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Announcements

All Finger Lakes youth ages 5 to 19 welcome to learn about fowl at Poultry Palooza, deadline to RSVP is May 23

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Did you know that chickens make amazing backyard pets? They help control the bug population, eat table scraps, and provide nutrient-rich, great-tasting eggs! Learn how chickens make ideal 4-H projects for youth in rural, suburban, and urban settings by attending Poultry Palooza!

This program, presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee and Monroe Counties, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Kennedy Building on the Genesee County Fairgrounds, 5056 E. Main Street Road, Batavia.

This event is open to all Finger Lakes area youth ages 5–19. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participateYouth ages 5–8 must have an adult present.

Poultry Palooza will feature two levels of workshops: beginner and advanced. The beginner level workshop is for youth who are new to owning poultry or are thinking of starting a poultry project. The advanced level workshop is for youth who are familiar with poultry and wish to advance their knowledge.

Workshop topics include: proper bird handling, flock management, nutrition, diseases, showmanship and more!

The registration fee is $10 per youth and includes lunch (or youth may bring their own), and a copy of the "4-H Poultry Resource Handbook" courtesy of the New York State 4-H Rice Fund. (One resource guide per family will be provided.)

The registration deadline is May 23. For a complete event brochure and registration form, please visit http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events or contact the Monroe County 4-H Office at 585-753-2568 or monroe4h@cornell.edu.

Author of book on Barn Quilt Trail to speak in Le Roy on Wednesday evening

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Suzi Parron, author of the newly released book “Following the Barn Quilt Trail” will speak at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, at Le Roy House, located at 23 E. Main St., Le Roy.

Colorful barn quilts dot the landscape across the United States. Le Roy has one of New York’s largest barn quilt trails, with nearly 100 painted designs. For nearly seven years, Parron has been traveling the back roads of the country photographing and collecting the stories of the quilts, the barns and the people.  

She will be sharing those stories on when she visits Le Roy House. This program is free and open to the public. She will be selling and signing her newest book, recently published by Ohio University Press.

The barn quilt movement started in Southern Ohio in 2001. It was the idea of Donna Sue Groves, who wanted to acknowledge her agricultural heritage and her mother’s love for quilts. She envisioned a “clothesline of quilts” across the country. Since that time, thousands of painted barn quilts have appeared on barns, sheds, fences, and buildings in almost every state and a few provinces of Canada.

Parron, a former English teacher, quilter, backwoods traveler, avid kayaker and folk art collector began chronicling the barn quilt stories and published her first book, “Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement” in 2012. She first visited Le Roy in the summer of 2013, a year after Le Roy had dedicated its barn quilts to the 200th anniversary of the town.

Since that time, Parron, her husband Glen and their dog, Gracie, have traveled 13,000 miles in their converted bus, “Ruby” collecting stories for Parron's second book. Included in it is the story of Le Roy’s McPherson family quilt, which inspired the McPherson Orchard’s pink quilt, “Lady of the Lake.” And the story of the Stein Farm’s two quilts, taken from two family quilts – both included with photographs and the introduction to the quilts found in New York State.

For more information, call Lynne Belluscio, 585-768-7433 at the Le Roy Historical Society.

Photography Enthusiasts of WNY open spring show at 58 on Main, Le Roy

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Photography Enthusiasts of Western NY will open their spring show on Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. at 58 on Main, 58 Main St., Le Roy. 

Refreshments served. This online club of almost 300 members has shows of their photographic work throughout the year at the gallery at 58 on Main. 

The club is free and open to all interested in photography. For more information, call 585-768-2402 or e-mail jim@delooze.com
You can find us on Facebook: Photography Enthusiasts of Western NY

Award-winning New Zealand writer and poet to read on Wednesday at GCC, RSVP ASAP

By Billie Owens

Award-winning writer Louise Wareham Leonard will give a reading at Genesee Community College this Wednesday, May 4, 2016 from 12:20 - 1:15 p.m. in room T-203 of the Conable Technology Building. The event is free and open to the public. Interested attendees are asked to RSVP with JoNelle Toriseva, GCC director of English, Communications and Media Arts by e-mailing: jrtoriseva@genesee.edu.

