Announcements

Here's a news release we received from the New York Farm Bureau.

The New York Farm Bureau today announced its fight-back campaign against a proposed ban on outdoor wood boilers appears to have forced the Department of Environmental Conservation to delay any action until next year.

The reported delay, although not formally announced, would allow thousands of rural New Yorkers to continue to heat their homes with wood through the winter.

“We are fighting a good fight so far, but it’s far from over,” said Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau. “While a regulatory delay would get us through the winter, there are still bureaucrats in Albany determined to shut down our wood boilers. We must thwart them.”

The farm bureau has been rallying its 30,000 members to fight the proposed regulations and has been lobbying furiously in the halls of Albany.

If passed, the DEC regulations would force thousands of owners of outdoor wood boilers to: retrofit costly smokestacks to meet new DEC height requirements; limit the use of their units for almost half of the year; and ultimately prohibit the use of any outdoor wood boiler that does not meet new, strict DEC emissions requirements.

The proposed regulations will have significant financial implications for farm and rural homeowners that heat their houses, barns and greenhouses using wood boilers.

This summer, the New York State Senate voted unanimously in favor of legislation that would leave wood-boiler regulation to local zoning boards, not the DEC. That bill was sponsored and championed by Sen. Darrel Aubertine.

Farm bureau members spoke out at public information sessions/hearings around the state in June on the proposal. Farmers and rural residents also flooded the DEC with written comments against the proposed regulations.

“I hope that DEC has seen the light that these regulations will have severe financial impact to our farmers and rural New Yorkers,” Norton said.

The fall series of Story Time programs at the Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia, begins on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
  
            Toddler Time --  10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays  (walkers – 3 years)
            Moms & Moppets -- 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays (walkers -- 3 years)
            Preschool Party --  10 a.m. on Thursdays (ages 3-5 years)
            Baby Bounce -- 11 a.m. on Thursdays (pre-walkers)
            Pajama Primetime -- 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays (all ages)

To register for one of these sessions, or for more information, parents may call the library at 343-9550, or stop in at the Children's Room desk during library hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Register early, as group size is limited.  Call 343-9550, ext. 4 or go to the website <http://www.batavialibrary.org>.

Genesee Community College is readying for the first-ever Homecoming celebration on October 1-2.

The committee of 10 Genesee alumni, including chairs Patti Michalak ('70) and Pam Whitcombe ('69), is putting the finishing touches on preparing for an exciting weekend.

All graduating classes as well as family members, friends and the community are welcome to the college's Batavia campus for a weekend filled with alumni activities, sporting events and at the culmination of the weekend, an All-Class Cougar Reunion/Mixer in the Forum.

Part of the Homecoming weekend activities include raising money for the American Cancer Society. A refurbished iron bathtub was recently placed in the Student Union to collect spare change from students, faculty and staff to be donated to the American Cancer Society of Buffalo.

The "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk" will take place on Sunday, Oct. 3 and all monies collected will be donated to the cause. The bathtub collection is a tradition passed down from GCC students back in the 1970s according to John Michalak ('73), a Homecoming Committee member.

"When the college was at the West Main Street Road address (now the Genesee County Building #2) and known to us as 'Valu Tech,' the SOMF (Society of Mature Friendships) fraternity had several fundraisers over the years," Michalak  said.

"On one occasion, the group pushed a bathtub on a farm wagon from East Town Plaza to the West Main Street Road campus. We collected money along the way for a donation to the local American Cancer Society. This is our way of bringing some traditions back to campus."

Friday, Oct. 1 will feature men's and women's alumni soccer games played under the lights of the new all-weather turf field. Women players are still needed and are encouraged to sign up at <http://www.genesee.edu/gcc/alumnisoccer>.

Saturday, Oct. 2 will begin with various alumni-centered activities and celebrations across the campus including tours, reunions and a brunch. The men's and women's Cougar soccer teams will play at noon and 2 p.m. versus North Country Community College.

Following the Cougar soccer games, the first group of inductees will be welcomed into the new Athletic Hall of Fame with an induction ceremony and celebration at 5 p.m. in the Conable Technology Building.

