Business

Joe Marone, left in the file photo above, co-owner and co-founder of the Pok-A-Dot, has died, according to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page.

The picture is from the Pok-A-Dot's 60th anniversary party. On the right is co-owner Phil Pastore, with Pok-A-Dot regular James Pero.

While the final sessions of the summer outdoor training classes are in the books, Tori Ganino, Batavia resident and owner of Calling All Dogs, is now holding classes in an indoor space during the colder months. With the fickle weather of WNY, Ganino decided a space for working with the dogs indoors was needed to continue holding group classes.

“It’s very difficult to find someone willing to rent a space when dogs are involved,” Ganino said.

While the dog days of summer more or less missed its stop in WNY, Ganino was able to secure a space at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia.

“We were not only looking for a space for the classes, we’d like to hold doggy daycare there as well,” Ganino said.

The Harvester Avenue space is large enough to accommodate group obedience classes and specialty classes. These will be for dogs that are aggressive (reactionary) and fearful. Additionally, doggy daycare was up and running during the week in mid-September with one hour play groups with owners on the weekends. Calling All Dogs specializes in working with fearful and aggressive or reactionary dogs. 

“The course is free for dogs who are in rescue programs, from fosters and shelters,” Ganino said. “We have Open Arms Rescue of WNY regularly attend our classes.”

Open Arms Rescue of WNY pulls dogs out of shelters that are adoptable, but may be euthanized because the shelter just doesn’t have the room. Foster parents or volunteers with animal shelters such as the Genesee County Animal Shelter are also among those who attend the course.

While it's free for the above referenced, only two spots per session are held open for those kinds of dogs. Classes are kept small, six to eight dogs maximum. That way, according to Ganino, it gives more one-on-one focus. 

Classes go over basic obedience, problem behaviors, such as: "come" when called, loose leash walking and "leave it -- this command teaches a dog not to pick up items that they shouldn’t. Ganino also includes exercises toward the Certified Good Dog certificate - a document vouching that one’s dog is not an aggressive or fearful animal.

Private lessons for all obedience concerns, especially fear and aggression issues, are always available. The owner of Calling All Dogs is also looking into starting small group classes -- two to three dogs -- in addition to the private lessons.

“This gives a dog exposure to community settings,” Ganino said.

Free lessons -- whether private lessons or group classes -- are offered to agencies to get dogs ready for adoption. Dogs that know basic obedience are more adoptable, according to Ganino.

The Batavia resident is currently working with a dog that has a bite history. The animal may not be adoptable right now, but it is with a foster family that won’t put it down. Additionally, Calling All Dogs works with animals whose owners are court ordered to show proof that the dog’s disposition has improved; dogs with fear issues to get them use to people, excitable dogs -- to break the habit of jumping up on people in their excitement, and so on.

“With fear and aggression training,” Ganino said. “The training isn’t so society will accept them, it’s for the dogs to get exited about things, that this thing or that thing is okay. The dog goes from being scared where it feels like it’s going to shake or bite, to ‘oh hey, this is okay, this is something to get excited about.'

“The training is also good for owners to understand what the dog is saying through body language. Dogs are always communicating, owners just may not understand what they’re (dogs) are trying to say.”

Ganino is certified by CPDT-KA which certifies proficiency in dog-training knowledge by passing an exam of both written and hands-on work. She is also certified by the Animal Behavior College -- an online and hands-on course in animal behavior. Ganino previously worked with a trainer in Rochester as well as volunteers at the Genesee County Animal Shelter, where she works with dogs.

Part of her training methods rule out old-school equipment such as choke or pinch collars. She relies on techniques that will not hurt the dog physically or mentally.

Group classes are set up to where dogs are sectioned off with barriers and then slowly the barriers are taken down. The end of the classes are off leash play-time.

“If anyone has any questions, call or text anytime,” Ganino said. “I don’t charge. We also do treadmill training. When the weather is too cold or too hot for the dog, we train them to walk on a treadmill, this way, they still get their exercise.”

For all services, reservations must be made to ensure there aren't too many dogs.

Calling All Dogs will still be offering private lessons either at the Harvester Avenue location or in dog owner's home. 

