Announcements

Press release:

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is looking for artists to participate in its fifth Members Challenge Show, which will be on display Sept. 10 through Dec. 9 at Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St. in Batavia.

GO ART! is challenging artists to create artwork that invokes the idea of, feeling, meaning or experience of "Guilty Pleasure." All levels of artists are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Artists are encouraged to submit works that interpret this theme in any way they choose. One piece per artist requested. No media restrictions. Entries must be no larger than 3’ x 3’.

Artists interested in participating can drop artwork off, along with an application (download at www.goart.org/galleries,) to GO ART! at Seymour Place. For more information or to become a membervisit www.goart.org, or contact GO ART! at 585-343-9313 or info@goart.org. Entry Fee: Members -- FREE.

GO ART! will be accepting submissions Sept. 5-9. No submissions will be accepted after Sept. 9. Selected works will be displayed in the Bar Gallery.

This will be “The Public's Choice" show with an artist reception, 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 14 with music, light fare and beverages.

Gallery Hours: Thursday, Friday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Also on the second Sunday of the month 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Batavia Boy Scout Troop 6006 Thomas Ognibene is posing in the bus loop behind John Kennedy Elementary School, 166 Vine St., Batavia, where he plans to expand the area pictured above to create a memorial garden as part of his Eagle project.  

Currently there are two trees planted in memory of Mike Houseknecht and the Raines, Physical Education teachers who contributed to the school. The scout is looking for community help and volunteers this Friday morning starting at 9.

The project will continue on Saturday at 9 a.m. pending the progress of the garden. To participate, please meet behind the school off Elm Street's dead end extension.  Supplies suggested to bring are pointed shovel, gloves, metal rake and safety glasses, if needed.

Any questions please contact Thomas at 585-344-4790 or email him at tognibene17@gmail.com. Refreshments will be provided during the day and food.

The second annual Trevor Mathiesen Vendor Blender will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10, at The Dibble Family Center in the City of Batavia. It is located at 4120 W. Main St.

Cost is $30 per vendor table.

Trevor was a 13-year-old boy who died suddenly Oct. 22 at Strong Memorial Hospital. He loved to play hockey and was a member of the Buffalo Stars. He enjoyed four-wheeling, riding dirt bikes and he spent many hours fishing at Godfrey's Pond in Bergen. Trevor loved the outdoors and all animals.

All proceeds from the Vendor Blender will go to Trevor's parents, Amy and John Mathiesen, to be donated to the organization of their choice. Last year, proceeds went to purchase two boats and a kayak for use at Godfrey's Pond.

Anyone who would like to donate a basket, gift card or an item, please contact Kellie Wade and she will come and pick it up.

If you are interested in being a vendor, please print the following information and mail it to Kellie Wade, 7250 Ivison Road, Byron, NY 14422.

For additional information, call Kellie at (585) 201-3489.

• Name
• Business
• Type of Merchandise
• Address
• City
• State
• Zip Code
• Telephone Number
• Email address

In photo above, Grand Master Showman -- Adam King, Reserve Master Showman -- Emily Mikel.

Submitted photos and press release:

Emily Mikel, representing the Genesee Co. 4-H Dairy Club, took home the title of 2017 Reserve Master Showman in the Youth Dairy Show.  

In photo above, Judge -- Evan Snyder, Overall Master Showman -- Benjamin Kron.

Benjamin Kron, representing the Genesee Co. 4-H Sheep Club, took home the title of Overall Master Showman in the Youth Sheep Show.

Dairy Challenge Team (from left): Jillian Brewer, Renee Uberty, Maggie Winsper, Amelia Brewer.

Submitted photos and press release:

Several youth from the Genesee County 4-H Dairy Club competed at two dairy events held at the New York State Fair in Syracuse.

The Dairy Challenge contest was held on Aug. 23 and is a contest in which youth are quizzed at stations on different dairy topics such as: nutrition, anatomy, physiology, and product/equipment knowledge.

Genesee County 4-H Junior Team participants were: Amelia Brewer, Jillian Brewer, Maggie Winspear and Renee Uberty.

The Dairy Judging Contest was held on Aug. 24 and allowed youth to be the judge; scoring animals on dairy character and functionality and structural correctness of the animals.

The following youth represented Genesee County 4-H:

Novice Teams 

Genesee Team 1: Caroline Luft, Maggie Winspear, Bing Zuber -- Second Place

Genesee Team 2: Adison Norton, Renee Uberty -- Fifth Place

Novice Individuals

Bing Zuber -- Fourth Place

Adison Norton -- Sixth Place

Caroline Luft -- Seventh Place

Maggie Winspear – 12th Place

Renee Uberty – 14th Place

Junior Team

Amelia Brewer, Georgia Luft, Mason Werth, Claire Mathes, Jillian Brewer) – Eighth Place

Junior Individuals

Amelia Brewer -- 21st Place

Georgia Luft -- 24th Place

Mason Werth -- 34th Place

Claire Mathes -- 41st Place

Jillian Brewer -- 49th Place

Senior Individual

Mary Sweeney -- Sixth Place -- Individual and Fourth Place -- Reasons.

