The James Prendergast Library

JAMESTOWN – The James Prendergast Library will be closed until further notice and offered the following update to area residents:

In order to avoid the promotion of public gatherings, the library will be closed until further notice. The health and safety of our community is our priority.

While we are closed, all late fees on returned items will be waived. If you would like to return materials, they can be returned through the library’s bookdrop located by the front entrance.

The library’s reference desk can be reached at (716) 484-7135 ext. 225. We will be taking calls from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Voicemails can be left after hours.

We are also responsive to messages on Facebook, and messages sent via our website, at https://www.prendergastlibrary.org/contact/. Please contact us with any questions.

Online services are still available while we are closed. Access to eBooks, online audio books, magazines, databases, Rosetta Stone, and the New York Times is available via prendergastlibrary.org.

The safety and health of our patrons and staff are the Library’s top priority. It is important that we all do our part to keep our community healthy and safe.

– James Prendergast Library

CIRCO COMEDIA AT THE REG

Highlighting the weekend is the final Reg Presents Series for the 2017-18 Season at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

The unique circus-style performance of Quebec-based comedy duo Circo Comedia takes place Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Reg Lenna. Following in the tradition of the Quebec Circus, the duo will perform amazing stunts and hilarious antics for the audience.

Tickets start at $5 for children aged 18 and under and $10 for adults and may be purchased at the Reg box office, over the phone at 716.484.7070 or online at RegLenna.com.

In addition to the show, Len Barry from the Reg Lenna will also announce the 2018-19 season lineup.

WEEKEND AT THE MUSEUM

The owner and developer of two historic downtown buildings will be displaying several pieces of artwork that had previously been owned by the Prendergast Library.

Developer Arnold Duke recently purchased the Old Marine Midland Bank  (most recently known as The Forum)at the northwest corner of Main and Second Streets. To celebrate the purchase and raise awareness about future plans for the building, Duke will be showcasing items he purchased at auction from the Prendergast Art Collection both tonight and tomorrow at the former bank location.

The “Weekend at the Museum” theme will also feature various memorabilia, including items that belonged to first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Elton John, Elizabeth Taylor, and Pat Garrett – the lawman who shot and killed Billy the Kid. On Saturday, free fossils will also be given out to children.

The “Weekend at the Museum” is taking place at 201 N. Main St. (northwest corner of Main and Second Streets) from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday for adults only and then from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday for people of all ages.

The event is free and open to the public.

In addition to the Marine Midland Bank purchase, Duke also purchased the former Key Bank building directly across the street in 2017.

‘IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE’ AT WILLOW BAY THEATER

The Winged Ox Players will present the thought-provoking play “It Can’t Happen Here” starting Friday as well as two shows on Saturday at the Willow Bay Theater.

The play is based on the novel by American author Sinclair Lewis and has been described as a “cautionary dark satire about the fragility of democracy and how fascism can take hold even in the land of liberty.”

• RELATED: LISTEN TO WRFA’S INTERVIEW WITH WINGED OX PLAYERS

Friday and Saturday evening performances will begin at 7 p.m. and there will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by a panel discussion with several community members, high school and college teachers and members of the cast.

Admission to the show is free, but free will donations are encouraged.

The show will also be shown next Friday and Saturday, May 18 an 19 at 7 p.m.

SPRING GRAPES AND HOPS FEST AT NORTHWEST ARENA

Also on Saturday The 4th Annual Spring Grapes & Hops Festival will take place at the Northwest Arena from 3 to 7 p.m.

The event will feature beer samplings and wine tasting from local breweries and wineries, as well as business vendors from around the area.

Visit NorthwestArena.com for more information.

PRENDERGAST RUN FOR LITERACY

Also on Saturday morning, Prendergast Library continues its fundraising efforts with the 12th annual Run for Literacy.

The 5K race starts at the library with registration running from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. The race starts at 9 a.m. with walkers starting shortly after. Free T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 100 registrants.

Registration costs $20, and can be completed online, at the library, or on the day of the race.

To learn more or to register online, visit PrendergastLibrary.org.

ANGELA CALEY’S ‘MEET THE ARTIST RECEPTION’ AT DYKEMAN YOUNG

A Meet the Artist Reception for the new exhibit “Free: New works by Angela Caley” will be taking place Saturday night at the Dykeman Young Gallery on 2^nd St. in Jamestown. The event is free and open to the public.

LIVE MUSIC

In addition to the events listed above, there’s also a variety of live music events to choose from both Saturday and Sunday in the Jamestown area. For a complete listing, visit our Rock and Roll Rundown for this weekend.

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN HERE

The Jamestown City Council Monday night hosted a public hearing on the 2018 City Budget, with only three individuals on hand to share their thoughts on the $35.7 million spending plan that includes a $947,000 deficit.

One of those who spoke was Jamestown resident and retired Board of Public Utilities employee Doug Champ, who again criticized the council for failing to follow the rules laid out in the city charter involving to budget process.

