Announcements

Notice from the Genesee County Legislature:

SMRT architects, engineers and planners will present an analysis of conditions to date / interim status report on the Genesee County Jail to the Genesee County Legislature at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, in the Legislature Conference Room at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

Press release:

The Town of Bethany will have a Food Link event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Bethany Community Center. It is located at 10510 Bethany Center Road, Bethany.

There are no income requirements or restrictions.

Anyone wishing to volunteer, please phone Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. at 343-1399 or email him at  tob-supervisor@townofbethany.com

The Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter would like to find forever homes for three special felines. Here are their stories as written and provided by the volunteers.

Jake (inset photo, left) is a great cat that just needs a break. His original owner went on vacation and decided to never come back. Poor Jake -- he didn’t even know that was possible! The neighbor caring for Jake didn’t want him, and took him to be euthanized.

Luckily, fate had another plan for Jake. Eventually, Jake went into foster to see exactly what kind of kitty he was, and it turns out he’s a pretty awesome cat.

Although not his favorite activity, Jake doesn’t mind being picked up or carried around. He is OK with a nail trim, but we didn’t notice him scratching on anything at all.

Jake is a low-flying cat -- you’re not going to find him up on your worktop or table. And he just loves a good all-over brushing, especially with his zoom-groom brush. He will purr for hours while you brush him to a high-gloss finish.

Jake lives for certain kitty treats. Once you find the right one, he can be trained to come running with the crinkle of a bag. Jake is likely to hide in his new surroundings at first, but after a week or two, he will be comfortable enough to stop hiding, especially if he has a comfy cat bed to lie on instead. After several weeks in foster, Jake was seeking out people in another room for petting and brushing. If we didn’t notice him, he would meow to say “I’m ready, where’s the brush!?!” Jake even hopped up on the bed at night for a little scratch. He certainly earned his foster mom’s seal of approval.

The generous vets at State Street Animal Hospital provided Jake with the dental work he needed in order to live in comfort, so he is all set medically. Jake’s not a young cat, but he wasn’t ready to be swept under the rug yet either -- he’s got several great years left in him.

All he wants is a warm, quiet house - a place where he can relax, and just enjoy being your pet. Jake was very tolerant of all the cats in his foster home, but he will adjust much faster if he is not in a busy home with other cats, dogs, or boisterous children.

Come in and meet him. We’ve got the zoom-groom brush waiting! It’s Jake’s turn to go on vacation now, and he’s hoping to stay there forever and never come back, too!

Maddie (inset photo, left) is a spitfire. She loves to romp and play but can get a little too excited.

She has been with us a long time and really needs a home of her own.

Maddie needs a cat-savvy human that will understand her catitude!

She would do best in a home with no children or other animals.

A very nice volunteer has paid half of Maddie's adoption fee, so she is only $30.

Dusty (inset photo, right) strayed into a kind lady’s yard dragging one hind leg. She was good enough to call the shelter and bring him in. A vet check determined that his leg had been badly broken.

And though it was somewhat healed, the break was so bad that even if he’d been brought in right after it happened he’d never be able to walk on it. Amputation was the only option. He was vaccinated, treated for fleas, worms, and ear mites, given a surgery date, and kept comfortable in the infirmary at the shelter.

After his amputation and neutering, Dusty went to a foster home for some T.L.C. and recovery. He was an ideal patient! He took his pain medicine easily, without complaint. He was up and walking right away.

It took him just a few days to adjust to the new weight and balance of his body. He quickly learned to hop up on and off the furniture. Keeping his balance in the litter pan was a little bit trickier but he never missed the pan or had an accident anywhere. Combing, petting and a good diet are starting to bring his coat back to a soft lustrous tan and black tabby.

Throughout all of this Dusty has been more than a perfect gentleman. Always cheerful, he is outgoing and likes people. He approaches both men and women who come into his room. He loves to be stroked and combed, and get gentle belly rubs. He is never rough with his paws.

He loves to sit on a lap, or beside a person on a couch. His favorite game is to lay on his side and play with a toy dangled on a string. And bird watching at the window would never be turned down!

Dusty would be a perfect partner for an elderly person, or couple, who want a quiet, steady companion. Perhaps a shut-in or a person with a disability would benefit from his calm confidence and "can do" attitude. Or perhaps it will be love at first sight with someone unexpected! He is an exceptional cat!

