Catt. County 04-14-2023

The Dredge became a man-made ditch to control flooding

By Deb Everts CONEWANGO

— As the town of Conewango observes its 200th birthday, it’s a good time to look back on the construction of the Conewango Dredge, an important waterway that runs through the town to this day.

“The Dredge,” as it became known, was an idea of the New York State Legislature in 1839 to extend the Erie Canal southward from Buffalo through western Cattaraugus County to the Allegheny River via Conewango Creek. It was one of the largest projects of its kind attempted in Western New York.

Although the canal never materialized,

part of the legislature’s plan was resurrected in 1896 to protect areas along the meandering Conewango Creek from constant flooding. When the creek was straightened and cleared 127 years ago, the manmade ditch opened up approximately 20,000 acres of farmland on both sides of the northsouth waterway. This nine-mile drainage ditch runs northerly along the CattaraugusChautauqua County line from Goodwins Landing near Randolph to the Dredge Road by the village of

South Dayton.

In her article submitted to “Historic Path of Cattaraugus County,” local historian Marlynn McNallie Olson Ray said some of the best farmland was along the route planned to be taken by the Dredge, but every year it flooded and was unusable.

“It served its purpose for a considerable time, but no maintenance was ever provided. The shores eroded and trees fell over into the Dredge, and that dammed up the water,” she said.

“Flooding began again, canceling out all the hard work and money that had been spent to prevent flooding. The land was once again covered with water.”

Ray said the situation got so bad that something had to be done. She said a group of interested citizens formed to clean out the Dredge and shore up the banks from Cherry Creek to Waterboro in the mid1990s. The midsection of that effort lies in the town of Conewango. With donated money, the laborers began to clean out the original Dredge and

shore up the banks, finally completing the task in 2003.

“Brush and undergrowth was cut away and hauled out,” she said. “The bottom of the Dredge was cleaned of 103 years’ worth of accumulation.”

Many people have commented how wonderful it would be if the original creek bed could be restored and put back the way nature intended. Built for drainage, the Dredge has become a prime recreational feature attracting fishermen, canoeists and kayakers.

According to the Cattaraugus County

Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan of 2006, there are nine floodwater impoundments located in the headwaters of Conewango Creek. They are maintained by the Conewango Watershed Association and have greatly reduced the severity of flooding since their construction in the 1960s and ’70s.

Typically, the loss of protective riparian vegetation – wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams – primarily due to agricultural pursuits is the major contributor to stream bank erosion

People choose pets for various reasons, including the size or appearance of an animal or even a natural affinity for a certain type or breed. Cats and dogs are wildly popular pets, and many households even have both.

When it comes to selecting a breed of kitty or pup, certain options seem to be more popular than others. Acrosss the globe, these breeds of canine and feline have recently been listed as top breeds, courtesy of The Cat Fancier’s Association and Highland K-9 Training.

Dog

1. Bulldog: Most popular in the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and Serbia, this muscular, medium-sized dog once was bred for fighting. Selective breeding has transformed bulldogs into calmer, more loveable companion animals.

2. German Shepherd: The German Shepherd’s popularity shows no signs of waning. It’s the third-most registered breed in the United States and its high trainability, speed, agility, and other traits make it a popular family pet.

3. Labrador Retriever:

Whether they’re chocolate, black or yellow, labs have been loved for decades. Canadians, Americans and people from all over flock to the affectionate Labs. Originally called the St. John’s Water Dog, Labs originated in Newfoundland, but have since loved their ways into homes across the globe.

Cat

1. Ragdoll: This longhaired cat with a soft, plush coat has gained popularity in recent years. It was recognized as an official breed in 1998, and its mellow disposition and bright

blue eyes have made it a favorite.

2. Maine Coon: This is the largest of all pedigree cat breeds, and is considered the “gentle giant” of the feline world. Shaggy-coated and attractive, these cats are quite popular around the world.

