L I v I ng NN Y
AUTUMN 2016 nnyliving.com Volume 5 No. 4
Nostalgia
Our people & our past
$2.95
/nnyliving @NNYLivingMag
GARDEN
FEATURES
WELLNESS
FOOD
Invite honeybees to visit your yard next year
Autumn is harvest time at north country wineries
Follow a simple plan to boost your health this fall
Few things say fall like apple pie
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Contents
AUTUMN 2016 Volume 5, No. 4
for a better you 11 Tips Commit to a fall wellness
challenge and start a healthy habit. taste of fall delights 12 ANorth country foodies
share their favorite fall recipes.
Departments 6 Contributors 6 Marketplace 6 Editor’s note 7 Out & About 10 Social Scene
Columns Wellness North Country Notes Today’s Gardener Food & Drink History The NNY Life
Online @ nnyliving.com
bees to your gardens and yards.
country nostalgia 18 North Celebrating a past we
love and the things we miss.
bounty of harvest 24 The Local wineries have a
lot on tap for the fall harvest.
as apple pie 24 American Few things spell autumn
better than a warm apple pie.
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11 14 16 30 32 35
for more bees 14 Buzzing Consider plants that bring
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EDITOR’S NOTE IN THIS, OUR AUTUMN ISSUE OF NNY LIVING, freelance writer Norah Machia waxes nostalgic in our cover story about our region’s past and what people miss (page 18). In features, new magazine associate Holly Boname visits north country wineries for a look at this year’s fall harvest (page 24). Holly also talks to local foodies who share their favorite hearty recipes Ken Eysaman for fall (page 12). ALSO IN THIS ISSUE — Garden columnist Brian Hallett explains the importance of adding plants that help honeybees pollenate and thrive. Wellness writer Michelle Graham shares her best tips for an autumn wellness challenge. History columnist Lenka Walldroff returns with a look at the life of Antwerp
native Albert Henry Woolson, the last Civil War Union soldier to die at age 109 (page 32). SOCIAL SCENE — This issue’s Social Scene features about a dozen faces from across the north country. On Sept. 8, we joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce for the annual Athena Award dinner and presentation. Congratulations to Jefferson Community College president Carole McCoy on a well-deserved honor. For more Social Scene photos, visit us online at nnyliving.com or follow us on Facebook. As always, if you have any comments, suggestions or story ideas, email me at keysaman@wdt.net or call (315) 661-2399. Warm regards,
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John B. Johnson Jr.
Editor & Publisher John B. Johnson
Co-Publisher
Harold B. Johnson II
Magazine Editor
Kenneth J. Eysaman Holly C. Boname
Contributing Writer Norah Machia
Michelle Graham is the wellness director for the Downtown Watertown YMCA. She lives in Watertown. In this issue, she offers a fall wellness challenge that includes tips for families to start some new healthy habits together. (p. 11)
Neal Burdick is the retired editor of St. Lawrence University Magazine and a freelance writer who lives in Canton. In this issue’s ‘North Country Notes,’ he writes about Azure Mountain fire tower and its great views of fall colors. (p. 14)
Brian Hallett is an art teacher at South Jefferson Central Schools and an avid gardener. His family owns and operates Hallett’s Florist and Greenhouse in Adams. He writes about the importance of plants that attract bees to pollenate. (p. 16)
Norah Machia is a former Watertown Daily Times reporter and freelance writer who lives in Watertown with her husband. In our cover story, she writes about north country nostalgia and the things we miss about life in Northern New York. (p. 18)
Holly Boname is a magazine associate for NNY Magazines. In this issue, she visits north country wineries for a look at this year’s fall harvest events. She also talks with four north country foodies who share their favorite fall recipes. (p. 12, 24)
Boo Wells is a chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. To mark the autumn season, she shares some baking tips and a classic recipe for apple pie and pie crust. (p. 30)
Lenka P. Walldroff is a former museum specialist, conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Society. She writes about the life of Civil War veteran Albert Henry Woolson. (p. 32)
Katheen Smith Hirschey is a freelance writer and blogger who splits her time between Carlisle, Pa., and Sackets Harbor. In this issue’s ‘The NNY Life,’ she writes about the benefits of having strong friends as she navigates a major life change. (p. 35)
marketplace R
Chairman of the Board
Magazine Associate
contributors
Carthage Area Hospital .......................................... 8 Cesario Family Dentistry ....................................... 3 Clayton Dental Office ........................................... 34 CNY Arts ............................................................. 17 Cross Island Farms ............................................. 34 Crouse Neuroscience Institute .............................. 4 Denmark Gardens Apple Orchard ........................ 15 DL Calarco Funeral Home ................................... 31 Dr. Guitar Music .................................................. 34 Food Bank of CNY ............................................... 23 Foy Agency ......................................................... 34 Fuccillo Automotive Group .................................. 34 O. D. Greene Lumber and Hardware .................... 29 High Tower Advisors ........................................... 21 Hospice of Jefferson County ............................... 15 Immaculate Heart Central Schools ...................... 15
nnyliving.com
Kaneb Orchards .................................................. 17 Macars Inc. ........................................................... 7 Nortz & Virkler .................................................... 34 Oswego County City Tourism ................................ 4 Pearl’s Pastry Shoppe ......................................... 34 The Cape Winery ................................................. 27 Bonnie Castle Resort ........................................... 29 Tug Hill Vineyards ............................................... 27 Tunes 92.5 .......................................................... 26 Waite Motor Sports ............................................. 10 Waite Toyota ....................................................... 10 Watertown Daily Times ....................................... 30 Watertown Savings Bank ...................................... 2 Wise Women OB-GYN ........................................ 21 WWTI TV50 ......................................................... 33
Photography
Justin Sorensen, Amanda Morrison Jason Hunter and Stephen Swofford
Director of Advertising Michelle Bowers
Magazine Advertising Manager Beth Hornbarger
Advertising Sales
Laurie Denesha, Marcia Sanderson, Jill Halley, Jim Homa, Yvonne Houppert, Barb Loomis and Justin Sullivan
Ad Graphics, Design
Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules, Rick Gaskin
Circulation Director Mary Sawyer
NNY Living (ISSN 2165-1159) is published five times a year by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2011-2016. All material submitted to NNY Living becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.
Subscription Rates Five issues are $10 a year and 10 issues are $15 for two years. Call 315-782-1000 for delivery. Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email bhornbarger@wdt.net, or call 661-2325 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail blabrake@ogd.com, or call 661-2507 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. a Forest Stewardship Certified facility. Please recycle this magazine.
OUT & ABOUT
[ Arts. music. culture. FAMILIES. ] Fall harvest events Saturday, Oct. 1 n Harvest of the Arts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Maple Ridge Center, 7421 East Road, Lowville. More than two dozen local artisans will showcase their work. There will be a Children’s art barn with lots of free activities for creating art, live music and food vendors. Cost: Free admission. Information: Maple Ridge Center, 376-2640 or mapleridgecenter.com.
Sunday, Oct. 2 n Cider Days, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., St. Andrew’s grounds, E. Main Street, Sackets Harbor. Includes games, food, a cake walk and painting pumpkins. Cost: Free admission. Information: 646-3548 or sacketsharborny.com.
Saturday, Oct. 8 n Harvest Festival, noon to 5 p.m., Coyote Moon Vineyards, 17371 East Line Road, Clayton. Includes live country music, farmers market, food, children’s activities and award-winning wine, beer and mulled wine. Cost: Contact for
prices. Information: Coyote Moon Vineyards, 686-5600 or coyotemoonvineyards.com. n Harvest Fest 2016, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Grace Community Church, 17784 Michaels Road, Adams Center. Includes games, crafts and activities for the whole family. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: southjeffersonrescue.org. n Harvest Run 5K, 8 a.m., 17784 Michael Road, Adams Center. Includes 5K and 10K runs. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Cost: 5K, $20; 10K, $25; students 18 and younger, $15. Information: South Jefferson Rescue Squad, southjeffersonrescue.org.
Sunday, Oct. 16 n TILT’s Fall Foliage Hike, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Otter Creek Preserve, Alexandria Bay. TILT staff leads a hike in search of vibrant fall foliage on the Otter Creek Nature Trail. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: 6865345 or TILandTrust.org. n Oktoberfest, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thousand Islands Winery, 43298 Seaway Ave., Alexandria Bay, Suite 1. Includes authentic German cuisine, a farmer’s market, hayrides, German dancers, live music and the annual Grape Stompin’ Competition. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: info@alexbay.org. n Octoberfest, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Lockwood Civic Center, 141 W River St., Ogdensburg.
