Visions | 2019

an OLEAN TIMES HERALD special edition

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

A YEAR IN REVIEW A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE VISIONS OF INDUSTRY

MORE INSIDE African American Center for Cultural Development moves forward with DRI ... page A-3 Cattaraugus County IDA aims to help small business with sales tax break ... page A-7 Local seasonal tourist destinations mull the threat of climate change ... page B-3

2019

Connect 4 school districts plan to make progress with new programs, clubs, initiatives ... page B-6

Smaller manufacturers key to strong economic future

By BOB CLARK

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — While the era of Daystr om, Hysol, AVX and Dal-Tile are gone, local leaders still see manufacturing as key to the area’s economic future.

But much of it will be on a smaller scale, with many firms filling the gaps.

“To me, it’s a critical demographic for us to grow,” said Larry Sorokes, chief executive officer of the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s more realistic for us to attract and grow that size of company than the more massive manufacturers.

“Clearly, we’re looking to companies like those to produce jobs at a higher pay rate, but also attract those with education in the given fields,” he said. “They tend to stabilize communities by providing higher-paying jobs, but also a career path.”

Jeff Belt, CEO of SolEpoxy in North Olean and co-chairman of the

s t n eve

“Any job growth will come from small and medium manufacturers, and especially locally-owned business. There’s not that many big factories to chase…

I think the small and medium manufacturers now make up the majority of manufacturing jobs in the region.”

— Jeff Belt, CEO of SolEpoxy in North Olean and co-chairman of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council

Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, said finding largescale manufacturers to move to the region is virtually unheard of.

“Any job growth will come from small and medium manufacturers, and especially locally-owned business,” Belt said.

“There’s not that many big factories to chase… I think the small and medium

manufacturers now make up the majority of manufacturing jobs in the region.”

Attracting and expanding the businesses can be a challenge, Belt added, but it’s possible.

“What drives my business is innovation,” he said, with a push to invent new compounds to solve a given problem for a customer.

In order to do that, he needs engineers, technicians and other problem-solvers.

“These are people with very high skills, and they can choose to move anywher e,” he said. “The theory is make the commu nity attractive, and the jobs will follow.”

He pointed to efforts in Corning by the Houghton family following the Flood of 1972, choosing to restore Market Street buildings instead of leveling them for new con struction. The historic Gaffer District today has been such a draw that Corning Inc. still maintains its research and development Future ... page A-2

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

Farmers’ market groundbreaking set for this spring in Olean

By BOB CLARK

downtown on the weekends and tempting them to stop into the stores OLEAN — After and restaurants along the jumping locations, false way — Lincoln Park was starts, bidding woes and finally tapped as the site. some opposition, the city The plans call for a of Olean farmers’ market 210-by-34-foot structure, is set to break ground occupying a large portion this spring in Lincoln of the southern side of the Park. park. The wings would Discussed for years, flank a central enclosed city officials began area for restrooms. The seeking funding for a building will feature rollpermanent farmers’ down vinyl windows, market downtown near which will protect sellers the Olean Center Mall. and visitors from the eleMall ownership declined ments. A hedgerow along offers to allow the conEast State Street with an struction, preferring iron gateway in the midan indoor, rent-paying dle is planned. proposition which the Designers said while farmers’ market sellers aiming for a rustic feeling rejected, and officials common to farmers’ marbegan to look elsewhere. kets, they hoped to chanThe triangle of land nel the history of the park, between Whitney Avenue especially of the mansion and the Western New once home to Frank W. York and Pennsylvania Higgins, the 35th goverRailroad was eyed, as nor of New York. The site being the former city of his home is now the police station it was former Community Bank already owned by the building. city. But the proximity to Once completed, the the tracks, the size of the facility will be operlot and a lack of park ated by the city’s parks ing meant that idea was department. another dead end.

The existing monuAfter ruling out loca- ments will be untouched tions like War Vets Park under the plan, as will and Gargoyle Park for the gazebo erected by being too far from the the Olean Rotary Club, Walkable Olean projects the old city hall bell and and downtown busithe Santa Claus house nesses — the idea being in the southwest corner. to draw more shoppers Rotarians have expressed

Olean Times Herald file photo

Olean Times Herald

The proposed Lincoln Park Farmers’ Market (rendering shown) is set to be under construction in April.

a desire to improve the gazebo with a focus on live performances, but have not detailed any plans at this time.

Five trees will be cut down of the 65 now in the park, and one planted in 2017 will be moved to a new location.

The largest tree in the park will be left alone, however, believed to have been planted by President Theodore Roosevelt, a friend of Higgins.

Olean Mayor Bill Aiello said the city’s share will be roughly $230,000, while the county and state have but forth a combined $1.02 million in grant assistance. He noted the costs of engineering and architectural work were funded by Jeff Belt and SolEpoxy.

Contracts were award-

ed in February for the project. The work is to be performed by general contractor Kinley Corp. of Western New York, plumbing contractor Ciancio Plumbing and electrical contractor KelKur Electrical of Olean.

All told, the total base bid package was just under $960,000, while the bid for all services including both alternate plans was $1.06 million.

The bids do not include an estimated $156,000 in structural wood components and $39,000 in playground equipment, which the city will acquire on its own for contractors to install, said Bob Ring, director of the city’s Department of Public Works.

The project was first put up for bid in the spring of 2018, but the bids were recalled, the project split among its various parks, and rebid

Olean during the early 1990s. The market has called several locations home during its time in Olean, including War Vets Park and the Jamestown Community College Cattaraugus County Campus.

But other uses are vital, said Alderman Nate Smith, R-Ward 6.

While noting the decline of the region over the past half century, he likened it to a sporting event and a need to try new ideas to better position the city.

“While I don’t think we’re in the last 30 sec onds and need a ‘Hail Mary,’ I do think we’re in the last five minutes and we need to try some creative plays,” Smith said, noting the farmer ’s market meets that metaphor. “It’s been tagged as a farmers’ market … we want to make this more than just a farmers’ market.”

Working with groups like the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce and finding a catchy name for the property should be priorities, he said.

“A covered pavilion in the center of the city has 1,001 uses,” he added.

in July. Unfortunately, the timing was not good, officials said, and only one bid — about $250,000 over the project’s budget — was submitted.

The Common Council approved a $1.25 million bond on March 27, with a local share of the project expected to be around $230,000. The Cattaraugus County Legislature contributed another $200,000, and several state programs allocated grants to cover the remaining expenses.

Once completed, Rural Enterprise Association of Proprietors is slated to handle the Saturday morning markets.

REAP currently operates in the Olean Center Mall parking lot. Created by the then-Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus and (Contact reporter-editor Allegany Counties in Bob Clark at bclark@olean 1988, REAP opened its timesherald.com. Follow him first farmers’ market in on Twitter, @OTHBob)

FUTURE

From page A-1

operations in the community despite similar firms in the region sending the jobs across the country or around the world.

That’s why Belt spends so much time on efforts like the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and funding efforts to put a permanent farmer’s market in Lincoln Park.

“Part of it is self-serving,” he said, noting as an Oleander, he wants to take care of his community. “The nice thing about investing in people and places is even if you don’t get that economic development, you still have a nice downtown, you still have an advanced manufacturing institute to train your children — but it does attract development.”

HERE’S A LOOK at some highlights from the area’s smaller manufacturers this year: n Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pa., announced it will acquire substantially all of the assets of Northern Lights Enterprises, Inc., a Wellsville-based manufacturer of candles and accessories.

Northern Lights, founded in 1978, sells machineand hand-made candles to small- and mid-size boutiques under its brand name, as well as to mass market retailers under other brands.

“Northern Lights gives Zippo new capabilities and expertise in candles, and our system can create opportunities to grow the Northern Lights brand worldwide,” said Zippo President and CEO Mark Paup. “Northern Lights is a great brand to add to the Zippo family, and we’re looking forward to continuing Northern Lights’ growth into an even stronger and widely recognized international brand.

Northern Lights also gives us access to markets which pair well with Zippo products, and offers new segments and opportunities.”

“The Northern Lights team is extremely excited to be joining Zippo Manufacturing Company,” said Northern Lights founders Andy & Tina Glanzman. “Northern Lights is a fantastic business with committed and passionate employees, a great company culture and history, and enormous domestic and international potential. Being part of the Zippo family will enable us to take the business to

Old Collectible Books Coffee Table Books Children’s Books Cookbooks Craft Books Historical Fiction & Non-fiction Bestsellers Olean Times Herald file photo

Andy Glanzman, owner of Northern Lights Enterprises of Wellsville, shows U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., products of the facility on Andover Road during a 2014 tour. Zippo Manufacturing Co. of Bradford, Pa., announced it is acquiring the business.

the next level and grow farther and faster.

“We would like to send out a huge thank you to our customers and to everyone on the Northern Lights team who have helped us build this wonderful business and brand,” they added.

“We look forward to the next exciting chapter in Northern Lights’ vision to bring creatively designed, socially responsible products to market that will inspire consumers on a daily basis. We’re looking forward to brightening the world together.”

Officials reported that production will remain at the Andover Road facilities, with the Glanzmans and existing staff staying on.

Zippo officials noted the offering will diversify the business portfolio.

While best-known for its brass lighters, other Zippoowned brands include W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co., which has been manufacturing knives in the area since 1889; and Ronson, with the firm owning related brands in North America since 2010.

Officials hope to use Zippo’s existing international channels to begin globalizing the Northern Lights brand. n A city manufacturer in the chemical industry marked its 60th birthday in 2018.

Elantas PDG, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the German company Elantas Electrical Insulation, announced the Olean firm’s 60th anniversary in November.

Russell M. Houghton of Olean started Conap Co. in 1958 in an old grocery store at 619 S. Union St. It has operated since the 1970s at its present location at 1405 Buffalo St. in Olean, under various names. Currently, Conap products are used in electronics, electrical and specialty adhesive applica-

tions around the globe.

Elantas acquired the Conap Formulated Resins from Solvay in 2017.

Elantas is a division of German specialty chemical company Altana, which employs about 6,000 people worldwide and generated sales of more than $2 billion in 2016. The business will be integrated into Elantas PDG, based in St. Louis, Mo. The driver in the purchase of the Olean facility, officials said, was the staff — with almost a dozen research and development specialists, plus dozens of others who show what the Southern Tier can do in a science-driven industry. n Four Mile Brewing is ready to start the next step in securing its place in local manufacturing history.

In 2017, almost 500 cases of the firm’s Allegheny IPA and Pale Ale brews were canned with the help of a portable beer canning rig from Rochester, but now the firm is eyeing its own production lines thanks to help from the state.

When the Downtown Revitalization Initiative award recipients were named in July, it was little surprise to see an allocation for the brewery.

The state awarded $411,250 to expand the facility, with canning equipment first on the list of work to be done — allowing the firm to add more jobs and can beer whenever needed. In addition, the aid also will support a roof replacement on the pre-war brewery building, as well as a space renovated for a commercial tenant and two apartments. The project listed an anticipated December 2019 completion date.

(Contact reporter-editor Bob Clark at bclark@olean timesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @OTHBob)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

VISIONS OF REVITALIZATION

African American Center for Cultural Development takes step forward with DRI-funded project

By BOB CLARK

Olean Times Herald file photo

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — The push is on to bring the renewed African American Center for Cultural Development back to life.

Della Moore, the director of the African American Center, continues to meet and brainstorm with area leaders on how to raise additional funds for the renovation of the center’s future new home at an historic Olean church at 201 E. State St., owned by Kevin Dougherty.

In July, the state awarded $225,000 in aid to the project, one of 12 projects to split the $10 million prize. In November, Moore had announced the nonprofit needed to raise $65,000 as its portion of the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant received last year for the renovation project.

