Are we all completely stressed out or are we getting dumber? All of us, it seems, ask some pretty inane questions of each other, particularly in casual conversation. A few weeks ago I’m on my walk, a one-hour loop around [...]
By Jeff Martin Thereís a woman named Colleen Plimpton, a Connecticut gardener, who had this casual advice for Western New York gardeners last year: Get out those digital cameras and photograph the progress of your plantings so as to enjoy [...]
Each year the Ellicottville Central Schools Engineering Design/Robotics class designs and builds a final engineering project to display at the Annual Science, Math, and Technology Exposition. This year’s Exposition will be held on Tuesday, May 21 from 6–8 p.m. This [...]
Friday, May 17 Gin Mill, 9 p.m. RT Live Rod is usually paired with Freddie, but tonight he’s doing his solo thing. (Freddie is actually playing with Rod’s dad, Dave, in his revived “Nip & Tuck” band in Holland.) Rod [...]
Catch a Rare Glimpse into the Secret World of Artists By Eva Potter This weekend, tap into your inner explorer and head out on a free artistic adventure you’ll never forget. Hit the road and immerse yourself in the area’s [...]
By Barb Kozlowski
Well, Mother Nature sure seems to enjoy playing games with us. We had been easing into a delightful spring — rain to soften the soil, spring bulbs blooming, trees and shrubs beginning to leaf out, spring flowers about ready to burst. Then we get wacked with a hard freeze (it was 26 degrees at my house overnight this week).
But now we can look forward to a warming trend that will hopefully stay with us and maybe my Wisteria will bloom this year. Weather does create problems in our gardens. Consequently, we must be vigilant and pay attention to weather forecasts (although sometimes they seem like the weather persons are out in left field) and pursue our gardening chores accordingly.
Since the soil has softened somewhat from the rains we recently received, it’s the perfect time to weed our gardens. As you weed, be aware of any new shoots from your perennials poking through the soil. As you are aware, these new shoots are very tender and easily broken or damaged by too vigorous and aggressive weeding. Be gentle around the tender shoots when weeding.
This is a good time to prep your vegetable garden for the upcoming season. Add amendments such as compost to replace nutrients used in last year’s plantings. Rotate your crops, large or small to prevent total nutrient depletion. This will give you optimum return from your plants, and there is nothing like picking fresh veggies out of your own garden and serving them for your own personal pleasure. Mmm, I can taste them already!
One of the first veggie/fruit available from the garden is rhubarb. My grandmother grew it and I loved her rhubarb pie. Another one is asparagus. I planted asparagus roots last year but will have to wait another year to harvest. These aren’t difficult to grow and once planted, you need to amend to soil every fall and keep the area around the plants weed free.
I came across a sauce recipe in the “Ball Blue Book – Guide to Preserving for Rhubarb.” Here’s the recipe:
Victoria Sauce
2 quarts chopped rhubarb (12 stalks)
1 1/2 cups chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon each of allspice, cinnamon, ginger & Ball salt
Combine rhubarb, raisins, onion, sugar and vinegar in a large saucepot. Simmer until thick. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add spices and cook 5 minutes longer. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling-water canner. Yields about 4 pints.
If you are not into canning or do not have the proper equipment, seal the jars and when cooled, store in the refrigerator for no more than one month or use immediately. This sauce will compliment a variety of meats, poultry, and some fish or seafood. It could also be used with ice cream or scones. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 18, the Master Gardeners will hold a Plant Swap at the Nannen Arboretum. All are welcome! Bring one plant, take one plant; bring 10, take home 10. Arrive by 9 a.m. Swap begins at 9:30 a.m. Rain or shine. Hope to see you there!
By Jeff Martin
It started with a furniture business and product line, and now Jeffrey Furash of Burning Asphalt Sauces has become a kind of hot sauce guru of Western New York.
Back in 2003, Furash was in Florida when someone suggested that Burning Asphalt would be a great name for a line of hot sauces. At the time, Furash was building his company Burning Asphalt Racetracks, a mobile outfit that allowed participants to operate radio-controlled vehicles along a track, a popular venture at events like car dealerships.
Furash thought about it and went home. One night in his garage, he tinkered with a recipe or two. Packaging 48 individual bottles, he took them to the Genesee County Fair and sold out within a matter of hours. He made more and took them to the Chautauqua County Fair, selling out in hours.
“I had something,” Furash said recently from South Dayton. “It made sense and people loved it.”
Along with help from his wife Marilyn Sticek, a retired postmaster in Forestville and partner in all Furash business ventures, Furash created Burning Asphalt Sauces. He found a food maker and distributor and it’s been a white-hot success ever since. Starting with three products, the business now offers 100-plus sauce-type products, ranging from BBQ sauces, salsas, ketchup, seasonings, soup, snacks and coffee.
His number one seller, apple barbecue sauce, has been featured on the Food Network. In fact, four other products have been plugged on the network, too.
Furash has come a long way in his business ventures. Back in the 1990s, he came up with the idea of constructing beds in the shape of racecars and dressers in the shape of tool chests. Pit Stop Furniture Company flowed from that idea, one of the first in the country to come up with the concept.
“We were pretty popular, and I think a lot of people in Ellicottville will remember it,” he said.
From furniture and then racetracks and, finally, sauces, Furash has made a name for himself. Based in Western New York, Burning Asphalt products are sold in stores in 35 states. In Ellicottville, his sauces can be found in Earth Arts.
Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment is his Sauces for Soldiers program, whereby his company sends products overseas to service men and women. Revenue generated by a cookbook, “Taste the Attitude,” published by South Dayton Supermarket, goes directly to the Sauces for Soldiers program.
“That program has been there since the beginning,” Furash said, adding that the concept arose after his wife came up with the idea after working in the post office environment and began writing and shipping essential items to service men, including books, toiletries and junk food. Hot sauce was popular among them, and when Furash started the hot sauce business, they began sending their own.
“Military men and women do so much for us, and it’s right to give back,” he said.
Shipments overseas contain a variety of items. The cookbook itself contains 110 recipes, most of which were created and tested by his wife.
The program has attracted much attention and garnered Furash several awards. Last year, Burning Asphalt sent more than 1,000 orders overseas.
The cookbook is available for purchase at South Dayton Supermarket, Evans Bank in Forestville, Willow Creek Winery and Sheridan VFW. It can also be requested at any location that sells Burning Asphalt Sauces, Twisted Vine Gardens, or Soulshine Coffee products.
For more information about the business or to order the cookbook, visit www.burningasphalt.com or www.saucesforsoldiers.com.
The election for three ECS School Board members is scheduled for May 21, and four contenders will be on the ballot.
Two five-year (2013-2018) positions are open to replace two members whose terms expire June 30, 2013. There also is a four-year (2013-2017) position open to complete the remainder of Aimee Kilby’s term, which she resigned in order to become ECS District Treasurer. The two candidates with the highest number of votes will win the five-year board positions. The candidate with the third-highest number of votes will complete Kilby’s term.
The following ECS district residents are running and will appear on the ballot in the following order:
Melissa Foster,
Great Valley
Education: B.A., Elementary Education, SUNY Geneseo; Reading Master’s/Certification, Indiana University of Pa.; Master’s/Certification, Niagara University
Platform: Melissa believes her strong academic qualifications and knowledge of education and government regulations will help ensure a bright future for the children who attend ECS.
Roger Spell, Ellicottville
Education: Graduate, Doniphan High School, Doniphan, Missouri; U.S. Air Force Electronic Intelligence Training
Platform: Roger believes his six years of experience on the board and his leadership in the strategic planning and capital improvement project processes make him highly qualified for another term on the board.
Leonard Zlockie,
Great Valley
Education: Graduate, Olean High School; Associates Degree, Jamestown Community College; attended St. Bonaventure University
Platform: Len believes there must be a balance between keeping taxes reasonable and providing a quality education for all children, now and in the future.
William Murphy,
Ellicottville
Education: Graduate, Ellicottville High School; studied at Clarkson University and Jamestown Community College
Platform: Bill will work to ensure that all children, including those with special needs, receive a quality education.
Friday evening July 19, 2013 beginning at 5pm, the ECS Alumni Banquet and All-Class Reunion will take place at the Tannenbaum Lodge in Holiday Valley. The evening will begin with a social hour beginning at 5pm with a buffet dinner being served at 7pm. Details and a reservation form can be found on the ECS website, ellicottvillecentral.com, click on “alumni”. Please send reservations to Ellicottville Alumni Association, PO Box 1033, Ellicottville, NY 14731. All ECS former students and graduates (and their guest) are invited to attend.
