The Villager 4/19/2024

The Villager

Bristol Harbour Village Association

April 2024

Happy Spring Everyone,

I was delighted to receive information about the Canandaigua Eclipse Celebration at BRISTOL HARBOUR from Dawn Sargent. The event sounded wonderful even if the weather was uncooperative. I watched with friends and strangers in downtown Tarpon Springs. Our library gave away glasses April 7 and hosted an "Eclipse Watch Party" with water and Oreo cookies. They set up a tent with a live stream from NASA which was actually difficult to view as it was so sunny. What I found remarkable was if one glanced at the sun, there was no way one could see anything but the sun; however, put on the glasses and there is was - the moon passing in front of the sun, a little at a time. We didn't have much of a temperature change and the moon didn't pass directly across the sun as I had hoped, but it was fun and interesting just the same. Our eclipse path was in the 50-60% range. For those who did not have glasses, the library had cardboard boxes with a small hole in the middle. One could face away from the sun, look down into the box and see the eclipse formation on the sidewalk and not harm one's eyes.

This Villager highlights the many activities that the Recreation Committee has planned for our community. As the calendar may be difficult for some to see, I will be sending it out in a different format at a later date. I will also list the activities after the town of South Bristol Meeting dates.

In addition to Dawn Sargent's article about the Eclipse, we have Laurie Riedman's article about the beauty and benefits of spring in our area, complete with walking trail and park information. Kelli Becka write about Lake Friendly Living and how we can all do our part to keep our amazing resource as pollutant free as possible. Also please look over the new offerings at the Bristol Library. They have added Chair Yoga, an afternoon tea, and a poetry reading sharefest.

Please remember we have a website:

Bristolharbourvillage,org. Residents can find important information on this site including where to take the trash that does not belong in the dumpsters! One can also find the amendments, audits, financials, public meeting minutes, and important BHVA forms on this site. The Homeowners' password is: BHVA1413

Thanks to those who contributed to this Villager. Please continue to send ideas as this is a community paper and is better with your input.

I look forward to seeing you all the beginning of June.

Patricia King (editor)

patricia.pking904@gmail.com

____________________________________________________________

BHVA Board of Directors

Gloria Harrington - President

John Constance - Vice President

Alexis Ortiz Heaney - Treasurer

Patricia King - Secretary

Ginny Lalka - Environmental Committee Chair

John Schultes - Facilities

Gina Sarkis Cushing - Contributing Member

Dave Richardson - Contributing Member

Steve Cortese - Contributing Member

Meetings at the Town of South Bristol

April 17, 6:30 pm - Planning Board Meeting

April 24, 7 pm - Zoning Board of Appeals

May 9, 6:30 pm - BHVA Community Meeting at the Town of S. Bristol

May 15, 6:30 pm - Planning Board Meeting

May 22, 7 pm - Zoning Board of Appeals

June 19, 6:30 pm - Planning Board Meeting

June 26, 7 pm - Zoning Board of Appeals

July 17, 6:30 pm - Planning Board Meeting

July 24, 7 pm - Zoning Board of Appeals

August 17, 10 am BHVA Annual Meeting at the town of South Bristol

August 21, 6:30 pm - Planning Board Meeting

August 28, 7 pm - Zoning Board of Appeals

Garage Sale at Bristol Harbour

Saturday, May 11 - 8 am to 1 pm. 21st Annual Bristol Harbour Village Community Sale Day! Pick up maps at the Community Center.

If you would like to participate and be included on the map, please reach out to Molly Green by Thursday May 8th - mollygreen83@gmail.com

Fun times at Bristol Harbour - Please mark your calendars!

Saturday, May 4 - Kentucky Derby Party - flyer below

Saturday, May 25, 7 pm - Bonfire at the Beach/Summer Kick-Off

Sunday, June 9, 9 am - BHYC Welcome Back Brunch at the Canandaigua Yacht Club

Flyer below

Saturday, June 15, 9 am -11 am - Welcome New Neighbors Coffee and Donuts at the Community Center

Friday, June 21, 6:30 pm - Summer Solstice Moonlight Paddle

Friday, June 28 6 pm - 8 pm Neighbor's Wine and Beer Tasting at the Community Center

