Saturday afternoon

It was windy, dank and chilling, but the five-minute Ceremony during which the Flagpole at the new Waterville Public Library was dedicated and the Stars and Stripes raised, this morning, was a heart-warming and memorable "small town" event.




Following a short address during which he said that it is to all Veterans that we owe our freedom to have a Library and to be able to go into it and read, Mike Kopec, former Commander and Chaplain of the Clifford J. Fulmer Post 92 of the America Legion, presented Library Director Jeffrey Reynolds with a brand new flag. Three Boy Scouts then took the flag and, while the National Anthem was played, raised it to the top of the flagpole. Mr. Kopec then led the assembled group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

How disappointing!

How embarrassing!

------

How come no one was there?

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In "Small Town, U.S.A." or Mayberry or Cabot Cove there would have been a crowd - especially because refreshments were promised! - but on hand this morning were:
Ms. Patty Louise;
Scout Leader Mr. Strohmeyer and three Boy Scouts,
Library Director Reynolds,
Legion Chaplain Michael Kopec,
the members of the Library Board,
and
former Librarian Wendy Sexton
Nora Keating
Roseanne Gallagher
Beverly Gibbons
and me.

I really was upset and ready to leave, but then decided to go inside and help "make a crowd." I ended up having a nice long chat with Mr. Reynolds - we're both "Mac" people and a little crazy about gardens, too, so we talked about everything from Hop Vines, Herb Gardens, "Blogs" and digital cameras. Then, of course, I found the huge tray of goodies in the front Activity Room and showed my appreciation for them in what I thought would be an appropriate manner!

Saturday morning

It's 36 degrees and seems to be a little bit drippy, out.

Although the date might change, traditional celebration of Hanukkah is always the same.

********

The WCS Boys' Varsity Basketball Team beat Sauquoit 63-54 Friday night. Mason Clapp led the way with 17 points. Todd Livingston and Brandon Wrobel had 12 points each. Josh Randall had 17 for Sauquoit who drops to 1-5. Waterville is now 3-2.

The Mount Markham Mustangs Girls Basketball team beat Waterville Friday, 45-41. The Lady Mustangs, now 3-0, were led by Regina Locorini, who had 16 points and 6 assists, and Brandy Wercynski, who had 15 rebounds. Janelle Buell had 11 for Waterville, who drops to 3-2.

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

I wished that I had had my camera with me, yesterday, but I didn't! The weather went from sunny to stormy, back and forth, several times, and as I drove from Waterville to Utica, several times, the clouds were wonderful! Yes - I did see that huge rainbow over the Mohawk River Valley; kicking myself that I couldn't "snap" it for all of you to see.

I'll be sure to be camera-ready, today, and hope to attend the Flagpole Dedication Ceremonies at the Library, this morning at 10:00 A.M. I also want to take a good picture of the new, nearly-completed railings on the hotel!

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

Several of you have asked for an Update on Dick's condition and I'm really glad to say that although he is still in St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Utica, he is greatly improved and in dandy-good spirits (for anyone who's been in the hospital for over a week!)

It was discovered that his low oxygen level was caused, at least in large part, by fluid in and around the lungs (and apparently everywhere else!) Thanks to a clever device invented by a Dr. Frederick Foley, a surgeon working in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1930s, Dick is now probably about twenty-five pounds lighter than he was a week ago and feels a heck of alot better!

He's still on a light dose of oxygen and is getting lots of attention from pulmonologists, but his appetite is really good, considering that he's on a diabetic and low salt diet, and he's learned that coffee made in the kitchen next to the nurses' station is much better than that made in the big kitchen!

Because he had a pre-existing sore on his scalp that is of the "staph" or MRSA type, he is still in "isolation" only to the extent that people coming into the room are asked to put on a yellow papery-plastic "smock" and rubber gloves: it's not a big deal.

The doctors (of which there seem to be at least half-a-dozen) plan on releasing him within the next few days - probably for a week or two of "rehab" at Hardings'.

He's looking forward to that just so that he'll be back in home territory among people he knows and can chat with, because I can visit him more easily, and also because the Harding Nursing Home has wireless internet access and he can have his laptop!!

I'm looking forward to his move here, too --- I've been making two and three trips a day to St. E's and not getting much of anything else - like Christmas Cards or Blogging - accomplished! Our daughter, Allison Methe, was here on both Tuesday and Thursday and she's great company and a grand help.

We all want to say "Thank You!" again, to everyone, for your cards, prayers, E-mails and good thoughts!

I'll keep you posted.

PsB

Friday Morning

Another Spring Day in the forecast! 44 degrees, at 6 o'clock.

Pat Howard's South Babbott Avenue tulips are starting to sprout!

Plenty of Sports, tonight.

Six Months Ago - June 15th.

And a fine time to wish Nannette and her family
a Very Merry Christmas
and say "We miss you!"

And, to the WCS Marching Band, its director and
the Brothertown Music Boosters
"Happy New Year" and "Congratulations!"

Last Summer, on July 4, the WCS Marching Band was in Fairport, en route to Cleveland for their performance of the National Anthem opening the Yankees-Indians game on the 5th.

Next Summer, on the Fourth of July, the Band will be marching in

WASHINGTON, D.C.

I've been given permission to say that there will be about twenty-five bands in the Parade in Washington, and that as far as is known now, the WATERVILLE MARCHING BAND will be the only one from New York.

Ta-daaaaah!

Thursday morning

It's Garbage Day!

32.9 degrees and another nice Spring Day ahead!

But looking at the nice green grass on Elmwood, you'd never guess that this picture was taken on December 13th!

On White Street.