Among other things, the charter states that the mayor is required to deliver a balanced budget proposal to the council on or before Oct. 10 and that the city council is required to provide amendments to the budget by Nov. 10, before the public hearing is held.

Resident Doug Champ at the Nov. 20 city council budget hearing.

However, Champ pointed out that neither requirement was followed this year. He said that makes it difficult for the public to address any aspect of the budget during the legally required public hearing.

“Why are we having this public hearing? Because you have to hold a public hearing? It’s not on anything else but an unbalanced budget,” Champ said. “The city council could have kicked this budget back to the mayor and the mayor – rightfully or wrongfully so – could’ve said ‘I’m not going to attach a budget to you because I can’t make it balanced.’ Well then your charter should change the wording from ‘will [present a balanced budget]’ to ‘could [present a balanced budget]’ and as for your proposed amendments, it should be indicated that amendments may be able to be performed at a later date.”

Following the hearing, finance committee chairman Tony Dolce addressed Champ’s concerns, saying that although the charter calls for amendments to be presented by Nov. 10, there’s nothing that says they also can’t be made afterward.

“In regards to the charter, there’s nothing that we’re doing illegal about it. As you know on any particular resolution – the budget is a resolution that we will be voting – any amendment could be made on the floor for any given resolution at the last minute,” Dolce said.

Dolce also said that it’s better to start with an unbalanced budget than one that is unrealistic.

“Obviously in a perfect scenario the mayor’s budget would be balanced as it has been in several years past,” Dolce explained. “The last few years have been challenging and it makes no sense to put together an unrealistic budget that is untrue and filled with all sorts of inflated revenues or draconian cuts just to say he came out with a balanced budget. That being said, we still have to have a balanced budget and we’re working on that.”

Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association president and CEO Todd Tranum talks during the Jamestown City Council’s public hearing on the 2018 city budget.

In addition to Champ’s comments, others who spoke to the city council were Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Tranum, who expressed his concerns about not seeing an adequate long-term plan that would help the city address its ongoing financial challenges. He also urged the mayor to work toward having local business leaders seated on the BPU, to ensure the interests of the manufacturing community are being represented.

The only other individual who spoke was incoming city council member Andrew Liuzzo, who requested the council considering restoring money for the James Prendergast Library, adding that it should also urge the library to be operated more like a business so that it is more self-sustaining and less reliant on public money in future years.  Liuzzo asked the council restore $25,000 of the $50,000 that was cut in the mayor’s budget proposal.

The council has until Dec. 1 to approve a budget. It will likely vote on a final spending plan during its November voting session, scheduled for next Monday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

“Lake Daze” by Dan Swackhammer is one of more than 40 pieces that will be up for auction at the Prendergast Art Auction fundraiser, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.

JAMESTOWN – The Prendergast Library will hold its first-ever local art auction featuring artwork donated by area artists from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15.

Local auctioneer Lee Davies will conduct the sale, and there will be refreshments and musical entertainment.

“This is a brand new fundraising event for the library, and it will be exciting,” said R. Thomas Rankin, president of the board of trustees.

Before Davies starts the bidding, a cocktail hour will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres, sweets, beer and wine available plus music by Davis and Eng. The audience will also have a chance to view the items for sale during that time.

Artwork has been donated by local artists, many of whom have exhibited in the library’s art gallery over the years.

“As former exhibitors or artists who have already scheduled a future show, we wanted them to be among the first to know about this event,” auction chairwoman Lynn Warner said.

Any medium such as painting, photography or sculpture was welcome as long as the work was ready for display and could be transported easily by the winning bidder, she added.

Tickets at $30 each may be purchased at the library’s Circulation Desk or at prendergastlibrary.org using PayPal or a credit card. Online buyers are asked to put their name and “art auction tickets” in the special instructions section; tickets can be held at the library or mailed.

“We hope many members of the community will want to be part of this benefit and help us make this inaugural art auction fundraiser a success,” said Library Director Tina Scott.

The library is collecting information from participating artists and photos of their artwork to create an online catalog that will be available at prendergastlibrary.org before the event. A printed catalog providing basic information will also be distributed that evening.

The library is located at 509 Cherry St., Jamestown. For information, call 484-7135.

The Jamestown Prendergast Library board of trustees held its monthly meeting on Thursday, June 16, 2016 and board president Tom Rankin spent a few minutes updating the public on how the library plans to proceed for the rest of 2016, following the public rejecting an $850,000 funding initiative on June 7. The meeting also featured a public comment period with residents Doug Champ and Mike Smoker addressing the board.

Following comments from Rankin and the two members of the public, the board held its business portion of the meeting and acted on several items involving the 2016 budget.

Jamestown resident Doug Champ addresses the James Prendergast Library Board of Trustees during its board meeting Thursday, June 16.

