AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC CITY OF BATAVIA SALARY $25.54-$30.08 DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: Assignments in this Class require the exercise of specialized skills in tasks pertaining to the maintenance and repair of a wide variety of machinery and equipment used in public works activities, as well as to other vehicles owned or operated by the municipal employer. In smaller agencies, an Automotive Mechanic may exercise a degree of supervision over assistant mechanics or Equipment Operators performing minor maintenance and repair on equipment, with general supervision being received from a supervisor, superintendent, or other such official or designee. Does related work, as required. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: Repairs motorized and non-motorized equipment, such as trucks, tractors, mowers, graders, loaders, sweepers, rollers, compressors, and automobiles; Adjusts, repairs, and rebuilds gasoline and diesel engines; Repairs and replaces components of equipment, such as suspension systems, drive assemblies, brake systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, and cooling systems, and makes necessary adjustments to same; Carries out sanding, sandblasting, filling, painting, and related body-work tasks; Makes minor welding repairs; Operates drills, grinders, and other metal-working machines related to automotive repair functions; Performs preventative maintenance tasks which may include vehicle inspections; Attaches and removes snow plows, blades, and other attachments for motorized equipment; Maintains records of tasks performed, and other pertinent records; Requisitions parts and materials, to ensure adequate supply to maintain workflow; Acts as Equipment Operator, or wingman, as directed; May drive buses, cars, or trucks; May deliver fuel to job sites; Keeps shop area neat and clean. The above examples of duties are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITY AND/OR PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Thorough knowledge of standard automotive repair and maintenance methods; thorough knowledge of automotive repair terminology and tools; working knowledge of welding techniques; ability to make difficult repairs to heavy automotive and other mechanical equipment; ability to work from plans and specifications, and to follow rough draft sketches and oral instructions; good motor and hand eye coordination; manual dexterity. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee constantly is required to stand; walk; and use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: One year of full-time paid experience as a skilled automotive repairman. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Some jurisdictions may require appointees to receive and maintain certification as a NYS Motor Vehicle Inspector, within six months of appointment. SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT AND CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT: 1. Possession and maintenance of appropriate valid license(s), as required. 2. In school districts where incumbent may operate a school bus, possession of a valid appropriate level New York State Driver's License is required. 3. Drivers must be at least 21 years of age. NOTE: In addition, candidates must satisfy the requirements for School Bus Driver set forth in the Rules and Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education. Non-Competitive Class Civil Service Applications are due to Human Resources no later than October 18, 2024.
One phase of planning done, now GCEDC to seek Alabama approval of STAMP project
The next phase in seeking approval for a 1,200-acre high-tech industrial complex in the Town of Alabama is to sell it to the town board.
And by sell, we mean, offer incentives attractive enough to please residents and for the board to approve a change in zoning for the land that Genesee Economic Devlopment Center officials hope to turn into a lucrative and bustling complex employing 9,300 people.
Mark Masse, VP of operations for GCEDC, said negotiations are starting on the incentive package with the town and they will include financial assistance with the needs of the town to accommodate the project as well as possible cash grants for a "community chest" (money that can be spent on whatever the town board decides to spend it on).
Information on the final Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the project known as STAMP (Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park) was presented Thursday night to about 100 area residents at the Alabama Fire Hall.
With the GEIS done, the town board will be given an opportunity wthin the next month or so to either green light the project or not.
Prior to the vote, GCEDC officials will try to come up with a package of incentives that might help sway town residents and the board to support the project.
Once the incentives are hammered out, there will be a public meeting where the package will be presented and the public will be given a chance to comment on the proposal.
Attorney Adam S. Walters (top inset photo), representing GCEDC, said if the town board doesn't approve the zoning change for STAMP, the project is dead.
One audience member pressed Walters on whether GCEDC or anybody else could sue the town if it doesn't change the zoning to GCEDC's liking. Walters said he knew of no legal grounds to support such a suit and the town's attorney, Mark Boylan, nodded in agreement.
The time is ripe, according to Masse for the town to approve the project. He indicated there is a company that is looking to build a million-square-foot high-tech manufacturing facility. The company will be ready to start its site selection process in 2014.
Asked if it was a foreign company, Masse said, "It's American."
No company, especially one looking at building a million-square-foot facility, will even consider a site that doesn't already have zoning approval, Masse said, since such approvals take so long to get.
Earlier, town Planning Board Member Lorna Klotzbach (inset photo below) expressed concern that, the way the plan is written out, the entire 1,200 acres could just fill up with a lot of small companies.
