Big Moose Inn schedules fun

On July 8, the Big Moose Inn will host its first Community Summer Celebration in honor of its many past and present summertime guests.

The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on the inn’s main lawn.  

The summer kickoff event will consist of great food, drinks, music and games with prizes.

There will be a nominal per person fee which will cover costs and help with the overall donation for this great fundraiser.

This annual event will be a fundraiser with all proceeds going to a local charity or neighbor in need. This year, recent cancer survivor Craig Martin of Big Moose Lake will be the honoree.  

Craig was born and raised here in the Adirondacks, he continues to make this area his home by bar tending at the Big Moose Inn in the summer and working at Big Moose Yamaha in the winter. The hope is to help make his fight with cancer a little easier.

The group is are accepting donations of food or beverages for the barbecue, prizes and/or volunteers to help with the games and festivities throughout the afternoon.  

The goal is for this to become an annual community event. Any type of assistance that can be offered would be appreciated.  

For more information or to arrange for donation delivery, contact Lauren Sleeger at (315) 357-2042.

DWI enforcement effort under way

The New York State STOP-DWI Association has announced that law enforcement officials across New York will participate in a special enforcement effort to crack down on drunk driving this 4th of July Holiday.

This period is historically the deadliest holiday period of the year for impaired driving. New York State Police, County Sheriff and Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies across the state will be out in force in this effort to reduce the number of alcohol related injuries and deaths.

The STOP-DWI Crackdown is one of a series of statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association. The campaign also targets St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends each year.

STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol related fatalities, but still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers.

Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to warn motorists that DWI is dangerous and considered a serious safety threat by New York Law Enforcement.

The STOP-DWI Association is grateful for the partnership of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Sheriff’s Association, the New York State Police and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police.

For more information regarding local efforts, please click on www.stopdwi.org and contact your County STOP-DWI Program.

Food Sense orders are being taken

Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church is taking orders for the Food Sense package for July.  Each “unit” costs $15.50. This program is open to all.  There are no eligibility requirements, and there is no obligation to purchase food every month.

The July unit consists of chicken breast kabobs, haddock portions, hot dogs, ground turkey, chicken rice dinner, fresh coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, pork and beans, sliced carrots, fruit salad and two fresh produce items.

There are also seven specials available at an additional cost: beef patties, popcorn chicken, Italian sausage, sliced American cheese, chicken breast, pepperoni pizza hot pockets, and breaded shrimp.

Orders and payment are due in the church office by Thursday, July 12. Orders are to be picked up at 12:45 p.m. on Friday, July 27 at the church. To order, call (315) 369-3475 or stop by the church office between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.,  Monday through Friday.

The Deacons of Niccolls Church coordinate this monthly program. They are offering to purchase a unit for anyone in the community having difficulty affording groceries. This help is available by calling the church office before the order deadline.

Grant received for playground

The Town of Webb Recreation Department has been selected by the Herkimer County HealthNet Wellness Committee to receive a Creating Healthy Places grant for playground equipment. Through the community grant writing assistance of CAP-21, the Town of Webb will receive $9,903 in direct assistance, as well as 100 square yards of playground surface material valued at $2,500, for a total value of $12,403. This grant is intended to establish a playground at the municipal beach, as well as assist in planned improvements at the North Street playground.

The beach playground is consistent with planning conducted as part of a NYS Department of State local waterfront revitalization project (LWRP), that CAP-21 and the Town of Webb have been working on for developing a waterfront revitalization master plan that could lead to future waterfront improvements. The 2011 reconstruction of the first municipal navigation dock was a first step in this process.

In recognition of the Town’s historical connection with the Fulton Chain, the planned playground is intended to reinforce a waterfront/nautical play theme. The Webb Recreation Department is still open to ideas and suggestions for this playground. Comments may be  forwarded to Holly Armendola, TOW Recreation Director by email at towrecreation@hotmail.com or by calling 369-9925.

