Announcements

Press release:

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce the dedication of the Library Instruction Room to the memory of Lynn E. Browne and members of the Browne Family. A dedication ceremony is planned at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.

Refreshments will be provided for the event, which is free and open to the public. Interested attendees are asked to RSVP by calling the GCC Foundation office at 585-345-6809.

Lynn E. Browne was a native of Batavia and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance. After serving in the Army with distinction during World War II, he married Phyllis Shiekman and they settled in Philadelphia where he built a successful career in the garment industry, eventually owning one of the nation's leading button distribution companies. After his wife's death, Browne returned to his beloved hometown and immersed himself in serving the Batavia community.

Browne's service included 14 years as a member of the Genesee Community College Foundation Board of Directors (1996-2010), 12 of those as treasurer. He was instrumental in overseeing substantial growth in the foundation's assets, its endowment fund, and had an unwavering commitment to student housing at College Village.

In 2006, the Genesee Community College Foundation honored Browne as the first recipient of its Alpha Medal of Service, a prestigious honor now bestowed annually on one individual who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment and service to the college. Last May, college trustees designated the library classroom to his honor.

"Throughout all of Lynn's efforts and service to Genesee Community College and the foundation students were consistently a common denominator. He continuously focused on enabling the success of students by removing the barriers that might be in their way -- whether that was student housing, scholarships or other financial concerns," said Rick Ensman, director of Development and External Affairs.

"It is therefore, very appropriate to have a room in our college library dedicated to Lynn, and we are grateful to the Browne family for sharing his crystal Alpha Medal of Service Award for this unique space."

Vic's Pizza for Paws is going on today through midnight and on Saturday, Feb. 2 from 11 a.m. through midnight. A percentage of sales at the Main Street Pizza Company will go to the Genesee County Animal Shelter for spaying and neutering animals that are adopted.

The pizzeria is located at 206 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia. Phone is 343-0007.

St. Paul Lutheran School will hold its annual Benefit Auction on Saturday, Feb. 2. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the auctioneer begins at 4. It will be held in the school lunchroom (the church basement), located at 31 Washington Ave. in the City of Batavia.

The auction raises money to provide a Christian education for 3-year-old preschoolers through fifth-graders in our community. There's a fantastic selection of handmade items, crafts, theme baskets, gift certificates, vacation packages, novelties, and more.

A bake sale and concession stand will offer tasty supper options and homemade desserts. Bring your family and friends for a fun, night out – this is an event not to be missed!

To learn more about St. Paul Lutheran School, please view the school's Web site at www.stpaulbatavia.org/school

Press release:

Back in 2002, Mark Warford of Buffalo and Dave Halligan of Rochester chatted at a Buffalo ceili dance about how great it would be to get Buffalo and Rochester traditional Irish musicians together for a seisiún somewhere between the two cities. O´Lacy´s Irish Pub, located in equidistant Batavia provided the perfect locale for such a project.

What has emerged from that initial conversation is what has been dubbed The Fin-Wyn Seisiún Gathering (c. 2003). Named for the Rochester (Tom FINuncane) and Buffalo (Martin WYNne) Branches of the international Irish arts organization, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Fin-Wyn gathers traditional enthusiasts from all over Western New York and beyond at O'Lacy's Irish Pub.

The 10th anniversary gathering starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10 at O'Lacy's, located at 5 School St. in the City of Batavia.

As the word connotes, seisiún is an Irish word that corresponds somewhat to the American notion of the "jam session." It hearkens back to the folk revival of the later half of the 20th Century, which promoted the spread of Irish dance music from ceili halls to corner pubs.

United by a common vocabulary of "chunes," musicians the world over regularly gather to string together the traditional Irish dance tunes into "sets" at their local Irish pub. There is a term in Irish for the mystical quality of a good seisiún: craic; though it is hard to define, the sense of it is instantly known by regulars.

At this 10th Anniversary Gathering, the Fin-Wyn is honored by the participation of guest of honor, Brian Holleran, a student of the legendary flutist, Mike Rafferty, who was among the regulars featured in the premiere live recording of an American Irish seisiún, "Live at Mona´s." In addition to leading off the seisiún, Holleran will facilitate a pre-seisiún, advanced-level flute workshop. More information is available on the Facebook page, ´The Fin-Wyn Web´

Winter may still have Western New York in its grip, but the HomeCare & Hospice Guild is looking for some extra hands to help provide an early taste of spring.

To make the event a success, volunteers are needed help sort flowers on March 3 or deliver flowers on March 4 and 5 to businesses that have pre-sale orders or even assist with on-site sales beginning March 5.

The guild is celebrating 19 years of flower power and members plan on distributing Traditional Spring Bouquets ($8) and Bouquets of Hope ($16) throughout Genesee and Wyoming, Allegany, and Cattaraugus counties.

Proceeds will benefit the HomeCare & Hospice Foundation.

Drivers for flower delivery are the greatest need. Anyone who can volunteer to help should contact Linda Cummings at 585-343-7596 or 1-877-277-2615.

To order bouquets or learn more about HomeCare & Hospice services, visit <http://www.homecare-hospice.org>.

Press release:

A service to honor four Army chaplains who gave their lives to save fellow soldiers 70 years ago, will be held at the Le Roy United Methodist Church at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3, and the public is invited.

The service will feature music, an Honor Guard, the National Anthem, hymns, the story of the Four Chaplains read by Jim Neider, Adjutant of the Genesee County American Legion and Scripture readings by various clergy. At the conclusion of the indoor ceremony there will be wreath laying and taps at the Four Chaplains Monument in Trigon Park, only one of three in New York State.

A reception will follow at the Le Roy Servicemen’s Club, 53 W. Main St.

On Feb. 3, 1943 the U.S.A.T Dorchester was sunk by a German torpedo only 150 miles off the coast of Greenland. Of the 902 young men on board, only 230 survived. Many of those survivors owe their lives to the courage and leadership exhibited by the heroic Four Chaplains who, in sacrificing their lives, created a unique legacy of brotherhood.

Since 1951, the Chapel of the Four Chaplains has spread the message of interfaith cooperation and selfless service, touching the lives of people across this great country. Thousands of Four Chaplains Memorial services are held across the nation on or near Feb. 3rd each year to pay tribute to their act of courage.

The Four Chaplains -- rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Methodist minister George L. Fox, Dutch Reformed pastor Clark V. Poling and Catholic priest John P. Washington -- met in November 1942, while attending chaplain’s school at Harvard University. They became good friends and were aboard the Dorchester when it was torpedoed.

It was just after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943. An enemy submarine fired a torpedo toward the U.S.A.T. DORCHESTER’s aging flank. The missile exploded in the boiler room, destroying the electric supply and releasing suffocating clouds of steam and ammonia gas. Many on board died instantly; some were trapped below deck. Others jolted from their bunks, groped and stumbled their way to the decks of the stricken vessel. Taking on water rapidly, the ship began listing to starboard.

Overcrowded lifeboats capsized; rafts drifted away before anyone could reach them. Men clung to the rails, frozen with fear, unable to let go and plunge into the dark, churning water far below.

The testimony of survivors tells us that the sole order and the only fragment of hope in this chaos came from the Four Chaplains, who calmly guided men to their boat stations. They opened a storage locker and distributed life jackets. Then they coaxed the terrified men over the side.

Soon the supply of life jackets was exhausted. Several survivors report watching in awe as the Four Chaplains either gave away or forced upon other young men their own life jackets. These four men of God had given away their only means of saving themselves in order to save others. The chaplains gathered together, and led the men around them in a prayer and a hymn. They linked their arms together as the slant of the deck became severe. And just that way, with their arms linked in brotherhood and their heads bowed in prayer, they sank beneath the waves.

“It is the timeless message of selflessness and sacrifice for one’s fellow man that needs to be repeated and remembered even today,” Neider stated.

Arista Power and the Genesee County Economic Development Center will be having FREE educational workshops on solar energy and how the Solarize Genesee program works.

Solar energy, the installation process, financing, and a variety of other topics regarding solar energy will be covered.

The workshops are open to all of the community. Solarize Genesee is a new community solar program that is offering solar buyers a discount by bulk purchasing as a community. The more solar systems that are purchased, the more the cost will go down for everyone!

The education workshop schedule follows:

• Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at GCEDC, Room 214
• Thursday, Feb. 7, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at GCEDC, Room 214
• Monday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Batavia Town Hall
• Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at GCEDC, Room 214

Press release:

The BEST Center at Genesee Community College is excited to offer a new online course for Macintosh computer users: Introduction to Microsoft Word 2011 for Mac.

Participants in the course will learn how to use the world's most popular word processor on the Mac, creating documents and formatting text. They'll master tips and techniques for editing and formatting documents, adding images, sharing documents, and much more.