Includes live music, authentic German food and beer, and fireworks. Cost: $5; military and senior citizens, $4. Information: St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, 393-3620 or ogdensburgny.com. n 12th Annual Harvest Festival, Stone Mills Museum, 30950 State Route 180, LaFargeville. Includes scarecrow making, face painting, stilt walking, children’s games, food, tours and fallthemed desserts. Cost: Free admission. Information: 658-2353 or stonemillsmuseum.org.
Saturday, Oct. 15 n Brewfest, 12p.m. to 5 p.m., North Street Pavilion., Old Forge. Old Forge on Tap will showcase more than 60 releases from some of America’s best craft breweries. Attendees will receive three hours of sampling along with their souvenir sampling glass. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: 369-6411 ext. 201, info@viewarts.org, or viewarts.org. n Punkin’ Chunkin’ Food & Craft Fair, 10 a.m., Frink Park and Clayton Opera House, 405 Riverside Drive, Clayton. There will be a Chicken BBQ contest, wood carving, bounce house, live music and vendors line the street in front of Frink Park and inside the Clayton Opera
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OUT & ABOUT
[ Arts. music. culture. FAMILIES. ]
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Outdoors
Saturday, Oct. 8 n Shawna’s Walk for Wishes, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Newell Field House, St. Lawrence University, 23 Romoda Drive, Canton. Shawna’s Wishes is a non-profit that supports the needs of families and children that live with a life threatening medical diagnosis. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: www.facebook.com/shawnaswishes.
Sunday, Oct. 9 n Empire State Marathon, 7:30 a.m., NBT Bank Stadium, 1 Tex Simone Drive, Syracuse. The marathon and half-marathon races feature an Onondaga Lake setting with more welcoming views than you might expect when running miles on-end. Cost: Contact for price. Information: 1- (800) 234-4797 or empirestatemarathon.com.
Saturday, Oct. 15 n Running Colors, 9 a.m., View, 3273 State Route 28, Old Forge. While you run or walk the 3 mile course where you’ll get blasted with color as you go. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: 369-6411 ext. 201, info@viewarts.org or viewarts.org.
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Saturday, Oct. 22 n 1000 Islands Zombie Walk, 1 p.m., Cape Vincent Village Green, Cape Vincent. Dress as your favorite zombie and walk for a cause. Proceeds go to Riverside Preschool. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: 870-5463. Meet at the Otter Creek Preserve & Nature Trail kiosk and stone wall at 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 12 n Veteran’s 5K Run, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Maxcy Hall Ramp, SUNY Potsdam, 44 Pierrepont Ave., Potsdam. The event is sponsored by Lehman Hall. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: SUNY Potsdam, 267-2000 or potsdam.edu.
hayrides, crafts, trick-or-treating with local business and ghost tours. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: info@alexbay.org.
Saturday, Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 6
n Great New York State Model Train Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Empire Expo Center/New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse. This is one of the Northeast’s premier model train shows with 300 vendor tables and 30plus operating layouts. Cost: $8; children 15 and younger, free. Information: 451-6551 or modeltrainfair.com.
Arts and Crafts
Sunday, Nov. 25
Wednesdays through Oct. 5
n Reindeer Run, 1:30 p.m., Goodsell Museum, 2993 State Route 28, Old Forge. Includes a kids’ fun run and a special holiday matinee at 2 p.m. at the Strand Theater. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: Central Adirondack Association, 369-6983 or visitmyadirondacks.com.
n Watertown Farm & Craft Market, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., a program of the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce, Watertown. Market stretches along Washington Street in Downtown Watertown from the State Office Building Plaza north to the Morgan Stanley Building. Wide variety of farm and craft products. Rain or shine. Vendor list and more info: watertownfarmersmarket.weebly.com.
Festivals and Fairs Saturday, Oct. 29 n Alexandria Bay Halloween Festival, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Scenic View Park Pavilion, 8 Fuller St., Alexandria Bay. The event includes
Friday, Oct. 21 to Saturday, Oct. 22 n Craft, Food & Wine Show, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Clarkson University’s Cheel Sports Center, 8 Clarkson Ave., Potsdam. The show has more than 120 vendors selling hand crafted or homemade goods and foods, including jewelry, quilts, furniture, handturned bowls and rolling pins, photography and artwork. Cost: $3; children under 12, free. Information: St.
Farmers’ Market Wednesdays 11am-5pm
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OUT & ABOUT
[ Arts. music. culture. FAMILIES. ] Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, 386-4000 or business.northcountryguide.com.
Saturday, Nov. 5 n JCC Craft Fair, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen Street, Watertown. A variety of handmade crafts will be available for early Christmas shopping. Cost: Free. Information: 786-2200 or sunyjefferson.edu.
Holiday Saturday, Nov. 12 n Annual Christmas Vendor Show & Chicken BBQ, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Chaumont Volunteer Fire Department, 11385, State Route 12E, Chaumont. This indoor and outdoor vendor show will have more than 50 vendors, a silent auction and a barbecue meal. Cost: Free admission. Information: Heather_jackson13@yahoo.com.
Saturday, Nov. 19 n Thanksgiving Craft Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kennedy School, Park Street, Ogdensburg. Join local vendor for the annual Thanksgiving Craft Show where everything is handmade. Cost: Free Admission. Information: 393-3620 or ogdensburg.org. n Light Up the Night Parade, 6 p.m., Downtown Ogdensburg. Parade begins at OFA school and follows State Street to the Dobisky Center at 100 Riverside Avenue. Cost: Free.
Friday, Dec. 2 to Saturday, Dec. 3
Information: ogdensburg.org.
Monday, Nov. 21 to Friday Dec. 30 n Festival of Trees, Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James St, Clayton. Local businesses, organizations and families bring in and decorate trees or other holiday displays. Cost: Free. Information: 1000islands-clayton.com.
Saturday, Nov. 26 to Sunday, Nov. 27
n TIYLO Christmas Masquerade Ball, 8 p.m. Friday to 12 a.m. Saturday, Bonnie Castle Resort and Marina, 31 Holland St, Alexandria Bay. Proceeds from the charitable event directly benefit families in need and food pantries in the 1000 Islands region during Christmas. Cost: Contact for prices. Information: tiylo.org/events.
n Syracuse Thanksgiving Antiques Show, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Empire Expo Center/New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse. This antiques show features more than 200 vendors with everything from primitives to vintage to jewelry. Cost: $7; children under 12, free. Information: 800-234-4797 or allmanpromotions.com.
Friday, Nov. 25 to Sunday, Nov. 27 n Adirondack Christmas on Main Street, All Weekend, Main Street, Old Forge. Do your Christmas shopping at unique shops, meet Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy old fashioned horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting, caroling, tree lightings and a light parade. Cost: Free admission. Information: oldforgeny.com.
Thursday, Dec. 1 n Christmas Village & Tree Lighting, 5: 30 p.m., Main Street, Clayton. Downtown Clayton hosts two and a half hours of music, a business open house, a meet and greet with Santa and a live nativity. Cost: Free. Information: townofclaytonnc.org.
Friday, Dec. 2 n Christmas Tree Lighting, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Upper James Street, Alexandria Bay. Includes the lighting of the Community Tree, music and a meet and greet with Santa. Cost: Free. Information: visitalexbay.org.
Saturday, Dec. 3 n Kris Kringle at the Winery, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thousand Islands Winery, 43298 Seaway Avenue, Suite 1, Alexandria Bay. This holiday market features local craft vendors that can help you find that perfect Christmas gift. There will be mulled spiced wine, hot chocolate, and even Santa’s Workshop. Cost: Free admission. Information: thousandislandswinery.com. TEll us about it — Have an event you would like to include in NNY Living? Email us at nnyliving@wdt.net with the details or visit nnyliving.com and click Events.
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SOCIAL SCENE
[ GWNC Chamber of Commerce Athena Award dinner ] Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown
Pamela Todd and husband, Stephen, superintendent, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, Watertown.
HOLLY BONAME PHOTOS | NNY LIVING
Donald McCoy, retired, and wife, Carole A., Jefferson Community College president, 2016 Athena Award recipient, and mother, Mildred Waidelich. The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce presented the award at the Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown, on Thursday, Sept. 8.
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Joseph Thesier, JCC Foundation Board member and BCA Architects & Engineers, Watertown, Michelle Pfaff, past JCC Foundation Board member, and husband David.
