StarNewsDaily.com – Week of December 29, 2011 – Vol.4, No. 40 – FREE
A Year In Review Looking back at 2011
Another year has come and gone, but it didn’t just creep by. Given Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, it’s safe to say time could actually be speeding up. Chautauqua County has been witness to quite a year. We all celebrated 200 years as a county in various ways throughout most of the year. Bemus Point and Stow Ferry celebrated their bicentennial in a spectacular event at the Floating Stage. The Chautauqua County Fair was a great staple for the county for another year and Silver
Creek’s Grape Festival wrapped up the summer with another successful run. Here at Star Media Group, we’ve spent the year building our paper and enhancing our interactive website, www.StarNewsDaily.com. With a new look and revised layout, the community has rallied behind our paper as we bring you the best content in the county, and showcase the tremendous variety of local businesses that call this area home. Over the summer, we plowed
forward with a project near and dear to our hearts- the Lucille Ball 100th Anniversary Edition of the DFT Communications Chautauqua County Directory. Its third year in print, the comprehensive phonebook has grown with each generation, and we’re excited to see where things go next year. Together, we’re helping to unite Chautauqua County in a way that’s never been done before. It has been an exhilarating year with you, our readers and advertisers. We pride ourselves on being a news
source that is reputable and prints only the most uplifting and exciting news available, and you make it easy for us to do that. Thank you for being so faithful to our company. Please enjoy this special edition of the Chautauqua Star, as we reflect on such a memorable year in this great county. Flip through the pages, read and remember all the wonderful things that have happened. Here’s to a great year with you in 2012! —The Staff of Star Media Group
A Year In Review
Inside This Week
Bridging the Gap
2012 County Directory Brings Together North, South By Scott Wise Star News Editor
For the third year in a row, DFT Communications has collaborated with The Maytum Company and Star Media Group to bring Chautauqua County one of the best countywide directories in the nation. This year the much-loved phone book comes with a lovable twist; the 100th birthday of Lucille Ball, the infamous county native. County residents should keep a close eye on their mailboxes as the Chautauqua County Community Directory makes its way to each and every home in the county. As you can readily see in the photo, the cover of this year’s directory brings a simple message of pride and elegance with it. Lucille Ball, who is originally from Celeron, would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year. The phone book is due to be released to coincide with this momentous event for the county. “This is a book we are especially proud to present this year,” said Mark Maytum, President and COO of DFT Communications. “We know the affection people not only from our county but from all over the world feel for Lucille Ball. The commemoration of her 100th birthday is truly a very special time to honor one of our most treasured and loved people of all times.” Different from previous years, the book will not only be mailed to all residents but will also be available for purchase in a special commemorative edition, with the Lucille Ball Anniversary Logo embossed on the front cover. ““This year’s directory honors a true legend of our time,” said Kurt Maytum, President and CTO for DFT.
“We felt that this was a perfect time to honor such a tremendous woman with roots right here in Chautauqua County. We knew that residents of the county and Lucille Ball enthusiasts from all over the country would be pleased with this tribute.”
DFT Communications is a telecommunications company located in Fredonia that has operated successfully for over 100 years. Started by the Maytum Family in 1898, they are now owned by the Lynch Interactive Corporation, or LITC. The company maintains a powerful local influence
that can only be gained by establishment throughout history. For years, DFT has produced a phone book for northern Chautauqua County. For the past three years the company has enlisted The Maytum Company (yes, the same group that produces the great paper you’re currently holding and the website starnewsdaily.com) to produce a directory that crosses to provide the same great services to south county residents and businesses. Dan Siracuse, Marketing & Public Relations Manager for DFT Communications, has been involved with the production of the directory both before and after it became county wide. He has seen first hand the changes that have taken place and the positive community reception to those changes. “It’s tremendous,” said Siracuse. “I’ve seen each year how it’s grown. I’m out with the public and people regularly say, ‘This is the best book around.’ DFT has had the phone book in the north county for years, but this is something new in the south county and it’s been tremendous.” Sales for the directory have increased every year and more and more businesses are pursuing advertising the DFT Directory due to the countywide coverage they receive for the same price they’d pay for lesser promotion. Watch your mailbox for this year’s copy of the DFT Chautauqua County Community Directory, or request a commemorative edition from The Maytum Company by calling (716) 366-5200 or writing to DFT Commemorative Directory, c/o The Maytum Company, 4867 W. Lake Rd., Dunkirk, NY 14048.
A Year in Review Main, pgs 5–10 Entertainment, pgs 6–16 Sports, pgs 1–4