Welcome to EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER

Recently my good friend Scott Leffler started All WNY News. Scott and I have been a media duo for over a decade now; I had regular guest appearances on his WLVL radio show, we appeared on TV together and we wrote for the same newspapers. So, I tagged along again this time, bringing my nearly 2-years-old “Exploring the Niagara Frontier” column with me from its previous source.

For those unfamiliar with that column, here’s a background it…

Throughout my life, I’d always wanted to write a nature and science column, something different from my opinion columns that you might read in the Lockport Union Sun and Journal or Niagara
Gazette. There was and is a definite need for it in the local media market, especially after the Buffalo News abandoned its popular Sunday science page, cutting ties with beloved naturalist Gerry Rising.

I was given the opportunity to write such a column, so I jumped at that chance in 2014.

“Exploring the Niagara Frontier” has always done just what the name says — explore the Niagara Frontier. Every week it looked at some natural aspect of the region — like a specific animal or plant or perhaps an interesting geological feature — or checked out one of our numerous public assets, like nature trails.

The focus has been on telling stories about our precious natural world and giving folks a background on some of the living creatures that we either, one, take for granted or, two, let slip undetected in our backyards.

The previous iteration of the column focused only on Niagara County (which I call home), but with the expanded scope of All WNY News I now have the chance to focus on the entire region. You will see me spread out the story telling and exploration and you might notice that quite a few columns look at animals, plants and places in Allegany County, a community I love dearly and in which I own a large tract of some of the wildest land in WNY.

For those who know what I do in my day job (Confer Plastics), you may be asking yourself, “what is a guy who owns a plastics factory doing writing about nature?”

It may seem counter-intuitive at first since plastics have a bad reputation, some of it deserved, in environmental circles.

The thing is, we don’t produce disposable goods at the plant. We pride ourselves on manufacturing durable goods, items made to last a lifetime (kayaks, swimming pool ladders, docks, and more).

You’ll find that I’m not a guy who toes the industry line. For one, I absolutely despise the insanity of bottled water. I still can’t believe U.S. consumers blow their money on a staggering 30 billion of these bottles every year. I also find it jaw-dropping that only 30 percent of them are recycled. Such nonsensical consumerism contributes to the 32 million tons of plastic waste put into landfills annually.

So, I may be a manufacturer, but I’m a manufacturer who understands my and my industry’s roles in the Big Picture.

You’re probably wondering, too, just what is my background in nature?

I’m basically self-taught when it comes to biology and it’s a love affair that’s lasted a lifetime. As early as the second grade you could find me keeping a field guide to the birds close to me at all times. It went to school. It went out in the field. It probably even went to bed with me.

Growing up on a farm which my family worked till I was 10 (a farm that I still live on to this day, although its tillable land is rented out to a local farmer), I roamed field and forest and played in creeks through my childhood and teen years and had an insatiable hunger for learning about everything from the minute to the monstrous.

Then, when most other teenagers may have been shooting hoops or playing ball, my sports were, instead, the outdoor pursuits — hunting and fishing.

A naturalist who hunts? Yes, I am a nature enthusiast, but I am at the same time someone who also selectively harvests his nourishment from the land. It’s a part of Man’s role in the bigger scheme of things; you’re only kidding yourself if you don’t recognize our spot at the top of the food chain.

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a family who encouraged my love of the outdoors — from parents who stocked my library, took me hunting and fishing, and helped fund my Boy Scout adventures to a loving grandmother who took me on hundreds of Saturday trips to the Alabama Swamps to watch birds.

Had I not gone on to the family business, I’m certain I would have taught biology or earth science at a local school.

That career choice didn’t prevent me, though, from being an educator. During my college years I was the nature director at Camp Dittmer in the Finger Lakes. I was a scout leader for years and a constant focus of mine while on the trail was talking to the boys about the world around us. And, for 16 years at Roy-Hart I spoke to Mrs. Brown’s class about local wildlife, even taking them on nature hikes at Royalton Ravine Park.

So, that’s where the nature bug came from -- as well the associated urge to share my knowledge and experiences with you. It’s in my blood.

Be sure to check in every Thursday when we can explore the Niagara Frontier together. In the meantime, get outdoors and enjoy our natural world.



-- Bob Confer is a Gasport resident


From the 07 April 2016 All WNY News

D3 SPORTS: FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

During Easter weekend I could be found in Lake Placid taking in the Frozen Four of NCAA Division III hockey. Going against all I’ve ever known, I found myself cheering one of the participating teams (Geneseo) that just so happens to be the biggest rival of my college (Brockport).

