FREE! TAKE ONE! VOLUME 5 ISSUE 16
APRIL 22 - 28, 2016
The Official Newspaper
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville, Ellicottville Central Schools and the Towns of East Otto, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
Welcome Back to Allegany State Park Big Improvements at New York’s Largest State Park
Fri •RT Live• 9pm Sat • West• 9pm Wed • Wagner & Winston • 8pm Thursday • Fred ‘N Tuck • 8pm 20 Washington St • 699-2530
By Alicia Dziak
There are big things happening at Allegany State Park, and to the thousands of people who think of it as a second home, you won’t want to miss any of them this season! At over 65,000 acres, Allegany State Park is the largest state park in New York. It’s made up of two sides: Red House, which is closer to Salamanca and is known for its beautiful Administration building overlooking the bustling Red House Lake; and Quaker, boasting the serene Quaker Lake and rural beauty. Both sides are accessible from I-86, and connect to one another within the park limits. When you enter the park’s Quaker area for the first time this season, you’ll notice a brand-new “Bathhouse” overlooking Quaker Lake, where the former bathhouse, built in 1970, once stood. The old structure was torn down last fall, and construction on the new building began soon afterwards. “The new bathhouse consists of one wing with lifeguard, first aid, storage and snack bar areas with another for restrooms including a men’s group bathroom, women’s group bathroom, and two family restrooms,” explained park manager Tom Livak. “The new bathhouse will include a third section in the middle of the building
Fri • The Electras• 7pm Sat •Paul Briandi & the All Stars • 6pm 20 Monroe St • 699-4162
Upcoming Events
© 2016 Ellicottville Times / Keystone Designers Inc.
May 6 Sky High opens
See Allegany State Park page 6
Lucille Ball Comedy Fest Headliners Announced
The National Comedy Center is excited to announce that Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, the king of the rant Lewis Black,
and one of this country’s premier comedians, Brian Regan will be performing at the 2016 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, Aug. 4-7!
Black, Noah and Regan will each headline the evening performances of the festival, which features more than 50 events at a dozen venues throughout Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, NY. Lewis Black first came to the festival in 1993 and returns to Jamestown during an election year for his iconic “comedic yelling and finger pointing” stand-up act on Aug. 4. “Daily Show” host, Trevor Noah, will perform his standup act on Aug. 5. Coming off making history as the first comedian to perform a live Comedy Central See Lucy Fest page 5
Get Happy, May 7 Half Marathon, 5K and Beer Mile Coming to HV By Alicia Dziak
The all-new Happy Half and 5K is ready to put a smile on your face when it hits Holiday Valley on Saturday, May 7. Choose from three races—a half marathon, a 5K or the much-anticipated Beer Mile. “We had always planned on adding a spring race in Ellicottville,” said Gwen Bush, one of the event’s organizers. “Then last summer Holiday Valley approached us about having an event at the resort. The half marathon course from Holiday Valley is really nice and we think our competitors are going to be very ‘happy.’” See Happy Half page 5
May 7 Happy Half & 5K Holiday Valley June 3-5 Cycling Weekend Holiday Valley June 4-5 Outdoor Expo Ellicottville June 3-5 WNY Dairy/Ag Fest Springville June 18 Mudslide Obstacle Run Holiday Valley
EFD Open House April 23 By Jann Wiswall
Every single citizen in the U.S. counts on firefighters and first responders to be there -- just in case -- every single day. Even if you’ve never called for help yourself, most likely you know someone who has. In some places, fire departments have paid staff, but in most areas, fire department members are volunteers who donate many, many hours to train and respond to emergencies. And there are never enough volunteers, especially in rural, sparsely populated areas. See EFD Open House page 9
Town Board OKs Relay for Life Fundraiser Reviews Insurance Coverage for Town Center By Jann Wiswall
Several community members had business with the Town of Ellicottville’s board on Wednesday, April 20. Betsy Peyser and Teresa Wagner attended the meeting
to brief the board on their plans to hold fundraising events throughout the summer and into the fall to raise funds to capture, spay/neuter and provide basic veterinary care to the growing population of stray cats that have been making their homes throughout Ellicottville. They estimate the cost per cat will be $65.
Wagner and Peyser explained that efforts in the past have not gotten off the ground because there are no organizations in the region that are able to provide the necessary services in Ellicottville. Through their recent efforts, however, they have enlisted the help of a veterinarian who will volunteer See Town Board page 4
Cascade Bridge Demolition Detours and Closures The old Cascade Bridge, which connects Erie and Cattaraugus Counties on Rt. 219 in Ashford/Concord, is being demolished and a new bridge is being constructed by the State Department of Transportation. As of Monday, April 25, Rt. 219 will be closed in both directions in the area until
completion in summer 2017. All traffic may use the 219 expressway between Peters Rd. and Rt. 39. Local traffic will have use of two new temporary ramps that have opened. Northbound traffic can continue on 219 past Peters Rd. to Schwartz Road and turn right. A temporary ramp will
take you over the creek on the Expressway. Southbound traffic will be directed to a new ramp at Cascade Drive onto the Expressway. You may exit at Schwartz or continue on to Peters Rd. Demolition of the bridge will be completed this June. See Cascade Bridge page 8