Stories from

Press Release:

Road repairs now under way

The state Department of Transportation will be working on I-490 between Route 259 (Union Street, exit 4) in the Town of Chili and Route 19, exit 1, in the Town of LeRoy. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. so pavement repairs can be made.

Ramps will not be affected.

The highway workers will begin at Route 259 and work in the westbound direction. The work zone will be approximately one mile in length. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph when workers are present.

This preventative maintenance work started Monday, April 20 and is expected to take about a month to complete. Once repairs are made, the same section will be resurfaced by a paving crew.

Motorists are advised to travel slowly and carefully through the work zone area.

Press Release:

Summer Art Programs Available at Genesee Community College

Batavia -- Genesee Community College's fine arts department is again offering the Performing Arts Experience this summer and a new Summer Studio Fine Arts Workshop. Both programs are available to GLOW area children and young adults.

The Performing Arts Experience is a three-week theatre workshop, targeted for children and young adults ages 8-16, that runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 6-25, Monday through Friday at the College's Center for the Arts.

It introduces the fundamentals of theater in an engaging way for children and young adults fascinated by stage and live performance.  Students learn acting, dance, voice lessons, movement, audition techniques and scene study. The cost for this three week program is $250 and registration is required. Registration deadline is June 6.

The workshop will culminate with all participants giving two live musical performances on stage in the state-of-the-art Stuart Steiner Theatre. They will be open to the public. Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 24-25. Admission is free.

The Summer Studio Fine Arts Workshop debuts this year. This week-long art workshop is open to children ages 9-14 and features drawing, mixed media, pottery, painting, sculpture and more.

The fine arts workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 3 - 7 in the ceramics and painting studios at the Batavia Campus. At the conclusion of the week, the art work will be on display in the Stuart Steiner Lobby Art Gallery. There's a reception scheduled for 3 p.m. Aug. 7.

Genesee art instructors Moi Dugan and Margaret VanArsdale will oversee the workshop. Cost is $150 and the registration deadline is June 6.

For more information or to receive a brochure, please contact the Genesee Center for the Arts office at (585) 343-0055 x6438.

For tickets to any of the performances held July 25-July 26, contact the Box Office at (585) 343-0055 x6814 or by email to BoxOffice@genesee.edu.

Press Release:

City of Batavia Celebrates

City of Batavia will celebrate both Earth Day and Arbor Day from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 25.

The event begins at Lions Park on Wallace Street in the City of Batavia with a presentation on “The Benefits of Gardening and Composting” by the Batavia Youth Bureau. There will be a tree planting ceremony by a local Girl Scout troop, a seed-starting display by the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners and a proclamation by City Council. 

Volunteers will then be assigned a city park or downtown Main and Ellicott streets area to pick up debris. The volunteers will regroup at Lions Park at 11:30 am for the door-prize drawing. Every volunteer will receive a chance to win a tree.

The trees for the planting ceremony and door prize have been donated by a local Girl Scout troop through a special deal provided by Pudgie’s Lawn & Garden.  The Girl Scouts will donate a tree and so will Pudgies.

The ARC is also donating services and supplies and Tim Horton’s is donating coffee and TimBits for volunteers. Kiwanis is also helping out with a donation of supplies.   

This event will take place rain or shine.  The city is seeking volunteers and there are additional hours available for students interested in earning community-service credit.

If there are questions, please contact the city manager's office at 345-6330 or email
jfreese@batavianewyork.com.

Press Release:

Local Doctor Certified in Sports Medicine

Dr. Matthew J. Landfried, a United Memorial Hospital medical staff member and orthopaedic surgeon has received certification in the subspecialty of orthopaedic sports medicine from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Inc.

Dr. Landfried is a partner in the Genesee Orthopaedics medical practice with locations in Batavia and Perry. He is a graduate of Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and is board certified in orthopaedic surgery.

He is also chair of the surgical department and chief of surgery at United Memorial. He lives in Batavia.

Sports medicine relates to the care of injuries resulting from athletic activities. Orthopaedic sports medicine specialists are proficient in addressing conditioning, training and fitness for athletic performance. This includes: the role of dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals and nutrition in the short- and long-term health of athletes; coordination of medical care with trainers, physical therapists and physicians.

They provide on-field evaluations with their knowledge of soft tissue biomechanics, injury healing and repair. They coordinate treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical, and understand athletic equipment and orthotic devices used in the prevention and management of athletic injuries.

Press Release:

Cultural Fest 2009

The Genesee County Youth Bureau AmeriCorps and Reality Check programs are
gearing up for the 2009 Cultural Festival. 

This free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at Batavia Middle School. Along with booths, displays and local craft sellers, there will be food and live
entertainment by a number of groups including McMahon¹s School of Irish Dance and TNT Productions.

If you would like more information on the Cultural Festival or to register your
organization or business to for a booth or performance, please call 344-3960. 

You can also visit the Youth Bureau page at www.co.genesee.ny.us for
registration forms.

Press Release:

Batavia Business Improvement District
 Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon

Batavia –  The Batavia Business Improvement District will hold its annual luncheon meeting at 11:45 p.m. on Friday, April 24 at the Homestead Event Centre (former Roxy’s Music Store), 4 Batavia City Centre, in downtown Batavia.

The agenda includes a review of the B.I.D.’s accomplishments in 2008-2009 and the announcement of the newly elected members to the Board of Directors. Also, the “Spirit of Downtown” Business Award will be given to O’Lacy’s Irish Pub and the “Spirit of Downtown” BID Volunteer Award will be given to Jeffrey Gillard.    

Cost is $15. To make reservations and payment contact Don Burkel, B.I.D. Director, at 585-344-0900 or fax 585-815-0233.

