It is heartwarming to hear the reasons the Minor and Genberg families built Pumpkintown. “When we sit here watching the kids running around, it is rewarding. We hope that Pumpkintown can reach children in all situations where they can have a fun, safe environment,” said Sarah Minor ...

Many parents have said “you can do it if you set your mind to it.” Allison Evans may or may not have heard that line, but she certainly set her mind to doing many things over the years that proved the line to be true, at least in her case. Before she applied for a cooking job at the ...

“I just feel very strongly that we are here to support our reading community, to get books into the right hands” are the words of book shop owner Carrie Wolfgang. A first impression when one enters Novel Destination Used Book Emporium may be a feeling of welcome while wondering where ...

Mentioning Barcelona to many people in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Warren counties causes them to think of Sunday drives to the shores of Lake Erie. Some may even salivate as they remember eating smoked shrimp in the car on the ride home. “I’m sure you could find shrimp shells out ...

If there was a report card that covered Carl Raineir’s lifespan, he would have straight A’s in every area. Born to parents who immigrated from Italy, he came by his grateful attitude naturally. “They never felt entitled. They were honored to be in America to work hard for a better ...

Originally started in 1991, Chautauqua County Rails To Trails has been working to provide means of natural conservation for the community. At the same time, the group also tries to preserve trails that once served as crucial points of infrastructure on railroad networks in the United ...

FREDONIA — I can now say I have been greeted by a cat wearing a necktie. Actually, there were seven laid-back, happy male felines wearing ties on my recent visit to 9 Lives Holistic in Fredonia. Owners Lynda Sandoval and Niner Baxter have put a lot of time and thought into their business ...

When Joe Triscari was just eight years old, he started his first job as a shoeshine boy. Although he changed vocations, he continued to work until he was 83, never turning down an opportunity to serve the public. Triscari was born in WCA Hospital on Dec. 20, 1926. He has fond memories of ...

Kim and Mark Burkhard live in a cozy home on a three-acre plot in New Albion. She grew up in Albion, and her husband lived in Cheektowaga until his family moved to Ellicottville in his senior year of high school. They met at HoliMont Ski Resort where Mark has worked since he was 18. ...

“I’m at a great age.” Helen Gilbert of Jamestown says enthusiastically, “I’m in my nineties and I’m fortunate that I’m still doing creative things.” Although she was born in Rochester, she spent most of her childhood in Buffalo and Randolph. Her father, Lance Zavitz, ...

Gabriel Hrysenko saw biotechnology in her future while she was studying math and science at Jamestown Community College and SUNY Fredonia. She ended up doing what she loves, but not exactly what she had planned. Not even close. The Westfield woman grew up in New Jersey with her mother ...

Shortly after beginning a visit to the Little Valley home of Chuck Huntington, I knew I had met a good man. It was clear he was a good father and grandfather, respected his fellow man, took care of the creatures in nature and was a hard worker. “I was born in my mother’s bedroom on ...

Some people think Becky Van Valkenburg is a cook extraordinaire, including the person who recommended Becky should be featured on this page. “I love to cook. Sometimes I don’t think I get enough opportunity to do that. My family will tell you I am involved in too much stuff,” she ...

The sun is out, clover runs wild, and bees of all sizes buzz about as I gaze around my lawn. A sight that may be a disagreeable for some is a pleasant one for me. In part from anthropogenic causes and in part from climate change, native and managed bee populations have been in steep ...

St. Augustine described the world as a book and that failure to travel means only reading one page. For over a decade, a Jamestown couple has been enjoying retirement internationally from the Americas to Zimbabwe, reading many pages to do so. Bob and Kathy Barber worked at Jamestown ...

CORNING — Over 150 years ago, a group of glassmakers picked up and moved their glass shop from Brooklyn to Corning and started one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Now, the archive of the company, the Corning Museum of Glass, is being introduced on an international stage as a ...

LAKE PLACID — The name of Melville Dewey, creator of the Dewey Decimal System and the Lake Placid Club, has been stripped from a memorial medal given out by the American Library Association. The decision to remove his name was handed down by the American Library Association Council at ...

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — What’s the difference between cement and concrete? In my case, about $9, 55 pounds and a slightly sore back. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, cement is an ingredient in concrete, which also includes aggregates like sand, gravel or stone. I ...

Ron Pritchard and his home are a perfect match. His interests and the house’s built-ins, nooks and ledges appear to have been made for each other. First impressions, whether indoors or out, coming through the front door or back door, give visitors a cozy, warm, fuzzy feeling. Perennial ...

CHAUTAUQUA — This week’s 1045 a.m. speakers in the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater are listed here: LAURA L. CARSTENSEN PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND THE FAIRLEIGH S. DICKINSON JR. PROFESSOR IN PUBLIC POLICY AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY MONDAY, JULY 15, 10:45 A.M. Laura L. Carstensen ...