Olean/Libraries
Olean Public Library to Temporarily Relocate Teen and Adult Arts Programs
With groundbreaking approaching this fall on a capital expansion and renovation project, the Olean Public Library announced it will temporarily move several programs out of its Laurens Street building. Among those relocating are the library's popular Teen Room and its adult arts and crafts programs. Olean First Presbyterian Church, located across the street from the library, has offered its space to host the displaced programs during construction. Library officials say the moves are temporary and meant to keep programming running with minimal disruption while renovation work is underway.
Franklinville/Schools
Six Franklinville Graduates Awarded Dziekonski, Other CRCF Scholarships
Six recent graduates of Franklinville Central School and Ten Broeck Academy received scholarships from funds managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation. Sean Howard and Seirra Lovell were both awarded the $2,700 Walter F. and Julia A. Dziekonski Scholarship, part of the Ten Broeck Academy and Franklinville School District Fund, which favors graduates with strong career goals and can give preference to those pursuing law-enforcement-related fields. Howard plans to study welding and applied science at SUNY Niagara, while Lovell will pursue diagnostic medical sonography at Alfred State College. The remaining recipients were recognized through other CRCF-managed memorial funds tied to the district, continuing a long tradition of local scholarship support for Franklinville graduates.
Ellicottville/Nonprofits
Ellicottville Rotary, Operation Warm Hearts Outfit Over 110 Kids for School
The Rotary Club of Ellicottville partnered with the nonprofit Operation Warm Hearts to help more than 110 area children get ready for the new school year. Rather than handing out generic donations, volunteers matched each child with clothing and supplies chosen for their specific needs. The effort is the latest in a string of community-support projects the Ellicottville Rotary has backed this year alongside local nonprofit partners. Operation Warm Hearts, which provides new children's clothing and accessories to families across the region, has increasingly worked with civic groups in Cattaraugus County to reach families ahead of the school year.
Allegany/Communal
Cattaraugus County Sets Oct. 3 Household Hazardous Waste Collection in Allegany
Cattaraugus County has scheduled its fall Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for Saturday, Oct. 3, at the county's Allegany Highway Facility on North Seventh Street. Residents can drop off materials that don't belong in regular trash, such as pesticides, old paint and other household chemicals. Advance registration is required and can be completed online at cattco.org/hhw2026 or by phone through the county's public works office. The event is held periodically to keep hazardous materials out of local landfills and waterways.
Ellicottville/Communal
Holy Name of Mary Church to Mark 175th Anniversary With Mass and Dinner
Holy Name of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Ellicottville is celebrating its 175th anniversary with a special Mass at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10, followed by a catered dinner at the Ellicottville American Legion starting at 6:30 p.m. Parish leaders are inviting current and former parishioners along with the wider community to take part in marking nearly two centuries of the church's presence in the village. The celebration caps a year of milestone anniversaries for local institutions around Ellicottville. Organizers are encouraging anyone with ties to the parish to attend both the liturgy and the dinner that follows.
Wellsville/Communal
Local Stylist and Photographer Team Up for Free 'Pay What You Can' Back-to-School Event
Kayla Kalkhof of Meraki Salon and photographer Lauren of Gallery Guthrie are partnering on a pay-what-you-can back-to-school event for local families on Aug. 31 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Island Park Pavilion in Wellsville. Kalkhof will offer boys' and girls' haircuts and trims geared toward a fresh back-to-school look, while Gallery Guthrie will shoot a quick portrait of each child and deliver three professionally edited digital images. Organizers say the event is meant to be low-pressure and accessible, with no dress-up required and no cost barrier for families heading into the new school year. It's a small-scale, community-driven effort aimed at easing back-to-school expenses for Wellsville-area kids.
Salamanca/Schools
Salamanca Students Gain Career Experience Through Summer Workforce Program
A group of Salamanca City Central School District students spent part of their summer in the district's Youth Workforce Development program, working alongside professional staff to explore potential future careers. Participants took on real roles supporting district programs and services, including staffing the school's food truck, giving them hands-on exposure to workplace responsibilities before the new school year. The program is funded through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and is aimed at building career-readiness skills among local youth. District officials say the initiative gives students practical experience they can draw on as they plan for future employment.