Press Release

New Scholarship to Benefit Volunteer Firefighters and their Families

Batavia -- Genesee Community College Foundation is creating the new Ben Franklin Scholarship, believed to be the first of its kind in New York.

Named after Benjamin Franklin, the founder of the first volunteer firefighting company in the United States, this scholarship will be made available to GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming) region volunteer emergency responders and their immediate families.

Twenty $500 scholarships will be awarded to full-time Genesee students who apply and meet the Ben Franklin Scholarship selection criteria.

Awardees must be involved in a volunteer fire or ambulance department for at least one year, or be the immediate family member of a volunteer who has been active for more than one year. Scholarship applications are available online at www.genesee.edu/foundation/programs.cfm <http://www.genesee.edu/foundation/programs.cfm>.

Assemblyman Stephen Hawley is scheduled to participate in the scholarship awards ceremony.

This event will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 24 at the Batavia Campus in the Clock Tower Plaza, weather permitting. In the case of bad weather, the location will be moved to the North Lobby of the Conable Technology Building.

For further information, please contact Richard Ensman, director of Development and External Affairs at 585-343-0055 x6534.

Press Release:

Genesee's 'Early Warning' Project Helps Students Overcome Academic Problem, Trustees Hear

BATAVIA, NY -- Genesee Community College's innovative 'Early Warning' Project is helping to quickly identify and help students in danger of failing, two senior administrators told the Board of Trustees Monday evening.

Dr. Eunice M. Bellinger, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dr. Virginia M. Taylor, Vice President for Student and Enrollment Services, described for trustees how faculty members use the program to track - and report - students who do not attend class or who miss key assignments.  Dr. Taylor's staff then contacts the students who are identified through the program, and attempt to arrange tutoring or other support services for the students.  "The emphasis is on helping students to avoid grades of 'F' and remain in college," Dr. Taylor said.

The program began during the 2006-2007 year, involving nineteen faculty members.  Since then the program has grown, and involves 41 full-time and 68 part-time faculty members.  Although the program is still too new to evaluate results, College staff members believe that the program will make the difference between college success and failure for some students.

Dr. Bellinger told trustees that identifying attendance or academic problems early in the semester give faculty and staff members the chance to intervene.  Dr. Taylor said that students who find themselves in academic trouble do not always want to drop out of college.  "But they need to know 'what do I do now?'" she said.  "We can offer support and options."

More than 50 tables will be laden with goods galore at the 12th annual showcase of antiques and collectibles in Elba on Saturday, May 9.

Dealers will sell and Batavia's Gary Harkness will be available to give appraisals. Each appraisal costs $3. The event is held at Elba Firemen's Recreation Hall, located on Route 98, six miles north of Exit 48 of the Thruway.

Four of this year's dealers are new.

Linens, shabby chic items, buttons, advertising ephemera, pottery, jewelry,
glass, furniture, Victorian, primitives and more will be featured.

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appraisals will begin at 10 a.m. Tickets are $3 and parking is free. Children 12 and under are free.

Lunch is available for purchase, including homemade beef soup, sandwiches, hotdogs and cookies. Hot coffee and donuts will be sold in the morning.

For more information call June at 757-2791.

Batavia Players will produce "The Lion in Winter" this spring.

The critically acclaimed play by James Goldman centers around Christmas in the castle of Henry II of England.

The cast includes: Kevin Partridge as Henry II; Lynda Hodgins as Queen Eleanor of Aquitane; Jesse Conklin as Richard the Lionhearted; Anthony Giambrone as Prince Geoffrey; James Earl as Prince John; Rachel Oshlag as Princess Alais; and Jared Morgan as the young King Philip of France.

The director is E. Jane Burk. This will be the second time she has directed Batavia Players, Inc.

"The Lion in Winter" has long been a staple of Broadway. Though historical in nature, Goldman took artistic license in writing the script, which evokes tension as well as humor. It also was adapted into a movie in the late 1960's starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn. She won the best actress Oscar for her protrayal of Eleanor of Aquitane.

Shows are Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Batavia Middle School, located at 96 Ross St. in Batavia. Tickets go on sale April 27 and cost $10. Seniors and students pay $8.

The awards ceremony for the eighth annual Library Poetry Contest will take place at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16 at Genesee Community College.

It will be in the library of the Batavia campus.

Fifty GCC students submitted 94 poems. They were invited to submit up to three poems on any topic. As a special category, Genesee math instructors have offered extra credit to their students who entered a math poem. Thirteen poems with a mathematical theme were submitted.

The deadline for entries has been extended for the ECO-Fest Earth Day Art Contest.

Submissions will now be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday, April 20.

The contest aims to promote environmental awareness. It's co-sponsored by Genesee Community College and Present Tense Bookstore.

Original artwork in the following five categories will be considered:

Literary Arts (story, poem, or essay)
Visual Arts (painting, photography, sculpture, crafts)
Multimedia Arts (artwork that combines literary and visual components)
Children's Arts (artwork submitted by children under age 12)
Recycled Materials (artwork that incorporates recycled items)

Entries may be dropped off at Genesee Community College, MarCom Office D110 by 5 p.m. April 20. All entries will be displayed in the Lobby Art Gallery of the Stuart Steiner Theatre April 29 through May 1.

Winners will be announced at the 4th Annual CoolKids ECO-Fest on Thursday, April 30. The winning entries will also be displayed at Present Tense with an artists' reception on Saturday, May 2.

Entry forms are available at http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/Art Contest form.pdf.
st Entry Form:  http://readme.readmedia.com/news/attachment/8996/GCC_Art_Contest_Entry_Form.pdf

Here's the home-game schedule for the Genesee Community College Cougars at their Web site.

http://www.genesee.edu/athletics/teams/baseball/display.cfm?pg=schedule