Our guest speakers were Jonathan Blair, Instructor, Information Technology and Professor Dale Yerpe at Jamestown Community College, who both discussed the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The two were introduced by Dan Heitzenrater, who explained that earlier this year the Jamestown Community College board of trustees and faculty had a meeting focusing on AI, especially as it related to academics. Yerpe is a profession of English at JCC, primarily at the Olean Campus. He also considers himself a student of AI. Blair is a computer science professor at JCC. He grew up in Silicon Valley and wrote his first computer program at the age of 3. He also worked on AI simulations since the 1990s and also over 50 video games that incorporate AI.
Tory Irgang stepped in for Vince Horrigan and Randy Sweeney to introduce our speaker Andrew Nixon the President and CEO of Chautauqua County Visitor’s Bureau where he has been employed since January 1991. Prior to that, Andrew was the Managing Director and Marketing Coordinator for the organization. Before working at the Visitor’s Bureau, Andrew worked for Chautauqua Institution for three years as Assistant Marketing Director.
Vince Horrigan introduced Mark Geise who will speak to Rotarians today on the state of economic development in Chautauqua County. Mark has broad experience in both the private and public sector of business development and planning in our country. Early in his career he was founder and president of a byproduct and re-use company in Fredonia and went on to be Sales Manager, and Operations Director in the glass processing industry in St. Louis. Mark has extensive experience as a senior planner in ecology and environment. Mark’s work in the public sector includes Director of Development for the City of Dunkirk, Director of Planning and Economic development for Chautauqua County, Director of Economic Development, Monroe County and currently serves as the Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Chautauqua County and CEO, County of Chautauqua’s Industrial Development Agency. Mark has a Bachelor’s degree in environmental design and a Master’s in urban planning from the University of Buffalo, He is married to Katie Geise, former President of the Rotary club of Jamestown.
Mark Geise - Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA)
Vince Horrigan introduced Randall Perry who is Executive Director Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance.
Randall Perry is the Executive Director Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance. He works on a variety of lake, watershed and research initiatives in partnership with Alliance Members and other stakeholders aimed at protecting and enhancing the health and usability of Chautauqua Lake.
Program Chairwoman Becky Robbins introduced Beth Oakes, the Executive Director of the Child Advocacy Program (CAP), who has been a non-profit leader in our community for over twenty years.
Before coming to the Child Advocacy Center in 2018, she worked as the Director of the Jamestown YWCA for eighteen years. She has a passion for non-profit work and giving back to the community.
Our speaker today, introduced by Becky Robbins, was our very own Andy Goodell, NY State Assemblyman for District 150 who will retire and leave office in December 2024.
Andy graduated from Maple Grove High School, obtained an undergraduate degree in Political Economics and mathematics from Williams College, and a law degree from Cornell Law School. After practicing in a private law firm in Washington, DC, he returned to Chautauqua County, served in the County Attorney’s office for six years, then served eight years as the County Executive. In 1996, he was appointed by Governor Pataki on a task force to restructure New York’s employment, health, and social services.
Becky Robbins introduced the guest speaker, Deputy Sheriff Troy Bouckhuyt from the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Bouckhuyt is an investigator with the sheriff’s office, and also leads the Chautauqua County Hazardous Devices Unit (aka “the bomb squad”) in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties. He was trained at the FBI Bomb School and assists the Jamestown Police Department SWAT team. Deputy Bouckhuyt not only offered details about his job as a bomb squad technician, but also provided a demonstration of some of the equipment he uses in the field.
Phil Cala introduced Nathaniel Barone, II, the Chief Public Defender in Chautauqua County. In normal Phil fashion, he introduced his former boss in a way that brought laughs to the crowd. Ned Barone, is a native son; his father was a surgeon in Jamestown and Ned was one of eight brothers and sisters. Mr. Barone was a graduate of JCC, a BA from SUNY Buffalo and law degree from University of Toledo, Ohio. He has three grown children and three dogs. He has received several honors and awards but recently received an award from the State Defenders Association of NYS, the Wilford O’Conner award which is a testament to his client centered work.
Jim Smith introduced todays speakers. Keith spoke first and gave some history on the building of the twin pad arena to help grow the downtown Jamestown area and increase economic impact downtown. Keith joined the staff at the arena 6 years ago after a career in college athletics. He instituted the ice bumper cars and the backyard curling activities to increase attendance and use of the arena for activities other than ice skating and ice hockey. The Arena Club was remodeled, and an atrium area was also added.
Rotarian Jim Smith introduced Maegan Washburn, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Chautauqua Institution and Andrew Maxwell, Oberlin Conservatory of Music student and 2024 RCJCSD Scholarship recipient at the Chautauqua Institution Schools of Performing & Visual Arts and Arts Education.
Maegan Washburn, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Chautauqua Institution and Andrew Maxwell, Oberlin Conservatory of Music student and 2024 RCJCSD Scholarship recipient
Rachel Lykins is a theatre artist originally from Huntington, WV. She recently graduated from the MFA Acting Program at UC Irvine, CA. Currently, she serves as the Administrative Assistant at the Chautauqua Theater Company. In the fall, she will be traveling to Milwaukee Repertory Theater as a Swing in Prelude to a Kiss: The Musical. She will be working at the theater and performing in the play as well. Rachel is currently based in Southern California with her cat, Kiki.
Becky Robbins introduced Kristan McMahon , who since 2019 has served as the President of the Jackson Center. Kristan has guided RHJ Center through two construction projects, the pandemic and now, expansion of its team and programs. She has received a BA in Journalism/Mass Communication and Political Science from St. Bonaventure University, a J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law as well as a Certificate from its Communications Law Institute.
Becky Robbins introduced our own Jason Sample, the Communications and Marketing Coordinator for the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth. As part of his position, he assisted with developing and launching the County’s talent attraction and retention marketing campaign LIVE CHQ.
This month is Youth Services Month and today’s speakers were Urban Forestry Interns from Jamestown Community College accompanied by their instructor and Rotarian Lorie Brockelbank.
JCC was the first tree campus in the USA and JCC is the most diverse campus in NYS with a wide variety of trees.
This week’s speakers from the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) included Rose Clarke, Mary Ryder, Josie Allen, and Linnea Haskin. They provided updates on their programs and upcoming events.
The guest speaker was Tom Di Zinno from the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, who gave a presentation on money scams and how to avoid them.Tom is a native of Cleveland and attended John Carroll University and Cooper School of Art.
Dawn has worked at WCA and now UPMC for 17 years and Amanda has worked there for 19 years.
There are 33 employees in the Labor and Delivery Department which is located on the third floor directly above the Emergency Department. The employees are responsible for over 700 deliveries in the past year, which has increased a small amount since previous years.
Our very special guest today was Scott Marcin, District Governor of our very own 7090 and a member of the Amherst South Rotary Club. Mike Harrington, Assistant District Governor of Area 16 and President of the Westfield-Mayville Club for the third time introduced Michele Starwalt-Woods of the District Public Image Committee and is transitioning out of Membership chairman while preparing for District Governor Elect, who then introduced Scott!
President Ruth introduced David and Marissa Troxell who were to speak to us regarding our Bikes to School project. Helping others
David read remarks from his heart that he had jotted down on their LONG flight home from Bangkok and I begged him for the exact copy so I could memorialize it for each and every one of you. I’ve read and reread it many times…I hope you will too. THANK YOU, DAVID!
President Lundin and introduced today’s speaker, George Harper, a new member of the club, a biology baccalaureate graduate of SUNY Fredonia, with a biology PhD from University of North Carolina. Later, as a professor at Hendrix College, he established the Hendrix Science Communication Initiative to promote effective science communication. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic Georgia has wife Jennifer (also a club member) moved to the greater Jamestown area where George served at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and then in August 2023 accepted that the position of Stewardship Manager at Science Friday, a job involved in financial and donor support of the program.
President Ruth invited Dan Heitzenrater to introduce the days speaker, Brian Pender, to talk about the Mayville Winterfestival and Ice Castle, the present status and long and distinguished history. Brian is a Fairport New York native but has local ties, his parents Don and Elsie, founders of the popular and well-known Hogan’s Hut. Brian is a financial professional and president and founder of Fairway Healthcare Partners. He is also the chair and board representative for the Chamber of Commerce in the Mayville, New York area. Brian and his wife, Doctor Erin Pender, own and operate Chautauqua Lake Dental practice in Mayville, New York.
President Ruth introduced Todd Tranum, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Association of the Southern Tier (MAST), who came to speak about the Dream It, Do It initiative to introduce and interest students from middle school through high school in manufacturing.
Every member of the Rotary Club of Jamestown should be very proud of our participation in this great project. Members of the Rotary Club of Jamestown teamed with 11 other Rotary Clubs in America, Canada, and Mexico to support Rotary’s Area of Focus of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, by providing poor rural communities in Jalisco, Mexico with a long-term solution of sustainable equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water as well as improving community hygiene knowledge, behavior and practices that help prevent the spread of disease in these rural communities.
Past President Vince Horrigan next introduced today’s speaker, Shawn M. Hricko, Plant Manager of the Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant in Busti.
In his current role at Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant, Shawn is accountable for the safety, quality and efficiency of the Heavy-Duty Engine Plant located on Baker Street. The engine plant is the manufacturing facility for the X15, ISX12 and X12 engines currently. The plant employs directly 1500 employees and builds between 80,000 and 125,000 engines a year in the one million square foot facility. The plant celebrates its 50th year of operation on July 20, 2024, and everyone is invited.
President-Elect Marion Beckerink introduced our speaker, Britney McClain, the Regional Director of Boy Scouts of America, and a new Jamestown resident. Born and raised in Buffalo, Britney is nearing completion of her Master’s of Public Administration from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo in the field of Nonprofit Management. She also holds a Bachelor of Science from SUNY at Buffalo in biomedical sciences.
Kristin Mellville introduced Dr. Rohit Gosain, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist and chair of the department of Hematology and Oncology at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center located at UPMC, Chautauqua. Dr. Gosain is a graduate of University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada in Computer Engineering. He pursued a Doctor of Medicine at Saba University of Medicine, Saba, WI. He completed his Intern Medicine Residency at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hematology Oncology Fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University at Buffalo. He has received notable honors and awards, has authored medical publications and articles on the treatment of cancer immunotherapy, among others. Along with his brother, Rahul Gosain, MD has developed the Oncology Brothers, an information site which offers their perspectives on the newest oncology developments and cancer treatments to bridge the gap between community and academia.
Tory Irgang introduced Sukanya Burman of Sukanya Burman Dance.
Sukanya Burman was born and raised in Kolkata, India.
She has degrees from St. Xaviers College and Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She is a professional dancer with roots in dance that is native to India as well as Modern dance. Sukanya has received recognition both in the US and abroad for her artistic talent and innate leadership.
Tamu Reinhardt was introduced by Amy Rohler. Ms. Reinhardt is the Coordinator of Family & Community Engagement (FACE) and Inclusivity for the Jamestown City School District. The FACE and Inclusivity is expanding family, community and business partnerships designed to increase engagement and have a positive impact on student achievement. In addition, she oversees the English as a New Language program, is in the process of developing an Equity and Inclusion plan and working to develop a dual language program at Love Elementary School. Mrs. Reinhardt also acts as the district liaison for recently resettled families through Journey’s End.
Tory Irgang introduced our speaker, Josiah Lamp, who is the Director of Housing and Community Development at Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. The organization’s mission is to fight poverty by empowering people to build assets and reach economic independence. He directs programs ranging from homelessness prevention to homeownership to housing rehabilitation.
Becky Robbins introduced Kim Ecklund, the Republican-endorsed candidate for Mayor of the City of Jamestown,
In elected office, she has served as City Council Member at Large in Jamestown since 2004. She is the Finance Committee Chair and a member of the Jamestown Local Development Corporation. She is a member of the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Commission, the Public Works Commission, and the Riverfront Management Commission, among other committees. She worked as a member of the Task Force on Efficiency and Cost Reduction.
Members of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, NY, and their Brazilian exchange student Joachin Caparroz participated in the Jamestown Community College Citizenship Day recently. With up to 200 8th-11th grade students in attendance from local schools, the group heard a presentation by Andrew Beiter of the RFK Human Rights organizations, then participated in a scavenger hunt around the campus, followed by a luncheon and an international student panel consisting of JCC international students.
Members of the Rotary Club of Jamestown are asking everyone to join the 1.2 million other Rotarians in over 32,000 clubs worldwide to support their efforts to eradicate polio from the earth. Rotary helped lead this battle in 1985 when it launched its Polio Plus program, the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. Rotary went on to become a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative which has reduced polio cases by 99.9% since its first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Rotary has contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease.
Becky Robbins introduced Jamestown 25th Mayor Eddie Sundquist, who is running for re-election in November. Election Day is November 7.
A native of Jamestown, Eddie graduated as salutatorian of his JHS class. He earned his bachelor’s in political science, Summa Cum Laude from St. John Fisher College. Eddie taught middle school in Philadelphia in a non-traditional setting. While teaching he obtained his Master of Science in Education. In 2011 he was recognized by his school as Educator of the Year, having introduced exploratory science labs in his classroom. In 2012 Eddie returned to WNY to attend the University at Buffalo School of Law. He received his J.D. in 2015 and returned to Jamestown to practice law. He was elected Jamestown City Mayor in 2019 and took office in 2020. By virtue of his position as Mayor, Eddie serves as President of the Jamestown BPU.
Becky Robbins introduced Twan Leenders who is the Ecological Restoration Manager of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy. He is a biologist from the Netherlands with a degree in animal ecology and lifelong experience in conservation management. For more than 20 years, his work with birds, mammals, plants and especially tropical amphibians and reptiles has taken him to various places on the planet. As a former researcher at Yale University’s Peabody Museum and other institutions, Twan taught biology at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He led the Science and Conservation Office of the Connecticut Audubon Society. After nearly 10 years at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, he now applies his expertise to our region with the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown is celebrating Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy month with the launch of its inaugural Books and Bibs initiative. The two-year project was developed by the Rotary Club of Jamestown’s Literacy Committee to help increase the rate of mothers (regardless of socio-economic level) who begin reading to their children as newborns.
Marion Beckerink introduced the day’s special guest speaker, Isaiah Rashad II, a Buffalo street gang member at the age of seven, and by five years later a homeless vagabond. He presented the story of his transformation to a decorated military veteran of foreign wars, civilian law enforcement officer, a college assistant professor, and currently a lecturer and author concerning human rights, cultural behavior, and crime, as well as a PhD candidate in psychology at Capella University. He is now married and a father of five and a step-daughter.
Frank Besse, Executive Director of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and small business owner of Labyrinth and Brazil spoke to us about the organization which was established in 2006 as a public private partnership with Gebbie, CHQ Plus, the Chamber, the Public Market, Pearl City, Chautauqua Works, the BPU and Fancher Chair.
Steve Sandberg introduce Sam Qadri to the club. Sam M. Qadri (last name pronounced “Kadree”) was born and raised in Palestine / West Bank (Israeli - occupied territories). Sam is a graduate of SUNY College at Buffalo and earned a M.S. degree in Industrial Technology and Technology Education.
Dan Heitzenrater introduced this week’s special guest speaker, Carrie Swanson, Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce Downtown Business and Events Coordinator linking the local business community with other community organizations. (Handouts distributed to attending members will also be made available online).
John Healey, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, presented Chris Anderson with the organization’s “Service Above Self” award at a recent meeting.
President Lundin then reviewed the results of the two surveys recently sent out to members (45 members responded, approximately half of the club membership) concerning their personal engagement in club activities, goals, priorities, and the degree of urgency we apply to these. She stressed that opportunities for fellowship and the five areas of service within our communities and the world top the Rotary priority list. Strengthening membership to achieve these purposes continues to be a goal as well. Club committees are key to meeting three objectives; first, Rotarian engagement in the club’s work, second each committee selecting at least one of the five areas of service promoted by Rotary, and third each committee should make a commitment to one of the three top priorities identified by survey responses.
Michelle Jones was honored for SERVICE ABOVE SELF to the Rotary Club of Jamestown by John Healy, Immediate Past President at the Club’s recent awards banquet.
Past President Kevin Sixbey of the Rotary Club of Jamestown had the honor of installing Ruth Lundin as the President of the Rotary Club of Jamestown for the year 2023-2024 at the recent Club installation dinner.
John Healey, 2022-23 President of the Rotary Club of Jamestown was honored by the Club for activities during his tenure. New President for 2023-24, Ruth Lundin, spoke of her good fortune of being drawn into active participation at the leadership level in 2021 by Past President Kevin Sixbey when Jeff Lehman was able to negotiate the easement on North Main Street to allow the placement of the entryway sign to our city…something the Club has wanted to do for many, many years.
Stacey Hannon introduced our speaker for today, Joy Reiss, from The Wellness Awakening Health Center located at 85 E. Fairmount Avenue in Lakewood, NY.
Stacey Hannon introduced John Barber, who stepped into his role as Executive Director of the YMCA with 15 years of experience providing leadership with the local Y. In 2007, he began as Director of the Teen Center, but his roles have expanded over the years to also include oversight of Eastside YMCA programs and 4th Street Housing, which provides housing for people with physical disabilities. During his time with the YMCA, Barber spearheaded the organization of a community-based travel sports league for non-varsity teens, launching a summer learning loss program, expanded Latino access to after-school programming, and led the ten-fold expansion of USDA at-risk meal programs.
Dan Hietzenrater introduced Kris Maytum, fifth generation representative from the Maytum family who established DFT Communications which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
Lisa described the 2022-23 theme of “Imagine” and the art work on the banner. The pin and banner were designed with the center circle standing for the members of rotary. Purple stands for End Polio, Green for Health, and White for the Women’s Movement.
Terri has been with TRC for 23 years and is currently the Director of Employment and Employee Services, helping with Employment Opportunities for disabled community members.
The day's program was then led off by Ruth Lundin, who along with Marion Beckerink and Kirk Young, had conducted a club-wide survey in which more than half of the club participated. The purpose of the survey was to identify key factors in membership satisfaction and in goal setting as members of the Jamestown Rotary Club. Key findings indicated that service to the community and an opportunity to connect with other local businesses ranked highest in motivations for joining Rotary, and that the speaker and opportunities to socialize with colleagues were the most important reason for attending meetings.
Marion Beckerink welcomed Beth Litton, Resettlement Manager - Jamestown Office and Buulo Emmanuel, ONA Immigrant Community Navigator for Journey's End Refugee Services.
The special guest speaker for the day was Dr. Lilian Ney, speaking about Wellness and Stress as it relates to everyday wellbeing, longevity, quality of life, and its disproportionate effects on the poor, racially disadvantaged individuals and families facing hardships.
Julie LaGrow has been with LVCC since 2015, and was elevated to Executive Director in 2019. She oversaw its relocation to Fredonia in 2019 and its participation in the Small Business Revolution television show in 2020.
Rotarian Dan Heitzenrater introduced our speakers for the day, Bobbi Spare and Lauren Edwards, Owners of ART Cloth + Craft. Both were born and raised in Jamestown and moved away and then returned to build their lives and family in Chautauqua County.
Dr. Kirk Young of the Program Committee had the pleasure of introducing the guest speakers, Steve Kilburn, from COMBAT Addiction CHQ. Also introduced two of Steve’s supporting staff members, MacKenna Graham and Katie Young.
Special guest speaker, Emily Van Way, DFC Coalition Coordinator at the HOPE Chautauqua coalition, then presented a program designed to educate and enlighten members concerning the increasingly recognized gender-specific use of pronouns. She also defined the now-recognized distinctions between the words “gender,” “sex,” and the umbrella term “queer” under which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are subsumed.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown, New York, in combination with local Rotary District 7090 which includes over 70 Rotary Clubs in Southern Ontario and Western New York, are pleased to announce that a $25,000 grant to aid the citizens of Ukraine has achieved maximum success.
Sally presented the grass roots efforts to help in the aid of the people of Ukraine. She spent time getting aid to people and help get people out of troubled areas.
Courtney Curatolo introducedJane Fisher, Creative Trainer at Creative Education Foundation. Her passion, honed over many years in improv comedy, is combining creativity, innovation, and joy for greater fulfillment in everyday work and life. “Creative thinking is not a luxury!”
One year ago, the Rotary Club of Jamestown formed a Diversity, Equity Inclusion DEI committee to raise awareness and address concerns of inclusivity with the fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. DEI originates in the founding of Rotary as it unfolded with recognizing business, professional and community leaders from different cultures and religions. From then, women were invited to join Rotary. It has been a journey to open up to all different walks of life. The journey continues as part of Rotary International’s Strategic Plan, with a new Code of Conduct that will help us all be equitable within the Rotary family as well as in the community.
Russell Ecklund was honored at the 27th Annual Rotary Club of Jamestown Golf Tournament recently held at Moon Brook Country Club. The Rotary Club and its Golf Committee took this opportunity to honor Ecklund for his 31 years of service and devotion to the Rotary Club and acknowledge his commitment and dedication to the Club’s golf tournament for each and every one of the past 27 years.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown presented William K. Larson with an Honorary Membership after 67 years in the Club.
Honorary Membership is awarded to members who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals and it is the highest distinction a club may bestow.
Tory Irgang was happy to introduce Greg Edwards, CEO of the Gebbie Foundation since 2013. Best known for his prior service as Chautauqua County Executive and for being an attorney in our community for 18 years. He was a founding member of the AM Rotary Club. Edwards is a graduate of Allegheny College and the University of Toledo Law School.
Alexis is co-owner and Vice President of El Greco Woodworking, Inc. She oversees product safety and compliance, designs internal data systems, and performs the role of strategist for her family-owned business.
Program Committee Member Jim Smith introduced Carol Rausch who has served as the Chorus Master/Music Administrator of the Chautauqua Opera and the Chautauqua Symphony since 1995. Both were founded in 1929 and the Chautauqua Opera is the oldest continuing summer program in the United States.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown welcomed Fernando Watts, recipient of the 18th Rotary Music Scholarship at Chautauqua.
The Institution’s Young Artist Program was established in 1968 and is recognized as one of the best training programs for young singers in America today, with over 1,000 artists benefitting from the professional training experience.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown welcomed Andrew Borba, retiring Chautauqua Theatre Company artistic director for the 7th and final time. Borba is retiring at the end of this season after serving as artistic director since 2016, having previously spent eight seasons as the company’s associate artistic director. He has visited the Rotary Club of Jamestown every summer to discuss the Theater productions, so it was a bittersweet day for everyone.
Dr. Greg Jones introduced our speaker for today, Lou Nalbone, Owner, Chautauqua Aircraft Sales & Dunkirk Avionics. Lou has over 50 years of experience in the aviation business. John Nalbone, Lou’s father, started the Werle Flight School in 1946 in Dunkirk.
Kirk Young introduced Rich Dixon, who is starting his 17the year as CFO of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency. Rich grew up in Jamestown and attended Jamestown High School, Jamestown Community College and the SUNY at Fredonia.
Jeff Rotunda, Executive Director or UCAN Mission. United in Christian Advocacy Network (UCAN) operates a 29 bed, 45 day emergency shelter for men on West First Street in Jamestown.
Becky Robbins introduced our speakers for the meeting who were to present a Play Read of Lucille Ball’s September 4, 1953 testimony in front of investigator William Wheeler of the House Un-American Committee entitled “WAS LUCILLE BALL A RED?”
Tamu Reinhardt is currently the Coordinator of Student Support Services. Mrs. Reinhardt started the position on July 1st, 2021. The Coordinator of Student Support Services is responsible for providing expert leadership that includes monitoring and supporting a vision that encompasses a comprehensive student services plan in accordance with laws and regulations over all areas assigned within the department that lead to academic, social, and emotional success for all students.
Joni Blackman introduced Chad Ecklof of Ecklof's Bakery. Chad talked about the history of the business and how they navigated the pandemic the last couple years. Please watch the video below that highlights Chad's presentation and showcases his humor!
Kirk Young introduced Jackie Van Lankveld – Rotary Club of St. Catherine’s, who was here on Zoom to share with us an update on the International Project – Rotary Global Grant to Build School for Orphaned Children in Uganda.
Amit Taneja, Chief Diversity Officer of Chautauqua Institution since May of last year spoke about his reception when he moved to the area, his early impressions of the area and his recommendations going forward. He also spoke about how his early life and career choices have given him exceptional insights for his duties.
Dave and Marissa Troxell spoke about their recent trip to Pakistan. David and Marissa spent the early part of the Winter in Pakistan working on special projects.
Jose was born in Puerto Rico. He was raised in Puerto Rico and Miami, FL. He is a giving, creative and passionate servant leader. He holds a Master’s degree from Neumann University in Organizational and Strategic Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple University.
VP and Chair of DEI Committee, Ruth Lundin introduce the DEI Committee: Chris Anderson, Marion Beckerink, Joni Blackman, Noah Goodling, Sharon Hamilton, Tori Irgang, Cheri Krull, Sally Martinez and Becky Robbins. A short video presentation was shown, which highlighted our club’s history.
John Healy, Robert Norbin, Kevin Sixbey, Mike Roberts and Jeff Lehman in front of the Jamestown NY Welcome sign drawing.
Kevin Sixbey introduced the day’s program, a presentation of the Centennial Gateway Project. This is an effort led by Rotary, the City of Jamestown and CPL (formerly Clark Patterson Lee). Our club is represented by Mike Roberts, Kevin Sixbey, John Healy, and Ruth Lundin. Jeff Lehman, Director of Public Works, and City Planner Ellen Schadle represent the City and Robert Nordin and Brady Morrison are from CPL.
Last week a new polio vaccination clinic was dedicated in Karachi, Pakistan. The clinic and training center for outreach was developed by the Rotary Club of Karachi Sunset Millennium and funded in partnership with the Rotary Club of Jamestown New York. On hand for the dedication and representing the Rotary Club of Jamestown was Rotarian David Troxell and his wife Marissa. They were graciously hosted by members of the local Karachi club.
Today's Chairperson: President Kevin Sixbey led the club in the Pledge, Star Spangled Banner & Four Way Test.
Invocation: Tim Edborg asked that we be helped to stay focused on the Rotary priorities and that we be helped to serve.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests: John Healy recognized Dewey Jones, proposed member and guest of Mark Olson.
Announcements:
No noon meeting the next three weeks.
-Next week, the Holiday party at 6:30 at Venue 31, 31 North Main Street. $20 per person. To register CLICK HERE
-December 27 a social at Haggys from 4:30 to 6:30. To register CLICK HERE
-January 3 no meeting in observance of the new year.
-January 10 will be a special presentation of the Centennial Project, celebrating the Rotary Club of Jamestown’s 100 anniversary in 2019. A group, spearheaded by Mike Roberts, has been working with City of Jamestown and CPL Design on a new welcome sign on North Main. The design will go before the City Planning Commission in December, and the membership will receive a full update.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee is meeting Thursday, December 16 at noon at the Jackson Center and also via zoom. Anyone interested can contact Ruth Lundin.
Red Kettle: Joanna Dahlbeck reported 40 hours of bell ringing have been completed, exceeding the goal for this year.
Literacy Committee Diana Meckley reports they are looking for leisure books for the three washateria kiosks. Bring to the Holiday Party or donate any time we meet.
Youth Services Committee: Cheri enthusiastically reported that the Committee has selected 2 outbound students Josie Mason and Sophia "Sam" Kennelley for Long Term exchange next year. Both students have been patiently waiting to participate in the program since the Pandemic began. A third student, who was selected an alternate, Soren Kyser, will be sponsored by Jill Norton's (Buffalo Sunrise) club. Soren's mother Heather (maiden name Oquist) is a past Rotary Exchange Student who was sponsored by our club. This means there will be three inbound students, so we will be responsible for finding three host families for each of the three inbounds. Please let Cheri know if you, or someone you know from Maple Grove, Jamestown or Southwestern would be interested.
50/50 Drawing: Tim Edborg won $40.00.
Birthday Table: Sue Jones presented the December birthdays. Remember that the Rotary Foundation receives birthday table money. Donations to Foundation go to projects including clean water and sanitation, assistance to mothers and children, peace, education, economic stability for at risk communities. Your gift has a far greater impact than an individual gift because it is a part of a greater pool. The Foundation identifies, projects, runs them and provides oversight of the funds spent. Each gift helps us meet increased demand. Right now, we are trying to raise $50 million for Polio Plus which will be matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. December birthdays include: Paul Cesana, Andrew Goodell, Dave Howard, Steve Sandberg, Greg Jones, David Painter, Walt Pickut, Hiroko Walters, and Jim Smith who appropriately won the free lunch since he is celebrating a special birthday.
Sergeant at Arms: Vince Horrigan fined the following people. Infinity has 2 new instructors. One is our Melissa Meyers. Noah Goodling has been hired by the Chautauqua Funders Group to lead a capacity building initiative in Chautauqua County. UWSCC has been named as the non-profit to receive donations from the Jamestown High School Boys and Girls Club Tournaments. Wind turbine blades were seen lying in a field. The picture was in the P-J and Andy Goodell is seeking recommission bonds. Kathy Burch was fined because her husband Mark got a hole in one.
Trivia: The first Rotary meeting was held in what location (Chicago) what year (1905). The first Rotary service project was in Chicago and was public toilets. The first Paul Harris Fellow was awarded for how much money ($1,000). All the following were/are Rotarians: King Farouk of Egypt, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Pope Francis, Hillary Clinton. The Rotary wheel stands for civilization and movement. The first motto of Rotary was: He profits most who serves best.
Happy Bucks
Randy Sweeney announced this is his last meeting in person until spring. He is off to Florida.
Paulette Kline celebrates her great-granddaughter. Also going to Florida until spring.
Amy announced that United Way is looking for volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) volunteers. text UWVita to 41444.
Stacey Hannon introduced Kristin Melville, new Executive Director for WCA Foundation in Jamestown. Kristin grew up in Jamestown and returned to the area after spending 25 years in Maine as a fundraising professional for hospitals and health care centers.
