batavia

Sometimes we don't even need to leave the office to see some thing interesting. We   lean out the window.

Most likely, you've seen this old black and white cruising around town before, but it caught my eye as I turned onto Center Street, so I stopped to snap a pic.

Nope, Adam-12 didn't suddenly turn up in town.

It belongs to Center Street Smokehouse.

UPDATE 10:54 a.m.: The fire is at 8127 Lewiston Rd. in Batavia.  A large plume of black smoke can be seen drifting over the city of Batavia.

UPDATE: 11:17 a.m.  We're at the scene (after a long walk because State Troopers wouldn't let us drive in). 

Owner of the property Pat Riner says they noticed a small flame coming from one of the barns and the fire spread quickly.  A silo appears to have fallen. UPDATE: After the flames and smoke cleared, I decided what looked like the ribs of a silo were just part of the barn that had been fully engulfed.

The facility is My-T acres.

Witnesses said they heard explosions. Riner said the explosions where mostly truck engines. The barn that caught fire was full of harvester equipment, "because the harvest is over." She said. Also, a truck was full of ferilizer for next year.

The structure is adjacent ot a barn that Riner described as a sports facility used by many athletes in Batavia.  As we post now, the fire is spreading to that structures while crews battle the flames from atop two ladder trucks, spraying water down onto the flames.

We should have a quick video posted in 30 to 60 minutes.

Philip Anselmo will follow up with more reports once he's on scene.

UPDATE: 11:29 a.m.:  Crews put additonal hoses on the sprots-structure fire. The fire seems well tapped down at that end of the building now. I'd estimate about 15 to 20 percent of the structure was lost.

UPDATE 11:52 a.m. : Here's a quick video from the scene.

UPDATE 12:08 p.m.: Spoke with Genesee County Emergency Management Coordinator Timothy Yaeger briefly. No loss of life. No injuries. No animals known to be involved. About 12 companies responded.  Flames can still be seen in an around the structure, but the fire appears to be under control.

UPDATE 2:31 p.m.:  The fire is under control and nearly extinquished. Some of the companies that responded are now back in service.

Below is one of the pictures from the scene.  More can be viewed here.

UPDATE:  If you were at the scene and took pictures, or took pictures of the plume over Batavia, please upload them in a blog post or send us a link to where ever you posted your shots.

Here's a camera phone shot taken from the Thruway.

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FIRST POST 10:40 a.m.: We've received reports of a large barn fire in Pembroke Batavia.  Multiple units responding, from as far away and LeRoy.

We'll head out to the scene now.

An article in the Buffalo News this morning got me thinking. Briefly, the article is about Robert Wilmers, chief executive officer of M&T Bank Corp. Wilmers spoke to an audience of venture capitalists about revitalizing the upstate economy.

He pointed out that New York City’s economy — until recently — had been doing "a lot better than the economy upstate."

Part of that is due to what he called the "innate attributes" of the city itself, but he also cited the "billions and billions of dollars" spent on projects such as the 42nd Street revival, the South Street Seaport, the Jacob Javits Center and Ground Zero.

By contrast, "in upstate, including Western New York, we have not seen any large projects."

Indeed, Wilmers said he was told by former downstate Empire State Development chairman Patrick Foye that up to 70 percent of the agency’s money was spent upstate, but "I was having trouble finding that."

So this got me thinking. Rochester tried for its home-run project some years back. Who here remembers the fast ferry? Connect Rochester to Toronto. Boost tourism. Bring in the money. Yeah... So, that one tanked. Big.

But what about Batavia... what could we do for Batavia that would give it that shot in the arm, get the kids out walking the streets and the old folks dancing in their homes? Money rolling in, fame, glory. We're not on a body of water, so we don't have to worry about a ferry flop. We've already got the "mall" that people love to hate.

Wilmers:

Finally, the region should combine tourism and its renowned architecture to draw in visitors. “We’ve been less successful than most communities in upstate New York,” he said dryly. “We have not destroyed as many architectural sites as other parts of the country.”

Batavia has plenty of architecture to show off: glorious old homes, towering brick churches, regal crumbling mansions.

So... We had the chance to ask Pat Weissend what he would want for Batavia. Weissend is the director of the Holland Land Office Museum. He says, why not think even bigger. Something huge, something humungous! At a recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club, Weissend heard a presentation by economic developer Chad Zambito about erecting an enormous technological-industrial park in Alabama. This industrial center would create 10,000 jobs and entirely transform the character of the region, says Weissend.

Well, either that, or establish the state of Genesee. "We could be the 51st state," he says. Just make sure there's enough money left over to triple the size of the museum.

Beginning this January, Genesee Community College will host a pair of related courses for three successive semesters on "Exploring Business Opportunities" and "Entrepreneurship." Associate Professor Barbara Shine welcomes innovators large and small. If you've got the sure-fire idea for the next big thing, you're welcome. If you're not sure what you want to do, but you know you've got the gumption, you're welcome, too.

