NOW This, by Brenda
NOW this…
Stay Safe. Stay Connected. From Our Team to Yours…
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year, and it will certainly be one for the books. New rules. New guidelines. New bell and bus schedules. An entirely new way of arranging desks, interaction and education. Every aspect of the school day has revolved around the socially distanced world we now live in. This year brings a whole new — and unexpected — set of challenges for teachers, administrators, students and parents, one that prioritizes safety. Whether your child is attending five days a week, hybrid or full-remote, you can be assured that our area’s schools are taking every precaution to maintain the highest level of safety while providing the best education possible.
The same rings true for our local businesses, many of which have taken the EVL Pledge. A commitment to fellow community members and to our visitors, the Pledge ensures proper steps are being followed as outlined by the State DOH and CDC to ensure the safety of those who are coming here to enjoy our town.
Here at ellicottvilleNOW, we too, are doing our part to help everyone stay safe – masking up, disinfecting surfaces, and being aware of our own health checks each day we arrive and depart. Located directly across the hall from the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Center downtown, we maintain an important role in showcasing safety not only amongst our team but for the visitors who walk through the door to browse the information kiosks. Like so many others in Ellicottville and our surrounding communities, we are doing our part and are proud to be a team player.
Speaking of team, you read the article bylines, you see the attractively designed advertisements, you scroll all the great features on our website and in our eNOW newsletter … but WHO is ellicottvilleNOW? Our team is an eclectic one, full of unique personalities that combine to create an outstanding representation that this town embodies – friendship amongst all walks of life.
With over 20 years of experience working in the Ellicottville newspaper industry, many of you are familiar with who I am. It’s the other pieces of this collaborative puzzle where much credit is due. I always said if there were two of me … well, thankfully, my co-pilot Meaghan Lucarelli provides that super duo status. She assists with just about everything within our operation – from office coordinating to layout and design to website content management. She truly is the missing link … (that’s not missing anymore.)
Evan Evans, who offers more years of business experience than I’ve been on this Earth, is no stranger to our local publication. In fact, Evan and I have been working together for well over 10 years. As a co-creator of my very first independently owned publication, FORE! Golf NY/PA, Evan has also played an integral role in advertising sales and distribution efforts for all of my publications. Just this summer, Evan decided it was time to hang up his hat from delivering papers, and has passed the torch down to our new distribution manager, Joshua Good. With easy conversation and a positive attitude, Joshua brings a healthy dose of motivation to his position, which requires a great level of attention to detail.
Our team of writers and photographers round out a stellar line-up. St. Bona graduate and local snowboard shop manager Spencer Timkey has a way with words that can capture any reader’s undivided attention no matter what topic he writes about. (I can remember attending this guy’s high school graduation; now he helps ME out with various aspects of business marketing and editing assistance.) Jaimie Woodarek has made her mark here in her hometown of Ellicottville with her abilities with a camera; Ashley Baron and Clara Kosinski are also no strangers to the local photo/video scene. Mary Heyl, Caitlin Croft, Louisa Benatovich, Anjanette Nicolazzo, Kim Duke (and other writers who are being added in upcoming weeks) … they are your university students and graduates, your local real estate agents, your fitness trainers and health professionals, your fellow small business owners. Our circles - how varied they may be - are all connected one way or another. And the one thing we all have in common: a passion for the area in which we live and work, and the drive to promote all the wonderful things we have to offer here.
The team. The collective. This is what makes our publication tick. Here at ellicottvilleNOW, our team comes together to provide our readers with quality content – an all-inclusive news source that is both informative and entertaining, which is evident each time you pick up an issue and flip through the pages.
Many thanks to YOU – our readers, our advertisers, our supporters. Let’s keep the momentum going! And please remember to stay safe, wash your hands, help others, get outside, and drink lots of water. It’s good for you
Brenda Perks is the owner, editor and designer of ellicottvilleNOW and owner of DesignPerks, a graphic design company affiliated with the local media/marketing agency, PaNDaGOAT Media. You can reach Brenda at brenda@ellicottvillenow.com.
