Norman Rodriguez (left) and Max Pingitore (2022 intern) are a couple of voices fans will hear on WRFA during its coverage of the Jamestown Tarp Skunks 2023 season.

JAMESTOWN, NY – The Jamestown Tarp Skunks will return to the airwaves on WRFA-LP for a third straight season in 2023.

Just like the past two seasons, all Tarp Skunks’ home games are being broadcast on at 107.9 FM, as well as streaming worldwide at the station’s website, WRFALP.com. In addition, the Tarp Skunks will also provide the in-game broadcasts for all home games that are video-stream on the team’s Youtube channel.

“We are extremely proud to continue this partnership with Jamestown Tarp Skunks for a third consecutive season. This will be a great opportunity for community members to keep up with the ball club and its performance on the field,” explained WRFA station manager Jason Sample.

The WRFA broadcast team will again feature Norman Rodriguez providing play-by-play for the majority of the games. He’ll be joined by a variety of broadcast partners including Sample, Collin Wood, and Max Pingitore. In addition, the voice of the Jamestown Red Raiders football team Tom Ames, along with Derek Abbey, will also pitch in for a couple of games this season. Studio engineers will be Gavin Paterniti and Anthony Merchant.

Past intern Collin Wood (WVU) interviews one of the Tarp Skunks during the 2021 season. Collin is back in 2023 to provide color commentary during some WRFA broadcasts.

WRFA’s Tarp Skunks coverage will also once again provide an internship program for qualifying local college students. Interns who participate learn and develop skills related to play-by-play and color commentary, player interviews, creating social media content, and more.

“The past two years we’ve had students from Huntington University, Jamestown Community College, Syracuse University, and West Virginia University participate in our internship program,” Sample explained. “This year, we are pleased to have two interns joining us throughout the season – Will Stahlsmith from St. Bonaventure University and Ethan Tyger from JCC.”

All WRFA Tarp Skunks broadcasts are made possible through funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, and Shults Auto Group.

All Tarp Skunks home games are played at Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Park at 485 Falconer St. in Jamestown, NY. The first game of the 2023 season is an exhibition games against the Olean Oilers on Thursday, June 1.

For a complete schedule, along with ticket information, visit TarpSkunks.com. WRFA’s broadcast schedule can also be found on the Tarp Skunks page of the station website.

WRFA will once again broadcast all Jamestown Tarp Skunks home games during the 2023 season.

ABOUT JAMESTOWN TARP SKUNKS: The Jamestown Tarp Skunks are part of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2010 and featuring teams from across New York State. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate.  The team is owned and operated by the Jamestown Community Baseball ownership group.   

ABOUT WRFA: WRFA is a listener supported, non-commercial, low power FM radio station provided as a public service by the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. It is dedicated to providing access to the arts, cultural and educational programming and a forum for the discourse of both national and local public affairs. Funding for WRFA comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, corporate underwriting, and donations from individuals and groups in the community. It broadcasts at 107.9 FM in Jamestown and also streams worldwide at WRFALP.com.  

The Kids and Teens Free program will run from May 26, 2023 through Monday, September 4, 2023. Up to two kids and teens ages 17 and under will be admitted free to both the National Comedy Center museum and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum with the purchase of an admission ticket by an accompanying adult.

Full details for this special admission offer are available at ComedyCenter.org/kids.

The EV Showcase is part of the BPU’s Retool ’22 Conference and will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on West Second Street in front of the National Comedy Center. There is no cost to attend the showcase.

Showcase sponsor, Shults Auto Group, will have electric vehicles produced by Hyundai, Chevrolet, Nissan and Ford.

In addition to consumer and commercial EVs, a New Flyer XE40 electric bus, owned by the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA), will be on display.

The NFTA took delivery of its first electric bus this summer from New Flyer, an international manufacturer with a supply chain plant located in Jamestown. The 40-foot electric bus will be tested in the Buffalo-area as the NFTA prepares to transition its fleet to reduce greenhouse gases in response to New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

JAMESTOWN – Students from Infinity Visual and Performing Arts have been working since October to prepare for this year’s annual Spring Showcase, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, at the Jamestown High School Auditorium.

According to organizers, Infinity students have the opportunity to practice and hone their talents through various performance opportunities at the Infinity Arts Café and throughout the community. The Spring Showcase, which is again sponsored this year by Shults Auto Group, serves as the largest student performance of the year.

Infinity Ensemble, The Currents, with instructor Jeremy Bunce will be performing on stage at this year’s Spring Showcase, along with a number of talented student performers under the direction of Infinity instructor mentors.

“The Spring Showcase is a well-rounded evening of student performers featuring various music ensembles and soloists, as well as dance and theater performances,” explained Infinity executive director Shane Hawkins. “You will be amazed at the amount of talent displayed on the stage, and the amount of hard work the students put in to this event.”

