Who among you can look upon these faces and not feel that all too human sense of pity and awe that only an animal can excite in us?

They're as silly as they are cute, and they've got cute too spare. They're alpacas, close cousin of the llama, though much smaller and a lot easier to keep in a pen on a farm and manage without too many outrageous episodes.

Although, from what I understand, there are plenty of shennanigans going on at an alpaca farm, especially when one of them gets loose and tears hide all over the place, looking for all the world like some crossbreed of the roadrunner and a camel, hurling front legs over back legs over front legs. Then there's the neck wrestling among siblings or peers. Don't forget the spitting of regurgitated alfalfa or the trancelike naps in the sun when even a blowhorn wouldn't rouse the beasts. Oh, oh, and the bugle calls and the humming and the funny faces and the exaggerated underbite.

Here to tell us all about alpacas, why they're great and what they're doing in Le Roy, New York, instead of Peru or Bolivia, is Martha McCutchen, owner of Enchanted Forest Alpacas.

A Batavia detective will become a full-time member of the Genesee County Drug Task Force, according to the Daily News. This marks the first time since 2002 that a member of the city force joined up full-time on the multi-agency task force. Police Chief Randy Baker said he hopes the group will continue its focus on "the big guy," as well as the "smaller concerns of neighborhoods." At least, that's what I think he says. Here's the full quote, from reporter Scott DeSmit:

"We met and we wanted to refocus our efforts ... They were doing long-term investigations, focusing on getting the big guy rather than addressing the smaller concerns of neighborhoods. That's all tied together and that's what we're doing."

It's not clear if the chief is saying that the task force was concentrated on the big guy and now they will focus more on smaller concerns, or my interpretation up above. I phoned the chief to clear up the ambiguity. He was unavailable. I left a message.

UPDATE: Chief Baker did get back to me this afternoon to confirm that the second interpretation is correct, that the task force will do more to address the "smaller concerns."

Plans for the soon-to-be-built Sallome's Deli on Oak Street—check out their job listing on our site—were approved by the city planning board last night following a brief debate over the number of signs to be allowed. There's no mention of when the deli will open at 34 Oak St., but the hours will likely be from 8:00am to 8:00pm six days a week.

Richard J. Peters II, 18, of Batavia, was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in state prison for the rape of a four-year-old girl. Wyoming County Judge Mark H. Dadd added 20 years of post-release supervision. Peters could have faced up to 25 years in prison for pleading guilty to a felony county of first-degree rape and a felony count of first-degree criminal sex act.

As the wrecking ball gets set to smash Le Roy's historic Masonic Temple to the ground, Genesee County's Economic Development Center gets set to give Walgreens $122,375 in tax exemptions. The temple, a few neighboring retail spaces and a couple of homes around the corner are all being torn down to make way for the pharmacy chain.

Batavia's town planning board has determined that the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park will have a "significant impact on the environment." A public hearing has been set for 7:00pm on September 16 at the town hall, 3833 West Main Street Road, for residents to hear about the impact and voice their opinions on the project. "The potential effects of constructing the Ag Park," writes Paul Mrozek, "include increased noise, odor and traffic and converting 200 acres of vacant land into an industrial park."

Have you ever wondered why gas will cost you $4.19 in downtown Batavia while guzzlers in Henrietta are paying $3.67—real prices from last week? Well folks, it's called "zone pricing," and it's another example of why we read lines such as these in the New York Times: "By any measure, Exxon Mobil's performance last year was a blowout." That's from an article this past February, written after the oil giant recorded the highest profit for any company ever. Broken down, the $404 billion in sales translated to a profit of $1,287 for every second of the year in 2007, according to the Times. In case you're wondering, every second of the year, Exxon Mobil earned several hundred dollars more than a minimum wage worker earns in a month. So you know, there are 2,592,000 seconds in a month.