From today's Observer-Dispatch, "Alberding Named Youth of the Month"

More exciting news later - I hope!

Front Page Headlines from the Waterville Times.

"An Elegant Afternoon Social" - Story and photos of the Victorian Tea.

"Flagpole Will be Dedicated" - Ceremony at 10:00 A.M. on December 16th at the Waterville Public Library.

"Village Rids Yards of Cars" - 22 of 28 junk car violations have been resolved.

"Holiday CD for Sale" - by choir of historic Old St. John's Church in Utica.

"Article Done By Former Resident" - Kevin Tuttle's "Evaluating Probabilities to Improve Profitability" in new publication.

"Overseas Treats" - photo - Auxiliary of the Clifford J. Fulmer Post sent packages to men and women serving overseas.

"Dessert, Anyone?" - photo - Deansboro UCC Church Luncheon, last Saturday.

Wednesday morning

First Things First!

YES:

the truck carrying our new Victorian Lamp Posts

pulled in to town yesterday morning.

By mid-afternoon, the posts - individually "bubble-wrapped" and appearing to be very heavy -
were being placed in the storage trailer at Firemen's Field.

It was a mild day,,,,,,,,,,,


............... and a couple dozen mallard ducks were lounging in the sun around or in the little pond at the foot of Grant Hill.

If this sort of weather continues - as forecasters predict -
perhaps, at long last, we'll start to see at least some of the Lamps unwrapped,
standing on their bases and lit before Christmas!

43 degrees; no precipitation!

In Girls' Varsity Basketball, it was Waterville 65 and Morrisville-Eaton 46, last night

And this note from Bonnie Dobmeier, President of the Waterville Garden Club:

The judging for the Waterville Garden Club's annual Christmas Decorating Contest will take place at dusk on Tuesday, December 19th. Be sure to have your lights on! Anyone living outside the village who wishes to have their decorations judged can contact Sue Price @ 841 4459

Tuesday morning

36.7 degrees; no noticable precipitation.





Boys' Varsity Basketball beat Oppenheim 63 - 46.
Girls' Varsity meets Morrisville-Eaton at home, tonight at 7:30.

I missed this article in yesterday's O-D:

WATERVILLE: Students win awards
Monday, Dec 11, 2006

Several Waterville High School Student Council members were awarded awards at the 19th annual New York State Council on Leadership and Student Activities Conference recently held in Buffalo. Abram Koester won the Student Recognition Award and scholarship for outstanding leadership in his school, community and state.

Tatyana Selyuzhitskaya and Russell Ritzel won the National Dale Hawley Leadership Awards and Scholarships for exceptional leadership in their school, community and at the national level. Brianna Cowen was elected to the state Executive Board as the student representative from District 8, which encompasses all of the schools in Oneida, Herkimer, Chenango, Madison, Delaware and Otsego counties. Cowen will host a Leadership Conference for all area high schools at Waterville High school in March.

I also forgot to post this letter from Gary Tuttle: it had a great deal of information about a radio program that aired last night. Sorry!!

"I received the below email from our son Brian and
thought maybe some of your readers who are classical
music fans would be interested. Brian has a bachelors
in music education (summa cum laude) and a masters in
music performance from the University of Northern
Colorado and is presently submitting applications to
several colleges to pursue his Phd in musicology. He
is also a Major in the Air Force National Guard
assigned to NEADS in Rome,NY. Brian hosts a regular 2
hour program on the Hamilton College radio station on
Friday nights from 10pm until midnight on 88.7FM and
live on the internet at www.whcl.org. You can sample
his program anytime from my website www.garytuttle.com
and click on 'Acoustic Stew'."

There will be more special programs featuring Brian Tuttle, I'm sure!


Something that I HOPE I don't miss, entirely, is the arrival of a big truck bringing 80 lamp posts from the West Coast. If they left on the 7th, they should be here soon, shouldn't they?

Monday Morning

Misty-ish, and 31.6 degrees.



The WCS Boys' Varsity Basketball team is at Mt. Markham, this evening, at 7:30.

The two long lines of evergreens in the Park are getting thinner and thinner. Of the 225 Christmas trees brought in by the Masons a week ago, well over half appear to have been sold. Don't wait too long!

Those who wonder just who gets in line for Pork Barrel Goodies will find this O-D article interesting.

(The blogger's got a fiercely busy day ahead at the computer and on the road. More posts when I can catch a break!)

Sunday morning

27 degrees at 5:30.

Another Sunny Day! WOW!

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No doubt the Waterville Times' coverage of the Victorian Tea that took place yesterday afternoon at the Waterville Historical Society will be expansive: Ms Louise was there, taking notes and photographs throughout. In the writer's opinion, the event also would surely have qualified for a spread in the "Sunday Tabloid" - the sepia-toned Society Section in newspapers of sixty years ago!

It was that elegant!

(And also FUN!)

If you see any ladies in Foodking humming Christmas carols, wearing flowered and feathered hats more decorative than practical (wooly pull-ons with ear flaps don't count!) and shopping for ingredients that go into orange bread, Mamie Eisenhower's Fudge, Scones with Strawberry Preserves and Devonshire Cream and Earl Gray tea leaves, you'll know that they were at the Tea!

The "Choraleers" were in excellent voice,

and the tables festive!

Some wore their own creations.............

.....others modeled hats from the collection of Marlene Minor,
"the Hat Lady," who had brought with her dozens of millinary marvels!

And the food?

(In an attempt to NOT use the overworked "D"-word,
I've searched Roget, who suggests:

ambrosial, appetizing, delectable, heavenly, luscious,
savory, scrumptious, tasteful, tasty, toothsome and

Yummy!)

Absolutely - All of the Above!