“Knee high by the Fourth of July” used to be the standard by which a fine stand of corn would be gauged. This year, the corn in many fields around Waterville reached that ideal measurement as much as two weeks ago and hop vines at St. Bernard’s Church and the Historical Society are so tall and heavy that they threaten to topple their poles! Fields of wheat are turning gold; oats a pale blue-green, and the countryside is a bright patchwork of Summer colors.
There is something for everyone to talk about: we have had our hundred-degree days when plants and people, alike, wilted; we’ve had thunderstorms and the now-dreaded power outages that accentuate a community-wide dependency on computers, and - last Saturday morning - we got to wear the polarfleece jackets that we hadn’t put away. Graduation parties have been many and hosts fortunate, as well, for good weather has prevailed for the past two weekends.
Older folks are happily excited to see that new American Flags have been hung from telephone poles along Sanger Avenue all the way to the southern village limits. Coming in to Waterville from the South is a fine approach, with the flags flying, new street trees leafed out and street lamps lighting the way. This, however, leaves Stafford Avenue - which is actually a handsome street! - looking suddenly drab, and residents hope that the municipality has a plan to decorate that thoroughfare, as well.
Just about everyone has been talking about the WCS Marching Band: the two busloads of eighty-some students, twenty chaperones, all the purple and white uniforms and instruments and flags that left the school at 8:00 yesterday (Tuesday) morning on their to Washington, D.C. to represent New York State in America’s Independence Day Parade, there. The parade route is about a mile long, starting at the Capitol Building, passing the White House and ending near the Washington Monument. After that, our travelers will go on a four-hour tour of that city’s Very Important Places and then attend a PBS concert at the Capitol Building and see one of the country’s largest fireworks displays. (Readers may find a great deal of information about this event at http://www.july4thparade.com/) Thursday will be a Day at the Beach followed by a huge picnic courtesy of the Brothertown Music Boosters. What a grand experience! We wish them good weather for all of it!
And now the Sunday “Boilermaker” is just hours away, and runners from all around this area are governing their schedules accordingly. The rest of us will either be somewhere along the route or glued to our television sets.
“We’re addicted!” Kirk Hudson declared, explaining to Mrs. Brown why they had not been able to attend Dick Brown’s “Damned Fine Party” on June 10. He went on to explain that he and Cally had been on yet another trip on the Mississippi River aboard the famous “Delta Queen.” “We started in Arkansas and went to New Orleans and met wonderful people and visited elegant homes and even spent ‘A Day in the Life of a Plantation’ that included (to his amusement) a wedding that featured the traditional ‘Jumping Over the Broom.’” He said that he thought it was something that he might include the next time he was called upon to officiate at a marriage ceremony!
Virginia Leigh and Lucille More have both arrived at their Summer Residence in Whiskey Hollow and are busy this week entertaining Mrs. Leigh’s daughter Carole and her husband Darren along with their children Olivia, who is five, and Dylan, one-and-a-half. Joining them will be Dale and Nancy Leigh Cross’ daughter, Christine, and her family.
Congratulations to Roc and Crystal Langone: they are grandparents for the first time, thanks to Ryan and Heather Langone whose son, Jonathan, was born in the Rome hospital on the 27th. Jonathan’s birth also makes Louie and Shirlee Langone great-grandparents for the first time and Sylvia and Jim Crandall great-grandparents for the sixth!!
The Crandall home will be the scene of a great Family Reunion, on Saturday. In attendance will be their five children, 20 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren!
Grace Episcopal Church was filled to overflowing, last Wednesday evening, when the Ordination of the Rev. Ann Stillman took place. We add our congratulations to that fine lady who is a delightful person, friend to many and a much-admired role model for women of all ages. Her official title, now, is Assisting Priest of Grace Church. (Previous news items have given her the title of “Rector,” but that is not the case. Truth be told, she has actually passed the mandatory retirement age - 72 - for Episcopal rectors! And you’d never believe that if I hadn’t told you, would you!)
Nor would you have guessed that the tall, distinguished gentleman who maintains a law practice in offices on East Main Street celebrated his 94th birthday last week!
Sandy Harding has informed us that “The Crimson Bonnets' June gathering was held at the Fort Schuyler Club in Utica. About 24 members were present. Barb Mario won the door prize (a cup filled with candy which she shared with the rest of us). The room was beautiful and the meal was excellent. We had our choice of salmon, stuffed chicken breast or roast pork. Carolyn Harris and Lovina Staring made the arrangement and we want to thank the Member of the Club who made it possible for us to go there. Our meeting for July will take place at the Buffalo Head Restaurant in Forestport.”
