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Press release:

The 69th season of live racing at America’s oldest lighted harness track gets under way on Monday (July 27) with post time set for 6:35 p.m. That is the first of 70 live racing dates to be contested during the Batavia Downs summer-fall session that runs through Dec. 12.

The racing schedule begins with a Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday rotation for the month of August and switches to a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday slate for the remainder of the meet.

For the first time in track history, there are eight matinee cards to be held during the year. Besides the five Sundays in August, afternoon starts are also set for Labor Day (Sept. 7), Columbus Day (Oct. 12) and Breeder’s Cup day (Oct. 31). And two twilight Tuesdays have been penciled in for Sept. 15 and 22.

Post time for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are 6:35 p.m. until Oct. 21 when it gets pushed up to 6:15 p.m. for the remainder of the meet. All matinees start at 1:15 p.m. and the two Tuesday cards start at 4:30 p.m.

Todd Haight, general manager/director of Live Racing at Batavia Downs, is both busy and optimistic this week leading up to opening night as he handles many of the last minute details needed to make the meet successful.

“A new era of racing begins at Batavia Downs this year as we have inaugurated changes that will take racing here well into the future. Between the construction of the new trackside hotel, paddock changes, increased purses and our goal to present our live patrons with little down time between races with all our special events, the 2015 meet should be one to be remembered,” Haight said.

The changes Haight spoke about will be evident to both fan and horseman alike upon entering the Batavia campus, most noticeably the construction of a new four-story hotel at the top of the stretch that will overlook the track. Slated to open on New Year’s Eve, the property will be going up as the meet goes on.

In order to facilitate that project, the existing paddock alignment has changed. It is now a four-race enclosure with 16 new wash stalls just adjacent in Barn 1. Horsemen are advised to become familiar with the new paddock schedule, which is available on the Batavia Downs' Web site.

Purses have increased for many classes due to the increased handle on the gaming floor. To start the meet, the Open trot and pace will each go for $10,000.

Some of the best racing in the sport will be contested at the Genesee County oval this year, headed by a full complement of New York Sire Stake (NYSS) events.  The best juveniles from the Empire State will compete here on July 27, Aug. 2-5-9-22 -30 and Sept. 4 and 16.

Then on Saturday (Oct. 3), the Downs will host the second richest night of racing ever (behind the Breeders Crown in 1988) when the $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational Pace and four $50,000 NYSS consolation events will headline the program. Horsemen will be competing for purses totaling almost $300,000.

Race Secretary Joe Zambito has put together another solid condition sheet and is anxious to get the meet under way.

“It’s a very exciting time at Batavia Downs with so many positive changes taking place. Our defending driving champion and seventh highest percentage driver in North America, Kevin Cummings, is back to protect his title along with our other veterans including Jim McNeight,” Zambito said.

“Our young guns are led by 'Driving Drew' Monti, Shawn McDonough and Dave McNeight III. And this year we welcome Craig Gilmour, who is shipping in with a 25-horse stable.”

Fans attending the live races will also notice some changes along with one of the most aggressive promotion lineups available at any race track.

This year there is no quinella wager; superfecta minimums have gone from .10 to .20; and the track introduces their new “Early Bird Daily Double,” available only in the Paddock Room to patrons attending the races live. Bettors who wager a total of $10 or more on daily-double wagers will receive $10 in free play for the Batavia Downs' gaming floor.

Twenty-three of the 70 racing dates feature promotions and giveaways that offer something for everybody.

On opening night there will be free racing programs and magnetic racing schedules (while supplies last) and that will be followed by Dollar Friday’s ($1 hot dogs, soda and beer) all during August. But the most anticipated events come after that.

Aug. 23 is Family Fun Day and features the ever popular dachshund or “Wiener Dog” races. A daylong schedule of special events designed especially for children will start at 2 p.m. and run through the afternoon. The 80-dog field starts their heats after the last live harness race. All events are sponsored by Genesee Feeds of Batavia.

Sept. 5 is a special driver bobble-head giveaway, sponsored by TAG Jewelers. More information on this (including the driver featured) will be released shortly.

Sept. 7 is the annual Labor Day matinee featuring the driver’s bike race, which got its start back in the 1970s. Eight of the Downs favorite reinsmen turn in their sulkies for 10-speeds to see who can peddle their way to victory. The eight bicycles used in the race will be randomly given away after the race to the fans who select the winning driver.

For more information on all the events at Batavia Downs this year, logon to www.bataviadownsgaming.com. There you can get full race schedules, entries, results and you can watch all the race replays immediately after each race has been declared official. Live streaming video of all the races is available by becoming a member of Bataviabets.com.

Press release:

Interested in a new career? Looking for a fast growing field with job stability and tasty benefits? Want to work in the local region? Enroll in the Intro to Food Processing Technology course (FPT101) at Genesee Community College this fall with a full scholarship valued at more than $600.

FPT is GCC's newest associate in applied science degree program. The College developed the course of study in response to the regional demand for skilled workers in food manufacturing. The New York State online job bank currently lists more than 500 openings in food-related occupations in the Finger Lakes Region, which includes Genesee County.

"We are continuously developing new academic programs that are focused on long-term career success," said Rafael Alicea-Maldonado, dean of Math, Science and Career Education at GCC. "The food sector is thriving in Western New York and we look forward to providing the industry with the highly trained workers it needs. These positions are local and offer attractive salaries and benefits."

Those interested in learning more about the program and scholarship can find information online at: http://www.genesee.edu/academics/programs/tech/food/ or contact FPT instructor Greg Sharpe at 585-343-0055, ext. 6157, or GTSharpe@genesee.edu.

The FPT101 course begins Sept. 21 with GCC's 12-week session.

Overall, GCC's fall semester with 15-week course session begins Aug. 24. Students can still register for hundreds of courses offered at all seven campus locations in Albion, Arcade, Batavia, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw, as well as online. Go to: www.genesee.edu or call 866-CALL-GCC.

To help students prepare for the start of the semester, the Batavia Campus offers New Student Orientation sessions. These sessions are designed to help students feel comfortable on campus, learn about academic and social opportunities and meet other students. Students can select from the remaining three sessions on Thursday, July 23, Thursday, July 30, or Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Each orientation runs from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with a variety of activities planned. A concurrent program is offered to help parents and family members become familiar with GCC and sign up for Cougar Kin, the E-newsletter just for family and friends of GCC students. To meet the Orientation leaders, watch the College's new online video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_JTJldd3S

Press release from the city's Maintenance Bureau:

Paving operations on North Street have been rescheduled due to delays outside our area. Work originally scheduled for today will take place on Friday. North Street -- from Ross Street to Naramore Drive -- will experience traffic delays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.on July 24.

Traffic will be reduced to a single lane for paving operations. The following side streets that intersect with North Street will see temporary traffic closures preventing access to North Street while paving operations are ongoing:

• Manhatten Avenue
• Columbia Avenue
• Vine Street
• Trumbull Parkway
• North Spruce Street
• Allenview Drive
• Naramore Drive

Residents and businesses are not to park on the roadway during paving operations.

Residents and businesses of North Street, from Ross Street to Naramore Drive, will have access to their properties, but should expect delays when paving operations are in front of their properties. If work is postponed by weather, work will be rescheduled for the next calendar day.

All other traffic is asked to avoid this area and seek alternate routes. Thank you for your cooperation.

Press release:

Registration begins today (July 22) for one of the most popular promotions of the season at Batavia Downs Gaming -- the annual dachshund or “wiener dog” races, which will be held on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Sponsored by Genesee Feeds of Batavia, a total of 10 heats will be contested with eight wiener dogs competing in each. The first race will begin after the last live harness race of the day, which will be approximately 4:20 p.m. The wiener dog races are the final feature of Family Fun Day at the races. The 2015 live harness racing season gets under way on Monday, July 27.

Last year, Kristy Drabek’s 2-year-old dachshund named Brinkley stormed down the stretch of America’s oldest lighted harness racetrack to win the championship final after competing for the first time ever. The official margin of victory was a half (dog) length. Six-year-old Pablo Penders, owned by Adrienne Penders, surged at the wire to nip 5-year-old early leader, Ruby, owned by Sarah Farley, for second.

The first 80 dogs entered will receive a canine gift bag courtesy of Genesee Feeds of Batavia. But the dogs won’t be the only winners here; their human counterparts are in line for a nice payoff as well. Each “puprietor” will be eligible to receive some nice prizes if their pet pooch proves prolific.

The owners of each heat winner (10 in all) will receive $25 in gaming free-play. And the winning, second and third place owner in the championship final will receive $100, $75 and $50 in gaming free-play respectively along with two complimentary clubhouse buffets each as well.

To register or for more information, all owners should call Arna Tygart at 585-343-3750, ext. 437, during regular business hours.

Press release:

The youth football team, the GLOW Fighting Ducks, are running a mini-camp, free to all current Ducks on today, and Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Notre Dame High School in Batavia.

On Thursday after the camp we are planning on showing a token of our appreciation to Notre Dame for allowing us to play on their field by donating brand new "Down Markers" to the football program.

President, Marc Lawrence
GLOW Fighting Ducks
PO Box 1549
Batavia NY 14021
GLOWfightingducks@gmail.com
www.glowfightingducks.com

Press release:

The Batavia High School Class of 1955 is planning its 60^th Class Reunion!

There will be a social gathering of classmates on Friday, Aug. 7^th at 8 p.m. at The Polish Falcons of America Nest, located at 123 S. Swan St., Batavia, NY 14020.

There will be a formal get-together with food, desserts, and drinks on Saturday, Aug. 8^th at 3 p.m. at The Dibble Family Center, located at 4120 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, NY 14020.

The committee that put this celebration together is Jim and Connie DiSalvo, Victor Corey, Betty O’Brien, Eleanor Bakos, Rose Suozzi, Joe Gerace, Ralph Hyde, Mary Lou Klein, and Richard Cecere.

For any classmate who did not receive a letter, please contact Jim DiSalvo at (716) 474-4222 or by e-mail at DisalvoJ@gmail.com

Press release:

From friends to followers, tweets to YouTube, Snapchats to YikYaks -- future students at Genesee Community College will one day have the opportunity to study all the nuances of social media marketing. The College's Board of Trustees has approved a new Social Media concentration within the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) Business Administration degree.

With the Board's approval, the program will now be submitted to the State University of New York for approval, and later to the New York State Education Department. The College expects the program to available in the Fall of 2016.

The new concentration will provide GCC students interested in business careers with a third option -- one which focuses on the cutting-edge business, marketing and communication methodologies that predominant in today's global marketplace.

The new 62-credit concentration builds from the existing Business Administration curriculum, which provides a strong foundation in business and marketing principles, professional sales, computer applications and a selection of nine elective credits.

New Communication Technologies (COM120) and Introduction to Creative Problem Solving (CPS101) are among the courses Social Media students will take along with: Principles of Marketing (BUS213), Advertising (BUS203), Entrepreneurship (BUS225), Intro to Computers or Microcomputer Applications (CIS102 or 116), Web Publishing (CIS113) and Web Design and Implementation (CIS204).

"We've seen a number of students opt into courses that provide them the most modernized business program giving them a strategic advantage for a cutting-edge business career," said Kathleen Schiefen, Ph.D., GCC's provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

"Built around the same basic business administration coursework, these students will focus on the marketing uses of social media-such as search engines, and become technically competent using the strategic advantage of cutting-edge business degree."

GCC's Business and Commerce division currently includes the following programs: Accounting; Business Administration; Business Administration: Supply Chain Management concentration; Economic Crime Investigation; Entrepreneurship; four Fashion Business programs in: E-Commerce, Event Planning, Fashion Design, and Fashion Merchandising Management; Sales and Customer Service; and Tourism and Hospitality Management. All of the programs are open to new students of all ages, and can begin this fall semester, which starts Aug. 24.

In other business, the Board of Trustees heard a positive report from Kevin Hamilton, vice president for Finance and Operations, on the status of summer construction work for the capital project. Currently, the project involving the complete renovation of the cafeteria at the Batavia Campus and some updates at the College Bookstore is on schedule with completion targeted before the start of the fall semester.

Press release:

The Batavia Improvement District’s Summer in the City festival presents GO ART!’s Chalk the Walk. As part of the bash that is Summer in the City, which is sponsored by the Batavia Improvement District, there will be some extra artistry and competition.

GO ART! will be presenting the second annual Chalk the Walk on Aug. 15th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Artists, professional and amateur and young and old, will be able to purchase a square section of concrete by the City Center to decorate with chalk pastels. There will also be a children’s section for fun scribbling. Using materials available, artists will follow the theme “GO ART!...Where does art take YOU?” to create inspired pieces for a crowd of at least 2,000 people.

Prizes will be awarded to those whose pieces are most outstanding. Adult First Prize will be $250. People’s Choice Award will be a $20 Alex’s Place gift card, two T-shirts, and two mugs. The Youth Prize will be a basket of goodies worth more than $50.

A jury will select the winners for Adult First Prize and the Youth Prize. People’s Choice will be chosen by the general public by way of donation voting (ie: the art piece that receives the most donation money will be the People’s Choice winner). All donations collected for the People’s Choice Award will go to funding GO ART! youth programming.

To sign-up for this event, people need to register online at http://www.goart.org/chalk-the-walk/ or register in person at GO ART!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia, from Tuesday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. People can also sign up and pay the day of the event but it is highly encouraged to do so ahead of time. Remember, no one is officially registered until payment is received.

Fees are $20 for adults (18+) and $10 for Youths (17 & under). Every registered artists will receive a box of chalks and a drink to get them started. There will be a chalk swap area where people can trade out their chalks for other colors they need. Artists are encouraged to bring their own chalks as well.

It is important to assure that each artist and their work, as well as the event itself, is respected, so there will be rules and regulations. These are available on the Web site at at http://www.goart.org/chalk-the-walk/.

People can find updates on Chalk the Walk by going to the Web site: http://www.goart.org/chalk-the-walk/ or by following Chalk the Walk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BataviaStreetPaintingFestival.

Chalk the Walk is currently seeking financial sponsors to make this exciting event happen and those interested should e-mail or call Gena Korn at americorps@goart.org or at (585) 343-9313.

CONTACT PERSON: GENA KORN
PHONE #: 585.343.9313
E-MAIL: americorps@GOart.org