3. Exotic: The Exotic was developed as a more easily maintained alternative to the Persian (also a top breed). A short, dense coat with a variety of patterns has inspired the admiration of cat lovers across the globe.

trimmed to the approval of the cemetery board, maintaining grass height of no more than 3 inches and trimmed as close to the grave stones as possible Bidder is to furnish mowing and trimming equipment as necessary and provide a certificate of insurance Bids to be a single price for the entire season of May through October for the year 2023 Bids to be submitted prior to April 20th 2023 in a sealed envelope and mailed or delivered to Becky Kruszynski, 5739 Humphrey Road, Great Valley New York 14741

Please contact Becky Kruszynski, secretary with any questions by order of the Green Cemetery Association

IDA agrees to modify deal with Great Lakes Cheese Co.

By Rick Miller ELLICOTTVILLE

— The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency approved April 5 modification of the agreement with Great Lakes Cheese Co. to reflect higher costs at its new state-of-theart cheese plant now under construction near Franklinville.

The Hiram, Ohio-based company had projected the cost of building and equipping the 486,000-squarefoot plant along Route 16 at $500 million. That cost has since escalated by more than 20% due to inflation and supply chain issues.

Great Lakes Cheese Co. officials now estimate the final bill will be about $621 million for the plant that will supply its cheeses to much of the East Coast from Florida to Maine.

The Franklinville plant will replace the aging cheese plant in Cuba owned and operated by Great Lakes Cheese, and employ the 230 employees currently working there. With new employees, total employment at the new plant will be just under 500.

The higher costs faced by Great Lakes Cheese represent about $73 million in higher costs of materials and $48 million in higher labor costs largely due to inflationary and supply chain challenges, said Corey Wiktor, IDA executive director.

Material costs went from $122 million to $195 million and labor went from $81 million to $129 million. About $45 million of the higher costs will be subject to sales tax exemption, or about $3.6 million in state, county and local sales taxes.

The project was earlier approved for $153 million in tax exemptions including $23 million in sales taxes, a $5.6 million mortgage recording fee and $125 million in property taxes over the life of a payment in lieu of taxes (P.I.L.O.T.).

Only the sales tax exemption is affected by the modification requested by Great Lakes Cheese and approved by the IDA at a special meeting on April 5. The increased exemption will be worth $3.6 million to the company.

Wiktor said people working at the site

include local labor and companies, although a specific breakdown is still being worked on.

The economic impact of one of the largest construction project in the county’s history extends to restaurants, food and convenience stores, gas stations and other local businesses, Wiktor explained.

When the IDA induced the Great Lakes Cheese project last year it was aware the company planned to double its capacity at the new plant with a need for 4 million gallons of milk a day. It would assure the jobs of about 600 farming jobs and 36,000 dairy cattle.

Before presenting the modification request, Wiktor shared the comments from a public hearing on the plan held last week at the Farmersville Town Hall. Much of the plant is located in the town of Farmersville.

County Legislator Ginger Schroder of Farmersville apologized for many of the comments made at the public hearing. The only one in support was Supervisor Melanie Brown. Schroder is a legislative representative to the IDA.

The new plant, once it is fully operational next year she said, will produce $171 million in goods and services each year. It will be responsible for $459 million in economic activity across Western New York and will support 1,186 jobs.

Wiktor said most speakers wanted to know what was in it for the town of Farmersville.

Jobs for one thing, he said. It is also generating economic activity every time a vendor comes to the site, a food truck or a truck hauling gravel, he

said. Local laborers, food trucks, trucking companies, propane and concrete deliveries are also benefiting.

Great Lakes Cheese is visiting all the schools in the county in their recruiting efforts, Wiktor said. Several job fairs have been held. Jamestown Community College in Olean and CattaraugusAllegany BOCES have been recruited for job training.

Great Lakes Cheese is on track to begin making cheese at the new plant by the end of 2024, but will begin processing

cheese — slides and shredded — made at other plants in fivepound food service packs earlier next year.

Wiktor, who thought much of the criticism at the public hearing was scripted, suggested backing up the comments with minutes from the IDA meeting. He said Great Lakes Cheese documents are on the IDA website to increase transparency.

“It’s a shot in the arm for the (local) agriculture industry,” said IDA President Thomas Buffamante.

