Business

The City of Batavia is wired. Wired for high-speed broadband, that is. 

Empire Access can now deliver download speeds of 100 megabits to more than 95 percent of the properties in the city. There are only about 40 or 50 households that would be hard to reach, but once a couple of access hurdles are cleared, Empire will be able to service those customers as well.

"We're very pleased with the response we've received," said Jim Baase, president of Empire. "Even without video, we've sold a lot of internet-only packages. We're ahead of plan of where we thought we would be and video will only help with more penetration."

While broadband and telephone service is licensed through the state and requires no local approvals to provide service, federal law requires cable TV providers to sign franchise agreements with local municipalities.

Empire has been in negotiations with the City of Batavia for a franchise agreement for at least six months. Councilman John Deleo has raised the issue at two consecutive City Council meetings and City Manger Jason Molino hasn't wanted to comment further in public than "we're in negotiations."

Empire already has franchise agreements with 35 other municipalities in New York.

"Typically, it takes a couple of months to get through negotiations," Baase said. "It's taking a little longer with the City of Batavia. There are still a few outstanding issues that the city is requiring us to agree to. We haven't resolved those issues yet. We're hopeful in the next few weeks those issues will get resolved."

For residential customers wanting affordable, high-speed broadband now, the installation process typically takes about two weeks.

The photos with this story are of an Empire crew doing a line drop on a residential street in Batavia and at a Downtown location.

Once a customer signs up for the service, an outside crew drops a line to the location and tests it. An inside crew comes later, at an appointed time with the customer, to finish the install inside the residence.

The installation make take a little longer with apartment complexes serviced by underground utilities.

Empire is also working on expanding service beyond the City of Batavia. The company is working with Town of Batavia officials now to start stretching beyond the city's borders and engineers are drawing up plans for providing service in Le Roy.

The company hopes to start building the network in Le Roy by the fourth quarter of this year.

As for reaching more rural parts of the county, Baase said the company is looking for municipal partners in that process and is in fact talking with Town of Batavia officials along those lines.

With such partners, it might make it possible to tap into the $500 million in seed money Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed for expansion broadband in rural New York.

They're also looking for more partners like the Town of Big Flats, in Chemung County, where officials didn't want to wait around for grant money, so the town helped Empire secure a low-interest loan to build out the network.

"There are limited resources and we can't build everywhere at once," Baase said. "We're in the Town of Big Flats because they reached out to us. We're looking for more partnerships like that."

Photos: The work crew handling the outside installation work yesterday was Rick Burke, Kasey Wetmore, Don Todd, Joe Kirchner and Roy Faulkner. Pictured are Burke, in the cherry picker, and Wetmore, seen in the fourth photo splicing together a line from the outside of a house to the inside wire.

Le Royans will often tell you, they live in a special place. Now they have some proof and a chance to demonstrate just how special it is, with the chance at a $3 million prize at the end of the rainbow.

Frontier Communications, drawing from 138 applications in 27 states, has picked Le Roy as one of the Top 50 communities in America.

The honor comes with a $50,000 prize to help fund writing a comprehensive plan aimed at spurring business growth with assistance from business leaders at IBM.

"For those of us who choose to live here, and those people who have chosen to move away and come back, there is a draw to la-roy, or lee-roy (pause for laughter), and we need to capitalize on that, and I think maybe that's why we were so strong with our application," said Lynn Belluscio, curator of the Le Roy Historical Society, who helped with the application process. "It is going to take all of us going in the same direction, which we know is sometimes difficult in this community, but I think we can do it."

The impetus to apply came from County Legislator Shelly Stein, who worked with the staff at GCEDC to get the ball rolling, but the application process and letters of support brought together not just Stein and the GCEDC, but Belluscio, Supervisor Steve Barbeau, the Rotary Club of Le Roy, the Chamber of Commerce, Superintendent of Schools Kim Cox, the Le Roy Business Council, County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari and the Village of Le Roy.

The Village and Town of Bergen also pitched in because Le Roy by itself didn't have a big enough population to qualify.

The business project that will be targeted for infrastructure improvement -- a bigger natural gas pipe and broadband -- is the park at Route 19 and West Bergen road.

Robert Smith, the Rochester area general manager for Frontier, said he though Le Roy and Bergen were a great choice.

"But the work doesn't end here," Smith said. "You have a lot more to do because there is a lot more that can come from this."

The comprehensive plan will be reviewed in November and after that the Le Roy group will find out if it moves onto the next stage.

The eventual payoff for the winner is a $3 million prize, but second plays will earn $2 million and third, $1 million.

Growing the local business base is critical, Barbeau said.

He noted that for every tax dollar generated by a commercial property, businesses consume about 60 to 70 cents and services. For agriculture, it's about 30 cents in services. But residential, he said, eats up about $1.30 in services.

"We feel like this is a perfect opportunity to expand our infrastructure and bring in more business," he said.

Steve Hyde, CEO of GCEDC, said this is an exciting opportunity for Le Roy and Bergen and fits right in with everything GCEDC is trying to do to attract more industry to Genesee County.

"When you try to grow an economy, you need to be able to talk about the quality of life and the factors that make it a place where people want to live, work and play," Hyde said. "This community has that."

