Good News from Western New York

For those who’ve been following the ongoing story in Cattaraugus County New York….

The county legislature met this afternoon to vote on the final fate of the county’s Civil War Memorial and Historical Building. According to local preservationist Tom Stetz, the motion to demolish the building failed.

The legislature had voted last fall to tear down the building, which had fallen into disrepair, but preservationists had convinced the legislature to postpone the demolition. Citizens Advocating Memorial Preservation (CAMP) has led the effort to rehabilitate the building. Last week, the Public Works Committee of the legislature “blind-sided” CAMP, Stetz told local reporters, by informing the group it was going to recommend demolition at today’s meeting.

CAMP mobilized, calling for a letter-writing campaign to legislators in support of calling off the vote.

In an email to supporters this evening, Stetz credited three legislators, in particular, who “apparently worked some magic and convinced others that voting for demolition was not the right thing to do. I did not even have to take the floor to speak on CAMP’s behalf.”

Stetz continued:

One thing that influence the vote was the large number of emails the legislators received, so the CAMPers beyond Catt. County played a big part in this decision. . . . Give yourself a pat on the back and be prepared to continue with concerted efforts in 2016.

Stetz called today’s surprise vote “a much better day than last Thursday.”

“Thanks so very much for the support both near and far,” Stetz said.