The Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber of Commerce recently presented its 2022 Business Improvement Award to the St. Elmo Spa. After purchasing the St. Elmo Spa in 2018, owner Julie Ambrose renovated and refreshed the spa’s interior, enhanced existing treatments, and added new services ...
The proof is always in the final budget, but Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State Address this past week included a proposal for $100 million in tax relief for small businesses. That’s a good start, but as always, the initial plans look like a mixed bag of benefits and challenges. Accelerating tax cuts for the middle class and focusing on workforce development are also welcome news from Albany. The Governor rolled out a plan to create the Office of Workforce and Economic Development, with an aim of expanding access to apprenticeships and the state’s technology pipeline. ...
The start of a new year is an opportunity for many to reflect on the past year and set a course for the year to come. Some set resolutions, others chart their goals, and many may simply put thought into the general directions they’d like to go. Reflecting on my own past year and new year ahead, I thought about a book I became aware of titled “The Coffee Bean” by Jon Gordon and Damon West. This fable looks at how we respond to situations and environments of pressure by drawing a comparison to a boiling pot of water. To illustrate some potential reactions, the story uses a carrot, ...
The work of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is focused on our mission: to create a business environment in the region where our members can thrive. Building that environment requires planning, communication, and implementation of events and programs that deliver services for our local businesses. Over the past couple of weeks, we have looked back at how we serve Chamber member businesses, and our entire business community in Chautauqua County, and come up with some substantial numbers. Attendance at Chamber of Commerce functions was strong in 2022. 1,025 people attended ...
During our recent Christmas luncheon, the Chamber of Commerce staff spent a few minutes reflecting on some of the positive moments from the past year. Numerous events came to mind, and the staff noted some internal goals we have achieved as well. 2022 was a strong year for Chamber events, and many of them created strong memories. In April, the Chamber had planned our annual State Legislative Breakfast for a time when we all anticipated the state budget to be finalized and our local lawmakers available. But the budget negotiations ran long, and our staff had to pivot quickly as it ...
Daniel P. Reininga, president and CEO of Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc., announced his plans Thursday to retire in May after serving 29 years with the bank, including 12 as chief executive officer. Reininga, 64, took the helm in 2011 when the bank’s assets were $488 million and grew them to ...