HOLLY BONAME PHOTOS | NNY LIVING
From left, Denise Duffany and Nicole Langridge, both of Key Bank, Evans Mills, and Steve Pierce, Key Bank, Watertown.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
By MICHELLE GRAHAM
A
Sharpen your fitness with a fall wellness challenge
utumn is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the structure and balance of getting our children back to school and I welcome with open arms the change of yet another beautiful season. It is a time of reflection and a time of planning for the upcoming holidays. I love to set goals and then actually follow a plan. Each good habit breeds great success. Our busy schedules often become barriers to our success and the good health of our
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Eat breakfast every day. Don’t let the clock and hurried pace control your life. Get your breakfast out and ready the night before. Great research supports eating a healthy breakfast. In fact, those who regularly eat breakfast live longer. Take advantage of all the beauty that fall brings to the north country. Enjoy nature and the changing landscape all around us. Go for a fall hike and see the changing leaves from a new perspective. Be a kid again and rake leaves and then jump in. Drink water throughout the day. Hydrate your body all day long. By the time you realize you are thirsty it can be too late.
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Move this fall and strive for 10,000 steps and 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. Take a walk, bike, row or kayak; simply move your muscles more.
Say hello to everyone. Make someone’s day as you may be the only person a stranger speaks to all day long. It’s the simple things that have the biggest impact.
Watch your waist this holiday season. What is your game plan to avoid the holiday seven- to 10-pound pack this year? Establish ground rules for fall outings and cut back on heavy foods. Pack your own healthy snacks and get into a solid routine. Make tailgating fun and healthy.
Smile more often. It doesn’t hurt anyone to smile. It is in fact contagious and influences mood and attitude. What’s more, it takes more muscles in your face to frown that it does to smile.
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Try one new food or recipe each week and share it with your family, too. There are many great recipes and apps to explore. You can also get children involved in meal preparation. It’s a fun family activity. Eat well and plan your meals accordingly. This means spending 15 minutes a week to plan meals and then buy only what is on your grocery list. Simple changes in your diet can lead to great results for your waistline and overall physical and mental health. Eat a meal together. Bring your whole family together to eat a meal. All too often we as families eat on the run. Make a specific goal for the week to actually sit down and eat together as often as possible. Also, if you know someone who eats alone, invite them to dine with you.
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Forgiveness may well be the hardest thing to do of all. Forgiveness breeds freedom. Don’t hold on to something you cannot change or control yourself. Be free and live your life in a manner that is kind and meaningful and less judgmental of others. Don’t judge others. We all judge. Start today off by doing it less. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in hurtful gossip, either. Speak kindly always of others. Be kind to yourself and take time out to enjoy life and do some things just for you and you alone. Make sure you can relish in a quiet moment doing what makes your heart smile.
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Get adequate sleep. At least eight hours a day. Turn off the TV and electronics and focus on getting your eight hours a night of sleep so your body can effectively recharge.
Michelle L. Graham, MS, is wellness director for Watertown’s Downtown YMCA. Contact her at ymca_mgraham@yahoo.com. Her column appears in every issue.
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Exercise your brain, Exercise do puzzles, read your brain, a good book or try do puzzles, word jumbles. read a Keep good yourbook bodyorand brain focused try wordand sharp. Limit jumbles. television Keep your andbody electronic and device brain time forfocused everyone your and in sharp. Limitfamily. television and electronic time for
self and our families. Focus this fall and challenge yourself and your family to be better in mind, body and spirit. Make your fall fun this year. Start by welcoming the change in season with structure and some physical fitness and mental wellness in your everyday routine. I have compiled a top 15 list of activities to enhance your daily routine. How many can you fit in everyday? A great goal is to strive for 10 of the 15 items on the list. Maybe — just maybe — you can get all 15 in one day.
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The taste falls u
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pon us
By Holly Boname | NNY Living
s the season shifts from summer to fall, our appetites change along with it. It’s out with the cool summer garden salads loaded with tomatoes and cucumbers, and the table becomes packed with warm hearty harvest soups steaming with the aromas of autumn. Throughout the north country gardens are bursting with squash, broccoli, carrots, onions and garlic and the trees are loaded with juicy ripe apples and pears. These are all the flavors that many Northern New Yorkers incorporate into their menu of options and recipes during the season of warmth that is a north country fall. NNY Living reached out to readers for inspirational harvest recipes. Here are just a few to include on your dinner table this fall.
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Fall FOOD & DRINK
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north country notes
Autumn splendor from high above in the Adirondacks
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Amid the farmland along Route 11B near East Dickinson in eastern St. Lawrence County, an abandoned church of unknown denomination has collapsed. I remember it from the days when it was standing. It reposed just a few feet back from the road, up a gentle slope, and was typical of rural churches in much of America: a clapboard box, evidently once white, with a steeply pitched roof, tall narrow windows, heavy double doors, and little else that wasn’t necessary, ornamentation fitting into neither the theology nor the aesthetics of the practical-minded farmers and loggers who, I imagine, built it. Its spire and belfry lie shattered in Queen Anne’s lace and blackberry brambles along its crumbling foundation; its walls have fallen outward, nearly invading the stony cow pasture that surrounds it. I wonder when someone last tolled its bell, sang a hymn, heard a rousing sermon, mourned a dead child, locked the door and turned away. I wonder if its demise is symbolic of the state of religion in America. Across the road is a small, square cemetery surrounded by a wrought-iron fence that has recently received a coat of black paint. It’s populated by thin lichen-covered tombstones bearing the names of New Englanders who moved into this territory not long after the Revolutionary War, and of their descendants, who built the church and worshipped and wed and grieved there. Clark, Woods, Rice, Flint, Hastings, Smith: Pioneer names, simple and plain as the church they built. As I tread gently through the tall grass, silence enveloping me, I realize there’s been no burial here in nearly 50 years; the young no longer stay around long enough to grow old and die. Lining the cemetery are several immense and venerable sugar maples, planted there, I speculate, by the pragmatic farmer-parishioners who had responsibility for this plot not only for shade in summer and wind protection in winter, but also to ensure that sap would be within easy reach each spring. In this time of rapid transition into autumn, early frosts have killed off the palette of colors on the ground — deadened the wild mustard and black-eyed Susans, the paintbrush, clovers and fireweed, the marigolds someone planted last Memorial Day and then forgot — and transferred them temporarily to the maple leaves above. The
hues in the leaves change daily, even hourly, if you look closely, greens diminishing as daylight dwindles into dusk, until the leaves themselves fall and dwindle into brittle scraps and dust. Before long, brilliance will be neither below nor above; the gray times are soon to be upon us. Change is in the air, in the ground, everywhere at this time of year, and not merely in the obvious: The foliage, the shrinking light, school buses on the roads, football games, more traffic in our college towns, ragweed allergies. Unlike summer and winter, with their relatively static conditions, fall
and spring are exciting seasons, because nothing stays the same for long. That is certainly the case with leaves. At one time in my life, every fall I would endeavor to learn why leaves change color when they do, and by the next year I would forget. It had something to do with the cooling weather, and/or the loss of daylight, and/or the health of the individual tree, and/or how wet or dry the summer had been. Finally, I realized I don’t care why they do it; I just enjoy the spectacle while it lasts. One way to do that is to get up high. There are lots of places in the north country where one can find an elevated perch and take in the show, but one of my favorites is the summit of Azure Mountain, near the St. Lawrence/Franklin County line south of St. Regis Falls. For a little exertion, you can scan a sparkling Persian rug of colors laid out for miles in every direction. The trail is not too difficult to find. About half-
By NEAL BURDICK
way between St. Regis Falls and Santa Clara on Route 458, look for Blue Mountain Road, so called to this day because that’s what Azure Mountain was named until the state put a fire tower on top of another Blue Mountain about 100 years ago, and to avoid confusion arbitrarily changed the name, if not the color, of the one we’re talking about, but north country folks, independent-minded as ever, weren’t about to let the government get off scot-free. Drive down this road about 7 miles — it turns to dirt part way along — until you spy a rusty old clawfoot bathtub on your right. (I am not making this up.) A short way past it, you’ll see, also on your right, the entrance to the trailhead parking area. The trail ascends steeply for almost a mile, but gives perhaps the finest reward in the entire Adirondacks for your trouble, a forest and mountain panorama of up to 50 miles east, south and west. The view is best, though, from the restored fire tower, which is staffed on weekends through Columbus Day, and on Columbus Day itself, by members of Azure Mountain Friends, which was instrumental a few years ago in saving the derelict tower from imminent demolition by the state, and then worked with the state, the Adirondack Mountain Club and others to put it back in usable condition. Climb the 35 feet to the top of the tower (if you are acrophobic you may want to think twice about this, especially if it’s windy), and from its cab you will drink in a 360-degree view, adding the St. Lawrence Valley, Ontario, and, on a super-clear day, even Mont Royal in the middle of Montreal to what you can see from its foot. With a good sense of direction and a pair of binoculars, you may even be able to discern the vicinity where a certain neglected country church has collapsed but the maple trees embracing its quiet burial ground still blaze into artistry each fall, in glorious preparation for their winter rest. NEAL BURDICK lives in Canton. Retired as senior writer/editor at St. Lawrence University, he continues to teach a writing course there, and is a freelance writer, editor and anthologist with a special interest in his native north country. His column appears in every issue of NNY Living. Portions of this essay are adapted from his chapter in Living North Country (North Country Books, 2001).
