A monthly newsletter from the
Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce May 2017 Mornings on Main: Have Coffee with the Chamber In a continuing effort to seek ways we can support our local business community, the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is holding weekly coffee hours throughout the county over the next several weeks. Mornings on Main is designed to start a conversation with local business people about their needs and how the Chamber can help. The initial Mornings on Main session was held at Lakewood Diner, Chautauqua Avenue in Lakewood on May 2 and featured a good conversation about opportunities and challenges for local small businesses. Additional Mornings on Main sessions will be held Tuesday mornings at 8am in conjunction with our Community Chambers, as follows: May 9 – Demetri’s, Lake Shore Drive West, Dunkirk May 16 – Domus Fare, 41 West Main Street, Fredonia May 23 – Brick City Market, 101 West Fourth Street, Jamestown May 30 – Parkview Café, 3 East Main Street, Westfield June 6 – J & B Mayville Diner, 7 West Chautauqua Avenue, Mayville June 13 – Tom’s Family Restaurant, Irving If you are a business owner or manager interested in “heating up” your sales, join us for coffee! All local business people are invited, and you don’t have to be a member of the Chamber to participate. The Chamber is buying the coffee, but breakfast is on your own. Immediately following our coffee hour, Chamber staff and board members will be walking through the community to meet with local business people to touch base with members and prospective members.
Calendar of Chamber and Chamber Member Events
5/12 - Grape Expectations Wine Festival, Clarion, Dunkirk 5/13 - 10am-4pm, The Jamestown Area Railway Heritage Center and Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce present National Train Day at Northwest Arena, Jamestown, featuring train displays and exhibits, steam engine display, toy train show, free admission 5/13 - 1-5pm, Northwest Arena, 3rd Annual Taste of the Trail Wine Festival 5/13 - 2pm, Rockin' for Recovery Concert & Awareness Fair featuring Brielle, Shawbucks, Jamestown 5/13 - 12:30 pm, Der Rosenkavalier, Live at the Met production at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House 5/17-31 - Lean Boot Camp, JCC Jamestown with UB TCIE 5/18 - Experience Chautauqua Business After Hours Aboard the Summer Wind 5/18 - 2pm, Audubon Community Nature Center leading Wildflower Hike at Warren's Hatch Run Conservation Area 5/19 - 7:30pm, Branson on the Road, 1891 Fredonia Opera House 5/20 - 7pm, Johnson Estate Wine & Cheese Pairing Event with Reverie Creamery 5/25 - 1:30-5pm, Wellness Day, Brookdale, Lakewood, call 665-2414 6/2 - Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce County Executive Breakfast, 8:30am, Chautauqua Golf Club 6/2-4 - Attic & Seller Days, Community wide yard sale, Fredonia Community Chamber of Commerce For a year-round list of festivals and events, check the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau Calendar For a complete list of courses through JCC Continuing Ed in Jamestown and Dunkirk, check the online course catalog
Chamber Spring Membership Drive Off to a Strong Start The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Spring Membership Drive is off to a great start! Businesses are recognizing the value that the Chamber can deliver. With eighteen new members that joined during National Small Business Week, the Chamber is continuing to meet with prospective members who want to participate in all the Chamber has to offer. One outstanding reason to join is to boost your business' visibility. The Chamber's online business directory results in an average of 14,000 referrals and impressions per day for local, Chamber member businesses. Joining the Chamber also helps to boost Google search results for local businesses. New members so far are: Sleepytime Anesthesia, Brocton; Dunkirk Historical Society and Just Like New, in Dunkirk; Prime Steakhouse, Falconer; Sir PrintsAlot, Fredonia; Bloomquist's Landscaping, Jamestown; Appliance Service Company, Deppas Insurance, Edward Jones Investments, Marlinski Landscape & Stonework, Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, and Ryders Cup, all in Lakewood; Chautauqua’s Gateway Graphics, Mayville Auto Parts, and Timeless Treasures, Mayville; Hurley Care Solutions, Rochester; Can Kings Bottle & Can Redemption, Silver Creek; and Manes & Canes Farm, Westfield. The Spring Membership Drive continues through June 15, with exciting opportunities for new members to participate in Experience Chautauqua Business After Hours networking events aboard the Summer Wind on May 18 or at Johnson Estate Winery on June 15. All new members will be entered to win prizes including a two pack of LECOM Health Challenge Web.com Tour PGA tickets for this summer, dinner for two at Webb's Captain's Table, a one-night stay with continental breakfast at Chautauqua Suites, a second year Chamber membership for free, or a $300 value stay and golf package at Peek'n Peak Resort. For more information about the value of membership in the Chamber, please call 366-6200 or 484-1101, or visit our website at www.chautauquachamber.org.
