Announcements

Registration for Batavia Minor Leagues baseball will be inside the Batavia Country Mall, outside of Sunny's Restaurant, on the following dates:

• 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday Feb. 28th
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday March 1st
• 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday March 7th

Registration fee is $50 due at time of sign-up. The fee will increase to $75 for any player registered after March 7th.

Press release:

YWCA of Genesee County has launched a 2014 appeal to help support the Domestic Violence Crisis & Prevention Services program.

There are an estimated 6,000 victims of domestic violence in Genesee County, and YW staff plans to serve at least 1,000 of them this year. That is 300 more than the average number served, Executive Director Jeanne Walton says.

"Our goal is to open a door of hope for victims of domestic violence," Walton said. "They often can't even imagine the freedom and joy waiting for them. All campaign donations will go a long way in helping us to get the job done."

YWCA has scheduled a year of fundraisers to not only fuel the nonprofit's programs but to recognize, honor and celebrate special people in the community. Events include a Fabulous Females dinner on May 10, Wheels & Heels party on July 26, and the Stiletto/Sneaker Walk and Community Harvest Supper on Oct. 1. More details are to come.

Tucked into these special events is The YES! Cafe, a lunchtime program on the second Wednesday of each month.

Tomorrow, Feb. 12, patrons can "Follow Your Heart" with last-minute Valentine's gifts starting at noon. A lunch of a baked potato with assorted toppings, salad bar and a red velvet cookie sandwich will be served as various gift vendors display and sell their goods. Items will include body contour wraps, infinity scarves, soaps, lotions, flameless candles, purses, jewelry, specialty vinegars and much more.

For more information about any programs and services at YWCA, call (585) 343-5808.

Press release:

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Michael R. Marsh, of Batavia, is hosting a free 60-minute educational seminar titled "Preparing Your Estate Plan" at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 6th at the branch office, 7 Jackson St. in Batavia.

Michael will present this seminar along with Bonarigo & McCutcheon, Benjamin J. Bonarigo Sr.,Esq., a local estate planning attorney.

Many people tend to put off or ignore developing a sound estate plan, but it's one of the most important things an investor can create. During the seminar, participants will learn more about:

• What to consider when creating a will;
• Benefits of trusts in estate planning;
• How to help reduce taxes on one's estate;
• How insurance can help protect one's family.

The seminar is free, but space is limited. To make a reservation, call Robin Ettinger at 585-345-1773.

Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work.

The firm's 12,000-plus financial advisors work directly with nearly 7 million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is reminding his constituents that the deadline for volunteer firefighters to apply for college tuition aid through the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York’s Higher Education Learning Plan (FASNY HELP) is February 3. This program has been developed to encourage volunteerism and help college students pay for the ever-increasing cost of a college education. Hawley does not want any young firefighters in his district miss out on tuition aid because they were not aware of the FASNY HELP program.

“The fine people at FASNY have a great program to help volunteer firefighters with their college tuition. If you are a volunteer firefighter trying to put yourself through college, please do not hesitate to take advantage of the program,” said Hawley. “The time and sacrifice our volunteer firefighters give to their communities is commendable, and the FASNY HELP program is the least we can do to show our gratitude for their service.”

The FASNY HELP program allows community college students to receive up to 100 percent tuition reimbursement for up to 80 credit hours while serving as volunteer firefighters and maintaining their grades. To be eligible for the FASNY HELP program, you must first complete your local fire department’s volunteer membership process and the Volunteer Fire Department Commitment form.

For information on the program and how to apply, visit http://www.fasny.com/index.php/resources/fasny-help/, email HELP@fasny.com,
Attn: John D’Alessandro, Deputy Volunteer Programs Coordinator or call FASNY toll free at (855) 367-6933.

A chakra workshop designed to relieve stress and increase energy is scheduled for February 1 at Blue Pearl Yoga. Rich Hayden, a certified yoga, meditation, and chakra instructor will lead the class on a path to renewed wellness. This class is suitable for all ages; pre-registration is required.

