GCC

Press release:

The Genesee Community College Foundation invites the community to enjoy the holiday season at Encore with the theme: "Nature's Bounty: Roots to Bloom."

The annual gala on Tuesday, Dec. 15, features seasonal music from the two-time Grammy Award winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Associate Conductor Stefan Sanders. Encore raises funds for GCC student scholarships and will be chaired this year by Robert ('74) and Lori Bennett of Le Roy. Robert currently serves on the GCC Foundation Board of Directors.

Reservations for Encore: Nature's Bounty: Roots to Bloom are requested by Nov. 30. Questions can be directed to the GCC Foundation at (585) 345-6809 or via e-mail foundation@genesee.edu.

Proceeds from Encore support the GCC Foundation Scholarship Fund. Five Star Bank has again generously signed on to be the event's Benefactor Sponsor. Sponsorship support is available at the following levels:

•    Conductor's Circle - $1,000 entitles donor to six tickets for the event, including a prelude reception at 5 p.m. with BPO Associate Conductor Stefan Sanders;

•    Golden Baton Society - $600 and four tickets, including prelude reception;

•    Inner Circle - $300 and two tickets, including prelude reception;

•    Patron - $100 per ticket.

The event begins with a prelude sponsor reception at 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Stuart Steiner Theatre. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Conductor Sanders, who is making his first appearance at Genesee Community College's Encore Gala, and also artist, curator and collector Gerald Mead.

Guests can explore Mead's exhibition on display in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery which is entitled, "Of Niagara: Works from The Gerald Mead Collection." The exhibit features the work of 62 artists from Niagara County covering all media including an early 20th Century watercolor by Raphael Beck, designer of the seal for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, and a 2014 digital photograph by Joe Ziolkowski, current instructor of Photography at GCC.

At 6 p.m., guests will move into the William W. Stuart Forum for a dinner reception with sensational food selections and a cash bar. After dinner, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra takes the Stuart Steiner Theatre stage for a holiday pops concert lead by Conductor Sanders beginning at 8 p.m. The evening concludes with an exquisite dessert nightcap at 9:30 to be held in the Wolcott J. Humphrey III Student Union.

Sanders is an imaginative musician, devoted educator and ardent champion of many types of music. He holds the Montante Family Endowed Associate Conductor Chair with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, where he leads performances on the Classical and Popular series, as well as Education and Family concerts. In addition, Sanders is the new music director for the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra.

He has collaborated with an array of distinguished guest artists and orchestras including engagements with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guayaquil (Ecuador), Virginia Symphony, Symphoria (Syracuse), Naples (Fla.) Philharmonic, and four Texas companies -- San Antonio Symphony, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Lyric Opera, Corpus Christi Opera, as well as the Round Top International Festival Institute. Sanders makes his European debut with the Filharmonia Warminsko-Mazurska in Olsztyn, Poland, this season.

Prior to his conducting career, Sanders was an internationally renowned trombonist, performing as a soloist in North America, Asia and Europe, and was a member of the BPO's trombone section for seven seasons. He was invited by Sir Elton John to play in the orchestra for his Radio City Music Hall concerts in 2004, which was recorded for the Bravo Television Network.

He began his formal conducting studies at the University of Texas at Austin, studying as a fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen under the tutelage of maestros Robert Spano, Larry Rachleff and Hugh Wolff. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the Juilliard School.

Press release:

"Timing is everything" according to pundits, politicians and song writers, and also from the officials at the New York State Education Department, who just approved Genesee Community College's Nanotechnology associate in Applied Science degree.

The approval of the new two-year degree continues the community-wide excitement following Governor Andrew Cuomo's visit to GCC's Batavia campus last month, and his announcement of the anchor tenant, 1366 Technologies for the new WNY Science and Technology Manufacturing Park (STAMP) projected to open in 2017 in Alabama.

Nanotechnology is the fascinating microscopic world seen at the atomic level and applied to an enormous variety of industries and new career opportunities. From biopharmaceuticals to biotechnology, electronics to semiconductor fabrication, material and environmental sciences to biochemistry, as well as information storage, medicine, security, and so much more -- today's nanotech students are at the cutting-edge of tomorrow's high-end careers.

GCC is not alone in preparing tomorrow's nanotechnology workforce. The four-semester Nanotechnology AAS program includes the first three semesters at GCC, and the fourth and final semester will be taken at Erie Community College's North Campus through a new GCC-ECC partnership that underscores the SUNY (State University of New York) seamless transfer initiative.

In addition, officials at area high schools are already excited about the prospects for their students, and in fact, a special Open House and announcement is planned on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the WNY Tech Academy at the Byron-Bergen Junior and Senior High School at 6917 W. Bergen Road in Bergen. (Contact wnytechacademy@gmail.com for details.)

