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The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance continues to grow and gain momentum.

In an agency review before the Human Service Committee on Monday, BEA Coordinator and local businesswoman Beth Kemp highlighted the many avenues the partnership uses to prepare students for the world of work.

It was a dizzying gamut of outreach -- from the popular Summer Career Exploration Camps and a hiring event next week at Batavia High School for 10th- through 12th-graders, to school presentations at Le Roy and Byron-Bergen high schools and a bus tour Oct. 7 of local manufacturers, with more in the works.   Upcoming at the YWCA will be the free "Tech Girls" program to enhance critical thinking skills and hands-on learning for at-risk girls ages 9 to 15 with limited access to technology.   "It's important that businesses see the value, too, in helping students achieve success," Kemp said.   The "education of educators on local business opportunities" is one of the area's that the BEA is focusing on, Kemp said, helping them help students hone a career path.   For the next academic year, they will be working with the Genesee County Economic Development Center on piloting a course in Oakfield-Alabama schools about choosing a career. It will include information about the skill sets that will be needed to succeed in jobs at the Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) planned in Alabama.   She cited the WNY Tech Academy in Bergen as having STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) focused education for high-skill, financially stable careers in growth industries.   For the career camps, the alliance is seeking sponsorships to cover the costs for deserving students. Most camps cost $95 and include a week of instruction, a T-shirt, lunches and snacks. A total of 230 sixth- through 11th-graders will take part in camps this summer. (Camp enrollment maximums vary.)   The camps include:

• MST -- Math, Science and Technology
• All About Dogs
• Culinary I
• Culinary II
• Animal Science/Vet 
• Medical ($75)
• Hard Hat
• WNY Aviation Adventure (This camp costs more. It's $350 and includes week-long room and board.)

"I think it's amazing what this group can accomplish (for the money)," said Committee Member Andrew Young about the BEA.   Following Kemp's overview, the Committee was asked to recommend approval of a resolution for $3,452 in funding for the BEA through a contract for 2016 between the county and the Chamber of Commerce. The members did so unanimously.   The BEA operates out of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce office on Main Street and is supported by schools, businesses and county government. It is part of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

(File photo of the Upton house on Upton Road from Landmark Society of Genesee County.) 

There ought to be a historical marker on the site of the boyhood home of swashbuckling Civil War-era Major General Emory Upton.

That's what Genesee County Historian Michael Eula thinks, and it's why he asked members of the Human Service Committee on Monday for permission to apply for grant funds to pay for a marker at 9244 Upton Road in the Town of Batavia. Members unanimously agreed to grant permission.

Eula plans to apply for the Historic Roadside Marker Grant Program offered by The William G. Pomeroy Foundation, which since 2006 has funded more than 282 markers in 46 New York counties. If awarded, the grant will provide $1,000 for a standard historical marker, mounting pole and shipping costs.

The Upton Road house which features stunning, leaded windows of stained glass and beleved crystal, was built in 1823 by Emory's parents, Daniel and Electa Upton. His sister, Sarah Upton Edwards, updated the house in 1890 to the shingle style it is now. (In 2011, the Landmark Society of Genesee County presented current owners Joan Bird and William Steininger with awards for Interior Renovation and Stained Glass Window Restoration.)

Emory was Daniel and Electa's 10th child, their sixth son. After growing up on the farm, he studied at Oberlin College under famed evangelist Charles Finney and was then admitted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1856. (He had his face slashed there in a sword fight in cadet barracks, said to have begun over offensive remarks made about his relationship with African-American girls at Oberlin College.)

His patinated likeness in full regalia looms large at the monument on the city's westside where Main Street and Ellicott Street join. But there's actually little heft to his biographical record, according to Eula, who told the committee that outside of a thin and rather superficial biography written by Stephen E. Ambrose, "Upton and the Army," little has been written about the man himself.

His brilliant and impactful career as an influential Army reformer, war tactician, military strategist and policy maker is well documented in compendiums, magazine articles, and through his own authorship.

This includes a book called "The Life and Letters of Emory Upton," which includes the meticulously deciphered and transcribed letters that Emory wrote during his worldwide travels to Persia, Turkey, India, China and Russia where he feasted opulently with royalty, how else, and met with great leaders at the behest in 1875 of General William Tecumseh Sherman.

