Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency Board Meeting (April 26, 2022)

The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency board has approved a loan request to the company buying the former Welch’s Building in Westfield.

2 Portage LLC requested a $475,000 loan for the real estate acquisition. The Al Tech Revolving Loan fund loan has terms of 20 years at 4% interest. The project will be an adaptive reuse of the building with the total project cost of $11.5 million.

The IDA also approved a $90,000 loan to International Ordnance Technologies. The loan goes toward the repair a heat-treat furnace which had broken down. IOT manufactures machine gun links. The Jamestown Local Development Corporation approved a $90-thousand dollar loan for the same project at its meeting earlier this month.

A number of EDA (Economic Development Administration) CARES Act loan were approved by the IDA with the loans being used for working capital.

The businesses that had loan requests approved include:
– $41,000 for Merritt Estate Winery to buy juice to make wine for this season
– $125,000 for Artone Manufacturing LLC to assist with hiring and bringing on new employees
– $100,000 for Heritage Ministries to help with costs related to COVID test purchases and new equipment
– and $100,000 for Labyrinth Press Company to be used for hiring and training new employees.

IDA CEO Mark Geise informed the IDA board that in-person meetings will resume in May with meetings still being available over livestream on the IDA’s YouTube Page.

He also announced that in honor of the CCIDA’s 50th Anniversary that the IDA has bought out Diethrick Stadium for the June 30th Tarp Skunks‘ baseball game.

Heritage Ministries

President and CEO Lisa Haglund said Anderson will serve as the primary communications point of contact for the organization. She will oversee and develop new strategies to evaluate and continually improve internal and external communications processes, public relations, and media management and relations throughout Heritage senior living communities, nationwide.

Anderson, a native of Kennedy, New York, is a graduate of Jamestown Business College, and most recently served as the Marketing Manager for the organization, beginning her career with Heritage in December 2016.

On Sept. 9 local, state and federal officials announced $10.5 million in federal funding to assist businesses in Chautauqua County during the COVID-19 pandemic. From left to right – Assemblyman Andrew Goodell; Joel Frushone, EDA Director – Office of External Affairs; Anthony Foti, Intergovernmental Affairs Director – U.S. Department of Commerce; Richard Dixon, CFO – County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency; Congressman Tom Reed; Senator George Borrello; County Executive Paul Wendel; Mayor Wilfred Rosas; Crystal Surdyk, Interim Director of Development for the City of Jamestown; Michael Metzger, Chairman of the Board for the CCIDA and VP for Finance and Administration at SUNY Fredonia.

JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency has allocated more than half of the federal CARES Act money it recently received to assist businesses throughout the county during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September, The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the county IDA was selected to receive a $10.5 million grant to establish a new, low-interest Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). Both businesses and non-profit organizations are allowed to apply for the funding as a means to respond to economic injury resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

As currently established, the new RLF provides loans of no less than $25,000 and not to exceed $1 Million, and working capital loans of up to $250,000, with an interest rate of 2.44% (the lowest allowed).

The first round of funding – totaling more than $5.7 million, was awarded during the Tuesday IDA board meeting – going to 28 businesses and non-profit entities.

Of the 28 loan approvals, six of them covered more than half the total amount being borrowed:

• $700,000 to SKB Auto Sales (Fredonia)
• $646,650 to Big Inlet Brewing (Mayville)
• $500,000 to Cockaigne Resort (Cherry Creek)
• $494,460 to Artone (Jamestown)
• $375,000 to Heritage Ministries (Gerry)
• $375,000 to Advanced Production Group (Dunkirk)

The remaining loans were as follows:

• $322,000 to Luscombe Aircraft Corporation (Jamestown)
• $250,000 to La Quinta/ Holiday Inn Express/ Hampton Inn (Jamestown)
• $227,000 to Pace’s Pizzeria (Jamestown)
• $200,000 to Webb’s Candies, Inc./ Webb’s Motel Inc. (Mayville)
• $182,183 to Kimbert Manufacturing dba Barton Tool Inc. (Falconer)
• $125,000 to Ark Wholesale, LLC (Fredonia)
• $125,000 to Brigiottas Farmland Produce & Garden Center Inc. (Jamestown)
• $125,000 to Corvus Bus & Charter, Inc. (Falconer)
• $125,000 to Excelco/Newbrook, Inc. (Silver Creek)
• $125,000 to Falconer Hotel, LLC (Falconer)
• $125,000 to International Ordnance Technologies (Jamestown)
• $125,000 to Pucci Carpet One Furniture & Bedding, Inc. (Fredonia)
• $115,000 to Shawbucks, Inc. (Jamestown)
• $125,000 to Webb’s Harbor Restaurant and Bowling Lanes, Inc. (Mayville)
• $87,500 to Bilicki Law Firm, PC (Jamestown)
• $85,000 to Skate Shop (Jamestown)
• $75,000 to The Original Crunch Roll Factory, LLC (Westfield)
• $41,000 to Merritt Estate Winery, Inc. (Forestville)
• $35,000 to Ivory Acres Weddings LLC (Frewsburg)
• $25,000 to Uhl Ventures LLC dba Servpro of Jamestown/Olean (Jamestown)

IDA Director Mark Geise reminds businesses that the application and program details are still currently available, and urges anyone interested in applying to contact the CCIDA office at 661-8900.