The seven-week outdoor training course will be available again during the warmer months of 2015, "possibly around the latter part of May." The first week is an orientation with the owner or handler to give them an overview of what will be taught during the course. with the remaining classes to be held with owner/handler and dog. While the seven-week course focuses on multiple issues, there is a one hour intensive session of just one type of obedience such as loose leash walking. Group classes are held on Sundays at Batavia Tractor Supply.

For further information check out Calling All Dogs Facebook page, their Web site, by e-mail trainer@CallingAllDogsNY.com; or via phone at 585-455-5387.

Press release:

Beginning today, Oct. 21, Batavia Radiation Oncology Associates, now part of UR Medicine Wilmot Cancer Institute, will close for several weeks for renovations.

The renovations on the building will include the addition of an outpatient blood draw laboratory, larger clinical examination rooms, as well as space to provide medical oncology and infusion services. Significant information technology upgrades will also be made so that medical records and other information can be shared across the Wilmot Cancer Institute network.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of December.

During the construction, patients undergoing treatment through Batavia Radiation Oncology have been scheduled to be seen at either the Pluta Cancer Center in Henrietta or the Cancer Center at Park Ridge in Greece.

Kevin J. Mudd, M.D., who has been medical director for Batavia Radiation Oncology since 2000, will continue to see patients as a member of the University of Rochester Medical Center faculty.
Throughout the project, Mudd and his staff will be available by telephone at (585) 344-3050.

With the renovated and expanded space, the clinic will provide fully integrated cancer care, incorporating both radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as access to clinical trials. The chemotherapy services are expected to be available in Batavia by Spring.

These renovations will allow us to offer more comprehensive care closer to home for our patients from Batavia and neighboring communities” said Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc., director of Wilmot Cancer Institute.

The Wilmot Cancer Institute is the Finger Lakes Region’s leader for cancer care and research. As part of UR Medicine, Wilmot provides specialty cancer services at the University of Rochester Medical Center and at a network of satellite locations. Wilmot Cancer Institute is a component of Strong Memorial Hospital. The Institute also includes a team of scientists who investigate many aspects of cancer, with an emphasis on how best to provide precision cancer care.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Committee has announced the 2014 Annual Award Ceremony will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 at the Clarion Hotel, Park Road, Batavia. This is the County’s premier event that honors businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service and volunteerism.

Please note that a brief write up will qualify your nominee for consideration. Nominations are now being accepted for Business of the Year, Entrepreneurial Business of the Year, Agricultural Business of the Year, Innovative Enterprise of the Year, Special Service Recognition & Geneseeans of the Year.

Business Nominees must be a Chamber Member (If unsure of your nominee, call the Chamber to verify).

Nomination forms are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, 210 E. Main St., Batavia, and can also be down loaded from the Chamber Web site at www.geneseeny.com. 

Nominations MUST BE RECEIVED BY November 7, 2014 to be eligible for consideration.

If you would like more information, feel free to call Kelly J. Bermingham, director of Membership & Special Events at the Chamber office, 343-7440, ext. 26.

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation making yogurt the official snack of New York, in advance of the second New York State Yogurt Summit being held today. The Summit will bring together industry experts to discuss how to further grow the yogurt business and continue creating new jobs. The Empire State is the top producer of yogurt in the nation, generating 741 million pounds of yogurt in 2013 alone.

"This designation is a fitting recognition of the importance of this state’s yogurt industry, which has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, making New York the top yogurt producer in the nation,” Governor Cuomo said. “We will continue to work with New York producers and dairy farmers to build upon this progress and further strengthen this critically important industry.”

The tremendous boon in Greek-style yogurt has been the catalyst for the dairy industry's revitalization in New York. The State produced 741 million pounds of yogurt in 2013, up from 695 million pounds in 2012, accounting for 15.7 percent of the total U.S. yogurt production. Additionally, dairy manufacturers in New York employed an estimated 9,478 people with total wages of $513 million in 2013, an increase from 7,749 jobs and $401 million in wages in 2010.

Designating yogurt as the official state snack will continue to raise public awareness of the economic and health benefits of yogurt and the dairy industry. The Yogurt Summit convened in 2012 resulted in a number of initiatives to eliminate barriers to business growth and help manufacturers continue to grow.

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer said, “Yogurt is now the official snack of New York State, and the fourth-graders at Byron-Bergen Elementary School deserve all of the credit. From initially suggesting the idea to traveling to the State Capitol earlier this year, these students deserve high marks for their efforts to get this legislation signed into law. I am pleased that the Governor has signed my bill into law.”

