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The inductees into the 15th annual Batavia Blue Devil Athletic Hall of Fame were announced this afternoon.

They are:

• David Dedman (1989)
• Karen Thomas Dupuis (1982)
• Christopher Kane (1986)
• John McGowan Jr. (1995)
• Frank Pontillo (1991)
• Susan Salvador Tresco (1986)

Biographical information about the honorees has not yet been released.

They will be honored at Terry Hills Restaurant and Banquet Facility in Batavia on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Cost is $30 per person. Social hour begins at 5; dinner is at 6.

Tickets are available at the Athletic Directors Office at Batavia High School.

For more information, call 343-2480, ext. 2003.

This event is sponsored by the Batavia Coaches Association.

Press release:

A free series of five classes on exploring your family history will be offered at Richmond Memorial Library on Tuesdays beginning Oct. 4.

Classes start at 6 p.m. and run weekly through Nov. 1.

Have you ever wondered about your ancestors -- who they were, where they came from, or what you have in common with them?

This is an excellent opportunity to start a geneology search and explore your family history.

Contact the library at 343-9550 to register.

William Glenn Walters, 37, of Wolcott Street, Le Roy, is charged with disobeying a court mandate. Walters was arrested at 6:37 p.m. on Sept. 19 following a domestic incident on Warsaw Road in the Town of Le Roy. Walters allegedly violated a Family Court stay away order of protection. He was released on an appearance ticket returnable to Town of Le Roy Court on Oct. 17. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute.

Amber Meadows, 25, of Canandaigua, was arrested on Sept. 16 by SP Batavia Troopers on a warrant issued by the Town of Batavia Court for petit larceny. She is accused of stealing $638 worth of merchandise from the Target store in Batavia on Aug. 8. Meadows was arraigned in the Town of Batavia Court and released with a return court date. Troopers then turned Meadows over to the Ontario County Sheriffs Office where she was wanted on another warrant.

Press release:

The New York Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Committee is encouraging high school seniors who have been involved with agriculture and plan on continuing studies in this field to apply for the 2017 New York Farm Bureau Agricultural Youth Scholarship.

Scholarship awards are $1,500 for First Place, $1,200 for Second Place, and $1,000 for Third Place. District winners chosen from the county winners will each receive $100 and a memento. The state awards are sponsored by the New York Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee. 

Students applying must have a family Farm Bureau membership or a student Farm Bureau membership. A membership application may be included with scholarship enclosures.

Students are required to complete the application and submit a brief essay answering the question, "What do I feel is the most important challenge facing agriculture in my community and why?”

The application can be downloaded at www.nyfb.org and emailed to sprokop@nyfb.org with all required attachments or mailed to NYFB’s Albany office with attention to Sandie Prokop. 

At the district level, a personal interview and essay presentation may be scheduled at the discretion of the district representative for the Promotion & Education Committee. The county winner will be the applicant scoring the highest for each county. County winners within the district are recognized at the discretion of their county Farm Bureau. The district winner will be the overall highest county winner in each district and will advance to the state competition in January. State judging will be based solely upon the application and attachments.

The application submission deadline is Nov. 16. To request an application, call 1-800-342-4143 or visit www.nyfb.org. The application is a fillable PDF and must be downloaded and completed.

Press release:

This week is National Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 18-24). As part of the campaign, National Safety Check Saturday will be hosted by the City of Batavia Fire Department this Saturday, Sept. 24, at City of Batavia Fire Headquarters, located at 18 Evans St. in Batavia. It begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m.

Nationally Certified Technicians will be able to ensure your child passenger's seat is installed correctly and answer any questions caregivers may have regarding installation, selection and the use of car seats.

Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury death for children ages 1 through 12. Most tweens (8- to 12-year-olds) seriously injured or killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts or were wearing them incorrectly. Tweens are also more likely to get hurt in crashes when riding in the front seat. Many deaths and injuries could be prevented if children were properly secured in an appropriate child restraint.

