HOLIDAY 2013 ISSUE
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 41
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD, NEW YORK
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DECEMBER 20-26, 2013
Ways to Enjoy E’ville Over the Holiday Break
Calendar of Events December 21 Demo Day Holiday Valley December 27-31 Youth Ski Camps, Holiday Valley December 31 New Year’s Eve Party & Torchlight Parade Holiday Valley
So Much to Do, So Little Time
January 1-31 National Learn a Snowsport Month
By Alicia Dziak
January 2-7 Canadian Friendship Week
The holiday break is here! How will you spend the last days of 2013? While many people can’t get enough skiing and shopping, others might like at least a one-day hiatus from the hustle and bustle of the ski slopes and shops. Luckily, the region is brimming with many other great places to spend the holiday break time off. X-C, Snowshoeing and Hiking Getting out for a hike on foot or on snowshoes, or maybe a cross-country ski trek, are great ways to burn off some of those holiday calories. Both snowshoes and crosscountry skis can be rented from Mud, Sweat N’ Gears and The City Garage in the village, as well as from Holiday Valley and HoliMont, and trail maps can be purchased at Ellicottville Bike and Bean, with all proceeds of map sales supporting WNYMBA (Western New York Mountain Biking Association). Showshoeing is an easy winter sport to pick up, and if you find that it’s your thing, you can explore the groomed trails at Holiday Valley’s SnowPine Village and see the ski resort from a different perspective. Allegany State Park (ASP) is another great option for snowshoeing, offering miles
January 3-5 Bag Jump, Holiday Valley January 3-4 Winter Blues Weekend Ellicottville January 5 SkiScape HoliMont January 25 Harley-Day Valley Holiday Valley January 25-26 Greater Olean Sports & Outdoor Recreation Show February 7-8 AMSOIL Seneca Allegany Snocross February 15 Boarding for Breast Cancer Holiday Valley February 15 Moonlight Snowshoe Tour Griffis Sculpture Park February 22 Penguin Paddle Holiday Valley March 6 Ski Day for United Way HoliMont March 8-9 Mardi Gras & Winter Carnival
See Enjoy Ellicottville page 3
Town Board Considers Scenic Byway Along 219 Reports Higher Sales Tax Revenues By Jann Wiswall
Ellicottville Town Supervisor John Jo Burrell opened the Dec. 18 town to board meeting with some good news. ne By the end of the third quarter, the th town had already received sales tax ta revenues in the amount the town had ha budgeted for the entire year. This means m sales taxes received during the th fourth quarter are unexpected revenues. re Burrell suggested that the th board consider setting up one
or more capital accounts for those funds once they are received. Scenic Byway Burrell also reported on a meeting hosted by the Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway (WNYSSB), a non-profit organization that spearheaded the formation of a state-authorized, 71mile loop connecting Orchard Park, East Aurora and Springville. This See Town Board page 11
Great Valley Volunteer Fire Company
$3,500Donation to Project Christmas Pictured are Kim Watt, ECS Project Christmas coordinator, receiving a check for $3,500 from Clarence Bickell, president of the Great Valley Volunteer Fire Company. The Great Valley Fire Company has always supported Project Christmas.
Started in 1967, Project Christmas has been bringing Christmas to families and senior citizens in the Ellicottville Central School District who need a little extra help with clothing and food around the holidays. The effort is run entirely by volunteers.
Project Christmas has grown to include over 50 families and 65 senior citizens this year. ECS junior and senior students volunteer their time to distribute donations on Dec. 20 in time for Christmas. Each year, a member of the Great Valley Fire Company brings the motion to the fire company members to vote to approve donations. This year’s donation was brought up to the membership for a vote at their monthly meeting in December, and the membership voted to donate $3,500 to Project Christmas. The funds come from proceeds generated through the fire company’s major fundraiser, the Great Valley Regatta. The entire $3,500 will be put towards this year’s project.
ECS School Board Considers Sports Mergers JCC Online College-Level Courses Approved By Jann Wiswall
Superintendent of Schools Mark Ward discussed the potential for sports mergers with the school board at its Tuesday, Dec. 17 meeting. Sports being considered for mergers include varsity football and volleyball. The subject has been brought
up at previous meetings and with the public on several occasions, but Ward has since had conversations with other school districts that might be a good fit for Ellicottville. One discussion was held with officials from Cattaraugus/ Little Valley schools. This centered on potentially
merging both varsity football and volleyball. It was quickly determined that merging football with Catt/LV would put the team into Class C. Ward and ECS coaches rejected that idea. “We didn’t think that would be in the best interest of our See ECS Sports Mergers page 8
Village Eliminates Constable Position for FY 2014 By Jann Wiswall
As part of an ongoing effort to reduce costs and avoid increasing taxes, the Ellicottville Village Board has abolished the position of village constable effective June 1, 2014. Policing of the village will be performed by the Town of Ellicottville’s Police Department. Elimination of the position will save the village $70,000– $80,000 per year or more, according to board member Greg Cappelli.
Finding ways to cut the budget is an annual task, but with increases in the costs of insurance, pensions, workers compensation, sand, salt and most other materials needed to keep the village running, this year’s cuts were especially important. “We don’t want the burden of these cost increases to be on the backs of our residents through taxes, so we had to look at cuts,” Mayor Charles Coolidge explained. Cappelli and Deputy Mayor
Bob Brogcinski were asked by the Coolidge to review the proposed 2014 budget. They looked into eliminating the constable position after noting considerable duplication of services. After meeting with Town Supervisor John Burrell, they became confident that the town police department would be able to effectively handle the responsibility without any disruption of service or citizen safety. “The town has always See Village Constable page 10
Mansfield Board
Revised Building Fee Schedule Approved By Jann Wiswall
The Town of Mansfield board approved a revised fee schedule for building applications and related permits at its monthly meeting on Dec. 16, 2013. The revised fee structure was prepared by the town’s
Planning Board. The board added a junkyard fee to the proposed list. After some discussion, an increase from $100 to $500 for new junkyards and for annual renewals was approved by a vote of 3-2, with board members James Hammond and
Robert Schmidt in dissent. The board also discussed the planning board’s proposed fee for a “permit after construction has started.” The fee of “$100 plus two times the permit cost” is intended as a deterrent to starting construction without a See Mansfield Board page 10