Community welcome to complete surveys and share vision for town

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mollie Radzinski, the coordinator of the Carlton Heart & Soul program, is shown by a banner with the logo for the initiative. She attended the Pop-Up & Jam event on Saturday at the Orleans County Marine Park with vendors and musicians.

CARLTON – A coordinator has been hired for the Carlton Heart & Soul project. The community received grant funding for the initiative.

Mollie Radzinski has been hired as the part-time coordinator. She brings deep community connections, and lots of knowledge and passion to the part-time position.

“She the right person for the job,” said Jim Tabor, vice president of the Carlton Heart & Soul Committee. “She’s energetic with a lot of good ideas.”

Carlton is one of 140 “Heart & Soul” communities. The program is led by local residents and officials to develop a vision for the community’s future that reflects what residents love about their community and why they choose to live there.

The Carlton Community Heart & Soul Core Team includes: Peter Bartula, president; Jim Tabor, vice president; Penny Miller, secretary; Lynn Wright, treasurer; Lynne Menz, communications; and John Fitzak, Chris Manaseri, Brian McCue and Heather Tabor.

Radzinski works full-time as a senior communications specialist for the Rochester Institute of Technology in the College of Science; Division of Access, Engagement and Success; and RIT Global.

She also is a board member for the Lake Plains Players, a lector and teacher at Holy Family Parish, a member of the Catholic Daughters, a board member for the Albion Alumni Foundation, and a dance teacher at Gotta Dance Performing Arts in Albion.

Carlton is the first “Heart & Soul” community in Orleans County. Carlton was picked by the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Community Foundation for Buffalo to be the first community to implement the Heart & Soul model in Orleans County, an initiative fully funded with grant support from Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

Carlton is currently in Phase 1 of the initiative and is collecting input from residents.

The four-phase, step-by-step process includes:

• Phase 1: Imagine – Heart & Soul teams are formed to build awareness, interest, and commitment in all segments of the community.
• Phase 2: Connect – Stories are gathered from residents, leading to the development of Heart & Soul Statements that identify what matters most and reflect what they love about their towns.
• Phase 3: Plan – Residents develop action plans to guide future town planning based on their Heart & Soul Statements.
• Phase 4: Act – Heart & Soul Statements are officially adopted by town and city councils, incorporated into comprehensive and other plans, and are used to guide future policies and decisions.

Radzinski and the local team urged residents and stakeholders in Carlton to complete an online survey about the town. Click here to see it.

Carlton doesn’t have a clear downtown business district or focal point like a city or village. Carlton is split up into three different school districts – Albion, Kendall and Lyndonville. There are also multiple zip codes with Kent, Waterport and Albion.

Jim Tabor and Radzinski said the Heart & Soul model will help identify focal points for the town and develop a plan for building on Carlton’s strengths and improving on some of the weaker areas.

Some suggestions so far include recreational enhancements to the town park such as basketball and pickleball courts as well as trails linking the east and west sides of the Oak Orchard River.

OONA seeks to name ox painted by Carol Culhane

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – An ox sculpture painted with scenes of Carlton’s past and present was dedicated on Saturday.

The only thing missing: what to name this new addition to the Orleans County Marine Park.

The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association and Friends of the Marine Park spearheaded the project using a grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council. Carol Culhane, an artist who lives in Carlton, took on the challenge of painting scenes from Carlton.

One side of the ox features the community’s past while the other shows present day Carlton.

“The sculpture is dedicated to the people of Orleans County – past and present,” Culhane said in a statement about the ox. “May it honor the courage of the early settlers, the enduring beauty of the Oak Orchard River, and the wildlife that continues to thrive along its shores.”

