Announcements

The Association for Conservation of Recreational and Natural Spaces, Inc., (ACORNS) is one of nine nonprofit park and trail groups selected to receive a Capacity Building Grant from the statewide advocacy organization, Parks & Trails New York.

ACORNS was formed to provide service and support of the parks owned and managed by Genesee County. Its mission is foster environmental education, recreational opportunities and responsible environmental stewardship of local parks.

The Parks & Trails grants are designed to help groups increase organizational visibility and generate community support, grow membership and attract additional volunteers. ACORNS' grant will be used for membership and volunteer recruitment brochures and banners.

"Grassroots groups play a key role in the development and promotion of our state's many parks and trails, which make such a significant contribution to the economy of our cities, towns and villages as well as to the health and well-being of their residents," said Robin Dropkin, executive director, Parks & Trails New York.

"Made possible by a generous private donor, these nine grants are a small investment in strengthening our state's not-for-profit park and trail organizations that will reap big benefits, enabling these groups to leverage more private funding and marshal more volunteer power to better fill the gaps in government spending created by challenging economic times.

Parks & Trails New York received 55 applications from organizations located in 30 counties throughout the state. This is the second year that Parks & Trails New York has offered funding assistance.

“This grant comes at a critical time as we implement our membership-growth strategy and expand our outreach efforts,” said Julia Garver, President of ACORNS. “Our organization relies on the hard work and commitment of volunteers, and as funding for projects in the parks in Genesee County is jeopardized, we need to continue to grow our volunteer base. We are grateful for the support of Parks & Trails New York, and its recognition of the incredible value of volunteers.”

For 20 years, Parks & Trails New York has helped hundreds of groups and municipalities build, maintain, and promote parks, greenways, and more than 1,200 miles of multi-use trails.

More information on the grant program and Parks & Trails New York can be found on the website, www.ptny.org or by calling 518-434-1583. More information about ACORNS can be found at http://acorns.shutterfly.com/ or by calling 585-343-8514.

Free family movies are offered at the Richmond Memorial Library for its March Family Matinees series.

Snuggle up with the kids and relax while enjoying G- and PG-rated films newly released on DVD. Bring the whole family, pack a blanket, pillow and picnic lunch to the Chldren's Room at 1 p.m. on Saturdays this month (6th, 14th, 20th, 27th).

Call the Children’s Room 343-9550 x4 for more information. The library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia.

The New York Agriculture in the Classroom program known as Agriculture Literacy Week takes place March 15-19 and is available to second-graders at no cost to them.

It is being coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County and coincides with National Agriculture Week.

Volunteers who are involved in agriculture are needed in classrooms. If you would like to get involved as a teacher or reader, please contact Barb Sturm at CCE-Genesee County at 343-3040, ext.122 or e-mail at <bbs228@cornell.edu>.

How many kids really understand where the food on their table comes or, for that matter, where the kitchen table comes from? The importance of trees in our everyday lives is the learning focus this year.

Second-graders will be with visited by a community member involved in agriculture. This year, "The Tree Farmer," written by Chuck Leavell and Nicholas Cravotta, will be read to the class and then donated to the school library. Teachers will also receive a resource packet including additional lessons and information on the timber industry.

New York Agriculture in the Classroom is a partnership of Cornell University, NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, NYS Education Department, and NY Farm Bureau. The program works with cooperative extension educators, teachers, farm bureau members, and others throughout the state to foster an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of agriculture and the total food and fiber system.

There will be a summer opportunities and activities fair at Alexander Central School on March 19. 

The Genesee County Business Education Alliance is looking for local agencies, groups and organizations from Genesee and Wyoming counties that are holding summer activities and opportunities for middle school students. 

You are invited to set up a booth or table to promote and give information to students. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Melinda Chamberlin at 343-7440 ext. 25 or at <mchamberlin@geneseeny.com>.
 

Despite predictions of a snowstorm, 18 brave souls made it to the Richmond Memorial Library Thursday for "Reel Discussions," a monthly program -- free and open to the public -- for library patrons who like to watch and discuss movies (as well as enjoy refreshments).

RD is run by Rita McCormack, media services librarian at RML, and takes place at 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of every month. During each meeting, patrons watch a feature-length film from the library's collection and discuss it afterwards. Refreshments include bottles of water and treats ranging from cookies to cupcakes to cake (and sometimes bags of white cheddar popcorn).

For more information on the program, please see RML's Media Services page or call the library at (585) 343-9550.

An essay competition sponsored by the Cornell Club of Buffalo is open to all 11th graders in Western New York and Southern Ontario, Canada. This means all juniors in public or private schools, as well as home-schooled students in their penultimate year of schooling.

