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Here's a news release sent today from Kevin J. Keenan, coordinator of Smoke Free NOW. One of the group's goals is to have "Tobacco Free Grocery" in Genesee County.

The tobacco industry currently spends more than $12.8 billion to promote their products throughout the United States. This includes payments to licensed tobacco retailers to put their products in the most visible locations inside the store.

As a result, New York State residents, including people under 18, are exposed to a substantial amount of tobacco marketing.

According to Smoke Free NOW, a recent survey of retailers selling tobacco products in Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans counties, found an average of 15 to 18 ads promoting those products in the stores. That range is in keeping with tobacco retailers' ad displays nationwide.

Other facts about the tobacco industry:

• In 2006, tobacco companies spent $12.5 billion nationally on advertising, promotions, and price discounts for wholesalers and retailers. That is more than the amount spent to market junk food, soda and alcohol combined: junk
  food and soda companies spent $4.65 billion, and alcohol companies spent $3.13 billion (2005).
• In New York State, the tobacco industry spends approximately $1.1 million per day to market its products.
• Almost every licensed tobacco retailer displays tobacco product advertising, with an average of 18 ads per store.
• Tobacco companies place most of their advertising where young people
  shop — in convenience stores, where 75 percent of teenagers shop at least once a week.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids maintains that such point-of-purchase advertising and promotion directly influences what products and brands kids buy and use.

More alarmingly, point-of-purchase advertising and promotions may have a direct impact not only on what brands of cigarettes kids buy, but also on the number of kids who buy cigarettes.

In New York State, there are too many kids getting hooked on tobacco; in large part due to the influence of tobacco marketing. It’s time to understand the real story, says Smoke Free NOW.

For more information, contact www.TobaccoFreeGrocery.org or call 585-815-1875.

Here's a news release from the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

Two well-known local artists are being featured on a website designed by the University at Buffalo and sponsored by the New York State Department of Labor.

Bart Dentino and Kevin Huber have been working together as "Bart & Kevin" for more than 20 years and have performed for thousands of school children across the state. They are musical and educational resident artists who have won numerous awards for their work with children.

Now the duo has completed a project which produced nine unique podcasts to help introduce science concepts to elementary students. The podcasts were created by UB and funded in part by the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

“The Sci Guys Show” is a collection of 10-15 minute podcasts that discuss topics like bioluminescence and echolocation in fun and entertaining ways.

“It’s a new style radio show with tons of sound effects and some over-the-top humor to help draw students in,” said co-creator Dentino. “And in the process, they will learn something about the sciences.”

They were piloted at Robert Morris Elementary in Batavia at the end of the school year and were well received by educators and students.

“It was great to hear positive feedback from both teachers and the kids,” said Huber said, who composed all the music heard in “The Sci Guys." The shows are free to download and include a lesson plan that can be used by teachers or parents.

The shows are available for download on the iSciWNY.com website. For more information visit: http://isciwny.com/index.php?cID=173

The First Presbyterian Church of Batavia is holding a Community Clothing Giveaway on Sunday and Monday, Aug. 29 and 30.

Sunday's will be held from noon to 4:30  p.m. On Monday, it will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The church asks the public to drop of clean, gently used clothing at the church, located at 300 E. Main St., from noon to 3 p.m. today and Thursday (Aug. 26). (There were previous drop-offs, too.)

Donations of clothing for infants, boys, girls, men, women are welcome, including shoes, sneakers, purses and hats. Winter clothing and work/business clothes are especially welcome.

For questions or more information, contact the church at 343-0505.

The Batavia Muckdogs will have two back-to-back double-headers on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 25 and 26 due to wet field conditions on Tuesday evening. Game time is 6:05 p.m. both days with gates opening at 5 p.m.

Any ticket purchased for Tuesday's game can be exchanged for two tickets to any future Muckdogs regular season game.
 
Wednesday is Homer’s Birthday Bash. In celebration, we will be giving out free ice cream bars to the first 250 fans courtesy of Hershey’s Ice Cream.

It’s also Drug Free Communities Family Four Pack where fans can get four general admission tickets, four hot dogs, four 12 oz. sodas and a 2010 Program for ONLY $30. Plus you’ll receive a FREE prize pack courtesy of Drug Free Communities.
 
Thursday offers the Knot Hole Game presented by Turnbull Heating and Air.
 
For tickets, call the Muckdogs Box Office at 343-5454, ext. 1005.

The search is on for Oliver! The 2010 Batavia Rotary Club Production of "Oliver!" is calling all actors and actresses between age 6 and 14 to audition for the title role and 35 other roles, which portray orphans and/or pickpockets.

Throughout August, Laurie Mastin, show chair, and Director Patrick Burk, are scouting Western New York for 36 young thespians for the 62nd Rotary Show Musical Production.

"Oliver!" will be performed Nov. 4 – 7, with rehearsals starting Sept. 13.

Auditions will take place at Batavia High School, 260 State St., at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

All young people will learn a song, sing in small groups, work on choreography and present a monologue from the show. No experience is necessary.

