Jamestown Community College President Dr. Daniel DeMarte presents to Chautauqua County Legislature’s Audit & Control Committee (April 21, 2022)

Jamestown Community College President Dr. Daniel DeMarte made an initial ask for nearly $1.3 million for projects at the college before the County Legislature’s Audit & Control Committee.

DeMarte said a formal request will be coming before the County Planning Board later this year for two on-going projects and one new one.

The first project request for $53,000 is to finish the last phase of construction at the Scharmann Theatre to bring it into compliance with an Office of Civil Rights issue. Once that work is completed, the college will be able to re-open the theatre. The total cost of that project is $212,000. The second request would be $250,000 to install LED lighting on the Jamestown campus. The third and largest request is for almost $1 million, DeMarte said, to put turf down on the soccer field, “I can’t compete with Corning and other schools down the road if we don’t have the facilities to attract those students to JCC. They want to come. They want to be here. They like it here. They want to stay here. But we’re at a point where I simply cannot compete with our neighboring institutions if we don’t start making some improvements with the facilities and it starts with turfing the soccer field.”

The total cost for that project would be nearly $4 million.

DeMarte also discussed with legislators that in regards to the college’s two north county facilities, he’s not sure if that’s the best location for JCC to be. He said they are working on adding programming this Fall in Dunkirk similar to what’s offered at the Manufacturing Technical Institute in Jamestown, “What we offer there now is essentially the first year of the two-year transfer degree. We don’t offer any CTE programming in Dunkirk. I think that perhaps there’s a void. You know I often hear, as I’m sure you do too, that there are people who will not travel over the great divide, over the hill in Cassadaga into Jamestown, for an education at JCC.”

DeMarte said CTE training also will be offered this Fall in Dunkirk. He said the college is working on a new memorandum of understanding with the Job Corp in Cassadaga for them to have students go to both Jamestown and Dunkirk for CTE training.

DeMarte said the number of out of area students coming to JCC has helped offset the decrease in students from local high schools. He said they’re setting enrollment and recruitment goals at the pre-pandemic 2019 levels, “In that year we stopped a nine-year decline. So we’ve been sliding in enrollment for nine years. Not unusual. Most colleges in the country have been sliding. We stopped that in ’19. So our immediate goal is to get back to where we were in ’19 and then determine where we can go from there. We don’t anticipate that there will be much growth, but some stability.”

DeMarte said the college is working on workforce development, including creating a water treatment training program two years ago. He said the next closest location for this training is in Morrisville, New York, “We’ve trained over 300 individuals locally in water treatment. We’re now looking at wastewater treatment training because that need is there also. This one program has been so successful that we’re not being asked to come into other counties to help deliver the training which poses other challenges for us but that’s a good problem to have. So we’ve been asked recently if we’d take the training to Niagara County and help begin to train their municipalities in water treatment.”

DeMarte said in an effort to get students back to campus, they offered one free on-campus class to high school juniors and seniors. The goal was to get 60 students to take part and 100 students signed up before the program was even marketed. He said the same program will be run this summer and 90 students have already signed up for the 150 spots available.

DeMarte added that there was no good news in the state budget for community colleges. He said that community colleges fared worse in the 2022-23 budget than they had in the previous three state budgets.

The Salvation Army in Jamestown has been looking to relocate its Anew Center for the past couple years because the current facility doesn’t adequately meet the needs of the organization.

According to the Post-Journal, the Salvation Army is seeking to move operations to a new building that would allow for 19 staff and about 20 beds.

Because of confidentiality and safety issues with the victims who use the shelter, the specific location has not been publicly announced.

According to the Post-Journal, two town hall-style meetings have been held in Ellery to allow public input on the $2.5 million project. Some residents in Ellery have raised concerns about security and potential for violence with bringing a shelter to the area, but the Salvation Army has found the project site to be well-equipped for safety of the residents.

To bring the new center to fruition, a zoning change needs to be issued to allow for the support center. The Planning Board unanimously approved the change referral. A public hearing on the relocation will now be discussed today with the Ellery Planning Board.

The Jamestown Post-Journal is reporting Wednesday that Ben and James Webb – who operate Webb’s Captain’s Table in Mayville – attended this week’s Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency meeting to offer more details on their plan to build a 32-unit condominium hotel near Lakeside Park in Mayville. The proposed building would be five stories tall and 180 feet in length. Because of the height of the structure, the Webb’s would need approval from the village zoning board before it could proceed with development.