Photo: Smith presenting a finalists' certificate with Rotary president Randy Vink and Stein in the background.

Total Tan, with a location in Batavia, is the target of a false advertising lawsuit filed by the office of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.

The Williamsville-based company has 26 outlets, including 15 in Western New York.

Schneiderman's suit accuses Total Tan of making false advertising claims by denying or minimizing scientific evidence linking tanning to an increased cancer risk; promoting indoor tanning as a safe way to reap the benefits of vitamin D and other purported health benefits; and asserting the safety of indoor tanning compared to tanning outdoors. 

“Make no mistake about it: There is nothing safe about indoor tanning. The use of ultraviolet devices increases exposure to cancer-causing radiation and puts millions of Americans in serious danger – young adults, in particular,” Schneiderman said. “Irresponsible businesses that seek to rake in profits by misleading the public about the safety of their services will be held accountable by my office. Advertising and marketing cannot be used as a tool to confuse and endanger New York consumers.”

The Buffalo News obtained a statement from Total Tan owners Cynthia and Keith Leonard through their attorneys at Harris Beach.

“The Attorney General’s claim that Total Tan produced misleading advertising is not true,” the Leonards said. “We are a small, upstate, family-owned business that refuses to be intimidated by Mr. Schneiderman, who is trying to impose his own view of the world on our industry and the citizens of upstate New York."

The suit also names another group of tanning salons, Portofino Spas.

Of Total Tan, the AG's office says the company made the following allegedly false statements in market material, including social media:

• A testimonial from “cancer survivor Kurt Hollis” where he asserted to have treated his kidney cancer by tanning at Total Tan.
• “Tanning Fact! A Tanning unit can produce as much Vitamin D as drinking 100 glasses of milk! Wow!!!”
• Claims that vitamin D from indoor tanning will assist in either treatment or prevention of an array of serious diseases including cancer, heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, and blood clots.

Read the full press release here.

Genesee County's unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 to 6.0 percent from last March to this March, according to the latest data from the NYS Department of Labor.

At the same time, the total number of local residents who are employed, and the total number of local residents who are unemployed, both declined.

There are now 27,500 people with jobs in the county, according to the data, compared to 27,700 in March 2014.

There are 1,800 people listed as unemployed, compared to 2,000 a year ago.

The total number of non-farm jobs in the county rose from 22,000 to 22,100. 

The number of non-farm jobs in March 2015 increased from the previous month by 200.

The total number of manufacturing jobs has remained steady during the time period at 3,000. Goods-producing jobs have held steady at 3,800.

The national unemployment rate is 5.6 percent and the state's is 5.8.

In the Rochester area, the rate is 5.5 percent, and in Buffalo, 5.9.

The rate in Orleans County, 7.2, Livingston, 5.5, and Wyoming, 7.4.

 

Press release:

The legacy of the late William F. Brown Jr., noted Batavia author, broadcaster and journalist, will live on through a scholarship established by The Jerome Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that distributes funds to benefit United Memorial Medical Center and other health-related purposes.

The William F. Brown Jr. Memorial Scholarship, an annual $1,000 grant, will be awarded to a deserving high school senior residing in and graduating from a school in Genesee County whose intention is to pursue at least a four-year degree in the fields of Journalism, Communications, or Public Relations (in print, radio, television or digital media).

Brown, who died on Nov. 29, 2014 at the age of 91, was the former owner and president of WBTA Radio, a longtime correspondent for The Buffalo News and a frequent contributor to The Batavia Daily News.

An expert on Genesee County history, he wrote numerous books and articles on notable people and events, including the unsolved Linden murders, Batavia Downs, Redfield Parkway and the Mancuso family.

He also was president of the board of directors of the former St. Jerome Hospital and a charter member and trustee emeritus of The Jerome Foundation.

“Bill Brown contributed greatly to the quality of life in Genesee County through his writing, and as a member of numerous community and civic organizations,” said Justin Calarco-Smith, board president of The Jerome Foundation. “He enriched our lives and we hope to be able to continue that spirit of giving with this scholarship that honors his memory.”

A committee of directors from the foundation will judge the scholarship applicants based upon academic merit, creative accomplishment, community service and leadership.

Applications are available at guidance offices at the nine Genesee County high schools or by contacting Martha Spinnegan, administrative assistant for The Jerome Foundation, at gspinneg@rochester.rr.com.

The completed application must be mailed to The Jerome Foundation, P.O. Box 249, Batavia, NY, 14020, and postmarked by May 8 to be considered.

Dan Ireland riding the shuttle from St. Jerome's to UMMC on a recent morning. Jeremy Cosimeno and Dan Ireland share a cup of coffee and a laugh in the UMMC cafeteria before starting a recent workday.

From early in his career, there were people who saw something in Dan Ireland and encouraged him along his path from orderly to president of his hometown hospital.

While perhaps not a tale ripped from the pages of Horatio Alger, Ireland does stand out in an era when young people are indoctrinated to believe they must escape their smalltown roots to make something of themselves.

