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MARCH 23 - 29 , 2018 www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 12 The Official Newspaper of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville, Ellicottville Central Schools and the Towns of Great Valley, NY and Mansfield, NY
By Alicia Dziak
It’s Time for Pond Skimming!
LIVE Music
Spring is officially here, which means time for spring skiing! Since the early 2000s, the annual Pond Skimming event has been a great way to welcome the season, and this year it returns on Saturday, March 24. This wet and wild event is a great way to take advantage of the rising temps and melting snow. Those in the know wear creative costumes, ski down the hill, and at the bottom, skim across an icy cold pond. If you’ve never noticed a pond at the bottom of Yodeler, that’s because it’s there for this event and this event only! The pond is created from the huge mound of snow used for the Winter Carnival Snowbar. A Snowcat digs the hole, which is then covered with a tarp and the snowmaking system is used to fill it up. Since the water is cold to begin with, and surrounded by snow, the end
Thurs • Joseph & Johnson • 8pm Fri • 3 Easy Pieces • 9pm Sat • Wasted Whiskey • 9pm Tue • The Hick Ups • 7pm Wed • Wagner & Winston • 8pm
20 Washington St • 699-2530
Fri • Black Widow • 7pm Sat • Bleeding Hearts • 6pm
20 Monroe St • 699-4162
Upcoming Events MARCH 23-25 Maple Weekend
© 2018 Ellicottville Times
See Pond Skimming page 9
Egg Hunts and Activities for All
By Mary Heyl
No fooling! Easter Sunday is April 1, and there are lots of fun ways to celebrate over the next two weekends. Fortunately, you don’t have to travel far to make some great memories this year. There’s lots to do right here in Cattaraugus County, from Easter egg hunts to meeting the Easter Bunny, to a delicious Easter brunch for the family. Read on to make your plans for the next two weekends! The Portville American Legion Post 814 will be
See Easter Activities page 11
Ellicottville Seniors Help Lift NY to Pair of Senior Classic Victories By Sam Wilson
One doesn’t necessarily consider defense a factor when looking at a 104-99 final score in a high school basketball game. But the Big 30 Basketball Senior Classic is no ordinary game setting, so New York boys coach Mike Ruether on Sunday, will take holding the Pennsylvania seniors to 99. It’s actually a 30-point improvement from last year, when Pennsy took a 129-90 final score in the third annual Classic in a game
See Big 30 Basketball page 5
Photo by Aubrie Johnson
APRIL 8 Target Opening Date of Golf Course
Get Your Maple Fix This Weekend
By Alicia Dziak
If you like maple, you’re in luck! This weekend is the second of two Maple Weekends going on across the state. Every spring, the members of the New York State Maple Producers Association invite families and friends into their sugarhouses to experience the world of pure NY maple syrup. Located at approximately 160 farms and museums across New York State,
Photo By Aubrie Johnson
Easter’s On Its Way
MARCH 24 Pond Skimming at Holiday Valley
See Maple Weekend page 2
ECS Board Reviews Spending Plan Draft
By Kathleen Kellogg
Ellicottville Central School's Board of Education continued to tinker with an updated draft of a 20182019 spending plan during a Tuesday night work session in the High School Library. Officials did not release specific details about the budget proposal, which will be discussed at future work sessions and unveiled in time for a public hearing at 7 p.m. May 8 in the High School Cafeteria. Residents of the School District will
vote on the plan May 15. School superintendent Bob Miller told the Board members that it will be a "tight" budget in the coming year due to increases in health care costs, insurance, wage increases and the minimum wage hike in New York State. "We'll fully utilize the two percent tax cap to get through this," Miller said, noting there will be unanticipated costs, such as new kids moving into the district who will expect
programs and services. Last May, district residents voted approval for the $12,319,921 budget for the 2017-2018 school year. Business Manager Aimee Kilby provided Board members with some updates, spreadsheets and documents to consider while working on the draft budget. Miller pointed out some line items where savings could be realized. He said See ECS Board page 5