Announcements

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center will host a free cancer support group on the last Thursday of each month beginning at 5 p.m. The group will meet in United Memorial’s Healthy Living Department at 211 E. Main St., Batavia.

The group will provide information and support for those who are cancer survivors or have received a cancer diagnosis. In a group setting, individuals can find a warm and caring environment to learn, laugh and heal. Members can find comfort, renewed strength, and receive hope from others who truly understand their unique story and treatment journey.

Men and women who are interested in joining the group should call Healthy Living at 344-5331 to sign up or for more information.

Press release from Bill McDonald:

The overall composite of cooperation, contributions, and support of the many businesses, agencies, and individuals in our community, mentioned below, creates a suitable environment for “the sound track of Batavia” reflected at each year’s Ramble Music & Arts Fest.

Extremely deserved gratitude is extended to all who shared their talents in any way for this year’s Ramble 8, July 6, 2013, including but not limited to:

• Batavia Business Improvement District
• Jackson Concert Series sponsors
• City Council
• City workers
• Go Art!
• Mike McDonald and Platt Properties
• Genesee County Chamber of Commerce
• Genesee Valley Penny Saver
• John’s Studio
• WBTA Radio
• John Dayton and BNB Sound
• Bill Kauffman
• O’Lacy’s
• T.F. Brown’s
• Bourbon & Burger Co.
• Larry’s Steakhouse
• Center Street Smoke House
• Grass Roots
• Craig Gillard
• WCJW Radio
• Steve Ognibene
• The Road Crew of Jim Starkweather, Tom Trescott, and West Coast Kowalik
• St. Vincent Parrish
• JAMS Music
• Gwen Ladd
• Daniel Cherry
• Chalk Art Gals
• The Batavian
• The roving buskers with Dick McClurg, Dave and Donna of South Main Attraction and the Pigeon Post Stringband
• T-Shirts Etc., Inc.
• The Batavia Daily News
• Batavia Turf Farms
• Marathon Realty and Insurance
• Tom McBride
• and musicians who volunteered use of their equipment, such as Keith Worthington, Warren Skye, Jim Patric, Steve Kruppner, Jim Catino, Ken Drury, Mike Murray, and Charlie Del Plato.

Special recognition and heartfelt thanks go out to Batavia’s and the surrounding area’s talented musicians who have the commitment and passion to perform, artists, and their families friends, and fans, as well as all who attend and become part of the music and art fabric of Batavia.

Looking down the trail to Ramble Music & Arts Fest #9, the Posse — Wild Bill, Mild Bill, Mike Murray, Kay McMahon.

Care-A-Van Ministries along with Dr. Russ Marchese and his office staff will be hosting the 5th annual Caring For The City Day. This annual event is being held this Friday, July 26th from 8 AM until 3 PM.  It is being held at Dr. Russ Marchese office at 401 East Main Street, Batavia. 

This annual event includes a free dental clinic. The dental clinic is for those people who do not have dental insurance. Each person in need of dental care will  be evaluated for their individual need. There will be free cleanings, fillings, and even extractions performed. 

Along with the free dental clinic, there will be many other services and information offered by local churches and agencies. Free haircuts will be offered by local beauticians. There will be a prayer table set up for those in need of prayer. Batavia Photo club will be on hand to offer free family portraits. Kids will enjoy the face painting and games that will be available.  P. C.  Publications will be giving away free books. Community Action, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Mental Health Association, GCASA, Smoke Free Now Program, will be on site as well. 

Salvation Army, Discovery Chapel, Living Waters Apostolic Ministries who all currently work side by side with Care-A-Van will be their to offer their services and support. Fidelis Care will be available to assist people in need of health care insurance. 

The event is held rain or shine! This event is to let the people of Batavia know that God cares and so do we! Please let your family and friends know about the event. 

Genesee County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for Children will be holding an informational session on becoming a volunteer advocate. The session will take place in the conference room at the ARC Community Center, located at 38 Woodrow Road in Batavia from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday July 30.

Attendees will be able to listen to current advocates as they tell their stories about why they chose to become a volunteer and how they've been able to help the most vulnerable children in our community. Light refreshments will also be provided.

In order to become a volunteer you must be 21 or older, have reliable transportation and be able to pass a background check. A 30-hour training, utilizing an independent study workbook is required. Genesee County CASA for Children is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

CASAs are assigned to abuse and neglect cases by our family court to advocate for the best interest of children. CASAs also act as mentors to children and assist both them and their families with additional community resources.

To register for the informational session or for more information about CASA, please contact  Executive Director Ashley Hausfelder at 344-2550, ext. 2331, or by e-mail at director@geneseecountycasa.org. You can also visit CASA's Web site at www.geneseecountycasa.org

Press release:

On Monday evening, the Genesee Community College Board of Trustees reelected Maureen T. Marshall as board chair for the 2013-2014 year. The Board also reelected Diane D. Torcello as vice-chair and Laura J. Bohm as secretary.

Marshall, of Elba, is owner and operator of Torrey Farms, also based in Elba. Torcello, of Pavilion, is a Bank of Castile branch manager. Bohm, of Batavia, is a retired housing administrator.

Trustees met at the Batavia Campus for their annual meeting.

The 10-member volunteer Board of Trustees is the governing body of Genesee Community College.

Press release:

Dan Kennedy, author of "The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age," will be signing copies of the book at Present Tense on Saturday, July 13, at 11 a.m.

The book is a vivid, on-the-ground account of the changing face of contemporary journalism. In it, Kennedy tells the story of The New Haven Independent, a nonprofit community Web site at the leading edge of reinventing local journalism. He also examines a number of other online news projects, including a lengthy section about The Batavian, a local, online-only news source for Batavia and Genesee County.

"The Wired City" includes the perspectives of journalists, activists and civic leaders who are actively re-envisioning how journalism can be meaningful in a hyperconnected age of abundant news sources.

Kennedy provides deeper context by analyzing the decline of the newspaper industry in recent years and, at a time of pessimism over the future of journalism, this book offers hope. What Kennedy documents is not the death of journalism, but rather the uncertain and sometimes painful early stages of rebirth.

Dan Kennedy is assistant professor of journalism at Northeastern University and has been a working journalist for nearly 40 years. He currently contributes to the Huffington Post and the Nieman Journalism Lab. You can follow his Media Nation blog at http://dankennedy.net <http://dankennedy.net/>.

The book signing is free and open to the public. Present Tense, a locally owned, independent bookstore, is located at 101 Washington Ave., Batavia. For more information call 815-7640 <http://www.presenttensebooks.com>.

As many of you know, Henry Cook was seriously injured in a motorcycle/deer accident near Pembroke recently. Having the helm of a leading business in the Genesee County area, Henry, his company, and his sons have been in many of our homes "fixing whats broke".

Please join me in wishing Henry and his family a successful and speedy recovery.

Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia is presenting a “Mine” for Poetry Contest for adults in the "Dig into Reading" Summer Reading Club (free and easy to join).

Dig into a page of text — from a book, a magazine, or a newspaper (Please make a copy, if it is not yours!). Find words to make a poem...and eliminate the rest as artistically as possible. Samples are available at the library.

Entries are due at the library by Friday, July 19 at 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded. More information is available at the library, by calling 343-9550, ext. 2, and at www.batavialibrary.org.

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council’s 35th annual family event “Picnic in the Park” takes place this Fourth of July.

The festivities run from Noon until 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 4th, in historic Centennial Park on Richmond and Ellicott avenues in Batavia.

As is tradition, the “Picnic in the Park” is kicked off by the Batavia Concert Band performing on the Main Stage at Noon. This year’s “Picnic in the Park” includes all-day musical entertainment, arts and crafts show, folk arts programs, food vendors, children’s activities, and much more. Admission is free.

Please call GO ART! at 585-343-9313 or e-mail info@goart.org or visit <http://www.goart.org> for more information.

The Batavia Junior Blue Devil Summer Basketball Camp will take place from 9 a.m. to noon June 24-28 at the Jackson School Gym.

(Enter and exit the building in the rear by the gym.)

The camp is for boys entering grades three through eight.

Cost is $65 and includes a Blue Devil Camp T-shirt. No child is turned down due to inability to pay.

Make checks payable to: Batavia Boys Basketball Boosters, and mail to Jim Fazio, 5190 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, NY, 14020. Or just bring a check to camp.

The daily schedule includes offensive drills, contests, relays, half-court and full-court games.

Staff members are: JV Coach Jim Fazio, Coach Tim Stevens, Coach Matt Shay, current Batavia HS Blue Devil players, and youth coaches.

Please include the following information on a separate piece of paper:

NAME --

GRADE ENTERING IN SEPTEMBER --

ADDRESS --

PHONE --

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE --

T-SHIRT SIZE (specify youth or adult) -- Youth S-XL or Adult S-XL

ALSO: PLEASE LIST ANY MEDICAL CONCERNS OR ALLERGIES

Darien Lake will host its annual Father’s Day Car Show this weekend, June 15-16.

Hundreds of car enthusiasts are expected to gather to share in this family tradition, and compete for the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards.

Dad and the whole family will also have the opportunity to vote on the coolest cars from rods, sports, customs, convertibles, antiques, and tuners for the People’s Choice Awards, which will be given out during Saturday’s show. On Sunday, the Special Judge’s Choice awards will be announced at 2:30 p.m.

To register your vehicle in the show, visit the campground gate from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. each day. Registration is $25 and includes admittance to the amusement and water park for the driver and a guest.

The show runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

Darien Lake is located at 9993 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

The amusement park boasts more than 45 rides including six thrilling roller coasters, dozens of family rides, a 10-acre, million-gallon water park, a full slate of in-park entertainment, and a 20,000-seat performing arts center (operated by Live Nation) that hosts some of the hottest music artists. The park is open May through October, and welcomes overnight guests in a wide range of on-site accommodations including the 160-room Lodge on the Lake Hotel, modern cabins, high-end “Glamping” sites, rental RVs, RV pull-through sites, and tent campsites.

Season passes and daily admission tickets are available at all Tops Friendly Markets, at the Darien Lake ticket office, and online at www.DarienLake.com.

Press release:

Genesee Community College's Board of Trustees appointed 383 community residents as members of the College's 27 community and program advisory committees on Monday evening. The Board met at the Batavia Campus for its regular monthly meeting.

Advisory committees provided guidance and assistance to College faculty members and deans on curriculum, student internship opportunities, emerging trends in business and industry, and business and community needs. Most career-oriented programs at the College have advisory committees, as well as the College's campus centers.

Advisory committees are important in maintaining a strong college-community connection, President James M. Sunser said. "These committees help our faculty and staff members understand the concerns of area employers, and the current and future needs of our communities. The committees help ensure that what happens in our classrooms directly prepares students for their futures."

Members are appointed to one-year terms, and meet periodically throughout the year at the Batavia Campus or one of the College's campus centers.

The Board of Trustees appointed advisory committees for the Albion and Medina campus centers; Arcade Campus Center; Dansville Campus Center; Lima Campus Center; Warsaw Campus Center; Advanced Studies and Tech Prep; Art Gallery; The BEST Center; Business Administration and Accounting programs; Communication/Media Arts; Computer Technology program; Criminal Justice program; Digital Art program; Fashion Merchandising Management program; Health and Physical Education; Hospitality and Tourism program; Human Services program; LIFE (Liberty Increases Future Experience) program; Nursing program; Office Technology program; Paralegal Studies program; Perkins III Grant program; Physical Therapist Assistant program; Polysomnographic (Study of Sleep Disorders) Technology program; Respiratory Care program; Theatre Technology program; and Veterinary Technology program.

The community advisory committees are another example of Genesee Community College's long tradition of community involvement, according to Dr. Sunser.

"This college was founded by community residents who had deep civic pride and a strong vision," he said. "That volunteer tradition continues to this day, and is certainly one of the reasons that our college maintains such strong ties to the communities we serve."

In other business Monday, the Board of Trustees:

•    Approved a Resolution of Appreciation for Dean of Learning Technologies Robert G. Knipe, who is retiring from Genesee later this month after 23 years of service to the College. Board members complimented Dean Knipe on the dramatic expansion of distance education (eLearning) courses at Genesee, his innovative work as a member of the multi-college Online Western New York (OWL) initiative, and his deep commitment to the College.

•    Heard Nominating Committee Member Donna M. Ferry report that the Nominating Committee has recommended the reelection of current board officers for the 2013-2014 year: Maureen T. Marshall, chair; Diane D. Torcello, vice-chair; and Laura J. Bohm, secretary.

•    Heard President Sunser report that Craig Lamb will join the College's administration in August as dean of Distributed Learning. He is coming from SUNY Empire State College, where he serves as director of Academic Support for ESC's Center for Distance Learning. Lamb is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. He holds a bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University; a master's degree from SUNY Plattsburgh; and he is currently completing a Ph.D. from SUNY Albany. He currently resides in the Albany area.

•    Heard President Sunser report that Jennifer L. Sisbarro will join the faculty this fall as instructor of Music. Sisbarro currently teaches at Finger Lakes Community College and Empire State College. She holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY Geneseo and an M.M. degree from Ithaca College. She is a resident of Dundee.

•    Heard President Sunser report that Shana M. Flow will join the faculty as instructor of Nursing. She has served as a staff nurse at Highland Hospital and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, and currently serves as clinical educator at Unity Health Systems in Rochester. She holds an associates degree from Genesee Community College, a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester, and a M.N. degree from Roberts Wesleyan College. She is a resident of Holley.

•    Heard President Sunser report that Jaclyn Vetrano will join the staff as Web and Social Media specialist. She has served as an intern at SUNY Geneseo and Rootbuzz.com. She holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY Geneseo, and is a resident of Amherst.

•    Heard Board Chair Maureen T. Marshall compliment the College's faculty and staff for the "outstanding efforts" they made in preparation for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's recent visit to Genesee.

If you're still thinking about taking a class this summer through the Genesee Community College Promise Plus program, you have a little more time to submit an application. The College has extended the deadline two weeks to June 28. Summer Session 2 begins July 8.

GCC's Board of Trustees founded Genesee Promise Plus in 2008 to help remove financial barriers to higher education for the citizens of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Since then the program has expanded and now offers scholarships for summer classes to high school juniors (rising seniors), graduating seniors and for the first time -- adults who have never before taken a college course.

The three distinct Promise Plus scholarship opportunities include:

• High school juniors (rising seniors) are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course during Summer Session 2 (July 8-Aug. 10). They may also enroll in the 1-credit College Success class for a maximum of four credit hours.
• Graduating high school seniors are eligible for scholarship funding to take one or two courses in Summer Session 2 up to eight credit hours.
• Adults are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course in Summer Session 2 (July 8-Aug. 10), and also the 1-credit College Success class for a maximum of four credit hours.

"Each summer since 2008, we have been delighted to offer this Promise Plus to residents in our community," said Tanya Lane-Martin, director of Admissions at GCC. "We've had great response, but we wanted to give people a little extra time to submit applications and be sure everyone has ample opportunity to participate."

Interested parties should discuss their unique situation and interests with the GCC academic advisor as soon as possible. Those interested must submit a Genesee Promise Plus application by Friday, June 28. In addition, they must complete a general GCC admission application, which is always FREE. Adults must submit a copy of their high school transcripts.

For complete details about who is eligible and what is necessary to apply, please visit:http://www.genesee.edu/gcc/promise.

A Summer Youth Lacrosse Camp is planned for children in grades one through seven at John Kennedy Elementary School on Wednesdays and Thursdays, June 26 through July 18.

The sessions will be 6 to 7:15 p.m. and be supervised by Joe Hussar, Varsity Lacrosse coach at Batavia High School.

Those interested can e-mail Hussar at jhussar@bataviacsd.org or call 343-2480, ext. 7429.

"Genesee Community College History," a digital collection from the Western New York Library Rescources Council, is now available on New York Heritage:

http://www.nyheritage.org/collections/gcc-history

The collection features 49 items about Genesee Community College -- from its inception to the graduation of some of the first graduates.

It highlights the construction of the College Road campus in Batavia, as well as students unwinding and playing football in the snow, and shows the steady progress of the building and development of the College as a whole, amid the transitions in leadership of the College during its continual growth.

New York Heritage is a collaborative project among New York State’s nine Reference and Research Library Resources Councils (NY3Rs): Capital District Library Council; Central New York Library Resources Council; Long Island Library Resources Council; METRO-Metropolitan New York Library Council; Northern New York Library Network; Rochester Regional Library Council; South Central Regional Library Council; Southeastern New York Library Resources Council; and Western New York Library Resources Council.

The NY3Rs, funded by New York State, work with their member institutions (libraries, archives, museums and historical societies) to digitize original research materials and make those materials available for free on the Internet. The councils are continually adding new collections to nyheritage.org and actively seek collections to expand the site.

Press release:

The Batavia Concert Band Board of Directors is pleased to announce that John Bailey will be the Principle Conductor for the 2013 Batavia Concert Band Summer Concert Series.

A Pembroke native and Akron resident, Bailey is currently a music teacher at the Lyndonville Central School District, where he teaches both general and instrumental music. A French horn player, Bailey is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia, and also serves as conductor for the Pembroke Community Band. 

He was selected after the Board of Directors conducted a search for a Principle Conductor this past winter and spring. 

“Our audience and band should be looking forward to the enthusiasm that John will bring to programming exciting concerts for the Batavia community in Centennial Park,” said Jill Franclemont, president of the Board of Directors. 

“I am looking forward to continuing the fine tradition of music in the park in Batavia on sunny July evenings," Bailey said. "I plan to program a wide variety of music that will appeal to the diverse audience that attends our concerts."

John Kresse will be serving as Guest Conductor for the July 4^th Concert in Centennial Park.  Currently, Kresse is a Graduate Assistant at the School of Music at SUNY Fredonia.

The Batavia Concert Band will present its first concert on Wednesday, June 26^th at Centennial Park in the City of Batavia.

Press release:

WHO:   YWCA of Genesee County, Batavia
WHAT:  Get Chill With the Grill at The YES! Cafe
WHEN:  Noon Wednesday, June 12
WHERE: 301 North St., Batavia
COST:  $10 lunch and program. Call 343-5808

Known by most people as "Chuck from Clor's," renowned grillmaster Chuck Gugel will fire up the coals for a tasty presentation about how to successfully barbecue all summer long.

"People might pick up a few ideas on outdoor, back yard cooking," Chuck says. "And learn some secrets on making meat tender."

Genesee ARC's Culinary Arts staff will serve grilled chicken-veggie shish kabobs, garden pasta salad, corn on the cob, salad bar and some ooey-gooey chocolate and toasted marshmallow s'mores.

"What more can I say? It's going to be a fun and yummy lunchtime program," Executive Director Jeanne Walton said. "Chuck obviously has the skill and expertise to share, and people should take advantage of it during The YES! Cafe!"

Lunch and program is $10. For those unable to spend the time, take-outs are now available. To reserve your seat or get more information, call 343-5808.

(There will also be specially themed grill package auctions just in time for Father's Day. Next will be a tribute to veterans with guest host state Assemblyman Steve Hawley at noon Wednesday, July
10.)

Press release:

Genesee Community College's Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to approve a new Health Sciences degree program.

The program, which will offer an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree, must first be approved by the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department. If approvals are received as expected, the College will launch the new degree program in fall 2014.

The program will help students prepare for careers in established and emerging health care fields, such as unit coordinators in health care institutions, members of lab staffs, geriatric specialists, health assistants and wellness educators, health interpreters, medical records administrators, and dozens of other fields, according to Rafael Alicea-Maldonado, dean of Math, Science and Career Education, who helped shape the proposal for the new program.

The program is primarily designed as a transfer program, and students earning degrees will have the opportunity to complete two years of baccalaureate study at other colleges and universities. A number of colleges and universities in Upstate New York offer bachelor's degrees in the health sciences and wellness fields, and Genesee anticipates establishing transfer agreements with at least several of these colleges.

"Thousands of jobs in health sciences fields will be created in Western and Central New York in the years ahead," Alicea-Maldonado said. "An aging population, an increased focus on health and wellness in industry and new medical technology will all spur job growth.

"Even more significantly, the new federal Affordable Care Health Care Act will extend health care coverage to tens of millions of Americans in 2014 and the demand for allied health professionals who can help consumers prevent disease and manage a more complex health care system will be intense."

Courses in the new program will include a variety of biology and chemistry courses, Gerontology, Responding to Emergencies, Statistics, Introduction to Developmental Disabilities, Developmental Psychology Across the Lifespan, General Psychology, Introductory Sociology and a variety of liberal arts courses.

Trustees were enthusiastic about the new program, citing their own observations about the need for memory care providers, eldercare specialists and other professionals in the region.

Genesee currently offers a Health Studies Certificate program, which can be completed in one year of full-time study. Graduates of the program sometimes enter another of Genesee's health care degree programs, or obtain work as patient assistants in hospitals and other health care institutions.

The new Health Sciences program will join Genesee Community College's other prestigious health care degree programs. The College offers degree programs in Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant Studies, Respiratory Care, Polysomnographic Technology and Veterinary Technology. The College also offers degree programs in Human Services and Alcohol and Substance Abuse Studies.