Orleans community declared winner over Cape Hatteras, NC

Photo by Tom Rivers – An angler tries his luck at Point Breeze last month. Point Breeze was declared “Ultimate Fishing Town” by the World Fishing Network today.

POINT BREEZE – It appeared to be a big fish that got away, the title as “Ultimate Fishing Town.”

Point Breeze seemed to be the runner-up to Cape Hatteras, NC. When a three-week on-line voting contest ended May 24, Cape Hatteras led fishing communities with 47,147 votes. Point Breeze was next with 32,053 votes.

But the World Fishing Network declared Point Breeze the winner today, after the WFN reviewed the votes for Cape Hatteras and tried to authenticate them. Apparently those votes didn’t hold up.

Point Breeze can proudly proclaim itself as the overall winner of the contest. The community won an earlier regional competition. That netted the community $3,500 to promote its fishery. The prize money has now swelled to $25,000, plus lots of free publicity.

“That’s $25,000 that can be used for anything fishing related,” said Mike Waterhouse, the county’s sportsfishing promotion coordinator.

He praised Point Breeze fans for voting in the contest. The votes kept coming for Point Breeze even when it appeared Cape Hatteras had an insurmountable lead.

Point Breeze businesses say the competition unified the community to promote a fishery well known for brown trout, salmon, steelhead and cohoes.

The community built a new lighthouse at Point Breeze about three years ago.

“We are a small fishing town elated to win the title of Ultimate Fishing Town,” Point Breeze resident and town nominator Sharon Narburgh told the WFN. “We have a unique small town with many needs for our fishery and are thankful to our residents and anglers for their diligence in voting.”

WFN representatives, including Ultimate Fishing Town host Mariko Izumi, are expected to be in Point Breeze on June 26 to celebrate with the community and produce a video about the great fishing at Point Breeze.

WFN says it is the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. Today it also declared Port Colborne in Ontario as the “Ultimate Fishing Town” in Canada. Last year, Olcott won the U.S. title.

There were 700 towns in the U.S. and Canada that received nominations and were eligible to advance in the contest. Participants were asked to nominate where he or she believes is the best place to fish. Town walls were then populated with videos, photos and written comments to promote the community’s candidacy and reinforce why the town is deserving of Ultimate Fishing Town honors.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Port Colborne and Point Breeze, winners of WFN’s Ultimate Fishing Town for 2013, and commend the regional and affiliate winners, too,” said Pam Stinson, senior director of marketing for World Fishing Network. “The accomplishment of being named Ultimate Fishing Town demonstrates pride, passion and enthusiasm from start to finish, and it wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and dedication of all those who participated.”

‘We all worked together to bring up the awareness of the good fishing down here.’ – Todd Fannin, owner of Lighthouse Restaurant

Photo by Tom Rivers – Point Breeze won the northeast region as the “Ultimate Fishing Town,” and then finished second overall behind Cape Hatteras, NC. This picture from Wednesday shows the Oak Orchard Harbor and the Oak Orchard Lighthouse.

POINT BREEZE – The Point Breeze community nearly pulled it off – the title as the “Ultimate Fishing Town.”

After winning the northeast region in an online voting contest by the World Fishing Network, Point Breeze can in second for the top crown among the top 10 in five regions. (Click here to see the Point Breeze page on the WFN.)

Cape Hatteras in North Carolina received 47,147 votes in a three-week contest that ended yesterday. Point Breeze and the Oak Orchard Harbor were next with 32,053 votes. The World Fishing Network is reviewing the votes and expects to declare Cape Hatteras the winner on June 4. The winner receives $25,000 to promote its fishing industry, as well as free publicity on WFN.

Point Breeze, as a regional winner, is due $3,500 to promote its fishery.

For the past three weeks, and during the regional competition before that, the local community has been voting for Point Breeze, and encouraging their friends to log on and show their support.

“It’s brought the community together for a reason and a purpose,” said Todd Fannin, owner of Lighthouse Restaurant at the Point. “We had a good run.”

He was among the cheerleaders, trying to round up votes for Point Breeze. He said many of his customers followed the daily leaderboard online.

The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association, Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum, Orleans County Tourism, Chamber of Commerce and other local groups all tried to rally votes for Point Breeze.

“We all worked together to bring up the awareness of the good fishing down here,” Fannin said. “It’s been a very good thing for the community.”

He expects local stakeholders will discuss how to spend the $3,500 prize to promote a fishery already well known for brown trout, salmon, steelhead and cohoes.

Press release, Smoke Free NOW

CARLTON – Lakeside Beach State Park and other state parks have expanded their outdoor smoke-free zones.

Tom Rowland, Lakeside Beach park manager, is gearing up for the Memorial Day holiday with signage for the designated areas.

The policy includes:

Tobacco-free bathhouses, concessions and campground recreation buildings  and no smoking within 50 feet of them

Tobacco-free swimming beaches

Tobacco-free enclosed picnic shelters

Open-sided picnic shelters may have smoking prohibited during scheduled events as delegated through the authority of the Regional Director

Tobacco-free playgrounds

“This healthy initiative will help to reduce litter, second-hand smoke and eventually reduce youth smoking rates,” said Kevin Keenan, program director of Smoke Free NOW, a program of the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

The less smoking youths see, the less likely they are to start, Kennan said.

“Many municipalities in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties have adopted similar resolutions and we are hoping the counties will do the same,” he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the smoking restriction at state parks on May 10.

“Our state parks embody the rich, natural beauty that New York has to offer and our residents should be able to enjoy them free of pollution from second-hand smoke,” the governor said. “This expansion is an important step forward in ensuring New York’s families can enjoy our great outdoors smoke-free, in a healthy environment.”

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

CARLTON – An Orleans County man is hospitalized following an explosion this morning at his Carlton residence.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:20 a.m. at 12905 South Hillcrest Drive. Wesley R. Baes, 75, was operating an acetylene torch in an attempt to patch a hole in a 200-gallon above ground gasoline tank. The tank had been drained, but there were residual vapors that ignited and caused the explosion.

Baes sustained what were described as severe burns and was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester by Mercy Flight helicopter.

The incident was investigated by Deputy J.W. Halstead. Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance personnel and Carlton firefighters also responded to the scene.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Taylor, left, and Shawn Whittier say their father Scott loved sports and coaching kids in both baseball and football. A new backstop dedicated in memory of Scott Whittier was dedicated by the community on Thursday.

A plaque on the backstop notes that Scott Whittier, 44, played and coached the Carlton Clippers. It includes his saying, “Always Do Your Best.”

CARLTON – Scott Whittier played for the Carlton Clippers when he was a kid. When his sons were old enough to play, he was eager to volunteer as a coach for the Little League team.

“He loved sports and working with the kids,” said his son Shawn, 18.

“He was an all-around active guy,” said oldest son Taylor, 20.

For eight years Scott coached the Clippers. He also worked with youth football teams.

“He was very good with the kids,” said Dennis Jones, an assistant coach for the team the past 19 years. “He never singled out any kid. We worked with them all, each and every kid.”

Whittier was 44 when he died last May 13 on Mother’s Day. He fell three stories while doing a roofing job in Brockport, and died following complications from surgery, his family said.

On Thursday, the Carlton Clippers, community members and Whittier’s family dedicated a new backstop in memory of Whittier. A plaque on the fence lists Whittier’s popular saying to the team: “Always Do Your Best.”

Dennis Jones, an assistant coach for the Carlton Clippers for 19 years, leads the dedication program Thursday for the new backstop in memory of Scott Whittier.

The field behind the Carlton Recreation Hall on Route 98 has long needed a new backstop. Many foul balls passed over the top of the old fence and players had to retrieve them in the woods, sometimes brushing against poison ivy.

The new backstop has a crown on the top to help contain foul balls to the field.

Memorials for Whittier, as well as donations and a bowling tournament fund-raiser covered the cost for the project, which was spearheaded by Whittier’s fiancée Donna Hess.

“He loved to coach sports, whether football or baseball,” Hess said. “We wanted something that would be here for generations as a memorial. Scott played here and coached here, so it’s perfect.”

Bryan Caitlin, the team’s coach this year, said Whittier was well liked by players and their parents.

“He was a great guy who would do anything for you,” Caitlin told the crowd on Thursday. “It’s not easy to lose someone like that but he’s here everyday.”

The Carlton Clippers, community members and Scott Whittier’s family all gathered at the town park on Thursday evening to dedicate the new backstop. The old one is pictured in back.

New backstop will be dedicated for Scott Whittier

CARLTON – The Carlton Clippers, a Little League team, will dedicate a new backstop at 6 p.m. Thursday in honor of their late coach Scott Whittier.

The backstop will include a plaque in memory of Whittier, who died May 13, 2012, at age 44. Whittier was a long-time Clippers coach and also was active in other youth sports programs in the community.

Whittier’s friends and family raised most of the money for the backstop with bowling tournaments and donations in his honor.

The public is welcome to attend the dedication on the Little League field behind the Carlton Recreation Hall on Route 98.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Point Breeze and the Oak Orchard Harbor are likely to advance to the next round to determine the ‘Ultimate Fishing Town,’ an on-line contest by the World Fishing Network.

POINT BREEZE – Todd Fannin for the past two weeks has alerted just about everyone he knows to vote for Point Breeze as the “Ultimate Fishing Town.”

Fannin, owner of Lighthouse Restaurant, and other Point Breeze cheerleaders have the community ranked second in a nation-wide poll of top fishing communities. Point Breeze has 11,492 votes, while Cape Hatteras, NC, leads with 17,448, as of 3 p.m. today. Point Breeze has jumped ahead of Grand Lake, CO, with 8,309 votes.

“This to me is another tool, another feather in our cap to promote some of the best fishing in the fall,” Fannin said.

Point Breeze has a big lead as the top spot in the Northeast. Walton, NY, is in second place with 4,686 votes followed by Waddington, NY, with 3,860.

Voting ends tomorrow at 11:59 a.m. for the first round of the competition. The first- and second-place finishers per region will then square off for the finals. If Point Breeze wins the region, it will secure $3,500 to bolster the local fishery.

The second round continues from noon Friday to 11:59 a.m. May 24. The World Fishing Network will announce the winner on June 4 on ultimatefishingtown.com.

The overall winner will receive $25,000 for port improvements. The community can also proclaim itself as the “Ultimate Fishing Town.”

Fannin said Point Breeze is deserving of the honor. Many of his customers come from out-of-state. He said the brown trout fishing locally is second to none.

“We’re known for browns,” he said. “We have the best brown fishing in the world.”

Point Breeze also touts a year-round fishery with salmon, steelhead and cohoes.

The on-line voting has united the community at a time when it has suffered from the federal government’s inability to dredge the harbor. The community also has been hurt by a closed section of the Lake Ontario State Parkway and a bridge over Marsh Creek.

“This contest has got the community involved, which is phenomenal,” Fannin said. “I think we have a wonderful community down here.”

To vote, go here.

Press release from NYS Department of Transportation

CARLTON A 2-mile section of the Lake Ontario State Parkway closed since the winter will reopen Wednesday at about noon, the state Department of Transportation advised.

The western end of the Parkway has been shut down since Nov. 28. That portion runs between Lakeside Beach State Park and Route 98 in the town of Carlton.

Closing the 2-mile stretch saved an estimated $70,000 worth of maintenance and operating expenses including materials, equipment, and labor, the DOT said. The closure also helped preserve the pavement and the bridges over Oak Orchard Creek.

Some bridge maintenance repairs were made on the bridge over Oak Orchard Creek. The eastbound, right lane over the bridge, will remain closed until further repairs can be made.

During the summer, about 800 cars travel this section of the Parkway every day. The western end of the Parkway is less travelled during the winter months.During the closure, motorists were directed to use Route 18 as a parallel detour route.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jaylene Dersham, 8, of Batavia waits for her uncle James Soggs of Batavia to put a worm on her hook on Sunday while they were fishing from the pier at Oak Orchard Harbor.

POINT BREEZE – Point Breeze has narrowed the gap, but still trails in a contest to be declared the “Ultimate Fishing Town.”

Cape Hatteras, NC, and Grand Lake, CO, are both ahead of Point Breeze in an on-line contest by the World Fishing Network. On Friday at noon, Point Breeze was down about 3,200 votes to Cape Hatteras. As of 9 a.m. this morning, the Orleans County fishing community was within about 2,000 votes of first place. Grand Lake holds about a 600-vote lead on Point Breeze.

The contest ends on Friday. The winner receives $25,000 to be spent on fishing-related improvements to their port, plus the community will be featured by the World Fishing Network.

To vote, click here.

Tera Bonner of Corfu fishes in the Oak Orchard River at Point Breeze on Sunday.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The lighthouse at Point Breeze is a landmark along Lake Ontario and the Oak Orchard River.

Point Breeze is in the running for the “Ultimate Fishing Town,” a contest by the World Fishing Network that ends May 3.

The Orleans County fishing community is currently ranked third with on-line voting, behind Cape Hatteras, NC, and Grand Lake, CO. Point Breeze is ahead of Cocodrie, LA; Waddington, NY; Okeechobee, FL; and Byrdstown, TN.

As of 12:15 p.m. today, Cape Hatteras led with 8,211 votes, followed by 7,542 for Grand Lake and 5,067 for Point Breeze.

The winner receives $25,000 to be spent on fishing-related improvements to their port, plus the community will be featured by the World Fishing Network.

Point Breeze touts its year-round fishery with salmon, brown trout, steelhead and cohoes.

To vote, click here.

Town Board may bring in outside firm for reassessments

Photos by Tom Rivers – Michael Risman, an attorney with Hodgson Russ, meets with about 150 Carlton town residents tonight at the Fire Department Recreation Hall. Risman advised the Town Board to freeze the assessments at 2012 levels and bring in an outside firm for re-evaluations.

CARLTON – The Town Board voted tonight to freeze property assessments at 2012 levels, a move that will give the town about a year to have 2,400 properties re-evaluated.

The board may hire a professional appraisal firm to establish values for all the properties in Carlton, services that would cost between $50,000 to $100,000 – “closer to $100,000, in my opinion,” said Michael Risman, an attorney with Hodgson Russ. If the tally is $100,000 that would be an average of about $40 per property.

Risman addressed about 150 people at the Carlton Fire Company Recreation Hall. The meeting had to be moved from Town Hall because of the big crowd.

Many residents have been angry since they received their mail with their new assessments in recent weeks. Many residents said their assessed values went up 20 percent or more.

Betty Sue Miller’s property increased in value 52 percent, according to her 2013 assessment.

“Most of us want to know how we got here with 20, 30 percent increases,” she said at the meeting. “How do we in three years go up 52 percent?”

Carlton resident Woody Baker, standing, was among the residents with questions for Michael Risman, a Buffalo attorney.

Residents first expressed their anger to town officials during last Tuesday’s board meeting. The five Town Board members were unanimous in voting tonight to freeze assessments to 2012 levels. Town Assessor Karen Adams said she supported the decision and would certify the tentative rolls for 2013 at the 2012 numbers.

The tentative rolls need to be filed by May 1. Town Councilman Robin Lake said the board’s decision will give the town time to determine how it will seek to bring accurate and fair assessments to all properties – in 2014.

