FREE! TAKE ONE! VOLUME 4 ISSUE 26
JUNE 26 - JULY 2, 2015
The Official Newspaper
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville 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
Calendar of Events
July Heats Up in Ellicottville
June 27-28 Raccoon Rally Allegany State Park
By Eva Potter
The lawn can wait. Pack up and head to Ellicottville for action-packed excitement this July. If you haven’t taken in a live concert on the slopes, seen a professional rodeo or listened to some amazing jazz lately, here is your chance. The Summer Music Festival hits the slopes of Holiday Valley July 3–5 with three days of multi-genre entertainment. The weekend kicks off July 3 with the Mountaintop Party at Holiday Valley. On July 4, grab a picnic and come listen to an out-of-this-world performance by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra featuring “Star Wars” tunes and a synchronized fireworks grand finale set to patriotic tunes. On July 5, listen to Grammy Award-winning Blood, Sweat and Tears, along with showopener Caitlin Koch. The venue is wheelchair accessible and parking is free. Get tickets at www.ellicottvilleny.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free. For a real treat while you’re in town, take the whole family to the annual Ellicottville Championship Rodeo, July 2-5, when hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls come to perform in nine exciting rodeo events. There’s even a Stick Horse Rodeo for kids and silly clowns that will make everyone chuckle. For details, visit www.ellicottvillerodeo. com. Live music is a staple in Ellicottville and July kicks off the free Ellicottville Gazebo Music Series at 1 p.m. at the Village Gazebo. Then, every Thursday evening
July 2-5 Ellicottville Rodeo July 3-5 Summer Music Festival Holiday Valley July 4 Pet Parade Ellicottville July 10 Rock the Park Allegany State Park July 18-19 Americana Music & Folk Art Festival Ellicottville
© 2015 Keystone Designers Inc.
July 24 Ellicottville Jazz & Blues Weekend
See July in Ellicottville page 5
August 2 IBO World Championships Holiday Valley August 15 Taste of Ellicottville
State Legislature OKs Celebrate Firefly Season Scenic Byway Expansion into Cattaraugus Co. Currently, the byway runs through the Towns of Aurora, Boston, Colden, Concord, East Aurora, Orchard Park and Springville. Another 37 miles of roadway will be added to the existing byway corridor along portions of Route 219, State Route 240 and State Route 242 within the Towns of Ashford and Ellicottville and the Village of Ellicottville. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I– Olean) and Assemblyman Joseph Giglio (R,C,I-Gowanda), passed the state Photo WNYSSB legislature last week. By Jann Wiswall “Expansion of the Western New York The Western New York Southtowns Southtowns Scenic Byway into Cattaraugus Scenic Byway (WNYSSB) received the state County will help showcase the communities’ legislature’s approval to expand into Cattaraugus wonderful history, natural beauty, cultural and County. See Scenic Byway page 6
ECS Graduation 2015
Once thought to inhabit only the Smoky Mountains, “synchronous” fireflies – that is, fireflies that blink on and off at the same time – have now been spotted in various locations around our region. The rare Photinus Carolinus species light up only from late June to mid-July. To celebrate their presence, many places are offering programs to discover this species for yourself.
Photo Jeremy Martin
See Firefly Season page 7
More Roof Work Needed at ECS Board Appoints Wiley to Fill Cortez Seat By Jann Wiswall
The Ellicottville Central School Board held a public hearing on Tuesday, June 23, to allow public comment on
its plans to use $70,000 of its repair reserve funds to replace and patch portions of the school’s roof. No one attended the meeting to make comments and the board approved the expense. The board’s building,
grounds and transportation committee were informed of the roof problems by the school’s maintenance staff and determined that the roof over the cafeteria must be replaced. The library wing’s roof, See ECS Board page 8
Sensational Summer Swimming The Best Area Pools and Beaches By Alicia Dziak
Graduation ceremonies for the ECS class of 2015 take place on Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at Holiday Valley’s Yodeler Lodge. For individual photos of all the graduates, see page 9, and be sure to pick up the July 3 edition of the Ellicottville Times for candid photos of the festivities. Congratulations to all graduating seniors and their parents!
Summer’s finally here, which means spending hot days cooling off in the water. Whether you prefer clear pool waters or swimming in a deep blue lake, the Enchanted Mountains offer an abundance of opportunities to get your swim on!
Pools Looking for an afternoon of non-stop fun? Holiday Valley’s pool complex, located in the heart of the resort next to Tamarack Club, features three pools: a toddler pool, a lap pool and an activity pool See Summer Swimming page 7