Saturday Alarm

The siren rang around midnight. Andy Gillete, who lives right next door to the old "Putnam Hall" Mill building, said there was a huge "WHUMP!!! The whole house shook and it sounded like ten tons of snow falling off the roof." But he knew, right away, just what had happened.

The frame addition to the brick structure, already sagging, finally just collapsed, taking some brickwork of the larger building with it.

An emergency meeting of Village Officials took place this morning.

And, on the eastern side of the building, a portion of the Mansard roof threatens to fall.

Saturday!

49 degrees; not raining!

..but it looks, according to Weather.com, as if it'll be drippy, again.

That won't have any effect on the

MUSIC BOOSTERS BOTTLE DRIVE

this morning from 9 - noon.

.... but it might effect the game between the Yankees and Redsox that's scheduled for 3:55 this afternoon in the Bronx!

There's already a "lake" of Blue Scilla next to the Burback residence on Sanger Avenue and several more small ponds of the same plant elsewhere in the village.


Is this a beach?

One doorway at a time, Dan Maine & Co. have been refurbishing and painting the doors at SouthGate Ministries - the old Presbyterian Church - on Main Street.

And as the new siding goes on, we know that the answer is: "White!"

********

We seem to be having more of the "case of the disappearing pictures" and some blog-followers have even lost "Huddle" completely! I'm not sure what the answer to these problems is, but I'll try to keep tabs on the situation, today.

Whatever you do, have a Great Day!

Friday afternoon

Here's our ancient Elm Tree. It seems to have survived the trauma of construction, two years ago. You can see the one bare twig in the very center of the crown. With the sort of rain we've been having, the tree should at least start the season in good shape, considering its age!

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Headlines

from the front page of this week's issue of

The Waterville Times

Blood Drive - There will be a blood drive in honor of Ryan Still on Monday, April 30th from noon 'til 5:00 P.M. at the Oriskany Falls Fire House.

Law Day Has Activities - Paul Hadley is coordinating activities for the Madison County Bar Association's observance of Law Day on May 1.

St. Mary's Chrch Will Close in Mid-August - Bishop James Moynihan of the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse announced last Saturday that St. Mary's Church in North Brookfield will have its last Mass on August 16.

Waterville Adopts 2007-2008 Budget - The Waterville Village Board approved a budget of $741,190 with an $8.60 per assessed $1,000 tax rate.

Oriskany Falls Plans Informal Census - Mayor Doug Smoral said that the 2000 U.S. Census showed that the village had just 687 people. "We think that's not the correct number. It seems too small," he said.

Step it Up - photo story. Sixteen people gathered on the steps of the United Church of Christ in Deansboro, on April 14, to call on Congress to adopt legislation that will set the country on a course to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Storm Damages Town's Computers - The Town of Augusta lost two computers, a printer, radio equipment and a copier due to a power shortage from the April 16 snow storm.

Candidates File Petitions - Candidates for the May 15 school board elections have filed their petitions to run.

Ag Events Promoted - The Oneida County Agriculture Economic Development Program received a state agri-tourism grant of $43,450.

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

Don't Forget the

MUSIC BOOSTERS BOTTLE DRIVE

tomorrow from 9:00 'til noon

and the

SPAGHETTI SUPPER at the HIGH SCHOOL

from 4:30 - 7:00.

Proceeds will be used to defray expenses for members of the Waterville Marching Band on their trip to Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July Parade!

Friday morning

It's 46 degrees.

Going to be drippy.

Yesterday was quite nice and - besides doing some flowerbed cleanup - I took Mrs. Davis' advice and drove over to Oriskany Falls and then northward on Route 12B to VanHyning Road to see the house that's being built, there. It's right at the foot of the hill and was once the Miller residence. It's large! And hearsay has it that it will be a Bed & Breakfast!

Municipal Hall was the first building to have
mown lawns; now it's the first to have dandelions!


The Great Blue Heron are back. There's one - right in the center of this picture - looking for all the World like a stick of dead wood, patiently waiting to catch something in the little pond on Sanger Hill Road.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have returned to Whiskey Hollow - right on schedule. I havn't seen it, yet, but I've heard one: they find any and all sorts of metal - like our barn roof and the township signs - to tap on, signalling their territory.

The Yankees and Redsox begin a three-game weekend series in the Bronx on Friday evening.

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

There's a nice article in today's Observer-Dispatch about Elm-planting projects in Utica and other cities.

DOT Landscape Architect Paul Evans will be in town next Monday staking locations for quite a number of new street trees that will be planted during the next few weeks. His list does include the "Accolade Elm." I noticed, yesterday, that Waterville's one big, old elm tree - the one in front of the Fire House - appears to be alive except for a couple of smallish, twiggy branches. I'll take a picure of it, today.