Many parents and caregivers assume they know how to choose and use the correct child restraints for their children, but sadly these restraints are frequently used incorrectly. In fact, three out of every four children are riding at an increased risk of injury because their car seats are not being used correctly.

As always, technicians are available by calling Fire Headquarters at (585) 345-6375 to schedule an appointment.

The nonprofit legal aid office known as Neighborhood Legal Services Inc. (NLS) is moving. It is currently located at 5073 Clinton Street Road, Batavia, and will be relocating its office downtown to 45 Main St, Batavia.

To accommodate the move, the office will close at 5 p.m. on Friday Sept. 23^rd and will reopen in the new space on Main Street at 9 a.m. on Thursday Sept. 29^th. The new location is west of Jackson Street near Evans Street.

NLS operates three offices in Western New York. The Batavia office serves people in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Its mission is to provide a full range of free civil legal representation to low income and disabled people in matters involving their financial security and the legal rights which affect the stability of families and individuals. Its goal is to create the greatest access to the justice system for those low-income and disabled people without the means to pursue their rights. It also provides outreach and training services to underprivileged populations and the community agencies which serve them.

Neighborhood Legal Services' phone number is 343-5450.

For more information, visit the NLS website by clicking here.

Community Action of Orleans & Genesee will host a Flu Shot Clinic, courtesy of Rite Aid, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday Sept. 29. The facility is located at 5073 Clinton Street Road in Batavia. 

The shots are free with most insurance plans. Cost without any insurance is $32.99.

The Cancer Services Program will be there as well, giving out free “Fit Kits” -- colorectal screening kits -- and information on mammograms and all services of CSP. 

United Health Care will be here with information about health insurance programs. 

Call 343-7798 for more information.

Tonight the family and friends of Kevin Woodhams (nee Kyeongseop Kim) will gather to share fond memories of his life at Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel on West Main Street Road in Batavia.

The 25-year-old native of Ulsan City, South Korea, only arrived in America in February and is said to have fallen in love with it instantly.

He was a stargazer who enjoyed watching the night sky. He liked our local parks and loved listening to music.

Kevin also was a shopper at Wegmans, an aficionado of Starbucks, a nosher at McDonald's. But he also enjoyed his favorite Korean cuisine (perhaps bulgogi or a hot stone bowl of bi bim bap). 

He died unexpectedly on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.

For his complete obituary, click here.

For previous coverage, click here.

Press release:

On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2, Darien Lake will host an award-winning teen safe driving program called Ford Driving Skills For Life. Schools across the region have been receiving an open invitation for their students to participate in free training for driving-aged students. 

Darien Lake is centrally located for a number of surrounding communities and it is hoped that about 400 teen drivers will go through the program that weekend.

Teens with a driving permit or a driver's license are eligible. Registration is required and limited.

Here is a link to the website that has video, information for parents and testimonials from past participants. https://www.drivingskillsforlife.com/

The course is offered both days in two time-slot options, for a total of four scheduling choices: Session 1 runs from 7:30 to noon Saturday and Sunday; and Session 2 runs from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Each four-and-a-half-hour time slot covers the same skills; select the ONE that fits YOUR availability.

The Ford Driving Skills For Life program was developed in 2003 to address the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States: vehicle crashes. Teens enrolled in this course will drive vehicles on a closed course under the supervision of professional instructors, thereby improving their skills in these key areas:

• Hazard Recognition
• Vehicle Handling
• Space Management
• Speed Management
• Reaction Time
• Braking and Stopping Distances
• Avoiding the Dangers of Distracted and Impaired Driving

Darien Lake Theme Park is located at 9993 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

Press release:

Officials from Western Region Off-Track Betting Corporation (WROTB) and the Made in America Store today announced their partnership to bring a Made in America Store to Batavia Downs. The grand opening of the new store and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the lobby of Batavia Downs on Park Road. A performance by Nashville Recording Artist Ricky Lee will follow the ceremony at the facility.

The Made in America Store, which started with just 50 products, today carries 7,000 products from more than 500 U.S. manufacturers, all 100-percent American made. The Store is headquartered in Elma, New York.

