Announcements

The 400 Towers Residents'  Council is sponsoring a Snack Shop staffed by resident volunteers.

Featuring a variety of snacks and beverages, available at reasonable prices.  The net proceeds will benefit the Residents' Council General Fund.

Today is our kickoff day and shake down cruise day.  One thing we discovered, we could use a display rack that holds small bags of chips and other snacks.  If you know of any used display racks for sale (or even better, donated), please let me know.

A big thanks our volunteers: Bill Benedict; Bob Clark (purchasing), Alan Galton, Joe Greene, Marie Greenlees, Judy Hale, Bill Heany, Henry Larson, Pat Larson(staffing and purchasing), Dennis Meyers, Barb Odachowski and Barb Villa(staffing and purchasing). 

Also, a big thank you to Sharon in the BHA office and George in maintenance who worked extremely hard to help us get the project off the ground.

Bea McManis, Chairperson - 400 Towers Snack Shop

The Oakfield Community Bible Church would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Oakfield Fire Department for their generous support in allowing our new and growing congregation to utilize their facilities for our weekly worship services. As with all of our great volunteer fire companies, when we need them, they are there. When God opened a door for us to begin a new work, The Oakfield Fire Department was there.

Our last service at the fire hall will be Sunday, October 4th at 10:00 a.m. We encourage everyone to come and worship with us.  As always, when God closes one door he opens another and on Sunday, October 11th we will begin worshipping in our new home at the Oakfield Rod and Gun Club located at 3199 Maltby Rd. in Oakfield.  In the meantime support your local volunteer fire company because when crisis arises, no one exemplifies a neighbor like volunteer firefighters.

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Three students at Batavia High School have been named Commended Students for 2010 by the National Merit Scholarship Corp..

They are Kristen A. Klein, Devon R. Kleinbach and Allison M. Schelemanow.

They are among 34,000 Commended Students nationwide, out of 1.5 million students who competed in the 2008 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Only students scoring in the top 5 percent received the distinction by demonstrating exceptional academic promise.

The students will receive a Letter of Commendation from Principal Christopher J. Dailey and the National Merit Scholarship Corp..

"Recognition of high-achieving students is essential to advancing educational excellence in our nation," said a spokesperson for National Merit Scholarship in its announcement. "As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country. We sincerely hope this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and encourage them in their pursuit of academic success."

Mitzie Collins and "Striking Strings", the Hammered Dulcimer Ensemble of the Eastman Community School, will be performing at the Byron Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 4, at  2:00 PM.  The concert is free to the public, but there will be a free-will offering to support the Ensemble.  Refreshments will be served after the concert. 

Mitzie Collins is a world-renowned recording artist, performer and teacher.  She is currently on the faculty of the Eastman Community Music School in Rochester.  The Hammered Dulcimer Ensemble is composed of Mitzie's students.  Mary Ann Blair, one of the Ensemble members, is a member of the church, and made the arrangements for the concert. 

The church is just west of the intersection of Route 237 and Rt. 262 in the center of Byron.  For more information, please call 548-2800 or visit www.byronfpc.org.

Here is more detailed information about "Striking Strings", from one of their press releases: 

Striking Strings, the Eastman Community Music School Hammered Dulcimer Ensemble, was created in January of 2008 under the direction of Mitzie Collins.  Composed of students from the group classes that Collins has taught through the Eastman Community Music School and professional and amateur players from the community, the ensemble is has quickly won fans through its many performances in the Rochester area.   Hammered dulcimer ensembles, encompassing rhythmic and tuneful combinations not possible on a single instrument, are rare in the United States, but common in other parts of the world.   This group is modeled after hackbrett ensembles in Germany and yangqin ensembles in China.  Under Collins’ direction, the group is exploring a wide repertory that includes traditional dance tunes and classical compositions.  The Ensemble has performed at the Gardenscape at the Dome Arena, the Caledonia Presbyterian Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School, two private weddings, the Heart of the Alleghenies Festival in Bradford Pennsylvania,  The Harley School, The Genesee Country Village Fiddlers Festival and The Golden LInk Folksinging Society .  The Ensemble plans a number of appearances in the community during the 2009 holiday season. 

The director of the ensemble,  Mitzie Collins,  is widely acknowledged to be a leader in the revival of the hammered dulcimer.  A historian of the instrument, as well as a teacher and performe r,  she has made more than 30 recordings.   Some of her most popular discs are "Sacketts Harbor:  Historical Dance Music of Western New York State",   "St Patrick's Day in the Morning:  Music of Irish Inspiration";  and "Nowell  Music for the Christmas Season".    Collins teaches world music and hammered dulcimer through the Eastman Community Music School.  She received her bachelor of music with a piano performance major and her masters in music education from the Eastman School of Music. 

The group currently has ten members, but it is growing as more players audition to join the infectious enthusiasm of the group.  

The Northeast Organic Farming Association is urging farmers to act now to reduce the risk of late blight next season.

NOFA-NY (www.nofany.org <http://www.nofany.org/> ) is a non-profit educational organization committed to promoting a sustainable regional food system.

It maintains that a major outbreak of late blight -- the disease that devastated tomato plantings and reduced potato yields throughout New York State this growing season -- may occur any year when growing conditions (wet, cool weather) favor its development. 

While farmers and gardeners can't control the weather, they can reduce the risk of another widespread outbreak of late blight by following a few key practices starting this fall.

In our region, the organism that causes late blight survives from one season to the next in living host tissue-infected potato tubers. Tomatoes do not carry the disease over winter because their seed is not infected by the disease.

