What can be better than spending a day with friends, decked out in costume as you accumulate a mountain of sweet treats? That’s what trick-or-treaters do every Halloween, and sometimes the cache of candy is more than a person can consume in a lifetime. When October rolls into November and Thanksgiving is on the horizon, few people want to be staring at a witch’s cauldron full of chocolate bars. Rather than be wasteful and throw it away, they can utilize that candy in many different ways.
• S’mores cookie: Turn miniature chocolate bars into a campfire treat with a cookie twist. Press premade cookie dough into a round cast iron skillet and bake until
cooked throughout. Add chopped up pieces of chocolate and marshmallows on top, and place under the broiler a few minutes until melted and gooey. Slice up to serve or dig in with spoons.
• Confectionary pizza: Purchase premade pizza dough or make your own. Bake the dough on a pan with no toppings. Afterwards, spread a layer of peanut butter or hazelnut spread on top. Then set up a fixings bar with various candies that others can add to their pizza slices. Options include chocolate candies, miniature pretzels, marshmallows, or gummy candies.
• Stained glass cookies: Turn hard candies (like Jolly Ranchers®) into works
Remedies for creaky floors
Hardwood floors are coveted features in many homes. The National Wood Flooring Association says wood floors are the most environmentally friendly flooring options available. In the United States, the hardwood forests that provide flooring products are growing twice as fast as they are being harvested. Furthermore, wood floors can last for many generations and require fewer raw materials to produce than other flooring options. That means less waste may end up in landfills.
Hardwood floors can endure for decades in a home, but over time those same floors may need some tender loving care to keep them looking good and working as they should. Squeaky floors are a common nuisance that homeowners may experience. Squeaking is often caused by movement and friction between floorboards. Treating the problem involves identifying the underlying issue.
Loose hardware
Squeaky floors may be due to the loosening of the hardware holding the floor in place, says The Home Depot. When nails or screws no longer are secured tightly, the boards can rub together. The noise heard is the sound produced by rubbing. Tightening or replacing the hardware can help reduce the squeaking.
Counter-snap kit method
This Old House says this kit method is a great way to fix squeaks without damaging the floor. Once the source of the squeak is located, drill a 3/32inch pilot hole through the
hardwood flooring. Then insert a screw through the kit’s depth-control fixture and into the pilot hole, and drive it until it automatically snaps off below the wood surface. Follow this up by filling the hole with wood putty that matches the floor color. Once the putty is dry, lightly sand the area to blend.
Use a shim or shims
Sometimes the floor may squeak because of a gap between the joists and the subfloor. Filling the gap with a small piece of wood called
a shim can help alleviate the gap or gaps.
Drive up screws If a squeak is just in one spot, The Home Depot says that you may be able to drive short screws from below into the subfloor.
Small gaps For small gaps between boards, sprinkle talcum powder or powdered graphite between squeaky boards to reduce friction. Wood filler applied with a putty knife also may work. For larger gaps, use a liquid
filler designed for wood floors.
Homeowners also can visit their local home improvement center for other hardware solutions designed for underfloor repairs to remedy squeaks. Many work from underneath the floor and involve mounting plates or brackets to sure up the floor.
of art. Fill sugar cookie cutouts with hard candies in the middle. When the cookies bake, the candies will melt and then turn soft after cooling.
• Candy-topped brownies: Brownies are delicious on their own, but they’re even better with some embellishments. Mix chopped caramels into the batter, or add other candies for flavor and fun.
• Candy bark: Melt down any chocolate you may have and spread it on a baking sheet. Sprinkle chopped up leftover candy on top and allow to cool. Break into pieces for a homemade chocolate bark.
• Gingerbread house: Save the candy in a ziptop bag for freshness and
reserve for decorating gingerbread houses around the holidays.
• Birthday piñata: If there is a birthday on the horizon, use the Halloween candy to stuff the piñata.
• Parade route: Veteran’s Day parades are held each November. Start a new tradition in town where donated candy will be tossed out to the crowd by those marching in the parade.
• Donate: Various organizations will gather and ship leftover candy to troops stationed overseas or donate the goods to first responders, veterans and others. It’s fun to gather treats on Halloween. But when the collected candy is simply too much to eat, there are various ways to put it to good use.
W.I.L.M.A. Woolly Bear sees another successful year
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Drop-off locations for Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts open Nov. 17
BY KELLEN M. QUIGLEY
Imagine being a child who knows only extreme poverty. You have never gotten a gift, nor have you ever seen your parents or grandparents receive a gift.
Then, you get a gift, and it changes the world for you.
Justin Thomas was that child. Growing up overseas in extreme poverty, and the youngest in a large, extended family, he wore hand-medowns that were ragged from use by multiple cousins, and never fit.
Not only were Thomas’s clothes wellused, but so were his school supplies. When his older sister’s pencils were too small for her to use, he got the stubs.
So when Thomas received a shoebox gift from Operation Christmas Child at age 13, including full-size, brand-new pencils as well as other completely new items, it made the gospel real for him.
Thomas spoke recently at a volunteer workshop for Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child (OCC) at Kidder Memorial Church in Jamestown.
In 2024, the Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties region supplied 7,800
shoebox gifts for OCC, contributing to the blessing of millions of children worldwide who suffer from war, poverty and natural disaster. The area hopes to provide over 8,000 boxes this year. Volunteers are preparing to collect OCC shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 17-24. Nearly 5,000 drop-off locations will open across the country in November, and shoebox packers can
find their local drop-off locations in New York.
Since 1993, OCC has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoeboxes to children including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster. The goal to reach another 12 million children in 2025.
Shoebox packing is fun for individuals, families and groups. Find a stepby-step guide on OCC’s How to Pack a Shoebox
webpage. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need.
Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. “Samaritan’s Purse works around the world to help people in need, but it’s not about good works — it’s about the Gospel,”
said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Please prayerfully consider packing a shoebox this year with Operation Christmas Child. These simple gifts open the door for us to share the true meaning of Christmas.”
Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. The online
lookup tool is searchable by City or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the drop-off. Area drop-off locations include:
• Allegany – Creekside Chapel, 2523 Five Mile Rd.
• Bradford, Pa. –First Baptist Church, 1289 E. Main St.
To be a part of this blessing yourself, or as part of your church, work or other group, go to samaritanspurse.org/occ to see what to include in a shoebox gift and where and when to bring it during Drop-Off Week. Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Nacho Mamas Tacos opens in Salamanca Mall
BY DEB EVERTS
SALAMANCA — A new restaurant recently opened at 100 Main St. in the Salamanca Mall, offering the public much more than a variety of different tacos.
Nacho Mamas Tacos is the new go-to place for starters, snack items and even catering services owned by Gabe and Stacy Harrison and their daughter, Tanisha Thayer. The Native family-owned business offers selections ranging from queso mac and cheese, loaded potatoes and chicken tenders to bean and cheese burritos, smash burgers with fries and mozzarella sticks. A kids’ meal of chicken tenders with fries is also offered every day.
Stacy said they usually have a Taco Tuesday special — buy two tacos, get one free — but their main special is 10 tacos for $16. However, they don’t do that special every week and it’s not necessarily offered just on Tuesdays.
She said Tanisha will post it on their Facebook page two days prior, so people should watch for it.
People who follow Nacho Mamas Tacos on Facebook will enjoy Tanisha’s wit and humor. Stacy said they are a very humorous family.
And as they get better established, the family plans to expand their menu.
“We plan to add some fried sweets like deep fried Oreos, and we are thinking
about adding sliders to the kids menu,” Stacy said. “We also like taking requests. It’s about what people want.”
Tanisha’s catering business, Beyond XO Catering, is part of Nacho Mamas Tacos. Stacy said the taco business has helped them bring their daughter’s catering dream to life.
“Our daughter has been running a food business for about four or five years. She even went to California and was cooking on the beach. She’s been pretty
successful,” Stacy said.
“Everybody loves her food, so that’s part of why we all decided to come together and make (it) happen.”
Stacy said they’re going to be offering catering services from both Nacho Mamas Tacos and Beyond XO so people will have two different menus to choose from.
LEAVING THEIR jobs behind and taking a “leap of faith” towards their dreams, the family decided to start their own business about a month ago.
Stacy, who has a lot of experience in the food industry, said she has been a manager at Lake County Dairy, Arrow Mart and Crosby’s for many years. She said Gabe is a former employee of Ellison Bronze.
“As recently as a month ago, my husband and I recently decided that we were just going to quit our jobs, cash out our 401K and go for it. That was the only way we were going to be able to do this,” she said. “We were working 50 to 60 hours a week and, as
a manager at a store, you just can’t do both. I would rather work long hours for myself.”
Mayor Sandy Magiera said it’s always good to have another business open in the city. “To me, we need more eating places because there aren’t a lot of options for food places in Salamanca,” she said.
Magiera, who ran Mongillo’s Superette in the city for two decades years, said she knows how difficult it can be to operate a food place.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s also very rewarding to the public,” she said. “It’s like you are a service to them, and part of it is how you treat your customers.”
MAKING PEOPLE happy is what they enjoy most, Stacy said, and there’s a lot of joy in their new business. She said there’s joy in working together as a family and it has helped them grow stronger, individually and together.
“We have our bad days and we have our good days. You have to be open-minded and we’re all learning,” she said. “We’re taking it one step at a time, every day. It’s a long road but we are getting there — one meal at a time.”
The family currently resides in Jamestown but they are planning to relocate to Salamanca, which is Gabe’s hometown. “Salamanca is coming home,” Magiera said.
Nacho Mamas Tacos is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The family officially opened their snack shack Oct. 3 with a soft opening. A grand opening celebration is coming soon. For more information about the business and a menu, visit the “Nacho Mamas Tacos” Facebook page or email snack. shackk26@gmail.com. To place an order, call (716) 265-2065.
Photo Provided
Operation Christmas Child area coordinator Todd LeRoy; OCC gift recipient and speaker Justin Thomas; and area coordinator Vickie LeRoy following an OCC volunteer workshop at Kidder Memorial Church in Jamestown.
more than assorted tacos. Pictured (from left): John Sheehan, executive director of the Seneca Salamanca Chamber of Commerce; Mayor Sandy Magiera; owners Gabe and Stacy Harrison and daughter, Tanisha Thayer; Sofia Kolokouris, building owner; and Gary Quattrone, chamber events coordinator.
CCE, Forest Owners to hold Forest Carbon Programs presentation Did You Know?
ELLICOTTVILLE
— New York Forest Owners Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County invite the public to a presentation Saturday, Nov. 15 on available Forest Carbon Programs. Since trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store it
in their branches, trunks and roots, they are recognized as an important tool in combating climate change. This is another characteristic of forests that makes them a valuable asset. Under the right circumstances, owners can participate in a carbon market program that will
produce revenue for them. When faced with financial challenges, such as increases in property taxes or unanticipated family financial needs, this can be an important option that allows for retaining forested property. For others, it may just be a means of making a long-term investment that produces revenue.
Programs are now available to owners with minimums ranging from 30 acres to 100 acres of forested property. This presentation offers the opportunity to learn the details of this relatively
new program now available to small forest property owners.
Presenters include Ian Crisman, DEC representative, giving an overview of carbon markets and programs in New York state; “Forest Carbon Works” program representative Dan Perry; and “Family Forest Carbon Program” representative Emily Trent.
The event will be held 9-11:30 a.m. Nov. 15 at the CCE Cattaraugus offices at the Ellicottville Town Center, 28 Parkside Drive.
Registration is required for this event and greatly appreciated. Sign up at https://reg. cce.cornell.edu/ ForestCarbon Program_258
Drunk and drugimpaired driving is illegal in all 50 states and across Canada. Unfortunately, instances of driving under the influence of a substance seem to increase during the holiday season. According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 29.8 percent of all fatal car accidents between 2018 and 2022 (the most recent for data) involved a drunk driver. Fatal crashes involving drunk driving are about 27 percent more common during holiday periods than other times of the year.
Nighttime driving during the month of December tends to be particularly dangerous. Almost half of drivers involved in fatal crashes between the hours of midnight and 2:59 a.m. were intoxicated, according to data from December 2023. Thirty percent of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. were intoxicated. The NHTSA reminds people that impaired driving is deadly. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different - Drive High Get a DUI are NHTSA campaigns instituted during the holiday season that are followed up with increased enforcement by police.
Holiday celebrants should always plan for a sober ride home from parties or holiday dinners if they plan to drink or consume other substances that can cause impairment.
An Exclusive First Ever with Santa and Movable Nativity Figurines and Ornaments featuring the Look of Carved Wood!
Even Santa knows that the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ... the Greatest Gift ever given. And to show his deep reverence, Santa is carving his own gifts of a wondrous nativity scene just for you! That’s the inspirational spirit for this exclusive collection. This masterpiece of handcrafting and hand-painting shimmers with light, from the illuminated star tree topper to the 50 softly glowing lights across the frosted branches. You’ll also enjoy Santa and his bag of toys plus the gurines, Angel ornaments and Holy Crèche all crafted with the look of carved wood!
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Ellicottville Depot property purchase largest in September
BY BOB CLARK
ELLICOTTVILLE
— Several closed restaurants in the county changed hands in September with plans to reopen.
The Cattaraugus County Office of Real Property and GIS Services reported the largest property sale in September was the former Ellicottville Depot Restaurant to Holiday Valley.
C&M Enterprises Inc. sold 6094 Route 19 South in Ellicottville to Win-Sum Ski Corp. on Sept. 16 for $1.35 million.
The site was formerly the home of the Ellicottville Depot Restaurant for 46 years before it closed its doors at the end of the 202425 ski season. County property records indicate the structure was built in 1978.
Win-Sum, the parent company of Holiday Valley, will reopen the restaurant.
Clark and Katie Crook, owners of Bar-Bill Tavern, announced via social media that they have signed on to manage the restaurant
for the firm. Also recorded in September was the sale by Circa 1895 Inc. of 116 S. Union St. — The Old Library Restaurant — to FNI Holdings LLC for $469,000. The sale was completed Aug. 28 and filed Sept. 2.
FNI, the firm led by Chris DiCerbo, owns eatery on North Union Street and The Tavern at Woodside on West River Road. The Old Library is currently
closed for regular service but continues to offer service for special events, and officials have indicated the restaurant will be relaunched in the near future.
The building was one of almost 1,700 libraries built between 1883 and 1929 with funds from steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. After the library moved out in the 1970s, the
building was rented by several agencies before restaurateur Louis “Louie” Marra purchased the building in 1982 and renovated it into a restaurant. The Marra family closed the restaurant side of the business in 2012, focusing on catering and special events.
In 2018, the state announced more than $700,000 from the city’s $10 million Downtown
Revitalization Initiative would be invested in the site under the ownership of Dan and Katie DeCerbo. A $1.5 million renovation wrapped up in December 2019, with then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul helping cut the ribbon.
Walsh Huskies, owned by Jess Anderson and Mike Bysiek of Florida, purchased the adjacent Old Library Inn in May
and cut the ribbon on the relaunched facility on Oct. 10. County reports are issued every month, containing records of all real estate transactions filed in the previous month. Some sales see delays between the closing date of the sale and the filing, which delays reporting. Other commercial property sales for the month included:
• L Boehmer Family Trust I sold a storage facility at 3510 Union St. in Machias to Schwab Dairy Farm LLC on Sept. 16 for $802,650.
• Sean Lowes sold 5 Monroe St. in Ellicottville — The City Garage — on Sept. 24 to TVC Monroe LLC for $400,000.
• Big Dawg Properties of WNY sold a 6.17-acre site on State Road in Coldspring to Adams Dairy Trucking LLC on Sept. 5 for $140,000.
• Barry Hager sold a row building at 25 W. Main St. in the town of Persia to Jay Jamison on Sept. 19 for $125,000.
W.I.L.M.A. Woolly Bear sees another successful year
LITTLE VALLEY
— The Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism hosted its
annual W.I.L.M.A. Woolly Bear event over the weekend at the county fairgrounds. The event gave artisans and
manufacturers from all over the county an opportunity to showcase and sell their products.
Legislator Norman Marsh,
chairman of the Development and Agriculture Committee, read the bands on a woolly bear caterpillar to make a prediction
AUTO CORNER
Thedangersofsmartphoneusagewhiledriving
Each time a driver gets away with using a phone without incident while behind the wheel, he or she may feel like it is no big deal. However, there is very real danger in doing so. Here are some facts that highlight how dangerous using a smartphone while driving can be.
• The National Safety Council has found drivers using hands-free and handheld cell phones fail to see up to 50 percent of the information in their driving environment. This is known as “inattention blindness.”
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says using a cell phone while driving increases crash risk, as researchers have consistently linked texting or manipulating a cell phone to increased risk. When the IIHS monitored drivers who frequently use cell phones while driving for one year, those drivers had the highest rates of near crashes and crashes.
• Using driving simulators or instrumented vehicles, various analyses have found typing or reading text messages significantly slowed reaction time and increased lane deviations. It also increased the length of time drivers looked away from the roadway. The NSC says drivers using cell phones had reaction times slower than drivers impaired by alcohol at .08 blood alcohol concentration.
• When a person sends a text message or reads a message, it takes his or her eyes off the road for five seconds. Going 55 miles per hour while texting is like driving the length of a football field with one’s eyes closed. Although smartphones are convenient, they should be stored out of reach while driving to limit the temptation of use.
for this year’s winter weather.
This particular caterpillar predicted very snowy weather in late November through December
by
and a fairly mild winter through March, with a little bit of snowy weather at the tail end of the season.
JESUS SAID, “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.” (JOHN 14:6)
