Livingston County Chamber of Commerce New York

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Save A Lot Food Store, Mount Morris
Official Opening/Ribbon Cutting

Genesee Community College Names Kozlowski to Associate Vice President for Workforce Development

BATAVIA, NY (06/22/2010) -- Genesee Community College is pleased to announce, dean of The BEST Center, Jerry Kozlowski has been named Associate Vice President for Workforce Development. The BEST Center at Genesee provides training, advising and small business consulting for local businesses. In his new role, Mr. Kozlowski will assume greater responsibility for administering customized workforce development programming and for maintaining a viable business plan to guide strategic and tactical planning in the growth of workforce development services. He will officially assume this new position July 1, 2010.

Kozlowski began his tenure at Genesee Community College in 2000 when he came on board as a faculty member in the business department. In 2002, he helped develop, found, and serve as dean of The BEST Center, (Business Employee Skills Training). In 2004, Kozlowski assumed the managerial role of Genesee's network of campus centers, which included the construction and opening of a sixth location in Lima, in October 2009. As dean of Genesee's six campus centers, he oversaw the delivery of academic programs in the four-county GLOW region (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming) covering 2,400 square miles and a staff of over 30 people. This responsibility accounts for approximately one-quarter of the College's total enrollment.

"At all community colleges, workforce development has become a key and expected component of the community college's mission," Dr. Stuart Steiner, president of Genesee said. "Our Board and local sponsors have certainly praised us for our success in this area, and we have the hope and expectation that we can continue to build on that success. Jerry is the ideal candidate to meet those new goals and secure the future success of The BEST Center."

Kozlowski was the recipient of the prestigious State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service for academic year 2005 - 2006 recognizing his consistent leadership and outreach activities. Additionally, Jerry is a member of the Leadership Genesee Class of 2004, and serves on the following boards: New York State Liaison for the American Association of Community Colleges; Member-At-Large, GLOW Workforce Investment Board; Member, Genesee County Empire Zone Board; Member, Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Economic Development Focus Group; and Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. He is also a former business columnist for The Daily News in Batavia, NY.

Kozlowski is a resident of Clarence Center, NY, an adjunct graduate school professor for Medaille College, a former executive of Tops Markets, Inc., and a retired officer of the U.S. Air Force with 25 years of service as a commander, instructor, speechwriter, and program manager.


MARCH 2010 RECOGNIZED AS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH
IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY

Click here for the full story


Lisa Burns, Livingston County Tourism Director, poses next to tree planted by Livingston CARES in Boloxi, Harrison County next to Hurricane Katrina monument.

Literacy Volunteers of Livingston County Director, Karen Six (left) presenting recognition award to Lisa Beardsley, Dept. of Health at the 2010 Literacy Volunteers Annual Dinner.

SUNY Geneseo Launches Awards Program to Recognize Distinguished Alumni Educators

GENESEO, N.Y. – The State University of New York at Geneseo is launching an awards program to recognize outstanding Geneseo alumni educators who have made a profound impact on individual students, schools and communities.

Three of the college’s alumni will be honored through the Geneseo Distinguished Educator Awards Program, an annual undertaking by the Ella Cline Shear School of Education. The school is inviting administrators to nominate up to two education professionals per school who have made significant contributions both in and out of the classroom. Nominees must be a SUNY Geneseo alumna or alumnus who received an undergraduate or graduate degree from the college. He or she must work or have worked as a teacher, guidance counselor, school psychologist, librarian, administrator or staff member who impacts the daily lives and educational experiences of K-12 students. Retired educators are eligible, and awards also may be conferred posthumously.

Nominations for this year’s program are to be postmarked by March 23 and must come from a superintendent, principal, vice principal, dean or department chair. A copy of the application is available to download at go.geneseo.edu/educatorawards.

A panel of education professionals and faculty from the School of Education will select the award winners based upon their professional achievements since graduating from the college. The three winners will be honored during alumni weekend in July at a complimentary champagne reception, which all nominees will be invited to attend.

“These awards will honor Geneseo alumni in the field of education who have gone way above and beyond in their commitment to superior educational practices,” said Osman Alawiye, dean of Geneseo’s School of Education. “Recipients of this award not only teach and serve, they inspire young people to achieve more. They represent the legions of extraordinary teachers and professionals all over the world who shape our society through the education of today’s students.”

Questions about the program can be directed to educatorawards@geneseo.edu.


Evenint Star Coffee Roasters

Evening Star Coffee Roasters has launched a new charity coffee: St. Pio Blend that benefits Katie Shirley's Closet and Daystar Infant Care for the Medically Fragile of Rochester.

Press articles:


 

National Kidney Foundation - 2010 Geneseo Kidney Walk scheduled for March 26, 2010 at SUNY Geneseo Wilson Ice Rink - Click here for flyer and facts

 


 

Boscoes Chosen From Over 400 Offices to Receive Award of Excellence - Click here for the press release

 


 

SBDC (Small Business Development Center) Update - Click here for full story

 


DANSVILLE MOM’S BUSINESS VENTURE TO STIMULATE LOCAL ECONOMY

What started as a project for a class through the Alliance for Business Growth, Geneseo has now turned into a tool to help families save money, while stimulating growth for local business owners.

Colleen Clark, president of 1000 Businesses Unite, launches her new business in hopes of positively impacting the community while teaching her children
entrepreneurial skills.

1000 Businesses Unite Pulling Together to Encourage Local Spending

Colleen and her two daughters, Whitnie (15) and Olivia (13) along with two friends, Becky Roffe (Linwood) and Jessica Purvis (Avon) have been visiting every business in 14 towns from Bath to Leroy and Wayland to Lima to
personally invite them to join this local economy boosting project.

1000 Businesses Unite is an online directory of one thousand local businesses from plumbing to pizza. Once registered on the site a family can do an easy search of any local business member and print off coupons as
needed.

Reasonably priced for business and families alike, this online tool encourages families to shop locally while saving money.

Colleen and her husband John participated in an very beneficial business class through the Alliance for Business Growth and have worked closely with Norman Karsten from the Small Business Development Center, both located on the SUNY Geneseo campus. Colleen and her daughters worked with a class of College Students at SUNY Geneseo under professor Mary Mohan. Five of her students took on the idea for their class project. They helped develop the company name, logo, and did market research.

Some of the skills the Clark girls have learned while working on this idea over the last year include, how to run a business, marketing, sales, graphic design, computer programming, working with people, and serving the
community.

To further encourage the youth of our community, Colleen has enlisted the talents of website developer Bryan Kunkle (16) of Nunda who has skillfully helped yet another business build a successful website.

1000 Businesses Unite is a proud member of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce.

“We believe that there is a lot we can do for each other to help our local economy, and that if you set out to help other people you always end up receiving a blessing in return!”

1000 Businesses Unite aspires to be the next great success story!

Anyone interested can contact our website at www.1000businessesunite.com or email at support@1000businessesunite.com

Deadline to join as a business member has been extended to September 1, 2009.


Mount Morris Dam Visitor Center Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

The Princeton Review Again Names SUNY Geneseo One of the Best Colleges in the Nation

GENESEO, N.Y. – The State University of New York at Geneseo is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The New York-based education services company features the college in the just-published 2010 edition of its annual guidebook, “The Best 371 Colleges.” Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two Canadian colleges are in the book.

The Princeton Review offers two-page profiles of the colleges plus student survey-based ranking lists of top 20 colleges in 62 categories. The rankings are posted online at www.PrincetonReview.com.

“We commend SUNY Geneseo for its outstanding academics, which is the primary criteria for our choice of schools for the book,” said Robert Franek, vice president for publishing with the Princeton Review and author of “The Best 371 Colleges.” “We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character. We make our choices based on institutional data we gather about schools, feedback from students attending them, and input from our staff who visit hundreds of colleges a year.”

The book notes that Geneseo is the most selective of SUNY’s undergraduate colleges and more selective than three of SUNY’s university centers.

The Princeton Review’s 62 ranking lists in “The Best 371 Colleges” are based on its survey of 122,000 students (about 325 per campus on average) attending the colleges in the book. The 80-question survey asks students to rate their schools on several topics and report on their campus experiences at them.

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book academically, or from 1 to 371 in any category, nor do the rankings reflect The Princeton Review’s opinion of the schools. A college’s appearance on a ranking list is entirely the result of a high consensus among its surveyed students about a topic compared with that of students at other schools answering the same survey question(s) on the ranking list topic.

The Princeton Review is a New York-based company known for its test preparation, education, and college admission services. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and it is not a magazine.


 

Finders Keepers opens Tuesday, June 2nd in Mount Morris

Opening of Finders Keepers in Mt. Morris


POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Livonia inventor poised to market unique wind turbine design


By Mark Gillespie
mark@livingstonnews.com

Western New Yorkers are getting used to the sight of 20-story wind farms in the distance, visible for miles.

That’s why Gerald Brock’s new “WindTamer” turbine design is likely to catch people by surprise.

A working prototype erected this month on Route 246 north of Perry Center barely clears the top of Jeff Dodge’s two story farmhouse nearby.

A retired engineer, Dodge was an early investor in Brock’s company. Brock chose the Wyoming County site because of its gusty hilltop location and modest residential needs.

The test model is gathering measurements over the course of about 10 days that Brock will be able to use in marketing materials. With its flared cowling, the WindTamer looks like a large badminton shuttlecock. The cowling keeps the turbine blades pointed into the wind, and creates dual vacuums that boost efficiency.

