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Independent Living is offering a free beginner's class of American Sign Language in an eight-week session for youth ages 5-15 years old.

The instructor has more than 20 years of experience teaching people of all ages to learn how to sign. This class is geared to homeschool families; siblings of all ages are welcome.

It will be held at 113 Main St., Batavia, 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. every Wednesday from Oct. 1st to Nov. 19. The class is free of charge but there is a required book and it costs $10. (Assistance is available to eligible families.)

Pre-registration is required. Please contact Donna Becker at 815-8501, ext. 411, or e-mail at dbecker@wnyil.org to enroll.

Mc Taylor and driver Ray Fisher Jr.

By Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs

Hopefully they looked at her face before the race because that’s all they saw was tail once she set sail.

Distaff pacing invader Mc Taylor (Ray Fisher Jr.) made quick and easy work of the local gals as she convincingly led from gate to wire in the mares Open pace at Batavia Downs on Wednesday night (Sept. 17).

As soon as the gate drove away, Ray Fisher Jr. made a beeline for the front and opened up a gapped three-length lead at the quarter. He then set a blistering pace that took the mare to the three-quarters pole in 1:24 flat, on the lead by 10 lengths. At that point the rest of the field became mere spectators relegated to arguing for minor spoils. Mc Taylor cruised home to a shutdown seven-length victory in 1:53.2, which was only two-fifths of a second off the track record for aged pacing mares set by Xenia Hanover (1:53) in 2013. Sent off as the third betting choice, the 7-year-old Camluck mare returned $11.40 for the win.

Dontch Remember (Shawn McDonough) finished second and Dirty Girty (Jim McNeight) was third.
This was the fifth win in 26 starts for Mc Taylor who is owned by Robert Main and trained by Jason Robinson. The winner’s share of the purse boosted here lifetime earnings to an impressive $328,050.

Drivers Ray Fisher Jr. and Ron Beback Jr. both scored driving triples on the card and Jack Flanigen chimed in with a double.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Sept. 19) with post time set for 6:35.

Upon completion of the Law Enforcement Division Supervisors Training Program, Gordon L. Dibble of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, left, receives certificate from Chris Moss, president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association and Sheriff of Chemung County Sheriff.

Forty-five law enforcement supervisors from 30 sheriff’s offices around the state attended the 17th annual Law Enforcement Division Supervisor’s Continuing Education Program at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs last week.

As the chief officer in the sheriff’s road patrol division, law enforcement supervisors are responsible for criminal and traffic law enforcement, sex offender management, investigations, and administrative matters for their divisions.

The three-day program, sponsored and organized by the New York State Sheriffs’ Association and the New York State Sheriffs' Institute, provides participants with training in the latest advances in law enforcement.

Sessions included: an ICE review and update by Dennis Rau from the NYS Division of Homeland Security; a case study of how to handle a criminal case in the national spotlight by St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells; a review of New York’s Crime Statistics by NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael Green; and a case study of the shooting of Johnson City Police Officer David Smith by Broome County Undersheriff Alex Minor.

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association, Inc., is a not-for-profit corporation, formed in 1934 to assist sheriffs in the efficient and effective delivery of services to the public. It comprises all of the elected and appointed sheriffs of New York State.

Visit http://www.nysheriffs.org

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute, Inc., was established in 1979. The mission of the Institute is to assist the office of the sheriff in advancing education in the criminal justice community, preventing juvenile delinquency, developing lawful and productive citizens, and supporting victims of crime and their families.

Visit http://www.nysheriffsinstitute.org

Press release:

After 20 hours of travel, their first time so far away from home, two students from the southeast Asian island nation of Timor-Leste have arrived at Genesee Community College. Arsenio Ferreira, 21, and Jorguino (pronounced Jor-gino) Savio, 19, will spend the next two years at GCC earning an associate degree in Food Processing Technology (FPT).

