APRIL
7 2023
Goodskills Staff are Guests at MHA Recovery Luncheon
CCHD Announces Upcoming Animal Rabies Immunization Clinic Rabies Immunization Clinic Scheduled for April 29th in Brocton Pre-Registration for this Clinic is Required
Jamestown, N.Y. – At the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County’s (MHA) recent recovery luncheon in Jamestown, Executive Director Steven Cobb welcomed everyone with the reminder that being together is part of supporting recovery. Staffers Roseann Crocker and Sienna Swanson joined Cobb in presenting certificates to a number of participants for accomplishments including completing the Positive Parenting Program, being accepted at Jamestown Community College, reaching their personal goals, and more. Justin Jimenez, staffer of MHA’s OPEN Work Program, shared his song, “Give Me Your Eyes.” Special guests at the luncheon were Gabby Rafan and Bryan Boleratz, community outreach liaisons with Goodskills Career Builder, a program of Goodwill of Western New York. This new program for Chautauqua County prepares workers for careers in advanced manufacturing through four weeks of training provided at no cost to residents of Chautauqua County. The combination of classroom and hands-on experience helps to fill a growing need for skilled workers among businesses and provides opportunities for people to advance from minimum or low-wage jobs into higher paying careers. Goodskills next training begins Monday, April 17. Potential candidates for Goodskills and potential employer partners can learn more by visiting Goodskillswny.org or by calling (716) 710-7114. A delicious chicken and biscuits dinner was prepared and served by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Jamestown. Servers were Sandy Harle, Brian and Sandra
Photo Submitted Community outreach liaisons with Goodskills Career Builder, Gabby Rafan (pictured, left) and Bryan Boleratz were special guests at the March recovery luncheon of the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County. Located on the Jamestown Community College campus, Goodskills provides free targeted skills training and job placement services into higher wage careers.
Kearney, Fran Lapinski and Linda McCallum. Anyone with questions or in need of services for themselves or a family member suffering from a mental health or substance use disorder is welcome to call or stop in at the Jamestown recovery center at Door 14 in the rear of the Gateway Center, 31 Water Street. It is open Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Hours for the north county recovery center at Grace Lutheran Church, 601 Eagle Street in Dunkirk, are 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County is a peer recovery center offering support groups and individual coaching for people looking to improve their lives, deepen wellness, thrive in
L.E.A.F. WORKSHOPS ARE BACK AND IN FULL SWING
CCE-Chautauqua Announces Upcoming L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshops -BY CASSANDRA SKAL, AGRICULTURE PROGRAM COORDINATOR JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (March 31, 2023) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program will offer 4 workshops over the next two weeks as part of their 2023 Spring L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshop Series. The L.E.A.F. Workshop Series is open to the general public, including homesteaders, beginning farmers, established farmers looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and everyone in between! The 2023 Spring LEAF series is providing 22 workshops to be held in March, April, and May. “Business Planning for Beginning Farmers” will be the topic on Monday April 10th, to be held from 6:00-8:00pm at the JCC (Jamestown Campus) Carnahan Center, Room 123. Business plans for farms are often viewed as yet another chore to do, and usually result in dusty binders taking up space on the office shelf. This discussion-based workshop will walk you through the mental exercise of planning your future agricultural adventures. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the use of a business plan, the essential components, and a “to-do” list of things to think about to inform future planning efforts. Additional opportunities for one-on-one follow up will also be offered. FSA Borrower credits may be made available for your attendance. This workshop will be taught by Katelyn WalleyStoll, Team Leader and Farm Business Management Specialist from the Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program with Cornell Cooperative Extension. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Animal Science and Ag Business Management and owns and operates a diversified livestock farm. The fee for this workshop is $5 per person. “Part 1 of 4 Wool Series: Preparing Raw Wool for Use” will be held on Thursday, April 13th from 6:00-8:00pm at the JCC (Jamestown Campus) Carnahan Center. Do you have sheep? Are
you interested in fiber sourced from sheep, llamas, alpacas? Want to learn how to prepare raw wool for spinning, felting, or any other of the wide range of uses for wool? This is the beginning of a great wool series! This is the first workshop of four being led by Victoria Boehmer. In this workshop we will learn how to take raw wool and clean it and create roving which is what is used for most wool creations. Victoria Boehmer is a passionate fiber artist, teacher, and designer based in Pennsylvania. She is the owner of Tybout House, a local yarn store and fiber arts hub in Warren, PA. In addition to the yarn store, she and her family run Dragonwood Ranch, a small farm with Shetland Sheep. Victoria loves teaching, including all steps in the fiber production process: from sheep to finished product! At Tybout House, she and other enthusiasts practice a variety of fiber arts, and they are always eager to share their passion with others. Bring questions and be prepared to work with some raw fiber! We will have some wool provided but if you happen to have some laying around don’t be afraid to bring it with you! The fee for this workshop is $5 per person. “Sewing 101” will be held on Wednesday April 19th from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the JCC (Jamestown Campus) Carnahan Center. Are you adult that wants to learn some sewing basics while creating a beautiful handmade apron? Join Nancy Johnson, 4-H Leader/Teacher, in making a 30 minute apron that will teach you how to read a simple pattern, cut out fabric, pin, sew straight lines, gather fabric, add trim, and much more. This is a great project for many levels and all are welcome! The fee for this workshop is $5 per person and does require you to bring a few supplies. Biosecurity On The Farm” will be held on Saturday, April 22nd, from 10:00am-12:00pm at Bit-O-Breeze Farm in Jamestown, NY. Bit-O Breeze farm is a local pork producer that is committed to providing quality meat to consumers. Bio security on a farm is often overlooked but is a highly important step for your farms safety and wellbeing. This applies to farms that have animals, veggies, and/or field
crops. Some pests are so small that they can hitchhike on your boots or clothing without you even knowing they are there! Come learn and see some biosecurity initiatives that BitO-Breeze farm is following to ensure the safety and health of their pig operation! Please dress to be outside and in a pig barn facility. Please be sure to wear clean clothes that have not been in contact with other animals, especially pigs. Boot sanitation will be provided. Each workshop will be 2 hours long and led by an experienced instructor. The LEAF workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment! Pre-registration is required prior to the workshop to allow for adequate time to prepare printed resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting https://chautauqua.cce.cornell. edu/agriculture/leaf-2023 or by emailing cks83@cornell.edu, or by calling 716-664-9502 Ext 202. The Agriculture Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCEChautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is taxexempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/ chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.
