THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD,
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 32
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www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2013 By Jann Wiswall
Everyone agrees that this is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit the Southern Tier and take in the fall color. It’s also a great time of year
Local Wildlife Observation
© 2013 KEYSTONE DESIGNERS
to observe wildlife either passing through or preparing for winter, said Mark Kandel, regional wildlife manager for the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. Many migrating species of birds are especially prevalent this time of year, Kandel said. Migratory Canada geese, mallard, wood and black ducks and even swans are heading south from Ontario, and there’s a good chance of seeing them at almost any time of day. The large numbers of resident Canada geese also are active this time of year, spending lots of time moving between their nighttime roosting areas near water to their daytime feeding areas. Turkeys are on the move in the fall and are busy “flocking up” for the winter. This is also a good time to listen for Barred, Screech and Saw-whet owls who make their presence known with their distinctive sounds. Kandel said that dusk is the best time to see mammals, and some of the best places to see them (as well as many of the birds mentioned above) are near chopped corn or hay fields — favorite feeding spots for hundreds of critters. Deer, of course, are plentiful in the region and spend a lot of their time feeding in agricultural fields. Red and gray fox also frequent the field in search of mice and other small mammals, as do coyotes. Many other mammals make their homes in the acres and acres of forests in the region. Black bears will be busy feeding until food becomes scarce. Kandel said that this year there has been See Wildlife Observation page 7
Cemetery Dedication Ceremony Nov. 14
Jefferson Street Cemetery Named to National Register of Historic Places By Alicia Dziak
Three years ago, Gail Carucci, a summertime resident of Ellicottville, attended an Ellicottville Historical Society meeting. During the meeting, it was announced that work on the Bryant Hill
Cemetery had been completed, and next, the town was hoping to tackle the Jefferson Street Cemetery. Carucci was immediately interested in helping with the project and the rest is history. “Mary Elizabeth Dunbar, our town historian, provided me a list of those that were buried there, according to a 1957 walk through by the DAR,” said Carucci. “I took pictures of all the headstones and monuments, and began researching.” The first goal of the committee was to get the cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “The application was a very involved process and required a lot of research,” Carucci explained. “We needed to show how and when the property became a cemetery, but because the records were destroyed in a fire, we didn’t See Jefferson Street Cemetery page 7
Charity Event: Guinness World Record Attempt ‘Most People Doing a Headstand Simultaneously in One Place’ They’ve become a local sensation and everyone is doing them! Doing what? Headstands, that is, and on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, at 12 p.m., Headstands for Humanity
& Holiday Valley Resort invite you, your family, friends, schools and groups to take part in a unique charitable event to break the Guinness World Record for “Most People Doing a Headstand Simultaneously in One Place.” The current World Record is 265 people, set in Germany in 2008, and with your involvement and some practice, the group said they think they can shatter the old record. The event is to be held at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, N.Y., and will be recorded by an aerial photo shoot arranged by Patty Watson, who recently organized human tree- and heartshaped photos in the area. “I love kids and want to help them find opportunities that we didn’t have ourselves,” said Mike Paterniti, organizer of Headstands for Mike Paterniti and Patty Watson met on Tuesday at Katy’s Cafe in Ellicottville to discuss Humanity. photo shoot details. Photo by Jennie Acklin
See Headstands for Humanity page 4
EVL Town Board
Fall Festival Police Issues, Ongoing Projects Reviewed By Jann Wiswall
Joany and Phil Bund attended the Oct. 16, 2013, meeting of the Ellicottville Town Board and reported that their dog was recently hit and killed by a car on Horn Hill Road. They asked for the board’s help getting approval for a 45 mph speed limit there. The road currently is not posted, which means
the speed limit is 55 mph. The Bunds and a number of other neighbors signed a petition requesting the reduced speed limit. Highway Superintendent Dave Golley explained that the request has to go to the county and the State for approval, that a traffic study on the road would have to be conducted and that
the process can be lengthy. The board, however, agreed to get the process started. Supervisor’s Report: Town Supervisor John Burrell reported that the parking lot at the Town Center has been repaved and striped. He said, “It’s the nicest parking lot in Ellicottville See Town Board page 5
External Audit, Committee Reports Reviewed at ECS Board Meeting By Jann Wiswall
The Ellicottville Central School District’s Board is making progress on a number of fronts as the school year gets into full swing. At its meeting on Oct. 15, 2013, the board reviewed the external audit report for the 2012-2013 school year that was prepared by consultants R.A. Mercer. Mercer, which did the
district’s audit for the first time this year, said the process went well and that it was giving the system an “unmodified clean opinion.” While there were some recommendations and footnotes attached to the report, Mercer said that overall the district is in good shape and in good hands with District Treasurer Amy Kilby, who took on the position last winter.
Superintendent’s Report District Superintendent Mark Ward reported that new language related to the APPR plan has been drafted for the teachers’ union contract to ensure it aligns with the approved state plan. The board is reviewing that language and will vote on adopting it at a future meeting. See ECS School Board page 5
Catholic Health Offers Free Dinner Program to Help Women Improve Cardiac Health By Jann Wiswall
Did you know heart disease is the number one health risk among women? And did you know that heart attack symptoms often differ between men and women? According to Dr. Thomas P. Smith, cardiologist with Catholic Health and the
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital’s Heart Center, researchers and physicians over the past decade have been focusing on how heart disease presents itself differently in men and women. While both men and women may experience crushing pain in their chests, women often have much more subtle
symptoms. For example, some women experience unusual shortness of breath or extreme perspiration a few days or even weeks before having a heart attack. Others have irregular back or jaw pain. Stomach flu-like symptoms often are See Cathoilc Health Dinner page 9