Cattaraugus County Source 07-23-2026

It’s hard to go anywhere without using or coming into contact with technology. For drivers, that includes their vehicles, which have come a long way since the Ford Motor Company’s Model T was first introduced more

Bryce Walterich

than a century ago. Devices and driving are now undeniably intertwined. Preoccupation with technology when behind the wheel can pose a threat to motorists, as the National Highway Traffic

Ɋ July 24-26 - Jazz & Blues Weekend in the Village of Ellicottville. A Jazz and Blues Weekend in Ellicottville is a boutique experience. Wander through the village and choose from a variety of Jazz and Blues performance areas ranging from restaurants, bars & nightclubs and street-side.

Ɋ July 25 - The WNY Fiddle Kids at Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater. The Gowanda Historic Hollywood Theater presents the performance

Upcoming Events

of the WNY Fiddle Kids, led by former NYS Fiddle Champion, Heather Smith Pennington. Tickets $6, at the door. 2pm.

Ɋ July 25-26 - Ice Cream Children’s Weekend Train Ride at GowandaTrain Station. Celebrate Children’s Weekend with some ice cream and a train ride! Saturday- Train departs at 11:00am and 2:00pm. Sunday 2pm.

Ɋ July 25 - 2026 Tame the Tuna Regatta at Tunungwant Creek. Volunteers will take you and your kayak or canoe to the start of the regatta on the Tunungwant Creek, what the locals call the “Tuna Creek.” You’ll spend part of the day paddling and hanging out at stops along the way with your tasty beverages. When you hit the end of the run, volunteers will bring you

and your gear back to the Limestone Fire Department. Themed outfits, prizes and camping. To pre-register go to, lvfdevents.ticketleap. com. 9am.

Ɋ July 25 - HillTap Festival at Holiday Valley. The 6th annual HillTap Festival will return to Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, NY.

Safety Administration reports that more than 3,100 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving in 2020. But technology also can be utilized to great and positive effect. Various apps can help make driving safer, potentially reducing the number of accidents and fatalities on the nation’s roadways.

• OneTap: OneTap was designed to put an end to distracted driving. Once enabled, the OneTap app blocks incoming alerts on drivers’ phones and automatically replies to let individuals calling or sending messages that

drivers will get in touch when they reach their destination. Drivers can manually activate the app each time they get in their vehicles, or set it up so it automatically activates when the car begins moving. The latter approach can be especially useful for drivers who may forget to activate it when getting in their cars.

• DriveMode: DriveMode was designed for drivers who want a hands-free messaging and calling option while behind the wheel. The app utilizes voice-enabled commands so drivers reply to messages or texts using only their voice, and

it also can be integrated with navigation, music and voice assistant apps. Drivers can choose to have the app launch automatically when they start driving.

• OtoZen: OtoZen can appeal to any drivers looking to be more safe, but it can be especially useful for parents of young drivers. Users can track family and friends with the app’s GPS tracker that can share location information in real time.

Incoming messages are delivered through users’ car speakers, and speed alerts notify drivers when they exceed safe speed limits.

This popular event, at one of the most unique venues in the region, integrates a full day of outdoor activities and live music from three bands on two stages. The Festival begins with a chairlift ride up to Spruce Lake with live music, adventure activities, and craft food and beverages. The festival then heads back down the mountain for two additional bands to wrap up the full day of activities. Tickets for the full day of music and adventure are available and a twilight ticket is also available that provides admission to the base of the mountain for the final two musical performances. Children 10 and under are free to attend and parking is free for all attendees. 12 Noon-9pm. For More Info visit: hilltapfestival.com.

• OnMyWay: The OnMyWay app automatically disables apps when vehicles are moving faster than 10 miles per hour. That functionality eliminates phone-related distractions like incoming text messages. But the handsfree component of the OnMyWay app allows users to make phone calls, use navigation apps and even play music. Modern vehicles are testaments to technological innovation. Drivers can use that to their advantage by utilizing various apps designed specifically to reduce distracted driving.

Cattaraugus County to close Certified Home Health Agency services

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BY DEB EVERTS

KILL BUCK — Official signage marking the historical Patterson House along Kill Buck Road was unveiled Wednesday, July 8, by descendants of the late Roberta Patterson Stone and Town Historian Marilyn Eddy Siperek.

Erected by the Town of Great Valley, the blue and yellow roadside marker reads, “Patterson House, circa 1840. Robert Patterson, pioneer and lumberman, owned a hotel, store and railroad. His wife was Charlotte, daughter of Captain Nathan and Mary Howe.”