recovery, or support those on a recovery path. Peers use their personal stories to help people find recovery in their own lives in their own way. To learn more about the Mental Health Association, call (716) 661-9044 or visit MHAChautauqua. org or facebook.com/ MHAChautauqua. A schedule with descriptions of MHA’s more than five dozen groups and classes is at MHAchautauqua.org/groups.
MAYVILLE, N.Y.: -- The Chautauqua County Health Department has announced a free rabies vaccination clinic. The clinic will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Brocton Fire Department, 80 Lake Ave. Brocton, NY. Animals must be preregistered to receive vaccinations. Vaccinations will be provided free of charge to all dogs, cats, and domesticated ferrets three months of age and older. The Town of Portland will sponsor the clinic. Dr. Rebekah Frost will be the attending veterinarian. To pre-register online for the Town of Portland clinic visit: https://on.ny.gov/3KjT7Hj. There are a limited number of spots available at these clinics, so pet owners should pre-register online as soon as possible. If you register, but decide not to attend the event, please cancel your appointment so the spot is available for another pet. You can cancel appointments via the confirmation email you receive when you register. Walk-ins may be accepted, but are not guaranteed. At the clinic, vehicles will enter and follow the established traffic pattern on-site. Pet owners will stay in their vehicles with their pets, unless otherwise instructed. Pet
owners must bring previous rabies vaccination records for each animal receiving a shot to ensure proper and effective vaccination; clinic staff will confirm previous rabies vaccination records. All dogs must be on a leash. All cats must be in a carrier. Animal handlers will transport animals from the vehicle to the veterinarian for vaccination. New York State Public Health Law requires each dog, cat, and domesticated ferret over the age of four months be vaccinated against rabies. County residents are encouraged to be responsible pet owners by having their pets vaccinated. Rabies is a very serious disease of warm-blooded animals caused by a virus. Raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes are common disease carriers. The virus is transmitted to humans and animals through saliva and can enter the body through a bite, scratch, or open cut. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system and can cause brain swelling and ultimately death within days of the onset of symptoms. For more information about the clinic and rabies in general, visit https://chqgov. com/environmental-health/ rabies-prevention or contact Chautauqua County Health Department at (716) 753-4481.
Audubon Announces Judges for 2023 Nature Photography Contest
Photo Submitted Audubon Community Nature Center has named four judges for its 2023 Nature Photography Contest, where Youth and Adults compete for $1,600 in prize money. Pictured is the 2022 winner in the Adult Landscapes category, “Cheaha Sunset” by Christopher Baker of Madison, Alabama.
Jamestown, N.Y. – A panel of four judges will choose the Adult and Youth winners in the categories of Animals, Plants and Landscapes in the Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) 2023 Nature Photography Contest. All winners receive a $200 cash prize.
photos and see the 2022 contest winners.
are reminded to encourage friends and family to vote for their photo(s). All the Judging the entries will be social media buttons are Ron Durant, Wanda Krack, there for postings. Tom Morack and Bill Smith. With decades of experience Deadline for submissions as photographers, all have is Sunday, July 2, 2023. judged photography contests as well. Details of the Audubon Community background of each can be Nature Center builds and found on the Judges page on nurtures connections Three honorable mentions the competition website. between people and nature will also be named. by providing positive ACNC will print the outdoor experiences, Two additional $200 winning photographs to opportunities to learn about cash prizes are awarded exhibit in the Nature Center. and understand the natural for the Adult and Youth Winning and honorable world, and knowledge to photos receiving the most mention photographs will act in environmentally Community Choice votes be displayed on the contest responsible ways. To learn online. A photo could website and announced in more, visit AudubonCNC. receive both the Community a widely distributed news org. Choice and a judged award. release. Full details of the competition are at GoGoPhotoContest.com/ ACNCPhotoContest2023, where you can submit
The sooner photographs are submitted, the longer the public can vote for them for the Community Choice awards. Photographers