If you have even a modicum of appreciation for athletics or the strength of human spirit, Geneseo’s story was one to savor. It was amazing that they made it to the championship weekend: a teammate had to leave the sport in November after suffering brain trauma in an off-ice accident while another player was murdered in January. Those incidents would have crushed the morale of most anyone, but the Ice Knights persevered and continued to win in honor of their fallen peers. They truly were the definition of a “team.”

While they didn’t take their Cinderella story all the way to the championship game, the fact that they remained as one of four out of seventy-six teams in DIII was amazing and deserving of the local and national coverage they received.

Geneseo’s success amidst tragedy also served as a reminder why DIII college athletics are the ultimate outlet for anyone who enjoys athletics yet find themselves soured by professional sports and the Division I schools which serve as their “minor leagues”. Everything that you might hate about those leagues and programs is gone (the ungodly huge salaries, high ticket prices, the free rides to the best colleges, taxpayer investments in multi-million dollar stadiums, and the prima donna egos that defy the lessons that sports were supposed to teach). DIII participants are truly student-athletes (education first!) who don’t get scholarships to play a game, know that they have almost zero chance of making it to the pros, and play their butts off for the love of the game.

It’s competition at its most pristine.

And it’s advanced competition that’s fun to watch.

DIII kids aren’t pushovers. As a matter of fact, they might not even be kids. Take ice hockey for example: The times have changed and no longer do you see a lot of “true freshmen” (guys aged 17 or 18) on the ice. Most of them stuck around the juniors for a while and further honed their game. When at a DIII game, you’re watching men in their twenties playing at a highly-skilled level that many others could never come close to achieving. Other sports are equally entertaining, and local sports fans are familiar with two popular DIII products who played for the Buffalo Bills: Fred Jackson and London Fletcher.

You don’t have to break the bank to take your family to these battles, either  -- something pro sports can no longer claim. For $5 you can watch a DIII game, parking is free, and the foods in the arenas is actually affordable. The venues in which you can watch these affairs are homey, close to the action, and plentiful. Here in WNY you could visit Buffalo State, Brockport, Fredonia, Geneseo, and the two Alfreds to name a few.

If, like me, you dig sports but hate what they’ve become, dial it back a bit. Ditch the pros and head to a DIII hockey, football, basketball or baseball game. You’ll find yourself loving the game again and enjoying the thrills provided by competitive sports unburdened by all the nasty financial incentives.



From the 04 April 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers 

Volunteerism and the 19 Percent

Have you ever wondered why it seems like you see the same people engaged in the efforts of your local non-profits, churches, fire companies, and youth organizations? It’s not an illusion. Those tireless souls really are involved in everything.

They not only want to be, but they have to be because no almost one else is giving up their time. For a state and a people that pride themselves on being leaders, New Yorkers, as a rule, do a poor job of showing it.

The Corporation for National and Community Service produces an annual report that looks at volunteerism rates across the nation. The Empire State ranks 50th, with just 19% of its residents volunteering; compare that to first-ranked Utah (46%) and our neighbors like Vermont (35%) and Pennsylvania (27%).

The lack of participation is pretty universal when you break down the demographics. 20% of New York teenagers volunteer, while only 14% of college-aged adults volunteer. Only 16% of those aged 25 to 34 give of themselves while those aged 35 to 44 see the highest participation rate at 24%. Jump ahead to Baby Boomers in the 55 to 64 age bracket and 20% of them volunteer in the Empire State.

What does that say about New Yorkers? We evidently have a culture that sees volunteerism as something foreign. No one is learning from lessons about self-sacrifice that they are taught in churches and high school civics classes. 

Think about it: Less than 1 out of every 5 residents cares enough about our neighbors and our neighborhoods to lend a hand. That’s counterintuitive, because we should have one of the higher participation rates based on need alone.

New York is the 29^th most-impoverished state in the Union (Buffalo is the third-poorest city in the US). We rank 27^th in the nation in terms of disability rate. We have the 24^th greatest population of senior citizens (in terms of percentage). 23% of New Yorkers drop out of school. There are almost 2,000 volunteer fire departments in the state. All of those factors scream “help!”

