This map from the State Canal Corp. shows where the state will be using canal water to supplement local tributaries and boost fishing opportunities for the fall salmon runs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 September 2022 at 4:14 pm
For the third straight fall fishing season, the State Canal Corp. will be releasing water from the Erie Canal into local tributaries through mid-December to boost the fall fishing runs.
The program has been deemed a success, improving the chances for fish to swim upstream. The released canal water provides adequate water flow in streams for salmon, trout and steelhead to swim upstream.
File photo by Tom Rivers: The Oak Orchard River is one of several tributaries that will have its water levels boosted to improve the local fall fishery.
The schedule for releasing water includes:
Increased flows from Sept. 15 through Dec. 15 for Oak Orchard River in Orleans County, Sandy Creek in Orleans and Monroe counties, and Eighteen Mile Creek in Niagara.
The flows will be increased from Oct. 13 through Dec. 15 for Johnson Creek in Orleans and Niagara counties.
“The New York State Canal Corporation releases water from the Erie Canal into Lake Ontario Tributaries in Western New York for an extended period each fall to create a longer season and even better angling conditions,” the Canal Corp. said in announcing the schedule.
Fishing has a $28 million annual impact in Orleans County. The local officials say the extended season will be a boost for local restaurants, lodging establishments and other businesses.
The project is part of the “Reimagine the Canals” initiative to better utilize the canal and support many recreational opportunities along the canal system.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 September 2022 at 4:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – The Lord’s House at 2038 Eagle Harbor Rd. is getting a fresh coat of paint and new look with members of the church, and help from other congregations. They have been busy today with paint brushes and sprayers, changing the main color from white to gray.
This photo shows Jonathan Allis on the scaffolding and Leon Johnson on the grounds, both using sprayers with gray paint.
Johnson is a member of The Lord’s House and Allis attends the Agape United Methodist Church in West Seneca, where his wife Rebecca Allis is the pastor.
Raymond Pendergrass of the Shiloh Church is Albion joined the effort today to help paint the church. Pendergrass used to attend the church in Waterport. He volunteered today, wanting to “send blesses” to The Lord’s House.
Chuck Weed of the Agape UM Church traveled to Waterport today from Buffalo to help paint the windows.
The church’s pastor, Rebecca Allis, is from Medina and is friends with Eddie English, pastor of The Lord’s House.
They met through Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation or PACT, a group of pastors mostly in Orleans County.
English has preached at her church and she has been at the pulpit at The Lord’s House.
English said the church wanted to improve the outside of the building, and he is grateful for the help. Oak Orchard Assembly of God also is helping with the project, paying for scaffolding and some paint. The Lord’s House also had a chicken barbecue recently with the proceeds going to the painting project.
“The inside looks good but we know people judge the outside,” English said. “We want people who go by to say, ‘What an improvement.’”
English is hopeful the building’s new look will be done before the cold weather comes.
“We want to be one of the lights to help brighten up the neighborhood,” he said.
Anyone interested in helping to paint or in donating to the effort can contact Rose English at 585-331-7963.
Eddie and Rose English are pictured outside the church this afternoon. They have led The Lord’s House for 16 years.
The church moved from downtown Albion to the former United Methodist Church in Waterport after acquiring the building at the county tax auction in 2011. The building had been vacant for about 20 years.
The building was in disrepair, in need of major repairs. English was called a fool by some in the community. Some church members also were skeptical about moving to a building out on the country that needed so much work.
English, with help from church members and some local residents, worked diligently to make the building ready for worship services. They painted, upgraded electric and plumbing, and put in a new bathroom, an outside ramp, a new pulpit and other improvements.
English said he is focused on given the outside an improved look. He said he is thankful for the help from people at his church and others from other congregations.
“God has put the right people with the right hearts in our path,” he said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 September 2022 at 9:16 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: This little restaurant at the end of Route 98 in Point Breeze is seeing new life under the ownership of Gatlen and Danielle Ernst, who opened it as Gilligan’s Galley on Thursday.
