Announcements

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum will be hosting its Seventh Annual Senior Bus Trip on Wednesday, Sept. 18th. This year's trip will be traveling to the Roycroft Campus in East Aurora.

The trip will include a two-hour tour of the campus, going through many of the buildings not always open to the general public.

After the tour we will be eating lunch at the beautiful Roycroft Inn, with a choice of entrees: lemon rosemary chicken, garden penne, or salmon.

There will also be time afterward for exploring of Downtown East Aurora, where everyone can enjoy the wonderful shopping opportunities including the famous Vidler’s 5 & 10. It bills itself as the "largest 5 & 10 cent variety store in the world" -- over 75,000 items spread through four buildings on two floors.

The bus will be leaving at 9 a.m. from the museum and returning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person ($55 for HLOM museum members). Must be 60 years of age or older to purchase tickets for this event.

For more information please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The event is made possible by the Muriel H. Marshall Fund.

An exhibition of paintings by Bruce Adams titled “Untitled” will be on display at Roz Steiner Gallery on the campus of Genesee Community College starting today (Aug. 20) and running through Sept. 21.

There will be an artist talk at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, with two receptions that afternoon at 1 o'clock and 5 o'clock.

About his upcoming exhibit "Unititled," Adams writes:

My recent work focuses on process, which incorporates collaboration and chance. Reading (the Talking Heads frontman) David Byrne’s (nonfiction) book "How Music Works," impacted my thinking on art making, partly by reinforcing and clarifying ideas that had already been rattling around in my head.

"...The 'Untitled' works...spotlight human proclivity to form symbolic and narrative associations. My intent is to make paintings that generate emotional responses, what Byrne calls, “devices that tap into our shared psychological makeup.”

Sometime ago I began working with “models,” partly out of concern for copyright infringement issues. Friends and acquaintances volunteer as artistic collaborators, bringing their thoughts to the process. In the studio we converse and improvise hundreds of poses and situations, using props and clothing (and the nude figure) provided by the model, which I photograph.

"From these, images are selected for their evocative quality, and digitally manipulated and meticulously combined with other visual elements. I use Photoshop to do what earlier artists did with preparatory sketches.

"The resulting work references a variety of sources, interests, and personal penchants, including historic portrait and landscape painting, film, popular culture, gender identity, the male gaze, and graphic design. The resulting imagery is transformed again through the process of painting.

"Throughout this fluid process, the work is continuously and freely evolving, with the goal of evoking multiple interpretations and narratives. The choice to call the series 'Untitled' reflects my decision to allow the work to evolve without a single underlying construct.

About Bruce Adams

Bruce Adams is best known as a conceptually based figurative painter who works in various figurative painting styles. In exploring painting, Adams peels back the layers of meaning inherent in making and viewing art.

Formally trained in art education at Buffalo State College, Adams extended his education as an artist through his involvement in Western New York’s contemporary art scene, starting in the 1980s as director/curator of a small storefront gallery called peopleart bflo, then with Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center as an Artist Advisory Committee cofounder, longtime board member, and board president.

Adams’ work also includes installation and performance art, and he has years of experience as an art educator, and more recently an award-winning critical writer. He has exhibited extensively locally and nationally, and his work is included in numerous private and museum collections including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Castellani Museum, UB Anderson Gallery, and Burchfield-Penney Art Center.

Photo from the 2019 State Fair Dog Show, from left: Corinne Rhoads, Essie, Eva Rhoads, Madison Harrington, Dexter. 

Submitted photo and press release:

Congratulations to the Genesee County 4-H members who participated in the 4-H Dog Show at the New York State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Representing Genesee County 4-H were: Madison Harrington and her dog Dexter; Eva Rhoads and Essie; Eva Rhoads and Avery; and Riley Smith and Cash. 

Madison and Dexter won Grand Champion Grooming and Handling A Senior. Eva and Essie won Reserve Grand Champion Grooming and Handling B Senior. 

For more information about the Genesee County 4-H Program, please contact the 4-H Office at genesee4h@cornell.edu or (585) 343-3040, ext. 131.

It will be raining kittens at Petco from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday, Aug. 18.

Kittens of all colors, shapes, sizes, personalities, males and females will be visiting Petco from their foster homes. Foster parents will be on hand to answer any questions and help you find the purrrfect kitty friend!

