caneadea – Houghton STAR

Thirty-two acres of land were donated to the town of Candeadea by Houghton College for a public park to be constructed.

campusnews The deed for the land, which is located near the Field of Dreams, was signed over to the township on July 5. According to a Houghton College press release, a Memo of Understanding was also signed. This will allow Houghton College’s continued, perpetual use of the cross country course, which cuts through the donated land.

Construction for the town park is tentatively slated to begin in the summer of 2017, a year after the land was donated by the college. As of now, plans include a pavilion, a picnic area, and playground equipment.

“Houghton College is privileged to partner with others in our community to create a park that will not only enable us to enjoy the Genesee River valley more fully but also attract others to the beauty of this region,” Houghton College President, Shirley Mullen, said in the press release.

The college’s chief business officer, Dale Wright, cited the recreational potential of the space for all age groups. He also stated in the press release, “It’s also an important example of the Town and the College working together on a mutually beneficial project.”

Matt Young ‘18, father of a toddler and preschooler, and Joshua Mason ‘18, whose son was born last semester, each expressed enthusiasm over the land donation and park plans.

“I would absolutely take my son to the park if it were completed next fall,” Mason said. Young concurred, saying, “It will be a fun, safe, place to bring them that is close by.”

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I think it is a great location for a park,” Young continued. “There will still be access to the cross-country course (which provides a view of the river), and the field of dreams provides a wide-open space that is secluded enough that parents shouldn’t have to worry about vehicle traffic.”

Noting the lack of park spaces in Houghton, Mason said, “There are many young families in the community that would benefit greatly from a park so close. I know of two good parks, – one in Fillmore and one in Belfast. From what I’ve seen, neither of these parks have a picnic/pavilion area.” Travel to both parks requires a 5 to-10 minute drive.

The future park space does not only interest students and community members with young children. Naomi Prentice ‘18 said she saw the value in both a park development as well as the current, undeveloped land in the Field of Dreams.

“If the town park is near the field of dreams and not smack dab in the middle of the field of dreams I would like it,!” she said. While Prentice anticipates using the park once completed, she said she hopes the area where the Tree of Life once stood will remain undeveloped. “Cross country, soccer camps, and a few other groups use the field and it would be sad to see that space taken away for them. Also, just to have an undeveloped area to hang out, take walks, stargaze and enjoy some quiet is valuable,” she noted.

Construction plans are not available at this time for public viewing, as the Caneadea Town Park is still in its tentative planning stage.

The Genessee River Wilds, a group of community members seeking to “restore, protect and enjoy” the Genessee River, has plans to open up several parks in Allegany County. While still under renovation, one of these parks opened near Houghton, in the town of Caneadea.

Courtney Waters, a project coordinator at the Southern Tier West Regional Planning Board and partner of the Genessee River Wilds, has been extensively involved with the project. “In the last three years, our group has gained so much,” Waters said. “We contacted several landowners around the river, legislators, senators, and anyone who we thought should know about our group and what we were doing. I have helped out with several successful river floats down the Genessee, painting of the kiosks that you see at our river access parks, and much more.”

The group, while small, has big plans for the local area. While working to improve the health of the Genessee River and its watershed and protect them from environmental threats, the Genessee River Wilds hopes to enhance the recreational potential of the river for the community to learn more about and enjoy.

“As an earth scientist, I have studied the Genessee River in great detail,” Waters said. “It really has so many unique features and a rich history, and I’d like to see people recognize and accept it as an asset to our region, rather than a detriment. Our kiosks at the river access parks explain some of that history as well as invite people to experience the river for themselves.”

The river access parks will implement environmentally friendly changes so that the community can safely enjoy all of the benefits that the river has to offer. Features include an increase of hemlock and white pine trees to offer reforestation and to continue conservation in addition to reduced mowing costs associated with heavily shaded forest floors. As an added plus for community members, some of the parks will have amenities such as hiking trails, an amphitheater, playgrounds, swimming and wading areas, a watercraft staging area, and log cabins functioning as restrooms for visitor use.

With the town of Caneadea approximately three miles away from the Houghton College campus, many opportunities will be opened up for students to experience the new access point for themselves.

“I think Houghton students would welcome any new opportunities to learn from, enjoy, and care for nature and the outside world,” Eliza Kelly, a sophomore and member of the Paddle Sports Club, said in regards to the new river access point. “I know that many people enjoy the river in many different ways, from simply crossing it on a bridge to hiking along it or kayaking on it.”

Zachary Kitchen, a junior and the president of the Paddle Sports Club, agreed with Kelly. “The river is very key to the Houghton community. It is the centralized object of our town: the place where people meet to swim and fish, the system our roads run along. I think it also adds life to the town,” Kitchen said. “A better park system would give people incentive to go and explore the river, opening an entire world of potentially new discoveries to them.”