Tuesday

It's TRASH Day!

( -- in more ways than one, because Blogspot is not letting me "compose" a post without using html - and that's time-consuming! There is, however, at least one thing that I want to bring to you: the following letter ......... )

"I would like to graciously thank the Waterville area community for all your love, support, cards, prayers, and contributions you've given me through this trying time. A very special thank you to those who traveled to Canandaigua to attend the benefit dinner in October. Seeing so many people from my hometown was a wonderful surprise. I am very fortunate to have grown up in such a tight knit community. Again, thank you all so much.

Sincerely,
Jill (Heidel) Winter & Family

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32.5 degrees with just a trace of new snow.

From WKTV: " ......... a heavy band of lake snow, actually connected to Lake Erie, will overspread the northern and central Tug Hill Region. Most of the heavy snow will remain out of our viewing area, but at times, heavier lake snows may drift into Southern Lewis/Northern Oneida and northern Herkimer Counties. Temperatures will be in the 30s tomorrow. Clouds begin to diminish a bit as we go into Tuesday Night. This should lead to a nice day Wednesday, with a mix of sun and clouds (with a tendancy toward increasing cloudiness) and highs in the low 40s. Those clouds will be out ahead of a new weather system that will drag a very strong cold front across the region Thursday.

A year ago now, we were being visited by thousands of Snow Geese, but - then - there wasn't any snow and the pond behind the Moon residence on Madison Street was open: now there's snow, and ice.

Yesterday was a lovely "spring" day and the sky remained clear late into the evening - long enough for Val Schenk and me to each take pictures of the moon with its companions, Venus and Jupiter.

(Click the link for more information and the history of "the Star in the East.")

*******

I made a point of driving along White Street to see the results of Sunday's work by the Petrie lighting crew: dazzling!

Between the Petries and the Neffs, on Babbott Avenue, I don't believe that there are any more mini-lights to be found in Waterville!

******

Although I have more photographs, I'm now unable to upload them.

I'm going to post this and try to continue later this morning.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Have a Good Day!

Monday

TO KENNY DITCH
(yesterday)

and

MIKE DITCH
(today!)

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It's Garbage Day!

35.6 degrees; no precipitation, but "slurpy" -

much better than yesterday afternoon's session of freezing rain!

WKTV predicts that: "Temperatures will surge into the low 40s across many locations, with some breaks of sunshine possible. The back edge of the storm looks to miss us far to the west. However, we do expect some snow or rain showers on Monday, not really adding up to much at all. Some lake effect will continue well north of the Mohawk Valley Monday night into Tuesday, with the potential for significant accumulations across Northern Oneida County and the Tug Hill. Finally, a break in the weather for Wednesday, but not for long. A strong cold front moves in on Thursday, giving us some snow squalls, lake effect, and chilly temperatures lasting into next weekend."


It doesn't look as if it's going to be clear this evening, but if it is, sky-watchers will be delighted!
Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon will put on a bright display!

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On Saturday afternoon, making a routine stop at Foodking, I stopped to listen to the Mammone Family Singers, who were starring at the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle" post in the parkinglot.

New decorations and wintertime headgear at Joan Albert's front door on East Bacon Street.

A long, long garland hangs on the picket fence in front of the Harding residence on Tower Street.

The lighting crew at the Petrie residence on White Street was at work yesterday afternoon.

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VILLAGE BOARD MEETING tonight at 7:00 at Municipal Hall

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In the mail - a nice letter from John and Ann Cockell of Chelmsford, England, who wrote:

"As always, it has been a real joy to be in Waterville where the people are so kind and friendly, the stores, restaurants, gas station, bank and post office all make you so welcome and the weather is - well - interesting!! We have thoroughly enjoyed our visit, being here for Thanksgiving, seeing the parade and watching the town prepare for Christmas and we thank all those with whom we have come into contact for their friendship.

We will continue to follow the blog each day with great interest - and will no doubt continue to be envious as gas prices fall over here. Just as a comparison, in the UK we are currently paying around $6 a gallon, the price having been as high as $9 - and you think YOU pay high prices!"

Here's a tip:

Ron Bornick, from Clinton, writes that "Using a 'discount coupon' good on Tuesdays and Saturdays, gas was $1.949 (including the discount) at Stewart's on Rt 12B between Clinton and New Hartford."

***********************

TRAVEL SAFELY, AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Saturday

At 7:45, it's 31.8 degrees and snowing gently.

******************

I took a ride through the village, yesterday afternoon, finding more and more lights on every street!

Above: the Holics' on W. Bacon Street.


On W. Main Street .......




....... on E. Main Street .....


......... and on Babbott Avenue, South.

******

At a little after 6:00 P.M., yesterday - not long before the Parade of Lights was set to begin - it was a relative balmy and very comfortable 34 degrees and Main Street, from the Park to the Fire House, was packed with parade-watchers. (It looked more like "Cruise-in" or even Firemen's Field Days than in recent, colder, years!)

At 6:30, the new wreaths and spiraling garlands on our Victorian lamp posts came to life with (what I believe is) the cool-white glow of LED mini-lights. (The only person who had seen them all lit, before then, was DPW Superintendent Jamie Bechy, who had tested them at 4:30 that MORNING!)

Waterville Fire Department

I was on Park Place, during the Parade, where the view of all of the vehicles and floats was much better than indicated by my photographs! (Taking pictures at night of moving lights is .... well ....
never as successful as I'd like it to be!)

The Street Sweeper.

?

The Harding Nursing Home float - a giant cake with fiber-optic candles, celebrated the Parade of Lights' twentieth anniversary!

Even when the Parade had ended - it was shorter than in some other years - the crowds stayed, waiting for more!

One of the many pictures that I took that were, simply, nearly beyond recognition, was of Santa and Mrs. Claus, riding in a sleigh pulled by ...... well: the reindeer were tired and alternative "deer-power" was substituted! But they were followed to the Fire House by so many children who wanted to confide their Christmas Wishes to them that, according the Pat Louise, Editor of The Waterville Times, the line of hopefuls and their parents reached out of the Fire House and all the way 'round the corner to the old library building! (You can be sure of finding some of her photographs in next week's issue of "The Times!")

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It's been several years since that tree at the point of Monument Park has been lit - it has outgrown its strands of lights and is probably much taller than any of those who planted it in 1940 thought it would ever be!

- And while I was digging through history, I found this draft of a Christmas Card that I thought of using several years ago ..............

Once upon a time, back in the 1970’s, before the “old” Christmas Tree became too large
to decorate and before anyone complained that religious displays might be “offensive” and should be banned, this “Christmas Cross” was set up each year on the point of Monument Park - a guest of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Association. It was sponsored by the Waterville Clergy Association, designed by Doug Sexton and built by Rev. Dean Shaw and Dick Brown.

One year, it was damaged in storage and was never replaced.

Is it too late to do that, now?

****************

If you hurry!

MADISON — The Madison United Methodist Church will hold a pancake breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 7-11 a.m. at the church.

There will be pancakes, sausage, home fries, scrambled eggs and orange juice and coffee. The breakfast is all you can eat. The cost will be $5 for adults and $3 for children age 5-12 years of age.

Later on!

MUNNSVILLE — St. Therese’s Church will hold its annual spaghetti dinner on Sunday, Nov. 30 from noon to 3 p.m. at the church hall, Route 46.

The menu will include spaghetti, salad bar and homemade pies for dessert. The cost will be $6 for adults, $4 for children younger than 12 and free for children younger than 5.

FOR THE RECORD


(While I was in Ballston Lake, north of Schenectady, my son-in-law pointed out a gas station sign that read "$1.99.9"!)

LOOKING AHEAD


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NEXT WEEK

From Library Director Jeff Reynolds: "We'll be showing eight really nice Adirondack images, inspired by the time that the Gales spend at their Raquette Lake retreat. All available for purchase directly from Gail. She'll also have samples of her latest notecards, which can be purchased from her."

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Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wednesday

It's Recyclables Day!
27.9 and starry-clear.

WKTV predicts that: "Accumulations will be light/inconsequential across the area. (Wednesday) night, additional lake snow will develop on southwest winds, well north of even Boonville. That should remain put up north through Thanksgiving Evening, before dropping south into the North Country perhaps on Thanksgiving Night. Travel should be relatively calm and clear both Wednesday and Thursday. The only exceptions may be in and around the Lowville and Watertown areas, as well as far southwestern New York toward Jamestown. Travel to New England, Pennsylvania, downstate or the Mid Atlantic should be trouble-free."

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Light snow fell throughout most of yesterday, and while more "snowflakes" appeared on Main Street ............

.......... and a star gleamed above a lighted creche at the Gilchrists' on Madison Street .......

........... villagers dealt with the less-than-lovely side of the season!

*********************

This morning, everything is frosted!

There'll be more shoveling to do!

However ......

.......... the weather won't keep me from going to Ballston Lake to see Allison and her husband, Rick, and my grandson Iain (and his new puppy, Juniper!)

***********

Have a Great Day, tomorrow!


Travel safely, and

remember that

THE PARADE OF LIGHTS

starts at 6:30

on Friday.

************

If you lived in Waterville in 1988, you cannot have forgotten the first Parade of Lights! (And if you've come to the village since then, you should know the story of this celebration because it is something very special, here: it's a celebration not just of the season but a Celebration of Community - Our Community!)

It was earlier that year that both Rusty Manion and his wife Kitty passed away. Their daughter Darcy and three sons - Sandy, Jeffrey and Michael - were bereft with the loss of both parents and, at the same time, completely overwhelmed with the kindnesses shown them by everyone in the community. One day, Darcy was having coffee with her friends Linda Nichols and Patsy Hill and she said, "I wish there was something we could do to say 'Thank You!' to everyone!" "Thank You notes," she said, "seemed just too inadequate." It occurred to them that perhaps they could do something that hadn't been done in several years - a fun surprise for the village: they could arrange to have lights put on the Big Tree at the point of Monument Park and have it lit! And there would be a parade - fire engines and floats and children all carrying flashlights! - that would lead the way to the tree when the lights were finally to be turned on! And each of the girls told one or two people who told one or two more and in six weeks' time - in an unanticipated avalanche of generosity and cooperation, $5,000 was raised; the Clinton Fire Department's ladder truck came to string the lights, the power company donated equipment and time, the Municipality chipped in, fire companies in all the neighboring communities sent units to be in the parade and ........... well........ the rest is history. The floats became more imaginative and brighter. When it was deemed impossible to have the highschool band march and play (sometimes it's been so cold and stormy that just the thought of putting a flute or trumpet mouthpiece to one's lips caused pain!) the floats were actually wired for sound!

Here are a few pictures from the 2006 Parade!




And every year, the Parade gets better!

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FOR THE RECORD

Tuesday

It's 33 degrees with light snow falling.

Several schools in the area are closed,

but NOT Waterville.

WKTV predicts that: "Wet snow and rain will taper to some light snow showers and flurries (Tuesday) afternoon and evening. We'll see a scattering of snow showers and flurries from time to time both Wednesday and for Thanksgiving with high temperatures in the mid to upper 30's. Any accumulations in this timeframe should be light to minimal. A colder shot of air is expected by the weekend."

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In my morning E-mail, this welcome letter that reads:

"Greetings from Boston!!"

"We just want to say thank you to all of you in the community! We are not only amazed by what the doctors are doing here but we are equally amazed at what everyone is doing for us back home. We can't begin to show our appreciation for all the support that you have given us through this. It is really helping us get through all of this knowing all the people that care. We are very lucky to live in a community with such great people. A special thank you to all that helped out and made the benefit happen.

David is feeling tired and nauseous and does not want to eat or drink anything(as hard as that is to believe). He did manage to eat a couple of pancakes this afternoon which the doctors were happy about. They are giving him several antibiotics and an IV of anti rejection medicine right now with more to come soon. It is expected that he will feel his worse in the coming days before the new bone marrow takes. The doctors are very pleased with his progress so far.

The boys are coming out here on Wednesday and will be with us on Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!! "

Lynne and David Lemery

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I've just received this E-mail from Kevin Ford:

"I have had the honor of attending the New York State Conference on Leadership and Student Activities in Saratoga Springs with 3 Waterville students and 10 of my own Poland students. The Waterville students have racked up some very prestigous honors. Emily Gallagher was one of five students selected from 800 students in attendance for the Dale Hawley Leadership Award, and was also re-elected to represent Oneida, Madison, Herkimer, and Otsego counties on NYS CLSA State Board. Alex Meszler was selected to receive the Student Leadership Recognition award, he was also one of 5 students honored with this award out of 800 in attendance. The Waterville students also placed 3rd in the banner competition and 2nd in the Scavenger Hunt out of 57 NYS schools. Waterville was also selected to the NYS CLSA Honor Council. They are one of the 2 schools to have received this honor every year that it has been awarded. Waterville should be very proud of these students for their involvement with student council that has brought great honor to our small community.

Thank you,

Kevin Ford

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I waited 'til it was very dark, yesterday afternoon, for the lights on Main Street to turn on - no such luck ........

.... but I found new displays on Tower Street, at the Pumilias' ........

........... and on Sanger Hill Road.


Pam Brown has begun decorating her Babbott Avenue porch ........


... and the windows of the "Wheeler Block" glowed.

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In this morning's O-D I found this article, which will be of interest to many Watervillians: "Route 12B Changes Called Off in Clinton."

Also, the Oneida Indian Nation Land Trust is in the news, again.

**************************************

FOR THE RECORD

(Click for link.)

The storm is moving in a northerly direction and should be out of here in an hour or so.

In the meantime,

Drive Carefully, and have a Great Day!