Announcements

The meeting of the Genesee County Economic Development Center along with the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. has been cancelled for Thursday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. and rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 5 at noon.

It is anticipated that the public session will begin at approximately 2:45 p.m. It will be held at the offices of the GCEDC located at the Dr. Bruce A. Holm, Upstate MedTech Centre, 99 MedTech Drive, Suite 106, in Batavia.

Please confirm your attendance by notifying Penny C. Kennett, office manager, GCEDC.

Phone: 585-343-4866
Fax:  585-343-0848
email:  pkennett@gcedc.com

The 22nd Annual Craft & Gift Festival at Batavia High School will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Santa Claus will be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There will be food available, raffles and lots of vendors.

The school is located at 260 State St. The festival is sponsored by the Batavia High School Blue Devils Hockey Team as well as the Gymnastics Team.

UPDATE (Thursday, Nov. 4): There was quite a response from the community about this puppy. Russ said he has found him a home. Thanks, folks.

A little puppy was found wandering around near the parking lot on Center Street over the weekend. He was frightened and cold. Russ Fitzgibbon, of Beverly's Flowers & Gifts, at 307 W. Main St., took him in. He's warm and fed now, but needs a home.

If someone out there is missing a pup, or wants one, please contact Russ at the store. He provided no description of the little guy.

The store's number is 343-8500.

From GCC:

GCC and SUNY Brockport Study Abroad: A Documentation of the Dutch Culture

Genesee Center for the Arts, Stuart Steiner Theatre Lobby, Genesee Community College

Creative writing and photographs displaying Dutch culture by GCC and SUNY Brockport students that participated in a study abroad trip to Amsterdam in the Spring of 2010.

The show highlights students photographs that serve as a final curriculum culmination to the digital photography and sociology courses that the studens participated in on the tour.

Exhibit open during normal college hours, admission to Lobby Art Gallery is free.

(Note: The exhibit runs through Dec. 4.)

The Genesee Center for the Arts at Genesee Community College has announced the return of the Theatrical Association of New York State – TANYS Festival, the weekend of Nov. 19 – 21. This is the third year in a row that TANYS will be hosted by the college.

The TANYS Festival theme is "Our Thanks to Broadway" -- an intense, three-day celebration of community theater. The festival brings together theater lovers statewide to mingle, network and make new friends.

A presentation of at least eight award-winning productions will take place, with the highly qualified Festival Adjudicator Steven Willis judging. In addition, several new workshops are scheduled in acting, directing, scene design, wireless mics and the return of some favorites, such as stage combat, auditioning and makeup.

Community residents are urged to join in the festival and discover the "theater" at the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College – a state-of-the-art facility!

"We once again welcome the TANYS festival back to Genesee Community College," said Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts at Genesee. "This is such a wonderful event for students and local theater-enthusiasts to watch performances and participate in educational acting workshops.

"Some of the best community theater actors from the across the state will be in attendance to 'wow' local audiences."

For complete details, registration and ticket on the TANYS Festival visit the website at www.tanys.org <http://www.tanys.org>, deadline for workshop registration is Nov. 15.

The Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office will be open during the festival days only, Nov. 19 to 21, contact phone number (585) 345-6814.

Genesee Community College invites artistic exhibitors for the its new Roz Steiner Art Gallery. The call is open to individual artists and group exhibitions in all media.

The new gallery is currently under construction and will be ready for exhibits in early 2011.

Interested artists and groups should send a description of the proposed exhibit, all artist contact information, artist biography, resume, quantity and size of the artwork to be displayed, and digital .JPEG image samples of the artwork.

To submit exhibition proposals, individual artists and groups can submit work to:

GCC Art Department Office
Art Gallery Committee
Genesee Community College
One College Road
Batavia, NY 14020

No submissions will be returned; accepted artists will be contacted by the exhibition chair. Submissions will be accepted on an ongoing basis, but to be considered for the 2011 spring semester they must be received by Dec. 3.

For more information, call Heather Jones at 585-343-0055, ext. 6448 or email hsjones@genesee.edu.

The 18th annual Halloween Parade is this Sunday. Start time is 1 p.m. and participants should gather behind Batavia City Centre at Dan's Tire Shop at 12:45 p.m.

The parade will go from City Centre on Main Street down to Pontillo's pizzeria.

The Batavia High School Marching Band will kick things off and there will be treats from Oliver's Candies for the first 100 kids in costume. At the end of the parade, Pontillo's will provide everyone dressed in costume with a free slice of pizza and apple cider.

A juggler named "Gravitational Bull" will give a juggling demonstration and create balloon animals for youngsters.

The entertainment is sponsored by the Batavia Youth Bureau.

Batavia Area Jaycees are managing the event and will assist the Batavia Police Department in temporarily blocking off related street entrances during the parade.

