Participants in the 2022 St. Pat’s Dash

Chautauqua Striders‘ 2023 St. Pat’s Dash takes place this Saturday, March 4.

Registration for the race can be completed online at RunSignUp.com.

The road race starts at 9:00 a.m. on West Third Street in downtown Jamestown with the Northwest Arena acting as headquarters for pre- and post-race activities.
Registration fees are $25 for adults and $18 for youth under age 18 until noon today. Day of registration will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Saturday at the arena. Day-of fees are $30 for adults and $20 for youth under age 18

Complimentary food and refreshments will be served outside Northwest Arena after the race.

Chautauqua Striders Athletic Club Members receive a 10% discount on race fees. Athletic Club membership is required for participation in the 2023 Runner of the Year Series.

For additional information, visit www.chqstriders.org/athletics or call Athletic Coordinator Lexi Lindamer at 716-807-6678.

Kim Ecklund

The City Republican Committee has unanimously nominated Kim Ecklund to run for Mayor of Jamestown.

Ecklund will face Democrat and current Mayor Eddie Sundquist who announced his re-election campaign in early January.

Ecklund, who has served as a City Council Member at Large since 2004, said “it’s time,” “There are some things I feel I can make a difference in that I feel it’s time for me to step forward and at least try to do that.”

Ecklund said she plans to stay true to who she is, “Obviously, very important to me is fiduciary responsibility and obviously keeping the city in a fiscally responsible place. I’ve been on every avenue of City Council but some things obviously, public safety is very important, homeowners, and tax base, and businesses along with the quality of life issues that we have here.”

Ecklund has a multi-decade career in finance at eSolutions Furniture, formerly known as Bush Industries, in addition to her nearly 20 years in city government.

She has served on the City Council’s Public Works and Finance committees and has been the Chair of the Finance Committee for over three years. Ecklund currently serves on the Jamestown Local Development Corporation and the Parks and Recreation Commission and previously served on the Riverfront Management Commission, the Joint Task Force on Efficiency and Cost Reduction, as well as other ad hoc committees.

She is married to Keith Ecklund, a former Jamestown Firefighter. She has been a mentor through Chautauqua Striders for 18 years and also is the Vice President of the Jamestown Babe Ruth World Series Board of Directors.

She thanked the Republican Committee for their support and said she expects to make a more formal announcement about her campaign in the coming weeks.

Jamestown City Council

The staff report said the city is required to become a registered Climate Smart Community in order to take advantage of grants, rebates for electric vehicles, and free technical assistance under the state’s Climate Smart Communities program.

This 50-50 matching grant program helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate.

The Climate Smart Communities pledge has ten elements including,
1. Build a climate-smart community.
2. Inventory emissions, set goals, and plan for climate action.
3. Decrease energy use.
4. Shift to clean, renewable energy.
5. Use climate-smart materials management.
6. Implement climate-smart land use.
7. Enhance community resilience to climate change.
8. Support a green innovation economy.
9. Inform and inspire the public.
10. Engage in an evolving process of climate action.

Also on the work session agenda, the Public Safety Committee will review a Special Event Application from Chautauqua Striders to hold a St. Pat’s Dash on Saturday, March 4.

There is no Housing Committee meeting due to the special voting session being held before the work session. The Finance, Public Safety, and Public Works Committees will meet at 7:00 p.m. with the full work session being held at 7:30 p.m. in the fourth floor Police Training Room in City Hall. The meetings are open to the public with the full work session being livestreamed on jamestownny.gov.

Chautauqua Striders mentoring volunteers, staff, and a recent presenter, Denise DeAngelo.

Chautauqua Striders has received a $20,000 grant from The Blossom Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

The funding will be used for 2022-2023 mentoring and social-emotional learning programs through the organization.

The Chautauqua Striders Mentoring and Social-Emotional Learning programs served 470 students in the past year.

