Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

by Sean Kirst, Buffalo News The plaque, a replica of a gift to the people of Dunkerque, France, hangs in the second floor corridor of Dunkirk City Hall, a couple of blocks from Lake Erie. It has been there for decades, a gesture to emphasize a bond of deep affection, and Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas sees it as a daily reminder of civic purpose. "We need to remember," he said, "great things can happen here." The movie blockbuster of the summer, "Dunkirk," opens this weekend. It portrays the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Allied troops from the French city, under dire threat from Nazi forces, in the early days of World War II. The film also resonates in the Chautauqua County city of Dunkirk, where an economically wounded Great Lakes community recalls how a collective effort to aid its staggered sister city, more than 70 years ago, gave it a moment of brilliant international attention. Read the full story here: http://buffalonews.com/2017/07/21/se...

The body of a man who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found. Authorities say the body of 64-year-old David Spink of Wyoming County was recovered from Chautauqua Lake at around 6:45 this morning. They haven’t released any further information yet. The search started a week ago when he didn’t show up to meet a fishing buddy. His truck and boat trailer were found at the Prendergast Point boat launch. His empty boat was found on the shore at Long Point State Park. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A horse sustained minor injuries in an overnight crash on Dutch Hollow Road in the Town of Ellery. Sheriff’s deputies say 62-year-old Thomas Hockran was driving a vehicle that was pulling a horse trailer, when the vehicle and the trailer went off the road. Local veterinarians, the county technical rescue team and area firefighters were able to get the horse out of the trailer. Hockran and a passenger were not hurt. Deputies are continuing their investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The two homeless men accused of killing a concert violinist last summer have been arraigned in Chautauqua County Court. 43-year-old Jonathan Conklin and 31-year-old Charles Sanford have already been arraigned on federal charges related to the shooting death of 61-year-old Mary Whitaker. The state charges are second-degree murder and first-degree robbery. They pleaded not guilty and remain in jail in lieu of $1 million cash bail. Prosecutors say on August 20 the men stole a rife, walked to Whitaker’s Westfield home, knocked on the door and said they had to use the phone because their car had run out of gas. Then they shot her, dragged her into her garage, stabbed her, robbed her home and stole her car. Police found them two days later in Erie after tracing calls and purchases made with Whitaker’s cell phone and credit cards. Whitaker played with the Chautauqua Symphony during the summer, and was a member of the Westchseter Philharmonic. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since ...

A snowmobiler who didn’t return home Thursday night was found dead this morning near a creek in the woods of Sherman, New York. Sheriff’s deputies say several agencies, including their K-9 division, searched for 31-year-old Kyle Chimera of Sherman, after getting a missing person report at about 11 a.m. They learned that his snowmobile had been traveling on the marked trail, but then went a short distance off of it, hit a bush near a creek and got stuck. The investigation showed that when Chimera tried to get off the snowmobile he fell into the creek. The cause of death has been ruled accidental drowning. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman is in jail for going after a police officer with a hammer and knife on New Year’s Eve. Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies say 28-year-old Jodi Semanovich of Westfield was distraught when they arrived at her home with Westfield Police. As soon as they arrived, she charged at one officer, but the officer was able to keep her away until other officers got there. She also went after a sheriff’s deputy with the hammer and knife, and then hit a sheriff’s patrol car with the hammer. A deputy used a Taser to subdue her. She was arrested Monday and sent to jail on $50,000 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Randolph man is accused of phoning the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center numerous times Tuesday night for no legitimate reason. 59 year-old James Fleblekorn is facing a harassment charge after calling 911 but not having an emergency. Fleblekorn was jailed on $1,000 bail. An Ashville man was sent to jail for the same reason on Monday. Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies say 56-year-old Randall Lawegren was told numerous time to not call 911 unless there was an emergency. When he kept calling, they charged him with harassment and sent him to jail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Silver Creek man is accused of kicking another man in the face during an argument in a trailer park this morning. Sheriff’s deputies say 34-year-old Randall Abbey shoved 45-year-old Edward Gawron to the ground before kicking him. Abbey will answer the harassment charge in Town of Hanover Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Parents of a 16-year-old high school football player who died after being tackled during a game at Portville High School last fall have filed a lawsuit against the school districts, Olean General Hospital, the Westons Mills fire department and others. Damon Janes was playing for Westfield-Brocton when he fell unconscious on September 13, 2013. He died three days later in Women & Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. The lawsuit says Damon suffered one or more concussions in the first half of the game, but was expected to remain on the field. After the hit to his head in the third quarter, he staggered off the field, sat on the bench, said a few words to a teammate, and then collapsed. He never regained consciousness. The lawsuit say the Portville school district did not have medical personnel nearby who were capable of dealing with a seriously injured player, and also blocked the Westons Mills ambulance from driving onto the field because they didn't want to damage it. The suite ...

