Press release:

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is pleased to announce the Decentralization Regrant recipients for 2012 in Genesee and Orleans counties, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. This year GO ART! received 24 applications to the Reach Grant Program requesting a total of $61,454. With $37,160 available, 20 of the applicants were awarded grants (listed below).

GO ART! is also pleased to regrant two Ripple Grants ($2,000 each listed below) to provide funding for the creation of new arts and cultural projects within a community context. These will done by local individual artists who wish to involve the community in their creative process.

History of the grant program:

The Decentralization Regrant Program (known locally as Reach and Ripple) was first developed in 1977 by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) in response to a mandate by the New York State Legislature to encourage greater participation in the state’s cultural funding at the local level. Local decision-making is the basic principle of the Decentralization Regrant Program. It supports a wide range of community-based professional and avocational arts programs in diverse communities throughout the state, and fosters the work of individual artists. GO ART! is proud to administer the NYSCA Decentralization Regrant Program in Genesee and Orleans counties.

The grant process begins in the summer with grant workshops held throughout Genesee and Orleans counties. Individuals, nonprofit organizations and local government agencies submit applications in the fall for community-minded artistic and cultural programs. These proposals are reviewed by a panel (there are separate panels for the Reach and Ripple grants), made up of artists, community leaders and educators from the two counties.

The panel then submits funding recommendations to the GO ART! Board of Directors for approval, and grants are awarded. Through the Decentralization Regrant Program, GO ART!, NYSCA, and the New York State Legislature hope to expand, upgrade and increase arts and cultural programming in Genesee and Orleans counties. In order to publically recognize and congratulate this year's recipients, a Grant Awards Ceremony is scheduled for March 9.

For more information on the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council’s Regrant Program, please contact Heather at GO ART!, 585.343.9313 or hgrant@goart.org.   

2012 GO ART! REACH GRANT PROGRAM AWARDS

(to individual artists, nonprofit organizations and local government agencies for arts and cultural programs or projects in our two counties)

Organization

Project

Grant Award

Batavia Concert Band

Summer Concert Series

 $ 3,000

Genesee ARC

Sprout Film Festival & Art Show

 $  1,800

The ARC of Orleans County

Quilting our Community

 $  400

Lake Plains Players

Musical Theater Production

 $ 1,000

Le Roy Christian Community Project

After School Theater Program

 $  400

GCASA sponsoring Lisa Barrett

Everyday Hero Recording and Music Video

 $  2,075

Mental Health Association in Genesee County

Theatrical Performance

 $  925

Yates Community Library

Books, Music and More

 $  1,400

Lyndonville Lions Club

Fun in the Summertime

 $  800

Village of Corfu

Corfu/Pembroke Community Winterfest

 $  1,200

Batavia Players

Summer Youth Theater - “Camelot”

 $     3,200

Batavia Players

Shakespearian Theater - “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

 $  1,000

Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

Finally Fridays! Music Series

 $   2,500

World Life Institute

Voices from the Earth

 $  4,000

Gillam-Grant Community Center

Uncover the World… Passport to Culture

 $  2,500

Genesee Chorale

Fireworks, Fanfare and Flair: Concert Series

 $  3,450

Genesee Symphony Orchestra

A Timeless Musical Journey - Concert Series

 $  3,450

A Tale for Three Counties Council

A Tale for Three Counties 2012

 $    1,760

Byron-Bergen Public Library

Get Culture @ Your Library!

 $     1,500

Woodward Memorial Library

Everyone’s an Artist

 $  800

 

2012 GO ART! RIPPLE GRANT PROGRAM AWARDS

(to individual artists residing in our two counties who wish to create new arts and cultural projects within a community context)

 

Artist

Project

Discipline

Amount

Kim Argenta

“Many Hands…one heART” Mural for YMCA in Batavia - Entryway

Painting

$2,000

Richard Mufford

Composition and performance of new song “Hometown Hero”

Music

$2,000

Kim Argenta is a self-taught artist from Genesee County. She is the owner of Art Ah La Carte, a teaching studio in the Artisan Center on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. Her project “many hands…one heART" is a mural painting to measure 38’ x 7.5’ located in one of the main entrances to the Genesee County YMCA in Batavia. Children and adults from the various YMCA programs will be invited to assist Kim in the painting process. All are welcome and there is no minimum artistic level required to participate. Students from Art Ah La Carte will also be invited to participate and this will offer them the opportunity to see a project in “real time” from inception to sketching to completion. Community members will also be invited to participate through press releases and announcements in local media. The finished project is expected to be complete in Spring 2012.      

