Mohawk Valley Express Volume 2 Number 10 October 2022

Business is Blooming!

Story and photos by Carol Vogel

Though the days are getting cooler and winter is coming, Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses in Dolgeville, NY, is gearing up for its winter season. Shipping their famous plants across the United States and around the world year-round, violets are their specialty. From humble beginnings to a household name, the tradition continues, bringing locally grown beauty into homes across the globe.

World Famous Violets

Most of the African Violets found today are varieties that Mr. Lyndon Waldo Lyon of Dolgeville bred. Mr. Lyon arrived in Dolgeville in 1921. His love of African Violets started with a single leaf, a gift from his niece. A single leaf can propagate a full-fledged plant when placed in damp soil or water. From here, he began his home nursery, where he studied and experimented with hybridization through cross-pollination.

Paul Sorano, the grandson of Lyndon Lyon, is the owner of the greenhouses and

explained the history of how it all began. “He found out there was a race to create double pink violets. He got into the race late, but he beat

everyone to the punch. And once that happened, everything just exploded. People were coming from all over the country. It was amazing!” Paul

Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead

by Katie Drake

Just a few days before school started, I walked through the entrance to Benton Hall Academy. The empty hallways were gleaming, waiting for excited students to pour back in on their first day of school. The fresh smell of floor polish sent

me right back to the age of 5. It’s crazy how much it reminded me of my elementary school days.

When I arrived at the classroom, there she was, waiting for me. She was smiling and had kicked off her shoes.

Here was Tracy Young, the S.T.E.A.M. Specialist,

remembers, “Every room on the second floor of his house was filled with plants growing. I lived across the street, so I Please See BLOOMING Page 3

and Engineering by Design instructor for K-5th grade students here in Little Falls (image on left).

Everything about the S.T.E.A.M classroom is fun. It’s filled with sunlight from the tall bright windows adorned

Paul in the greenhouse.

Come join us fora FREE breakfast.

with plants and creations from her students. Bins are filled with clean recyclables for the kids to use to build things. The tall ceilings give the impression the space is even larger than life. It’s a perfect place to cultivate creativity through outside-the-box thinking and learning.

According to the Institute for Advanced Study, S.T.E.A.M. Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.

Tracy is a teacher, and she exemplifies what all great teachers do, change people’s lives. She was one of the first to know about STEAM or Engineering by Design (EBD) before it was even a thing around here.

Not naughty-wise, but academically. I did ok, but I had to put in extra effort to do well. When I was reading, I was a re-reader I had to read it twice to understand it. And that’s okay. It just took me longer than everybody else.”

Please come and receiveinfor mation about adult Immunizations,who should get them and why?

Following the Office forthe Aging Public Hear ing Immunizations will be given by Her kimer Count y Public Health. The Office forthe Aging will hold a shor tpublic hear ing about senior ser vices and a representativefromHer kimer Count yPublic Health will provide infor mation and administer Flu and COVID 19 boosters. Please br ing your insurance cardifyou would liketoreceiveavaccination.

Date: Thursday, October 27, 2022

Time: 10:00 AM –12:30 PM

Location: Francesca’s Banquet Hall &Catering 144 E. Main Street Ilion

(Freeparking; handicapped accessible; If you need anyspecial accommodations suchas translation services or documents with larger print please let us know3business days prior to the meeting) To reser ve aseat call 315-867-1121, please RSVP by ThursdayOctober 20th. This infor mation brought to youbyNYConnects, your link to Long Term Ser vices and Suppor ts; www.herkimercounty.org,

Office forthe Aging; phone 867-1121.

“I was. In my classroom, a lot of things were handson. I believe it’s because that’s how I learn the best. I love to tell my kids that when I was in school, I wasn’t a good student.

“I was in my master’s program at St. Rose, and our teacher was teaching us how to do borrowing with math using matchbox cars. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ I finally understood it.’ It’s learning with your hands. When our Superintendent brought in someone from BOCES that said we have this Engineering by Design curriculum - I said I would LOVE to try it! After teaching STEAM lessons for a while, I saw how engaged the kids were and how much they loved it and urged the administration to make STEAM part of our curriculum. LF City School District had the curriculum first and then built the STEAM lab for the program.”

