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Press release:

Independent Living of Genesee Region will offer free workshops on “Living Well with Type 2 Diabetes” from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 26, and March 4th, 12th, 19th and 26th at the Washington Towers Apartments, located at 1 State St., Batavia.

Pre-registration is required as seats fill up quickly.

Feel Better! Take Control of Your Life! Get Connected! Do you want to increase your energy and get relief from pain, fatigue and difficult emotions? Do you want to connect with others who have similar health issues and enhance your skills and ability to manage a healthy lifestyle?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then the "Living Well with Type 2 Diabetes" workshop is just for you. This peer-led health education program, also known as the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), was developed and tested by Stanford University and is designed to complement and enhance medical treatment and diabetes management.

You will learn several key strategies to help you manage your diabetes such as: Decision making and problem solving skills; planning for future health care; developing and maintaining a safe, long-term physical activity program; how to monitor glucose; skin care; food; and how to communicate effectively with family, friends and health professionals.

To register or if you have additional questions, please contact Patricia McAllister at (716) 836-0822, ext. 402, or email: pmcallister@wnyil.org
 
About WNY Independent Living, Inc.: WNY Independent Living, Inc. is a family of agencies which includes Independent Living of Niagara County and Independent Living of Genesee Region. The agencies are joined by a common philosophy of self-help, self-determination, and equal access. Within the past year, the WNYIL family of agencies has saved New York State taxpayers over $71 million by helping individuals to leave and avoid institutionalization. We have been practicing the principles of education, empowerment and equality for persons with disabilities for over 30 years.

RIT recently hosted the “Rochester -- Finger Lakes Middle and High School Art Exhibition." Among the award winners were Batavia High School students Ava Haitz, a senior, and 10th-grader Alexis Hoerner. Alexis won the “Bob Heischman Award, Excellence & Creativity in Drawing."

The art exhibit is on display at RIT until Feb. 23rd.

Nearly 200 SUNY Potsdam students completed internship placements at companies, nonprofits or campus departments in Fall 2014.

The successful SUNY Potsdam interns included Sarah Hill from Corfu, who interned with the SUNY Potsdam First Year Success Seminar (FYSS) in Potsdam.

SUNY Potsdam's internship program places students with employers whose interests align with their studies. Each student intern has a faculty sponsor, and earns between 1 and 12 credits toward degree requirements for successfully completing the internship.

The SUNY Potsdam Experiential Education Office is dedicated to helping students reach their full potential. For more information, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/support/ssc/eeo/internships

The annual meeting and luncheon of the Genesee County Economic Development Center will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6, at Batavia Downs. To register, please contact Rachael Tabelski, GCEDC marketing and communications director, at  rtableski@gcedc.com or phone her ar 343-4866.

2014 was certainly an exciting year from an economic development standpoint as unemployment was at a historic low of 4.8 percent in August, per capita income grew 6.16 percent, and businesses invested more than $50 million in our community. The food industry across the region, and especially in Genesee County, continues to flourish while investment and developments at the WNY STAMP project occur on a daily basis.  

The GCEDC Annual Meeting is an opportunity for you to find out what has been achieved in Genesee County over the last year and to get a exclusive preview of what the economic landscape will look like for 2015. The Annual Meeting is also an excellent opportunity to network with economic and elected leaders from around the region. At the event the GCEDC will also unveil the "2015 Economic Development Partner of the Year Award."

Genesee County’s annual “State of the County” address is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. in the Chambers of the Old Court House in Downtown Batavia. The Chair of the Genesee County Legislature, Raymond Cianfrini, will deliver the address. All are cordially invited and encouraged to attend.

The Mental Health Association in Genesee County awards two scholarships annually to deserving students who are pursuing their education at an institution of higher learning in the fields of human or social services.

The mission of the MHA is to meet the needs of the community by promoting mental wellness through education, advocacy and support, thereby improving the quality of life and instilling hope.

The two scholarships to be presented at the MHA’s annual meeting in May are:

• Constance E. Miller Scholarship Award in the amount of $2,000 (She founded the MHA in Genesee County in 1993.)
• MHA Board of Directors Scholarship Award in the amount of $500.

Applicants must have their primary residence in Genesee County.

A copy of the application is available online at www.gcmha.com

Applications are due to the MHA no later than April 1.

Applicants must provide: Name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, name of college or university accepted at, course of study or program enrolled in; and it asks if you are a relative of a current MHA employee or board member.

These are the requirements:

• Applicant must be accepted at an accredited college or university and enrolled in an eligible program by the time the scholarship is awarded.
• Eligible programs include: Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology or Human Services.
• Current MHA employees and board members are not eligible. Relatives of MHA employees and board members are also not eligible.
• Applicants must provide: (1) Academic history such as high school or college transcripts. (2) Resume or personal biography including work history, volunteer experiences, extra-curricular activities. (3) Essay that addresses educational and employment objectives. (4) Two letters of recommendation in sealed envelopes from people who know your academic and work/volunteer history. Letters from relatives will not be accepted. 
• Financial need, volunteerism, employment history and civic involvement will be given careful consideration.

Applications should be mailed to:

Scholarship Program

Mental Health Association in Genesee County

25 Liberty St., Batavia, NY 14020

Or send e-mail to:

e-mailadmin@mhagenesee.org

The following local residents made the dean's list for Fall 2014-2015 semester at Rochester Institute of Technology:

Brittani Scharlau of Alexander, N.Y., (14005) is a fourth-year student in the diagnostic medical sonography program in RIT's College of Health Sciences and Technology.

Dean Kubik of Basom, N.Y., (14013) is a fifth-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Jennifer Crossen of Basom, N.Y., (14013) is a third-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Rachel Henrici of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a second-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

David Renzo of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a fifth-year student in the computer engineering technology program in RIT's College of Applied Science and Technology.

Alycia Sabatino of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a second-year student in the diagnostic medical sonography program in RIT's College of Health Sciences and Technology.

Joseph Oddo of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a fifth-year student in the electrical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Ashlee Yasses of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a second-year student in the engineering exploration program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Sophia Del Plato of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a fourth-year student in the graphic design program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Jared Raphael of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a fifth-year student in the industrial engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Maura Chmielowiec of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a fifth-year student in the mechanical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Alex Kolberg of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a second-year student in the physics program in RIT's College of Science.

Ryan Warner of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a second-year student in the physics program in RIT's College of Science.

Courtney Smith of Batavia, N.Y., (14020) is a second-year student in the political science program in RIT's College of Liberal Arts.

Benjamin Lucek of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a fourth-year student in the ASL-English interpretation program in RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

Michael Barnard of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a second-year student in the criminal justice program in RIT's College of Liberal Arts.

Rachel Kobel of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a third-year student in the environmental sustainability, health and safety program in RIT's College of Applied Science and Technology.

Michael Slack of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a fourth-year student in the film and animation program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Joanna Stacy of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a fourth-year student in the graphic design program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Traci Turner of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a third-year student in the journalism program in RIT's College of Liberal Arts.

Eric Hunt of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a third-year student in the new media interactive development program in RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Amandakay Sands of Bergen, N.Y., (14416) is a fourth-year student in the photographic and imaging arts program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Erica Hickey of Byron, N.Y., (14422) is a second-year student in the advertising and public relations program in RIT's College of Liberal Arts.

Benjamin Ezard of Byron, N.Y., (14422) is a third-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Katelyn Meier of Corfu, N.Y., (14036) is a fourth-year student in the biology program in RIT's College of Science.

Nicole Swimline of Corfu, N.Y., (14036) is a second-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Karl Pajak of Corfu, N.Y., (14036) is a fourth-year student in the film and animation program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Nicholas Flumerfeldt of Corfu, N.Y., (14036) is a fifth-year student in the mechanical engineering technology program in RIT's College of Applied Science and Technology.

Collin Moran of Darien Center, N.Y., (14040) is a second-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Michael Anauo of Elba, N.Y., (14058) is a fourth-year student in the biotechnology and molecular bioscience program in RIT's College of Science.

Cassandra Golda of Elba, N.Y., (14058) is a second-year student in the international business program in RIT's Saunders College of Business.

Peter Madau of Le Roy, N.Y., (14482) is a third-year student in the chemical engineering program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Ryan Mangefrida of Leroy, N.Y., (14482) is a second-year student in the political science program in RIT's College of Liberal Arts.

Mckenzie Clark of Linwood, N.Y., (14486) is a fourth-year student in the 3D digital design program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Hannah Belliveau of Oakfield, N.Y., (14125) is a fourth-year student in the biology program in RIT's College of Science.

Benjamin Bliss of Pavilion, N.Y., (14525) is a third-year student in the illustration program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for dean's list if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400; they do not have any grades of "Incomplete", "D" or "F"; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls 18,000 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.

The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.

For news, photos and videos, go to www.rit.edu/news

On Feb. 7, the Singing Silhouettes, a select choir from Byron Bergen High School, were invited to sing at the Genesee Valley School Boards Association Legislative Breakfast. The students performed “Aquarius” for the assembly and it was conducted by Lawrence Tallman.

Press release:

David Steel, the celebrated expert in marketing and social media is coming to Genesee Community College, Batavia Campus, at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, to share his presentation "Be Heard: Influence Marketing -- Locating, Engaging & Motivating Customers Online."

The event is FREE and open to the public and will take place inside the Conable Technology Department / T102 Lecture Hall. (The program will be (video/audio) streamed to all six of GCC's Campus Centers in Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw.)

Steel is the chief viral officer of Sneeze.it, a digital marketing agency, a division of The Steel Method. He is the author of "The Care and Feeding of Highly Aggressive Sales People" and also the soon-to-be-released, "Sneeze.it." A renowned keynote speaker, author, motivator and marketing strategist, Steel is widely recognized for his ability to help organizations monetize their social networks. At Sneeze.it, he teaches company executives the fundamentals of utilizing social media channels to attract prospects, build a lead pipeline and convert those leads into paying customers. He has a proven track record of turning business owners from social media novices into savvy social media marketers.

Steel has captivated audiences from New York to Nairobi with interactive speaking engagements that teach guests how to create targeted landing pages, use LinkedIn InMails and Facebook ads/tabs to successfully market their products and services. His presentation illustrates how to think and act like a consumer, and how to establish trust within a brand. Participants will learn the many ways companies get their message and brand out to the masses using a variety of social media and marketing tricks and tips.

Steel's visit to GCC is being sponsored by the College's CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization) Club, Business Forum Club and DECA (Distributive Education Club of America) Club. Following the presentation, Steel will have copies of his book available for autographs.

Joanna Fisher, a PhD student at Cornell University in the Entomology department, will be giving a free interactive "First Detector" training on emerald ash borer (EAB), hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA) and Asian longhorned beetle (ALB); Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 E. Main St., Batavia.

At this training session you will learn how to detect and identify these destructive invasive pests. We will also discuss EAB, HWA and ALB biology and management, and talk about how you can get involved in your community to slow the spread of these invasive species. An optional field trip to Darien Lake State Park will follow the workshop. Free and open to the public. Lunch will be on your own.

Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension and WNY PRISM. For more information and to RSVP, contact Andrea Locke, WNY PRISM coordinator at lockeas@buffalostate.edu or (716) 878-4708.