Mayville I.C.E. Festival to be held Feb. 13-15

MAYVILLE - The Mayville I.C.E. Festival is all set to take place Feb. 13 to 15 at Lakeside Park in Mayville. This year's festival will bring back the Friday evening opening ceremonies. Hours of the weekend-long event are: Feb. 13 at 6:20 p.m. at Lakeside Park - Official Lighting of the Castle and presentation of the Treasure Hunt winner; Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. until after the 8 p.m. fireworks; and Feb. 15 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Featured activities this year will include Kids Corner, Rainbow the Clown, contests with cash prizes for all ages, snowmobile, carriage and pony rides, food and craft vendors, bonfire, flare parade, and fireworks Saturday evening, ice sculpture demo Saturday during the day, snowshoe demos, displays by area businesses, a "snowball" tournament (softball in the snow), as well as other planned events. This year's festival will again feature two contests with cash prizes. The Snowball Distance Throwing Contest will be held on Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. for ages 5 to adult. Registration for this contest will begin at 10 a.m. the day of the contest in the tent at Kids Corner. A Children's Snowman (or Snow Animal) Building Contest will be held on Feb. 15 with the judging to take place at 2:30 p.m. that day. Registrations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday at Kids Corner in the tent. The judging is open to all children ages 4 through 12. All snow creations must be built behind the tent (lake side) to be eligible and to keep these creations safe until they are judged. Participants must provide their own accessories to personalize their snow people or animals. No sharp objects will be allowed for safety reasons. Judging will be based on creativity in three age categories. Don't forget to register for the Medallion Treasure Hunt. You can register at Quality Markets in Mayville and Chautauqua County branches of Jamestown Savings Bank and M & T Bank. The Treasure Hunt will begin Monday and continue for 10 weekdays, with the final clue appearing in the media on Feb. 13. Registrations will be accepted until Feb. 6. See the registration form for details and rules of the Treasure Hunt and where the clues will appear. Subscribe to the OBSERVER For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: http://www.chautauqualakehomes.com/

Wine and Chocolate Weekend - Tickets available

February 7th and 8th Click here to view "A Gourmet's Guide to the Wine & Chocolate Weekend - Chocolate Options" (or Where to Find Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!) Tickets Still Available ($25 Weekend, $20 Sunday Only) ON-LINE until February 1 (click here) BY PHONE until Feburary 5th - 877-326-6561 Lodging at local Inns, B&Bs and Hotels still available - click here for details Please visit us at: www.chautauquawinetrail.org For more infomation on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Wine Trail Schedules Annual Event

WESTFIELD - The Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail is hosting its seventh annual Wine and Chocolate Event on Feb. 7-8. The 21 wineries along Lake Erie from Silver Creek to Northeast, Pa., will feature more than a dozen chocolate-inspired desserts and five main courses. Ticket holders will receive an event wine glass, a recipe booklet and a small gift of premium local chocolates. The trail sells both a weekend ticket that is good for both Saturday and Sunday and a Sunday Only ticket. Ticket holders can now plan their winery visits during the event according to the chocolate options being offered by the various wineries. To purchase tickets to the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail's Holiday Wine Weekend, call 1-877-326-6561 or visit the trail's Web site at http://www.chautauquawinetrail.org/. After Feb. 1, tickets can be ordered by calling 1-877-326-6561. For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Chautauqua County Events

