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Topic Summary

Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: February 23, 2023, 11:06:13 am »


The Canal Corp isn't concerned about your wind threshold problems. They are concerned about the welfare of the folks living under their dams!

I was going to say, " there's a lot of hot air coming out of Eerie's mouth" but it's actually pretty cold. But then maybe 'cold air' is appropriate for a witch! :-)
Posted by: Doug K
« on: February 16, 2023, 06:38:27 am »

The STCC group tried to say that shade was more important than embankment maintenance & safety, the New York Canal Corporation didn't agree with that opinion.

This Facebook group then claimed that the canal water would be "too warm for fish to survive" and that performing embankment maintenance would result in "homeless wildlife"... the Canal Corporation didn't buy into that farce either.

Now they are claiming that Erie Canal Embankments can't be maintained, or have trees cleared, because it affects "wind patterns for trail users"... is that about right?

So the BEST question to ask the NYS Canal Corporation, in the next Erie Canal Embankment Integrity Meeting, should be this single thought:

Why does a group in Fairport, think that Erie Canal Maintenance and Earthen Dam SAFETY should be based on the whim & whimsy of a small contingent of social media denialist, especially those who still haven't understood the words " Unsafe Canal Embankments"?

I have to ask Mike, because you know the leaders of this group best... Are the leaders of this social media group getting special treatment (from the Canal Corporation & NYPA) because they are "intellectually challenged"? Or does it seem like once again, the patients are running the asylum?

You know what has been said about trying to "fix stupid"... There's a whole lot of stupid at play here... just saying.

Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: February 15, 2023, 09:45:35 pm »

Eerie Agte is at it again!

She says  "We have a guardian Angel…maybe? More on that at a later date. I have been on the canal for dog walks five times in the last week, from Lyndon Bridge to the Grand Embankment. By far the best locations are those with wind barriers…also known as trees.

A Guardian Angel?    I wonder who the latest dipshit is she has conned into joining her cult??

Maybe?
More on that at a later date?

WOW!  Talk about building suspense!

Listen Eerie A!   If you are so worried about the wind on the canal embankments, the answer is simple. Find somewhere else to walk your dog. I'm sure Reggie  won't give a DAM.

The Canal Corp isn't concerned about your wind threshold problems. They are concerned about the welfare of the folks living under their dams!




Posted by: Doug K
« on: November 21, 2021, 10:22:19 am »

Funny you should mention another "crazy" member of this STCC Facebook group, because here are a very few members in that group that do appear to have some "common sense" when it comes to work along the Erie Canal.  Note the words "very few", because they are all kept silent (for the most part) under threat of "retribution & expulsion" by the group's founder.

Here's another "discussion" between Ms. Pavia and one of those "smarter" members in the STCC rank & file... Mr. Robert Langdon.

We have written about Mr. Langdon and other outspoken STCC members before:


https://ecna.createaforum.com/the-stop-the-clearcut-argument/dissent-amongst-the-ranks-of-the-stcc/msg639/#msg639



Here's the STCC Post:





And the issuant conversation from the red arrow:

Robert G. Langdon:
Good lord people! So there is not much work surveyors do from boats …. Just a FYI.

One of the only things they do is sonar scans which a quick check of Prudent's site is something they specialize in. Being a surveyor who works for an engineering firm this is also a very specialized thing that not many firms get into. This could be done for a multitude of reasons including but not limited to making sure nothing new had wound up on the bottom of the canal that could be a hazard for other boats on the canal.

When I worked at another firm we actually did a sonar scan of the bottom of the canal for a 3rd party firm was was trying to put in a boat launch and wanted to prepare plans for the canal Corp at the time to show the scope of work they were planning on doing.

Honestly most of us Surveyors are pretty chill down to earth guys so if you really wanted to know maybe just go out side and say “hey you guys need a beer? Whatcha doing anyways?”



Eileen Pavia:
Robert G. Langdon can’t be too hard on people being suspicious, with what’s been happening. I was figuring this was some pre canal closure business. You might be right about a boat launch. They’ve been talking about adding more. Don’t know where though.



Robert G. Langdon:
Eileen Pavia that’s part of the point though on this group, lately it’s just non stop aggression and suspicion.

Instead of just asking we post on here and spread rumors.

