In Years Past

There was no end in sight as the search for fugitive Ralph Phillips approached the four-month mark. What was keeping the manhunt alive appeared to be a visible trail Phillips was leaving in his wake and numerous leads authorities are receiving regarding his whereabouts. ”We’re confident he’s in the area. We keep getting leads. We’re here because of it,” said State Trooper Rebecca Gibbons, the public information officer assigned to the investigation. State Police say they’ll keep searching for Phillips – wanted for his April 2 escape from the Erie County Corrections Facility and the alleged June 10 shooting of a state trooper near Elmira – until they find him.”Obviously, this investigation will continue wherever he goes,” Gibbons said. ”All I can say is, until he’s in custody, we will continue searching.”

Jeff Ekstrom, pastor of the fledgling Northgate Church, wanted to build something Jamestown has never seen before – a modern church with bright lighting, an Internet cafe and stadium seating for 900 people. Most importantly, it would be a church that draws in the younger generations when they reach the point where their parents no longer make them attend service. ”When you come into the church foyer, it’s going to be like you’ve never been to church before,” Ekstrom said. ”My goal is that they’ll turn to the church when they hit 18 or 19.” The 900-person facility with stadium seating and an internet cafe may be more than a decade away, but Northgate officials are getting ready to construct their very own church at the corner of routes 380 and 60 just north of the Jamestown city limits.

Nationwide, the recent sharp decline in homeownership was alarming and had symbolic as well as tangible adverse effects on the economy, according to a recent report from the Research Institute for Housing America. Homeowners are good to the local economy, as they are “intimately linked to the demand for mortgage services, housing starts and the willingness of families to invest in their neighborhoods,” it states. The same concepts are at the core of the czb, LLC market-based study of Jamestown’s neighborhoods, which has been held up as the manual for future action in the city administration and among neighborhood groups. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed the number of housing units in the city has actually declined, from 15,461 in 1990 to 14,738 in 2010. But in the same 30-year span, vacant units had risen from 1,192 to 1,616 units. Steve Centi, city director of development, pointed to Buki’s notion of “priority properties” that take precedence in the neighborhoods. After consulting with Mayor Sam Teresi, he said the office has a short list of 45 residential structures that would be next on the chopping block for demolition. “Our goal is to get to all of them, but in terms of the impact it would have we are going to prioritize those in more visible areas,” he said.

Summertime had seen a season of building in the downtown. “We have two projects, one done ahead of time and one will be completed right on schedule,” said Jason Stronz, director of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. The first example demonstrates a quick turnaround at the former Wintergarden Theater site, which was torn down last year. A new open-air venue is getting the final touches before it goes into service in August. Stronz said a flagship example of turning upper Main Street loft space into marketable space is about 95 percent complete. “It gives us a model for future projects, which we are discussing right now,” Stronz said. “We have an architect on the design for another upper-floor redevelopment project.” The nearly completed space is owned by Jim Walton, above his I’ve Been Framed store on North Main Street. “It’s been a really fun project. There have been some frustrations and we had some things that didn’t go exactly as planned,” Walton said, but he added the project is successfully nearing the date its scheduled completion.

In Years Past

Recently appointed by the king of Sweden to serve as consul for Western New York, Stephen E. Sellstrom says he is happy to follow in his father’s footsteps. One of the oldest families with Swedish roots in the Jamestown community, Sellstrom’s great-grandfather, Gustaf Fabian Sellstrom, emigrated from Sweden to Jamestown in 1868. His father, John L. Sellstrom, was appointed as the Swedish consul in March 1977. ”We’re really proud of our relationship with the Swedish government and the benefits that it provides to members of the Swedish-American community,” Sellstrom said of his family’s history. ”I’m happy to step into my dad’s footsteps because I think he has done an excellent job. I think it’s a great honor for Jamestown to have it.” Next year would mark the consulate’s 100th consecutive year in the city and for a long period during that century, Jamestown was the smallest city in the world with a full Swedish consulate.

Until now, steely silence reigned over the political waters surrounding Manor Oak for nearly a month. About a week and a half ago, the city Development Department released an internal memorandum distributed to City Council members outlining its entire involvement in the Manor Oak dealings. The more than 30-page document is a response to comments from county Legislators Wally Huckno, D-West Ellicott, and Maria Kindberg, D-Jamestown, regarding their belief the city performed poorly marketing the property. Legislators voted to sell the Manor Oak building to Jamestown developer Joe Liuzzo for $20,000 on June 29 – a fraction of the $1.4 million once owed to the county, city and city school district in back taxes, penalties and fees. Flowing animosity might not have pervaded the Manor Oak argument if it weren’t for the money involved. As part of a 1996 deal between the city and the county, Chautauqua County guarantees 100 percent of property taxes on delinquent properties and will foreclose on the properties if delinquent taxes are not paid in three years. At a tax auction organized by the county, properties may be sold to recoup the tax losses. Surpluses and deficits are supposed to be split between the county and the city. In Manor Oak’s case, the taxes, fees and penalties totaled $1.4 million. William Morrill, county real property taxation department director, said the city’s liability to the county is $735,548.66. That figure did not match calculations made by the city assessor’s office late Friday, which indicate Manor Oak’s total tax liability, including all three municipalities, was only about $460,000.

The Chadakoin River was dammed shut and fire crews were scouring the downtown in an attempt to stop a source of fuel from spreading down the watershed Friday night. At around 6 p.m., the Jamestown Police Department responded to a strong odor of fuel at the riverbank behind the Big Lots store. Initial police and fire department personnel observed a layer of fuel particles on the surface of the water that was heavier near the riverbend behind the JAMA building. From the vantage point of the railroad tracks north of the river, a policeman spotted the fuel emerging from a large viaduct underneath the rails and opposite the Riverwalk. The Jamestown Fire Department requested assistance from the Lakewood Fire Department and Chautauqua County Hazmat to contain the leaking fuel. “We are going to try get ahead of it as far downstream as we can,” explained Jamestown Fire Battalion Chief Don Woodfield, adding that containment booms would be placed at the culvert and further down on Harrison Street. Firemen spread out through the downtown to locate the potential source. At around 8 p.m. the diesel-like odor was strongest on First Street behind Holmlunds and the Arcade building, but the storm water drains had channels that proceeded further up the downtown. An hour later firemen were still checking manhole covers and drains north of Second Street between Main and Spring streets. Woodfield said he contacted the Board of Public Utilities to have the Warner Dam shuttered at about 8 p.m., while booms and absorbent pads were laid at the culvert. A representative from the state Department of Environmental Conservation was on the scene after 10:30 p.m. Friday.

Although both the state and Seneca Nation of Indians were gathering regional leaders in the name of economic development, both had left one another out of their efforts. The nation last month held an economic development forum, inviting numerous industrial development, governmental and economic leaders to learn how they could bolster area development – state representatives were not at the table. In turn, the state this week named regional economic development panels in various parts of the state to work on improving their regions – absent from the list were Seneca Nation officials. Neither nation officials, nor those from the governor’s office could be reached to comment Wednesday or Thursday, nor did Assemblyman Joe Giglio. State Sen. Catharine Young said it was a good idea to have a holistic, coordinated approach to economic development. She said she will work diligently, however, to make sure the needs of the area she represents are met. “It’s a good start,” she said about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s regional economic development panel approach.

In Years Past

Andrew Culver, head chef at Olive’s in Mayville, is hesitant to admit it – but he is really good at what he does. He is so good that he had the opportunity to work at the White House, but passed it up to stay in Chautauqua County where he grew up. ”Some might say it was an excellent opportunity, a once-in-a-life-time opportunity, and I’d never take that for granted,” Culver said seated in the restaurant’s empty dining room a couple hours before the doors opened for the evening. ”But I was reluctant to do it because of my love for this area.” Culver, a 2000 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, traveled to Washington, D.C. in April to audition for the job of sous chef – essentially the head chef’s ”right-hand man.” ”The kitchen was beautifully clean, a little smaller than I anticipated, and it was very quiet,” Culver said.

Daniel Diaz pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to commit murder to satisfy charges arising out of the shooting deaths of Richard Alicea Jr. and Johnny Houston in the Town of Gerry on May 23, 2001. The 38-year-old Diaz, who will be sentenced at a later date to a term equal to what he will receive in Federal District Court, previously pleaded guilty for his role in an interstate drug ring and faces a minimum of 35 years in prison for that charge. According to Chautauqua County District Attorney David Foley, Diaz cooperated with federal prosecutors and testified against several codefendants in an earlier federal trail involving the interstate drug ring, which was established in Jamestown and was the underlying cause for the deaths of Alicea and Houston. Diaz had been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The prosecution alleged that Diaz, along with Aaron Pike, hired Gregory Pattison for $5,000 to kill Alicea and Houston. Pattison and Pike had already been convicted by juries in Chautauqua County. Pattison was convicted for carrying out the shootings and Pike for his role in arranging for the deaths as a result of a dispute over marijuana and money. Both were sentenced to life in prison, and were also convicted in federal court and currently await sentencing on federal drug convictions. ”I’m satisfied that we’ve completed the prosecution of those responsible for this heinous crime,” Foley said. ”These deaths were tragic and unnecessary and are evident of the inherent danger of drugs in our community. We have worked closely with federal officials to, including the United State Attorney’s Office, to insure that everyone involved in these slayings was brought to justice.”

The Postal Service was considering closing more than one in 10 of its retail outlets including two in Cattaraugus County and another in Chautauqua County. Being considered are sites in Dayton, Otto and Niobe. “I’m really taken by surprise,” said 30-year Niobe Postmaster Charlayne McIntyre. She said a difficult economy and financial loss led her to expect changes, but she said she is “really saddened” by the possible closure. She said she loves the postal service and thinks it does “so much good” in a small rural hamlet by providing a gathering place for people. “People seem to isolate themselves nowadays,” she said, adding neighbors don’t gather like they once did. When people come in to get mail, however, she said, it is “almost a social event.” “They do visiting while doing business,” she said, adding people used to wait around a pot-belly stove for mail. She said the post office had been in Niobe for more than 100 years, being a main stage coach shop and boarding house in the early 1900s. While the stove may be gone, she said, the building still provided for gathering. She was concerned neighbors may now have to go to another community for mail, also causing inconvenience.

In Years Past

The Board of Public Utilities would not be able to use a state program to help pay for its proposed $145 million power plant. Gov. George Pataki vetoed legislation approved by the state Senate and Assembly that would have allowed publicly owned utilities to receive tax benefits under programs approved earlier this year. While the BPU didn’t include any of the potential state money in financial models for the plant, access to the grant program would have decreased the project’s cost for BPU ratepayers. ”It is difficult to have the BPU denied the same funding for a very worthwhile project that could be accessed by any investor-owned utility for their project,” said Wally Haase, BPU general manager. ”The governor’s veto means we will have to work that much harder and be that much more innovative to fund the BPU clean coal project.” In a news release made available at the meeting it was noted that the vetoed legislation was sponsored by Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, and Assemblyman William L. Parment, D-North Harmony, and passed overwhelmingly by both the State Senate and Assembly at the end of June.

Law-enforcement authorities confirm that an investigation is underway involving the Rev. Raymond Donohue, former priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville. Diocese of Buffalo officials told The Post-Journal that a routine audit of parish finances during Donohue’s tenure at St. Mary’s is currently under review. ”Earlier this year, parishioners were informed of a regular audit of parish finances conducted by the Diocese of Buffalo. This type of audit is conducted when a new pastor is appointed. The audit is currently under review,” said a statement issued by the diocese. While the diocese would not comment on the investigation, the statement went on to say, ”The parish and the diocese are committed to a just resolution and to a process that is as fair as humanly possible and pastorally sensitive to everyone involved.”

A Lakewood woman was facing charges after allegedly trying to hit several people with her vehicle on Tuesday. Samantha Brown, 38, of Lakewood was charged with three counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and driving while intoxicated on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Officers arrived at 400 Falconer St. for a domestic violence incident. According to police, Brown was driving at a high rate of speed on Falconer Street and hit a man with her vehicle. Two other people had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. Police say Brown was found to be driving and intoxicated and was taken into custody. She was taken to the Jamestown City Jail pending arraignment.

The state Department of Transportation was regrouping after a minor pipe repair led state crews 20 feet into the ground next to Fairmount Avenue near Sam’s Club. “The little sinkhole has now turned into a big excavation,” said Susan Surdej, DOT regional spokesperson, referring to a ruptured storm water drain outside Sams Club in West Ellicott. The drain broke in May following the excessive springtime rains. She said the site of the repair was “originally a very manageable size and then they had to excavate to find the root of the problem.” Now the Transportation Department was looking to put together a plan to shore up the amount of removed and potentially shifting earth, she added. In the meantime, traffic had been guided away from the sidewalk and one lane of Fairmount Avenue as a precaution. In the meantime, some nearby residents have experienced the difficulty of dealing with traffic that is sometimes backed up for as much as half a mile. Roger Williams, who resides in the 40-home neighborhood of Houston Avenue, said the main road still affords two lanes in front of the entrance to side streets. “Houston is the last street that is open before the construction begins,” he said.”It is a pain just because the traffic is so backed up. … On some days the lanes are not moving all the way to Brigiotta’s.”

