Saturday, September 15, was a busy day for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Brockport. Sixty-one workers from the church at Lake Road and East Avenue volunteered to build a boat dock for the Brockport Community Rowing Club. The boat dock is the first major structure for the recently formed organization that is gradually evolving.
Workers divided up into two sites for the dock project: at the Canal in The College’s Commissary Park where posts to anchor a 60’ long floating dock were being installed; and, at the Village’s Department of Public Works garage where work started on the 44’ wooden ramp that will lead down to the floating dock.
Carol McNees organized the volunteers for her church. Asked why her church took on this project, Carol said, “We are part of the community, so we want to be in the community helping,” adding that the church also has been involved in several other community service projects. Carol is the secretary in the Village’s Department of Public Works (DPW). She happened to call the mayor to ask about any village project for her church. “We are looking for someone to build a boat dock,” the mayor declared, then added, “Just kidding!” But, Carol liked the idea and so did 100 percent of her church council. The 61 plus volunteers include several skilled in construction. The number was so large, a third clean-up project was added on a nearby existing dock. Carol directed the overall project in advance and at the DPW garage. She assigned volunteers, provided sign-in, tallied volunteer hours, and prepared the table for lunch which was provided by Brockport Wegmans.
Although Carol sees the dock as a Rowing Club project, she said, “It will serve a lot of different people in the community who will be able to use it, such as special needs organizations and others.” Mayor Blackman added, “It will be a public dock and could be used by canoers, kayakers, and fishermen.” The support for diverse use helps to address a dispute behind the Rowing Club project.
Controversy: Mayor Blackman reflects on lessons learned
There has been some controversy about whether the Rowing Club project serves the whole community, justifying the use of Village resources.
Planning over several years, Mayor Blackman had intended that the DPW would do the work as an in-kind contribution toward the 50 percent matching on the Canalway grant until an outcry was heard from some citizens. They objected to that use of DPW labor that could go to Village infrastructure projects instead of a project that might have limited citizen interest. “This has been a learning process,” the mayor said about hearing citizens’ concerns. “It’s going to be taken off the backs and out of the hands of tax payers by using volunteers.” Carol, a DPW employee, volunteered her personal time to organize the dock project for the Village as well as for her church. Harry Donohue, the DPW superintendent of public works, volunteered his time to oversee the work at the canal site.
For the mayor there also was a lesson learned in the initial planning of a site for the dock and boat house. Corbett Park was the original location intended for the structures. There were objections from neighbors in that area. The mayor explains, “The lesson from that was, if you place it where there are neighbors, lives will be impacted in some form whether it’s looking at the side of a boathouse or more foot traffic in the park due to rowers. So, you consult with them first, not after you have it all figured out.” The final location on the canal at Commissary Park was worked out as a partnership with The College.
But the mayor compares the arguments about limited citizen interest in rowing to the objections heard when the Brockport Welcome Center was being planned on the canal, recalling the “Voters, not boaters!” slogan of that Village election year. “It’s exactly that same thing with the rowing club,” the mayor said. “For over a decade, The Welcome Center has been well-established as a draw to tourists on boats and bikes, enhancing Brockport’s appeal and its downtown economy.”
Confirmation: The mayor builds for the future
“Rowing” is typically seen in university sports in the U.S. Sleek boats or “shells” glide across the water in “regatta” races as teams of rowers pull oars in unison.
Brighton, Fairport, and Pittsford schools have rowing as do McQuaid Jesuit and Mercy, RIT, University of Rochester, St. John Fisher, and Nazareth Masters level rowing is offered by the Rochester Boat Club and Genesee Rowing along with Rochester Community Inclusive Rowing for people with disabilities including veterans.
“There is no rowing west of the Genesee River until you get to Buffalo,” Mayor Blackman said. “This is really a first on the west side.” She points to the sport as promoting health for a wide variety of ages, having learned it herself at age 70 and, now at 74, “I will continue as long as I can.” And, she said, rowing will increase tourism, enhance appreciation for the canal, and bring more business to downtown when Brockport can host regattas.
Archie Kutz, founder of Brockport’s Lift Bridge Book Shop decades ago, and active in village projects, is on the Rowing Club’s new Board of Directors (see side bar). “My interest in rowing, or at least in bringing rowing to Brockport, started when I met some people at a Canal Conference maybe 15 or 20 years ago who were starting clubs on the east side,” he said. “It sounded like such an appealing idea to bring an activity to Brockport that would use the canal and attract people to the downtown Brockport district. I’ve enjoyed the little bit I’ve learned about rowing and await the opportunity to do more with the new Brockport Community Rowing Club.”
The mayor also sees the location partnership with The College holding possibilities for future use of the dock in the college curriculum. This possibility is articulated by the President of the Rowing Club’s Board of Directors, Dr. Cathy Houston-Wilson. She is Chairperson of Dept. of Kinesthesiology, Sports Studies, and Physical Education at The College.
“We have been working toward this goal for many years,” she said about the Brockport Community Rowing Club in an interview at the canal dock site that day. “With grants we received we finally are making some movement. And today we have awesome volunteers who are helping us get things set up.”
She continued, “One of the focuses and strengths of the rowing club here in Brockport is that we want to make sure the club is inclusive and accommodating all people. I have a background in adaptive physical education which is about teaching individuals how to work with people with disabilities.” She mentioned the Rochester Community Inclusive Rowing’s adaptive program, adding, “The problem is they are closer to the east side and we are trying to find avenues to engage people in rowing on the west side.”
“That’s why this will be an awesome place for us to host adaptive programs,” she continued. Plus, being so close to The College where cooperation has been really great, we hope that down the road we might have a club team from College and maybe even a high school team. It really is going to be one of the most inclusive type programs in the area in terms of rowing for adults, people with disabilities, college and high school students — really opened to all.”
The boat dock: The first material starting point
To establish and maintain a rowing club requires equipment, storage, launching facilities, other paraphernalia, and rower training. The project now has a total of $147,000 in grants, donations, and in-kind financial support. Besides the dock, a boat house is planned.
In addition to the new dock, Mayor Blackman points to an organizational infrastructure as a starting point from which to build: A Mission Statement (side bar), a Board of Directors, and responsibilities defined for officers and board members — all established in May 2017.
The mayor estimates there are around 60 people in the community interested in rowing; “We must secure their interest,” she said. “With a dock as a tangible symbol to help sway the public, we will start marketing, including Facebook and a web site.”
Asked how she so far has managed years of planning for the Rowing Club, Mayor Blackman said, “Sometimes I think it’s a hopeless slog, asking myself, ‘Are we going to make it?’ But, I like to see things through to completion once I start. Now, the club has been formed and these devoted volunteers have come along to build. We are making progress!”
(For more information: email brockportcommunityrow@gmail.com or phone Archie Kutz at 585-637-2434.)
Mission Statement
“The mission of the Brockport Community Rowing Club is to serve as a community-based and volunteer-driven organization, dedicated to developing rowing for a diverse population, while accessing the Erie Canal and gaining an appreciation for this historic resource.”
Members of the Board of Directors
Cathy Houston-Wilson President
Marleen Cain Vice President
Margay Blackman Secretary
Erica Linden Treasurer
Archie Kutz Director of Safety
Deb Moyer Dir. of Public Relations
Jim Martin Member at Large
