In 1912, merchants who felt the bad effect of warm weather at Christmas time were somewhat encouraged by the snow storm in Jamestown which started at an early hour of the morning and was still coming. It looked very much as though winter was at hand. The snow had been increasing in volume all day. By afternoon, there was a sufficient depth to suggest thoughts of sleighing. The weather indications were encouraging to those who wanted to see winter.
Parcel post was not only going to cost more for transportation and for collection and delivery service but congressmen had discovered another important expenditure. They must have the post offices in the various cities and towns of the country enlarged in order to have room for the packages that would go by the new system. That would require more money, but there seemed to be no doubt about obtaining in a general public building bill, the money for such additions.
In 1937, the annual Christmas operetta given by the Ashville school pupils would be presented the evening of Dec. 21 at 8 o'clock in the Community building. This year the operetta chosen was The Toy Shop by Phyllis McGinley and Gladys Rich. It would be presented in three acts. The play centered around the story of Tina, a waif who slaved in the toy shop for Mrs. Grumby. The three main characters were Tina, to be played by Audrey Krusen, Mrs. Grumby, by Elizabeth Washburn and the Toy Maker, by Joey Fairbank. The play was under the direction of Naomi Chapman, music teacher, assisted by Stella Newell at the piano. The play was sponsored by the Ashville Parent-Teacher Association. After its presentation, firemen would distribute candy to the children present.
In 1962, Hall R. Clothier would step down as chairman of the Chautauqua County Board of Supervisors at the end of the year and Richard O. Evans, R-Ellery, was expected to be elected to succeed him. Mr. Clothier's decision to relinquish the board chairmanship he had held for 13 consecutive one year terms was revealed at a meeting of 20 Republican supervisors at his home. At the same time, the 20 supervisors attending agreed to support Mr. Evans in his bid for the chairmanship. At least two other Republican supervisors also had indicated they would support Mr. Evans. A vote of 19 was needed to elect a chairman of the 37-member board, which included 24 Republicans.
It seemed to a lot of people that commercials came through louder than the regular television programs. The Federal Communications Commission announced it was launching an inquiry on the subject of objectionable loudness of commercials. The FCC said it had had many complaints from listeners and they seemed to increase as the Christmas "hard-sell" season approached. It said there were 25 in October, 45 in November and 95 in the first 10 days of December. The FCC said it had looked into such complaints in the past and found no violations of FCC rules. But it said loud commercials were contrary to the public interest and also contrary to the self-interest of broadcasters and advertiser. It had asked the broadcasters to discontinue any such practices.
In 1987, an increasingly competitive economy made it essential to improve dairy herd management practices to maintain a profitable operation and continue in the industry. Those farmers remaining in dairying faced generally increased costs involving machinery, labor, fertilizer, seeds and other operating essentials. Increased milk production nationally without a comparable increase in consumption, together with national and international competition for markets presented formidable obstacles to the industry. Nevertheless, dairy farming continued as the dominant agricultural industry in Southwestern New York, with 475 commercial dairy farms in Chautauqua County and 453 in neighboring Cattaraugus County.
The designation of Buffalo General Hospital as the state's second heart transplant center would help revive economic life in western New York, Gov. Mario Cuomo said. "There was a time when we were worried about whether this part of the state would make it," Cuomo said. "Now you're on the verge of a great new era." The new transplant center and the existing Roswell Park cancer center would "put Buffalo on the nation's map," Cuomo said at a ceremony at the hospital.