* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Interviews and Conversations. Go Fund Me 2023 needs your partnership in History. Later this year Episode #500 Many fans like to use the U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. ..or click the Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast We’ll call the baby Henry By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History     Descendants of Albert and Katie Sikora have preserved fascinating accounts of daily life during the 1920s and 1930s in Amsterdam.     The nine-member Polish American family lived on Clark Avenue, which runs between Forest and Sloane avenues.  In 1931 Albert Sikora is described in a City Directory as a spinner at Mohawk Carpet Mills.    One of Albert and Katie’s daughters, Paula Sikora Martin, wrote down memories of the birth of her youngest brother in 1928.  The pregnancy was not discussed with the children and a “birthing lady” attended their mother.      At first shooed out of the house into the rain by their father, the children eventually were brought inside and told to get sheets for the birthing lady to use.    “(Sister) Kay and I ran through the house and started pulling the sheets off the bed,” Paula wrote.  “We tried to give them to the birthing lady but she hollered at us--she wanted unused sheets.      “Then all of a sudden we were allowed to go to Mom’s room and she introduced us to our new little fat wrinkled baby brother.  I had a new doll to play with!   He was so cute.  Mom was back.  All was well again.”    The baby’s father wanted to name him Alexander, after a Polish prince.  Paula’s name, for example, was in reality Pelagia Julianna, the name of a Polish princess.  However, his mother prevailed and the baby was named Henry, after the American auto maker Henry Ford.     The family always called him.  Harry though and he legally changed his name to Harry when he came of age.         Harry Sikora, who died in 2008, served in the U.S. Army, went to Union College and Syracuse University and became an industrial engineer at IBM.  His later years were spent at a farm in Bradford, Pennsylvania and a winter home in Clearwater, Florida.    “Was four years old when I started school in the first grade,” Harry wrote.  “Mom lied about my age to get me into school early.  Believe she had enough of children by the time I arrived.”    The school was about seven blocks from their home and his mother told Harry to follow the other children to get there.    Paula recalled when the family had no refrigerator, no washing machine and no radio.  Eventually, a windup Victrola came their way.     Their father finished building a home in 1923 on a Clark Avenue lot across from the flat they were renting in a four family house.  The Sikoras rented out an upstairs flat in their new home.    “Our renter had a radio—wow,” Paula wrote.  The tenant played the radio loudly and the Sikora children would gather on the hall steps to hear Fibber McGee and Molly.    Paula married in 1937 but Harry did not want to attend the wedding, saying he would break his six-year perfect school attendance record.     Harry wrote, “Heat came from a wood/coal stove, which heated the kitchen and living room area.  Bedrooms were cold during the winter and hot during the summer.  Coal bin was located in the basement.  Had to be carried upstairs and ashes emptied daily.    “We had two sour cherry trees.  One year, dad made cherry wine in the basement.   When he wasn't looking, I tasted some of it.”    Ray Knapik and his Mom rented the upstairs flat in Sikoras’ home from 1943 to 1950.    Knapik wrote, “In the back of the house was the community playground known as the Rockton Diamonds. Had a lot of good friends in Rockton and that was our hangout place.  Learned how to ice-skate on the sidewalk in front of the house.” Monday, March 27, 2023-Story behind the story. We’ll call the baby Harry Tuesday, March 28, 2023-Pastries produced popularity After each game, “Vidge” led a parade of ball players and girl friends to the bakeshop where they enjoyed the many treats inside. Wednesday, March 29, 2023-Mark Sullivan discusses his historical novel, The Last Green Valley that chronicles how members of a German family living in Ukraine were able to escape clashing armies in World War II and find a new life in America. The Martels are one of many families of German heritage whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for more than a century. But after already living under Stalin’s horrifying regime, Emil and Adeline decide they must run in retreat from their land with the wolves they despise to escape the Soviets and go in search of freedom. Thursday, March 30, 2023 Remembering Teddy Roosevelt Memories of Amsterdam’s Theodore Roosevelt Junior High on Guy Park Avenue where a senior housing project exists today continue to come in. Friday, March 31, 2023-Episode 468-Alan Maddaus is author of The Prestons of East Street, the Story of a 19th century American Family.  The lives of seven Preston family members from Galway, N.Y., were impacted by events including Civil War, the Second Great Awakening and the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the natural disaster claiming the most lives on US soil.  * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, March 26, 2023 * * Partly sunny, with a high near 47. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. * * Tonight * Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind 7 to 13 mph. * * Monday * A slight chance of rain after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 46. Light west wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%. * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, March 26, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * EDITORIAL: Make the safe decision with Lake George * Studies of time and motion show that the average driver makes 160 decisions for each mile they drive. In a… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Amsterdam High School to host job fair *   * AMSTERDAM – Amsterdam High School will host their student job fair Thursday, May 18. * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 26

* * * * * * * * * * * * * In production on The Historians Episode 468-Alan Maddaus is author of The Prestons of East Street, the Story of a 19th century American Family. More information next week. The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me 2023 needs your partnership in History On-Line or the U.S. Mail, Use this Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. Saturday March 25 Historian Peter Betz Sunday, March 26 We’ll call the baby Harry Bob Cudmore every weekend in The Daily Gazette and Amsterdam Recorder One of Albert and Katie’s daughters, Paula Sikora Martin, wrote down memories of the birth of her youngest brother in 1928.  * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, March 25, 2023 * * * * Rain and snow before 1pm, then rain, snow, and sleet between 1pm and 2pm, then rain after 2pm. High near 38. East wind 6 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible. * * Tonight * A chance of rain before 2am, then a chance of showers, mainly between 2am and 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 35. East wind 9 to 14 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. * * Sunday * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, March 25, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Fonda-Fultonville to drop ‘Braves’ nickname; Move comes after state panel rejects plan to keep, district says * FONDA — The Fonda-Fultonville Central School District will drop its “Braves” nickname after plans to preserve the moniker were rejected… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Broadalbin-Perth becomes 20th NY school to require course on personal finance *   * BROADALBIN – Broadalbin-Perth Central School District will now require students to pass a course in personal finance as a graduation requirement. The district’s Board of Education approved of the new graduation requirement... * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Mar 25

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me 2023 needs your help. On-Line or in the Mail  Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Friday, March 24, 2023-Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. Saturday March 25, 2023-Episode 410-Historian Peter Betz explains how he was able to help a Perth NY family acquire a gravestone at no cost for a deceased family member, Howard Forgette, who was a US Army veteran.  Betz also discusses a program on Fulton County immigrants taking place at the museum in Gloversville.  And he has the story of a bear who did groundhog weather forecasting work in Sacandaga Park. Sunday, March 26, 2023- We’ll call the baby Harry-Focus on History Descendants of Albert and Katie Sikora have preserved fascinating accounts of daily life during the 1920s and 1930s in Amsterdam.The nine-member Polish American family lived on Clark Avenue Dr. Mahvash M. Majeed "Welcome to the Village" (All the Episodes) on Buzzsprout  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1648825 * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Friday, March 24, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. West wind 8 to 11 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east in the evening. * * Saturday * A chance of snow before 11am, then rain and snow between 11am and 1pm, then rain and sleet after 1pm. High near 37. Breezy, with an east wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible. * * Sunday * Partly sunny, with a high near 44. Windy, with a west wind 18 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Friday, March 24, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Troy, Amsterdam, Schenectady mayors seek $50M funding source to abate lead piping * ALBANY — Regional city officials and legislative allies are seeking additional support against a subterranean menace. As state budget negotiations near… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * Shelter sails through reapproval by Amsterdam Planning Commission * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 24

* * * * * * * * * * * * * “I recall that the church at Christmas time was particularly beautiful,” Sidlauscus wrote.  “At midnight Mass, all main lights were turned off, and a series of smaller lights turned on.  These lights were on the ceiling of the church, and ran the length of each of the three aisles, from the entrance to the altar.  The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This weekend, Sunday, March 26, 2023 we'll name the baby Henry from The Daily Gazette. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Memories of St. Casimir’s By Bob Cudmore The pending closure of St. Casimir’s Church has brought back memories for Amsterdam native Richard Sidlauscus.  The historically Lithuanian church on East Main Street in Amsterdam is to close in May. A second generation American of Lithuanian descent, Sidlauscus now lives in Connecticut and has not lived in Amsterdam in 42 years.  He has not been to Mass at St. Casimir’s in more than 15 years.  “I finally came to realize that whenever St. Casimir’s is mentioned, it evokes memories of a time, place, people and events that were a major part of my youth,” Sidlauscus wrote. Sidlauscus said that in his youth Lithuanian was spoken regularly on East Main Street from Schuyler Street to the city line.  He remembers the distinctive lilt of Lithuanian, beginning low and ending at a higher pitch.  There were businesses with names like Maldutis Bakery, Pakenas Cleaners, and Piliponis Grocery. “If you were Lithuanian in the Amsterdam I grew up in, St. Casimir’s was the center of your religious and, to a great degree, your family social life,” Sidlauscus wrote.  “You went to Mass there; you attended religious instructions in the lower level of the church; you were married there; your children were baptized there.  Your relatives were buried in St. Casimir’s Cemetery.  You went to church picnics at the grove near the cemetery off Widow Susan Road.  You went to family dinners, club banquets, wedding receptions and showers at the American Lithuanian Club on Liberty Street.” In the summer, the Sidlauscus family usually attended the 8 a.m. service so they could go on picnics to Wells or Great Sacandaga Lake.  The rest of the year, the family went to Mass at 9 a.m. as religious instructions followed in the school.  The Mass was in Latin in those days but the gospel was read in English and Lithuanian.  Everyone stood for what seemed forever, Sidlauscus said, when the Passion was read as the Palm Sunday gospel.    “I recall that the church at Christmas time was particularly beautiful,” Sidlauscus wrote.  “At midnight Mass, all main lights were turned off, and a series of smaller lights turned on.  These lights were on the ceiling of the church, and ran the length of each of the three aisles, from the entrance to the altar.  There were also lights over the altar.  With just these lights and candles lit, the church was magical.” Sidlauscus said his father used to say you could get drunk by breathing in the back of the church among all the standing worshippers who came to midnight Mass directly from their Christmas Eve festivities. Sidlauscus recalls when the men of the Holy Name Society would march down the aisle to take their places for the annual communion breakfast, wearing suits and Emil Suda of Amsterdam enjoyed visiting Pingitore’s Shoe Store on East Main Street when he was a child. The proprietors kept toys on the floor to entertain children.  Suda said Pingitore’s had a toy dump truck and a silver robot with a flashing light on its head.  Friday, March 24, 2023-Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. Dr. Mahvash M. Majeed "Welcome to the Village" (All the Episodes) on Buzzsprout  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1648825 * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, March 23, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Showers likely, mainly between noon and 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. * * Tonight * A chance of showers, mainly before 8pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 32. West wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. * * Friday * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West wind around 11 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, March 23, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Local sales tax collections rise statewide in February; Schenectady, Montgomery counties’ collections rose most at 17.1% * ALBANY — Local sales tax collections throughout the state increased by 14.1% in February compared to the same month last…  *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Amsterdam eyeing parking ban to control traffic from booming business *   * AMSTERDAM — Neighboring property owners say a local law proposed by Amsterdam to prohibit parking... *   * Village voters confirm unopposed incumbents, new mayor for Fultonville * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day Caroga committee to explore short-term rental regulations https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 23

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Dr. Mahvash M. Majeed "Welcome to the Village" (All the Episodes) on Buzzsprout  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1648825 Wednesday, March 22, 2023-From the Archives- August 12, 2022-Episode 435-Susanne Dunlap discusses her book The Portraitist, a novel based on the life of 18th century French artist Adélaïde Labilleo-Guiard whose life went on amid the changes and terror of the French Revolution. Memories of St. Casimir’s in Amsterdam Thursday, March 23, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette The pending closure of St. Casimir’s Church has brought back memories for Amsterdam native Richard Sidlauscus.  The historically Lithuanian church on East Main Street in Amsterdam is to close in May. Friday, March 24, 2023-Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This coming Sunday, March 26, 2023 we'll name the baby Henry from The Daily Gazette. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Wednesday, March 22, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 55. East wind 3 to 8 mph. * * Tonight * A chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 38. East wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. * * Thursday * Showers, mainly after 7am. High near 56. East wind 5 to 14 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Wednesday, March 22, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * New opioid lawsuit settlements pending in Montgomery County, approved in Fulton County * FULTON & MONTGOMERY COUNTIES — Nearly $450,000 in new opioid settlement funds could be OK’d in Fulton and Montgomery counties by month’s… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * Town of Florida pursuing zoning updates, drafts expected next month * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 22

