Canal opening welcomed

PHOTO BY JULIE HUFF  

HOUSEKEEPING: In preparation for the May 1 opening of the Erie Canal, there have been park renovations in Newark and dozens of clean-up volunteers have been scouring the area clean in Lyons.

By SUE HIGGINS and JOHN ZORNOW
editor@cgazette.com

LYONS - Sporting work gloves and with brooms and weed trimmers in hand, more than 60 volunteers turned out to sweep Canal Street clean in preparation for the opening of the canal May 1 and the tourist season.

'People are realizing,' said Jerry Ashley, Lyons Main Street program manager, 'that it takes only a couple hours for 60 people to clean up a street. It also says that the people of Lyons love this little village.'

Ashley has challenged the village to beat the 60-volunteer mark when Water Street is scheduled for a spit shine May 2.

With street cleaning, canal trail clean-ups and waterfront grooming, things are hopping in Lyons.

Mayor Corrine Kleisle said a state Greenway grant will help the village install new docks along the canal, as well as a canoe/kayak access point.

'A wider road and larger parking area will be installed on the south side of the canal,' she said. 'Landscaping will be completed. Tables and benches will be placed along the canal banks, as will new lighting with outlets for boaters. New kiosks will provide directions to stores and historical sites.'

Pedestrian and jogger counts, in conjunction with the Western Erie Alliance and the Genesee-Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, are in motion along the canal, Ashley said. The purpose is to better gauge canal trail use and so help in attracting new tourism dollars. Those numbers can also be used for marketing purposes.

Housecleaning and improvements haven't been limited to the canal, but extend into the village, where the east-end fountain in Center Square Park will be restored to match the west-end fountain.

Along with sprucing up, residents are making preparations for multiple festivals and activities throughout canal season.

Already, the Lyons Main Street 1939 Film Retrospective is in process. It continues every other Thursday night until the end of the year at the Ohmann Theatre on William Street. The year 1939 was chosen because it is considered to be the golden year of classic movies.

The village is set to meet and greet a large group of bicyclists on the 400-mile Great New York Cycling tour when they traverse the trail July 7, the Tuesday before Peppermint Days.

Follow the canal west to Newark, where renovations in preparation of the canal opening are in the works at T. Spencer Knight Canal Park. Lighting and electricity have been installed along the canal, new sidewalks were erected by the pier and canal steps were constructed.

'We are in the final phases of renovation of the canal park, with a dual purpose in mind,' said Newark Mayor Peter Blandino. 'Visitors to Newark, and boaters will enjoy the upgrades, and local residents are encouraged to use the facility.'

The annual Newark Community Pride Day, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 9, will provide the opportunity for volunteers to tackle clean-up projects along the canal banks, parks, trails, old locks and in village locations.

In mid-May, the Newark Farmers Market opens.

The Newark Family Fest, June 12, 13 and 14, is an opportunity for the village to showcase the canal and trail. And, the annual Duck Race is slated for Saturday, June 13.

Newark, too, will be a stop on the Great New York Cycling tour.

'In 2008, we had canal traffic from 40 percent of the continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii and Canada,' said Gloria Becker, administrative assistant at the Newark Chamber of Commerce, which has an office at the canal park. 'Visitors say that our stop is a peaceful alternative to other noisier, busy canal ports.'

Carmella Mantello, director of the state Canal Corporation, a division of the Thruway Authority, which oversees the system, said workers have been getting buoys out on the waterways and that the fourth annual Canal Clean Sweep, in which communities spiff up their locations as part of Earth Day and prepare for the navigation season, was successful.

'We are looking forward to a good season,' Mantello said. 'Volunteers and the local communities are really working to capitalize on the canal, and it's a real partnership.'

She hopes the economy will encourage people to vacation closer to home and take advantage of the inexpensive activities along the canals such as museums, hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

Mantello said more than 200 canal-side events are planned in canal communities. A new twist is that commercial shipping is up, with 81 trips last year, compared to less than 20 in prior years.

'It shows the canal is being looked at as an alternative to trucking and a cleaner and greener alternative to trucking,' Mantello said. 'Little by little, word is getting out that the canal is a true gem to New York state. We really feel in economic times like this, we need to capitalize on our state assets. We feel the canal is one of those assets that is really going to shine this year.'

Rates will remain the same, ranging from $5 for a two-day pass for vessels under 16 feet to $100 for a seasonal pass for vessels longer than 39 feet. Ten-day passes are also available. For details, see the Canal Corporation's Web site at www.nycanals.org.

Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May 21 and Sept. 10 to Nov. 15. From May 22 to Sept. 9, the canal will be open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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