Devastating canal breach in 1927 flooded community

Photo courtesy NYS Barge Canal Western Division

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 2 No. 43

Eagle Harbor, once a thriving Erie Canal community, was the scene of a devastating canal breach in August, 1927, that caused damages estimated at over $3 Million in today’s economy. The sleepy canal town instantly became the scene of an enormous work force numbering several hundred people that worked 24 hours a day to restore canal commerce.

The underpinning of the disaster can be attributed to the design of the canal in what became known as the south wall of the “Trough at Eagle Harbor.” During the Barge Canal expansion in 1912, a massive embankment or trough with a height of about 50’ feet raising above the level of Otter Creek was created to contain the canal and pass over the creek. The embankment was constructed from earth, concrete and stone.

A portion of the embankment passing over Otter Creek today, known as state canal culvert #86

A short excursion along the towpath at Eagle Harbor quickly identifies the immense scale of the construction project, also seen in the picture above.  The creek itself was channeled through a culvert that was buried 6’ beneath the canal, creating a trough of water 12’ deep above.

On August 3, 1927, bridge tender, Leon Walters, received word from two boys that they had seen a small leak open up in the canal near the embankment. The small leak foretold of the disaster that was about to follow.  A local man, L.E. Bennett, reported seeing a 3’ square hole open up later that day.

This opening began spilling thousands of gallons of water from the canal into the surrounding countryside in short period of time.  The breach occurred about 100’ west of the Otter Creek culvert. Quickly, a massive hole opened up and the south wall of the canal broke apart creating a hole 50’ across and 7’ deep.

Photo courtesy Orleans County Historian

Newspapers stated that canal officials estimated 1 billion gallons of water spilled out of the canal into the surrounding fields, creating an artificial lake about 2 miles long by one-half mile wide with a depth of 20’-60’ throughout.  Numerous houses were flooded with some victims stranded in their second stories until the next day.

The reconstruction efforts began immediately and were supervised by Canal Commissioner Thomas Farrell. Early estimates stated that the canal west of Rochester would need to be closed for ten days, but when the full scope of the disaster was realized, the project dragged on for six weeks.  Some sources reported that during that time, upward to two million bushels of grain were stopped at Buffalo due to the canal break, along with untold amount of other agricultural products from other locales around the Great Lakes.  Local farmers pleaded with Farrell to keep the canal open to the Lattin Bridge Guard Gate so that commerce into and out of Albion (eastbound) could be maintained to help minimize the impact in Orleans County.

Over 200 men were put to work, round the clock to make the repairs. Heavy equipment operators were employed to operate about 20 trucks, 6 steam shovels, concrete mixers, pile drivers and other pieces of earth moving equipment were utilized to complete the project.

Photo courtesy Orleans County Historian

The break became an overnight sensation, drawing motorists thought to number in the thousands to the region. In addition to the cost to repair the canal, many local farmers suffered devastating losses, the ill effects of which lasted a few years in some cases. Local farmer John Potter reported his field of potatoes was submerged under 10’ of water for weeks. Other farmers reported losses of cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and grain products.

Repaired canal structures passing over Otter Creek at Eagle Harbor today. Note use of concrete retaining walls on both sides of the canal.

When final reports were published, state officials postulated that the underlying culprit in the disaster was a colony of errant muskrats, close cousins to the otters of Otter Creek fame, that had burrowed into the wall of the embankment, thus setting up the cataclysmic series of events that led to this historic disaster.

The 1927 Eagle Harbor canal breach is probably the most well known, but not the only historic canal breach in Orleans County. A 19th century breach occurred in the 1850s, a few miles east of Eagle Harbor, near the Joseph Lattin farm in the Town of Albion. At that time, it was reported that a canal boat was actually washed out of the canal and deposited into the adjoining farm land.

Following the canal repairs, Bartlett Lattin helped return the boat to its rightful location back in the canal. More specifically, Lattin’s mother and sister came to the rescue, too, by supplying homemade soap that Bartlett used to grease the skids used to move the boat off dry land. The equipment utilized was actually provided by George Pullman who used an ox-powered machine that his father developed to lift and move houses that were in the way during the canal expansion which was ongoing at that time.