The Herkimer County HealthNet Creating Healthy Places project has also recently supported a grant with the Town of Webb School District and CAP-21 for improvements to the McCauley Mt. trail connector behind the school, as well as the recent publication of the Herkimer County Trails Guide, featuring several local trails. The guide can be found online at www.herkimerhealthnet.com/pdf/NEWTRAIL.pdf, or at the Town of Webb Visitor Center.

Library to host CCC author

Author Marty Podskoch will give a presentation on his newest book chronicling the history of Civilian Conservation Camps in the Adirondacks at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, at the Old Forge Library.  

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began on March 31, 1933, under President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to relieve the poverty and unemployment of the Depression. Camps were set up in many New York towns, state parks, and forests.

Workers built trails, roads, campsites, dams, fire tower observer’s cabins and telephone lines; fought fires; stocked fish; and planted millions of trees. The CCC disbanded in 1942 due to the need for men in WW II.

Over the last six years, Podskoch has met with CCC alumni, their families, and friends who shared their stories and pictures.

There were 26 CCC camps in the Adirondacks, including one in Thendara and one in Boonville.

Books will be available for purchase and author signing.

This free program is funded by the NYSCA Literature Program.

Podskoch, a retired reading teacher, is the author of five other books: Fire Towers of the Catskills: Their History and Lore; Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore, the Southern Districts; Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore, the Northern Districts; Adirondack Stories: Historical Sketches, and Adirondack Stories II: 101 More Historical Sketches.

Puppet show is coming to library

Nancy Sanders, master puppeteer, will be at the Old Forge Library from 12 to 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 12, with an entertaining Jack and the Beanstalk puppet show program for all ages.                                          

Sanders uses puppets to stimulate children’s imaginations, encouraging creative play and discovery and as a wonderful interactive way to introduce narrative to even the most reluctant reader. Puppets can be a powerful way of bringing story time to life.

Puppets can provide a focus for role play, encouraging the child’s imagination and involvement in activities, and can play a fundamental part in the recitation of stories and verse.

Sanders, a.k.a. Nutso P. Squirrely, Know-It-Owl, and Smelly Bob, was principal puppeteer consultant, puppet builder, puppet creator and puppet script writer for the Emmy-Award winning children’s television show, “Hickory Hideout,” produced by WKYC-TV and WNBC-TV.

She received an Emmy Award for her contribution to children’s television. “Hickory Hideout” also won the Parents’ Choice Award, the National Education Association Award, the Ohio Education Association Award and received a silver medal in the International Film and TV Awards of New York.

The free program, in conjunction with the Summer Reading Program, is open to the public and is funded by the Town of Webb, Mid York Library System, Federal Library Services, and Technology Act Funds.

Webb school reunion planned

Plans are being made for a Town of Webb UFSD Reunion, to be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Old Barn in Inlet.

The following is the current “guest list” of will be attending the reunion, which is open to all Town of Webb Alumni and teachers. Do you know any of these people? Were they your classmates, friends or teachers? Marie Adams, Suzie (Murdock) Allen, Elaine (Davis) Anderegg, John Best, Ellen (Ponder) Best, Mike Best, Nancy (Pulling) Best, Mary (Menielly) Brasseaux, Diane (Hudon) Crowther, Pamela (Cassia) Dam, Leon Davis, John Denio, Jim Denio, Martha Denio, Mary Ellen Denio, Kirsten Down, Paula (Boudreau) Dykstra, Helen (Holl) Estabrook, Linda Folsom, Scott Gaffney, Pauline (LaBuz) Boudreau Glisson, Kathy (Murdock) Hansen, Ron Hansen, Terry Harwood, Kim (Oswald) Harwood, Debbie (Payne) Hemmert. George Hiltebrant, Roy Holden, Terry Hudon, Lynda (Smith) Kellogg, Ash Kellogg, Bob Kempton, Jackie (Burth) Kowaite, Walt LaGraves, Dave Leach, Jeanine (Ponder) Levy, Heather (Hansen) Levi, Jerry Levi, Beth (Deis) Lopez, Lance Maly, Barbara (Payne) Murdock, Donna (Boudreau) Murphy, Donna Myers, Terry Olsen, Mike Pashley, Donna Peters, Tim Ponder, Francisco Powell, John Rivett, Dan Smith, Jane (Nelson) Tormey, Bruce Tormey, Nancy (Winters) Traynor, Bill Turpin, Sally Vaughn, Judy (Leach) Wengert, Martha (Smith) Williams, Ida Winter and Lori Zellweger have all signed up to attend the event.