A great example: Often in the afternoon, I see

my little neighbor, and I always make a point to ask her over the fence how her day at school was. Usually, she just says, “Good!” But one day earlier this year, she excitedly told me that she designed a snowshoe at school using only five materials and that they had to draw a picture and then build it. She went on and on and was excited and engaged about her snowshoe project. While talking with Tracy, she told me about that very same STEAM lesson as she showed me some of the student’s drawings of their snowshoes in their engineering journals.

Tracy has forged several impressive partnerships through her STEAM and EBD curriculum. She created partnerships with Herkimer College, MVCC, and Utica University, giving our Little Falls Elementary students on-campus college experiences. During her school breaks, she partners with Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts to do STEAM camps and Project Fibonacci to do

Do youhave questions about Adult Immunizations or need to geta fluor COVID Booster?

very

Lyndon built three-tiered benches with fluorescent lights for growing. These 3-inch tubes and 100lb light fixtures were a massive undertaking at the time. “Around 1949, he started growing inside his house, and in 1954 he had the first double pinks. He showed them in St Louis – and of course, that caused quite a stir because no one had seen anything like that before.”

By the mid-1950s, he had a greenhouse with 5,000 plants, including his famous double-pink violets. One of his plants was called “Double Bountiful,” and a grower in Ohio bought the plant for $1,000.00! “He had a couple of different deals where he would get paid royalties for each plant that was sold. So that is how he built the first greenhouse in 1954.”

Things were moving along so quickly Lyndon built the second greenhouse in 1956. By 1959, he had built the third and largest greenhouse. Lyndon was well-respected by professional botanists as the world’s most important breeder of African Violets. In his lifetime, he developed around 800 varieties! Lyndon is known for creating the ideal houseplant. His African Violets Flower most of the year and require very basic care - if you forget to water them, they will typically bounce back from wilting.

“Lyndon was also a pioneer in variegates, trailing violets, minis, and semis. His hybridizations are world-renowned, and it all started here in Dolgeville, NY.”

All in the Family

In 1982 Paul took over ownership of the greenhouses, but he had been working and learning from his grandfather for many years. “When I was 12 years old, I helped him here and there and worked weekends in High School. I went to college and helped out as I could. I worked down in Schenectady for GE for a while, and then the oil embargo happened in the 70s.”

“During that tough time – like the pandemiceveryone was stuck home. People wondered what they could do as a hobby, and they got into plants in a big way.” He had heard that the business was booming, and in 1974, his grandfather coaxed him to come back. “There were days there were so many customers we were sleeving plants

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - OCTOBER

City of Little Falls

October 4, 2022Common Council Meeting - Bills 6:30 pm, Public Hearing 6:50 on Local Law #2 Reducing Board of Assessment and Regular Session 7:00 pm in the Common Council Chambers in City Hall.

October 10, 2022 - Jack Hollingsworth Community presentation on smartphone photography at Rock City Center, 7 pm, 690 E Main St.

October 12, 2022 - Police and Fire Board MeetingBills 6:30 pm and Regular Session 7:00 pm in the Mayor’s Conference room in City Hall.

October 13, 2022 - Golf Commission Meeting8:00 am at the Municipal

Golf Course.

October 11, 2022 - Black Lives Matter - Embrace Diversity Potluck Picnic - 11:30 am - 1:30 pmLittle Falls Presbyterian Church, 16 Jackson St. 315-823-3004 for details.

October 19, 2022 - Urban Renewal Agency Meeting - 8:15 am in the Mayor’s Conference room in City Hall.

October 20, 2022Tourism Meeting - 8:30 am in the Mayor’s Conference room in City Hall.

October 20, 2022Chicken Schnitzel Dinner (includes chicken cutlet over buttered egg noodles, German red cabbage and dessert), Emmanuel Episcopal

Church, 594 E. Albany St., Little Falls. NY 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or sold out. Donation $14.00. Eat In or Take Out. Free Delivery - Herkimer and Little Falls. Reservations recommended 315-7414672.

October 20, 2022 - Fall fundraiser cocktail party for The Herkimer County Humane Society. 5-9 pm, Redefined Alchemy LLC - The Asteroga House II.

October 22, 2022 - 3-10 pm, Rock Valley Brewing Chilie Cook off 2. Sampling at 3 pm, live music at 6. For more information visit 315Foodies.com.

October 24, 2022 - Board of Public Works MeetingBills 6:30 pm and Regular Session 7:00 pm in the Mayor’s Conference room

in City Hall.