Grape Expectations Wine Festival May 12 The Dunkirk and Fredonia Community Chambers of Commerce invite everyone to attend the Grape Expectations Wine Festival from 6-8pm, Friday, May 12 at the Clarion Hotel, 30 Lake Shore Drive, East, Dunkirk. This tasting event will showcase wines from Chautauqua County and the Lake Erie Wine Trail. The cost is $15 per person, or two for $25, which will include wine tasting, light appetizers, music, a complimentary wine glass, and much more. You can register online at www.chautauquachamber.org/events or call the Chamber at 366-6200. Tickets are available for pre-sale in the Chamber’s office in Dunkirk at 10785 Bennett Road and will also be available at the door, or you can sign up online at www.chautauquachamber.org/events and tickets will be held for you at the door.
Sail on the Summer Wind May 18 The Chamber’s annual Experience Chautauqua Business After Hours event aboard the Summer Wind cruiser will be held Thursday, May 18. Space aboard the ship is limited, so we encourage Chamber members to sign up soon for this special evening, at a cost of just $15 for members or $18 for nonmember business people. In addition, if a business joins during the membership drive, they would be eligible to attend free of charge with their new member complimentary networking passes. The evening includes lots of appetizers, a cash bar, door prize drawings, and a beautiful cruise on Chautauqua Lake. In addition, on this cruise, the Chamber’s Spring Membership Drive prizes will be drawn. The Experience Chautauqua Business After Hours Summer Wind Cruise is sponsored by Affinity One Federal Credit Union, Infinity Resources, and M & T Bank, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, Star Media Group, and WJTN/SE-93/WKSN/WHUG/WQFX. Sign up now on the Chamber’s website at www.chautauquachamber.org/events or call 366-6200 or 484-1101. Dockside check-in will begin at 4:30pm and the ship will leave the dock promptly at 5pm and return at 6:30pm. Don’t miss the boat!
Lakewood Diner Celebrates Grand Opening The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce organized a ribbon cutting at the grand opening of Lakewood Diner (formerly Mindy's Place.) Lakewood Mayor Cara Birrittieri held the ribbon while the owners, Morgan Hatrick and Sara Pang, slashed it with an enormous pair of scissors. Just prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony Lakewood Diner was host to the first Mornings on Main business discussion. Mornings on Main is a series of small businesses meetings organized by the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce that are occurring across the County. These sessions are focused on hearing the needs of small business owners, sharing best practices and identifying opportunities to increase sales. During the Mornings on Main discussion, topics ranged from community based marketing and events to local sourcing and support of local businesses. There was optimism and support from the group to develop strategies that bring local businesses together to invigorate the Village of Lakewood. After the discussions and ceremony, most attendees stayed to enjoy Lakewood Diner's cozy atmosphere and home-style meals. Lakewood Diner is located at 48 Chautauqua Avenue in the village of Lakewood and is open every day from 7:00am-2:00pm. Photo Caption: Helping to cut the ribbon at Lakewood Diner are (L-R) Lee Harkness, Chamber of Commerce; Bill Burley, Century 21 Realty; Scott Mekus, Eventz by Scott; Todd Tranum, Chamber President and CEO; Owners Sara Pang and Morgan Hatrick; Mayor Cara Birrittieri; Phil Persons and Emily Anderson, KeyBank; and Guy Ditonto, Chamber of Commerce.