Volunteers for Animals will be accepting adoption applications on kittens not yet old enough for adoption.

Kittens ready for forever homes will be $60, which includes vaccines, testing, and neutering or spaying.

Petco is located at 4226 Veterans Memorial Drive in Towne Center at Batavia.

Submitted photos and press release:

TOWN OF BATAVIA

• William J. Allen Jr. 
• Josh K. Boyle
• Thomas M. Garlock 
• Clayton A. Gorski 
• Thomas E. Marlowe 
• Bryan A. Moscicki

EAST PEMBROKE

• Matthew N. Allen 
• Samantha M. Cavalieri

One of five modules required to earn  the Fire Officer 1 certification, the Company Training & Community Risk Reduction course covers the basic responsibilities of the fire officer as they relate to community relations, company-level building inspections and community risk reduction.

Additionally, this course provides potential fire officers with the basic knowledge of how to determine company-level training needs, teaching from a lesson plan, documentation of training activities, and different methods to conduct company-level training. 

Press release:

If you are a Genesee County resident 60 or older (or you know someone who is) and would like help with small repairs to your home, inside or out, let the Handyman help.

The Handyman Program, offered through the Pathstone Corporation and funded by the Muriel Marshall Fund, is a home maintenance and minor repair program.

According to a comment posted by program supervisor John Wiltse, and confirmed by Office of the Aging specialist Maureen Estabrooks, there is no charge for lower-income seniors needing grab bars or hand rails installed or other services with modest materials costs.

Wiltse says seniors may need to cover part of the cost of materials, depending on the dollar amount. For higher-income seniors, the program requests a donation of $10/hr. for handyman labor to help offset program costs.

Call NY Connects/Office for the Aging at 343-1611 for more information.

A sampling of services is as follows:

• Install grab-bars
• Repair entry steps Install hand rails
• Repair porches
• Electrical repairs
• Window and door repairs
• Install weather stripping
• Gutter repairs
• Install smoke detectors/change batteries
• Hang pictures
• Fix faucets
• Unclog drains
• Install mailboxes
• Install locksets & deadbolts

The 16th annual Fur Ball to benefit the Spay/Neuter Program at the Genesee County Animal Shelter will be held at the Sacred Heart Social Center in the City of Batavia starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.

There will be food and beverages and basket raffles and silent auctions.

Tickets are $25; tickets for children 12 and under are $15. Tables of 10 are available for $250.

Make checks payable to: Volunteers for Animals -- Spay/Neuter Program. They can be mailed to: Volunteers for Animals, P.O. Box 1621, Batavia NY 14020

The Sacred Heart Social Center is located at 17 Sumner St.

The Volunteers for Animals is now accepting new items for the auctions/raffles for the Fur Ball. They can be left at the shelter during adoption hours.

The shelter is located at 131 W. Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia.

Adoption hours are:

• Afternoons on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.
• Also, Wednesday nights from 7 to 9
• CLOSED THURSDAYS
• Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

info@vol4animals.org

www.vol4animals.org

vfafurball@gmail.com

Press release:

Garden Talk is back from its July break! Join us on the first Thursday of the month starting this Thursday, Aug. 1.

All Garden Talk programs run from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Bring your lunch to the Cornell Cooperative Extension office (420 E. Main St., Batavia) and join us. This free series is open to the public. Registration is not required.

Our lineup for the remainder of the year is as follows:

Aug. 1 -- “Sensory Gardens” – Come learn about the benefits and how to create a garden for the five senses. The talk will include how they can be used as a healing therapy for people as well as encourage natural learning experiences for children. The sensory garden invites everyone to enjoy the garden and stimulate their senses.

Sept. 5 – “Growing Garlic” -- “There are many miracles in the world to be celebrated and, for me, garlic is the most deserving” -- Leo Buscaglia. Let’s celebrate Buscaglia’s appreciation of this most essential plant! Join us for a talk on all things garlic -- its history, uses, horticultural varieties and cultivation.

Oct. 3 – “Autumn Décor Demonstration” -- Join us as Master Gardener Jane Grehlinger shows us how to create a fall masterpiece from the garden.