I was all but attacked by a member on this site earlier this year while out working because I was surveying close to the canal and they thought I was surveying for the canal. The individual I see posting on here all the time came up taking my picture and harassing me for doing private work for a business that happens to boarder the canal. Even after I told them that I was working for the business and not doing canal work they continued to belittle me and attack me.

They finally went away and about 30 min later I saw them walk into the business I was working for.

After finding out I was working for the business they walked by me and instead of apologizing for attacking me they made an excuse for their behavior “well I guess you are working for them but you don’t understand what we have been dealing with.” And walked away no apology.


Eileen Pavia
Robert G. Langdon point well taken. Unfortunately people can let emotions overtake them at times. I have to admit even I look at things happening along the canal with a suspicious eye these days. It just comes from how arrogant the Canal Corporation has been and were at the meetings. The feeling I got was just, "Yeah, right, whatever, we're doing whatever we want, when we want". I wouldn't take it out on a worker though. But I actually would be the first to ask them what they were doing.

That's just me being nosy and round about sneaky. 😅

I actually think your background can come in handy to help inform people here just as you did when you posted this. Maybe doing a separate post, giving people an idea of what might be expected from surveyors, (like this post), would help.



There you have it, nosy, sneaky, rumor spreading, attacking, suspicious, emotional, belittling... and perhaps a little "touched".

I can't think of anyone that spells out the qualities this Facebook group stands for most, than Ms. Pavia and Mr. Langdon
Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: November 19, 2021, 12:08:30 pm »



Well! Well! Well!  I'm afraid I owe Ms. Eerie Agte an apology!

I thought she was the only real crazy one in this group, but this rant from Ms Pavia proves me wrong.

What amazes me is that people write this crap, and then never stop to actually read it, and figure out how damned stupid they sound.

If there was one iota of common sense in her brain, she'd have never pressed the 'send' button.


Good grief!


Posted by: Doug K
« on: November 09, 2021, 09:37:49 am »

Maybe the first line is all that anyone needs to read from "EA" to understand the REAL problem... "I am confused today"




Today is no different than any other day in the STCC Bed of Confusion. It appears now that the group has gone completely off the rails...full speed ahead into even more stupidity

Today it appears that some of the Facebook Group Members are saying that the safety of the Canal System is all based in "shade".

No matter that the Canal Corporation has stated plainly (with supporting documentation) that the issue is possible loss of life, property damage and community devastation if Canal Embankment Safety Issues are not addressed.

And this group says it's because the fish will get "hot", they can't walk dogs "in the sun", and no one will want to use the Canal Trail if the trees are gone... somehow all related to "shade". Can't imagine how fish live in Lake Ontario without trees shading it.

And something new has comepoutr of this group today... how dead, fallen trees somehow "protect" the Erie Canal "beach" areas.

One person went so far as to say that walking along the Canal Trail won't be as "healthy" without trees... OMG!





Does anyone else think this is "normal behavior"?


But on one bright note... the STCC Facebook Group is once again thinking they should become a "Private Group" because some in the area (ie: the ECNA) are using their Facebook Fodder to show how the group is simply just another source of Facebook "MISINFORMATION".



Yes...It's true!

Lately the ECNA has been "holding up a mirror" to this Facebook group, showing not only how they are misrepresenting the Canal Embankment Integrity work, but also how their TWO LEADERS have been manipulating so many people in the Rochester area to do their bidding. They continue to ignore public safety and make preposterous claims about Canal Safety and what it takes to minimize the danger of overgrown, unsafe earthen dams. It's quite sad to watch, but worse.. it's sickening that this group cares NOTHING for the safety of those living below these unsafe earthen dams.

We are waiting for the day that STCC groups' leadership make a statement that it's not fair they are bring "picked on" for trying to "protect the environment". Which is EXACTLY what this FB Group is doing to the NYS Canal Corporation and NY Power Authority who actually have PROOF & DATA to support that they are trying to save Canal Communities from possible flooding and protect New Yorkers from all of this dangerous FaceBook misinformation.

We have NOT joined their group, we do not POST on their FB group page, but for some reason Ms. Agte thinks that her FB rantings should not be exposed for what they truly are...