By Casandra Nguyen SBU ‘15 St. Bonaventure University senior Joseph Pinter has been named the school’s 11th Jim Murray Memorial Scholar. A double major in history and journalism and mass communication, Pinter is one of five winners of the foundation’s annual nationwide essay contest among students from 28 other invited universities with strong journalism programs. Each of the winners receives a $5,000 scholarship in honor of the late sportswriter Jim Murray. Pinter attended the congratulatory ceremony for the 2014 Murray Scholars at the Santa Anita Racetrack in California on Oct. 25. Pinter, originally from Angola, N.Y., and a graduate of Lake Shore Senior High School, came to St. Bonaventure with a passion for his hometown teams, the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres. As a writer for the school’s student-created online newspaper, The Intrepid, he has the itch for sports writing. Having written a story on the 2013 winner of the scholarship, Emily Steves, ...

The treasurer of a midget football league is accused of stealing nearly $5,000 in just one month. Sheriff’s deputies say 41-year-old Allen Carlson Jr. of Dunkirk used Lakeshore Midget Football League money for his own purposes between September 8 and October 15. When league officials discovering the missing $4,786 they contacted the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Investigation Division. Carlson was charged with grand larceny, and has already paid the money back. He has been scheduled to appear in Town of Chautauqua Court next month. The midget football league is comprised of teams from Sherman-Ripley, Chautauqua Lake, Bemus Point, Southwestern, Frewsburg, Cassadaga, Brocton, Westfield, Falconer and Panama. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Sheriff’s deputies had to work a little harder than they had planned when issuing several warrants to a Stockton man. They say 22-year-old Spencer Burke went out the back door of a Stockton home, ran across a field and into a swamp. K9 officer Drago was brought in, and later found Burke, who was wearing camouflage clothing and hiding in thick brush. The warrants were for criminal tampering and three counts of petit larceny. Burke is in Chautauqua County Jail on $5,000 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A contractor hit and ruptured a natural gas line in Bemus Point this morning, igniting the line, sending flames shooting into the air, damaging utility poles and leaving parts of the village without power. Sheriff’s deputies say a vehicle was destroyed but no homes were damaged and no people were hurt. The fire started at about 8:45 a.m. and last for about 45 minutes. About 200 people were without power at one point. Most of it was restored at about 4 p.m. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

JAMESTOWN – September 29, 2014 - The Robert H. Jackson is pleased to announce that a dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 4, 2014 to officially name the Robert H. Jackson Field at the Greater Chautauqua-Jamestown Airport. The airport’s terminal was previously dedicated in Jackson’s honor in 1973 and on Saturday all of the airport’s runways and surrounding grounds will be named in his honor. This event is free and open to the public. The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. at the airport’s Robert H. Jackson Terminal, 3163 Airport Drive in Jamestown, with the landing of a military C-47 (DC3) aircraft, and special appearance by “Robert H. Jackson.” Property of the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, NY, the C-47 aircraft was recently in Normandy to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Its appearance at the airport in Jamestown is made possible through support provided by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the Robert H. Jackson Center, and Bruce Janowsky,...

A two-year-old Amish boy is dead following a house fire Thursday afternoon in Busti. The Chautauqua County Fire Investigation Team says firefighters knew Eli Shetler was missing when they arrived on the scene, and knew he was probably on the third floor. But, because of the intensity of the blaze, they couldn’t get to him until it was too late. The fire was started by children playing with matches. 13 fire departments and the Chautauqua County Tech Rescue Team were on the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Careless smoking has been determined as the cause of a fire early this morning in a Brocton, New York, trailer park. The Chautauqua County Fire Investigation Team says the fire at New Horizon’s Trailer Park on Route 5 started at just before 3 a.m. when an unattended lit cigarette was left close to combustible material. All the residents of the trailer were able to get out safely. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two sisters who stole from two different Chautauqua County post offices will spend the next two years on probation. 35-year-old Amanda Elliott of Ellington and 30-year-old Tamara Elliott of Falconer were also ordered to pay back thousands of dollars when they were sentenced in federal court. Amanda was postmaster in Lily Dale from December of 2012 to September of last year. She was order to pay back nearly $5,600. Tamara, who was postmaster in Ellington, was ordered to pay back more than $11,000. She was also sentenced to three months of home confinement. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The remains found Thursday afternoon along the Lake Erie shoreline in Chautauqua County have been determined to be a human fetus. The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office says the fetus was found intact and had a gestational age of 18 to 20 weeks, and appears to have been separated from the mother for two to three weeks. The cause of death has been listed as Intrauterine Fetal Demise. State police and the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office are continuing the investigation to find the mother and to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of the fetus. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The two men accused of killing a concert violinist during a robbery in her Westfield summer home have been ordered held without bail after a prosecutor detailed how the victim was shot and stabbed after opening her door to help them. Jonathan Conklin and Charles Sanford said nothing during a detention hearing today in federal court in Buffalo, where they've pleaded not guilty to stealing property and taking it across state lines, as well as carjacking. Police say they killed 61-year-old Mary Whitaker after she agreed to lend them her phone after they told her they had run out of gas. They're accused of driving her car to Erie, where they were arrested after surveillance video showed them using her credit cards. A grand jury will consider state murder charges. Whitaker performed with the Chautauqua Symphony and Westchester Philharmonic. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947