While those staggering inequalities probably won't change any time soon, the state is taking a small but significant step in evening out the playing field of hometown gasoline sales. Tom Wanamaker writes in an article that appears in today's Daily News that the state senate passed lesgilsation yesterday that would "outlaw zone pricing of gasoline." The bill which sailed through the assembly and senate awaits the governor's approval.

Zone pricing is a technique used by petroleum wholesalers in which they determine prices based upon the demographics of the region.

Sen. James Alesi explains zone pricing this way:

"If one area typically is more affluent than another ... the price per gallon determined by the wholesaler, at which gasoline is offered for sale to the retailers may be slightly higher in that area, than an area where the clientele is primarily a working class neighborhood."

New York's North Country Gazette interprets zone pricing slightly differently:

Petroleum companies use "zone pricing to determine geographical price zones based on the demographics of a certain area. For example, in areas where competition is limited, wholesalers will charge a higher per gallon tank price to retailers. Gas retailers who are charged more then pass those increased costs onto the consumers at the pump, in many cases affecting those who are least able to pay.

So, one source figures the phenomenon as affecting the affluent, another decries it as a means of further extorting the poor. Whichever is more accurate, in a time when gas prices are already prohibitive for many, the technique of zone pricing just shouldn't exist.

To learn more about the bill, visit the state assembly Web site.

I just stumbled across blog post by Linda Stephans that casts a more critical eye on Jon Powers than we usually get around here.

Compared to Kryzan and Davis, Jon Powers has an exceedingly thin resume.   He joined the army to get the education benefits and was sent to Iraq.  After he returned to civilian life, he became a part-time substitute teacher.

The one thing that he could really boast of in his campaign was a nonprofit organization he started called War Kids Relief, meant to help Iraqi youth.  Now, the Buffalo News reports that the War Kids Relief isn't all it's cracked up to be. Read their story HERE. Seems Powers puffed up things to grab the interest of the media and may have profited from the project more than he should have.

...

Oh, one more thing about Powers.  He's a flipflopper par excellence.  Example:  At the start of his campaign, he told Democrats for Life he was on their side about abortion.  Didn't believe in it, couldn't support it.  Then, when he talked with Planned Parenthood, he told them he was pro-choice all the way.

That ploy came back to bite him.  The head of Dems for Life in New York had contributed money to his campaign.  When she found out Powers was telling folks he was pro-choice she asked for her money back.

There's no link or other evidence to back up the allegation.

It should be noted, as to the charge that Powes resume is thin: He was a captain in the armed forces during a time of combat. That is a heck of a line or anybody's CV.

The Batavia city police department may have an interruption in its non-emergency phone service (for line 345-6350) beginning Thursday morning at about 9:00am and lasting throughout the day. Crews are working to reroute the line to the 911 dispatch center located at the county sheriff's office on Park Road in anitcipation of the consolidation. Once the switchover is complete, calls to that number will go simultaneously to the Batavia police station and the sheriff's dispatch. If anyone has problems calling 345-6350 any time tomorrow, they are asked to use the new administrative number for the city police at 345-6444. It should be noted that all emergency calls should still go through 911.

Genesee County sheriff's deputies were kept busy at last night's concert at Darien Lake. (Not that that should come as much of a surprise. It was the "Rockstar Energy Mayhem Concert," after all. Oh the capacities for loud rock to incite unsublimated aggressions!)

And aggressions there were aplenty: four charges of disorderly conduct, five charges of harassment, and one attempted assault on a police officer. One trespass, eight charges of underage possession of alcohol, one charge of unlawful possession of marijuana and three more of criminal possession of marijuana round out the list.

Jeremy P. Telvock, 32, of Auburn, is accused of attacking a sheriff's deputy while being escorted out of the venue. Telvock was charged with attempted assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and second-degree harassment. He was sent to Genesee County jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

David M. Collandra, 23, of Renssalaer, was charged with trespass and sent to the jail in lieu of $500 bail. Collandra allegedly refused to leave the property.