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Dr. Mahvash M. Majeed Welcome to the Village (All the Episodes) Buzzsprout  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1648825 Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Edmund Wilson at the Mohawk Encampment-Pastries helped with popularity Edmund Wilson and the Mohawks By Bob Cudmore  Four months after the Mohawk Indian encampment began on farmland off Route 5-S adjacent to the Schoharie Creek in 1957, world-renowned man of letters Edmund Wilson paid a visit to Chief Standing Arrow and his followers. Wilson wrote about the October encounter in his 1959 book, “Apologies to the Iroquois.”   Amsterdam native Tom Pikul provided this interesting lead on the story of the encampment. Wilson found that Standing Arrow was part of an Iroquois nationalist movement with adherents at the Onondaga reservation in the Syracuse area and at reservations in northern New York and Canada.  In other chapters of the book Wilson describes meetings with other Indian nationalists. Descended from an Upstate New York family named Talcott, Wilson maintained a summer home at Talcottville, north of Utica in Lewis County between the Adirondacks and Tug Hill Plateau.  Before going to the Mohawk encampment, Wilson met with reporters from the Recorder in Amsterdam, apparently including historian Hugh Donlon.  Wilson also gathered information from the county archivist. When Wilson arrived, the Chief was away and his family not too willing to communicate.  On a second visit, Wilson knocked at the door and no one came to answer it.  When the author was getting back in his car, Standing Arrow appeared in the doorway and waved to him.  Wilson said, “It was a characteristic of an Indian that, not being up and dressed, he should not shout that he would be out in a minute but should wait until he could present himself with dignity.” Inside, the hut was “small but not ill-kept.”  There was a landscape of a lake hanging on the wall, along with a feathered headdress and a rattle made from the shell of a snapping turtle.  Wilson said Standing Arrow, a former chief from the St. Regis Reservation also known as Frank Johnson, was a charismatic figure.    Wilson wrote, “A Mohawk who disapproved of Standing Arrow told me that his eloquence in English – of which his command was imperfect – was nothing to his eloquence in Mohawk.” Although Wilson had heard unfavorable things about Standing Arrow, he was “won over” by the Chief saying, “He appealed to the imagination.”  Wilson said Standing Arrow’s features reminded him of the young Napoleon, even though he had “a slight cast in one eye. “He had also, as I could see, some of the qualities of the Mussolinian spellbinder,” wrote Wilson. Wilson learned that some of the men in the settlement were high steel workers who had labored that year on the Thruway Bridge over the Schoharie Creek.  Most of them had gone back to Brooklyn after the summer construction season. The Mohawks are excellent working on tall construction projects--walking on a narrow beam is not difficult for them.  Wilson’s book includes “A Study of the Mohawks in High Steel” written by Joseph Mitchell in 1949, describing the lives led by Mohawks in New York City.  Standing Arrow had put a sign on Route 5-S outside the encampment that said Indian Village.  During the previous summer, the Indians sold souvenirs to tourists. In the conversation with Wilson, Standing Arrow produced a document from American attorney E.A. Everett in 1924 backing the Chief’s claim that the Mohawks still owned the land around the Schoharie Creek.  Everett credited the Iroquois Confederacy with creating the only pre-European government in America. The Schoharie Creek encampment was gone by the summer of 1958.  Eviction orders were served following court action in March.  Some of the Mohawk huts were burned.   The Mohawks were offered land in the town of Fulton in Schoharie County but if there was a settlement there, apparently it was short lived. Wednesday, March 22, 2023-From the Archives- August 12, 2022-Episode 435-Susanne Dunlap discusses her book The Portraitist, a novel based on the life of 18th century French artist Adélaïde Labilleo-Guiard whose life went on amid the changes and terror of the French Revolution. With a beautiful rival who’s better connected and better trained than she is, Adélaïde faces an uphill battle. Her love affair with her young instructor in oil painting gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves.  Memories of St. Casimir’s in Amsterdam Thursday, March 23, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette Friday, March 24, 2023-Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This coming Sunday, March 26, 2023 we'll name the baby Henry from The Daily Gazette. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, March 21, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Light and variable wind becoming west 8 to 13 mph in the morning. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. * * Wednesday * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. East wind 6 to 9 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Tuesday, March 21, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Longtime St. Johnsville supervisor, newcomer vie for mayor * ST. JOHNSVILLE — When Dominick Stagliano stepped down from public office in St. Johnsville last summer, retiring from politics wasn’t… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Initiative reminds pedestrians, drivers how to safely share roads in Amsterdam, Montgomery County *   * TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — Safety tips for pedestrians and drivers sharing local roads are the focus of a... * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Mar 21

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Get to the Point Are all the websites you visit, too busy? The Historians on one page, no video, no pop-ups and a good story. Monday, March 20, 2023 Story behind the story Wilson family Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Edmund Wilson at the Mohawk Encampment-Pastries helped with popularity Four months after the Mohawk Indian encampment began on farmland off Route 5-S adjacent to the Schoharie Creek in 1957, world-renowned man of letters Edmund Wilson paid a visit to Chief Standing Arrow and his followers. Wednesday, March 22, 2023-From the Archives- August 12, 2022-Episode 435-Susanne Dunlap discusses her book The Portraitist, a novel based on the life of 18th century French artist Adélaïde Labilleo-Guiard whose life went on amid the changes and terror of the French Revolution. With a beautiful rival who’s better connected and better trained than she is, Adélaïde faces an uphill battle. Her love affair with her young instructor in oil painting gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves.  Memories of St. Casimir’s in Amsterdam Thursday, March 23, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette Friday, March 24, 2023-Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This coming Sunday, March 26, 2023 we'll name the baby Henry from The Daily Gazette. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Amsterdam’s remarkable Wilson family By Bob Cudmore    Benjamin Wilson responded with more information after reading the recent column describing his Amsterdam ancestors.     Wilson is retired chairman of the prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm of Beveridge & Diamond.  A Harvard Law School alumnus, he was an environmental litigator and advocate for diversity and inclusion.    Wilson is the son of the late Harrison Wilson, Junior, a basketball standout at Amsterdam High School in the early 1940s.  Harrison Junior went on to become president of Norfolk State University in Virginia in 1975 and led that historically black institution until his retirement in 1997.  He died in 2019 at age 94.    Ben Wilson said when he was a child most summers his family in Virginia visited his Amsterdam grandparents, Harrison Senior and Marguerite Wilson, at their home on Cedar Street.     Harrison Senior and Marguerite raised eight children, four male and four female, all born in Amsterdam and now all deceased.  They were, from eldest to youngest, Martha Ellen Wilson Marshall, Edward Wilson, Margaret C. Wilson, Mary Alida Wilson, Harrison Benjamin Wilson, Jr., Virginia Wilson Howard, Willis Thomas Wilson and Albert John Wilson.    Marguerite and Harrison Senior emphasized education in raising their family.  Marguerite, formerly a school teacher in Kentucky, was named Mother of the Year in a national competition.     Martha, the eldest Amsterdam Wilson sibling, won the girls’ acting award when she graduated high school in 1931.  She was a classmate of Isadore Demsky who became the movie actor Kirk Douglas.  Martha became a nurse in El Paso, Texas, and her mother Marguerite died in El Paso in 1960.    The youngest Amsterdam Wilson sibling, Albert, died last year.  He was an honors student and athlete at Lynch High School and Indiana University.  He became a real estate attorney, and was a pioneer in corporate social responsibility.  Ben Wilson said, “He helped develop corporate America’s response to investment in South Africa in the late 1980s and 1990s.”    Ben Wilson remembers visiting the Amsterdam parking lot on Federal Street which the Wilsons operated near, he said, a diner with great hamburgers and the police station, which had a soda machine.     Ben Wilson said, “We visited my grandfather Harrison Benjamin Wilson, Sr. at the parking lot, and my father and uncles would help my grandfather at the parking lot.  My grandfather worked that lot every day until his mid-eighties.  He died in 1982 ar age 93.    “We engaged in typical family activities, visiting the museum in Albany, the World’s Fair in New York City and going to Caroga Lake and Lake George.    “I had an interest in history and the year before I went away to school my parents took me to General Herkimer’s home and the area homes of Sir William Johnson.  This was helpful when I had to read “Drums Along the Mohawk” for English class.  My teacher could not believe I had actually been to several sites described in the novel.”    Ben’s brother the late Harrison Wilson III was the father of National Football League quarterback Russell Wilson, now with the Denver Broncos.   In 2016 Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Junior, who hosts a public television genealogy program, interviewed Russell at a public event called the Richmond Forum.    Gates found that Harrison Wilson, Senior, came to Amsterdam from Kentucky in 1920 in part because he had an older brother Albert in Amsterdam.  Gates said Harrison Senior owned property in Kentucky.  His father had been enslaved and fought with the Colored Troops of the Union army in the Civil War.    Ben Harrison’s sister April Wilson Woodard is a TV journalist known for her work as a correspondent on the newsmagazine Inside Edition. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, March 20, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * * * Sunny, with a high near 49. West wind 8 to 15 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly clear, with a low around 24. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph. * * Tuesday * Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. West wind 6 to 14 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, March 20, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Around The County: Merriam, Stratton families championed women * March is Women’s History Month, and to help commemorate the occasion I thought we’d take a quick look at the… *   * miSci spotlights the work of African American scientists at GE * The Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci) is spotlighting the stories of Black inventors and engineers who have made strides at…  *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * Fulton County pays tribute to ‘ring of fire’ founder, former Mayfield leader * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 20