In Years Past

Thunderstorms that ripped through select communities Tuesday left a shallow-rooted problem on Robin Burkett’s front porch. Shortly after 4 p.m., when the thunderstorm went overhead, she saw lightning, heard thunder and then a big ”thud.” ”I looked out the window and saw branches right at the front porch,” Ms. Burkett said. ”Then I noticed the tree trunk leaning toward the house.” The tree, a 40-foot tall American Linden, toppled in the sharp, high winds coming to rest against Ms. Burkett’s home at 71 Myrtle St. Roots shot skyward as the tree tipped, rupturing a natural gas line which National Fuel repaired quickly, along with the Jamestown Fire Department. ”I have lots of good neighbors who came to check on me,” she said. Parks Department crews were at the scene all day Wednesday, slicing limbs and preparing to move the massive trunk away from the structure. Damage was reported to the home, but is not serious enough to warrant evacuation. ”There was not a thing wrong with it,” said Doug Hoisington, city forester. ”The only thing was strong winds and a big canopy.”

The endorsements for a soccer camp called ”Star Goalkeeper Academy” are impressive. Log on to its Web site and one is treated to comments from some of the world’s finest goalies, including Tony Meola of the United States, Tim Howard of Manchester United and Ricardo of Portugal. ”SGA can help any goalkeeper in the world,” Meola said in one of his testimonies. That was music to the ears of J.J. Bilinski. Last month the Panama resident spent a week at the academy, which is run by its founder, Dan Gaspar. The University of Hartford’s men’s soccer coach has a wealth of experience obtained on three continents at the professional, club and international team levels. ”It’s probably the No. 1 goalkeeper camp in the nation, without a doubt,” Bilinski said. The 2006 Jamestown Community College graduate plans to continue his academic and athletic career at Medaille College in Buffalo where he hopes he’ll be the starting goalkeeper when the season opens in September. A week in Hagerstown, Md. might have just been the springboard the 19-year-old needed. ”His intensity for the game and his love for it (are what I remember),” Bilinski said. ”It was an honor to work with a guy who has that. He was great.”

New York state would provide $5 million in emergency funds to tide over the city of Salamanca during its fiscal crisis. The money, a zero interest loan, will be repaid to the state once the city receives payment it is due for hosting the Seneca Allegany Casino. The state and casino owners, the Seneca Nation of Indians, have a compact for the nation to operate three Western New York casinos. The nation has said the state has reneged on compact terms by allegedly violating an exclusivity clause, which bars other gaming venues in a certain radius of the nation-owned casinos. As per the compact, the nation has therefore not paid the state its annual share of slot-machine revenues as outlined in the agreement. The state has therefore alleged the nation has broken the pact by not paying its annual fee to the state. In the meantime, however, municipal hosts of the casinos like Salamanca, which get a 25 percent cut of the state payment, have not received the money they are supposed to receive. City revenues were sharply curtailed and deep cuts in personnel and services were made when the state and Seneca Nation came to an impasse over gaming-compact exclusivity payments in September 2010. “The city was at a point of crisis because financial obligations are due and action needed to be taken,” said state Sen. Catharine Young.

A construction project at the Chautauqua County Airport in Dunkirk was on hold as a result of the federal budget delay. Chautauqua County was not alone, however, in having airport construction projects put on hold. The Associated Press reported Monday that dozens of such projects across the country have been stalled. The stop is a result of Congress’s failure to pass legislation which would have kept the Federal Aviation Administration operating. Thousands of federal employees were also not currently working because of the aviation shutdown. That’s not the case locally though, said Dave Sanctuary, county airports manager. Only the paperwork for a project at the airport in Dunkirk is delayed, he said Monday – until such time as the FAA is funded. “I don’t think anywhere in the country anything will be permanently canceled,” Sanctuary said. “It’s just that, until such time as the FAA is funded, it’s on hold.”

In Years Past

Linda Greenhouse is what some Supreme Court watchers have called the 10th justice. She avoided acknowledging the weighty title while speaking before Chautauquans at the Hall of Philosophy on Tuesday, but said 28 years covering the Supreme Court for The New York Times have given her an interesting vantage point. And her time with the court has been long enough for her to notice patterns – specifically evidence of justices’ changing temperament and attitudes over time. ”Rehnquist, in his final years, is not really the justice we thought he was. What I think he acquired was a different perspective,” Ms. Greenhouse said. She cited a case in which the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist delivered the court’s opinion supporting Miranda warnings – the ”you have a right to remain silent” verbiage uttered during an arrest.

For 30 years, Rehnquist fought to kill Miranda, but finally said the warning is part of America’s national culture. The question of why such changes happen was first posed, Ms. Greenhouse found, by Jamestown’s own Justice Robert H. Jackson, who said the court affects justices more than they affect it. ”When the court invalidated every death penalty statute, Blackmun dissented. When the court ordered (President) Nixon to turn over his papers, Blackmun dissented,” Ms. Greenhouse said of late Justice Harry Blackmun, a Richard Nixon appointee.

The corporate face of Jamestown’s newest store is a family friendly video store aptly named Family Video. Cavan Mueller, Family Video’s Southern Tier district manager, and city officials gathered Tuesday for a ribbon cutting and grand opening a the storefront located on the corner of Sixth and Main streets. ”We’re a family friendly store. We offer free kids movies and we keep things cheap,” Mueller said. He said video rental stores have been gouging New York residents for many years, leaving them with poor choices and bad experiences. ”We believe in making a little bit of money from a lot of people,” Mueller said.

Chuck Nazzaro called for a group hug twice during the County Legislature’s May meeting. The Jamestown Democrat was joking, of course, but given the atmosphere of the meeting, the hug might have happened had the proposal been serious. Nazzaro wasn’t the only one in good spirits in May. In place of their typical barbs, legislators traded punchlines during the moments between discussions and votes on issues. At one point, the full body erupted when a single legislator voted “neigh” on a resolution regarding “equestrian trail development.” That friendly spirit continued at the body’s June 22 business meeting. Things had been much more heated at the legislature’s April meetings, when the two major parties were at odds over reapportionment.

At one point during the legislature’s June meeting, Majority Leader Larry Barmore, R-Gerry, asked Maria Kindberg, D-Jamestown, for her opinion on an issue. “If she’s willing,” Barmore said, “I really would appreciate Mrs. Kindberg’s opinions on what she thinks we ought to do here because it’s going to tremendously help me make up my mind. I know she’s worked hard on this and I do respect her opinion on this matter.” Kindberg was visibly floored by the request. “Let me get over my shock,”

Lakewood’s late mayor, Anthony C. Caprino, received another honor for his 30 years of service to the lakeside community. On Monday, the Lakewood Village Board named its hall after the late public figure, who served as mayor from April 6, 1981, until the day he passed away, March 4. Caprino’s wife, Josie, and son, Carl, were in attendance for the official announcement during the village’s regular board meeting. Mayor David Wordelmann said board members were looking for a way to memorialize Caprino. He said naming the village hall, which was constructed in 1893, after the late mayor was probably the best way. Caprino, along with being mayor for 30 years, also served the village as a trustee and as a member of the police department. ”I’m sure he spent more time in this building than any other man has,” Wordelmann said. ”It is an iconic building that will be named after an iconic man.”

In Years Past

For the first time in more than a year, Valerie Malta was allowed to videotape the biweekly Celoron Village Board meeting Monday night. There was only one catch – she had to sit off to the side in a specially designated space divided from the rest of the room by black-and-yellow-striped caution tape, and she had to provide a copy of the recording to anyone who wants it. Mrs. Malta detached the lens cap on her camera only moments after Celoron village officials lifted the 15-month-old ban on videotaping board meetings – a ban that prompted her and her husband, Brian, to file a federal lawsuit against the village. Board members did not specify what prompted the change, though earlier reports indicated it might have resulted from the ongoing lawsuit between the Malta’s and the Village of Celoron. ”Hopefully, both resolutions will help keep discussions focused on the legitimate business of the village,” said Andrew Goodell, who recently replaced Ken Lasker as Celoron village attorney. The resolutions to which he referred were adopted at Monday night’s board meeting to replace two others passed in April 2005 that provoked the lawsuit. Both of the original resolutions were aimed at regulating the sometimes contentious village board meetings – one banning videotaping without board approval and the other regulating public comments. Mr. and Mrs. Malta believed both resolutions infringed on residents’ First Amendment rights. They also felt the videotaping ban was unfairly aimed at them, since they are the only residents who videotape meetings. ”I as a resident think it’s a victory for village residents,” said Mark Sanderson, Celoron resident and former board member. ”They were wrong and they had to change it.”

If you believe in global warming, you believe in crumbling glaciers, rising ocean levels and severe droughts that can lead to political destabilization, a European ice-age and the end of Earth as we know it. If you believe Al Gore, we’re doing it to ourselves. Gore, former vice president and active environmentalist, spoke at Chautauqua Institution’s amphitheater Monday, kicking off a themed week focusing on the global environment. The temperament of his speech and accompanying slide show on global warming was a familiar topic, but for many, it was the first they had seen of his gathered evidence. ”I was surprised by the depth of understanding he had. I think there is growing concern,” said Ralph Crockett, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio – a self-professed Republican. ”Still, in my mind, and considering all the debate, I’d like to go back to the Heritage Foundation to see if they have a counter argument.” One complex doomsday conclusion to which the former vice president led the audience, was the possibility of the Greenland ice sheet breaking loose and melting in the Atlantic Ocean. Such a scenario, Gore said, would immediately cause a 20 foot rise in ocean levels. And, the melting fresh water ice could reduce the salinity of the oceans, halting the Gulf Stream flow to Europe and the reciprocating water currents, thrusting that continent and much of the northern hemisphere into an ice age of its own. ”Thirty or so, so-called ‘new diseases’ have spread to areas of the world where climate kept them in check – West Nile is a perfect example. SARS is another one, the Avian Flu that is much talked about,” Gore said, ”they were once unknown to us because cold winters held them back.”

Economic development officials believe regional leadership was the key to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new economic development strategy. Cuomo recently said Regional Economic Development Councils will be created for 10 regions in the state. Each of the 10 councils will have four months to develop a five-year strategic plan. Plans will be evaluated according to their vision, strategies, implementation, ability to leverage other resources, performance measures and how well the strategic planning process engages the public and diverse stakeholders. Under the new process, the 10 councils will be able to apply for state funding to support projects they determine to be part of their regional strategy using a new Consolidated Funding Application, making the projects eligible for grant money and tax credits from dozens of existing programs. The combined pool of funding totals up to $1 billion. Bill Daly, county Industrial Development Agency director, said the new economic development plan would be successful under the right leadership. ”It will work if the regional councils work,” Daly said. ”They have to put up ideas for people to buy into. We hope the goals in the plan will breakdown regional barriers to make economic development projects better. The regional councils can be a good opportunity to do that.”

Gay marriage licenses becoming available brought debate on the part of some municipal clerks who issue the licenses. Two town clerks in the state, one in Barker and another in Broome County, tendered resignations rather than issue the licenses, to which they are opposed. The Alliance Defense Fund, however, has issued a memo to aid clerks objecting to issuing the mariage licenses. The alliance suggests law requires employers to accommodate religious beliefs, adding duties can be delegated to deputy clerks or other municipal official if a clerk opposes issuing the licenses. “We’re ready to go,” said Jamestown City Clerk James Olson. He said all of the forms to issue gay marriage licenses have been received from the state and are signed so they can be processed. He said the office has received a couple of phone calls and e-mails inquiring about the matter. He said that while he does not expect a high rate of people coming in to obtain gay marriage licenses, his office will be ready to issue them. “I don’t believe this issue would tip any of us over the edge to resign. This is my job. It’s what I do and have been doing for a long, long time,” he said, adding that just because the law changed, his job is no different than it has been. “I don’t see that we’re going to treat those couples any differently,” he said. Ellery Town Clerk Rebecca Haines, part of the state clerks’ association, said she is unaware of the issue resulting in any clerks planning to resign in Chautauqua County. “That is New York state law. That is what I do as a town clerk,” she said about following the law. “I took an oath to uphold the laws of New York State,” said Ellicott Town Clerk Michael Erlandson.

In Years Past

Public input on public policy – it sounds like a good idea. But when you crossed the immediate needs of four quickly aging fire houses inside Jamestown with the complexity of the issues involved, quick and easy decisions using public opinion seem uncertain. Still, Dr. Lillian Vitanza Ney, R-At Large and Public Safety Committee chairwoman, was certain a proposed Public Safety Forum slated for September would be enough to educate the public on the issues and respond with thoughts – before the end of the year. ”I don’t see that we have a choice,” Dr. Ney said. ”One brand new fire station is $2 million while just fixing up the dire necessities in the others may be potentially as much or more.” Deciding exactly what to do, however, has become a subject of quandary recently. Until July 17, Council members failed to discuss the proposals delivered by the Teresi administration in May. Now, the Public Safety Committee is committing the proposals’ fate to a larger public policy making process. ”The issues are all integrated – we have a tax rate we are not only trying to control, but reduce,” Dr. Ney said. ”It is essential we have a dialogue with the public. Do they want EMS, fire and EMS transport, or do they want just fire service? It makes a large difference in the buildings that we build or save.”

Unused cell phones and expensive overage charges had led County Executive Greg Edwards to push for a county employee cell phone policy. On Thursday, Edwards discussed the idea with the county’s Audit and Control Committee of implementing a policy to stop unnecessary charges. Edwards said the county has 444 phones at a charge of more than $10 a month. The county executive said he can eliminate at least 50 phones, which Edwards knows won’t be a tremendous savings, but knows every penny counts. ”This will help send the message that we need to be careful with every dollar,” he said. The county spent more than $50,000 a year on cell phones, including $6,000 in penalty charges for going over the county’s allotted minutes in 2005. Edwards told the committee he’s working on cell phone records for each department, all went over minutes allowed, to find where money can be saved. Edwards wants to set a cell phone policy to dictate how county employees can use their phone to hopefully avoid penalty charges. ”I believe this is an expense that can be eliminated,” he said.

