Thursday, October 23, 2008

Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa to host Beer & Wine Festival

Findley Lake, N.Y., October 16, 2008 – Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa will host its annual Beer & Wine Festival on Saturday, October 25, 2008. The festival will take place from 3 to 7 pm and will feature a combination of microbreweries, and local & regional wineries. Breweries scheduled to attend include Magic Hat, Southern Tier, Erie Brewing Co., Flying Bison Brewery, Great Lakes Brewing Co., Saranac and several others.

Peek'n Peak is pleased to feature new wineries from the Finger Lakes Region including Heron Hill Winery, Catharine Valley Winery and Four Chimneys Organic Winery. Local favorites from the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail will also participate including Mazza Chautauqua, Noble Winery, Quincy Cellars and several others.

Tickets are $25 pre-sale and $30 day of the event. This includes a tasting glass and 25 sampling tickets. You must be 21 years or older to attend the event. Tickets may be purchased online at pknpk.com or at your local Wegmans.

Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa will once again host America's only ski slope Trail of Lights November 23 – December 23, 2008. Guests ride chairlifts and are taken high above fourteen separate themed areas of large colorful and animated light displays. The twenty minute ride will leave guests with an everlasting memory of Peek'n Peak! Tickets are $5 per person; rides will be available Wednesday-Sunday from 6 pm to 9 pm. Special group and fundraiser options are available.

For more information about these upcoming events and more, visit
pknpk.com or call 716-355-4141.

About Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa

Established in 1964, Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa, in Findley Lake, NY, is a regional destination for golf and snow sports, 30 minutes east of Erie, PA and 30 minutes west of Jamestown, NY. The resort features two highly acclaimed golf courses, 27 ski slopes and trails, 10 miles of cross country terrain, exquisite day spa, fine dining, and a vast selection of accommodations and other amenities, as well as a prestigious RCI Gold Crown rating. Each year, the Peek welcomes over 450,000 visitors.

For more information, visit www.PKnPK.COM.

For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com


Sunday, October 19, 2008

Bemus Bay Condos May Have People Moving In This Week



By Dennis Phillips dphillips@post-journal.com
POSTED: October 19, 2008



The finishing touches are being placed on the Bemus Bay condominiums. Residents might begin moving in sometime this week.
P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

BEMUS POINT The finishing touches are being placed on the Bemus Bay condominiums, with people possibly set to move in sometime this week.
Paul Goldberg, Bemus Point Investments LLC co-developer, said things are going well with the final stages of construction at the condominiums. However, he did say a fire pump had to be repaired after an accident occurred, which caused flooding in an equipment room.
Goldberg said once the condos receive a certificate of occupancy, people will be able to move in to their residence.
''Within a week, people could move in,'' he said.
Goldberg said construction has been completed in the common areas of the complex, with only unsold condos still needing work to be done.
''The only thing left to do is the units, which we do to the specifications of those who purchase them,'' he said.
At this point, Goldberg said around 50 percent of the condos have been purchased, which he said is a good sign.
''Half the units sold before there is moving in is a good record for any condominium project,'' he said. ''The county is changing every day as we continue to sell units. We will continue to see sales throughout the winter I think.''
Lee Chilcote, Bemus Point Investments LLC co-developer, said he is very proud of the project.
''(Bemus Bay condominiums) are distinguishable from everything else lakeside,'' he said. ''There is a lot of character in these buildings. We wanted this project to blend into the community and I'm pleased that it does that very well.''
The condominiums are year-round homes that offer residents the benefits of the Chautauqua Lake region's various seasonal activities.

For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: http://www.chautauqualakehomes.com/

National Mortgage Crisis Not Affecting Bemus Bay Condos

By Dennis Phillips dphillips@post-journal.com
POSTED: October 19, 2008
BEMUS POINT - The national mortgage crisis might be causing havoc on Wall Street, but not with the Bemus Bay Condominiums.