Danielle and Gatlen Ernst of Albion stand behind the counter of Gilligan’s Galley, the new restaurant they opened Thursday in Point Breeze. Gilligan’s will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
POINT BREEZE – After several successful years of owning two marinas and a restaurant in Point Breeze, Gatlen and Danielle Ernst have gone out on a limb to open another restaurant.
Located at the end of Route 98 in Point Breeze, Gilligan’s Galley opened its doors Thursday.
Several restaurants were in business there in recent years, but since the pandemic it has remained closed. John Brown and Dave Tuft of Batavia were previous owners. A year ago Brown approached Gatlen and asked if he would be interested in buying the place.
“I thought, ‘Am I nuts,’” Gatlen said.
He and Danielle are the owners of Lake Breeze Marina, which they purchased in 2014, and the former Four C’s Marina, which they purchased later that same year.
Gatlen had worked at Lake Breeze for 10 years and Danielle was a stay-at-home mom when they became owners of the marinas. They immediately started making improvements, redoing the docks, updating the cottages and adding two more cottages. Four C’s had a small restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the docks, which has been very popular during the summer.
They finalized the purchase of the new restaurant last October, but didn’t start renovations until March. They replaced table tops and the counter top, added beams made from trees in their yard, and created a tiki theme with thatching and bamboo in the ceiling.
The name for the new restaurant, Gilligan’s Galley, comes from Gatlen’s childhood, when his friends called him “Gilligan.” Galley, of course, is the nautical name for a kitchen on a boat, and what could be more appropriate for a restaurant within a few steps of Lake Ontario and the Oak Orchard River.
Gatlen Ernst shows off the new décor in Gilligan’s Galley, the new restaurant he and his wife Danielle opened Thursday at Point Breeze. The remodeled décor features a tiki-theme thatched ceiling, wood beams cut from trees in their yard and new natural wood counter top.
The Ernsts plan to be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. They may add breakfast later on. They will serve nightly specials, featuring home cooked comfort food. They hope Friday night fish fries will be a big hit, being offered Buffalo style, potato chip crusted, blackened grilled or plain.
Gatlen said they have applied for a liquor license and would like to have Bills parties, seeing they have several televisions in the restaurant.
Among the customers on opening day were Teresa Poler and her neighbor Paul Kenyon of Lyndonville.
“It’s lovely to have something like this close by,” Poler said. “Everything was very good.”
Gatlen said the area is getting a boost from increased traffic from Canada. That was curtailed during the Covid pandemic.
There are also picnic tables for outdoor dining, and Danielle said next year she would like to do something interesting with the back yard.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2022 at 10:51 am
ALBION – Today’s recycling collection will be delayed for the fire lanes in Carlton and Yates due to the Modern Disposal Services truck being down for repairs.
Full completion of recycling for these fire lanes will take place on Tuesday, sad Jack Welch, the Orleans County chief administrative officer.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this creates for our residents along the fire lanes,” Welch said. “If these residents leave out their uncollected recycling, Modern Disposal will have your recycling collected tomorrow.”
Golf course in Carlton has since closed and is now used for farming
The program, at right, advertised a gala event which took place 57 years ago. Both the venue and the sponsoring company have since closed.
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans – Vol. 2, No. 28
The program from 1965 includes photos, diagrams and information about each of the 18 holes as well as brief entries about several of the competitors.
CARLTON – The Oak Orchard Country Club was located on Route 98 north in the Town of Carlton. Charles Skutt was President of the Club. Dorothy Ross was President of the Club’s Ladies Association. The 136-acre facility which opened in 1963, was owned by Harold and Merle Myers. It offered an 18-hole par 70 golf course and a clubhouse restaurant.
The Landauers 100th anniversary $5,000 Open was sponsored by Skip and Don Landauer, fourth generation descendants of Simon Landauer who established the popular dry goods store in Albion in 1865. The event was organized to celebrate Landauer’s 100th year of one-family ownership and management.
