The Alexander girls basketball team earned the top seed in Class C because the team has so many solid players. Rachel Pettys is without a doubt one of them.

The senior forward led a big second half rebounding effort to lead the Trojans to a 65-44 win over No. 9 Lyndonville Wednesday.

Pettys had 11 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the contest.

"Rachel is everywhere," Alexander coach Marcia Hirsch said. "She had an amazing game tonight and really is the heartbeat of our team, along with Anna Dominick. They work and do what it takes. They are on the floor and fighting for every rebound."

Alexander was on the losing side of the rebounding numbers at the half by 10, but had an eight board advantage after the third quarter.

"They haven't been outrebounded yet this year," Hirsch said. "We have a sticker board in the locker room and they get a sticker every time they outrebound somebody. They take a lot of pride in their rebounding."

The Trojans had a very slim 12-11 lead after the first quarter and a 27-20 lead at halftime, but outscored the Tigers 20-9 in the third to pull away.

Dominick led all scorers with 15 points as all five Alexander starters finished in double figures.

Anni Lehtola had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists with Katie Kochmanski and Chelsea Turcer getting 10 points apiece.

Samantha Skryp and Molly Burgess had 10 points each for Lyndonville, which ends up 10-12.

Alexander (16-4) will face No. 4 Lyons (11-9) in the semifinals at Pittsford Sutherland.

Hirsch hasn't seen the Lions play this season, but will be doing her homework over the next couple of days. But she also says that once you get to this level, it is all about how your team performs.

"Sometimes you just have to play and not worry about the other team," Hirsch said.

Sonny Giuliano's name gets tossed around as one of the top players in the Genesee Region League for good reason.

The junior point guard - that looks and plays like a forward - had a huge game in leading Elba to a 53-50 win over visiting Wheatland-Chili in the first round of the Section 5 Class D1 tournament Wednesday.

Giuliano dropped in a game-high 23 points with 10 rebounds and three assists to lead the Lancers on to the second round.

"He had a nice basketball game," Elba coach Rick Pcionek said. "He was solid all the way through and hit some clutch free throws when we needed him to come through. He's been clutch all year."

Elba didn't have a pass in the opening round as a 16-12 first quarter lead turned into a 30-29 deficit at halftime. But Elba had a 14-11 advantage in the third quarter and 10-9 in the fourth.

The win came right down to the wire and Elba's big stars turned in clutch performances. Phil Ostroski hit one of two foul shots and Giuliano hit both in the final minute of play to turn a 50-50 game into a win.

The Lancers were definitely tested in the opening round.

"They have some guys that can play," Pcionek said. "I think they have some guys that are young and that plays a lot into their record."

Ostroski had another solid game with 11 points and six rebounds while Dan Ramsey added 12 points.

Garhett Varin had 16 points with Alex Stryker adding 13 for the Wildcats (4-15).

Elba (12-9) will face either Keshequa or Genesee Valley on Saturday. No results from that game are available Wednesday night.

"Each round definitely gets harder," Pcionek said. "Teams don't want to lose and everybody is trying that much harder. Nobody wants their season to end. I take my hat off to Wheatland-Chili because they didn't want their season to end tonight."

Another Daily News article by Joanne Beck that takes up the issue of the assistant city manager's salary has got tempers flaring on the newspaper's Web site. Beck authored an article a couple weeks back in which she was accused of sexism for questioning why Sally Kuzon is being paid $24,000 more per year than past assistants.

In today's article, Beck writes:

City Councilmen Bob Bialkowski, Bill Cox and Rose Mary Christian say they want answers about how the assistant manager's salary was established. The total of about $84,000 includes a $2,820 car allowance, according to information provided to The Daily News.

There has never been a car allowance for an assistant manager before, Christian said. She questions why there's one for Assistant Manager Sally Kuzon, a Williamsville resident who was granted a residency waiver.

The article, which is interesting and well-written, has already garnered more than a dozen comments (and climbing) on the site.