Chakras are points in the subtle human body located at the physical counterparts of arteries, veins, and nerves. Since charkas are not part of the human body they can most accurately be described as energy centers connected by channels. Each Chakra has its own characteristics, responsible for receiving and expressing energy. Through a series of simple yoga poses and breathing exercises students will learn how to activate energy while relieving stress, tension, and depression. “Keeping these energy field clear and balanced is one of the best form of preventative medicine and self-care,” according to Karen Reisdorf, owner of Blue Pearl Yoga.

Workshop facilitator Rich Hayden has been a yoga instructor at Blue Pearl Yoga for 8 years and has lead several Chakra Workshops. He says that participants will learn to attend to their Chakra through meditation, poses, and chanting to “establish health on a solid basis and increase energy.” During meditation, he says, “we focus on color and sound. Each chakra has a corresponding color connected to it and has a tremendous strengthening effect on the physical body.” The resulting outcome of this workshop is “peace, joy, and a true love of life.” 

The Chakra Workshop with Rich Hayden is scheduled for Saturday, February 1 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Blue Pearl Yoga, 200 East Main Street, third floor. Cost is $35.00 and pre-registration is required. For more information contact Karen Reisdorf at 585.813.5430.

Press release:

The Red Cross will conduct a blood drive at United Memorial Medical Center on Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The mobile unit will be in front of the hospital at 127 North St., Batavia. All presenting donors at the blood drive will receive a free gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts. Appointments may be made by visiting www.redcrossblood.org. Walk-ins are welcome.

Generally to be eligible to donate, individuals must be 17 years of age or older, healthy and weigh at least 110 pounds. On the day of the donation, the American Red Cross recommends drinking an extra 16 ounce glass of water before and after the donation. They also suggest eating a healthy meal, avoiding high fat foods, before donating.

For the appointment (walk-ins are welcome) bring a driver’s license or two other forms of identification and a list of any current medications. After registration, presenting donors will have their blood pressure, temperature, pulse and hemoglobin measured. They will also be asked for a brief health history and asked about their travels to foreign countries.

The donation process itself usually lasts 8-10 minutes, but can be longer based on the donation. After donating, refreshments are provided. The entire process usually takes less than an hour to complete.

People can donate multiple times but must wait eight weeks/56 days between donations of whole blood.

Enjoy an evening of laughter at the auditorium at Batavia High School on Friday, Jan. 24. That's when the Jack Hirsch Comedy Hypnosis act will take place, starting at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 in advance and can be obtained at Big Pauly's Pizza, all Batavia schools, varsity basketball games and from members of the Batavia High School Alpine Ski Team, which is hosting the event. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $12.

And look whose going to get hypnotized...Mrs. Wasilewski, Mr. Weicher, Coach Briggs, Mr. Sloan, Michael DiBracco, Mr. Kirkwood and Pauly from Big Pauly's Pizza.

The school is located at 260 State St. in the City of Batavia.

The All Weather Gang, a group of plein air (outdoor) painters who wander the back roads of Western New York, has a show at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia, through Jan. 25. The official opening of the show is from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, and all are welcome.

Beginning in the late 20th Century, the gang (currently seven members) meets for
breakfast every Saturday morning. They then travel in caravan formation in search of the day’s painting location. Should you see them, feel free to stop and say hello. The group includes Batavians Don Grieger and Kevin Feary, Gilbert Jordan, of Wyoming, and artists from the Rochester area.

Press release:

The 12th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner, set for March 22, is a celebration of the number one industry in Genesee County – Agriculture.
 
Tickets to the dinner are currently sold out!
 
Thank you to the following farms and businesses that are sponsoring this year’s event:

Lamb Farms, Inc., William Kent, Inc., Stein Farms, Farm Credit East, Windy Acres Farm, Five Star Bank, Clark Patterson Lee, Z&M Ag and Turf, United Memorial Medical Center, Torrey Farms, Inc., Muller Quaker Dairy, Arctic Refrigeration Co., Baskin Livestock, Carolina Eastern Crocker, LLC, Freed Maxick & Battaglia, National Grid, The Southcott Agency Inc., The Bank of Castile/Tompkins Insurance, Porter Agency - Farm Family Insurance, Del Mar Farms, Java Farm Supply and Geer Farm Services.
 
Proceeds from the dinner help support agriculture educational events in Genesee County.
 
The Celebrate Ag Dinner is coordinated by the following partners: Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District and Genesee County Farm Bureau.