Nov. 7 – “Gardens of England” -- Master Gardener Pam Ketchum will present brief reflections from a 13-day tour of English gardens. Highlights will include the Chelsea Flower Show, Great Dixter, Sissinghurst and Hidcote. Ketchum will share some history of the original owners, and talk about structure, garden rooms, patterning, pathways, and of course – color.

Future topics and other Master Gardener events will be posted on the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/.

ALABAMA

East Bethany – Enjoy the view of a dark night sky and get to know the summer’s constellations with Night Sky Tour and Stargazing at the Genesee County Park and Forest from 9 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9th.

Learn all about the Perseid meteor shower and other astronomical phenomenon and the folklore behind them!

Meet us at the Interpretive Nature Center for an outdoor presentation and guided tour of the night sky.

Bring a blanket or a chair for your spot in a meadow far away from city lights. This program will take place entirely outdoors.

If rain or cloudy skies threaten our view we will reschedule to Friday, Aug. 16th. Cost is $5/person, $10/family. Preregistration is required, call 585-344-1122 to reserve your spot.

For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Kayla Edmunds at park.americorps@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Genesee County Park & Forest Nature Interpretive Center is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

Community Action of Orleans & Genesee will host the sixth annual Community Action Angels Children's Carnival on Friday, Aug. 16, in Lambert Park in Batavia.

Time is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be games, prizes, hot dogs and beverages.

Game tickets are five for $1.

Two bicycles will be raffled off, too, courtesy of Fidelis Care. Be there to win.

No rain date.

Lambert Park is located 100 Verona Ave. in the city.

Thanks to all participating agencies and businesses for their continued help and support.

Special thanks to carnival sponsors Fidelis Care, the YMCA, and Care A Van Ministries.

For more information, call 343-7798.

Submitted photo and press release:

On Saturday, July 20^th, Valu Home Center will host a Community Day at the Valu Plaza location, 4152 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden will be on hand to sell hot dogs from noon to 4 p.m.

Representatives from EMS Mercy Ambulance will be present along with members of the Batavia City Fire Department. The Fire Department will be on hand to provide child car seat checks and to correctly install your car seats.

“This is our opportunity to give back to the community," said store Manager Paul MacEwan. "This will become an annual event and hopefully will grow larger in years to come.” 

We look forward to having the community join in and meet our staff.

Above, some of the options for composting containers are shown above, from left a Rubbermaid composter, a garage can composter, and a red worm composter.​

East Bethany – The GLOW Region Solid Waste Management Committee and Genesee County Parks are proud to announce the rehab of the Backyard Composting Demonstration Site at Genesee County Park and Forest!

The site is made up of a variety of homemade and manufactured composters of various shapes and sizes, along with the printed information for each type of composter. Visitors can see for themselves the types of composters available and decide which composter might work best for them.

Backyard composting has been a focus of GLOW’s since its formation in 1987. It has been estimated that up to 30 percent of residential waste is organic material. This includes leaves, brush, tree limbs, and kitchen scraps.

Backyard composting can significantly reduce reliance on landfilling and incineration by taking these organics out of the waste stream.

Composting speeds up the natural decomposition process by creating a perfect environment for the microorganisms that do the composting. This ideal environment is one that is warm, with plenty of nutrients, moisture, and oxygen. Finished compost (humus) puts nutrients back into the soil and aids in the retention of moisture in soil.

The compost demonstration site was initially built in 1994. When the Interpretive Nature Center was completed in 1997, the compost site was moved behind the center.

In 2000 a complete reconstruction and relocation of the site (to the front of the building) was completed, which features a kiosk area and walkway made of pavers.

The 2019 revamping of the site features new signage, a "take one" box containing GLOW’s four panel composting brochure, and a rearrangement of the composters.

Paul Osborn, Deputy Highway superintendent, sums up the benefits of the composting demonstration site.

“The opportunity for the park visitors to see and touch the various types of composters fits right into our goal of experiential learning and environmental education at the Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center," Osborn said.

"Composting puts nutrients back into soils and provides beneficial food for plants and insects. We are excited to have been a part of providing a new makeover to the compost siteand the continued partnership with GLOW Solid Waste!”

To find out more about the GLOW RegionSolid Waste Committee, contact the GLOW office at 800/836-1154, 344-2580, ext. 5463, or emailglow@co.genesee.ny.us.

