Mohawk Valley Living 64 January 2019

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Should Old Resolutions be Forgot?

by Sharry L. Whitney

contents 6 9 12 17 19 25 29 32 35 38 39 40 41 42 43 45 49 51 52 53 55 58 65 67 74 75 77

Oneida County History Center ADK Journal Oak & Ivy in Rome Joyfuls Vintage Designs Restaurant Guide Antiques Guide Made Here Ocean Blue Oyster Bar January in the Forest MVL Crossword Breweries/Wineries Events Vintage Utica Map MV Classical Local CD Review Reflections of My Youth On The Farm with Suzie MV Gardens & Recipes Bode MV Astronomy Club Local Photography Gallery Guide MV Nature Herkimer Co. Historical Society Tales from Shawangunk, Part 52 Genesee Joe Advertiser Directory Sponsor News

I was thinking about why people make resolutions. And why January 1st?

Of course, being a new year makes it a great time to start, but for me, January 1st is more like a reboot. Even if I managed to keep up with most of my resolutions throughout the year, many of my routines get thrown out the window between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holiday planning, preparation, and time spent with extended family and friends sometimes takes precedence over exercise and chores. And if healthy eating was on my list of resolutions, it’s usually all downhill from Thanksgiving pie period to Christmas cookie tray time. So January 1st becomes a good day for redemption.

I think people are naturally creatures of habit. We generally like routine. The holiday season is a fun break from that order. I know that the “chaos” eventually has to come to an end; hence, I make resolutions. They are often the same as last year’s. Maybe making my New Year’s resolutions is just me forgiving myself for my holiday transgressions. Just righting the ship before I sail into the new year. •

MOHAWK VALLEY LIVING MAGAZINE January 2019

PUBLISHERS Lance and Sharry Whitney EDITOR Sharry L. Whitney DESIGN & LAYOUT Lance David Whitney ASSISTANT EDITORS Shelley Delosh Jorge L. Hernández ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Susan Collea CONTRIBUTORS Peggy Spencer Behrendt, Tim Flihan Carol Higgins, Jorge L. Hernández, Brian Howard, Suzie Jones, John Keller, Melinda Karastury, Susan Perkins, Matt Perry, Cynthia Quackenbush, Denise Szarek, Gary VanRiper CONTACT US (315) 853-7133 30 Kellogg Street Clinton, NY 13323 www.MohawkValleyLiving.com mohawkvalleyliving@hotmail.com Mohawk Valley Living is a monthly magazine and television show that explore the area’s arts, culture, and heritage.

Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of Mohawk Valley Living, Inc. Printed at Vicks in Yorkville, NY.

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Riggie is roaming around the magazine and hiding in the advertising areas. Next to him you’ll find a letter. Find all the Riggies and rearrange the letters to answer this month’s riddle. Enter by the 15th of this month to be included in a drawing for a $200 shopping spree at one or two of our advertisers! (Excluding media, banks, and Stewart’s Shoppes)

This Month’s Riddle: New Hartford

December and January have 31 days.

They both have snow and are typically cold.

If you don’t keep active you can suffer malaise, but the latter has something to break winter’s hold.

Hint: 2 words, second 4-letter-word begins with d

See the answer and winner to last month’s riddle on page 78 One entry per household per month. Mail to: Riggie’s Riddle, 30 Kellogg St., Clinton, NY 13323 or by email: mohawkvalleyliving@hotmail.com

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the Oneida County History center

1825, Lafayette Visits Utica

by Janice Reilly

Twice with the help of my daughters, I went in search of the historic marker which would note the spot at the corner Seneca/Lafayette Streets where General Lafayette visited Utica in 1825, his second and last visit to the United States. D.A.R. records mentioned that it was a bronze tablet designed and made by Tiffany and placed in that area in 1914. Finally, we found it– high above our heads, embedded in the foundation wall of the old Hotel Utica, on the Lafayette Street side–not the usual NYS standard marker.

“By this highway, June the Tenth, 1925, General The Marquis de Lafayette entered the village of Utica in commemoration of this visit and in grateful recognition of his unfailing zeal in our War for Independence, this tablet is erected by the Oneida Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. A.D. 1897.”

The research library at Oneida County History Center had received a letter from Julien Icher, project manager promoting The Lafayette Trail for the Consulate General of France in Boston; he is actively involved with the American Friends of Lafayette. Julien is tracing Gen. Lafayette’s journey across New England that touches 120 cities in six states. If interested, you may want to glance at www.lafayettetrail.com.

Local authors Blandina Miller and Charlotte Pitcher mention Lafayette’s visit. This taken from the Utica Sentinel and Gazette of June 1825: “A committee at Rome, consisting of Col. Lansing, Judge Williams and Judge Storrs, proceeded up the canal and met the boat of the General, traveling on the Erie Canal from Syracuse

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on the night of June 9.....At 10 in the evening, the General, his son, Col. Lafayette and M. Levasseur, his secretary and other friends, were received into carriages from the canal and conducted to the arsenal [514 Dominick Street].... The village of Rome was brilliantly illuminated.”

[P.S.--On July 4, 1817 cannons from the U.S. Arsenal at 514 West Dominick Street sounded and the first shovel full of earth was dug. The Erie Canal would be formally opened in October, four months after Lafayette’s visit. Lafayette was one of the first dignitaries to travel its waters.]

At six a.m. the next morning, the General visited Col. Lansing at Oriskany, who was under his command at Yorktown in the attack which led to the surrender of Cornwallis. From there he continued to the village of Whitesboro where he arrived by carriage. “While receiving the congratulations from the people of Whitesboro, he asked “if the good woman [Hugh White’s widow] who made me such nice Johnny-cake still lived [here] and upon hearing that she did, he paid her another visit.”

From Whitesboro, the General entered an elegant barouche, a four-wheel carriage with collapsible top and two double seats opposite each other and a box seat outside for the driver. The carriage was driven by Theodore Faxton and pulled by four white horses.

An immense crowd of eager spectators saluted the General as he passed down Genesee Street and over the bridge of the canal where a triumphal arch was erected. The procession stopped at Shepard’s Hotel; Mr. Shepard was from New London, Connecticut and was proprietor of Bagg’s Hotel at this time. The stop was referred to as Shepard’s Hotel–not Bagg’s Hotel–in Lafayette’s secretarial notes. “The general breakfasted

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and dined at Shepard’s and interval ceremonies were performed.” A welcome banner hung over the front door. Lafayette was received on the steps of the hotel by William Clarke, President of the village of Utica.

An article in the Utica Observer mentioned that Lafayette disappeared during his celebration dinner. Lafayette felt in his pocket, pulled out a memorandum, and turning to one of the hosts who sat next to him, asked if Alexander Johnson was present. He was not; then Lafayette asked where he lived and turned to the presiding officer, said that it would be necessary for him to retire for a time and abruptly left the table. Some thought he was ill; all were astonished; the feast ended without his presence.” When he was found later at Johnson’s home at 187 Genesee Street, he said: I met John Adams when I was here for the war. In 1779, when I went back to France for a short period, I met his son, John Quincy, who had accompanied his father on his diplomatic mission to France. The President asked me to call upon his cousin, who was the wife of Alexander B. Johnson. He told me I would have a most entertaining hour or two if I called upon her, for she had many interesting reminiscences, which he was sure would delight me if I would pay my respects. I had been so entertained, I forgot the lapse of time.” He apologized. Johnson’s home was located on the site of the Savings Bank, or the “Bank with the Gold Dome.”

Lafayette also briefly called at the house of Arthur Breeze, a lawyer who lived next door to the Johnsons. A man of much personal and private worth, exemplary piety, and a Supreme Court Clerk, Mr. Breeze died two months after Lafayette’s visit. At many points during the ceremonies, a review of troops were performed and special recognition was given to the old soldiers. It was noted also that the General particularly requested the chiefs of the Oneidas to be present; he recognized two, whom he knew in the Revolutionary War. General Lafayette was then conducted to the packet boat “…which had been fitted up in tasteful and elegant style for his trip to Schenectady.” Suddenly a “stalwart Indian leaped from one of the canal bridges and landed on the boat in the midst of the passengers, exclaiming “Where is Kayewla, Where is

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Kayewla. I must see Kayewla.” This was the Indian title for Lafayette, the “great white warrior.” When the General was pointed out, the unexpected guest expressed the greatest delight saying “my father loved you so well that he followed you to your own country after the war.” After a few moments conversation, the lithe young Indian leaped to the bank, ten feet distant and disappeared.”

Commemorating such rich history of Lafayette’s trip to this area, I hope the new owners of Hotel Utica are aware of the importance of the Lafayette Marker and it is not destroyed or lost. •

Oneida County History Center 1608 Genesee Street, Utica (315) 735-3642

Open Tues.-Fri. 10-4, Sat 10-2 www.oneidacountyhistory.org

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adirondack journal Hiking buddy, Mark Lowell, navigating the route ascending Buell Mountain

Tick-Tock!

It’s January Again!

Highlights from 2018 story and photos by Gary VanRiper

The clock keeps on with its relentless ticking, so yet another year is history. But the earth has not made its annual orbit around the sun without the addition of several more wonderful pages to my personal Adirondack Journal.

It was another year of fair-weather hiking beginning with a spring jaunt up Bald Mountain near Old Forge with several classes from the Holland Patent School district.

The students had read one of the books in The Adirondack Kids® series and were following that up with a field trip.

The school asked if my son Justin, co-author of the series, and I would possibly join them. We did, and also managed to get some nice video footage of the hike as well as aerial shots with our drone. If you would like to see Bald Mountain as you may have never seen it before, here is a link to the 2-minute video! www.adirondackkids.com/ taking-field-trips-with-students-to-new-heights/ That event was followed later in the spring with

‘Selfie’ on the summit of Boreas Mountain

On the summit of Green Mountain in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks

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a 10-hour bushwhack up Buell Mountain and back with my longtime hiking buddy, Mark Lowell. It was a mountain near Indian Lake I needed to help complete my goal of hiking the highest 100 peaks in the Adirondacks. Buell is #64 in height among the 100 highest at 3,786 feet.

It was summer while on vacation in July when Mark and I managed to get in another of the 100 highest with another bushwhack, this time up Green Mountain directly across from Giant Mountain in the Adirondack high peaks region. A 10.5-hour round trip, Green is actually #44 in height at 3980 feet.

Then it was time for another patch with the completion of the Chester Challenge in Chestertown, NY. I wrote about it for the August 2018 edition of this magazine.

If you missed the article you can find it archived at https://issuu. com/mohawkvalleyliving/docs/ mohawkvalleyliving59web Stewart Mountain was part of the Chester Challenge and will always be special to me as it was the very first

Ascending Buell Mountain

The not-so-worn trail of Boreas Mountain

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mountain summit conquered by our twoyear-old grandson.

With the approach of autumn, there were two more mountains among the 100 highest checked off the list: Boreas (3776 feet) and Sunrise (3614 feet). The trailheads for both mountains were located on the private property of Elk Lake Lodge in North Hudson, NY; caretakers were surprised that I climbed both in one day.

What they did not understand is that I will be 65 years old this year and that leaves me with 19 mountains to go to complete the 100 highest. And that old clock just won’t stop ticking!

There was one other significant hike in the Adirondacks from 2018 and it wasn’t up a mountain. Watch for that story in the February issue! •

Giant Mountain seen from near the summit of Green Mountain

Hiking with classes from Holland Patent School

Gary VanRiper is an author, photographer, and pastor at the Camden Wesleyan Church. He has written 15 children’s books with his son, Justin. Find out more at:

www.adirondackkids.com

Levi conquers Stewart Mountain near Chestertown

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MV road trip

Traditional English tea at Oak & Ivy B&B in Rome

By Sharry Whitney Photos by Melinda Karastury

Frederick Rice stands at the entrance to the home he renovated at 600 N. George Street in Rome

Fred-of-all-trades is an interior designer, garden designer, and artist - just to name a few of his many talents.

I enjoy giving gifts of experiences, so for Christmas last month I treated a few friends to an afternoon tea at Oak & Ivy Bed and Breakfast in Rome. The Victorian home was beautifully decorated for the holidays from parquet to cornices, and my Victorian era-loving friends were in heaven. One commented on how lived-in the home felt—every wall covered with paintings that begged commentary. Our host, Frederick Rice, happily accommodated with stories behind the origins of several of the paintings.

Though the home seems comfortably settled, in actuality, Frederick purchased the residence at 600 N. George Street just over 10 years ago. At the time of purchase, the home had been poorly converted into four apartments.

He immediately embarked on a three year total renovation. Everything from plumbing to wiring to wall removal and replacement needed to be done. Doors that had been walled-in had to be opened up and doors that were later alterations to the original plan of the house had to be removed. Ceilings that had been lowered by as much as 33 inches were restored to their original heights and ceiling mouldings that had been compromised or removed entirely were either restored or completely replaced. Then a total re-decorating.

The plan from the get-go was to transform the house (which was built in 1871) into a very “English inspired” home of about 1840—furnished accordingly with period pieces and accents. “The discovery in Erie, PA of an entire room of black walnut paneling” Frederick explained, “completely changed the plan for the dining room,” but as an interior designer, Frederick has learned to go where inspiration and opportunity leads. The result is a very unique 1212

The Oak & Ivy Bed and Breakfast is furnished with antiques to create an “English-inspired” home of about 1840

and very European look to the once dreary room. Frederick’s plan was always to turn the “gracious old pile of brick and mortar” into a bed and breakfast and, as the city of Rome gave him the okay, The Oak & Ivy was born. Friends from literally all over the world suggested names for the B&B. As it was meant to be a tiny slice of England here in Central NY, the name had to have an English ring to it. “It had to be short and sweet and easy to remember,” Frederick recalled. When the name Oak & Ivy was considered, a Google search found that the only other establishment with that name was, ironically, a pub about 10 miles from where Frederick used to live in England!