We have still not received the information we requested from the city two weeks ago, when we filed a Freedom of Information Law request to view the salaries for all city employees for the current year, the project year and the past year. We were informed that it would take until March 30 to compile the information.

Sen. Charles Schumer, in tandem with newly appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, issued nearly twenty press releases this morning on funding earmarked for upstate New York communities in the upcoming federal omnibus bill. None of that money has yet been tagged for projects in Genesee County, at least not according to the announcements out of Schumer's office. Buffalo and Niagara Falls were both listed as recipients of significant funding.

Buffalo was awarded $950,000 for its Main Street revitilization project. Niagara Falls will receivie $950,000 to ramp up its "international railway station." Tack on funding for university and medical projects, railway infrastructure and tourism, and the funding level for the greater Buffalo region tops $3 million.

From an article in the Buffalo News this morning:

The money for Buffalo and Niagara Falls will be included in an omnibus federal spending bill funding government operations through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill today, with Senate consideration set for next week.

Rochester also looks to benefit. The George Eastman House is on the bill for $381,000 "to preserve and allow access to museum library collections through new Web applications."

From the press release:

"This is terrific news for the entire Rochester community," said Schumer.  "The George Eastman House is one of the oldest and most revered photography and film museums worldwide. In these technology-driven times, it’s important for the federal government to do everything in its power to ensure that such historic, cultural gems as this one are able to adapt in ways that allow them to both preserve their heritage and expand their resources.”

“These federal dollars will go a long way to preserve the collections at the George Eastman House while making them accessible through the internet,” said Senator Gillibrand. “These snapshots are an important part of our history. I will continue to work with Senator Schumer to ensure that New York receives its fair share of federal funding.”

A significant portion has been eyed for higher education in the state. St. John Fisher College is on tap for $475,000. Albany's College of Nanoscience and Engineering is marked for $1 million. Binghamton University is in line to receive $2 million.

Batavia City Council members Charlie Mallow and Marianne Clattenburg were in Albany recently meeting with "key officials," according to Mallow, in the hopes of securing fundig for the city. We hope to soon hear what progress they made.

BATAVIA, N.Y. — Six years of instructing, formulating, collaborating, and educating has given hope and success to one family in Batavia, who thought it could never be possible.

Trisha Finnegan, Director of Special Education and Alternative Education for Batavia City School District, strives to accomplish the department’s goal of providing all children with the necessary support and assistance to be successful learners.

“Compassion creates compassion,” said David Hamblin, of Batavia, “My son is finally building positive self-esteem, and it is our team at Batavia school district, along with the educators at BOCES, making this huge positive difference in my family's life.”

Hamblin, a single-parent, moved to the area about a year ago with his adopted son Matthew, 15, after much disappointment with school districts in New Mexico, Indiana, and Brighton.

“I was so frustrated by our former school districts that I pulled my son out of school and home-schooled him,” said Hamblin. Matthew has been diagnosed with basal ganglia syndrome, a learning disorder that is often characterized by behavioral problems and attention difficulties.

Before a student is diagnosed with a disability, teachers will discuss the student's behavior and try to accommodate the child in other ways. For example, if a child fidgets all day in their chair, the instructor might set a cushion on the seat. If that doesn't work, they will try something else. Finnegan said they have to exhaust all options first.

“You can have ten kids who have a learning disability, but not everything is going to work the same for each one,” said Finnegan. “We have to work hard to find the accommodations and everyone has to work together as a team.”

Hamblin had a few conversations with School Board President Patrick Burke and decided to re-enter Matthew into a public school. Finnegan said it is their number one goal to keep the students involved in general education classes.

“We really want to make sure we level the playing field,” said Finnegan. It's important, she said, to make a face-to-face connection because it can build the next 12 years of an education.

“Trisha gave me the hope I needed at a very crucial time,” said Hamblin, “I can’t say enough about her and our team of educators here in Batavia. Gratitude flows from this family.”

Finnegan has been the director for six years and said her motivation to work with children came from her parents.

"My parents were foster parents,” said Finnegan,  “I grew up with a lot of kids and a piece of me wanted to work with kids.”

