Announcements

From the VA Medical Center:

A special observance will take place Friday, November 21 at VA Western New York Healthcare System, 3495 Bailey Avenue, to increase awareness about Native American culture and services. 

The program will take place at 9:30am in Freedom Hall, room 301.  Sheldon Sundown, a mental health peer advocate from Native American Independent Living Services will discuss programs and services available to Native Americans living on area Nation territories and in urban areas to include Independent living, family support services, reimbursement program, to veterans, employees and the public. 

In addition to the presentation, A Native American drum group will provide entertainment.

James P. Cody, interim medical center director stated, “VA WNY Healthcare System salutes and honors all American Indian and Alaska Native contributions to the Department and our society.

During this month’s observance, we specifically express our appreciation for these contributions and for the dedicated service by our American Indian and Alaska Native veterans."

From Genesee Community College:

John C. Dwyer of Batavia was re-elected President of the Genesee Community College Foundation, Inc. at Wednesday night's annual meeting of the Foundation Board of Directors. Mr. Dwyer will serve his third one-year term in that office. For many years, Mr. Dwyer was a well-known Batavia retailer. He also served as executive director of the Genesee County Industrial Development Agency (now known as the Genesee County Economic Development Center)

Also elected to one-year terms as officers were:

• Timothy D. Woodward, of Batavia, First Vice President. Mr. Woodward is a President of Gilmartin Funeral Home and a member of Genesee's Class of 1971.
• Stuart Steiner, of Batavia, Second Vice President. Dr. Steiner is President of Genesee Community College.
• Toni Ann Moore, of Leicester, Secretary. Mrs. Moore is a court administrator and Livingston County farm operator.
•Brian M. Daviau, of Batavia, Treasurer. Mr. Daviau is Accounting Manager of Markin Tubin Co. and a member of Genesee's Class of 1981.

New members of the Board of Directors include:

• Richard L. Fish of Perry. Mr. Fish is Chairman of Complete Payroll Processing.
• Monica Hale Dawson of Batavia. Mrs. Dawson is Secretary-Treasurer of Shepard Maxwell Hale Insurance.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors were Robert J. Bennett of LeRoy, Vice President, Bank of Castile; Robert L. Boyce of LeRoy, Vice President of Tompkins Insurance Co.; Lynn E. Browne of Batavia, retired manufacturing and distribution exec utive; Roger F. Christiano of Batavia, President of Christiano Cellular Group; Mr. Dwyer; Vito J. Gautieri of Attica, President of V.J. Gautieri Development of Batavia, Inc.; Jerry L. Reinhart of Batavia, retired President of the former Access Rentals and local entrepreneur; Thomas McCormick of Bliss, President of McCormick Farms.

At a special meeting of Genesee Community College Foundation Housing Services, Inc., (the Foundation's real estate and student housing corporation), members elected officers for one-year terms:

• Norbert J. Fuest of Attica as President of GCCFHS. Mr. Fuest is Director of Human Resources at Morton Salt.
• Mr. Bennett, Vice President.
• Dr. Steiner, Secretary.
• Mr. Browne, Treasurer.

Re-elected to three-year terms on the GCCFHS Board were Marcia H. Noonan of Batavia, Administrator of Victorian Manor and Mr. Browne.

From the VA Medical Center:

Thanksgiving dinner will be served to homeless and other needy veterans and their families, Sunday, November 23, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Buffalo VA, 3495 Bailey Avenue. Judi Kaczmarek, Human Resources Specialist has organized the event for the last eight years. 

She has been gratified with the response received by both the staff and the veterans served from previous years.  The event occurs the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day in order to provide a hot meal to those in need.   Admission is by ticket only.  Homeless veterans and veterans in need can call 881-5855 to obtain a ticket and learn more about transportation.

About 150 veterans and their families will be treated to a turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings that will be served by staff in the VA Food Court located in the hospital's lower level. Veteran Service Organizations and other community groups have made donations for the event.

Entertainment by children of staff and a magic show will highlight the festivities this year. VA health care and other veterans’ benefits information will be provided to veterans with the opportunity to enroll in VA health care at the event.