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Harrison Senior and Marguerite raised eight children, four male and four female, all born in Amsterdam and now all deceased.  They were, from eldest to youngest, Martha Ellen Wilson Marshall, Edward Wilson, Margaret C. Wilson, Mary Alida Wilson, Harrison Benjamin Wilson, Jr., Virginia Wilson Howard, Willis Thomas Wilson and Albert John Wilson. The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This coming Sunday, March 26, 2023 we'll name the baby Henry from The Daily Gazette. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Amsterdam’s remarkable Wilson family By Bob Cudmore    Benjamin Wilson responded with more information after reading the recent column describing his Amsterdam ancestors.     Wilson is retired chairman of the prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm of Beveridge & Diamond.  A Harvard Law School alumnus, he was an environmental litigator and advocate for diversity and inclusion.    Wilson is the son of the late Harrison Wilson, Junior, a basketball standout at Amsterdam High School in the early 1940s.  Harrison Junior went on to become president of Norfolk State University in Virginia in 1975 and led that historically black institution until his retirement in 1997.  He died in 2019 at age 94.    Ben Wilson said when he was a child most summers his family in Virginia visited his Amsterdam grandparents, Harrison Senior and Marguerite Wilson, at their home on Cedar Street.     Harrison Senior and Marguerite raised eight children, four male and four female, all born in Amsterdam and now all deceased.  They were, from eldest to youngest, Martha Ellen Wilson Marshall, Edward Wilson, Margaret C. Wilson, Mary Alida Wilson, Harrison Benjamin Wilson, Jr., Virginia Wilson Howard, Willis Thomas Wilson and Albert John Wilson.    Marguerite and Harrison Senior emphasized education in raising their family.  Marguerite, formerly a school teacher in Kentucky, was named Mother of the Year in a national competition.     Martha, the eldest Amsterdam Wilson sibling, won the girls’ acting award when she graduated high school in 1931.  She was a classmate of Isadore Demsky who became the movie actor Kirk Douglas.  Martha became a nurse in El Paso, Texas, and her mother Marguerite died in El Paso in 1960.    The youngest Amsterdam Wilson sibling, Albert, died last year.  He was an honors student and athlete at Lynch High School and Indiana University.  He became a real estate attorney, and was a pioneer in corporate social responsibility.  Ben Wilson said, “He helped develop corporate America’s response to investment in South Africa in the late 1980s and 1990s.”    Ben Wilson remembers visiting the Amsterdam parking lot on Federal Street which the Wilsons operated near, he said, a diner with great hamburgers and the police station, which had a soda machine.     Ben Wilson said, “We visited my grandfather Harrison Benjamin Wilson, Sr. at the parking lot, and my father and uncles would help my grandfather at the parking lot.  My grandfather worked that lot every day until his mid-eighties.  He died in 1982 ar age 93.    “We engaged in typical family activities, visiting the museum in Albany, the World’s Fair in New York City and going to Caroga Lake and Lake George.    “I had an interest in history and the year before I went away to school my parents took me to General Herkimer’s home and the area homes of Sir William Johnson.  This was helpful when I had to read “Drums Along the Mohawk” for English class.  My teacher could not believe I had actually been to several sites described in the novel.”    Ben’s brother the late Harrison Wilson III was the father of National Football League quarterback Russell Wilson, now with the Denver Broncos.   In 2016 Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Junior, who hosts a public television genealogy program, interviewed Russell at a public event called the Richmond Forum.    Gates found that Harrison Wilson, Senior, came to Amsterdam from Kentucky in 1920 in part because he had an older brother Albert in Amsterdam.  Gates said Harrison Senior owned property in Kentucky.  His father had been enslaved and fought with the Colored Troops of the Union army in the Civil War.    Ben Harrison’s sister April Wilson Woodard is a TV journalist known for her work as a correspondent on the newsmagazine Inside Edition. Monday, March 20, 2023-Story behind the story Wilson family "High Steel" Tuesday, March 21, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Edmund Wilson at the Mohawk Encampment-Pastries helped with popularity Wednesday, March 22, 2023-From the Archives- August 12, 2022-Episode 435-Susanne Dunlap discusses her book The Portraitist, a novel based on the life of 18th century French artist Adélaïde Labilleo-Guiard whose life went on amid the changes and terror of the French Revolution. With a beautiful rival who’s better connected and better trained than she is, Adélaïde faces an uphill battle. Her love affair with her young instructor in oil painting gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves.  Memories of St. Casimir’s in Amsterdam Thursday, March 23, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette Friday, March 24, 2023-Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  Andre piloted primitive helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the 1950s for the French army in Indochina.  She became the first woman in the French military to be promoted to General. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, March 19, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * A chance of snow showers, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Windy, with a west wind 18 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 20. West wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. * * Monday * Sunny, with a high near 47. West wind 10 to 16 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, March 19, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Some big stars are gracing area in second round of NCAA tournament * ALBANY — Some of college basketball’s biggest stars will be shining down on MVP Arena on Sunday for the second…  *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * Road closures begin Monday in Amsterdam * * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Mar 19

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. Bob on the Radio today. Noon, WCSS Amsterdam 106.9FM and WIZR Johnstown 102.9. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Working to Episode #500 later this year. Saturday March 18, 2023-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan with the story of Jimmy McManus Tomorrow, the full print story about Amsterdam’s Wilson family Wilson is retired chairman of the prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm of Beveridge & Diamond.  Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, March 18, 2023 * * * * * * * * Partly sunny, with a high near 41. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. * * Tonight * A chance of rain and snow showers before 9pm, then a slight chance of snow showers between 9pm and 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. West wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. * * Sunday * A chance of snow showers, mainly between 11am and 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 28. Windy, with a west wind 20 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, March 18, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Wearing number with deep family meaning, Amsterdam native Jackson leads UConn to NCAA tournament win in Albany * ALBANY — As the UConn Huskies pulled away from Iona Friday evening at MVP Arena in what ended up as… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * * *   * * Homeless shelter OK’d in June seeks reapproval from Amsterdam Planning Commission, new public hearing set Wednesday *   * AMSTERDAM — Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless (IPH) will seek reapproval for a homeless... *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 18

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This Sunday more on Amsterdam’s Wilson family. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Bob Cudmore and The Historians on Radio this weekend in The Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier, New York State  Friday, March 17, 2023-Episode 466-Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. Saturday March 18, 2023-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan explains the role played by Democratic Party district leader Jimmy McManus in reviving the Broadway theater industry and the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan. Sunday, March 19, 2023 Bob has more on Amsterdam’s Wilson family Benjamin Wilson responded with more information after reading the recent column describing his Amsterdam ancestors.  * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Friday, March 17, 2023 * * * * * * Showers likely, mainly after 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 42. East wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. * * Tonight * A chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Light and variable wind becoming west 12 to 17 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. * * Saturday * A chance of rain showers after 1pm, mixing with snow after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 38. West wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. * * Sunday * A slight chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 29. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Friday, March 17, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * DEC changes camping policies to make last-minute booking easier *   * ALBANY – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced changes for... * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 17

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This Sunday more on Amsterdam’s Wilson family. Go Fund Me Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Bob Cudmore and The Historians on Radio this weekend in The Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier, New York State  Presumed dead, Amsterdam man survived the war By Bob Cudmore An Amsterdam man presumed dead during World War II survived the war and lived until 2003. Attorney Robert N. Going in his book “Honor Roll: The World War II Dead of Amsterdam, N.Y.” listed the death of Private First Class Anthony “Doc” Kosiba of 39 McCleary Avenue. Inducted in 1943, Kosiba arrived in England in the summer of 1944.  He fought in France, Belgium and Germany. Kosiba’s wife Olga received a telegram from the War Department that her husband was killed in action on German soil on October 6, 1944.  His age was 35.  The Recorder printed Kosiba’s obituary and a funeral Mass was held. Going now has learned from family members that some time after the funeral, Olga Kosiba received a letter from her husband. “It took a good deal of tear-wiping before she finally noticed the date on the letter,” Going said.  “It was after the date of the telegram announcing his death.” Going said that Kosiba had been wounded so badly that initially he was thought to be dead, “Doubtless his dog tags were gathered up and it was only later when they came back for the body that someone realized he was alive. “After spending some time in Army hospitals, he came home to Olga and Amsterdam and lived a long and fruitful life.” Kosiba earned the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and European Campaign medals.  After the war, he returned to his job at the Fitzgerald Bottling Company in Amsterdam.  He was a production manager for the Fitzgerald and PepsiCola companies until his retirement. Olga Kosiba, who had worked for Mohasco, died in 1998.  Anthony Kosiba died on March 6, 2003 at age 94 at the Wilkinson nursing home on Route 30.  The couple had no children.  They were members of St. Stanislaus Church. DARK DAYS Stephen Sanford, arguably Amsterdam’s most famous horseman, ended his life unable to attend races at Saratoga. Sanford, who founded Amsterdam’s first major carpet mill, created Hurricana Farm in the 1870s on what is now Route 30. According to Alex M. Robb’s book “The Sanfords of Amsterdam,” Sanford’s doctor recommended the industrialist take up thoroughbred breeding as a hobby to help with stomach ulcers.  Sanford horses, especially jumpers, were a mainstay every summer at the Saratoga racing meet, founded in 1863. From 1903 through 1907, the Sanfords invited the people of Amsterdam to the Sanford Matinee Races at Hurricana on the Sunday closest to Fourth of July.  Thousands attended each year. In 1908, Stephen Sanford went blind.  And in the last two years of his life the races he loved at Saratoga were cancelled. Today the future of racing at Saratoga is threatened by economics and state government dysfunction.  A hundred years ago the issue was morality. The reform movement was a reaction to the devil may care attitude of the Gay Nineties.  New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes signed a law that banned bookmaking at horse tracks in the state.  The tracks, including Saratoga, were closed in 1911 and 1912.  Hughes later served as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Sanfords sold most of their horses to out-of-staters and Canadians when the track closed, according to Robb. Stephen Sanford died on February 13, 1913.  Six months later, the state allowed racing to resume at Saratoga along with the first running of a race named to honor Amsterdam’s premiere racing family, the Sanford Memorial. The Amsterdam horse farm—later called Sanford Stud Farm—continued under the management of Stephen Sanford’s descendants until 1977.  Today the Friends of Sanford Stud Farm are making an effort to restore the remaining farm buildings. Friday, March 17, 2023-Episode 466-Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. Saturday March 18, 2023-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan explains the role played by Democratic Party district leader Jimmy McManus in reviving the Broadway theater industry and the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan. Sunday, March 19, 2023- More on Amsterdam’s Wilson family Benjamin Wilson responded with more information after reading the recent column describing his Amsterdam ancestors.  * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, March 16, 2023 * * * * Partly sunny, with a high near 43. West wind 8 to 13 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. * * Friday * A chance of showers before 10am, then rain, mainly after 10am. High near 42. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, March 16, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * FMCC men’s basketball falls short against DuPage in overtime at national tourney * HERKIMER — Making its first appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Tournament since 2007, the Fulton-Montgomery men’s… *   * Johnstown ex-mortician Barnett pleads guilty to six charges * JOHNSTOWN — A funeral director accused of mishandling corpses conceded to six charges Wednesday in Fulton County Court. Brian Barnett,… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * Chuctanunda Creek Trail extensions eyed by Amsterdam, Montgomery County *   * AMSTERDAM — Amsterdam has hired a contractor to extend the Chuctanunda Creek Trail on the... * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 16

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. Working on an interview with Maria Riccio Bryce “Requiem” that should post in April. The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail. Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Bob Cudmore and The Historians on Radio and The Internet. The Historians airs today on Albany Public Radio WMHT89.1FM RISE that serves The Hudson Valley Wednesday, March 15, 2023-Episode 399 Stephen Riegel is author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age NY. Thursday, March 16, 2023 Presumed dead An Amsterdam man presumed dead during World War II survived the war and lived until 2003. Friday, March 17, 2023-Episode 466-Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Wednesday, March 15, 2023 * * Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Northwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly clear, with a low around 23. West wind 9 to 14 mph. * * Thursday * Partly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Wednesday, March 15, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Unemployment average in greater Albany metro region up slightly from 2022 * ALBANY — The monthly unemployment rate average in the greater Capital Region is up, yet still below pre-pandemic standards overall…. *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * Heat intensifying on plans to use barn as wedding venue in town of Florida * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 15

