THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE AND THE TOWNS OF ELLICOTTVILLE, GREAT VALLEY AND MANSFIELD,
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 50 FREE www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
NY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013
B4BC Board-a-Thon is This Saturday By Jann Wiswall
© 2013 KEYSTONE DESIGNERS
The Boardroom and Holiday Valley have pulled out all the stops to make this year’s Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) Board-a-Thon the absolute best yet! If all goes according to plan, the event will meet or exceed its goal of raising $20,000 for B4BC and the Buffalo area’s Women’s Oncology Program at Camp Good Days. The Board-a-Thon has lots to offer. Morning snowboarding clinics will be taught by the pros of the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. Register in the Birdie Room on the top floor of the Holiday Valley Lodge. At noon, you can sign up for the Tribute Ride at the Mountain Top Warming Hut where, for a $10 donation, you’ll receive a pink cowbell courtesy of Holiday Valley’s newest sponsor, I-Evolve. At 12:30 p.m., the mountain will be filled with the sound of ringing bells as skiers and boarders descend, drawing attention to the fight against breast cancer and encouraging all to participate in big or little ways throughout the day. Also at noon, the alwayspopular Chinese and silent auctions for unique items, gift baskets and snowsport accessories begins on the top floor of the Holiday Valley Lodge and runs all afternoon. Samantha Timkey from The Boardroom said they have scored some amazing donated items for this year’s event including a signed Gilbert Perreault Buffalo Sabres jersey, Scott Chandler Buffalo Bills autographed football, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Marcell Dareus Buffalo Bills autographed photos, items from the Buffalo Bisons and Rochester Americans, Smith I/O goggles, a ton of Under Armour gear, some awesome Betty Rides goodies and a GNU B Pro board signed by Barrett Christy! But, you don’t have to be a skier or snowboarder to See B4BC page 11
Rte. 219 Corridor Development Committee Tries to Jumpstart Process By Jann Wiswall
Cattaraugus County’s Route 219 Corridor Development Committee met for the first time in nearly two and a half years on Wednesday, Feb. 13, and it was clear that enthusiasm for the project had not waned, despite the absence of progress at the state level. The project involves building a four-lane divided highway extension of Rte. 219 approximately 20 miles from where it currently ends
at the dual-span bridge over Cattaraugus Creek in West Valley and continues south to I-86 in Salamanca. The highway is intended to keep large trucks and heavier traffic away from the many small towns and villages along the current Rte. 219, including Ellicottville, and provide better commuter access to Buffalo and the airport. This section of 219 also completes the NY section of what will someday be a
north-south route known as “Continental 1” that goes from Toronto, Canada, to Miami, Florida. Most of the roads on the Continental 1 route already exist or are under construction. Only 269 miles still need funding to complete the project. New York State funding for the Rte. 219 extension and many other highway projects in western New York was pulled in 2008 because of a See Route 219 page 14
Make Plans for the Penguin Paddle Feb. 23
The Penguin Paddle, the annual fundraiser for Holiday Valley’s Lounsbury Adaptive Program, is scheduled for
Saturday, Feb. 23. The main event is a race by age group in which kids and grownups alike climb inside of garbage bags and slide on their bellies “penguin style” down the lower section of the Yodeler slope to the finish line. The Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program was founded 25 years ago to honor the memory of Bill Lounsbury, a Holiday Valley Ski Patrol member who lost a leg to cancer in the 1980s. Lounsbury, who soon taught himself to ski on one leg, died of the disease in 1988,
and donations came to the Ski Patrol as memorials. These funds were used to establish this non-profit organization that teaches disabled children and adults about the joys of skiing. Since its inception, hundreds of mentally and physically disabled individuals have taken lessons with volunteers who are specially trained in adaptive ski teaching methods. Fundraising efforts such as the Penguin Paddle support the purchase and maintenance See Penguin Paddle page 11
School Capital Improvement Project Addresses Health and Safety Concerns By Jann Wiswall
At a community informational meeting on February 12, Ellicottville Central Schools Superintendent Mark Ward made a PowerPoint presentation describing the goals and objectives of the capital improvement project. The presentation included photographs of various parts of the school buildings that were identified by a 2010 State Building Condition Survey as health and safety violations – primarily in areas built in 1962. The photographs showed evidence of leaking roofs in the gymnasium and other
parts of the building that date from 1962; cracked and broken masonry in numerous locations; inadequate electrical infrastructure in rooms built in 1962 (which only have two electrical outlets each. making it necessary to use extension cords, power strips and exposed wiring to run today’s educational tools); overcrowded rooms for the bands and chorus, and inaccessible restrooms and other areas for students and visitors with disabilities. In addition, Ward noted that the elementary wing has severe and worsening airflow and
ventilation problems that could be hazardous to students’ and teachers’ health. Ward explained that about 85 percent of the proposed Capital Improvement Project costs are related to these maintenance, health and safety/security concerns and that the remaining 15 percent – which includes adding a 100’ x 50’ addition to the back of the existing gymnasium – is the most practical and affordable way the architects found to create a multi-purpose gymnasium that meets the needs of 21st century schools and provides adequate See Capital Project page 6
Village to Hold Public Hearing Local Law May Establish Trash Collection Fee By Jann Wiswall
The Village of Ellicottville’s Board of Trustees agreed Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, to hold a public hearing on the village’s proposed local law to establish a fee of $20 per quarter per residential unit for solid waste collection and disposal. The trash collection fee, if approved, will be billed with residents’ water and sewer bills. For permanent village residents over the age of 70, the fee will be $10 per quarter. The public hearing will be held on March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall.
Other issues addressed by the board at Monday’s meeting included: Sign Ordinances: Mayor Charles Coolidge suggested that the board review the village’s sign ordinance and policies. He noted that the existing law may need some tweaking and that there needs to be more effort placed on enforcement. The board agreed to take up this issue for review. Constable’s Report: Village Constable Howard Gifford reported that 48 traffic summonses and 14 warnings were issued in the month
of January. In addition, 44 parking tickets were issued by the constable and one by the Ellicottville Town Police Department, with $2,690 in fees from parking tickets collected during the month. There were seven open container complaints and two public urination complaints. In addition, village police responded to two calls to the Wingate hotel and to a motor vehicle accident on Route 242 near Route 219. East Tank Water Project: Village Engineer Mike Smith See Village Board page 4