Olean/Communal
Free Energy-Saving Workshop Set for Sept. 2 in Olean
The Town of Allegany's Climate Smart Communities program and Enchanted Mountains Village are hosting a free public workshop on home energy savings at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 in the Sister Margaret Carney Lecture Hall on the third floor of the Olean Chamber of Commerce building. The session is aimed at helping area residents learn practical ways to cut energy costs and improve efficiency at home. It's part of ongoing outreach by the Town of Allegany's Climate Smart Communities initiative to bring sustainability resources directly to residents across the Olean area. The workshop is open to the public at no cost.
Allegany/Nonprofits
Five Allegany-Limestone Graduates Awarded CRCF Scholarships
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation announced this week that five recent Allegany-Limestone Central School graduates received scholarships from funds it manages on behalf of local donors. Cadence Shoup was awarded the $2,500 Louis W. Ensworth Charitable Foundation Trust Scholarship, while Aubrey Luce and Colton Boser each received $600 through the Chipmonk Community Hall Scholarship for Allegany-Limestone graduates. Jaelyn Wojewoda-Ko and Paige Pecorella each received $500 through the Christine Conner Memorial Scholarship, a fund also shared with a graduating Oswayo Valley student. The awards are part of more than 100 scholarships CRCF distributes annually to college-bound seniors across the region.
Salamanca/Schools
Salamanca City Schools Set Back-to-School Picnics for Aug. 25-26
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
Olean Planning Board Reviews Site Plan for Long-Delayed Dugan Road Solar Farm
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.
August 25, 2026·Olean Star→ Olean/Nonprofits
Olean Grad Domonick Hirliman Awarded Don Scholla Memorial Scholarship
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.
Freedom/Communal
Cornell Cooperative Extension to Host Organic Dairy Pasture Walk in Freedom
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
Ellicottville Holds First Public Input Meeting on Downtown Revitalization Bid
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
State Senate Candidate Victoria Guite to Hold Angelica Town Hall
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.
Little Valley/Jobs
Cattaraugus-Little Valley Schools Hiring Keyboard Specialist for Transportation Dispatch
Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School District is hiring a Keyboard Specialist to work in its Transportation Department, where the role doubles as the district's daily bus dispatcher alongside standard clerical and keyboarding duties. Candidates must meet Cattaraugus County Civil Service minimum qualifications for the Keyboard Specialist title and be willing to obtain a Class B commercial driver's license with passenger and school bus endorsements, though the CDL is not required before hire and the district will help candidates obtain it. The district says it is looking for someone with strong organizational and communication skills who can manage multiple priorities in a busy office. Interested applicants can find details and apply through the district's employment page.
Franklinville/Communal
Franklinville Volunteer Fire Department Marks 150th Anniversary With Parade
The Franklinville Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its 150th anniversary on Saturday with a community parade through the village. An antique Mack pumper from the department's collection led the procession, drawing residents out to mark a century and a half of volunteer fire service in the town. The milestone caps generations of local volunteers who have staffed the department since its founding in the 1870s. The celebration highlighted the department's long-running role as a cornerstone of civic life in Franklinville.
Allegany/Political
Allegany Town Board Steps Up Enforcement of Property Maintenance Law
The Allegany Town Board is ramping up enforcement of its Property Maintenance and Sanitation Law, according to Town Supervisor Chris McPherson. Officials say the stricter approach follows a rise in complaints about debris and belongings accumulating on private property, some of it linked to unhoused individuals camping in areas such as the Allegheny River Valley Trail and along the border with the city of Olean. McPherson framed the move as an effort to keep neighborhoods clean and address public health and safety concerns raised by residents. The law gives the town's code enforcement office broader authority to cite property owners and, where necessary, order cleanup of affected sites.
