2012 Fall/Winter Sentinel Newsletter by Natalie Payne

THE

SENTINEL

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E F I N G E R L A K E S M U S E U M • FA L L | W I N T E R 2012

Sentinel: One who watches a place; a species that is a good indicator of the living conditions in a particular habitat. The bald eagle is the icon of The Finger Lakes Museum.

K-Boat Revival! Murray Wright, of Dundee, New York, was a Finger Lakes innovator, craftsman and artist. His sailing designs of the 1930’s won him accolades throughout the northeastern US - and won his boat’s owners plenty of races. In 1932 he was approached by the City of Rochester Manager, Ted Briggs, to design and build a fast, but comfortable, sailboat. Three years later the era of the K-Boat was ushered in. The speedy 16’ sloop was named after the famous Kohinoor Diamond, which was then, the largest uncut diamond in the world. Today, the K-Boat is a valuable treasure of great memories and historic value. These memories were formed in places like Camp Cory on Keuka Lake, where the boats were a keynote element of their sailing program for 76 years – serving over three generations of some families. Fond memories of racing this Class were formed at university sailing programs, Finger Lakes yacht clubs, the Rochester Canoe Club and cottages through-out the northeast. The Finger Lakes Museum wishes to use this beautiful craft to create generations of memories going forward. With generous boat donations from persons like Jim Davis, Don and Dorothy Manning and Rachel and Bill Edwards – and with an exciting partnership with the YMCA’s Camp Cory – the Museum has assembled a fleet of 10 historic K-boats. These boats - some fiberglass and some wood - are in various states of repair. They now await love and restoration, so that they can once again sail the waters of Keuka Lake and bring joy to our children and friends. We wish to welcome all to this fun and environmentally friendly sport through a K-Boat Revival!

IMAGINE THIS... • Five historic wooden K-Boats restored and maintained by you and your friends in a teaching workshop; • Five fiberglass K-Boats set on moorings for you and your kids to learn sail handling skills; • A future fleet of ten boats recreationally racing on warm summer weeknights; • “No-Octane” Regattas that pit K-Boats, kayaks, canoes, rowing wherries and sculls (and an occasional whaleboat) against each other in friendly competition; • An exhibit that tells the history of this boat, its builder and of Camp Cory’s storied sailing program; • An interactive digital database to capture K-Boat memories; • Putting new sailors on the water – safely and comfortably; • A renewed world-wide Class Association that allows K-Boat communications via the web, regattas and K-Boat pilgrimages; • Our kids learning boat handling skills, water safety, meteorology and biology – through sailing.

Stea ming ahead... After the Museum’s press conference in May, the second half of the year was full steam ahead! Its community awareness series was a huge success. From Canandaigua to Owego, hundreds of individuals were reached through community coffee chats, regional festivals, educational programs, and campfires held in Keuka Lake State Park. A big thank you goes out to our summer Communications Assistant Junelle King for all of our her hardwork and dedication! In mid-summer, John Halstead, President SUNY Brockport, and his wife Kathy were welcomed as the first husband and wife team to the Museum’s Advisory Board.

“It’s all about stewardship for us! After meeting with the Executive Team and tour ing the proposed sites for the Finger Lakes Museum, we were so impressed with the core mission, business plan, and future of the museum that we c hose to su ppor t this endeavor both financially and to give of our time to the Advisor y Board. This will be a true gem to advance education, tour ism, and economic development for the Finger Lakes Region—a region we dearly love . We are ver y excited for the future potential of the Finger Lakes Museum and are pr ivileged to be a small par t of it.” – Jo hn & Kathy H al ste ad

In September, the Museum also welcomed its newest member to their Board of Trustees, Bebette Yunis, attorney and vice president of Yunis Enterprises.

“I c hose to suppor t The Finger Lakes Museum to ensure that the cultural her itage and environmental significance of the Finger Lakes region is promoted and showcased in a positive and informative way to benefit future generations .” - Bebet t e Yunis

On September 21st, the Museum launched its Vine to Wine: Savor Our Finger Lakes series. Taking place in Skaneateles, Mt. Morris, Watkins Glen and Canandaigua, the educational program was well received by all!