“We are proud to partner with Batavia Downs to bring our line of American-made products to the great people of Genesee County and the many tourists and visitors who’ve made this venue a world-class destination,” said Mark Andol, founder of the Made in America Store. “The people of this community are as patriotic as any you will find across the country. We are confident that this store will be one of our busiest and most successful locations.”

For Western Region Off-Track Betting Corporation, the Made in America Store will be its first retail venture on the grounds of Batavia Downs.

“Over the years, we’ve had a multitude of opportunities to partner with entities from the retail sector at Batavia Downs,” said Henry Wojtaszek, CEO/president of WROTB. “In deciding to partner with MIA, the decision was not a difficult one; we both support American workers, jobs in this community, and American jobs across the country.”

Owned and operated by 15 Western New York counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo, Western Regional OTB is a public benefit corporation with headquarters in Batavia, NY. WROTB owns and operates 29 branches, as well as Batavia Downs Gaming, a standard bred racetrack and gaming facility. Since its inception, Western OTB has generated over $215 million in operating and surcharge revenues to the taxpayers of those participating municipalities.

“As a public benefit corporation, it is imperative that every decision we make is in the best interests of the 17 municipalities that encompass the corporation and share the revenue generated by the corporation,” Nolan said. “I can’t think of a retail collaboration that fits better into our mission than partnering with MIA.”

A tree and unknown-type wires are reportedly down in the roadway, partially blocking, at 151 Ross St. City fire is responding.

Press release:

The Town Board of the Town of Darien has filed an application for grant and loan assistance with USDA Rural Development for a Water District #6.

This application has been accepted and has been moved to the funding process. The total cost of the project is estimated at $24,880,000. The Town anticipates receiving a grant of approximately $6,800,000 and the balance in the form of a low-interest loan from the USDA Rural Development Agency. 

The project will involve:

• The installation of approximately 375,000 linear feet of water main along all Town roadways not currently provided with public water service;
• The erection of a 300,000-gallon water storage tank, and a 500,000-gallon storage tank;
• The installation of a pumping station;
• and the upgrading an existing pumping station.

The project will serve 776 residential households within the Town. Consistent with Town Law and the procedures of Rural Development, the Darien Town Board will conduct public information meetings prior to making a commitment to undertake the proposed project.

Due to anticipated large attendance, the Public Information Meetings will be held at the Darien Volunteer Fire Department at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1. It is located at 10537 Allegheny Road, Darien Center.

David Hagelberger

Supervisor

Town of Darien

A tree has fallen onto a house at 37 Columbia Ave. City firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 1:31 p.m.: The house is bieng evacuated.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: A large limb broke off a tree on property on Manhattan Avenue, which runs parallel to Columbia Avenue. The broken branch spans the entire length of the Columbia Avenue house.

UPDATE 1:52 p.m.: The city's fourth platoon is called into headquarters.

Press release:

There are still opportunities to enroll in fall classes at Genesee Community College! The late-start, 12-week session begins Monday, Sept. 19, and courses are offered at most of GCC's seven campus locations, as well as online.

Principles of Fly-Fishing (PED 193) is one of the more unique, new courses available. It is being offered at GCC's Medina Campus Center at 11470 Maple Ridge Road. The new two-credit course runs on Tuesday nights and begins this Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 6 – 8:30 p.m. under instructor Patrick Seidel.

"This 12-week course is perfect for anyone interested in fly-fishing – from the beginner or novice, to those who have some experience but want to refine their skills," Seidel, an adjunct instructor said. "Tom Brokaw once said, 'If fishing is a religion, fly -ishing is high church.' We intend to make this new course a fun, educational opportunity that welcomes the whole 'congregation' of fly-fishing enthusiasts."

Seidel has been teaching at GCC since the fall of 2015 and has 15 years of fly-fishing experience to his credit. He is also a fly-fishing instructor for the Lockport High School and a Wilderness First Aid instructor, American Red Cross instructor, and New York State First Aid instructor. For a short video of fly-fishing, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCsqAsPfTXM&feature=youtu.be.