Finnegan thought she was destined for a legal career, and after receiving her Bachelor's in Law at Union College, she decided to attend Buffalo State, where she received a Bachelors of Science and pursued her Masters in Education.

She is so excited to watch her students graduate and go on to be successful.

“I am at a point now where I really have gotten to know my kids, and I think, in the future, I will be able to see a lot more of my students graduating,” said Finnegan, who hopes also to keep in contact with the students and their families.

“Parents can participate in their child’s programming, visit their student, chat with teachers,” said Finnegan, “It is really important to be open and willing because it is a key part of planning.”

Advice for parents: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask lots and lots of questions.” she said. “It will be very beneficial for the student.” There are no dumb questions, she said.

Finnegan said the most important characteristic is to be collaborative. The program is not like it used to be where a teacher would pull a student out and work with them one of one.

“Now we must work as a team,” she said.

Hamblin can’t thank Finnegan and her team enough for the time and patience they spent with his son.

“They took the time to get to know my son and see what he was capable of achieving,” said Hamblin.

“When you see the look in (the parents') eyes that says: 'My child got here because of what you did,' those are the little moments,” said Finnegan. ”When parents just want to thank you, that is special.”

“She is a hero in my book,” said Hamblin, “I am now able to breathe a sigh of relief.”

The FAA's Aviaition Improvement Program has awarded $2.1 million in federal funding for the LeRoy Airport so that it may complete its runway extension project, Rep. Chris Lee announced today.

From the press release:

The airport intends to use the grant to complete its runway extension project, which will take roughly three months and will occur in two phases. The eastern end of the runway and parallel taxiway will be extended from 2,640 to 3,855 ft., the runway will be sealcoated, and the runway and taxiway will be restriped.

“Improving transportation links in Western New York creates jobs and promote economic growth. I am pleased to see that LeRoy Airport has been recognized for its potential to grow and become a more integral part of the community and the region,” Congressman Lee said.

Raymond S. Detor Jr., president of LeRoy Aviation Services, commented on the grant announcement: “We appreciate Congressman Lee’s support for our efforts to ensure LeRoy has a state-of-the-airport that creates local jobs and meets the needs of the region. Through this grant, our airport will be better able to accommodate the aircraft it was designed for and provide support for Rochester International Airport.”

AIP grants are awarded competitively based on strict eligibility requirements, including an obligation to maintain the airport in a safe and serviceable condition, mitigate hazards to airspace, and use revenue properly. Funds for the program are drawn largely from a trust fund supported by user fees and fuel taxes.

You can visit the airport's Web site for more information on the facility which "is a designated general aviation reliever airport for the The Greater Rochester International Airport."

Notre Dame guard Kevin Francis was awarded the Genesee Region League Player of the Year award this week. Kendall's Josh Laureano and his coach, and brother, Justin both thought he deserved to share that honor.

You can call that a little added motivation as the fifth-seeded Eagles kicked off the Section 5 Class C2 playoffs with a 77-74 win over No. 12 Cuba-Rushford Tuesday.

Laureano scored 51 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the way.

"We were disappointed that Josh didn't get Co-Player of the Year in the GR," said Justin, the older brother and coach. "Josh and Francis are so much alike, very similar. I won't take anything away from Francis because he's a big-time player, but Josh is just as good."

 "I talked about it with Francis when we played them," Josh said. "There was a big fight on Section 5 Talksback saying I said all these things about him, and I didn't. He is a great player. But I just think people should give me as much credit as he gets."

Cuba-Rushford sat in a 3-2 zone, which basically played like man-to-man for Laureano because the guards were too wide. Justin knows that not many players can go one-on-one with his brother.

"I had to beg him to please go by (the defender) until they stop you," Justin said. "Everything he scored tonight was going to the basket. He went 17-of-19 from the floor."

 Laureano's night is going to go down as one of the best in Section 5 history, not just Kendall history. 

He hit a fade-away 3-pointer in the second overtime to clinch the win. He beat former Division I and professional player Roosevelt Bouie's school record of 47 points, and pulled a team and school together.

