Announcements

An essay competition sponsored by the Cornell Club of Buffalo is open to all 11th graders in Western New York and Southern Ontario, Canada. This means all juniors in public or private schools, as well as home-schooled students in their penultimate year of schooling.

The Cornell Club believes that participation in this contest will aid students in the development of their critical thinking and writing skills. Development of these skills is vital to the maturity of a well-rounded lifelong learner and will make one a much more attractive applicant during the college admissions process.

The club says: "One of the most important skills that you will continue to develop during the balance of your high school years and in college is the ability to thoughtfully evaluate opposing viewpoints - in other words, to think critically. This skill is important not only for students and scholars, but also for nearly every occupation you might choose, as well as for your personal mental growth and maturity."

The Grand Prize will consist of $100, a certificate, a letter of award and a limited edition copy of  Cornell University’s Reading Initiative book of the year, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. Each Second Prize and Honorable Mention prize will consist of: a certificate, a letter of award and a limited edition copy of the “Grapes of Wrath.”

There will be one Grand Prize awarded, and as many second prizes and honorable mentions as the club sees fit. The Cornell Club of Buffalo offers the prize; winning or placing favorably in the essay contest in no way implies a favorable admission decision by any of Cornell's seven undergraduate colleges.

The Rules:

• Answer the PROMPT below as completely as you can in 1,000 words or fewer. There are no limits to the range of your response, but it should give a picture of your personality and beliefs, and should imaginatively include your own life experiences including, but not necessarily limited to: reading, school, travel, work, personal successes, personal failures, sense of humor, current events, family history, etc.
• If you refer to another author’s work in a manner that would require citation, you may include footnotes or end-notes in any commonly accepted format. These citations will not count toward your 1,000-word limit.
• Finally, on the last page of the document include:

1. Your name
2. Your parents’ or guardians’ names
3. Your home address, telephone number, and e-mail address where we may contact you
4. The name of your school
5. The name of your English teacher with his/her school phone number.
6. Please do not include any identifying information (your name, your teacher's name, etc.) on any page other than the last page.
7. All entries must be in Microsoft Word format or text format.
8. Submit your essay as a single e-mail attachment to the following e-mail address:

c.sasiadek@gmail.com with the subject line “Cornell Club Essay Competition.”All entries must be e-marked no later than April 1.

PROMPT:
There are some who argue that the purpose of higher education is to train individuals in immediately practical skills with an eye toward fulfilling the perceived needs of society and the economy -- by training students in fields such as agriculture, medicine and engineering. There are others who argue that the purpose of higher education is to develop general learning skills and to add to human knowledge whether in an immediately practical manner or not. They believe that fields such as art, philosophy and the classics are more important than practical fields of study.
What is your opinion regarding these two educational philosophies?

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will offer an improved parcel of land in Pembroke at a surplus real estate auction next month.

It will be made available for inspection. It is one of five parcels in the region to be auctioned off at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16 at the NYSDOT Regional Office, located at 1530 Jefferson Road in the town of Henrietta, Monroe County.

Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. The auction is open to the public.

The other vacant parcels are located in the towns of Avon, Livingston County; Chili and Perinton, Monroe County; and Farmington, Ontario County.

The properties for sale, deposits and upset (starting bid) prices are listed below. Each parcel had been acquired by NYSDOT for highway improvements and is no longer needed for transportation purposes.

To register, bidders must present a certified or bank check for the amount of the deposit required on the property for which they intend to bid.

Prospective bidders may obtain more information about the parcels for sale by contacting Steven Wanamaker at NYSDOT at (585) 272-3447, or online at  HYPERLINK "http://www.nysdot.gov/R4surplus" www.nysdot.gov/R4surplus

--Property 800 is 0.20 ± acres of improved land located at the northwest corner of Route 77 and Ogden Street in the Town of Pembroke, Genesee County. This parcel will be open for inspection to interested parties March 11 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $725 and the upset price is $14,500.

--Property 611 is 0.445± acres of vacant land located on the southern side of Marshall Road, just east of Interstate 390 in the Town of Avon, Livingston County. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $650 and the upset price is $6,500.
 