* * * * * * * * * * * * * His father wanted to name the baby Alexander, after a Polish prince.  Paula’s name, for example, was in reality Pelagia Julianna, the name of a Polish princess.  However, his mother prevailed and the baby was named Henry, after the American industrialist Henry Ford.  The family always called him Harry and he legally changed his name to Harry when he came of age.  The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. This Sunday more on Amsterdam’s Wilson family and later this month Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302  Bob Cudmore and The Historians on Radio and The Internet (to be honest, radio is more fun) Sikora family memories By Bob Cudmore Descendants of Albert and Katie Sikora have preserved fascinating accounts of daily life during the 1920s and 1930s in Amsterdam.  The family lived on Clark Avenue and in 1931 Albert Sikora is described as a spinner at Mohawk Carpet Mills. One of Albert and Katie’s daughters, Paula, wrote down her memories of the birth of her youngest brother Harry in 1928.  The pregnancy was not discussed with the six other children and at the time of the birth, a “birthing lady” attended their mother.  At first shooed out of the house into the rain by their father, the children eventually were brought inside and told to get sheets for the birthing lady to use. “(Sister) Kay and I ran to the house and started pulling the sheets off the bed,” Paula wrote.  “We tried to give them to the birthing lady but she hollered at us--she wanted unused sheets.   Then all of a sudden we were allowed to go to Mom’s room and she introduced us to our new little fat wrinkled baby brother.  I had a new doll to play with!   He was so cute.  Mom was back.  All was well again.” His father wanted to name the baby Alexander, after a Polish prince.  Paula’s name, for example, was in reality Pelagia Julianna, the name of a Polish princess.  However, his mother prevailed and the baby was named Henry, after the American industrialist Henry Ford.  The family always called him Harry and he legally changed his name to Harry when he came of age.    Harry Sikora died March 28 this year at age 79 in Florida.  His wife Joan plus three children and their spouses survive along with grandchildren. Harry Sikora served in the U.S. Army, went to Union College and Syracuse University and became an industrial engineer at IBM, retiring in 1985.  His later years were spent at a farm in Bradford, Pennsylvania and a winter home in Clearwater, Florida. “Was four years old when I started school in the first grade,” Harry wrote of his childhood in Amsterdam.  “Mom lied about my age to get me into school early.  Believe she had enough of children by the time I arrived.” The grade school was about seven blocks from their Clark Avenue home and his mother told him to follow the other children to get to school. His sister Paula married in 1937 but Harry did not want to attend the wedding because he had a perfect school attendance record for six years.  Paula recalled the days when the family had no radio.  Eventually, a windup Victrola came their way.  Their father built them a new home on Clarke Avenue and an upstairs flat was rented. “Our renter had a radio—wow,” Paula wrote.  “On Saturday night, there was a program, Fibber McGee and Molly at 8:00 p.m.  She would turn it on loud and we kids sat on the hall steps and listened to the half hour program.  What a treat!” As far as Harry was concerned, there always was radio in the house, but not enough. “Mom would turn the radio off when sleep time approached, usually in the middle of a very interesting program,” he wrote.  “No mercy from her here. “Heat came from a wood/coal stove, which heated the kitchen and living room area.  Bedrooms were cold during the winter and hot during the summer.  Coal bin was located in the basement.  Had to be carried upstairs and ashes emptied daily.  Burned tons of coal every year. “We had two sour cherry trees.  One year, dad made cherry wine in the basement.   When he wasn't looking, I tasted some of it.” Wednesday, March 15, 2023-Episode 399 Stephen Riegel is author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age NY. Thursday, March 16, 2023 Presumed dead Friday, March 17, 2023-Episode 466-Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Heavy, wet snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 8   to 16 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 to 45 mph. * WHERE...The Greater Capital District, Mohawk Valley, and   portions of the Upper Hudson Valley in eastern New York   including the Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs areas. * WHEN...Through 8 AM EDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Travel will be very difficult to impossible, including   the this morning and evening commutes. The weight of the snow on   tree branches will result in power outages. Snowfall rates will   exceed one inch per hour at times, especially this morning with   locally higher rates possible depending on where the heaviest   snow bands develop. Strong winds will also result in very low   visibility, especially today into tonight. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Very heavy snow expected this morning. This   will be a long duration and high-impact snow event. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Waite: Fort Johnson election will be remembered even when most residents forget to vote * To get on the ballot for next week’s election in the village of Fort Johnson, candidates needed only one signature… *   * FMCC basketball teams ready for national tournament * JOHNSTOWN — It’s been a season unlike any other for the Fulton-Montgomery Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams. Both… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * AMSTERDAM — Amanda Bearcroft is departing as director of community and economic development for... *   * SUNY Chancellor extols nursing simulation bill during FMCC visit * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 14

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Monday, March 13, 2023-Vaudeville days (the Podcast) from dancing to roller skating ...a type of entertainment popular chiefly in the US in the early 20th century, featuring a mixture of specialty acts such as burlesque comedy and song and dance. The Historians Podcast Go Fund Me for 2023. Later this month Episode 467-Charles Morgan Evans is author of Helicopter Heroine--Valerie Andre, Surgeon, Rescue Pilot and Her Courage Under Fire.  The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Tuesday, March 14, 2023-The Daily Gazette-SIkora family memories from The City of Amsterdam, New York Descendants of Albert and Katie Sikora have preserved fascinating accounts of daily life during the 1920s and 1930s in Amsterdam.  The family lived on Clark Avenue and in 1931 Albert Sikora is described as a spinner at Mohawk Carpet Mills. Wednesday, March 15, 2023-Episode 399 Stephen Riegel is author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age NY. Thursday, March 16, 2023 Presumed dead Friday, March 17, 2023-Episode 466-Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. Vaudeville days--from dancing to roller skating By Bob Cudmore    Red haired Amsterdam native Inez Courtney was 15 when she performed a specialty dance act during a three day run in 1923 in a vaudeville show at the Rialto Theater on Market Street, part of the Keith vaudeville circuit.     People referred to her as St. Vitus, Mosquito and Lightning.  Born into a large Irish-American family, Inez took up the stage after her father died.    Vaudeville was a mix of specialized stage acts including dancers, singers, comedians and even roller skaters.  Vaudevillians toured America, some visiting big cities and others going to smaller towns like Amsterdam.    My father, a teen ager at the time, recalled he could watch a movie and four or five vaudeville acts at one of Amsterdam’s theaters for 25 cents in the 1920s.     One Amsterdam movie theater prided itself on not providing vaudeville.  The Orpheum, on Market Street did feature movie stars on tour making personal appearances.    Dancer Inez Courtney left vaudeville for Broadway, and was performing in “The Wild Rose” and other musicals in 1926.   She won acclaim for her role in the 1927 musical “Good News” about college life.     In 1930 she went to Hollywood.  Under contract with Harry Cohn at Columbia Pictures, Courtney appeared in non-musical roles, usually as the wise-cracking friend of actresses such as Jean Harlow or Ginger Rogers.    Courtney performed in 58 films between 1930 and 1940 including “The Raven”, “Suzy”, and “Turnabout”, her last movie.    She was married twice, the second time to an Italian nobleman.  When she retired from the movies in 1940 they moved to Rome Italy where her husband Luigi Filiesi was a wine merchant.  She died of undisclosed causes at a hospital in New Jersey in 1975 at age 67.    Another vaudeville act that originated in Amsterdam had a long run but never made it to the movies.  Hyman and his brother Barney Nathan were roller skaters.    According to the American Vaudeville Museum, there was a roller skating vogue in the early 1900s including Dare Devil Frank, Fielding and Carlos and the Skating Macks.    The Nathan Brothers’ act was created by Hy Nathan when he ran the roller skating rink at a facility called the Colonial on Liberty Street in Amsterdam.     Roller skating was advertised four days a week at the Colonial in 1906. A 1912 newspaper story reported that Hy Nathan canceled a ten mile skating race between Alfred Shrubb, the English champion, and Billy Queal, the American champion, which had been scheduled for the Colonial.  Nathan said there was not sufficient interest in the race.    Hy and Barney Nathan toured on the Keith vaudeville circuit in America starting in 1918.  They also performed in Europe.  In February 1922 Hy Nathan was quoted by the Recorder as saying that the brothers were on tour in Ireland with their self-described “sensational” roller skating act.  The Nathans performed in Ireland during the first day of freedom for the Irish Free State.    The news account stated, “They expect to fill a number of European engagements before returning to America.  Hy Nathan was home last summer on a brief visit.”    In 1924 a newspaper story reported the Nathan Brothers were in Paris and about to tour Germany with stops in Berlin and Munich.  In 1928 the skating brothers sent a card from Hamburg to Amsterdam friend James Aiken via the mail service of the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin.    A 1929 Amsterdam newspaper account of a contested will involving property in the Nathan family lists Hyman Nathan as one of the heirs.  No further word turns up, however, on the career of Hy and Barney Nathan, the vaudeville roller skaters. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, March 13, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM EDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Heavy, wet snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 8   to 16 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 to 45 mph. * WHERE...The Greater Capital District, Mohawk Valley, and   portions of the Upper Hudson Valley in eastern New York. * WHEN...From 8 PM Monday to 8 AM EDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Travel will be very difficult to impossible. This   includes the Tuesday morning and evening commute. The weight   of the snow on tree branches may result in power outages.   Snowfall rates will reach 1 to 2 inches per hour at times with   locally higher rates possible depending on where the heaviest   snow bands develop. Strong winds will also result in very low   visibility, especially Tuesday into Tuesday night. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...This will be a long duration and high-   impact snow event. Prepare now for this upcoming winter storm. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, March 13, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * ‘Storm of the Century’ – Monday marks 30 years since blizzard pounded region * Superstorm. Blizzard. Storm of the Century. Those were names used to describe the Capital Region’s wildest winter weather of the…  *   * Upstate New York braces for heaviest snowfall of 2023 * GREATER CAPITAL REGION — A whopper of a winter storm is expected to rip through the greater Capital Region starting… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Final report issued on March 2021 plane crash at Fulton County Airport * JOHNSTOWN — The exact cause of landing gear issues that led a small plane to crash onto its side two… * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 13

* * * * * * * * * * * * * In 1930 she went to Hollywood.  Under contract with Harry Cohn at Columbia Pictures, Courtney appeared in non-musical roles, usually as the wise-cracking friend of actresses such as Jean Harlow or Ginger Rogers. Vaudeville days--from dancing to roller skating By Bob Cudmore    Red haired Amsterdam native Inez Courtney was 15 when she performed a specialty dance act during a three day run in 1923 in a vaudeville show at the Rialto Theater on Market Street, part of the Keith vaudeville circuit.     People referred to her as St. Vitus, Mosquito and Lightning.  Born into a large Irish-American family, Inez took up the stage after her father died.    Vaudeville was a mix of specialized stage acts including dancers, singers, comedians and even roller skaters.  Vaudevillians toured America, some visiting big cities and others going to smaller towns like Amsterdam.    My father, a teen ager at the time, recalled he could watch a movie and four or five vaudeville acts at one of Amsterdam’s theaters for 25 cents in the 1920s.     One Amsterdam movie theater prided itself on not providing vaudeville.  The Orpheum, on Market Street did feature movie stars on tour making personal appearances.    Dancer Inez Courtney left vaudeville for Broadway, and was performing in “The Wild Rose” and other musicals in 1926.   She won acclaim for her role in the 1927 musical “Good News” about college life.     In 1930 she went to Hollywood.  Under contract with Harry Cohn at Columbia Pictures, Courtney appeared in non-musical roles, usually as the wise-cracking friend of actresses such as Jean Harlow or Ginger Rogers.    Courtney performed in 58 films between 1930 and 1940 including “The Raven”, “Suzy”, and “Turnabout”, her last movie.    She was married twice, the second time to an Italian nobleman.  When she retired from the movies in 1940 they moved to Rome Italy where her husband Luigi Filiesi was a wine merchant.  She died of undisclosed causes at a hospital in New Jersey in 1975 at age 67.    Another vaudeville act that originated in Amsterdam had a long run but never made it to the movies.  Hyman and his brother Barney Nathan were roller skaters.    According to the American Vaudeville Museum, there was a roller skating vogue in the early 1900s including Dare Devil Frank, Fielding and Carlos and the Skating Macks.    The Nathan Brothers’ act was created by Hy Nathan when he ran the roller skating rink at a facility called the Colonial on Liberty Street in Amsterdam.     Roller skating was advertised four days a week at the Colonial in 1906. A 1912 newspaper story reported that Hy Nathan canceled a ten mile skating race between Alfred Shrubb, the English champion, and Billy Queal, the American champion, which had been scheduled for the Colonial.  Nathan said there was not sufficient interest in the race.    Hy and Barney Nathan toured on the Keith vaudeville circuit in America starting in 1918.  They also performed in Europe.  In February 1922 Hy Nathan was quoted by the Recorder as saying that the brothers were on tour in Ireland with their self-described “sensational” roller skating act.  The Nathans performed in Ireland during the first day of freedom for the Irish Free State.    The news account stated, “They expect to fill a number of European engagements before returning to America.  Hy Nathan was home last summer on a brief visit.”    In 1924 a newspaper story reported the Nathan Brothers were in Paris and about to tour Germany with stops in Berlin and Munich.  In 1928 the skating brothers sent a card from Hamburg to Amsterdam friend James Aiken via the mail service of the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin.    A 1929 Amsterdam newspaper account of a contested will involving property in the Nathan family lists Hyman Nathan as one of the heirs.  No further word turns up, however, on the career of Hy and Barney Nathan, the vaudeville roller skaters. Monday, March 13, 2023-Vaudeville days (the Podcast) from dancing to roller skating Tuesday, March 14, 2023-History from the Daily Gazette-SIkora family memories  Wednesday, March 15, 2023-Episode 399 Stephen Riegel is author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age NY. Thursday, March 16, 2023 Presumed dead Friday, March 17, 2023-Episode 466-Kate Fagan is author of HOOP MUSES-An Insider’s Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women’s) Game an Adventure through Basketball History. Fagan is a native of Schenectady. She writes for Sports Illustrated. The Historians with Bob Cudmore The City of Amsterdam, New York. The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me Drive. Use this Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast   or U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, March 12, 2023 * * * * * * * * * * ...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Heavy wet snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 12   to 18 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph at   times. * WHERE...Hudson and Mohawk Valleys of eastern New York as well   as southern Litchfield County in northwestern Connecticut. * WHEN...From Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The   hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening   commutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...This has the potential of being a long   duration and high-impact snow event for eastern New York and   western New England. Heavy wet snow combined with strong winds   will likely lead to downed trees and power outages across the   area. Please begin preparing now for this upcoming winter   storm event. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, March 12, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * Dear readers: We want your feedback on how we’re doing as a news organization GAZETTE – Spring is the perfect time for introspection and renewal, so here at The Gazette we’re observing the changing… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 12

