NNY Living January 2014

L I v I ng NN Y

nnyliving.com

JANUARY 2014 Volume 3 No. 1

DAY-TRIP DESTINATIONS

10 places to visit to beat winter blues $2.95

/nnyliving @NNYLivingMag

FEATURES

Warmth of indoor activities call children

FOOD

Delight with decadent chocolate truffles

WELLNESS

New year brings a new chance for change

ARTS

Excellence emerges in Fall Arts Show

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>> Inside JANUARY ’14

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24 COVER STORY | 26 DAY-TRIPPING 10 places all in the Empire State to help break the winter blues and end cabin fever |

FOLKLORE | 14 ADRIFT IN SNOWFALL Reflections on north country winters when snow was deep. |

| THE NNY LIFE | 18 YOU GO, GIRL FRIEND! Women who have ‘girl friends’ healthier than those without.

FOOD | 36 DECADENT TRUFFLES Make 2014 your year of giving with tasty chocolate truffles to share with all. |

HISTORY | 24 A STORIED LEGACY Roswell P. Flower is widely respected for his civic life.

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DEPARTMENTS

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4 CONTRIBUTORS

ARTS | 32 HONORING EXCELLENCE Despite hearing loss, one artist draws on experience.

4 MARKETPLACE

FEATURES | 34 INDOOR FUN CALLS Opportunities abound for children of all ages during months of deep freeze.

7 NEWS & NOTES

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6 EDITOR’S NOTE 7 UPFRONT 9 CALENDAR 10 BOOKS 12 SOCIAL SCENE

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WELLNESS | 16 NEW YEAR, A NEW YOU Create a plan for simple, concrete ways to boost health. |

DESTINATION | 20 QUEEN CITY SPREE Buffalo, Niagara pack plenty of adventure a short way west. |

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CONTRIBUTORS Varick Chittenden is the founding director of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York and a SUNY Canton professor emeritus.

In ‘Modern Folklore,’ he recalls the bygone days of heavy winter snowfall in the north country. (p. 14)

Michelle Graham is the wellness director for the downtown YMCA. She lives in Watertown. She writes about 10 steps you can take in the new year to build better health, fitness and wellness. (p. 16)

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Katie Stokes is a blogger and freelance writer who lives in Hounsfield with her husband and two children. In ‘The NNY Life,’ she writes about the benefits of ‘girl friends.’ In features, she writes about fun indoor winter activities for children. (pgs. 18, 34)

Lenka P. Walldroff is a former museum specialist, conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Society.

She writes about the lasting legacy of former New York Gov. Roswell P. Flower. (p. 24)

Boo Wells is a chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. She shares a recipe for chocolate truffles while reflecting on ways to make the new year one of giving. (p. 36)

Leah Buletti is a Johnson Newspapers staffer. In this issue’s cover story, she writes about day trip destinations in the Empire State. She also writes about artists who garnered acclaim in the North Country Arts Council Fall Arts Show. (pgs. 26, 32)

Publishers

John B. Johnson Harold B. Johnson II

VP News Operations Timothy J. Farkas

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Editorial Assistant / Staff Writer

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MARKETPLACE

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AmeriCU Credit Union ........................... 2 Bach & Company ................................ 19 Body Pros .............................................. 39 Budget Blinds ......................................... 6 Cesario Family Dental ......................... 17 Chiappone Tire .................................... 38 Clipper Inn ............................................ 30 Community Performance Series ........ 25 A Cozzi & Company ............................ 28 Crouse Hospital ................................... 10 D&D Power Sports ................................ 13 Development Authority of the North Country ............................ 37 Dr. Estella Verdouw ............................. 17 Feed the Soul Nutrition ........................ 17 Fuccillo Automotive ............................ 31 Gerald A. Nortz Dodge, Chrysler........ 31 Gold Cup Farms ................................... 30 Green Thyme ....................................... 17 H&R Block ............................................. 28 Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors ...... 11 JoJo’s Purrs & Paws Pet Service .......... 28 Kay Dreyer Watkins ............................. 17 Dr. Ludwig Khoury ................................ 17 Macars .................................................... 7 Mary Kay Cosmetics ........................... 29

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Morgia Masonry .................................. 19 NNY Community Foundation ............. 15 Nortz & Virkler Ford .............................. 31 Number One Speed ........................... 31 Orchestra of Northern New York .......... 6 Phinney’s Automotive Center ............. 31 Reinman’s Department Store ............. 25 Ren Rumble Roofing ............................ 19 River Day Spa and Salon .................... 17 River Wellness Center .......................... 17 Roberts Automotive ............................. 31 Rusty Johnson Masonry ...................... 19 Little Barn Bulk Foods ........................... 23 Three Cs Limousine ................................ 5 Thomas Excavating ............................. 19 Thomas Trash Service .......................... 19 Thousand Islands Real Estate ............. 22 VanTassel’s Snow & Ice ....................... 12 Waite Motorsports ................................ 35 Waite Toyota ........................................ 33 Watertown International Airport ......... 27 Watertown Savings Bank .................... 38 Watertown Spring & Alignment .......... 31 YesterYear’s Vintage Doors ................ 40 Watertown Family YMCA .................... 17 Ziebart ................................................... 31

ON THE COVER he Cloudsplitter Gondola carries skiers from the Main Base Lodge to the top of Little Whiteface Mountain

at Whiteface Ski Resort in Lake Placid, one of our 10 day-trip destinations in our cover story. [Courtesy Whiteface/Lake Placid]

Grace E. Johnston

Photography

Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison

Director of Adevrtising Michael Hanson

Magazine Advertising Manager Matthew Costantino

Ad Graphics, Design

Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules, Rick Gaskin

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

NNY Living (ISSN 2165-1159) is published six times a year by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2011-2014. All material submitted to NNY Living becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates Six issues are $10 a year and 12 issues are $15 for two years.

Call 315-782-1000 for delivery.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email mcostantino@wdt.net, or call 661-2305 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail bward@ogd.com, or call 661-2507 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

Please recycle this magazine.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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NEW YORK IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY diverse state that features endless opportunities for recreation, intra-state travel and adventure. In this issue’s cover story, Johnson Newspapers staffer Leah Buletti highlights 10 day-trip destinations that are each within a reasonable drive from most points in the north country. From Cooperstown to Skaneateles, Corning to New Paltz, and Lake Placid to lake George, New York is home to a wide range of places that make for perfect weekend getaways.

Speaking of destinations, this issue’s “36 Hours” feature takes you Ken Eysaman to the Buffalo Niagara region, less than four hours south and west of the NNY. Also in this issue, you will find features about emerging artists and indoor activities for children that will help you get over the long winter’s cabin fever. 

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SOCIAL SCENE — This month’s Social Scene section, which begins on page 11, features 36 faces from across Northern New York. On Nov. 1, we joined the North Country Arts Council for “Arts. Beats.

Eats.” An opening-night reception for its 65th Annual NCAC Fall Arts Show at the Dulles State Office Building. On Dec. 5, we joined Bernier, Carr & Associates, and the Paul G. and Kathleen E. Carr Foundation, for the 19th Annual Children’s Gift & Fund Drive. Since it began in 1994, the

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event has raised more than $300,000 in toys and cash. Finally, on Dec. 14, we traveled to Ogdensburg for the 30th annual Frederic Remington Gala at the Frederic Remington Art Museum. Congratulations to all who helped make these fine events a success through the 2013 holiday season.  BEST OF NNY — In our February issue, we will reveal details on our series of seasonal “bests” that will culminate in an annual “Best of NNY” edition later this year. We will share information on how you can help us pick some of the finest that Northern New York has to offer in a variety of categories. Keep checking in with us online at nnyliving.com or visit our Facebook page for updates.  CHANGES FOR 2014 — Thank you to all of our readers who have patiently waited for this issue to arrive. Starting in March, you can expect to see NNY Living back on its every-other-month publication frequency. We will publish six more issues this year, which means readers can expect another issue of NNY Living in mid-February. Following the February issue, future issues will hit newsstands in March, May, July, September and November. As always, if you have any suggestions, feedback or story ideas for NNY Living, email me at keysaman@wdt.net or call me direct at (315) 661-2399.

Warm regards,

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE n our February issue we feature some of Northern New York’s most inspiring women in “Real Housewives of NNY.”

Also coming in February: n A GOLDEN JUBILEE: Last fall, the Sisters of Precious Blood Monetary celebrated a half-century in Watertown. We went inside their order to highlight their mission. n DESTINATION VERMONT: We travel to the Green Mountain State for a look at all that Burlington and Stowe have to offer.

n MIND YOUR BEE’S WAX: Despite its challenges, beekeeping is a fast- growing hobby for many local-food minded residents. n PLUS: Social Scene, Modern Folklore, Arts, Food, Wine, Wellness, The NNY Life, History, Homes, My NNY and much more. n FOLLOW US ON Twitter for updates at @NNYLivingMag and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NNYLiving. Catch exclusive previews and unique content on our website at www.NNYLiving.com.

[ NORTH COUNTRY NEWS & NOTES ] NCAC fall art show winners announced

The North Country Arts Council hosted “Arts. Beats. Eats.” on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown to kick off its 65th annual Fall Art Show.

The show included 212 pieces of art from 67 artists and was on display through Nov. 16.