One of the highlights of the evening will be the presentation of a Commemorative Plaque to the ECS Senior boy and girl chosen to receive at graduation the annual Alumni Award of $300 each. The award recipients, along with their parents will be special guests of the Alumni Association.
Special recognition will also be given to members of the 5-year Honor Classes in attendance. A photographer will be present to record those classes, as well as candid shots to be included on the Alumni web-page for next year. There will be displays of Class memorabilia, pictures and Year Books to browse through before dinner.
This year’s gathering is again a 2-day affair with brunch Saturday July 20th, at the United Church of Ellicottville from 9am to 11am. Another great chance to renew friendships and trade memories.
Accommodation: special rates are available at the following hotels:
The Inn at Holiday Valley
Phone: 716-699-2345
Tamarack (Holiday Valley)
Holiday Valley Road
Phone: 716-699-2345
Wingate Ellicottville
Phone: 716-699-6000
Individuals should call and ask for a room in the “Ellicottville Alumni Association Block” and give a payment method to guarantee room. Rooms may be cancelled 24 hours prior to arrival to avoid charges. NOTE: These rooms are available for reservation until June 19.
The annual ECS Spring Sports Banquet is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the High School Gymnasium. Spring sports honored include varsity, junior varsity and modified baseball and softball, as well as track, trap and golf.
All student-athletes have received reservation cards from their coaches. Those completed cards are to be returned to the office no later than May 29. For reservation purposes, please indicate the number attending, student-athletes are free, compliments of the Sports Boosters Club!
Parents and other family members should purchase tickets through the High School Main Office on or before May 29, by returning the reservation card along with the cash or check sufficient for additional family members at a cost of $6 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens.
Parents and student-athletes are asked to remain for the entire program and to be courteous to all of the programs and players. All of our attendees are asked to dress neatly and adhere to the school dress code. We encourage all of our senior student-athletes to be in attendance. In addition to spring sports awards, the final Athletic Banquet for 2012-2013 school year will award the Male & Female Most Valuable Athlete, Most Improved Athlete, Heart & Hustle Award, as well as two Memorial Awards — The Dana Stark “For the Love of the Game” and the Kristen Hintz “Heart of a Warrior” awards.
The board of education, administration, coaches and community are exceptionally proud of the dedication, character and sportsmanship that all of our student-athletes demonstrate at our competitions. Congratulations to all ECS teams!
by Michael Williams
Take a quick stroll down any grocery aisle and you’ll find hundreds of food packages, each carrying a mixed bag of nutrition buzzwords, health claims and purchase incentives.
These buzzwords and claims are used to influence your purchase decision by selling you on perceived health benefits. Unfortunately, many of these have little meaning and some are outright misleading. Below is an explanation to some common nutrition buzzwords that you may see during your next grocery trip.
NATURAL: “Natural” is one of the most pervasive buzzwords. Its actual meaning depends upon where it is used. For meat and poultry, the USDA has regulated the word “natural” to mean the product was minimally processed and is free of artificial ingredients or added colors.
For all other foods, unfortunately, the term “natural” does not have a regulatory meaning. Essentially, it is meaningless. It is used for both whole, “directly from nature” foods and Franken foods full of additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients. The only certainty about foods labeled “natural” is the cost. Expect to pay $1-$2 more for this meaningless label.
If you want to eat more natural, additive-free, minimally processed foods, then look at the ingredients list. Foods that do not have a laundry list of unpronounceable ingredients are likely more natural. Likewise, if you want to have healthier foods, then peek at the sodium, sugar and saturated fat content.
ORGANIC: Organic food is currently the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Foods grown organically are “green;” they are great for the environment and arguably better for farmers (due to less contact with potentially caustic synthetic pesticides). But are organic foods inherently healthy? Currently the jury is still out.
To date, there has been an absence of scientific studies finding any notable difference in nutrient quality between organic and non-organic foods. This carries two implications. First, healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.) are still healthy whether they are organic or nonorganic. Likewise, not-so-healthy foods (chocolate cake, French fries, ice cream, etc.) are still not so healthy even if they are organic.
VEGAN: Foods are considered vegan if they are free of animal products (i.e. meat) or animal by-products (i.e. dairy). Eating vegan does have many benefits. The foods are cholesterol-free (dietary cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods). They are also high in fiber (dietary fiber is only found in plant-based foods). Due to occupying a lower place on the food chain, these foods may be more sustainable and better for the environment. Finally, the greatest benefit is for the spared animals (that would be eaten).