Alpina Foods today informed 32 employees that their services will no longer be needed.

Each employee received a letter that blamed the layoffs on the cancellation of a contract by a "principle customer" on Oct. 10.

The letter informs employees they are being terminated effective Oct. 19 and tells them they will receive all earned wages and benefits and will be eligible through the Department of Labor for benefits, job training and job search assistance.

The Batavian received a copy of the termination letter from a source and requested confirmation of the layoffs from Alpina.

The following response was attributed to Gustavo Badino, U.S. general manager for Alpina Foods:

Alpina Foods confirms that the company will be reducing the workforce at its Western New York yogurt plant in October, in response to the early termination of one of our principle contracts.

Alpina Foods remains committed to Batavia and Western New York and views this current workforce reduction as a temporary but necessary approach to address mediate business challenges facing the company in the short term.

It's been nearly two years since Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., closed, and the building and restaurant have been for sale that entire time.

Fans of the restaurant have held out hope that Bill and Patti Cultrara would reopen the popular restaurant, an auction sign now in front the the building is a pretty strong indication that's not going to happen.

It ain't nothin' but a party, Frank Stanton told the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday evening in his second attempt to win approval for a special-use permit to host mudding events on his seven-acre property in Bethany.

"This is not a business," Stanton said. "It's a party. It's just a bunch of people getting together and having fun. That's all it is."

Planners recommended disapproval of his permit and didn't offer much encouragement for him to try again.

After a meeting two weeks ago, where planners were much more receptive to his proposal but told Stanton he needed a more formal plan before they could approve it, a pair of nearby Bethany residents wrote the planning board and raised objections to these mudding events.

Robert Reyes and Elaine Shell contend Stanton operates his mudding events as a business.

There's a Facebook page with 700 likes. The events are listed on at least two mudding event Web sites. They suggest it's not just friends showing up to run their trucks in the mud.

"Whether it's a trick of acoustics, with him being in a 'dip', we don't know, but the noise level at and in our home is awful," the couple wrote. "Most of the trucks running are modified with high revving engines, have no mufflers, and are extremely loud."

While Stanton tried to assure planners that there are never more than a couple hundred people at a time on his property at 9832 Bethany Center Road, Reyes and Shell argued that as many as 400 people might be on the property at one time and are concerned that Stanton wants the events to grow even bigger.

Stanton said they can't get any bigger because he'll never be able to buy adjoining property since it's currently owned by a large and successful dairy operation. He said he doesn't make any money off the events. There are no prizes, no awards, nothing that would make these commercial events.

"This will probably fizzle out in five or six years as my kids get bigger and things change," Stanton said.

The vote recommending disapproval was 6-0.

Developers want to bring both a Tim Horton's and a Dunkin' Donuts to Le Roy, and at locations that are so close to each other even E.J. Manuel could accurately toss a football from one drive-thru to the other and hit his intended target.

But that isn't what bothered Genesee County Planning Board members about the proposed Tim Horton's location.

They were concerned about traffic congestion caused by the restaurant drive-thru being so close to gas pumps already on the Mother Goose store property.

While Dunkin' Donuts -- which was only making a sign modification to its previously approved site plan -- got an easy, unanimous approval, the developer of the proposed Tim Horton's walked out of the meeting with no recommendation from the board.

That's better than a recommended disapproval, which raises the bar for the Town of Le Roy Planning Board approval. A no recommendation means the Tim Horton's plan can be approved by the town on a simple majority vote, instead of a majority-plus-one vote.

JFJ Holdings, of North Andover, Ma., is planning to build a Dunkin' Donuts at 125 W. Main St., which is across the street from the Yellow Goose Market and Gas Station.

The market is owned by Dave Tufts, who wants to add a Tim Horton's drive-thru to the west end of his building. Cars would enter from the north and exit to the south.

And at the south end of his property are gas pumps, and that is what concerns planners.

One or two cars queued up for gas could potentially block the drive-thru exit, plus there would be pedestrian traffic going in and out of the store.

Tufts and Dan Blamowski, with Tim Horton's, tried to assure planners that there would be no traffic congestion, but the argument wasn't persuasive enough.

