Announcements

Press release:

As Genesee Community College's director of Veterinary Technology, Carrie Caccamise seeks to expose her students to as many facets of the profession as possible. Students in the program work with animals of all sizes in the current curriculum, but they have little exposure to marine life or zoo animals.

"While at a conference last summer, I voiced this concern to a colleague," Caccamise said. "He suggested that I reach out to Ray Ball at the Tampa Zoo, so I did."

Ball, director of Medical Services at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida, welcomed Caccamise and her students to travel down to the Sunshine State and observe the zoo's day-to-day dealings with its resident animals during the College's spring break from March 12-19. After a flurry of fundraising, Caccamise and a group of eight GCC seniors flew to Tampa to begin the week-long, behind-the-scenes observation and experience that was a first for the College's Vet Tech program.

"Though the students were unable to restrain or perform procedures due to safety concerns, they were still able to learn a great deal as the veterinarians and veterinary technicians explained everything they did and patiently answered all of our questions," Caccamise said.

While at the Tampa Zoo, the students observed exams and treatments on many animals including a penguin, a two-toed sloth, a spur fowl, white and black rhinos, a pig, tortoises, a screech owl and elephants. Animals used in the Zoo's outreach program including armadillos, tortoises and pythons had wellness exams performed during the week. The exams involved anesthesia, radiographs, ultrasound exams and blood draws. Since these animals are not as friendly as most dogs and cats, the students were able to observe the different techniques for handling and administration of anesthesia during the examinations.

When the students were asked to summarize their experiences, these were among statements they shared: "It was a once in a life time experience." "The vets and technicians were extremely friendly. Even the zookeepers were very helpful in teaching us." "It was an awesome trip. Dr. Ball was so friendly and open to helping us learn." "Mind blowing experience!" 

The students also took a trip to the Florida Aquarium to observe exams on horseshoe crabs, eels, stingrays, otters and sea turtles, and a stop at the Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab to see necropsies on two manatees.

"We were all very impressed with the amount of data collection that occurs in zoos such as the Lowry Park Zoo," Caccamise said. "The data collected is what helps the animals' counterparts in the wild stay healthy."

Housed at the Lowry Park Zoo is a manatee hospital, one of few sites in Florida that rehabilitate injured or sick manatees. During their stay, GCC's vet tech students also witnessed the treatment of an injured female manatee and her calf. Since adult manatees can weigh up to 1,200 pounds, the students saw the difficult process of getting the animals from the truck they were transported in, to the tank where they will live during their rehabilitation. They also witnessed the end result of the process, experiencing the release of a manatee that was rehabilitated at the hospital and deemed healthy enough to return to the wild.

The group received funding for the trip from Academic Innovations at GCC which contributed $1,000 and the Christina Salvador Scholarship Fund, which pitched in $500. Funds were also raised through the Vet Tech Club at the College and each student did their part to help pay for the trip.

Press release:

Like most libraries, Alfred C. O'Connell Library at Genesee Community College has books on shelves, computer workstations quietly humming, and people absorbed in their studies, projects and research. But, Thursday, April 14th, GCC's esteemed Library gave life to written prose through the 15th annual Student Poetry Contest Award Ceremony. 

The First Prize -- Body of Work winner is Catherine McCabe-Strong. She lives and works in Rochester and is studying in GCC's Paralegal Studies program. She was drawn to GCC because the courses looked both interesting and challenging. She said, "In my creative writing, I draw inspiration from the Imagist movement started by Ezra Pound in 1912. His three main tenets were to treat the object of the poem directly, to not waste a single word, and to use the musicality of phrases, rather than force meter. These are all things that I take to heart when writing." She has a novel, "Julius Constantine Chang," available through Amazon. And later this month, a very short piece of her prose, "Teatime," will be published by The Flash Fiction Press on their Web site, theflashfictionpress.org. Her poems are "Clementine," "Clovelly Beach" and "Night."