* * * * * * * * * * * * * GLOVERSVILLE — The Fulton County Historical Society neither accepts nor dismisses the existence of ghosts. But they welcome believers. Tonight at 7 $30 FCHS MEMBERS; $35 NON-MEMBERS TICKETS REQUIRED Gloversville ghosts? Utica area paranormal agents ready to probe the undead https://fultoncountyhistoricalsociety.org/ The Bob Cudmore conversation with Denise Doring VanBuren president of the Beacon New York Historical Society and author of two books about Beacon’s history.  Dia Beacon, a modern art museum revived formerly industrial Beacon starting in 2003. Tomorrow, Focus on History Vaudeville days--from dancing to roller skating Red haired Amsterdam native Inez Courtney was 15 when she performed a specialty dance act during a three day run in 1923 in a vaudeville show at the Rialto Theater on Market Street, part of the Keith vaudeville circuit.  The Historians with Bob Cudmore The City of Amsterdam, New York. The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me is in need of $200.00 by the first of April. The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, March 11, 2023 * * * * * * * * * Rain showers and snow likely before 2pm, then a slight chance of rain showers between 2pm and 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. North wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. * * Saturday Night * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. * * Sunday * Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon. * * Monday * Snow likely before 10am, then rain and snow likely between 10am and 1pm, then snow after 1pm. High near 37. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. * *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, March 11, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Glenville considers allowing marijuana sales * GLENVILLE — After moving to prohibit cannabis-related businesses from opening in town two years ago, lawmakers are now considering reversing course. … *   * Retail marijuana sales to start at Schenectady dispensary April 1, owner says * SCHENECTADY — Two years after state lawmakers legalized marijuana for adult use, the Electric City will see its first cannabis sales… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * FBI to brief House committee on probe into agency role in Schoharie limo investigation *   * WASHINGTON — The FBI has completed its review of its involvement in the investigations into the 2018 Schoharie limo crash that killed 20 people and its relationship with Shahed Hussain, the owner of the limo company and a former... * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 11

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Beacon Historical Society was founded in 1976 with a mission to discover, procure, preserve, and present the history of Beacon, New York and its antecedent communities of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing and local environs. https://www.beaconhistorical.org/ Gloversville ghosts? Utica area paranormal agents ready to probe the undead GLOVERSVILLE — The Fulton County Historical Society neither accepts nor dismisses the existence of ghosts. But they welcome believers. Saturday Night at 7  https://fultoncountyhistoricalsociety.org/ The Historians with Bob Cudmore The City of Amsterdam, New York. The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me drive keeps Mohawk Valley History Alive The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Friday, March 10, 2023 * * * * * * * A slight chance of rain between 4pm and 5pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Increasing clouds, with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. * * Tonight * Snow. Low around 28. Northeast wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. * * Saturday * Rain showers and snow likely before 2pm, then a slight chance of rain showers between 2pm and 4pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. * * Sunday * Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon. * *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Friday, March 10, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Weekend plans: Gloversville soup festival, high school basketball regionals among top picks * There’s no shortage of things to do in the Capital Region, whether you’re looking for live music, films, theater, games… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Dollar General ‘fresh’ distribution center on Rt 5S approved, warehouse planned opposite existing dry goods facility *   * TOWN OF FLORIDA — Dollar General’s plans to construct a new cold storage distribution center... * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 10

* * * * * * * * * * * * * In his book “Past and Present,” Tony Pacelli said the Swingsters dressed as hillbillies and made sweet music the hard way, “The instruments consisted of a guitar, a stovepipe with a kazoo on the end and a washboard with attached novelties such as whistles, horns and a toy trombone with a kazoo attached to it.  The group was similar to the Spike Jones Band.” Gloversville ghosts? Utica area paranormal agents ready to probe the undead GLOVERSVILLE — The Fulton County Historical Society neither accepts nor dismisses the existence of ghosts. But they welcome believers.  https://fultoncountyhistoricalsociety.org/ The Historians with Bob Cudmore The City of Amsterdam, New York. The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me drive keeps Mohawk Valley History Alive The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. If you knew Susie By Bob Cudmore    Angelo Sardonia was born in 1911 in Poultney, Vermont and moved to Amsterdam as a young boy.  His nickname was “Susie.”  Unlike Johnny Cash, he enjoyed the name.    Sardonia’s daughter Maryann Salm said the nickname could have come after her father formed a band in the 1930s, Susie’s Washboard Band also known as Susie’s Swingsters.  Other band members were Joe Iannotti, Dennis “Junior” Hasenfuss and Jim “Dale” Dallesandro.     In his book “Past and Present,” Tony Pacelli said the Swingsters dressed as hillbillies and made sweet music the hard way, “The instruments consisted of a guitar, a stovepipe with a kazoo on the end and a washboard with attached novelties such as whistles, horns and a toy trombone with a kazoo attached to it.  The group was similar to the Spike Jones Band.”    The Swingsters weere a hit at the 1930 Sportsmen’s Show in Amsterdam and at Leggiero’s gas station on Bridge Street on the South Side where the band drummed up business Wednesday nights.    They played out-of-town gigs, including the Schine Theatre in Ilion.  Pacelli said Schine, based in Gloversville, wanted the band to perform at all its upstate theaters but the deal never finalized.  The group disbanded in the 1940s.    Sardonia worked at Chalmers Knitting Mill and its successor Montco, heading the knitting room, the dye house and maintenance.  He also owned a tavern named Susie’s on Bridge Street across from the mill.  He was married to Helen Reichel and they had a son and two daughters.    In World War II Sardonia edited the South Side Servicemen’s News to keep soldiers far away up to date on local happenings.       Salm said, “Dad was never drafted.  I think The Servicemen's News was a way he could help.  That little newspaper was quite an undertaking.  It took contributions, and social functions to raise money.  The Recorder and staff were also a great help to my Dad.” Salm said the newsletters were funny and sad, “It was as though you met someone on the street you knew and stopped to talk.”    The war literally came to Sardonia’s home on October 13, 1943.  That night a twin-engine Army transport plane crashed in a rural section of Amsterdam’s South Side as the plane’s four-man crew parachuted to safety. Remarkably, there were no injuries. The plane was on a flight between Rome and Schenectady when its engines went out.    Captain John F. Pope, the last to exit the plane, was found wandering on Dewitt Street. He apparently had landed on the roof of  Sardonia’s house or on the nearby porch of Charles Frohlich.    After the war, Sardonia was instrumental in building the Fifth Ward Memorial Park on Bridge Street. Sardonia served over 20 years as Fifth Ward Alderman, from 1944 to 1948 then from 1958  to 1973, when he lost an election to Lawrence Morini.     Sardonia’s nephew Michael Chiara was impressed that his uncle always stood when he spoke at the Common Council, while most members stayed seated during their speeches.      Longtime friend Bert DeRose recalled that in one campaign, Sardonia organized a Kettle Band, young people banging on tin cans and buckets drumming up votes for Sardonia.     After 36 years of marriage, Helen Reichel Sardonia died in 1968.  In 1972, Sardonia married Margaret Schultz.  Angelo Sardonia died at age 76 on July 3, 1987. March 10. 2023-Episode 465-Denise Doring VanBuren is president of the Beacon New York Historical Society and author of two books and editor of a third book about Beacon’s history.  Dia Beacon, a modern art museum revived formerly industrial Beacon starting in 2003. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, March 9, 2023 * * * * * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. West wind 6 to 9 mph. * * Tonight * A chance of flurries before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. North wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. * * Friday * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. * *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, March 9, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Duanesburg schools terminates transportation director * DUANESBURG — The Duanesburg Central School District this week terminated its transportation director, but school officials remain quiet about what led… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Canajoharie schools take night to celebrate music, art *   * CANAJOHARIE — Canajoharie High School’s atrium was filled with beauty in paint, sculpture,... * * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 09

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians with Bob Cudmore The City of Amsterdam, New York The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me drive keeps Mohawk Valley History Alive The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Wednesday, March 8, 2023-From the Archives, Episode 455-Buddy Levy author of Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic (1913) Voyage of the Karluk.  Levy, who lives in Idaho, is a go-to author for Arctic history. The true, harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who came to define it. In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. * Gloversville ghosts? Utica area paranormal agents ready to probe the undead * GLOVERSVILLE — The Fulton County Historical Society neither accepts nor dismisses the existence of ghosts. But they welcome believers. Bob will have more on this tomorrow, Thursday, March 9 Thursday, March 9, 2023-If you knew Susie    Angelo Sardonia was born in 1911 in Poultney, Vermont and moved to Amsterdam as a young boy.  His nickname was “Susie.”  Unlike Johnny Cash, he enjoyed the name. Beacon New York Historical Society Edit is complete, posted early Friday March 10. 2023-Episode 465-Denise Doring VanBuren is president of the Beacon New York Historical Society and author of two books and editor of a third book about Beacon’s history.  Dia Beacon, a modern art museum revived formerly industrial Beacon starting in 2003. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Wednesday, March 8, 2023 * * * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. West wind around 11 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. West wind around 10 mph. * * Thursday * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. West wind around 9 mph. * *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Wednesday, March 8, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * NYRA releases stakes schedule for 155th Saratoga Race Course meet * SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 155th Saratoga Race Course meet will include its usual roster of stakes races in 2023, with… * *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * * Town of Florida residents want more info on proposed wind turbine; written comments accepted through March 13 *   * TOWN OF FLORIDA — Residents want more data on impacts to the visual landscape, noise and birds... *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 08