Batavia Rotary is looking for a great cross section of young actors and actresses to be a part of the largest Rotary Show in recent memory. Joining in the selection process will be past cast members of "Oliver!" and a long list of guest judges in the areas of dance, music and acting.

At the conclusion of the Oliver Search 2010 evening, the top 36 -- who will be cast in the show -- will be announced, along with several runners-up.

The announcement of who will play the title role will happen after the adult and ensemble auditions. These will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 and 8 at Batavia High School. All 36 youngsters will be asked to attend those evenings as well.

Parents of young actors and actresses interested in Oliver Search 2010 are asked to call and register their Oliver hopefuls with Burk at his office (585) 343 9721.

All pre-registered actors and actresses will be given audition numbers and be asked to show up at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

Walk-in auditions that have not pre-registered are also welcome. They will be added to the audition process on a first-come-first-serve basis and will receive audition numbers upon arrival.

For more information, please call Patrick Burk at (585) 343-9721 or Mastin at (585) 344-5880.

Chapin Manufacturing in Batavia recently teamed up with Mercy Flight WNY and Oatka for simulated emergency response exercises. Chapin is a world leader in compressed air sprayers.

The companies conducted the drills to help them prepare for emergencies. They were conducted at the 700,000-square-foot Chapin facility on Ellicott Street. One involved a heart-attack victim and the other simulated an industrial accident.

Mercy Flight of WNY used one of its helicopters and its first responders. The operations provided an opportunity for one group to participate and another group to observe, so Chapin and Oatka employees could walk away with better knowledge and be more prepared for actual emergency.

"It is our responsibility as a business to make sure that we are prepared for all kinds of emergencies and this event helps to incorporate those around us,” said Chapin CEO Jim Campbell.

Mercy Flight used this opportunity as a training exercise for employees. Coordinating these maneuvers is an example of how serious Chapin takes its health and safety program.

Chapin is currently in the process of earning their Occupational Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) certificate of recognition for establishing and implementing an exemplary safety and health management system.

To qualify for the SHARP status, a company must: undergo complete and comprehensive safety and health audits; correct all hazards identified by the consultant; implement and maintain an exemplary safety and health management system; lower its lost workday, injury and illness rate, and have a recordable case rate below the national average.

Next spring, Genesee Community College will offer an immersion trip to Costa Rica to study the Central American rainforest.

The tour is open to all students as well as community members who are interested in learning and studying the ecology and conservation methods of Costa Rica.

Participants will have the chance to earn college credit while learning about ethnobotany, elementary botany, ecology and earth science during this nine-day ecological tour.

The tour is led by Genesee biology professor Maureen Leupold, who has traveled to and studied the rainforests of Costa Rica on two previous college trips.

Students who enroll, will earn three college credits while studying the stunning ecological terrain of Costa Rica, including volcanoes, rainforests and beaches.

Genesee continues to attract students from around the globe to study and earn a wide array of different degrees. Last year, the college had 101 students from 27 different nations.

"A decade ago, studying aboard was primarily the domain of baccalaureate and graduate level institutions -- but today, forward thinking community colleges are fully engaged in the global network of teaching and learning," said Eunice Bellinger, Ed.D, executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

"Genesee has always been, and continues to thrive, at the cutting edge, and it is exciting to see those edges in all four corners of our globe."

To find out more about any of these global learning opportunities please contact James Goodwin, director of Genesee's Curriculum Development at 585-343-0055, ext. 6322 or <http://jrgoodwin@genesee.edu>.

An international photography exhibit featuring photographs taken by students who traveled to the Netherlands in May will kick off the 2010-2011 gallery schedule for Genesee Center for the Arts.

The exhibit reflects the students' study-abroad course, which focused on Dutch culture.

Genesee partnered with SUNY Brockport to develop the GCC faculty-led study-abroad program that took students on a month-long cultural journey through Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Genesee faculty members, Josephine Kearney and Heather Jones, led 20 students from Genesee and SUNY Brockport on a study tour to document culture through photography, writing, group discussion and experiential observations.

Three Genesee Community College faculty members recently returned from an English language cultural program in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And the college is getting ready for several more global education and study-abroad opportunities this academic year.

Connie Boyd, Charley Boyd and Susan Drexel spent three weeks teaching English language and cultural immersion to students at FATEC Americana in Brazil.

"I really felt like I was taken in and was a part of a family when I was there," Sue Drexel said. "The people were so protective and we knew we could trust them to show us around their beautiful country."

The three instructors taught students aged 17 all the way to adults in their 50s. They focused on teaching American culture to the students through video clips, show-and-tell style activities and group projects.

Each night they taught a different topic, including holidays, food, families, music and sports. During the sports night, the Batavia Muckdogs were shown to the Brazilian students through YouTube clips to teach them about American baseball.

The Boyds and Drexel were amazed at the dedication of the students, who many times worked all day then attended the cultural immersion classes from 7 until 11 p.m.