Their descendants cherish the house and have traced their lineage back to their forefathers. The house is filled with a rich history of Pattersons, Howes and Greens that spans over 200 years. They were some of the pioneers who came to the town and settled in its hamlets, including Captain Nathan H. Howe, who arrived in the early 1800s.

The first settlement in the town of Great Valley was made by James Green at Kill Buck in 1812. His son, John Green, married their ancestor, Lucy Howe, in 1828, and built the house. Robert Patterson married her sister, Charlotte, in 1840.

A more recent branch of the family comes from the late Roberta Patterson Stone, who was a historian for the town of Great Valley, and her brother, the late Otis Patterson. They were the children of the late Robert and Mildred Slade Patterson. Roberta was married to the late Harold O. Jacobson and the late William E. Stone Jr.

The family has been renovating the historic home that has meant so much to them since July 2023. Descendant

Roadside marker placed at historic Kill Buck home

to the library were parlors. He said the little room called the back parlor had double doors and was designed to accommodate laying a body out upon death, because there were no funeral homes back then.

The old organ once owned by their ancestor, Lucy Howe, still sits in the back parlor. The family knows it was hers because Bob has the documentation. The library has been converted into a family room. Bob said his aunt Roberta’s library contained approximately 7,000 books, but they kept the historical and most important ones for their family.

Roberta kept many important family antiques and mementos dating back to the Civil War era and earlier. They include the plume from Nathan Howe’s hat from the War of 1812; Civil War Confederate money, guns, belt buckles and bayonets; campfire ashes from 1888 when Chief Sitting Bull camped on their old homestead property while passing through; and a piece of rail from the Patterson Railroad.

William Edward “Sonny” Covington of Texas, and his wife, Dianne, officially took ownership of the house in July 2024.

Rather than donate the house to the town or sell it, they made the decision to keep it in the family. Together, they have been working to make the house a comfortable place they can enjoy and keep their memories alive.

According to Sonny, the house needed a lot of work, but he and the rest of the family were committed to seeing

the renovations through to completion. He said they have renovated the outside, replaced windows and updated the electrical wiring, heating and water systems. Most of the bedrooms upstairs have been finished and the kitchen is nearing completion.

Sonny said they decided to keep the house because it’s been in their family for so many years. His mother, Peggy Marie Patterson Humphrey of Texas, is Roberta’s oldest living first cousin and the daughter of Xavier Mayer Patterson.

“My mother’s father, Xavier, grew up here. Jake and Don, who are Roberta’s sons from her first marriage, were also raised in the house,” he said. “With me being the younger one in the family and somewhat the next in line, I asked if it would be possible for me to take the house over. Everyone agreed, with the understanding that the house would stay in the family to honor the tradition and heritage of our family name.”

Marilyn believes the property was first purchased in 1830. The original parcel of property was 60 acres, and the

house now stands on 3.7 acres, according to Sonny. Roberta’s nephew, Bob Patterson, said the house was originally located along Route 417, in the hamlet, before it was moved to its present location along Great Valley Creek on Kill Buck Road.

While constructing French drains on the property, Sonny unearthed immense stones that were once used as entry steps to the back parlor. He said the stones were wide enough for a casket and pallbearers on each side.

In a previous interview,

Bob, Roberta’s nephew and son of Otis, said their grandfather donated an ox yoke to the Allegany State Park Quaker museum that was used for the logging industry and associated with the Patterson Railroad. Since the family has taken over the house, they’ve also donated a large portrait of his great-grandfather, Otis Patterson, who owned the Patterson Railroad and the logging company with his brother, Dan.

A QR code linking people to a website where they can read a detailed history of the house and the families that occupied it will be added to the marker.

Cattaraugus County to close Certified Home Health Agency services

BY KELLEN M. QUIGLEY

LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County officials announced Wednesday, July 8, the decision to request closure of its Certified Home Health Agency through the Department of Health.

Despite earnest efforts, county officials said the operational challenge of efficiently operating a Certified Home Care Agency remains unduly burdensome due to outdated and unchanged insurance reimbursement rates and heavy pressure from competition within the market.

“This will not take effect until our last patient has transitioned, so we don’t have a definite date in our closure plan,” County Administrator Kelly Reed told the Times Herald. “Our goal is to make sure everyone has continuity of care. It could be tomorrow, or it could be six months from now. It depends on our census.”

Consistent with legal and regulatory requirements, New York state has approved the county’s closure plan. It ensures that all home care patients will continue to receive appropriate medical treatment and will receive a coordinated transition to another Certified Home Care Agency before the county’s agency closes.

Reed said there are currently about 70 patients utilizing this county service who would need to secure care under a different service.

She said the county has been in close contact with the Visiting Nursing Association of Western New York, which provides high-quality CHHA services in Cattaraugus County and is willing and able to accept qualified residents in need of CHHA services.