The whole unit rotates freely on its base, and produces power at almost any wind speed.

On Friday, with winds between 10-15 miles an hour, Lane Young of O’Connell Electric read an output of 400 volts.

Raw power to a household inverter — which then sends the electricity back out to utility lines, explained Young.

During power outages, the inverter sends power to a battery bank, and begins to recharge the batteries if the outage lasts more than five minutes.

Traditional wind towers have often been mired in passionate debate in public meetings — however, Brock got a building permit from the Town of Perry in a matter of hours.

“We’ve had dairy farmers stop by and ask ‘how soon can I get one,” said Brock, whose website windtamerturbines.com is advertised on a roadside
sign.

“It opens a whole new door. You don’t have to put up a 120-foot tower to have a wind turbine.”

Earlier protoypes of the turbine have been in use for a year at Clarkson University’s Center for Sustainable Energy in Potsdam.

Those turbines sustained little damage when the 80 mile-an-hour remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through.

The power surge, however, blew out fuses connected to the turbines. Brock is circumspect about his specific expectations. The U.S. Securities Exchange Commission is strict about developers publicizing
unverified data that could mislead investors.

However, a company press release estimates the 3.5 kilowatt model on Route 246 would produce 10,000 to 15,000 kilowatts of electricity a year at average wind speeds of 9 to 14 miles an hour.

Industrial engineer David Koon was hired by WindTamer a year ago to help with the transition from prototypes to mass production. The company has
converted part of the old Least car dealership in Geneseo into a small production line.

“When Brock told me about it, I couldn’t believe it would work like he told me it would,” said Koon. “He proved to me it would work.”

“I don’t think anybody will get upset by it,” said Koon, addressing public complaints about larger towers. “There’s no noise and no vibration. It does not kill birds or wildlife, and it looks very nice. It’s not up 300 feet in the air.”

Maintenance will be minimal, said Koon. The only two moving parts are the sealed, rotating base and the turbine itself, which will be under warrantee for 10 years.

The company will manufacture models from 1.8 to 20 kilowatts. “We’re working on using chemical composites that are lighter, cheaper and stronger [than fiberglass]. We want to get the cost down so
everybody can afford them,” said Brock.

“I’ve heard people talk about building “wind gardens,” he said. “You can put 50 of these in a location on top of a hill where you can’t see it. You can have cattle horses running around it,” added Koon.

The next WindTamer site will likely be the Perry-Warsaw airport, where officials are hoping the turbine will help them cut electricity bills.

Likewise, a large wind farm company called Alternative Wind Resources has placed a $50,000 deposit toward up to 1,000 15kW WindTamer turbines. The company hopes to mount the WindTamers alongside their large towers in Upstate New York to generate electricity when wind speeds are not optimal for the larger turbines.



EDISON. FORD. BROCK.

By Mark Gillespie, Editor

Every once in a while, we may be lucky enough to bear witness to what is clearly history in the making.

This is how I felt in Perry Center on Friday, looking at Gerald Brock’s new design for a wind turbine. I imagined myself as Watson to his
Alexander Bell or Wilbur to his Orville Wright.

When I first saw Brock’s “proof-of-concept” model in Avon a couple of years ago, it was a welded-together contraption of gray sheet metal
mounted to the back of his flatbed truck. He showed me how it could power a small light, even in a low wind.

For me, it was an impressive curiosity, but I wondered how someone could take a backyard shop project like this and turn it into a successful
commercial product. I shouldn’t have been so hasty to doubt him. His “pre-production prototype” appears to be nearly ready for prime time.

Its shape is more appealing and its fit and finish look like it could come right out of a catalog. I predict Brock’s turbine will be the single biggest story to come out of Livingston County in 100 years.

American history is punctuated by stories of tinkerers. Thomas Edison famously failed thousands of times before he was able to produce a light bulb in 1879 capable of staying lit for 40 hours using a carbon filament. A later patent, using carbonized bamboo, stayed lit for 1,200 hours.

Edison didn’t invent the light bulb; electric light was a concept that had been around for 50 years. What he did was produce a practical,
affordable application of the concept which ordinary Americans could afford to install in their homes.

An impressive curiosity became a way of life. We lit up our boulevards, businesses and homes — making it possible to extend our working (and playing) hours into the night.

Henry Ford did the same thing with the automobile. He didn’t invent it — but he did invent a way to make it affordable. The Model T, produced on his patented assembly line in 1908, sold for $825.

People began to need paved roads, gas stations and auto mechanics. Within two generation, America changed from a horse- and rail-driven
culture to a country in love with the automobile. Our superhighway system became the envy of the world.

Brock’s invention holds the same potential to transform society. He’s taken an old concept — drawing power from the wind — and made it easy and affordable. He plans to price his turbine “so that grandma can have one.”

Most of the objections to the 400-foot towers center around their appearance, safety and noise. People are also concerned that these
devices benefit corporate interests which send most of the power to monied clients.

Brock’s low-profile turbine produces almost no noise, and is suitable for a single rural residence or a small municipal “wind garden” on the
outskirts of a village. Their appearance is less jarring than their 20-story counterparts.

The societal sea change Brock’s invention could bring is one where we no longer depend so much on corporations for our energy needs. Our homes, businesses and battery-powered cars could be run on electricity from
locally-owned sources. The implications are mind-boggling.

This is as important as electric lighting, the automobile, radion, television, the PC and the internet. Things are about to change in
America.

And, it all started here in Livingston County.

 


   


The Buffalo News - March 15, 2009

15 years after a gigantic cave-in, miners in Livingston County still extract salt
Salt tempers a bitter recession

Joseph Bucci oversees salt processing at American Rock Salt

By Ben Dobbin - ASSOCIATED PRESS

HAMPTON CORNERS — A thick seam of salt courses 1,300 feet beneath the rolling farmland of Livingston County, almost as far down as the World Trade Center stood tall. Extracting the crystalline commodity for de-icing roads has been a solid livelihood for five generations and, these days, it’s a steady lamplight in the dim tunnel of recession.

The salt bed, an elevated section of a 600,000-square-mile field, was first exploited in 1885. William Foster, the first salt baron in rural upstate New York, created the company town Retsof, its name his own spelled backwards.

In time, the Retsof mine was taken over by the Dutch conglomerate Akzo Nobel N. V.

A colossal cave-in in March 1994, registering a magnitude-3.6 on seismic detectors, sent a torrent of aquifer water flowing into the mine. No one was hurt, but the effects soon became clear on the surface.

Two sinkholes hundreds of feet wide engorged fields in the Genesee River Valley. Trees toppled, a bridge foundation crumbled, wells were sucked dry. Volatile methane seeping from the ground had to be corralled and ignited in flares.

Unable to plug the leak, Akzo laid off 300 miners as the 18-square-mile mine filled with water over two years. But the company also pushed ahead with plans to build a new mine outside the river valley in Hampton Corners, a crossroads hamlet 8 miles from Retsof.

As the project’s real-estate negotiator, Joseph Bucci often rose at 4 a. m. to catch dairy farmers at the start of their workday. He spent 18 months acquiring 10,000 acres of mineral rights. Offering $300 an acre helped — Akzo had never topped $100 an acre — yet it was still a difficult sell.

“I had to convince them we were going to mine safely, the way we did for 100 years,” said Bucci, whose grandfather worked in the Retsof mine, and whose father died in it in a methane explosion in 1975. “It’s always amazed me that so many cooperated. Just one farmer out of 57 didn’t sell.”

Federal inspectors and geologists had argued the 1994 Retsof disaster might have been avoided if Akzo hadn’t switched two years earlier to a mining technique that left chamber roofs cracked and drooping. Instead of leaving 80-foot-wide salt pillars in place, Akzo turned to a more productive pattern of placing thick abutments at the perimeter and slender pillars supporting the middle of each chamber. Akzo insisted the collapse was precipitated by an undetectable flaw in the overlying rock layers.

Bucci’s clinching argument to farmers was an assurance that Akzo would revert to the old method.

In a largely agrarian county where high-paying industrial jobs are precious, the mining company was a rare jewel. And yet, after spending $18 million on the long-planned new mine, Akzo executives in 1996 had stunning news. Gathering miners in a warehouse, they announced the company was selling its mining interests in North America.

The sense of betrayal was thick in the air. “A lot of grown men were crying, let me tell you,” Bucci says.

He knew right away he had a new and more desperate mission: finding a way to open the new mine himself.

Bucci found an immediate ally in Gunther Buerman, a business lawyer in Rochester who had negotiated compensation for a farmer whose home was endangered by subsidence. They were joined by a Wall Street financial adviser, Neil Cohen, and the trio launched American Rock Salt Co. at a cost of $126 million in 1997—much of it debt they’re gradually repaying.

Since a shaft was sunk in 2000, 1,000 acres have been mined of up to 4.4 million tons a year and the payroll has grown to 275. Today, Bucci and the other two executives guide operations at the single biggest-producing rock salt mine in the United States.

With $190 million in sales and rising profits from two snowy winters, American Rock Salt supplies much of New York and Pennsylvania and icy points from Wisconsin to Virginia.

About 50 million tons of salt are produced in the U. S. each year. Icemelting salt, sold in large crystals, accounts for nearly half of the $1.5 billion in sales, said Richard Hanneman, president of the Salt Institute, a trade association.

After a harsh winter, road-salt suppliers went into high gear in 2008 to meet surging demand and the 20.5 million-ton record set in 2005 was likely eclipsed, Hanneman said.

