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Under new protocol, people must specify United Way donations are for local use

By Billie Owens

For Batavia-area residents working in Monroe County, unless they specifically earmark their United Way donations for Genesee County, the money will remain in Rochester.

The formula for divvying up the funds has been changed, starting with the next pledge campaign. United Way's fiscal year runs from March 31 to April 1 of the following year.

More than a dozen local nonprofits rely on help from the United Way. Recipients include the Salvation Army and the Genesee/Orleans Regional Concern. Each year they receive a portion of funds based on the estimated percentage of people who commute to work in Rochester (since Genesee County falls under the umbrella of the Rochester-area United Way).

As expected, about $20,000 in so-called "commuter dollars" will be forthcoming this year.

But thousands of dollars could be rerouted to Monroe County charities for the 2011-12 pledge drive and beyond unless people designate Genesee County as the intended recipient of United Way funds.

"The best we can do is word of mouth -- we don't have money to market and tell people that this is required or we don't (get to) keep the money here," said Jamie Beedham-Rada, regional director of the United Way.

The option for designating funds for a particular county was not included on pledge forms until now.

The code number 9022 must be noted on donor/pledge forms, including those filled out online.

"Their thinking is that big donors, like Xerox, etc., don't have as many workers, donations are down, and there are fewer dollars to go around," Beedham-Rada said. "So unless they use the 9022 code number, the money will stay in Rochester.

"That's our concern -- we could lose thousands and thousands of dollars, Beedham-Rada said. "The fix is easy, but if people don't know, the money won't come back. And without United Way funding, many local agencies would be in dire straits."

Motor on fire inside garage at nursing home building

By Billie Owens

A motor is reportedly on fire inside an attached garage of the "co-generation building" at the Genesee County Nursing Home.

The address is 278 Bank Street in Batavia.

City Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 1:58 p.m.: Apparently the situation was handled without much ado. The fire truck is back in quarters.

NY Senate repeals 'cost-recovery tax' for economic development agencies

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from State Sen. Michael H. Ranzenhofer.

The New York State Senate has passed legislation (S.2682), introduced by Senator Ranzenhofer, that repeals the “cost recovery” tax imposed on local economic development agencies in 2009 and also requires the state to reimburse agencies for any monies previously paid.

After being passed in the 2009-10 state budget, the cost-recovery tax hurt the efforts of local industrial development agencies to get New Yorkers back to work by taking away economic development money from local communities and sending more revenue to Albany.

"During a time of high unemployment and an economy struggling from a national recession, the IDA cost-recovery tax made a bad situation even worse,” Ranzenhofer said. “Repealing this unfair tax puts funds back in the right place, in the hands of local community business leaders to entice businesses to locate in the state and create jobs, not in state coffers."

The 2009-10 state budget contained a maximum $5 million statewide cost-recovery tax on local economic development agencies. The tax does not reflect a rational basis for actual costs incurred by the state for providing services to local economic development agencies. Local economic development agencies already pay a Bond Insurance Charge to recover costs.

Members of local economic development agencies expressed their support for the legislation. This tax, based on operating revenue, is a disincentive for IDAs to expand programming or reinvest back into the community.

"Senator Ranzenhofer should be applauded for introducing the legislation to repeal this unfair tax," said Genesee County Economic Development Center President and CEO Steve Hyde. "His fellow Senators who joined him to pass S.2682 also deserve congratulations for standing up against this unfair assessment.”

Governor Cuomo has also included an identical provision in his 2010-11 executive budget proposal.

Farmers encouraged to continue plastic recycling efforts

By Billie Owens

Farmers all around Western New York State are recycling their triple-rinsed plastic containers from agricultural crop protection products such as specialty pest control, crop oils, surfactants, micro-nutrient/fertilizer, and/or adjuvant products.

USAg Recycling, Inc., offers agricultural producers and custom applicators an environmentally “green” convenient option for disposing of their empty containers.  USAg Recycling Inc. will be picking up agricultural plastic containers in several locations throughout New York State in the months of June and October, 2011.

The service is free to farmers and provides an environmentally friendly alternative to burning or throwing away agricultural containers.

Last year, USAg Recycling, Inc., collected 46,000 pounds of plastic containers statewide. It is a contractor for the industry-funded Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC), which in 2008 celebrated 100 million pounds of agricultural plastic containers recycled from across the United States.

