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#Post#: 1363--------------------------------------------------
Is a local Facebook Group Influencing the Safety of Erie Canal
Communities & Neighbors?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: December 7, 2020, 9:09 am
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It's no secret if you live in the western section of the Erie
Canal in Upstate NY, that there are monumental changes being
made to the 200 year old Erie Canal Waterway & Trail system.
Some of these changes are part of a new Earthen Embankment
Integrity Program (EEIP) being run by it's owners and involves
removing the overgrowth of trees & underbrush that grows along
side the canal on those "slopes" that run along about 125 miles
of the 525 mile system.
It seems that those slopes or berms are actually earthen
embankments (or dams) that have been identified as High Hazard
and in need of remediation now. Dam Remediation is simple,
everything gets removed, the soil is de-rooted, and then new
embankment earth is replaced along with a covering of grass.
Keep the grass short and dams can be properly inspected in the
future.
Many of these earthen dams are no more than 18 - 20 feet tall
and are barely visible under the overgrown canopy, while other
embankments have been raised over neighboring areas by as much
as 60-75 feet. Most of these earthen dams have had little to no
proper inspection and/or maintenance, according to recently
released documents from the NYS Comptroller and Rizzo
Engineering.
Both of these oversight agencies have cited long-standing safety
issues with the NYS Canal System, one in a 2014 report and most
recently in 2017-18 when Rizzo Eng. conducted a few "spot
inspections" for new the new owners of the canal system, the New
York Power Authority. (NYPA). Since 2017. when New York Power
Authority took ownership of the Erie/Barge Canal System & it's
protector the New York State Canal Corporation (NYSCC)
And it's no secret that under prior ownership, with the Thruway
Authority, the Erie Canal had fallen into disrepair and reached
the point of being a public safety concern.
So NYPA has now taken up the challenge, like many before them,
to "make money" from this NY Canal Property. They have promised
NY Government Leaders that the Canal will use NO TAXPAYER MONEY
to run or maintain its system, and they have focused heavily on
repairing old & new safety issues they have uncovered in their
new asset.
For many neighbors who have headaches from fighting leaking
canal embankments, these safety solutions couldn't come soon
enough. You can read more about Embankment Safety by using the
links below:
HTML http://www.canals.ny.gov/Earthen_Embankment/index.html
HTML https://ecna.us/eeip/
And for the first time in a long time, the new owners of the
Erie Canal are listening to their neighbors while making these
plans to repair safety issues and clear these unsafe
embankments. NYPA has been working towards solutions that
satisfy the needs of both private homeowners that border their
canal property, as well as the communities that the canal passes
through.
All of these proposed changes have to do with improving the
SAFETY of the canal system and also to promote the safety of the
PUBLIC using the Canal System, both trail and waterway. These
improvements are centered on building & rebuilding a SUSTAINABLE
canal system that stands the test of time and last the next two
hundred years.
So why would anyone want to STOP the New York Power Authority or
the Canal Corporation from getting these much needed and
long-overdue safety repairs made?
That seems to be the million dollar question.
Why anyone would fight against what many knowledgeable people
would and do consider a Public Safety Program, is a mystery.
It's a mystery that the Erie Canal Neighbors Association has
perplexed over since we formed in 2018, in order to provide
opposition to the dangerous rhetoric being propagated by a
Facebook group in the Rochester area, in the eastern suburbs of
Pittsford, Perinton & Fairport.
Still to this day, this "pseudo-environmental" group on
Facebook, who's calling itself the "Stop the Canal Clear-cut
Group", is fighting against all of this NYS Canal Corporation's
public safety work along the Erie Canal. And they have also
opposed New York Power Authorities' Embankment Integrity Program
to repair these unsafe earthen dams as "unnecessary" and
detrimental to the "environment".
The owners of the Erie Canal are saying that they need to repair
known safety concerns of their earthen dams, for the public's
best interest, to prevent environmental devastation that could
result from a breached embankment & flood. They are saying it
loud and clearly.
And this group is saying they don't believe the message, and
don't trust the messenger?
Worse yet, most people in the Rochester area are unaware of the
danger they may be in, because the NY State Canal Corporation
has been very tight-lipped.
And even worse than this ignorance, there are some people in the
area that actually support this group instead of setting them
straight.
By the way, the new owners of the NY Canal System, NYPA, has
also started a campaign to drive more tourism with their
Reimagine the Canals program, which is slated to transform the
Erie Canal from what it is today, to a 21st century centerpiece
for Recreation in New York State. They will use what they have,
electricity & power generation, to transform the canal into a
sight to be seen and enjoyed day or night. You can read more
about their efforts by using the links provided below:
HTML https://www.ny.gov/programs/reimagine-canals-initiative
HTML https://ecna.us/reimagine/
#Post#: 1365--------------------------------------------------
What's happened to Perinton, Pittsford & Fairport
Leadership?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: December 7, 2020, 10:11 am
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It appears that while some people in the area are fighting
against a safer Erie Canal, there are many people who approve
and welcome these Canal embankment changes. All of the work
being done, and changes in the embankment's appearance, are
soundly based in advancing the cause of public safety for canal
communities & canal neighbors.