Classes in the 12-week session are easily accessible and run mornings, afternoons and evenings, during the week as well as on Saturdays, on campus or online. Busy students can pick the right time, day or place that meets their needs and their schedules.

The fall 12-week session boasts more than 35 courses in a variety of dynamic subjects including American Sign Language, Principles of Business, Healthful Living, Introduction to Computers, Human Relations and Interpersonal Communication to name a few. Late start classes are offered at most of GCC's seven campus locations:

• Albion, 456 West Ave. / 585-589-4936

• Arcade, 25 Edward St. / 585-492-5265

• Batavia, One College Road / 585-345-6800

• Dansville, 31 Clara Barton St. / 585-335-7820

• Lima, 7285 Gale Road / 585-582-1226

• Medina, 11470 Maple Ridge Road / 585-798-1688

• Warsaw, 115 Linwood Ave. / 585-786-3010

Additionally, GCC also offers the final segment of late start eight-week courses beginning on Monday, Oct. 17. For all the class options at GCC visit www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule.

To apply online for classes at any Genesee Community College campus location, new students should go to: http://www.genesee.edu/Admissions or call the Admissions office at 585-345-6800.

Press release:

YWCA of Genesee County has decided to step things up with its annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk by offering a USATF (Track & Field) certified 5K for runners and walkers alike.

Described as a mostly flat and fast course, this race will also include family activities, Limited Edition purple baseball caps, a few words from Notre Dame High School Principal Wade Bianco and a purple powder finish line celebration. Bianco recently earned an honored spot in the Coaches category for the Section V Football Hall of Fame.

The event is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at YWCA, 301 North St.

“We don’t ever want to lose sight of why we started the walk in the first place: to honor victims and survivors of domestic violence,” Executive Director Jeanne Walton said. “But we are also aware that people love 5Ks! Three miles is just far enough for serious runners to feel competitive and not too far for walkers to enjoy as well. We strongly encourage people of all ages to wear some purple and help us to highlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”

A professional timing company will be on site with an inflatable arch and results will be available to participants during and after the event. Prizes will go to overall fastest male and female finishers and to the top two male and female finishers in each age category: 19 and under; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69 and 70-plus.

Perhaps the most notable aspect will be the haze of purple powder as participants engage in friendly interaction of tossing the clothing-safe powder on one another and in the air. Purple is the signature color of domestic violence awareness and will play a key role in coloring the day, organizers said.

For those that may work up an appetite, the YW’s traditional Harvest Supper will also be served that day from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Takeouts will be available. The supper is a way to highlight the area’s agricultural industry with hearty soups, stew, crusty breads, fresh fruit desserts and many other items that highlight ingredients provided by local farms and ag producers.

Cost is $25 for the 5K, $8 for the supper, or $30 for both events. Kids 10 and under may walk for free and Limited Edition 5K baseball caps will go to the first 150 paid registrants. For more information, go to https://results.score-this.com/RegisterThis.php?raceid=20161006STIL or call (585) 343-5808.

Press release:

At this time next year -- in 2017 -- Genesee Community College will formerly introduce the "plus-minus" grading system replacing the old structure that has relied solely on A, B, C, D and F, the College's Board of Trustees learned at its monthly meeting on Monday night.

The broader grading range will include A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F, and "will provide a more accurate reflection of student achievement," according to GCC President James M. Sunser.

The process to convert the grading structure has been a multi-year effort that began in 2015. In her report to the Trustees, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Kathleen M. Schiefen explained that GCC is now among the very few educational institutions nationwide that uses the five-letter grading scale. In May 2015, the College's Academic Senate approved the proposal to add the plus and minus letter grades to the College's student evaluation system, and began the multiyear process to change the grading structure.

Expanding the grading system reinforces the College's number one priority which is student success and completion. Next fall, the grading system will break down into the following letter grade to grade point averages: A = 4.0; A- = 3.67; B+ = 3.33; B = 3.0; B- = 2.67; C+ = 2.33; C = 2.0; C- = 1.67; D+ = 1.33; D = 1.0; D- = .67; F = failure.

