Jamestown city lawmakers have approved three resolutions that restart the process of annexing four acres of land in the village of Falconer owned by the Board of Public Utilities.....
The votes came after lengthy discussion by the city council and Mayor Sam Teresi, and more than half-an-hour of comment by the public. After the meeting... Council Finance Committee Chairman Tony Dolce insisted the vote is not binding.
In-coming City Mayor Eddie Sundquist, and Falconer Mayor-elect James Jaroszynski, both urged lawmakers to hold off on a vote... but, Dolce says this puts the new administrations in better position to make a final decision on the matter. BPU General Manager Dave Leathers says the three resolutions allow the state environmental review to begin, the city accepting lead agency status... and, the council moving ahead on the process itself. Mayor Teresi spent about 35-minutes outlining the city's case for re-starting the process, and addressing the criticisms of the BPU, and the city by taking the initial action two years ago. A public hearing will have to be held within 40-days of last night's approvals.
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Sundquist and Jaroszynski were among several people who spoke regarding the proposed annexation at the beginning of the meeting. Among them were Ellicott Town Supervisor Pat McLaughlin, and Ellicott Councilman Dan Heitzenriter. None of the other speakers spoke in favor of annexation.
City lawmakers have unanimously approved a new budget for next year that cuts Jamestown's tax rate... and, restores more funding to the Prendergast Library....
City Council Finance Committee Chairman Tony Dolce says he was pleased to see lawmakers compromise on use of $150,000 in savings expected on the city's prescription drug program.
The current year's budget included just $50,000 for the financial-strapped library. A couple of people spoke at the beginning of the meeting, urging lawmakers to restore at least some funding to the library. At-Large Councilman Andrew Liuzzo initially proposed putting the entire $150,000 towards the library. However... that amendment was defeated. City officials say the final budget will reduce the tax rate from Mayor Sam Teresi's proposal by 16 to 18-cents per thousand full value.
A Fredonia man has been arrested for allegedly producing child pornography over the past year....
U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior says 24 year-old Dustin Post was charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography. Prosecutors say State Police received a complaint about Post back in August about a possible sexual offense on a minor. They says the parents of an 8 year-old involved told them that Post -- a family friend -- had sexually abused the child in the Summer of 2018. Kennedy says the complaint also alleges that Post -- this past Summer -- video-recorded his abuse of a 12 year-old girl and, in 2018, received images of a third victim -- an 11 year-old girl -- via Snapchat. He says Post faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine if he's convicted.
The less fortunate in Jamestown will be able to get a hot pizza today at The Salvation Army courtesy of Little Ceasars Pizza....
The companies "Love Kitchen," a big-rig pizza kitchen on wheels, will be at the 83 South Main Street location, beginning at 10 AM. Little Ceasars Spokeswoman Ann McGraw says their truck will serve about 225 peple while at the location. The company started up the "Little Caesars Love Kitchen" in 1985... and, McGraw says they have fed more than 3-million people in all 50 states and four Canadian provinces.
The National Comedy Center's second year of operation is off to a great start... given the figures compiled by the center for it's first 15-months of operation....
Those are the feelings of Executive Director Journey Gunderson... who says they "feel great" about having more than 66,000 people come through the doors. Gunderson adds that the first three months of their second year are much better than the first three-months they were open in 2018.
Gunderson says their consultant, AECOM, was also pleased with the numbers, adding it's had a record, positive impact on lodging and sales tax figures since the Center opened. She says visitors from all 50 states were reported in the first four-months of operation and, she says those people have become "ambassadors" to the center and Jamestown. Gunderson says -- on average -- those people will tell 10 to 12 others about their experience. She says, the one area they need to work on, is drawing more people from Chautauqua County. So far, just under 89-percent of their visitors are from outside the county.