The following were charged with disorderly conduct: Simon B. Gilly, 19, of Rochester; Patrick J. Brink, 34, of Auburn; Christopher R. Smith, 22, of Rochester; and Amy L. Sink, 32, of Yorkshire. Gilly and Brink were both sent to the jail in lieu of $500 bail.

The following were charged with second-degree harassment: Michael B. Mustillo, 26, of Depew; John D. Drexler, 42, of Webster; Thomas E. Leith, 20, of Gowanda; and Andrew D. Schoff, 25, of Brockport.

Batavia Muckdog closer Adam Reifer, who leads the league in saves with 18, picked up the win Tuesday night, and Muckdog Charles Cutler scored the winning run, as the National League erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to cap a 4-3 walk-off victory.

In fact, NL manager Darin Everson said it was Reifer's performance that semi-inspired the comeback win.

"It was very dramatic," Everson said. "I was telling the other guys that having the energy of Reifer throwing in the ninth inning, our dugout was kind of bubbling with energy after watching him throw."

Muckdog Frederick Parejo broke the game's scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth when he he homered off of right-hander Robert Bell (Auburn).

Here's the game's box score.

The Muckdogs host Mahoning Valley tomorrow to open the closing weeks of the season in first place with a half-game lead over Jamestown.

Thursday and Friday's games start at 7:50 p.m. 

Williamsport is in town Saturday and Sunday. After that, there are only four more regular season home games (the team is 18-10 at Dwyer this year), including two against Jamestown, which should make for a dramatic close of the season.

Your team is fighting for the division pennant, Genesee County, go support them. General admission tickets are only $5. These kids have put on a great show all season; they deserve to see the stands packed with fans.

My wife and I will be there Friday night. Look for us in the third-base bleachers. I expect I'll be wearing my old school San Diego Padres cap.

I've been reading and summarizing articles from the Daily News every weekday for nearly four months now. Sometimes, it's smooth sailing: reporter so-and-so wrote such-and-such about who, what and where. Bada bing, you know. But not always. Somewhere in the middle of the bada and the bing, everything just goes haywire and I'm literally left scratching my head and chasing sources to make sense of what seemed at first glance to be a very simple story. Take this headline from today's local section: Genesee Co. seeking to raise fees for filing papers, copies.

What would you expect this story to be about? Maybe the cost of copies going up at the county offices? That's what I thought. But... no. Not exactly. Here's what the reporter tells us: A proposed law that will come up for vote at the meeting of the Genesee County Legislature next month could mean an increase in costs.

The measure would affect the cost of recording property records such as affidavits, deeds and mortgages, an increase from $3 to $5 and the clerk's endorsement (official stamp), increase from $5 to $20.

The clerk's office is also requesting a decrease in the cost of a copy of a document's recording page, from $10 to $5.

Aside from the grammatical train wreck of the first sentence, can you tell what costs are actually going up here? Not copies. It looks like they're decreasing. But no. Not even that. I phoned County Clerk Don Read this afternoon to clear things up. A copy, he told me—that is, the cost to make a photocopy of a document at the clerk's office—will remain the same price it has been for the past several years: 65 cents. More than this, the cost of "the copy of a document's recording page"—yikes!—is, in fact, decreasing, which completely contradicts the headline that told us the fees were going to be raised for copies.

As for what's really going on, here are the plain facts, courtesy of Read:

1. An increase in the fee for recording property records such as affidavits, deeds and mortgages from $3 to $5 per page. Read says that "recording" is not exactly the same as "filing," but the action is essentially the same.

2. An increase in the fee for a clerk's endorsement from $5 to $20. A clerk's endorsement is essentially the official info inscribed by the clerk on a document including the signature. Yes, you have to pay for that.

3. A decrease in the fee for a recording page from $10 to $5. The "recording page" is sort of like the cover page that goes on other documents to identify the contents of the documents—think the cover letter for a fax, for example.

There you go.