Like organics, vegan food is a fast-growing sector of the food industry. It’s also similar in that many people associate the food label “vegan” as meaning healthful. It is easy to understand this misconception, as a high fiber content and absence of dietary cholesterol is beneficial. Unfortunately, this logic does not always hold.
In the last decade the amount of vegan junk food options have skyrocketed. There is vegan ice cream, cookies, cakes, potato chips and candies available in nearly every town across America. Are these foods healthy? Are they healthier than the non-vegan versions? Not necessarily. Although the vegan ice cream, cookies and candies are cholesterol free, they also contain high levels of sugar, salt and/or saturated fat. By increasing these ingredients, the health benefits are essentially negated.
One of the healthiest choices we can make is to eat less food with labels. Chose whole foods, those that actually look like they come from nature (whether plant or animal). This can be done easily by shopping the perimeter of a grocery store or shopping at a farmers’ market.
When purchasing bagged and boxed foods remember the following: Natural likely means nothing (unless it’s on a package of meat or poultry). Vegan and organic food is great for the environment, but not necessarily nutritionally superior or healthier than the nonorganic versions. Finally, junk food will always be junk food even if labeled vegan, organic or natural.
(Michael Williams is a local, Dartmouth-trained Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. He can be reached at willmic@okstate.edu.)
Are we all completely stressed out or are we getting dumber? All of us, it seems, ask some pretty inane questions of each other, particularly in casual conversation.
A few weeks ago I’m on my walk, a one-hour loop around Morgan’s Point, and I pass a guy standing on a ladder cleaning out his eaves trough and he yells: “Hey! I see you’re still walkin’!”
And I wave and give him a thumbs up and carry on … walkin’! But what I really want to do was stop and say: “So what was the first clue, the continual forward motion with the complete absence of wheels?”
I do it myself with my 11-year-old niece. “Geez Leighann, look how tall you’re getting, eh?” And she gets embarrassed and gives me a hug but one day I fully expect her to say: “Yeah, that’s why I’ve started smoking cigars Uncle Bill, to slow the process down a bit.”
We all do it. You run into somebody as you’re about to take a seat at the cinema and you say: “Hey! What are you doin’ here?” The person will probably humour you by saying: “Here to see a movie,” or “Same as you.” But one of these days you’re going to hear: “Oh I thought you knew, I’m a part-time, plain-clothes usher. Would half way down and in the middle be okay?”
The most ridiculous question you will ever hear comes when you’re sitting in the dentist’s chair.
“Tell me if this hurts, okay?”
And your reply: “Ooo, oo, na, na.” But what you really want to say is: “Ah, I am unable to actually talk with this dazzling array of tools in my mouth so if you just hand me that scaler, every time I feel pain, I’ll just jab you a couple of times in the thigh.”
I go into the convenience store where I get my gas and I get behind a guy who is attempting to win every lottery in the world one day. He’s buying new tickets, the woman behind the counter is checking his previous tickets, bells are going off, an electronic voice announces “winner” in both official languages and I’m standing there holding a box of English muffins and a package of thin-sliced turkey. Passengers on Carnival Cruises spend less time in lifeboats together than Mr. Lottery and me.
And he looks over his shoulder and says: “Not a lottery player, eh?”
And I shook my head and mumbled about the original concept of convenience stores but what I really wanted to say was: “No, I come here for an hour each day as part of my ongoing hunger strike.”
It’s gotta be stress. I’m working harder now at the end of my career than when it started with me writing an entire magazine each month using six or so pseudonyms. I have column deadlines, a book to finish, a travel feature to sell, an author series to operate and a local theatre to help save.
So, the other day, late in the afternoon I decided I needed a break. I decided to spend one delicious hour staring at a fire on the break wall and sipping a glass of wine. First, I needed wood. So I’m over by the creek wearing rubber boots and shorts and throwing dead pieces of wood into my wheel barrel when my new neighbour walks over trying to catch her unruly but hopelessly adorable dog Molly.
After some small talk, Carol looks at me, looks at the wheel barrel and says: “So you do this just to kill time?”
Seriously, in order to avoid some smart-ass answers, we need to ask better questions.
May 16th, 2013 
Arts and Culture, Columnist, Community, Entertainment, Jann Wiswall, Local Businesses, Top Stories 
No Comments » By Jann Wiswall
The Springville Center for the Arts has a new home in a former Baptist Church at 37 North Buffalo St. and is in the process of renovating the building to provide top-notch theater, gallery, educational, performance and rehearsal space for now and into the future.