TAKE A CHAUTAUQUA... Get Away! with your Sweetheart or just take some time for you with special winter packages in the middle of snow country. Shop for Valentine gifts along the Chautauqua Wine Trail, ride a sleigh through the historic grounds of Chautauqua Institution, or play in the snow at ski centers and festivals. For more information about winter in Chautauqua County and a comprehensive calendar of events, visit www.tourchautauqua.com or call 1-866-908-ILNY (4569). Visit Getaway New York for specials and winter retreat packages. Ski! Tube! The snow keeps falling in Chautauqua's Winter Paradise and the ski centers in the Chautauqua Region are rolling out the white carpet! Peek'n Peak Resort & Spa in Findley Lake has recorded 220" of natural snowfall since November and the resort boasts a 24" to 50" base with 27 slopes and 5 lifts open until 10 p.m. In Cherry Creek, Cockaigne Ski Center enjoys lots of snow and last year's rates. Snowmobile! With 600 miles of groomed trails and several feet of lake effect snow, Chautauqua County is a snowmobiling paradise. To ride the trails, snowmobiles must be registered in New York State. Registration forms can be obtained through an official DMV office or satellite office or at http://www.nysdmv.com/forms/mv82sn.pdf . Take advantage of Special Snowmobile Packages at the Blue Heron Inn in Findley Lake. Stay & Ride Friday, Saturday or Sunday and get a 2nd night at half price. Or, stay 2 mid-week nights and get a 3rd night free. Present your Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club card & receive a 10% discount on all food purchases (alcoholic beverages not included) Sleighride! The Currier & Ives Sleigh Rally returns to Chautauqua Institution this Sunday, January 25th beginning at 10 am. New for 2009, catch a glimpse of the Victorian sleighs as horses and drivers take a pleasure drive around the Chautauqua Golf Course on Saturday. Check out the Sleigh Rally Schedule. Spectators can catch a ride with the Stateline Draft Horse Club through the grounds of the historic Chautauqua Institution. During the festival - tickets available & departing from the Sleigh Rally parking lot. Sleigh Rides are held every Saturday and Sunday until February 22nd, from 1-3 pm. (Adults $3, children $2) Tickets must be purchase at the Chautauqua Book Store on Bestor Plaza. Come out and enjoy the snow! FESTIVAL Spend Valentine's Day with the Family at the 2009 Mayville I.C.E. Festival on Chautauqua Lake. Organizers for the annual event scheduled for February 13-15, 2009 anticipate a true winter wonderland surrounded by snow! Daily events kickoff at 11 a.m. Saturday and last until after the fireworks at 8 p.m. Schedule activities include snowmobile, carriage and pony rides, Kids Corner, balloon sculptures and face painting, a snowball "softball" tournament, tethered hot air balloon rides - weather permitting, chili cook-off, snowshoe and ice fishing demos, and boat displays. Look for art exhibits, special sales, and wine tasting at businesses around the village. More Upcoming Events: Snowflake Festival, Jamestown Audubon Center, February 1, 2009 Wine & Chocolate Weekend, Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail, February 7-8, 2009 Maple Weekend, NYS Maple Producers, March 21-22 and 28-29, 2009 See a full calendar of events for Chautauqua County. Plan Now for Your 2009 Summer Vacation - Learning Vacations at Chautauqua Institution - Summer Camp at Camp Onyahsa - Elderhostels at the Jamestown Audubon Center - A Birding Festival at Roger Tory Peterson Institute For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Peek ‘N Peak Ski Resort

Mother Nature cooperated this year and there is plenty of fresh powder at Peek N Peak and it's just in time for the annual lift ticket giveaway! The Community Blood Bank wants donors and is enticing them with lift tickets on Tuesday. Peek 'N Peak Ski Resort has generously donated over $10,000 worth of ski passes to the Community Blood Bank to help save lives in our region. The first 100 donors at the blood bank on Tuesday get an adult all day weekday lift ticket. The blood bank is open from 9am to 7:30pm on Tuesday and no appointments are needed. For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Local ski resorts are thriving

ELLICOTVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - Not everyone is complaining about this latest round of winter weather. "Awesome, it's awesome," she's referring to the ski conditions at Holiday Valley where 27 inches of snow fell late this week. "We've had over 158 inches of snow since our season started," said Jane Eshbaugh, Director of Marketing at Holiday Valley. Snow arrived early this year. "It was the third earliest opening of our history." The skiers are hoping it doesn't leave until late. Local ski resorts are one of the few operations thriving in this tough economy with ticket sales way up. The snow is the best advertising of all. Although conditions are ideal for skiers an arctic cold blast is heading our way for the middle of next week and if you're heading outdoors you will need to take precautions. That arctic airmass is in western Canada and Alaska right now and is bringing some of of the coldest temperatures they've seen in 10 years. The last time we were below zero except for one day last year was 4 years ago in January of 2005 where we went below zero on 6 days.This is probably going to be the coldest stretch we've seen in 4 years. Which means protecting against frostbite is a must. "Protect you fingers protect your nose which is an important part that people forget about a lot," said ECMC Emergency Room Doctor, Dr. David Ellis. If you suspect you or someone you know has frostbite, fast action is key. "The best treatment is to rapidly rewarm it. Most important thing is to not use real hot water." Dressing in layers and covering your extremities will keep you safe and having fun. For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Bemus Bay Condominiums Chautauqua Lake

BEMUS POINT The finishing touches are being placed on the Bemus Bay condominiums, with people possibly set to move in sometime this week. Paul Goldberg, Bemus Point Investments LLC co-developer, said things are going well with the final stages of construction at the condominiums. However, he did say a fire pump had to be repaired after an accident occurred, which caused flooding in an equipment room. Goldberg said once the condos receive a certificate of occupancy, people will be able to move in to their residence. ''Within a week, people could move in,'' he said. Goldberg said construction has been completed in the common areas of the complex, with only unsold condos still needing work to be done. ''The only thing left to do is the units, which we do to the specifications of those who purchase them,'' he said. At this point, Goldberg said around 50 percent of the condos have been purchased, which he said is a good sign. ''Half the units sold before there is moving in is a good record for any condominium project,'' he said. ''The county is changing every day as we continue to sell units. We will continue to see sales throughout the winter I think.'' Lee Chilcote, Bemus Point Investments LLC co-developer, said he is very proud of the project. ''(Bemus Bay condominiums) are distinguishable from everything else lakeside,'' he said. ''There is a lot of character in these buildings. We wanted this project to blend into the community and I'm pleased that it does that very well.'' The condominiums are year-round homes that offer residents the benefits of the Chautauqua Lake region's various seasonal activities. For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Published by the Jamestown Post Journal & Dunkirk Observer

ELLICOTTVILLE UPCOMING EVENTS

Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce E-Newsletter Issue: # 11 1/01/09 WELCOME TO ELLICOTTVILLE! A Happy New Year to all! The skiing over the holidays has been fabulous and town has been busy, busy, busy. If you haven't had the chance to visit for a weekend or even a day January is the time to experience Ellicottville in all of its winter splendor. Don't forget that from the 5th to the 9th Holiday Valley is offering Canadian money at par for lift tickets and tubing passes to all of our friends from over the border. Canadian Friendship week ends this year with the Winter Rhythm and Blues festival so why not visit the 9th and 10th and check out all of the hot entertainment that Ellicottville has to offer. Rhythm & Blues Festival! Jan 9-10 You definately don't want to miss Ellicottville's Rhythm & Blues Festival this year! It may be cold outside but the live music inside Ellicottville's finest establishments will be HOT HOT HOT! Click here to see a full schedule of who is playing where and when! Did Santa fill you stocking with some Christmas cash? Why not take a minute to check out: Click here to go directly there. Holiday Valley January Events National Learn a Snowsport Month Monday, January 05, 2009 10:30 A.M. to 03:00 P.M. - Creekside Lodge at Holiday Valley January is the month to learn to ski or snowboard! Holiday Valley is offering a buy one, get the second for half price learn-to package through January 30. Valid Midweek, non-holiday Canadian Friendship Week January 5-9th Lift tickets & Tubing at Par. (Canadian Cash only) Safety Awareness Week January 19th - 25th Safety on the slopes is emphasized this week with special contests, awards and education. Know the Code and ride with Smart Style. USASA Boardercross Saturday January 31st 10:00 A.M. to 02:00 P.M. - Snoozer 2 Events held each day. Head to head competition through S turns, over jumps and around gates. USASA Membership required. Helmet required. For more information visit www.holidayvalley.com or www.wnyss.com For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com