“Livingston County has been delighted to suppor t the concept of The Finger Lakes M useum since its inception. With programs like the breathtaking “Bac k from the Br ink” and this year’s interactive “Vine to Wine” ser ies , both of whic h highlight Livingston County’s connections and contr ibutions to our splendid Finger Lakes Region, we continue to look forward to a br ight Finger Lakes Museum future .” -

Li sa Tre m blay Burns , Vice Pres ident - Offi ce o f To ur i sm and Marketing Li vingsto n C ounty Chambe r o f Co mmerce

“The opening event for the Museum’s Vine to Wine program at Br istol Harbour was a great pleasure to attend. To be immer sed in the histor y of upstate New York’s legac y as premiere wine countr y was both enlightening and a source of pr ide . Having grown up in this community, I reveled in the oppor tunity to celebrate an essential par t of our regional identity.” - Jo n Palzer, Asso ciate P ro fesso r o f English Chair o f the De par tme nt o f H umanities Fi nge r Lake s Co mmuni ty Co llege

Last, but not least, the Museum and its programs would not be made possible without the countless hours given by its volunteers. Special thanks goes out to Blair Hall, who has assisted the Museum at each of its milestone events this year. Thank you Blair and to all Finger Lakes Museum volunteers!

Breaking Ground at the Discovery C a mpus On August 16th of this year, Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy joined local officials and the Museum Board of Trustees to break ground at the Museum’s Discovery Campus in Branchport. The Museum was identified by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council as a priority project in 2011 and was awarded a $2.3 million matching grant to support the renovation of the former Branchport Elementary School. “T h e F i n ge r L a ke s Mu seu m is a tra n sfo rma tio n a l pro jec t that wi l l cre ate mu c h - n e e d e d j o b s a nd provid e a sign ific a n t b o o st fo r th e to ur i sm i ndustr y a n d l o c a l - a re a b u s in esses ,” s ai d Li eut enant Gover nor Ro ber t J. Duffy. “ T h e F i n ge r L a ke s regio n is o n e o f th e mo st b ea u tif u l a reas of N ew Yor k S t a t e , a s we l l a s o u r c o u n tr y, a n d th e Mu seu m will ser ve to re i nfor ce i ts h i s t o r y a n d a e s t h e t ic b ea u ty. T h e Regio n a l Co u n c il d emo nstrate d g re at fo r wa rd - t h i n k i n g v i sio n in id en tif yin g th is pr io r ity pro je ct that use s o u r pa s t t o b u i l d a pa th towa rd a b r igh ter ec o n o mic future . We are e xt re me l y pl e a s ed to see it b rea k in g gro u n d a n d movin g for ward wi th c o n s t r u c t i n g t h e Disc over y Ca mpu s , a n d I lo o k fo rwa rd to comi ng bac k t o v i s i t t h e c o m p l e ted Mu seu m a n d lea rn even mo re a b o ut the hi stor y a n d c u l t u re o f my h o me-town regio n .” Since this Groundbreaking, work has begun at the Discovery Campus. The Museum has exciting plans for next year in opening this campus and launching new programs and exhibits, including a live bald eagle aviary! Despite the stubborn economy, the Museum has been working hard to raise $1.3 million that is needed to match the $2.3 million grant. This is where you can you help! Please consider a gift to the Museum. Whether it be a pledge over five years, a one-year donation, or multiple donations over a years time, any gift is welcome and greatly appreciated! Leading by example, the Museum’s leaders have committed to bridging this gap. Thanks to $35,000 in contributions made by our Board of Trustees in November, it was their hope that their gift would inspire matching contributions from valued supporters like you . Your donation will make a world of difference. We promise you! Gifts can be made through our website at www.FingerLakesMuseum.org or by mail to: The Finger Lakes Museum PO Box 96 Keuka Park, NY 14478.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: Top Left: Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy & Museum President, John Adamski Middle Left: Audience at Discovery Campus Groundbreaking Bottom Left: John Adamski, Lt. Gov. Duffy, & Museum Advisory Board member, Albert Simone Bottom Right: Mike Allen with bald eagle Spirit

The Finger Lakes Museum is chartered by the NYS Education Department and incorporated as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization.

Contributing Photographers, Designers, & Editors: John Adamski, Michelle Kisley, Richard Thomas, Chris Cooley, Camp Cory

Keuka Park, Seneca Falls, NY NY 3 Permit No. 80

PAID Non-Profit Organization US Postage