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Motorists are advised to avoid driving on Route 5, as east-west blowing snow is causing zero-visibility. An officer traveling 10 mph said on the scanner he can barely see the car in front of him.

In another weather-related call, there's a report of a car off the road in a ditch north of of the Darien Lodge.

Crossroads of Harmony has become a steadfast Genesee County Christmas tradition in the last 15 years.

With an ever-growing number of singers from Genesee County and the surrounding counties, its four-part harmonic, a cappella songs create warmth and wonderful Christmas imagery.

"Our goal is, and has always been, to bring smiles and positive energy tothose who are listening to us through the use of barbershop (-style singing)," says Beth Allen, a member for the past six years.

They sing at a variety of venues -- including festivals, hospitals, nursing facilities, apartment complexes and schools -- and help create an atmosphere of joy and "meaning" with each performance, which can range from 30 minuntes to an hour.

"We love to watch the transformation that occurs within our audiences," Allen said. "When we first arrive, we often see a group of individuals who are having a so-so day. Then we turn it into a sparkling, memorable day with smiles and laughter."

For more information on how Crossroads of Harmony can perform for your group or organization, contact Shirley at 948-9385 or Mary at 343-4556. For anyone interested in singing with Crossroads of Harmony, they meet at 7:30 p.m. every Monday night at the Genesee County Nursing Home on Chandler Avenue in the City of Batavia.

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) is seeking artists interested in exhibiting their work, including the local one at the Genesee County Senior Center, 2 Bank St., in Batavia.

Since 1977, GO ART! has served area artists by providing exhibit space for their work. Gallery shows are typically displayed for two months. Artists must be 18 or older. Current local openings are at the Batavia Satellite Gallery in the Senior Center, January/February, March/April and July/August 2010.

For additional information, contact the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council at 343-9313 or download an application online at www.GOart.org.

Genesee Community College's Alumni Office has been awarded a $1,000 from the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) to develop an Alumni Career Network program. Led by Alumni Coordinator Jackie Christenson, plans call for the inaugural program to be up and running next year.

The Alumni Career Network will be a career mentoring program to assist students with career planning and goal setting. The mentor program will match students with alumni who have similar academic interests, career goals, personal interests and hobbies for the purpose of encouraging, supporting, advising and motivating. Alumni mentors will guide students in understanding their field of interest and sharing various levels of expertise.

The goals include helping students develop professional, interpersonal and networking skills critical to their success, and also keeping students informed about career choices through consultations with alumni volunteer mentors. Mentoring can be done in person; through e-mail or by phone; shadowing opportunities at a workplace, or a short- or long-term internship. The key is to begin a small program to guide students toward being successful both academically and professionally and to build the network in years to come.

Students involved in the program can expect to develop a clearer understanding of their career choice, be comfortable with it, possibly make a career change and/or continue their education. Alumni mentors can expect an opportunity to share experiences and to guide a student, which fosters personal and professional skills such as listening, coaching, guiding and teaching.

"We are very excited about developing the Alumni Career Network at Genesee," Christenson said. "Especially during tough economic times and ever-changing employment prospects, there is a real need for a mentoring program to connect our successful alumni and our current students who need career advisement. This is a perfect fit for our alumni and students."

Alumni interested in volunteering in the Alumni Career Network program at Genesee Community College should contact Jackie Christenson at 585-343-0055 x6265 or at jkchristenson@genesee.edu.

The Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) has again asked Genesee Community College to host the annual TANYS Festival.

It's an indication that Genesee's Theatre Arts program is on the rise among higher education programs across the state.

At last month's TANYS festival, Genesee's production of "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf" by Ntozake Shange, took top honors.

The performance was awarded in four categories:

• "Excellence in Acting to the Ladies of Color for their Ensemble Work" to Anjelica Sistrunk, Lady in Brown; Faith Horne, Lady in Green; Crystal Ray, Lady in Orange; Samara Brown, Lady in Blue; Nikole Marone, Lady in Red; and Nikkia A. Travis, Lady in Yellow;
• The "Excellence in Choreography" went to Madia Cooper;
• "Excellence in Acting" went to Nikole Marone for her portrayal of the Lady in Red;
• "For Colored Girls" also received the highest honor, "Best Long Play of 2009," a remarkable achievement for Genesee's Theatre Arts program.

