Erie Cattaraugus County Community Source 5/26/23

Audubon Nature Photo Contest is Opportunity for Youth to Shine

also be named in each category. Two additional $200 cash prizes are awarded for the Adult and Youth photos receiving the most Community Choice votes online. A photo could receive both the Community Choice and a judged award.

All winning and honorable mention photographs will be displayed on the contest website and announced in a widely distributed news release.

Full details of the 2023 competition are at GoGoPhotoContest.com/ ACNCPhotoContest2023, where you can enter photos and see all the 2022 contest winners and honorable mentions.

Photo Submitted

With a total of $1,600 in prize money, Youth and Adults have their own categories in the Audubon Community Nature Center 2023 Nature Photography Contest. Pictured is the 2022 Youth Fauna (animals) winner, “Spring Peeper” by Benjamin Genter of Columbus, Indiana. It can also be seen in two places on the 2023 contest website, GoGoPhotoContest.com/ACNCPhotoContest2023.

The sooner photographs are submitted, the longer the public can vote for them for the Community Choice awards. Photographers are reminded to encourage friends and family to vote for their entries, using the social media buttons on the contest website.

Deadline for submissions is Sunday, July 2, 2023.

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. To learn more, visit AudubonCNC.org.

DiNAPOLI: FORMER CITY OF DUNKIRK FESTIVALS COORDINATOR INDICTED ON PUBLIC CORRUPTION CHARGES

Official Allegedly Abused His Position to Steal Hurricane Relief Donations and Festival Funds

State Comptroller Thomas

P. DiNapoli and Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt today announced the indictment of former City of Dunkirk Festivals Coordinator Hector Rosas for using his public position to pilfer more than $50,000 through several schemes.

"Rosas allegedly used his position to steal donations meant to help Hurricane Maria victims and divert funds meant to benefit his community into his own pockets," State Comptroller DiNapoli said. "Public service is a privilege and a duty that he is charged with betraying. Thanks to our partnership with District Attorney Schmidt, we have exposed these schemes.”

“These types of crimes are not victimless,” said District Attorney Schmidt. “Dunkirk City, like many of our local municipalities here in

Chautauqua County, is engaged in an every-day battle to service its residents with precious little money. City residents, themselves, and most of us here in Chautauqua County, live paycheck to paycheck. Every dollar stolen is a dollar not spent servicing our community. No one should use their public office for personal gain.”

Hector Rosas, 63, of Silver Creek, was employed since 1984 with the City of Dunkirk as a Water Meter Reader and then Laborer. In 2016, Rosas was promoted to the newly created position of Festivals Coordinator. In that capacity, Rosas ran the city’s summer festival programs through the city’s local development corporation.

In 2017, in his role with the city, Rosas oversaw fundraising efforts to aid the people of Puerto Rico in recovering

from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria. Rosas collected nearly $15,000 in donations from citizens, schools and civic groups. The investigation revealed that all of these funds were transferred by Rosas from the city’s festivals bank account, which he controlled, to his personal bank account. Although Rosas visited his mother’s home in Puerto Rico and spent some of the funds, he could produce no receipts, nor could he account for the money collected.

As Festivals Coordinator, from the summer of 2016 to the summer of 2019, Rosas was responsible for collecting and depositing cash generated from beer sales at the annual summer festivals. The investigation revealed that over $42,000 in cash sales were collected by Rosas but never reported or deposited in the festivals account.

SKAL, AGRICULTURE PROGRAM COORDINATOR

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (May 15, 2023)

-- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program wants to remind everyone about the local Chautauqua Grown producers this spring.

Spring is in the air and affecting all five of the senses, the sweet smell of soil being prepared for planting, animals tasting the new spring grass, birds and bees chirping and buzzing pollinating and feasting on the early spring bugs and flowers, the wind whirling or sun shining, and the calming sound of a good spring rain. All these things point to one of the busiest times of the year for local producers of all kinds.

Rosas was arraigned in Chautauqua County Court before Judge Stephen Cass and is due back in court on June 13, 2023. The charges against the defendant are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at https://www.osc.state.ny.us/ investigations, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.

Chautauqua Grown has increased in size in the last year and offers everything from eggs, honey, maple, produce, to pork, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, and everything in between!

All Chautauqua Grown producers have farm goods that are grown and produced right here in Chautauqua County so we can easily cut out the middleman!

Check out or new Facebook group “Chautauqua Grown” found at this link: https://www.facebook. com/Chautauqua.Grown.

Chautauqua.County. Here you will find the producers that are on Facebook and all their updates on what they have available

in one easy location.

Right now, asparagus is coming into season and strawberries will be quick to follow! I hope everyone is as ready and excited for the growing season as we all are! If you need help in finding a local producer, feel free to reach out to our Agriculture Coordinator, Cassandra at cks83@cornell. edu or 716-664-9502 ext. 202!

The Agriculture Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www. cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

COMPOSTING IS NATURE’S WAY OF RECYCLING

-BY SHANNON RINOW, MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM COORDINATOR

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (May 16, 2023)

-- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Master Gardeners are celebrating — “National Learn About Composting Day”, on May 29th!

Recycling plastics is almost automatic for people (hopefully!), but what about the recycling of organic materials? There are SO many good reasons to compost! By making compost, you can save money by making rich, organic soil fertilizer, reduce erosion, conserve, and replenish groundwater, plus much more! Organic material otherwise sent to a landfill creates methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to the negative impacts of our environment.