Mary will return with the top 25 contestants, for a second round of the contest on Sept. 1. She will be competing for a spot on the New York State 4-H Dairy Judging team to represent New York at a National Competition in Madison, Wis., World Dairy Expo.

We are very proud of all the our youth for competing at the state level and look forward to going back for next year’s competition. Thank you to our 4-H Dairy Club Volunteers who helped make this opportunity possible.

Dairy Judging Team -- back row: Amelia Brewer, Maggie Winspear, Renee Uberty, Jillian Brewer, Mason Werth, Adison Norton; Front row -- Georgia Luft, Bing Zuber, Caroline Luft.

Batavia Boy Scout Troop 6006 Joe Marchese is posing with one of 18 fire hydrants he plans to refurbish the outside of them this Saturday, Aug. 26th. He is looking for people willing to donate their time to help with his Eagle project.

It will benefit the Town of Batavia on Edgewood Drive, Woodland Drive, Valle Drive and Fairway Drive. Supplies suggested to bring, if possible if you have on hand, are wire brushes and paint brushes but this is not mandatory.

Please meet at 29 Edgewood Drive, Batavia, at 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. this Saturday.

For more information please contact Joe at 585-343-3784. Refreshments will be provided during the day and food afterward.

A new support network for adults living with all types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases is launching in Batavia on Sept. 27.

The Arthritis Support Network in Western New York will hold its local debut event from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Library, located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

It aims to help and support those with arthritis through connection, education and empowerment.

To RSVP or to get more information, contact Jim@Arthritisintrospective.org or go online to arthritisintrospective.org/local

Press release:

The second ARTiculations Ability Exhibition -- a forum for artists with disabilities in Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans counties to display their work publicly -- will open at Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) in Batavia on Sept. 5^th.

Titled “Faces and Places,” it features the work of two artists: Gary Appis, whose paintings depict rural landscapes and farm scenes; and Timothy Logston, whose detailed graphite portraits feature celebrities as well as the artist’s family members.

A product of a partnership between ILGR and the University Heights Arts Association (UHAA), the Exhibit will be on display through Dec. 3rd.

The opening reception is on Friday, Sept. 8th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at ILGR’s office, 113 Main St., Suite 5, in Batavia.

Other artists with disabilities residing in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County areas are encouraged to submit their work to this juried competition, as there will be additional ARTiculations planned quarterly exhibits in the future.

For more than a year, ILGR has been “art partnering” for people with disabilities with the UHAA, a group of artists in North Buffalo with a commitment to community that places art in businesses and nonprofits through an established ARTpartnering program.

The organizers are pleased to note that the ARTiculations Ability Exhibitions has “mapped” into UHAA’s system by placing a plaque with a Quick Response (QR) code scatter bar graph that can bring up information about it when scanned by your smart phone.

For questions on the event, please call Emily Dale at (585) 815-8501, ext. 400.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Press release:

Save the date! Saturday, Sept.16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual Fall Garden Gala at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

The plant sale features hardy perennials, most which are grown by Master Gardeners, as well as house plants. A selection of locally, field-grown mums will also be for sale. Fall is a good time to plant many perennials as they will have time to grow a strong root system before winter.

Stop inside to check out the Chance Basket Auction and Silent Auction. You never know what treasures may appear, including unique garden art. The Master Gardener Helpline will also be open to answer your gardening questions. Not sure what your garden pH is? Bring in a soil sample for free soil pH testing.

Learn how to artfully arrange fresh flowers at the “Flower Arrangements from the Garden” demonstration at 11 a.m. A variety of fresh flower arrangements and bouquets, created by Master Gardeners, will also be for sale.

Don’t miss your chance to pick up some great plants and treasures for your garden! Plant sale starts promptly at 10 a.m. No early birds please. The Chance Basket Auction drawing will begin at 12:30 p.m.

For more information contact Brandie Schultz at CCE of Genesee County, (585) 343-3040, ext. 101, stop by the Extension office at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia, or visit our new CCE website http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/gardening or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.

Press release:

Genesee County’s RSVP and AmeriCorps programs are coordinating a service project to help community members in need as a way to honor 9/11 victims and those who rose in service in response to 9/11. Non-perishable food items will be collected from Aug. 14 – 31 at the following RSVP volunteer stations, AmeriCorps host sites and County Government offices: 

• Genesee County Office for the Aging & Youth Bureau, 2 Bank St., Batavia;
• Genesee County Building I, 15 Main St., Batavia (3^rd Floor near elevator);
• Genesee County Building II, 3837 W. Main Street Road, Batavia;
• Catholic Charities, 25 Liberty St., Suite 7, Batavia;
• Gillam-Grant Community Center, 6966 W. Bergen Road, Bergen;
• Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia.

All donations will be delivered to local food pantries during the week of 9/11. 

For more information, please contact Courtney Iburi (RSVP) at 585-343-1611 or Kathy Frank (AmeriCorps) at 585-344-3960.

Genesee County Sheriff's Office Investigator Tim Wescott will lead a free public workshop at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, on learning how to recognize and avoid scams.

