Ice Castle in Mayville.

MAYVILLE - Frigid temperatures and steady snowfall typically aren't good things for construction crews, unless it's the crew that recently completed building the Ice Castle in Mayville. With the official lighting of the Ice Castle slated for 6:30 p.m. tonight at Lakeside Park, the ceremony kicks off a weekend-long celebration that has enough events and attractions to offer a little something for everyone. Following the grand opening of the 2010 Ice Festival, people looking to have a good time around 8 p.m. can cruise over to either the Mayville Legion, where there will be softball bracketing and a party, or to Chautauqua Suites where guests will be treated to the soul sounds of New Orleans native Larry LZ Dillon in the Belini Lounge. In conjunction with the performance, the lounge is offering an eight-ounce steak and a glass of wine for $14.99. At 10 p.m. in the Lakeside Hotel, the Porcelain Bus drivers will play covers of the best of the 1970s and 1980s music. The party continues on Saturday and Sunday, with several events and contests being held in conjunction with the festival, but the central attraction is no doubt the Ice Castle. Marty Bova, mayor of Mayville, said this coming weekend will mark "one of the best events" ever held in the village. "The construction crew has been hard at work since December, clearing snow from the lake to expose the ice, thus making better, thicker, blue ice," he said. "In this ice castle, there is going to be a whole new lighting scheme and I am told they are going to resurrect the old flaming dragon used years ago." In addition to the ice castle, the festival will feature three contests this year. The Presidential Look Alike Contest will take place at 1:30 p.m., Sunday at the Community Center at Lakeside Park, and the winner will receive a prize package put together by the Athenaeum Hotel at Chautauqua Institution, valued at more than $100. The Snowball Distance Throwing Contest will be at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, with cash prizes for adults and children. The Children's Snowman/Animal Building Contest will take place on Sunday for children ages 4 to 12, also with cash prizes for the winners. For those who embrace their inner sense of adventure, at noon Saturday, they can join in an embark on the Polar Bear Plunge in Chautauqua Lake. Anyone not looking to get wet can also opt to take a snowmobile ride or a ride on a horse-drawn carriage. With events scheduled throughout the day, the evening culminates with the Flare Parade by the Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club at 7 p.m., and a fireworks presentation by the Starfire Corporation at 8 p.m. The fun resumes on Sunday morning around 11 a.m., and continues throughout the afternoon. Bova said he appreciates all the effort people put into the event, and cites it as the reason so many people are able to enjoy themselves at it annually. "It is always amazing to see who donates their time and talents to this event, many of whom are otherwise self-employed and lose paid work days to bring this community event to fruition," he said. "Not to mention the local businesses who donate lunch to the work crews on a daily basis. I highly recommend everyone take time out of your busy schedules to attend the 2010 Ice Castle Presidents Day event. So many people have worked so hard, my hat goes off to them, their families and all involved." Complete program schedules are available at the festival, or by visiting the Mayville/Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.mayvillechautauquachamber.org.   Subscribe to Post-Journal For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Bemus Point Village Casino

BEMUS POINT - The family of current Village Casino operator Steve Carlson will continue to run the facility for the next five years. The Bemus Point Village Board will enter into a contract with Professional Hospitality - one of two bidders proposing to operate the site once the village's current lease with Carlson expires in October. Ellicottville Brewing Company also submitted a proposal. The decision wasn't unanimous, however. Village Trustee Chris Wight cast the only opposing vote to award the contract to Professional Hospitality. She said her vote against the contract is because she wanted to table the vote in order to get more public input. "We have nothing to gain by rushing," she said, adding, however, the village had a lot to win by holding off. "We missed a wonderful opportunity to get more input from actual residents," she said. Ms. Wight said she also liked Ellicottville Brewing Co.'s ideas to have the casino feature more family entertainment and less late night activities, since there have already been noise problems there. She said she called Ellicottville Brewing Co. references and found the establishments in Ellicottville and Fredonia have a reputation for community involvement and being responsive to those communities. She said brewing company plans to funnel rent money into the building would have left the village with "a much more sound and beautiful building at the end of (the) lease." Mayor Bryan Dahlberg said reasons for choosing Professional Hospitality included economics. Dahlberg said the brewing company wanted the village to reinvest some of the rent it would pay back into the facility. Although the village lease is with Carlson, Dahlberg said Professional Hospitality representatives work on and manage the facility already. He said Village Board members felt comfortable knowing the people who already work and manage the facility. Dahlberg said while there are issues such as noise from the facility, board members felt "pretty comfortable (and) content" with the operators they already know. Dahlberg said the village and Professional Hospitality officials plan to address noise issues this summer, before the new contract begins in October. He said Professional Hospitality representatives have already begun work to design new doors they think may help with noise problems. "We're pretty happy about that," Dahlberg said about a decision being reached on who will operate the facility. "We are very grateful to the village trustees and community to enable us to continue the traditions Steve Carlson laid out," said David VanNess of Professional Hospitality, who said he has been operating the Casino for the last five years. "It's an old building we certainly cherish," he said, adding he would like to keep the building "within its culture but bring it into modern times." Continuing "a fun and friendly, family atmosphere with an affordable menu" is also on his agenda, he said, adding he would like to add to the menu but continue having dining on the lake and music. VanNess also said he enjoys giving back to the community whenever possible, such as donating time for events like the Take A Seat Auction, benefits for the Chautauqua Lake Association or benefits for community members. While attorneys next work to draw up contracts with Professional Hospitality, others in the village are already reacting to the decision. Ellicottville Brewing Co. officials could not be reached to comment Wednesday. Bebe Johnson of the Hotel Lenhart, a neighboring business to the casino, called the decision a good one. She said Professional Hospitality representatives are established. Although there have been problems in the past, she said, they are being resolved. She said an additional police presence in the area of the casino this year is also expected to help.   Subscribe to Post-Journal For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Looks can be deceiving as local real estate market is strong