The 51 points is believed to be the second-highest in Section 5 history, only behind Matt Kerkey's 57 points for Mynderse in 1992.

"I enjoyed it because it made me happy to do what I was doing, and it was making everybody around me happier," Josh said. "Everybody that was in the gym was having fun, not just me."

Laureano is one of the most prolific scorers in the GR, but 51 is a number that is rarely seen in Section 5. And his teammates have no problem with their go-to option.

"If I would just let Josh go, he'd probably have some pretty high scoring games," Justin said. "I try to restrain him because as a coach, it is always team first. And we truly do have a team. There is zero infighting, zero jealousy and everybody is rooting for each other."

Colt Tooley added 14 points for the Eagles (14-9), who will play No. 4 Dundee (13-8) on Friday.

"We have talked about how winnable our bracket it and if we want to win it, we can," Josh said. "We didn't play our best game tonight because we had it in our head that we should have won because we were a higher seed. We shouldn't have been like that."

 (It was originally reported that Laureano scored 53. The results were later changed and the total was 51. Still amazing)

UPDATE: Laureano's total is actually third all-time in Section 5. Prattsburgh's Brian Putnam scored 51 points in 1991 for the second highest total in a game. 

Arcadia Publishing has rereleased Barbara Ann Toal's book, Images of America: Batavia. The book was originally published in 2000 and has been sold out and unavailable for the past four years.

The book is available at the Joseph Ellicott Museum Store at the Holland Land Office Museum and contains more than 180 photographs, postcards, maps and drawings. The book makes an excellent gift and retails for $19.99.

The Holland Land Office Museum located at 131 West Main Street in Batavia is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Arcadia Publishing, based in South Carolina, are experts in publishing short run local history books. They have published local histories on thousands of cities, towns and villages across the United States.

For more information, contact the Museum at 585-343-4727

Minor injuries were reported at the scene of a two-car collision on Route 5 near Prole Road in Batavia. Both cars looked pretty well banged up, and extra crews had to come out from LeRoy to help at the scene, according to dispatch reports. We will pass on the details when they become available.

Update (3:15 p.m.): Two people were taken to the hospital following this crash earlier today. The details are as follows:

Julie L. Conover, 40, of Corfu, was driving along Route 5 heading out of Batavia in the passing lane. Robert L. Tullar, 61, of Batavia, was stopped waiting to make a turn onto a driveway. Conover told deputies that she never saw Tullar's vehicle and ended up colliding into it.

Conover and Tullar were both taken to United Memorial Medical Center. Conover was evaluated for a complaint of shoulder pain. Tullar was taken in with complaints of neck pain.

No tickets were issued.

We're nearing the end of the countdown, folks. Only two left to tick off on the list of the Holland Land Office Museum's 25 Things That Made Genesee County Famous. Taking the No. 3 spot was the disappearance of William Morgan, which remains a mystery to this day.

From Pat Weissend, museum director:

Before there was OJ, before the Lindburgh Baby Kidnapping, before Lizzie Borden there was William Morgan. William Morgan was a Batavian who was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by Free Masons in September 1826.

Morgan was a bricklayer who wanted to become a member of the Masonic Fraternity. When a Masonic lodge opened in Batavia, Morgan applied for membership, saying he was a member in the LeRoy lodge. It was discovered that Morgan lied about his membership and his application was denied.

In order to get revenge for his denial, Morgan began to write a book disclosing the secrets of the society. Members of the fraternity threatened Morgan and even set fire to David Miller’s print shop where the book was being published.

You will have to visit the museum's Web site to get the rest of the story—if you haven't already heard it. Weissend also posted the three-part video series that The Batavian put together last month on the disappearance of Morgan.

An investigation into a home robbery on February 6 has resulted in the arrest of two Batavia residents. Nathan J. Knab, 20, of 16 Overlook Dr., and Travis J. Dunn, 19, of 1 Pine Hollow Dr., were charged with second-degree burglary, a felony, Monday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Knab and Dunn are accused of entering a residence at 8 Pine Hollow Dr. in Batavia and taking a PlayStation 2 system, along with the controllers and game accessories.

