Press Release:

Calling all 8th - 11th graders, the Genesee County Youth Court is recruiting new members!

Youth Court is a voluntary alternative for young people who face disciplinary action through school or law enforcement.

Youth who are referred admit to the charge and appear before a court of their peers. Three youth judges listen to both sides of the issue and determine an appropriate disposition. The goal of youth court is to improve youth citizenship skills and decrease problematic behavior.  

Youth Court members learn about the judicial process and law enforcement; develop group decision-making, leadership, and public speaking skills; participate in all roles of the courtroom: judge, prosecution, defense, and bailiff.  

Genesee County 8th - 11th graders who are interested can go online to download an application from the website https://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/youthbureau/youthcourt.php.

Applications are due by September 15.

Interviews of potential candidates will take place in September and October with the training to begin in November.  

For more information on the Genesee County Youth Court, please contact Chelsea Elliott at the Genesee County Youth Bureau, 585-344-3960 or chelsea.elliott@co.genesee.ny.us

Press Release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI and the Genesee County Youth Bureau are joining forces with the Batavia Muckdogs to host the annual STOP-DWI Night at the Ballpark on Tuesday, July 25 at Dwyer Stadium.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau has a limited supply of complimentary tickets available for youth and their families. Get your tickets by calling 585-344-3960. Throughout the night, families can take part in a variety of fun and interactive booths, receive numerous giveaways, and have a chance to win a bike from Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle.

STOP-DWI is looking for everyone’s help cheering on 2022 TOP COP Awardees, Genesee County’s Deputy Sheriff Investigator David Moore and LeRoy Police Department’s Officer Jordan Wolcott, as they kick off the night by throwing out the first pitches of the game. Investigator Moore and Officer Wolcott are both multi-year recipients of the program’s TOP COP award and play an essential role in protecting the roadways in Genesee County.

Gates open at 5:35 p.m. and the game starts at 6:35 p.m.

Event sponsors and contributors helping make this event possible include: Batavia Police Benevolent Association, GCASA, Leroy Moose Family Center, Salmon Orthodontics, The Red Osier landmark, WNY Association of Chiefs of Police, Batavia Lions Club, Chapin Manufacturing, Graham Corporation, Kiwanis of Batavia, Polish Falcons Nest #493, O-A Lions Club, Genesee County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Gerace Realty, Parise’s Auto & Towing and Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle.

Submitted photos

There’s one evening each year that parents enjoy because it highlights the efforts of their children, and that youth and school leaders proudly attend because it’s an opportunity to boast a bit about the talents, kindness, volunteer and myriad other contributions that students have made to their communities.

And finally, it’s an evening that kids can feel good about by being given the spotlight for those who, as Board President Paul Osborn says, “shared the love and compassion with their hearts to benefit others.”

“This community is truly blessed. Our future is bright with the youth you see before you. If you look at the back of your program, you all exemplify these characteristics as an honor to be a part of the youth board and serve with individuals who share a passion for a community, and, most importantly, our youth. Tonight, I am confident we leave here knowing there is hope and promise for the future because of those recognized here,” Osborn said during Thursday’s youth recognition banquet. “So, all those recognized here tonight, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to you and all those who have supported your efforts. I would especially like to acknowledge the parents, the guardians and extended families of the youth recipients. I'm sure you are proud, and rightfully so. But you all need to be commended for providing the guidance and care that has prompted these youth to rise to a level deserving of recognition.

“I would also like to thank the families and spouses and significant others of our adult award recipients for their unselfish willingness to share your loved ones who provide a great service to our youth and community,” he said. “So thank you all for coming and sharing this moment to recognize all the recipients this evening.”

There were 25 youths presented with youth recognition awards. They are:

• Brecken Capone
• Caris Carlson
• Mary Engelhardt
• Katelynn Everett
• Gabrielle Graff
• Mary Grimes
• Lily Haacke
• Aubrey Hamm
• Kaelee Kelso
• Alaina Manges
• Kathryn McClellan
• Arianna McLaughlin
• Maggie Monachino
• Brenna Munn
• Evelyn Northrup
• Cesia Murillo Rios
• Lauren Reimer
• Olivia Walton
• Maia Zerillo

Another six students received Winter Storm Elliott awards for their selfless service to others during that wintry blast and dumped several inches of wind-drifted snow on Genesee County Dec. 22-Dec.25, 2022.