The “Past” side highlights the following:

• Waterport Pond – Before the construction of the Waterport Dam and the creation of Lake Alice, this area was known as the Waterport Pond. The natural landscape of river, wetlands, waterfalls and wooded shoreline provided both beauty and habitat for wildlife.
• Waterport Trestle and Hojack Line – Built in 1875 as part of the Rome, Waterport and Ogdensburg Railroad, later known as the Hojack Line, the Waterport Trestle carried trains high above the oak Orchard River gorge near Waterport.
• Point Breeze Hotel (original the Orleans House) – The large white hotel painted on the hip of the ox represents the historic Point Breeze Hotel, originally known as the Orleans House. Located on the east side of Oak Orchard Harbor, the hotel welcomed generations of visitors.
• Oak Orchard Inn – Located on the west side of Oak Orchard Harbor, the oak Orchard Inn was a well-known resort hotel that welcomed summer visitors to Point Breeze.

• Historic Harbor and Lighthouse at Sunset – This scene recalls the early Oak Orchard Harbor when shipping, fishing and tourism helped define life along the lake Ontario shoreline. The original lighthouse was toppled in a violent wind storm in 1916.
• Great Blue Heron and Wetland Life – A great blue heron, turtles, lil pads and wetland vegetation represent the wildlife that has long depended on the Oak Orchard River ecosystem.

Carol Culhane shows the ox to David Dickinson of nearby Lakeshore Road. He marveled at the attention to detail on the ox.

The “Now” side of the ox features:

• Lake Alice – Lake Alice was constructed around 1920. The manmade reservoir was created by Albert Sweat, who dammed the oak Orchard River as part of a power project at the water port Dam. He transformed the original river landlandscape. Today, lake Alice is popular for boating, fishing, kayaking and observing wildlife.
• Waterport Dam and Hydroelectric Station – The Waterport Dam created lake Alice and continues to generate hydroelectric electricity.
• Fly Fishermen – The Oak Orchard River is internationally known for exceptional trout and salmon fishing.

• Kayakers and Canoeists – The Oak Orchard River remains a destination for paddlers and nature lovers.
• Charter Boats and Marina Activity – Oak Orchard Harbor is famous for world-class sport fishing on Lake Ontario.
• Break Walls and Lighthouse Replica – The harbor entrance, break walls, and modern lighthouse replica built in 2010 guide boaters safely into the harbor.

There are also “hidden wildlife and discoveries” on the ox with wildlife intended to delight children and encourage visitors to explore every section of the ox. Among the creatures hidden include a great blue heron, painted turtles, mint green tree frog, dragonflies, monarch butterflies, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, ladybugs, bald eagle, Canada geese, seagulls and tundra swans.

Carol Culhane is shown with the ox on Saturday. She also painted one featuring pioneers for the Orleans County Historian’s Office and will be doing two more: one for the County Office Building and one for the Town of Kendall.

Cheryl Giacherio, a member of OONA, praised Culhane for her efforts to include so many places in Carlton, and to paint many fun wildlife creatures as well.

“It’s so beautiful,” Giacherio said during a dedication on Saturday.

The ox is placed between the two Parkway bridges over the marine Park. The ox will go inside during the winter to help preserve the artwork and keep the ox safe.

Frank Panczyszyn of OONA led the dedication ceremony. He said the ox a great addition to the Marine Park. OONA was the principal sponsor of the project.

“We appreciate her hard work with the artwork,” Panczyszyn said.

The ox is located between the two Parkway bridges at the Orleans County Marine Park.

OONA and the Friends of the Marine Park want to name the ox.

The Orleans Hub editor was there on Saturday for the dedication and a Pop-Up & Jam event with vendors and concerts.

I suggested naming the ox “Albert” in honor of Albert Swett. He is the one who dammed the Oak Orchard River and created Lake Alice for a hydroelectric project. Swett owned the Swett Iron Works and did a similar power project in Medina with Glenwood Lake.

Lake Alice has been a peaceful setting for more than a century in the Town of Carlton. This tranquil waterway was formed to create power at the Waterport Dam around 1920. (The Waterport Generating Station is now owned by Brookfield Power with a capacity of 4 megawatts.)

Swett named Lake Alice after his daughter. Alice Swett was only 10 when she died on Feb. 12, 1884. She is buried in the family plot at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina.