Award winners were: CATHERINE COMMON JOHNSON BEST OF SHOW: Lynette Bucci, “Last Light on Whiskey Island,” oil and silver leaf painting. Ms. Bucci is a retired Watertown High School art teacher and creates from her studio in Dexter. The judges described her work as follows: “The use of color is subtle and luscious simultaneously, drawing the eye back and around. The technique of flat palette knife is reminiscent of old Dutch or English landscapes.”

EMERGING ARTIST: Stephanie Arney, “Speak,” Mixed media (tempera pastel, colored pencil). Ms. Arney attends Oswego Community College and is a Watertown native. She is hearing impaired and incorporates sign language in many of her pieces.

The judges described her work as a powerfully evocative image.

PAINTING 1. Catherine LaPointe, “Prayer,” oil painting 2. Sharon Christman, “Waiting for a Wave,” oil painting 3. Kat Mereand, “Starlings in Sugar Show,” acrylic painting PHOTOGRAPHY 1. Thomas Murray, “Cahersiveen Ireland” 2. Sondra Goodwind, “Pacific North West” 3. Stephanie Arney, “Sunset Shower” DRAWING 1. Ginny Hovendon, “Zakin” 2. Claire Ellsworth Ames, “Majestic” 3. Martha Aschmann, “Mary E” SCULPTURE 1. Kari Robertson, “Design on Machine,” clay

UPFRONT

2. Cathie Ellsworth, “Stamped and Wrapped,” ceramic 3. Henley, “Basket wearer,” wood sculpture MIXED MEDIA 1. Christa Harris, “The Wild One,” acrylic painting on silk 2. Kimberly Kohner Eiss, “Industrial Color,” collage 3. Suzan McDermott, “Stairway to Imagination,” digital art/photography JEWELRY 1. Lisa Nortz, “Egyptian Queen Bracelet,” sterling silver 2. Tubulog Chase, “Center of the Universe Bracelet,” copper and sterling silver 3. Lisa Nortz, “Three Feather Cuff Bracelet,” fine and sterling silver

Mr. Jackson has been a longtime wooden boat enthusiast and has a good relationship with the Antique Boat Museum. In 2009, he made a trip to Clayton for the museum’s annual antique boat show and auction, through ties with local boat broker Peter Mellon of Antique Boat America, which has listed a number of Mr. Jackson’s boats for sale over the years. In 2009, Mr. Jackson provided five antique boats to be auctioned.

Flat Top arrived in Clayton in mid-November and will remain in storage through the winter. The boat is expected to be available for viewing “in some form” during the museum’s 2014 season.

Unique Chris Craft donated to ABM

A CD featuring 17 tracks of folk songs and dance tunes collected by north country historian and folk music collector Marjorie Lansing Porter is now on sale. The CD was produced by performer Dave Ruch.

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, Canton, spearheaded the Songs to Keep project, which included a series of folk concerts this summer and fall, a documentary and a songbook featuring 16 songs from the Porter collection along with words, music and historical information on the songs and singers.

Ms. Porter was an Adirondack native and reporter for the Essex County Republican who devoted her life beginning in 1941 to preserving historical and cultural music.

The Songs to Keep project is a partnership between TAUNY, SUNY Plattsburgh, the Adirondack History Center Museum and Mountain Lake PBS. The CD and the songbook are both $15 plus $3 shipping and handling, and can be purchased by sending an email to dave@ daveruch.com or calling (716) 884-6855. The 40-page songbook can also be purchased online at www.tauny.org.

Country star Alan Jackson has donated a 1955, 29-foot Chris Craft semi-enclosed boat to the collection of the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. The boat, Flat Top, named after the type of steel-string guitar commonly used by Mr. Jackson, is one of 36 of the model ever built by Chris-Craft. Flat Top is the only one of its kind that has been restored to original condition.

Flat Top was used and stored on Lake Chautauqua in Western New York by its original owner. In 2002, Mr. Jackson purchased the boat in poor condition and transported it to Tennessee to undergo extensive restoration work at Hickman Boat Works under the craftsmanship of Travis Hickman.

A museum official said Flat Top features pristine woodwork and artistry, retains its original look and is considered to be boat-show quality. The six-cylinder boat with a maximum speed of 35 mph is made of mahogany, with white oak framing and decking. It has an oak keel.

Songs to Keep CD on sale

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MACAR’S

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[ ARTS, MUSIC, THEATER, CULTURE ] ALEX BAY

OGDENSBURG

SATURDAY, FEB. 8

FRIDAY, JAN. 24

n Wine & chocolate gala, 4 to 6 p.m., Thousand Islands Winery, 43298 Seaway Ave., Suite 1.

Chocolate pairing, cheese pairing, wine tasting, winery tour, newlywed game, door prize. Cost: $25 per person. By reservation only: 482-9306

by Saturday, Feb. 1.

n Karaoke, With The Houses Susie Q and the Agitator, 6 to 11 p.m. every Friday, Amvets Post 19, 215 Ford St.

CANTON SATURDAY, FEB. 8 n Glass Slipper Ball, Renewal House purple tie event, 8 p.m. to midnight, The Club, 25 Court St. To benefit victims of violence in St. Lawrence County. Dancing, photo booth, silent auction, finger foods, cash bar. Music by DJ Todd Truax.

Cost: $30 per person to Wednesday, Jan. 8; $50 per person staring Thursday, Jan. 9. Tickets at Renewal House, 3 Chapel St. Sposa Bella, 81 Main St., will donate 5 percent of any item purchased for Glass Slipper Ball to Renewal House.

Information: 379-9845.

CAPE VINCENT

CALENDAR at Hawkins Point on Jan. 25; and another Kids Day on Jan. 26. Full schedule of events, parade application, photo contest entry form: www.massenachamber.com.

WATERTOWN

THURSDAY, JAN. 23 & FRIDAY, JAN. 24

WEDNESDAYS THROUGH APRIL 30

n Craft sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, 214 King St. Theme: Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick's Day. To benefit hospital auxiliary. Information: 393-3600.

n Winter Farm & Craft market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., bottom floor, Stream Building, 146 Arsenal St. Information: 788-4400, watertownny.com.

POTSDAM TUESDAY, JAN. 21 Charles Guy, Tuba, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Snell Theater, SUNY Potsdam. Mr. Guy is a professor of tuba and euphonium at the Crane School of Music who performs with the Potsdam Brass Quintet, Orchestra of Northern New York and the Northern Symphonic Winds. The recital is free and open to the public.

Information: www.sunypotsdam.edu.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22 n Introduction to Origami, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library. Learn basic origami folds. All materials provided. All ages welcome.

Free. Information: 785-7705.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22 n Line dance classes, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays through mid-April, American Legion Post 61, 138 Sterling St. Cost: $4 per lesson, per person.

Information: Jean Reynolds, 782-4262.

THURSDAY, JAN. 23

SATURDAY, JAN. 25

n Friends of the Library, 5 p.m., Cape Vincent Community Library, 157 N. Real St. Information: 654-2132.

Gregory Porter, 7:30 p.m., Hosmer Hall, SUNY Potsdam. Gregory Porter is a Grammy Award-nominated jazz and soul singer and released his most recent album Liquid Spirit in September. Tickets: $22-$30. Box office: 267-2277.

n Scrabble and a Movie, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library. Play a game of Scrabble and watch the movie The Lone Ranger.

Free. Information: 785-7705.

CARTHAGE

SUNDAY, JAN. 26

THURSDAY, JAN. 23

SATURDAY, FEB. 8 n Annual Winterfest, Carthage Park, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce, 493-3590.

CLAYTON MONDAY, FEB. 3

FRIDAY, FEB. 7 n Opening Reception for the Art of Winter Exhibition, 5 to 7 p.m., Thousand Islands Arts Center Home of the Hand weaving Museum, John St., Clayton. Information: tiartscenter.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 14 & SATURDAY, FEB. 15 n Annual Sweethearts Pairing, Coyote Moon Vineyards, County Road 3. Information: Coyote Moon, 686-5600.

SUNDAY, FEB. 9 n Bach’s Lunch, 12 to 2:30 p.m., Maxfield’s Restaurant, 15 Market St. Buffet brunch prior to the Orchestra of Northern New York’s Sound the Trumpet concert at St. Mary’s Church. Proceeds benefit the orchestra. Tickets: $35, www.onny. org or 267-3251.

MASSENA THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 26 n Massena Winter Carnival, downtown Massena. Theme is “Family & Friends—Winter Magic” and includes a Winter Magic photo contest new this year. Events include the Massena Cup hockey tournament Jan. 17 and 19; Kids Day on Jan. 18 at the Massena Community Center, a moonlight ski and snowshoe at the Nature Center and a Boys and Girls Trivia Night at the Massena Elks Lodge; a parade and fireworks on Jan. 24; a 5K walk/run at Whalen Park and a Winter Carnival Market

n “Sound the Trumpet,” 7:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 227 Sherman St. The Orchestra of Northern New York’s annual baroque concert. Works by English composer Henry Purcell, German composer George Frideric Handel and favorites like Jeremiah Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary.” Soloists will be soprano Deborah P. Massell, associate professor of voice at Crane School of Music and Crane professor John R. Ellis on trumpet.

Tickets: $22. Box office: www.onny.org or 267-3251.

SUNDAY, FEB. 9 n Milana & Marina: Four Hands at Two Pianos, 3 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 227 Sherman St. Ukrainian-American and Moldovan-American pianists, Marina Radiushina and Milana Strezeva are internationally acclaimed pianists. Tickets: $12, general admission; adult preferred seating, $14; senior/military general admission, $10; senior/military preferred seating, $12; students, free. Information: www.trinityconcerts. org or 788-6290.