Rumors that the project's developers, Bemus Point Investments LLC, had declared bankruptcy is ''absolute untrue,'' said Steve Holt of Howard Holt Hanna Real Estate, who is serving as project coordinator. He said the condominium project, which started construction in September 2007 and is located along Lakeside Drive, has sold close to 50 percent of its nearly 40 available spots.
Holt said the rumors swirling about the project may be due to the national mortgage crisis.
''Frankly there are so many rumors stemming from what people are seeing in the national media that we are not seeing locally,'' he said. ''Banks have money to lend. Jamestown Savings Bank is doing the construction financing and mortgages for moving in (to the condominiums), along with other banks too.''
Holt said the project is going well, especially considering everything that has been going on nationally with mortgages and the economy.
''Once they are completed, we have a lot of people interested in moving in,'' he said. ''We were at about 42 percent (occupancy), but we sold a couple more and are now closer to 50 percent.''
Holt said there was a short delay in construction, but that was quickly fixed.
''Some things were delayed a little bit due to parts available for elevators, things of that nature,'' he said. ''That has all been corrected. It's all fully operational.''
Holt said the condominiums are going for $399,000 to $650,000, depending on the condo's floor plan. Howard Holt Hanna Real Estate is the project's marketing agent and has an office on site with an agent available from noon to 5 p.m. every day of the week. A tour route is available to allow visitors to see the various types of condominium homes available.
The condominiums consist of two buildings, named Browning and Columbian, with architecture reminiscent of the two hotels that once inhabited the site. The low-rise building construction and site plan configuration were designed by Jamestown-headquartered Harrington Sandberg Architects and Engineers to blend into the surroundings of the villag, which was founded in 1806.
Each of the homes at Bemus Bay, http://www.bemusbaycondos.com,/ offers a private boat slip at the new docks recently installed in Chautauqua Lake and owner conveniences including secured entry, handicapped access, elevator service, a covered garage and reserved parking spaces.
Four different floor plans with three bedrooms and two or three baths include air conditioning, granite countertops, master suites with a whirlpool bath and easy access to the property's heated swimming pool.
All homes feature a private balcony or porch with views of Chautauqua Lake, and Chautauqua Institution is a short trip away by car or boat.
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com



Friday, October 17, 2008

Chautauqua County Woman turning 107





Posted By: Dave McKinley


While "horse and buggy days" is a phrase often bandied about, very few people these days can say they actually experienced them.



Ruth Brant can.


She was born October 22, 1901, while the nation was mourning the death of President William McKinley who had been assassinated in Buffalo the month before. It was two years before the Wright brothers first took flight, and cars were a rare sight indeed where she lived in Bemus Point.


Nearly 107 years and 10 miles away, Ruth Brant resides at the Loyalton of Lakewood Senior Assisted Living Center, where she keeps active through a host of scheduled activities and has become a favorite among staff and residents alike.


She also reads the newspaper every day.


Asked by Two on Your Side what she believes the key to living such a long life is, she replied much as one might expect.

"Don't drink, and don't smoke," Brant said.

Longevity seems to run in her family. All three of Ruth's children are expected to celebrate her birthday with her next Wednesday, including her eldest daughter Betty who either skies or hikes mountain trails near her home in Utah on a daily basis.

Betty is 85.


With a presidential election coming up, it's an interesting exercise to figure out how many presidents have served since you've been alive.

In Ruth's case, the answer is 18....and three of those presidents served before women like herself were allowed to vote.



WGRZ, wgrz.com


For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: http://www.chautauqualakehomes.com/



Monday, October 13, 2008

Peek’n Peak Owner Denies Bankruptcy Reports


By Dennis Phillips, dphillips@post-journal.com
POSTED: October 13, 2008
FINDLEY LAKE - Despite public knowledge of having trouble paying debts and rumors swirling that the resort has declared bankruptcy, Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa is financially stable, according to facility owner Paul Kiebler IV.
Kiebler said he suspects a few recently laid-off employees are ''creating a stir'' with the rumors of the resort's potential finacial demise.
''(The bankruptcy rumor) is the farthest thing from the truth,'' he said. ''We've remolded some of the hotel, done a lot of improvements. We're excited about the winter season coming.''
Less than a year after purchasing Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa in 2006, Kiebler, president of Kiebler Recreation LLC and Kiebler Properties LLC, announced that $280 million would be invested in the facility during a 10-year period.
However, a year after Kiebler's statement, a number of factors led to speculation that Peek'n Peak's development plan was unachievable and that the resort itself was in financial jeopardy. At least five lawsuits were filed against Kiebler and Peek'n Peak within a year for nonpayment of services and materials rendered.
Another issue with the resort included National Grid sutting off power to the facility last spring. The resort began running its own on-site power generation plant for about a month until a financial agreement was reached with National Grid to reconnect power.
Kiebler said the facility is still working on some of its issues, but is looking forward to the resort's winter season.
''We're up when it comes to advance deposits for rooms and preseason ski pass sales are real strong,'' he said. ''We had a good summer, with golf numbers up 12 percent. Revenues are up, which is surprising with this economy.''
Even though Kiebler says the resort is stable, he admits plans for a 72-unit condominimum Camelot II and a 42-unit townhouse facility titled Stoney Creek have been put on hold.
''We put the idea on hold until we know what is going on with the bailout situation in Washington,'' he said. ''A prudent business person puts construction ideas on hold until the economy comes back. With the residential market the way it is, it's hard to get excted about building new homes.''
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com