Elba School Superintendent Gretchen Rosales spoke about the winter storm that “I’m sure we all remember with great fondness,” she joked. Of course, that was the long Christmas weekend that began with a bang that forced the city of Batavia and Genesee County to close and then followed by the closure of the Thruway.

“I had six students who gave up their own time, our schools as opened as a warming shelter, and I do believe that it is because of those students in the Elba Fire Department that lives are saved,” Rosales said. “And so this is a profound recognition of those students. When the rest of the community was stranded, these young individuals left the comfort and warmth of their homes to save others’ lives. During the storm, each of them went to the school to provide blankets, serve meals, set up cots for sleeping, kept strangers company, checked on the well-being of others, and even put on movies for children who were spending Christmas away from home.”

She went on to state the other good deeds they do on a regular basis: shoveling out hydrants and plowing driveways and sidewalks, while quietly going about their work.

“When not contending with an epic storm event, these students dedicate between five and 15 hours each week to our fire department to engage in training to respond to calls alongside their adult counterparts. They render first aid to accident victims, fight fires and provide emergency response in medical situations,” Rosales said. “These young adults represent what is good about our youth. They are fine examples for everyone, no matter their age. They are athletes. They have part-time jobs, and they are on the honor roll.”

Perhaps most important to note, is that their bravery and selflessness are “commendable beyond measure,” she said. Rosales then called them up for their awards:

• Ayden Esten
• Garrett Heale
• Emily Hoag
• Abigail Russell
• Joey Schnitzer
• Colton Walczak

Two adults were also recognized for their contributions to youth — Youth Worker of the Year went to Robert “Bob” Swanson, and Volunteer of the Year went to Kathy Zipkin and Tilly, her gentle four-legged sidekick.

SOAR Director Christine spoke about Zipkin’s positive influence on children’s reading work in their city schools. Beyond school work, however, there has been so much gained from the social and emotional connections made through sweet Tilly.

“So in terms of emotional regulation, in terms of support, in terms of compassion and love, and providing that, that calm no judgment zone, we are so grateful to have Kathy as part of our district, and we are so grateful to have Tilly as well — it literally is part of the best part of my week as well,” Merle said. “So we're amazed and appreciative she's willing and able to spend a day and a half each week with our students at Batavia, although the students may come down to see Tilly, their interactions with Kathy are just as important. Her years as a teacher in our district have given her the knowledge, experience and understanding needed to work with our kids and we're very grateful for that.”

Robert Swanson, better known by kids at Agri-Business Child Development as Bob the Builder, has worked there for more than 10 years as a maintenance man, but award presenter Elizabeth Ormsby said, “he’s much more than that.”

“He goes above and beyond his job duties and truly integrates himself into many different areas of the program. He works closely with all the administrators, teachers, children and families. He has become a father figure to many of us workers. I call him my work dad. But he’s a strong male role model for the children in the center as well,” Ormsby said. “Bob remembers all of the children's names and comes in and has conversations with them every day. You know when Bob is in the building because you hear all the children cheering, ‘Bob is here, Bob is here.’ Since he has maintenance, he spends a lot of time fixing things. So many of the children have started to call him Bob the Builder. He will come and read stories to our classrooms. And during the holidays, he likes to dress up festive for the children.

“Bob has also volunteered his time to create, in partnership with families and children, our vegetable garden on our playground. The produce is harvested and given to families or cooked here at our center,” she said. “Anything a family needs, he is there to assist them, whether to blow up a flat tire in the parking lot, helping with moving or donating food. He is such an asset to the team, but especially to our children and our families.”

Osborn also gave well-deserved kudos to an outgoing Youth Board member, for most years serving as president, Jay Lazarony. During his 26-year service on the board, "Jay has been a mainstay in the field of youth services," Osborn said. Known as Mr. Laz by the youth he impacted over the years, Lazarony was not only an idea guy but also helped to bring them to reality, such as by designing a mini park, picking out plants, determining the mulch and size of picnic tables. He developed the GLOW With Your Hands program, and thousands of kids have stretched their potential as a result, Osborn said.

"Our youth have been blessed. Thank you for your time and efforts, and most of all, your love for the youth in the community, Mr. Laz."

Photos by Howard Owens.

A creamy casserole resembling layered lasagna with a Peruvian twist, and a sweet finale of cinnamon-dusted milk custard, wedged between a tour of an arts facility and hands-on exercises of creative works.

Not too shabby of a school day for a group of 13 students visiting GO Art! Wednesday in Batavia.