Richard Mufford is a local musician residing in Waterport. He will be composing and producing a song entitled “Hometown Hero” in memory of the late Trevor Cook, a young marine from Orleans County, who was killed at the age of 25 during a training operation at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. The song will be a full-scale piece for concert band with a choral section. The music will be distributed to Medina area churches so that choirs, musicians may perform the piece. On May 31, the Lyndonville High School Band will publically debut the full concert band and choral performance of “Hometown Hero." Furthermore CDs and sheet music will be produced to distribute to others who wish to use this music.

Justin M. Wotherspoon, 25, of Gibson St., Oakfield, is charged with criminal trespass. Wotherspoon is accused of entering the hotel room of two women, who were sleeping, without permission.

Melissa J. Vesosky, 25, of 1260 Lehigh Station Road, Henrietta, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from lane unsafely. Vesosky was stopped at 10:26 p.m. Sunday on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Matthew Fleming.

Douglas S. Sprague, 44, of 63 S. Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana, and was wanted on a Family Court warrant for alleged failure to pay child support. Sprague allegedly violated an order of protection. At the time of his arrest, at 8:07 p.m, Tuesday, Sprague was allegedly found in possession of two glass pipes containing marijuana. Sprague was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) hosted a statewide group of 4-H participants at the Capitol in Albany. The assemblyman, who has a lifelong connection to the agricultural industry and way of life, spoke to the young people about public service, improving state government and New York pride.

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to speak with these 4-H participants who are poised to be the leaders of tomorrow,” Hawley said. “I was happy to discuss many aspects of civic engagement, such as the value of community service, the process of how a bill becomes a law, and viewing public service as a vocation rather than an occupation.

"I not only encouraged, but challenged the young people to stay here in New York and help clear the path for economic growth by eliminating unfunded mandates and reducing excessive local costs like Medicaid spending, rather than fleeing the state and being a part of the problem. The group was responsive and energetic, and it does my heart good to know that these youngsters will be the next generation of great New York leaders.”

Hawley grew up on his family’s Hawley Farms, which he would later go on to operate. He is a past president and current member of the New York State Farm Bureau, and a former 4-H Club member of the Light Horse Club in Genesee County.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of a series prepared on behalf of the tourism agency of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. The new tourism guide was recently published and is available at the chamber's office and will soon be available at other tourism locations. The guide is also available for download from the official tourism site for Genesee County, VisitGeneseeNY.com.

At a time when institutions across New York are cutting back on arts program, Genesee Community College built a new, modern art gallery.

The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery is one of several forward-looking initiatives taken by GCC over the years that attracted Shirley Tokash Verrico to a job at the college.

Verrico teaches art history and is director of the gallery.

"It speaks a lot to the commitment of the college to education and the arts,"  Verrico said. "The college has had the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Genesee County Symphony in the arts center. They've done a wonderful job of balancing a commitment to both regional and community arts."

The Steiner gallery opened in the Spring of 2011. The 1,700-square-foot gallery is located inside the Center for the Arts on the Batavia campus of GCC. The gallery is named in honor of a tireless and strong supporter of the arts -- the late wife of longtime college President Stuart Steiner, now retired.

The combination of its soft white walls and lighting, ample natural light, gleaming wooden floors and uncluttered displays, makes for a space that is peaceful, roomy and well-designed, a formula that can only enhance the visitor's experience.

"The gallery space works really well for both multimedia and traditional art forms," Verrico said. "Those white walls can accommodate big paintings, but it's also a good space for sculpture."

The gallery is open to the public and admission is free, but Verrico said she is really trying to bring in shows that also provide teaching opportunities for students across disciplines.

With more than 15 years experience as an artist, cultural critic and educator in Western New York, Verrico is an expert in the regional arts scene. She holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, master's degree in Arts and Humanities and is a NYS certified art teacher.

Artists selected for showings at the gallery come from throughout the region, from Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo as well as Genesee County and the neighboring rural counties.

The media of the shows are as wide ranging as the artists selected, from  ceramics, glassworks, metal sculptures, abstract modern art, portraiture, watercolors and traditional oil paintings, and a wide array of pen-and-ink and charcoal drawings, along with interactive and multimedia displays.

Shows change every five weeks.

"Our gallery offers an excellent opportunity to see professional work in a state-of-the-art facility," Verrico said.

The spring showings feature the works of GCC students.

The grand opening, for example, featured large-scale sculpture and traditional paintings on canvas. Both worked very well in the gallery space.