October 30, 2022 - From 5-7pm Trick or Treat in Little Falls. Also don’t forget to stop in and say hello to the fire department at the same time for a treat. Any questions, please call the City Clerk at 315-574-5246.

Dolgeville

October 14, 2022 - Rustic Ties - Doors open at 7 and Gridley Paige starts playing at 8 pm.

October 20, 2022 - The Dolgeville - Manheim Library will be hosting a Sunday Salon at 2 pm featuring Bill Kardas, the anchor weatherman from WKTV. His weather predicting presentation will include the criteria used by various models

when predicting hurricane direction and intensity.

October 28, 2022 - Rustic Ties - Doors open at 7 and Skeeter Creek goes onstage at 8 pm with the Valley’s biggest Halloween Party.

Salisbury

Salisbury Historical Society presents their special programs

October 23, 2022 at 2:00pm - Salisbury Iron Mine - ‘Million Dollar Investment’ Presented by Robert Schmid - Open to the public and free of charge.

Salisbury Historical Society 1805 Frisbie House. Intersection of Route 29 and 29A, Salisbury Center, NY.

Irish Cultural Center holds two October events

The Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley announces that there will be two programs at the Center in October. On Sunday, October 9 at 1.00 the ICCMV proudly welcomes Briege Murphy, a singer/song-writer from Ireland.

Briege Murphy, is a native of The Ring of Gullion valley, South Armagh- an area rich in songs and storytelling. Her songs are often inspired by the surroundings of the beautiful hill country in which she was reared, and still lives with her family.

Upon release of her first album “The Longest Road “, Briege carved out her place as one of the strong women of Irish music-moving her audiences by her words, her lilting melodies, and her passion for Ireland, her native home.

Briege will share her music, songs, and stories at the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley. The audience will be mesmerized by her voice, her songs, and her stories. You will not want to miss hearing Briege Murphy, direct from Ireland.

Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.com or from the 5 Points Public House at the Irish Cultural Center.

One week later, on Sunday October 16th at 2.00pm the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley is hosting a family-friendly Halloween-themed Paint and Sip Class, led by Jill Rae Vennara. All are welcome to join, including families with children age 6 and older, teens, and adults of all ages! No art or painting experience is

necessary as Jill Rae will lead the group in creating a beautiful Halloween scene which may include a full moon, bats, a spider in a web, a scary old tree, pumpkins and more!

Sunday, October 16th will be the perfect day for a fun family or adult activity! Seasonal and ageappropriate refreshments will be served during the Paint and Sip Class. The class costs $40 for painters aged 16 and over, and $20 for younger artists, aged 6 through 15. The youngsters will paint a smaller canvas. Come join us and watch your creative side emerge!

Please reserve a spot via Eventbrite.com or call 315827-4291 to reserve your spot. Class size will be limited; please reserve early.

Drone Camps for kids. Most impressive, Tracy Young co-teaches a class at Purdue University - the number one engineering school in the country!

Tracy grew up here in Little Falls and remains humble despite her vast accomplishments. She didn’t always want to be a teacher. “It’s funny. When I was in 10th grade, I wanted to be an interior decorator I was going to move to NYC and become a famous decorator. Now, I hate decorating anything in my house. My mom was the assistant teacher at BOCES, and she was at the church across from the YMCA. I loved to go down there and volunteer, and I just decided teaching was what I wanted to do.”

What does she love most about her job? “Gosh, I’m not sure I can narrow it down to one thing. I love to see the ‘aha’ moments that the kids have. When they figure out that they can solve a problem and work together, I want kids to say, hey, it didn’t work out here, and I failed here, but I could still solve the problem. One of my biggest goals is to show students that failure is part of learning, it’s okay to fail, and sometimes it’s how you learn best. There are different ways to get to the right answer.”

Because Tracy spent so much time at the YMCA, now the Youth and Family Center, she worked closely with Tony DeLuca. Tony said, “Tracy worked for us for years. She started as a receptionist at the Y, worked her way up to

a Head Start teacher, and helped us start the Universal Pre-K program that is still running today. She is one of my greatest success stories.”

Favorite thing about Little Falls: “I’ve lived and worked here for so long that I’m one of the oldest teachers here. I have so many connections. Kids that I had early in my career, I now have their children or grandchildren in class. I’m so happy we finally have the skating rink up and running again. That was by far one of my favorite things when I was younger. My mom could drop us off, and we’d be there all night long just skating. Freezing and skating and freezing. Being at the YMCA, basketball, swimming, and the city pool. You can walk anywhere; we would pack our lunches and ride our bikes over the Wind Bridge to have lunch on Moss Island. So many great memories growing up in Little Falls.”