As for the best news: it's free, and anyone can attend the courses. College students. Retirees. Workers. Anyone. Just be sure to get your application in by January 15 to be considered for this coming semester. (Scroll down to the end of the post for all the details).

Earlier this week, we took a moment to sit down and chat with Barbara Shine, to pick her brain a bit about what it takes to build a successful business. Here's what she had to say:

The Batavian: Much has been made in advance of the courses about the rough economy and this being, in fact, a great time for entrepreneurs. In the press release sent out by the college, for example, we read: "With the unemployment rate at 6.5% and expected to climb higher, entrepreneurs and energetic American inventors and innovators are an essential element in the recovery of the nation's economy." Can you explain why that is the case?

Barb Shine: Well, we know, because of the employment world, that small businesses hire more people than the total who work for large corporations. That's where the opportunities are. We as entrepreneurial educators need to remind folks from an economic standpoint that it's the small businesses that raise the opportunities to support our communities from an economic standpoint. However, small businesses may have a poor track record of staying in business for a long time. But that is where we as educators can help out. There are a lot of places for entrepreneurs to get education.

What advice might you have for folks who may be considering going into business for themselves? What should they consider at the outset?

First, you need to verify that the market is interested in your concept. I call them concepts. You need to do market research. Find out what alternatives are out there for a consumer. Find out how does your product differentiate itself. Those questions need to be answered. Also, the market has to be big enough to be profitable for the individual. So you look at marketing, first, then financial feasibility, then operations.

One of the beauties of the course is that we will tell people what's out there, what the market will bear from a trend standpoint. People need to understand that (doing) what we're passionate about and making it work in the marketplace can be two different things.

An entrepreneur needs to always be looking out for the next best thing. You do this by social networking, reading the magazines, looking at the competition—and not necessarily the logical competitors. Who would have thought that the customer service style for Disney would work in a bank? In fact, Disney sells their customer service package to large financial institutions.

What will each class entail? Do people need to attend both? Can they attend one and not the other?

In the first class, "Exploring Business Opportunities," the questions that should get answered include: Do I have the right concept that the market would be interested in? Am I passionate enough? Because it requires lots of energy, time, money. Do I have what it takes? What do I need to think about from marketing, operations and financial standpoints? Then we need to verify that there is a market, make sure there is enough of a popoluation and buyers.

In the second class, "Entrepreneurship," we will put a plan together. This class qualifies the details of what I need to do to make it happen. It's the five P's: proper planning prevents poor performance. The goal is to plan... And assuming they need funding, they will use that plan to support loan or investor options. In most cases, folks do bootstrapping entrepreneurship: That's where funding is minimal: from family, savings, second mortgage—they bootstrap it if they can.

How are things looking right now as far as loan options?

It depends on how much money an individual is looking for, their personal credit line. Do I think it's at a standstill because of the credit crisis: No. The basics are still important. There are other alternatives aside from banks, other investor opportunities. Personality, their own financial background—there's an array of variables. An entrepreneur shouldn't be deterred if they have a great idea and there's a market... but they need to come to the table with the right plan to turn their business into a profitable entity.

Shine also spoke about specific trends that are hot right now on the market. They include: green energy, organic foods, Web applications, and alternative energy solutions. In fact, the December issue of Entrepreneur magazine is devoted to the upcoming trends and might be a good read for those considering taking the courses and testing the waters with their own idea.

From the press release:

The Genesee Community College scholarship program is part of the collaborative WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) grant, wherein eligible participants will be reimbursed for the cost of tuition and books for two college entrepreneurship courses offered in this coming Spring, Summer and Fall of 2009. The scholarship grants are valued at approximately $500 per semester for enrolling and completing Business 111: Exploring Business Opportunities; and Business 225: Entrepreneurship.

Interested individuals should submit the scholarship application form and related materials as soon as possible. The application deadline for the Spring 2009 semester is January 15th. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Scholarship awardees will be notified prior to the start of each course.

For more information on the program or to get a copy of the scholarship application, visit the college's Web site.

Coincidentally, SUNY Geneseo is right now looking for business mentors for their Young Entrepreneurs Academy at the college. From the Academy:

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a program for middle and high school students that teaches them how to launch and run their very own business.

Mentors will have the opportunity to assist their student group in the process of developing and writing a business plan and creating an investor presentation used to request funding. We also encourage mentors to share their business experiences with the groups over the course of their meetings. Previous students have indicated that hearing first-hand accounts from members of the business community make a significant impact on what they are learning.

Visit the program's Web site for more information.

Driving through downtown Batavia earlier today, I spotted a curious motor vehicle parked out front of a home on North Street, just east of Bank Street. In fact, it so caught my attention that I turned around at Dwyer Stadium and drove back just to take its picture.