In her capacity as Hispanic service navigator, Samantha Ellis had literally walked down the aisle with those who need help overcoming the language barrier. That difficulty works both ways. “The mayor called and asked if we could provide a translation during the ceremony,” said Mrs. Ellis, whose office is located at the Joint Neighborhood Project. “As he said (their vows) in English and paused, I then did the translation so that they knew what they were committed to.” But her involvement in the wedding was only a ceremonial accent on top of her usual workload of assisting non-English speakers with all types of critical communication. Said Mrs. Ellis: “We deal with everything from department of social services to medical and legal advocacy, informational – which means they are asking questions about banks, finances and mortgages – housing, employment and translations.”

In Chautauqua County, the total number of people aged 62 and older was now more than 20 percent of the county population. Their number stands at 27,063 – they could fill a city twice the size of Dunkirk. From 2000 to 2010, the county’s median age also crossed threshold from 37.9 to 40.9. It was true that many younger residents are leaving and there was an noteworthy increase in the senior population. However, an obvious trend was that people were leading longer lives with chronic conditions – ailments that would have been much likelier to cause death only generations before, according to senior care professionals. “With ages 45 and over, it’s almost 50 percent of our population. What we are seeing is a huge demand for Office for the Aging Services,” said MaryAnn Spanos, director for the county office.

In Years Past

On Sunday, April 2, long before dawn, a desperate Ralph Phillips leaped off the roof of the Erie County Correctional Facility, and fled into the darkness. That escape 112 days ago haunted Buffalo attorney John Keavey. He represented Phillips while he was incarcerated at the Erie County Correctional Facility. If he is called, Keavey said, and Phillips is willing to turn himself in to Keavey, the same offer holds: the money will be held for the escapee’s daughter and her preschoolers, a daughter and son. “If you read this,” Keavey said, “I promise you Ralph, that I will help get this mess straightened out. But, it’s absolutely imperative that you contact me as soon as possible.” Phillips escaped, Keavey said, not because he was convinced he was going back to prison, but because he was convinced authorities would obtain a legal restraint that would prevent him from ever seeing his daughter again – after he was returned to prison. There was no question in Phillips’ mind that “the system” was out to get him, the attorney said. “The parole system failed Ralph Phillips,” he said. “It was more than a failure of the system. Actually, the system set Ralph up to fail. What happened to him should never have happened. The entire parole violation was a travesty, a terrible tragedy in terms of human costs. “

To beat the rain Saturday, many people joined Chautauqua Town Board members for the open house at the Town of Chautauqua Community Municipal Building. The former Mayville Central School building had been transformed over the past two years into new offices for the town of Chautauqua. The building was purchased in December 2004 and construction started in November 2005, with 10 building lots still to sell. “We’re waiting for more people to move in,” said Ken Burnett, Chautauqua town board member. The main meeting hall was dedicated to Sidney B. Compton, Chautauqua Town supervisor, as the Sidney B. Compton Meeting Hall. Officials speaking to the public about the building included Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards and state Sen. Cathy Young, R-Olean. “This is an example of vision and guts,” Edwards said. “Not everyone has this sort of vision. The true benefactors of this building will be the residents of Chautauqua County.”

An area resident was taken to WCA?Hospital after crashing into Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church shortly before midnight Friday. The person’s name was not released as of press time, but initial reports indicated the driver of the vehicle was injured after going off the road near Sixth and Main streets and running into the church. Jamestown police officers and firefighters responded to the scene. While little information was available, the person’s injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

The past came rushing back for Edward Mifsud of Mayville when he opened his Wednesday edition of The Post-Journal. On page B10, under “In Years Past,” there was a small section recognizing the 75 anniversary of a triple murder that occurred in Erie, Pa. The story goes that 40-year-old Samuel C. Weed, who was a Sunday school teacher, murdered his two young boys – David, age 5, and Charles, age 3 – and his wife with a hammer. So how does Mifsud remember this incident from 75 years ago so well? Because he was their neighbor. In fact, Mifsud had spent that eventful evening with the two boys and his sister, Mary Lou. “We were up at their house until 8 p.m. that night playing the player piano rolls. We had a wonderful time with that piano,” he said. “We came home and heard the next morning about the hammer and the killings.” Mifsud said reading Wednesday’s paper made him remember the incident very clearly. “There is nothing like the shock of seeing that in the paper. Looking back into history that you were a part of,” he said. “I remember it so well. It was the death of my first playmates.”

In Years Past

Despite the best efforts of the Chautauqua Lake Association, the weed infestation in Burtis Bay just wasn’t going away. The organization’s fleet of harvesters has maintained channels through the weeds for boats to travel, but the dreaded aquatic plants are thicker than ever and growing right up to the shoreline. ”They’ve cut some paths so at least we can get the boats out,” said Karen Rine, Chautauqua Lake Partnership president and a Burtis Bay resident. ”But it’s coming right up to the breakwall.” No one seemed to doubt this is the worst year ever for lake weeds in Burtis Bay. The situation has soured the summer for many lakefront residents in the area – the fishing is lousy, the smell is bad, the view is ugly, it’s tough to get their boats in and out, and weed debris is washing up in their backyards. ”My taxes went up over $2,000,” said Longview Avenue resident Tom Mosier, who lives along the weed-choked waters. ”The first 30 feet is dead weeds that floated in.”

The Jamestown Board of Education and the Citizens For Improving Education might have more in common than they think. Looking to better the Jamestown City School District for students and employees, both recently said they are open to speaking with the other group – as long as it’s civil and non-confrontational. ”In the past, both Superintendent Ray Fashano and I have sat down with various individuals or groups to discuss specific issues or issues in general that the school board is dealing with,” Board President Joseph Pawelski said. ”And again, like every other situation, I think – and I’m not speaking for the superintendent – we’d be more than happy to sit down with them if they are not confrontational or demanding and want to discuss something.” Fashano was quick to agree with Pawelski, explaining that as superintendent he is always interested in speaking with district residents. ”I’ve been here for eight years and when I started, I met with a bunch of groups in those first couple of years,” Fashano said. ”Any time there is a chance to compromise and use diplomacy, sure, I would certainly sit through a meeting if they want and are willing to do that.” Along with ”compromise” and ”non-confrontational,” ”good faith” and ”open dialogue” were words used by Wendy Kum, spokesperson representing the Citizens For Improving Education, when asked about working with the board. ”We would be more than happy to work with the school board on ideas if they are willing to work with us, but it’s a two-way street,” Mrs. Kum said. ”They would have to be willing to have an open dialogue. Not only do we have to be and need to be ready to listen to them, but they need to be ready and willing to listen to us and both sides need to be able to compromise.”

Chautauqua Institution was much quieter than normal. A power outage caused by a blown transformer in a National Grid substation near the institution’s main gate at about 2:45 p.m. affected approximately 1,800 customers in the area – including a large majority of the cultural learning center’s grounds. This meant cancellation of theater performances and recitals scheduled for the evening, an early end to the symphony show in the Amphitheatre, and a reason for many seasonal residents to leave the institution during the hot evening to seek cooler places. ”We went out to eat, because there wasn’t much on campus here, and a lot of people enjoy the comfort of their air-conditioned car,” said Jim Brown of Casper, Wyo., as he and his wife returned to the grounds after an evening out. ”Other than that, we went down to the beach to get in the water and cool down there.”

Those interested in purchasing Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa had until Aug. 5 to make their bid. Last week, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels announced it was assigned responsibility by the court-appointed federal trustee to market the resort for sale. According to a statement from the hotel investment services firm, bankruptcy court officials want the sale of the resort promptly advertised. ”Per court mandate, the property will be marketed in an accelerated time frame, with a call for offers date of Aug. 5,” said Mark von Dwingelo, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels senior vice president. ”Offered at a discount to replacement cost, this acquisition offers investors the rare opportunity to acquire nearly 1,100 acres of highly desirable land and benefit from numerous value-enhancement opportunities and upside potential.” The 107-room hotel encompasses nearly 1,100 acres of land with 27 ski runs, two golf courses, several on-site restaurants and a spa. ”In addition to its many in-place revenue-generating components, there is an opportunity to sell timeshare units and develop land that is slated for future condo, timeshare and residential uses,” von Dwingelo said. ”The resort has generated more than $15 million in revenue over the last several years and there is ample opportunity for growth with further development of the property.”

In Years Past

For the Quality Markets in Randolph, the alleged arrival of Ralph Phillips was a blessing in disguise. Employees were making upwards of 250 subs a day for the seemingly hundreds of State Police officers scouring the area for the elusive fugitive, and bottled water and gatorade is being bought by the gallons. ”We’re not used to cranking out that many subs,” said Chris Allenson, store manager. ”So we’ll see how long it keeps up.” The search for Phillips shifted to western Cattaraugus County – most notably the towns of Randolph, Cold Spring and Napoli – after he was tied to a burglary on County Road 10 a few miles north of Steamburg on Sunday. Phillips has eluded police since he escaped from the Erie County Corrections Facility in April and is wanted for the alleged shooting of a State Police officer in Chemung County on June 10. ”It’s had a generally positive impact for a lot of places in town,” Allenson said. ”It’s helping out local businesses.” Aside from that, though, complaints were hard to come by this week. Howard VanRensselaer, East Randolph mayor, said he’s received mostly positive feedback from residents, especially since vehicles in the village are finally obeying the speed limit with so many patrol cars around. ”There’s a little grumbling because the state is spending too much money,” VanRensselaer said. ”But they’re not bothering anyone.”

Eliminating the sales tax on clothing and footwear, capping the sales tax on gasoline at $2 per gallon and with a .25 percent reduction on sales tax set to take effect beginning of September combined to have county financial planners worried. During the county’s Audit and Control Committee meeting in Mayville on Thursday, Darin Schulz, county finance director, and Mark Deas, Legislative finance analyst, said the county has received $1.7 million more in sales tax than budgeted, but said due to the tax cuts there is a potential $2 million shortfall in 2007. Schulz told the committee the clothing tax regression factor is at -5 percent, which equals about $300,000 less in sales tax received during the second financial quarter. He said the county’s 2006 budget should be fine, but 2007 is where the potential problem could affect the county. ”This is a disturbing trend,” he said.

How the county should comply with a federal mandate to update radio communications was causing a difference of opinion amongst area officials. The Federal Communications Commission was mandating new radio systems that do not bleed into other frequencies, interfering with systems already in use. Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace said Chautuaqua County hired a consultant to study options including an 800-megahertz system the state was planning to go to for which the county purchased some equipment, upgrading narrow band systems that would necessitate tower and radio upgrades and more. Some were taking opposition to the 800-megahertz system, including Westfield Mayor David Carr. He sent emails to other municipalities to make them aware of financing and other concerns about the 800-megahertz system, convincing some to oppose the system, including mayors and supervisors association members and Chautauqua County Police Chiefs Association members. “It costs too much money,” said Carr. He said the village would have to borrow money to have the system because none of its radios can be retrofitted for the 800 system. He said the system is not satisfactory for Chautauqua County hills and questioned why the county would want to be the only one in the vicinity with the system. “The legislature should stop it now,” said Carr.

Corn is a resilient crop. Despite a recent lack of rain and a constant dosage of hot weather, it would take many more days of drought for the plant to wither and die altogether. After a record-setting wet spring caused a late start to the growing season, farmers were able to catch up when the weather cleared in late May and June. Tom Frederes, crop consultant for Western New York Crop Management, said that many of those fields in the area have managed to catch up to be close to where they typically should be at this point in the season. ”Some of those later-planted fields actually look pretty good,” he said. ”We’ve got corn that’s just emerging now, and corn that’s actually right on schedule that’s tasseling right now.”

In Years Past

A gap in Medicare Part D could have left thousands of New York seniors without coverage for a period of time each year, forcing them to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs. Calling it the ”donut hole” of the plan, Sen. Charles Schumer explained the situation Wednesday and spoke of several initiatives which he hopes will help cut costs and eventually eliminate the gap. Citing a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Schumer said one in four beneficiaries of the Medicare drug plan will fall into the donut hole this year. A conservative estimate, Schumer said some are projecting as many as one in three beneficiaries will enter the donut hole and explained that the Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit health care research organization. ”From the very complicated enrollment process to unknown deadlines and hidden fees, the Part D Medicare prescription drug benefits has been a roller coaster ride for seniors since day one. And though some seniors have saved money on medications, this roller coaster is going to run off the tracks for many others,” Schumer said. ”That’s because the Medicare drug benefit was designed with a big coverage gap that’s not so affectionately known as the ‘donut hole.’ They enter once their drug costs have exceeded $2,250 and while in the donut hole, they have to pay for all their drugs out-of-pocket.”

Elizabeth Booth had some encouraging news for the county’s Planning & Economic Development committee Wednesday. Ms. Booth was a consultant for the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, specifically in the area of attracting conferences and/or sales conventions to the area. During the meeting on the floating stage at the Italian Fisherman in Bemus Point, Ms. Booth said she was working on contracts with five different conventions that potentially could bring 11,000 visitors to the county. Ms. Booth said she couldn’t give more information while she continues work on the contracts with convention planners. ”We’re hoping for the best,” she said. Ms. Booth, who started working for the county in March, said she is also talking to county businesses about attracting more visitors. ”We started the Bring It Home campaign,” she said. ”Talking to business in the county about attracting conferences.”