Infinity students have had the pleasure of working with instructor and area musician, Steve Davis, who has served at this year’s Artistic Director of the show. Steve has been a piano and drum instructor and ensemble director at the Infinity Center since 2003 and is also one of the original seven Infinity students.

Also working with students is Instructor Dylan Carlson who recently competed in the widely known “American Idol” national competition. Dylan is using his performance experiences to coach vocal students participating in the opening and closing numbers.

Area favorite Adam Owens will be the Stage manager for the event and coordinating the event this year is Infinity’s Program Coordinator, Kate Rinko.

”This event is so important because it incorporates every aspect of the arts disciplines we offer and involves so many students who work with a variety of our wonderful instructors!” Rinko said.

The cost to attend the Spring Showcase is $10 dollars for adults ($7 pre-sale). Children under 18 are free. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Infinity Center, located at 301 East 2nd Street, Suite 101 in Jamestown, or online at www.infinityperformingarts.org/shop. Tickets will also be available at the door on the evening of the event.

In addition to great performances by our area youth, Infinity will be offering the chance to win one of three gift baskets. This year’s prizes include $150 cash, $300 in gift certificates to area restaurants, or a $300 Value Grab Bag Basket. Tickets are five dollars each or four for just ten dollars, and can be purchased at the Infinity Center, online, or from any of Infinity’s board members.

“This event is a celebration of youth empowerment, talent, and the mentorship bond between our students and their instructors. It is one of our favorite Infinity events each year. Thank you to everyone who comes out to support the kids’ and instructors’ hard work!” Hawkins said.

More information about Spring Showcase, including a list of performers, can be found on Infinity’s Facebook Page.

For questions or more information, please call the Infinity Center at 716-664-0991.

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JAMESTOWN – Students from the Infinity Visual and Performing Arts Center have been working hard since October to prepare for this weekend’s annual Spring Showcase.

Sponsored by the Shults Auto Group, the Infinity Spring Showcase will take place on June 10 at the Jamestown High School Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Infinity students have the opportunity to practice and hone their talents through various performance opportunities at the Infinity Arts Café and throughout the community. Spring Showcase serves as the largest student performance of the year.

The Spring Showcase is a well-rounded evening of student performers featuring various music ensembles and soloists, as well as dance and theater performances. You will be amazed at the amount of talent displayed on the stage, and the amount of hard work the students put in to this event.

The cost to attend the Spring Showcase is ten dollars for adults (seven dollars pre-sale). Children under 18 are free! Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Infinity Center, located at 301 East 2^nd Street, Suite 101 in Jamestown, or online at www.infinityperformingarts.org/shop. Tickets will also be available at the door on the evening of the event.

In addition to great performances by our area youth, Infinity will be offering the chance to win one of three gift baskets. This year’s prizes include $150 cash, $300 in gift certificates to area restaurants, or a $300 value grab bag basket, filled with items from around Chautauqua County. Tickets are five dollars each or four for just ten dollars, and can be purchased at the Infinity Center, online, or from any of Infinity’s board members.

More information about Spring Showcase, including a list of performers, can be found on Infinity’s Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/InfinityVisualandPerformingArts.

For questions or more information, please call the Infinity Center at 716-664-0991.

The annual Downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade attracts thousands of people each year. (Photo courtesy of jrconline.org)

JAMESTOWN – The annual downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade is set to take place tonight on Third Street.

Jamestown Up Close and the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is inviting the entire community to the “Gift Exchange Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration,” presented by The Resource Center.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will feature more than 90 units participating, along with a tree-lighting ceremony, live music, and a dazzling holiday fireworks display sponsored by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

The grand marshal for this year’s parade is Jamestown Police Department’s K-9 Officer Mitchell and his handler, officer Eric Kraft.

If you are unable to make it downtown, Time Warner Cable will be filming LIVE on the news station and re-airing the program later in the evening.

The parade will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes in addition to the pre-parade entertainment at Tracy Plaza.

This holiday parade is sponsored by Jamestown Renaissance Corproation, Jamestown Up Close, City of Jamestown, The Resource Center, Shults Auto Group, and Elite Kreation$ Auto Detailing.

Parade lineup will start promptly at 5 pm. The following streets and intersecting side streets will be for the event to operate from 3 pm to 9 pm:

• Third Street between Hallock Street and Foote Avenue
• Porter Avenue between Third Street and Front Street
• Spring Street between Second Street and Third Street
• Front Street between Hall Avenue and Sprague Street

All parade entrants must enter the lineup at the intersection of Third Street at Hallock Street. No entries may enter traveling west. All participants with motor vehicles or trucks should have their driver remain with the vehicle at all times.

For more information on the Parade, visit jamestownrenaissance.org or call 664-2477 ext 226.