If you're looking to contract a headache over lunch, pick up the Daily News at any local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

In a lengthy post about the 26th District congressional race, Buffalo Pundit writes:

Over the weekend, I was at University Plaza across from UB South waiting for a pizza. There was a young African American guy in the plaza sporting a “Save Jobs” t-shirt with a clipboard and Davis lit. I asked him what he was collecting signatures for, and he handed me the clipboard. He explained to me that he was there on behalf of Jack Davis, who is running for “councilman” and that he wants to “save our jobs and stuff”, and the clipboard held petitions to add the “Save Jobs and Farms Party” to the ballot in November. Yes, he was being paid. So, if Jack can’t buy himself the Independence or Democratic line, he’ll buy himself a minor-party line and will undoubtedly be campaigning through and until November. Particularly amusing was the party emblem, resembling an early 20th century socialist cog symbol.

Um, "Save Jobs and Farms," from a guy who supposedly wants to prevent farmers from hiring the labor they need to bring in their crops?

This sounds like shallow populist posturing rather than a sound policy platform.

As for what BP describes as a "socialist cog symbol," I suspect Davis is tone deaf to the leftist motif, but I suspect he is quite well attuned to the power of propaganda.  Have you heard his ridiculous radio commercial (it plays on WBTA)? Besides making one wonder if Davis is trying to sell used recreational vehicles, the platitude-ridden ditty is a clear appeal to the cult-of-personality vote.

Again, we're not trying to be pro-Powers or anti-Davis here, but you know, when there's a big hole, and a Mac truck sitting there with the engine running, you gotta put the hammer down.

An East Amherst woman died yesterday after she was struck by a vehicle, state police said. Maureen P. Micks, 73, was attempting to cross Transit Road in the town of Clarence when she was hit. David E. Militello, 41, of East Amherst, was making a left turn onto Transit Road from North French Road when he say Micks crossing. He was unable to stop in time. Micks was taken to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital where she was later prnounced dead as a result of the collision.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident should contact the state police in Clarence at (716) 759-6831.

The Buffalo News this morning reports that New York teachers are increasing pressure on the state Legislature to oppose. Gov. Paterson's property tax cap.

The campaign to stop the cap is intense. NYSUT last week withheld endorsements from 38 state senators who voted for the Paterson tax cap. The Working Families Party mailed out 200,000 fliers in a bid to ensure the Democratic-run Assembly does not take up the cap this week. The party, along with the Alliance for Quality Education, has begun a one-week, $1.5 million TV ad campaign blasting the cap. It has also run radio ads.

High taxes -- and they are outrageously high in New York -- impede economic growth, cost people jobs, discourage businesses to relocate to New York, drive businesses out of New York, and ultimately decrease the amount of money local governments can generate in revenue.

Gov. Patterson's proposal is modest compared to the substantial cuts that should be made.

It's disappointing that the teachers union, at such a critical time, is putting self interest ahead of community interest.

Tonight I am reading, as I have been for the past three nights, Bill Kauffman's Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette.

I come to this passage, related to the rising of Wal-Mart in Batavia:

My voice is as mute as the others in that silent night, unholy night. I supposed I am of the old  school of Thoreau and Emerson in that I distrust political solutions and prefer individual revolutions of the soul. I sympathized with those townspeople who wished to keep Wal-Mart out. But instead of passing laws to compel behavior I would rather my neighbors choose to shop locally. They will only do so when Batavia becomes once more a city with its own flavor and fashions. Whether that day will come, I do not know.

For me, if The Batavian can accomplish one thing, it will be to give voice to the people who want Batavia to be Batavia again.

I'm no Pollyanna. I know we cannot put the Brylcreem back in the tube, or unwind the the movie or rebuild C.L. Carr's, but we can promote an ideal that a rural town like Batavia should be more than bathroom break on the Thruway.