This ox is one of seven so far that will be painted or decorated. So far there is one at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville, two in Carlton, two for county-owned sites in Albion, one headed to Kendall and one in Clarendon.

Dawn Borchert, the county tourism director, said the oxen could be part of a tourism trail that highlights local sights and history.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – Tom Keefer and Celtic Cross performs today at the Orleans County Marine Park for the Pop-Up & Jam event presented by the Friends of Orleans County Marine Parks in partnership with Carlton Community Heart & Soul, Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association and GO Art!

Other music performers include the Coupe de Villes performing R&B and classic rock, with the Eddie Joe Clark Band performing country hits and originals beginning at 4 p.m.

Michael Miskuly performs with Celtic Cross. Other band members include Tom Keefer, Jon Fisher and John Lynch.

There are 16 vendors at the event, including Grateful Creations. Natalie Maddalena of Holley, left, makes the homemade jewelry, sun catchers, key chains and other accessories. She was joined in her booth by her sister, Isabella Jones.

Lynne Menz, left, greets Bill and Nancy Karcher, the former owners of the Lighthouse Restaurant at Point Breeze. They were visited the event. The Karchers and Menz helped form the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association in 2009, with a goal to have concerts and events at the Marine Park. OONA has hosted a summer concert series since 2010.

Menz was one of the vendors at today’s festival and she helped organize the event, which goes until 6 p.m. The Marine Park is located on Route 98 near the entrance to the Lake Ontario State Parkway.

Oak Orchard Ox to be dedicated at 11 a.m.

Press Release, Friends of Orleans County Marine Parks

POINT BREEZE – The Friends of Orleans County Marine Parks and community partners invite residents and visitors to spend a day along the Oak Orchard River at Pop-Up & Jam, a free community event featuring the “OONA Emporium” flea market, arts & crafts, food vendors, and live music on Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Orleans County Marine Park, 1110 Point Breeze Road, Kent, NY.

Pop-Up & Jam is reminiscent of the former Wooden Boat Festival held annually from 2001 to 2009, combining the fun of an open-air market with an afternoon of live entertainment at one of Orleans County’s most scenic waterfront destinations. Pop-up Coordinator Lynne Menz was one of a handful of event coordinators for the boat festival 20 years ago.

“I often hear how much the neighbors miss the 2-day boat festival that celebrated the character of Point Breeze and the Oak,” said Menz, who is a coordinator for the OONA Summer Concert Series, a board member of Friends of Orleans County Marine Parks and a core team member of Carlton Heart & Soul program. “This is a perfect fit to bring neighbors together for a community yard sale/swap meet and celebrate the end of the Summer in Point Breeze with live music.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. to dedicate the life-sized Oak Orchard Ox, a bicentennial project that was painted by local artist, Carol Culhane and recently installed by Orleans County in the Marine Park between the parkway bridges. The meticulously hand-painted ox traces the story of the Oak Orchard River from Lake Alice to Lake Ontario, celebrating both the history and natural beauty of Orleans County, New York. This project was made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program and administered by GO Art.

Besides browsing the Pop-ups: the OONA Emporium Flea Market and arts and crafts vendors, you can get a tarot card reading, enjoy offerings from food vendors, and stay for an afternoon of live music. Meet members of organizations such as Carlton Community Heart & Soul, the Point Breeze Yacht Club, Orleans County Tourism and OONA/Friends of Orleans County Marine Park.

Vendor space is still available. Registration for a vendor booth is open until Sunday, September 6th. The cost is $25 for a 10×10 vendor space and free for OONA members. Contact lynne@focmp.org or complete the form on our website (click here).

Live Music Schedule (“JAM”)

Live music will be continuous from noon to 6 p.m. utilizing both pavilions in the park as stages. These bands have never performed at the OONA summer concert series and we are excited to welcome them to our neighborhood.

• 12 noon – Tom Keefer & Celtic Cross performing Celtic Rock
• 2 p.m. – The Coupe de Villes performing R&B and Classic Rock
• 4 p.m. – The Eddie Joe Clark Band performing Country hits and originals

The event is presented by the Friends of Orleans County Marine Parks in partnership with Carlton Community Heart & Soul, Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association (OONA) and GO Art! This event is made possible with funds from the 2026 Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State legislature and administered by GO Art!

