Julie Jackson-Forsberg running for county Legislature

October 21, 2026

Julie Jackson-Forsberg of Jamestown is running for the Chautauqua County Legislature seat in District 10. Jackson-Forsberg is endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families parties. District 10 includes Busti and Lakewood and the neighborhoods surrounding Persell School and Bergman Park in Jamestown and Ellicott. Jackson-Forsberg began her career as an English teacher and now develops entrepreneurship, employment readiness and personal development curriculum for people in prison. She has an EMBA from RIT’s Saunders College of Business and graduated from Hamilton College with a ...

Cash For Camp: Camp Onyahsa fundraiser helps with costs, honors camp supporters

October 20, 2026

  DEWITTVILLE - Two county residents were honored recently during a fundraiser for Camp Onyahsa day camps. Across the breadth of Chautauqua County, residential camps and nonprofits often pursue various fundraising efforts to keep their programs and services affordable for consumers and ...

Panama Class of 2028 to hold Zombie Halloween Costume Run

October 20, 2026

PANAMA — It is officially spooky season once again, and with Halloween coming up in a few weeks Panama Central School’s class of 2028 is set to hold a fundraiser the weekend before Halloween, a Zombie Halloween Costume Run. The Zombie Halloween Costume Run is a 5K set for October 24, beginning at Panama Central School. Registration begins at 5 p.m. and the race officially starts at 5:30 p.m. “We’re doing a costume zombie run through the village of Panama on October 24, so the weekend before Halloween,” Class advisor Helen Keefe said. “People can show up and pay the $20 ...

Cassadaga Valley to hold tour of new research forest October 24

October 20, 2026

SINCLAIRVILLE — Cassadaga Valley Central School district has recently completed a one of a kind Research Forest in partnership with Cornell University, and will be providing a tour with Cornell representatives later this month. This research forest is the only one located at a New York State school. Designed side by side with Cornell, the forest is an outdoor classroom designed to give Cassadaga Valley students the opportunity to become real field researchers, using their own campus to study forest ecology, identify trees and plant life, monitor water quality, collect meaningful data ...

Pomfret eyes anti-Flock resolution

October 20, 2026

The town of Pomfret is eying a resolution against Flock Safety cameras. Pomfret Town Board member Mike Lee is running for Chautauqua County Legislature and has made the cameras a central issue of his campaign, taking the populist position that the cameras are too intrusive and their data can ...

Dunkirk mayor proposes budget with 11% tax hike

October 19, 2026

DUNKIRK - Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz calls for an 11.27% property tax increase in her 2027 city budget proposal. Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak forwarded the proposal, along with the mayor's statement on it, to the OBSERVER late Friday morning. Wdowiasz proposes a tax levy of $11,095,609 for 2027. The final tax levy for 2026 was $9,969,326, according to her proposal. The Common Council will now make amendments to the budget however it sees fit, ahead of a Dec. 15 deadline for it to pass next year's spending plan. The budget came in past the city charter's deadline for a budget ...