The Rantings of  Crazy Woman

Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: November 08, 2021, 07:48:40 pm »

Posted today on the STCC Facebook page

From the pen of one Elizabeth R. Agte aka: "Eerie Agte"


I am confused today. This morning we asked the NYPA Public Engagement Director if they had received the comments (over 800 just from the QR code alone) from Bergmann and Associates and if those comments had been evaluated in regards to the EEIP guidebook and now current website representing the EEIP?

We were told :“They (Bergmann) are still working on compiling everything and, over the next month or so, we will be going through them together. Then we move on to Guidebook revisions to reflect the comments. All of that will be released most likely in January but, in the meantime, please let me know what we can share via the website.”

My concern and confusion is that they have already launched a website that looks entirely like they are not acting or reacting to any of the hundreds of comments. So why create the website at this juncture anyway, if they haven’t even seen or evaluated the comments? Why present this website as a done deal?
 
Why post statements like this one that suggests they have already made up their mind, unless of course, they already have. Note that this picture is not even an embankment, and they cleared the vegetation anyway, because who doesn’t want all those trail users to be practically in your back yard? Recreation area, my foot. And excuse me, but what freaking part of their clear cutting plan factors in carbon sequestration????? I am just beyond right now.


Confusion seems to be a condition very familiar to Eerie A.  She rambles on in a totally illogical way, as usual. Why does anyone continue to follow her and her nonsense? It's obvious from this rant, that the Canal Corp is not taking ANY notice of her, and her antics with postcards. 

Actually, to be totally honest, she's just wasting time and trees -  trees that were cut down to make stamps and postcards that have been put in the Governor's recycling bin!



Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: August 07, 2021, 07:33:50 am »

Yes I did, many times!

Posted on the STCC Facebook page from Ms Agte  ==



Beauty, reasonable maintenance? Shade? OH! NO! Not that nonsense AGAIN?
And what really intrigues me is she calls these dangerous embankments A PARK!  Really?
How could you park ANYTHING on these slopes? They are a 1:1 or less incline! AND- has any of these folks actually tried to walk down these slopes? It is impossible! There is SO MUCH brush and  trees, many fallen, you wouldn't get 3 feet.
The one thing these embankments aren't is a PARK!

When will they wake up and accept reality? The embankments are downright dangerous! Any expert will say so, if only you'd listen!

Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: March 12, 2021, 04:37:38 pm »



Harv? Did you do it?
Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: March 11, 2021, 06:55:48 pm »

More craziness. From the pen of Ms Agte

Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: March 09, 2021, 09:22:25 pm »

Posted by: Doug K
« on: March 09, 2021, 05:04:09 pm »

In the never ending pursuit to educate & inform those who will NOT accept or believe the NYS Canal Corporation claims of Unsafe Erie Canal Embankments, I have created this Post on Dam Safety in the United States.

https://ecna.createaforum.com/links-to-documents/only-one-us-state-does-not-have-dam-safety-regulations-it's-not-new-york/msg1422/?topicseen#msg1422

And it's being added to this post because the FINAL STATEMENT applies so well to Ms. Agte, and her Facebook Group.

Of course, there is also a population in New York that must be part of  another "state", one that wants to disregard the facts, the science and the Engineering around Earthen Dam Safety.

For these folks who live in this "mental state" it comes down to "state of mind" and a "belief" that they can "deny what they do not understand". It's often called a "state of denial". It's real, and it a dangerous way to think, especially when the safety of the general public is at risk.

Whatever the case, those who would believe there is NOTHING wrong with Erie Canal Embankments, even though the OWNERS of the Canal System have stated otherwise, do so without considering the danger they place their families in, and also the many Erie Canal neighbors in those communities. Call it for what it is... self-centered, selfish, & senseless.




Posted by: Doug K
« on: March 09, 2021, 11:25:45 am »

Here's the actual Stop the Canal Clear-Cut  (STCC) Facebook Post that Mike Caswell is posting about and the text as well.

I've done a little editing work to add paragraph spacing to try and connect the dots on this continued "rant" by the Leader of this group, Elizbeth Agte. Pay close attention to the text below the posting, and see what you think about what is being said, and more importantly why. Maybe after you read it you too will  agree with Mike... this group's message borders on a kind of "madness".




Ms Agte starts right out to set the tone, and that in itself is enough to end any future conversations between the Stop the Canal Clear-Cut group and NYPA. But somehow that fact hasn't made it's way into Ms. Agte's head yet, and that is part of the "madness" that seems to rule this Facebook group.

