Carlton

Western portion of Parkway reopens after being closed for winter

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2019 at 12:04 pm

CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation today announced the stretch of Lake Ontario State Parkway west of Route 98 in the Town of Carlton is now open to all traffic following its seasonal closure during the winter months.

The 2-mile section of the Parkway closed in November for the winter. The DOT has closed that section of the roads in recent winters to save on de-icing materials, equipment and repairs to damaged pavement.

The 2-mile section is between Lakeside Beach State Park and Route 98 in the Town of Carlton. About 800 cars travel this section every day, the DOT has said.

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100K fish – steelhead and salmon – delivered to Oak Orchard

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2019 at 3:25 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – Dave Agness of Honeoye Falls helps a team of volunteers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation release 10,000 steelhead into pens this afternoon at the Oak Orchard River. The DEC also brought along 90,200 Chinook salmon.

Charter boat captains and other volunteers have been raising fish in pens in the Oak Orchard River since 1998. This was the first pen-rearing project on the south shore of the lake. Now there are many.

Dave Agness guides the steelhead into one of the pens. The DEC delivered 10,000 steelhead (rainbow trout) and 90,200 Chinook salmon to the Oak Orchard River today.

The fish are small right now. They will spend the next 3 to 3 ½ weeks in pens, and will be given lots of food. They will nearly double in size when they are released into Lake Ontario.

Raising them in pens at Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina increases their survival rate, and also helps them to imprint on the Oak Orchard River. That boosts the chances they will come back when they are mature in about 3 to 4 years.

The DEC brought two trucks with tanks full of fish that were from the Altmar Hatchery in northern New York.

Mark Licata of Greece helps with the fish stocking. Licata and Agness are both members of the Seth Green chapter of Trout Unlimited in Rochester, which has about 500 members.

A small steelhead is headed for one of the pens.

There are four pens that are 20 feet long and about 6 feet wide for the Chinook salmon. There are also two new pens the same size for the steelhead. Students at the WeMoCo BOCES in Spencerport helped weld and build the two new pens for the steelhead.

The pens have automated feeders with food provided by the DEC.

Bob Songin, a charter boat captain, takes a turn guiding the fish into the pens. Songin has been an active volunteer with the pen-rearing since it started more than 20 years ago.

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Apple growers from all over the world come to Orleans for inspiration

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2019 at 8:24 am

6 local farms highlighted on tour for International Fruit Tree Association

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENT – Roger Bannister, owner of Excelsior Farms in Kent, gives a tour of a block of apple trees on Route 98 near Lake Ontario.

Excelsior was one of six apple farms in Orleans County on a tour Tuesday by the International Tree Fruit Association. There were 350 people on the tour with apple growers from Washington, Michigan and other states as well as growers from Australia, Israel, Canada, China and New Zealand.

“We have a lot of cutting-edge growers,” said Craig Kahlke, a fruit specialist with Cornell’s Lake Ontario Fruit Program. “They each are featuring something different. The goal is to help put more money in growers’ pockets.”

The IFTA is having its annual conference in Rochester. The conference was in New Zealand last year. The four-day conference is offering growers tips on reducing costs and increasing efficiencies.

Rod Farrow, co-owner of Fish Creek Orchards (formerly known as Lamont Fruit Farm) in Waterport, is the current president of the International Tree Fruit Association.

Tour buses stopped at Excelsior Farms and five other apple orchards in Orleans County on Tuesday. There were 350 people on the tour.

Excelsior Farms has a high-density orchard with multi-leader trees. Using multi-leader trees saves farms from planting more trees, compared to ones that are one leader. Excelsior also spaces the rows at 8.5 feet. That distance allows for lots of sunshine on the trees.

Other farms on the tour included:

• Kast Farms in Albion, which showcased a Geneva rootstock trial.

• Sandy Knoll Farms in Lyndonville, which demonstrated three-dimensional to two-dimensional tree architecture conversion.

• Fish Creek Orchards, formerly known as Lamont Fruit Farm in Waterport, which discussed a robot-ready fruiting wall and bloom thinning trials, where a robot takes images of a tree and helps to quickly identify how many apples need to be removed for an optimum crop.

• Zingler Farms in Kendall, which featured for an organized vertical canopy. The trees are very similar and that increases predictability, making it easier for workers to thin and prune trees.

• Orchard Dale Farms in Carlton demonstrated grafted blocks using beaver and side grafts.