Press release:

The Batavia Youth Bureau/Youth Center is pleased to announce this year’s Winter Recess schedule. To accommodate both parents and youth our regular program hours have been adjusted to the following. For the week of Dec. 23 – Jan. 3 the center will be opened from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Special activities as well as a snack will be offered each day. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Dec. 23rd – Trivia Game Show

Tuesday, Dec. 24th – Closed!

Wednesday, Dec. 25^th – Closed!

Thursday, Dec. 26^th – Movie Day – Breakfast foods for snack today!

Friday, Dec. 27^th – Tournament Triathlon

Monday, Dec. 30^th – The Minecraft Games

Tuesday, December 31^st – Cookie Decorating

Wednesday, Jan. 1^st – Closed!

Thursday, Jan. 2^nd – Board Game Olympics

Friday, Jan. 3^rd – Crafts and Science Experiments

The Batavia Youth Center is located at 12 MacArthur Drive, right next door to Batavia High School and is open to youth from the ages of 10-19. If you have any questions or would like more information please contact the Batavia Youth Bureau at (585) 345-6420.

NYS Snowmobile Safety course will be taught at Darien Fire Dept. Hall from 7 to 10 p.m. on Jan. 7 and Part 2 will be given from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 11. The Fire Hall is located on Route 77 in Darien.

The course is free to children from 10 to 18 years of age. New York State’s Snowmobile Law requires that youngsters ages 10-18 acquire a safety certificate before they may lawfully operate a snowmobile. Youngsters may qualify for their safety certificates by taking a safety course and passing the examination given at the end of the course. The course and all materials are furnished free. The course is also open to adults.

The instructors for snowmobile Safety Course are certified by NYS.

You must sign up for the course and attend both classes where you register. All materials for the Snowmobile Safety Course will be furnished. Those that pass the written exam will be issued a patch, certificate, and a license.

If your child is interested in taking the course and would like to lawfully drive a snowmobile, pre-register by calling 585-599-6431 or 585-937-9536 after 5:30 pm.

The class is sponsored by the Millgrove Sportsmen Club, Genesee Sno-Packers Snowmobile Club and CoPeDa Snowmobile Club. Snowmobile trails officially opened on Dec. 18.

WHAT: The YES! Cafe's December Program
WHEN:  Noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11
WHERE: YWCA, 301 North St., Batavia

BATAVIA -- Things are getting sweet at YWCA this month with a special cookies and confections program during The YES! Cafe.

Patrons will have the opportunity to bid on plates of locally made baked goods, purchase some as gifts or for home, sample some sweet treats and get tips for making your own goodies special. It's set for noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the nonprofit, 301 North St.

Lunch includes chicken marsala, salad bar, roll and butter and Italian cookies. $10 includes meal and program. Take-outs are available for those who can't stay. To register or get more information, call (585) 343-5808.

Attica author Rob Thompson will be signing copies of his book "The Linden Murders…Solved" from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday Nov. 29, "Black Friday," at Coffee Culture, 6 Court St. in Batavia.

At the signing Friday, books will be $20 each, 2 for $35, and the first 25 on Black Friday will receive a free medium coffee.

Coffee Culture's phone number is 201-7101.

Thompson says "We’ve been very pleased with how the book has been received. It did reach #9 on Amazon True-Crime shortly after its release, and for a year or so now we’ve also been working on a novel regarding the Linden murders. I felt it was important to tell the facts of the case first, then build a novel around those events. I think this novel will allow the reader’s imagination to run wild about those days. That book will be released June 1, 2014.

"Another opportunity that has come our way is the filming of a mock trial. In March 2014, the 90^th anniversary of the triple murders, we will put the individual I named as the guilty party on trial before a jury. We will present in detail the evidence and let the jury decide guilty or not guilty.

"Joining us during that filming will be Mike Dion who appeared on the SyFy Channel's "Ghost Hunters" during its first three seasons."

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is preempting his regular office hours for Genesee County residents at Genesee Community College. The office hours will resume their normal schedule on Friday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 5 p.m.

Constituents can reach Assemblyman Hawley at his district office, located at 121 N. Main St. in Albion, by calling 585-589-5780 or by e-mailing hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us