L I v I ng NN Y
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JUNE / JULY 2013 Volume 2 No. 4
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ARTS
T I Arts Center plans ironworks exhibit
FOOD
Prepare a rustic vegetable galette
GARDEN
Control pests with a natural solution
TRAVEL
Kingston calls for cross-border fun
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>> Inside JUNE /JULY ’13 27
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44 44 COVER STORY | 36 NORTH COUNTRY TRIVIA From the TI Bridge to Sugar Ray Robinson, every NNYer should know these 51 things. |
WELLNESS | 23 GET A JUMP START How to sustain motivation on the route to a healthy lifestyle. |
THIS IS NNY 32 FLAGS FLYING STRONG A snapshot of patriotism in action in the north country. |
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FEATURES | 44 A HOME SANCTUARY A look inside one of the region’s fanciest man caves.
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47 GET UP, STAND UP Examining the sport of stand-up paddle boarding.
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FOOD | 54 VEGETABLE GOODNESS Rustic vegetable galette is an easy way to combat the woes of an overfull fridge. |
FOOD | 56 SOUTH AMERICA TO YOU The Clipper Inn’s chef has traveled far and wide for his winning empanada recipe. |
ARTS | 50 STRIKE WHILE IT’S HOT A former teacher is a master of the art of ironworking. HISTORY | 48 TURNING 196 THIS JULY The Jefferson County Fair is the longest continually operating fair in the country. GARDEN | 48 THOSE PESKY PESTS How to use natural remedies to combat pests and enjoy the fruits of your healthy garden. |
MY NNY | 52 WINDMILLS INSPIRE AWE A perspective on the Tug Hill. |
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DESTINATION | 27 CLOSE TO HOME ESCAPE Kingston has waterfront fun, history and local foods galore. |
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Clockwise from top left: Ontario and Market streets, downtown. The Royal Military College. City Hall. The Wolfe Island Ferry passes Fort Henry. The Grand Theatre. Kingston Public Market.
36 HOURS
Discover a world away just across the border in Kingston ‘Limestone City’ offers culture, cuisine and charm
TEXT BY NNY LIVING STAFF | PHOTOS COURTESY TOURISM KINGSTON north country, don’t forget that entry into Canada requires a valid U.S. Passport or an enhanced New York State driver’s license. Visit www.dhs.gov to learn more. 2 P.M. FRIDAY, STRETCH YOUR LEGS AND TAKE A WALKING TOUR Upon arriving in Kingston, a short walking tour is a great way to get a taste of the breadth of the city’s cultural and historic attractions. Earl Street, one of the oldest streets in Kingston, is ideal for a short walk, with its range of old homes, some originally built for the wealthy and some built to house factory workers. King Street, which boasts a number of sprawling stone mansions adorned with intricate turrets, gables and chimneys, is another great street to stroll down. If you’re looking for a more cultural walk, check out Ontario Street. Starting at the Visitor Information Center, you can walk to City Hall, a mag-
nificent building constructed in 1842 with an imposing façade that was built to face the waterfront because most visitors to the city arrived by boat at the time. Free, guided tours of the building, which was fully restored in the 1970s, are available in the summer. Also on Ontario Street is the impressive stone building that was once the K&P Railroad station (now the Tourist Information Office), the Grand Trunk (or “inner”) railway station and various impressive hotels built in the 19th Century, including the Prince George Hotel, which is actually three different buildings concealed by one façade. William Street, on the west edge of commercial Kingston, also makes an interesting walk for those interested in architecture —you can see how apartment building designs evolved and also check out the architecture of early Queen’s University buildings. Visitor Information Center, 209 Ontario St., www.kingstoncanada.com.
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LOCATED WHERE THE ST.LAWRENCE River and the Rideau Canal meet Lake Ontario, you’ll find Kingston, a city boasting a heritage that blends the beauty of the past with the many modern amenities of a larger, metropolitan area. From its urban core, Canada’s first capital sparkles with relaxed boutiques and bistros while its waterfront teems with a mix of historic neighborhoods and pristine parkland. All of this in a city less than an hour or two from most points in Northern New York. Indeed, this cross-border city delights with 19th century limestone architecture and attractions of a major hub, but retains an affable small-town charm. The Limestone City, as it is known, offers a wide range of activities sure to appeal to an even wider range of interests, including world-class entertainment, culture and delectable dining. While you won’t feel like you are a world away across the lake or river from the
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THIS IS NNY
Memorial moments F
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The north country honors its veterans, remembers their sacrifice for others
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in J cor rife exp Da bes fee chi con ties
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or many Northern New Yorkers, patriotism isn’t something to just express on the Fourth of July — it’s a sentiment that runs deep and is expressed year-round. With Flag Day June and Independence Day around the rner, it seems that the summer months are e with the patriotic feeling and its creative pression. We dug through the Watertown aily Times archives to find some of the st examples of patriotism in action. The eling is expressed by all walks of life, from ildren to veterans and from those deeply nnected to the military to those with no s other than a desire to support the troops.
They’re proof that as a region, regardless of political or religious beliefs, we’re united by something greater, more meaningful and more lasting — a sense of connection to our country and its promise of freedom. Clockwise from top left:Memorial Day ceremony at Sentinel Gazebo last year in downtown Sackets Harbor reflects in the helmet of American Legion member Jason H. Shattuck. Just in time for Memorial Day weekend in 2006, Cape Vincent Public Works employee William E. Gippe attaches a stanchion to secure the flag. Makenza K. Gardner, 12, sister, Ashlyn R., 5, and grandparents, Mark W. and Ellen M. Gardner, Abington, Mass., watch for Sgt. Ryan R. Gardener during the 2011 homecoming
for the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Drum’s Wheeler Sack Army Airfield. Capt. David D. Chamberlain pins medals onto World War II veteran Wilbur Hallie Schu, 87, during this year’s Memorial Day ceremony in Henderson. Mr. Schu earned the medals during his service, but had not received them. People line the guardrail next to Lake Ontario, seeking the best view of Fourth of July fireworks in Sackets Harbor last year. A boy participating in the Adams Independence Day parade rolls down the street last year in a toy Mustang.
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PHOTOS BY AMANDA MORRISON, JUSTIN SORENSEN AND NORM JOHNSTON | NNY LIVING
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51 THINGS COVER STORY
EVERY NORTHERN NEW YORKER
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SHOULD KNOW
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Whether you’re a transplant or a native, a seasonal resident or a year-rounder, there is much to learn about the north country. Here are some basic facts to help you discover the depth of our region. BY LEAH BULETTI AND KEN EYSAMAN
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St. Lawrence County is New York’s largest geographically, but ranks 25th in population with 111,944 people recorded in the 2010 census. There are six locks in the St. Lawrence River portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway. From downstream to upstream they are: St. Lambert Lock, Ste. Catherine Lock, Beauharnois Locks, Snell Lock, Eisenhower Lock and Iroquois Lock.
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The St. Lawrence River is 744 miles long with 76 miles of shoreline along St. Lawrence County’s western edge. Approximately 12 percent of the North American continent is drained by the St. Lawrence River system.
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Yes, there really are 1,000 islands in the 1000 Islands. In fact, there are 1,864 in the archipelago, ranging in size from over 40 square miles to small islands with only a single residence. To be considered an island, the land must be a) surrounded by water b) above water all year long and c) support at least one tree.
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Located on Heart Island, the iconic Boldt Castle is a gildedage love story: The construction came to a sudden halt in 1904 after the death of George Boldt’s wife, Louise Kehre Boldt. Mr. Boldt was in the midst of building what was planned to be one of the largest private homes in America. After 73 years, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired Boldt Castle as a gift and has continued renovations on it to this day. This year’s renovation project is the Butler’s Pantry.
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Adams native J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day. Mr. Morton served as President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture and was widely respected as an agriculturist; he planted numerous rare varieties of trees, including heirloom apple trees, at his 52room mansion in Nebraska. On the first
Arbor Day on April 10, 1872 an estimated one million trees were planted.
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The renowned Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam has produced classical and contemporary artists including the likes of John O’Reilly, Michael J. Colburn and Renée Fleming.
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Snow Ridge Ski Resort in the Lewis County town of Turin boasts the heaviest annual snowfall in the East, setting a record of 374 inches in one year. The resort, which has 130 skiable acres, averages 230 inches of snowfall annually.
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The 1000 Islands Bridge turns 75 on Aug. 18. It took only 18 months to build in 1937, with a cost of $3,050,000. When it opened in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister William Mackenzie King participated in its opening ceremony. The bridge’s iron frame and steel cables are original. While it only had about 150,000 crossings annually in its early years, today more than two million vehicles cross it annually.
ARTS
Forging a masterpiece
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Iron craftsman John Scarlett to headline TI Arts Center exhibit
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TEXT BY NORAH MACHIA | PHOTOS BY MELANIE KIMBLER-LAGO
IT WASN’T UNTIL AGE 38THAT JOHN Scarlett, a former teacher, picked up his first blacksmith hammer. Just two years later, he opened his shop, “Little Tree Forge,” in Rossie. “I was hoping to gross $1,000 that first year” in 1983, he said. He has since been able to make a successful living with his craft, creating custom-designed ironwork, reproductions of 18th- and 19th-century ironwork and repairing hand-forged works. In the past 30 years, Mr. Scarlett has designed many original decorative art pieces commissioned by individuals who have shared his passion for the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands. He has adopted a “one-of-akind” approach, working closely with each customer, taking in the surrounding setting and the architecture and sharing his expertise to create unique pieces of art. “I design it first, and then I worry about
how to make it,” Mr. Scarlett said. “I challenge myself with every new piece.” His works have included meticulously crafted fireplace screens and accessories, sundials, sculptures, door hardware, weathervanes, hanging lamps, gates and railings.
The public will have the opportunity to view some of Mr. Scarlett’s pieces firsthand at an exhibit titled “Strike
till the Iron is Art,” which runs Aug. 2 through Aug. 10 at the Thousands Islands Arts Center, Clayton. Admission to the museum is free, although donations are accepted. The Thousand Island Arts Center, 314 John St., is also known as the Home of the Handweaving Museum because of its vast collection of hand-woven textiles and fabrics from several prominent weavers nationwide. But the museum’s rotating exhibits and ongoing classes incorporate a variety of artwork and craftsmanship, executive director Rebecca L. Hopfinger said. “Heritage arts are more than just weaving for us,” she said. “Our exhibits vary greatly.” The upcoming exhibit by Mr. Scarlett, whom she referred to as a “high caliber forger,” will feature pieces of his work borrowed from private homes, along with a photography display of his craftsmanship. Mr. Scarlett’s will not only introduce
Master forger John Scarlett sculpts a leaf out of iron in his workshop at his Rossie home. Opposite page, Mr. Scarlett shapes a scroll out of a leaf stem.