Five Orleans districts to receive $3.2 million more

Photo by Tom Rivers – Albion Central School officials say they will be able to preserve their programs at the middle school (pictured) and other schools in the 2013-14 budget.

Source: NYS Division of the Budget

State aid increases are making life a little easier for school leaders this budget go-round.

The five districts in Orleans County will receive between 4 and nearly 7 percent more in state funds next school year, according to the state budget approved last week. That follows two years of meager increases. The districts were all cut significantly when David Paterson was governor. The state sliced education spending by nearly $3 billion state-wide during Paterson’s tenure.

“With the latest aid increases we are now back to the funding levels of 2009,” said Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.

The 13 districts in the Orleans-Niagara BOCES cut 700 positions during the school funding crisis over the past five years, Godshall said. Some of those reductions were made due to shrinking enrollments. But many teachers, administrators and staff lost their jobs because districts were contending with rising costs and tepid revenue growth. The state also imposed a tax cap of about 2 percent on local governments.

“With the tax cap you were forced to reduce,” Godshall said.

State-wide education funding is up nearly $1 billion for about 700 school districts. The five districts in Orleans County collectively will receive $3.2 million more in operating aid, or a 5.0 percent increase to $66.8 million.

“We will be able to preserve all of our programs,” said Shawn Liddle, Albion Central School assistant superintendent for business. “We’re always grateful for the aid we receive from New York State.”

State and federal governments pay for about 80 percent of the district’s $33 million annual budget. The state budget gives Albion about $800,000 more in operating aid for 2013-14.

Although programs will be maintained, Liddle said the Finance Committee is eyeing some staff cuts to mirror a drop in student enrollment. The committee will make its budget recommendation to the Board of Education during Monday’s 7 p.m. meeting.

The district went the past six years without raising taxes. Albion cut staff and tapped reserve funds to stave off a tax increase during that time. But Liddle said the committee is looking at a 1.5 percent tax increase for 2013-14, which will be under the 2 percent cap.

Lyndonville also expects to preserve all of its programming and stay under the tax cap, said Board of Education President Ed Urbanik.

Rather than dig deeper into its reserve funds, the district can preserve those funds due to the increase in state aid. That gives Lyndonville a cushion with the uncertainties with health care costs, Urbanik said.

Rural schools have been lobbying the state to boost funding the past several years. Rural districts say they were disproportionately hit hard with the state funding cuts under Paterson.

Educate NY Now, an advocacy group of school stakeholders throughout NY, praised the new state budget, particularly the sizable increases for some districts. But Billy Easton, executive director for the Alliance for Quality Education, said the state needs to do more to help school districts, especially those in rural areas.

“There remain urgent educational needs that must be addressed, such as closing the now widening gulf in educational opportunities between wealthy and poor schools,” he said in a statement. “Legislators are getting the message loud and clear that our schools are in crisis. This budget will slow the rate of classroom cuts, not stop it.”

CARLTON – County officials say their costs for maintaining a state-owned boat launch and park are not as high as reported on The Orleans Hub on Friday.

The Hub put the costs at between $10,000 and $20,000 for bathroom cleaning, mowing and other upkeep at the Oak Orchard Marine State Park, a boat launch and bathrooms along Archibald Road on the west side of the Oak Orchard River.

I came up with that number because county officials said they pay $19,000 to have bathrooms and docks cleaned at the Orleans County Marine Park, a county-owned site on the east side of the river. The cleaning costs for the state site are part of that contract.

I figured it was a 50-50 split, but a county official said there is significantly more work at the county site, which includes 72 boat slips. He estimated the state boat launch and bathrooms cost the county about $3,000 a year.

I figured mowing and other expenses added to county costs as well, but I was told those expenses aren’t nearly as high as reported.

I stand by the crux of the article, that the state should assume financial responsibility for its own boat launch, especially because it’s a revenue generator for the state and the local economy because of the sales tax spent by the fishermen on gas and other supplies while they’re in the area.