By S. Alexander Gerould WESTFIELD – James Woodruff isn't a real estate expert. A member of the U.S. Army, Woodruff, a 2002 Westfield Academy and Central School graduate, has seen two tours of duty in Iraq while stationed in Hawaii. Shortly, he will be heading to Texas for additional training before moving to an Army base in North Carolina. He's seen a lot of things and been to a lot of places. He's also someone who can tell you how Westfield has changed during the time he has been gone. While driving with this reporter down South Portage Street on the way to Jamestown, Woodruff remarked on something which has affected most of the country recently – real estate. "It seems every house is for sale in Westfield," he said, as we passed a house with a Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate sign propped up in the front lawn. Woodruff may be right to some extent. While not every house in Westfield is for a sale, during a quick, 10 minute drive through the streets of the village, more than 10 houses and properties, along with several businesses, had "for sale" signs in their front yard. However, looks can be deceiving, at least according to some real estate experts. "I think what you're seeing right now is that there are some properties for sale on the major streets," said Steve Holt. A broker associate with Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate. "I think it's just been the location where they are that they stand out a little more." Helen Baran, a real estate agent for ERA Real Estate, said, even if a house has a "for sale" sign in its front yard, it doesn't necessarily mean a house is for sale. She said real estate agents may keep signs up until the sale is definite in an effort to not scare other potential buyers away. "At any time you have a house that has a 'for sale' sign on it, it might also be under contract," Mrs. Baran said. "There are a lot of them (houses) on the market, but there's also quite a few that are under contract right now." While it may seem there are many houses for sale in Westfield, Nick Holt, Steve Holt's son and also a real estate agent, was quick to point out that 2009 was a really good year for his company. "Despite what everyone has termed a down year, Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate had our best year ever in 2009, posting record sales with double digit growth," Nick said. "The truth is that, with the proper marketing, pricing and expectations, now is as good a time as any to sell or buy in this area, particularly when you consider how low interest rates are." THE ECONOMY'S IMPACT According to figures provided by John Rawlinson, Westfield Development Corporation executive director, Westfield had eight applications for new homes in 2008 – a lot for a small community, Rawlinson said. But, in 2009, there were no applications. "This, as would be expected, is linked to the general economy last year," Rawlinson said. Meanwhile, the percentage of homeowners who cited reduced or loss of income as the top reason they were facing a home foreclosure steadily increased, according to the Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation. "I have been involved in foreclosure counseling in Chautauqua County for more than 15 years, and the types of customers seeking services, from income levels to sources of mortgages, has changed profoundly," said John Murphy, CHRIC executive director. "We used to see more low-income borrowers and those with sub-prime mortgages coming in for counseling, and now it is much more across the board. The economy and job loss has challenged so many more people in managing their debts, including making sure they don't lose their homes." Mrs. Baran has also seen the economy's impact on real estate in the area. She said a good number of homes are selling at or below market price, while high-priced homes aren't priced as high as they were two years ago. "It's a constantly rotating situation," Mrs. Baran said. "There are a lot of the old, historic homes for sale right now. We are experiencing some houses that are for sale in Westfield because people have run into economic hard times." While other parts of the country have faced real estate meltdowns recently, Westfield and Chautauqua County has remained stable, and, in some cases, fairly robust. "Prices in this market were never really artificially inflated, and local lenders were very good about avoiding predatory practices," Nick Holt said. "So, when the bubble burst, we didn't take the hit that other areas did." "The smaller communities … fared very well," Steve Holt added. "We really didn't see what the rest of the country was seeing. Even the vacation home market was pretty strong. We didn't have the bubble. We didn't have the big up, and we didn't have the big down." While local real estate experts have said Westfield and Chautauqua County were not hit as hard by the real estate meltdown as other areas, Rawlin said any impact on what the WDC considers its number one asset – the quality of the community's housing stock – can have some implications. "We have, like the rest of the country, been hit by the downturn, but not really as bad as many locations," Rawlinson said. "In fact, Western New York faired very well in the overall housing market debacle." WHY WESTFIELD? Thanks to a larger Internet presence, Nick Holt said Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate has had inquires on homes in the area from as far away as California, Colorado and Florida. People, he said, come from all over looking for a small, quaint town to call home. "I am always amazed at the interest people have in moving to Westfield," Nick Holt said. "There are very few old fashioned small towns anymore, with a downtown strip and good neighborhoods within the village.  We find people all the time who stop in and fall in love." Steve Holt agreed, adding many people looking to relocate are looking for a change to their lifestyle. "When they come to areas like here, number one they get a great buy for their money, and they're more apt here to truly pick the community they want to pick," he said. "Communities like Westfield are the ones that a lot of people are picking. It's because of the quality of the lifestyle. There are things going on, and it's that small town atmosphere where people want to raise kids and retire." However, real estate experts and officials see one major issue affecting real estate in the area – taxes. "The biggest questions I have (potential homeowners) are these really the taxes," Mrs. Baran said. "I have to say, 'Yes, they are.' You've got people that that doesn't mean anything to them and that's okay … but a lot of people are taking a look at their costs." Rawlinson agreed. "I don't see us having real estate issues," he said. "The biggest issue is taxes, which is really a state problem which influences us all. Until consolidation of schools and government is attacked and government bureaucracy reduced, we all suffer." For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Housing sales continue to climb in State & Chautauqua County