During the holidays, every room has a different themed Chistmas tree.

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During the holiday season, public teas are held regularly.

Private teas can be arranged any time of year.

Today, the home has four rooms to let for accommodation—all furnished with period antiques. The holiday decorations will be up until about the 15th of January. In season, the bountiful English gardens that surround the home is used for events such as weddings, photo shoots, and of course afternoon teas al fresco! Oak & Ivy is available for all sorts of intimate events such as wedding and baby showers, actual weddings, birthday and anniversary parties, luncheons, and, of course, teas very much in the English tradition. •

It takes Frederick several days to hang hundreds of ornaments one at a time

Oak & Ivy Bed and Breakfast

600 N George St, Rome To schedule a private tea, event, or accommodations call: (315) 337-3065 www.oakandivybedandbreakfast.com

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The Everyday Adventures of Mohawk Valley Girl

Joyfuls Vintage Designs

Mohawk Valley Girl, Cynthia Quackenbush feels right at home at Joyfuls Vintage Designs

in little falls

by Cynthia Quackenbush

I am a huge fan of reduce/reuse/recycle. I also love

antiques and unique items. And I adore local, distinctive places to shop. It was obvious I was going to flip over Joyfuls Vintage Designs in Little Falls.

Joyfuls deals with vintage-inspired home décor and art. Most of the things are restored and repurposed, showing creativity and a fine sense of style. The store is tiny but packed with beautiful furniture and artwork. As I walked around with Steven, I kept pointing at things to make sure he saw how wonderful they were.

Everything was just so cleverly put together. Anybody can put an artificial flower in a mason jar (full disclosure: I personally might not think to do such a thing), but it takes creative design to paint the jar blue and wrap a ribbon around the neck, fastened with a piece of vintage jewelry.

I think my favorite piece was a small desk with pages of an old book underneath glass on top. I love old books but never thought of a use for worn-out ones. I also loved

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a piano bench decorated with sheet music.

Another favorite was a chest with a padded seat. I asked Steven to take a picture of me on it, so he could remember it.

“Look at that cheese-eating grin,” I said when I saw the photo. Only I didn’t say “cheese.”

“I like it!” Steven said. He really is a satisfactory husband.

I later learned from an article in the Times Telegram that Joyfuls was previously located at The Shops at 25 West. After reading that, I seemed to remember seeing similar pieces there. I really like the new store and enjoyed seeing the merchandise in its own space.

The store is named after owner Joy Hayes. I did not get a chance to speak with her the day we were there, because the shop was doing a booming business. I hope I will get to meet her on a future visit. I want to tell her how much I love her stuff. •

There are many re purposed pieces of furniture at Joyfuls Vintage Designs in Little Falls.

Joyfuls Vintage Designs

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A pretty bench with padded seat.

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Tues-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-3, Valentines week call for extended hours

Open 1st three Sat’s: 9-1 & 4th Thurs: 9-1

(315) 765-0256 • www.meyerschocolates.com

Over 30 years in Business

Lessons Repairs Layaway Rentals Sheet Music Lighting L SHOP LOCA AND SAVE BIG! 18

LOWEST PRICES

School Instrument Rental Programs New & Used Musical Instruments WE BUY USED EQUIPMENT

(315) 732-3502

8441 Seneca Turnpike, New Hartford www.bigapplemusic.net

We Will B Any Catalo eat g or M Order Pric ail e

www.parryshamilton.com

Hamilton, NY

the mvl

restaurant

guide

“Home cookin’ at it’s finest!”

HOME STYLE COOKING

Friday Fish Fry!

•Daily breakfast

& luncheon specials •Ask about our family bowling special!

Serving breakfast and lunch daily

6798 State Rt. 20, Bouckville

8125 Rt.12, Barneveld, NY

(315) 893-4044 • Open Mon-Sat 6-2, Sun 6-Noon

(315) 896-2871 Open early every day!

CASSVILLE

CLINTON

Friday Fish Fry 11:30am-8pm

n Ope or y a f frid er!

Dinn

1/2 lb.

Juicy Angus Burgers!

1717 Route 8, Cassville (315) 839-5000

Open Mon-Thurs 6am-2pm, Fri 6am-8pm, Sat 6am-1pm, Sun 7am-Noon , Breakfast Served til Noon

CLINTON

BOUCKVILLE

BARNEVELD

Clinton

ALE HOUSE

Family owned & family friendly!

Casual dining - Lunch & Dinner

Featuring NY State craft breweries & full bar (Utica Comets games live streamed!)

Live entertainment every Friday! • Wed. Trivia Nights!

43 Meadow Street, Clinton (315) 381-3021 Mon, Wed, Thurs & Fri: 11-1am, Sat & Sun: Noon-1am, closed Tues.

HERKIMER

Where good friends Meet to Eat! Enjoy breakfast or a quick lunch!

8170 Seneca Tpke., Clinton (315) 732-3631 Mon-Fri 6am-2pm, Sat & Sun 6am-1pm

1

#

Primo Pizza at the Kettle

315-381-3231

The Most Unique Upside Down Pizza You Ever Tasted!

Celebratinign Weekday Specials 10 Years ! Tues- 20” X-Large Cheese Pizza . . . . $9.95 Clinton Wed- Small Cheese Pizza & 20 Wings . . . $16.95 (Toppings 2.25 ea, X-Cheese 2.95)

Thurs- 2 Large Cheese Pizzas . . . . . $17.95 (plus tax /toppings extra)

RESTAURANT & BAR Casual American Cuisine

good food, good wine, good friends, good times

123 Mohawk St., Herkimer • 315-866-1746

www.jamosrestaurantandbar.com • Open 7 days a week! 11am-9pm

Specialty Rolls

Sausage............$10.95 Spinach..............$10.95 Antipasto............$11.95 Sausage & Greens. . . .$12.95 Eggplant..........$11.95

Every Day Specials

Large Cheese & 20 wings . . . . $22.95 Large Cheese & 30 wings . . . . $29.95 (plus tax. celery, blue cheese, toppings extra)

Tues-Thurs: 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat: 11am-10pm, Sun: 1pm-8pm

7756 Route 5, Clinton Located next door to Spaghetti Kettle www.primopizzeria1.com 19

9 West Park Row, Clinton 315.853.3052 Nolasinclinton.com

Ilion

little falls

LEE CENTER Book your party today!

Catering & Banquets too!

(315) 533-7229

Roasted fresh daily on site!

Come taste the difference!

Breakfast and Lunch

Mon-Fri: 6-2, Sat: 7:30-2 • (315) 985-0490

Serving Dinner Wed & Thurs: 3-9pm, Lunch & Dinner Fri & Sat: 11:30-9, Sun: 11:30-8 Closed Mon & Tues

www.mooserivercoffee.com

823-3290

Breakfast, Lunch, Homemade Soups & Sandwiches and our delicious Desserts Including our Famous Cream Puffs!

Canal Place, Little Falls Next to Showcase Antiques

We’re on the C4 Trail!

Quality Food • Fresh Ingredients • Relaxing Atmosphere • Offering Daily Specials!

70 Otsego St., Ilion

Open Daily 7am-3pm

5345 Lee Center-Taberg Rd., Lee Center www.gonecoastalrestaurant.com

NEW HARTFORD

MARCY

Homemade comfort foods Full menu available til 2am!

9663 River Rd., Marcy Newly Remodeled!

Fresh Haddock • Giambotta Mushroom Stew • Chicken & Biscuits Meatloaf Goulash & More!

Order your Christmas Cookie Trays now!

Take Out & Delivery!

20

797-7709

Mon-Thu 6am-2pm, Fri 6am-7pm, Sat 6am-1pm, Sun 7am-1pm

25 beers on tap, specializing in NY State craft beers!

Thursday Night is Wing Night!

2018u Best Bar

u

best Best Happy Hour FIRST PLACE Best Wings BEST OF THE

10 Clinton Rd., New Hartford • (315) 732-9733 Mon-Sat: 10am-2am, Sun: 12pm-2am www.killabrewsaloon.com

NEW HARTFORD

Phoenician R E S TAU R A N T Enjoy authentic Lebanese Cuisine

Full Buffet & Salad Bar served Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30 Wednesday Night Buffet 4:30-8:30, Serving Lunch & Dinner Mon-Sat Full Menu Available Mon-Thurs 11:30-9pm, Fri & Sat 11:30-10pm

623 French Road, New Hartford (315) 733-2709

All you can eat Lunch Buffet $9.95!

Mon-Sat: 11:30am-3pm

All you can eat Dinner Buffet $12.95!

Tues & Wed only

Eat In Or Take Out • (315) 797-9918 • 609 French Rd, New Hartford NY Open 7 days a week for Lunch, Dinner served Mon-Thurs: 5-9, Fri & Sat: 5-10 Sun Hours: Lunch: 12-3, Dinner: 4:30-9 • www.uticaminar.com

Locally Owned & Operated

1700 North James St., Rome (315) 336-1111 Breakfast & Lunch daily 7am-3pm

“We are your home town pizzeria!”

past 5 years!

Voted #1 pizza for

(315) 736-4549 • Open 7 days a week • 4462 Commercial Dr., New Hartford www.tonyspizzeriaanddeli.com

Catering Available • Homemade Desserts Every Day

2634 Genesee St., South Utica (315) 724-6795 Breakfast & Lunch daily 7am-3pm Dinner Fri & Sat 5pm-10pm

4784 Commercial Dr., New Hartford (315) 736-1363 Breakfast & Lunch daily 7am-3pm

www.raspberriescafeutica.com • Facebook: Raspberries Rome / Raspberries Utica • Kids Menu Available

MVL Ad_Layout 1 7/8/15 3:05 PM Page 1

OLD FORGE

OHIO (Cold Brook)

R

2755 13324 826-5050 2755 State State Rt Rt.8,8,Cold ColdBrook, Brook,NY NY• (315)•826-5050

Mon. 4 - 9pm • Tues.

Wed. - Sun. 12&Noon Open Wed - SunClosed 12-9,•closed Mon Tues- 9pm Great Food • Great Spirits • Great Times

Fresh to you!

Life is Good at The Ohio Tavern!

ROME

Brenda’s Natural Foods Something Good & a Lot of It! www.brendasnaturalfoods.com

Natural Food Cafe Now Open!

Mexican & American Fare Sushi selections too!

Eat in or Take out

Featuring Daily Specials

127 North St., Old Forge

Featuring: Gluten-free options and homemade soups!

Tues-Thurs: 11:30am-9pm, Fri & Sat: 11:30am-10pm, Sun: 11:30am-8:30pm, Closed Mon • (315) 369-3141

Natural Groceries • Supplements • Local Foods Organic Produce & Plants

236 W. Dominick St., Rome (315) 337-0437 M-F 9:30-6, Sat 10-3

Weekend Specials!

Haddock Specials

Prime Rib Every Sat. Night!

Gluten Free Menu!

Wood Fired za!

Brick Oven Piz

Authentic Homemade Pasta Available!

5 Signature Sauces To Create Your Own Entree!

(315) 33PIZZA

615 Erie Blvd. W., Rome Open M-Thurs 11-9, Fri & Sat 11-10, Sun 12-8

DiCastro’s BRICK OVEN

salisbury

Banquets

Weddings

8524 Fish Hatchery Rd, Rome, NY 13440 315-533-7710 www.deltalakeinn.com

Sharon SPrings

The Country Store with More!

Snacks, Beer, Pizza, Wings, Subs, Gas, Diesel, Non-Ethanol Gas, Gifts and much, much more!

2114 Rte 29, Salisbury 315-429-3224 Open 7 Days a Week 22

Champagne Brunch

Innovative food made with local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and exceptional service and warm atmosphere. www.blackcat-ny.com Mon-Thurs 11-3, Fri-Sun 8-3 195 Main St., Sharon Springs (518) 284-2575 www.blackcat-ny.com

23

UTICA

Sheri’s

EASTSIDE DINER 1st Floor Breakfast, Lunch, “Grab-and-Go!” Deliveries, 8am-2pm Take Out & Catering!

Check out our weekly specials on facebook and at www.rososcafe.com

Open: Monday-Friday: 9-2 185 Genesee St., 2nd Floor, Utica

315 735-7676

Breakfast • Lunch Homemade & Fresh Daily!

Friday Fish Fry • Breakfast Served All Day Monday-Saturday 6-2, Sunday 7-2

Catering Available!

Wishing Everyone A Happy, Healthy And Blessed New Year 2019!!

Thank You For Making 2018 Another Great Year, We Look Forward To Many More!!

Handmade-Always Fresh-Never Frozen

Visit Us Online For Our Store And Catering Menus!!

Open Monday Through Friday 8:00AM To 4:00PM -www.sammyandanniefoods.com-

SIMMER Jamacaican Restaurant

• Serving lunch and dinner • Traditional Jamaican cuisine!

• Take out & delivery

606 South St., Utica • (315) 507-4015

Mon-Thurs 11am-9:30pm, Fri & Sat 11am-10:30pm, Closed Sun.

219 N. Genesee St., Utica

(315) 790-5353 • M-F: 6-4; Sat: 7-3; Sun: 7-2

Serving breakfast, lunch, & Friday dinners Eat in or take out • Catering available too!

Book your wedding, banquet, or party at our Event Center on-site (seats up to 200) Affordable 7,000 sq.ft., Wooden Dance Floor, We Cater or Bring your own!

