Here in Orleans County, we have quite a dilemma on our hands. Last year, the Orleans County Legislature notified the public that we needed a new jail. The jail we have now is crowded and needs to expand. But due to our jail being landlocked (right now, the jail sits in downtown Albion next our courthouse, meaning there is no room for expansion) and the jail having serious wear and tear, we are in the market for a new jail.

The county has formed a Jail Advisory Committee to address issues surrounding the construction of a new jail. However, the Orleans County Legislature decided a few months ago to pursue a study (which, according to news reports, the Genesee County Legislature agreed to) that would look into a regional jail shared between the two counties.

For some in Orleans County, this looks to be a great deal. The cost to build a jail in Orleans County has been projected to be between $20 million to $30 million, although the Legislature has not always been united on the cost. So sharing that burden with Genesee County might not be such a bad thing on the surface.

But I worry about this for a few reasons:

(1) Our jail was officially opened in the early 1970's. The Genesee County Jail, according to its website, was built in 1985. That tells me the two counties are at different points. Again, I'm not sure how necessary it is for Genesee County to build a new jail or join in with Orleans County on plans for a regional jail. That is why I'm writing this to get feedback from the citizens (and hopefully members of county government) in Genesee County.

(2) Would Genesee County be in the financial position to pick up its end of the deal? The reason I ask is because Orleans County would be in a tough bind with the jail project, whether it is a shared sacrifice or not. Such a project would raise taxes (without question) and it would prove to be a long-term burden to pay off. One can assume that if it would cost Orleans County to build a larger facility (projected at one time to be a 120-bed facility), then a regional jail will cost at least slightly more.

(3) Is it worth conducting this study to see if a regional jail would be viable? At last check, the study itself would cost $40,000. That's a big gamble to take if the study comes back and says that such a venture would not be viable.

As a resident of Orleans County, I feel its safe to say that myself and several other citizens are worried about the jail project. If this regional jail doesn't come to fruition, we will need to build a facility sooner rather than later. That burden will fall on us and it will be a tremendous burden to take on.

However, I'm turning to the people of Genesee County and I hope some of the leaders in Genesee County (I'm looking at you Jay Grasso) are reading this. Are you in the market for a new jail or a regional jail? Are you in the financial position to make such an investment? And is this something Genesee County would want?

Reynolds Game Farm is closing down after 81 years of operation, the Binghamton Press reports.

The farm is a victim of state budget cuts, according to the article. No word on the immediate fate of pheasants still on the farm.

The farm has been in various administrations' crosshairs for decades. In fact, if memory serves, the state sought to turn the Reynolds farm over to Cornell University to be used as a wildlife rehab facility in the early 1990s. The news leaked to the Conservation Council and some quick maneuvering and brokering -- ostensibly involving a license fee increase -- saved the farm at that point.

The state consolidated the pheasant program in 1999 when it closed and sold the White Farm in Batavia and moved all the equipment, etc. to Reynolds.

The fate of the pheasant program is still unknown. Commissioner Grannis had expressed in the fact that pheasants could be purchased for the program at far less expense than it took for the Reynolds farm to raise them. Maybe this means the program will continue.

Roger Muehlig reports that the Genesee County Economic Development Center is selling its Mill Street headquarters and will lease back its office space from new owners.

The move paves the way for the property to move back onto the tax roles.

The  price: $675,000. The buyer: Harris Mill Street Properties.

A mortgage tax and sliding scale property tax exemptions package approved by GCEDC directors for the sale totals about $187,745. The largest part of that is an estimated $180,995 in property taxes on a sliding scale over a 10-year period.

The agency is considering relocation within the next three years to one of its other project locations.

Muehlig says that more than 35 new companies have been launched from the business incubator the GCEDC runs from the location.

The agency is working on at least three major development project in Genesee County.

