With summer here, I hope you are getting the chance to enjoy the water, the parks, the trails, and all the outdoor activities and festivals we look forward to each year.
A favorite hiking destination year-round is the eternal flame at Chestnut Ridge Park. It’s important that we keep that trail safe for the thousands who visit the flame annually. Last year, as part of the 2021 budget balancing amendments, I appropriated seventy thousand dollars to the Chestnut Ridge Conservancy for trail upgrades. I’m glad that work finally got underway this week on the Eternal Flame Trail. If you are headed there, please be aware that construction equipment and material along the trail will result in portions of the trail being rerouted. The trail design, construction and consulting firm Tahawus, Inc. is working on Phase 1 of this project, and it is estimated it will take one month to complete.
One of the many communities I’m proud to represent, the Village of Angola, has reached a significant milestone this year, with its 150th Anniversary. This Friday, July 21, there will be a parade, refreshments and more to celebrate the sesquicentennial. Saturday, July 22nd, and Sunday, July 23rd there are many more events scheduled in the village to mark this special occasion. Congratulations to our public officials and all those in the Village of Angola for your stewardship of such a tremendous community.
Since I began serving in the Erie County Legislature, the biggest issue in my district is our infrastructure, and more specifically the condition of Erie County roads. I serve on the capital projects committee and advocate for proper investment in our roads. I toured the district with our Public Works Commissioner last week to view the status of various road construction projects. I was pleased my colleagues and I in the Republican Caucus were able to get work moving on projects we approved years ago; some that the Administration borrowed money for, and was paying interest on, but hadn’t yet started. Some road construction projects this summer include; Gowanda Zoar from Foster to Unger and Collins Center Zoar from Foster to Route 39, Milestrip Road from Reservation Line to Route 62, Shadagee from Route 20 to Route 62, Bennett from Route 5 to Old Lakeshore, and the Back-Creek Road Slide, which is a reconstruction project that includes drainage work, and has a November completion date. Several more road projects are underway or will be starting in August.
I continue to monitor progress at the new Buffalo Bills stadium site to ensure the surrounding neighborhoods are not troubled with quality-of-life issues.
If you have a county related issue, please reach out to my office at 716-858-8850 or email at John.Mills@erie.gov