Louise Wareham Leonard's first novel "Since You Ask" was released in 2004, and was published in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. It received the James Jones Literary Society First Novel Award. Wareham Leonard has also been shortlisted for the Prize in Modern Letters. Her second novel, "Miss Me A Lot Of," was published in 2007 and became a bestseller in New Zealand. Her latest collection, "52 Men," was published by Red Hen Press last fall. She has also published in literary journals, including "Poetry" and "The Rumpus," including the recent "How to Date a Writer" which can be reviewed online at: http://therumpus.net/2015/09/funny-women-132-how-to-date-a-writer/

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Wareham Leonard immigrated to New York City, where she attended Dalton School and the United Nations International School. She graduated from Columbia in New York with a degree in Comparative Literature and Society. At Columbia, she was awarded the Andrew D. Fried Memorial Prize for excellence in critical and creative writing. She represented Columbia in the Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Contest. Along with New York and New Zealand, she has lived and worked in Mississippi, Europe, the Caribbean and the outback in Western Australia.

Living internationally features in her writing, and Wareham Leonard reflects on her unique ancestry and heritage.

She said: "New Zealand has a strong, strong pull for me. We drove all over both islands when I was a girl, staying at motels with hot swimming pools and Maori dances, visiting the pancake rocks and Mt. Cook and Franz Josef Glacier. I have come back from New York several times as an adult to live for extended periods in Wellington, and always ended up in Paekakariki. Turns out I have ancestors there and around Whanganui, and recent revelations around that have made my visceral attachment to New Zealand make more sense. It's something powerful and unexpected, a draw to the intensity and stunning beauty. I have a good mind to come back and live in a campervan in Northland sometime. On the other hand, my education was mostly Northeastern American and that, as well as being turned inside out – from a quiet reserved NZ girl to an outspoken New Yorker – has formed my personality and my sensibilities as a writer. It's an odd mix. I have often felt flung out into the world, but now I realize I actually have ties."

JoNelle Toriseva, director of English, Communications and Media Arts, knows Wareham Leonard through their work on the literary publication, "Tin House," where work is reviewed and considered for inclusion in the magazine.

O-A kindergarten registration is next week

By Billie Owens

Oakfield-Alabama kindergarten registration is scheduled for Monday, May 2nd through Friday, May 6th at the elementary school office between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 p.m. It is located at 7001 Lewiston Road in Oakfield.

Information packets have been sent to families. If you did not receive a packet or are new to the district, please notify the elementary office at 948-5211, ext. 3211 and we will send one to you.

Please bring the following mandatory documents with you: a completed Student Information Form (from the packet received in the mail), your child’s birth certificate, two proofs of residency, a current immunization record and a current physical examination.

Only children who have reached their 5th birthday on or before Dec. 1, 2016 may be registered for the 2016-2017 school year.

GC Master Gardeners to hold annual Spring Garden Gala on May 14

By Billie Owens

Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual Spring Garden Gala from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

There will be a plant sale featuring many kinds of perennials, house plants, geraniums and also a Basket Auction. Bring in a soil sample from your garden for free soil pH testing. Master Gardeners will be available to answer your gardening questions.

There will be a Container Garden Demonstration at 11 a.m. Find out how to create and take care of an herb container garden. Interested in helping out native bees? At 11:30 a.m., learn how to create a simple, easy to make bee house.

Don’t miss your chance to pick up some great plants (most grown by Master Gardeners), garden art and other interesting items for your garden. Plant sale starts promptly at 10 a.m. No early birds please. Basket Auction drawing starts at 12:30 p.m.

For more information contact Brandie Schultz at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, (585) 343-3040, ext. 101, stop by the Extension office at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

Course on 'Introduction to Drones' offered three Saturdays in May

By Billie Owens

This information was provided by The BEST Center:

The world of drones is exploding! In partnership with regional experts, an intensive 18-hour course called "Introduction to Drones" (sUAS -- small Unmanned Aerial Systems) will be offered at the Genesee Community College Forum, Batavia Campus, on three consecutive Saturdays -- May 7, 14 and 21.

Cost is $1,499 and includes your own model quad-copter drone with camera, computer flight simulator and workbook. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a one-hour break.

This course is offered in partnership with regional experts and is designed for any industry, business or service that is using or looking to use drones as well as for hobbyists.