Simon Landauer was born in Bavaria (now Germany) in 1833. He and his brother immigrated in 1852 and settled in Macon, Ga. where they opened a dry goods store under the name M. Landauer & Brother.
However, the business failed during the Civil War. Simon moved to Albion as several of his relatives and friends had settled there. He opened a dry goods store on the east side of Main Street. Seventeen years later (1882), the store was moved to larger quarters on the west side of Main Street, where it flourished.
Over one hundred IGA pros entered to compete for the generous prizes offered: $1,000 ($9,000 approx. in 2022) for first prize and twenty-seven cash prizes, plus $350 in merchandize prizes. Competitors hailed from Olean, Rochester, Leroy, Florida, and Concord, Canada. It was the largest tournament of its kind held at that time.
It was also billed as an “electronic tournament.” The Tri-County Radio Club set up a two-way radio contact between each of the eighteen holes and the master scoreboard.
Steve J. Piech, Shelridge Country Club, Medina and William “Jug” Meredith, Albion.
As it transpired, the weather disrupted the carefully planned event. Saturday, Aug. 7, 1965, was scorching hot and humid. Nevertheless, about 700 spectators attended. Sam Urzetta of the Rochester Country Club and Frank Boynton led the first round with 66’s.
Heavy rain on Sunday, August 8, rendered the course unplayable. The event resumed on Monday, August 9 and ended with a duel between Boynton and Urzetta. Boynton won on a sudden death playoff.
The Oak Orchard Country Club filed for bankruptcy in 1980. It rallied briefly and was renamed Harbour Pointe Country Club. Golfing events were held there through the early 2000’s. The most recent sale transaction was in 2014, the site of the former golf course has since reverted to farmland.
Citing the area’s “depressed economic situation” and the closing of the Thomas J. Lipton plant with the loss of 500 jobs, Landauer’s Department Store announced its decision to close in July 1981.
Some 57 years later, this 25-cent program, randomly saved, is now a unique local history record.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 14 July 2022 at 2:06 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Ryan children enjoy ice cream treats at the new food truck Rush’s recently put at their farm market on Eagle Harbor Road, Waterport. From left are Demetrius, 11; Piper, 5; Devin, 8; and in back, Mary Jane, 12.
WATERPORT – There’s something new in the neighborhood and it’s drawing a lot of attention at Rush’s Farm Market on Eagle Harbor Road.
During the past few weeks, Kenneth Rush decided to do something he has thought about for a couple of years – get a food truck.
“I thought this would be a positive thing to do,” said Rush, who is the fifth generation on the Rush farm. “There’s nothing like it in the neighborhood.”
Nicci Nicholson works in the truck with Ken.
In addition to soft ice cream cones, floats and Sundaes, they sell burgers, hotdogs, French fries, blooming onions and friend pickles.
The Ryan children who live nearby, love to walk to the market for ice cream on a hot day. Mary Jane Ryan, 12, likes the floats, but she is going to try a fried pickle one of these days, she said.
Demetrius, 11, said they sometimes come several days in a row, and hopes there will be more ice cream flavors added.
Rush’s Farm Market is owned by Gregg and Elizabeth Rush. In addition to selling homegrown produce, Elizabeth runs a flower shop on the site.
“The food truck has brought people out of their houses after Covid to share an ice cream cone together,” Elizabeth said. “Grandpa Ken likes to come up and enjoy a hotdog. The truck is a complement to my flower shack.”
The food truck is open from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Elizabeth said the market expected to have homegrown corn this week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 July 2022 at 9:10 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – The Brick Band performed on Tuesday at Oak Orchard Marine Park on Route 98 and some of the crowd left their lawn chairs and danced to some of the band’s well-known country songs.
There was a threat of rain earlier in the afternoon but the concert went on without a drop of rain.
Ryan Klatt is lead singer and guitarist for the band, which has been performing for years in the concerts organized by the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association.
The concert series started last Tuesday and continues weekly through Aug. 2. The concerts start at 6 p.m. and go until about 8:30.
The lineup for the rest of the summer includes:
July 12 – Old Hippies playing nostalgic rock and folk
July 19 – The Who Dats performing dance rock
July 26 – Feedback playing pop, motown and R & B
Aug. 2 – Mr. Mustard performing The Beatles, period
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 June 2022 at 9:13 am
6 celebrated for earning American citizenship in program through BOCES, World Life Institute
Photos by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – Natalia Torres, right, is congratulated for earning her American citizenship. She was part of a recognition ceremony on Tuesday evening at the World Life Institute on Stillwater Road.
Torres is congratulated by WLI director Dr. Linda Redfield Shakoor, and ESL teachers Monica Beck, back left, and Malvy Rivera.
Six WLI students in the past year earned their American citizenship including Torres, Carina Diaz, Paula Hernandez, Damaris Olivaras, Silvia Rosario and Alejandro Marmelojo.
Carina Diaz walks up to be recognized as a new American citizen. WLI has now had 40 students earn their citizenship in the past two decades in a preparation program run through the Orleans/Niagara BOCES.
The citizenship ceremonies used to be held in the federal courthouse in Buffalo but they have been cancelled at that location since Covid-19. WLI leaders wanted to recognize the new citizens during the recognition program on Tuesday.
All of WLI students who have taken the citizenship test have passed. No one has ever failed from the program, Redfield said.
“It’s your hard work,” she told the students. “We’re just guiding you.”
The new citizens – Carina Diaz and Natalia Torres – are recognized while Martin Rosario, an American citizen, serves as the flag bearer and holds the American flag.
The group recited the pledge of allegiance and sang, “America the Beautiful.”
World Life Institute and O/N BOCES also presented certificates for “outstanding achievement in English” to students. Most of the students work at local farms and other agricultural businesses. The students recognized on Tuesday are from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy and Mexico.
The students were praised for spending about 15 to 20 hours a week learning English while juggling full-time jobs and often young families.
“How they fit it all in is beyond me,” said Deborah Wilson, one of the teachers in the program. “The students are so awesome to keep progressing every year.”
Many of the students have been in the program for several years. Wilson said many couldn’t read or write in English and have advanced to a high school level after a few years.
This trio – Juan Gomez-Ojeda, Jorge Jimenez and Humberto Velasco – was recognized for their achievement in English. The WLI runs several classes at the school. The program draws students from Waterport, Albion, Barker, Oakfield, Batavia and Elba.
Dr. Clark Godshall, BOCES superintendent, commended the group for their commitment to learning. He said “it’s a continuing journey” to keep gaining skills.
“I am most proud of you,” he told the students.
Susan Diemert, a BOCES literacy specialist, has been with the program for more than 20 years. She praised Redfield and the WLI staff for their dedication to the students. Diemert encouraged the group to consider other programs at BOCES, including nursing and any of the building trades.
“It could help you move along in a different direction in life if you so choose,” she said.
The students and new citizens were recognized in an outdoor ceremony next to the school on Stillwater Road. The WLI built the school in 1997. Besides ESL classes, the school hosts art and pottery programs for its students.
Jose Iniguez addresses the students and new citizens. He started as an apple picker at age 15. He remembers back in 1994 when Redfield would come to a labor camp on Densmore Road in Albion, teaching English. Iniguez took her classes, and eventually became an American citizen. He now is co-owner of a large apple farm based on Stillwater Road.
Iniguez, 47, urged the students to keep pushing themselves in advancing their English skills. He encouraged them to follow their dream. For him, the dream has been to be a farmer growing apples.
“Please keep doing this,” he said about taking the English classes. “Don’t stop.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 June 2022 at 8:08 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – Dave Viterna, right, and Marty Hobbs perform “Solitary Man” by Neil Diamond as part of the opening concert for the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association’s summer concert series.
The Dave Viterna Group performed blues and classic rock for 2 ½ hours for a crowd of more than 500 people.
The attendance at the concert, are well over 500 people, is a record for an OONA concert, said one of the organizers, Tracy Panczyszyn.
The lineup for the rest of the series includes:
July 5 – The Brick Band performing country, classic rock and patriotic
July 12 – Old Hippies playing nostalgic rock and folk
July 19 – The Who Dats performing dance rock
July 26 – Feedback playing pop, motown and R & B
Aug. 2 – Mr. Mustard performing The Beatles, period
Kathleen Furlong sells 50/50 raffle tickets. OONA was able to give away $600 from the raffles and keep $600 to help pay for the concerts and support other community causes.
There is a $2 admission charge to attend the concerts.
Don Knapp of the Clarendon Lions Club cooks hot dogs. The Lions have been a long-time food vendor at the OONA concerts. There are several other food and beverage vendors at the concerts.
The Clarendon Lions Club teams includes, from left: Tom Persia, Vivian Ward, Kevin Johnson, Don Knapp, Beth Johnson in back, Roger Boynton, Melanie Adams and Randy Robishaw. June Knapp also was part of the Clarendon group on Tuesday evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2022 at 10:29 pm
Paul Czarnecki was popular captain out of Oak Orchard for past 20 years
Provided photos
POINT BREEZE – About 15 charter boat captains filled with people this afternoon for a memorial troll from the Oak Orchard River to Lake Ontario. The charter captains were honoring their friend, Paul Czarnecki, a charter captain the past 20 years at the Oak Orchard.
An Erie, Pa. resident, Czarnecki passed away at age 57 on April 4. He was diagnosed with multiple melanoma on May 18, 2021. He continued to work full-time as a charter captain last summer at Point Breeze, despite almost daily medical appointments for chemotherapy, blood draws and other doctor visits, his wife Christie said.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Paul Czarnecki on Aug. 16, 2015 holds a 29-pound Chinook salmon that won the $4,000 grand prize at the Orleans County Fishing Derby. Czarnecki took a customer, Georgia Barkdoll of McConnellsburg, Pa., out fishing and she reeled in the 29-pound fish, which won the grand prize in the fishing derby.
To honor Czarnecki today the charter captains took their boats about 2 miles out into the lake, just north of the Oak Orchard Harbor. That is where the lake is about 80 feet deep. Czarnecki would use that spot to put the fishing line in the water. The captains today then went east about 4 miles, to a glass house that is a landmark near the Kendall town line. Czarnecki believed the best fishing was between the Oak Orchard Harbor and the 4 miles to the glass house.
Paul and Dylan Czarnecki celebrate winning the King of the Oak fishing tournament that concluded in September 2020.
The captains offered tributes to Czarnecki on a private channel.
Today was all about paying their respect to a man who loved Point Breeze and worked hard to build up the fishery to benefit other local businesses and charter captains.
“He believed this was the best fishing on the lake,” said David Bonnell, who worked for Czarnecki for the previous five years.
Czarnecki came up from Erie and had his 33-foot-long boat – “Free Spirit” – in the water on April 1. He fished the month of May out of Wilson before shifting the Oak Orchard from June 1 to just after Labor Day.
His customers came back year after year, including some from 35 years ago.
“Paul literally knew everybody,” Bonnell said. “He was the wittiest person.”
Czarnecki made sure his customers had a good time on the boat – and caught big salmon and trout. He would extend the charter and stay out later in the lake to make sure they caught fish, Bonnell said.
Czarnecki and his son Dylan won the “King of the Oak” fishing tournament in 2020. That competition is based on four series with points for the number of fish and their weight. Czarnecki accumulated the most points in taking the title. He and his son, now 12, celebrated by wearing Burger King hats.
Today, Dylan steered his dad’s boat during the memorial troll. Dylan is 12. His younger sister Piper is 8.
Czarnecki was well regarded among his peers for sharing his knowledge and for being a “straight shooter.”
