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VOLUME 5 ISSUE 19
The Official Newspaper
APRIL 29 - MAY 5, 2016
of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville, Ellicottville Central Schools and the Towns of East Otto, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
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Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
Hooray for May! By Alicia Dziak
Budding trees and flowers, buzzing bees, warmer temps and plenty of sunshine. Spring is in full swing, and it’s time to get out and enjoy all the activities in Ellicottville and beyond! Adventure Time Want to get your adrenaline rush on? The wait for adventure is over, as Sky High Aerial Park opens for the season May 6. Navigate 13 courses of varying difficulty, as you move from one platform to the next on hanging bridges, rope ladders and ziplines. You can also scale the trees at the Climbing Forest, which is like a 3D version of a rock wall. Sky High will be open May 6-June 12, Fridays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations are recommended; call 716-699HIGH. The Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster, located by Holiday Valley’s Tannenbaum Lodge, re-opens May 20. Ride a car up the mountain and fly down at your own controlled speed. Whitewater rafting season is now! Head to Zoar Valley and take a guided trip down the Cattaraugus Creek. You’ll get gorgeous views of the gorge, and chances are you’ll spot some wildlife you don’t see every day. Fun Runs On May 7, it’s time to get happy! The all-new Happy Half and 5K are two fun races that begin and end at Holiday Valley. Brave participants can also sign up for the Beer Mile by drinking a beer, running a quarter mile and repeating three more times. The Southern Tier after-party in the Main Lodge is sure to be a great place to recap all the fun! Info
Fri • 2 Guys Drinkin’ Beer• 9pm Sat • Zephyr • 9pm Wed • Wagner & Winston • 8pm Thursday • Fred ‘N Tuck • 8pm 20 Washington St • 699-2530
Fri • The All Star Band• 7pm Sat • Ozone Rangers • 6pm 20 Monroe St • 699-4162
Upcoming Events
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May 6 Sky High opens
See May Fun page 6
First Yurt Campsite Coming to EVL
By Jann Wiswall
A new camping option may be coming to the area if Justin Dineen’s project gets Ellicottville Planning Board approval. Dineen presented
his concept to the board at its meeting on Monday, April 26. Dineen explained that he had recently purchased about 13 acres of land off Rt. 219 near the old Riley’s restaurant site
with the intention of opening a new commercial campground featuring yurts. According to the MerriamWebster Dictionary, a yurt is “a circular domed tent of skins or felt stretched over a collapsible lattice framework” originally used by nomads and other “pastoral peoples of inner Asia.” They have become quite popular throughout the U.S. as a design for camping structures (imagine a cross between a tent and a cabin), not to mention some rather impressive permanent residences. Dineen said that he expects to develop his campground,
The Ellicottville Fire Department’s Recruit NY event was a great success, as more than 100 area residents turned out last Saturday, April 23, for demonstrations, rides, delicious chicken dinners and fun activities for the kids. The event, of course, wasn’t just about having fun. It was about encouraging people to join the all-volunteer, all-important fire department. And that, too, was a success. The department received one application to join, two applications for the department’s Explorer Program (for ages 13-15), five volunteers for the FD Auxiliary, and several others expressed interest. See EFD page 2
June 3-5 Cycling Weekend Holiday Valley June 4-5 Outdoor Expo Ellicottville June 3-5 WNY Dairy/Ag Fest Springville June 18 Mudslide Obstacle Run Holiday Valley
Take a Trip on the Amish Trail By Mary Heyl
Now that the snow and ice are gone and mud season has almost passed, it is the perfect time to take a journey along New York’s Amish Trail! The historic village of Randolph, which is just a 30 minute drive from Ellicottville, is known as the southern gateway to Cattaraugus County’s large Old Order Amish settlement. Visitors and residents alike can learn a lot about this simple, self-sufficient settlement, as they explore the various Amish businesses on the trail. Photo www.amishtrail.com
See Amish Trail page 5
Tom Scharf Appointed EVL Highway Superintendent By Jann Wiswall
See Town Planning page 4
EFD Event Draws a Crowd
May 7 Happy Half & 5K Holiday Valley
Town Supervisor Matt McAndrew (right) congratulates Tom Scharf on his appointment as Town of Ellicottville Highway Superintendent.
Tom Scharf was appointed the Town of Ellicottville’s Highway Superintendent at a special meeting of the Town Board on Wednesday, April 27. Scharf starts his new job on Monday, May 2. Scharf has worked at J.D. Northrup Construction since 1987 as a heavy equipment operator and foreman. He has experience with road construction, utility work, drainage and erosion control, excavation and more. He also has supervisory experience and strong communication skills. See Highway Supt. page 8
ECS Rejects Merger Study Request By Colleen Mahoney
The Ellicottville Central School Board of Education is not interested in partially funding a pre-merger study with West Valley Central School (WVCS) and SpringvilleGriffith Institute (SGI). The decision was made during the board’s April 26 meeting after Superintendent
Mark Ward read a letter from WVCS Superintendent Eric Lawton to ECS and SGI asking that the three districts enter into a pre-merger study, splitting the cost three ways. The ECS board held a discussion, noting that they only discussed an annexation with WVCS. “What is a pre-merger
study? We’re not interested in a merger,” board member Nicole Klein said. “We talked about annexation … that’s what we’re comfortable with.” Ward said he believed a pre-merger study would be a step toward a more formal discussion, but added that it adds one more layer to See ECS Board page 4