2014 Silver ADDY Award Winner
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 12
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD, NEW YORK
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2014
© 2014 Keystone Designers Inc./Artwork by Guest Artist Greg Spako
Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Salamanca, Springville and Surrounding Communities
Dig In! It’s How Planting Season Does Your Garden Grow? By Jann Wiswall
Gardening is the talk of the town these days as just about everyone with a lot or a little land, a patio with a flowerpot, or a porch with a hanging basket has greeted the growing season with long-awaited joy. Getting those garden plots and pots off to a good start is the key to enjoying the fruits (and veggies and flowers) of your labor all season long. Gardening does, of course, require physical labor and your attention, for certain, but remember that, in just a few months, you’ll be sitting down to a feast of just-picked vegetables with a bouquet of fresh cut flowers as your centerpiece. As Sir Francis Bacon once said, “Gardening is the purest of human pleasures.” And, because every gardener should also cultivate his/her sense of humor throughout the growing season, remember these wise words from columnist Dave Barry: “Your first job is to prepare the soil. The best tool for this is your neighbor’s motorized garden tiller. If your neighbor does not own a garden tiller, suggest that he buy one.” Getting Started Barb Kozlowski, one of Ellicottville’s master gardeners, says the most important thing you can do, whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned gardener, is research. The Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) office in Ellicottville is a great place to start, along with the Internet, the library and bookstores. Read everything you can about gardening and then make a plan. Kozlowski also recommends keeping a garden journal. Sketch out
Calendar of Events May 29 - 31 Night Lights at Nannen Arboretum May 30-31 Loose Lips Sink Ships at Springville Center for the Arts May 30 - June 1 16th Annual Gowanda Hollywood Happenings May 30 - June 1 Allegany Nature Pilgrimage June 5-7 Closing Weekend Night Lights at Nannen Arboretum June 6-8 Cycling Weekend Holiday Valley June 6-8 Springville Dairy Fest June 7 Relay for Life Ellicottville Central School June 14 Mudslide Obstacle Trail Run Holiday Valley June 21 Emery Lafferty Benefit June 22 Pain in the Alleganies June 28 - 29 Raccoon Rally at ASP July 3-6 Ellicottivlle Championship Rodeo July 4-6 Summer Music Festival Ellicottville & Holiday Valley
See Dig In! page 8
Jolt into June
More than a Dozen Outdoor Activities for All!
By Alicia Dziak
The last weekend of May has arrived, which can only mean one thing — summer is just around the corner and Ellicottville and the Enchanted Mountains region are bursting with things to do for everyone! Many have waited many months for festival season to arrive and now it’s here!
June 6-8 brings the annual Dairy and Ag Fest to the village of Springville, where guests can enjoy arts and craft vendors, kiddie rides, animals and animal-themed activities, live music, an array of food and a huge parade Saturday morning. For more information, visit www.wnydairyagfest.com. Randolph’s 42nd Annual Arts & Crafts Festival will be held rain or shine along the beautiful, historic Main Street on Saturday June 14 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. This free event boasts beautiful handmade items, local talented artisans, great food, children’s activities, a wide variety of live entertainment and more. For more information, visit www.EnjoyRandolph.com. Are you ready to be on the move now that it’s heating up? Cycling enthusiasts get ready to give it your all! June 6-8 brings Cycling Weekend to Holiday Valley, a weekend geared toward those See Jolt into June page 5
Capital Project Entering Building Process First Phase to Start in July (reprinted from the ECS May 2014 newsletter)
The long-awaited capital project is nearly ready to make changes to the landscape of ECS. During the past year, we have worked with SEI (architects) and Campus
See New Golf Tournaments page 6
See Capital Project page 8
The inaugural NIGHT LIGHTS at Ellicottville’s Nannen Arboretum is being extended an additional weekend due to popular demand and better weather. The illumination of the Nannen Arboretum was originally going to conclude Saturday, May 31, but has now been extended an additional weekend, Thursday, June 5 to Saturday, June 7. Despite being hampered by cold and rainy weather, NIGHT LIGHTS at Ellicottville’s
12th Annual Pro Am Coming Up that will take place Wednesday, June 18 at the Double Black Diamond Golf Course at Holiday Valley. Check-in begins at noon with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is $70 for Holiday Valley golf members and $90 for non-members. A $5 skins game is included. The event includes lunch, cocktails and dinner. Cocktails will take place at the Barn restaurant starting at 6 p.m. The Winery of Ellicottville will be featuring Blueberry- and Raspberrytinis, which are vodka-infused martinis with Raspberry and Blueberry wine from the Winery of Ellicottville. A delicious prime rib dinner follows at 7 p.m. According to Dominic Spicola, owner of the Winery of Ellicottville, the evening will also feature select wines from the winery.
sent to the State Education Department for review and eventual approval. Bids have gone out and are due back on June 10. The first phase of the project will focus on the demolition of
Night Lights Show Extended at Ellicottville’s Nannen Arboretum
New Golf Tournament at Holiday Valley It’s golf season in Ellicottville and that means you can look forward to some great local tournaments, including a new one this year. New Barn-Winery Tourney The Barn Restaurant and the Winery of Ellicottville have started a new golf tournament
Construction (Management Company) on the details, drawings and design of the “project” that was approved by over 75 percent of our voters in March 2013. After completing that phase of the work, the drawings were
See Night Lights Extended page 9
State to Rebate ECS School Tax Increase Checks Expected This Fall By Jann Wiswall
Residents of the Ellicottville Central School (ECS) District voted on May 20 to approve a 1.3 percent increase to the 2014-15 school year budget. While we won’t know until July what the actual dollar increase to school tax bills will be (the county does the calculations
after all assessment data are in), we do know that any increase will be refunded to most district homeowners in the fall. This refund is a result of the property tax freeze credit passed by the New York State legislature for the 2014-15 budget year. Any homeowner
with a STAR or Enhanced STAR exemption — in other words, residents whose primary residences are in the district — will receive a refund check for the total amount of the increase. This rebate will not be coming to all school districts See School Tax Rebate page 9