Thank you for voting for Fredonia in Season 5 of Small Business Revolution! The tremendous outpouring of support from people throughout Western New York has been heartwarming and the energy in Chautauqua County around this opportunity has been exciting.

The Small Business Revolution, produced by Deluxe Corporation, provides $500,000 in economic revitalization funds to the winning community and films the transformation for a TV series that airs on Hulu and Amazon Prime. They will announce the winning community in a Live Stream broadcast on Facebook on Tuesday.

Everyone is invited to attend the Small Business Revolution Competition Live Stream Event at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House Tuesday, to learn which community will star in Season 5. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the Facebook live stream will start at 8 p.m. We encourage early arrival since capacity is limited. There will be additional viewing in front of the Opera House on Church Street, and immediately following the event community members are encouraged to stay for fun and music with your friends and neighbors. No matter which way this turns out, we plan to acknowledge our accomplishments as we have worked hard as a community throughout this process. Please dress appropriately for the weather.

Many thanks to the 1891 Fredonia Opera House for rescheduling their screening of the movie Dark Waters to accommodate this event. The movie viewing is now scheduled for Saturday, at 7:30 p.m.

In the event that Fredonia is the winning community, we encourage local small businesses to start thinking about how they will apply to participate in the program. The $500,000 investment from Deluxe is a direct private investment into remodeling, services, facade work and more that businesses can apply for. A handful of businesses are chosen from each winning community each season. Video nominations are encouraged and businesses should consider what they want to say about their businesses and what their needs may be. The nomination process will open January 29th on the Small Business Revolution website.

Deluxe® has been a proud champion of small business since 1915. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015, by creating the Small Business Revolution as a way to celebrate the small businesses that drive our economy and bring our communities together, and create a movement of support. As a leading provider of marketing services and products for small businesses, Deluxe Corporation believes that small businesses are the future of the American economy.

There are so many people to thank for helping to get Fredonia this far. We appreciate everyone’s support. No matter the outcome on Tuesday, we have been proud to be part of the Small Business Revolution team in Fredonia and look forward to working with them in numerous future endeavors. Fingers crossed for Tuesday!!!

Chamber Names Jacquelyn Sasso Director of Insurance Services

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Jacquelyn Sasso has been named Director of Insurance Services. She replaces Kevin Sixbey who is no longer with us. Jackie is an experienced licensed insurance broker and is stepping in quickly to assist our members and all individuals with their insurance needs. Jackie has worked with small businesses for many years addressing their insurance needs. Anyone who has questions or needs help with an insurance service is invited to call her at our offices at (716) 366-6200 or (716) 484-1101, extension 204 or email her at jsasso@chautauquachamber.org.

Jackie is also serving as Coordinator for the Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber of Commerce as our long time Coordinator Debby Marsala has retired. Jackie is working hand in hand with the committee heading up the Presidents Day Weekend Winter Festival, coming up February 14-16, and any questions about that event can be directed to her phone extension as well.

Enhanced HR Dashboard is Now Online

The Chamber and Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier have successfully provided access to online sexual harassment compliance training for more than 370 local businesses in recent months. Now that system is changing just a bit. The former Training 360 dashboard that had been used for managing employee access to the training program has been migrated to a new and enhanced Learning Management System Dashboard. There have been a few issues with conversion to the new system, but we are here to help you with that process. You will need new login credentials for the new enhanced system. If you need assistance please call our office and we can help you. In the meantime, any member business that has questions can feel free to call the Chamber office at 366-6200 or 484-1101.

Celebrating Winter on Presidents Day Weekend!

The Presidents Day Weekend Winter Festival is Feb. 14-16 at Lakeside Park in Mayville. This spectacular annual event celebrates our wonderful winter season here in Chautauqua County. It features construction of a large ice castle on the shore of Chautauqua Lake (weather permitting) at 6 p.m., Feb. 14, followed by the Queen of Hearts Ice Ball under the big tent from 6:30-9:30. Throughout the weekend there will be activities, games, crafts, vendors, a beer & wine tent, carriage rides, ice hockey, an ice fishing contest, a snowball contest, chili cook-off, music, the Polar Plunge to benefit food pantries in Western New York, a 5K run by Chautauqua Striders, an amazing fireworks display, and much more!

Volunteers are needed for a variety of positions during this huge event. If you want to help, please call or email Jacquelyn Sasso, Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber Coordinator, at 366-6200 or jsasso@chautauquachamber.org.

In addition, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel will hold its second annual Fire & Ice Celebration Feb. 13-15. Over 20,000 pounds of meticulously carved ice sculptures will be on display along with music, food, martini luges, fireworks, and more. Tickets are $25 per person and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Child Advocacy Program in Chautauqua County. For more information contact the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel at (716) 489-2800.