Jones Well Drilling celebrating 140 years
Jones Well Drilling, Inc., a family business in Randolph, has stood the test of time and is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year.
Kurt Jones and his wife, Jodee, officially took over the business of drilling water wells this past January. Five generations of the Jones family have owned and operated the company that was started in 1884 by Kurt’s greatgreat-grandfather, the late Sylvester Jones, in Ashville.
The couple is very proud to continue the business. Jodee manages the office, taking service calls and helping with the drilling operations as needed, and Kurt and his employees — Chris Martin and Wyatt Adams — take on the hard day-to-day well
drilling and servicing. Kurt said he and his crew work in all types of weather, so it takes a special person to do what they do. He said they have missed a lot of family gatherings over the years.
“Well equipment doesn’t care if it’s Christmas Day or your family is visiting. Jodee and I have missed some weddings, birthday parties and other special occasions because a customer was out of water,” he said. “On those occasions, we try to take the kids along and make it a family affair.
I am very fortunate to have Jodee and children that understand how important providing water is.”
In addition to well water drilling, the New York statecertified business also offers water pump installation and service, well rehabilitation and water treatment and water softening equipment
and water conditioning.
Kurt said being a small business these days is getting harder and harder, from finding reliable workers to regulations and rising prices — just to name a few.
“Our company is extremely lucky to have Chris Martin and Wyatt Adams,” he said. “They are both hardworking and trustworthy which, I believe, are huge assets.”
AT A YOUNG age, Kurt was taught that hard work pays off. He learned that some days are going to be difficult and not every well is going to be an easy job.
“When you have a job that goes as planned or work for a customer that appreciates what you did for them, you also remember those jobs on the days when everything backfires,” he said.
According to the Cornell
SC Johnson College of Business, the average lifespan of a family-owned business is 24 years. About 40% of U.S. family-owned businesses turn into secondgeneration businesses, approximately 13% are successfully passed down to a third generation, and 3% to a fourth generation and beyond.
Jones Well Drilling is among the tiny 3% of businesses that have surpassed the statistics. Now in its fifth generation of family owners and operators, the company continues to provide necessary services to homeowners throughout Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties from its location at 10533 Route 242, near Napoli.
Kurt’s great-grandfather, the late Kenneth Jones, succeeded Sylvester, followed by his grandparents, the late James and Joy Jones, who took ownership in 1968.
His father, Michael, took over in 1978 operating the business until his retirement in January, before the new generation stepped in. As the next generation
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The holiday season doubles as cookie season. Indeed, there’s no shortage of baking opportunities in December. Various cookies make the rounds, and if you are tasked with bringing cookies to a function, you might be interested in something a little different.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
11⁄2 cups allpurpose flour
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Fold into the flour and mix until it forms a crumbly but moist dough.
press the coconut around the log and roll to make the log an even cylinder.
Roll the parchment up with the dough inside and twist the ends. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
“Santa’s Whiskers” likely get their name from the coconut on these cookies, which resemble Santa’s beard. Maraschino cherries add some jolly red to the cookies as well, making them perfect for Christmas. Try this recipe from “Butter, Flour, Sugar, Joy” (Sourcebooks) by Danielle Kartes.
Santa’s Whiskers
20 to 24 cookies
11⁄2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup butter, softened 1 12-ounce jar pitted maraschino cherries, strained and stemmed
In a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or by hand, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add the cherries, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
Lay a 16-inch sheet of parchment paper onto the counter. Sprinkle 1 cup of the coconut on th center in a loose rectangle, making sure it does not reach the edge of the parchment. Place the cookie dough on top, flattening a bit with your fingers, and sprinkle the remaining coconut over the top of the dough.
Form the dough into a 12- to 14-inch log, about 3 inches thick. Evenly
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice cookies in 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch rounds, place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Notable events that occurred on December 25
December 25 is Christmas Day, when billions of Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Though Christmas is likely the first thing people think of when December 25 comes around, over the years many additional memorable and even infamous events unrelated to the holiday have taken place on this unique day on the calendar.
• 333: The Roman Emperor Constantine elevates his youngest son, Constans, to the rank of Caesar. This designation establishes Constans as Constantine’s heir apparent.
• 1000: Hungary
is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary.
• 1046: Pope Clement crowns Henry III of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. This decision on the part of Pope Clement frees the Vatican from dependence on the Roman nobility and lays the foundation for its authority across the empire.
• 1261: Eleven-yearold John IV Doukas Laskaris, who would be the last emperor from the prominent Laskarid dynasty that ruled the Empire of Nicaea, is intentionally blinded on the orders of Michael VIII, making John IV ineligible for the throne.
• 1492: The merchant ship Santa Maria, commanded by Christopher Columbus, runs onto a reef off the coast of Haiti.