How would ANYONE believe they would be "heard" if all they have done for the past 4 years is to criticize public safety work they just don't like, ridicule what they don't fully understand and to this day are still unwilling to discuss the facts & science that support the case being made by the OWNERS of the Canal who are trying to fix it?


THESE ARE THE RANTINGS OF THE STOP THE CANAL CLEAR-CUT GROUP ON FACEBOOK FROM IT'S LEADER

It needs to be made abundantly clear that we do not trust NYPA. That being said, we have tried for four years to create a pathway for communication and dialog.

NYPA has been arrogant in its disregard, has acted illegally, has backed out of promises, has still not made restitution with citizens on the west side, and has tried to avoid its responsibility to our beloved Erie Canal and to the people who care about it, with legalese and slight of hand.

We have watched as NYPA has systematically dismantled the Canal Corporation and replaced employees with their own, thereby effectively dissolving the dissent among the custodians of the Canal and the Power Authority.

 
We do not want NYPA to listen to the citizens of New York and act accordingly.

We want them to leave the Erie Canal alone. They are not fit guardians for this valuable historic landmark.

We want the governor of this state, to stop wasting our bandwidth with his ridiculous, Idiotist, juvenile behavior, and do his job. And part of that job is to understand that whatever pipe dream was hatched about NYPA taking charge of the Erie Canal, it has not worked. Give control of the Erie Canal to Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. But he needs to do something while there is still something to preserve. NYPA wants to pave paradise.
 
Clearly in my rear view mirror is the NYPA extravaganza “The Beer Regatta” that my husband and I went to a couple summers back, which clearly demonstrated that NYPA was in deep water, (HA!) as they attempted to “Reimagine the Canal”. Harvey and I were among the ten or twelve people who showed up. (Five of those were members of our bike group.) The event cost thousands of dollars... to say nothing of the huge gala they hosted to announce winners at the Memorial Art Gallery, complete with goodie bags and a huge breakfast.
 
This waste of money is a shame, but it’s nothing compared to cutting down hundred year old trees, with never a thought to the citizens who live along the canal, those who use the canal, work along the canal, and their quality of life.

They have had a go of it, and they have stumbled and elbowed their way through along the entire four years. It’s time for them to go.

NYPA needs to go. NOW.



So, did you see this statement by Ms. Agte?

We do not want NYPA to listen to the citizens of New York and act accordingly. We want them to leave the Erie Canal alone. They are not fit guardians for this valuable historic landmark.

If that's the case then why does she keep talking?  And even more of a mystery, why does she start rambling on about her thoughts on the Governor? If Ms. Agte didn't want NYPA to listen to the "citizens" of New York she had the opportunity to STOP talking right then. But as usual, she didn't.

But she just goes on and on about what she doesn't like with all of these "changes along the canal".

Her Facebook group has STILL not offered ANY solutions on how to fix the unsafe earthen embankments that NYPA has identified along the canal. Ms. Agte will not even admit there is a safety issue on the Erie canal at all. "If it isn't broke don't fix" it is her marching cry, to a group of misguided sheep who follow her stupidly...lock, stock & barrel. Those in her Facebook group who do NOT agree with their Leaders are quickly denounced and expelled from the group as troublemakers.

Sadly it has always been Ms. Agte's own voice that seems to drown out the statements from both the Canal Corporation & NYPA that have been saying all along... "Yes, The Canal IS broken, and we WILL fix it".

While it may be stylish for Ms Agte and her Facebook members to simply ignore the safety of the Erie Canal and the Public using it, that is not a luxury the owners of the NYS Canal System have and also not one that the many Erie Canal neighbors living below these aging earthen dams can ignore. 

You see the real mystery here is just who is the "WE" that Ms. Agte thinks she is representing here?

It certainly is NOT the residents of New York State.  Her little Facebook group has about 600 members total, (and only a few active members, the rest just can't be bothered to sign off), and New York State is the fourth largest in our Country with 19 million people. I do not think her small group fighting against public safety, accurately represents those who have the best interest of the state in mind, for those 19 million people.

It certainly is NOT the many of the hundreds of Erie Canal Neighbors who are living below these unsafe embankments along the Erie Canal that have to be repaired or homeowners might have to start paying for mandatory flood insurance.