Second Prize winner for her poem "Fly" is Amanda Sterzick. She is a self-described late blooming artist. She found her talent late in life and has experimented and self-taught herself in several different mediums. She is a Digital Art major and decided to attend GCC because she wanted to learn how to create art in the digital medium. Her poetry is a physical manifestation of her emotions. She said, "Pain, amusement, anger, joy, rage and sometimes inspiration just take me and I can't do anything else until my poetry OCD is satiated." She writes a lot of poetry and has several versions of her poem "Fly," noting that the last three lines change the most. She is an Honors Program student and plans to graduate with an Honors Diploma after the fall 2016 semester and then continue to pursue her studies. She has artwork that she has created to accompany this poem -- a mixed media canvas, and Professor Pam Swarts would like her to include the poem in the digital art show and create a digital composition for the poem. Amanda resides in Batavia.

Third place winner for her poem "Delayed Ambition" is Maureen Moriarty, an administrative assistant major at GCC. She has dabbled in poetry most of her life and enjoys going to poetry readings. Maureen resides in Medina. 

Honorable Mention honors go to Jennifer Hanson, a student from Arcade. Her poem is entitled "Open Road." In her spare time, she plays the cello, paints, draws and writes. She comes from a large family and has two brothers and two sisters. She is attending GCC because it is very cost effective and a good stepping stone and she wasn't quite sure of her major when she started. She is now a Fine Arts major, and her favorite courses have been painting classes taught by Heather Jones. She writes poetry usually at the end of the day, and prefers to write in a journal and then type out the poem if she wants to share it. She says, "I feel like putting pen to paper is a better artistic process for me than typing." 

Winning poems are posted on the library Web page: http://www.genesee.edu/library/about-the-library/poetry-contests/.

Judges for this year's contest were: Mary Jane Heider, Sarah Karas, Bob Knipe, Michelle Salvia, Jim Simon and Nina Warren. More than 50 poems were submitted this year. Winners were awarded prizes of gift cards, poetry anthologies and blank journals.

"Following a successful Scholar's Day and the College's annual Creativity Conference held the day before, the Library's annual Student Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony further celebrates student achievement and opportunity at GCC," said Cindy Hagelberger, Reference Services librarian and instructor. "I am already looking forward to the launch of our 16th annual contest next spring!"

For more information, contact Cindy Hagelberger, Reference Services Librarian (585) 343-0055 ext. 6231 or via e-mail: CSHagelberger@genesee.edu.

Join the Batavia Multiple Sclerosis Support Group to connect with other people affected by MS and learn more about services offered by the National MS Society and Independent Living of the Genesee Region.

The group meets the second Tuesday of each month from 4 to 5 p.m. at Independent Living, 113 Main St., Batavia. For more information please call 1-800-344-4867 or e-mail megan.vaughan@nmss.org.

Have you thought about being a volunteer?

Learn about opportunities available at Crossroads House? They are hosting five days in the month of April to learn about opportunities for volunteering in a variety of ways including resident care and beyond at Crossroads House!

These are no obligation days! Pick a date and stop by to learn more!
April 2nd – 10am – 11am
April 6th – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
April 11th – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
April 19th – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
April 21st – 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Crossroads House
585-343-3892
11 Liberty St., Batavia NY 14020
Crossroadshouse.com

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County’s 4-H Youth Development Program will offer a two-part apron sewing workshop at 7 p.m. on Wednesday April 20 and Wednesday April 27. This workshop is open to all area youth ages 8 -19 and youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate!

Participants will learn basic sewing skills such as reading a pattern, understanding cutting layouts, pattern pinning, sewing and pressing a straight seam, top stitching a pocket and more!  Cost is $10 per youth and all materials will be provided.

Class size is limited and preregistration is required by April 13. The workshops will be held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building located at 420 E. Main St., Batavia.

For more information or to register, contact Brandie Schultz at the Genesee County 4-H Office, 585-343-3040, ext. 101. Visit our website at: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information. 

Press release:

Anyone who seeks information about a wealth of services that are available to people with disabilities, most at no cost to the individual, can just stop by the Richmond Memorial Library any Friday from March 25^th to April 29th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A staff member of Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) will be present at the 19 Ross St. facility near East Main Street in Batavia to answer questions on disability-friendly programs of the two organizations.