When Verrico is in the gallery, she's generally available, and enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge about the work on display.

Currently, the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours may vary during college breaks, including the summer sessions. Groups interested in visiting the gallery on weekends should contact Verrico in advance to make special arrangements.

The campus is at 1 College Road in the Town of Batavia. Once you arrive, park in the main lot, walk toward the main entrance, and on your left you'll see the "Stuart Steiner Theatre." Enter it, turn right, and the gallery is straight ahead.

Check out the website or contact the gallery to see what's on exhibit and the line-up of special events. Plus, you might get a chance to meet the artists, experience live music, or take in a performance at the Center for the Arts. Maybe you'll find a unique piece of art for sale that you simply must have!

Here's contact information:

http://www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts/gallery/

(585) 343-0055, ext. 6490

stverrico@genesee.edu

DEC officials and the owners of MY-T Acres have agreed to a $7,500 fine for the farm's Oct. 12 release of a pesticide that led to the evacuation of as many as 300 homes along West Main Road.

The DEC faulted MY-T Acres for application of a restricted use of a pesticide by a non-certified applicator, use of pesticide contrary to the label and contamination adjacent the non-target area.

The pesticide used, Chloropicrin, is applied to potato fields prior to planting.

Oct. 12 was a humid, windless day and the pesticide hung close to the ground. One person was treated for minor exposure and residents who did not evacuate the area were encouraged to close their windows.

MY-T Acres waived a hearing on the violations and agreed to pay the fine.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Roanne Mann released a draft plan for new congressional districts in New York and set a deadline of 9 a.m. Wednesday for public comment on her plan.

Mann released the plan after receiving and reviewing proposals from both houses of the New York Legislature, Common Cause and others.

The draft puts Genesee County in the middle of a redrawn NY-27 district, moving the NY-26 to cover just Buffalo. 

The largely rural district includes parts of Erie County, most of Niagara and just a bit of Monroe County and stretches into Ontario County. All of Orleans and Wyoming counties are included in the plan.

Presumably, Rep. Kathy Hochul would be the Democratic candidate for the NY-27 and Rep. Brian Higgins would run in the new NY-26.

For all of the releated documents, click here.

The county's tax lien auction yielded $ 290,900 in revenue. It was held at Bontrager's Auction Center, Wortendyke Road, Town of Batavia.

Location Accessed Value Taxes Due Buyer and price paid 1281 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama $69,300 $6,222.13 Nikola Gurov,  $12,000 3544 W. Main St. Road, Batavia $38,000 $5,359.81 Steven A. Barraco, $12,000 7645 Dublin Road, Bergen $17,200 $12,298.92 Peter Hollands, $45,000 6865 McElver St., Byron $67,600 $13,312.08 Angeline J. Petrillo, $41,000 6896 Route 262 $12,500 $39,652.25 John L. Sackett Jr., $5,000 1322 McVean Road, Darien $83,900 $8,682.67 Corfu Darien Properties, $16,500 East Hundredmark Road, Elba $5,200 $752.85 CY Properties, LLC, $10,000 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield $5,600 $1,317.98 David Tullar, $6,000 Telephone Road, Pavilion $7,800 $1,169.86 Douglas N. Waite, $4,000 Telephone Road, Pavilion $1,000 $736.73 Rodd Lee Froebel Jr., $300 Boyce Road, Pembroke $20,100 $3,316.99 David Brumsted, $35,000 Boyce Road, Pembroke $40,300 $4,532.38 Casey & Jesse Stocking, $40,000 Angling Road, Pembroke $5,500 $988.47 Patsi Vigneri & Sons, $11,000 Anglng Road, Pembroke $8,500 $1,197.84 Patsi Vigneri & Sons, $13,5000 Ellinwood Road, Pembroke $74,000 $20,964.30 63.6 acres, vacant land Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford $100 $442.55   27 Le Roy St., Bergen $55,000 $7,932.49 Raymond Nichols, $6,000 West Main Street, Le Roy $10,000 $2,495.87 Robert Uberty, $1,000 West Main Street, Le Roy $6,100 $1,454.60 Andrew J. Ashley, $2,600 27 South Pearl Street, Oakfield $50,800 $5,660.89 Raymond Nichols, $18,000

Not included on the list we published Jan. 23:

• 22.-1-86, on Maple Road, Pembroke, which sold to Steven A. Barraco for $4,000;
• 22.-1-87, at 315 Maple Road, Pembroke, which sold to Ricky Roy Reiss for $8,000.

