Announcements

The Mighty St. Joe's Drum & Bugle Corps invites people who are interested in joining its ranks to an Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, at Wolcott Street School in Le Roy.

The school is located at 2-6 Trigon Park (off East Main Street).

Mighty St. Joe's Drum & Bugle Corps is a noncompetitive group from the WNY/Rochester area, which participates in parades, indoor concerts and field shows. It is looking for new members of all ages and all sections, including brass, percussion, working guard and Honor Guard.

All levels of experience are welcome.

Visit MSJ on the Web at:  www.mightystjoes.com

Send email inquiries to:  mightystjoes@gmail.com

Press release:

The Genesee County 4-H Program is looking for volunteers to help with its upcoming 4-H Public Presentations Program.

The 4-H Public Presentations Program gives 4-H youth an opportunity to expand their public speaking skills in a fun, competitive format.  

The 4-H Public Presentations Program would not be possible without volunteer evaluators! Evaluators watch 4-H youth participants give presentations and provide them with constructive comments to help improve their public speaking skills.

The 2018 4-H Public Presentations Events will be held on Saturday, Feb.17^th, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Byron-Bergen School, and Thursday, March 15^th, 3 – 5 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Office in Batavia.

If you are interested in serving as an evaluator at one or both of these events, please contact the Genesee County 4-H Office at genesee4h@cornell.edu or 585-343-3040, ext. 101.

(Above photo: Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School National Geographic Bee champion Matthew Tanner, left, and runner-up Nicholas Zwerka celebrate their achievements.)

Submitted photos and press release:

Students from both Byron-Bergen schools proved their mastery of geography on Jan. 4 as the school hosted its annual National Geographic Bee competitions, sponsored by the National Geographic Society.

At the Jr./Sr. High School, after an exciting battle of wits and global knowledge, Matthew Tanner was declared the Byron-Bergen Geographic Bee champion. He was given a medal and awarded a $30 Amazon gift card. Runner-up Nicholas Zwerka received a $20 Amazon gift card.

(Inset photo, left: Student Jack Farner is the top winner of the Byron-Bergen Elementary School’s National Geographic Bee.)

At the Elementary School, the title of Geographic Bee champion was awarded to fifth-grader Jack Farner, who edged out fellow fifth-grader Jackson Lundfelt for the honor.

Participants from both schools qualified for the Bee by achieving high scores on a test taken in December. Both winners will now take another written test, which will be submitted to the National Geographic Society. If their scores are among the highest in New York State, they may be invited to participate in the state competition. State winners go on to the televised national bee held in May in Washington, D.C.

The school is very proud of all the contestants.

Jr./Sr. High School participants included — Seventh grade: Molly Belknap, Jack Benstead, Cameron Carlson, Caris Carlson, Evan Cuba, Kendan Dressler, Gianni Ferrara, Alec Kulikowski, Kendall Phillips, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew Rimmerman, Alexandria Schuck, Matthew Tanner, Lillian Walker, and Nicholas Zwerka; Eighth grade: Ashton Gavenda, Grace Huhn, Madelyn Pimm, Elli Schelemanow, Ella VanValkenburg, Claire Williams, Corden Zimmerman, and Josh Zittel.

Elementary School Geo Bees were — Fourth grade: Liam Boyle, Colin Rea, and Simone Scharvogel. Fifth grade: Ryan Benstead, Jake Carlson, Deborah Catalino, Noah Clare, Ada Clookey, Owen Cuba, Craig Diquattro, Lea Donofrio, Jack Farner, Rachel Hanel, Landon Kent, Eli Kupfer, Jackson Lundfelt, Martin Mac Connell, and Anna McLaughlin. Sixth grade: Brody Baubie, Braedyn Chambry, Grayson Erion, Aurora Hiscutt, Stephanie Onderdonk, Brendan Pimm, Carter Prinzi, and Quintin Rich.

The National Geographic Bees are coordinated by the schools’ social studies teachers Aaron Clark, Ken Gropp, and Nick Muhlenkamp.

