The roar of a dirt bike broke the silence at a memorial service Wednesday night for Damon Janes, the 16-year-old Brocton High School football player who died Monday after suffering a head injury during a game last week. Damon’s bike number 711 circled the school’s football field and was parked near the 50-yard line. The Buffalo News reports that Inside the field, family, close friends and classmates formed a tight circle. Hundreds of people were gathered in the stands and were invited along the sidelines, but they were asked to keep a respectful distance from the family. The Brocton scoreboard was lit with Damon’s jersey number, 25. John Hertlein, school superintendent. said there are about 40 students in Damon’s junior class. The balloon launch, candles and music at the service were all selections made by classmates of Damon. The dirt bike reflected an important hobby in the young man’s life, almost as important as athletics. Damon, a junior running back on the Westfield-Brocton varsity squad, suffered a head injury during Friday night’s game in Portville. A teammate said he believes Damon came in contact with the thigh of an opposing player. Hertlein said counseling has been provided all week to students. Volunteer firefighters from throughout Chautauqua County helped park cars around the Brocton school campus. They ran out of spaces in the lots and improvised, using roadsides and driveways. The regular meeting of the Brocton Board of Education was canceled Wednesday. Hertlein said the agenda was short and that it was better that board members and community residents had the chance to attend the service. He said the meeting will be rescheduled for 7 p.m. next Wednesday. Fundraising events are already planned to benefit the Janes family. A spaghetti dinner will be held Sept. 28.
Three Rochester Men are in the city Jail for allegedly selling Crack Cocaine. Just after 5:30pm Tuesday Drug Investigators from the Jamestown Police Department along with Swat Team members and the New York State Police CNET team executed a search warrant at 30 Franklin street. The officers found 42 year old Theodore Coffie, 38 year old Terrance Wilson, and 35 year old George McFadden in possesion of a large quantity of crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana. They were all taken into custody and face a number of charges including 3rd Degree Criminal Posession of a controlled substance and 2nd Degree Criminal Posession of Drug Paraphernalia. the Jamestown Police are asking anyone has any information on the illegal sales of narcotics in the Jamestown area to contact their anonymous tip line at 483-Tips that's483-8477. All calls will be kept confidential.
There are different views about the future beyond coal. One of those views, involving renewable energy, was presented by a representative of the Sierra Club during a meeting of the Chautauqua County League of Women Voters held in Dunkirk. Jennifer Tuttle backs the use of wind and solar power. Tuttle says the main reason the Sierra Club has taken a position against the repowering of the NRG plant in Dunkirk involves the use of natural gas. While the NRG proposal has received a lot of support from local, county and state representatives... including U-S Senator Chuck Schumer... Tuttle says the Sierra Club is not backing away from National Grid's proposal.
But... both sides agree that the final decision will come from the State PSC. More than 50 people attended Tuesday's meeting at a restaurant that overlooks the NRG plant. The League of Women Voters is a political, nonpartisan organization to educate and inform the voting public.
The 3rd Annual LINKS Pink walk is taking place October 5th at the Chautauqua Mall. The walk is hosted by the LINKS Charity and WCA Hospital. This year part of the celebration will be a special video tribute to those who have survived Breast Cancer by featuring those brave individuals and their families. WCA Director of Development Karl Sisson. Sisson says there are a number of ways to submit your photos. Photo's can also be submitted on the hospital website where you can also register for the LINKS Pink walk at WCA Hospital dot ORG. The video will be shown at 10:45am just prior to The 3rd Annual LINKS Pink walk October 5th at the Chautauqua mall.
The New York Comptroller's Office says it has set aside nearly $400 million for new investments in businesses within the state from the nearly $159 billion Common Retirement Fund for public workers. In a report on the fund's In-State Private Equity Program, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says $684 million of more than $1 billion available has been invested in 252 New York companies. The report also shows $6.7 billion altogether has been invested by the fund coupled with the private equity firms that are its partners in those ventures, including $2.4 billion in upstate companies. DiNapoli says that for every $1 from investments now completed the fund has made $1.60.The Legislature created the program in 1999.