The Cornell Club believes that participation in this contest will aid students in the development of their critical thinking and writing skills. Development of these skills is vital to the maturity of a well-rounded lifelong learner and will make one a much more attractive applicant during the college admissions process.

The club says: "One of the most important skills that you will continue to develop during the balance of your high school years and in college is the ability to thoughtfully evaluate opposing viewpoints - in other words, to think critically. This skill is important not only for students and scholars, but also for nearly every occupation you might choose, as well as for your personal mental growth and maturity."

The Grand Prize will consist of $100, a certificate, a letter of award and a limited edition copy of  Cornell University’s Reading Initiative book of the year, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. Each Second Prize and Honorable Mention prize will consist of: a certificate, a letter of award and a limited edition copy of the “Grapes of Wrath.”

There will be one Grand Prize awarded, and as many second prizes and honorable mentions as the club sees fit. The Cornell Club of Buffalo offers the prize; winning or placing favorably in the essay contest in no way implies a favorable admission decision by any of Cornell's seven undergraduate colleges.

The Rules:

• Answer the PROMPT below as completely as you can in 1,000 words or fewer. There are no limits to the range of your response, but it should give a picture of your personality and beliefs, and should imaginatively include your own life experiences including, but not necessarily limited to: reading, school, travel, work, personal successes, personal failures, sense of humor, current events, family history, etc.
• If you refer to another author’s work in a manner that would require citation, you may include footnotes or end-notes in any commonly accepted format. These citations will not count toward your 1,000-word limit.
• Finally, on the last page of the document include:

1. Your name
2. Your parents’ or guardians’ names
3. Your home address, telephone number, and e-mail address where we may contact you
4. The name of your school
5. The name of your English teacher with his/her school phone number.
6. Please do not include any identifying information (your name, your teacher's name, etc.) on any page other than the last page.
7. All entries must be in Microsoft Word format or text format.
8. Submit your essay as a single e-mail attachment to the following e-mail address:

c.sasiadek@gmail.com with the subject line “Cornell Club Essay Competition.”All entries must be e-marked no later than April 1.

PROMPT:
There are some who argue that the purpose of higher education is to train individuals in immediately practical skills with an eye toward fulfilling the perceived needs of society and the economy -- by training students in fields such as agriculture, medicine and engineering. There are others who argue that the purpose of higher education is to develop general learning skills and to add to human knowledge whether in an immediately practical manner or not. They believe that fields such as art, philosophy and the classics are more important than practical fields of study.
What is your opinion regarding these two educational philosophies?

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will offer an improved parcel of land in Pembroke at a surplus real estate auction next month.

It will be made available for inspection. It is one of five parcels in the region to be auctioned off at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16 at the NYSDOT Regional Office, located at 1530 Jefferson Road in the town of Henrietta, Monroe County.

Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. The auction is open to the public.

The other vacant parcels are located in the towns of Avon, Livingston County; Chili and Perinton, Monroe County; and Farmington, Ontario County.

The properties for sale, deposits and upset (starting bid) prices are listed below. Each parcel had been acquired by NYSDOT for highway improvements and is no longer needed for transportation purposes.

To register, bidders must present a certified or bank check for the amount of the deposit required on the property for which they intend to bid.

Prospective bidders may obtain more information about the parcels for sale by contacting Steven Wanamaker at NYSDOT at (585) 272-3447, or online at  HYPERLINK "http://www.nysdot.gov/R4surplus" www.nysdot.gov/R4surplus

--Property 800 is 0.20 ± acres of improved land located at the northwest corner of Route 77 and Ogden Street in the Town of Pembroke, Genesee County. This parcel will be open for inspection to interested parties March 11 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $725 and the upset price is $14,500.

--Property 611 is 0.445± acres of vacant land located on the southern side of Marshall Road, just east of Interstate 390 in the Town of Avon, Livingston County. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $650 and the upset price is $6,500.
 
--Property 787 is 3.98± acres of vacant land located on the north side of I-490 westbound and bordered on the north and east by Willowbrook Office Park in the Town of Perinton, Monroe County. Access to this parcel is only provided through abutting private property and access onto I-490 is prohibited. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $15,000 and the upset price is $302,000.
 
--Property 788 is 1.147± acres of vacant land located on the southwest corner of Ballantyne Road and Scottsville Road in the Town of Chili, Monroe County. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $1,000 and the upset price is $17,500.
 
--Property 797 is 1.199± acres of vacant land located on the east side of State Route 332, just south of Clover Meadow Lane in the Town of Farmington, Ontario County. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is  $2,600 and the upset price is $52,000.

