Allegany Adventure Run

Thu, 8 May 2008 09:34:53 -0400

Allegany State Park Announces Line-up of Spring Events

BY JEANINE ZIMMER

Allegany State Park (A.S.P.) is a year-round asset to Cattaraugus County and to New York State. Recently named as a “top amazing spot in the nation,” Allegany State Park boasts 65,000 acres, including two developed areas – Red House and Quaker – making it the largest State Park in the New York State Office of Park’s system. What started out in 1921 with a purchase of 7,000 acres through the Holland Land Company made through an Act of the NYS Legislature for $50,000 has become the largest State park in the New York State Office of Park’s system.
The Park is open year round with a plethora of activities planned including hiking, walking, biking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, horseback riding, skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing.
The Park has just announced its line-up of special events planned for this spring, which include: A.S.P. Geobash III (May 16-18), the 50th Annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage (May 31-June 1), the Rogaine Orienteering Competition (June 14), and the Raccoon Rally Bike Fest (June 28-29).
To kick things off this weekend, HeartRateUp.com, a Western New York website and committee that promotes and produces athletic events, will host is annual Allegany Adventure Run on Saturday, May 10. This is a 16K-22K trail run in the rolling Art Roscoe Trail System inside the Park’s Red House Area. Registration begins at 8am at the Summit Ski Cabin; entry fees are $20-$25. There is a post race party with snacks and awards.
The following weekend hosts Geobash III, a special event for geocachers (people who track objects through using Global Positioning Systems - GPS) will be held at Group Camp 12, located on A.S.P. Rte. 2, South of the Red House Area. Scheduled activities include a Native American dancer, education sessions, information about Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Geo Trail, games for the children, and many of caches to find. Special 100-, 50- and 25-cache loops will include caches located in and near to Allegany State Park.
If you don’t want to wait for the event, start now: there are over 250 caches available in the vicinity of Allegany State Park, Salamanca, NY, and the city of Bradford, PA. Committee members and volunteers have put together 25-, 50- and 100-cache loops. Coordinates for the loops will be posted at the Camp 12 Mess Hall Monday through Friday. Information about the Allegheny Geo-Trail will also be available. Full details are available online at HYPERLINK "http://www.geocaching.com" www.geocaching.com and HYPERLINK "http://www.aspgeobash.com" www.aspgeobash.com
The 50th Annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage will take place May 31-June 1. The Pilgrimage was initiated a half century ago by the late O. Gilbert Burgeson of Jamestown. Experts will lead nature hikes on many topics. Bird life has traditionally been a featured topic. The Pilgrimage takes place the first weekend in June to take advantage of the warbler migration. These tiny birds are heading north to their nesting grounds. Many will continue their journey, and will not be seen in their breeding plumage for another year. Visit HYPERLINK "http://www.alleganynaturepilgrimage.org" www.alleganynaturepilgrimage.org for more information and registration materials.
The Rogaine orienteering competition, where people race against each other and the clock, using simply a topographic map and compass to visit, in sequence control points and finally navigate themselves through the diverse terrain until they finally reach their end goal, is scheduled for an 11am start Saturday, June 14 at Camp Turner, in the Quaker Area of Allegany State Park. These are the U.S. Rogaine Championships with 6, 12, and 24-hour classes open to all competitors. The event is organized jointly by the Rochester and Buffalo Orienteering Clubs. For more information visit www.buffalo-orienteering.org
Finally, June 28-29, the Raccoon Rally Mountain Bike Festival, also endorsed by HeartRateUp.com, is one of the most exciting special events of the year. The festival includes activities for participants with all levels of experience and ability. Featured events include the road race, dual downhill slalom, kids’ race, and the trials competition at Thunder Rocks. Not everyone will want to compete in events, but spectators get to enjoy watching participants climb Thunder Rocks on bicycles and watching the various races. Group rides and night rides are planned in addition to the competitions. Camp Allegany is the event “midway” and starting point for many of the races. Sponsors’ vendor booth, snacks and refreshments are also available at the midway.
Allegany State Park is part of the statewide system of parks and historic sites managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. To learn more about any of these events, call 716-354-9101. For more information about state parks and historic sites in New York, please visit www.nysparks.com.
Pictured: Allegany Naure Pilgrimage combines fun with a variety of nature oriented activities.

Chapman Resigns, Kerns Assumes Duties

Thu, 8 May 2008 09:34:51 -0400

Town of Ellicottville Holds Special Board Meeting; Sewer Tap-in Fee Request from Holiday Valley Denied