And as to the start of school, well, Full S.T.E.A.M. ahead. “The first day of class, I ensure my students know three things. First, I want kids to feel safe when they are here. I tell them that while they are in my classroom, I’m their grownup. Two, I want them to feel loved. I tell them I love them, and I do. Three, don’t choke - if you are eating in my class, be careful and chew your food. If I can make students feel safe and loved, then teaching them is a piece of cake.”

STEAM Project - snowshoes.

STEAM household items in Tracy’s classroom.

Student’s engineering journal.

New event venue in Little Falls taking reservations for 2023

by Dave Warner

A new event venue is poised to open in 2023 at Paradise Gardens, Gatherings & Gifts at 475 Dise Road in Little Falls. If you haven’t had a chance to go by there, then you missed our previous article about them, but this is one cool place, and they’re expanding.

Helen and Bob Kimbro have been pretty busy since we wrote about them almost exactly a year ago, grading land and building the facility that will be called The Pavilion at Paradise Gardens, Gatherings & Gifts.

In fact, they realize that people are booking

events now for next year, so they’ve scheduled an open house for Saturday, October 8th, from 12 to 2 to showcase the venue.

BUG Country Radio will be there to play some Country tunes, and there will be refreshments, tours, and plenty to see.

Bob said, “We already had everything for an event center. We’d purchased it for our son’s wedding. We had china, crystal, silverware, tablecloths, tables, decorations, and everything. We had our heart set on having an event center somewhere, so we decided we can’t have it in the loft, so we’ll just build something.”

He said that he worked with Melvin King Builders

on the design. “I sat down with Melvin, and we came up with a design structure. I had some things in mind. We wanted it to be an open center without support posts so that you wouldn’t have obstructed views.”

“We started it last fall, and they got their part done pretty quickly, then we rushed to get the concrete poured before it started snowing. We’ve been working on it all summer, trying to get it finished. It’s getting close, but they’ll be some things we’ll do next spring before we actually have events,” he stated.

Helen said, “We worked really hard to get the land manicured. Bulldozer

work, cutting the creek line, and a bunch of brush removal.”

They also have created a nice outdoor area, where if a bride wanted to get married under an arbor, they’d be able to do so.

The couple expects to be able to handle up to 150 people for an event.

“We’re looking at having events from mid-May until mid-October,” Bob said.

“It has magnificent views

of the Mohawk Valley. Every direction you look, it’s a pretty view.”

They said they’re planning on having the whole facility open for an event. “If they’re here for four hours and the kids are getting antsy, bring them down to see the animals, or bring them up to the loft,” Bob stated.

“We want people to enjoy the whole place so they’re not just stuck at an event space wondering about

Work continues on The Pavilion at Paradise Gardens, Gatherings & Gifts in expectation of all of the events that will be booked for 2023.

Little Falls Antique Center has new tenant

by Dave Warner

If you haven’t noticed, there is a door on the east side of the Little Falls Antique Center, and it’s a very cool space that now houses Doodles and Dragons. Kyle June and Katherine Jantz opened the business during the Garlic Festival.

June was born in Wisconsin, moved to Indiana when he was young, and grew up there until he was 18. He met Jantz online, and he moved to Maryland with her when he was 20. They then moved to her mother’s home in the Adirondacks before heading to Utica for three years and then finally to Little Falls.

June said that his father

was big on the gaming scene. “He played the original Starcraft and Diablo when all of that came out. I have memories when I’m 2, 3 & 4 years old of playing the original Nintendo.”

“I’ve been gaming in some form or another my entire life. It’s just part of who I am at this point,” he stated.

Jantz’s story was similar, with more game time with her family, playing Doom and Quake, and Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games like World of Warcraft.

The couple met on a Minecraft server, and they didn’t really care for each other at first. “She lived a decent way away in the game, and she

brought a couple of her animals to my house as a way of saying sorry, and I was completely ungrateful for what she did,” he said.

He then started working for her in the game, and then they started playing other games together. “Eventually, one of us asked the other if we were dating, and that’s when we decided we were dating.”