By DENNIS PHILLIPS Special to the OBSERVER   In November, the number of homes sold in the state jumped 34 percent and increased 25 percent in the county when compared to 2008 statistics. The increase brought housing sales numbers for both the state and county back to 2007 levels. "While the jump in sales compared to last November is obviously a positive sign for the state housing market, the 5.5 percent increase compared to 2007 indicates a return to a typical November sales level,'' said Duncan R. MacKenzie, New York State Association of Realtors chief executive officer. "This is a strong indicator of the continued recovery of the statewide housing market.'' With the extension of the first-time home buyer credit in November and a new state program that went into effect at the start of the year, Jan. R. Murray, Chautauqua County Board of Realtors executive officer, said housing sales should continue to stay strong. "It's just a great incentive to increase sales the beginning of this year,'' she said. "We had a really slow start last year. Hopefully these programs will continue strong housing sales.'' First-time homebuyers have been getting a tax credits of up to $8,000 as part of the economic stimulus package enacted in 2009. The program was extended with also a new incentive to include home owners looking to sell. Anyone who has owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500. As continuation of the program, first-time homebuyers - or anyone who hasn't owned a home in the last three years - would still receive up to an $8,000 tax credit. Couples earning as much as $225,000 and individuals earning up to $125,000 would qualify for the tax credit. That was also an increase from the original $75,000 limit for individuals and $150,000 for couples. Now the new state incentive - the Tax Credit Advance Loan - will help people who would have a difficult time paying for the closing costs and other up-front costs in purchasing a house. "This program will particularly help first-time homebuyers who struggle to save enough money to cover all of New York's highest-in-the-nation up-front costs of purchasing a home,'' MacKenzie said. "Many will now be able to close that gap by utilizing the federal home buyer tax credit at the closing table through the advance loan program.'' Ms. Murray said strong housing sales not only helps the real estate market, but several other aspects of the national economy. "The growth in the housing market helps the national, state and local economies,'' she said. "When you include purchases made for the home like appliances, movers and home contractors, you can see where people buying a new house helps the whole economy.'' State realtors sold 7,424 existing single-family homes in November, a 34 percent increase compared to the November 2008 total of 5,542. County realtors sold 91 houses in November, a 25 percent increase compared to the 2008 total of 73 sales.   Subscribe to The OBSERVER For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Holiday Valley opens new club and hotel

Biggest investment into skiing in NYS ever Aaron Mason Posted by: Eli George ELLICOTTVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - Holiday Valley is giving skiers another reason to hit the slopes and stick around for awhile. The Ellicottville resort is celebrating the grand opening of the new Tamarack Club Condominium and Hotel. Four-star amenities include a pool, spa, fitness center and restaurant. The $40 million expansion represents the largest investment in the history of skiing in New York State. Richard Sandler, General Manager of the Tamarack Club, said, "We just opened our 79 unit, 138 room condominium hotel here at the foot of the slopes here at Holiday Valley. Wonderful construction. It's a ski in, ski out facility." The new Tamarack Club has also created more than 160 full and part-time jobs.   www.tamarackclub.com     Copyright WIVB.com   For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