The Orleans County Marine Park is located along the Oak Orchard River at Point Breeze, just a short distance from Lake Ontario and off the Lake Ontario State Parkway in Point Breeze. Bring a lawn chair and your shopping bags!

Admission is free. This is a rain or shine event.

Provided photos

CARLTON – Firefighters were dispatched to a boat fire this morning just before 6 a.m.

A boat was in flames near a dock at 994 Point Breeze Rd. No one was hurt in the fire.

Carlton and Kendall fire departments responded. The boat was pulled ashore by the Orleans County Sheriff’s marine patrol.

Fire Investigators also responded to the scene.

No other information is currently available.

CARLTON – North Shore Networks LLC in Medina is responding to an Orleans Hub article on Wednesday about neighbors asking Carlton town officials to halt the project for further review.

North Shore said many of the claims about the tower from residents are not accurate.

The tower is part of a $11,216,500 contract from North Shore Networks with Orleans County to implement faster internet service. The county in November 2024 was awarded a $11,562,698 state grant to upgrade wireless internet service throughout the county.

North Shore said the tower will be 150 feet high, not 160 feet, because there is no 10-foot-high lightning rod on top. North Shore wants to put the tower on land owned by the Village of Albion by the water treatment plant on Wilson Road. North Shore and the village approved a lease on Aug. 5, 2025.

The tower will be owned by Orleans County. North Shore Networks designs, builds and operates the network under contract with the county.

The tower at the Village of Albion Water Department is one of 21 wireless hub sites in a county-wide network designed for Orleans County’s ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program Project. “Existing towers and structures were evaluated for co-location where they could meet the network’s requirements, and siting new sites on municipally owned property was a deliberate element of the design,” North Shore said.

A group of residents in Carlton led by Rick Stacey say there are several procedural errors in the Carlton project that warrant holding off construction. Stacey said there are better sites that would be safer for nearby residents and wouldn’t be a visual blight along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

The Carlton Planning Board last week approved a different driveway path to allow access to the site. Crews will use the driveway for the water treatment plant and won’t be on private property.

Residents say the fall zone for the tower cuts across a private access road for Oak Orchard on the Lake. But North Shore says a full-height collapse would not reach Oak Orchard on the Lake.

Construction began in late July 2026. The only interruption has been the change to the driveway path.

The original site design used Oak Orchard on the Lake for access, and construction vehicles used that road during the first days of construction. After neighbors raised concerns, the access route was relocated, North Shore said.

The amended site plan approved August 3 routes access via the water treatment plant driveway off of Wilson Road. Crews have not used Oak Orchard on the Lake in several weeks and will not use it going forward, North Shore officials said.

“North Shore Networks is not aware of any damage to the road from that brief use, and would repair any that is identified,” the company said.

The tower in Carlton is part of an effort to increase wireless internet speeds from the current 25 Mega Bit Per Seconds (Mbps) to 100 (Mbps).

CORE Environmental Consultants is the project’s environmental engineering firm. It managed the State Environmental Quality Review process, and prepared and presented the updated special use permit materials for the driveway revision. CORE is not the structural engineering firm for this tower.

The neighbors, in a letter presented to Carlton officials, said the tower’s 82-inch diameter pole will be anchored in a 20-foot diameter concrete ballasted base sitting entirely above ground. North Shore said the pole has a diameter of 43.4 inches at its base and tapers to 11.8 inches at the top.

The neighbors cite other concerns, including the fall zone over residential lanes and critical utility paths. The tower would be sited 28 feet from the primary high-voltage overhead power lines feeding the water plant.

North Shore Networks consulted National Grid regarding the design of this site, North Shore officials said. “The overhead lines adjacent to the tower are local distribution lines. They do not serve the Village of Albion water treatment plant, which is fed by three-phase service from Wilson Road, outside the fall radius of the monopole,” North Shore said. “National Grid has confirmed that the tower and its compound fall outside the utility’s easement area for those lines.”

