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Announcements

Knights of Columbus will host a Chicken BBQ at St. Mary's on Sunday

By Daniel Crofts

Our Lady Knights of Columbus invite you to a Chicken BBQ on Sunday at St. Mary's Church, 20 Ellicott St. in Batavia. It will start at 10:30 a.m. and continue until sold out.

Each individual dinner includes 1/2 chicken, macaroni salad, baked beans, a roll and butter. The proceeds will go toward local charities.

To purchase presale tickets, please call Mike at 343-3810.

Historical program: How 1918 Spanish Flu affected Genesee County

By Billie Owens

A historical program about how the Spanish Flu impacted Genesee County will take from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 7 at the Genesee County Park and Forest Nature Center.

It is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany. Pre-registration is required by calling (585) 344-1122. Cost is $5 per person; $10 per family.

In 1918, a deadly influenza pandemic erupted during the final stages of World War I.

Using newspaper articles and other resources, the county historian will explain how this pandemic started and how if affected life in Genesee County.

Pavilion farm part of upbeat billboard campaign

By Billie Owens

Noblehurst Farms in Pavilion is one of several places in Upstate New York where hay wagon billboard banners will be displayed on farms to relay positive messages about agriculture.

Forty such billboards have been placed from Watertown to Canton, the Finger Lakes to Albany.

The banners say: NY Farmers Love the Land; NY Farmers Love Feeding Families; NY Farmers Love Caring for Animals; NY Farmers Love Family Tradition; and NY Farmers Love Strong Communities.

The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition developed the outreach program to reconnent and educate consumers about today's dairy farms and farm practices. It is funded by a grant from the United Soybean Board.

"As a farming community we are trying to keep the public aware that agriculture is important to not only us as farmers, but also to the people and economy of Upstate New York, said Rob Noble, co-owner of Noblehurst Farms.

"The billboard campaign is a small part we can do to raise awareness and tell people part of our story.”

According to a coalition survey, New Yorkers have a high level of trust in New York dairy farmers to produce a safe, healthy and abundant supply of food, Berry said.

However, with the rise of food safety scares and increasing social awareness, consumers are increasingly interested in how their food is produced. Fewer people know a farmer. They’ve lost the human connection to how our food is grown.

Visit the Coalition’s Web site at www.farmskeepnygreen.com for more information.

This information was provided by the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition.

Library Lego Club for kids starts Sept. 22

By Billie Owens

The Library Lego Club for children age 6 and up begins on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St. in Batavia.

It is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Children's Room on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

The program is free but registration is required.

The Friends of the Library provide the Legos.

For more information call the library at 343-9550 ext.4 or consult our website. Register online at <http://www.batavialibrary.org/>.

Annual Fur Ball is Oct. 9 to benefit shelter animals

By Billie Owens

The 8th Annual Fur Ball will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Holiday Inn, located at 8250 Park Road in Batavia.

The event is sponsored by the Volunteers for Animals of Batavia and all proceeds go to spay and neuter animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter before they are adopted.

Complementary beverages and desserts will be offered as will lots of fun and prizes. Cost is $20 per adult in advance, $10 for children 12 and under, and $25 for adults on the day of the Fur Ball. Tickets are available at the shelter, 3841 W. Main St. Road in the Town of Batavia.

There will be a Chinese auction, door prizes, a 50/50 and other raffles, plus someone will win a canoe and an Amish chair. Don't forget to bring a photo of your pet -- a local artist will be on hand to draw a cariacature.

If you would like to place an ad for your business or service in the evening's program, contact the volunteers ASAP. Donations of new items for the auction/raffles can be dropped off at the shelter.

Last year, $6,500 was raised for spaying and neutering.

On the web, contact the volunteers at <http://www.vol4animals.org>. The shelter's phone number is 343-6410.

