FREE! TAKE ONE! VOLUME 4 ISSUE 21
MAY 22 - 28, 2015
The Official Newspaper
www.EllicottvilleTimes.com facebook/theEllicottvilleTimes
of the Village of Ellicottville, the Town of Ellicottville and the Towns of East Otto, Great Valley and Mansfield, New York
American Advertising Awards 2014 Silver ADDY Award Winner Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Ellicottville, East Otto, Great Valley, Little Valley, Mansfield, Olean, Randolph, Salamanca, Springville and Beyond
Calendar of Events
EVL Festival Lineup is Sure to Satisfy
THIS WEEK:
By Eva Potter
Ellicottville knows how to throw a fantastic festival and this summer and fall are full of family-friendly events. Whether you come to listen to live music, admire and collect great art and crafts, taste your way through the village, wander around a car show or bring the family for a day of exploration, Ellicottville’s festivals should be on your mild-weather bucket list. Summer Music Festival, July 3–5 This popular summer event at Holiday Valley is eagerly anticipated each year and brings national acts to the outdoor stage for a three-day, multi-genre music festival. The weekend kicks off July 3 with a Mountaintop Party at Holiday Valley. Ride the chairlift to the top and enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a fabulous view. The party then moves to the Main Lodge for Monte Carlo night, where you can vie for impressive prizes. On July 4, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will delight all ages with their performance of well-known tunes from the “Star Wars” movies. You’ll really feel part of the show as it branches out into the audience when members of the Imperial Army and their axis friends “battle” the Rebel Alliance to conquer the hill for the emperor. You’ll also be treated to some zippy dance tunes to get your feet moving. The evening will end with a spectacular fireworks show
Fri • RT Live• 9pm Saturday • No Name Trio • 9pm Sunday • Gregg Sansone• 7 pm Wed • Wagner & Winston • 8pm Thursday • Fred & Tuck • 8pm 20 Washington St • 699-2530
Fri •Randle & the Late Night Scandals• 7pm Saturday • Ozone Rangers • 6pm Monday • Brandon Santini• 7 pm 20 Monroe St • 699-4162
ELLICOTTVILLE MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS Monday, May 25 Parade from Mill Street to the Gazebo 10:45 a.m.
© 2015 Keystone Designers Inc.
Ceremony at the Gazebo 11 a.m.
See EVL Festivals page 6
Master of Ceremonies: John Burrell Special Guest: James Morton Speaker: Paul Carmichael Open House at American Legion Post #659, 6500 Maples Road following ceremony
Mansfield to Submit EVGV Trail Tops Town Efficiency Plan by June 1 Board Agenda
Public Hearings Set for New Laws By Jann Wiswall
Joe Wright addresses the Town Board on behalf of the EVGV Trail
Board members of the EllicottvilleGreat Valley Recreational Trail attended the Monday, May 20 meeting of the Town of Ellicottville’s board to introduce Joe Wright, the new EVGV Trail director of marketing and business development and to brief the board on progress with a grant application. Wright, whose 10-15 hours/week on the job is being underwritten by EllicottVillas owner and Buffalo business leader Jim Cornell, made a brief presentation to the board about marketing and promotional See Town Board page 4
Erin Kelly Scores with New Book
‘Kelly Tough’ Book Signing May 26 By Alicia Dziak
It’s been many years since screaming Buffalo Bills fans filled Rich Stadium cheering for #12, Jim Kelly. And yet, for those who were around in the era when the Bills really made you want to shout, the memories of those days live on. Jim Kelly—the quarterback who led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990s—still seems larger than life to his fans, especially since his recent, very public battle with cancer. As news of Jim Kelly’s health spread, the social media world was flooded with #prayersforJK, and the entire Kelly family was always behind the scenes and in front of the cameras, leading the charge in the recovery of the football legend. While Jim Kelly is a household name around Western New York and beyond, to his oldest daughter, Erin, “He’s just my dad,” she said during an interview with the Ellicottville Times. At 20 years old, the young woman who just wrapped up See Kelly Tough page 9
By Jann Wiswall
Town of Mansfield Supervisor Bob Keis reported at the May 18 board meeting that he is working with the town and village of Ellicottville to prepare a plan for the state that demonstrates how the three municipalities
will save 1 percent of each of their operating budgets by consolidating services. Municipalities all over New York are being asked by the state to devise these “government efficiency plans.” Once submitted, the state will reimburse qualifying
homeowners for a share of their municipality’s property taxes. Qualified homeowners are those who meet the state’s STAR exemption requirements. Last year, homeowners See Mansfield Board page 8
Voters Pass 2015-16 School Budget Hellwig Re-Elected to Board By Jann Wiswall
Ellicottville School District voters passed the proposed 2015-16 budget at the Tuesday, May 19 election. The total proposed basic budget for all school operations is $11,620,182 (Proposition
#1 on the ballot) and covers instruction (teachers and staff), employee benefits, central services, support services, operation and maintenance of the facility, student transportation, debt service,
interfund transfers and BOCES services. $4,238,962 of the school’s revenues will come from federal, state and local funding sources. $500,000 in revenues See ECS Budget page 4
Four Feet, Four Paws Cross-Country Hikers Take Break in EVL By Colleen Mahoney
Roughly 700 miles from their starting point, hikers Christine “Buttons” Herpfer, Rick “Bearwalker” Carbonell and four-legged companion Molly arrived in Ellicottville via the Finger Lakes Trail for a bed and “zero day.” The trio is on a 4,600 mile trek from Vermont to North Dakota, following the North Country Trail (NCT).
The longest scenic trail in the United States, the NCT was created in 1980 and passes through seven states and 12 National Forests. Although the trail begins in Crown Point, NY, Carbonell said they began in Vermont because a bill in the Senate proposes to extend the trail into Vermont. If passed, the NCT would extend into Willard Gap, VT and connect See NCT Hikers page 9