The Youngs, Kirk, Katie, McKay, Connor and Halle, moved to Lakewood in 2014. Kirk is the Vice President of Student Affairs at Jamestown Community College. They came from Heber City, Utah…Katie’s hometown.
Katie is currently the Coordinator of the Chautauqua Leadership Network. Both are dedicated to promoting and nurturing community leadership.
Kirk is proud of his family.
“We have three children. McKay, who is serving a mission for our church for two years in the Fresno, California area. He is primarily speaking Spanish and working with the Mexican population. Connor who is a junior at Southwestern High School. He is student body president-elect and just finished a successful soccer season in which his team won the sectional title. Both of our boys are Eagle Scouts. Our daughter Halle is 12 and is in the sixth grade at Southwestern Middle School. She is into many things including basketball, soccer, swimming, and voice lessons at Infinity Visual and Performing Arts,” Kirk says.
Kirk’s first impression when coming to Chautauqua County was a good one. “The biggest first impression was how wonderful the people were. The community went well out of their way to embrace us and welcome us. We were stunned by the beauty of the area, especially coming from the drier parts of the west. The first winter was rough. The biggest lesson we learned was you have to embrace the winters here. If your goal is simply to endure the winters, you will go crazy…so embrace it and enjoy all the amazing winter activities the area offers,” Kirk explains.
The Youngs say their favorite things about living in Chautauqua County are the beauty, the vibrant green colors, the four distinct seasons, the people, pizza and wings, the small-town rural feel, the opportunities to get involved and make a difference in the community, Chautauqua Lake, sweet corn season, the Bills, and the history of the area… just to name a few!
They also say there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Chautauqua County. Some of their favorite destinations are Chautauqua Lake, Pizza Express in Lakewood, the U-pick Amish Pumpkin Patches, Maplehurst Country Club, Lakewood Park, the soccer fields throughout the county, The National Comedy Center, The Jackson Center, Wegmans, and listening to the Jamestown High School A Capella at First Lutheran Church every holiday season.
Other popular local destinations for the Young family include Luensman Overview Park near Mayville, Chautauqua Institution, taking in a Tarp Skunks and Babe Ruth Baseball games, Dunkirk’s Point Gratiot Park, Barcelona Beach along Lake Erie, venturing along the Amish Trail (Chautauqua County locations), and hiking in Panama Rocks.
“We have truly loved the nine years we’ve lived here. We have raised our children here and it has been an incredible place to do so,” Kirk explains. “We love the culture in Chautauqua County, the history is fascinating and extremely interesting. We love the fact that we can get to any number of destinations with relative ease including Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto. Most of all, the biggest benefit of living here is the people. This is truly a community of good neighbors. People look out for one another and support those in need.”