This course is part of The BEST Center's growing catalog of more than 300 instructor-facilitated online courses, offered through a partnership with ed2go. These high quality, noncredit courses feature well-crafted lessons from an expert instructor, as well as interaction with fellow students. The instructor facilitates every course, pacing learners, answering questions, giving feedback, and facilitating discussions.

The courses are entirely Web-based with comprehensive lessons, quizzes, and assignments and new sessions of each course run every month. They last six weeks, with two new lessons being released weekly (for a total of 12).

Participants in these online courses gain valuable knowledge at their convenience with the flexibility to study at their own pace, but with adequate structure and support to complete the course. The classroom is accessible 24/7 from any Internet connection.

For more information, call The BEST Center (Business Employee Skills Training) at GCC at 585-345-6868 or visit www.bestcenter.org.

Press release:

The Batavia Concert Band is already preparing for their 2013 Summer Concert Series in Centennial Park.  As part of those preparations, the Board of Directors is currently soliciting applications for the position of Conductor. Interested applicants may contact President Jill Arent for more information, including application materials.  Jill may be reached at lizllij@gmail.com.

Press release:

Robert L. Boyce, of Le Roy, has been elected president of the Genesee Community College Foundation, continuing his longstanding commitment and dedication to the institution.

Boyce has served as a member of the GCC Foundation Board of Directors since 2005, most recently as first vice president. He has also volunteered his time and energy in a number of different capacities including serving on the Finance Committee and the Fund Development Committee as chairman, the Risk Management Committee, several Annual Campaign committees, as well as the search committees for GCC's annual fund director.

Boyce, now an independent licensed insurance broker for Tompkins Insurance Agencies, was the president and CEO of Ernest Townsend and Son, Inc., from 1972 through 2000, when he sold his interest in the firm to the Tompkins Holding Company.

His other civic leadership commitments include nine years on the United Memorial Medical Center Group Board including a term as president; 10 years serving as president with the Le Roy Emergency Ambulance Service; and 27 years as a member and past president of the Le Roy International Rotary Club where he is also a Paul Harris Fellow.

Boyce served in the Army and graduated with a Business degree from the University of Buffalo.

In his spare time, Boyce enjoys time with his wife, Elizabeth (Beth), their three adult children and six grandchildren. He is also a 40-year veteran season ticket holder for both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.

A blood drive at United Memorial Medical Center is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28. It will be held at the hospital’s main campus on North Street in Batavia. The American Red Cross mobile unit will be parked near the front entrance of United Memorial. Each presenting donor will receive a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

United Memorial, through a contractual agreement with the Red Cross, sponsors a number of blood drives throughout the year. Donors help the hospital reach donor goals, which offset and help reduce the cost of blood products received through the American Red Cross.

Appointments for Monday's blood drive may be made by calling 344-5474. Walk-ins are welcome.

Press release:

The Health and Physical Education department at Genesee Community College is pleased to announce that Byron-Bergen Elementary School has been crowned the winner of the 2012 "Play to Get Fit Challenge."

The Genesee Play to Get Fit Program was created for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) region to show how many minutes they spend active outside of school. Children kept track of the time they spent in physically active play when they were not in school through a specially designed "Play to Get Fit" calendar log. Walking, biking, running, skating, swimming, playing a sport, playing tag, playing on a swing set and other active, creative games were all eligible for active "credit."

However, video fitness games such as Wii Fit and Wii Sports were not eligible.

Byron-Bergen Elementary won with an average total of 2,778.95 minutes spent active outside of school. Principal Brian Meister was presented with a plaque by Becky Dziekan, GCC's director of Health and Physical Education and the students at Byron-Bergen were rewarded with a pizza party.

Genesee Community College prioritizes sports and recreation programs as an area of study. Transfer Degree Programs (A.S.) include Physical Education Studies and Sport Management Studies. Career Degree Programs (A.A.S.) include Fitness and Recreation Management, which offers a new Golf Management Concentration to help turn your passion for golf into a career.

"We firmly believe that good healthy living starts in primary school and at the earliest ages and we hope to encourage people having active, fulfilling lives," Professor Dziekan said. "This was our first Play to Get Fit initiative, but we strongly hope it will not be our last. We congratulate Byron-Bergen for this accomplishment and to all the participating students in the GLOW area for their effort and recognition of the value of being physically active."

Press release:

For adult students who are looking to further their education after past experiences in the workforce, military, raising family, or similar encounters along life's journey -- the uneasiness and anxiety of returning to the classroom may be overwhelming.