According to the Jamestown Post-Journal, a spokesman for Absolut Care of Westfield said the employee was put into quarantine after receiving a positive test, although the date of the test was not provided.

As a result of the positive test, all Absolut Care residents and their families have been updated on the positive case. Thirty-two staff members were also immediately tested by the Chautauqua County Department of Health and were all confirmed negative.

To date, no one residing within a nursing home in Chautauqua County has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The news of the positive case comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that staff at all nursing homes must be tested twice a week to ensure the virus isn’t able to reach the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The elderly and people with other underlying health problems are most at risk of being hospitalized from the virus. According to the governor’s office, an 5,300 COVID-19 deaths in New York involve nursing home residents.

In response to the governor’s mandate, Heritage skilled nursing and rehabilitation communities in Chautauqua County announced Friday that they will temporarily cease all admissions effective Tuesday, May 19. The temporary admission halt will affect The Village in Gerry, The Park in Jamestown, and The Green in Greenhurst.

“The health and safety of our staff and residents are of the utmost importance,” explained newly confirmed Heritage Ministries President and CEO Lisa Haglund. “As we have been directed to move into mandated testing for all employees by Governor Cuomo’s office, we needed to determine how we could comply with all regulations and prevent any impact to resident care. Our COVID-19 response team is committed to acting in the best interest of all staff and residents.”

Also, as a result of the stepped up testing, Republican Senator George Borrello says the state needs to offer help to make sure nursing homes are able to meet the new mandate. Borrello said that testing kit availability at that volume is simply not available in many regions of the state and that most facilities do not have the resources needed to purchase tests at that scale.

“Everyone supports taking extra precautions to help protect our vulnerable nursing home residents and most facilities have been very diligent throughout this crisis in providing daily employee temperature screenings and health assessments. The Governor’s Executive Order requiring nursing home employees to be tested twice a week is good in concept, but impossible for most facilities to execute without hands-on partnership from the state,” Borrello said.

Nursing homes unable to comply would face up to a $10,000 fine per day, as well as the possible revocation of their state license.

One of the areas largest skilled nursing providers and independent living facilities has taken several steps in the past few weeks in response to the COVID-19 crisis.  Heritage, based in Gerry, NY, provides an estimated 2500 seniors with both independent and assisted living options, rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, and more with locations in Chautauqua County and also Washington State, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

WRFA’s Jason Sample talked on Tuesday, March 24 with David Smeltzer, Heritage President & CEO, to learn more about what its skilled nursing facilities are doing in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Smeltzer also added that additional positions are needed with the organization and a job fair will be taking place on Wednesday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to noon in the viewing room at Homestead Stables – located at 4633 Damon Hill Road, Gerry, NY 14740.  First and second, full and part time positions are available.

For more information, call (716) 338-4756 or visit heritage1886.org/careers.

• ALSO AVAILABLE AT OUR SOUNDCLOUD PAGE

WRFA’s Jason Sample interviews Mark Smeltzer from Heritage Ministries and David Mercugliano and Hilary Forman from HealthPRO Heritage to learn more about a recently collaboration announced between the local non profit skilled nursing facility and the nationally recognized consulting and therapy management firm.

Jim Clyne from LeadingAge of NY presents the 2019 Innovation Award to Heritage Ministries for its new equestrian facility Homestead Stables, which offers programming for Heritage residents as well as the community.

GERRY – Over 100 members of the Heritage Ministries staff, along with residents and invited guests, were on hand Tuesday afternoon for a special recognition ceremony for the recently opened Homestead Stables.

Heritage’s Equestrian Facility, located on Damon Hill Rd. in Gerry, is the recipient of the 2019 Innovation of the Year Award from LeadingAge New York, which recognizes elderly care programs that stand out because of their ground-breaking creativity, vision, success, and ability to replicate.

Heritage President and CEO David Smeltzer said Homestead Stables opened in December as part of an effort to utilize available space and local history to create a unique equestrian program.