County Executive Breakfast June 2 Each year the Chamber of Commerce provides an opportunity for its members to meet directly with the County Executive and ask questions. This year that date will be Friday, June 2 at Chautauqua Golf Club, Route 394, Mayville. County Executive Vince Horrigan will be our special guest. Breakfast begins at 8:30, with registration opening at 8am. The County Executive Breakfast is sponsored by: Chautauqua Institution, Compeer, DFT Communications, Jamestown Mattress Company, Lawley Insurance, Nestle Purina PetCare, Phillips Lytle LLP, The Post-Journal, Serta Mattress Company, Star Media, STEL, and UPMC Chautauqua WCA, and WJTN/SE93/WKSN/WHUG/WQFX. To make reservations, please call the Chamber at 366-6200 or 484-1101, or register online at www.chautauquachamber.org/events.
Dunkirk Community Chamber Recognizes Tanya Tramuta Quarterly, the Dunkirk Community Chamber of Commerce honors a local Chamber member with a brief statement about the business and its commitment to the local community. This month’s Business Honoree is Tanya Tramuta of Tastefully Simple. Tastefully Simple is a direct sales company founded in 1995 in Alexandria, Minnesota by a single mom who wanted to spend more time with her son. Tastefully Simple updates our product line semiannually in March and September. We offer gluten free items as well as eat well items and recipes. We have several meal kits that are offered through our rewards program and can be shipped direct to customers for a discounted price. Ms. Tramuta has been employed by Tastefully Simple for 9 years and is currently a Team Manager, supervising a team of twelve in several states. The company offers freezer meal workshops, in-home tastings, catalog and Facebook parties, and participates at vendor events. Tastefully Simply also offers fund raiser options to local groups and organizations. Ms. Tramuta is a member of the Dunkirk Community Chamber of Commerce board, the Festivals Fredonia board, is co-leader of two Girl Scout troops, and is Vice President of NYS Women’s Inc., Chadwick Bay Chapter.
MAST Annual Meeting Recognizes Women in Manufacturing With a special recognition for the role of women in manufacturing careers, the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier held its Annual Meeting Thursday at Artone, 1089 Allen Street. Young women who are students
at the Jamestown Community College Manufacturing Technology Institute were recognized, and a special national award was presented to a local woman in manufacturing. Lori Jafarjian, Senior HR Generalist at Cummins, Inc., was honored with a STEP Ahead Award, presented by the Manufacturing Institute. Recognizing that women make up 47 percent of the labor force, but just 29 percent of the manufacturing workforce, the Manufacturing Institute launched the STEP Ahead initiative in 2012 to celebrate women in manufacturing who are making a difference through advocacy, mentorship, engagement, promotion, and leadership. The annual STEP Ahead Awards highlight the achievements of women and celebrate their accomplishments. To date, the Institute has honored 672 women in manufacturing. The award to Ms. Jafarjian was presented locally by Jehuu Caulcrick, Director of Industrial Services for MAST and the Chautauqua County Coordinator for Dream It Do It Western New York. During the presentation Mark Shafer, President of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier noted the importance of women in manufacturing and recognized the significant economic contribution of manufacturing to the region, stating, “Manufacturers from Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua County are responsible for 7.5 billion dollars in shipments per year and 836.6 million dollars in payroll. Manufacturers play an incredibly important role in our economy. We import new dollars into the region. Those new dollars are redistributed through payroll, benefits, the purchase of goods and services and through our contributions to the tax base. The multiplier effect on our regional economy far exceeds all other economic sectors. A study by the University of Maryland estimated that a dollar’s worth of final demand manufacturing generates $1.92 into the economy. That is nearly double the base value of manufacturing output. There is no other sector that generates that kind of economic growth which drives higher living standards for people in our region.” Keynote speaker for the evening was Ken Pokalsky, Vice President of Government Affairs with The Business Council of New York State. Mr. Pokalsky is responsible for the Council’s lobbying on economic development and taxation issues. He has served on a number of state advisory panels and is currently a member of the state’s Business Taxpayer Advisory Committee.