“We went through a lot of years where we just broke even,” Bucci says. “This winter’s like the ultimate topping.”

With overtime, many workers make $40,000 to $60,000 a year, according to Buerman.

“It gives you a quality of life hard to find in Livingston County,” says foreman Scott Garrett, who has three children in college.

About 2,500 people work rock salt mines in Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan and New York. Compared with coal mining, fatal accidents are relatively few. The last of the 36 deaths at Retsof occurred in 1990 when a roof slab buried two men.

“I’ve seen the best of mining and I’ve seen the worst. All in all, this is a pretty darn safe job,” says drill operator Dennis Raftery, a 31-year veteran.

Chamber by chamber, salt is sawed with tungsten carbide-tipped cutting bars, blasted nightly with ammonium nitrate and hauled out on automated conveyor belts. Miners remove 13 feet of a seam averaging 19 feet thick, leaving at least 3 feet overhead for stability, and use a roof scaler machine to dislodge loose chunks.

“Akzo took out almost 70 percent of the salt, we take out about 60 percent,” plant manager Greg Norris says, the air cloudy as a $1.1 million front-end loader shifts salt in 18-ton scoops. “We want everyone to come to work and go home every day. You don’t want to lose respect for Mother Nature.”

Sebastian Vitale, 29, whose great-grandfather Antonio was a salt miner here, baby-sits computers at a crushing station. One good thing about the underground is the constant temperature of 58 degrees, plus “you don’t add salt to your food,” he says.

Bucci delights in the periodic descent in “The Cage,” a swift elevator with room for 60 miners, and the 1.5-mile buggy ride through unadorned, pitch-black tunnels to the mine face.

Back in college, he worked 14 straight day shifts one winter break without ever glimpsing daylight. As a foolhardy 19-year-old, he recalls crawling through a breach into an abandoned mine to scour for century-old wine bottles and chewing-tobacco wrappers.

Never far from his thoughts is that April noon in 1975 when he heard the mighty explosion that killed his dad.

Trying to stem salty water leaking into a river, the elder Bucci, who was 54, had arranged for two six-ton rocks to be dropped into an abandoned shaft blocked with rotting beams. Assured there was no methane detected, he lowered a video camera, which was shorted out by brine. The explosion killed him and three other men at the shaft rim.

To this day, Bucci faults poor management. “Dad was operating on a very limited budget,” he says.

At 65, Bucci is hoping his son, an environmental engineer also named Joe, might someday take his place.

“What we have accomplished speaks for itself. It’s certainly overwhelming to me,” he says, his voice catching.


www.buffalonews.com/145/story/608236.html


For more information contact:
Megan Connor Murphy
Dixon Schwabl
585-899-3258 (office)
585-339-8379 (cell)
megan@dixonschwabl.com

"Working For A Healthier Local Economy" - Leaders from nine-county Finger Lakes Region step up efforts
to grow our local communities in the face of New York State's fiscal crisis

Rochester, N.Y., March 16, 2009 -Leaders of industrial development agencies (IDAs) and Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) today announce they are stepping up efforts to grow our local communities as New York State faces its worst fiscal crisis in decades and state leaders in Albany debate proposed legislation that could jeopardize our region's competitive cost advantage.

With the future of economic development in the Finger Lakes Region at stake, 11 IDAs representing Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties, as well as the Village of Fairport and the City of Geneva, together with GRE, believe it is essential to increase efforts to help local businesses and local workers.

"Now is exactly the time for IDAs to step up and continue to be pro-active in our outreach to local businesses, local workers, and to the public at large," said Michael Manikowski, Executive Director of the Ontario County Industrial Development Agency, and Chairman of the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC). "Business owners and workers in our communities feel that "somebody" should be working to create local jobs for local workers. We want them to know that "somebody" is - every day, the men and women of your local IDA work to help businesses expand, create jobs, and invest in our communities."

A campaign communicating that pro-growth message is slated to start today. Manikowski and other economic-development leaders testified earlier this month at a public hearing on IDAs before the state Assembly's Committee on Local Governments in Albany. Proposed IDA legislation, including A.3659 (Hoyt) and S.1241 (Thompson), could result in dire unintended consequences by removing the Finger Lakes Region's competitive labor cost advantage.

"There are many aspects of this legislation that we find egregious; however, most troubling is the mandate it would impose on companies to use the prevailing wage for any project that receives IDA incentives," said Mark Peterson, Interim President of GRE. "Based on a recent study conducted by the Center for Governmental Research, requiring IDA projects to pay prevailing wage would increase the wage cost in Rochester by 43 percent, and the total cost of the project by 22 percent. In addition, companies that receive IDA assistance would be required to pay all employees at least the Rochester MSA's median wage of $15.42, regardless of their skill set or job description. Can you imagine what that would mean for cost competitiveness?"

According to a study by CGR, such a mandate would increase Upstate labor costs by 52 percent - an unsustainable figure.

IDAs play a major role in helping businesses create local jobs for local workers. Assistance from the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) was critical in the recent expansion of Mirror Show Management, a trade-show exhibition company in Webster. Mirror Show recently completed a $4.7 million expansion project in which the company invested $1.8 million to acquire a 126,000-square-foot warehouse, invested $2.7 million to build a 25,000-square-foot addition to the facility, and spent an additional $258,000 on equipment.

Similar IDA support occurs in other communities throughout the Finger Lakes Region, including Livingston County. Just three years ago, the local IDA worked to attract Barilla America to the village of Avon. In part through IDA assistance, the largest pasta manufacturer in the world was able to invest $100 million in a new manufacturing plant and distribution center, which were built in 53 weeks as part of an aggressive "shovel-ready" program. Among the most critical forms of assistance was the IDA's help in securing $3.3 million in infrastructure investment, including roads, water, sewer, lighting and rail.

When it first announced its project in 2006, Barilla America expected to create 120 jobs in three years. However, since locating its plant in Avon, the company has already expanded twice and today employs 125 workers, exceeding IDA requirements.

Private companies are not the only ones helped by local IDAs. For years, non-profit organizations were able to access low-interest financing through their local IDAs through "civic facility" legislation. The legislation expired in January 2008, and since then, according to NYSEDC, approximately $2.3 billion in non-profit construction and expansion projects have been on hold. GRE and IDAs from the Finger Lakes Region are working hard to convince state legislators to renew it this year by supporting A.5700 (Morelle).

"This is an immediate economic stimulus package that would generate $70 million in state revenue at a time when it's needed most and at no cost to taxpayers," said Steve Hyde, President and CEO, Genesee County Economic Development Center, the local IDA for Genesee County. "Civic facility legislation should be renewed without delay."

To learn more about your local IDA and how it can help local businesses and local workers, visit www.yourlocalIDA.org.



Partnership Celebrates Local Foods and Community, Brings Monastery’s Desserts to the Big Tree Inn

Geneseo, NY, March 12, 2009— Beginning Friday, February 27th, the Big Tree Inn in Geneseo will be serving desserts baked by the monks at the Abbey of the Genesee, just three miles down the road from the restaurant.

The Big Tree Inn sought out a partnership with the local monastery in an effort to serve more locally made foods and to celebrate the products of the region. According to Mark Scott, Executive Director of Campus Auxiliary Services, “We first learned about the desserts made at the monastery through the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce. We are always searching for ways to support the community, and we had also been searching for an opportunity to create a signature dessert. The union between the Big Tree Inn and the Abbey of the Genesee is a natural fit. We are proud to support them and to be able to showcase such a unique and important part of our community.”

The Abbey of the Genesee bakes the popular Monks Bread sold in local supermarkets. The lesser known desserts baked by the monks were previously only available directly from the monastery.

Blueberry Whiskey Cake

Date & Nut Whiskey Cake
Chef Ian McBride from the Big Tree Inn has created special sauces to enhance the desserts’ flavor and presentation. According to McBride, “The cakes are wonderfully moist and flavorful, making the great to work with. I concentrated on creating sauces and toppings that would bring out and enhance those flavors.”

The desserts being served at the Big Tree Inn include a Blueberry Whiskey Cake topped with Ice Cream and a Maple-Cinnamon Glaze and a Date and Nut Whiskey Cake served with New York State Apple Compote, Caramel, and Whipped Cream. Both desserts are available at an introductory price of $.99 with the purchase of an entrée through the end of March.


Genesee Valley Health Partnership Awarded $127,000 Grant To Help Improve Health Status of Livingston County Community

Dansville, New York, March 2, 2009 – The Genesee Valley Health Partnership (GVHP) announced today that it has been awarded a $127,103 grant under the New York State Office of Rural Health’s Rural Health Network Development Program. The one-year grant through Jan. 31, 2009 will be used to support and continue the GVHP’s mission of improving the health and well being of the Livingston County community through collaboration, education and prevention.

The GVHP will use the grant to continue collaborating with its partners to implement and expand a broad range of health-related activities focusing on youth development, wellness promotion, violence prevention, community health education, and improved access to health services.

Major projects include improving services for the aging population in Livingston County, focusing on affordable living, case management, increased access to caregiver resources, emergency services, and transportation.

The funds will also be used to continue providing a number of health and wellness youth education initiatives for the community, workplaces and schools. These programs focus on nutrition and healthy living, decreased alcohol and substance abuse, and violence prevention. Additional initiatives will focus on increased dental health care options for low-income individuals and families, immunization programs, and preventative education programs that aim to reduce diabetes. Other educational programs will focus on reducing teen pregnancy, increasing awareness of mental health issues, and promoting opportunities for youth volunteerism and recreation.