GCC's Nanotechnology students will study electronic device and circuit behavior, basic chemistry, biology and physics, as well as the fabrication techniques used to create micron and submicron scale structures. Techniques covered include reactive ion etching, metallization, thick and thin film deposition and photolithography. This skill set will lead nanotech graduates to jobs as technologists in biology, chemistry, electrical engineering, medical and clinical laboratories, and information technology.

They will have the option of working in private industry, public government agencies, the military, and aggressive young start-up companies. It is no surprise that 9,000 new jobs are estimated over the next 20 years at the new STAMP facility in Alabama.

"Rapid growth in nanotechnology is creating a strong demand for technicians with training in microscopic fabrication techniques with experience using clean room procedures. We will provide our students with necessary experience to succeed in this burgeoning new industry, and be ready for the new jobs that are nearly in our own backyards," said Rafael Alicea-Maldonado, Ph.D., dean of GCC's Math, Science and Career Education. "And of course, any student who wants to continue his or her education to the next level will have a globally recognized and highly transferrable SUNY degree."

Throughout time, in all cultures, there have been men, Rose Callahan told a group of GCC students and faculty yesterday, who might be called "peacocks."

They like to dress with flare, some might even say extravagance, but always with style.

A photographer by trade, Callahan started a project a few years ago to document such men wherever she might find them, pretty much all over the world. The result is a book titled, "The Dandy Portraits: The Lives of Exquisite Gentlemen Today."

"Dandies are more dressed up, more formal, they like wearing suits, ties, cufflinks, hats. It's a little bit of a throwback to earlier times when men cared more about how they dressed. Everybody, in general, cared more about how they dressed."

And dandies care about appearance all of the time. Dandies would never run to the supermarket in sweatpants and a faded Buffalo Bills T-shirt, or stop by Tim Horton's in cargo shorts and flip-flops. But there was a time in American culture when men nearly always wore slacks, a pressed shirt, and a coat or jacket, and usually a hat. Callahan thinks something was lost when we let slip away the need to care about our public image.

"I think when you dress well, you treat people well," Callahan said. "When you dress well, you care more about yourself and when you take care of yourself, you're more often kind to people. It doesn't always go hand-in-hand, but I think it's a start. I think a lot of the men I've profiled and come across know that image is very important in our culture.

"There's a quote, 'dress well and succeed' and I think a lot of men are realizing that now. They dress well for where they want to be. They dress for the job they want to get. They dress to try and better themselves. I think that's important."

While dandyism remains the purview of the eccentric and eclectic, Callahan is cheered by the observation that more and more, men today do seem to take the time, to put in the effort to dress well, with, perhaps a sense of fashion if not style and taste. There has sprung up in the past few years a whole industry aimed at helping men with fashion, providing them lessons in decorum and etiquette, guiding them toward leading more rounded lives, such as "The Art of Manliness," "Alpha M" and "Real Men, Real Style."

Some of that may be necessary, Callahan said, because the art of gentlemanliness skipped a generation or two, and if there was no father to teach a son these life skills, where will a young man learn it?

"It is possible for a man, even if he's not dressed up like a dandy, to care about those things," Callahan said. "Like a dandy, they want to act in a more gentlemanly way. There's the fashion, but there's also the manners, and that's what the 'Art of Manliless' talks about, being a Renaissance man, taking care of yourself, being a connoisseur and being independent." 

The difference for dandies, of course, is they take all this art of being a gentleman to an extreme. Callahan calls it an obsession.

"Few of the dandies I met call themselves dandies," Callahan said. "To them, dandy means perfection. Beau Brummell, Oscar Wilde, to them, they were the perfect dandies, and they're not there yet. They haven't reached that level of perfection."

There are a lot of misconceptions about dandies, Callahan said, but none of them are true. Perhaps the biggest misconception is that dandies are gay, but that is not usually the case. Most are straight, many are married. They're also not all white, nor are they all rich.

In fact, it's quite possible to be a dandy on a budget. You just have to know where to shop, how to shop, and pay attention to every detail.

"It all depends on how you wear it," Callahan said.

And while most dandies reject seeing themselves as part of a cohort, a clique, a trend, a group of commonality of any kind, they do appreciate the attention Callahan's book is bringing to them. All of the subjects of the book were thrilled to be a part of it, she said, and now when she tours, she meets many more dandies who are excited to go to a public event where they will be appreciated.

"I don't think most people care or realize what an effort dandies put into their appearance when they see them walking down the street," Callahan said. "They might think, 'oh, that's a great look,' but they don't see the details that went into it. These guys care about the details a lot."