Travel agency, sheet metal fabrication, storage units, farm labor camps all OK’d

ALBION – Several business projects have the backing of the Orleans County Planning Board for wide-ranging initiatives throughout the county.

The following projects were approved Thursday at the Planning Board meeting:

Matthew Pask wants to operate a travel agency out of his home at 12236 Maple Ridge Rd., in Shelby. Pask said he will use about 400 square feet of his house for the business, Next Adventure Travel Agency. He plans to have office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Charles Breuilly of Albion is working to build four rental storage buildings at the southwest corner of Allen Road and Route 98 in Albion. Planners recommended the village of Albion Zoning Board of Appeals approve variances for setbacks to allow the project.

Rick Stacey, owner of RS Automation on Route 98 in Albion, is working to expand the business at 4015 Oak Orchard Rd. He intends to build a 56-by-64-foot accessory/storage structure for raw materials that RS Automation will use for its custom metal projects.

The company also is planning a 50-by-75-foot addition to its existing building to increase its production capabilities.

Aaron Albone of 1273 Marshall Rd., Lyndonville, plans to sell steel from his home, which is in a rural/agricultural district.

Leonard Auker is planning a sheet metal fabrication business in Carlton at 12667 Roosevelt Highway. Shoreline Sheetmetal will operate on Tuesdays through Saturdays in a detached 24-by-32-foot barn.

Kast Farms wants to add four manufactured housing units, with a capacity of eight people in each building, at 2824 Densmore Rd. The housing in the town of Gaines will be used for farm workers.

Oded Kalir of Brockport also is working to add farmworker housing in Gaines at 13105  Eagle Harbor-Knowlesville Rd. Kalir wants to convert an existing single-family house into farmworker housing. The house currently isn’t in an agricultural district but Kalir has applied to have it added to County Agricultural District No. 3.

State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – The Oak Orchard Marine State Park, a boat launch with bathrooms on the west side of the Oak Orchard River, has been run by the county since the state threatened to close it in 2010, citing a budget crunch in the parks department.

CARLTON Three years ago, then-Gov. David Paterson took the budget ax to 41 parks and 14 historic sites under state ownership, shutting them down.

The Oak Orchard Marine State Park, a boat launch and bathrooms on the west side of the Oak Orchard River was targeted to be closed by the state.

Orleans County officials wouldn’t let that happen. They worked out a deal to keep the site on Archibald Road open, paying to mow the lawn, clean the bathrooms and look after the property.

County officials estimated there are about 7,000 boat launches from the site each year. The county has continued as the site’s caretaker since then, spending about $10,000 to $20,000 a year to keep the boat launch open and the bathrooms clean.

The willingness to assume keep the state site open shows the county’s commitment to the fishing industry, its top tourism attraction, which generates about $12 million in spending a year. A chunk of that goes to the state in sales tax revenue and fishing license fees.

The state’s budget crisis has passed and I think it’s time for the state to resume operations of this site.

I’ve been told a deal is in the works. It may include an automated machine that would allow the state to collect money every time a boat is launched. The county has been letting people use it for free, not wanting to pay someone to man a booth to collect a boat launch fee.

I give the county lots of credit for stepping up in this situation. Now, the state should take care of its own property, or at least cover the county’s costs.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The most recent community-wide reassessment in the village of Albion cut almost $3 million in the village’s overall tax base, a 2 percent drop that was the biggest decline in the county.

It’s time to launch a “Save The Villages” campaign, and in this case I mean the real villages of Orleans County – Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina.

The village neighborhoods in Orleans County are in trouble. The numbers paint a grim picture.

Every three years the towns in Orleans County reassess all properties. This generally results in a 5 to 8 percent growth in the tax base over three years, as prices are adjusted to reflect the market values, said Dawn Allen, the county’s real property tax service director.

I’ve been a reporter out here for 17 years now. The data came out last month and this is the first time I can recall a reassessment leading to a decline in the values for several of our communities. The villages, in particular, are suffering. Overall, the county grew about 1 percent.