By Rick Miller OLEAN

— Cattaraugus County continues to rank among the least healthy counties in New York state.

“The only county below us is the Bronx,” observed the Cattaraugus County Board of Health’s president, Dr. Joseph Bohan, who noted the county is No. 61 out of 62 in health outcomes.

“We are sitting in the same spot as last year,” said Public Health Director Dr. Kevin D. Watkins.

Cattaraugus County remains among unhealthiest in state

“It’s not good. We want to get that number down.”

Sitting at No. 58 in terms of length of life, Cattaraugus County residents faced a loss of 8,181 total potential years of life prior to age 75 compared to 5,952 for the state average in 2022. That amounts to one year lost for every year a county resident dies before age 75, Watkins said. There is also a racial component. From 2017-19, 43.2% of whites died before reaching age 75,

compared to 70% of Blacks and 71.4% of Hispanics.

In a survey, 14% of county residents responded they were in poor or fair health, while the state average was 12%. Residents reported an average of 3.4 poor physical health days compared to 2.7% in New York state, Watkins said.

Among the reasons for the county’s low health ranking is the ratio of residents to primary care physicians — 2,168:1 as compared to a state average of

1,174:1. The same goes for dentists, Watkins said. The county has a 2,184 ratio of residents to dentists with a state average of 1,218:1.

The county health rankings are compiled each year by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Watkins said the county’s ranking in the bottom quarter of counties across the state has changed little over the past several years. “There are

things we can do” to change this, he said, asking for suggestions from Board of Health members.

In the past, health officials have blamed in part the high rate of adult smokers and residents unhealthy diets for the county’s high unhealthy ranking.

Social and economic factors included in a county snapshot as part of the study show about 21% of county adults are smokers compared to 12% of state residents; that

32% of county adults are obese compared to 27% in the state; that 22% of adults admitted to excess drinking, that 22% of children are living in poverty and 23% of children are in a single parent household.

Watkins reminded Board of Health members that the Cattaraugus County Health Department would celebrate its 100th anniversary on June 15 with a special program including the state health commissioner, Dr. James McDonald.

Chase Matthew announced for second Catt. County Fair concert

Wednesday, Aug.

2. The opening act is Kidd G.

This year’s country fair runs July 30 to Aug. 5.

Matthew began his career by independently paving a path for himself, leaning heavily on his infectious personality, rowdy live performances and authentic, relatable music – amassing a massive 360 million-plus global career streams.

a HITS Magazine

“One to Watch.”

Since releasing his debut album, “Born For This,” in 2022, Matthew has been busy selling out venues across the nation on his headline tours, including making his hometown headline debut in Nashville to a sold-out crowd of more than 1,600 fans this past fall.

Way I Am” and an onslaught of music to quench their thirsts.

Georgia-based singer/songwriter

By Kellen M. Quigley

LITTLE VALLEY

Country music

—

up-and-comer Chase

Matthew, one of the hottest new acts out of Nashville, is

the second of two concert headliners announced for this summer’s Cattaraugus County Fair.

Matthew, a native of Nashville, will perform in front of the grandstand on

With more than 150 million global streams on his first Gold-certified smash, “County Line,” Matthew has garnered over a million followers across social media and has been named

Matthew’s latest single, “Love You Again,” is on fire and the driving force behind him landing on Country Now’s “Artists to Watch in 2023.” Fans can expect more new music from this Nashville riser in the coming months, with his Feb. 3 release of “The

Kidd G made a run at the Billboard Country Songs chart with his breakout 2019 track “Dirt Road,” a sliceof-life country-pop tale set to sparse hip-hop beats. He released his debut EP the following year and followed it up with 2021’s fulllength “Down Home Boy,” an album that blurred the borders between country, hip-hop and pop.

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday. All tickets are sold only through etix.com.

