Electric crews with the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities are continuing to work on several scattered outages in the area that occured during the overnight storms that hit the region.
BPU Spokeswoman Becky Robbins says the outages occured shortly after 11 p.m. Mondaywhen a line of storms with strong winds hit the area.
Robbins says the gusty winds were especially a problem with many tree and limbs falling onto power lines across the area. She says one trouble area on the city's westside, King, English and Tower Streets had power restored by late morning.
The English Hill pump station also lost power for a while. Robbins said late this morning that there were still some outages in the village of Celoron due to a downed tree on Duquesne Avenue.
Power remains out on parts of Jackson Avenue, and, Livingston Avenue. A few customers in the Bonita-area of Fluvanna and, on Elmwood in Falconer lost power.
West Ellicott streets of Howard, Warwick and Elmwood have also been out of power. She says crews will be into your area soon if not already but, if your power has not come on by early afternoon call the BPU at 661-1660 and customer service is at Ext. 3.
Several waves of severe thunderstorms moved across Western New York overnight, causing damage across portions of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.
The storms were ahead of a strong cold front that crossed the area according to Meteorologist Jeff Wood of the National Weather Service. He says the storms left behind toppled trees and downed power lines with the strongest gust reported in Fredonia at 60 mph.
A 59 mile an hour wind gust was also reported at the Dunkirk Airport. Among the many damage reports, a tree toppled onto a house in Silver Creek.
There were a couple of scary moments during last night's abbreviated fireworks show at the Labor Day Festival.
Mayoral Assistant Matt Hanley says, preliminarily, a couple of people suffered what appeared to be very minor burns when hot embers from the fireworks went into the crowd shortly after the show began.
Hanley says the winds really picked up shortly into the 12-minute program but, once they were alerted about the embers blowing into the crowd the fireworks were immediately stopped.
An announcement was made saying there was a safety concern, and the fireworks show was concluded.
For the third-time Jamestown's 38th annual Labor Day Festival was held at Bergman Park on Monday due to the storm system that passed through the area Sunday morning and early afternoon.
Mayor Sam Teresi says it was the "right call" to make given the forecast for not only rain but, cooler than normal temperatures in the area. He thanked the large number of people who turned out for the event on a sunny and warmer, but, breezy afternoon Sunday.
Teresi also recalled what happened with David Willkinson was given the Ritzer award in 2013 and, just as they were wrapping up a storm system with 50 mph winds roared through and they had to evacuate people from the park.
Teresi says the safety of their workers, volunteers and residents was their first consideration in deciding to move the festival to Monday.
The storm included the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. Teresi also recognized the city's 450 employees for the work they do every day for the residents of Jamestown.
For only the third time in the past 34 years a woman has received the Jamestown Central Labor Council's "George Ritzer Labor Award."
Current Civil Service Employees Association Local #807 President Bonnie Peters was presented the award during yesterday afternoon's ceremony at the Jamestown Labor Day Festival.
Peters who has headed up the unit representing most Chautauqua County employees says she's "extremely honored" to be one of the few women to have been honored. She also used the opportunity to urge women involved in labor to take on more leadership positions to "help labor unions" regain the stature they once had.
Central Labor Council President David Wilkinson echoed those sentiments, adding women are needed in the labor movement. Peters was presented with a plaque and other accolades including a citation from the New York State Assembly. Local Representative Andy Goodell presented it acknowledging that he and Peters don't always agree on labor matters.
Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi also presented Peters with a proclamation recognizing her and, also declared this week as "Labor Appreciation Week" in Jamestown.
The Ritzer Award not only recognizes union leadership but, community involvement.
New York state had more jobs last year than at any time since the Great Recession, though upstate regions continue to struggle with job losses.
The figures were published Monday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and first reported by The Associated Press.
According to DiNapoli's statistics more than 9.1 million New Yorkers were working last year. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8 percent in 2016, its lowest point in nine years.
