29
Aug 09

EF1 Tornado hits Canandaigua Yacht Club

Canandaigua Tornado, originally uploaded to Flickr by SailorBill.

Boats everywhere!

An EF1 tornado scored a direct hit on the grounds of the Canandaigua Yacht Club in Canandaigua, NY on Saturday afternoon, August 29, 2009.

There are trees down everywhere. Power lines were also down because the poles had been snapped in half.

Several boats were sunk in the mooring field with just the masts or a small portion of the hull showing. But the major damage was done in the parking area where “Shark Park” was a total mess. I don’t think I saw one Shark that was unscathed.

J-24′s were tipped off their trailers or blown across the lot.

The whole Vanguard 15 fleet was blown off the end of the parking area and most were in the water by the beach and underneath the North dinghy rack which landed on top of them.

The pavilion was off of the foundation and will have to be seriously repaired before it can be safely used again.

Wow! For a storm that reportedly lasted only 90 seconds, it caused a major mess. No one was hurt, so there is some good news.

Cleanup begins as soon as the insurance companies do their documentation.

More to follow… There is a post on the Canandaigua Yacht Club homepage with a note to stay away until Tuesday and to keep checking the site for updates.

I’ve posted damage photos on Flickr.

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08
Aug 09

This little guy followed me all morning

Blurry iPhone shot of the little fawn that followed me down Oatka Creek for about a mile this morning. His mom and sister stayed quite a ways back in the woods but this one was within 20 feet the whole time.

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27
Jun 09

Grace likes to adjust the sprinkler

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05
Jun 09

Sunday Racing

You may need to get a free account at http://kattack.com to view these. It will be worth it.

When? Sunday May 31, 2009

Where? Canandaigua Yacht Club

Who? J-24′s Albatross (Blue boat) and Dr. Heeks (Red boat)

What? Sunday morning one-design racing!!

Here’s Race #1.

Race #2.

Race #3 (Note: Dr. Heeks veer off to Starboard on the first downwind leg. That was what sailors call a broach. Too bad there isn’t video or pixs!)

Fun was had by all.

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23
May 09

Tucker with his favorite toy



Tucker, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

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19
Apr 09

Cold day of fishing on Honeoye Lake

Cold day of fishing on Honeoye Lake, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

I caught a few small bass today on Honeoye Lake. Morning temps started out in the 30′s but warmed into the 50′s by early afternoon, but the wind really picked up keeping a chill on. Had a good time though. Beautiful lake.

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13
Apr 09

Fly fishing, Wiscoy Creek, Pike, NY

Fly fishing, Wiscoy Creek, Pike, NY, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

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30
Mar 09

Selene Dumaine tying without a vice

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24
Mar 09

2009 State Fair Web Sites

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05
Mar 09

Twitter Frenzy

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16
Feb 09

Velocitek SpeedPuck Video

Video review of the Velocitek SpeedPuck posted to YouTube by Stern Scoop.

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12
Feb 09

The Electronic Newspaper

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16
Dec 08

Aren’t you going to throw it again?

 

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22
Nov 08

Grace havin’ fun in the snow!

Grace havin’ fun in the snow!, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

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21
Nov 08

Pet Peek could solve Southern Hills fence problem

I’d need at least 100 – two for each pup, installed every 10 feet. Heck, if we install enough of them the neighbors won’t be able to see the massive fence!

Hat tip to Mark. Source: http://www.petpeek.info/

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19
Nov 08

Tucker LOVES Snow

Tucker our Border Collie

Tucker, originally uploaded by sailorbill

Tucker would stay outside all day in the snow if we’d let him! Funny that inside the house we think he is so clean and white – that is until you see him against the pure white snow!

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19
Nov 08

Grace and her red ball

Grace, our border collie

 

Grace, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

Grace has managed to find every toy we forgot to pick up before it started snowing. We’ve had about 10 inches in the past two days here in Fairport, NY. Both Grace and Tucker LOVE the snow!

