Wellsville’s East Historic District is now officially on the New York State Register of Historic Districts and awaiting approval for the National Register, while the West Historic District will be nominated this spring.
The East Historic District extends from the east side of the Genesee River to approximately four to five blocks east the length of North Main Street and includes many historic homes as well as Main Street buildings, churches and the post office and depot.
“The New York State Review Board approved the village of Wellsville East Historic District
nomination at (its Dec. 5) meeting,” said Megan Klem, director of preservation services with the Landmark Society of Western New York, who worked on the nomination. “This means that
the historic district is now listed in the NYS Register of Historic Places.”
The east district includes buildings on Central Place, Chestnut Street, Cummings
Circle, Loring Avenue, Madison Street, Maple Avenue, Martin Street, Miller Street, North Broad Street, North Main Street, North Park Lane, Oak Street, Park Avenue, Railroad Avenue, Scott
Avenue and South Broad Street. According to the nomination, “the majority of buildings within the district are contributing, constructed between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, with a few examples of non-historic infill where prior buildings suffered fires and flood damage. The resources share a history related to the early settlement in the area which led to a rapid growth in population and development related to the success of local industry, commerce, and transportation.
Buildings in the district represent a wide variety of architectural styles popular throughout the mid-nineteenth to
mid-twentieth centuries, including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and many examples of more modest and vernacular frame resources.
“The streetscapes throughout the district showcase similar characteristics,” the nomination stated. “The commercial core is comprised of midto late-19th century and early-20th century twoand three-story commercial blocks. Sidewalks lining the commercial area carry through to the residential areas of the district. The residential streets are characterized
Photo by Kathryn Ross
Alfred State open logging team dominates home meet
points, and Paul’s Smith College won the Jack & Jill crown with 1,185 points.
ALFRED — The Open logging team won every event in route to winning the team title at the Alfred State fall meet. The men’s team finished second.
The men’s team of Doug Taylor, Tyler Hutcheson, Finn Turner, Nedelcho Neuman, Cole Bingham, Jesse Riling and Owen Ryan scored 1,189.94 points and finished second out of four teams that competed. They took the top spot in Super Swede, Crosscut to Hell, Barrel Split, Crosscut, Packboard, and Pulp Toss.
“I don’t think I have seen a team take first in every event ever, it certainly is a first for our team,” commented Head Coach Scott Bingham. “It was a comminating performance by our open team and our men’s team
The open team of Brandon Aschauer, Colin Phelps, Jacob Perry, Kenda Hammond, Jack Niefergold, Blake Siewert and Tanner Reed scored a perfect 1,400 points to win by over 500 points. Finger Lakes CC was second (896.88) and SUNY Cobleskill (637).
SUNY ESF took home the men’s title with 1,273 points, Finger Lakes CC won the women’s title with 1,189
Paul Smith’s, SUNY ESF, SUNY Cobleskill, and Finger Lakes CC competed in the event.
Free CPR class for Allegany County residents
BELMONT — Residents of Allegany County are invited to participate in a free CPR class at Genesee Valley Central School. This opportunity, made possible by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, offers residents the chance to earn their
CPR certification at no cost.
The dates available for the class are Dec. 27 from noon-3 p.m.; and Jan. 8, 2025, from 5-8 p.m. Each session can accommodate up to 30 participants, and upon completion, attendees will receive a CPR cer-
tification card valid for two years.
This course is a great way to learn life-saving skills while getting certified in CPR. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Brian Edmister at bedmister@ genvalley.org or (716) 353-0295.
Photo provided by Alfred State College
Members of the Alfred State logging sports team compete at their home meet. The Open team won every event.
home improvement
5 easy kitchen and bath upgrades to wow holiday guests
(BPT) — Ready to host for the holidays?
Whether you’re planning parties and/or welcoming visitors to
your home during this festive season, you probably want to make a great impression. Ahead of this busy time of year, you’ll be glad to know there are some easy upgrades you can make to those all-important rooms - your kitchen and bath - which will delight your friends and family. Even better, you’ll love them, too.
1. Celebrate the heart of your home
one of the best things you can do is clear the clutter from your precious counter space so you’ll have more room for cooking, baking and gathering. Not enough space in your cupboards to put the clutter away?
Box up items like small appliances you rarely use to store elsewhere.