Ireland was born in Batavia, attended Batavia High School and started his collegiate career at Genesee Community College. While still in college, he landed a job at St. Jerome's Hospital, and outside of a brief stint with a hospital in Rochester, he has spent his entire career with St. Jerome's, Genesee Memorial or UMMC, rising from entry-level to top executive over the course of 26 years.

The climb to the pinnacle is something Dave Shaffer saw coming. He told Ireland where he was going, but Ireland didn't buy it.

Ireland said the two good friends laugh about it to this day.

"He said to me one day, 'You're going to run this hospital someday,' " Ireland said. "I said, 'No, I don't think that's ever going to happen.' He reminded me about it when I was appointed, but I never had that vision."

Ireland started out in college with the intention of going into information technology, but as a volunteer with Town of Batavia Fire Department, he was exposed to patient care. 

"Those were the days when paramedics were just coming into departments," Ireland said. "You got them in the ambulance and raced to the hospital as quickly as possible and we actually did very little out in the field for patients. As I saw more of that developing, it piqued my interest -- how do I care for patients?"

Ireland decided to become a nurse, switched majors at GCC and took a job at St. Jerome's, transferring a year later to Genesee Memorial.

Back when Batavia had a skating rink, Skate 98, Dan Ireland was a champion rollerskate performer.

"I think he's a lot like me," Shaffer said. "He's easy going. He treats people like he wants to be treated. I don't have a problem with people like that.

"I never had a doubt my prediction wouldn't come true," Shaffer added.

In those early days, Gloria Stevens also saw something in Ireland that set him apart.

She met him while working at St. Jerome's and he was working on an ambulance.

"He was always smiling, always friendly," Stevens recalled. "He always seemed to be in a good mood every time I'd see him and he just seemed like a really nice young man."

Her daughter, Amy, had also taken note of Ireland and mentioned him to her mother.

"I think she thought he was cute," Stevens said.

One evening Stevens asked Ireland if he was dating anybody.

He wasn't.

So Gloria took it upon herself to ask him on a date on behalf of her daughter, to a family wedding.

Amy and Dan have been married 22 years and have three children, Rebekah, 18, Brian, 15, and Kelly, 12.

Ireland's made a great son-in-law and father to her grandchildren, Stevens said.

"It's probably one of the best decisions I ever made," Stevens said.

Dan and Amy quickly became a team, pushing each other through their studies and making sure they got better at their jobs.

The hospital bosses noticed.

It wasn't long after Ireland became a nurse that he became a supervisor in the emergency room.

Ireland began to develop mentors who helped guide his career. Dr. Diane London was one who always made time for him, he said. She would answer any question and provide guidance on patient care.

"She was a fantastic person," Ireland said. "You could walk into ER any time and sit next to her and ask her question. That was learning clinically, that was building my knowledge -- 'What happened? What happened with this patient?' She would make time for you no matter what."

By 1997, computers were starting to work their way into patient care and suddenly Ireland's duel experience in IT and nursing opened a new opportunity for him.

The idea of using computers to help improve patient care captured Ireland's imagination and the hospital needed somebody with both a medical background and IT training.

"All of the sudden, this new idea of helping people with computers and, wow, we're going into this new era of documentation and clinical results and getting things to bedside quicker, and I sat back and realized, 'I can do the best of both worlds,' " Ireland said. " 'I can make this happen. I can teach nurses how to do it and still be a nurse and still use that clinical experience.' "

Not that bringing the nursing staff into the Digital Era was always a smooth transition.

Ireland recalled one nurse who was very upset with him.

"She was livid," he said. "She said, 'You've taken my time with patients from here to here and I'm spending all this time on the computer. It's a horrible thing.' "

About three months later, Ireland said, she was upset for a different reason. The system went off-line for maintenance.

"I got a phone call from her and she said, 'Why did you take my computer system away from me? It's been perfect,' " Ireland recalled.

He added, "It was a validation that the transition of technology really made a difference."

In 2001, Ireland took a position with the University of Rochester that he thought would advance his IT background, but within six months, Charlie Kenney, then CEO of the Batavia hospital, wanted him back.

The hospital needed somebody to do some high-level analytics, tracking population trends, and after a couple of meetings, Ireland realized this was a good job for him.

In 2003, he was promoted to director of Quality Management and created a case management program.

At this point, Karen Peters became one of his mentors.

When she passed in 2005, then CEO Mark Schoell appointed him to her former job, VP of Clinical Services.

Ireland lost two mentors, London and Peters, and gained a new one in Schoell.

"I was quite happy working for her (Peters) as director of Quality Management and suddenly she was gone," Ireland said. "She was a key part of my development. When you lose mentors, you miss them, but then you've got to find your own way."

Under Schoell, Ireland began to move up the executive ladder, taking on bigger titles and the greater responsibilities that went with them. He was VP of Support Services and then COO.  

He oversaw multiple departments and services, and supervised remodeling the Jerome Center and addition of the new surgical wing, including securing financing.

Schoell was a great mentor, Ireland said, giving him a job, even a big job, and letting him do it with minimal interference, but always there for guidence and to answer questions.

While Schoell may have been grooming an eventual successor, that wasn't necessarily Ireland's ambition.

