How the
Chemung River buoys downtown Elmira businesses
By Ruth
Harper
“I used to stand there and look at the river,” he said. “Then I decided, why not open a restaurant downstairs? When I bought the building, I didn’t think of opening a restaurant.”
Ahmad opened Bistro 223 at
“I thought, it’s such a river that no one pays attention to,” Ahmad said. “People don’t know there’s a river there. People don’t care about the river. The river, bad, bad, bad. (In 1972) we had a flood. Bad, bad, bad. And I always used to look at the river and say, ‘You know, you’re such a pretty little river and you’re so neglected.’”
As he worked on the restaurant, he faced a problem: A huge flood wall blocked the first-floor restaurants’ view of the water. He decided to place a mirror so guests could watch the water while enjoying a meal.
Roundin’ Third, a sports bar and restaurant at
“It’s beautiful out there, and the people who come see it, they come back,” Reese said. “Every single person that has been here and has taken the time to go see it absolutely loves it. I think people should start utilizing the river a little more. (We) should do more up (on the deck) anyway, maybe just to bring people up there.”
Restaurants aren’t the only businesses drawn to the river as a selling point. Gina and Mike Mitchell own Riverside Suites, a building at 231 W. Water St. that contains office spaces, apartments and two retail storefronts, including one for Copy Express, which the Mitchells own.
Gina Mitchell said 75 percent of the Riverside Suites building is occupied, including a counseling office that rents an office suite. The couple currently has offices for rent.
“We like the view from the offices and we think that’s what attracted people who want to work in an office with a view,” Mitchell said.
Views of the river appeal to the apartment tenants, too, Mitchell said. One tenant takes advantage of his riverside location to go fly fishing.
“He walks out the back door, crosses the (
Another tenant has a back deck where he likes to sit and watch the river and a third tenant moved in because he wanted to be able to walk to work each day, Mitchell said. The couple is working to expand river viewing options.
“We’re still working on a plan for the rooftop deck that would have another view of the river,” Mitchell said.
Ahmad has ideas for better viewing of the river in the future, too. He said he would like the city of Elmira to break a little bit of the wall or build a staircase going over the wall so Water Street pedestrians wanting to see the river up close can do so.
“No one can go see the river unless they go far, a mile away, drive back and they lose their energy,” Ahmad said.
Luckily for Ahmad and other Elmira residents, the city of Elmira and the Friends of the Chemung River Watershed are working to give downtown Elmira better public access to the river. Tentative plans include a viewing platform on the flood wall overlooking the river near the Riverfront Park on Water Street in downtown Elmira.
Other options include installing a stairway over the flood wall to give the public access to the river. When the river is low, hikers can trek along the banks; it provides great exercise and an up-close view of the river and nature.
Plans also include building a multi-use recreation trail adjacent to the flood wall but high enough to give users a scenic view of the water.
“Providing visual and physical access to the river in downtown is one of the most popular requests by the public,” said Jim Pfiffer, director of the Friends of the Chemung River Watershed. “That’s why we are partnering with the city and other organizations to make the river more accessible and enjoyable.
“It’s a beautiful waterway that flows through the center of our city. The river not only attracts businesses to the area, but also provides us with an opportunity to connect with nature and learn more about our environment.”
Ruth Harper has lived in Elmira since she was a toddler. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from St. Bonaventure University. While pursuing a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from St. Bonaventure, she works as a freelance writer and marketer. Her email address is rharpera@gmail.com.
Dancing With Our Stars! Vote Early and Often
Elmira, NY: Voting now begins for the Elmira Rotary
Club's fundraiser Dancing With Our Stars. Local celebrities will compete in a
night of dancing for their favorite charity. The winner will have $1,000
donated to their favorite charity. Local dance instructors from the Starlite
Room, Dance Force Studios and Studio 1262 have agreed to instruct or partner
with our celebrity dancers.
* Joe Pasquarelli - WETM-TV
* Steve Vesey - WETM-TV
* Katie Boland - Horigans
* Bernadette Cleary Drew - former owner, Pudgies N. Main
* Randi Hewit - Community Foundation of Elmira, Corning & Finger Lakes
* John Wood - Principal, Elmira Free Academy
* Chris Krantz - Principal, Southside High
School
The Dancing with Our Stars final performance will take
place on Saturday October 23 at the Clemens Center. See the attached flier for
more details.
The Elmira Rotary Club was organized on September 27,
1916. Over the years, the Elmira Rotary Club has spearheaded or provided
funding for vital projects for our community.
Visit www.elmirarotary.orghttp://www.elmirarotary.org/>
for more information.
Elmira College graduate from China gives back to community
Richard Shi, a citizen of Shanghai, China and a 2010 graduate of Elmira College, is giving back to the Elmira area this summer by volunteering with the Friends of the Chemung River Watershed, a nonprofit group that protects andpromotes the river and its tributaries.
The 23-yearold Shi says he’s volunteering because he wants to thank the college, the local community and the United States for giving him the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management.
Shi, who received a scholarship to attend the college, graduated summa cum laude.
“I want to help the community and the environment so people, especially kids, can enjoy the river and nature,” said Shi, who is living on campus. “And I get the business experience of working with and learning about a nonprofit organization.”