At home in the air conditioning had been one of the more desirable places to be this week, as the heat’s held strong here in Chautauqua County. When asked how best to “beat the heat,” most respond with the obvious “stay in the a.c.” Others, however, reserve the cooling effects of a window unit for the noontime and evening hours – instead opting to embrace the warm weather in home pools or at the beach. “I am enjoying it,” said city resident Andy Palermo on Tuesday, immediately before questioning: “Isn’t that what we should be doing?” “No one has ever asked me what I am doing to beat the cold,” he continued. “That will come soon enough. Air is on, and enjoying this season that we call summer.” No temperature records had been broken so far, according Chris Fisher of the National Weather Service in Buffalo. “We did hit 89 in Buffalo (Tuesday), so we still haven’t hit 90 this year,” Fisher said.

The Chautauqua County Legislature lost its sole Conservative Party member two years ago when Tina Hallquist decided not to run for re-election. Now the legislature was to lose its only other third-party member. Scot Stutzman, I-Jamestown, has decided not to run for re-election this fall. As a result, he will vacate the District 14 seat in Jamestown after three terms in office. “I have been very fortunate to serve in the legislature for six years following the completion of my term this December,” Stutzman told The Post-Journal on Tuesday. “I have a great deal of respect for the office of which I have served along with the other government offices throughout the region, state and country. God has tremendously blessed me for the opportunity.” As reasons for deciding not to seek re-election, Stutzman cited commitment to his current job as well as time with his family, which he said takes precedence in his decision. “I have not always agreed with the direction of government,” Stutzman said, “especially in light of the way in which the nation continues to erode values, but I have enjoyed having a leadership role in Chautauqua County as the first elected Independent.”

In Years Past

As much a problem for the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities as storms can be, it was a tiny animal which caused an explosion, blackouts and downed power lines in the area Tuesday.

Though no safety releases went off as had happened Monday, more people were likely aware of Tuesday’s issue because power was out in Jamestown, Celoron and along the north side of Fairmount Avenue. According to Sue Jones, BPU communication coordinator, the problems Tuesday were separate from the two breakers which tripped Monday and came after a squirrel touched lines on Whitley Avenue. ”While they may jump on the line and land with all four feet, the tail usually goes to ground,” Jones said of squirrels, raccoons and other animals. ”I understand it was a squirrel and it was enough of a problem to cause an explosion and lines down.” Officials initially thought the problem was on Jones & Gifford Avenue and feared the worst for the substation located near The Resource Center. ”Your heart beats faster when you think that because it could have been an even bigger problem effecting an even bigger area,” Jones said. ”First and foremost in our mind is safety, making sure that the customers are safe and that the crews are safe as they’re out looking at the problem.”

Change was in the wind for Alltel customers. The rural American telephone company and corporate parent of the former Jamestown Telephone Co., had finished restructuring and would now be known as Windstream Corporation. ”Our new company has a great deal of momentum as we begin operating,” said Jeff Gardner, Windstream CEO and president. ”We have assembled an experience leadership team backed by a talented workforce deeply rooted in our communities and we will be focused on generating solid financial results for shareholders.” Windstream was the completion of corporate restructuring Alltel, Inc., began more than a year ago when company officials decided to spin off traditional land-line services into an independent company.

There are those who would never even think of spending a picturesque summer afternoon fishing garbage out of the downtown river. But for some residents of Jamestown, the daily sight of a half-submerged grocery cart was both a cause for concern and a personal challenge to make the waterfront more enjoyable for everyone. Dan Myers and his son brought more than their fishing poles to their favorite spot. They carried with them buckets, hooks attached to chains and rope, a truck with suitable horsepower and recruited some of Nick’s classmates from Jamestown High School. “This is where Hands On Jamestown doesn’t quite reach,” said Myers, as he worked his way into the water from the city Riverwalk trail. He said the banks of the Chadakoin has been a favorite fishing locale since he was just a child. Today, the city trail provides a safe venue for fishing, winding its way behind the JAMA building. But he added he hopes to pass on more than just his sportsman hobby to the next generation.

The Westfield Academy and Central School District would be paying outgoing superintendent Mark Sissel an amount of $113,627. The lump sum of money, according to the agreement and mutual release between the district and Sissel, is to be paid no later than Sept. 30. During the Westfield Board of Education meeting, the board approved the agreement of mutual release and the resignation of Superintendent Mark Sissel. At that time, board President Marie Edwards refrained from speaking about the details of the agreement. “The board and Mr. Sissel have arrived at a mutual understanding that it is in the best interests of the district and Mr. Sissel that the aforesaid employment agreement, as amended, and Mr. Sissel’s employment with the district be terminated effective Aug. 31, 2011, subject to certain terms and conditions,” the agreement states.

In Years Past

The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department may have come within minutes of apprehending Ralph Phillips on Sunday. A burglary on County Road 10 in Cold Spring a few miles east of Randolph has been linked to the elusive fugitive, and State Police have now moved the massive manhunt to Cattaraugus County. ”Forensic evidence found at the scene linked him (to the burglary),” said Maj. Michael T. Manning, State Police Troop A commander. ”Since then, we’ve been searching the area.” According to Capt. Robert Buchhardt of the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, the burglary took place over the weekend, Phillips gaining entry through the back door. The owners arrived at approximately 10:30 a.m. Sunday, surprised to find that the building had been broken into. ”The first thing that caught their (eye) was cigarette smoke,” Buchhardt said. ”There were several things in disarray.” According to Manning, there was a visual sighting of Phillips – who is wanted for allegedly shooting a police officer after escaping from the Erie County Corrections Facility two and a half months ago – at the scene of the burglary. He said the owners ”discovered” Phillips upon their return. ”They kind of surprised him and he took off on foot,” Manning said. However, officials in the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department couldn’t be sure if it was actually Phillips the owners saw. According to Lieutenant Tom Bradigan – who arrived on scene only 15 minutes after the break-in was reported – the owners said they only saw something that looked like a person crawling in the underbrush a short distance away. They acknowledged it could have been something else.

Steam escaping from the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities and popping sounds from its safety valves caused some concern Monday as many wondered why the power plant was making such loud noises. Explaining that two breakers tripped at the facility, Sue Jones, BPU communication coordinator, said some people experienced brownouts where their computers and other lights dimmed significantly. ”To our knowledge, we did not have any outages,” Jones said. ”Most people complained of a lightbulb burning out. We do not have a reason for it at this time.” Two 35,000 volt lines travel between the Dow Street Substation and the power plant, bringing electricity into the BPU from the Niagara Power Project. When there is a problem, the system shuts itself down and officials then have to check equipment for damages.

According to Jones, the system shut itself down just as it’s supposed to. ”What seemed to excite everybody in the area was the steam safeties in the power plant opened automatically. They do make quite a bit of noise,” Jones said. ”It will take several hours to get everything. We’ve lost our steam. We have to get that going again.”

When Maple Grove senior Ben Swanson sang God Bless America at his school’s talent show in fifth grade, he realized something. “That was when I first realized I have a voice,” Ben said. “Since then I’ve been involved in chorus and school musicals, and musicals at the Little Theater.” His school’s auditorium and the Little Theater are not the only places he’s performed since fifth grade, however, having last year earned a spot with the All State Chorus in Rochester, where he performed well enough to continue to even larger, more prestigious performances. “From Rochester, I made it into All Eastern (Chorus), and we performed in Baltimore,” Ben said. “Those were two great experiences.” Greater still was his performance in June, at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., where Ben sang with 149 others, all ranked among the best high school voices in the country, in All National Chorus. He is the first vocalist in the history of Maple Grove High School to reach such a level of performance. “Musically, that was by far the greatest experience of my life,” he said. “All State and All Eastern were great, and I always thought ‘wow, these kids are the best of the best,’ but I got to All National and it was different. I’d never sang with so many people who were all so dedicated to the music. Everyone there is so completely dedicated. They know they’re good, they want to show it and they want to work together to show it, so it was unlike anything else I’ve ever done.”

The City Clerk’s office was entrusting that special-event sponsors would let their neighbors know when they planned to block traffic. After a discussion of the City Council Public Safety Committee, city officials distributed a new form to events organizers that would prompt the approval of businesses affected before each new event. The new requirement replaces the older standard of forwarding a small set of signatures each time a special-event permit is requested.

“The city clerk’s office is receiving a lot of complaints from business owners not knowing when streets are closed,” Police Chief Harry Snellings said after the meeting. “Now the requirement is if there is a street closure, that part of the permit process is making the business owners within that closure aware that there is an event, and note the time that the street is going to be closed.” City Clerk Jim Olson said there is not a minimum number of signatures required in each instance, but the process should be followed like a block party application, where the organizer is expected to reach out to everyone within the closed area of the street. He said in the case of neighborhood street closures, 50 percent of affected residents need to sign off on the request. “We are asking that they contact all the affected property owners,” he said.

In Years Past

Before ground was even broken, the possibility of development has one immediate effect on an area – it caused residents to debate. Though the North Harmony Town Board had not yet received the formal application on a proposed hotel project, people in Stow, Panama, Ashville and throughout the area are already discussing its pros and cons. During a board meeting July 10, Town Supervisor Sally Carlson and Deputy Supervisor Robert Yates read a letter discussing and supporting the project into the public record. Written by former council member Albert Brown, the letter outlined the two sides of the issue and seemed to support it in the end. Calling it an important flagship development, Brown asked the board to take a positive position in encouraging the hotel to be built. As he acknowledged, such a thing will take much work and need to overcome many bureaucratic obstacles before receiving approval. ‘While the changes in this area over the past forty years have been both positive and negative, we remain optimistic that Chautauqua will remain an attractive place in which to live, work, recreate and enjoy life,” Brown wrote. ”We are especially pleased that our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends continue to visit this delightful setting.” As proposed by developer John McGraw, the Hilton Hotel would be located on the 30-acre Bootey property in Stow. At eight stories tall, the hotel would have 150 rooms, 12 condominiums and cost $15 million to build.

The search for Ralph Phillips took an abrupt turn Sunday as New York State Police moved the focus of their search out of northern Chautauqua County. Search teams that had been working in an area east of Route 60 in the towns of Pomfret, Stockton, Charlotte, and Arkwright picked up and left the area for Cattaraugus County after receiving information that Phillips had allegedly been in a camp there over the weekend. Trooper Mark O’Donnell, Public Information Officer for the New York State police, confirmed Sunday night that operations had moved into Cattaraugus County – focusing on the towns of Coldspring, Napoli, and Randolph. O’Donnell said physical evidence from the campsite and witnesses in the area suggested Phillips had been in the area this past weekend.

When a hot sun is beating down on the baseball diamond or soccer field, it’s only natural that tempers will flare. Even when the participants in the game are children, close calls and questionable decisions may raise the ire of everyone at the park. ”Managers, coaches, parents, grandparents,” said Charlie Kent, Jamestown Babe Ruth League president. ”It’s hot out and people get carried away.” Seeing a coach or another parent take frustration or anger out on a youngster can be distressing for parents, and can result in leaving the field with a bad taste in their mouth. When incidents occur, no matter how fleeting they may be, they leave an indelible impression of the offender upon all who witness them. ”By and large, it’s a very enjoyable and positive experience for everybody,” said Jeff Kroon, Jamestown Area Youth Soccer president. ”Unfortunately, the exceptions get all the attention.” There are safeguards in place, officials said, to ensure that a safe environment is upheld for all who attend and participate in youth sporting events. And, they said, it is important to remember that for every bad situation that arises and is remembered by those who saw it, there are dozens of positive moments. ”All you hear about is a parent snapping or a manager snapping,” Kent said. ”But it’s still youth sports. There are some coaches, a bunch of us, who could care less if we win or lose – it’s about how many kids did I put on the varsity baseball team, how many kids got scholarships for being good citizens, that type of thing.”

In Years Past

TODAY

Chautauqua Region Multiple Sclerosis Society, Jones Hill Rehab Center, 51 Glasgow Ave., Jamestown, 9:30 a.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Living Sober group, open discussion, MHA, 31 water St., Suite 7, Jamestown (Behind Gateway Center), 10 a.m.

Mental Health Association: Living Sober Peer Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 10 a.m.

Mental Health Association: Spanish Language Recovery Peer Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 10 a.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Our Choice, open meeting, open discussion/basic text; nonsmoking, wheelchair accessible;WCA Hospital, 207 Foote Ave., classroom 2, Jamestown, 11 a.m.

Mental Health Association: Common Bonds Peer Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown 11:30 a.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Open discussion and big book study; Alanon Club, 511 E. Second St., Jamestown, noon and 8 pm.; wheelchair accessible

Mental Health Association: Veterans Peer Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 1 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: It Works, How and Why, Lutheran Church, Third Ave., Warren, 6:30 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Never Alone, Never Again open meeting, open discussion, nonsmoking, candle light meeting; no court papers signed; First Lutheran Church, 120 Chandler St., Jamestown, 7 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Western New York Regional Chat; www.nawny.org; click on CHAT; enter profile, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

Alcoholics Anonymous: Open discussion, Alanon Club, 511 E. Second St., Jamestown, 11 a.m.; open speaker, 8 p.m.; wheelchair accessible

Narcotics Anonymous: True Recovery in Progress, Warren General Hospital first floor conference room A, 2 W. Crescent Park, Warren, 6:30 p.m.; open discussion, nonsmoking

Narcotics Anonymous: Never Alone Again; open meeting, basic text, nonsmoking, no court papers signed; First Lutheran Church, 120 Chandler St., Jamestown, 7 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Sunday Nite Clean and Serene open meeting, basic text, nonsmoking, 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY

Alcoholics Anonymous: Open discussion and mediation, 6:45 a.m.; open discussion and big book study, 7 a.m.; closed discussion, noon; Alanon Club, 511 Second St., Jamestown; building wheelchair accessible.