Photo courtesy of Molly Zingler: Mike Zingler, right, and his son James were featured speakers on the tour of Zingler Farms in Kendall.

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Route 18 bridge in Carlton reopens to 2-lane traffic

Posted 4 February 2019 at 12:20 pm

Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that, as of this morning, the bridge carrying Route 18 over Oak Orchard Creek in the Town of Carlton is now open to two lanes of traffic.

Last week traffic was reduced to a one-way alternating pattern using a signal at each end of the bridge. Work began last Friday, and bridge maintenance crews worked throughout the weekend to restore traffic over the bridge to two lanes.

The stretch of Lake Ontario State Parkway west of Route 98, which was previously closed for the winter, temporarily re-opened to provide a detour. That stretch of Parkway has closed once again and is anticipated to re-open this spring.

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Carlton bridge on Route 18 will close for repairs

Staff Reports Posted 31 January 2019 at 9:11 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: The bridge on Route 18 over Oak Orchard Creek is pictured last week. The bridge was limited to alternating one-lane traffic.

CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation today advised motorists of a short-term closure for the bridge on Route 18 over Oak Orchard Creek.

Earlier this month, traffic was reduced to a one-way alternating pattern using a signal at each end of the bridge. The repairs, which will begin on Friday, are expected to last approximately one week and will restore traffic over the bridge to two lanes.

A detour will be posted for motorists while the bridge is closed for repairs. The stretch of Lake Ontario State Parkway west of Route 98, which is currently closed for the winter, will re-open temporarily to accommodate traffic during the bridge closure.

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Local Muslim community concerned after plot uncovered to attack mosque near Binghamton

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 January 2019 at 7:18 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Colonna walks out of a Muslim prayer house on Fuller Road in Carlton with Bilal Huzair, Jacob Zimmerman (left) and David Bell (in back). Colonna urged the group if they “see something, say something” in regards to suspicious activity directed towards the community.

WATERPORT – About 100 members of a mosque in Waterport are feeling on edge after a plot was discovered against a Muslim community near Binghamton.

The nearby Greece Police Department arrested four people in an apparent planned terrorist attack against a small Muslim community near Binghamton. The four Rochester-area males, ages 16 to 20, face felony charges of weapons possession and conspiracy after they were found with 23 guns and three homemade bombs.

“Whenever we see it in the news we can’t help but be concerned about our community and our families,” said David Bell, a member of the mosque.

The local Muslim community is part of the World Sufi Foundation. They have had a prayer house in Waterport on Fuller Road the past 40 years and a mosque on West Avenue in Medina. The group has been targeted before, with two crosses burned in the front lawn of the prayer house on Fuller Road. In 2010 shots were fired at the prayer house in Waterport, and five teen-agers were arrested.

Bilal Huzair, deputy director of the World Sufi Foundation, said local law enforcement has been very supportive of the Muslim community, taking any threats and actions against the members seriously.

Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Colonna met with Bilal and some of the World Sufi members today at the prayer house. He urged they to stay connected and to report any suspicious activity.

“If you see something, say something,” Colonna said, repeating a mantra of community policing.

Bell said the most of local residents and churches in the Orleans County are very welcoming and supportive of the community.

Huzair said the local Muslims are proud Americans who enjoy their community in Orleans County. He was saddened to see that the four people arrested in Greece were planning such a destructive act.

“This divisiveness has to end,” he said. “We don’t have time for this junk.”

Huzair issued this statement on behalf of the World Sufi Foundation:

“We the people of Waterport, New York and Orleans County hereby declare that America has no place for Fascists or Neo-Nazis. In light of the recent apprehension of Fascists in possession of bombs and weapons, we are greatly appreciative of the men and women who risked their lives to avoid a catastrophe of epic proportions.

“This attempted attack on Americans living south of Binghamton, NY could have resulted in the disruption of the peace that all Americans are privileged to by the Constitution of this great nation of people.

“America is not a nation of just Republicans or Democrats or any other party. Americans are not white or black nor of any other race. We are not defined by our heritage or by our ethnicity. We stand United by our Flag, which symbolizes the freedoms and liberties that we shall let no one remove from the toils of our forefathers. We condemn the actions of the few Fascists and stand with the men and women who defend our rights to practice our religion in peace.

“We acknowledge all the hard work by all members of law enforcement, both local and federal, even during this time of hardship by way of the government shutdown. We know that our President, Donald J. Trump, our Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen share the same sentiments expressed in this statement.