If you are interested in emerging careers or are involved in construction, agriculture, real estate, insurance, public safety, EMS, photography, media, marketing, inspection, land surveying, golf courses, amusement parks, etc., or want to start a business, you'll learn how your industry can be transformed in new, cost-effective ways.

For recreational operators, you'll learn exactly what you need to know to be legal to fly efficiently and get the most out of your drone.

A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to participants (not a license).

To register, call 345-6868 or visit   www.bestcenter.org

The course will cover:

  • Indoor hands-on flight practice using a model quad-copter;
  • Computer simulator training;
  • Operations of different tyoes of sUAS, including mot multi-rotor and fixed-wing;
  • Flight systems, inlcuding DJI Phantom, Inspire 1 and 3D Robotics;
  • Flight vehicles, radio controllers, components and characteristics;
  • Autonomous flight
  • Routine maintenance;
  • Uses and Applications: Markets, Photography and Video, Post-processing, Economic Drivers;
  • Safety: Best Practices, Operational Risks, Rules of the Road;
  • Up-to-Date FAA Regulations: Policies, Flying Legally, Liability; Exemptions; Operation and Certification of sUAS;
  • Etiquette and Privacy;
  • Operational Risks and Insurance;
  • Exploring Career Opportunities -- Virtually Unlimited!

Free first responder workshop offered on trauma, PTSD & suicide prevention, register by May 3

By Billie Owens

A free, first responder awareness workshop on trauma, PTSD and suicide prevention will be offered at the Genesee County Fire Training Center on Tuesday, May 10.

Two sessions are available: 2:30 to 5 p.m. or 6 to 8:30 p.m. The fire training center is located at 7690 State Street Road in Batavia.

Seating is limited. Please register by May 3.

The workshop will be presented by Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb.

Sheriff Whitcomb has been in law enforcement for 26 years. He is a former adjunct professor of Criminal Justice for Jamestown Community College and St. Bonaventure University. Presently, he instructs through local academies and the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services. He has a master's degree in Counseling Education and is a certified police instrutor in the areas of Interview and Interrogation, Basix and Advanced Juvenile Officer Training, Investigation of Sex Crimes and Law Enforcement Response to School Violence.

For more information or to register, contact the sponsoring organization -- the Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties at 344-2611 or via e-mail at   sgagne@mhago.org

The workshop is being offered in partnership with the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Genesee County in conjunction with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and Genesee County Emergency Services.

Batavia Career and Tech Education Center students attend conference on health occupations

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo. Front row, from left: Kaitlin Laird, Nina Searchfield, Rebecca Reamer, Jaclyne Passage, Victoria Welka, Zoe Falsone, and Kayle MacIntyre. Back row, from left: Samantha Siple, Ashley Brady, Ashley Chapman, Nicholas Lathrop, and Stephen Gass.

Press release:

Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center students attended the New York State Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Spring Leadership Conference in Liverpool, New York on April 13-15.

Zoë Falsone (Attica) and Jaclyne Passage (Le Roy) completed their 2015-2016 terms as senior vice president, parliamentarian and Region E vice president for New York State HOSA. Zoë participated in two events, Job Seeking Skills and Home Health Aid, and earned a Bronze Medal in Home Health Aid.  

Jaclyne participated in Job Seeking Skills where she earned a Silver Medal. She also presented with Rebecca Reamer (Pavilion) in the Medical Innovations event and was awarded a Silver Medal. Their topic was Human Head Transplant. In preparation for this event, Jaclyne and Rebecca worked with the Batavia CTE Computer Information Systems (CIS) students and Maggie Poray, CIS instructor, to design and create 3-D head models to use during their presentation.

Rebecca Reamer and Ashley Chapman (Caledonia-Mumford) chose Medical Photography Rebecca focused on dentistry pictures and Ashley focused on Emergency Medical Services utilizing friends and family from her local fire department.  Ashley took the Health Issues Exam, and qualified for national competition.

Samantha Siple (Caledonia-Mumford) participated in Home Health Aid and Job Seeking Skills and earned leadership skills.

Nina Searchfield (Caledonia-Mumford) received a silver medal in Nurse Assisting. Nina also presented with her partner Ashley Brady (Attica) in Health Careers Display. Their topic of choice was midwifery. Previous to the competition, these two students spent time at United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) on the maternity floor during their clinical rotations through the Health Dimensions program. 