GED/High School equivalency classes, E2CC Boces at the Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Jamestown, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Mental Health Association: Cognitive Recovery peer Support Group Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 8:45 a.m.

English as a Second Language class, E2CC Boces at the Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Jamestown, 9 a.m. to noon; for information, call 484-6190

Mental Health Association: Peer Recovery Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 10:15 a.m.

Mental Health Association: Self-Help and Advocacy Peer Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 12:30 p.m.

Mental Health Association: Narcotics Anonymous, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown. 3 p.m.

Mental Health Association: Family Support Group, Gateway Center, 31 Water St., Door 14, Jamestown, 6 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Free Hope, 300 Market St., Warren, 6:30 p.m.; open discussion, nonsmoking

Alanon: Closed discussion, Alanon Club, 511 E. Second St., Jamestown, 7 p.m.; wheelchair accessible

Alcoholics Anonymous: Chautauqua Lake group; Newcomers open discussion, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 35 W. Fairmount, Lakewood, 7 p.m.; closed discussion, 8:15 p.m.

Miracle of Recovery, Healing Word Ministries, 1006 W. Third St., Jamestown, 7 p.m.; for information, call 483-3687

Chautauqua Shores Chorus (women’s barbershoppers), First Baptist Church, 358 E. Fifth Street, Jamestown; 7 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Our Choice, open meeting, nonsmoking, wheelchair accessible, Ask It Basket; WCA Hospital, 207 Foote Ave., Jamestown, 7 p.m.

”We Believe,” a Christ-centered recovery group, First Covenant Church, 520 Spring St., Jamestown, 7 p.m. (for more information, call 483-9825); handicapped accessible

Viking Men’s and Women’s Chorus, American Legion Herman Kent Post 777, Jackson Avenue, West Ellicott, Jamestown, 7 p.m.

In Years Past

For many who came to Saturday’s unveiling of the Martz Observatory’s new 24-inch telescope, it was the first time they had ever stepped foot inside the dome. Observatory officials hoped it wouldn’t be the last. ”They’ve been saying, ‘I’ve been wanting to come up here,”’ said Gary Nelson, president of the Marshal Martz Memorial Astronomical Association, which operates the observatory. The telescope arrived last week and was hoisted into the facility by crane. It was under construction for months and would otherwise cost roughly $800,000. The Martz Observatory acquired it for only $2,500. ”It’s just unreal,” Nelson said of all those who donated labor and materials. ”A lot of them don’t even know who we are.”

The sun came out and the wind picked up just in time for the opening race of the third annual Chautauqua Lake Championship Regatta. In fact, principal race officer Jim Holler said they were the perfect conditions for a sailboat race – though some boat captains did have to struggle here and there to keep from tipping over. ”This is great, isn’t it?” said Al Nottage, regatta chairman and founder, as the boats lined up about a mile away from the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club. ”I love it.” Nearly 30 captains participated in the race, more than the other two years combined, according to Nottage. ”This is double anything we’ve had before,” he said.

For many in a generation that grew up reading Harry Potter novels and watching the accompanying movies, a late-night ceremony Thursday marked the end of an era. The eighth and final film in the Potter franchise – ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” – opened with midnight showings across the nation Thursday, including at Dipson Theatres Cinema 8 in Lakewood. An estimated 550 fans began arriving at the cinema about five hours before showtime, reported Jim White, manager. ”They began showing up roughly around 7, in costume … and we started seating the auditoriums around 9:45,” he said. ”They’re the diehard fans.”

A new law that made texting and driving a primary offense was signed into law earlier in the week. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the law that strengthened enforcement against drivers who use handheld electronic devices while driving. Making the offense a primary traffic offense gave law enforcement the power to stop drivers solely for engaging in this activity. “What that means is that a law enforcement officer can stop and cite the driver based solely on the offense,” said Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace. “A secondary offense would mean that he (the officer) would have to have a primary reason for the stop, such as speeding, passing in a no-passing zone, running a red light or stop sign, and then if they discovered the texting they could issue a citation based on the other stop. Now, with primary, if they see a car driving and believe that a person is using an electronic device while driving, (the driver) can be pulled over and cited for it.”

In Years Past

Had Officer Chris Deponceau not already been on the scene of a motorcycle accident in the village of Lakewood as it happened Thursday evening, the driver’s serious injuries might have been much worse – possibly even fatal. Traveling westbound on Baker Street by motorcycle, Tim Desmond, 48, of Baker Street Extension in Lakewood had the right of way, according to Lakewood Police Chief John Bentley. A car eastbound on Baker Street and turning left, or northbound, onto Southwestern Drive reportedly collided with Desmond’s motorcycle. The accident was the second at the intersection involving a motorcycle in the past week. The other, which occurred Saturday, was fatal for one of the motorcycle operators. ”The operator of the car turned left right into the left side of the motorcycle, knocking the motorcycle operator off the motorcycle which caused severe leg trauma. Luckily, the operator of the motorcycle immediately received some first aid there at the scene,” Bentley said. ”Chris Deponceau was working the town of Busti and just happened to be at the intersection, saw the accident, called for help, jumped out, administered first aid and – along with some other people – probably saved the guy’s life. His injury was so severe that if he had not had immediate first aid, he probably would have bled to death.”

Dan Suitor – former employer of fugitive Ralph ”Bucky” Phillips – says months ago, he offered Phillips a job. Now, he has another offer. In a statement to The Post-Journal on Friday, Suitor said he wants to give Phillips a chance to decide for himself on how the search ends, and urges the fugitive to turn himself in to Suitor. In turn, the Buffalo man pledged to provide Phillips with legal services, and to see to it that the $50,000 reward Suitor would collect, ”will be held in trust for Buck’s grandchildren.”

Capt. Dave Segermark admitted he’s having fun traveling the world upon the Norseman, the Leif Ericson Viking Ship Inc.’s vessel, but he also does so to set history straight, he said. He and his crew pulled into Bemus Point on Thursday in time for some fun and revisiting history at the 10th annual Scandinavian Festival. Segermark said the ship is based near Philadelphia where he lived. Retired, he became involved with the group running the ship and has been cruising on the vessel for 35 years … to Russia, Newfoundland, Sweden and, one of his favorite stops – Chautauqua Lake. “History is wrong,” he said, adding the ship provides a visual way for people to learn that. Its crew also tries to be accurate, wearing garb of yesteryear and representing all Scandinavian countries. “Vikings had a large influence on the world,” he said.

Clymer residents would gather together to commemorate the municipality’s 190th birthday. The first town meeting was held in 1821, reports the town’s website. That is reason to celebrate, said Suzanne Rhebergen, historian. “It’s a special year,” she said, adding, “we’re proud of our little town.” She said a museum commemorating some of the town’s history has drawn some people who are amazed at the memorabilia. She said, however, those who work at preserving that history are generally older. Therefore, the celebrations are also an attempt to get the younger generation more involved. She said more people should be aware of the history. “We want to promote what we have,” she said, adding she hopes that will make youth interested and want to carry on historical work. “It’s their heritage,” she said, adding people still like the quietness and cleanliness of the town.

In Years Past

Information leading to the capture and conviction of Ralph ”Bucky” Phillips became much more valuable Thursday as an organization which acts to support the New York State Police doubled the pot. ”The New York State Troopers Foundation today added an additional $25,000 to the reward, upping the total amount to $50,000,” Maj. Michael T. Manning, Troop A Commander, said during an afternoon press conference. Manning said the foundation is a not-for-profit organization that accepts donations from a number of contributors to support New York State Troopers and their families. A reward of $25,000 for information leading the arrest and conviction of Ralph ”Bucky” Phillips had been in place since June of this year with contributions from the legal firm of Gleason, Walsh, Dunn and O’Shea, the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association and the national ”Cop Shot” organization which acts to support police officers and their families when an officer is shot or killed. ”We’d like to get these troopers out of the woods,” Manning said. ”We’d like to get Bucky Phillips back into jail where he belongs.”

Fairy tales do come true – and for one local woman her fairy tale came in the form of a classified advertisement placed by her very own prince charming. Thomas Wood Holcomb placed a four-by-four advertisement asking Cynthia Ruth Comello Prince to marry him. Little did he know they would be the talk of the town, and the newsroom. ”Gosh, I went to the barber shop in Westfield and people were buzzing about the guy who proposed in the paper,” Holcomb said. ”I told them I was the guy. I feel like a celebrity.” A first in the Dunkirk Observer, the classified ad has received wide recognition. The couple has received numerous congratulatory phone calls and has been stopped just about everywhere they have been. While getting tires on her truck, Prince was stopped and asked if she was the woman in the paper.

Ryan Gillikin had been in the tattoo industry for more than 20 years. Tattooing is a tradition, he said, and the only proper way to learn the skill – and to learn to administer the body art safely – was to be under the guiding hand of a master tattooist in an apprenticeship. ”My apprenticeship was a year,” said Gillikin, owner of Almighty Studios Tattoo and Body Piercing in Jamestown. ”And when I apprentice (others), it’s a two-year process.” Now, Gillikin said, a reality show scheduled to be aired on TLC tonight would glamorize a seedy side of the industry that churns out scores of poorly trained and potentially dangerous tattooists every two weeks. ”Tattoo School,” which is scheduled to premiere tonight at 9 p.m., was described in the cable network’s online guide as featuring ”award-winning tattoo artist Lisa Fasulo run(ning) a hands-on and unconventional Tattoo School where students from all walks of life learn how to tattoo in just two weeks.” Fasulo’s school has two locations, including one in Albany. Numerous petitions have been started online by reputable tattoo artists across the country in the effort to get TLC to pull the program from its airwaves. Facebook groups with names including ”Artists and collectors against TLC’s Tattoo School” and ”Boycott TLC’s Tattoo School Show” have upward of 30,000 members each. ”A lot of tattooists really weren’t united (before) … but the exciting thing about this is that reputable tattoo artists are now banding together, becoming organized,” he said.

The Chautauqua County Home was becoming a growing concern for county lawmakers. Or at least it should be, according to Chuck Nazzaro, D-Jamestown, who told The Post-Journal that the publicly owned nursing home is running out of money. Both Tim Hellwig, County Home administrator, and Colleen Wright, finance director, attended the regular June meeting of the Audit and Control Committee last month. At that meeting, the pair presented legislators with the County Home’s audited 2010 financial statements. As predicted, the County Home had to deplete part of its fund balance to make up a loss of $1,788,542 in 2010. In October of last year, during the legislature’s budget process, Nazzaro said that without a county contribution to receive federal matching funds, the County Home would begin operating at a deficit. In 2009, the County Home had a positive bottom line of $2,254,750. That surplus, however, happened only because the County Home received $3,810,522 in IGT funding, called Intergovernmental Transfers. “So they received in 2009 over $3.8 million which they did not receive in 2010 because of the tight county finances,” Nazzaro said. “It was decided by the legislature that we could not continue to offer to match the IGTs.” Without the funding in 2010, the County Home ran at a deficit of $1,788,542. As a result of the operating loss, the County Home saw its fund balance drop from just under $7 million at the end of 2009 to around $5.2 million at the close of 2010.

In Years Past

Although he was not back on the force, state Trooper Sean Brown visited Chautauqua County on Wednesday in an attempt to boost morale. Brown was the officer shot June 10 along state Route 13 north of Horseheads. Ralph ”Bucky” Phillips is considered the prime suspect. Brown was not permitted to speak with members of the media Wednesday, but he was seen on Route 72 in Arkwright laughing and talking to fellow troopers stationed in Chautauqua County. ”He just came to say thank you,” explained Trooper Rebecca Gibbons. ”We’ve all been working long hours and he came out to say that he appreciates that.” While Brown may not know the all the officers working in the Phillips manhunt, Gibbons said many of the troopers wanted to meet him. ”We all know why we’re here, but this was kind of a boost in morale,” she said.

Thanks to the work of two residents on opposite sides of Chautauqua Lake, the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry was in perfect running condition and only needs insurance coverage before it can open to the public once again. John Cheney of Bemus Point and Roger Miller of Stow, both with longtime connections with the ferry, started up the engine Tuesday morning and explained how it works. ”They wanted to get the ferry running, they asked if I would do it, I said I would,” Cheney said – and he was true to his word. The pair had taken the ferry across Chautauqua Lake at least a dozen times so far while getting it up to speed and having it inspected. In fact, Cheney and Miller said it’s in even better condition than it was the last time it operated. ”It’s just plain neglect,” Cheney said. ”This should have been done years ago.”

A house fire claimed the life of 22-year-old area native Tara Nelson-Lampman and her 6-month-old daughter, Lexi, in North Carolina. According to local news sources, the fire occurred while Mrs. Lampman and Lexi were home in their Butler Drive duplex in Midway Park, N.C., on the grounds of the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune at 2:30 p.m.. Her husband, Marine Cpl. Christopher Lampman, a Jamestown High School graduate, was away from his family’s home at the time of the fire. Marine officials report that more than 20 personnel from base fire and emergency response units responded to the call within minutes, but that the mother and daughter had both suffered “severe injuries” by the time they arrived. Lexi was reportedly pronounced dead at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital that day, and Mrs. Lampman, in critical condition, was treated at the Naval Hospital before being transferred to N.C. Memorial Hospital at Chapel Hill, where she passed away Saturday afternoon.