The former Quality Markets location on Fluvanna Ave. has remained vacant since the supermarket closed in 2008.

JAMESTOWN – The Shults Auto Group is planning to move into the long-vacated, former Quality Markets building on Fluvanna Ave. in Jamestown.

According to the Post-Journal the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency Tuesday approved two resolutions for a $1.6 million renovation project by Shults Auto Group at the vacant site on Fluvanna Avenue. On Tuesday the IDA’s board approved tax incentives for the project, with a sales tax abatement totaling $50,000 and a mortgage recording tax abatement totaling $20,000.

Shults recently purchased 60,000-square-feet of space and plans to use 40,000 square-feet for its operation, with the remaining 20,000 being leased out for light manufacturing use.

The former Quality Markets building has sat vacant since 2008.

Operation Kidsafe is Free and private for families.  Parents take home the only record of the visit (a Bio Document), which contains digital fingerprints, photo and safety information. The form is ready to hand to law enforcement in an emergency.  Safety tips to start a family safety action plan are also included.

So far, the program has served over One million families in North America.  Parents anywhere in the Southern Tier region can take advantage of this free and potentially lifesaving program during Safety Week.

Operation Kidsafe founder Mark Bott has been on a 14-year mission to get parents to start a family safety action plan.  Bott worked on safety programs for many years with John Walsh (host of America’s Most Wanted) and was an extremely important leader for the Amber Alert and other child safety laws and initiatives.

Shults Auto Group is leading the way by providing their locations, employees and marketing efforts to safe guard as many area children as possible. Event locations and times are:

Dec. 14-19, 2015 
Weekdays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.;  Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Ed Shults Chevrolet-Cadillac
300 Fluvanna Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701
(855) 558-9560

Ed Shults Ford-Lincoln-Hyundai & Kia of Jamestown
2257 Washington St Jamestown, NY 14701
(716) 484-0121

Ed Shults of Warren
4060 Market St Warren, PA 16365
(814) 726-3150

Shults Toyota – Edmond Chevrolet Buick GMC
824-880 E Main St Bradford, PA 16701
(814) 368-3191  (814) 331-4476

Shults Resale Center 
3004 W State St  Olean, NY 14760
(716) 372-1400

Shults Resale Center
3979 Vineyard Dr.  Dunkirk, NY 14048
(716) 363-2000

The Economic Development Award will be presented to Southern Tier Brewing Company.  One of the fastest growing companies in Chautauqua County, Southern Tier Brewing is known for its craft beers that are now distributed far and wide. Locally, its facility in Lakewood has become a destination for residents and visitors alike who are interested in brewery tours, tastings, and a myriad of festivals and events held there each year.

The Person of the Year Award is going to David Wilkinson, Business Manager of IBEW Local 106.  Mr. Wilkinson was instrumental in organizing regional labor unions and local groups to rally to save the NRG plant in Dunkirk in the past year. His leadership and dedication to the project was extraordinarily important to its success.  As a result of that work, NRG will convert its plant on the Dunkirk shoreline from coal to natural gas, providing a cleaner and sustained power source as well as maintaining jobs and the county’s single largest taxpaying entity.

Each Community Chamber also chooses a Community Service Award Winner as well.

The Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce selected Tim Shults for its Community Service Award.  While overseeing the Shults Auto Group as President and CEO, he serves on the boards of the Salvation Army, Chautauqua Striders, and Southwestern Schools Education Fund.  He has also served the Jamestown YMCA and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, among others.

The Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, October 9 at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia. ]]> https://www.wrfalp.com/county-chamber-to-recognize-several-during-annual-awards-banquet-thursday-night/feed/ 0 11801 https://www.wrfalp.com/wrfa-10th-anniversary-celebration-is-saturday-sept-13-featuring-10000-maniacs-rollings-hills-radio-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wrfa-10th-anniversary-celebration-is-saturday-sept-13-featuring-10000-maniacs-rollings-hills-radio-and-more https://www.wrfalp.com/wrfa-10th-anniversary-celebration-is-saturday-sept-13-featuring-10000-maniacs-rollings-hills-radio-and-more/#respond Fri, 12 Sep 2014 17:09:20 +0000 http://www.wrfalp.com/?p=11374

10th Anniversary Celebration with 10,000 Maniacs, Rolling Hills Radio with Ken Hardley, and more!

JAMESTOWN – The area’s only locally owned and operated non-religious radio station, WRFA (107.9 FM Jamestown, streaming at www.WRFALP.com), will celebrate 10 years on the local airwaves on Saturday, Sept. 13 with an afternoon and evening of live radio programing that includes interviews and musical performances.