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• Pre-K to 12th grade • Catholic family values • Free busing in local area & Ft. Drum • Accredited by Middle States Association • 100% graduation; 95% college attendance • Average elementary class size: 17 • Average high school class size: 20 • Area’s only “junior kindergarten” • Outstanding, devoted teachers • Superb extracurricular programs • Exceptional athletics & youth sports • Elementary chorus & instrumentals • Faith Community Service • Military Family Life Counselor • Scholarship and aid • Most IEPs & 504 plans supported on site
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TODAY’s gardener
Consider bee-friendly plants in your garden next year
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By BRIAN HALLETT
Fall is a bittersweet time foR MANY is no reason why container gardeners cannot do tions is to plant flowers and plants native to your gardeners. We are enjoying the bounty of pro- their part to support bees. Those of us who live region. A good plant nursery in your area can duce and flowers, anticipating the first frost, in urban spaces have a responsibility to help sup- point out the natives and steer you away from and beginning to clean up our gardens and port the bee population. Urban sprawl, pollution, exotics. Skip the highly hybridized plants, which yards as winter approaches. chemical pesticides and the wide-scale introduc- have been bred not to seed and thus produce very As you move through your garden this fall, tion of pretty but pollen-free exotic plants are all little pollen for bees. First, choose colors wisely take note of what was successful and what did bad news for bees. In fact, urban gardeners can as bees cannot see the same spectrum of colors as not do so well. This will help you in the early help “re-green” their surroundings to help sup- we do. For example, yellow flowers appear blue spring as you start to plan your to bees. And bees seem particugarden. As you plan for a new larly attracted to blue flowers, year, I encourage you to think and the yellow flowers that apabout inviting honeybees to pear blue to them. So they’re a visit your yard. good bet. Of course, bees do go Honeybees make a third of to other colors of flowers, but our nutritious fruits and vegjust as hummingbirds really etables possible and they funclike red flowers, bees really like tion as a buzzing alarm system yellow and blue flowers. for our planet’s ecosystem. It Second, provide flowers turns out bees do more than with a landing pad. Flowers that most people realize — for such have evolved with bees have small, short-lived creatures, somewhere for bees to land. they do a lot of heavy lifting Teeny tiny flowers that are not to keep life on Earth in balin a cluster of other teeny-tiny ance. Take note of which beeflowers are either pollinated by friendly flowers you are growsome method other than bees, ing and which flowers you or have been hybridized by could add to your collection people and are not suitable for to encourage honeybees. Adbees anymore. The same thing ditionally, decide which bulbs, is true with long, tubular, exflowers and herbs can you add tremely narrow flowers. They to provide color and food for are not suitable for honeybees. honeybees over the course of Bees and flowers have a the growing season that you symbiotic relationship, so bees might enjoy in your garden. want to go to the flowers that Colony collapse disorder want bees. And flowers that BRIAN HALLETT | NNY LIVING has been in the news quite a bit A honeybee collects pollen from garlic chive flowers. want bees put out a welcome lately. Basically, a significant mat in the form of a landing amount of honey bees have been disappearing port wildlife that was displaced by development. pad. Interestingly enough, members of the pea without a trace for no known reason. Ameri- In a master gardener class this summer, I family have their flower petals ever so slightly can agriculture depends heavily on pollination learned three interesting things about the flowers glued together, creating the perfect place for bees from honey bees, so bees mysteriously disap- that attract bees that I thought I would pass along to land. And when they do, the petals separate, pearing during a time when food prices are al- if you’d like to help out one of the hardest working and dab the bee with pollen on its belly. Then, ready skyrocketing is not good, to say the least. insects in your garden. So, let’s say that you have when the bee lands on a female pea flower, the More and more gardeners are anxious to do decided to help bees out this year, either because pollen receptor, or stigma, is in the exact right their part to help bees by adding to the shrinking you’re very altruistic, or because you want bees to place to brush against the part of the bee’s belly inventory of flower-rich habitat in their area. In come and pollinate your fruit and vegetable plants. with the pollen on it. Plant different types of flowreturn, bees will pollinate your flowers, providing There are four good things to look for in a flower ers in your bee garden to ensure blooms through a bountiful harvest of fruits, seeds and vegetables and in your garden if you’re trying to woo a bee. as many seasons as possible. Select single flower as well as the joy of watching them up close. There The best way to support native bee popula- tops such as daisies and marigolds, rather than
Gardening and lawn care are certainly invaluable ways to help support local honeybees. You can also lend support when you go to the farmers market and road side stands and buy local organic honey as opposed to mass-produced supermarket brands. Your local beekeepers are far more likely to care about the health and wellbeing of their bees. Not only will you keep your food miles down and support local businesses, but eating local honey may also help ward off seasonal allergies. I would also suggest contacting local beekeepers to remove honeybee nests you may find on your property rather than spraying the hive with chemicals to kill them. Beekeepers are able to remove and re-home an unwanted nest with no harm to the bees and no
chemical exposure to your family and pets. Attract these invaluable and fascinating creatures to your garden by filling it with vibrant and bee-friendly plants. Not only will you be greeted with and array of color when you step outside your door, but you will enjoy the beautiful aromas of fresh seasonal flowers for your table and organic herbs picked straight from the garden. If you are stuck for space, try planting some on your balcony, in window boxes or hanging baskets — the honeybees will thank you for it. BRIAN HALLETT is an art teacher at South Jefferson Central School in Adams. His family owns Halletts’ Florist and Greenhouse in Adams, which has been in business for more than three decades.
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double flower tops such as double impatiens. Double-headed flowers look showy but produce much less nectar and make it much more difficult for bees to access pollen. This will provide bees and other pollinators with a constant source of food. For example, crocus, hyacinth, chives, borage, calendula, black locust trees, apple trees and lilac provide enticing spring blooms. Bees feast on bee balm, mint, cosmos, Echinacea, snapdragons, foxglove, sunflowers, black-eyed susans, and hosta in the summer. For fall, zinnias, sedum, asters, witch hazel and goldenrod are late bloomers that will tempt foragers. Try to plant at least 10 varieties of flowers that bees like, as this seems to be the magic number for attracting bees. Also, try to make sure that your bee garden will be blooming continuously from spring to fall by planting flowers with different blooming seasons. Third, the north country has had record-breaking summer heat and drought this year, which adds to the honeybees problem of stress and survival. Honeybees are stressed by temperatures over 100 degrees. Apparently when the temps get too high, the worker bees stop foraging for pollen and start trying to find water to bring back to the hive and they position themselves outside the hive and use their wings to push air into the hive to cool the hive. One thing we can do during the height of summer is to have a water source — such as a bird bath — readily available. I would suggest a bird bath or fountain in the garden and place small pebbles in it so it gives a place for the bees to land and not drown. Near my hive, I use an old chicken waterer with pebbles in the trough. You will want to change the water weekly to prevent mosquitos from making it home. I also recommend cleaning it once a month with a mild vinegar and water solution. Fourth, many flowers that bees love we consider weeds and we use pesticides to control them in our lawns. In the north country, native flowers such as chicory, the blue flower that grew in our lawns during the severe drought this summer, Queen Anne’s Lace, Purple Loosestrife, Joe Pye Weed, Thistles and Burdock are all a favorite of bees. Native flowers help feed our bees and are uniquely adapted to the drought and cold of our region. Trying to use flowers to which local bees are especially adapted may mean it is time to rethink your lawn. I am not suggesting you replace part or all of your front lawn grass, but considering not using chemicals and designating a portion of your yard to growing flowering plants, which provides food and habitat for honey bees. Pesticides are believed to be responsible for the most dramatic losses of bee colonies. Insecticides have been found to be present in pollen and nectar, meaning these chemicals are ingested by bees. Pesticides affect bees in a number of ways including their development rate, feeding behavior and even by affecting their learning process. The pesticides act as neurotoxins, which impact honeybees nest and hive recognition and navigation skills. In addition, insecticides compromise their immune systems, making the bees vulnerable to disease and parasites.
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COVER STORY
Waxing nostalgic for a past we love
Longtime north country residents herald days gone by as region continues to grow TEXT By NORAH MACHIA | JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS FILE PHOTOS
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The Oxford English Dictionary defines nostalgia as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” For many, nostalgia is more than just reminiscing about the past, it’s an emotion or feeling they have when thinking about certain memories — whether it’s a particular place, experience or time. Several longtime north country residents recently shared nostalgic memories from past decades in the Northern New York, including thriving downtowns, popular restaurants and hotels, and a former campground where young people came to socialize. Downtown Watertown Former Watertown City Mayor T. Urling Walker can still recall the day he first came to Watertown in 1951 for a job interview at the New York Air Brake Co. He booked a room in the Hotel Woodruff, an iconic building
that was completed in 1851 on Public Square. At the time it was built, it was one of the largest hotels in Northern New York, and earned a reputation as one of the finest as well. During its heyday, the Hotel Woodruff was popular not only for overnight accommodations, but also for fine dining. It featured a large and fancy ballroom for those who wanted to dance the night away. But the Hotel Woodruff’s customer base began to decline in the 1960s, when the passenger trains that had stopped behind the hotel discontinued their Watertown routes. By the early 1970s, it had become too difficult for the owners to maintain the large historic building as a result of rising taxes, heating and electricity costs. In 1976, the Hotel Woodruff was torn down. It’s one of several former downtown landmarks that are still vivid memories for Mr. Walker and his wife, Mabel. The couple moved to Watertown in 1951 after Mr. Walker accepted a position
Above: Watertown’s Hotel Woodruff, ca. early 1900s, was an iconic downtown hotel that operated for more than a century. It was town down in 1976. Below, the Bee Hive Store on Court Street, ca. 1950s, was a popular downtown variety store. Facing page: The bar in the Hotel Woodruff.
Theater on Arsenal Street, Mrs. Walker said. The Woolworth Building on the American Corner, home to the iconic five-and-dime store and a busy lunch counter, was also a very popular downtown destination for many Watertown residents, they said. But much of the historic downtown landscape was changed forever as a result of Urban Renewal initiatives that started in the 1960s, Mrs. Walker said. Perhaps retired Watertown City Clerk Donna Dutton summed it up best in her historic book “Images of America: Watertown.”
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as executive engineer in training at the New York Air Brake Co. Mr. Walker also served as mayor of the city of Watertown from 1983 to 1991. When the Walkers first moved to Watertown in the 1950s, the downtown was the main retail destination for shoppers. Numerous businesses lined the streets, selling a variety of items — including groceries, clothing and shoes, books and newspapers, and furniture. Mrs. Walker said one of her fondest memories was shopping at the former Bee Hive Department Store on Court Street. The store had a large selection of dry goods, and was similar to a department store because it carried many other items, she said. “You could buy anything you wanted at the Bee Hive,” Mrs. Walker said. The couple also recalled the convenience of shopping for clothes downtown at places such as the former Empsall’s Department Store and the J.R. Miller Men’s Shop. There were also several movie theaters downtown, and “some even used to bring opera” to Watertown, such as the former Avon
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Empsall’s Department store was noted for its convenience of shopping for clothes and other retail goods downtown. Larger, national retailers forced the longtime department store to close in July 1993. The beloved store had 50 departments at its peak and was the cornerstone of downtown Watertown commerce,
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“There was probably no other federal program that had such a dramatic effect on downtown areas as the urban renewal program of the 1960s,” she wrote. Many proponents of Urban Renewal believed replacing historic structures with more modern, “futuristic buildings,” would help the economy in downtown Watertown, she wrote. “When all was said and done, many of Watertown’s grand old buildings came under the wrecking ball, and much of the architectural history of the city was lost forever,” Mrs. Dutton wrote. Although the Walkers remain nostalgic about downtown Watertown, they also recognize the progress that has been made in the past several years to revitalize it. In 2008, the city completed a streetscape project that not only expanded the downtown infrastructure, but also made major improvement in the roads, sidewalks and landscaping. Mr. Walker credited the developers, investors, and government officials who have realized the potential for renovating historic structures in Watertown, rather than tearing them down. He credited them for successfully reno-
vating several important buildings in recent years, including the Lincoln, Woolworth and Franklin Buildings, which offer a mix of residential units and commercial space. “Revitalizing the downtown is still in process,” said the former mayor. “It will ultimately depend on what merchants and business can make a go of it downtown.” “Change takes place slowly, but gradually when accepted,” he added.
Mrs. Walker said. “We used to have bridge classes at Benny’s,” she said. “We would have lunch and then play bridge. It was a group of us who got together on a regular basis.” The games at Benny’s “gave us a chance to play bridge with different people, and it kept our minds sharp,” Mrs. Walker added. “But when Benny’s closed, the lessons went out of business as well,” she said. In 2006. Benny’s shut its doors after 52 years on Arsenal Street. The restaurant had a distinctive fiberglass statue of a life-size bull in front of its building, which served as a mainstay landmark for decades. The late Bernard J. Tufo, a former Watertown police officer known as “Benny,” opened his first restaurant in the early 1950s. In 1972, he moved it down the road to that 1050 Arsenal Street location, and unveiled the large bull statue at the restaurant’s grand opening. Through the years, an increasing number of restaurant chains set up shop on Arsenal Street, and the competition proved too much for Benny’s Steak House. The building was sold to Davidson Automotive Group, although the iconic bull statue was purchased by Ed Massey’s Furniture Barn down the street, where it was placed on the store’s rooftop and remains there today. Mr. Walker also recalled Puffer’s Ice Cream, which had been located at 1238 Washington Street. In 2001, the building was sold and later torn down to make way for a new Dunkin Donuts. “It was started by a retired air force colonel whose last name was Puffer,” Mr. Walker said. “He built it and ran it.” Robert T. and Dorothy Puffer opened the “Puffers” ice cream stand in 1955, but sold the business about 10 years later to another couple. After her husband passed away, Mrs. Puffer decided to start running
Restaurants and Ice Cream Stands The Walkers also shared their memories of places outside the downtown area — including the former Benny’s Steak House on Arsenal Street and Puffer’s Ice Cream on Washington Street. Benny’s was a popular and locallyowned restaurant, and had served as a favorite gathering place for many The former Puffers Ice Cream stand on Washington Street is met by the Watertown residents, wrecking ball in 2010 to make way for a Dunkin’ Donuts.
the seasonal business again in 1994 with the help of her grandchildren and children, under the new name of Puffer’s Ice Cream. It was a popular ice cream stand, particularly during the summer months. Because it was located directly across from Watertown City School District’s middle school and high school buildings, it was often frequented by students and families following concerts, sporting events, and plays.
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Lazy River Playground, Hermon When asked about nostalgic places in St. Lawrence County, one of the first that came to mind for St. Lawrence County Historian J. Susanne (Sue) Longshore was the Lazy River Playground, Hermon. One of its main attractions was the roller skating pavilion, where families and couples would spend the warm summer evenings taking a whirl around the rink, or socializing at the snack bar. There was also miniature golf, shuffleboard and swimming from the banks of the Grasse River. “It was a central social gathering place” for many people in the town of Hermon and surrounding areas during for several decades, the historian said. In fact, this cultural landmark built in 1942 was one of the first sites to be placed on the Traditional Arts in Upstate New York’s Register of Very Special Places. The organization celebrated its 20th anniversary at the site in 2006. Lazy River Playground was opened by the late John Grandy during World War II to offer a place where people could come to relax and forget about the everyday stresses of life. It started with a dance pavilion, swimming and picnicking facilities, along with other activities such as miniature golf and shuffleboard. The pavilion was later converted to allow for roller skating, which became one of the most popular activities at the site. During its heyday, the Lazy River Playground attracted hundreds of families looking for a fun way to spend a summer weekend, as well as high school and college students looking for a place to socialize. It was later taken over by John Grandy’s son, Francis J. “Red” Grandy, who had a distinguished career as a staff photographer with the European edition of Stars and Stripes, a daily newspaper published by the U.S. Armed Forces. Mr. Grandy had served as photo chief of the paper — a title he held until he retired in 1986 and moved back to Hermon. Since returning, Mr. Grandy has rented out the facility for special occasions.
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Francis “Red” Grandy demonstrates his amphibious car on the Grasse River close to his home, the Lazy River Playground in Hermon. During its heyday, the Lazy River Playground attracted hundreds of families looking for a fun way to spend a summer weekend, as well as high school and college students looking for a place to socialize.
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Village of Canton Historic Buildings The historic Canton Town Hall that stood on Miner Street burned to the ground in February 1962. But it was more than just a place for government business, said Ms. Longshore. It served the community in other ways as well. “It had been a former opera house,” she said. “They held plays there, and even school graduations on the third floor of the building.” The historic structure was built in 1878. At the time of the fire, it housed a combination of 13 municipal offices and commercial spaces, including the village police station and the Watertown Daily Times bureau office. The fire that destroyed this historic landmark was described as one of the most serious fires in the village of Canton. A service station located just a few feet from the town hall had been evacuated before the building’s large steeple had toppled onto its roof. Records and files from the town clerk’s office upstairs fell through the first floor and were lost, and businesses on the ground floor, including a beauty salon, appliance store and gift shop, were destroyed. It was reported that the newspaper’s Canton correspondent at the time of the fire, David L. Eno, had received a call from the sheriff’s office and rushed to his office inside the building. “After breaking in the door, he managed to save three desks, a typewriter, a filing cabinet, with news clippings dating back 20 years, and two radios,” the newspaper had reported. It also noted “Patrolman Fadden saved most of the police records” inside the building. Another iconic landmark in Canton was the former Hotel Harrington, Ms. Longshore said. The elaborate three-story
brick hotel was built in 1864, and was also the first building constructed along Main Street on the east side of the Grasse River. Many people had frequented the hotel and its restaurant for decades through the 1950s. It was one of the most well-known places in the village, Ms. Longshore said. In 1957, it was sold to the George Hall Corp. of Ogdensburg, which had initially announced plans to demolish the structure and build a new motel on the same site. But those plans never materialized. Instead, the building was torn down in 1958 by the Wrecking and Salvage Company of Syracuse. The H & R Block office and Family Dollar Store on Main Street now occupy the area of the former hotel and its grounds. Prior to its demolition, a thorough search had been conducted inside the hotel to find any historical documents. That search was requested by both a county historian, along with a historian at St Lawrence University. “Unfortunately, good housekeeping over the years was the reason that old documents, pictures and registers were not discovered in the attic, or elsewhere,” the Watertown Daily Times reported in 1958.
Lowville Village Band Performances Arleigh D. Rice, town of Lowville supervisor from 1992 to 2011, had a favorite past time — playing trumpet in the Lowville Village Band. Decades ago, the band would set up its band stand and wagon at the village’s four corners, and the streets would be blocked off as large crowds flocked downtown for the performances, he said. “The village would be full of people who came to hear us play,” Mr. Rice said.
“SomeBuilt in 1878, the historic Canton Town Hall that times it would number in the thousands.” stood on Miner Street burned to the ground in February 1962.
“Sometimes the crowds would number in the thousands.” When the landscape of Lewis County was covered with more small family dairy farms, people would often travel to downtown Lowville for a much-needed break from their work, he said. The downtown performances drew not only farmers living in Lowville, but throughout the Tug Hill region, said the former town supervisor. Mr. Rice, a dairy farmer and Dairylea Coop board member, recalled “it was a more vibrant agriculture community at the time.” The Lowville Village Band was reportedly formed in 1826, and is believed to be the first organized musical association in the county. “It was even introduced as a line item in the village budget,” when he was playing in the band, Mr. Rice said. The Lowville Village Band continues to perform today, but the downtown intersection is no longer closed for performances. It often holds concerts in the Lowville Veterans Memorial Park, billing itself at the “longest running community band,” and still receives strong support from the community.
was opened on Route 12, just a few miles south of the downtown area. Mr. Rice said the majority of people were anxious to have the store open because Lewis County had also been without a department store since the Ames store closed in Lowville in October 2002. The Walmart opening did not appear to have a major negative impact on other stores in Lowville, such as the Dollar General and Stewart’s Shop, because they still kept their established customers, he said. NORAH MAchia is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist and former Watertown Daily Times reporter. Contact her at norahmachia@gmail.com
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Downtown Lowville As with many downtowns located in small north country communities, Lowville has dealt with the closing of certain business because of changing economic times, Mr. Rice said. But Lowville officials also faced an additional challenge in preserving the historic downtown landscape. Two separate fires, approximately 12 years apart, destroyed and extensively damaged some of its largest downtown buildings. In 1999, a six-alarm fire engulfed an entire block of the downtown area on State Street, and also left several families homeless who had been living in apartments above the storefronts. It had started between the Sherwin-Williams building on Dayen Street and the Comfort Zone Furniture Store on State Street, and spread to other businesses, including the Dollar Depot and Image Beauty Salon. Today, a vacant lot remains at the site of the fire, although the state Department of Transportation claimed a portion of it to widen the intersection in an ongoing Route 12 reconstruction project through the village. Lowville was struck by a second fire in 2011, which extensively damaged a
notable historic structure, The Times Block building. The fire, which investigators had blamed on an improperly discarded cigarette, had started in apartment above New York Pizzeria. However, fire walls separating The Times Block building on North State Street kept the blaze from spreading to the adjacent Community Bank office. The Times Block building had been split into three parcels, with two housing the pizzeria. It had been named for a weekly publication, the Lowville Times, which had operated there from 1876 to 1884. In 2006, a new Wal-Mart Supercenter
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FEATURES
Drink in a bountiful
fall harvest Northern New York wineries share ‘labor of love’ with communities TEXT By HOLLY BONAME | NNY LIVING
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As temperatures begin to cooL IN Northern New York the wine industry is heating up for autumn. Wineries are booming in the tri-county region. For owners it means laboring with friends, family and volunteers as they spend long weekends in the fields and host fall harvest events, sharing their passion and labor of love with the community. But no two wineries are the same in their harvest techniques and that’s what makes Northern New York wines so distinct and special.
Coyote Moon Vineyards “Harvest time means 10 things at once,” said Kristina Randazzo-Ives, Wine & Dine manager/Wine Club manager. “We are in it from planting the grapes with our own hands to harvest — we pick them, we make the wine and we taste everything. It’s not just an obsession for my family, it’s a passion.” Coyote Moon Vineyards is a familyowned and operated winery, with the vineyards located on part of a 400-acre farm off East Line Road in Clayton.
In 2008 the Randazzo family planted their first grapes and began selling wine the following year. Since then the family has launched a line of wine-infused specialty food products, retail items, art works and a continuously growing selection of award-winning wines. The Randazzo family has even expanded to three locations: the Vineyard and Winery, Coyote Moon Wine & Dine and their shop in the Salmon Run Mall, Watertown. Mrs. Randazzo-Ives said that each of these locations are unique
Top: Ground fog rises above grape vines at Thousand Islands Winery, Alexandria Bay. Below: A new can of Coyote Moon Vineyards Moscato wine. Bottom: A rainbow appears above the vineyard at Coyote Moon Winery, Clayton. PHOTOS PROVIDED
and support the family mission to share in their love for good wine. One of the newest product lines that the Randazzo’s have released is “Wine in a Can.” “People love it,” Mrs. Randazzo-Ives said. “At first people were hesitant or thought it was ridiculous.” But after
a short explanation from staff of the cans’ convenience they become excited; the cans can travel to the park or on the boat where glass is not allowed, Mrs. Randazzo-Ives said. Five wines are available in a can: Fire Boat Red, Fire Boat White, River Run Rose, Twisted Sister and Moscato. The wines are packaged in specially crafted aluminum cans, which Mrs. Randazzo-Ives said do not contain the aluminum flavor that typically concerns product newcomers. But new products and a bountiful
harvest season is not the only excitement for the wine-making family. The annual Harvest Festival is just around the corner. “It is our biggest event,”Mrs. RandazzoIves said. “It’s fantastic because it brings so many people out to enjoy the fall, live music, many local vendors and our wine.” The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 or $2 with a military ID. Those under 21 can enjoy an alcohol-free day at no charge. “This year we have a hot country band coming called Country Swag. They are from Syracuse and have a great following.”
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Thousand Islands Winery As one of the longest-operating wineries in the north country, the Thousand Islands Winery has taken operations to the next level. The Alexandria Bay winery first opened to the public in 2003 with an inventory of 1,100 gallons of wine. Today, it produces 22 wines and continues to expand. “Everything we do here at the winery is very detailed,” April Anne Young, winery marketing director, said. “Months have gone into our newest product, the New York State Wine Slushy.” Ms. Young said that staff worked closely with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s office to develop and patent this special product. The recipe is a “house secret,” specially designed to allow for the home consumer to freeze the wine in a container at home. The launch of the New York Wine Slushy is its biggest and best new product, Ms. Young said. “Within the first week of posting about the new slushy product we
Left, Thousand Islands Winery’s new 10th Mountain Division wines support members of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum.
each purchase will be donated to the 10th Mountain Division Association. All these new products will be featured at the winery’s 13th annual Oktoberfest from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1. The event includes authentic German cuisine, plenty of wine and special Oktoberfest beer selections.
had over 17,000 views of the post. It’s even now in the Syracuse Dome and Lakeview Amphitheatre.” Another new product directly impacting Northern New York is 10th Mountain Division Association Wines. The bottles adorned with the 10th Mountain Division emblem support members of the 10th Mountain Division Light Infantry & Fort Drum. A portion of the proceeds from
Tug Hill Vineyards For Lowville’s Tug Hill Vineyards, harvest season isn’t just about its grapes. The vineyard is multi-purpose and continues to grow in size, diversity and product line. “We are the only winery in the county (Lewis) that offers a ‘You-Pick’ option for our visitors,” vineyard president and coowner Susan Maring said. “This year we picked 5,500 pounds of blueberries that are currently being made into wine.” Established in 2007, Tug Hill Vineyards has expanded its crops to include apples, raspberries and blueberries. Customers can visit the winery, pick fruits and take them home or, Mrs. Maring said, they simply volunteer their
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Sue Maring, owner of Tug Hill Vinyards, walks through the vinyard in preparation for fall harvest season.
time to help with the harvest. “We harvest each year with the help of volunteers and paid workers,” Ms. Maring said. “Last year it took two weeks to harvest with about 25 pickers each day.” While many wineries will empoloy volunteers, for Tug Hill, they have become part of the winery family and Mrs. Maring said the winery makes sure to treat them accordingly with a special Harvest Fest, where they are invited for a fun afternoon at the winery and given gift certificates to the vineyard’s famous brunch. But the fun won’t stop when harvest is over. Tug Hill Vineyards will keep its doors open to the public throughout the winter. Mrs. Maring said it will host special events and have shorter hours for tastings.
Sandra and David Fralick, co-owners of Cape Winery, Deeerlick Road, Cape Vincent. NNY LIVING FILE PHOTO
Mr. Fralick said, “The event brought about 400 to 500 people into Cape Vincent.” “What really separates us out is the land and location. The closeness to the lake and the limestone — the grapes love it; the soil is good. I think it makes our grapes different from others,” Mr. Fralick said. The vineyard is less than three miles from the waterfront village, but with the new downtown location customers are encouraged to visit the vineyards and tasting room. The increase in foot traffic is good, as harvest is upon the winery and it relies on approximately 20 to 30 people to volunteer with harvesting its annual grape crops. “Volunteers sign up when they visit the tasting room. It takes about two to
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Cape Vincent Winery In Cape Vincent, located along the shores of Lake Ontario, the Cape Winery is thriving. “We’ve seen a 10 to 15 percent increase in traffic, enough that we have opened a location in downtown Cape Vincent,” Cape Winery owner David Fralick said.
This is a new venture for the growing winery and one that Mr. Fralick said the neighboring village and local businesses actively support. Located at 2066 Deerlick Road, Cape Vincent, the winery sits approximately three miles from the river community on historic Deerlick Farm. The downtown location is new for the winery and Mr. Fralick said support from the community and fellow business associates has led to his growing success. Mr. Fralick added that growing events like “A Stroll Down Broadway,” held in the village of Cape Vincent has also helped. “We opened the downtown location, which has been great for business,”
STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY LIVING
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HOLLY BONAME | NNY LIVING
Northern Flow Vineyards Owner Phil DeLuke in the winery’s vineyards. The Clayton winery is the 1000 Islands Wine Trail newest member.
three weeks to harvest. We work hard with volunteers in the morning and then we relax in the afternoon after a day’s labor.” Mr. Fralick said they like to provide a harvest dinner following crop picking, inviting those who volunteer to sign up for the event. And harvest is looking good for Cape Winery this year. All grapes are hand-harvested, which Mr. Fralick said decreases the use of damaged grapes and increases the product quality. “It’s a cleaner product. We don’t pick
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any bad grapes. We just harvested our LaCresent which was probably the best harvest we have had yet,” Mr. Fralick said. The winery will be featured at the 8th annual Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest Celebration from noon to 5 pm, on the Village Green, Saturday, Sept. 24. Northern Flow Vineyards Northern Flow Vineyards is the newest addition to the 1000 Islands Wine Trail. Owner Phil DeLuke said he couldn’t be
happier with his first season. “It’s exciting and something very new for us,” Mr. DeLuke said. “We’ve been growing plants here for 20 years — trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials — so we knew we are good at growing and coupled that with my wife’s and my love for wine.” Northern Flow Vineyards is located on the property of DeLuke’s Garden Center, two miles east of Clayton. DeLuke’s is a full-service garden center that serves the Thousand Islands region and has been in
O.D.
REENE
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business for more than 20 years. “We bought an additional 8 acres of land and it gave me the ability to grow grapes,” Mr. DeLuke said. It’s this additional land and the reputation of the nursery HARVEST EVENTS that he attributes to For a complete listing the success of their of this year’s harvest first year as Northevents please see our ern Flow Vineyards. Out & About calendar on page 7. The winery and garden center are located in the same building, something that Mr. DeLuke said is an interesting draw for some visitors. “They would come into the garden center for a hanging basket and leave with a bottle or case of wine after a tasting,” Mr. DeLuke said. The winery is also focused on developing drier wines, something that diversifies them from the traditional sweet Northern New York wine pallet. “We do both sweet and dry wines,”Mr. DeLuke said. “But I am a dry wine guy so we are putting emphasis on that.” The winery just released its ninth wine, with a few more left from last year’s harvest that need to be bottled and moved from tanks to make room for the harvest, which is now upon the winery. “It is harvest time, and we harvest by hand. This year we will only be harvesting 3 acres, which is a small harvest, but we are seeing great grapes this year,” Mr. DeLuke said. Though the winery will not be holding a harvest event at the property this year, Mr. DeLuke said he’s encouraged by the feedback and traffic it’s had at the new winery and looks forward to what his next year will bring.
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FOOD & DRINK
Sharpen math and science skills to improve your baking In my world, “The World According to Boo,” people who enjoy hanging out in the kitchen are divided into two distinct categories: baker or cook. It’s like being a morning person or a night person; you are either one or the other. Not many mortals can claim membership in both categories and few can brag about their airy soufflés, delicate flakey pate brisee, or melt-in-your-mouth crème caramel and their decadent steak au poivré with a cognac demi-glace, roast Turducken with mushroom duxelle, or sublime lobster risotto. Talent that enormous is only relegated to a select few and they are more like super heroes than real people. My mother was definitely a cook. Her fragrant chicken curry was world famous, OK, maybe not world famous, but certainly small-town Connecticut famous. She made a mean minestrone soup and a Julia Childcaliber duck liver pate. We enjoyed lovely dinners every night that included perfectly roasted chicken with crunchy salty skin and moist juicy meat, spicy lamb stew with delicate spring vegetables, homemade chicken and vegetable soup with fluffy egg noodles floating in the perfectly seasoned broth. She was a master in the kitchen, a model of culinary talents and creations but not a
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baker. As a child, I remember coming home from school to savory fragrances wafting through the entire house but I don’t ever recall my mother baking anything — not even the occasional chocolate chip cookies. Holiday pies always came from the grocery store and, on the rare occasion that we had dessert, it was ice cream. There are distinct personality characteristics that seem to determine whether you are a baker or a cook. While both cooking and baking can be very creative endeavors, baking is most definitely more of a science. Baking relies on chemical reactions and solid math skills. If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of baking powder using a half teaspoon is certain to result in failure. Swapping goat’s milk for buttermilk will lead to disappointment. Measurements must be accurate, ingredients exact. There is no room for independent thinkers, a.k.a. people who cannot follow directions, in the bakeshop. To be a successful baker one must be willing to play by the rules and follow guidelines implicitly. Cooking is a whole different story… while baking is exacting, cooking is easygoing. When cooking, there is always room to experiment and make changes to a recipe. If you depend
By BOO WELLS
on your senses, cooking can be relaxing and fun. Your sense of taste is critical. Taste as you cook. How else will you know if your culinary creation needs more salt? (Hint: it probably does.) Does it need more or less flavor? Use your sense of smell. Does your creation smell appetizing? Does it smell like it is done cooking? Or are you in need of a fire extinguisher? I depend on my sense of touch to tell when proteins are properly cooked and sense of hearing to know the proper stove temperature for sautéing vegetables. While all of your senses are important in the kitchen, common sense is truly the most critical. Trust your instincts and past culinary adventures, leave your sense of fear behind and everything will be fine. I have inherited my mother’s love of cooking and, in many instances, similar character traits. Following rules and taking directions are not always our strengths. Our math skills are almost nonexistent and even thinking chemistry makes me nauseous. She was clever and creative and brave enough to even try baking a pie. Boo Wells is chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. Contact her at sacketsfarm housekitchen@gmail.com or visit thefarmhousekitchen.com.
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TUCKER B. WELLS | NNY LIVING
Autumn apple pie
Pie filling
(Yeild: 6 to 8 servings)
Pie crust Ingredients 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1 teaspoon sugar 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water Instructions Put flour, salt, and sugar in bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and pulse to combine. Add butter, and process for about 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, tablespoon by tablespoon (1/4 to ½ cup), through the feed tube with machine running, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky do not over process or the pastry will be tough. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water. Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap, using a rolling pin to flatten into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 3/4 cup sugar, plus additional for pie top Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1½ teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg Pinch ground cloves ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large egg, beaten Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into two 1/8-inch thick circles to a diameter slightly larger than that of an 11-inch plate. Press one pastry circle into the pie plate. Instructions Place the other circle on waxed paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill all pastry until firm, about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, spices, and flour. Toss well. Spoon apples into pie pan. Dot with butter, and cover with remaining pastry circle. Cut several steam vents across top. Seal by crimping edges as desired. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack before serving.
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315-782-4910
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135 Keyes Avenue, Watertown, New York
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Historically speaking
Local Civil War veteran’s legacy lives on 60 years after death
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May 9 of last year marked the 150th anniversary of the end of the “Recent Unpleasantness”— Southern vernacular referencing the American Civil War. One would think that Northern New York would rank somewhat low on the list of places steeped in Civil War history, but alas, while the battles may have been fought far from the St. Lawrence River or the Tug Hill Plateau, men from across our great nation — and subsequently their communities — were indelibly marked by it. One of Jefferson County’s biggest, and ironically, perhaps least well known, claims to Civil War history lies in the person of Albert Henry Woolson. Mr. Woolson was the last surviving Union Army veteran. He also carries the somewhat dubious distinction of being the last surviving member of the Confederate or Union side whose veteran status is undisputed.* He was born on Feb. 11, 1847, to Willard and Caroline Baldwin Woolson in Antwerp, Jefferson County, N.Y. The family lived in Antwerp until Albert’s father, Willard Woolson, enlisted in the Civil War and was wounded in the Battle of Shiloh. He was met by his wife and son at the Army hospital in Windom, Minn., where he unfortunately succumbed to his wounds; after his death, his wife and son determined to not return to their homestead in New York and stayed on in Minnesota. Two years later, in 1864, young Albert enlisted in the Union Army himself, telling the army recruiter that he was born in 1846, which would have made him 18 — the minimum recruiting age for military service at the time. Mr. Woolson was accepted and slated
to serve as a drummer boy in Company C, of the 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment on Oct. 10, 1864 — nearly six months to the day when General Lee would surrender to General Grant in Virginia. After Lee’s surrender in April of 1865, Woolson’s company (which never saw action) was discharged on Sept. 7, 1865. Mr. Woolson stayed in Minnesota following his military service, working as a carpenter and an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic ( known colloquially as “the G.A.R.”)a powerful, politically active organization of Civil War veterans akin to today’s American Legion. Many towns had a local G.A.R. chapter, or “post” as they were commonly referred to. It may be noteworthy to mention here that Mr. Woolson’s death in 1956 also
By Lenka walldroff
marked the official disbanding of the G.A.R. Incidentally, the Jefferson County Historical Society houses a large collection of the Watertown G.A.R. Post’s records and artifacts. Mr. Woolson died on Aug. 2, 1956, at age 109. Having been twice widowed, he was survived by eight adult children. Albert Woolson was buried with full military honors by the National Guard in Park Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota. His passing was marked by President Dwight Eisenhower, who, according to the Aug. 3, 1956, issue of the St. Petersburg Times, said: “The American people have lost the last personal ink with the Union Army ... [Albert Woolson’s] passing brings sorrow to the hearts of all of us who cherished the memory of the brave men on both side of the War Between the States.” In August 1956, Life magazine ran a seven-page article about Albert Woolson and the G.A.R. On Sept. 12, 1956, a bronze statue of Woolson was dedicated near the Gettysburg battlefield in Ziegle’s Grove. The statue does not bear Woolson’s name, but that of the Grand Army of the Republic. Woolson’s likeness sits wearing his G.A.R. insignia, calmly surveying the battlefield. 3,000 people were in attendance for the dedication. *There were three men who survived him claiming to have fought in the Civil War. One of the three claims was discredited, the veracity of the other two could not be verified. Lenka P. Walldroff is the former curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum. She is a former museum specialist and conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. She lives in Jefferson County with her husband and two children.
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NNY Marketplace
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the nny life
By KATHY HIRSCHEY
A lucky Irish woman thankful for her strong Italian friends afraid, and have moments when I feel as though every part of my life is hovering over me. I take time to reflect. I stay with friends and visit family, laughing sometimes. I make one small decision, then another. The cloud of uncertainty is still there, but it’s smaller. I end up spending many nights on Pillar Point, on the shores of Lake Ontario, where the safest and most peaceful place is a cottage that belongs to a close friend who runs a local restaurant. He is gone many evenings when my energy for conversation wanes and I just need to cry or sit silently. The lake brings a sense of calm
and sunsets help me feel hopeful as the sky fills with glorious colors. I am healing. I can feel it. The cottage is on a road that locals call “Spaghetti Lane,” home to many Italian families who spend summers on the lake. Some nights, when I feel like being social, I walk down the road to visit my friend Sharon and her sisters, the Capone girls. I enjoy their banter and laughter. I spend lovely hours with them, sipping wine, watching the way they move, confident and happy as they talk to their husbands, taking in their lives. Their families are intact, their marriages appear solid. They give me a glimpse of what I long for and I put a little more distance between the guilty Irish woman who wishes she tried harder and the new woman I am trying to become. I live among the Italians. I like that that they are always offering food and getting to-
gether. They don’t seem to hunger for anything. Their lives are full and whole and I want to be one of them. I want to be happy. I eventually find a house to rent, a place where we can start to rebuild. It has good bones, like a woman with really high cheeks, or a solid wooden boat. It has a lot of warm light, and hardwood floors that gleam in the sunshine. There are big old trees that make me feel young when I look at them. It’s a good place to begin anew. It’s in The Flats, where many Italian families had their beginnings in Watertown. It’s a sign that I’m supposed to become a strong Italian woman. We Irish can survive a famine, but we feel guilty about those who didn’t fare so well or didn’t make it out. We own the pain of others and keep our mistakes and failures to ourselves, stringing them together on our secret laundry line where we keep it quiet. I don’t want to live like that. The struggles we face shouldn’t be seen as shameful secrets. We grow from being open and letting others see our truths. I want to hang my laundry out in the wind after it’s clean and wet and let it fly in the breeze under a warm sun. I am Irish, but I am also learning from my strong Italian friends. I will build a big, bursting life and stop working so hard to survive so I can begin to flourish. Soon, I will take risks and boldly live in a comfortable space where I don’t have to wonder about mistakes or search for reasons why I have failed. Perhaps the healing will come by Christmas, no later than Easter. I wish it was faster because the perfect ending would be Columbus Day. It would have tied in so well with an Italian theme. Kathleen Smith Hirschey is a north country native who lives in Watertown. She works in the human service field and spends her spare time writing, trying to become a better cook, attempting to outwit her teenage son and dreaming of the day when she can live on a beach. Check out her blog Kathleenuntitled.wordpress.com, or email her at Kathleenmon1@hotmail.com. Her column appears in every issue.
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My name is Kathleen Erin. I am an Irish girl and I know the Irish are strong. My ancestors survived the Potato Famine, which is how my family came to live in this country. They were empty, and tired, and starving. I am separating from my husband, an Army officer who gave me the gift of an amazing son. We are both good people who love each other. We have worked hard to save our marriage, but finally came to the painful realization that sometimes the soil you’re trying to plant things in is too drained and too dry to sustain new growth. We’ve tried but we are empty, and tired, and starving. So I set off to find a new place where my son and I could find peace as we take time to adjust to the difficult new reality of an ending. As I think and wonder about the best place for us to land, I try to see it as a new beginning. I am numb and scared and incredibly sad. There are moments when I feel paralyzed as if my body and soul are frozen. I get up, explore and research. I consider Florida and spend time looking at jobs and schools in North Carolina. I think about my son who is 15 and has three years left in high school. I think about home, my native north country, where winter is cold and long but there are people and family who love us. When you’ve lived the Army lifestyle for nearly two decades, it’s not easy to decide where you will land for three years, a long time by military standards. I don’t want to make a mistake with my son. I also want to rebuild my life. I am not quite ready to put all my hopes and dreams into the boy who will soon leave me for a life of adopting cats. I want to find a new beginning for both of us, a place where we can grow up a little and spring back out into the world when we’re ready. My son and I decide that the north country, with the lake, its friendly people and a built-in support system is the best place for us now. We return home in the early part of summer with no house and our belongings still in Pennsylvania, waiting to be packed once we’ve found a place to live. I’m still worried and sometimes
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