They were arraigned in town court Monday and released pending a court appearance scheduled for March 23.

Pictured is Dunn. A mug shot for Knab has not yet been released.

Update (11:13 a.m.): We learned from Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster this morning that Knab did not show up to jail to have his mug shot taken, which is why it was not available when this post was published earlier today.

Mug shot for Knab (right) posted Thursday at 8:08 a.m.

An announcement from Genesee Community College that the criminal justice program at the Batavia campus will be launching a new "Student Safety Patrol" seems timely.  Just last week, a student was arrested on allegations of leaving a rifle and a shotgun laid across the front seat of his unlocked car in the campus parking lot.

Derek J. Wilson, 34, of Byron, was charged Friday with two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Deputies have already said that they did not believe Wilson to have any malicious intent. Neither weapon was loaded.

Nevertheless, the school feels it can benefit from some extra eyes on patrol on campus. In fact, it was a vigilant passer-by who spotted the guns in Wilson's car and reported the incident to campus security.

"With the increase in incidents on college campuses, we thought a Student Safety Patrol would be most beneficial," Barry Garigen, professor of Criminal Justice said. "The students gain valuable experience in working these details and enjoy providing volunteer service to the College."

Students in the criminal justice program will make up the staff of the patrol.

From the press release:

For a number of years, the Criminal Justice Club at Genesee has been providing security services at various events on campus, such as the annual Fashion Show, Rockfest, and Experience Genesee. As a result of student interest and funding from a Perkins Grant, the Criminal Justice Club was able to start the SSP. Currently, there are ten students trained and participating in the program. Students become eligible for the program when they complete the NYS Security Guard training course. The security guard training is offered several times a year through the College's BEST Center. Students who enroll in CRJ120: Intro to Security also receive the training. The next BEST Center course is being offered on March 28 from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM at the Batavia Campus. To register for the NYS Security Guard training course, visit (the Web site).

The objectives of the new safety patrol are to enhance the level of security patrol presence, particularly in campus buildings, and ensure a high level of personal safety for those working, studying, or visiting the campus. In addition, the SSP provides an opportunity for volunteer duties for Criminal Justice students who have a career interest in law enforcement, public safety, or security. The Student Safety Patrol also assists the College's public safety staff to achieve their operational objectives and target special security and safety needs.

It is stressed that the students will be performing "non-police" functions.

Student Safety Patrollers augment Public Safety services by performing the following light security details in and around Genesee Community College:

• Patrol all campus buildings as a visible deterrent and community resource
• Assist as directed during critical incidents, at Public Safety's discretion
• Observe and report any suspicious/criminal activity observed on patrol
• Perform customer service duties when required
• Audits of campus lighting, emergency phones, access card systems
• Fire safety equipment checks
• Assist with control of vehicle/pedestrian traffic during events
• Safe-walk (escort) service provided as requested
• Perform the receptionist function in Public Safety as assigned
• Other duties as assigned

Student volunteers are still needed for the remainder of the spring 2009 semester and for the fall 2009 semester. For further information or to join the SSP program, contact Barry Garigen, Criminal Justice professor at Genesee, at 585-343-0055 x6307 or bjgarigen@genesee.edu.

Our old friend Jack Davis caught the attention of Robert Harding over at The Albany Project. Apparently, now that Dick Cheney is out of office, Davis is falling back into the GOP fold.

Davis was seen, reportedly, at a GOP fundraiser in Niagara county.

Surely, regional Republicans won't object to his cash switching sides.

I  had just realized I had forgotten to post this after last week's outing. Enjoy!

I cannot believe as we walked across the college campus tonight, that Paul says he loves winter! The wind was whipping at our faces and our feet were skating across the ice.

I learned a new game tonight! It is called Cookie bumper. When walking across the ice, make sure you have a strong guy like Dave carrying a box of cookies next to you for cushion and bumper as you slip and slide.

