Announcements : Tales and Tails of Squirrels Essay Contest Deadline

Children and adults who live in the Olean area are invited to write an essay about the Woodland in the City Squirrels. The Tales and Tails Essay Contest is sponsored by the Woodland in the City (Woodland) committee and the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce (GOACC).

Last year, Woodland and GOACC created a Woodland in the City Squirrel Calendar that featured the first 23 squirrels. The calendar highlighted photos taken by Olean resident, Dan Jordan, along with details on each of the squirrels such as artist, sponsor, location, and reasons why it was created. The calendar was a hit -- selling out of the 150 copies published.

This year’s calendar will once again feature the squirrels but from a different angle -- their tails! The entire squirrel is the artist’s work station and most of the squirrels have very detailed tails which most often times go unnoticed. The sponsors are now looking for tales (essays) from local folks (both young and old) on the squirrels - why do you like the squirrels, which one is your favorite and why, what squirrels are missing, etc.

The winning essays (100 words or less) will be featured with the photos of the squirrels in the calendar. Essays can be dropped off at the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce office, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, or mail it to: Tales and Tails Essay Contest, c/o GOACC, 120 North Union, Olean, NY 14760. Please make sure you include your name, address, and home phone number. DEADLINE EXTENDED -- ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 4:30 P.M. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23. The winners will be announced at the Santa Claus Lane Parade on November 27. For more information on the holiday essay contest or Santa Claus Lane, please contact GOACC at (716) 372-4433 or email santa@oleanny.com.

GO NUTS in OLEAN, NY

Announcements : More than 50 Volunteers & 40 Organizations Help Decorate the Park

Santa Claus is expected in Olean less than 14 days from now, but Saturday, November 7, he had more than 50 volunteers assist with putting up the decorations in Lincoln and War Veterans Park, in Olean. Seventeen organizations assisted with the decorations: Girl Scouts; Cattaraugus County Association of Realtors; Ryan and Andy Wheeler ; Archbishop Walsh Academy; Home Depot; Dennis Jones; Rick Weber; the Olean Rotary Club; City of Olean; Old Navy; the Southern Tier Military Support Group; Olean Exchange Club; City of Olean Youth Court; Jared McCarthy; Etta Walker; Olean Community Schools; and Anne and Andy Carlson.

Santa’s elves decorated the parks by: lighting up Santa’s cottage; placing cone shaped trees; setting up Rally in the Valley Santa, the rocking horse, Seasons Greeting sign; 8 reindeer, Santa’s train, snowmen, twelve arches, triangle trees; lighting up the gazebo; four foot high wreaths; and placing more than 150 strands of lights on bushes and trees.

Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce and the Santa committee also invited groups, organizations, school classes to ‘adopt’ a basket and a barrel along Union and State Streets and decorate them. The City of Olean provided the holiday pine boughs and the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce the holiday bows. Most of the ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN baskets and barrels were adopted by the following groups, individuals and organizations: Acme Business Machines; Alex and Liz Whipple; Angee's Restaurant; Ask Design Jewelers; Beef ‘n’ Barrel Restaurant; Chamberlain Realty; City of Olean; Community Bank, NA; Dance Arts; Enchanted Mountain Quilt Shop; Five Star Bank; Fox Financial; Green Acres Cafe; Ivers J. Norton Elementary; In Focus; Ink Well; Jared McCarthy; Jamestown Community College Student Activity, Foundation, Alumni; John Ash Cleaners; Joyful Rescues; KeyBank; McCarthy’s Emporium; Mercy Flight; Montessori Children’s House of Olean; Olean Creative Mailing Service; Olean Fire Department; Old Library Restaurant; Olean Cycling Club; Paper Factory; Parent Education Program; Park Centre Development; Pizza Hut Wing Street; Ray's Barber Shop; Rainfresh Laundromat; Rotary Club of Olean; Southern Tier Catholic School; Southern Tier Agency/Century 21; Total Senior Care; Wendy's; and WMXO.

The City of Olean, Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, and its Santa Claus Lane committee want to improve and stimulate the Olean community both economically and socially by providing the best “light show” in the Southern Tier. The holiday lights attract people from a 100 mile radius to travel to Olean for recreation, services, and shopping. The decorations will be lit up officially on Friday, November 27, during the 24th Annual Santa Claus Lane parade. For more information regarding Santa Claus Lane, please contact GOACC at 372-4433, stop in at GOACC, 120 North Union, Olean, or email santa@oleanny.com.

RIGHT DOWN SANTA CLAUS LANE

Announcements : Santa Claus Lane Parade Applications Deadline Extended

Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce continues to take float applications for the Santa Claus Lane Parade. The Santa Claus Lane Parade is always the highlight of the holiday season, and will be held on the Friday, November 27 in downtown Olean, beginning at 7 PM. The Santa Claus Lane Parade would like to invite area municipalities and organizations to create a float, send in a musical unit, or display historical/public vehicles in the parade.

