Welcome to the Winter 2010 Westfieldny.com Newsletter!
There is a particular beauty to the winter season on New York’s “west coast”. It is a season of stillness and introspection. The sun hits ice-covered vineyards and creates a landscape of glass. Lake Erie waves pound the empty shoreline like an angry sea. There is cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and, at the Chautauqua Institution, classic sleigh rides.
In this issue of the Westfieldny.com newsletter, we focus on the the year ahead – one that looks to be a busy and, in many ways, transformative one for Westfield.
There are community projects that have been planned for years that will become reality in 2010, like the Grape Discovery Center and improvements at the Dan Ried Pier in Barcelona. There are other projects under consideration that the community will have an opportunity to learn about and debate, like the proposed wind power project. There are Westfield institutions, like the Patterson Library, expanding programs and embracing new ways of providing services to the community. And there are regional assets like the Chautauqua Institution bringing distinguished scholars with interesting new ideas to our doorstep.
It’s an exciting time to be in Westfield. We encourage you to come explore all we have to offer. For upcoming events, go to our Community Calendar.
Join in the Conversation
While Westfield winters are aesthetically beautiful, they can also be socially isolating. To ward off cabin fever and stay engaged with friends over the long winter season, a group has formed for casual conversation every Thursday evening. The brainchild of Westfield resident Blair Koss, Thursday Conversations are loosely based on the French salon concept – gather people together around great food and wine and let the conversation flow. The Thursday Conversation happens every Thursday at 6:30 (give or take) at Sapore Restaurant and Wine Bar. As the group grows and evolves, the venue will rotate to other area restaurants. Come join in the discussion! A lingering meal and engaging conversation with friends (old or new) is a great antidote to the “post and tweet” speed of social media.
WDC Update
by John Rawlinson
WDC Executive Director
As we all know, 2009 has been a difficult year for individuals, companies, and communities such as Westfield, but compared to many parts of the country we have been able to keep our head above water. The WDC has been working hard in preparation for a recovery in 2010 by concentrating primarily on developing a marketing strategy and developing tools to enable us to attract people and businesses to our community. Here are some of the things in the works.
Press Kits
We have developed very attractive press kits that are being sent out to media contacts throughout the country. These kits contain articles, our DVD and promotional information relating to Westfield.
Web Site Upgrade
Our current web site has been very well received but it is time for an update to a more dynamic, user friendly and business oriented site.
Property Visioning
In the New Year we will be working with real estate businesses to try and promote the sale of commercial properties by developing visions for the potential use of the buildings. This project is in its early stages, but we have hopes it will help some of the empty buildings be made more attractive to potential buyers.
Newsletter
This newsletter you are reading will continue to grow. We now have more than 170 people signed up to receive it. It will continue to be developed and give you positive updates of what is going on in the Westfield community.
Promotional Items
This year you will begin to see promotional items for Westfield such as posters, cards and other items that will show many of the assets and iconic structures we have in our area.
Stay tuned – 2010 will be a year of growth for our community.
Chamber News
by Tony Pisicoli
Westfield-Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
The new year will be one of transition for the Westfield Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. We are in the process of a consolidation that will bring all of the county’s community chambers under one umbrella, the
Chautauqua County Development Corporation, or CCDC for short.
The CCDC will bring broader support from the County Chamber, including liability insurance coverage for community events, a full time coordinator and a main street presence.
The goal of the CCDC is to better integrate the community chambers, further the concept of regionalism, and to more appropriately represent the needs of the businesses of Chautauqua County.
Although we will be consolidating individual chambers, the current boards will stay intact as a committee of the CCDC and continue to steer the direction of the Chamber in the communities. At the local level there will be little change in the events and support the Chamber lends our area.
The Farmers Market will move toward self sufficiency but continue to be directed by the Chamber of Commerce in the short term.
In other Chamber news the directional signs are ready to order for the businesses on Bourn St, English St, Pearl St and Chestnut St. If you have a business on one of these streets and would like to purchase a directional sign please contact the Chamber for more details.