It’s unknown if New York’s volunteerism numbers will ever dramatically improve. One would have thought that the Great Recession would have been a wake-up call. In past economic collapses, volunteerism skyrocketed because people were compelled to help those hit hardest, they had time on their hands, and people stuck closer to – and became more interested in - their communities. That didn’t happen last time. In 2009, just as the Recession started to come to an end, New York’s volunteerism rate was right where we are now.

So, what can we do?

For starters, if you or your family have ever partaken in an event or club run by volunteers (Easter egg hunts, Boy Scout troops, little league teams, church school, etc.) or had a property or life saved by unpaid first responders, thank those who made that all possible. A simple “thank you” goes a long ways in validating their efforts. 

Secondly, take the time to participate yourself. Make it a point to help others. Join a community organization. Assist a youth group. Go out of your way to make one’s day (if not one’s life) brighter. It’s challenging, fun, and extremely rewarding. There’s an unmatched joy that’s had in giving and watching others receive the services you provide. There’s a reason that the 19% do what they do. Let’s not let them hog all the fun.

From the 21 March 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers

In defense of the DEC’s burn ban

Much to the chagrin of many rural Niagara County residents who read this newspaper, the Department of Environmental Conservation’s annual ban on the open burning of brush goes into effect mere days from now.

From March 16 to May 14 of every year the state does not allow the burning of limbs, sticks and tree mass in towns where such activities are otherwise allowed the rest of the year (that would be communities with populations under 20,000). Over that two month period, the DEC still allows small cooking fires and campfires that are less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width or diameter.

This law is a necessary tool to prevent wildfires, as the grasses, leaves, and weeds of the springtime are perfect fuels for fires that can and do advance from their intended purpose. While the ground may seem saturated from snow melt and spring rains, the same can’t be said for the plants – they just spent a winter in suspended animation or death and they don’t have any water in them. Those dry plants will ignite from a nearby flame or windblown ashes. The ban’s end date coincides with the greening of that local plant life.

The law, which went into effect in 2009, continues to be a sore subject for local property owners. Brush burning had always been a rite of spring, as homeowners with spacious country lots found themselves cleaning up and disposing of the remnants of winter storms while local farmers were getting rid of trees that fell from woodlots and hedgerows into their fields.  

Despite the DEC’s reasonable expectations and the very real threat of a $500 fine (for the first offense) and larger ones and even jail time for repeat offenses, rural landowners continue to burn during the ban. They certainly can’t cite ignorance to the law, as each year there is an incredible amount of press that the ban receives in local broadcast and print news. What they can cite is their own indifference to it; I guarantee the common sentiment is, “It’s my property. I can do what I want.” 

Local property owners took that cavalier approach to a whole new level last season. Many of them probably assumed that the brutal winter of 2014-2015 was so cold and snowy that the ground was soaked from the thaw and therefore fires wouldn’t happen. But they did…and often. The Niagara County Sheriff’s office told me that during last year’s prohibition period (which was made a week longer because of the dry May weather) there were 58 fire calls across Niagara County for brush and grass fires that went out of control.

Think about the scale of that – 58 times over a two-month period, wildfires threatened and destroyed property (be it land, woods or structures) and wildlife. Fortunately, no human life was taken. Not only were the properties of the burners affected, but so were their neighbor’s lands and buildings.

Luckily, no houses or forests were lost in those five dozen crises, and that’s a testament to our local volunteer firefighters. They abused themselves and their equipment (it’s never good to drive fire trucks across a beat up field or into a forest) to keep these out of control fires at bay. So, while some guys will throw around the property rights argument, they need to understand that their neighbors have a right to safely enjoy their property and the firemen have a right to enjoy their weekends and evenings with their families (when most of these wildfires occur).

So, I ask that my fellow countryfolk use some common sense this spring and respect the law, the environment and your fellow man. Hold off on your brush fires and bon fires until June. A simple fire can quickly become a major situation this time of year. As Smokey Bear says, “only you can prevent wildfires.”       

 From the 07 March 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers

EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: Tundra swans

Keep your eyes to the skies. In the coming days, one of my favorite signs of spring – and certainly one of the most beautiful – will be migrating through the region. Tundra swans will be making their journey to the far north and will grace us with their angelic appearance and interesting calls.

Tundra signs will soon be seen overhead -- a sign of the coming spring.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF  OHIO DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES)

Tundra swans spend their winters along the mid-Atlantic and mid-Pacific coasts of the United States, although you might see a few stragglers on the other end of the county enjoying the open waters of the Upper Niagara River. They’re just now beginning their northward treks and I’ve always found that their migration through eastern Niagara County hits its peak right around March 15th of every year, and flocks can be seen as late as the first week of April.