"The ambition was doing a project and doing it successfully," Ireland said. "It was getting a project and saying 'How do I get it done? What do I need to know about that?' So that's where the ambition kicked in. I have this desire to do the right things and to get them done. Sometimes that's a lot of extra work you put in to make that happen. I think that's where the ambition was, but not for the position."

As Ireland moved into higher-profile roles, he became more interested in learning about leadership. He has his favorite books on leadership, his favorite speakers, he's attended seminars and workshops, and he's also found serving on community boards a great way to observe and learn about leaders.

The Bergen resident is on the Gillam-Grant Community Center Board and the Byron-Bergen Central School District Board of Education. He's also been through Leadership Genesee.

"Sitting on boards has helped educate myself," Ireland said. "Sitting on the school board, especially, you learn a lot about the different ways people lead. (Byron-Bergen schools Superintendent) Casey Kosiorek is a phenomenal leader. I've learned a lot just by watching him, how he interacts with his staff. I've transferred some that in how I do things."

From all appearances, Dan Ireland, the guy who rose through the ranks and was mentored by so many people in his home community, has been embraced as a leader by the UMMC staff. 

Ireland makes it a point to be accessible to as many of the hospitals more than 700 employees as possible. He often rides the shuttle from the St. Jerome's parking lot -- where employees are encouraged to park -- and frequently takes his meals in the cafeteria. He also regularly visits all of the departments of the hospital. It's impossible for him to know everybody's name, but Colleen Flynn, director of public relations for UMMC, offered during an interview in his office that to those who have worked with Ireland, his presidency seems like a natural fit. 

"I think we all saw leadership potential in him," Flynn said. "I don't think there is a single employee, manager, director in the organization who was surprised when Dan was named president. It was a natural progression."

Now that he's the leader, the mentor himself, and the guy from his own community leading one of the most important institutions in that community, Ireland takes seriously the responsibility to ensure UMMC delivers quality care.

He's also well aware that isn't the reputation UMMC necessarily enjoys locally.

Sitting in his president's office, when asked about the issue, he talked about it at length.

"We can't expect the people of Genesee County to just look at the hospital and say 'That's the hospital,' " Ireland said. "We have to work to earn the trust of every member of the community because that's what they expect. They expect us to continuously improve, so we have to continue to improve.

"There have been people who have had less than a desirable experience with the hospital. They've come here and sometimes it's been bad for people. You have to understand the human form. People don't forget easily and some people forgive and forget easier, and others don't. We will always run into people who say, 'I'll never go back to that hospital because this happened to me.' What I ask people is 'Are we different today than we were yesterday?' We have the ability to change. If we've done something wrong, and they tell us, we'll work to create change to make it better. We're in a human world, so we will not always do exactly what we want to do."

Yes, staff members have bad days, but personal bad days shouldn't translate into bad experiences for patients and their families, said Ireland, who reads every patient experience report and when he comes across a negative review, he doesn't see it as just a rant. 

"We don't see it as an angry or dissatisfied patient," Ireland said. "We see it as an opportunity for us to make a change and hopefully keep that from happening again and to make it better."

It's not just an issue of UMMC looking good or making more money. Quality customer care and a solid reputation with the local community are about providing advantageous health care.

"I don't just want to see the numbers get better," Ireland said. "When sombody sayd they don't want to go to United Memorial, that usually means they have to travel further for health care in a lot of cases and that's not good for them. That's not healthy, especially if they're ill. That's not a good experience. Either way, it's about their health. It's not necessarily about us having good scores up on the wall. It's about the fact that when patients have a good experience here, they're getting good health care and hopefully improving health."

The Ireland Family (photo submitted by Dan Ireland). Dan Ireland might be one of the only hospital presidents in the nation who rises early in the morning to feed the family's goats (22 of them, along with three sheep and a half dozen chickens and rabbits). The family farm started four or five years ago when his son said he wanted a horse. "I said, 'Horses are a lot of responsibility' and I said, 'Tell you what, I'll get you a goat. If you raise that goat all by yourself for a year, I'll get you a horse.' " The Irelands still don't have a horse, but their livestock has become a hobby for the whole family and led to involvement in 4-H.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul made a pair of stops in Genesee County today, including a tour of p.w. minor led by owners Andrew Young and Peter Zeliff. 

The shoe manufacturing company recently received a boost from the governor's office to help move 100 jobs from China back to Batavia.

Hochul also spoke this morning at Genesee County Criminal Justice Day at Genesee Community College.

Photos submitted by p.w. minor.

The call center -- or as the folks at Tompkins Insurance call it, the "care center" -- that the Batavia-based financial company opened on the second floor of Main and Center streets now has 27 staff members.

That means in less than six months, Tompkins has hit its three-year projected employment goal for the remodeled office space.

Tompkins purchased the building for $550,000 and has invested nearly $1 million in interior and exterior improvements, from gutting and refitting the entire second floor, putting in a new heating and air conditioning system, painting the outside and hanging new signs.

Investing in Downtown Batavia made good sense said David Boyce, president and CEO of the insurance unit.

"Batavia has been and continues to be a great draw for getting great employees," Boyce said. "Batavia is nicely centered within various counties. When we have an opening we get a lot of attention from people who want to work at a good company."

