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VOLUME 3 ISSUE 25
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The Official Newspaper of the Village of Ellicottville and the Towns of Ellicottville, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Salamanca, Springville and Surrounding Communities
Fall for Ellicottville!
Calendar of Events
12 Things to Do in September By Jann Wiswall
August 31 Dirty Duathlon & Dirty Bit Trail Run Holiday Valley
Every season’s a great season in Ellicottville, but early fall is exceptionally lovely as the forests begin their beauty contest, all the luscious late crops are at their peak and the air feels especially fresh and clean. A great way to get the lay of the land is to start with a chairlift ride at Holiday Valley. For just $5, you can ride to the top of the mountain, get the birds’ eye view, and then hike or ride back down. Weekends through Oct. 19, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. For a more physical adventure in the mountains, be sure to explore the thrills, chills and family fun at Holiday Valley’s Sky High Adventure Park, weekends from Sept 5 through Nov. 2. The Aerial Park features 13 challenge courses from easy to “commando,” with bridges, obstacles, ladders, zip lines and more. The Climbing Forest offers 10 trees with color-coded handholds to guide harnessed climbers from beginner to expert. And the Mountain Coaster is a gravitydefying, squeal-inducing ride with 15 curves, a jump and a spiral. Call 1-800-699-HIGH for reservations. And, be sure to put these great events on your Sept. calendar: If you missed The Woods at Bear Creek’s Grand Opening Celebration, you’ve got another chance to tour the grounds and learn about what” glamping,” or glamour camping, is all about with an End of Summer Bash. On Sept. 6 from 5-7 p.m., enjoy complimentary appetizers,
September 4 First day of School for ECS September 6 End of Summer Concert at the Woods at Bear Creek September 13 - Oct. 31 Pumpkinville September 19-21 Rock n’ Roll Weekend
© 2014 Keystone Designers Inc.
September 27-28 National Alpaca Farm Days October 3 Nightmare Hayrides Season Opening October 4 Headstands for Humanity October 5 EVGV Trail Open House October 11 Fall Festival 5K Run/Walk Holiday Valley October 11-12 Ellicottville’s Fall Festival November 1 EVL Half Marathon, 5K and Kids’ Race November 8 Beer and Wine Festival November 16 Routes to Art Holiday Sale at Holiday Valley November 28 Christmas in Ellicottville
See Fall for Ellicottville page 4
Blueberry Lake Hearing Held Over Traffic, Drainage Issues Remain
By Jann Wiswall
It was determined at this week’s Ellicottville Town Planning Board meeting on Aug. 25 that a public hearing on the preliminary plat plan for the 150-acre Gestion Blueberry Lake subdivision will be over until September when some remaining issues can be resolved to the
planning board’s satisfaction. Last month, Town Planner Carol Horowitz walked through the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) short-form questions one by one to determine what issues still needed to be addressed by engineering firm Nussbaumer & Clarke (N&C). By the Monday, Aug. 25 meeting, only two of several issues remained — one having to do with drainage and water runoff, and the other with traffic safety at the development’s intersection with Poverty Hill Road. Town Engineer Mark Alianello has been working with N&C engineer Andy Gow on the drainage issues, however revised plans had not reached Alianello in time for him to review them before the meeting that evening. Alianello See Blueberry Lake Hearing page 5
ECS Common Core Test Scores Among the Best By Jann Wiswall
First Day of School is Sept. 4 Ellicottville Central School’s performance on grade 3-8 Common Core tests “reflects extremely well on our staff,” said Superintendent Mark Ward during the school board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, during which he shared some
comparison data. “We’re buying into the Common Core — not protesting them,” he said, and those efforts are paying off when looking at the two-year, mean scale scores of ECS compared to other schools in the county and the region. In Cattaraugus County, ECS results were the best of the bunch. Ellicottville’s students not only did the best on both English language arts and math tests at all grade levels compared to most other schools, but also showed improvement from 2012-13 (the first year of Common Core testing) to 2013-14 on most of the 12 exams. Randolph Central Schools ranked second in the county results. Comparisons to a random selection of comparable schools in Allegany, Erie and See ECS Test Scores page 9
WNY Heroes:
Helping Veterans and Their Families Access to Essential Services, Financial Assistance and Other Resources
By Daniel Meyer
WNY Heroes President; Chris Kreiger
Focused on their mission of improving the lives of those who have proudly served and
helped protect our country, the volunteers who work on behalf of WNY Heroes continue to make a difference for military veterans, including service members from Ellicottville. As the non-for-profit organization continues See WNY Heroes page 6
Can You Save on Flood Insurance Costs? New Floodplain Maps Rate Your Risk
By Jann Wiswall
Home and business owners in Ellicottville are encouraged to review new flood insurance rate maps to see if they can reduce their flood insurance costs or eliminate the need for flood insurance altogether. The new maps were the brainchild of the Town
and Village of Ellicottville, Ellicott Development and Sprague Development, which together surmised that existing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain maps created in the 1970s for areas impacted by Great Valley Creek, Elk Creek and Holiday Valley Creek were out of date and inaccurate. If that was true, some people probably were paying too much for flood insurance. See Save on Flood Insurance page 5
Changing of the Guard at Holiday Valley Mike Nenno New Park and Events Manager
By Eva Potter
After 35 years of working for Eaton’s Cooper Industries in Olean, Mike Nenno will be embarking on a new adventure — and what better place for adventure than Holiday Valley. See Changing of the Guard, page 5