Victoria Welka (Byron-Bergen) and Kaylee McIntyre chose to show their artistic skills in Extemporaneous Health Poster. Kaylee earned a Bronze Medal for her artistic creation. She also created a chapter poster, which earned the New York State HOSA Chapter poster winner for 2016. Kaylee was chosen as the New York State HOSA 2016-2017 Region E vice president.

Kaitlin Laird (Batavia) competed in the Extemporaneous Writing event. She campaigned for a position as a New York HOSA State Officer, was elected and will serve as the senior vice president for the 2016-2017 term.

Stephen Gass (Pembroke) and Nicholas Lathrop (Attica) both performed well in the Personal Care category. Nicholas earned two Gold Medals in both Interviewing Skills and Speaking Skills. His topic was Innovate, Inspire, and Ignite. Nicholas was so stunned that he received two Gold Medals that his classmates needed to repeat that he had won first place again. Stephen looked at Bonny Shelby, his instructor, and said, “This makes me realize I can do anything!”

Three students, Nina Searchfield, Zoë Falsone and Kaitlin Laird, earned achievement awards at the conference. The Batavia CTE Center HOSA Chapter won the T-shirt and trading pin design contest for 2016. The submission was used for T-shirts that were provided to all participants at the Spring Leadership Conference. The design was made into a trading pin that will be distributed in June at the National Leadership Conference.

Zoë Falsone, Ashley Chapman, Jaclyne Passage, Kaylee MacIntyre, Nina Searchfield, Rebecca Reamer, Nicholas Lathrop, Stephen Gass, and Ashley Brady are eligible for participation at the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in June.

Four students from the Batavia CTE Center have been inducted as the New York State HOSA Officers. Rebecca Reamer -- President; Kaitlin Laird -- Senior Vice President; Kaylee Mac Intyre -- Secretary; Victoria Welka -- Region E Vice President. These four young women will attend the officer Summer Leadership Academy in Albany in June.

Four students from the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership Adult Education LPN/CNA Program also attended the conference and participated in the Knowledge Tests. Jessica Newton won a gold medal in Human Growth and Development; Aimee Donohue received a Silver Medal in the Behavioral Health; Leanne King won a Silver Medal in Medical Law and Ethics and a Bronze Medal in Pathophysiology.

The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State. 

Free technology help sessions offered every fourth Tuesday night at Corfu library

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Residents with questions about their smart phones, laptop computers, tablets, computer programs, or an app can bring them to a Technology Tuesday at the Corfu Free Library for answers.These monthly hands-on help sessions are held every 4th Tuesday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m.

Electronic devices are becoming an essential way to shop, find information, enjoy reading and be entertained, and with the new digital services offered by the library, learning how to use them is more important than ever.

“The library isn’t just about books and magazines anymore,” says Diana Reding, director at the Corfu Free Library. “There are a large number of free eBooks, music albums, TV shows, movies and comic books available via digital download that are now part of the services we offer.

"All patrons need is their library card to be able to use and enjoy them. We have both free WiFi and computer workstations at the library. Better still is when folks bring in their own devices to learn on them right here during a Technology Tuesday."

Reding, and Kristie Miller, president of the Board of Directors and a librarian at the Alexander Central School District, Julie Hengenius, board secretary and librarian at Pembroke School District, will also be at the library to assist patrons at the Technology Tuesday sessions.

Interested residents are encouraged to bring in their own devices such as an iPhone, Kindle, Nook, iPad, flash drive, or laptop computer (including charging cords) and ask questions about them.

Residents can even learn to download a wide variety of digital items from Hoopla as well as eBooks from Overdrive and eMagazines from Zinio right at the sessions. These electronic download services provided through the Nioga Library System, are free to library patrons.

In addition to Technology Tuesdays, there are some short instructional videos explaining how to use Hoopla, one of the digital services available at the library, and Gmail on the Corfu Free Library’s website. “We will be adding more ‘How To’ videos through the year on our Web site,” adds Reding. “And we are always here to answer questions about the services our patrons can access through the library.”