“We’re basically going by our recertification dates for our clients,” Reed explained. “As long as each patient has continuity of care, that is our top priority.”

Conversations about the possibility of ceasing CHHA operations in the county began as early as 2016, Reed said. Due to the confidentiality requirements regarding state and healthcare regulations, Wednesday was the first time the county could publicly announce the decision.

“There is a strict policy and process for requesting this closure and approval of this closure plan,” she explained. “The county has been bound by that confidentiality.”

In the meantime, Cattaraugus County remains committed to its responsibility to taxpayers, employees and residents

who rely on county services. The county is among a small number across the state that continued to operate a home care agency. However, ongoing financial losses — driven by declining reimbursement rates and reduced patient volume — have made continued operations unsustainable.

In 2019, revenues for the agency were about $5.3 million compared to $5.4 million in expenditures, a $100,000 loss for the county. Six years later, expenditures were $5.3 million compared to only $3.3 million in revenues, a $2 million loss.

“The competition in the marketplace has continued to drive our revenues down,” Reed explained. “Throughout 2025, we spent time trying to figure out what to do and have these discussions. I believe it was late 2025, we did reach out to New York state with our closure request.”

For now, the Cattaraugus County Health Department is working and will continue to work cooperatively with the state Department of Health to provide existing patients and families with necessary services and to seamlessly transition all patients to another certified home care agency.

“They will have conversations with a caseworker from our Department of Aging and the Visiting Nurses Association when it’s time for them to transition,” Reed said of the current patients. “But until that time, they should not worry. They will continue to receive the care that they’re used to.”

Reed noted that this decision impacts only the Certified Home Care Agency of the Cattaraugus County Health Department. The health department will continue to provide a broad array of health services to county residents, including family planning and health services, communicable disease control, environmental health, chronic disease prevention, public health emergency preparedness, community health assessments, immunizations, WIC nutrition services, health education, clinical services and early intervention services. While there will be an impact on staffing, as it has historically, Cattaraugus County will make every effort to minimize any adverse impact on its existing employees.

“The continuity of care for our patients is the most important thing,” Reed added. “We’re going to continue to ensure that that is top priority.”

Shade options to make life outside more comfortable

Life outside is all about enjoying the beauty of nature. When warm weather beckons, it’s comforting to know there’s an accessible outdoor space to relax and soak up some sun. While the chance to enjoy some time in the sun is a great reason to get outdoors, sometimes the sun can compromise comfort when enjoying exterior living spaces. No one wants to melt while spending time outdoors, and al fresco dining with the sun in your eyes can make dinnertime less enjoyable. Thankfully, these shade options can help ensure days out back on the patio or deck are more comfortable.

expensive yet effective option. The final cost of a structure such as a pavilion will be affected by numerous variables, include the size and footprint of the space, the materials chosen (including the roof of the structure), and any customizations buyers go for. The online renovation resource HomeGuide notes that structure costs vary considerably by type. For example, HomeGuide notes a pergola may cost as little as $15 per square foot, while a gazebo could cost as much as $100 per square foot. While this is likely the most expensive shade option, a structure with a roof is a sure bet when looking to shade a space.

• Structures: Various structures can be constructed to keep outdoor living spaces shaded from the sun. Structures are an

• Canopy: If structures are the most expensive option to shade an outdoor living space,

a canopy might be the least expensive. But canopies can be effective. The size of the canopy will determine the

final cost, but this option likely won’t burn too big a hole in homeowners’ wallets, as canopies can be had for anywhere from

$50 to a few hundred dollars. Many modern canopies provide UV protection and can be erected in as little as 10 minutes. If you’re considering a canopy, be sure to confirm if a product comes with posts or if those must be purchased separately.

• Retractable awning: The sun hits different areas of a property at different times of day. The flexibility of a retractable awning can make sure an outdoor space has the sun protection residents and guests need when the sun is hitting areas where everyone tends to gather to eat, relax and hang out.

A retractable awning must be mounted to a structure like a home, a shed or a pool house, so this won’t be an option for people looking to shade spaces that are not

near such structures. A motorized awning can provide instant and effective shade when the sun hits areas where people are hanging out.

• Trees: Of course, shade need not be manmade. Strategically positioned shade trees provide lots of cooling shade during times of day when the sun is at its hottest. The shorter a tree is at the time of purchase the less it will cost. However, if instant shade is necessary, homeowners may want to splurge on taller trees to ensure immediate comfort.

The hot sun can quickly spoil an otherwise perfect day in an outdoor living space. Fortunately, there are many ways to shade such spaces from the hot sun.