The tower design, the foundation design, and the structural and mount analyses were prepared by professional engineers licensed in New York State, and the construction drawings bear their seals, North Shore said. Those sealed drawings were submitted to the Town of Carlton as part of the special use permit application, and again with the building permit application. Structural and mount analyses are completed for each site in the county-wide network prior to construction, the company said.

The environmental review was conducted under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, with Orleans County as lead agency, and a negative declaration was issued. The application was referred to the Orleans County Planning Board, which recommended approval. The project’s Full Environmental Assessment Form records that no State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit is required for this project, North Shore said.

The neighbors said they were concerned about “extreme ice-fall and ice-shedding projectile.” The tower is 150 feet in total height. “A full-height collapse in any direction would come to rest within the Village of Albion water treatment plant parcel, and would not reach Oak Orchard on the Lake,” North Shore said.

The neighbors also questioned if a multi-ton steel structure should be sited into the Lake Ontario beachfront water table. North Shore said the tower is supported on a ballasted foundation designed by professional engineers licensed in New York State, and selected for stability given the site’s proximity to the lake.

The neighbors also shared concerns about the tower affecting operations for crop dusters and other airplanes. The tower is 150 feet above ground level, below the 200-foot threshold that requires FAA notification. “The site is not within the vicinity of an airport or protected airspace that would otherwise require notification. No FAA notice or determination is required for this facility,” North Shore said.

The article on Wednesday also noted that the Carlton Town Board voted to hire Bridget O’Toole as special counsel for the town regarding the tower. The article initially stated O’Toole was a law partner with town attorney Doug Heath of Holley. They are no longer partners. O’Toole runs the O’Toole Law Group on Latta Road in Rochester.

Nesbitt Farms offers alternative land away from water plant, residents’ access road

Photo by Tom Rivers: Rick Stacey speaks to the Carlton Town Board on Tuesday evening, with members including Ryan Woolston, Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery, Brian McCue and Charlie Ricci.

CARLTON – The Carlton Town Board was asked on Tuesday to have construction halted on a 160-foot-high tower by the Village of Albion water treatment plant. The 150-foot-high tower would have a 10-foot-high lightning rod on top.

A group of residents led by Rick Stacey say there are several procedural errors in the project that warrant holding off construction. Stacey said there are better sites that would be safer for nearby residents and wouldn’t be a visual blight along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Carlton Town Board members declined to comment on the matter during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, after Stacey and another neighbor, Dave Coleman, asked questions about the project.

Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery said any comments will be made by the town’s legal representation. Carlton on Tuesday voted to hire Bridget O’Toole, who used to be a partner with town attorney Doug Heath. O’Toole was appointed special counsel for town regarding the tower on Wilson Road. She owns the O’Toole Law Group on Latta Road in Rochester.

Stacey said he didn’t want to see a legal battle over the issue. He asked the board to halt construction and discuss a better site with the nearby residents. Steve Nesbitt, a local fruit farmer, has offered to allow the tower on his property where he said it would safely be away from any public access roads.

 The Carlton Planning Board last week approved an amended site plan for the project where the access road will be the driveway to the village’s water treatment plant.

Stacey, during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, reiterated his claims that the nearby residents never received proper notification about the project.

The fall zone for the tower cuts across a private access road for Oak Orchard on the Lake. Contractors are already on site working on the project, and have used private land without permission to access the site, Stacey said.

“Over the last seven days, our local governments have permitted a private contractor to aggressively carve out an unpermitted access road directly to Wilson Road and fast-track the delivery of structural tower components to the site,” Stacey wrote in a letter presented to the Carlton Town Board. “This reckless acceleration is a transparent, bad-faith attempt to manufacture a fait accompli (a done deal) to outrun judicial intervention.”

He presented the letter on behalf of The Neighbors of Oak Orchard on the Lake & Nesbitt Fruit Farms – Steve Nesbitt Sr., Rick Stacey, David Coleman, Gary and Ruth Smith, and Brett and Arona Browning.