Patrons who are blind, dyslexic, or who otherwise prefer to listen to their literature can access audio talking books from the Library’s stock and through the download station of eBook distributor OverDrive. They can also download eBooks from Freading, movie and shows from Freegal Movies, and three songs per week that are theirs to keep and also listen to three hours per day of streaming music, courtesy of Freegal Music.

Plus a free subscription to Hoopla provides patrons temporary streaming access to audiobooks, movies, music, eBooks, comics and television series, 24 hours per day.  Seniors can access Services to the Aging in Genesee County (SAGE), a program providing library services to homebound and resident senior citizens in the County, funded by a grant from the Muriel H. Marshall Fund for the Aging, through the Rochester Area Community Foundation. 

Anyone can learn about a host of services that ILGR offers to individuals with disabilities, including: Individual Advocacy; Benefits Advisement; Budgeting Assistance; Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) for those needing Home Care Assistants; Educational Coaching for parents dealing with schools’ Committees on Special Education; Falls Prevention Education; Family Reimbursement Services for relatives of individuals with developmental disabilities; advice on Housing options in the community and application assistance; Information & Referral to community resources; advisement on Job Searches; a Loan Closet of gently used medical equipment; “Ticket to Work” Employment Network for those receiving Social Security benefits; Transition Services for young people and seniors with disabilities who want to live independently; ambulatory and wheelchair-lift-van Transportation Services; plus Advocacy for Change of disability discrimination practices on a system level.

Please contact David Dodge at (585) 815-8501, ext. 415, or e-mail him at ddodge@wnyil.org with any questions.

"The Making of a fashion designer." Genesee Community College Fashion Design, Business and Computer Information Systems Professor, Donna Ehrhart, will be speaking at the Tea X Design event on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 1 - 2 p.m. in room T119, at the Batavia Campus Center.

Guests will be invited to enjoy an afternoon tea and cookies social in addition to hearing about the fashion design process. Professor Ehrhart will explain how an individual can bring an idea from conception to the marketplace. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Fashion is more than just clothing. For those unable to truly experience it, this event may open new doors or even uncover hidden interests. Attending this event may open new doors or even uncover hidden interests in product development.

Attendees will be given the opportunity to see garments and quilts custom made by Designer/Professor Donna Ehrhart. She will also discuss how her life experiences and opportunities influenced her creative abilities and will be giving advice on how to start a fashion business. The fashion design program at GCC was established six years ago to complement the Fashion Business program that will be celebrating the 35th annual fashion show on Saturday, April 30. Under Professor Ehrhart's guidance, fashion design students have been featuring their garments and accessories in what has become the largest and longest running fashion show in Western New York.

Professor Ehrhart said, "I would like to share my enthusiasm and excitement that comes from designing and creating using fabrics. Plan on attending the Tea X Design event at Genesee Community College."

For more information please contact the Fashion Department secretary, Cheryl Young at 585-345-6830.

This information was provided by Cornell Coopoerative Extension of Genesee County:

StopPests in Housing is holding a Webinar “Bed Bug Control Starts With Good Contracts” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 22nd. Property managers/landlords, procurement and other housing staff will gain an understanding of the importance of good pest control contracts in effective bed bug management.

This Webinar is open to anyone to participate but will specifically address the issues and needs of affordable housing providers. Registration is limited to the first 1,000 people. The Webinar will be recorded and archived at stoppests.org

To participate in the live event, register here Bed Bug Control Starts With Good Contracts

Speakers, Dr. Dini Miller from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Dr. Stephen Kells from University of Minnesota will share their extensive knowledge of contract language and the oversight needed to ensure an integrated pest management (IPM) approach is taken with proactive inspections, record keeping, monitoring, and appropriate treatment protocols.