It will be held at the East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department's pavilion, which is accessible using either Main Road or Slusser Road behind the fire hall. The fire hall is located at 2663 Main Road in Corfu.

Topics to be covered include: identity theft, credit cards, telemarketing, Internet scams, and home-improvement scams.

The presentation is provided by the Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the East Pembroke Neighborhood Crime Watch.

Submitted photo. Back row: Shaun Negvesky, Melanee London, Melissa Watterson, Laura Klotzbach-Dinsmore. Front row: Ritchie Kirkum, Jamie Lindsley. Not pictured: Bill Barbur and Samantha Pangrazio.

Press release:

On Monday, Sept. 4^th the Oakfield Betterment Committee will host the 2017 “Labor Day Celebration” in the Elroy D. Parkins (Little League) Park, 37 Drake St., Oakfield.

This event is a family-oriented and alcohol-free festival featuring first-rate live entertainment, children’s activities, car cruise, parade, and food vendors.

Nonprofit groups from Oakfield and surrounding areas, including Alex’s Lemonade stand, operate food and beverage stands and various games and other fundraisers at the event, making this celebration an important part of our local nonprofit organizations’ finances.

The parade kicks things off at 10 a.m. There will be a Car Cruise from 12-3. Ghost Riders perform from 12 to 3 p.m. and Terry Buchwald impersonates Elvis from 4 to 7 p.m. Plus there will be pony rides for children all day, an appearance by Mercy Flight, basket raffles, and bounce house fun ($5).

As you are aware, many local community gatherings and carnivals are disappearing due to restrictive laws, lack of funding, and difficulty maintaining a volunteer base. The Oakfield Betterment Committee is dedicated to making sure that our local event continues to be a tradition for our town. Due to the same difficulties facing other communities, we are scaling back to a one day event for 2017, but it will still have most of the features our attendees look forward to each year.

In addition to Labor Day, Oakfield Betterment hosts fun and meaningful community events such as the annual Earth Day Clean-up, summer outdoor family movie nights in Oakfield Town Park, 5K fun runs for various causes, and a Community Thanksgiving Dinner. We are also planning to have an event featuring and supporting local small businesses at the Lions Club Christmas in Oakfield. All of these events are free to the public.

When other local organizations need a helping hand, we are at their service. So far this year, we assisted with the Haxton Memorial Library’s Summer Reading Kickoff carnival and Elba Betterment Committee’s annual pig roast.

If you have any questions, or would like to join the Oakfield Betterment Committee, please check our website: http://www.oakfieldbetterment.com/ and "like" our Facebook page.

Press release:

Batavia High School will host a brief parent orientation for parents of incoming freshmen and transfer students new to the high school beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Parents will have the opportunity of meeting available staff and administration who will introduce parents to BHS policies, programs and expectations. All first-time BHS parents will find this informational session helpful in transitioning their child to the high school. This is also an opportunity for parents who once again have a student at BHS to learn about any new changes.

Link Crew Day for Freshmen & Transfer Students -- Wednesday, Sept. 6

• Morning Session @ 8 – 11:30 a.m.: Freshmen ONLY

Batavia High School will host a Link Crew Day for freshmen students only from 8 to 11:30 a.m. only on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Incoming freshmen and pre-approved Link Leaders will be the only students attending school on this day.

Upperclassmen need not attend school on Sept. 6^th as incoming freshmen will be participating in freshmen transition activities.

The concept of Link Crew is simple: linking freshmen with successful upperclassmen. While creating a sense of comfort for incoming students, the Link Crew concept also addresses the attitudes of upperclassmen toward freshmen and respect for freshmen becomes the norm.  

Schools today are different than ever before, as are students, families and communities. The transition from middle school to high school is one of the most difficult ones young people face, expectations are greater and schools are larger.

Research has shown that if a student makes it successfully through his/her first year of high school, he or she will have “made it” and he/she can be expected to graduate.  With this in mind, Link Crew program was to help students make the transition with specific intervention and support from older peers. 

• Afternoon Session @ 11 a.m. – 2:55 p.m.: Freshmen & Transfer Students

Upperclassmen should not attend the P.M. session of our orientation program. This session is designed for freshmen and transfer students new to Batavia High School only. Freshmen and transfers will enjoy a light lunch, do a walk-through of their schedules, meet their teachers, and have an opportunity to become accustomed to their locker and lunch routine.  

The first day of classes for ALL BHS students is Thursday, Sept. 7^th.

Anyone with questions is asked to contact the BHS Counseling Center at 343-2480, ext. 2002.

Batavia High School is located at 260 State St. in the City of Batavia.

Press release:

Enjoy singing? Enjoy meeting others who like to sing? Add to your enjoyment by singing with the Genesee Chorale! An open rehearsal from 7 to 9 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 11, kicks off a season of preparing for Dec. 2 and Dec. 4 concerts focusing on Christmas memories.

All voices, levels of experience welcome – Director Ric Jones and section leaders will help you learn the music.

When you join, a small fee helps cover the cost of music. High school students are exempt from dues.

For more information check our website, geneseechorale.com, or just come to the Sept. 11 session at St. James Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia.

We look forward to hearing you!