While Callahan has no expectation that her book will inspire new dandies, she does hope it serves as one more inspiration for today's men to care more about their overall image and appearance. 

"Not everybody wants to dress like that, but you can look at it and get some inspiration and hopefully take on some of those ideas," she said.

Eleven people who attended the lecture entered the dandy contest for a chance to win an autographed copy of Callahan's book.

Here's a video Callahan shared about one of the dandies in her book, Dandy Wellington.

Press release:

Ready to get a head start on your trick-or-treating this year? Can't wait to show off your costume? Join 90.7FM (WGCC) on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Genesee Community College for Batavia's best family Halloween event, the fourth annual Play, Eat and Trick-or-Treat! The fun begins at 10 a.m. and will run until 2 p.m. in the GCC Forum.

New this year, youngsters will have a chance to meet and have their photo taken with their favorite Star Wars characters! The event will also feature bounce houses, face painting, movies on the big screen, games, snacks and more! Pizza and beverages will be available for purchase. Admission is $3 per trick-or-treater and adults and infants are admitted FREE.

A number of big baskets will be raffled off throughout the day. Try your luck at a chance to win one of a number of big prizes featuring items such as an autographed Buffalo Sabres jersey, tickets to the Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets game on Jan. 3, gift certificates and more!

Developed by 90.7FM (WGCC), Play, Eat and Trick-or-Treat serves as the station's largest fundraiser and money raised helps send students to the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Conference in New York City. It also supports the cost of new equipment and new programming opportunities.

"It's a really fun event and supports a great cause," Valerie Bello, 90.7FM faculty advisor, said. "Each year we look forward to reaching out to the community we serve. We can't wait for another fun and successful day of doing just that!" she said.

90.7FM is a not for profit, non-commercial radio station run by the students, faculty and staff of Genesee Community College. On the air since 1985, the station is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year and has become a well-loved part of the Batavia and GCC alumni community.

Hi-Temp Fabrication is sponsoring this year's event, with other sponsors including Buffalo's Albright Knox Art Gallery, Burchfield Penney Art Center and Pearl Street Grill and Brewery.

Press release:

Genesee Community College will offer two open house events this fall at the Main Campus in Batavia, allowing perspective students and their families to explore the many opportunities the College has to offer. Those interested in attending are encouraged to pre-register at www.genesee.edu/OpenHouse or by calling 866-CALL-GCC.

The first event is scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 - 11 a.m. The admissions, financial aid and advisement staff will be available to answer questions, and enjoy complete tours of the Batavia Campus, College Village and the College's Nursing labs and classrooms located across the street in the Med Tech Building.

The College will also hold its annual Veterans Day Academic Open House on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. As the biggest recruitment event of the year, visitors have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with professors and instructors at the Academic Fair which runs from 9 to 9:45 a.m., gaining inside knowledge about GCC's many majors and some long-term career projections. In addition, representatives from several four-year colleges will be on hand to talk about transfer options from GCC. If you want a comprehensive look at academics, admissions and the overall GCC experience, don't miss this event!

Genesee Community College provides a variety of convenient learning options for students of all ages. Students can take classes at the main campus in Batavia or at one of six campus centers in GCC's four-county service area, including Lima and Dansville in Livingston County, Albion and Medina in Orleans County, and Arcade and Warsaw in Wyoming County. GCC also has a robust online learning program with more than 100 online courses offered each semester and 15 degrees can be earned fully online.

Establishing new degrees, certificates and concentrations that are focused on careers and jobs of the future has always been a priority for GCC. Among the newest programs are Food Processing Technology AAS, Polysomnographic Technology, AAS, (the study of sleep disorders), Supply Chain Management Concentration and Economic Crime Investigation as two concentrations within the Business Administration program, and GCC recently realigned the science programs into four Natural Science concentrations, specifically Physics, Environmental Biology, Biology and Chemistry.

"I have been at GCC for nearly 20 years and I continue to be impressed by the diversity of our student body," Tanya Lane-Martin, assistant dean for Enrollment Services and director of Admissions said. "While we enjoy our traditional aged students who come from high school, I'm also delighted by our growing number of international students, parents and some grandparents who are attending classes with their children, students from Downstate who love our rural community, and the displaced workers who want to retrain and get back into the workforce ASAP. Serving the needs of all these students and helping them achieve their success is what makes GCC such a special place."

For those interested in upcoming courses, a complete listing of GCC's Winterim, Spring and Summer 2016 course schedules can be viewed here: http://www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule/

Hundreds of high school students from throughout the GLOW region particpated today in Genesee Community College's Fourth Annual Harvest Festival and Farmer's Market, which culiminated in a "Campus Crunch," with participants all simultaniously taking a big bite out of a locally grown apple.

