Keuka Maid will stay in pieces for now

    URBANA—After being dismantled and removed from Keuka Lake, owner Jeremy Fields said the Keuka Maid will not be reassembled this year like he had wanted.  He explained the boat will probably not be rebuilt until next year.
    Fields, owner of Fields Construction and Excavating Inc. from Canandaigua, purchased the Keuka Maid for $26,000 at auction in October of last year.  The boat was taken apart and stored in Naples by early February, 2013.  Fields told the Urbana town board, owner of the dock previously used by the boat, he wanted to repair the boat and make it operational again.  At a January meeting this year, Fields said he would like to put the boat in either Canandaigua or Keuka Lake.  As of this Friday, May 24, Fields said Keuka Lake is still an option.

    However, he explained the Keuka Maid is his own project and right now his business needs to focus on other construction projects.  He said the costs for the Keuka Maid are all out of his pocket.
    The Urbana board originally scheduled to meet with Fields in March to go over his plans.  Urbana Supervisor John Webster said he received a note from Fields explaining he couldn’t make it so a second meeting was rescheduled for April.  Webster added Fields never showed up in April and the town won’t put him on the meeting’s agenda until they hear something new from Fields.
    “When we have something definite, we’ll meet with the town,” said Fields.