Homecoming weekend will conclude with an All-Class Cougar Reunion/Mixer open to all alumni and community members. All graduating years are invited, with special recognition for the classes of 1969 and 1970 and a featured event theme of the "Hippie '60s." There will be music, prizes, food and a cash bar. The cost is $5 per person.

Further details on locations, times and additional alumni activities are available by going to <http://www.genesee.edu/Alumni/Homecoming >.

To volunteer for the Homecoming weekend, please contact Alumni Affairs Coordinator Jackie Christenson at 585-343-0055, ext. 6265 or <http://jkchristenson@genesee.edu>.

Maurices, a women's clothing store in Tops Plaza in Batavia, is having a fashion show to benefit animals on Saturday, Sept. 18.

"Rescues & Runways" is a national campaign created by Maurices, which has more than 750 locations nationwide.

The fashion show is at 2 p.m. in the store at 8351 Lewiston Road. There will also be a silent auction to raise money. All the funds raised will go to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Customers who donate needed pet supplies, like food, will receive coupons to use on Maurices merchandise. Monetary donations and pet supplies are being accepted at the store through the end of September.

During the fashion show, models will be going up and down the runway accompanied by animals from the shelter. Representatives from the Genesee County Animal Shelter will be there and available to talk to people about adopting the pets strutting their stuff at the show.

"Rescues & Runways" is a national campaign done in partnership with the ASPCA® American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In its second year, the goals of this program are: to increase awareness of animal shelters, in turn, increasing pet adoptions through pet-themed fashion shows.

There is a website for anyone who might want to know more:

< http://www.rescuesandrunways.com/>.

Here's a news release from Leadership Genesee.

Leadership Genesee, a community leadership program uniting a diverse group of people from business, government and nonprofit organizations to study local issues is seeking applicants for its 2011 class.

Our community needs succession planning for leadership, not just elected, appointed or paid employment leadership, but the kind that receives no "paycheck." Community volunteers who work tirelessly for organizations that improve the health of the human condition must understand the issues facing the community in order to be effective.

Leadership Genesee provides the education and training for leaders as it creates an experience promoting active leadership for Genesee County.

Each year, it selects 25 individuals to participate in a unique form of adult citizenship education. The year-long curriculum is designed to raise awareness of the needs and challenges that affect Genesee County and enhance individual leadership skills through practice with a focus on civic responsibility and community stewardship. 

Through group activities, tours and presentations by key community leaders, Leadership Genesee is developing leadership for our community, with our community and in our community. 

Annual tuition is $1,950.

For an application or information, call Peggy Marone, Leadership Genesee director at 343-3040, ext. 118 or visit our web site at  HYPERLINK www.leadershipgenesee.shutterfly.com.

Leadership Genesee is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension which provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Oatka Creek is the target of a clean up project, the first group service project of the academic year for Genesee Community College's Earth Club and Environmental Studies.

It takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25. The students will cover one and a half miles of the Oatka Creek Park on Union Street in the Town of Wheatland.

The Creek Clean Up is part of a national initiative sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Clean-up and the American Littoral Society's Annual New York State Beach Clean Up.

This is the third time Genesee students and faculty members have volunteered for the cause.

Students and volunteers will break into teams, with each team equipped with a data recording card and a trash bag. Teams will gather trash and record what they find. At the end of the day, the trash will be totaled and weighed.

Last year, the volunteers collected eight bags of trash, totaling 190 pounds of debris. The data will be compiled and will be sent into the national Coastal Clean-up organizers.

"It's wonderful to see these students spend their Saturday helping out for a great cause," said Maureen Leupold, Earth Club member and professor of Biology at Genesee. "Although this may be one small creek clean-up, it is all part of the bigger picture of environmental responsibility."

The Ocean Conservancy is the world's foremost advocate for the oceans. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, they inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act on behalf of healthy oceans.

Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has offices in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, with support from more than half a million members and volunteers.

The American Littoral Society is a national, nonprofit, public-interest organization comprised of over 6,000 professional and amateur naturalists, with headquarters in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

The society seeks to encourage a better scientific and public understanding of the marine environment, provide a unified voice advocating protection of the delicate fabric of life along the shore, and has been protecting coastal habitats since 1961.

