By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2021 at 9:24 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
POINT BREEZE – This woman fishes off the end of the western pier at Point Breeze on Saturday evening. Although it warmed up to the 50s on Saturday, there were still icicles hanging on some of the rocks.
The Point was popular on Saturday evening, with people enjoying the sunset and the fresh air and several trying to catch a big fish.
It’s going to be a nice stretch of weather to start spring. The high temperatures for the next few days include sunny and 60 today, mostly sunny and 63 on Monday, mostly sunny and 64 on Tuesday, partly sunny with a high near 67 on Wednesday, and mostly cloudy with a high near 64 on Thursday.
This angler carries his fishing gear and looks for a spot to fish on the western pier at Point Breeze.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 March 2021 at 11:01 am
Tax revenue from Airbnb locations doubled in third and fourth quarters
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Woolston family has operated Cedar Valley Lodging on Park Avenue in Waterport since 1986. Pictured from left include Irene Woolston, Dana and Lynda. They are joined by their dog, Sunny.
Orleans County lodging operators saw business take a dramatic drop a year ago in March when Gov. Andrew Cuomo put New York on “Pause.” That order closed many businesses temporarily, and urged people to stay home for nonessential travel.
The local lodging operators saw many cancellations and few bookings from March through June. But then business really started to pick up, especially for smaller operators with only a few rooms. That appealed to families looking to get away but not wanting to be around too many people during a pandemic.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Andrew Meier is shown at the check-in desk for the Hart Hotel in Medina. Corporate clients were down last year, but the site attracted new customers from Western New York who went on “stay-cations.”
The numbers show that overall the county didn’t see a drop in the bed tax, the 4 percent tax charged for people who stay in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, lodges and 68 rentals in the county through Airbnb.
The total bed tax collected for 2020 was $58,438.45. That is about 100 dollars more than the $58,424.31 in 2019, according to data from Kim DeFrank, the county treasurer.
“Initially we had many cancellations and refunds and that was painful,” said Andrew Meier, owner of the Hart House Hotel in downtown Medina, which has eight rooms available.
“But then business picked up and we saw a shift in guests. There was less corporate and faraway visitors to more stay-cationers.”
Meier said the Hart House saw more customers the second half of the year who were from Western New York. People looking for a change of scenario and short getaway after being confined to their residences, especially with schools shifting to on-line learning and more parents working from home.
Laura and John Olinger opened a cottage and guest house at the Bridges last year, next to Narby’s on the Oak Orchard River. The Olingers worked about a year getting the places ready, and thought the timing was bad when they opened the cottage in May. They book customers through Airbnb.
“After Covid hit we didn’t think we would get much business but we were booked solid,” Mrs. Olinger said.
Nearly all of the guests we within driving distance. Many spent the weekend in the area and went to Niagara Falls or they visited wineries. Many just wanted a break from their daily routine.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Joan Page opened the Bell Tower Lodge in 2015 at the former Kenyonville United Methodist Church. The site on Oak Orchard River Road has five rooms for rent.
“It’s been people from Rochester and Buffalo, and some from New York City,” Olinger said. “We had people close by from Middleport and Holley. They just wanted to get away for the night because of Covid.”
The Olingers are adding a house boat that can be rented and they are putting in new floating docks.
The bed tax had its biggest gains in Airbnb rentals, with the second half of 2020 doubling the bed tax revenue from the same time in 2019, said DeFrank, the county treasurer.
Joan Page owns the five-unit Bell Tower Lodge, the former Kenyonville United Methodist Church. She opened it in 2015 following three years of renovations.
She does most of her bookings through Airbnb. Her bookings “tanked” in the spring due to Covid, with the restrictions and health concerns. She said she lost $8,400 in cancelations. She was worried but then in the summer and fall she was busy.
“I had a lot of families who were basically losing their minds and needed a getaway,” Page said.
The site appealed to customers too because there are only five rooms and only a few other customers. That eased their concerns about being around lots of other people during a pandemic.
“We were appealing because we’re not 40 rooms,” she said. “Having fewer rooms proved advantageous.”
Page and other operators all said they intensified their cleaning in between customers.
Page said her revenue which recovered later in the year was still down from 2019. She said she already has several bookings this spring and summer. She is pleased to see more people in the region looking for a vacation in the rural areas, and not necessarily going to resorts or the glamour of a city for a getaway.