Stacy Hannon introduced Michael Pease, CEO of The Chautauqua Center (TCC), a federally qualified health center in the county. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health care administration and has worked for the TCC for 12 years, since its inception.
Diana Meckley introduced Grace McKenzie the Outreach Coordinator for WIC (Women, Infants and Children).
Grace has worked in Community Relations and Outreach with non-profit organizations for the past 15 years. She holds a master’s degree in Education from Buffalo State College and is currently employed by Catholic Charities of Buffalo as the Outreach Coordinator for WIC covering Erie, Niagara & Chautauqua Counties.
Tory Irgang introduced Crystal D. Surdyk, Director of Development for the city of Jamestown. Ms Surdkyk, a graduate of Buffalo State with a degree in Urban Planning joined the department in 2018 and was named director in January 2020. She also serves on the Board of the Jamestown Renaissance Corp.
Kirk Young introduced Dan Heitzenrater – President & CEO, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce.
Dan was born and raised in Chautauqua County. He mentioned how important it was for him to stay local. Dan attended Jamestown Community College and transferred to Fredonia for his 4-year degree.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown welcomed Journey Gunderson, Executive Director of the National Comedy Center, to its weekly noon luncheon meeting recently. The Comedy Center is hailed as the United States’ official cultural institution dedicated to the art of comedy.
Becky Robbins introduced Erin Wheeler, COO of Colecraft Commercial Furnishings, who gave us a background history of the organization and then Tom Stuart, National Sales Manager gave an in-depth presentation about the company and its products.
Hillary is a JHS grad and studied film and video production in Rochester before returning to Jamestown. The Reg will be celebrating its centennial in 2023. It originally started in 1923 as the Palace, primarily a vaudeville theatre.
Margot Russell – The Post Journal – Becky Robbins introduced Margot to the club. Every Saturday, there is an article from Margot Russell in the Post-Journal!
Margot and her family were raised in Buffalo but spent many weekends at their cottage on Chautauqua Lake. She has been writing her column for 10 years now. Margot has a great love for Chautauqua County. In her words, this is a place of true beauty and wonderful people. Margot reminded the club to please do not take where we live for granted. There is lots of beauty in Chautauqua County.
Rotary President Kevin Sixbey with PJ Wendel Chautauqua County Executive
Vince Horrigan introduced PJ Wendel our current County Executive who is again running to be elected. PJ’s background is in education and as an EMT in the Lakewood fire department and president of the fire company. He has been a Lakewood Trustee and was a County legislator for over 8 years. Vince noted that he has handled issues in a bipartisan way and handled the COVID 19 issues with alacrity even though he only had three months under his belt when the pandemic struck. He represented Western New York County executives in the Federal Operation Warp Speed. He has also provided leadership with financial issues caused by the pandemic and with the Chautauqua Lake Memorandum of Understanding. He listens and gives people the opportunity to voice their ideas.
Tory introduced Megan Arnone from the Northwest Savings Bank Ice Arena. Megan was hired last October, right in the middle of the pandemic to oversee fundraising. Megan spoke about the economic impact the Ice Arena has had on our area, and about the brand new 3 story addition that has recently been completed.
Jim Smith introduced Carol Rausch. This is her 22nd time presenting at Rotary. Chautauqua Opera is the oldest continuing running Opera in the US. Since 1995, Carol has overseen the program. Please watch the zoom below!
Andrew Borba, Artistic Director of Chautauqua Theater Company and Rotary President Kevin Sixbey
Jim Smith introduced our speaker, Andrew Borba, Artistic Director, Chautauqua Theater Company. This is his 5th time as guest of the Club and his 16th summer at Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC). Besides directing, he is a gifted actor on stage and on television.
Andrew spoke about coming back from last year. The theme this year has been “pivoting”. Planning for the many possibilities started last September. It was decided to partner with the Opera. It was thought they would be performing in Norton Hall, and the CTC planned for a season of 1 person shows. However, due to union issues, that was not going to work. So it was decided to go outside and the Pratt Performance Pavilion was created. It is like a Repertory Company.
John Lloyd introduced Greg Edwards, Executive Director of the Gebbie Foundation. His team at Gebbie: himself, Senior Grants Director-Andrea Magnuson, and Kay Burch, CFO. Andrea Magnuson is retiring and her replacement has just started work--Mikayla Certo.
Tory Irgang introduced Arthur Pearson to the club. Arthur is from the Chicago area originally and came here a little more than a year ago with his wife to take over the CEO duties at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI). Arthur spent 25 years with the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation where he utilized his background in conservation funding to secure multi-million-dollar grants.
Dan Stone makes a point during his presentation on Monday, May 10
Did you know there are 331 different varieties of trees in Jamestown? Or that Jamestown is a “Sterling City” because it has met or exceeded its goals for tree planting and care for 10 consecutive years? Or that the root system of the oak trees on 3rd Street were damaged during road improvements many years ago? These are just a few of the interesting facts Dan Stone shared with members on May 10.
The Jamestown Rotary Club was happy to welcome Executive Director Leigh Rovegno, from the Audubon Community and Nature Center. Leigh shared a wealth of knowledge and information for our club members. Instead of trying to transpose all that, please view her presentation below.
Pat discussed some of the differences between Finland and the USA in culture, lifestyle, climate, and education.He was also in Finland last March as Covid-19 lock downs occurred and so many exchange students decided to go back home.His presentation had many wonderful photos and memories from his time with his host families.
Vice President Kevin Sixbey introduced Mike Sperry, Owner of Chautauqua Reel Outdoors. Mike is s NYS licensed fishing guide. He started his fishing guide service in 2007 and opened up his current tackle shop in 2013 in the Sav-A-Lot Plaza in Lakewood. Both these endeavors have kept Mike very busy!
Jane Conroe is the Vice Chair of the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium. Ruth Lundin introduced her, noting that the Environment has become the 7th Area of Focus for Rotary.
Jim Parker is CEO of Digitell, Inc., a full-service multimedia company that specializes in Live Streaming, High End Webcasts and Learning Management Systems.
Dana Williams- Jamestown High School Principal introduced by Stacey Hannon.
Dana becamethe officialprincipal of JHS in 2020 and hasled and guidedthe students and staffthrough one of the most difficult years in modern history. Heheld an open forum Q&A session, largely revolving around thefuture plans for the school in the Post- Covid world we are all hoping to be in.
Stacey Hannon introduced Dr. Kevin Whittaker, Superintendent of Jamestown Public Schools who gave an extremely interesting and thought-provoking presentation on the upcoming Capital Projects that will be voted upon in May.
Beth was the Executive Director at the Jamestown YWCA for many years. Most recently, took over as the Executive Director for the Child Advocacy Program. Beth has been very involved in the community and has worked with tirelessly for children for many years. The Child Advocacy Program has been open since the pandemic started since, they were an essential business.
Stacey Hannon introduced Marion Beckerink who introduced Kristan McMahon, Executive Director of the Robert H. Jackson Center who took us on a virtual tour of the recently completed upgrades to the entrance and some of the first floor.
Robert Smith - Fire Prevention Officer for about a year. Rob also serves as the city’s Certified Code Officer and will inspect businesses to ensure compliance with fire codes. Rob conducts fire safety training in schools and businesses. He grew up in Kennedy, where he currently lives with his family and raises beef cattle, horses, pigs and honey bees. Rob served in the US Army from 2005-2012 and graduated from JCC in 2012. He joined the Jamestown Fire Department in 2015 and is a state certified EMT instructor at JCC.
At a recent Rotary Club of Jamestown meeting, Victoria Eckert and Carri Raynor of the Suicide Prevention Alliance of Chautauqua County, were introduced by Kirk Young.
Victoria and Carri did a wonderful review of the agencies new branding, awareness events, training and community education, programming, prevention, and support groups.
Jason Sample of WRFA speaks to eager Rotarians on the February 8 Zoom meeting.
Kirk Young introduced Jason Sample who has served as the Public Affairs Director at WRFA Radio since July 2011. A native of the area, he's a Falconer graduate and attended Jamestown Community College for two years before transferring to West Virginia University, where he majored in broadcast journalism and graduated in 2000. Prior to working at WRFA, he worked at Media One Group as sports director, news reporter, and disc jockey. He is currently a trustee with the Chautauqua County Historical Society and has also served on the board for Infinity Visual and Performing Arts. He lives in Falconer with his wife, Johanna, and their two cats.
Kirk Young introduced our speaker, Maria Kindberg, Executive Director of JCC Foundation (since August 2020). Ms Kindberg previously served as Dean of Arts at JCC and on the county Legislature. She is also currently serving as President of Reg Lenna Arts Center and is a new member of the Rotary Club of Jamestown.
Eddie spoke on the 2021 State of the City which was released on 1/25 at 12:30 and some of the challenges the city will be facing due to aid restrictions, as well as some of the positive projects and initiatives for this year from the City.
President Joni Blackman jovially welcomed everyone to the Rotary Zoom Holiday Party. Everyone was in a festive mood, especially Cheri Krull who wowed us with her backgrounds and with her skill at transforming her physiognomy to become first elfish, then reindeeresque. The weather inside was delightful.
Dennis Webster is a radio announcer at WJTN. He is a Jamestown native and a graduate of Syracuse University and SUNY Fredonia. He started his work in radio while still a student at Jamestown High School, and has had many positions at the station, both on and off the air. For the past couple of decades, he has presented the morning program on WJTN from 5 to 9 AM and hosted the Saturday Breakfast Party and the High School Bowl (both now on hiatus because of the coronavirus).
Congressman Tom Reed introduced by Andy Goodell. Tom is one of about a dozen Reed children, born to a middle-class family and the son of a veteran. Andy noted Tom’s great accessibility, holding town halls in the good and bad times, being a leader through COIVD and keeping everyone up to date on what’s happening, and for his co-chair leadership in the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
On October 24, the Rotary Club of Jamestown is joining hands with over 1.3 million Rotarians in more than 33,000 Rotary Clubs in the world to continue raising awareness, funds and support to end polio – a vaccine preventable disease that still threatens children in two countries of the world today, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Polio must be eradicated in those countries as well or we run the risk of the virus spreading again!
Rich Morrisroe is the part-time City Attorney for the City of Dunkirk, New York. He also runs the Law Office of Richard J. Morrisroe, a general practice law firm with offices in Dunkirk and Buffalo that specializes in real estate, landlord/tenant law, criminal defense, and civil litigation, including divorce and family law cases. Rust Belt born and raised, Rich is originally from East Chicago, Indiana. He is of Irish-Puerto Rican heritage, speaks fluent Spanish, and lived in Buffalo for over 20 years.
Paul Michael Wendel, Jr. “PJ” was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania in 1970. He moved to Jamestown, New York in Chautauqua County in 1977. PJ graduated from Southwestern Central School in 1988 where he was a four-year Varsity Letter winner in Wrestling and Track, and a three-year Varsity letter winner in Football. In his senior year, he captained all three teams he participated on.
Walt is one of our Rotary members, holding a Bachelor’s in Biology, Bachelor’s in Communication, Master’s in Cardiopulmonary Physiology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, worked as a registered sleep specialist, amongst numerous other positions and specialists.
Walt spoke on a book he authored, The Threat, the remarkable, untold story of the FBI’s first counterespionage case against the Soviet Union. This is a fascinating story of the life of Larry Haas. It is an absolute must watch for anyone who missed the live presentation. Due to the detail involved with the presentation, we are asking our readers to watch the recorded Zoom link by visiting https://jamestownnyrotary.org/page/zoom-meetings.
Greg Jones introduced our speaker for today, Jason Schmidt, who is the Republican candidate for Chautauqua County District Attorney.
A former Rotarian himself, from 2004-2009, Mr. Schmidt was not able to make the commitment to continue in Rotary but enjoyed the time he spent. He took the motto of Service Above Self with him to his work in the community.
Mr. Schmidt cares about what is going in Chautauqua County and that is why he is running. He wants to be able to give back to the community and that inspired him to step into the political arena. Not comfortable with politics but wants to make a change.
Schmidt stated that we have a real public safety concern in Chautauqua County. The county has very few felony convictions at this point. The District Attorney’s Office budget has increased by 34% over the past 4 years. There 922 felonies committed in 2016. Of the 922, only 237 convictions took place in 2016. Fast forward to 2019, there were over 1,000 felonies committed and only 178 were convicted in 2019. This trend needs to change.
Mr. Schmidt stated that we should not accept these numbers. We need to make sure these criminals are convicted and put behind bars. These arrests are not being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as they should be.
Schmidt made a commitment to handle the most important cases. He has been conducting trials for close to 20 years. There is a backlog of violent felony trials coming up soon. Given the track record of the current DA, Mr. Schmidt believes we will not be able to see justice served.
Mr. Schmidt has a plan for ensuring that the DA’s office can turn the successful felony convictions around going forward. He feels there is a lack of communication between the police and the DA’s office. Many cases get plead down to a lesser charge. He wants to ensure there is more communication between the office and the police.
Chautauqua County District Attorney, Patrick Swanson since 2017. Previously served as Acting DA in 2016-2017, and Assistant DA from 2012-2016. Graduate of Wake Forest University in 2001 and U Memphis Law in 2008. Native of Sherman NY, currently lives in Fredonia with his wife and two children.
Swanson is committed to seeking justice for the citizens of Chautauqua County. CHQ County is the 23rd most populous county (130,000). The DAs office has 12.5 attorneys (12 full time and one part time) and 25 total employees. The office handles approximately four or five homicides per year for the last 4-5 years.
Swanson’s goal for the office is to increase the number of full time attorneys, when he took office in 2017, there were eight full time attorneys, now there are 12 (including the DA).
District Attorney’s office focuses on the following areas:
Narcotics
Sex Crimes
School Assistance
Police Training
Founding partner in the County Opioid Court
Participates in Erie County Crime Analysis Center
Q&A
Q - What is the ideal number of attorneys on staff? A - In the long term, Swanson would like to have 18 attorneys on staff, in line with counties with similar work loads (Ulster County and Schenectady County - each have 25 attorneys on staff).
Q - What is your job? A - Represent the People, per the NYS Penal Law. The office receives case files after arraignment.
Q - Have you had to “farm out” work? A - DA office does not “farm out” traffic violations.
Q - How many attorneys are in the Public Defenders office? A - Currently there are 16 attorneys in the CHQ County PD office. They struggle to find local, qualified candidates (as does the DA office).
Q -According to the National Safety Traffic Management Report in 2019, 80% of DWI’s in CHQ county were dismissed or reduced to lesser charges. A - There has been a steady decrease in DWI’s in CHQ county, in 2019 there were 58 felony DWI convictions.
Q -What happened in the Leland Bresee trial? A - Leland Bresee plead guilty in 2019 to second-degree rape and was sentenced to six months time served in jail, in addition to 10 years probation. He is currently in State Prison.
Joni Blackman thanked Patrick Swanson for his time and indicated that a donation in his name would be made to Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.
Patrick Swanson - Chautauqua County District Attorney
Tracy Mitrano, 23rd District Congressional seat candidate was introduced by Chris Anderson.
Tracy spoke on her decision to run strongly due to her concern with the deteriorating values of citizenship. She wants to see our country back on the right path. She chose Congress because her professional life experience has been based around federal level issues.
Her key issues are:
Health Care Reform - Need more efficient, cost effective and available health care.
Infrastructure - Internet connection everywhere – a key to being globally competitive.
Environmental - Aligns with the Joe Biden's plan using Renewable Energy Schedule to plan the transition. Could be an economic driver for our area.
Economical - Not just the stock market- working class citizens incomes have not kept up with the cost of living. Must get above issues fixed to make our area marketable to business development.
A Q&A session was then had and can be reviewed in the recording link pasted below.
Becky Robbins introduced today’s speaker, Traci Langworthy. Traci has a long track record with recording local history and the Women’s Suffrage movement locally. Traci thanked Rotary for giving her an opportunity to teach!
Coincidentally, today is the first day of classes at JCC and Traci is on sabbatical so it feels good to be able to teach again!
Instead of trying to capture all of Traci’s wonderful presentation on paper, I suggest watching the recorded Zoom to get the full effect of her presentation which included a wonderful PowerPoint with a number of graphic slides.
Frank is from the Rotary Club of Fonthill in Ontario.
Frank has been active in community life starting as a cub, a scout, an army cadet and a junior forest ranger.
Frank has served in the caring professions all his life as he has been a psychiatric attendant, an ambulance attendant and paramedic. He rose through the ranks to be a supervisor, training officer, assistant manager, and ultimately Chief of Niagara’s Emergency Medical Services. As an educator he has been a college professor and Program Coordinator at Niagara College, and a lecturer at the Ontario College of Health and Technology in the Paramedic Program.
Frank was awarded the Governor General’s EMS Exemplary Service Medal in recognition of promoting the profession and community service.
He has been a health planner and Chair of the Niagara District Health Council where he led a Task Force which recommended a 45 million dollar hospital redevelopment plan in Niagara. As a Hospital Administrator he served as V.P. of Planning and Professional Services at the Welland Hospital site.
As a fundraiser Frank has served as a Board Member, Campaign Chair and Board Chair with the United Way of South Niagara, and as Executive Director of the United Way of Cambridge, Ontario.
He is a certified personal trainer and owner/operator of Kwik Fit Niagara and co-owner of Kwik Fit Kingston.
At the Rotary District 7090 level Frank has been a member of the Million Dollar Dinner Committee, the Assistant Governor of Area 7 for two years, Chair of the Endowment Fund Committee and is a member of the RLI Faculty.
He and his wife Judy, a retired psychiatric nurse, are major donors to Rotary, Bequest Society members, and Frank is a Paul Harris Society Member.
He has been active in leadership roles on numerous community, provincial and national boards and is presently a board member of Wellspring Niagara Cancer Support Foundation and a member of their Capital Campaign Cabinet. He Chairs the Tour du Lac Committee, which established a cycling ride around Lake Ontario to raise $250,000 for Wellspring’s Capital Campaign. This enjoys the support of many Rotary Clubs in the Niagara Region, the Rotary Club of Kingston, and New York Clubs in Webster, Lockport, and Albion.
Part of Frank’s training to become a District Governor is at the zone level where he was able to meet and speak with Rotary International president Holger Knaack.
Frank also mentioned that Jennifer Jones will be the Rotary International president in 2021/2022. Jennifer is from from the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland in Canada. She will become the first female RI president. About time!
Frank explained that COVID is a black cloud hanging over us. But there is also a rainbow we can see as well! He detailed his plans for our District for 2020/2021.
District 7090 Overall Plan
Educate and guide clubs on ways to recruit
Train club members to provide strong leadership at the club level
Assist clubs to enhance public image and awareness of Rotary
Motivate and guide clubs to increase their understanding and support of the Rotary Foundation
Inspire clubs to get more involved with youth
District 7090 Communications Plan
10-12 min phone conversation with every club president every month
Encourage R Pres to reach out to him
Encourage President to be in regular contact with ADG’s
Participate in monthly AG zoom meetings
In lieu of traditional club visits, invite DG to PHF’s, special events, inductions, anniversary dinners and fundraisers
Traditional club visits to be virtual via Zoom
Encourage every Canadian club to partner with American club and encourage cross border join meeting fundraiser or special event for each club
In era of COVID, encourage all clubs to stay connected via weekly or bi-weekly zoom meetings
Supporting Healthy Communities: A new/expanded long term mission for clubs of District 7090
Environment- safe communities, air quality, biking trials, etc.
Economic Health – anti-poverty
Social Capital – diversity and inclusion
District Wide Promotional/Service Projects
Multi-district waterside cleanup Lake Ontario and Erie on Earth Day – Frank has a plan!
Buddy benches for lonely or bullied persons – talked about people who are marginalized or need friendship. For lonely and isolated children to put them at a school and an invitation for another child to sit down and talk to the lonely person.
Little lending library – Literacy is very important. Some already doing this!
Blood donor days – a great need for this! Blood Donor Clinic
Multi-club service projects
DG Frank also spoke about Global Polio Eradication and even showed a pic of an iron lung. This led him into a fundraiser that will be happening in the Fall.
Pedal for Polio Day Fundraiser – will be held on October 24, 2020 – Goal is to raise $200,000 – a 66 Rotary Club bike ride to Niagara on the Lake Community Center from Queenston/Lewiston area.
Support for Rotary Foundation Plan
Increase the profile of the district foundation team and programs
Approach clubs who traditionally not supported RF and encourage modes support
Identify foundation ambassadors in each club and provide them with resources
Challenge every member to add RF as their charity of choice
Continue to support global polio initiative.
Growing Rotary Plan
Create 3-4 new clubs as Passport or Satellite clubs in municipalities where there are no active Rotary Clubs.
Focus in NYS will be Attica, Cheektowaga and Buffalo
Increase club membership by 250 by June 30, 2021
Increase Rotaract and interact clubs by 3-4 clubs.
Special thanks for District Governor Frank for his great presentation and setting the bar high for this Rotary year!
Assemblyman Andy Goodell (left) with Vince Horrigan
Vince Horrigan introduced today's speaker, Assemblyman Andy Goodell. Vince noted that Andy is well known to Jamestown Rotarians, since he is a member. Andy graduated Magnum Cum Laude from Cornell Law School after receiving a degree in Political Economics and Mathematics from Williams College. He is a respected attorney and a founding member of the Chautauqua Leadership Network. He has served in many organizations, assisting in many ways.
At Cockaigne, he was a ski instructor and he has been influential in the reopening of that resort. Vince noted that he was the “2nd best county executive” from January 1990 to December 1997.
Vince continued that, in 2010 Andy was elected as NYS assemblyman, where he currently serves as Minority Floor Leader. Speaking from personal experience, Vince noted that Andy has been extremely helpful with Chautauqua Lake. Last year he helped secure $245,000 for the Lake with Frank Borello. Finally, Vince noted, “He represents us and is involved with us.” He is a husband, father and grandfather.
Andy gave a nod to Vince, noting that some people cannot retire, but continue to serve their community. He has led the Red Cross, served as County Executive, and is currently leading the Watershed Alliance.
Mr. Goodell appreciates being able to represent us. Right now he is minority leader pro tem which means he is floor leader. He and his staff review every bill before it is put on the calendar for consideration. Non-controversial bills go directly to the floor. However if a bill has language or policy issues, Andy will recommend language changes or revisions to the bills that might make them more acceptable or reduce unintended consequences. He schedules bills for debate, and may block or “lay aside” bills. Sometimes even the authors of the bills do not want them to be considered. These bills are said to “die on the calendar”. There are around 500 bills that never are considered each year. In general, Andy says he experiences “Tremendous bi-partisan communication and cooperation” in the Assembly.
New York State right now is in crisis. Legislators are trying to deal with this crisis. However, they aren’t always thinking about the ramifications of their actions. Bills currently under consideration will have long term consequences. Andy is running again for the Assembly, so he can use his economic and business background and his leadership position to move the State forward, supporting long term solutions, and minimizing unintended consequences.
The first issue facing the state is the drastic reduction of governmental revenues. In the 1st quarter. revenues were down 42.2%. That’s a $10 BILLION reduction. Income tax revenue was down 49%, sales tax down 25%, business tax down 32%.
In response, state has frozen all the discretionary spending it can. It has held back $5.7 billion. These are not formal cuts, but the impact of the freeze is about 20% cut in state aid. The State is hoping there will be some assistance from the federal level, and Andy expects there will be some assistance this year.
The impact for Chautauqua County to date has seen a 20% cut in state aid and 25-30% cut in sales tax revenue. Sales tax represents 2/3 of the local tax budget.
Some ways to counter the governmental losses:
look at our welfare spending to bring it in line with the national average.
Medicaid cuts so that it more closely mirrors private coverage while maintaining bad-debt and charity pool funding.
Freeze funding for medical education. This is $2 billion that could be transitioned into a forgivable loan program.
Make the tax structure more competitive with other states rather than depending so heavily on the personal income tax.
The second critical issue is the condition of the business sector. Last year tourism was a driving force for the economy. Now, we are requiring that visitors quarantine if they come into the state. The impact of COVID is astounding, and in Chautauqua County its impact to tourism, the hospitality industry, gyms, banking and the rental market far exceed the actual risk in the area.
To counter the impact, the Assemblyman recommends:
Governor Cuomo should terminate his emergency power. This can be done while retaining the authority to reimpose it if necessary.
Allow local authorities such as the Board of Health to decide what is best for its citizens.
Lift restriction on travel, which Andy says is unconstitutional.
Generally, allow a more flexible approach.
Third, there have been some very reactionary policies and emergency actions that will have consequences in the long term that will drag the State and the society down. Examples include:
Moratorium on rent and utility payments. Since property owners will not have income, they will not be able to pay their taxes or do maintenance. Rental properties, especially those for low income, will be adversely impacted. The unintended consequence is to increase homelessness. Solution: sliding rent payment for those who have lost income.
Immigration reform. The issuing of licenses regardless of legal status has the unintended consequence of handcuffing law enforcement when they need to provide DMV information to federal law enforcement.
Increasing the minimum wage rate. This actually increases unemployment, which is at a record high rate due to COVID 19.
Court reform. Bail and discovery system reform has gone too far.
Voting integrity. Andy supports automatic voter registration, but with checks to make sure the person is in fact eligible to vote. Automatic registration should be extended to additional transactions, including those paying taxes as well as those requesting assistance.
There were several other examples. Today’s Rotarily author recommends that Rotarians listen to the Zoom recording of the meeting when it becomes available on the website.
Recommendations.
Expand COVID rental assistance program to offset income losses without hurting landlords.
Expand loan assistance based on COVID income loss and borrower’s ability to pay, rather than across-the-board payment moratorium.
Make DMV data readily available to the FBI and other law enforcement personnel.
Apply standard workers compensation no-fault provisions to scaffold accidents.
Restore judicial discretion in setting bail, including consideration of prior arrests, seriousness of crime, and danger to the public.
Prohibit public disclosure of false and unfounded police complaints.
Allow Board of Elections to request citizenship verification upon registration in the same manner as DMV previously requested such documentation- birth certificate/naturalization, utility bills, driver’s license from another state, etc.
Question: To expand on what you mentioned with rents, locally landlords are selling property. Out of town, out of country landlords are increasing. Your comments? I am worried about taxes going arrears and maintenance falling off. Tax and mortgage foreclosure will increase causing a decline in quality and quantity of units.
Question: Polarization is the issue. The good news here is that Andy has found an incredible amount of bi-partisan discussion. On controversial bills there is negotiation before they go to the floor. Debate generally remains on topic, discussing what is the issue and not getting into personal attacks. The exception might be newcomers, who want to get their position recognized. What should we do? Andy reports that voters should speak to their representatives and tell them what they expect and what they see are the germane issues on bills where they have an interest.
Question: Why are there so many bills? Because the State has so many regulations, every exception must be legislated. Most pass without any discussion. One example—the legislature has to give Jamestown permission to hire a plumbing inspector if he doesn’t live in the City. One might wonder why the original legislation is not struck down.
Question: If health decisions are decided at the local level, how do you protect health administrators who take an unpopular stand? The State Health Department should give general guidance for the county boards of health to follow. PJ Wendel has a health background-30 years’ experience. Most people should be treated with respect. Businesses have been doing their part. The State should recognize the knowledge and expertise of the local health department.
Question: There is a concern whether the State will pay nonprofits for executed contracts. Also, what is the impact of unpaid utilities on BPU? The law right now effects those who lost their income. It doesn’t give relief for fixed income individuals. There could be some relief similar to hospitals. Right now there is no guidance from the State. Andy believes there should be transparency-say how much is being held back and pay the rest in a timely manner.
Question: If you were a parent of a high school or junior high school student-would you send them to school today? Yes. If the school board finds it appropriate, they have the expertise that is needed more than I do. Let the Boards of Education and Regents decide pursuant to the guidance of the state board. Right now, about ½ the school districts have no active cases in their district. It is the students who have a challenging time in school who are losing out.
Question: Is there intelligent discussion about voting for the fall elections? Not yet. Right now the automatic registration is only for those seeking State assistance. Those who are signing up for vehicle registration or having other interactions with the State are not included.
Assemblyman Andy Goodell speaks on the Critical Issues facing Chautauqua County and New York State
Christina is a life-long Chautauqua County resident and currently lives in downtown Jamestown. She currently operates as an independent sales and marketing consultant, helping local businesses with budgeting, spending, and advertising.
She previously worked at DoubleTree by Hilton (as the Sales and Marketing Manager) and Olive Garden in Lakewood NY (as the Sales and Marketing Trainer). Christina has extended her sales and marketing experience to local politics, providing marketing, advertising, and campaign management for local candidates, including Mayor Eddie Sundquist. Christina has a passion for helping those around her through charitable work. During her college years, she organized a group known as the “Social Activism Club”. She was responsible for charity fundraisers and local food bank donations. She also works as a volunteer with local animal shelters. Christina is a champion for the working class and an advocate for diverse communities. This is her first run for NY State Assembly District 150.
Christina is a life-long Chautauqua County resident and from a working-class family. Early on, she learned to reject complacency by creating her own opportunities. She worked in the restaurant industry for 13 years and in 2015 started her own business. Christina attributes her extraordinary work ethic to working in the local hospitality industry. “I started washing dishes when I was 17 and I worked my way up,” she says. “Restaurant work is hard and gritty. The physical and mental labor changes you for the best.”
After graduating from Jamestown High School, Christina earned an AAS degree in Social Sciences from Jamestown Community College, with a concentration in Psychology and Political Science. Christina worked multiple restaurant jobs to support her way through college.
Christina developed a passion for helping those around her through charitable work. During her time at JCC, she organized a group known as the “Social Activism Club”. She was responsible for charity fundraisers and local food bank donations. She also worked as a volunteer with local animal shelters.
Following graduation, she took a new position at a brand-new restaurant in Lakewood, NY. Using her background in psychology, Christina led the restaurant to the highest sales on the East Coast. “There were certain techniques I started using,” she says. “I started incorporating psychological tricks into my sales.”