“We further thank the local and national media for bringing this crime to light and exposing this deviant and abhorrent attempt by these Fascists to disrupt the peaceful life of all Americans. To save one life is to save all Humanity.”

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Route 18 bridge in Carlton will be one-way, alternating, for the next few weeks

Posted 10 January 2019 at 2:41 pm

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from March 2015 shows the bridge on Route 18 over Oak Orchard River when it was limited to one lane so the Department of Transportation could make repairs.

Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists about a new traffic pattern in place along the bridge carrying Route 18 over Oak Orchard Creek in the Town of Carlton, Orleans County.

The bridge, which is currently posted for 28 tons, will now be reduced to a one-way alternating traffic pattern using a traffic signal at each end of the bridge.

This pattern is expected to continue for the next several weeks as NYSDOT is currently planning repairs to the bridge, allowing for two-way traffic to resume.

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Sheriff’s Office helps deliver Toys for Tots to Orleans County

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2018 at 11:44 am

Provided photos

WATERPORT – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Lord’s House in Waterport with delivering toys last week to the church, where they were distributed to more than 40 families on Saturday. Pictured from left includes Undersheriff Christopher Bourke, Deputy Adam Hazel, Sgt. John Doyle, Chief Deputy Mike Mele, Lord’s House First Lady Rose English, Rev. Eddie English (Lord’s House pastor) and Rev. William Morrell Washington, Rose’s sister and pastor of the Royal Church of God in Christ in Carlton.

The Lord’s House has distributed Toys for Tots since 2008. The toys used to be delivered to the church by Toys for Tots. This time the church needed to go to Rochester to collect the gifts.

The church asked the Sheriff’s Office to see if it would help get the toys and bring them to the church.

Sgt. John Doyle of the Sheriff’s Office is in the trailer with some of the toys.

The church sent a Tahoe and a 14-foot-long trailer to collect the toys, which are going to more than 100 children in more than 40 families in Orleans County.

“I was so happy that they reached out,” said Sheriff Randy Bower. “It’s for the kids so it was an easy one for me.”

Rose English, first lady of the church, said there were sign-ups at the church and at Hoag Library for families to be included in Toys for Tots. There aren’t income cutoffs for the program.

“Just because you have an income doesn’t mean you can afford things,” she said today.

The number of people in the county participating in Toys for Tots has been growing over the years, she said.

She thanked the Sheriff’s Office for assisting with the pickup last week.

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Hospice honors vet who served in Vietnam

Provided photos: Earl Schmidt, director of the Orleans County Veterans Service Agency, presents a certificate to Ed Ball on Monday as part of Hospice’s “We Honor Veterans Program.”

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2018 at 9:55 am

Ed Ball, who is battling lymphoma, served 24 years in military before retiring to Point Breeze

POINT BREEZE – Ed Ball doesn’t regret being in the combat infantry in Vietnam, where he was shot at and exposed to Agent Orange.

One bullet hit him in the scalp. He was in the infirmary for 10 days before rejoining his unit.

“I was right back in the jungle,” he said. “I know it sounds unrealistic now, but if your injuries weren’t that severe you went back out in the field. You really had to be shot up.”

Ed Ball moved to Point Breeze about seven years ago to be near the Oak Orchard River and Lake Ontario so he could go fishing. He is holding a large Chinook salmon. He said the area is fortunate to have such a bountiful big fish.

Ball, 71, was awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries. He earned numerous medals in a 24-year military career. After two years in Vietnam, Ball served in the National Guard and then the Army Reserve. He was a rifle instructor for about 12 years, training many soldiers in rifle marksmanship.

He recalled the night of Oct. 31, 1968 when he was in a firefight at night and was shot in the scalp. He is thankful for nearly 50 more years of life after that incident.

“I was lucky and very fortunate,” he said. “I’m very lucky to be here.”

He stayed in the military while working at Lapp Insulators in Le Roy. He was a millwright with that company for 44 years.

The Batavia native is a life-long outdoorsman. He found a paradise at Pont Breeze for fishing and deer hunting. He moved to the Oak Orchard River about seven years ago with his wife Kim. They were right on the river and Ball had a dock with his boat, “Bobber Down.” He often went fishing with his family, including two granddaughters.

Ball two years ago felt severe pain in his stomach and was taken by ambulance during the middle of the night to Strong Memorial Hospital. He would be diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma. He has endured four rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a stem cell transplant. He has done everything he can do to beat the disease.