“We had a lot of property and were trying to figure out how to best improve our facilities and improve the services we provide to our residents and thought, ‘well, we live in the country. Why not tie in our programs with our roots in the country and the Gerry Rodeo.’ So this equestrian center was born as an idea and after about three years came to life,” Smeltzer explained.

Smeltzer adds that since opening, the center has not only helped residents at Heritage Ministries but is also used by outside community groups.

Over 100 employees, residents and community members were on hand as part of the Innovation Award presentation.

“We have programs for the residents where they learn about horses, horse behaviors and horse breeds. We also have programs where our residents get on horses and ride. We had one resident riding in the Gerry Memorial Day parade,” Smeltzer said. “But it’s also a way to try and reach out to the community. A lot of kids come for lessons – whether it be for IEA, horse, shows, competitions, or just to become a better rider. We’ve also got a lot of folks who board their horses here and those who rent our horses. So its sort of a creative way to provide for our residents and our community.”

The program has proven so successful in a short period of time that it was nominated for LeadingAge New York’s annual Innovation Award and received word that it would be the recipient of the award last month.

LeadingAge of New York is a statewide organization representing over 600 continuing care service organizations dedicated to assisting seniors.  CEO Jim Clyne made the trip from Albany to Gerry on Tuesday to present the award. He told WRFA that acknowledging and highlighting programs like Homestead Stables helps to inspire other assisted living centers around the state to develop their own enrichment programming.

“Everybody knows we have an aging population as the baby boomers go into their 70s and soon they’ll be approaching their 80s. Innovation, new programs and different ways of engaging seniors and serving that population are really the future of aging services. So every year we offer one or two innovation awards to our non profit members,” Clyne said.

For more information on Heritage Ministries visit www.Heritage1886.org.

Program host Montel Williams unveiled the newly renovated home to Willett and his family on Thursday afternoon with over a hundred others on hand to celebrate.

Willett is a U.S. Air Force veteran and was selected as the subject of the Lifetime TV network’s home improvement show earlier this year.

Crew members of the show along with volunteers have been working for nearly two weeks at the Ashville home to help renovate it. nThe show will be broadcast later this year on Lifetime

Earlier this week WRFA talked with Williams, along with show co-host Art Edmonds, Cindy Reidy from the Dwyer Program, and David Smeltzer from Heritage Ministries. All interviews were featured on our May 9 Community Matters program and are also provided below.

MONTEL WILLIAMS INTERVIEW

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN VIA SOUNDCLOUD

The Health Insurance Public Forums will have professionals on hand to provide information about Medicare changes for 2018, veteran’s health care, and answer questions so individuals have the knowledge they need to select a plan that works best for them.

The free interactive forums will be held:

• Wednesday from 1 to 3p.m. at Harvest Chapel in Fredonia
• Thursday, October 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Heritage Ministries location in the Chautauqua Mall.

For more information, contact any of the OFA in Jamestown at 661-8940.

Julianne Moore as Alice in the movie STILL ALICE, directed by Richard Glatzer. The film will be shown at the Reg Lenna in Jamestown on April 11 and April 15. Photo Credit: Denis Lenoir

JAMESTOWN – The Oscar-winning film, Still Alice will show at Reg Lenna Center for The Arts on Saturday, April 11 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. It will be shown for free courtesy of sponsor Heritage Ministries and its Connections program.

Julianne Moore won the Best Actress statuette for her performance as the lead character at this year’s Academy Awards. In the film, Alice Howland (Moore), happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Alice and her family find their bonds thoroughly tested. Her struggle to stay connected to who she once was is frightening, heartbreaking, and inspiring. Still Alice is rated PG-13 and is 101 minutes long.

Heritage Ministries is a not-for-profit organization which manages and operates human service ministries in Chautauqua County. Headquartered in Jamestown, NY, Heritage Ministries directly serves over 600 residents on a daily basis through several human service ministries. “Connections” is a multi-faceted, person-centered dementia care program designed to engage skilled nursing residents in purposeful activities. The program includes an in-patient Day Care Center and focuses on and validates the residents’ remaining cognitive, emotional, physical, and social abilities, rather than their losses.

Before, during and after the screenings, information on Alzheimer’s and the Connections program will be available in the lobby. Social workers will also be on hand to speak with patrons.

Coming soon to The Reg are Wild, starring Oscar nominees Reese Witherspoon (Best Actress) and Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Breakfast Club, Cinderella and McFarland, USA.

Reg Lenna Center for The Arts is located at 116 E. 3rd St. in Jamestown, NY. The box office opens one hour prior to showtime. Convenient parking is located street side and in the parking ramp across from The Reg.

For information on more Reg events, visit reglenna.com or call 716.484.7070