“I always thought that our little area is an undiscovered heaven,” Page said.
Dana Woolston said Cedar Valley, which overlooks Oak Orchard River, is a popular getaway for fishermen and people who want a break from the hustle and bustle.
Dana Woolston operates Cedar Valley Lodging on Park Avenue in Waterport. The five lodges overlook the Oak Orchard River and has repeat customers going back 30 years. Many are fishermen.
Cedar Valley took a hit last spring and summer. New York’s travel restrictions, requiring many out-of-state visitors to quarantine for 2 weeks once in New York, kept many of the Woolston’s long-time customers away.
Dana Woolston put in new hardwood floors, fans, lights and made other improvements during some downtime at the lodging business last year.
“We had some cancellations because people were afraid once they got here they would get fined,” Woolston said.
With weddings capped at 50 people by the state for much of 2020, Woolston said there were a couple cancelations at Cedar Valley for wedding parties.
He said the overall revenue was down about a third in 2020, but did pick up in the second half of the year.
Cedar Valley saw some new faces last year, with families looking for an escape. Woolston also sees a growing clientele in drivers for local Amish. Some of those drivers are helping Amish relocate from Pennsylvania or Ohio to Orleans County where real estate is less costly.
Woolston’s parents, Glenn and Irene, started Cedar Valley in 1986. Dana has remodeled the five sites, putting in new hardwoods floors that he said are easier to clean. There are new fans, lights and other upgrades.
“Most of our customers come from word of mouth,” he said. They come for the secluded lodging along the Oak Orchard River. When you come down here you are in a different world.”
The motel tax has been on the rise in Orleans County in recent years. Prior to the $58,438 in 2020 and $58,424 in 2019, the motel tax generated $51,002 in 2018. In 2017, the bed tax generated $45,374. The county uses the funds for tourism promotion.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Oak Orchard Harbor needs to have sediment removed to make the channel more navigable for boaters. The harbor is pictured on Aug. 29, 2019. Local officials want to ensure the harbor is regularly dredged of sediment.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2021 at 8:26 am
The Oak Orchard Harbor and Johnson Creek in Carlton, near Lakeside Beach State Park, are both on a state list to be dredged.
The state has a $15 million regional dredging initiative the Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday said dredging harbors along Lake Ontario remains a priority. Dredging started at Little Sodus Bay, a navigation channel in Cayuga County used by boaters to access Lake Ontario from Little Sodus Bay.
File photo: The dredging barge is near the breakwall at the end of the Oak Orchard channel when the harbor was dredged in August 2014 for the first time in 10 years.
The dredging project will remove built-up sediment from the bottom of the waterway to allow for continued safe passage of watercrafts to support the tourism economy and preserve wildlife in the region.
The Oak Orchard Harbor dredging is scheduled to start in June 2021 and the Johnson Creek Harbor will get attention in July 2021, the state has previously said.
“We’re building the resilience of communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to prevent flooding and ease maintenance of vital navigation channels for years to come,” Cuomo said. “This dredging project is essential to protecting not only New Yorkers who live and work in shoreline communities but also the wildlife in the coastal habitats of the region, while also boosting tourism by ensuring safe recreational access for boaters.”
To date, the State has completed four REDI dredging projects, and removed approximately 15,000 cubic yards of sediment, to provide recreational boaters with safe access to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
The completed dredging projects include Port Bay, Blind Sodus Bay and East Bay in Wayne County, and Sandy Pond Inlet in Oswego County. Through Phase I and II, the dredging initiative is tackling the necessary dredging of 20 harbor navigation channels. Upon completion of the project, over 100,000 cubic yards of sediment is anticipated to be dredged, Cuomo’s Office said.
Niagara County: Olcott Harbor, Golden Hill State Park
Orleans County: Oak Orchard Harbor, Johnson Creek
Monroe County: Sandy Creek, Braddock Bay, Long Pond Outlet, Irondequoit Bay
Wayne County: Bear Creek Harbor, Pultneyville
Jefferson County: Clayton French Creek Marina, Henderson “The Cut”
St. Lawrence County: Ogdensburg “City Front Channel,” Morristown Navigation Channel
During Phase III, the State will provide counties with the information they need to update, expand, and implement an existing Regional Dredging Management Plan to keep the channels operational over time.