MAST Board officers elected are: President, Mark Shafer, Heidenhain; Senior Vice President, Mike Abbate, Cummins; Vice President, John Stahley, Dresser-Rand; Treasurer, Eric Livengood, Ulrich Planfiling; and Immediate Past President, John Zabrodsky, Advanced Manufacturing Technology. Returning Board members are: Kevin Brombacher, M &T Bank; Cory Duckworth, Jamestown Community College; Dale Gier, Producto Corporation; Rhonda Johnson, Weber Knapp; John Mulryan, Scott Rotary Seals; Chris Napoleon, Napoleon Engineering; Herman Ruhlman, Rand Machine; Rick Turner, Blackstone Advanced Technologies; and Paul Zebraski, Nestle Purina PetCare. One new Board Member was elected, Chase Churchill of Jamestown Electro-Plating, who is replacing his father, John Churchill, in that role. John “Jay” Churchill was recognized for his years of service to MAST. The MAST Annual Meeting was sponsored by Artone, LLC; Buffamante, Whipple, Buttafaro, PC; Enchanted Mountain Spirits; Lumsden & McCormick, LLP; OBSERVER; Southern Tier Brewing Company; Star Media Group; and The PostJournal. Enchanted Mountain Spirits provided spirits tasting throughout the evening.
Johnson Estate Wine & Cheese Pairing Event with Reverie Creamery Johnson Estate Winery is excited to present its first wine and cheese pairing event with friend and cheesemaker, Riko Chandra. Come experience this "time-tested marriage": Exploring style, aroma, texture and the taste of wines made by Johnson Estate Winery paired with cheeses made and selected by Reverie Creamery. From delicate floral sparkling wine to rich and robust Port. From luscious and creamy brie to pungent and Intense Blue Cheese. This pairing event will be held at 7:00pm, May 20 at Johnson Estate Winery, 8419 West Main Road, Westfield and will be presented by Jeff Murphy, Winemaker, Johnson Estate Winery and Riko Chandra, Cheesemaker & Co-owner Reverie Creamery & Cheese Shop.
Audubon Leading Wildflower Hike at Hatch Run on Thursday, May 18 Under the management of the Warren County Conservation District, the Hatch Run Conservation Area has been described as a nature enthusiast’s dream. Audubon Community Nature Center invites you to join them for an Off-Trail Wildflower Hike there on Thursday afternoon, May 18, to see the wildflowers in the hills. Hatch Run has many amazing wildflowers that aren’t on the trails. This walk will take you on and off the trail to explore for flowers that are not as easily accessible. The forest contains both hills and wet areas, which creates many different habitats for plants.
Participants in the two-hour walk will meet at 2 p.m. in the parking lot at the corner of Hatch Run Road and Conewango Avenue in Warren, Pennsylvania. The walk will be led by Audubon senior naturalist Jeff Tome, who has spent hours hiking on and off the trails at Hatch Run. Participants should wear sturdy shoes for walking, not sandals or flip flops. Be prepared for some hilly terrain and some areas that may be wet. The walk will travel a little more than a mile. The fee is $16, $12 for Nature Center members. Space is limited. Paid reservations are required by Tuesday, May 16: Call (716) 569-2345 during business hours or click through Attend a Program/Programs and Workshops under Plan Your Visit or the Programs link in the top bar at www.auduboncnc.org. Photo caption: Described as a nature enthusiast’s dream, Warren’s Hatch Run Conservation Area is the site for an OffTrail Wildflower Hike offered by Audubon Community Nature Center on Thursday afternoon, May 18. The Fringed polygala, also known as Gaywings, pictured is one of the spring wildflowers you could observe.