The day was part of a Youth Bureau Genesee Youth Leadership program organized by Program Coordinator Chelsea Elliott. The program offers a different each month from October through May, and February is about Arts and Culture. Elliott worked with GO Art! staff for the artistic component, and staff, in turn, reached out to members of the Peruvian Outreach Project to provide the cultural aspect.

“And they did all the behind-the-scenes work. They are the ones that thought of who would cook the meal and what the culture would be. And I let them kind of run with it. Because I knew that they would have the best connections to make this day be the best for our kids,” Elliott said after the cooking demonstration. “So each month we focus on different topics. We begin at BOCES, that's our home base. And then we go out to the community for the rest of the day, basically, for them to learn more about their community. What happens behind the scenes … a lot of these kids don't even know anything about art until today. So it's opening their eyes to other things that go on in the community, other than just what goes on in their own little towns.

"We always hope that … they can go back to their schools and tell their peers, ‘there's this great program that's in the community, you know, we should get more involved,’" she said. "Because, again, if they don't know about it, they don't know about it.”

The group of 13 students represented grades nine through 12 in five different school districts of Batavia, Byron-Bergen, Le Roy, Alexander and Oakfield. GO Art! Executive Director Gregory Hallock gave them a tour of the East Main Street facility, and Christian Houlihan of the Peruvian Outreach Project talked about his experience as an orphan who was adopted and brought to the United States and now travels back to Peru to assist his native homeland.

The students were then seated next to the kitchen while Veronica Collantes demonstrated how to assemble the authentic causa rellena dish of layered potatoes with lemon oil, chicken salad, and avocados. A dish piled high and a bright yellow, it was then served for lunch as Latin-themed music played in the background.

The kids were also given a cup of inca kola, a sugary yellow Peruvian drink, and topped off their meals with leche asada, a creamy milk custard. Elliott described it as similar to a rice pudding. No one left much on their plates or in the dessert glasses.

“It’s good, I never had anything like it,” 15-year-old Mary Engelhardt said.

Mary has known for a while now that she wants to go into law enforcement and become a deputy, so when Elliott recommended that she apply for the leadership program, that’s just what the Le Roy 10th-grader did. Other program topics include criminal justice, community service, and agriculture. It wasn’t too difficult to figure out Mary’s favorite outing so far: criminal justice, which included a visit to the jail.

“I’ve been before, but I liked it. It’s just what I want to do,” she said. “Today has been very interesting. I’m not interested in art, but it’s interesting.”

Neither Mary nor Elijah Loysen, a ninth-grader from Oakfield, had ever been to the GO Art! building. Elijah enjoyed the visit, he said.

“I think the art and ambiance of the building and the colors are aesthetically pleasing,” he said.

Kathy Houlihan wanted to educate the kids about Peru and the outreach project, while also potentially recruiting a few volunteers for future events, including a dinner and basket raffle in March at GO Art!.

“If anyone likes chopping vegetables, we could use the help,” she said. 

After lunch, the students were going to meet up with artists Susan Ferrari Rowley and Gaitrie Subryan for some hands-on experience. This type of visit from the Youth Bureau only happens once a year, Education Director/SCR Coordinator Mary Jo Whitman said.

“It's very exciting. A lot of people don't realize that our building is open to the public. So having them come in and realizing, okay, well, this is actually a really cool building,” Whitman said. “There's a lot of artwork, and we have a ton of programming, a lot of stuff that might be actually interesting to them.”

Top Photo of Veronica Collantes demonstrating how to make causa rellena; Kathy Houlihan serving leche asada; students enjoying lunch at GO Art!; and watching the demonstration in between a tour and hands-on art project. Photos by Joanne Beck.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau and the Office for the Aging are coming together to help complete our Halloween Costume Kit project.

The Youth Bureau creates costume kits for youth in the community who may otherwise not be able to afford a Halloween Costume. These kits include two or three pieces that make up various popular Halloween Costumes such as a “princess” and a “fireman.” Along with the costume kit, there will be a trick-or-treat bag for each child.

This is where we need your help!

On Monday, Oct. 3 we are looking for youth volunteers from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 2 Bank St., Batavia. During this time we want you to bring out your creative side to decorate these bags. A light dinner will be provided.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact the Youth Bureau at 585-344-3960 by Sept. 26.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau will host the 19th annual Family Game Night in celebration of National County Government Month. 