Timely, July 11, 2007
Day lilies are blooming along with the beautiful blue cornflower, wild sweet peas, and even some “early variety” Black-eyed Susan’s that have suddenly appeared. But it’s dry: oh, so dry that “Big Creek” the Oriskany Creek and all small ponds are at their late-summer low points. A great blue heron stands, hopefully, at the edge of a grown-in pond on Madison Street. Mr. J. Kloster has seen the Bald Eagle fishing at Chittening Pond during both morning and evening.
In other sightings: We’ve seen them for weeks, now - jogging, then running, going from cold-weather gear to hot-weather shorts, increasing their distances day by day, all in preparation for Utica’s 30th annual 15K Boilermaker road race. Among the many runners from Waterville and surrounding communities, were the ....?#... from Tammy Alcott's running group. They started training in March and have been meeting every Thursday night since - some preparing to run the Boilermaker 5K and some the 15K. For the last several years, Tammy has encouraged all levels of runners to participate in this famous event and this year she organized several of WCS soccer athletes to compete in the high school 5K division of the Boilermaker. Perhaps we’ll see them in the 15K, next year!
The Waterville Central School Marching Band has returned, happy and tired, from a four-day trip to Washington, D.C., and a successfully precise performance in the July 4th America’s Independence Day Parade, there. Frustrated family members and other community residents spent hours, that day, hoping that some television network - any network - would find that parade worthy of broadcasting: apparently they did not. A dozen or so photographs made their digital way (many by cell phone!) to the high school website and the “Waterville blog” - “At Home in the Huddle 2” - where they were seen by those with internet connection. While in Washington, the students - and chaperones - received healthy doses of history and culture: among other Washington high spots, they toured the Air & Space Museum, the Kennedy Center, visited the District of Columbia WW I Memorial, the WW II Memorial as well as the Vietnam Memorial “Wall.”
Relaxing rewards included watching an “Incredible!” fireworks display at the Washington Monument, a trip to the National Zoo and a day at the beach complete with a huge picnic supper provided by the Brothertown Music Boosters. The events of the trip will surely be remembered by all of the youngsters for a long time and they should also know that they - and everyone involved – has earned the enormous pride and gratitude of their little home town!
A Welcome Sight at Green Acres Plaza: Gary Camp and his Hot Dog Stand reappeared there last Thursday, after a considerable absence, and it took no more than a few minutes before customers began heading that way, shouting, “He’s B-a-a-a-ck!”
Siding is being applied to the new Belfield Building on West Main Street. It is a lovely shade of “sea green” (to those who are familiar with the ocean) or “blue spruce” (to others.)
The parking lot at the new “Home Shoppe,” on Buell Avenue, has been paved. More road surfacing continues on Route 315 where nearly the entire 5-mile distance between Waterville and Deansboro is nice and smooth and the “shoulders” are being filled in.
Last Saturday was the Waterville Historical Society’s Annual “Loomis Gang” Day - a well-established tradition that drew 141 tour bus riders from as far away as South Carolina, Pennsylvania and one family - named Loomis! - came from New York City.
Ghost Hunter Stacey Jones will be at the library on July 26th @ 6:30pm. She is the founder of Central New York Ghost Hunters. She will talk about her cases, the Sanger Mansion and the equipment she uses. This program is for adults and Stacey has been featured in TV shows like the Discovery Channel A Haunting-"Hidden Terror", One Step Beyond and many books and magazines. Ghost Hunter Stacey Jones at the library on July 26th @ 6:30pm. She is the founder of Central New York Ghost Hunters. She will talk about her cases, the Sanger Mansion and the equipment she uses. This program is for adults and Stacey has been featured in TV shows like the Discovery Channel A Haunting-"Hidden Terror", One Step Beyond and many books and magazines.
There will be a Plows Family Reunion on July 15, 1 p.m. – ‘til, at 634 Tubbs Road, Waterville. Call 841-4467 with any questions.
Timely, July 18, 2007
Hollyhocks are blooming, and planters - including the hanging baskets - along Main Street are rich with color. The Watering Trough in the Park overflows with pink petunias, and one large tub, in front of “Michael’s Fine Food & Spirits,” catches everyone’s eye for in it one finds growing petunias and daisies and peppers and tomatoes and sage and other herbs!
Sallie Zweifel telephoned the writer, one day this past week, to confess! We all know, of course, that for many years Sally has planted four small flowerbeds at the Hanover-Shanley crossroads. This year, however, her new neighbors - Sharron and Myron Mosher, who live in the big white house - took it upon themselves to plant their corner. Sally just wanted to make sure that they, and not she, got the credit for their work.
The Tower Family was busy over Boilermaker Weekend: Norm had a “Gig” playing with “Rags to Riches” in Hamilton - he’s a drummer, you know! - and then ten of Norm and Carol’s children and grandchildren participated in the Boilermaker and everyone enjoyed swimming and eating and swimming some more at the family camp on Madison Lake.
Shirley Bynum-Smith and her sister, Esther Swarthout are visiting their mother, Heddy Eisenhut, at her home in Hanover and are also travelling with her to the Adirondacks for a vacation in the woods.
Physical Therapist Tim Franscisco has returned from a memorable and rewarding two-week stay in Ecuador as a missionary travelling with a group of physicians who offered the native people the sort of medical care and spiritual edification and enlightenment that they otherwise do not have available to them. Tim is a member of the staff at ProActive Physical Therapy on Madison Street - a situation which we hope he finds equally rewarding!
Sunday, July 15th, was St. Swithin’s Day - a day that the writer’s grandparents always marked by studying the sky and clouds because, according to English legend, “St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain. St. Swithin's day if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.” St. Swithin died in the year 862 AD. There have been many attempts to explain the origin of this particular meteorological method, but none have proved generally satisfactory. I think it quite possible that Grandpa and Granny may have been the last to take the prediction seriously at all!
Lurena McNamara has been on the road: she visited her brother and sister-in-law in Sandwich, Massachusetts, and went sightseeing in Boston with them. Then she came back to New York to visit friends in Scotia and attend a retirement party after which she went to Big Moose Lake and she spent a refreshingly cool weekend before coming home.
It’s good to have both Mrs. Newsom and Mrs. Davis back in Waterville and to have seen Mr. Lew sitting out on his back porch enjoying a summer afternoon in his favorite manner.
Becky Maggio, President of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the American Legion wrote to say that “On Saturday, July 7, The American Legion’s Riders from Clifford J Fulmer had their 2nd Annual Poker Run. The ride started at the Waterville Post and from there went to the following Legions; Munnsville, Oriskany, Richfield Springs and then back to Waterville. The money that was raised will be used for many different charitable events though out the year. There are many more Motorcycle Runs left to go this summer & into fall... The Pediatric Brain Tumor Ride that will start in Deerfield on July 15th, The Make A Wish Ride that will be starting at Utica Harley Davidson on August 4th, The Toy Run that will start from Waterville on September 15th....and many others. The American Legion Riders are a fantastic group and they raise money for so many causes. There are quite a few Legion Riders groups throughout the state and nation. Our community should be very proud to have such a special group right here at the Waterville American Legion."
Iain Methe and his parents, from Ballston Lake, visited his grandmother in Whiskey Hollow, last weekend. The group spent quite a while on Saturday afternoon exploring some of the 3,500-acre Munnsville Wind Farm where many giant windmills, in varying stages of completion, either lie or stand in fields along Cole Street, Bird Road, Jeffers and Strip Roads and Trew Hill Road as well as on Crow Hill. When all have been assembled and are in operation, it will be quite a sight. The tourists’ return to Waterville took them directly to Dairy Creme where - with perfect timing! - “Roc” appeared with samples of his brand new orange sherbert! “Delicious!”
In the writer’s E-mail box was a note from Nancy Ayala. For months, now, she has been playing the bells in the Masonic Temple tower every Sunday and on special occasions. She wants to remind readers (and listeners) that there are times when the "tune" of a song has to be changed to fit the nine available bell-notes. And there are other times when the bell-ringer's memory of a melody may be different than another's recollection. The writer hopes that everyone recognizes the fact that this set of bells - called a "chime" - is unique! And it's old! And some of the bells don't produce the clear sounds that they once did. But, “So What!” Cheers to Nancy and the Masons! With their permission, she climbs the tower stairs at least once a week just to share this musical treasure with all of us! When you see any of them, or her, please say “Thank You!”
Timely, July 25, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PATRICK MANGAN!
After three very wet, gray days and a chilly Friday evening start to festivities, the rain ended; Saturday was sunny and warm and the Oneida County Firemen’s Convention and Firemen’s Field Days proceeded in predictably happy fashion led by an over-and-hour-long, forty-eight unit parade into an evening lit by spectacular fireworks. It’s Summertime at its best!
Do make time to stroll through - or, sit down and enjoy - the gardens at the Waterville Public Library: they’re magnificent and are there for your pleasure! In the countryside, clumps of bright red Beebalm are blooming amongst Queen Anne’s Lace and Black-eyed Susans and the wild orange Butterfly Weed - found in only two locations near Waterville - has made it’s long-awaited appearance. Acres upon acres of corn has tasseled and the Savicki’s farm stand, North of Paris Green, began offering their own “Fresh Sweet Corn for Sale” on the 14th - a record!
Once Upon a Time, there was a Golf Course in Sangerfield. It spread across Obsorn Avenue, reaching from about where Bill Vetter lives partway to Route 20. That course was turned into Victory Gardens, long, long ago, but now there will be another golf course, this time located on property owned by Mr. Tim Bartlett, on the South side of Route 20 and West of Beaver Creek Road. We’ll be watching that take shape.
Villagers have missed hearing the clock in the Masonic Temple tower strike the hour! Yes - there is something wrong. A small piece of the clockworks, installed 118 years ago, has broken, but Skip Kemp, a member of the Sanger Lodge, is on a quest to find a replacement and hopes that if the essential item cannot be found, ready-made, there might be a person who could fabricate a new one. We’ll keep listening!
The Waterville Book Club will meet at Mrs. Sexton’s home on Thursday to discuss “Abundance,” a novel about the life of Marie Antoinette, by Sena Jeter Naslund. Many Watervillians have heard the story of “Madame S. Pardoe” who was one of Marie Anoinette’s bridesmaids at her marriage to Louis XVI in 1769 - and who, much later, came to live here in Waterville. She had been living in Utica with her daughter and son-in-law, but in 1832 they fled the city, leaving breakfast dishes and silver on the table (so the story goes) to escape the cholera epidemic, there. Having conducted a French school in Utica, they established a new one, here, where “La Petite Maison” is now located. Madame Pardoe passed away in 1834 and is buried in the Waterville cemetery. More is written about the family in “Days of Long Ago” in the Waterville Library Archives, online at
Carol Stanford Felder of Redwood, New York, wrote to the “Waterville blogger” that she came to her WCS Class Reunion on the 14h and 15th. “I got to see in person all the things you have on your blog, the houses you show, the old mill, the flowers, etc. We took a riding tour all around the town. I knew where to look because of your pictures!! Our reunion had 28 members present, there were 68 in our class, so 40 were missing, but we had a great time anyway!! I really enjoyed coming back!!!” (Have you seen the “Blog”? go to
This past weekend, class of 1987 held its Twentieth Reunion at Cavallo’s. About half the class was there, and they no doubt had an equally fine time!
When Mary and Ralph Murray’s children, Jennifer and Michael, asked their parents what they’d like for their fiftieth wedding anniversary, the Murrays both said, “Nothing!” And Jennifer is said to have replied, “Well - we’ll see!” And “see” the Murrays did, when - at the end of Sunday Worship Service at the Methodist Church - the congregation gave them a party that really was a total, complete and wonderful “Surprise!” It was a grand celebration, with lots of friends, lots of food, and a bulletin board especially decorated for them by their grandchildren. Their actual anniversary is on the 27th. Congratulations to Both of You!
And then there was the other complete surprise: this had taken place on Friday evening at the Baumgarten residence on Madison Street. The Baumgartens’ across-the-street neighbor, Charlotte Parks, had dropped in and a small celebration in honor of her birthday was in progress when, at the side door, there appeared an unexpected visitor who turned out to be none other than her son, Captain Michael Parks of the United States Coast Guard! Was Charlotte surprised? Nearly Speechless! (A noteworthy indication.) And he spent the weekend in Waterville making her birthday - even ‘tho there were no trombones! - a wonderfully happy and memorable one! (And to think that Suzette knew, all along! How delightfully devious!)
It wasn’t a surprise, per se, but he might have been surprised at how many people came - even from Texas! - to crowd into “Michael’s,” on Sunday afternoon, especially to wish a very special gentleman dentist “Happy 90th Birthday!” (Best Wishes from me, too, Jack!)
Ms. Suzanne Hughes of Summerville, South Carolina, has been the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Huggins of “Sheepskin Hollow” for the past two weeks. During her stay, she attended a large Hughes Family Reunion that took place at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hughes on Barton Avenue. Also on hand for the gathering were, of course, Lynn and Colleen and their son David, who had come from Maryland; Colleen and Charles’ brother Pat and his two sons from Gulf Breeze, Florida, and brother Andrew along with his wife and two children from New Hartford, Connecticut as well as Bill and Bobby Snow from Westmoreland.
In response to a query by a postcard collector in Muncie, Indiana, historians near and far, including Mr. Lynn Williams of Waterville, his brother-in-law, Hank Gardner of Virginia, Mr. Gary Tuttle and WFD historian Lou Langone as well as PsBrown have been having a considerable amount of discussion - and fun! - putting together pieces of the history of the Borden Milk Plant, which once stood on Osborn Avenue where McCartney’s Automotive is now located. It is now known that the plant burned on August 18th, 1945, the fire presumably having been started by sparks from a train. The building is indicated on a map in the 1907 Atlas, but if anyone knows when it was originally constructed, when the Borden Company came to Waterville and who built the present structure, the writer would be most pleased to be given that information to pass along.
Does anyone have a “souvenir” from the Norm Hannah Chevrolet dealership that was located on Sanger Avenue back in the ‘60’s? Mr. Joe Kearney of Utica spotted a photograph of the garage in a recent vintage automobile magazine and now the hunt is on for something like a plate frame, calendar, key ring - or the like - for a collector in California!
No comments:
Post a Comment