Each of the hotel’s 32 units would be composed of one-to-three bedrooms. While the business would operate as a hotel, each condominium would be owned by four-to-six owners.

The two are hoping for a groundbreaking in the spring of 2016 would lead to the new condominium/hotel potentially opening in the spring of 2017. But before groundbreaking can begin, they need approval for variances.

A vote on the project will take place at the Mayville zoning board of appeal’s Oct. 20 meeting.

JAMESTOWN – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory until 4 pm this afternoon and a lake effect snow warning is in effect from 4 pm this afternoon to 6 pm saturday

Heavy lake effect snow and blowing snow is expected over the next 36 hours with accumulations of 4 to 6 inches today and another 5 to 9 inches tonight. 1 to 3 inches could also fall on saturday

Forecasters say snow and possibly blowing snow will result in   hazardous driving conditions with poor visibility and snow covered roads. A burst of moderate snow this morning will result in a very difficult morning commute. Driver caution is advised.  

JAMESTOWN WOMAN FACES CHARGES FOR FLEEING FROM POLICE, AUTO THEFT

JAMESTOWN – A Jamestown woman is in the county jail after allegedly stealing a car and leading police on a chase in the north county early last night. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department say a vehicle had been reported stolen and headed north on Route 60 early last night. A sheriff patrol and state trooper located and stopped the car in the Town of Pomfret, but officers say the driver then sped off at a high speed up Rt 60. During the pursuit the Defendant intentionally rammed the car into a Marked Sheriff’s Patrol Unit causing minor damage to it. Eventually ended up on Rt 5 and was stopped in conjuction with another NYSP unit in the Town of Sheridan.

Officers say the driver, 27 year-old Elizabeth Marlett of 9 Winsor St., faces over a dozen charges, including Possession of Stolen Property, Reckless Endangerment, Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer and several traffic violations. Marlett was initially arraigned in the Town of Pomfret and committed to CCJ. More charges may be forthcoming pending further investigation.

DJDC HAS ‘BANNER YEAR’ IN 2011, LOOKS TO 2012

JAMESTOWN – The Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation had a banner year in 2011. That’s according to DJDC Executive Director Lee Harkness, who was a guest this week’s Communty Matters program on WRFA. Harkness said that in addition to the the Lucille Ball 100^th Birthday Celebration and the Babe Ruth World Series, the DJDC saw near record turnouts in all of the other events it organized throughout the year.

Harkness also went over some of the services that are offered by the DJDC, including a series of Small Business Seminars in collaboration with JCC that will take place thoughout 2012. The first of which will be a seminar on social media management in February.

Harkness also talked about DJDC programming for 2012, saying he expects the renovated train station to be complete by the start of the summer. The complete, half-hour long interview with Harkness will re-air this Sunday at noon on WRFA and is also available via podcast at our website www.wrfalp.com.

ELLERY TOWN BOARD HOLDS OFF ON MORATORIUM VOTE

ELLERY – Despite agreement by Ellery Town Board members that a moratorium on landfills in the town is needed, they will study the impact of putting one in place for the next month before deciding whether to do so. Residents’ concerns about smell, air and water quality and traffic, prompted board members to consider a local law enacting a moratorium on solid waste management facilities in the town. Although they decided to wait a month before voting on enacting the moratorium, town board members told Chautauqua County Planning Board members their concerns during a meeting on Thursday.

Even if the Ellery Town board puts the moratorium in place, the county Planning Board has already said they do not think any such moratorium can stop an effort to expand the county landfill, which is located in the town. The board plans to vote on the moratorium during the Feb. 9 Town Board meeting.

ARTS ON FIRE FEATURES POETRY OUTLOUD PROGRAM AT JHS

JAMESTOWN – The art of words is alive and well at Jamestown High School. Kavita Oza of JHS is one of three students who will be heading to Amherst, N.Y. next month to take part in a regional poetry outloud competition. Kavita finished first place among 160 JHS students last month in the local poetry outloud competition for her reading of the poem Ego by contemporary poet Denise Dehamel.  The project recquired the students to select a piece of poetry and read it in front of an audience.

Kavita, along with students Johnna Graham, Taylor Estrata and Josh Reyes, will be our guests today on WRFA’s Arts on Fire program at 1 p.m and re-airing at 8 p.m..  to talk more about the Poetry Outloud competition and also recite the poems they read at the local competition. The students will be joined by Mrs. Kathy Eckstrom of the JHS English Department.

