Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

JAMESTOWN – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) was in Chautauqua County this week to meet with officials, including County Executive George Borrello, to discuss the county airport. In addition, he made time to stop by the YWCA in Jamestown to learn more about the services it provides for the community.

During a regional media conference call on Tuesday, Reed said he met Monday with Borrello and others to further discuss the future of passenger air service at the Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown.

The airport has been without commercial service since early 2018 when the Department of Transportation pulled its Essential Air Service (EAS) funding for Southwest Airways Express. Since then, county officials and federal representatives have been working to return the funding under a new passenger service plan provided by new air carrier, Boutique Air. However, federal transportation officials denied that request earlier this year. Still, Congressman Reed says the effort isn’t over and a meeting took place Monday to further discuss the matter.

“We were able to meet at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel with George [Borrello], with the airport manager, and with the leaders of the community – the business community in particular – about assessing the support for the need of commercial airline service to the Jamestown airport,” Reed said.

Reed said that those he talked with have shown that there still is a need for passenger air service.

“What I heard from the room is that there is a tremendous amount of support for commercial airline service for the Jamestown airport and one of the things we’re exploring is how do we make that application to the Federal Department of Transportation Federal Department of Transportation under the EAS program that would make commercial airline service to the Jamestown airport viable,” Reed said.

In addition to meeting with officials to discuss the airport, he also stopped by the YWCA in Jamestown to learn more about its programming and services for the greater Jamestown Community.

“It was inspiring to not only be with those caseworkers, not only the department heads and leaders and hear their story and commitment to the needs of the community, but then to round table with teen mothers themselves, for example, to hear first-hand how these programs are benefiting them and how they are arming them in a positive way to take on life’s challenges that they are facing but, most importantly as demonstrated by one of the graduates of the program, are overcoming any sorts of obstacles and are thriving with the situations that they dealt with, “Reed said.

The YWCA offers a variety of programming such as early care and educational; after school programs; summer camp; transitions and supportive housing; supervised visitation; a Women2Women coaching program; the Teenage Education and Motherhood (TEAM) program; and many others.
For more information, visit www.ywcaof jamestown.com.