10 Ruth St., Vernon • (315) 829-4500

Mon-Sat: 5:30am-3pm. Fri: til 8pm, Sun: 5:30am-1pm, Facebook: Nothinfancycafevernonny

Yorkville

Serving Lunch & Dinner Lunches Served Fri, Sat & Sun Happy Hour Daily 4-7, $2.50 Drafts & $2.75 Well Mixers Tues: $9.99 Prime Rib & $2.99 All-U-Can-Eat Spaghetti Wed: $6.99 Pasta Specials, 10 Boneless Wings $6.00 Thurs: All-U-Can-Eat Chicken Riggies Sun: .60c Wings at bar & $14.99 16oz Sirloin Dinner

Catering & Banquet Facilities Available

409 Oriskany Blvd., Whitesboro • (315) 736-7869 www.69steakhouse.com 24

Free Delivery(min. $20) • Family Owned & Operated!

Great Food • Great Service • Great people

Gluten Free Options!

Whitesboro

Homemade Baked Goods & Multi-Color Bagels - a kid’s favorite!

Nothin’ Fancy Cafe

Contemporary American • Private Functions • Reservations Recommended

www.willowsofutica.com

Breakfast Sandwiches Deli-Style Wraps/Sandwiches Salads, Soups & more!

Island herbs and spice with a delightful bite!

vernon

900 Culver Ave., Utica • 315-765-0271 • Open Tues-Sat 4:30-9pm

Breakfast & Lunch Catering Available

2199 Bleecker St., Utica (315) 790-5250

KARAM’S Middle Eastern Bakery & Restaurant

Traditional Lebanese fare for breakfast & lunch!

Middle Eastern Specials and Groceries Pita and Flat Bread • Spinach & Meat Pies • Baklawa

Tues - Fri: 9am -5pm, Sat: 9am - 3pm

(315) 736-1728 137 Campbell Ave, Yorkville www.karamsbakery.com

mv living

antique shopping guide Little Falls

Warm up with cool sales during Third Thursday January 18th!

Fort Plain

SHOWCASE

Antiques of CNY Little Falls Mohawk

Antique Center

MOHAWK ANTIQUES MALL

Celebrating our 19th year in business!

Attic Addicts The Queen’s Closet

Antiques & Art Barneveld

Paintings & Prints 8010 Rt 12, Wood Carvings Mapledale Plaza Primitive Antiques Barneveld Thurs-Monday 11-6 315-896-5115 Postcards

Pristine, Practical, and Priced Right!

Specializing in estate sales, large and small.

Conducted with respect and dignity.

We take the pressure out of estate liquidation, moving, or downsizing.

Call for a consultation:

(315) 736-9160

Consignment at its Finest!

Clothing Jewelry Household Items Furniture

BlackCat

ANTIQUES

A little bit country, a little bit primitive!

Your destination for furniture, hand stenciled signs, vintage clothing, warm glow candles, silk arrangements & more!

Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm Sat: 10:30am-3pm New consignment by appointment only

22 Oriskany Blvd., Yorkville (315) 736-9160 www.thequeenclosetatticaddicts.com

14 East Main St. Earlville (315) 691-5721

Open Tues-Fri: 9-4, Sat: 9-2, Closed Sun & Mon 25

A Purveyor of Primitive Antiques Early & Timeworn Wares, Simple Goods Old & Purposeful Stuff & Needfuls Reflecting Simpler Times

Multi Dealer Antique Shop

Primitives • Furniture • Artwork Smalls • Antique Accessories Wed-Sat: 10-4, Sun: 11-3 • (315) 264-1755

Winter: Open by Request

4803 Rt. 31, Vernon

Dawn Marie’s Treasures Vintage, Gift & Gourmet 18 W. Park Row, Clinton

796-9099 • January Hours: Tues-Sat 11-5

Happy New Year! Huge January Sales

25% off Storewide!*

Olive Oils & Balsamic Vinegars

Cool sale!

Tasting Room!

Our Shop has Huge Markdowns!

3300 Rt. 46, Bouckville

Don’t miss out on these great sales! *Some exclusions on new items

Wed-Sat 10-5, Sun Noon-5, Closed Mon & Tues (315) 412-1296

Happy New Year!

Little Falls

Antique Center

Antiques • Art • Crafts

Antiques,Vintage, Gifts & Furniture!

Over 30 Vendors!

for 10% OFF on items over $20!

Handicapped-accessible

26

Open 7 Days: 10-5:30 • 8124 Route 12, Barneveld (315) 896-2681

“Third Thursday” January 18th

Thruway Exit 29A 25 West Mill St., Little Falls Open Every Day 10-5 315-823-4309 www.littlefallsantiquecenter.com

Foothills

Mercantile

Visit us on

More than 50 vendors on 2 floors!

QualityAntiques

Spices, Salts, Maple Syrup, Honey, Jams & Jellies, Soaps, Lotions, CDB Oil & Other Specialty Goods

Like us on Facebook!

Low temps mean low prices during January’s Third Thursday!

27

Happy New Year!

Over 160 Vendor booths and display cases!

We would like to thank all of our loyal customers for a great year and we look forward to 2019!

100 E. Main St., Mohawk (Thruway Exit 30)

(315) 219-5044 www.mohawkantiquesmall.com

ONEIDA COMMONS Vendor Mall

Tue-Sun: 10-5

OVER 40 VENDORS Gifts • Home Décor Jewelry • AVON Antiques • Collectibles Local Artisans & Crafters Nelson Farms Local Foods 315-280-0577 157 Cedar Street, Oneida

oneidacommons.com

MOHAWK ANTIQUES MALL The Online Exchange We Can Help You Buy, Sell, and Trade Globally!

Now an FFL dealer!

6338 St. Rt. 167, Dolgeville

(315) 429-5111

www.TheOnlineExchange.Net

Antique & Unique!

Buy • Sell • Trade

See The Man 54 N. Main St., Sherburne (607) 316-8463 • Open Wed-Sun

Victorian

Rose

An eclectic mix of vintage, antiques, & home decor

315-893-1786

Open by chance or appt.

Check our facebook page for updates on hours

3371 Maple Ave., Bouckville www.victorianrosevintage.com

28

Closed Tuesdays

ESTATE & HOUSE SALES APPRAISALS ALWAYS BUYING

THE POTTING SHED ANTIQUES

Happy New Year!

ALL U.S. COINS WANTED

ALSO BUYING YOUR UNWANTED OR BROKEN JEWELRY

From Don & Nan cy and Staff!

Wed-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4, closed Mon & Tues Inventory and our Estate Sale Schedule online: www.thepottingshedantiques.com

315-736-5214

Registered user of ebay

Minutes from I-90 & TS Casino!

Mon, Wed-Sat: 10-5, Sun: 11:30-4:30

Don & Nancy Hartman, 52 Oriskany Blvd., Whitesboro (Next to Kinney’s)

u uuuuuuuuuuu u u u u u u BUYING & SELLING Antiques, u u Mid-Century, and Vintage thru 1975 u EVERY DAY 10AM-5PM u u u *5,000 sq.ft. Multi-Dealer Store u u *BEST Variety of UNIQUE Finds u *103 SHOWCASES u u *26 DISPLAY BOOTHS u u u *1,000’s of Affordable “Smalls” For Sale u u *Get on our Monthly CUSTOMER WANT LIST u u (315) 823-1177 u u 375 Canal Place, Little Falls u u Next Door to Ann Street Deli u u uuuuuuuuuuu u

showcase antiques

337 Genesee St., Utica (315) 738-1333

You never know what you’ll find at The Potting Shed!

www.vintagefurn.com

ernon Variety Shoppes

Antique & Variety Shoppes

A Multi Dealer Shop

Featuring 60 Dealers displaying a diverse array of antiques and collectibles.

315-337-3509

5349 Route 5, Vernon (315) 829-2105 Open 10-5 every day

Located 4 miles North of Sylvan Beach

Weeden’ s Mini Mall

100 Shops Located under One Roof

8056 Route 13, Blossvale (315) 245-0458 Open 10-5 every day

Come Spend the Day With Us! Route 233 Westmoreland

1/4 mile North of NYS Thruway Exit 32 www.westmorelandantiquecenter.com

Mohawk Valley artisans

Made here Photos By Melinda Karastury

After shopping for everyone else last month, January is a great time to slow down and do some local shopping for yourself. Check out the artisan shops and co-ops in your area. This less hectic time of year also offers the opportunity to get to know the artists behind the work.

Garden Decor

Garden Mentor

Janice Wnuk, Clinton

hyperjanice@yahoo.com (315) 737-9470

29

Gavin Law is the spokesperson for his wife, Nicole’s knitted goods at Serene & Evergreen

Knitted goods

Serene & Evergreen Nicole Law Utica

www.serenadeevergreen.com sereneandevergreen@gmail.com (315) 272-4266 Available at S ignature 81 and Almost Local in Clinton

COBBLESTONE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

“A Roofing Company You Can Trust” RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Roofing • Siding • Windows Fully Insured • Free Estimates

185 Mohawk Street, Whitesboro (315) 733-3106 ~ FAX: (315) 793-3381

COBBLESTONE CONTAINER and DISPOSAL SERVICES, LLC 10 – 40 yard Dumpsters Available Residential & Commercial • Reasonable Rates 185 Mohawk Street, Whitesboro (315) 733-3427

30

Photography

PhotoPerch Jody Hildreth Waterville

www.photoperch.com @photoperch

Clinton

Wine & Spirits

Live entertainment every Friday! • Wed. Trivia Nights!

Open Mon-Sat: 9-9, Sun: 12-5 • All credit cards accepted

43 Meadow Street, Clinton (315) 381-3021

Ilion

10 East Main St., Ilion • (315) 894-8142

ALE HOUSE

Family owned & family friendly!

Casual dining - Lunch & Dinner

Featuring NY State craft breweries & full bar (Utica Comets games live streamed!)

Mon, Wed, Thurs & Fri: 11-1am, Sat & Sun: Noon-1am, closed Tues.

31

mohawk valley food

Ocean blue Restaurant &Oyster Bar story and photos by Jorge L. Hernández

It makes me shame-faced to admit that when I want to write that I’ve found the best restaurant in the Mohawk Valley, out of the blue comes another one to question that judgment—in this case, Ocean Blue Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Utica.

Owned by Francis J. Pezzolanella and wife Kati, Ocean Blue was born from a dream of running a restaurant from a family known for its work ethic.

His grandfather Dr. Francis J. Talarico was detail oriented and even food driven.

“He was like a sponge—wanting to soak everything up,” Francis says.

His grandmother Giorgina Talarico is a renowned painter known for her cooking whose works decorate the gleaming subway-whitetiled interiors of Ocean Blue.

“He gets the artistic side and focus for work from them,” Kati says of her husband.

Francis’ family is also dedicated to the construction business, fostering that drive and industriousness; his parents own and live in the renovated former HSBC building in downtown Utica now called the Landmarc Building, which houses commercial space and 30 apartments with Ocean Blue occupying the roof floor. The building was purchased in August 2013; the restaurant opened Oct. 1, 2015.

Kati, formerly of Westmoreland, and Francis, who grew up in Frankfort, live in a loft apartment in another family-owned building downtown.

What was the inspiration for the restaurant’s black-and-white dé-

Keeping up with demand, owner Francis Pezzolanella shucks oysters

The oyster bar at Ocean Blue is a busy gathering place when the workday ends

Let’s Go Bowling! at the Locally Owned

V sta Lanes

20 Lanes • Automatic Scoring • League Bowling • Blasto Bowling Automatic Bumper System • Fundraisers • Entertainment • Restaurant Birthday Parties • Corporate/Group Parties • Join a League!

550 Oriskany Blvd., Yorkville (315) 736-6666 www.bowlvistalanes.com • Like us on Facebook: Vista Bowling Center

32

cor, copper bar, and tall windows reminiscent of a major metropolis anywhere?

“We wanted to build a space from floor to ceiling that gave our customers a full experience out,” says Kati, who spends hours on the background music playlist alone. Despite the elegant atmosphere, Kati assures that “We want people to feel as comfortable as they want when they come here, in tuxedos or jeans.”

“There were so many Italian restaurants around that we wanted something different and decided a focus on seafood was what Utica needed,” Francis adds. And hence, the name Ocean Blue.

The couple points to local food supplier Casa Imports as a reason for their success. The company provides the seafood, among other products, gathered from up and down the East Coast. Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Mass., is another go-to source. Seafood comes fresh overnight, from Maine lobsters to oysters from Cape Cod and Virginia on a regular schedule.

“Casa Imports feels like family that happens to be in business,” Francis says.

Ocean Blue serves from 3,000 to 4,000 fresh raw oysters a week, he says. They come six to an order, freshly shucked in iced trays with lemon and cocktail and mignonette sauce.

Join us on our voyage during our recent taste sampling at Ocean Blue: six Wellfleet oysters, cool, briny, and sweet; traditional shrimp scampi, jumbo-jumbo shrimp, garlicky over creamy linguine; fish and chips, hand-cut cod with fries and a zesty slaw; pan-seared grouper, savory with sumac rub and broccoli rabe;

Located in Munnsville, Custom Woodcraft has been handcrafting wood furniture and designing beautiful cabinetry since 1979.

You’re not just buying cabinets, you’re investing in a tradition.

In the warmer months, Ocean Blue’s outdoor patio overlooking downtown Utica is a popular gathering place

Francis and Kati Pezzolanell

Asthma?

Allergies?

Pets?

MUSEUM & COUNTRY STORE

See Remington firearms and artifacts from the 1800s to today.

Shop for clothing, hats, and souvenirs in the Country Store.

14 Hoefler Avenue, Ilion (315) 895-3200 FREE! Mon-Fri. 8:30am-4:30pm

Custom Woodcraft Quality Cabinetry & Furniture Crafted exclusively for you 2509 Perry Shumaker Road Munnsville (315) 843-4243

1-800-843-3202

We Can Help!

Rainbow

Sales • Service • Supplies 4299 Middle Settlement Rd., New Hartford (315) 525-7232

33

brown butter broiled scallops over home-made gnocchi; hot buttered toasted ciabatta lobster roll, the best tasted this side of the Maine seashore.