Today, ACRC averages eight million pounds collected each year. Collected containers are ground into chips and recycled as corrugated plastic field drainage pipe and other ACRC approved products. Farmers are doing their share to help keep plastic out of the landfills.

Containers accepted are HDPE #2 plastic containers only, ranging from less than one gallon to 55-gallon barrels. Large 250-gallon shuttle totes must be cut into 2-foot-wide pieces and free of any hardware. Cutting tanks in this manner facilitates proper cleaning and inspection, reduces storage area, and allows for direct feed into the granulation machine.

To be acceptable for recycling, plastic containers must be empty, clean, uncapped and dry. To help store containers until pick-up time, bags that hold 50 to 60 – 2.5-gallon containers are available for free upon registration.

Exact pick-up dates at local sites will be available within the first weeks of June and October.

Please contact Elizabeth Bentley-Huber at Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District at 343-2362 or at Elizabeth.Bentley-Huber@ny.nacdnet.net. or Tucker Kautz with Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District at 473-2120, ext. 108, for more information and registration.

Free spotter training for severe weather emergencies offered by NWS

By Billie Owens

The National Weather Service will be conducting a SKYWARN spotter training seminar in Batavia at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at the Genesee County Fire Training Center, 7690 State St. Road.

It's sponsored by the Genesee County Office of Emergency Services and will last about two hours. There is no cost for the training.

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Free spotter training for severe weather emergencies offered by NWS

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from the Buffalo office of the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service will be conducting a SKYWARN spotter training seminar in Batavia at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at the Genesee County Fire Training Center, 7690 State St. Road.

It's sponsored by the Genesee County Office of Emergency Services and will last about two hours. There is no cost for the training.

SKYWARN is a national effort to save lives during severe weather emergencies with an expanding network of trained volunteer weather spotters. SKYWARN spotters support their local community and government by providing reports of severe weather directly to the National Weather Service in Buffalo through amateur radio or by phone using the the NWS spotter hotline. The services performed by SKYWARN spotters have saved many lives.

The National Weather Service has a number of devices for detecting severe thunderstorms. Included in these are Doppler radar, satellite, and lightning detection networks. However, the most important tool for observing thunderstorms is the trained eye of the storm spotter.

By providing observations, SKYWARN spotters assist National Weather Service staff in their warning decisions and enable the National Weather Service to fulfill its mission of protecting life and property. Storm spotters are, and always will be, an indispensable part of the severe local storm warning program.

The basic training session provides a brief overview of the National Weather Service organization and its responsibilities, severe weather safety, and basic severe weather meteorology including how thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes form.

Anyone can become a severe weather spotter for the National Weather Service. SKYWARN training is free and open to the public.

For further information, you can call the National Weather Service at (716) 565-0204, ext. 223, or to register for the program, please call Genesee County Emergency Services at 344-0078.

More information about SKYWARN is available on the NWS Buffalo Web site at http://www.weather.gov/buf/spt.htm.

Middle-school conference will focus on bully prevention

By Billie Owens

The annual Genesee County Middle School Youth Conference will be held on Tuesday, March 15, at Genesee Community College in Batavia. This year's theme is "Bully Prevention: Taking the Bully by the Horns."

More than 20 workshops will be offered to about 400 seventh- and eighth-grade students from public and paraochial schools countywide.

The workshops are related to increasing resiliency and other protective factors, while building life skills, such as decision-making, leadership and practicing a healthy lifestyle.

The youth conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The keynote speech is scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m.

An internationally known keynote presenter, Michael Nerney, executive director of Michael Nerney and Associates, will address the youth and will also provide a workshop to teachers, parents and other adults.

The focus of Nerney's presentation will be on adolescent brain development and the negative effects of bullying on brain development. The message will be geared to changing social norms among middle-school youth so that everyone in bullying situations, especially bystanders, understand that bullying is not acceptable, nor is it harmless.

With teachers and other adults, Nerney will stress that prevention and intervention with bullies, both male and female, is essential to creating a safe environment for learning. In this workshop, teachers will examine characteristics of bullies and victims; identify both subtle and “red flag” behaviors; and explore options for intervening with bullies.

Michael Nerney is a consultant in Substance Abuse Prevention and Education, with more than 29 years of experience in the field. He is a certified instructor in violence prevention and management with the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI).  He has been a consultant for two of the major television networks and most recently appeared on the ABC program “20/20.”