TELL US ABOUT IT — Have an event you’d like to include in NNY Living? Email us at NNYLiving@ WDT.net with the details or visit www.NNYLiving. com and click Events.

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n B is for Boat "Baby Boats," 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Antique Boat Museum, Clayton. Monthly on the first Monday until May 5. Free drop-in children's program, connects nautical activities and crafts with books year-round. 0-Pre-K: Baby Boats Mondays 9:30 -10:30 a.m., K-1st grade: Silly Skiffs Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., 2nd and 3rd Grade: Clever Canotes Wednesdays 3:30 -4:30 p.m., 4th and 5th grade: Feisty Freighters Thursdays 3:30 4:30 p.m. Information: Julie, 686-4104 x 235.

n Verdi’s “Falstaff,” 6:30 p.m., Roxy Theater, SUNY Potsdam. Encore of the Dec. 14 Metropolitan Live in HD performance. Tickets: $18, adult; senior citizens, $15; $12, students; $9, youth 18 and younger. Box office: 267-2277 or www. cpspotsdam.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 8

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BEST BOOKS BETS Top titles by checkout at Flower Memorial Library

1) Gone by James Patterson 2) Never Go Back by Lee Child 3) Doctor Sleep: a novel by Stephen King 4) Second Honeymoon by James Patterson 5) Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Top 5 eBooks at Flower

1) Never Go Back by Lee Child 2) The Christmas Visitor : An Amish Romance by Linda Byler 3) 12th of Never by James Patterson 4) 11th Hour by James Patterson 5) Kentucky Home by Sara Title

Books of local interest

Former Port Leyden resident Steve Newvine has self-published a novel centered at a small, fictional, community radio station in the north country.

Mr. Newvine worked part-time at Boonville station WBRV from 1976 to 1979. ”Sign On At Sunrise” follows a few years in the life of a young man who gets hired at a local radio station. He meets a number of people who shape his life in profound ways. Mixed into the story is the death of

[ MOST READ, LOCAL AUTHORS ] Elvis Presley in 1977. The author details how radio and television stations across the country reacted to the story as well as how it affected the central character.

“People who know me will see some of the similarities in the narrative,” Mr. Newvine said in a news release. “But I hope anyone fascinated by the decade of the seventies will find something to like from this story.”

Mr. Newvine, who has written several nonfiction books, lives in Merced, Calif. He was a television journalist for more than 10 years, a chamber of commerce executive for more than 10 years and was an adjunct college lecturer teaching writing and public speaking at SUNY Geneseo.

“Sign On at Sunrise” is available at online bookstores and sells for $10.99. n n n Exelsior Editions, an imprint of the State University of New York Press, has released “America’s First Crisis: The War of 1812” by Robert P. Watson.

Mr. Watson describes how anger in America over the harassment of its merchant ships by the British Royal Navy

turned into an all-out effort to fend off a British invasion. The author shares stories of battles, leaders and “the most important blunders and victories of the war.”

Mr. Watson is a professor of American studies at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla. “America’s First Crisis” sells for $24.95 and is available at the publisher’s website, www. sunypress.edu, and at online bookstores. n n n Fonthill Media has released “Ogdensburg Through Time” by Ogdensburg resident David E. Martin.

The book contains color pictures of some of Ogdensburg’s most notable businesses, bridges, stately residences, churches and public buildings. Each picture is accompanied with a picture of what the subject and sites look like today.

The book sells for $20 and is available at the Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce, 1 Bridge Plaza. It is also available at online bookstores.

Mr. Martin, a retired registered nurse, has written other books on Ogdensburg’s history that have been published by Arcadia Publishing.

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FEB. 3 • FEB. 8 • FEB. 20 • MAR. 3

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SOCIAL SCENE

[ North Country Arts Council Fall Arts Show ] Dulles State Office Building

Tom Charlton, Pillar Point, and Jessica Hayden, Watertown.

From left, Ceara Riggs, Evans Mills, Stephen Matthew Wisniew, Watertown, and Robert Mihara, Calcium.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

From left, Melanie Parker-Geurtsen, Rodman, Kate Griffin, Sackets Harbor, Bridget Barden, Watertown, James Aschmann, Ellisburg, and Paul Haldeman, Rodman.

From left, Karen Beach, Rhonda Romeo, Lynda Quinn, Barb Puccia and Linda Marra, all of Watertown. The North Country Arts Council held “Arts. Beats.

Eats.” during its 65th Annual Fall Arts Show Nov. 1 at the Dulles State Office Building, Watertown

Dream It, Live It, Own It in Northern New York.

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors http://www.nnymls.com

®

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It is a great time to buy or sell real estate.

The Jefferson-Lewis Board of REALTORS invites you to visit www.nnymls.com, then contact one of our members and let them show you how to

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SOCIAL SCENE

[ 19th Annual Children’s Christmas Gift & Fund Drive ] Black River Valley Club, Watertown

From left, Mary Miles and Michele Gifell, both of Watertown.

From left, Maureen Keser, Syracuse, and Leann West, Sandy Creek.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

From left, Leslie Fryman, Diana Smith, husband, Gregor, Pam Quimby, and husband, Pete, all of Watertown.

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VanTassel Enterprises DBA Gilco Snow & Ice

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

From left, Sara Compo, E. Hartley Bonisteel and Jennifer Voss, all of Watertown. Sponsored by Bernier, Carr & Associates, and the Paul G. and Kathleen E. Carr Foundation, the 19th Annual Children’s Gift & Fund Drive has raised more than $300,000 in toys and cash in the past 19 years.

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SOCIAL SCENE

[ Frederic Remington Annual Gala & Silent Auction ] Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg

William Sheridan and wife, Amanda, Hammond.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

From left, Mindy Woodruff, Canton, and Alaina Nelson, Ogdensburg.

Christina Johnson and Tiernan Smith, Ogdensburg.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

From left, Kristen Sutton, Dr. Kiri Brandy, Rashmi Vaish, Joan Caruso, and Dr. Himani Singh, all of Ogdensburg. The Frederic Remington Art Museum held its 30th Holiday Gala Dec. 14, to support museum programs.

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MODERN FOLKLORE

Back when winter was really winter in the north country

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

BY VARICK CHITTENDEN

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SOMETIME RECENTLY I REALIZED that I am from the last generation of rural north country residents who may have attended school — at least their first few years of school — in a one-room schoolhouse. Actually, my little St. Lawrence County hamlet of Hopkinton was pretty advanced. We went to a two-room schoolhouse, with the first three grades downstairs and grades four through six upstairs. It wasn’t until my sixth grade year that the new elementary school was finished and we had a classroom of our own. In the 1940s and 50s, multiple small schools in rural towns combined forces, built large buildings for grades kindergarten through 12 with all kinds of extra features, and nearly everyone rode The Yellow Peril — the school bus — each day.

That fact inevitably inspired a predictable

way!” Isn’t nostalgia great? Things from the past always look better (or bigger or stronger or harder or worse, even) than the present and, certainly, the future.

So it seems it is with the weather.

Specifically, for us, winter. “Winters just aren’t what they used to be.” We hear that all the time in the north country. I’m no meteorologist. I don’t even watch the Weather Channel unless some pretty serious stuff seems to be headed our way. But I do remember the ice storm of January 1998. How could anyone here forget? It was disastrous for most of the Northeast and we were hit hard in the north country.

The whole region went off the grid for at least a week; some people were without power and their roads were impassable for at least a month. It will inspire stories to be told for at least another half century.

COURTESEY TOWN AND VILLAGE OF CANTON HISTORIAN’S OFFICE

A man walks on a Main Street sidewalk, Canton, beside banks of snow so high that he might well not be able to see the traffic alongside. Scenes like this one were typical not so long ago.

observation from our elders: “You young ones have it really lucky these days. When I was your age, we had to walk to school, rain or shine. A mile and a half. Each

At the time, however, there were comparisons to an ice storm in the 1940s that some recalled being so bad it took out most of the apple orchards for miles and miles

graphs you can find in family albums or old issues of local newspapers, where a picture tells 1,000 words. Of course, we all know that a camera doesn’t lie, but it certainly might stretch the truth. My brother remembers climbing on top of a snow bank in front of our house and having his picture taken from below at an angle to make it look like he was above the windows on the second story of the house behind him.

My sister has a collection of photos taken during a blizzard in the 1970s when her family was en route to the north coun-

try from Utica and was stranded on Fort Drum for nearly a week because of deep snow and high winds. The photos show military vehicles unearthing cars completely buried under drifts of snow. Good stories, even tall tales, make winter and many other things much easier to bear, especially if we don’t have to walk a mile and a half to do it anymore.

VARICK CHITTENDEN is senior folklorist and director of special projects for Canton-based Traditional Arts in Upstate New York and Professor Emeritus of Humanities at SUNY Canton. He lives in St. Lawrence County.

JA NUA RY 20 14 | NNY LI VI NG

around and froze ice so thick that apples couldn’t be harvested.

Then there was the blizzard of January 1977. Buffalo made national news as 70-mph winds packed snow in drifts up to 30 feet in a matter of hours and the city came to a standstill for days. But in the rugged Tug Hill region south and east of Watertown, where lake effect winds often drop the greatest total snowfall in the state — well over 300 inches per year in Montague alone — that was just another winter storm. At the time, stories among old-timers there likely hearkened back to Real Winters, like the Blizzard of 1888 or even 1816, the Year with no summer.