Pullman, a furniture manufacturer in Albion, was working a contract that the state had given to Charles Danolds to facilitate the canal enlargement in this region. Pullman, of course, went on in subsequent years to become a railroad tycoon with the improvements he made to railroad sleeping cars that became known as Pullman cars.

Another 19th century canal break in the region occurred around 1870 in the Town of Gaines, very near the northernmost point on the canal. Water from that breach flowed out in great force, making its way to Beardsley Creek on the north side of the canal. It is said that a local farmer, David Bullard and his daughter, were working in a chicken coop at the time of the deluge of water in the creek, which expanded to include the chicken coop in its wake.

The chicken coop, and all of its occupants at the time, were raised form its moorings and carried downstream at a heart-stopping pace. Eyewitnesses reported that Bullard’s daughter jumped out of the chicken coop as it was passing over Gaines Basin Road but Mr. Bullard rode it out until the coop eventually crash landed at a tree where Beardsley Creek crosses Gaines Basin Rd again at the Sanford Farm.

Workers at the site of 2012 canal breach, photo courtesy Times-Union, David Duprey/AP

A much more recent canal breach took place in 2012, once again in the proximity of Gaines Basin. On the evening of July 30, passersby on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road near the Lattin Bridge, noticed that a slight depression in the highway had formed in a very short amount of time. Retired County Historian Bill Lattin reported, “I was the last car that made it through.  I felt a huge ‘kerplunk’ as my car kind of bottomed out.”

The next car to approach the scene came upon a gaping 60’ wide by 16’ deep sinkhole that had opened up in that same spot.  Luckily, a state worker had arrived on the scene to flag that motorist down.

It was discovered that extensive damage had occurred to a large culvert pipe under the Albion Eagle Harbor Road at that spot. The discovery was followed by the closing of a 25-mile stretch of the canal from Middleport in Niagara County to Holley in Orleans County.  Contractors, meanwhile, hauled in 200 tons of crushed stone to fill the sinkhole in the weakened rock-and-clay embankment.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Construction crews led by C.P. Ward were mobilized late into the night of July 30, 2012 to fill a sinkhole on Albion Eagle Harbor Road and a path along the Erie Canal. Crews worked late into the night to fill the hole and stabilize the site so the canal wouldn’t flood two neighboring state prisons.

The sinkhole nearly collapsed the embankment that held back the Erie Canal. Had the wall been washed out, officials feared the two state prisons next to the road would have been flooded.

Dump trucks hauled stone from Keeler Construction in Barre to fill in the road and canal path.

Repairing the road and path cost the state $1.3 million to fix. The sinkhole forced the state Canal Corp. to close a section of the canal in Albion for about 2 ½ weeks.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Mary Kaderli, left, accepts a check for $800 for the Knights-Kaderi Fund from East Shelby Fire Chief Debbie Taylor. Taylor solicited donations across the county selling sweatshirts, hoodies and t-shirts with emergency responder logos on.

EAST SHELBY – When the Knights-Kaderli walk-run was approaching, East Shelby Fire Chief Debbie Taylor wanted to do something to help.

She contacted all the fire departments in Orleans County and asked their permission to put their logo on wearing apparel.

The started advertising them for sale, and little more than a month later, she had collected $800.

On Tuesday morning, Taylor presented an $800 check to Mary Zelazny, daughter of Sue Kaderli, one of the cancer victims for whom the fund is named. The fund assists Orleans County families who are battling cancer.

“I didn’t know how it would pan out, and I’m glad it ended up great,” Taylor said.

She handed Zelazny the check, each of them wearing their hooded sweatshirt.

“Donations like this really help big time,” Zelazny said. “We really appreciate this. Firefighters really look out for people in their community.”