"I began working on 'For Colored Girls' in the spring, and was finally able to recruit the right ensemble," said Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts at Genesee. "This performance showcases the importance of ensemble work and the wealth of talent that is cultivated from Genesee's Theatre program."

This was the second year Genesee Center for the Arts hosted the TANYS event. By all accounts, the college provided a top-notch production crew for the weekend-long event, using theater students led by Technical Theatre Program Director Ed Hallborg.

Throughout the weekend, the crew was consistently praised for their ability and professionalism. The students involved were stage managers: Jessica Francis and Amelia Favata; lighting designers, Adam Wilbur and Sara Leonard; sound designer, Joe Catalano; and the run crew, comprised of Alex Farley, Jamie Hicks and Tyler Eldred.

In previous years, Genesee's Forum Players have also been recommended for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (ACTF). The ACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 college and university students. It has helped improve  the quality of U.S. college theater. The Forum Players will not be competing this year in ACTF due to funding limitations and because they were featured in the TANYS festival.

Genesee students have appeared on Broadway, auditioned and gone on to conservatory training, and are working professionally on stage, movies and television. Graduates have also attended the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Genesee students who have transferred and graduated from other four-year institutions have been featured in films, started theater companies, served as artistic directors, interned for regional equity theatres, designed costumes for college and equity theaters, and taught acting at professional theaters to elementary and high school students.

The Genesee Center for the Arts is another reason students choose to hone their artistic talents here. It's a modern facility with a 328-seat theater, rehearsal studio, dressing rooms, full scene shop, a well-equipped costume shop, and state-of-the-art sound and lighting studio.

Award-wining faculty help Genesee's Theatre Arts program shine among other programs. Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts, was a professional actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, and director before turning to a full-time teaching career. She holds an MFA in Acting/Theatre and has toured the United States with several professional theater companies. She recently received the 2009 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

To discover all the opportunities in Genesee's Fine and Performing Arts programs visit http://www.genesee.edu/index.cfm/program/dspArticle/arts.theatre/default.cfm . <http://www.genesee.edu/index.cfm/program/dspArticle/arts.theatre/default.cfm>

JCPenney Co. and The Salvation Army have joined forces this Christmas season to give joy to people in need through a grand-scale online Angel Giving Tree program.

Up until Dec. 14, customers can adopt needy children and seniors and shop online for Christmas gifts for them at www.jcp.com/angel.

The new online Angel Giving Tree program builds on the legacy of The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program, where people would pick the name of someone in need and buy a gift for him or her.

The online Angel Giving Tree program allows customers to adopt an Angel at jcp.com/angel and conveniently shop for them online at jcp.com, in JCPenney stores or at any location they choose. In a few easy steps, customers can visit the site to request an Angel by location, age range and gender. An Angel who matches the criteria will be e-mailed to the customer along with a list of needed items. The confirmation e-mail will
also include a link to view drop-off locations in the customer's area and ship-to addresses for online orders.

In collaboration with FedEx Ground, Angel Giving Tree gifts purchased through jcp.com can be shipped free of charge to any one of the 1,200 Salvation Army collection centers nationwide -- putting the entire selection, shopping and delivery process at the customer's fingertips.

"We appreciate this opportunity to inspire the American public to make a better Christmas for the millions of children and seniors living in poverty," said Major George Hood, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. One small gift can bring joy to a Salvation Army Angel this Christmas."

"In a year when so many need help, the new online Angel Giving Tree program will extend our reach and make it easier for our customers and associates to give back this holiday season," said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. "By leveraging the strength of jcp.com, we are helping to modernize an American tradition -- the Angel Tree program -- and create an innovative way to help families in need in our communities across the nation. Launching this program with The Salvation Army allows us to elevate our support for a cause that is extremely important to our customers and associates, underscoring our focus on the 'Joy of Giving' this holiday season."