Wednesday News Brief

City of Batavia Receives Grant to Plant 950 New Trees

The City of Batavia received a $758,950 grant for Ash Tree Management that will be used to plant 950 new trees.

The grant is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s commitment to plant 25 million trees in New York State by the year 2033. The program hopes to increase tree canopy in public spaces, engage the public in tree planting, and expand planting along roadways in disadvantaged communities. On top of planting 950 new trees, the City of Batavia plans to use the money to remove 72 trees, conduct maintenance on 373 trees, and create a tree board to keep up with maintenance.

Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski said, “This investment enhances our neighborhoods and helps create a more vibrant community for today and into the future,”

Byron-Bergen Elementary School Brings Back Award-Winning Program

Byron-Bergen Elementary School announced they are bringing back their Champions of Change compost program for the second straight year.

The program was originally put in place back in January. By the end of the school year, students at Byron-Bergen Elementary had redirected 6,786 pounds of food waste from the landfill to become nutrient-rich soil. The program was touted as the most successful elementary school compost program in New York State history. For the program’s success, the New York State School Board Association awarded the Byron-Bergen kids the Champions of Change Recognition.

Elementary School Principal Kristin Loftus said, “We just completed a refresher presentation with Doug Carney (Education Manager at Impact Earth) to remind our returning students and introduce our new students to what food items we compost and why so that we can start the new year successfully.”

Genesee Community College Welcomes 8 New Full Time Staff Members

Genesee Community College has hired 8 new full-time staff members for the upcoming academic year.

Among the new hires are, Ariane Bianchi and Katie Jennings who will serve as Instructors of Nursing, Metin Eroglu, and Jillian Eberlin who will teach mathematics, Kathryn Edwards who will serve as the Nursing Clinical Coordinator, Krysia Mager who will teach business, Dr. Timothy McCorry who will serve as the Assistant Professor of Social Sciences and, Dr. Scott Wilson who will serve as the Assistant Professor of Veterinary Technology.
Genesee Community College President, Dr. Craig Lamb said, “As we welcome these talented educators to Genesee Community College, we look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative teaching methods they will bring to our classrooms. Their arrival marks an exciting chapter in our ongoing mission to deliver high-quality education and support the success of our students,”