Chautauqua County Community Source 10/14/22

NCCF Annual SOCKTOBER Sock Drive Underway

DUNKIRK, NEW YORK -- With the arri val of cooler tempera tures comes the essential need for warm socks! The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation (NCCF) is again hosting the SOCKTOBER sock drive through the month of October. NEW Socks of all colors and sizes for both children and adults are needed.

Socks will be accepted through Oct. 31s at the following locations:

DUNKIRK: Lake Shore Savings Bank, 128 E. 4th St.; NCCF, 212 Lake Shore Drive West; Agricultural Logistics, 62 Franklin Ave.; and Cattaraugus County Bank, 1165 Main St. Ext.

FREDONIA: Lake Shore Savings Bank, 30 E Main St.

JAMESTOWN: James Prendergast Library, 509 Cherry St.

WESTFIELD Lake Shore Savings Bank, 106 E Main St.

In 2021. thousands of socks were donated and distributed through the following organizations:

Socktober can best be described as a “sole war ming” collection that gi ves everyone an easy and fun way to help those in need in our com munities. Any club or group interested in hos ting their own sock drive to support SOCKTOBER can contact Eileen at 3664892 or eardillo@nccfounda tion.org .

Since its incorporation in 1986, the NCCF has in vested more than $18 mil lion in northern Chau tauqua County through strategic grantmaking, targeted scholarships, and leadership and com munity collaborations. The NCCF is a tax-exempt charitable organization inherently committed to enhancing the northern Chautauqua community and encouraging local philanthropy. As a Na tionally Accredited Com munity Foundation, the NCCF has proven com pliance with the National Standards for U.S. Com munity Foundations, de monstrating integrity, equity, accountability, transparency, and effec tiveness in meeting the needs of their commu nity. For more informa tion on the NCCF, visit www.nccfoundation.org or call 716-366-4892.

Agri-Business Child Development Program, Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautau qua County, Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels, Chautauqua County Homeless Coa lition, the Outpour Pro ject, St. Gianna Molla Pregnancy Outreach Center and the James town YWCA.

Opera House Cinema Series to Present Bullet Train

FREDONIA, N.Y. - The next film in the Cinema Se ries at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is the comedic action film “Bul let Train,” starring Brad Pitt. It will be screened Sat., Oct. 15, and Tues., Oct. 18 , at 7:30 p.m.

Ladybug (Pitt) is an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe – all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives – on the world’s fastest train.

Thelma Adams, on AARP Movies for Grown-Ups calls the film “a runaway train of enter tainment.” Alissa Wilkinson, on Vox, calls it “pure escapism at its finest.” Barry Hertz, in the

Toronto Globe and Mail, says the film’s “biggest weapon, of the secretly funny variety, rests in the chiseled form of star Brad Pitt, who once again proves that he is as charming a buff-andtough movie god as he is a wry, self-deprecating comedy star.”

Rated R for strong and bloody vi olence, pervasive language, and brief sexuality, “Bullet Train” runs two hours, six minutes.

Tickets are available at the door the night of each screen ing. A book of 10 movie passes is available. For more infor mation, call the Opera House Box Office at 716-679-1891. The Opera House Cinema Series is sponsored by Lake Shore Sav ings Bank. In addition, Opera House programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Gov

ernor and the New York State Legislature.

The Opera House is equipped with individualized closed cap tioning eyeglasses for the deaf as well as with assistive listen ing headsets for the hearing-im paired. Simply request one from any usher or Opera House staff member.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-forprofit performing arts center with a mission to “present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region … providing access to artistic diversity … and high quality programming at an affordable price.” It is located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera. org.

MAYVILLE, NEW YORK - The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene (CCDMH) announces a new logo for the department. With the recent growth, expanded services, and more on the horizon, the department felt it was time to transi tion to a logo that better represents this.

