Community means different things to different people. In the small villages and rural towns that make up Chautauqua County, like in so many other counties across the country, community is more than a shared zip code or similar demographic. It is a shared experience, an extended family and a cooperative effort to contribute to the common good.

Regardless of how dispersed our families become and how global our community grows, the fundamental community ties remain. On that level, it is essentially our shared history that connects us – our collective memory of faces and places and events.

How many times do we refer to houses by the names of owners past? How often do we speak of restaurants or businesses long gone – or community leaders or characters who have passed away?

Alumni weekend was celebrated last week in Westfield. Reunions are an excellent example of how shared histories bring people together. Many who attended may have moved away fr