City lawmakers have voted unanimously to supprt the Gebbie Foundation's efforts to obtain state funding to move a potential $20-million project forward to redevelop Jamestown's historic Furniture Mart Building.....
The City Council approved the Gebbie's Consolidated Funding Application for $1.5-milllion at last night's voting session. Mayor Sam Teresi says the grant would help move the project forward.
Both Teresi and City Development Director Vince DeJoy say the developer is not being identified yet, but the out-of-town group is working through the Gebbie Foundation. Teresi says, for the project to move forward, the CFA Funding needs to be approved in this round by the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council. City officials say the project, slated for the entire 172,000 square feet of the Furniture Mart Building, will include a mix of commercial and residential development. The Gebbie Foundation intends to apply for the funding by next July 26th.
At a home plate ceremony at Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Park Monday, Russ Diethrick and Mayor Sam Teresi signed papers transferring the ballpark lease to the new 'Jamestown Community Baseball LLC' and extending it for at least another five years....
The mayor says it means the Jammers will be at the stadium at least through 2025 and, if extended, through 2030. The lease was previously held by Roc Ventures of Milwaukee. Russ Diethrick is the President of Jamestown Community Baseball. He says the lease transfer is yet another step in bringing wood bat, college level baseball back to Jamestown in June of 2020. When the Jamestown Jammers return, they will again play in the Perfect Game League. Both Diethrick and the mayor said additional announcements about the new team will be coming soon.
There are a few more hours before the polls open for Primary Day in New York State and mainly Republican voters in Chautauqua County will be taking part in the elections held today....
Among the major contests is the GOP primary for the 57th State Senate District. However, Democratic Elections Commissioner Norm Greens says there are other local races, including Carroll Town Supervisor, Jamestown Mayor, and County Legislature District 1 in Dunkirk, there is also a primary for District 18 in the western part of the county. At-Large Jamestown City Councilman Andrew Liuzzo will go head-to-head with county Republican Committee Chairman David Wilfong in the Mayoral run. In Ward-Two, incumbant Tony Dolce is being primaried by Raven Thompson. Voting hours today will be the same as past years, 12 to 9 PM. All county poll sites will be open on Tuesday.
The resurgence of Celoron took another step forward Monday with the ribbon cutting for the new boardwalk and canoe and kayak launch....
Celoron mayor, Scott Schrecengost told the large crowd of residents and politicians the Lucille Ball statue that's come to be known as 'Scary Lucy' played a role. The value of the statue was used as part of the matching funds for the project. The total cost for the boardwalk and an associated canoe and kayak launch was $790,000. The mayor says a new 'amenities' building, including restrooms, is the next project, with groundbreaking later this summer.
A city man is jailed for allegedly stealing a bicycle from a person following a domestic incident last Friday afternoon....
City police responded to Liberty Street just after 1:30 PM and after speaking with the female victim, located the suspect near the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and East 6th Street. Identified at 33 year-old Jonathan Rivera, police say he was found on the stolen bike. Rivera is also accused of making several unwanted calls and text messages to the female. He's being held pending arraignment for petty larceny and fourth-degree stalking.
A Jamestown man was arrested for allegedly violating an order of protection in the Village of Sinclairville Sunday night....
State Police in Jamestown were called to undisclosed location and learned 20 year-old Jonathan Camacho reportedly broke the protected party's television and, attempted to fight random neighbors, including throwing one of them into a lawn mower by her neck, resulting in injury. Camacho was then transported to the Chautauqua County Jail pending arraignment for aggravated family offense, second-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal contempt.
A Summer full of free activities and personal enrichment is being made available again this year through the city of Jamestown's annual Summer Playground Program!
That from Parks and Recreation Coordinator Julia Ciesla-Hanley, who says they'll again be at five locations: Bergman Park, Chadakoin Park, Allen Park, Nordstrom Park and the Lillian Dickson Tot Lot.
Ciesla-Hanley says the James Prendergast Library will again offer their Summer Reading activities. She says they're estatic to announce Ryan Whisner as the new Playground Program Recreation Leader. Ciesla-Hanley says he was a recreation attendant at Allen Park last year and, he really enjoys working with the kids. The fun and excitement begins next Monday, July 1st for children ages 5 to 13 years-old and, runs at all sites each day -- Monday through Friday -- 11AM to 5PM through August 9th. For more information, call 483-7523.
The U.S. Census Bureau is using new high-tech tools to help get an accurate population count next year as it faces criticism for the way it plans to reach out to people of color.....
Census employees are taking images captured from satellites and planes to verify addresses in rural communities and compare them to previous maps from 2010. It comes as the bureau is planning internet and telephone questionnaires, which advocates say would be more likely to overlook rural areas without reliable communication infrastructure. Deirdre Dalpiaz-Bishop of the bureau's geography division says employees check the data through computers and then plan how to send staff to hard-to-reach areas if census questionnaires aren't returned. City University of New York Mapping Service director Steven Romalewski calls the technology promising.
