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