Jeff, on the The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog, writes about Training for the Big Hike. It’s good reading for anyone contemplating a long hike in the future.

Click here for info on the ADIRONDACK MARATHON DISTANCE FESTIVAL 2008: Marathon, 2 Person Marathon Relay, 1/2 Marathon, 5 & 10K

Ellicottville Chamber Sponsors Free Live Outdoor Entertainment

E-VILLE – The Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the line-up of this summer’s Ellicottville Gazebo Series 2008. Sponsored by the Chamber and free to the community, live entertainment will be showcased each Thursday from July 3 through August 7 at the Village Gazebo from 7-9pm. Each performance invites the public to bring out the lawn chairs, blankets, family and friends, and enjoy some great live music outdoors!
• July 3: The Roadrunners (oldies and variety)
• July 10: The Doerfels (sensational bluegrass musical family professional traveling group)
• July 17: Theresa Quinn (keyboarist/vocalist with drummer Nick Corallo and special guest guitarist Dave Elder)
• July 24: John & Mary of 10,000 Maniacs
• July 31: Emerald Isle (Celtic/Nautical/Irish songs/instrumentals and humor)
• August 7: Olean Community Theatre – Music Man
To learn more about the Ellicottville Gazebo Series and other Chamber-sponsored events, visit www.ellicottvilleny.com.

Master Gardeners Host Nature Tours this Weekend in Ellicottville

E’VILLE - Master Gardener volunteers of Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties, are proud to announce ‘Nature Tours: The Trees & Gardens of the Nannen Arboretum’ in conjunction with the 2008 Ellicottville Summer Festival Tour of Historic Homes. The Arboretum Tour is one historic stop on the self-guided tour of homes, churches and gardens in the Ellicottville area. It will be held on Saturday, July 5, 2008 from 11am-4pm. For tickets to the Tour of Historic Homes contact the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-349-9099. For more information about the Nature Tours at the Nannen Arboretum, call Cornell University Cooperative Extension at 1-716-699-2377 ext. 125 or 1-800-897-9189 ext. 125.
Your visit to the Nannen Arboretum will include a 30-minute nature tour of the trees and gardens of the Nannen Arboretum as well as an indoor visual arts display of the history of the Nannen Arboretum. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the variety of trees and the gardens within the Nannen Arboretum and how they relate to home yards and gardens as well as an historic perspective of the Arboretum’s development. Tours are led by CCE Master Gardener Volunteers.
After the Arboretum Tour, you are invited to stop at our ‘Pick-a-Plant’ event where you can take home your choice from a variety of potted perennials, herbs, and house plants, in exchange for a small donation to the CCE Master Gardener Program.
A printed guide and map to all Festival Tour points of interest is provided to each ticket holder. For those who may choose to visit ONLY the Nannen Arboretum, there is no charge, and directions to the Nannen Arboretum are as follows: 0.4 miles east of the main village red light on Route 242/219. Turn north onto Fillmore Drive. At stop sign, turn right into the Cornell University Cooperative Extension parking lot. Enter the main entrance to view the photographic history and proceed on guided tours. Dress comfortably for walking. We hope to see you there!

Little Valley Speedway to Host Demolition Derby this Friday

LITTLE VALLEY - Little Valley Speedway and the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds, Route 353 in Little Valley, will host a Demolition Derby on Friday, July 4 as part of their 2008 Freedom Daze celebration. 
The winner of the Large Car Demolition Derby feature will take home $1,000 and the best of show will take home $350.  New this year will be a Small Car Demolition Derby feature with $500 to the winner and $200 best of show! 
Following the Demo will be a Fireworks Spectacular!  Gates open at 4pm, Demo begins at 7:30pm.  Adults are $8.00, under 8 is free!
For more information please call 716-938-9146 or visit www.littlevalleyspeedway.com.

Annual Event in Little Valley Rapidly Approaching

LITTLE VALLEY - As the summer is rapidly passing, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 166th Cattaraugus County Fair taking place July 28-August 3 at the fairgrounds in Little Valley, New York! Many exciting events are planned for the upcoming fair, including exciting Grandstand events such as a Demolition Derby, Fireman’s Parade, School Bus Demo, Tractor/Truck Pull, Monster Truck Rally and more!
Headlining this year’s Fair is country sensation Blake Shelton, who will take stage on Thursday, July 31 at 7:30pm.
In addition to all of the animal and domestics exhibits both 4-H and open class, the Cattaraugus County Fair features free daily entertainment all week such as Horses Horses Horses!, Rosaires Big Cat Encounter, Bear Mountain Wildlife Show, Swifty Swine Racing Pigs, No Sweat Soap Making, Traditional Paper Marbling, Viscose #6 Train Engine on Display and Commerford’s Petting Zoo.
General admission presale tickets are available now for $7.00 at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds, located at Route 353 and N. Ninth Street in Little Valley, or at any Cattaraugus County Bank location, Olean Area Community Banks and Gowanda Federal Credit Union. The general admission presale tickets include one-day gate admission, unlimited rides by Powers Great American Midways, all free grounds entertainment and grandstand events Monday-Wednesday. This is a $2.00 savings off the regular gate fee!
The fair office is located in the Corporate Building on the fairgrounds. For more information about the Cattaraugus County Fair, please call 716-938-9146 or stop by and visit! See you at the fair!