*******

WKTV Newschannel 2 reports on former Vice-president Al Gore's talk at Hamilton College, last night.

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

I'll post Headlines from this week's issue of The Waterville Times, later on, but wanted to make sure that this - also in the Times - reaches all of you:

How can I possibly say “Thank You!” to all of you?

Dr. Chabot and everyone in his office, as well as the many at the Harding Nursing Home who cared for Dick - and me - all did so with the most remarkably gentle, kind efficiency. My daughter Allison and her family have been supportive and helpful beyond description, and Patty Louise, in her eloquent article, gave all of us a lasting memory of "Rf" to hold on to.

I simply can't find the right words to express my enormous appreciation and gratitude for all of the compassion and generosity shown me during Dick's illness and since his death. I have been overwhelmed - and humbled - by all of it and can only say that I shall try to follow his energies with my own and, in my own way, attempt to give back to the Waterville Community all that it gave to Dick and me for so many years.

Allison and I will be setting a date for Dick's “damned fine party” so that those friends who are still away right now will be able to attend, and then we'll let all of you know when and where it will take place! Allison, Rick, Iain and I, as well as some of our "East Coast" relatives and friends, will look forward to seeing all of you, then!

God Bless you All!

Sincerely, Philippa Brown

******

"The Kids" are coming for the weekend!

You Have a good day!

Thursday morning

It's Garbage Day!

32.5 degrees, and - according to WKTV - we're looking at several days of "April Showers."

• Today: Morning fog, followed by mostly cloudy skies with showers possible late in the day. High 60
• Tonight: Cloudy with rain, possibly a thunderstorm. Low 48
• Friday: Cloudy with morning rain, tapering off to showers. Showers and a few storms possible during the day. High 63 Low 48
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy with rain showers. High 58 low 43
• Sunday: Mostly cloudy with rain showers. High 59 low 44

It was a gray day, yesterday, but this Forsythia bush on Berrill Avenue made a nice bright spot!

It must have been a good day for fishing, for there were several cars parked next to Big Creek. I was going to take a picture of a couple but then thought, "No! That would give away someone's favorite place, and that would not be good!"


At the corner of Barton Avenue and White Street - watch for new siding .....

and a new planting on Main Street!

Tonight at Hamilton College: "Former Vice-president Al Gore will speak about Global Warming."

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

The Yankees-Toronto game was postponed due to heavy rain, but..

Have a good day!

Wednesday morning

It's Recyclables Day!

A chilly 34.2 degrees, but warming up later on.

From WKTV:

• Today: Partly sunny with a brief shower possible this afternoon...especially along and south of the NYS Thruway. High 58
• Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 35
• Thursday: Mix of sun & clouds. High 63 low 43
• Friday: Cloudy with rain likely. High 59 Low 44
• Saturday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. High 58 Low 43
• Sunday: Partly sunny. High 62 low 41

Also on the WKTV website, Lee Center Damage Caused by Microburst. If you've lived in Waterville for more than nine years you know what those are like!

And, more than likely, if you live in the countryside, you'll share this concern:WKTV NEWS: Farmers concerned about losing local farms.

It was another fine day for Spring Cleaning, yesterday.
The DPW was out, sweeping the streets...

and picking up and raking the Park!

Shirley Kellogg said that she heard "Peepers" for the first time on Sunday, and the first bunch of Pulmonaria - or "lungwort" - bloomed yesterday.

*********

I had a telephone call, yesterday, from Sharry Whitney of Mohawk Valley Living - the weekly television series that visited Waterville twice, a year-and-a-half ago, and who plan on coming back here in the next few weeks! They'll be writing to the owners of "Sanger Hill" - which was in great disrepair when they last saw it - to try and arrange a visit. I'm sure they'll want to look at our new Library and, perhaps, climb back up to the bell tower to hear the bells - silenced by a blue tarp, back then. I'll make sure that they have a photo of one of the new "Welcome to Waterville" signs and ALSO make sure that they know that the WCS Marching Band will be representing New York State in Washington, D.C., on the Fourth of July! Any other "must-see" suggestions?

This coming Sunday "Mohawk Valley Living" will be in Deansboro! Watch the show at 7:30 A.M. on WKTV; at 10:00 A.M. on CW (Channel 11) or at 12:05 A.M., again, on WKTV.

Tuesday afternoon

Guess who's been listening to his very own Singing Balloon!

BOB TREEN!

********

If you stop in at the Home Shoppe he'll
probably let you sing a chorus or two, too!

Tuesday morning

It's 46 degrees and gray. We did have some rain, last night, and I heard the wind blowing a little, but according to this morning's O-D, we were lucky!


"Storm Knocks out Power for Thousands"

I was going to ask, "I wonder who will be the first to mow their lawn?" but that question's already been answered by the sight of the straight green swaths on the lawn at Municipal
Hall!

(photo from Google images.)

As soon as hepaticas bloom in the Fuess-Cleary Road woods, the tiny little Spring Beauties follow.

In his classic culinary field guide, "Stalking the Wild Asparagus," Euell Gibbons wrote a charming chapter on the edible tubers of this plant, which measure anywhere from half-an-inch to an inch or more in diameter. He remarked that the "spuds" don't really taste like potatoes at all but rather are sweeter in flavor, like boiled chestnuts, though with a softer, smoother texture.

However, even back in 1970, Gibbons sounded a note of caution and restraint. He warned against overharvesting the tubers in the wild and diminishing the plants' flowering display. "The tubers are good food for the body," he wrote, "but after a long winter, the pale-rose flowers in early spring are food for the soul."

(I did try digging and cooking a very small amount, once: and once was enough!)

I found Diane and Kevin Bancroft putting a new sign on the Bulletin Board in the Park:

SATURDAY, APRIL 28

the

MUSIC BOOSTERS

will sponsor a

BOTTLE DRIVE
from 9:00 'til noon

and a

SPAGHETTI SUPPER
at the High School

from 4:30 to 7:00


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

I really missed the boat and forgot to promote EARTH DAY, which, of course, took place on Sunday.

At least a couple of people were willing to do their part: Dick and Sandy Martin, down in Sangerfield started at the underpass on Route 12 and worked to the corner of 12 and 20. Sandy wrote, "Just on our side of the street we picked up a wheelbarrow full of cardboard, a large garbage bag full of garbage and a smaller bag full of cans and bottles. Right now it looks good but it probably won't stay that way for long. It was nice to be out in the sun and we enjoyed ourselves but wish it was something that didn't have to be done."

Thank You both!

Fortunately, there's no law that says that this sort of thing can ONLY take place on "Earth Day!" and "It's better late than never!"

Monday morning

It's Garbage Day!

50.9 degrees, aiming for 80+!!!

******* From WKTV *******

Monday: Mostly sunny, very warm with the chance of
a shower or thunderstorm late. High 82.
Monday night: Showers, with thunder possible. Low 48
Tuesday: Partly sunny. Cooler. High 59 Low 44

It's Spring on Madison Street!

Out on Fuess-Cleary Road, there are more and more clumps of Hepaticas showing up and the Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is starting to bloom.

The blood-like juice that can be extracted from this plant's root was used by Native Americans as body paint. Native Americans and early settlers also used Bloodroot to treat medical conditions such as soar throats, skin cancers, and treatment of ringworm, worts, or polyps.

*****

Redwinged Blackbirds are fussing over their puddly, wetland territories.

The Boston Redsox did it again, adding a few pages to the history books with Sunday's 7-6 win, sweeping the Yankees at Fenway Park for the first time since 1990 and tying a Major League record with homers in four straight at-bats.

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

And it's a red-letter day for DBH.

Later Sunday morning

At ten o'clock, the temperature just topped 60 degrees!

Just in ..........



Another cellphone photo; this one from Bloomfield, New York, and I think it's safe to assume that one of these racers is Patrick Meszler!


Just on ...........



A new sticker on my car - courtesy of the Waterville Historical Society! You can get yours either at the Historical Society on Wednesdays from 10:00 'til 4:00 or at the WHS Satellite Store in the front office of The Waterville Times, during Times' office hours! (Lots of other good WHS stuff there, too!)

Sunny Sunday!

It's about 34 degrees.

The sky is blue; the sun is shining;
WKTV predicts:
Sunday: Sunny and warm. High 75
Sunday night: Clear. Low 42
Monday: Mostly sunny, very warm with the chance of a shower or thunderstorm after sunset. High 77 Low 48

(And I promise that I won't complain of the heat!)

Remember what it looked like on Osborn Avenue last Monday and Tuesday?
Jeff Reynolds took this picture ......

.......... and, without knowing that he'd be sending me that view, I took this photograph yesterday morning - just to celebrate the joy of being able to see a reflection of blue sky in open water for the first time in a long, long time.

There is something special about seeing familiar things in a new light!

If we had all been in New York City yesterday with Lori and Dale Meszler, this is what we'd have seen in Central Park, but we weren't, and so Dale sent this photograph by cellphone!

In our Park, two residents of The Brunswick brought chairs instead of blankets.

Tank tops and "flip-flops" were in style. Sharon Stiles can wear her "flip-flops" now, too !

The Car Wash was busy and it looked as if all of our Fire Engines were being washed and polished, too.

Out in the countryside, there were coltsfoot, corn stubble and a "castle"
all on Bogan Road South,

and at the Kanes' - the first big, bright patch of daffodils.

And, finally -



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Have a wonderful day!