Genesee Community College is on the forefront of this exciting and important industry with recent enhancements to its Environmental Studies degree program. This program offers an excellent introduction to the field, with plenty of hands-on learning, and small class and laboratory sizes offering exceptional instruction.

Environmental Studies students have access to an on-campus nature trail featuring plants and other wildlife demarcated with signage along the way. Students also have the opportunity to go out in the field for hands-on experience within the rural region that surrounds the GLOW region.

To find out more about Genesee's Environmental Studies program visit <http://www.genesee.edu >.

For further information about Genesee's Environmental Studies program or to volunteer at the Creek Clean-up, please contact Biology Professor Leupold at 343-0055, ext. 6394.

The 1940s is the topic of a presentation Sept. 16 by Helen Batchellor, of Stafford, including stories related to Elba.

She is a native of Elba and will bring items from that era to view. According to the host, the Elba Historical Society, her programs are always entertaining.

It will be at the Historical Society of Elba's Museum on Maple Avenue.

Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation is at 7. Everyone is welcome to attend.

A meeting of the historical society will follow the program. It is important that all members
try to attend as nominations for all offices will be taken and a board member will be
selected.

If you wish to nominate a member for an office this will be the meeting to do it. Voting will take place at the Oct. 14th meeting.

CALL FOR ARTISTS TO EXHIBIT IN GO ART! GALLERIES IN 2010-11

BATAVIA, NY…The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) is seeking artists interested in exhibiting their work in its five galleries:

• Bank of Castile Main Gallery at GO ART!, Seymour Place, 201 East Main Street, Batavia;
• Batavia Satellite Gallery in the Genesee County Senior Center, 2 Bank Street, Batavia;
• Albion Satellite Gallery in the GCC Albion Campus, 456 West Avenue (Route 31), Albion;
• Medina Satellite Gallery in the Shirt Factory Café, 115 W. Center Street, Medina;
• Satellite Gallery on the Ridge in the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery Tasting Room, 10609 Ridge Road (Route 104), Medina.

Since 1977, GO ART! has served area artists by providing exhibit space for their work. Gallery shows are typically displayed for two months. Artists must be 18 years or older. GO ART! has openings in all five galleries for its next exhibit cycle, September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011.

For additional information, contact the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council at 585-343-9313 or download an application online at www.GOart.org.

Crossroads House will be hosting another 'Musical Memories' concert on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the City Church, at 210 E. Main St. in Batavia. All proceeds will benefit Crossroads House and go toward two months care for terminally ill residents.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and include performances by Greece Jazz Band, Derek Reese & Quartet, St. Joseph's Brass Ensemble, Ghost Riders, Mini Drum & Bugle Corps, Mighty St. Joe's Alumni Drum Corps and special guest appearances.

Tickets are $5 apiece and can be purchased at Roxy's Music Store, Millenium Computers, Valle Jewelers and the Crossroads House. Last year's concert sold out, so it is recommended that you buy tickets ASAP!

Please call Frank Panepento at 409-4364 for more information.

Do you want to make a difference in your community? One way to do so is by becoming a volunteer for Rape Crisis Service (RCS) and serving as an advocate for victims of sexual assault.

Advocates provide emotional support and information to survivors of sexual assault, significant others and members of their families. Volunteers are on-call for 12-hour shifts, a minimum of four times per month.

Applicants must be at least 19 years old. No experience necessary — all volunteers will complete a training program. Interviews are currently being conducted for our upcoming training in October.

For more information, please call Kathy Pexton at 546-2771, ext. 338, or e-mail at kpexton@pprsr.org.

Genesee Region Insurance Professionals (GRIP) will hold a special networking
event and dinner at Larry's Steakhouse in Batavia on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

It starts at 5 p.m. and features the nationally recognized "rock star" of the insurance industry, Chris Amhrein. He's the co-founder of www.insuranceisfun.com.

To make a reservation, please contact Sherry Ford (sfordtss@aol.com or 716-560-2667).

Larry's is located in downtown Batavia at 60 Main St.

The sign-up deadline for a golf tournament to benefit a little boy with Stage 2 bone cancer has been extended until Sept. 21.