--Property 787 is 3.98± acres of vacant land located on the north side of I-490 westbound and bordered on the north and east by Willowbrook Office Park in the Town of Perinton, Monroe County. Access to this parcel is only provided through abutting private property and access onto I-490 is prohibited. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $15,000 and the upset price is $302,000.
 
--Property 788 is 1.147± acres of vacant land located on the southwest corner of Ballantyne Road and Scottsville Road in the Town of Chili, Monroe County. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is $1,000 and the upset price is $17,500.
 
--Property 797 is 1.199± acres of vacant land located on the east side of State Route 332, just south of Clover Meadow Lane in the Town of Farmington, Ontario County. The deposit required in order to bid on this property is  $2,600 and the upset price is $52,000.

For the 2010 season, Darien Lakes Theme Park and Resort plans to hire more than 2,000 seasonal employees.

They will seek recruits at 10 career fairs at colleges and universities across Western New York.

Interested candidates are encouraged to fill out an application at <www.PARCJobs.com>

Locally, there will be a Darien Lakes table at a job fair scheduled at Genesee Community College from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13.

The managers at Darien Lake say:

"You can have fun while you work, whether you operate the legendary Ride of Steel coaster, spin pink puffs of delicious cotton candy at the Cotton Ranch, or guard our guests' safety in the Crocodile Isle wave pool. You will spend your summer bringing joy and smiles to those around you."

According to the park, retirees are welcome -- their life experience is much appreciated. There are both part-time and fill-time jobs available and seasonal benefits available.

Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, owned and operated by PARC Management, is New
York State's largest theme park resort. <www.GoDarienLake.com>

Western Regional Off-Track Betting has announced it will be sending one person to the National Harness Handicapping Championship (NHHC) to be held at the Meadowlands Racetrack on April 24.

This year, 26 OTB branches will host qualifying contests that will take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The first contest is set for Saturday, March 6 with the last qualifier on Wednesday, March 31. There is no charge to participate.

Batavia Downs Casino will host the Finals on April 11. The winner of that contest will represent OTB in the NHHC.

“Once again, it will be March Madness at Western OTB with all our branch qualifiers being held in one month,” said Martin Biniasz, OTB director of marketing. “We have had an excellent response to these free contests and are pleased to offer them to our valued customers again.”
 
Like last year, there will be two types of contests, one that offers a noon registration and one that offers a 5:30 p.m. sign up. In both contests, all entry forms must be submitted by 6:40 p.m.

But unlike last year, all contests will be conducted on races 1-5 at Buffalo Raceway as well as races 1-5 at the Meadowlands.

The branch contests will be played exactly as they have been in the past with points being awarded on how a patron’s selections perform. Patrons are also required to select one Best Bet per track, for which they will receive double points.

The contests that offer a noon registration will pay $25 to the winner. The contests with a later start time will pay $100 to the winner if he or she is present when the final scores are posted. If not, the winner will take home $25.

In both contests, one of every six patrons that participate will qualify for the Batavia finals. Patrons can play in as many contest as they like but can only qualify once for the finals.

The Batavia Downs winner will receive two nights' hotel accommodations in New Jersey, $500 in spending money and entry into the NHHC.

The top 10 finishers in the Batavia contest will receive prizes.

A complete list of OTB qualifying locations and starting times are on-line at www.westernotb.com <http://www.westernotb.com/> and are posted in all Western OTB branches.

Our first annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser was a huge sucess!  We exceeded our goal and helped a lot of anxious and excited boys earn money to go to Camp Sam Wood this summer.  The boys all had a lot of fun serving dinners and also helping make cakes for our cake raffle!

We would like to express a HUGE thank you to the families in our community and to the wonderful local businesses and individuals who helped by donating time, money and goods to make this fundraiser sucessful.

Thank you to Norton Farms, Inc, Phat Katz, Penna's Catering, Stans Harley Davidson, Bezon Farms, Lee Shuknecht & Sons, Inc, Walmart, Tops, Matty's Pizzeria, Sallome's Italian Deli, The Batavia Muckdogs, Batavia Downs, Genesee Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, LLP, Bohn's, D&R Depot, Post Dairy Farms, G Mortellaro and Sons, Scooters Family Restaurant, Uncle Sal's Pizzeria (who generously made the delicious meatballs!), Raymond Smith Sr, J.D Buckley & Sons, Inc, The Ganson House and Barilla.  Please support these wonderful local businesses who were kind enough to support us!