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18
Nov 08

Welcome to Southern Hills in Fairport, NY

I didn’t think I’d ever post to RottenNeighbors.com. That was before I checked the mail yesterday where I opened letter that included signatures from two of our neighbors, Barbara and Jeff Barteld who, since July have been publicly stating displeasure over the fact that Tracy and I fenced in our back yard. The Bartelds have had county officials from the building and permits office and from the public works department out to visit the property and the fence project on multiple occasions. Everything was legal and cool with the town each time. Read on… Below the photo of our yard is the text of the petition that arrived yesterday along with a link to the .pdf version.
Southern Hills, Fairport, NY

November 14, 2008

Mr. & Mrs. Blevins
6 Brackley Circle
Fairport, NY 14450

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Blevins,

In the 20 years since our community, Southern Hills, was developed, we have enjoyed a proud tradition of family oriented community, full of friendly neighbors, and with lots of children and pets enjoying each others company while respectful of each others properties. It is with this proud tradition in mind, that we, your neighbors, are so disappointed with your choice to install such a massive fence.

As you may have noticed, Southern Hills is largely void of fences. The ample yards and the beautiful rolling landscape create a lovely “park-like” setting that has come to identify Southern Hills. Any fences that have been installed are typically small and/or close-set to the house. Usually as small yards for pet safety. Of course, many others have chosen to use invisible fences for pet safety. The stark contrast created by your fence, however, creates a disruption to the Southern Hills identity. Especially a stockade fence, which creates isolation, and gives the impression that you don’t wish to be part of our community. This fence divides our once-beautiful open area in the dozens of back yards bordered by Cannock Drive, Kirkby Trail, Brackley Circle, Chenin Run and Chardonnay Drive.

Neighbors spoke with you as you were considering installing your fence, and shared the community view on fences. Still others felt strongly enough to create and sign a petition, which we have attached to this letter. [Download the .pdf file of the letter and petition.] In the spirit of maintaining the proud tradition of Southern Hills, we respectfully request that you remove this fence. If you are unwilling to consider this, please at least landscape around the fence to soften its stark appearance.

We hope you will view this note and petition in the manner it was intended, as candid and honest feedback from neighbors who care deeply about their community. Most of all, we are hopeful you will act on this feedback.

Sincerely,

Your Neighbors

cc: Jim Smith, Perinton Town Supervisor

————————————————-

Southern Hills Petition

FREEDOM KNOWS NO FENCES

We, the undersigned neighbors of Southern Hills, hereby protest the installation of a stockade style fence at 6 Brackley Circle. The Southern Hills neighborhood has a proud 20+ year tradition, built upon respect of each other, our families and our properties. Throughout these years, the Southern Hills neighbors have enjoyed the bonds of community, while free of the bonds brought by fences or boundaries. Each of our neighborhood members has taken great pride in their properties, attentive to details of lawn and garden, yet open for all to enjoy.

The undersigned neighbors of Southern Hills, respectfully request the immediate removal of this fence.

Karen Wilson
1 Brackley Circle
Fairport, NY 14450
Lee Jacobs
2 Brackley Circle
Fairport, NY 14450
Denise Rainey
4 Brackley Circle
Fairport, NY 14450
John Holloway
40 Cannock Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Amy Holloway
40 Cannock Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Mary Posella
48 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Michelle Brienzi
58 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
59 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Danielle Barteld
59 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Meghan Barteld
59 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Corinne Dercola
60 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Mike Dercola
60 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Alicia Culpepper
61 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Jonathan Culpepper
61 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Susan Lewis
63 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Paul Lewis
63 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Jeff Stanek
64 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Nancy Pallatto
65 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Robert Frustaci
69 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Stacey Pollack
71 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Joseph Dragicevich
90 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Cerise Dragicevich
90 Chardonnay Drive
Fairport, NY 14450
Janet Sary (Lang)
67 Chenin Run
Fairport, NY 14450
E
69 Chenin Run
Fairport, NY 14450
Catherine Gilligan
71 Chenin Run
Fairport, NY 14450
B. J. Y
73 Chenin Run
Fairport, NY 14450
Lori Webster
5 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Lee Jones
11 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Donna-Sue Cianciotto
12 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Cris Betlem
2 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Cindy DeRusso
20 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Doris Nowicki
21 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Gail Grant
4 Kirkby Trail
Fairport, NY 14450
Andy Jasie
14 Wedmore Road
Fairport, NY 14450
Sue Jasie
14 Wedmore Road
Fairport, NY 14450

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26
Oct 08

Tucker

Tucker and his big red ball

 

Tucker with his big Jolly Ball, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

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26
Oct 08

Grace

Grace, originally uploaded by sailorbill.