We have our corporate sponsors, which means that if the heavens opened up and Wal-Mart or Kmart decided to bequeath to us some ungodly sum of money for advertising (not likely, ever), we couldn't say no, but we are here first and foremost to support the businesses that support Batavia (and the rest of Genesee County).

We only ask one thing -- that you do the same. Before your next trip to Wal-Mart or Target, find out what local shop can do you the same service and patronize that store first.

The Holland Land Office Museum continues its countdown of The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous with the recounting, at No. 17, of a tale of wartime heroism. This story provides a nice counterpoint to last time when Museum Director Pat Weissend told us the sordid tale of a cuckold who kills his wife's lover and gets off scot-free.

When American morale took a blow after the bombing by Japan of Pearl Harbor during World War II, Lt. Col. James Doolittle organized a counter-strike. His plan was to load sixteen B-25 twin-engine bombers, take off from the deck of the USS Hornet and bomb Tokyo. Batavia's Eddie York (née Edward J. Chichowski) was pilot of plane number eight.

Pat Weissend tells us the rest of the story:

York knew he didn’t have enough fuel to make it to friendly mainland China, so he headed to Siberia in the Soviet Union instead. He landed his plane near Vladivostok in the Soviet Russia and planned on refueling and heading to China. At the landing site, Russian troops took the crew into custody. A Japanese unit showed up shortly after, and demanded the American crew be turned over to them. The Soviet Union and Japan were not at war at that point, so the crew was held by the Russians. After 13 months of captivity the crew escaped through Persia and eventually returned to the United States.

For more on this tale and to keep up with the countdown, visit the museum Web site.

Forty-seven business owners participated in The Batavian's first ever raffle to win three months of free advertising on the site. We were at Summer in the City over the weekend to collect names and numbers, and today, our advertising consultants Melissa McIntyre and Vanessa Haar stopped by the office of Patrick Burk, director of Batavia's Summer Youth Theater program, to choose the winner.

Well, Patrick did just that. Congratulations to Genesee County Mental Health Association for winning three months of free advertising. If you're interested in advertising on The Batavian, call Vanessa at (417) 437-0854 or Melissa at (585) 402-2562.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by text ads on The Batavian will go to the youth theater program.

At Summer in the City on August 16, 2008, the Batavia Area Jaycees did another Community Survey.

Here is the link to view the results of this survey:
http://geneseeny.entrexp.com/documentview.asp?docID=606

-Melissa A. George
2008 Community Development Vice President

During Summer in the City, I had a chance to chat with Assemblyman Steve Hawley.  Of course the subject of the mall came up, and a friend/supporter/consitutent (I'm not sure which best applies) standing nearby chimed in and said he thought the mall should be turned into a college campus.

That idea, though I gather it's not a new one, has some merit.

The influx of students would be a boon for downtown restaurants and bars, and the foot traffic of people to those businesses would help other retail establishments. 

However, such a solution would do nothing to deal with the "eyesore of a mall" issue, and by not tearing down the building and creating new Main Street-facing structures, you're making it harder to profitably relocate current mall occupants who might wish to stay downtown.

Still, a two- or four-year campus (could the New York university system be enticed into an extension campus?) would generate a lot more people traffic in the city's core.

Setting aside for a minute the logistics and difficulties of making it happen, what do you think -- is a college campus a viable alternative to the current sputtering, life-sapping, soul-sucking mall?

Former principal and longtime pastor the Rev. David J. Schneider died Saturday at his home in Batavia, according to the Daily News. He was 84. Schieder was born in Brooklyn and moved with his family to Batavia when he was a child. He was principal of Notre Dame High School for 15 years, until 1989, when he became the pastor of Holy Name of Mary Church in East Pembroke. "A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Church, 16 Ellicott St., Batavia. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery."