“The biggest thing; I’ve always liked the direct result of what we do,” Luke Harding said. “It’s always gratifying to know that if I'm working hard, I'm earning an income, and if I'm slacking I have no one to blame but myself.”

With that philosophy in mind, it was just a matter of time before Harding became the sole proprietor of his own business. Therefore, since his grandmother had been entertaining the idea of selling Bloomz Florist, Harding jumped at the chance, made her an offer and became the new owner of the flower shop April 10.

“I thought about buying it for years,” Harding said, “but I wasn’t sure who wanted it and buying it off my grandma...”

“My age made me decide to sell,” said former Bloomz owner Sarah Harding. “I’m 83 years old. I’ve owned the shop for 10 years and right now, I want to concentrate on my book. I loved the flower shop.”

The elder Harding is the author of “Rise Catholic Women: You Hold The Key” and was featured in the Wyoming County Free Press, December 2014.

The younger Harding’s dilemma was due to his grandma having seven children and for Harding it was a question of him “stepping on someone's toes” who was also interested in buying the flower shop. According to Harding, it all worked out in the end. 

The Attican didn’t just buy Bloomz, he bought the entire piece of property and the buildings on it. While he said the property and buildings are in good shape, he wants to do a bit of work on his new purchase to give it more curb appeal.

Harding is no stranger to entrepreneurship. As a matter of fact, he seems to be predisposed to being his own boss. According to the 25-year-old, the whole Harding family are entrepreneurs. His uncle owned Super Duper grocery stores and currently, the young Harding, his dad, his uncle, and his aunt, all own Harding’s Attica Furniture. While his grandmother may have sold Bloomz, she is still the owner of Parsons Place – a Christian bookstore next to Bloomz. 

“I like this kind of work (florist) because it’s a predicable business,” Harding said. 

Although there are peak seasons in the flower business, Harding said they are opened year-round and have extended their hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 

“The most unique part of this business is Tammy James is our flower designer and we use premium product so they last longer,” Harding said.

In addition to cut-flower arrangements, Bloomz also does silk arrangements, cemetery urns, and dish and bulb gardens. They also have potted flowers and green plants available for purchase.

“Dish gardens are green plants that would stay in your house,” said Bloomz Flower designer Laurie Bellucci. “Then there is a bulb barden. The bulbs can be planted in the fall, which makes it an everlasting gift. It's a great idea for someone who does gardening. They can remember the person that gave it to them.

“Some people come in and know exactly what they want,” Bellucci said. “Some have no idea and we help them out with creating something unique for them. That's what we do. We serve our customers.”

Bloomz Florist is located at 11155 Alexander Road (Route 98), on the Attica/Alexander town line. They can also be found on Facebook or visit their Web site at http://www.bloomzflorists.net/.

The first of the necessary paper is being pushed to move jobs from China to the p.w. minor shoe factory in Batavia with the Ways and Means Committee approval yesterday of a resolution to accept a $750,000 grant from the state to assist the company's local expansion.

The county must accept the grant, which passes through the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. (a branch of Genesee County Economic Development Center), which will become part of a grant and deferred loan program for p.w. minor.

The grant was approved by Empire Development Corps after the agency encouraged p.w. minor to apply for the grant.

The application pledges 80 new local jobs added over a two-year period, but p.w. minor is planning to transfer a total of 100 jobs over time from China to Batavia.

The LDC will package the $750,000 with $125,000 loan from LDC funds to assist p.w. minor in buying shoe-making machinery.

Mark Masse, VP of business development for GCEDC, laid out the terms of the resolution for members of the Ways and Means Committee, who recommended approval of the resolution to the full County Legislature.

Andrew Young, one of the co-owners the New p.w. minor, is also a member of the Legislature, and while he attended Wednesday's meeting, he was not present during the discussion of the resolution.

Young and local entrepreneur Peter Zeliff, purchased p.w. minor after the previous owners announced plans to close the plant, thereby saving dozens of local jobs at Batavia's oldest, continuously running business.

Activity is picking up on the muck this week as onion growers finally have suitable conditions for planting. One onion grower told us yesterday that ideally, growers like to have all of April to plant and they're getting a late start this year, but they should still get all of the fields filled with seeds and seedlings by May, if the weather holds.

Stan's Harley-Davidson held an open house Saturday to celebrate the opening of its new, expanded showroom. As part of the ceremonies, Lt. Colonel Ulises Miranda III from Early College International High School, Army JROTC Battalion, presented Daryl Horzempa and Debbie Parks of Stan's an award for their commitment to veterans.

Presentation of Colors

Jon DelVecchio, of Street Skills, was on hand to discuss motorcycle rider safety.

WBTA has expanded its programming from one local entertaining talk show to two.

Hiram Kasten is now co-hosting "Batavia After Breakfast" with is wife Diana at 9 a.m., Wednesday mornings and his former partner, Lucine Kauffman, now has her own show, "Genesee Life," at 8:30 a.m., Saturdays.

Hiram and Diana, pictured above, will feature their witty repartee as they share their experiences in Batavia, what's happening in Batavia, and Hiram -- with decades experience as a comedian, actor and performer in New York, Hollywood and Las Vegas, as well as around the globe -- hosts guests from his entertainment world.