Genesee Community College will once again offer the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship program to all 2010 GLOW area high school graduates. Under the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship program, any 2010 high school graduate is eligible to take up to two free college courses during the July 6 - Aug. 7 summer session if they attended high school in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans or Wyoming Counties (the College's GLOW service area).

The Genesee Promise Plus also includes the following students:

• Students who live in the four-county GLOW service area who earned a GED Diploma in 2010 are eligible for up to two free summer courses, regardless of age.
• 2010 GLOW area graduates from home-school programs.
• 2010 high school graduates who attended high schools outside of the GLOW service area but have accumulated GCC college credits through the College's ACE Program.

Under the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship Program, students can take up to two free summer courses at any of the College's seven campus locations including Albion, Arcade, Batavia, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw. The scholarship pays all tuition and fees and the student is only responsible for purchasing required textbooks. These earned credits can be used to get a head start on college and can be used not only at GCC, but can also be transferred to State University of New York (SUNY) schools and most other colleges and universities.

The deadline for submitting the Genesee Promise Plus Scholarship Application is June 18. The one-page application form is available at all seven Genesee Community College campus locations, as well as on-line at www.genesee.edu/promise <http://www.genesee.edu/promise>. There is no limit to the number of students receiving these scholarships.

For more information, contact Tanya Lane-Martin through email, tmlanemartin@genesee.edu  <http://tmlanemartin@genesee.edu> or call the Admission's Office at 585-345-6800 or 1-866-CALL-GCC. In Batavia, the college is located at 1 College Road.

Here's information provided by a press release from GCC.

More than 600 students were able to begin or continue their education at Genesee Community College during the last five years as a result of the Genesee Community College Foundation's Emergency Assistance Program.

The foundation provides financial grants for students who may have to leave college as a result of sudden personal hardships that occur through no fault of their own. Over the last five years, emergency grants have been provided to students who were victims of house fires, death or desertion of a spouse, or some other personal emergency or tragedy.

Although the foundation raises funds for emergency grants as part of its annual fundraising efforts, a mainstay of emergency-assistance support comes from earnings from the foundation's Challenge Fund. It's a $525,000 endowment fund created between 2000 and 2004 by private donors and the Department of Education. The fund was established after the college received a highly competitive Department of Education challenge grant, offering two dollars for every private dollar raised. The foundation raised the private dollars, created the endowment and dubbed it "The Challenge Fund."

The college is fortunate to recently receive a second endowment challenge; this one is an $80,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge for each of the next five years. As the foundation raises $80,000 in private gifts, the Department of Education will forward an additional $80,000 to expand the endowment, and the earnings will provide more assistance to students in need in the future.

In each case, the emergency grant provided a modest sum that enabled the student to continue their education, according to Alice Weather, director of the Foundation's Annual Fund.

"For example, one student recently lost her school supplies and textbooks in a fire that destroyed her family home," Weather said. "We provided funds to replace these materials. We sometimes see single parents in their 30s or 40s who are working, raising a family and struggling to get an education, then their car breaks down. For most of us this isn't a huge problem, but students depend on their cars to get to class, so we can help with emergency repairs.

"In another case, we provided funds for a week of child care after an adult student's mother, who had been babysitting, was rushed to the hospital with a medical emergency. To many students the grant is literally the lifeline they need to overcome an emergency and stay on track with their education."

"Students are often stretched to the limit," said Tamara Adams, outreach specialist in the Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AOEC) at Genesee. "We want to retain students who are truly dedicated to their education and have genuine needs from emergencies. Every semester I see unexpected expenses turn into a financial crisis that can end up taking a student out of school. We cannot permit strong, capable students to disrupt their education over a few hundred dollars."

Adams noted that students facing an emergency must have a nomination from a faculty or staff member, employer or human services agency who can verify the emergency before a grant will be made. When the emergency assistance money runs out, students have to be turned away. The occasions of students needing emergency or unplanned emergency support are growing and becoming more costly.