• 1758: German astronomer Johann Georg Palitzsch sights Halley’s Comet, which confirms Edmund Halley’s prediction of the comet’s passage. The sighting marks the first passage of a comet that was predicted ahead of time.
the Delaware River at night. The crossing enables the army’s attack on Hessian forces serving Great Britain in Trenton, New Jersey, the following day.
patient, Jane Todd Crawford, made an uncomplicated recovery and lived another 32 years.
• 1826: A drunken riot at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, concludes a day after it began. Known as the “eggnog riot,” the conflict began a day earlier and 70 cadets were implicated, with 20 of them being courtmartialed. Jefferson Davis, future Confederate States President, was among the implicated cadets.
Westminster Abbey. The coronation stone of British monarchs is eventually found in Scotland in April 1951.
• 1951: Harry T. Moore is killed instantly and his wife, Harriette, is fatally wounded when a bomb explodes at the home of the Civil Rights Movement leaders in Mims, Florida. No one was ever prosecuted for the bombing and murders.
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Holy Night
Christmas began on a starry night over 2,000 years ago in a small desert community. A child was born in a cold damp manger, because Mary and Joseph could not afford lodging. The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had such an unpretentious and humble beginning that only God could have thought of it. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of the season, the true meaning of Christmas is lost. You can rekindle the feeling of hope, joy and peace, by taking a moment to reflect on God’s greatest gift. This Chrismas Open Your Heart First. Merry Christmas, Jim & Carol Johnston Salamanca, New York
• 1776: George Washington and the Continental Army cross
• 1809: American physician and pioneering surgeon Ephraim McDowell performs the first surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. McDowell performed the surgery at his home in Danville, Kentucky, removing a 22.5-pound tumor without the use of anesthesia. McDowell’s
• 1831: One-fifth of Jamaica’s slaves mobilize in an ultimately unsuccessful fight for freedom. The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt lasts for 11 days and involves up to 60,000 enslaved individuals.
• 1868: United States President Andrew Johnson grants unconditional pardons to all Confederate veterans in the aftermath of the American Civil War.
• 1986: Sixty-three people are killed when the hijacked Iraqi Airways Flight 163 crashes in Arar, Saudi Arabia. Forty passengers aboard the plane survive the ordeal, and pro-Iranian group Islamic Jihad Organization claims responsibility for the hijacking.
• 1991: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union. The union itself is dissolved the following day.
• 1932: Nearly 300 people are killed when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Gansu, China.
Out
• 1950: Scottish nationalist students take the Stone of Scone from
• 1996: The body of sixyear-old American child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey is found in her family home in Boulder, Colorado. Her death is ruled a homicide and the case remains unsolved.
Inspiring ideas for last-minute holiday shoppers
It’s unlikely that anyone aspires to be a last-minute holiday shopper. Putting off holiday shopping until the last minute can make for a stressful home stretch to the season, and there’s no guarantee store shelves won’t already be picked clean or that gifts purchased online will arrive on time.
Despite how unappealing last-minute shopping can be, it’s still a fact of life for millions of holiday shoppers. As the clock winds down this holiday season, shoppers can look to these ideas for inspiration.
• Gift cards: Gift cards may never earn a distinction as the most sentimental item to give a loved one during the
holiday season, but they are surprisingly soughtafter. In fact, a survey from the National Retail Federation found that 54 percent of participants identified gift cards as the most-wanted gift of the 2022 holiday season. Chain retailers, small businesses and restaurants are among the many establishments that sell gift cards, so shoppers are bound to find a card to please anyone on their shopping list.
• Food/beverage: The holiday season is a popular time to indulge in some great food and wash it down with a favorite wine or another adult beverage. That makes food and beverages a great holiday gift. Shoppers can take a loved
Taking care of a vehicle involves more than just maintaining the equipment under the hood. There are a number of steps involved in keeping a car or truck in top form, and that includes regular car washes.
Car washes keep a vehicle shiny and clean, which can help it look good while sitting in the driveway or cruising the highway. However, regular car washes are more than cosmetic.
• Protection from the sun: A car that is routinely and properly washed and waxed is less vulnerable to damage from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
one out to a favorite restaurant, prepare a homemade treat or purchase a favorite dish from a local specialty grocery store or eatery. Pair the food with an appropriate beverage and this accessible last-minute gift idea is sure to be a hit.
• Tickets: Tickets to a movie, sporting event, live theater performance, or concert
are another gift idea that likely won’t be gobbled up by early bird shoppers. People of all ages enjoy experiences, and a 2022 survey from the travel booking platform GetYourGuide found that 50 percent of survey respondents indicated they would enjoy tickets to a concert or show.