“He was full of knowledge but he didn’t stretch the truth,” one the captains said this evening during a cookout at Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina.
Czarnecki was built like a lineman. He was 6 foot, 3 inches, a big presence.
“But he was full of heart,” Bonnell said.
Czarnecki was fishing out of Erie but tried the Point Breeze area after salmon and cohoes weren’t being stocked in Erie.
At Point Breeze, he found a fishery that lasted for months with Chinook salmon, steelhead (rainbow trout), brown trout and lake trout. He also discovered a friendly community among the charter boat captains and other local businesses.
“He fished at many places but he really thought this was the best place in the world,” Bonnell said.
The charter boat captains are out lake remembering their friend.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2022 at 5:34 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
POINT BREEZE – Officials from the Town of Carlton, Orleans County and state Office of General Services and Department of State joined for a ribbon-cutting this morning for the new boat launch at Point Breeze.
The new boat launch opened on April 27. The old one was closed just after Labor Day.
The project was $627,000 and was 95 percent funded through the state’s Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).
During the historic flooding of 2019, the previous boat ramp was submerged, preventing access to the floating docks, and forcing the boat launch to be closed.
The new launch is raised about 2 ½ feet and will be more resilient in case of flooding and higher lake levels. The steeper ramp also can better accommodate launching boats when the water levels are low.
“It can handle the two extremes,” said John Papponetti, the county’s commissioner of the Department of Public Works.
The project was designed by Wendel, an engineering firm, with CP Ward the contractor.
The boat launch also has a new boat ramp and abutment above high water level, a sloping roadway to the new boat ramp; and regraded remaining portion of roadway.
County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the boat launch is important for recreational boaters and also for the county’s sportsfishing industry, which has a $28 million annual economic impact on the county.
“This is really the eye of Lake Ontario for Orleans County,” Johnson said about Point Breeze.
She praised the state leaders for making the REDI funding available. There are $17 million of projects in Orleans County that are part of the $300 million REDI program.
Other projects include wastewater infrastructure for Kendall and Hamlin, $9,053,000; Yates Town Park and expansion in Yates, $2,531,000; Lakeshore Road breakwall in Carlton, east of Point Breeze, $2,062,000; Public Town Road Ends/Culverts in Kendall, $1,500,000; stabilizing Lakeside Park Road East in Carlton, $385,000; Fortified shoreline along Lakeside Park Road West in Carlton, $235,000; Thompson Drive turnaround to become beach access in Kendall, $131,000; erosion mitigation at Route 237 right-of-way in Kendall, $40,000; installing markers on submerged structures in Orleans and Niagara, $50,000.
The REDI funding also includes dredging many harbors along the southshore, including Oak Orchard and Johnson Creek in Orleans County.
Jeanette Moy, acting commissioner of the state Office of General Services, praised the local town and county officials for pushing many of the projects along.
The local leaders identified assets “that were damaged repeatedly by high waters,” she said.
The REDI projects show local and state officials working together, Moy said. There are 134 of the REDI projects across the southshore of the state.
Stephanie Wojtowicz, director of division planning for the Department of State, praised the partnerships at the local and state levels to get the infrastructure upgraded and protected.
“You can’t have a resilient economy without resilient infrastructure,” Wojtowicz said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2022 at 2:12 pm
Provided photos
WATERPORT – Orleans County Tourism received assistance from Brockport State College students and Brookfield Renewable Power to free 18 mature steelhead from one of the overflow pools at the Waterport Dam on Tuesday.
The group was able to electro-fish and seine or net the mature steelhead.
“They were spawned out fish primarily and we did capture at least two smolts that were likely earlier spring stocked Coho salmon,” said Ron Bierstine, owner of Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge. “The effort was spearheaded by SUNY Brockport Environmental Science and Biology Departments with about 20 of their students.”
Brookfield Renewable Power, owner of the power-generating site, was on hand for a safety briefing and was ready with a fish transfer culvert apparatus that didn’t need to be used.