Tickets are $35 for track seats or $30 for the grandstand

plus gate admission. Track tickets are for standing while grandstand tickets are assigned seats. In March, country singer-songwriter Jake Owen was announced as the headliner for the fair’s Thursday concert with Tyler Booth as the opening act. Those tickets, $40 for the grandstand and $45 for the track, are on sale now. Other main grandstand events include the Broken B Rodeo on July 30, the demolition derby July 31, monster truck rallies Aug. 4 and 5 and the big rig truck pull Aug. 5. For more information, visit cattarauguscofair.com or call (716) 938-9146.

All

donate blood through April 23 will receive an exclusive Red

Red Cross, Peanuts gang encouraging blood donations

April is National Volunteer Month, and the American Red Cross and Peanuts gang from Charles Schulz’s famous comics are joining forces as a reminder that it’s cool to be kind and help save lives.

Donors of all blood types, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets, are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care all season long.

Donors are encouraged to take a page from the comic strips that have charmed generations and take care of one another by making a blood or platelet donation. As a

thank-you, all who come to give through April 23 will receive an exclusive Red Cross and Peanuts T-shirt featuring Snoopy as the coolest beagle in town, Joe Cool, while supplies last.

Those who donate through April 30 will be automatically entered for a chance

to win a three-night trip for two to Sonoma County, Calif. This getaway includes flights, hotel, a $1,000 gift card and special tours of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Snoopy’s Home Ice, courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide. Visit redcrossblood.org

or call 1-800-REDCROSS for more information or to book an appointment.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Cattaraugus County:

Allegany – April 20, noon to 5:30 p.m., Fireman’s Community Center, 188 W. Main St.

Ellicottvill – April 21, 1-6 p.m., St Paul’s Lutheran Church, 6360 Route 242 East.

Olean – April 24, 1-6 p.m., Olean Public Library, 134 N. 2nd St.

AUTO CORNER

Essential road trip packing checklist

e open road beckons millions of motorists upon the arrival of warm weather. In advance of the season’s rst road trip, drivers tune up their engines and plan their itineraries for the adventures that lie ahead.

While it may be tempting to get behind the wheel and see where the road takes you, those who have been around the block - or highway - a few times likely know that road trip planning involves careful packing for the voyage ahead. Bringing the right items along can go a long way toward ensuring a trip is enjoyable and runs smoothly. is list of must-haves can get anyone started on the road trip ahead.

· Proper paperwork: Don’t forget to bring along a driver’s licence, vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and your rental car agreement if you are renting a car. In certain instances, you may need proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/ or a negative COVID test. Double-check that you have it all before leaving.

· Vehicle manual: Even the most well-maintained car may su er a breakdown on the road. Bring along the vehicle manual, which can help you diagnose minor problems. Keep your roadside assistance membership card at the ready in the event you need extra help.

· America the Beautiful Pass: If you plan to visit various

national parks across America, an investment in the America the Beautiful Pass for $80 provides access to the pass holder and three other adults to more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by ve federal agencies. It’s available by visiting store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.

· Important phone numbers: Bring a written list of important phone numbers in case your phone dies or gets lost.

· Cash: Credit and debit cards are a reliable form of payment, but cash is king.Having cash on hand is a smart move in the event bank cards get lost. Cash also is especially useful when patronizing smaller establishments that might not take credit.

· Roadside emergency kit: Keep a tire changing kit, ares, tools, jumper cables, duct tape, and work gloves in the vehicle for emergencies.

· GPS and maps: GPS systems on phones and other devices provide step-by-step directions and can alert to tra c jams. But GPS can be compromised in areas where cellular or satellite service is interrupted by mountain ranges or buildings.

e Maps.Me app enables you to download detailed maps that can be accessed while o ine. Paper maps can serve as backups as well.

· Entertainment: Long road trips are full of opportunities to visit roadside attractions. For the times when the highway

is a long stretch of nothing new, bring along movies, music, books, handheld games, and even trivia or mind puzzles to pass the time.

· Cooler with refreshments: Dining out is a great way to sample local cuisine from various regions of the country. But having snacks at the ready can save time and money. e list of road trip essentials continues, but this is a good start. e list can be customized based on drivers’ interests and their destinations.

American Red Cross

who

Cross and Peanuts T-shirt featuring Snoopy as the coolest beagle in town, Joe Cool.