Lucine, bottom photo, will celebrate and explore Genesee County rich cultural life, featuring local residents who might be artists, musicians, authors, historians, hobbyists, farmers, athletes, local business owners and local characters. The show will also promote local shows and showings.

WBTA is at 1490 AM, 100.1 FM and streaming at wbtai.com as well as through apps available for your mobile devices.

It was a booming first day of business for Ken Mistler's newest business venture, a downtown grill designed to give patrons quick, hot, homemade meals that they can eat-on-the-go.

Ken's Charcoal Pits features hot dogs and hamburgers, but also offers sausages and a garbage-plate style dish Ken is calling a Pit Plate. For those who want lighter fair, there is a salad bar, and grilled chicken is an option.

Everything is made to order right in front of you with the best and freshest ingredients.

The doors to the new shop are on Main Street, but patrons can also enter through City Slickers.

"We got a lot of requests for a quick lunch," Mistler said. "People would say they really liked City Slickers, but they wished they could get in and out a little quicker, but as a full-size restaurant with a full menu, it was hard to do that."

You can dine in, get your meal to go or carry it into City Slickers, where, of course, there is beer on tap.

Mistler, who owns not just City Slickers, but also Next Level Fitness, has long avoided putting his own name on his business ventures, but was persuaded to call it Ken's after his marketing consultant, Marc Tillery, presented the concept to him. The locale features drawings of Ken's two pit bulls, which are charcoal in color. Ken's Charcoal Pits. Get it?

A lot of people are getting that the food is good. Social media lit up a bit today with early rave reviews and the word spread fast with a line out the door past the normal lunch hour.

The hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and those hours will be extended as the weather warms up.

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $1.4 million in funding for projects related to the research, promotion and development of New York’s flourishing agricultural economy. Approved by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, this funding includes support for a second year of malting barley research at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, equipment and operating expenses at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, and funding to help Western New York maple syrup producers better market their products.

“The agricultural industry is vital to the success of Upstate New York, and by making targeted investments like this we are planting the seeds for long-term growth for New York’s farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will support both new opportunities and existing success stories, and ultimately give farmers and vendors the tools they need to thrive in today’s competitive economy.”

Every year, the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, solicits applications to assist in the development of agriculture and agriculture-related businesses in a nine-county region, which includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties. On Friday, March 27, the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority Board of Directors voted to fund the following projects in 2015:
· NY Wine and Culinary Center - $300,000 – equipment replacement, facility repairs and expansion, and operational costs;
· New York Wine and Grape Foundation - $216,664 – Phase Five of the NY Drinks NY campaign;
· Western NY Maple Producers - $33,336 – Mobile maple exhibit;
· Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County - $60,231 – To provide support and training to farmers through a farmers’ market specialist program;
· Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County - $43,416 – To provide specialty cut flower, vegetable and mushroom production for the county’s Bhutanese market;
· New York State Agricultural Experiment Station – $74,518 – To support research to improve the profitability and productivity of lima beans in New York State;
· New York State Agricultural Experiment Station - $159,893 – To support maintenance and equipment, including a temperature controlled ploy house and summer scholar support.
· New York State Agricultural Experiment Station - $241,716 – To accelerate production of organic grains, corn and soybeans in Western NY;
· New York State Agricultural Experiment Station - $133,242 – To support the second year of a multi-year research plan for malting barley production in New York State;
· Foodlink - $100,000 – To purchase equipment necessary to maximize efficiencies and create product diversity in value-added product lines.

In addition to these projects, Governor Cuomo announced $250,000 in funding to support soil and sediment control projects in counties located in the Genesee River Watershed, including portions of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben and Wyoming counties. Provided by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, soil and water conservation districts can apply for grants of up to $10,000 for projects that reduce erosion or control sediment in the Genesee River Watershed. These projects can include reduced tillage practices, cover cropping, critical area seeding, riparian buffer, grassed waterways, filter areas, water and sediment control basins.

Districts can apply for the grant through the Grants Gateway program at https://grantsgateway.ny.gov/intelligrants_NYSGG/login2.aspx.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Genesee Valley and its surrounding areas are extremely critical to the health and diversity of New York agriculture. This funding will support that diversity by making strategic investments in emerging industries that have a great future here in New York State, while protecting the region’s natural resources.”

Dennis Piedimonte, Chairman of the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, said, “We’re happy that we can be of assistance of the agriculture community in New York State through the money we are able to raise at our market. We believe that this funding is going to be put to good use through research that will in turn help New York’s agricultural economy move forward.”

Jack Moore, board member of Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, said, “It’s very good to see some of the GVRMA profits put to good use in the region for production agriculture. I encourage more entities to apply for such grants in the future.”

Assembly Majority Leader Joseph D. Morelle said, “For the past several years, our region has benefited from the innovative funding opportunity provided by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority and the Department of Agriculture. I applaud the State and GVRMA for investing in important organizations like the Wine & Culinary Center and Foodlink, which are using our region’s agriculture to provide a public benefit. This year’s awards reflects the legislature’s intent when we created this mechanism, which continues to provide vital funding to promote and advance our area’s agribusiness.”

