SPECIAL SHORTS
(05/01/2009) By Gerlind Dubey

Ellicottville Summer Festival for the Arts…. VIP tickets (225.00 per couple) are on sale now, call 1-800-349-9099 to order yours. VIP tickets include 2 tickets to the July third, Friday night Sponsors BBQ at HoliMont, 2 tickets to the Friday Night Sean Patrick Mc McGraw concert that follows the BBQ; 2 tickets to the Sponsors Reception and Dinner at Holiday Valley, preceding the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; plus 2 tickets and reserved seating For the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concert and for the Sunday performance of Three Dog Night. Tickets are also available at E’ville Spirits and the Village Wine Rack in Ellicottville. General Admission individual performance tickets are also available.

Holiday Valley Resort…All 18 holes are now in play… Polished like the fine jewel it is, the Double Diamond course is now complete.

Cattaraugus County Republican Committee Announces Spring Cocktail Party Fundraiser…The Cattaraugus County Republican Committee Cocktail Party fundraiser will be held on Friday, May 8, 2009 at the Old Library Restaurant, 116 South Union Street, Olean, New York. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. and last until approximately 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $50.00 per person. The Cattaraugus County District Attorney, Sheriff and Coroner, as well as local Town Board positions, will be selected by the voters this fall. Among the invitees to the dinner are County Republican Chairperson Paula Snyder, Senator Catharine M. Young, Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, Cattaraugus County Legislature Chair Crystal Abers, Sheriff Dennis John, County Treasurer Joe Keller and many others. The Committee is honored to have Erie County Executive Chris Collins as our guest speaker this year. County Executive Collins was elected in 2007 and has over 35 years of experience in the private sector as a business owner and entrepreneur. Chris was elected in an Erie County landslide victory because the voters demanded accountability, change and reform. Tickets are available by calling 372-4858.  Advance registrations are greatly appreciated.

Local post-9/11 veterans honored by Rep. Massa…Little Valley – A letter of recognition and an American flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol were presented to three veterans and the families of three active servicemen on Sunday by Rep. Eric Massa (D-Corning).

The presentation by the Congressman was made at a breakfast hosted by the Cattaraugus County Democratic Committee at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8734 in Little Valley.

Those honored were: West Valley resident First Class Petty Officer Dorothy A. Button of the U.S. Coast Guard; Great Valley resident Staff Sgt. Troy S. Andrews of the U.S. Air Force; Little Valley resident Chief Petty Officer Douglas J. Andrews of the U.S. Navy. The families of active servicemen who accepted the recognition of their behalf included: Sgt. Jeremy E. Cavanaugh serving in the U.S. Army, son of Dan and Sherry Cavanaugh of Cattaraugus; Spec. E4 Howard J. Armbruster of the U.S. Army,  son of Howard and Irene Armbruster of North Collins; and PFC Miles J. Malinowski of the U.S. Marine Corps, son of Michael and Mary Malinowski Sr. of Dayton.

Rep. Massa, himself a U.S. Navy veteran of 24 years, expressed his support of the servicemen and spoke briefly about his fight in the recent federal budget to increase funding for the Veterans Administration. He said the VA budget contained the highest percentage increase in the recent budget, doubling the amount by $24 billion.

District Attorney Edward Sharkey briefly commended those who helped in the war on terror. Sharkey is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force having served as an instructor pilot from 1969 to 1974.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by William F. Brown of Ellicottville a retired U.S. Marine Corps Major and the VFW Post #8374 color guard presented the colors for the ceremony attended by about 65 officials and area residents. The names of 42 other post-9/11 veterans were submitted by county veterans clubs and they will also receive a personal letter from Rep. Massa and a certificate of recognition.

“We wouldn’t have the democratic freedoms we enjoy today without the service and the sacrifice of these dedicated veterans,” said Cattaraugus County Democratic Chairman Daniel McCandless, an Air Force veteran

CCAC Southern Tier Biannual… Everyone is welcome to the opening of the 2009 Southern Tier Biennial exhibition at the Olean Public Library on May 9th at 3pm, immediately followed by a second opening in our new gallery at the Olean campus of Jamestown Community College. If you can’t make the opening, visit the show anytime between then and June 20 to see a unique collection of contemporary art featuring 36 artists, five of whom are local!

Allegany State Park will host the fourth annual Geobash, Scheduled for May 15-17 this is a special event for geocachers, according to Michael J. Miecznikowski, General Park Manager.  The event will have a double venue this year, Quaker Beach area and Group Camp 12. ASP Geobash IV begins on Friday May 15, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.   Come to the welcome center at Quaker Beach (N42° 02.934’, W078° 50.000’) to sign in and pick up cache information.  The Geobash store and vendor tents will be open. Activities will include a catered chili and cornbread dinner from 5:00- 8:00 p.m.  Please note that there will be a charge for meals this year, and that they must be pre-ordered and pre-paid on the website http://www.aspgeobash.org/ The exception is the “Short Stacks & Tall Tales pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment. For more info go to Geocaching.com

Cache In Trash Out… is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers have been dedicated to cleaning up parks and other cache-friendly places around the world. Get Involved

Springville Center for the Arts …..Elvis Lives Live… Patrick Johnson’s acclaimed Elvis tribute will be held at Springville Center for the Arts on May 2 at 2 pm and 8 pm. Considered one of the top Elvis tribute artists in the country, Patrick took first place in the Lady Luck People’s Choice Awards in Montreal in 2006. He has performed in Las Vegas as well as all over the Northeast and Canada for crowds ranging from a few dozen to over 10,000, and on May 2 he will be coming to Springville Center for the Arts.

Patrick will perform a matinee at 2 pm with an evening show at 8 pm. Tickets are $15, call 716-592-9038 to order seats for a performance you will not soon forget!

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — St. Bonaventure University is working with developer Ross Wilson & Associates of Williamsville in assessing the feasibility of a plan for the use of the former Castle property, located on Route 417 across from the east side of campus, university officials announced today. Brenda Snow, senior vice president for finance and administration, said the possible components of the plan include apartments, a hotel, convenience retail, restaurants, and a recreation venue.” We are excited about the approach proposed by Ross Wilson,” said Snow. “This is a company with a regional vision that aims to link the amenities of the greater Olean area with other regional assets, including those in Ellicottville and Salamanca.” The study is expected to be complete in August, with the goal of starting construction as soon as possible thereafter.” We are eager to move forward with a project of this nature primarily because it will enhance the campus life experience of our students while also serving as a boost to the regional economy,” said Snow.