A possible electrical fire has been reported at 114 North St., Batavia.

Smoke is reported in the residence.

City fire responding.

UPDATE 10:06 a.m.: City fire back in service.

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The Tonawanda Creek, taken Monday evening from River Street.

A brush fire is reported on Alleghany Road near Ledge Road in Alabama. It is said to be less than a foot away from a trailer. Alabama Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6:39 p.m.: There's a large pile of brush on fire near an outbuilding on Ledge Road. It is west of Alleghany Road.

UPDATE 6:43 p.m.: The fire is not near a structure. One unit from Alabama will remain on scene. The others are returning to quarters.

UPDATE 6:51 p.m.: The homeowner was advised about new open burning regulations. There is no danger present now. Alabama is back in service.

A third windmill went up on the Partridge Farm on Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, today.

Don and Pat Partridge, who acquired the farm from the White family in 1980, installed their first two windmills four years ago.

Those power plants have supplied about 50 percent of the farm's electricity and with the new windmill, Don hopes to reach 100 percent, or close to it.

"The new windmill is about 30 percent more productive," Partridge said.

The list price on the windmill is close to $75,000, but Partridge received a state grant and won a competitive USDA grant.

He expects to break even on his investment within 12 years (as he will with the first two windmills).

The windmills have an expected useful life of 25 years.

"It's the last half of their life where I'll enjoy them the most," Partridge said.

Partridge, who now works at Cummings & Bricker on Lehigh Street, quit full-time farming in 1999 for "a paying job," but he still raises some corn and hay and has a few head of cattle. The rest of the acreage is run by another dairy farmer.

"We're in a very wind-productive area," Partridge said. "It's Class C wind, which is productive wind. I think we have more wind power than solar."

With all that wind, Partridge said he doesn't understand the resistance to wind power.

"We would like to see more people get involved in solar and wind," Partridge said. "I just don’t understand all of the resistance to the big ones. I wish I had some big-wind ones up here. If the town put four big ones up here, the town residents could get credit for their electric bills. I would think that would be worth doing."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of a series prepared on behalf of the tourism agency of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. The new tourism guide was recently published and is available at the chamber's office and will soon be available at other tourism locations. The official tourism site for Genesee County is VisitGeneseeNY.com.

Some people leave their mark on the land by building highways and shopping centers.

Paul Osborn is leaving his mark by making Genesee County's parks more accessible and inviting to visitors.

Osborn started his parks career 12 years ago after getting a degree in landscape architecture, but he thinks he made the right choice when he decided to apply to the county for a parks job.

"It was an opportunity to be part of creating something that will be there forever," Osborn said. "It my chance to create a legacy, to leave my stamp on things."

When Osborn took over as parks supervisor, the Genesee County Park in Bethany was in pretty bad shape, he said, and Dewitt Recreational Area was less than two years old and needed a lot of improvements.

"It was an opportunity to show what I could do for the community," said Osborn, a native of Oakfield who still lives in Genesee County with his wife of 12 years, Melinda, and their two children.

The vast Genesee County Park, covering 430 acres, was beset by disrepair when Osborn started. The bridges were getting old, the pavilions needed fixing, the playgrounds weren't up to standards and the facilities management structure was just a hut with a dirt floor.

Slowly, Osborn was able to rehabilitate the park infrastructure, and improve access for people with disabilities.

Today, the park is one of the gems to attract people to Genesee County.

With more than 150,000 trees, which were planted between 1885 and 1935, the park was the first county forest established in New York’s history.

Its four acres of wetlands provide habitat for waterfowl. There are also five ponds, a few of which are good fishing spots.

Visitors can enjoy five picnic areas and four playgrounds. There are pavilions equipped with grills and restrooms at each area. Hikers, walkers, runners and long-distance skiers can enjoy more than 10 miles of marked and mapped trails.

There's also a baseball and football field, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, and a sledding hill.

Dewitt Recreational Area, on Cedar Street in Batavia, is where Osborn has been able to exercise some of his creative energy.

While there was a master plan in place for Dewitt when he took over, it doesn't specify every detail of development. This allowed Osborne to choose the design of pavilions, select picnic tables and playground equipment and decide the best placement for them all.

And the park is still a work in progress.

Currently, it offers a state-of-the-art playground in easy view of either of its pavilions, plus a quarter-mile track, all on the edge of a large pond. The water is stocked each spring with brown trout, providing a lure to young anglers right in the city.

Since Osborn took over the parks, the Nature Center at Genesee County Park has also undergone its own kind of upgrades (the center is off Bethany Center Road, the last left before crossing the county line).