Master Gardener, Steve Rees shares in his recent article; “The Joy of Composting” https:// chautauqua.cce.cornell. edu/gardening/compostresources “…Returning organic matter to the soil is increasingly important as the earth’s population grows and generates more and more wastes of all types, much of which can be reused to the benefit of all species. For one example, the need for landfill space to accommodate waste stream materials could be reduced by as much as one-third if organic matter is diverted and recycled (composted)…”

It is important to determine the right type of bin or compost system for your household. Steve goes on to explain that [the] “…scale of the composting method chosen by an individual will be first tied to their property size and location. City dwellers or those in suburban or rural areas will select a method best suited to their locale…”

Vermicomposting is another method for composting, using red wiggler worms (E. foetida) to decompose plant waste into castings.

The ingredients for compost are simple and FREE! There must be a proper balance, of 2-3 part “Browns” and 1 part

Friends of the AndersonLee Library to hold annual bake sale

“Green” materials.

-Carbon-rich materials (“browns”) Can include dry leaves, cardboard, and twigs. The carbon-rich materials provide food for the microorganisms to consume and digest.

-Nitrogen-rich materials (“greens”) Can include grass clippings and food scraps. The nitrogen-rich materials heat up the pile to create ideal conditions for the material to breakdown.

-Water (moisture).

-Air (oxygen).

Steve Rees continues “…The decomposition process relies on the microbiological activity of numerous organisms. Imagine a complex food web or pyramid consisting of organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen waste…”

To learn more about composting on a small scale please visit https:// chautauqua.cce. cornell.edu/gardening/ compost-resources

The Master Gardener Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce. cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

The Friends of Anderson-Lee Library in Silver Creek are pleased to announce that their annual bake sale will be held on Friday, June 2nd There will be 2 locations. Stop at the Library on Main Street in Silver Creek or at Add Lumber True Value in Irving. The sale will be held from 9:30 am until sold out. All proceeds from the sale are used to enhance library materials. For more information about the Friends group or the bake sale, please call the library at 934-3468.

Mobile Food Pantry

Last Tuesday of Every Month. May 30, 2023; 11:00am1:00pm. Location: Silver Creek Fire Department 172 Central Avenue, Silver Creek. Receive a food box filled with nutritional items for you and your family. Drive-up pickup is strongly encouraged. Call 716-934-3240 with questions.

Forestville Community Yard Sales

Forestville Community Yard Sales will be held on June 10th from 9am – 3pm. Residents may sign up to have a sale at Cave’s Market or Evans Bank. List of sales will be available at Cave’s on the day of sales. The Forestville Fire Department will be holding a chicken barbecue at the Fire Hall from noon until sold out.

County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board to Meet

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board to Meet on May 31. The Chautauqua County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board will be holding a meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The meeting will be held in Room 333 of the Gerace Office Building, 3 North Erie Street, Mayville, N.Y. This meeting is open to the public. The meeting is also available by videoconference by going to the link below: https://us02web.zoom.us/ j/84773414886?pwd=UTVsOFZSeDE0dnZsU0VmbkZXWW1EQT09. If you should have questions regarding this meeting, please contact Lauren Sharp at the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development at sharpl@chqgov.com.

Two Upcoming Healing Mass

Pentecost Sunday Healing Mass; St Dominic Church, 15 Union Street, Westfield, NY. May 28th 3:00P.M. Rev. David Tourville – Celebrant. Everyone Welcome. For More Information Call Church Office at 716-326-2816

Healing Mass Holy Trinity Church; 1032 Central Avenue, Dunkirk, NY. May 31st, Wednesday 7:00 P.M. Rev. Richard DiGiulio – Celebrant. Everyone Welcome. For more information call Church Office at 716-366-2306

Day weekend has its fair share of heartache as well.

Families of fallen service members who lost their lives defending their country tend to find solace in ceremonies honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. But there are other ways civilian men and women can honor both active and fallen service members in their communities.

• Participate in community events that honor fallen service members. Many communities host Memorial Day parades to honor fallen soldiers. It can be comforting to the families of fallen soldiers to see fellow members of their community attend the parade and public memorials. Such civilian support lets family members of fallen soldiers know that fellow members of their community appreciate and do not forget the sacrifices made by their loved ones.

• Include families of fallen and active service members

in your weekend activities.

Memorial Day weekend is a three-day weekend at the end of May, when the weather is warming up in much of the country. The weekend marks the return of backyard barbecues or pool parties, and such events are a great opportunity for civilians to invite the families of fallen service members over to share some fun in the sun. Memorial Day can be an especially difficult time for the loved ones of fallen service members, and even the few hours of relief that a barbecue, pool party or picnic can provide can make a welcome respite from an otherwise difficult weekend.

• Make a charitable donation. Numerous charities exist to support soldiers and their families. Such charities exist to support the families of fallen soldiers, injured soldiers or even those families struggling while a family member is on active deployment. Men and women who want to help can

do so by making a charitable donation. And such donations do not have to be financial.

The Hero MilesSM program, for example, allows men and women to donate their frequent flyer miles to wounded, injured or ill service members or their families.

This allows service members who meet certain criteria to be given a round-trip airline ticket from a medical center to their home or to attend an authorized event. In addition, service members can give a round-trip ticket to enable family members or close friends to visit them while they are receiving medical treatment. Since its inception, the program, which is administered by the nonprofit Fisher House Foundation, has provided more than 36,000 airline tickets worth more than $55 million. To learn more, visit www.fisherhouse. org. Numerous other charities exist to help service members and their families in a variety

of ways.

• Organize events in your community. Every community benefits from the efforts of active service members and the efforts of those service members who gave their lives in service of their country. Men and women who want to express their gratitude for such service can organize events to do just that. Speak to local merchants and encourage them to offer discounts to military members and their families throughout Memorial Day weekend. Or organize an ice cream social for the children of active or fallen service members. Such events can be uplifting for the families of service members while raising community awareness of the important role our soldiers play.