Genesee Community College students in that category now have a new outlet and opportunity to share their fears and experiences with others in the same situation.
John Sherman, Brenda Sheflin, Keith Compton, Jeremy Weatherbee, Michelle Taylor and Richard Long teamed up last semester to form the Returning Adult Student Organization (RASO) support group at GCC.

The opportunity to talk to others who have similar fears about returning to school, help build confidence in the new environment, overcome the awkwardness of being in a classroom, and learn what has worked and what has not worked for others in the past are just a few of the many areas the new student group hopes to address.

RASO invites any student 24 years or older to join them in networking, sharing real work experiences, offering advice, creating study groups, offering computer support and other areas of assistance.

For more information on RASO and upcoming meetings and events, contact Brenda Sheflin at 585-343-0055, ext. 6185, or by e-mail at bjsheflin@genesee.edu.

Students can still enroll in the Spring 2013 semester and register for classes, which begin Jan. 14.

Genesee County Justice for Children Advocacy Center has been awarded re-accreditation by National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.

As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first.

Accredited CAC’s must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that best practices are continually being applied. With accreditation standards being updated in 2010, re-accreditation this year reflects the Justice for Children Advocacy Center’s commitment to providing evidence-based methods practice.

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center provides services to the children of GLOW region-Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. In 2011 the Justice for Children Advocacy Center provided services to 184 children and their families. In 2012, it provided services to 237 children and their families. As an Accredited Member of the National Children’s Alliance, The Justice for Children Advocacy Center is dedicated to providing comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.

National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims. Accredited members must utilize a functioning and effective multidisciplinary team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and child focused setting.

“As a team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of maintaining Accredited status from National Children’s Alliance. Re-accreditation not only validates our organization’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention, but also contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Anne Bezon, Justice for Children Advocacy Center Supervisor.

Teresa Huizar, executive director of National Children’s Alliance, said: "The Justice for Children Advocacy Center is commended for its continued commitment to effectively serve victims of child abuse. As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high quality services that result from professional collaboration.

"By requiring Accredited Centers to undergo re-accreditation every five years, we ensure that evidence-based practices are being implemented and the highest quality of services is being provided."

The mission of the Justice for Children Advocacy Center and Genesee County Multi-Disciplinary Team is to seek to reduce the incidence of child sexual and physical abuse, to minimize trauma to alleged child victims, and to promote healing for victims and their families by coordinating services at a single child-friendly facility.

A two-part NYS Snowmobile Safety Course will be conducted at the Town of Pembroke Town Hall from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19. It is sponsored by the Millgrove Sportsments Club, Genesee Sno-Packers and Snowmobile Club and CoPeDa Snowmobile Club.

The two hall is located at Route 77 and Route 5 in Corfu.

The course is free to adults and children age 10 or older. Children under 18 must take the course -- required by the New York State Parks and Recreation -- to drive a snowmobile. The instructors for the Snowmobile Safety Course are certified by NYS.

You must sign up for the course and attend both classes, where you register at. All materials for the Snowmobile Safety Course will be furnished. Those that pass the written exam will be issued a patch, certificate and a license. There is no charge for this course and no instructors make a dime on this course -- it is all volunteer.

Pre-register by calling 585-599-6431 or 585-937-9536 after 5:30 p.m.

I lost a precious silver celtic ring in Batavia on 12/26/2012.  I was in three locations that day - the Rite Aid, M&T Bank and Plaza Spirits.  The ring really has no monetary value - just sentimental value.

If found - I would be so grateful if you could call me at either 585-343-5365 (just ask for Lynn) or email me at lhalicki@aol.com.

Thank you.

Batavia Country Club now has live entertainment on Friday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight. There's a small cover charge, with drink specials and food available. The full winter lineup can be seen at <http://bataviacc.com>

Here's the upcoming schedule for the live bands at Batavia CC:

Dec. 28 -- Widowmaker

Jan. 4 -- Amanda's Rage

Jan. 11 -- Unruly Band

Jan. 18 -- Haymaker

Jan. 25 -- Monster Johnson

Feb. 1 -- Red Creek

Feb. 8 -- Amanda's Revenge

Feb. 15 -- Haymaker

Feb. 22 -- Monster Johnson

Members of Brownie Troop 42001 dropped by the Child Advocacy Center on Christmas Eve with a cookie donation. Pictured are Claire Taylor. Arianna Armstrong, Grace Flannary and Portia Rannalli.