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The men of the league became famous for hearty pancake suppers served in the junior high cafeteria. There were canoe tipping, ax wielding, fly-casting and sharp shooting competitions and demonstrations, along with professional exhibits.  In 1937, the show featured the world’s biggest snowshoe, sent by a Maine manufacturer. The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me drive keeps Mohawk Valley History on The WWW known to some as the internet and Radio (Local and Public) With the nudge of a button...The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or the little white truck we all observe on the roads-U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Sportsmen’s Shows in Amsterdam By Bob Cudmore March and April were the months for the annual Sportsmen’s Shows put on by the Amsterdam Fish and Game League from the 1930s into the 1950s.  The shows were held in the gymnasium and auditorium of the former Theodore Roosevelt Junior High on Guy Park Avenue during the school’s Easter vacation. “It was a big thing,” said city resident Mario Checca. “They chopped wood, sawed wood and rolled logs on the water.” The league formed in 1931 and the annual shows began in 1933, first at the South Side armory then the junior high. Some years were missed during and after World War II but the event resumed with an entire week of activities in the late 1940s, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Proceeds went for fish stocking and other conservation work. The men of the league became famous for hearty pancake suppers served in the junior high cafeteria. There were canoe tipping, ax wielding, fly-casting and sharp shooting competitions and demonstrations, along with professional exhibits.  In 1937, the show featured the world’s biggest snowshoe, sent by a Maine manufacturer. Entertainers were brought in.  One local native recalled a performance by a young Minnie Pearl.  In 1938 league members put on a skit called “Trappers’ Justice” in which local marksman W.H. Jacoby hit the bulls eye on a card held by Robert Knapp, while Art Grass played the harmonica.  Leyman and Arnold Watson of Hope Falls won the men’s log sawing contest that year while Mildred Moore and Sarah Colson won the women’s competition. In 1946, the show featured state lumberjack championship events.  There was no show in 1947 but in 1948, the event ran for eight days, featuring live bears and trick log rollers from Michigan. An estimated 25,000 attended.  There was a live radio broadcast by Gloversville station WENT. Local banker Charles Wharton, who died in 2004 at the age of 97, was founding treasurer of the fish and game league and a prime mover in organizing the annual shows.  Wharton said that people came from all over the state on buses and up from New York City to “see how we did things.” “Real pine logs right out of the woods,” Wharton said, were used for the log rolling competition. So many pine boughs decorated the junior high, he said, that, “The place smelled like the north woods.” Adirondack hermit Noel Rondeau used to put on a demonstration, setting up a camp inside the school.  Rondeau came out of his hermitage in the Cold River area of the western high peaks, sometimes with help from a state helicopter, to appear in many New York sportsmen’s shows in the 1940s and 1950s. The Amsterdam shows ended sometime in the 1950s, after professional entertainment companies that competed with the volunteer event asked the State Education Department to rule if it was proper to hold the shows in a public school. Historian Hugh Donlon said the answer from the state was “an official frown,” adding, “That brought an end to one of the most ambitious and successful community undertakings ever recorded in the valley.” WHY FLORIDA? Florida formed as a Montgomery County township on March 12, 1793. One explanation for using that name is that March 12 was the anniversary of explorer Ponce de Leon’s Easter Day landing on the coast of what he named Florida down south.  The explorer derived the name from a Spanish phrase meaning feast of flowers. An unusual name in the town of Florida is the hamlet of Minaville. According to Kelly Farquhar’s book “Montgomery County,” Minaville was named in honor of Mexican-American war hero, General Francis Mina. Wednesday, March 8, 2023-From the Archives, Episode 455-Buddy Levy author of Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic (1913) Voyage of the Karluk.  Levy, who lives in Idaho, is a go-to author for Arctic history. The true, harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who came to define it. In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. Thursday, March 9, 2023-Daily Gazette-If you knew Susie Denise Doring VanBuren Friday, March 10. 2023-Episode 465-Denise Doring VanBuren is president of the Beacon New York Historical Society and author of two books and editor of a third book about Beacon’s history.  Dia Beacon, a modern art museum revived formerly industrial Beacon starting in 2003. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, March 7, 2023 * * Increasing clouds, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph. * * Wednesday * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. West wind 10 to 13 mph. * * * *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Tuesday, March 7, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Gloversville ghosts? Utica area paranormal agents ready to probe the undead * GLOVERSVILLE — The Fulton County Historical Society neither accepts nor dismisses the existence of ghosts. But they welcome believers. On… * *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Medical fly cars could launch in days after Montgomery County updates state application *   * FONDA — Medical fly cars staffed with trained deputies could launch in Montgomery County within... * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Mar 07

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me second week of March. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or the U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Monday, March 6, 2023 “Smoke.” More information about the Weekend story Tuesday, March 7, 2023 Focus on History "The Daily Gazette" Amsterdam Sportsmen’s Shows The league formed in 1931 and the annual shows began in 1933, first at the South Side armory then the junior high. Wednesday, March 8, 2023-From the Archives, Episode 455-Buddy Levy author of Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic (1913) Voyage of the Karluk.  Levy, who lives in Idaho, is a go-to author for Arctic history. The History artical this Thursday Susie and if you knew her noun ; a · a distinct often numbered section of a writing. an article of the constitution ; b · a separate clause ; c · a stipulation in a document  Friday, March 10. 2023-Episode 465-Denise Doring VanBuren is president of the Beacon New York Historical Society and author of two books and editor of a third book about Beacon’s history.  Dia Beacon, a modern art museum revived formerly industrial Beacon starting in 2003. Reginald Harris and Smoke By Bob Cudmore    Two years after the soldiers came home from World War II, Mohawk Carpet Mills in Amsterdam published a small picture book called “Smoke: The Story of a Fight.”    The unusual title linked the smoke of hearth fires and factories on the home front, "the servant of man," with the smoke of warfare, "the master."    “Smoke” was dedicated to the 1200 men and women of Mohawk "who answered the call to duty" and "the thirty-three who will never return."  Loy Baxter designed the book.  The author was Reginald Harris.    The fabric used to bind “Smoke” was canvas, produced at Mohawk during the war.  The war machine did not need carpets.  From 1941 to 1945, Mohawk and Bigelow Sanford, the city's other major carpet mill, converted production to the manufacture of canvas, tarpaulins and blankets.    Millions of yards of cotton duck were made for tents, tarpaulins and turret covers.  Amsterdamians also produced more than five million blankets for the war effort.    "Men lived in blankets," wrote Harris, "Men waited in blankets. Men fought in blankets. Men died in blankets."    In “Smoke,” Harris described local volunteer and salvage efforts, "Mohawk people gave up their leisure hours to roll bandages, collect clothing for war torn countries and raise thousands of dollars for relief."    Harris also lauded blood, bond and salvage drives on the home front, "It got so you didn't dare put your evening paper down for fear of losing it to the salvage drive."    In a printed insert, Mohawk president Howard Shuttleworth expressed pride in company workers "who gave unselfishly of their time and who spent long hours at their machines that we might fulfill the demands of the War Department for our wartime products."    The machine shop and foundry at the carpet mills also turned out a control stick support for the Navy Hellcat airplane and machinery used in radar, landing craft and tanks.    Mohawk employed a record 5,500 workers during the war at its lower mill in the East End and upper mill on Lyons Street, the factory complex devastated by arson fires in 1992 and 1994.    A native of Kidderminster, England, “Smoke” author Reginald Harris came to Amsterdam as an infant.  He was an executive at Mohawk Carpets and after the war became administrative assistant to company president Herbert Shuttleworth II,    Harris actually was best known for his musical ability.  He earned a music degree at Syracuse University.  Proficient in playing piano and organ he was choir director for many years at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church.  He brought together male and female singing groups during the 1940s to form the Mohawk Mills Chorus.     The songsters appeared on NBC television in 1949 singing Christmas tunes with Roberta Quinlan on her Mohawk Showroom program.  The next day the chorus recorded an album at the RCA Victor studio in Manhattan.    It took six hours to record the album, according to chorus member Ralph Cook of Amsterdam.  The group had gone to New York in three Pullman cars and Cook recalled the carpeting in the Pullmans was from the looms of Mohawk.    In that era, chorus members Genevieve Warner and Albert Sochin Da Costa went on to perform professionally with the Metropolitan Opera in New York.    Harris died unexpectedly at age 55 in 1960.  The Recorder eulogized him as “a citizen of culture and good taste, he possessed an abiding love of good music.”    The chorus was subsidized by the carpet mill during Harris’s lifetime but when Mohawk left Amsterdam the singing organization sought other funding and since 1962 has been called the Mohawk Valley Chorus.  Membership has expanded well beyond the Amsterdam area. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, March 6, 2023 * * * * * * Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. West wind 9 to 13 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. West wind around 9 mph. * * Tuesday * Increasing clouds, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 13 to 17 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, March 6, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * Glenville town historian Szablewski dies at 91, remembered as ‘good soul,’ ‘very helpful’ Joan Spencer Szablewski’s fascination with history didn’t really start until the death of an aunt, but once she started looking… * *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Public hearing set on net zero apartments planned on Log City Road *   * TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — The Town of Amsterdam Planning Board will hold a public hearing on a proposal... * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 06

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The "just out" Historians schedule for the week is posted scroll down  Sportsmen’s Shows and Susie Sunday, March 5, 2023 The fabric used to bind “Smoke” was canvas, produced at Mohawk during the war.  The war machine did not need carpets.  From 1941 to 1945, Mohawk and Bigelow Sanford, the city's other major carpet mill, converted production to the manufacture of canvas, tarpaulins and blankets. Reginald Harris and Smoke By Bob Cudmore    Two years after the soldiers came home from World War II, Mohawk Carpet Mills in Amsterdam published a small picture book called “Smoke: The Story of a Fight.”    The unusual title linked the smoke of hearth fires and factories on the home front, "the servant of man," with the smoke of warfare, "the master."    “Smoke” was dedicated to the 1200 men and women of Mohawk "who answered the call to duty" and "the thirty-three who will never return."  Loy Baxter designed the book.  The author was Reginald Harris.    The fabric used to bind “Smoke” was canvas, produced at Mohawk during the war.  The war machine did not need carpets.  From 1941 to 1945, Mohawk and Bigelow Sanford, the city's other major carpet mill, converted production to the manufacture of canvas, tarpaulins and blankets.    Millions of yards of cotton duck were made for tents, tarpaulins and turret covers.  Amsterdamians also produced more than five million blankets for the war effort.    "Men lived in blankets," wrote Harris, "Men waited in blankets. Men fought in blankets. Men died in blankets."    In “Smoke,” Harris described local volunteer and salvage efforts, "Mohawk people gave up their leisure hours to roll bandages, collect clothing for war torn countries and raise thousands of dollars for relief."    Harris also lauded blood, bond and salvage drives on the home front, "It got so you didn't dare put your evening paper down for fear of losing it to the salvage drive."    In a printed insert, Mohawk president Howard Shuttleworth expressed pride in company workers "who gave unselfishly of their time and who spent long hours at their machines that we might fulfill the demands of the War Department for our wartime products."    The machine shop and foundry at the carpet mills also turned out a control stick support for the Navy Hellcat airplane and machinery used in radar, landing craft and tanks.    Mohawk employed a record 5,500 workers during the war at its lower mill in the East End and upper mill on Lyons Street, the factory complex devastated by arson fires in 1992 and 1994.    A native of Kidderminster, England, “Smoke” author Reginald Harris came to Amsterdam as an infant.  He was an executive at Mohawk Carpets and after the war became administrative assistant to company president Herbert Shuttleworth II,    Harris actually was best known for his musical ability.  He earned a music degree at Syracuse University.  Proficient in playing piano and organ he was choir director for many years at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church.  He brought together male and female singing groups during the 1940s to form the Mohawk Mills Chorus.     The songsters appeared on NBC television in 1949 singing Christmas tunes with Roberta Quinlan on her Mohawk Showroom program.  The next day the chorus recorded an album at the RCA Victor studio in Manhattan.    It took six hours to record the album, according to chorus member Ralph Cook of Amsterdam.  The group had gone to New York in three Pullman cars and Cook recalled the carpeting in the Pullmans was from the looms of Mohawk.    In that era, chorus members Genevieve Warner and Albert Sochin Da Costa went on to perform professionally with the Metropolitan Opera in New York.    Harris died unexpectedly at age 55 in 1960.  The Recorder eulogized him as “a citizen of culture and good taste, he possessed an abiding love of good music.”    The chorus was subsidized by the carpet mill during Harris’s lifetime but when Mohawk left Amsterdam the singing organization sought other funding and since 1962 has been called the Mohawk Valley Chorus.  Membership has expanded well beyond the Amsterdam area. The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me in March. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or the U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Monday, March 6, 2023-Story behind the story-Reginald Harris and “Smoke.” Tuesday, March 7, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette—Amsterdam Sportsmen’s Shows Wednesday, March 8, 2023-From the Archives, Episode 455-Buddy Levy author of Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic (1913) Voyage of the Karluk.  Levy, who lives in Idaho, is a go-to author for Arctic history. Thursday, March 9, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-If you knew Susie Friday, March 10. 2023-Episode 465-Denise Doring VanBuren is president of the Beacon New York Historical Society and author of two books and editor of a third book about Beacon’s history.  Dia Beacon, a modern art museum revived formerly industrial Beacon starting in 2003. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, March 5, 2023 * * * * Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. West wind 5 to 14 mph. * * Tonight * Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind 9 to 13 mph. * * Monday * Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. West wind 11 to 14 mph. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, March 5, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * Mohawk CoWorks offers flexible, professional office space AMSTERDAM — Mohawk CoWorks became the first shared office space in Amsterdam and Montgomery County when doors opened at 2… * *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 05