With the help of Judy Spring, environmental education specialist, programs have been added, displays made more interactive and marketing has been improved so local residents can stay apprised of what's going on at the center.

The 3,000-square-foot center was built in 1998. It offers a laboratory, a classroom, several display areas and a conference room. From the back porch, visitors are often able to view wildlife hanging out in their natural setting. The center is open year-round Thursday through Sunday, with hours varying according to the season. 

"The nice thing about our parks is that there’s something for everyone when they come,” Osborn said.

While Osborn is no naturalist -- he considers himself a facilitator for the parks, and finds the right experts to help with forestry and wetlands management -- he does think the parks play an important role in a healthy community.

He frets about childhood obesity and that too many children today do not get enough opportunities to play in the dirt.

"Last year we had a small girl from Batavia who had never been outside in the woods," Osborn said. "She needed a leader to hold her hand because she had never been in the woods before.

"Here we are living in a rural community and there is a little girl who has never been in the woods. That's just shameful for society. We need the chance for natural experiences."

Photos by Howard Owens

I took a drive out to Bethany and back this morning -- came away with two photos: Above, a barn on Cook Road (taken from Creek Road) and below, the Little Tonawanda as it winds along the side of Mill Road.

A house is filling with smoke and a possible chimney fire is reported at 1500 Erie St. in Darien. Darien Fire Department is responding along with mutual aid from Alexander. The occupants of the home have evacuated. Attica has also been dispatched.

UPDATE 1:09 p.m.: Darien command has put the two units responding from Attica back in service.

UPDATE 1:18 p.m.: The fire is out.

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Press release:

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is pleased to announce the 14th Annual Arts Awareness Month this month in both Genesee and Orleans counties -- a celebration of arts and culture in this region.

Throughout March, local cultural organizations, artists, schools and businesses are presenting more than 50 programs and exhibits. GO ART! is highlighting these events in celebration of Arts Awareness Month with calendars that are available in local libraries, at GO ART!, and in galleries in both counties and online at www.artsawarenessmonth.com.

In addition, GO ART! is hosting: its annual Decentralization Regrant Awards Ceremony on March 9th; the kick-off for its 2012 Salon Series on March 31st; the first annual GO ART! Members Exhibition; first annual Digital Art Show; and numerous special exhibits by local artists in area libraries.

Contact GO ART! at 343-9313, email info@goart.org or visit www.artsawarenessmonth.com.

Arts Awareness Month was started in 1999 by GO ART! in an effort to raise community awareness of the scope and diversity of arts and cultural programs taking place in our communities.

The original concept was to highlight the various events and exhibits already being held – such as school concerts, exhibits and plays, and now the annual culmination of “A Tale for Three Counties” – during a time period that is traditionally not perceived as having many cultural happenings.

The effort has evolved over the years in response to changing community cultural needs and offerings, and has developed into an anticipated annual project that continues to assist in promoting the diverse talent and programs available in our own backyard.

Arts Awareness Month is supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts and the Genesee and Orleans county legislatures.

Genesee County’s annual “State of the County” address is planned for 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 14 in the chambers of the Old Court House in the City of Batavia.

Chair of the County Legislature Mary Pat Hancock will deliver the brief address to be followed by refreshments prior to the regularly scheduled legislature meeting. The speech will include key accomplishments of individual departments during 2011, as submitted by those departments.

It will also point out some of the unique challenges that face the county this year, along with strategies to maximize the impact of a proactive, positive county response.

The public is cordially invited to attend.

Eric Charles Zglinicki, 49, of Alleghany Road, Darien Center, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Zglinicki was allegedly found in possession of three shotguns following an investigation and search of his residence by the Genesee County Probation Department and the Sheriff's Office. Zglinicki has a prior felony conviction.

Samantha Mary Williams, 31, of Warsaw Road, Le Roy, was arrested on a bench warrant out of the Hamburg Town Court to appear on charges of resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration. Williams was turned over to the Hamburg Police Department.

Allen Skye Dockstader, 29, of Council House Road, Alabama, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Genesee County Court on a charge of violating probation following an investigation into a criminal mischief complaint.

Cody L. Osborn, 24, of 3265 State St., Caledonia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, inadequate head lights, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and unlawful possession of marijuana. Osborn was stopped in the early hours Saturday by Le Roy Police. He was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Shawn Richard McGiveron, 23, East Main Street, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. McGiveron is accused of violating an order of protection by calling and sending text messages to a protected person.