Taylor said many people who aren’t firefighters supported the cause by buying apparel, and for that she was grateful.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina running back Noah Skinner, who scored three touchdowns, picks up yardage behind blocks by Josh Wilson (56) and Chris Johnson during the Mustangs Class C Far West Regional loss to East Rochester/Gananda this afternoon at Williamsville South.

Unable to overcome a rash of costly mistakes, Medina dropped a narrow 26-24 decision to East Rochester/Gananda in the Class C Far West Regional championship game this afternoon at Williamsville South High School.

A lost fumble at the Medina 30 yard line on the very first snap of the game set what proved to be an ominous tone for the Mustangs.

The turnover ended up putting Medina into a quick 6-0 hole as the Bombers, aided by a pass interference penalty, scored 10 plays later on a 6 yard touchdown run by Adrian Letta.

Medina’s Jarin Rhim goes up to break up a pass intended for the Bombers Miles Caviness.

In fact two of the Bombers other three touchdowns in the contest also came as the result of Medina special teams miscues, one on a punt return and the other on a kickoff return.

“We just had too many breakdowns, just too many mistakes,” said Medina Coach Eric Valley.

Medina did battle back to knot the score at 6-6 on a 5 yard touchdown run by Noah Skinner three minutes into the second quarter. A big 61 yard pass completion from quarterback Xander Payne to Jarin Rhim down to the Bombers 5 set up the tally.

However, as was the case all afternoon, the Mustangs were unable to tack on the the extra points as a penalty proved costly.

The Bombers used up most all the rest of the second quarter with a lengthy 18 play, nine minute long drive which reached the Medina 5 yard line before it was halted by the Mustangs defensive unit via a pass interception by Greg Thompson in the endzone as the half ended deadlocked at 6-6.

The scoring really picked up in the third quarter as the teams traded a pair of scores leaving the contest re-knotted at 18-18 heading into the decisive final period.

Medina’s Greg Thompson, who had two interceptions and a touchdown catch, breaks away for a good gain.

Medina grabbed a 12-6 lead with 4:43 to go in the quartrer on a 1 yard touchdown run by Skinner. Runs of 11 yards by Thompson, 11 and 9 by Skinner and 7 by Payne highlighted the drive which was set up by another pass interception by Thompson at midfield.

However, the lead lasted only two minutes as the Bombers answered right back with a 1 yard TD run by Letta following a big 39 yard run by Gilbert Chaunsey.

The Mustangs again regained the lead at 18-12 on a 5 yard touchdown run by Skinner with just 21 seconds to go in the quarter. A big 39 yard Payne to Thompson pass completion down to the Bombers 5 set up the opportunity.

However, once again the Bombers answered right back this time just eight seconds later as Manuel Sepulveda returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to retie the contest at 18-18.

The Bombers then regained the lead for good two minutes into the final quarter on a 1 yard touchdown run by quarterback Carter Lathrop. Jeremy Blanchard returned a very short Medina punt back to the Mustangs 1 yard line to set up the score.

The Bombers then got the only two-point conversion of the day on a run by Caleb Carpenter for the deciding two points and a 26-18 lead.

The Mustangs again came battling back on a 10 yard Payne to Thompson touchdown pass with 7:45 to go to slice the deficit to 26-24. However, the Mustangs were unable to retie the contest as the two-point conversion attempt again failed.

Payne had big pass completions of 35 yards to Thompson and 30 yards to Cayden Lilleby and Skinner had a 11 yard run to highlight the drive.

The Medina defense then stopped the Bombers next series forcing a punt as Ollie Wilson and Roosevelt Mitchell came up with a key tackle for a loss on third down.

The Mustangs took over at their own 14 with 2:44 remaining but were able to make only one first down.

“We just didn’t get enough opportunities and that is much to their credit,” said Valley of the Bombers ability to control the ball.

The Bombers took over on downs at the Medina 22 with 1:44 to go and were able to run out the clock and advance to next Saturday’s state semifinal with a 12-0 record. The Bombers will face Chenango Forks a 41-21 victor over Skaneateles in the Central Regional.

Medina, which was making it first ever appearance in the state playoffs finishes with an 11-1 record.