Noticed by corporate at the highest level, Christina was tasked to develop new training courses and teach fellow workers her innovative methods. “I was just a server. I developed a job for myself that didn’t exist,” she says. “That opportunity launched me into the sales and marketing world. Suddenly, I was responsible for the creation and implementation of an intensive sales-training program. I remember how I felt when it all started. I had never felt more alive."
Ambitious to work in her hometown, Christina began developing her own freelance business. She developed close relationships with many local business owners. “My business is simple,” she says. “Let us say you own a business, and you're failing to bring in revenue. You hire me. I look at your books, your records, your ordering information -- everything. Maybe you have great record keeping, but you have no advertising. Maybe you are ordering too much product. That is where I come in. I figure out the best course-of-action, set-up a sales and marketing plan, and I fix what’s wrong.”
In 2018, Christina began working at a hotel in downtown Jamestown as the Sales and Marketing Manager, while continuing to operate her freelance business. During her free time, she continued to bartend. She says, “Serving will always be a part of me. Once you are in that world, it never truly leaves you.”
Throughout her professional experience, she has found the only way to make a difference is to be a powerful catalyst for change. “I come from a very humble background. I didn’t go to a fancy ivy-league school, I wasn’t born into extraordinary wealth or privilege." she says. "I have two wonderful parents who love me unconditionally and I worked hard — that’s it. I worked so hard, by the end of the day, I could not stand. I used the knowledge I had, and I strived for more. I strived to create something from nothing.”
Christina Cardinale is a champion for the underdog and a fierce ally for diverse communities. She wants to make a difference for the working class and understands what it is like to not have health insurance or benefits and have many hurdles to overcome. She is also interested in fostering economic development in our county by “thinking outside the box” such as bringing in manufacturers of solar panels.
While listed as a democrat, Christine has some ideas that she feels are republican or independent – she feels she has a blend of ideologies to offer the residents in her voting district.
Please check out Christina’s website www.christinacardinale.com and see all the thoughts and ideas she wishes to share with us.
Christina Cardinale - Democratic Candidate for 150th NYS Assembly Seat
David and Marissa Troxell (left) with the students of Kolinieri School and Kerry Ann Frost from the Camberwell, Melbourne Australia Rotary Club
Jim Smith introduced our speakers, David and Marissa Troxell. David has been a Jamestown Rotarian since 2011. David and Marissa were recognized in 2016 as Rotarian of the Year for their work traveling the world making sure our Rotary Club stays involved in international projects. They have a long history of philanthropy and project planning. They live in Cha Am, Thailand in the winter.
David and Marissa are reporting back on the 2019/20 Project in Tanzania. The Club does international projects representing about 40% of the Club’s philanthropic activities.
Here is a history of projects David and Marissa have brought to the Club, and have personally overseen:
2014
Cambodia Academy school yard grass and classroom white boards.
Women’s Weaving Project as a 3 year project in cooperation with the Jawalakehl Rotary Club in Katmandu, Nepal.
2015
School wide eye screening at Cambodia Academy. 18 children needed glasses and got them.
Book drive for the Cambodia Academy
2016
Clean water filtration system for Cambodia Academy
2017
New toilet and freshwater cistern in partnership with the Rotary Club of Yangon, Myanmar
2018
Upgraded toilets and washing areas for Cambodia Academy
2019
Cooperative project with the Rotary Club of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Saint Michael’s diocese, Addis Ababa to build a school cafeteria for their hot lunch program.
Repair and replace classroom desks and benches at Cambodia Academy.
2019/2020
Combined project in Moshi, Tanzania for clean toilets and clean hands at the Kaloleini Primary School. Rotary Clubs of Jamestown, Camberwell, Australia and Moshi, Tanzania.
The Troxells flew to Tanzania through Nairobi Kilimanjaro airport, where they said a prayer for Dr. Tim Grace who passed away last summer while on a climb there.
They were hosted by Kerry Ann Frost from Camberwell, Australia and Ally Ramadhani who lives in Moshi. These two run an organization, Team Vista, which works with the Kaloleini Primary School.There is a Rotary Club in Moshi which oversees the funding. The Troxells noted that Rotary has a significant presence in Tanzania, with many projects and the Rotary emblem is often seen.
The Troxells had excellent pictures documenting their trip. Moshi is a town with a couple of blocks of city buildings surrounded by a network of markets and primitive housing. There is a creek that runs through the town and is the source of water for many. Two dominant religions are Muslim and Roman Catholic. The area around the school is very primitive. There is a garbage dump nearby where people pick through the trash and children help.
The school is pretty basic. There is no electricity. The rooms are filled with desks or benches. The Troxells noted that students develop a real allegiance to the school because it is so much better than their home life. All kids have uniforms, and the school is clean and provides regular meals. In the school cafeteria, food is prepared over a fire made of sticks. The kids really practice English. The administration really pushes it, because it means advancement.
When David and Marissa arrived there were 24 toilets with steel doors. These were simply dry drop latrine pits in the floor with no water. The Troxells provided insets-flanges to put over latrines. Water was plumbed into each one.
The Troxells took a three day camping sightseeing trip to the Mgorogoro Crater game park, Olduvai Gorge where Louis and Mary Leakey made their discovery and the Serengeti National Park and had quite a marvelous adventure documented by more wonderful pictures.
Returning from their trip, their focus turned from toilet improvements, which was now complete, to the washing house area, which was a totally new structure. The concept is to have the children go straight out of toilets, through two doors (for boys and girls) to washing areas where there is a line of a dozen or so water taps and soap bags. This is to reduce cases of diarrhea and diseases caused by parasites which kill later in life. Marissa and David helped with construction.
Students washing in the new hand washing area in Moshi
While there, Marissa and David sponsored a girl, Maria, so she could continue to go to school. They also sponsored a boy, Mustafa. Anyone can sponsor a child for $175 a year, just contact Marissa.
Questions and Answers
What do you eat and drink on your trips? We drink bottled water and eat local food. You do get sick once in a while. It is wonderful to be a part of Rotary projects, because local Rotarians invite you over for meals. On this trip, we ate a lot of goat.
What kind of injections did you get? Just the regular, but also Malaria pills including a month and a half after. Marissa says she thinks in the future she will be getting rabies vaccines as a precaution.
What’s next for you? The Troxells have been invited to the Millennial Sunrise Rotary of Karachi, Pakistan has an interesting project, but who knows what the travel hurdles will be.
Clean Toilets-Clean Hands Project in Moshi Tanzania presented by David and Marissa Troxell
Geof Follansbee, Vice President of Advancement at Chautauqua Institution, speaks to Jamestown Rotary via Zoom.
Rotarian Jim Smith introduced Geof Follansbee. Geof has worked at Chautauqua Institution since 2004, leading the fund-raising program. He has also served as CEO of its Foundation. However, now he is leading an expanded advancement team for the next comprehensive campaign coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Chautauqua. It will be the 2023-24 fund-raising campaign. In his career before 2004, Geof led development and alumni relations and communications teams at William & Mary College, as well as other institutions of learning. Geof was raised in Pittsburgh, but has spent all his summers at Chautauqua. He worked for Chautauqua Executive Joe Gerace after graduating from Princeton and practiced law in Chautauqua County in the early 1980’s.
Geof has spoken to Rotary before, probably 15 years ago when he had just moved back to Chautauqua County. He recognized Pat Kinney in the audience and also counted Sam Alessi as a friend. He recounted a humorous (in retrospect) story about a plane trip that he and Stan Lundine took with Sam when Stan was running for Congress.
Today’s talk is about this summer at Chautauqua, putting it in the context of Chautauqua’s strategic plan. When it became apparent that it would not be “business as usual” at Chautauqua, the group went back to the roots of the Strategic Plan to review what it is calling upon the organization to do. It has 4 key elements.
Continue to provide a 1st class experience on the grounds during traditional season
Find ways to expand beyond 9 weeks, taking better advantage of the facilities, with programming both at Chautauqua and in other locations
Enter into a local coalition for Chautauqua Lake, ensuring that the Lake becomes a vital, environmentally safe, living lake
Diversify revenue sources. Traditionally CI is heavily reliant on gate tickets and parking fees, so work to expand the philanthropic element and other lines of business, such as off season.
The pandemic caused the organization to focus on how can it reach out to traditional and non-traditional audiences. Literally in 90 days the staff put together “CHQ Assembly”. It is the on-line expression of what Chautauqua Institution does. It was “in the pipeline”, but now it came front and center. Otherwise, Chautauqua would have been “dark”. Financially it couldn’t survive the severe financial losses. Philanthropy would help fill the void, but there needed to be something to donate to.
For further information see the video at: assembly.chq.org .
CHQ went back to all its speakers and some performers and asked them to do their presentations on-line. It is original content. It is live and also “on demand”. Chaplains, devotionals, 10:45 lecture and 2:00 Hall of Philosophy lectures are all being provided. This summer is a test, so it hasn’t been widely marketed, but in the future it will be. This summer it is free, after the summer it will be $3.99 a month. Subscribers will be able to watch on smart TVs, not just on computer.
In addition to the lectures, there are other activities. The “Virtual Porch” is a live conversation so there can even be a discussion. Instead of the large array of special courses, there are 45 “Master Classes”.
Hopefully it will attract people beyond the present audience, and they will be curious after watching and become more involved.
Please go to the site, browse, see the lectures, and also check out the 5 pm artistic programs.
The Assembly recognizes that what occurs during the season here in Chautauqua County is the highest and best expression of the Institution. To compete, though, in the long term CHQ works to attract more people to the county and the grounds.
Q: Are there any programs or discussions at the Institution? No. The Board decided in May that it will not host any programming in person. Behind closed doors, the morning worship services are being done at Hall of Christ. Most all facilities closed. Those that are open are following cleaning protocols. It is definitely a minimalist mode. Probably 1000 people are on the grounds although there were more over 4th of July. It’s a very different feel. Currently Bestor Plaza is empty.
Q: How is the programming being perceived? There are glitches since it is a start-up. Also, Google was down for 4 hours. People are appreciating the effort. 4 to 6 hours of new program every day. This week’s minister is Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, taking gang members off the streets.
Best Small Town Cultural Theme. USA Today voted Chautauqua County as the “Best Small Town Cultural Scene.”
Q: In terms of finances-did speakers take a lower fee?Is the cost down? Obviously travel costs are down, but all speakers are doing the same amount of work. They also join in for live Q&A. Additionally they are doing virtual “Meet and Greets” with the donors.
The initial investment was made by the board members. They underwrote equipment, the platform and production crews for the launch. Costs are obviously down because Friday night entertainment was cancelled. It is the largest cost and largest revenue.
Rotarians chimed in to thank Geof and through him, the staff, for the work that has been done. Thanks to the Chautauqua staff for making it a summer for families. The execution has been marvelous. Some Rotarians have been participating. Many are accessing more programming. The “on demand” is wonderful.
Geof Follansbee of Chautauqua Institution Introduces CHQ Assembly
Editors note: I have to apologize as I was unable to transcribe many of the German words and places that Abigale mentioned in her presentation. I attempted to spell some but found it futile. So, some of the commentary will be generalizations and descriptions instead of actual German words, etc.
Cheri introduced Abigale, who was our Rotary exchange student to Germany in 2019. Abigale is from Lakewood, NY and is a proud 2019 graduate of Southwestern Central School. Abigale spent her freshmen college year at Hobart and William Smith and is now attending a college in Florida. Hopes to study abroad as well in the future. Her ultimate goal is to get into the culinary industry as that is where her heart lies. Makes sense since her family owns Ellicottville Brewing Company!
Abigale lived in a small Bavarian town south of Munich called, Bad Tölz. Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany and the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district (Wikipedia).
Abigale mentioned the sunsets were amazing in Germany and the scenery is breathtaking. She spent her recreation time going to hockey games with her friends and a lot of time visiting scenic lakes in Germany.
When Abigale first arrived in Germany, she attended a two week language camp which helped to jump start her ability to speak German. It was a good experience and helped her talk with her initial host family.
Abigale enjoyed going to German school. Schools are very different in Germany. There are 3 different types of high schools - each at a different level. Some are focused on university, others on trade schools, etc. School day hours are also very different and the classes are different periods.
The school Abigale attended was the highest level. For most students in this level of school, in order to go to university, they have to take a series of exams covering many different topics in order to attend university. Much harder than the requirements in America.
In Germany, students only need to take 3 years of college. And students cannot change majors once you get in. The cost of university is very cheap in Germany compared to America.
Abigale’s first host family – family with two sons and two daughters – Abigale spent the year with two of the kids at home – other family members were at university. The first host family would take Abigale on hikes in the Bavarian Alps. She would wake up at 4am to hike and watch the amazing sunrise! Wow.
Second and third host families – I was not able to recall information about the second host familu, but her third host family – all the kids were boys! Abigale remarked that they acted like her cousins, which was a good thing! The family also went to Italy and climbed mountains.
Food/Culture in Germany
German food culture includes bread/butter/jams for breakfast – lots of bread! As well as different types of meat and vegetables.
In terms of culture, memorial sites for the Holocaust are important in Germany. Younger generations are more open to talking about it than the older generations are.
Abigale also attended the well-known Oktoberfest. While the worldwide impression of Oktoberfest is beer, there are actually a number of rides and fun for kids as well!
The Rotary Club Abigale attended was a male only club in the heart of Bavaria. It was interesting and different, but the members of the club were very nice and accommodating to her.
Abigale was also able to visit with Luna from Denmark as well. Luna was our exchange student in 2018. She stayed for a few days with Luna in February 2019! And, in March 2019, Abigale’s family came to visit.
She then returned home on June 23, 2019 and graduated with the local Rotary outbounds for 2019/2020 exchange year.
First off, Cheri recognized our outgoing Board members: Susan Jones, Denise Jones and Randy Sweeney! Thank you for your service above self!
OUR ROTARY YEAR
Well then. Here we are.
This year has gone by so fast that sometimes it has made my head spin! So much (and yet so little) has happened since our last recap at the Annual Meeting in December…
Here is a short summary of our year together since Past President Katie passed the gavel to me at the end of June 2019:
We started off with a bang with our Annual Golf Tournament in July, which turned out to be our main fundraiser of the year, raising over $7,000. Thanks to Phil Cala and Mike Bird and their excellent committee for starting us off right. These folks always do a spectacular job.
We then spent the summer scouting out locations for our weekly meetings with the Venue Committee, led by Sue Jones, with the help of Katie Geiss, Randy Sweeney, Russ Webb, and Lisa Goodell, and checking out the local Meat Raffle scene with the fundraising committee members. Unfortunately, we were not able to pull that one off, but we did have a successful holiday raffle, thanks to a group effort by Lisa Yaggie, Lindsey Alday, Kathy Burch, Michelle Jones, and Sandy Hatfield.
August was particularly busy for the Youth Exchange folks, saying farewell to Petra and Milko, who returned home to Croatia and Paraguay and best wishes to Sydney Wendell and Patrick Kelly as they headed off for new adventures in the Czech Republic, and Finland. We also welcomed Ana from Brazil and Paul from France, who quickly became part of our Jamestown Noon Rotary family. Thanks to all of the YE committee members for your support this year, especially counselors Hiroko Walters and Chris Anderson, and our perennial hosts – the Yaggies, who have now hosted upwards of 13 students for our club – as well as the Spillaines, the Bowers and the Masons, Kelly Dawson, the Wendells. Thanks also to all of you who indulge me with my reports of all things Youth Exchange. I am so proud and thankful to you all for your continued support of my personal “pet project”.
Camp Committee chair Randy Sweeney helped coordinate our annual program at Onyahsa with the Resource Center, and a few of us even joined them for their opening bonfire, which my granddaughters really enjoyed!
Our Social Committee did a great job this year, beginning with our Corn Roast in September and our Christmas party at St. Luke’s in December. They also made my dream a reality by resurrecting “Farch” with a Prohibition party on a snowy night in February. Thank you to Vicki Mc Graw, Kathy Benson, Lisa Goodell, Deb Kathman, Kathy Burch, and Stacy Hannon for bringing the club together “after hours”.
Colonel Vince Horrigan took over the reins of the Highway Clean-up committee this year and did a fantastic job of inspiring the troops to report for “Operation Trash Be Gone”. Well done to all who took part in that effort. You know “it’s a dirty job, but…”
We had another successful Red Kettle Drive this year. Thanks to Lynne Gruel and her team, who filled the time slots in record time! It is so nice to have our club out in the community supporting this annual event!
Thanks to Vice President Kevin Sixbey and the Vision committee for their work supporting the mission of the club far and near with projects abroad spearheaded by David and Marissa Troxell our “boots on the ground” representatives and local projects in coordination with the City and other local organizations. We can really be proud of the impact that our club has on our community and the world thanks to the dedication of these fine folks.
Steve Sandberg and the Vocation committee had great plans to expand the Mock Interview program this year, that were unfortunately stymied by the shut-downs, but I am really impressed by the number of you who were willing to give up a bit of your day to help to inspire our local students. Thanks too, to Kathy Burch, who helped me with my vision of the Rotary Why. Hopefully, it made you all think of your real reasons for being here each week. Thanks to those who were willing to share their stories. I think we all really enjoyed each and every one.
Diana Meckley has graciously taken over the reigns of the Literacy Committee mid-year and she has great plans. I hope that you will support her once she gets things up and running.
Thanks to Kathy Benson, who finished out the year as the acting chair of the Invocation and Song committee and to all the people who opened our meetings with thoughtfulness and prayer.
Thanks also, to our accompanist Lucy Miller and to Tim Edborg, Phil Cala and Vince Horrigan, our enthusiastic A ’Capella song leaders!
I am happy to report that our club participation in the Rotary Foundation continues to be very high under the leadership of Greg Jones and his lovely assistant Sue, who along with VP Joni have organized our monthly Birthday Table recognition in support of the Foundation. We have not been able to award all our Paul Harris Fellows this year, due to our inability to meet in person, but they will resume once Dr. Jones is “up and running” again!
I would like to take a minute to recognize a person who has been extremely valuable to the RCJCSF since its inception. Christy Brecht has graciously continued as the Treasurer of the RCJCSF since she ‘retired’ from her previous position as Club Treasurer. While she has not been able to join us in person as much lately due to her increased work responsibilities, she has continued her connection to the club through her various duties of tracking and maintaining our Foundation’s funds. Christy has decided to step down from the position of RCJCSF Treasurer this year. Her replacement will be announced soon, but in the meantime, I would like to offer her our thanks for her many years of quiet service for this particularly important responsibility.
Thank you to Sue Jones, Chris Anderson, and the rest of the Communications Committee for keeping us and the community informed about Club events throughout the year. Your timely “Rotarily Yours” reports have been especially valuable during recent months while we have been apart. I have to say that I haven’t missed having my photo taken every week, but I do know that your work has been recognized throughout the community if the number of times that people mentioned seeing me there are indication!
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Club Service committee, chaired by Norm Merrill. Although they have not been able to greet us and make sure that our room is ready for us every week as they did when we are together, we know that they will be there for us when we return, making sure that everything is in order. Norm has been under the weather during the past few months, and has also not been able to join us online, but I want to send a message of thanks to him and his committee members for all that they have done for us earlier in the year.
I cannot say enough about the Program Committees hard work – especially during these past three months. Becky Robbins and her crew have done a fantastic job of bringing us interesting and engaging speakers every week. I cannot say enough about the ways that they reach out to the community and educate us all about things that matter. I do have to say that I think the highlight of the year was the Jamestown “Tarp Skunks” presentation. It was awesome!
Many thanks to this year’s Board of Directors – President Elect Joni Blackman, Vice President Kevin Sixbey, Treasurer Russ Webb, Secretary Lisa Goodell, Past-President Katie Geise, Denise Jones, Sue Jones, Randy Sweeney, Lisa Yaggie, Chris Anderson and John Healey for your time and wisdom. It has been a pleasure to serve with you. Special thanks to Lisa and Russ for volunteering to check us in and take our money at all our meetings at the Dobuletree. These duties are not part of their “job descriptions” and we are thankful for their service!
Thanks as well to Katie, who gave me a great example to follow (and lots of extremely helpful guidance and notes) and to Joni who entertained my neurotic concerns and occasional complaints with calm and practical advice – I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful President for our club next year!
Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our Membership Committee led by Randy Sweeney and co-chair Tory Irgang. Their commitment to instructing and orienting our new members is a valuable asset to the club. Their focus on the engagement of the membership of our club is so vitally important and I appreciate the time that they take to make our new members feel welcome and informed. I also appreciate their dedicated follow up and attention to attendance and participation. I am extremely proud of the fact that they were so immensely helpful in following up with each and every member during this time of quarantine, making personal phone calls just to check in and see how everyone is doing.
This was no small feat and I cannot tell you how very much I appreciated your efforts.
I can share facts and figures, but I will save that for President Joni’s annual report in December. Suffice to say we have done a whole lot this year! We have gained several new members and lost a few as well. I would like to take a moment of silence now for one, Misti Johnson.
Misti was a wonderful person, great friend to many, and fantastic representative of Rotary. Every time she approached the podium, she left me with something to think about. Her generosity of spirit and her wonderful wit were a blessing to the club and will continue to miss her.
Another loss for our club this year has been the resignation of Lucy Miller as our “Mistress of Music”. The club owes a great debt of gratitude for Lucy for keeping us in tune all these years. I have always enjoyed being part of a “singing club” and hope that the tradition can continue in some way, but I can honestly say that things will never be the same without Lucy’s accompaniment.
I would also like to take a moment to recognize an amazing achievement of one of our members who is actually here with us today via phone. 2020 marks Spud Erickson’s 50th year as a member of Rotary! His contributions to our club have been many and we miss having him with us each week. Although things have been difficult for him lately, he did tell Pat Kinney to let us all to know that although he misses us, ZOOM is just not his thing! Thanks to Spud for all he has done for our club over those 50 years – we appreciate ALL his contributions.
Finally, I am sure that there are some whom I have failed to mention by name, but I would like to thank ALL OF YOU for your support and encouragement this year. It has been my great honor to serve as your President and to get to know so many of you so much better. This year’s theme of “Rotary Connects the World” has been special to me in many ways, but most importantly it has been my connections to all of you that have made my life rich beyond words.
These past four months, in particular have been a great challenge to all of us, but I cannot tell you how very impressed I am of the quick pivot that you all have made to keep Rotary a part of your lives. Your adaptability and good humor during this switch to a new way of being together should not surprise me at all – you are ROTARIANS after all – but it has been heartwarming and comforting to know that our Rotary family is still intact despite the challenges.
I have one last thing to offer as I say goodbye to my year. As President of the club, I am given the honor of recognizing someone who I feel has been particularly helpful during my year of service. As I mentioned earlier, one of the things that our club achieved early on this year was the relocation of our weekly meetings to a new venue. The committee did a fantastic job of finding a new place to meet and working out all the details to make our weekly meetings at the Doubletree a reality. One person in particular had to figure out a way for us to take care of the weekly detail of payment to the venue. This person was instrumental in setting up the system for the credit card payments and transfer of funds each week. He did this fairly seamlessly without question or complaint (well, not many 😊) and also made it so that we can now pay our dues and make contributions online as well.
For his extra efforts this year, I would like to recognize our Treasurer, Russ Webb as the 2019-2020 Rotarian of the Year.
We did things a little differently this year, and I gave Russ his plaque earlier this week by having him stop by my house to “pick up” some paperwork. Thank you to Russ for your work as our Treasurer and for being such an integral part of our club. Congratulations!
There are many things that I had hoped to achieve this year that unfortunately did not come to pass because of the shut-down, but I have to say that I don’t feel discouraged, because I know that we will do great things together again very soon, and I can’t wait to help President Joni and the club continue our mission into the next Rotary year.
Stacey Hannon introduced Randall Perry, Senior Project Manager for CLWMA Inc. Randall works on a variety of lake and watershed projects with the Alliance members. He joined the Alliance in 2016. Prior to that he was employed at Fredonia University and also worked as a geological consultant. Randall also is a retired member of the US Armed Services. He knows all about service above self.
The Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance evolved from the Chautauqua Lake Management Commission in late 2014. The organization was established for the benefit of all lake and watershed stakeholders.
The Mission of the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance – Working in collaboration with lake and watershed-related organizations, municipalities, and other stakeholders, the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance will promote and facilitate implementation of recommendations from the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Plan and the Chautauqua Macrophyte Management Strategy by prioritizing projects, securing funding and allocating resources.
The Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance has worked on a variety of projects (56+) that have totaled approximately $6.33 million. Some projects include the Lucille Ball Memorial Park and the Mayville/Chautauqua stormwater study.
The Alliance consists of Board of Nine Directors, staff, committees, members and other key stakeholders and funders. Our very own Vince Horrigan, Col (R) is the Interim Executive Director, with Randall Perry as Project Manager and Taylor West as Communications Coordinator.
Alliance members include but is not limited to, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, Villages of Bemus Point, Celoron, Lakewood and Mayville, Chautauqua Lake Association, Chautauqua Lake Partnership, Roger Tory Peterson Insitute, etc. For a full list, visit the alliance web site at http://www.chautauquaalliance.org/.
Randall gave an overview of the challenges facing Chautauqua Lake. They include nuisance macrophyte (plant) growth and harmful algal blooms. Both are major issues facing the watershed. These two challenges are caused by excess sediment and nutrient loading from the watershed and a buildup of phosphorous over time, which fuels macrophyte and algal bloom growth over time.
The Alliance is working diligently to address these issues by:
Balanced approach that focuses on unity of effort and partnerships in the lake and the watershed
Long-term and short-term planning
Maintenance, protection and enhancement of the watershed
Stakeholder collaboration for diversity of lake uses.
The Alliance also has worked or is working on a variety of projects, including:
Streambank stabilization and restoration
Stormwater management studies
Green infrastructure retrofits
Roadside swale improvements
Education and outreach
Land conservation and source water protection
Waterfront access and amenities
Wastewater management
Data collection and monitoring
The Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance also has committee structures as well to help it fulfill its mission. Some committees include:
Lake Management – coordinate and collaborate about lake management issues.
Watershed Management – recommend watershed projects for grant submission.
Scientific Review and Advisory – provided recommendations to the Alliance board regarding Alliance projects.
Going forward, The Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance will continue to use a balanced approach for lake and watershed management by utilizing current guidance documents; focus on unity of effort and facilitating partnerships for improved and responsive lake management; and collect/gather lake and watershed data to better understand and the manage the lake and watershed.
To see all of the wonderful and important projects the Alliance is spearheading, please visit their web site at http://www.chautauquaalliance.org/.
Randall Perry - Project Manager - Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance
Stacey Hannon introduced Jeremy and Liz Gruber, who are personal friends. Liz graduated from JHS in 1998. She loves to learn and holds degrees in history, teaching, and a Masters in Library Science from JCC, Fredonia State and UB. In addition to owning Peterson’s Candies she is Head of Libraries at Fredonia Central School and mother to son, Jonah. Jeremy is also a local guy who graduated from Panama and has a degree in accounting from the University of Dayton. In 2007 Jeremy returned to Jamestown and the two met and they were married in 2011.
Liz spoke first, about how she met the last owners of Peterson’s Candies, Chris and Steve Frankson, through the Prendergast Library where Liz was a librarian. She felt an immediate connection. They were so community minded and so hard working. Plus, Steve was a toy collector as is Liz.
A couple of years ago Chris approached Liz when she was director of the library in Busti, saying that they were selling their business, and would Liz and Jeremy be interested? At that time they declined, since they had their hands full with their family and jobs.
A year or so passed, and Liz saw Chris, who mentioned that the store was still for sale. This time, Jeremy and Liz really considered it, and prayed about it and decided to make a bid. Jeremy quit his job. So, Liz became a Mom, a librarian and a part-time candy store owner and Jeremy became a full time candy store owner. They have owned the business happily for a year and a half since December 2018.
Jeremy took up the story here. He remembers that in May of 2018, they drove by the store, with its candy canes out front, and he commented that, if he were to own a business, the Corn Crib would be the kind of business he would want to run. So they began to study the finances of it, and in October they put in the bid, and the sale closed in December 2018.
History
The Corn Crib opened in 1931 at the corner of 3rd and Pine in Jamestown. They sold mainly nuts and popcorn.
Emil Peterson started working there when he was 19. When he returned from WWII, Emil purchased it from the original owner. He wanted to make candy and so added candy when he became the owner. Liz and Jeremy showed some wonderful photos from the Jamestown location. Many people who went to Jamestown High School remember going to get candy and popcorn.
Liz talked about some of the products: the number one seller for Father’s Day is the Beetle candies (like a turtle, but that name is copyrighted). It is caramel, locally roasted pecans and milk or dark chocolate. Another favorite is Reception Wafers, one of the oldest and most trusted recipes.
Emil grew the business by adding candy and building a second location in the 1950’s in Busti, which was originally called the “summer cottage”. Early ads show that there were specials only at the Busti store, to encourage people to make the trip. He put the candy canes outside the store which have become its trademark.
The candy canes are all made in the shop. It is part of the Heritage collection. The rollers used in the process are wooden, and are probably 100 years old.
In the late 60’s the building in Jamestown was falling in disrepair. It was torn down as a part of urban renewal about the same time as Brooklyn Square. Between 1972-1973 the business was moved to Busti. Many of the trappings of the original store were incorporated in Busti, including the sign and the pendants.
Winston Frankson purchased the business in 1976 when Emil Peterson retired. He was Master Candy Maker for Betty Dixon Candies, but wanted to become an owner. When he retired in 1990, he sold the business to his son, Steve Frankson and his wife Chris.
When Liz and Jeremy bought the business, Chris agreed to teach them about using the molds and Winston also mentored them, because Steve passed away. Winston continues to do so today.
Winston built an addition to the building with a cooling room and cooling tunnel, speeding the production process. So, they still molded by hand, but the cooling was faster.
Chocolate has to be tempered. It is heated, then cooled, then heated again so there are no white specks and the chocolate has the shiny glean. Chris and Steve bought a pump for the mold, further speeding the process.