Descendants of 154th NY Volunteer Infantry to Gather in Ellicottville

E’VILLE – Descendants of members of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry, a Civil War regiment raised in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties, will held their 23rd annual reunion at 1pm on Saturday, July 12 at the American Legion Post 659 in Ellicottville.
The 154th New York was raised in the summer of 1862 and participated in many of the great campaigns and battles of the war, including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, the Atlantic campaign, and Gen. William T. Sherman’s marches through Georgia and the Carolinas. More than a fifth of the regiment’s soldiers died in the service.
The reunion program will commemorate Patrick Henry Jones (1830-1900), the 154th’s long-time colonel and subsequently a brigadier general. A native of County Westmeath, Ireland, Jones came to America with his family in 1840, settling on a farm in Little Valley. In 1853 he commenced the study of law in Ellicottville. When the Civil War erupted, he enlisted in the 37th New York Volunteers, rising from second lieutenant to major of that regiment before he was commissioned colonel of the 154th New York. He commanded a brigade for much of the Atlanta campaign, leading to his promotion to brigadier general. In the post-war years, General Jones was elected or appointed to prominent political positions in New York City and became inadvertently involved in some notable scandals and corruptions of the Gilded Age, including one of the most sensational crimes of the era. He spent his last twenty years on Staten Island, where he is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Port Richmond.
Historian Mark H. Dunkelman of Providence, Rhode Island will present the program on General Jones. Dunkelman is the author of five books of 154th New York history: The Hardtack Regiment, Gettysburg’s Unknown Soldier, Brothers of One and All, War’s Relentless Hand, and Marching with Sherman (forthcoming). He is currently working on a full-length biography of Jones and his presentation will reveal heretofore unknown details of the general’s life.
Anyone descended from a member of the 154th New York is encouraged to attend the reunion. The public is also invited. Descendants are asked to bring photographs and relics of their soldier ancestors to be copied and added to the regimental archives. All attendees will receive a souvenir ribbon.
For more information about the reunion, contact Mark Dunkelman at 401-369-0637 or e-mail nyvi154th@aol.com.

Global Torch Relay to Reach Ellicottville on August 3

E’VILLE – A relay run across the length and breadth of America which is dedicated to the cause of world harmony will pass through Ellicottville on Sunday, August 3 at approximately 7:10pm.) Runners in the 50-state USA World Harmony Run are carrying a flaming torch to symbolize their goal of harmony through sports. The relay is intended to inspire others to also work for a more harmonious world.
The World Harmony Run touches the lives of millions of people along its route. The runners visit schools, community groups, running clubs, and local and national government organizations. At these stops, they talk about their experiences and share their inspiration and enthusiasm for the goal of world harmony.
“By carrying the torch, you will be bridging cultural and social barriers, and all the boundaries that separate nation from nation,” says Carl Lewis, nine-time Olympic Gold Medalist and World Harmony Run spokesman. “The trials on the road to world harmony are no greater than the courage of those who accept the challenge.”
The 10,000-mile USA World Harmony Run is part of the 100-nation global relay – which emphasizes a global theme of international harmony and multi-cultural understanding – is a bi-annual event. The World Harmony Run includes simultaneous running events in Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.
The World Harmony Run has been endorsed by many of the nation’s mayors, governors and members of Congress, by world-class athletes like Carl Lewis and Grete Waitz, by leaders of numerous countries, by the late Pope John Paul II, the late Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu as well as many others.
Everyone is encouraged to participate. Find out how by calling 1-888-882-4081 or visiting www.worldharmonyrun.org/usa. Follow the World Harmony Run’s journey across America in “Live from the Road” on the website.

Waterfowl Sanctuary Invites Bird Lovers to Visit 21 Different Species

DELEVAN – Gooseneck Hill Waterfowl Sanctuary is opening for another season starting July 6. Gooseneck Hill will be open every Sunday in July and August from 2-5pm.
If you love birds, you will love this sanctuary! There are over 350 endangered and protected swans, geese and ducks in 21 different species. Some features of the Sanctuary include guided tours of the park, garden walks among 25 rock gardens, singing, dancing swans, baby swans, gees and ducks. You can also hand-feed the birds and browse through the 1,000-item gift shop.
Tour the two largest covered aviaries in the world! Admission is $7 and $5 for children and seniors. Gooseneck Hill Waterfowl Sanctuary is located at 5067 Townline Road in Delevan, NY.
For more information, call 716-942-6835 or visit www.gooseneckhillwaterfowlfarm.com.

Cattaraugus Count Bank Accepting Items to Send Overseas

LITTLE VALLEY - For the entire month of July, all nine CCB branch offices will be accepting public donations of needed items for those military serving overseas. Each CCB office has a list of the supplies needed. That list includes items such as AT&T International Calling Cards, sunglasses (dark), body wash, foot powder, dental floss, snack foods, tissues, hand lotion, batteries … just to name a few. The donated items will be distributed to local units of the Service and sent overseas.
“We are an independent community bank,” states Joni Simcick, CCB Vice-President, “and our marketing team couldn’t think of any better way to support our communities than to help the gentlemen and ladies that defend the very communities we live and work in. We hope to overwhelm them with bank and public support. We can easily provide anyone a list of items needed. All they need to do is ask.”
Keeping with the patriotic spirit, we would ask that anyone who knows or has a loved one serving to bring in a picture along with their donations into your local CCB branch. These photos will be hung on our Wall of Honor to be recognized for the heroes that they truly are.