A Year in Review

We all thought 2021 was going to be our year. Communities across the nation welcomed a milestone of unmasking and the return of live events. Family reunions, holiday get-togethers, sporting events, school functions, our Canadian friends … Yet here we are, closing out the year masking back up and trying to figure out day-to-day what we’re supposed to be doing - or not doing - per NYS guidelines. Wasn’t the pandemic suppose to be over by now?

It has certainly proven to be another deeply challenging year, if you want to look at it that way. Or perhaps we should look at the flip side, and realize how far we’ve come. On a local level, there have been some pretty amazing things that have taken place this year, accomplished by a community that always works together. Let’s highlight a few of those feel-good moments …

THANK GOODNESS FOR SKI SEASON

January 2021 … We still had a ski season. So many rules in place - masks all the time, only ride with your group on the chairlift, limited indoor availability - but we had a ski season. Being able to ski and snowboard is what keeps many of us sane. And despite the pandemic, ski resorts across the area saw a surge in visitor numbers. (If the only way to socialize is to be outdoors, you might as well learn to enjoy it, amiright?) Holiday Valley was able to bring back a few in-person clinics (hooray!), while some events and fundraisers mixed in-person with virtual (such as the Penguin Paddle), or were cancelled altogether out of safety precaution (ahem, the Boardroom Banked; but not to worry, BB4 is on schedule to be in-person come March 2022 and will no doubt be bigger and better than ever!)

With the threat of Covid still at the helm early on in 2021, Villaggio owner Nick Pitillo conjured up another idea that would allow those looking for a safe space for their family while enjoying the slopes. Mini-chalets were constructed and stationed at the base of HoliMont’s Sunset lift, providing seasonal renters with their own personal retreat, where they could gather with their group - away from the public - to meet for lunch, warm up (yep, the mini-chalets were heated), store their equipment, and feel safe.

Over in the sled world, a major schedule shift took place for the Amsoil Snocross championship race, but again, thanks to it being an outdoor event, Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca was able to keep their stop on the circuit. And following a six-month closure, the Seneca Iroquois National Museum reopened to the public - again, under very strict rules. Although the shutdown presented many challenges for the museum, it also provided them an opportunity to focus their attention on their new online store, which now plays an important role in supporting the museum as a whole. Silver lining?

NEW PROJECTS AND SPECIAL PARTNERSHIPS

In the days after Holiday Valley closed out its 2020-’21 winter operations, its Mountain Ops crew began a project that completely changed the dynamic of one of its most iconic lifts - replacing the fixed-grip Yodeler chairlift with a high-speed detachable quad - a $4 million project. Crews worked all spring, summer, and into the fall, finishing up just in time for this season’s opening day. The new lift, developed by the Austria-based Doppelmayr, sits just slightly east of its old location and ends where the Champagne Warming Hut was. In turn, the Warming Hut has been moved to where the old upper Yodeler lift house sat. A little “swap-a-roo” and visitors are reaping the benefits of quicker lift rides, which means more ski time!

Rewind: A couple years ago, Ellicottville Coffee Company owner John Rounds developed a new roast commemorating Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month called Rock Autism, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the non-profit organization of the same name, which supports the autism community with contributions to music and arts programs for youth and adults living on the autism spectrum. Fast-forward to 2021, and the coffee shop has also connected with WNYMBA (Western New York Mountain Biking Association). The shop’s newest roast, “Take the Black Trail” donates a portion of the coffee sales directly to WNYMBA to support their trail work efforts. Now you can drink coffee and do good at the same time!

A FULL SUMMER OF AWESOME!

Artists from around the globe banded together to create the Statues for Equality initiative, producing larger-than-life bronze statues of various women who’ve played important roles in the balance of gender and racial representation. In June, Ellicottville became home to one of these statues through the summer. On loan from Griffis Sculpture Park, a 10’ bronze statue of Cheryl Strayed was installed downtown on the gazebo lawn. A novelist, essayist and memoirist, Strayed is best known for her memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found, a story which chronicled her 1,100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail on which she embarked after losing her mother to cancer. A beautiful addition to the Four Corners of downtown Ellicottville, the statue attracted much attention from visitors and was a perfect pairing for a town who’s business district is approximately 80% woman-owned.

Brad Poole. If you don’t know his name by now, we’ll gladly introduce it to you. Poole pulled off an incredibly impressive feat of running 266 miles through the entirety of Cattaraugus County in a period of less than one week in 2020 - all in the name of raising funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Heading into 2021, this guy decided to up the ante, attempting 300 miles in 72 hours. The morning of June 9th, Brad laced up his running shoes and started his mission strong, but on Day 2 and 80 miles in, the warrior fell to Rhabdomyolysis - a disabling condition in which one’s muscle tissue breaks down and protein leaks into the bloodstream, potentially causing kidney failure. Brad was hospitalized and advised not to return to his run. “I was sitting in the hospital scrolling through Facebook and I started seeing all these posts of people running miles for me. As much as I wanted to be out there, I was overjoyed to see people from the community and even outside of the community coming together to help me out and raise awareness for CF.” Total combined mileage surpassed 1,000 and the event raised over $40,000 for Cystic Fibrosis awareness and research. (Note: Brad DID return to his run, and finished with another 20 miles under his feet.)

Speaking of raising money for a cause, a handful of local avid bicyclers took to the pavement for the Empire State Ride, a 500+ mile route across NYS fueled by their determination to raise money for cancer research. The Holiday Valley/HoilMont team of Dennis and Jane Eshbaugh, Bonnie Koschir and Debbie Stein, plus Sean Crotty, and Howard Hanna real estate agent Rick Jackson, joined hundreds of others in the journey from NYC to Niagara Falls, with all of Ellicottville rooting them on.

