Announcements

Here's a news release from the Genesee Community College Foundtion.

Batavia residents Joseph and Mary Beth Teresi have been named chairpersons of Encore 2010, an annual holiday celebration that supports student scholarships at Genesee Community College.

The Teresis would like to invite residents to an "Evening of Traditions" at Encore 2010 on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The festivities begin with a Gala Reception and continue with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) performing in the Stuart Steiner Theatre at the Batavia Campus.

The Teresis are looking forward to this year's BPO concert after having served on the organizing committee for many years.

"Encore ushers in the holiday season, while also serving as GCC's premier community social event and raising awareness to the importance of scholarships for the deserving students as well as raising scholarship funds," said Joe Teresi.

They are proud parents of a current Genesee Community College student and are vested in the local community.

Joe has served on several local boards and committees including GCC Foundation's Encore; Genesee - Wyoming YMCA;  Regional Action Phone; ARC; and The Notre Dame Educational Foundation, as well as both a board member and coach of various sports teams and leagues.

He is currently a vice president of Tompkins Insurance Agency and Mary Beth is the Work Study Program coordinator at Batavia High School. The Teresis have three children including Joe III -- currently serving in the Air Force -- Michael and Paul.

The evening's events will begin with a private Prelude Reception with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra conductor, Paul Ferington. For all guests, a Gala Reception Grandioso with sensational food selections will follow at 6 p.m. in the William W. Stuart Forum.

An Encore Energico Chance drawing to win an opportunity to be a BPO Guest Conductor will be held at 7:30 p.m. Guests will proceed to the Stuart Steiner Theatre for a holiday pops concert at 8 p.m. with the two-time Grammy Award winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and afterward enjoy Delectable Dessert Finale back in the William W. Stuart Forum.

Proceeds from Encore support Genesee Community College Foundation Scholarship Fund. The foundation would like to thank Five Star Bank, the lead corporate benefactor, for its continued support of Encore.

For ticketing and sponsorship information, please contact the foundation office at 345-6809 or foundation@genesee.edu <http://foundation@genesee.edu>.

For reservations please call the Genesee Community College Foundation at 585-345-6809.

Sponsorship support is welcome at the following levels: Conductor's Circle provides six tickets for $1,000; Golden Baton Society provides four tickets for $600; and the Inner Circle provides two tickets for $300. Singular Platinum Patron tickets are $100 each. The evening is black tie optional.

Batavia High School Class of 2000 will hold its 10-year reunion from 8 to 11 p.m.
on Friday, Nov. 26 at the Center Street Smokehouse, 2nd floor.

There will be appetizers provided by the reunion planners. There will also be a cash bar available. Come on down and see what your classmates have been up to.

With the wealth of growing international programs at Genesee Community College, a Study Abroad Open House for interested students is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18.

The Open House will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union (S104), with 30-minute information sessions about each trip. Faculty representatives will be available to provide information on each program as well as registration materials.

A general information session will take place from 12:30-2:00 p.m. for students interested in learning about all of the study abroad/away opportunities.

Genesee now offers seven study abroad/away programs for students. All led by Genesee faculty, programs include Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, The Netherlands, Ireland, Croatia, Australia, and New York City study away.

In addition, information regarding potential summer internships in Toronto and Brazil will be available.

"This is the perfect opportunity for any student interested in a study abroad program to come and talk to the faculty about their specific program," Robert Frail, International Programs specialist at Genesee said. "We have such a variety of programs, that any student will be able to find a study abroad/study away program that will suit his or her interest."

For further information please contact Robert Frail, International Programs specialist at 585-343-0055, ext. 6456 or rjfrail@genesee.edu.

Three students in the Conservation Program at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in Batavia earned a Bronze Team Award in the National FFA Forestry Event.

They are Jacob Hopcia and Phil Gorney, from Attica, and Zach Noble from Pavilion.

In addition, individual medals went to Jacob, who earned a Bronze Metal, and Zach and Phil who won silver medals.

The National FFA Forestry Career Development Event is a competitive activity that tests students’ skills and knowledge in the area of forest management.

Components include a general exam, tree and equipment identification, tree disorders identification, a chainsaw practicum, forestry issues interview, and a team activity.

Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their
state at the national FFA convention, held in Indianapolis, Ind., Oct. 20-23.

Finding a government job in this tough economy may be a little easier with the help of the Genesee Community College Career Services Center. It will host a Government Job Search workshop from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11 in B307.

It is sponsored by the GCC Career Services Center and Wellness Center and is free and open to the public.

Attendees will learn how to: conduct a focused federal job search; read and understand the GS (general schedule); decipher the verbiage included in job postings and what to look for when evaluating job announcements.

In addition, the workshop will cover the importance of aligning skills with the KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) and the federal resume, plus free resources that are available to assist in the federal job search, beginning with www.usajobs.gov <http://www.usajobs.gov>, and information on federal internships that can lead to a permanent career with the federal government.

Guest presenter for the workshop is Sharitta Gross, a program coordinator in the Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is also an adjunct professor at Monroe Community College, teaching remedial English, and has coordinated and facilitated career development workshops within the Rochester community.

She is a Certified Federal Career Counselor (CFCC) and Certified Job Search Trainer (CFJST). Over the past two years she developed a cross-campus initiative to educate RIT students and alumni, as well as faculty/staff on the federal job process. Along these same lines, she coordinates RIT's annual Federal and Public Service Career Fair and other on-campus federal sector employer related events.

"This workshop should be very informative to students and community members who are seeking a government job," said John McGowan, director of the Career Services Center at Genesee.

"Federal government jobs can be fairly complicated to acquire, but have many benefits to them. This workshop will hopefully take the uncertainty out of applying for and attaining a government job."

All community members are encouraged to attend this job-search event including current students, or soon-to-be college graduates, community members in a career transition, or seeking a career change, veterans seeking to leverage their military experience by obtaining a federal job and/or recently unemployed members of the community.

To register: stop by the Career Services Office at Batavia Main Campus: B201, call 345-6888, email: slburns@genesee.edu or register on-line: www.genesee.edu/career/events.

Genesee Community College has named Oakfield native Staci Williams as the new director of the Genesee Community College Association's Child Care Center.

Along with the assistance of the office manager, Patti Cassatt, she oversees the center in all aspects, including child enrollment, finances and budget and supervising teachers, assistant teachers, and work-study students.

She also works closely with the Office of Children and Family Services to keep the Center licensed and in compliance with New York State regulations.

"I am very happy to have settled here in the GCCA Child Care Center," Williams said. "I look forward to continuing the high level of care that the center currently offers. I also look forward to increasing our enrollment numbers and exploring our summer child care opportunities."

Not only is she an alum of Genesee, she previously worked for the college as a STAR coordinator from 2001-05.

In 2006, she worked as a lead teacher at Holley ABCD Child Care Center. She then made the transition to the public school system where she worked from 2006-2009 at Oakfield-Alabama Central School as a first- and fifth-grade teacher. Most recently, she was a first-grade teacher in the Newark Central School System for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Williams holds a master's degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Curriculum and Instruction from Buffalo State College, a bachelor's degree in Childhood Education from SUNY Geneseo, and an associate's degree in Elementary Education from Genesee Community College.

She lives in Oakfield with her husband, John, and their three daughters Kayleigh, Katelynn and Summer. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, scrapbooking, photography and spending time with her family.

“If media creates reality, what is your truth?”

That’s the question that Prevention Educator Laura Ricci of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA) wants to get young people thinking about.

Ricci teaches Media Literacy, an ongoing prevention program, to Genesee County students along with other GCASA staff. GCASA started implementing these presentations in the schools two years ago, and they are still going strong.

Holy Family School in Le Roy included the program in its Red Ribbon Week activities last week. Ricci came to teach two Media Literacy sessions – one to fourth- through sixth-graders, one for seventh- and eighth-graders.

Students were excited about the presentation and contributed by sharing stories about their own experiences.

“Laura did an excellent job presenting the information and getting students involved,” said Principal Kevin Robertson. “The presentation educated our students on the many types of media messages that so greatly affect them on a daily basis.”

Today’s youth are exposed to greater volumes of media input than any other generation, from television to radio, iPods, billboards, store advertisements, video games, magazines and the internet, and more.