In response to the extended pattern of flooding along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, Cuomo created REDI to increase the resilience of shoreline communities and bolster economic development in the region.
Five REDI Regional Planning Committees, comprised of representatives from eight counties (Niagara and Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga and Oswego, and Jefferson and St. Lawrence) were established to identify local priorities, at-risk infrastructure and other assets, and public safety concerns.
The REDI Commission allocated $20 million for homeowner assistance, $30 million to improve the resiliency of businesses, and $15 million toward a regional dredging effort that will benefit each of the eight counties in the REDI regions. The remaining $235 million has been allocated towards local and regional projects that advance and exemplify the REDI mission, Cuomo’s Office stated.
“Addressing the damage and erosion from high water events and wave impacts are essential elements of Governor Cuomo’s REDI initiative that is creating stronger communities along Lake Ontario’s shoreline,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2020 at 10:21 pm
Captain’s Cove owner funds gift card promotion at Black North Inn, Tillman’s and Roadies
File photo by Tom Rivers: George Lacey, owner of the Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina, joins office manager Alexis Montes at the business on Roosevelt Highway in Carlton, near the bridge over the Oak Orchard River. This photo was taken in October. Lacey said the business kept going through his dedicated employees, including Montes, Taylor Paniccia, Luanne James, Mark Darrow and Kevin Richardson.
CARLTON – George Lacey, owner of a marina and motel in Carlton, said his customers’ happiness is often tied to whether they catch a big fish – and get a good meal at a local restaurant.
Lacey can’t guarantee they will reel in a big Chinook salmon or brown trout, but he feels confident in telling them they will be satisfied if they eat at the Black North Inn, Roadies Pizzeria and Sports Bar or Tillman’s Village Inn.
Lacey, the owner of Captain’s Cove, said his customers give him very positive feedback about those local eateries, and those places are a big part of them having a good experience when they stay at Captain’s Cove.
Lacey knows the local restaurants have had a very difficult year. They were limited to take-outs only early in the Covid-19 pandemic. Then they could offer outdoor dining and then at a reduced capacity indoors.
Lacey’s business, which includes 14 motel rooms, was booked solid since the summer and through Nov. 30. Many of the customers are fishermen, but Lacey said there was a big increase in people staying from New York City. They wanted a break from the city during the pandemic and sought out a spot near water, Lacey said.
Captain’s Cove has had some difficult years recently. In 2017, flooding devastated docks and a building near the river. That building was demolished and Lacey rebuilt on higher ground. He put in new docks. Flooding hit again in 2019.
He worries about the restaurant operators. They are his friends and he knows the winter months tend to be lean times for those businesses.
Lacey decided to put $5,000 towards a promotion to give those businesses a boost. He reached out to the Orleans Hub and Lake Country Pennysaver for ideas. The sales representatives worked with Lacey and the three businesses to have a matching gift card promotion, where people get a free $25 gift card if they buy one at $25. Lacey will pay up to $1,600 for the free ones at each of the three businesses. He also is spending $200 in advertising to promote the gift cards.
“I’ve been in business my whole life and I know how hard it is to run a business in New York State,” Lacey said. “Orleans County needs business. We have people coming from all over the country and we need to support one another. This is about small business supporting small business.”
The gift card promotions started today. They are good while supplies last. They were in hot demand at Roadies today, which reported they were sold out. The Black North Inn went through the first $500.
Alana Piccirilli and Kristin Rowell have owned the Black North the past 3 ½ years. This year many of the concerts, fishing tournaments and other events that draw people to Point Breeze were cancelled.
“This pandemic has been very difficult for all of our businesses,” Piccirilli said.
She thanked Lacey for funding the gift cards. By making them a matching offer, the three businesses will see nearly $10,000 in sales from the promotion.
“He’s a great guy,” Rowell said. “It’s a wonderful thing he’s doing.”
Piccirilli said the businesses near the Point look out for each other.
“We send people there and he sends people to us,” she said. “We all stick together. We are a community down here.”
The Black North is currently serving customers through take-outs only. People can call and the Black North will bring the gift cards out to customers if they buy a matching gift card. Rowell and Piccirilli said the customers have been supportive during a difficult year.
“We’re grateful for George and we’re grateful for all the community support,” Piccirilli said. “Hopefully we can get more people to shop local and think about the restaurants.”
