FREE! TAKE ONE! VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3
JANUARY 15 - 21, 2016
The Official Newspaper
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of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville, Ellicottville Central Schools and the Towns of East Otto, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
American Advertising Awards 2014 Silver ADDY Award Winner Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
Upcoming Events
Ride the Rails
January National Learn a Snowsport Month
Something for Everyone at EVL’s Terrain Parks By Alicia Dziak
Is getting some air between you and the slopes your idea of a perfect day? Then EVL’s resorts won’t disappoint. With a variety of terrain parks to choose from, snowboarders and freeriders can flip, twirl, jump and fly their way into adventure. Holiday Valley offers five terrain parks that are open to everyone and in a recent SKI Magazine Reader Resort Survey their terrain parks were voted 7th in the East. According to Jane Eshbaugh, Holiday Valley’s marketing director, “We aren’t going for ‘bigger is better’ parks, rather we’re ‘right sizing’ the parks for the guests who ski and ride here.” As of now, two terrain parks geared toward intermediate riders are open: The Rail Park at the base of Mardi Gras; and Fiddler’s Elbow, which had automated snowmaking added this season. If Mother Nature cooperates, the other three parks will be open for the season soon. “The parks require extra snow for takeoffs and landings so they’ve been tough to get going this year!” Eshbaugh noted. For those starting out, introductory (beginner) features are on the east side of School Haus and in the Riglet Park, both located by Creekside Lodge. The area to the east of School Haus is the Progression Park and Terrain Garden with introductory level smaller boxes, rails and snow features. It is a great place to learn how to use terrain features and a place to just
January 22-24 Winter Blues and Brews Festival January 23 Harley-Day Valley January 23-24 Olean Area Outdoor & Rec Sports Show
© 2015 Ellicottville Times / Keystone Designers Inc.
February 5-6 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Salamanca February 18 SkiScape HoliMont February 28 Aspire Ski the Valley Holiday Valley March 12 Mardi Gras and Winter Carnival See Third in the East page 9
See Terrain Parks page 7
Winter Blues and Brews Festival Next Weekend When the winter doldrums take over and you get tired of being cooped up in the house, nothing can compete with a weekend of good blues music, a nice drink and friends to shake that feeling. The Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce Winter Blues and Brews Festival is just the solution. From Jan. 22 to 24, all of the regular watering holes in Ellicottville will be chock full of bands to bring that winter spell to an end. This year, the Ellicottville Chamber will also be partnering with the Buffalo Niagara Brewers Association to give the discerning music
connoisseurs in Ellicottville a chance to whet their palate with brews from all over the region. “We have always offered some of the best music in the top venues of Ellicottville, but this allows us to bring in a new dimension to what makes Ellicottville the place to be,” Chamber of Commerce executive director Brian McFadden said. “The Buffalo Niagara Brewers Association is the perfect partner to give us the chance to bring new tastes to the area. Great blues music, paired with some of the best local craft beers. What could be better?” See Blues and Brews page 2
Tubing Park Open Let the tubing fun begin! The Holiday Valley Tubing Company is open for the season. Located on Route 242, HV’s tubing park is the fifth largest of its kind in the country. It has 22 lanes that are 900 feet long and drop 100 feet in vertical, plus two handle tows to pull you back up the hill. The tubing park is just four miles from Holiday Valley, and a free shuttle service to and from Holiday Valley is available every two hours during operating hours. For hours and rates, visit w w w. h o l i d a y v a l l e y. c o m / winter/tubing.
Sleep Well EVL Offers Beds for All Budgets By Jann Wiswall
Ellicottville is an extra special destination with tons of activities for people of all ages to enjoy, day and night. Come for the shopping, dining, nightlife, art scene, ski resorts, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, tubing and so much more. But really, there’s just too much to do in one day, so why not make a weekend or week of it, book a place to stay and let yourself fall into a comfy bed to prepare for the next day’s adventures? Around here, comfy beds come in all rooms of all types and sizes. Whether you choose an inn, hotel, suite, B&B or home/ condo/apartment rental, your stay is sure to be memorable.
See EVL Lodging page 5
Village Board Weighs in on Casino Shuttle By Jann Wiswall
Ellicottville visitors and residents may have noticed that a new shuttle service between the Seneca Allegany Casino and Ellicottville began operating after the first of the year. Currently, it operates every two hours on Fri.-Sun. beginning at 4 p.m. It plans
to continue throughout the ski season. Casino representative Chuck Kilroy and Villaggio restaurant owner Nick Pitillo attended the Village Board meeting on Jan. 11 to describe the service and request installation of “Shuttle Stop” signs at four locations in Ellicottville – in front of
Villaggio, EBC and the Armor Inn and at the Wildflower development off Rt. 219 near Holiday Valley. Some board members said they had heard complaints from some business owners that the shuttle would take visitors away from Ellicottville. In See Village Board page 11
Put a Lid on Your Kid Brain Buckets Save Lives By Eva Potter
Concussion management, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other sports impact injuries are making major headlines these days as research strongly recommends protecting your brain any way you can. Avoiding skiing and boarding See Lids on Kids page 8