2K Memory Walk for victims of Alzheimer's

By Daniel Crofts

The Alzheimer's Association will be hosting a "Memory Walk" in Batavia on Saturday, Sept. 11. It will begin at the Genesee County Nursing Home, at 278 Bank St., and proceed along Chandler Avenue, North, Bank and Ross streets, and Washington Avenue.

Anyone who wants to take part can show up the morning of the walk for registration, which begins at 9 a.m. The walk itself will start at 10 a.m. and cover about two miles. Brunch, entertainment from Pete Gomez and a Chinese auction -- with gift certificates and  prizes donated by area businesses -- will follow in the nursing home dining room.

Walkers will be raising money via sponors for the benefit of Genesee County residents coping with Alzheimer's Disease. People are encouraged to raise all funds by Saturday, but funds will be accepted until October 29.

For further details or to register in advance, please call (716) 626-0600 or go to www.memorywalkwny.com. If you would like to donate items to the Chinese auction, call Sue Buckley at 344-0584, ext. 2116.

Present Tense set to hold five-year anniversary celebration

By Daniel Crofts

Present Tense Books & Gifts, Batavia's premiere full-service bookstore, will be celebrating an important milestone on Saturday, Sept. 18. An anniversary party lasting from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. will celebrate five years of successful business.

Free and open to the public, the event will take place at the bookstore, which is at 101 Washington Ave. The festivities will include refreshments, prizes and a raffle, as well as the annual fall open house and holiday preview.

There will be discounts on all regular priced items on that day as well.

For more information, please call 815-7640 or e-mail info@presenttensebooks.com.

Eatery offers a free drink for fire, police, military

By Billie Owens

In appreciation for the work performed by fire, police and military personnel, Center Street Smoke House is offering one free drink to them starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, 9/11.

Proper I.D., of course, is required.

"Come to the Center Street Smoke House as we honor those who we will never forget,"  says the flier about the special.

Live music starts at 9:30 p.m.

Center Street Smoke House is located at 20 Center St. in Batavia. Phone is 343-7470.

Event Date and Time
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Bill to ban outdoor wood boilers stalled

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release we received from the New York Farm Bureau.

The New York Farm Bureau today announced its fight-back campaign against a proposed ban on outdoor wood boilers appears to have forced the Department of Environmental Conservation to delay any action until next year.

The reported delay, although not formally announced, would allow thousands of rural New Yorkers to continue to heat their homes with wood through the winter.

“We are fighting a good fight so far, but it’s far from over,” said Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau. “While a regulatory delay would get us through the winter, there are still bureaucrats in Albany determined to shut down our wood boilers. We must thwart them.”

The farm bureau has been rallying its 30,000 members to fight the proposed regulations and has been lobbying furiously in the halls of Albany.

If passed, the DEC regulations would force thousands of owners of outdoor wood boilers to: retrofit costly smokestacks to meet new DEC height requirements; limit the use of their units for almost half of the year; and ultimately prohibit the use of any outdoor wood boiler that does not meet new, strict DEC emissions requirements.

The proposed regulations will have significant financial implications for farm and rural homeowners that heat their houses, barns and greenhouses using wood boilers.

This summer, the New York State Senate voted unanimously in favor of legislation that would leave wood-boiler regulation to local zoning boards, not the DEC. That bill was sponsored and championed by Sen. Darrel Aubertine.

Farm bureau members spoke out at public information sessions/hearings around the state in June on the proposal. Farmers and rural residents also flooded the DEC with written comments against the proposed regulations.

“I hope that DEC has seen the light that these regulations will have severe financial impact to our farmers and rural New Yorkers,” Norton said.

Story Time series for kids begins Sept. 14, register early

By Billie Owens

The fall series of Story Time programs at the Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia, begins on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
  
            Toddler Time --  10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays  (walkers – 3 years)
            Moms & Moppets -- 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays (walkers -- 3 years)
            Preschool Party --  10 a.m. on Thursdays (ages 3-5 years)
            Baby Bounce -- 11 a.m. on Thursdays (pre-walkers)
            Pajama Primetime -- 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays (all ages)

To register for one of these sessions, or for more information, parents may call the library at 343-9550, or stop in at the Children's Room desk during library hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Register early, as group size is limited.  Call 343-9550, ext. 4 or go to the website <http://www.batavialibrary.org>.