At Tillman’s, Lacey has been a long-time customer and friend, said Samantha Tillman, the front house manager.
She said the Village Inn has endured a slow year, with a spike during the summer. The gift cards should help bring in customers after the holidays when traffic usually is at the low point for the year.
“It been extremely tough for all of us,” Tillman said. “It’s because of the community that we are still there. It’s hard to survive but we’re in it for the long haul.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 December 2020 at 1:40 pm
Provided photos: Justin Niederhofer (right), the outgoing Carlton fire chief, presents the President’s Award to his mother Valerie Niederhofer on Monday evening. Ed Cooper, president of the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company, is at left.
CARLTON – The fire company presented awards on Monday from 2019. Those recognitions would have been presented at an early spring banquet but that was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Fire company leaders were hopeful the awards would eventually be presented in a gathering with firefighters recognized in front of their peers. But the recent spike in cases and hospitalizations in the county makes an indoor banquet unlikely in the near future.
Jacob Marks, left, is presented with the Chief’s Award from Justin Niederhofer, the Carlton fire chief.
Fire Chief Justin Niederhofer and President Ed Cooper decided to give out two special awards from 2019 on Monday evening.
Cooper gave the president’s award to Val Niederhofer. She is the mother of current fire chief Justin Niederhofer. Justin’s brother Andrew also has been fire chief, and their father, James “Dutch” Niederhofer, served in the role in the early 1990s.
Val Niederhofer has been a key supporter of the fire company for decades.
“She is the most selfless person you could ever meet and is so dedicated to this community and to the firefighters/EMT’s of our town,” Justin Niederhofer said. “There are so many that don’t or won’t find time to take classes, yet she will take classes for stuff she most likely will never use just to fill a seat so that she can make sure the other responders in our department are afforded the opportunity to get much needed training.”
Niederhofer presented the Chief’s Award to Jacob Marks, who committed himself to many training classes to be an asset to the community as a firefighter and EMT.
“Thank you Jake Marks for all that you did to make my first year as chief easier, being there when I needed you, the line needed you, our community and the neighboring communities needed you,” Niederhofer posted on Facebook today. “Most don’t complete their fire or EMT classes in the first year and Jake did both! So proud of the progress you have made and the challenges you have overcome and I am so looking forward to all the great things you will do in the future. Our town is truly a safer place because of you!”
Niederhofer earlier this year accepted a job with the county as deputy emergency management coordinator. He didn’t seek another term as fire chief after two years.
“This year has brought about many challenges that we thought we would never see in our lifetime, but we faced them head on as the professionals we are and served our town proudly,” Niederhofer said in a message to the firefighters.
The officers for the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company in 2021 include:
Fire Chief Dale Niehaus
1st Assistant Chief Andrew Niederhofer
2nd Assistant Chief Seth Dumrese
Captain James Fisher
1st Lieutenant Matt Hughson
2nd Lieutenant Noah O’Kissick
President Ed Cooper
Vice President Richard Brakenbury
Secretary Val Niederhofer
Treasurer Tom Yockel
Board of Directors: James Heiler was chosen to serve a second three-year term.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 December 2020 at 10:01 am
CARLTON – Don Bemont sent in this photo he took of a Snowy Owl this morning, soon after it got light. Bemont took the photo along the service road at Lakeside Beach State Park.
The owls typically nest in the Arctic tundra and winter in Canada. But in recent winters they have migrated into the U.S. in search of food.
This owl appears to be a female. The males tend to be nearly all white while the females have darker markings except on their faces, which are always white.
New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists of its annual closure of the stretch of Lake Ontario State Parkway, west of Route 98 in the town of Carlton.
This year’s closure of the 2-mile section is anticipated to go into effect on Monday and last until next spring. A detour will be in place for motorists to exit at Route 98 and take Route 18 to continue west.
The DOT has closed that section of the roads in recent winters to save on de-icing materials, equipment and repairs to damaged pavement. Closing the 2-mile stretch saved an estimated $70,000 worth of maintenance and operating expenses including materials, equipment, and labor, the DOT has said.
About 800 cars travel this section every day, the DOT has said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Oak Orchard Lighthouse is shown in September 2018 at the shore of Lake Ontario in Point Breeze.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2020 at 9:55 am
Group also selling memberships, memorial bricks
POINT BREEZE — The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum is asking for the community’s help to make up for lost revenue after its biggest fundraiser was cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The museum, which owns and oversees the lighthouse at Point Breeze, runs on a shoe string budget, said Dick Anderson, the group’s president.
