Latest news with #Wagenaar
Global News
17-07-2025
- General
- Global News
Alberta farm researchers redefining agriculture to grow more potatoes, tackle weeds
Alberta has taken on a new title in the agriculture world by defining itself as Canada's home of the spud. 'We have just taken over P.E.I., not in acres that we grow, but the amount of potatoes that we produce,' said Ashley Wagenaar, a conservation agronomist with Farming Smarter. 'We are now Canada's largest potato producing region.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are now Canada's largest potato producing region." Farming Smarter is a research group based out of Lethbridge County. Together with local farmers, the group is finding new ways to ensure potato yields are as efficient as possible, especially considering the challenges facing growers. 'We sometimes struggle with wind erosion, for example, especially in potatoes because they leave some bare soils and (researchers) are working extremely hard to mitigate that with extra residue, different cover crops in the fall and then doing it in a way that we can really promote a strong, healthy potato economy here,' said Wagenaar. Story continues below advertisement She says a healthy potato economy is certainly realistic and impactful for producers and consumers in Alberta. 2:06 Lethbridge Polytechnic researchers aim to reduce food waste 'We're going to see more potatoes in this region and we're going to expand out into regions that haven't seen potatoes before. So, we want to make sure that we're doing it in a way that can sustain long-term.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy However, an invasive and problematic weed is growing in the fields, rising from the soil to consume crop revenue. 'Kochia is one of our biggest weed problems on the prairies. In fact, it might be one of the biggest problems for crop reduction on the prairies. It's a very competitive weed. It can handle salinity, it can handle heat,' said Lewis Baarda, a research manager with Farming Smarter. View image in full screen A Kochia plant in a canola field. 1 While kochia has traditionally been managed with herbicides, the weed has evolved in recent years to become even stronger and resisitant. Story continues below advertisement 'It no longer gets killed by the herbicides. With this trial here right now, we're looking at other approaches to pair with herbicides or even replace herbicides for controlling kochia.' Now, Farming Smarter is finding the desired solutions alongside other farmers. 'We're happy to have a multi-year trial on this. We'll go through a three-year rotation, look at different approaches to control kochia and we'll see how that affects the weed seed bed, the weeds that are in the soil and how much plant populations we get next year and the year after,' said Baarda. He says problem weeds like kochia can severely damage the economy. 'It's critical to have that information so farmers can make decisions because if (the research area filled with kochia) is a chunk of your field, you're getting no revenue off of this.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Watertown council to vote on lifting residency requirement for city manager, others
Jun. 13—WATERTOWN — After it came up more than a year ago, City Council members will finally deal with passing a local law that would allow City Manager Eric Wagenaar to continue to live in Chaumont. The issue was first brought to the public's attention last month when Watertown resident Robert Avallone questioned why council members had failed to act on a local law that would not require Wagenaar to live in the city. On Monday night, council members will be asked to pass the ordinance that would not require Wagenaar, Public Works Superintendent Brian MacCue, City Engineer Tom Compo and City Assessor Kimberli Johnston to live in Watertown. During three subsequent council meetings in recent weeks, Avallone brought up the subject. "It's not a good look to leave a breach of contract," Avallone said. "I'm glad they're addressing it." He wasn't blaming Wagenaar for the situation. Mayor Sarah V.C. Pierce, City Attorney Kristen Smith and council members should have acted on it long before Monday's meeting, Avallone said. On Dec. 23, 2023, the City Council approved the contract to hire Wagenaar with the stipulation that he'd move into the city within six months. Under the contract, Wagenaar was given until June 29, 2024, to make the move, with a possible six-month extension until last December. About a year ago, council members discussed the issue during an executive session, but took no action. Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero said Friday that the city attorney wrote up a resolution to address it on May 20, 2024. In an email, Pierce told council members she would review it. There it sat, the councilwoman said. So Ruggiero sent out an email to Smith asking about it on May 20, 2025 — exactly a year after the city attorney had penned the ordinance — and then forwarded the email to Pierce and council members, she said. "Eric is doing an excellent job," Avallone said. "He's an asset for the city. I'm glad he's on board." On Monday night, council members will consider adopting a local law to create an exception to the residency requirement under Section 3 of the state's Public Officers Law for the city manager and the three other appointed city officials. Pierce, who could not be reached for comment, and council members Cliff G. Olney III and Ruggiero were on council when Wagenaar was hired. Council members Robert O. Kimball and Benjamin P. Shoen have served on council during Wagenaar's tenure as city manager. Wagenaar replaced former City Manager Kenneth A. Mix, who retired at the end of Decembers 2023. Mix lived in Champion before moving to Watertown to become city manager.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watertown will again apply for federal grant for costly water treatment plant project
