Assemblyman Robert Oaks

12/31/2018

2018 Images of the Year- #7 Calm Canal: I spend a considerable amount of time around the Erie Canal with my camera. Captured this on an early July morning in Lyons, NY—dead calm on this historic waterway. The water was glassy smooth and the reflection of the clouds as the sun was emerging was impressive. We are fortunate to have the Erie Canal running through WNY and the Finger Lakes Region—one of the true treasures not just in New York State, but America as well.

12/31/2018

Alasa FarmsBeechwood State ParkBicentennial TrailBlue Cut Nature CenterBlack Brook ParkButterfly Nature TrailCasey ParkCanandaigua Road Dolomite TrailChimney Bluffs State ParkCornwall PreserveEnlarged Erie Canal Lock 56Ganargua Creek Meadow PreserveHistoric LyonsHuckleberry SwampLauraville Landing T...

12/30/2018

12/29/2018

12/29/2018

2018 Year in Review: As you know, I made many trips to Lake Ontario this year, many visits to Sodus Point. I really enjoy seeing this Great Lake in its various moods. It was dead calm there on this early May morning. Rest assured, Sodus Point made my 2018 Top 10 list—to be unveiled on New Year’s Eve.
This shot isn’t on that list, but it’s among my favorite this year. Tremendous beauty on the treasure that is Lake Ontario, we’re lucky to have it here.

12/28/2018

Friday's Farm: Each Friday, I will showcase an area farm or barn. Agriculture is such a big part of America's history and remains an important way of life here in Western New York and the Finger Lakes Region. We have some beautiful farms/barns and my aim is to take you to them and provide a little history (this is installment #76). This beautiful red barn dates back to 1825 and is located not far from Lake Ontario in Sodus Point, NY. The place has sensational history serving as a dairy farm back in the day. The property has belonged to the Proseus family for decades. Back in the day, the cows would produce milk here which was then delivered to the locals. Fruit was also grown on the land here, where sheep grazed as well. I had a terrific conversation with the current owner who told me “life wasn’t easier back then, but it WAS simpler”. He also shared a fantastic tale that the farmers who had the hardest workers for thrashing back in the day, were the ones who served the best hard cider. This red barn is steep in history and a real treasure of Wayne County.

12/23/2018

Icon to be Sold: One of the great properties in the entire region will be put up for sale in the spring. The Maxwell Creek Inn is a grand property along Lake Ontario in Sodus, NY. The cobblestone home, as well as cottage, date back to 1846. The beautiful red barn’s stone foundation goes back to 1794. Schooners would sail into Maxwell Bay, located at the bottom of the property, and trade wheat for the flour that was made at the old grist mill here. I featured this barn in my Friday’s Farm series one year ago, visiting this wonderful place during a snowstorm. The owners have meticulously cared for this property, running a very successful bed and breakfast here for the last 20 years. On the National Register of Historic Places, this was part of the Underground Railroad—tremendously steep in history. The owner tells me it’s bittersweet to part with such an iconic estate, but the work involved to maintain it is considerable. They have done a magnificent job ensuring its integrity. Watch here in the coming days for a tour inside one of the area’s true treasures.

12/23/2018