Both the book of letters and the Ambrose book are out of stock currently at the Holland Land Office Museum, but they were reordered a week or so ago and should be back on the shelves soon.

If the Pomeroy Foundation approves the grant, there would be a ceremony featuring veterans groups at the dedication ceremony, Eula said.

With all the documentation about Upton available in Genesee County, and given the lack of a meaty tome about his life, will a book be forthcoming? That's the question Committee Chair Rochelle Stein asked Eula.

"I don't want to promise something I can't deliver," Eula replied, not altogether convincingly. He did acknowledge talking about the prospect with other local historians, and it's clear he deems the subject worthy of the effort.

See more about Emory Upton here.

Submitted photo. Front row: Teacher Peter Spence, Maya Benda, teacher Tiffany Lucksh, Melanie MacCowan, Mackenzie Fox, Kitana Maher, Clare Fraser, Kerri Bates. Middle row: Morgan Fuller, Will Kennett, Dominick Andres, Zach Swapceinski, Olivia Audsley, Dana VanValkenburg, Isabell Bliss. Back row: Russell Flaherty, parent Michelle Geiger.

Press release:

After a year of planning, 14 students from Byron-Bergen Sr. High School traveled to Costa Rica to explore the country’s incredibly diverse habitats of rainforests, volcanoes, waterfalls and pristine ocean coastline.

Accompanied by Byron-Bergen teachers Peter Spence, who teaches Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry, and Tiffany Luksch, who teaches Math, the young explorers arrived at the capital of San José on March 18 for an exciting seven-day expedition.

The group spent two days in Sarapiquí, a small village in the Caribbean lowlands located in the heart of the rainforest, surrounded by surreal sounds of howler monkeys, tree frogs, birds, and insects. They visited the largest active crater in the world at the Poás volcano, and experienced the cloud forest environment. A cloud forest receives little rain during the year; plants receive their moisture from the clouds that constantly shroud the volcano.

The stay in Sarapiquí also included white-water rafting (where students found tiny poison dart frogs with bright orange bodies and deep blue hind legs), and zip lining in the rainforest.

The trip continued to La Fortuna, where they visited the Mount Arenal Volcano, studied the ecological succession of plants and orchids on the once-barren lava slope, and kayaked on the man-made Lake Arenal. Students hiked to the La Fortuna waterfall and explored the Baldi hot springs.

Moving on to Guanacaste, the group saw the second-largest dry forest in the world and visited Rincòn de la Vieja Volcano. They learned how Costa Rica uses the steam generated by the thermal vents to create electricity. A riverboat ride at Palo Verde National Park offered views of crocodiles, iguanas, red macaws, and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean ended the extraordinary trip.

For many of the students, this amazing educational experience was the first time they had flown or been outside the United States. It was a great opportunity to not only learn about geology, ecosystems, and biology, but also gain practical fluency in Spanish.

“All of our kids have taken Spanish and a couple of them used Spanish a lot,” Spence said. “I did rely on them to communicate when I could not.”

Upon their return, student Clare Fraser summed up the feelings of her traveling companions.

“This has been an amazing experience that I will always remember. The trip was better than I had ever expected, and it has encouraged me to travel more in the future.”

Tickets are on sale now for the fourth annual Casablanca Casino Night Fundraiser on Friday, April 29, to benefit abused and neglected children served by Genesee County CASA for Children.

The fun starts are 6:30 p.m. at the Terry Hills Banquet Facility, located at 5122 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

Tickets are $75 per person or $125 per couple and can be purchased at the door or at the CASA for Children office. It is located in the Genesee County Courts Facility Bldg., 1 W. Main St., Batavia. Hours there are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Price includes $500 in casino chips, foodm beer, wine and $10 free play at Batavia Downs Casino. Cash in your "winnings" for tickets in the Chinese auction and a chance to win valuable prizes.

The event is sponsored by Main St. Pizza Company, Batavia Downs Gaming, Terry Hills and CASA for Children.

The City of Batavia is holding an online NetAuction for heavy equipment starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6. It ends on April 13. 

All equipment sells AS IS and buyers must rely upon their own inspection prior to bidding. The auction is being run by RTI Auctions, Roy Teitsworth, Inc., phone is (585) 243-1563.