The GHVP will continue its work on creating a Single Point of Entry into the health care network, while addressing access issues in Livingston County involving the Medicaid/Medicare system. Working with County and State officials, the GVHP will work on a variety of environmental issues such as safe water supplies; hazardous materials handling; waste management; and water fluoridation. The GVHP will also use the award to help the healthcare system address a number of local economic issues, including recruiting and retaining of healthcare jobs and healthcare-related job training.

“In these tough economic times the work of the GVHP is more important than ever,” said Paul Cypher, Executive Director, Genesee Valley Health Partnership. “We are pleased and honored that the New York State Office for Rural Health recognizes the important work we are doing in the community."

About Genesee Valley Health Partnership, Inc.

The Genesee Valley Health Partnership, Inc. (GVHP) is an incorporated rural health network of approximately 40 organizations serving Livingston County residents. GVHP members collaborate as a means to avoid duplication of efforts, share knowledge, maximize resources, identify health issues and develop solutions that will better serve the people of Livingston County. The partnership is responsible for accomplishing three primary goals: 1) strengthen the local health care system; 2) improve the health status of Livingston County residents; and 3) improve health care access, including pre-hospital care, primary care, hospital and after-care services.

GVHP Partner Organizations:

  • American Cancer Society
  • BOCES Geneseo Migrant Center
  • BOCES Student Support Services
  • Business Education Alliance
  • Catholic Charities of Livingston County
  • Chances & Changes
  • Compeer
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County
  • Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse of Liv. Co.
  • DePaul Clubhouse of Livingston County
  • Excellus Blue Cross & Blue Shield
  • Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency
  • Foodlink
  • Geneseo Parish Outreach Center
  • Hillside GLOW Family Support
  • Lifetime Care
  • Literacy Volunteers of Livingston County, Inc.
  • Livingston County Boards of Supervisors
  • Livingston County Board of Health
  • Liv. Co. Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation
  • Livingston County Chamber of Commerce
  • Livingston County Coalition of Churches
  • Livingston County Department of Health
  • Livingston County Department of Social Services
  • Livingston County Economic Development
  • Livingston County Emergency Management Services
  • Livingston County Emergency Medical Services
  • Livingston County Information Technology
  • Livingston County Mental Health
  • Livingston County Office for the Aging
  • Livingston County Planning Department
  • Livingston County Sheriff’s Department
  • Livingston County Workforce Development
  • Livingston County Youth Bureau
  • Livingston / Wyoming Arc
  • Mental Health Association of Livingston County
  • Monroe Plan for Medical Care
  • Noyes Memorial Hospital
  • Preferred Care
  • Thompson Health Systems
  • Tri-County Family Medicine
  • University of Rochester Medical Center
  • UNYFEAT

For more information, visit www.gvhp.org.


Staples Opens in Geneseo !


SUNY Geneseo Named to Presidential Honor Roll for Community Service

GENESEO, N.Y. – The Corporation for National and Community Service has named the State University of New York at Geneseo to the President’s 2008 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities.

The honor roll is the highest federal recognition a school can earn for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Geneseo has been on the honor roll every year since the recognition was launched in 2006. The announcement was made at the American Council on Education annual meeting in Washington, D. C.

“Geneseo faculty and students are making a difference every day in the lives of others through thoughtful and dynamic service activities at a local, national and international level,” said Christopher C. Dahl, president of SUNY Geneseo. “This kind of active community engagement is an important component of a liberal arts education and we are honored to be recognized for our efforts.”

The CNCS chooses honorees based on scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

The organization has recognized Geneseo for the college’s ongoing commitment to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Geneseo, students have participated in 12 trips to the area through the Livingston County CARES program, and three more trips are scheduled for 2009. Among numerous local service projects, Geneseo students have responded generously to stock the Livingston County Food Pantry at a time when other area pantries are struggling. At the international level, more than 25 students have traveled to El Sauce, an impoverished farming community in Nicaragua, where they have assisted with business development, health care delivery, language training and building projects.

Recent studies have underlined the importance of service-learning and volunteering to college students. According to a CNCS study, 2.8 million college students gave more than 297 million hours of volunteer service in 2006.

 

News from Genesee Community College

For more information contact: Donna Rae Sutherland, 585-343-0055 x6616

Genesee Community College Selects Lima as Site of New Campus Center

BATAVIA, NY (02/09/2009; 1432)(readMedia)-- Genesee Community College will open a new campus center on Rochester Street (Route 15A), north of Lima, President Stuart Steiner announced Friday, February 6th.

The new Center, near the corner of Rochester Street and Gale Road, will replace the campus center currently located in Lakeville. The new structure will be about 9,000 square feet and, unlike the Lakeville building, will contain a multi-disciplinary science lab.

Over the next several weeks, the College will contract with a private developer to construct the new center. With an aggressive construction schedule, the College hopes to occupy the building for the fall semester, Dr. Steiner said.

A College task force examined many possible sites in northern Livingston County for the new center. The task force recommended the Lima location to best serve students, Dr. Steiner said. "We believe that the greatest concentration of northern Livingston County students attending Genesee in the years ahead will be from that sector of the county," Dr. Steiner said. "Just as important, the Lima location is quite accessible to students living across northern Livingston County."

The size of the Lima parcel will give Genesee the opportunity to expand the Center in the future if enrollment outgrows the building, Dr. Steiner noted.

The center will house technology-equipped classrooms, a student computer lab, and will be electronically linked to the College library and other College services. A wide range of courses will be offered at the Lima Center, and students will be able to obtain academic advising, financial aid assistance, and other services from Center staff. The Lima Campus Center will also be a focal point for business training offered through The BEST Center (Genesee's workforce education division), non-credit classes, and community events, Dr. Steiner said.

The current recession has prompted great public recognition of the value of Genesee and other community colleges, Dr. Steiner noted: "Community colleges now serve more than half of all students in the State University of New York, and a growing number of students and families now make community colleges their top higher education choice. At Genesee, we've become recognized for classroom excellence, small classes, state-of-the-art technology, and transfer and career programs that bring students the results they need. We believe the new Lima Center will bring top-notch education to even more Livingston County students, and make a very positive impact on the well-being of Livingston County."

More than 900 Livingston County residents attended credit classes at Genesee Community College last year.

 

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristin Tutino, (585) 258-0253

LOCAL TEENAGE ENTREPRENEUR DEBUTS ON THE NATIONAL KIDS' FINANCIAL LITERACY SHOW, BIZ KID$ Episode Airs February 20 at 5:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV/HD

(Rochester, New York) February 9, 2009- Young entrepreneur John Johnson from Nunda, New York explains changes made to his business due to the economic downturn on Biz Kid$, airing Friday, February 20 at 5:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV 21 (cable 11) and WXXI-HD (DT21.1/cable 1011), and on PBS stations across the country. Biz Kid$ is an entertaining, fast-paced series that teaches kids the importance of saving, budgeting, investing, and giving back to the community.

A graduate of Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA!, a groundbreaking program available nationwide, that takes students in grades six through twelve through the process of starting, and launching a real business or social movement over the course of a full academic year. While in the program, Johnson, the founder and CEO of Running Wild Paintball Inc., launched his business, which includes a website (www.runningwildpaintball.com) that sells paintball supplies, paintball gear and offers repair services. The success of the website combined with investments earned through the YEA! Investor Panel Event allowed Johnson the ability to open his paintball field in Nunda, which caters to players, tournaments, and parties.

After Johnson purchased land to start Running Wild Paintball, the economy took a turn for the worse. Johnson found he could not continue to run his business as originally planned without facing serious financial difficulty. On Biz Kid$, Johnson describes the creative changes he made to his business in response to his community's troubled financial environment.

Biz Kid$ is produced in High Definition by the creators of the Emmy Award-winning series Bill Nye the Science Guy. Season 2, which launched in January, features episodes on using credit wisely, understanding financial risks, economic cycles, money math, business planning, online businesses, learning from failure, and more. The half-hour weekly series presents profiles of creative young entrepreneurs and spoofs of movies such as The Matrix, Frankenstein, and The Wizard of Oz. From the archetypal lawn mowing business to the ingenious ElementO chemistry board game, young business owners share their success stories and inspire viewers of all ages.

Each episode focuses on a specific learning objective, which was developed using national financial literacy standards. Companion materials and activities for every show are available to teachers and parents at no cost on the show's website, www.bizkids.com. The site also features clips from the series and invites kids to apply to appear on the show. Web site visitors can also sign up for the show's monthly newsletter, The Vault, which offers ideas on how kids can start their own businesses, plus hints on earning money and making their money grow.

Biz Kid$ airs on more than 320 public television stations across the country. In Rochester, Biz Kid$ airs Fridays at 5:30 p.m., and again Sundays at 10:30 a.m., on WXXI-TV 21 (cable 11) and WXXI-HD (DT21.1/cable 1011). The series is produced in association with WXXI Public Broadcasting and is distributed by American Public Television.
Major funding for Biz Kid$ is provided by a coalition of America's Credit Unions.

Kristin Tutino
Station Publicist
WXXI
280 State Street
Rochester, NY 14614
(585) 258-0253
ktutino@wxxi.org

 

 

An Oath For Tourism

Gary Cox takes an oath to serve

(GENESEO, NY – January 12, 2009) President of the York Historical Society and former proprietor of the Silver Tendril Bed & Breakfast in York has been appointed by the Livingston County Board of Supervisors to serve as the Livingston County representative on the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance Board of Directors.