Genesee County Animal Shelter

3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia

Hours: Sun., Mon., Tues., Fri. 1-3 p.m.

Wednesday 1-3 and 7-9 p.m.

Closed Thursdays

Saturday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m

A fundraiser for a family whose 6-month-old daughter is recuperating from brain surgery will be held this Saturday, Jan. 6, at Sacred Heart Social Center in Batavia. It is located at 17 Sumner St.

"Caring for Cailyn" will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. and feature delicious food catered by the Dibble Family Center as well as a cash bar and live music from the OHMS Band. There will also be a Chinese auction and silent auction.

Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door or in advance at Batavia Tailors & Cleaners, located at 52 Ellicott St., Batavia. (No credit cards please, cash or checks accepted.)

Little Kailyn Fenton, of Rochester, is the granddaughter of the owners of Batavia Tailors & Cleaners, Kathy and Jim DuRei. The infant was born with hydrocephalus and had surgery in September to put in a shunt to relieve the fluid build up on her brain.

"She's doing really well now," grandma Kathy says.

The money raised Saturday will help the family offset medical expenses.

(Submitted photo) Entreprenuers Vicki Wood, left, and Michelle Gillard will host the Grand Opening of The E.O.C. – Essential Oil Center this Saturday in Batavia.

Information provided by The E.O.C.:

Vicki Wood and Michelle Gillard are excited to announce the Grand Opening of The E.O.C. – Essential Oil Center this Saturday. 

The E.O.C. is located on the REAR side of the Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

You are invited to stop by the Grand Opening Jan. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. and see the hundreds of oils and oil-infused products in stock. There is literally something for everyone.

Most people have heard about essential oils but they may not know the different varieties and how they can be used. There is so much to learn and discover about essential oils.

"This is strictly an education center," Gillard said. "It is not a retail store."

You can attend a variety of classes at The E.O.C. free of charge. 

The E.O.C. is affiliated with Young Living Essential Oils, a worldwide network marketing organization.

You don't have to buy Young Living Essential Oils to take classes at The E.O.C. If you choose to buy the Young Living Essential Oils Premium Starter Kit, it costs $160 and is comprised of 11 essential oils, a diffuser, some samples and a one-year membership in Young Living.

If you choose to renew your membership after a year, you can do so by buying $50 worth of Young Living products.

Whether you are a beginner with little or no knowledge of essential oils, or you're an avid user, The E.O.C. classes are designed to educate people about the value, importance and necessity of incorporating essential oils and oil-infused products into their life and homes. The class schedule changes monthly.

View the upcoming classes here. 

Questions or comments? Call Michelle Gillard at 297-0779 or Vicki Wood at 749-9411.

(Editor's Note: This post was updated on Jan. 5 to include information about the global network marketing company, Young Living Essential Oils, affiliated with The E.O.C.)

Press release:

There’s so much talk these days about how polarized we have become as a nation. People digging in and unable to hear what others are saying. Trying to turn differences of opinions into win – lose arguments.

We also may feel so resentful of people who disagree with us that we want to dominate or eliminate them. People are hurt, and we walk away shaking our heads, wondering why. But what if there was another way?

We would like to invite you to an event to talk about some of our struggles. We will be holding a community event called “Can We Talk?" on Thursday, Jan. 18^th, 7 p.m. at the YWCA, 301 North St. in Batavia.

We will be joined by Professor Barry Gan, director of the Center for Nonviolence at St. Bonaventure University, along with Gary Pudup, Upstate coordinator of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, and Eugene Jankowski, Batavia City Council president and gun rights advocate.

Professor Gan will help us experience how we can talk about issues of disagreement and work to foster understanding and common solutions in our daily interaction with others.

We encourage everyone to bring friends and family, and participate in this opportunity to make your world a more peaceful place.

Event Planning Committee:

Reverend Roula Alkhouri, Ph.D., YWCA Board Member

Reverend James Morasco, Morganville United Church of Christ

Joanne Beck, Batavia YWCA

Press release from the city's Bureau of Maintenance:

The City of Batavia will be picking up Christmas trees during the month of January as weather and operations permit.

Important information regarding Christmas tree removal:

• We can only pick up real trees. No artificial trees.

• Residents are to place trees in the parkway near the curb. Keep trees out of the roadway and clear of sidewalks.

• Residents placing trees out will strip the trees of all decorations, lights, stands and bags. These items damage chipping equipment. Contact your waste disposal company for information on the proper disposal of these items.