They moved to Little Falls about three years ago. “We were looking for houses in the City because my little brother and family were planning on moving here because of the hospital and so much that is here,” stated Jantz.

“We found a house within

our price range that is amazing, so we bought it,” June said.

The couple has always had retail jobs of some sort, so starting their own business seemed natural to them. “We knew Meeples had gone under, so we knew it was the perfect time for us to open our store.”

June said they had researched the idea of a

game store for 2-3 years. “Her cousin is bipolar and also autistic, so she works through a program called RCIL (Resource Center for Independent Living) to help take care of him. He has always loved the idea of a game shop here, so it was just a combination of things that worked really well.”

“I enjoy being in retail and

★

★ Creating Jobs & Fighting To End The Inflation Crisis

Supports Upstate small businesses & manufacturers. Opposes reckless government spending causing inflation. NEVER voted to raise taxes.

★ Supporting Troops & Veterans

Fighting to stop Joe Biden’s war on American energy & lower prices of gas, heating bills, & utilities. Leading to save family farms from Albany's assault on rural New York.

Lowering Energy Prices & Supporting Upstate Farms Improving Access & Lowering Healthcare Costs

★Secured over $100 million funding for rural hospitals & health centers. Delivered $4 million in recovered Social Security & Medicare benefits to Upstate & North Country seniors.

The chief advocate for Fort Drum. Delivered $5.5 million in owed VA benefits to NY-21 veterans. Wrote & passed the largest pay raise for our troops in a decade.

★ Backing the Blue, Opposing New York ‘Bail Reform,’ & Securing our Southern Border

Elise wrote legislation to end dangerous “Bail Reform” & has fought to oppose Kathy Hochul’s failed policies. Fighting to stop the historic border crisis and secure our southern border. Elise is endorsed by every local & state police union & the border patrol.

Katherine Jantz and Kyle June pose in their new business space, Doodles and Dragons.

talking to people, and she loves making art. I really want to facilitate an area where people can come, play some board games, and just enjoy themselves for a few hours. That is what I want. I have no age restrictions on who can come in here,” stated June.

For those that are more die-hard gamers, they have dice and miniatures, and they host tutorials on how to build character sheets for different games.

They have two coolers

with typical beverages and snacks if you get hungry. “We’re thinking about doing some fancy teas and things when winter comes. We only want to offer new things,” he said.

They are both very focused on the community aspect of what a space like this might bring to the City. “We’re not really looking for a profit-driven business right now,” stated Jantz.

Plans include a trading card presence and the hosting of card

tournaments. They are closed Monday and Tuesday and open Wednesday & Thursday

2-8, and Friday 2-10, Saturday 12-8, and Sunday 12-6. You can follow them on

Facebook or call 315508-5001 for details.

VENUE From Page 6

what else they can do.”

Helen said that one of the reasons they got the alpacas is because they’re so friendly. “Twoyear-olds can walk up to them. They don’t have a mean bone in their body.”

The facility is a 5,000-square-foot openair building with a bridal suite and a groom’s suite. They were going to put large crystal chandeliers up there, but they found out it was too windy and replaced them with iron ones. “The iron chandeliers blend in a lot better with the decor up there,” stated Bob.

They have a large fountain and will be building a fire feature as well, with a patio, whiskey barrel tables, and more.

If you’d like to find out more or book an event, you can call 315-3641234 or visit their website at paradiseggg.com.

The inside game area of the new Doodles and Dragons business in the Little Falls Antique Center in Canal Place.

just as fast as we could. We

about 20,000 plants a day at

Through the years, Paul has put a lot of time, effort, and money into updating the heating system and greenhouse structures to make them more energy efficient. “We put pipes under the benches to place plants beneath, and we added fluorescent lights. Only a few benches on one greenhouse were done that way at first. When I came here, we started doing this under all the benches, so we doubled our space without having to build another greenhouse.”

Paul travels from time to time for special events in the violet and flower world. The African Violets Society of America (AFSA) is a national convention that takes place in a different U.S. city every year. “I have been going to that for over 45 years,” Paul says. Because of his expertise and family history, he has been recognized on both the local and national stages. Paul was even on Martha Stewart’s show twice.

A video from his second appearance can be found here: https://youtu.be/5_jiRu6wTw.

The Greenhouses employ between 5-10 people, depending on the season. They work hard and consistently to keep plants healthy and growing through many stages of propagation. The staff is helpful and happy to give advice and instruction on caring for your plants.

