THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF GREAT VALLEY, NEW YORK
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 33 FREE www.EllicottvilleTimes.com
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012
End of Fall Activities
A Spooky Good Time By Alicia Yeager, ALCS Student Correspondent
There are many interesting Halloween events going on in the area this year, and if you’re up for a good scare, gather some friends and family and get ready for a screaming good time. The Nightmare Hayrides on Sommerville Street in Great Valley is “known to be the scariest haunted attraction of Western New York.” From Oct. 5–28, visitors can get the scare of their lives. The See Spooky Good Time Page 4
The end of the vivid fall colors is the perfect backdrop for hayrides, hauntings and other ghoulish fun in the Enchanted Mountains.
Mansfield Hires Experts to Handle Fire-Related Insurance Claims
Village Board Meeting The Good, Bad and Ugly of Fall Fest
Declares State of Emergency for Purchasing Purposes
Halloween Trick or Treat Set for 6–8 p.m. October 31
By Jann Wiswall
On Monday, Oct. 15, the Town of Mansfield Board of Directors unanimously carried a motion to enlist the services of National Fire Adjustment Co., Inc. (NFA) to handle the complicated insurance claims process related to the fire that destroyed the town’s highway department building and its contents on Sunday, Oct. 7. NFA representatives Bill Troy and Jim Shephard attended the meeting and explained that its licensed insurance adjusters work as advocates for the policyholder – not the insurance company. They know the insurance industry inside and out and will thoroughly research the town policy’s provisions, stipulations and riders to ensure that Mansfield receives the full settlement to which it is entitled. NFA’s first steps will be work with town officials to: -accurately reconstruct the building exactly as it existed – but on paper – and have their estimators provide a thorough valuation; -inventory all contents of the building, such as tools, machines, supplies, office contents, etc., and assign values to each item;
Charred equipment still “parked” in the Mansfield highway dept building that burned to the ground on Oct. 7. -assess the age and value of office item requires preparation all seven vehicles destroyed in of a separate claim. the fire; “NFA knows what to look for -request an advance from the and knows how to read the fine insurance company to cover print. We need the experts to the immediate and urgent costs deal with this so we can focus of converting the old barn into on getting ready for the coming a temporary garage for winter months,” he explained. 2012-13, along with purchase In order to keep things of equipment needed to get moving quickly and efficiently, the transportation department the board approved a motion operational and able to protect to declare a state of emergency the public safety. for purchasing purposes. This “The size and magnitude enables the town to quickly of this claim is beyond the make purchasing decisions expertise of the average for equipment, tools and other person,” said Town Supervisor supplies for the Highway Bob Keis. “You don’t have just department over the next one settlement.” several months. Each vehicle, each tool, each Brad Hurley, deputy highway superintendent, presented estimates for a number of needed services and equipment. The board approved the following: -purchase of a new pickup with plow to replace the town pickup destroyed in the fire; -purchase of a John Deere 544K loader to replace the new loader destroyed in the fire; -purchase of and upgrades to a used contractor’s trailer from J. D. Northrup Construction to house offices and restrooms for highway department staff during the winter; -authorization to contract for necessary upgrades to the old barn that will be used as a temporary garage during the winter. Upgrades include See Mansfield Fire Page 7 Spectacular Fall color Photo by Brooke Potter
Sprague’s Safety Concerns at Fillmore Street Garbage Bids Received Mayor Charles Coolidge called the regular meeting of the Village of Ellicottville to order at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2012. The meeting opened with two public hearings on two new local laws: Law 3 addresses the rules and regulations regarding water service to village residents and businesses; Law 4 amends the village procurement policy, the use of best value standards for bids and purchasing equipment, which permits purchasing based on other criteria, not just the lowest price. The public hearings were held open for the duration of the meeting, and since there were no public comments, both motions to accept the laws passed. Several people attended the meeting to discuss the good, bad and ugly of Fall Fest 2012. Before comments from the floor were received, Mayor Coolidge made several comments.
“Fall Fest has been a problem for quite a few years,” he said, citing issues with open containers, public drinking and urination, yelling swearing and fighting. “During the daytime hours, visitors pose no problems – it is the evening, after-dark crowds that create the issues, with more assaults this year than ever in the past.” He did speak up for his Village Constable Gifford and Officer Dunkleman, who walked the village instead of patrolling in cars. “Fall Fest is too big,” commented Coolidge. Comments from the public included wanting to know why more police officers weren’t walking the perimeter and side streets, why 65 busloads of college kids were permitted, and why a call to the police department for a patrol request to rid an area of a large noisy
crowd took three calls to finally get a response. “How do we control the problem?” was asked several times, as well as “Why weren’t violators to the open container law being ticketed?” “It’s not a FESTival any more, it’s a FISTival!” commented one member of the audience. Patra Lowes is a member of the Special Events Committee, and she informed everyone that there will be a meeting on Monday, Oct. 22 at 9 a.m., with all committee members and the public is invited to attend. She asked that people come with positive suggestions and ideas for improving the festival, not just to come to rehash the bad issues. Written comments and suggestions can be sent to Patra Lowes at P.O. Box 413, Ellicottville, N.Y. 14731. “We need to rid ourselves See Village Board Page 5
9th Annual Beer & Wine Festival Nov. 9-10 Brewmaster’s Dinner Kicks Off Event at Holiday Valley Cleanse your palates for the 9th annual Beer and Wine Festival taking place Nov. 9–10, 2012, hosted by Holiday Valley, Ellicottville Brewing Company and Southern Tier Brewery. The weekend kicks off on Friday, Nov. 9 with the fifth annual Beer & Food Pairing Event with hors d’oeuvres starting at 6 p.m. at Tannenbaum Lodge. Beer aficionados will appreciate carefully planned pairings with complementary hors d’oeuvres and food station selections. Meet and greet the brewers from popular microbreweries to get the inside scoop on your favorite craft beers. Food stations open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $65 per person. Reservations are required and
limited. Call (716) 699-2345 to make your reservation or visit www.holidayvalley.com. The swish and swirl weekend continues on Saturday, Nov. 10 with the Beer and Wine Festival, with Big Leg Emma providing live Americana roots rock music. Head for Yodeler Lodge from 3:30–7:30 p.m. to sample over 100 of the best boutique beers from more than 30 New York State and American craft breweries. You can look forward to samples from Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, Great Lakes, Erie Brewing, Saranac, Southern Tier, Ellicottville Brewing, John Harvard’s, Ithaca, Rohrbach, Woodchuck, Custom Beer Crafters, Butter Nutts, Original Sin Cider, Harpoon, Voodoo, Smutty Nose, Long Trail,
Hebrew, Otter Creek and more. Vintners from New York, Southern Ontario, and Ellicottville will be on hand to chat about their local wines. Check out body and legs from favorites like Fulkerson, Fox Run, Miles, Heron Hill, Merritt and the Winery of Ellicottville. Tickets for the Beer and Wine Tasting event are $45 per person presale until Nov. 2 and include a $5 food voucher. Tickets after Nov. 2 are $55 per person. Remember – don’t drink and drive. Take the free shuttle service from the Inn at Holiday Valley, Tamarack Club, Alpine Meadows, Wildflower and Snow Pine Village. And be respectful of Ellicottville’s Open Container law.