Here's the link with photos and information about the items to be auctioned:

They are:

• 2005 Chevrolet 4WD Tahoe, odometer reads 123,691 miles, gas engine, automatic transmission, power windows, locks and mirrors, air conditioning, center console missing, vinyl seats and floors, some scratches, paint chips, dents and rust.
• 1998 Chevrolet 2500 4WD regular cab pickup, odometer reads 87,824 miles, gas engine, automatic transmission, sells with Meyer plow, currently not working, vehicle runs and drives but has significant rust.
• 2001 Jeep Cherokee 4WD Sport, odometer reads 63,498 miles, 6-cylinder gas engine, automatic transmission, power windows and locks, power mirrors, air conditioning, truck runs and drives, some rust and scratches.
• 1992 IH 2674 Tandem Axle dump, odometer not working, true mileage unknown, estimated 100,000 miles, hour meter reads 8,599, Cummins N14, 330 HP, Fuller 8LL transmission, cracks in cross members, one flat inner dual tire, sells with plow and wing.
• 1990 IH Paystar 5000 equipped with Galbreath 50,000-lb. roll-off body, odometer reads 76,527 miles, Cummins NTC 350 diesel engine, Fuller 8LL transmission, needs batteries, brakes, air compressor problem -- won't build air, truck does run.
• 1999 Homemade tandem-axle trailer. Homemade trailer.
• 100 hydraulic reel and electric hydraulic pump for Hurst hydraulics. No tools, working condition.

James Kosiorek

Press release from Le Roy Police Department:

An investigation of a daytime residential burglary which occurred on March 17 on Lake Street in the Village of Le Roy resulted in the arrest of 23-year-old James R. Kosiorek, who has no reported permanent address.

The investigation started when the homeowner returned home interrupting the burglary and finding a male subject inside of the residence. The burglar had damaged a gun case and was attempting to steal guns and cash from the residence. The burglar fled and the homeowner called 9-1-1.

The burglar was not initially located but a subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Kosiorek on April 4. It is alleged that Kosiorek unlawfully entered the residence with the intent to commit a crime therein, and in doing so damaged the gun safe and removed three guns, attempting to steal them and also stole about $30 in coins and a pellet rifle.

Kosiorek was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with one count of the Class C felony of burglary in the 2nd degree, three counts of the A-misdemeanor of attempted grand larceny in the 4^th degree, one count of the A-misdemeanor of criminal mischief in the 4^th degree, one count of the A-misdemeanor of petit larceny and one count of the A-misdemeanor of criminal possession of stolen property in the 5^th degree.

Kosiorek was arraigned before the Hon. Michael Welsh of the Le Roy Town Court and committed to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

(Submitted photo) 2016 General District 4-H Public Presentations – From left, back row: Becky Kron, Melissa Keller, Teagan Mathes; front row: Colton Tarbell, Clare Mathes, Torrance Tillery.

Press release:

Congratulations to the Genesee County 4-H youth who competed in the 2016 District 4-H Public Presentations and the Region 2 Horse Communications Event at Mid Lakes High School in Phelps on Saturday, April 2.

4-H youth from across the region came together to compete at the district level and gave presentations in front of a panel of volunteer judges. 

Representing Genesee County at the 4-H District Presentations event were:

Melissa Keller – score 97, Blue Ribbon

Becky Kron – score 97, Blue Ribbon

Clare Mathes – score 94, Blue Ribbon

Teagan Mathes – score 94, Blue Ribbon

Colton Tarbell – score 93, Blue Ribbon

Torrance Tillery – score 82, Red Ribbon

All public presentation competitors worked very hard and did a great job! Eligible Blue Ribbon participants are still under consideration and have yet to be announced for the state event to be held May 14^th at Cornell University.

(Submitted photo) 2016 General Region 2 Horse Communications: Alexandria Tarbell, left, and Alianna Baris.

Representing  Genesee County at the Region 2 Horse Communications Event were:

Alexandria Tarbell – 1^st Place in the Junior Division

Alianna Baris – 4^th Place in the Junior Division  

Both girls worked very hard and were well prepared for the event, they are both eligible to attend the State Communication Contest on May 14th at Cornell University.

For more information regarding local opportunities in 4-H Youth Development call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County at 585-343-3040, ext. 101 or e-mailgenesee4h@cornell.edu. Our staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have about our program or about joining 4-H!

"Immigration and the Southside of Batavia" is an event being sponsored by the Holland Land Office Museum featuring a genuine ethnic food buffet and traditional music from Poland and Italy.

