HIT: The prospect of a residential development on a portion of West Barrier Bar is encouraging.
That county-owned area in its current state offers little in the way of safe recreational activity or economic development.
Developer Steven Thomas' project still faces considerable hurdles, including a question about state controls over how the land is used. The county's attorney is now researching some of the legal issues.
Of course, any project needs to be evaluated for environmental and community impact.
We don't want to see the area's natural integrity destroyed.
But county, town of Sterling and village of Fair Haven officials should make the West Barrier Bar - long seen as a county liability instead of an asset - a priority.
MISS: The past week brought two sad reminders of just how dangerous drinking alcohol around waterways can be.
Two young men drowned, one in a pond on a Genoa farm and the other in Summerhill's Lake Como, in alcohol-related incidents, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office has said.
It appears the loss of both of these lives - Eric Lopez and Robert D. McDonald - could have been avoided with a little more common sense and caution.
HIT: The Fourth of July weekend provided a terrific boost to the state parks within Cayuga County's borders.
State officials reported significant attendance increases for the holiday weekend at Fair Haven Beach State Park, Fillmore Glen State Park and Long Point State Park.
The state parks are a great natural resource for area residents, and their presence often has a nice ripple effect on the municipalities where they are located.
Many of the thousands of people who visited the parks last week certainly dined in local restaurants, filled their tanks at local stations and shopped in local stores.
Developer Steven Thomas' project still faces considerable hurdles, including a question about state controls over how the land is used. The county's attorney is now researching some of the legal issues.
Of course, any project needs to be evaluated for environmental and community impact.
We don't want to see the area's natural integrity destroyed.
But county, town of Sterling and village of Fair Haven officials should make the West Barrier Bar - long seen as a county liability instead of an asset - a priority.
MISS: The past week brought two sad reminders of just how dangerous drinking alcohol around waterways can be.
Two young men drowned, one in a pond on a Genoa farm and the other in Summerhill's Lake Como, in alcohol-related incidents, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office has said.
It appears the loss of both of these lives - Eric Lopez and Robert D. McDonald - could have been avoided with a little more common sense and caution.
HIT: The Fourth of July weekend provided a terrific boost to the state parks within Cayuga County's borders.
State officials reported significant attendance increases for the holiday weekend at Fair Haven Beach State Park, Fillmore Glen State Park and Long Point State Park.
The state parks are a great natural resource for area residents, and their presence often has a nice ripple effect on the municipalities where they are located.
Many of the thousands of people who visited the parks last week certainly dined in local restaurants, filled their tanks at local stations and shopped in local stores.
The Citizens' Say
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