Stories from

The Historical Society of Elba will present a program on the Civil War beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1, at the museum.

The museum is located on the Maple Avenue Extension in the Village of Elba.

Wilbur Dunn, who has written two books on the 8th New York Heavy Artillery, will speak. His book "The Full Measure of Devotion" will be available for purchase.

Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will follow the program as will a short meeting for the society's members.

***Members should also note that prior to the Civil War presentation, there will be a meeting starting at 5:30 in the Elba Fireman's Rec Hall to discuss the upcoming Roast Beef Dinner and Chinese Auction (Thursday, Oct. 6) and the Barn Dance (Saturday, Oct. 15) Torrey's Barn on Route 98, south of Elba.

Jennifer Vereecken, of Bergen, participated in C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" this summer with former Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine.

Jennifer is a senior this year Byron-Bergen High School and took part in the live taping of the broadcast program as a correspondent for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) from George Mason University's Arlington campus.

With distinguished faculty, guest speakers and direct access to elite D.C. practitioners, WJMC offers aspiring journalists and student leaders an unparalleled experience. The week-long program encourages and inspires young leaders from across the country who desire a unique experience focused on successful careers in this dynamic industry.

The National Youth Correspondents were members of the live broadcat "Washington Journal" having the opportunity to ask questions. The show featured Former Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine and Tucker Carlson.

Kaine, the former governor of Virginia, took a series of questions from the correspondents that ranged in topics from how social media effects the political landscape to his take on the current economic crisis and debt ceiling debate.

WJMC is a highly competitive program. Just 150 high-school seniors were selected as correspondents representing their cities, states and high schools. Correspondents were selected or nominated based on demonstrated leadership and interest in journalism and the ever-changing landscape of media, in addition to their academic excellence.

George Mason University is located in Northern Virginia, minutes from the nation's capitol. In addition to environmental science and policy, Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care, and visual and performing arts.

Four local residents recently received degrees from Ithaca College.

Megan Suttell, daughter of John and Kathleen Suttell, of Oakfield, received a degree from the Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies.

Allyce Barron, daughter of Bruce and Marie Barron, of LeRoy, received a degree from the School of Music.

Chad Condidorio, son of Joseph and Christine Condidorio, of Le Roy, received a degree from the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance.

Cody Chittenden, son of Franklin and Susan Chittenden, of Corfu, received a degree from the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Coeducational and nonsectarian, Ithaca College is a nationally recognized independent college of some 6,300 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. The college offers more than 100 degree programs.

Stephen J. Havlovic, Ed.D, vice president for academic affairs at Alfred State College, has announced the Deans' List of students for the Spring 2011 semester.

The following local residents made the list.

Basom

Brandon Richardson

Corfu

Nicole Binns

Darien Center

Stephen Ward

Ethan Willard

Le Roy

Quentin Humphrey

Morgan Presher

Edward Cigno

Christopher Locke

Jonathon Locke

Oakfield

Josh Harloff

Kailynn Post

Stafford

Stephen Trond

Alfred State College offers associate degrees in 52 programs in the fields of agriculture, health, business, vocational, and engineering technology, as well as liberal arts and sciences. There are also 19 baccalaureate degree offerings.

Genesee Region Insurance Professionals (the local affiliate of Federation of New York Insurance Professionals) awarded their 2011 Harry K. Lown Memorial Scholarship to Megan Patterson, a 2011 graduate of Pembroke High School.

Megan is attending Niagara University this fall as an Accounting/Finance major.

Two local residents were named to the Deans' List at Ithaca College for the Spring 2011 semester.

Allyce Barron, daughter of Bruce and Marie Barron, of Le Roy, attends the School of Music.

Alana Amorese, daughter of Frank and Laurie Ann Amorese, of Linwood, attends the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Coeducational and nonsectarian, Ithaca College is a nationally recognized independent college of some 6,300 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. It offers more than 100 degree programs.

Two local students were named to the Deans' List at Paul Smith's College during the Spring 2011 semester. Each earned a semester average of 3.3 or higher to receive this distinction.

Craig Holland, of Bergen, who is enrolled in the School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Mercedes Mosher, of Le Roy, who is enrolled in the School of Hospitality, Resort and Culinary Management.

At Paul Smith's College is on the shores of Lower St. Regis Lake and it's the only four-year institution of higher education in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park of New York State. Its programs include hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship, the sciences, and more. The college draws on industries and resources available "in our own backyard" while preparing students for successful careers anywhere.

Two local residents recently graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca.

Ethan Richenberg, of Linwood, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering.

Michael Gould, of Pavilion, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Earlier this summer, Independent Living of Genesee Region (ILGR) hired two new people.

Melissa Golpl is the new full-time outreach specialist/disability rights advocate. She has experience as an advocate for policies which serve to eliminate discrimination and promote inclusion using the "Independent Living Philosophy."

She is very active in local and statewide advocacy. Golpl comes to ILGR from Independent Living of Niagara County, where she served as disability rights advocate. She has also been a community advocate for the Mental Health PEER Connection.

Golpl will coordinate systems advocacy for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. In addition, she is trained as a certified trainer of the American with Disabilities Act and is available to train people upon request. As an outreach specialist, she will work on a program in Niagara and Orleans counties that seeks to identify individuals living in nursing homes who are able to move back into the community.

