For lake’s sake: DenyRSM marina proposal

I have used this space severaltimes in the past to express myconcerns that not enough was be-ing done to prevent RSM frombuilding a private marina to sup-port an upland residential devel-opment (creating a keyhole devel-opment). Allowing RSM to con-struct a marina is clearly not inkeeping with the Docking andMooring Law designed to protectCanandaigua Lake or with thetown Comprehensive Plan.

In spite of efforts of others andmyself, in 2009 the town Plan-ning Board gave RSM preliminaryapproval of its plans to build theproposed subdivision and convertGerman Brothers Marina into aprivate marina. Then, during thelatter part of the year, RSM an-nounced it no longer wanted tobuy German Brothers Marina, butit expected to be allowed to takethe approvals it was previouslygiven a few hundred feet downWest Lake Road and build a pri-vate marina along the undevel-oped Johnson property.

So, overnight we went from re-placing an existing marina, whichhas a lot of negative characteris-

tics, to building a totally new ma-rina, very close to an existing ma-rina, between two homes, along apristine section of the shoreline.The zoning officer subsequentlynotified RSM that it was not goingto be allowed to transfer its priorapprovals to the new location anddesign concept.

On April 13, RSM appealed thisdecision to the town ZoningBoard, and the board voted tosupport the decision made by thezoning officer.

I want to publicly thank the Zon-ing Board for making this very ap-propriate and courageous decision.I say “courageous” because otherswithin the town seem to havegrown weary of this long battle andare willing to compromise at theexpense of the future of the lake,and because we all know that RSMis going to use its team of lawyersand every avenue available to fightany decision that does not allow itto build a marina to support its up-land residential development.

I urge the town government andother boards to support the deci-sion of the Zoning Board and notcompromise on this issue; thestakes are too high and the poten-tial costs too great.

Of paramount importance arethe precedents that will be set by

decisions related to the lakefrontportions of the RSM project. If weallow RSM, in order to maximizeits profits, to undermine all thathas been done to try to preserveand protect the lake, then otherswill soon follow.

AL KRAUS Onnalinda Drive Canandaigua

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ONLINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

The story Canandaigua city leaders urged to takeaction on unsafe crosswalks

The response Pedestrians bear the responsibilityfor their own safety when crossing the streets in thecity. Too often I have seen individuals walk out intotraffic without looking and even stepping out intothe path of an oncoming vehicle because they havethe 'right of way'. I've also seen people crossingagainst the light or at unmarked sections of MainStreet. All of our crosswalks should be signaled orremoved if they are not. Our police have to do a bet-ter job of enforcing the laws regarding these issues,also. Jaywalking is still against the law as well as notyielding the right of way to a pedestrian in a cross-walk. Just a little common sense would save a lot ofinjuries/deaths.— TBurd

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THE ISSUE The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico andthe West Virginia coal-mine disaster highlight thedangers of fossil fuels.OUR VIEW The arguments against such renewablesources such as wind pale when compared with theenvironmental and human cost of oil and coal pro-duction.

The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexicoand the devastating mine collapse in WestVirginia should remind us all of the cost of

fossil-fuel addiction.On a human level, 11 oil-rig workers died in

the explosion that set off the spewing well, while29 miners lost their lives in the explosion inWest Virginia. And don’t forget the thousands ofAmerican men and women who have died inwars in the oil-rich Persian Gulf in large part be-cause of America’s dependence on foreign oil.

In the Gulf, we have an environmental catas-trophe in the making, with devastating effects tocoastal region’s wildlife a certainty.

Further, the Gulf ’s pristine beaches — get-aways for thousands each summer — are threat-ened, as are the region’s fishing industries.

The president is right to have second thoughtsabout his plan to expand offshore drilling, con-sidering BP’s inability to cap the gusher, as it’sapparent the technology to handle such events isnot reliable.

Meanwhile, our dependence on coal for powerproduction has significant environmental conse-quences, including polluted mountain streamsfrom mine runoff to air pollutants produced atcoal-burning power plants, notably the neuro-toxin mercury.

Given those dangers, both in lives and the en-vironment, it’s time to sharpen our focus on re-newable fuels, including wind power.

Unfortunately, wind-power initiatives are be-ing met with considerable resistance in the re-gion — from the hills south of Canandaigua tothe Lake Ontario shore, where wind-farm plansare being opposed about as fast as they are pro-posed.

Opponents don’t like windmills — well, atleast those proposed in their “backyards” — forreasons that include aesthetics and harm to theenvironment, including birds. But comparethose concerns, and they’re arguable, to the dan-gers of ocean oil drilling or coal mining. It’s nocontest.

Admittedly, wind farms don’t solve all of ourenergy needs, but they are an important compo-nent of a future powered less by fossil fuels andmore by renewable sources.

But no energy answer, even a renewable one,comes without a cost, and Americans haven’thad much of a stomach so far for sacrifice. Justlook at the gas-guzzling cars and trucks we drive.

But the oil spill begs this question: Would yourather have a nearby windmill producing cleanenergy or an oil rig in the ocean that, God forbid,could someday be the source of an environmen-tal calamity?

Disasters highlightneed to expand renewable energy

COMMENTARY

As I gently strokedthe silken, whitefur of her throat, I

closed my eyes and letmy mind wander to thatlate-winter day morethan 13 years ago.

Her journey to ourhouse began then in ametal crate in the backseat of our car. Not evena minute away from thewarm, familiar world ofmama dog and roly-polysiblings, her indignantscreams against coldconfinement command-ed me to set her free. Sherode the rest of the wayhome more or less(mostly less) on my lap, asquirmy, curly-tailed,bright-eyed Basenji pupwith bat ears and an in-satiable curiosity aboutthe world around her.

She was so different,then, from the frail andsilent creature lying nextto me now, whose ribsrose and fell almost im-perceptibly, barely evenfelt through my hand.Drifting in and out ofconsciousness, sheopened her eyes andgazed steady and trustinginto my own. There wasno hint of pain, only theunmistakable weariness.I whispered to her, “Soon,little pup, very soon.”

The years passed soquickly. Her puppyhoodwas gone, seemingly in aflash — a good thing, in

fact, because her anticsoften were a challenge toour patience and ingenu-ity. Even when she gaveevery appearance of be-ing a good dog, we wouldlater discover a holechewed in a cushion or anew set of teeth markson a chair leg — treas-ured mementos, now.

Her long, middle yearswere her best, and prob-ably mine, as well: amarathon of off-leashrambles through forestand field, away from fastcars on dangerous roads.

Reminiscing, I heardagain the explosion ofwings from the under-brush; saw startled birdsshoot skyward, with a lit-tle red and white dogdancing beneath them,longing to follow in theirwake. I saw white-taileddeer in twos and threesbounding across theopen field, with a minia-ture look-alike in haplesspursuit. (And once, oneeven turned and fol-lowed her back to us!) Isaw her trotting saucilyahead of us on the hikeback home, nose in theair as if to sniff out onemore adventure, or per-haps a scavenged bone todrag home as a prize.

Through silent tears, Ireflected that her ulti-mate pleasure was eat-

ing. I swear, if the merethought of food enteredmy mind, she raced meto the kitchen. She lovedbeets, green beans, broc-coli and asparagus nearlyas much as meat, fishand dairy. When a late-life disease process nur-tured chronic infections,her tendency to eat firstand ask questions latermade it easy to adminis-ter the litany of antibi-otics and other pallia-tives to keep Death atarm’s length.

In the end, it was herlack of appetite that toldus it was time. On this fi-nal morning, she turnedaway from an offering ofAlaska smoked salmonand lapped just a littlewater instead. Shedropped heavily on herpillow. I settled myselfnext to her, and I lovedher as we awaited thevet’s arrival.

“There is sorrowenough in the naturalway

From men and womento fill our day.

But when we are cer-tain of sorrow in store

Why do we alwaysarrange for more?

Brothers and sisters, Ibid you beware

Of giving your heart toa dog to tear.”

(from “The Power of aDog,” by RudyardKipling)

The power of a dog

CHERYLMILLERMacedon residentCheryl Miller canbe e-mailed atFortuna_reilly@yahoo.com

SUBMITTEDCheryl Miller recently had to say goodbye to herbeloved Basenji.