GCC offers its first course in the brand-new degree program, Introduction to Food Processing Technology (FPT 101), beginning with the 12-week class session, which starts on Monday, Sept. 22. A few seats are still available in the class.

Savio and Ferreira earned full scholarships to study in the United States through the Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The IIE suggested GCC to the two young men.

"The program officer from IIE felt that GCC was a good fit for the Timorese students based upon their program of interest, student population, international student population, student services offered and GCC's commitment to diversity," said Carrie Sputore, International Admissions specialist at GCC.

Both Ferreira and Savio come from the capital city of Dìli in Timor-Leste. The city of approximately 190,000 people is the largest in the country, which neighbors Indonesia, and has an overall population of 1.2 million. The tropical climate is much different than western New York. Neither student has ever seen snow. "Everything is new for us," Savio said, including the way Americans cook and the foods we eat.

In Timor-Leste, wood stoves are used to prepare food, 90 percent of which is imported from Indonesia. Crops grown in Timor-Leste include corn, rice and cassava (a woody shrub whose starchy tuberous root resembles a potato; tapioca is extracted from it). The scholarship program aims to train youth to take skills back to Timor-Leste, contributing to the country's economic and social development as well as its democracy.

After two decades, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and near total infrastructure destruction, the country's independence from Indonesia was formally recognized in 2002, but it has faced great challenges rebuilding.

Timor-Leste has benefitted from oil procurement in offshore waters. Arsenio's father works for oil producer ConocoPhillips. He's excited for his son to study abroad as he earned a master's degree on scholarship in Norway. Arsenio is the second of five boys in his family. He also has two sisters. His mother is deceased.

Jorguino has a 21-year old sister studying engineering in Indonesia and a 12-year old brother. Both of his parents are primary school teachers.

"When I got the scholarship, my mother was very proud," he said. "It's very hard to get this scholarship. But when I left my mother was crying."

He already misses his family, but appreciates the educational opportunity he's earned.

Both Arsenio and Jorguino will live in College Village, adjacent to GCC, with American roommates.

"They are very friendly," Arsenio said.

Both he and Jorguino have studied English since high school. They also speak Tetum (official language of East Timor), Portuguese and Indonesian.

The Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship program is funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Scholarships were awarded to academically talented and qualified Timorese students with the goal of strengthening the base of skilled, high performing professionals in Timor-Leste to contribute to the country's economic and social development.

Press release:

Muller Quaker Dairy and the local Edward Jones branch office support this year's Salvation Army Food Drive.

Local residents and businesses may help those less fortunate in the community by bringing in items to the Edward Jones branch office during regular business hours from Oct. 1 to Nov. 21.

Items needed for the food drive include: Canned fruits and vegetables, beans, instant potatoes, soups, canned meats, speghetti sauce, cereal, pasta and rice.

Proceeds from the drive will benefit the Batavia Salvation Army serving Genesee County.

Best Ears (#3) with driver Jack Flanigen.

By Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs

After a perfect trip in a short field, Best Ears scored his second Open pace victory in the last three weeks, capturing the featured race in 1:54.4.

Favored Western Alumni (Jim McNeight) took early command and led an unfettered life through a causal :57 half. With no other takers, driver Jack Flanigen pulled Best Ears and came first over to pressure the leader and that’s when it got interesting. McNeight stepped up the pace with a :28.3 third panel to try and put some distance between his horse and the approaching conqueror but they couldn't stem the tide. Best Ears roared alongside and the two paced as a pair to the top of the lane. Halfway down the stretch, Best Ears got the advantage and took the lead and held off a late charging What The Sheik (Dave McNeight III) in the process. What The Sheik finished second and Western Alumni hung on for third.

It was the seventh win in 31 starts for Best Ears and increased his 2014 earnings to $49,017 for owners Joseph Amico Jr. and Joseph Amico. The winner returned $5.90.

Driver Shawn McDonough scored a driving triple on the night with Kevin Cummings and Jack Flanigen both bagging doubles.

Racing resumes on Tuesday at Batavia Downs with post time set for 6:35.

The third annual "You are My Sunshine" fundraiser in memory of Azriel Butler will be held Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Le Roy American Legion Hall. Money raised will be donated to Sunshine Nursery School in Le Roy and to sponsor a student at Fusion Dane Center.

There will be a 5K Run/Walk for $25. If you register before Oct. 6 you will get a T-shirt. Registration starts at 10 a.m. at the Legion Hall. Pre-registration is available from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Le Roy Farmers Market or by contacting these individuals:

Kelly Stalica -- 409-8400

Katie Norstrand -- 409-7313

Sarah Bell -- 813-1281

The event will also feature:

• Free kids activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Chicken BBQ & Pulled Pork from 12:30 p.m. until sold out ($9 pre-sale / day of $10)
• Bounce House
• Face Painting
• Popcorn
• Chinese Acution
• 50/50s
• Deejay Jimmy B

BZ Glide with driver Mike Caprio.

By Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs

For the second straight week and three out of his last four, BZ Glide came from well off the lead via a furious stretch drive to capture the $9,500 top trotting feature at Batavia Downs on Friday (Sept. 12).

Heavy post-time favorite Lutetium (Kevin Cummings) sprang off the gate, circled around co-leaver Sack Full Of Gold (Drew Monti) and made his way to the lead immediately after the third race started. He pulled the field along to a :59.4 half before coming under attack from Justgottogetthere (Jim McNeight) who was motoring up the outside.

While the top two were slugging it out past the five-eighths, BZ Glide (Mike Caprio) was seven lengths off, sitting seventh on the rail before Caprio got his steer in gear. By the time the trotters hit the top of the lane, BZ Glide was on Justgottogetthere’s back and in full flight tipping three-deep. As Lutetium was fading back to the pack, BZ Glide was circling the stagnant Justgottogetthere to take the lead, the race and the winner’s share of the purse. The 5-year-old Yankee Glide gelding tripped the timer in 1:58 and paid $12.20 for the win.

BZ Glide is owned by his driver, Mike Caprio, and is trained by Alana Caprio. It was the sixth win in 17 starts and his effort increased his annual income to $47,355.

Reinsmen Kevin Cummings and Shawn McDonough both scored driving hat tricks and Dave McNeight III posted a double.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs today (Sept.13) with post time set for 6:35.

Press release:

To celebrate its 15-year anniversary in Western New York, Remedy Intelligent Staffing, one of the nation’s largest staffing firms, is pleased to announce the opening of its new location in Batavia. The office will be located at:

                           Remedy Intelligent Staffing
                           653 Ellicott St.
                           Batavia, NY 14020
                           Phone: 585.219.4096

The ninth location is indicative of Remedy’s continued growth and success in the Western New York area. As a member of the National Human Resource Association (NHRA)  and GAPA Human Resources Group, and recently recognized in the Rochester Business Journal’s List of Staffing Firms as Rochester’s #1 staffing firm, Remedy prides itself on developing local teams in the communities it supports. The new Batavia office will serve the staffing needs of Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.

One of the country’s 10-largest full-service staffing agencies, Remedy is part of The Select Family of Staffing Companies, which has over 400 branches nationwide and annual revenues more than $2 billion. Remedy’s Batavia branch will offer contract, contract-to-hire, and direct placement positions in the light industrial and clerical fields, with an executive recruiting team.

The Remedy high-energy professional management team offers more than 20 years of staffing expertise and consists of Jeff Weber, president; Wendy Waight, regional manager; Brandyn Jacob, regional account manager; Steve Lansing, sales manager; Lori Farley, area manager; Jessica Spann, staffing coordinator; and Chris Williams, staffing coordinator.

“Having a full-time office in Batavia allows our clients and associates greater support from our local team,” Waight said. “The Batavia office will allow us to increase our accessibility to potential applicants as well as advance the response time to clients in need of qualified new employees.”

For more information on how Remedy can make a difference for your career or your company, please visit the company’s Web site at www.remedystaff.com.

About Remedy Intelligent Staffing and The Select Family of Staffing Companies

Founded in 1965, Remedy Intelligent Staffing is a professional staffing organization with years of recruiting and “Intelligent Fit” selection expertise to recruit top performers for their clients that minimize workforce costs and protect their bottom lines. Remedy’s industry-leading expertise in on-site programs, risk management, human resources, and employment law make it a top-rated partner in business.

Remedy offers premier workforce management services, including recruiting and screening professional job candidates, payroll and time attendance management, on-site supervision, and specialty staffing solutions to a wide variety of client companies, including manufacturing, industrial, clerical, administrative, accounting, finance, information technology, and professional services.

Remedy is part of The Select Family of Staffing Companies, one of the nation’s top 10 staffing agencies, as ranked by Staffing Industry Analysts. The company also operates as Select Staffing^® (SelectRemedy^® in Illinois), Select Truckers Plus^®, Westaff^®, and RemX^® Specialty Staffing, and has divisions focused on professional development training (Power Training Institute) and Managed Services Program (SinglePoint Solutions). The Select Family is the only staffing agency to have ever won the Risk & Insurance Industry’s highest award – Risk Manager of the Year.

For more information on The Select Family of Staffing Companies, please visit the company’s website at www.selectfamily.com.

The Salvation Army is hosting a Community Safety Fair at its headquarters, located at 529 E. Main St., Batavia, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

There will be food and beverages.

Participants will include:

GCASA

NY State Troopers

UMTOO

Batavia City Police Department

Genesee County Health Department

Shred-It   (Up to 5 boxes of paper stuff per person can be brought for shredding at no cost.)

Genesee County Sheriff's Office

Batavia Fire Department

Batavia Senior Center

Genesee County Animal Shelter

It's A Miracle out front with driver Drew Monti.

By Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs

In what has become a fairly regular event, a ship-in mare circled the locals in the top distaff race at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Sept. 10) night. It’s A Miracle ($3.40) with Drew Monti aboard, proved to be the best mare on the grounds this week despite having to take the overland route in a pelting rain.

As the starter released the girls for the seventh race feature, last week’s winner She’s A Maniac (Jim McNeight) flew to the front and led the field in post-position order behind her to the quarter in :28.1. Halfway through the turn, Monti pulled It’s A Miracle and flushed Dontch Remember (Shawn McDonough) for live cover as they motored to the half in :57.4.

The field got small as they were three in and three out at the three-quarters in 1:26.2 when Monti yanked the right line and tipped the 4-year-old Always A Virgin mare three-high. Around the last turn it was She’s A Maniac at the pylons with Dontch Remember outside of her and It’s A Miracle outside of her. When they straightened out, Kevin Cummings swung notorious closer Bazooka Terror four-deep around the pack and chased It’s A Miracle all the way down the stretch. But their effort was to no avail as Monti basically line-drove his mare to the wire, victorious in 1:55.3.

Bazooka Terror was second and Dontch Remember was third.

This was the fifth win in 28 starts for It’s A Miracle, boosting her annual earnings to $94,450 for owners Blindswitch Racing Stable, Santo Farina, David Sebolsky and Stanley Yaskowitz. It’s A miracle is trained by Jose Godinez.

The Monti/Godinez team also captured the co-featured mares Open II with Cooking The Books ($7.10) in a similar off-the-pace fashion, winning by two lengths in 1:55.

Downs driving domineer Kevin Cummings scored another grand slam on Wednesday night, giving him 68 wins for the meet and 242 for the year. Cummings is the 10th leading UDR driver in North America with a .355 mark.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Sept. 12) with post time set for 6:35.