The number of meals being served at the St. Susan Center soup kitchen was on the rise in 2011. In the last week of June, 567 meals were dished out – a record number for the kitchen that is 20 percent higher than the figure from one year ago, reports Sue Colwell, executive director of the center. ”We’re planning on this continuing,” she said of the upswing in visitors to the center. ”It’s due to a lack of jobs, the economy and food prices.” More than 85,000 meals were served by the center in 2010, Mrs. Colwell said, but in 2011 the number of visitors has seen a spike of 10.66 percent. At the same time, Mrs. Colwell said, the center had been working to give its guests a more filling and nutritious meal – as more than 60 percent of the people who visit the soup kitchen eat just one meal each day, she said. With costs rising and the need for volunteers increasing, the center is looking to both raise more money and increase awareness about what it does, Mrs. Colwell said. ”No matter what size fundraiser, it all helps,” she said. ”No donation is too small, but when volunteers and people who care in the community come up with creative ways to raise money and awareness for the center, it’s phenomenal.”

In Years Past

The Lakewood Fire Department threw every piece of equipment it had against a fire that broke out at Ye Olde Anchor Inn bar and restaurant on Chautauqua Avenue early Tuesday morning. The smoke was heavy throughout the neighborhood and flames were visible in back, but firefighters contained the blaze before it could erupt out of control and spread to neighboring buildings. ”If we didn’t have rain today and if there was any sort of wind, this thing would have been a mess,” said Sue West, a neighbor two doors down. It also helped that the Lakewood Fire Department is located right up the street, allowing firefighters to respond within three or four minutes of the call, according to Jack Knowlton, fire chief. ”There was heavy smoke all over, visible flames. We confined it pretty quick,” he said. ”It never got outside the building. The exposures weren’t threatened.” Two buildings neighbor the Anchor Inn – an insurance company to the south and a residence to the north, each divided from the restaurant by a narrow alleyway. Next-door neighbor Brenda Stoltz was so close to the fire she thought it was her own home ablaze when her dog Britney began barking, waking her up at roughly 1:45 a.m. ”The dogs – I thought they were horseplaying, but then I smelled the smoke,” she said from her vantage point across the street as firefighters fought the blaze. ”This is some scary (stuff).”

With 675 signatures supporting him, resident Richard Sena presented a petition to the North Harmony Town Board Monday asking that the ”madness” of increasing assessments end. As he does not want to see the assessment issue die, Sena said he would be starting his campaign up again to secure signatures from people who live out-of-state and who have not yet had a chance to sign the petition. Posted at Hogan’s Hut and other locations, the petition calls double-digit percent increases ”unheard of and uncalled for” in an economy where the rate of inflation averages three percent. Asking for accountability from elected officials, it states assessments have substantially increased in the last two years without a decrease in taxes to offset the increases. ”I just wanted to give this one more shot because I want to keep it going. It’s something we will need to address in the future,” said Sena, who is a member of the town’s planning board. ”I’m constantly getting phone calls … I’m getting phone calls from people out-of-state who want the petition.”

Area fire departments battled a blaze at the Keywell facility in Frewsburg on Monday.

According to officials at the Chautauqua County Dispatch, the call came in at 12:11 p.m. for a reported fire in the turning department. “They had a fire in their dust-collector system,” said Frewsburg Fire Chief Daniel Sisson. When the Frewsburg Fire Department arrived on the scene, there was heavy smoke visible, he said. “We had heavy smoke coming out the rear of the building: we found sprinkler heads blown, and they had fire in a couple of the metal dust collectors,” he said. Mutual aid was called for, and multiple departments responded to the scene. The Falconer Fire Department was called for the use of their ladder truck, which was used to place firefighters on the roof of the building. “Because of the heat today, it was 90 degrees out, we had to have everybody packed up, so we were sending crews in (to the building) in packs and they would only stay in for about 15 to 20 minutes,” he said. “So we had to have a constant overturn.”

The county’s budget for capital projects had decreased in recent years. For 2012, the county has only $750,000 set aside for such projects, according to Douglas Bowen. “This is substantially less than the near $2 million that was available just a few short years ago,” Bowen told lawmakers last month. Bowen is the chairman of the county Planning Board. He briefed the legislature on the status of the reserves during his annual report on the Planning Board at the body’s June meeting. “As tough economic times continue and the potential need to pull money from the reserve fund to meet county expenses becomes more likely, money available for capital projects beyond 2012 may decrease even further,” Bowen warned. The Planning Board received a total of 55 applications from departments for capital projects in 2012. Of those 55, the Planning Board is recommending 38 be considered in the county’s 2012 budget. Those 38 projects, however, would cost more than $20 million – with a county share of approximately $9,87,555. “Granted, with only $750,000 available for capital projects, the Planning Board realizes that not all projects will be funded in 2012,” Bowen told the legislature. “Still, the board felt that the projects submitted this year were valid requests.”

In Years Past

Bricks laid nearly a century ago on Jamestown streets had held up well. Many were still around, but a lot were bumpy, humpy and dented. The 2006 summer street repair program included a first-ever effort to pull up and repair the bricks as best as city workers can. ”About a year ago, we (announced) a complete rebuilding of Winsor (Street) between Falconer and Newton. There was a significant outcry from residents in the area for us to do what we could to save their brick street,” said Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi. ”On the plus side, bricks are durable, attractive and historical. On the downside, they are noisy, tend to be slippery in the winter time and are difficult to maintain. We decided we’d try fixing the bricks.” This time, the cost to repair Winsor Street’s bricks is about $30,000, while pulling the bricks up and laying out black top would have been $55,000. ”Notice I use the phase,’numerous potential candidates’ may exist if this project is successful,” Teresi said. ”We don’t know if this is going to work. And there are some streets where it just isn’t cost effective.”

It may make the world go round, but money is becoming a cause of concern for area residents as higher gas prices and other costs push already tight budgets past the breaking point. Nationally, credit and debt counseling agencies are reporting a spike in business as consumers are coming en masse for help managing their finances. In addition to loans, credit cards and other debt, the average person has to juggle monthly utilities along with the regular costs of living. Those payments, and other factors such as job replacement, are making tough times even harder for people of all ages. ”Tough times, whether it’s a plant closing or the cost of gas going up, is sometimes just enough to tip a very tight balance,” said Lyle Hajdu, of Erickson, Webb, Scolton & Hajdu Attorneys in Lakewood. ”If you had a budget where you were just barely making it and then the fuel bills doubled, it would upset that delicate balance.”

The latest legislative session had ended in Albany, and with it the chances for immediate change to some of the state’s most visible array of unfunded mandates. However, Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R,C-Chautauqua County) said he was already looking ahead to the next term and taking a leading position in the repackaging of additional bills that would put the state on the track of substantive mandate relief. To be sure, Goodell said he was a supporter of the tax cap legislation that passed at the 11th hour, virtually at the close of the Assembly session. And he said he was a co-sponsor of an amendment that ensured a vote would take place on the tax cap bill by the entire Assembly. “I knew going into the amendment process that we had the entire Republican caucus and about a dozen members of the Democratic process supporting it,” he said, referring to the language that ensured a vote on three major components all at once – the tax cap itself, coupled with its downstate-friendly restoration of rent control laws, as well as a comprehensive slate of mandate relief. He said the joint package was known by many in Albany as the “Big Ugly,” because it had components that were sure to antagonize special interests and the public, or both, along with their legislative allies. After the dust settled from the flurry of last-minute votes, Goodell said he was pleased with the creation of a Mandate Review Commission. “The most important thing is the law now requires the governor top submit a bill to address the unfunded mandates as identified by the Mandate Review Commission within 60 days,” Goodell said. He added the new guidelines demand the strong support of the governor.

Of all the sticky situations one could get into while working in Uganda – catching malaria, serious food poisoning or perhaps drowning in the grade 5 rapids of the Nile River – one of the most dangerous things you can do, according to 24-year-old Jamestown native Scott Walter, is hail a cab in the streets of Kampala. “They’re called boda-bodas,” Walter said, via satellite phone from Kampala. “What you do is get on the back of this guy’s motorcycle, hand him a couple of dollars and just hang on. That’s probably pretty dangerous.” What isn’t dangerous, however, is using Skype to connect a classroom of Ugandan students at the Circle of Peace School, in Kampala, where Walter recently taught, with Jason Kathman’s eighth-grade history class at Persell Middle School, in Jamestown, allowing students from across the world to communicate in real time, and just be kids. “That was one of the coolest things I got to do,” Walter said. “The kids I think on both sides really enjoyed it and they learned a lot from each other. At first, Kathman’s students were wondering about what I’ve been doing over here, but we got to shooting questions back and forth. My students wanted to know about how Americans get around, what they eat and what kind of professions they want to get into – things like that.”

In Years Past

Neighbors from 10 of the newest homes in the city’s Country View Estates sub-division walk up to Greg Lindquist like he’s their building superintendent. They ask about a barrel or two left by the Department of Public Works, a ditch that a neighbor is building to close to the property line or who might build on the empty lot nearby. ”We’ll take care of it,” says Lindquist, city economic development coordinator. As Phase 3 of Country View is set to open up for construction, Lindquist knew it was all part of keeping people happy. ”Success is two-fold: the level of satisfaction of neighborhood residents is one,” he said, ”And (second is) the number of new housing starts and increase in tax assessment.” Since 2003 and 2004, when Phase 2 of the Country View Estates opened for purchase and construction, they garnered $1 million in new assessments on property. ”People always say we’re losing tax base – quite the contrary is beginning to happen,” Lindquist said.

The last time Burt Bess visited Jamestown’s Blackwell Chapel was 44 years ago. He was 8 at the time, and doctors didn’t expect him to see his 9th birthday. The West Tenth Street resident, confined to a wheel chair by his affliction, bested his doctors’ diagnosis to the tune of four and a half decades – and a new wheelchair ramp has finally enabled him to return to Blackwell Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church after nearly half a century. ”Some might call it a wheelchair ramp, but we call it our bridge,” said Pastor Annette Hood, a Buffalo resident, in her spirited Sunday morning homely. Title 3 of the clandestine Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 is what requires wheelchair ramps and handicap-accessible bathrooms in businesses across the United States. Religious organizations are often exempt, though, and the financial limitations of many churches make the upgrades sometimes impossible. According to Mrs. Hood, that was Blackwell Chapel’s story. When she first came to the church, the congregation was comprised mostly of seniors on fixed incomes, lacking the resources necessary for the construction of a ramp. The church was also challenged by geography, since it’s situated on sloping Spring Street. An addition to the front doors was next to impossible, and the only feasible option was something of a bridge linking the alley behind with a side entrance.

From Washington Street, the entrance to Forest Avenue features a vacant grassy bluff. It would be a prime location for a community garden with a sign at its center, welcoming drivers to the Forest Avenue neighborhood. Instead, the tiny patch of grass and other parcels like it scattered across the city were unlikely to be developed currently under the stewardship of speculative investors. But the potential for community progress is within reach, said local neighborhood coordinator Peter Lombardi, if the prevailing tax foreclosure process is scrapped in favor of a land banking program. In June, Lombardi, director of neighborhood initiatives at the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, attended the fifth annual conference on land banking by the Center for Community Progress in Flint, Mich. He was part of a “Jamestown contingent” that also included Chautauqua County planner Mark Geise and Mike Bradshaw, director of CODE Inc. There, the trio learned some strategies from land-banking advocates, those who are making progress across the urban landscape of Flint and other cities in Michigan. A handout from the conference states about 75 communities nationwide have abandoned the traditional process of tax foreclosures. In New York, the state Senate and Assembly have asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo to permit the creation of 10 test cases throughout the upstate region. Both Lombardi and Guise were hopeful that Chautauqua County, as an established foreclosure governmental unit, could be one of them.

There were several professions in Western New York with a very favorable or favorable job outlook according to long-term occupational projections done every two years by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate the future job market for 10 areas in New York state. In Western New York, the education field had a very favorable employment prospect. The numbers, which project out to 2018, indicate that elementary, middle, secondary and special education teachers all are estimated to have median salaries of more than $50,000. All categories require a bachelor’s degree and have more than 100 job openings each year. However, David Eggert, New York State Union of Teachers Jamestown regional staff director, said the optimistic view for educators is puzzling. ”How they came to this conclusion is a mystery to me,” he said. Eggert said with educational funding cuts, teacher job losses statewide were at 12,000 this year, which was on top of 9,000 last year. ”We’ve been keeping an informal count here in Chautauqua County. I see more than 80 lost teaching jobs in the county this year. We had around 70 last year,” he said. ”There are a lot of teachers joining the ranks of the unemployed.”

In Years Past

Ballistics tested a gun found in the town of Charlotte to the shooting of state Trooper Sean Brown. Major Michael Manning, New York State Police Troop A commander, announced the development during a news conference Saturday. The .38-caliber revolver recovered by state troopers in Charlotte on June 28 during their search for Ralph Phillips was positively identified as the same weapon used to shoot Brown on June 10 in Chemung County. The bullet slug recovered from Brown, and later the weapon from Charlotte, had both been sent to a state police forensics lab in Albany for testing. The .38, along with a .22 caliber rifle, were both recovered during a foot pursuit through a wooded area in Charlotte.

There was some good news and some bad news for the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy 10 years ago. The bad news – the group wouldn’t be receiving $100,000 in bed tax revenues they applied for in 2007. The good news – as part of the Chautauqua Lake Commission, the group would share in an additional economic development funding of $70,000 – a total of $100,000 – with the Chautauqua Lake Association and Chautauqua Lake Partnership in 2007. John Jablonski, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy executive director, attended the county’s Planning and Economic Development meeting advocating for additional money to purchase undeveloped land to preserve along Chautauqua Lake. ”The shoreline is important for life of the lake,” he told committee members. ”There is only 1.8 miles of undeveloped land left.” Jablonski said the group, which usually receives about $2,000 in bed tax revenues, asked for much more money to purchase land because time was running out on undeveloped land available. ”There is a short window of opportunity to preserve land. We need to act now or it will all be gone,” he said.