The Corfu Free Library periodically offers sessions like Technology Tuesdays and residents are encouraged to check the library’s Web site at www.CorfuFreeLibrary.org, stop by 7 Maple Ave. in Corfu for program information, or they can call the library at (585) 599-3321.

GCC Vet Tech seniors spent spring break at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo

By Billie Owens

Press release:

As Genesee Community College's director of Veterinary Technology, Carrie Caccamise seeks to expose her students to as many facets of the profession as possible. Students in the program work with animals of all sizes in the current curriculum, but they have little exposure to marine life or zoo animals.

"While at a conference last summer, I voiced this concern to a colleague," Caccamise said. "He suggested that I reach out to Ray Ball at the Tampa Zoo, so I did."

Ball, director of Medical Services at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida, welcomed Caccamise and her students to travel down to the Sunshine State and observe the zoo's day-to-day dealings with its resident animals during the College's spring break from March 12-19. After a flurry of fundraising, Caccamise and a group of eight GCC seniors flew to Tampa to begin the week-long, behind-the-scenes observation and experience that was a first for the College's Vet Tech program.

"Though the students were unable to restrain or perform procedures due to safety concerns, they were still able to learn a great deal as the veterinarians and veterinary technicians explained everything they did and patiently answered all of our questions," Caccamise said.

While at the Tampa Zoo, the students observed exams and treatments on many animals including a penguin, a two-toed sloth, a spur fowl, white and black rhinos, a pig, tortoises, a screech owl and elephants. Animals used in the Zoo's outreach program including armadillos, tortoises and pythons had wellness exams performed during the week. The exams involved anesthesia, radiographs, ultrasound exams and blood draws. Since these animals are not as friendly as most dogs and cats, the students were able to observe the different techniques for handling and administration of anesthesia during the examinations.

When the students were asked to summarize their experiences, these were among statements they shared: "It was a once in a life time experience." "The vets and technicians were extremely friendly. Even the zookeepers were very helpful in teaching us." "It was an awesome trip. Dr. Ball was so friendly and open to helping us learn." "Mind blowing experience!" 

The students also took a trip to the Florida Aquarium to observe exams on horseshoe crabs, eels, stingrays, otters and sea turtles, and a stop at the Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab to see necropsies on two manatees.

"We were all very impressed with the amount of data collection that occurs in zoos such as the Lowry Park Zoo," Caccamise said. "The data collected is what helps the animals' counterparts in the wild stay healthy."

Housed at the Lowry Park Zoo is a manatee hospital, one of few sites in Florida that rehabilitate injured or sick manatees. During their stay, GCC's vet tech students also witnessed the treatment of an injured female manatee and her calf. Since adult manatees can weigh up to 1,200 pounds, the students saw the difficult process of getting the animals from the truck they were transported in, to the tank where they will live during their rehabilitation. They also witnessed the end result of the process, experiencing the release of a manatee that was rehabilitated at the hospital and deemed healthy enough to return to the wild.

The group received funding for the trip from Academic Innovations at GCC which contributed $1,000 and the Christina Salvador Scholarship Fund, which pitched in $500. Funds were also raised through the Vet Tech Club at the College and each student did their part to help pay for the trip.

Four students recognized in GCC's 15th annual Poetry Contest

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Like most libraries, Alfred C. O'Connell Library at Genesee Community College has books on shelves, computer workstations quietly humming, and people absorbed in their studies, projects and research. But, Thursday, April 14th, GCC's esteemed Library gave life to written prose through the 15th annual Student Poetry Contest Award Ceremony. 

The First Prize -- Body of Work winner is Catherine McCabe-Strong. She lives and works in Rochester and is studying in GCC's Paralegal Studies program. She was drawn to GCC because the courses looked both interesting and challenging. She said, "In my creative writing, I draw inspiration from the Imagist movement started by Ezra Pound in 1912. His three main tenets were to treat the object of the poem directly, to not waste a single word, and to use the musicality of phrases, rather than force meter. These are all things that I take to heart when writing." She has a novel, "Julius Constantine Chang," available through Amazon. And later this month, a very short piece of her prose, "Teatime," will be published by The Flash Fiction Press on their Web site, theflashfictionpress.org. Her poems are "Clementine," "Clovelly Beach" and "Night."