It will be held starting at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, at Ascension Parish Hall, 15 Sumner St., Batavia. Cost is $20 per person. Tickets on sale now at HLOM. Reservation deadline is NOON Wednesday April 6. Call 343-4727.

Come celebrate immigration from Europe to Western New York. Guest speaker is local historian and teacher Gregory Kinal.

The buffet will include: golumpki, polish sausage, spaghetti, Italian sausage and more!

Live music will include traditional polkas, tarantellas, and other ethnic music!

Batavia Photography Club member Don Fryling talking to Club President Scott Neumann about his photo display.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Don’t be afraid to show some photographs 'cause you never know, you might have some good ones, said Batavia Photography Club President Scott Neumann on the opening gala night for its month-long exhibit at the Richmond Memorial Library.

The club holds this annual event so local photographers can showcase various prints of people, landscapes, animals and more, for the public to view and enjoy.

This year, three studio nights were offered instead of two, Neumann said. Some club members show off their expertise by teaching things like fantastic photography, neutral density filters along with guests from various clubs in the vicinity, too.

The Batavia club meets the first and third Monday of each month -- September through May -- starting at 7 p.m. at the Northgate Free Methodist Church, located at 8160 Bank Street Road in Batavia. Come as a guest and to learn more go to http://batavia.photoclubservices.com/

Submitted photos and information:

 

Girls on the Run is an after-school group at Batavia Middle School that inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum, which creatively integrates running.

Every session, Coach Sarah Gahagan incorporates a guest speaker from the community to inspire girls. Kristen Dispenza and Carrie Richards both directors for the Mary Kay Independant Beauty Business, had quite an inspirational message to share last week: "Change your mind, change your actions, change your world."

Dispenza spoke about the power of positive thinking -- really honing in on the fact that anything is possible. She gave real world examples from her own life and created examples that middle-school girls would experience as part of their life as well.

Another part of her presentation focused on "inner beauty" and how you do NOT need a lot of makeup to look and feel good. She talked briefly about skin care and each young lady was offered the opportunity to wash her face and apply a moisturizer afterward. There were lots of laughs and questions about the importance of good hygiene, (especially your face) especially after running!

Dispenza has quite an inspiring story on how she became a senior sales director with Mary Kay. She graduated from Batavia High School in 2005 and later started her career as a Special Education teacher but quickly felt a need to do more for women, specifically women in need.

She was raised in a single-parent home where confidence and money were not abundant. One of her biggest goals is to not only show women -- ALL women -- how special they are, but to teach them the skills necessary to build a successful business. After only two years with Mary Kay, through perseverance, determination, and heart, Dispenza earned the area's FIRST EVER pink Cadillac...pretty impressive!

Senior Sales Director Carrie Richards worked full time as a caseworker for the Department of Social Services and pursued her master's degree in Social Work part time. She spoke to the girls about how she got into the business and really owed a huge "pay it forward" to her "partner in crime," Dispenza, who inspired her to begin with Mary Kay, which changed her life.

Richards became a part of Mary Kay to surround herself with positive, empowering women and provide herself the opportunity to become a business owner. Her favorite part of her job is giving other women the opportunity to take charge and create a lifestyle that many only dream of. She is extremely thankful to have the opportunity to enrich and empower other women and thinks giving young girls the "Girls on the Run" experience is an AMAZING thing.

Girls on the Run (grades 5-8) meets at Batavia Middle School on Tuedays and Thursdays from 3:30-5 p.m.; this is their third session. The first ever third- and fourth-grade group also just started this spring at John Kennedy School.

More than seven years in the making, and nearly a year under construction, the new Oakfield Town Hall at 3219 Drake St. will be open for touring from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 10.

A dedication ceremony is planned at 2:30 with Oakfield Town Supervisor Carol Glor, and guests Genesee County Legislature Chairman Ray Cianfrini and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Light refreshments will be served.

The facility has been completely refurbished and 5,000 square feet was added on the back side. It includes a new bay for the Highway Department, new offices, including one for law enforcement (Sheriff's deputies/Troopers), a courtroom shared by Oakfield and Elba, the Town Hall and meeting rooms. The space can accommodate 300 people and be partitioned with an optional center divide.

"It can be used in the event of a disaster," said Town Assessor Barry Flansburg. "It's all up to code, with a handicap accessible entrance and new bathrooms."