The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Office for the Aging/Youth Bureau, 2 Bank St., Batavia.

The night will consist of interactive booths for families to learn more about the services provided by the county through the departments as well as prizes and activities.

The cost is $5 for a family of four and $3 for an individual which includes a light dinner and beverages.

Each family will take home one brand new board game after they visit each booth.

Families also have the chance to enter to win a family pack of miniature golf passes to Terry Hills or a gift certificate to Applebee’s!

Adults must be accompanied by a child to receive the board game. 

Please call the Youth Bureau for more information or to register at 344-3960.  

The Genesee County Youth Bureau would also like to thank Batavia Kiwanis Club, Upstate Milk, Pizza 151, Batavia’s Original, Denny’s, Applebee’s, Terry Hills and TOPS for making donations to this event.

The Genesee County and Batavia youth bureaus hosted their annual Safe Summer Children’s Carnival at David M. McCarthy Ice Arena on Thursday.

The event featured entertainment and games that helped introduce the children to safety concepts.  Officers from Batavia PD along with City firefighters were on hand.  Multiple other local agencies also participated.

Photos by Howard Owens

The Genesee County Youth Bureau is seeking applicants for the Genesee Youth Lead Program.

Applicants should be a Genesee County high school student entering their freshman through senior year.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 2.

The eight-month program is focused on developing leadership skills within an individual through each specific session and through hands-on experience. Each session will have a different focus on our community and leadership.

The Youth Lead Program will take place at Genesee Valley Board of Cooperative Educational Services (GV BOCES) beginning Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be held once a month on the second Wednesday of each month.

The program dates are Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 8, March 8, April 12, and May 10.

Youth who complete the program are encouraged to use the skills and information gained through their experience to support the communities in which they live.

The selection process will be done through an application and interview process by the staff. The class size is limited.

The program will cost $75 for each student. If there is an economic hardship please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau.

Applications for the program can be found here.

Please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau with questions at (585) 344-3960 or at:   youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us

Press release:

The Genesee County and Batavia Youth Bureaus are planning the annual Safe Summer Children’s Carnival open to the public to take place on Thursday, July 28 from 10:15 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at David M. McCarthy Ice Arena, 22 Evans Street in Batavia.  One dollar buys a ticket to play 10 games, and children can win “funny money” to redeem for prizes.

Entertainment by “Magic and Illusions of Patrick” is scheduled from 10:15-11:00 a.m. and the games will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break. Folks from the community should plan to bring a bagged lunch or plan to leave for lunch. 

There will also be several community agency booths that the children can visit for a chance to win one of our grand prizes.  For more information on the carnival, please contact Chelsea at the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960.

Photo: File photo from 2018 of the carnival. Photo by Howard Owens.

Article submitted by Chelsea Green, Genesee County Youth Bureau.

The Genesee County Youth Conference Coalition sponsored the 32nd Annual Youth Conference at Genesee Community College on March 15, 2022.

This conference is offered on an annual basis to local seventh- and eighth-grade students in Genesee and Orleans County in an effort to address pertinent social issues of interest to youngsters of middle-school age. There were approximately 175 seventh- and eighth-grade students in attendance.

This year’s theme of the conference was “We Are Stronger Together.” 

The inspiring speaker, Earl Ameen made the trip up from Texas to speak with our students. Earl’s message inspired youth to believe in themselves, embrace love, and to become more kind and compassionate while respecting everyone.

A variety of human service organizations in Genesee County contributed to the event by organizing a workshop for students to attend that day. Workshops were tailored to be interesting, engaging, and hands-on while being taught valuable lessons. Some of these workshop topics were: healthy eating habits, building functional relationships, Geocaching, learning about disabilities, teambuilding, and internet safety. Dance, Yoga, and WERQ were popular workshops attended as well!

Members of the Youth Conference Committee are extremely grateful to the workshop presenters who volunteered their time to educate our area's seventh and eighth-graders. We are also grateful to the following businesses/organizations that provided discounts or donations for the conference…Genesee Community College, Genesee and Orleans County Stop DWI Programs, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee County, and Subway.

The Genesee County Youth Conference Committee is comprised of representatives from the following agencies: Genesee-Orleans County Youth Bureau, Genesee Community College, Genesee County Job Development, YMCA, Community Action, and Reality Check/Roswell.  

For more information on this year’s Genesee County Youth Conference or to find out how you can participate in the next event, call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 585-344-3960.

Photos by Howard Owens