Elba may be ranked number one in the state now but it's not something they think much about, said Coach Tom Redband after Friday's home victory over Pembroke 46-45.

"It's a fun thing for the fans and it's a nice thing to read about but it's not something we talk about or, you know, fixate on," Redband said. "You know we want to be as good as we can in the end; whatever that might be. We don't get into whether we're number one state or winning sectionals or winning states.

"It's just the personality of the team because of their work ethic."

And winning is a whole team effort, Redband said. The best example this year is Wednesday's road win over Avon 60-33 with no player on the team hitting double digits in scoring.

"We ended up winning by 27," Redband said. "I think that's pretty rare. I can't remember the last time we lost by 27 when the top two scorers on the other team had five points. I think that's just a testament to the girls developing and being ready at all times no matter what they did last game. You know, the next girl up when somebody is not at their best or injured or we need a little boost."

Elba, a Class D team, is 15-0 on the season now and among the reasons it's ranked number one in the state is five of those wins came against Class B teams and all but one of those other wins against Class C teams. The team has scored at least 60 points 12 times.

Friday night's win -- which Elba almost let slip away -- was another example of distributed offense with Brynn Walczak scoring 12 points, Leah Bezon with 11, Lauryn Engle, 9, Taylor Augello, 6, and Maddie Muehlig, 5. Engle hit three of her four three-point attempts.

Here's how Redband breaks down his team:

"Leah Bezon has been on the team for four years now. She's only a sophomore. She keeps developing and she has a humongous upside. She's our captain.

"Brynn Walzcak has been on the team two, three years. Maddie Mulehig three years, Taylor Augello, it's her second year starting and she's really come on this year. She worked really hard in the offseason to develop her game.

"Maddie Howard who is a senior, she'll be back soon. She was injured a couple of weeks ago. She'll be back soon. She's a great, great assist person, very unselfish looking to defend and assist. 

"Then we have shooters like Adriana Long and Dakota Brinkman and Lauryn Engle, who at any point could hit three or four threes in a game.

"Kelly Mickey is a ferocious defender and then Izzy Riner who can kind of do it all.

"We're really not a top-heavy team."

Leah Bezon

Taylor Augello

Maddie Muehlig

Maddie Muehlig

Taylor Augello

Leah Bezon

Brynn Walczak

A kitchen fire, reported as a structure fire, is reported at 62 S. Main St., Batavia.

It's a lower apartment. Occupants are evacuating.

City fire dispatched.

UPDATE 12:22 a.m.: Police officers on scene report heavy smoke showing.

UPDATE 12:24 a.m.: A first responder says flames are showing at the back of the structure.

UPDATE 12:26 a.m.: "Small kitchen fire. Looks like it's extending into the cabinets. Have water on it now," says a firefighter.

UPDATE 12:30 a.m.: Fire is out; checking for extensions. Fourth platoon is called to city fire headquarters.

UPDATE 12:46 a.m.: Fire command requests Red Cross to aid two adults and four children who live in the apartment.

Mobile App users, click here to view the video on thebatavian.com.

More than two years have passed since the Darien Town Board conducted informational meetings on a proposed Water District No. 6, a multimillion dollar project that would supply public water to about two-thirds of the town’s population at a yearly cost of around $1,300 per household.

Not much has happened to move this plan closer to its logical conclusion – yes or no – until Dec. 17, 2018 when the board passed a “permissive resolution” intended to set up a ballot vote, Town Supervisor David Hagelberger said this afternoon.

“We held a public hearing on that date and afterwards, the town board voted for the permissive referendum in an effort to get a decision, either ‘yes’ you want it or ‘no’ you don’t,” Hagelberger said. “We’re (the board) not opposed to an election. Whatever the community wants (is what we want). We need to resolve this and this is a way to do it.”

As a matter of background, the town board proposed the water district to the 2,095 town residents who currently have well water. The annual cost for each household was set at $1,275 – and it remains at that level – with $914 going toward the project’s debt distribution and $361 for water supply, operations and maintenance costs.

While the price per family did not increase, the total project price tag has gone up (due to interest rate and construction cost increases) from $24.8 million to $25.25 million, and the amount of a USDA grant being sought has risen from $6.8 million to $10.82 million, Hagelberger said.