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me in March. Need to raise $100.00 this weekend. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or the U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Thanks The Sunday Gazette story Reginald Harris and “Smoke.”    The unusual title linked the smoke of hearth fires and factories on the home front, "the servant of man," with the smoke of warfare, "the master." Episode 464 Steve Haggerty is author of Norman Rockwell’s Models: In and Out of the Studio.  In 1940, illustrator Norman Rockwell, his wife Mary and their three sons moved to West Arlington, Vermont. The artist discovered a treasure trove of models. Haggerty’s book‘details these models’ lives, friendships with the artist and experiences in his studio. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, March 4, 2023 * * * ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heavy snow. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 15 inches,   with the greatest amounts across the southern Adirondacks and   southern Green Mountains. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph. * WHERE...The western and southern Adirondacks, Mohawk Valley,   Upper Hudson Valley, Lake George Saratoga region, and northern   portions of the Capital District in eastern New York and   southern Vermont. * WHEN...Until 7 PM EST this evening. * IMPACTS...Travel will be very difficult due to snow covered   roadways and reduced visibility. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The combination of strong winds and the   weight of the snow may lead to downed tree branches resulting in   some power outages. Some sleet may mix in for parts of the   western Mohawk Valley. The snow will start to taper off during   this afternoon. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, March 4, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * General Electric to invest $11M in Schenectady plant for facility upgrades SCHENECTADY — General Electric is set to make an $11 million investment in its Schenectady plant as part of $450… * *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 04

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The 2023 Historians Podcast Go Fund Me in March. Need to raise $100.00 this weekend. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or the U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Thanks Friday, March 3, 2023 Episode 464-Steve Haggerty is author of Norman Rockwell’s Models: In and Out of the Studio.  In 1940, illustrator Norman Rockwell, his wife Mary and their three sons moved to West Arlington, Vermont. The artist discovered a treasure trove of models. Haggerty’s book‘details these models’ lives, friendships with the artist and experiences in his studio. Dressed in quaint work clothing, the models were dairy farmers, carpenters, country doctors, soldiers, and mechanics. Norman Rockwell’s Models features non-fiction narratives telling the story of these folks during an era when they helped the war effort, farmed with horses, and received home visits from doctors. Saturday March 4, 2023 Neil Yetwin, a history teacher, is author of a book on a War of 1812 hero who became the first Jewish New York State Assemblyman, “To My Son: The Life and War Remembrances of Captain Mordecai Myers.” Sunday, March 5, 2023 Reginald Harris and “Smoke.”    The unusual title linked the smoke of hearth fires and factories on the home front, "the servant of man," with the smoke of warfare, "the master." The Historians with Bob Cudmore now on Audacy https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-historians-3c5a2 This Weekend on Radio across The Mohawk Valley from one side to the other of (a place, area, etc.). * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Friday, March 3, 2023 * * * ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY... * WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 7 to   14 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. * WHERE... Herkimer and Montgomery Counties. * WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Saturday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult due to snow covered   roadways and reduced visibility. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow rates may exceed one inch per hour at   times tonight. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Friday, March 3, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Former student suing Union College over vaccine mandate * SCHENECTADY — A former Union College student is suing the school and several high-ranking officials there after she was expelled last… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * New retail site on Rt. 30, additional storage on Maple Ave. approved for town of Amsterdam * *   * TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — The town of Amsterdam Planning Board granted conditional approval for a series... * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 03

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Please contribute to the 2023 Historians Podcast ready money. Much Thanks to all who do every year. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or hurry off a check Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Recalling historian M. Paul Keesler By Bob Cudmore           Later this year, relatives and friends of the late M. Paul Keesler hope to publish the book that the late Mohawk Valley historian and outdoorsman was working on before his death.  Keesler died of cancer on July 27, 2005 at age 67.           The working title for Keesler’s last book was “Mohawk—Discovering the Valley of the Crystals.”           The Mohawks did not choose to be called by that name, according to Keesler.           “The Mohican Indians living in the upper Hudson Valley called their enemies, who lived in the valley to their west, 'Mohowaug’—they eat living creatures,” Keesler said in an interview in 2002.  Europeans corrupted the Mohican slur into the word Mohawk.  Keesler said the Mohawks called themselves “Kanyenkehaka” and the valley they lived in “Kanyenka.”           For years, the common wisdom was that the Mohawks were calling themselves the “people of the flint” and calling their homeland the “place of the flint.”   But Keesler came to the conclusion that the Mohawks’ name for themselves meant “people of the crystals” and the name for the homeland meant “place of the crystals.”           Flint was important for making cutting edge tools and weapons but no major source of flint has been found in the Mohawk Valley.  University at Albany anthropologist Dean Snow has pointed out that the valley is a major source of clear quartz crystals embedded in dolostone rocks.  These crystals are called “Herkimer diamonds” today and a tourist site north of Herkimer exists where people look for these “diamonds.”           “Crystals were symbolically important (to American Indians) as amulets of success, health and long life,” Keesler said.  “The Mohawks were the main suppliers of quartz crystals up to 1644.”           Keesler added, “Mohawks and Indians around the Northeast used these crystals as a religious item.  They were found at gravesites.”           Before he died, Keesler maintained a “book-in-progress” web site as he gathered information for his book--www.paulkeeslerbooks.com  He explored the 161 miles of the river from Rome to Waterford, 30 miles on foot and the rest by canoe.  He also explored tributaries including the Schoharie Creek and the two Chuctanunda creeks in Amsterdam. Keesler once said, “Exploring is more fun than writing.  I keep coming across things and start wondering why this is here, why is this old mill dam here, why is this village here.”           Originally an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration, Keesler began his writing career in 1966 with a magazine article about fishing on West Canada Creek.  For several years, he wrote the outdoors column for the Utica Observer Dispatch.  In 1972, he founded the Mid York Sportsman magazine, which became the New York Sportsman in 1975.  In 1992, he retired as editor of the magazine and wrote three books about history and the outdoors.  “Kuyahoora—Discovering West Canada Valley” was a book he published in 1999 describing the history and wildlife of the valley of the West Canada Creek, which flows into the Mohawk River at Herkimer.  Keesler lived in Newport, along the creek.  Kuyahoora was the Indian name for the creek and means “leaping waters” because of a spectacular waterfall. This past week, a portion of State Route 28 between Middleville and its junction with Route 12 in Mapledale was named the M. Paul Keesler Memorial Highway. "He was the nicest, loving, good-hearted man you could ever ask for," Gert Keesler, his wife of 24 years, told the Utica Observer Dispatch at the time of his death.  "Everyone looked up to him when it came to outdoor communications," said friend and fellow outdoor enthusiast Bill Lloyd, also of Newport.  "He was the premier authority when it came to the outdoors in New York." * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, March 2, 2023 *   * * * ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 6 to   12 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...The southern Adirondacks, Mohawk Valley, and Lake George   Saratoga Region in eastern New York. * WHEN...From Friday evening through Saturday evening. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow is expected to begin across the region   Friday evening and become moderate to locally heavy Friday night   into Saturday morning before tapering off Saturday afternoon. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, March 2, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

1s

Mar 02

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Just off the digital press Friday, March 3, 2023- Episode 464-Steve Haggerty is author of Norman Rockwell’s Models: In and Out of the Studio.  In 1940, illustrator Norman Rockwell, his wife Mary and their three sons moved to West Arlington, Vermont. The artist discovered a treasure trove of models. Haggerty’s book‘details these models’ lives, friendships with the artist and experiences in his studio. Please contribute to the 2023 Historians Podcast ready money. Much Thanks to all who do every year. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or hurry off a check Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Bridge Line Historical Society Thursday, March 2, 2023 Remembering historian Paul Keesler Later this year, relatives and friends of the late M. Paul Keesler hope to publish the book that the late Mohawk Valley historian and outdoorsman was working on before his death.  Keesler died of cancer on July 27, 2005 at age 67.           The working title for Keesler’s last book was “Mohawk—Discovering the Valley of the Crystals.” * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Wednesday, March 1, 2023 * * Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. * * Tonight * A chance of rain and snow before 8pm, then a chance of rain, snow, and sleet between 8pm and midnight, then a chance of rain and sleet after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 32. East wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected. * * Thursday * A chance of rain before noon, then isolated showers between noon and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Breezy, with an east wind 6 to 11 mph becoming west 15 to 20 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. *   * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Wednesday, March 1, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * School basketball: Fonda-Fultonville boys fall in Section II Class B tournament semifinals * Darien Moore had a double-double to lead Catholic Central to a 59-45 victory over Fonda-Fultonville in the Section II Class… *   * Arrogate among crowded field of nominees for 2023 Racing Hall of Fame class * SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame voters will have a crowded starting gate of choices… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * * Cinquanti to seek 2nd term as Amsterdam mayor *   * AMSTERDAM — Amsterdam Mayor Michael Cinquanti will seek re-election to his second term in office... * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Mar 01

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Please contribute to the 2023 Historians Podcast ready money. Much Thanks to all who do every year. Online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast  or hurry off a check Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  My father recalled he could watch a movie and four or five vaudeville acts at one of Amsterdam’s theaters for 25 cents in the 1920s. Vaudeville days By Bob Cudmore Red haired Amsterdam native Inez Courtney was 15 when she performed a specialty dance act during a three day run in the vaudeville show at the Rialto Theater in Amsterdam in October 1923.  People referred to her as St. Vitus, Mosquito and Lightning.  Born into a large Irish-American family, Inez took up the stage after her father died. Vaudeville was a mix of specialized stage acts including dancers, singers, comedians and even roller skaters.  Vaudevillians toured America, some visiting big cities and others going to smaller towns. My father recalled he could watch a movie and four or five vaudeville acts at one of Amsterdam’s theaters for 25 cents in the 1920s.  The Rialto on Market Street was part of the Keith vaudeville circuit. At least one Amsterdam movie theater prided itself on not providing vaudeville.  The Orpheum, on Market Street, did feature movie stars on tour making personal appearances. By 1926 dancer Inez Courtney of Amsterdam had left vaudeville for Broadway, performing in “The Wild Rose” and other musicals.   She won acclaim for her role in the 1927 musical “Good News” about college life.  In 1930 she went to Hollywood. Under contract with Harry Cohn at Columbia Pictures, Courtney appeared in non-musical roles, usually as the wise-cracking friend of actresses such as Jean Harlow or Ginger Rogers. Courtney performed in 58 films between 1930 and 1940 including “The Raven”, “Suzy”, and “Turnabout”, her last movie. Courtney was married twice, the second time to an Italian nobleman.  When she retired from the movies in 1940 she moved to Rome with her husband Luigi Filiesi, a wine merchant.  She died of undisclosed causes at a hospital in New Jersey in 1975 at the age of 67. ROLLER SKATES Another vaudeville act that originated in Amsterdam apparently never made it to the movies.  Hyman and his brother Barney Nathan were roller skaters. According to the American Vaudeville Museum, there was a roller skating vogue in the early 1900s including Dare Devil Frank, Fielding and Carlos and the Skating Macks. The Nathan Brothers’ act was created by Hy Nathan when he ran the roller skating rink at a facility called the Colonial on Liberty Street in Amsterdam.  Roller skating was advertised four days a week at the Colonial as early as 1906. A 1912 newspaper story reported that Hy Nathan had canceled a ten mile roller skating race between Alfred Shrubb, the English champion, and Billy Queal, the American champion, which had been scheduled for the Colonial.  Nathan said there was not sufficient interest in the race.  Hy and Barney Nathan toured on the Keith vaudeville circuit in America starting in 1918.  They also performed in Europe.  In February 1922 Hy Nathan was quoted by the Recorder as saying that the brothers were on tour in Ireland with their self-described “sensational” roller skating act.  The Nathans performed in Ireland during the first day of freedom for the Irish Free State, The news account stated, “They expect to fill a number of European engagements before returning to America.  Hy Nathan was home last summer on a brief visit.” In 1924 a newspaper story reported the Nathan Brothers were in Paris and about to tour Germany with stops scheduled in Berlin and Munich.  In 1928 the skating brothers sent a card from Hamburg, Germany to Amsterdam friend James Aiken via the mail service of the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin. A 1929 Amsterdam newspaper account of a contested will involving property in the Nathan family lists Hyman Nathan as one of the heirs.  No further word turns up, however, on the career of Hy and Barney Nathan, the vaudeville roller skaters. Wednesday, March 1, 2023-From the Archives-Episode 45, January 30, 2015 Railfan Jim Bachorz of Bridge Line Historical Society Thursday, March 2, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Remembering historian Paul Keesler Friday, March 3, 2023- Episode 464-Steve Haggerty is author of Norman Rockwell’s Models: In and Out of the Studio.  In 1940, illustrator Norman Rockwell, his wife Mary and their three sons moved to West Arlington, Vermont. The artist discovered a treasure trove of models. Haggerty’s book‘details these models’ lives, friendships with the artist and experiences in his studio. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, February 28, 2023 * * * * * ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to 4   inches. Higher amounts of 3 to 7 inches over the southern   Adirondacks. * WHERE...Eastern New York including the southern Adirondacks,   northern and eastern Catskills, Helderbergs, Mohawk Valley and   Hudson Valley west of the river including Albany and   Schenectady. * WHEN...Until 7 PM EST this evening. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous   conditions could impact the morning commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow totals will be lowest near the Hudson   River and highest over higher terrain in the Adirondacks,   Helderbergs, and eastern Catskills. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Tuesday, February 28, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Longtime Daily Gazette outdoors columnist Ed Noonan dies at 78 * For 34 years, Ed Noonan reeled in Daily Gazette readers with tales of fishing and hunting exploits from around the… *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Alderman Stephen Gomula to seek re-election, Christopher Carpenter to launch challenge, pair asked to move ‘conversation’ at City Hall outside * AMSTERDAM — Embattled Amsterdam 4th Ward Alderman Stephen Gomula, who plans to seek re-election, was asked to take a “conversation” * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Feb 28