For the 2010 season, Darien Lakes Theme Park and Resort plans to hire more than 2,000 seasonal employees.

They will seek recruits at 10 career fairs at colleges and universities across Western New York.

Interested candidates are encouraged to fill out an application at <www.PARCJobs.com>

Locally, there will be a Darien Lakes table at a job fair scheduled at Genesee Community College from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13.

The managers at Darien Lake say:

"You can have fun while you work, whether you operate the legendary Ride of Steel coaster, spin pink puffs of delicious cotton candy at the Cotton Ranch, or guard our guests' safety in the Crocodile Isle wave pool. You will spend your summer bringing joy and smiles to those around you."

According to the park, retirees are welcome -- their life experience is much appreciated. There are both part-time and fill-time jobs available and seasonal benefits available.

Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, owned and operated by PARC Management, is New
York State's largest theme park resort. <www.GoDarienLake.com>

Western Regional Off-Track Betting has announced it will be sending one person to the National Harness Handicapping Championship (NHHC) to be held at the Meadowlands Racetrack on April 24.

This year, 26 OTB branches will host qualifying contests that will take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The first contest is set for Saturday, March 6 with the last qualifier on Wednesday, March 31. There is no charge to participate.

Batavia Downs Casino will host the Finals on April 11. The winner of that contest will represent OTB in the NHHC.

“Once again, it will be March Madness at Western OTB with all our branch qualifiers being held in one month,” said Martin Biniasz, OTB director of marketing. “We have had an excellent response to these free contests and are pleased to offer them to our valued customers again.”
 
Like last year, there will be two types of contests, one that offers a noon registration and one that offers a 5:30 p.m. sign up. In both contests, all entry forms must be submitted by 6:40 p.m.

But unlike last year, all contests will be conducted on races 1-5 at Buffalo Raceway as well as races 1-5 at the Meadowlands.

The branch contests will be played exactly as they have been in the past with points being awarded on how a patron’s selections perform. Patrons are also required to select one Best Bet per track, for which they will receive double points.

The contests that offer a noon registration will pay $25 to the winner. The contests with a later start time will pay $100 to the winner if he or she is present when the final scores are posted. If not, the winner will take home $25.

In both contests, one of every six patrons that participate will qualify for the Batavia finals. Patrons can play in as many contest as they like but can only qualify once for the finals.

The Batavia Downs winner will receive two nights' hotel accommodations in New Jersey, $500 in spending money and entry into the NHHC.

The top 10 finishers in the Batavia contest will receive prizes.

A complete list of OTB qualifying locations and starting times are on-line at www.westernotb.com <http://www.westernotb.com/> and are posted in all Western OTB branches.

Our first annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser was a huge sucess!  We exceeded our goal and helped a lot of anxious and excited boys earn money to go to Camp Sam Wood this summer.  The boys all had a lot of fun serving dinners and also helping make cakes for our cake raffle!

We would like to express a HUGE thank you to the families in our community and to the wonderful local businesses and individuals who helped by donating time, money and goods to make this fundraiser sucessful.

Thank you to Norton Farms, Inc, Phat Katz, Penna's Catering, Stans Harley Davidson, Bezon Farms, Lee Shuknecht & Sons, Inc, Walmart, Tops, Matty's Pizzeria, Sallome's Italian Deli, The Batavia Muckdogs, Batavia Downs, Genesee Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, LLP, Bohn's, D&R Depot, Post Dairy Farms, G Mortellaro and Sons, Scooters Family Restaurant, Uncle Sal's Pizzeria (who generously made the delicious meatballs!), Raymond Smith Sr, J.D Buckley & Sons, Inc, The Ganson House and Barilla.  Please support these wonderful local businesses who were kind enough to support us!

Genesee Community College will once again offer the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship program to all 2010 GLOW area high school graduates. Under the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship program, any 2010 high school graduate is eligible to take up to two free college courses during the July 6 - Aug. 7 summer session if they attended high school in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans or Wyoming Counties (the College's GLOW service area).

The Genesee Promise Plus also includes the following students:

• Students who live in the four-county GLOW service area who earned a GED Diploma in 2010 are eligible for up to two free summer courses, regardless of age.
• 2010 GLOW area graduates from home-school programs.
• 2010 high school graduates who attended high schools outside of the GLOW service area but have accumulated GCC college credits through the College's ACE Program.

Under the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship Program, students can take up to two free summer courses at any of the College's seven campus locations including Albion, Arcade, Batavia, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw. The scholarship pays all tuition and fees and the student is only responsible for purchasing required textbooks. These earned credits can be used to get a head start on college and can be used not only at GCC, but can also be transferred to State University of New York (SUNY) schools and most other colleges and universities.