• ACCESS LIVE STREAM (STARTS AT 2:40PM)

SEPT. 13 SCHEDULE:

• 3 p.m. – Interviews with community members and local non-profit organization leaders (Streaming and broadcasting);
• 4 p.m. – Community Matters roundtable discussion on local economic development with community leaders, hosted by Jason Sample (Streaming and broadcasting);
• 5 p.m. – Rolling Hills Radio with Ken Hardley with special guests John Latini and Miche Fambro (live at the Reg Studio Theater and streaming, broadcasting) (Get Tickets);
• 7 p.m. – Interviews with WRFA and Reg Lenna Staff (Streaming and broadcasting);
• 8 p.m. – Live concert with 10,000 Maniacs (live at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts and streaming, broadcasting) (Get Tickets).

10 Years of Community Radio

WRFA began broadcasting as a non-commercial, low power radio station on Sept. 13, 2004 with a mission to provide educational and volunteer radio programming to listeners in the Jamestown area. It was started by musician Dennis Drew from 10,000 Maniacs, with a broadcast license held by the Arts Council for Chautauqua County.

Since its first broadcast, the station has grown to include online streaming, a variety of volunteer-produced programs and a public affairs department that focuses on news and issues affecting the greater Jamestown Community. Today, the station continues to operate with an independent spirit, mixing syndicated public radio programming with locally produced music, news and public affairs shows. Its license is currently held by Reg Lenna Center for The Arts.

Celebration Begins with Community Matters Roundtable

The 10-year anniversary celebration starts on Friday, Sept. 12 with a special recording of Community Matters, a program that focuses on issues that relate to the Jamestown and Chautauqua Region.

The program will feature a roundtable discussion on the future of economic development in the Jamestown area and will include officials from both local and state governments. The program will be moderated by WRFA Public Affairs Director Jason Sample. The program will be streamed online on Saturday, Sept. 13 beginning at 4 p.m.

Special Rolling Hills Radio Performance

On Saturday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m., the 35th episode of Rolling Hills Radio with host, Ken Hardley, will be broadcast live and streamed online from the Studio Theater (adjacent to The Reg) before a live audience.

Rolling Hills Radio, features singer/songwriters and small groups from around the nation and locally who perform Americana, folk, country and other roots music. Hardley will be joined on stage by Michigan’s John Latini and Miche Fambro from Geneseo, N.Y.

The show begins at 5 p.m. and is free to the public, but tickets must be ordered ahead of time at The Reg box office.

10,000 Maniacs at the Reg Lenna

Jamestown’s 10,000 Maniacs are part of a small group of American bands that defined college rock during the 1980’s and 1990’s. For over three decades they have written and performed powerful, danceable and socially conscious original music including “What’s The Matter Here?”, “Like The Weather” and “These Are Days.” The group toured extensively and independently produced their own records years before the industry caught on. After signing with Elektra Records, they achieved international fame with several albums, including the acclaimedOur Time In Eden.

Since the departure of original singer, Natalie Merchant and the death of founding member Robert Buck, the band has settled with a lineup including original members, Steve Gustafson and Dennis Drew, longtime drummer Jerry Augustyniak, guitar player Jeff Erickson and their vocalist since 1994, Mary Ramsey. The Maniacs released the album, Music From The Motion Picture in 2013 and is currently working on their new album, Twice Told Tales.

The Maniacs played at The Reg in 2006 and, in 2011, celebrated 30 years with concerts at Jamestown Community College (JCC) and an art retrospective at The Reg’s 3rd On 3rd Gallery.  Drew, who continues to serve as General Manager of WRFA, is no stranger to starting up radio stations. Before his time with 10,000 Maniacs, he and bassist Gustafson started JCC’s first radio station.

Tickets for 10,000 Maniacs are $10. Limited premium seating is available for $25.

V.I.P. packages may also purchased. These include tickets to the concert, a pre-show reception on The Reg mezzanine and a meet and greet after the concert with the band in the 3rd On 3rd Gallery.The packages are priced at $60 and $75 and include food and beverages from local businesses including Sandee’s Bakery, Hartley’s Potato Chips, Stedman Corners Coffee Roasters, Gypsy Moon Cake Co., Tom’s Place, Lone Palm Cookie Company, Ecklof Bakery, Fresh Picked Vegetarian Delicatessen, Peterson’s Candies and Southern Tier Brewing Company.

Live Streaming of All Events

Live streams of all the anniversary programs can be found on Sept. 13 at www.WRFALP.com. Streaming services will be provided by event sponsors, Digitell, Inc. and the official provider of voice and data for the Reg Lenna Center for The Arts, DFT Communications. Other sponsors include Shults Auto Group, Arthur R. Gren Company, Inc., Hogan Energy Consulting and Northwest Savings Bank.

Tickets for all of these events can be purchased and more information can be found at www.reglenna.com or by calling (716) 484-7070. The box office is open week days between 10 a.m.and 5 p.m. Reg Lenna Center for The Arts is located at 116 East Third Street with convenient street and ramp parking.