There is a story about the closing date in December. The day the business closed is Liz’s grandfather’s birthday. He was a toy collector of trains just as Steve was and had a real sweet tooth. So it was fitting that the closing should be on his birthday.
Liz and Jeremy hope to make their mark on the business by retaining the tradition of handmade candy, but modernizing sales and marketing where they can. There is room for growth electronically. They have a very active FaceBook page. Last year the web page was updated, providing on-line purchases. So they were able to provide chocolate over Easter by shipping it. This has been so important during the shutdown.
FLASH Until June 17, you can order Father's Day candy through their website for pick up on June 19 or 20!
Now that they are feeling confident in their production, they are also looking to expand candy sales at other shops, such as stocking it in flower shops.
Q: What percent of sales is chocolate? They estimate about 80%. It’s important to realize that 95% of the products are made locally.
Q: Why do Germans and Swiss have such a toehold in the milk chocolate market? Their chocolate has more cream, so it does taste different. American milk chocolate recipes are a little more bitter. It is intentionally mixed to have a “bite”. German and Swiss chocolate companies are now owned by large conglomerates and can afford advertising and marketing.
We are all looking forward to the day when we can stop by, peruse the assortment, try a sample and buy a bunch!
Stacey Hannon introduced Linnea Carlson, our speaker for today. Linnea is the director of the Jamestown Public Market since 2018. Linnea is from Frewsburg and received her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia and her master’s degree from Fordham University in Social Work. She reestablished the Dunkirk Salvation Army and food pantry and volunteered in Dunkirk before moving to Jamestown to work for the Downtown Farmer’s Market.
The origin of the Jamestown Public Market dates back to the early 1900s when it occupied the entire corner on Main and Harrison in Brooklyn Square (this author remembers walking with her Grandmother down the huge Glasgow Hill where Jamestown General Hospital was to help carry her packages back to the family home to the top of the hill on William Street). The selection of fruits, vegetables, candy and meats from all ethnic backgrounds was tremendous and mystifying for a young child!
The new market is held on Cherry Street, between 2nd and 3rd Streets every Saturday from 10 til 2 from June to October. It is funded due to the largesse of the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Thrift Shop. Several new procedures will be followed to keep the community safe such as masks, face coverings, social distancing, and customers will need to assist in bagging their purchases.
Last year there were 232 food stamp transactions, $2600 in Double Up Food Bucks transactions, 266+ SPROUTS Children’s’ sales, with 6 seasonal vendors (8 this year), totaling 15 vendors, 12 community composters and over $10,000 in total SNAP, DUFB, Credit and SPROUTS sales.
Each week last year there were community events, that will or will not be taking place due to Covid-19 restrictions. These included outdoor Yoga exercises, 1K Fun Run, and the finger painting and music making led by the Chautauqua County Children’s Coalition.
This year the Jamestown Public Market is listed to receive funds donated during the Give Big CHQ campaign.
All vendors are local, and they produce honey, meat, baked goods, bath and beauty items and accessories. For every $1.00 spent at the market, $2.29 is returned to our community.
The Jamestown Public Market also runs the Jamestown Mobile Market which helps to address the “FOOD DESERT” which included almost all the City of Jamestown from Moon Brook Country Club to Camp Street. Most people in Jamestown live more than one mile from a store and many of those are Senior citizens and those with no vehicle.
On Wednesday of this week the Mobile Market will be at Silver Tree Apts. On Crane St. at 10am, then at 11:30am they will visit Silver Tree on North Main St. and at 1pm they will visit the Chautauqua Center. Anyone is welcome to purchase, not just residents or customers of those locations.
They have an older vehicle that is not very dependable, so times may vary. They load up the truck with fresh produce and set up a pop-up tent at the place they are visiting. They sell produce that amounts to about $1/serving. Some of the produce people have never seen before such as kale, orange tomatoes, and apples that are not red.
Sometimes, when there is time, Cornell Cooperative Extension will engage with community members and present demonstrations on cooking and preserving.
Currently they are participating in the Great Seedling Giveway consisting of herbs and vegetable seedlings located outside of St. Luke’s former Rectory.
All are welcome to purchase from the Market or donate to the Market and its programs by sending a check to St. Luke’s earmarked for the market or donate to Give Big CHQ for the Jamestown Public Market.
Paul Maigne, our French Exchange student, is from southwest France Nouvelle Aquitaine, Department Lot-et-Garonne. A beautiful rural, farm and field area where they grow wine. The nearby city has 7,000 inhabitants. The town has a beautiful Farmer’s Market and a flower market; they have wonderful fireworks on Bastille Day and every May there are bullfights of sort – rather a ballet of toreadors with the bulls, but the bulls are not harmed. The area is known for ARGENT, which is a slow cooked prune in water until all the water is gone.
Paul’s favorite activities are rugby, soccer, judo, and badminton and he loves to go to McDonald’s with his friends. He also has passion for Formula 1 race cars, wakeboarding and skateboarding.
A cultural difference is that in France while the drinking age is 18, children can drink before then and often do drink wine at special occasions and dinners.
One of Paul’s favorite meals is cassoulet which consists of beans, bacon and sausage. Another famous dish is foie gras consisting of goose or duck liver, which is delicious. Paul also mentioned the importance of bread in their lives, which is served at every meal.
Paul’s family consists of a brother age 23, who was a Rotary exchange student to Sweden and is now studying politics in Paris and another brother, age 20 who is studying engineering in Toulouse. His mother Marianne is a secretary and father, Bertrand, is a chiropractor and a Rotarian.
There are 800 students in Paul’s school who attend class from 8am to 5pm. There are several vacations each year of about two weeks each time. There are no extracurricular clubs or sports team at the school. The students cannot choose their classes.
Paul will be flying home on June 12 and expressed great thanks for the time he has spent here in the Jamestown area and for the hospitality of his host families – the Spillane’s, the Bauer’s and the Mason’s and for attending Maple Grove High School.
Our second presentation was from Ana Tufaile our exchange student from Brazil, South America, where they speak Portuguese. Named after the brazilwood tree originally found in the country, the area was colonized by many different people due to the Portuguese who brought African slaves to the area. Italians and Japanese helped to colonize the country as well. The religions in the country reflect its diversity with Christians, Islam, Afro-Brazilians, Jewish, etc. The country gained its independence September 7, 1822.
The country of Brazil has several different areas. The North is where the indigenous folks live and there are wonderful foods and dance customs. It is the largest are including the Amazon River Basin and the Amazon Rainforest.
The Northeast is the vacation area which is very warm. It is the 3rd largest area and has the largest coast. The temperatures are high all year round and with little rainfall it is the place where most people vacation.
The Midwest area is known for its animal diversity. It has no access to the coast, but it has many waterfalls and the beautiful biome known as Amazonia.
The Southeast area is the second smallest but the most populous with Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro included. It is also the most developed area.
Finally, the Southern area has only one city, beautiful waterfalls, well-defined seasons and a little bit of snow.
Popular foods in the country include bread and cheese, brigadieros (Brazilian fudge balls) and feijoada – a Brazilian black bean stew or tapas like dishes of beans and meats, usually served on Sunday when folks and families gather.
The favorite national drink is the Cachaca.
Carnival is a festival celebrated countrywide for one entire week.
Ana’s family consists of her mother and father, sisters, brothers, cousins and her grandparents. Her grandfather emigrated and brought with him many religious and familial customs.
Ana’s area – Sao Jose do Rio Preto is growing rapidly because of the growth and sale of coffee, rice and beans.
Ana has lived with Cheri Krull, Kelly Dawson, Lisa Yaggie and the Wendel’s and is grateful for their hospitality. She will be staying in our area until early August when she will return home.
During her time here she has learned that she doesn’t like snow; she’s capable of much more than when she arrived; she has discovered much about herself; she is stronger; she is more independent; and she has learned to ski. For all of this she is grateful.
Becky Robbins introduce our speaker today, Neil Robinson. He spoke to us about the history of the Holland Land Company in the early days of Chautauqua County.
Neil grew up in Lakewood and is a graduate of Southwestern Central High School. He graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in history and from Cleveland Marshall College of Law as an attorney.
Practicing in the Robinson Law Office, Neil is Town Attorney for the Towns of Ellery and Harmony. He is the former Town Attorney for Busti (under the Robbins administration). He was the first assistant district attorney for Chautauqua County for 19 years. He is special counsel to the Lime Lake Sewer District, former counsel for the Findley Lake Sewer District and former chair of the South and Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer District.
In addition, Neil served as an adjunct professor at SUNY Fredonia for six years.
He was a founding member and past President of the Bemus Point Historical Society. His wife Judie is a former Mayor of Bemus Point. Neil and Judie lived for many years in the Bemus/Ellery area but moved to Jamestown several years ago and had an influence on Dale and Becky Robbins moving to Jamestown.
The couple attends Holy Apostles Parish in Jamestown. They are the parents of Scott (a local banker), Lindsay (an attorney in Cleveland) and Matthew, a surveyor here in our area.
Neil Robinson was introduced by Becky Robbins, who shared that Neil was a member of Becky’s and Dale’s wedding party.
When the Puritans came to this country, they had a charter from King James to go as far west as one could imagine. In 1664, the charter of New Amsterdam went as far west as who knows?
After the revolution when colonies became states, both New York and Massachusetts claimed ownership of the land – the Hartford Compromise settled the claim. New York would own the land and Massachusetts would receive the money from the sale. Massachusetts sold all the land west of the Genesee River to Phelps and Gorham who then sold it to Robert Morris (the richest man in the country at that time) for $3 million. No title could be given until a survey was completed which depended on the Indians agreeing – which they did not. The Seneca Nation claimed they owned the land. The syndicate told Morris to settle the claim with the Seneca tribe. The Treaty at Big Tree was finally agreed to with the Indians receiving extraordinarily little compensation ($100,000) in comparison to what they lost (3.3 million acres) to the Holland Land Company. The first land sale was in 1801 and then the company moved the office to Batavia when Genesee Country was founded in 1802.
The Holland Land Company was really the first form of government in western New York.
The Holland Land Company hired Joseph Ellicott as Chief Surveyor. He was very accomplished after surveying all the company’s land in northwestern Pennsylvania. His objective was to lay out the 3.3 million acres of land, arrange boundaries for the Indian Reservations and subdivide all the towns into counties measuring six miles square. The towns were further divided in 64 lots (8 miles by 8 miles). Ellicott developed the standard one-foot ruler and required complete field notebooks describing the land, waters, mill seats, valleys, mines, minerals, etc. His final report included types of trees, potential sites of towns and suitability of soil for raising crops. The report also identified different types of wildlife including snakes, bears, wolves, elk, foxes, deer, minks, otters and other animals.
Ellicott’s son became the surveyor for large tracts of wilderness. Every deed for property west of the Genesee begins with reference to the Holland Land Company. For the next 20 years, Ellicott was the resident in charge of land sales. Several subagents were appointed in various areas. In the southern tier it was William Seward (future Secretary of State under Lincoln.)
It took two years for 150 men to complete the survey – by chains and links 66 ft. long. It turned out to be a fully accurate survey. Ellicott got it done and the HLC hired him as their agent for $11,000, to survey the City of Buffalo, and the Black Creek area. He brought in government, built roads and infrastructure There had been only one road in Chautauqua Co. – the Portage Road, built by the French. People were not interested in buying as there was no way to get products in or out. The area was very dense wilderness. Who did they sell the land to? New England settlers took advantage to buy under land contracts for $1 down and so much per year. Ellicott wanted landowners to have votes to pressure Albany to set up government to build more infrastructure.
Batavia, Buffalo and Mayville were locations for 3 more offices. The recorded deeds were held in Batavia.
Chautauqua County’s first settlers were William Bemus in 1806 who came from Saratoga with his brother-in-law James Prendergast. Bemus landed at what is now the ferry landing in Bemus and built a sawmill on the lake and a huge home on the Westman Road.
William Peacock laid out Mayville and disgruntled settlers set fire to all records. Little did they know that the Holland Land Company had duplicates.
We could have gone on for hours listening to this wonderful history of western New York. If you want more information, check out www.nyheritage.org. Don’t miss a minute of it – it was enthralling.
JUSTIN HANFT INTRODUCED OUR SPEAKERS MICHAEL CALIMERI/PRESIDENT & OWNER OF ARTONE MANUFACTURING AND ANTONIETTA DONISI/HOSPITALITY SALES ASSISTANT.
Michael Calimeri / President & Owner: Michael oversees all aspects of the company and is directly involved in sales.
After a couple of years at a local community college, Mike started his career on the factory floor when the company was much smaller and is familiar with all aspects of the business. He appreciates being involved in the everyday workings of the company and makes sure that he not only monitors the operations but is also a productive contributor. Mike pays attention to all the customers and all their jobs and helps ensure that projects flow through in a timely and efficient manner.
With such strong experience and industry knowledge he is an important contributor to sales and customer development. Mike looks forward to attending trade shows, sales visits, and forming new relationships. Where necessary Mike will attend meeting with potential new customers in order to answer questions and convey Artone’s philosophy that quality and timeliness drive our business.
Mike is proud of the fact that Artone employ's nearly 100 people. He gets great pleasure from knowing that they not only enjoy coming to work, but are able to support their families by so doing. In his own words, “I make every effort to get it right each day because our people care and do a great job. They deserve to work for a company that gets it right”.
Outside of Artone, Mike enjoys cooking, boating, snowmobiling and various home projects.
Antonietta Donisi / Hospitality Sales Assistant: Antonietta is Artone’s Sales Assistant. She assists both the Corporate Sales Team as well as the expanding team of Independent Sales Representatives located across the country. While her responsibilities are vast, her primary focus is building Artone’s relationship with current and future customers.
Antonietta recently moved back to the Jamestown area from New York City where she graduated (December 2016) from the Fashion Institute of Technology of New York City with a Bachelor of Fashion Business Management and an Associate of Fashion Merchandising Management. She previously worked for Global Brands Group as the Product Development Assistant where she managed the development of a seasonal product for big name brands such as Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein. Since her return to Jamestown, she has used her sales and business skills from her studies to optimize sales in Artone’s sales department. While she is only (2) years into the Hospitality market of business, she continues to learn and develop while mastering her sales skill along the way. In her spare time, she loves to travel, indulge in fine wines, and work on various individual projects of home improvement and clothing design.
Mike reintroduced himself to the Club. He was a member in 1998 and found he had to leave the Club due to travel demands on his schedule.
Artone purchased their 250,000 sq. ft. present headquarters from Bush Industries and are utilizing 190,000 sq. ft. for floor space and some of the remainder for office space.
The company manufactures "case goods" such as headboards, night stands, etc. for hotels primarily. They design and produce the case goods along with mill work such as closets and vanities and then they install all of the finished products. Many of their customers prefer that ARTONE DOES IT ALL. The company work with low and high pressure laminates/formicas or veneers. They incorporate solid wood, quartz, lighting and electrical components into the customer's designs. They have great relationships with the design community and utilize all materials and finally take full responsibility from the design to the finished room.
Artone's top sales are in the boutique, one-of-a kind hotels and casinos. The design is made for that specific place and no other. They bring to life the idea or location and build it once and never again.
Their second sales niche is standing room decor brands such as the Wyndham brand which consists of five or six grades of hotels. The hotel comes to Artone with the design and they turn it into reality.
Calimieri noted the company has one dozen sales representatives throughout the country that provide service and guidance to customers.
Artone began manufacturing component parts for office furniture on Institute Street in 1974. They continued producing desks and filing cabinets through most of the 1980s. Companies then began wanting their own products, built to suit their own specific needs and wants. Artone manufactures and installs almost every case good in the MICROTEL Hotel chain. Then the company began divesting into health care nursing homes, etc. In the 1990s, Artone designed and installed the case goods in DSW shoe stores and is in all 600 stores today. These retail fixtures are co-patented with the shoe company.
For many years, Artone dabbled in different ventures and finally five years ago they focused on one niche. They still service DSW and health care customers, but their focus is on the hotel, entertainment and hospitality industry. New units include special lighting features and high tech plugin facilities for electronics. The designs are more sophisticated, even featuring motion detectors that turn lighting on and off. Obviously business is difficult during the Covid 19 Pandemic because people aren't traveling, but the company is managing to continue to produce though not at previous levels.
Thank you to Mike and Antonietta for a fascinating look at a long-time local business.
President Cheri introduced Dr. Bret Apthorpe, a member of our Club who is presently on leave of absence due to the heaping number of issues on his plate.
Bret attended Mayville High School and worked on the Sea Lion Project for 10 years. After college he taught Social Studies at Southwestern High School and continued his education eventually earning his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Rochester.
Dr. Apthorpe noted that we are at week eight of the governor's charge to deal with the Covid 19 virus in the public schools. The Governor's mandate while the physical schools are closed included: 1) continue to educate students; 2) feed the students; 3) provide childcare.
All of the High School students have been provided with laptops and Junior High Students have been provided with iPads for distance learning. So while the school buildings are closed, education continues. Apthorpe noted than none of the teachers were taught how to teach from home and are under great pressure and stress managing the students in their classrooms while many have children of their own who need help with their new learning tasks. He gives great credit to the staff of Jamestown Public Schools.
Seventy percent of Jamestown's school children live below the poverty level. They may not have had access to internet, their parents maay be employed in essential positions and are not in the home to help their children and other parents are also working their own jobs from home, so they are stressed with demands on their time as well.
Feeding the children has been a monumental task as well. Breakfast and lunch packs amounting to over 200,000 meals are prepared every week day by essential worker staff members that work extremely hard for some of the lowest remuneration in the school system. The food is dropped off at convenient places throughout the city for daily pickup and the schools also provide a weekend package of food for the children.
Childcare is provided for children between 3 and 11 of essential worker parents at no cost. The school has also arranged for care of newborns and the very young with partnership agencies if necessary.
Apthorpe noted how blessed we are in this community to have leaders of non-profit agencies working together for the common good with no competition between them other than to solve problems and tasks at hand.
The Superintendent of Schools noted that there will be no graduation ceremony at Chautauqua Institution this June. He has requested the senior class members to submit their best practices ideas for a ceremony by June 1st, Then they will meet with Apthorpe to decide what form graduation with take - his only caveat is that it be safe and meaningful. Even though the students are disappointed now, over time, he hopes they will remember the uniqueness of this time period.
As to the question of reopening the schools, he noted that Chautauqua County is grouped with Erie County (Buffalo area), who cannot consider opening until there are 14 straight days of downward numbers of Covid patients.
How do you reopen the schools?
According to CDC recommendations - social distancing of 6 feet is a must! How do you do this with a five year old child who loves to touch, explore and hug their teacher? The tasks are monumental, especially in the cafeteria and in our old schools. If you are to participate in sports or music - how are you going to do it?
PPE Personal protective Equipment would call for 6,000 masks for students and staff. Should they be disposable or reusable - how many children would forget to bring them back each day? Drinking fountains would need to be banned; children need to be hydrated. Think of all the water bottles!
Would we be able to stagger start times?
Questions were asked of Apthorpe regarding costs, budgets, state aid and assessments of returning students to determine where they stand. The Superintendent indicated that plans are being made for additional summer programs to augment LEAP which is a literacy program. LEAP offers 600 students, 2 meals each day, 2 hours with teachers each day and physical and intellectual activities. This has been underwritten by United Way, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and various organization such as our own Rotary Club. The School system is looking toward a K through 8th grade math and literacy camp as well.
Dr. Bert Apthorpe - Superintendent - Jamestown Public Schools
Justin Hanft then introduced our speaker Robert Keem, Vice President of Operations for Athenex Pharma Solutions.
Rob earned a B.S. in Chemistry and a Master's in Analytical Chemistry from Buffalo State College, State University of New York. He began his career as a scientist focused on method development aand quality control testing at various biomedical companies. Rob has almost 30 years of management experience in operations, laboratory, and quality control/assurance departments. For at least 15 of those years, he has acquired knowledge from experiences in operational excellence, quality assurance, quality control and validation. Rob has managed departments and cross-functional teams of up to 100 reports (direct and indirect) in pharma, biotech and medical device companies (e.g. Thermofisher, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Lymphomed, and Athenex). Rob is proficient in the execution of compliance to cGMPs (CFR820/210/211), performing and hosting internal and external audits. Rob has been a team manager at Thermofisher Scientific (formerly Life Technologies) for over 10 years and was the Quality Lead for 6 sites which include Grand Island, NY; Bedford, MA; Logan, Utah; Inchinnan, Scotland; Auckland, New Zealand; and Oslo, Norway. His roles over those 10 years included method development and analysis in R&D, QC manager and Director/Sr. Manager of QA/QC. During his time as leader of operations, he was trained to six sigma methodologies including lean manufacturing, green belt, and root cause analysis. At Thermofisher as the Quality Lead, Rob developed supplier managment risk based programs including raw material qualification, vigorous metrics, robust management reviews and developed new capabilities within the organization and shared these best practices across sites and divisions of the company (e.g. stability program, improved test methodologies).
At his current company, Athenex, he has held roles as Vice President of Quality and currently as Vice President at Athenex Pharma Solutions (a division of Athenex). In his role as VP of Operations, he is leading the operational development of a topical proprietary ointment, the first drug that was initiated and to be commercialized in WNY in decades.
Construction of the Athenex Biotech plant began in the second quarter of 2017 and production is expected to begin in the late spring of 2020.
Athenex's new oncology manufacturing facility will occupy 400,000ft² area. In partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the high pharmacy oncology manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, New York, will manufacture sterile high-potency oncology drugs.
The plant will manufacture sterile, high-potency oncology drugs in a specialised and controlled, super-clean environment. Athenex is a speciality oncology drug manufacturing company based in the US, mainly engaged in the development and production of next-generation therapies for cancer diseases. Oncology pharmaceutical products, which are often listed in the FDA’s drug shortage list, will be manufactured for sales worldwide. Athenex is currently working on an oral breast cancer medication to replace the intravenous infusion presently in use.
As mentioned previously, they are also working on a small packet ointment to be utilized for actinic keratosis, a precursor to skin cancer.
Athenex is committed to produce innovative oncology drugs that deliver a life-changing impact on cancer patients. It is currently involved in the development of ten innovative and proprietary products.
The products are fascinating and so this editor does not misquote or misrepresent anything, she suggests that you Google Athenex so that you can read for about the products they are involved in developing and producing.
The new facility is expected to generate 900 jobs in areas such as high-tech manufacturing, product formulation, regulatory and pharmacovigilance. The oncology drug manufacturing facility is the first of its kind to be built in North America in the last 15 years.
Athenex will invest $1.52bn in the project, of which $200m will be invested by the New York state government, through the SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
The state government will contribute to the project as part of the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan, to support the regional economic development and create jobs in the western New York region.
The company’s headquarters in North America has a formulation product development center and a pilot plant, which mainly deals with the refinement of oncology drugs before the technology is further transferred to the new manufacturing facility in Dunkirk for large-scale production.
Rob indicated there will be MANY well-paying jobs available in many different categories - another reason for you to investigate their website. I only wish each of you who were not present could have heard and seen this presentation that really encouraged everyone in attendance as to the great future in store for Athenex, Dunkirk and the residents of this county. Rob is working hard with local schools, colleges and work force management firms to find and interest people to apply for these significant jobs.
Thank you to Rob Keem and all involved in Athenex for locating in Chautauqua County.
Megan Barone, Director of Development at UPMC Chautauqua introduced our speaker, Cecil Miller, CEO of UPMC Chautauqua.Cecil and his wife Lisa have 3 children and he has worked for UPMC for the past 20+ years.
Cecil started by assuring the membership that the hospital was well-prepared for the worst case scenario of difficulties of the COVID 19 virus. Luckily, that has not occured here in our community. To date, the hospital has seen 28 + cases, with 3 deaths and a 2% positivity test rate.
Mr. Miller is pleased that UPMC is well prepared with Personal Protection Equipment having a plentiful supply of masks and gowns.They do have a supply of rapid tests that return results in 45-60 minutes. This is especially helpful when someone presents themselves with full blown symptoms and the hospital can quickly move the patient into a negative pressure environment and take much more extensive precautions.
The hospital moved quickly at the start of the pandemic and closed the facility to visitors. People entering the hospital are required to have their temperature taken and to wear a facial mask.
Hospital finances have been deeply affected as 80% of all surgeries have been postponed. It has been important for the hospital to be able to perform rapid testing for the virus on patients who may need emergency surgery.
Sue Jones complimented Mr. Miller on the way the hospital has continued to manage patients for blood tests and other testing, making sure only one person at a time is in the phlebotomy room, etc.
Cecil said physician recruitment is continuing and he is anticipating that a medical oncologist is scheduled to arrive in the spring along with two orthopedic surgeons. He attributes that to the association of the hospital with a major medical center UPMC.
The CEO was questioned about people being discouraged from going to the ER with symptoms of COVID 19. Mr. Miller responded how important it is to keep anyone with active symptoms away from the hospital until or unless aggressive intervention is necessary.
Miller said he is pleased that they have been able to provide the proper equipment and protection to the staff who are working so hard to keep everything under control.
He also thanked everyone for their expressions of thanks and kindness during this stressful time.
Nick has been back from his Exchange year in Slovakia for over one year. Obviously we have had difficulties meshing our schedules for a speaking engagement. He is just completing his Freshman year at Houghton College, where he spent the last semester in London and had to return early because of the Corona Virus.
Nick had three host experiences and seemed to enjoy each one thoroughly for different reasons.
His first family consisted of father Peter, mother Andrea, older brother Bernard, grandmothers who helped him learn the language and a brother Gregoire, who returned early from his Exchange in India due to illness.
Peter was a farmer of sorts and Andrea was involved in financial investments, while Bernard was an entrepreneur.
The family hiked, played hockey,biked and skied (Nick learned to ski there, but not in America). One of his most memorable experiences there was when Peter butchered a pig and made sausage, giving him a perspective on a more traditional lifestyle.
Nick's school (called Decupertina gymnasium) consisted of classes of 7 to 8 students in each grade who had been studying together for six or 7 years and were now at the end of their primary education before going to university. The classmates were very close and participated in rafting, skiing and even visited a nuclear power plant.
Nick fondly remembers partaking of the spas on Piestany's Spa Island that offered a true traditional though medical spa vacation of mud baths provided by physical therapists. He especially enjoyed walking and riding through the beautiful gardens on the island.
Nick's second family consisted of father Eric and mother Tanya and daughter Sonya who was an exchange student to Mexico. Again the family enjoyed hiking and many other outdoor activities such as mountain biking and swimming and skiing over Christmas. He even got to be a gaming texter playing mobile computer games all day for a programming group in the Czech Republic.
Nick's third family consisted of Milos and Fekete who were members of Rotary. They were his last family and provided the opportunity for some unique travel experiences such as St.Catherine's Cathedral, begun in 1488 and a castle that housed the Shroud of Turin.
Other adventures included visiting Croatia and staying with former exchange student Petra's family in Sagreb where Petra's mother was particularly helpful in touring him around the area.
Then Nick departed on his European tour with other exchange students all meeting in Bratislava and headed for Paris, where they saw the Notre Dame Cathedral 2 weeks after the massive fire. They toured the Louvre and Palace of Versaille and then headed to Barcelona where they toured Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia. Then on to Rome and all that it offers to the eye including the Colosseum, then Pompeii and Naples.
Nick was happy to make lots of close friendships and is so grateful to Rotary for the many experiences that have left permanent marks on his personality.
He feels he grew a great deal on his exchange and was operating much more independently by its end. He is not fluent in the difficult language but certainly functional.
This past year he has studied philosophy and theology at Houghton and his first class helped him understand his emotional experiences of his exchange much better. Nick will begin studying physical therapy in his sophomore year.
Vince Horrigan was in Slovakia 25 years ago and commented on how backward and stark it seemed and asked Nick about life there today. Nick responded that the country seems to be doing quite well. They are a large manufacturer of industrial materials; they have revamped their economy; and there is much foreign investment in bratislava.
Randy Sweeney asked what they thought of America and Nick said "the usual', they are not terribly negative, but more economically focused.
Nick commented that he wished he had been better prepared for the emotional confusion and displacement anxieties he experienced early on in his exchange. Cheri responded that the Exchange Program is working hard on developing preparatory classes to help the students deal with separation anxiety, etc. on their first trips away from their families for such an extended time. Unfortunately, next year's out-bound exchange may be cancelled and this year's students USA trip has been cancelled due to the COVID virus.
Today’s Program was from the Opera Department of Chautauqua Institution. Dear friend Carol Rausch returned for the 21st time to accompany two young opera performers.
Carol has served as Music Administrator/Chorus Master, overseeing the musical components of the company and the Young Artist Program. She holds degrees from Indiana University and The Ohio State University and pursued a year of study at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Brussels, Belgium, as a Rotary Foundation Graduate Fellow. She is also the Chorus Master/Music Administrator for the New Orleans Opera.
Performing today were: Kaitlyn “Kate Stavinoha, Soprano from the Houston Opera Company and Sidney Ragland, tenor from the San Francisco Conservatory.
Most recently they have performed in the three opera trilogy at Chautauqua and will be seen at the Pops Concert in the Amphitheatre on Saturday.
Kaitlyn performed “Monica’s Waltz” from an American opera and Sidney performed 3 songs from poems of Langston Hughes and the duo finished with a beautiful duet from an American opera written in 1946.
These performers are so talented and we were so fortunate to have them share their talent with us.
Left to right: President Cheri Krull, Kay Adams, Karen Silzle, Abbie Adams, Kathy Constantino, Allie Miles and Vice President Joni Blackman.
Karen Silzle, Residence Coordinator for the Resource Center for 30 years and Kathy Constantino, Staff Assistant for 35 years spoke to us regarding The Resource Center Camp Program. They brought with them Kay Davis, Allie Miles and Abbie Adams, who have attended the camp for several years.
Camp will begin on Sunday, August 11 and all Rotarians are invited to join in the opening bonfire at 6:30 pm.