• Books: Books make an ideal holiday gift for
everyone from young kids to grandparents. Traditional print books are small enough that they can likely arrive on time even if they’re purchased just a few days before Christmas. E-book sellers enable gift givers to pick the perfect time to notify loved ones they have received an electronic book. Audiobooks, which can be downloaded to a smartphone or given as a CD, make an ideal gift for loved ones who spend a lot of time behind the wheel. Last-minute holiday shopping can be stressful. However, various sought-after items can be secured at the last minute, ensuring gift givers’ loved ones have a happy holiday season.
The most popular rooms to remodel
Home improvement trends come and go. In a testament to that reality, the wildly popular open floor plan concepts that have dominated homeowners’ desires over the last decadeplus could be falling out of favor, a shift that Rachel Stults of Realtor.com linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in a 2023 interview with Business Insider. Stults noted open floor plans will likely exhibit some measure of staying power, but linked the shift toward more traditional layouts to COVID lockdowns and the desire for more privacy among residents.
The shift away from open floor plans is a testament to the fleeting nature of home renovation
trends. But trends still deserve a place at the table among real estate investors and homeowners who want to renovate their homes with an eye on projects that could be most appealing to prospective buyers. As homeowners balance their own preferences with those that might help them sell their homes down the road, they can consider this list of the most popular rooms to renovate, courtesy of the “2024 U.S. Houzz & Home Study” from Houzz Research.
When considering renovating these or other rooms, homeowners should know that Houzz researchers found that the median spend increased for most interior room upgrades compared to the previous year. However, the median cost to upgrade living rooms and home offices remained unchanged.
• Preserve the vehicle’s value: Drivers who plan to sell or trade in their vehicles in the future should realize that a well-maintained car can bring in as much as 20 percent more for aboveaverage condition, according to Kelley Blue Book. Maintaining a clean and shiny vehicle can protect its long-term value.
• Remove salt: Drivers who live near the ocean or in areas where roads are salted in the winter to melt snow may have cars with high salt corrosion rates. Unless it’s washed off frequently, salt can take its toll, leading to damage.
• Extend the life of paint: Dirt and debris can build up on the paint surface and eventually lead to scratches and other damage. Bird droppings and sap can be corrosive. Washing will help remove grime and protect the paint in the process.
• Improve fuel efficiency: Drivers have felt pain in their wallets at the fuel pump in recent years. Dirty cars may be less aerodynamic and less fuel-efficient as a result. Keeping a car clean may improve its fuel efficiency.
• Maintain the interior: Car washes are not only about the exterior. Keeping a clean and tidy interior can help improve the air quality inside of the vehicle and prolong the life of upholstery, mats and interior components. Car washes should be a routine part of vehicle maintenance. Professional car washes tend to be more eco-friendly than washing a car at home, so drivers are urged investigate their service plans and features.
WEST VALLEY
The workforce at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) completed its annual food drive as part of its continued commitment to the community this holiday season.
This year, the food drive collected over 9,000 meals — enough to provide turkeys, holiday items and staples for nine area food pantries.
“This annual tradition began in 1989 and has continued to help those in need throughout
WVDP Food Drive another success with items for over 9,000 meals collected
the community,” said Joseph Pillittere, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) Food Drive Coordinator. “In total, the WVDP Food Drive has collected more than 2.4 million pounds of food since its inception.”
On a day off in November, more than 30 volunteers helped deliver 531 cases of food and 180 turkeys to the following food pantries: Fellowship Hill Ministries in Springville, Delevan Methodist Church, Catholic
Charities Outreach in Franklinville, Saving Grace OutReach in Cattaraugus, Master’s
Plan in Dayton, United Church of Christ in Ellicottville, Concord Food Pantry, Little Valley Baptist Church and West Valley Food Pantry.
CHBWV, U.S. Department of Energy, and New York State Energy Research & Development Authority employees; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Lodge 2401; American DND; MJW Corporation; Hanes Supplies; Encorus Group Engineering; InTomes; Sander’s Parkview Supermarket; and Nature’s Pride.
said Jason Casper, CHBWV President.
“It demonstrates the positive impact that kindness can have on a community.”
“It comes down to one thing that makes this food drive successful — the generosity of our employees, partners and subcontractors,”
CHBWV officials extended special thanks to the following employees and members of supporting businesses and organizations:
Every year during the holiday season, resources get spread thin and the needs of our community increase. Community support from the WVDP Food Drive helps to meet those needs that may have gone unmet during the holiday season.
Photo courtesy West Valley Demonstration Project
Thirty volunteers from the West Valley Demonstration Project helped deliver over 500 cases of food and 180 turkeys to nine area pantries for the holiday season during its annual food drive in November.