The goal of the Media Literacy Program is to inform them about how they are being influenced by the media without realizing it, and to get them thinking independently and critically about the messages being conveyed by commercials, television shows, advertisements, etc.

Each presentation is age-appropriate, but all of them raise the same points and questions about media influence, with particular focus on how companies have used it to market alcohol and tobacco products.

The questions Ricci wants students to think about when watching a commercial or reading an advertisement are:

    •    Who created the message, and why?
    •    Who is the target audience? What suggests this?
    •    What is the text of the message (the actual words and pictures portrayed)?
    •    What tools of persuasion are used?
    •    What healthy/unhealthy messages are being communicated
    •    What part of the story is not being told?

She showed the students commercials and print advertisements that exemplified persuasive techniques such as beauty, humor, and fame/status.

Once she moved onto the cigarette ads, she talked about the target audience.

“People who smoke almost never switch brands,” Ricci said. “So when tobacco manufacturers (of any brand) advertise their products, they’re trying to get non-smokers to start smoking.”

“Media Literacy is a very important part of our activities during Red Ribbon Week,” Robertson said. “This is the first year we’ve done it, but it will continue each year from now on.”

For more information or to request a Media Literacy session at your school, call Shannon Ford at 815-1876.

Disclosure: Dan Crofts is employed by GCASA.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County will be hosting its annual meeting and  board elections at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. The guest speaker will be John Bero of Bero Architecture in Rochester.

He is an architect that has specialized in historic preservation for more than 30 years. He will be discussing architectural styles. From Greek Revival to Craftsman style, you will enjoy this informative presentation on what to look for when identifying the style of your house or building.

For more information about Bero Architecture, visit their website at www.beroarchitecture.com.

The presentation is FREE and open to the public. Anyone interested in joining  or supporting the Landmark Society are encouraged to attend.

Following the presentation will be a brief board meeting with board member elections.

To honor and recognize all active duty, guard, reserve, separated and retired veterans of all branches of the armed services, Genesee Community College is holding special programs in honor of Veteran's Day.

Celebrations to honor all veterans will take place on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11.

Genesee Community College has a rich history of serving veterans returning to school after serving their country and offers a scholarship to veterans through the GCC Foundation.

At the main campus in Batavia, a reception will be held in the Conable Technology Building Lobby from 12:30 – 2 p.m.

All of the college's veterans from all branches of military service, past and present, and including faculty, staff, students, administration and alumni are being asked to sign the college's U.S. Veteran's Book of Honor.

Each signatory will receive a patriotic ribbon. At 1 p.m, a salute to the flag by the Genesee County Joint Veterans Honor Guard will commence at the college's centrally located Clock Tower. Refreshments will be served throughout the celebration.

From 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. laptops will be set up in the Technology Building Lobby to send e-mail messages to troops serving abroad.

Additionally, a Wall of Honor will be posted from 10 to 2 p.m. on the college's video boards that will display photos of students, staff, family members and alumni that are United States veterans. Michael Perry, Television Production technician at Genesee has led the way for the Wall of Honor to grow each year as names and photos are added to the memorial.

Genesee student and Iraq War veteran Chad Cummings knows the value of attaining a college degree after serving his country. Originally from Boston, he settled in Batavia after serving in the Army for more than 13 years. He began his college career while still serving his country and attending classes through Jefferson County Community College. He made it a priority that when he finished his military career, he would finish his education.

While serving in the Army, Cummings was a Staff Sergeant and performed two tours of duty in Iraq as well as a tour in Bosnia. He completed his commitment to the military in July of 2008 and is scheduled to graduate from Genesee with a degree in Criminal Justice next month.

He hopes to take more classes in the spring to further his education before transferring to a four-year college. Cummings currently works at the INS Detention Center in Batavia and is balancing being a student and working to support his family.

"I'm finding it's challenging to balance going to class and fitting in work," Cummings said. "I'm lucky that I have the financial support from the GI Bill to complete my education. It's important for vets who don't qualify for full tuition reimbursement to have financial support from scholarships like the one GCC's foundation provides."