From the Batavia Business Improvement District:

Join in the holiday spirit at the 13th annual Christmas in the City is Friday, December 5, 2008, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. in downtown Batavia. 

Activities include entertainment by the Batavia Concert Band and In Jest, over twenty vendors selling food and gifts, free horse and wagon rides, Batavia Muckdog & Red Wing mascots and lots more for all ages.  Winners of the Holiday Ornament Contest will be announced that evening in Batavia City Centre.

More than twenty downtown merchants will have in store entertainment, special sales & drawings, along with refreshments for the holiday shopper.

For more information about the event or to be a vendor contact the Batavia Business Improvement District at 585-344-0900 or visit www.downtownbataviany.com.

What:  "Annual Cookie Auction." Members bring their favorite cookies, pies, cakes, candy or fudge to raise money for the Scholarship Fund.

When: Dec. 4, 2008 - 5:30 p.m.

Where: Bohn's Restaurant, Clinton St. Batavia.

Dinner: Chicken Parmesean, Pasta, Rolls, Coffee and Dessert.

Cost: $15.00

RSVP by Nov. 28 to Connie 343-4603 or Sarah 343-3096

Guests are always welcome!

At 6 p.m., Monday, the Richmond Library will host a discussion, lead by Paul McCullough, on computers. The subject is whether you should buy a new computer or just upgrade or repair your current computer.

Learn the things to consider when making this potentially costly decision. Learn some of the software issues to consider. The class if free. Contact the library at 343-9550, ext. 3 to register.

We received this notice for parents of Batavia City school students:

Our school district will soon be able to contact you by an automated telephone/voice messaging system to notify you of emergency closings, important notifications, and specific school events.

We believe that this notification system is important as it will help to:
• Support safety and security in our schools
• Improve communication among our students, their families and the school district
• Contact our families and community about important events in a timely manner
• Increase family involvement in school activities and programs

In order to ensure that you receive these vital messages, it is necessary that we have your current phone number(s) on file. If you have already provided us with your revised phone numbers, we thank you. If you would like to update your telephone number(s), please contact the Main Office of the building your child attends.  If you have children in multiple buildings, you will only need to call one building to update your parent contact information for all your children’s records. Please contact us at 585-343-2480.

Ext. 2000 – High School
Ext. 3000 – Middle School
Ext. 4000 – Jackson Elementary
Ext. 5000 – John Kennedy Elementary
Ext. 6000 – Robert Morris Elementary

Please also let us know if you have any special needs to help us better communicate with you using this messaging system.  We thank you for your efforts to develop a strong partnership for our students.

Information submitted by Pam Buresch

It’s been just about a year since members of Miss Betsey Bodine's ND Environmental Awareness Club started actively filling up the large, green and yellow Abitibi recycling container which is located in the parking lot behind Notre Dame! Who says every little piece of paper doesn't add up!

Members of the ND family -faculty and staff, students, parents and friends of ND - can be proud of the fact that 25.27 tons - yes, tons!!! - of paper have been recycled during the past year through our Abitibi!

Congratulations on a job well done and keep up the good work!

Please pass the word . . . you do not have to be a member of the ND family to recycle in our recycling bin! Please encourage your friends, neighbors and relatives to use our Abitibi for recycling their papers and magazines and join us in our attempt to keep our campus - and our little bit of the world - GREEN!

Picture caption:  Student recyclers pose next to the Abitibi pickup truck on Friday, October 3, 2008. (L to R):  Haley Alexander '10, Alex Sandra Morgan '10, Sidney Moag '11, Sophia DelPlato '11 and Paul Teresi '11.

Item submitted by Notre Dame.

Elizabeth Fischer, daughter of Michael and Mary Anne Fischer of Medina, and a member of the ND Class of 2009 has been designated a Commended Student in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program.  Commended students are recognized for having demonstrated outstanding academic potential by their strong performance on the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) which our current Juniors and Seniors took last October.  Our current Sophomores and Juniors will take the 2008 version of the NMSQT on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. 

