THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD,
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 27
NY
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www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2013
Adventure Calls:
Hiking in the Enchanted Mountains By Alicia Dziak
© 2013 KEYSTONE DESIGNERS
Late summer and early fall are great times to enjoy all the hiking the Enchanted Mountains region has to offer. Your next memorable trek is practically in your own backyard, so take advantage of hundreds of miles of trails beckoning hikers of all abilities. Allegany State Park Allegany State Park (ASP), New York’s largest state park, offers 18 hiking trails, ranging from the relatively flat and easy half-mile Bear Springs trail, to the moderate threemile Black Snake Mountain, to the difficult Beehunter Trail on the Red House side, which encompasses 6.5 miles of hilly terrain. Trail maps, found at both the Red House and Quaker rental offices, mark trail distances and level of difficulty so you can select the one that’s perfect for your ability. The ASP trail system links the park with various other trail systems in the state and region, including the Finger Lakes Trail System (www. fltconference.org/trail.) The park’s Conservation Trail, beginning at ASP’s New York/ Pennsylvania border, tackles four miles of difficult terrain within the park, and then continues 177 miles through various area county and state parks to meet the Bruce Trail in Canada. North Country Trail The longest trail that runs through ASP is the North Country Trail, a trail that begins in Crown Point, N.Y., near the Vermont border, and stretches 4,600 miles, spans seven states and links 10 national forests (www.northcountrytrail.org). See Hiking page 5
County Tourism Center Awaits Legislative Consideration
September 10th Republican Primaries
County DA, Two Mansfield Board Candidates
By Jann Wiswall
Registered Republicans in Cattaraugus County have the opportunity to vote next Tuesday, Sept. 10, for County District Attorney, and Republicans in the Town of Mansfield will choose two candidates for Town Board. Running in the countywide
Architect’s rendering of proposed tourism center in Ellicottville By Jann Wiswall
The Cattaraugus County Legislature’s Development and Agriculture Committee was presented with a resolution on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, to contract with the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce to provide $40,000 per
year for 10 years in operating subsidies for a proposed County Tourism Center. The resolution was sponsored by District 5 Republican Legislators Donna Vickman and William Weller, See County Tourism Center page 5
2014 STAR Exemptions Resident Homeowners Required to Register by Dec. 31 By Eva Potter
New legislation was recently passed requiring all homeowners receiving a Basic STAR exemption to register with the New York State Tax Department. The measure is part of a new initiative to protect New Yorkers against inappropriate or fraudulent STAR exemptions. Last week, homeowners who currently receive the Basic STAR (School Tax Relief) exemption received letters from the New York State Department of Taxation with instructions on how to apply
for the Basic STAR exemption for 2014 and subsequent years. The letters contained a STAR code unique to each homeowner for use during the registration process.
Who Must Register? If you are a resident homeowner and currently receive the Basic STAR exemption, you are required to register before Dec. 31, 2013, to continue receiving this benefit. Homeowners do not need to register in order to receive their 2013 STAR exemptions and they will not have to reregister every year.
The Tax Department will be able to verify homeowners’ eligibility in the future based on the information provided during registration. Registration runs through Dec. 31, 2013. If you are a resident homeowner applying for Basic STAR for the first time, you are not affected by this new registration procedure and will still use form RP-425 to be filed with your local assessor.
What About Enhanced STAR Recipients for Seniors? See 2014 STAR page 8
Republican primary for the four-year term as district attorney are incumbent Lori P. Rieman and County Public Defender Mark S. Williams. With no Democrats running in November, this primary likely will determine the election. In Mansfield, two board positions expire this year —
those of James A. Hammond and Donald F. Mosher. Both are running for re-election against a third candidate, Larry A. Johnson. The primary will ask voters to select two of the three, and in November, those two winners will run against Patriot Party challenger Greg See Republican Primaries page 6
EVL Town Board Appoints Assessor, Interim Judge By the Ellicottville Times
At a special meeting of the Ellicottville Town Board on Wednesday, Sept. 4, Harry Weissman was appointed as the new town assessor. Weissman was one of five applicants
interviewed during the meeting in executive session. The position carries a six-year term beginning Oct. 1, 2013. Weissman is the former town supervisor of East Otto and also served a five-year term
as the Town of Ellicottville’s deputy assessor beginning in 2008. Weissman will continue as a realtor with ERA Real Estate in Ellicottville. Current Town of Ellicottville Assessor See Town Board page 11
Ellicottville’s John Chew Inducted
WNY Runners Hall of Fame
By Jann Wiswall
John Chew was inducted into the Western New It probably comes as no surprise to anyone York Runners Hall of Fame. This distinct honor comes to a person whom who knows him, but on Aug. 29, Ellicottville’s many credit for bringing long-distance running to Western New York. Said Tom Donnelly, president of the Hall of Fame, “John has been one of the most visible contributors to the sport in our area for decades — both as an advocate and as coach to Olympians and World Cup runners. His efforts have really set him apart.” Chew got involved with coaching immediately upon his arrival in the U.S. from London with wife Monica to work as a mechanical engineer with General Motors in Lockport. During the 1960s, he coached numerous See Chew Inducted page 3