Cummings currently resides in Batavia with his wife, Lee, and their 3-year-old son Chase. His future plans include completing a bachelor's degree and one day working in local law enforcement.

The Genesee Community College Foundation offers a Veteran's Scholarship award for returning veterans, which augments federal benefits to help veterans obtain vital career training at the college.

For further information or to donate please contact Alice Weather at 343-0055, ext. 6539. Applications for the Veteran's Scholarship can be found online at: http://www.genesee.edu/index.cfm/general/dspArticle/financial.scholarships/.

The meeting of the Genesee County Economic Development Center along with the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. has been cancelled for Thursday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. and rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 5 at noon.

It is anticipated that the public session will begin at approximately 2:45 p.m. It will be held at the offices of the GCEDC located at the Dr. Bruce A. Holm, Upstate MedTech Centre, 99 MedTech Drive, Suite 106, in Batavia.

Please confirm your attendance by notifying Penny C. Kennett, office manager, GCEDC.

Phone: 585-343-4866
Fax:  585-343-0848
email:  pkennett@gcedc.com

The 22nd Annual Craft & Gift Festival at Batavia High School will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Santa Claus will be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There will be food available, raffles and lots of vendors.

The school is located at 260 State St. The festival is sponsored by the Batavia High School Blue Devils Hockey Team as well as the Gymnastics Team.

UPDATE (Thursday, Nov. 4): There was quite a response from the community about this puppy. Russ said he has found him a home. Thanks, folks.

A little puppy was found wandering around near the parking lot on Center Street over the weekend. He was frightened and cold. Russ Fitzgibbon, of Beverly's Flowers & Gifts, at 307 W. Main St., took him in. He's warm and fed now, but needs a home.

If someone out there is missing a pup, or wants one, please contact Russ at the store. He provided no description of the little guy.

The store's number is 343-8500.

From GCC:

GCC and SUNY Brockport Study Abroad: A Documentation of the Dutch Culture

Genesee Center for the Arts, Stuart Steiner Theatre Lobby, Genesee Community College

Creative writing and photographs displaying Dutch culture by GCC and SUNY Brockport students that participated in a study abroad trip to Amsterdam in the Spring of 2010.

The show highlights students photographs that serve as a final curriculum culmination to the digital photography and sociology courses that the studens participated in on the tour.

Exhibit open during normal college hours, admission to Lobby Art Gallery is free.

(Note: The exhibit runs through Dec. 4.)

The Genesee Center for the Arts at Genesee Community College has announced the return of the Theatrical Association of New York State – TANYS Festival, the weekend of Nov. 19 – 21. This is the third year in a row that TANYS will be hosted by the college.

The TANYS Festival theme is "Our Thanks to Broadway" -- an intense, three-day celebration of community theater. The festival brings together theater lovers statewide to mingle, network and make new friends.

A presentation of at least eight award-winning productions will take place, with the highly qualified Festival Adjudicator Steven Willis judging. In addition, several new workshops are scheduled in acting, directing, scene design, wireless mics and the return of some favorites, such as stage combat, auditioning and makeup.

Community residents are urged to join in the festival and discover the "theater" at the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College – a state-of-the-art facility!

"We once again welcome the TANYS festival back to Genesee Community College," said Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts at Genesee. "This is such a wonderful event for students and local theater-enthusiasts to watch performances and participate in educational acting workshops.

"Some of the best community theater actors from the across the state will be in attendance to 'wow' local audiences."

For complete details, registration and ticket on the TANYS Festival visit the website at www.tanys.org <http://www.tanys.org>, deadline for workshop registration is Nov. 15.

The Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office will be open during the festival days only, Nov. 19 to 21, contact phone number (585) 345-6814.

Genesee Community College invites artistic exhibitors for the its new Roz Steiner Art Gallery. The call is open to individual artists and group exhibitions in all media.

The new gallery is currently under construction and will be ready for exhibits in early 2011.

Interested artists and groups should send a description of the proposed exhibit, all artist contact information, artist biography, resume, quantity and size of the artwork to be displayed, and digital .JPEG image samples of the artwork.