Jun. 11—WATERTOWN — City officials will again apply for a federal Department of Defense grant to help pay for a costly water treatment plant project that would reduce two disinfection byproducts that have prompted drinking water violations in recent years. The city was unsuccessful when it applied for the DOD grant for the $58.3 million project the past two years. The city tried to obtain $17 million in federal funds to help finance the project last year and $20 million in 2023. Based on past "experience" and "lessons learned," the city plans to apply for $14.8 million from the DOD's community infrastructure program, City Manager Eric F. Wagenaar said Monday night. City officials recently learned that the application process began. The application is due on July 3. "That gives us just three or four weeks to pull it together," Wagenaar said. "Hopefully, we'll be successful." The city qualifies for the DOD funding because Fort Drum uses city water. Mayor Sarah V.C. Pierce asked what "categories" the DOD is focusing on for the grant this year. Wagenaar said "defense critical infrastructure" and "military value," so the city's application will focus on showing that the project is critical to Fort Drum. GHD Engineering, the Syracuse firm designing the project, and Michelle Capone, the regional development director for the Development Authority of the North Country, are working on the application with the city. DANC is also a customer for city water. In 2020, the city was placed under a consent order by the Environmental Protection Agency to submit a Corrective Action Plan to comply with maximum levels of two disinfection byproducts: total trihalomethanes, or TTHM, and haloacetic acids, or HAA5, that are created during the disinfection process when they react with organic material from the city's water supply. The city water is drawn from the Black River. Under the water contract with the city, DANC will pay for 25% of the project. The city also has obtained a $5 million state grant through the Department of Health. The state also promised to arrange for an interest-free loan up to $14 million. The city has already received $1 million in federal funding for the project. When the city is in violation, water customers receive postcards in the mail notifying them about the disinfection byproducts exceeding acceptable levels. Residents haven't received any of those postcards since March 2023 when the contaminant, TTHM, was found to be higher than the federal standard. Since then, the two contaminants have been under the maximums.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City of Watertown will answer to federal regulators for concerns at hydro plant
Jun. 10—WATERTOWN — City Engineer Tom Compo believes that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be satisfied with the city's report on the hydroelectric plant. In March, FERC notified the city that it has until later this week to submit a report to respond to each of 11 allegations that maintain that the Marble Street plant does not adhere to the commission's license. FERC started looking into the operation of the hydro plant over the Black River after members of a river group, New York Rivers United, brought up concerns to the federal agency in December. New York Rivers United, a group of whitewater advocates and rafting enthusiasts, claims that the city has violated the FERC license on a daily basis since it was renewed in 1995. The river group conducted an audit of the facility that found numerous alleged violations. That prompted the state Department of Environmental Conservation to urge FERC to conduct a noncompliance investigation into the plant. For weeks, city officials have been working on completing the report for FERC, Compo said. Last week, Compo said that he is confident that the hydro plant allegations will not be corroborated. "I think they'll look at it and be satisfied with all of our answers — truly," he said. The city is required to submit its response to FERC publicly online by the end of the business day on Friday. One of the most serious allegations involves aerial photographs from 2003 to 2024 that indicate downstream fish passage facilities appear to be out of compliance with the license. According to the license, the hydro plant is supposed to allow for fish to bypass the facility to prevent them from entering the facility. Compo indicated last week that the city is in compliance over the bypass. On Monday night, City Manager Eric F. Wagenaar gave an update to City Council about the city's response to FERC and a "walk through" inspection that a team of DEC staffers took of the plant on May 14. Wagenaar and city staff will meet Tuesday with an environmental attorney from Bond, Schoeneck & King — the law firm that represents the city — "to go over our response," adding that "the letter" answering the 11 allegations will go out later this week. As for the May 14 state inspection, the DEC has not finished its final report and the city and DEC need to clarify some information before it's finished, Wagenaar said. In 1995, the river group, the DEC and FERC negotiated the terms of the current license, designed to mitigate significant commercial, environmental and recreational impacts identified during the relicensing process. Under the 1995 agreement, an account was set up to distribute funding for river accessibility projects. The city and Rivers United, which advocates for accessibility to the river, have been at odds about who decides how to spend that money. Their disagreement dates back to 2011 to what is known as the Route 3 Wave, once a popular whitewater kayaking course that was a site of a World Championship that drew thousands of spectators. A large rock moved in its way and damaged the course. Rivers United member Alex Barham said the city is required to repair the Route 3 Wave, but has not done so. According to the FERC license, the city should have appropriated funding to fix the problem. Rivers United members Steve Massaro and Dick McDonald are meeting with city officials on Friday to talk about the Route 3 Wave. In December, the river group filed a complaint with FERC about never correcting the Route 3 Wave problem. As it was required to according to the license, the group claimed the city spent about $60,000 from that account, but the DEC and Rivers United never approved it, Barham said. About $225,000 remains in the account. Wagenaar said he presumes Rivers United set up the meeting to discuss the Route 3 Wave, but he told council members on Monday night that "it's not the best use of city money" to repair the wave because "you can't fight Mother Nature." Instead of that project, the city is looking at fixing some stairs that lead down to the area in the river where it's popular for kayakers and making repairs to some dockage on the other side of the river, Wagenaar said. The city has recently put up signs to make river enthusiasts more aware of the river's recreational uses, he said. Since 1997, the city also was required by the FERC license to release control flows to the Route 3 Wave — and post those dates on its website — but failed to do so until last week. Over that time, the city missed 899 instances when the releases were supposed to have occurred, Barham said. The releases will occur this summer from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays until Sept. 30. The water flow releases from the Route 3 dam make the river more conducive to kayaking, Wagenaar said. The city wasn't required to release the control flows unless it was requested by a river group, he said. Rivers United was the first to make the request, he said. "I have to pay someone overtime to do it," Wagenaar said, "because it's at night." Last summer, Wagenaar met with Rivers United but never scheduled another meeting with the group, questioning whether it was a legitimate organization. He was glad to find out it's an active group, Wagenaar said.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thompson Park Golf Course restaurant's opening delayed until Thursday
Apr. 21—WATERTOWN — The clubhouse at the Thompson Park Golf Course did not open as planned on Monday because the city had issues with providing water to the restaurant. David J. Marconi, operator of the golf course restaurant, said Monday that D.J.'s at the Park will now open for the season on Thursday. The city turned the water back on Monday morning, so he'll use the next couple of days for "prep work." Marconi was told about nine days ago that there was an issue with water at the city-owned golf course, so he'd have to wait until the repairs were completed before he could open. "It's unfortunate" that it took phone calls to the city about what was happening to finally get it resolved, Marconi said. "We're trying to make the best of it," he said. "Obviously, we have to look out for the business and our employees." The city turned the water back on Monday morning, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Scott M. Weller said. The golf course opened only the front nine holes. Golf carts were not available Monday and the other nine holes were too wet to open, Weller said. Weller confirmed on Monday that the city planned to install a backflow prevention system at the park. The city decided about two months ago that the backflow prevention device needed to be installed, even though there haven't been any persistent flooding issues there in the past, he said. The backflow prevention device is a plumbing fitting that allows sewage to flow only one way — out — so when in times of heavy rain and flooding sewage does not back up into a building. Contacted later in the day. City Manager Eric F. Wagenaar explained that the contractor hired to install the backflow prevention device was supposed to get the work completed last week but couldn't. "For whatever reason, they couldn't get it done," Wagenaar said. The water department learned this winter that the golf course wasn't equipped with the device, so the contractor was retained, Wagenaar said. The equipment near the course's irrigation system could not be installed this winter, Wagenaar said. The City Council in March heard from City Engineer Tom Compo about a pilot program to spend $250,000 to install the devices in city homes in flood-prone areas, including Marra and Richards drives, Sherman and Cosgrove streets and Butterfield Avenue. Under the program, homeowners would buy the backflow prevention devices and hire a licensed plumber or contractor to install the equipment. The city would reimburse them up to $2,500 for the work. Over the years, the city has encouraged homeowners to install the devices as a way to prevent basement flooding, it was not immediately clear why the city decided now was the time to require such a device for the golf course, which is at an elevation higher than the rest of the city and has not previously flooded. Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero saw a Facebook post on Sunday night about the restaurant not opening on time and sent out emails to the other council members and Wagenaar trying to find out why. Councilman Benjamin P. Shoen said Monday morning that he and his colleagues should have been made aware of the situation. "I didn't know anything about it," Shoen said. Council members weren't told why the backflow prevention system is needed or why the city waited until the golf course was about to open this spring before it would be installed. "Those are valid questions," Shoen said, adding that the golf course doesn't need any more bad publicity. This spring's wet weather has prevented the maintenance staff at the historic golf course to get started preparing for the season. This will be the third season under the city's ownership after the $3.4 million purchase from developer Michael E. Lundy in January 2023. Marconi took over the clubhouse restaurant last year. The menu will mostly remain the same from last year, with the addition of a picnic basket consisting of a sandwich, chips, drink and a novelty ice cream that he'll market to people enjoying the park, the playground, pool and other attractions. The restaurant will have about 15 employees and be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and serving dinner from 11 a.m. to closing.
