Salamanca/Schools
Salamanca City Central School District is holding two welcome-back picnics ahead of the 2026-27 school year, giving families a chance to meet teachers and staff before classes begin. Prospect Elementary's picnic runs Aug. 25, followed by a picnic for Seneca Intermediate and Salamanca High School students on Aug. 26, both from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The informal gatherings let students and parents reconnect with school staff over a shared meal ahead of the new year. District officials say families are welcome to attend either or both events regardless of which building their children attend.
Olean/Political
The Town of Olean Planning Board met last week to go over the site plan for Delaware River Solar's proposed 5-megawatt array on Dugan Road, a project first pitched three years ago that has wound through zoning appeals and a lawsuit against the town. The roughly 43-acre hillside site, owned by Joseph and Patricia Bohan, would carry nearly 11,800 sun-tracking panels set back 250 feet from the road. Board members raised questions about visual impact, glare and the need for a fuller landscaping plan before signing off. The board is working under an Oct. 1 deadline tied to a settlement in which the developer agreed to drop its state Supreme Court suit against the town in exchange for the project moving forward, along with a $150,000 host community fee.
Olean/Nonprofits
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation announced this week that Olean High School graduate Domonick Hirliman has received the $1,000 Don Scholla Memorial Scholarship, one of more than 100 awards the foundation distributes annually to area students headed to college. The fund is one of dozens CRCF manages on behalf of donors to support local graduates pursuing higher education. The award adds to a string of CRCF scholarships announced this summer for Olean-area students. CRCF continues to accept new scholarship applications each year through its website for local seniors.
Olean/Political
The Olean Common Council voted 4-2 Tuesday to approve an ordinance banning camping and encampments on public property citywide, including parks, streets, the Allegheny River and the Allegheny River Valley Trail. The measure sets escalating penalties, from a warning up to a $50 fine for a first offense, up to $100 for a second and up to $250 for a third. Council members stressed the ordinance targets conduct on public land rather than criminalizing homelessness or housing status, and requires the city to coordinate with outreach organizations to connect people with shelter, housing assistance and behavioral health or substance-use resources before any scheduled non-emergency removal. Several council members also called for the city to pursue additional, longer-term steps to address homelessness locally. The ordinance takes effect once filed with the state Secretary of State.
Freedom/Communal
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County, together with NOFA-NY, will host a free organic dairy pasture walk on Sept. 22 at Emary Springs Farm, the Freedom farm of Sara and Jeremy Hatch, who milk about 30 cows on roughly 25 acres of pasture. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. with coffee, refreshments and a barn tour, followed by a pasture walk led by CCE's Lynn Bliven and NOFA-NY's Chris Kemnah covering rotational grazing tools, weed control and pasture productivity, before wrapping up with lunch around noon. There is no fee to attend, but organizers ask that visitors pre-register by Sept. 18 by calling Bliven or registering online, and wear disinfectable footwear or use provided boot covers for farm biosecurity.
Ellicottville/Political
The Village of Ellicottville held its first public input session Aug. 22 at the Town Center on Parkside Drive as it prepares an application for the state's DRI Round 9 / NY Forward Round 4 downtown revitalization funding. Residents, business owners and other stakeholders were invited to weigh in on the village's vision for downtown, a proposed project boundary, and potential "transformative" projects the application could pursue. The village hired G&G Municipal Consulting, led by grant writer Scott Burto, to prepare the submission; the firm also held private sessions that afternoon for interested property owners. Village officials say community feedback from the meeting will help shape which projects ultimately go into the application.
Angelica/Political
Victoria Guite, a candidate for the 57th State Senate District, will hold a town hall from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Angelica Free Library. Organizers say the session will be live-streamed for residents who can't attend in person, with questions accepted from the online feed as well as the room. Guite is challenging 12-year incumbent Sen. George Borello for the seat, which covers western Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Wyoming and Genesee counties. The event is billed as a chance for constituents to raise concerns directly with the candidate ahead of the race.