Medina quarterback Xander Payne goes through the line for good yardage.

Let’s go on an adventure together….Cross Country!

I have written about several main features of the cross country motor home trip I took with my brother, sister-in-law, and her sister in the fall of 2016. I thought I might use this issue of “Travel Thoughts By Kim” to pull it all together and talk about how we did it.

The rough….very rough outline of our route – when you have a plan, but not really.

Our mother passed in April 2016 – to say it was a very difficult year for us is a huge understatement. We needed a distraction to just get away and for the three of us to spend time together. Kevin and Lylace invested in a motor home earlier in the year and tried a few times to talk me into going on little trips with them. But, I’m not a “camper”. And, then, they mentioned going on a 15-20 day trip through the mid-west that I thought sounded interesting and a good way for us to reboot our lives after so much sadness. So…..we started planning…..and 15-20 days turned into 30+ days. We dubbed it our “Most Excellent Adventure”….and, it truly was!

I’m a “planner”…..yeah, I’ve gotten more spontaneous in recent years, but my brother’s suggestion that we just “see where the road takes us” was a bit unsettling for me. So, we compromised. We sat down and decided on a couple major points to work around, a list of things we each hoped to get to see or do, and mapped out a rough….very rough….route to accomplish it all. And, from there, we just “went where the road took us”! 

The gang as we prepared to head out on the main portion of the trip.

What we knew: We were stopping for a couple days in Wisconsin to pick up Lylace’s sister, Donna, we all wanted to spend some quality time in South Dakota, and we had to spend a week in Louisiana visiting with Lylace’s son and his family. The only time constraint we had was getting to the only pre-booked campground in South Dakota. Other than that, we were flexible and able to change plans as we went. Each morning, we looked ahead and decided how far we wanted to go – general rule of thumb was to get to the next campsite in time to set up before it got too dark, what we wanted to see/do within that distance, and about mid-day, we searched for a campground to call and book for that night. We mostly looked for KOA’s, but also stayed at some Good Sam’s and a Jellystone park. Some were better than others, but for the most part, had really good experiences with all the parks we chose along the way. 

It is a real thrill to watch America go by from the table of a motor home…you never know what you’ll see.

We started out with just me, Kevin, Lylace, and their dog, Kahlua. We made stops on the way to Wisconsin at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – including the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace. When we got to Wisconsin, we spent a couple days visiting family and seeing the sights – remember my article on the cranberry bogs? 

Donna joined us and we headed out for the main portion of the trip. First stop was Lake Itasca, Minnesota to see the head waters of the Mighty Mississippi River – the only place where you can actually walk across the river. This also resulted in us seeing the Mississippi from start to finish, as we also visited the Mississippi Delta when we got to Louisiana and several points in between. 

We spent a week in South Dakota seeing The Badlands, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, and so much more. If you ever get the chance to go to South Dakota, GO!!! What an awesome state. I’ve been there twice, now, and would jump at the chance to go again. 

We, then, headed to Louisiana with lots of states and stops in between. We spent about a week in Louisiana visiting family, where I broke off from the group and took a side trip to Pensacola, FL to visit a friend. I also spent time with another friend in New Orleans. Other friends we visited along the way were in Minnesota. After Louisiana, we headed back to Wisconsin to drop Donna off and then home….seeing more states as we took a different path up north and east.

Just one of MANY special moments captured on our trip. This is my brother and sister-in-law overlooking the Badlands in SD – my favorite photo of the over 2000 taken on the trip!

While we were planning the trip, I was nervous about being cooped up in a motor home with three other adults and a dog for so long….remember my comment about not being a “camper”? So, I told myself that if at any time I felt I’d had enough, I could always find the nearest airport and fly home…..I never even considered that option, again! It was one of my best memories and times with my brother and his wife at a time when we all needed it so very much. I cherish that trip and am happy for each and every one of the 34 days, over 6000 miles, and 21 states we experienced together.

Visit My Most Excellent Adventure blog post for all the statistics, state welcome signs, and key points of interest we visited here!