Shipping Worldwide

While their plants have been shipped worldwide for many years, the Pandemic caused some hiccups. “We stopped worldwide shipping during the pandemic because packages were being lost or taking two or three weeks to get to

people or longer,” Paul explained. There were delays domestically as well. “We even had issues with Rochester for some reason – packages would get there and just sit for days. If violets in the package aren’t receiving extremely hot or extremely cold temperatures and

staying between 60-75 degrees, they can last a couple of weeks,” Paul says, but the shipping delays during Covid were not conducive to plants arriving at their destinations in good health.

Things are getting back to normal now. “For all

countries, we have to have a Phytosanitary Certificate for shipments, which is a special form we fill out,” Paul explains. Phytosanitary certificates are official documents that certify that the plants have been officially inspected, are free from quarantine pests, and

Men’s

Dolgeville 5k benefits non-profit

by Dave Warner

Kelly Daukontas with

Well Fitness Health & Wellness Center in Dolgeville has created a non-profit to raise money to help kids stay in sports by purchasing athletic equipment for needy kids.

started the Live Well Community Wellness Program last year, which is a non-profit

organization that we created when we had our first 5K,” she said.

They purchase “Cleats and various sports equipment for kids that need it. This year was the first time we could do that,” Daukontas stated.

She said that they also take donations from the community, so they have a lot of cleats and shin guards that they were

able to re-home. “If we don’t have something that kids need, then we buy it.”

Daukontas said they couldn’t do it without their sponsors, who help make the event happen.

If you need more information, you can email kellyfit.nutrition@ yahoo.com or call 315717-5637.

Robert

Ice Wagon and Chief of Police As Life Savers

May 25, 1899

A few minutes past 11 o’clock today Goodell Brothers’ delivery team, in charge of Vene Goodell, became frightened while standing on Main Street near the head of Third Street. Mr. Goodell was in a house nearby, but a weight was attached to the animals. This proved of little service, however, as the steeds dashed up Main Street at a break neck clip. As the frightened beasts neared Ann Street, the funeral cortege of Julia Sullivan was coming down Main Street. The drivers of the two carriages preceding the hearse, containing lady pall bearers and bearers, saw the runaways coming and turned into Ann Street. The hearse was too far away from Ann, however, to seek that avenue of escape. On came the runaways, while those who witnessed their mad race held their breath as they thought of the awful havoc they would make in the funeral procession. It was a moment of awful

suspense. Ira Trask’s big ice wagon and Chief O’Rourke’s bravery obviated a dreadful tragedy, however. The ice wagon was standing in front of O’Rourke & Hurley’s Drug Store. The runaways struck it square in the rear and made as much of an impression on it as an egg shell striking the Empire Express. The impact broke the fastenings which held the team to the harness and they were soon tearing up the street. Chief O’Rourke jumped from the sidewalk in front of Babcock’s and caught the animals bringing them to a standstill. His act of bravery was unstintedly praised by all who saw it.

Lyrics of the Mohawk by Frank H. Willard.

(printed in The Journal & Courier - June 3,1884)

I Rollway Mountain

Looming above the rocky town,

The shadowy Rollway ris es, steep, Veiled by a forest dark and deep; Torn by a torrent, plunging down.

Pale shine the stars; the moon’s cold light Lingers on Lover’s Leap to-night.

II Moss Island

Below the Gulf Bridge, emerald-green, Girt round by Mohawk’s silver flood, Moss Island lies-a sweet, wild wood, Fragrant with fern and eglantine.

The river rocks a painted boat; Songs, ringing o’er the water, float.

III Profile Rock

Above the tortuous river road,

Frowning with stony, sphinx-eyed stare, Stands

Profile Rock, eternal there. The weary wagoner, with his load, Goes hurrying past; black clouds roll by; Red lightning cleaves the lowering sky.

Spencer Road,Dolgeville

Program on Civil War scheduled at the Library

The Little Falls Public Library is pleased to announce an upcoming reading and discussion series, “The Civil War: A Military History,” as presented by the writer and historian Giacomo Calabria. Sessions will be conducted Saturdays, October 15th, October 29th, November 5th, and November 19th, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM in the Library’s Community Room. The Community Room space is handicap accessible. The event is free and open to the public, but registration for the classes is required. To register, you can stop in to sign up at the library’s front information desk during the library’s regular business hours or call 315-823-1542.