Participants usually live in group homes or at home and this is a time for them to get away from home and enjoy a camping experience. Activities include: arts and crafts (tie dye is the favorite); kick ball; pontoon boat rides; nature and craft activities; grooming at a local horse farm; the Sunday night campfire and the Monday night dance. There are many staff members who sign up to help every year and there are also two nurses on duty.
Kay told us that it is fun to be with friends and sing special songs.
There are 56 overnight attendees and 9 day campers who attend Camp Onyahsa “for fun, for friends, forever.”
This project is the fruit of Rotarians labors for many years who worked to raise money at the annual Rotary Golf Tournament to fund the program and also through the wonderful generosity of John and Lois Abrahamson.
Our program today was Milko and Petra our exchange students!
Milko attends Southwestern Central School and will graduate in June. He is from Paraguay and has lived with the Kreinheders and the Morrises.
Paraguay is a landlocked country in the heart (corozan) of South America, surrounded by Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. The language is Spanish and native Guarni.
Population is 7 million happy, easy-going people, who care less about money. It is the epicenter of Jesuit Ministries with the vast majority of citizens Roman Catholic.
Lots of internal wars and conflicts and Milko’s grandfather fought and received medals for his service.
Greetings between men are a handshake; greetings between man and woman are kisses on each cheek. Don is the title for Mister and Dona is the title for Mrs.
Tourism has been increasing because it is less expensive than Argentina.Carnival is celebrated in February with more than 100,000 visitors and celebrants. Women dance in the street with flowered dresses and there is competition between clubs.
The major town is on a river with 3 beaches. Other attractions include cathedrals, ruins and a 100 year old train.
Milko has 2 brothers and 1 older sister. His parents own a meat processing plant. He wakes at 6am Monday-Friday, dresses in his school uniform and walks to school. They start each money at school with a hymn. Everyday they head home for lunch for the big meal of the day.
After school and evenings, Milko and his friends play cards, soccer, etc. and enjoy the cold drink TERERE and asado barbeque, sometimes until 3 am. They all celebrate QUINCEANOS – the 15th birthday, very dressy and a BIG party!
Petra Sucic is from Croatia – her English is impeccable. She will graduate from JHS and has lived with the Beeches, the McCaslins and is now living with the Bakewells.
Croatia has a sea border with Italy. Petra lives in the capital of Zagreb but there are 21 counties; the language has 3 dialects – but only 1 is official.
The oldest Neanderthal findings have been discovered in Croatia. Ninety percent of the country is Roman Catholic.
There have been many political changes over the years and today they have a Parliamentary system. The president is now a woman.
Petra’s mother works for the Chamber of Economy, working on United Nations and European Union issues.
The Croatian language is extremely difficult with 7 different cases and they conjugate everything and have many adverbs and prefixes. They have their own alphabet, but it is no longer used.
The tallest building in Zagreb is the cathedral. Petra’s father’s uncle designed the main entry buildings to the cemetery.
Petra attends school at the Memira Museum and she can’t run in gym class because it would shake the building too much. She attends 15 mandatory classes including attending an opera each month and reporting on. She insists she suffers from opera PTSD!!
Petra spends every summer in Omis on the coast, enjoying swimming, water skiing, zip lining, etc. (IF YOU HAVE A MOMENT, TAKE A LOOK AT THE YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF ZIPLINING ON OMIS ON YOUR COMPUTER!)
1 Croatian Kuna equals 0.15 US dollar. The country is a member of the World Trade Organization, NATO and the European Union. The country excels in industrial production and tourism.
Petra’s father was a designer on the project to produce the fastest electric car.
Croatia is famous for designing the torpedo, the Dalmatian dog, the TESLA company, the necktie and doilies.
The entire country loves Coffee – but NOT Petra.
Croatia took second place in last year’s World Cup and the Dais Cup in 2018.
It was a delight to hear all about these young people and their homes.
We had the privilege to be a part of a fascinating interview of author Janet Northrup today. Janet was raised in Jamestown where she attended family events at the Consistory, now the Robert H. Jackson Center. Her father and grandfather were Masons. Janet taught English Language Arts in Fairport, NY. She wrote the book Founding Women: Inspiration and Impact on Chautauqua and the Nation for the Chautauqua Women's Club.
Janet sat across from Greg Peterson, who led the interview (which was also recorded). In attendance were several of the RHJ Center's docents, who lead tours around the facility. They were there to glean from some of great information Janet was about to provide.
To begin, we learned that Greg and Janet lived in the same neighborhood of Jamestown.
As the interview progressed, we first learned that the Jackson Center has had 5 owners since it was built back in 1859. The architects were Warren and Wetmore. According to Wikipedia, Warren and Wetmore was an architecture firm in New York City which was a partnership between Whitney Warren (1864–1943) and Charles Delevan Wetmore (June 10, 1866[1] – May 8, 1941), that had one of the most extensive practices of its time and was known for the designing of large hotels.
Among Warren and Wetmore's accomplishments are Grand Central Terminal and several other train terminals here in the U.S. and abroad.
The Jackson Center mansion was also the first permanent residence in Jamestown as it was built with brick. The first owner was Alonzo Kent, who came to Jamestown from Vermont with no money and just a few meager possessions. Over time, he gathered wealth, and actually donated $10,000 to the Methodist Church to buy property along Chautauqua Lake where Chautauqua Institution now sits. Alonzo and his wife Mercy had 5 children, 3 of which who reached adulthood, but later moved away from Jamestown.
Janet told a story of a visit made in the 1870's by Ulysses S. Grant who was traveling through the region. When Alonzo Kent was asked to host lunch with Grant, he initially declined because he felt his home wasn't good enough to host the President. Since then, the mansion and center have hosted several dignitaries.
The second owner of the mansion was Alba Kent and Rose Hall Wetmore Kent. Alba also built the Kent House Hotel in Lakewood, and bred Black Angus cattle (one of the first people to do so in the U.S.). The Kent House burned down, and the location where it stood is now where the Yacht Club stands.
Rose had amassed a fortune because her first husband, C.C. Wetmore, left her all his money. Born in Busti, Rose's family owned huge amounts of land in Chautauqua County. Rose was also a member of the Christian Scientist Church, and reportedly had a tunnel built between the mansion and the church across the street so she come and go as she pleased.
Rose's son also lived in NYC and would often bring famous friends of his home to preform at theaters in Jamestown.
During this portion of the interview, Janet also mentioned that were we meet each Monday was originally where the horse stables were for the mansion. When the Jamestown Consistory bought the building in 1920 (for $20,000), they transformed the space into what it is today. It is believed that Lucille Ball performed on the Consistory stage a time or two.
Janet recalled coming to the Consistory as a child and learning to play billiards in the 2nd floor billiards room. She was also amazed that when her and her friends were brought to meetings, they were left to roam the building as they pleased.
The Jamestown Consistory Rose Croix Chapter owned the building from 1920 to 2001. After sitting empty for nearly 2 years, the Robert H. Jackson Center purchased the facility, and has been there ever since.
We all marveled at the tales told by Janet, and many of us were eager to buy a copy of her book A House Preserving History For 150 Years The Robert H. Jackson Center.
In honor of her attendance and presentation, a donation was made to the End Polio Now Campaign, which Janet was very happy to learn.
Pictured L-R: John Lloyd, Pete Miraglia, Katie Geise
Stepping in for our regularly scheduled speaker, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation Interim Executive Director Peter Miraglia spoke to us this day. The JRC is a non-profit organization that supports the implementation of downtown, waterfront and neighborhood revitalization strategies in Jamestown.
According to the JRC website, Peter was appointed to his position on October 9th.
Peter was born in Jamestown and grew up in the local area. He holds a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Buffalo State College and completed 30 hours of graduate studies at George Washington University. Peter gained extensive project management and supervisory experience throughout a career that spanned more than 30 years in federal government agencies, including 5 years as an active duty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.
In 2012, Peter moved back to Jamestown with his wife Melissa. He pointed out that he is among many of people who moved away from the area that have been moving back in recent years. Peter made a point to thank those that stayed and kept the city alive, and helped to start creating new things in Jamestown.
Peter is very happy that Jamestown has been recognized more and more in recent years, especially with the creation of the National Comedy Center. Many big name comedians have paid Jamestown a visit in recent years, including one of Peter's favorites; Lewis Black.
Jamestown has made the best of what it has, Peter said, and downtown businesses and tourist sites have profited because of that and the many collaborations taking place. The Connection, Digitell, and several other companies are also growing. Collaboration is key, and has led to the garnering of multi-million dollar grants.
Peter said that other opportunities to grow exist. He also mentioned that Jamestown Business College and Jamestown Community College both need to work on keeping graduates here in the area.
The JRC was established in 2006 to implement the Jamestown Urban Design Plan, offering business incentive programs, and financial help. We thanked Peter for providing us such a great deal of information.
Interestingly, Peter revealed that he owns the Chautauqua Music Building downtown, which was the former Nelson's Department Store. When he purchased the building for $1, it was in very rough shape. Since then he has refurbished intensely, and now 3 floors are occupied with businesses. A great success story downtown in and of itself.
Ongoing work within the former Viking Building along Washington Street in Jamestown was the topic of discussion this date. Building owner Jim Schwab was introduced by John Lloyd. Jim spoke to the club in 2018 to introduce the work that would be taking place at the building, and wanted to give us all an update.
Needless to say, the former Viking Temple has a lot of history connected to it, and Jim provided each table with some pictures of the inside and the outside of the building from the 20th Century. Originally built as a Ford dealership, the building has several levels, and even has the original elevator used to move vehicles from street level to what was once the showroom. Jim told that Henry Ford himself contacted the Mayor of Jamestown to arrange for the dealership to be built here. President Roosevelt visited the building along with his son back in the 1920's.
Pictures of the building when it was the Viking Temple would be greatly appreciated, Jim said.
Jim had hoped to show us some architectural drawings of the plans for the 2nd and 3rd floors of the structure, but assured us that what he's seen is very exciting. Environmental studies on the building have already been done, and lead paint and asbestos has been found that will need to be abated. While expected, Jim noted that it will be an expense to take on.
The plan, according to Jim, is to fully restore the building to its original status. However, that will take funds to do so.
Phase One of the project has been completed, which was the opening of the highly touted "The Beer Snob". "Focusing on delicious and unique craft beers from all over the country, the 36 tap draft system inside the store will keep your glasses full," according to their website. The Beer Snob also sells 6-packs and Growlers to go, along with food.
Phase Two will focus on the 2nd level of the building, with a top priority being the restoration of the passenger elevator. Jim hopes to update it in order to pass inspection, while still maintaining the historic charm. The 2nd floor of the building offers wood paneling/trim, a full bar and five rooms that could be rented out for gatherings/meetings. The 3rd floor is where the gorgeous ballroom sits, just waiting to be renovated.
Jim told us that the City of Jamestown has provided a $1 million grant, however, he still needs over $1 million more in order to finish the project. He has provided much of his own money to pay for the work already, but has reached out to local groups/foundations for funds as well.
We all wished Jim the best of luck on the project!
Pictured L-R: Katie Geise, Brooke Almquist and Cheri Krull
After self-teaching herself Japanese, JHS student Brooke Almquist was well on her way towards her dream of visiting Japan. A dream that was fulfilled through the Rotary Youth Exchange program, to which Brooke was extremely grateful for.
Brooke spoke to our club this day, after being introduced by Youth Exchange leader Cheri Krull.
Going through a series of amazing pictures, Brooke led everyone on a journey through her time in Japan. One of them showed Kanazawa Castle, a large, partially-restored castle in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Brooke said that Kanazawa was a very quirky city. One of those quirks was having very narrow streets, which led to an adventure as she traveled with her host mom.
Kanazawa also produces 99% of Japan's high-quality gold leaf. One of the pictures Brooke showed was of ice cream actually covered in gold leaf that she and a friend bought. Amazing!
Some other things Brooke mentioned was that the Japanese people don't like to grow-up fast like Americans do. They embrace their childhood more. Case in point was that her bedroom was decorated with colorful cartoon characters which she showed a picture of.
Brooke was able to visit many wonderful locations during her time in Japan. She also attended school, which began with her having to speak in front of her classmates on her very first day. While some aspects of school in Japan were more stringent than in the U.S., Brooke did say some things at JHS were more stringent than in Japan.
She also visited several other Rotary clubs in her area in Japan, but said that they were mainly made up of businessmen that wore fancy suits.
In conclusion, Brooke thanked us and Rotary for the opportunity to go to Japan. Cheri also noted that she was very proud of Brooke for going as Brooke was very shy when she first met her, and that she took a big step going out into such a busy part of the world.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown held a very special meeting Monday evening at the National Comedy Center amid flashing lights and laughter, to tour the completed Center and share with their members the special area “Comedy as a Tool for Social Progress” named by the Club with their recent $20,000 donation. Coincidentally, it was one year ago that the Club announced their naming donation to the Center!
The evening was highlighted by the surprise presentation of Community Paul Harris Fellow Awards to Tom Benson, Chairman of the Board of the National Comedy Center and to Journey Gunderson, the Executive Director of the NCC and the Lucy Desi Center.
Past Community Paul Harris Fellows include: Daniel Bratton, George and Jane Campbell, David Carnahan, Stan Lundine, Roger Tory Peterson, Gary Lynn, and Dennis Webster to name a few.
Greg Jones, Foundation Chairman of the local club announced the recipient of the 255th Paul Harris Fellow in the usual secretive manner by telling the group the recipient is a lifelong resident of Jamestown and a graduate of Jamestown High School. To help fund college costs at Jamestown Community College, this person got up in the middle of the night to start work at 4AM loading UPS trucks in Falconer before attending class.
In 2002, this person joined many area residents in shaving their heads to raise funds in support of Tom Buttafaro’s Youth Basketball Program at the YMCA. At that point, Jones revealed the recipient to be Tom Benson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Comedy Center.
It is for his dedication, work and leadership in bringing the Comedy Center to life in Jamestown, NY, that the Club honored Benson with his Paul Harris Fellow.
Tom Benson is a 1975 graduate of Jamestown Community College and received its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1992. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1977and became a Certified Public Accountant in New York State in 1979, a Certified Forensic Financial Analyst (CFFA) in 2005, a Certified Valuation Analyst (CFA) in 2006 and a Certified Merger and Acquisition Professional (CMAP) in 2009.
Tom has seventeen years of extensive and varied public accounting experience including twelve as a partner with Buffamante, Whipple, Buttafaro, PC from 1982 through 1994. He founded the Vineyard Group, LLC in 2004, after gaining ten years of valuable hands-on experience in key operating positions with manufacturing firms both domestic and international. However, his favorite job of all time was being coach of the Little Hoopers at the YMCA.
Tom’s single greatest achievement remains persuading Sue to say yes to his marriage proposal. They have three wonderful daughters and sons-in-law, two grandsons and twins – a grandson and granddaughter due in January.
The evening’s second surprise Community Service Paul Harris Fellow was awarded to Journey Gunderson, the Executive Director of the NCC and the Lucy Desi Center. Again Foundation Chairman Jones gave hints of the award recipient without naming her. He referred to first meeting the recipient when she was sitting in his exam chair (Jones is a retired optometrist) and he asked her that age old question, “Which is better one or two?” Her immediate answer was correct, “neither - they are both the same”. Based on that rapid, correct answer he knew this young lady would end up doing something special in life. Interestingly when asked by her parents, Bob and Wendy, what she wanted to be when she grew up her answer was “either a doctor or a cat”. Fortunately for the Jamestown community she became neither a doctor nor a cat, but rather became the Executive Director of the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy, and the National Comedy Center.
Ms. Gunderson, who is a graduate of Bemus Point Central School, continued her education at Ithaca College where she obtained her degree in communications and sports media, magna cum laude. At Ithaca College she was on the volleyball team, named a NCAA tournament participant student athlete and was on the Ithaca athletic advisory council. Somewhere along this path she also placed second in the regional surfing contest of Montauk Long Island. Over a five year plus time frame, Journey held several management positions at the Women’s Sports Foundation before returning home. Journey is married to Jason Michael Toczydlowski and they are the proud parents of two boys Oscar and August.
To become a reality and a success the National Comedy Center needed its Tom Benson but it equally needed its Journey Gunderson. Journey is the face of the NCC and the Lucy Desi Center, and is equally comfortable meeting with big name entertainers such as Dan Aykroyd and gaining his support for the Center well as meeting with comics and their agents enticing them to come to Jamestown and perform at our annual celebration of comedy.
The Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Award represents a $1,000 contribution in each of the recipient’s names to the Rotary Foundation to assist Rotarians all over the world carry out their goals in their six areas of service. When a person is recognized, they are presented a Certificate signed by the Rotary International President and the Chairman of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, a lapel pin and a medallion.
There are over 1,300,000 Rotarians worldwide in over 33,000 clubs. The 100 members of the Rotary Club of Jamestown will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding next May. The Club sponsors local community projects as well as international projects and welcomes 2 foreign exchange students to live in the area each year while sponsoring 2 students to travel and study abroad each year.
Rotarians the world over work hard every day to fulfill their foundation’s six avenues of service which are:
The foundations six areas of service are:
• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution. • Disease prevention and treatment. • Water and sanitation. • Maternal and child health. • Basic education and literacy. • Economic and community development.
Jones spoke to the success of one of those programs specifically.
In 1988, members of the Rotary Club of Jamestown reached into their wallets and pulled out in today’s dollars over $117,000 to support the new Rotary International program to eliminate polio in the world. It was called Polio Plus and at that time it was just Rotary against Polio.
After 30 years of bold action, historic achievements, and sometimes discouraging setbacks, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have nearly brought polio to an end. The other partners of the GPEI are the World Health Organization, UNICEF, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The results have been monumental. Thirty years ago, the paralyzing disease affected 350,000 children in one year. Because of massive vaccination campaigns around the world, cases have dropped more than 99.9 percent, to only 20 reported so far this year. Polio, which was endemic in 125 countries in 1988, now remains so in just three: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. More than 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated, and more than $14 billion has been invested in the fight to eradicate the disease worldwide. Rotary has also committed to raising an additional $50 million a year over a three-year period for eradication activities. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match up to that amount 2-to-1, which could bring the total as high as $450 million.
Left to right: Greg, Katie, Journey, Tom and Joelle.
Katie pins Tom as a new Paul Harris Fellow while Joelle looks on.
Greg presents Journey with her Paul Harris Fellow certificate.
Becky Robbins introduced Lisa Masters, Sales Manager at The Harbor Hotel. Lisa has been at her job since June and hails from Boston. She moved to our area (Burtis Bay) last year to be near her family. Lisa’s responsibility is to focus on corporate sales in the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo area and entice them utilize The Harbor Hotel. There are four other employees in the sales department. The Hotel’s General Manager is Chris Scott.
The hotel has been well-utilized since its soft opening including 4 weddings, a major conference, and the Chautauqua County Conference on opioid addiction.
The hotel is the product of David Hart, Manager of Hart Hotels and Peter Krog, builder (Wegman’s & Home Depot). They are known for creating or recreating a destination. There are four Harbor Hotels; the others are in Watkins Glen, Clayton and Portland, Me. Our hotel is the largest and was built in 14 months for $40,000,000. They are all triple A – Four Diamond hotels based upon their amenities and service.
The Harbor Hotel has 35 guest rooms, 15 suites, all decorated the same, but different sizes. The king bed rooms also have a pull out sofa bed and the queen rooms have two queen size beds. There are rooms with lake views or village views, with patios or without.
The room we met in on Monday is 1200 square feet and there are seven different breakout rooms. The ballroom of 6200 sq.ft. holds 408 people with a dance floor, band area and head table area; this can be halved to accommodate 202. Outside the ballroom is 4100 square feet of pre-function space where cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are usually served overlooking the lake and outside seating areas.
There is a Lakehouse Tap & Grille for more casual dining and a bar with 4 TVs that serves local beers and wines. Outside is the beautiful Carousel Bar which features a replica of a carousel horse.
The hotel is a full service hotel, meaning it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has 24 hour room service.
The Harbor Hotel is a partner of the National Comedy Center and directs visitors to the Center whenever possible.
There are no carpets in any of the rooms; each room has a refrigerator, walk-in shower, and safes and bathrobes. There are no coffee makers in the rooms however each floor has a lobby which they call the Starbucks Coffee Café near the elevator with complementary coffee.
The Hotel menus are listed on line with prices.
Occupancy has been very good so far. They are busy developing packages to make fall getaways attractive.
The Hart family has purchased Ellicott Shores – the apartments next to the hotel and are busy renovating those accommodations as well.
There is an island attached to the hotel, but there is not food or beverage service there. Public docking is planned for further down lake next year. The hotel has also purchased the Celoron Lighthouse and plans to refurbish it. Hopefully there will be an area for public docking and canoe, kayak and paddle boat usage and rental.
Now Mr. Hart hopes to get everyone to the table to partner on improving the condition of the lake and build up business at the south end of the lake.
Bookings are available through Expedia, AAA, and AARP. There is a seasonal rate structure in place now through April 30. And the sales department is working with the ski resorts and local snow mobile clubs.
There are 110 full and part-time employees working hard to make your stay at the Harbor Hotel perfect.
Lucy Miller introduced today’s speakers – Helen and Norm Merrill who spoke about the Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown. They attended grade school and high school in South Dayton where their names hang proudly on the school’s Wall of Fame. They are the proud parents of two sons AND they are BOTH Paul Harris Fellow recipients. Helen and Lucy co-founded the Junior Guiders 35 years ago.
Ms. Merrill reminisced about the beginnings of the Players Club under the leadership of Madelaine Osgood which then combined with Harriet and George Warren to form the Little Theatre of Jamestown. In 1945, the group boasted 5,400 in membership and that number is now at 800. Mrs. Merrill challenged every single Rotarian to become a member of Little Theatre by next year!
Little Theatre practiced in the building which now houses Brigiotta’s and for every performance they would bring all the sets, props and costumes to the then Scottish Rite theatre (now the Jackson Center) and practice or perform and then break down the equipment and return it to the building on Fairmount Avenue.
Finally, Marshall Dahlin and Sam Paladino identified the former Shea’s Theatre as a possible home. The building is 137 years old and started as the Allen Opera House. It was bought by the Samuels Family and then purchased by Shea’s until it closed in 1968. It remained empty for many years until Dahlin and Paladino toured it, with 18 inches of ice on the floor and a hole through the roof letting in daylight.
Under Paladino’s leadership $200,000 was raised to complete the restoration and the rest is history – a great partnership with Helen performing and directing and Norm making the sets come to life.
This past year, air conditioning was added enabling the theatre to have productions in the summer months. Coming productions include:
Many members and guests attended our Annual corn roast held at the Lakewood Rod & Gun Monday August 27th. It was a warm and muggy evening, which tempted several folks to take a dip in Chautauqua Lake. Thanks to Social Committee chair Vicki McGraw for organizing the event AND providing the delicious food. And despite the sticky weather, folks even took in some games of corn hole. All in all and great evening of food, fun & fellowship.
On top of that, Lucy Miller was a lucky 50/50 winner. AND, if that wasn't enough, Cheri Krull was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow which she shared with her husband Jim.
Thanks all for a memorable evening!
The gathered crowd
Folks fellowshipping
Bring on the food!
Looks like Maggie Jo Keefer enjoyed her cookie!
Our new exchange students participating in a game of corn hole!
50/50 winner Lucy with Greg Jones
President Katie Geise, PHF winner Cheri Krull & Foundation Committee Chair Greg Jones
Pictured L-R: Vince Horrigan, Jim Quattrone & Katie Geise
Our speaker today was no stranger to the club. Jim Quattrone was introduced by Vince Horrigan. Jim spoke to the club recently about the United Christian Advocacy Network City Mission (formerly the Union Gospel Mission). Jim is currently the Executive Director.
Jim was here today to speak in regards to his campaign for the position of Chautauqua County Sheriff. Current Sheriff Joe Gerace will be speaking to the club in the next few weeks.
Jim has 30 years in Law Enforcement on his resume, 15 of those years in a supervisory capacity. He has also volunteered in various agencies, working with Mental Health and addiction issues.
As part of his speech, Jim mentioned that he is striving for improved, efficient, effective law enforcement. He also wants to create law enforcement partnerships to combat the drug epidemic. One of the biggest issues facing our County Jail is the repeat offenders who continue to be incarcerated there. Jim stressed that we need to keep people from returning to jail, as it takes a toll on the budget.
We need to be smarter in how we handle these folks, Jim said. And mentoring is one of the ways Jim feels will help decrease the repeat offender issue. We still need to arrest people, Jim said, but let's try to do that less by offering mentoring more!
Jim also stated that we need to get back to the basics of law enforcement, by reaching out to the community, strengthening Neighborhood Watch groups, and not staying in "silos". All law enforcement needs to work together, however, Jim it not saying that agencies need to be combined.
In conclusion, Jim (who has lived here all his life) said that Chautauqua County is a great place to live, and that he wants to serve the residents of the County as their next Sheriff.
Jim Quattrone - Chautauqua County Sheriff Candidate
Pictured L-R: Marijka Lampard, Paul Hoefler, Katie Geise
The Club today was treated to a very entertaining presentation from Paul Hoefler. Marijka welcomed Paul to the podium to speak.
Paul is no stranger to speaking/performing in front of a crowd. Whether part of his Dueling Pianos act that is on the road throughout the year, or when he spoke to thousands daily with his talk show on local radio, Paul has always had a great talent.
Speaking about comedy today, Paul said it has changed quite a bit over the past few years as far as what you can say. In other words, some jokes are just off limits that weren't just a few years ago.
Paul said his inspiration for comedy came from watching slap-stick comedies and observational humor like that of Jerry Seinfeld. Paul's mom called him Don Rickles when he was a kid. In his words, being a fat kid, Paul had to be funny to deflect criticism. And it worked.
And with the political atmosphere the way it is nowadays, Paul also tries to stay away from jokes of that nature.
Paul concluded by telling some great tales of shows he did in the past as well as some adventures he had on the radio (which I was very happy to be a part of)! He finished by saying we need to laugh at our differences nowadays, and just sit down and have a good laugh from time to time.
The presentation was greatly received, and we thanked Paul for speaking today!
Two new members were recently welcomed into the Rotary Club of Jamestown.
Kathy Burch and James Gamina received their Rotary pins and plaques at a ceremony held in early August. Kathy is the Financial Officer at the Gebbie Foundation. In the past, she worked for the Chautauqua County Health Network and American Red Cross. Kathy and her husband live in Onoville, and run the Kinzua Campground. Kathy is also Past-President of the Olean Rotary. Her sponsor was Tory Irgang.
James is the President of the Jamestown Music Association. A retired Army colonel, James lives in Bemus Point. He was a past Rotary member from Oil City, PA. James’ sponsor was John Lloyd.
Pictured L-R:Membership Committee Member Tory Irgang, Kathy Burch, Rotary Club President Katie Geise, James Gamina, Membership Committee Chairman Randy Sweeney
Pictured L-R; Jim Smith, Katy Domyan, Brandon Bell and Carol Rausch
The club was once again blessed with the talents and amazing performances of several members of the Chautauqua Opera Company. Carol Rausch, a great friend of the club, was welcomed by Jim Smith. Carol brought Katy Domyan and Brandon Bell with her to sing at today's meeting.
Carol first presented to the Club in 1999, and this is her 20th consecutive visit with us!
The Chautauqua Opera is the oldest continuing summer opera in the United States, having been founded in 1929 along with the Chautauqua Symphony. This year, they are into their 89th season. Since 1985, Carol has served as Chorus Master/Music Administrator overseeing the musical components of the company and the Young Artists Program.
Carol's home is New Orleans, where she is the Chorus Master/Music Administrator for New Orleans Opera Association. Carol heads the Opera Department at Loyola University, where she has prepared and conducted numerous opera productions. She also remains active as a recital pianist, which she put on full display today while playing for Chelsea, Eric and Helen.
Thank you so much to Carol, Brandon and Katy for taking time out of their busy schedules to wow us with their talents!
Chautauqua Institution - The Opera Co. - Carol Rausch
Pictured L-R Martin Dube, Joseph Tancredi, Cheri Krull & Kevin Sixbey
We enjoyed a wonderful performance today from our guests Joseph Tancredi (vocalist) and Martin Dube (pianist) from the Chautauqua Institution School of Music. Kevin Sixbey introduced both to the club.
Joseph Tancredi is a Music Student at the Chautauqua Institution School of Music and recipient of the Rotary Scholarship. He is a tenor going into his senior year at Manhattan School of Music, in pursuit of his Bachelor’s Degree. Joseph grew up in Bayville, New York (a small town on Long Island) and lived there up until moving into the city for college. He performed in musicals throughout high school, while also playing sports (mainly football & baseball). He began studying at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Ashley Putnam, and has performed in different opera scenes over the past two years. Some of these include Die Entführung aus dem Serail (as Belmonte), Die Zauberflöte (as Tamino), Street Scene (as Sam Kaplan), and Vanessa (as Anatol). At Manhattan School of Music, he also performed in master classes with Diana Soviero and Anthony Dean Griffey along with a Singer & Pianists Seminar with Warren Jones. He is performing the role of Nemorino (Act I) here at Chautauqua as well!
After this year, Joseph plans on auditioning for Grad schools in pursuit of a Master’s degree.
Martin Dube studied piano and chamber music with Michel Franck and Robert Weisz at Laval University before pursuing a master’s degree at McGill University with Marina Mdivani. His interest in vocal music brought him to New York City to study vocal accompanying with Warren Jones at the Manhattan School of Music.
Mr. Dube has served on the Faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School (assistant coach), McGill University, Universite de Montreal and is currently accompanist and vocal coach at the Quebec Conservatory of Music. He is an official accompanist for the Montreal International Competition and a visiting coach at the Atleier d’opera de Montreal. He has been working for the School of Music Voice Program at Chautauqua for 21 years. And has accompanied students here for many years.
