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A note from Michael Welch:

To the Village of Elba:                                                                                                             

I want to thank those who supported my campaign for mayor of Elba on Tuesday, March 19th. I appreciate all that you did and said to encourage me along the way. Though I lost the election, I am so proud of the people who came out to vote. It really shows that there are many who care about their village. This was the biggest turn out for an election here in many years. Great job!

Additionally, I wish to congratulate the honorable Scott Schuler for his victory. I am looking forward to seeing the good things he will do this year to help assist the citizens of Elba.

I will continue to serve the village and town in every way I can. I am committed to being involved in our community. Again, thank you. I consider it a privilege to have received your support.

Michael Welch, West Avenue, Elba

Genesee Community College announces that the following Genesee County students are among 605 full- and part-time students who were named to the dean's list for the Fall 2012 semester. Students honored on the Dean's List have earned a quality point index of 3.50-3.74.

Anthony Young, of Alexander, a full-time student.

Samantha Brenkus, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Laura Moser, of East Pembroke, a full-time student.

Jennifer Wright, of Pavilion, a full-time student.

Lucas Phillips, of Alexander, a full-time student.

Feyza Osmancikli, of Basom, a full-time student.

John Young, of Basom, a full-time student.

Karen Dusky, of Basom, a full-time student.

Samantha Orbaker, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Kari Campbell, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Marcel Afice, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Michael Wahl, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Kameko Overs, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Mariah Brennan, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Shawna Platt, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Megan Mase, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Kristin Brockway, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Anna Bondaruk, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Joanne Dacey, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Alexander Berardini, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Jonathon Ryan, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Janelle Larsen, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Alec Engel, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Kimberly Beebe, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Dominique Johnson, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Miranda Moag, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Cassandre Dipiazza, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Joseph Durzewski, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Lauren Stansberry, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Aimee Dawson, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Joan Nobile, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Philip Casper, of Batavia, a full-time student.

David Patrick, of Batavia, a full-time student.

Jennifer Davis, of Corfu, a full-time student.

Rachel Ball, of Corfu, a full-time student.

Jessica Gerould, of Corfu, a full-time student.

Zachary Franclemont, of Corfu, a full-time student.

Jeffrey Washington, of Corfu, a full-time student.

Geoffrey Phelps, of Corfu, a full-time student.

Gail Roll-Thompson, of Darien Center, a full-time student.

Megan Matthews, of Darien Center, a full-time student.

Samantha Engel, of Darien Center, a full-time student.

Kylynn Bank, of Darien Center, a full-time student.

Rose Wagner, of Darien Center, a full-time student.

Emily Pelton, of East Bethany, a full-time student.

Candice Wells, of East Bethany, a full-time student.

Kaleigh Hinkson, of East Bethany, a full-time student.

Micah Moreland, of Elba, a full-time student.

Amanda Miller, of Elba, a full-time student.

Lourdes Castaneda, of Elba, a full-time student.

Chelsie Pangrazio, of Elba, a full-time student.

Raven Bentkowski, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Joany Fox, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Jaime Pangrazio, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Alyssa Esola, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Kaitlyn Allen, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Jessica McComb, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Jennifer Harris, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Jonathon Cassiano, of Oakfield, a full-time student.

Michelle Jackson, of Stafford, a full-time student.

Jennifer Cone, of Stafford, a full-time student.

Tracy Hanel, of Bergen, a full-time student.

Amanda-Kay Sands, of Bergen, a full-time student.

Cody Millspaugh, of Bergen, a full-time student.

Valerie Bezon, of Byron, a full-time student.

Sheena Dilcher, of Byron, a full-time student.

Kelly DiMatteo, of Byron, a full-time student.

Emily George, of Byron, a full-time student.

Donald Rada, of Byron, a full-time student.

Matthew Stoll, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Matthew Mead, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Andi DeBellis, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Debra McKnight, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Ashley Russo, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Katherine Watt, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Mark McAvoy, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Eric Hayes, of Le Roy, a full-time student.