Applications for this year’s parade may be obtained by going on-line to the Chamber’s website: www.oleanny.com or by calling the Chamber office. Deadline to submit parade unit applications has been extended to November 19, 2009. Parade trophies will be presented in seven categories and GOACC is challenging marching bands to enter and compete for cash prizes.

The parade rules and guidelines include: floats may be no taller than 13 feet and they MAY NOT contain a Santa or Mrs. Claus; any children on the float must not be unattended. Adults must accompany small children if walking; if you would like to hand out candy/coupons, please have volunteers walk along the sidewalk and hand out; and if you have animals (dogs and horses are allowed) in the parade, you must provide scoopers to clean up droppings. A SAFETY COMMITTEE will review all floats before they enter the parade route. All parade participants must have a waiver signed and Chamber officials ask that all waivers be handed in by November 24, to the offices at 120 North Union Street.

GOACC is also encouraging organizations to participate in these other Thanksgiving week events: Thursday, November 26 -- Twin Tiers Striders Turkey Trot at St. Bonaventure; and Saturday, November 28 -- both PANCAKE Breakfast with SANTA at the Olean Masonic Lodge and the Portville Holiday Celebration. For more information regarding Santa Claus Lane or other Greater Olean Area events and activities, please call 716-372-4433 or email santa@oleanny.com.

RIGHT DOWN SANTA CLAUS LANE

Announcements : American Red Cross is Asking You to Give the Gift of Giving this Holiday Season

The American Red Cross is making an effort again this holiday season to encourage the Southern Tier Community to Give the Gift of Giving. The American Red Cross will be hosting a Blood Drive Food Drive on Monday, December 14th from 12pm – 6pm at the Elks Lodge in Olean, located at 209 West State Street.

During this special holiday event, the American Red Cross will not only be collecting blood to help hospital patients locally and throughout the country, they will also be collecting non-perishable food items that will be distributed to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry located on Prospect Avenue in Olean.

The holiday season is considered a time for giving, yet it is also a time when blood collections decrease. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it makes it difficult to find time; however, one of the greatest gifts you can give this holiday season is the hour’s time it takes to donate blood. By donating blood, you have the ability to give the most powerful gift of all…the Gift of Life. The need for blood is constant and it does not take a holiday, in fact every two seconds someone in America will need blood.

Your blood donation may be used to save the life of a sick child, a cancer patient or a victim of a traffic accident. No matter who your blood donation goes to, you can be sure that you acted as someone’s hero and have given them the Gift of Life.

In order to thank our blood donors for their lifesaving blood donations and to make this year’s Blood Drive Food Drive a holiday celebration, there will be a live WPIG radio broadcast and all presenting donors will be entered to win a pair of tickets to see the Buffalo Bills take on the Indianapolis Colts at home on Sunday, January 3rd.

Donors must have picture ID, be at least 17 years of age (or 16 years old with a signed American Red Cross Parental Permission Slip), weigh at least 110 pounds (high school students must meet specific height and weight criteria), and be in good health the day of the blood drive. Donors are encouraged to eat and drink plenty of fluids prior to donating blood.

The American Red Cross is asking everyone to embrace the holiday season and Gift the Gift of Giving at the Blood Drive Food Drive. Appointments are not necessary but can be made by contacting the American Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. Walk-ins are welcome the day of the drive.

Announcements : Help Light the Lane

The Santa Claus Lane Committee and Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce officially kicked off its lighting program fundraising campaign. Businesses and stores throughout Olean will sell Santa Claus Lane buttons and paper holiday bulbs for $1 each to their customers from now until mid-December. The buttons which feature the holiday lights in Lincoln Park and the red, green, and yellow paper bulbs, symbolic of the real ones that adorn the city streets and parks, are available for customers to purchase.

The fundraising is similar to what was done in 1986 when the original decorations were purchased. The former Olean Business Improvement Association (since merged with Olean Area Chamber of Commerce to create Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce) raised $81,137 from 137 contributors to bring back the downtown decorations including 20 custom garlands, 59 growlite trees, 44 stars, two trees, a 15 foot Santa, and more.  Olean businessman Louis Marra was credited as providing the impetus for the revival of Santa Claus Lane.

Santa Claus Lane has come to mean more than just a parade and the night that the lights are turned on.  It has become six weeks of "celebration and song,' throughout our community.  Sophisticated animation is now included in Lincoln Park, in downtown Olean, and people from all of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania view the displays as they attend the numerous concerts and activities included in Santa Claus Lane.