The deadline for submitting the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship Application is June 18. The one-page application form is available at all seven Genesee Community College campus locations, as well as on-line at www.genesee.edu/promise <http://www.genesee.edu/promise>. There is no limit to the number of students receiving these scholarships.

For more information, contact Tanya Lane-Martin through email, tmlanemartin@genesee.edu  <http://tmlanemartin@genesee.edu> or call the Admission's Office at 585-345-6800 or 1-866-CALL-GCC. In Batavia, the college is located at 1 College Road.

Here's information provided by a press release from GCC.

More than 600 students were able to begin or continue their education at Genesee Community College during the last five years as a result of the Genesee Community College Foundation's Emergency Assistance Program.

The foundation provides financial grants for students who may have to leave college as a result of sudden personal hardships that occur through no fault of their own. Over the last five years, emergency grants have been provided to students who were victims of house fires, death or desertion of a spouse, or some other personal emergency or tragedy.

Although the foundation raises funds for emergency grants as part of its annual fundraising efforts, a mainstay of emergency-assistance support comes from earnings from the foundation's Challenge Fund. It's a $525,000 endowment fund created between 2000 and 2004 by private donors and the Department of Education. The fund was established after the college received a highly competitive Department of Education challenge grant, offering two dollars for every private dollar raised. The foundation raised the private dollars, created the endowment and dubbed it "The Challenge Fund."

The college is fortunate to recently receive a second endowment challenge; this one is an $80,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge for each of the next five years. As the foundation raises $80,000 in private gifts, the Department of Education will forward an additional $80,000 to expand the endowment, and the earnings will provide more assistance to students in need in the future.

In each case, the emergency grant provided a modest sum that enabled the student to continue their education, according to Alice Weather, director of the Foundation's Annual Fund.

"For example, one student recently lost her school supplies and textbooks in a fire that destroyed her family home," Weather said. "We provided funds to replace these materials. We sometimes see single parents in their 30s or 40s who are working, raising a family and struggling to get an education, then their car breaks down. For most of us this isn't a huge problem, but students depend on their cars to get to class, so we can help with emergency repairs.

"In another case, we provided funds for a week of child care after an adult student's mother, who had been babysitting, was rushed to the hospital with a medical emergency. To many students the grant is literally the lifeline they need to overcome an emergency and stay on track with their education."

"Students are often stretched to the limit," said Tamara Adams, outreach specialist in the Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AOEC) at Genesee. "We want to retain students who are truly dedicated to their education and have genuine needs from emergencies. Every semester I see unexpected expenses turn into a financial crisis that can end up taking a student out of school. We cannot permit strong, capable students to disrupt their education over a few hundred dollars."

Adams noted that students facing an emergency must have a nomination from a faculty or staff member, employer or human services agency who can verify the emergency before a grant will be made. When the emergency assistance money runs out, students have to be turned away. The occasions of students needing emergency or unplanned emergency support are growing and becoming more costly.

Adams said that the college often receives thank-you notes from students who have received emergency support. A victim of a devastating fire wrote: "Thank you so much. You have helped me tremendously when I thought all hope was lost. I had to find another apartment and my text books were completely incinerated. I just want to say thank you to everyone!"

The Genesee Community College Foundation seeks financial support to meet the new endowment challenge grant to support students in need as well as to provide for a wide range of other scholarships, including academically oriented scholarships and scholarships for students preparing for careers critical to the region's growth. Pledges and gifts for the foundation scholarship and grant programs are payable to: The Genesee Community College Foundation, One College Road, Batavia, NY 14020.

For more information on foundation programs call (585) 345-6809 or write to the address above or foundation@genesee.edu

The Genesee Community College Foundation was founded in 1986 by civic and business leaders to provide philanthropic and volunteer support to the College. The foundation has provided several thousand scholarships since that time, assisted in the financing of two new buildings on the Batavia Campus, and it was instrumental in the acquisition of student housing.

Please join us on February 20th and help us reach our goal of sending all of our scouts to summer camp! 

Our scouts will be serving delicious homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs, Salad, Bread, dessert and drinks starting at 4:30 pm until 7:00 pm or until sold out.  Dinner will be held at the Elba Fireman's Rec Hall on 262 in Elba (just before the M&T Bank) and tickets are $8.00 per adult and $5.50 per child 12 to 3, children under 3 eat free.  Dine in or take out is available.  Come and enjoy that wonderful fuzzy feeling of helping others while enjoying GREAT food and laughs!

We will also be doing a 50/50 cake raffle with cakes decorated by the scouts in celebration of the Boy Scouts of America's 100th Birthday.