Summer events made a huge comeback following a pandemic-forced hiatus. The Ellicottville Chamber unveiled its newest themed weekend, Red Head Days. Holiday Valley hosted their annual Mudslide obstacle race. And everyone’s favorite, Summer Music Festival, brought high energy tunes back to the slopes with performances by Tommy DeCarlo of Boston and Steve Augeri, former lead singer of Journey, plus the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in one of the best concert venues in the region. There’s no better way to celebrate America’s birthday than at Ellicottville’s Summer Fest.

42 North debuted their newest festival, “Hilltap” at Holiday Valley’s Spruce Lake. Stroll the Streets brought families back out to the sidewalks on Friday nights, and the Ellicott-ville Farmers Market showcased a variety of fresh local produce and artisan crafts.

Allegany State Park celebrated 100 years. Ellicottville hosted its bicentennial events (they actually turned 201 this year but due to Covid … you know), and Senator George Borrello made a special trip to Ellicottville to present Mayor John Burrell with a proclamation recognizing Burrell’s 55 years of service with the Ellicottville Volunteer Fire Department. Plus … the benches came out! After a long year of staring at bare sidewalks, the village benches were put back where they belong. Many of them, adorned with plaques, are more than just places to sit and rest. They are engraved with memories. Members of our community. Loved ones. Our friends. Our mentors. They are currently stored away for the winter, but will certainly be enjoyed again once the snow melts.

HoliMont went from being a wintertime club for members and guests to a four season destination when they added downhill mountain biking trails with lift access. The new trails received rave reviews, attracting bikers from all over the region. HoliMont is already mapping out new trails to build come springtime.

FROM FALL BACK INTO WINTER

On the school front, Ellicottville Central completed $8.4 million in capital improvement projects which aimed to vanquish multiple issues facing the school, including a final end-all to the flooding that has plagued the school year after year. A stone terrace now accentuates a resurfaced athletic field, and parking lots have been completely redone, with much-needed added parking spaces. The interior of the school saw an overhaul of the kitchen, adding square footage, storage and new appliances. The dining area also received a facelift with new flooring, and a new roof was installed over the high school wing. Add in more new flooring in the elementary gym, new wireless clocks and updated security, and ECS is as beautiful as ever.

Speaking of school … 458 wins, 160 losses and 34 ties. Those numbers may not mean much alone but when put together, they encompass 34 years of history for former Ellicottville Central School girls soccer coach Mary Neilon. Neilon became a pioneer as commander of Ellicottville’s girls soccer program. She turned a relatively uncompetitive side into one of the most decorated high school teams in the state, capping off her career with the seventh all-time victories in New York for girls soccer. Four state titles, nine final-fours and 25 sectional championships later, Neilon’s story on the sideline has led to her induction into New York’s Soccer Hall of Fame, which took place at the NYS HOF championship game held at Niskayuna High School near Albany. The ECS Lady Eagles traveled with Coach Neilon to be part of her special day.

Local skateboard advocates (SK8EVL) began fundraising efforts in 2019 to build a concrete skatepark in Ellicottville, and this fall, they reached their goal of $250,000 which includes major sponsorships from the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association, the Rotary Club of Ellicottville, Sheldon Precision, LFM Management, among others. The funds raised are being matched by The Skatepark Project/Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, and construction is slated to begin next spring.

Holiday Valley received its highest ranking ever in SKI Magazine’s reader survey, taking the #2 spot in the East! SKI readers chimed in with their opinions on everything from on-hill experiences and resort services to off-hill amenities, and when it was all said and done, HV beat out many heavy hitters on the east coast. How lucky we are to have such an amazing resort right in our backyard!

What else happened? Pumpkinville made a huge comeback this year with the addition of their Beer Garden. The Canadian border opened back up. And E’ville native/freestyle skier Bella Bacon made her debut at the Dew Tour, claiming the award for “Breakthrough Skier of the Year” … pretty cool! You can bet this girl is surely on the up and up!

THE BEST PART OF IT ALL

Perhaps the most exciting part of 2021 … all of the new businesses that have opened! Despite the challenges of a lingering pandemic, many entrepreneurs carried out their dreams of starting up a new business or opening up 2nd or 3rd locations. And they are thriving! (In your face, Covid!) That in itself is enough to make 2021 a prosperous year full of hope. Ellicottville Arc Custom Welding. Timberhut. Fattey Beer. Good for the Spirit Gifts. GI Threads. Blue Collar Workwear. Ava Grace Fashions moved to a new location with more space. Mad Crazy Batter Bakery celebrated one year in business. E-Ville Spirits celebrated 20 years! The Rose Garden in Great Valley reopened its doors. Firefly Bagels quickly grew to expand their offerings at Katy’s Cafe. And Rafi’s Platter, renamed Kabob House, is getting a second chance.

As the weather grows colder and we enter another new ski season (not to mention a new variant now on the loose), we find ourselves revisiting some of those safety precautions that we had hoped would be long gone by now. Both Holiday Valley and HoliMont now offer free Covid testing sites, and mandates from NYS’s governor are being re-implemented. Who knows where we’ll go from here. But one thing we do know, is we’ll do it together. Cheers to 2022. Stay safe. Stay healthy. See you on the slopes!

A Year in Review

Next to Normal

Holiday Valley in January