"If this site is allowed to be gobbled up by a database company here, a retail store there, a warehouse over here -- what's the chance that a big anchor company is going to want to come in if all of these other uses take up all the space?" Klotzbach asked.
Walters said that, as a practical matter, that isn't going to happen.
The big anchor tenant is needed first so the infrastructure can be built to support all of the smaller tenants that will help fill out the park and provide support services to the large tenants.
"The concept is to form the park around high tech manufacturing," Walters said. "That's the goal of this project and to do it in a way that makes sense. What keeps a Tim Horton's or a couple of warehouses from coming in first is the dollars necessary for the infrastructure. The smaller projects can't afford it.
"The plan calls for a million-square-feet high-tech manufacturer in phase one," Walters added. "If you don't have that, you don't have the money to put in the infrastructure to make any of the other stuff happen."
Until then, Masse and Walters explained, the arable land within the park's proposed footprint will still be farmed and the people living in houses will still live in their houses.
In fact, soon-to-be-former Village of Oakfield resident Joseph Bradt (bottom inset photo) expressed a unique concern about what will happen to residents living within the STAMP area.
Bradt said he recently bought a home in Alabama in order to move his family out of the village.
Pointing at the site plan on the projector screen, Bradt said, "My house is off the map and I haven’t even moved in yet."
Masse said that until a portion of the park is needed for a new tenant, no offers to buy out residential homes will be made, and when they are made, the offers will be at fair market value or or just above assessed value.
Ask if eminent domain would be used to remove people from their homes if they didn't want to sell, Masse said, "no."
"If you don't want to sell you're property, we'll figure out how design around it or if we can move the project to another part of the park," Masse said.
As for Brandt, Masse said it could be up to 20 years before it's time to try and buy him out of his house.
The final GEIS addresses at least some of the concerns raised by residents over the past couple of years.
Regarding the John White Wildlife Management Area, that's been completely removed from the site plan and won't be developed.
Regarding lost agricultural land, the crop land that will displaced represents only .65 percent of the 148,584 acres of farmland in Genesee County and only .23 percent of the total prime farmland.
There are also at least 17 possible farm-protection strategies for the town board to consider to protect the remaining farmland. Some of them, according to Walters, are very expensive. Some, such as rezoning, cost nothing.
On wetlands mitigation, the footprint of the building space was reconfigured to protect more of the wetlands within the park. One of the early plans would have destroyed 69 of 106 acres of wetlands within the park area. The new plan protects all but 10 acres of the land.
The acres protected will be enhanced and restored.
"Many of those wetlands are not in great shape today, and without this project, they would be subject to further degradation," said Roger Person, the consultant heading up the environmental review process.
The report also deals with impacts on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation and traffic flow.
Officials are working with representatives of Tonawanda to minimize impacts and while traffic will increase in areas, some of the proposed improvements to roadways and intersections will bring relief to some traffic flow problems already present in Alabama, Person said.
When a member of the public expressed concern that if the zoning change were approved, what would stop developers from doing something different than what residents are being told now would happen?
Walters explained that the way the process works, the final GEIS acts as a box. The box contains everything that is currently permissible within the STAMP project area.
"If a proposal comes along that doesn’t fit inside that box, it requires a supplemental analysis and perhaps a supplemental environmental impact study," Walters said. "Everything has to fit within the box."
Proposed redistricting maps for state legislature released
A proposed redistricting plan was released by the New York State Legislature on Thursday and judging by an Associated Press story, nobody is happy.
Senate Democrats are unhappy, Assembly Republicans are unhappy, bi-partisan observers complain about gerrymandering and Gov. Andrew Cuomo may yet veto the whole thing.
For Assemblyman Steve Hawley, it looks like he can continue representing Genesee County, minus Pembroke but is picking up Darien, Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion. Hawley's district would also include York and Leister in Livingston County, all of Orleans County and three towns in Monroe County.
The primary geography of State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer's district would be Genesee County, with only Amherst, Clarence and Newstead in Erie County and Riga and Chili in Monroe County.
At least those are the lines for a proposed redrawing of the AD 139 and SD 61.
Maps for revised congressional districts were not released.
Doctor who reportedly diagnosed 'conversion disorder' received substantial payments from pharma companies
Two pharmaceutical companies that make HPV vaccine have hired Dr. Laszlo Mechtler in the past as a speaker, paying him more than $150,000 in fees in 2009 through 2011, according to a ProPublica database.
