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Erie Canal Neighbors Association
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#Post#: 1061--------------------------------------------------
The Canal will NOT open for 2020 Season on May 15, closed until
further notice
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 24, 2020, 1:52 pm
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Just in today... no boating until they figure out where they can
open.
Might see some western canal sections open soon. Those with NO
locks & NO unsafe embankments may get filled first. The rest of
the western section may have to wait until known repairs can be
made or safety inspections can get clearance to locks, dams and
other waterway structures.
Middle canal sections are already filled, they are the Rivers &
Lakes that were canalized in 1918 for this canal version. There
are some Dams and Embankments that affect smaller sections so
that will have to be seen. Moveable dams that are unique to this
waterway section control summer water levels
The Eastern Section of the canal system has by far, the majority
of all the locks in the NYS Barge Canal system. Expectations
would be that this section is a priority to get repairs done and
inspections completed and would remain closed until New York
POWER Authority says it's "safe for public use". It also is the
section that feeds from the Hudson River and has the most water
traffic. Maintenance work may be concentrated here for awhile to
get it open ASAP.
I would expect that this will be a challenging year for Erie
Canal boaters...maybe only westside canal section of Rochester
to Buffalo sees water anytime soon
[attachimg=1]
No one is happy about this... just read
HTML https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/With-repairs-halted-amid-pandemic-canal-system-15216407.php
#Post#: 1075--------------------------------------------------
Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor not happy with a Closed
Canal
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 28, 2020, 11:26 am
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Here's an announcement from the Erie Canal National Heritage
Corridor regarding the decision to NOT open the canal due to
safety concerns with missed maintenance and repairs due to
Covid-19. They end their message with this:
As the National Heritage Corridor tasked with preserving and
promoting the NYS Canal System for present and future
generations, we continue to stand ready to work collaboratively
with the NYS Canal Corporation and New York Power Authority at
this critical time.
By a letter on April 8, 2020, we have urged the New York Power
Authority and the NYS Canal Corporation to reconsider their
decision to suspend essential repairs and construction in order
to safely reopen the entire NYS Canal System as soon as possible
and to ensure a timely and full recovery for all New Yorkers.
[attachimg=1]
Sadly the ECNHC folks should be sending this to the State
Government & Leadership who put the state on PAUSE.
Go READ this whole article,
HTML https://myemail.constantcontact.com/NYS-Canal-System-Opening-to-be-Delayed.html?soid=1102067250162&aid=eUxa7SOzgZI
#Post#: 1076--------------------------------------------------
Canal Closure due to Pandemic is about SAFETY of the Canal
System
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 28, 2020, 11:47 am
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Before people run off and start sending emails to The New York
Canal Corporation, NY Power Authority, or the State Government
in Albany remember this one statement.
If you are going to complain again, about SAFETY work on the
Erie Canal and how you don't like it, remember that the NYS
Canal Corporation is first and foremost responsible for PUBLIC
safety along the NYS Canal System, including Locks, Dams,
Trails, and Trees.
The last time the Canal Corporation heard complaints about
safety was regarding it's Earthen Embankment Integrity
Program...and that hasn't gone well.
Here's the list of lock issues cited by someone as what still
needs to be done on the Barge Canal before it can reopen:
Lock pump-outs and related construction work ceased along the
NYS Canal System on March 17.
Impacted locks include: E7 (Niskayuna), E13 (Yosts), E19
(Schuyler), E26 (Clyde), E23 (Brewerton), E33 (Rochester), Locks
E34/E35 (Lockport) on the Erie Canal, and C12 (Whitehall) on the
Champlain Canal.
Until this work is completed, boats will not be able to travel
between locks and vessels seeking to reach the Finger Lakes,
Lake Champlain, Great Lakes, and Canadian waterways via the
Canal System will not be able to do so.
You can learn more about these Canal Locks here:
LOCKS 2-10 -
HTML https://www.nycanals.com/Erie_Canal_Locks
LOCKS 11-20 -
HTML https://www.nycanals.com/Erie_Canal_Locks_2
LOCKS 21-35 -
HTML https://www.nycanals.com/Erie_Canal_Locks_3
Once again it's become a lesson in how the "public" perceives
the message from the messenger...and time after time it's the
same:
The public doesn't like the message, and wants to ALWAYS shoot
the messenger, and as the ECNA has learned, they also want to
shoot anyone who "agrees" with the message of Public Safety
First along the New York State Canal
#Post#: 1084--------------------------------------------------
Westside News misses the point about continued canal closure
DIR By: Doug K
Date: May 3, 2020, 10:55 am
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All of you people thinking that the NY State Canal System is
still closed due to Covid-19 Pandemic social distancing are
missing the point being made by the Canal Corporation...it's not
about keeping people APART, it's about keeping the general
public & canal communities SAFE.
