Announcements : Sign up for a SNOW-Ball Tourney

EDITOR NOTE -- The tournament was to be held January 2, but due to no snow weather, it has been rescheduled.

COED 4 A Cause, a private group funding sports-related projects in the area, is looking for softball teams to participate in a 2010 WINTER MUSH BALL SOFTBALL TOURNEY. The tourney, scheduled for Saturday, February 6, at the Forness Fields in Olean, seeks co-ed teams. Team Entry Fee is $150 per team which must be paid before first pitch with all waivers signed. Winners receive Championship shirts and second place gets tourney shirts, which will also be on sale.

Entry rules include rosters with five men and five women with a man and woman as designated hitters for a total of 12 people. Any type of bat is allowed for both men and women. The ball is a mushball, a lot like softball, except the ball is so much softer and larger. There is also an unlimited arc.

Spectators are welcome with coffee, hot cocoa, hamburgers and hot dogs for sale. The cause also seeks tournament sponsors and volunteer umpires. The tourney is being held to purchase a break away fence for Forness 1 for all softball leagues to use next year. For more information or to sign up your team, please call Joe Dupe at 716-307-0699.

PLAY BALL

Announcements : Home Show Set for mid-April

If your landscaping, decorating or renovating projects are taking the spring out of your step, plan to come to the Greater Olean Area Home & Garden Show opening its doors April 9th, 2010. The Home Show, presented by Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce and its 37 Corporate Sponsors, is your all-access pass to home and garden specialists offering all the expert advice, solutions and inspiration for whatever home project you have planned this year.

Vendor booths are now available for the annual Home and Garden Show, held at the William O. Smith Recreation Center in Olean April 9-11, 2010. At least eighty of the area’s leading businesses are expected to exhibit their wares and services at the upcoming show. The Home Show is a unique marketplace to shop, compare and save on a total selection of home-related products and services for building, remodeling, gardening and decorating. The show that gives you more project ideas for your home and garden is expected to draw thousands of visitors during its three day run.

The show dates and times are April 9, 5 PM to 9 PM, April 10, 10 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday, April 11, 10 AM to 4 PM. Nancy Morgan, the Chamber’s Membership Coordinator, said, “The Greater Olean Home & Garden Show is three days with home improvement, leisure and lifestyle vendors on hand for what-works and how-to conversations with visitors who are looking to clean up, spruce-up, and fix-up. The Home Show offers interesting exhibits with the latest energy saving techniques, and Exhibitor space is limited, area businesses are encouraged to make booth reservations as soon as possible. GOACC members will receive discount booth space. For more information on the Olean Home & Garden Show or other Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce events and activities, please call GOACC at (716) 372-4433 or email member@oleanny.com.

GOACC

Announcements : Gift Certificate Program Maintain SALES

The Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificate program had another great year with a 2009 sales figure of $477,495, which is just under the 2008 total of $508,915. Record daily walk-in sales of $23,545 in gift certificates were recorded on December 21 and the month of December had sales of $233,140.

“Businesses and residents' support of the Chamber's Gift Certificate program allow us to keep this program viable for the community. Sales come in via phone calls and emails from customers in Wisconsin, Florida, Maryland, California, Delaware, Ohio, and Pennsylvania purchasing gifts for residents in the Olean area , not just during the holidays but year round,” said Nancy Morgan, GOACC’s Membership Coordinator. “The uniqueness of the program is that it encourages redeemers of the certificates to discover products and services available at businesses in our area, businesses that support the Chamber of Commerce.  After all, it is good business to do business with Chamber members.” Ms. Morgan added.

“Also important to remember is that Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce gift certificates never expire.  In December, two gift certificates purchased in 1998 were brought into the Chamber office and new certificates were issued to the holder.” Ms. Morgan stated.  “If anyone should find a gift certificate previously misplaced, make sure you bring it to the Chamber.”

Additional benefits of the gift certificate program will be further realized when the certificates are spent in 2010, generating local, county, and state sales tax. Although difficult to measure, Chamber officials are certain that there are additional sales generated locally from the use of the certificates. 

