J412-2011 Actions

• Feb 1, 2011: ADOPTED

J412-2011 Text

 LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Chautauqua
 County, New York
 WHEREAS,  It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and commem
 orate the proud and distinguished histories of the people  and  communi
 ties which comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and
 WHEREAS,  Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long
 standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly  proud  to  commem
 orate  the 200th Anniversary of Chautauqua County, New York, to be cele
 brated throughout calendar year 2011 in  the  many  cities,  towns,  and
 villages that combine to form the county's identity; and
 WHEREAS,  This  Bicentennial celebration is important to the residents
 of Chautauqua County because it provides historical, cultural and artis
 tic opportunities and activities, as well as instills a sense  of  pride
 in the communities and County as a whole; and
 WHEREAS, Chautauqua County was first settled in the late 18th Century,
 and  the  county  limits  were defined in an act of 1808; the county was
 required to function as a part of Niagara County  until  it  attained  a
 population  of 500 taxable, land-owning residents; Chautauqua County was
 officially recognized as an independent county by  the  New  York  State
 Legislature on February 9, 1811; and
 WHEREAS,  The  western  gateway  to  the State of New York, Chautauqua
 County covers 1,065 square miles containing two cities, 27 towns and  13
 villages;  the county has a 50-mile shoreline on Lake Erie and holds six
 lakes; Chautauqua County was named for its largest  lake,  which  is  20
 miles long and 1,308 feet above sea level; and
 WHEREAS, Rich in natural resources, Chautauqua County holds over 1,500
 commercial  farms, more than 15,000 acres of grapes and 15 wineries; the
 French Creek Watershed in Chautauqua County  is  the  most  biologically
 diverse  riverine  system  in the northeast United States and is home to
 twelve globally rare species; and
 WHEREAS, Many  famous  people  have  called  Chautauqua  County  home,
 including  New York State Governors William H. Seward and Reuben Fenton;
 naturalist Roger Tory Peterson; Supreme Court Justice and  Chief  United
 States  prosecutor  at the Nuremberg trials Robert H. Jackson; entrepre
 neurs B.F. Goodrich  and  George  Pullman;  musician  Natalie  Merchant;
 beloved  actress  Lucille  Ball;  and  numerous other writers, athletes,
 artists, military heroes and politicians; and
 WHEREAS, Chautauqua County has long been known as a place of  academic
 opportunity with Jamestown Business College, the State University of New
 York  at  Fredonia  and Jamestown Community College, the first community
 college in New York State; and
 WHEREAS, Educational and cultural offerings abound in Chautauqua Coun
 ty through the Chautauqua Institution, which hosts 142,000  participants
 in  its  programs  each  summer;  the  Roger  Tory Peterson Institute, a
 national center for nature education; and Lily Dale Assembly, the  world
 center of the Universal Religion of Modern Spiritualism; and
 WHEREAS,  Chautauqua  County is credited with a number of firsts - the
 first Grange in the world and the  first  Women's  Christian  Temperance
 Union  were  both formed in Fredonia; the oldest lighthouse on the Great
 Lakes and the first to be lighted by natural gas still stands at  Barce
 lona  Harbor; and the first naval skirmish of the War of 1812 was fought
 at the mouth of the Canadaway Creek; and
 WHEREAS, Remaining fruitful over the ebb and flow of decades of growth
 and change, Chautauqua County continues its commitment to enhancing  the
 quality  of life of its citizens, ensuring a positive business, institu
 tional and educational climate, and providing  all  essential  services;
 and
 WHEREAS,  It is appropriate to not only celebrate the County's origins
 and history this year, but also to set the right tone and objectives for
 the next 200 years of Chautauqua County's history; and
 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to  publicly  recog
 nize  and honor milestones in the history of communities large and small
 in this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
 RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause  in  its  deliberations  to
 commemorate  the  200th  Anniversary  of  Chautauqua  County;  and be it
 further
 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran
 smitted to Chautauqua County, New York.

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