“We place the Town, Village, and County on formal record that you are moving forward with an unengineered, non-compliant, and hazardous structure,” their letter stated. “The project contains fatal legal, physical, and safety defects that expose all three municipalities, as well as individual board members, to severe civil liability, state regulatory clawbacks, and insurance coverage forfeiture.”

The tower is part of a $11,216,500 contract from North Shore Networks LLC in Medina to implement the faster internet service. The county in November 2024 was awarded a $11,562,698 state grant to upgrade wireless internet service throughout the county.

The funding came through the Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program. This will allow the county to increase wireless internet speeds from the current 25 Mega Bit Per Seconds (Mbps) to 100 (Mbps).

The Carlton tower by the water plant included approvals from the Village of Albion, Town of Carlton and Orleans County.

The neighbors, in their letter, said the project was presented by Core Environmental, engineer on the project, to have “minimal visual impact” on the neighboring properties.

But that assertion “is a fraudulent distortion of the physical reality,” Stacey and the neighbors write. The tower’s 82-inch concrete base with a 20-foot diameter concrete ballasted base sitting entirely above ground.

“This massive, raw industrial mass will sit directly on our lakefront terrain, completely wiping out the pristine aesthetic values of our waterfront, shattering the historic context of the Nesbitt multi-generational homestead, and inflicting an immediate, unstudied economic blight on neighboring home values,” the letter states. “The claim of ‘minimal impact’ is an absolute fabrication.”

The neighbors cite other concerns, including the fall zone over residential lanes and critical utility paths. The tower would be sited 28 feet from the primary high-voltage overhead power lines feeding the water plant.

“Ripping down this primary electrical feed will immediately shut down the Village of Albion Water Treatment Plant,” the neighbors’ letter states. “This introduces a severe, widespread public safety crisis by creating a total loss of water pressure and municipal water supply, completely crippling fire protection services across the entire district during an emergency.”

Stacey and the neighbors also say there is a lack of structural analysis, blueprints and professional engineering seals for the tower. There should be an analysis whether the tower can withstand intense coastal winds and dead-weight loading, the neighbors write.

Other concerns listed by neighbors in their letter include:

• “Complete absence of professional project oversight and mandatory agency reviews.” No NYS Department of Environmental Conservation jurisdictional reviews. Despite sitting on the immediate waterfront of Lake Ontario, the project has completely bypassed mandatory reviews by the DEC for shoreline protection and environmental runoff mitigation.

• “Extreme ice-fall and ice-shedding projectile hazard to human life.” Because this structure sits directly on the open shoreline of Lake Ontario, it is subject to constant winter cycles of heavy freezing spray, severe atmospheric icing, and relentless lake-effect wind vectors.

“Laser metrics confirm the tower base is placed a mere 146 feet from the southern edge of our private residential walking road (the path our families must walk daily to get our mail) and only 160 feet from our eastern property line,” the letter states. “This structure creates an active 94-foot safety shortfall to our road and an 80-foot shortfall to our yards. The Town, Village, and County are actively permitting a predictable, lethal projectile trajectory over our heads and private land.”

•  “Saturated foundation integrity, ballasted foundation hazard and active water table intrusion.” The physical footprint prepared for this multi-ton steel structure requires dropping a ballasted foundation straight into the Lake Ontario beachfront water table.

“Submerging a heavy, multi-ton 20-foot diameter ballasted foundation directly into a flooded hole in shifting, saturated coastal soil that breaches the active water table—without a certified Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) or NYS DEC Coastal Consistency Review—invites catastrophic foundation shifting, buoyancy destabilization, and structural failure,” the letter states.

• “Direct defeat of public safety fall zones and emergency vehicle blockade.”

Town of Carlton Zoning Code strictly dictates that a telecommunications facility’s structural “fall zone” must have a radius of at least 1½ times the height of the tower and cannot include public or private roads. The tower is located only 146 feet from a private access road. If this tower suffers a structural failure or collapse, its 160-foot radius will completely sever and block the sole ingress/egress path for police, fire, and emergency rescue vehicles to reach our five residential households, the neighbors write.