And many canal neighbors have finally been able to talk with
their "absentee owner" and get our voices heard on water issues
experienced while living next to these earthen water impounding
structures. Neighbors, more than anyone else, appreciate the
efforts towards a safe "dam in their backyard" that the new
owners are making.
Yet some people in our area, it seems mostly those walking along
the Empire State Trail system, are opposed to these canal
embankment changes, citing a loss of shade & oxygen(?) as a
reason to fight a public safety program. They say nature is
being destroyed and their view of the canal will be different,
in a bad way. They simply deny that any safety problems being
brought up by the OWNERS of the NYS Canal System exist.
They seem to have the mentality that 'if it's not broke, don't
fix it' and are failing to hear the New York State Canal
Corporation saying that "the Erie Canal is BROKEN!"
This latter group is being led by a small trio of individuals
from Perinton, NY using a Facebook group called Stop the Canal
Clear-Cut or STCC. You can go see what they have to say, but be
forewarned, they are a 'public' group by invitation only. And
you have to be approved by the Founder, and also NOT do anything
contrary to what this founder & group believes. If you do you
will find yourself on the outside looking in, because
leadership's opinions are law.
HTML https://www.facebook.com/groups/374651252977621/
Why anyone would fight against what many knowledgeable people
would and do consider a Public Safety Program, is a mystery.
It's a mystery that the Erie Canal Neighbors Association has
perplexed over since we formed in 2018, in order to provide
opposition to the dangerous rhetoric being propagated by a
Facebook group in the Rochester area, in the eastern suburbs of
Pittsford, Perinton & Fairport.
Still to this day, a small "pseudo-environmental" group on
Facebook, who's calling itself the "Stop the Canal Clear-cut
Group", is fighting against all of this NYS Canal Corporation's
public safety work along the Erie Canal. And their surrounding
community, the one in danger from possible flooding with these
unsafe embankments, does NOTHING to stop the rhetoric.
In fact some local Mayors, like Pittsford, are supporting the
cause of this group, which is fighting public safety on the
wrong side
The owners of the Erie Canal, the New York Canal Corporation &
New York Power Authority, are saying that they need to repair
known safety concerns of their earthen dams, for the public's
best interest, to prevent environmental devastation that could
result from a breached embankment & flood. They are saying it
loud and clearly, and started their messaging with Public
Hearings in Perinton & Fairport areas. And what did the local
community do? Many attended to hold up protest signs and gave
the floor up to the leaders of this Facebook group to speak for
their neighborhoods.
In fact the Leaders of this Facebook group stood up and said
they believed that squirrels and trees were more important to
save, than homes & residents.
Finally these Eastside Town & Village leaders joined forces with
this Facebook group and sued these two New York State agencies
to stop the Erie Canal embankment repairs, and hold all of this
public safety work up. All of which has now resulted in new
Flood Zone maps being created for canal communities, and more
money being spent to get what should have been a simple public
safety project completed. Where are the public officials, are
they for or against public safety in their own communities???
Again, just asking the question.
What happened in Perinton, Fairport, and Pittsford to have so
many public leaders & community members simply abandon common
sense, and also good judgement, in protecting the public, from
itself?
Isn't that the JOB of our community leaders, protecting the
public's best interest? Shouldn't that be the GOAL of a
community who truly cares?
#Post#: 1450--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is a local Facebook Group Influencing the Safety of Erie
Canal Communities & Neighbors?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 1, 2021, 10:09 am
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After watching this Opposition Group on Facebook, for more than
3 years now, I have to say NO, but they tried hard to disrupt
public safety.
My post to follow will detail why this statement is true.
While this Facebook groups somehow believes they are
"influencers" and think that they have "won" the battle to save
old dead trees along the Erie Canal, the truth is they have
stopped nothing, and been wrong on just about every topic they
discussed in their postings.
First they invented a name for their group, Stop the Canal
Clear-Cut, that falsely claimed that the embankment maintenance
being done along the Erie Canal, was Clear-Cutting Trees for
Profit. They tried to ignore safety, and say all this Canal work
was about filling Canal Corporation pockets... all disproven as
bunk.
What we all did learn was that tree & vegetation removal was all
a normal part of the Earthen Dam Remediation process
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/general-discussion/of-course-this-is-still-about-public-safety-why-wouldnt-it-be/msg871/#msg871
Next this group tried to find experts to say that these Earthen
Embankment Dams weren't "dams" at all, they are natural
riverbanks and then levees. They had to misrepresent their
claims and once their "experts" found out about what this group
had done, the recanted their statements of reclarified their
position.
And this groups OWN EXPERTS have told them that the Erie Canal
Embankments are indeed EARTHEN DAMS and do need to be cleared
off.