GOACC instituted the Gift Certificate Program in 1995 with certificates totaling $9,000  sold and 35 member businesses participating in the program. As of the end of December 2009, the certificates could be redeemed at more than 248 member businesses. New businesses to the gift certificate program include: NY Style Salon & Spa (Portville); EB’s Eatery; Sheila’s TwoBoots & Scoops Café; Coatney Massage Therapy; Custom Creations Fine Jewelry; J&R Auto; Lee’s Wine & Beer Supplies; Olean Lock & Key; Ron’s Gun Shop (Richburg); Scio Mini Mart; Sisson’s Chain Saws & Stoves; and Stone Mountain Masonry (Wellsville).

The certificates are sold year round at the GOACC Chamber office at 120 North Union Street, Olean, in increments of $5, $10, $20, $25, and $50 throughout the year. For more information on Chamber gift certificates, please call 716/372-4433.

GOACC

Announcements : Welcome to Olean Guide

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Download the Greater Olean Guide (PDF)

The Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce has released the Greater Olean Area Guide (8 1/2x12 information booklet). It is a resource for new residents and visitors and is packed with colorful photos, feature articles, and descriptions and listings of the local attractions, lodging, restaurants, schools, and more. With over 4,000 copies, the guide will be distributed to our local realtors, at trade and travel shows, to member accommodations, at college freshmen orientations, and to new employees.

“There hasn’t been a comprehensive guide to Olean printed since 2004,” stated Maggie Perrigo, Business Development Director. “The guide will prove to be a huge asset to our community, especially in its ability to bring in new employees to existing businesses and in recruiting new companies to our area.”

Tools like the Greater Olean Area Guide have proven extremely effective in showcasing our area and providing much of the information requested when relocating. Individuals and businesses are considerably more likely to relocate when they can quickly and easily see the area’s options in education, health care, real estate, entertainment, and many other areas of interest.

For more information, please contact GOACC at (716) 372-4433 or by email member@oleanny.com.

Download the Greater Olean Guide (PDF)

Announcements : Challenger Learning Center - 2/13 Valentine Mission to Comet Halley

Challenger Learning Center - 2/13 Valentine Mission to Comet Halley

Be a part of the Challenger Learning Center's first public mission on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 3pm-5pm at the Challenger Learning Center, 182 E. Union St., Suite 2, Allegany, NY 14706.

Come be a part of a simulated mission to rendezvous with Comet Halley - $30 per person or $50 per couple. There is limited availability so contact the center (info@twintierclc.com or 716-379-8686) to reserve your flight position!

Announcements : Free Concert at JCC's Cutco Theater January 31st

Gypsy jazz band Babik (pronounced Bah-Beek) will entertain music lovers with a concert at 1:30 p.m. on January 31
in Cutco Theater.

Hailed as “one of the hottest bands” by the Buffalo News, Babik’s latest musical release mixes a wide range of styles such
as jazz fusion, klezmer, world, and Latin music.

“For us, the attraction to this music is probably the same [as] for most of its fans. There is an infectious, happy vibe to it,” says Joshua Assad, Babik’s rhythm guitarist/vocalist.

Babik Performs Gypsy Jazz On January 31

“This music makes people happy. Even the minor key tunes we play have a sense of joyful celebration,” said Assad. “Gypsy jazz has a great groove that you would be hard pressed to avoid tapping your foot to.”

The concert is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the campus program committee.

For more information
contact Mike Marvin at 376.7586 or mikemarvin@mail.sunyjcc.edu.

Announcements : "Kite Runner" Chosen - Free Events Listed by JCC Community Reads Group

The Community Reads Project has chosen The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini as its next reading selection.

The Community Reads Project is part of the “one book, one community” movement that has spread across the U.S. from Seattle where it originated.
JCC and the Olean Public Library are sponsors of the local program. For more information on Community Reads Project activities, contact Mary
Jermann at 376.7594.

Paperback copies of The Kite Runner are now available for $1 in the campus store in College Center, 260 N. Union St. Olean N.Y.

A preliminary schedule of events includes a discussion on Islam and its practice by Fr. Michael Calabria, a lecturer in the Arab & Islamic Studies program in the modern languages
department at St. Bonaventure University, at 5 p.m. on February 1 in the Magnano Reception Room.

On February 8, Sam Qadri, a member of the local Muslim community and an adjunct JCC faculty member, will discuss Islam and violence. His presentation begins at 5:30 in Cutco Theater.

Discussions of the book will be held from 2:40 to 4 p.m. on February 23 in JCC's Library and Liberal Arts bldg, room 308 and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on March 16 at the Olean Public Library.