Through it all, he wouldn’t be denied the chance to fish – until about a month ago. Ball can’t keep food down and he said the end is likely near.

He is receiving hospice care at his home. A year ago he moved from the river to a one-story house on Lakeshore Road that looks out on Lake Ontario. Ball likes the view but he preferred the spot on the river. “There was a lot more going on,” he said about the Oak Orchard. He moved to be in a house without stairs.

Ball was awarded a Purple Heart after being shot in Vietnam. Ten days after a bullet pierced his scalp, he was back with his unit in the jungle.

On Monday he was surprised by Hospice and the local Veterans Service Agency when they presented him with three certificates of appreciation for his military service. It’s part of Hospice’s “We Honor Veterans Program.”

“It was quite a surprise,” Ball said about the recognition on Monday.

He reflected on his military career, where he said exposure to Agent Orange is the culprit for him getting cancer later in life. Despite that he said he wouldn’t take back his military service.

He stayed for 24 years, wanting to teach his skills to others.

“I felt as though I had duties and I was very good at what I did, and I could keep some kids alive,” he said.

Ball started fishing at the Oak orchard River in the 1970s. He has caught many salmon topping 30 pounds, including a 38-pounder. His phone is filled with photos of him with salmon, trout, walleye and even a shark he caught in Florida. He also has many photos of his family with big fish.

“I love it,” he said about fishing. “It’s very relaxing. The fishing here is phenomenal if you know how to fish.”

Ball also has been a pilot for 28 years, flying out of the Le Roy Airport.

He said is grateful for a full life and the for extra time that he said has been possible through the care from the doctors and staff at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center in Rochester.

“The Wilmot Cancer Center did an excellent job trying to save my life,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be alive today.”

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Public urged to attend meeting on Aug. 30 for waterfront revitalization in 3 Orleans towns

Posted 21 August 2018 at 10:14 am

Press Release, Orleans County Department of Planning and Development

Photo by Tom Rivers: A boater passes through the channel at Oak Orchard Harbor at Point Breeze in this photo from May 28, 2015.

CARLTON – To effectively plan for the Orleans County waterfront, a public forum will be held as part of the process for amending the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). The towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates, along with the Village of Lyndonville welcome residents, landowners, and other interested parties to attend this event on Aug. 30 to offer their input on recommendations for waterfront improvements.

The public information meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Carlton Fire Company Recreation Hall on 1813 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98). Doors will be opened 30 minutes early at to allow the public time to review maps of existing conditions for the area.

The purpose of the meeting is twofold. It is educational to briefly explain the objectives of an LWRP program, as it has been many years since it was first adopted; it is also about obtaining ideas from the public for improving the Lake Ontario and creek corridor waterfronts.

Having an LWRP enables waterfront communities to evaluate land use and waterfront resources and develop a comprehensive strategy to effectively manage and protect those resources. Planned improvements are the means for getting this done. By applying a local focus on land use management, along with the maintenance, improvement and enhancement of important resources and features in the waterfront area, an LWRP strengthens existing state programming and provides the participating communities with a road map to guide growth and recognize opportunities.

It also provides more local control over decisions made along its waterfront. The goal is to develop an update to the existing local program that properly manages land use and future development along the waterfront, effectively protects important coastal resources and recognizes opportunities for public improvements.

The Orleans County Department of Planning and Development was awarded a state grant for amendment of the LWRP. The county entered into a contract for the provision of professional services with Wendel and WWS Planning in April2017, to assist with the project.

The project team has been working with a community-based steering group – the Waterfront Advisory Committee – to collect and review information on existing waterfront conditions, including land use and community character; economic development; public access and recreation; flooding and erosion; historic preservation; scenic and environmental resources; and water quality. These efforts were supplemented by public comments gathered at an information meeting that was held in April of this year. To complement the information, the Waterfront Advisory Committee is asking local citizens to assist in identifying important issues, opportunities, desires and concerns to help establish a clear vision for the waterfront.

Comments will be accepted electronically for those who cannot attend by clicking here. Comments will also be accepted on the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development’s webpage.

For additional information on these meetings or the LWRP project, contact Ellen Parker, Wendel, (716) 688-0766. You may also contact the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development at (585) 589-3189 (Director Jim Bensley) or (585) 589-3187 (Planner Sarah Gatti).

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