Ms. Agte is NOT one of those neighbors, and has voiced in the past that she cares more for the "squirrels & trees" living on embankments than she does for the HUMANS who might be flooded if of of those embankments broke. That last statement is a FACT, from a Public Meeting in her Community in December 2017, when the STCC was formed, and when Elizabeth Agte & Ginny Maier "stood up" against the safety of humans living near the canal.

Does anyone believe Ms. Agte's Facebook Group represents the hundreds of thousands of Erie Canal Corridor guest that use the Canal System or Trails each year? Certainly the "voice of the customer" surveys & studies done by NYPA and the Canal Corporation would have shown support for this STCC group's rant. Just to be clear, it does not. In fact most people who use the canal have stated it was just a view of "trees & water" and they had hoped for more scenic & panoramic views, that is what the VOC surveys have said.

So I'll ask the question again, Who is the "we" that Ms. Agte believe she is speaking for?

If it's you, then maybe you should rethink your choice of a leader, because the one you have, just might have a little "madness" directing her actions.

Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: March 09, 2021, 06:45:58 am »

For the past FOUR years the Stop the Canal Clear-Cut group (STCC) has been at this nonsense!

Powered by a flawed court injunction where they submitted evidence that was  later recanted by their 'expert witness. That witness was misled into thinking the embankment dams were 'wooded slopes'. When the ECNA pointed this out to him, his comment was "I don’t know of any earth dams where woody vegetation was purposely planted or allowed to grow on a face of the dam."

So, the STCC tried to find another 'expert' and pulled the same stunt. Once again, a Hydrologist, Dr David Rosgen, recanted his original statements to this group because he was misled into believing these dams were wooded slopes or levees.

Their SEQR based court injunction was another fiasco, fueled by misinformation, and a member who was braggadocio in understanding SEQR requirements. All they achieved was to have a SEQR study done, despite being told by NYDEC that it was unnecessary.

This cost the three towns who brought the lawsuit about $50,000 in legal fees and delayed the inevitable by four years. Ms. Agte talks about how others have "wasted money", her group has wasted more of the public's time and money than anyone else, as she led her group in a fight against public safety.

And she's worried about a 'Beer Regatta'?

It's horrifying to think how much these delays have cost the NYPA, and worse, they put the villagers living under these dams at risk of flood for all this time.

The reason the NYPA does not communicate with these people is that they realize they have no expertise whatsoever in dam technology or environmental studies, it became obvious to all that Ms. Agte and her group add absolutely NO VALUE to the safety or sustainability of the Erie Canal System

As for 'cutting down 100 year old trees'.

THESE TREES SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO GROW ON ANY EARTHEN DAMS!


Especially on these canal embankment dams, because they were constructed over 100 years ago, to poor engineering standards. The slopes are too steep, they need repair to the toe drains, new drainage systems installed, leaks plugged, etc. Along the Fairport section of embankment dams there are gouges that are 10 feet wide and 6 feet deep with 100 feet tall Cottonwoods growing in them. One blow down and the roots could pull out and cause a canal breach and flood.

The neglect was evident a couple of years ago when the NYPA repaired an imminent breech at the Oxbow.
https://eriecanalfacts.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/340/

This must have cost a ton of money as they hammered 40 feet long sheets of steel down into the embankment for over 200 feet of trailway.

You can read more facts about the NYPA and this radical group of misinformed bored housewives.

https://eriecanalfacts.wordpress.com

I'm simply amazed that some local government officials have become entangled with them and this nonsense. They obviously have no regard for the safety of their residents. 

You'll never hear the Stop the Canal Clear-Cut group discuss SAFETY, despite everyone from FEMA, NYDEC, ASDSO (Association of Dam Safety Engineers) and RIZZO engineers telling them these dams are DANGEROUS!

You'll ALSO never hear this Facebook group discuss the main reason the vegetation MUST be cleared. It is so proper dam inspections can be made, and emergency machinery can gain access in the event of leaks that are found, and the entire canal system can get the maintenance it's been missing for almost 100 years.

What really needs to go here, besides this misguided Facebook Group, is the support of the STCC by a few local town & village officials. They, along with Ms. Agte and her group, have already put too many people's lives at risk for too long, for the sake of what? A few cottonwoods that are at end of life, and should never have been allowed to grow there in the first place.