The number of child abduction attempts in the area continued to climb as area police agencies investigated at least three attempted child abductions at the time. Lakewood-Busti Police reported that at 7:45 p.m. Thursday on Waldemere Way in Lakewood, a newer model black Chevrolet Tahoe with oversized tires, a brush guard and tinted windows pulled up to a child riding her scooter. A white male, 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 240 pounds and wearing a baseball cap allegedly attempted to get the child into the vehicle. Chief John Bentley said police were checking several leads, taking statements from people who think they saw something and were contacting all residents in the neighborhood to see if they may have noticed anything suspicious that could help police track down whoever is responsible. He asked others who may have noticed anything to visit police at 20 W. Summit St. The Jamestown Police Department also announced it was seeking public assistance in identifying a person who attempted to entice young females into his vehicle at two locations in the city last month. The latest reports joined earlier child abduction reports made earlier in 2011.

Authorities were investigating the death of a man involving an incident on a roller coaster at a Buffalo area theme park. Cassandra Okon, a spokeswoman for Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, says Sgt. James T. Hackemer, a 29-year-old Iraq war veteran from Gowanda, “came out” of the Ride of Steel roller coaster and “passed away” at about 5:30 p.m. that day. She says the roller coaster and the area surrounding the ride have been closed. In 2008, during his second tour in Iraq, Hackemer’s vehicle was caught in a roadside bombing. He was severely injured in the blast, ultimately losing both of his legs and suffering brain damage due to massive blood loss.

In Years Past

There was some good news and some bad news for the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy 10 years ago. The bad news – the group wouldn’t be receiving $100,000 in bed tax revenues they applied for in 2007. The good news – as part of the Chautauqua Lake Commission, the group would share in an additional economic development funding of $70,000 – a total of $100,000 – with the Chautauqua Lake Association and Chautauqua Lake Partnership in 2007. John Jablonski, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy executive director, attended the county’s Planning and Economic Development meeting advocating for additional money to purchase undeveloped land to preserve along Chautauqua Lake. ”The shoreline is important for life of the lake,” he told committee members. ”There is only 1.8 miles of undeveloped land left.” Jablonski said the group, which usually receives about $2,000 in bed tax revenues, asked for much more money to purchase land because time was running out on undeveloped land available. ”There is a short window of opportunity to preserve land. We need to act now or it will all be gone,” he said.

In Years Past

Mediocre beeping from Tom Shea’s computer indicated the license plates being scanned belong to ordinary law-abiding citizens. Ten minutes into this ho-hum patrol the computer roars with beeps, flashes and sirens. Wham! Shea’s police SUV brakes stopped him on a dime as he pulled a U-turn on Winsor Street and popped on the lights and siren to chase a red truck. Mobile Plate Hunter 900 has spotted a renegade. At the moment, the truck’s driver was doing nothing illegal – except driving without insurance. Any other time, the Jamestown Police officer wouldn’t have been able to read an oncoming vehicle’s plate numbers, let alone check them against state databases for revoked registrations, suspended licences or lapsed insurance. Plate Hunter does it for him now, automatically. ”The other day I had 19 of them – 19 people who Plate Hunter caught,” Shea said. ”If you look at it yourself, there are cameras at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. It won’t get the guy right in front of us, but it will read plates on both side up from 12 to 25 feet away.”

To the uneducated eye, the new cell at the county landfill seemed like just a pile of trash. However, those who were educated about the cell and how it would produce methane gas at maximum levels through trash decomposing that could lead to lower county taxes and electricity for nearby towns, the garbage it collected started to smell a little rosier. County Executive Greg Edwards, Public Works Department administrators and county landfill administrators officially opened the newest cell at the county landfill that took eight months to construct at a cost of $3.6 million that will add 1.2 million tons of garbage capacity that should last at least four years.

After a pair of recent statements from those running the show, a curtain was closing on a signature figure skating program in the city of Jamestown. According to a letter released to a local athlete’s website, the last day of the 25-year-old Jamestown Skating Academy was Wednesday. On Thursday, its office at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena was empty. Program co-directors Kirk Wyse and Lenel van den Berg stated the classes would continue at the North Buffalo Ice Arena, located off upper Delaware Avenue at 156 Tacoma Ave. ”This move was made necessary as a new contract was presented to us by the new CEO of the arena upon direction of the arena’s board which is predominantly made up of hockey enthusiasts,” Wyse and van den Berg said in a letter to skaters and parents. ”Suffice to say, the agreement was so outrageously priced that very few of you would be able to afford to skate. It left us no option but to move the program.” Calling Wednesday’s departure from the arena “bittersweet,” the letter from Wyse and van den Berg said the new agreement in Buffalo is simple and allows them to return to their passion of coaching. The statement anticipated questions from the Jamestown Skating Club board of directors as well as participants who regularly descend on the arena for instruction by its affiliated coaches. “We also know that some of you may not be able to make the trip to Buffalo and we understand that and we want you to keep skating. … We will work with the Jamestown Skating Club and the coaches to secure ice in Jamestown for those that the trip to Buffalo will not be viable,” the statement reads. Kurt Silcott, new CEO of the Jamestown arena, said negotiations were not completed with the Skating Academy, including upcoming changes to the price of ice time. “Our position is that we were going to sit down with them and negotiate new ice times and rates,” he said, adding that they had not yet received any formal indication that Wyse and van den Berg were leaving for another location. But Silcott added their empty office was a strong indication that they have decided to move their program.

The Weeks Gallery at Jamestown Community College had recently received a donation of historic proportion. An original Marilyn Monroe screenprint by Andy Warhol was given to the gallery by Ken and Lois Strickler, longtime sponsors and supporters of the gallery and its mission. Warhol was a college classmate of Mrs. Strickler at Carnegie Institute of Technology, and the Stricklers hosted the world-famous artist at their home when he visited Jamestown Community College as a guest lecturer in 1968. When the Stricklers visited Warhol in New York City the next year, he showed his gratitude for their hospitality and friendship by allowing them to take a screenprint of his legendary ”Marilyn,” personalized with a signature that reads ”To Lois. XOXO. Andy.” It had been on display in their home since, until recently when the Stricklers decided to donate it to the gallery. ”We got it because of Bob Hagstrom (who began the art program at the college) and the FSA committee bringing Andy Warhol to Jamestown and the college, so I felt it should be given to the college,” Mrs. Strickler said, adding that her original plan had been to make the donation part of her will. ”This just seemed like the appropriate time.”

In Years Past

A visual aspect to what often can’t be captured in words alone was one reason why the new Geographic Information System would help businesses and private citizens explore Chautauqua County via the World Wide Web. The GIS system is a sophisticated mapping and information system developed by the county’s Planning Department. The database provides a variety of information from county tax parcels, detailed aerial photos, fire districts, school districts, Board of Elections information to census information – to name a few of the options available. The GIS system, which was up and running July 1, can be found on the Internet at www.chautauquagis.com. ”This project is a labor of love,” said County Executive Greg Edwards, during a news conference unveiling the program Thursday. ”The system adds value to economic development in Chautauqua County.”

While leads and tips had still been coming in, no new credible information on the whereabouts of Ralph ”Bucky” Phillips had been received since June 28 when State Troopers reportedly saw Phillips in Cassadaga. ”We did have, (Wednesday), a report of a stolen vehicle on Route 60,” said Trooper Rebecca Gibbons, spokesperson for the New York State Police. ”There’s no relationship whatsoever with Mr. Ralph Phillips.” A vehicle was reported stolen Tuesday from a dealership on Route 60 in the town of Pomfret, but the vehicle had since been returned with a report of a misunderstanding having led to the false report. Gibbons also said a number of small burglaries had been reported over the past few days which troopers had been investigating for possible ties to Phillips. However, no evidence had been produced to suggest his involvement. ”Seasonal burglaries are something that’s kind of common when you live in an area where there’s a lot (seasonal) cabins,” Gibbons said.

County legislators had hoped to hear from the region’s state representatives at a committee meeting this week. With an $18 million deficit projected for 2012, the County Legislature’s Audit and Control Committee had been holding a special meeting solely about the budget at the start of each month. At their June 2 meeting, the legislators on the committee discussed the sales tax increase request which state Sen. Cathy Young, R-Olean, declined to support in Albany. That discussion segued into a larger conversation about the county’s current fiscal situation and state issues such as the property tax cap and unfunded mandates. Interested in sharing their questions and concerns with the county’s state representatives, Chuck Nazzaro, D-Jamestown, requested that both Sen. Young and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell be invited to the committee’s July 7 meeting. Nazzaro is quoted in the minutes of the meeting as saying that both caucuses of the legislature should gang up on the state officials – just as lawmakers previously aired their concerns with former Assemblyman Bill Parment, D-North Harmony. “I think they ought to give us two hours at this committee,” said Committee Chairman Jay Gould, R-Ashville, at the June meeting. Neither Young nor Goodell would be able to make this month’s committee meeting, however. The senator’s schedule did not permit her to be at the Thursday meeting, her office said. Similarly, Goodell said that he had other engagements which he had already agreed to before receiving the request. “I would be more than happy to meet with them and go over what’s going on,” Goodell said. “Cathy has even suggested that we meet at her office.”

The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education welcomed three new principals to the district , including Dr. Mike McElrath, previously the district’s director of middle level education, who would take over Joseph Yelich’s position as principal of Jamestown High School. Walter Samick, previously the district’s math coordinator, would serve as principal of Fletcher Elementary School, and David Hickey, high school vice principal from 2009 to 2010, would serve as Rogers Elementary School’s interim principal until the school closed at the end of this coming school year. Christine Schnars, board president, said the board “couldn’t be more thrilled” with the newly filled positions. “I personally, and I’m sure the rest of the board, couldn’t be more thrilled with the gentlemen that are going into those positions,” Schnars said. “Of course, Mike McElrath and Mr. Samick have been administrators in the district and we know what quality people they are and the quality job they’re going to do in their new positions, and Mr. Hickey comes back to us after being furloughed because of budget cuts at the end of the 2009-10 school year. He did a wonderful job as vice principal of the high school and I’m sure he’ll do the same as interim principal at Rogers. We’re very pleased.”

In Years Past

Watch out! Motorists on Second Street might have needed repair work to their vehicle if they didn’t avoid the sink hole right outside City Hall. It had been marked by orange road cones for six or seven weeks after a water main leak washed out the sub road bed. Board of Public Utilities workers fixed the water issue weeks ago, but heavy work loads and engineering uncertainties have left the city Department of Public Works searching for the right solution.

”We’ve had that blocked off from vehicular traffic. What we’re waiting on is a camera system – short of putting someone down that hole – to check out the hole,” said Jeff Lehman, DPW director and city engineer. ”We’re looking at some different options, hopefully looking at repairing it.” To compound matters, the hole went deep and much of the fill washed into a nearby storm sewer line. The camera that could inspect the damage is out for repairs with no reliable time estimate for return. ”So, it’s not a quick and easy fix,” Lehman said. ”We don’t want to dig the thing up and then figure out how we’re going to make the repair.”

Robert Degaine III may have been awarded the Bronze Star for his military service in Iraq, but another honor bestowed on him was the one of which he was most proud. ”We rid the world of a tyrant regime,” Degaine said about the achievement he finds most satisfying. He recently visited his Salamanca home before returning to duty. A captain in the U.S. Army, Degaine has been in the service for six years. Some of that time was spent in Iraq, where he trained the Iraqi military for about a year. ”We received thanks from kids to elders,” he said about the Iraqi people, whose customs he learned. ”We looked at them as our brothers. They treat you like family.

With many dozens of floats, marching groups and other displays, the Chautauqua County Fourth of July Parade gave everyone in attendance something to smile about Monday. For the children, it may have been the candy flying through the air and into their hands as they watched from the roadside. For the adults, it may have been the sights of military groups and emergency personnel, reminding them of the sacrifices of others that allow for the freedom and safety in which we live. And for all, the cooperation of the weather for the day’s event was cause for celebration as well. But for families such as that of Grace Kent of Mayville, the Fourth of July parade gives yet another reason to be happy. Though Mrs. Kent’s family has spread out around the country, this is one holiday for which everyone has the opportunity to get back together and enjoy special moments such as the annual parade in her hometown.

Seeing boats on Findley Lake isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Seeing a boat called ”The Findley Princess” featuring the characters from ”The Love Boat” – not to mention the S.S. Minnow from ”Gilligan’s Island” – might cause one to do a double take, however. These boats and others were on the lake Monday afternoon as entrants in the community’s annual boat parade, a competition that has been a tradition in Findley Lake for more than 20 years. Sponsored annually by the Findley Lake Community Foundation, the boats were competing for audience approval in the attempt to win their votes and take home trophies and bragging rights.

Boats in the event are separated into two categories – pontoon boats and motorboats. In addition to ”The Love Boat” and ”Gilligan’s Island,” television shows represented in the parade included ”Hee Haw,” ”All In The Family,” ”M*A*S*H,” ”Hawaii Five-O” and ”Let’s Make A Deal.”