You may also visit their website at https://www.glowsolidwaste.org/.

To learn how to compost at home, visit the Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center or the GLOW website at https://www.glowsolidwaste.org/.

For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Below, Backyard Composting Demonstration Site, showing the cycle of composting and different methods of at-home composting.

Press release:

2019 Genesee County Fair 4-H Schedule

Remember to visit 4-H at the fair! The Genesee County Fair will be held July 13-20 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds, 5056 E. Main Street Road, in Batavia.

For more information about the Genesee County Fair, click here. 

2019 Genesee County Fair 4-H Schedule

Saturday, July 13th 

4 p.m.                 4-H Poultry Show (Merton Building)

6 p.m.                 4-H Livestock Costume Contest (Main Show Ring)

Sunday, July 14th 

10 a.m.               4-H Beef Show (Main Show Ring)

4 p.m.                 4-H Rabbit Show (Merton Building)

Monday, July 15th 

9 a.m.                 4-H Market Auction Goat Show (Main Show Ring)

10 a.m.               4-H Cloverbud Poultry Show (Merton Building)

10 a.m.               4-H Dairy Cattle Fitting Clinic & Master Fitter Competition (4-H Dairy Barn)

10:30 a.m.          4-H Goat Agility Contest (Goat Barn Show Ring)

10:30 a.m.          4-H Market Auction Lamb Show (Main Show Ring)

4 p.m.                 4-H Market Auction Dairy Steer Show (Main Show Ring)

5 p.m.                 4-H Market Auction Beef Steer Show (Main Show Ring)

Tuesday, July 16th

10 a.m.               4-H Cloverbud Rabbit Show (Merton Building)

11 a.m.               4-H Dairy & Meat Goat Show (Main Show Ring)

1 p.m.                 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest (4-H Dairy Barn)

4 p.m.                 4-H Energy Bike Pedal Power Activity (Kennedy Building)

5 p.m.                 4-H Market Auction Hog Show (Main Show Ring)

7 p.m.                 Fair Barn Dance (Open Dairy Barn)

Wednesday, July 17th 

9 a.m.                 4-H Hog Show (Main Show Ring)

12 p.m.               4-H Sheep Show (Main Show Ring)

3 p.m.                 4-H Geocache Challenge (Kennedy Building)

6:30 p.m.            Fair Parade

Thursday, July 18th 

9 a.m.                 4-H Dairy Cattle Show (Main Show Ring)

9 a.m.                 4-H Horse Show – Western Division (Horse Arena)

6:45 p.m.            4-H Market Animal Auction Awards Ceremony (Main Show Ring)

7 p.m.                 4-H Market Animal Auction Sale Begins (Main Show Ring)

Friday, July 19th 

9 a.m.                 4-H Horse Show – English & Dressage Division (Horse Arena)

9 a.m.                 4-H Beef Team Fitting Competition (Main Show Ring)

12 p.m.               4-H Livestock Master Showman Contest (Main Show Ring)

1 p.m.                 4-H Dairy Club Butter Making Activity (Kennedy Building)

5:30 p.m.            4-H Tractor Driving Contest

Saturday, July 20th 

9 a.m.                 4-H Horse Show – Gymkhana Division (Horse Arena)

2 p.m.                 4-H Creative Soil Painting Activity (Kennedy Building)

4 p.m.                 4-H Market Auction Master Showman Contest (Main Show Ring)

The complete daily schedule of the Genesee County Fair is available here.

Press release:

If you have Medicaid-funded personal care or home health services, you may have heard that the Federal 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 requires Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), in the interest of fraud prevention.

As you will probably have questions, the State Department of Health has set up New York State Listening Sessions on Electronic Visit Verification this month. 

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), is accommodating those of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties by covering the Listening Session, from 6 to 9 p.m., on Thursday, July 11, at the ILGR office in the Crickler Executive Center, in the Douglas J. Usiak Multipurpose Room, 319 W. Main St., Batavia.

Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to Pat McAllister, by calling (585) 815-8501, ext. 402, or emailing pmcallister@wnyil.org. 

All who use Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) and Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) are encouraged to attend this FREE event and give their input on changes that could affect their privacy and rights to personal choice.