Shi will assist the Chemung River Friends with marketing, business plans and developing an electronic newsletter.
Shi’s parents are moving to Elmira in mid-July to live near their son until August, when he will attend graduate school at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Shi, who wants to become a U.S. citizen, has a dream. He wants to earn a doctorate business and return to Elmira College as a business professor.
“The college and the community have done so much for me,” Shi says. “I love it here. It’s beautiful and the people are nice. I want to return here to live and work.”
Kids invited to build and Race Huck Finn Model Rafts on the Chemung River
Mark Twain would have loved it. Huck Finn would have raced in it. Local youth can do both with it.
It’s a race on the Chemung River, where elementary and middle schools students are invited to build and race l Huck Finn themed model rafts.
The Sept. 25 Huck Finn Model Raft Race and race will let youths test their raft-building skills, creativity and give them a better appreciation and understanding of the river, says Jim Pfiffer, director of the Friends of the Chemung River Watershed, which is sponsoring the race.
The race commemorates the 100 anniversary of the death of Mark Twain. Twain, a river lover, wrote many of his best stories while spending summers in Elmira. Those great American novels include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a story about a mischievous boy who runs away and drifts on a raft down the Mississippi River.
In the spirit of Huck, local youths are invited to build Huck inspired rafts and enter them in the river race from West Elmira to the Grove Street boat launch in downtown Elmira. First place winners receive $100. Second place finishers earn $50. A $50 “Spirit of Huck Finn” award goes to the youth who builds a raft that best symbolizes Huck’s raft.
Entry fee is $5 per person, with only one entry per person.
The race coincides with the Farm/City Days event at Wisner Park in Elmira, where the winners will receive their prizes and display their rafts.
The rafts will be on display at the Chemung Valley History Museum in Elmira a week prior to the race.
The race is sponsored by the Friends of the Chemung River Watershed with partners, Chemung County Cooperative Extension, Elmira Downtown Development and the Chemung Valley History Museum.
For more information and race rules, contact Lee at (607) 562-3988 or visit www.chemungriverfriends.org and click on “events” for the Huck Finn Model Raft Race details.
Raft Model Race Details & RulesQuestions? Call Lee at 562-3988
Broadway School kids donate $100 to River Friends
The money will be used for youth environmental and river-related educational programs along the river.
The 80-member Broadway Builders Club, the youth organization of the Southport Kiwanis Club, raised the money through dances, concession stand sales and other fund-raising efforts. Christine Welch, a teacher at the school, helps lead the builders club.
This isn't the first time the students have helped River Friends. They participated in a spring riverside trash cleanup and they made river themed bookmarks and donated them to Chemung River Friends.
"This is a great example of how our youth can learn about volunteering and help improve the environment and their community," said Jim Pfiffer, director of the Chemung River Friends. "That's so important, because these kids are the soon-to-be stewards of our rivers and environment. They are investing in their future. We all owe them our thanks."
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Flood Mitigation
Source: Southern Tier Central Regional Planning & Development Board, www.stcplanning.org
Flooding
is a fact of life in the Southern Tier Central region of New York. Flash floods may occur quickly with little or no warning. Since
the devastating flood caused by Tropical Storm Agnes in June of 1972, various
government agencies and other organizations have made efforts to improve flood
warnings and reduce the damages caused by flooding. STC provides technical assistance for a variety of flood risk management activities.
After evey flood, the tendency has been for
residents to rebuild their lives and pray that "this is the last
destructive one." Structural projects have been built in hopes of
controlling future flood waters. As time passes, people tend to forget
about flooding and become complacent. Additional development occurs in
flood-prone areas. Deforestation and upland development increase the
amount of runoff. Stream channels are allowed to become clogged with
debris. In short, residents of the Southern Tier Central region continue
to grossly underestimate the destructive powers of their rivers, streams, and
lakes. If future flood damages are to be reduced, flood mitigation
measures will need to be incorporated into programs that will outlive the
all-too-short memories of area residents.
Things you can do to manage flood risks
include:
- Pay attention to flood warnings and obey evacuation orders.
- Never drive through flooded roadways: Turn Around Don't Drown!
- Do not dump or throw anything into ditches, streams or other
waterways.
- Maintain undeveloped vegetated buffers along rivers, streams, and lakeshores.
- Protect flood
control structures: Do
not operate motor vehicles on an earthen levee or engage in other
activities that might damage the vegetation.
- Make sure that land use activities do not increase
the amount of
runoff and thus contribute to increased flood hazards.
- If you live in a high flood risk area, take steps to
protect your
property from flood damage.
- Purchase flood insurance for buildings and contents in order to protect your financial
investment.
River Friends, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the
Chemung River and its tributaries is looking for additional volunteer interns.
For more information, contact Jim Pfiffer at (607) 846-2242 or e-mail at riverfriends@stny.rr.com.
Grant keeps River lovers safer and better educated
Residents of Chemung County will be safer and more educated, on the Chemung River, thanks to a recent grant awarded to River Friends.
The $758 Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the
Finger Lakes, Inc., mini-grant will purchase life preservers for paddlers on
River Friends sponsored eco-recreation events. The money will also help buy a
digital camera for river-related educational programs and presentations.
