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Press release:

Genesee Community College is pleased to once again offer an exciting hands-on opportunity for area middle- and high-school students to apply what they know about technology and learn even more. The fifth annual Tech Wars competition will take place this Thursday, March 15 at the Batavia campus.

The competition is open to middle- and high-school students, who will participate in multiple project-based events of skill, chance and ability. Events will include CO2 dragster design; AutoCAD technical drawing and architectural design; logo design; manual drafting; sculpture; web page design; bridge design; catapult; mousetrap cars; robot tractor pull; Rube Goldberg demonstration; king of the hill and the ever-popular sumo robots.

Teams of students aged 9 through 14 will also compete in the NXT/RCX robotic marshmallow catapult launch to try to propel their marshmallows the farthest from various points.

"The interest in this competition continues to grow each year because it's fun, but it also illustrates the how the broad range of careers in technology young people can explore," said Debbie Dunlevy, GCC tech prep program director and co-chair of the Tech Wars competition. "The Tech Wars encourage kids to think beyond the classroom, engage their creativity and strengthen their team-building and problem-solving skills to embrace technology as a fun, yet rewarding, way to make a living."

College Tech Prep helps students explore various career options and make a smooth transition from high school to college and ultimately to professional careers. The Tech Wars is among several dynamic programs giving students the opportunity to learn hands-on, often in business settings and with industry professionals.

For more information, please contact Debbie Dunlevy, Genesee Community College tech prep program director at 343-0055, ext. 6316, or dkdunlevy@genesee.edu or visit the Tech Wars website at http://www.techwarsgcc.org.

On Monday, GO ART! announced gallery exhibits through April. The following information is about the two in Genesee County.

• GO ART! Bank of Castile Main Gallery, Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia – The premier GO ART! "Members Exhibition" featuring more than 60 works by 22 artists. Exhibit dates: Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, April 27.

***A free Meet-the-Artists Opening Reception takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at the Bank of Castile Main Gallery.

• GO ART! Batavia Satellite Gallery, Genesee County Senior Center, 2 Bank St., Batavia – The inaugural “Digital Art Show.” In the Batavia Satellite Gallery, 24 works by 13 artists are featured. Exhibit dates are weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, April 27.

***A free Meet-the-Artists Opening Reception takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at the senior center.

For more information on these exhibits and other GO ART! programs and services, please visit www.GOart.org <http://www.GOart.org> , email info@GOart.org or call 343-9313.

GO ART! exhibits are supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Attention parents, guardians, fourth-grade teachers and art instructors, the Landmark Society of Genesee County is calling for entries to the 22nd Annual Architectural Drawing Contest for fourth-graders.

All Genesee County schools and homeschoolers are invited to participate. Please also note that  the contest has expanded to include artistic photography and mixed media of historic sites and/or architectural details such as friezes, columns, etc.

Last year's winning artwork was also displayed on the sponsor's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Landmark-Society-of-Genesee-County/120196221335371.

Please be creative! Do not feel you have to copy from the Architectural Heritage of Genesee County book. Judges are especially looking for unique pieces -- photographs, images manipulated on the computer, etc.

Please send all entries by Thursday, May 3, to the Richmond Memorial Library circulation desk or to John Kennedy School.

The entries will be hung as soon as they are received on Thursday, May 3. Adults' help to hang the artworks will be most appreciated!

This year's contest and awards ceremony will be held at the Richmond library beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 10.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
 
Laurie L. Oltramari
President, Landmark Society of Genesee County
P.O. Box 342
Batavia, New York 14020
(585) 343-1457
LLB1999@yahoo.com

The following students were named to the School of Natural and Social Sciences Fall 2011 Deans' List at Buffalo State College.

• Ashley Kingsley, of Pavilion. Kingsley is the daughter of Karen and Larry Kingsley, and a graduate of Pavilion Central School.

• Joe Miano, of Pembroke. Miano is the son of Joe and Joanne Miano, and a graduate of Pembroke High School.

• Elizabeth Miller, of East Bethany. Miller is the daughter of Louis and Mary Miller, and a graduate of Pavilion Central School.

To qualify, students must earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.

Founded in 1871, Buffalo State is the largest comprehensive college in the SUNY system. Buffalo State offers more than 165 undergraduate and 62 graduate programs in the arts, sciences, professions, and education. Each year nearly 12,000 students choose Buffalo State for its superb academic programs, applied learning opportunities, affordable tuition, and metropolitan location.

Submitted by a reader:

Twelve months ago I almost lost my dad. He had a massive stroke on February 22nd, 2011 as a result of high-blood pressure. It was the day after my mom’s 50th birthday party and I was 22 weeks pregnant with his first grandson.

My dad, Doug Hagen, is my Superman. He is the most kind-hearted, hardest working, funniest and by far one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. He has owned and operated his own business for over 20 years which has always kept him close to home and always available to his family.

He lived to work and worked to live. If I ever needed anything I would call him, he seemed to know everybody one way or another and had the answer to any question.

My dad, who is use to spending most of his day outside either working, snowmobiling or at his camp, has since spent the past year of his life in a hospital and in rehab. He’s made more progress than ever expected and is more determined than ever to get his life back.

His family and friends are hosting a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraising Benefit from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 1st at the South Alabama Fire Hall to help assist with this recovery costs. Please take a moment out of your day to help support a prominent member of your community and help me get my Superman back.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Presale tickets are also available. Call 297-4144 for tickets.

The fire hall is located at 2230 Judge Road in the Town of Alabama.

Dan Coward, of Stafford, has been named to the School of Arts and Humanities Fall 2011 Deans' list at Buffalo State College. Coward, a graduate of Le Roy High School, is the son of Bob Harris and the late Gwen Harris.

To qualify, students must earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.

Founded in 1871, Buffalo State is the largest comprehensive college in the SUNY system. Buffalo State offers more than 165 undergraduate and 62 graduate programs in the arts, sciences, professions, and education. Each year nearly 12,000 students choose Buffalo State for its superb academic programs, applied learning opportunities, affordable tuition, and metropolitan location.

Press release:

The Spring Open House for EnGarde Batavia is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. for Friday, March 16 at the Harvester Avenue fencing studio.

Main Street Pizza will be providing pizza and wings for those who attend this free event. While there is no charge, preregistration is highly recommended.

The open house will allow attendees to learn about competitive Olympic fencing, the skills that are used and to experience firsthand a fencing workout led by one of our coaches. The workout will cover the equipment, practice drills and a “trial” match. Attendees are asked to wear comfortable clothing and athletic footwear.

There is no age limit to attend and participate in the Open House. Fencers as young as 7 and as old as 67 have enjoyed being part of the EnGarde Batavia experience. If you are in good health and able to exercise then fencing is a way to engage in exercise and have fun in our studio setting.

When Tom Clark, artistic advisor to EnGarde to Encore, first observed the fencing classes he was impressed by the physical workout the young fencers under went.

“There were students as young as 10 whom where working on increasing their endurance, improving their eye/hand coordination and their mental agility," Clark said. "These are all skills that will make them physically and mentally better to compete as they go through life.”

Fencing is part of the upcoming summer Olympics that are being held in London. While generally considered a European sport with its roots in France and Italy, many colleges and universities in this country have teams or clubs that compete on an intercollegiate level. Scholarships are available at many institutions for students who exhibit the skill and commitment to competitive fencing. While some students work toward the Olympic Dream many fence as a form of exercise and improving their competitive edge in their chosen field.

For more information on the Open House and to register visit EnGardeBatvia.com or email Colin Dentino at Colin@EnGardeBatavia.com.

Mitzie Collins (on hammered dulcimer) and Roxanne Ziegler (Celtic harp) will perform a free concert at the First Presbyterian Church in Le Roy at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 18.

The concert is part of this year's bicentennial events at the church. The musicians will perform a variety of Irish sacred and secular music.

The choir will participate in three of the songs. If you would like to join the choir for this concert, there will be a special pre-concert practice at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 18 at the church.

The beautiful, historic church is located in the heart of the Village of Le Roy -- at the corner of Main Street (Route 5) and Clay Street (Route 19).

All are welcome!

The Genesee County Youth Bureau will honor its AmeriCorps members during National AmeriCorps Week, March 10 – 18. This year’s theme is AmeriCorps Works.

All AmeriCorps programs are urged to use this opportunity to celebrate all of the great things that our members have accomplished, to encourage participation in national service and to thank our community partners for their support of the program.

AmeriCorps members agree to complete a specific number of service hours over a set time period. Members receive a modest living allowance while serving and upon completion of their commitment qualify for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. The education award can be used to pay for college or graduate school or to repay qualified student loans.

The Youth Bureau received a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to establish an AmeriCorps program beginning in October 2004. Since that time, 231 members have been placed at more than 60 host site locations performing a combined total of 170,900 hours of service and earning more than $453,000 in education awards.

Members serve at a variety of organizations in the Genesee County area. Sites include schools, community centers, libraries, county government departments and other human services agencies. Assignments fall under the categories of youth development/mentoring, volunteer recruitment and public safety/community outreach.

Members are celebrating AmeriCorps Week by writing articles about their experience, creating displays and coordinating service projects for youth volunteers.

Members have been able to explore career options, learn valuable skills, help finance their education and have the satisfaction of knowing that they have made a positive contribution to their community.

If you would like more information about serving in AmeriCorps or hosting a member at your agency, contact Kathy Frank at 344-3960 or kfrank@co.genesee.ny.us.