“We really want to garner support for what we’re doing because we’re shy of monies for the grant partnership,” Moore said. “People are thinking that we have that grant, so we’re set, but they don’t know that we’re shy” of the needed funds for the project.

“I am champing at the bit, I want to get in ther e — I want to get in ther e,” Moore said.

Despite the lack of a facility, however, Moore

Owner Kevin Dougherty (left) gives a tour of 201 E. State St., the planned site for the African American Center for Cultural Development.

kitchen with deep fryers for sharing “Della said that Scientist, which held continues to run center’s in 1839 for St. Stephen’s Southern cooking has to the pews. meetings in the building activities thanks to venues Episcopal Church on have a deep fryer,“ he That and slowly fixing into the 1990s.

South Barry Street. In and support provided said, with a large commuit up. In 2017, Dougherty The building was 1888, the building was through several entities nity kitchen adding many began roof repairs. purchased and moved to repurposed into a church in the community. They possibilities for the space.

“Within the next five in 2012 under the name the corner of East State include St. Stephen’s But that’s expensive, he years, it’s going to need Fresh Joy Ministries, but Episcopal Church, where and North Barry Streets, said, with fire suppression a (full) roof,” he said, did not remain open for remodeled and used multiple activities are and ventilation systems adding he also hopes to long at that location. by the Congregational held year-round; the also needed.

Dougherty purchased the restore the original ceilChurch.

Olean Public Library, If it were a business, it ing and possibly add back would possibly be a losWhen the building was structure in 2015. which hosts displays for the balcony over the front ing proposition without And the building moved, Dougherty said the Center; and Bethany doors.

“Bringing back received some work this much of the glasswork Lutheran Church, which help from the DRI. some of the original archidecade, with sheetrock hosts Juneteenth celebra- and architectural flourBut, Dougherty said, tecture would be amaztions. ishes of the building were and a suspended ceiling “our goal isn’t to make “There’s a whole trea- put in place. installed, as well as some ing.” money … You’re showing From renovating the sure trove of people who “You try rolling a plumbing work. a more intangible asset to stained glass to making are involved in this and church down the street Since taking over the the community, which is the building Americans the experiences,” Moore without damaging the space, storage has been culture.” with Disabilities Actsaid. windows,” he joked. “It the name of the game, probably took 50 horses.” Dougherty said — some compliant, there’s much (Contact reporter-editor to be done. In addition, ACCORDING TO the In 1906, it was purof the equipment from Bob Clark at bclark@olean Dougherty said the cen- timesherald.com. Follow him chased by the First Times Herald archives, the former Attard’s restaurant is being stored in ter would like a large Church of Christ, the building was erected on Twitter, @OTHBob)

DRI building fund ready to be tapped by OBD

Olean Times Herald file photo

The $13 million renovation of the former Manufacturers Hanover building is the keystone project of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative in Olean.

By BOB CLARK

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — Downtown building owners are already starting the process to tap into part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

Olean Business Development, which is handling a $600,000 building improvement grant program funded by the DRI, hosted its first meeting with prospective applicants in February.

Grant money is becoming available to property owners within the designated area of the city’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative zone. The funding is meant for building renovations focused on facade upgrades, as well as renovations to building interiors.

The rules are based off of the New York Main Street program through the state Office of Community Renewal, which has proven popular. In 2015, OBD secured $300,000 to help 10 local commercial property owners, averaging around $45,000 in aid. The program proved so popular that within a few months all of the funds were allocated and applicants were being turned away.

In early 2018, OBD officials estimated up to 25 property owners could be assisted with $600,000.

Grants are capped at $100,000 per property owner, and the owner will be responsible for investing the equivalent of at least 20 percent of the award amount. Building owners inside the DRI target zone — a 480-acre area from Olean General Hospital south to the Allegheny River and Olean Creek west to Sixth Street — may apply for the aid.

OBD officials said the projects should aim to restore and improve properties using Olean’s form-based code, state historic preservation criteria and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The projects should also aim to improve commercial success, and officials hope to promote public-private investment and collaboration downtown.

Workshops are also being planned for applicants to help prepare for the projects.

The form-based code sets standards for reuse with an emphasis on maintaining or restoring original historic building features where practical.

The fund was one of 12 pr ojects to receive $9.7 million in DRI funds fr om the state. Recipients are supposed to have all projects completed within five years.

(Contact reporter-editor Bob Clark at bclark@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @OTHBob)

Four private renovation projects get DRI assistance in 2018

By BOB CLARK

Street. After the library moved out, the building was rented to tenants including OLEAN — Various buildthe Olean Historical Society ing renovations are on tap for and the Cattaraugus County the Downtown Revitalization Department of Aging. The last Initiative funding awarded in tenants left in 1979.

July.

Restauranteur and business community pillar Louis "Louie" n Manny Hanny Marra purchased the buildThe $2 million allocation ing from the library in 1982 as to help redevelop the former demolition loomed, eventually Manufacturers Hanover buildinvesting more than $1 million ing at 101 N. Union St. is con into renovation and additions sidered by many to be the keybefore opening the Old Library stone of the DRI in Olean. The Restaurant. In 1988, the family project, to be led by Savarino purchased what is now the Old n Old Library Companies of Buffalo, would Library Inn, converting it into A $719,500 allocation to turn the seven-story vacant the city’s first bed and breakrenovate the Old Library and building into a restaurant, and return it to a seven-day-a-week fast. boutique hotel, and fill it with Marra died in 1990 from a restaurant is also progressing. market-rate and luxury apartheart attack while bicycling, The $1.52 million project ments. would create up to 65 new jobs and the family continued what The developer and the build- — based on the employment he started. However, the family ing’s owner, the city Urban figures when the restaurant was closed the restaurant side of the Renewal Agency, are working business in 2012, focusing on open every day plus the jobs through the sale agreements catering and special events. in the spa, future owner Dan and due diligence periods.

DeCerbo said, with many being The building opened for n Custom Shoe and 319-321 full-time positions. Next door, business as First National N. Union St. in the Victorian home now Bank on April 1, 1915.

Two former commercial known as the Old Library Inn, Advertisements in the Olean will be renovated into a day spa buildings also received grants Evening Times touted several from the program. facility. reasons to choose the structure, The owners of the former The library was one of including advertising value Custom Shoes Repair building almost 1,700 built between of the building and its central, at 211 N. Union St. received 1883 and 1929 with funds prominent location — all things from Andrew Carnegie, the a grant of $194,250 to renoofficials hope will help sell Scottish immigrant who made vate the structure. Giovenna space in it today.

Development purchased the his fortunes in the steel mills The final businesses moved of Pittsburgh. For almost 70 property in 2015, and the out by 1994, with the building years, the building housed the property’s ground floor tenant, sitting vacant for more than Custom Shoe Repair, closed in Olean Public Library. But by two decades. Following the last the 1970s, space and accessibil- 2016 after decades of operation. tenants leaving, the property ity concerns forced the library The grant aimed to allow was purchased in 1994 by local to move to the former Loblaws funds for facade improvements businessman Louis Magnano of supermarket on North Second and exterior renovations, while Olean Times Herald

Park Center Development and Buffalo-based developer Carl Paladino, who were unable to capitalize on a $700,000 Restore New York grant because of a lack of “gap funding” — the amount between the value of the work that can be capitalized through loans, grants and tax credits, and the total cost of the project. They sold it to Dunkirk-based Southern Tier Environments for Living in 2004, which in turn sold it to the city’s URA in 2010.

the group aims to create retail or office space on the ground floor and four loft-style apartments on the upper floors Paul Petruzzi, an Olean native practicing law in Miami, received $100,000 to complete a $400,000 renovation project at 319-321 N. Union St. The building had been long vacant, and in the mid-2010s the rear wall and part of the roof collapsed shortly after Petruzzi purchased the structure. Working to stave off cityordered demolition, the necessary repairs were completed to stabilize the building.

DRI funds will complete Phase II, including framing and rough mechanicals for the first floors and basements of each building to accommodate restaurants or other commercial tenants.

The award for $10 million was announced in September 2017, with $300,000 allocated to consultants to help with planning. Working from November to March, a local planning committee made up of government officials and leaders from business, nonprofit and other sectors led with the help of a consultant group to develop a strategic investment plan for the DRI area, selecting 23 projects to send to Albany for final approval.

(Contact reporter-editor Bob Clark at bclark@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @OTHBob)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF REVITALIZATION

City gears up for five DRI projects

By BOB CLARK

Olean Phase III, which is aimed at East State Street west of Olean Creek.

OLEAN — More conThe project includes a struction is on the way for widened sidewalk on downtown thanks to the the north side of the Downtown Revitalization street to allow for better Initiative. pedestrian and bicycle In January, the access between the heart Common Council of downtown to the unanimously authorized Allegheny River Valley Mayor Bill Aiello to sign Trail, War Vets Park and an agreement with the points east.

New York Department of n $900,000 to improve State for $5.45 million in the North Union Street reimbursement for five streetscape. projects as part of the n $350,000 to improve Downtown Revitalization Oak Hill Park.

Initiative.

The city received five Council President awards in July through John Crawford, D-Ward the $10 million program, 5, noted that all but the totaling more than half of allocation for Oak Hill the dollars received from Park were approved as the program: requested, while Aiello n $1.6 million to imple- noted the state cut around ment streetscape improve- $150,000 from the requestments on West State ed amount for the park.

Street.

“Down the road, we’ll n $1.4 million to have to look,” at either improve the South Union securing more funding Street Gateway Corridor for the project or decidby eliminating a traffic ing what to scale back, signal and replacing it said Crawford, whose with a roundabout, as ward includes the park well as a proposed sheland was one of the chief tered bicycle lane. proponents of the effort n $1.2 million to along with Olean Theatre implement Walkable Workshop. “As we move Olean Times Herald

Olean Times Herald file photo

All four of Downtown Olean's main streets will see work thanks to the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

forward, I’m willing to say we need to do this project right.”

The timetables for the projects have not been set yet.

Once the contract is signed, said Keri Kerper, coordinator of the city’s Department of Community Renewal, “we can go into the planning phases” with a timetable for the projects readied.

Aiello told the Times Herald that it is expected that Walkable Olean Phase III will be the first

to begin, followed by the work on West State Street and then the efforts on South Union Street. The work on Walkable Olean Phase III should begin late this year or early next year, he added.

The state awarded $10 million DRI grants to a city in each of the 10 regions covered by the state’s economic development councils in mid2017. A governor-appointed local planning committee met from November 2017 to March to vet

projects sent to Albany for final approval. The final awards were announced in July, receiving $9.7 million in grants.

Those funds are to be on a reimbursement basis — the public and private recipients will use alternate funding or loans to perform the work with the state offering funds after work is completed.

Most grant programs utilized by the city for large projects operate under similar rules.

Officials have worked

to secure additional funding for the projects. In 2018, the city applied for a Transportation Alternative Program grant, which is a federally-funded, stateadministered grant. A $541,913 TAP grant was awarded in April 2017 to the city for Walkable Olean Phase 2 along Main Street, which is expected to begin next year.

(Contact reporter-editor Bob Clark at bclark@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @OTHBob)

The development of Oak Hill Park

VISIONS OF INDUSTRY

Photo submitted

The Houghton College Equestrian Center, a 36,400-square-foot facility, was completed by Allegany-based Kinley Corp. in 2018. The firm received the 2018 Master Builder Award from supplier Star Building Systems for the project.

Kinley lands awards from metal building firm

By BOB CLARK

Olean Times Herald

ALLEGANY — It was a busy year for the local con struction industry, and a big year for Kinley Corp. of New York.

While attending the 2019 Star Building Systems National Sales Meeting in Tucson, Ariz., the firm received two awards for 2018: n 2018 Outstanding Builder Award, which is awarded to builders who have 10 per cent or greater of the metal building sales for their r egion for the year. This is the second consecutive year that the firm received this award. n 2018 Master Builder Award. Star Building Systems' Master Builder Awards Program is designed to recognize Star Builders for excellence in design and construction and to encourage professionalism in the building industry. There were 82 buildings submitted for consideration, and Kinley Corp. r eceived the top selection in the Agricultural class for work at the Houghton Equestrian Center.

“2018 was a very exciting year for our team at Kinley Corp.,” said COO Michael Giardini, a 17-year veteran of the company who was pr omoted this year.

Giardini noted a few highlights including that Kinley celebrated 109 years of business in the Southern Tier region of Western New York, while also celebrating one of their biggest years of total constr uction. They also brought on Jimmy Kinley as CEO, a sixth-generation Kinley to be involved in the business.

“Our dedicated crews have been working diligently throughout the harsh winter, giving us some great momentum going into 2019,” Giardini said. “We are so blessed to have this amazing team her e at Kinley, and look forward to continue building relationships with the local community and the surrounding areas.”

Big projects for the year included the Field of Dreams 140-bed assisted living facility in Allegany, the 36,400-square-feet Houghton College Equestrian Center and renovation projects at the Olean City School District. Coming up this year, the firm is the primary contractor on the $1.25 million Lincoln Park farmer’s market project.

Moving forward, the local construction industry will be seeing even more projects.

“The construction industry in the area is doing very well. There is plenty of work in both the private and public sectors,” Giardini said. “The challenge is finding qualified skilled trades people for all the work.”

(Contact reporter-editor Bob Clark at bclark@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @OTHBob)

Olean Times Herald file photos

TOP, MIDDLE: Officials and community members stand in front of the newly restored entrance on the east side of Oak Hill Park on June 16, 2018. The steps were dedicated in honor of Erick and Marianne Laine for their generous gift to make the project possible, which was part of the Olean Parks Beautification Fund they established at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation in 2014. Work began in fall 2017 and was completed earlier this spring, with grants covering the cost of more than $160,000.

Photo provided

A postcard from the early 1900s shows the previous southeastern entrance to Oak Hill Park. As a continuation of developing Oak Hill Park, several proposals were put forward as part of the application for Downtown Revitalization Initiative grants in 2018. Three separate proposals — a restored entrance on the southeastern corner by Jeff Belt; a dog park by Common Council President John Crawford; and a new stage for summertime performances by Olean Theatre Workshop — were submitted. New York state officials have approved $350,000 in funds to execute those further improvements.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF GROWTH

Olean Gateway hotel groundbreaking expected this spring

By BOB CLARK

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — After half a decade of planning, officials say they are almost ready to break ground on the Olean Gateway hotel project.

Peter Krog of Krog Group of Orchard Park, the developer of the site in partnership with Hart Hotels, said in January that his group plans to begin construction on a 90-bedroom Hampton Inn and Suites hotel on the 60-acre brownfield this spring.

The project recently received approval of a modified site plan from the city planning board, reducing the size of the property being encumbered for the hotel project. The remaining property has not yet been developed, but retail and dining establishments are being considered, Krog said. Originally a 110-room Marriott hotel was planned for the site, but a small decrease in rooms and a change in brand were later reported.

Officials hope to be open by the May 2020 St. Bonaventure University graduation.

The initial value of Olean Gateway project was estimated at $16.8

million — $11 million for the hotel and $5.9 million for the retail development. Krog would build to suit up to an additional 100,000 square feet of retail space.

Several agencies will be working with developers to help fund the work. The Olean Local Development Corp. and the city are aiding in acquiring a state Community Development Block Grant of around $800,000 to help cover furnish-

ings and other expenses at the hotel. Developers have also been working with the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency for a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement.

It’s the latest chapter in the site’s history as a center to the city.

From the 19th century, the area has been tied to commerce. The first oil refinery built along what are now the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad tracks was established in

1877 by the Wing, Wilbur and Co. firm, with John D. Rockefeller ’s Standard Oil trust opening another refinery shortly thereafter.

Vacuum Oil bought an existing refinery on the site in 1890 and significantly expanded operations. In 1931 Vacuum merged with Standard Oil of New York to create Socony-Vacuum. The firm merged with Mobil in 1955, and is now part of ExxonMobil, which paid to remediate the site in the 2010s.

The plant closed in the 1960s. Following that, a fertilizer manufacturing complex was constructed by a partnership between Agway and Felmont. That facility operated until the early 1980s.

The decades of industrial refining and other industry came with major environmental costs. Designated a Brownfield Opportunity Area, it took years to remove the many buildings, miles of subterranean piping and many

Olean Times Herald file photo

Officials hope to begin construction of the Olean Gateway project with a 90-room Hampton Inn and Suites this spring on the former brownfield in North Olean.

truckloads of contaminated soil hauled away to make the site safe for rebuilding.

(Contact reporter-editor Bob Clark at bclark@olean timesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @OTHBob)

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A-6

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF INDUSTRY

THE STATE OF MANUFACTURING Leaders of Olean’s biggest manufacturers see positive signs for employment opportunities

By TOM DINKI

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — While last year’s announcement that Wellsville Dresser-Rand facility will close by 2020 certainly painted a dim picture of the state of area manufacturing, there may still be hope for jobs with large manufacturers.

Dresser-Rand and Cutco, which together employ about 1,500 people in the Olean area, both report either making hires in recent months or currently hiring, providing some positive trends in a difficult era for U.S. manufacturing.

Cutlery manufacturer and seller Cutco hired 50 people within the last 18 months, said Cutco President and CEO Jim Stitt Jr. While that number will likely satisfy the company’s workforce needs for the foreseeable future, Stitt said Cutco is also in good position to hold onto those jobs.

“In the big picture we’re focusing on doing the things we need to do to make sure that our company and our operation here in Olean is sustainable long term,” said Stitt, who took over for his father, Cutco executive chairman Jim Stitt Sr., a couple years ago. “Ideally we’d like to see 5 to 8 percent growth in revenue each year. Some years that’s easier than others to get, but that’s sustainably moving the business forward and trying to maintain the jobs that we have here.”

Dresser-Rand recently renewed some hope by placing a sign out front of its Olean facility announcing it’s looking to hire a variety of positions, including machinists, welders and production supervisors.

That announcement comes after Siemans, the parent company of Dresser-Rand, reported last June that an unspecified amount of work would be transferred to the Olean plant from

Olean Times Herald file photo

James M. Stitt Jr., president and CEO of Cutco Corp., and his father, James E. Stitt, executive chairman of the board, speak with an inspector on the production floor Nov. 28, 2017, at the main Cutco facility in East Olean. Stitt Jr. said Cutlery manufacturer and seller Cutco hired 50 people within the last 18 months.

other facilities in North America by the end of 2019.

“Siemens’ Olean facility has a long history in Western New York with roots that date back over a century,” said John Stahley, vice president and general manager of U.S. operations, said at the time. “We are proud to be one of the largest employers in the area and look forward adding to our workforce with good‑paying jobs over the coming months to support anticipated workload.”

There may be other positive signs for the future, too.

In a recent survey, 28 local manufacturers reported they’ve hired 375 full-time employees over the last year and expect to hire approximately 1,000 full-time employees over the next five years, said

Chris Napoleon, president and chief engineer of Napoleon Engineering Services.

Napoleon, whose Olean company has 50 employees and makes bearings for Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets, noted that’s significant when considering U.S. Census data shows 14 percent of Cattaraugus County’s workforce is employed in manufacturing.

That’s second to only health and social services, which is at about 15 percent, he added.

A large reason manufacturers expect to do so much hiring is because much of their current workforce will reach retirement age in the next few years. That’s the case for Cutco.

While Stitt noted manufacturers must strike a balance between innovat-

ing jobs and hiring new people, Cutco certainly can’t innovate all of their retiring workers’ jobs.

“They will need to be replaced and there are future opportunities for people in Olean to have

them work for Cutco,” he said.

There’s been efforts in recent years to prepare young people to fill those jobs.

Dream It Do It Western New York,

which Napoleon sits on the board of directors of, tries to expose students to manufacturing and other STEM activities through its winter camps and competitions like the Dream It Do It 500.

The nonprofit recently helped organize at event at Olean High School in which Mark Andol, founder of the Made in America store that’s gained international notoriety for only selling 100 percent Americanmade products, spoke to approximately 500 local juniors and seniors.

Jamestown Community College is also looking to aid students going into manufacturing, as it’s now offering Workforce Readiness Scholarships to students who take programs through its Manufacturing Technology Institutes.

“Trying to get the kids interested in this sort of stuff and staying local and getting involved in manufacturing, that’s a real important program for us for the future so we do have a workforce ready and able and willing to join our team when these people retire,” Stitt said.

There are still plenty of challenges for U.S. manufacturers. Cheaper costs overseas make the prospect of moving work to foreign countries attractive.

But at least for a family-owned business like Cutco, there’s a strong sense of commitment and responsibility to stay local.

“We love running this business, but we always recognize the importance and the impact that is has on this community.

There’s an awful lot of people that depend on Cutco here in Olean,” Stitt said. “We’re not going anywhere. This is what we’re supposed to be doing.”

(Contact reporter Tom Dinki at tdinki@olean timesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @tomdinki)

A-7

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF DEVELOPMENT

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FULL SET $719 $529 $388 FULL SET $595 breaks to developers of Owner Jason QUEEN SET $795 $549 QUEEN SET $635 $398 KING SET $1,129 $849 million-dollar projects.

Opferbeck is a forKING SET $959 $699 Not any longer. mer operator of the HOT BUYS • HOT BUYS • HOT BUYS • HOT BUYS Besides the multi-million Cattaraugus and dollar projects, an IDA Gowanda wastewaPILLOW TOP COMFORT tax break for smaller ter treatment plants. $ 10 YEAR businesses and start-ups The new IDA program WARRANTY has been established. helped him buy startQUEEN SET LIMITED QUANTITY In September, the IDA up equipment and the WAS NOW board of directors voted company recently hired TWIN SET $895 $609 FULL SET $299 to create a new sales tax a new employee, Wiktor $739 FULL SET $1,049 QUEEN SET $349 QUEEN SET $1,099 $795 break for small business- said.

KING SET $1,425 $995 es and manufacturers.

“These are all good “It’s relatively new in signs. If we can help UP TO 12 MONTHS NO INTEREST FINANCING terms of our process,” some ground floor startsaid IDA Executive up or business get to Howardʼs Home Furnishings Director Corey Wiktor. the next level, it will be 104 N. Oswayo Street • Shinglehouse, PA “We implemented the worth it. They are going (814) 697-6241 program to help small to want to stay here and business.” grow and invest here.”

It’s relatively inexpenOver the years the sive too. The sales tax IDA has helped large benefit costs only a flat manufacturers and enerfee of $125. gy producers, Holiday “Smaller deals get gob- Valley and Holimont, bled up in administrative Ellicottville Brewing Co. and legal fees,” Wiktor and others grow by helpsaid. “It breaks our hearts ing with sales tax, paywhen a small business ments in lieu of taxes or says I want to invest P.I.L.O.T.s and mortgage $100,000 in their business taxes. and asks for our help.”

“It’s hard to be everyAn 8 percent sales tax thing to everyone,” break can go a long way Wiktor said. That’s and give a small busithe reason behind the ness some hegetting roll-out of the sales tax Rugged versatility Rugged versatility is what makes is what Kubota makes tractors Kubotathe tractors perfect the choice perfect forleverage, choice gettingfor said. “If it can shave a exemption for small every job every done right. job done Andright. now the Andpayment now the plan payment is as efficient plan is as as efficient theofmachines. as the dolmachines. couple thousand businesses. that’s real money.”

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Kubota a tractors tractors the perfect the perfect choice choice for getting for getting the word out,” Wiktor Over time, the IDA said.

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“We want them to every job done right. And now the payment plan is as efficient as the machines. approved the sales tax succeed.”

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Wiktor said, “It’s been a nice program that gives us another arrow in our quiver. We need to be as nimble as we can to help the private sector.”

In Opferbeck’s case, he said the IDA was great, with the sales tax exemption allowing him to purchase business materials and other start-up purchases for Rafa Systems office and manufacturing space.

“They will continue to help us grow this year,” he said.

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OLEAN TIMES HERALD

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an OLEAN TIMES HERALD special edition

OF THE SOUTHERN TIER

VISIONS OF NATURE

A new angle on Cattaraugus Creek Lowering Scoby Dam to open up creek to steelhead, attract more sports fishing

By RICK MILLER Olean Times Herald

Next year, the lowering of the Scoby Dan in Springville will start a transformation of more than 50 miles of Upper Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will lower the 38-foot high dam to about 15 feet and install a fish ladder designed to open the Upper Cattaraugus to steelhead trout for the first time in nearly 100 years.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation recently issued a draft plan for the Upper Cattaraugus.

The goal in creating the Upper Cattaraugus Creek Fisheries Management Plan was to maintain and expand high-quality steelhead sports fishing.

The report states: “This project provides a host of benefits including restoring connectivity to over 50 miles of high quality habitat in upstream reaches of Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries, greatly expanding steelhead fishing opportunities in one of New York State’s premier steelhead streams and restoration of the sediment transport process.”

That means state DEC officials also expect the number of sport fishermen coming to

the dam including Clear Creek, the North Branch of Clear Creek, the South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek and Spencer Creek.

Angler surveys in 2016 showed Cattaraugus Creek gets the most steelhead fishing and has the highest catch of any Lake Erie tributary. The Upper Cattaraugus “continues to be one of Western New York’s most heavily used trout streams,” according to the draft plan.

The new fish ladder of the wild rainbow trout will also exclude sea lamin the Upper Cattaraugus prey, an invasive species “may be of steelhead heri- that as an adult adhere tage,” but steelhead genes to fish, eventually killing haven’t gotten past that them. dam since it was built.

With Cattaraugus “We want to get the Creek “one of the biggest Rick Miller/Olean Times Herald fish over the dam and producers of sea lamprey In the next few years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will lower the height restore the (fisheries) sys- on Lake Erie,” the fish of the Scoby Dam on Cattaraugus Creek near Springville. A fish ladder will tem,” he added. ladder has to include be installed to permit steelhead trout to get past the dam and enter the Upper DEC staff who pretrap-and-sort technolCattaraugus Creek for the first time in 100 years. They will have access to more pared the study believe ogy to keep them out of than 50 miles of the Upper Cattaraugus and its tributaries, increasing fishing resident trout fisheries in the Upper Cattaraugus, opportunities. the Upper Cattaraugus Markham said. can be maintained after When the sea lamprey to build a fish passage Cattaraugus and Erie in the Upper Cattaraugus lake trout are reintroaren’t running upstream and make the dam safety is in the tributaries includ- duced into the region. counties to increase from July to February, ing McKinstry and Elton compliant,” Markham greatly.

Cattaraugus Creek origi- the fish ladder will be Creeks, Lime Lake Outlet nates at the Java Lake out- open allowing fish to James Markham, one of said. “We hope it will be and Hosmer Brook. the DEC aquatic biologists (done) in 2020-21.” let in Wyoming County go upstream and downAccording to DEC officials also who helped prepare the and flows more than 60 stream. Other times it Markham, steelhead trout miles to Lake Erie.

Upper Cattaraugus Creek recognized the potential will be manned and the were introduced into to reconnect the Upper Fisheries Management Steelhead begin enter- trap-and-sort technology the Great Lakes in the Plan, said “something had Cattaraugus. ing Cattaraugus Creek in place. late 1800s. Some of those in early September and Above the dam, to be done with the dam,” early steelhead swam up leave as late as June. Peak stocked and wild brown after it was declared MARKHAM SAID Cattaraugus Creek from trout and wild resident unsafe. By lowering the fishing is in October and 51 comments had been Lake Erie before the Scoby November. The steelhead received in January on the top of the dam, the struc- rainbow trout are found ture will be stabilized. in abundance. Because of Dam was installed in spawn in smaller tribu“It was a juggling act 1925. Markham said some taries of the creek below siltation, most spawning Creek ... page B-2

B-2

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

Ellicottville Brewing Co: Brewed to entertain

By RICK MILLER Olean Times Herald

LITTLE VALLEY — As the 25th birthday of Ellicottville Brewing Company approaches, owner Peter Kreinheder couldn’t be prouder of the company and its nearly 200 employees.

And the Cattaraugus County-based business, founded in 1995, is sticking to its motto “Brewed to Entertain” to keep growing.

With it’s new brewery in Little Valley almost a year old, Ellicottville Brewing Co. is giving its customers what they want: a core group of four beers — Blueberry, Keeping It Peel, Ellicottville IPA and Blood Orange — and a wide array of seasonal and speciality beers.

Small run speciality and seasonal beers are still brewed at the flagship location in Ellicottville It’s recent collaboration with Sprague’s Maple Farms of Portville — Blueberry Maple Pancake beer — blew up across social media and soon sold out. With the maple sap flowing again, another batch is planned soon.

“We’ve wanted to do a collaboration with Randy (Sprague) for some time,” Kreinheder said recently while sitting in the Little Valley brewery’s new lab with head brewer Dan Minner and Holly

Rick Miller/Olean Times Herald

ABOVE: Holly Primerano, who heads the new quality control lab at Ellicottville Brewing Company's Little Valley brewery and head brewer Dan Minner look at a slide showing yeast during the brewing process.

RIGHT: A crew from Timber Built of North Collins recently started work on the Ellicottville Brewing Co. pub behind its new Little Valley brewery.

Primerano, who set up and runs the lab.

Primerano is in charge of quality control. She and Minner work closely together to check on beer runs to make sure yeast and other ingredients are in balance.

The work was previously done by an outside lab at Southern Tier Brewing in Lakewood. Primerano has been working at the Little Valley site since November.

She was previously in quality control at a Finger Lakes

CREEK

From page B-1

fisheries plan.

“We’ll address those in April and make some tweaks to the plan” based on the comments and concerns, he said.

The plan “recognizes angling conditions will likely change in the Upper Cattaraugus due to increased angler use, changes in fish communities and conflicting desires” for existing versus new fisheries.

“We don’t know what the changes will be or the extent,” Markham said, adding they will be doing surveys over the next decade to determine how far-reaching the changes are with the reintroduction of steelhead.

The state DEC’s Fish and Wildlife Division and Bureau of Fisheries plan to acquire more public fishing easements where available and improve signage. They also hope to work with local volunteer groups to improve habitat and streambank protection.

There are currently 34 miles of public fishing easements and 15 parking areas on the Upper Cattaraugus and its tributaries.

There is limited public fishing access in the 34 miles of Cattaraugus Creek below the dam.

There are four miles of public fishing rights in the Lower Cattaraugus and about eight miles in the Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area. The rest is either private and inaccessible or on the Seneca Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory where a separate Seneca Nation fishing license is required.

Markham added those

Rick Miller/Olean Times Herald

A steelhead fisherman displays his catch along Cattaraugus Creek in Gowanda in February. Plans call for lowering the dam to allow steelhead to run into the Upper Cattaraugus Creek for new fishing opportunities.

working on the project have the ability “to control things down the road” with the trap-andsort technology at the dam and annual stocking.

Angler surveys — before and after the fish ladder is opened — will be very important.

“This is a huge project for us,” Markham said.

“We don’t want to miss the opportunity to study this system. We want to make sure we do the right thing.”

VINCE TOBIA, OWNER of Cattaraugus

Outfitters — who probably knows Cattaraugus Creek’s fishery as well as anyone — said he is in favor of the plan to let steelhead move upstream past the dam.

As long as proper safeguards are in place against the sea lamprey getting past the dam, Tobia said he thinks the trout fisheries above the dam will be fine once the creek is opened up.

It will lead to natural reproduction by the steelhead in tributaries in the Upper Cattaraugus, Tobias said. “There’s

yogurt manufacturer.

“I like the smaller setting,” she said.

Kreinheder knows that consistency is the key to selling beer. “People want consistency,” he said. “We make interesting beer.”

more high quality water upstream,” he said.

“Ultimately, the goal is more naturally reproducing fish.”

The DEC currently stocks more than 90,000 “Washington strain” steelhead yearlings annually in Cattaraugus Creek below the dam.

The DEC has found about 17 percent of the steelhead in the creek and its tributaries are from natural reproduction. Brown trout are also stocked in the creek.

Tobia said he feels the steelhead can coexist with the trout in the Upper Cattaraugus and its tributaries.

“You are going to have natural reproduction (of steelhead) in the Upper Cattaraugus,” he said.

“Hopefully it won’t affect native brook trout” that spawn in some of the tributaries.

Tobia’s only other concern was that some fishermen thought the steelhead might present too much competition for brown, brook and rainbow trout in the Upper Cattaraugus.

But he believes there is enough of insects, baitfish and habitat in the Upper Cattaraugus and its tributaries to go around with the introduction of steelhead after the dam is lowered and the fish ladder installed.

Neither does Markham, who doesn’t expect the steelhead to be big competitors when it comes to the creek’s plentiful food sources.

“They’re not big eaters,” he said. “They’re in the streams to reproduce.”

It’s also important to note that the Lake Erie

Earlier in the week, a run of Ellicottville Orange Chocolate Blonde ale was canned in 16-oz. cans in Ellicottville. “We combined the two flavors together. It was in collaboration with Platter’s Chocolate of North Tonawanda,” Kreinheder said.

Besides the cans, the beer is also sold in kegs at the Ellicottville Brewing Co. restaurant in Ellicottville, EBC West in Fredonia and Ellicottville Brewing at Chautauqua in Bemus Point, as well as other pubs in the region.

It’s described on the can as “a blonde ale filled with milk chocolate flavor and zesty orange aromas. Rich and flavorful, this dessert ale is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.”

Kreinheder’s plan to open a pub at the Little Valley site on Second Street has been delayed until June 2020. His historical vision of beer making in the region will also be on display next year in the Beer Science Center. The combination plus brewery tours will make the brewery a destination location.

EBC had to install a wastewater treatment plant to remove a lot of the solids from its brewing waste before it can be piped to the nearby Little Valley Waste Treatment Plant.

Solids filtered out from the leftover brewing ingre-

dients are picked up by a Chautauqua County firm for spreading on fields where they can enhance the soil.

The pub is under construction behind the former Salamanca Beverage Co. warehouse just off the Pat McGee Trail near the center of the village. Timber Built is the North Collins company that built the 8,000 square foot Ellicottville restaurant, brewhouse and German beer garden.

“This will be a place anyone in the county can come,” Kreinheder said.

“Everyone has been wonderful in Little Valley.”

There are about a dozen employees at the Little Valley brewery. Besides some speciality and seasonal beers, EBC makes porter beer, which takes more time to make, in Ellicottville.

“There’s lots of competition,” Kreinheder said.

“There are a lot of brewers that make good beer.”

What makes people buy a beer they’d had before “is a positive memory,” he said.

Ellicottville Brewing Co. beers can be found at local bars, on store shelves or at their restaurants either on tap or in six-packs by a cooler at the bar.

regulations on steelhead will end at the Scoby Dam, he said.

“All regulations in place upstream will remain in place,” he said.

Many tributaries will have catch and release regulations in place from mid-October to the end of March using only artificial lures.

“We’ll be looking at the impact on other fish up there,” Markham said.

“This is a good opportunity to see how this sys tem is going to change.”

Those are the kinds of

things Tobia expects from this project.

“I think it will be OK,” Tobia said. “The DEC has done the studies. I don’t think the effects will be that much in 10, 15 years. There will be a lot more (fishing) access and opportunities” in the Upper Cattaraugus.

The full draft study is available on the DEC’s website.

(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@olean timesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)

(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@olean timesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

B-3

VISIONS OF AGRICULTURE

Farmers urged to be proactive, take advantage of climate change

By RICK MILLER

buildings, livestock health and crop and animal productivity and quality.

New York state farmThe Cornell Institute ers are being advised to for Climate Smart take proactive measures Solutions has compiled a to minimize the effects series of actions farmers of global warming and can take to mitigate these the climate change that threats to their farms. accompanies it.

They include: Some in agriculture n A focus on soil will find opportunity in health. climate change, n Efficient while others will water managefind they have to ment. take precautions n Utilize inteto avoid the negagrated pest mantive impacts. agement.

Agriculture is a n Diversify $37 billion-a-year farm enterprises, business in New species, crop variYork and employs eties and breeds. almost 200,000 n Reduce liveDr. David workers. stock stress from Wolfe Farmers are extreme temperaalready witness tures. to wider extremes in temn Farm planning and peratures, rainfall and adaptive management. drought.

There are things farmClimate Smart Farming ers can do to help protect has developed a host of their lands, crops and tools farmers can use to livestock, according to help adapt to climate Lynn Bliven, agriculture changes. The tools are and natural resources available at climatesmart leader for the Cornell farming.org Cooperative Extension of One such tool predicts Allegany County. a warming by 0.3-0.7 Bliven often refers degrees Fahrenheit per farmers to a Cornell decade over Western New University publication York and the Southern called “Climate Smart Tier counties. Zeroing in Farming.” on Cattaraugus County, “It’s a good resource,” the tools predict a she said.

0.4-degree increase per One of the issues decade. the study focuses on is Dr. David Wolfe, an enhancing the soil with advisory board member organic matter to help to the Cornell Institute for rebuild the soil structure Climate Smart Farming and mitigate a host of and a processor in the potential problems.

School of Integrative In the Northeast, Plant Science at Cornell, climate-related issues said it was pretty evident such as extreme rainfall, 25 years ago that carbon drought, heat stress, dioxide was growing in changing diseases and the atmosphere. pest pressure and unpre“Eventually it would dictable weather patterns affect the climate.” He pose threats to farmers. added: “I didn’t expect to In the last 120 years, see the Arctic melting in temperatures have rises my lifetime.”

2.4 degrees Fahrenheit Unfortunately, surveys and rainfall is up about show not all farmers are 5 inches a year. Extreme convinced that humans rain events — 2 inches are the major cause of in a 24-hour period — is climate change, Wolfe up more than 70 percent said. However, the erratic since 1958. weather is beyond what Threats are on the rise has happened previously. for soil conditions, farm To cover their bases, Olean Times Herald

mature in between 70 and 120 days, and they are diversifying.

“They are also paying attention to climate to be ready to take advantage of opportunities,” Wolfe said. “It may be a time for experimenting.”

Along with a longer growing season, the region may have more short-term summer droughts that stunt crops and rob them of valuable nutrients. The region doesn’t lack water, but lacks infrastructure to deliver the water to thirsty crops.

“Historically, we’ve had almost enough” water, he said. In the future farmers may be forced to find ways to irrigate crops as they do in California.

Wolfe expects farmers will learn to take advanOlean Times Herald file photo tage of opportunities preCraig Garel of Lawtons fertilizes a field before planting corn along sented by climate change.

Connoisarauley Road in the town of Ashford in June 2018.

“It’s not cost-free,” he warned of the investments needed to exploit warmer pointed out. A warm spell York weather. many farmers are taking temperatures for example.

Besides droughts and to using multiple planting at the wrong time can “Farmers will have to fool grapes or apples into flooding, climate change dates, Wolfe said. blooming too early. Next is responsible for a longer learn to rely on new tools.

Soil management, There is a lot of research.” thing they get hit by frost. frost-free period across building up organics in Wolfe said in the New York since the 1970s, “We’ve always had a the soil and rotating crops Wolfe said. That means a future, fields will be mid-winter warming,” can help buffer drought Wolfe said. “But they are longer growing season — “more jam-packed with and flooding. “Many if farmers can get out into sensors” measuring things a little warmer now and farmers are interested the fields in early spring. like moisture and tempercan trigger a budding in rebuilding organics ature. There will be mini Falls may be wetter too, in February or March.” in soil,” Wolfe said. weather stations in fields “Ironically, they also drain These are not normal ups creating additional harand smartphone apps so vest challenges. and downs, he added. better. Soil is the key — farmers will be able to While all that’s hapAnother problem rebuilding soils and adding drainage.” pening, summer rain pat- monitor field conditions with climate change and Building up the organ- warmer temperatures terns are predicted to stay in real time. Satellites will play an expanded role, ics in soil is called envipushing north are insects. about the same, he said. too. ronmental carbon farm“They follow a (tempera- With warmer weather Wolfe invited farmers ture) envelope that’s ideal however, crops will need ing. It can store a lot of to examine the tools at clifor them. Their habitat is more water. That could carbon. Not only does it matesmartfarming.org. He help buffer against unpre- moving northward. We’re cause added stress for said popular tools include dictable weather, it also seeing new pests from the crops and farmers. the frost risk calculator. does something for the South we haven’t seen “There is a bit of a In addition to being environment, he said. before.” silver lining,” Wolfe said. an advisory member for “We could have preFarmers will want to Farmers are often condicted 20 years ago — no “keep track of Southern strained by a short grow- the Cornell Institute for question — that with that pests” as they enter ing season for corn. Corn Climate Smart Solutions, Wolfe teaches classes in much extra greenhouse Western New York, Wolfe growers are experimentclimate change and envigas in the atmosphere, the said. Integrated pest man- ing with corn that stays in the ground longer. This ronmental science writing world is going to warm,” agement will be more and is lead project direcimportant than ever. should produce more Wolfe said. Rainfall pattor for the New York Soil terns can also change.

New York has benquality grain or silage.

Health Program.

An irony of the warm- efited in some ways when “They have to be able to ing trends that have cold snaps like this past get into the fields,” he (Contact reporter Rick winter season kill both proved to be true is that added.

Miller at rmiller@olean warming causes more some pests and some “Farmers are adapttimesherald.com. Follow him cold damage to crops like weeds that have not com- ing,” Wolfe said. They on Twitter, @RMillerOTH) grapes and apples, Wolfe pletely acclimated to New are planting corns that

VISIONS OF TOURISM

Local seasonal tourist destinations mull the threat of climate change

By RICK MILLER Olean Times Herald

ELLICOTTVILLE — Should an area that depends on tourism be concerned over the prospects of climate change?

Hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders descend on Holiday Valley in Ellicottville each winter expecting to find plenty of snow from late November to mid-April.

Holiday Valley and other tourism destinations in Cattaraugus County employ thousands of local residents. Then there are the restaurants, hotels, taverns, stores and other businesses that are dependent on tourists.

At most times, visitors do find plenty of snow because the resort has invested millions into snowmaking.

Holiday Valley president and general manager Dennis Eshbaugh said the resort is certainly sensitive to the weather, but can’t hang his hat on clear signs of climate change at this time.

Sixty-two years ago when Holiday Valley first opened, the first day of skiing was Jan. 7, 1958 “because there was no snow.”

“We were in the Western New York snow belt and it didn’t snow until January,” Eshbaugh said.

“Expectations were minimal by today’s standards.

The stuff we skied on years ago you wouldn’t consider skiing on today.”

There have been irregular weather cycles over the decades, but to Eshbaugh,

been around almost as long as the ski resort.

Asked whether he’s seen early signs of climate change in his business, which relies on tourism, Pumpkinville owner Dan Pawlowski replies, “Who the heck nows? If we are getting warmer, it would be an advantage to our fall business.”

Last year was a rough year,” Pawlowski said.

“The rain wouldn’t stop.

If that’s climate change, then it’s affecting us. I don’t think we are seeing drastic (weather) moves. Two years ago we had a fantastic fall — warm and dry.”

Pawlowski’s guess is that he won’t see start effects of climate change, but he’s concerned that it might impact his grandchildren. “We’ll probably Olean Times Herald file photo adapt. I do think it’s someOlean Times Herald file photo Skiers stand by lifts at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, thing to be concerned about Dan Pawlowski of Pumpkinville checks the growth the top tourism destination in Cattaraugus after of pumpkins in the U-pick patch in Great Valley in with future generations.”

Allegany State Park.

August 2018.

One of the biggest natural threats to the pumpkin crop is powdery mildew.

He said while climate Park” as rain cuts into “It seems like the cycles resorts provide a better, “We’re able to buy resischange here in Western attendance. today are sharper. They’re more stable product. tant,” Pawlowski said. “We The lodging, conference lean to adapt to things.” not just a roller coaster, but “For 20 years our focus New York may not be evident in in his lifetime, it and weddings didn’t suffer the Wild Mouse,” referring has been how do we He said he knows though because they can to the ride model known improve and automate? We is likely “in my childrens there’s something going on for its multiple whiplashhave the number one auto- lifetime.” He worries about all be indoors, Eshbaugh with global warming. “I’ve pointed out. inducing changes in direc- mation system in the East. being short-sighted about seen the (melting) glaciers climate change and not “We’ve tried to be protion.

The results are huge.” in Alaska.” being able to reverse things. active,” he said. “We have He recalled “difficult Eshbaugh is not a “cliPawlowski said, “For tried not to deny that there the tourism part, a little bit Last July and August weather in the 1970s and mate change denier. If you were incredible at Holiday are factors” that climate 1980s,” but in the same are, you are missing the warmer is good for us, but I changes can affect. decades “we also had some boat.” Young people say we Valley’s swimming pools, don’t think it’s good for the The question is whether world as a whole. Warm but it was so hot that golfneed to be wiser and take unbelievable snow.” ing was down, just as it we’ll be able to adapt to care of our planet. I think With high expectations and dry is a wonderwas over much of the East changes and still offer qual- ful thing for us, but not they are right.” of visitors today, Holiday ity experiences to visitors Eshbaugh said Holiday Coast. Add wet periods Valley and other ski resorts up the road at Holiday — no matter what season it Valley.” early and late in the golf Valley has cut its energy count on making as much is, Eshbaugh said. snow as they can to supple- consumption by 75 percent season and the number of A pumpkin’s throw golf days drop. ment natural snow. The with more efficiency and (Contact reporter Rick from Holiday Valley is “It was a challenging focus is on grooming the automation. “We make 4 Miller at rmiller@olean year,” he said. “We saw the another big tourism draw, timesherald.com. Follow him snow on the slopes. Manfeet of snow on every skiPumpkinville, which has same thing in the Aerial made snow has helped ski able acre.” on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)

B-4

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF COMMUNITY

Much more than books: Olean library aims to serve city’s need for education, culture

By CINDY WAGNER Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — The Olean Library Association began in 1871 with just 697 books and perhaps an inkling of what it could bring to the small city. But even with its current collection of 114,000, books are just a small portion of cultural opportunities the Olean Public Library has to offer.

“Public libraries provide opportunities for cultural awareness and education,” said Olean’s Director Michelle La Voie.

With that spirit, the library is striving to provide access to history, art, children’s education and live programming that is meant to broaden horizons.

PEOPLE CAN VISIT the public library to learn about their community, including its history.

“There’s a lot of interest (in history), not just in Olean but all around the country,” continued La Voie. “People have an appreciation for the past and we don’t want to miss out on that trend right now.”

The library wants to expand local history programs like the World War I display last November, which had photos and artifacts from the general public, knowledgeable speakers and a band who played music from the era.

“I feel it is our responsibility to maintain the records and history of our culture, both past and present for the future,” said Lanna Waterman, president of the library board of trustees.

The library “has an amazing local history and genealogy department, supervised by Kim Mahar,” Waterman continued. “This is such a valuable resource to have available. It’s fascinating to read through old papers and year books,

Queen Kids Party held June 20, which brought about protests, police, threats of violence but also more than a hundred supporters of the Pride Month event.

“I think when somebody moves to a community, the library can be one of the most central parts of that community — what they have to offer and giving people information,” Waterman said. “I know that some of the information some of the people didn’t want to hear, the drag queen being an example. That did cause some controversy, but it also caused some really good discussion and I think that’s good. It didn’t matter which side Olean Times Herald file photo you were on, but it made Olean Public Library Director Michelle La Voie said that the library is considering you think about why you a capital campaign as it needs more room for expanded cultural activities. feel the way you do, and I do think that the library Series brings authors, the history of our town “He was the one who can be the center of so readings and signings to and people. It’s like a would go out there and much in the community.” the community, as well museum really.” look for the kinds of Last year, grant fund- exhibits he felt the people as screenwriting, creative WHILE CHILDREN’S ing was obtained from writing and poetry work- PROGRAMS have in the Olean community shops. the state Department would benefit by,” La always been a strong Bringing culture to of Education to digitize Voie said. “It was a desire priority, Jennifer Stickles, the community has also 65,697 pages from the to bring art here from the programming librarlibrary’s microfilm colthe broader region to the involved bringing outian who recently left her side organizations into lection for easy access to people of Olean.” position at Olean to direct the library, like the Olean Salamanca’s library, recthose interested in history.

For almost 40 years, Olean newspapers, Taylor brought the outside Meditation Center which ognized the need for local from 1881 through 1905 offers tai chi and qigong art world to Olean, but teenagers to have somecan be viewed online classes. There are hopes the purpose of the grant where to go to expand at nyshistoricnewspafunding that underwrote to expand those types of their cultural horizons. pers.org/titles/places/ the costs was to bring art opportunities to other Stickles created a teen new_york/cattaraugus/ groups in the future. from outside of the local room from a storage/ olean from July through “People are super open all purpose room and area.

December 2018, the site “We actually made the to connecting and colfurnished it with funding had over 7,000 visits. decision to stop applying laborating with the library from a $10,000 grant proin general,” said Sheryl “There are hopes to for the NYSCA grants” vided by the Burt Fund.

Soborowski, outreach enlarge this area and after Taylor retired, La “It kind of related a offer more programVoie explained. “What we librarian. sense that the library is ming and opportunities “An interesting thing were really finding was the place to go” for teens, to take advantage of this that the exhibits tended to that will happen like on a Stickles said. treasure trove of history,” not be so well attended” StrOlean event is that you “There’s a lot of proWaterman said. and they wanted to bring run into people who have gramming and cultural fallen away from library in local artisans, whose opportunities for kids AFTER THE LIBRARY exhibits have been much use and they talk to us in — that’s really been growmoved into its current that moment on the street ing,” Waterman said. “It’s more popular. space in 1973, it created like that and they realize become kind of a problem what is now known as the library has changed,” for the library that we’re THE ART GALLERY the Robert A. Taylor Art Soborowski said. “They isn’t the only way the getting so many teens — Gallery — at the time don’t clue in to all the library wants to foster but what a great problem the only exhibition space culture in the community. things we offer — that it’s to have. for public art in Olean, not just books; there are The library has made a “We’re finding at this according to La Voie. all kinds of services.” concerted effort to make point that we could use The library soon Those cultural services a lot more space,” she authors and poets availappointed Taylor to act as able to the public as well. have sometimes created continued. “The programThe library’s Literature waves, such as the Drag arts coordinator. ming and things have

been so successful that we can’t fit everyone in legally so we need to address that.”

La Voie agreed that space has become an issue.

“Something’s always coming up that demonstrates that. We had our bookmark awards, and it’s really popular … we do two (award ceremonies) because it’s so popular and each one brings in over 100 people. We had to move it out of the gallery and have it in the library, but the downside is noise.”

Library officials have considered a move to another location in the past, but being two blocks away from the main business district, and the focus on the city’s Walkable Olean initiative means high foot traffic.

Officials said it would be hard to find a building with enough floor space and parking and still be a short walk away.

Efforts to expand have therefore become a priority. However, when the library put in a proposal to receive Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding through New York state in 2018, they were not on the list of Olean institutions to collectively receive $9.7 million in grants.

“We were really surprised because we were the really big public piece,” La Voie said.

Without state funding, officials are considering a capital campaign seeking donations from the public.

“We try very hard to stay within our budget, to not raise people’s taxes,” Waterman explained, “because we realize that it’s not a wealthy area necessarily and what we can do to provide opportunities to everybody. We want to reach everyone we can … I feel it is our responsibility to maintain the records and history of our culture, both past and present for the future.”

Three food pantry officials speak of bounty and needs

By KATE DAY SAGER

“We saw a little increase because of that,” Maitland said, noting Whether the economy the facility can serve any is up or down, the local resident of Cattaraugus food pantries always try County. to maintain supplies as Maitland said a safety net for area resiincreased food supdents who find themselves plies have been proin need. vided in recent years That was the word to Community Action from officials with several through the Food food pantries in the area Recovery Program who reported on their which is funded by New AT CATTARAUGUS status and new developYork State Department Community Action ments. of Health’s Hunger in Salamanca, Chief Prevention Nutrition Operating Officer of AT THE OLEAN Food Assistance Program.

Services Amy Maitland Pantry at 8 Leo Moss “In 2017 to 2018, we said the food pantry Drive, DB Busan, waregleaned and recovered and soup kitchen at 25 house manager, said the Jefferson St. provides both 170,484 pounds of food facility continues to grow which we distributed food supplies and meals “We’ve been planning She, too, said the Food and expand thanks to the chicken stocks and spices to county residents week- to the area emergency will now be welcomed as that and hopefully will Bank of Western New generosity of the comdays. In 2018, Community food organizations in donations at the pantry. begin (in several weeks) York has also increased its Action served an average Cattaraugus County,” munity.

“We also have wonderful with the actual construc- supplies to them.

“Our numbers (of of 1,091 people at the food Maitland remarked. donations coming from BJs tion,” she said, noting “Last month we got recipients) are increasing, pantry and 71 in the soup “We’re busy, we’re and Walmart,” Busan said. funding for the project is a lot of fruits and vegbut what we’re trying to kitchen each month. sure busy,” she added etables because the Food do is expand on the kinds “So a lot of food that would provided by grants from “We’re one of the few with emphasis. “And we the Rotary Club of Olean Bank decided it’s not be going to waste, such as of stuff we offer to peothat are opened five days sure need volunteers, too, and the Manley Trust. The going to be a special order a week all day long,” produce, meat and cheese ple,” Busan said. “We’re because it’s strictly volunthat have reached their ‘sell greenhouse-like facility anymore, it’s going to trying to set up a pantry teer-run.”

Maitland said of the serwill allow for growing come with the regular situation with supplies for by’ date we pick up and She said the hours at vices. “It sure is needed produce indoors yeardistribute the same day. food,” she said of produce and we certainly have people’s homes — we’re the pantry are 9:30 a.m. deliveries. “It used to looking at things like spic- That cuts back on our food round. seen an increase with to noon and 12:30 to 4:30 expenses and increases what be you got it at different es and stocks and things SNAP assistance with the p.m. weekdays.

AT LOAVES & we can offer.” times.” that enable people to do government shutdown.”

“We have volunteers FISHES Southern Tier Busan noted the Food Shafer said the pangood home cooking.

She said the fedthat man the food pantry Food, located in Hillside try is in need of a local “It’s not something that Bank of Western New eral Able Bodied Adults all day long, as well as Wesleyan Church at 753 grocery store that could people usually think of to York distributions in Without Dependents time our soup kitchen,” she Prospect Ave. in Olean, provide meats, cheeses donate to food pantries,” the area remain strong limit rule, which places commented, noting the manager Linda Shafer and some produce as one a limit on how long cerBusan added. “This month and helpful to them and soup kitchen is open from my project is lentils so I’m other food pantries in the said the pantry continues of its main grocery donors tain individuals can par3:30 to 4:45 p.m. weekto receive donations, but stopped providing to the ticipate in SNAP, also has days. making some type of lentil Southern Tier. She said the pantry helps approxi- more is always needed. pantry at the first of the soup or stew everytime increased participation Those interested in volmately 650 families in the Despite this, Shafer said year. they come. We’re giving at the food bank and the unteering may call Sharon she and the other staff are “We depended on it out and we’re getting a community. soup kitchen.

Turano, volunteer coorBusan noted another always “thankful for all this tremendously,” she great response — people Maitland said the food dinator, at Community expansion at the pantry we get.” lamented. “But I know the pantry saw an increase are taking lentils and the action at 945-1041.

Shafer said the pantry Lord is going to bring us recipes and hopefully are will be the installation of in need in February due a new high tower on the helps approximately 367 something better — I’m going to cook it.”

(Contact reporter Kate to the federal shutdown property near the outside families a month, with a just waiting on His time.” in December and January Day Sager at kates_th@ Therefore, any types vegetable gardens at the slight increase in requests She said the pantry still and reallocation of SNAP yahoo.com. Follow her on of dried beans, as well facility. for help in recent months. receives some foods from benefits. as beef, vegetable and Twitter, @OTHKate) Olean Times Herald

the Aldi grocery store in Olean and is “thankful for At Loaves & that … but we can always Fishes food use meat.” pantry in Shafer said a positive Olean, staff note occurred this year members are when they received a hopeful of donation from a church finding a new organization to use grocery store toward the purchase of supplier to another vehicle to haul provide meats foods from area facilities. and cheeses.

Olean Times Herald file photo

B-5

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF COMMUNITY

‘We’re staying’

Young professionals discuss why they’ve chosen to put down r oots in Olean

By TOM DINKI

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN — Lauren Stutzman’s friends up in Buffalo are “scared” of Olean.

“They said it would be like living in a Stephen King novel, so I usually have to visit them,” she said.

However, the 27-yearold doesn’t mind the occasional flak she gets for being a young person living in a small city in a r ural area. She enjoys her job as a processing engineer for SolEpoxy Inc. Plus, the cheap rent and lack of traffic on her commute to work isn’t bad either.

“So I’m staying here for that,” Stutzman said.

While Olean may never match up with the allure of big city life, young professionals say they have their reasons for choosing to live in the area — just over a quarter of the city’s nearly 14,000 residents are between the ages of 20 and 39, according to U.S. Census data.

Those reasons vary from a satisfaction with their jobs to a low cost of living to excitement over recent developments in the city like Walkable Olean and the city’s $10 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding.

