Dena J. DiOrio

Halloween just passed but winter is certainly around the corner! With the extended boating season going on through late fall, now is a good time to consider your boat winterization preparations, or for those who boat in the winter, it’s time to start putting together your wish list for winter boating. We’ve rounded up our top blogs on boat winterization to take the guesswork out of it! When is it time to store your boat for winter? That depends on the region in which your boat is stored and...

Encouraging healthy reading habits from an early age is paramount to child development. The second-grade teachers at Ellicottville Central School are taking the lesson one step further by adding life skills such as thank you letter writing and practicing gratitude with its book donor program. “It’s really the cutest thing you’ve ever seen in your life,” said Brain McFadden, Executive Director of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, who tipped off ellicottvilleNOW to...

My latest post for a travel series I created called On The Road.

Ellicottville is about to get a new club – a market update coffee club, that is! Spearheaded by Mr. Jim Coupe, CEPA®, an Edward Jones financial advisor by day and rock guitarist by night, Ellicottville’s first-ever market update coffee club – which he is calling the Ellicottville Coffee Club – will hold its inaugural session on Wednesday, October 30th at 9:00am at the Ellicottville Bake Shop. The coffee club meetings ...

Updated blog post highlighting the 12th annual Summerville Italian Feast in Summerville, South Carolina.

As many cities and towns in South Carolina grow rapidly, municipalities have realized the need for creative funding and design solutions to enhance their fire protection offerings. A long-standing issue for local governments, securing adequate funding and incorporating modern design with functionality are some of the most pressing concerns. Many modern fire stations and headquarters are equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities, separate decontamination washrooms, and spacious living...

Fall is officially here, and with it brings all the fabulous autumnal colors! Just in time for the change of season, the Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway (WNYSSB) recently announced its third annual photo contest, running now through November 30, 2024.
You may have seen signs around Cattaraugus County for the Scenic Byway and wondered what it is all about. For those unfamiliar, the WNY Southtowns Scenic Byway is a 108-mile-long loop of highways connecting the suburbs of Orchard Park and East Aurora south of Buffalo to the charming towns and villages...

Article that appeared in the 9/5/24 issue of ellicottvilleNOW newspaper discussing Jamestown Paranormal Investigator's fourth ParaCon paranormal convention at Gowanda's Historic Hollywood Theater in Gowanda, New York and includes an interview with JPI's founder.

Just in time for the spooky season, Jamestown Paranormal Investigators (JPI) is hosting its fourth paranormal convention, ParaCon ’24, on Saturday, September 28th from 12:00-6:00pm at Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater at 39 W. Main Street.

Founded in 2010 by Mike Pollaro, a 20-year veteran ghost hunter and paranormal investigator, JPI is a volunteer group of paranormal enthusiasts, ghost hunters, and those seeking “to find proof of the paranormal,” according...

Read on for our most recent excursion to Greenville County and find out what makes South Carolina’s Upstate such a popular RV travel destination.

Greenville County, South Carolina
The Palmetto State’s most populous county and the largest in South Carolina, Greenville County is nestled high in the mountains in an area referred to by locals as the Upstate. Distinguishing itself from South Carolina’s other geographical regions, the Upstate consists of ten counties of which Greenville is one of them. Greenville County sits in the Piedmont region of northwestern South Carolina. Lush and dense...

Borrowing the name from Jack Kerouac’s classic beat generation tale of travels across the country, intermittently we’ll post accounts about our life on the road. Whether you’re traveling by motorhome, fifth wheel, trailer, camper, van, or SUV, there is so much out there to explore, and we want to bring you the very best to consider for your next adventure. Read on for our most recent excursion to New York’s Niagara Falls State Park.

The Paris Olympics are in full swing and there’s no better time than the present to support Team USA! Here at BoatLIFE, we are waving our flags proudly as we watch the Olympians take center stage. Not all eyes are on Paris, however, as the Olympic Sailing events will take place further afield on the shores along Marseille, a historic port city in the south of France, just over 400 miles (600 km) away from the capital. Roucas-Blanc Marina will host the 330 athletes who will be competing in 10 ...

Cover feature story in the July issue of Western New York Family Magazine.

Feature story in the June 2024 issue Summer Go Guide special section.

Like other families, my son and I have participated in various reading challenges over the years, but this year’s Summer Reading Challenge put on by the Charleston County Public Library and sponsored by the Carolina Stingrays is top-notch. The “Camp CCPL” themed reading challenge officially kicked off on May 15th and runs through July 31st, 2024. My son joined a little later but there are still many weeks left in the game, no pun intended, and summer, for that matter, so time to dive into reading for prizes!