Youth Bureau Interim Director Toni Funke says she'd like to see families take part in this fun event.

No rain date. Updates of cancellation due to bad weather will be broadcast by 11:30 a.m. on WBTA. For more information, call the Youth Bureau at 345-6420.

The Genesee County Bar Association is recognizing four local organizations for their commitment to improving the lives of those in need in Genesee County.

A recognition ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 in the Grand Jury Room on the second floor of the Genesee County Courts Facility. That's also when the organizations will get monetary donations from the bar association to support their efforts.

The public is invited to attend.

Local attorneys makes countless individual contributions of funds and hours in support of local charities and community organizations. The bar members believe the four organizations listed below have made substantial efforts to support those in need. As a result, they deserve special recognition and support.

• CASA for Children (Court Appointed Special Advocates — providing volunteers to advocate for the needs of neglected and abused children in the county): $1,250

• Genesee County Youth Court (Provides a peer-review system for local troubled youth as an alternative to our adult justice system.): $500

• “People Realizing Potential” (A campaign of the Genesee ARC to assist local people with special needs.): $1,000

• Genesee County Child Advocacy Center (Provides services for local children in need.): $1,250

The Holland Land Office Museum is currently in the planning stages for this year’s fundraising event "2010 Wonderland of Trees." This is the nineth year of the event and the theme will be “Traditions.”

The museum is currently looking for schools, youth groups, service and business organizations, and groups of people to participate by decorating a Christmas tree or -- NEW this year -- a Christmas wreath (for those wishing to participate but wanting something smaller to handle).

With this year’s theme, there's a wide range of items that could be used to decorate your tree or wreath. Just FYI, you don’t have to follow the theme to participate. You could decorate your tree or wreath that represents your business or group. For example, if you own a bookstore, your ornaments could represent different book titles.

The possibilities are endless and think of all the creative fun you can have!

The Wonderland of Trees begins Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 with the gala, and runs through Saturday, Jan. 8.

Everyone is invited to participate this year. Let's make this the largest display of decorated Christmas trees or wreaths in WNY.

If you are interested or have questions, please contact Acting Director Jeff Donahue or Event Chairperson Shannon Guiste at the Holland Land Office Museum at 343-4727 between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, or on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Or you can contact in the Guiste in the evening at 343-2130.

Author James Lander will be at Present Tense bookstore in Batavia at 5 o'clock today signing copies of his latest book "Lincoln & Darwin: Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion."

Here's what historian and author James M. McPherson says about those two great men and Lander: "Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln had more in common that their birth on the same day. Both abhorred slavery, and their positions on race shared significant similarities. This stimulating book offers new insights on these two 19th Century giants whose legacy still shapes our world today."

McPherson wrote the book "Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief."
“Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln had more in common than their birth on the same day. Both abhorred slavery, and their positions on race shared significant similarities. This stimulating book offers new insights on these two nineteenth-century giants whose legacy still shapes our world today.”

Present Tense is located at 101 Washington Ave. Phone is 815-7640.

How would you like to get free money just for entering a contest for more free money?

That's exactly the invitation the Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, at 10 Jefferson Ave. in Batavia, is inviting you to do from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15.

Here's the deal: Each participant is to go to the bank during the specified hours on Friday to get the word out about a charity or worthy cause that is important to him/her. All participants will win $10 just for doing that.

Bank staff members will videotape all contest entries, and judges will pick the 10 best videos and post them online. After that, the public will decide on the winner.

The winner will be awarded $1,000 to be spent on the charity or cause of his/her choice.

Members and non-members of the TVFCU are invited to take part in the contest. For more information, please contact the bank at 343-5627.

Come enjoy a delicious pulled pork dinner on Thursday, October 14 at Elba Central School. The school is located at 57 S. Main St. in Elba.

The dinner will be held in the school cafeteria from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The meal, which consists of a pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes, cole slaw, and a cookie, can either be taken out or eaten in the cafeteria.

Tickets are $9 and can be purchased pre-sale through Kelly Carlie at 585-757-9967, ext. 1602, or at the door. The dinner is to benefit the junior class of 2012.

Horizon Health Services Batavia Recovery Center is celebrating its third anniversary from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15.

It is located at 314 Ellicott St. in Batavia and has expanded its services and operating space.

“When we opened our doors in September 2007 we had one counselor and a program director,” said David Payne, CASAC program director, in a news release. “As it became obvious that our services were critical to individuals and families in the community, we added staff and just added our fourth full-time counselor, a consulting psychiatrist, and have reconfigured and expanded our footprint to include additional space for group and individual therapy, offices and a lunch room.”