Library officials are currently looking into the possibility of selling some of the classic artwork in its collection. According to library officials, the collection consists of mainly European artists with some American works mixed in. Much of the collection was donated or willed to the library by local residents, including the Prendergast family, during the past 100+years.

Library officials feel that it would be expensive and time-consuming to properly preserve and protect the artwork. As a result, they will most likely auction off the a large portion of artwork so that it can go to a collector or another public institution that has the resources necessary for long-term preservation.

Not everyone supports the possibility of auctioning off pieces in the collection. An online petition has been created calling on the city of Jamestown and mayor Sam Teresi to intervene. While the city does not have any direct control over the operation of the library, it does allocate a portion of funding for the library each year.

So far the petition, which can be found at Change.org, has garnered more than 60 signatures.

The issue of auctioning the artwork has been discussed on a regular basis during the library board’s regular meetings and will likely be brought up again during the library’s next board meeting, which is scheduled to take place at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17.

The meeting will take place in the fireplace room of the library – where much of the artwork is on display – and is open to the public.

Autumn Echo Swanson, founder of Pulse Poetry Slam and emcee for a poetry slam at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at Prendergast Library, shows a promotional T-shirt to Allison Brake, library visitor, and Liz Gruber, librarian. The library’s poetry slam will kick off this year’s Big Read featuring “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

JAMESTOWN – The Prendergast Library will host a poetry slam at 6 p.m. tonight kick off the 2015 Big Read featuring “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Autumn Echo Swanson, founder of Pulse Poetry Slam and office coordinator at Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc., will emcee the event.

A poetry slam is a competition using elimination rounds for the reading or performance of original poetry or the work of others.

Each participant will present two poems, including one relating to “The Great Gatsby,” the 1920s, or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Poems will be judged on a numeric scale by selected members of the audience. Prizes and refreshments will be provided, and everyone is welcome.

From March 23 through April 24, The Big Read will also be incorporated into other activities at the library such as a family literacy challenge, early learning story time, first years story time, Lego Club, Thrifty Crafters, and movie night.

Details will be available at www.prendergastlibrary.org and on the March and April programming calendars at all public service desks.

The Big Read comes to the region through a unique partnership between SUNY Fredonia and the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.

Information about The Big Read is also available at www.fredonia.edu/bigread or neabigread.org.

This painting of the Jackson Center is one of the many pieces that will be on display at the Prendergast Library as part of the 2014 Art Teachers Exhibit, opening Friday March 21.

JAMESTOWN — Members of the Chautauqua County Art Teachers will display their work at the James Prendergast Library Art Gallery March 21 through April 25.

An opening reception to meet the teachers and view their work will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 21 in the Fireplace Room at the library. The reception is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

“We expect to show a great variety of art work by representatives of many local school districts,” according to the exhibit’s chair, Terry Carlson of Jamestown High School.

A show by members of the professional organization for county art teachers has become an annual tradition at Prendergast Library. “Every year, it’s exciting for students and their parents to see new art work that has been created by local teachers,” Ms. Carlson said.

The school-library partnership provides a showcase for instructors’ talents and a welcome viewing opportunity for the community, according to Library Director Tina Scott.

Gallery hours for the teachers’ exhibit will be 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The next Prendergast exhibitors will be members of the Chautauqua County Society of Artists.

The library is located at 509 Cherry St., Jamestown. For information, call 484-7135.

According to Joni Blackman of the Fenton History Center, Doors Open is designed to give area residents a look into our local attractions, with free admission for the day to demonstrate the many tremendous tourism opportunities right here in our own backyard.

More from Joni Blackman, along with Justin Hanft (Jamestown Chamber) and Lynn Warner (Reg Lenna Center for the Arts) is available in the above interview.

Locations participating this year are:  Audubon Center and Sanctuary, Busti Historical Society and Grist Mill, Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, Fenton History Center, Gateway Train Station, Infinity Performing Arts, Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, Lucille Ball Little Theatre, Lucille M. Wright Air Museum, Lucy-Desi Center for Comedy, Prendergast Library, Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, Robert H. Jackson Center, and Roger Tory Peterson Institute for Natural History.

Many of the participating venues will offer specials in their gift shops or prize drawings, and local businesses and restaurants will offer Doors Open specials as well.

The event is  Sponsored by the Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce and Jamestown Up Close.

Sponsored by the Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce, Doors Open has grown substantially since it first began.  Locations participating this year are:

• Audubon Center and Sanctuary
• Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame
• Fenton History Center
• Gateway Train Station
• Infinity Performing Arts
• Jamestown Savings Bank Arena
• Lucille Ball Little Theatre
• Lucy-Desi Center for Comedy
• Prendergast Library
• Reg Lenna Center for the Arts
• Robert H. Jackson Center
• Roger Tory Peterson Institute for Natural History.

Many of the participating venues will offer specials in their gift shops or prize drawings, and local businesses and restaurants will offer Doors Open specials as well.  Watch for more details to come, but save the date – January 18 for Doors Open Jamestown!