Additionally, residents were informed that costs of the initial connection, such as meter charges, account setup fees, service lines to the residence, and well abandonment and/or separation fees, would be at least $2,000.

Following the fall 2016 informational meetings, petitions were circulated to gauge town residents’ feelings on the issue, and about 400 signatures in support of the project were received. But things weren’t moving fast enough, Hagelberger said, and he and the town board “feared that this opportunity could be lost as costs continue to rise.”

That’s where the permissive referendum that calls for the creation of the water district comes in.

“The law allows us to pass this measure to force an election,” Hagelberger said, noting that another petition containing at least 100 signatures or 5 percent of residents in the water district, whatever is lower, would be needed to counteract the board’s vote and force a by-the-people election.

Hagelberger said that has been achieved – a petition of 406 signatures was turned into the Town Office on Jan. 15 – and an election must be conducted within 60 to 75 days.

“One hitch that has arisen is that we (town board) may have to pass the referendum again due to a technicality, so the window may be reset,” he said. “So, the election likely will be in March or April. We want to get this done as soon as possible.”

The fact that the project is being put to a vote sits well with Tinkham Road resident Fred Kochmanski, who was part of a small coalition of town residents who are against it but, more importantly, wanted the public to have the chance to have a direct input.

“We should have an opportunity for the people to vote; that’s the American way,” Kochmanski said.

He said that although he currently gets water through the municipality of Akron (and is happy with it), he would be forced to change providers if the vote is in favor of Water District No. 6.

“We’ve been told that there are 17 people having issues of water shortages, but there are 800 parcels in the (proposed) district,” he said. “It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog.”

Hagelberger said he remains neutral, but fears that if the measure is defeated, the town may be “left out” of getting water in the future.

“If you’ve noticed, a lot of municipalities have been getting public water lately, so we’re not sure what’s going to happen down the road with Genesee County,” he said. “The board believes this is in the best interest of the community but realizes that maybe not for each individual resident.”

Should residents vote in favor of the project, it would take about three years for construction to be complete.

Press release:

The Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County health departments and hospitals are currently working with community partners to gather information from residents and those who work in these counties to help with public health planning for the next three to four years.

The information will inform and guide documents called the Community Health Assessment (CHA), Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), and Community Services Plan (CSP).

This initiative is part of the New York State Prevention Agenda, which is the blueprint for state and local action to improve the health of New Yorkers.

To fully assess the health status of our communities we are asking for your input because your health counts! These organizations are asking the public to participate by taking a survey and sharing their viewpoints during community conversations.

An online survey is available, as well as paper copies at various locations in each county. You can access the survey here.

The unemployment rate in Genesee County for December was 4.1 percent, according to the New York Department of Labor, which is lower than the December 2017 rate of 5.3 percent.

The rate in November was 3.5 percent.

There are 1,000 more people in the labor force in Genesee County for December, at 30,100, compared to 29,100 a year ago.

Of those 30,100 people, 28,900 reported having jobs.

There are 1,200 people listed as unemployed. That's 300 fewer than a year ago.

There were 16,200 private sector, non-farm jobs reported in Genesee County for December, up 100 jobs from the previous December. Government jobs in the county fell from 5,800 to 5,700.

The unemployment rate for the GLOW region in December was reported at 4.2 percent, down from 5.6 percent a year ago.

The state's unemployment rate is 3.8 percent. The nation's is 3.7 percent.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today released the following statement:

“Congratulations to President Trump for having the courage to act by opening the federal government. Now it’s time for Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to put aside petty politics and work with the President to put an end to the crisis at our southern border.

"The fact is we cannot continue to sustain ourselves as a nation without having real boarders borders and real immigration reform. The only way for this crisis to be resolved will be for all parties to engage in substantive negotiations over the next few weeks and reach a consensus on border security.”