• “Critical public safety aviation hazard and agricultural flight path interference.” The 160-foot vertical structure is completely unlit, unmarked, and utilizes a dull, gray galvanized finish, rendering it virtually invisible against the grey winter skies and water of the Lake Ontario lakefront, the neighbors state in their letter.

Orleans County and Core Engineering bypassed filing a mandatory FAA Form 7460-1 Aeronautical Study, the neighbors say. “There is no FAA Determination of No Hazard to Air Navigation or official Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) on file for this footprint,” their letter states.

Nesbitt Fruit Farms has operated its high-density apple orchards on this lakefront since 1968. Crop-duster pilots navigate this specific airspace at low-altitude elevations of 15 to 30 feet, using the open waterfront to execute critical banking and turnaround maneuvers.

“Placing an unvetted, unlit 160-foot steel needle directly in an active agricultural spray line creates an immediate aviation collision hazard and an uncompensated economic blockade that forces a respected local business to lose essential crop protection,” the letter states.

• “Invalid permits issued by an uncertified code enforcement officer.” The individual acting as the Town of Carlton code enforcement officer, Kevin Sheehan, is not certified for code enforcement by New York State.

“Under New York State Executive Law, an uncertified individual does not possess the legal authority to review structural prints, sign off on site plans, or issue valid building permits,” the letter states. “Every single administrative permission or permit signed by Mr. Sheehan regarding this 160-foot structure is legally void ab initio (invalid from inception).”

• “Fatal multi-agency conflict of interest.” Kevin Sheehan also serves as an Albion village trustee. The village is the property owner of the tower.

“Under New York State General Municipal Law Article 18, this represents a non-waivable, fatal conflict of interest,” Stacey and the neighbors write. “An enforcement officer cannot legally or impartially review code applications or grant zoning exemptions for a project governed by his own elected political board.”

• “Fraudulent blueprints & state grant fraud exposure.” The construction drawings submitted by project planners completely ignored the physical, verified survey concrete corner markers on the property, creating a massive 34-foot dimensional error, the letter states.

“Boundary lines were manipulated on the drawings to falsely manufacture zoning compliance,” the letter states. “Because these flawed layouts were submitted to New York State to secure public grant funding for this broadband project, the entire state grant allocation is now structurally linked to a fraudulent application. Plowing ahead exposes the Town, Village, and County to severe state regulatory audits and mandatory grant clawbacks.”

• “Unlawful fraudulent meeting process & open meetings law violations” The Town of Carlton rescheduled a Planning Board meeting last week from Aug. 5 to Aug. 3 to approve the amended site plan for the tower.

“This is a bad-faith violation of the New York State Open Meetings Law (Public Officers Law § 104), executed specifically to pass an un-referred scope amendment before the public could organize,” the neighbor write.

Stacey was given 5 minutes to speak at the meeting and share concerns, but the neighborhood wasn;t allowed to speak as a group. When Stacey tried to speak beyond the 5 minutes, he was told by attorney O’Toole he would be removed by law enforcement.

“Town Attorney Ms. O’Toole stepped in, acted as judge and jury, instructed the board exactly how to read and accept the amendments like puppets, and threatened to have Rick physically removed by law enforcement if he did not stop speaking,” the neighbors’ letter states.

The neighbors urged Carlton officials to consider Nesbitt’s land as an alternative inland site for the tower.

“This inland location handles the county’s connectivity needs perfectly, but places the structure safely away from the Lake Ontario water table, away from residential property lines, and completely clear of our shared emergency evacuation road and utility corridors,” the letter states. “Let’s do the right thing here.”

To move forward at the water treatment site and not issue a stop work order, represents “willful and reckless negligence, which strips the municipalities of standard governmental immunity, voids your insurance coverage limits, and exposes these boards and their individual members to direct, un-insured civil damages,” the neighbors state.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Oak Orchard Lighthouse is shown on Aug. 14, 2025 during a light show. The 32-foot-high lighthouse was built in 2010.