“I think there is that stigma that a place like Olean has to overcome because how does Olean compete with the glamour of going to live in New York City?” said Christopher Michel, committee chair of Olean Area Young Professionals. “ … I think that once you’re here, I think a lot of that perception of, ‘You’re going to live in a small city and there’s nothing to do,’ goes away pretty quick.”

OAYP, an initiative of the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, has for the last two years held social outings at places like local bars and St. Bonaventure University basketball games — and even held first-time home buying sessions — in hopes of showing young profes-

Tom Dinki/Olean Times Herald

ABOVE: Young professionals congregate at a recent Olean Area Young Professionals social outing at Randy’s Up The River in Allegany. Young people say there’s benefits to living in a small city like Olean.

RIGHT: Christopher Michel, committee chair of Olean Area Young Professionals, addresses the gathering of young professionals at one of the group’s recent social outings at Randy’s Up The River in Allegany.

sionals what the city has to offer.

Michel, director of marketing and communications for the chamber, notes local employers have even asked him to speak about the group and city to their job candidates.

“I do think for somebody who is moving to this community, the fact that we exist says something,” he said.

“Yes, we are a small community, but the community is big enough or progressive enough that it can actually support one of these groups.

A lot of these groups are in much more metropolitan places than Olean.”

Stutzman and Tae Cooke, who hung out together at a recent OAYP outing at Randy’s Up The River in Allegany, both moved to the Olean area for jobs opportunities.

Living in a small city wasn’t a shock for either of them, though, as they both

had experience in living in Ithaca. Cooke, a 32-yearold St. Bonaventure physics professor, grew up in the Ithaca area, while Stutzman studied at Cornell University.

“It was already kind of small so I knew what I was getting in to,” said Stutzman, who grew up in the Buffalo area.

Heath and Sally McCombs, who also attended the recent OAYP event, have lived everywhere from big cities like Baltimore to “the middle of nowhere in Arizona.”

Heath, a Sugar Grove, Pa., native, and Sally, a native of the U.K., ultimately decided to live in the U.S. so Heath could pursue becoming a physical therapist; he’s now a physical therapist for the McKean County VNA. While they previously had never lived in one place for more than three years,

people to invest where their roots are.”

“If all of the young people are moving away, the town is just going to die,” he said at the recent OAYP event. “I think it’s important we reinvest where we came from. If everybody’s moving to the cities, I just don’t see the outcomes being productive.”

Riling, curator for the Arts Council of Wyoming County, has liked the progress he’s seen on North Union Street with the arrival of new businesses like Union Whiskey and Union Tea Cafe. He’s particularly fond of what’s happening at neighboring North Union businesses WT Hair and Olean Coffee Co-Op, which he noted are both safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people and part of what he likes to call Olean’s evolving “Queer District.”

“As it turns out there’s a really big community of LGBTQ+ people in the area, which I never knew until those places were there to encourage the community,” he said.

As media and public relations facilitator for proLGBTQ group Cattaraugus County Pride Coalition, Riling said he and others in the group want to put in the work to make Olean better, rather than just discussing how it could be better.

“Ultimately we have to take action. We can’t just say, ‘This is a good idea.’ We actually have to do somethey’ve now been in the Health has enjoyed moun- thing,” he said. tain biking in Ellicottville, Olean area for the last 10 However, he and other years and bought a house a while Sally noted being so young professionals noted close to the highway helps few years ago. it’s not always easy to live in them travel.

“We probably never a small city.

“We’re here, we’re staywould have expected to be They cited everything ing,” she said. here long term when we from a lack of ethnic food Jameson Riling isn’t sure options to the fact the closest first got here,” said Heath, how long he’ll stay, but he 43.

Wegmans is an hour away certainly felt a pull to come in Jamestown. They also The McCombs said a back and further invest in combination of their jobs noted it can be difficult at and their enjoyment of the his hometown. times to meet new people, The 27-year-old Portville although OAYP has helped. area has kept them here.

Heath called his job as a native and Bolivar-Richburg “It’s challenging,” Riling Central School graduate visiting physical therapist said, “but I think it’s worth attended Elmira College “steady,” while Sally, 42, it.” and has lived in a variety of is able to do direct sales places as far as Washington through Trades of Hope, (Contact reporter Tom which helps impoverished state, but now lives in Olean Dinki at tdinki@olean women sell their products. partially because he feels timesherald.com. Follow him “it’s important for young As an “outdoors type,” on Twitter, @tomdinki)

VISIONS OF EDUCATION

SBU betting on health school to continue enr ollment growth

By TOM DINKI

Olean Times Herald

ST. BONAVENTURE — In a challenging climate for local college enrollment and the higher education market nationwide, some administrators feel health-related programs are the answer.

After all, it’s one of the most popular fields of study, as healthcare accounts for the second-most bachelor's degrees, third-most master’s degrees and most doctoral degrees awarded in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Education.

And there should be plenty of jobs for those graduates, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects healthcare jobs to grow by 2.4 million from 2016 to 2026, more than any other occupation group.

“Health professions is fairly healthy in regard to jobs and people who want them. So what it does is it attracts students to the university that would normally not even look at Bonaventure,” said Dr. Douglas Pisano, founding dean of St. Bonaventure University's School of Health Professions. “Small liberal arts colleges such as this one do a wonderful job in what they do, except they’ve been doing it forever.”

“You have to grow, you don’t have a choice,” he added.

St. Bonaventure officials hope the developing School of Health Professions, with planned programs in nursing and occupational

therapy, will only bolster the steady progress they’ve made with enrollment the last few years.

While St. Bonaventure’s total enrollment fell nearly 18 percent from 2011 to 2015, it’s increased over 18 percent since then, as university officials report this past fall’s enrollment was 2,381. That’s a 13 percent increase from the previous fall alone.

The School of Health Professions, approved by university trustees in the fall of 2016, may have already helped contribute to that increase.

Nearly 100 students are already enrolled in the school’s two current programs, which are undergraduate programs in health science and public health.

That makes the School of Health Professions already the fourth-largest school at the university, according to Pisano.

“We have a wonderful School of Communication, no question about it, but there’s lots of schools of communication now,” Pisano said. “There’s a lot of schools of health professions, except a (physician assistant) program for 30 seats gets 1,200 applications.

That doesn’t happen in all the schools. The chance of growth is much greater with a School of Health Professions.”

Including its two current programs — health science launched in fall 2017 under Dr. Monica Thomas while public health launched just this past fall under Dr.

Claire Watson — the plan is to offer 10 to 12 programs by 2023.

Those programs will include an undergraduate nursing program, a graduate physician assistant program, a graduate public health program and a doctoral occupational therapy program.

The ones most likely to arrive first are the nursing and physician assistant programs, which are being led, respectively, by Dr. Connie Perkins and Dr. Keith Young, who were both hired as directors this past summer. They’re tasked with developing curriculum that can receive accreditation from the New York State Education Department and professional accreditors.

The plan is for Perkins’ nursing program to launch this fall. It will be a twoyear, RN-to-BS program, meaning working registered nurses will enroll in order to complete their bachelor’s degree. New York passed a bill in 2017 that requires nurses to earn their bachelor’s in nursing within 10 years of their initial licensure.

“So working registered nurses in our area can continue to work while finishing their career path,” Perkins said. “It’s really our focus to increase the community’s nursing level — not just the amount of nurses, but the quality of nurses.”

Pisano noted this model also means St. Bonaventure isn’t competing with

Jamestown Community College’s nursing program, which expanded on the Cattaraugus County Campus from accepting 50 students to 70 in 2017.

Students could theoretically earn their associate's degree in nursing and prepare to take the nursing board exam at JCC, then come to St. Bonaventure to get their bachelor’s.

Pisano said “it would not be a good idea at this point to compete” with JCC, whose total enrollment fell 35 percent from 2011 to 2018.

“St. Bonaventure would be smart to not try to put more pressure on a county that’s having problems already with maintaining and keeping students,” he said. “So I’m really quite happy that the strategy is to work more closely with the community colleges when it’s possible to give their students the opportunity to move ahead, rather than adding to the competition in the area.”

Pisano added this will also put less stress on local hospitals, which will serve as clinical rotations for St. Bonaventure nursing students. There are currently agreements in place with Olean General Hospital, Bradford (Pa.) Regional Medical Center and UPMC Cole, according to Perkins.

Young feels students in his physician assistant program, which officials hope to launch in the spring of 2021, will benefit from training in smaller, rural hospitals.

“When they do clinicals, they’re not necessarily going to have to share those experiences with other students,” he said. “So when they go and do a surgical procedure, they’re going to be the first person assisting the surgeon, as opposed to being the third or fourth person in a surgical procedure.”

Young noted another benefit is that students may be more willing to work in a rural hospital after graduation. That would be good news for Cattaraugus County, which is considered a health professional shortage area by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

“About 30 percent of students stay where they train,” Young said. “So hopefully we can attract students who then stay in the area.”

The struggle to get healthcare professionals to work in rural areas extends to healthcare professors. Pisano noted he’s had difficulties recruiting faculty at times because St. Bonaventure is in a rural area.

“Especially if they live in really big cities,” said Pisano, who said he’s loved the area since leaving a Boston university for St. Bonaventure in 2017.

“So when I find someone that’s from a rural setting, I don’t want to say I become aggressive, but I become very interested in talking with them.”

Aside from recruitment, another looming challenge for the School of Health

Professions is where it will be located; Pisano, Perkins and Young currently have offices in the John J. Murphy Professional Building, home of the Jandoli School of Communication.

Pisano said university officials are still discussing renovating an existing building on campus to house the school’s classrooms, labs and offices, but don’t wish to publicly disclose which building at this time.

“It’s going to take quite a bit of money,” he said, adding it will be “well worth it.”

That money will likely come from St. Bonaventure’s capital campaign, which is in the early stages. St. Bonaventure President Dr. Dennis DePerro told the Olean Times Herald in March that the School of Health Professions will be the “top priority” of the campaign.

“It’s not an inexpensive proposition, so we’ll need capital to help with everything from program development and lab equipment, to retrofitting an existing facility on campus,” he said last year, adding the campaign will also help build the university's endowment to offer scholarships.

Between getting programs accredited, recruiting faculty and raising money, Pisano noted school officials are “juggling a lot” right now, but he’s proud of the work that’s been accomplished thus far.

“Right now, the rubber is meeting the road,” he said.

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OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF EDUCATION

Connect 4 school districts plan to make progress with new programs, clubs, initiatives

HINSDALE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECTRUM club part of focus on school cultur e Hinsdale is proud of the academic progress it’s made over the last few years Local school districts are trying to make academic progress with everything with its Radiant Readers book club, teacher of fice hours program and maker space from enhanced elementary school science to college cr edit-bearing classes to a gay- in the library. straight alliance club.

However, district offiThe Connect 4 districts of Olean, Allegany-Limestone, Portville and Hinsdale cials feel there needs to be recently shared how they plan to meet their goals for the pr esent and future with a a strong sense of culture wide range of programs and initiatives. for any of that success to be sustainable.

“We started out six years ago with our strategic plan and we put a strong focus on academics and the mechanics of instruction,” said Superintendent Larry Ljungberg, “and then we realized really as we grow the key to success in all areas is the focus on culTom Dinki/Olean Times Herald ture, specifically empathy Hinsdale Central School students Keegan Rowland and because it connects people Paige Tomljenovic, as well as teacher Theresa Pfeil, together and it connects will lead the school’s recently approved gay-straight people to Hinsdale.” alliance club, SPECTRUM. The club fits in with the One of the major ways Hinsdale Central School District’s focus on culture. the district plans to increase empathy is its new gayOlean Times Herald file photo straight alliance club, SPECTRUM, which stands for sexuality, pride, education, cooperation, truth, respect, unity and motivation.