For more information on the National Geographic Bee, visit here.

Press release:

Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. It is a progressive and fatal brain disease that is the most common form of dementia.

“The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease” is a free class presented by the Alzheimer’s Association Western New York Chapter for anyone who would like to know more about the disease and related dementias.

The program will be offered at The Manor House (427 E. Main St.) in Batavia at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10.

Attendees will learn:  

• Symptoms and effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia
• How Alzheimer’s affects the brain
• Causes and risk factors
• How to find out if it’s Alzheimer’s disease 
• The benefits of early detection
• Treatment
• Resources in your community, including the Alzheimer’s Association WNY Chapter  

There is no cost to attend this public presentation, but registration is encouraged by calling 1.800.272.3900.

Press release:

The Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AEOC) has announced a yearlong schedule of open monthly sessions designed to get anyone started on their way to a college degree!

These sessions will be held at Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus at One College Road, Batavia.

As with all AEOC Services, these sessions are FREE and available both by appointment and walk-in! During these sessions, the AEOC's Outreach Specialists will help potential college applicants with a variety of services, including:

Financial Aid Counseling: help completing the FAFSA, understanding various financial aid options including student loans and Pell grants, retrieving transcripts, and assistance with special circumstance applications.

Enrollment Assistance: completing college applications or enrollment forms, ACT Test registration and completing Entrance Exam Prep through Accuplacer. 

Veterans Services: AEOC outreach specialists are trained to assist any veteran in navigating services available for higher education.

Appointments and walk-in sessions will be held in the Conable Technology Building at GCC's Batavia Campus. Both appointment and walk-in sessions will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each of the following days:

Wednesday, Jan. 24, in T122

Wednesday, Feb. 21, in T121

Wednesday, March 21, in T121

Wednesday, April 25, in T122

Wednesday, May 16, in T122

Wednesday, June 27, in T122

Wednesday, July 25, in T122

Wednesday, Aug. 22, in T122

Wednesday, Sept. 26, in T122

Wednesday, Oct. 24, in T122

Wednesday, Nov. 28, in T122

Wednesday, Dec. 19, in T121

Appointments are available on additional dates by request. To schedule any appointment, please email AEOC@genesee.edu or contact Adult Education Director Kate Trombley, M.S., at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6285.

It is important to note that these College Entry Point Sessions are not limited to students attending or planning to attend GCC. Anyone interested in attending any college or in need of assistance in getting started can participate. Information regarding GCC and all other area colleges will be available at these sessions.

Press release:

Join the Genesee County Master Gardeners on Feb. 6 for our first Garden Talk of the year, “A Photo Garden Tour of Chanticleer Gardens.” Get rid of the winter blues with a look at Chanticleer’s spectacular gardens, described as “America's most inspiring garden.”

Located outside of Philadelphia, Chanticleer is a colorful, contemporary garden within an historic setting. Adolph Rosengarten Jr., bequeathed the family estate for the enjoyment and education of the public following his death in 1990. The garden opened to the public in 1993 and has since been a magical place to visit.

Future topics include: a program on creating cutting gardens on March 6; a demonstration on how to make your own corsages on April 3; tips for growing great canna lilies on May 1 and on June 5 a program about a new invasive pest that has been showing up locally – jumping worms.

All Garden Talk programs run from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Bring your lunch to the CCE office (420 E. Main St., Batavia) and join us for this free series. Registration is NOT required.

Future topics and other Master Gardener events will be posted on the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County website athttp://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/

Notice from the Genesee County Legislature:

SMRT architects, engineers and planners will present an analysis of conditions to date / interim status report on the Genesee County Jail to the Genesee County Legislature at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, in the Legislature Conference Room at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

Press release:

The Town of Bethany will have a Food Link event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Bethany Community Center. It is located at 10510 Bethany Center Road, Bethany.

There are no income requirements or restrictions.