Mechtler is the neurologist who reportedly diagnosed 11 teenage girls in Le Roy who have been displaying tics and verbal outbursts with "conversion disorder."
State public health officials relied, at least in part, on Mechtler's diagnosis to rule out vaccines for the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus as a cause.
The HPV vaccines are known as Gardasil and Cervarix, manufactured by Merck & Co. and GlaxoSmithKline.
While tics and verbal outbursts are not listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website as a possible side effect of either drug, the drugs have been known to cause serious health issues. According to WebMD, the vaccines have been tied to rare cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, neurological disoder that causes weakness.
Several observers of the Le Roy situation have suggested HPV vaccine as a possible cause, but at a public meeting in Le Roy Jan. 11, Dr. Gregory Young said HPV had been ruled out as a cause.
In a search of Google for "tics gardasil cervarix," pretty much all the results tie the outbreak in Le Roy to the drugs, but actual evidence of the drugs being tied to such an outcome is hard to find.
Mechtler was later interviewed by NBC and identified himself as the doctor who examined 11 of the girls and diagnosed them with conversion disorder, even going so far in another interview to blame 9/11 terror alerts for causing stress in the girls.
According to Propublica -- a nonprofit investigative journalism organization -- Mechtler received the following payments from Glaxo and Merck:
- $62,400 in speaking fees in 2009 from Merck
- $75,200 in speaking fees in 2010 from Glaxo
- $19,819 for research from Glaxo in 2010
- Another $10,000 from Glaxo in 2011
Three-car accident at routes 33 and 237
A three-car accident is reported at routes 33 and 237. All vehicles are off the road. There is reportedly one person with a back injury and another with a chest injury, neither are serious. Stafford Fire Department is responding along with two Mercy rigs.
UPDATE 1:52 p.m.: Two patients are being transported to UMMC in one of the Mercy rigs. One is a 33-year-old male who was a driver in the accident. He was wearing a safety belt. He has some lumbar pain. The other patient is a 22-year-old female who was a passenger in the accident. She was also wearing a safety belt and has complaints of right shoulder pain. The second Mercy rig which responded is back in service.
UPDATE 2:10 p.m.: Stafford Fire Department is back in service.
Lost dog found on Batavia Elba Townline Road
Brendan Curry found a brown and white beagle-pitbull mix in his yard this morning and is hoping the owner will come forward.
He said the dog showed up on his porch after he let his own dogs in.
He lives on Batavia Elba Townline Road between State and Bank.
Brendan can be reached at (585) 219-4861.
Convicted sex offender found guility of new charges of sex abuse against a child
A convicted sex offender who was charged with new crimes a year ago was found guilty by a jury Wednesday of four counts of sexual abuse in the first degree.
The jury found that in two separate incidents, Anthony P. Dioguardi, 28, a resident of Wyoming Correctional Facility, used force to have sex with a child age under age 11.
Following jury selection Monday, the trial took place Tuesday. The jury deliberated for 90 minutes Wednesday before finding Dioguardi guilty on all four counts.
Statement from District Attorney Lawrence Friedman:
Needless to say, these terrible crimes involving the sexual abuse of children are usually committed outside the presence of any other witnesses and, more often than not, there isn't any medical, physical or scientific evidence. Therefore, it is reassuring to see that convictions can be obtained when a brave child, like the victim in this case, comes forward and credibly testifies before a jury and sees that justice can be achieved.
UPDATE: Dioguardi is facing up to 14 years in prison, though his sentence could be concurrent with the time he is currently serving. Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., March 21.
Report: Avon still in the running for 'Project Wave'
We've heard for some time that while PepsiCo is paying for grading for a possible construction of a food processing plant in Batavia, the same work is "being done in three other locations."
One of those locations is in Avon, and as WHAM13's Sean Carroll discovered yesterday, no site work is taking place in Avon at all.
At the same time, however, the economic development directer in Livingston County says the site is much closer to being "shovel ready" than the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. His park, he said, doesn't need a USDA grant for sewer and water because it already has all the infrastructure in place.
"If they chose this site, and we made it very clear, literally they could plug in and all the utilities are in the ground and there's no infrastructure needed here or at the sewage treatment plant," Rountree explained
While Genesee County clearly has the lead in the race to land the project, Livingstone County isn't giving up.