Olean/Communal
East Olean Boil Water Advisory Lifted After Water Main Break
A boil water advisory covering much of East Olean was lifted Friday afternoon, three days after a water main valve broke beneath Seneca Avenue and caused the city's system to lose pressure in that area. Mayor Amy B. Sherburne issued the advisory Tuesday for the neighborhood roughly bounded by Front Street to the city line and Seneca Avenue to Grandview Avenue, warning that pressure loss can let untreated water or microbes enter the system. City crews made emergency repairs to the valve over the following days before water quality testing cleared the area for normal use. Residents in the affected zone were advised they could resume drinking and cooking with tap water without boiling it first once the advisory was lifted.
Humphrey/Communal
Bozard Hill Road in Humphrey Closing for Bridge Replacement
The Cattaraugus County Department of Public Works is closing Bozard Hill Road in the Town of Humphrey so crews can remove and replace the aging Bridge 20 where the road crosses Wrights Creek. The county awarded the construction contract earlier this year following a bid opening in February, with work including approach highway repairs and traffic maintenance in addition to the bridge itself. Officials expect the span to be substantially finished within about four months of the roadway closing, with the project fully wrapped up and ready for final payment by mid-October. Local residents and emergency services should plan for the closure to remain in place through the fall construction season.
St. Bonaventure/Nonprofits
Leadership Allegany, Leadership Cattaraugus Set Aug. 20 Summit at St. Bonaventure
Leadership Allegany and Leadership Cattaraugus will co-host the 2026 Southern Tier Leadership Summit on Aug. 20 at St. Bonaventure University, continuing a partnership the two nonprofit leadership-development programs have run annually since 2013. The all-day event is expected to draw about 150 emerging leaders from area businesses, schools and nonprofits for keynotes and breakout sessions built around this year's theme of health and wellness in the workplace, including employee mental health, work-life balance and retention. Speaker Kate Welshofer will deliver the keynote address. Organizers describe the summit as a chance for professionals across the Southern Tier to build connections and pick up practical leadership tools.
Wellsville/Nonprofits
Wellsville Business and Professional Women Award Three $500 Scholarships
The Wellsville Business and Professional Women's club announced its 2026 scholarship recipients this week, awarding $500 each to three local honorees. Rebecca Maddox, a Wellsville resident and Volunteer Coordinator at the Hart Comfort House who is pursuing a master's degree in English literature and fiction publication, received the club's Adult Learner Scholarship. Mason Fanton, a Genesee Valley Central School graduate, plans to study agricultural and heavy diesel equipment technology at the University of Northwestern Ohio, while Wellsville High School graduate Ava Cole will pursue a business degree at the University of Alabama. The awards continue the club's longstanding practice of supporting both traditional and adult-learner students from the area.
Hinsdale/Communal
Hinsdale to Dedicate Park in Memory of Crosby Dairy Family
The Hinsdale Historical Society will dedicate a new park in front of the town's Fire Department as Crosby Park this Saturday at 1 p.m. The naming honors Howard Crosby and the Crosby family, whose dairy farm was a longtime fixture of the Hinsdale community. The short ceremony is open to residents who want to learn more about the family's history and its ties to the hamlet. It's the latest project from the historical society to mark local landmarks and preserve Hinsdale's agricultural heritage.
Fillmore/Political
Assemblyman Sempolinski Holds Town Hall in Fillmore
State Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski held a town hall meeting at Fillmore Central School on Wednesday evening from 6 to 7 p.m. Sempolinski, who represents the 148th Assembly District, said he wanted to update residents on activity in Albany and hear their concerns directly. The session gave Fillmore-area constituents a chance to raise local issues with their state representative in person. It's part of a broader circuit of town halls Sempolinski has been holding across the rural district.
Ellicottville/Communal
Master Gardeners Launching Tai Chi and Qi Gong Series at Nannen Arboretum
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County's Master Gardener volunteers are launching a six-week outdoor wellness series called "Cultivate the Garden, Cultivate Yourself" at the Nannen Arboretum in Ellicottville. The authentic Tai Chi and Qi Gong sessions run Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m., starting Sept. 1 through Oct. 6, at the arboretum's grounds on Parkside Drive. Organizers say the introductory series is designed for beginners and aims to combine gentle movement practice with the arboretum's setting, with proceeds supporting the county's Master Gardener program. It's the latest community program the arboretum has hosted this season alongside its ongoing educational and horticultural events.