Mr. Gary Cox of Geneseo took his oath to serve Livingston County Tourism from County Clerk Jim Culbertson on Monday, January 12th. The appointment is for three years with an option to continue for another three.

Mr. Cox is also a volunteer member of the Livingston County Tourism Council, was the 2008 recipient of the William Pryor Letchworth Award for Excellence in Tourism and has most recently spearheaded the findings that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Livingston County is the home of the First Successful Commercial Winery in New York State. “In a region where wine and culinary attributes bring thousands of visitors into our communities, Gary’s efforts and commitment to tourism will continue to strengthen our place in this great vacation region,” notes Livingston County Tourism Director, Lisa Burns.

The Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, located in Penn Yan is a tourism marketing coalition comprised of the 14 counties that make up the Finger Lakes Vacation Region of New York State. Each county appoints a representative with active interest in the tourism industry to serve on the Finger Lakes board. Additionally, each county or a designated affiliate employs a tourism marketing professional to work directly with the Alliance to promote the county and region to perspective visitors.

All county residents are encouraged to become involved in tourism efforts. Livingston County Tourism is an office of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at 585 243-2222 or by visiting www.FingerLakesWest.com


Livingston County Clerk Jim Culbertson administers the oath of service to Gary Cox

 

Deer Run Winery featured in The Wall Street Journal - Click here for the article



Chamber President Cynthia Oswald is the first customer of the Gift Shop at the Grand Opening of the Livingston Arts Center on Thursday, December 4th. Friend of the Arts, Jane Schryver of Dansville, is at the register.

Les Cole holds Open House for the new Lakeville Grain Elevator on October 8th. There is a significant need in this area for a grain elevator of this size. "Without this new elevator I would be going out of business" says farmer Gordon Rowley of Livonia.

Chamber President Cynthia Oswald poses with crop and cattle farmer Gordon Rowley of Livonia.

For Immediate Release
Sept. 24, 2008

SUNY Geneseo Names Honors Program After Founding Director William Edgar

GENESEO, N.Y. -- The State University of New York at Geneseo has named its Honors Program after the program’s founder, William Edgar, distinguished teaching professor emeritus of philosophy. Geneseo President Christopher C. Dahl officially announced the action during a ceremony honoring Edgar at the college Sept. 19. The students selected for the program will now be known as Edgar Fellows.

“I am delighted that the program will carry Bill Edgar’s name,” said Dahl. “Bill is one of the most extraordinary professors I have ever known, someone who has changed the lives of literally hundreds of students through his Socratic teaching and mentoring,” he said. “He has devoted his life to the intellectual and personal development of individual students. As Honors Program director, he played a central role in making Geneseo the excellent public liberal arts college it is today.”

Edgar was named professor emeritus at Geneseo in 2005 after he retired. He began teaching philosophy at the college in 1969 and was named chair of the philosophy department in 1978, a position he held until retirement. He received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1974 and 1976. SUNY named him a distinguished teaching professor in 1979.

Edgar and his wife, Stacey, also a long-time philosophy faculty member who still teaches at Geneseo, received the 2003 Geneseo Medal for Philanthropy to recognize their extensive service and generous support of the college. In addition to their commitment to students, they have been active in college governance and established the Jennifer Wachunas Scholarship Fund and the Edgar Scholarship Endowment Fund.

“It is a tremendous milestone to now have the Edgar Fellows Program at Geneseo,” said Olympia Nicodemi, professor of mathematics at Geneseo, who is co-director of the program. “Bill Edgar epitomized student engagement. Not only was he a revered Honors Program professor but he made the advising function special and we often hear from alums who express gratitude for the valuable guidance they received from him.”

The other co-director of the program is Joseph Cope, associate professor of history, who is serving on an interim basis while co-director Ronald Herzman, distinguished teaching professor of English, is on sabbatical.

Geneseo presently has 103 Edgar Fellows on campus. Students must exhibit a high level of motivation and academic accomplishment to be admitted to the program, which entails honors courses, research opportunities and close work with honors advisers.


 


Barth Named Director of SUNY Geneseo’s Small Business Development Center

GENESEO, N. Y. -- Richard (Dick) Barth has been named director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in the Jones School of Business at SUNY Geneseo. The SBDC provides confidential, one-on-one counseling services and group training sessions for the public that are either free or very low cost.

Barth, who resides in Perry, N.Y. and is a native of Wyoming County, founded his own business in 1993 after more than 20 years of management experience in corporate and non-profit organizations, as well as agricultural cooperatives. His past duties include managing a training team in Ukraine when it was still a part of the Soviet Union.

Barth has run his own appraisal and brokerage firm and recently served as a business adviser for the Brockport Small Business Development Center at Genesee Community College in Batavia. At SUNY Geneseo he trains and counsels people to become successful business owners, primarily in Livingston and Wyoming Counties. He also teaches microenterprise, economics and management courses at Genesee Community College in Warsaw.

In addition to his broad business experience, Barth also served in the U.S. Army as a combat helicopter pilot and platoon leader in Vietnam in 1970-71, earning two Bronze Stars, several Army commendation medals and numerous air medals. He retired from the Army in 1980 as an infantry major. He has served in leadership positions for many community organizations including the State College of Pennsylvania Chapter of the United Nations Association, the State College Chapter of SCORE, and is the founder and past president of the Pennsylvania Business Brokers Association.

Barth holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University in dairy science and agricultural economics. He has earned recognition as a certified business intermediary, a certified business counselor, a certified senior business analyst and a certified equipment appraiser. He has worked with small business owners in manufacturing, retail, distribution, and service industries and understands firsthand the challenges and problems facing small businesses today.

He is married to Jessie McNall Barth, an artist, educator, author, publisher and community activist. They have five grown children who reside in New York, Texas and California. Both are members of the Perry Rotary Club, and both are active in the Perry Main Street Association for which Mrs. Barth is serving as its first president.

The SBDC is an outreach office of the SBDC Regional office in the Corporate Training Center of Niagara County Community College in Lockport, which is one of 23 regional offices throughout New York.

SBDC assistance is available by contacting the SBDC office at 585-245-5429.


For Immediate Release-Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Contact:
Tony Hoppa
Assistant Vice President for Communications
(585) 245-5516
thoppa@geneseo.edu

Kiplinger's Ranks SUNY Geneseo No. 1 Best Value Among Nation's Public Colleges for Out-of-State Students, No. 6 for In-State Students

GENESEO, N.Y.
How good is The State University of New York at Geneseo in terms of quality for the price? According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, number one for out-of state students and number six for in-state students among all public four year colleges and universities in the nation, as rated on its list of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges.

"It could just be the best public college…" writes Jane Bennett Clark, who authored the article for the February issue that prominently features Geneseo in text and photos. According to the article, schools that make The Kiplinger 100 list deliver a "first-rate education without breaking the bank." The magazine is available on newsstands and online at http://www.kiplinger.com/money.

The top 10 ranking in both categories reaffirms that Geneseo-SUNY's most selective institution-is becoming known for its academic excellence at a fraction of the price compared to some of the nation's prestigious private institutions. For the instate student category, Geneseo also topped institutions such as the University of Michigan and the University of California at Berkley.

"To be ranked number one in best value for out-of-state students two out of the last three years places Geneseo and the State University of New York in the national spotlight," said Christopher C. Dahl, president of SUNY Geneseo. "And moving up to number six among instate students validates our unique mission to attract the best and brightest who desire a strong liberal arts education."

According to Dahl, Geneseo's reputation for academic excellence and value will increase as parents share the rankings with fellow parents. "Ultimately, this will enhance our efforts to recruit top students to New York and from New York," he said. "This is a key first step in supporting the recommendations outlined by the New York State Commission on Higher Education to help SUNY aggressively compete with other states for the best students and faculty."

According to William Caren, associate vice president for enrollment management at SUNY Geneseo, the rankings help attract in- and out-of-state students which benefits Geneseo as well as other SUNY institutions. "More than 40 percent of Geneseo's students pursue full-time graduate study within one year of graduation," he noted. "That's twice the national average. And once students are in New York, they quickly see the level of excellence and opportunity afforded by SUNY's university centers and research institutions. It's exciting because we're on the front line in attracting and retaining talent vital to New York's future."

As quoted in the Kiplinger's story, Dahl said, "There's no reason why the state of New York shouldn't offer its residents the same education that would cost $45,000 to $50,000 at a private school." Geneseo's instate tuition is $4,350, with total costs of approximately $15,000. For out-of-state students, the numbers rise to $10,610 and $21,226, respectively.

Kiplinger's determined its rankings based on data provided by more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities. Schools on the list were ranked according to academic quality, which included freshman class SAT scores, admission and retention rates, student faculty ratios, and graduation rates, as well as cost and financial aid.

 

From: Carrie Malone and Lisa Burns
Date: 12-3-07
Re: BEA, County Tourism and Local Chocolatier partner
BEA
Livingston County Tourism

"SWEET LEARNING"

Rick Riggi's Small Business Class took a tasty twist on November 27th when Lisa Burns, Livingston County Tourism and Marketing Director partnered with the Livingston County Business/Education Alliance and local chocolatier Freida Mae Chocolates and Fine Confections in order to inform students about the business of Tourism.

