Friday, July 31, 2026

WNY Community Wire

Cattaraugus & Allegany County, New York

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Olean/Libraries

Olean Public Library Launches 'Growing Together' Fundraising Campaign

Olean Public Library officials and supporters have kicked off a community fundraising campaign, called 'Growing Together,' to complement the $7.9 million bond that city voters approved in June 2025 for a major expansion and renovation. The capital project will remodel roughly a third of the existing building at 134 N. 2nd Street and add about 7,500 square feet, including a new second floor, to relieve overcrowding at family and community events. Plans call for larger, reconfigured spaces for the Children's Library, Teen Center, local history collection and study areas. Library Director Michelle La Voie said the investment, nearly a decade in the making, will keep the library as a cornerstone of learning for the city.

July 27, 2026·Olean Times Herald

Salamanca/Schools

Salamanca Schools Pause Humanoid Robot Program Amid Privacy Concerns

Salamanca City Central School District put its plan to deploy a nearly $60,000 humanoid robot, nicknamed 'Sally,' on hold after state officials and the statewide teachers union raised objections. The robot, built by Nevada-based Realbotix, was intended to support high school robotics and technology students rather than replace a classroom teacher. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa flagged unresolved student data-privacy questions and pushed back on characterizations of the robot as a 'tutoring platform,' while New York State United Teachers criticized the vendor's ties to adult-product manufacturing. The district announced Friday, July 24, 2026, that the pilot would remain paused while it works out enhanced data-privacy agreements with the state and hears from the community.

July 26, 2026·NPR / Spectrum News

Wellsville/Jobs

Wellsville Central School District Posts Multiple Openings for 2026-27

Wellsville Central School District is advertising a wide slate of openings for the 2026-27 school year, including tenure-track teaching positions in special education, biology, health/physical education and CTE business, plus a speech pathologist role, each starting near $49,053. The district is also hiring non-teaching staff such as a head bus driver, additional bus drivers and monitors, teacher assistants, a maintenance worker and an attendance security clerk, with most positions starting between July and late August 2026. Substitute bus driver, food service and cleaner positions remain open on an ongoing basis. Interested applicants are directed to apply through the district's Frontline recruitment system or contact the district office for non-instructional roles.

Olean/Jobs

Olean City School District Seeks Special Education Teachers, School Psychologist and More

Olean City School District's current-openings page lists several instructional and administrative vacancies for the coming school year, including an Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services, a district-wide School Psychologist, Special Education teachers for grades K-12, a Computer Literacy Teacher, a Behavior Specialist and a Modified Football coach. The district also accepts ongoing applications for civil-service and substitute roles, including teacher aides, substitute teachers, substitute food service helpers and substitute cleaners, which are reviewed on a rolling basis rather than tied to one deadline. No fixed application deadline is listed for the instructional postings; the district says interviews continue until each position is filled. Candidates can apply online through the district's Frontline hiring system or contact the Human Resources office directly with questions.

Friendship/Jobs

Friendship Central School District Hiring Teacher, Custodial and Support Staff

Friendship Central School District's online hiring portal currently lists eight open positions heading into the 2026-27 school year: an elementary teaching role, two maintenance/custodial openings, one support-staff position and four substitute slots spread across the district. The small rural district, which serves roughly 288 students total, says applications are kept active for a full school year once submitted, so candidates don't need to reapply if a matching opening comes up later. Interested applicants can browse and apply for each category through the district's Frontline Recruitment portal, linked from the employment page at friendship.wnyric.org. The postings come as small Allegany County districts continue competing for teachers and support staff ahead of the fall semester.

Ellicottville/Communal

EVL Trailfest Brings Mountain Bikers to Holiday Valley

Ellicottville's EVL Trailfest took place at the Holiday Valley/HoliMont bike park off Route 242 West, drawing mountain biking enthusiasts to the resort's trail network. The event is part of a busy summer and fall events calendar for the village, which follows with Women's Weekend and a food-and-flavor event in early August. Ellicottville's trail and resort-based events have become a steady draw for outdoor recreation visitors year-round, complementing the village's ski-season identity with warm-weather mountain biking tourism.

