The Davis Park rock that commemorates those that lost their lives in World War 1, World War 2, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War. P-J photos by Owen Reed

FALCONER – At the most recent village board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5, Falconer Mayor James Jarosynzski informed the other members of the board that an application had been submitted for grant funding through the county.

Should the village receive this funding, officials hope it can be utilized to better the park spaces for the residents of the village.

The application is for funding from Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth. This initiative began in 2019, and has remained a prominent way that public and private organizations have continued to grow, and therefore foster more regional development.

The program is run by the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation, an organization that is focused on reducing unemployment in the area and creating the maximum amount of potential job opportunities for residents.

CCPEG advances on this idea by helping to provide funding that will encourage development and business growth.

“In 2024, CCPEG focused on advancing 11 priority projects in alignment with the Economic Development Strategy,” as stated by CREDC.

“The Partnership also provided $487,000 in financial assistance and technical assistance to support several dozen partner-led projects and initiatives that support economic revitalization and long-term strategic investment throughout Chautauqua County. In addition, the Partnership was awarded 15 grants in 2024, totaling over $2.4 million and leveraged an additional $4.1 million on behalf of its partners.”

Jarosynzski stated that, should the village be awarded this money, that the funds would be used to help perform necessary upgrades to Davis Park. Jarosynski noted the importance of this space to the community, having noted that this is the main inspiration behind wanting to continue to improve the space.

A wide-range of village events such as the summer concert series, the Falconer farmers marker, and the newest addition of the outdoor movie nights all take place at Davis Park. With village officials continuing to put more resources into improving the park, an increasing number of residents will be able to utilize the space for various activities.