On a night when the planning board was short a couple of members, the 4-2 vote for approval of the plan was one vote shy of the necessary five for approval.

Lamb Farms agreed to pay a $15,000 fine to the Department of Environmental Conservation for liquid manure that seeped into six residential water wells in the Lewiston/Oakfield Batavia Townline roads area of Oakfield in March, according to documents released by the DEC.

The 4,000-cow dairy farm was also given a suspended fine of $44,000 that it can avoid by complying with DEC instructions in what's known as a "consent order."

Word of the contaminated wells spread after the county mistakenly sent -- and quickly retracted -- a boil water alert to all county residents around March 18. The alert was only meant for a small population area around Lewiston Road and Oakfield Batavia Townline Road.

In all, six wells eventually tested positive for E. coli.

The DEC investigated and determined, according to the documents, that Lamb Farms was responsible for manure runoff from Field 367 on March 7 into a tributary of Upper Oak Orchard Creek, and that the manure spread on Field 386 on March 6 and 7 likely contributed to the wells' contamination.

As part of the consent order, Lamb Farms agreed to a number of technical stipulations: developing a new nutrient management plan; creating a plan for dealing with the different soil types of its field; how it handles winter and spring manure spreading; properly designating springs that might be affected by runoff; and providing more details in records for manure spreading.

Attempts to reach Lamb Farms co-owner Jim Veazy, who handled the matter with the DEC, according to the documents, were unsuccessful. It's harvest time and he's been busy in the fields.

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. (GGLDC) has appointed Sarah Noble-Moag to the organization’s board of directors.

“Sarah Noble-Moag was selected to serve on the GGLDC board because of her extensive management experience with various dairy companies right here in Genesee County,” said Thomas Felton, GGLDC board chairman. “Her skills and background knowledge of the local agricultural industry will be a tremendous asset to the board.”

Noble-Moag is a personnel manager for Linwood Management Group, LLC, which provides management services to dairy companies, including Noblehurst Farms, and Synergy, LLC. In this role she coordinates staffing, employee payroll and benefits, communication and recruitment for the group along with being responsible for overseeing internal personnel controls and staffing.

In addition to her position with Linwood Management Group, Noble-Moag is very active within the community. She is the past president of the board of education for the Pavilion Central Schools, and continues to serve on the audit committee.

She maintains an active role in education and training for our rural communities, advocating for affordable, quality public education by serving as a board member on the Agricultural Affiliates, which provides leadership necessary to build a strong workforce for agriculture in the Northern U.S. She also is a member of the National Council of Agricultural Employers and New York State Agricultural Society.

Noble-Moag is a graduate of Cornell University and a graduate of Class VI of LEAD New York. She an elder in the Covington Presbyterian Church, and has served on the Committee on Ministry and Migration Working Group (a forum on immigration reform) for the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley.

She resides in Pavilion with her husband, Timothy Moag. They have three grown children.

The Batavia High School band played, the franchise owner made a speech and a longtime local employee cut the ribbon to officially open the new McDonald's Restaurant on East Main Street, Batavia.

Batavia-native Holly Carney (in purple, top photo), who will manage the new store, told the story of how her career with McDonald's started. She was 16 and her parents picked up an application for her and made her fill it out and hand it in. Her mother drove her to the store and made her turn it in. With tears in her eyes, she handed her application to Kathy Eves (top photo getting a hug from Carney). Despite her misgivings, she got the job and worked her way up into management.  

Eves cut the red ribbon to officially open the store and received as a present a palm-sized glass sculpture of the original McDonald's Restaurant in Des Plaines, Ill.

This is the 10th location for franchise owner Harry Schatmeyer (in the white shirt), who also owns the McDonald's location on West Main.

The store made a $500 donation to the Batavia HS band.

Also pictured in the top photo, assistant manager Stephanie Bouter.

City Manager Jason Molino with the Hamburglar and Grimace.

I got there too late, but Dan Fischer, WBTA, confirms there was quite a crowd lined up for the opening of the new McDonald's on East Main Street, Batavia. He said people were lined up before 6 a.m. The opening was at 8 a.m. He said at one point there were at least 100 people in line.

There is an official ribbon cutting at 10 a.m.

