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VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12
The Official Newspaper
FREE
of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville and the Towns of East Otto, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
MARCH 27 - APRIL 2, 2015
Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
Winter? Spring? Yes Please!
Calendar of Events March 28 Pond Skimming Holiday Valley
By Jann Wiswall
March 28-29 Maple Weekend
It’s that in-between time of year. On one hand, snow lovers are keeping their fingers crossed for another few weeks of super spring skiing/riding at Ellicottville’s great resorts. On the other hand, friends are joyfully sharing photos of crocus, daffodils and tulips peeking out from beneath the snow, hoping that it all melts as soon as possible. Fortunately, Ellicottville caters to all in-betweeners. This weekend, both HoliMont and Holiday Valley are hosting their annual pond skimming events – especially designed for families and spring-breakers to get another fun weekend of snowsports under their belts. And this is the second of two consecutive New York Maple Weekends, when local maple producers pull out all the stops to help you enjoy their signature syrups on pancakes or even fresh snow. Visit www.nysmaple.com for more information. Meanwhile, shops in Ellicottville are running sales on winter gear as they make room for spring and summer clothing, sporting goods, décor and more. And, no matter when you visit Ellicottville, there’s always lots of live music happening at area watering holes. See page 3 for this week’s nightlife lineup. Don’t forget. The Ellicottville Times keeps you up-to-date on the region’s happenings all year round. Please bookmark us at www. ellicottvilletimes.com and like us on Facebook to ensure you get all the latest news and information.
April 10 Holiday Valley Golf Course opens April 17-19 Greater Olean Area Home & Garden Show April 25-26 Maple Festival Franklinville May 2 I Love My Park Day Allegany State Park May 2 Adventure Run Allegany State Park
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May 8 Sky High Adventure Park opens
June 20 Mudslide Obstacle Run Holiday Valley July 3-5 Summer Music Festival Holiday Valley
Trout Season Begins April 1 By Alicia Dziak
It’s time to enjoy the age-old sport of fishing! Warmer temps and melting snow make way for the opening of trout season in Western New York on April 1. New to fishing and not sure where to start? First step is getting a license. New York State residents’ costs are as follows: $25 for one year, $12 for one week, or $5 for one day. Minimum age is 16. See callout box for more information. Next step:make sure you have the right equipment to get started. See Trout Season page 10
Hamburg Fairgrounds It’s More Than Just the Erie County Fair Photo Tom Wolf Imaging
National Honor Society Inductees Announced
June 5-6 Cycling Weekend Holiday Valley
Get Hooked on Fishing
Pond Skimming this Saturday One of Holiday Valley’s goofiest events of the year takes place on Saturday, March 28 from 1-7 p.m. The Pond Skimming event attracts competitors of all ages to Yodeler, where they don costumes, ski down the hill and then do their best to skim all the way across an icy cold pond created just for the occasion. Prizes are awarded in lots of categories. Registration begins at 11 a.m. This year, the resort is also holding the Mercy Flight Ducky Drop – a 50/50 raffle for the region’s air-medical service, Mercy Flight of Western New York. You’ll also love the mini-snowbar’s drink specials, a barbeque and music by DJ John Barry. Enjoy the last big party of the season for all the right reasons! Visit www. holidayvalley.com.
May 29-31 Allegany Nature Pilgrimage
Spacious facility hosts events throughout the year By Daniel Meyer
With more than 265 acres of land dotted with various sized buildings adaptable for many uses, Hamburg Fairgrounds, Western New York’s largest event facility, remains one of the premiere places to host a special event. Whether it is live musical performances, seasonal festivals or charity fundraisers, the facility is so much more than the 12 days in August when it plays host to the Erie County Fair. See Hamburg Fairgrounds page 3
Common Core Embraced by ECS Eighteen 11th grade students and one 12th grader (Rebecca Hagon) were inducted into the Ellicottville Central School chapter of the National Honor Society at a ceremony held on Sunday, March 22 at the Great Valley Fireman’s Clubhouse. The students include: Austin Bishop,
Courtney Charlesworth, Brenna Cole, Elijah DeChane, Caitlyn Golley, Rebecca Hagon, Kaleigh Hunt, Cole Lapi, Jaelee Macomb, Cheyenne Maybee, Quinn O’Rourke, Max Paddock, Lindsey Robinson,k Robert Sawicki, Jr., Kaitlyn Smith, Shelby Spell, William Timkey, See Honor Society Inductees page 9
ECS Elementary School Principal Connie Poulin
Editor’s note: In her letter to parents in the latest edition of the Ellicottville Elementary Newsletter (check your children’s backpacks!), Principal Connie Poulin provided advice on what parents can do to prepare students for upcoming State Assessments for grades 3-8. While some school districts in the state are resisting – even protesting – the Common Core, ECS has embraced it at every level. Superintendent Mark Ward and the Board of Education have stated on numerous occasions that the program teaches what children need to know See Common Core at ECS page 2