Springville’s theater arts community has been thriving for many years, beginning back in the 1960s with the birth of The Community Musical and then the Springville Players. As the success of their productions grew, space constantly was an issue. Productions moved from the high school to the elementary school and then to a Main Street location, where, in addition to theater programs, the center offered workshops, visual art shows, residencies, musical performances, cinema and more.
By 2006, it became obvious that the Main Street location was inadequate for the growing organization, so the board launched a capital campaign, raised $100,000 in three months, and purchased the church in 2007.
According to the center’s Executive Director, Seth Wochensky, members have since raised $525,000 from the New York State Historic Preservation Office, the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, the New York State Council on the Arts, Erie County, the Springville-Griffith Community Education Foundation, and individual donors to make exterior and structural repairs and to a second-story classroom addition for the center’s growing educational programs. This phase of the project will be completed by fall.
The next phase will include interior renovations to create increased theater seating, more gallery hanging space and secondary rehearsal and performance spaces.
The center also recently acquired a building at 5 East Main St., a dilapidated, but historic structure that had been vacant for years. It plans to create an Arts Café in the building, with a coffee shop, a gallery and artist residency spaces. According to Wochensky, the center plans to install a publicly accessible “green roof” on the building where vegetables and flowers will grow. There will be a greywater collection system, which will be used to irrigate the gardens and other efforts will be made to make the building as green as possible, within the confines of historic building status rules.
All this expansion is not only valuable to the artists in the region, but also “serves as a catalyst to bring more investment into the village,” Wochensky said, adding the arts can be “a key part of the economic growth of an area.”
For example, he noted last weekend’s Arts Crawl, during which art by dozens of regional artists was displayed in local businesses.
“The event attracted some 1,000 visitors to the village who spent time and money in shops they may never have been in before,” he said.
Despite the construction status, the center has a full slate of adult and children’s activities planned for this summer, Wochensky said. The center’s art camps, workshops and performances for elementary age children are extremely popular, and there are dozens of musical and dramatic programs planned for adults as well.
On June 1 at 7 p.m., the center is presenting a new and exclusive production called “Four Seasons, Four Years” featuring 11 singers and musicians performing Civil War music. The performance will include an historical narrative specific to New York and the New York Volunteer Regiments. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased through the center’s website, where the full calendar of summer events and activities will be posted soon. For more information, visit www.springvillearts.org, or call (716) 592-9038.
Area Farmers Markets Ready for Bountiful Season
Friday, May 17, 2013, marks the beginning of the farmers’ market season for four markets associated with the Southern Tier Farmers Market Group.
The Olean Southern Tier Farmers Market will open at Tractor Supply on Constitution Avenue in Olean at 2 p.m. There will be lots of annuals, vegetable plants and hanging baskets, as well as maple products, gourmet mustard, oak wood products, patio furniture and, of course, baked goods. There will also be early vegetables and herbs.
The Salamanca Farmers Market will be open starting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23 in Jefferson Park. New this year will be loyalty cards, which offer a discount after a specified number of purchases. EBT cards, as well as debit and credit cards are welcome at all markets. The Farmers Market Nutrition Program for WIC and Seniors begins on June 1 this year. The checks are available from the Cattaraugus County Department of Aging and the Cattaraugus County Department of Health for eligible families. Geraniums and cemetery planters will be available as well as maple products, honey, early vegetables and bedding plants.
The Franklinville Market will open the following week on May 29 in Park Square. Opening earlier this year than in previous years will allow our Franklinville friends to shop for plants and early vegetables. This market will be able to accept FMNP checks from WIC and Seniors as well as EBT.
The fourth market operated by this group is in Belmont beginning Thursday, May 23. There are several new vendors signed up for this market including a baker, patio furniture, handmade jewelry and Amish leather goods. Returning vendors offer vegetables and fruits, honey, maple products, eggs, embroidery, Nunda mustard and patio furniture.
Farmers’ markets allow consumers to purchase locally grown and produced food, plants and craft items. By purchasing from a farmers’ market, you save on transportation, packaging and middleman costs.
Be sure to have a conversation with the vendors at market and ask about their growing methods, their farms and their families. Ample, convenient parking is available at all sites. Market vendors look forward to seeing established friends and making new ones!
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