 "The students were incredibly dedicated to the program," Connie Boyd said. "They wanted to know about our culture and were very open with us. The Brazilian people are very gracious and have such pride for their country."

Genesee and FATEC Americana hope to expand and develop the program throughout the next academic year.

This fall, director of Curriculum Development, James Goodwin, will visit FATEC and the first group of Business faculty members will travel to Brazil in January to teach business and culture to FATEC students.

Rappelling down a 50-foot climbing wall was all in a day's work for Genesee Community College's executive vice president of Academic Affairs.

Eunice Bellinger, Ed.D, recently returned from a four-day excursion to Fort Knox near Louisville, Ky, where she joined 80 other college administrators for the annual Army ROTC Leader's Training Course.

Professors, deans, administrators and faculty members who traveled from colleges and universities across the nation were arranged into platoons. They were provided Army uniforms, taught marching techniques and given a taste of the physical and mental demands of an ROTC cadet.

They were exposed to tactical problem solving and team-building with their platoons and even had to eat M.R.E.'s (Meals Ready to Eat) just like real cadets.

Along with rappelling, the educators also got to test their physical endurance at the obstacle course and rock wall at the Forest Hills climbing complex, and worked on team-building at the teamwork development course and stream-crossing. The stream-crossing featured single- and double-rope crossing techniques, which the platoons used to race against each other.

"The stream-crossing was a really big deal to me," Bellinger said. "I can't swim!"

College administrators climbed walls, participated in a high ropes course, sat in on leadership lectures, attended a semi-formal event and "graduated" from the program in a ceremony on the last day.

"Overall, it was a great experience. The ROTC program has wonderful scholarship opportunities for students looking to serve their country and further their education. I'm looking forward to next year's training course in Seattle!"

Bellinger is no stranger to military life. She was born at West Point Military Academy and has taught U.S. military personnel through the University of Maryland's European Division while living and teaching in Kuwait in the 1990s.

This firsthand experience for college educators was designed to develop advocates for the Army ROTC program. Genesee Community College now has a new ROTC office in its Career Center at the Batavia Campus, which is managed under the direction of SUNY Brockport's ROTC program.

Starting this fall, SUNY Brockport ROTC students will have the opportunity to take four classes at Genesee's Batavia campus. All four classes are offered on Fridays and are leadership focused. Fall classes include Leadership and Personal Development (MSC 101), Military Fitness and Conditioning (MSC 103), Military Conditioning Lab (MSC 104) and Innovative Tactical Leadership (MSC 201).

For further information about the ROTC programs offered at Genesee, please contact Major Daniel Fletcher at 585-395-2769 or e-mail: <http://dfletche@brockport.edu>.

The ROTC Leader's Training Course website is: <http://leadertrainingcourse.com/>.
 

Here's an opportunity to learn about birds of prey. You'll meet a live hawk, an owl and turkey vulture, too.

Join Ron Walker, of Friends With Feathers, who'll give a presentation about these fascinating creatures on Saturday, Sept. 11.

It places place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Genesee County Park and Forest Nature Center, located at 11095 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany.

Pre-registration is required by calling (585) 344-1122. Cost is $5 per person or $10 per family.

Melissa Levins, who just graduated from Batavia High School, was a finalist in the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation's scholarship contest.

She and 10 other finalists statewide received $250 for college textbooks.

A total of $10,000 in scholarships were awarded to graduating high school seniors by the league’s philanthropic arm, the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, as part of its 2010 Scholarship Program.

Three grads, none of whom are from Genesee County, received the grand prize of $2,500 each in scholarship money.

The New York-Penn League and its 14 member clubs created the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation (a 501(c)(3) charitable organization) in 2003. Its mission is to provide focus and support for the collective and individual charitable and community efforts of the New York-Penn League, its clubs and their staff.

In 2009, the total contributions by the league and its clubs exceeded $827,000 and included contributions of cash, food, game tickets, merchandise, and other goods and services.

There will be a feline adoption event from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at the Batavia Petco on Veterans Memorial Drive (located in the Target Plaza).

"Think Adoption First" is a collective effort of Petco, Volunteers for Animals and the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

There will be cats and kittens of all ages, colors and personalities. Most are spayed or neutered. All are tested for FIV/FeLV and current with shots.

The adoption fee is $30. If the animal is not spayed or neutered, there is a $35 refundable deposit.

Some are stunning forces of nature. Some are clowns and proudly so. Some are introspective, OK, aloof. Others are lovable because they let you love on them. Indisputably, they are the best cats in Genesee County, quite possibly North America.

Also, six cages are inside the store, so you can meet and greet a cat during regular store hours.

The same organizations teamed up last October to help homeless cats find a home. Since the Batavia Petco opened, more than 300 cats and kitties from the animal shelter have been adopted out of the store.

Nationwide, it is "kittens season" and shelters are inundated. And the GCAS is no exception.

You are encouraged to come out and visit the cats. You just never know who you may meet. It could be your next BFF.