Graham, 4, was also out at the farm picking strawberries with her mother.

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in hospitals. The accreditation award recognizes United Memorial’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s advanced standards.

United Memorial underwent a rigorous unannounced on-site survey in late January 2012. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated UMMC for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

"Achieving Joint Commission accreditation, demonstrates United Memorial’s commitment to the highest level of care for our patients," said Mark C. Schoell, CEO of United Memorial. "With Joint Commission accreditation, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Achieving Joint Commission accreditation, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”

The Joint Commission’s hospital standards address important functions relating to the care of patients and the management of hospitals. The standards are developed in consultation with health care experts, providers, measurement experts and patients.

United Memorial has received accreditation for three years, from January 28, 2012 to January 27, 2015.