Press release:

Officer of the Year Award – Deputy Sheriff Travis M. DeMuth
Deputy Sheriff Travis M. DeMuth has distinguished himself in the performance of service to the citizens of Genesee County during 2018. During this year, Deputy DeMuth has shown to be a reliable asset, he has maintained a consistent, positive attitude and has excelled in the performance of his duties. Specifically, during two incidents, Deputy DeMuth’s instincts, investigative skills and proactive attitude contributed to the arrest of a well-known drug trafficker from Rochester who was in possession of 154 individually packaged quantities of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. These were confiscated and never made it to the streets to be sold in our community. Additionally, during another incident, Deputy DeMuth’s calm demeanor, persistence, and decisive actions were instrumental in reviving an unresponsive victim and likely saved her life. 

Deputy Sheriff Travis M. DeMuth has reflected great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and most deserves to be named Officer of the Year.

Photo: Christopher DeMuth, Travis' father, Larissa Shaffer, sister, Avery Schaffer, niece, Rebecca DeMuth, stepmother, Margaret DeMuth, mother, Olivia Ahearn, girlfriend, Deputy Travis M. DeMuth, Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr., Undersheriff Bradley D. Mazur.

Distinguished Service Award – Confidential Secretary Carolyn A. Della Penna
Confidential Secretary Carolyn A. Della Penna has distinguished herself as a member of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. Carolyn continuously goes above and beyond to ensure that the operations of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office are accomplished in an efficient and professional manner. She is always available to take on additional tasks and assist members with complicated issues. Carolyn has a wealth of knowledge and is recognized as the "go to person" on operational procedures of the Sheriff’s Office and Genesee County. Her willingness to help others is truly appreciated by all the members of the Sheriff’s Office. Confidential Secretary Della Penna’s knowledge and attention to detail have proven to be a great asset to the Department and, through her work, has distinguished herself and brought great credit upon herself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. Thank you for all you do.

Photo: Sheriff William Sheron; Confidential Secretary Carolyn Della Penna; her daughter, Sydney; her husband, Tom; and Undersheriff Bradley Mazur.

Longevity Awards:

• Jail Cook Manager William S. Cultrara, 10 years
• Principal Financial Clerk Deborah A. Shea, 10
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Michael T. Sheflin, 10
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Jason W. Holman, 10
• Investigator James M. Diehl, 10
• Deputy Sheriff Kevin R. McCarthy, 10
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Steven L. Robinson, 10
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Francis A. Riccobono, 10
• Correction Officer Daniel J. Renz. 15 years
• Sr. Correction Officer Caleb C. Chaya, 15
• Correction Officer Brian M. Manley, 20 years
• Sr. Correction Officer Peter M. Hoy, 20
• Investigator/Youth Officer Timothy G. Wescott, 20
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Lynn B. Riccobono, 25 years
• Deputy Sheriff Deborah L. Snyder, 25

Certificates of Appreciation

• Cook Manager William S. Cultrara
• Community Services / Victim Counselor Rosanne DeMare Smart
• Volunteers for Animals

Commendations

• Investigator Chad J. Minuto, 2nd
• Deputy Sheriff Chad P. Cummings, 2nd
• Deputy Sheriff Ryan W. Young, 2nd
• Deputy Sheriff Mathew J. Clor, 2nd
• Deputy Sheriff Jeremy M. McClellan, 2nd
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Steven L. Robinson, 2nd
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Jason W. Holman, 2nd
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Steven R. Smelski, 2nd
• Deputy Sheriff Kevin R. McCarthy, 3rd
• Deputy Sheriff Deborah L. Snyder, 4th
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Lynn B. Riccobono, 5th
• Sergeant Jason E. Saile, 6th

Meritorious Awards

• Deputy Sheriff Matthew R. Butler, 3rd
• Investigator Christopher A. Parker, 2nd

Press release:

RESTORE Sexual Assault Services, a program of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, is recruiting volunteers for an upcoming training cycle in March. There is an urgent need for volunteers in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Volunteer Advocates are responsible for taking crisis phone calls from their home and accompanying sexual assault survivors to the hospital or police station. Volunteers offer support, information and resources to survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones.

The time commitment is flexible, and at the volunteer’s discretion. All applicants will be screened and must complete 32 hours of training prior to beginning their volunteer commitment.

Those interested in volunteering for RESTORE must be at least 20 years of age, have reliable transportation, and be comfortable working with those in a crisis situation. 