Creamy Creations of Batavia is sponsoring the golf tournament on Sunday, Sept. 26 at Le Roy Country Club, located at 7759 E. Main Road in Le Roy. Shotgun is 1 p.m.

Proceeds benefit Christopher, the son of a colleague of the company's.

Cost is $75 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, use of a golf cart, lunch at noon -- a hot dog or hamburger and a drink, then a buffet dinner afterward.

To make a reservation and/or a donation, contact Selina McJury at 345-4290.

Labor Day weekend may signify the unofficial end of summer, but hardly the end of the summer fun at Batavia Downs Casino.

America’s oldest lighted harness track will host four County Fair finals Friday night, Sept. 3, with purses of $8,000 each.

Saturday is Hall of Fame Night as The Downs inducts three of Western New York’s all-time top drivers - John Schroeder, Jeff Gregory and Clint Galbraith - in ceremonies at the winner’s circle. Gregory and Galbraith will be in the Casino lobby for a Meet ‘n' Greet and autograph session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Also, race fans have a chance to win a set of Galbraith’s colors via a random drawing. Sign up begins at 5 at the Player’s Club.

Monday features the annual Labor Day matinee with a 1:15 post time and the traditional Driver’s Bike Race following the seventh race. Fans will win the eight bicycles used in the Driver’s Bike Race by voting for their favorite driver. Sign up begins at noon in the Casino lobby. The eight bike winners will be drawn at random from the winning driver’s box.

But wait, there’s more! Following the ninth race on Labor Day, three fans will be selected by random drawing to enter the Cash Cube and win up to $1,000 in cash and casino free play. Sign up begins at noon. The names will be drawn and announced after the fifth race.

Upstairs on the casino gaming floor, patrons can win $50 in free play with Hot Seat drawings every half hour from noon to 5 p.m.

Labor Day food and drink specials include a $7.95 buffet from noon to 4 p.m. in the Clubhouse along with $1 Sahlen Hot Dogs, $1 soda and $2 draft beer all day on track and at the refreshment stand inside The Paddock Room.

The Honors Program at Genesee Community College will sponsor a "Break the Silence - End the Violence" 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Sept. 11.

It's at the Batavia campus. Registration starts at 8 a.m. in the college's Forum; running starts at 9.

Registration is $15 per person if registered before Sept. 4, or $20 after.

All proceeds from the run will be donated to the YWCA of Genesee County's Domestic Violence program. Registration costs include a chicken barbeque lunch after the race. (A vegetarian alternative will be provided.)

This event will kick-off the start of Genesee's Honors Program service projects as well as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which starts in October.

"The domestic violence initiative is very dear to my heart," Lori Mould, Honors student at Genesee said. "We hope that community members come out to support this worthy cause and to spread how important domestic violence awareness is."

Pre-sale registration can be made at the Student Activities office of Genesee Community College by calling 343-0055, ext. 6261 or the Genesee County YWCA at 343-5808.

Interested participants may also contact Lori Mould at <http://lmould@my.genesee.edu>  or

at <http://gknuth@my.genesee.edu>.

Genesee County AmeriCorps, RSVP and the Emergency Management Office are collaborating to host a local event on the Sept. 11 -- National Day of Service and Remembrance -- encouraging people to Remember, Prepare and Volunteer.

Funding is being provided by the Genesee Region Citizen Corps Council. Local emergency response organizations and other service agencies will gather together in the Home Depot parking lot, 4181 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. that Saturday to distribute information, answer questions and recruit volunteers.

Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles will be on display and demonstrations of emergency equipment will take place. Home Depot will be conducting a Kids Workshop, too.

Bring the family to meet those who are already serving, learn how to prepare for emergencies, and explore volunteer opportunities.

For more information about this event, please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960 and speak to Kathy Frank.

Students and faculty from the Genesee Community College and SUNY Brockport summer study abroad in Amsterdam trip will present "Images and Perceptions of Wealth and Poverty in Amsterdam" on Thursday, Sept. 9.

The panel discussion presentation will take place in T102 at the Batavia campus from 12:30 to 2 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Presenters include: Josephine Kearney, Genesee instructor of Sociology/Human Services who led the study abroad trip; John Condon, Genesee graduate and study abroad participant; Mike Neumire, SUNY Brockport History major and study abroad participant; and Steve Gregory, SUNY Brockport History major and study abroad participant.