You’ll be happy to see a lot more counter space to work with when the holidays begin!
handshower with allin-one cleansing device features the pore-cleansing power of MicroBubble spray while also offering the full-coverage Katalyst spray that retains more heat with each drop.
3. Boost the power of your shower
The kitchen is the heart of the home, where everyone gathers, and the sink is the workhorse of the kitchen.
The MicroBubble spray infuses tiny bubbles into water to help clean pores and leave skin feeling refreshed, and the all-in-one cleansing device offers versatile attachments including a facial brush, body brush, body scrubber and body massager. The facial
To make a statement that’s both practical and aesthetically pleasing, this Strive® farmhouse workstation kitchen sink takes a lot of the stress out of holiday hosting. This sink raises the bar on functionality and professional styling with custom accessories that integrate seamlessly within the bowl’s ledge. With an eye toward food preparation plus cleanup and storage, the included accessories are thoughtful and practical: a cutting board, drain board, colander/ drying rack, soaking
bin with drain, stainless steel bottom sink rack and drain cover. Strive is made of thick, premium quality 16-gauge stainless steel with easy-toclean rounded corners and a sound-absorption system that significantly reduces disposal and dishwashing noise for an improved experience as you gather with friends and family to make memories in your kitchen over the holidays.
2. Kitchen detail upgrades
When time is limited, you’ll want to keep kitchen improvements
easy enough to execute in a single weekend. For example, swapping out cabinet and drawer pulls for modern touches like mixed metals or matte black hardware instantly update your kitchen’s look. If you have the time and ability, painting cabinets or adding a new tile backsplash are upgrades that make a big visual impact.
Ahead of hosting,
One easy swap will transform your shower into a spa-like experience. Kohler’s SpaViva™ Two-function
brush has small, gentle silicone bristles that help to deep clean pores, the body brush offers full, densely placed silicone bristles to tackle larger areas of the body, the body scrubber features a natural stone surface that delicately exfoliates to remove dead skin from feet, and the body massager provides five pressure-point nodes to target tired muscles.
4. Give your bathroom a quick makeover
Another easy move that instantly gives your bathroom a facelift is switching out window treatments, shower curtain, bathmat and towels for fresh new sets.
Consider a livelier color scheme that coordinates well with your existing wall and tile colors, and you’ll be amazed at the
difference these details make the moment you walk into the room.
5. Improve comfort and cleanliness
Bidet seats are trending, for good reason. Your family and guests alike will appreciate the comfort afforded by a seat like the PureWash® E930 Elongated bidet toilet seat, which brings you the freshness of
personal cleansing in a slim, low-profile design made to fit most elongated toilets. This heated seat comes with an easy-to-use handheld remote control that allows you to adjust and set all your personal preferences, from water temperature and pres sure to seat temperature and air-drying. A builtin nightlight provides illumination of the bowl,
and the self-cleaning stainless steel wand uses UV light for automatic cleaning. Plus, you can personalize and control your product through the KOHLER Konnect® app feature. With these tips, you’ll
this season. Just a few of these updates will help you feel more confident that your home is in the best possible shape for celebrating the holidays with friends and family. Visit Kohler.com for even more ideas to improve your home.
of “Learn. Serve.
Grow.”, the couple noted that Christian outreach can occur during any encounter with other individuals. Some of the resources available which can help individuals and families are simply passing on information which may be of assistance to them, such as that available on the Facebook pages of the two What God is Doing initiatives, along with the Allegany Hope website at http:// tinyurl.com/Allegany-Hope-Website and its Facebook page, which provides local information and comprehensive
weather resources for the entire Allegany County region. Another free resource includes a chronological, Easy to Read Version (ERV) of The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the Bible, available in pocket-size, leather-look editions which are being given out in either English and Spanish at more than 20 church alliance activities during the holidays season. These can be provided as gifts to family members, friends and others at any time and are particularly helpful to residents from other
countries who are trying to learn English, said Baird, who is a longtime Spanish interpreter and translator.
The alliance hosts a public prayer gathering at 8:30 a.m. each Thursday, with the first week of the month being in front of the Friendship Central School for prayer for students, teachers, other staff, the Board of Education, parents and caregivers, and more, with other weeks at The Mission House for general prayer for individuals and families, the community, and beyond. A free continental breakfast for attendees
is provided following these gatherings.
