THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF GREAT VALLEY, NEW YORK
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 30 FREE www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 , 2012
Formal Approval Granted for Section VI Alpine Skiing for WNY Schools
ECS Working to Field Teams
It’s been a long road, but the Athletic Council of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) granted formal approval of Section VI alpine skiing for middle and high schools in Western New York at their meeting on Sept. 19, 2012. Section VI encompasses 95 schools and was one of only three sections out of 11 in the state that did not offer competitive ski racing as a sport. Mark Ward, superintendent of Ellicottville Central School, said, “We’re excited about it. I’m just so happy I could (live to) see it happen, because of all places, (ECS) should be the school that starts it with our history of skiing here.” Miguel Azcarate, owner of Mud Sweat n’ Gears and the training center director at Holiday Valley, has been advocating for Section VI skiing approval for quite a few years. “I’m just really excited. It’s absolutely good for everybody,” he said. Ward said, “We tried to do it 20 or 25 years ago and I guess the stars didn’t come together, but it did this time through a combination of the interest here locally, the folks in the ski racing community, and of course help from the state level and section support.” The sport is in the early stages of organization for this winter season, said Ward, but “Ellicottville will have a team. I can go to the bank on that.” ECS’ goal is to field both a boys’ and girls’ team. There is also the possibility of merging schools to create teams, as ECS has done with other sports. Timm Slade, executive director of Section VI, indicated that one of the first priorities is to identify and appoint a chairperson to head the sport. According to Slade, qualified individuals must be affiliated with a public school or retired from a public school. “We still need a chairman and are working on that,” said Slade. In addition to a Section VI chairperson, each interested school district will need a coach to head its team. ECS may be
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by Eva Potter
ahead of the curve as there is a person who has expressed interest in coaching the ski teams. Now that alpine skiing approval has been granted, Slade said he is in the process of determining the level of interest among Section VI schools. Competition will depend on how many other Section VI schools field teams, but Section VI teams would be competing against other teams from neighboring Section V, which encompasses the Genesee
Valley area, said Ward. Six meets are required during the year and Ward hopes ECS will be able to host a meet locally. “We have to work with Section V to schedule competitions and potentially invite them to Holiday Valley to host our own competition. It’s going to be an exciting year,” said Ward. “It’s going to be one of those years that everything we do is going to be the first time we’ve done it. I would anticipate it’s going to be a learning year.” See Section VI Skiing Page 9
Fall Festival Oct. 6–7 A Necessary EVL
Photo courtesy of Holiday Valley By Sue Whistler
The long, unbroken line of cars winding their way along Routes 219 and 242 into Ellicottville like some sort of automotive conga line is the first clue that something BIG is happening in town. Fall
Festival, aka Oktoberfest, is Ellicottville’s oldest, most popular weekend event and the biggest bash of the year! On the first weekend of every October, tens of thousands of festival goers converge on our quiet little town for a fabulous fall weekend
of great live entertainment, food, friends and fun. The party starts on Saturday, Oct. 6 and doesn’t wind down until late Sunday, Oct. 7. There’ll be live music in the air, arts and crafts in the streets, carnival rides for the kids, ski sales, chairlift rides, incredible fall edibles on every corner, crowning of the new Ellicottville Idol and plenty of everything for everyone. It’s a party jungle out there and no one will want to miss a minute. The streets of the historic business district are transformed into a European-style, openair market resplendent with the creations of local artists and craftsmen. Every store, restaurant and bar is stocked to the rafters to welcome thousands of weekend revelers. See Fall Festival Page 9
National Alpaca Farm Days Local Alpaca Farms Host Open House This Weekend Alpaca Farm Days this weekend and Ellicottville is no exception. Western New York is home to many alpaca farms, many of which will welcome visitors to raise awareness of these soft and gentle creatures, numbering about 150,000 in the U.S. On Sept. 25-26, Mager Mountain Alpacas, Sugartown Farms and Cardinal Acre Alpacas will welcome visitors to their farms to meet their animals, share information and sell quality goods made from alpaca yarn. by Eva Potter Timm and Helen Herman, Alpaca farms across the owners of Sugartown Farms country will celebrate National at 6277 Sugartown Road in
Ellicottville, revealed in a chat that they family moved their family to the Ellicottville area so they could raise their children in a small town, after making a lifestyle change from the corporate world in order to become business owners. Sugartown Alpacas stands out from the crowd in that it is an all-around farm, featuring their national class breeding program, participation in the nationwide show circuit and year-round retail operation. As a result of Timm’s meticulous attention to detail, each of the Herman’s 40 alpacas has its own See Alpacas Page 4
Smiles and Laughter Filled the Halls at ECS Open House By Mary Fox
Families and students of Ellicottville Central School crowded the halls at the Sept. 20 Open House, with students escorting mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and grandparents to their classrooms in the elementary, middle high schools. Teachers and parents had the opportunity to meet and discuss how their child is adjusting to school and to answer questions the parents might have about what their child is
learning at school. Teachers were lined up and down the halls greeting parents and students. This early Open House is an opportunity to help get the year off to as smooth a start as possible. Kim Woodarek, who teaches third grade at the end of the hall in the elementary wing, summed it all up for teachers and students when she said, “We have a great thing here.” As evidenced by posters
along the halls and the programs planned through the year, the school is committed to not only teaching the three “R’s” but to instill in the students values that make for success now and later in life, such as responsibility, confidence, cooperation, hard work and friendship. Slogans such as “Good Sports Finish First,” “A Little Respect Goes A Long Way,” and “If You Believe It You See ECS Open House Page 8