Cuba/Jobs

Cuba-Rushford Central School District Posts Ten Job Openings for 2026-27

Cuba-Rushford Central School District's Frontline recruitment portal lists ten open positions heading into the new school year, spread across high school teaching, student support services, general support staff and six substitute slots. Most openings are based at the district's main Route 305 campus, with additional postings at Cuba-Rushford Elementary School and the Middle/High School building. The district requires all applicants to submit a letter of interest, resume and three references, and says completed applications stay active for a full school year. Cuba-Rushford is an Equal Opportunity Employer and reviews substitute and support-staff applications on an ongoing basis as needs arise.

Little Valley/Communal

183rd Cattaraugus County Fair Opens in Little Valley

The 183rd Cattaraugus County Fair opens August 1 and runs through August 8, 2026, at the county fairgrounds on Erie Street in Little Valley. Organizers expect more than 90,000 attendees for a lineup that includes a demolition derby, tractor and truck pulls, a monster truck rally, 4-H and FFA livestock shows, carnival rides and multiple free daily shows. Gates open at 8 a.m. each day, with the midway starting at 1 p.m. As the longtime host village, Little Valley sees a major seasonal influx of visitors, vendors and exhibitors for one of the region's longest-running community traditions.

Wellsville/Libraries

David A. Howe Library Rolls Out Dinosaur Programs and New Kids' Tech Station

The David A. Howe Public Library in Wellsville is capping its summer children's programming with dinosaur-themed activities, including a Dinosaur Dig Show set for the Nancy Howe Auditorium in early August 2026. The library recently added a Library Learning Tech Station in its children's section, featuring Playaway Launchpad devices preloaded with age-appropriate educational content for kids age three and up. Staff also announced a new pen pal program and a rotating story-time series that moves between local parks, community-helper locations and pajama-themed sessions at the library through the fall. The additions build on a library collection of more than 117,000 items serving the greater Wellsville area.

July 30, 2026·The Wellsville Sun

Olean/Political

Olean Council Names Bennion President, Confirms New Police Chief

The Olean Common Council selected Ward 1 alderman JR Bennion as its new president following the resignation of former president Vernon Robinson. At the same meeting, the council also voted to approve Blovsky as the city's new chief of police. The moves fill two significant leadership vacancies in city government within the same session. The changes come amid broader turnover on the council this summer.

July 29, 2026·Olean Times Herald

Angelica/Communal

Angelica Heritage Days Set for August 1-2 Weekend

Angelica's annual Heritage Days celebration is scheduled for August 1-2, 2026, bringing the historic village's Main Street to life with community festivities. The event follows closely on the heels of Angelica's 18th annual Lavender Festival, held July 4, 2026, which drew more than 100 vendors along with food, music and downtown merchants. Organizers have also installed a new welcome sign for visitors as part of the village's push to promote itself to tourists. Heritage Days is one of the signature annual gatherings for the small Allegany County village, known for its Park Circle Historic District.

July 27, 2026·Olean Times Herald

Olean/Political

Olean School Board Swears In Two New Members

Mary Kehoe Fay and Dr. Stephen Carlson were sworn into the Olean City School District Board of Education at the board's annual reorganizational meeting. Both took their oaths of office at the start of the session, joining the board following the district's most recent school board election. The reorganizational meeting marks the formal start of the new school year's governance cycle for the district. District officials welcomed the new members as they begin their terms.

July 22, 2026·Olean Times Herald

Olean/Libraries

Olean Public Library Hosts Cattaraugus County Disability Resource Fair

On July 22, the Olean Public Library hosted a free, community-wide Disability Resource Fair connecting residents with local organizations from across Cattaraugus County. Vendors on hand covered career exploration, disability benefits advisement, job search support, Medicaid enrollment, employment services, independent living skills, nutrition, health care and veterans' services, and food trucks were invited on-site. The event was organized with the county's Workforce Development Board through Disability Resource Coordinator Marsha Blessing Whitsell. It's one example of the library increasingly positioning itself as a connector between Olean-area residents, including job seekers, and regional support services well beyond traditional book lending.

Wellsville/Communal

Wellsville's Balloon Rally Main Street Festival Draws Big Crowds Downtown

The Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Balloon Rally Main Street Festival on July 18, 2026, closing off Main, Jefferson, Madison and Fassett streets for a day of shopping, food and family entertainment. More than 150 vendors sold handcrafted goods, artwork, home decor and other specialty items, with hot-air balloon activity as a signature evening draw. Chamber Executive Director Bruce Thomas said the free, family-friendly event continues to grow each year and has become one of the region's most anticipated summer traditions. Pets other than service animals and smoking or vaping were not permitted within the festival footprint.

July 18, 2026·The Wellsville Sun
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