From left, Erik Anderson, Jamestown Skate Products employee; Noah Butcher, Jamestown Skate Products employee; Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor; Pete Scheira, Jamestown Skate Products owner; Zach Agett, Jamestown Renaissance Corp. marketing and events manager; Kristy Kathman, Jamestown Renaissance Corp. deputy director; Sally Opferbeck, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County finance and administration director; and Remy the dog at Jamestown Skate Products Wednesday announcing Small Business Saturday events in the city of Jamestown Saturday. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

There is extra emphasis on shopping locally this Saturday.

The annual holiday shopping tradition of Small Business Saturday will be taking place this weekend with many deals at several area business. On Wednesday, city officials gathered at Jamestown Skate Products, located at 209 Pine St., to announce events happening this Saturday in the city.

Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, said nowhere else, not at a big box store and especially online, can you receive the first-hand customer service that you can experience by visiting a small, locally owned business.

“It’s extremely important, not only on Small Business Saturday, to make every day Small Business Saturday,” he said. “Anything that reinvests money into the community like small businesses do … we should invest in.”

Teresi read a proclamation that presented to Pete Scheira, Jamestown Skate Products owner, that detailed that there are 30.2 million small business in he United States. He also said that small businesses employ 47.5% of the American workforce.

“We support what these people are trying to do,” Teresi said.

Jamestown Renaissance Corp. officials were in attendance to announce details of its Shop Small Win Big event.

Zach Agett, Jamestown Renaissance Corp. marketing and events manager, said the contest starts Saturday and runs through Dec. 18. Shoppers who spend at least $10 at any participating locally-owned retail store or restaurant in downtown Jamestown are eligible to enter. Those entered into the contest could win gift cards to downtown restaurants and retailers of their choice.

For more information, visit Jamestown Renaissance Corp. on Facebook.

SKATE DECK ART SHOW

Scheira also announced the Skate Deck Art Show that will take place starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Gallery, located at 100 E. Second St., the former location of the Dykeman Young Inc. Gallery and Vintage Emporium. All decks will be sold in a live auction. All proceeds from the art show will go toward the Jamestown Riverwalk Skatepark project.

In January, Scheira, with the assistance of Jamestown government officials, announced receiving a Tony Hawk Foundation matching grant of up to $250,000 for a new skateboard park in the city. The new state-of-the-art outdoor skateboard park has also been made possible in the city with the assistance of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

The location of the new park will be along Jones and Gifford Avenue across from McCrea Point Park.

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation has started a special fund for the project — SK8 JTNY. Those interested in donating can send a check to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring St., Jamestown, NY 14701. For more information, visit crcfonline.org.

Funds for the matching skatepark grant will be collected until the end of the year.