THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD,
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 30
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www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
OCTOBER 4-10, 2013
It’s the Best Time of Year to Mountain Bike Ellicottville and ASP Loaded with Epic Trails By JEFF MARTIN
© 2013 KEYSTONE DESIGNERS
Visitors and residents of Western New York don’t have to walk the hundreds of miles of trails throughout the area if they don’t want to — they can ride their mountain bikes, too. Lovers of the activity commonly refer to it as MTB, and there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of wooded trails that accommodate the twowheeled machines. Snap on a helmet, fill a water bottle and you’re good to go. And this time of year is the best time of year to mountain bike. John Rafferty, a Gowanda resident who works in Buffalo at an advertising agency, said he moved to the Southern Tier a few years back to be able to hike more often. When he discovered Sprague Brook Park, a county park just outside Springville, he was surprised that more people were navigating the trail system on bike rather than on foot. “It looked like a great time,” he said. “The way they have the trails out there, you feel like you’re on a ledge overlooking the valley, but it’s not at all dangerous.” After an initial investment, which can be costly, Rafferty was ready to roll. His first outing, he often jokes, wasn’t as successful as he would have hoped. “Ate some dirt a couple of times,” he said. “People do it the first time thinking it’s just like riding a bike on the road, but it’s far from that. It takes a lot more balance than I ever thought it would.” Once he worked on his See Mountain Bike page 9
Rock City Gem & Mineral Show
Celebrate Fall in Ellicottville Bring Your Family to Fall Festival Oct. 12–13 by Eva Potter
Only eight more days and Ellicottville’s most popular weekend will take over the streets of the village, as thousands of people come from near and far to celebrate, Fall Fest (formerly Oktoberfest)
with spirit and zest. On Oct. 12–13, tens of thousands of festivalgoers will converge on the charming Village of Ellicottville to responsibly enjoy all the pleasures Ellicottville has to offer. Parts of Jefferson, Washington and Monroe streets will be traffic free, with handy detours in place for through travelers. But why would you want to just drive through? Change your itinerary and make plans to stop and enjoy a full weekend of great live entertainment and dancing in various venues, ski bargains, fabulous food, friends and family, carnival rides for the kids, loads of arts and crafts vendors, as well as fine art, and so much more. Be sure to visit the local shops and restaurants — even a few new ones we know you’ll love. Think you can sing? Then sign up at the Village Gazebo at 10 a.m. to take your turn on Ellicottville Idol and show ‘em what you got.
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Painting October Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Itʼs Almost Halloween so Think Pink?
by Eva Potter
against this dreaded disease. It’s also the time
Cancer Awareness Month—a month of celebrating breast cancer survivors and continuing the fight
to make their breast screening appointments to prevent and diagnose breast cancer in its early stages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008, over 210,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,500 women died from breast cancer. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, regardless of race or ethnicity. And remember, while rare, breast cancer does affect less than 1 percent of the male population — signs and treatments are similar. According to NBCAM.org, “National Breast
ItʼsIt’sAlmost so Think Breast Pink? for women all across the nation to remember that timeHalloween of year again—National
See Breast Cancer Awareness page 6
Showcases Semiprecious Stones and Minerals By Jeff Martin
We all stand and live upon rock. Perhaps no place in Western New York better illustrates this fact than Rock City Park, a sprawling 40-plus acre wonderland owned and operated by Dale and Cindy Smith. From early spring
until the end of October, visitors wander over, through and beneath massive rock outcroppings. Children come to play. Adults come to snap pictures. Most come to meditate on deeper meanings without even knowing it. But on Oct. 12 – 14, visitors will have the opportunity to view rocks from even more different angles: from the
palms of their hands. The Rock City Park Gem and Mineral Show, now in its sixth year, will showcase approximately 15–20 vendors and the semiprecious stones and minerals they bring with them. Sellers from Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York will be in attendance, Dale Smith said, bringing with them See Rock City Show page 9
Artist Brian Naber Stone Heads Inspire Contemplation By Mary Fox
Ellicottville boasts of an impressive number of artistically talented individuals in a variety of mediums. “Ellicottville is a town with a great appetite for the experimental, a place where artists offer their wares to an enthusiastic audience that cheers their unique visions,”
said Todd Plough, an American impressionist artist living locally. Brian Naber, a carver of wood and stone, like many artists, pursues his art purely for his own satisfaction. He began woodcarving over 40 years ago when he participated in a carving course, taking his inspiration from nature and
Egyptian hieroglyphics. Brian’s natural talent has produced a collection of expertly detailed wooden pieces including birds, decoys and a 2-foot-by-4-foot wall carving of the biblical burning bush. He has also created unique coffee and side tables from, “wood from our woods See Brian Naber page 2
Ward, Miller Attend Summit for Smarter Schools School Renovation Designs Nearing Completion By Jann Wiswall
ECS Superintendent Mark Ward and Middle/High School Principal Bob Miller joined some 2,000 students, parents, educators and legislators for a Summit for Smarter Schools at Kleinhan’s Music Hall in Buffalo on Wednesday, Oct. 2. According to the Partnership
for Smarter Schools, the sponsor of the summit, the organization is a grassroots effort “formed over the summer of 2012 for the purpose of studying the current set of New York State Education Department reform initiatives, including the new Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR)
process and the system of state-mandated, high-stakes standardized assessments that form the basis for determining student progress.” The partnership maintains that there is “overwhelming research that shows that the way NYSED is using student See Smarter Schools page 10