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VOLUME 6 ISSUE 17
APRIL 28 - MAY 4, 2017
The Official Newspaper of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville, Ellicottville Central Schools and the Towns of East Otto, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
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Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
15 Things to Do This May
By Alicia Dziak
It’s May in the Enchanted Mountains, which means loads of fabulous activities to fill your time. Whether you’re looking for adventure, recreation, competition or art, May is all about getting outside and having some fun! Ready to get your adrenaline rush on? On May 5, Sky High Adventure Park opens for the season. The Aerial Park, which features ziplines, platforms and courses of varying levels of difficulty, and Climbing Forest, which resembles a 3D version of a rock wall, will be open weekends only through June 16, and then open daily. The Mountain Coaster opens on weekends starting May 19. How about a little competition? Race season is in full swing and there are plenty to choose from. Head to Allegany State Park on May 6 for the Allegany Adventure Run, a trail run through the beautiful Allegany State Park. For more info, visit www.heartrateup.com. On May 13, HV hosts the Happy Half, 5K and Beer Mile. See the article below for more information. Take the short drive to Sprague Brook Park or the Grinder Trail Race on May 14, where runners gear up for this wild and wicked 3.5-miler through park trails with single track, grass sections, creek crossing and hills. Register at www.heartrateup.com. Starting on May 23 and running through June 27, the Dirt Devil Series features six individual trail running races taking place at Sprague Brook Park on Tuesday evenings. For more info, visit www. heartrateup.com.
Fri • 2 Guys Drinkin’ Beer • 9pm Sat • Mo Porter • 9pm Tues • The Hick Ups • 7pm Wed • Wagner & Winston • 8pm Thurs • Joseph & Johnson • 8pm
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Fri • D.M.R. • 7pm Sat • Rod Horning Project• 6pm
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Upcoming Events
May 5 Sky High Adventure Park Opening Holiday Valley May 13 Happy Half Marathon and 5K Holiday Valley
June 2-3 Women’s Weekend Ellicottville June 17 Holiday Valley Mudslide Obstacle Trail Run Holiday Valley June 17 Paddlefest Holiday Valley
See Things to Do in May page 2
Happy Half, 5K and Beer Mile at HV May 13
The countdown to the spring’s happiest race is on! In just a couple short weeks, on Saturday, May 13, the Happy Half, 5K and Beer Mile return to Holiday Valley. The Happy Half begins at 10 a.m., with the 5K following at 10:20 a.m. Both races take runners out of the resort and along Route 219 toward Great Valley. This year’s course is slightly different than last year’s due to a bridge being out, but race organizer Gwen Bush assures that it will be just as scenic and also flatter. “We will still have the bubble machine at the finish line,” she added. Following the 5K awards, the Beer Mile competition will begin at 1 p.m. “Even if you’re not brave enough to participate, this is a fun spectator sport, and watching it is equally entertaining,” Bush said of this race, which has competitors drinking a 12-oz. beer, followed by a 400m run, and repeating three more times. The post-race party, with food also available to See Happy Half page 3
Ellicottville Baseball
Miller Recognized as High School Principal of the Year By Elizabeth Riggs
In what was the highlight of last Tuesday’s meeting, the Ellicottville Central Board of Education meeting announced that Middle School and High School Principal Bob Miller has been recognized as the Region 12 “High School
Principal of the Year” by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). “It is truly an honor be chosen for this award, as there are so many outstanding high school principals in the eight counties of Western New York See ECS Board page 4
Town Board Questions DEC Wildlife Management Area Plan By Jann Wiswall
Two representatives of the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) addressed the town of Ellicottville board on Wednesday, April 19 regarding the agency’s interest in purchasing the Dattner Family Property (the former Poverty Hill Ski Area) and establishing a Wildlife Management Area
(WMA) there. The 996-acre property, about a third of which lies in Ellicottville and the balance in Mansfield, will soon be appraised by the DEC; no offer on the property has yet been made. According to the DEC, WMAs are actively managed to improve wildlife habitats.
They are public open spaces used for outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching and the like. They differ from State Forests in that they are not maintained for timber-related activities. The DEC recently sent letters informing the supervisors of both towns about the idea. Ellicottville See EVL Town Board page 9
Upgrades and New Equipment at HV Golf Course By Elizabeth Riggs
ECS Sports page 4
Do the warming temperatures have you ready to hit the links? This spring, head out to Ellicottville’s Holiday Valley for beautiful views, challenging greens, and a course that has something to offer everyone.
Holiday Valley Golf Course, which fully-opened all 18 holes last Saturday, boasts an 18-hole, par 70 Double Black Diamond course which is both challenging and wellmaintained. In 2009, Holiday Valley won a nod from Golf See HV Golf Upgrades page