By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos courtesy of Ben Jones
CARLTON – Ben Jones of Kendall sighted a Snowy Owl standing on the edge of Sawyer Road in Carlton Saturday evening. Jones had his phone camera and used it to get these pictures at night.
“It was pitch dark and couldn’t get too close before he’d fly off again,” Jones said.
The Snowy Owls have been a popular phenomenon in this area the past two winters with sightings all over Western New York.
The owl has a wingspan of five feet. It nests in the Arctic tundra and usually winters south through Canada.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – This sign on the shore of the Golden Hill State Park in Barker warns of an eroding shoreline.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson was in Washington D.C. on Wednesday meeting with State Department officials about a proposed plan for regulating Lake Ontario water levels.
Johnson and many officials from the southshore counties have been pressing the federal government not to support the plan from the International Joint Commission, a bi-national group that regulates the water levels.
A 2014 plan could result in bigger swings in water levels, damaging property and hurting boating and fishing industries.
“We need to work hard and stop this nonsense from going forward,” Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard said Wednesday during the Legislature meeting.
He noted that Johnson was in Washington with David Godfrey, a Niagara County legislator. They were joined by Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) and Congressman John Katko (NY-24) in a meeting with the State Department.
“The IJC’s Plan 2014 hurts homeowners and businesses along Lake Ontario’s shoreline,” Collins said in a statement. “I am vehemently opposed to this plan which would quicken erosion along shrinking shorelines, lower property values for specific homeowners, and have a negative impact on the region’s economy by limiting recreational and commercial boating. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in federal, state, and local government against the plan’s implementation and am glad Congressman Katko and county legislators Dave Godfrey and Lynne Johnson could join me in this fight.”
Plan 2014’s intent is to re-establish Lake Ontario’s natural water level fluctuations to restore the region’s natural wetlands and environmental diversity. The proposal has met significant resistance due to the disproportionate damages that will fall onto Lake Ontario’s southern shore communities, Collins said.
“Today’s meeting was yet another opportunity to discuss the potentially devastating impact that Plan 2014 could have on Wayne County’s shoreline, economy, and vast agriculture community,” Katko said.
He hosted a similar meeting earlier this year with Wayne County lawmakers and representatives from the U.S. Department of State and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
“I’m appreciative of Representative Collins’ efforts in facilitating this meeting,” Katko said. “I recognize the value of preserving our natural resources and supporting conservation measures, but Plan 2014 could cause a great loss of shoreline, erosion damage to property, and flooding in Wayne County. It is critical that we make these points known to stakeholders on a federal level, and that we continue to have an open dialogue moving forward.”
Godfrey said the IJC plan would be “economically devastating four our entire area.”
Johnson said residents and officials spoke out about the plan during public meetings and hearings. But the IJC still pushed it through.
“The approval by the IJC of Plan 2014 is government at its worst,” Johnson said. “The IJC did not listen to the voice of people.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The tugboat “Lockport” is tied up in Albion between the Main Street and Ingersoll Street lift bridges on Tuesday.
The navigational season for the Erie Canal ended today, concluding the 191st season of the waterway that turned New York State into an economic powerhouse in the 1800s.
These days, the canal is more of a recreational waterway, and the towpath is popular for joggers, cyclists and walkers.
Many of the tenders, tugboats, and other vessels in the canal fleet will “winter” in Albion before the canal season starts again next May.
This year the canal opened on May 8. The draining of the Erie Canal between Lockport and the Genesee River in Rochester will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 1, Canal Corporation officials said today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – An annual rite of passage for Orleans County residents should include a visit to Mount Albion Cemetery, especially the Civil War Memorial tower, every fall.
I went to see the tower on Nov. 7. It was a crisp autumn day. I hadn’t been up the 68-foot-high tower in a couple years.
I was happy to see the spiral staircase is freshly painted. Last time I climbed all of the steps, there was lots of graffiti. This was taken from the top of the tower, which was built in 1876, on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the country.
I’m a little uncomfortable up high, but here is a view looking down from the tower. There are nice sandstone steps leading to the tower.
The tower provides views of scenic Albion, including the Orleans County Courthouse.
These iron gates lead into the tower, which is a memorial to about 500 Orleans County residents who died in the Civil War. Their names are etched in marble slabs inside the tower.