To reduce the chance of the disease organism's survival, this fall growers should thoroughly harvest all potatoes and then till up all land that grew potatoes. The harvested tubers should be carefully inspected and all infected tubers destroyed: by chopping into small pieces and burying deeply (below 2 feet); burning; feeding to livestock; or spreading on the soil surface so that they will freeze over the winter.  Infected tubers thrown into a pile may survive the winter and thus perpetuate the disease.

Growers can continue to reduce the risk of late blight next year by buying and planting certified potato seed tubers. They should also scout last year's potato land for volunteer plants, which should be dug up (including tubers) and immediately destroyed.

Infected tomato seedlings sold through "big box" stores were a major factor in the explosive spread of the disease throughout the state. Gardeners should consider starting their own seedlings or buying them from a local commercial grower.

By following these practices, farmers and gardeners can work together to reduce the chance of a major outbreak of late blight next year and in years to come. More information on the disease and management practices that reduce the risk of its occurrence can be found at the NOFA-NY website (www.nofany.org <http://www.nofany.org/> ), which also has links to other useful sites.

Rape Crisis Services of Planned Parenthood in the Rochester/Syracuse region is currently recruiting volunteers.

There is an urgent need in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties for individuals to assist with this important service, which offers free and confidential assistance to victims of sexual assault and their loved ones. It's the only service of its kind in the area.

Rape Crisis Service (RCS) offers sexual assault victims referrals, short-term counseling, and support during medical exams, police investigations and court proceedings.

Being a RCS volunteer is a very rewarding experience, and without these important individuals who volunteer their time, the 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week service that RCS offers would not be available. 

No prior experience is needed, as RCS provides all volunteers with New York State Department of Health mandated training that educates them on how to provide support to victims and their families, assist in the legal process, and how to work with RCS counselors and other volunteers.

Those interested in volunteering for RCS must be at least 20 years of age and be comfortable working with victims in a crisis situation.

Further information about how to volunteer and become involved in Rape Crisis Service can be found on the internet at www.pprsr.org or by contacting Kathy Pexton, regional volunteer coordinator of Planned Parenthood, at 585-546-2771 ext 338. You can also contact Theresa Asmus, Rape Crisis Service area supervisor at 344-0516 ext. 111.

Here's a press release from Isaac Figueras of the Genesee Regional Red Cross regarding an aspect of disaster preparedness:

September is National Preparedness Month. In recognition of this, the Genesee Regional Red Cross would like to take a moment to talk about the importance of renter’s insurance. As the AmeriCorps VISTA Representative of this chapter, I recently sat down with New York State Assemblyman and insurance salesman Steve Hawley and spoke with him about this topic. 

We talked of the importance of renter’s insurance, its effectiveness and costs.

The Red Cross believes this is important because, as Hawley says about renter’s insurance, “Aside from life insurance, it is the one type of insurance that people do not think about. Because they do not own the building, some people assume that the owner of the building is responsible for any losses that the renter incurs or that they cannot be sued.”

This assumption is wrong. Let’s start with a few basic points about this kind of insurance.

You may be thinking, what exactly does renter’s insurance cover? The policy generally covers damages from fire, lightning, wind, bursting pipes, vandalism and much more. In fact, this policy can even cover the damage from someone else crashing into your house!

Also, the insurance is not expensive. An average premium of $100,000 costs roughly $80 a year. Further, there is a $300,000 liability if someone sues you. Some companies only require a down payment to start it.

Hawley also noted that, with many insurance companies, if you already have a different kind of insurance policy such as car insurance, adding a renter’s insurance policy can give you a discount. In such a case, your renter’s insurance would be even lower than the average $80 yearly premium.

Calling attention to this kind of policy is especially important. In this region, major threats include fire, wind and storms. As noted above, damages caused by these events to a rented building are often covered under a renter’s insurance policy.

“I think that with the changing weather patterns that we’ve observed here in Western New York and the East, that it is even more important, whether you’re a renter or a home-owner, to be sure that you are adequately covered,” Hawley said.

Regardless of your location or circumstances, you and your home can both be affected by bad weather. An awareness of the possible emergencies that can occur in your area is, as always, important. If you rent property, purchasing such insurance is a first step toward being prepared for emergencies.

Finally, considering the average price of this insurance and its coverage, such a purchase is cost effective as well. Remember, preparedness may not seem important now but, in the event of a disaster, each preparation you have made will help!
 

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce head softball coach and sports information director Kristen Clark will be inducted into the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagle Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 26. The highly decorated coach and athlete will be inducted for her performances in basketball, softball and for her participation in the 2003 Women's Basketball team.

Clark joined Genesee's athletic department in 2004 as the head coach of the Lady Cougar Softball team. She is a 2003 graduate of SUNY Brockport with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration, plus 54 credits toward a sports management concentration. She received her Master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania.

While at Brockport, she was a two-sport athlete in basketball and softball, where she was an All-American and broke many school records. These included career records with best Earned Runs Average (1.18), most games pitched, most wins (69), and most strikeouts (639) for the Eagles Softball team. For the basketball program, she holds most points in a season (596), highest scoring average in a season (20.6), second career all time leading scorer (1780), and second career all time rebound leader.

Clark was also nominated for the 2004 College Sportswoman of the Year and was inducted into the J.P. Morgan Chase Basketball Tournament Hall of Fame. She has also earned State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors multiple times.

"Personally, I would say that Kristen is incredibly hard-working and a role model not only for the women on the College's softball team, but for all athletes," said Becky Dziekan, Genesee's director of Health and Physical Education. "I think Genesee Community College is very lucky to have her on staff."

Before joining the Cougar team, Kristen was the assistant basketball coach at Brockport where she helped with recruiting, planning and fundraising throughout the season. She is on the SUNY Brockport Alumni Association Board. She was recently married to David Schuth and they reside in Spencerport.

For further information please contact Margaret Sisson, athletic director at Genesee Community College at 585-343-0055 x6239.