The National Weather Service has issued a weather advisory for Genesee County with chances of freezing mist and a wind child factor of 5 degrees.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND WEATHER OBSERVATIONS AT NIAGARA FALLS AIRPORT INDICATE THIS FREEZING MIST TO BE SPREADING TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NIAGARA FRONTIER. THIS COULD RESULT IN ICY SPOTS ON AREA ROADS, ESPECIALLY UNTREATED OVERPASSES AND THE LESS TRAVELED ROADS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL OF THESE ICY CONDITIONS AND PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES, AND SLOW DOWN IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC. SIDEWALKS AND PARKING LOTS MAY ALSO BECOME SLICK AND SLIPPERY, SO BE CAREFUL WALKING EARLY THIS MORNING. THE ICY CONDITIONS SHOULD DIMINISH BY MID MORNING.

Anthony Dimarzo, 18, of Byron was arrested yesterday in his home at 6404 Millpond Road, for allegedly possessing marijuana.

The arrest by Sheriff's deputies came after a probation office reported his suspicion that Dimarzo had marijuana in his house.

Dimarzo is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5.

WBTA reports on a two-truck accident at the intersection of Routes 98 and 262, with some diesel fuel being spilled.

The accident occurred just before 6:30.

School bus service was not disrupted, but traffic is being rerouted and motorist are being asked to avoid the area.

Tune into WBTA this morning for updates.

We heard from a few sources that one of the hang ups the Daily News ran into was getting its print classifieds online.  This, we hear, delayed the launch of the web site, and when the Daily launched on Tuesday, classifieds were not part of the launch.

That's not surprising -- many newspapers have struggled with getting legacy ad systems to transfer files cleanly to online systems.

It looks like the Daily has worked out the kinks -- the ads are now online.

 The Batavian will be posting at least one photo of a house in Genesee County decorated with Christmas lights each day until Christmas.

Our first post is a fantastic example of a well decorated home. The house, located on at the corner of Eugene Street and Fordham Drive in Batavia, had lights on all sides of the house and must have taken hours to set up. It is well worth the short drive to check this one out.

Dan and Debbie Fischer sure know how to throw a party.

There was plenty of food and laughs tonight at 113 E. Main St., in the studio of Batavia's WBTA.

The radio station hosted the Chamber's monthly mixer and made sure all guests were quite entertained.

Below, Dan received a certificate of recognition from the Chamber for hosting the event.

I spotted this mural on Swan Street in Batavia a few days ago and was taken by the idea that it was probably painted prior to 9/11, and it's still there -- on what is otherwise a pretty run-down old building.  The mural, which consists of two panels of the New York City skyline, is signed "John Howard."

Everybody loves a good auction, and at this time of year, an auction can be a great way to pick up an interesting present.

Batavia's WBTA is holding another of its periodic auctions this Saturday. For rules, information and a list of the items up for grabs, visit WBTA1490.com.

Among the many interesting items:

• Gift certificates from Center of Attention Auto Spa
• NY Trailways Casino Bus Trip
• Gift certificates from Batavia Restaurant Supply
• Various items from Flowers by Dick Burton
• Two $50 gift certificates from Valle Jewelers
• Three-month membership to the YMCA
• Party of 10 at the Jell-O Factory Paint Ball
• Gift certificates (wine only) from Mr. Wine and Liquor

Genesee County sheriff's deputies have made an arrest following their investigation into the bomb scare yesterday afternoon at Genesee Community College. Kimberly M. Volk, 20, of 27 Dellinger Avenue, Apt: Upper, Batavia, was charged with a felony count of first-degree falsely reporting an incident. Volk is accused of sending a text message to a college student who was on the campus at the time. The message read: "I planted a bomb in the library last night, make sure your out of the building by one." The student who received the text message then notified security, which resulted in the evacuation of the campus and the subsequent search for an explosive, which was never located.

Volk was released under the supervision of the county court. She is scheduled to reappear in Batavia town court on December 16.