As part of the BEA's Business Lunch Series program, Ms. Burns presented to the the small business class at Keshequa School about the tourism industry as a whole, but more specifically about its importance to the county and its economic structure. Tourism is a hugely successful business and the tourism office has "kicked off" its newest initiative promoting the buying and utilization of locally made products. The BEA's Business Lunch Series program, which is grant funded through the Rochester Area Community Foundation, was a logical collaborating partner since their mission is to educate students about the many career possibilities within our local region. Livingston County host a bounty of opportunity for young people looking to start or become involved in the boutique business trend.

Freida Mae Chocolates located on Kidd Road in Dansville is the perfect example of such a boutique business that has seen great success in the last year. Making fine chocolates and confections out of her own rural, farmhouse kitchen Beth Lee develops and markets a wide variety of hand made truffles including the diamond truffle and her latest indulgence developed in conjunction with the Tourism Offices Buy Local Campaign. The Livingston County Signature Truffle is a one-of-a kind peanut butter experience. The truffle is a decadent blend of Nunda's own Once Again Nut Butter (Peanut) and locally produced jellies from Turkey's on the Hill Jelly mixed with Freida Mae's own dark and crisp chocolate to create a melt in your mouth taste explosion that is second to none.

Students in Mr. Riggi's class were privileged to be the first to savor this fabulous treat when they functioned as a test market group for the product during Ms. Burns' discussion. The students were the first to see and taste test the truffle and were then asked to provide feedback rating the truffle on its overall appearance, smell, texture, taste, lingering memory and marketing concept. Students overall impression was that the truffle was the ultimate experience and a memorable concept for the county marketing initiative. The students' comments will be used to make any final adjustment before the product release.

 

The collaboration in making this program possible provided an opportunity for "Sweet Learning" for Keshequa students that promoted locally made products and instilled a sense of pride in Livingston County.

If you would like more information on BEA programs, please feel free to contact BEA Director Carrie Malone at 991-5085. For information on Livingston County Tourism initiatives contact Director, Lisa Burns at 585.243.2222 and to place an order or see the Freida Mae Chocolates full product line contact Beth Lee at 585.335.9446.

 


Sugarbush Hollow Fall Foliage Programs

Enjoy the autumn beauty of our forest, 50-mile views and our maple syrup farm in East Springwater. We will share the bounty and beauty of the land's hard work and our hard work this past spring and summer. Sugarbush Hollow, a community sugarhouse, is opening its doors in September and October with five exciting Sunday afternoon programs.

Each program requires a registration so we can plan quantities. There is a charge of $15 per person, $25 per couple and families will be discounted. To run each program we will require a minimum total of eight people to register.

The first program is Sunday, September 30, 2007 featuring Chuck Winship, one of the owners of Sugarbush Hollow. From 1:00 - 2:00 we will kick off our fall programs with a Pancake Brunch using fresh maple syrup, seasonal fruits & local products. Following our local foods with be an exciting program and walk in the sugarbush. "The Life of a Maple Tree" will be lead by Chuck Winship, owner of Sugarbush Hollow. This presentation will include sugar maple history, microclimates, forest interdependencies as well as maple sap production information. You will take a one-year-old maple tree seeding home with you as well as lots of knowledge, views, smells, food and fun.

On October 7th from 2:00 - 3:00 Pam Masterson, author of "Hiking the Little Finger Lakes of Western NY" will talk on 21 local hiking trails
between Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, and Honeoye Lakes. Each participant will receive a hiking map. Follow us for a picturesque hike from 3:00 -4:30 along Hemlock Lake to look for the eagles, identify fall wildflowers and treasure our beautiful little lake.

On October 14 from 2:00 - 3:30 Tawn Feeney, Speech Pathologist, Al Sigel Center will lead us through the woods in a program "Experiencing Nature with Children". One of the many joys of parenting is experiencing the wonder of nature through the eyes and all the senses of your child. Families with young children are invited to join us for nature discovery activities. Weather permitting we will take a short hike, so wear appropriate clothing.

On October 21th from 2:00 - 3:30 our comfortable saphouse will be a women's gathering place for "Making a wool hand-embroidered Christmas ornament or pin." Nan Miller, sister of Chuck Winship, and President of the Salamanca Garden Club, will provide all supplies to create an ornament or pin with wool, floss, beads and buttons. Participants will choose several designs and learn basic embroidery stitches while working with comfortable and cozy wools.

On October 28th from 1:00 - 4:00 we will complete our fall programs with a community harvest meal, local music, and a hay ride around the sugarbush. Be sure to wear warm clothing & bring a harvest dish to pass. We will provide homemade soup & bread, table settings and drinks.

Contact us at www.sugarhousesyrup.com or call us at 245-1252 for reservations.


MAJOR FINGER LAKES WINE ANNOUNCEMENT

At its September 22 Heritage Wine Tasting, the Town of York Historical Society will make a major announcement of statewide relevance. The announcement will clearly require the rewriting of the history of wine production both in the Finger Lakes region and in the whole of New York State. In addition to this surprising historical announcement there will be the unveiling of an artist’s conception of a projected attraction at the Warren family homestead site in York that will enhance Livingston County as a destination for visitors.

Elected officials attending include, among others, New York State Senator Cathy Young, member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Also attending: the Cornell Faculty member whose discovery makes our major announcement possible, Governor Spitzer's Regional Representative, Jennifer Sanfilippo, and Chamber of Commerce President Cynthia Oswald, among others. Lisa Burns, Tourism Director of Livingston County, will highlight the significance of the Society's announcements.

A press kit will be made available at the event.

The Heritage Wine Tasting is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm. The announcement will occur at 3:15 pm, Saturday, September 22. The venue is historic Hillcrest Estate, 1940 Craig Road, in the Town of York.


The Genesee Valley Farm Discovery Center announces its First Annual Open House, September 27, 2007.

Click here for full press release ...



Mount Morris brochure unveiled at Press Conference at the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce Monday, August 13th. Pictured from left to right: Frank Martello (Mount Morris resident and Chamber Public Policy Committee member), Lisa Burns (Livingston County Tourism Director), Maureen Palumbo (Program Assistant Alliance for Business Growth), Sheldon Witcher (Mount Morris Chamber President), Louise Wadsworth (Alliance for Business Growth Director), Mount Morris Mayor Harold Long and Tony D'Imperio (Mount Morris resident).
For Immediate Release-Friday, August 17, 2007

Contact:
Mary E. McCrank
Media Relations Officer
(585) 245-5516
mccrank@geneseo.edu

SUNY Geneseo again ranked No. 2 in the North by U.S. News & World Report

GENESEO, N.Y.-The State University of New York at Geneseo once again has been ranked among the nation's best schools in U.S. News & World Report's annual listing of the top colleges and universities in the nation.

In the 2008 edition of "America's Best Colleges," Geneseo ranked No. 2 among the "Top Public Universities-Master's" for the Northern region.

Geneseo also advanced three spots to appear at No. 11 among the "Best Universities-Master's" for the Northern region. U.S. News takes into account both public and private colleges and universities in this category.

Widely consulted nationally by parents and students, the exclusive U.S. News rankings confirm that Geneseo is viewed as a premier public liberal arts college in America. The rankings will be published Aug. 17 online at usnews.com/colleges and in the Aug. 27 edition of U.S. News & World Report, which hits newsstands Aug. 20.

"Our consistent presence at the top of this list is a tribute to our faculty, students and staff," said SUNY Geneseo President Christopher C. Dahl. "Geneseo is focused on excellence in undergraduate education, and for us academic quality is our constant goal."

"The U.S. News rankings are one of the ways Geneseo captures the attention of thousands of students who visit and then apply for a place in the entering class," said Dahl.

This month, 975 students who were selected from an applicant pool of 11,000 will enter the first-year class at Geneseo, said Bill Caren, associate vice president for enrollment services at Geneseo.


"Geneseo's second-place ranking among all public undergraduate colleges in the North is realistic in light of our increasing selection standards and attraction from students throughout the northeastern part of the United States," said Caren.

Geneseo Provost Kate Conway-Turner said the rankings are a validation students are viewing Geneseo as a viable alternative to private education.

"They are coming to see Geneseo and are getting 'wowed' by it," she said. "Once they see it, they want to come here."

"We have superb faculty who are dedicated to our student body. They work tirelessly to provide the very best education both inside the classroom and with projects, research and performances outside the classroom," said Conway-Turner. "One thing that continues to impress our students is that, as undergraduates, they can be involved in significant research projects, working alongside their professors. It's a wonderful wide-ranging experience, and many of our students are involved in funded research during the summers in numerous areas, including physics, biochemistry and cell biology."

Conway-Turner pointed out that each year the college has an increasing number of students publishing and presenting their research. More than 400 students participated in this year's G.R.E.A.T. Day-Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement & Talent-to showcase their research, exhibits and performances.

U.S. News determines its rankings by gathering data from each college for up to 15 indicators of academic excellence: assessment by administrators at peer institutions, student retentions, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving rate and graduation rate performance.


The Money Camp for Kids and Teens!

The Business Education/Alliance is pleased to be partnering with Carl Lutz of Protection, Savings & Growth Consulting of Avon in order to offer a new and exciting program to the youth of Livingston County. The Money Camp for Kids and Teens!

Click HERE for details


From: Carrie Malone
Date: 7/19/07
Re: Livingston County Youth Learn TeamWorks!

