THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF GREAT VALLEY, NEW YORK
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 32 FREE www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 By Eva Potter
See Pink Pumbkins Page 4
Itʼs Almost Halloween so Think Pink?
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Traditionally, orange gourds dominate October’s landscape, but this year there’s a new pumpkin in town and it’s pink. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and this year Pumpkinville has a pretty surprise in store for everyone. When Dan and Diane Pawlowski, owners of Pumpkinville, spotted a new type of pumpkin seed – the Porcelain Doll – in their seed catalog this year, they immediately saw a wonderful opportunity to help others. The Porcelain Doll seed was unintentionally discovered during plant breeding research. To raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research, the Pawlowskis ordered plenty of Porcelain Doll seeds to grow the pink pumpkins. According to Dan, even though they have never had anyone close battle the disease, they have had “friends with problems.” He said, “(The pink pumpkins) are a flatter, more ribbed type of pumpkin – more like a Cinderella pumpkin. We still have plenty left. They aren’t huge but can be carved.” Inside you’ll find deep-orange, sweet flesh that can be used for pies, soup and other fall favorites. The Pawlowskis plan to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation as well as the WNY Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization that supports local breast health education, outreach programs and services for families affected by this disease. The Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation, a new Colorado nonprofit charitable entity currently run by volunteers, will distribute aid to a variety of breast cancer organizations including Susan G. Komen for the Cure from the proceeds of the pink pumpkin campaign beginning in 2013. Heather Atherton, of Atherton PR, said the foundation hopes to “raise millions of dollars for the cause and contribute to finding a cure for this dreaded disease” through their national “Pink Pumpkin on Your Porch – Let’s Unite Against Breast Cancer” campaign, which encourages consumers to display pink pumpkins on their porches and in their homes this month. Funds are being raised with the help of a network of
PINK PUMPKIN CAMPAIGN • OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Mansfield Highway Dept. Fire May Top $1.2 Million in Damages by Jann Wiswall
Eleven fire departments and close to 100 volunteer firefighters responded Sunday night to the Town of Mansfield Highway Barn fire on Maples Road. The entire contents were destroyed, There were no injuries. Photo by Barbara Fox
The cause of the fire that leveled the Town of Mansfield’s Highway Department barn on Sunday, Oct. 7, is still under investigation, but preliminary findings indicate faulty equipment to be the likely culprit. The fire was spotted by Mansfield Fire Chief Eric Pearl, who lives just minutes away from the barn on Ellicottville-Maples Road. He was driving by after attending the Ellicottville Fall Fest when he noticed smoke coming from one of the bays. He quickly called 911, grabbed the town fire truck and raced to the scene. By the time he got there, flames already were shooting from the building as gas tanks began exploding. Eleven fire departments from surrounding areas were dispatched to fight the fire, which began in the second bay of the seven-bay building. According to Town Supervisor Robert Keis, all 11 departments’ tanker trucks were needed to bring water to the site. “The creek behind the building was too shallow for water pumping, and there are See Mansfield Fire Page 4
ECS: APPR Plan Filed with NY Education Department by Jann Wiswall
Ellicottville Central School (ECS) leaders, staff and teachers union worked through the month of September to prepare and submit a comprehensive plan for the State Education Department that, when approved, will be the template for assessing teacher performance under the state’s new Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR). During the school board meeting held Oct. 9, elementary school Principal
Connie Poulin described the process of preparing the plan, which requires all teachers to meet seven teaching standards established by the state by showing evidence of teaching effectiveness within each standard. “Our goal was to develop a standardized process for principals to be able to assess teacher effectiveness at the end of each year,” Poulin explained. The plan proposes to provide teachers with binders, or portfolios, that describe each
standard and suggest how a teacher might show proof of meeting the standards using established performance indicators. Teachers will insert examples of their effectiveness. Examples might be documented student learning gains, improved test scores, commendations or other items that relate directly to the standards. At the end of the year, “we will have a great tool for both teachers and principals,” she noted. See ECS Plan Filed Page 4
Great Valley Town Board Approves Gravel Pit Will Lend Support to Mansfield by Mary Fox
Supervisor Dan Brown opened the Oct. 8, 2012, meeting of the Great Valley Town Board. Pending the appointment of Town Attorney Ron Ploetz as new county judge, an advertisement will be placed in local papers for a replacement. Yvonne Darts, chair of the Great Valley Planning Board, reported, “After a special
public hearing was held on Wednesday, Sept. 26, final approval was given to the Corey Brown/Fred Perkins project. Work will begin immediately on a new driveway through the middle of the present truck school to Route 219. The truck school will be moved closer to the creek. Existing buildings will remain. The quarry will be put in operation within a marked perimeter.”
A visit was made to Countryside Sand & Gravel to gain information on how a quarry can be turned into a beautiful natural area when the quarry is finished. “Mining is an industry. People need it. It is a source of revenue for a lot of people,” said Brown. “When it is done being quarried, we should have a policy in place for how the See GV Town Board Page 4