There has been a rash of out of town people telling Batavia City Council how to spend city resident’s money as of late. I always sit back in amazement when people who don’t live in the city or pay our taxes call for raising the burdens on city residents. City Council represents the interests of city residents, period. It is not in the interest of city residents to provide “extra” services or expend dollars we don’t have to support wasteful spending being demanded by residents who don’t live in the city.

From the New York Farm Bureau:

New York Farm Bureau members today elected Dean Norton, a dairy farmer and agricultural consultant from Batavia, N.Y. as the organization's new president.  Eric Ooms, a dairy farmer from Kinderhook, N.Y. was elected as vice president.

The election was held at Farm Bureau's State Annual Meeting in Albany.  Membership delegates representing farmers from around the state cast ballots. New York Farm Bureau is the statewide lobbying/trade organization that represents approximately 30,000 farm families.

Norton takes over for John Lincoln who retired today after 14 years as president and 29 years in various leadership positions in Farm Bureau.

Norton is a Senior Agriculture Consultant with Freed Maxick & Battaglia CPA's.  His family owns a dairy farm in Elba, N.Y. and runs a custom trucking operation for forage and commodity harvesting.  Norton has served on Farm Bureau's state board of directors since 2004 and was the Genesee County Farm Bureau president from 2000-2004.

"I am proud to have the opportunity to represent this organization during such a critical time for the farm families of New York," Norton said.

Ooms owns and operates a 425-cow dairy farm with his father and brothers in Kinderhook in Columbia County. 

He has served New York Farm Bureau for 10 years as Columbia County Farm Bureau President, and six years on the State Board as Young Farmer and Rancher Chair and District 10 Director.

"It truly is an honor to be selected by the membership to help lead this great organization," said Ooms.

Photo courtesy of the Farm Bureau. Pictured: Outgoing President John Lincoln (left) congratulates newly elected President Dean Norton.

We found this video on YouTube and thought to share it with everyone. Genesee Community College's media crew did a great job on this nine minute documentary about the Holland Land Office Museum. We especially enjoyed this line from the text: "For those unfortunate individuals who are geographically removed and incapable of visiting our museum, we now offer our overview video for visitors online."

There's no doubt that Genesee County can revitalize its workforce and reclaim its former reputation as a center of industry and innovation. There's also no doubt that it will take a willingness to change on the part of our communities. Alabama, in particular, could see drastic changes over the next couple decades...

Chad Zambito, vice president of marketing with the Genesee County Economic Development Center, brought us up to speed earlier today on a few of the more promising projects currently in the works for the county.

Most folks are probably familiar with the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, which has received a lot of press coverage in the Daily News. A Canadian food processor is planning to break ground at that site in the spring. That could mean the creation of about 100 jobs. There are also hopes for the site to include a sort of agricultural showcase center similar to the New York Wine & Culinary Center recently launched in Canandaigua that would highlight the region's dairy production.

Another major project in the pipeline is the Upstate Med & Tech Park and Commercialization Center. Situated on 34 acres across the street from Genesee Community College, the park will host a Life Sciences Center that would allow college students to get on-hand training in those fields. About half of the land is already shovel ready, so expect to see some buildings going up there soon.

That brings us to the most ambitious project currently in the works at the GCEDC: Alabama's STAMP site. STAMP stands for Science, Technology, Advanced Manufacturing Park. It's situated on no less than 1,300 acres between Route 77 and the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Zambito estimates up to 10,000 jobs could be created at the site at full build out. He cautiously follows that up with the note that it would likely take some 25 years to acheive that.

All the purple buildings in the center of this map would house the manufacturing centers. Zambito said the site would likely be used for the production of photovoltaic cells that would harvest electricty from sunlight. In fact, this project, situated in a region that is already coveted for its potential wind energy, could become the foundation of a green energy industrial complex. This project is still some years from any actual construction. The GCEDC is right now getting the designs finalized and hopes to start bringing potential investors and manufacturers out to the site for visits later next year.

Click here to download a copy of the STAMP project map.

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

From the Time.com story:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From that article:

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

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

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

The article also includes a couple of good photographs.

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

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

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

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

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