Belfast/Communal
Crawford Creek Road in Belfast Closed for 12-Week Bridge Replacement
Allegany County closed Crawford Creek Road in the Town of Belfast, about three miles southwest of Route 19, on Aug. 19 to begin a bridge replacement project expected to last roughly 12 weeks. The county's Department of Public Works says there is no marked on-site detour, so residents and motorists who regularly use the road are being urged to plan alternate routes for the duration of the closure. The project is separate from other recent Allegany County road work, including the earlier Route 31 culvert closures near Friendship. County officials have not announced a firm reopening date beyond the estimated timeline.
Wellsville/Nonprofits
Wellsville Development Corp. Opens 2026 Business Improvement Mini-Grant Round
The Wellsville Development Corporation has launched its 2026 Business Improvement Mini-Grant Program, opening a fall funding round for local business owners through Oct. 15. The reimbursement-style grants are meant to help offset costs tied to projects and investments that strengthen business operations and support economic vitality in the Village of Wellsville. Under the program, businesses complete an approved project first, then submit receipts documenting the expenses before the corporation issues reimbursement funds. The nonprofit development corporation has run similar mini-grant rounds in prior years as part of its broader push to support downtown revitalization.
August 18, 2026·Apply by October 15, 2026·The Wellsville Sun→ Machias/Communal
Cattaraugus County Museum to Close Summer Series with Genealogy Talk
The Cattaraugus County Museum will wrap up its 2026 "Summer at the Stone House" lecture series on Thursday, Aug. 27, with a genealogy-focused program called "Beefing Up an Ancestor's Timeline." Presenter Jeanette Sheliga plans to walk attendees through methods for filling out a relative's biography and pushing past common research dead ends, drawing on sources ranging from home records to online family trees. The free, family-friendly talk will be held under a tent on the museum's lawn at the Stone House on Route 16, with folding chairs recommended since only limited seating will be provided. Organizers plan to livestream the program on the museum's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person, continuing a summer of free public history talks at the Machias museum.
Gowanda/Jobs
Village of Gowanda Hiring for Water and Wastewater Plant Positions
The Village of Gowanda is accepting applications for two full-time public works positions with benefits. The Wastewater Treatment Plant is hiring for a role covering routine maintenance, pump repairs, and confined-space work, requiring applicants to be at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent and a valid New York driver's license; that application window closes Aug. 21. The Water Treatment Plant is separately hiring a licensed water operator to handle water line repairs, monitoring, and reporting, with applications accepted through Aug. 26. Applications for both positions are being taken in person at the village offices, 27 East Main St., Gowanda.
August 17, 2026·Apply by August 26, 2026·Village of Gowanda→ Olean/Communal
Largest StrOlean Yet Draws Crowds to North Union Street
The Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce's annual StrOlean street festival set a new high-water mark on Saturday, Aug. 15, with roughly 100 arts, crafts and food vendors filling the 100-200 blocks of North Union Street. The pedestrian-only event featured a beer tent, live music and entertainment, downtown restaurants and food trucks, and family activities including mini-train and pony rides. Christ United Methodist Church sponsored a free children's activity area as part of the day-long celebration. Organizers called it the biggest edition of the festival to date, with record vendor turnout.
Alfred/Nonprofits
Allegany County Farmer Neighbor Dinner Set for Sept. 30 in Alfred Station
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County announced its annual Farmer Neighbor Dinner will be held Sept. 30 at the Lake Lodge in Alfred Station. The evening, co-hosted with the county's Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Farm Bureau, opens at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar and agricultural business exhibits before a farm-to-table dinner featuring locally grown and raised products. This year's guest speaker is John Wagner, senior director of county strategic partnerships for New York Farm Bureau. Organizers are asking attendees to preregister by Sept. 15 through Cornell Cooperative Extension's Allegany County office.
August 16, 2026·Apply by September 15, 2026·The Wellsville Sun→ 