For further information about volunteering with RESTORE, email restore@ppcwny.org. 

# # #

RESTORE leads the community response to sexual violence through advocacy and education, by providing the safety, support and validation that changes the lives of all those affected.  

RESTORE 24-hour hotlines:

1-800-527-1757 (Livingston, Wyoming, Orleans and Genesee counties)

585-546-2777 (Monroe County)

Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York provides high quality, nonjudgmental reproductive health care; promotes responsible and healthy sexuality; advocates for access to comprehensive health care; and supports those affected by sexual violence.

Press release:

The City of Batavia is currently seeking nominations for the following 2018 Recognition Awards:

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER

An outstanding individual in the community that demonstrates excellence in volunteerism. This individual goes above and beyond normal responsibilities creating a lasting and beneficial impact.

HOMEOWNER OF THE YEAR

An engaged resident who has given extra effort to go above and beyond in maintaining their home and enhance their neighborhood.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

A business that has demonstrated community involvement and represents entrepreneurial spirit while providing exceptional customer service, professionalism and integrity.

NOT-FOR-PROFIT/SERVICE ORGANIZATION

Providing service to the people of the City by demonstrating commitment in improving quality of life throughout the community.

***************

If you know of someone that you would like to nominate please complete the nomination form and submit to Lisa Casey by Friday, March 8.

The awards will be presented by City Council at a future City Council Meeting.

Nomination forms available by the following:

• City website: www.batavianewyork.com under the home page;
• Can be picked up at the City Manager’s Office;
• Call (585) 345-6333 to have form emailed to you;
• Email at Lcasey@batavianewyork.com;

Mail nominations to: Lisa Casey, City of Batavia, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY 14020.

Fax nominations to (585) 343-8182.

Pre-need funeral accounts in New York State are considered assets of the individual, not the funeral home. Each year, those that have prepaid their funerals with a funeral home receive a tax document for the interest earned in the previous year. If you have an account with any of our funeral homes, and did not receive your statement, please call us. We'd be happy to assist you. Batavia Funeral Homes

Bethany fire is responding to a fully involved truck fire, a pickup truck at 5426 Ellicott Street Road.

There was concern about the truck being close to a home, but the residents have the house closed up and no smoke is getting it. The structure does not seem to be threatened.

There was concern about power lines overhead but they don't seem to be involved.

UPDATE 10:26 a.m.: Route 63 is being closed in both directions.

UPDATE 11:45 a.m.: Route 63 is being shut down at Route 20. A first responder says, "until we get DOT out here to clear Route 63 we'll be out here all day." Another responder reports "visibility is getting bad."

UPDATE 12:03 p.m.: Plowing done, road reopened.

Press release:

The Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Barbara Dietrich as the B.I.D.'s new Executive Director.

Dietrich comes to the B.I.D. from an extensive background of marketing, event management, public relations, promotions and business startup skills. She was the president of Dietrich Consulting in Batavia starting in 1998. She consulted for a variety of businesses on marketing, advertising trends, promotions, sponsorship and events. She was the radio personality on Entercom Buffalo; News Radio 930 WBEN – “Easy Living with Barb Dietrich."

Dietrich was the sponsorship director of “The Great Pumpkin Farm ”Oink”toberfest, NYS BBQ Cook-off Competition in Clarence. During her time at Dietrich Consulting she was the director of Marketing and Development for the YWCA Genesee County, director of Marketing for Empire Tractor Inc., director of Marketing, Public Relations and Sponsorship for Rivera Theatre in North Tonawanda, and general manager for WNY Event Centre in Clarence.

Dietrich has volunteered for many organizations over the years, she was a board member as well as past chairperson for Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Batavia Business Advisory Board, Cornell Cooperative Extension Board, Genesee County Business Advisory Board for Tompkins/Bank of Castile and Junior Achievement.

“Most of my marketing/management career has been in the Buffalo area and I’m so happy to use those skills and experiences here in my own community," she said. "It’s an honor to be a part of the exciting growth of Batavia!”

Dietrich moved to Batavia from State College, Pa., with her husband, David Dietrich, more than 25 years ago. They have two children, Joe and Petra.