Audubon Has Patch Opportunities for Scouts and Others Jennifer Schlick, Program Director at Audubon Community Nature Center recently sent information about earning Fun Patches to area Scout Councils and leaders. “But really,” Schlick explained, “we’re happy to have any interested child earn a patch at one of four special events over the next few months.” To earn these brightly colored patches, a child just needs to pick up and complete a list of requirements any time during the hours the event is held. He or she can then purchase a patch for $3 (in addition to the regular admission), on a firstcome, first-served basis. Events where patches can be earned are: Terrific Turtles: Saturday, May 13, 1-4 p.m. Meet turtles, touch turtles, and learn some of the facts and folklore surrounding these reptiles. Details at auduboncnc.org. Audubon After Dark: Friday, June 23, 9-11 p.m. An owl prowl, bat chat, moth light, and Synchronous Firefly hike are all happening with a campfire and s’mores set up in the center of it all. Online reservations open through June 21. Walk-ins welcome. Group rates available presale only by calling or stopping in during business hours. Details at auduboncnc.org. Wild America Nature Festival: Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Panama Rocks in Panama,
New York. Pick up requirements and purchase patches at Audubon booth. Arts and crafts show, food, educational talks and workshops. Details at wildamericafest.com. Monarch Butterfly Festival: Saturday, August 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experience an indoor garden filled with freeflying Monarch Butterflies. Plus kids crafts, photo opportunities with human-sized caterpillar and butterfly cutouts, butterfly garden tours, great food, and more. Bring your camera! Details at auduboncnc.org/monarchfestival. Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, New York, and Warren, Pennsylvania. To learn more, call (716) 569-2345 during business hours or visit auduboncnc.org. Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways. Photo caption: Your Scout or other interested child can earn any or all of these colorful patches at four fun Audubon Community Nature Center opportunities from now through summer: Terrific Turtles on Saturday, May 13; Audubon After Dark, Friday, June 23; Wild America Nature Festival at Panama Rocks, Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30; and the Monarch Butterfly Festival, Saturday, August 26.
Audubon Nature Photography Club Meeting, Thursday, May 11 You are invited to participate in the Audubon Nature Photography Club’s regular meeting on Thursday evening, May 11. There will be two topics for the image review that opens the meeting at 6:15 p.m. “Low light photography” will be an opportunity to learn the impact of Chad Ecklof’s presentation at the April meeting. “Wildflowers in nature” will focus on showing the beauty around us. There will be a show-and-tell time when members can share some of their best pictures. A social time follows the program. First-time visitors are welcome to participate free of charge. The annual membership is $30. Among the benefits of membership are discounts on photography classes, field trips, and the right to show photos at Club exhibits.
The Jamestown Audubon Nature Photography Club meets at the Audubon Community Nature Center, 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, New York, and Warren, Pennsylvania. Contact Club President Cathy Abers-Kimball at (716) 6643707 daytime or cathy@2ndlookgraphics.com or Club Vice President David Engstom at (814) 6886474 or dceldpix523@gmail.com for more information, or visit the Club blog at www.jasphotoclub.wordpress.com. Photo caption: Wildflowers will be part of the focus at the Audubon Nature Photography Club’s meeting on Thursday evening, May 11. The image of the Trout Lily peeking out here was captured by Club vice president David C. Engstrom.
Live at the Met Season Concludes with Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Live at the Met, the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live, high definition (HD) opera transmissions to theaters around the world, concludes its 2016-17 season at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House on Sat., May 13, at 12:30 p.m., with Richard Strauss’ grandest opera Der Rosenkavalier. The Met’s first new production since 1969 of Strauss’s rich, romantic masterpiece stars Renée Fleming in her final performance of one of her signature roles – the Marschallin. The production also includes Elīna Garanča as Octavian and Gunther Groissbock as Baron Ochs; Erin Morley is Sophie. In his new production, Robert Carsen places the action at the end of the Habsburg Empire, underscoring the opera’s subtext of class and conflict against a rich backdrop of gilt and red damask. Set in an idealized Vienna of the past, Strauss’s most popular opera concerns a wise woman of the world who is involved with a much younger lover but ultimately forced to accept the laws of time, giving him up to a pretty young heiress. The New York Observer praises the production, and in particular, Netrebko’s performance: “The centerpiece of the opera is a long aria for Tatiana in which she composes a letter declaring her love for the sophisticated Onegin, whom she has only just met. Tchaikovsky’s music depicts a range of emotion from self-doubt to ecstasy, and Netrebko was so gorgeously committed to the truth of the scene that it was easy to overlook the sheer beauty of her singing. Particularly delicious was her use of a firm mezzo-piano dynamic, perfectly audible throughout the theater and yet feeling as intimate as a whisper.”
Critics are calling the production a “revelation!” Huffington Post called it “A Rosenkavalier not to be missed … Renée Fleming soars to new heights. A final chance to see one of our greatest sopranos sing one of the most moving characters in the repertory.” The New York Times praises the performance: “Fleming should be proud of the magnificent performance she gave… She sang beautifully on this milestone night for her, and for opera … Garanča’s plush, sensual voice is ideal … The sweet-voice Erin Morley makes an utterly charming Sophie … Günther Groissböck’s muscular sound and declamatory style are perfect … Sebastian Weigle led a distinguished performance.” The production has a run time of four hours, 12 minutes with two intermissions. Live at the Met telecasts are now shown in more than 2,000 theaters in 70 countries, making the Met the only arts institution with an ongoing global art series of this scale. Met Opera stars serve as hosts for the series, conducting live interviews with cast members, crew and production teams, and introducing the popular behind-the-scenes features; altogether, the worldwide audience is given an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera at one of the world’s great houses. Individual tickets to each of the operas in the season are $20, ($18 Opera House members, $10 students). Tickets may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office or by phone at 716-679-1891, Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org. The Opera House is equipped with assistive listening headsets for the hearing-impaired. Simply request one from any usher or Opera House staff member.
Opera House Cinema Series to Screen “Going in Style” The next feature film in the Opera House Cinema Series is the comedy “Going in Style.” It will be screened on Sat., May 13, and Tues., May 16, at 7:30 p.m. In “Going in Style,” Oscar winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Al, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money. The film also stars two-time Oscar nominee Ann-Margret as Annie, a grocery cashier who’s been checking Al out in more ways than one. Adam Graham, in the Detroit News, calls the film “a hug from grandpa. And who couldn’t use more of those?” Peter Hartlaub, in the San Francisco Chronicle, says “my face physically hurt from grinning throughout the movie.” Bill Zwecker, in the Chicago Sun-Times, says “while this charming movie will be targeted to senior audiences, I hope younger generations check it out - as the humor and underlying messages are truly universal.” Rated PG-13 for drug content, language and some suggestive material, “Going in Style” runs one hour, 36 minutes. The Opera House Cinema Series is sponsored by Lake Shore Savings Bank. Tickets are available at the door for $7 (adults), $6.50 (seniors & Opera House members) and $5 (students) the night of each screening. A book of 10 movie passes is available for $60 at the door or online at www.fredopera.org. For more information, call the Opera House Box Office at 716-679-1891.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org. Photo Caption: Live at the Met, the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live, high definition (HD) opera transmissions to theaters around the world, concludes its 2016-17 season at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House on Sat., May 13, at 12:30 p.m., with Richard Strauss’ grandest opera Der Rosenkavalier. The Met’s first new production since 1969 of Strauss’s rich, romantic masterpiece stars Renée Fleming in her final performance of one of her signature roles – the Marschallin.
www.chautauquachamber.org 10785 Bennett Road, Dunkirk, NY 14048 (716) 366-6200 512 Falconer Street, Jamestown, NY 14701 (716) 484-1101