Anyone wishing to volunteer, please phone Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. at 343-1399 or email him at  tob-supervisor@townofbethany.com

The Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter would like to find forever homes for three special felines. Here are their stories as written and provided by the volunteers.

Jake (inset photo, left) is a great cat that just needs a break. His original owner went on vacation and decided to never come back. Poor Jake -- he didn’t even know that was possible! The neighbor caring for Jake didn’t want him, and took him to be euthanized.

Luckily, fate had another plan for Jake. Eventually, Jake went into foster to see exactly what kind of kitty he was, and it turns out he’s a pretty awesome cat.

Although not his favorite activity, Jake doesn’t mind being picked up or carried around. He is OK with a nail trim, but we didn’t notice him scratching on anything at all.

Jake is a low-flying cat -- you’re not going to find him up on your worktop or table. And he just loves a good all-over brushing, especially with his zoom-groom brush. He will purr for hours while you brush him to a high-gloss finish.

Jake lives for certain kitty treats. Once you find the right one, he can be trained to come running with the crinkle of a bag. Jake is likely to hide in his new surroundings at first, but after a week or two, he will be comfortable enough to stop hiding, especially if he has a comfy cat bed to lie on instead. After several weeks in foster, Jake was seeking out people in another room for petting and brushing. If we didn’t notice him, he would meow to say “I’m ready, where’s the brush!?!” Jake even hopped up on the bed at night for a little scratch. He certainly earned his foster mom’s seal of approval.

The generous vets at State Street Animal Hospital provided Jake with the dental work he needed in order to live in comfort, so he is all set medically. Jake’s not a young cat, but he wasn’t ready to be swept under the rug yet either -- he’s got several great years left in him.

All he wants is a warm, quiet house - a place where he can relax, and just enjoy being your pet. Jake was very tolerant of all the cats in his foster home, but he will adjust much faster if he is not in a busy home with other cats, dogs, or boisterous children.

Come in and meet him. We’ve got the zoom-groom brush waiting! It’s Jake’s turn to go on vacation now, and he’s hoping to stay there forever and never come back, too!

Maddie (inset photo, left) is a spitfire. She loves to romp and play but can get a little too excited.

She has been with us a long time and really needs a home of her own.

Maddie needs a cat-savvy human that will understand her catitude!

She would do best in a home with no children or other animals.

A very nice volunteer has paid half of Maddie's adoption fee, so she is only $30.

Dusty (inset photo, right) strayed into a kind lady’s yard dragging one hind leg. She was good enough to call the shelter and bring him in. A vet check determined that his leg had been badly broken.

And though it was somewhat healed, the break was so bad that even if he’d been brought in right after it happened he’d never be able to walk on it. Amputation was the only option. He was vaccinated, treated for fleas, worms, and ear mites, given a surgery date, and kept comfortable in the infirmary at the shelter.

After his amputation and neutering, Dusty went to a foster home for some T.L.C. and recovery. He was an ideal patient! He took his pain medicine easily, without complaint. He was up and walking right away.

It took him just a few days to adjust to the new weight and balance of his body. He quickly learned to hop up on and off the furniture. Keeping his balance in the litter pan was a little bit trickier but he never missed the pan or had an accident anywhere. Combing, petting and a good diet are starting to bring his coat back to a soft lustrous tan and black tabby.

Throughout all of this Dusty has been more than a perfect gentleman. Always cheerful, he is outgoing and likes people. He approaches both men and women who come into his room. He loves to be stroked and combed, and get gentle belly rubs. He is never rough with his paws.

He loves to sit on a lap, or beside a person on a couch. His favorite game is to lay on his side and play with a toy dangled on a string. And bird watching at the window would never be turned down!

Dusty would be a perfect partner for an elderly person, or couple, who want a quiet, steady companion. Perhaps a shut-in or a person with a disability would benefit from his calm confidence and "can do" attitude. Or perhaps it will be love at first sight with someone unexpected! He is an exceptional cat!

