THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF GREAT VALLEY, NEW YORK
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 45 FREE www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
What’s Happening on the Slopes, in the Park and Around Town Trails, Rails, Slopes and Reels
By Eva Potter
It’s time to get out your winter calendar, because you are about to get very busy. With tens of thousands of people doing daily snow dances, crossing their fingers for luck and willing the snow to fall, despite the forecast, winter is hopefully here to stay. And with all this wishing and willing comes a list of winter activities so long, that you’ll be whipping that calendar out before you finish reading.
Happy Trails to You
© 2012 KEYSTONE DESIGNERS
Yes, folks, you’ve probably heard the talk about town and have seen the photo of the generous donation of $5,000 by Holiday Valley to kick start the Ellicottville–Great Valley Recreation Trail building project and to help fund a comprehensive study that will be used to develop a multi-use recreational and bike trail in the area. It’s really happening! On Aug. 7, 2012, a small group of area leaders and businesspeople formed the Ellicottville – Great Valley Trail Organizational Committee to discuss the possibility of building a multi-use recreation trail. As soon as word hit the streets, the grapevine began buzzing with excitement about a traffic-free, handicapaccessible recreation trail for jogging, bicycling, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, family walks and more. Fast forward to the meeting on Jan. 8, 2013, when the committee began discussing the first phase of the building project, beginning with a possible trailhead near the Ellicottville Community Park, with the hope of breaking ground sometime in 2013 and “a half dozen contractors ready to volunteer.” Currently, the group is setting up meetings with our town engineer, a trail See What’s Happening page 5
First ECS Board Meeting of New Year Held January 8 Trees for Troops Photo Shoot Generates $1,500 in Donations By Jann Wiswall
Cobado at the Outpost on the slopes of Holiday Valley.
Local Log Home Builder Completes Outpost An interView with Jerry Cobado By Jann Wiswall
Jerry Cobado started coming to Ellicottville to ski the minute he got his driver’s license. He said, “Growing up in Orchard
Park, my parents usually took me to Kissing Bridge, but once I visited Ellicottville, I was hooked on the ski areas here.” Cobado worked at
HoliMont for 18 years as a freestyle coach and coach of the “Dew Crew.” He does almost every sport possible See Cobado page 10
HoliMont Rideosaurus in Top Three Terrain Parks Features Entrants in Ski Area Magazine’s 2012 Terrain Parks contest faced some stiff competition from some bigname resorts. But, instead of disappearing into extinction, HoliMont’s Rideosaurus placed a proud third in the Features category. “HoliMont is very happy to be recognized; especially See Rideosaurus page 6
Ellicottville School Board Chair Roger Spell opened the first board meeting of the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, with a number of announcements. The first was a presentation to board member Carl Calarco of a certificate from the New York State School Boards Association for completion of 75 points toward leadership development training. He also reported that the school had received numerous thank you notes from those who participated in the annual holiday dinner for the elderly on Dec. 20. Next, Spell showed the board a framed shadow-box display the school received from Captain Nicholas Broughan (ret.), Cannon Air Force Base, who participated in the Trees for Troops photo shoot in December. The board noted that the Trees for Troops event continues to be a topic of conversation throughout the community. Board member Connie Hellwig said that she still hears comments about the event from parents, staff and students at other schools all around the area. Melissa Sawicki, assistant to the superintendent, reported that more than 1,000 holiday greeting cards printed with the
Trees for Troops photograph had been signed by students and staff and sent to active military, wounded soldiers and veterans around the world. Sawicki also reported that event organizer Patty Watson was sending a check for close to $1,500 to the Bob Woodruff Foundation and that this was the largest donation she had ever been able to make in the 12 years since she has been doing these types of photographic events. Because Superintendent Mark Ward was unable to attend the board meeting due to a death in the family, board member Steve Crowley
reported on his behalf that the audit committee, which he chairs, will meet next week to prepare requests for proposals for the district’s external audit. He asked the board to recommend which areas should be the focus of the audit. Because past audits had identified special education and food services as departments that needed attention, the board agreed that this year’s audit should focus on them. Next, Elementary School Principal Connie Poulin’s report was read by the board (Poulin was absent for the meeting), followed by Middle/High School Principal Bob Miller’s report. Miller reported on the success of the holiday dinner for area senior citizens; more than 80 people attended the event, which was moved from a weekend to a school day event this year in order to involve more senior residents and children alike. Miller said that about 20 Ellicottville students are scheduled to take the Regent’s Exam on Jan. 22. Teachers whose own students are taking the exam are not permitted to score their exams, so Olean High School teachers will score those and Ellicottville See ECS Board page 7