“We have been working hard within our team, with other County depart ments, and with commu nity partners to identify gaps in service, take in ventory of our existing resources, and make a strategic plan to access funding and form part nerships to fill those gaps,” said Carmelo Hernandez, Director of Community Mental Hygiene Services. “We felt that our current logo didn’t represent this effort accurately. The new logo highlights our caring team members’ support and illustrates that sup port goes beyond tradi tional clinical services.”

The new logo is caring and supportive and rep resents the department’s connection and partner ship with its clients, cow orkers, and the commu nity. The lotus’ journey is

Pictured above, the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene’s new logo.

one of growing through challenges resulting in this flower symboliz ing rebirth, purity, and strength. The open hands seek connection and en gagement, available, fac ing up, to demonstrate the duality of support, being available to lift and catch.

The petals of the leaves are three and done in gra dients to represent all the many facets and types of service delivery. Intercon nected petals support the coordination and integra tion of services.

The CCDMH team voted on the new color palette. Bright teal is the primary color to represent our team. The gradient teal leaf represents our clini cal services—Teal symbol izes calmness, serenity, and strength. Kelly green is a secondary color that represents our commu

nity reach. Green denotes balance, prosperity, re newal, and mental health awareness. Representing crisis services is light blue, symbolizing peace, tran quility, reliability, and security. Charcoal rounds out the palette to symbol ize strength, intellect, and compromise.

The logo launch coin cides with World Men tal Health Day, October 10, 2022. World Mental Health Day is an inter national day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma.

To learn more about CCDMH and local edu cation and awareness op portunities, visit chqgov. com/mental-hygiene or by searching @mentalhy gienechq.

Learn how to carve a better pumpkin

Toothy grins and a mes merizing orange glow help make jack-o’-lanterns capti vating sights come Hallow een. Pumpkin carving is an autumn tradition and runs the gamut of simple designs to more intricate artwork wor thy of any medium. Although anyone can grab a pumpkin and get started, when done correctly, jack-o’-lantern de signs can last for several days.

• Start with a fresh pump kin. Look for pumpkins that have a thick, green stem. These usually are fresh and haven’t been handled much. A thick stem also may indi cate fleshier pumpkin walls that can be carved more easily. Avoid pumpkins that are soft or full of blemishes, or those that have dried, shriveled stems.

• Cut a hole in the back.

Rather than impeding the structural integrity of the pumpkin by cutting off the top and the stem for interior access, cut a hole in the back of the pumpkin. This will still make it easy to reach inside and clean out the pumpkin.

• Scoop out the pulp and seeds. Be sure to thoroughly clean the inside of the pump kin. Leaving the pulpy, stringy matter and seeds in side can cause the pumpkin to rot that much faster and produce a foul odor. Scoopers, spoons and even hand shovels

can help.

• Keep it cool. Heat can ad versely affect carved pump kins, so work in a cool area and store the pumpkin in a cold garage or refrigerator if you need a few extra days before displaying it. Also, carving experts suggest using an elec tric light inside rather than a candle; by using a candle, you’re essentially cooking the pumpkin from the inside.

• Work in your lap. When carving faces or intricate de signs, looking down onto the pumpkin provides more con trol.

• Don’t cut all the way through. Many pumpkin designers end up shaving or scraping off the outer rind of the pumpkin, but leave a deli cate orange film underneath. Light can still shine through, but the design will not collapse on itself as easily if you were to cut straight through the pumpkin wall. Experiment with different tools to achieve the desired look.

• Maintain the freshness. Rubbing exposed areas of the pumpkin flesh with petro leum jelly may help keep the pumpkin moist. Some de signs will last for a few days. However, since pumpkins are highly perishable, it’s wise to wait to carve until a day or two before putting a pumpkin on display.

Top tips to stay safe this Halloween season

Much like Christmas, Hal loween is no longer relegated to a single day. A number of Halloween enthusiasts now begin decorating at the start of October. Hijinks and autumn revelry fill the air as individ uals eagerly count down to the end of the month.

