A meeting held by the recently formed citizens group United Shoreline drew a large crowd of more than 200 people to the Hamlin Town Hall Friday, June 23.
United Shoreline founding member Dawn Herbeck of Kendall says that’s double the number of residents who attended the first meeting held by the group on Friday, June 16, in Kendall.
“The majority of those (attending the Hamlin meeting) were new members, Herbeck says. “Many consulted the Mobile Command Unit sent by Governor Cuomo before and after the event for DEC insurance issues. Even more obtained state grant applications from Deborah Spillane, coordinator from the Sheen Foundation.”
The group formed only recently when five neighbors living on the lakeshore in Kendall decided they needed to step up to the plate and become proactive as a group to obtain information from county, state and federal officials and representatives and share that information with residents and businesses affected by the property damage caused by high lake levels along the south shore of Lake Ontario.
Herbeck says residents are not looking for a check to pay for fixing the damage, they want leaders to find a way to fix the damage which has been caused, and protect the shoreline moving forwards.
She says residents and businesses are not responsible for the flooding and damage which has occurred from high water levels, and should not have to take on the work of restoration and repair themselves.
“We also want protection from future (lake level) management,” Herbeck says.
During the June 23 meeting in Hamlin, residents heard from several speakers including Timothy Kohlmeier of the Monroe County Department of Public Safety and Rick Davis, who has already lost property and his deck into Lake Ontario and fears his house will be next.
Herbeck says those attending the Hamlin meeting were thrilled that United Shoreline has been formed. She said people from all along the lakeshore – as far away as the Thousand Islands – are asking for the group to come and provide empowerment to those affected.
“I’ve had lots of positive feedback,” Herbeck says. “People say they feel that now they can do something. They are happy to finally have someone hear them. We are gathering steam.”
She says no one should expect “instant gratification” – that the process will likely be a long one, “but now we have a forum and officials are listening, now we are getting somewhere,” she says.
Herbeck says legislators and officials are taking her calls when they hear she is with the United Shoreline group, showing the effort to gain strength by pulling together and organizing as a large group is proving to be an effective way to gain information and assistance.
United Shoreline will march in the July 4th parade in Lyndonville, Orleans County, and at the Kendall Fireman’s Carnival parade on July 7. The next meeting/rally will likely come later in July near Point Breeze, Herbeck says.