Senator Mike Nozzolio said, “This funding is extremely important to the continued success of the growing food and beverage industry in New York State and it enhances the world class agricultural research conducted at the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. Agriculture is our state and region’s number one industry, and continued support such as this furthers the growth of the industry by providing jobs, increased crop value and product promotion.”

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that PW Minor, a manufacturer and international distributor of leather footwear and orthopedic products, will bring previously outsourced production work from China back to New York State. The move will create 100 additional jobs at the company’s Batavia facility. This news comes on the heels of the Governor’s announcement in August 2014 that PW Minor, which was scheduled to close on July 31, 2014, will remain open under new local ownership and management, retaining more than 50 manufacturing jobs.

“I am pleased that these jobs are being brought back to New York State, where they belong,” Governor Cuomo said. “Our priority is not only to attract new businesses to New York, but also to ensure that the ones already here continue to grow. PW Minor’s decision to bring jobs back to Western New York will add to the region’s growing reputation as a great place for businesses to thrive and I look forward to their continued success.”

The owner of PW Minor, which was founded by two brothers in 1867 shortly after they returned from fighting in the Civil War, is Batavia Shoes LLC, headed by Andrew Young and Peter H. Zeliff. PW Minor is one of a few remaining shoe manufacturers in the United States and the oldest company in Genesee County.

Andrew Young said, “What an awesome opportunity for us to positively impact our community. The people of PW Minor have stepped it up and my money is on them that they will again. We look forward to growing production in Batavia and adding to the PW Minor family.”

Peter H. Zeliff said, “Bringing our production back to New York is our priority. There will come a day when again we can proudly stamp “Made in America” on each and every pair of shoes with the PW Minor brand name.” We are excited to be a part of the resurrection of this American icon.

PW Minor’s $7.35 million project will automate its processes, allowing the company to close the gap between Batavia and China and thereby granting the company the ability to shutdown overseas operations and bring 100 new jobs to Batavia. Empire State Development (ESD) will provide up to $1.75 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits in return for job creation commitments. This is in addition to the previously awarded $449,505 in 2014. If ESD did not incentivize this project, the company would not be able to close production in China and continue to grow in Batavia.

Howard Zemsky, President, CEO & Commissioner of Empire State Development, said, “PW Minor’s decision to bring jobs back from overseas is a testament to the quality of the region’s workforce and New York State’s welcoming environment for growing a business. It’s great news that more than one hundred employees of this iconic and valued business will continue to make hand-crafted quality shoes in Batavia for years to come.”

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Steve Hyde said, “The Governor and his economic development team at Empire State Development have once again made a significant commitment to Genesee County to bring new jobs and investment to our region. It’s also a belief in the vision and business acumen of Pete Zeliff and Andrew Young in their efforts to restore the rich tradition of PW Minor in our community.”

Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer said, “PW Minor’s decision to continue doing business in the City of Batavia and bring jobs back from China is proof positive that Genesee County is a good place to operate a business. With the partnership between Governor Cuomo, Empire State Development and this historic business, the opportunities for Genesee County residents continue to grow.”

Assemblyman Stephen Hawley said “As a small-business owner, I know the struggles and successes that New York’s small-business owners face on a daily basis. Locally-owned businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and I am proud to see my business advocacy in Albany materialize. I am thankful to Pete Zeliff and Andrew Young for re-energizing the new PW Minor as an historic mainstay of our Western New York economy.”

Genesee County Chairman Raymond F. Cianfrini said, “Today is a great day for PW Minor and its employees and a great day for Genesee County. Our thanks go out to Peter Zeliff and Andrew Young for saving this historic business when it was on the brink of closure and now, with New York State’s assistance, bringing additional jobs back from overseas. We in Genesee County are fortunate to have these two individuals, as well as the support of Empire State Development, who are committed to economic development and keeping our county vibrant.”

City of Batavia Council President Brooks Hawley said, “P.W. Minor has been a company deep routed in Batavia for well over 100 years and I am thrilled to see their continued growth in our community. Thanks to Empire State Development for the State’s incentives and to the commitment of new, local owners, Andrew Young and Peter Zeliff, PW Minor has a bright future in Batavia.”

Press release:

The Summit Street Entrance at United Memorial Medical Center will close on Monday, April 6, as construction begins for the new comprehensive cancer center. Fencing will be placed around the wedge-shaped parking area and there will no longer be an entrance to the facility off of Summit Street.

Visitors and patients should use the Main Entrance of the Hospital off of North Street or the Emergency Department Entrance at the rear of the building. Required employee parking at the Bank Street Campus was recently expanded to increase the number of available parking spaces for patients and visitors to the Hospital.

Previously closed on weekends, the Main Entrance will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. United Memorial will assess the need for transport services, additional wheelchairs and alternate weekend hours to best serve patients.

A sidewalk will be installed on the east side of Summit Street leading to the Main Entrance, along the side of the Hospital so that pedestrians can more easily access the front entrance.