Will it take a devastating flood to show this STCC group just how wrong they are? We hope not.
Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: March 09, 2021, 06:07:20 am »

Posted on the STCC Facebook page 


It needs to be made abundantly clear that we do not trust NYPA. That being said, we have tried for four years to create a pathway for communication and dialog. NYPA has been arrogant in its disregard, has acted illegally, has backed out of promises, has still not made restitution with citizens on the west side, and has tried to avoid its responsibility to our beloved Erie Canal and to the people who care about it, with legalese and slight of hand. We have watched as NYPA has systematically dismantled the Canal Corporation and replaced employees with their own, thereby effectively dissolving the dissent among the custodians of the canal and the Power Authority.
We do not want NYPA to listen to the citizens of New York and act accordingly. We want them to leave the Erie Canal  alone. They are not fit guardians for this valuable historic landmark. We want the governor of this state, to stop wasting our bandwidth with his ridiculous, Idiotist, juvenile behavior, and do his job. And part of that job is to understand that what ever pipe dream was hatched about NYPA taking charge of the Erie Canal, it has not worked. Give control of the Erie Canal to Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. But he needs to do something while there is still something to preserve. NYPA wants to pave paradise.
Clearly in my rear view mirror is the NYPA extravaganza “The Beer Regatta” that my husband and I went to a couple summers back, which clearly demonstrated that NYPA was in deep water, (HA!) as they attempted to “Reimagine the Canal”.  Harvey and I were among the ten or twelve people who showed up. (Five of those were members of our bike group.) the event cost thousands of dollars... to say nothing of the huge gala they hosted to announce winners at the Memorial Art Gallery, complete with goodie bags and a huge breakfast.
This waste of money is a shame, but it’s nothing compared to cutting down hundred year old trees, with never a thought to the citizens who live along the canal, those who use the canal, work along the canal, and their quality of life. They have had a go of it, and they have stumbled and elbowed their way through along the entire four years. It’s time for them to go. NYPA needs to go. NOW.
Posted by: Doug K
« on: February 08, 2021, 08:22:10 pm »

It would seem that this group on Facebook didn't get the memo... Erie Canal Clear Cutting is stopped... it was on the news.

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2018/10/12/canal-clear-cut-ends--seqr-next-for-maintenance-plan





Of course it's because the new Earthen Embankment Integrity Program has begun...but this Facebook group did create quite a stir. Made it all the way to the Ohio area of the Erie Canal.

Take a look at this piece from the internet on the Clear Cut Group







And the message with this new Earthen Embankment Integrity Program is exactly the same as it's always been... PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST. 

Because it's not really about shade or trees, it's about SAFETY and trying to PREVENT the possibility that a canal embankment can fail, a flood can occur, and people can die.


Most times we have heard that those who would ignore danger, do so at their own risk, putting themselves in peril.


What happens when a misguided group of leaders does it on Facebook to unsuspecting neighbors of the Erie Canal which causes all of them to "ignore danger"?

I bet it places entire Communities and Canal side Villages in danger & at risk or peril, right along with many who are neighbors to the Erie Canal.

Don't be deceived by this Facebook Group, they DO NOT have the best interest of the General Public in mind, they never have, they never will.







Posted by: Doug K
« on: January 28, 2021, 11:57:06 am »

My reply to Mr. Caswell's enlightening post is titled 'Does a Rochester Facebook Group Understand the Risk of Minimizing Public Safety?' for a reason.

It's a question that many should be asking themselves, especially if you are a homeowner living adjacent or near the canal in line of sight.


The short answer is NO, and it appears those who are fighting against the NY Canal Corporation, who's simply trying to make a safer Erie Canal, never will understand what harm they are doing...sad as that may be.

Once again this Facebook group and it's leader, one Elizabeth Agte, continue to demonstrate exactly why it's so important to check your source of FACTUAL information when discussing public safety, the Erie Canal, unsafe embankments, and the safety work of the owners of the NY Canal System, the New York Power Authority (NYPA from here on).

Again all NYPA is doing is attempting to correct long standing safety issues along the Erie Canal.

FACT: There are approximately 125 miles of it's raised earthen embankments that hold back water on a 25% of the entire canal system, and most of these have had zero maintenance in the past 100 years.