For my own satisfaction, I have searched through the diaries of my great-great-grandfather Elisha Risdon, a Vermonter who moved to Northern New York as a pioneer settler in 1803 and lived out his life in Hopkinton as a farmer. A great observer of life in general, his reflections of winter in the north country of his day include the following entries on cold temperatures: 1819: December5th, Sunday, severe cold.

Mrs. R. and Angeline gone to meeting. I have no greatcoat. I cannot sit in a cold house without one. December 31st. Very severe weather for cattle that have no shelter. I fear some of my cows will almost or quite perish before Mr. Coolidge gets the hovel built.

1836: February 2nd, Seldom colder, if ever.

Do chores and sit by fire. April 24th: We are having a Siberian spring on the back of a Siberian winter.

Risdon also included several revealing passages about snow: 1812: March 29th, The snow fell about ten inches. The snow is about three feet deep.

1819: December 20th, Snow about 18 inches.

Set off for my hunting camp … The snow is so deep I can’t hunt. Lodged at my camp with Mr. Cowless, warm and comfortable.

1820: January 14th, Wholesome winter weather.

1836: February 13th, the Indians call February the “snow Moon,” meaning that more snow falls in that month than in any other.

We are buried in snow the papers state that the snow is four or five feet deep in Oneida County, and also in the eastern states. The snow here is about two feet. Hay is $20 per ton in Vermont.

1844: January 5th, A snowstorm, such as the Yankees tell of in New England seventyfive years ago.

My personal favorite commentaries about Upstate winters are the photo-

15

WELLNESS

New year, new chance to change Create a plan for concrete, simple ways to improve well being

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

BY MICHELLE L. GRAHAM

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ALAS, A NEW YEAR. WHAT’S ON your list for 2014? Will getting your whole self healthy be a priority for you and your family?

We always set out with the best intentions, but often do not realize our full potential. Make getting your whole life organized a priority this new year. Find ways to put it all together. Make a top 10 list of your own and can up with ways you can improve and enrich your own life from the start of the year to the end what.

Below are some ideas to get you started on your own road to emotional, mental and physical enrichment.

1. GET ORGANIZED in your mind, as well as in your home, is a must on your road to good mental health. Set priorities to getting things done. Embark on small agenda items first. Make a list and start slowly yet methodically crossing things off each day. Ask others to help you with this endeavor. I always admire individuals who seem to have it all together and travel through life seamlessly.

2. DECREASE STRESS in your life. De-

termine what causes undue stress in your life and devise a plan to change it. How can you improve on each day and live life in a way that brings happiness and joy rather that anger and frustration? We cannot always change stress in our everyday life, but we can change how we react to it, which is what really matters.

3. EAT HEALTHY — This requires planning. My mantra is be armed and dangerous. Have healthy snacks accessible at all times, both in your car, at your desk and at home. When we choose healthy eating, we look and feel better.

Make a meal plan each week and stick to it. Also shop accordingly; your mind and body will thank you.

4. SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR EXERCISE — People who have the best success with an exercise regimen are those that schedule it into their day. If you only have 30 minutes, make the most of those 30 minutes. To establish a good behavior, exercise frequently, not just one or two days a week, but most days of the week.

Focus on a small goal for each day. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in short bouts of exercise. Incorporate low intensity and high intensity exercises to get the most bang for your buck. We know that engaging in exercise and healthy living can make you look and feel incredible. Never underestimate the value of a good workout, short or long.

5. MAKE TIME FOR YOU — It seems that there is never enough time in a day. When was the last time that you really took time to do what you wanted and actually did it? Take even a 10 minute timeout each day and spend it however you deem appropriate. Taking time for mental health is important as well. Life moves at lightning speed, so take time to enjoy the small things.

6. CHANGE ONE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR — It could be something small or large.

Behavior change is hard and takes time

and planning. What could be one thing that needs to change in your life or your surroundings? We can all improve on something. No more excuses. Set your plan for change in place today.

7. SPEND TIME WIT HTHISE WHO MATTER MOST — Don’t be afraid to say “no” to things or people that don’t matter to you or your family. We often get sucked into doing things that mean little or nothing just because of peer pressure or pressures from our extended family and loved ones. Make every moment count.

8. BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE IN WORK, PLAY AND HOME — In life, we get tired and lose our focus and stamina. Find good mental focus. Set an agenda and a list of things you want to accomplish. A friend once advised me to make a list of three things each day that I would like to accomplish. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when our list is short and concise.

9. TRY ONE NEW THING THAT SCARES YOU — Challenge yourself with something you’ve never done before. It can change your life in ways you never dreamed possible.

10. TAKE TIME TO APPRECIATE THE SMALL THINGS IN LIFE and make a plan to live in a positive way. Looking at the stars and watching an awesome sunset are among my favorite things to do. What are the little things that matter to you and make your heart smile?

Life is a crazy, wonderful thing. Get yours in order and live it to its fullest potential. Your mental, emotional and physical self will be better off because of it. Find ways to be all that you were meant to be and live your life in a meaningful and positive way. After all, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

MICHELLE L. GRAHAM, MS, is wellness director for Watertown’s Downtown YMCA. Contact her at ymca_mgraham@yahoo.com. Her column appears in every issue.

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THE NNY LIFE

‘Girl friends’ crucial for women’s health, well being

BY KATIE STOKES

IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE University of California, Los Angeles released a study that shows women who have “girl friends” are significantly healthier than women who don’t spend time with friends.

KaBLAM! At least that’s how I felt when I heard about this.

In an interesting twist, this behavior is not replicated in men, which would explain my husband’s continued confusion over my high anticipation for each installment of book club.

Stress releases the hormone oxytocin in men and women. When a man is stressed, he goes into “fight or flight mode.”

The panic induced by stress can typically be reversed when a man can “lone wolf” it or engage in an activity that ramps up his testosterone.

In women, the study found, oxytocin shields our “fight or flight” response, and actually encourages us to “nest”: we want to spend more time with our children, scrub the coffee maker and reorganize our closets, and, more significantly than we might understand, gather with other women.

When a woman engages in this “tend and befriend” behavior, her body releases even more oxytocin, producing a calming effect. Estrogen even seems to enhance oxytocin.

Though the science behind this is surprising, it’s not shocking. Most women have felt this soothing effect after a night out with

her friends, or after coffee in a friend’s living room. Before I found scientific proof that it was good for me, I actually felt a little guilty about wanting to spend time with people other than my little family. Shouldn’t my family be all that I need?

Guilt is a woman’s — especially a mother’s — worst enemy. We believe we should be content as mothers and wives. We’ve married our best friend! Our children, our partners, our work and their health should be all we need to be happy, right?

Cold hard facts now tell us that’s not right, especially for women. Another study in the same vein revealed that the people with the most friends over a nine-year period slashed their risk of death by 60 percent.

With statistics like that, friendship should not be considered an indulgence women enjoy only on occasion. We absolutely did marry our best friends, and we absolutely do love our kids. But in American culture, we need to learn to celebrate this other important aspect of life from a woman’s perspective.

What I want to stress (no pun intended) is that finding time for girl friends by forming a book club, a coffee hour, a knitting circle or a garage band, is not only fun, especially if you’re a woman, it’s like a vitamin for your soul.

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

With statistics like that, friendship should not be considered an indulgence women enjoy only on occasion.

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KATIE STOKES is an Oklahoma native who has called Northern New York home for more than a decade. She is a freelance writer and blogger and the mother of two children. She and her family live in Hounsfield. Visit her blog at www.NNYLife.com. Her column appears in every issue of NNY Living.

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Clockwise from top: the Darwin-Martin House; Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls; the Allan Herschell Carousel Factory Museum; Buffalo’s iconic City Hall building; a Buffalo Sabres game.

36 HOURS

Get your game on in New York’s ‘Queen City’ Travel west for pro sports, big city culture

J

TEXT BY LEAH BULETTI | PHOTOS COURTESY VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

FRIDAY, 4 P.M., ARRIVE AND WALK Buffalo’s downtown is rife with influences of famous artists and architectural treasures, including famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House complex in the Parkside neighborhood, considered a masterpiece of 20th century architecture. Tours, which are offered year-round, are a fascinating glimmer into the mind of a genius artist. You can also take a two-hour tour of the historic

Parkside neighborhood, starting from the Church of the Good Shepherd, 96 Jewett Parkway, to see landmarks such as the Piece Arrow Building.

Buffalo’s Elmwood Village has been voted one of the nation’s best neighborhoods for its diversity of cultural assets and great shopping, and makes a perfect landing point for seeing the city. Start by grabbing some fuel at Spot Coffee in the heart of the village, 785 Elmwood Ave., and travel east on Cleveland Avenue, then go right on Tudor Place, where early 20th century mansions line the street. On West Ferry Street is one of the city’s most regal apartment buildings, 800 West Ferry, which was built in 1929 by Darwin R. Martin, whose father Darwin D. Martin brought Frank Lloyd to Buffalo.

Worthwhile shops to visit on the Elmwood strip include Half & Half Trading Company, 1088 Elmwood, for various types of women’s clothing and jewelry as well as fun gifts; Talking Leaves Bookstore, 951 Elmwood; Lexington Co-op, 807 Elmwood, for everything delicious, local and seasonal; and Urban Threads, 736 Elmwood, for trendy contemporary clothing for both sexes.