The Livingston County Business/Education Alliance and Johnson & Johnson Bridge To Employment initiative recently "kicked off" the first year of a three-year program for thirty Livingston County Sophomores. The students from Avon, Dansville, Geneseo, Keshequa, Mount Morris, York and Wayland-Cohocton Central Schools were able to spend two days at Keuka College.

The first day enable students to tour the campus, meet with admissions counselors, experience "college life" through social activities, an overnight in the dormitories and dining in the college cafeteria as well as ice breaker activities allowing students to learn more about the other members of the group.

The second day was a full-day "TeamWorks" challenge ropes course facilitated by Keuka College staff. The program encouraged students to take one step out of their comfort zone in order to push themselves and learn more about their abilities. The activities also encouraged team building and support for other team members.

"It was a great opportunity for the programs participants to learn more about themselves and to build trust among the program participants for the next three years." stated Carrie Malone, BEA Director and BTE Program Coordinator.

As one participant said, "When I came to Keuka yesterday I knew four people today I have 25 best friends."

The program continues over the next three years and will allow participants to learn more about careers in the math, science and health care professions through field trips, college and worksite visits, mentor relationships and guest speakers. For more information on this or other BEA programs, please contact BEA Director Carrie Malone at 585.991-5085.


Students build trust and teamwork skills as they cross the traverse lines.


"Team Livingston" was nominated for and won the First Place Group Merit Award on the New York State level given by the International Association of Workforce Professionals, IAWP, for the work they did on the Barilla America project. This State award is given annually to a group of NYS Department of Labor and other Workforce Investment Act staff for some project that they worked on. This year that also included Economic Development.

"Team Livingston" was formed in the Fall 2005 in response to an initially unknown company's inquiry into locating its new manufacturing facility in Livingston County, New York State. Members of Team Livingston include the New York State Department of Labor, Livingston Co. Office of Workforce Development, Livingston County Economic Development, Empire State Development, as well as local elected officials. In March 2006 the announcement was made that Barilla America would locate their second plant in the United States in Avon, New York. Because of the concerted efforts of Team Livingston, Barilla will provide good paying manufacturing employment to an area whose manufacturing base has been in decline and thusly contributing to the overall health of our local economy.

In the Fall of 2006 the New York State Department of Labor and Livingston County Workforce Development staff, co-located in the Center for Workforce Development Office, Geneseo, NY, took on the task of recruiting and screening for Barilla's first new employees. The two agencies accepted more than 1200 applications for the positions Barilla was hiring for. They did the initial screening of the applicants, and all of the pre-testing that Barilla required prior to being interviewed by Barilla staff from their main offices in Chicago, Il. The Center staff also set up training programs for some of the positions from State and Federal monies the employer received for training the new employees. All positions for the Avon plant from the Human Resources Manager to the Maintenance Technicians were hired thru the efforts of Team Livingston members. The employer started production on schedule in July, 2007.


From left to right are: Dawn Zigenfus, Kathy Marnell, Paula Lokken,& Rob Rose from NYS Dept. of Labor, Patrick Rountree, Director of Livingston Co. Economic Development, Coreen Jones, NYS Dept. of Labor, Keith Mitchell, Director of Liv. Co. Workforce Development, Lynn Gadd, NYS Dept. of Labor, John Jaeger, Liv Co. Workforce Development, and Rick Halsted, NYS Dept. Of Labor

From: Carrie Malone
Date: 7/5/07
Re: Health Careers Summer Camp Opportunity

Noyes Memorial Hospital, the Livingston County Business Education Alliance, Livingston County Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and the Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center (R-AHEC) recently completed a three-day MASH (Medical Academy of Science and Health) Camp for local 7th and 8th grade students. The first day of camp was held at Dansville Babcock Park where students earned their Adult CPR Certification and spent the afternoon focusing on team building through low level ropes course elements. The second day of camp was held at the Livingston County Center For Nursing and Rehabilitation in Mt. Morris were students were able to shadow staff and learn more about the many varieties of jobs in the facility including Adult Day Care activities, Physical and occupational therapy activities, and nutrition services. The final day of camp was held at Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville and students were able to shadow sleep clinic, phlebotomy, respiratory therapy and operating room staff. Students who attended the MASH camp received a unique and in depth look at rural health care careers and received Certificates of Merit from Senator Katherine Young at the completion ceremonies.

The program could not be accomplished without the cooperation of many local agencies and their staff. Special thanks go out to Noyes Hospital and the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and Ms. Amy Schiavi and Ms. Kelly Mychalishyn. Their participation and cooperation allowed this valuable learning experience to take place.

For information on registration for next year's program, please call Camp Coordinator, Dave Prete, at (607) 324-9838 or Livingston County BEA Director, Carrie Malone, at 585-991-5085.

 


From: Carrie Malone
Date: 6/21/07

THE MOST ENTERTAINING EVENT TO HIT FINANCIAL LITERACY COMES TO LIVINGSTON COUNTY


The Business Education/Alliance is pleased to be partnering with Carl Lutz of Protection, Savings & Growth Consulting, Inc. in order to offer a new and exciting program to the youth of Livingston County.

The Money Camp provides the opportunity for students to learn how to make, manage and multiply their money through the use of interactive games and activities. Camp participants will have fun learning how:

  • TO BE FINANCIALLY FREE
  • TO EARN, BUDGET, SAVE & INVEST
  • THEIR THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS INFLUENCE THEIR WEALTH POTENTIAL
  • PASSIVE INCOME IS THE KEY TO WEALTH
  • TIPS, TRICKS, TOOLS AND MORE.

The Money Camp will be held at The Commons at Avon, 597 Collins Street, Avon, NY 14414. Camps will be held on August 8th for the 10-13 year old group and August 9th for the 14-17 year old group and will run from 8:45 AM - 3:30 PM both days. The cot of camp is $79 for the first child and $65.00 for additional siblings and includes food and snacks for the day. SPACE IS LIMITED, SO CALL TODAY!

HELP YOUR STUDENTS REALIZE THAT LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE AND PASSION SHOULD BE THEIR GUIDE! LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE MONEY CAMP.

For more information or to register please call Carl Lutz, Money Camp coach at 245-1160, or visit the website at www.themoneycamp.com. For more information on other BEA sponsored programs, contact BEA Director Carrie Malone at 991-5085.




From: Carrie Malone
Date: 6/20/07

Livingston County Business/Education Alliance
Announces 2007 Outstanding Educator

The Livingston County Business/Education Alliance honored Lynn Kennison, Incarcerated Youth Teacher at the Livingston County Jail as the BEA's 2007 Outstanding Educator at the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce Business & Industry Luncheon Wednesday, June 20th .

The Livingston County Business/Education Alliance chose Ms. Kennison for her incredible commitment to the field of alternative education for incarcerated youth. Ms. Kennison's non-judgmental, innovative approach to education in a setting where barriers abound allows her to work educational magic and promote success among the students who's lives she has touched. According to Sheriff John York, "If there were a model to be followed for a successful incarcerated education instructor it would be this year's outstanding educator, Lynn Kennison."

Teaching in the Livingston County jail is not just a career for Lynn, but a mission for her life. This commitment to the education of her students' has been made evident by the successful completion of over four hundred "General education diplomas" during her 17 year career. Ms. Kennison has also insured that the Livingston county jail is a "SAT" testing site which helps to better provide for her students future success. Not only is this year's recipient dedicated to her students, but she is also highly involved in her community. She is a dedicated member of the Geneseo Fire department, a local poll watcher and is involved with a variety of charitable causes and benefits.

According to BEA Director, Carrie Malone, "Ms. Kennison is a role-model for all educators. She works in an environment not ideally suited for learning, however she persists against all obstacles in order to provide any opportunity for success for all of her students who choose to better themselves. She is the embodiment of an Outstanding Educator."

For more information on the programs offered by the BEA or how to become a member you can call Director, Carrie Malone at 991-5085.


June 13, 2007
For Immediate Release

Walt Isaac Named 2007 Livingston County NYS Dept. of Labor JSEC Honoree

The New York State Department of Labor’s Livingston County Job Service Employer Committee (JSEC) has selected Walt Isaac for the 2007 JSEC Honoree of the Year Award.

JSEC is an advisory group to the New York State Department of Labor which provides information to area employers about programs and services that can help them to grow and to prosper.

The purpose of this annual award is to recognize those businesses and individuals that have participated in and supported NYS Dept. of Labor JSEC programs and have made important contributions to the business climate of Livingston County.

Walt Isaac will be honored at the Annual JSEC Employer Luncheon at Woodlynn Hills Golf Course in Nunda, New York on Friday, July 13th at 12:00pm. Guest speaker will be Peter Palermo II CEO, Strategic Triangle, Inc. The public is invited to attend.

Cost of the luncheon is $10 per person and reservations can be made by calling Dawn Zigenfus at the Center for Workplace Development at 243-7047.

Walt Isaac, 2007 Livingston County NYS Dept. of Labor JSEC Honoree is surprised at the Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee meeting by JSEC Committee members, Dawn Zigenfus, Carol Carey and Rick Halsted.

From: Cynthia Oswald
Date: 4/20/07

Livingston County United Way Campaign Passes the Halfway Mark!


Each year the residents and businesses of Livingston County invest in a stronger community by supporting United Way. The success of this year's campaign, which wraps up on Friday, May 18th at a public luncheon at the Genesee River Restaurant and Reception Center in Mount Morris, depends on the support of people like you.

Your donation stays in Livingston County, and now with the merger of the Dansville Community Fund, United Way of Livingston County supports twenty-one health and human services agencies. By giving to Livingston County United Way each year, you are using local dollars to provide local services.