And for the landlubbers this evening: housesmoked hickory pork chop with spinach and apple chutney; homemade mushroom ravioli; and a hearty platter of short rib nachos.

Dessert? Warm butter cake with ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream; and an icebox cake straight from the ’50s—chocolate custard, graham crackers and whipped cream.

There’s an on-site baker; all meals are made from scratch at the restaurant, Francis assures.

Sounds like a lot of dining options—but that’s only the tip of the iceberg of the offerings at Ocean Blue.

A graduate of both the MVCC restaurant management program and with a culinary arts degree from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Francis is not content to just be a sit-back owner.

“We are the pulse of this restaurant,” he says. “We have a staff of 50, but when I finish greeting guests, I put on an apron, shuck oysters, chop vegetables, and sauté.” Kati is always busy and visible to-and-fro in the dining rooms.

You can tell that along with the lobster, Ocean Blue is also on a roll.

“We’re trying to bring Utica back,” Francis says. “Our renovated buildings and the restaurant are a start.”

So, until a new place comes along to crowd the top spot for the Mohawk Valley’s best restaurant, rest assured that Ocean Blue will remain one of the headliners. •

Fish and chips

Pan-seared grouper

Server Jeremy McDonald offers brown butter scallops with homemade gnocchi

Hickory Smoked Pork Chop

Ocean Blue Restaurant and Oyster Bar

Landmarc Building, 118 Columbia St, Utica, NY (315) 735-2583 • www.oceanbluerestaurant.com Lunch: Mon-Fri: 11:30am-4pm Supper: Sun-Thurs: 4-10pm, Fri & Sat: 4-11pm

Shrimp scampi

Warm butter cake dessert

Party Catering Nothing is too big or small for us!

Caruso’s Pastry Shoppe 707 Bleecker Street, Utica, New York 315-735-9712 Mon 7-5, Wed-Fri 7-5, Sat 7-3, Sun 7-Noon

34

Watch Mohawk Valley Living Sundays on FOX33 7:30am & 11pm WUTR TV20 11:30am

Celebrating Our 14th Year on TV!

MV NATURE

Skiing in January

Wild Turkey

Discoveries Both Good and Bad story and photos by Matt Perry The ability to cover long distances in winter is essential for monitoring the natural world. Certainly, naturalists working in this part of the country must be adept at getting around regardless of the conditions on the ground. We go out in sleet and snow and freezing rain just like the letter carriers do. Over the years I’ve tried several methods of traversing deep snow; none of which are appropriate in all circumstances. These days I’d have to say that trudging through snow with high boots on may be my least favorite mode of travel. Although I’ve had some disastrous experiences with them, snowshoes are the most practical conveyance and may be the best all-around method of tackling deep snow. Undeniably, it’s far easier to break trail with snowshoes than with cross-country skis.

Nonetheless, my preferred way of traveling over snow is via cross-country skis. They are lightweight, quick to maneuver with, and (usually) easy to put on and take off. Since the strength of your arms are employed in conjunction with your leg power, propelling yourself along on skis is that much easier.

When we cross-country ski, we come close to moving with the efficiency of a quadruped.

My first experience with skiing “cross-country style”, took place more than 40 years ago when I was 12 years old. My friend Ravi and I enjoyed exploring the fields and streams behind our neighborhood during the winter and at one juncture, we decided that skiing was the way to go. His parents, which were never the type to shower him with extraneous paraphernalia, nevertheless outfitted him with state-of-theart cross-country skis. As for me, my parents did provide me with all the superfluous junk a kid could want, but they fell short when it came to winter sporting goods. Honestly, I doubt they even had a clue about cross-country skis. I’m not even sure I knew they existed; that was until I laid my eyes on Ravi’s set. Never a stickler for doing things the right way, I grabbed my sister’s downhill skis (the ones that had been collecting dust in our basement), crammed my feet into her old ski boots, strapped them into the bindings, and was ready for adventure. I quickly learned the drawback of using downhill skis with their fixed heel bindings. It made sliding with al-

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2318 Genesee St. • Utica

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ternating steps about 100 times harder than it would have been if my heels were free. While Ravi was gleefully skating on the snow with his unbound heels, I shuffled along behind him trying hard to contain my misery with every awkward step. Of course, I had every incentive not to appear weak or defeated in front of my perceived protégé. No matter how tiring or difficult it was, I was determined to keep going and to look like I was thriving.

Our first journey into that January snowscape of so long ago was memorable to me, partly because of my impossible footwear, but also because of the nature we encountered.

Back then, wild turkeys were just beginning to return to our region and finding their tracks in the snow was akin to finding footprints of an Allosaurus – well almost. The discovery of their unfamiliar tracks prompted a debate between us. Were the footprints from a Great Blue Heron? If so, why would one be walking

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around in a snowy field so far from water? Ravi thought it must be a Ring-necked Pheasant, albeit one that suffered from a glandular condition that made it twice its normal size. Both theories seemed far-fetched, but the idea of it being a turkey didn’t occur to either of us. We simply never had encountered one before. As we continued, we found footprints of other animals, some we could identify and some we couldn’t. The tracks of Eastern Cottontail Rabbits were well known to us since we had rabbits as common yard visitors. As we skied through a pass in a hedgerow and entered a large field, we heard the cawing of at least a dozen American Crows. Even back then, I understood that following crow alarm calls could lead to interesting discoveries. Perhaps they were mobbing an owl. Maybe it would be a Snowy Owl! We pressed on into the field – Ravi still effortlessly gliding forward and me plodding along behind, with ankles throbbing. Although we did see a group of crows flying away from the center of the field, we didn’t see the object of their dismay; at least not right away. As we made our way up the hill and got closer (we had no binoculars), I could see there was something on the fence posts up ahead. There were birds perched on top of several of them. Could they be American kestrels?

They often like to perch on fence posts. I soon realized that something wasn’t right. We then made the gruesome discovery that the birds were dead pigeons which had been tied to the posts and shot with rifles, presumably for target practice. The snow around them was well trodden by people. There were dog footprints as well. About a dozen other dead pigeons were

Deer trail through the snow

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scattered around an acre of land and splotches of blood stained the snow red. Suddenly our January journey of discovery had turned into something disturbing. Why had people done this? After shooting them, why would someone shoot them again? We really didn’t understand, but that day we both learned a lesson about the dark side of some folk’s interactions with the natural world. Gleaning enjoyment or “sport” from the unnecessary suffering of animals – even non-native rock pigeons, is something no civilized society should condone.

As we exited that killing field, I finally discovered the advantage of downhill skis. I left Ravi in the dust as I sped down the hill and back through the hole in the hedge. Years later, I neglected my snowshoes in favor of legitimate cross-country skis. My skis have enabled me to reach some incredible places where I’ve been able to observe fascinating wildlife behavior. Occasionally, I still come upon examples of people’s cruel interactions with animals, most often perpetrated by gunners and trappers. Along with the scourge of habitat destruction, it was sad examples like these that provided impetus for me to become a naturalist in the first place. I have every hope that as time progresses, people will look more favorably on protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat. Certainly, developing a more enlightened attitude towards our fellow non-human residents of the earth would be a good place to start. •

White-tailed Deer

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mv crossword

january Crossword (All answers found in the pages of this magazine!

Solution will appear in next month’s issue)

Across 3. Suzie Jones attended this college last month.

5. CD review this month of The Man in the ___ Suspenders.

7. Mohawk Valley Girl visited ____ Vintage Designs in Little Falls.

10. This general visited Utica in 1825, see Oneida Co. History page 6.

11. Drums Along the Mohawk celebrated 40 years of drum & ____ corps competitions.

12. This month’s featured vegetable is a hardy root veggie that enjoys cool climates.

See MV Gardens.

Down 1. This month’s featured restaurant.

2. Cold feet? Visit this Little Falls advertiser, ____ Gardens, page 11.

4. Have the January blues? Visit The Village ___ for retail therapy, page 15.

6. Lincoln Davies knows the nuts and ____ of kitchen design.

7. The matriarch of the beaver colony at The Nature Sanctuary, page 58.

8. Happy New ____!

9. Teenage hangout in the 70s and 80s, page 43.

January Crossword Puzzle

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Answer to last month’s crossword on page 78

What’s on tap

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Copper City Brewing Company

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local vintage maps

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classical mv

Juliane Wentzkat Price Hometown/current town: Dessau, Germany/Sylvan Beach, NY Instrument: Vocalist, mezzo soprano/violinist Age when began music: Juliane started piano basics with her mother at age 3 and violin lessons at the Music School Dessau at age 6.

Education: Masters of Music in Opera from Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen, Germany Current employment/position: engaged professionally in concert, oratorio and opera as a singer; engaged with the group “Avec Sentiments” playing violin; singing French jazz of the 1940s at upscale functions; director and teacher of Clever Canaries Music Together (early childhood Music Education); owner and teacher of A-VI-VO (Acting, Violin, Voice) Collaborations: Soloist (vocal) with Hamilton College and Community Masterworks Chorale and Symphoria; Soloist (role of Susan B. Anthony) with Society for New Music Syracuse (Opera Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage); Soloist (vocal) with Utica Symphony Orchestra, Oneida Area Civic Chorale and Danbury Symphony Orchestra; Soloist (vocal and acting) at Theatres Oberhausen, Duesseldorf and Hannover, Germany; Screen Actress in US and Germany for Disney, 20th-Century Fox, Warner Bros. etc.

Influences: academically influenced by my strict teachers and professors in Germany (Violin and Voice); musically influenced by the classical music of German, Italian, Russian, and French Composers of the past 300 years, but especially by Kurt Weill, with whom I share the same hometown.

Personal quote/artist statement: “A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Upcoming performances: February 20, 2019, 10:30am Solo Concert Juliane and Stephen Price (Tenor) Songs and Arias from 3 Centuries First Presbyterian Church, 108 W Court St., Rome March 24, 2019, 3:30pm Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage, Opera Colgate Chapel, 13 Oak Dr., Hamilton April 13, 2019, 7:30pm Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage, Opera Wellin Hall, Hamilton College 198 College Hill Rd., Clinton

In cooperation with

local cd review

Lou Santacroce

new cd: The Man in the Rainbow Suspenders review By John Keller Lou Santacroce is one of those Renaissance men. He’s traveled all over, made friends with rock stars, been an English teacher, hosted several radio shows, and is a well-versed musician. It’s this last item that is in full view (listen) on his latest recorded effort, The Man in the Rainbow Suspenders.

Recorded and mastered by local studio wizard, Seth Nathan, and produced by former producer/manager of The Replacements, Peter Jesperson, this album is filled with great melodies and lyrics. Lou’s guitar and vocals are in great form and laid in front.

Quick picking and a rhythmic melody open “Actual Ad,” a unique perspective on personal advertisements. It follows the ads of a woman and a man whose lack of self-esteem, and low faith in love, persuade their continuance of unfulfilled destiny. “In the end you won’t split hairs… I’ll run straight home and write another ad.”

The phrasing of “Opening Remark” recalls that of an old-time gospel song. Its subject is far from saintly, an open letter to a soon-to-be divorcee. The tone is harsh, yet light-hearted. The bridge speaks on dividing the assets (dishes, albums, friends, even the spoons) “You can have them all back if you’ll just go too!”

“Mama Gets Drunk” is an older tune in Santacroce’s repertoire. Originally recorded for a 1983 release with The Replacement’s Paul Westerberg on guitar, Lou revisits the song here in a more stripped-down version. A sociological purview of a single parent with problems and its effect on the child.

A bouncy country-type melody carries “Forever Loving You.” It’s a very funny take on good-love-gone-bad.

She leads him on until the marriage, then “…I hate the way you rob me blind and never shed a tear…” Easily a tune that George Jones could wrap his voice around.

“One Last Song About the Chelsea Hotel” is about the legendary hostel that over its long, and varied history, housed 42

poets, musicians, film personnel and other dignitaries including Leonard Cohen, Sid Vicious, Stanley Kubrick, Bob Dylan, and his inspiration, Dylan Thomas. The song speaks of its closing due to unfinished renovations and turning it into condos. “The ghosts of the departed will remember it so well.”

One of the reasons that make Lou’s songs so engaging is that they take commonplace activities and put them in an interesting perspective. “Moving Song” takes the chores of relocating to a fun, humorous and charming end. This is the only song on the album that Lou is accompanied on other instrumentation.

Joining Lou’s guitar is Seth Nathan on guitar, bass, mandolin and organ. It’s a toe-tapping celebration of new destinations.

The final track on this delightful music excursion is “The One Who Holds My Heart.” A song that is an integral part to any of Lou Santacroce’s live sets. A beautiful ode to the love of his life, Jessica. “I’d rather have bad times with you than good with someone else,” is one of my favorite lines of Lou’s. That alone speaks volumes of love.

Although I only touched on seven of the songs, The Man in the Rainbow Suspenders is 11 tracks of amazing songwriting and inspired guitar playing by one of this area’s wonderful and well-regarded musicians. It’s not over the top with virtuosity or bogged down with over instrumentation. It’s simple, poignant, free, and diverse. More importantly, it’s heartfelt.

Besides being a local musician, Lou has a vast musical knowledge having hosted radio shows on jazz in Oregon and New York and even had a program dedicated to opera on NPR. He currently hosts ‘Masters of Jazz’ on Radio Phoenix FM 95.5 Sundays from 1-6PM. To obtain a CD, pick one up at Off-Center Records and other locations, contact Lou on Facebook, or better yet, catch Lou Santacroce live. •

refelctions of my youth

Nights at The Parkway

by Tim Flihan

One can’t claim to have lived through the 70s and 80s in Utica and never have spent any time at “The Parkway.” It was there that many of us spent our days and/or nights skiing, skating, or sledding. It was a place where socializing was the foremost concern of almost every teenager who frequented this multiuse treasure.