An earlier canal embankment restoration project cleared about 27 miles of these medium to high hazard embankments already. That initial stretch of repair extends from Middleport to Brockport, but did not address all the earthen dams, there is more to come, and another 100 miles of unsafe earthen dams to fix.

And this Facebook group wants to stand in the way of that repair work... because they STILL refuse to believe simple TRUTH and FACTS. This Stop the Canal Clear-cut group want to make up their own set of 'facts & truth' instead.

And even more unbelievable is that all their facts and "data" are based on the OPINIONS and BELIEFS of the Facebook group's leadership... again one Ms. Agte and Ms. Borden-Maier



First let's start with the Facebook Post that prompted my friend Mike Caswell to speak up once again against this dangerous group of "environ-maniacs" who still can't accept that the Erie Canal and the TREES along it's dams are a DANGER to those living below the embankments as well as those navigating the trail or waterway.

Here's their actual posts:






Now as you can see by the highlights... it's all about the intelligence of the leaders here, they believe something, it is true. They think their way is the right way, and it becomes fact. And sadly very few people in this group speak up to ask why. Look at the red underlined statements... hmm.


It's not like there aren't pages and pages of information about NYPA all over the Internet. Wiki has a nice write-up and I have emphasized the important point about TAXPAYER support.




FACT: Taxpayers like Ms. Agte & Borden-Maier DO NOT own the canal as they state, they don't even contribute to cleaning up trails along it. NYPA pays the ENTIRE bill for the Canal System now. Because for the first time, in a long time, someone sees the way to make a profit from the Erie... it's new owners.


Now you could also look at the Hydro Review website, after all the owners of the Erie Canal are well known in the arena of providing Hydro Power in this Country and particularly in New York State. They are certainly NOT the bumbling fools that this Stop the Canal Clear-cut Facebook group and it's leadership make them out to be.

Here's a nice illustration or two of what NYPA does for NY power and shows that this company does indeed know and understand all about dams, dam safety and how to make money using water power.






NYPA also has many videos that show what they are doing for the advancement of SAFE, clean energy in NYS.

https://youtu.be/13K_6oOcZXo



Are you starting to get the picture?


It's not hard to understand who is making up a load of crap here, is it? I'll post another set of webpage links, for anyone who might want to learn a little bit about NYPA at the end of this post. I will post one here for you NOW to look at, maybe it's the most important.



https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-brey-9336b1190/



This is the Linkedin member page for the Alex Brey of the New York Power Authority...who also happens to be the Manager of Dam Safety for this company. He is the authority on NYS Canal System safety when it comes to Dams, of all kinds.

If you are really interested in knowing WHY these earthen embankments along the Erie canal have to be cleared of all trees, brush and overgrown vegetation, I would suggest that you contact him directly. He will give you the real story, and direct you to where you can see the real facts.

He will have the answers and also explain why it's so dangerous for people to get pulled into Facebook Groups with Leaders that spread a false narrative about public safety projects & programs. I am also sure that his experience and knowledge on embankment dams at NYPA will be based in facts, education and science... not just his own beliefs and opinions.



Because at the end of the day you can EITHER get your Embankment Dam Safety Information from a Dam Engineer & Hydrologist...

Or you can get it from a Facebook group of Dam Idiots... right?




And by the way, about Ms. Agte's statement regarding those of us with cleared Erie Canal embankments which I've shown below:

In the meantime.... THREE YEARS LATER.....the poor citizens on the west side are still waiting for their promised privacy landscaping. That clock is still ticking, we have not forgotten.

This poor citizen and westside Canal Neighbor is still waiting for one thing... For Ms.Agte and her group to STOP spreading misinformation about canal safety and STOP saying they are trying to help us.

Because none of what this Facebook group says or does has shown they have figured anything out, remotely related to the truth, in the past three years, regarding Erie Canal Public Safety!

And that is also a Fact




Here's your links for today, enjoy:

https://www.nypa.gov/news/press-releases/2019/20190912-hinckley-reservoir

https://www.hydroreview.com/tag/nypa-new-york-power-authority/

https://www.uticaod.com/news/20200121/officials-no-imminent-danger-at-madison-reservoir

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Power_Authority

https://www.hydroreview.com/world-regions/ny-governor-announces-1-1-billion-project-to-extend-life-of-niagara-power-project/#gref

https://www.nypa.gov/power/generation/all-generating-facilities
Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: January 28, 2021, 08:47:34 am »

Ms Agte continues!