Genesee County Animal Shelter

3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia

Hours: Sun., Mon., Tues., Fri. 1-3 p.m.

Wednesday 1-3 and 7-9 p.m.

Closed Thursdays

Saturday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m

A fundraiser for a family whose 6-month-old daughter is recuperating from brain surgery will be held this Saturday, Jan. 6, at Sacred Heart Social Center in Batavia. It is located at 17 Sumner St.

"Caring for Cailyn" will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. and feature delicious food catered by the Dibble Family Center as well as a cash bar and live music from the OHMS Band. There will also be a Chinese auction and silent auction.

Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door or in advance at Batavia Tailors & Cleaners, located at 52 Ellicott St., Batavia. (No credit cards please, cash or checks accepted.)

Little Kailyn Fenton, of Rochester, is the granddaughter of the owners of Batavia Tailors & Cleaners, Kathy and Jim DuRei. The infant was born with hydrocephalus and had surgery in September to put in a shunt to relieve the fluid build up on her brain.

"She's doing really well now," grandma Kathy says.

The money raised Saturday will help the family offset medical expenses.

(Submitted photo) Entreprenuers Vicki Wood, left, and Michelle Gillard will host the Grand Opening of The E.O.C. – Essential Oil Center this Saturday in Batavia.

Information provided by The E.O.C.:

Vicki Wood and Michelle Gillard are excited to announce the Grand Opening of The E.O.C. – Essential Oil Center this Saturday. 

The E.O.C. is located on the REAR side of the Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

You are invited to stop by the Grand Opening Jan. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. and see the hundreds of oils and oil-infused products in stock. There is literally something for everyone.

Most people have heard about essential oils but they may not know the different varieties and how they can be used. There is so much to learn and discover about essential oils.

"This is strictly an education center," Gillard said. "It is not a retail store."

You can attend a variety of classes at The E.O.C. free of charge. 

The E.O.C. is affiliated with Young Living Essential Oils, a worldwide network marketing organization.

You don't have to buy Young Living Essential Oils to take classes at The E.O.C. If you choose to buy the Young Living Essential Oils Premium Starter Kit, it costs $160 and is comprised of 11 essential oils, a diffuser, some samples and a one-year membership in Young Living.

If you choose to renew your membership after a year, you can do so by buying $50 worth of Young Living products.

Whether you are a beginner with little or no knowledge of essential oils, or you're an avid user, The E.O.C. classes are designed to educate people about the value, importance and necessity of incorporating essential oils and oil-infused products into their life and homes. The class schedule changes monthly.

View the upcoming classes here. 

Questions or comments? Call Michelle Gillard at 297-0779 or Vicki Wood at 749-9411.

(Editor's Note: This post was updated on Jan. 5 to include information about the global network marketing company, Young Living Essential Oils, affiliated with The E.O.C.)

Press release:

There’s so much talk these days about how polarized we have become as a nation. People digging in and unable to hear what others are saying. Trying to turn differences of opinions into win – lose arguments.

We also may feel so resentful of people who disagree with us that we want to dominate or eliminate them. People are hurt, and we walk away shaking our heads, wondering why. But what if there was another way?

We would like to invite you to an event to talk about some of our struggles. We will be holding a community event called “Can We Talk?" on Thursday, Jan. 18^th, 7 p.m. at the YWCA, 301 North St. in Batavia.

We will be joined by Professor Barry Gan, director of the Center for Nonviolence at St. Bonaventure University, along with Gary Pudup, Upstate coordinator of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, and Eugene Jankowski, Batavia City Council president and gun rights advocate.

Professor Gan will help us experience how we can talk about issues of disagreement and work to foster understanding and common solutions in our daily interaction with others.

We encourage everyone to bring friends and family, and participate in this opportunity to make your world a more peaceful place.

Event Planning Committee:

Reverend Roula Alkhouri, Ph.D., YWCA Board Member

Reverend James Morasco, Morganville United Church of Christ

Joanne Beck, Batavia YWCA