The support of a U.S. Senator and the fact that dirt is actually being moved at the Batavia site appears to indicate Project Wave’s final destination may only be a formality at this point in the process. Yet Rountree and his team are staying optimistic after an aggressive pitch that included top representatives from Barilla.
Either way, regional dairy farmers will be pleased with either outcome.
"I think for the dairy industry in this area specifically it spells a good feeling about long-term stability," Coyne explained. "To have end-product manufacturing this close, it just adds to the confidence that we can invest in our own farms long-term and be able to be in business."
The other two supposedly competitive sites are in Pennsylvania. A contractor familiar with the project told me some time ago that those sites are graded and have infrastructure in place, but we currently have no way to confirm that assertion.
Today's Deals: Adam Miller, Kravings, Palm Island Indoor Waterpark, and more!
Adam Miller Toy & Bicycles, 8 Center St., Batavia, NY: Feel like a kid in a toy store again, or treat your kids to the greatest toy store they will ever see. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.
Alabama Hotel, 1353 Lewiston Road, Basom, NY: A historic and legendary tavern and restaurant. The Alabama Hotel is famous for its fish fries, but also serves a variety of top-quality entrees, featuring Certified Angus Beef. Now with expanded hours. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.
Alli's Cones & Dogs, 7063 Lewiston Road, Oakfield, NY: Full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu; all-you-can-eat salad bar; ice cream served year-round; eat-in or take-out. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
Bohn's Restaurant, 5256 Clinton St., Batavia, NY: Fine dining in an atmosphere of casual elegance. Lunch and dinner, steak, prime rib and seafood. Ask about Bohn's catering services and banquet facility. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.
Clor's Meat Market, 4169 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: For the best, most flavorful, juiciest chicken or hamburger in town, hands-down, stop by Clor's. Oh, and the steaks are great, too. And the sausage. Clor's also serves lunch and dinners from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.
Ficarella's Pizzeria, 21 Liberty St., Batavia, NY: Dine-in, drive-thru or delivery. Featuring fresh, hearth-baked pizza since 1985, plus wings, pasta and more. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10. (Good only at the Batavia location.)
Greg'ry's Bakery, 13 North Lake Road, Bergen, NY: The bakery offers a variety of the finest cakes, cookies, pies, cupcakes, breads, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and so much more. Each treat is made the same as it has been for decades and baked right here. Come in and sample some for yourself! We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
Kravings, Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Kravings offers soups, salads and sandwiches, fresh and flavorful; Monday through Saturday. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.
Palm Island Indoor Water Park, 8250 Park Road, Batavia, NY: The newest family fun center in Genesee County, featuring a hot tub, monsoon lagoon pool and play area, tipping buckets, water slides, arcade with 15 games and birthday party rooms. We have a pair of gift certificates worth $40 in merchandise or services for $20.
Rancho Viejo, 12 Ellicott St., Batavia, NY: Traditional Mexican cuisine, from tacos and burritos to pollo norteno, Rancho Viejo brings a bit of "South of the Border" to Batavia's restaurant scene. We have a $20 gift card for $10.
Salsa & Curry, 13 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: An authentic Mexican restaurant, offering all of your favorite dishes from enchiladas and burritos to tacos and fajitas, as well as daily Indian food specials. We have a $20 gift card for $10.
Settler's, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Settler's has a 25-year history of serving great, affordable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
Spirits, 78 Lake St., Le Roy, NY. Le Roy's favorite sports bar, where fun and good food are always on tap. Come try one of our many delicious burgers that we have to offer, as well as our HUGE Bomber Sandwich, homemade chicken fingers made to order, and the all-time favorite Dumpster Plate with many choices. We deliver. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
T.F. Brown's, 214 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. "If it happens in sports, it happens at Brown's." Stop in and check out our jumbo chicken wings, roast beef on weck and Friday night fish fry. The original family spaghetti sauce still adorns all of our Italian specialties. The other popular selections from our menu range from super salads, butcher cut strip loin and South of the Border items. We offer daily lunch and dinner specials as well as a full adult and children’s menu. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
Viking Valhalla Restaurant & Rose Garden Bowl, 21 Buffalo Road, Bergen, NY: Open for lunch Monday through Sunday, and dinner Friday and Saturday evenings. Dinner favorites are our succulent prime rib and Friday fish fries! We are always happy to help plan your special occasion -- wedding, shower, rehearsal dinner, stag party, graduation, company function, banquet, family or class reunion. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.
SOLD OUT
Note: if you've never purchased Deal of the Day before, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the rules and process, click here.