Beth’s high Selection Index score on the PSAT exam last October places her among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students in over 21,000 high schools who entered the 2009 competition.  Commended students are named on the basis of a national selection index of 200 which is applicable to all participants, without regard to state-by-state distribution.

A member in good standing of the ND Chapter of the National Honor Society since her Sophomore year, Beth has earned High Honor roll status in each quarter of her ND career, as well as highest average recognition in Biology and Global Studies 9 (2005-2006); Chemistry, Math 10, and Global 10 (2006-2007), and Physics, Math 11, AP US History, Spanish III and Theology (2007-2008).  She has also been an active member of the ND Student Senate, Science Club, and Mission Club and also currently serves as a morning PA announcer.

Beth is also very active in her parish (Holy Family) where she serves as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and altar server.

Beth plans on pursuing a career in Biomedical Engineering and lists Cornell University, RIT, and Roberts Wesleyan as possible college choices. She will receive recognition for her Commended Student achievement at Notre Dame’s annual end-of-the-year Celebration of Gifts and Talent in May 2009.

Congratulations, Beth on this noteworthy achievement!

Information submitted by Notre Dame

This year's ND graduating class stands forty-two strong. Thirteen members of the Class of 2009 were commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at our Opening Day Mass on Friday, September 5, 2008. Father Michael Rock, OdeM., Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Le Roy, New York and a member of the ND Board of Trustees, performed the commissioning ceremony as part of the first mass of the year at ND.

Eleven of the students were trained at ND last spring by Deacon Tom Casey.  The remaining two were trained at their parish.  We look forward to their service to our community.

Caption:  L to R – Row #1: Henri Burdett, Eric Shormann, Melissa Smith, Brad Cohen, Kristen Francis and Beth Fischer

L to R – Row #2:  Craig Houseknecht, Stacy Squire, Paige Scofield, Kate Spadaccia, Matt Jackson, Ashley Calarco, Sean Zawicki

Information submitted by Notre Dame

The Notre Dame Volleyball Teams are fundraising to defray costs for Notre Dame students who will be participating in this year’s missionary experience to Camden, New Jersey.  The girls have been bicycling in the “Ride for Camden” effort for the last couple of weeks.  Each girl is riding fifty miles and asking for sponsorships per mile.  If anyone would like to sponsor one of these athletes please contact Rhonda DiCasolo, Carolyn Babcock, or any of the Notre Dame volleyball players.  Pledges from a penny to a dollar per mile are welcome as are donations in any amount.  We hope to provide an opportunity for more Notre Dame students to attend the life-altering experience of a week at Camden’s Romero Center.  Our trips in the past have always had such a tremendous impact on our students and staff.  Thank you to all who have already sponsored a volleyball player.

From Genesee Community College:

The Genesee Community College Foundation is seeking nominations for its Alumni Hall of Fame, which recognizes those alumni who have achieved outstanding success and made a lasting impact on the community. The Foundation will induct its third group of honorees in a ceremony on March 25, 2009 at the Batavia campus.

"This is our effort to find and honor Genesee Community College's most distinguished graduates, based on their accomplishments," Patti Pacino, Alumni Coordinator noted. "We are proud of our alumni and want to recognize their success."

The criteria for nominating an individual to the College Alumni Hall of Fame are based on the individual's contributions to his or her profession, distinguished service to the community and/or service to Genesee Community College.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from Genesee Community College's alumni website (http://www.genesee.edu/portals/alumni/halloffame.cfm) and emailed or sent to the Genesee Community College Alumni Office.

Nominations may be submitted by the nominee or by friends, family, work associates or other colleagues who are familiar with the nominee. All nominations received by January 9 will be considered by the Selection Committee. New inductees will be honored at a reception, and their photo and a short biography will be featured on a plaque displayed in the Alumni Hall of Fame, located on the second floor of the Conable Technology Building. The next induction ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25, 2009.