The movie adaptation of the book will be shown from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on March 11 in Cutco Theater on the Olean campus of JCC.

All events are free and open to the public.

Announcements : Jr. Karate Classes Begin at E.M.M.A.A.

Beginning February 2010, Enchanted Mountain Martial Arts Academy in Olean will begin offering a Jr.-A.K.T. Karate class for young students ages 9 to 13 years old. The new class is being offered on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The Jr.-A.K.T. Karate class will provide the complete curriculum of A.K.T. American Freestyle Karate in a fun and exciting environment suitable for preadolescent students. “Frequently students of this age group do not fit into traditional kid’s classes or regular adult classes.” “We have modified the teaching model to better fit the physical and emotional maturity level of these students” Master Barry Broughton, owner of E.M.M.A.A. said.

A.K.T. American Freestyle Karate is a comprehensive eclectic martial art that includes hand techniques and kicks, as well as throws, takedowns and grappling techniques that can be adapted to any body type and ability.

For more information on the Jr.-A.K.T. classes call 716 373-1050, visit the academy website at www.OleanMartialArts.com, or stop by the school at 705 North Union, across from Boardman Park in North Olean.

Health & Services : Olean General Hospital Names Mornelli Chief Operating Officer

Ronald Mornelli, previously an executive with Independent Health Association in Buffalo, has been named Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Olean General Hospital, announced Timothy J. Finan, President and CEO of Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), the parent company of both Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center.

“Ron is a healthcare executive with great experience, proven leadership and vision. He will be a tremendous asset for Olean General and we are very pleased to have him fill this vital role for us,” Mr. Finan said.

Since 2005, Mr. Mornelli was Vice President of Provider Networks for Independent Health. From 2002 to 2005, he served as Regional Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Lifetime Healthcare in Buffalo. While at Univera Healthcare in Buffalo from 1997 to 2002, he was Vice President of Insurance Operations.

Mr. Mornelli earned a bachelor of arts degree from Hamilton College in 1984, a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan in 1986, and a master’s degree in economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1994.

The integration of Olean General and Bradford Regional is intended to enhance the hospitals’ ability to introduce new and expanded programs and services in response to regional healthcare needs. Additionally, the integration will improve the ability of the hospitals to recruit physicians and other clinical professionals, and better manage healthcare costs. Combined, the two hospitals serve 150,000 area residents, have $160 million in annual revenue and employ over 1,600 people. For more information on UAHS, go online at www.uahs.org.

Olean General was founded in 1898 and is a 186-bed, acute-care hospital. It provides an array of programs and specialty services, including Behavioral Health, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Chest Pain Center, Dialysis, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Sleep Center, and Wound Care. Additionally, Olean General Hospital has been designated a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals Performance Improvement Leader. For more information, visit its website at www.ogh.org.

Announcements : More Holiday Cheer Appears in Park

For those of you that travel up and down Seneca Avenue, you may be familiar with a house that has wooden characters adorning the lawn. Rick Weber has crafted holiday characters, Buffalo Bills characters and others as a hobby throughout the many years. He met with GOACC early in 2009 with an idea to create and donate three wooden one dimensional characters for Santa Claus Lane. His initial concept was for three characters such as a holiday elf, a mouse, and a moose.

Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce (GOACC) connected with Zane Garman at Home Depot and Nate Smith of Worth W. Smith to see if their companies could donate the materials to Mr. Weber for these community decorations. They gladly agreed to a donation of more than $350.00 in plywood, paint and other supplies.

Mr. Weber took the materials and not only created the three initial characters but two penguins, a tree, two small angels, one larger angel, a snowman, and a reindeer! These handmade characters, located in Lincoln Park, have places to put faces for a person to take on the appearance of the character.

“GOACC appreciates all Mr. Weber’s hard work and time to create these characters for the children and all to enjoy in Lincoln Park. It’s great having two local companies assist with the continued expansion of decorations and lighting of Santa Claus Lane!” stated Meme K. Yanetsko, GOACC Chief Operating Officer.

The Santa Claus Lane committee is always looking for more decorations and lighting to light up Olean. These characters in Lincoln Park join the 50 foot Welcome to Santa Claus Lane sign; lights and garland on the pavilion in War Veterans Park; and the snowflakes on Main and South Union Street bridges as new decorations for 2009. 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.

GOACC