We had a great time at Genesee Community College tonight. Care-A-Van Ministries goes out there every 3^rd Thursday of the month. We knock on all the dorm rooms. I believe there is like 94 rooms with 4 students in a room. This totals about 376 college students that saw God come knocking on their door tonight.

As the doors open, we announce ourselves to say Care-A-Van is here because we care.

We give them one of our brochures which includes our phone number and a listing of local churches. We also give them a gospel tract. Tonight’s message was “You are Not Alone”. I remembered my college days, there were many all night study crams when I felt so alone. But we let them know they are never alone, Jesus is always there with them.  We also provide them with a treat such as a bag of cookies.

As we headed up the steps, it was then that I noticed it. What you ask? The lost sock.

It lay all by its lonesome on that big step. I could hear Elder Ron hollering throughout the halls, Care-A-Van Ministries here! When the doors opened, we saw more than lost socks, we saw lost souls. Our ministry teams offered prayer to each room. You would be surprised to the ones that need it and want it! I give one young gentleman credit for his boldness. His reply was “yes I need prayer”, my roommates here they don’t believe but I do. We gathered around and Paul prayed for this young man and included his roommates in the prayer. Another young man needed prayer due to a death of a close friend. A couple of young ladies wanted prayer for their studies. There were many different requests.

One of our ministry team members, Asheesh is gifted by God with music skills. He does awesome Christian rap music. They were even trying to get him to sing in the halls!

The one need we did see tonight is that many of these students do not have a church. There are some that would like to go to church but do not have a way. We encouraged them to call the churches as some of the churches do have transportation services. One thing I have seen over the years is that many churches have the challenge of getting people involved in ministries within the church.  I can personally say that if a church is looking for a ministry to reach out to lost souls, that a van service out to the college for Sunday Service would be an awesome way to start! It takes more than just handing out a phone number and saying “call if you want a ride”. I believe it takes a small team heading out in a van before a service and letting them know you are there.

I know that some of the local churches here do send care kits to college students. As my own daughter will be heading off to college in another year, I pray that she will find a good Christian church that will care enough to see that she can get to church and that she continues to be spiritually fed. Yes, the individual has got to want it, but we as caring individuals can do our part to help fulfill that desire.

There were also a few students that will be going into religious studies. We encouraged them to come out and volunteer with Care-A-Van. We encourage all of you to keep praying for us and to partner with us. Together as churches and a community, we can go forth and help the lost souls whether they are in a college dorm or living on a street in downtown Batavia.

If your church or organization, or you yourself are looking for ways to reach out and are interested in volunteering or experiencing God’s love on that big red bus, do not hesitate to give us a call.  Our number is 586-343-0328.

In closing tonight, my prayer is that the owner of that lost sock be found. That owner just may be one of God’s lost souls that are waiting to hear a knock on the door, to say we are here because we care. Isn’t that what God tells us to do? Love your neighbors as yourselves- and this includes college kids. Praises to God for another safe night!

Keep the Light On

Robin Walters

Care-A-Van Ministries

Brighton may have been just 8-12 going into Monday night's Section 5 Class A girls basketball playoff game with host Batavia, but one of those wins came against the Blue Devils. And several of the losses came to Monroe County League Division I and II schools.

So Bill Wade knew his team was going to have their hands full.

Even with a sloppy ending, that including many missed layups and free throws, Batavia escaped with a 44-39 win to advance past the opening round.

"I'm very happy," said Wade, whose team beat the Barons by two and lost by one in the regular season. "One of the things I said when I took over coaching the team was that I was going to enjoy every win our team gets - and I'm enjoying this win. We do have to fix some things. But if we didn't win, we weren't going to get a chance to fix them."

 Wade also notes that Brighton's record is deceiving. The team had some injury problems to key players that were factors in the losses.

The five point victory was the biggest margin of victory either team has had in the three matchups this year and the reason was because of the Batavia defense.

When the Blue Devils had a 51-50 win in January, Brighton hit nine 3-pointers in the win. The 12th seeded Barons did not hit a shot from beyond the arc against the fifth seeded Blue Devils Monday. Wade gives a lot of credit to the defense of Brittany Hein, who he calls one of the best defensive players he's ever coached.

"We tried to give them different looks," Wade said. "We normally play a 3-2, but we were almost in a 2-3 tonight. They run one in and four out and they are very wide. (Leanna) Brooks is a good post player and driver, and we had a hard time adjusting to her last time. We tried to contain her drive so we didn't have to help on other girls, then we tried to be in their vision on every shot."

Wade is also looking towards his senior leaders in these playoffs. And Brittany Mazurkiewicz didn't disappoint.

She converted 8-of-9 free throw attempts and scored 14 of her game-high 19 points in the second half.

"She started taking the ball to the basket," Wade said. "We used a little pick-and-roll play and she was taking the ball to the basket and getting fouled."

 Jaycee Shirk had four points and eight rebounds with Hein pitching in four assists and Brittany Wormley scoring six points.

Brenna Bauer had 15 points to lead Brighton (8-13).

Batavia (15-6) will get another home game on Thursday because No. 13 Aquinas surprised No. 4 Sutherland 69-59 Monday.

"Since I took over, I've talked about changing the culture," Wade said. "First I wanted to get kids to want to come out and play, and second, I wanted them to believe they can win a big game. If we win or lose, the next game is going to be a step in the right direction in changing the atmosphere if we play a good game."

BATAVIA, N.Y. — Batavia could learn a thing or two from Seneca Falls. The town and village of Seneca Falls have become the centerpiece of a statewide campaign of the Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who claims that merging municipalities saves taxpayers money.

As the city and town of Batavia pull up their sleeves and really get serious about consolidation—we've all seen the flow chart!—it might benefit to step back and take a look at how things are going over in Seneca County. Officials over there seem to be following the exact same process as our own. They even hired the Center for Governmental Research as a consultant to study the potential merger.

And ever since the initial research came out in November, Cuomo has been promoting the potential $978 savings in property taxes per year for Seneca Falls homeowners. But... it turns out, it's not so black and white.

From an article in today's Democrat & Chronicle:

A closer look at the potential savings in abolishing this Seneca County village of about 7,000 people and having the town take over its functions shows far more modest overall savings than suggested by Cuomo — with other taxpayers paying more as village taxes go down. Seneca Falls also has some unique circumstances that mean its potential savings would be hard to duplicate elsewhere.

"In almost every case, these changes involve a tax shift from village to town taxpayers," said Charles Zettek, vice president of the Center for Governmental Research, who studied the Seneca Falls project and came up with the figure Cuomo quotes.

According to Zettek's figures, abolishing the village, while saving village taxpayers an average of $978 a year, would increase the levy on town residents who live outside the village, who now pay almost no town taxes, by $375. The figures are based on property worth $100,000.

In addition, another big chunk of the savings would come from a $495,000 state grant designed to encourage government consolidations — in effect, a shift in costs from village to state taxpayers.

Maybe that's a question we need to put to our own leaders. In the CGR report put together for the Batavia consolidation, we can read that taxpayers stand to reap a savings of 15 percent on their property taxes. Well, to be more specific, the document reads that consolidation would "reduce the combined property tax levy of the City and Town by 15% per year." So what does that mean for town residents? Will city residents get a reduction while town residents see an increase?

What about this quote from Zettek—not too heartening:

"This whole thing is an art form, figuring out who benefits and who doesn't," said Zettek, who said that generally government-merger plans can trim expenses "in the 2.5 percent to 5 percent range."

Well, if it's an art form, why did we hire bureaucrats to do it?

Or what about this statement from the village administrators:

"In terms of savings from shared services, you're really talking about nickels and dimes," said village administrator Connie Sowards, whose job would be abolished if the plan goes through. "The big thing is the cost shift."

I would suggest reading the whole article by Jay Gallagher. It's quite informative. Don't about most folks, but I'm all for the idea of consolidation, but it seems more and more that the devil is in the details, none of which have yet been definitively worked out.

Let's hope the upcoming "plan" can really spell things out for us.