"This is an excellent cultural event to kick-off the start of the fall semester," said instructor Kearney. "The students from the study abroad trip are eager to share their knowledge and perceptions of the unique cultural of the Netherlands and the cultural hub that is Amsterdam."

This event, along with many other cultural awareness events, is developed through the Global Education Committee at Genesee. It is dedicated to recognizing, embracing and celebrating the diversity of humanity.

Through its varied activities, the Global Education Committee fosters multicultural awareness, understanding and appreciation, and provides opportunities to demonstrate global citizenship.

For further information, please contact Josephine Kearney at Genesee Community College at 343-0055, ext.6344 or at <http://jbkearney@genesee.edu>.

Press release:

It’s a tribute to the men and women who flirted with harness racing immortality. And the Harness Racing Hall of Fame exhibit will be on display this weekend at Batavia Downs Casino.

It’s called the Drive to Win exhibit and it features drivers and trainers who through circumstance or fate, did not rise to stardom. Their stories are poignant and down to earth and highlight that through adversity, the one shining element that connects them all is their love of and commitment to the great sport of harness racing.

Huge portraits, many provided by The United States Trotting Association and the sport’s weekly magazine Horseman And Fair World, introduce the subjects of the exhibit who were all nominated by racing fans. Each includes the complete story of the individual and what made them noteworthy in the sport.

There are 27 drivers and trainers featured in the exhibit including former Western New York regulars Jim Rankin, Robbie Rankin, George Forshey, and Angus Allen. You will also be able to see the stories of Richard Baker, Hugh Bell, Edwin Bither, Harry Burright, Vernon Crank, Harold R. Dancer, Norman Dauplaise, Alfred “Bucky” Day, Bea Farber, Hilda Heydt, Maxie Lee, Joe Lighthill, Howard Parker, Ervin Samples, Forrest Short, Phyllis Smith Page, Harold Snodgrass, Colby Turner, Sacher Werner, John “Tic” Wilcutts, Lew Williams, and Mildred Williams. Their stories provide an illuminating glimpse into this Great American Pastime.

The exhibit was stationary at the Hall of Fame of the Trotter in Goshen, NY until 2009 when it became a traveling ambassador of the sport. Its presentation here this week was made possible through support from Hanover Shoe Farms and is co-sponsored by Batavia Downs Casino and the Upstate NY Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association. It will be on display in The Paddock Room from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Labor Day Monday. Evening post times are 6:40 with a 1:15 matinee post on Labor Day.

We will also have many hand outs from the museum including the colorful and informative Hall of Fame Journal from this past July 4th inductions at Goshen, NY.

Many thanks to Tim Bojarski, President-Upstate New York Chapter of USHWA for making this exhibit possible.

Darien Lake Resort will host the inaugural WNY Emergency Services Appreciation Day on 9/11 -- to honor the heroic contributions of emergency services personnel on that day in 2001.

It will honor fallen heroes and raise funds for charity. Firefighters and their families are invited to enjoy the day together with fun activities and raffles that provide guests with the chance to win amazing prizes.

Free parking is included with each $20 admission ticket, along with delicious food and beverages. Admission includes the theme park and the new SplashTown water park.At 1:30 p.m., a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony will take place to pay homage to the fallen. All proceeds from the event will benefit local charities.

To order tickets or request more information, please call (716) 533-1800 or email webmaster@ecfwire.com. 
 
For those wishing to stay on property, there are special hotel and camping packages available, which include admission to the theme park and water park. This year, Darien Resort is also pleased to offer brand-new Brown Bear Cabins that provide guests with all of the comforts of home.

For more information on WNY Emergency Services Appreciation Day or visiting Darien Lake Resort on Sept. 11, please visit GoDarienLake.com or call (585) 599-4641.

In September, the Richmond Memorial Library is offering a new preschool program called “Eat, Read, Grow." It is in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County.

Parents and children will participate in a variety of reading, nutrition/food prep, and gardening activities.

For more information, contact Judy at the Richmond Memorial Library, 343-9550, ext. 1510. A New York State Family Literacy Grant makes this program possible.