Elizabeth R. Agte
Jan Bares
In my personal opinion, the clear cut was simply their idea of expediency. NYPA was in such a hurry to just get the job done, that they concocted the clear cutting plan, minus an environmental review, because they thought they were above the law, IMHO, put the contract out to bidders with such a small window that only two companies applied. They immediately disqualified one...leaving Mohawk as the top and only bidder...who wanted... BTW... the trees.


THIS in pure conjecture! Most of the trees on the embankments are  Cottonwoods. No fuel value, and very little commercial value generally. The few hardwoods here would never be worth harvesting, because of the slopes and the brush infesting the dams.


I still believe they only wanted to do as they said from the beginning, get the god damn maintenance done and treat the historic Erie Canal as a dam, because, dams they know.... and as they repeated over and over, dams don’t have trees. We have continued to remind them that our Erie Canal is not a dam.


Ms Agte (et al) have NO expertise in this area. All dam engineers, and experts (some of which Agte has employed) have continually stated that these are embankment dams.  Some STCC member have tried, unsuccessfully, to claim they are levees, but again Agte's experts have repeatedly told her (them) the difference between a dam and a levee.

Here is the full story, Note Dr Gray and David Rosgen's comments.   
https://ecna.createaforum.com/the-stop-the-clearcut-argument/is-it-a-levee-or-a-dam-the-stcc-still-don't-get-it/
ITS A DAM FOLKS!


I stray for a minute, but as a beekeeper, I witness the **** of our land and soil for expedient monoculture farming. That is only sustainable with pesticides and hired pollinators. If you watch documentaries like Kiss the Ground, we can repair global warming by simply letting dirt be alive again. What NYPA has envisioned for the 524 miles of the Erie Canal is an environmental desert. Cut down the trees, eliminate the natural forage,and plant grass, that requires fossil fuels to mow, and pesticides to maintain. They are living in the dark ages. Natural grasses and wildflowers know how to adapt to our particular climate, need less water, need no pesticide control and don’t need to be mowed down. And without pesticides they are a haven and refuge for pollinators.


Nowhere in Agte's rhetoric do you hear anything about WHY the NYPA is conducting this work. And the main purpose is safety.
THESE EMBANKMENT DAMS HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS HIGH HAZARD, CLASS 3 BY Rizzo Engineering. THEY ARE DANGEROUS, AND RESIDENTS UNDER THE DAMS ARE IN DANGER OF FLOOD.
They are  almost impossible to inspect, simply because of the dense undergrowth, so detecting leaks is difficult and repairing them would be seriously hampered by the access problem for heavy machinery. Its a disaster waiting to happen.


Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: January 28, 2021, 08:29:17 am »

MS AGTE posts---

Elizabeth R. Agte
Jan Bares
NYPA (New York Power Authority) took over custodianship of the Canal Corporation January 2017, with no prior knowledge of how to manage an historical man made waterway. Their only water connection with man made dams. NYPA is not strictly speaking a governmental body, and is not as such state regulated in lots of ways. Since they generate their own income by charging us for electricity, they felt like they were beholding to no one.
So. They barked ahead with a plan to so excessive “maintenance “ so they would have to be bothered for another decade or so. They jumped ahead of regulations, and did not do the proper environmental review, which is why we, the three towns of Pittsford, Brighton and Perinton took them to court, and they lost.


NOT TRUE. They were advised by the NYDEC that a SEQR review was not required. That advice was overturned in court at Lyons. Judge Daniel Barrett's ruling was only that an environmental review was required. The STCC 'won' nothing.  He was fed incorrect information regarding dams submitted by Prof. Donald Gray which he subsequently recanted. The review has now been completed, however, instead of the section involving the three towns, and on embankment dams, the ENTIRE Erie Canal has been included, ON BOTH SIDES!  Be careful what you wish for Lizzy!!!!


Thanks to a number of variables including COVID, they have been hamstrung with going forward. In the meantime.... THREE YEARS LATER.....the poor citizens on the west side are still waiting for their promised privacy landscaping. That clock is still ticking, we have not forgotten.


THREE YEARS LATER the poor citizens of Pittsford, Brighton and Perinton are still living under the REAL THREAT OF THESE DAMS BREECHING AND FLOODING ENTIRE AREAS.