Their numbers are nothing like those of the Canada geese or various ducks that pass through the area. Overall, their northern breeding populations come in at just under 200,000 birds. I would consider tundra swans to be uncommon migrants around here – I might be lucky to see maybe a half dozen to ten flocks each March. That’s what makes seeing them so special.

You can’t mistake them when you see them. They tend to be high fliers. They have large white bodies and very long necks (which allows you to tell them apart from snow geese, which are also white). They have a mammoth wingspan of 5 to 7 feet and they’re big…a healthy adult bird can weigh more than 20 pounds.

They have an interesting call that travels a very long distance – and which will alert you to an incoming flock. It’s best compared to a clarinet-like hoot or maybe even a dog bark. Tundra swans were once commonly known as whistling swans because of the whistling sound created by their wings in flight, a sound so pronounced you can hear it even if they are 100 feet above your head.

They will stop to feed in open fields while here and they spend their evenings and nights sleeping on ponds and Lake Ontario. If you take a scenic drive around the back roads of the town of Somerset or the northern reaches of Hartland on some upcoming weekend, you might see them on the ground at local farms, eating left over corn or soybeans.

Tundra swans are not be confused with mute swans, a beautiful but rather offensive invasive species that the state is trying to eliminate for many good reasons (http://www.eastniagarapost.com/2015/03/exploring-niagara-frontier-mute-swans.html). Mute swans are the only swans you’ll see in Niagara County from May through September.

Tundra swans, on the other hand, are with us for only a few weeks.

Savor their brief visits and their stark beauty -- it means spring is right around the corner.

+Bob Confer lives in rural Gasport where he always stops in his tracks when he hears swan calls. Follow him on Twitter @bobconfer or email him at bobconfer@juno.com.



From the 03 March 2016 East Niagara Post

New Yorkers don’t need another health insurance tax

Health Republic Insurance of New York was the largest of the 23 non-profit cooperatives created under the Affordable Care Act. It started up in 2013 after receiving $174.4 million in seed money from the feds. At its peak, it was serving 200,000 New Yorkers. Despite such a massive customer base, its business model wasn’t sustainable, so, under fear of insolvency, it was shut down by state regulators last year after losing $77.5 million in 2014 and another $52.7 million in just the first half of 2015.

The failure of Health Republic left many doctors, hospitals and other providers hung out to dry. They’ll never have the chance to collect nearly $200 million in unpaid claims.

Because of that, there’s a concerted effort by led by various health organizations to bring a health guaranty fund to New York. The Empire State is the only one in the union lacking such a system which would reimburse doctors and hospitals if a health plan went belly up. This is being championed in the legislature by Senator David Valesky (D - Oneida) as bill S.6667 and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) as bill A.9311.

While my heart goes out to the healthcare providers who remain unpaid for services rendered, it’s not the job of the government or taxpayers to mitigate a business’s risk or make one whole in the event of a severed business relationship. Risk and the management thereof are inherent parts of being an entrepreneur and doing business.

No matter what business you are in, customers will go bankrupt and you account for that as uncollectibles in your books and/or you do everything possible to prevent your firm from entering into or continuing to do work with customers who are difficult payers or show a chance of going out of business.

Despite your best efforts, you still end up getting hurt every once in a while. We’ve had customers go bankrupt on us. When they did we never asked for the state to bail us out. Nor do we want it to. Nor can it. Manufacturers aren’t afforded the privilege of a guaranty fund and neither are farmers or retailers -- and none of us should be. So, why should such protection be granted to doctors and hospitals?

Money doesn’t grow on trees, either. Under their Valesky/Gottfried proposal, the state’s new account would be funded by an alleged one-time assessment on all health insurance companies. One-time? What if many more insurance companies go under due to the Obamacare model?

Even if they don’t, one assessment is one assessment too many; New York employers and the insured are taxed enough as it is. The state collects $5.6 billion annually in fees and assessments (read “taxes”) on health insurance. It’s a key reason why health insurance costs so much and is increasingly expensive every single year. When you see premiums rising by 5 to 10 percent per annum and employers putting high deductibles on their workers, there’s no more wiggle room. Everyone’s already paying enough. As a matter of fact, we’re already paying too much.

From the 29 February 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers