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Johnson Estate Winery celebrates 65th year with awards

WESTFIELD — While the winter was impressively cold and the spring weather worrisome for growing grapes due to early bud break and potential freezes, Johnson Estate’s commencement of its 65th anniversary year has been good. Last month, the winery learned it had been awarded 10 Gold Medal awards including four with Best of Class designations at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition. And then this week, we learned that the winery’s second vintage of Sparkling Rosé Ice Wine was rated Exceptional, 94 Points by the Beverage Testing Institute/Tastings.com. These awards ...

Arbor Day celebrations held in Mayville, Chautauqua

The Mayville Tree Advisory Committee recently held two Arbor Day celebrations – one for the village and one for the town of Chautauqua. On April 24, while at the Chautauqua Municipal Building, Town Supervisor Don Emhardt read the official proclamation, proclaiming that day Arbor Day in ...

Jackson Center to host Battle of Books Saturday

The Robert H. Jackson Center will host a trio of educational and community-focused events in May, including a Battle of the Books on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. Grade school educators have been invited to bring student teams to its Battle of the Books event. Teams of students in sixth through eighth grades from area school districts will demonstrate their knowledge of 12 pre-selected books they have read in preparation for the competition. The afternoon will feature competition, music, snacks and a celebration of reading and teamwork. Each registered team will receive a set of the ...

WACS budget proposal includes tax levy hike

At their meeting this month, Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education members approved a resolution to be placed before voters on May 19, regarding a proposed budget of $21,359,328 for the 2026-27 school year. The budget includes a total tax levy increase of 10.12%. However, only 1% is an increase for operational costs. The remaining 9.12% is to support the Capital Improvement Project, which voters approved in September 2024. WACS superintendent Ryan Sikorski noted that the Capital Improvement project will only result in an increase in the coming year. "This amount ...

Coming up …

FRIDAY, MAY 8 Roblin Steel Coffee group Crossroads Diner, 2705 Main Road, Sheridan, 9 a.m. Former employees, families welcome. Robert H. Jackson Center presents: Advancing a Treaty on Crimes Against Humanity Virtual event, 12 to 1 p.m. Speakers: Leila Sadat, Sean Murphy. For registration information, see the website roberthjackson.org or call 716 483-6646. Juneteenth Committee’s annual “Taste of the South” event Open Door No. 3 Church of God in Christ, 59 Lake Shore Drive W., Dunkirk, 3 to 6 ...

Central Christian Academy accepting new applications

Central Christian Academy (CCA) in Dunkirk, a high-performing PreK-grade 12 school, announced that enrollment is now open. The 2026-2027 academic year will mark 45 years that CCA has provided a quality education to students throughout Chautauqua County. "Every single day, we get to do something really special here — build real partnerships with families like yours,” said school principal, Cynthia Massaro. She continued, “Our teachers are passionate about using time-tested teaching methods combined with a proven biblically based curriculum that truly shapes young minds and hearts. ...