According to Youth.gov, mentoring provides a plethora of benefits for the young people being served, including increased high school graduation rates; lower high school dropout rates; healthier relationship and lifestyle choices; enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence; as well as a decreased likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use and more.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, Ron Graham, Chautauqua County Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director Randy Anderson

Co-founder of Chautauqua Striders and the Infinity Performing Arts Program, Ron Graham, was recognized at the Robert H. Jackson Center Wednesday.

Chautauqua County Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director Randy Anderson said Graham has become an advocate and mentor for Chautauqua County youth, “Today we are recognizing a man who has devoted nearly 50 years of his life to the design, development, and implementation of youth initiatives; emphasizing athletics, academics, delinquency prevention, and the performing arts.”

He said Graham co-founded Striders with the late Dan Feather, “The idea behind the 1979 formation of the Chautauqua Striders was to help young people reach their potential both on the track and in the classroom with the slogan being ‘Champions On and Off the Field.'”

Anderson said during Graham’s tenure as executive director and coach between 1979 and 1990, he had several athletes who earned NCAA division 1 scholarships and also had students who competed in NCAA Division 2 and 3.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist also presented Graham with a certificate of recognition.

Graham was diagnosed earlier this year with stage-four gastroesophageal cancer.

Dan Feather 5K Run/Walk participants

The 2022 Dan Feather Memorial 5K Run and Walk is set for the morning of Sunday, September 4.

The annual event, which benefits Chautauqua Striders, is named in honor of former Jamestown Police Officer Daniel Feather.

He helped co-found Chautauqua Striders in 1979 and served as a volunteer coach for several years.

The run/walk route traverses through the Bergman Park area and surrounding neighborhoods, ending back at the park.

To register for the run/walk, go to https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/NY/Jamestown/DanielFeatherMemorial5KRun

Late registration and check-in will start at 8:00 a.m. Sunday with the run beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Chautauqua Striders

The Northwest Arena will host the registration and post-event awards. The start and finish of the 3-mile course is along West Third Street between Jefferson and Lafayette Streets. “The Dash” is also the official start of the 2022 Runner of the Year Series, sponsored by UPMC Chautauqua.

Registration and check-in on Saturday is 7:30 to 8:30 a.m with the 3 Mile Dash & Walk starting at 9:00 a.m.

Registration is $30. For more information, visit chqstriders.org/athletics or call 716-488-2203.

Executive Director Amy Rohler said they have a new way for people to donate this year, “Text ‘U-W-Hope’ to 9-1-9-9-9. So that’s ‘U-W-Hope,’ all one word, doesn’t matter if it’s lowercase or uppercase, to 9-1-9-9-9. And you’ll see that on our website, you’ll see it on our brochures, on our materials, but that’s a way you can give right on your phone, not have to write a check, not even have to go on our website. So it’s a really convenient way to learn about what we’re doing because you learn about the impact, you can watch our video, but it’s also a great way to just make a donation right then and there.”

Rohler said donations impact 43 programs run by 28 local agencies, “Many of those agencies, I would probably say, are ones that have touched your own family, someone you love, you probably didn’t even know it was a United Way program, or that it was free for you but because United Way was subsidizing it. Things like Meals on Wheels, or you know, a child getting screened by Chautauqua Blind Association, or maybe tutoring with Chautauqua Striders – those are all agencies supported by our United Way.”

The campaign results will be announced January 25, 2022. Donations can be made online at https://www.uwayscc.org/.

The Striders Mentoring Program focuses on mentoring relationships between positive adult role models and children in need of additional support and encouragement. Volunteers are asked to commit to a half hour a week to meet with a child on the weekends and evenings in the community or during the school day at lunch. Together they talk about school, friendships and plan for the future. Mentors are community members interested in giving back and wanting to help a child succeed. Volunteers are screened and trained by professional staff and are provided ongoing support throughout the length of the mentoring relationship.

“Mentor one child, change two lives,” is the motto of Striders.  To find out how you can be involved or for more information contact Erika Mueke at 716-488-2203 or visit ChautauquaStriders.org.