Genesee Community College's Alumni Hall of Fame inductees currently include: Joseph H. Bell, GCC '79, vice president of Global Process and Product Integrity at Moog, Inc. and managing director for Moog operations in Bangalore, India; Monica H. Dawson, GCC '72; co-owner and secretary/treasurer of Shepard, Maxwell and Hale Insurance Agency; Jerry Reinhart, GCC '71, founder of Access Rentals and president of Reinhart Enterprises, Inc.; Paula Savage, GCC '76, director of tourism for the Greater Rochester Visitors Association; Lori Stupp, GCC '89, regional director of United Way and a member of the AAA Speakers Bureau; Peggy Weissend, GCC '99, registered Community Health nurse with the Genesee County Health Department; Ann M. Bell, GCC '88, retired executive director of the Genesee Region Independent Living Center; Steven G. Hyde, GCC '82, president and CEO of Genesee County Economic Development Center; and Gary T. Maha, GCC '76, Sheriff of Genesee County.

Learn about "People of the Longhouse". Larry VerWeire of Ganondagan State Historic Site will speak about the people and the site. Ganondagan was the site of a 17th century Native American community that was a flourishing, vibrant center for the Seneca people. This program will take place at Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center, 11095 Bethany Center Rd., E. Bethany, NY 14054.

Details:

Saturday, December 13, 2008
10am-12noon
$5/person ($10/family)
Pre-registration required by December 12, 2008.
Please call (585) 344-1122 to register.

From the Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army's bellringing effort in Batavia is crucial this year, announced Major Leonard Boynton, director of the local Salvation Army.

“We need to get as many bellringers as we possibly can due to dramatic increases in requests for assistance. With the slowing economy, greater numbers of individuals and families have been coming to The Salvation Army asking for food, rent and utilities assistance, prescriptions and emergency housing,” noted Boynton.

The emergency family assistance office is assisting record numbers of families. In September we assisted 200 families, up from 110 in September 2007. In October 266 families in October, up from 231 last year. Holiday assistance applications have already risen over the 200 mark, toward an expected 700 to 800 families, said Boynton.

“We need groups and individuals to help raise the funds necessary to assist these families in need,” said the Major.

To ring the bells, volunteers can call the local Salvation Army directly at 343-6284. They can also call The Red Kettle Center, 24/7 at 1-877-764-7259 or go on-line to www.redkettles.org.

“We need volunteers at all times at a variety of locations. Please call as soon as possible,” added Major Boynton. “We thank all the caring people of this community who never forget those less fortunate.”

From the Gensee Region Independent Living Center:

The Genesee Region Independent Living Center will host a Holiday Open House on Friday December 12th from 12-4 pm at 61 Swan St in Batavia. It is a time of gathering to come and see what services we offer to the community and what we are all about.

Santa will be there to meet and greet everyone. Refreshment will be served.

Questions: Please call the Center Monday-Friday 9-4 at 585-343-4524.

From the press release:

The Wal-Mart Foundation has awarded a grant for $10,000 to Genesee ARC, a non-profit organization that supports people with disabilities in partnership with their families and the community.

The grant funds will be used for the organization’s TEAM  - Together Empowered Advocates Meet -  Program, a Genesee ARC leadership project for people with and without disabilities, ages 16-26. The participants in TEAM learn about community service, decision-making and assessing the needs of their local community.

Genesee ARC serves Genesee County in Western New York and has programs and residential sites in Batavia, Elba, Oakfield, and East Pembroke.

“Wal-Mart has been a friend to Genesee ARC since opening their doors in our community in 1995,” said Donna Saskowski, Executive Director of Genesee ARC. “We appreciate this wonderful support of our TEAM program through the Wal-Mart Foundation.”

“Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs of New York believe that Genesee ARC is a great organization and we are proud to help them achieve their goals," said Philip H. Serghini, Senior Manager for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Thelma Montreal, grandmother of a TEAM participant and Genesee ARC Board Member, said. “My granddaughter is so proud of her volunteer work in our community and has grown into a confident young woman thanks to the services she receives at Genesee ARC.”