In addition to schools, the annual conference is a result of collaboration between several Genesee County human service agencies, GCC, area businesses and sponsors.

Sponsors include: Genesee County STOP-DWI; Genesee County Youth Bureau; Batavia Rotary Club; Batavia Lions Club; Kiwanis Club of Batavia; Genesee County SADD Chapter; Upstate Farms Cooperative; Lake Ontario Fruit, Inc; Genesee Community College; Batavia Subway; City of Batavia Youth Bureau; Cornell Cooperative Extension (4-H) of Genesee County; Planned Parenthood; GCASA (Genesee/Orleans Council on Substance and Alcohol Abuse); and the Genesee Area Family YMCA.

Questions regarding the conference may be addressed to: Jocelyn Sikorski of the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960, by e-mail at jsikorski@co.genesee.ny.us  or, Paul Webster of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County at 343-3040, ext. 117, or by e-mail at pvw7@cornell.edu.

Darien Lake seeks seasonal help

By Billie Owens

Darien Lake, New York's largest theme park and water park resort, will be hiring more than 2,000 positions for the 2011 season and participating in several career fairs at local colleges and universities.

Interested candidates are encouraged to first call the Darien Lake Human Resources office for an application at 585-599-5108. Then, visit a local college job fair and find the Darien Lake table.

In Genesee County, Darien Lakes will be participating in the job fair at Genesee Community College, Batavia Campus, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12.

Grand Jury Report: Woman faces 25 counts for using stolen gift cards

By Billie Owens

The following indictments were issued by the Genesee County Grand Jury:

Deanna Leach is indicted on 25 counts. Of those, 19 are for forgery, 2nd, a class D felony. Five are for petit larceny, a misdemeanor. And one is for falsifying business records, 1st, a class E felony.

She is accused of illegally using gift/debit cards valued at $50 each at a store in the Village of Le Roy on or about Jan. 6, 15, 21, 26 and on about Feb. 7 and 21, all in 2010.

As for the petit larcenies, she is accused of stealing gift/debit cards from the same store on multiple occasions.

Lastly, she is accused of falsifying business records at the same store by not making "a true entry in the business record" that a gift/debit card had been activated.

David W. Wells is indicted on two counts, both class E felonies. He is accused of driving his Chevy Silverado while intoxicated on or about Sept. 17 on Byron Holley Road in the Town of Byron. He is also accused of aggrevated driving while intoxicated, with a BAC of .18. He was convicted of DWI in August in the Town Court of Bergen.

John T. Reagan is indicted on one count of driving while intoxicated, a class E felony. He is accused of driving his Audi while intoxicated on or about Aug. 27 on Sumner Road in the Town of Darien.

James Kosiorek is indicted for assault, 2nd, a class D felony, stemming from an incident on or about Oct. 13 in the Village of Le Roy. He is accused of intending to cause serious physical injury to another person and then causing serious injury to that person by means of a dangerous instrument (which in this case was his sneakers).

Peter S. Brigzna is indicted for driving while intoxicated, a class E felony. He is accused of driving his Ford Tempo on Bank Street Road in the Town of Byron while intoxicated on or about Nov. 12.

College search committee names four finalists for presidency

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release sent today from Genesee Community College.

The Presidential Search Advisory Committee today named four finalist candidates for the Genesee presidency.

They are:

(1) Brent E. Betit is currently executive vice president and provost of Landmark College in Vermont. He has held various positions at Landmark since 1995. He has also owned and managed his own businesses.

Betit has a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Dartmouth and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Change from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif. He will visit campus on Monday, March 21.

(2) Ronald G. Cantor is currently sssociate vice president and dean at Mohawk Valley Community College in Central New York where he has been since 2004. Previously he was associate dean for Liberal Arts at Jefferson Community College. He has held other positions in various institutions.

Cantor has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire, an M.Ed. from the University of Nebraska, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education/History from Syracuse University. He will visit campus on Thursday, March 24.

(3) Natalie J. Harder has been vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the Patrick Henry Community College Foundation in Virginia since 2006. Previously she was executive director of the Erie Community College Foundation and was associated with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

She has a bachelor's degree in Economics from SUNY Buffalo, an M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Old Dominion University. She will visit campus on Tuesday, March 22.

(4) James M. Sunser is vice president for Continuing and Extended Learning at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse. Previously he was vice president of Finance at Onondaga where he has been since 1989.

He was associate bursar at Syracuse University from 1985 to 1989. Sunser has an A.A.S. from Onondaga Community College, a bachelor's degree in Communications from Syracuse University, an M.S. from SUNY Brockport, and an Ed.D. from the University of Rochester. He will visit campus on Friday, March 25.

These finalist selections mean that the search for Genesee's fourth president is nearing a close.

The new president will replace Stuart Steiner, Ed.D, who will retire at the close of the current academic year. He has served as Genesee Community College president since 1975. He arrived at Genesee prior to the opening of the college in 1967 as dean of students. He later served as dean of instruction/executive dean of the college. He is believed to be the second-longest serving community college president in the United States.

An 11-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee conducted a national search last fall that produced a roster of 42 prospective candidates for the position. After reviewing the qualifications and experience of the candidates, the committee identified 13 candidates for intensive review, including detailed reference checks. The committee then conducted confidential interviews with eight of the candidates, from which the four finalists emerged.

Members of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee include: Diane D. Torcello, secretary of the Genesee Community College Board of Trustees and search committee chair; Michael A. Crittenden, professor of Physics; Norbert J. Fuest, human resources manager, Morton International, Inc.; Norman R. Gayford, professor of English; Ada K. Grabowski, retired superintendent of schools, Albion Central School District; Laurie J. Miller, trustee; Glenn R. Morton, trustee; Lori A. Mould, student trustee; Michael S. Stoll, associate vice president for Academic Affairs/dean of Math, Science and Career Education; Raymond J. Strzelecki, building maintenance supervisor; and Charles N. Zambito, Genesee County attorney.

Ex-officio (non-voting) members include Robert J. Bausch, Genesee County legislator and liaison to the board of trustees and Charles R. Ruffino, chair of the board of trustees. Aimee Bernstein and Denise Bukovan of the State University of New York assisted the search committee.

When the four finalists visit the college the week of March 21, each candidate spending a full day on campus, meeting faculty, staff, community residents and members of the board of trustees. The board of trustees hopes to name Genesee's fourth president shortly after the visits.

Search committee Chair Torcello said the committee was pleased by the number and quality of candidates for the position.

"We searched across the nation to identify candidates we believe will best embrace the traditions and values of Genesee Community College," she said. "We believe that our four finalists represent the top tier of emerging community college leaders in the United States, and we believe that each of these four candidates would be an outstanding president.

"We believe our next president will build on Dr. Steiner's extraordinary legacy, and lead Genesee Community College in meeting the new and exciting challenges of the decades ahead."

Cars slides off road, strikes tree on eastbound 490

By Billie Owens

A car slid off the roadway and struck a tree on eastbound Route 490 near milemarker 2.0. There is reportedly a leg injury.

Bergen and Le Roy fire and ambulance are called to the scene. State Police are there now.

Benefit tonight for 4-year-old heart patient

By Billie Owens

"Have a Heart, Save a Heart” benefit for Bridget (Vogt) Lynch will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight today at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

There will be a chicken barbecue, Chinese auction, raffles and live music from Red Creek, Savage Cabbage and Damaged.

Tickets are $20 and include $5 of free play at the Downs.

BOCES' Health Dimensions will calculate your blood pressure for a $1 donation and $5 haircuts from cosmetology students are also available.

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Benefit tonight for 4-year-old heart patient

By Billie Owens

"Have a Heart, Save a Heart” benefit for Bridget (Vogt) Lynch will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight today at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

There will be a chicken barbecue, Chinese auction, raffles and live music from Red Creek, Savage Cabbage and Damaged.

Tickets are $20 and include $5 of free play at the Downs.

BOCES' Health Dimensions will calculate your blood pressure for a $1 donation and $5 haircuts from cosmetology students are also available.

Bridget was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. She has had two open heart surgeries so far, one at 7 days old and the other at 5 months old.

She's now 4 and will be undergoing her third, and hopefully last, surgery around this month or next. All benefit proceeds will be be used to help cover the expenses of Bridget’s care.

To make donations, questions or to buy tickets, call Chelsey (Lynch) Mills at  297-4768 or email Chelsey_1026@yahoo.com or call  A. Morelli at 813-1476.

Farmers rallied in Albany to make New York more 'farm-friendly'

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from the NY Farm Bureau.

Hundreds of New York farmers rallied in Albany this week to urge the legislature to make New York a farm-friendly state.  
 
“New York Farm Bureau is extremely concerned about last week’s news that the number of farms in New York decreased for the first time in recent years,” said Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural advocacy organization.
 
“Our family farms not only produce local food for local consumers to enjoy, we contribute to New York’s economy by shipping farm products up and down the East Coast and even to overseas markets,” Norton said.

“Just as important, our family farmers produce the raw materials that help keep thousands of New Yorkers employed in our food and dairy processing plants, trucking industries, agri-business supply stores, as well as contribute to local tourism economies with our consumer-friendly farms and wineries.”
 
New York Farm Bureau strongly believes that the state must do more to keep farm families in business in New York State, through fundamentally changing the way the state thinks about farming and agriculture, and all of the associated economic benefits.  
 
New York’s farm families have been struggling with the impact of the global economic meltdown and New York’s slow recovery, along with New York’s unfriendly business climate.
 
“The impact of helping New York farmers to grow their businesses will be felt up and down the food and employment chain. For example, the recent establishment of Chobani’s Greek Yogurt processing plant in Chenango County, bringing jobs in an economically challenged area, would never have happened without the available supply of milk from local dairy farmers.

"It is that synergy that we need to encourage, by reducing the cost of doing business in New York, while at the same time maintaining our agricultural program infrastructure.
 
“The average New York farmer pays more in taxes than our competitors in most states, and certainly has a higher regulatory burden. Our members are coming to town this week to ask the governor and the legislature to make New York farm-friendly again, by adopting policies that encourage growth and a revitalization of the farm community and our agricultural infrastructure.”  
 

New York Farm Bureau members will be making the case for the following priority issues:

  • Supporting a property-tax cap, coupled with mandate relief, to control seemingly endless increases in year-to-year property-tax bills;
  • Restoring critical agricultural program infrastructure through the state budget process;
  • Supporting the Farmers’ Regulatory Relief Act, which will help roll back overzealous regulatory and paperwork burdens for family farmers;
  • Calling for a revitalization of the Hunts Point Terminal Marketplace, to update the largest distributor of produce to NYC and make it more accessible to New York farmers;
  • Advocating for extending and amending several ESDC programs to make them more farm-friendly.

New York Farm Bureau’s annual Reception and Issues Forum will educate policymakers and members of the public on the importance of agriculture to New York, as well as provide an excellent opportunity for New York’s family farmers to showcase locally grown products.

More than 300 farmers will be at the State Capitol to convey the message that farms are important, and more needs to be done to make New York truly “farm-friendly."

"While we generally support Governor Cuomo's efforts to rein in the excessive spending, taxes and regulations that have contributed to the decline in farm numbers over the past year, our members will be expressing their concerns about the proposed 92-percent cut to agricultural funding in the governor’s budget."
 
These core agricultural infrastructure programs have long helped the state's farm sector compete with other states and exporting nations. Over the past four years, these same agricultural programs have seen budget allocations cut from a little over $15 million to a mere $1.2 million this year.

Many of these programs help keep family farms able to sell their products, through concentrating on meeting the environmental, economic, research and marketing challenges faced by New York’s farmers in a high-cost state.  
 
"Eliminating these key agricultural investment programs will not make a substantial impact in New York's otherwise massive fiscal challenges. We're a drop in a bucket in the larger scheme of things. But in the rural economy, and in the heart of Long Island’s Suffolk County, these programs have a big impact, and we'll feel it when they're gone."
 
Norton said farmers are pleased that the Governor’s Executive Budget did provide level funding for animal health programs, and support several economic development initiatives such as the regional economic development offices, paperwork reduction on diesel gas credits and clean energy incentives.

Spring Sportsman Raffle in South Byron

By Billie Owens

The South Byron Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., will hold its Spring Sportsman Raffle from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 at its Recreation Hall, located on Route 237.

Prizes this year include:

  • 10 guns, including rifles and shotguns
  • Camping, fishing and archery packages
  • A 14-foot Oak Orchard Canoe
  • A 16-foot Oak Orchard Canoe
  • Five $100 cash prizes
  • Grand Prize No.1 -- $1000 cash
  • Grand Prize No. 2 -- AR-15 Rifle

Tickets are $20 each and entitle you to one admission and meal, snacks, refreshments, and -- most importantly -- a chance at the prizes. There will also be table raffles, side raffles, 50/50 sales and Pull Tabs being sold throughout the day.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 585-409-5991 or 585-548-9008.

The Sportsman Raffle is South Byron's main fundraiser every year. Proceeds are used to pay for equipment and training that enable our firefighters to help better serve our community.

Annual youth recognition award banquet set for March 30

By Billie Owens

On Wednesday, March 30, the City of Batavia and Genesee County Youth
Boards will hold the 15th Annual Youth Recognition Dinner at the Batavia Party House.

Thirty-one young people will be honored for their commitment to community service and/or their impressive role in their family. The event will also recognize an adult youth worker, adult volunteers, and the Business Appreciation Award
recipients.

This year, it is also a celebration of the Genesee County Youth Bureau's 40th Anniversary.

The following young people will be recognized for their outstanding service
in the community and/or family:

  • Cody Blakeman
  • Taylor Bloom
  • Jeremy Crawford
  • Triton Drock
  • Kelly Dumuhosky
  • Kaitlin Emerson
  • Joseph Falkowski
  • Melissa Fite
  • Patrick Guarino
  • Jenna Hume
  • Grace Judge
  • Felicia Kennedy
  • Joe Kurch
  • Brian Laird
  • Jon Laird
  • Kaitlin Logsdon
  • Patrick Long
  • Aubrey Maryniak
  • Connor Nesbitt
  • Ashley Oehler
  • Jaden Ohlson
  • Jamie Patnode
  • Jessica Pcionek
  • Zarina Supueva
  • Paul Teresi
  • Melissa Thater
  • Kayla Underwood
  • Keith Welch
  • Eric Williams
  • Erica Williams
  • Tessa Williams

Richard Ohlson is receiving the Adult Volunteer Award.; Julie Walsh from the Justice for Children Advocacy Center is receiving the Adult Youth Worker Award; Tops Friendly Markets was selected for the Business Appreciation Award.

Registration and refreshments will begin at 5 p.m. The program and dinner begins at 6.

In commemoration of the Genesee County Youth Bureau's 40th Anniversary, there will be a special performance by Garrison Starr immediately following the program.

Seating is limited. If you are interested in attending the banquet, please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960 no later than Wednesday, March 15.

Salvation Army hosts 'Major Steps 5K Walk'

By Billie Owens

The Salvation Army will be hosting its fifth  annual “Major Steps 5K Walk” on Saturday, April 30.

The monies raised will benefit The Salvation Army’s Emergency Family Services office, which provides food and financial assistance to families in Genesee County.

For individuals who are not able to complete the 5K walk there are two shorter routes. Strollers, wheelchairs, pull-along wagons and pets are welcome.

Again this year we will be offering “Take a Step Back." Recognized nonprofit groups can receive back 20 percent of the total they raise in pledges and/or donations. To be eligible, the group must have at least five walkers participating and each walker must have a minimum of $25 in pledges/donations.

Individuals registering before April 8 will receive an event T-shirt. This includes escorts as well as walkers.

For more information contact: Capt. Patty at 343-6284 or email at patricia.kurtz@use.salvationarmy.org

Two local students named to Dean's List at University at Albany

By Billie Owens

Two local students made the Dean's List for outstanding academic achievemenat at the University at Albany-SUNY for the fall 2010 semester.

They are:

Stephanie Dudek, of Batavia

Andrew White, of Elba

The University at Albany is an internationally recognized research university with 56 undergraduate majors and 115 graduate degree programs. It is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as public policy, nanotechnology and criminal justice.

Town of Batavia holds public hearing

By Billie Owens

A Public Hearing will be held by the Town of Batavia Planning Board regarding the application of Larry Abaire, 3282 W. Main St. Rd., for a Special Use Permit to operate a motor vehicle sales, service, repair and impound yard. This district is zoned Commercial, Tax Map #11-1-62.1.

The hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15 at the Batavia Town Hall, 3833 W. Main St. Rd., Batavia. All interested persons will be heard. A copy of the application is on file at the Town Hall for review. Written comments will be accepted prior to that date.

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