Visitors to the lighthouse are welcome to the climb the stairs to the top.
But it does have insurance costs and this summer paid $1,200 to have the 35-foot-high structure cleaned and given a new fresh coat of linseed oil.
Anderson is urging people to purchase a lifetime membership or buy a memorial brick. The museum is offering a deal on a lifetime membership at $250, instead of the usual $500. People can also buy a family membership at $35.
The museum has been selling memorial bricks for $75 near the lighthouse with lines on the brick. There are souvenirs also available for purchase at the museum.
The site opened with volunteered this summer in mid-July, later than usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Anderson said the museum insists that visitors wear masks and social distance.
They are welcome to go inside the lighthouse and climb the stairs to the top.
This year about 1,000 people have stopped by the lighthouse. Normally volunteers greet 2,000 to 3,000 people during the season.
“We talk about the location and the area,” Anderson said about the role of the volunteers.
The lighthouse offers a vantage point of the Oak Orchard Harbor. The lighthouse includes a modern LED light that is lit at night from April 1 to Nov. 1.
They are usually on site Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., a busy time with Black North Inn customers getting their fish fries. The museum also is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Anderson expects this weekend will be the last one for volunteers at the site this year as the weather begins to turn colder.
Anderson, a retired science teacher at Spencerport, said he has met many interesting people volunteering at the museum. He is proud of the community for supporting the site, including the initial fundraising efforts to build the lighthouse.
The lighthouse was constructed in 2010, after $200,000 was raised from the community. The state also provided assistance with the project.
The 35-foot lighthouse is a replica to one that toppled in 1916 after a storm. The Oak Orchard Lighthouse has become an iconic symbol for Orleans County and the Point. It is often featured on the cover of the county’s tourism guide.
For more information about the museum, click here for the group’s website. Anderson said people are welcome to call him with questions at (585) 682-4383 or by email at oolhdick@aol.com.
A check can be mailed to the museum at Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum, P.O. Box 23, Kent NY 14477.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jerry Given of Bradford, Pa. tries to catch a salmon on Monday in the Oak Orchard River. Given made the trip with two other friends. He comes to Orleans County three or four times a year, trying to catch a Chinook salmon or brown trout.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 2:05 pm
CARLTON – Covid-19 isn’t keeping the fishermen from Orleans County, who are back trying to catch a Chinook salmon or brown trout in local tributaries.
New York’s travel advisory on states with high rates of Covid-19 infections is keeping some people away, but the core group is back from Pennsylvania and other parts of New York.
Local businesses, especially those in lodging, say they have seen an increase in customers, and not only during the tributary fishing season.
Many people from cities have sought out rooms in Orleans County, even if only for a few days.
“We’ve been booked since June and that continues through early November,” said Ron Albertson of Albion, who rents out a vacation lodge in Kuckville, right by Lake Ontario. “We’ve had had families an couples, people from the cities who just want to get away for a few days.”
Albertson lists the cottage on Vacation Rentals by Owner or VRBO. Before the pandemic, he had people stay in the cottage from England, Sweden and Germany. The past six months, it’s been many families who stayed, including one from Holley.
Ron Bierstine, owner of Oak Orchard Tackle and Lodge since 1998, said more people are willing to try the great outdoors during the pandemic.
Ron Bierstine said the travel advisory has kept away customers from West Virginia, who would stay in his lodge and also go fishing.
But he has seen many new faces, including rookies who haven’t tried fishing before.
“They’ve heard about the great salmon fishing here and they want to try it,” he said.
There is demand for more guides to help new fishermen navigate the tributaries and know the best bait to entice the big fish, Bierstine said.
The fish have been making their fall run, and their presence always brings out the anglers, he said.
The fall fishing season is critical for his business and others that cater to the fishermen.
“This is my Christmas,” he said. “If I don’t make it in the fall, I don’t make it.”
His business has struggled like many others with supply chain issues. He doesn’t have the full array of products that he normally has, although Bierstine said he is still well stocked for anglers.
“Things are really starting to ramp up for the tributary season,” he said. “There are plenty of guys around.”
George Lacey, owner of the Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina, joins office manager Alexis Montes at the business on Roosevelt Highway in Carlton, near the bridge over the Oak Orchard River.
Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina has 14 rooms that have been booked solid since the summer and will be until Nov. 30. Many of the customers are fishermen, but Lacey said there has been a big increase in people staying from New York City. They wanted a break from the city during the pandemic and sought out a spot near water, Lacey said.
Captain’s Cove was closed in April because of Covid. Lacey used that downtime to upgrade the motel rooms. The customers have been positive, giving him good reviews online which has brought more people to Captain’s Cove.
The site also rents pontoon boats and motor boats, and gives customers use of kayaks.
“We had people come from Niagara Falls or Rochester, just wanting to stay a day,” Lacey said. “They liked it so much they stayed for a week.”
He knows the pandemic with the restrictions on capacity for some businesses like restaurants hurts many of the establishments in Orleans County.
“This is going to hurt for many years,” he said about the revenue losses for many businesses. “It’s going to be a struggle for a lot of people.”
Lacey invested heavily in Captain’s Cove after significant flooding in 2017. He raised the parking lot by 5 feet.
Sharon Narburgh said Narby’s Superette and Tackle is seeing many new faces during the pandemic.
Sharon Narburgh, owner of Narby’s Superette and Tackle on Route 98 in Point Breeze, never closed during Covid, keeping the gas station, groceries and tackle shop open. She has been with the business for 54 years. She said Narby’s has been busy.
“We’re getting more people who were stuck at home and haven’t fished for years,” she said. “They want to be out of the house.”
The travel advisory has hurt, keeping some long-time customers away. There are currently 32 states on the advisory. Travelers from those states to New York must quarantine in NY for two weeks.
Narburgh said the travel advisory is unpredictable, and it has cost many businesses customers, often at the last second.
“The charters have lost a lot of business, which means we all lose some business,” she said. “That means Orleans County lost a lot of business.”
She said the pandemic has revealed there is a shortage of beds in the county for visitors.
“We try hard to find a place for them to stay in Orleans County,” she said. I don’t want to send them out of county.”
These three anglers fish from a boat in the Oak Orchard River in front of Captain’s Cove near the Route 18 bridge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2020 at 8:35 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: These fishermen try to catch salmon and trout in the Oak Orchard River on Oct. 19, 2018.
CARLTON – The Orleans County Legislature has secured public fishing access for the next five years along about 4,000 feet of the Oak Orchard River, including at some of the most desirable fishing spots.
The Legislature on Wednesday approved spending $69,000 over the next five years to Roy and Scott Salmon of Park Avenue in Waterport. That will give the public access to 15.8 acres of highly coveted property. The lease runs from Aug. 22, 2020 to Aug. 21, 2025.
The county first entered into an agreement with the Salmons in August 2007. That first agreement was $7,500 annually over three years. The most recent lease was for $60,000 for over five years, or $12,000 annually.
The county in 2007 pushed to reach a deal with the Salmons for public access after the family put about 50 posted signs along their property. Fishing is the county’s top tourism attraction, generating about $28 million in economic activity in Orleans, according to a recent report from the state DEC based on 2017 data.
The Oak Orchard is a popular draw, especially in the fall during the annual salmon and trout runs with many anglers coming from around the state and country to fish in the river.
In addition to public fishing access, the agreement allows the Salmon property to keep its vegetative cover to protect water quality and riparian habitat, and to also be available for fishery and habitat management, research and educational programs.
The county has signs on the Salmon property, urging anglers to respect the land, by taking out trash and fish carcasses.
Provided photos: Orleans County will install about 1,500 feet of rocks along Lakeshore Road in Carlton to protect the road from further erosion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 August 2020 at 9:02 am
CARLTON – Orleans County is moving forward with two public works projects in Carlton that are part of the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI), a $300 million state-wide effort.
The county will be redoing the public boat launch at Point Breeze, the one near the Black North Inn, and also will be stabilizing the shoreline along about 1,500 feet of Lakeshore Road.
The high Lake Ontario water levels in 2017 and 2019 chewed away the shoreline by Lakeshore Road, east of Point Breeze.
The state will pay 95 percent of the costs through REDI, a state program announced last year to protect public infrastructure and assets from Lake Ontario flooding.
The county is working with engineers on design to prepare the projects for bid.
• The Lakeshore Road project will cost an estimated $2 million. The county will hire a contractor to re-establish the shoreline, which was eroded from the high water levels in 2017 and 2019.
