Thursday, April 28, 2022

River Cleanup To Resume

 

 

© 2022 Luke T. Bush


So what’s with the barrier along the Saranac River in Verdantique Park?

I spoke with one of the workers installing the barrier.

Upstream there used to be a manufactured gas plant active from 1896 to 1960 that generated coal tar waste. The solution to dealing with the waste was to dump it in the river, polluting its bottom. A private company has been operating a remedial project, removing the coal tar. The contamination is so severe that when the coal tar is removed it can form globules similar to what is inside a lava lamp.

The river section in front of Macdonough Monument was cleaned last year and now the project will move downstream. This means the river will be narrowed at that point, water backing up. A Muscle Wall barrier – an alternative to sandbags – has been installed in case there’s any flooding caused by the narrow channel. River water is pumped into each section to weigh it down.

Last year someone jumped the Muscle Wall barrier to take a dip in the river. This time the height of the wall has been extended with cyclone fencing to prevent another such incident.

After the river cleanup the project is to move on into Lake Champlain.


Thursday, April 14, 2022

The Nose Knows

 


History & Doom

© 2022 Luke T, Bush 

When Pyramid Mall opened in Plattsburgh Town back in the mid 1970s Plattsburgh City needed a proper response. It didn't take long for stores like JC Penny and Wards to flee downtown for the new mall.

So how did Plattsburgh City respond? They left in the parking meters. There were plenty of open spaces.  Let’s see: park for free at the mall or keep slugging coins into a parking meter so I don’t get a ticket?

Something had to be done about downtown. Turn Margaret Street to one way, that's the answer!  There have always been too many one way streets in downtown.   I would be walking along and a car would pull over for directions.  I had to pause to think about the layout of the one way streets, making sure the person could get to his destination. It was easier to tell someone to go down the block, make a right turn and go to the mall. Eventually Margaret went back to a two way street, a more convenient setup.

Today there are big plans for downtown. Paid parking!  Make Margaret Street one way!

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to waste taxpayer money.