StopPests in Housing, a Northeastern IPM Center program, is funded by an interagency agreement between HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes and the USDA. For more integrated pest management resources and training opportunities visit stoppests.org or e-mail stoppests@cornell.edu

Press release:

The Food Processing Technology Program at Genesee Community College recently put 12 new pieces of diagnostic laboratory equipment into action for the first time after a substantial purchase was made with support from a grant through the Educational Credit Management Corporation Foundation (ECMC) in collaboration with the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

GCC's currently running FPT 205 class that meets at the Batavia campus every Monday and Wednesday was the first group to use the new equipment, which includes a new milk analyzer, water activity meter, moisture analyzer, thermometers and micrometers.

"We are very excited to put our new equipment to use," Greg Sharpe, GCC's instructor of Food Processing Technology said. "We now have all the lab equipment here that was purchased through the grant and our students are actively engaged in laboratory assignments that closely relates to real-world food manufacturing. We are very thankful to the ECMC Foundation."

The ECMC Foundation strives to inspire and facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes, especially among underserved populations, through evidence-based innovation. Its goal is to improve academic achievement among underserved students as they prepare themselves for higher education and careers. GCC was awarded approximately $40,000 for its new equipment from ECMC, which grants funding based on its values of college readiness, college retention, research and reform in teacher training and career readiness.

The exact equipment purchased through the grant includes:

• Lacticheck Milk Analyzer -- Analysis of milk for protein, fat and water content

• Bostwick Consistometer -- Analysis of foods for thickness and viscosity

• Blended Stomacher -- A blender that mimicks the action of a stomach

• Water Activity Meter – Analysis water content

• Refractometer – To analyze sugar content in foods and beverages

• Ebulliometer – Tests the percentage of alcohol in wines

• Moisture analyzer -- Tests moisture content in foods

• Brookfield viscometer -- Analysis of foods for viscosity

• Salt Auto-titrator -- Salt testing in foods

• Total Acid Auto-titrator -- Assesses the pH and acid content in foods and beverages

• Sieve screens – Tests particle size in food products

• Thermometers – Measure temperature

• Can tear-down equipment – Helps ensure seams on cans are properly sealed

The Food Processing Technology program at GCC launched in the Fall of 2014 and is the only one of its kind offered at any of SUNY's 30 community colleges. Through the College's strong partnerships with other educational institutions such as Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Cornell Cooperative Extension, the program has been designed to give students the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for career success at hundreds of food manufacturing facilities across Upstate New York.

Press release:

Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee County is pleased to present a “Save Energy Save Dollars” workshop on two dates: Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 29 at 10 a.m. Both workshop sessions will take place at CCE Genesee County at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

“Save Energy Save Dollars” is a workshop that was developed by Cornell University Cooperative Extension and the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The workshop, part of the NYSERDA Empower Project, is free and open to all members of the public. It runs approximately two hours and focuses on how both renters and homeowners can reduce energy bills via low-cost, no-cost energy conservation methods. Participants of this workshop will also learn:

·        What the biggest energy users in their home are;

·        How to improve your home's comfort (health and safety, too);

·        Find out about financial assistance (grants, loans, on-bill financing, etc.) and how to get started on your home energy upgrades.

Workshop participants will leave with their own individualized Action Plan plus three energy-saving light bulbs. Please RSVP to this event so that adequate materials can be prepared. RSVP to Brandie Schultz at 585-343-3040, ext.101 or bls238@cornell.edu by Friday, Feb. 19.

Submitted photo and press release:

Pittsford, New York – After tallying all the figures, Campground Owners of New York (CONY) announces today that Skyline Camping Resort & RV Sales in Darien Center, New York, operated by the Tybor family, raised $5,394 in donations for Camp Good Days and Special Times, as part of CONY’s fourth annual statewide fundraising event for charity held throughout 2015.

According to Suzanne Bixby, CONY’s Marketing and Communications Director, the association raised a total of $91,000 in 2015, bringing CONY’s four-year fundraising total for Camp Good Days to approximately $248,000.

“We are, simply put, grateful to CONY parks like Skyline Camping Resort, as well as their campers and supporters, for helping us raise our largest annual total yet for Camp Good Days and Special Times,” Bixby said. “And I think we’re all a little proud that we’re bringing smiles and camping fun to children and their families braving cancer.”