Adams said that the college often receives thank-you notes from students who have received emergency support. A victim of a devastating fire wrote: "Thank you so much. You have helped me tremendously when I thought all hope was lost. I had to find another apartment and my text books were completely incinerated. I just want to say thank you to everyone!"

The Genesee Community College Foundation seeks financial support to meet the new endowment challenge grant to support students in need as well as to provide for a wide range of other scholarships, including academically oriented scholarships and scholarships for students preparing for careers critical to the region's growth. Pledges and gifts for the foundation scholarship and grant programs are payable to: The Genesee Community College Foundation, One College Road, Batavia, NY 14020.

For more information on foundation programs call (585) 345-6809 or write to the address above or foundation@genesee.edu

The Genesee Community College Foundation was founded in 1986 by civic and business leaders to provide philanthropic and volunteer support to the College. The foundation has provided several thousand scholarships since that time, assisted in the financing of two new buildings on the Batavia Campus, and it was instrumental in the acquisition of student housing.

Please join us on February 20th and help us reach our goal of sending all of our scouts to summer camp! 

Our scouts will be serving delicious homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs, Salad, Bread, dessert and drinks starting at 4:30 pm until 7:00 pm or until sold out.  Dinner will be held at the Elba Fireman's Rec Hall on 262 in Elba (just before the M&T Bank) and tickets are $8.00 per adult and $5.50 per child 12 to 3, children under 3 eat free.  Dine in or take out is available.  Come and enjoy that wonderful fuzzy feeling of helping others while enjoying GREAT food and laughs!

We will also be doing a 50/50 cake raffle with cakes decorated by the scouts in celebration of the Boy Scouts of America's 100th Birthday. 

Kim Argenta of Art Ah La Carte is pleased to announce the 2nd anniversary of her studio. "We're hosting our 2nd Birthday party at our NEW studio at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia on the February 27th. The theme is Junk Art and we will be making a Pig out of "junk" - or "found objects". The kids will have cake and snacks and walk away with a little Pig that they can hang from the ceiling in their bedroom."

"We are enjoying continued success in our Drawing classes with my resident Artist Robert Garland. He is so talented! 3D classes are filling up. Watercolor and Acrylic classes are booming."

NEW CLASSES

THE TRAVELING CANVAS- ( Like the traveling pants) Artists take home the canvas for a week and in an area of the canvas create their own art style. This will be hung in the Art Center when complete.

PLASTER CARVING- Learn how to use artist carving tools to create a 3D sculpture 2 evening workshop Feb. 25th and March 4th @ 6-7:30 cost is $20

ATC-ARTIST TRADING CARDS- Create your own trading card to trade with other artist around the world. Feb.23rd 6-7:30 cost is $10

DRAWING CLASS- For beginners and advanced, weekdays and Saturdays. Cost $10 1hr

ART FOR KIDS- Art program for kids. Weekdays and Saturdays, Cost $10 1hr

WATCH FOR OUR OPEN HOUSE THIS SPRING!!!!!!!!!!

For more information call 585.245.1655 or visit www.artalc.vpweb.com 

An Ash Wednesday service will be held at Batavia's First Presbyterian Church at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Ashes will be placed on attendees' foreheads as a symbol of penitence and as a sign of Christians' healing mission in the world.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the 40 season of Lent, which is a time when many Christians dedicate themselves to fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter.

Rev. Roula Alkhouri, the pastor of First Presbyterian, says that Ash Wednesday and Lent are also about "a journey of turning back toward God."

"Lent is also a season of healing," she adds. "We open up our lives so that we may see into the depths of our souls."

The church is located at 330 E. Main St. Please contact pastor Alkhouri by phone at (585) 343-0505 or e-mail roula@rochester.com with any questions.

Genesee Community College now offers 12 completely online SUNY-accredited associate degree programs.

That means GCC students no longer have to live in proximity to the college's seven locations in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties (GLOW region). In fact, they don't even have to live in the United States to earn an associate's degree from Genesee Community College.

They do, of course, need a computer, Internet access, English language skills and the ability to benefit from college-level work. The tuition is affordable; the faculty is top-notch; schedules are flexible and study times are convenient.

