It's Election Day in Chautauqua County. Democratic Election Commsioner Norm Green says even with the reduction in the County Legislature there aren't too many changes to polling places, but if your unsure you can get all the information you need at Vote Chautauqua dot com. Election results will also be updated through out the evening Tuesday on Vote Chautauqua dot com. The Polls in Chautauqua County are open from 6 AM to 9 PM.
Election Day will be a day of change in Chautauqua County. With County Executive Greg Edwards decision to not run for a third-term... there will a new, top-elected official next January 1st. Current Republican County Legislator Vince Horrigan is running against Fredonia-area businessman Ron Johnson... who is the Democrat candidate. There will also be a new county clerk... with the retirement of five-term Clerk Sandy Sopak. Gerry Republican Larry Barmore is squaring off against Jamestown Democrat Lori Cornell. Barmore is currently the County Legislature's Majority Leader... while Cornell is a legislator who has held majority and minority leadership roles. There will also be a new legislature... with 19 seats up for a vote. In the immediate Jamestown area... there are few contested races. In District 10... incumbant Republican P-J Wendel is being challenged by Democrat Sharon Lisciandro. In District 11... incumbant Democrat, and Minority Leader Bob Whitney... is being challenged by Republican David Wilfong. In District 12... past legislator Fred Larson is running on the Democrat line... while William Pietro is the GOP opponent. District 15 was to be a contested race... but, Democrat Sam Ognibene withdrew recently from the race. He remains on the ballot with Republican Lisa Vanstrom.
Out-going Chautauqua County Legislator Fred Croscut says he is NOT running a write-in campaign for the new District 18 seat. Some postcards began arriving at homes in the Sherman-area over the weekend encouraging his election. Croscut says he didn't send them and didn't authorize them. Croscut lost the Republican Primary to David Himelein of Findley Lake... and, Croscut supports him fully. He believes someone in the Democratic Party mailed out the cards... hoping to split the GOP vote, and help elect the Democratic candidate, Ed Carutis of Sherman. Democratic Elections Commissioner, Norm Green says he had nothing to do with it. Chautauqua County's Republican Elections Commissioner, Brian Abram, says the unauthorized write-in campaign is not a good thing-because -- "Fred does not want this attention and does not want to be considered as a write in candidate." Croscut says if he decides to run again... he'll do it 'fair and square' in two years.
There were three major fires last Sunday within the span of 24 hours from Westfield to Fredonia. The Tri-Church Fire in Brocton occured early Sunday morning. There was a basement fire in One Park Place in Fredonia Sunday afternoon. And... the third occured on Webster Road in the town of Westfield Sunday night. Chautauqua County Emergency Services Director Julius Leone says it put a lot of stress on several North County fire departments... but, fortunately there were no major injuries. Fredonia Mayor Steve Keefe Monday commended the work of village firefighters... along with those from Dunkirk and East Dunkirk in dousing the basement fire. 13 people were displaced by the apartment house fire. The basement fire was linked to primary electrical panels in the basement of the building. Meanwhile, the Chautauqua County Fire Investigation Team is still trying to determine the cause of the other fires. A fourth fire occured in Stockton early Monday... leaving a family of six homeless when their home was destroyed by fire.
Local Congressman Tom Reed is applauding the passage in the House of the Water Resources Reform and Redevlopment act or "WRTA" (Wurta). The WRTA act is important to Chautauqua County and the 23rd Congressional District because it deals with improvements and environmental restoration efforts as well as invasive species issues. Reed says this is an 8-billion dollar bill that cleans up about 12 Billion dollars worth of old projects that have been left since 2007. It puts the local Harbor and Invasive species projects in the county in a very competive spot for federal funds to complete projects involving harbor clean ups and dealing with invasive species. Reed says it will deal with a number of problems in Chautauqua County. Reed says the Bill now moves onto the Senate. The Corning Republican made his comments during his weekly telephone conference call.
