FREE! TAKE ONE! VOLUME 5 ISSUE 6
FEBRUARY 12-18, 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
Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
Upcoming Events
Fabulous February Break Fun By Alicia Dziak
February 14 Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day! Presidents Day! February break! You and the fam have a lot to celebrate, and heading to EVL means the fun can and will go non-stop from now until the kiddos head back to school on Feb. 22. How are you going to spend the mid-winter break? If hitting the slopes is on your agenda, break week is the perfect time to enjoy extra time on the slopes at both resorts. HoliMont is open to all from Monday through Friday, so even non-members can enjoy short lift lines, a variety of terrain and delicious food in the chalet at the largest private ski area in North America. At Holiday Valley, you can let the kids stay up late on a weeknight and take in some nighttime skiing. Dozens of trails are open all day and into the night, and are sure to keep everyone active. When you need a break, enjoy a hot chocolate fireside at the lodges or grab a waffle at the base of Cindy’s for an extra special treat. If you prefer to hit the trails on cross country skis, EVL has you covered. Explore the trails along Holiday Valley’s golf course at the base of the mountain for free. They’re open during daylight hours and there are solar lights for a nighttime ski — just be sure to stay away from the ponds (marked with ropes) that are used for snowmaking. For just $12, you can purchase a tworide cross country lift ticket for the Mardi Gras, Cindy’s or Tannenbaum lifts, and ski along the ridgeline from Cindy’s to Spruce Lake. Then you can ride the Mardi Gras or Tannenbaum chair back down, or ski down one of the easier trails like Tannenbaum
February 14 Art Roscoe XC Ski Loppet Allegany State Park RESCHEDULED! NOW FEBRUARY 28
February 18 SkiScape HoliMont February 20 Penguin Paddle Holiday Valley
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February 28 Aspire Ski the Valley Holiday Valley March 3 Ski Day for United Way HoliMont March 5 Phoenix Rise to the Challenge Race HoliMont March 11-13 Mardi Gras and Winter Carnival March 19 Pond Skimming Holiday Valley See Third in the East page 9
See Feb. Break page 12
State Park Ski Areas Village Seeks Business Closed but Not Forgotten Cooperation on Sign Law Bova, Big Basin, Ski Jumps Drew Thousands
areas, Bova and Big Basin, and ski jumps many decades ago. Once a highly popular hub for skiing, the park boasted three slalom courses, ski jumps and a Poma lift. “Most people do not realize that skiing in the Western New York area actually first began right here in Allegany State Park,” said Bob Schmid, president of the Allegany State Park Historical Society. Working together, park engineer Art Photo Bob Schmid Roscoe and former Olympic skier Karl By Eva Potter Fahrner designed the 30- and 50-meter Allegany State Park (ASP), widely known for its many ski jumps in the early 1930s. From 1933 miles of hiking and snowmobile trails, cross-country to 1941, the Civilian Conservation skiing, snowshoeing and myriad other four-season outdoor Corps (CCC) built a variety of sports activities, was also on the map as home to two alpine ski See ASP Ski page 15
Penguins, Play and Prizes Big Fun Coming to HV Next Weekend By Alicia Dziak
Ride, slide and laugh your way to fun on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the annual Penguin Paddle! This major fundraiser for Holiday Valley’s Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP) features a silent auction, raffles, a lunch tent and of course the famous penguin slide, where people slip inside a garbage bag and slide on their bellies “penguin style” down the bottom of Yodeler slope. This year’s Penguin Paddle, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature more than 75 auction items, a radio station broadcast and possibly more surprises! Money raised from this event goes toward equipment, instructor training, the scholarship program and an annual Veterans day, this year held on March 4, when disabled veterans from all over can come and learn to ski. “Participate or just spectate, it is a great day!” said Jane Eshbaugh, Holiday Valley’s marketing director. See HV Events page 9
By Jann Wiswall
Business owners in the village of Ellicottville will soon be receiving copies of the zoning ordinance related to sandwich board signs, along with a letter from Mayor Charlie Coolidge asking for cooperation and compliance. Coolidge and the Village Board have been working for
many months to solve problems related to the population growth of the moveable signs on main village street corners. Existing law permits each building to place one sandwich board sign outside and it must be placed within one foot of the building. In recent years, however, multiple signs from the same
businesses have been showing up on street corners far from the actual business. Coolidge and the board are concerned that they are tripping hazards, plus they make routine maintenance (snow removal and mowing) difficult for village employees and they are unsightly. As an alternative to such See Village Board page 11
Village Planning Board OKs Monroe St. Brick & Brew
By Jann Wiswall
The Village Planning Board approved a special use permit for Steve Feldman and Frank Maduri, allowing them to open a brick oven pizza shop at 21 Monroe Street in the building that formerly housed a Laundromat. Following a public hearing that generated no
public comments, the board confirmed that all paperwork was in order for the restaurant. The board also approved the shop’s proposed hanging sign with lighting. The restaurant will be called Monroe Street Brick & Brew. It will have 512 square feet of space with a maximum
occupancy of 46 customers. There will be a brick pizza oven and a small bar where craft beers and wine will be served. Delivery service will be offered. The owners said they might apply for a full liquor license in the future. They also may propose to renovate See Village Planning page 15
ECS/West Valley Open to Talks By Colleen Mahoney
The Ellicottville Central School District is open to participating in an annexation study with West Valley Central School, according to ECS Superintendent Mark Ward. During his report at the Feb. 9 Board of Education meeting, Ward talked about a meeting
that was held between the two districts to discuss the future of both schools. “West Valley is continuing to have dialogue in their community about what the next step is,” Ward said. “We told them we’d work with them once they decide.” Ward said the next move
needs to come from West Valley, but said the initial meeting was good and informative. Ellicottville is willing to keep channels of communication open, Ward said, but they will wait to hear from West Valley. See ECS Board page 4