“All funds to purchase ornaments, new figurines, garland and even the electricity for the lighting come straight from the Chamber and its 38 corporate sponsors. Although this support is annual, the committee realizes that it needs to build its lighting fund for the continuing of future parades and lighting,”stated Joe McLarney, Santa Claus Lane committee chair.

Several stores have signed on to sell and collect funds from the buttons and bulbs. They include: for BUTTONS -- the City of Olean; McCarthy’s Emporium; Ray’s Hairstyling; Caya’s Canopies; ChuckWagon Restaurant; Green Acres; Jones Realty; Olean Creative Mailing; Paper Factory; Pepper & Crandall; Premier Banquet Center; Singer Sewing Center; Uptown Florist; WPIG/WHDL; WOEN/WMXO; and WXMT; for BULBSs -- Key Bank, Community Bank (201 North Union Street); Olean Area Federal Credit Union; Five Star Bank. For more information, please contact GOACC at 372-4433 or by email santa@oleanny.com.

RIGHT DOWN SANTA CLAUS LANE

Photo Gallery : It Snowed Again!

Yesterday it snowed at the higher elevations. The scenes were striking on Rock City as the sun was rising over the hill and hitting the freshly fallen snow.

It was cold, crisp and incredibly beautiful. Take a look at our early November photo album with scenes from Lippert Hollow, near the old sanitorium, Page Road and RT16.

The photos were all shot on a mobile phone as an experiment.

Business Focus : Custom Creations Fine Jewelry

158 North Union Street
Olean, NY 14760
372-4175 • Fax 372-6910 • tklein158@verizon.net

Custom Creations is a full service jewelry store specializing in custom design, jewelry repair, certified red box diamonds. All work is done on premises. They are A+ accredited with the Better Business Bureau. After 22 years of owning their own store, Terry and Marianne decided to take the plunge into the technological world of jewelry manufacturing. They have purchased the cutting edge of CAD/CAM design software and milling. With Gemvision’s Matrix design software, the store is now capable of creating jewelry with precision milling capabilities provided by the Revo mill.

Custom Creations has always been known for quality craftsmanship, along with their “down to earth” friendly attitude. Store hours are Tuesday 10 AM - 5 PM, Wednesdays 10 AM - 9 PM, Thursday 10 AM - 5 PM, Friday 10 AM - 7 PM, Saturday 10 AM - 2 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday.

GOACC MEMBERS
are entitled to a 10% OFF In Stock Items
(excluding diamonds)

Health & Services : Dr. Javed Receives Third Quarter OGH Golden Stethoscope Award

Olean General Hospital officials presented the third quarter Golden Stethoscope Award to Muhammed Javed, M.D. at this month’s Hospital Board meeting.

Dr. Javed a board certified nephrologist, completed medical school at Ross University in Dominica and his Residency in Internal Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. He is also fellowship trained in nephrology by the SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Dr. Javed established a practice in Olean 13 years ago. He serves as the Medical Director of the Marie Lorenz Dialysis Center at OGH and on the hospital Board. He is active in the Western New York National Kidney Foundation where he coordinates educational seminars for community physicians & screenings for people in the community with kidney disease. Additionally, he recently served as President of the Medical staff, was involved with the YMCA, and was elected Maistro for a Day via the Friends of Good Music.

He indicated that he enjoys his practice because it is challenging and satisfying as he is able to interact with patients and their families. Most rewarding is when they come to share their appreciation for the change he has made in their lives. He shared that nothing is more important to him than that.

The Golden Stethoscope Award was created to recognize physicians who exhibit exceptional levels of professionalism, integrity and teamwork in caring for OGH patients and families and in interacting with hospital staff members and other physicians. A quarterly plaque in the hospital’s lobby features a photograph of physicians receiving the Golden Stethoscope Award.

Criteria for the award include:

· Demonstration of extraordinary patient care

· Caring and compassionate communication

· Active listening skills which foster teamwork/builds special relationships with patients and staff

· Willingness to teach/excellence in teaching

· Responsiveness to the needs of patients, families and staff.

Other recipients of this award within the past year include: Annmarie Zimmermann, M.D., Puneet Chahal, D.P.M., David Natali, M.D. and Aaron Hill, M.D.

Business Focus : A Jason Clemons Salon

301 East State Street
Olean, NY 14760
(716) 373-5276 • (716) 373-5277 • ajcsalon@yahoo.com

A Jason Clemons Salon is a full service Paul Mitchell focus salon with Paul Mitchell and Dermalogica Specialists on site. Hair, skin, and nail care in all areas available. The salon, the brain child of Jason and Leslie Clemons, opened February 27, 2009. All staff have been hand picked and trained by Jason and Leslie. With more than 35 years of combined experience in the beauty industry, Jason and Leslie make a perfect team for a salon that stays above the fringe. Jason has been in education for fourteen years and is currently a Senior National Educator for Paul Mitchell. Leslie has been in management for 15+ years and ran a successful salon with up to 18 staff members. The global artistic director of Paul Mitchell (Robert Croameans) says "success is measured by the company we keep" and by choosing Paul Mitchell and the skilled and dedicated staff to partner with, the salon has secured itself a very successful future.