The Civil War: A Military History’s programming will largely focus on texts related to the Civil War and address racial issues and societal divisions from 1861 to 1865. The referenced texts will include, among others, excerpts from Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, The Emancipation Proclamation, and Grant’s Memoirs.

The program will be presented by Giacomo Calabria. Mr. Calabria is a Humanities New York scholar and author of numerous and diverse articles and stories, including “Abraham Lincoln’s Steampunk Presidency” and “The

Political Science of the Game of Thrones.” Mr. Calabria has presented programs at the Little Falls Public Library in the past, which were entertaining, educational, and well-received. This series should be no exception.

For more information on this and other upcoming library events, you can visit the Little Falls Public Library’s website at www. lflibrary.org, check out the library’s Facebook homepage at http:// www.facebook.com/ littlefallslibrary, or contact by phone at 315-8231542. The Little Falls Public Library appreciates this opportunity to share local history and culture with the community!

Little Falls Public Library to Launch Mobile Hotspot & Chromebook Bundle Lending Program

The Little Falls Public Library, with funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), administered by the Central New York Library

Resources Council, is launching a mobile hotspot and Chromebook lending program.

The program is intended

to help bridge the digital divide and allows for the expansion of the internet access and digital literacy services provided by the library through on-site computers and free public Wi-Fi by providing internet services and equipment for home use.

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The hotspots & Chromebook bundles have a three-week load period and are available, free of charge, to cardholding patrons of the Little Falls Library. Interested borrowers must be at least 18 years of age and in good standing. A borrowing agreement form must be completed, in person, at the library before bundles can be checked out.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the library at (315) 8231542.

conform to the current

regulations of the importing country. He submits the forms to his inspector in Oneida, who then comes to the greenhouses to check the packages on the day they are preparing the orders.

“We grow 700- 800 different varieties of violets right now. There are tens of thousands out there, and every day people are hybridizing more varieties. We also sell related plants. We call them companion

plants. They are usually in the same family. African Violets are in the Gesneria family. We grow shade plants, so the conditions allow for all of these plants to be grown in the same houses.”

The Greenhouses are a wonderful escape from the cold and colorless winter months. “We’re open every day except Sundays year round.” Come visit the warm and colorful sights of the greenhouse. They even have a private collection of Orchids you can view

as they are in bloom most of the year. One even smells like chocolate!

Orders are taken online at www.Lyndonlyon. com or in person at the greenhouses. If you prefer, you may also print out the order form from the website and mail it in. Call ahead for directions and to confirm winter hours at 315-429-8291. What could be better than a unique, local gift that can be shipped to loved ones to brighten their day or holiday?

Paul shows one of the stages of leaf propagation.

”Teenie Bopper” – one of the tiniest Violets in the world (left), A beautiful Orchid from their collection(middle), The Dancing Doll Orchid that smells like chocolate (right)

She’s swept three of the five bodybuilding shows she has enteredall before her 25th birthday

She ended up winning the whole show, all four classes, and got her pro card that day as well.

“I was just blown away. From that competition, I qualified for the Yorton competition, and that’s the biggest eventthe Super Bowl of bodybuilding, and it was down in Poughkeepsie last year.”

not expect much because they had been doing this for years. “I ended up getting third overall, which was humbling, but that qualified me again for this year.”

“I felt like I had to do better - I had to beat myself, so I trained again this year, and I went back and got the Gold,” she stated.

by Dave Warner

Cassie Grippe is from Frankfort, but most of us in Little Falls know her because of the restaurants she has been bartending at. In fact, she has a nickname, but we’ll bring that up later.

Grippe graduated from Frankfort High School and then went to college in Albany. “I moved back last October, and that’s when I got involved in Little Falls because I started bartending all the places here, waiting to go back to school for my Master’s Degree.”

“I’ve always had a spot in my heart for the Valley. It’s always been home. But Little Falls is just the perfect little City for me. I’ve always said that if I moved back home, I’d move to Little Falls. There are so many events going on.”

She says that the best job she’s had is bartending at the Renaissance. “I’ve just met some of the best people with the craziest stories. The connections I’ve made in Little Falls are just wild to me.”

Grippe had played soccer in school, so she had done strength training, cardio, and other workouts to keep in shape. “As I got older, I realized, wow, you can really get injured playing soccer. So I hung up my cleats and focused more on weightlifting.”