Earning an online degree is ideal for working adults and people with family or employment responsibilities, who may be prevented from attending traditional classroom-based college courses. Students enrolled in online courses and degrees have the flexibility of rich resources, active online discussions, taking tests, studying and submitting assignments at different times of the day or night. When flexibility, convenience and affordability are critical for student success, regardless of the student's location, Genesee has solutions.

Genesee now offers four online Associate in Science degrees, three online Associate in Applied Science degrees, one online Associate in Arts degree, and four online certificate programs. These online degrees are:

• Criminal Justice, AS
• General Studies, AS
• Business Administration, AS
• Teacher Education Transfer, AS
• Criminal Justice, AAS
• Business Administration, AAS
• Entrepreneurship, AAS
• Liberal Arts-Humanities and Social Science, AA

Plus, Certificates in Criminal Justice, Teaching Assistant, Sales and Customer Service and General Education.

Furthering Genesee's online degree opportunities is the recently implemented Pathways program with Empire State College. Under the program, Genesee students earn up to 83 Genesee credits toward an Empire State Bachelor's Degree -- the equivalent of five semesters of GCC study. Students then enter Empire State's program of individualized study for the balance of their baccalaureate education. Students can complete their studies at Empire through independent study, group study, supervised tutorials, and/or online studies-all guided by qualified professional mentors.

"Enrolling in a Genesee online degree program is one of the most cost-effective options available for earning a SUNY degree," Robert Knipe, Dean of Learning Technologies at Genesee said. "An associate degree is the first step in earning a bachelor's or higher degree. GCC has the resources and technologies to make those educational dreams a reality, when the student is learning-ready."

Online degrees and courses are ideal for mature, self-motivated students who work well autonomously, can effectively budget their time, and set priorities independently. Genesee Community College carefully helps students appreciate this facet of online learning through careful advisement. An informal self-assessment, or quiz is available on its website at: http://www.genesee.edu/_content/depts/dl/Quiz/Online_Course_Choice.htm

"Earning a degree online is a life-changing opportunity, but each student needs to have the correct tools and temperament for the work required," Knipe added. "We carefully guide students through the first steps to help ensure their success."

To find out more about all the online degree opportunities through Genesee Community College visit www.genesee.edu/DL <http://www.genesee.edu/DL >  or call (585) 345-6969.

For information on the Pathways Program with Empire State College visit www.esc.edu/GeneseeCC.  <http://www.esc.edu/GeneseeCC>

Pastor Roula Alkhouri of Batavia's First Presbyterian Church invites Batavia residents to participate in the labyrinth, a spiritual exercise that was practiced by ancient and medieval Christians. Labyrinths come in many shapes and sizes -- this one is a portable labyrinth from the Colgate Rochester Divinity School, and it will be available for one week at First Presbyterian.

Unlike the convoluted maze of legend, this type of labyrinth is made of straight paths leading to the center. People walk to and back from the center, where they take time to clear their minds, breathe, pray, and reflect. The goal of this exercise is to "take time to think about what it means for you to be at home with God," says Pastor Alkhouri.

Dates and times for walking the labyrinth are as follows:

9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m., 8 to 9 p.m.Wednesday, Feb. 17
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 Thursday, Feb. 18
9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20
2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24

Please contact Pastor Alkhouri by phone at (585) 343-0505 or e-mail <roula@rochester.com> with any questions.

Here's a letter of thanks to the community from the Batavia Lions Club.

The Batavia Lions Club, with the help of many community members, was very busy during the past Christmas holidays with several annual projects directed at serving the residents of Batavia and the Genesee County area.

During the Thanksgiving holidays, several Lions helped decorate downtown for Christmas. On Main Street alone, 43 light poles were decorated with individual lighted snowflakes along with lighted garland that was wrapped around each pole. Additionally, the Lions placed 24-inch red bows at the base of each snowflake. Lighted garland wrap was also placed on about 30 poles up and down two of our side streets.