As the 2007 Livingston County United Way Campaign comes into the final stretch I want to thank you for your history of support. Giving to United Way is one of the most efficient ways of providing charitable support. If you have not been contacted by a United Way representative and would like to make a contribution to this year's campaign or would like to make reservations for this year's campaign wrap-up luncheon please call the regional office at 343-8141.

If we come together, we can make a noticeable difference in where we live and work.

Together, we are the way to help!
Cynthia Oswald
Livingston County United Way
Volunteer Campaign Cabinet Chairperson


Thank you to the Livingston County United Way Volunteer Campaign Cabinet for their dedication and hard work. Clockwise from Right Cabinet member attendees of the April 20th meeting held at the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce, Karen Rumfola, Director of the Livingston County United Way, Nicole Stiles, Livingston County United Way, Rufus Agnew, United Way of Greater Rochester (guest of the cabinet), Eric Barnard, Five Star Bank, Karen Tremer, Chances & Changes, Tim McMahon, Catholic Charities (retired), Bonnie Swanson, Key Bank, Hal Bauer, Bauer's Springwater Farm, Sue O'Hearn, O'Hearn Machine & Tool, Corp., George Traber, Chairman of the Livingston County United Way Board of Directors, Jim Synder,Advisor Mortgage, Kellee Hoag, Dansville Collision, David Parrish, American Red Cross, Sue Thomson-Binder, National MS Society.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007 7:25 PM
Subject: Good News from Livingston CARES

Today we received notification from the Internal Revenue Service that we have been granted tax-exempt status and will be able to accept donations and provide statements that will permit donors to take tax deductions for their contributions. The decision is retroactive to August 2, 2006. The information below in this email has been provided to the the college media relations staff to use in press releases. Hopefully, the local papers will carry some of this next week when our March volunteers are in Gulfport. We also want to call your attention to the item about the Share & Care Dinner on April 18. Please save that date on your calendar and plan to bring some colleagues and friends. I am also attaching a draft of my notes from out last meeting. The next steering committee is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28th from 3:30-4:30 PM. Our attorney, Kevin Van Allen, has agreed to come and help us get started with the steps we need to take to comply with corporate and IRS regulations. Please let me know if you have any questions. I also want to thank each of you with helping us create Livingston CARES, Inc.

Press & Media Information:

On Friday, March 9, 49 Livingston County CARES, Inc. (CARES) volunteers will leave SUNYGeneseo to travel by bus to Gulfport, Mississippi to do Hurricane Katrina recovery work under the auspices of the North Carolina Baptist Men's Christian Association Recovery Center. The volunteers will also assist Harrison County Beautification Director, Cindy Simmons, with the beginning phase of restoring a county owned greenhouse. Several Livingston County Garden Clubs will be involved in later phases of this CARES project. The spring break trip volunteers will return to Geneseo on March 17. The group includes 44 students and five administrators from SUNY Geneseo. Kay Fly, Coordinator of Volunteerism & Service Learning and Connie Hurlburt, a recently retired staff member from the Division of Student & Campus Life, are coordinating the trip with the two CARES student co-chairs, senior Marie Ostranger and senior Fiorella Uguccioni.

Twenty-three CARES volunteers spent President's Week in Biloxi working on houses and serving meals to volunteers and residents of Biloxi at the God's Katrina Kitchen recovery center. Beth Godfrey, pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church, was the coordinator for the February work-trip. Volunteers included area residents and families.

Twenty CARES volunteers also spent the second week of January working on houses under the auspices of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepard Camp Biloxi Recovery Center in Biloxi. Volunteers worked on three houses, met with county officials, and visited with several residents whose houses were repaired by previous CARES volunteers. The January volunteers included fourteen students and administrators and faculty form SUNY Geneseo. Tom Matthews served as coordinator for the January trip.

The fourth CARES trip to Mississippi is scheduled for the week of May 14th. Details of the May trip will be announced later in March. Dan Dimpfl from Geneseo will be the trip coordinator.

CARES has scheduled its second annual Care and Share Dinner on Wednesday, April 18 at 6:00 PM at the Geneseo United Methodist Church. The program will include brief stories and reflections from the work-trip volunteers, sharing of photos and images, awards and recognition of volunteers, and remarks by guest speaker, Connie Rockco, Harrison County Supervisor from Biloxi, Mississippi. The Geneseo Philanthropic Chefs from Geneseo will be catering the pasta dinner. Reservations are required by calling Kay Fly at 245-5893 or emailing fly@geneseo.edu There will be no charge for the dinner but donations will be accepted to support the relief and recovery work of Livingston CARES.

CARES is a non-profit corporation dedicated to humanitarian relief and recovery efforts. It is a collaborative effort by representatives of students, faculty, staff, and retirees at SUNY Geneseo; Livingston County Administrators and Board of Supervisors, Town and Village of Geneseo, Geneseo Central School, the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce, the Livingston County Coalition of Churches, and individual volunteers. The Livingston County CARES, Inc. office is located in the Center for Community, MacVittie College Union 353 at SUNY Geneseo. Tom Matthews serves as chair of the Board of Directors. CARES is accepting donations from organizations and individuals who wish to contribute a one time or annual donation or gift. Donors to Livingston County CARES, Inc.will be recognized in various publications and at several events hosted by CARES. In addition, donations will qualify as tax deductible under IRS regulations. Livingston County CARES, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Contact Tom Matthews for additional information about any of the Livingston County CARES, Inc. trips and projects by calling 585-245-5857 or emailing matthews@geneseo.edu The CARES website at http://livingstoncares.geneseo.edu also provides additional information and regular updates on trips and projects.


Johnson & Johnson and the Livingston County Business/Education Alliance Offer a Bridge to Employment:

The Livingston County Business/Education Alliance (BEA) and Johnson and Johnson have partnered to offer a new and exciting program to Livingston County students. The Bridge To Employment program (BTE) was established by Johnson and Johnson in 1992 to help young people build solid futures by introducing them to a broad array of careers in the fields of math, science and health care. The premise behind the program is to educate students through real-world experiences demonstrating that learning can be meaningful, engaging and relevant to their future. By fostering long-term relationships with representatives from business, education, community-based organizations and parents, the BTE program helps to prepare young people to meet the challenges and requirements of careers in today's knowledge rich, technically savvy work world.

Bridge To Employment sites are currently in ten communities across the United States and Ireland. Each site has its own unique structure and implementation depending on the overall goals of the participating agencies. Each program is a collaborative effort between a local Johnson & Johnson operating company, an area high school, an institution of higher education and an intermediary organization.

The BTE program's excellence stems from the use of a common core of school-to-career principles: maintaining high standards of academic learning for all students, providing opportunities for contextual learning, creating links with institutions of higher education, and connecting students with adults in the world of work. Specifically, the Bridge to Employment program hopes to:

  • Build long-term partnerships among businesses, educators, community groups and parents in order to have a meaningful impact on students' future success in the workplace;
  • Prepare young people to meet the challenges and requirements of the healthcare industry and today's complex society;
  • Reinforce potential involvement as a critical link between young people and their schools;
  • Recognize and advance community efforts in locations that are exemplary in helping young people begin building careers; and
  • Assist in creating linkages to institutions of higher education and training.

In 2006, new partnerships were launched in Livingston County and Vacaville, California. As a result of these partnerships, high school students will be able to explore unique and high demand careers in math, science and healthcare. Students will also be able to engage in a broad spectrum of work-based learning including the operation of electron microscopes, exploration of the chemistry behind making soap, development of a product marketing campaign and the management of a production line.

The Livingston County BTE program is a collaboration between Genesee Community College, Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital, Livingston County Business/Education Alliance and the Johnson and Johnson Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (OCD) research facility in Rochester, New York. OCD is the leading provider of high-value diagnostic products and services for the global health care community. The company maintains a leadership position in two major market segments:

1. Transfusion Medicine

  • Bloodscreening-development and commercialization of instrument systems and reagents that screen blood for AIDS and Hepatitis, aimed at ensuring safety of the world's blood supply
  • Immunohematology-OCD is the worldwide leader in the marketing and development of instrumentation and reagent systems that enable blood typing, aimed at ensuring patient-donor compatibility in blood transfusions.

2. Clinical Laboratories

  • Clinical Chemistry-patented dry-slide technology and systems for use in stat and random access in-vitro diagnostic testing. The Company offers a broad menu covering basic metabolites, classical chemistries, special chemistries, proteins, toxicology and therapeutic drug monitoring tests.
  • Immunodiagnostics-enhanced chemiluminescence technology and systems offering immunoassay testing capabilities across menu categories of thyroid function, reproductive endocrinology cardiology, anemia, metabolism, oncology and infectious diseases.

The Livingston County BTE program is open to currently enrolled ninth grade students in Business/Education Alliance participating districts. Students will be asked to complete an application packet and an informal interview with a member of the Bridge to Employment team before they are accepted into this three-year program. Students who are selected will take part in college visits, guest lecture programs, worksite tours, and a variety of other activities. Participating students will also be assigned a career coach and a college preparation account with funds to be used for college application fees, college courses and other college preparation activities. Interested students should contact the Business/Education Alliance Office at 585.243.2222 extension 224 for an application packet and further details.

 

 


 

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4635 Millennium Drive • Geneseo, NY 14454 • Phone: (585) 243-2222 • Fax: (585) 243-4824


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