College's first-ever Homecoming weekend set for Oct. 1-2

By Billie Owens

Genesee Community College is readying for the first-ever Homecoming celebration on October 1-2.

The committee of 10 Genesee alumni, including chairs Patti Michalak ('70) and Pam Whitcombe ('69), is putting the finishing touches on preparing for an exciting weekend.

All graduating classes as well as family members, friends and the community are welcome to the college's Batavia campus for a weekend filled with alumni activities, sporting events and at the culmination of the weekend, an All-Class Cougar Reunion/Mixer in the Forum.

Part of the Homecoming weekend activities include raising money for the American Cancer Society. A refurbished iron bathtub was recently placed in the Student Union to collect spare change from students, faculty and staff to be donated to the American Cancer Society of Buffalo.

The "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk" will take place on Sunday, Oct. 3 and all monies collected will be donated to the cause. The bathtub collection is a tradition passed down from GCC students back in the 1970s according to John Michalak ('73), a Homecoming Committee member.

"When the college was at the West Main Street Road address (now the Genesee County Building #2) and known to us as 'Valu Tech,' the SOMF (Society of Mature Friendships) fraternity had several fundraisers over the years," Michalak  said.

"On one occasion, the group pushed a bathtub on a farm wagon from East Town Plaza to the West Main Street Road campus. We collected money along the way for a donation to the local American Cancer Society. This is our way of bringing some traditions back to campus."

Friday, Oct. 1 will feature men's and women's alumni soccer games played under the lights of the new all-weather turf field. Women players are still needed and are encouraged to sign up at <http://www.genesee.edu/gcc/alumnisoccer>.

Saturday, Oct. 2 will begin with various alumni-centered activities and celebrations across the campus including tours, reunions and a brunch. The men's and women's Cougar soccer teams will play at noon and 2 p.m. versus North Country Community College.

Following the Cougar soccer games, the first group of inductees will be welcomed into the new Athletic Hall of Fame with an induction ceremony and celebration at 5 p.m. in the Conable Technology Building.

Homecoming weekend will conclude with an All-Class Cougar Reunion/Mixer open to all alumni and community members. All graduating years are invited, with special recognition for the classes of 1969 and 1970 and a featured event theme of the "Hippie '60s." There will be music, prizes, food and a cash bar. The cost is $5 per person.

Further details on locations, times and additional alumni activities are available by going to <http://www.genesee.edu/Alumni/Homecoming >.

To volunteer for the Homecoming weekend, please contact Alumni Affairs Coordinator Jackie Christenson at 585-343-0055, ext. 6265 or <http://jkchristenson@genesee.edu>.

'Rescues & Runways' fashion show will benefit local animal shelter

By Billie Owens

Maurices, a women's clothing store in Tops Plaza in Batavia, is having a fashion show to benefit animals on Saturday, Sept. 18.

"Rescues & Runways" is a national campaign created by Maurices, which has more than 750 locations nationwide.

The fashion show is at 2 p.m. in the store at 8351 Lewiston Road. There will also be a silent auction to raise money. All the funds raised will go to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Customers who donate needed pet supplies, like food, will receive coupons to use on Maurices merchandise. Monetary donations and pet supplies are being accepted at the store through the end of September.

During the fashion show, models will be going up and down the runway accompanied by animals from the shelter. Representatives from the Genesee County Animal Shelter will be there and available to talk to people about adopting the pets strutting their stuff at the show.

"Rescues & Runways" is a national campaign done in partnership with the ASPCA® American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In its second year, the goals of this program are: to increase awareness of animal shelters, in turn, increasing pet adoptions through pet-themed fashion shows.

There is a website for anyone who might want to know more:

< http://www.rescuesandrunways.com/>.