Though the lighthearted ness of Halloween festivities, such as costumes and candy, garner the bulk of celebrants’ attention, it’s important to take safety into consideration as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Hal loween as other nights of the year. Cuts and burns also are more common on October 31.

A good Halloween scare should come from costumes, not accidents or injuries. This Halloween, consider these safety measures, courtesy of Safe Kids Worldwide, the Mayo Clinic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad ministration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention.

• Make sure you’re visi ble when trick-or-treating. Reflective tape, glow sticks, flashlights, or camping lan terns can make pedestrians more visible to motorists.

• Pedestrians should walk on sidewalks if they are avail able. When sidewalks are not available, walk facing traffic and do so as far off to the side of the road as you can get.

• Drivers should be espe cially alert to pedestrians on

Halloween. Drive slowly, as many kids scurry from house to house in search of Hallow een candy.

• Pedestrians and drivers should follow the rules of the road, stopping at intersections and crossing in crosswalks.

• Consider alternatives to carving pumpkins, since the risk of being cut while carv ing is high. If you want to carve, leave the carving to adults. Utilize battery-oper ated flameless candles or glow sticks to illuminate jack-o’lanterns.

• All costumes, wigs and ac cessories should be fire-resis tant. Make sure that costumes do not impede your ability to walk or see.

• Test makeup to check for skin irritation before applica tion. Remove it promptly after returning home.

• Set up a buddy system so that no one is going it alone. Agree on a specific time chil dren should return home. Adults should chaperone young children.

• While incidences of candy tampering may be minimal, no one should snack on candy until it has been inspected. In spections also protect against food allergies.

• The candy bounty should be rationed so no one overin dulges and feels ill later on.

Halloween season is a fun time of year, but safety should go hand in hand with all the celebrating on this special day.

Join the Prendergast Library for a Haunted Tour

On Saturday, Octo ber 22, 2022, the library will be closed for regular service and open for our Haunted Library fund raiser! Enjoy an eve ning of family-friendly spooky fun. Take a guided tour through the library, where you will meet characters from storybooks such as Drac ula, Hansel and Gretel, and Coraline. Refresh ments such as popcorn, apple cider, and cook ies will be available for purchase. Costumes are strongly encouraged!

A tour guide will lead you through the dec orated library, trans porting you to scenes

from familiar stories.

You will also hear tales about the library's his tory. Please be aware that there will be lim ited overhead lighting and fog machines, col ored lights and sound machines will be used.

While the tour isn't vi olent or gory, there are characters that might be frightening to some young children. Tours are geared for ages eight and up; however, all ages are welcome.

Tickets are $1 per per son. Tickets are avail able at the library's cir culation desk. If anyone in your party needs ele vator accommodation,

please let staff know when you purchase your tickets. Get your tickets today, as there is limited space on each tour.

Tours will be hourly, starting at 3:00 pm and going until 10:00 pm. The last tour begins at 9:00 pm. There will be no tour between 6:007:00 pm for an actor/vol unteer break. Tours last between 30-40 minutes.

For more information or questions about the event, please contact the library at 716-484-7135, ext. 258, or email ref erence@prendergastli brary.org.

Meeting on Hazard Mitigation

MAYVILLE, NEW YORK - Chautauqua

County received a Pre-Dis aster Hazard Mitigation Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to com plete an update to the County’s 2016 Multi-Juris dictional Hazard Mitiga tion Plan (HMP). The pur pose of hazard mitigation planning is to reduce dam age to the environment and prevent the loss of life and number and severity of injuries that may re sult from natural hazard events. The HMP is devel oped to identify and im plement short- and longterm mitigation strategies and actions that focus on execution at a pre-disas ter level. Retaining an ap proved and updated HMP will enable the County and participating munici palities to remain eligible to apply for future hazard mitigation and resiliency funding from FEMA. The updated HMP provides the County and its jurisdic tions with an additional

tool to reference for disas ter planning, land devel opment, and funding ini tiatives.