There are unsafe dams that need clearing still, and there are 9
locks listed in the NYS Canal Corporation system that haven't
been properly maintained and repaired in the off season. Those
structures control where water goes, and are critical to the
canal system integrity and safe operation. It's about Canal
Employee safety as well as the safety of the public using the
trails and waterway.
Here's the Westside News tries to change that narrative,
stressing the "importance" of getting the canal open for "social
& economic" reasons.
In a frontpage story they talk about how the Erie Canal National
Heritage Corridor folks are upset that the canal is still
closed, and somehow blame continued Covid PAUSE efforts that
they think should be lifted.
Sadly these folks missed the ENTIRE point that the NY Canal
Corporation tried to make...the Canal System safety cannot be
guaranteed right now...work that should have happened when it
was closed...didn't happen. And until the Locks, Dams, and other
Canal System structures can be cleared for SAFETY, the entire
system has to remain closed.
[attachimg=1]
What about the SAFETY of those living below the waterline when
you open a canal that hasn't been repaired, maintained or
inspected properly to open in the 2020 season? Hard to believe
that a publication like the Westside News would make such a
grave mistake in supporting Public Safety...but they have.
[attachimg=2]
As a "neighbor" of the Canal, living BELOW the waterline, I
would just remind people that SOME of us have to worry about
potential flooding when the Canal is opened each year. For us
it's about surviving yet another year with a 200 year old DAM in
our backyard, it's not about the scenery we have for a walk when
we decide to use the canal that day.
And it certainly should be mentioned to all of these people who
can't see beyond their own selfish interests, there is NOTHING
worse for a community, both financially & socially, than a
devastating flood. A flood that could be avoided if people took
safety more seriously and not the ramblings of a Westside News
story about people who care little about public safety.
#Post#: 1085--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Canal will NOT open for 2020 Season on May 15, closed
until further notice
DIR By: Michael Caswell
Date: May 3, 2020, 11:46 am
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What worries me more about Fairport and the COVID problem is
that The Erie Canal is a direct channel to New York City. Yes,
that metropolis at the other end of the canal. Isn't that the
place that is TEEMING with dying and infected people?
And you want boats mooring up in our village that have come
directly from that hell? In the 2-4 days it probably takes to
get here, symptoms would not even show (I believe).
We only want ONE infected person to set foot here, with
businesses open, and we're doomed.
Keep it shut! No through traffic on the canal, thanks.
But lets get folks fishing, small local boats, kayaks etc. NO
THROUGH TRAFFIC! Lets hope next year is better!
#Post#: 1086--------------------------------------------------
Be careful if you critique the Westside News
DIR By: Doug K
Date: May 5, 2020, 10:25 am
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I was quite surprised at the replies that the Westside news
sent... lesson learned.
The staff there are firm believers in "Freedom of the Press",
even if that means changing the narrative by changing the
chronological order of the "statements" they decide to publish.
And they frown a bit on the public's right to "Freedom of
Speech" when they are called out for inaccuracies.
Here's the reply I rec'd first:
[attachimg=1]
So I wrote back again...
[attachimg=2]
And that ruffled some feathers...because the name calling and
public bashing began.
[attachimg=3]
So here was my final reply, which I will post here. I have fixed
my own grammar and spelling mistakes from the original email
send today:
In case you missed the point...
You published a story about continued Erie Canal Closure
You cited the NYSCC statements about infrastructure safety
issues
Then you changed to the view of the National Heritage Folks that
this is a Covid-19 closure that should be lifted for the
public's best interest on recovery... because the Heritage
Corridor folks thought blowing off public safety due to Canal
structure safety was a good statement to make, a mistake on
their part.
Your order of reporting events & statements of others, which
were not in chronological order, added to the confusion. In
addition, NOT stating AFTER you posted the Erie Canal National
Heritage Corridor statement that the Canal Corp has cited
STRUCTURE safety issues, not a pandemic that is keeping the
canal closed, only added to the misrepresentation.
Maybe this would have been just a bit more accurate, if you had
put the ECNHC April 8 Letter first, and then the NYSCC statement
from April 23 after. As one was a request to open, and the other
was the answer, right?
So again, claiming you had no role here, as the press, seems
off. Just getting statements in the proper order might have
helped out. But you might be one of those in the "press" that
thinks the public is "against them" if they critique your work
in any way shape, or form.
Freedom of the Press is a right, but maybe the word
"responsible" should be added before Press.
But then again, that might not sell the way the press would like
at times.
Take care,
Doug Kucmerowski
Erie Canal Neighbors Association
ECNA.US
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