The day's events included samplings of local products and presentations by local farmers and others who are part of the GLOW region agri-business community.

(Photo by Alex Feig, of our news partner WBTA.)

Press release:

RTS Genesee announced today that it will begin testing a pilot bus route in January that will connect Genesee Community College’s (GCC) College Village to the business district. The pilot route will also connect the Walden Estates and Woodstock Gardens apartment complexes to businesses on the west side of town. RTS Genesee has aligned this service with local business hours to connect customers with retail, entertainment and dining destinations.

The pilot route will operate approximately from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Friday that GCC is in session, between Jan. 22 and May 13. The pilot route will not be in service when GCC students are on break. The standard fare of $1 for a one-way ride will apply.

“This pilot route is a result of input from our customers and conversations with GCC and the business improvement district,” said James Mott, regional manager of RTS Genesee. “GCC and the people of Genesee County have been valued partners of RTS for many years and it’s our hope this pilot route becomes popular enough to make it a permanent addition.”

More information, including the pilot route schedule will be available later this year.

For all other information, visit www.myRTS.com/Genesee.

Today, 19 law enforcement officers from throughout New York State graduated from a Drug Recognition Expert course conducted at Genesee Community College by instructor Sgt. Greg Walker, including Deputy Joseph Corona, above, with Sheriff Gary Maha, Undersheriff William Sheron, Corona, Renee Borden, NYS DRE coordinator, and Walker.

Below, members of the graduating class who were able to attend today's recognition program at GCC. Participants in the course included officers from NYPD, Central and Western New York.

Submitted photos.

Charting a Course to Prosperity! GCC’s The BEST Center and City of Batavia Offering Small Business Ownership Series.

Calling all aspiring entrepreneurs. Here’s your chance to find out if you have what it takes to achieve small business success. The BEST Center at Genesee Community College is partnering with the City of Batavia and the Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) to offer a three-part “Owning Your Own Business” program designed to inspire creativity, fine­ tune skills, and chart a true course to prosperity. Those interested will be able to explore, experience, and connect with resources that can help turn a dream into a reality.

The program, “Get Underway: Small Business Ownership Series,” begins with a series of one hour workshops where participants will explore business opportunities, assessing their personal readiness to own and operate a new business. Each session will run from noon ­- 1 p.m. in the second floor community room at Batavia City Hall. The following four sessions are planned and participants are encouraged to attend each one: 
Part I - begins Sept. 16th

• Wed., Sept. 16, Noon-1:00 pm -- Do I have what it takes to own a small business?
• Wed., Sept. 23, Noon-1:00 pm -- Can I earn a living through my passion? Why didn’t I think of THAT business?
• Wed., Sept. 30, Noon-1:00 pm -- How much money do I need to start a business?
• Wed., Oct.   7,  Noon-1:00 pm -- The Sniff Test, assessing your business idea!

The sessions are $5 each for those who pre­-register online at http://www.genesee.edu/best/, or $10 each at the door.

The second part of the program goes beyond the basics to help participants fully develop a business concept and transition into becoming a business manager. These five weekly Wednesday evening sessions are mandatory if participants want to access grant resources available through the City of Batavia Microenterprise Grant Program. The sessions run from 6 to 9 p.m. in Room T121 of the Conable Technology Building on GCC’s Batavia campus. They include: 
Part II - begins Oct. 14th

• Wed., Oct. 14, 6:00-9:00 pm — Trials, tribulations & skills of a successful business leader
• Wed., Oct. 21, 6:00-9:00 pm — Marketing strategies to increase sales
• Wed., Oct. 28, 6:00-9:00 pm — Using financial information to guide my business
• Wed., Nov.  4, 6:00-9:00 pm — Learning to “manage” a business
• Wed., Nov. 11, 6:00-9:00 pm — Business plan presentation and networking 

The five­-week course costs $125 and students will receive a certificate upon successful completion. Registration for this course is also available online at http://www.genesee.edu/best/.

The Small Business Ownership series is funded in part by the New York State Office of Community Renewal Community Development Block Grant.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343­-0055, ext. 6616, or via e-mail: dsutherland@genesee.edu

(Submitted photo of Rose Callahan.)

Press release:

What is dandyism? Its attributes have been passionately debated since the late 18th Century where it got its start in England and France. Among the definitions in Webster's New World Dictionary: dandy (dan'di) n. pl. dan·dies 1. A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes and manners; a fop. 2. Something very good and agreeable.

Rose Callahan, co-author of "I am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman" has spent years exploring the fascinating phenomenon of dandyism and will visit Genesee Community College at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, for an afternoon that includes an hour-long presentation, a Q&A opportunity, an autograph session and a special Dress Like Dandy Contest.