You can pick up a copy of the Daily News at local newsstands. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

Here's a look at where our Muckdog leaders are in the NYPL:

• Arquimedes Nieto remains the league's pitching leader with a 5-0 record and 1.28 ERA.
• Adam Reifer also still leads in saves with 18 and in games with 25.
• Colt Sedbrook is 8th in batting with a .312 BA.  He also is 2nd in on-base percentage (.406) and tied for 4th in triples (5).
• Jose Garcia is 4th in stolen bases with 18.
• As a team, the Muckdogs are 3rd in both hitting and pitching.  They have a combined batting average of .263 and a combined ERA of 3.13.

*In closing, Sunday was my last game here in Batavia. I am returning to school at Kent State University to begin my senior year as a broadcast journalism major.  It was great getting to know those of you who I had a chance to meet at games and getting feedback from you!  I will still be posting frequently for the Muckdogs with game reviews, information on players being moved up or down, community events, and so-forth.  So keep checking in! And get out to Dwyer Stadium as we continue our great run for the playoffs!

A multi-agency enforcement detail including Genesee County sheriff's deputies and city police officers set up in the south-east section of the city Thursday. twenty uniform traffic tickets were issued. Five people were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana: John P. Wittkopp, 25, of 124 Osterhaut Ave.; Robert K. Neaman, 20, of Bethany; Elliott Hickman, 17, of 26 Ganson Ave.; Derek McQueen, 21, of Corfu; and Keesta Z. Skellon, 30, of 665 Ellicott St., who was also charged with trespass. Willie J. Shannon, 52, of 101 Harvester Ave., was also charged with trespass. Jerad M. Stalker, 24, of Alexander, was charged with possession of a hypodermic needle.

Leroy S. Crandall Jr., 61, of Corfu, was charged with driving while intoxicated Saturday following a traffic stop on Alleghany Road in Corfu, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. He was also ticketed with improper left turn.

David L. Good, 21, and Eric A. Ernestine, 18, both of Liverpool, were charged with disorderly conduct Sunday night after they were evicted from Darien Lake, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Good and Ernestine allegedly cursing at the security guards while being escorted out of the park. Good was also charged with two counts of second-degree harassment. Deputies were told that he pushed the security guards and resisted arrest.

Adam M. Zastrocky, 24, of Bergen, was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance Saturday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Zastrocky was observed "acting suspiciously" in a parking lot in the village. With him was Edward W. Zastrow, 27, of Bergen, who was charged with public lewdness. Zastrow was allegedly urinating in public.

Brandon C. McCoy, 17, of Kelsey Road, Batavia, and Tara A. Trommetter, 17, of Corfu, were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana Wednesday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said.

David J. Newton, 26, of Rochester, was charged with petit larceny Saturday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Newton was accused of stealing merchandise from a shop in Darien Lake.

Bobby L. Mobley, 49, of 8 Central Ave., Batavia, was charged with second-degree criminal contempt Saturday night, city police said. Mobley is accused of violating an order of protection.

An independent audit of the city's finances declares Batavia in "improving financial stability." For only the second time in the past five years, the city recorded a surplus in its general fund. Thanks to an excess of revenue over spending of $1,652,361, the city logged $617,218 in surplus and chipped away at the "undesignated" deficit, which shrank from $1,860,906 to $365,895.

Auditors Freed, Maxick and Battaglia chalk up the successful year to "cautious revenue and expenditure budgeting," the increase of more than $800,000 in property tax revenue owing to a higher tax rate, state aid for struggling cities and the elimination of seven full-time and 12 part-time employees. The last saved the city approximately $460,000 in personnel expenses.

And the future, too, looks bright:

These efforts along with continual expense monitoring and revenue improvements will assist in regaining long term fiscal solvency, while building a healthy fund balance and investing in capital equipment, City facilities and infrastructure.

The three part audit runs well over 100 pages and paints a much more nuanced portrait of the city's financial state, and addresses such topics as the imminent consolidation of city police and county sheriff dispatch crews, future savings from fixing leaks in the city's water lines and the ongoing arbitration with the police union.

We'll inspect the document more closely over the next week, but in the meantime, let's just let the graphics speak for themselves.