Genesee ARC has been in existence since 1966 serving individuals with disabilities and their families. The agency was founded by a group of dedication parents and friends wanting to provide a better education and quality of life for their loved ones. A broad range of services are available for adults and children, including service coordination, advocacy, recreation, transportation, residential, day program and employment training. For additional information, visit  www.gencoarc.com.

The grant was made possible through the Wal-Mart Foundation’s State Giving Program. Through this program, the Wal-Mart Foundation awards grants at the state and regional levels to support unmet needs in areas of focus such as: Education, Job Skills Training, Environmental Sustainability and Health. For more information, please visit: www.walmartstores.com.

From Genesee Community College:

Dorothy Smith of Batavia, NY, Lead Teacher for the Toddlers, and Stephanie Kellogg of Oakfield, NY, Lead Teacher for the Pre-K of Genesee Community College Association Child Care Center have been awarded a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential in recognition of outstanding work with young children. The credential was awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, DC, which represents the early childhood education profession.

CDA is the only major national effort to improve early childhood education and care by evaluation and recognition of the skills of individuals providing care. The first Credential was awarded over 30 years ago, and now 49 states plus the District of Columbia include CDA in their childcare licensing regulations.

Today, parents who use early education and care are especially concerned about their children's welfare. With this in mind, as part of the CDA assessment process, every candidate for the CDA Credential is observed working with young children or families by an early childhood professional. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the ability to work with families to develop children's physical and intellectual capabilities in a safe and healthy learning environment.

The CDA Credential is having a positive effect on the quality of early childhood education and care. Its impact is evident in center-based and home visitor programs as well as family child care, the most common form of care for children under five years old.

"We are very proud of the commitment and dedication exhibited by Dorothy and Stephanie," Maggie Hagen said. "This effort and their new credentials continue our ongoing belief in developing the skills that foster quality service and care for our children."

For further information on CDA, contact the Council for Professional Recognition at 2460 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3575, (202) 265-9090 or (800) 424-4310. For further information on Genesee Community College Association Child Care Center call Maggie Hagen, Director, at 585-345-6833 or email: mkhagen@genesee.edu.

Richard Laub, Buffalo Museum of Science curator of geology, is the featured dinner speaker tonight at the  Eastern States Archaeological Federation’s annual meeting. He will speak on the Hiscock Site, an archeological dig in Byron. The federation is meeting at the Holiday Inn Lockport, 515 S. Transit Road.

The site was accidentally discovered in 1959, but was not actively excavated until the 1980s. The site has yield mastodon fragments and paleo-Indian artifacts.

The full program of the federations meeting can be downloaded as a PDF here.

From Genesee Community College:

The latest program organized by Genesee Community College's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) to benefit the general community is a one-day plastic bag collection effort at the Batavia Campus on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the cafeteria. All members of the College and local community are encouraged to participate, and those participants who bring in "bags of bags" (35 bags or more) will receive a free Tops Market reusable shopping tote.

"Every year millions of plastic bags are dumped in landfills and thousands more litter our streets, steams and waterways. Plastic bags destroy our marine life and our environment," Jennifer Bryant, student president of Phi Theta Kappa said. "Our goal with this plastic bag collection and recycling initiative is to promote a healthy alternative."

Tops Markets is not only donating 100 reusable shopping totes to the recycling effort, but they are also accepting the multitude of bags from PTK's one-day collection and will ensure that they are properly processed and recycled into other items.

Another green opportunity sponsored by PTK includes signing up for the "End Junk Mail" project wherein PTK members will fill-out and mail in the special postcard in the ‘opt out' of junk mail database. Participants in this initiative help eliminate the volumes of unwanted junk mail most Americans receive daily. In addition, PTK will be selling the special Chico reusable totes which are made from 100% natural products. Proceeds from the $5 Chico totes support the Hites Foundation scholarship fund for PTK members who are transferring to 4-year colleges.

Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership, and service programming.

For more information about PTK, contact Dr. Alicea-Maldonado, faculty advisor for Phi Theta Kappa at 585-343-0055 x6391 or email: ralicea-maldonado@genesee.edu.