Long, skinny boats powered by strong young men and women added life and color to the old Erie Canal at this year's two-day Pittsford Invitational Regatta, June 10-11. Deputy Mayor Glenn Brown presented the winners' trophy to representatives of Pittsford's womens' crew, the best overall women;s crew in the event.

The trophy ~ a beautiful Waterford crystal bowl ~ will remain on display in the Village Office, while a smaller six inch version goes home with the winning team.

Pittsford's canal parks and historic waterfront will be in the spotlight for five days in September when more than 400 delegates from around the world arrive in Rochester for the World Canals Conference 2000.

The international event that begins Sept. 10 celebrates the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal. (Last year's conference was held in Lille, France; next year's will be in Ireland.)

Highlight of the event will be an international flotilla, a parade of boats expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors to Rochester. While the boats converge in Rochester, many boats will dock and depart for the flotilla from Pittsford. We expect many of the navigators, who are here to study the Erie Canal, its locks, and its history, will visit the Village.

"Pittsford Village is working with all adjacent canal towns and villages and with the city to make this event both smooth-running and memorable, both for our visitors and those of us who live here," says Trustee Steve Maddox, who represents the Village on the conference committee.

In June, Capt. Ron Oakley, British founder of Inland Waterways International and a key promoter of the conference, visited the Port of Pittsford as he piloted the "Sam Patch" on a preliminary tour of Rochester's canal route.

"The Erie Canal is becoming well-known in Europe," Capt. Oakley told a Brighton-Pittsford Post reporter. "If I have anything to do with it, we're going to bring more people here in the future."