Announcements

This information comes from Genesee Community College.

On Monday evening, the Genesee Community College Board of Trustees conducted the following business:

• Approved nine faculty and staff promotions.
• Philip T. Pickering, associate professor of Mathematics, was named professor.
• Promoted to associate professor from assistant professor were: Michelle D. Abdella (Mathematics), Marjorie N. Blondell (Nursing), Cheryl A. Corke (Accounting), Patricia J. Kendall-Cargill (Nursing), and Nichola J. Lerczak (Librarian).
• Promoted to assistant professor from instructor were: Candice S. Faulring (Psychology), Pamela Swarts (Digital Art) and Anita Whitehead (Librarian).
• Approved by acclamation a resolution of thanks and appreciation to President Stuart Steiner, who is retiring this summer after 44 years of service to Genesee, including 36 years as president. The Board also conferred the honorary title "President Emeritus" to Dr. Steiner upon his retirement.
• Approved the granting of 598 degrees and certificates to Genesee students, subject to their satisfactory completion of Spring 2011 courses. Nine students are expected to receive the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree; 274 students will receive the Associate in Science (A.S.) degree; 258 students will receive the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree; and 57 students will receive certificates.
• Approved authorization to seek proposals from independent architectural and engineering firms for completion of a new Facilities Master Plan. The State University of New York requires campuses to periodically complete master plans, and proposals for state funding for additions or major upgrading to physical facilities must be based on these plans. Genesee last completed a master plan in 2002 and updated it in 2007. The Board anticipates that the new plan will be finished by early 2012.
• Approved the appointment of 391 residents of the region as members of 27 program advisory committees. Advisory committees provide guidance to the college's career programs and campus centers on community needs, curriculum, internship and employment opportunities, and other issues.
• Approved the acceptance of a donation of a baby grand piano for use in the college's arts and theater programs from former Vice President for Student Services George W. Walker and his wife, Barbara. The piano will be placed in the Arts Center music room, and used by students learning piano skills.
• Approved the acceptance of a donation of a Nikon Super Cool Scan 4000 from Cheryl Boyer, for use in the college's photography classes. The equipment enables students to scan slides and negatives.
• Heard Board Chair Charles R. Ruffino name Trustee Glenn R. Morton as chair of the 2011 Nominating Committee, and Melvin J. Wentland and Laura J. Bohm as Nominating Committee members. The Nominating Committee will recommend a slate of board officers for the 2011-2012 year.
• Heard Ruffino request the Buildings and Grounds Committee to develop a plan to refurbish restrooms throughout the Batavia Campus. Ruffino said he hopes the college can install energy-efficient fixtures in the restrooms, which will ultimately save money. He also said that refurbishing restrooms gives the college the opportunity to adopt up-to-date health and sanitation practices, such as the use of automatic soap dispensers and spigots. Ruffino asked trustees Melvin J. Wentland and Donna M. Ferry to join the committee.
• Heard Ruffino read a letter of resignation from Trustee Kenneth A. Dodd, who plans to leave the Board of Trustees on June 30 for health reasons. Ruffino said he will submit Rev. Dodd's letter to the Genesee County Legislature, which will appoint a new trustee.
• Heard President Steiner report that Professor of Chemistry Rafael Alicea-Maldonado will serve as Dean of Math, Science and Career Education following the retirement of current Dean Michael S. Stoll this summer.

Once again Batavia Downs will play host to another $7,500 scholarship race for local, college-bound students. The event will feature students from area schools accompanied by professional harness racing drivers in a one-mile dash for the cash on Saturday, Sept. 10.

"We are once again pleased to help support the education of students in our community in such a unique way," said Todd Haight, general manager of Live Racing at Batavia Downs. "We were so pleased with how well our first dash for cash was received, we immediately went back to our partners and requested we give it another go.

“Not only did the five participating students earn valuable scholarship funds, but also a greater understanding of the sport of harness racing, which was our main goal."

Last year, Kaley Falkowski, of Batavia High School, with professional Jim Mulcahy sitting alongside in a double-seated jog cart, bested four other students.

This year, Batavia, Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame high schools will each be represented by one student. The remaining two spots will be chosen by lottery. All schools can use any criteria they wish to pick their students.

During the summer, the students will attend at least five training sessions at the track with their driver to learn the safety and skills needed to drive a horse. Then between the fourth and fifth live harness races on Sept. 10, they will line up behind the starting gate and compete for scholarships of $3000, $2000, $1200, $800 and $500, depending on where they finish.

The approximate time of the competition that evening is between 7:30 and 8:30.

Once again, the scholarship event is sponsored by the horsemen, breeders, owners and raceways of Western New York through the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State, the Western New York Harness Horsemen's Association, Buffalo Raceway and Batavia Downs Casino.

Batavia Downs Casino, America’s oldest lighted harness track, opens for its 65th racing season on Monday, July 25, for 72 racing dates.

Post time is 6:40 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in August. There will also be a special 1:15 matinee on Sunday, Aug. 29; Monday, Sept. 5 (Labor Day), which features a day-night doubleheader; and Monday, Oct. 10 (Columbus Day). For more information, visit <http://www.batavia-downs.com/>

This information is from Genesee Community College.

The Genesee Center for the Arts at Genesee Community College has announced its calendar of this year's summer events, including new exhibitions at the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery and new theatrical events.

"The facilities here at Genesee Center for the Arts are so spectacular for listening, learning, pondering and participating in the fine arts that we have expanded our offering to include summer time events," Maryanne Arena, director of the Fine and Performing Arts program at GCC. "We look forward to seeing our friends and patrons of the arts throughout the summer."

Live Performance in the Stuart Steiner Theatre:

One of the hottest jazz bands in Buffalo, Babik (pronounced Bah-Beek) is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23 in the Stuart Steiner Theater. The progressive gypsy jazz band is inspired by the legendary guitarist, Diango Reinhardt. All four members – Stuart Fuchs on lead guitar, Geoffrey Fitzhugh Perry on violin, Joshua Assad with his rhythm guitar and Kevin O'Brien playing the upright bass – are full-time professional musicians. The success of their collaboration both on and off the stage is evident in their lighthearted, improvisational performances.

Tickets: $10 Adults, $8 Seniors (55 and over), $5 Students (18<), and $3 for GCC faculty/staff and students with valid GCC ID. There's a $2 discount for GCC alum with GCC alum ID. For ticket reservations contact the BOXOFFICE@genesee.edu or 345-6814.

For general information regarding this event, contact the Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office at 345-6814, or by email at boxoffice@genesee.edu.

Workshops at the Genesee Center for the Arts:

Memoirs from the Stage – "Making a play from your life" Workshop

With the creative guidance and theatrical expertise of Wanda Frank, one of Batavia's most experienced theater matriarchs, "Memoirs from the Stage" allow participants to take the story of their own lives and transform it into a written memoir suitable for the stage or screen. The six-week program begins on June 23 and continues through July 28 with the class meeting every Thursday morning from 10 a.m. until noon. Cost is $150, registration by June 17th.

Frank has spent the majority of her life in Batavia. For 23 years, she has been hostess of WBTA1490AM "Frankly Speaking," that currently airs from 9 to 10 a.m. every Wednesday. She served for 10 years as executive director of Genesee Arts Council and has 30 years of involvement with Batavia Players as director, actress and board member.

The Honesty Theatre Workshop and Performances

Exciting and unpredictable "One Act Plays in 24 Hours" are possible for those attending The Honesty Theatre Theatrical Workshop. Developed and coordinated by a GCC alumnus, the two-day program includes how to write and perform in the "Theatre of Spontaneity." The short, one-act plays will be written and produced in 24 hours, creating great fun for serious actors, as well as those who are just getting started or looking for a new avenue to develop original theatrical ideas. The program will take place at the Stuart Steiner Theater on Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9 and there is a registration fee of $100 by July 1st.

Theatrical Stage Combat Workshop

The Theatrical Stage Combat Workshop at the Stuart Steiner Theatre is an introductory five-day course designed to instruct students in the basic techniques, skills, illusions and vocabulary of weaponless unarmed stage combat. The instruction is Adriano Gatto, who has returned to Niagara University as the current Artist-in-Residence (Stage Combat) and recruiter for the Department of Theatre and Fine Arts, where he teaches both unarmed and armed stage combat courses. The workshop is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Monday, Aug. 1 and runs through Friday, Aug. 5, in the Theatre Building Studio and E113. Those attending must be 16 years of age or older. Registration is $150 by July 25th.

For workshop registrations, contact the Best Center by email bestcenter@genesee.edu or by phone at 345-6868.

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery Exhibitions

GCC Digital Arts Student Exhibit highlights artwork in the digital arts through July 9.

Kuchera Art: The Joy of Doing

Award-winning artist and illustrator John Kuchera will be celebrating his 80th year with a commemorative exhibit at GCC featuring a collection of work spanning his entire career. From painting Macy Day Parade balloons to creating Dick Tracy cartoon villains, working at American Greeting Cards (where he met his wife) to illustrating books such as "Golf Sonnets" by James Long Hale – this dynamic show is a must-see. It promises to enrich the new visual space of the Roz Steiner Art Gallery while enthralling its visitors and viewers. July 13 – Sept. 3. The artist's reception will be announced at a later date.

For general information regarding the art gallery, contact the Roz Steiner office at 343-0055, ext. 6490, or by email at GCCGallery@genesee.edu. Admission is always free.

For door-to-door directions, sent via email, visit www.genesee.edu.

Leadership Genesee’s eighth annual Golf & Bocce Ball Tournament is set for Monday, June 13.

It begins at 11:30 a.m. at Terry Hills Golf Course. The Gold Sponsor of the tournament is Innovative Energy Systems.

Teams may sign up for the four-person scramble that includes lunch, green fee, cart and buffet dinner for $100 per person by May 27. On June 8, the price is $110.

Registration for Bocce Ball is $50 per person by May 27 and $60 by June 8. Bocce registration includes lunch and dinner. Dinner only is $30 per person and must be pre-paid by June 8.

For team registration, sponsorship information, or information about Leadership Genesee, contact Leadership Genesee Director Peggy Marone at 343-3040, ext.118.

Registration forms are available at leadershipgenesee.shutterfly.com or you can pick up a registration form at Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee County, 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

Leadership Genesee creates an experience promoting active leadership for Genesee County and is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension that offers equal program and employment opportunities.

This is a news release from Genesee Community College.

The Genesee Community College Board of Trustees this week approved a revamped Fitness and Recreation Management degree program proposed by Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Eunice M. Bellinger and Director of Health and Physical Education Rebecca L. Dziekan.

The program adds an academic track for students wishing to pursue a career in personal training, as well as a track for students interested in golf management. Both fields are rapidly growing throughout Western New York.

The redesigned program will now be submitted to the State University of New York, and then to the New York State Education Department, for review and approval.

Students completing the program receive the Associate in Applied Science degree, and possess the academic credentials necessary to immediately find employment. As part of their academic requirements, students complete a semester-long co-op or internship in a work setting.

Graduates in the personal training track can work as coach assistants or athletic assistants, or as personal trainers. Personal trainers, often employed by health and fitness centers, health organizations, and recreational agencies, help people of all ages learn fitness skills, including weight loss, cardiovascular strength, and general conditioning. A growing number of physicians and health professionals recommend the use of personal trainers to individuals who face illness or health challenges, as well as to healthy individuals seeking to meet new fitness goals.

Graduates in the golf management track can work as staff members or managers of golf clubs, golf instructors, or contractors to golf clubs and other recreational facilities. Golf is a rapidly growing sport, and golf facilities and golf-related programs continue to expand across the region. The growing popularity of golf among senior adults, an increasing portion of the area's population, means that employment opportunities in the field will continue to grow over the next decade.

Students in the personal training track will complete courses in health sciences for coaching, personal training, and emergency response. Students in the golf management track will complete courses in teaching methodology, golf course management and planning, turf and pest management, and equipment design. Students in both concentrations will also complete a variety of general education courses, including mathematics, accounting, computer information systems, business, and liberal arts electives.

"Our Fitness and Recreation Management program is strong, but breaking the program into two academic concentrations will be good for students and good for our communities," Dziekan told trustees. "Jobs in both the personal training and golf management fields are on the increase, and this is a great time for students to enter these professions.

"But just as important, these programs will prepare students to become part of what we call the 'fitness infrastructure' of Western New York. Our graduates will help area residents become healthier and improve their overall fitness and lifestyles."

In its new strategic plan, the State University of New York identified "a healthier New York" as one of six key goals for the 64-campus SUNY system. Bellinger said that the new academic concentrations support SUNY's emphasis on improving the health of citizens.

In addition to the Fitness and Recreation Management degree program, Genesee offers a Sport Management degree program (Associate in Science), which focuses on the management of athletic and recreational organizations and business enterprises. The college also offers a Physical Education Studies degree program (Associate in Science), geared toward students interested in coaching or teaching careers. Both the Sport Management and Physical Education Studies programs are ideal for students wishing to transfer to baccalaureate colleges.

Batavia Middle School will benefit from a Book Fair to be held Tuesday, May 31 through Saturday, June 4 at Present Tense.

Bring in a voucher when you shop at Present Tense that week and a portion of your purchase will be donated to Batavia Middle School.

Vouchers are available on the store's Web site: http://presenttensebooks.com/newsletters/BMSVoucher.pdf

Present Tense is located at 101 Washington Ave. in the City of Batavia. Phone is 815.7640 or visit online at www.presenttensebooks.com

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce will host an informational meeting about its upcoming nine-day tour of China beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17.

This will be the sixth time the chamber has offered the "familiarization tour" of China. It's set from Nov. 1 through 9.

You can make the trip for $2,099, which the chamber believes is an exceptional value. It includes airfare (from JFK) with a bus ride to and from JFK, hotel stays, three meals a day, bus tours with guides, admission to tourist spots and airport taxes throughout the trip.

For more details, call Melissa at the chamber at 343-7440, ext. 27. Details about the trip can also be found at www.geneseeny.com/china

The Batavia Muckdogs and the New York-Penn League announced Thursday that the league’s philanthropic arm, the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, will once again sponsor a scholarship program.

It allows area high school seniors the opportunity to compete for one of three $2,500 grand-prize awards.

The 2011 NYPL Scholarship Program is open to any graduating senior from a public or private high school, who has been accepted at any two or four-year college or university, vocational or technical education institution or program.

Applicants will be judged based on academic performance, volunteer and extracurricular activities, and the impact the Muckdogs and Minor League Baseball have had on their lives.

The Scholarship Program will consist of two stages – a local round and a divisional round.

In the local stage, applicants from throughout the Muckdogs’ home market will compete against each other to determine one winner who will represent Batavia in the final round.

At the divisional stage, the Muckdogs’ representative will compete against the winners from the Auburn Doubledays, Jamestown Jammers, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters for the Pinckney Division’s $2,500 award.

Any finalist who does not win the top scholarship will receive a $250 book award.

In total, the New York-Penn League Scholarship Program will award $10,250 in scholarships this summer to deserving high school graduates from the NYPL’s 14 markets.

Scholarship applications are available by contacting the Batavia Muckdogs at (585) 343-5454 or by visiting the official Web site of the New York-Penn League, http://www.newyork-pennleague.com

The deadline to submit applications is June 30 and finalists will be selected in late July and honored at an August home game.

A two-part series focusing on current events in the Middle East is scheduled in the Gallery Room of Richmond Memorial Library on Wednesday May 25 and on June 1.

It is sponsored by Peaceful Genesee and will be led by Barry L. Gan, Ph.D, professor of Philosophy and director of the Nonviolence Program at St. Bonaventure University.

Both sessions run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. They are free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

The series is titled "Peacemaking in Turbulent Times: Making sense of current events in the Middle East."

On May 25, the topic is "Peacemaking in the Middle East." On June 1, the topic is "Nonviolent Peacemaking -- Why it Works."

The library is located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

The United Way of Genesee County will hold its annual Day of Caring from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18.

The kick-off will be at Dwyer Stadium. After the send-off, volunteers will go to designated wrok sites to paint, landscape, clean attics, wash window, fill flower boxes and do other essential chores.

Afterward, they will meet at Terry Hills Restaurant to celebrate their accomplishments.

Last year, more than 275 volunteers from area businesses and organizations worked on 48 projects at nonprofit agencies. A total of 1,675 hours of donated labor resulted in the completion of many much needed and long overdue projects.

To find out more about the Day of Caring, please contact the United Way office at 343-2874.

The Holland Land Office Museum is looking for volunteers.

If you are interested in history, we want you! Please bring your talents to the musuem, known as "The Birthplace of Western New York." It's located at 131 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia.

For more information, please the Holland Land Office at 343-4727.

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) is issuing a call for artists and crafters, food vendors and nonprofit organizations to participate in the 33rd Annual Picnic in the Park celebration on Monday, July 4, in Centennial Park, Batavia.

Application forms can be downloaded from the GO ART! Web site at www.GOart.org, by e-mailing us at info@GOart.org, or by stopping by GO ART!, Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia.

Artists and crafters are invited to exhibit and sell their work – which must be handmade by the artist/crafter – in the Arts and Crafts Show. We will provide a fence for fine art displays, however there is ample room to set up individual tents, tables, and chairs.

If received by June 1, the application fee for artists and crafters is $35 for non-members and $30 for GO ART! members. After June 1, but no later than June 30, the application fee is $40 for non-members and $35 for GO ART! members.

The application fee for food vendors is $125 by June 1 -- or $150 after June 1 but by June 30. Non-profit organizations in Genesee and Orleans counties may participate free of charge. All vendors must supply their own tables, chairs, signs, canopy/tent, and extensions cords. The deadline to submit applications is Thursday, June 30.

Picnic in the Park is a free day-long event featuring activities for families and children, folk art events, entertainment and refreshment stands. Each year, the event draws approximately 3-5,000 attendees.

For additional information, call the GO ART! office at 343-9313, visit www.GOart.org, or check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/geneseeorleansarts.

The seasons in Western New York are not always cooperative, so you really need to be able to accept all four of them – when you can get them.  Because of this, I have a wide variety of hobbies that keep me busy throughout the year.  During the winter, I enjoy watching the Sabres play hockey and getting outdoors to go sledding on a steep hill, snowshoeing through a local park or even start the occasional snowball fight with my soon-to-be 5 year old niece.  In the fall, I enjoy taking long walks on leaf-covered country roads, taking a trip to the local orchard to pick a peck of apples or that perfectly round pumpkin, and watching Buffalo Bills football.  The spring brings out the kite-flyer in me and allows me to start up my two-mile a night walks around the block with my husband, preparing me for the upcoming warmer weather.  I like to do a lot of camping in the summer, aerobie tossing with friends and my casual 20 miles rides along the Erie Canal on my recumbent bicycle.  However, there is only one hobby that I can do year round, and it is one that I am very passionate about.  That hobby is geocaching.

I’m sure most of you have heard of geocaching, but you may not know what it is.  Geocaching is an outdoor, high-tech treasure hunt.  You go out into the world with a hand-held Global Positioning Satellite receiver, or GPSr for short, and find hidden containers called caches.  Once found, you make a trade of a small trinket and then log your find.  So, I would like to share with you some of my geocaching experiences.

I started caching in late July 2010 with my husband and we go by the caching name of “authorized users.”  To this date, we have found over 130 caches!  Included in that number are the caches we found to complete the Seaway Trail GeoTrail, which entailed a month and a half journey along the Great Lakes, from northwestern Pennsylvania to the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York.

If asked whether I prefer to cache in urban or rural areas, I would definitely tell you that I prefer to cache in rural areas.  The caches in rural areas require more hiking and really expand your mind to a much farther capacity for your search. 

One of our most favorite local caches is called “Bruce Wayne’s Lair” which is located near the old mining caves in Akron, NY.  We trudged through about two feet of snow for about an hour to get to this cache, mostly because we took a wrong turn, but it was the most fantastic location to visit.  Not only do the caves have a rich history, they also have, what I call, upside down icicles!

“Did You Say Ohio?” was a very fun multi-cache, putting a play on the town name of Akron.  This cache  took us to various historic buildings and businesses in Akron, NY.  I have lived in this area for over 15 years and had never visited the places I was taken on this cache.  This actually happens quite frequently, so I really appreciate the opportunities it give me to open up my eyes to the historic and natural places that are right in my own backyard.  Unfortunately, this cache has been archived.

After three days and a lot of research, I was able to figure out the riddle to the first part of a puzzle cache in Olcott, NY, called “She’s A Lady… Bug!”  The puzzle was actually a picture of several ladybugs with different patterns of spots on their backs.  To figure out the puzzle, you had to decrypt the pattern into a math problem to determine the coordinates of the final location of the cache.  I figured out the puzzle just as winter hit, and we only make it to Olcott during the warm months.  Once the weather breaks, we will conquer that cache!  I have a very special trinket of a wind-up ladybug that I plan to place in the cache once we find the final, in tribute of the complexity of the puzzle.

Also, we just recently experienced our first earthcache, which was in Akron Falls Park, and it was spectacular!  It took us to an overlook of one of the falls and we had to describe to the cache owner our experience at the location, how much water we thought was coming over the falls at the time of our visit and what the weather was like while there.

I could go on and on about my geocaching adventures and journeys, as I have become truly passionate about this hobby.  As a momentum, I like to keep a photo-journal of our finds, so that we can later reflect on the awesome adventures we have had, and even some funny blunders, that we have had while caching.  To keep up with the times, we just created a Twitter account so that our friends and family across the country can experience our journeys and finds with us in real-time.  We hope to have a webpage up for our family and friends to see our photo-journal, but that is still in the creativity stages. 

My niece loves to come with us and calls it “treasure hunting.” She does a really good job of watching out for the pirates who may want to steal the treasure.  I just think that everyone should experience this wonderful hobby – it is a great, fun and healthy pastime for people of all ages and lifestyles.

I would like to invite you to follow us on Twitter!  We can't explain everything about our experiences in only 140 characters, but you will at least know that we are out there and you can look up our detailed logs on www.geocaching.com after our posts.  Find us on Twitter as @authorizedusers (make sure it s all one word and plural!)

Also, feel free to check out our profile on www.geocaching.com.  If you do not have an account, it is absolutely free to sign up!

We hope to see you on the trails soon!  May you steer clear of muggles and be rich with cache! 

Jenna Raphael, a GCASA prevention educator, sent this along:

This is the second year we will be having our “Adopt-the-House” at Dwyer Stadium.

For those of you who sat at our red house last summer, you are familiar with this. It is free advertising/showcasing for your agency or organization. Volunteers tend to arrive an hour before the game starts so they can catch the incoming crowd.

If you volunteer, you can stay free of charge to watch the Muckdogs game afterwards!

Contact Jenna Raphael at (585) 815-1864 or jraphael@gcasa.org for questions and/or a sign-up sheet for the Muckdogs home games. Include your name, agency, and phone number on the sheet, it would be greatly appreciated. You may choose as many games as you’d like!

"Bike to Books" -- an event that encourages eco-friendly practices, reading, exercise, and plain old fun -- is scheduled for May 20 and 21.

For two days, anyone who rides his or her bike to Present Tense Books on Washington Avenue in Batavia will receive a discount on their entire purchase and a discount coupon for bike accessories from Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle.

In addition, they will be entered to win a Cateye® cycle computer courtesy of Adam Miller. A gift certificate to Present Tense will be awarded to the person(s) who bikes the farthest.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, cycling as little as four miles can prevent 15 pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. In addition, the average cyclist burns between 400 and 550 calories during an hour of cycling.

“This is a really fun event that is great for the whole family,” said Erica Caldwell, owner of Present Tense. “With gas prices skyrocketing, this is an inexpensive way to enjoy the outdoors and get in shape while encouraging your kids to read.”

This year marks the fourth such collaboration between the two stores. In previous years, participants biked in from as far away as Akron, NY. The event began in 2007 as a creative spin on May as National Bike Month, which encourages people to ride to work, ride to the grocery store, or, in this case, ride to read.

“Bike to Books is a great way for independent businesses to team up and offer a unique event to the community,” said John Roche, owner of Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle, a cornerstone Batavia business for nearly 100 years.

The two business owners have worked together on several events and promotions in the past, an effort that emphasizes the importance of keeping shopping dollars in the local economy. "Bike to Books" is one such collaborative event that yields rewards for all participants.

“Bicycling means good exercise, environmentally friendly travel, and a way to really appreciate the sights you see along the way,” Caldwell said. “We want to see bikes lined up all along the front of our store during this event!”

The "Bike to Books" event is free and open to the public. Present Tense, a locally owned, independent bookstore, is located at 101 Washington Ave., Batavia, NY. Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle is located at 8 Center St., Batavia NY. For more information call (585) 815-7640, or visit www.presenttensebooks.com <http://www.presenttensebooks.com>.

A two-day Health Fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, May 9 and Tuesday, May 10 in the Forum of Genesee Community College's Batavia campus.

It was developed and managed by the students and faculty of GCC's three major health care divisions -- Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Respiratory Care.

Local residents are invited to this free event to not only gather important information about cutting-edge healthcare needs, treatments and diagnostic developments, but also enjoy learning some preventive tips for maintaining healthy lifestyles.

The opportunity to learn about lung disease, alcohol toxicity, stroke recognition, hypertension, diabetes, sun safety, skin cancer, testicular cancer, breast cancer, prenatal care, pregnancy, sleep apnea and much more will be offered.

Nursing students will be performing blood-pressure screenings while physical therapy students will provide information on workplace ergonomics, lifting techniques, heart-rate monitoring for exercise, and sports injury prevention. Information about respiratory care and sleep disorder issues will also be provided.

"The Health Fair gives the larger community an opportunity to better understand their own health and wellness needs, and also provides potential new students and healthcare workers a chance to explore some fantastic career opportunities," said Assistant Nursing Instructor Marilyn Brennan, RN, MSN, CNS. "We hope to make this annual event."

The topics being presented are most applicable for young adults and adults -- teenagers to seniors. Some of the information may not be suitable for children.

Genesee County Master Gardeners will host their annual Spring Garden Gala from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

The plant sale starts promptly at 10. It will feature indoor and outdoor plants.

The features also includes a Chance Auction, free soil pH testing, gardening advice by certified Master Gardeners, children’s activities and refreshments for a nominal fee.

New this year – handmade bird feeders by Cindy Smith.

The Chance Auction drawing begins at 12:30. Don’t miss your chance to pick up some great plants for your own garden!

For more information contact Amy Berry at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 343-3040, ext. 101, stop by the extension office on East Main Street, or visit our Web site at www.genesee.shutterfly.com.