For all the individual blog posts with tons more details and photos, visit my blog and type in “MEA” in the search box – there are 10 posts covering each aspect of the trip here!

Happy Adventuring!

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Anna Grillo portrays Iris in the Albion Middle School production of “No Dogs Allowed.” Friday was opening night and there are shows today at noon and 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are $5.

In the show, Iris is a young girl who loves her dog more than anything. She sneaks her dog, El Exigente, on a family trip to a state park, where she finds out no dogs are allowed.

The cast performs the opening number, “Just Bring What You Need,” from the musical. The cast includes, from left: Phoebe Allen as Stella the Shopkeeper, Lily Brigham as Mama, Reagan Flor as El Exigente (the dog), Jillian LeBaron as JoAnne, Anna Grillo as Iris, ChrisJen Winters as Papa, Julia Button as Carmen and Kailee Anstey as Shorty.

The musical represents a chance for the students to perform for a live audience. The performers are wearing clear plastic shields by their mouths as a precaution against the spread of Covid.

Reagan Flor is El Exigente, the family dog that briefly runs away and then is reunited.

ChrisJen Winters is “Papa” who has a knack for fixing things. He has to use those skills when the car breaks down on the ride to the park.

Kailee Anstey is Shorty, an exasperated older sister who predicts the car will break down. She is prone to rolling her eyes in disgust. She is singing, “It Isn’t Easy Always Being Right.”

ALBION – Community Action got a big boost to its holiday program Wednesday morning with the donation of 80 turkeys from West Herr Dealerships in Albion. They also donated many other items of food and dry goods.

This is something West Herr does every year, said Michelle Figueroa, emergency services case manager at Community Action.

This year the auto dealership is donating 800 turkeys in the Rochester area and several thousand in Buffalo.

Katrina Chaffee, director of community services and reporting at Community Action, said they received a correspondence a few months ago from Elizabeth Hall, executive assistant at West Herr, asking if they were interested in accepting the donations.

“This will mean a whole lot to holiday program,” Figueroa said. “I’m so happy we can help these families at Christmas time. When you look at their faces when they come to pick up their holiday box, and you see the joy and their appreciation of the generosity of the community, it’s beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Community Action typically helps 150 to 200 children at holiday time, representing about 400 children. Each family, in addition to gifts for the children, receives Christmas dinner, while includes a turkey or a ham. A single person will receive a chicken.

According to Chaffee, she said news sources have reported West Herr donated a total of 4,000 turkeys in the area. This year, they plan to spend $100,000 on turkeys to donate across Western New York, she said.

Community Action made arrangements to store the turkeys at the Holley Cold Storage until they can be handed out.

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

With the recent increase in positive cases of Covid-19, colder weather and the upcoming holidays it is important to remember we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of flu season.

“We are currently seeing a surge of positive Covid-19 cases across Genesee and Orleans Counties, the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.  “We want families to be able to enjoy the holidays together, however we are encouraging them gather safely.”

As we come together to celebrate Thanksgiving next week and Christmas and New Year’s next month, here are some tips for a safer holiday season:

• If you aren’t vaccinated or have not gotten a booster, now is the time. Talk with your primary care provider to determine what is best for you or if you have questions or concerns.
• Even if you don’t have symptoms, consider testing prior to any gathering to know your Covid-19 status so you are limiting potential spread.
• The more people a person is in contact with, and for longer periods of time, the greater the risk of being exposed to and transmitting Covid-19. Limit time in large groups and increase space and/or wear face masks even if you are fully vaccinated.
• Wash hands frequently and sanitize shared items.
• If you are sick, experiencing Covid-19 or flu symptoms, are in isolation or quarantine, do not participate in any holiday activities until you are cleared and symptom free.
• If you are planning to attend a holiday/seasonal gathering and start experiencing symptoms, stay home, consider getting tested for Covid-19.Isolate until you get your test results.
• Limiting social contact is challenging for many people but there are still ways to be in contact without being in their physical presence. Consider having your “gatherings” over social media platforms. You can still connect and have fun in the safety and comfort of your own home.
• If you do choose to participate in various activities, wear a face masks/coverings to minimize exposure indoors/outdoors when with people not in your household and when vaccination status is unknown.

If you are seeking a booster (all adults are now eligible) or start vaccination you can visit www.GOHealthNY.org website and choose vaccination information. GO Health has clinics at their respective health departments. Registration is required for all vaccination clinics.

Orleans County vaccination clinics are scheduled for Tuesday, November 23^rdat the Orleans County Health Department, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY.

• Moderna Boosters only – 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• All doses (no pediatric appointments for 5 to 11-year-olds) – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Genesee County vaccination clinics are scheduled for Wednesday, November 24^that the Genesee County Health Department, 3837 West Main Street Road, Batavia, NY.

• Moderna Boosters only – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• All doses (no pediatric appointments for 5 to 11-year-olds) – 10:30 a.m. to noon

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Doug Pratt of Lyndonville holds a booklet he will give out to those who attend his safety seminar “Refuse to be a Victim” at 5 p.m. Dec. 1 at HeBrews Coffee on East Center Street, Medina.

MEDINA – Doug Pratt of Lyndonville, a technical writer with an extensive background in many areas, will lead a discussion at 5 p.m. Dec. 1 at HeBrews in Medina, called “Refuse to be a Victim.”

Pratt, a Lyndonville native, returned to his family home six years ago after acquiring Robin Hill, the estate founded by his grandfather William Smith.

Ten years ago, while living in Virginia, Pratt was certified as an NRA instructor and has since taught basic pistol safety and firearm safety in the home.

His talk at HeBrews will focus on what is appropriate for your self defense in a variety of situations, including techniques for people in wheelchairs or passengers riding on a bus. He will provide information on mental preparedness, home security, travel security, physical security, psychology of criminals, automotive security, cyber security and personal protection.

Pratt has done two similar seminars at the United Methodist Church in Lyndonville, which he said were well received.

He said the one thing which assures a positive outcome in a threatened situation is to have a plan.

“The most important thing is to have developed a plan and thought it through,” Pratt said. “In New York, you have to provide a reason to carry a gun.”

He said it is much more difficult to own a gun in New York state than others. In Virginia, the crime rate is much lower because criminals know their target might have a gun, Pratt said.

“Every mass shooting in the United States since 1951, with the exception of the shooting of Gabby Gifford, has happened in a gun-free zone,” Pratt said.

There is a $20 fee to join in Pratt’s seminar and space is limited to 10. Reservations may be made by e-mailing Pratt at dad@pratt-hobbies.com.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Brian Marsceill, an Orleans County deputy sheriff, is congratulated by Justin Niederhofer (right), the county’s deputy emergency management director on Wednesday during the County Legislature meeting. Legislator Bill Eick is at left. He presented Marsceill with a “Special Recognition Award” from the Legislature.

“The Orleans County Legislature does hereby commend you for your commitment to serving the communities in Orleans County,” the citation states.

Marsceill won the Jack Meehan Photography award for photo on April 3 from fire in Murray. Marsceill won in the “Accidental Cause” for the NYS Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, Chapter 23.

Marsceill is a nationally certified arson investigator. He has worked 15 years in law enforcement, starting with the Attica Police Department, then Medina PD and the past four years with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

The electrical fire in Murray was on Ridge Road. It wasn’t an arson.

Marsceill was able to determine a nail was driven through the metal siding into wire and that put a hole through the wire.

Photos courtesy of Orleans County Emergency Management Office: The picture with the zip-ties shows the nail, and the hole that was put through the wire. Marsceill was commended for “a very rare find” in determining the cause.

This picture shows the hole through the middle of the wire caused by the nail, before the zip-ties were placed.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Firefighters prevented the electrical fire from turning into a big blaze. Firefighters were dispatched to 16576 Ridge Rd., across from the Murray Superette at about 10 p.m.

The building, a former video store, has two apartments. One that is vacant was full of smoke and the tenants in the other apartment called 911 to report the smoke coming out of the apartment.