He said $2.6 million of the total $3 million cost came from borrowing the money from a bank, which voters permitted passively. Once announced, no referendum for a vote materialized, thus the expenditure was approved de facto.

"This was done as part of our normal operations," Flansburg said. "There was no tax impact."

The remainder was funded with reserves and grant money, which typically trickles in well after the fact.

In addition to residents and the general public, businesses, highway departments, contractors, and "everyone we worked with over the years" are invited to attend this Sunday, says Flansburg.

Press release:

Volunteers For Animals wants to remind you that grant money is still available from the ASPCA to provide low-cost spay and neuter of canines and felines belonging to NYS residents who receive public assistance.

The ASPCA administers the New York State Animal Population Control Program on behalf of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The grant, via a voucher system, will cover the spaying or neutering of the pet, a rabies vaccine, a distemper vaccine and deworming.

Since 1984, Volunteers For Animals has assisted with the care, treatment, and adoption of animals residing at our area's municipal shelter, the Genesee County Animal Shelter in Batavia. We provide care and services that would not be available if not for our involvement. Prior to our participation, sick animals were euthanized and none were spayed or neutered.

Our group is staffed completely by volunteers, some of whom have been involved for over a decade. We are a dedicated group of volunteers who coordinate all the the necessary care and treatment for the animals at the shelter.

For many years, Volunteers For Animals has been committed to spaying and neutering all animals prior to adoption at the Genesee County Animal Shelter. We are now expanding that commitment to help pet owners in the community. We understand the pressing need to spay and neuter dogs and cats to alleviate the pet over-population epidemic.

Volunteers For Animals has partnered with local veterinarians and their staff to provide quality, low-cost services to low-income residents in Genesee and surrounding counties. We believe that not only will this program help to reduce the pet overpopulation problem but will benefit the quality of life for both pet owners and pets.

We believe that sterilized pets present a win-win situation. The pet is generally healthier and the pet-owner relationship is generally less stressful and, therefore, more enjoyable.

To receive a voucher, the pet owner must speak with a member of Volunteers For Animals. The pet owner can call the Shelter at 585-343-6410 to leave a message for a volunteer -- please leave name and phone number where a volunteer can call the pet owner. An e-mail can also be sent to info@vol4animals.org.

Press release:

Elderwood Health Plan, a locally based managed long-term care (MLTC) plan, was granted approval by the New York State Department of Health to begin enrolling members April 1.

Elderwood Health Plan provides services to people 21 years and older who are Medicaid-eligible, chronically ill or have disabilities and have been assessed as needing community based long-term care services for more than 120 days. Services are provided in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming and Monroe counties. Dr. Anthony Billitier is the medical director for the program.

Elderwood Health Plan coordinates primary, specialty and community-based services for its members, and is the payor for a wide range of services, such as long-term home health care, dental, vision, transportation and audiology. Members continue to use their own primary care and specialty physicians through their Medicaid, with the advantage of having an Elderwood Health Plan care manager help coordinate their community based and home care services.

“Our goal at Elderwood Health Plan is to provide the care and access to services necessary for individuals to remain independent and in the community,” said Alicia Kenyon, director of business development. “Our care managers provide support to both members and their families to help coordinate services such as podiatry, physical therapy, in-home care, durable medical equipment, and transportation to medical appointments and day centers.

“We will also help families with the paperwork required to apply for Medicaid.”

 Elderwood Health Plan is backed by the experience of Elderwood, a respected area health care provider for more than 30 years, and by parent company Post Acute Partners, operating more than 20 health care communities in New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

For more information, call Elderwood Health Plan toll-free at 1-866-843-7526 or visit the Web site at www.elderwoodhealthplan.com.

Larry Brandon Ferrell, 31, of 10 Lathrop Ave., Le Roy was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department after a complaint of an alleged domestic incident which occurred on March 29. It is alleged that Ferrell restrained and choked a female in the presence of two small children and then allegedly took the phone away when the female attempted to call the police. Ferrell was charged with the misdemeanors of second-degree unlawful imprisonment, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Ferrell was arraigned before the Hon. Michael Welsh of the Le Roy Town Court and released under the Supervision of Genesee Justice.