"Using the plus–minus grading scale encourages students to do better by giving an added incentive to keep working," Dr. Schiefen explained. As an example, a student with a 70 average and another student with a 79 average will both receive a C. However, as students realize that by working a little harder they might receive a C+ they will be inspired to work hard through to the final assignments or examinations.

Plus-minus grading also helps the admissions selection process distinguish between the various levels of student achievement. Programs such as nursing that have strict admission criteria can better determine the students who are most apt to succeed in the more rigorous academic settings.

But introducing the new grading system is a rigorous task in itself and warranted a careful, two-year plan to ensure all departments change over their systems appropriately. From each academic division to the Records and Business Offices, all full-time and adjunct faculty members, as well as every page of the College's website, the Student and Faculty Handbook, College Catalog, the Banner database system and each and every course syllabus are being carefully culled to ensure a comprehensive conversion to the plus-minus structure.

In other business, the Board of Trustees:

• Heard Richard Ensman, executive director of the Genesee Community College Foundation report on College Village, which has owned and operated the student residential community adjacent to the College's Batavia Campus for 16 years. With occupancy at more than 80 percent this semester, College Village continues to expand and improve the facility by increasing and improving its scope of services. College Village has introduced the "coaching model" through a combination of active engagement and proactive programming to increase student retention and graduation rate. Five college courses, as well as seminars, tutoring and referrals are available at College Village, many in the new "Root" which is located in the basement level of the Hemlock Building. In addition, College Village has expanded public transportation opportunities into the City of Batavia to further engage the student residents in the life of the local community with service now running on Friday nights from College Village to various points in the City.

• Heard Garth Swanson, GCC professor of History, report GCC's Academic Senate, where he has recently assumed the role of president. As a governing body with broad, college-wide representation, the Senate is the primary voice for faculty and staff and operates under four standing committees: Curriculum, Academic Innovation, Academic Standards and Student Success and Retention. The fifth ad hoc committee Emerging Initiatives, addresses the many issues facing community colleges overall, and could likely become a permanent part of the organization under Swanson's leadership. Among the Senate's 2016-2017 priorities are strengthening campus-wide communication; creating an integrated strategy for rapid responses to the changing academic environment; broadening the faculty's role in academic innovation; and supporting GCC's accreditation process with Middle States Commission for Higher Education. The Senate meets every fourth Tuesday of the month, and Senate committees meet every second Tuesday of the month, both at 12:45 p.m. Prof. Swanson welcomed the Board of Trustees to attend.

• Heard Virginia Taylor, Ph.D., vice president for Student and Enrollment Services, report that 133 international students are enrolled at GCC this year representing Japan (58), Netherland Antilles / Carousel Islands (24); United Kingdom (14); Korea (five); Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Nigeria (all four each); Bangladesh (three); China, Timor Leste, Ukraine (each two), and one student is enrolled at GCC from each of the following countries: France, Ivory Coast, Jamica, Malaysia, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

• Approved the following donations: Bridal gowns and social occasion dresses of assorted sizes valued at more than $12,000 to be used and potentially repurposed by the College's Fashion Program; and a pulmonary function testing machine valued at $6,000 for the College's Respiratory Care Program.

• Welcomed Jenna Curcio as the 2016-2017 student trustee. Curcio, from Rochester, is a pursuing a Fashion Business degree with aspirations of transferring to Fashion Institute of Technology.

• Heard of the appointment of Eric Edwards as a new temporary, grant-funded student support services technical specialist. Coming from Hilbert College with eight years of experience as an admissions counselor, she has extensive knowledge in the transfer process, financial aid, career counseling and academic advising. She is a GCC alumna with a Human Services, AS; and also earned a BS from Hilbert and an MS from St. Bonaventure.

• Welcomed the following new GCC employees who attended the post-meeting reception: Shelitha Williams, Ph.D., associate vice president for Student Success; Dr. Laurel Sanger, director of Nursing; Jennifer Wakefield, program director of The BEST Center; and Maureen Spindler, visual communication specialist in the Marketing Communications Office.