Firefighters discovered electrical wiring had melted and the insulation and studs were charred and smoking. They sprayed some water to keep it from becoming a bigger fire.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board voted in support of a proposed 10 megawatt solar project in Gaines and Carlton, near the Gaines Valley Aviation Airport on Gaines-Waterport Road.

Saturn Power in Ontario, Canada is the developer and is operating in New York as Pescara Solar 1 LLC and Pescara Solar 2 LLC, out of Seattle, Wash. The solar panels will go on land owned by Gerald Pescara.

The project is actually split into two separate 5 MW systems. The solar projects are on adjoining properties at 2283 Gaines-Waterport Rd. and 2267 Gaines-Waterport Road. The County Planning Board on Thursday recommended Gaines and Carlton each approve the site plans and issue permits for the solar projects.

The solar panels will be on a tracking system so the panels can move and follow the sun. There won’t be a battery storage system.

The project in Gaines calls for 15,400 solar panels on 577 freestanding tracking solar modules. The project will utilize 33 acres out of 103-acre parcel. The company will plant 101 trees and bushes as part of a landscaping screening plan, ranging in size of 20 to 75 feet at maturity.

The project in Carlton will have 15,300 solar panels on 570 freestanding tracking solar modules. It will use 28 acres of a 44-acre parcel. The plans calls for 91 trees and bushes ranging in size from 10 to 75 feet.

Each project will have its own access road, electrical lines, new electrical equipment and concrete pads for transformers.

Genesee and Orleans counties combined are reporting 249 more Covid cases from Monday to Thursday, with 133 in Genesee and 116 in Orleans.

The number active cases remains near a record high during the pandemic at 577 in the two counties. That is down slightly from the 581 on Monday, when the two counties combined had their most cases since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Genesee is at 298 active cases (down from 326 on Monday) and Orleans is at 279 (up from 255 on Monday).

Orleans has four people in the hospital from Covid, and the county is reporting 91 more recoveries, or previous positive individuals who completed their 10-day isolation and were removed from mandatory isolation.

Genesee currently has nine people hospitalized due to Covid and reported 159 more recoveries.

The seven-day positivity rate for Covid tests in Orleans was at 11.3 percent on Thursday, and Genesee is at 9.1 percent. That is well above the state’s 7-day average of 3.58 percent.

Orleans no longer has the highest 7-day average. Washington County is the highest at 12.9 percent, followed by Fulton at 12.8 percent, and Cattaraugus at 12.1 percent.

ALBION – A Carlton girl who soon will be 7 is a budding entrepreneur, making skin care products that are eco-friendly and “made with love,” said her mother Chase Tkach.

Her daughter, Lyla Rodriguez, has started her own business called Little Miss Lyla. She is selling whipped body butter through an Etsy account (click here) and also at Toyz n Kandy in Albion on East Bank Street.

Lyla started making body butter with her mother a few months ago.

Dan Conrad, owner of Toyz and Kandy, is pleased to offer the skin care products at his store that are made by Lyla Rodriguez.

“She has absolutely perfected the recipes,” Tkach said. “She makes them all on her own. I just help her along the way. I am very proud of her for becoming a young businesswoman and creating such beautiful skin care products. All of her products are eco-friendly, organic, and made with love.
Lyla sells the skin products in glass jars. She uses all-natural ingredients. Some of the products include Candy Cane, Scarlet Jasmine, Autumn Coffee with Vanilla Creamer, Lavender and Rosehip, and Peaches and Cream.

Dan Conrad, owner of Toys n Kandy, is happy to make space in the store for Lyla’s products.

“She is an awesome wonderful little lady that has not stepped up to make money but to show that hard work can pay off no matter how old you are,” Conrad said. “I’m trying to inspire more kids to open their imagination and put in the hard work.”

Lyla and her mother reached out to Conrad about selling the skin care products. He sells other locally made products.

“Anything to not only help this young lady out because she is an inspiration to other kids,” Conrad said.