An article in the Buffalo News this morning takes a look at an economic forecast that sees a further worsening of the nation's economy throughout this year with an upswing due to start in 2010 and gain momentum in 2011.

From the article:

The economy is expected to remain feeble this year - even with new efforts by the administration and Congress to provide relief.

Just over the past few weeks, a $787 billion recovery package of increased government spending and tax cuts was signed into law, the president unveiled a $75 billion plan to stem home foreclosures and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said as much as $2 trillion could be plowed into the financial system to jump-start lending.

In terms of lost economic activity in 2009, the biggest hit will come in the first six months, forecasters said.

And...

Even in the best-case scenario, with the recession ending sometime in the second half of this year, employment conditions will be tough.

Some of the forecasters said the nation's unemployment rate could rise as high as 9 percent for all of 2009 and hit 10 percent next year. In 2008, the jobless rate averaged 5.8 percent, the highest since 2003. The survey's median forecast - or middle point - called for the unemployment rate to rise to 8.4 percent this year and 8.8 percent next year.

Companies touching every part of the economy have announced thousands of layoffs already this year and more cuts came last week. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., said it will cut nearly 5,000 jobs, or almost 7 percent of its work force, this year, following the elimination of about 4,000 jobs in the second half of last year. General Motors Corp. and Chrysler, which are asking the government for billions more in aid to remain viable, announced plans to cut 50,000 more jobs, 47,000 of which would be at GM.

What do you think? Will we start to pull out of this at the end of this year? Or will the vicious cycle suck us further down?

Several city leaders are in Albany today, where Council President Charlie Mallow hopes to swing a couple deals for future grants. In an e-mail to local media outlets, Mallow said that he and Councilwoman Marianne Clattenburg "were able to secure private meetings with some very influential people and there are several issues the city is looking to move forward on." As a result, Mallow requested City Manager Jason Molino and Assistant City Manager Sally Kuzon, to join them in the capital for help with "this very important lobbying effort." mallow and Clattenburg have been there since last week.

Tonight's council meeting has subsequently been cancelled.

We sent an e-mail to Mallow this morning to see if he could supply us with any more details about these "private meetings." We also asked why he felt the presence of Molino and Kuzon was required.

His response:

Being successful and keeping the tax rate down requires us to obtain grants.This year city taxpayers were subsidized $580,000 by state grants. in prior years we were only able to secure a small fraction of that money. That is a number that was unthinkable in past years and it comes from a lot of hard work and a professional staff. We have made a conscious effort to go out and get what our city needs instead of relying on that money to come from local taxpayers pockets.

I was able to setup several meetings with key individuals in the governor’s office. I asked Jason how we could use this time and these contacts to our best advantage. Sally and Jason's knowledge on the specifics of our requests are needed on an informational basis to those we are meeting with. The more successful we are in making our case for funding the higher the probability we will be successful with future grant opportunities, that is our ultimate goal and the reason we are here in Albany.

A few months ago, we introduced our readers to Emily Tworek Helenbrook, a 14-year-old vocalist from Alexander, who was then being featured as a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Emily's mother, Marisa, has sent us some updates on Emily that we wanted to share.

Emily was invited to sing for three separate services at the Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church in honor of the victims of the crash of Flight 3407 in Clarence Center a couple weeks ago. She was then requested by Erie County officials to open the memorial service last Monday morning. "She sand the inspirational song called 'You'll Never Walk Alone,'" her mother wrote. "Over 2,000 people attended the service."

From Marisa Helenbrook:

"On February 8, Emily entered a competition called Search For a Star, sponsered by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Over 100 talented young musicians attended. Emily was chosen as one of the winners and she will be performing with the RPO on May 31, 2009 at the Eastman Theatre (at) 2:00PM.

"On March 27, Emily will be performing at the University of Rochester at 7:00 and March 29 at the Montante Center with the ARS Nova Musicians at 7:00. (This) week, Emily will travel to Oberlin University in Cleveland, Ohio for the first round in the national competition called The Classical Singers Vocal Contest."

For those who missed it, here is the video of Emily from our original post: