Stories from

Three students in the Conservation Program at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in Batavia earned a Bronze Team Award in the National FFA Forestry Event.

They are Jacob Hopcia and Phil Gorney, from Attica, and Zach Noble from Pavilion.

In addition, individual medals went to Jacob, who earned a Bronze Metal, and Zach and Phil who won silver medals.

The National FFA Forestry Career Development Event is a competitive activity that tests students’ skills and knowledge in the area of forest management.

Components include a general exam, tree and equipment identification, tree disorders identification, a chainsaw practicum, forestry issues interview, and a team activity.

Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their
state at the national FFA convention, held in Indianapolis, Ind., Oct. 20-23.

Finding a government job in this tough economy may be a little easier with the help of the Genesee Community College Career Services Center. It will host a Government Job Search workshop from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11 in B307.

It is sponsored by the GCC Career Services Center and Wellness Center and is free and open to the public.

Attendees will learn how to: conduct a focused federal job search; read and understand the GS (general schedule); decipher the verbiage included in job postings and what to look for when evaluating job announcements.

In addition, the workshop will cover the importance of aligning skills with the KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) and the federal resume, plus free resources that are available to assist in the federal job search, beginning with www.usajobs.gov <http://www.usajobs.gov>, and information on federal internships that can lead to a permanent career with the federal government.

Guest presenter for the workshop is Sharitta Gross, a program coordinator in the Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is also an adjunct professor at Monroe Community College, teaching remedial English, and has coordinated and facilitated career development workshops within the Rochester community.

She is a Certified Federal Career Counselor (CFCC) and Certified Job Search Trainer (CFJST). Over the past two years she developed a cross-campus initiative to educate RIT students and alumni, as well as faculty/staff on the federal job process. Along these same lines, she coordinates RIT's annual Federal and Public Service Career Fair and other on-campus federal sector employer related events.

"This workshop should be very informative to students and community members who are seeking a government job," said John McGowan, director of the Career Services Center at Genesee.

"Federal government jobs can be fairly complicated to acquire, but have many benefits to them. This workshop will hopefully take the uncertainty out of applying for and attaining a government job."

All community members are encouraged to attend this job-search event including current students, or soon-to-be college graduates, community members in a career transition, or seeking a career change, veterans seeking to leverage their military experience by obtaining a federal job and/or recently unemployed members of the community.

To register: stop by the Career Services Office at Batavia Main Campus: B201, call 345-6888, email: slburns@genesee.edu or register on-line: www.genesee.edu/career/events.

For several weeks now, the Genesee Community College Women's Soccer Team has been No. 1 in the nation!

It's been an exciting season for both soccer and volleyball at the college, and this week continues the thrill as both teams head off to national and district competitions, respectively.

The Soccer Team left Wednesday for a second consecutive NJCAA National Tournament appearance, held this year at Prince George's Community College in Maryland.

Ranked as the top NJCAA Women's Soccer team in the nation for several weeks, they have great expectations for ttoday's game against Ocean Community College.

Last Saturday at Tompkins County Community College, GCC's Women's Soccer Team (17-1-2) defeated Mohawk Valley Community College (12-4-3) 3-2 in an exciting overtime win to earn the NJCAA Region IIIA Title.

As 2010 Region III Award Winners, GCC also captured other major honors with Head Coach Kelly Gillow named NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year, and sophomore captain Jessie Jaszko (Batavia)  named NJCAA Region III Player of the Year.

The All-Tournament soccer team players from Genesee included: Jessie Jaszko (Batavia), Adele Zeh (Nunda), and Ali Cashmore (Akron). The Tournament MVP was Catherine Mucha (Dalton).

"It has been an amazing year with the team consistently coming together both on the offense and defense," Gillow said. "We are looking forward to Thursday's event and continuing the synergy in another heated game."

Inside the gym, another team of incredible athletes from Genesee have also been making a name for themselves.

Genesee's Women's Volleyball team hosted Mercyhurst NE in the Region III, Division II Championship finals last week and won the title beating Mercyhurst in three with scores of 25-13, 25-14, and 25-10.

Genesee (34-8) got off to a good start with Mikela Caseria's (Mililani, HI) crisp serving and 12 assists. Genesee also got good production from Sarah Ward (Rochester) producing 14 kills and five digs. While Maria Antsupova (Ozersk, Russia) and Kristie Barger (Lima) took control of the first two games with eight kills/two aces and 14 digs, respectfully.

Mercyhurst got off to a great start in the third game rallying to a 7-2 lead, whereupon Kristie Barger entered the game with great serving to put GCC back into the game. Mercyhurst again took the lead and with GCC down 7-8 Shelly Fuller (Trumansburg) entered the game and served 12 consecutive points to place GCC comfortably in the lead.

Fuller also contributed 12 assists and four aces in the match. Maria Anstupova finished the match by serving two aces. Region III, Division II All-Tournament team honors went to Paige Tilert, Mikela Caseria, Maria Anstupova and Sarah Ward.

In addition, Sarah Ward was named the Tournament MVP.

The Women's Soccer Team will be playing in the district-wide tournament this weekend with their sights on heading off to the Nationals in Wisconsin later this month.

GCC Women's Soccer Team roster:

Dzindzi Asamoah-Wade, CM,  Rochester; Ali Cashmore, F, Akron; Jasmine Coley, D, Rochester; Mollie Culmone, GK, Brockport; Kelsey Fenton, F, Batavia; Cady Hume, M/F, Batavia; Jessie Jaszko, F, Batavia; Jessica Klug, F, Alden; Shelby Koenig, D, Brockport; Jessica Laudico, D, Holley; Brittany Luckey, M, Le Roy; Sarah McGrath, D, Churchville; Anna Mucha, D, Dalton; Catherine Mucha, D, Dalton; Kristen Paris, D, Holley; Marissa Pecora, F, Rochester; Carly Shaw, D, Kendall; Katie Smith, M, Akron; Emily Troup, M/D, Holley; Jessica Veltre, D, Churchville; Shelby Walsh, M, Rochester; Adele Zeh, GK, Nunda.

GCC Women's Volleyball Team roster:

Maria Antsupova, S, Ozersk, Russia; Kristie Barger, OH, Lima; Austin Bishop, OH, Toronto, Canada; Mikela Caseria, S, Mililani, Hawaii; Megan Curry, OH, Byron; Dawn Dodd, M, Daleville, Ind.; Michelle Fuller, DS, Trumansburg; Danielle Kelsey, RS, Corfu; Deliane Lessard, OH, Rochester; Hannah Scott-McGrail, MH, Batavia; Paige Tilert, LIB, Derby; Sarah Ward, OH, Rochester; Alex Wysocki, MH, Hamburg; Marie Zimmerman, S, Medina.

For further information please contact Peggy Sisson, athletic director of Genesee Community College team at 585-343-0055 x 6239 or email:

<http:// MSisson@genesee.edu>

Genesee Community College has named Oakfield native Staci Williams as the new director of the Genesee Community College Association's Child Care Center.

Along with the assistance of the office manager, Patti Cassatt, she oversees the center in all aspects, including child enrollment, finances and budget and supervising teachers, assistant teachers, and work-study students.

She also works closely with the Office of Children and Family Services to keep the Center licensed and in compliance with New York State regulations.

"I am very happy to have settled here in the GCCA Child Care Center," Williams said. "I look forward to continuing the high level of care that the center currently offers. I also look forward to increasing our enrollment numbers and exploring our summer child care opportunities."

Not only is she an alum of Genesee, she previously worked for the college as a STAR coordinator from 2001-05.

In 2006, she worked as a lead teacher at Holley ABCD Child Care Center. She then made the transition to the public school system where she worked from 2006-2009 at Oakfield-Alabama Central School as a first- and fifth-grade teacher. Most recently, she was a first-grade teacher in the Newark Central School System for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Williams holds a master's degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Curriculum and Instruction from Buffalo State College, a bachelor's degree in Childhood Education from SUNY Geneseo, and an associate's degree in Elementary Education from Genesee Community College.

She lives in Oakfield with her husband, John, and their three daughters Kayleigh, Katelynn and Summer. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, scrapbooking, photography and spending time with her family.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County will be hosting its annual meeting and  board elections at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. The guest speaker will be John Bero of Bero Architecture in Rochester.

He is an architect that has specialized in historic preservation for more than 30 years. He will be discussing architectural styles. From Greek Revival to Craftsman style, you will enjoy this informative presentation on what to look for when identifying the style of your house or building.

For more information about Bero Architecture, visit their website at www.beroarchitecture.com.

The presentation is FREE and open to the public. Anyone interested in joining  or supporting the Landmark Society are encouraged to attend.

Following the presentation will be a brief board meeting with board member elections.

To honor and recognize all active duty, guard, reserve, separated and retired veterans of all branches of the armed services, Genesee Community College is holding special programs in honor of Veteran's Day.

Celebrations to honor all veterans will take place on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11.

Genesee Community College has a rich history of serving veterans returning to school after serving their country and offers a scholarship to veterans through the GCC Foundation.

At the main campus in Batavia, a reception will be held in the Conable Technology Building Lobby from 12:30 – 2 p.m.

All of the college's veterans from all branches of military service, past and present, and including faculty, staff, students, administration and alumni are being asked to sign the college's U.S. Veteran's Book of Honor.

Each signatory will receive a patriotic ribbon. At 1 p.m, a salute to the flag by the Genesee County Joint Veterans Honor Guard will commence at the college's centrally located Clock Tower. Refreshments will be served throughout the celebration.

From 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. laptops will be set up in the Technology Building Lobby to send e-mail messages to troops serving abroad.

Additionally, a Wall of Honor will be posted from 10 to 2 p.m. on the college's video boards that will display photos of students, staff, family members and alumni that are United States veterans. Michael Perry, Television Production technician at Genesee has led the way for the Wall of Honor to grow each year as names and photos are added to the memorial.

Genesee student and Iraq War veteran Chad Cummings knows the value of attaining a college degree after serving his country. Originally from Boston, he settled in Batavia after serving in the Army for more than 13 years. He began his college career while still serving his country and attending classes through Jefferson County Community College. He made it a priority that when he finished his military career, he would finish his education.

While serving in the Army, Cummings was a Staff Sergeant and performed two tours of duty in Iraq as well as a tour in Bosnia. He completed his commitment to the military in July of 2008 and is scheduled to graduate from Genesee with a degree in Criminal Justice next month.

He hopes to take more classes in the spring to further his education before transferring to a four-year college. Cummings currently works at the INS Detention Center in Batavia and is balancing being a student and working to support his family.

"I'm finding it's challenging to balance going to class and fitting in work," Cummings said. "I'm lucky that I have the financial support from the GI Bill to complete my education. It's important for vets who don't qualify for full tuition reimbursement to have financial support from scholarships like the one GCC's foundation provides."

Cummings currently resides in Batavia with his wife, Lee, and their 3-year-old son Chase. His future plans include completing a bachelor's degree and one day working in local law enforcement.

The Genesee Community College Foundation offers a Veteran's Scholarship award for returning veterans, which augments federal benefits to help veterans obtain vital career training at the college.

For further information or to donate please contact Alice Weather at 343-0055, ext. 6539. Applications for the Veteran's Scholarship can be found online at: http://www.genesee.edu/index.cfm/general/dspArticle/financial.scholarships/.

The meeting of the Genesee County Economic Development Center along with the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. has been cancelled for Thursday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. and rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 5 at noon.

It is anticipated that the public session will begin at approximately 2:45 p.m. It will be held at the offices of the GCEDC located at the Dr. Bruce A. Holm, Upstate MedTech Centre, 99 MedTech Drive, Suite 106, in Batavia.

Please confirm your attendance by notifying Penny C. Kennett, office manager, GCEDC.

Phone: 585-343-4866
Fax:  585-343-0848
email:  pkennett@gcedc.com

The 22nd Annual Craft & Gift Festival at Batavia High School will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Santa Claus will be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There will be food available, raffles and lots of vendors.

The school is located at 260 State St. The festival is sponsored by the Batavia High School Blue Devils Hockey Team as well as the Gymnastics Team.