Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Today is Primary Day


Polls open at noon.


ONEIDA COUNTY PRIMARIES

Coroner (vote for two): Kevin T. Barry, R; David P. Julian, R; Greg T. Mills, R

LEGISLATURE

District 2: Kenneth G. Fort, D; Peter Pascucci, D

District 3: Patrick H. Brennan, R; John J. Douglas, Sr., R

District 22: Harmony l. Speciale, I

District 25: Franklin D. Davis, D; James Mason, Sr., D

A Complete list of all area contests can be found in the Observer-Dispatch.

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It's 59 degrees and dry and 5:30

The WKTV forecast: "Mostly sunny skies on Tuesday morning.Sunshine will fade behind clouds by the early afternoon as a cold front approaches the region. The cold front arrives later in the day, bringing the chance of a round of afternoon thunderstorms. Any thunderstorms that do develop may be on the strong side with gusty winds and small hail.

Behind the front expect very cool, autumn air, with highs only in the 50s for Thursday and Friday. Overnight lows will dip into the 30s in most areas later in the week, with the potential for some frost on the cold spots. More details as we head later into the week."



Lookin' good for Cruisin' !


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IN THE MAIL

Good News from Carol Aldrich!

"Our cat appeared on our porch last evening. We were so glad to see him. He’s quite thin and was very thirsty. I was curious if he was held up somewhere and if so, who is responsible for setting him free. We thank you very much."

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Reminds me of an old, old folk song:

"But the cat came back, the very next day,
Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back
`Cause he wouldn't stay away."

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From Ilene Langone and the Tenants Assoc. of the Schoolhouse Apartments:

Attention Alumni of Waterville Central School,
residents of Waterville and visitors:



The Tenants Association of the Schoolhouse Apartments
is holding a free
Open House on September 17th
in conjunction with “Crusin into Waterville”.


Tours will be given at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Walk the halls and remember your “Good old School Days”.


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From Jody Barnes and the PTA.



Please click to enlarge and print this release / waiver!


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Annual Treats


Bottle Gentian, in the Brookfield Horse Trail System.

(And Oh! Some of the roads are still very muddy!)



All that rain brought out Northern Toothed Mushrooms.
Looks interesting, but it's not edible.


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I'm trying to put together - all in one place - a collection of everything that I've accumulated over the years having to do with HOPS and Waterville, where hops were introduced in 1820;
where many implements, including the Harris and Beardsley Hop Presses and the Beardsley Hop Stove - essential to hop processing - were invented; where the National (or international) Hop Exchange was established*, and where the world's first liquid Hop Extract was developed and produced and where the "new" railway made Waterville a major hop-shipping center.

*Back in 1971, two elderly "Waterville boys," Mssrs. Dan Conger and Charles Brainard, sat in the Centennial Office, just chatting about history, and told Jean Davis and me that it was really the "Hop Exchange" that was the reason Waterville was called the "Hop Capital of the World" and not because the hops were the best or the quantity raised the largest. It was where the national (or international) insurance rates - therefore, the PRICE per pound - of hops was established on a day-to-day basis.

Oh, how I wish I'd taken lots of notes or recorded that conversation!

But - when you get right down to the importance of hops -----

(Click to enlarge.)

This may be incorrectly labeled: considering the background, this scene may have been painted at a Conger Hop Yard 'way out on White Street (or Reservoir Road) with Tassell Hill in the background.




I don't know how many of the vines that have survived in hedgerows around the countryside or that are still grown for sentimental reasons come from early vine stock, but Pete Kane has some of the best. His dad, Roger, ran one of the very last hop yards in Waterville - the State Experiment Station, 1934 - 1951 - and was considered a leading authority on hop production.



Some of the most spectacular hops that I've seen this year are on a vine that climbs a telephone pole guy-wire in front of the little house atop Grant Hill where Sarah Schachtler used to live.
I took this picture of her in 2007.

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More later.

In the meantime, have a good day, everyone!

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