Big rocks will be brought in for about 1,500 feet of the shoreline by the road, east of Route 98. The project also includes drainage improvements along the road, said John Papponetti, the county’s DPW superintendent.
Work on that project is expected to start in the fall. The county is responsible for 5 percent of the costs.
• Point Breeze Boat Launch: The county also will upgraded the public boat launch at Point Breeze, a project estimated to cost $750,000.
The county will be replacing the ramp, the two boat launches and the docks at the site.
When the lake levels are high, the boat launch is useless for boaters because their vehicles flood out trying to launch a boat.
The project includes floatable walkways which will tie into a concrete ramp. The current concrete ramp will be removed and a new one put in that will be pulled farther back on land.
The contractor will likely need to set up a coffer dam and pump out water during construction to work on the project. The launch will be regraded and concrete poured for the new ramps and docks.
The project also includes milling and paving the driveway and parking lot.
Construction is expected in the fall after the boating season with a goal to be done next spring before the start of a new boating season, Papponetti said.
CARLTON – Roy John Follman of Carlton was presented with certificates last week in appreciation for his military service in 1953 and 1954.
The top photo shows George Way, a social worker for Hospice of Orleans, presenting Follman with a framed certificate.
“We pay special tribute to you for you military service to America and for advancing the universal hope of freedom and liberty for all,” the certificate states.
Follman, who is currently under hospice care at his home, attended Alfred State in 1952 and in 1953 entered Basic Training with the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Drum. After his training he was sent to Iceland and then to guard the Russian border. He was honorably discharged in 1954 and then graduated from Cornell in 1958.
Nancy Traxler, director of the Orleans County Veterans Service Agency, presents a Certificate of Commendation to Follman from the American Legion. It acknowledges that Roy J. Follman served in the United States Armed Forces “in the name of Freedom and Democracy, and for courageously protecting our Liberty and Independence.”
John spent most of his life working for farmers and retired in the early 2000s to tend to his own garden, especially his rhubarb. Close to 800 pounds of rhubarb were harvested this year with help from his family.
John and Dorothy were married at Thanksgiving time in 1954 and raised four boys. Many of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren live close to home.
Roy John Follman is pictured in 2016 with some of his rhubarb.
Follman was presented with these certificates from the American Legion and Hospice of Orleans.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2020 at 10:09 pm
Photo by Cheryl Wertman
CARLTON – The storm clouds are forming over Lake Ontario this evening off the shore of Lakeside Beach State Park. There was wind, thunder and lightning, and Circle R’s hail guns were booming, but initially there wasn’t any no rain. That came later. Cheryl Wertman, who took the photo, said the lake water turns gray when a storm is approaching.
Today the high temperature was 98 in Buffalo at the airport. That exceeded the daily record of 92 for July 9, and tied the second warmest temperature ever recorded for Buffalo, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. It was also the hottest day in Buffalo since 1953. Buffalo has now hit 90 degrees seven straight days.
The high of 97 in Rochester today was the hottest day in Rochester since July 17, 2012, according to the National Weather Service.
Friday is forecast to reach a high of 92 in Orleans County. A heat advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. on Friday.
Daniel Hurley took this photo of the sunset on Route 98 in Carlton.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 July 2020 at 8:50 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – An ultralight plane is upside down in a squash field on Gaines Road in Carlton this evening. Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Marsceill is on scene with Carlton firefighters.
The pilot, James Retzlaff of Burt, needed to do an emergency landing after the engine stopped. He was able to circle the field and land the ultralight at about 7:30 p.m. However, the dirt was loose and the plane dug in and flipped over on the landing, said Sheriff Chris Bourke.
Retzlaff, 74, wasn’t injured from the incident. He was able to walk away and was checked out by Carlton firefighters. He declined to be transported by COVA ambulance.
Retzlaff had been flying for about 1 ½ hours before having to an emergency landing just north of the Gaines Valley Aviation Airport.
Provided photos
Members of the Sheriff’s Office help move the damaged ultralight to a trailer. Chief Deputy Jeff Gifaldi, center, Undersheriff Mike Mele and Sheriff Chris Bourke, back right, helped to move the aircraft.
Sheriff Bourke said further examination of the ultralight showed the plane most likely ran out of gas, which caused the engine to conk out.
