Labor Day weekend is here and with it comes the final “wrap” on the summer of 2011. Of course, there are many many more beautiful days of summer left in the Finger Lakes, but for most families with school children, its back to the grind next week.
My family never did take vacations as I grew up on a family dairy farm and there were always cows to be milked twice a day and meals for the family to be prepared three times a day. My vacation from all of the farm work occurred between 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoon. At 4:30 pm it was once again time to go get the cows into the barn for milking. Sunday afternoon was the time when we went swimming in the creek, or perhaps started a ballgame in the pasture field.
This summer I have observed an increased use of Kershaw Park in Canandaigua. Families are coming to have a picnic along the lake, or to go swimming in the lake, or to do a bit of kayaking on the lake. Our beautiful lake front has been almost destroyed by folks who want to build a $100 million dollar upscale commercial and residential development along the lake. But, they are finally realizing after 10 years that a new course of action must be taken. It’s easy for me visualize that new course: put the trees back along the lake which were yanked out last winter; build plenty of pavilions, picnic benches, children’s playgrounds, and walkways with park benches so people can enjoy the shade on a hot summer day as they stroll along viewing the beautiful lake. Since the north end of the lake is very shallow, allow folks to go wading in the lake – after all – isn’t that the beauty of being at a lake on a hot summer day? Plan on plenty of free parking near the park and sprinkle the summer weekends with free weekend concerts, art shows, and sidewalk vendors in the park.
I’m willing to bet that the restaurants, inns, and ice cream stands already along the Lake, the Wine Culinary Center, and the City Pier would be packed with people. And in another 10 years, there will be a real need for more places of lodging, more restaurants, and more shops. As Mayor Polimeni said, “We are trying to get something happening here.” Sometimes you have to back up a little before you can go forward!