Local News
Schumer seeks funding for Great Lakes Initiative
Lakes vulnerable to invasion of Asian Carp this year
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer recently vowed to restore $175 million in funding that President Obama has proposed cutting from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to protect and clean up the Great Lakes.
The initiative received $475 million last year, but the president has proposed cutting that to $300 million this year. Schumer said this move was particularly flawed in light of how dangerously close Asian Carp have come to invading the Great Lakes. He said that if the Asian Carp reach the Great Lakes, they have the potential to cause billions and billions of dollars in economic losses.
Schumer said that every dime is necessary to fight this invasion.
“We need all available resources to prevent Asian Carp from penetrating the Great Lakes, which would deal a direct blow to people who depend on the Great Lakes for work and for play,” he said. “This is not the time for us to be pulling back on resources or giving an inch in this fight. I will fight to restore this funding cut as Congress prepares its budget this year.”
Schumer said Asian Carp could have a devastating economic impact on the region and threaten the $7 billion a year Great Lakes fishing industry. The Asian carp have such a voracious appetite that they destroy the food chain in the bodies of water they inhabit, destroying ecosystems and killing native fish. The Great Lakes are already in dire need of restoration funding and will suffer if the limited resources designated in the president’s budget are allocated, in large part, to fight the Asian carp, he said.
Schumer also said that beaches in New York have been hard hit by problems with the Great Lake’s water quality, and the full funding is needed. In the summer of 2009, local beaches in Rochester, for example, were closed more than they were open. As of September 2009, Ontario Beach was closed a total of 34 out of 63 days due to high bacteria levels in the previous day’s water tests.
Lakes Ontario and Erie are already plagued with invasive species, such as lamprey and zebra mussels. At an event at Rochester City Hall in August 2009, Schumer noted that the unpredictability of the water quality was precluding resorts from being developed along the shore, and hindering tourism because people do not want to take a risk visiting a beach that is closed more than half of the time.
The president’s 2011 budget requests $300 million in EPA’s budget for the Environmental Protection Agency-led, interagency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, to target the most significant problems in the region, including invasive aquatic species, non-point source pollution and contaminated sediment.
The program, which will be in place for the next five years, will focus on the following areas:
• Toxic substances, particularly in the agency’s geographically fixed “areas of concern.”
• Invasive species.
• Non-point source pollution and the health of nearshore environments.
• Wildlife and habitat restoration.
• Program administration, including accountability, monitoring and evaluation.
Much of the restoration work will be done through federal agencies, but local governments and non-government organizations will have access to hundreds of millions of dollars that will be distributed as grants. Such a distribution method will allow Rochester to tailor methods of pollution control to its needs. Schumer said the funding is an important investment for communities along the Great Lakes — a recent study by the Brookings Institute showed that every dollar invested in cleaning up the lakes would yield $2 in savings and increased revenue through economic development.
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Teens accused of harassing mosque parishioners
Members of the World Sufi Foundation Mosque have experienced harassment in the past, but nothing like what happened earlier this week. The disruption resulted in the arrest of five teens — one of whom is facing criminal charges for allegedly firing a weapon.
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Dad gets 6 months in child's death
An Orleans County man who pleaded guilty in June to criminally negligent homicide in his daughter’s death was sentenced Monday to serve six months in jail.
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Teens accused of harassing Carlton mosque
Members of the World Sufi Foundation Mosque have experienced harassment in the past, but nothing like what happened earlier this week. The disruption resulted in the arrest of five teens — one of whom is facing criminal charges for allegedly firing a weapon.
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Community Action helps children prepare for school
Community Action of Orleans and Genesee completed its annual back to school drive Thursday, helping more than 200 children get supplies.
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Remembering 9/11
Each year a group gathers in Albion to remember those who lost their lives that September day nine years ago. Holding tributes and candlelight vigils, the Orleans County American Legion has hosted the event to pay tribute to those involved in 9/11.
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Special gift pushes trust campaign over the top
The Sandstone Trust of Medina has exceeded its 2010 summer campaign goal on the strength of a very special memorial gift which was made public this week. The immediate family of the late Fern J. Blackburn (widow of Paul R. Blackburn) presented a major contribution to the Trust committee in an amount equaling 20 percent of the entire summer campaign goal of $25,000. With this support, the total of summer gifts stands today at approx. $27,000, leaders said.
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District confirms leave of absence
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Department issued an appearance ticket Aug. 21, requiring a district administrator to appear in Batavia Town Court next month to answer a charge of driving while intoxicated. The Holley Central School District can confirm that the administrator has been on leave since Aug. 3, which includes the alleged time of the incident.
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Village improves skateboard agreement
The Village of Albion board had good news for skateboarders and Santa Clauses on Wednesday, approving the Town of Albion’s offer to help pay for skate park equipment and offering to assist with the upcoming celebration of legendary Santa Claus Charles Howard.
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Fifty-six years strong for Camp Rainbow Fund
The Camp Rainbow Fund, which inherited its new name six months ago from the former Journal-Register Camp Fund, continued this summer to do good work on behalf of children in Orleans County. A total of $5,074 was raised from the public to send boys and girls “into the sunshine of Camp Rainbow,” located on Town Line Road in the northern part of Ridgeway.
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Natale introduces book about spirituality, sexuality
Maintaining a relationship with God can be difficult for anyone who is tempted by the distractions of everyday life — money, sex, addictions. But faith goes deeper than the labels affixed to these indulgences and the churches people go to seeking guidance.
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