Grace got a bath LAST NIGHT!!

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16
Oct 08

Tucker and Grace Blevins (with Bill and Tracy)

Tucker and Grace Blevins

Here is the link to the “Tucker and Grace” photo album on Flickr.

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09
Oct 08

Time Warner Cable “PhotoShow” live in Rochester

Time Warner has partnered with Roxio to use their PhotoShow program to allow the public to upload photos, create a slide show and then publish them on a local TV channel at no cost.

This free version also hosts the finished “show” for people like me to post to a blog like this test I that did today.

The site will also email the show to your friends and another option is to order the show on a DVD. Premium members (paying members) get additional slide show styles, borders, music, transitions, etc.

Neat. A few of my friends have already tried this out and I’ve received several invites to their shows on local Rochester channel 822. I had to try it out too.

Oh, don’t forget to click the button below the show above to turn on the groovy music (also free).

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21
Aug 08

J-22 Worlds first day wrap-up

Before yesterday I couldn’t have said, “Well, I remember this one time when I was in a regatta that was so large that in one race we tied for 64th place with 42 other boats”.

Now I can tell that sailing story!

After waiting for the winds to build and settle in a somewhat straight direction, the race committee tried to get all of the 105 J-22′s heading towards the windward mark. A general recall and then a timing error on the second try delayed the race for 30 more minutes. We were in position to nail both of those starts on the pin end but that didn’t matter in the end.

The third try send all of the boats off without incident. We were one boat length behind a bunch of over-early boats that didn’t get caught and we were mid-line on the pin end side of the line.

After about 5 minutes, the wind went left and got lighter and we tacked to port and headed up the middle of the course. Wrong call!!

The middle went almost totally dead and we struggled with the steering and trimming in the light conditions finally making it to the top mark and then half-way down to the leeward mark before the breeze dropped to under 2 knots.

Finishing somewhere near the back of the fleet, we crossed after the time limit expired and joined company with a third of the fleet in the same predicament as us!

Race committee called it a day and then I had another “first” for my sailing career – being the 17th boat in an 18 boat tow line back to the harbor!

Today, the weather isn’t looking much better as far as sailing goes. Winds of 5-7 from the East (which means ‘no wind’ up here in New York). I hope we get another race in today.

Tonight, I’ll post photos and links to other blogs and report on what happens out on the water. Time to head to the boat!

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20
Aug 08

J-22 World Championships

I’ve never been in a race with 15+ OCS (on course side) boats and no general recall, but, I guess when there are 105 boats on the line, that isn’t many!!

Nelson, Mike and I went out yesterday and practiced with everyone. We had light and shifty winds and 3 foot seas, so there was a lot of bobbing up and down.

The winds died down to less than 5 knots right at race time after blowing all day from the North.

Not much fun for a practice race but probably the toughest sailing we’ll see for the rest of the week.

Today, for the first day of races we are supposed to see very light and shifting winds from SW changing to  NE so we may not even get a race in.

Here is the boat I’m helming: “Changes in Attitude” #1378, Bow # 82

Here is the results page: http://myyc.org/result

More updates to follow!

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21
Jul 08

Startup Schwag #10

I finally caught up posting links last week and a new “bag” arrived today with a shirt from Plurk.com and other stuff from:

Armor Games – 500 game titles

Magnify – video for your site

Nimbuzz! – social IM and VoIP

PriceAdvance – comparison shopping site

Zilok – online rental marketplace

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