Thursday School Closing

From WKTV: "WCS School Evacuatiom and Chemical Disposal..............."

A Special "Thank You!"

from the MPS PTA & Student Council to Larry and Barbara Ames.

from Bonnie Padula via Jody Wester:

"Here are some of the pumpkins that were on display at last Thursday evening's Rotary Club Hallowe'en Party at Memorial Park School, showing the creative handiwork of MPS students on more than forty pumpkins generously donated by Larry & Barbara Ames from Bogusville Hill Road, Deansboro."

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An announcement - from Jenn Neff:

The 23rd annual Parade of Lights will be Friday, November 25.

Parade will be at 6:30, line up for the parade will be at 6 pm in the park on Madison Street.
The theme for the parade this year is "Christmas Through the Years." Judging will be
held during the parade for floats and group entries, the winners will receive pizza gift certificates. We encourage the use of lights and music during the parade. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the firehouse after the parade.

Anyone who would like a table or booth at the firehouse for the parade can contact a
committee member (Doc & Kathy Upcraft; Don & Jennifer Neff; Diane Marceau; Lisa
Belfield; Sandy Manion and Angela Plante).

ALSO: The Parade of Lights now has an open account at Nickelback Redemption Center. Anyone who would like to donate their bottles to the Parade of Lights can simply take them up to Nickelback and tell them they are to be donated to the Parade of Lights."

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Special Program

AT THE LIBRARY


ebaysics

Saturday Nov 5, 2011 Time: 11:00 AM

Learn how to maneuver through ebay just in time for holiday selling and buying. Feel free to bring your laptop and work as we go, although *it is not a requirement.*


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Waterville's own BLAIR RAKER

live - at the Stanley!

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It's Garbage Day

44 degrees at 7:00 a.m.

The Weather Forecast from YNN: "Thursday will be brisk and chilly with a few clouds mixed in with sunshine. Highs will be back down in the mid to upper 40s. High pressure will remain in control through the weekend with both Saturday and Sunday featuring a good deal of sun. Temperatures will be warming as well with highs in the low 50s Saturday and well into the 50s to near 60 on Sunday.

Beyond today, the next chance for a shower won’t be until sometime towards the middle of next week."

Please note that reminder:



Set your clocks BACK an hour Saturday night or Sunday morning!

AND remember to put NEW BATTERIES in all of your SMOKE DETECTORS!


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My thanks to George Reynolds who sent me the link to Madison County's "Hop Heritage Trail" map of Historic Hop Houses! I'll be on the road!!


The Marshall Oast House north of Munnsville.


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Unscientific Survey/Poll

As I mentioned in this morning's post, Carolyn Bostick of the Utica Observer-Dispatch is proposing that she write an article about Waterville for the newspaper.

What TOPICS do YOU think she should write about?
What picture(s) should be shown?

Recyclables Day

32 degrees at 6:00 a.m.

From WKTV: "Sunshine in abundance (Wednesday) with highs in the upper 50s. More sunshine with a few clouds on Thursday. An outside chance of a shower by afternoon. Highs again in the upper 50s.

A large high pressure system settles in for the weekend. Sunshine and pleasant weather continues. No snow in the forecast for the next seven days."

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Regina D. Stasaitis
1923 - 2011

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The Observer Dispatch also notes the death on October 30th of
Jennie Mae Swalgin, age 85, of Waterville.

Arrangements by Smith Funeral Home.

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IN THE MAIL

What fashion-conscious witch would not sell her most-secret spell to have this holiday ensemble in her Hallowe'en wardrobe? The elegant outfit, featuring a black satin cloak lined with scarlet velvet and worn with spiderweb lace mitts and a traditional hat trimmed with rare Devil's Black Cat fur, was designed by Valerie Schenk of Forge Hollow, who models it, here, and who wore it for a Hallowe'en gathering at her son's home in Mohawk. Expect to see preview photographs of next year's unique creation on the cover of "Witches'Wear Daily."

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They don't do 'em like they used to!

Hallowe'en pranks, that is!

When I visited the Marshall Historical Society, a week or so ago, I listened with delight as some of those present (who shall remain nameless!) regaled the group with reminiscences of the years when, on Hallowe'en, rotten tomatoes were the ammunition of choice, carriages and buggies were mysteriously levitated to the roof of the schoolhouse and - once - one of Fred Zweifel's hay wagons found its way (all by itself, of course) into Waterville. Ah, for the good old days!

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See a stack of special pictures taken at the Library last Friday night
on Facebook!

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From William A. Murphy, Financial Manager, "Stars and Stripes" --

"Great blog, I read it daily! I’m originally from Clinton. My father worked in the Waterville A&P meat department for years. My mother was born in Waterville, Catherine Roberts.

Thanks for keeping me up to date!"

(Thanks for writing, Bill!)

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From John Condzellas, Wading River, N.Y.

"I recently started a hopyard on my family farm. Since then I've been researching New York's (particularly your neck of the woods) rich history in hops. In my research I keep reading about these great hop house structures and how they are an important link to this era. They other thing that I keep coming across is the fact that more and more of these remnants are lost each year due to neglect.

I am looking for the opportunity to preserve one of these structures or anything hop culture from that era.

So we plan to tour the area and photograph these sites before they disappear forever with the hope that we would be able to save one. With all that being said, if you can point me in any direction your help would be greatly appreciated."



He asked especially for the location of this round, stone hop kiln on the road between Knoxboro and Munnsville, a picture of which he'd seen on the blog about a year ago. I've sent him a Google Earth map of its location, but NOW think that probably I should continue mapping / photographing all of the hop houses that I can find in Oneida and Madison Counties - unless I find that someone else has already done it! That will be a great project!

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Waterville has been in the news quite a few times, recently, and not always for the best of reasons! Now, however, we have a chance to shine: I received an Email from Carolyn Bostick from the Observer-Dispatch, who wrote:

"I was interested in doing an article on Waterville, and a co-worker alerted
me to your super blog!"

I'll phone her, today, and see what information / pictures we can assemble!


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HERE & THERE

As I was driving past the cemetery in Sangerfield, yesterday, something big and yellow caught my eye.

I zipped back and around through Nice 'n Easy's parking lot and over to the Town Garage where I found a veritable mountain of gravel being prepared for next season's use!

Good to know!

In the Village, this Winged Euonymus at the corner of S. Babbott and White Street is turning bright scarlet.

Nearby, Stan Sambora was herding less-interesting leaves toward the edge of the road ..........

.................... where the DPW's super-vac would scoop them up.

Along with fallen leaves, lawns are becoming littered with political posters.

Don't forget that Election day is next Tuesday - the 8th!


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Out in the Country


The view westward from the top of Grant Hill has a definitely Fallish look.

Bittersweet Berries are just starting to open.

Last cutting in Hanover.

Out on Route 20, near the Grange Hall, I stopped to watch combines working their way through corn fields on both sides of the road.

I assume that there are at least some blog-readers who, like me, did not grow up on farms and are, therefore, confused by the many sorts of farm machinery that we see so often. I knew that a "combine" combined - or performed - at least three procedures at once: in the case of corn, they "cut, shuck, and shell." To learn more, you can either read about the process HERE or watch a short but informative Discovery Channel video HERE!

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Harvest - at the Landis Farm on Shanley Road.

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Have a great day, everyone!

It's 28 degrees and clear at 6:30 a.m.


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Although many Eastern States received great quantities of snow, on Saturday, and thousands of residents are still without power, not a single flake fell in Waterville.

WKTV predicts that: "Pleasant weather from yesterday looks to continue today. A few extra clouds arrive this afternoon, otherwise partly sunny with highs in the lower 50s. Weather remains dry for the trick or treaters tonight. As usual, it will be jacket weather. Temperatures this evening fall down into the 40s. "

If it stays clear, VFR will be followed evening.

(Visual flight rules (VFR) are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see.)

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TRICK OR TREAT RULES

for the Village of Waterville

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

at homes where the porch light is ON!

(If it's off, please don't disturb the occupants.)

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If there were an award for the First Snowmen of the Season, the winners would be the Toussaints, on Sanger Avenue! I also saw a Snow Witch in front of Margie Wilson's home, on Osborn Avenue, but missed a daylight photo op.



First Prize for the largest Jack o' Lantern Display: the Jurczak home

188 Sanger Avenue!!


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IN THE MAIL

Les Risley relayed to me the next two pictures of Gil Condon's car, which he usually parks underneath the tree but which he had the foresight to move before the weight of the snow felled part of the tree! (Good save!)

(I think Gil lives near Philadelphia.)

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Do you know where your pets are?

A resident of Sangerfield, who lives near "Michael's," wrote to me on Saturday saying that she had two wayfaring dogs staying in her yard. They seemed wary of her, but both had collars. One is a brown pug-looking one, the other is a young beagle. If they're yours, send me an E-note with your phone number and I'll forward it to her.

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Frosty Friday

Library Director Jeff Reynolds made a couple of stops on his Friday morning commute to take pictures of this sparkly country view with fresh snow .............

............... and then the bright moss on trunks of maple trees on Osborn Avenue.

Little bits of new snow clung to an ornamental crabapple tree in the Library garden ..........

......................... while, inside the building, more timely subjects were on display.


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Mary Campbell sent me this beautiful photograph of her daughter Joanne, whose marriage to Mark Thompson took place at the Adirondack Community Church in Lake Placid, and was followed by a reception at the Lake Placid Golf Club.

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COMING EVENTS

Saturday, November 13


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For a history of Hallowe'en, please click the image, and ..........

......... for a special Hallowe'en treat, go to "Google" and click the logo!


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Have a great day everyone.


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TODAY IS GARBAGE DAY

TOMORROW IS BIG TRASH