The Lions Club’s investment in these decorations is in the neighborhood of $15,000 of which 100 percent of the money was raised from our community, local businesses and through funding we received through the office Assemblyman Steve Hawley. It takes approximately 60 man-hours to install and to disassemble all of these decorations. This year, with nice weather, the Lions were rather fortunate (usually these 60 hours are spent outdoors in the freezing Western New York weather).

Again this year, several Batavia Lions helped serve the annual Christmas dinner provided by T.F. Brown's restaurant. Working with Ben and Rick Mancuso and their crew, we served turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and all the fixings to many local families. In addition, the Lions provided toys for each and every child who attended. We would like to thank Ben and Rick for their wonderful generosity at a time of year when the need is most apparent.

This year’s Lions Club Boys Basketball Tournament was a resounding success. This tournament has become one of the premier high school tournaments in New York State.  This year, Batavia High School defeated Notre Dame High School for the title in an extremely hard fought game. The games were played at the newly renovated Genesee Community College gymnasium. The attendance was excellent in spite of the snowy conditions we experienced on the first night. We thank the college and its staff for their cooperation in providing this beautiful venue to showcase our local high school talent.

Finally, working with area schools and churches, the Lions Club provided certificates for food baskets from Tops Markets and new blankets for local families in need. Nineteen $50 gift cards for food and 17 new blankets were distributed through local schools. In addition, 18 $20 food cards and 18 blankets were given to needy families in our area through Father Ivan Trujillo.

We would like to express our appreciation to all who assisted in these worthy community projects. Our work would not be possible without the cooperation and help of so many.  Batavia is a city that truly cares and the members of the Batavia Lions Club feel very fortunate to be able to serve such a community.

Genesee Community College Forum Players will weave a web of folklore and fun with the children's play "Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage." Daytime school performances are scheduled for Wednesday, March 10 through Friday, March 12, with one final show for the public at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 13. All performances take place in the Stuart Steiner Theatre in the Genesee Center for the Arts.

Written by Frank Higgins and produced by special arrangements with Pioneer Drama Services Inc. (www.pioneerdrama.com  <http://www.pioneerdrama.com> ), "Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage," is an African folklore about the trade route called the Middle Passage bringing stories as well as slaves from Africa to America.

Kidnapped from her village, young Shontay is frightened and helpless. Shontay's mother comforts her by telling her legends of Anansi, the trickster spider, and how he won an amazing box of stories from Nyame the Sky God. In each tale, Anansi springs to life along with the story characters for action-packed, light-hearted adventures. Shontay and her mother have brought Anansi with them to America, where his stories of outwitting the greedy and powerful inspire them.

General admission ticket prices for the public performance are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (55+), area students and Genesee faculty, and $3 for Genesee students with a valid ID. For more information on the daytime school performances, contact the Genesee Center for the Arts at 585-343-0055 x6814.

For ticket information or reservations, contact the Box Office at 585-343-0055 x6814 or by email to BoxOffice@genesee.edu <http://BoxOffice@genesee.edu>. The Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office accepts cash and checks only. Credit cards are not accepted. Genesee Community College is located in Batavia, just two minutes from NYS Thruway Exit 48. Visit www.genesee.edu <http://www.genesee.edu>  for door-to-door driving directions sent via email.

Genesee's Forum Players cast members include: Amelia Favata (Canandaigua) as the Lion, Hippo and a Villager, Joanne Taheri (Newfane) as the Turtle, Kidnapper 2 and a Villager, Alexander Farley (Pembroke) as the Python, and a Villager, Jasmine Coley (Rochester) as Shontay, Richard Torres (Bronx) as Anansi, Jamie Hicks (Red Creek) as the Hare, Ships Captain and a Villager, Heather Hilderbrandt (Lockport) as Vulture 1, Crewman 2, and a Villager, Tyler Eldred (Dansville) as the Wise Elder, Bush Deer and a Villager, Johnny Dow (Rochester) as the Elephant, Anjelica Sistrunk (Syracuse) as the Mother, Jessica Francis (Perry) as Nyame the Sky God and a Villager, Alex Falu (New York, NY) as Vulture 2 and Crewman 1, Brianna Kruppenbacher (Oakfield) as Kidnapper 1 and a Villager. In addition two students from local middle schools round out the talented cast, Spencer Hubbard (Batavia High) as the Crocodile, Giraffe, Fish and a Village Child and Michael McQuillen (LeRoy High) as the Crocodile, Giraffe, Fish, Chimpanzee and a Village Child.

"Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage" is being directed by Norm Gayford, professor in the Humanities department, with this being his fourth year involved with the Theater program. Technical direction is by Ed Hallborg, technical director and instructor in the Fine and Performing Arts department and second-year student, Robert Reiss (Elba), as stage manager.

Batavia area senior citizens and youth got together last week to celebrate their outstanding service to the community. It was a mutual admiration society with a broad age range.

The "Minnie Tea Celebration" was held by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in conjunction with the Genesee County Youth Bureau. It took place at the Senior Center on Bank Street in honor of RSVP volunteers who helped the Genesee County Health Department at the end of 2009 as well as teens who planted and cared for an indoor garden for the Minnie Garden Project. 

RSVP volunteers served the health department by distributing flu vaccines -- both seasonal and H1N1 -- and by performing other tasks such as nursing, paperwork and triage. Thanks to the diligent work of these hearty seniors, the GCHD managed to issue over 6,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of 2009.

Meanwhile, area high-schoolers got to try their hands at gardening with the help of Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener David Russell. He was beaming with pride at the tea party and couldn't say enough about the students' dedication to the Minnie Garden Project.

"I'm so proud of the job these kids did," Russell said. "These are kids with different backgrounds who came together and did an excellent job. I'm really proud of them."

In addition to being awarded certificates, the youths were given the honor of having their produce served as hors d'oeuvres at the tea party.

The party was funded by a grant written by 22-year-old former Youth Bureau member Vicki Ripper. Since she finished working at the bureau in November, AmeriCorps Vista volunteer Lauren Paluta and Youth Bureau employee Angela Barbeau have taken control of the program.

Paluta put together last week's event with RSVP Coordinator Dorian Ely. Paluta was the hostess in Ely's absence and, together with Barbeau, she presented certificates of appreciation to the senior and youth volunteers.

In the last two photos, Hannah and Leah Rosenbeck hand out decorated terra cotta flowerpots to the seniors as they return to their seats after receiving certificates. See the article on RSVP's intergenerational project for more information on this.

Genesee Community College's annual daffodil sale to benefit the American Cancer Society is now under way and runs until March 12. Daffodil orders will be taken through March 11 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Forum at the Batavia Campus.

There are three different bouquets to choose from: a potted daffodil plant for $10; fresh cut daffodils (10 per bunch) for $10; and a Bear and a Bunch (10 per bunch with a 2010 limited edition Boyd's Bear) for $25. Orders will be delivered the week of March 22.

This year's helpers for Daffodil Days includes an alumnus and cancer patient, Suzanne Smith, who graduated in May with a Travel and Tourism degree and was diagnosed with cancer this past fall.

"On the day I graduated, I was healthy. In November 2009, I was diagnosed with myeloma," Smith said. "That is how quickly cancer can change one's life."

At Smith's graduation, when she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, she had a slight back pain. Later she enrolled in Empire State College to complete a bachelor's degree. But during the summer her back pain increased to the point where she couldn't even walk. Doctors could not find anything until around Thanksgiving when she was diagnosed with myeloma, a rare form of cancer. She began radiation treatments and now hopes to be the "voice" that encourages people to support the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days.

The campaign is one of the cancer society's oldest and most beloved fundraising programs. As the first flower of spring, the daffodil represents hope and renewal. Each spring, the society offers daffodils to donors in appreciation for a contribution. By ordering bunches of daffodils for friends, family members and people touched by cancer, donors share a message of hope as they raise funds and awareness to defeat cancer.

All daffodil orders and payments are due by March 12. Cash, check and credit cards are accepted. For further information or to place an order please contact Valerie Hale at 343-0055 x6200 or vahale@genesee.edu <http://vahale@genesee.edu> , Berneda Scoins at 343-0055 x6270 or bjscoins@genesee.edu  <http://bjscoins@genesee.edu> and Jackie DiBella at 343-0055 x6255 or jedibella@genesee.edu <http://jedibella@genesee.edu>