JAMESTOWN – Local police believe they have captured the man responsible for six robberies that took place throughout the area from Nov. 21 through Dec. 4. A joint investigation by the Jamestown and Ellicott police departments and the New York State Police has led to the arrest of 36 year-old William Buckley of Jamestown.

The string of robberies began Nov. 21 at the Kwik Fill store on Forest Avenue in Jamestown. Other businesses involved included the Arrow-Mart on North Main St. Extension, the Kwik Fill on Fluvanna Avenue and the Mason Gulf station on Fairmount Avenue. The Crosby’s convenience store and the Red Roof Inn, both in Falconer, were also involved in robberies or attempted robberies.

Buckley was arraigned Tuesday in Jamestown City Court on one count of third-degree burglary and two counts of attempted robbery, and taken to the Chautauqua County Jail. He also faces arraignment on three additional charges in Ellicott Town Court.

POLICE IDENTIFY WOMAN KILLED IN POLAND AUTO ACCIDENT

POLAND – Police have released the name of the woman who died in a one-vehicle accident Monday night in the town of Poland. Officers say 36 year-old Candice Workman of Falconer was the driver of the car that traveling on Hartson Rd. and went through the intersection with Stone Rd. It then went over an embankment and struck a tree before coming to a rest in Cassadaga Creek. A passenger, 41 year-old Joseph Martin of Falconer, was injured and is listed in critical condition. The accident is still under investigation.

COUNTY PLANNING BOARD FAILS TO SUPPORT MORATORIUM ON LANDFILL EXPANSION

ELLERY – Officials in the Town of Ellery are continuing their push for a moratorium on landfill development by the county, despite the fact the Chautauqua County Planning Board isn’t in favor of the idea. According to an article in today’s Jamestown-Post Journal, the county planning board decided not to endorse the moratorium yesterday, citing a lack of evidence. The decision came after members toured the landfill in Ellery.

Citing smell, erosion, transportation and other concerns, the Ellery Town Board previously sought Planning Board input on a moratorium the town is considering. Those concerns come from residents in the area, and they still can still be heard during required State Environmental Quality Reviews, that must take place before any expansion approved by the state.

The Ellery Town board can still put the moratorium in place if the majority plus one board member votes for it, but county Planning Board members said they do not think the moratorium can stop county landfill expansion plans. Ellery Town Supervisor Arden Johnson says he will further discuss the matter with Town Board members during a meeting Thursday.

YO-YO MA COMES TO FREDONIA TO PERFORM AND HOST WORKSHOP

FREDONIA – An internationally known and critically acclaimed musician will be in northern Chautauqua County today. Yo-Yo Ma will call SUNY Fredonia home for the next two days.

Arguably the most recognized name in classical music today, and clearly the foremost cellist in the world, he will perform with the Fredonia College Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m.  The event, which sold out within 48 hours of its announcement last May, is also serving as a scholarship benefit for SUNY Fredonia’s renowned School of Music.

In addition, Ma will be leading a master class for SUNY Fredonia’s students today, giving them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from and perform with one of the greatest musicians in any genre of any era.

JCC AND ALFRED STATE ANNOUNCE NURSING PARTNERSHIP

JAMESTOWN – Graduates of Jamestown Community College’s nursing program now have an opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing through the Comm-university at JCC in partnership with Alfred State College.

The agreement was reviewed recently by Kathleen F. Sellers, professor and chair of Alfred State College’s nursing department, and Dawn T. Columbare, professor and director of JCC’s nursing education program.

The agreement outlines how graduates of JCC’s Associate in Applied Science degree in nursing can complete Alfred State’s nursing degree online in four semesters

Students can transfer additional JCC coursework toward meeting requirements for the bachelor’s degree and Alfred State will accept a maximum of 90 total transfer credit hours from JCC.

TIM HORTON’S SELLS DONUTS TO SUPPORT WCA EMERGENCY ROOM CAMPAIGN

JAMESTOWN – WCA Hospital is once again receiving backing from Jamestown-area Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop restaurant owners Victor and Brenda Tarana. The Taranas unveiled their new WCA donuts which will be available for $1 each at the three Jamestown-area Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop locations from Monday, December 5 through Sunday, December 11. Proceeds from the sale of all donuts will benefit Sharing the Gift of Health: The Capital Campaign for Our Emergency Department.