By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — Over 1,000 visitors attended the 12th annual W.I.L.M.A. (We Invite Local Manufactures and Artisans) Wooly Bear Weekend event at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds over the weekend.
County officials using the scientific method of using caterpillars to predict winter’s severity determined 2024-25 would be a mild winter.
County Legislature Chairman Andrew Burr got help interpreting the color of the orange band on the caterpillar from his two youngest children, Annie, 4 and Luke, 2.
“We’re going to have a mild winter based on the big brown bands on this caterpillar,” Burr told people who gathered at 1 p.m. Saturday just inside the entrance to the Corporate Building at the fairgrounds.
Legislator Norm Marsh, chairman of the County Legislature’s Development and Agriculture Committee, added: “I think we’re going to have a fairly nice winter. I think we’ll see more rain and sleet than snow in the central part of the county.”
Marsh added: “February will be colder than normal and March, just like a woman, is unpredictable. I think we’ll have a decent winter based on a little bit of black and a lot of orange on this caterpillar.”
Both the Corporate Building and the adjoining Domestic Building were packed with 48 local artisans, small businesses and manufacturers displaying locally-made items.
Crystal Abers, director of the county’s Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism, said the objective of W.I.L.M.A. is to encourage residents to “shop local and buy local” and provide to an outlet for local artisans to sell their hand-made merchandise.
Admission was free and there was plenty of parking. Visitors were treated to a free W.I.L.M.A. shopping bag, donuts from Super Duper in South Dayton and Pumpkinville cider.