A virtual Public Infor mational Meeting will be held on October 17, 2022 at 6 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to solicit comments and questions regarding hazard mitiga tion planning concerns from County residents and stakeholders from local, state, and federal agencies.

Please join the meeting via this link: https://bar tonandloguidice.zoom. us/j/81185357865

The meeting will also be livestreamed to YouTube: https://youtu.be/LvY KV9P14V8

For questions or assis tance

please contact Noel Guttman

Gutt man@chautcofire.org

Festivals Fredonia Presents Harvest Moon Festival

The Harvest Moon Fes tival & Tours Planning Committee is pleased to bring you the 2022 Har vest Moon Festival & Tours October 21-22. This year they are adding a day of fun activities to the popular cemetery tours for the first-ever Harvest Moon Festival!

Back by popular de mand, there will be two different ways to enjoy the tours: a horse-andtrolley (carriage) tour and a walking tour. We are delighted to work with ac tors from the Main Street Studio again this year and also to introduce several new scenes into this year’s tour script, which is themed “The Mothers of our Community” and cel ebrates the roles women have played in Fredonia’s unique history.

The carriage tours will begin at the top of every hour starting at 7pm and ending at 10pm. You will get onto the carriage at Barker Commons after you check in at the Fes tivals Fredonia table. The route will take you through town as a guide provides facts about Fre donia’s architecture and historical figures. You’ll then enjoy a narrative guided tour through the cemetery. The carriage will bring you back and drop you off at Barker Commons. Total time for tour is about 60 minutes. Please arrive at the Ga zebo in Barker Commons at least 10 minutes before your scheduled start time to allow check in.

The walking tour will start 15 minutes after the hour where you will de part Barker Commons with your tour group and you will be guided to the cemetery where your walking tour will begin. After your cemetery tour, your guide will bring you

back to Barker Commons

Total time for tour is 6075 minutes. Please arrive at the Gazebo in Barker Commons at least 10 min utes before your sched uled time to allow check in.

We are also very pleased to announce a one time special walking tour with Ivy Rivera Psy chic Medium. Ivy will be your guide on a walking tour through the ceme tery. This is a one time event happening October 21 starting at 10:30pm. It will depart at the Gazebo. Please arrive 10 minutes before the tour begins.

We are also very ex cited to have a whole day of activities like food & craft vendors, live music and entertainment, trick or treating at downtown Fredonia businesses, and more on Saturday, Octo ber 22nd. See below for the full list of events:

12pm-6pm – Craft and Food Vendors, Kid’s Crafts 1pm-2pm – Junk Drawer Ukulele Band at the Gazebo 2:30pm-3:30pm – Ivy Rivera Psychic Medium Gallery Reading at the Gazebo

4pm-5pm – Arlo Price from 716 Side Show at the Gazebo 5:30pm-7pm – Pedro and the Smooth Cats at the Gazebo

There will also be: Trick or Treating at Businesses throughout the day, Pumpkin Painting Con tests for Kids & Tweens at the Festival Activity Tent, and Pumpkin Carv ing Contests for Teens & Adults, drop off entries at the Festivals Fredo nia Tent. Learn more at vfestivalsfredoniany. org/harvest-moon-festi val-tours/

Town

Villenova Burial Association

Annual Fall Meeting

The Annual Fall Meeting of the Villenova Burial Association will be held Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 6:30 pm at the Villenova Town Hall, 1094 Butcher Rd., South Dayton, NY.

This is a member meeting for anyone who owns a lot or has a family member buried in the Villenova Cem etery....as a member, you are a part of the VBA and responsible for the Cemetery’s future operation and upkeep. This meeting will also involve the election of Trustees for expiring Trustee terms and the yearly election of officers. The present Trustees of the VBA would greatly welcome your attendance at, and par ticipation in, this meeting, as we work to preserve our 200+ year old Cemetery!

Terror in the

October 2022

Classes at the Dunkirk

Library

Exploring

Cleaning