In Years Past

Declan Reveneu, age 6, was like most children his age. For Declan, the Fourth of July doesn’t conjure up thoughts of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, the war with Great Britain or the birthday of the United States. Independence Day was none of these things. Instead, it was about summer. “It means summer’s here, and we get our own vacation,” Declan said sitting beside his mother, Ashlynn, on a bench at Midway Park on Monday. “Real patriotic,” she laughed. For Magdalene Haley, age 7, Fourth of July was about a little bit more than just summer. For her, it was about the Mayville parade, and – best of all – the fireworks. It certainly was not about anything so lofty as 13 English colonies struggling to unite and establish themselves as an independent nation. “It’s America’s birthday,” her father James explained. “Oh,” she replied. “I never knew that.” The fundamentals of American history are mostly absent from the kindergarten or first- and second-grade curriculum, and it would be a little while before Declan and Magdalene know all about the Boston massacre, Lexington and Concord, and the Continental Congress.

Retired Chautauqua County Undersheriff John L. Sirianno used persistence and patience to solve a lot of difficult crimes during his 32 years in law enforcement. Since then he learned they weren’t bad attributes to have during his retirement either. A very recent example of this was the June 15 placing in the new Archives Building on the Chautauqua Institution grounds of the 120-year-old clock movement originally housed in the historic Miller Bell Tower. Sirianno related that in 1990 while still serving as undersheriff he contacted Chautauqua Institution Police Chief Alan Akin who knew his fellow lawman was a collector of old clocks and had his own clock restoration business. The Point Chautauqua retiree related the next developments in a staccato manner that read like it might at one time been have been part of a Sergeant Friday television script. ”He (Akin) was not surprised when I asked to go inside the Miller Bell Tower,” Sirianno wrote. ”I wanted to see if there might be an old clock movement. He said he had a key. The two of us entered the tower. It was very dark.We needed flashlights to go up three flights of stairs. Reaching the top, there it was. An old Seth Thomas iron movement. ‘Finding a plaque on the side of the movement, we wiped it off and could read Seth Thomas Clock Company, June 15, 1886. The movement had a glass case surrounding it, but with some of the glass missing. The movement was dusty and rust coated.”

The Lakewood Village Center plaza would have new occupants sooner then expected. The former Quality Markets store that was being divided into two new retail businesses, T.J. Maxx and Michael’s, and the former Rite Aid store were being turned into a Pet Smart. David Wordelmann, Lakewood mayor, said he didn’t know the exact reason the renovation process is being done sooner, but knew T.J. Maxx officials are pushing for the construction work to be completed quicker. ”They want to attract the back-to-school crowd. That would be my assumption,” he said.

A single-family residence located at 7748 South Portage St. in Westfield was the scene of a fire. According to assistant chief Dave Davies of the Westfield Fire Department, the call came at about 2:45 p.m. and firefighters battled the blaze until about 6:30 p.m. When Davies arrived, he found that the house was fully involved. All occupants exited, but a couple family cats perished. The cause of the blaze was a grease fire in the kitchen. One firefighter was transported to Westfield Hospital for a heat-related injury. The family that occupied the house is being assisted by the American Red Cross.

In Years Past

Only a few weeks ago, Tech Sergeant Jeremy Ling of the 30th Aerial Port Squadron was helping to keep the supply lines open in Central Asia for Operation: Enduring Freedom. After finishing up his second tour of duty, he was back at Ed Shultz Chevrolet on Fluvanna Avenue, where he works as a service technician. And he’s brought with him a special gift for the company – a flag that flew aboard a C-17 during a mission into Afghanistan. ”The dealership’s been great for me,” Ling said from the showroom floor. ”They didn’t squabble about me leaving.” This was the second time the 32-year-old Air Force reservist out of the 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Base had to get time off from work, but it might not be the last. The only thing that holds back his enthusiasm for leaving is the wife and two children he leaves behind, but they’re gradually getting used to it. ”The second time was easier on my family,” said Ling, a resident of Randolph.

Because of alarming negative trends in the health of children statewide, each school district in the state had to pass a health and wellness policy by July 1. All educational agencies participating in USDA Child Nutrition Programs had to establish a local wellness policy that included goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities to promote student wellness. The policy should include guidelines for all foods available on school campuses with the goal of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity. It should also involve school and community partners to develop strategies to model, foster and teach children to eat well and be physically active in order to achieve a lifetime of good health. “The policy recommends nutritional standards for food available on campus during the day,” said Carol Hay, Panama superintendent. “The policy will be phased in during the next three years to promote higher nutritional standards for food that is available in school.”

Chautauqua County gained 360 jobs in the accommodation and food service industry in 2009 and lost 889 manufacturing jobs. The county’s boost in tourism related jobs may have stemmed from initiatives the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau pushed to attract more tourist. Andrew Nixon, Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau director, said one new drive to attract more people is promoting Chautauqua as a learning vacation destination. ”One example of this effort is a Double A Vineyards in Sheridan. They are known for vine cutting to start a vineyard,” he said. ”They worked with us to put on a class on how to put a vineyard in your own backyard.” Nixon also said the county’s Economic Development Department is working with tourism business to establish a horse back riding trail in conjunction with vacation and second homes in the area. ”If we can convenience folks we are the place to go, we will be more successful,” he said. ”People like to travel to our area and that encourages job retention and encourages small business growth.” Even though tourism jobs increased in 2008, the job sector also had one of the lowest average wages in the county at $11,629 a year. Nixon said the low figure could be related to most tourism jobs being seasonal, not lasting the entire year.

Bill Daly, county Industrial Development Agency director, said the county is working to increase the quality of tourism jobs available in the county to possibly increase the average salary. He said the county passed the uniform tax exemption policy just for the purposes of appealing to more tourism related businesses to base their operations in Chautauqua. ”It gives tremendous property tax exemptions to tourist destinations,” he said. ”That is one thing we have done to entice new tourism in the area.” Daly said the county is blessed as a tourist attraction. He said tourism jobs may not pay as well as others, but they do employee people.” ”People talk negative because they don’t pay very well, but they are jobs,” he said.

When Jamestown Community College decided to construct residence halls several years ago, they opted for two- taking a conservative approach to an analysis company’s recommendation of four. After two years of operating its residence halls, however, the college was seeing an “obvious demand” for the construction of a third, said JCC president Greg DeCinque. “For next fall, our two current halls have been filled since April,” DeCinque said. “And we currently have a paid waiting list of 58 students who would like housing, so we know very clearly that the demand is there for a third building.” DeCinque said he’s hoping to see shovels in the ground by August, to have the new hall open to students by the fall of 2012. “As far as plans go we’re pretty far down the road,” DeCinque said. “Tuesday, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution authorizing the administration to move ahead with making commitments for our third residence hall, and the week prior to that the Chautauqua County Legislature supported a resolution to assist us with financing the hall, which has been one of the big issues.”

In Years Past

Discussions to determine how much Jamestown’s mayor should earn would begin soon with City Council members in July. They would be reacting to a specific one-page proposal from the city Salary Review Commission, which has power to review the salaries of the mayor and city council every four years. ”The reality is that salaries should be reviewed periodically and the recommendations of the commission are being given very serious consideration,” said Lynda Albert, D-Ward 5 and Finance Committee chairwoman. ”What confuses the issue is that these salaries are often associated with the ‘person’ and not the ‘position.’ ” Salary commission deliberations included extensive indirect references to Jamestown’s current mayor, Sam Teresi, and his history working as a city development official and his graduate degree in public administration. Charles Nazarro, a commission member and former City Council-at large member, said he thought the salary for the mayor’s position is too low, especially for the quality work product expected. ”Look at (Teresi’s) qualifications, he could be a city manager anywhere,” Nazarro told fellow commission members May 11. After two meetings, commission members decided to propose a graduated plan for the next mayor’s salary, eventually elevating it to $87,500 by 2011. The proposal breaks the current $65,000 cap City Council members placed on the salary when Nazarro was a council member in the late 1990s. They believed the position earned too much money.

For Wendi A. Lodestro, 18 months of growth isn’t enough for her company, Jamestown Advanced Products. The company, which occupies a sprawling building with 175,000 square feet of floor space at 2855 Girts Road, near Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown, has increased its sales by 30 percent in the 18 months and has a goal of increasing sales another 50 percent in the next five years. Its sales growth also has required the company to hire more employees. ”A year and a half ago, we had about 45 employees,” she said, ”And now, we’re up to 85. In the last three years we’ve invested more than a million and a half (dollars) in new equipment. We never buy machinery unless we have a use for it.” The company invested in a powder coating system in January 2003. The 900-foot long piece of equipment was purchased from a company in Detroit that used the machinery to powder coat diesel engines. ”We can run it from 7 to 15 feet a minute,” Ms. Lodestro said. ”Previously we were getting our coatings out of Corry. We can run units 4 inches wide and 16 inches long and can run 13,000 in an eight-hour shift. It began rolling in on flatbeds in October 2002. We hired riggers plus electrical and plumbing. The employees did the rest.”

At 5 p.m. June 1, 24-year-old Jamestown native Scott Walter boarded an eastbound flight out of Buffalo- destination Kampala, Uganda. Not an ideal vacation destination, perhaps, but for Walter, that was fine. Vacationing was never part of the plan. In his second year of study at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Walter elected to spend a large portion of the summer teaching and working in Uganda with Dr. David Hursh, of the Warner School of Education, University of Rochester. “Since we arrived in Uganda we’ve been doing several things,” Walter said. “And our ultimate goal in Kampala was to teach locals about how their environment and every day practices relate to their overall health, which often times is really poor. We ultimately wanted to teach them to be advocates for their own health; that’s my biggest thing.”

Those planning Independence Day barbecues could have been a little discouraged when they reached grocery store check-out lines. According to the annual National Retail Federation/ BIGresearch Independence Day survey, released earlier this week, the cost of the average barbecue will be $61.16 this year, 12 percent higher than last year’s average of $54.62. Two pounds of ground beef, for example, will cost $6.18 on national average, compared to last year’s $5.38, and the charcoal that cost you $3.09 last year will cost you $7.41 this year. Lettuce is up 38 cents, and mayo is up 79 cents. Not all of barbecue requirements were inflated, however. Packages of hot dogs are an average of ten cents cheaper this year than last, and packages of both hot dog and hamburger buns are nearly a dollar cheaper, at $1.09 compared to last year’s $1.96.

In Years Past

The New York State Police believed Ralph ”Bucky” Phillips was responsible for the June 10 shooting of Trooper Sean Brown near Binghamton. At the daily news conference held at the Fredonia Troop A Barracks on Friday, Trooper Mark O’Donnell said, ”We would not expend our time and our resources on anything less serious.” Brown was shot in the stomach during a traffic stop and had since been released from the hospital. O’Donnell said the .38-caliber recovered in a search of an area in Charlotte where Bucky reportedly had a camp site was tested to see if it was related to the trooper shooting. She added state police had roving and stationary units in the area, and this search continued in the Cassadaga, Charlotte and Sheridan areas. O’Donnell said the state police are confident Phillips was still in the area but the difficulty in finding him was related to his knowing the community well and the extent of the dense wooded area being searched. In response to a question asked about Phillips being offered sanctuary and help in surrendering by a Cassadaga priest and an individual who said he was a friend, O’Donnell said, ”It’s all up to Bucky. He just needs to give up and surrender.” O’Donnell and Gibbons both said he was considered armed and dangerous.

With a mixed population of local and summer residents, and starting from a group of women, the Mayville Library has stood the test of time. The library was preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday with an open house. The library has a rich history to it, starting in 1895, with a group of local women that met every Tuesday for a reading circle. This group quickly became the ”Tuesday Club.” The women in the club would meet at different members homes and one member would read aloud each week while the rest caught up on needlework. ”The club’s aim was to ‘obtain a higher, broader and truer culture,”’ said Karen DeSantis, library director.

A local manufacturing plant – ready to roll with a new production line – was looking to hire both production jobs and specialty tradespeople. An expansion at TitanX Engine Cooling Inc. meant more production of its heavy-truck components for its committed customer base around the world, and local leaders were also hailing Thursday’s announcement as a sign of confidence from foreign investors in the local economy. With other plant sites considered by the international corporation, Empire State Development offered TitanX a $1.5 million capital grant, and the corporation was also expected to receive $6.1 million in Empire Zone tax credits that were certified in 2010. The new manufacturing and engineering wing would cost $6.65 million. Matt Moore, president of the local TitanX facility, said the company would be able to expand its production of heat exchangers for 11- and 13-liter engines and it will also roll out products designed for 15-liter engines – with new customers in mind worldwide. He said the constant evolution of emissions standards also dictated the increase in the size of radiators and other cooling devices. Said Moore: “We are going to change the maximum size heat exchanger we can build from 1.2.-by-1.2 meters to 1.7-by-1.7. And we think that is probably the last time we will have to do that, because that’s about the distance between the headlights.”

The number of paid employees and business establishments dropped in Chautauqua County in 2009. According to information released by the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 1,861 fewer paid employees in 2009 then there was in 2008, which was a 4 percent drop. Also, the number of business establishments in the county went from 3,085 in 2008 to 2,992 in 2009, a decrease of 93 establishments and a 3 percent decline. The job sector that lost the most jobs was manufacturing, decreasing to 10,136 paid employees, which was a loss of 889 positions between 2008 and 2009. Administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services had the second largest drop of 343 jobs, lowering to 1,589 paid employees. Construction, and finance and insurance also declined by more than 150 positions between 2008 and 2009. John Slenker, state Labor Department labor market analyst, said the loss of jobs and businesses part of the recession the region had experienced the last couple years. ”The recession has lingered longer in Chautauqua County than in other places,” he said. Because Chautauqua County had more manufacturing jobs than Erie and Niagara counties, Slenker said it is natural that the recession hit the county harder than other areas.

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