Beginning on April 6th, visitors and patients should expect to see greater activity at the North Street facility as the construction begins. Cranes, earth-moving equipment and other construction vehicles will be brought on site. Every effort has been made to create and maintain a safe environment for our neighbors, employees, patients and visitors.

The new cancer center is a $6.5-million project, which will bring comprehensive cancer services to the Genesee County region and provide a new high-tech, fully integrated and comfortable home for life-saving oncology services.

These include: a state-of-the-art linear accelerator to deliver radiation therapy; the ability to use the hospital’s existing technology to plan customized radiation therapy treatment plans; chemotherapy infusion services; medical oncology for diagnosis, treatment planning and monitoring; navigator services to guide patients through their individualized treatment process; and surgical oncology.

Architectural services are provided by Clark Patterson Lee and construction management is being provided by Manning Squires Hennig.

Press release:

Liberty Pumps, a manufacturer of sump, sewage and wastewater pumps is undergoing a major expansion of its facilities in Bergen, New York.

The construction, which doubles the size of the current facility, will occur in three phases over the course of 2015. In total, the expansion will add over 123,000 square feet to the corporate operation in Upstate New York.

Phase one, already underway and nearing completion, is 81,600 square feet of additional manufacturing area. The added space will allow for new manufacturing cells, increased warehouse area for component inventory and expanded machining operations. A new powder coat line is also planned as part of this expansion. Phase two, scheduled for completion in May, increases the research and engineering lab, service area and features a new lunchroom facility for its members. The 14,200-square-foot lab expansion allows for the addition of new equipment required for Liberty’s recent qualification as a CSA test facility. The area also features an additional 20,000-gallon test pit designed to support Liberty’s expanding product line.

Phase three – a 23,000-square-foot sales/marketing wing and product training center -- is slated to begin construction in April with a target completion date of August. The new wing features an 80-seat multipurpose room, product display area for hands-on product training and demonstrations, as well as additional offices, a historical product display and visitors lounge.

Randall Waldron, V.P. of Sales & Marketing, said “As our products continue to advance technically, we realize product knowledge is critical -- not only to our sales team, but for those who use and install our products on a daily basis. The new product training center will allow us to better share this knowledge in a way that provides a great experience as well.”

Credit: Building rendering by Smart Design, of Batavia.

There are fewer people with jobs and fewer people without jobs in Genesee County, according to labor statistics released this afternoon.

The Department of Labor reports that in February, 27,200 residents in Genesee County had jobs, compared to the same month a year prior when 27,500 had jobs.

At the same time, the number of residents without jobs dipped from 2,200 to 1,900 over the same period. 

The county's unemployment rate dropped 7.3 percent to 6.6 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of jobs in the county remained unchanged at 21,800. That number was 21,300 in 2013 and the most recent historical high for February comes from 2008, when there were 22,400 jobs reported.

The state's unemployment rate is 6.4 percent and the nation's is 5.8, both better than a year ago.

Erie County's rate is 6.1, Monroe is 6.5.

In the GLOW region, Livingston is 6.0, Orleans, 7.8 and Wyoming 8.0.

Press release:

Mostert, Manzanero & Scott, LLP, presented a summary of the audit process undertaken and the scope of their engagement, as well as the findings and various observations related to the Genesee County Economic Development Center’s financial position at an open meeting of the GCEDC Board on March 30, 2014.

The GCEDC Board engaged Mostert, Manzanero & Scott, LLP, a certified public accounting firm, to perform the audit of 2014 financial statements. The audit was designed to issue an opinion on the financial statements of the GCEDC for the year ending December 31, 2014, a management letter to the Board of Directors and management and a report about internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Government Auditing Standards.

Included in the management letter is a statement from Mostert, Manzanero & Scott, LLP, affirming that no material deficiencies in internal controls were identified during the audit. They also affirmed that, in their opinion, the audited financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the GCEDC as of December 31, 2014, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

“I am confident that the GCEDC internal control policies are functioning correctly and that our finance team monitors the finances in accordance with the highest accounting principles,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “GCEDC CFO, Lezlie Farrell, who is a Certified Public Accountant, does an outstanding job monitoring all of our agency procurement and financial activities."

The financial statements of the GCEDC are reported using the accrual basis of accounting. Revenues are recorded when earned and expenses are recorded at the time liabilities are incurred, regardless of when the related cash transaction takes place. For example, expenditures are recorded in the period that services are provided, even though corresponding payment for those services may not be made until a later date.

The GCEDC finished 2014 with a net operating loss of $14,990 as compared to a net operating loss of $198,403 in 2013. As expenses remained consistent overall in 2014, revenues from project fees were significantly higher in 2014 as compared to 2013. The largest project in 2014 was the Yancey’s Fancy project. Yancey’s began construction on their 112,000-square-foot facility in the Buffalo East Technology Park, located in Pembroke, NY, in the spring of 2014. Overall, Yancey’s Fancy will invest more than $20 million and create 50 new jobs at the facility.

“The GCEDC budgeted for a loss of $175,000 for 2014 and I am pleased with our year end results,” said CFO Farrell. “At the end of 2014 there were several attraction projects in the sales pipeline that still remain active today. We anticipate that one of these major attraction projects will close in 2015 and bring significant investment and jobs to the region."