I, for one, was there for hours upon hours during the cold winter months.

Sometimes I would ski during the day and skate at night, and in between, walk with my friends to Carrols on Genesee Street during that hour the area closed before opening again for the evening hours. Many times, we would make the walk in our ski boots clunking along in the dirty snow that was pushed to the sides of the road by the city plows.

Once back from our burger and fries dinner, we would warm ourselves by the fire in the ski chalet, which was little more than a snack bar with great views of the ski area on one side and the skating rink on the other. It was the hub for everything that went on there, whether it be parents drinking coffee or hot cocoa, or skiers, skaters, and sledders finding refuge from the wet and cold.

Skiing was only possible because someone had the vision to build lifts in the middle of the city to help alleviate the stress of winter and embrace the long winter season. Ironically, they named the ski area not for a skier, but a local speed skating legend, Valentine Bialis, who had competed in three Winter Olympics: 1924, 1928 and 1932. Regardless how it got its name, the Val Bialis

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was rarely called that…it was simply “The Parkway.”

To this day, my memory is jarred when I hear songs from that era that were blasted over the “sound system,” (nothing more than PA speakers nailed to light poles).

Even now when I hear the song “Dancing in the Moonlight,” I can’t help but think of those wonderful times “bombing” the hill with my friends, only to get back in line for another trip up the slope again and again.

One person who never skied, but was an integral part of the experience, was Ed Piekielniak or “Gooch.” He was always smiling and seemed to be thrilled to be there. Always with a shovel or T-bar, Gooch, with his long hair and beard, was a staple of the ski area. When he did not come back one season, the whole experience suffered from his absence.

When we weren’t skiing, we were skating. Since skiing wasn’t for everyone, the skating rink allowed more people to enjoy the facility. The rink was called the McBride Skating Rink. Why it was not named for Val Bialis is beyond me, but even more sadly is the fact that it has been lost to history due

to bad planning and shortsightedness. Having an outdoor skating rink attached to our winter sports complex was a perfect compliment to the ski area. It brought together our community during the winter months like no other. Figure skaters elegantly skated alongside speedskaters. Young skaters would play tag, much to the chagrin of the older skaters or staff which insisted that everyone skate in the same direction, which we did…for the most part. The boards surrounding the rink came from the Utica Auditorium when it was upgraded. We didn’t care where they came from, they provided a wall to grab onto when we were learning to skate or a place to hang with our friends while we decided what we were going to do next. It was fun, but now unfortunately gone, replaced by a basketball court and a senior center, neither of which, in my opinion, have done anything to enhance the winter complex concept that offered the chalet as a meeting point.

Even the Winter Carnival has been lost with its ski races, both slalom on the big hill and cross country which traversed the golf

Figure skaters elegantly skated alongside speedskaters

course and park. Speed skating races and snow sculptures on the tennis courts offered something for everyone. They even had a dance on Friday night to open the event and torchlight skiing to close the event.

The hours that I spent there would generally end with my dad waiting to pick me up, but only after I had one or two more runs.

I can still see him waiting in the parking lot urging me to call it a day, but I always either begged for one more trip up the T-bar or conveniently ignored his beckoning for one last thrill of winter bliss.

How we lost this piece of who-we-are and could-have-been is beyond me, but I will never forget the fun we had and the variety of winter options offered that did not include video games, TV, or a couch. •

Look for a new book by Tim Flihan coming soon!

Tim Flihan is a life-long Utican who currently resides in Frankfort, NY with his wife, Leslie, and dog Cooper. Tim graduated from Proctor High School in Utica, NY and with a BS from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY with a degree in Behavioral Science.

Email: Timflihan@outlook.com Facebook stories page: Reflections from Utica – Short Stories by Tim Flihan

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On the farm with Suzie Suzie Jones and her classmates at the ice cream-making course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

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I don’t know about you, but I rarely follow through on my New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s a promise to lose weight or to call my parents on a more regular basis, I always start out strong and with the best of intentions. But by late January or early February, I’m making excuses for not following through…and I’m always a little disappointed in myself!

Last year was the exception, as I resolved to further my education…to work on improving my knowledge and help our business at the same time.

I had had my eye on several ice cream-making courses offered either at Penn State or the University of Wisconsin-Madison for years. When the course at Madison opened up last winter, I didn’t hesitate to sign up. You see, these courses usually fill up the day they are posted. They’ve become famous for having students like Ben & Jerry and Jenni. (If you have to ask who these people are, you’re not eating enough ice cream!) The class itself was the last week of November into December. I got one of 10 coveted spots in the course.

The class itself was fantastic. It was taught by the head of the food science dairy division, in the famous Babcock Hall on the Madison campus.

Babcock Hall is where dairy students and staff bottle milk, make cheese, and freeze ice cream for on-campus use and donate to schools and fire stations for miles around. The Babcock Hall Dairy Store is a must-see destination for visitors to the area. Anyone who knows anything about dairy has heard of the famous Babcock Hall!

In between lectures on ice crystal formation, denatured proteins and homogenization, we spent time on the production floor, test kitchen, and laboratory.

We’ve been making gelato at Jones Family Farm for just over five years now, so it was very helpful to me to understand many of the processes covered, such as pasteurization and terms like “hydrophilic.” I was particularly excited to spend time in the testing lab and got lots of questions answered—for every test we performed on expensive, university-owned equipment, I asked how I could perform the same test at my farm, using little more than a microwave.

The lab teacher seemed to appreciate the challenge.

It was also very instructive to be in an environment both familiar and enlightening. Unlike my classmates, who had no experience making an ice

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©2017 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. New Holland Construction and CNH Industrial Genuine Parts is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. Any trademarks referred to herein, in association with goods and/or services of companies other than CNH Industrial America LLC, are the property of those respective companies. MRC

View of production floor from above at University of Wisconsin-Madison

cream base from scratch (mixing and pasteurizing raw milk + sugar + stabilizers + emulsifiers), or had never been in an inspected food production facility and therefore had a hard time with “standard operating procedures,” this was all very familiar territory for me.

What was enlightening was what ice cream production looks like on a much larger scale.

At our farm, we use what is called a “vat-pasteurizer” to make and pasteurize our gelato mix. After picking up raw milk direct from our neighbors’ farms, we make as much as 50 gallons at a time. The mix has to heat up from approximately 40° to 155° and hold for 30 minutes to properly destroy any pathogens. Including cooling time, this process can take the better part of a day. On the Madison campus, we used what is called an HTST (high temp/short time) pasteurizer. This beauty is continuous flow, processing hundreds of gallons at 175° for 30 seconds. The head of the department, having decades of experience at this larger scale, was full of questions about our on-farm processing, and seemed at least a little amused at our farm’s small set up.

When it was time to freeze the mix, we

Using the continuous freezer

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Taste testing learned how to use a continuous freezer, also larger in scale than anything I had ever seen. At our farm, we use what is called a “batch freezer,” which freezes at most 3 gallons of mix at a time. The continuous freezer could pump through hundreds of gallons in an hour and had fancy bells and whistles that added variegates and inclusions at exactly the desired rates. Ice cream geek alert!

No ice cream course would be complete without lots of taste-testing, and this was no exception. What amazed me, however, was that I actually have a limit to how much ice cream I can eat! This was news to me, and is perhaps a newly discovered and disappointing character flaw. The point wasn’t to binge out on ice cream (although I have no problem with that!)—the point was to taste lots of different types of ice cream and to see if we could identify the different ingredients used. High fat certainly lends itself to a richer mouth feel, but can dull brighter flavors. A “graham cracker” taste is a signal of cooked cream and is not necessarily a bad thing. Corn syrup is instantly identifiable, as are non-nutritive sweeteners, while added powders like whey protein and maltodextrin leave an unmistakable coating on the tongue. Stretchy or gummy products had higher levels of stabilizers, which ran the gamut from carrageenan to guar to xanthan gum. And although our farm’s gelato makes minimal use of these ingredients (if at all), it was highly instructive to see how others use them.

After the class, I was able to spend the weekend with my parents and sisters, who all live an hour north of Madison. I brought them gallons of ice cream made during the class (it would all melt if I tried to bring it home!) and got to enjoy the feeling of actually following through on a New Year’s resolution. I have to admit, it felt (and tasted) really good! •

Suzie Jones and her husband, Peter, own Jones Family Farm in Herkimer. Together, with their children, they produce specialty goat cheeses and gelato. Find them at local farmers’ markets and online: www.anotherjonesfamilyfarm.com

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mohawk valley Gardens

Parsnips

The Overlooked Root Veggie

By Denise A. Szarek

Let’s meet the parsnip!

This hardy root veggie enjoys cool climates – it requires a frost to convert its starches to sugars and develop a sweet, nutty flavor. Although it bears a striking resemblance to a carrot, a parsnip has, pale, cream-colored skin. Its tough, woody texture softens with cooking. They are generally available fall through spring.

Parsnips are a good source of potassium and a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, folate and manganese. They store well in the ground, in a root cellar and in a veggie bin.

Parsnips are not often used by modern cooks, sad but true. You rarely see them on restaurant menus. When you are perusing the aisles of the grocery store or the booths at the Farmers Markets, it’s not like this beige root veggie is outstanding among the green cabbages and red tomatoes and orange squash!

It’s no wonder I didn’t meet my first parsnip until I was a teenager! I don’t ever think my mother ever cooked parsnips. My first experience in eating parsnips was at my Grandma Tucker’s house one evening while we were visiting. My grandfather had brought

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some home to have with the pheasants he had hunted that morning.

While I passed on the birds, I did try the parsnips. My Grandma fried them in a little butter, salt and pepper! They were delicious – I wanted more! But sadly, I could never convince my mom to cook them.

My next encounter with parsnips came when I married Bernie.

Our wedding dinner, held at the Bump Tavern at the Farmers Museum in Cooperstown, NY, was a replication of an 1825 dinner that would have been served at the tavern during that time period. To my wonderful surprise, they mixed potatoes, carrots and parsnips together into a wonderful mash of root veggies.

Since that evening, I now make parsnips a part of our winter veggie repertoire! They are a great addition to winter chicken soup, adding a lovely nutty flavor that compliments the chicken. I often just fry them with salt & pepper the way my grandma made them – but you will have to check out this month’s recipe for my very favorite way to prepare parsnips! •

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MVL RECIPES

Roasted Parsnips Three Goat Farm-CSA

1 lb. parsnips peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise 4 T sherry 4 T local honey Salt & freshly ground black pepper Preheat to oven to 400 degrees.

Place the parsnips, sherry and honey onto a baking tray and mix to coat the parsnips. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until the parsnips are tender and golden brown.

Elegant enough for Sunday dinner, easy enough for a wonderful veggie snack! Enjoy! Happy New Year, everyone!

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Look for his Yellow Hat cartoons in MVL Magazine every month.

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Mohawk valley astronomical society

SPACE EXPLORERS AND THE DISAPPEARING MOON by carol higgins

We begin the New Year filled with hope and good wishes as we celebrate and enjoy traditions ranging from a quiet night at home to elaborate parties complete with fireworks. From an astronomy and space exploration standpoint, 2019 will be a very exciting year – including a “disappearing act” by our Moon this month.

Starting at just 33 minutes after we ring in the New Year on January 1, some high drama will unfold about 4 billion miles from Earth. That is when the New Horizons spacecraft performs a close flyby (only 2,200 miles away) of a Kuiper Belt object named Ultima Thule. It is the furthest object ever explored, and scientists hope the quality of the photos and data the spacecraft captures will lead to revolutionary discoveries similar to those made when New Horizons visited Pluto in 2015. The mission team expects the first image to arrive about nine hours after the flyby. It will take almost 20 months for all of the data collected to be returned. Will New Horizons survive the close encounter?

We can also look forward to another first, this one from NASA’s InSight lander that touched down on Mars on November 26. Most prior missions have studied Mars using rovers or orbiters, but InSight will stay in place at its landing site near the equator.

In a few weeks it will place an extremely sensitive seismometer on the surface that can detect “marsquakes” and meteor im-

pacts. About a month later it will begin using a unique instrument; a device that will slowly hammer through the surface to a depth of 16 feet and deploy heat sensors to examine the interior of the planet. What will we learn about the structure and makeup of pletely covers the Moon. The Moon orbits Mars? the Earth on a slightly and Another milestone will be the launch Hanny’s Voorwerp.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA,tilted, W. Keel,oval Galaxypath Zoo Team starting at 10:33 PM it begins to move into of US astronauts from US soil. When the Earth’s shadow. The Moon slowly darkens, Space Shuttles were retired in July 2011, our and by 11:41 PM is completely inside the country became dependent on Russia to fershadow and turns a copper or dark red colry crew members to the International Space or thanks to a filtering effect by our atmoStation. NASA opened competition to comsphere. This is called totality, which ends at panies to design and build a “human-rated” 12:43 AM when the Moon starts to leave spacecraft, and Boeing and SpaceX stepped the shadow and the color begins to fade. up to the challenge. SpaceX is currently The eclipse is over about an hour later. scheduled for an unmanned test launch on The next total lunar eclipse will be May January 17 from Cape Canaveral. Their 15, 2022. They are fun to watch, and the difDragon spacecraft will dock with the ISS ferences in brightness and color can be quite and return to Earth a few weeks later. If dramatic. So get your camera ready and ensuccessful, their first crewed mission will be joy the big show by our disappearing Moon. late this summer.

Wishing you clear skies! • There are many other robotic missions underway including the JUNO spacecraft orbiting Jupiter, and the Parker Solar Probe flying through the Sun’s atmosphere. The Join MVAS from 7:30-10:00pm Chinese Chang’e-4 spacecraft is about to on Saturday, January 12, land on the “far side” of the Moon in early January and deploy a rover. Speaking of the for an evening of stargazing at Moon, get ready for a total lunar eclipse on Barton-Brown Observatory, January 20th!

206 White St., Waterville A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and the Moon are aligned in a The event is free. straight line and the Earth’s shadow com-

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© Gabe Oram, 2018

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Debora Everett January 4-29, 2019 Reception: Tues., January 5:30-7:30pm

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A Natural Homes: Nests, Burrows Caves and Trees Through March 10, 2019 his juried exhibition features over 30 artists from all over the country working in a variety of media.

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December of 2017 had been very cold, and a deep freeze remained in place as the new year began. During the previous summer, the beavers made the decision to spend the winter at Morton’s Pond and that’s where they made their food cache. At the start of 2018, the colony consisted of Julia, the matriarch; her mate GenLo; Julia’s six-year-old daughter, Tippy; one three-year-old named Sweet Flag, two 2-year-olds called Calla and Angelica; and two yearlings named Zizia and Marsh Mallow. The beaver’s original two ponds (Morton’s Pond & Sarah’s Pond) were the only major ponds to survive the historic flood of July 2017. The dams at the downstream ponds had been breached by the flood waters and were never repaired.

When January began, the beaver ponds were frozen. I continued to break holes in the ice to give the beavers food and to keep tabs on them.

During periods of ice-over, beavers are unable to do regular maintenance on their dams and that results in a slow drop in water levels. As the water levels drop, the ice around the edges of the iceholes become progressively thicker and harder to break through. As the holes shrank in size, the beavers became more timid about coming out through them. This is understandable, given the beavers’ vulnerability to predation on land. If they can’t get back into their pond, they lose access to their lodge and underwater food cache. When

Julia (2007 – 2018)

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pond one morning and I wondered if he was trying to fish in one of the beavers’ ice holes. Since they had refrozen during the night, I though it more likely the heron was looking to hunt for voles that live inside the dam. The next day an adult Bald Eagle flew low over the pond but wasn’t tempted by the desoTippy takes a sweet potato late appearance of the beaver pond system.

Several flocks of Canthe holes in the ice were at their smallest, ada Geese were heading south at this time. only Julia and Tippy were willing to come Some geese always attempt to overwinter completely out. The others would only poke locally. Once the region’s bodies of water their heads out briefly, grab a treat, and roll freeze and the agricultural fields where the back underwater. For the beavers, a benefit geese feed become covered with snow, they of lower water levels was the formation of vacate the region in favor of milder climes. a gap between the pond’s ice cover and the Another eagle flew over the pond at this surface water. This air space allows beavers time. It was a full adult Golden Eagle. She to come up for air virtually anywhere across flew over very low as if she was hoping to flush a rabbit from the brushy cover near the the pond and not just inside the lodge.

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– North America’s largest eagle, apparently making a run near the very spot where I was concealed. Although Golden Eagles rarely breed in New York State, the species is becoming a reliable winter resident. Golden Eagles hunt in woods and fields and sometimes scavenge on roadkill deer.

The thick ice and cold temps persisted into the second week of January. The ice holes at Morton’s Pond shrank even more and developed rims so thick that I resorted to widening them with an iron bar. And then, on January 11th a dramatic warm-up took

An adult Bald Eagle flies over the Beaver Pond

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place. The temperature reached 60 degrees and heavy rain fell. The creeks surged and over-flowed their banks. The ponds partially melted. Unphased by the dramatic swing in the weather, both Tippy and Julia came out in the afternoon and took sweet potatoes and poplar branches. This spring-like respite was brief, however, and the next day marked a return to winter. Heavy snow fell and the ice on the main pond was transformed into thick slush. I found it difficult to dig a hole in the slush without falling in, but somehow, I managed it. Happy to find open water, a dozen Mallards appeared out of nowhere and settled on the pond at the source of its inflow.

The third week of January ended with another warm up and the beavers used that opportunity to break ice. Julia and her matriarchal understudy, Tippy, began coming out early in the afternoons. Sometimes they would appear as early as 1 PM. They would wait for me outside of the ice hole, eager to get their treats. For whatever reason, after mid-afternoon, the beavers wouldn’t come out again until evening. My trail camera caught images of beavers leaving the pond at night, but there was no sign of them resuming logging operations. One day, upon my arrival, all three adults were standing outside of the pond. Tippy was gnawing the bark off

a poplar log while Julia and GenLo waited retreats underwater, each time coming right their turns. GenLo seemed a little on the or- back to the blind. He slapped his tail down nery side and sure enough, a little while later hard and made a terrific splash. Twice he he was seen mating with Julia. He turned came up onto the shore, turned about and sideways in the water and pressed against wiggled his rump. That’s the motion beavers her flank as she nonchalantly fed on a sweet make when depositing castoreum from the potato. The next day, GenLo was obsessed glands concealed beneath their tail. They do with mating. He mated with both Julia and this to mark territory and sometimes to sigTippy. nal alarm. Our beavers do this only rarely. In In the final week of January, the ponds flagrant disregard of the alarm call, one of froze up again. The thick surface ice was the yearlings (Zizia) nonchalantly swam out sheer and solidified within it were constella- to get a treat but by then, GenLo had retired tions of air bubbles.

These were created by the exhalations of beavers and muskrats. Obviously, there was lots of life beneath that frozen water.

GenLo was still obsessed with mating.

After mating with Julia three times in a row, he returned to where I was and was suddenly hyper-sensitive to my GenLo looks to mate with Julia presence. He made a couple of splashy

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to the lodge. In the last days of the month, the ponds went from half-open to completely frozen again.

At the start of February, a few beavers were being seen in the early to mid-morning time frame which is unusual but not unprecedented. That lasted for only a few days. Julia was the only beaver consistently coming out in the afternoons. One day I noticed that Julia had an odd patch on her side. I couldn’t tell if it was something stuck to her fur or if it was a wound. It didn’t seem to be oozing, nor was it washing off when she dove underwater. She didn’t appear to be acting differently than usual. She took a few potatoes from me on that day. The partially open ponds froze up again and remained that way for about a week. Julia didn’t come out on February 10th, which was atypical. Breaking holes in the ice had again become a regular chore for me, but then in the second week of February we experienced another thaw. The ice holes opened wide and slush was everywhere. We then went four days without seeing Julia, which was worrisome. In the hope of glimpsing her, I made a night-time visit, but she didn’t come out. On the afternoon of February 14th, Julia finally swam out of

the lodge. She channel that led part way to the lodge. Tippy moved sluggishly came out and again was a little skittish. For but with determi- whatever reason she didn’t want to come too nation. When she close to the blind. GenLo was out too but got to the shore, was acting normally. Of course, normal for she walked up him is about equal to Tippy’s skittish mood. to me and took a Only one Muskrat came out that afternoon sweet potato from and so the beavers had their choice of snacks my hand. With for at least a few hours. On February 21, the the prize in her temperature rose to near 70 degrees and all mouth, she turned the pond ice melted. By the afternoon of that around and swam same day, the temps dropped back into the right back to the 30s and snow was falling. Still, a whiff of lodge and dove spring lingered. Canada Geese were returninto the entrance. ing in droves, and Mallards were landing on Once again, she the ponds. Mild conditions prevailed as we had an odd plug headed to the end of the month. Marsh Malof matter fixed low, the yearling with conjunctivitis, was to her right flank. seen on February 25. The eye that had been Was it from a wound? I still couldn’t tell. By most affected appeared to be closed. Julia all appearances, GenLo didn’t seem to be in was out a few times that afternoon. She was mating-mode any longer. He and Tippy were looking good and the odd matter was gone coming out together in the early afternoon from her side. but his only interests seemed to be food and That month, we took down the dilapidated beaver blind at Morton’s Pond. It had checking the condition of the dam.

After mid-February, the ice on the pond been tilting precariously over the water and it was waxing and waning on an almost dai- was time to rebuild it on higher ground. The ly basis. Julia resumed coming out regularly in the afternoon and I thought she was looking good when she came to me for a snack. The pond had developed a thin covering of ice that was as clear as glass. As Julia slipped beneath it, I could clearly see her entire underwater journey back to the lodge. She made two more trips to pick up food. All the beavers were reveling in cutting through the ice. Even the yearlings were able to break a fair amount with little effort. They would smash The resident Canada their heads through the ice from Goose returns underneath and then do a dogpaddle-like motion to clear a channel. Julia made her own

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pond had grown quite a bit since the blind’s original construction back in the summer of 2000. The beavers hate it when we change anything and especially if we are noisy about doing it. It seems a curious attitude from animals that do nothing but alter everything!

After we rebuilt the blind, the beavers (except for Julia) didn’t come near it for a few days. Despite persistent rains, the water level at the two main ponds had gone down over a foot but the water levels of beaver ponds typically drop during the winter due to the beavers’ inability to do maintenance on the

dam. Frozen mud is not pliable and can’t be easily worked.

We began the month of March with a nor’easter that deposited about 20 inches of wet snow. The main pond was again covered in a thick layer of slush. I was able to shovel a hole in it for the beavers and, sure enough, when I was done, Julia emerged to take a snack. There was little open water on any of the ponds, but a female Common Merganser managed to find her own slush-free opening to do some fishing. At our man-made pond, four Hooded Mergansers took advantage of

GenLo tries to mate with Tippy

the open water. With their white head crests erect, the two males were in full display mode as they competed for the attention of the females. Two days later, six were rollicking at that same pond. By this point, Morton’s Pond had about ¾ of an inch ice cover. On the day before, our resident Canada Geese, Roddy and his mate Lydia, returned to the main ponds. I happened to be at Morton’s Pond when they made their grand entrance. Roddy immediately came up to me.

We hadn’t seen each other for many months, but he remembered who had the apple slices and birdseed. I spread some on the ice and he immediately dug in. Lydia hung back for a while but eventually swam up and claimed a share. As we began the second week of March, each day was almost identical and characterized by steady wind and occasional snow squalls. The beaver ponds were more open at this point and waterfowl numbers were on the increase. Each day the Wood Ducks, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, and Canada Geese would fly in against strong headwinds. They would arc over me before doubling back and doing a sliding touch down on the water. An immature Golden Eagle flew over, tacking on the wind and fighting to go northward.

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A Porcupine sits in a tree above a beaver pond

ing up and drifting around the beaver ponds.

There was at least three feet on the ground.

Despite the wintry conditions, the ponds were remaining mostly ice- free, which was good news for beavers and waterfowl alike.

On March 12th, my colleague, Tim, met the beavers in the afternoon. Julia came out at her usual time, took a sweet potato and went back into the lodge. We didn’t know it then, but that would be the last time anyone would see Julia alive. She was 11-years-old and hadn’t been in the best health for the last several years. Besides generally slowing down, she had trouble with a back leg and she had suffered from an upper respiratory ailment.

I noticed in the last couple of years how slowly she would eat her food. It was possible that her incisors had become mis-

aligned. Perhaps these and other maladies led to her demise. I suspect that she died in one of the chambers in the lodge at Morton’s Pond. This was the same lodge where she was born back in 2007.

Did she die as result of a stroke or a heart attack or did she have a slow and lingering death? We will never know. After she failed to come out for a week, I thought it was possible that she may have been sick and stranded in the lodge, but I knew there was nothing we could do for her. Despite our benevolent interference, the Spring Farm beavers are wild animals. Julia had a remarkable life during which she experienced many extraordinary events. The year she was born, her father Morton, the colony’s patriarch and co-founder, died and the colony collapsed. Julia remained on the territory and within four years she rebuilt the colony. She had two different mates over the course of a decade and produced many kits. She experienced two historic floods and several catastrophic dam collapses, including some that nearly vanquished her family. Julia took her last breaths as a wild beaver in the company of her own autonomous colony.

During her long life, Julia never left the property and the pond system where she was born. She was an extremely good-natured beaver – friendly, but not ingratiating. She never hesitated to come up on land while I was present. Most beavers,

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even friendly ones, do not like people getting between them and the water. They like to maintain a clear escape route. Julia didn’t worry about such things. She would often be up on the shore right alongside me, gnawing on a log I brought for her.

Of all the Spring Farm beavers, Julia was the most reliable in terms of coming out of the lodge at regular times. Her daily emergences from the pond to take treats from me were the highlight of my day. Julia was a great animal friend and among the most gentle beings I have ever known. Calling her name at the pond was my daily ritual.

Of course, she rarely came when called.

Like all beavers I’ve known, she showed little interest in the name I bestowed on her, but that was OK. Habits are hard to break, and to this day, I occasionally make a mistake and call her name at the pond.

Somehow it still seems appropriate.

Look for part two of the 2018 Spring Farm Beaver Saga in the February issue of this magazine. •

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John Metzler Herkimer Businessman by susan Perkins, Executive Director

John Metzler (1851-1913) was born in Boundorf, Baden, Germany. He came to the United States in 1871 settling in Utica. He married Catherine Sweiler (ca. 1848-1962) who was from Freiberg, Baden, Germany in 1873 in Utica. They moved to Herkimer in 1874. They had daughters Catherine and Bertha; sons Charles and Frederick. The Metzler’s lived at 308 Mohawk Street in Herkimer.

John was a contractor and builder. In 1902, he built the three story Metzler Block at 272 North Main Street in Herkimer to the south of the Van Kirk Apartments, which is located on the corner of North Main and Mary Street. The architect who drew up the plans was Linn Kinne. The ground floor was for stores, 2nd floor for office and the third floor for lodge room. The frontage on Main Street was 69 feet and 80 feet deep. In 1910, Metzler sold the block to Thomas H. McCool of Boston. The block had several owners through the years. Among them were Joseph Slater, Arthur and Margaret (Slater) Jackson. Arthur and Margaret Jackson divorced in 1943. Mabel (Slater) and her sister Hope Slater owned the block.

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Besides the Metzler Block, John built St. Francis De Sales, the Baptist church, municipal building, and Herkimer National Bank in Herkimer and St. John’s Church in Newport. In 1909, he built the Fort Plain Theater. He built a cottage on Fourth Lake for businessman Morris Marks of Herkimer.

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Shawangunk nature preserve, cold brook

TALES FROM

SHAWANGUNK Chapter 52

by Peggy Spencer Behrendt 67

In 1974, Tim and Peggy Spencer Behrendt set off on an adventure. They began a new life in the woods of Cold Brook, NY, without modern conveniences like electricity or indoor plumbing. These are excerpts and reflections from Peggy’s journal chronicling their adventures and also her childhood memories growing up in Westmoreland.

Jan 1, 1959 (I am 10. Stop 7 Rd., Westmoreland, NY) Dear Diary, This morning I was reading from the book I got for Christmas in 1958. It’s called “The Bobbsey Twins in the Country.” We went to Grandma’s house. I took this book with me. I read it until supper time. I didn’t eat very much, then I started reading my book until time to go home. At home I finished it, then watched the Poppie (Popeye) Show. I ate supper, then watched “Wagon Train”. I kissed Mom and Dad good night. Then I wrote here and went to bed. Love, Peggy Spencer Jan 2, 1959 Dear Diary, Today I ate breakfast.

Joyce and Mom and I undecorated the Christmas tree. Then Joyce talked on the phone. I got dressed to go to a movie. The name of it was “Tonka.” It was very good.

After, we got candy and Mother picked us

up. I practiced my piano lesson then went skating, then played checkers with myself.

Joyce and I did the dishes after supper, then watched T.V. Peggy At this time, my teacher wanted to hold me back because my school work was poor. Dad must have had a talk with her, (he had also been one of her students), because I advanced anyway after he took me to the optometrist in Westmoreland. When we drove home with my new glasses, I was shocked and amazed at all the things I could see. It was wonderful!

“There are so many stars in the night sky! How beautiful the houses look!” But I worried about whether my cat would recognize me. After all, no one recognizes Superman when he puts glasses on! “Here kitty, kitty!” I called as soon as I got home. “Ah! She still knows me! All is well.”

Not much later, I hear that “Boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.” So

I have a big dilemma! Do I want to be a spinster all my life? No! But how can I function without them? So, they come on and off a lot; get lost; get broken; parents get mad; I get frustrated. In college, after stumbling around for a few weeks trying to look pretty for guys I can’t clearly see, I resign my-

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Peg skates in the field next door with neighbor kids self to wearing them, hoping they make me look intellectual. Similarly, I gave up long, feminine fingernails in high school for the sake of playing piano.

Much later, even though I am saved from spinsterhood by my sweet husband, Tim, (who thinks I’m beautiful either way,) I hope to permanently ditch them when I hear about the Bates Method of Holistic Vision Correction. The exercises are rather pleasant, because the purpose is to exercise one’s ability to change focus by following moving objects. Hence, I am spending more time than usual watching the birds at our bird feeder. As they fly in, they spread their wings and tail wide, looking like classic angels in flight, or the snow-angels we made in our youth by

Peg keeps warm while holding a kitty and hand-sewing a quilt

69

spreading our legs and arms in wide arcs while lying in soft snow.

When they take off, they zoom through little openings between the snow-laden evergreen boughs like speeding cars on a winding race track. I marvel at their swift discernment of adequate space. When the wind picks up, and the balsam fronds start waving up & down like friendly relatives saying hello, or Tim shaking out a rug, I wonder if the chickadees ever get knocked off –kilter by them? What great fliers they have to be!

Sometimes I think the exercises are working because I can see in the distance more clearly, but when I blink, it goes away and I realize that it is just a result of refraction from temporary moisture in the eye. After a few weeks of frustration, I give up on the project and revert back to convincing myself that wearing glasses makes me look intellectual, whether I am or not. And after resisting bifocals for years by carrying around two different pairs of glasses, then three, I’ve even learned to love my progressive lenses.

During our first winter here in the woods (1974-1975), Tim and I decide to go for a while without any candles or

supplemental light, Peg’s first, and only, in order to deeply exhomemade lace perience the natural length of day and night as our early ancestors did. We end up spending a lot of time in bed hibernating; and when not sleeping, noticing how negative & positive light switches at night. Rather than the luminous white entities that float about by day, clouds become mysterious dark creatures at night, eating the moon and stars as they waft across the sky.

Our eyes adjust so that we can function surprisingly well in semi-darkness with just Lace-making bobbins the golden glow of the

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fireplace as we move about to feed the fire, find the teapot and a cup, or go to the chamber pot. I think about Abe Lincoln and others who only had firelight to read by.

There is additional light from outside now, too. The trees are no longer naked from the loss of summer’s green and autumn’s russet; they are beautifully coiffed in cool, silken dresses, with bouffant puffs and ruffles Tim doesn’t mind the of fluffy white, lining evcrooked jacket Peg ery tiny twig and branch made him in an infinite variety of shapes. This snow-mantled metropolis of trees all around us reflects and even amplifies the ambient light from our snow laden skies.

During the day, as we do our chores outside in this incredibly beautiful world of dark and light, we are delighted to see much sign of life; for everything that moves has left a track behind in the soft snow; from tiny mice to squirrels, and rabbits. I notice the fresh tracks of a ruffed grouse only

seconds before I hear the hurried beating of wings as it flies away leaving an angel print in the snow where it took off.

These are our neighbors and playmates. Before filling the bird feeder, Tim whistles a chickadee call and stands with seed in his outstretched hand. Some brave souls will land on it after a few tentative fly-overs, and others will stay on the nearby twigs, chirping and clucking like feathered sports fans as they advise and admonish the ones who have taken the risk of contact with a human. But, eventually, most get used to us, and, like Tarzan’s jungle animals, fly to us and take seed from our hands wherever we are when we call them with whistles, giving us the pleasure of eye to eye contact and connecting consciousness.

Such long nights with only firelight do get boring, but are a peaceful respite from the adventures of winter travels in our old cars; like the time Tim walked across Barto Hill in a blizzard after our 25-yearold jeep truck stalled in a snow drift on the way home from church in Salisbury Center. He crawled over and through great snow-drifts in howling, snow-laden winds, barely able to see three feet in front

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of him at times. Even the plows couldn’t make it through. Mystic that he is, he saw the beauty of it, as well as the danger, and thought to himself; “This is a beautiful place to die, if I must,” as his toes began to freeze and he lost track of the road. But he walked five miles through the wilderness to the West Canada Creek Valley in Middleville where he hitched a ride partway to Poland. A stop in a bar warmed him up slightly but the reception was unfriendly; “How ya doin’ Moses?” asked one of the fellows at the bar, referring to his ample, frost-permeated beard. Tim didn’t answer.

He wasn’t in a good mood.

In Poland, one of our church parishioners, Spencer Prindle, was able to give Tim a ride within three miles of our home.

When I met him walking the remaining distance, he was dangerously hypothermic and carrying a dead log he’d found, hoping to get warm again by burning it in our fire. I made him put it down for now, and got him into our toasty warm loft to sleep for many hours.

Spencer got good karma for his kind deed late one Sunday after a meeting at our church in Utica. We found him trying to shovel his car out from a deep snow-

drift on the side of Rt 8 on the frigid, windswept plateau between Deerfield and Schermerhorn Hill. It looked hopeless, and dangerous, even if we tried to help, and we convinced him to leave it behind until later, and let us take him home.

Our brief experiment living without any artificial light from candles, flashlights or kerosene lamps, gave us a stronger connection to the natural flow of time, empathy with the life our forbears lived, and the challenges the wild creatures face in the winter woods.

After a few winters, we explore the possibility of brighter, battery powered lamps. 12V light bulbs are extremely expensive at this time, and don’t last very long, so our first electric

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We sit on either side for an hour or two each night; Tim working on a budget; reading, writing a church presentation (sermon,) or one of the fifty or so books and pamphlets he’s published; me drawing illustrations for them, or hand-sewing a quilt, feasting my eyes on the rich colors in fabrics, savoring the added benefit of warmth over my legs, and the tranquil rhythm of needle in, needle out; lines of thread drawn across fields of color like the trails of wildlife throughout the woods & meadows.

I had an opportunity to learn the ancient craft of Bobbin Lace Making from Theresa Gage of Deerfield. It’s deceptively easy; you simply cross two threads; left over right or right over left.

Ah! But when you have fifty, or several hundred of them, watch out! Like knitting or quilting, it has a pleasant rhythm, and one gets to handle decoratively hand-carved bobbins with bright

babbles hanging from them; glowing with the luminous patina of wood that spends much time in human hands. I’m proud of the little lace ribbon I made, but decide it’s more practical for me to spend such time on clothes and quilts.

One year, I made Tim a winter coat out of scrap fabrics. It came out rather crooked, like our scrap wood house, but, kindred spirit that he is; he didn’t care and was happy to wear it. He is also a quilt lover, which may be genetically passed along because when Tim held up our Grandson’s baby quilt so I could photograph it, the two-year-old fell on the floor sobbing because he couldn’t have it for ten seconds. Eighteen years later, he brought it to me, hoping I could repair it. Most of the fabrics were in shreds from love, use and age. It was easier to start over.

Occasionally during a long, winter night, the stillness will be broken by a lone howl from a coy-dog nearby. Yips and barks from other coy-dogs crescen-

do and soon a cacophony echoes eerily throughout the forest for a minute or more of primordial exuberance. We listen without speaking to each other. It touches the prehistoric ancestor within us with a bit of fear and awe. But it also brings to the 21st century ecologically concerned humans we are; gratitude, satisfaction and comfort, knowing that a balance of predator and prey still exists in the Shawangunk Forest, safe from the excesses of human impact and management, and we are instrumental in helping to keep it that way. •

The Shawangunk Nature Preserve is a deep ecology, forever wild, 501©(3), learning and cultural center. Tim and Peggy still live there and can be contacted through their website.

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live & local Here’s to a happy New Year!

Lets get way down in the Blues. Did you know about The Mohawk Valley Blues Society?

I recently asked Board Chairman Mark Sisti about this group and he said, “Not everyone remembers this, but in the ‘90s the Utica area was a real blues hot bed. Almost every week you could find a major blues act playing somewhere around town. We’re trying to bring that back.” He likes the quote from Bruce Katz: “I love playing for the Mohawk Valley Blues Society. This is a blues society that actually does things.”

The focus of The Mohawk Valley Blues Society is an organization is keeping the blues alive. Their mission: “To bring the love of the blues to our area, through live performance and education, and to offer blues artists another outlet in which to carry on the tradition and art of the blues.”

The Mohawk Valley Blues Society was founded in March 2005 by an enthusiastic group of area blues and roots music fans led by founder Rob Bishton. Since then, the society has hosted monthly blues jams, several major blues festivals, school presentations, charity events, and concerts by touring blues artists, including Magic Slim, Carl Weathersby, the Holmes Brothers, C.J. Chenier, Coco Montoya, Duke Robillard and Jerry Portnoy, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, John Hammond, the Nighthawks, and Jimmy Thackery. Local bands who play these events are Blue Prints, King Kool and His Royal Blues, Jimmy Wolfe, Matt Lomeo, Bernie Clarke, and Tom Townsley. Look for more shows in the spring and another summer Blues picnic in the park at Sylvan Beach this year.

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The MVBS does monthly open jams at 7pm at their new venue, The John Devereux Tavern. Jams are on the second Wednesday of each month. These are great jams. They are hosted by a band that plays the first hour, followed by open jamming by the players who come to sit in. It is a very relaxed setting and the jams are attended by a wide range of musicians with all levels of skill.

All players are welcome and encouraged to participate. The public is invited too. You can become a lifetime member for only $30. The Mohawk Valley Blues Society is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Check them out on Facebook or at www. mvblues.org News ‘n Notes: PROG ROCKERS! Stanley Theater announces the return of Prog Rock Night on April 13th!

With Rael Genesis Tribute and a set from the CNY All Stars doing a prog rock show! Look for RAEL, the ultimate tribute to Early Genesis!

RAEL is focused on faithfully reproducing full album versions from the Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett days of Genesis. Performances include tracks from Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and A Trick of the Tail. Concert audiences rave about their high energy shows and musical detail. RAEL also includes solo Peter Gabriel hits in their performances.

Check out more info on live local music and club listings at www.927thedrive.net and the Live and Local calendar! •

Advertiser Directory please support Our sponsors, they make this magazine possible Antiques Antiques & Art Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Attic Addicts, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Black Cat Antiques, Earlville . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Bull Farm Antiques, Vernon . . . . . . 26 Butternut Barn, Richfield Springs . . . . . . . . 26 Cobblestone Trading Company, Bouckville . . 26 Dawn Marie’s Treasures, Clinton . . . . . . . 26 Foothills Mercantile, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . 26 Joyfuls Vintage Designs, Little Falls . . . . 6 Little Falls Antique Center, Little Falls . . 26 Mohawk Antiques Mall, Mohawk . . . . . . . . 28 Newport Marketplace, Newport . . . . . . . . 10 Oneida Commons, Oneida . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Online Exchange, Dolgeville . . . . . . . . . 28 The Potting Shed Antiques, Whitesboro . . . 28 See the Man Antiques & Collectibles, Sherburne . . 28 Showcase Antiques, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . 28 Vernon Variety Shoppes, Vernon . . . . . . . . . 28 Victorian Rose, Bouckville . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Vintage Furnishings & Collectibles, Utica . . . 27 Weeden’s Mini Mall, Blossvale . . . . . . . . . 28 Westmoreland Antiques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Automotive Repair Clinton Collision, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Precision Unlimited, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Art Classes & Supplies Full Moon Reflections Art Center, Camden . . 55

Bowling Adirondack Diner and Lanes, Barneveld . . 19 State Bowl with Cosmic Bowling, Ilion . . . . 53 Vista Lanes, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Art Galleries Adirondack Art & Frame, Barneveld . . . . . 14 Full Moon Reflections Art Center, Camden . . 55 Fusion Art Gallery, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Art and Picture Framing Adirondack Art & Frame, Barneveld . . . . . 14 Fusion Art Gallery, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Auto Dealerships Steet-Ponte Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Off-Center Records All things music - New & quality used Records, CDs, tapes, books, tees, memorabilia, guitars & accessories, drum accessories and more!

We are YOUR Downtown Music Connection!

Hours M-Sat 11-6 116 Bleecker St., Utica, NY 13501 315-738-7651

Awards & Engraving Speedy Awards, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . 43 Bakeries and Pastry Shops Bagel Grove, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Friendly Bake Shop, Frankfort . . . . . . 7 Karam’s Middle East Bakery, Yorkville . . . . 24 Star Bakery, Whitesboro and Utica . . . . . . . 18 Wicked Sweets, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Bat Removal Bat Removal, Serving all of Central NY . . . . 59 Bike Shops Dick’s Wheel Shop, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . 58 Books Berry Hill Book Shop, Deansboro . . . . . . . 14 Treehouse Reading & Arts Ctr., NY Mills . . 14

Breweries and Wineries Bullthistle Brewing Company, Sherburne . . . 39 Crazy Williez, Ilion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Prospect Falls Winery, Prospect . . . . . . . . . 39 Cabinets and Kitchens Custom Woodcraft, Munnsville . . . . . . . . . 33 Knotty By Nature, Bridgewater . . . . . . . . . 37

SZAREK’S Hanging Baskets Hydroponic Heirloom Tomatoes Vegetable Plants Fall Mums 7446 E. South St., Clinton 315.853.5901

Catering Club Monarch, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Gone Coastal, Lee Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Nothin’ Fancy Cafe, Vernon . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 RoSo’s Cafe & Catering, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Willie’s The Original Bagel Cafe, Utica . . . 24 Cheese (see Produce) Children’s Programming Treehouse Reading & Arts Ctr., NY Mills . . 14 Chocolates Meyers Chocolates, New Hartford . . . . . 18 Cleaning Services Nooks and Crannies House Cleaning . . . . . 54 Clothing Infinityy Closet, Boonville . . . . . . . . . . 70 Paca Gardens, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Queen’s Closet, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Village Crossing, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Walk-in Closet, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Coffee Moose River Coffee, Ilion . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Consignment Infinityy Closet, Boonville . . . . . . . . . . 70 The Online Exchange, Dolgeville . . . . . . . 28 The Queen’s Closet, Yorkville . . . . . . . . 25 Renewed & Rescued, Herkimer . . . . . . 53 Second Hand Rose, Oneida . . . . . . . . 49 Selective Seconds, New Hartford . . . . . . . . 7 Walk-in Closet, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Contractors Cobblestone Construction, Utica . . . . . . . 30

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Delis Little Italy Imports, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Meelan’s Meat Market, Clark Mills . . . . . 68 Olde Kountry Market, Vernon . . . . . . . . . 7 Bosonne’s Sausage, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Dentistry Neighborhood Family Dentistry, Utica . . . . 60 Diners Adirondack Diner and Lanes, Barneveld . . 19 Charlie’s Place, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Riverside Diner, Marcy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Sheri’s Diner, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Suzi’s Place, Bouckville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Wendy’s Diner, Cassville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Dog Sitting Barney’s Angels, Frankfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Dumpster Rentals Cobblestone Construction, Utica . . . . . . . 30 Estate Sales Attic Addicts, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Potting Shed Antiques, Whitesboro . . . 28

Furniture John Froass & Son, Inc., Sherrill . . . . . . . 73 Ironwood Furniture, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Jeff ’s Amish Furniture, Jordanville . . . . . . . 61 Utica Brews, Utica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Garden Centers, Greenhouses, and U-pick Szarek Greenhouses, Westmoreland . . . . . 59

Liquor Stores and Wine Ilion Wine & Spirits, Ilion . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Trenton Station Liquor & Wine, Barneveld . . 70

Gift Shops/Shopping Between Us Sisters, Munnsville . . . . . . . . 70 Butternut Barn, Richfield Springs . . . . . . . 26 Fusion Art Gallery, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . 55 The Gathering Place, Poland . . . . . . . . 72 Lady & Leap Toy Shop, New Hartford . . . . 6 Oneida Commons, Oneida . . . . . . . . . . 28 Paca Gardens, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Remington Country Store, Ilion . . . . . . . 33 Golf Courses and Driving Range Twin Ponds Golf & Country Club, NY Mills . . 50

Farm Equipment Clinton Tractor, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Hobby Hill Farm Sales, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 66 White’s Farm Supply, Waterville/Canastota . . 80

Grocery/Convenience Stores The Country Store, Salisbury . . . . . . . . . . 22 Deansboro Superette, Deansboro . . . . . . . 17 Little Italy Imports, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mohawk Village Market, Mohawk . . . . . . . 50 Newport Marketplace, Newport . . . . . . . . 10 Olde Kountry Market, Vernon . . . . . . . . . 7 Reilly’s Dairy, Inc., Sauquoit . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Financial Services Van Meter & Van Meter, Little Falls . . . . . . 44 Firewood and Wood Pellets Lincoln Davies, Sauquoit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Fitness Centers and Gyms Curves, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Flooring Lincoln Davies, Sauquoit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Mike’s Floor Store, Whitesboro . . . . . . . 8 Florists Clinton Florist, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Village Florals, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . 72 Funeral Services Joyfuls Vintage Designs, Little Falls . . . . 6 McGrath, Myslinski, Karboski & Nunn, Utica . . 54

Landscaping Copper City Landscaping, Rome . . . . . . . 45 Lighting Mills Electrical Supply, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 8

Gravel and Gravel Driveways Copper City Landscaping, Rome . . . . . . 45

Feed, Animal Carhart’s Feed & Pet Supply . . . . . . . . . . 39 Kast Hill Farm, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Jewelry Alison’s Jewelry & Repair, Utica . . . . . . . . 59 Fall Hill Beads & Gems, Little Falls . . . . . . 18 Goldmine Jewelers, New Hartford . . . . . . 52

Furniture Makers Custom Woodcraft, Munnsville . . . . . . . . . 33

Events, Entertainment, and Activities Goodsell Museum, Old Forge . . . . . . . . . 66

Farm Markets Cooperstown Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . 7 Parry’s Inddor Market, Hamilton . . . . . . 17

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Prince-Boyd & Hyatt, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Hardware/Lumber/Farm & Home Lincoln Davies, Sauquoit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Morgan’s Hardware, Waterville . . . . . . . . . . 37 Parry’s General Store, Hamilton . . . . . . . 18 Pohlig Enterprises, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Turner Lumber, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Wightman Specialty Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Maple Syrup (see Produce) Masonry Yoder Tile & Masonry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Meats, locally raised (see Produce) Media 92.7 The Drive WXUR, Utica . . . . . . . . . 74 FOX33/WUTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Weekly Adirondack, Old Forge . . . . . . . . . . 6 WKAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Monuments & Memorials Yorkville Memorials, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . 54 Musical Instrument Sales, Rentals, Lessons Big Apple Music, New Hartford . . . . . . . 18 Natural Food Stores Brenda’s Natural Foods, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 22 Cooperstown Naturals, Cooperstown . . . . . 58 Peter’s Cornucopia, New Hartford . . . . . . . 69 Sunflower Naturals, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . 53 Tom’s Natural Foods, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Optometrists Towpath Vision Care, Little Falls . . . . . . . 35

Health and Wellness Infinity Tree, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . 68

Paint and Painting Supplies Lincoln Davies, Sauquoit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Parry’s General Store, Hamilton . . . . . . . 18 Pohlig Enterprises, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . 35 Urbanik’s Paint & Wallpaper Co., Utica . . . . . 54

Horse Boarding Kast Hill Farm, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Pet Supplies Paws Boutique, Oneida Castle . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Insurance Gates-Cole Insurance, New Hartford . . . . . 55 Farm Family Insurance, Boonville . . . . . . . 47 Turnbull Insurance, New Hartford . . . . . . . 70

Physical Therapy Inertia PT, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Interior Design/Custom Window Treatments The Added Touch Drapery, New Hartford . . . 58

Pizzerias DiCastro’s Brick Oven, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 22 Primo Pizzeria, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Tony’s Pizza, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Portable Toilets and Bathrooms Mohawk Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 & 71 Primitives Between Us Sisters, Munnsville . . . . . . . . 70 Butternut Barn, Richfield Springs . . . . . . . 26 Produce, Local Ben & Judy’s Sugarhouse, West Edmeston .

Grassy Cow Dairy, Remsen . . . . . . . .

Jewett’s Cheese, Earlville . . . . . . . . . .

Jones Family Farm, Herkimer . . . . . .

Shaw’s Maple Products, Clinton . . . . .

Stoltzfus Family Dairy, Vernon Center .

Sunnybrook Farm, Deansboro . . . . . .

Three Village Cheese, Newport . . . . . .

Tibbits Maple, New Hartford . . . . . . .

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56 64 62 32 62 2 11 53 70

Quilt and Yarn Shops/Services Love & Stitches, Whitesboro . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tiger Lily Quilt Co, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Real Estate Hunt Real Estate, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . 57 John Brown Team, Coldwell Banker . . . . . . 48 Record Stores Off Center Records, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Restaurants and Cafés Ann St. Deli, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Bagel Grove, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Black Cat Cafe, Sharon Springs . . . . . . . . 22 Clinton Ale House, Clinton . . . . . . . . . 19 Club Monarch, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Country Store, Salisbury . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Delta Lake Inn, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 DiCastro’s Brick Oven, Rome . . . . . . . . . 22 Gone Coastal, Lee Center . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Jamo’s Restaurant, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . 19 Karam’s Middle East Bakery, Yorkville . . . . 24 Killabrew, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Minar Fine Indian Cuisine, New Hartford . . 21 Nola’s Restaurant, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Nothin’ Fancy Cafe, Vernon . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Ohio Tavern, Cold Brook . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Phoenician Restaurant, New Hartford . . . . 21 The Pickle Boat Grill, Old Forge . . . . . . . . 22 Raspberries Cafe, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 RoSo’s Cafe & Catering, Utica . . . . . . . . . . 24 Route 69 Steakhouse, Whitesboro . . . . . . . . 24 Sammy & Annie Foods, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Simmer Jamaican Restaurant, Utica . . . . 24 The Tailor and The Cook, Utica . . . . . . . . 23 Wendy’s Diner, Cassville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Willie’s The Original Bagel Cafe, Utica . . . 24 The Willows, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Sewing and Mending The Gathering Place, Poland . . . . . . . . 72

sponsor news Clinton Symphony Orchestra Performs January 20th The Clinton Symphony Orchestra of the Mohawk Valley is very pleased to announce their concert to be performed in the Clinton Performing Arts Center on Sunday, January 20th at 2:30 p.m.

Featured guest artists from the renowned Juilliard Opera department will include soprano Kathleen O’Mara and baritone Gregory Feldman on a program that will highlight music composed by Ben Moore and Ben Phelps, both natives of Clinton.

Music Director Charles Schneider has programmed a wide variety of styles and genres that covers three centuries of operatic favorites. Although much of the repertoire is Italian (Rossini, Puccini, Mascagni and Leoncavallo), we will also highlight the music of French composers Bizet and Charpentier. Music from Germany (“Hansel and Gretel”) and Vienna will round out the program. The concert will end with the famed “Lippen Schweigen” waltz from Franz Lehar’s “The Merry Widow”’ The Charles Winter family Fund, headed up Ms. Katharine Winter and administrated by Richard G. Parker, has most generously provided funds for student tickets (college students require ID).

For further ticket information, please check our website, or call (315) 404-2016. •

Club Monarch Celebrates 40 Years!

We owe our longevity and success to our strong bond as a family and our dedication to making the restaurant the best that we can. But, first and foremost, we owe everything to our patrons! We have made so many friends that have become part of our family. Joey, Nicole, Rich Jr., and I would like to express our sincere gratitude to our customers for allowing us to serve you. God Bless!

-Club Monarch Owners & Staff 77

Shoes Karaz Shoes, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Sneaker Store, New Hartford . . . . . . . . 60 The Village Crossing, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Small Engine Repair J.B.’s Small Engine Works, Utica . . . . . . . . . 48

LAST MONTH’S riggie’s RIDDLE ANSWER

Snowmobiles/ATVs Hobby Hill Farm, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Tax Services/Accountants Brigg’s Tax Service, Whitesboro . . . . . . . 11 Thrift Shops Country Corner Thrift, Holland Patent . . . . 18 Towing Services Clinton Collision, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Toy Shops Lady & Leap Toy Shop, New Hartford . . . . 6 Tree Services and Tree Farms Turk Tree Service, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Vacuum Sales Rainbow, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Websites Utica Remember When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Weddings and Banquets Ashling Acres, Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . .

Club Monarch, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . .

Twin Ponds Golf & Country Club, NY Mills Vernon Downs Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Answer to last month’s riddle about a team of “sellouts” is: Utica Comets. The team has crushed the AHL record for consecutive sold out games!

Our winner drawn at random from correct answers is: Bev Mangine We were so happy with all the entries this month that we drew a runner up too!: The Donlon family of Waterville.

. . 14 . . 3 . . 50 . . 30

Yarn and Knitting Supplies Love & Stitches, Whitesboro . . . . . . . . . . 7 Yogurt Stoltzfus Family Dairy, Vernon Center . . . 2

December’s Crossword Solution The answer to last month’s puzzle: Snowstorm December winner is: Karen Sportello of Ilion NYS INSPECTIONS • OIL CHANGES • TUNE UPS • COLLISION WORK • AC

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