Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, Dunkirk Director of Development Vince DeJoy

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer touted $10 million in funding for waterfront infrastructure projects in Dunkirk Thursday.

Schumer, in a visit to the Dunkirk harbor, said that the funding is part of the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus, which includes $8 million in funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, “There’s $1.1 million for Barcelona Harbor. There’s $1 million for Cattaraugus Creek and $5.9 million for Dunkirk Harbor. Why is Dunkirk Harbor so much more? Cause every body will be dredged. You know the silt has really just gathered up and it hasn’t been cleared for a very long time. So we’re doing that in all three harbors. But in addition, in Dunkirk harbor they’re going to work on the breakwater, which we’ve needed for a long time and it’s so important for keeping this harbor strong and vital.”

Schumer said $2 million also will go to the Village of Mayville to construct a new water well, replacing existing contaminated wells.

He added that former mentor and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan always decried the fact that New York state always sent more tax dollars to Washington D.C. then it received back, “He called us a ‘donor state.’ However, this is the first year that we are getting more dollars back than we sent. For every dollar we sent to Washington, we’re getting $1.59 back. That’s the first time every and that’s why having a Majority Leader from New York State is a darn good thing.”

When asked where things are with the Federal Infrastructure Bill, Schumer said that bill has now been signed with money becoming available in September 2022.

Cattaraugus Creek’s Zoar Valley. (Image courtesy of NY DEC)

GOWANDA – A Gowanda man has died after a fatal fall along the Cattaraugus Creek in Cattaraugus County.

Local media is reporting that 49-year-old Ronald Felle Jr. died Wednesday after falling approximately 200 feet from a cliff near Cattaraugus Creek in Versailles. He was reportedly hiking along the top of the cliff when he fell. His death was determined to be accidental.

Meanwhile, a hiker who was walking along Cattaraugus Creek in the Zoar Valley area had to be rescued after she fell into the creek on Tuesday around noon.

New York State police say 35 year old Kelly Ziolkowski of Tonawanda was attempting to walk along the edge of the creek when she lost her footing and slipped into the creek.  The rapid current pulled her out into the creek and downstream.  Her companion called 911 and several agencies responded to the scene. Members of the Gowanda Fire Department were able to use a raft to get into the creek and locate Ziolkowski, who was found still in the water, clinging to the bank.

The rescue team was able to pull her from the water and safely bring her back to shore. She was uninjured and subsequently released.

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan.

MAYVILLE – The dredging of two Chautauqua County water channels on Lake Erie won’t be getting underway until next Spring.

That from Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan, who said Tuesday that challenging weather conditions in and near Barcelona Harbor have delayed the dredging of the City of Dunkirk Harbor and Town of Hanover boat launches until 2015.

Earlier this year, county officials recognized the opportunity to dredge the three North County Harbors as one multi-phase project in an effort to reduce costs.  However, rough weather has caused the Barcelona project to take much longer than expected.  As a result, Horrigan said there is not enough time to complete the Hanover project before the fall steelhead run on Cattaraugus Creek, which begins in mid-September.

Officials say that both the Dunkirk and Hanover projects are relatively small projects, but require careful work and good weather.  As a result, they felt it would be best to delay the work in Dunkirk and Hanover until the spring and summer of 2015, versus trying to do it now.

Funding for the dredging was made possible through grants from both the federal and state governments, as well as local contributions from Chautauqua County.