Ricky Palermo has spent nearly 30 years working tirelessly to help find a cure for spinal-cord injuries.

On Dec. 4, UMMC and the Jerome Foundation will recognize his efforts when he is given the 25th Annual Health and Humanitarian Award at a luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant in Batavia.

Both foundations are honoring Palermo for three decades as a national research participant, and for his regional advocacy and local fundraising on behalf of curing spinal-cord injuries.

Wes Audsley, CEO of Genesee/Wyoming counties' YMCAs, cited Palermo's tireless efforts to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries when choosing him as a nominee. Palermo was injured 28 years ago in an accident which left him paralyzed from mid-chest down.

"This humble man has contacts and influence in all corners of our community, based solely on the content of his character and the sincerity of his work. Everyone takes Ricky's call, everyone contributes to Ricky's cause, and everyone feels better for the experience of knowing and working with Ricky," said Audsley in a press release.

The Miami Project is the world's most comprehensive spinal-cord injury research center and is based at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. It was the inspiration for Palermo's drive to raise funds and awareness for those with spinal-cord injuries.

In 1997, Palermo and his family started the Ricky Palermo Foundation. Since then, it has raised $500,000 in support of the Miami Project, United Memorial Medical Center and the Genesee/Wyoming counties' YMCAs.

Palermo is a member of the Board of Directors of the Genesee County YMCA, where he has developed an exercise program for those with spinal-cord injuries. His foundation offers free rehabilitative exercise opportunities for people suffering from paralysis, regardless of the level of injury. It also offers counseling and hope, says Audsley. The program is funded by contributions to Palermo's foundation.

The Health and Humanitarian Luncheon is open to the public. Reservations can be made by contacting the United Memorial Medical Center Foundation at 344-5301. Seating will be limited so early reservations are recommended.

The perenially popular fairy tale of "Cinderella" comes to life beginning 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the opening of the 61st annual Rotary Club of Batavia Musical.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic will also be performed Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 and there's a matinee at 2 on Sunday, Nov. 8.

The production is directed by Patrick D. Burk and takes place in the Batavia High School Auditorium, located at 260 State St., in the City of Batavia.

Tickets are $16, available online at <bataviarotary dot com> or at Hawley & Associates Insurance Center, 260 State St. in downtown Batavia, Lawley Genesee in Jefferson Square, or at the door.

More than 40 friends, students, associates, neighbors, citizens, Americans and so forth have put countless hours and great effort into bringing the community this enchanting story. Ditto dozens more in the orchestra and production crew.

It's very much a family show and little ones are welcome -- encouraged -- to come dressed in a befitting costume.

This stage performance of "Cinderella" is one-hour-45-minutes long and has a happy ending, but there's soooo much to keep you entertained until then!

"Once upon a time there was a young maiden named Cinderella, who lived with her wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters..."

You are cordially invited to come reimagine the magic, timeless tale of romance-against-the-odds. And invite someone you care about.

Both photos were taken during rehearsals and provided by the Batavia Rotary Club.

The holiday season is almost here and that's when many couples begin scouting for the perfect engagement and wedding rings. And with the horizon of 2010 only a few weeks away, it's a great time to create something new for yourself or a loved one.

A world of dazzling possibilities beckons at Valle Jewelers this week during its semi-annual remounting and custom-design event. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.

Enjoy a personal consultation with the store's own custom-design specialist, Mark Berman of Manhattan, who will be there to help you design a special piece or re-craft something you already own. Make something old look new!

Berman will showcase his entire line of Icon Creations, with hundreds of bridal sets to choose from. Free financing is available to qualified buyers.

"He's just incredibly talented -- you tell him what you want and the next thing you know, it's on a piece of paper," Maria Valle said, noting that he uses computer-aided design software to bring ideas to life.

For happy couples who are no longer happy or a couple, Valle has some advice.

"Diamonds left over from love gone wrong are still good diamonds," she said. "You earned them. Reset them and enjoy them."

All fine jewelry needs proper care to ensure its durability and beauty for years to come. With jewelry, it's especially wise to be proactive. This would be a good time to have those gem stones sitting precariously amid your ring's worn-down prongs to be remounted or put into a stylish, new setting.