The cost to attend is $30 per person and includes appetizers, chicken barbecue and entertainment.

Anyone interested in this opportunity to reconnect with classmates, friends and teachers from the past should send payment to: Donna Boudreau Murphy, 9737 Highland Ave., Dansville, NY 14437.

 Also include the year of graduation and maiden name, if applicable.

For further information, check out the “Old Forge Reunion” Facebook page.

Library to offer technology classes

The Old Forge Library is now offering one-on-one expert help at their new Computing Center, as well as seminars Tuesdays and Thursday during July, August and September.

This summer, the library will temporarily double the number of computers available to the public, thanks to Mid York Library System’s Satellite Public Computer Center Program.

The library will add five up-to-date laptops for community use, a schedule of computer classes, and a sign-up sheet for individual computer tutoring.

Trained staff members from the MYLS Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) will be available to teach classes and offer free individual assistance on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the library through the end of September.

There will be a variety of tech classes offered. The public is invited to stop at the library for a listing of classes that are available and to sign up.

The first training class to be offered will be “How to Download eBooks and Audiobooks” from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 3. This class will be offered again from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 5. The class walks participants through the very simple steps of downloading eBooks and Audiobooks to a computer or mobile device.

Participants may feel free to bring their laptop or mobile device to the session. If participants are not strong technology users, it is suggested they bring a friend or family member with them who is, for assistance. Registration for the demonstration is encouraged for preparing handouts, but walk-ins are welcome. For more information or to register call the library at (315) 369-6008.

Water testing pick-up scheduled

Verona Labs will provide pick up of water samples for testing on Tuesday, July 10.

Local businesses or individuals that wish to utilize this service can drop off water samples by 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Forestport Town Hall or the Otter Lake Adirondack Grocery, or by 11 a.m. at the Visitor Information Center in Old Forge, or by 12 p.m. at The Tavern in Eagle Bay or the Inlet Town Hall.

The cost for bacterial testing is $33 per sample, which includes a $5 pickup charge per customer. A business that also needs nitrate or nitrite testing can also drop off additional samples, the cost is $34 for the first test, and $29 for each additional test.

This service is for individuals and businesses in northern Herkimer County, Hamilton County, and northern Oneida County.

Sample kits and forms for this service can be obtained from the pickup locations. A phone number should be included on the forms so the lab can reach the sender if necessary.

Questions may be directed to Roger Blind at (315) 369-3713 or Bonnie at Verona Labs at (315) 363-5841.

Writers workshops being offered

The Old Forge Library will be offering Summer Writers Workshops again this season. This year’s workshops will feature a four-session Adult Workshop and a four-session Tweens and Teens Workshop. Tweens and Teens sessions will meet from 3-5 p.m., and the adult sessions will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, July 11, 18, 25, and Aug. 1.

The director of both workshops will be Mary Sanders Shartle, poet and author, who has taught numerous writing workshops for adults, senior citizens, children and teens. She runs a book group for Elder Hostel’s Road Scholars at Great Camp Sagamore. She has also run book groups through the New York Council for the Humanities. She recently finished her novel “The Hermit: The Truth and Legend of Lily Martindale” about a woman living alone in the Adirondacks, for which she was awarded a 2008 individual artist’s grant from the New York State Council of the Arts.

There is no fee for the workshops, but enrollment is limited. In collaboration with Adirondack Center for Writing, a special “Open Mic” reading will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15. Participants from the Writers Workshops will be encouraged to read from their work. The public is also invited to share and read from their work. To register for the workshops call the library at (315) 369-6008 by July 10. The Workshops are funded by the NYSCA Literature Program.