Press Release:

On Wednesday, May 1, Newbery and Caldecott Award-winning author Grace Lin visited Byron-Bergen Elementary School. Lin presented to students in kindergarten through grade 5. She shared her creative process with the students and read them excerpts from some of her books.

Lin shared her book "A Big Mooncake for Little Star" with kindergarten and grade 1 students. They discussed the Moon Festival and traditional foods and activities associated with it. Lin then drew a rabbit for them and discussed the significance in Asian cultures of the rabbit and the moon.

Students in grades 2 and 3 learned about the process of how Lin's stories start as an idea and become a published book. Students acted out publishing a book as editors, art directors, designers, printers, and binders. They then read "The Ugly Vegetables", Lin's first published book.

Students in grades 4 and 5 learned about Lin's chapter book, “The Year of the Dog” and learned how to draw a dog. This book shares family stories and characters from the author’s real life but is not a memoir. They also learned about the Chinese zodiac calendar and Lunar New Year celebrations.

At the close of each presentation, Lin taught the students how to say goodbye in Chinese, zàijiàn.

“I hope that by seeing me it enriches their love of books,” said Lin. “I feel like meeting an author creates a newfound love of books.” 

“Having Grace Lin visit our school was a great opportunity for our students to hear from an amazing author and illustrator,” said Byron-Bergen Library Media Specialist Marielle Follaco. “Our students were engaged in her stories and enjoyed learning about Chinese culture. I have no doubt her visit has helped get our students excited about reading.”

Lin writes and illustrates fiction for children of all ages including picture books up through young adult novels. Many of Lin's books include details from her life and family, frequently incorporating traditions from and references to Chinese culture. Lin’s visit was sponsored by the School Library System at Genesee Valley BOCES.

Press Release:

Congratulations to our Resurrection Parish First Reconciliation students on receiving the sacrament of reconciliation for the first time on May 4.

Many of the honors on Saturday night during the Pembroke Fire District Awards and Installation Dinner at the Fire Hall in Pembroke went to those men and women who showed up for more than 100 calls during 2023 and to those who have put in at least 50 years.

But the Firefighter of the Year Award went to somebody who didn't go on the most calls and hasn't yet made it to 50 years but, despite battling an illness, has still made his presence felt.

When Logan Sauer learned there was an opening at the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge on Casey Road, he jumped at the chance to apply.

Sauer, 27, who grew up in Virginia, was working as a visitors services specialist for the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the Twin Cities and

An all-day, online conference to assist and educate healthcare professionals and caregivers for older adults living in rural areas across New York will take place on Friday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

“Let’s Talk About Health: Caring for Older Adults in Rural New York” will feature several speakers discussing the many challenges faced by older adults in rural areas when seeking health care.

“Access to health care and other supportive services are critical to maintaining good health as we age, yet older adults in rural areas face a variety of access barriers,” says Thera Blasio, director of professional education for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, a co-sponsor of the event. “These challenges are a topic not often covered in health professions education.”

The goal of the conference is to identify and mitigate the challenges of providing health care in rural areas by increasing knowledge of population health data, treatment strategies and supports and services in order to encourage and build resilience in rural caregivers and health care providers.

The following speakers and topics will be featured:

• Ann Marie Cook, president/CEO, of Lifespan of Greater Rochester, will discuss the New York State Master Plan on Aging.
• Carol Podgorski, PhD, MPH, LMFT, professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, will address depression in older adults.
• Greg Olsen, MSW, director, of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), and Becky Preve, executive director, of the Association on Aging in New York, will present on the free services offered by their offices and how to access them in rural areas.
• Lynda Shrager, OTR, MSW, CAPS, chief executive officer, At Home for Life, will discuss accommodations to help keep older adults safe in their homes.
• Stacey Wicksall, MSLIS, director, of Macedon Public Library, will share how the local library can assist people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. 
• Arick Combs, LCSW, CDP, dementia care coordinator, Finger Lakes Health Care System, will present on the importance of early detection in the Veteran community.
• Lauren Snyder, Alzheimer’s Association volunteer, Finger Lakes Walk Champion, will discuss the many free programs and services available through the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The event is free, but Continuing Education Units (CMEs, CEUs) will be available for a $10 fee. Individuals can register online at cvent.me/rL7bOQ.

The program is co-sponsored by the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center at the University of Rochester, Ithaca College Gerontology Institute, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, and the Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center (WNY R‐AHEC), in addition to funding through grants from the New York State Department of Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, call 800.272.3900 or visit alz.org.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has collected critical funds in the community since 1954 – one dollar at a time – as part of the Fill the Boot program for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). 

The Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 896 will be continuing this long-standing tradition as its members kick off the annual program raising funds to support MDA’s vision to accelerate research, advance care, and advocate for the support of MDA families.

Dedicated fire fighters from Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 896 will hit the streets with boots in hand asking pedestrians, motorists, customers, and other passersby to donate to the MDA on May 31 from 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Main and Court Street, and Ellicott and Court Street in the City of Batavia.

The partnership between MDA and IAFF began in 1954 when the IAFF signed a proclamation designating MDA its charity of choice and vowing to continue raising awareness and funds until cures are found. To date, the nearly seven-decade partnership has raised more than $679 million with involvement from over 300,000 fire fighters nationwide. 

These funds have led in part to over a dozen FDA-approved drugs in as many years for those with neuromuscular disease. Those treatments were created from MDA’s vision to open a new field of medicine and push the boundaries of the medical frontier we call genetic medicine.

“What the IAFF has done for MDA over the past 68 years is unprecedented,” said Donald S. Wood, Ph.D., President and CEO of MDA. “With the support from our partners at the IAFF, MDA is doing the impossible in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for people living with neuromuscular disease. We have a mission to empower the people we serve to life longer, more independent lives and we will fulfill this mission together, with the IAFF.”

Byron-Bergen Senior High School was named on the 2024 list of America’s Best High Schools as determined by U.S. News & World Report. To qualify for this title, Byron-Bergen Senior High School ranked in the top 40% of schools nationally. This is the sixth year in a row that Byron-Bergen Senior High School has earned this distinction.

"I am incredibly proud of our students and staff,” said Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School Principal Paul Hazard. “This recognition is further validation that Byron-Bergen is a special district.”

According to the publication’s website, the list identifies top-performing high schools based on scoring comprised of six factors:

• College readiness (30% of the ranking): The College Readiness Index, or CRI, is measured by the proportion of a school's 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in the 2021-2022 academic year. 
• College curriculum breadth (10%): This is the percentage of 12th graders from the class of 2021-2022 who took a wide variety of AP and IB courses across the multiple disciplines and the percentage of 12th graders who earned a qualifying score on them.
• State assessment proficiency (20%): This measures how well students scored on state assessments that measure proficiency in reading, science and mathematics. States often look closely at student performance on these tests to determine whether learning in core subjects is achieved and to review how well schools are educating students.
• State assessment performance (20%): This is the difference between how students performed on state assessments and what U.S. News predicted based on a school's student body. 
• Underserved student performance (10%): This is how well the student population receiving subsidized school lunch and Black and Hispanic populations perform on state assessments relative to statewide performance among students not in those subgroups. This state assessment underserved student performance indicator is based on 2018-2019 state assessment data. 
• Graduation rate (10%): For the 2023-2024 rankings, the graduation rate corresponds to the 2022 high school class graduation cohort who would have entered ninth grade in the 2018-2019 school year. High school graduation rates were collected directly from each state along with the math, reading and science assessment data.
• For more information on Byron-Bergen’s ranking on the U.S. News & World Report list, visit https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/districts/byron-bergen-central-school-district/byron-bergen-junior-senior-high-school-13565  

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing and testing fire hydrants on Tuesday, May 7 through Thursday May 9 from approximately 9 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the general area of North of Main Street and West of Bank Street. 

Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear. This annual testing is essential to maintain the communities class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification, and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes.

Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settle in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel knowledge of the hydrant locations.

If you have any questions, or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

Northgate is excited to announce that we will be hosting our annual Rummage Sale on Friday, May 10 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, May 11 from 8 a.m. - noon at Northgate South Campus located at 350 Bank Street, Batavia. 

The proceeds from this event will go to fund the development of a Women’s Farm Project in Gahanda, Rwanda, which will teach sustenance farming to the women within the community, as well as Northgate's Costa Rica Missions Trip high schoolers within the congregation will be taking in July 2024. 

Drop off times for donations will be Monday-Wednesday, May 6-8, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 5:30- 7:30 p.m.

All acceptable items should be clean and in good condition. Items not accepted are as follows: mugs, VHS tapes, TVs that are not flatscreen, adult clothes/shoes, car seats, cribs, flammable or hazardous materials, and firearms. Electronics that are in working order will be accepted. 

Please consider joining Northgate for this sale and contributing to the important work that these charities do. For more information, call the Northgate office at (585)343-4011.