Facts regarding young adult alcohol and drug use are startling:
•    Young adults comprise the largest group of alcoholics in the U.S.;
•    5.4 million young adults (age 12-25) abuse prescription drugs;
•    1 in 5 young adults (age 18-25) is substance dependent or involved in substance abuse.

The Batavia Recovery Center (BRC) now works with Anthony Rancaniello, M.D., who has been instrumental with providing psychiatric assessments for client who suffer with symptoms of “dual diagnosis."

Dual diagnosis clients are those individuals with alcohol and drug dependency issues who also are challenged by mental health disorders such as depression, ADHD and anxiety. More than half of adolescents struggling with chemical dependency have a dual diagnosis.

BRC is one of the few providers of concurrent psychiatric services in Western New York.

“We understand that an addiction to alcohol or other drugs is often misunderstood, not only by the person who is addicted, but also by his or her family and the general public,” said Anne Constantino, president and CEO of Horizon.

“Addiction is a disease that affects the entire family. It is treatable and recovery is possible. We provide a fresh start for those who seek treatment or may have sought treatment from other service providers.”

The Batavia Recovery Center is recognized for its:
•    Individualized assessment and treatment plans;
•    Minimal waiting time for an appointment (always less than 48 hours);
•    Gender-specific and dual-diagnosis treatments.

The Batavia Recovery Center can be reached at 585-815-0247 to schedule an appointment. Its hours of operation are:

• 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
• 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday

Horizon Health Service is the largest and most comprehensive provider of fully integrated mental health and chemical dependency treatment and recovery services, with 12 outpatient clinics serving Erie, Niagara and Genesee counties.

In addition, Horizon Village, a 50-bed intensive residential facility, operates in Niagara County, where a Veterans treatment Facility and Wellness Center are under construction on the same campus.

This year marks the second consecutive year Horizon has been named one of the 40 Best Companies to work for in New York by Business First. For more information about Horizon visit www.horizon-health.org.

At the 96th annual Clinical Congress in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, Dr. Richard King was initiated as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

The Oct. 3 ceremony was attended by dignitaries of the college, families of initiates and surgeons from around the globe.

Dr. King joined the staff of United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia in 2008.

He graduated from Cornell and New York Medical College in 1995. After service with the Army in Europe, he completed his surgical and fellowship training at Penn State/Hershey Medical Center in 2006 and then joined the faculty of the University of Rochester Medical Center before working at UMMC.

By meeting the American College of Surgeon's stringent membership requirements, Fellows of the American College of Surgeons have earned the distinguished right to use the designation of “FACS” (Fellow, American College of Surgeons).

“This is the culmination of many years of training as well as sacrifice on the part of my family” says Dr. King. “I owe this accomplishment to their support, as well as to those who have mentored and guided me through the years.”

King currently resides in Brockport with his wife, who is a marriage and family therapist, and their four children.

An applicant for the fellowship must: be a graduate of an approved medical school; have completed advanced training in one of the 14 surgical specialties recognized by the college; possess certification by an American surgical specialty board; present a surgical case from their own practice to a panel comprised of surgeons in their geographic area; and have been in practice in the same geographic location for at least one year at the time of application.

Before admission into fellowship, the surgeon must further demonstrate ethical fitness and professional proficiency, and his or her acceptance as a fellow of the college must be approved by three-fourths of its Board of Regents.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The college is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery.

Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The college has more than 77,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

Alexander Boy Scout Troop 650 is having a spaghetti dinner and silent auction from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Alexander Recreational Hall. It is located at the fire department at 20 Albert St.

There will be many great items to be won for the highest bid. Cost is $5 per meal and ages 3 and under are free.

Donations are still being accepted for the silent auction. If you are interested in supporting your local Boy Scout troop, your donation to this event would be greatly appreciated.

Questions? Contact Kevin Lawson @ 356-2234 or email kllawson@msn.com
Donations? Contact Judy Jasen @ 547-2292.

Here's a news release from Genesee Community College.

Genesee Community College alumni and their families were welcomed back to a festive fall weekend for the first Homecoming celebration on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1 and 2.

Hundreds of Genesee alumni filled the campus attending soccer games, class reunions, the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the Cougar Reunion Mixer. The weekend was an overall success for the college and its accomplished graduates.

Led by a committee of 10 alumni, and chaired by Patti Michalak ('70) and Pam Whitcombe ('69), all classes of Genesee graduates were welcomed to partake in several alumni-centered activities. Throughout the weekend, 14 WGCC 90.7 radio station alumni came back to be guest DJ's to broadcast the weekend's events live.

Highlights included the women's and men's alumni soccer games played Friday night under the lights of the new soccer stadium. Classes from 1980-2010 were represented on the field, including 40 men alumni and 22 women alumni. The camaraderie of years past made the soccer games an enjoyable event not just for the alumni players, but for the spectators as well.

