Village of Westfield put under Boil Water Order through next week...
The heavy rains and flooding from this past Tuesday night and Wednesday morning has led Chautauqua County officials to issue a boil water order for the village of Westfield. County Director of Health and Human Services, Christine Schuyler, says all water customers there are advised to bring their water to a boil... then let it boil for one minute... and, then let it cool before using. Otherwise, Schuyler says use bottled water certified by the state Department of Health. She says boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills any bacteria and other organisms in the water. Schuyler says this week's heavy rains caused turbidity levels in the village's reservoir to rise to levels that the filter plant could not adequately treat. When that happened... she says the filter plant was turned off and water in storage tanks was replied upon. Water samples collected today at the filter plant showed turbidity levels above Public Health standards. Again... there is a boil water order in effect in the village of Westfield... and, Schuyler says the order is expected to continue until sometime next week. For more information... contact the Village Hall at 326-3211 or the county's Public Health Office at 753-4481.
Memorial Day Weekend now the most dangerous "holiday" weekend in U.S.; Gerace urges driving safety during three-day weekend...
The three-day Memorial Day Holiday weekend is now considered the most dangerous holiday weekend period of the year. Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace says it has now exceeded New Year's as the most dangerous time period on the highways. That just recently came out in a National Traffic Safety Board report... and, Gerace is using it to urge people to be safe if they travel by car this weekend. He says the highway fatality rate... and, a 42-percent alcohol-related death rate in accidents Memorial Day Weekend. With a record number of travelers expected to go more than 50 miles this weekend by car... Gerace says plan ahead... and, take breaks when you need them. In addition to drunk and drowsy drivers... Gerace says the biggest problem they're seeing is the "distracted driver." He says when you're driving... don't use your cell phone to call... or text someone with. Gerace also reminds motorists that we are into road construction season... and, if you enter such a zone... slow down and follow all detours. On our "Community Spotlight" program this weekend... he added that his department will have beefed up patrols through Monday.
Bemus Point-Stow Ferry, scheduled to open this weekend, won't; However... officials say they will have fireworks display from the ferry Sunday night...
Due to high water and debris on Chautauqua Lake... the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry will not be operating this weekend. However... thanks to some help from the Chautauqua Lake Association... operators of the ferry will be able to shoot off their scheduled fireworks display this Sunday night. One of the principle volunteers with the Ferry, John Cheney, says the CLA was able to clear five truck loads of debris from the area around the ferry and it's channel. Cheney also thanked North Harmony Highway Superintendent Dan Strickland for his help. However... he says the water is still too high for it to safely go from one side to the other. With that... the ferry won't be able to handle vehicular traffic this weekend. However... Cheney says they'll be able to go from the Stow side to the center of the lake... and, shoot off the fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Afterwards... he says they'll dock on the Bemus side. Cheney says while the lake level has dropped a few inches since Wednesday... the water levels are about as high as they were after Hurricane Agnes came through the region in 1972.