Anthony Misisco, of Pavilion, a full-time student.

Brian DeFisher, of Pavilion, a full-time student.

Christopher Johnson, of Elba, a part-time student.

Cody Niccloy, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Jamie Haentges, of Pavilion, a part-time student.

Lydia Zwierzynski, of Pavilion, a part-time student.

Irena Tkach, of Alexander, a part-time student.

Daniel Dudek, of Alexander, a part-time student.

Breeann Blackchief, of Basom, a part-time student.

Tess Garland, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Rebecca Salmon, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Angela Brodie, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Joshua Stendts, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Gordon Tooley, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Fred Gabriele, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Katie Edenholm, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Dylan Versage, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Cassandra Grice, of Batavia, a part-time student.

John Sherman, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Jessica Forsyth, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Joshua Mink, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Richard Biegasiewicz, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Natalie Lewis, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Jennifer Wagner, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Sherrity DiSanto, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Tina Hartgrove, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Amanda Rambach, of Batavia,  a part-time student.

Jordan Werner, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Pamela Fry, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Shannon Fry, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Hillary Bates, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Kimberly Sunderland, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Jacob Watkins, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Craig Huntoon, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Chaka Ray, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Melissa Bowen, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Yvonne Hammer, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Patricia Cole, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Paul Teresi, of Batavia, a part-time student.

William Smith, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Neil DeLillo, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Weiling Lazik, of Batavia, a part-time student.

Jenifer Choate, of Corfu, a part-time student.

Michael Kraus, of Corfu, a part-time student.

Christopher Herrmann, of East Bethany, a part-time student.

Morgan Sicheri, of East Bethany, a part-time student.

Sarah Norway, of East Pembroke, a part-time student.

Mellisa Wells, of Oakfield, a part-time student.

Sheila Stanton, of Stafford, a part-time student.

Mark Williams, of Stafford, a part-time student.

Amber Carmichael, of Stafford, a part-time student.

Jeffrey Cook, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Jill Sczepanski, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Tori Robinson, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Brian Hogan, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Karen Millspaugh, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Kathryn Utter, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Stacy Wainwright, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Eric Boyce, of Bergen, a part-time student.

Shawna Smith, of Byron, a part-time student.

Courtney Oderkirk, of Byron, a part-time student.

Kelsey Boyd, of Byron, a part-time student.

Joeylyn Berl, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Jeremy Tiede, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Bradley McVicker, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Christopher Ball, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Wendy Maskell, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Ashley Stewart, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Jason Coniber, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Kyle Canfield, of Le Roy, a part-time student.

Kelly Kreiley, of Pavilion, a part-time student.

Peter Sherman, of Pavilion, a part-time student.

James Babcock, of Pavilion, a part-time student.

Wendy Edwards, of Pavilion, a part-time student.

Genesee Community College offers over 60 academic programs and certificates, including three new concentrations: Supply Chain Management; Golf Management; and Fashion Design. Genesee offers robust online courses and degrees through its eLearning program. College housing is available at College Village, just a three minute walk from the Batavia Campus. With small class sizes and state-of-the-art technology both inside and outside of the classroom, Genesee Community College is known for being "high-tech" and "high-touch." Find out more at www.genesee.edu.

Press release:

More than a thousand young students will visit the Genesee Community College campus between March 20-22 to see a performance of "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon" by the GCC Forum Players Children's Theatre. The cast and crew will then take the show on the road for another six performances in six counties between April 7 and May 11.

In "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon" the audience participates in helping an Orphan Boy rescue Clan Chief's son from the moon, which has spirited him away. It's a mystical adventure that includes characters Sky Grandmother and Little Sky Sister who help the two boys. The folktale, staged using masks and creative movement, shows how ingenuity and friendship can triumph over adversity.

GCC will welcome some 1,200 preschool through third-grade students from Batavia, Le Roy, Pavilion, Brockport and Geneseo to campus for daytime performances in the Stuart Steiner Theatre on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday March 20-22.

Following the performances on campus, GCC will take the show on the road for just the second time.

"In these days of limited budgets, many districts cannot afford to bus their children to campus for the show," said Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts at GCC. "We still want them to have the chance to experience a live theatre performance, so we're taking the show to them. We like getting out into the community to share the wonderful talent we have at GCC."

The show will be staged at elementary schools in Hilton, Barker and Medina. In addition, there are public performances scheduled as follows:

•    Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m. -- Stuart Steiner Theatre, GCC Batavia

•    Sunday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. -- The Stage, Warsaw

•    Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m. --  Theatre 101, Mt. Morris

•    Saturday, May 11,  TBD  --  Springville Center for the Arts

Tickets are $8 or less, and FREE for ages 12 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information call the GCC box office at 345-6814 or by e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.

The cast of "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon" includes: Brianna Jones, of Batavia, and Kayli Wilson, of Canastota, sharing the role of Orphan Boy; Aidan Bonacci, of Rochester, and Christian Hoffman, of Hilton, as Clan Chief's Son; Bill Rupp, of Alexander, and Alayna Zimbrich, of Hilton, as Shaman; Jordan Griffiths, of Milford, and Rebecca Truesdell, of Batavia, as Moon; Kathleen Kwasniewski, of Alexander, and Amber Lively, of Barker, as Little Sky Sister; Courtney Amesbury, of Bergen, as Sky Grandmother; Sania Hyatt, of NYC, as Boy #1 and a Thunderbird; Lynnsee McGill, of Rochester, as Boy #2; and Kaori Shinchi, of Japan, as a Thunderbird. Several cast members also play additional roles as Trees, Frogs and Arrows.

Crew members include stage manager Jessica Yost, of Medina. Cameron Pollard, of Mt. Vernon, will handle sound. Lighting is by Eric Moultrie, of Dobbs Ferry, and Kaleb Miller, of Le Roy. And Ali Scharvella, of Copake Lake, will operate projections.

Elisha Myers, of Batavia, was part of a team of State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) students that finished second in the regional qualifying round of the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

It's the largest competition of its kind in the United States. Students in SUNYIT's Network and Computer Security Club faced off against teams from all over the Northeast March 8-10 at the competition at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine.

"What's remarkable is that it's the first year our students have competed, and they advanced to the regional event and finished second -- an outstanding effort," said John Marsh, associate professor of computer science at SUNYIT. "We're looking forwarding to building on this effort next year."

The annual competition, according to its organizers, "focuses on the operational aspect of managing and protecting an existing 'commercial' network infrastructure . . . students get a chance to test their knowledge in an operational environment . . . and is a unique opportunity for students and industry professionals to interact and discuss many of the security and operational challenges the students will soon face as they enter the job market."

SUNYIT offers a bachelor of science in network and computer security (NCS) and recently announced that a master's degree program in NCS will be offered starting in the fall semester. For more information, visit sunyit.edu.

Press release:

The Genesee Community College Board of Trustees received a proposed College strategic plan for the 2013-2018 period on Monday. The plan, if approved by trustees, will commit the College to six strategic priorities: Student readiness and access; student success and completion; economic development and impact; faculty and staff success; college culture of collaboration and excellence; and sustainability.

In addition to the broad strategic priorities, the proposed plan includes a variety of outcomes the College would like to achieve in the five-year period beginning Sept. 1.

Executive Vice President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness William T. Emm told trustees that the strategic plan would be used as the basis for annual College work plans.

"This is intended as a 'living plan'," he said. "Every year, circumstances change, so each year we will develop an annual plan of achievements and implement a 360-degree evaluation process to help assess what we do each year."

Rigorous higher education accreditation standards mean that strategic planning and assessment are more important than ever, said President James M. Sunser. "This strategic plan is a 50,000-foot guiding document," he said. "It will demonstrate to accrediting bodies that we are using data to inform our planning and decisions, to assess, and then to continuously improve."

The Board of Trustees is slated to discuss and consider adoption of the plan at its April meeting.

The proposed strategic plan is the result of the efforts of a 25-member steering committee which examined College programs and activities, as well as emerging student and community needs. Implementation will be a college-wide effort, Emm said.

In other business, the Board of Trustees:

•    Heard President Sunser report that the State University of New York and New York State Education Department have approved the College's new Supply Chain Management academic concentration.

•    Heard Trustee Diane D. Torcello, Chair of the Board's Finance Committee, report that the Committee had reviewed the College's financial statements through February 28. Torcello reported that actual expenses are holding to budget estimates, and that staff members are doing a "very good job" managing expenses.

•    Heard Sunser report that Kathleen Schieffen, Ph.D., will join the College as Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs July 1. Schieffen currently serves as dean of Academic Services at Monroe Community College's Damon City Campus. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, including service as an administrator and instructor at Monroe Community College and Pima Community College District in Arizona. She holds an A.A.S. degree from Trocaire College; a B.S. degree from Roberts Wesleyan College; a M.S. degree from The University at Buffalo; and a Ph.D. from Capella University.

•    Heard Sunser report that Reid Smalley will join the College's staff as executive director of Workforce Development at The BEST Center on April 15. He comes to Genesee with more than 30 years of experience in higher education, with extensive involvement providing services to business and industry. He currently serves as dean of Workforce Development at Middlesex Community College in Connecticut. He holds a B.S. degree from Michigan State University and a M.Ed. degree from Pennsylvania State University.

•    Heard Sunser report that Sammy Naji joined the College's staff February 25 as academic advisor. Naji was a member of the advisement staff at Buffalo State College, and has experience in the banking industry. He holds a B.S. degree from The University at Buffalo and a M.S. degree from Buffalo State College.

•    Heard Vice President for Student and Enrollment Services Virginia M. Taylor report that 80 students enrolled for "Winterim" courses this academic year, up from 30 students last year. Winterim is a "mini-term" between the fall and spring semester. Students may complete courses over an intensive three-week period during Winterim. Taylor noted the students had excellent academic outcomes.

•    Heard Taylor report that prospective students may still register for eight-week courses, which begin March 18.

•    Heard Taylor report that the College is gearing up for the Genesee Promise Plus program this summer. Under this program, juniors and graduating seniors in area high schools receive a full scholarship for up to two summer courses at GCC. Credits earned during the summer may be used toward degrees from Genesee Community College or other colleges and universities across the nation.

Press release:

Genesee Community College Fashion Business major Samantha Vogt has received the Collegiate Sales and Marketing Award from the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives. The West Seneca native was recognized with other winners at the annual Sales and Marketing Awards Gala at Salvatore's Italian Gardens on March 4.

Samantha, a 4.0 student, serves as student representative on the GCC Board of Trustees, is president of the Business Forum Club, and participates actively in Toastmasters, Campus Activities Board and DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America). In addition, she works at M.A.Carr Bridal in Orchard Park and has produced five bridal fashion shows and a prom fashion show. At GCC, she actively contributes to the Fashion program blog and is project manager for the committee planning the annual Spring Fashion Show.

"GCC has given me all the tools to produce an outstanding fashion show and has shown me how to communicate effectively with others in order to sell a product," Samantha wrote in application for the award. She plans to further her education in direct marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

"Samantha excels in everything she does," said business, marketing and fashion Professor Rick Dudkowski, who nominated her for the award. "She is organized, professional, pays great attention to detail, gets along well with others and goes the proverbial 'extra mile' in all of her assignments." He calls working with her "absolutely amazing."

Samantha is busy preparing for the 32nd annual GCC Spring Fashion Show, the largest in Western New York. The show, "Fashion Forward," will have two performances on Saturday, April 27 at 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets for the show are available for $5 in advance or $7 at the door and can be purchased by calling 585-345-6830. Advance tickets are strongly recommended.

To stay current on details and information about this year's show, check out the GCC student blog http://gcccampusblog.wordpress.com/category/fashion/ and for a review of last year's "Soiree" Fashion Show go to http://www.genesee.edu/gcc/fashionshow/2012/.