The group also is involved in the Bless Every Home initiative which provides lists of neighbors for anyone who wishes to pray for others, with a goal of including every area resident is regular prayer and connections.
Baird discussed a free 5Fish app which is available for cell phones which has Biblical translations from over 7,200 languages worldwide, including some in video format and others for children. The app can be used in introducing materials in their own language to individuals from other countries.
Another resource, which is provided by Allegany Hope through the national Mission to Amish People, is the Book of John in side-by-side German, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English King James versions.
Additional information also was provided in ways to reach out to individuals and families who may have a need, thereby demonstrating the love of Christ.
Updates on activities of the churches alliance are available at https://
tinyurl.com/God-inFriendship-FB or though direct email, which includes a monthly newsletter, by sending a message to WhatGodisDoing@outlook.com with the word “Subscribe” in the Subject line.
Wellsville Village Board reorganizes, approves loans from revolving fund
BY KATHRYN ROSS
WELLSVILLE — Prior to its regular village board meeting on Dec. 9, members condvened a state-required reorganizational meeting, while afterwards it was business as usual with two revolving loan fund applications considered.
The reorganizational meeting is a requirement by the state and happens every December. This year there were few changes — the most significant being the mayor’s appointment of Ed Fahs as deputy mayor, replacing Jeff Monroe, who previously held the position. There were no changes in committee assignments.
The first item on the regular meeting agenda was a brief discussion concerning two loan applications, each for $30,000, from the village’s revolving loan fund. The applications were made by Brian and Nancy Black and concern the reopening of two businesses, one on North Main and the
by buildings with similar setbacks and sizes, sidewalks and tree lawns, and lots that are fairly uniform in size.”
Overall, 700 buildings were considered in the study of the district and more than 675 were included in the nomination. There are two properties within the boundary of the district that are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places including the U.S. Post Office in Wellsville, listed in 1989, and the Wellsville Erie Depot, listed in 1987.
In her letter Klem stated “homeowners
other on South Main.
Nancy Black has recently become the new owner of The Shop at Main, formerly an upscale clothing store and coffee shop. Black has upgraded the site, heightened security and increased seating, she told the board. She added that customers are returning and that sales are increasing.
Mayor is Randy Shayler added, “The comments to me have been very positive.”
While the original terms of the loan called for a 10-year payback, due to the positive response, Black asked for the payback schedule to be reduced to five years. The terms of the loan require payback at a 2% interest rate.
The board voted unanimously to approve the loan application with the amended payment schedule.
Brian Black will be the new owner of the Wellsville Resale Center, formerly a used car lot located on the former grounds of the Elmhurst Dairy building on the
are now eligible to start using and claiming the tax credit.”
While inclusion in the district is “honorary,” according to members of the Landmark Society at the October public meeting or homeowners who want to take the advantage there is a 20% state tax break for those considering renovation. However, taking the tax break requires the homeowner to adhere to the restrictions of the landmark status. They can find out more by contacting The Landmark Society. Klem said the State
corner of South Main and Hanover streets, which served as an ice cream store for many years. The previous owner renovated the old building into office space and expanded and paved the driveway area around the building to accommodate vehicles.
Black said he expects to “close” on the building later this week. He did not express that he plans to change the business.
While the original term of his $30,000 loan was also for 10 years, he requested it also be changed to a five-year term at a 2% interest rate.
The board unanimously approved the second loan application for the Blacks with Shayler saying, “Thank you both for investing in Wellsville and helping with the success of our economy.”
The board approved the Wellsville Fire Department’s special event request to hold its annual 9-Pin No-Tap Bowling Fundraiser, starting at 6 p.m. Jan.
Historic Preservation Office will be sending the nomination to the National Park Service for their final review and listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
“This process can take a few months — but our hopes are that they will expedite this one because it is also tied to the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization grant project at Wellsville Creative Arts Center,” she said.
25, at the Bowl-M-Over bowling alley. It will be the ninth year for the event which raises funds for the department.
Fire Chief Rod Winans also asked the board to approve his previous request for security cameras at the training facility near the village line. At an earlier meeting he was directed by the board to finalize the costs. Monday’s request was for the payment for the cameras, equipment and installation at a cost of $900. The funds are to be paid to Tony Havens, a member of the fire department who will be purchasing the cameras and equipment and doing the installation.
The original request came after the training center was vandalized in the summer.
The board approved the purchase and the payment.
Wellsville Police Department now has airborne capability. Police Chief Tim O’Grady reported that the department accepted the delivery of a drone that was
Property owners within the district will receive letters notifying them of the state listing and again once it has been listed on the National Register. Now that the state has accepted the East Side District nomination, Klem said, “I’ll be getting to work finishing the west side nomination. My plans are to have this submitted by the end of winter/February.”
Gift Cards Available
purchased with funds from a New York state grant. An officer will be traveling to Oriskany to learn how to operate the drone.
O’Grady said the drone will be used during critical incidents such as in cases of missing people.
“In the past we’ve used the county’s drone — most recently when we had the standoff on West State Street earlier this year,” he explained. The West State Street
incident involved an individual with a firearm at large and threatening the neighborhood where the secondary school is located.
O’Grady said the drone is equipped with infrared cameras and can be used during the night or day. It is the first drone the police have owned.
The village board’s last meeting of the year will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 23.
DINNER FROM SANTA
Santa wants everyone to have a Christmas Dinner!
If you are, or know of someone who is in need, elderly, or disabled that is unable to prepare a meal for Christmas Day, call the number below to get a hot turkey dinner delivered on the 25th between the hours of 11am and 2pm. Santa’s elves will be preparing the meals at the Trinity Lutheran Church and names will be collected by Immaculate Conception Church. Please call 585-593-4834 ext. #1 (Mon.-Fri. from 8am to 2pm) and leave your name, address, number of meals you’d like and a phone number. The deadline to call is DECEMBER 19TH and please call early as we can only take 250 dinner requests. We deliver to the towns of Allentown, Andover, Belmont, Bolivar, Scio, Wellsville, Whitesville and Willing.
2 Cuba residents face federal cannabis charges after October search
BY BOB CLARK
CUBA — An October search of a former cookie factory for cannabis has resulted in federal charges.
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced Dec. 3 that Daniel S. Ackerman, 58, and Ana L. Maldonado-Delgado, 31, both of Cuba, were charged with manufacture of marijuana and
possession with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants, which carry a sentence of 5-40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. According to the complaint filed Nov. 1 and unsealed after their arrest, Cuba police investigated reports of a cannabis growing facility at the former D.F. Stauffer Biscuit Co. site at 8670 Farnsworth
Road, southeast of the village, and on Oct. 10 executed a search warrant at the site.
Investigators seized 475 growing marijuana plants, 124 dried marijuana plants, a large quantity of processed marijuana, 10 glass jars containing liquid concentrated cannabis, a 9mm SCCY handgun, suspected psilocybin mushrooms, two cell phones and drug paraphernalia.
respond to a request for comment on Maldonando-Delgato’s status. The raid did not appear to be connected with any sites licensed by the state Office of Cannabis Management. While cannabis possession and growth remains a federal crime, the state of New York legalized the manufacture, sale and possession of cannabis in 2021.
opt out of dispensary or on-site consumption licenses under the 2021 law, while the town of Cuba opted out of onsite consumption licenses in December 2021.
Local police reported a “conservative estimated street value” of $3.5 million, but did not detail how that figure was
calculated. Ackerman and Maldonando-Delgato were charged with several state-level felonies and misdemeanors immediately after the search. Court records indicate Ackerman was released on a $250,000 secured property bond. Maldonando-Delgato’s status was not reported in court records. In October police indicated she may have been in the country without documentation and was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately
According to the OSM, the only license issued for cultivation in Allegany County was issued in May for a site near Belmont. No pending or active licenses are listed near the site of the search.
In Cuba, an adult-use processor license was issued in September for a business on Cuba’s East Main Street, while two pending retail licenses are in process – one in the village and one in the town of Cuba north of the village. The village of Cuba did not
The D.F. Stauffer Biscuit Co. factory closed at the end of 2017, according to a Times Herald report. According to the Allegany County Office of Real Property, Ackerman purchased the site in May 2020 for $42,000. Prosecutors said the complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Cuba Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dustin Burch, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, the Olean Police Department and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office.