All four had their housing values drop, with Albion showing a 1.9 percent drop or a decline of $2.65 million in overall property value. That shrinks the tax base for the property owners to pay for government services, likely pushing up the tax rate. The Village Board in April approved a budget that raised the tax rate 3.0 percent or 49 cents per $1,000 of assessed property. It increased from $16.37 to $16.86.

Lyndonville’s tax base is also down by 1.2 percent, a decline from $28.90 million to $28.55 million.

The other villages in Orleans – Holley and Medina – have witnessed shrinking values in recent years. Medina for example dropped $658,131 in an off reassessment year in 2012. Holley fell $653,185 for its most recent fiscal year.

The new reassessments, which go in effect for the villages’ budget for next year, actually show overall gains for Holley and Medina due to big properties coming on the tax rolls.

Medina Memorial Hospital sold Orchard Manor for $4.1 million, putting a tax exempt property back on the tax rolls. That helped Medina stave off a decline in latest reassment. It made up for a $2.15 million drop in the other values in Medina.

Holley also would have showed a negative number but the Holley Cold Storage was put back on the tax rolls at a $1,760,730 assessment. The company had been off the tax rolls and paying local governments in a payment in lieu of taxes plan.

Allen watches the real estate market in the villages with worry. She sees homes that used to sell for $60,000 to $80,000 sometimes go for $20,000.

She said denser populated areas, whether cities or villages, are struggling in other communities in upstate New York.

“All of the villages are in bad shape,” she said. “It’s not just Orleans County.”

She thinks the high taxes in the villages are a culprit in the assessment plunge. Medina Mayor Andrew Meier agrees. He has believes the tax structure unfairly punishes villages property owners, who are double and triple taxed for many services.

He advocates for consolidating the village of Medina into the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby, so there isn’t such a disparity in the tax rates between the village and residents who live in the country.

Village residents pay about $12 more per $1,000 in their combined tax rates, compared to residents outside the village in Shelby and Ridgeway. For an $85,000 house, that’s $1,000 more in taxes annually if you live in the village. It’s a similar phenomenon for village residents in Albion and Holley who pay far more in taxes than their country counterparts.

Meier has sought exemptions from the towns in highway plowing for village residents, who already pay for village taxes for plowing. The outside-village residents don’t pay towards Medina’s plowing, police, and other costs. Yet, the village residents pay in the village and then in the town.

Meier thinks the villages with police department should get a discount in their county taxes because they are sparing the county that expense.

He also said the county should change the way it shares sales tax and mortgage tax with the villages, in particular, so they have more money to offset property taxes. Otherwise, he fears the values will continue to fall in the villages, forcing the tax rate to go higher, which will only hasten the decline of those communities.

I’m solidly in Meier’s corner on this one, and I wish more village officials would sound the alarm. I’d like to see the town and county governments not be so stingy while the villages are drowning.

I live in the village of Albion. I think the DPW, police and other village government workers have done a fine job keeping this community together. But I don’t think it’s right the village bears nearly the full cost of Mount Albion Cemetery, the parks program and so many other services that are used by outside-village residents.

The county often complains about the state freezing reimbursements, but the county hasn’t increased the local sales tax share to the villages or towns in more than a decade. The county keeps more than 90 percent of the sales. Genesee County does a 50-50 split with its municipalities.

Orleans County has benefitted from a surge in sales tax in the past decade – mainly due to rising gas prices – and that has helped the county stay under the tax cap. But the villages don’t have the luxury of added sales tax. It can only raise taxes or cut services.

I’ll have more on this formula in another article, and I’ll try to make the case why it needs to be changed, why it’s imperative the county share a little more with the local municipalities.

The new reassessments show trouble signs in other communities as well. The lakefront communities, which people may perceive as being home to the most prosperous residents, are seeing declines in values. Kendall and Yates both dropped. Carlton froze its values after an uproar from the community over many properties with big increases. The town’s overall value did go up to reflect some building projects.