Chrysler key found in bag of bottles
If your Chrysler's keyless and you're clueless, Volunteers for Animals may be able to help.
They found a Chrysler key in a bag of returnable bottles left at the Genesee County Animal Shelter around Jan. 18. So if you lost your key, drop a note to Wendy. The address is:
Volunteers for Animals, P.O. Box 1621, Batavia, NY 14021
Or reach her via email at <www.vol4animals.org>
Possible serious accident reported on the Thruway in Le Roy
A one-vehicle accident is reported on the Thruway with one occupant entrapped and possibly unconscious.
Mercy Flight is on standby.
The accident is in the area of mile marker 383.6 in the eastbound lane.
Le Roy fire and ambulance dispatched.
UPDATE 1:09 p.m.: A dispatcher informed the Le Roy chief that he spoke with somebody in the toll booth center who said the Thruway Authority did not want Mercy Flight dispatched. The dispatcher said he informed the person that it was the fire chief's call.
UPDATE 1:14 p.m.: The victim is out of the car and with State Troopers on scene. The car is well off the road and on its side. Mercy Flight can stand down.
UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: Le Roy Ambulance Service is headed to Strong Memorial Hospital with two patients on board. Le Roy fire crews are back in service.
Schumer calls on USDA to fund water and sewer lines for 'Project Wave'
Press release:
Today, Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide several hundred thousand dollars in federal funds for sewer and water infrastructure work to prepare a Genesee County site to host a massive food processing plant.
Build out of the new plant will occur in two phases and could bring hundreds of jobs to Genesee County over the next several years. The Genesee County Economic Development Center is currently preparing a site to host a 363,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, capable of hosting 300 to 400 jobs just three years after it is completed.
The GCEDC is currently finalizing a contract with a food producer for the site, and is seeking federal funding to cover part of the costs of infrastructure improvements to ensure that the site is compatible with the needs of the food company. Today, Schumer called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to provide $300,000 to $500,000 in USDA funds for several projects that will ensure the site is ready to serve as a major job creator in Western New York.
“This massive plant could be a game-changer for Genesee County and Western New York,” Schumer said. “We can’t let inadequate sewer systems and wastewater lines, stand in the way of jobs. The USDA should realize the massive potential this project has and provide the seed funding that will help grow jobs and economic prosperity in the county.
"The funds are there to spur development and USDA would be hard-pressed to find a better return on their investment than this new plant. Secretary Vilsack should do the right thing and help us make these infrastructure improvements as quickly as possible to ensure that we don’t miss out on a chance to bring hundreds of good-paying jobs to Upstate New York.”
To ensure the site is ready to host the manufacturing plant, GCEDC must complete $1.8 million in infrastructure upgrades to the site. These upgrades include the construction of a second access road into the park, the addition of a new turning lane and road re-striping at the site’s main entrance as well as up to $500,000 for wastewater and sewer pump station upgrades. The GCEDC is seeking $300,000 to $500,000 in USDA rural development funds to complete these upgrades.
With Schumer’s encouragement and support, GCEDC plans to apply for funding through the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program. The application is due to USDA in April and funding would be awarded in June. Schumer noted that in 2010, Genesee County applied for and won over $200,000 under this program to build out sewer infrastructure to land the Alpina Yogurt Plant, which will serve as another major job creator for the county.
Schumer is pushing the USDA to help Genesee County build on this success by providing funding that will help the county ensure that the site is prepared to host a major food manufacturer in the months ahead.
In his letter, Schumer wrote, “Simply stated, securing USDA funding to complete these new upgrades will bring this $247 million project and its associated 300 jobs to Batavia, NY. As such, and with my full support and encouragement, GCEDC is submitting an application for Rural Development funding by the April 2012 application deadline.
“Funding this upgrade will create an enormous return on investment. Already New York’s rural and agricultural regions are quickly becoming centers of tremendous job growth due to the rise in yogurt and other food processing. This new food processor will join the ranks of the 900-employee Chobani Greek Yogurt manufacturing facility in New Berlin, NY, the 240-employee Fage plant in Jamestown, NY, and the 50-employee Alpina yogurt facility in Batavia, NY.”
CLARIFICATION: Rachael J. Tabelski, with GCEDC, said the USDA grant is intended to fund sewer improvements. Needed upgrades at the site include a secondary roadway and aquifer water.