A lady at my optometrist's office admired my wedding ring one afternoon, which had been on my finger for many years.

"You ought to have a jeweler look at," she suggested.

She was right. I kept thinking "I'll get around to it, but I don't have time now," only to look down one day not long afterward to see a gaping hole where a one-carat diamond used to be.

Walk-in consultations are, as always, welcome, but people wishing to talk with Mark Berman about a design idea, can also make an appointment by calling 343-3372.

There's going to be an open house from 2:30 to 4:30 and again at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 to discuss the pavement rehab project planned for Route 63/Ellicott Street. It takes place on the second floor of Batavia City Hall, located at One Batavia City Center.

Representatives from the state Department of Transportation will provide the following information about the project, which spans from Ellicott and Main streets to Cedar Street:

• Pavement repairs, milling and asphalt resurfacing, new pavement markings
• Re-striping lanes from the four now there, down to three
• Expanding parking on both sides of the street
• Construction work planned for summer 2010
• Traffic maintenance on Ellicott during construction operations using daily lane closures
• Having both nighttime and daytime construction

For questions or comments, call Dan Farrelly at (585) 272-4875 or e-mail him at dfarrelly@dot.state.ny.us

Here's the official project description:

400 Towers' Election Day Baked Good Sale

The vote is in, the best bakers live at 400 Towers.  The popular Election Day Baked Goods Sale is back by popular demand.

Where:  400 Towers' Lobby

When:   Tuesday, Nov. 3

Time:     6am - 9pm

Also, check out the Residents' Craft and Gently Used Sale in the 400 Towers' Community Room.

The 400 Towers' Baked Good Sale and Residents' Craft and Gently Used Sale sponsored by the 400 Towers' Residents' Council.

The Genesee County Sheriff supports a proposed state constitutional amendment to permit inmates to work for nonprofit agencies.

Sheriff Gary Maha is asking voters to approve this as well come November.

According to the Sheriff's press release today, it was never intended that the state Constitution prevent a Sheriff from assigning inmates to a work crew at a nonprofit agency or organization. The current law prohibits the practice when an inmate is "contracted, given or sold" and dates back to at least 1898. It was probably intended to prohibit the sale of inmate labor to contractors or private parties.

Nowadays, the Sheriff's Office typically assigns inmates to work at cemeteries, libraries, service organizations, parks, playgrounds and other locations operated by nonprofits. The inmates aren't paid and are always supervised.

Current provisions in state law do not prevent inmates from working for the state or other municipality. Therefore, most people thought that inmates who volunteered for work detail could also work for nonprofits. The labor is considered part of their rehabilitation program, not a form of required or compensated labor.

But a few years ago, the state Commission of Correction -- the agency which oversees all correctional facilities in New York -- began questioning the practice of inmate labor for nonprofits and suggested that the state Constitution be clarified in this regard.

So the state Legislature passed a bill to allow county jail inmates to work for charitable organizations. Having passed the Legislature in 2007 and 2009, this issue will be on the November ballot for voter consideration.

Sheriff Maha is asking voters to approve the proposed New York constitutional amendment permitting inmates to work for nonprofits.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, I, C – Batavia) is again partnering with State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer and Congressman Christopher J. Lee to hold a community meeting to better assist Western New York residents.

The next one is set for 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4 in the legislative conference room at the Old Courthouse on Main Street in the City of 
Batavia
. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend.

The meeting will include representatives from the elected officials' offices.

“These open meetings are an excellent opportunity for our state, federal and, I hope, local governments to partner together so that we can better address the issues facing our communities," Hawley said in a press release. "I look forward to our continued partnership in serving the people of Western New York."

For more information, please contact Assemblyman Hawley’s district office at (585) 589-5780.

Christmas Open House

Friday November 6th 10am ~ 6pm

Saturday November 7th 10am ~ 5pm

Sunday November 8th 10 am ~ 4pm

Vera Bradley, Crabtree & Evelyn, Byers' Carolers, Lang,Caldrea, McCall's Candles, Willow Tree Angels, After the Harvest Woolies, Toland Flags, Hillhouse Naturals, Homespice Decor, and much more! 

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CROSS HOUSE CHURCH PRESENTS:

LIGHT THE NIGHT

OCTOBER 31ST

WHILE YOU ARE TRICK OR TREATING STOP BY AT 17 WEST AVENUE IN ELBA

FOR FREE CANDY, SNACKS, SOUP, CHILI, APPLE CIDER AND MUSIC

SEE PASTOR MIKE DRESSED AS A MEDIEVAL KNIGHT!

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Press release:

Businesses throughout the GLOW region have a new outlet for safety training for their employees thanks to the innovative efforts of The BEST Center at Genesee Community College.

The BEST Center was recently awarded nearly $100,000 from SUNY's Workforce Development Grants to implement various safety training courses and seminars into their collection of course offerings. The grant allows The BEST Center to provide an all-new opportunity for safety awareness to companies of all sizes throughout the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming) region.

Several local companies have already committed to enrolling their employees in various safety courses over the next year. More than 1,600 participants have been confirmed, earning over 700 hours in training classes. The grant funding is dedicated to the development and delivery of a wide range of safety programs, and to offset the enrollment cost of the courses.

The nearly 40 different courses are being offered both at The Best Center locations, as well as on-site at area businesses. The safety courses are OSHA approved and include many topics such as: general industries outreach, NFPA70E electrical training, material handling, construction industry standards, emergency response and many others. For a comprehensive list please go to: http://www.genesee.edu/gcc/best/safetytraining.cfm.

"There has been a gap in our region for safety training," Lina LaMattina, director of Business Skills Training at The BEST Center said. "External safety consultants can be very costly. With this grant, we are offering local businesses safety training at a very reasonable cost and we can bring it right to the workplace."

Genesee Community College's BEST (Business and Employee Skills Training) Center is a local provider of business consulting, community training and workshops for companies of all sizes and in all industries. The BEST Center offers a variety of tailored programs on-location at businesses across the GLOW region, or at any of Genesee Community College's seven campus locations (Albion, Arcade, Batavia, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw).

For further information on The BEST Center, please contact Lina LaMattina, director, at 343-0055 ext. 6299 or visit the BEST Center online at www.bestcenter.org.

Permalink: https://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/Genesees-BEST-Center-Awarded-100-...

United Memorial Medical Center has recruited Dr. Nina Strollo to its staff. She will join UMMC next August following the completion of her Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Buffalo where she serves as the Administrative Chief Resident.

In 2002, Dr. Strollo graduated, cum laude, from SUNY Binghamton with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development with a minor in Biological Sciences. She  completed her Medical Doctorate at the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse in 2006. She is a 1998 graduate of Batavia High School and Batavia native who currently resides in Clarence.

Dr. Strollo is affiliated with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Medical Association. Her interests are in gynecologic surgery with a focus in laparoscopy.

“I look forward to serving my community and bringing my medical training back home to Genesee County,” Dr. Strollo said in a press release.

United Memorial is a 131-bed not-for-profit community hospital with nearly 750 employees. It's the largest private employer in Genesee County and serves a region of 90,000 residents.

Last year, United Memorial cared for over 5,000 inpatients, 22,000 Emergency Room
visitors and 500 newborns. In addition to acute care services, UMMC operates
four primary care centers in Batavia, Le Roy, Byron and on the Tonawanda
Seneca Nation. Plus, it provides occupational medicine services and outpatient
diagnostic imaging and laboratory services in Batavia, Le Roy and Pembroke.

Come to the 7th Annual World Wide Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 14th from 9am-3pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St. Batavia. Free Admission. Build a Better World - Shop with Purpose. Support fair trade, not-for-profit and service organizations by purchasing high quality gifts from local, regional and international vendors. Lunch, snacks and coffee available.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Main Road (Route 5) in Stafford will hold a Fall Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 24. "A wonderful lunch will be served along with baked goods for sale." There will be lots to see, do and buy, too.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce invites the community to attend its Annual Meeting to be held 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22 at Bohn’s Restaurant.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State.

It is the state's largest and most influential business association representing more than 3,000 member businesses, chambers of commerce, and professional and trade associations.

Its mission is to create economic growth, good jobs and strong communities throughout New York by shaping public policy to improve the state's economy. Insight on the inner workings of Albany and what can be done to improve the Upstate economy will be Ken’s focus.

Cost is $20. Please call Executive Assistant Melissa George at the chamber to make a reservation. Her number is (585) 343-7440, ext. 27.

The 4-H Achievement/Fun Night will be held on Friday, Oct. 30 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds – Kennedy Building. This fun-filled event starts at 5:30 p.m and is open to all 4-H families. "4-H appropriate" Halloween Costumes are encouraged.

Come enjoy an evening of games and crafts, hotdogs, snacks, hayrides, pumpkin and face painting, and lasershot. Following the activities, there will be 4-H member awards and recognition. The evening will end with s’mores and songs around a campfire.
 
A nominal fee of $2 per person or a family of five or more pays $10. This will help to cover the cost of food (hotdogs, rolls, etc.). The fee will need to be paid the night of the event at the door.
 
Families are also encouraged to bring a bag of candy, chips, or dish/dessert to pass to share with all attending.
 
Pre-registration for this event is required by calling Amy Berry at (585) 343-3040, ext. 106. When you register please provide names of family members attending, as well as the number.
 
For more information about this event, contact Amy Berry at (585) 343-3040 x106, stop by the Extension office located at 420 East Main Street in Batavia, or visit our website at: www.genesee.shutterfly.com <http://www.genesee.shutterfly.com/> .
 

The third biennial “Meet the Candidates Night” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 29 at the Stafford Town Hall Courtroom on Route 237.
 
The candidates for office of Town Council include: Ronald Panek (R), of Thwing Road; Don Mullen (R), of Sweetland Road; and Michelle Macan Mouery (D), of Main Road.

For Highway Superintendent: Steven Boldt (R, D,C ), of Clipnock Road; and James Pontillo (C), of Griswold Road.

For Town Clerk: Walter Kershenski (D), of East Main Road.
 
Margaret DeBellis of Horseshoe Lake will preside and introduce the participants. Moderator Ralph Garnish of Stafford Country Club will organize written questions from residents and pose them to the candidates for discussion.
 
At 8:45 P.M. all attendees are invited to mingle and enjoy local cider and doughnuts with the candidates, friends and neighbors.
 
For additional information, contact Margaret DeBellis at 585-943-0674.

 

The Genesee County Business Education Alliance celebrates its 20th Anniversary at its annual breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. It will be at Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility in Batavia. 

From the inception of the BEA, numerous partnerships have been formed between education and businesses, and many of them continue to this day. Its continuing mission is to foster partnerships and assist students in preparing for the world of work.

At the breakfast, there will be an exciting program to commemorate 20 years of working with businesses and schools. 

If you have any questions, please contact Melinda Chamberlin at mchamberlin@geneseeny.com or at 343-7440 ext. 25.

Genesee Community College's Men's Soccer Team alumni are preparing for an exciting, first-ever alumni soccer match scheduled at 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24.

They will play on the new all-weather soccer field at the Batavia Campus.

Organized by Men's Soccer assistant coach Jim Cody, players will be arranged into two teams according to graduating years. Odd-graduating years will play even-graduating years.

During the game, cider and doughnut refreshments will be provided by Genesee's Alumni Office. Tee shirts will also be provided to those participating in the match. Prior to the alumni game, the current Men's Soccer team will play Cayuga Community College at 1 o'clock.

"We hope to make this an annual event," Cody said. "We already have alumni signed up that graduated over 25 years ago! We really want to get young and old players back to campus to celebrate the new field and hopefully in the future expand this event to include the women's teams."

Following the alumni game, players as well as friends, families and spectators are welcomed to a gathering at O'Lacy's Irish Pub in Batavia to celebrate, meet old friends and reminisce.

This event is free, and the general public is invited to participate as spectators. For more information, please contact Jim Cody at 585-343-0055 ext. 6670.