“The economy is affecting the lakefront towns,” Allen said. “There isn’t the demand for the second homes anymore.”

Collaboration with Genesee County Health Dept paying off

ALBION – Orleans County expects to save $130,000 annually in the cost of transporting pre-school children with disabilities to early intervention and supportive health programs.

The county approved a five-year deal on Wednesday with the Genesee ARC for busing children, ages 3 to 5, to program sites in and out of county. The county was able to group its busing needs with Genesee County’s, and that joint application drove down the costs for both counties, said Paul Pettit, director of public health for both counties.

Orleans has been working with Ridge Road Express for its transportation, while Genesee has hired Attica Bus Services. The counties are obligated to work out the transportation for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5, according to a state law.

Counties list the service as one of the “9 for 90” state-mandated programs that stress county budgets. The nine programs consume more than 90 percent of most counties tax levies, according to the New York State Association of Counties.

Orleans and Genesee’s transportation contracts expire this summer. Genesee ARC will start Sept. 1.

The contract calls for Orleans to pay $38.83 per child for each round trip within the county, and $214.63 for daily trips outside the county with another $61.25 for a bus aide for a round trip. Those costs are “significantly less” than what Orleans has been paying, Pettit said.

Genesee and Orleans have been sharing a public health director since October in a shared service initiative, the only one of its kind in the state. Legislature Chairman David Callard praised the initiative for yielding savings to taxpayers.

The two-county effort has yielded another benefit: a free staffer for the next two years. The two counties submitted an application to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention for a public health associate fellow. The application was approved and a public health specialist will be placed in the two counties the next two years.

Orleans had applied for the associate the previous two years, but was denied. Pettit believes the collaboration with Genesee gave the counties a stronger application this round.

“We’re able to essentially get some free help over the next two years,” he told Orleans legislators.

ALBION – Orleans County has stepped up its welfare fraud investigations in recent years and is poised to double those efforts.

“We can’t ignore it,” Legislature Chairman David Callard said about welfare fraud. “We have to deal with it. People need to know in Orleans County that we’re serious about it.”

The county has been increasing the recovered dollars in welfare fraud and “avoidance,” welfare that is sought but isn’t approved because the applicants aren’t eligible for the benefits, said Tom Kuryla, the Department of Social Services commissioner.

In 2009, the county recovered $37,000 in welfare fraud, and prevented $352,000 in benefits from going to people who weren’t eligible for welfare, he said.

The numbers have steadily increased since then. In 2010, there was $40,000 recovered and $1,245,000 prevented. In 2011, $76,000 was recovered with DSS avoiding $1,358,000 in ineligible benefits, Kuryla told legislators today.

Last year, the lone welfare fraud investigator recovered $85,000 and DSS prevented another $1,598,000 in ineligible benefits.

Kuryla said the DSS’s lone fraud investigator has 50 caseloads and responds to another 40 to 50 inquiries a month. That is a heavy caseload, Kuryla told legislators.

The Legislature approved his request to not fill the position of a recently retired child support specialist, and instead hire a second fraud investigator. District Attorney Joe Cardone also endorsed a second fraud investigator.

“It would more than pay for itself,” he said about the position.

He noted the recent case of a woman who accessed $40,000 in childcare benefits when she didn’t send her child to daycare, instead keeping the money for herself. The alleged crime was detected and she was charged with fraud.

Kuryla said DSS will be better able to investigate people on welfare long-term, who may be claiming a disability is preventing them from working. DSS also wants to check people using emergency housing assistance in hotels. Those people may not be aggressively pursuing other less costly housing.

Kuryla doesn’t begrudge needy people from accepting welfare on a temporary basis, but he said fraud “is breaking the backs of taxpayers.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Elizabeth Meyer, 17, of Medina served milk punch to Orleans County legislators and other attendees of today’s County Legislature meeting, including Legislature Chairman David Callard, right.

Elizabeth is the 2013-14 Niagara-Orleans dairy princess. She was assisted by her father, Larry, in serving the milk concoctions. Mr. Meyer is well acquainted with local farmers. He is the county director for the Farm Service Agency.

His daughter, who will be a senior at Medina High School this fall, has worked the past three years at Gasport View Dairy, feeding calves. She said she enjoys watching the animals get bigger.

She delivered a speech to county legislators about agriculture, praising farmers for their mechanical knowledge, their effort financial management and environmental stewardship.

Legislator Ken Rush, R-Carlton, then a read a proclamation from the Legislature, declaring June “Dairy Month.”

ALBION – A friend has let me borrow a high-powered zoom lens for a couple days during graduation weekend. I wandered up to the courthouse tonight to see how the lens would handle this great landmark building.

The dome on the courthouse, built in 1858, is a striking sight coming up Route 98 and from many of the side streets in Albion. The Courthouse District as well as Albion’s downtown are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

I grabbed a photo of Main Street and one of the stained-glass windows at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.

The three casinos in Western New York owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians will see a portion of their profits directed to counties in the region, according to the “Upstate NY Gaming Economic Development Act,” which was announced by Gov. Cuomo on Wednesday.

The legislation doesn’t specify dollars for the counties in the region, but Orleans County is expected to get a tiny slice of a big pie. The state will share 10 percent of the gaming revenue it receives from casinos and video gaming centers “to provide tax relief or educational assistance,” according to the legislation announced on Wednesday.

The bulk of the state’s casino and video gaming revenue, 80 percent, will be used for school aid or property tax relief. “The educational aid will be additive and will not be part of the state’s existing education formula,” the legislation reads.

The Senecas keep 75 percent of the casino profits with 25 percent directed to the state, which currently then gives some to host cities in Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca.

The legislation announced on Wednesday would direct some of the state’s share of the casino profits to counties in the region while preserving the funds to the host communities.

The revenue sharing is part of a plan to develop four Las Vegas-style casinos in Upstate New York, all outside of WNY.

Lawsuit sought to disband LDC, force public referendum

Photo by Tom Rivers – A State Supreme Court judge didn’t find fault with the Orleans County Legislature’s decision to transfer The Villages of Orleans to a Local Development Corporation that is tasked with finding a buyer.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature crossed an important legal hurdle when a State Supreme Court ruled the county acted legally in transferring the publicly owned nursing home to a Local Development Corporation.

A local resident Mary Bannister and nursing home employee Dawn Hazel, who has family in The Villages of Orleans, challenged the Legislature’s decision in court.

Judge James Punch issued a decision on Tuesday, supporting the county in all key aspects of the case. The decision allows the Legislature and the LDC to keep working towards a sale of the 120-bed nursing home. County officials learned of the judge’s decision at 11:45 a.m. today.

“The discussion regarding the nursing home has been a very emotional one, but the ultimate goal has always been to ensure its long-term sustainability,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard. “Now we must return to our goal for The Villages: to continue to provide a high quality of care for our residents, maintain its jobs, preserve its programs, and continue its community ties without dire financial consequences to the taxpayers.”

The lawsuit sought to disband the LDC, to vacate the transfer of nursing home property to the LDC, to compel the issue to be brought to a public vote, and to restrain the LDC from negotiating transfer of The Villages to another operating entity.

The county’s attorneys argued that Bannister and Hazel failed to establish any harm in the Legislature’s decision to create the LDC, and their allegations were “speculative claims as to future actions.” The county attorneys said the LDC ownership did not change the current operations, staffing or delivery of services.

Punch agreed, noting the employees have continued as county workers and the county continues to control the operation of the facility.

The county argued in court the decision to create the LDC and transfer ownership were “proper tools to use for cost analysis and cost containment.” Legislators worry the facility will require a $2 to $4 million annual subsidy from the county taxpayers due to rising operating costs and slowing reimbursement rates.

“I commend my colleagues in the Legislature for having the courage to make this very difficult decision.” – Legislature Chairman David Callard

“The choice here hasn’t been about privatization versus public ownership,” Callard said today after the court decision was announced. “It has been about maintaining the facility or losing it altogether. We can no longer delay the decision and hope everything will be all right. That is fiscally irresponsible and brings grave uncertainty.”

The petitioners in the lawsuit sought a public referendum on the issue, contending the county created the LDC to circumvent public discourse. But Punch sided with the county, saying it acted within its rights in the Not-for-Profit-Corporation Law.

The Legislature, in a 6-1 vote, created the LDC on Feb. 27. Callard noted it passed in a super-majority vote. Only Legislator George Bower opposed it, and he warned the deficits at the site could force the county to take up the issue. He said then he was opposed to the timing because the Legislature had said it wouldn’t sell the facility until 2014.

That may be an ambitious time frame, even with the decision to create the LDC four months ago.

The LDC – the Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation – met this afternoon.  The three-member group, headed by former Yates Town Supervisor Russ Martino, moved forward with selecting a broker to establish a value for the nursing home and identify buyers for the site.

The LDC picked a Chicago firm that specializes in selling nursing homes to help with the sale of The Villages. Marcus and Millichap’s National Senior Housing Group will receive 2.5 percent of the sale price for its services. The firm is assisting nine other New York counties in selling their nursing homes.

The firm said it will identify a buyer by the end of a year, a sale that needs to be approved by the state Department of Health. Marcus and Millichap said it would target January 2015 for the sale to be closed and the new owner in operation at The Villages.

“The actions being taken are intended to balance the interests of the residents, the employees, and the taxpayers,” Callard said. “I commend my colleagues in the Legislature for having the courage to make this very difficult decision.”

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

ALBION – Sheriff Scott Hess is pleased to announce that 12  children from Orleans County will attend the NYS Sheriffs’ Association’s Summer Camp this year on Keuka Lake in Yates County.

The Sheriffs’ Summer Camp is designed to provide a solid recreational program combined with the development of a sense of good citizenship. The camp has been in operation since the mid-1970s and is supported by the NYSSA’s honorary members through their contributions and annual dues. This year, as in the past, the camp will accommodate hundreds of deserving kids from across the state from June 23-29.

Throughout their week-long stay, these children will observe special exhibits and demonstrations presented by Sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement personnel from across the state. Included are D.A.R.E. presentations, boat and bicycle safety programs, law enforcement equipment & technical demonstrations, pistol & archery competitions, and a talent show.

Upon completion of their stay, all campers will be awarded a certificate for their participation in a program of “Good Citizenship & Law Enforcement Studies.”

The following children are the 2013 Orleans County attendees: Nathan Olmstead, 9; Samantha Pozzobon, 12; Zarya Robinson, 12; Jessica Twardowski, 12; Jesse Perez-Weese, 11 – all from Albion.

Jonathan Zittel, 12; and Joshua Zittel, 9 – from Clarendon. Saleya Williams, 10; and Sunny Rushing, 12 – from Gaines. Travis Gotts, 11; and Ethan Nottingham, 12 – both from Medina. Richard Sewar, 11, of Ridgeway.

Chase will host job fair for displaced workers on June 26, 28

ALBION – An Erie County company has agreed to hire 150 displaced workers from the JP Morgan Chase mortgage servicing center in Albion. The company, AMS Servicing, will be part of a job fair at Chase on June 26 and June 28.

Chase notified its employees last week it will shut down the mortgage servicing business in Albion, and will lay off about 400 employees in September.

AMS Servicing and other businesses will be at the job fair at the Chase center. The companies will be hiring for entry-level to managerial positions in industries from mortgage servicing and technology to insurance and telecommunications.

“We work very hard to take care of our employees when we have to make tough decisions about our business,” Kevin Watters, CEO for Chase Mortgage Banking, said in a news release. “We sought out top companies with open positions that would benefit from hiring our talented and skilled workforce.”

