The Daily Record News Briefs: November 10, 2008

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Nov 10, 2008

Commission recommends censure

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has determined that Robert G. Dunlop, a justice of the Chazy Town Court, Clinton County, should be censured.

In a determination dated Oct. 28, the commission said Judge Dunlop, who is not an attorney, should be disciplined for accepting a guilty plea from a defendant whom he sentenced to serve 90 days in jail when the defendant was not represented by an attorney and was incapable of understanding the proceedings.

A second charge involving similar conduct in another case was dismissed.

Dunlop may either accept the Commission's determination or make a written request to the Chief Judge for a review of the determination by the Court of Appeals.

According to The Associated Press, the commission last week also said a Court of Claims judge who is an acting justice of the state Supreme Court in New York County also should be censured.

The commission said Michael Ambrecht should be disciplined for presiding over two cases in which his personal attorney appeared.

At the time he appeared in those cases, the lawyer was defending Ambrecht against a separate charge that he conducted a 2005 investigation of the New York County District Attorney's office for political purposes. The commission dismissed that charge.

Ambrecht -- who did not return a phone message Friday -- said in a statement that he was pleased with the dismissal of that charge and looks forward "to continuing to discharge my judicial duties with integrity."

Wegmans Food Markets cuts grocery prices

Wegmans Food Markets Inc., with 72 stores in five states, is cutting the prices of hundreds of groceries by 10 to 20 percent because of the weakening economy.

The family-owned business announced lower price tags on a wide variety of bakery, meat, produce, deli and other grocery items will save an average family of shopper as much as $40 to $60 a month.

Wegmans said the move was triggered in part by expectations that its own costs will drop in 2009. It denied the cuts were prompted by heightened competition from other chains.

Wegmans has 48 stores in New York, 12 in Pennsylvania, seven in New Jersey, four in Virginia and one in Maryland.

B & L exec honored

Joseph Barr, vice president of Global Clinical & Medical Affairs and Professional Services, Vision Care for Bausch & Lomb, recently was named the 2008 recipient of the EFCLIN Award for his contributions to the contact lens industry.

EFCLIN -- the European Federation of the Contact Lens Industry -- recognizes an individual who has made positive contributions to the industry. Barr was chosen for his continued commitment to education and for advancing the fitting of contact lenses through published works and lectures.

Barr is an emeritus professor of Optometry and Vision Science at Ohio State University and has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications about contact lenses and the cornea. He previously served as chairman of the Section on Cornea and Contact Lenses of the American Academy of Optometry.

Area housing grants approved

The Greater Rochester Partnership Housing Development Fund Corp. is getting a $950,000 grant to buy and renovate 50 affordable homes in the City of Rochester.

The grant is from the New York State Affordable Housing Corp. The project will consist of foreclosed homes acquired through Rochester's Asset Control Area Plan. The refurbished homes will be resold to first-time homebuyers on a first-come, first-served basis and available to households earning up to $57,456 for a family of four.

The $6.2 million project also will receive $600,000 in HOME funds provided by the city and homeowner mortgages.

AHC approved a $1.6 million grant to the Rural Housing Opportunities Corp. to pay for improvements for 120 single-family homes in Irondequoit, Brockport and Williamson in Wayne County.

The money will be used in part to make structural and accessibility upgrades. Grants will be available to households earning up to $55,664 for a family of four in Genesee County, and $57,456 for a family of four in Monroe and Wayne counties.

The $3.59 million project also will receive $800,000 in HOME funds from the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corp. and $240,000 in Weatherization funds provided by Rural Opportunities Inc.

About $66.8 million in funding was approved by the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and AHC, which will create or preserve 1,059 affordable housing units statewide.

Public budget site launched

New York Gov. David A. Paterson last week announced the launch of www.reducenyspending.gov to help the public have a discussion on the state's budget crisis.

"New Yorkers deserve a frank and honest discussion about the need for greater fiscal responsibility in State government," Paterson said. "As we work to confront this crisis, I will continue to take my message of fiscal responsibility directly to the people."

The state is facing at least a $1.5 billion budget shortfall and a deficit of $12.5 billion in 2009-10. Over the next four years, New York faces a projected cumulative budget gap of $47 billion -- the largest in State history.