• If high winds are forecasted, delay putting trees out until after winds have subsided. Trees in the road and across sidewalks are a hazards to motorists and pedestrians.

• Keep trees free of snow and ice so they are visible and do not become frozen to the ground.

• Please, have trees out for pick up before Jan. 31 (last day of pickup).

The painting "Otherworldliness" by Michael Price.

Press release:

"The Chromatic Nude," paintings by Michael Price, will be exhibited in the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery from Tuesday, Jan. 16 through Friday, Feb. 16. In this collection of his work, Price invokes historic methods of preparing paint and pigments using protocols that include naturally occurring minerals to produce his own paints.

Using natural minerals and semi-precious stones, including but not limited to lapis lazuli, azurite, malachite, ochre and cinnabar, he creates natural and luminous colors similar to how Renaissance painters did their work in the 14th to the 17th centuries. Price has published a two volume series of books titled "Renaissance Mysteries" in which he shares his research and discusses the processes.

His works of art explore the nude and human figure conceived within a timeless universe aiming to reveal how archetypal images are carried within ourselves as real, or imaginary - as the physical world we inhabit.

"Slowly, my research into natural color led to major developments in my painting practice. The human figure as a central archetype has remained constant over the last 40 years, but the figures have evolved to convey the essence of my search -- a chromatic figure or nude," says Price. "The chromatic nude is intended to transcend the restrictions of realism.

"They are not symbols, but signs, like the figures of Nicolas Poussin, that indicate universal direction free from social mores. The structural foundation for a composition is established by a specific rectangular format composed of square-root rectangles. This allows the message carried within the image to attain its maximum impact and resonance to unveil the memory of our immortality reflected from the mortal perspective."

Price was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England and he attended the London Central School of Art and Design, and Stoke-on-Trent College of Art. He has exhibited worldwide, including solo shows in the Post Gallery in Houston, Texas, Galerie Poller in Frankfurt, Germany, and David Findlay Galleries in New York City.

Several opportunities to meet the artist are scheduled on Thursday, Jan. 25 at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery. Price will lecture at 12:30 p.m. in the Gallery, and receptions will follow at 1 p.m. and again 5 p.m. Additional artist exhibit history and work is displayed on his website at www.michaelprice.info.

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery is open to the public Monday -- Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and during special events as published at www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts. Admission into the Gallery is always free and open to the public.

There will be a free, public Open Labyrinth Walk for Peace from 4 to 8 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia on Friday, Dec. 29.

A Community Group Compassion Meditation will take place at 7 p.m. at the church, located at 300 E. Main St.

(Inclement weather date for both events is 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30.)

Blue Pearl Yoga is sponsoring the walk and the meditation -- "mind-body practices."

Regarding the self-directed Labyrinth Walk, Blue Pearl says "moving meditations are a beautiful way to experience stillness while still in motion."

Donations welcome, which support the Labyrinth Project.

bp-yoga.com

bpyoga@gmail.com

813-8623

The Holland Land Office Museum will host a presentation and book signing by David Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., author of "Emory Upton Misunderstood Reformer," at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12. The museum is located at 131 W. Main St., Batavia.

Admission is $5 per person, which helps support the HLOM Speaker Series. RSVP by Jan. 10^th due to limited seating.

Fitzpatrick is facility resident and professor of History at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Mich. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he was also a history instructor.

He has authored several military journal articles and published essays. His current work is one of the definitive texts on the life of Upton and his post-war contributions to reforming the Army.

In addition, a panel discussion with Fitzpatrick and local historians, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13th, at the new Student Success Center, Room G200, Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia.

Discussion will focus on the various aspects of General Upton’s character and life. Free to the public. Hosted by the Holland Land Office Museum and GGC History Club.

For more information about the programs or purchasing his book contact:

Holland Land Office Museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com

Press release: 

The Genesee County 4-H Program will be offering a Youth Tractor Safety Program beginning in January. The program is open to all youth ages 14 to 15 and covers farm safety, tractor safety, tractor operation and other related topics.

The National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program is a certification program that enables youth be certified to operate farm equipment for hire. After completing the training course, youth will need to pass a written knowledge test and driving test to receive the certification.

The program is scheduled to run Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., January through March. The fee for the program is $25.

Youth are also required to be current enrolled 4-H members. To request a registration packet or more information, please call the Genesee County 4-H Office at 585-343-3040, ext. 101 or visit our website here.