SPECIAL SHORTS
(04/10/2009) By Gerlind Dubey

In this time of new beginnings, as the birth of a new season turns the earth to green and the air warms your surroundings take time to thank God for what you have!

HAPPY EASTER

Bald Eagle Sighting… The bald eagle is one of New York State’s most impressive residents and the only eagle found solely in North America. Call it fate or luck; seeing one of Mother Nature’s magnificent creatures soaring low above Rte 219 in Salamanca to identify took my breath away.
In Honor of the Easter Holiday … The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure will be closed Thursday through Sunday, April 9-12. The Quick Center will reopen on Monday, April 13, with regular hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hopefully the new snow we had early this week is the end of it… I NEED TO SEE THE GREENS! Double Black Diamond Driving Range at Holiday Valley Resort is open!

The Salamanca Garden Club meets Monday April 13 -7 PM in the basement of The United Congregational Methodist Church134 Broad St, Salamanca. This Months speaker is Paula Edwards of Burdick Blueberry Farm. Learn about Varieties, care and pruning of blueberries.

Pfeiffer Nature Center presents “Who lives in This Forest?” a Spring Break Woods Walk -“Wed. April 15  -10 AM—12 N $5 pp Lillibridge Property – 1974 Lillibridge Rd Portville NY. Walk the woods, look for salamanders, enjoy games, and hunt for tracks, scat, and other animal evidence!  Hands on!

Springville Center For The Arts Presents… TUESDAY AT THE ARTS

Alternative Arts, an exhibition of works by Tuesday-At-The-Arts (TATA) fiber artists, will be showing at Springville Center for the Arts from April 11 - May 2. TATA is a diversified group of fiber artists and their credentials are impressive.  Several members belong to local and national art organizations and have won awards in local, national and international shows.

Techniques used by the group include weaving, quilting, hand appliqué, thread painting, wet wool felting, needle felting, beading, embellishment, paper making, hand painted, printed or dyed/discharged fabrics, jewelry, digital print-works, fiber/mixed media collage, 3-D sculptural design, and highly stylized art dolls. Springville Center for the Arts is located at 37 North Buffalo Street, Springville, NY 14141. Gallery hours are 12 -6 Wednesday, 12 – 8 Thursday, 12 – 6 Friday and 10 – 3 Saturday. Call 716-592-9038 for more information.

It Is Trout Season –Did You Know…. The colorful Brook Trout is the official New York State fish and along with Lake Trout the two species are the only truly native trout to New York State. That’s right, both Brown and Rainbow Trout are non-native species that were introduced to New York Sate in the late 1800’s.

Fish Story

Students in the Natural Resources program at C-A BOCES’ Ellicottville Career and Technical Center helped the state Department of Environmental Conservation with trout stocking in local streams in and around Ellicottville. They stocked over 2,000 brown trout in just one morning in anticipation of the opening of trout season.  Shown is Mike Andera of Ellicottville.

True Story From One Of Our Readers… “Last Friday night my son, a police officer, came off patrol a little late and was ordered to put in overtime in a massive manhunt in Myrtle Beach.  The suspect was naked except for a paint roller shoved up his butt.   I told my son, when a lady with PMS tells you to paint...you paint!”

Greater Olean Home and Garden Show …In this fast paced life we are living, time is a provision that seems to be scarce. The best way to get anything done is that you have to have a plan!
It’s the start of a new year, a time for resolutions and perhaps the opportunity to re-organize, re-work, remodel or renovate.  Well, grab your notebook and your pencil; dust off your hammer and head to the Greater Olean Home and Garden Show for tons of ideas, experts, exhibits and products that will help you get started. Held at the William O. Smith Recreation Center in Olean ,The Home Show is a unique marketplace to shop, compare and save on a total selection of home-related products and services for building, remodeling, gardening and decorating. The show will give you more project ideas for your home and garden. Here are some tips for making the most of your visit – Stay focused; create a list and make a plan. Before you go make a plan with a list of everything, even if it is only a dream, of what you would like done or redone within your home and or garden. Take full advantage of having so many experts all under one roof.

May 16-17 Routes to Art Weekend

The 2009 Routes to Art brochures are now available! Hit the road on May 16-17 to visit some--or even all!--of the artists and artisans featured on the 2009 Routes to Art open studio tour. This year RTA features 42 artists, 11 of whom are members of our new program partner, the Seneca Nation of Indians. If you own a GPS device, plan ahead by downloading the POI coordinates of all the studios from www.enchantedmountains.com into your Tom Tom or Garmin. Or go to www.routetoart.com to preview the artwork, plan your route, or request a brochure.

The Senate Completes Action On The Worst State Budget In History, all New Yorkers should note that they will now be paying higher taxes for necessities including energy, health insurance and other insurance products as well as increased costs for everyday items like bottled water and wine. The massive tax increases and reckless spending in this budget are certain to kill jobs and damage our economy.

Empire State Games Canceled… thousands of amateur athletes across the state are disappointed to find out the games they’ve been training for this summer won’t happen. The Olympic-style athletic competition is one more victim of the State fiscal crisis.