“We were able to just cradle the fish in a net or seine and I quickly released them back into the turbine (tailrace) channel,” Bierstine wrote in this week’s fishing report from the Orleans County Tourism Department. “Some fish were certainly in rough post spawn state, but every fish I released swam away under its own power – with the chance to get back to the main Lake and recoup.”
Bierstine thanked Brookfield for the allowing access and for the assistance from SUNY Brockport and students.
The group wasn’t able to capture any fish in the main plunge pool at the base of the falls with the equipment they had and the allowable access.
“But I’d count it as a success showing that it can be done and that likely with what we found in the one pool that there are a goodly amount more fish in the other plunge pool,” Bierstine wrote. “So hopefully we can collectively think of ways to capture those fish in the future and can work towards and consider a better remedy to keep fish out of that channel or give them some passage out of there when flows recede so that they don’t become stranded.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 May 2022 at 9:21 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
POINT BREEZE – Carl Miller of East Aurora takes his boat out of the Oak Orchard River at the new boat launch at Point Breeze. The site opened to the public on Tuesday, April 27.
“It’s a dream,” Miller said about the new boat launch. “The ramp is well drained. The ramps are longer. It’s so much better.”
The project was $627,000 and was 95 percent funded through the state’s Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).
Carl Miller pulls his boat out of the water. He went fishing with two others and they caught a few brown trout and a lake trout on Saturday.
During the historic flooding of 2019, the previous boat ramp was submerged, preventing access to the floating docks, and forcing the boat launch to be closed.
The new launch is raised about 2 ½ feet and will be more resilient in case of flooding and higher lake levels, said John Papponetti, the county’s DPW commissioner.
Other resiliency measures implemented in this project include:
Installation of new boat ramp and abutment above high water level;
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2022 at 9:36 am
CARLTON – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday voted in favor of the site plan and a special use permit for a new 2,200-square-foot pole barn for Captain’s Cove on Route 18, overlooking the Oak Orchard River in Carlton.
George Lacey, owner of the business, plans to demolish a building that is currently used for a store and replace it with a 55-by-40-foot pole barn that would be set farther away from Route 18.
Lacey said it will be an upgrade for the business, and also be safer for traffic and customers by creating more parking and moving those spaces farther from the road.
He modified the site plan for the new building since it was originally presented in November to now meet setback requirements for the town of Carlton. The setbacks include 75 feet in the front, 80 feet in rear, 80 feet on left and 240 feet on right.
Lacey plans to disturb half an acre of a 3-acre lot. The building will meet the state energy code requirements by having an updated heating system and some solar arrays, the Planning Board said.
Lacey, owner of Captain’s Cove since 2015, used to have the store down by the Oak Orchard River but that building was flooded and badly damaged in 2017 when the water levels were at all-time highs. Lacey took down that building and raised the parking area by the river. He relocated the store to a house that is more than a century old on the upper bank.
The former house isn’t well suited to be the store, which is why Lacey is taking it down and building a new structure.
“I see a lot of potential there,” he said about the Point Breeze area. “But we need to be forward-thinking. I’ve been trying for 18 months to build a simple pole barn.”
Lacey said he hopes to see others invest in the Point Breeze community.
“The area needs improvement,” he told members of the County Planning Board. “Small business feeds on small business.”
In other action, the Planning Board:
• Recommended the Town of Murray approve a special use permit and the site plan for a 27,500-square-foot building at 15631 Lynch Rd.
Sam and Son wants to use the building with nine truck bays and 33 parking spaces for employees, customers and guests. Sam and Son primarily works with constructing and expanding electrical substations and installing transmission line poles.
• Recommended the Town of Clarendon amend its zoning text to allow more than two travel trailers, campers and recreational vehicles on a private lot but only for special events – weddings, graduation parties, family gatherings. Those vehicles can be parked overnight for a period not to exceed 14 days in a calendar year.
• Voted in favor of a request from the Town of Gaines for a 6-month moratorium extension on the installation of freestanding and ground mounted solar energy systems.