Saturday July 6, 7 pm - Summer Beach Party

Saturday, July 20, 8:30 pm - BHYC Movie Night at the Beach

Saturday, July 27, 5 pm - 7 pm - Food Truck at the Community Center

Saturday, August 17, 6:30 pm - Ice Cream Social at the Community Center

Saturday, August 24, 2:30 pm - 5 pm Pickleball Tournament and Picnic (Rain date, Aug. 25)

Saturday, September 1, 5 pm - End of the Summer Party with band and Food Truck

Important Phone numbers

FF Thompson Hospital - 585-396-6000

Kenrick - 585-424-1540

Bristol Water - 585-204-6754

Bristol Sewer - 585-532-6136

RG&E - 800-743-2112

Spectrum - 888-406-7063

Town of South Bristol - 585-374-6341

Frontier Communication - 800-921-8101

Marine Docks - 585-789-0015

April 8, 2024 - 2 pm to 4 pm

Eclipse viewing

BRISTOL HARBOUR Village Community coming together to view the total eclipse of the sun

Eclipse Orientation

Condo 3 resident Doug Llewellyn explaining the total eclipse to residents who had registered in advance for his presentation.

Photos courtesy of Dawn Sargent and Darren Brennessel

Darren Brennessel informing residents how to take photos of this event.

Eclipse Orientation and Viewing

Dawn Sargent

On Monday April 8, 2024, the residents of Bristol Harbour had the rare opportunity to see a total solar eclipse as we were lucky enough to be in the path of totality. Months before, condo 3 resident Doug Llewellyn began planning for the event and shared his expertise with the village residents. On April 7, the day before the event, Doug conducted an eclipse orientation which provided an overview as to the cause of the eclipse. He engaged residents in some fun hands-on activities to understand the relative size and distance of the earth to the moon. Doug also reinforced how to view the eclipse safely providing ISO rated glasses for our village residents. Hillside resident and avid photographer Darren Brennessel was also on hand to discuss important notes about taking pictures of the event and showing images he had taken of previous eclipses.

Monday, the day of eclipse, was mild and although cloudy skies prevented villagers from seeing the moon’s migration across the sun, the event was a great success. All were in good spirits as they gathered on the lawn of the community center toasting the event with champagne, courtesy of the Bristol Harbour Yacht Club. As the moon blocked the sun and darkness crept over South Bristol people were awed by how quickly we were thrust into nighttime, but less than 3 minutes later, darkness lifted, and we began to see the light again.

Thanks go out to Kelli Becka, representing the Canandaigua Lake Watershed, Bristol Harbour Recreation Committee, Bristol Harbor Yacht Club, Ashley Christoff and the helpful Kenrick Staff. A true team effort made for an incredibly successful event!

Correction to the above flyer: Please RSVP by Wednesday May 29

The Beauty and Benefits of Spring

Laurie Riedman

“Keep close to Nature’s heart .... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” John Muir

We don’t have to travel across the country to visit one of the many National Parks; John Muir, the naturalist, environmentalist, and “Father of the National Parks,” created to appreciate nature. All we have to do is open our front door!

Yes, with spring finally arriving in our area, there is no shortage of lovely locations to take in nature’s beauty. We all know the documented adverse effects of being sedentary in front of our TVs, computers, tablets, and smartphones. So why not get off the couch and out into the beauty we are so lucky to have right outside our door?

Don’t take my word for it – there are many benefits to getting outside:

Nature helps improve our thinking and reasoning and helps us manage our mental health. According to the National Library of Medicine studies, our minds and bodies relax in a natural setting. Feelings of happiness, goodwill, and positive thinking are more likely, as well as increased focus and concentration. I’m not sure about you, but I can take a dose of that! I also find that being in nature can be a wonderfully mindful activity. It slows things down as I tune into my surroundings – noticing how the light peeks through the trees, how it warms my face, or closing my eyes, I can focus on the sweet sounds of the birds. Try it – it’s magical.

Getting out in nature is good physical exercise. Hiking, biking, walking, paddle boarding, and kayaking are great ways to keep our bodies in shape and our minds happy. Physical exercise is critical as we age for obvious reasons – it helps reduce cortisol levels, builds muscles, lowers the risk of heart disease, and allows us to maintain a healthy weight. Exercising outside also has the added benefit of increasing our Vitamin D level, which drops during the winter months.