Kevin mentioned that our Rotary club, so far, has provided over $16,000 in Music Scholarships to students at Chautauqua.
Thank you to Joseph and Martin for being with us today to share your talents. And thank you, the members of our Rotary Club, for your support the arts and learning.
Left to Right: Jim Smith, Program Chairman, Jennifer Holcomb, lead actress for As You Like It, Cheri Maytum Krull, President-Elect; and Andrew Zorba, Artistic Director of the Chautauqua Theatre Company.
Jim Smith introduced Andrew Borba who is in his third year as Artistic Director of the Chautauqua Theatre Company. He has served 8 seasons as CTC’s Associate Artistic Director and this is his 13th summer at the Chautauqua Theatre Company.
At CTC, Andrew has directed several plays including The Taming of the Shrew, After Love, The Comedy of Errors, The Philadelphia Story, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and the list goes on. Outside of CTC he has directed several plays across the country.
On film, he has appeared in small parts in big films and big parts in small films and has had recurring roles and guest appearances on over 30 television series. Andrew is a member of The Antaeus Theatre Company, a cum laude graduate of Brown University and received his M.F.A. from New York University.
Andrew spoke about the wonderful reaction to Chautauqua’s Shakespeare in the Park presentation at Jamestown’s Allen Park Band Shell where they expected 80 people and over 250 people showed up. The company will return to Allen Park on August 15. In the meanwhile, there will be performances at Southern Tier Brewery and Lakeside Park in Mayville. Borba commented on how great it is to be involved with the community outside the gate.
Borba then introduced Jennifer Holcomb, who has the lead in As You Like It and she gave a delightful reading from the play. Jenifer is a recent graduate of Cal State Irvine with her M.F.A. She talked about the wonderful training ground the Chautauqua Theatre offers young actors and actresses.
Borba then talked about the additional theatrical offerings this summer at Chautauqua – An Octaroon, Airness, and Into the Breeches (an all female cast as men). He indicated a very special play called An Amish Project will be performed August 19-21 and should not be missed.
Chautauqua and their Theatre Company are excited about the possibilities as to how far and how much of the local population they can reach in the future.
Winners of the Scramble Division of the Rotary Charity Golf Classic: Left to right: Rick Hamister, Jennifer Gibson, Kurt Eimiller and Mike Roberts.
Ron Pappalardo left presented the Bud Weaver Trophy to Low Rotarian Kurt Johnson.
The scratch 2 Best Balls of Four winners of the Rotary Club of Jamestown’s Charity Golf Classic held recently at Moon Brook Country Club with a 143 were: Matt Hartweg, Judge John LaMancuso, Derek Dawson and Dan Hocking.
The scratch winners in the Scramble Division were: Jennifer Gibson, Mike Roberts, Kurt Eimiller, and Rick Hamister.
The Low Rotarian was Kurt Johnson.
The golf tournament this year honored deceased long time Rotarian Gordie Black who succumbed to injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle accident one year ago.
The proceeds of the Golf Classic, traditionally held the second Monday of July, support many projects of the Club both locally and internationally. The Rotary Club of Jamestown has underwritten the Jamestown Boys & Girls Club, Jamestown Babe Ruth baseball, the National Comedy Center and Park, literacy projects in local schools, libraries, and churches, a micro finance weaving cooperative in Nepal, Handicap Camp at Onyahsa, the worldwide eradication of polio, international youth exchange and the purchase of Shelter Boxes for emergency uses in areas of flood, earthquakes, etc.
Other winners included:
1st place Best Ball with a 121 were: Scott Sampson, Ken Lawton, Bill Burk and Steve Aughy.
2nd place Best Ball with a 125 were: Ron Pappalardo, Jon Gren, Russ Ecklund and Phil Cala.
3rd place Best Ball with a 125 were: Todd Frangione, Hadley Weinberg, Mike Moots and Kurt Johnson.
First place Scramble winners were: Greg Card, Christy Brecht, Mike Osgood and Derek Melquist.
Second place Scramble winners were: Bill Soffel, Will Soffel, Graham Soffel and Greg Johnson.
Third place Scramble winners were: Debbie Brunner, Bruce Brunner, Jerome Lee Yaw and Missy Bramer.
L-R Marissa and David Troxell, Joelle Washer & Katie Geise
Becky Robbins introduced today’s speakers, David and Marissa Troxell. David has been a member of Rotary since 2011 and is a past Rotarian of the Year. They have a summer home in Jamestown and participate in Chautauqua Institution activities, are huge Jammers Fans and join with our Club in various reading enrichment programs here in Jamestown. During the winter months, they make their home in a small beach town, Cha Am in Thailand. There they attend functions of the Royal Hua Hin Rotary Club as well as pursuing long time interests in yoga, meditation and cycling.
During their time in Southeast Asia, they take advantage of opportunities to interact with Rotary Clubs of various countries. They help to identify additional opportunities for our Club to be of direct service to developing countries. Today they shared with us the progress of Rotary projects which our club funds abroad, and gave us insight into how projects are developed with other Rotary Clubs.
The club had the distinct pleasure of seeing and hearing an update in its investment into projects in the Far East…bringing them right into our “living room”. The projects are the results of the Club’s fundraisers – An Evening in Italy, Fire & Ice and the Annual Golf Tournament.
In their travels all over the world, the Troxells reported on the results of their trip to Cuba, where they were hoping to begin some shared club activities, however, despite much local interest, Rotary International is not quite ready to establish itself in Cuba.
They also spent a day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to see if there is the possibility of a joint project developing there.
We then had an in-depth report on the improvements at Cambodia Academy in Myanmar where our most recent projects to build a new three stall latrine and a fresh water collection system to replace aging structures in addition to a new classroom have been completed.
The Academy has 22 teachers and 325 students in grades 1 through 9 who are too poor to go to the public schools. The Troxells presented all of this information and more by using photos and videos to the students at Bush School. The students were so interested that they collected $57.00 to purchase basketballs and hoops, jump ropes and sidewalk chalk for the Cambodian children to play with, AND a large collection of reading books.
In the past, our Rotary Club has paid for eye exams, white boards, water filtration, office equipment and tables, and planting grass in the main front area of the school for the children to play on.
The Cambodian children sat for photos and interviews to be sent to the Bush students.
Marissa and David also reported that the women’s weaver’s coop in Nepal is up and running again after a big delay due to the horrendous earthquake there. They will have another update for us in the near future.
We are so lucky to have Marissa and David who are willing to seek out, augment and continue to monitor these wonderful projects for our club on the other side of the world!
Katie Young, Executive Director of the Chautauqua Leadership Network introduced Jade Boice Barber, CLN Board Member who was our presenter. Jade is in charge of the JCC College Connection, a member of the Riverfront Management Commission and former news anchor for Time Warner News.
In 1992, the Northern Chautauqua County Chamber, the Jamestown Chamber, SUNY Fredonia, JCC, Chautauqua Institution, BOCES and Cornell Cooperative Extension recognized the growing need for community leaders in our County for boards, organizations, businesses and government.
Next a strategic planning session was conducted with over 60 participants to develop the following mission: to identify and nurture regional leaders, provide a framework for an emerging network of skilled civic trustees, and help our communities to meet the challenges of today and the opportunities of tomorrow. CLN is a non-profit, regional, leadership training organization building a network of skilled leaders to strengthen our county and communities. CLN is NOT a service organization, a political machine, or a project-oriented group.
The participants complete competencies in: Self-awareness, team building, creativity, communication, asset discovery, organization skills, developing others, ethics & integrity, leading change, social intelligence and networking and building partnerships.
The year-long program begins with a two day retreat in February and ends with an induction ceremony in December. Ideal candidates live/work in our county, are interested in building a better community, actively seek out opportunities for self-improvement, are willing and able to participate and devote time and have support from their employer.
The participants gain: understanding of selected leadership competencies; better insight into own self and personal leadership style; new set of skilled peers and networking sources; and knowledge o the county’s communities along with their assets and challenges.
Employers gain: an employee with knowledge in identified leadership competency areas; an employee with a better understanding of the community and surrounding environment; higher visibility through increased involvement in community affairs and great access to other community leaders and resources.
More than 600 members have completed the course since 1993 and they hope to increase annual class size from 28 in 2017 to 36 in 2021. Tuition is $1400.
On July 31, CLN will celebrate the student leader group of the year, the volunteer leader award, the community development award and the CLN Leader of the Year – our own Andy Goodell.
The Club was delighted to welcome the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet to perform for us today.
According to their website, "One of the jewels of our community is the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet – not only as the premier school for classical ballet training in our region, but also as a resource for our community through its quality ballet performances and its educational offerings."
The performances put on for us were a testament to the hard work the CRYB does. They are also the only program with complete, traditional ballet training in the area, so one does not need to travel to Cleveland or Buffalo.
They have classes year-round, with school year classes and summer classes.
Here's just a small taste of the dances performed. Thank you so much to the CRYB!
Pictured L-R: Marty Schwab, James Schwab, Joelle Conti, and John Lloyd
The club heard an exciting presentation today regarding plans to revitalize the currently vacant Vikings Lodge on Washington Street in Jamestown. John Lloyd welcomed James Schwab and his son Marty to present information about what they are planning to do with the facility.
James began by telling the club that the first thing they did after taking over the building was to put a new roof on so it would protected from the winter elements. The 4-story, 29,000 square foot architectural gem has been sitting empty along one of Jamestown's busiest corridors for several years. During it's hayday, the Vikings Lodge hosted many wonderful events, and housed a bar and dining area for the Jamestown Vikings club.
The plan is to turn the 2nd floor of the building into an event center that can host national acts to perform. James said his son Marty, who is music promoter that just recently returned to the area, will be heading up that work.
On the ground floor, retail space will be created, and could potentially house a beer store that would specialize in selling 6-packs of craft beer and local beer, as well as have 30 or more taps open to fill growlers.
With the Comedy Center set to open this summer, and other major projects planned for downtown and the surrounding community, James and Marty are very excited about the future of Jamestown, and want to bring the Vikings Lodge back to life. The outlook for Jamestown is bright, and having the abandoned building back on the tax rolls as a vibrant structure for people to visit downtown is the Schwab's main goal!
James also provided a little history on the structure. Built in 1912 as an Eagles Lodge, the facility actually hosted several National Grange conferences. Teddy Roosevelt even spoke there several times, and many other famous folks have visited the building since it was first built.
Joelle thanked James and Marty for their presentation, and wished them the best of luck in their endeavour!
Pictured L-R: Joe Rollman, John Lloyd, Joelle Washer, and Sherry Hutley
Development in downtown Jamestown was the highlight of today's presentation. John Lloyd introduced today's speaker, Joe Rollman with Leaf+Stone Landscape Architecture in Bemus Point, who provided insight on the Northwest Arena expansion project.
According to Joe, the plan is to construct a new addition to hold a Kids Zone play area; create a gift shop and office spaces for the National Comedy Center; to add a concession stand to sell snacks and water; and to enhance the third floor conference room. The project is being headed by Northwest Arena officials to produce more revenue, so the facility isn’t reliant on funding.
So, what is the Kids Zone?
Joe says the new 5,000+ square feet addition to the arena would be ideal for parents who want to leave their children some place safe while they tour the National Comedy Center or while one of their other children participate in a skating activity.
As for the new concession area, it would be for selling snacks, deli sandwiches, water and soda. The area would be more easily accessible for skaters, and not force them to take off their skates and climb to the upper level concession area.
The project would also include a new redesigned office space for arena officials. A new third level conference room would be redesigned to enhance the experience with views of the ice rink and downtown Jamestown. The new third floor layout would also include office space for National Comedy Center employees, who would lease the space from arena officials. The potential project also includes the National Comedy Center leasing space for a gift shop on the first floor.
Increased draw to downtown is one of the main priorities of this project, Joe says, and will complement the soon to be open National Comedy Center.
Many thanks to Joe, as well as Kristy Zabrodsky, who was also in attendance at today's meeting and provided additional information on the project.
Pictured L-R: John Lloyd, Pierre Chagnon, Joelle Washer
A very in-depth conversation about the future of the South & Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer districts was the main focus of today's meeting. John Lloyd introduced County Legislator Pierre Chagnon to the podium to give the club an update on plans to upgrade the sewers surrounding Chautauqua Lake, and the reasons for it.
Pierre is a member of the South & Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer Districts Administrative Board, and provided the club with many details on the scope of work involved with extending the sewer lines, building new facilities to handle the sewage, and how it will all be incorporated into the existing system.
The main reason this must happen, according to Chagnon, is so that the level of phosphates currently getting into Chautauqua Lake is drastically reduced (in fact, 95% of phosphates must be removed from any processed sewage getting back into the lake). Removing phosphates from Chautauqua Lake will help in limiting the amount of weeds that grow each year, which will in turn help the lake stay healthy for many more years to come.
Of course this all comes at a cost, much of which has been covered by a $5 million from the DEC, and through a 0% interest rate loan for $14 million. An additional $3 million grant to cover the remaining costs is in the works from Empire State Development. These grants and the low interest loan will help keep the cost for those on the system and using the sewers from raising exponentially.
There will also be an effort made to get over 200 vacant parcels surrounding Chautauqua Lake hooked up to the sewer system so that these pieces of land would be more attractive for new homes being built on them. And grants to help home owners connect to the system via their existing plumbing are also available.
Pierre said that work on the project is slated to begin in 2019, and the new systems should be fully operational by 2020.
L-R Susan's mom, Susan Bowers, Cheri Krull & Joelle Washer
A wonderful presentation was given today by our former exchange student Susan Bowers, who spent a year in Argentina.
Susan was introduced by Youth Exchange Chair Cheri Krull, who before leading into Susan's presentation did mention that a birthday party for the club's current exchange student Luna was recently held.
With that (and while Susan's presentation was being brought up on the screen), Cheri told the club a little about Susan, who is a Senior at Maple Grove High School and was honored as Homecoming Queen this year.
To begin her presentation, Susan thanked all of us for her year in Argentina. She was very happy and wouldn't have changed a thing.
She spent her year in Argentina living in Rotary District 4845, and was that district's first exchange student. Beef is a major part of the economy of the region, and Susan admitted that she didn't eat a lot of vegetables while in Argentina because there was some much meat served at meals. Empanadas and a drink called mate were highlighted in some of Susan's pictures. She warned us all to not call mate "tea", as Argentineans do not see the drink as being "tea." According to Wikipedia: Mate contains mateine (an analog of caffeine), is made by an infusion of dried leaves of yerba mate. Susan admitted that it tasted interesting.
The 2 host families Susan lived with were both really great, and she was welcomed with open arms by both families as well as the students she went to school with. Susan said that she did her best to speak Spanish as much as possible, and not have words translated to English.
She took several trips while staying in Argentina including to Patagonia, Buenos Aires (where she was able to visit with her brother and brother's girlfriend who lives there), & Uruguay. As an aside, Susan told of her adventure in getting to Uruguay. When she arrived at the airport, she discovered that it was deserted due to the workers being on strike. Despite the setback, Susan was able to make it to Uruguay, and then traveled onto Chile and back to Buenos Aires one more time.
Susan ended her talk with saying she loved every moment of her trip, and admitted she was only homesick a little on Christmas Eve. Thanks to Susan on her presentation and for sharing the pictures of her adventure!!
Pictured L-R; Donna Flinchbaugh, Dustin Whitcomb, Joelle Washer
An impassioned presentation was made by Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp attendee Dustin Whitcomb today. The Buffalo State College student was introduced by his aunt Donna Flinchbaugh. Dustin, who attended Salamanca High School, is studying film at Buff. State.
Dustin went to RYLA, which was held at SUNY Fredonia, in 2014. It was in the midst of a tumultuous time for Dustin, who was recovering from a relationship breakup. He had plenty of free time on his hands, and RYLA was able to provide him with plenty to do during that free time. Dustin also looked to RYLA to help shape his career future, which it most certainly did.
Camp had many great aspects Dustin said, many of which centered around Rotary's motto "Service Above Self." Some of the exercises had Dustin and his team form a mock company, run it, and keep it afloat.
However, shortly after camp ended, Dustin learned that he had Ulcerative Colitis. While being treated, Dustin was overwhelmed by the support he received from the campers he had met at RYLA. At camp, each person had to write a letter for all of the other campers. Those letters were to be saved until a time that a camper needed to open them to read for encouragement. Dustin needed those letters during the time he was being treated for the disease, and they were very helpful during his recovery.
Unfortunately, in 2015 the medication Dustin was taking for Ulcerative Colitis literally stopped working, so he was back to the hospital. At 20 years of age, Dustin spent 2 months at different hospitals, saw dozens of doctors, and after 3 surgeries can report he is doing well.
Dustin then told a story regarding a film he made for a Buff. State project. This film became very important when Dustin learned that his uncle was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, Dustin's uncle passed away just days ago. And to add to that, a dear friend of Dustin's recently committed suicide, which has made the Summer of 2017 a very challenging one for Dustin.
HOWEVER, because of what he learned at RYLA (and because of what he called an amazing family), Dustin has been able persevere. RYLA helped him realize that life isn't about instant gratification, but that life is a journey with peaks and valleys, which is very important for young people like him to understand.
Following his presentation, Dustin received a long and well-deserved standing ovation.
Pictured L-R Jim Smith, Eric Wassenaar, Carol Rausch, Helen Hassinger, Chelsea Friedlander & Joelle Washer
The club was once again wowed by the talents and amazing performances of several members of the Chautauqua Opera Company. Carol Rausch, a great friend of the club, was welcomed by Jim Smith. Carol brought Eric Wassenaar, Helen Hassinger and Chelsea Friendlander with her to sing at today's meeting.
Carol first presented to the Club in 1999, and this is her 19th consecutive visit with us!
The Chautauqua Opera is the oldest continuing summer opera in the United States, having been founded in 1929 along with the Chautauqua Symphony. This year, they are into their 88th season. Since 1985, Carol has served as Chorus Master/Music Administrator overseeing the musical components of the company and the Young Artists Program.
Carol's home is New Orleans, where she is the Chorus Master/Music Administrator for New Orleans Opera Association. Carol heads the Opera Department at Loyola University, where she has prepared and conducted numerous opera productions. She also remains active as a recital pianist, which she put on full display today while playing for Chelsea, Eric and Helen.
Chelsea kicked of the performances with a selection from Gianni Schicchi.
Next, Eric sang "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Das Land des Lacheln by Lehar.
Helen was next, and this Rotarily Yours writer will openly admit he forgot to snap a picture of her performance as from the first note to the last, Helen's voice was mesmerizing. Many Club members gasped when she hit some incredible notes.
After another song from Chelsea, Eric and Helen closed out the show with the "Watch Duet" from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, Jr.
Many thanks to Eric, Chelsea and Helen for sharing their amazing voices, and for Carol for tickling the ivories once again.
Pictured are David and Marissa Troxell with the water filtration system donated by our club
What a pleasure to hear from the Troxells today as they took everyone on a journey. Over the past year, David and Marissa have traveled to such countries as Nepal and Cuba.
In Nepal, they visited with a co-op who began training in decorative basket weaving in 2014. In 2015, the same group began doing bulk purchases of materials and started selling their wares. For 2017, it's being proposed that the co-op set-up an account for bulk purchases of materials, repayable with interest to the co-op. A great success story indeed.
Onward to Cambodia, where the Troxells visited the charity school founded in 2008 by Rotary clubs. David reported that enrollment is balanced between boys and girls, and that the school serves the "poorest of the poor".
The school provides transport to and from the school, uniforms, books and two hot meals per day. The school teaches English to give the kids a leg up, and it has proven to be doing just that. Many of the students are graduating from the school (which services Grades 1-9), and then going of the high school. Some of the students go on to teach English themselves.
David told the club that we have supported the school since 2014, and have helped build a playground, supported eye screening in 2015, and supported the schools water filtration system in 2016.
The "Table of Love" actually sponsors a small boy at the school in order of the late Gordie Black.
For the latest information on the school, the website is here.
The Troxells also visited Myanmar and Cuba. In Cuba, there's a strong effort on to bring back Rotary, which was dissolved in 1979. David said the folks looking to bring back Rotary in Cuba need a sponsor, and should hopefully be able to get the club back on its feet.
Many, many thanks to the Troxells for the great pictures and videos shown during their presentation as it really gave everyone a great sense of what is going on around the world. As David and Marissa said, for each story there's a 1000 not told, and the pictures help tell that story.
The club had the honor of hearing a presentation from Jim Quattrone this day. Lee Harkness introduced Jim, and welcomed him to the podium.
Jim spoke on the First Street Shelter, otherwise known as the UCAN (United Christian Advocacy Network) City Mission (and formerly the Union Gospel Mission) located at 7 W. First Street in Jamestown.
The UCAN City Mission's Mission Statement is:
We exist to help all those who need to break the cycle of crime, substance abuse, and poverty (life-controlling problems) by promoting positive lifestyle changes through multi-disciplinary programs and partnerships focused on and driven by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We desire to reach anyone who is being held in bondage by the life-controlling problems that have a destructive impact on their lives. Our participation requirement is that the participant has a willingness to change and recognize the importance of making the decision of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. These classes are open to people of all faiths and successful completion of the UCAN program will be recognized when the core classes are completed. Respect of themselves, of others in the class, staff, and facilitators will be expected at all times.
The building started its life as a hotel in the 1880's. Starting in the 1940's, the shelter that was to become the UCAN City Mission went under the name of the Union Gospel Mission. And for over 40 years, the Union Gospel Mission was run by Rev. John Steinhauser, who retired in 2015. It was then closed because Quattrone said it was determined that the shelter was no longer needed. Quattrone and others felt otherwise, especially since people continued to come to the facility looking for a place to stay, only to be turned away or forced to spend the night in the elements.
Since Quattone and UCAN took over the facility, work has gone on to update the main lobby and continues on the building's 2nd and 3rd floors. The mission currently has 15 beds, however, Quattrone says they are going to have 5 more beds available, and will max out at 20 beds.
People need a safe place to stay, Quattrone said, and that's what they are here for. Many times a person that is struggling with addiction or other problems doesn't have a safe, drug-free place to stay, and so they end up sleeping in an apartment or home where drugs and other temptations are readily available, which then leads the person back to addiction.
Quattrone concluded by asking the club to come to the UCAN City Mission to see what it's all about.
To donate funds to benefit the mission, checks can be made out to UCAN to United Christian Advocacy Network, P.O. Box 202, Lakewood, NY. To donate items or volunteer, Quattrone invites individuals and groups to call him at 490-3300 or email him at quattronej@gmail.com. You can also find more information on the mission at their website.
Kevin Sixbey had the honor of welcoming today's speaker; Christine Dawson. Kevin welcomed Christine, who is a member of the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons.
The King’s Daughters and Sons (KDS) is an interdenominational Christian service organization with the International Headquarters located in Chautauqua Institution. It is comprised of approximately 4000 members, about 250 or so of whom are under the age of 18. Christine, who lives at Chautauqua during the summer season, has been a long time member of the KDS and has held many different roles within the organization.
The Order began on January 13th, 1886 in the New York City home of Margaret Bottome, a Methodist minister’s wife. Margaret was well-known for her drawing room talks, Bible studies and prayer meetings. Dr. Edward Everett Hale, originator of the Lend-A-Hand movement, had planted the idea for a “sisterhood of service” before Mrs. Bottome invited several of her friends to an organizational meeting.
Mrs. Bottome was chosen President at the group's first meeting and served in that capacity until her death in 1906.
The order's motto:
Look up and not down, Look forward and not back, Look out and not in, And lend a hand
represents faith, hope and service to others. The watchword chosen was In His Name and the text, Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.
The object of the Order is the “development of spiritual life and the stimulation of Christian activities.”
The Order unit was originally called a “Ten,” but was soon changed to “Circle” to accommodate the numbers of women wanting to join.
The founders were firm in declining to choose a work for each circle to do, rather allowing them to choose any work that involved doing good In His Name.
Hundreds of letters flooded the Headquarters office from women seeking information about membership and within a short time there were more than 50,000 members worldwide. In 1887, men and boys began seeking admission to the Order, and the name of the organization changed to The King’s Daughters and Sons in 1891.
By 1896, there were Branch organizations in 26 states and circles in nearly every country in Europe, Japan, China, Syria and India. Canada had nearly 6,000 members.
Interstate Conferences, concerning the work of the Order, began in 1897, but the first General Convention was held in Louisville, KY in 1912. Conventions continue to be held on even-numbered years. Central Council, composed of leaders of the organization, meets on odd-numbered years at Chautauqua Institution to conduct the business of the Order.
The Headquarters of the Order was based in New York City until 1972 when it moved to Chautauqua where it continues to be today.
One of the scholarships the KDS administers is the Chautauqua Scholarship Program.
The Chautauqua Scholarship Program is a 4-week cultural educational adventure designed to strengthen a person's faith, build their confidence as a Christian and increase leadership skills.
Any Christian between 19 and 25 years old who has had at least 1 year of college or university (or equivalent work experience) and who has an interest in learning is invited to apply.
The practice of religion, traditionally the foundation of all other activities at Chautauqua, is reaffirmed at the Sunday morning church service, Sunday evening Sacred Song service, Tuesday denominational house gatherings, morning devotions Monday through Friday in our chapel and morning worship in the amphitheater. People from all faiths and at all stages of their faith journeys worship at Chautauqua.
For more information on the program, please visit here.
Christine thanked the club for allowing her to present, and she also asked that if any club member knew of a student from Jamestown who would be interested in the Chautauqua Scholarship Program to please let her know (ironically, they have never had a student from Jamestown before). Christine also mentioned a Clergy Renewal Week at Chautauqua, and also invited club members to recommend clergy from Jamestown to be a part of the week long respite.
Cheri Krull introduced the club's exchange student, Rachel Paetzke, to speak today. Cheri also reminded everyone that Rotary Exchange Weekend is fast approaching as well. While introducing Rachel, Cheri gave a little background on her. She said that Rachel is a city-girl who likes music, and whose dream as a child was to be an exchange student to America some day.
Rachel, who is from Hungary, spoke about her country, her home, and the things she likes to done when at home. She told the club some anecdotes about her mother and father. In particular about her father, who was kicked out of high school when he made a political joke about Germany (which at the time was incredibly taboo). Rachel's father, who was an actor, was also jailed for awhile because of not responding to the draft.
Rachel has also enjoyed many adventures while staying in the area, including trips to Buffalo and to Chautauqua Institution. She has been a pleasure to have as the Rotary Club's exchange student, and will be missed when she returns home.
Katie Geise welcomed fellow Jamestown Rotarian Pete Morgante to the speaker's podium today to present on Chautauqua Striders and the many wonderful programs they maintain and provide to the residents of Chautauqua County.
According to their website, "Originally founded in 1979 as a local track club, Chautauqua Striders has since developed into a multifaceted community organization, proudly offering diversified programs that incorporate its mission to 'Mentor and guide youth through education, advocacy and athletics.'"
Based in Jamestown, Chautauqua Striders provides tutoring, mentoring, outreach and athletic programs to more than 1,200 Chautauqua County youth annually. The goal of Chautauqua Striders is to help youth graduate high school inspired with the knowledge, skill, and confidence required for successful college and career experiences.
Pete, who currently serves as Chautauqua Striders' Executive Director, began his presentation by highlighting Chautauqua Striders' main goal: ...to help youth graduate from high school inspired with the knowledge, skill, and confidence required for successful college and career experiences. Through various tutoring, educational mentoring, and track programs, our unique organization is able to meet the individual needs of a wide range of youth.
Throughout the presentation, Pete introduced enthusiastic members of his team to the podium. They all detailed the programs they are most involved in from Academic Tutoring to Athletics to Mentoring.
The academic program offered by Chautauqua Striders consists of instruction in reading and math for students in Grades K to 8, instruction in science and math for students in Grades 9 to 12, re-teaching of material that students struggle with, homework help, assistance in studying for assessments, and preparation for Regents Examinations.
The mission of the Chautauqua Striders Athletic Club is to encourage and promote life-long fitness through running & walking. The program provides the road running community an opportunity to train and compete as a team. The Athletic Club provides programs to develop and support runners throughout the year.
Chautauqua Striders' Mentoring Program has touched the lives of many young people in the community, with several members of the Rotary mentoring a child at one time or another.
To find out more about Chautauqua Striders and all of the wonderful things they do, please visit their website.
L-R Jennifer Gibson, William Wagner and Joelle Washer
Jennifer Gibson introduced Northwest Savings Bank President/CEO William Wagner to the club this day. To say that William does many wonderful things for the community would be an understatement, as a list of several organizations and clubs that he contributes to was presented by Jennifer.
Northwest Savings Bank is headquartered just south of Jamestown in Warren, PA. William began by discussing the bank's long history and evolution. What started as a financial institution in Bradford, PA in 1896 has now grown to a system of bank branches and offices with $9.6 billion in assets in 2016. In fact, William pointed out that between 1896 and 1976, the banks assets grew to $100 million. It's only been since the bank went public in 1994 that its assets have grown ever increasingly.
An honor (one of many) that Northwest Savings Bank holds is being a Top 100 bank in the United States. Considering there are thousands of banks across the country, this is certainly a high honor.
In the last 2 years, Northwest has grown larger due to the acquisition of 18 former First Niagara bank branches, mostly in the Buffalo market. That has allowed Northwest to take a strong foothold in that heavily populated region of Western New York. Northwest has a total of 36 branches in WNY, with branches in other states in the Northeast.
Also since the bank went public in 1994, William says the bank has diversified greatly, offering much more than just savings accounts and checking accounts. This, among many other factors, have helped make the bank more profitable, with Northwest Savings Bank stocks rising since 1994.
William closed by mentioning Northwest's Mission: To build loyalty, trust & value among our employees, customers, communities & shareholders. He also praised our Rotary for the great numbers of people who attend each week, and for the many things we do in the community.
A very interesting presentation centered on the Celoron Hotel Project kept many Rotarians glued to their chairs this day. John Lloyd officially welcomed David Hart of Hart Hotels to the microphone to speak on the hotel that is planning to open in 2018.