Allegany-Limestone Elementary School students Michael Questa (from left), Ella The district’s board of education recently approved the club after a presentation by Oldham and Abby Crawford conduct an acid-base experiment during a January sesstudents like juniors Keegan Rowland and Paige Tomljenovic, who plan to do some sion of the school’s fourth-grade science club. The Allegany-Limestone Central School District created the club after Oldham circulated a petition amongst her classmates. organizing and fundraising this school year before really launching the club next school year.

The club will be advised by teacher Theresa Pfeil.

ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT “It’s been a long time coming to have this club formed and I think it’s very good for Science club teaching students to take risks Hinsdale. It will help people understand and also incr ease our diversity,” Ljungberg said.

Allegany-Limestone fourth-graders are coding nanobots and extracting DNA from “When I talk about diversity, I don’t just mean racially. I mean we’re all different. We all strawberries, but perhaps more importantly, they’re developing critical thinking skills. have different viewpoints and it’s OK to be different.”

“We’re trying to teach the students that failure is OK: We learn from failure and it’s The district is also increasing focus on the mental health of students, as well as r estorOK to take those risks,” said teacher Corinne Quinn, who serves as co-adviser for the ative justice, a conflict resolution initiative that will try to intervene before conflict arises. district’s fourth-grade science club. “Science is all about taking risks and trying new Ljungberg said a good culture gives students a reason to come to school everyday. things and see if they work and analyzing the data.”

“If we can get them to school, then all of the mechanics of instr uction can take place,” The after-school club was launched in January thanks to fourth-grader Ella Oldham, he said. “It really is that simple.” who circulated a petition amongst her classmates to bring a science club to the elementa ry school. The idea quickly gained the support of district teachers and the administration.

While Quinn and co-advisor Rosemarie Grainer were originally going to limit the club to 20 students, they had 32 sign up in one day. The club also had plenty of support fr om parents during an informational session in December.

“We had parents after our parent meeting coming up and saying, ‘Thank you,’” Quinn recalled. “They said, ‘We appreciate you working with our children on this program. We really feel that this something our kids needed.’ … Par ents are eagerly looking for these types of opportunities.”

In addition to nanobots and strawberries, students have also dabbled in acid-base chemistry thanks to St. Bonaventure University. The club partnered with St. Bonaventure chemistry professors Dr. Scott Simpson and Dr. Kellie Gast, who wrote the curriculum for the club’s chemistry unit.

The club is being piloted this school year thanks to the help of state grant for STEM, which led to the purchase of equipment like microscopes. However, the hope is that the club will funded through next school year’s budget.

“We’re hoping that this program is going to be a regular program for next year as well, and we’re looking to add money into the budget to support the pr ogram and also look to other grants to help facilitate,” Quinn said.

By TOM DINKI

Olean Times Herald

OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Academy of Excellence to make students ‘aspire for something greater’ Olean wants its students to graduate from its halls with an associate's degree in addition to a high school diploma.

The district hopes to help students do that — or at least strive for that — with its Academy of Excellence.

The program, first announced in August, would formalize the pathways already available for students to earn college credit via dual enrollment courses and independent study, while also providing them additional support and resources.

Students enrolled in the Academy of Excellence would essentially be provided a roadmap to earning the roughly 60 credit hours needed to earn a two-year associate’s degree prior to graduating.

Olean Times Herald file photo “Really what I want to do is have a program that Members of the Olean High School Class of 2018 makes kids — even in the take the stage during graduation in June. The Olean elementary level — start to City School District’s Academy of Excellence would aspire for something great- formalize the pathways already available for students to earn college credit via dual enrollment courses er,” said Superintendent and independent study.

Rick Moore.

The development of the academy is being aided by a $200,000 Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant, part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Some of that money was supposed to be used to allow a district employee time to develop the program. However, that employee resigned in February for a position at another district.

Moore acknowledges the resignation was a “setback,” but feels a preliminary version of the Academy of Excellence can still launch next school year.

“I think next fall there will be something more organized,” he said. “This is still a work in progress, though. My goal is this will morph over time.”

Moore said the district is already starting to see progress, as enrollment in art, music, foreign language and dual enrollment courses increased by 109 students this year over last year. He also noted he’s been impressed with what colleges this year ’s senior class has applied to.

“You always have that top group — that top 20 percent or so — that seems to be self-motivated,” he said, “and you’re always trying to capture that more middle group and move them to the top academically.”

Courtesy of Portville Central School District

Portville Elementary School science teacher Norm Glover works with students in the Elementary Science STEM Lab. The Portville Central School District has revamped its elementary science instruction with a dedicated teacher and space.

PORTVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Elementary science instruction revamped with dedicated teacher, lab Portville hopes its elementary students of today will be the students of the future using 3D printers and laser cutters at its Envisioneering Center .

The district restructured its elementary school science instruction last school year, as now all kindergarten through fourth-grade students are taught science a few hours a week by a dedicated science teacher — Norman Glover — in a dedi cated space — the Elementary Science STEM Lab. “In elementary schools there’s been such a focus across the state on literacy, reading and writing and mathematics, that science has kind of taken a back seat in classrooms,” said Elementary Principal Lynn Corder. “So we wanted to create a program that was primarily hands-on and exciting and engaging for childr en to get them excited about science and technology.”

In the new format, students are doing projects in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, including a Farm-to-Table initiative in which they’ll plant vegetables in the district’s greenhouse that will eventually be eaten by summer school students.

Students are also incubating chicken eggs through Cornell Cooperative Extension, a program through Cornell University.

The new format is essentially a feeder pr ogram for the Envisioneering Center, the district’s space-esque technology center for middle and high school stu dents that opened last school year with the help of a $146,368 grant fr om the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The center, which aims to inspire hands-on learning and creativity for both students and adult entrepreneurs in the community, continued to build on its infra structure this year with a $250,000 grant fr om the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

“This is a nice way to spark that inter est at a young age and get their science brains working, thinking about the opportunities they have in life,” said Cor der, adding the elementary science program is still in the developmental stage and about three to five years away from being “built to the way wher e we’re comfortable with where it is.”

He noted that while the program took “a little bit off the plate” of the classroom elementary school teachers, those teachers have said they miss teaching science in the classroom.

“But when they see how excited kids ar e to be in the program, they know that it’s been a really good start for them,” he said.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

OLEAN TIMES HERALD

VISIONS OF EDUCATION

JCC transfer agreements try to make path to four-year college easier

By TOM DINKI

Courtesy of Jamestown Community College

Olean Times Herald

It’s perhaps the most frequent question at Jamestown Community College open houses for prospective students: Will my JCC credits transfer to a four-year institution?

That’s why JCC has more than 400 transfer articulation agreements with nearly 60 institutions from as close as St. Bonaventure University to as far away as Bellevue University in Nebraska, according to the transfer agreement database on the JCC website.

The agreements are essentially insurance for students that the credits they earn at a two-year college will be recognized at higher-level institutions and go toward an eventual bachelor’s, master’s or even a doctorate degree.

In some cases, the agreements even guarantee JCC students will be accepted into to a higherlevel institution’s specific degree program.

“Certain degree categories are essentially designed to be the first segment of a four-year degree,” said Dr. Marilyn Zagora, JCC vice president of academic affairs. “So students choosing JCC who enter those programs typically understand they will be continuing on a

Jamestown Community College students take notes in a class on the Jamestown campus in fall 2015.

JCC has more than 400 transfer agreements with nearly 60 institutions.

pathway, and we want to make it as easy as possible for that to happen.”

Making those pathways clear is crucial for community colleges nationwide, considering more than a third of their students end up transferring.

Thirty-seven percent of the nearly 1.5 million first-time students who enrolled in community college in fall 2011 transferred by 2017, and more than 50 percent of those community college transfers went on to four-year schools, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Of the 865 students who enrolled as first-time, full-time students at JCC in fall 2015, 37 percent had graduated by the start of the fall 2018 semester and an additional 13 percent

transferred to other colleges prior to graduation.

And, while Zagora notes transfer agreements have been part of JCC for decades, they may be all the more important in a higher education climate where institutions, including community colleges, struggle to recruit learners.

With 2,515 students across its Jamestown and Olean campuses this academic year, JCC enrollment has fallen 3.57 percent from last year and roughly 37 percent since 2011.

Enrollment across SUNY’s 64 campuses is down 1.6 percent from fall 2017, including a 4.6 percent dip for the 30 community colleges, according to The Poughkeepsie Journal.

To combat this, JCC is working to implement a four-year plan, Strategic

Directions 2019-2023, which JCC President Dr. Daniel DeMarte presented last week to the Cattaraugus County Legislature’s Finance Committee.

“Our new president has mentioned that he would like us to continue to pay attention to which transfer schools attract the majority of JCC students and maybe for those schools to expand the number of agreements we have,” said Dr. Robert Phillips, JCC’s coordinator of transfer articulation agreements.

JCC reports its graduates’ most popular transfer destinations are the University at Buffalo, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Empire State College and Daemen College.

While students can certainly transfer to colleges and programs JCC does not have transfer agreements with, the agreements do make it easier.

Phillips said most of JCC’s agreements guarantee admission to the transfer school and guarantee the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in four semesters. JCC even has a few transfer agreements for doctorate degrees, like Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s doctor of pharmacy degree.

“Students have to be accepted up front, within

their first semester at JCC,” Phillips said. “Students then follow very prescribed courses with the assurance that if they do well academically they will be accepted to LECOM and the pre-pharmacy phase, and certainty if they do well again, into the professional phase of that program.”

Phillips said agreements come together from both JCC reaching out to other institutions, and other institutions reaching out to JCC. “I got contacted by (Rochester Institute of Technology) recently. They were interested in expanding their exercise science program,” he said. “It turned out that one of our degree programs is a very good match course-wise with their exercise science.”

Plus, new programs are often created with fouryear institutions in mind, as SUNY requires two-year colleges to demonstrate they’ve communicated with four-year colleges when launching new programs.

Phillips noted that in the case of JCC’s newly approved music industry associate’s degree, that four-year college was SUNY Fredonia.

“And I would expect the next step would be a formal agreement between us and Fredonia,” he added.

JCC also anticipates eventually having a transfer agreement with St. Bonaventure’s new nursing program set to launch this fall.

St. Bonaventure’s program, part of its new School of Health Professionals, will be a two-year, RN-to-BS program, meaning working registered nurses with their associate's degree will enroll in order to complete their bachelor’s degree.

That also means JCC’s two-year nursing program

will likely be the perfect feeder program.

While JCC already has nursing transfer agreements with about 10 institutions, Zagora noted an agreement with St. Bonaventure could be particularly advantageous for nursing students on the nearby Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean.

“Our students will find smooth pathways from the RN to the BSN without question. There are many, many options for them,” she said, “and we welcome the new option that St. Bonaventure will represent.”

Of course, making transfer agreements isn’t the end of the line. The agreements must be constantly updated via communication between JCC and the transfer school’s faculty.

“An agreement that might work perfectly in 2019 could get out of sync unless it is being tended carefully by both sides,” Zagora said.

Zagora noted the current climate of higher education has made institutions all the more willing to engage in transfer agreements.

“Pathways are growing in popularity in higher education these days because I think it describes in vivid terms what we’re all trying to accomplish: Bring students in as freshmen — whatever their entry gate is — and illustrate for them smooth pathways from that entry point through to their career goal, whether that’s an associate's degree, bachelor’s degree, or beyond,” she said. “And certainly transfer agreements are one important tool we have in our toolkit to illuminate those pathways.”

(Contact reporter Tom Dinki at tdinki@olean timesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @tomdinki)

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OLEAN TIMES HERALD