Second Prize winner for her poem "Fly" is Amanda Sterzick. She is a self-described late blooming artist. She found her talent late in life and has experimented and self-taught herself in several different mediums. She is a Digital Art major and decided to attend GCC because she wanted to learn how to create art in the digital medium. Her poetry is a physical manifestation of her emotions. She said, "Pain, amusement, anger, joy, rage and sometimes inspiration just take me and I can't do anything else until my poetry OCD is satiated." She writes a lot of poetry and has several versions of her poem "Fly," noting that the last three lines change the most. She is an Honors Program student and plans to graduate with an Honors Diploma after the fall 2016 semester and then continue to pursue her studies. She has artwork that she has created to accompany this poem -- a mixed media canvas, and Professor Pam Swarts would like her to include the poem in the digital art show and create a digital composition for the poem. Amanda resides in Batavia.

Third place winner for her poem "Delayed Ambition" is Maureen Moriarty, an administrative assistant major at GCC. She has dabbled in poetry most of her life and enjoys going to poetry readings. Maureen resides in Medina. 

Honorable Mention honors go to Jennifer Hanson, a student from Arcade. Her poem is entitled "Open Road." In her spare time, she plays the cello, paints, draws and writes. She comes from a large family and has two brothers and two sisters. She is attending GCC because it is very cost effective and a good stepping stone and she wasn't quite sure of her major when she started. She is now a Fine Arts major, and her favorite courses have been painting classes taught by Heather Jones. She writes poetry usually at the end of the day, and prefers to write in a journal and then type out the poem if she wants to share it. She says, "I feel like putting pen to paper is a better artistic process for me than typing." 

Winning poems are posted on the library Web page: http://www.genesee.edu/library/about-the-library/poetry-contests/.

Judges for this year's contest were: Mary Jane Heider, Sarah Karas, Bob Knipe, Michelle Salvia, Jim Simon and Nina Warren. More than 50 poems were submitted this year. Winners were awarded prizes of gift cards, poetry anthologies and blank journals.

"Following a successful Scholar's Day and the College's annual Creativity Conference held the day before, the Library's annual Student Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony further celebrates student achievement and opportunity at GCC," said Cindy Hagelberger, Reference Services librarian and instructor. "I am already looking forward to the launch of our 16th annual contest next spring!"

For more information, contact Cindy Hagelberger, Reference Services Librarian (585) 343-0055 ext. 6231 or via e-mail: CSHagelberger@genesee.edu.

Member of Young Preservationists of Buffalo to speak at Richmond library, hosted by Landmark Society

By Billie Owens
If you're interested in old buildings and young people, we hope you will join us from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, in the Gallery Room at the Richmond Memorial Library in Batavia.
 
The Landmark Society of Genesee is hosting a talk by Derik Kane, CNUA, who will speak on the history and evolution of Buffalo's Young Preservationists (BYP) and how it has become a national model for the "New School" of preservation.

BYP members are not only concerned with the aesthetics and history of a building, but how it impacts the opportunities for livability, economic development, energy efficiency / sustainability, and social causes within the city.

The Senior Planner for Genesee County, Derik serves on the Board of Directors of the Landmark Society of Genesee County, and has been a core member of BYP since 2012. 
 
This event is free and open to the public. No need to RSVP.

4-H Paper Clover Fundraiser Campaign at Tractor Supply Store in Batavia is April 13-24

By Billie Owens

Press release:

National 4-H Council has announced the launch of the spring 2016 4-H Paper Clover Campaign in partnership with Tractor Supply Company (TSC).

Stop by Batavia Tractor Supply Company Store (4974 E. Main Street Road, Batavia) April 13 – 24 and support Genesee Co. 4-H Youth Development Programming by purchasing a paper clover for a $1 at checkout.

Funds donated during the national campaign will be tracked online and recorded by state and by store. Visit www.tractorsupply.com/4-H for more information on the spring 2016 4-H Paper Clover Campaign and to view the donation tracker.

This event marks the sixth year of collaboration between the organizations on the national in-store fundraiser, benefiting state and local 4‑H programming in each of the communities where a TSC store is located.

Last year, across 49 states, the TSC 4-H Paper Clover Campaign provided more than $1.8 million to 4-H across the country. All proceeds raised directly benefit 4-H, with 70 percent of funds being returned to state and local 4-H programs.

