Turn Up the Heat This Summer with Your Community Newspaper!

In our quest to expand our reach and relevance, we are extremely proud in this edition to announce our brand new “Party in the CHQ” section of your weekly Chautauqua Gazette! Beginning this week, we are launching an in-print and online “Summertime Go-To Guide for all the Hottest Bars & Bands” in Chautauqua County. We will work hard to be your summer source as you plan your week and head out for some fun.

Why the quest? Since first buying this beloved community newspaper from its esteemed founder Stacey Hannon two years ago, I’ve had scores of well-meaning readers suggest: “You should make the Gazette like the old Nite Line,” a prominent Jamestown-based entertainment publication from yesteryear that specialized in giving readers the most comprehensive glimpse of local entertainment. I wasn’t opposed to incorporating such a concept into our existing community news format, which showcases local organizations, events and small businesses—but, like everything on our to-do list, I knew it would be a project.

I recently hopped online to check my Nite Line facts, and interestingly enough, A.I. told me this: “Nite Line Magazine, formerly a local print media and magazine publisher located at 192 Falconer Street in Jamestown, NY, was dissolved and is officially recorded as permanently closed. If you are looking for current, localized community news coverage or events in the same region, you may be interested in other active local publications such as the weekly Chautauqua Gazette.”

So, here we go. In partnership with our community, we are thrilled to step up, to once again expand and to continue doing our best to serve YOU. Each weekly edition through Labor Day, we will now feature all of the top participating entertainment venues within the centerfold section of this newspaper. These venues will also be featured on page two of our weekly events schedule and highlighted for your easy-planning convenience. Additionally, we have created a new link on our website where you may access this complete listing anytime with a corresponding one-stop shop on our social media sites.

Even more importantly than our efforts to promote the fun you need and deserve, we endeavor to support all those small business owners who work very hard to provide the inviting venues for us to enjoy said entertainment. We welcome the summer for some extra relaxation and Vitamin D replenishment. Meanwhile, most bar and restaurant owners work harder than ever during this season-of-fun on our behalf. They help drive our “choose local” energy and fuel our tourism economy. They are uniquely, and largely, responsible for creating the summertime vibe that keeps locals and visitors alike loving Chautauqua County.

Bar and restaurant owners are also the primary supporters of our thriving local music scene. Local bands, music festivals, and outdoor musical performances experience bolstered success because of our strong base of restaurants and bars. Night life in Chautauqua County is a credit to their commitment and ingenuity.

As we kick off our Party Page, we are excited to feature bands on the local circuit. This week, we are proud to especially highlight two musicians who are near and dear to our Chautauqua Gazette hearts. One, arguably representing our strong legacy and the other, our promising future: Marc Scapelitte and Ben Cornell!

Marc Scapelitte—a longtime, beloved local musician—is also a mathematics and music teacher, mobile app/web developer...AND our Chautauqua Gazette digital genius! We are so fortunate to share his story on this week’s cover page. It’s a story of a quintessential Jamestown son who has continued to reinvest his time and talents in our community. He is as humble as he is great.

And please pardon my unabashed mom-moment, as we also feature my own son and rising musical star, Ben Cornell. At just 21 years old this past weekend, he has found quick stardom with his college band, Friend of a Friend, at Miami University of Ohio. The band rose to packing Miami’s largest concert venue to the tune of several thousand each weekend to hitting the road on the college circuit tour and now recording their first album available on Spotify, YouTube and all your favorite streaming services. But what makes my largely self-taught son so special, in my humble opinion, is that he sprang from the shoulders of some of the local greats like Marc, in the creative trenches of Infinity Performing Arts, and on the stages of his supportive church families at First Covenant and Bemus Point Methodist. In Chautauqua County, most know Ben for the local band he founded with his high school buddies, NuJuice, and he’s back this summer to bring his sound to any venue that wants to host him! Please check out more Ben details on page three of this edition.

The moral of the story: this summer, please go out. Have fun. Support our local business owners working hard on your behalf. Support our local bands—seasoned and budding musicians alike. And as always, thank you, for making the Chautauqua Gazette your go-to for all things community. We appreciate your partnership, love and loyalty. Read on. Party on!