An alumni brunch that featured a banquet breakfast with the 'Prez and Profs' was a very successful event that brought past professors together with alumni, current professors, students and the president. The brunch featured the CEO Club's wildly popular Apple Cider Syrup product which was served over pancakes to the crowd of more than 100. The CEO Club also sold bottles of the syrup to the attendees as part of its fundraising efforts.

The first group of inductees was welcomed into the new Athletic Hall of Fame with an induction ceremony and celebration on Saturday evening. The standing-room-only crowd welcomed six new members and one team to the inaugural class in the new Cougar Athletic Hall of Fame.

Then Homecoming attendees danced the night away at the Cougar Reunion Mixer in the Forum. It featured a "hippie '60s" theme and paid special recognition to the classes of 1969 and 1970.

"The overall weekend was a huge success," said Jackie Christenson, Alumni Affairs coordinator at Genesee. "It was great to see old faces and new faces come back to campus to meet up with old friends from their days of classes at GCC.

"The alumni soccer players are already talking about next year's game! Homecoming could not have been possible without the help of the awesome committee that worked so hard to pull it off. We all can't wait for next year's Homecoming!"

For further information or for photographs of Homecoming weekend, please call Christenson at 585-343-0055, ext. 6265 or email <http://jkchristenson@genesee.edu>.

The Town Of Batavia Volunteer Fire Department will be holding its 3rd Annual Open House from noon to 3 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 10. The fire department is located at 8382 Lewiston Road.

This year the town "switched it up a little." According to fire Lt. Nathan Fix, they approached several larger businesses in the fire district and asked for donations.

As a result, they received approximately 75 smoke detectors and several carbon-monoxide detectors. The smoke detectors will given away on a first-come-first-serve basis, limited to one per household. For the carbon-monoxide detectors, there will be a free raffle.

As always, everything will be free -- hot dogs, lots of fire safety information and coloring
books with a nice handout for kids.

Please feel free to stop in and bring the kids to see some fire trucks. All are welcome, regardless of where you reside.

And the Town of Batavia is grateful for the donations and would like to give a big thanks to the following businesses: Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Kmart, BJ’s and Office Max.

Author, blogger and editor Ken Wheaton will bring his creative writing talents to Genesee Community College on Wednesday, Oct.13, for a reading from his first novel, "The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival."

The reading will take place at the Batavia Campus from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in T102. Afterward, Wheaton will have a question-and-answer period, followed by a book signing. This event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book are for sale in the Barnes and Noble Campus Book Store at Genesee's Batavia Campus.

In "The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival," Father Steve Sibille has come home to the bayou to take charge of St. Pete's church. Among his challenges are teenybopper altar girls, insomnia-curing confessions, and alarmingly alluring congregant Vicky Carrier. Then there's Miss Rita, an irrepressible centenarian with a taste for whiskey, cracklins, and sticking her nose in other people's business.

When an outsider threatens to poach Father Steve's flock, Miss Rita suggests he fight back by staging an event that will keep St. Pete's parishioners loyal forever. As the First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival draws near, help comes from the strangest places. And while the road to the festival may be paved with good intentions – not to mention bake sales, an elephant, and the most bizarre cookout ever – where it will lead is anyone's guess. (Excerpt from www.KenWheaton.wordpress.com)

Wheaton's writings include editing and writing for Advertising Age and his essay "Bombs! Anthrax! Gas! Ho, Hum," appeared in The Subway Chronicles anthology alongside the work of Calvin Trillin and Jonathan Lethem. Born and raised in Opelousas, La., he now lives in Brooklyn. To find out more visit www.KenWheaton.wordpress.com.

"It is imperative that our students have the opportunity to speak with successful writers and poets who are working in the real world," said Shawn Adamson, instructor of English at Genesee. "Not only does it inspire our students to continue with their education, but it also inspires students to never give up on their career aspirations."

This author visit is funded by the President's Innovation Award. The PIA Program provides funding for innovative activities and projects that promote community involvement in the life of Genesee Community College, stimulate student and community pride in the college, or help establish pilot programs or initiatives with the potential for positive, long-term impact on the college.

For further information contact instructor Adamson at 343-0055, ext. 6156 or spadamson@genesee.edu.

The United Memorial Medical Center Foundation announces its Fall Auction, to be held Friday, Oct. 15 at the Holiday Inn in Batavia.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction and a live auction beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The evening festivities are sponsored by Bank of Castile/Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., Lawley Genesee/Lawley Benefits Group and Manning Squires Hennig.

Proceeds from this year’s auction will be designated to the UMMC Surgical Project, which is expected to be open in January. The cost of the event is $20 per person and includes dinner, wine and beer.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Foundation Office at (585) 344-5300.