Students, staff, faculty and the community-at-large are invited to "dress the part" or GCC's Dandy Day. The top five contestants deemed most elegant, stylish and sophisticated by a panel of GCC judges will win an autographed copy of Callahan's book.

While Callahan does not claim to have the last word on what exactly dandyism is, her collection portrays a very personal exploration of the art form.

"With each new portrait comes more curiosity, and the realization that a true dandy is a rare thing indeed," Callahan writes on her online blog, http://dandyportraits.blogspot.com/

Here, hundreds of Callahan's photos and dynamic portraits can be viewed, all under the title of her current project and obsession, "The Lives of Exquisite Gentlemen Today, The Dandy Portraits, Field Notes & Photos by Rose Callahan."

Callahan will be available for press interviews and photographs at 12:30 p.m. in the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery in the Genesee Center for the Arts 30 minutes prior to her presentation, which will be held at 1 p.m. in the Conable Technology Building room T102.

Callahan's visit is part of the annual Fall Fashion Speakers Series at GCC, which in recent years has featured David Zyla and Anya Ayoung-Chee.

With picture perfect and exquisite serendipity, the Fashion Business program at GCC has its own very special contribution to Dandy Day. The College is introducing the new, unique, GCC alumnus-designed plaid pattern, which embodies not only the institution's official color scheme, but also exemplifies GCC's spirit and the "Beyond Expectations" brand.

Last year, the Fashion Business program initiated a contest to design the GCC plaid that was open to students and alumni to create a pattern that would be distinctive, professional, sellable, and ultimately woven into scarfs, neck ties and bow ties. Under the guidance of Professor Donna Ehrhart, the results of this extraordinary project will be unveiled during Dandy Day.

The successful plaid design was created by Michael Moultrup, of Batavia, who earned two degrees from GCC, Human Services, AAS in 1999, and Digital Art, AAS in 2011. The intricate pattern developed by Moultrup is a strong reflection of his skill as a designer and also his overall positive experiences as a GCC student in two very different fields. Interestingly, Moultrup actively uses the skills he developed in both programs in his everyday life.

He works as a private, home healthcare aide with Johnny's Angels, and also runs his own design business, A&M Dream Creations with his wife, Allana, whom he met at GCC.

The plaid design challenge was a welcomed opportunity to support his alma mater and fosters the team building skills that he learned and valued at GCC.

"I was happy to do something for the College," Moultrup said. "And if it helps the College make a little money, that's good."

Having designed Web sites, logos, wedding invitations and many other creative elements -- but never a plaid, Moultrup applied the lesson he learned from one of his favorite GCC professors, Pam Swarts. He went online to www.Lynda.com, a widely used video tutorial resource, and learned all about plaids and the plaid design process. His efforts were obviously well received, and he won the $100 prize award.

Professor Ehrhart and her team of current students took Moultrup's winning design and moved it along into a real-world, product development learning experience. They reviewed all aspects of creating 100-percent silk scarfs, neck and bow ties that are affordable, yet high quality, and they considered other aspects of production, such as child labor laws and environmentally sound dyes, weaving and manufacturing techniques. Future projects may involve working with a local weaver and exploring new uses for the GCC plaid design.

"GCC's Dandy Day is so exciting in so many ways," Professor Ehrhart said. "Just meeting Rose Callahan and hearing about her work and experiences gives our students a broad, worldwide and also historical perspective of dandyism. But then, we are able to tie-in – pun intended – the GCC experience that is personal, professional and continuously beyond expectations."

The new women's scarfs and men's neck and bow ties are now on sale for just $20 each by contacting GCC's Fashion Business office at 585-345-6830. In addition, approximately 40 Fashion Business students and faculty will be giving a few GCC scarfs and ties away as gifts to key fashion industry experts who are helping host their annual visit to New York City's fashion mecca over Columbus Day weekend.

Many of the hosts on next week's trip are GCC fashion program alumni. To read about their trip, go to GCC's blog at https://gcccampusblog.wordpress.com/

For further information contact Donna Rae Sutherland, GCC's Marketing Communications associate director at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

(Submitted photo below of GCC professors Rick Dudkowski and Donna Ehrhardt with alumnus Michael Moultrup.)

The community is welcome to join hundreds of GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming) region high school students at the fourth annual Harvest Festival and Farmer's Market on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Genesee Community College.

The event aims to expose students interested in careers in agriculture to all the local opportunities available in agri-business. Visitors can purchase locally produced products from maple syrup to apples. The College will also participate in its own version of the New York Campus Crunch, a statewide celebration of local food that's healthy for people and the planet.

The event kicks off with presentations focused on food processing by local agri-business professionals who will offer 20-minute presentations that will run concurrently from 9 -11 a.m. and 12-12:45 p.m. Presenters include:

•    Barb Shine, Business Consultant & Trainer / GCC Professor of Business (ret.)

•    Greg Sharpe, Food Processing Technology Instructor at GCC

•    Robin Waite, Quality, R&D Manager, Perry's Ice Cream

•    Katie Scarborough, Quality Systems Coordinator, Muller Quaker Dairy

•    Kendra Lamb, Lamb Farms

The GCC Veterinary Technology Club will once again delight children and animal enthusiasts with the small animal petting zoo hosted by students and located on the east lawn of the campus. A new addition to the petting zoo this year will be Lamb Farms, which will offer a meet and greet session with a calf.

All attendees are invited to participate in GCC's Campus "Crunch" at 1 p.m. in the central Forum. Statewide, a number of colleges and universities participate in the "New York Campus Crunch" during the month of October. Collectively across campus, participants bite into an apple at the same time together to affirm a commitment to food that is healthy, and in GCC's case, locally grown. GCC will conduct its crunch at the Harvest Fest providing a free, delicious apple to each "cruncher."

"Harvest Fest is a great event that focuses on the agri-business community in the GLOW region," said Debbie Dunlevy, GCC Career Pathways program director and festival organizer. "It's a fun event and we continue to open up students' eyes to the many careers in this important segment of our local economy."

The Festival's Farmer's Market is open to all from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and located in the Forum.

"We have another great group of vendors who will be selling their wares," Dunlevy said. "So, don't forget your wallet!"

Locally grown fruits and vegetables, maple products, soaps and fiber art items will be featured during the market. Vendors who plan to attend include:

•    Harrington's, Batavia – vegetables and fruits

•    Harper Hill Farms, Darien – goat milk soaps

•    Hill 'n' Hollow, Pavilion – chutneys and vinegars

•    Maple Moon Farms, Attica – maple syrup

•    Once Again Nut Butter, Nunda – butters and honey

•    Tripleberry Farm, Kendall – fruit jams and jellies

•    Artisans on North – variety of handmade items

•    Mama Bucks, Dansville – brittles

For more information, contact GCC Career Pathways Program Director Debbie Dunlevy at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6316, or via e-mail: dkdunlevy@genesee.edu.

Frank van Mierlo is clearly a man who believes he has a role to play in changing the world.

The phrase "change the world" did, in fact, pass over the lips of the solar energy entrepreneur once today while he addressed a room full of local and state dignitaries in Stuart Steiner Theater at Genesee Community College. Van Mierlo was there, joined by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to unveil ambitious plans for a $700 million investment by his company to build a silicon wafer factory on 105 acres of Genesee County land that could employ 1,000 people as soon as 2017.

Even the name of his company, 1366 Technologies, is a homage to van Mierlo's far-reaching global ambitions. Sunlight falls on the planet at the rate of 1,366 Watts per square meter, hence 1366. The number is significant because at that rate, the sun sends us 130,000 terawatts of energy each year. We only need a fraction of that, 17 TW, to power civilization.

"We need to rapidly deploy solar," van Mierlo said in an interview after the announcement. "We need to grow this industry at 30 percent a year. If we do that and we keep growing at 30 percent a year, by 2030, we will produce enough solar energy to power the planet."

And at a price cheaper than coal.

The solar energy market has been growing by 30 percent a year for 30 years, with rapidly improving technology, and like the power of compound interest, the rate of advancement is seemingly -- seemingly -- accelerating.

The technology that powers 1366 was incubated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and van Mierlo describes it as a game changer. The company's process cuts silicon waste, reduces the expense of production by 50 percent and takes a third less energy to produce a wafer than current manufacturing techniques.

Ely Sachs, a former MIT professor, is a partner in 1366 and the engineer behind the process 1366 uses to create its wafers. Rather than make clumps of silicon that are carved and cut into wafers, as is common in manufacturing solar wafers now, the 1366 process is more like making sheets of glass, poured directly from molten silicon.

The goal of 1366, van Mierlo said, is to make solar more affordable than coal.

"When solar was first introduced in 1970s, the cost was $7 per kilowatt hour," van Mierlo said. "A kilowatt hour, a little bit of a wonky term, but if you take an old-fashioned 100-watt lightbulb, you leave it on for 10 hours, that's a kilowatt hour. At the time, $7 per kilowatt hour, was extremely expensive. Now, 40 years later, unsubsidized, the cost on a good installation, in a sunny area, the cost is down to 7 cents per kilowatt hour.

Coal is currently about 3.2 cents per kilowatt hour.

The word unsubsidized is important. Solar may be one of the most heavily subsidized industries in America right now.

While states, including New York, offer tax credits for consumers and businesses to install solar panels, the federal government offers a 30-percent tax credit, but that's a tax credit set to expire next year and there is opposition in Washington to extending it. There is some concern that the solar industry has already grown "too big to fail" and ending the tax credit will cost more than 100,000 jobs nationally.

The political winds of the issue leave van Mierlo undaunted. Solar is simply an imperative society must pursue if we're going to change the world.

"A 30-percent growth rate only works when it's a team effort, so it's absolutely essential that everybody pitches in," van Mierlo said. "People like us have to pitch in. We have to come with the technology and the innovation. We have to deliver the cost reductions and we absolutely need broad support to keep growing fast enough. In the end, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. If you believe in it, you support it, the cost will come down and it will bring economic prosperity. If you say it's never going to work and you walk away from it, well, then it will become impossible to make progress and that also becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy."

Cuomo has bet big on solar, backing a $1 billion investment known as NY-Sun and WNY is now poised to become a hub of solar energy production. Earlier this year, Solar City began construction on a 1.2-million-square-foot solar panel factory in Buffalo with the promise of creating 1,400 jobs. A major investor in Solar City is Elon Musk, the entrepreneur who helped launch PayPal and used the fortune that company brought him to launch Space X and Tesla Motors. Officials with Solar City said just a week ago that the panels it will produce in Buffalo will be the world's most efficient, using its own proprietary technology.

Musk is well known in tech circles for dreaming of saving the world through technology. Like Musk, van Mierlo is leveraging prior business success to help fund his own plant-saving ambitions. Prior to cofounding 1366, he owned a robotics company, again based on technology developed at MIT, that he eventually sold.

"It's true that I have some economic freedom, and working on something that matters, that's just a fun thing to do," van Mierlo said. "Given a choice, you outta do something that is worthwhile. Energy is an interesting problem and one that needs solving and I think we're going to play a big part in the solution."

The new 1366 plant will take up only about 8 percent of the 12,500-acre WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park -- STAMP -- in Alabama, a project Genesee County Economic Development Center CEO Steve Hyde has been working on for more than a decade. Nearly every speaker today, including Cuomo, Empire State Development CEO Howard Zemsky, Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer and Assembly Majority Leader Joseph D. Morelle praised Hyde's vision and tenacity in creating and sticking with STAMP, even as doubters and naysayers predicted it would never work.

"This is a game changer," Cuomo said. "A hundred-and-thirty-thousand-square-foot building. At the end of the day, as many as 1,000 jobs. Quality jobs. High-tech jobs. Well paying jobs feeding off an educated workforce being nurtured by some of the great educational institutions in this state. That is the future.

"And the way it happened is the way it should happen," he added. "The IDA worked with the county. The county worked with the region. Two regions collaborated. Western New York and the Finger Lakes, not competing, but actually collaborating and getting a world-class entrepreneur with a phenomenal product that not only can create jobs and make money but can also make this world a better world."

Van Mierlo said when the 1366 plant is fully operational, it will churn out enough wafers each year to generate three gigawatts of power. A nuclear power plant, by comparison, might generate a single gigawatt of power each year.

Increased production and distribution will help bring the cost of solar energy down, which is what van Mierlo said he is really after.

"When solar is 2 cents a kilowatt hour, we can pay for installations that are less than ideal, can pay for energy storage and you will end up with a clean solution that is actually affordable," van Mierlo said. "I'm a firm believer that it's actually possible here to have a solution that helps the economy, but it's not going to come easy.

"The important thing now: Manage the energy supply so that it doesn't threaten life on the planet and that we end up with a solution that doesn't compromise our economy either. We absolutely need investment. We need support. But we also need to bring the cost down so it helps the economy and not just a continuous investment plan."

With the first project scheduled to break ground in the spring, the state will now release some $33 million in grant money pledged to create the infrastructure -- roads, sewers, utilities -- necessary for STAMP to attract manufacturing businesses. While 1366 will benefit indirectly from this investment, the direct subsidies 1366 will receive are those frequently approved by the GCEDC board, from a reduction in taxes on the increased assessment of the property (and the increased assessment will be substantial in this case), to mortgage tax relief to sales tax abatement on materials. The total package will be worth $97 million over 10 years.

Those incentives certainly played a role in 1366's decision to come to Genesee County, van Mierlo said, but he was also attracted by the workforce the area's universities can provide, the central location between Rochester and Buffalo and, most importantly, the inexpensive, clean energy provided by Niagara Falls.

"Hydropower is a real attraction and will be one that is a real advantage to us," van Mierlo said. "It cuts the cost of making the wafer by a factor of three and it's clean. The use of hydropower means there is no C02 at all. Steve Hyde calls it 'clean to green,' and that's a phrase that has really come to life."

Now that 1366 is coming to STAMP and boosters have a real project to talk about with site selectors and potential tenants, it's going to get easier to attract the next business into the park, both Hyde and Mark Peterson, CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise said.

Those who make decisions about where to construct high-tech facilities are going to become believers in STAMP now, Peterson said.

"People are going to say, 'wow, holy cow, this is real,' " Peterson said. "This a mega site, 1,250 acres. You don't have very many of those with power and water to them in the world, so we're on the world stage right now and this is only going to make us more competitive. Genesee County is right in the middle of Buffalo and Rochester. This is going to be the place to be."

Peterson said computer models run by GRE indicate the 1366 plant, with an economic multiplier effect, will generate more than $4.3 billion in spending regionally over the next five years.

Like the governor, Hyde called the 1366 announcement a "game changer."

"This is a new day," Hyde said. "We have technology companies to the left in Buffalo, to the right in Rochester, and now they're right here right now. Where else would you rather be today? We have opportunities through investments and technology and terrific companies like 1366 Technologies that are going to be here for years and create thousands of high-paying jobs for our kids."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Steve Hyde flanked by Ray Cianfrini, chairman of the Gensee County Legislature, and Mark Peterson, CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise.

Members of Genesee County SCOPE were set up on East Saile Drive, across the road from the County Airport, prior to the governor's arrival in Batavia, to protest the SAFE Act. There were also picketers on Bank Street Road, on R. Stephen Hawley Drive and just outside the GCC entrance.

Press release:

Honoring jazz tradition with straight-ahead swing and spontaneous improvisation, the Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet strives to express the beauty of a melodic line, deriving collective inspiration from the musical philosophies of many jazz greats. On Friday, Oct. 2, hear the Quartet's unusual harmonic approach at Genesee Community College's Stuart Steiner Theatre. They will perform one show only beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet brings together the elemental qualities of its four creative members; the lighter-than-air swing of drummer Bill Chattin, the earthy melodic pulsations of bassist Don Messina, the oceanic depth of tenor Charley Krachy and the fiery adventurousness of pianist Kazzrie Jaxen. The Quartet's music includes standard tunes, jazz lines, originals and occasional excursions into the abstract. Their approach stretches the music in unique and complex directions, serving to the feel and pure joy of improvisation.

The show will feature improvisations on tunes from the American songbook, compositions by Lennie Tristano, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and Lester Young, original lines and songs and free group and solo improvisations. The Quartet encourages and enjoys "questions and answers" after their performances.

Tickets to the Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet show are $8 for adults, $5 for GCC faculty/staff and senior citizens, $3 for GCC students. Alumni with ID receive $2 off the full ticket price. Tickets are available through the GCC box office at (585) 345-6814 or via e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu. Advanced reservations are strongly encouraged. For more information, contact Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0005, ext. 6616, or via e-mail dsutherland@genesee.edu.

By the time Genesee Community College celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, the campus will have opened a new Student Success Center and an events center, President Jim Sunser told a gathering in the Stuart Steiner Forum yesterday evening.

These will help GCC continue to grow and serve students better, Sunser said.

"Colleges are constantly evolving and student success is at the core of the values that we have at Genesee," Sunser said.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring thanks in part to a successful fundraising campaign chaired by local farmer and businessman Craig Yunker.

The goal of the campaign was to raise $5 million. The committee did better than that. It was comprised of people from Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

"We're really proud that this community is a generous community and people stepped up with a smile," Yunker said. "I'm proud to be a member of this community, and I'm proud to report to you that as of 2 o'clock this afternoon, we raised $5,214,213."

The two buildings along with a new scholarship fund is a $42 million project. More than half of that money will come from state grants. The county will also back a bond to help close the gap in funding.

A total of 475 individuals, couples and businesses from throughout the GLOW Region contributed money to the campaign, called "Building Our Future Together."

The project is the largest undertaking by the college since its founding, Yunker said. 

"Fifty years ago, GCC was just talk," Yunker said. "I remember how the talk about how it would move the region forward. It took a lot of volunteer effort. It took a lot of effort to bring it about."

A big reason the campaign was successful, Yunker said, was the support of the effort by the Call family.

"It's hard to imagine how this campaign wouldn't have gotten off to a great start without the Call family, and I just want to acknowledge Dick Call's leadership, Dick Call's vision, but the whole Call family, it was really important the leadership that the Call family has shown," Yunker said.

GCC President Jim Sunser