In addition, Chase is holding on-site hiring events today and next Friday for employees to meet company managers from Rochester and other U.S. locations to discuss 330 open positions in customer assistance and support areas. Chase is also offering career services and training sessions, including resume writing, interviewing and online skill assessments.

“I appreciate Chase’s commitment to engaging on opportunities for its employees and keeping jobs in area,” said U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence. “This is a good outcome for both the workers in Albion and the Western New York economy.”

AMS will be part of the June 26 hiring event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The company will be back on June 28 form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be joined by the following businesses looking for employees: Yahoo!, Altitude, Concentrix, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester, CRFS, Premiere Credit of North America, Sutherland Global Services and Wegmans.

“We have more work to do to help the people of Orleans County, but this is a huge step in the right direction,” Collins said. “I will continue to work with JP Morgan Chase and our partners in the private sector and at every level of government to help find jobs for each person affected.”

Photos by Tom Rivers – Crystal and Timothy Elliott are working to open a pottery business in Medina. They discuss their business plan during Tuesday’s MAP graduation.

ALBION – They have the ideas, the passion and now the business plans to launch new businesses, stimulating the local economy and creating opportunities in Orleans County.

Nine residents completed the latest Microenterprise Assistance Program, a 12-week business training class run by the Orleans Economic Development Agency and The BEST Center at Genesee Community College.

The program is offered twice a year. There are 100 businesses operating from MAP graduates in the past five years.

The Spring 2013 class graduated on Tuesday with a celebration at the Crooked Door Tavern. The program has Dee Hansel of Albion more confident about her goal of opening a massage and skin care service business. Hansel has a business and marketing plan for Tranquil Moments Massage and Skin Care.

She plans to open next year. She is completing her certification as an esthetician, which will allow her to do facials and detoxification wraps. She is already a licensed massage therapist. She wants to run the business on Main Street in Albion.

“The class has been very helpful with the business plan and marketing ideas,” she said.

Dee Hansel plans to open a massage therapy business in Albion that offers skin care.

A Medina couple, Tim and Crystal Elliott, are working to open Brush Strokes Studio that would allow customers to create their own pottery at a site in Medina. Mrs. Elliott believes the site will be popular for parties, home-schooling groups and for other events. She and her husband need to find a spot for the business that they would like to open in late winter or early spring.

“People say we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Mrs. Elliott said. “But we’re in the middle of everything.”

Gaines Town Clerk Jean Klatt and her husband Reynold are working to open a custom wine-making shop on Main Street in Medina in the fall. Mrs. Klatt plans to keep working for the town, while teaming with her husband in what they said would be just the third custom wine-making business in the state. The others are in Gates and Syracuse.

Some of the MAP graduates already have opened their businesses. Eula Collins opened Baby Ribs in Medina about two months ago. She just added a mobile truck so she can take her barbecued food to parties and other events. Jacqueline Henhawk runs Lake Alice Motor Sports.

Eula Collins opened Baby Ribs, a barbecue business in Medina. She talks about her business plan on Tuesday with other MAP class members.

Other graduates include: Matthew Coles of Barre, who has a site secured on East Ridge Road in Greece for an embroidery business. He’ll also sell Yankee Candles; Jack Larkin is selling antiques through the Internet; Daniel Mathews plans to open a rib restaurant and bar in Albion; and Susan Orman will open a seamstress business in Holley.

One recent MAP grad, Kim Rowe, was the keynote speaker during Tuesday’s graduation. Rowe has launched “U Make Scents Products” – lotions, fragrances and shampoos.

She said the best business plans don’t account for surprises in opening and running a business.

“There are things you’re going to have to change,” she said.

She told them they need to create a superior product, work hard and count on word of mouth to build a customer base.

“Do an excellent job,” she told the MAP grads, “because your name is on the product.”

Editor’s Note: Hub editor Tom Rivers completed the MAP class last fall.