POINT BREEZE – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum’s annual fundraising event will feature an evening of music, along with the usual extraordinary dessert buffet.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Carlton United Methodist Church, the Lighthouse Museum will sponsor “Lyrics and the Lighthouse,” featuring performances by local musicians, Lily Brigham, Hannah Brewer, Shannon Vanderlaan and Andy & Mindy.

There will also be raffles, in addition to desserts and live music.

While raising money to build the lighthouse was an enormous community effort, it is also necessary to raise funds to maintain it, according to board president Chris Manaseri. He added the Lighthouse has an annual budget of $5,500, of which more than half goes to insurance and tax reporting. He said their revenue comes from fundraisers, donations and gift shop sales.

In the past the museum has sponsored dinners, raffles and talks centered around Lake Ontario, including several presentations by shipwreck hunter Jim Kennard.

For the past three years, the fundraiser has taken place at the Carlton United Methodist Church, on the corner of Archibald Road and Route 18, where Larry Grimes is not only a member, but an incredible pastry chef. His array of delectable desserts has become a popular addition to Lighthouse fundraisers.

Tickets for the evening are $25 at the door or $20 presale and can be purchased at OONA summer concerts at the Marine Park, or by calling (585) 230-7829

The history of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse goes back to 1871 when there were two piers in the harbor at Point Breeze and a lighthouse was built on west pier. It was in service from 1871 to 1916, when a violent storm took it into the lake.

Fast forward to 2002 when Peg and Richard Wiley moved to a marina on Route 98, just south of the Orleans County Marine Park. Peg was interested in the area which had become her new home and started researching its history.

When she discovered there used to be a lighthouse at Point Breeze, she realized the potential for tourism, and thought why hasn’t anyone ever attempted to rebuild one?

She contacted Dick Anderson, who lived in the former lighthouse keeper’s home at the end of Archibald Road. In the summer of 2003, they and several other interested citizens met under the bridge in the Marine Park to discuss a new lighthouse.

The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum was chartered in 2004 to raise funds to rebuild the lighthouse. The first public meeting took place at the Carlton Recreation Hall, where a model of a lighthouse built by Anderson was on display.

Original members of the board, besides Wiley, Anderson and Diane Blanchard (who are still board), Cheryl Staines, Dan and Marietta Schuth, Diana Jeffords and Jamie Kowalski. Other supporters who soon joined in were Joan Higley, Kim Remley and Ginny Kropf.

The lighthouse was completed with donations by individuals, families and businesses, fundraising events, grants and a member item from former State Sen. George Maziarz and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

A memorial walkway composed of hundreds of bricks sponsored by donors, was installed and sponsors were sought for the compass rose and benches crafted from Medina Sandstone. The benches were created by internationally known stone craftsman, George Graham of Oakfield. A Children’s Peace Garden was installed with plantings beneficial to migratory bird populations that pass through the area. Volunteers maintain it.

Most importantly, according to their website, a building will be acquired or constructed near Point Breeze to serve as the physical Museum, housing documents, photos, exhibits and memorabilia related to the general and maritime history of Point Breeze, Oak Orchard Harbor, and the surrounding region.

POINT BREEZE – The previous owner of the Black North Inn said she will honor gift certificates from the eight years she owned the restaurant.

Kristin Rowell closed the business in Jan. 11, 2026. She will cover the remaining balance on the Black North VIP, Gold with a Bow, and Beach Scene gift certificates. (The Black North has recently reopened under a new owner.)

If you have one of the gift cards listed above, please mail the original gift card to:

P.O. Box 4, Hamlin, NY 14464

Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, and, if possible, a brief note indicating the remaining balance on the gift card.

“Please allow approximately 8 to 12 weeks for processing after we receive your gift card,” Rowell said. “Payment will be issued in the form of a certified check and mailed to the address you provide. We sincerely appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation during this difficult situation.”