One need catch only a mere glimpse of this truck to be dazzled, and that's without even knowing what splendors might be tucked away in its spacious cab—itself retro-embellished with umber stripes that can still be somewhat discerned beneath the cacophony of stickers. And oh, such stickers! It's probably impossible to see in these couple of photos here, but the stickers are no less than a paean to our American identity, albeit one that leans to the right. From "Fishaholic" and "Semper Fi" to "Let Freedom Ring" and "God Bless Ronald Reagan" (yikes), they are a testament to the wonder and ubiquity of American products, presidents, pastimes and... branches of the military.

Yet this truck has more to recommend than carpet cleaners (you might be able to make out the "Castle" sticker to the right and near the bottom of the window). It tells a story, some of which we can decipher from the few superficial clues we have here. We may infer, for example, that the owner is a traveller who once served in the military and enjoys the sport of fishing. This truck is an enormous symbol of self decked out in hundreds of smaller symbols that sharped the bigger picture we get in the first glance. In addition to the United States sticker, the hood also bears one for Wales and another for Poland. Are these indicatiors of ancestral nationality or places the owner visited? What of the stained-glass windows above the windshield and doors? Are they symbols of a religious sentiment or merely decorative?

How would you imagine the owner of this truck? Perhaps... A middle-aged fellow. A bit grizzled. A bit gray. Laughs heartily. Eats beef jerky. Doesn't mind if he gets lost, although he likely never does, having travelled coast to coast to coast, and back again. What do you think?

Do you know this truck? Is it your truck? Can you tell its story?

A Batavia business mainstay for more than a century, Loose Ends Vending & Food Service, has been sold, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. A Massachusetts company will take over the vending service and incorporate it into "the nation's largest vending company," Next Generation, which operates out of Canton. Fischer reports that: "Many Batavia workers will be transferred to the new company's offices and warehouses in Buffalo and Rochester." No mention of how many workers will be affected, or if any stand to lose their jobs. Loose Ends was owned by brothers Thomas and John Houseknecht, along with their brother-in-law William Barton and nephew Michael Houseknecht. The family also owned the Pepsi-Cola Batavia Bottling Corp., which was sold nine months ago to the Pepsi Bottling Group.

Multiple accidents on the Thruway eastbound near Pembroke kept the highway closed down and backed up for nearly 20 miles yesterday evening. Slick wet roads are likely to blame for the crashes.

 No team plays perfect basketball at the start of the season.

The Batavia girls definitely were not at their best Saturday night in the finals of the Attica Tip-off Tournament, but overcame some issues in the paint and defeated Dansville 59-49 to capture the championship.

The Blue Devils opened up a seven point lead in the first quarter as Brittany Mazurkiewicz had the hot hand. The senior guard scored 11 of her team-high 19 points in the opening frame, giving Batavia an 18-11 advantage.

But Dansville came back and trailed just 24-20 at the half because of a solid effort in the paint. Batavia struggled to hit layups and gave the Mustangs too many second-chance points in the period.

Margaret Infantino's 3-pointer in the closing moments brought her team to within four points going into the break.

After Infantino dropped in another trifecta early on in the second half, Dansville took a 25-24 lead on a Ryan Doerr bucket. Infantino hit another 3-pointer after Michelle Jordan scored for Batavia and Dansville had a 28-26 lead, the team's biggest of the game.

Infantino scored seven of her game-high 20 points in the third quarter and the Mustangs led 36-35 after three periods of play.

Kristen Klein scored three points near the end of the third quarter and took over early in the fourth. The 5-foot-9 junior was one of several Batavia players looking to be a strong option at forward, next to Jaycee Shirk, and she very well could be.

Klein had several fourth quarter rebounds and scored her other four points in the fourth, with the second basket putting Batavia up 45-36. In all, Batavia scored the first 10 points of the final period.

Dansville cut the deficit to four points with just over 3 minutes left, but Mazurkiewicz hit a free throw, Stacy Hein ht a pair and Shirk scored to make it 50-41 with less than two minutes to play.

Hein hit 8-of-8 foul shots in the last minute and finished with 13 points.

Mazurkiewicz won the tournament MVP as she finished with 19 points, five assists and four steals. Shirk made the all-tournament team with eight points and four blocks and Jordan pitched in six points.

Infantino made the all-tournament team with 20 points and was joined by Ashley Amidon, who scored eight points.

Dansville falls to 1-1 while Batavia and new coach Bill Wade improve to 2-0 and bring home the championship trophy.

Alexander's Rachel Pettys made the all-tournament team as her Trojans beat rival Attica 44-32 in the consolation game. She scored 11 points with 13 steals and seven boards. Anna Dominick poured in 15 points with Kate Kochmanski grabbing 13 boards to go with her five points.

Attica's Christina West had 10 points and made the all-tournament squad.

The Blue Devils fall to 0-2 while Alexander improves to 1-1.