Previously:
Law and Order: Woman accused of falsely reporting an order of protection violation
Tesla R. Greck, 20, of 134 Liberty St., Batavia, is charged with falsely reporting an incident, 3rd, and offering a false instrument, 2nd. Greck is accused of falsely reporting that her ex-boyfriend violated an order of protection.
Gregory Seppe, 53, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Seppe was arrested at 8:44 p.m., Tuesday, for allegedly possessing several prescription medications that were reported stolen by the owner of the prescriptions.
Shop Batavia: A great response so far to Genesee County's own shopping site
In the six weeks since we launched Shop Batavia, the response has been great. People around town ask me about the site and tell me what a great idea they think it is and so far 135 local businesses have created accounts.
More than 100 items are listed in the site's marketplace.
A dozen businesses are selling gift certificates.
There are currently 10 money-saving coupons available.
More than 100 reviews have been posted.
And if you check the news feed daily on the home page, you can see the site is bustling with activity.
Thanks to all who have supported the site so far. We're excited about the good start and eager to see Shop Batavia grow, giving local businesses and local shoppers a great way to connect, do business and help the local economy.
Report: Now 15 tic cases in Le Roy, including a boy
WGRZ, Buffalo, is reporting that there are now 15 cases in Le Roy of teens with tic symptoms, including a boy. Also, the station interviews a doctor who treated a similar case in North Carolina a decade ago. His diagnosis: conversion disorder.
Statement: Hochul responds to Obama's State of the Union speech
Press release:
“Tonight, President Obama reported on the state of the nation and laid out his plan to move our economy forward. While we’ve seen some progress, we need to continue to invest in America, ensuring Americans have good jobs to go to every day.
“The President’s proposal to revitalize our manufacturing community, invest in American infrastructure, and focus on job training at community colleges, like ECC, NCCC, GCC, and MCC, will keep America competitive and bring jobs back to the United States. It’s time we stop rewarding those companies that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.
“I, however, would have liked to hear more about the President’s plan to cut the deficit and reduce our national debt. This is why I supported the Balanced Budget Amendment that requires Congress to balance its finances in the same way Western New York families do every day; and why I support efforts to streamline government, eliminate waste, and be more responsive to the needs of American businesses.
“Right now is the time for us to come together and work with one another to strengthen our nation and give Americans the chance to get back to work. We have the best ideas, the finest universities, and the hardest working people in the world – now we must create an economy that benefits the working families of America.
“Like the President said, every American just wants a fair shot at achieving the basic American promise; having a good paying job, buying a home, and raising a family. Our country is strongest when every American is contributing their fair share, but this can only happen when we’re all given that fair shot.”
News reports: Former Oakfield resident found guilty of double murder in Pennsylvannia
Two Pennsylvania papers, including the Bradford Era, are reporting that Steven Rebert has been found guilty of murder.
The 48-year-old Rebert is originally from Oakfield and has been a person of interest in the November 2005 homicide of Bill Fickel.
While investigators have been unable to gather sufficient evidence to substantiate a charge in the local homicide, Bill's widow, Lisa Fickel, has offered a $100,000 reward to anybody providing evidence that leads to a conviction of Bill's killer.
Rebert, according to reports, was found guilty of murdering Wayne and Victoria Shugar in April 2010 in Jefferson County.
UPDATE: Brittany Boyer with WJAC reports, "Rebert was found guilty of the following: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, aggravated assault, theft, robbery and burglary." The jury deliberated for one hour and 50 minutes. On Thursday, the jury will begin the penalty phase. Rebert could get the "death penalty," which in Pennsylvania means spending the rest of his life in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.
Labor statistics show improvement for Genesee County
The year-over-year job and employment picture for Genesee County brightened in December, according to Department of Labor statistics.
The county's unemployment rate for December was 7.4 percent, a slight improvement over December 2010 when it was 7.9 percent, but not as good as last November when unemployment stood at 6.7 percent.
Overall, non-farm jobs increased from 22,600 in December 2010 to 23,800 last December. However, that's still below the November job figure of 24,100.
Historically, Genesee County sees a decline in jobs from November to December.
According to the latest report, there are 30,200 people in Genesee County with jobs, compared to 29,400 people with jobs in December 2010.
Year-over-year, goods producing jobs increased from 3,900 to 4,000.
Total service jobs increased from 18,700 to 19,800, including those in education. Health service jobs increased from 3,000 to 3,300, and leisure and hospitality jobs increased from 2,200 to 2,500
Government jobs increased from 6,100 to 6,200.