BY NICHOLAS PIRCIO
WPIG 95.7 FM

Ellicottville will have only one town justice, Betsy Kerns, through the end of 2008, due to the recent resignation of the other town justice, June Chapman. Chapman wants to retire and enjoy life with her family, and on May 7 the Ellicottville Town Board accepted her resignation, with regret. Chapman served for more than fourteen years on the bench. Justice Kerns has agreed to assume the duties of Justice Chapman until the end of the year. A new judge will be elected in November. Kerns will be paid the remainder of Chapman's salary as of April 29, the effective date of her resignation, in addition to her own salary.
In explaining her decision, Chapman said she was “just getting tired” and wants to spend more time with her children and grandchildren. Noting that the judge’s job required long hours and sleepless nights, she still found it to be a “rewarding experience.” She is “very appreciative” of the people she has worked with over the years. And she wonders about the young people who appeared in her court, saying that “they don’t realize the repercussions of some of their actions.”
Justice Kerns told the Town Board she is willing to tackle the “extensive job” of handling the additional court cases on a “temporary basis.”
In other business, Town Assessor Robin Pearl-Lamphier reported that appraisal contractor KLW has not provided her with information that she needs in “a timely manner.” KLW was hired by the Town to help the assessor with the appraisal process for property assessments.
The Town will look into the possibility of having other employees give some of their sick time to Water Department Supervisor Dale Golley, who has used up his allotted sick days. Town Attorney Tom Brady will see if other Town employees can legally donate their sick time, to help Golley through this period.
The Town Board will explore the possibility of increasing building security by locking the back door. Town Supervisor John Burrell suggested installing an access button at the back door for handicapped individuals who want to use the elevator near that entrance. If the plan is approved, employees and police officers would still be able to access the building through the rear door.
Concerning the Monroe Street sewer extension, Burrell said the Town would continue to work with the Village which is “to the community’s benefit.” Bid openings are expected soon, perhaps by Thursday, May 8.
The Town Board decided to follow the recommendation of the Joint Sewer Committee to deny a request from Holiday Valley for some relief on the sewer tap-in fee for the Tamarack Club project. The Town Board entertained this motion at their March meeting and referred the matter to the Joint Sewer Committee for consideration. At their May 2 meeting, the commission recommended to the Town Board that the full amount of the fee should be charged, to be consistent with procedures that are being used on other projects in the community. That’s according to Town Engineer Mark Alianello.
Also discussed during the May 7 meeting was a February incident in which a contractor for National Fuel working to install a gas line accidentally hit a sewer owned by the developer of a townhouse project along Routes 219 and 242, just beyond the new addition to the Lutheran Church. The Town has yet to agree to accept dedication of that sewer line, as requested by the developer, since questions “first need to be answered.”
The Town has agreed to advertise for a part-time police clerk for the rest of the year, as recommended by Police Chief Jim Comstock. The clerk will free up the chief and patrol officers for more “street time.”
Burrell also reported a significant increase of more than $37,000 in sales tax revenue for the first quarter, when compared with the same time last year.
Pictured: Betsy Kerns with Town Supervisor John Burrell, displaying a recently awarded state grant check in the amount of $19,028.90 that will be used for security items and to build a new bench for the judge.

ECS School Budget Vote

Thu, 8 May 2008 09:34:49 -0400

Public Hearing Slated for Next Tuesday; Mark Ward to Replace Patricia Haynes

BY JEANINE ZIMMER

Next Tuesday, May 13, 2008, a budget hearing will be held for the Ellicottville Central School’s 2008-‘09 budget at 7:30pm in the high school cafeteria. At this time the school board will present the budget with its explanations to the public. The vote will be held on the following Tuesday, May 20 in the elementary school foyer; polling hours are from 1pm-8pm.
“We really tried to keep the budget under control,” reported Superintendent Patricia Haynes. “Even though health insurance costs are rising, we keep fiscally responsible and the taxpayers will not see a significant impact.”
The proposed budget was printed in detail in the ECS Newsletter sent out this month. The largest increases in funds were allotted to computer equipment, with a $90,938 increase and to contract expenses and repairs, with a $96,897 increase.
“The computer lab at the elementary school is outdated,” noted Haynes. “There are also two mobile labs, which are carts we bring into the classrooms, which need to be updated.” The additional funds for computer equipment will be used to bring the elementary school up to date.
The contract expenses and repairs funds are going to repave the parking lots. “They’re in terrible shape,” said Haynes. “Each year we just keep filling the holes and it’s time to repave them.”
Overall, the total operating budget which will be presented this coming Tuesday is only an increase of 2.7% from last year, which is a modest increase compared to last year’s 6.2% rise.
Other propositions to be voted on Tuesday, May 20 include the purchase of one new 65-passenger 2008 International school bus for $84,601.84, and $25,000 in tax money to support the Ellicottville Memorial Library, which is traditionally done to support public libraries serving the district residents.
Also on this year’s ballot are two vacant seats on the school board, currently held by Mrs. Mary Ellen Campbell and Mr. Lynn Eddy. The board seats are for a term of five years. The candidates, Mrs. Ellen Campbell, Mr. Leonard Zlockie, and Mr. Lynn Eddy, have been asked to speak at the budget hearing regarding their personal background and why they are running for the board of education.
In other ECS news, Patricia Haynes will be retiring from the Ellicottville school system at this academic year’s end; she will be replaced by former Salamanca and Olean Superintendent, Mark Ward. Ward announced his plans from resignation to the Olean district in March of this year. He has previously served as a teacher, coach and principle at ECS.
“It will be a great transition,” reflected Haynes. “He has been working with me and the transitions have been smooth. ECS was a great place for me; it’s a great community.”
Haynes has been at ECS for six years.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I’m not going to work,” she laughed. “I might skip out for a few months during the long winters though.”

Top Stories

Allegany Adventure Run

Chapman Resigns, Kerns Assumes Duties

ECS School Budget Vote