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Monday, February 27, 2023 Story behind the story, radio star King Owen. Please contribute to the 2023 Historians Podcast fund drive.  Our latest donors were David Gauthier and Audrey Kupferberg. Please donate online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast   or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  So far we have raised $770.  Thank you!  Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Vaudeville Days Red haired Amsterdam native Inez Courtney was 15 when she performed a specialty dance act during a three day run in the vaudeville show at the Rialto Theater in Amsterdam in October 1923.  People referred to her as St. Vitus, Mosquito and Lightning.  Wednesday, March 1, 2023-From the Archives-Episode 45, January 30, 2015 Railfan Jim Bachorz of Bridge Line Historical Society Thursday, March 2, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Remembering historian Paul Keesler Friday, March 3, 2023- Episode 464-Steve Haggerty is author of Norman Rockwell’s Models: In and Out of the Studio.  In 1940, illustrator Norman Rockwell, his wife Mary and their three sons moved to West Arlington, Vermont. The artist discovered a treasure trove of models. Haggerty’s book‘details these models’ lives, friendships with the artist and experiences in his studio. The king of morning radio; baseball at Shuttleworth Park By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History     King Owen was a radio star and night club entertainer.  He died in 1955 from long standing health problems, perhaps tuberculosis, at age 40.     His real name was Avery King Clizbe, Junior.  His nephew William Clizbe, president of the Broadalbin-Kennyetto Historical Society, researched his uncle’s life.    The singer was born in Amsterdam in 1914, the son of Avery King Clizbe, Senior, head teller at City National Bank, and Mary Clizbe.  The singer’s brother James, William Clizbe’s father, was two years older.  The family lived on Church Street in a row of brownstones between Grove and High streets.    Avery, Junior, learned to play piano and cello.  He performed hillbilly music on WGY in the 1930s.  He sang with the High Boys and Radio Rangers, Doye O’Dell and Max Raney on the Schenectady station.    Avery moved to Connecticut where he was part of a musical group who performed on NBC’s Blue Network with over 33 affiliate radio stations around the country.    Avery came back to the Mohawk Valley in 1938 and married Gene Haff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Haff of Broadalbin.  Avery and Gene had two daughters, Marcia and Lynne. The couple made their home in Broadalbin but Avery pursued his career on the road, checking in with postcards and telegrams.  He played in the western United States and performed at Radio City in New York City with Doc Schneider and the Texans.  He also played the organ for some network radio shows in New York    In the mid-1940s Avery came back to Broadalbin.  He was hospitalized for a time at the Homer Folks Tuberculosis Hospital in Oneonta.    William Clizbe said his uncle played piano plus organ, guitar, cello and accordion.  He recalled that his uncle smelled of tobacco and carried an inexhaustible supply of pink Canada Mints.    “He was an incredible talent,” William Clizbe said.  “He could listen to a song twice and then play the tune.”    As King Owen, Avery played piano, sang, took requests and bantered on the radio during his last years, first on WCSS in Amsterdam then at WENT in Gloversville-Johnstown.   At WENT King Owen did not perform country music but instead sang the popular songs of the day.    He met Helen Comrie, the station bookkeeper.  She became his second wife after he and Gene Haff divorced.    According to WENT’s 1952 broadcast schedule printed in the Leader Herald, the station signed on at 6:28 a.m.  A religious program, news, weather, sports, a show called Cock-A-Doodle Review and a segment named Quiet Time advanced the clock to 7:40 when King Owen took to the airwaves.  He performed until 9:45 when it was time for In Town Today followed at 10 by Arthur Godfrey on the CBS radio network.    After leaving WENT, King Owen was on the air at WWSC radio in Glens Falls in 1954.  He died the next year at St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam.    WENT has a picture of the smiling singer in a suit and what looks like a bow tie, at a piano in front of a WENT banner.  The picture is signed, “Airfully Yours, King Owen.” HEAVY HITTER    Reader Bill Tucker commented on the recent column on Amsterdam’s Shuttleworth Park.    Tucker played a high school baseball game there in 1965 as a junior from Albany’s Vincentian Institute.  Tucker remembered the ball field was big and deep in center field.    One of Tucker’s best friends blasted one there as a pinch hitter, “He got all of it so hard that it hit the fence sign on one bounce.    “Now it is great to know Joe (Dimaggio) and Yogi (Berra) played there too!!!” * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, February 27, 2023 * * * * * ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 5 to   10 inches. * WHERE...Ulster, Greene, Schoharie, Albany, Schenectady,   Saratoga, Fulton, Montgomery, Hamilton, Warren, and southern   Herkimer Counties. * WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous   conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow totals will be lowest near the Hudson   River and highest over portions of the southern Adirondacks and   eastern Catskills. Snow will be heaviest between 9 pm this   evening and 5 am Tuesday, where snowfall rates of 0.5 to 1 inch   per hour are expected. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, February 27, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * Saratoga Springs third fire station set to open on schedule SARATOGA SPRINGS – After some initial concern, the city’s soon-to-be third fire station is expected to open on time in June. … *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews *   * * Plans presented for new multi-use buildings at former industrial sites on West Main, Carmichael streets *   * AMSTERDAM — The developer holding a purchase option on several city-owned properties on... * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Feb 27

* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Historians Go Fund Me 2023 "forge ahead" this week to raise $100.00. Use the Historians Go Fund Me link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore https://www.gofundme.com/the-historians-podcast or the U.S.Mail Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302 The king of morning radio; baseball at Shuttleworth Park By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History     King Owen was a radio star and night club entertainer.  He died in 1955 from long standing health problems, perhaps tuberculosis, at age 40.     His real name was Avery King Clizbe, Junior.  His nephew William Clizbe, president of the Broadalbin-Kennyetto Historical Society, researched his uncle’s life.    The singer was born in Amsterdam in 1914, the son of Avery King Clizbe, Senior, head teller at City National Bank, and Mary Clizbe.  The singer’s brother James, William Clizbe’s father, was two years older.  The family lived on Church Street in a row of brownstones between Grove and High streets.    Avery, Junior, learned to play piano and cello.  He performed hillbilly music on WGY in the 1930s.  He sang with the High Boys and Radio Rangers, Doye O’Dell and Max Raney on the Schenectady station.    Avery moved to Connecticut where he was part of a musical group who performed on NBC’s Blue Network with over 33 affiliate radio stations around the country.    Avery came back to the Mohawk Valley in 1938 and married Gene Haff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Haff of Broadalbin.  Avery and Gene had two daughters, Marcia and Lynne. The couple made their home in Broadalbin but Avery pursued his career on the road, checking in with postcards and telegrams.  He played in the western United States and performed at Radio City in New York City with Doc Schneider and the Texans.  He also played the organ for some network radio shows in New York    In the mid-1940s Avery came back to Broadalbin.  He was hospitalized for a time at the Homer Folks Tuberculosis Hospital in Oneonta.    William Clizbe said his uncle played piano plus organ, guitar, cello and accordion.  He recalled that his uncle smelled of tobacco and carried an inexhaustible supply of pink Canada Mints.    “He was an incredible talent,” William Clizbe said.  “He could listen to a song twice and then play the tune.”    As King Owen, Avery played piano, sang, took requests and bantered on the radio during his last years, first on WCSS in Amsterdam then at WENT in Gloversville-Johnstown.   At WENT King Owen did not perform country music but instead sang the popular songs of the day.    He met Helen Comrie, the station bookkeeper.  She became his second wife after he and Gene Haff divorced.    According to WENT’s 1952 broadcast schedule printed in the Leader Herald, the station signed on at 6:28 a.m.  A religious program, news, weather, sports, a show called Cock-A-Doodle Review and a segment named Quiet Time advanced the clock to 7:40 when King Owen took to the airwaves.  He performed until 9:45 when it was time for In Town Today followed at 10 by Arthur Godfrey on the CBS radio network.    After leaving WENT, King Owen was on the air at WWSC radio in Glens Falls in 1954.  He died the next year at St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam.    WENT has a picture of the smiling singer in a suit and what looks like a bow tie, at a piano in front of a WENT banner.  The picture is signed, “Airfully Yours, King Owen.” Tomorrow, Monday, February 27, 2023-Story behind the story, more about radio star King Owen. HEAVY HITTER    Reader Bill Tucker commented on the recent column on Amsterdam’s Shuttleworth Park.    Tucker played a high school baseball game there in 1965 as a junior from Albany’s Vincentian Institute.  Tucker remembered the ball field was big and deep in center field.    One of Tucker’s best friends blasted one there as a pinch hitter, “He got all of it so hard that it hit the fence sign on one bounce.    “Now it is great to know Joe (Dimaggio) and Yogi (Berra) played there too!!!” Tuesday, February 28, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Vaudeville Days  Wednesday, March 1, 2023-From the Archives-Episode 45, January 30, 2015 Railfan Jim Bachorz of Bridge Line Historical Society Thursday, March 2, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Remembering historian Paul Keesler Friday, March 3, 2023- Episode 464-Steve Haggerty is author of Norman Rockwell’s Models: In and Out of the Studio.  In 1940, illustrator Norman Rockwell, his wife Mary and their three sons moved to West Arlington, Vermont. The artist discovered a treasure trove of models. Haggerty’s book‘details these models’ lives, friendships with the artist and experiences in his studio. * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, February 26, 2023 * * * * * ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Moderate to locally heavy snow possible. Total snow   accumulations of 5 to 10 inches possible. The highest snowfall   totals will likely occur in the high terrain of the southern   Adirondacks, southern Greens, Berkshires, and eastern Catskills.   Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...In New York, the southern Adirondacks, Mohawk Valley,   Schoharie Valley, Helderbergs, Capital District, Ulster County   and Greene County. In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In   Massachusetts, Berkshire County. In southern Vermont, Bennington   and Windham Counties. * WHEN...From Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous   conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snowfall rates could approach 1 inch per   hour Monday night into early Tuesday morning. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. * * * * * * * * * * Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, February 26, 2023 *   * * Daily Gazette * Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition * When Credibility Matters *   * * Biz Beat: The Olde South Street Shoppe in Burnt Hills looks to restore history through stained glass, antiques * BURNT HILLS — When Linda Pfaffenbach was little, her grandmother sold antiques out of a room in their house.  Pfaffenbach and… *   * DA, corrections sergeant among Schoharie County’s top-earners * SCHOHARIE COUNTY — One corrections sergeant rose to become Schoharie County’s second-highest paid employee last year, as of late December…. *   * https://dailygazette.com/ *   * RecorderNews * *   * https://www.recordernews.com/ * * * Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day https://www.leaderherald.com/

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Feb 26