Two members of the Town of Batavia Planning Board said they were initially opposed to plans for an apartment complex in an area zoned commercial on West Main Street Road, but after study and consideration, decided to vote in favor of the project.

Those votes were essential last night to early-stage approvals for Big Tree Glen, a planned 136-unit complex from Rochester-based Conifer Developers.

The board approved the environmental review process, a zoning variance and a preliminary site plan.

The zoning variance is contingent on agreements in the final site plan that will prohibit Section 8 and HUD-subsidized rents in the complex, as well as continued on-site management.

Conifer is applying for a state grant aimed at encouraging "workforce housing," and that subsidy combined with putting the complex in a commercial zone were stumbling blocks for board members Paul Marchese and Lou Pagnello.

After Pagnello did some research, however, spoke with an attorney friend and thought about it some more, he decided he should support the project.

He said factors included the solid reputation of Conifer and the quality they're promising for the new complex. 

He said he also realized that as a businessman, if he were expanding or building a new business, he would apply for whatever government aid might be available. Any business owner would, he said.

"The more I think about it, the more I think this benefits the community as time goes on," Pagnello said. "I was totally against it, but after doing a little research on my own, that's how I feel about it now. We want development in Batavia and we want to work with developers who are top-notch, not like some of the others we've dealt with before."

The complex, he said, will actually help spur commercial development on West Main, which is a key development goal for the town.

Marchese said he was with Pagnello.

"I was really against it, too," he said.

Because the county planning board recommended disapproval of the project, the town board needed at least five affirmative votes to approve the zoning variance. The vote was 5-1.

Paul McCullough voted no on the zoning variance request. He didn't state a reason for his no vote.

The board will need to approve a final site plan at a later date that will include the covenants and restrictions it's looking for to ensure the complex remains a quality housing project.

The state grant Conifer is applying for requires that the apartment complex meets the residential needs of people earning 50 to 60 percent of the area's median income.

That's about $65,000 for a a family of four in Genesee County. For the Town of Batavia, the complex will actually be meeting the needs of a family of four earning about $54,000 a year in gross income.

"This is truly workforce housing for the Town of Batavia," said John F. Caruso, representing Conifer.

Previously:

• Developers make case for 136-unit apartment complex in Town of Batavia
• County planners reject proposed apartment complex on West Main Street Road, Batavia

Jamie Merica prides himself on being a good mechanic, and Bob Adams Automotive in Le Roy has a decades-long reputation for good service, so when Bob Adams decided to sell his business and retire, Merica said taking over the business seemed like the right opportunity.

After five years as an employee of Adams, Merica now owns the shop.

"As a lifelong resident of Le Roy, I know a lot of people," Merica said. "That will help. We offer honest repairs at a fair price and we try to take care of everybody we can."

Photo by Amanda Earl.

The New York Press Association has served as a membership organization for community newspapers in the State of New York for 161 years.

Today, The Batavian became the second member in the group's history that publishes news exclusively online.

The first was RiverheadLocal on Long Island.

We're proud to become members of NYPA, which has a distinguished history of serving the needs of news publishers in New York.

Here's a statement from NYPA about our membership:

The New York Press Association is delighted to welcome Howard Owens and The Batavian as our newest online-only member. 

“The Batavian is a highly respected news organization which provides relevant local content to its readers,” said executive director Michelle Rea.“Readers should be able to access quality news content wherever and whenever they choose. Content and relevancy are the key, and The Batavian excels at both.  

"NYPA has a proudly supported New York’s community news organizations for more than 160 years, and as news organizations evolve, so do NYPA’s programs and services. NYPA continues to introduce best practices and new business models for print and digital platforms. We’re thrilled to have The Batavian join the conversation.”

Heading back to Batavia this afternoon, I stopped in at Roanoke Apple Farm, in Bethany, for the first time.

Above, Alex Kiefer, an employee, picks apples.

Scott Darron and his daughter Natalya load up a bushel of apples. Darron said he was planning on making pies.

Jane Read and Anne Marie Starowitz were at Holland Land Office Museum on Saturday morning setting up a new exhibition about the history of local shoemaker p.w. minor. 

The grand opening of the display is Oct. 2.

Employees and retirees of p.w. minor are invited to a preview at 3 p.m. The public is invited to a ribbon cutting at 6:30 p.m.

Many of the items in the display were provided on loan from The new p.w. minor.