David thanked Rotary for allowing him to speak, and started off by mentioning that this project began 2 years ago, and involves Peter Krog, who is his business partner, along with CCIDA. Site work in Celoron has already begun, with the hotel to be erected on portions of the former Celoron Amusement Park site. David actually mentioned later that when site prep was taking place, he walked the grounds and discovered an old penny, most likely dropped when the amusement park was in operation.
The new hotel will be similar to Harbor Hotels already in operation in Watkins Glen & Clayton, NY. There are 4 hotels total under the Harbor Hotel brand in operation. However, David was quick to mention that neither the Watkins Glen nor the Clayton hotels have the "backbone" that the Celoron hotel will have with so many area attractions and cities (Jamestown, Buffalo, Cleveland) nearby.
David called the Celoron hotel a "destination hotel", with many different amenities to offer onsite. It will also be a 4-Diamond facility. His mantra for the project is "Build it, and they'll stay. Build it, and they'll come." The Celoron hotel will also be open year-round to keep staff trained, so during the slower winter months, they have many fun events planned to keep things exciting.
Based on what's happened already in Watkins Glen and Clayton, David was confident that the 10-year impact of the hotel on the community will total $60 million in room revenue, $30 million in food and beverage revenue, so to say the hotel will be a boon to the local economy would be accurate.
The Celoron hotel will have 132 rooms, and the site will even incorporate the old island that once housed the swing ride from the amusement park, which will likely excite local history buffs.
To find out more about the already existing Harbor Hotels, David encouraged everyone to visit this website.
This day, the club heard a fascinating presentation from Cliff Mason, a Senior Manager at National Fuel, and a member of the Clean Communities of WNY. Cliff lives in East Aurora, and was thrilled to be able to speak in front of such a robust Rotary Club in Jamestown. He also drove to Jamestown in a natural gas powered vehicle. Cliff was introduced by Ken Lawton, who himself works at National Fuel in Jamestown.
Cliff's main focus of his presentation was on Clean Transportation Alternatives, particularly vehicles that run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Some of the advantages of Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV)'s are that they are better for the environment and run on a fuel that has a more stable price than regular gasoline (which heavily relies on foreign oil). Cliff also pointed out that the United States has a bounty of natural gas resources to tap into as well.
While mileage for NGV's are about the same as gas and not nearly as good as diesel, Cliff made it clear that NGV's still have many advantages over traditionally powered vehicles.
There are 3 types of Natural Gas Vehicles:
Dedicated: only runs on natural gas. About 40 service vans for National Fuel in Buffalo run this way
Bi-Fuel: vehicle can run on natural gas or traditional gasoline (Cliff actually drove a vehicle from Buffalo to Jamestown powered this way)
Duel Fuel: runs on diesel & natural gas, and is mainly found in tractor trailers
Cliff concluded by saying there are incentives available for CNG vehicles and projects as well.
One question from the audience was on the safety of vehicles that run on CNG. Cliff assured everyone that NGV's have a good safety record.
Cliff is also a member of the Clean Communities of WNY, and information about that group and their efforts to help make alternative fuels more available in Western New York can be found here.
Cancer has affected millions of people, and most club members know of someone who has had cancer or is in remission. Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in New York State, according to the NYS Department of Health. But cancer screenings can help detect cancer early, when treatment can be most successful.
Katie Geise welcomed Darlene Rowe and Johanna Gill to speak on behalf of Chautauqua County's Cancer Services Program.
Darlene told the club that the County's Cancer Services Program has been around since the 1990's, and was created as a collaboration between the NYS Department of Health and the CDC. The Cancer Services Program provides breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings to women ages 40-64 and men ages 50-64, who are un-insured, have an unaffordable high deductible, or screenings aren't covered.
Clients are enrolled by phone, and after the medical appointments are completed, the office bills the Program for payment. At the same time the following year, patients will receive a reminder that they are due for their appointment. And services are provided in most physicians' offices in Chautauqua County. For more information, call 1-800-506-9185.
County Executive and Club member Vince Horrigan was also thanked for signing a policy in 2015 allowing County employees to take a leave of absence if needed to get their cancer screenings, which will most certainly help the Program reach a goal of increasing Colon Cancer screenings in 2018 to 80% in Chautauqua County.
With cold weather and snow approaching, the club welcomed Dan Reynolds to speak this day. Introduced by Ken Lawton, Dan is the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Energy Efficiency Coordinator.
Dan gave a timely presentation on the many ways to help make your home or business more energy efficient. Some interesting facts Dan provided were that 50% of Jamestown BPU customers heat their home with electricity, and that one 1 KW produces roughly 3400 BTU's of heat.
Since many of the homes in the BPU's district are of older construction, the importance of weatherizing them as best as can be is crucial. The BPU has two main programs to help cover the costs of making a home more energy efficient.
The Jamestown BPU Residential Attic Insulation Program is one of these. According to the BPU's website, attic insulation should have an R-value of 49 to 60 in the northern climate zone. To achieve this level of insulation, home owners need to have twelve to sixteen inches of insulation in their attics. To increase the effectiveness of the insulation, sealing air leaks is critical. Try to seal around areas such as dropped soffits, can lights, electric runs, pipes and duct registers. Expanding foam insulation works well for these areas.
Dan also provided several pictures as examples of how many homes lose heat during the winter months, and form damaging ice jams. In one example, the ice jam was so bad that (through the use of thermal imaging), it was shown that water was actually backing up into the house and running down through the walls. Having adequate insulation can help curb this problem.
Phantom loads were also a hot topic. Dan shocked the club by showing just how much electricity is wasted by leaving a phone charger plugged in, even when it's not charging a phone. That, along with the amount of electricity a HD DVR sucks up even when not in use, made several members think twice about leaving so many items plugged in when not being used.
To see about any rebates or programs one might be eligible for, contact Dan at the BPU by calling (716) 661-1646.
The club heard a presentation from Melinda Sanderson, Director of the Matilda Cuomo Mentoring Initiative for Upstate NY. She opened her presentation by mentioning that she was a Rotarian for many years in Buffalo, and that her father has a perfect attendance record as a Rotarian for 50 years!!!
Melinda said that the main goal of the NYS Mentoring Program is to help shape the future for NYS.
In 1984, Mrs. Matilda Raffa Cuomo (widow of Former NY Governor Mario Cuomo) Founded and Chaired The New York State Mentoring Program the nation’s first school-based one-to-one mentoring program. This highly successful program screened and trained volunteers and matched them to children in their communities as a way to prevent high school drop-out. Before the program ended in 1995, it successfully connected thousands of New York State’s neediest students to a network of highly trained Mentors to succeed in school and graduate.
The program was reinstated by current Governor Andrew Cuomo during his 2015 State of the State Address.
The New York State Mentoring Program follows a research-based model of mentoring in which Mentors and Mentees meet one-to-one in a supervised school environment at a set time and location. This format not only allows for the volunteer mentors to properly manage their busy schedules, but also provides much needed consistency to the mentoring relationship.
Melinda stressed that the program not only is good for the student, but also good for the mentor. She also asked that everyone in the club consider becoming a mentor, or share information about the NYS Mentoring Program to anyone they might feel would be interested in supporting the program.
To become a mentor, Fill out the Mentoring Application or call The New York State Mentoring Program at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services at 1-844-337-6304. More information can also be gathered from their website.
Rotary Club of Jamestown, NY Website Advertising Sponsorships -$2,400 raised.
Total of 14 Community Service Projects (some examples below)
Partnered with The Resource Center to sponsor and fund Camp ONYAHSA for developmentally disabled children and adults, $15,725.
Provided funding for Children of the Book Summer Reading Camp and volunteered as readers to children who attended the camp, $2,000.
Provided funding for Prendergast Library Summer Reading Program, $2,000.
Conducted Mock Interviews for Jamestown High School career education students in December 2015 and April 2016, 125 students.
Performed Highway Clean Up on Interstate I-86 in October 2015 and April 2016
Volunteered as readers to children participating in the PARP (Parents Are Reading Partners) Program at Bush Elementary School, 18 Rotary volunteers.
Conducted 3rd Annual Used/New Book Drive amassing over 1,000 books that were distributed to the Family Learning Council, local schools, and local libraries
Funded Rotary Music Scholarship for student studying at Chautauqua Institution, $1,500.
Volunteered for Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign in November and December, 2015, 35 Rotary volunteers.
Provided support for Jamestown High School A’ Capella Chorus, $250
Funded a Haitian water well through “Water for Life, Rotary Club of Ancaster, ON, $4,500.
Donated funds to support School for Orphaned Children in Uganda, St. Catherine’s Rotary Club, $1,500.
Sponsored one (1) outgoing and one (1) incoming Youth Exchange Student.
Purchased a new water filtration system for 300+ students at Monghol Burei Academy in Cambodia, $1,700.
Donated funds to support Save the Mothers Hospital Project in Uganda, $2,000 for surgical supplies.
Donated funds to support transportation costs for Monghol Burei Academy Eyeglasses Project, $800.
Set aside funds to support 2016-2017 Global Grant proposal for Save the Mothers project for maternal and child health in Uganda, $10,000.
Set aside funds to support eventual resumption (early 2017) of Women’s Weaving Cooperative project in Nepal, $1,600.
2015/16 Rotary Foundation Contributions
Polio Plus Fund = $6,000.
Rotary Foundation –Share = $3,000.
Awarded five (5) Paul Harris Fellowships in 2015-2016.
Other
Established our first Interact Club (with Southwestern School District).
Achieved increase in membership to 101 members by June, 2016.
Conducted 40 weekly meetings with program speakers that enriched the lives of club members.
Held 4 special social events throughout the year including Corn Roast, Christmas Party, Area 17 Rotary Club Mixer, and Annual Recognition Dinner.
Relocated the Club’s office to a new location.
Gary shared 2016-2017 committee and chairs
Rotary Club goals for 2016-2017
Develop and submit RI Global Grant focused on Save the Mothers Project in Uganda.
Develop and submit District Grant focused on local community need (e.g. drug addiction, literacy etc.).
Meet criteria for and obtain a 2016-2017 RI Presidential Citation.
Membership of 105 by June 2017 (9 new members, retain 96 of 101 current members).
Engage in thirteen (13) community and international service projects.
Foundation Giving:Polio Plus Fund$5,000 / Rotary –SHARE$4,000
Establish ad-hoc committee to begin planning for 100thanniversary of Club in 2019.
Award eight (8) Paul Harris Fellowships
Formally certify Southwestern School Interact Club and strengthen Club’s relationship with Rotary Club of Jamestown.
Review and implement revised set of Club by-laws
Gary entertained a motion to accept goals; County Executive Horrigan motioned to accept goals; Dean Weaver and Kurt Johnson seconded; all in favor said “I.”
L-R David and Marissa Troxell, Dan Overcash & Gordie Black
Dave and Marissa Troxell spoke about the projects that Rotary is helping to fund in Katmandu, Nepal and Central Cambodia, where there is a Rotary Club school. They also reported on their trip to India to do one final massive inoculation against polio.
First, they reported on the Nepalese Project which is a three year micro-investment. In year 1, the goal was to improve the weaving skills and business sense of the women. Year 2: Purchase better looms. Year three was supposed to be an expansion into retail outlets. However, the project is currently stalled due to the earthquake that struck the area. It is fully expected to be completed in the coming year.
David and Marissa then reported on their trip to India, where they volunteered as part of the Polio Plus Campaign. First, they showed some marvelous pictures of their time there, which included an impromptu invitation to a traditional wedding ceremony! Then, on to business—the Polio Plus Campaign. India was declared “polio free” in 2014. However, this last year, there were cases from immigrants. It was decided that every child 5 or younger needed to be vaccinated. The day before the inoculation, the volunteers and local Rotarians marched through the streets to raise awareness. Thousands of Rotarians marched. The next day, people came to inoculation centers. The volunteers were to put 2 drops on each child’s tongue. Dave and Marissa’s center did 402 inoculations.
Finally, the couple reported on the Cambodia Academy which is in Mongkol Borei-a subsistence community. It is 100% Rotarian sponsored. There is supposed to be free education is Cambodia-but it doesn’t exist. Each child costs $300, so the school looks for sponsors through an organization “Save”. In the past Jamestown Rotary donated money for a lawn and a white board. This year, Jamestown Rotary supported eye tests. More information can be found at Cambodiaacademy.org. The Troxells showed a wonderful video of a “typical day”. The school provides hot breakfast and lunch for over 300 students and teachers. It is in session from 7am to 4pm. David announced that the Vision Committee has approved $1700 for filtration system for clean water for this year.
The eye screening was done in February 2016. Jamestown Noon Rotary put up money for kids frames for glasses. 20 students were found to have severe eye deficiency. Also got glasses for 4 teachers! Lenses were ground on site.
Finally, the Troxells talked about the founder, Hans Eide who passed away last year. The last program he attended was the performance of Marissa and David’s students. They teach English-and do it to a song. This year they chose Unique by Lenka. They showed another marvelous video of their students, singing the song.
Pictured L-R: Frank Rosamond, baritone; Megan Grey, mezzo-soprano; Lorenzo Miguel Garcia, tenor; Carol Rausch, pianist.
Our club was treated to a special performance by three extremely talented singers and Carol Rausch tickling the ivories.
Carol became Chorus Master at Chautauqua Institution's, Chautauqua Opera in 1995, and has been visiting the Jamestown Rotary Club every year since 1999. Each time she visits, Carol brings with her a delightful group of singers. This year was no exception!
Founded in 1929, The Chautauqua Opera Company is North America's oldest continuously operating summer opera company and 4th oldest opera company after the Metropolitan Opera, Cincinnati Opera and San Francisco Opera. The Chautauqua Opera Company offers more than 40 operatic events each season, including fully staged productions in Chautauqua Institution's 4000-seat Amphitheater and in the historic 1,300-seat Norton Hall, Concerts with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, weekly recitals, Music Theater Revues, Opera Scenes programs, and operatic revues for young audiences.
Chautauqua Opera productions feature internationally recognized guest artists as well as promising young singers from the Young Artist Program.
Joining Carol today were Frank Rosamond, baritone; Megan Grey, mezzo-soprano; and Lorenzo Miguel Garcia, tenor. Each gave their own separate performance.
Megan and Miguel then performed in a duet:
followed by the three powerful singers joining forces to sing a Stephen Sondheim tune.
The group gave a thoroughly enjoyable performance!
Speaker Andrew Borba (center) is shown with (l to r) Chris Anderson & President-Elect Joelle Washer
Chautauqua season is in full swing, and today Jim Smith introduced Chautauqua Institution's Associate Artistic Director Andrew Borba. Andrew is in his 7th season in this position, and has spent the past 11 summers at the Chautauqua Theater Company.
For the Chautauqua Theater Company, Andrew has directed several plays including "The Comedy of Errors", "MacBeth", and "The Philadelphia Story". You may have also seen Andrew in your local movie theater, as he has had roles in such films as the recent hit "Straight Outta Compton" as well as "Taken 3" and "Interstellar".
Andrew currently teaches Shakespeare and advanced acting at USC, is a cum laude graduate of Brown University, and received his M.F.A. from NYU. And, last but not least, Andrew revealed that he was a Rotary scholarship winner, and so he has a fondness for Rotary.
As part of his presentation, Andrew spoke passionately about his love of the arts, and how the Chautauqua Theater Company has made an effort to reach out to the local community by go to area schools to perform, engaging students and their imagination, as well as encourage them to attend a play or a performance at Chautauqua Institution.
Getting better connected to the community is a main goal of Chautauqua Institution, or as Andrew put it, reaching out "beyond the gates." Offering special ticket prices to get younger people to the theater at Chautauqua is one of those ways.
Finally, Andrew invited everyone to see "The Taming of the Shrew", which he is directing. What makes this performance of the famous play so unique (and humorous) is that the women's roles will be played by men, and vice-versa!
Photo L-R Doug Conroe and Mark Baldwin (Photo submitted)
Doug (despite unexpected technical difficulties) gave a fascinating presentation regarding invasive species management. Doug focused heavily on Chautauqua Lake. An invasive species can be a plant, fungus or animal not native to Chautauqua Lake.
However, Doug was quick to point out that there are many different invasive species affecting our area, such as the Emerald Ash Borer.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has worked on a plan to help keep invasive species from entering the waters of Chautauqua Lake utilizing their rapid response program. There are or will be signs placed at the lake's many boat launches reminding boaters/fishers to not bring invasive species into the lake. One of the main culprits are boaters who launch their boat without making sure it's clean and dry, thus lowering the chance of introducing an invasive species to the lake.
Thankfully, Doug felt that they are keeping things under control regarding Chautauqua Lake. And while there may be 4 invasive species of plants on the lake, 21 native species still thrive.
Photo L-R Yvonne Tovell, Irina Rey, Lisa Yaggie, Irina's Host Moms Liz Bowers and Heidi Morgenstern
Irina is pretty much like any other 15 year. She loves to shop, loves hanging out with her friends, and is looking forward to going to prom at Maple Grove High School. Irina, who is from Bulle, Switzerland, gave her year-end presentation to the club this day.
Entitled "My Life in Switzerland", Irina spoke about her mom and dad, as well as her brother. Her mom works as an accountant, while her father works in IT.
Because of where Bulle is located, Irina impressed the club by saying that she goes to Paris, France on weekend trips for shopping. Irina, who speaks French, also explained that Italian, German and the rarely spoken Romansh are Switzerland's national languages.
As part of her presentation, Irina showed awe inspiring photos taken of the mountains close by her home, as well as an aerial view and street levels views of Bulle. Irina also presented pictures of some of the things Switzerland is well-known for; chocolate, cheese and wine.
Irina also wowed the gathered members by saying that she will be done with school this year, but quickly explained that she can continue her studies and then perhaps go on to University. She admitted that at 15 she still hasn't quite figured out what she plans to do later on in life.
The club expressed how they will miss Irina while wishing her the best of luck!
Mark Baldwin introduced speaker Susan Evans. Susan is a retired English teacher, ovarian cancer survivor (now in remission), and author of the book "Don't Write the Obituary Yet!", which highlights Susan's journey with her husband in battling cancer. Susan is also a member and Past-President of the Bradford, PA Rotary Club. She came to tell her story, which she managed to summarize in the time she was allotted.
Sales of Susan's book have raised over $90,000, and are being donated to The Pittsburgh Foundation as part of the Evans-Krivak Gynecological Cancer Research Fund. "Krivak" is Dr. Thomas Krivak, a gynecologic oncologist who was on call when Susan first came to Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC in Oakland, PA. Since their first encounter, Dr. Krivak has moved to Allegheny Health Network. When he moved to the network, he lost his cancer research funding, which is why proceeds from book sales are going into Evans-Krivak Gynecological Cancer Research Fund.
PHOTO FROM L-R Gary Padak, Tina Scott, Chris Anderson & Sue Jones.
Rotarian Sue Jones, prior to introducing Tina Scott, MLIS - Executive Director, James Prendergast Library Association, recognized current and former Library Board Members who are also members of the Rotary Club. She the introduced Tina, who spoke on the libraries Funding Initiative.
Over the past several years, the Cost of Living Index compared to the level of funding provided by the City of Jamestown has widened, as the level of funding from the city has decreased, and could possibly be zeroed out in 2017.
The library relies of a combination of public and private funding to operate. However, Scott said this funding model is not stable or sustainable.
In 2015, over 182,000 people came to the library to use their public computers, to attend library programs, or simply to check out a book or DVD. Since 2015, retirement payments, building maintenance, utilities and more have also increased significantly.
The Library Board, to help combat this issue, will be asking the public for community-based funding, which would generate $850,000 or 65% of its total proposed 2017 budget. The other 35% will come from endowment income, fund raising and library fees.
This proposed plan will make the library strong, Scott feels, and for a home in the Jamestown School District assessed at $50,000, community-based funding would increase taxes only $57.50 a year. If the plan is not approved, the library will be forced to sell off artwork, cut hours further, cut materials, and take other measures.
If funding is approved, the library could increase hours, provide more classes, replace aging computers, and buy more books!
The vote on community-based funding will take place Tuesday, June 7th. Polls Open at the Library from Noon to 9 p.m. Absentee ballots are available by calling Sue Caronia, School District Clerk, at 716/483-4420. All qualified voters of the Jamestown School District may vote. For More Information, contact Tina Scott, at tscott@cclslib.org or (716) 484‐7135. Go to www.Prendergast.fundourlibraries.org.
At the Rotary Club of Jamestown's meeting on April 25, Rotarians learned of the proposed LoCo Rail Trail from Rotarian Ken Lawton.
Lawton lives in Busti and is a member of the Town board. He said the trail will be installed on the existing railroad right-of-way and adjacent paper streets from the southwest side of Busti to the northeast side, where it intersects with the proposed Celoron trail into Jamestown. It is a totally volunteer effort, which draws upon a growing number of such rail trails that are being developed in the country.
The proposed trail will be 10 feet wide, according to Lawton, with a six-foot fence between the trail and the railroad track. The railroad right-of-way is wide enough for two tracks, but there is only one, so the rail trail can make use of existing infrastructure of rail bed and bridges. Still, the group is trying to raise $2 million for phase one. A 2014 application for State funding was denied, so the group is preparing to re-apply this year. That funding would require a 20 percent local match. Lawton said while the Western NYPA Railroad supports the effort, they will require LoCo to lease the property and make sure it is maintained. Details for maintenance and for funding the Rail Trail once it is launched have not yet been worked out.
There are a number of reasons to pursue a the LoCo Rail Trail project, Lawton said. First, the trail will provide a safe route for walkers, runners and bikers, taking them off the busy streets and decreasing the number of vehicle-pedestrian accidents. He suggested that the trail would become a destination, bringing people into the area and increasing retail sales. He also said the trail would be a recognized asset in the community and would improve community health by giving more people a safe way to get out and exercise as well as giving a viable alternative to jumping into the car to go to work or to the store or to lake, baseball or soccer events.
Lawton said the idea for the trail came out of the Busti Comprehensive Plan public meeting, where community members identified trails and recreation as a high priority. The Village of Lakewood is also working to approve their Plan, which specifically references the LoCo Rail Trail. For more information, visit LoCo Rail Trail online.
PHOTO: From left, Rotarian Ken Lawton, Rotary Exchange students Irena Rey and Susan Bowers, and Rotarian Sharon Hamilton with a sign supporting the proposed LoCo Rail Trail.
During the April 18 meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, Rotarians were treated to a Greg Peterson interview of Paul Hoffman, a member of the St. Bonaventure 1970 basketball team that went to the NCAA Final Four. The program started with excerpts from a video about the season, interviewing all the players. Bob Lanier, who went on to star in the NBA, was the center, and the team leader that year. Unfortunately, he was injured in the regional final against Villanova, and was unable to play in the game, where SBU lost in a heartbreaker. Hoffman regaled club members with stories of his high school and college career and provided insight into the personalities who constituted the team. One of his most poignant memories was of the trip home from Buffalo to Olean after they lost. People were on their porches the whole way, welcoming them home.
PHOTO: From left are Greg Peterson of Philips Lytle, LLC, speaker Paul Hoffman, and Rotarian Phil Cala.
The Interact club at Southwestern Central School District, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jamestown, now has 25 members and held its first fundraiser — a public skate and bake sale — at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena on Saturday, April 6. Attendees paid $6 each to skate and bought baked goods in support of the Blue Star Mothers, who provide assistance to veterans and those serving overseas. They raised $380, and during the Rotary Club of Jamestown's meeting on April 11, Rotarians "passed the hat" to raise another $194 in support of the Interact club. The Interact club at SWCS was co-founded by Jared Yaggie, son of Rotarian Lisa Yaggie, and Jillian Lawton, both students at SWCS. They began the club after attending a leadership conference weekend earlier in the year and have focused on helping military personnel and their families. To learn more, read this article in The Post-Journal!
Interact gives students between the ages of 12 and 18 the chance to make a real difference while having fun. Every Interact club carries out two service projects a year: one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding. To learn more about Interact, click here.
During its April 11 meeting, the Rotary Club of Jamestown hosted Dr. Cory Duckworth, the president of Jamestown Community College, and Dr. Kirk Young, a club member and the college's vice president for enrollment management and institutional advancement.
Dr. Duckworth, who has been president of Jamestown Community College since 2013, and Dr. Young, who joined the college in 2014, together gave a forceful presentation on the quality and value that JCC provides to its students and to the community. They spoke about the college's transfer agreements with other SUNY institutions and 46 other colleges and universities; its study abroad and internship programs; its residence hall program; its partnerships with local businesses; and its USA Scholarship, which enables students who graduate within the top 20 percent of their high school class to receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend JCC.
As is often the case, local residents may not appreciate what a prize asset they have in their own community — and that, Dr. Duckworth said, is where Rotarians can help out. He asked that club members take the opportunity to talk to area students and their parents, about both the value and the quality of education at JCC.
PHOTO: From left are Rotarian Heather Turner, an alumna of JCC; Dr. Kirk Young, the vice president for enrollment management and institutional advancemnet at JCC; Dr. Cory Duckworth, the JCC president; and Rotarian Joelle Washer, the club's vice president and a JCC alumna.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown hosted Congressman Tom Reed during its April 4 meeting. Congressman Reed was introduced by Lisa Goodell — and then received a surprise endorsement by Ken Lawton, complete with photos from his past. As it turned out, the congressman and Ken were fraternity brothers at Alfred University.
First elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, Congressman Reed represents the 11 counties that make up the 23rd District of New York. He sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees important areas including tax policy, trade, human resources, and oversight. Reed told Rotarians that he loves the district because it feels small-town friendly and familiar wherever he goes. He emphasized that he does travel back and forth every week, enabling him to maintain his schedule of town hall meetings, to hear what people want.
In spite of popular opinion, Reed said he feels 2015 was a very productive year in congress. Highlights include:
5 year Highway Bill. Begins addressing infrastructure issues with funding from gasoline tax.
“Doc Fix” Makes permanent the reimbursement rates from Medicare. Now the income stream is predictable.
In general, about 100 elements of the tax code that were temporary were made permanent, so that they are dependable. Expensing some business capital expenditures is one example. Research expenses is another.
Tax code simplification, clarification and fairness is a top priority, Reed said, but he emphasized that it will only happen if the presidential candidates make it a top priority for their first 100 days in office. The congressman said another major effort is needed to address the issue of poverty in America. He feels it should be based on rewarding the American work ethic. One example he gave was to get rid of the so-called “welfare cliff” so that workers aren’t penalized, immediately losing benefits which cut deeply into their earnings from employment.
Congressman Reed said he is still optimistic. He senses a growing number in Congress who are saying, “enough is enough. Time to get things done.” He is chair of a “No Labels” group.
In a lively question-and-answer session following his presentation, the congressman stated that he is a proponent of reforms that give taxpayers the right to say where their tax dollars go. Tax incentives and investment credits are two ways to do this, and have the added benefit that 100 percent of the funds go directly to the program. He supports term limits for congress and believes 12 years is appropriate.
And the question everyone wanted to hear the answer to: Why are you endorsing Donald Trump? Congressman Reed said he still believes Jeb Bush would have been the best person for the country. However, he began to hear arguments that Republicans should “find a way” to ensure that Trump did not receive the nomination. Congressman Reed believes it is paramount that we follow the rules, and he wants everyone to know that he supports the system that has been democratically developed and that the voice of the people is heard and honored.
PHOTO: From left are Rotarians Lisa Goodell and Lisa Yaggie; Lisa’s son, Jared; Congressman Tom Reed; and Rotarian Ken Lawton.
Congressman Tom Reed Visits Rotary Club of Jamestown
Trolley No. 93 started life as a deluxe safety car in 1926 and was scrapped in 1938, the end of trolley cars in Jamestown. By 1947, all five Trolley lines in Chautauqua County closed. But the twelve years of service to Jamestown wouldn't be the end of No. 93's story.
After being scrapped, the remaining frame of Trolley No. 93 was moved to French's Cabins on Chautauqua Lake and was repurposed into sleeping cabins for visitors. When French's Cabins closed the trolleys were sold off, No. 93 was moved to Dewittville and used as a hunting camp. There she sat, sinking into the ground until 1996, when Mrs. Mauro Lucariello graciously donated her to Bob Johnson, who wanted to restore the last remaining Jamestown trolley.
Fundraising began and in 2013 No. 93 was moved to her current location, the Gateway Train Station and restoration began in 2014, the year lead restorer Jim Mitchener joined the team. The two men, Bob and Jim, along with their team have restored virtually every part of No. 93. Many Jamestown companies have donated to the project. Bob and Jim use local parts whenever possible. For a detailed description of the restoration, photos, and information about how you can help the project, click here.
With the coming of the National Museum of Comedy, which will include the Gateway Train Station, the future location of No. 93 is a concern but there are possible sites for relocation if necessary. The restoration project is truly amazing and is/will be a continuing asset to our community.
The men behind the restoration are Bob Johnston and Jim Mitchener. Bob is a retired supervisor with the Jamestown Department of Public Works. He developed an interest in local history many years ago and is currently a board member with the Chautauqua County Historical Society. He would like to see the last trolley car restored and preserved for future generation. Jim Mitchener has been a county resident and general contractor for most of his life. he has restored boats and cars and has an interest in steam engines. He signed on to help with the trolley restoration project on National Train Day 2014, and is no doubt the reason the project has advanced to its current state. Thank you gentlemen.
PHOTO: Rotarians Rita Freeborough and Lee Harkness (right) join speakers Jim Mitchener (2nd from left) and Bob Johnston.
At the Rotary Club of Jamestown's meeting on March 21, Misty D. Johnson was named a Paul Harris Fellow. Presenting her with the award was longtime Rotarian and past club president Dudley "Spud" Ericson. Misty joined the club in 2009 and has served the club in a number of ways, including as a past board member, as a member and past chair of the Communications Committee, and as a member of the Invocation and Song Committee. She works in sales at Falconer Printing & Design. She and her husband Travis live in Frewsburg and have one grown son.