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/links-to-documents/dr-gray-says-it-all!/msg166/#msg166
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/general-discussion/important-announcement-coming-soon/msg185/#msg185
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/perinton-canal-embankment-discussion/check-the-ecna-forum-for-important-information-on-december-8-134/msg180/#msg180
After the ECNA called this Facebook group out on their expert
support, the group changed course and stated that trees are NOT
a danger, and the Canal Corporation was hyping the issue of
unsafe, overgrown trees. And once again, the REAL facts showed a
much different story.
The Canal Corporation's own Notices & Alerts, along with the
Groups Facebook Posts of downed trees on the Canal Trail proved
that trees were a constant danger to anyone using Canal
property.
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/general-discussion/yet-another-tree-down-into-the-navigation-channel/msg1258/#msg1258
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/erie-canal-embankment-integrity-program-(eip)/alternatives-to-erie-canal-embankment-tree-clearing/msg838/#msg838
Most recently this Facebook group tried to stir up the neighbors
who have already had their Embankments cleared off, by telling
them they wouldn't be getting their privacy barrier screening
planted, they would somehow get "shorted" on the number of
ornamental trees they were promised in their clearing project.
Read that again.
Those neighbors who this group didn't help one bit from from
losing their trees, are now being told by the SAME group that
they probably won't get the replacement trees that they were
promised. It's because the Canal Corp and their parent New York
Power Auth. "lied to them".
One has to ask, do they really WANT trees or NOT?
Once again, it's all mis-information, and denial, by a group
that simply won't accept that changes are needed on the Erie
Canal to make it last another 100 years.
And once again the truth is clear, the Canal Corporation has
kept their promises to the Embankment Restoration neighborhoods,
and they will be keeping their promise to continue clearing
under their new Embankment INTEGRITY Program as well.
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/eerp-phase-3-discussion-board-evergreen-barrier-planting/official-eerp-restoration-announcement-from-nys-canal-corporation/msg1448/?topicseen#msg1448
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/eerp-phase-3-discussion-board-evergreen-barrier-planting/brockport-embankment-barrier-restoration-has-started-march-2021/msg1444/?topicseen#msg1444
Now the Facebook Group seems fixated on the Shade is Cool fight,
somehow believing that their "noble" effort to save "shade"
along a handful of canal trails sections that have it, is
somehow more important than fixing miles and miles of unsafe
embankments that have real neighbors living in danger below
those overgrown dams.
Unsure how a group could even think for a moment that shade
should win out over SAFETY of humans, but that's why I stated
clearly... This Facebook Group is not moving the needle one bit
on stopping anything, including a State Run public safety
program along the NYS Canal System.
Because in the end, it's always been about the Safety of New
Yorkers, even if people refuse to see or believe it
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/general-discussion/final-thoughts-on-erie-canal-embankments-trees/msg879/#msg879
And the only explanation that fits, for these folks on Facebook,
who can't seem to move towards the truth, well that's also very
simple to explain. It's expected with some people, anytime that
a significant change is suggested or promoted.
That's because the Cycle of Change shows that we all start at
DENIAL stage of any change proposed, and then work our way
through the other 3 Stages of Change.
And sadly, some people NEVER leave that initial denial stage and
are left behind, as the rest of the world moves on and accepts
and embraces the "new" Erie Canal
[attachimg=1]
#Post#: 1451--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is a local Facebook Group Influencing the Safety of Erie
Canal Communities & Neighbors?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 1, 2021, 11:32 am
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And when someone can't get past their own denial while others in
the group that person started can, the best thing to do is
simple...
Immediately STIFLE any & all 'free speech", and then take the
"Authoritarian Approach" that everything, including "free
speech" must be approved by Management.
[attachimg=1]
It's plain and simple what is at play here, it's called
censorship
Wait... This is an April Fools prank...right?
#Post#: 1452--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is a local Facebook Group Influencing the Safety of Erie
Canal Communities & Neighbors?
DIR By: Michael Caswell
Date: April 2, 2021, 3:56 am
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SHADE? Oh!
THAT subject again?
Lets look at the shade on the embankment from Fairport to
Bushnell's Basin.
For those that are lacking in compass skills or even knowing
where the sun comes up and goes down, I will explain that it's
the sun's position which causes shade or the lack of it.
Our stretch of canal in Perinton/Fairport, runs north to south,
quite different to most of the canal embankments. So, the sun
comes up in the east, and it shines brightly most of the day on
the trail on the west side of the canal.
Consequently, there is NO SHADE until around 5pm when the sun is
in the west, and those ol' trees eventually cast their shadow
over the trail.
Looking from Bushnell's Basin to Pittsford, the canal runs east
to west, with the trail on the north side, so there is no shade.
So, what is all the fuss about shade?
I'd suggest if you really need shade, buy a brolly, an umbrella.
Or take another trail, with less constant sunlight.
After all, we have plenty of trails here that are in woodland.
Good grief!
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