Wine Trail launches new interactive Web site   WESTFIELD—The Chautauqua- Lake Erie Wine Trail has launched a new interactive Web site at www.chautauqua-wine-trail.com . The site, designed by Louis Botha of Mindstorm Digital Media in Jamestown, has a wine-red background and 192 pages of information about wine, wine appreciation, the area's wineries and the Wine Trail, along with information for travelers. Listed among the events is the trail's second annual Bare the Barrels White Sale" during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend Jan. 16 to 18.   For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

2-for-1 Nights at Holiday Valley

Upstate Farms Intense Milk 2 for 1. Pick up a bottle of Intense Milk at your favorite store, and bring in the cap for 2 lift tickets for the price of 1 valid on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday nights from 4PM - 10PM. Program starts January 11, 2010. You can get specially marked Intense Milk bottles at Wegmans, Tops, Wilson Farms, Kinney Drugs, Hess Gas Stations and other independent convenience stores Looking for a new home? Visit our website: www.chautauqualakehomes.com C. Rick & Julia McMahon Broker/partners Real Estate Advantage Realty  716-483-3300  or  484-2020

Winter Hikes in Chautauqua County

Beginning January 2, 2010 Evergreen Outfitters will be hosting winter hiking/snow shoeing tours. They will choose a different location throughout Chautauqua County every other Saturday until April. Difficulty of terrain and duration of hike will be discussed once the trial has been chosen. The cost is $5.00 per person if you have your own gear, $15.00 per person if you would like to rent your gear from Evergreen Outfitters. All hikes include a hot drink and some sort of snack.  They have been known to bring dehydrated meals to try and pastries from Farm Fresh Foods. yummie. Please call the store at 716-763-2266 to reserve a spot and to get directions. Dates for the hike are: January 2, January 16, January 30, February 27, March 13, and March 27. Evergreen Outfitters 4845 Rt.474, Ashville, NY 14701   For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Chautauqua County Home Sales Increasing

Tax Credit Gives Boosts By Dennis Phillips dphillips@post-journal.com   State housing sales numbers climbed by more than 8 percent because of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, and experts expect housing sales to continue to climb with the extension of the federal program. First-time homebuyers have been getting a tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. And with the extension and expansion of the program in November, Jan R. Murray, Chautauqua County Board of Realtors executive officer, said housing sales will continue to climb, helping realtors during the tough seasonal, winter months. ''There will be a seasonal slow down, but buyers looking will buy because of this (tax credit),'' she said. ''Things will get slow between now and the new year, but we do expect it to pick up after. The tax rebate program will help to see us through the slow time.'' The new program will also include home owners looking to sell. Anyone who has owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers - or anyone who hasn't owned a home in the last three years - would still get up to $8,000. Couples earning as much as $225,000 and individuals earning up to $125,000 would qualify for the tax credit. That's up from the original $75,000 limit for individuals and $150,000 for couples. To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30. State housing sales experts say October's sales jumped of 8 percent above September and a nearly 6 percent improvement compared to October 2008 is because of the tax-rebate credit. ''There is no question that the federal first-time homebuyer tax credit has been a significant driver of home sales in New York state since its inception,'' said Duncan R. MacKenzie, New York State Association of Realtors chief executive officer. ''New York's realtors are grateful that our Congressional delegation understood this and forwarded legislation to extend and expand the tax credit to President Barack Obama, who signed it into law.'' New York realtors sold 7,783 existing single-family homes in the state in October, a 7.7 percent increase compared to the September total of 7,224. The October 2009 sales total was 5.7 percent above the October 2008 total of 7,363. The October median sales price in the state of $209,900 represents an increase of 2.4 percent compared to the September median of $205,000. ''Realtors know that the tax credit has helped to revitalize the housing market and position it to once again lead our economic recovery,'' MacKenzie said. ''The extension of the first-time buyer credit and the creation of a tax credit for existing homeowners who purchase their next home will allow both the housing market and our economy to hold on to the gains that have been made in recent months. We anticipate the expansion of the tax credit will bring trade-up buyers back into the market, driving sales in all segments of the market in addition to helping to ease the tightening of inventory in the first-time buyer segment.''   Subscribe to Post-Journal For more information on Chautauqua County Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

Snowmobile Trails Set to Open on Tuesday

Source: WDOE News While there may not be enough snow on the ground in portions of Chautauqua County, the snowmobile trails will be open and ready for snowmobilers this Tuesday. Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace says it's important that snowmobile riders respect the property of property owners, to never drink alcohol and operate their sleds, to watch their speed and to exercise extreme caution when handling their snowmobiles and to always make sure their sleds are registered. Gerace says snowmobile-related accidents have been on the increase, he feels is due to operators travelling at high rates of speed.   For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com