Paul Harris Fellows are Rotarians or individuals who make contributions, or who have had contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Donations are used to purchase polio vaccines in support of Rotary's worldwide polio eradication campaign. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation matches gifts to The Rotary Foundation 2:1.
Photo: Misty D. Johnson, left, accepts the Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotarian Dudley "Spud" Ericson.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Mar 14, 2016
The Rotary Club of Jamestown has launched a new website that is fully compatible with mobile devices of all types.
“We felt it was important to keep the club’s website fresh,” said Michael S. Moots, the club’s president. “We know that mobile traffic to websites is increasing as people rely more and more on their mobile devices. We wanted to capture those visits while still providing a robust desktop experience.”
The club’s website runs on the ClubRunner platform, which provides websites to Rotary clubs the world over. The new website design is responsive, meaning that it will automatically provide the visitor with an optimal viewing experience when the site is being viewed on a smartphone screen, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer monitor.
“We invite the community to visit our new website and learn about the Rotary Club of Jamestown and our service projects,” Moots said.
The website was updated by the club’s Publicity Committee, which includes Rotarians Chris Anderson, Misty Johnson, Joel Keefer, Kenneth Omeruo, and Becky Robbins, with assistance from Rotarian Greg Jones. Rotarian Kristen Johnson Lombardi chairs the committee.
Program Committee Rotarian John Lloyd introduced Tom Benson, The Vineyard and BWB partner who also is one of the main driving forces for the National Comedy Center. Tom spoke about the project and even played videos which helped explain the concept of the Center. Of special interest is the electronic survey a visitor will complete at the beginning of the Center experience. Visitors will wear RFID tags around the facility; the chips will determine what the people like individually and will take each person on a personal journey through the Center. Tom explained that the Center is halfway through the design phase; hopes to have all the money by September, 2016; and plans to open in Fall, 2017. The Center will encompass 35,000 square feet, including the two wings of the train station; the former BPU electric substation; and additions including an elevator to the park level on the river side. Rotarians asked many questions and we were reminded that we had given $10,000 to the project. One point made by Tom is that the Center is a National Comedy Center and not a Comedy Hall of Fame.
Photo: Rotarians Sherry Hutley, left, and Dave Painter, right, greet Tom Benson of the National Comedy Center following a recent Rotary Club of Jamestown meeting.
Membership Chair Tory Irgang introduced Randy Sweeney, sponsor of two new members of the Club.
Randy first presented Kirk Young who moved to Jamestown in August 2014 to become the Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing, and Institutional Advancement. Kirk holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Utah Valley University; a master’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University; and a PhD in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. Kirk is married to Katie, who was recently named the executive director of Chautauqua Leadership Network. The couple has three children.
Randy next welcomed Peter Morgante, the Interim Executive Director of Chautauqua Striders, to the Club. Peter earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Masters in reading from SUNY Fredonia. He earned a second master's degree in educational administration from St. Bonaventure University. After teaching, Peter served as principal at Panama Central School and as Superintendent at Alexandria and Pine Valley Central Schools. He also served as Interim Jr./Sr. Principal at Salamanca Central School. Pete is married to Maura, a Randolph kindergarten teacher. The couple has four grown children, including former Rotarian Pete Morgante, and two grandchildren.
President Mike Moots and Tory assisted in initiating the two new members.
Photo: From left are President Mike Moots, Rotarian and Membership Committee chair Tory Irgang, new members Peter Morgante and Kirk Young, and Rotarian Randy Sweeney.
Rotarian Christy Brecht introduced Nate Arnone, Brand Manager of Southern Tier Brewing Co. A Jamestown High School and JCC graduate, Nate graduated in graphic design from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2002, Nate started at the brewery designing sales sheets and now as Brand Manager, designs everything for the brewery. Nate is the son of former Rotarian Bob Arnone.
Nate delivered an interesting and entertaining presentation, complete with beer samples distributed by Rotarians Lisa Yaggie and Christy Brecht who work as Human Resources Director and Controller of the brewery respectively. As the samples were enjoyed, the noise in the room rose, but members were able to learn how and when the brewery began and about its growth over 14 years. He also spoke about the differences between ales, lagers and stouts and noted that the Brewery sells 30 different beers, some seasonally and others sold all year long.
Of the 4,000 craft beer breweries in the United States, Nate said, Southern Tier is now #33 in terms of the amount of beer it produces in each year. A recent partnership with Victory Brewing Company in Pennsylvania under the name “Artisanal Brewing Ventures,” brings the two companies together as the fourth largest craft brewery in the east and brings it into the top 20 craft breweries in the country.
Nate ended the talk by giving away bottle openers and koozies.
Photo: Rotarian Sandy Hatfield, left, with Nate Arnone, Brand Manager at Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Feb 19, 2016
The Rotary Club of Jamestown held its 2016 Fire & Ice Ball on Feb. 6 at Chautauqua Suites in Mayville. The ball is our largest fundraiser and helps us advance our mission of peace through understanding. This year, Rotarian Michelle Jones, left, won the Ice prize, a six-night trip to Iceland to see the northern lights, complete with round-trip flights from New York to Reykjavik, breakfast daily, tours of Reykjavik and a northern lights tour. Micky McCray won the Fire prize, a beautiful 14K gold ruby-and-diamond ring valued at $2,500 donated by Gaylene's on Fluvanna Avenue in Jamestown. Thank you to all who came to Fire & Ice in support of Rotary and its mission!
Jim Parker of Digitell provided an update on his company that is moving into the former M & T Building. He said that he is proud that his employee, Joel Keefer, is on the Rotary Board. He thanked the City, County, Gebbie Foundation and Jamestown Renaissance Corporation for assisting him in making the move with his 30-year-old business possible.
Jim detailed that his company live streams and rebroadcasts , provides webinar solutions, captures quality content and provides content archiving/marketing platforms. For instance, he explained how Digitell employee and Rotarian Joel Keefer was out of town at that moment live streaming a conference with over a hundred people attending in person and 524 attending online. He also spoke about a Conference Talk Show service he started as well as an internet broadcast station in his new building which can be rented for use. Digitell also has an event center in the new facility that will permit them to hold 12 separate events at the same time. Jim said we need more technology jobs here. He says it’s a good paying field and it’s a good community for technology. He loves being in Jamestown and he mentioned that January, 2016, was the company’s best financial month yet..
Jim Parker is an enthusiastic, energetic and entertaining speaker and the members seemed to enjoy hearing his update on his visionary company. John Lloyd was the program chair for the program.
Photo: Jim Parker, center, appeared at the Greater Jamestown Noon Rotary’s recent meeting to provide an update on his company, Digitell. Left is Rotary President Mike Moots, while Program Committee Member John Lloyd is pictured, right.
John Lloyd introduced Peter Sullivan, a retired financial planner, Jamestown native and long-time community leader. Peter played miniature golf at Midway Park last summer with one of his grandsons, and found the little course to be in deplorable condition. He got the idea of renovating it and went through all the proper channels to do so as the park is now a State Park and has a “Friends of Midway” organization.
Peter stated that the new course will be known as “Putt A-Round” (PAR) at Chautauqua Lake, Midway Park. The course will be 50% larger than it is now, complete with stonework and wood construction. A 7-foot stainless steel golf ball is part of the new design, along with a fountain to be lit at night. Gary Peters, Jr., will paint Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’ pictures on the ticket booth. New tees are being created locally, with new carpeting. Each of 18 holes have been donated at $4,000 each. A party room/weather shelter is being built as part of the course. There will even be a Miller Bell Tower that needs a $15,000 sponsor. There will be landscaping purchased by the State of New York with volunteers from the Friends of Midway group volunteering time to do the work. The course is designed by a company from Traverse City, Michigan. Donations toward the project may be mailed to “Friends of Midway,” at P.O. Box E, Maple Springs. Anyone who contributes $100 or more will be recognized on signage at the Putt A Round.
Photo: President Mike Moots, speaker Peter Sullivan, and Rotarian John Lloyd.
John Paul Wolfe spoke on behalf of the Chautauqua County Historical Society. Founded in 1883 as the Chautauqua History and Science Society the organization has adapted to meet the growing needs of the county. The Society was originally housed in Mayville, New York and moved to Westfield, to the current location, the McClug Museum in 1951, saving the building from demolition. The Society had purchased the Peacock Inn in Mayville but relented to local pressure and sold the building to private investors. Unfortunately the Peacock was eventually lost to the wrecking ball but through artful negotiating on the part of the Society the Land Office vault was saved and survives today. The McClurg Museum recently went through a Historic Structures Report process and is currently under renovation for necessary repairs.
The Chautauqua Country Historical Society is governed by a fifteen member working Board of Directors representing all areas of the county. All directors are volunteers and each is assigned a specific duty, Mr. Wolfe is the McClurg Museum curator. The museum collection includes massive amounts of paper and portraits. In all it is estimated there are 400,000 to 500,000 items in the collection. In addition to maintaining and preserving the collection the Historical Society publishes a newsletter quarterly, offers a speakers series during the summer and has undertaken the daunting task of digitizing thousands of letters and documents and making them available to the public.
New members are always welcome and membership information can be found here.
Mr. Wolfe is a graduate of Jamestown High School, Allegheny College, University of Gugarat, and the University of Buffalo. He taught High School Art at Cassadaga Valley Central School for thirty years. He has served his community on the Palace Civic Center Founding Committee, as Board President of the Patterson Library, on the Village of Westfield Planning Board, as Chairman, Supervisory Committee Inner Lakes Credit Union and as a volunteer for the Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Chautauqua County Historical Society, the Westfield Antique Show, and as Curator for the McClurg Museum. Mr. Wolfe is also a Paul Harris Fellow.
Photo: Speaker John Paul Wolfe, curator of the McClurg Museum and Rotarian John Lloyd.
John Paul Wolfe - Chautauqua County Historical Society
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Dec 23, 2015
Christmas traditions in other countries are fascinating to learn about -- and at its Dec. 21 meeting, the Rotary Club of Jamestown had the opportunity to do just that when Rotary Exchange students Irina Rey of Switzerland and José Bazán of Spain spoke to club members about their Christmas traditions.
In Switzerland, Rey said, Advent marks the start of Christmas preparations, and each family has an Advent calendar filled with treats and sweets for each day. Christmas markets are popular and her family traditionally takes a holiday ski trip. Christmas Eve is marked with a midnight church service. Good children might be visited on Dec. 6 by Samichlaus, the Swiss version of St. Nicholas, but naughty children are visited by Schmutzli, swathed in dark robes with a face covered in soot.
Christmas is different for Bazán's family. On Christmas Eve, his extended family comes over for dinner and family members prepare the meal together before attending a midnight mass. On Dec. 26, children write letters to the three kings who brought gifts to the Christ child. While children receive some gifts on Christmas, most typically open gifts brought to them by the kings on Epiphany, Jan. 5. But gifts aren't placed beneath the tree -- children leave shoes on window sills, balconies, or near the tree to be filled with gifts. The shoes represent those worn by the wise men on their journey to see baby Jesus. On Epiphany, the entire family is awakened before gifts are opened, and then -- in Bazán's words -- they "eat the best breakfast of the year," called roscon de reyes, or king's ring, a moist fruitcake. Once gifts are opened, the family might gather 'round and watch a concert on television.
Advancing world peace through understanding is one of Rotary's most cherished missions. Special thanks to Irina and José for expanding our understanding of our world!
From left are Rotarian Cheri Krull, Irina, and José.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Dec 22, 2015
The Rotary Club of Jamestown welcomed Denise Jones, the executive director of The Resource Center, to membership during its meeting on Dec. 21, 2015.
Denise began working at The Resource Center in 1990 as an internal auditor. In 2002, she was named its Chief Financial Officer and in 2008 was named its Associate Executive Director. She has been directly involved in the growth of The Resource Center from an operating budget of $17 million to more than $100 million today, along with the expansive development of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A Jamestown native, Denise is an alumna of Jamestown High School and Jamestown Community College. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in accounting from SUNY Binghamton and a master's degree in Strategic Leadership from Roberts Wesleyan College.
She has long been involved in the community as a board member for the Girl Scouts of America and the treasurer and a board member at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. A member of Bemus Point United Methodist Church, Denise lives in Jamestown with her husband, Steve, and their children Christopher and Dana.
Pictured above are, from left, Rotarian and Rotary Club of Jamestown past president Diana Meckley and Denise Jones. Meckley sponsored Jones's membership.
Jamestown High School Acapella Choir Director Norm Lydell, left, with choir members McKenna Graham and Tristen Parsons and Rotary Club of Jamestown Vice President Joelle Washer at the Rotary Club of Jamestown's Dec. 7 special meeting at First Lutheran Church. The Rotary Club enjoyed lunch followed by a performance by the choir.
From left are The Rev. Dan Nagle of First Lutheran Church, Rotarian Sharon Hamilton, and Rotary Club of Jamestown Vice President Joelle Washer.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Dec 04, 2015
Earlier this year, the Rotary Club of Jamestown donated $2,500 toward the purchase of a surgical kit forSave the Mothers, an international organization founded in 2004 that promotes maternal health in the developing world. Accepting the gift from the Rotary Club of Jamestown is Marijka Lampard, center, a Rotarian whose son John is a member of the Save the Mothers U.S.A. Board of Directors. Presenting Lampard with the check are, from left, Rotary Club of Jamestown president Michael Moots and club president-elect Gary Padak.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Dec 04, 2015
Four members were recently inducted into the Rotary Club of Jamestown. They included Kenneth Omeruo and Kay Marker Magneson, who were inducted on Nov. 30; and Kevin Sixbey and Sherry Hutley, who were inducted on Oct. 19. One of the most valuable things about Rotary is the fellowship and goodwill it engenders amongst club members and members of Rotary International as a whole. We feel incredibly lucky to welcome these four civic-minded individuals to our Club. Congratulations, all, and welcome to Rotary!
Ken Omeruo is a native of Nigeria who moved to Jamestown with his family in August 2014. Before he moved to the United States, he began a media and publicity company which counted technology companies from the United States, Israel, South Africa, and Dubai amongst its clients. Omeruo is the author of "How to Create Unlimited Internet Wealth" and is a member numerous professional organizations that champion technology, innovation, and youth entrepreneurship in Africa. Pictured above are, from left, Rotarian Tory Irgang, Omeruo, and his sponsor, Rotarian Lisa Goodell.
Kay Marker Magneson is a renowned stained-glass artist who lives in Bemus Point with her husband, the Rev. Lee Magneson. Lee and Kay were married on Nov. 29, the day before her induction into the Rotary Club of Jamestown. Lee Magneson, who sponsored his wife's membership, said he was thrilled to marry such a lovely woman one day and induct her into a service organization that he holds near and dear to his heart the next day. Pictured above are, from left, Irgang, Kay Marker Magneson, and her husband and sponsor, Rotarian Lee Magneson.
Kevin Sixbey is the owner of Sixbey Insurance Agency, which he founded in 2014, an independent insurance agency that provides property and casualty insurance solutions for businesses and individuals. He is the founding president and coach of the Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association; a former city of Jamestown parks commissioner; and is active in the Boy Scouts of America. Pictured above are Sixbey and Rotarian Sharon Hamilton, who sponsored his membership.
Sherry Hutley is the director of sponsorships and marketing for the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. She's a graduate of Jamestown Business College and began her career working in advertising at The Post-Journal. Pictured above are Hutley and Rotarian Dean Weaver, who sponsored her membership.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Dec 04, 2015
During the Rotary Club of Jamestown's meeting on Nov. 30, Chuck Telford spoke about the history of radio in Jamestown. Telford, who now works for the Media One Group in radio sales, began his career in radio nearly 50 years ago and throughout his career has worked for local stations WJTN, WKSN, WHUG, WDOE, and stations in Oneonta, Calif. When WJTN was originally licensed in 1936, it was as WOCL. In those days, Telford said, a station's call letters meant something; WOCL was an acronym for We're On Chautauqua Lake. He said Jamestown's first radio station was put on the air by Archie Newton who stole the necessary electricity from a young city which, in 1920, was just beginning to run electricity to homes. In 1979, the radio tower at what is now Media One's office on Orchard Road was brought down during an ice storm, knocking their stations off the air. But Telford said a coat hanger on a telephone pole got them back up and running -- with a broadcast range of approximately three blocks. Pictured above are, from left, Rotarians Spud Ericson and Russ Ecklund, Telford, and Rotarian Gordie Black, all of whom are members of the "Braw Caddie Clan," a Jamestown High School fraternity.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Nov 23, 2015
Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese, an obstetrician with more than 20 years of experience and the founder of Save the Mothers, an international organization founded in 2004 that promotes maternal health in the developing world, spoke to the Rotary Club of Jamestown during its Nov. 23 meeting. Earlier this year, the Rotary Club of Jamestown donated $2,500 toward the purchase of a surgical kit for the organization.
During her presentation, Dr. Chamberlain Froese said 800 women in developing countries die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications every day and as many as 3 million babies die in their first week of life, many because of poor prenatal care. To illustrate the scope of the problem, Dr. Chamberlain Froese compared Canada and Uganda. While both countries have the same population, Canada loses between 20 and 30 mothers to childbirth each year while Uganda loses 6,000. Mothers are lost in developing countries because of a delay in seeking care and a delay in transportation. Many women in developing countries have no money with which to seek care and, in many cases, don't have the ability to consent for themselves. What's more, mothers in developing countries typically walk everywhere -- sometimes as many as 5 kilometers to the nearest health center. Dr. Chamberlain Froese said these challenges together account for 50 percent of childbirth-related deaths in developing countries.
Since its inception, Save the Mothers has trained more than 400 East African professionals, who each have earned a masters degree in public health leadership from the organization. These professionals have included five members of the Ugandan parliament, an editor who leads the second-largest newspaper in Uganda, a local mayor and the owner of a school, and the leader of a major church. "It's important that we equip local professionals with the ability to influence positive social change through their specific vocations," Dr. Chamberlain Froese said.
What's most striking, Dr. Chamberlain Froese said, is the closeness of these mothers and their plight. "We are all part of a global community -- a very small global community," she said. "In just one day's travel from your local airport, you can be face-to-face with these mothers who so desperately need help. They're dying of preventable pregnancy complications, just one day's travel away from you. They're so close to us, closer than we might believe. It's so important to recognize that and reach out to help where and when we can."
Dr. Chamberlain Froese is the author of the award-winning Where Have All the Mothers Gone?, a book of essays highlighting the struggles faced by mothers in developing countries. To order the book, click here. Proceeds benefit Save the Mothers.
PHOTO: From left are Rotary Club of Jamestown president-elect Gary Padak; Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese, the founder of Save the Mothers; Mary Harvey, chairman of the Save the Mothers Canada board of directors; John Lampard, a member of the Save the Mothers U.S.A. board of directors; and Rotarian Marijka Lampard.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Nov 23, 2015
Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese, an obstetrician with more than 20 years of experience and the founder of Save the Mothers, an international organization founded in 2004 that promotes maternal health in the developing world, spoke to the Rotary Club of Jamestown during its Nov. 23 meeting. Earlier this year, the Rotary Club of Jamestown donated $2,500 toward the purchase of a surgical kit for the organization.
During her presentation, Dr. Chamberlain Froese said 800 women in developing countries die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications every day and as many as 3 million babies die in their first week of life, many because of poor prenatal care. To illustrate the scope of the problem, Dr. Chamberlain Froese compared Canada and Uganda. While both countries have the same population, Canada loses between 20 and 30 mothers to childbirth each year while Uganda loses 6,000. Mothers are lost in developing countries because of a delay in seeking care and a delay in transportation. Many women in developing countries have no money with which to seek care and, in many cases, don't have the ability to consent for themselves. What's more, mothers in developing countries typically walk everywhere -- sometimes as many as 5 kilometers to the nearest health center. Dr. Chamberlain Froese said these challenges together account for 50 percent of childbirth-related deaths in developing countries.
Since its inception, Save the Mothers has trained more than 400 East African professionals, who each have earned a masters degree in public health leadership from the organization. These professionals have included five members of the Ugandan parliament, an editor who leads the second-largest newspaper in Uganda, a local mayor and the owner of a school, and the leader of a major church. "It's important that we equip local professionals with the ability to influence positive social change through their specific vocations," Dr. Chamberlain Froese said. What's most striking, Dr. Chamberlain Froese said, is the closeness of these mothers and their plight. "We are all part of a global community -- a very small global community," she said. "In just one day's travel from your local airport, you can be face-to-face with these mothers who so desperately need help. They're dying of preventable pregnancy complications, just one day's travel away from you. They're so close to us, closer than we might believe. It's so important to recognize that and reach out to help where and when we can."
Dr. Chamberlain Froese is the author of the award-winning Where Have All the Mothers Gone?, a book of essays highlighting the struggles faced by mothers in developing countries. To order the book, click here. Proceeds benefit Save the Mothers.
PHOTO: From left are Rotary Club of Jamestown president-elect Gary Padak; Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese, the founder of Save the Mothers; Mary Harvey, chairman of the Save the Mothers Canada board of directors; John Lampard, a member of the Save the Mothers U.S.A. board of directors; and Rotarian Marijka Lampard.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Nov 18, 2015
Cmdr. John Plumb, a former White House military aide, spoke to the Rotary Club of Jamestown during its Nov. 16 meeting about the process used in making national security decisions. Plumb, a Chautauqua County native and Navy Reserve commander who holds a PhD in aerospace engineering, previously worked for the Pentagon as the Principal Director for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy. He later worked at the White House as a staff member for the National Security Council. During his talk, Plumb outlined the hierarchy that governs national security decisions and how decisions move laterally or up the chain of command to the president. He acknowledged that, "from the outside looking in," the process and hierarchy look complicated, but stressed that "there is more continuity in national security policy and decision-making than most people realize."
Katie Geise, program chair for the day, introduced Katie Castro, a Bemus Point native, who lives in Honduras with her husband and two daughters, Zoey and Lucy. Mrs. Castro took a mission trip to Honduras annually with her church in her high school years; at 17, she spent summers there to teach English as a Second Language. She then led trips for college students, and at age 21, moved there, and founded a non-profit organization to help at-risk youth in Honduras.
Mrs. Castro’s second child died in Honduras because of the lack of quality Honduran maternal care in that country. First, her baby Lily was born with severe birth defects that were missed during her prenatal care; she had operations and did better, but suffered brain damage due to a nurse waiting twenty minutes for a doctor to help resuscitate Lily when she stopped breathing. Finally, despite the fact that someone flew the family to Texas Children’s Hospital for no charge, the doctors there found that Lily could never breathe on her own. She died at five days old.
This experience led the Castros to ask Honduran doctors what they could do to be sure nothing like this happened to other families. They were shown units for babies in Honduras where 44 babies occupied seven incubators. Parents were sobbing as 53% of newborns there are dying because of lack of room and lack of numbers of medical help. A hospital built to serve 7,000 births a year, actually treats 16,563 a year. The Castros decided to help by serving as a voice for newborns. In 2014, they established a non-profit here called Angels of Hope to raise money for an addition to the hospital in the capitol city of Honduras; they have raised $35,000 toward the $350,000 goal. A long-term goal is to build a hospital for mothers and children to prevent this high rate of fatalities. Mrs. Castro, who is only 27, still lives in Honduras and returns periodically to Bemus Point.
After a touching and inspiring program, members adjourned.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Oct 06, 2015
When Joni Blackman -- a longtime Rotarian and the director of the Fenton History Center since 2004 -- gets passionate about a topic, she takes it all the way. For the Rotary Club of Jamestown's Oct. 5 meeting, members traveled to the Fenton Mausoleum at Lake View Cemetery. There, they met Blackman, who was dressed up as Reuben Fenton's second wife, Elizabeth Scudder Fenton. In character, Blackman told Mrs. Fenton's story to a rapt audience. With her husband, Mrs. Fenton said, she had "caught myself a real gem" -- Fenton was eager to make a name for himself by helping others, a quality Mrs. Fenton loved. She spoke about her husband's time as the Town of Carroll supervisor, as a U.S. Congressman, as Governor of New York, as a U.S. Senator, and as the founder of the Republican Party in Chautauqua County. But she also spoke about her husband as a sort of one-man business incubator: Fenton would regularly make loans of $1,000 -- the equivalent of about $25,000 today -- to entrepreneurs and allow them to live at the mansion while they got their businesses off the ground. Mrs. Fenton also spoke of her husband's legacy: during his tenure as Governor, Cornell University was founded, a free public school system was initiated, and relief measures were sanctioned that benefited veterans. When Fenton died, Jamestown all but shut down for three days. More than 10,000 people lined the streets from what is now the Fenton History Center to Lake View Cemetery to see him laid to rest. After Mrs. Fenton finished speaking, she invited Rotarians to see the inside of the Fenton Mausoleum, the only mausoleum at Lake View Cemetery to contain a basement.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Sep 29, 2015
"Every hero has a story." That was the message during the Prendergast Library's 2015 Summer Reading Challenge, held between June 20 and August 15. The challenge's theme was "Every Hero Has A Story," and enabled children to meet local heroes, such as nurses and firefighters, learn about their professions, and participate in corresponding literacy programming. Earlier this year, the Rotary Club of Jamestown sponsored the reading challenge with a gift of $2,500. During the club's Sept. 28 meeting, members learned that the program had been a resounding success. Tina Scott, the executive director of the library, and Annie Greene, the manager of public services there, spoke to club members about the challenge and said that throughout the summer, participating readers logged 179,902 minutes read and 39 participating teenagers read 330 books. And best of all, the challenge reached approximately 2,400 children and nearly 2,000 parents in the community. Pictured above are, from left, Annie Greene, Tina Scott, and Rotary Club of Jamestown President-Elect Gary Padak.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Sep 29, 2015
During the Sept. 28 meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, Paul Cesana and his wife, Tish Brady, were honored as Paul Harris Fellows. The occasion marked the second such time that Cesana has been named a Paul Harris Fellow. A longtime Rotarian, Cesana recently retired after 27 years as the executive director of The Resource Center. Brady is the chief operating officer at Catholic Charities of Western New York, a position she has held for the last 15 years. Paul Harris Fellows are Rotarians or individuals who make contributions, or who have had contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Donations are used to purchase polio vaccines in support of Rotary's worldwide polio eradication campaign. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation matches gifts to The Rotary Foundation on a 2:1 basis. In Cesana and Brady's case, this match enabled the purchase of 5,000 doses of the vaccine. Pictured above are, from left, Rotary Club of Jamestown president Michael S. Moots; Cesana; Brady; and Rotarian Dudley "Spud" Ericson.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on 25 September that Nigeria is now polio-free and has been officially removed from the list of countries where polio is endemic. It’s been 14 months since any cases of polio caused by the wild virus have been detected there.
With Nigeria’s historic achievement, polio remains endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. That means transmission of the virus has never been stopped there.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Sep 21, 2015
During its Sept. 21 meeting, the Rotary Club of Jamestown heard a presentation from the Rev. Luke Fodor of St. Luke's Episcopal Church about the Children of the Book Reading Camp, which was held at the church between June 29 and July 25. Earlier this summer, Rotary Club of Jamestown sponsored the reading camp with a gift of $2,500. Rev. Fodor said the camp was a success, with as many as 20 children participating each week. As part of the camp, children enjoyed group activities; attention from certified teachers who worked with the children to teach them phonics, writing, and reading; and partner reading with community volunteers.
"This was intended to create a transformative relationship for both the kids and the community," Rev. Fodor said of the program. "This program emotionally impacted every person in the parish. One child told me, 'I wish this were my home.' That's what this community, working through this program, enabled us to do. It honestly turned into a life celebration and a real opportunity for engagement with children and families who might not otherwise have it. It mobilized people in our community and it was an incredibly humbling experience."
From left are Willow Fodor; the Rev. Paul Fodor; Rotarian Cheri Krull, a member of the club's Literacy Committee; and Rotarian Sally Martinez, chair of the club's Literacy Committee.
Posted by Kristen Johnson Lombardi on Sep 15, 2015
At the September 14 meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, Greg Peterson, an attorney with Philips-Lytle LLC and Jamestown's own interviewer extraordinaire, spoke about a series of interviews he performed with members of the 1964 and 1965 Buffalo Bills American Football League championship teams. He has interviewed several players from that championship team, including Jack Kemp, Booker Edgerson, and Paul McGuire. During his presentation, Peterson played a video featuring vignettes from his interviews with these Buffalo Bills legends, along with clips of coverage from the championship games and the seasons leading up to them. His presentation was timely, as the Buffalo Bills honored the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship teams at halftime during their Sunday, Sept. 13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. During the celebration, 18 surviving members of those championship teams took a bow at midfield and enjoyed a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Pictured above are, from left, Rotarian Mark Baldwin; Rotarian Mark Olson, arguably the Club's biggest Buffalo Bills fan; and Greg Peterson.
Amit Taneja, Chief Diversity Officer of Chautauqua Institution since May of last year spoke about his reception when he moved to the area, his early impressions of the area and his recommendations going forward. He also spoke about how his early life and career choices have given him exceptional insights for his duties. 
Assemblyman Andy Goodell (left) with Vince Horrigan
David and Marissa Troxell (left) with the students of Kolinieri School and Kerry Ann Frost from the Camberwell, Melbourne Australia Rotary Club 
Geof Follansbee, Vice President of Advancement at Chautauqua Institution, speaks to Jamestown Rotary via Zoom.
Stacey Hannon introduced Jeremy and Liz Gruber, who are personal friends. Liz graduated from JHS in 1998. She loves to learn and holds degrees in history, teaching, and a Masters in Library Science from JCC, Fredonia State and UB. In addition to owning Peterson’s Candies she is Head of Libraries at Fredonia Central School and mother to son, Jonah. Jeremy is also a local guy who graduated from Panama and has a degree in accounting from the University of Dayton. In 2007 Jeremy returned to Jamestown and the two met and they were married in 2011.
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