All towns in Orleans County do town-wide reassessments every three years, with updates annually. Residents challenged many of their assessments in 2010, with 188 going to formal grievances, by far the most in the county.

Risman urged the board to hire a professional appraisal firm that would meet often with residents in public meetings and explain the rationale for determining their assessments.

“You’ll have a process going forward that will work,” he said.

And residents who faced the prospect of bigger tax bills due to assessment hikes can have peace of mind that the increases won’t take effect this year.

Resident Peg Wiley said the town’s current data inventories of properties don’t include some accessory buildings and recent improvements.

“Hopefully we can get a real and good look at what is there,” she said.

Risman said a professional firm would first do data inventories, and they look at real estate sale prices of neighboring properties and each individual site’s sales history.

Carlton has a lot of lakefront along Lake Ontario, Lake Alice and Oak Orchard Creek. The town is rural and there aren’t a lot of property sales to provide “comparables” for sale prices, Risman said.

Unlike suburban towns, where there are blocks and blocks of similar-style houses, the properties fluctuate in size and styles on the same roads in Carlton, Risman noted.

“Carlton is a rather unique town,” he said. “There are different types of agricultural and residential property. It’s not a simple matter of evaluating all of these properties.”

Risman said Carlton isn’t alone in seeing an uproar from residents following a reassessment. Many towns will experience spikes in assessments when a long-time assessor retires and a new one takes over. In Carlton, Leo Spohr retired in 2007. Karen Adams has been on the job since then.

The state Office of Real Property Services used to have a much larger staff with appraisers that could help new assessors, but Risman said the state staff has been drastically reduced in recent years.

CARLTON – Responding to an outcry from residents over high assessments, the Town Board has called for an emergency meeting on Monday.

The board may vote to freeze assessments based on the 2012 data. Many residents told the board on Tuesday that their new assessments were 20 to 50 percent more than 2012 valuations. Those big assessment increases, which would apply to town, school and county taxes, would force many senior citizens to leave their homes, several residents told the board.

“We got to try to do something,” Councilman Robin Lake said today. “That’s what the people asked for.”

Town Attorney Kathy Bogan is researching whether the assessments can be frozen at their 2012 levels so the new numbers don’t take effect.

Monday’s meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, 14341 Waterport-Carlton Rd.

“We’ll discuss it and try to figure out what to do,” Lake said.

Press Release: Orleans County Sheriff

An Orleans County man escaped serious injury yesterday afternoon after the 18-wheeler he was operating ran off the road & overturned.

The incident occurred shortly after 4:00 P.M., in the 12600 block of Roosevelt Highway (State Route 18), just east of Yates-Carlton Town Line Rd., in the Town of Carlton.

Raymond N. Matteson (Age 30) was operating the tractor-trailer truck east bound of Roosevelt Hwy., when he lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle ran off the south side of the roadway, struck a mailbox, and sheared off a National Grid utility pole. The vehicle continued across an open field and down a slight embankment whereupon it overturned on it’s side. The open trailer contained construction demolition debris, most of which spilled out onto the ground. There was no Haz-Mat issue.

Matteson (sole-occupant) was transported to Medina Memorial Hospital where he was treated & released. Sheriff’s Deputies determined that alcohol was not a contributing factor in the crash, however excessive speed was. Matteson was cited for Unsafe Speed and Unsafe Lane Change. He will appear in Town of Carlton Court at a later date.

The truck-trailer was righted by Lyon’s Collision and towed to their shop in Medina. It was being inspected this morning by personnel from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Additional charge(s) may be forthcoming pending the results of that inspection.

The incident was investigated by Deputy D.S. Klips, assisted by Deputy T.N. Tooley, Sergeant G.T. Gunkler, and Lieutenant C.M. Bourke. The Sheriff’s Office received assistance from Carlton & Lyndonville firefighters.

Scott D. Hess
Sheriff