To submit exhibition proposals, individual artists and groups can submit work to:

GCC Art Department Office
Art Gallery Committee
Genesee Community College
One College Road
Batavia, NY 14020

No submissions will be returned; accepted artists will be contacted by the exhibition chair. Submissions will be accepted on an ongoing basis, but to be considered for the 2011 spring semester they must be received by Dec. 3.

For more information, call Heather Jones at 585-343-0055, ext. 6448 or email hsjones@genesee.edu.

The 18th annual Halloween Parade is this Sunday. Start time is 1 p.m. and participants should gather behind Batavia City Centre at Dan's Tire Shop at 12:45 p.m.

The parade will go from City Centre on Main Street down to Pontillo's pizzeria.

The Batavia High School Marching Band will kick things off and there will be treats from Oliver's Candies for the first 100 kids in costume. At the end of the parade, Pontillo's will provide everyone dressed in costume with a free slice of pizza and apple cider.

A juggler named "Gravitational Bull" will give a juggling demonstration and create balloon animals for youngsters.

The entertainment is sponsored by the Batavia Youth Bureau.

Batavia Area Jaycees are managing the event and will assist the Batavia Police Department in temporarily blocking off related street entrances during the parade.

Youth Bureau Interim Director Toni Funke says she'd like to see families take part in this fun event.

No rain date. Updates of cancellation due to bad weather will be broadcast by 11:30 a.m. on WBTA. For more information, call the Youth Bureau at 345-6420.

The Genesee County Bar Association is recognizing four local organizations for their commitment to improving the lives of those in need in Genesee County.

A recognition ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 in the Grand Jury Room on the second floor of the Genesee County Courts Facility. That's also when the organizations will get monetary donations from the bar association to support their efforts.

The public is invited to attend.

Local attorneys makes countless individual contributions of funds and hours in support of local charities and community organizations. The bar members believe the four organizations listed below have made substantial efforts to support those in need. As a result, they deserve special recognition and support.

• CASA for Children (Court Appointed Special Advocates — providing volunteers to advocate for the needs of neglected and abused children in the county): $1,250

• Genesee County Youth Court (Provides a peer-review system for local troubled youth as an alternative to our adult justice system.): $500

• “People Realizing Potential” (A campaign of the Genesee ARC to assist local people with special needs.): $1,000

• Genesee County Child Advocacy Center (Provides services for local children in need.): $1,250

The Holland Land Office Museum is currently in the planning stages for this year’s fundraising event "2010 Wonderland of Trees." This is the nineth year of the event and the theme will be “Traditions.”

The museum is currently looking for schools, youth groups, service and business organizations, and groups of people to participate by decorating a Christmas tree or -- NEW this year -- a Christmas wreath (for those wishing to participate but wanting something smaller to handle).

With this year’s theme, there's a wide range of items that could be used to decorate your tree or wreath. Just FYI, you don’t have to follow the theme to participate. You could decorate your tree or wreath that represents your business or group. For example, if you own a bookstore, your ornaments could represent different book titles.

The possibilities are endless and think of all the creative fun you can have!

The Wonderland of Trees begins Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 with the gala, and runs through Saturday, Jan. 8.

Everyone is invited to participate this year. Let's make this the largest display of decorated Christmas trees or wreaths in WNY.

If you are interested or have questions, please contact Acting Director Jeff Donahue or Event Chairperson Shannon Guiste at the Holland Land Office Museum at 343-4727 between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, or on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Or you can contact in the Guiste in the evening at 343-2130.

Author James Lander will be at Present Tense bookstore in Batavia at 5 o'clock today signing copies of his latest book "Lincoln & Darwin: Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion."

Here's what historian and author James M. McPherson says about those two great men and Lander: "Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln had more in common that their birth on the same day. Both abhorred slavery, and their positions on race shared significant similarities. This stimulating book offers new insights on these two 19th Century giants whose legacy still shapes our world today."

McPherson wrote the book "Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief."
“Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln had more in common than their birth on the same day. Both abhorred slavery, and their positions on race shared significant similarities. This stimulating book offers new insights on these two nineteenth-century giants whose legacy still shapes our world today.”

Present Tense is located at 101 Washington Ave. Phone is 815-7640.