Leadership Genesee seeks applicants for its Class of 2011

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from Leadership Genesee.

Leadership Genesee
, a community leadership program uniting a diverse group of people from business, government and nonprofit organizations to study local issues is seeking applicants for its 2011 class.

Our community needs succession planning for leadership, not just elected, appointed or paid employment leadership, but the kind that receives no "paycheck." Community volunteers who work tirelessly for organizations that improve the health of the human condition must understand the issues facing the community in order to be effective.

Leadership Genesee provides the education and training for leaders as it creates an experience promoting active leadership for Genesee County.

Each year, it selects 25 individuals to participate in a unique form of adult citizenship education. The year-long curriculum is designed to raise awareness of the needs and challenges that affect Genesee County and enhance individual leadership skills through practice with a focus on civic responsibility and community stewardship. 

Through group activities, tours and presentations by key community leaders, Leadership Genesee is developing leadership for our community, with our community and in our community. 

Annual tuition is $1,950.

For an application or information, call Peggy Marone, Leadership Genesee director at 343-3040, ext. 118 or visit our web site at  HYPERLINK www.leadershipgenesee.shutterfly.com.

Leadership Genesee is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension which provides equal program and employment opportunities.

GCC volunteers will help clean up Oatka Creek

By Billie Owens

Oatka Creek is the target of a clean up project, the first group service project of the academic year for Genesee Community College's Earth Club and Environmental Studies.

It takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25. The students will cover one and a half miles of the Oatka Creek Park on Union Street in the Town of Wheatland.

The Creek Clean Up is part of a national initiative sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Clean-up and the American Littoral Society's Annual New York State Beach Clean Up.

This is the third time Genesee students and faculty members have volunteered for the cause.

Students and volunteers will break into teams, with each team equipped with a data recording card and a trash bag. Teams will gather trash and record what they find. At the end of the day, the trash will be totaled and weighed.

Last year, the volunteers collected eight bags of trash, totaling 190 pounds of debris. The data will be compiled and will be sent into the national Coastal Clean-up organizers.

"It's wonderful to see these students spend their Saturday helping out for a great cause," said Maureen Leupold, Earth Club member and professor of Biology at Genesee. "Although this may be one small creek clean-up, it is all part of the bigger picture of environmental responsibility."

The Ocean Conservancy is the world's foremost advocate for the oceans. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, they inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act on behalf of healthy oceans.

Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has offices in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, with support from more than half a million members and volunteers.

The American Littoral Society is a national, nonprofit, public-interest organization comprised of over 6,000 professional and amateur naturalists, with headquarters in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

The society seeks to encourage a better scientific and public understanding of the marine environment, provide a unified voice advocating protection of the delicate fabric of life along the shore, and has been protecting coastal habitats since 1961.

Genesee Community College is on the forefront of this exciting and important industry with recent enhancements to its Environmental Studies degree program. This program offers an excellent introduction to the field, with plenty of hands-on learning, and small class and laboratory sizes offering exceptional instruction.

Environmental Studies students have access to an on-campus nature trail featuring plants and other wildlife demarcated with signage along the way. Students also have the opportunity to go out in the field for hands-on experience within the rural region that surrounds the GLOW region.

To find out more about Genesee's Environmental Studies program visit <http://www.genesee.edu >.

For further information about Genesee's Environmental Studies program or to volunteer at the Creek Clean-up, please contact Biology Professor Leupold at 343-0055, ext. 6394.

Elba in the 1940s is topic of presentation

By Billie Owens

The 1940s is the topic of a presentation Sept. 16 by Helen Batchellor, of Stafford, including stories related to Elba.

She is a native of Elba and will bring items from that era to view. According to the host, the Elba Historical Society, her programs are always entertaining.

It will be at the Historical Society of Elba's Museum on Maple Avenue.

Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation is at 7. Everyone is welcome to attend.