Being outside can decrease anxiety. A therapist friend of mine tells me it’s nature’s antidepressant. Regular outside exposure also helps us sleep better, and recent studies show exposure to natural light helps regulate natural sleep/wake cycles. Bonus points for adding in a nice dose of socialization if you grab a neighbor and hit the trails!

Here are some of my favorite local trails:

Town of Canandaigua Onanda Park – Nicely maintained wide trails with just a bit of elevation. If you take the Upper Falls trail, you will likely be rewarded with views of waterfalls in the spring!

Grimes Glenn (Naples): This trail is an easy springtime/summer treat close to downtown Naples, but wear waterproof shoes!

Canandaigua Vista Preserve—(off of Jones Road). This lovely trail takes you along open meadows and forests, with gorgeous views of Canandaigua Lake and the hills beyond. Warning: Springtime can be pretty muddy, so bring proper footwear. On May 19th, there will be a free Talks & Trek: Spring Migrant Bird Walk at 8 a.m.

Ontario Pathways—This well-maintained rail trail follows a railroad bed and is 23 miles long. Numerous locations to park and get on and off the trail make it great for biking or walking. In June, the trail will open the first installation of the Ontario Arts Trail in conjunction with the Ontario County Arts Council. The grand opening is at 11 am June 1 at the Ontario Street Kiosk/parking area in Canandaigua.

Wesley Hill Nature Preserve (Gulick Rd, Naples): Stroll and hike among tall Hemlocks, white and red pines, and a wide array of wildflowers (in the spring) along the northern rim of Briggs Gully, one of the Finger Lakes' largest gorges. There are lovely views of the hills surrounding Honeoye Lake. There are several trails, but wear proper footwear and bring poles if you have them. Some elevation climbs and descents.

Laurie Riedman

My book it out!

Diamonds in the Dirt Stories From A Junkyard Girl

laurie.riedman@gmail.com

bu coaching

www.bucoach.com

Blog: https://laurieriedman.substack.com/

LAKE-FRIENDLY LIVING

Sonya Carnevale (CLWA)

and

Kelli Becka (BHV Resident & CLWA Volunteer)

Lake Friendly living sign in the yard to the left.

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

Canandaigua Lake covers 10,553 acres, with a watershed size of 174 square miles?

Canandaigua Lake is the drinking water source for approximately 70,000 local residents?

Canandaigua’s hydraulic retention time (the time water and dissolved particles spend in the lake) is 13.4 years? That’s a long time for pollutants to potentially stick around!

Canandaigua’s economy is largely driven by the lake through tourism, recreational fishing, and lake influenced property values?

Canandaigua Lake's health is facing multiple threats which could therefore affect our Bristol Harbour Beach and community?

WHAT ARE THE THREATS FACING CANANDAIGUA LAKE?

Canandaigua Lake is struggling to deal with increasing nutrient and pollutant loading from various sources, changing weather patterns, and invasive species. As a result, in the past several years, we have experienced decreasing water quality with annual harmful algal blooms.

WHAT IS LAKE-FRIENDLY LIVING?

It is the practice of incorporating healthy choices into your lifestyle that protect our watershed and lake health. These changes can be small, but when a community works together with many people participating, small changes can grow into a large impact.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PRACTICE LAKE-FRIENDLY LIVING?

There are lots of ways, and every single way adds up! There are three main categories to think about: 1) Eliminating pollutants, 2) Minimizing runoff that carries pollutants and excessive nutrients to the lake, and 3) Capturing and Infiltrating runoff that can’t be avoided.

Eliminate pollutants:

1. Pick up your pet waste! Pet waste is high in nutrients and bacterial pathogens that are harmful to the lake and does not “fertilize” your lawn because it is too acidic. In a community with almost 5000 households, there are on average about 3000 dogs. That means 15,750 pounds of dog waste a week, 821,250 pounds per year and an estimated 25,184,999,452,500 fecal coliform bacteria! And that’s only for Canandaigua, not the entire watershed!

2. Never flush your prescription drugs down the toilet! Dispose of them properly at medication take-back events.

3. Support your local car washes by cleaning your vehicles there. Doing it at home in the driveway allows soapsuds and roadway contaminants to run into storm drains that eventually make their way into the lake.

4. Practice lake-friendly lawn care. Minimize or eliminate the use of chemicals/pesticides and fertilizers. Most lawns don’t require any fertilizer at all!