Throughout the 2015 camping season, Skyline Camping Resort & RV Sales held a 50/50 raffle, a horseshoe tournament, and other raffles and sales.

With fundraising by CONY campgrounds from across New York State, a combined total of $91,000 in checks were presented to by CONY leaders to Camp Good Days and Special Times Founder Gary Mervis at a special ceremony on November 14, 2015, during CONY’s annual exposition held at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New York.

Camp Good Days and Special Times is a New York State-based organization providing camping experiences free of charge to children with cancer. Since its inception, Camp Good Days has served more than 45,000 campers from 22 states and 29 foreign countries at its camp, located on the shores of Keuka Lake. More information: www.campgooddays.org.

For more information about Skyline Camping Resort & RV Sales, visit www.skylinervresort.com.

Participating CONY campgrounds all across New York State raised funds in a variety of ways, including selling paper balloons and T-shirts, displaying change collection boxes, and hosting special events including walks, dinners, raffles, auctions, and concerts, to name a few.

CONY member campgrounds are fundraising once again in 2016 for Camp Good Days.

Campground Owners of New York (CONY), headquartered in Pittsford and founded in 1963, is an association dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State. More information about the association and its campgrounds – including a free camping directory - is available at www.nycampgrounds.com and www.campcony.com.

Press release:

"An Evening of Comedy with Etta May" will have you laughing in your seat on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Learn the true meaning of LOL (laughing out loud) with an evening featuring the "Queen of Southern Sass" who is also the winner of American Comedy Awards' "Stand-Up Comic of the Year."

Etta May is a Kentucky woman and comedy icon! Hailed as the "Polyester Princess," May delivers a high powered take-no-prisoners performance full of truth, irony, humor and wisdom. This trailer park goddess has appeared on Oprah, Showtime, CMT, CBS SundayMorning, ABC, Columbia Pictures and NBC. She headlines the hugely successful Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour and touts a huge fan base on SiriusXM comedy channels. Etta May is a seasoned performer with national appeal!

Tickets to "An Evening of Comedy with Etta May" are $8 for adults, $5 for GCC faculty/staff and senior citizens, $3 for GCC students. Alumni with ID receive $2 off the full ticket price. Tickets are available through the GCC box office at (585) 345-6814 or via e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.

For videos, press photos and further information on Etta May, visit www.ettamay.com.

Bergen-based Liberty Pumps, which is celebrating a half century in business this year, sent us this photo to share with you of their entire crew. They wish everyone "Happy Holidays!"

Submitted photo. Will, Penny and Bill Kennett listen as Scott Henahan, Building Trades instructor at the Batavia CTE Center, gives a brief overview of the course offerings taught explains some of the Building Trades curriculum.  

Press release:

A record turnout at the Open Houses held at both the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center and the Charles G. May Center in Mt. Morris gave students the opportunity to learn the educational pathways to a career in the trades. During the open house, students and their families toured classrooms, and spoke with skilled trades professionals who were on hand to discuss employment opportunities.

Will Kennett, a 10^th-grader from Byron-Bergen High School, visited the Batavia CTE Center Open House with his parents, Penny and Bill. They toured the center with hopes of learning more about the programs offered. Will noted that he’s looking at his options.

“I want to pursue a trade and hope to attend this center next school year,” Will said.

Penny added, “The programs here have a wide range of opportunities. You can have a successful career in the trades.”

Alex Jones is a Criminal Justice student from Batavia High School. He brought his parents, Joyce and Edward, to learn more about what their son is studying. 

“It’s really interesting to learn about court cases and how our prison system operates,” Alex said. “I plan on pursuing a career as a police officer.”

Alex’s mom Joyce also noted, “The college credits that he earns in this program are a bonus for when he enters college.”

Past, present and perspective students visited the Animal Science Program at the May Center said Jon English, Animal Science instructor. 

“We had a large number students and their families who were interested in learning more about our Animal Science program,” English said.  “So many people commented that they did not know the extent of our programs.”

The Mt. Morris and Batavia Career and Technical Education Centers are programs of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York state.