Edna Painter was hired as a full-time, temporary outreach specialist. Most recently, she has served as a program aide at Stepping Stones Day Treatment in Warsaw and as a meal site manager for the Wyoming County Office for the Aging. She received a diploma from the Olean Business Institute.

As the outreach specialist, Edna will arrange community activities for the agency, including support group development and targeted outreach to various agencies. Painter is available to speak to individuals, groups and organizations about how ILGR can assist individuals with disabilities.

Independent Living of Genesee Region (ILGR), part of the WNY Independent Living Inc., Family of Agencies is located in Batavia at 113 Main Street, Suite 5.

The agency provides individuals of the Genesee Region with four "Core Services; Information & Referral, Peer Counseling, Independent Living Skills Training and Individual and Community Advocacy."

For more information about ILGR or to begin receiving services, please call (585) 815-8501, ext. 400, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Andrew White, of Elba, earned the University at Albany's Spring 2011 Deans' Commendation for outstanding academic achievement.

The University at Albany-SUNY is an internationally recognized research university with 56 undergraduate majors and 115 graduate degree programs. It is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as public policy, nanotechnology and criminal justice.

Brianna Olsen, of Le Roy, earned a perfect grade-point average of 4.0 during the Spring 2011 semester at SUNY Oneonta and has been named to the college's Provost's List.

Of the more than 5,800 undergraduates enrolled at the college, only 125 qualified for the Spring 2011 Provost's List by earning a perfect GPA while carrying a course load of at least 12 semester hours.

Established as a state normal school in 1889 and incorporated as a founding member of the state university system in 1948, the college is well known for its outstanding faculty, strong academic programs, educational technology, community service and character-building activities, and its scenic campus.

Daniel Crossen, son of Robert and Sharon Crossen, of Basom, was recently named a 2010-2011 Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar at Rochester Institute of Technology.

He is a mechanical engineering major and a graduate of Oakfield-Alabama High School.

Outstanding Undergraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to students who have achieved the distinction of maintaining a minimum university grade-point average of 3.85 out of a possible 4.0 and completed at least 125 quarter credit hours of study, nearly two-thirds of the credit hours required for a baccalaureate degree.

Selection is also based on other factors complementing academic achievement, such as creative work, service on student committees, civic activities, employment and independent research.

Each RIT scholar receives a bronze medallion representing the traditional symbols for wisdom and respect -- the Athenian owl and the olive branch.

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, sustainability, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

RIT enrolls 17,000 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative-education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

The 22nd annual Genesee County Decision-makers' Agriculture Forum will focus on "Homegrown Markets" and it takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 21, beginning at the Batavia United Methodist Church.

The church is located at 8221 Lewiston Road (Rt. 63) in the Town of Batavia.

The ag tour, sponsored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, is free but you must register by Sept. 14.

To register for the tour, call the chamber at 343-7440, ext. 27, or stop by the office at 210 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia. You can also RSVP by emailing your name, business and address to: chamber@geneseeny.com.

The day will begin at 7:15 a.m. with registration, breakfast and speaker Stephen Tudhope, chair of the chamber's ag committee.

At 7:50, it's time to load the buses and travel.

(8 o'clock) First stop is First Light Farm & Creamery, a farmstead dairy and creamery that produces artisanal goat and cow milk cheeses. Brothers Trystan and Max Sandvoss learned the art and science of cheese making and animal husbandry in the Pacific Northwest, working for three different artisanal creameries over four years.

(9 o'clock) Second stop is Grassland Dairy. Brent and Polly Tillotson established their 100-cow, 260-acre organic dairy farm in 2008. Understanding and transitioning their farm to organic took them three years. Brent's experience growing up on his family's farm resulted in acquiring useful skills and knowledge, which helped him with this new venture.

(10:15) Last stop is Fenton Produce, LLC. Fenton's is a family owned and operated, third-generation farm -- the same farm that Paul's uncles bought in the early 1930s. There is a strong heritage of farming on Paul's side -- but this is the first generation to be a produce-only farm. They are strictly a vegetable farm that grows produce for the retail market. In addition to attending farmers markets and running their CSA, they also sell produce to 10 Wegmans stores in the Buffalo area and Tops in Batavia, along with selling to local farm stands in the area.

(11:15) Wrap up and return to the church.

World-renowned fencing referee Jon Moss will be appearing at EnGarde:Batavia, a local fencing school located on Harvester Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 27.

Moss, who holds the highest possible rating for a fencing referee, is a 42-year veteran of the sport.  He currently coaches at the University of New Hampshire and Tanner City Fencing Club and  serves as head referee at Fencing Officials Commission.

Moss will be on hand to certify perspective referees in the sport at the area’s only fencing school, which is owned and operated by Genesee County native, Colin Dentino. 

The sport of fencing requires skilled referees as the official is involved on every call and must adjudicate every action.

“It is vitally important that we train and maintain referees -- especially now since we are currently forming the Genesee Fencing League," Dentino said. "We’ll require skilled officials who are armed with the latest rules and guidelines."

After completing this clinic, and passing the referee exam, participants will be certified with the United States Fencing Association.

EnGarde:Batavia continues to grow since it opened its doors in the Artisan Center one year ago.  Besides the Jon Moss Referees' Clinic, EnGarde:Batavia also offers fencing camps and clinics for all ages/skill levels as well as their popular Molten Sword Tournament.

Dentino believes that fencing is underrated as a sport and has several benefits helping develop stamina, flexibility, strength, dexterity, hand/eye coordination, as well as physical and mental agility.