The cemetery on Route 31 is included on the National Register of Historic Places. There are many historic features of Mount Albion, including this hitching post that was used to tie up horses.
The cemetery, with its winding paths, is a popular spot for joggers and walkers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – It was another 70-plus degree day today. This tree on Butts Road, near the Kirby farm just north of the canal, really jumped out to me this afternoon.
There were people out jogging in shorts and T-shirts on what felt like an early September day, not Nov. 5, with temperatures in the mid-70s.
This photo shows a little pedestrian bridge over Proctor Brook behind the Blacksmith Shop on Route 98, part of the Cobblestone Museum grounds.
The tower of the Ingersoll Street lift bridge in Albion is reflected in the Erie Canal.
Friday is forecast for a high of 66 before the temperature falls to a high of 50 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – With the sun shining and temperatures at about 70 degrees, many folks were out not only voting today, but enjoying the Great Outdoors.
The top photo shows a flock of geese in flight in Lyndonville during a sunset.
Pete Ricci of Waterport fishes near the dam in Lyndonville. He could see a lot of big fish close to the dam.
John Paul Simon, 12, (left) and his brother Sharbel, 13, fish in Johnson Creek behind the Yates Community Free Library. They spent much of the day in Lyndonville, fishing and reading at the library while their father, Jim Simon, campaigned for Yates town supervisor.
The Simon brothers, John Paul with net and Sharbel with fishing pole, caught this catfish. The brothers said they caught several catfish while enjoying the warm day.
There are hundreds of geese camped out in water in Lyndonville.
A fisherman in waders gets close to the dam, trying to catch some of the big fish in Johnson Creek.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
SHELBY – Sun rays break through the clouds this morning in this scene of a barn on Fletcher Chapel Road in Shelby.
Here is another look of the scene showing the site in Shelby, just off Route 63.
The weather will be nice to start off November. Monday is forecast for sunny with a high of 60 followed by sunny and a high of 68 on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will hit 70 with lots of sun, followed by a high of 67 on Thursday, according to the Weather Service.
Here is a field of harvested corn on West County House Road at the west end of Albion.
This is looking east on West County House Road this afternoon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – The St. Mary’s Archer’s Club on the Oak Orchard River in Carlton has been busy with anglers this week despite a lot of rain.
This group is pictured on Wednesday afternoon after a big downpour that morning.
Andrew Lang of Pittsburgh, Pa. caught this brown trout. He arrived on Sunday and is spending the week fishing in Orleans County.
Some of the fishermen said the fish haven’t been as plentiful as in the past, but they said the rain will raise the water levels in the Oak Orchard and bring more fish up the river.
Many of the fishermen made long treks across the state or out-of-state to try to catch salmon and trout from the Oak Orchard.
This trio from Orange County crosses the river, with fast-moving water from the rain, together on Wednesday. The group has been coming to Orleans County to fish the past 10 years.
The grounds at the Archer’s Club include lots of muddy footprints from all of the rain.
This fisherman has a net close by in case he hooks a big fish.
While the fishermen are in town to catch fish, they said they enjoy being outdoors with the changing leaves. Catching a big salmon or trout is just a nice bonus.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – This photo is looking south on Waterport Road from Stillwater Road on Wednesday, when it was raining for most of the day.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory today for Orleans County and much of Western New York. The advisory is in effect until 11 p.m.
Southwest winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 55 mph, are expected. The strong winds could make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles and could take down tree limbs, resulting in power outages.
Today is forecast for a high of 52 degrees with showers likely.
This photo shows Clarks Mills Road, a dirt road in Carlton along Oak Orchard River, during the rain on Wednesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Here is another look at those flags in the West Ridgeway Cemetery.
RIDGEWAY – Flags at graves in the West Ridgeway Cemetery are pictured on Tuesday with bright sunshine breaking through the foliage of the cemetery along Route 104.
Today, western and central New York could see hazardous weather, the National Weather Service said.
There is potential for a thunderstorm to develop along a cold front boundary that is expected to cross the area this evening, the Weather Service said.
“Should these thunderstorms develop, stronger and possibly damaging winds will be possible,” the Weather Service said.
Today is forecast for a high of 64 degrees with a 100 percent chance of rain.
Thursday will see a high of 52 degrees with showers likely, while Friday will have a high of 47 and slight chance of rain, according to the Weather Service.