A Jason Clemons Salon is open Monday 9 AM - 6 PM, Tuesday - Friday 9 AM - 8 PM, and Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM. The salon is dedicated to developing a monthly program to give back to different organizations locally.

GOACC MEMBERS
are entitled to a 10% OFF all Products/Tools

Health & Services : New OGH Chest Pain Center Offers Quick Diagnosis and Treatment

Olean General Hospital continues to respond to the healthcare needs of the community with the addition of its Chest Pain Center to facilitate rapid diagnosis and treatment for heart attacks.

“The goal of the Chest Pain Center is to ensure that every patient who presents to the emergency room with chest pain is assessed in a systematic manner using evidence based protocols,” said William Mills, M.D., vide president of Medical Affairs at Olean General Hospital. “By following these protocols, the decision can be determined safely whether the patient should be discharged home, stay in the Center or transferred to a tertiary center for a higher level of care.”

Prior to the Chest Pain Center’s opening in May 2009, Olean General Hospital’s administration researched major centers, invited speakers to define the role of chest pain facilities and organized departments to participate in the establishment of The Center. The Hospital also consulted with the following five local board certified cardiologists: Dr. Cyril Gunawardane, Dr. Ashok Kothari, Dr. John Raabe, Dr. Henry Storch and retired cardiologist Dr. Ahmad Hilal. Dr. Hilal was named Director of the OGH Chest Pain Center after his visit to the Chest Pain Center at Buffalo General Hospital where he had meetings with several of their Cardiologists, the Chairman of the E.R. and Nurse Managers.

"There is a very high incidence of heart disease in our area,” said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Olean General Hospital. “The Chest Pain Center is a designated area in the hospital where specially trained staff help diagnose the cause of a patient’s chest pain so, they receive appropriate treatment.”

Since its inception, The Center has treated over 90 patients that received prompt service in the emergency room, were visited by a Board Certified Cardiologist, and underwent appropriate diagnostic testing. Ten percent of those evaluated required additional testing including coronary angiography, while 90 percent of the patients were discharged home after evaluation. Patients that experienced symptoms of chest pain secondary to heart disease or heart attack were admitted in the intensive care unit and transferred to a major cardiac center for further care.

According to Denise Fish, RN, director of Critical Care Services, so far all of the Center’s patients have reported 100 percent satisfaction during follow-up telephone calls from OGH staff.

Patient, Cynthia Daniels said, “I came in to the E.R. around 5 p.m. and was discharged the following morning around 11 after undergoing a series of tests. The staff made feel very comfortable and the cardiologist explained the procedures throughout the entire process.”

The Olean General Hospital Chest Pain Center reduces the patient’s need to be admitted for several days of observation and waiting for appropriate stress tests or coronary angiography. It also reduces the patient’s anxiety from losing extra days from work and in many cases the patients were rescheduled for outpatient stress tests with considerable delay.

“We have avoided unnecessary lengthy stays in the hospital including, unnecessary angiograms that are not only inconvenient but costly and require many days off work, said Ahmad Hilal, M.D., board certified cardiologist and director of The Chest Pain Center.

There are 6 million chest pain visits to the E.R. annually in the United States. The financial impact is close to 10 billion dollars in E.R. evaluations. This does not include the longer stay in the hospital waiting for a test or angiogram that costs about $9,000 as opposed to 1/3 of the cost of a conservative approach. Clinical studies have shown that the patient with chest pain and low probability of heart disease who receives careful E.R. evaluation with blood tests and an EKG, followed by monitoring and observation by a qualified Board Certified Cardiologist, along with appropriate diagnostic tests, will have a very low chance of having significant coronary artery disease.

“The founding principles of the chest pain center are guidelines approved by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology,” said Muhammed Javed, M.D., chairman of the Department of Medicine at Olean General Hospital. “They ensure every patient is evaluated in the same manner and treated on a one-on-one basis. Even though most patients who arrive at the hospital are not having a cardiac event, for those who are swift diagnosis is critical to preventing damage to the heart muscles and perhaps for even saving the patient’s life.”

Olean General Hospital’s Chest Pain Center is a state-of-the-art cardiovascular facility equipped with 2D Echocardiography, 3D Echocardiography, Transesophageal Echocardiography, various forms of stress tests, a 64-Slice CT scanner, nuclear medicine, pacemaker implantation, highly-skilled E.R. personnel, well-trained technologists and nurses, and Board Certified Cardiologists. Nurses in the intensive care unit receive ongoing in-service training initiated by Denise Fish and Dr. Hilal.