5. Minimize erosion.

6. Maintain your vehicle's engine to avoid gas and oil leaks.

7. Properly dispose of household hazardous waste like batteries, paint, thinners, automotive and cleaning products.

Minimize runoff:

1. Minimize the size of your lawn. Lawns don’t absorb as much rainwater as areas with multiple layers of vegetation.

2. Mow your grass to a minimum of three inches. This not only slows runoff, it promotes healthier root development, healthier grass and reduces watering needs.

3. Landscape with minimizing runoff in mind: choose shrubs and groundcovers instead of grass for steep slopes and isolated, hard to water areas.

4. Use water wisely. Avoid watering in the heat of the day to minimize evaporation. Don’t allow your sprinklers to water the sidewalk and driveways. Go native! Native plants often require less water as they are acclimated for our climate. Use mulch to help retain moisture around your plants.

Capture and Infiltrate:

1. Consider using a rain barrel to capture rain from your roof to water your garden/lawn.

2. Plant a rain garden in an area that can collect rain water, ie from the rooftop or patio, or in areas prone to drainage problems.

3. Plant a vegetative buffer between your lawn and the lake or waterways. This becomes the final opportunity to absorb pollutants before they enter the lake.

4. Protect the watershed and lake from invasive species. Clean, drain, and dry your boats before entering another waterway. Never dispose of aquarium plants like elodea into the watershed environment.

AND FINALLY, TAKE THE PLEDGE!

The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association is asking all Bristol Harbour residents and landowners, as well as local businesses to commit to better practices to protect our lake for ourselves and future generations. You can show your support in a few ways:

1) By posting a sign in your yard that designates you as a lake champion,

2) Becoming a CLWA member, and

3) Volunteer with CLWA. Just go the CLWA website at www.canandaigualakeassoc.org to take the pledge today and help us spread the word to promote lake-friendly living!

Bristol Library

6750 County Road #32, Canandaigua, NY 14424

585-229-5862; bristollibrarydirector@owwl.org; thebristollibrary.com

Hours: M, W, Th 3pm–7pm;

Tu & Sat 10am–2pm

New at the BRISTOL Library

Chair Yoga - Saturday, April 20, 27, May 4, 11 - 8:30 am -9:15 am

Watercolor Painting Class: Saturday, April 20 from 10am-2pm: Howard VanBuren, “Signature Member” of the Central New York Watercolor Society - is offering a watercolor painting class. He will lead you through step by step painting a Single Cupola Barn $25 per person includes all materials. For more information and to reserve your seat in this class, go to: www.thebristollibrary.com

Classic Afternoon tea - Saturday May 18, 2024 - Assorted Teas, a complimentary glass of champagne, and Mouthwatering Savories, Sweets, and Scones. Two seatings at 5680 Seneca Point Road, Naples, NY $25.00 per person - See flyer below for details.

Sixth Annual Poetry and Prose Sharefest - Friday May 31, 2024, 6:30 pm -8:30 pm. Bareend Pavilion, Levi Corser Park, Bristol. Bring a blanket, a chair, and refreshments. Free Event

Unable to make it to the library? Sign up for Books by Mail, a free service through the OWWL Library System that sends library materials through U.S. Mail. Learn more at owwl.org/booksbymail.

You can sign up for a library card with a quick visit to the library or online at https://owwl.org/help/register. Be sure and indicate Bristol Library is your home library.

Follow Bristol Library on their new Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheBristolLibrary)

Visit Bristol Library website (https://www.thebristollibrary.com/)

to sign up for the monthly newsletter

Check out recurring events at www.thebristolharborlibrary.com

Recycling Update

by Marilyn Noffsinger

The recycle center in the Big Lots plaza in town is now open on a regular basis and is under new management. Peter Bertonis has been diligently sorting bottles and cans and bagging them at the BH recycle facility. This allows Bella and Kevin Stall to efficiently redeem them in town .

When you see Kevin, Bella and Peter around the Harbour, please thank them for their efforts especially during the winter season. Thanks to all residents who participate in this program which benefits all of BH.

January 21, 2024

Buffalo Bills Watch party

photo courtesy or Teri Hauck

Pickleball - April 8, 2024, before the Eclipse

photo below

courtesy of Monica Kraft