She joined a gym and got a personal trainer and group classes, which she thought was always a hobby. “I liked lifting weights, and so many people asked me if I’d competed professionally, and I always took that as a compliment. I told them no, I just like lifting weights.”

According to Grippe, her Uncle Dave Drapalski (from Little Falls) was always into powerlifting and bodybuilding. “He was always at the Y down here, and every time I went over there on Sundays, we used to reminisce about bodybuilding and powerlifting,” she said.

Covid came along, and all the gyms shut down, so she had to get creative. “At that time, I was still living in Albany, and we went looking for workout

equipment, and the prices had gone through the roof.”

She said she was lucky because she had a lot of equipment back in Frankfort. “I put 400 pounds of weight in my little Civic and dragged it back to Albany and made this basement workout area, kinda like a dingy gym.”

Grippe was making the gym work for her, and her Aunt Grace had done the same in her basement, hanging up pictures of her Uncle’s bodybuilding and powerlifting on the wall, along with her brother Jerry. “I was down there one day, and they said that the only way I could get my picture on the wall was if I did a bodybuilding competition.”

It was a challenge that Grippe wanted to take on, so during Covid, she prepped herself and did her first body competition in June of 2021. “It was out in Syracuse, and it was all natural (OCB) bodybuilding. I didn’t know much about it. I taught myself to pose, and Grace, Dave, and my Mom came.”

“All these pros were going to be there, and I thought if I qualified for it, I might as well go for it,” she said.

At the time, she was still bartending at the Renaissance, and she said, “The whole Little Falls community was so supportive of me. They’d tease me because they’d come in and be drinking and eating food, and I’d eat out of my Tupperware to prepare for the event.”

Grippe said that there were about 50 girls that she was competing with at the event and that she did

“I was nervous this time because it was me against me, and I have to do better because the last time I’d gotten third. So, this time I completely coached myself, which gets hard towards the end because you’re your own worst critic.”

During the interview, she said that her next goal was to compete on an international scale, and she would compete in an event on September 30th. The results are now in from that event,

and she received a 1st in class but was one spot shy of receiving her IFBB Pro card (International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness - which allows for international competition).

She said, “The athlete in me is disappointed and knows I could have switched some things and have gone all the way. But I have to remember I’ve only been doing this for a year, and there is much more room for growth. This journey has made me a better athlete and coach.”

Grippe had a chance to reflect on everything the next day during her 25th birthday. “I realized that at just 25, I had swept three of the five shows I’ve ever done - taking home first in all divisions and placing in the top three in the two others. I broke a deadlift record of the XPS Federation for weight class as well while working and going to school. I’d say this has been a successful journey.”

Until this point, it had been a hobby for Grippe, but now that she’s a pro and can win prize money, she plans on doing more. “At least you’re training for something and not footing that expense. If you get the IFBB Pro card, you’re on top of the world. If I achieve that, the sponsorships would be through the roof,” she stated.

After last weekend, she is now in what she calls the off-season, but she still has to continue training.

“That’s the fun season. I’m always conscious of

what I’m eating because you have one body, and your body is an engine. You have to fuel it the way you want your engine to run.”

What is she going to do after this? “I enjoy food, I’m Italian, and I love Christmas cookies. My customers knew that because I made so many cookies and delivered them all to my customers this past Christmas Eve. I’m a huge foodie, and I enjoy weekends, friends, and family.”

While doing this, Grippe has worked four jobs, taken on personal trainer clients, and is a certified surgical tech. Now she plans to go to PA (Physicians Assistant) school at Utica College to RN/NP. “That’s the plan... to be an NP or PA, but honestly, I’ve built up a business and launched my training team this year called Team Tekilla.”

She says that the joke behind that is that she always had a bottle of Tequilla in her trunk, and she did these different events, and somehow, the trunk Tequilla always found its way out of the trunk, “So everybody knew me as the Tequilla girl, so I said, let’s make this a fun team.”

Her slogan for the team? “Sweet or salty, you pick your poison. How many times do you hear people say pick your poison? You can either drink or party, or lift heavy weights and do a bodybuilding show. I tell the clients, it’s up to you.”

Grippe is a certified nutritionist and does nutrition plans for her

clients and programming

strength

“I’m hoping that being in the medical field, involved with nutrition and sportsthat somehow, this will all come together. I like to keep things complicated,” she said.

Community Presentation

Instagram/team_tekilla.