She said she is happy they chose Batavia as their home.

Dietrich is looking forward to joining the B.I.D. and working closely with the downtown businesses, volunteers, board members, the City of Batavia and its community. Her official start date will be Monday, Jan. 28. We warmly welcome her to the B.I.D.

Times-Union: Cuomo proposes ban on release of mugshots, arrest info

Some potential buyer of the now-shuttered Alpina property in the Genesee Valley Ag Park is going to pick up an ultramodern dairy plant for a relative song, according to the man tasked with finding a buyer.

And it will sell soon, said Aaron Morgenstern, managing director of Harry Davis & Company, the firm handling the real estate listing.

"It's an opportunity that doesn't come along often," Morgenstern said. "I would expect we'll soon find a buyer. I'm 100-percent confident that it will be sold soon and I'll be surprised if it's July 4 and we're still talking about who will buy the plant."

Harry Davis & Company specializes in valuing dairy companies and handling dairy plant and operations sales. The company helped in the sale of the former Muller Quaker Dairy plant in Batavia when HP Hood acquired it from Dairy Farmers of America.

Alpina acquired the land and built the plant for $20 million in 2012. Over the next six years, Alpina invested another $50 million in buying more land in the ag park, adding equipment, including equipment for liquid yogurt production, and adding onto the facility in anticipation of increased production.

The fully automated plant will help the company that acquires it control labor costs; at full capacity, Morgenstern would expect the plant to employ about 100 people.

"Our goal is to find a new operator who will bring jobs back to the area and grow the facility to its full capacity," Morgenstern said.

Morgenstern said he couldn't disclose the asking price for the plant but said it's substantially less than the $70 million that Alpina invested.

"The value proposition is that this an opportunity for somebody not currently in New York State to get into one of the premier milk sheds in the United States," Morgenstern said. "Or it's an opportunity for somebody in New York to continue to capture this milk shed with a brand-new ultramodern facility."

Morgenstern said he's received about three dozen inquiries about the property from serious potential buyers since the plant went on the market last week.

In 2012, Alpina, based in Colombia, received $767,096 in tax incentives to build its first U.S. plant in Batavia. A large portion of those tax incentives was in the form of a PILOT -- Payment In Lieu Of Taxes -- in which Alpina paid a fee in exchange for reduced taxes on the increase in assessed value of the property. The amount of taxes due to the increase in assessed value graduates upward over the years, from zero percent the first year, to about 50 percent today.

The assessed value of the property $168,000 (commercial properties are assessed differently than residential properties to account for the depreciation of commercial buildings). CORRECTION: When looking at assessments, we only looked at one parcel. There is another parcel that Alpina owns with an assessed value of $4.2 million.

Jim Krencik, spokesman for the Genesee County Economic Development Center, said the GCEDC board has the option, under the PILOT agreement, to adjust the agreement, or even cancel the PILOT, to increase the tax bill to 100 percent of assessed value.

A potential pitfall of canceling the PILOT is that a new owner would not be eligible for a continued tax abatement. The board keeps the PILOT in place but adjusts the taxable amount, another company could get a new PILOT agreement. A canceled PILOT agreement potentially makes the property less marketable.

The Batavian contacted four of the five current GCEDC board members and all said they wanted to reserve comment on the status of the PILOT until they had more information.

The board doesn't meet again until February and the time period for making a decision about the future of the PILOT is February and March.

"As we move forward with the site, I’m keeping in mind that any decision regarding the PILOT is within a larger effort to continue to bring more capital investment and job growth at the Alpina site, the Ag Park and Genesee County," Krencik said.

If the amount of taxes due under the PILOT were adjusted, it wouldn't take effect until the tax years for municipalities and school districts, and if Morgenstern's prediction of a quick sale is correct, the issue would become moot.

When Muller Quaker sold its $200 million plant to DFA, DFA didn't immediately decide what to do with the plant and it sat vacant for more than a year. In that case, the GCEDC board adjusted the PILOT and DFA paid more than $655,000 in additional taxes to local governments in 2017. When HP Hood acquired the plant, the PILOT benefits were extended to Hood.