The effort has provided direct support for local camps, after-school programs and other activities, and has granted scholarships to these events where youth can explore their interests in everything from animal science to robotics.

Six-week series 'Quality Living: A Plan for the Road Ahead' to be offered by GC Office for the Aging and local church

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Office for the Aging in partnership with the Batavia United Methodist Church will be hosting, “Quality Living: A Plan for the Road Ahead.”

This program is a six-week educational series focusing on helping caregivers, older adults and professionals, but is appropriate for any adult.

Jill Yasses, caregiver counselor at Office for the Aging noted that, “We have seen an increase in the number of caregivers seeking assistance for their loved ones.  In response to this need, we have put together this series to provide critical information.” 

When asked about the April 12th keynote speaker from the Laugh Academy, Yasses said, “We understand how stressful aging and caregiving can be and would like to help people find constructive ways to manage their stress. So, we are very excited to kick off the series with a ‘Laughter Therapist.’  We hope community members will take advantage of this great opportunity and join us Tuesday evenings in April and May for good food, great information, book signings, door prizes and laughter.”

The programs will take place at the Batavia First United Methodist Church, 8221 Lewiston Road, Batavia. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., a light supper will be served at 6 p.m., and the program will start promptly at 6:15 p.m. and end at approximately 8 p.m. The programs are as follows:

  • Tuesday, April 12th: Stress Less, Laugh More

Keynote Speaker: Nancy Weil, The Laugh Academy

Topics: Stress reduction and  importance of laughter;  RSVP – Benefits of Volunteering

  • Tuesday, April 26th: Legal Planning

    Topics: Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of WNY – Community & Nursing Home Medicaid, Pooled Trusts, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy

  • Tuesday, May 3rd:  Organizing, Downsizing and Housing

Keynote speaker: Jennifer Ford Berry, Life’s Organization Expert & Best-selling Author

Topics: Organization, downsizing and housing options in Genesee County

  • Tuesday, May 10th: Protecting the Ones We Love

Topics: Safety at home presented by Alzheimer's Association WNY Chapter and Lifespan

  • Tuesday, May 17th: Driver Safety

Topics: AARP – Driver safety and transportation options in Genesee County

  • Tuesday, May 24th: Funeral Pre-Planning

Topics: Funeral Pre-planning presented by NYS Funeral Directors Association

These are free programs but seating is limited. Please call the Genesee County Office for the Aging/NY Connects at 585-343-1611 to reserve your seat and/or for more information. Please call at least five days prior to the date of the program you wish to attend.

For individuals with disabilities or language interpretation needs, requests for reasonable accommodations should be made with at least five days’ notice.

These programs are being sponsored by Sponsored by: Falcone Family Funeral & Cremation Service, Inc.; J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, LLC; H.E. Turner & Co., Inc.; Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel; and RSVP of Genesee County Volunteer Placement Program.

This program is also funded through grants from the NYS Office for the Aging, NY Connects, the Older Americans Act, and the generous support of the Genesee County Legislature.

Special thanks to: Batavia First United Methodist Church and Older Adult Ministry, Genesee Senior Foundation, Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of WNY, the Alzheimer’s Association -- WNY Chapter, Lifespan of Rochester, AARP, NYS Funeral Directors Association and Muriel H. Marshall Fund Grantees.

Elderwood Health Plan now serving local residents

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Elderwood Health Plan, a locally based managed long-term care (MLTC) plan, was granted approval by the New York State Department of Health to begin enrolling members April 1.

Elderwood Health Plan provides services to people 21 years and older who are Medicaid-eligible, chronically ill or have disabilities and have been assessed as needing community based long-term care services for more than 120 days. Services are provided in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming and Monroe counties. Dr. Anthony Billitier is the medical director for the program.

Elderwood Health Plan coordinates primary, specialty and community-based services for its members, and is the payor for a wide range of services, such as long-term home health care, dental, vision, transportation and audiology. Members continue to use their own primary care and specialty physicians through their Medicaid, with the advantage of having an Elderwood Health Plan care manager help coordinate their community based and home care services.

“Our goal at Elderwood Health Plan is to provide the care and access to services necessary for individuals to remain independent and in the community,” said Alicia Kenyon, director of business development. “Our care managers provide support to both members and their families to help coordinate services such as podiatry, physical therapy, in-home care, durable medical equipment, and transportation to medical appointments and day centers.