Joshua B. Maternowski, 22, of Tonawanda, is charged with possessing one small plastic baggie containing approximately three grams of marijuana, and Joshua T. Reinhart, 21, of North Tonawanda, is charged with possessing one small plastic baggie containing approximately five grams of marijuana and a multicolored glass smoking pipe containing marijuana residue. At 11:38 a.m. on March 3, Corfu Police Officer Michael Petritz stopped a driver for speeding (going 57 in a 35-mph zone) and having no brake lamp on Route 77. Upon interview of the operator and passengers, Officer Petritz detected a strong odor of burnt marihuana emanating from the vehicle. Officer Petritz requested assistance from Sheriff's Deputy Lonnie Nati and a search of the vehicle allegedly yielded marijuana.

Cody Alan Glogowski, 28, of Grandview Drive, North Java, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. At 7:48 p.m. on March 31, Glogowski was arrested for allegedly endangering the welfare of a child less that 17 while at Dick's Sporting Goods in the Town of Batavia. No details provided. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia Town Court on May 12. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute.

A two-car accident with injuries, including a possible head injury, is reported at 8244 Batavia-Stafford Town Line Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The location is near R. Stephen Hawley Drive.

UPDATE 8:59 a.m.: A second Mercy ambulance is called in, non-emergency mode.

Sixty Minutes: Privacy, weekend leave, keys...This is prison? (video, autoplay)

From our news partner, 13WHAM.

Mikayla Radecki, 17, of Holland, speaks with Living Waters Church member Denise Parmenter during the “Girls Helping Girls” prom dress giveaway Saturday at the Le Roy church.

Some dreams came true this weekend at Le Roy’s Living Waters Church.

The occasion was “Girls Helping Girls,” a prom dress giveaway that marked its sixth year on Saturday. A steady stream of girls and parents browsed among racks of dresses displayed in the church sanctuary.

It had a department-store feel. But the beat of Christian rock music was a reminder that the program is a church ministry born out of compassion.

“Girls Helping Girls” was originally suggested by church member Valerie Moore. She saw it as a way to help families who may not be able to afford a new prom dress, which can cost as much as $400 on average and is usually worn only once.

“God just dropped it on my heart one day, to reach out to those who may be in need,” Moore said. “I know how important it is for a girl to be able to attend her prom.”

In the first year, there were about 75 prom dresses available.

On Saturday the number topped 600 — more dresses, organizers pointed out, than at Kohl’s, JCPenney and Macy’s combined.

Most of the dresses were donated, while others were bought on sale by Moore at the end of last year’s prom season.

Although dresses were free, some families have asked to make financial contributions. This year, the church will forward any donations to the House of Hope being built in Moshi, Tanzania, as a refuge for girls who would otherwise be exploited.

“Girls Helping Girls” draws families from across the region. One visitor was Mikayla Radecki, 17, of Holland, Erie County, who both made a donation and chose a dress for her upcoming junior-senior prom.

“This is very helpful,” said Mikayla, who was holding a purple sequined dress in the church lobby. “You can make a donation and find a dress — it makes things a lot easier.”

Moore has received similar feedback from many girls and families over the years.

“A lot of them are very grateful, and very thankful that we do this,” she said.

“Last year, one of the girls left a comment that said, ‘Now my dream can come true.’ If that was the only dress that we gave away last year, it made the entire event worth it.”

Valerie and her husband Henry Moore have been members of Living Waters Church for 12 years, and help oversee its ministry programs.

One of them is Operation Drumstick, which sends church members to New York City. There, they help serve Thanksgiving Dinners to more than 5,000 people as part of an outreach program of the New York School of Urban Ministry. Living Waters is also preparing to send a team to Tanzania to support House of Hope.

Closer to home, Living Waters offers dinners and picnics for residents of local apartment complexes.

“Our biggest goal is outreach ministry,” Henry Moore said. “People think about missions as, ‘I have to go to another country,’ but ‘missions’ is in our own communities; it’s in our own back streets.

“Yes, we want to be able to send people to Tanzania, Africa, and Mexico — and that’s great,” he said. “But where we can connect the best is right here at home.”

“Girls Helping Girls” was originally suggested by Living Waters Church member Valerie Moore, right, who helps oversee mission programs with her husband Henry Moore.

Exhibitors said there was a steady stream of people coming through the Chamber of Commerce's Home Show today at Falleti Ice Arena in Batavia, and that had them in pretty good spirits.

Here's a quick photo tour of some of the activity today.

Doors are open tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More pictures after the jump: