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Announcements

Ferrellgas holds annual winter wear drive now through Jan. 12

By Billie Owens

Press release:

As a company that serves the propane needs of hundreds of local homes, businesses, and farms, Ferrellgas knows a thing or two about keeping the members of this community warm.

This year, the company is once again asking local residents to partner with them to spread even more warmth throughout the area.

Now through Jan.12, Ferrellgas is collecting new and gently used coats, hats, scarves, and gloves and putting them in the hands of the less fortunate members of our community.

Donations can be given to Ferrellgas drivers or brought to the Ferrellgas office at 655 Ellicott St. At the end of the coat drive, Ferrellgas will donate items collected to one or more local charities.

“Dropping off that coat you’ve had in the back of your closet or a new pair of mittens may seem like a small thing to do, but it can have a big impact in the lives of our fellow community members," said Douglas Muha, Ferrellgas general manager. "For some families, a warm coat is a luxury that cannot be taken for granted, and we are grateful for all the donations that will be collected to meet this critical need."

Muha said his team has once again selected Community Action as the beneficiary of the local Ferrellgas’ office’s coat-collection efforts.

Local residents do NOT have to be Ferrellgas customers to participate in the donation drive.

For more information about this effort, please visit www.ferrellgas.com/share-the-warmth.

Children ages 4 to 13 invited to learn cheerleading skills from Section V champion cheerleaders on Dec. 16

By Billie Owens

Children ages 4 to 13 are invited to learn cheerleading from Batavia's Section V champions.

The Batavia Youth Cheerleading Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 16, in the gymnasium at Batavia Middle School, located at 96 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

Cost is $30. Participants will get a T-shirt. 

Cheerleaders will be served pizza during a quick lunch break, too!

Cheerleaders will work on cheerleading skills including stunts, jumps, sidelines and tumbling. They will also learn a choreographed routine to perform for their families and friends at 11:45 a.m.

In addition, participants are invited to wear their camp T-shirt and join the Section V cheerleading champs at the varsity game half-time performance on Dec. 27 at Genesee Community College (located at One College Road, Batavia). Game starts at 8 p.m. and cheer campers will meet before the game at 7:15 p.m. in the GCC foyer for review of the skills learned.

Checks should be made payable to: Batavia Cheer Boosters. Please include the following information when mailing your payment:

  • Cheerleader Name
  • Cheerleader Age
  • T-shirt Size
  • Emergency Contact Name
  • Emergency Contact Number

Mail registration information and payment to:

Batavia High School

Attn: Cheerleading

260 State St.

Batavia, NY 14020

Ice skating hours at DeWitt extended on Fridays beginning Dec. 29 until mid-March

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry has partnered with the Batavia Kiwanis Club to extend hours for ice skating on Fridays at the DeWitt Recreation Area! The hours will be extended till 7:30 p.m. beginning Dec. 29 until mid-March.

A true community effort continues to make it all happen with the City of Batavia Fire Department initially filling the rink with water, the Town of Oakfield Highway Department providing outdoor lighting, and Cedar Street Rentals assisting with keeping the ice surface clear of snow. Use of the rink is FREE and available at posted times.

DeWitt Recreation Area is located at 115 Cedar St. in Batavia. The outdoor rink is not monitored by staff during posted hours nor are skates provided. Skate at your own risk.

This beautiful community skating area is constructed and maintained by volunteers and staff, so we ask for your help in keeping it safe and clean for all to enjoy. Please stay off the ice on warm days and respect the “closed for maintenance” signs. Keeping off the ice when it is warm will ensure a quick reopening of the rink when the weather turns cold again!

See the parks website here for full rules and details.

Rink Hours:

Public Skate:
(Sticks and pucks are prohibited on the ice during public skate.)

  • Monday, Wednesday, Saturday -- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Thursday -- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Friday (beginning Dec. 29) -- 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Stick & Puck:

Tuesday, Thursday 2 to 4 p.m.​ (No figure skating during Stick & Puck time.)

For more information visit our website here, or contact Shannon Morley at Shannon.Morley@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Indian Falls church hosts drive-thru event featuring narrated, live Nativity scene Saturday at Pembroke park

By Billie Owens

The Indian Falls United Methodist Church will host Genesee County's only drive-thru opportunity to see a live Nativity Scene. It's at Pembroke Town Park from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 2.

You and your family are welcome to experience the story of Christmas with live actors and animals while staying within the comfort of your own vehicle. Enjoy provided refreshments while a narrator leads you through the story of Christmas!

Plus, be entered for a chance to win a handmade Nativity decoration or a Christmas dinner!

Donations for the Corfu Food Pantry will be accepted and gratefully appreciated.

The park is located at 8799 Alleghany Road in Pembroke.

Public Health Column: Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer

By Billie Owens

Press release -- Public Health Column:

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month! Did you know that radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, your risk for developing lung cancer significantly increases. Testing your home for radon is the only effective way to determine if you and your loved ones are exposed to toxic levels of this poisonous gas.

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas. It has no smell, taste, or color.  Radon forms from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and circulates into the air you breathe. When radon is formed under homes and buildings, it can penetrate through cracks in the foundation, leading to high levels of radon, especially in enclosed areas.

Sarah Balduf, environmental health director of Genesee and Orleans counties, further explains how radon can seep into your home.

“Radon can enter your home through cracks in the foundation, walls, joints, dirt floors, opening of sump pump, in well-water supply, and from gaps around suspended floors and pipes," she said. "Any home can have high radon levels, whether it is old or new, has a basement or is built on a slab.”

Test Your Home

Testing your home with a short term radon test kit is the quickest way to determine if your home is at risk. The Genesee County Health Department has an allotment of short term test kits that are free of charge for Genesee County residents. These test kits are easy to use and contain basic instructions on how to receive the most accurate results when testing your home for radon.

The EPA recommends placing the test kit in the first livable floor of your home. If you do not spend time in your basement, place the test kit in the first level of your home. Avoid testing in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. The humidity created in these rooms may interfere with the radon test results.

Once you have located where you will unseal the test kit, place it at least 20 inches off the ground. Be mindful to place the test kit in an area where pets or children will not disturb it. All windows and doors must remain closed (except for normal entry and exit) throughout the duration of the test. This will allow for the greatest concentration of radon to build up within your home.

Mail Test Kit in Timely Manner

Once the test kit is complete, reseal the test kit canister and mail it to the lab in a timely manner. A self-addressed envelope will be provided with the kit. f the test is not received by the lab within 7 days, the test results will be inconclusive.

Test kits are also available through the New York State Department of Health, some County Health Departments and local hardware stores.

Balduf explains that “If your home does have an elevated level of radon (4 picocuries per liter of air [pCi/L] or greater), you should contact a certified radon mitigator to install a radon reduction system in your home. These systems should only be installed by a certified radon mitigator. Radon reduction systems can be a low cost and effective way to reduce the level of radon in your home.”

Home Buyers -- Know Results of Radon Test

When purchasing a new house, make sure the seller completes a radon test kit and has the results available. If you are building a new home, make sure to have radon-resistant construction features installed and tested prior to moving in.

The Genesee County Health Department Radon Program offers short-term radon test kits for residences in Genesee County. The program also offers educational materials and in-services programs on the danger of radon prevalence, and mitigation options for new or existing homes which are all available at no charge.

This holiday season; share the gift of good health by encouraging your friends and family to test their homes for radon. The only way to know if there is radon in your home is by completing a simple test kit that may save your life.

For More Information

For more details about the program or to receive any of these services call the department at 585-344-2580, ext. 5555, or visit http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/health/radon2.html.

For information about services that your local health department provides visit:

Volunteers for Animals will benefit from Photos with Santa at PETCO

By Billie Owens

Volunteers for Animals will benefit from your participation in Photos with Santa at PETCO in Batavia.

The nonprofit organization that helps homeless animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter will get 100-percent of the proceeds from the event, which will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 and 16.

PETCO is located in Town Plaza at Batavia on Veterans Memorial Drive.

This is a "fully digital experience" and your photo will be emailed to you and ready to share within minutes.

Cost is $9.95 -- a donation that will help local pets find homes this holiday season.

Join the Volunteers for Animals and Santa this Saturday or on Dec. 16 at PETCO and help our furry friends.

City residents reminded to get leaves to the curb by Friday for pickup

By Billie Owens

Press release:

City leaf collection crews are in their fifth time around the city this final week of leaf collection.

Any city resident who has leaves to be picked up is encouraged to get their leaves out to the parkway near the curb by Friday, Dec. 1.

Any resident who has leaves can also bring them to the yard waste station on Law Street through Dec. 9, after which the station will close for the season. It is open until then from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Important Information About Leaf Collection:

  • Leaf piles must be clear of sticks and other debris;
  • Grass clippings, flower pottings, branches, and pumpkins cannot be picked up and residents are encouraged to bring those items to the Yard Waste Station on Law Street;
  • Leaves should not block traffic;
  • Leaves should not be piled near intersection corners. This causes sight issues for motorists/bicyclists/pedestrians;
  • Keep leaf piles clear of drainage ways and catch basins. Blocked drainage leads to localized flooding;
  • Leaves should not be piled around mail boxes, power poles, fences, fire hydrants or other obstacles;
  • Do not park on leaf piles. The heat from a vehicle exhaust system could start a fire;
  • Do not wait to get your leaves out. The city will normally collect leaves twice within the month of leaf collection;
  • If it is snowing, the city plows first. If it continues to snow, then leaf operations will be suspended;
  • There is no leaf pickup in the spring.

Annual membership meeting of The Landmark Society of Genesee County is Wednesday night

By Billie Owens
From Cleo Mullins, vice president, The Landmark Society of Genesee County:
 

Join us for the annual meeting of The Landmark Society of Genesee County at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29th, at GOART!, located in historic Seymour Place at 201 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

Local resident and Landmark Board Member Richard Beatty will be presenting a program on the historic Buffalo Landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright -- the Darwin Martin House.

Located in the Parkside neighborhood of Buffalo, the restoration of the six-building complex is nearing completion. The project began in 1992 with the goal of returning the estate to its 1907 condition.

Beatty, a senior docent at the house, will tell the story of the rebuilding and restoration of one of Wright’s greatest early works.

A colored sketch of the Brisbane mansion or former City Hall by Don Carmichael and a sketch of the former St. James Rectory by Gail Thomas will be raffled off. For the suggested donation of $5 you can have a chance to win both of these framed sketches. The drawing will take place at Wednesday's meeting.

The pictures that we are having in the raffle are on display at GOART! in the hallway as you go to the bar area.  Come to the meeting and buy a ticket and you may go home a winner!

Our by-laws state that a person can be a director for two terms and then need to take a one year off the board and can then be re-elected. The treasurer doesn’t have this restriction.

In order to amend our by-laws to allow a director to serve three terms, we need a 2/3 affirmative vote of the members at a membership meeting.

We will be voting for three directors to serve a three-year term.

Genesee Society of Model Engineers hosts annual Holiday Open House with model trains in Oakfield on Saturday

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the club's Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 2nd, at the club's facilities located at 50 Main St. (Route 63), Oakfield (above the M&T Bank). The FREE event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The club's facilities feature operating layouts in O Gauge (Lionel), HO & N scale as well as push trains for the little ones.

Refreshments will be served and club members will be available to answer your model railroading questions. A great family-oriented event filled with photo-ops and fun for kids of all ages.

Stairway access only.

"The Christmas holidays seem to bring back those childhood memories of a model train around the Christmas tree," says club President Mike Bakos. "Our members are keeping the tradition of trains and the holidays alive. We invite you to visit and enjoy one of Genesee County's best kept secrets."

This year's Open House will be one of the many "Ornament Stops" featured as part of the "Deck the Halls -- Christmas in Oakfield" celebration.

Starting at 11 a.m., the first 50 families to register at the village's Triangle Park will receive a small grapevine wreath. They can then embark on an ornament hunt by visiting many of the village's local clubs and businesses while gathering ornaments for the wreath.

The ornament hunt is just one of many activities that will be taking place in Oakfield throughout the day.

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers clubhouse is open Tuesdays evenings from 7 to 9. Business meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month. Visit www.gsme.org.

G.V. Educational Partnership teams up with Finnish company to pilot new game for U.S. schoolchildren

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership is pleased to announce a new partnership between its School Library System and an international game company called LUPO.

Based in Helsinki, Finland, LUPO publishes "Space Adventure," a narrative storytelling game that allows players to role-play as they complete collaborative tasks while on a space mission.

The goal of this project is to lead local classes in exploring game design as a way to promote critical thinking and creative expression of student understanding.

Over the next year, School Library System staff will pilot this game in component school districts as this game’s primary rollout in the United States.

SLS staff will provide training for librarians and teachers.

“LUPO’s 'Space Adventure' will be a strong addition to our existing library of over 400 games selected for instructional use in the classrooms of the Genesee Valley region,” said SLS Director Christopher Harris.

“ 'Space Adventure' combines creative storytelling with science and community planning to create a narrative experience that can be customized by the teachers to address different areas of the curriculum."

For more information about LUPO visit lupoworld.com  

###

The School Library System is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York state.

Public information meeting on Pratt Road bridge project is Dec. 7 at East Pembroke Fire Hall

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Genesee County Highway Department will be replacing the Pratt Road bridge over the Tonawanda Creek, with a likely construction start date of May 2019.

As a design of the replacement is underway, a public information meeting regarding the project will be held at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7th at the East Pembroke Fire Hall, located at 2623 E. Main Road in the Town of Batavia.

Timothy J. Hens, P.E.
Highway Superintendent

Darien Justice Gary Graber held class for judges in Texas on cases involving commercial drivers

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo and press release:

Hon. Gary A. Graber, justice in the Town of Darien, recently delivered a presentation regarding the role of the judiciary in cases they may hear involving the holders of the commercial driver’s license.

This was one of many classes held for the constitutional county court judges within the State of Texas during their fall session in Galveston on Nov. 16.

One of the most important assets of being a judge is to ensure public safety to insure the public’s trust and confidence in the courts. Each judge handling traffic court cases must be extremely aware how the federal law is adopted and applied by the states and stakeholder responsibilities insuring safe operation by those possessing a commercial driver’s license and the vehicles they operate.

Justice Graber, a member of the faculty at the National Judicial College, Reno, Nev., has been routinely lecturing on these subjects to criminal justice personnel both within New York and throughout the country since 2008.

This 'Plaid Friday' adopt a dog or cat at half price from the GC Animal Shelter

By Billie Owens

Attention shoppers! The day after tomorrow is "Plaid Friday" at the Genesee County Animal Shelter and all adoption fees for all adult dogs and cats will be half price.

The pet sale lasts through Sunday, Nov. 26.

The animals must be at least a year old "qualify for this amazing deal." Usually, the adoption fee is $60.

If an animal is not spayed or neutered, an additional $35 deposit is required.

VFA rescue dogs are also half off the usual adoption fees of $50 to $150.

All shelter animals are current with vaccines; dogs are tested for heartworm and cats for FeLV/FIV. Most of them are also spayed or neutered.

Bring a leash for your new canine friend and a carrier for your new feline friend.

Make your holidays extra special with a new Best Friend Forever!

The Genesee County Animal Shelter is located at 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

Hours are:

  • 1-3 p.m., Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday
  • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday
  • 1-3 and 7-9 p.m., Wednesday
  • CLOSED THURSDAY

GO ART! hosts book signing and reading event featuring local author Kathryn Donahue

By Billie Owens
Press release:
 
GO ART! is hosting the book signing of local author Kathryn Donahue's new book "The Dog Walker's Diary" on Tuesday, Nov. 28. It's at Seymour Place in Downtown Batavia at 201 E. Main St., Batavia.
 
She will be doing a short reading starting at 6:30 p.m. and the event runs until 8 p.m.
 
There will be a limited number of books for sale at the event ($14.99 each) so make sure you get here early before they are gone if you are looking to purchase a copy.
 
Here's the publisher's note about the book:
 
Donahue’s debut is a diverting delight from beginning to end. Combining the best of two worlds, it blends little amuse-bouche fantastical tales of lion tamers and buccaneers—as told by dogs—with sweet contemporary human romance.
 
Irish redhead Annie Doherty is not so much a dog whisperer as a dog listener. When she takes the job of walking L.A. literary agent Daniel Ashe’s dogs, she starts leaving him daily dictations of the stories that the precocious canines tell her about their other lives as circus performers or sea captains.
 
By all rights Ashe should be falling in love with the sprightly Annie, but he was frightened by a redhead when he was a child, so now he’s a confirmed gingerphobe; he pursues a tall, blond ice queen while awaiting his big professional break.
 
By the time he realizes that he does indeed love Annie, the plot takes a surprising turn and a wicked mystery ensues. Donahue packs a ton of refreshing fun into this clever take on modern romance.

Traditional Mexican Christmas fare demo at GO ART! by Orleans County chef Leonel Rosario, RSVP by Dec. 8

By Billie Owens
There will be a demonstration of preparing traditional Mexican Christmas fare by chef Leonel Rosario from noon to 2 p.m. on Second Sunday in December at GO ART!
 
Rosario is chef at Mariachi de Oro in Medina, which was named the 2017 Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
 
The event is Dec. 10 and cost is $5.
 
Participants will get a chance to try their hand at techniques of making traditional Mexican Christmas food and taste samples of tamales, beverages and more.
 
Space is limited. RSVP by Dec. 8 via email at info@goart.org or by calling 585-343-9312.

GO ART! is located in historic Seymour Place in Downtown Batavia at 201 E. Main St.

Feliz navidad!

Five-band Jamboree on Dec. 3 at Stafford Fire Hall to benefit Mark Dougherty

By Billie Owens

There will be a Jamboree Benefit Fundraiser for Mark Dougherty at the Stafford Fire Hall from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. Admission is free; donations accepted.

Five bands will perform:

  • Scott / Ryan
  • Front Porch Pickers
  • Tonk ! Bros.
  • Rick Howe Band
  • KW Does Country

There will also be a basket raffle, 50/50 and Bell Jar tickets.

Special thanks to Bill Pitcher.

The Stafford Fire Hall is located at 6153 Main Road in Stafford.

Stafford will hold annual tree lighting ceremony Dec. 2, followed by music, caroling, wassail and cookies

By Billie Owens
Press release:
 
The Stafford Garden Club together with the Town of Stafford will present the Second Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6:27 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 6: 27 p.m., at the gazebo in Ilette Park, corner of routes 5 and 237.
 
A procession with dancers, singers, a brass ensemble, and special presenters will march to the gazebo.
 
After the lighting ceremony, all are invited to join us across the street at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall for more surprise performances: Community caroling, brass music, dance, bagpipes, wassail bowl punch and holiday cookies.
 
The public is invited. Come meet your friends and neighbors as we begin the Holiday Season.

Tickets for annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner, to be held on St. Patrick's Day, go on sale Dec. 1

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Plans are already underway for the 16th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner which will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Alexander Fire Hall. It is located at 10505 Main St. in Alexander.

This annual event is a celebration of Genesee County’s number one industry – Agriculture. The highlight of the night is a delicious meal using locally produced foods prepared by Penna’s Catering. The dinner is open to the public.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 1 at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce (8276 Park Road, Batavia). Tickets are $30 each or a table of 10 can be purchased for $275.  Sponsorships are also available which help support agriculture educational events in Genesee County. Only 400 tickets will be sold. Order your tickets now as they will not be available at the door.

The Celebrate Ag Dinner is coordinated by the following partners: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District and Genesee County Farm Bureau.

Sponsors of the 2017 celebration were: Alleghany Farm Services, Arctic Refrigeration, Carolina Eastern - Crocker, Clark Patterson Lee, CY Farms, Farm Credit East, Farm Family Insurance, Five Star Bank, Freed Maxick CPA, Helena Chemical Company, Lamb Farms, LandPro Equipment, My-T Acres, National Grid, Rochester Regional Health – UMMC, Scott Adams Trucking, Tompkins Bank of Castile/Insurance Agency, Torrey Farms, Wendel, William Kent, and Windy Acres Farm.

Farms and businesses that donated locally grown food or other items for the dinner included: Bonduelle, Farm Fresh First, Dairy Farmers of America, Fenton’s Produce, First Light Farm & Creamery, L-Brooke Farms, LaPoint’s Hill ‘n’ Hollow, Jeremy Neal, New York Pork Producers, O-AT-KA Milk, SJ Starowitz Farms, Torrey Farms, Upstate Niagara Cooperative and Yancey’s Fancy.

For ticket information contact the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce at 585-343-7440 or chamber@geneseeny.com

Mark Your Calendar: Genesee Chorale Ensemble performs at St. Mark's church in Le Roy Dec. 21

By Billie Owens
Press release:
 
The Genesee Chorale Ensemble, a select group of 20 singers, will perform at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1 E. Main St., Le Roy, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21.
 
The group, under the direction of Ric Jones, will perform sacred and secular music of the season. The evening will also include a vocal quartet of Kim and Tom Cox, Jim Ellison and Pat Fussell.
 
The concert is the final event celebrating St. Mark’s 200th anniversary. There is no charge, but a free will offering will be taken. Refreshments following. All welcome.
 

Batavia PD is raising money to raise awareness of men's health issues during 'Mo-vember'

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department again is participating in the national campaign for "Mo-vember."

The campaign started in 2003 in Australia and has since grown. Mo-vember was started to bring awareness to Men’s Heath; specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

Each officer that is participating in Mo-vember at the police department will be giving money which will then be donated to the cause. Last year the Batavia Police Department donated over $1,200.00 to Genesee Cancer Assistance.

This year we will be attempting to raise more money and awareness. If you would like to donate to this cause, please contact the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350. 

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