THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD,
FREE
NEW YORK
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 40
HoliMont Opens Sat. Dec. 14
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2013
Learn to Ride at the Outpost Holiday Valley Burton Riglet Park Opens Dec. 21 • Great for Grommets
Calendar of Events December 14 HoliMont Scheduled to Open
By Jon Barlow
You’re 3 feet tall and have never strapped a plank of wood to either of your feet. The reason for this is that you are also very young. Secondly, this is the first time you have been introduced to a worldclass ski area. Now imagine, if you will, finding a magical log house that “slid” down the mountain and landed at its base where you can play while learning the basics in your newest sport on the snow. This is the basis for Holiday Valley’s Burton Learn to Ride Center and Riglet Park. The Outpost, Holiday Valley’s terrain-based learning area, located at the base of Schoolhaus (it’s winter location), was inspired by a similar, cool structure — the first Burton Riglet Park in Smuggler’s Notch, Vt. The Smuggler’s park has the local, rustic feel and a playhouse appeal. Colorful adornments make it easy for kids to warm up to but the proximity to flat ground leads simply to the aspect of learning. A mock chairlift is set in place for kids to jump into the challenge of getting up the hill, too. Essentially, an exaggerated drop-in ramp, it is a focal point of safe learning that is a “distinct community” away from the open, advanced skiing areas. And your kids can have the same experience at the Burton Riglet Park at Holiday Valley. Holiday Valley’s park was built last winter by local artisan, Jerry Cobado. With his knowledge, he infused construction of the structure with educating his helpers, students from Ellicottville’s BOCES program. Ramps from all four sides gently slope down to introductory, freestyle terrain features. Grommets, or young
December 21 Holiday Valley Demo Day Jan. 3-4 Winter Blues Festival Ellicottville
Jan. 3 Holiday Valley Bag Jump Jan. 25 Harley-Day Valley Holiday Valley
Jan. 25-26 Greater Olean Sports & Outdoor Recreation Show Feb. 7-8 AMSOIL Seneca Allegany Snocross Feb. 15 Holiday Valley Boarding for Breast Cancer Feb. 22 Penguin Paddle Holiday Valley
March 6 Ski Day for United Way HoliMont
March 8-9 Mardi Gras/Winter Carnival Ellicottville • Holiday Valley
Tubing Park & Mountain Coaster Scheduled to Open Next Friday, Dec. 20
Mud Sweat n’ Gears collected two big boxes of food to take to the Food Pantry during their Open House last weekend. There was also a cash donation which will be used to buy more food. Thank you for the Holiday Spirit everyone!
See Burton Riglet Park page 4
Irish Christmas Donations Top $4,000 Santa’s Workshop to Benefit • $475 Top Pie Auction Bid By Jennie Acklin
It was an evening of Christmas spirit to be remembered for many seasons to come. Bob McCarthy’s Irish Christmas fundraiser will only
be truly appreciated by those who were there last Friday evening at the Gin Mill. It’s just too hard to believe that pies, albeit “celebrity pies,” were awarded to top bidders of $475, $450, $375, $325 and so on. The generous people in attendance were in rare form, not to be outbid by their friends and neighbors. McCarthy commented, “When I first told everyone that I wanted to do a pie auction at the annual Irish Christmas event, they laughed at me. That was about five years ago. Nobody’s going to bid on a pie!” Well, true to McCarthy’s style, he forged ahead with his idea, soliciting homemade pies from several friends and showed the naysayers. At this year’s pie auction vver $1,200 was raised with the top three pie bids alone. A total of 10 pies were auctioned, along with several See Irish Christmas page 2
Village Holds Off Again
on Hughey Alley One-Way Designation By Jann Wiswall
Ellicottville Mayor Charlie Coolidge was welcomed back by the Village Board on Monday, Dec. 9, after a health-related absence kept him from attending November’s meeting.
Change to Local Law: His first action at the meeting was to open a second public hearing in as many months on the proposed amendment to Local Law #4 to change Hughey Alley to a oneway street from east to west between Monroe and Jefferson streets. During last month’s meeting, the first public hearing was held. Several members of the community pointed out logistical problems with the proposed plan and took part with the board in brainstorming alternatives that would meet the board’s goal to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Hughey Alley and Monroe Street. At the end of that hearing, the board asked Department of Public Works Head Harold Morton to obtain estimates for flashing lights as an alternative and the issue was tabled. At the December meeting, Morton reported that the requested solar lighting estimate came in at $2,500. However, he said there is not enough See Village Board page 10
Need Help Getting NY Health Insurance?
Healthy Community Alliance Is Here For You
By Jann Wiswall
If you’re a Cattaraugus County resident and are having difficulty enrolling for health insurance through New
York’s insurance exchange — New York State of Health (NYSH) — you’re in luck. With a grant from the state, Healthy Community Alliance
(HCA) in Gowanda is running an invaluable countywide “facilitated enrollment” program that is free to use and can be accessed near to where you live. HCA offers in-person help using highly trained navigators who are familiar with every inch of the NYSH Web site See Health Insurance page 10
New Event: Cycling Weekend at Holiday Valley Distance Rides June 6–8 by Eva Potter
Get ready for some rolling and steep hill riding during Holiday Valley’s new Cycling Weekend June 6–8, 2014. “We are targeting experienced cyclists who are comfortable riding 30–100+ miles per week and are able to ride 25+ miles per day,” said Katie DiDonato, general manager of the Inn at Holiday Valley and one of the event’s organizers.
This weekend of cycling fun is geared toward level 2 and 3 riders — athletes who can handle these distances as well as the terrain of Holiday Valley and the surrounding area. According to DiDonato, it’s important for participants to remember that riding 25 miles in the this area is challenging. “Ellicottville is very scenic but not very flat,” she said. Subject to fine-tuning, tentative plans for the weekend
begin on Friday, June 6 with a “short” 25-mile ride that afternoon starting from the Inn at Holiday Valley. An evening welcome cocktail reception will follow. Saturday will offer two course options – one more difficult than the other. A 40-50 mile group ride will include hill climbs, while a less strenuous course that eventually meets back up with the group will See Cycling Weekend page 9
CCIDA Approves Former American Locker Site at 16 Martha St.
Resolution, Recapture Policy By Jann Wiswall
The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency’s board met on Tuesday, Dec. 10 for its last
meeting of the calendar year. Members approved a SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) and approving resolution for the property at 16 Martha Street (the former
American Locker site) that is being developed for seasonal apartment rentals. It also adopted a “recapture policy” that will immediately go into See CCIDA Meeting page 5