“We will also help families with the paperwork required to apply for Medicaid.”

 Elderwood Health Plan is backed by the experience of Elderwood, a respected area health care provider for more than 30 years, and by parent company Post Acute Partners, operating more than 20 health care communities in New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

For more information, call Elderwood Health Plan toll-free at 1-866-843-7526 or visit the Web site at www.elderwoodhealthplan.com.

Batavia Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meets the second Tuesday of each month

By Billie Owens

Join the Batavia Multiple Sclerosis Support Group to connect with other people affected by MS and learn more about services offered by the National MS Society and Independent Living of the Genesee Region.

The group meets the second Tuesday of each month from 4 to 5 p.m. at Independent Living, 113 Main St., Batavia. For more information please call 1-800-344-4867 or e-mail megan.vaughan@nmss.org.

Consider volunteering at Crossroads House

By Billie Owens

Have you thought about being a volunteer?

Learn about opportunities available at Crossroads House? They are hosting five days in the month of April to learn about opportunities for volunteering in a variety of ways including resident care and beyond at Crossroads House!

These are no obligation days! Pick a date and stop by to learn more!
April 2nd – 10am – 11am
April 6th – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
April 11th – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
April 19th – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
April 21st – 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Crossroads House
585-343-3892
11 Liberty St., Batavia NY 14020
Crossroadshouse.com

Youth apron sewing workshop at Cornell extension on two Wednesdays, deadline to register is April 13

By Billie Owens

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County’s 4-H Youth Development Program will offer a two-part apron sewing workshop at 7 p.m. on Wednesday April 20 and Wednesday April 27. This workshop is open to all area youth ages 8 -19 and youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate!

Participants will learn basic sewing skills such as reading a pattern, understanding cutting layouts, pattern pinning, sewing and pressing a straight seam, top stitching a pocket and more!  Cost is $10 per youth and all materials will be provided.

Class size is limited and preregistration is required by April 13. The workshops will be held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building located at 420 E. Main St., Batavia.

For more information or to register, contact Brandie Schultz at the Genesee County 4-H Office, 585-343-3040, ext. 101. Visit our website at: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information. 

Find out about all the services to foster independent living on Friday mornings this Spring at Richmond library

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Anyone who seeks information about a wealth of services that are available to people with disabilities, most at no cost to the individual, can just stop by the Richmond Memorial Library any Friday from March 25th to April 29th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A staff member of Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) will be present at the 19 Ross St. facility near East Main Street in Batavia to answer questions on disability-friendly programs of the two organizations.

Patrons who are blind, dyslexic, or who otherwise prefer to listen to their literature can access audio talking books from the Library’s stock and through the download station of eBook distributor OverDrive. They can also download eBooks from Freading, movie and shows from Freegal Movies, and three songs per week that are theirs to keep and also listen to three hours per day of streaming music, courtesy of Freegal Music.

Plus a free subscription to Hoopla provides patrons temporary streaming access to audiobooks, movies, music, eBooks, comics and television series, 24 hours per day.  Seniors can access Services to the Aging in Genesee County (SAGE), a program providing library services to homebound and resident senior citizens in the County, funded by a grant from the Muriel H. Marshall Fund for the Aging, through the Rochester Area Community Foundation. 

Anyone can learn about a host of services that ILGR offers to individuals with disabilities, including: Individual Advocacy; Benefits Advisement; Budgeting Assistance; Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) for those needing Home Care Assistants; Educational Coaching for parents dealing with schools’ Committees on Special Education; Falls Prevention Education; Family Reimbursement Services for relatives of individuals with developmental disabilities; advice on Housing options in the community and application assistance; Information & Referral to community resources; advisement on Job Searches; a Loan Closet of gently used medical equipment; “Ticket to Work” Employment Network for those receiving Social Security benefits; Transition Services for young people and seniors with disabilities who want to live independently; ambulatory and wheelchair-lift-van Transportation Services; plus Advocacy for Change of disability discrimination practices on a system level.

Please contact David Dodge at (585) 815-8501, ext. 415, or e-mail him at ddodge@wnyil.org with any questions.

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