THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD,
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 47 FREE www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013 by Jann Wiswall
Gowanda Harley-Davidson (GHD) and Holiday Valley are ready and waiting for you to experience the first ever “Harley-Day Valley” event this weekend, Jan. 26–27. The event is intended to introduce Harley lovers to
This Is It!
Harley-Day Valley Weekend at Holiday Valley
© 2013 KEYSTONE DESIGNERS
all the winter fun at Holiday Valley, and to introduce skiers to the joys of motorcycle riding, said Tim McKeever, marketing manager for Gowanda HarleyDavidson. Holiday Valley is offering great discounts on learn-toski/snowboard and lodging packages. GHD will have new and classic Harleys on display for skiers and riders alike to admire, plus GHD will showcase its Jumpstart® motorcycle simulator, a stationary device with a Harley attached that allows “riders” to “drive” at speeds up to 50 mph. From 3:30–7:30 p.m. on Saturday, be sure to meet up at the “Miller Party” on the second floor of the new Holiday Valley Lodge for food, beverages, live music by the Bleeding Hearts and drawings for giveaways from GHD and Holiday Valley, along with a drawing for a Miller snowboard! And on Sunday, you can sign up to win a free Gowanda Harley Gear Pack. Harley-Day Valley runs from 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday. All special events are FREE! For more information, visit www.gowandaharley.com or www.holidayvalley.com, or call 1-800-323-0020 for reservations.
WorldClass Racer to Teach Women’s Ski Clinic
Mansfield Board Organizes for 2013 Selects Ellicottville Times as Official Newspaper
By Eva Potter
By Jann Wiswall
If you followed alpine ski racing in the late 1970s, you will surely remember the name Lisa Feinberg. Now going by Lisa Densmore, the champion world-class ski racer, coach and instructor will be conducting the Your Turn Women’s Ski Clinic on Feb. 11 at Holiday Valley, assisted by their finest women instructors. It’s a very special chance to ski with an infectiously enthusiastic pro who truly loves skiing and people. Born to Ski How did Densmore evolve from talented teen ski racer to conducting ski clinics all over the country? The only
The Town of Mansfield’s first board meeting of the new year on Jan. 21, 2013, focused on reappointing positions and reestablishing official designations of service and business partners. The board approved reappointment or appointment of the following individuals to their respective posts: James Hammond, deputy supervisor; Brad Hurley, deputy highway supervisor; Dale Baldwin and Leonard Horning, deputy town clerks; Betty Jane Horning, registrar of vital statistics; Dale Baldwin, deputy tax collector; Robin Pearl, assessor; Anne
See Densmore page 12
Adams, youth director; Mary Dankert, dog control officer; Gil Wiswall, code enforcement officer and building inspector; and Brady & Swenson, PC, town prosecutor and legal counsel. The board also retained its past banking relationships with the Bank of Cattaraugus County, Cattaraugus County Bank and M&T Bank. Board meetings will continue to be held on the third Monday of the month, employee benefits and paid holidays will remain the same, and other administrative assignments will continue as previously established. The only change to existing
policies was an increase in the reimbursable mileage rate for employees using their own vehicles for official town business. The rate will increase from $.48 to $.53 per mile. In addition, the board established the Ellicottville Times as the town’s official newspaper. Town Supervisor Robert Keis noted that the paper has been regularly and accurately covering town board meetings and important stories, and that he and the board appreciate the newspaper’s attention to detail. In addition, Keis noted that the board is in receipt of See Mansfield Board page 4
ECS Board Takes Steps in Bridgette Walker Capital Improvement Process to Compete in Special Olympics Winter Games By Jennie Acklin
Let Me Win. But if I Cannot Win, Let Me Be Brave in the Attempt. This is an admirable phrase known to all Special Olympians. When I met with Bridgette Walker to talk to her about her upcoming travel plans with Team Canada to the Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea, she repeated this mantra with a big smile, and then added – “and make it FUN!” Walker, 26, from Stony Creek, Ontario, learned to ski just seven short years ago. Her very first outing was on a high school senior See Walker Competes in Special Olympics page 2
by Jann Wiswall
ECS Superintendent Mark Ward updated the Board of Education on the proposed capital improvement project at its Jan. 22, 2013, meeting saying that nothing had changed related to scope or architectural drawings since the December presentation by the architects. He said that he asked Charles Bastian, financial consultant with Bernard P. Donegan, Inc., to rework some numbers related to actual taxpayer expense using a lower interest rate than Donegan had originally estimated. He said that, while it is conservative to assume a higher interest
rate (5 percent in this case), it is probable that ECS would actually qualify for a rate closer to 3 percent or even lower. If so, the annual cost to taxpayers with a $100,000 assessed property would be reduced by $4-$5 to roughly $27 per year. Ward emphasized that the board has been very mindful of the costs associated with the project. “We looked carefully at where we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going,” he said. The auditorium addition, he noted, is “only 100 feet by 50 feet” and is a multiuse gym/ stage that takes the existing footprint of the building and reworks it for better school-
wide use. He said he doesn’t believe the project will greatly burden the taxpayers and emphasized that the board has been transparent throughout the planning process. He noted that taxpayers, as always, are encouraged to attend the board meetings and upcoming public hearings to learn about the project firsthand, and offered to attend any local organization’s meeting to provide details. The board voted on two items related to the project. The first was approval to conclude the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process, which was determined to be a Type II action under state law that See Capital Improvement page 4