A meeting of the historical society will follow the program. It is important that all members
try to attend as nominations for all offices will be taken and a board member will be
selected.

If you wish to nominate a member for an office this will be the meeting to do it. Voting will take place at the Oct. 14th meeting.

Call for artists to exhibit in GO ART! galleries

By

CALL FOR ARTISTS TO EXHIBIT IN GO ART! GALLERIES IN 2010-11

BATAVIA, NY…The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) is seeking artists interested in exhibiting their work in its five galleries:

  • Bank of Castile Main Gallery at GO ART!, Seymour Place, 201 East Main Street, Batavia;
  • Batavia Satellite Gallery in the Genesee County Senior Center, 2 Bank Street, Batavia;
  • Albion Satellite Gallery in the GCC Albion Campus, 456 West Avenue (Route 31), Albion;
  • Medina Satellite Gallery in the Shirt Factory Café, 115 W. Center Street, Medina;
  • Satellite Gallery on the Ridge in the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery Tasting Room, 10609 Ridge Road (Route 104), Medina.

Since 1977, GO ART! has served area artists by providing exhibit space for their work. Gallery shows are typically displayed for two months. Artists must be 18 years or older. GO ART! has openings in all five galleries for its next exhibit cycle, September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011.

For additional information, contact the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council at 585-343-9313 or download an application online at www.GOart.org.

Crossroads House presents 'Musical Memories' at City Church

By Daniel Crofts

Crossroads House will be hosting another 'Musical Memories' concert on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the City Church, at 210 E. Main St. in Batavia. All proceeds will benefit Crossroads House and go toward two months care for terminally ill residents.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and include performances by Greece Jazz Band, Derek Reese & Quartet, St. Joseph's Brass Ensemble, Ghost Riders, Mini Drum & Bugle Corps, Mighty St. Joe's Alumni Drum Corps and special guest appearances.

Tickets are $5 apiece and can be purchased at Roxy's Music Store, Millenium Computers, Valle Jewelers and the Crossroads House. Last year's concert sold out, so it is recommended that you buy tickets ASAP!

Please call Frank Panepento at 409-4364 for more information.

Volunteers needed for Rape Crisis Service

By Billie Owens

Do you want to make a difference in your community? One way to do so is by becoming a volunteer for Rape Crisis Service (RCS) and serving as an advocate for victims of sexual assault.

Advocates provide emotional support and information to survivors of sexual assault, significant others and members of their families. Volunteers are on-call for 12-hour shifts, a minimum of four times per month.

Applicants must be at least 19 years old. No experience necessary — all volunteers will complete a training program. Interviews are currently being conducted for our upcoming training in October.

For more information, please call Kathy Pexton at 546-2771, ext. 338, or e-mail at kpexton@pprsr.org.

Insurance 'rock star' will be keynote speaker at GRIP dinner

By Billie Owens

Genesee Region Insurance Professionals (GRIP) will hold a special networking
event and dinner at Larry's Steakhouse in Batavia on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

It starts at 5 p.m. and features the nationally recognized "rock star" of the insurance industry, Chris Amhrein. He's the co-founder of www.insuranceisfun.com.

To make a reservation, please contact Sherry Ford (sfordtss@aol.com or 716-560-2667).

Larry's is located in downtown Batavia at 60 Main St.

Sign up to play golf to help boy battle Stage 2 bone cancer

By Billie Owens

The sign-up deadline for a golf tournament to benefit a little boy with Stage 2 bone cancer has been extended until Sept. 21.

Creamy Creations of Batavia is sponsoring the golf tournament on Sunday, Sept. 26 at Le Roy Country Club, located at 7759 E. Main Road in Le Roy. Shotgun is 1 p.m.

Proceeds benefit Christopher, the son of a colleague of the company's.

Cost is $75 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, use of a golf cart, lunch at noon -- a hot dog or hamburger and a drink, then a buffet dinner afterward.

To make a reservation and/or a donation, contact Selina McJury at 345-4290.

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