Don’t miss the iconic abstract public sculpture Coronation Day by artist Ken-

neth Snelson that sits in front of the 1974 City Court Building and is composed of 12 chrome steel tubes suspended by a web of steel cables. Just south is the Art Deco City Hall building, a 32-story structure rife with symbolic architecture and artwork, including murals, a colorful, tiled dome and nine figures on the Elmwood side that represent key events in the city’s history. Also of note is the elaborate, 10-story Ellicott Square Building at 295 Main St., built in 1896 and at the time the largest office building in the world, and Louis Sullivan’s 1895 Guaranty Building at 28 Church St., which has a uniquely detailed terracotta ornamental façade.

A great option for lodging is the Mansion on Delaware Avenue, which features 28 luxurious guest rooms and suites inside a converted historic building built in 1869. Breakfast, cocktails and WiFi are all included with the room. Another good option in a perfect central location downtown is Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo, 220 Delaware Ave., which also has a heated indoor swimming pool and whirlpool.

Darwin Martin House, 125 Jewett Parkway, (716) 856-3858, www.darwinmartin house.org; Mansion on Delaware, 414 Delaware Ave., (716) 886-3300, www.mansion delaware.com

JA NUA RY 20 14 | NNY LI VI NG

JUST OVER THREE HOURS FROM most points in the north country and situated on the southwestern portion of Lake Ontario where the lake meets the Niagara River, Buffalo is a city that can cater to virtually every taste and interest, boasting a robust arts scene as well as opportunities to catch many sporting events. Though its demise from its heyday of the turn of the 21st century is oft trumpeted, a young community of artists and professionals has as of late done much to preserve the city’s architecture and unique personality. From a hike through the unparalleled beauty of the Niagara Gorge to the furor of hometown spirit at a Sabres hockey game, Buffalo has plenty to offer for both families and young people looking to connect with a burgeoning artistic community.

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JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

FRIDAY, 7 P.M., DINE IN BUFFALO SPIRIT, SOAK UP ARTISTIC FLAIR Of course, it would be remiss to not feast on Buffalo wings while in their birth place. Anchor Bar, Main and North Streets, is allegedly where they were invented and is the perfect place to get your taste and join in the ever-raging debate on where to find the city’s best.

Duff’s Famous Wings, which has several locations throughout the city and started at a location in Amherst, New York just north of Buffalo, also has a claim to wing fame. Nine-Eleven Tavern in South Buffalo is also a great, no-frills spot for wings and tavern fare or to catch a Bills game and assimilate yourself with the locals. The tavern took top honors in the wing’s category in Buffalo Spree magazine’s Best of WNY awards this year, garnering glowing recommendations for their homemade wing sauce.

Get a taste for Buffalo’s robust arts scene at Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which is dedicated to contemporary and modern art and has a broad array of unique pieces. One of the gallery’s featured exhibits on display through Jan. 19 is Kota Ezawa: Redrawn, which features a selection of Kota Ezawa’s works that focus on physical space versus

22

illusionary space, as well as the relationships in films, television and photographs created by the merging of reality and fiction. Also on display through November 2014 is Anselm Kiefer: Beyond Landscape, which features several major works by the German artist, many of which explore nationalism, identity and cultural memory.

As an added bonus, admission to the gallery’s 1962 Knox Building and certain events are free on the first Friday of every month from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Nine-Eleven Tavern, 11 Bloomfield Ave. (716) 825-9939; Albright-Knox Art Gallery 1285 Elmwood Ave., (716) 882-8700, www.albrightknox.org SATURDAY, 9 A.M., CATCH THE FIRST LIGHT OVER NIAGARA FALLS A visit to Niagara Falls is breathtaking in any season and there is always plenty to do regardless of when you visit. At the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed 400 acre Niagara Falls State Park, you can don sandals and ponchos for a close up view of the American and Bridal Veil Falls or just take in the view from the paths on the American side, where the view is equally as good, if not better, than from the Canadian side.

Almost without question, the best hiking in the area is at Niagara Gorge, where the four main trails from beginner to advanced offer stunning views of the canyon. The scenic overlook hike is an easy one-hour hike starting from the trailhead building, while the Devil’s Hole Rapids and Giant Rock is a moderate 2.5-hour hike and the Whirlpool Rapids Adventure Hike is a challenging three-hour scramble that involves some boulder hopping. Start your adventure at the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, where you can get information on the trails, and learn about the Falls’ unique geology and history.

If you visit this winter, the annual Winter Festival of Lights will add another dimension of grandeur to the falls. The free festival, which runs through Jan. 31, boasts millions of tree and ground lights and more than 125 animated light displays.

SATURDAY, 3 P.M., SKATE HAPPILY Lace up your skates and get in the hockey mood before catching some professional action at night at Rotary Rink at Foundation Plaza, a free ice rink open to the public. The rink is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday. During the week, the rink is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. You can also rent skates on the premises, for just $2 for children and $3 for adults.

An alternate afternoon activity especially if you have rambunctious or energetic children is Sky Zone indoor trampoline park, an indoor palace of trampoline walled playing courts that offers open jump, 3-D dodgeball and fitness classes. The facility also hosts Jumpalooza every Saturday evening, a two-hour dodgeball and jumping bonanza, for just $15 per person.

Rotary Rink, Main Street between W. Chippewa and W. Huron streets, (716) 856-3150; Sky Zone, 425 Cayuga Road, Cheektowaga, (716) 206-3300 SATURDAY, 5 P.M., AN EARLY ROMANTIC DINNER A classy restaurant if you’re looking for a night on the town that can accommodate large parties is Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant, which boats a Wine Spectatorrecognized wine list and a menu separated into small and large plates, as well as daily specials that use locally grown ingredients.

Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant, 56 W Cheppewa St., (716) 854-9463

SATURDAY, 7 P.M., FAN-DEMONIUM Most in the north country are familiar with hockey fanaticism, so Buffalo’s adoration for its Buffalo Sabres is likely not unfamiliar. The Sabres was established in 1970 and has played at First Niagara Center, Buffalo’s premier entertainment and sporting arena, since 1996. Of particular interest to north country fans, the Sabres will face the Boston Bruins Wednesday, Feb 26 and the Montreal Canadiens Sunday, March 16. For their full winter schedule, visit www.sabres.nhl.com.

SUNDAY, 10 A.M., WORK OFF A DELICIOUS BRUNCH Before you head out on a winter adventure, fuel up on delightful brunch items like portabello benedict and buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup at Betty’s, 370 Virginia St. If you’re visiting in the winter, head to Chestnut Ridge in Orchard Park, a sprawling 1,213 acre winter wonderland with free admission that has nearly limitless options for family-friendly fun. You can take your pick of activities including tobogganing, sledding, snowboarding, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling or just a leisurely winter amble through beautiful forests. The

” y l i a D n “Ope

park’s sledding hill is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and toboggan chutes operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays and 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays, weather permitting. Chestnut Ridge also has a picturesque ski lodge where you can warm up and relax with a hot chocolate.

Closer to downtown, Tifft Nature Preserve has five miles of nature trails that make for a good Sunday morning walk.

Trails at the 264-acre refuge are open yearround during daylight hours. You can also rent snow shoes or cross-country ski, as well as bird watch in its ponds, marshes and woodlands, or take a guided walk.

Chestnut Ridge, 6121 Chestnut Ridge Road, Orchard Park, (716) 662-3290 GETTING THERE From most points in the north country, travel to Interstate 81 and take it south to Syracuse, then take Interstate 90 West to Rochester. Buffalo lies about another 90 miles west of Rochester via I-90. Take exit 51W off I-90 and follow NY-33W toward Buffalo for about seven miles. Take the Oak Street exit, turn right onto Broadway and continue into downtown Buffalo.

LEAH BULETTI is a Johnson Newspapers staffer.

Contact her at 661-2381 or lbuletti@wdt.net.

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HISTORY

A blooming, bookish legacy Roswell P. Flower widely respected for civic contributions

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

BY LENKA WALLDROFF

24

WATERTOWN IS REPLETE WITH references to the Roswell P. Flower and his family: his statue greets motorists and pedestrians along lower Washington Street and his bust appears in the lobbies of public buildings. Then there’s Flower Avenue, the Flower Mansion, the Emma Flower Taylor Fire Station on Massey Street, and, of course, the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library. In addition to the many eponymous landmarks, there is also a portrait of Roswell P. Flower in the holdings of the Jefferson County Historical Society, painted by artist Theodore Gegoux, one of Watertown’s most famous adopted sons.

But who was Roswell P. Flower exactly?

Roswell Pettibone Flower was born in Theresa in 1835. He was the sixth of nine children born to Nathan Monroe Flower and Mary Ann Boyle Flower, who came to the north country in the early 1820s. Initially the couple intended to settle in St. Lawrence County, but when they reached Indian River after a long and arduous journey from Cherry Valley in Otsego County, they apparently decided that that was as good a place as any to settle.

Nathan Flower opened and operated a wool mill in Theresa and helped to clear the first road through the thick forest that separated Theresa and Evans Mills.

Mr. Flower’s mother was a deeply religious woman who taught Sunday school in the living room of the family home. She was so devout, in fact, that she named her son after the Rev. Roswell Pettibone, the Presbyterian pastor in Theresa at the time. Unfortunately, Nathan Flower died of pneumonia at age 46.

While Mr. Flower did leave an estate to provide for his large family, life was still difficult for his young widow, who was left to care for seven sons and two daughters alone.

Roswell Flower graduated from school and went on to teach at a one-room schoolhouse just outside of Theresa. From there he bounced around between odd jobs, working alternately in a brickyard, as a store clerk, and cutting and delivering firewood to local farms and businesses.

Ever ambitious, he traveled to Water-

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY LIVING

A Charles Naegele portrait of Roswell P. Flower hangs in the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library, Watertown. The library was built with money donated by his daughter, Emma Flower Taylor, and named in his memory.

town where in 1853 he made his foray into public service as the deputy postmaster in Watertown. The job paid $600 per year – today’s equivalent of about $16,000 – and included board. With his first month’s pay, he purchased a gold pocket watch, his first possession. He also joined the Watertown Fire Department as a volunteer; the department’s emblem that he wore during his service remained a highly prized possession for the remainder of his life.

Always interested in law, Mr. Flower poured over legal books and became a keen student of the U.S. Constitution, eventually finding a pocket-sized copy of it that he carried with him. His passion for law would serve him well in later years.

In 1850, Mr. Flower married Sarah Morse Woodruff, whose father, Norris Woodruff, was a well-known Watertown merchant, banker and developer. He and Sarah would eventually have three children: Helen Flow-

er, Henry Keep Flower and Emma Gertrude Flower Taylor.

In 1859, after six years at the post office, Mr. Flower had saved enough money to open a small jewelry store with his brother, Anson. The store was called R.P. and A.R. Flower, Jewelers and was located at 1 Court St. Eventually they took on a third partner – their nephew Silas l. George Jr., who ran the business after Anson and Roswell left Watertown in pursuit of other opportunities.

Roswell Flower ran his jewelry business successfully until 1868, when Henry Keep, a prominent north country native, philanthropist and former president of the New York Central Railroad, asked Mr. Flower to come to New York City to help manage his multimillion dollar estate. Mr. Keep was dying and wanted to ascertain that his wife, Emma, who happened to be Mr. Flower’s sister-inlaw, would be provided for after his death.

Mr. Flower obliged and moved his family to New York to help manage the Keep fortune, which was then valued at over $6 million, in excess of $100 million today. The Keep estate doubled under Mr. Flower’s management and soon other people were seeking his advice.

This led to Mr. Flower’s next business venture, a financial management and banking firm called Benedict and Flower, a forerunner to Flower & Company, which would eventually grow to become a major player in the New York Stock Exchange.

As Mr. Flower’s reputation as a successful financier grew, he was approached by the Democratic Party to run for office in 1881 in a special election called to fill a vacated House of Representatives seat for New York’s 11th District.

His name was entered into the race just two weeks before the election and he defeated Republican William Waldorf Astor, a member of one of New York’s most illustrious families, by a decisive margin to win the seat.

Although Mr. Flower never claimed to have great oratory skills, he spoke frankly on the issues at hand. Voters responded to his style and elected him to serve in the 47th Congress (1881 to 1883) and again for the 51st and 52nd Congresses (1889 to 1891).

LENKA P. WALLDROFF is former curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum.

She is a former museum specialist and conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. She lives in Jefferson County with her husband and two children. Her column appears in every issue.

JA NUA RY 20 14 | NNY LI VI NG

Flower resigned from his Congressional seat upon his nomination for Governor of New York in 1891, an office that he won later that year. He served as Governor of the State of New York from 1892 until 1894.

Despite his success in the political arena, Mr. Flower didn’t care much for politics and decided to retire to Wall Street instead of seeking re-election in 1894. He spent his final years working in the banking and investment sector and died of a heart attack on Long Island in May of 1899 at the age of 64.

After his death, a special funerary train was commissioned to take his body back to Watertown; he was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in the Town of Henderson. So respected was Mr. Flower in the area that during his funeral hour all Watertown businesses and factories closed their doors.

Mr. Flower was one of the wealthiest men in American when he died, but he never lost sight of his roots. Indeed, he and his family gave back to the north country at every possible juncture. His brother, George W. Flower, served as the City of Watertown’s first mayor in 1869. Anson Flower, Roswell’s brother and one-time business partner, donated money for the paving of what was then Baker Street; the road was renamed Flower Avenue in his honor.

Mr. Flower worked with Mr. Keep’s widow, Emma, to establish the Henry Keep Home, a predecessor of Samaritan Keep Home, a rest home for Watertown’s elderly population. The Keep Home opened in 1883.

Additionally, Mr. Flower instilled the value and importance of philanthropy in his children. Word reached Mr. Flower’s daughter, Emma Flower Taylor, then living in New York City, that Watertown needed a public library.

Ms. Taylor, who routinely donated a large portion of her yearly income to charitable causes, purchased the land on which the library today stands, and donated it along with an additional contribution of $76,000, an estimated $1.2 million dollars today, toward the construction of the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library.

The cornerstone of the library was laid in July of 1903 and the library, deemed “The Most Beautiful Small Library in the United States,” was dedicated in November of 1904.

In addition to the library, Ms. Taylor also made contributions to the City of Watertown’s Volunteer Fire Department in memory of her father, who had served with them in the 1850s.

25

COVER STORY

Jump in the car & day trip Beat the winter blues with 10 Empire State destinations each within a reasonable trek of the north country

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STORY BY LEAH BULETTI | NNY LIVING

ALTHOUGH THE NORTH COUNTRY offers numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation in our backyard, as the winter wears on — and on— it’s sometimes necessary to take a day trip or weekend getaway to change up the scenery, shop or enjoy some more competitive outdoor recreation. If you find yourself needing an escape this winter, consider these 13 worthy destinations, all of which are within day-trip distance of most points in the north country and all of which have something to offer for everyone in your party, regardless of age, athletic inclination or taste.

and the lavish black-tie affair that is the Ticonderoga Ball in early March continue throughout the fort’s off-season. Regular season hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) run May 10 through Oct. 19.

After you get your due dose of history, consider a stop in Lake George en route back to the north country for a good meal or some shopping. Lake George is about 30 miles south on Route 9N. Fort Ticonderoga, 30 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga (518) 585-2821www.fortticonderoga. org, www.facebook.com/FortTiconderoga

Fort Ticonderoga

Though a popular summer destination, Ausable Chasm is like Niagara Falls in that its beauty, though of a slightly colder and more barren ilk, reigns supreme in the frozen months as well. Ausable Chasm is a vertical-walled canyon made of 500-million-year-old, uniquely carved rock and is one of the oldest attractions in the nation.

Tours of one to two hours are offered in the winter months and use snow shoes and/or ice cleats depending on ice and snow conditions. All gear is provided.

You can also adventure on the 30-minute walk to Rainbow Falls or Elephant’s Head, or marvel at what are likely to be

This fort on Lake Champlain was the site of the nation’s first major victory during the War of Independence and also a stronghold that helped protect the state and northeast region from a British invasion from Canada and makes a great day trip for history buffs and families alike.

While regular tours are only offered from May through mid-October, various special events throughout the remainder of the year make for worthwhile day trips.

Various other events, including a snowshoe hike on Feb. 2, a workshop on building an 18th century tumpline,

Ausable Chasm

150-foot icicles and rock formations looking regal in their blankets of snow. The winter waterfall walk is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (no reservation required) and is groomed and maintained in the winter months.

Cross country skiing is $10 and adult season passes are $50.

Also on site and a perfect indoor activity after your chilly outdoor adventure is the North Country Underground Railroad Museum, which is managed by the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association and features multimedia displays that tell the stories of fugitive slaves who traveled through Northeastern New York and the Champlain Valley en route to Quebec and Ontario. Although the museum is closed from the end of October through the first Saturday in May, the museum can be opened for private tour by appointment throughout the year; call (518) 834-5180.

Ausable Chasm,2144 Route 9, Ausable Chasm, (518) 834-7454, www.ausablechasm.com

The Wild Center

Though you might only think of visiting Tupper Lake during warmer times, the Wild Center is open Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

throughout the winter. The center offers various live exhibits from rare native trout to hawks, hands-on activities and multimedia shows. Special events this year include Planet Adirondack, which features a giant floating Earth that brings the planet alive and Flight of the Butterflies, an award-winning film that tells the story of the year-long migration cycle of monarch butterflies.

You can also rent snowshoes for free with the price of admission to explore the center’s 31 beautiful acres on your own or via a guided walk.

Tickets to the center are $17 for adults, $10 for youth ages 4 to 14 and $13 for seniors. Tickets are cheaper if purchased online ($2 off for adults and seniors; $1 off for youth).

Next door, you can also downhill ski inexpensively at the throwback community mountain Big Tupper. Lift tickets are only $25.

The Wild Center, 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, (518) 359-7800, www.wildcenter.org

New Paltz

While the village of New Paltz has its own ample funky charm and makes a worthy destination in and of itself, the Mohonk Preserve is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Miles of trails for snow showing and cross country skiing snake through regal forests before bringing you to breathtaking hilltop vistas of the Appalachian Mountains, dotted with rugged gazebos that break the wind while you catch your breath.

The preserve manages and protects 8,000 acres of mountains, forests, streams and ponds, and the trails are idyllic places for hiking, running, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross country ski-

Baseball Hall of Fame

Another great option if you’re seeking refuge from the cold is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, about two and a half hours from the north country, which features “just under 40,000 three-dimensional items, three million books and documents and 500,000 photographs,” according to its website.

The three-story museum is open yearround, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily in the winter months. The experience includes multimedia presentations, time lines and history galore, two exhibits on ing. Though not as viable in the winter months, the Preserve is also home to the famous rock climbing site of the Gunks, one of the most visited climbing destinations in North America.

If you’re looking to make your visit to New Paltz a weekend affair and truly unplug from the grind, consider a stay at the Mohonk Mountain House, which has 259 quaint guest rooms, a spa, gourmet restaurant, open air ice skating rink and truly picturesque location.

Mohonk Mountain House, 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, (855) 833-3798, www. mohonk.com

Babe Ruth, information on women and African Americans in baseball, 135,000 baseball cards, the Hall of Fame with 297 bronze plaques for all inductees and much more on virtually everything conceivable baseball.

Admission to the museum is $19.50 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $7 for children ages 7 to 12, $12 for members of veterans’ organizations and free for active and retired military and children ages six and younger. There is also group rate admission.

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main St., Cooperstown, (607) 547-2044, www.baseballhall.org

Corning Museum of Glass

Though seemingly translucent, the world of glass is incredibly complex and fascinating and will appeal to anyone with an interest in art, history, culture, technology, science, craft or design. The museum was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) and houses everything from the glass portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to contemporary sculptures, as well as live glassmaking demonstrations, hands-on exhibits and the Rakow Research Library filled with scholarly work on glassmaking.

If you’re still in need of a holiday gift

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or something to add some sparkle to your house for an upcoming New Year’s party, the museum also has a shop, the GlassMarket, in which you can buy everything from intricate ornaments to lamps from a selection of 15,000 pieces of jewelry, accessories and collectibles in every price range, made by more than 200 artists. (You can also shop online: www.glassmarket.cmog.org).

Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, Corning, (607) 937-5371, www.cmog.org

Lake Placid

If you’re a skier, or really any kind of

outdoors enthusiast, Lake Placid is the place for you in the winter. Whiteface Mountain boasts the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies, 283 acres of ski-able terrain from beginner to expert, 86 trails and 11 lifts. If you’re going to Lake Placid explicitly for a ski getaway, the village offers a variety of Ski and Stay Packages with area lodges, including Alpine Country Inn & Suites and the Best Western Adirondack Inn, which will allow you to dine and relax without breaking the bank after a long day on the slopes.

Two great places to dine are the View

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restaurant at Mirror Lake Inn for a wonderful French toast or pancake breakfast or smoked rainbow trout dinner, and the pub at Interlaken Inn for mouthwatering offerings such as bison meatloaf.

Lake Placid is also a great place for cross-country skiing—the Jackrabbit Trail traverses from Keene to Paul Smith’s by way of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. You can pick up the trail and ski parts in the distance of your liking from any of the four XC ski centers along the trail.

If you’re not a diehard skier or journeying with family, the Lake Placid Center for the Arts has a vibrant slate of shows, including films, concerts by the Adirondack Wind Ensemble, dances and the Met Opera Live in HD. You can also bobsled and experience Lake Placid’s Olympic facilities, stroll the family-friendly, 2.7-mile trail around Mirror Lake or shop the village’s bustling Main Street for fun souvenirs, Adirondack furniture or designer clothes.

Whiteface Mountain, 5021 New York 86, Wilmington, (518) 946-2223

Lake George

A similar Adirondack destination about 75 miles south, Lake George is about 30 miles from the family-friendly ski area Gore Mountain in North Creek, where you can also snow tube at the mountain’s Ski Bowl. Tubby Tubes in nearby Lake Luzerne also offers a full 10 different snow tubing runs, as well as a warming lodge, and is a perfect place to take young children. Another family friendly activity is indoor skating at the Lake George Forum in the village, where you can rent both hockey and figure skates. The rink also has open freestyle ice time for advanced skaters.

Other popular outdoor activities include ice fishing on the lake or a stroll of Battlefield Park, which played a role in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, and is within easy walking distance of Lake George Village. The site has an educational path and incredible vistas of the surrounding landscape.

Perhaps worthy of a special trip especially in the dead of the north country’s winter, Lake George hosts a month-long Winter Carnival every weekend in February. The celebration includes a polar plunge every weekend, free helicopter, hot air balloon and tether rides, tubing, ATV wagon rides, wood carving demon-

strations and opportunities to enjoy the best in winter comfort food, like marshmallows toasted on bonfires and chili cook offs. A full schedule of events can be viewed at www.lakegeorge.com/winter.

Lake George Village, Ottawa Street, Lake George, www.lakegeorge.com

Cazenovia

Only about 20 miles southeast of Syracuse, Cazenovia is a quaint town situated on the shores of Cazenovia Lake and, coupled with its historic architecture, is somewhat comparable to Sackets Harbor.

Chittenango Falls State Park at 2300 Rathbun Road is open year-round and is home to a famous 167-foot waterfall made possible by glacial sculpting over 400 million year-old bedrock. The north end of the 1,164 Cazenovia Lake is a popular site for ice fishing for black crappie and bluegill.

The Cazenovia Public Library is home to a 100-year-old museum with a collection that covers more than 2,000 years of civilization, including ancient Egyptian artifacts and a mummy, early Native American tools, Native American beadwork and rare books and amps. Donations are suggested, but admission is free.

The library also houses an art gallery with work by local artists and artists with tied to the local community.

Circa Restaurant at 76 Albany St. is a great spot to get a delicious meal made with fresh local meats, cheeses and produce. Brewster Inn at 6 Ledyard Ave. is another good option if you’re looking for gourmet dining and boats a bar with a stunning panoramic view of the lake.

Cazenovia Lake, Route 20 and Route 13, Cazenovia, (315) 655-3041, www.dec.ny.gov/ outdoor/60506.html

Strong National Museum of Play

Deli and Café, 366 Park Ave., is among the district’s best bets and has a tomato and artichoke soup that’s out of this world (Barack Obama thought so too, as he stopped here for lunch this summer on a speaking tour upstate, so you can’t really go wrong).

Strong Memorial Museum of Play One Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY (585) 263-2700, www.museumofplay.org

Skaneateles

About the same distance to the south-

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You’re never too old to play. So reigns the theme of one of Rochester’s best attractions, which caters to all age groups.

The museum includes 15,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits, including the beloved pretend Wegmans (it’s a Rochester thing), the National Toy Hall of Fame, educational programs, a carousel from 1918, an indoor butterfly garden, the Strong Express Train and many more opportunities for fun and creative games.

The museum is open year-round,

Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

General museum admission for children ages two and older is $13.50 and free for children for children ages two and younger. The museum also offers discounts for afternoon admission and active-duty military personnel.

After you get your fill of play, stop by Rochester’s Park Avenue neighborhood for a bite to eat or to stroll the street’s unique shops and boutiques. Magnolia’s

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west of Syracuse, Skaneateles offers another historic downtown district and a number of cozy inns and B&Bs that make for a nice weekend escape.

Mirbeau Inn and Spa is a great option for a relaxing place to stay, with a 14,000 square foot state-of-the-art spa, 15-person Jacuzzi, exercise classes and luxurious rooms.

A perfect excuse to make the pilgrimage is the annual Winterfest, a three-day bash of entertainment, food, community service and fundraising slated for Jan. 24 through 26 this year.

The event begins with a Winter Walk past more than 20 ice sculptures lining the village on Friday evening, starting from the Skaneateles Library at 49 E. Genesee St. or the Creamery Museum at 28 Hannum St. The festival continues Saturday with a Polar Bear Plunge at 12:30 p.m., a taste of more than 50 beers, chocolate, baked items and other foods from the best of Skaneateles-area restaurants, a scavenger hunt, an ice fishing derby and more. Search Skaneateles Winterfest on Facebook for a full schedule of events.

If you can’t make it that weekend and stroll East Genesee Street’s boutiques, antiques shops and restaurants solo, don’t miss the John D. Barrow Art Gallery, named for a Skaneateles-born painter, The Creamery, a renovated creamery now home to the Skaneateles Historical Society and Museum, and the Skaneateles Bakery for some delectable sticky buns and fresh olive oil bread.

Mirbeau Inn and Spa, 851 West Genesee St., Skaneateles, (877) 647-2328, www. mirbeau.com LEAH BULETTI is a Johnson Newspapers staffer.

Contact her at 661-2381 or lbuletti@wdt.net.

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ARTS

Emerging

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multiple mediums Artist draws on experiences despite hearing loss

W JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

BY LEAH BULETTI

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WATERTOWN ARTIST STEPHANIE E. Arney’s earliest memory of creating is a family portrait she drew at age 3 that her family still displays. It’s no ordinary threeyear-old’s hasty pencil sketch. She drew every detail down to faces, finger tips and a potato inside her mother’s stomach to represent her unborn younger sister.

In first grade, for a school assignment to cut out a picture of a barn, she went above and beyond, creating an intricate scene depicting several horses playing with each other and carrying out a detailed conversation with a carefully thought out background story.

“It’s always been that way and it wasn’t until graduate school that I began to loosen up my work and not overly control it,” she said.

Ms. Arney is currently in her second year of MFA study at SUNY Oswego, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art. Her mixed media painting, “Speak,” earned her the Emerging Artist award in the North Country Arts Council’s 65th annual Fall Art Show last month. It was one of five pieces, all in different mediums, that she showed; her photograph “Sunset Shower” also earned third place in the photography category.

As an undergraduate, she focused primarily on graphite and pencil drawings and moved to a combination of oil painting

and digital illustration in graduate school, but continues to dabble across nearly all mediums. But a certain concept and theme began to crystallize in her work in grad school, centered around her experiences being hard of hearing.

“A lot of my paintings are abstractions of sound,” she said. “I’m starting to learn about sign and deaf language and trying to incorporate that into my digital work now, as well as my experiences growing up and being hard of hearing and being different from other students.”

When people talk to her, she has to focus on their lips to understand what they’re saying; much of her work is interpretations not only of what she focuses on during conversations, created through places in the work that are more unfinished and blurry than others, but also of how she perceives other people.

“It’s getting the drawing to capture them instead of what they want to see,” she said.

Though she struggled in fourth grade with academics because of being hard of hearing, before receiving hearing aids and returning to her customary straight-As, art has always been a constant.

“It’s always been something I’ve done and done well,” she said. “I’ve always been a really quiet person, I like to read and I like to draw, do my own thing. Art was something I could sit and really focus on, and it didn’t matter if I could hear. It’s always just something that I did.”

Even though she was dedicated to art throughout high school, taking a health class over the summer before eighth grade to free up time in her schedule for studio art in 9th grade, she didn’t intend to study art on the college level and spent the first three-quarters of college as a math major after taking as much calculus as she possibly could in high school, skipping pre-calculus to get to the most advanced courses.

She even painted a 4-by-8 foot mural of math symbols at Watertown High School.

“I was really stuck on math and even now when I need to focus my mind or I’m bored, I pull out my analysis textbook and do some problems,” she said. “I never got rid of a single textbook. I still like to do it for fun.”

While still a math major and working on an honors thesis in art, she took an art class because it was required to pursue a thesis outside her major, and was introduced to the head of Oswego’s drawing department who began critiquing her piece and was shocked to learn that she wasn’t an art major. He told her that at the least she had to leave the school with a minor. The following fall she changed her major to studio art, and only graduated a year off schedule.

After graduation, she says she has numerous options and doesn’t feel “shortchanged” by taking such a variety of classes. Her master’s work has been “all over the place,” including web, multimedia, digital illustration, print making, ce-

ramics, e-publications and package design.

She’s considering a graphic design job that would incorporate her studio background or work in e-publications that would combine her skills in illustration with painting, writing and coding.

In addition to the theme of sound, some of her recent work has also focused on the theme of positive and negative space, taking something complicated and making a series of successive drawings that further break it down.

“I was never into abstract art, but now I’m trying to figure out how to abstract things and make it relevant to my current work or if it’s not relevant, how can I change it and make a body of work based on it so that it’s not useless or just for the fun of it because it really is a lot better when your work has a purpose,” she said.

LEAH BULETTI is a Johnson Newspapers staffer.

Contact her at 661-2381 or lbuletti@wdt.net.

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY LIVING

Watertown artist Stephanie E. Arney stands with a painting she also showed in front of her mixed media work, “Speak,” for which she earned the Emerging Artist Award in the North Country Arts Council’s 65th annual Fall Art Show at the Dulles State Office Building.

River’s beauty inspires former Watertown School District teacher

T

he Catherine Common Johnson Award for Best in Show went to Lynette A. Bucci, of Pillar Point, who retired two years ago from a 32-year career as an art teacher in the Watertown City School District. Ms. Bucci was also previously an adjunct faculty member at Jefferson Community College and has taught numerous local art classes and seminars. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art from SUNY Oswego.

She said her winning oil and silver leaf painting, “Last Light on Whiskey Island,” was inspired by a weekend she spent on Whiskey Island in the St. Lawrence River a few years ago. She spent more than two years working on it and said that she paints “from impressions in my mind,” rather than from photographs.

“The painting is of impressions of one cove on Whiskey Island. It was a real raw weekend in October or November and the whole thing had quite a mystery around it, the lighting and everything,” she said.

In a striking connection, Ms. Bucci used some of Catherine Common Johnson’s paints, given to her by her daughter, for some of the work’s metallic effects.

“They were these old, gold vials and metal leaves and about an inch big with corks,” she said. “They were so old and neat.”

Catherine Common Johnson was born in Watertown in 1914 and made numerous contributions to the area as a journalist, artist and member of various civic and public service groups. She passed away in 2004.

The award is sponsored by John B. Johnson and the Watertown Daily Times.

Ms. Bucci also served as one of three co-chairs for the Art Show’s opening gala reception, Arts. Beats. Eats., which drew more than 450 people to the State Office Building on Friday, Nov. 1.

Ms. Bucci, who draws much of her inspiration from Lake Ontario and primarily paints landscapes and seascapes, said painting has kept her busy in the two years since retiring. She sells her art work locally, and also plans to take some pieces to sell in Naples, Fla. this winter.

And though she’s exhibited in the NCAC show on several previous occasions and won awards in the past as well, the Catherine Common Johnson Award was special.

“It’s a great honor,” she said.

To view some of her work, visit www. lynettebucci.com.

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FEATURES

Get moving, creative for winter Opportunities for indoor recreation abound for children ages kindergarten to high school during months of deep freeze

T

STORY BY KATIE STOKES | NNY LIVING

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

TOO COLD TO GO OUTSIDE. It’s a fact of winter life in Northern New York that sometimes a romp in the snow is out of the question. But being forced to stay indoors because of frigid temperatures, icy wind or other bad weather doesn’t mean you and your family are doomed to suffer through a nasty case of cabin fever.

We asked educators in the north country to offer age-appropriate ideas for keeping kids entertained and physically engaged on the days when outside is out of the question.

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KIDS 18 MONTHS TO FOUR YEARS Are you sure it’s too cold outside?

Roxy Silsby, director of Jefferson Community College’s Campus Care program, and the mother of now-grown north country native kids of her own, says that even small children are hardier than some parents think.

“We try to get the kids outdoors every day,” she said. “Even if it’s just five minutes.”

It’s not just about exercise, Ms. Silsby says. “It’s good for their immune systems. Sometimes we even open the windows to the classrooms while the kids

are outside. The air inside can get stale.”

But when the weather is certainly too cold or wet for even brief bouts of outdoor activity, Ms. Silsby and the staff at Campus Care have plenty of solutions to keep little minds and bodies active.

“Our teachers have wonderful ideas, and we try to come up with activities to share with our families using things parents have around the house,” she said. n Indoor obstacle courses: Parents can use household items like couch cushions, empty milk jugs and strips of masking tape on the floor. n Teddy Bear Hide-and-Seek: For kids who are too young to understand a traditional version of Hide and Seek, you can also play by hiding a stuffed animal around the house. n Costume parades: You can make a day of it with a trip to a thrift store for cheap evening gowns that can be cut down to size, n Sensory activities: Ms. Silsby suggests some sensory activities to soothe kids who are feeling cooped up. Playing with quantities of sand, beads, rice, noodles or cotton balls in a dishpan makes children calmer. “They relax,” Ms. Silsby says.

“Something about it has a calming effect.” n Other suggestions include dance parties, musical chairs or an adaptation using shapes, numbers, letters or colors.

For parents who are worried about a mess, Ms. Silsby says to remember indoor play doesn’t have to be complicated; messes can also easily be incorporated into activities.

“We have the kids’ finger paint on the table, then lay paper on top to make a painting,” she said.

PRE-SCHOOLERS TO HIGH SCHOOL KIDS Bridgette Gates, senior director of childcare operations for the YMCA’s School Age Child Care program, and Scott Weller, senior director of sports at the Fairgrounds YMCA, also encourage parents to remember that even frigid temperatures are OK for brief outdoor activities.

“SACC requires 45 minutes of physical activity, at least,” Ms. Gates said. “We go outside unless it’s below zero. Ten degrees for 15 minutes is usually fine.”

Gates also emphasizes that unless the roads are bad, families don’t need to feel stuck at home.

“We have things going on here all the

time,” she said. “There’s weekend family swim, student fitness, hoop dance on Fridays, belly dancing. It gets busy here on nights and weekends.”

Other opportunities for indoor play outside your home, according to Ms. Gates and Mr. Weller, include inexpensive options like bowling, the roller rink and ice skating at the Watertown Municipal Ice Arena at the Fairgrounds.

The two admit cabin fever can threaten to set in at times. “It can be tough in a small space,” Ms. Gates said.

SOME OPTIONS INCLUDE n Yoga and dancing: Ms. Gates suggests using demonstration videos from YouTube to find some new yoga poses and dances. She even suggests a video game: “It’s screen time, but Just Dance on the Wii can get the kids sweaty.” n Bring the outdoors onside: “We used to bring in the swings from our swing set and hang them inside for the winter,” Mr. Weller said. Ms. Gates says she remembers roller skating in her house when she was a kid. “There are also hula hoops, jump rope, even dodgeball with foam balls. It depends on the space, but there are ways to adapt about anything.” n Games without boards: At SACC, Ms. Gates says organized group games like “Mumball” and “Scrambled Egg” are a hit (find instructions for these games at NNYLiving.com), and says they’re an especially fun option at home if you can organize a play date or invite over the neighbors. n Learn a sport or take an art class: Mr. Weller encourages families to check out the sports and art programming at the Watertown YMCA and rattles off a list of dozens of opportunities for children of all ages to enroll in gymnastics, basketball, swim lessons, or even play groups that have no enrollment date, are free for members or have inexpensive, per-class fees for non-members.

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY LIVING

Children practice gymnastics at the Watertown Fairgrounds YMCA in December.

“I think people just need to find us, or maybe just remember we’re here,” Ms. Gates said. “We have a lot going on.”

ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL Andrea Pedrick, coordinator of community services at JCC, creates programming like seminars, classes and camps for children starting at ages nine or 10.

“We are especially trying to offer more during school breaks,” Ms. Pedrick said. “We know there are families who can’t afford full-time care for their kids during a break.”

Among the courses offered for children in fourth grade through high school are camps that include the upcoming “Pow! Zap! Zing! Comic Book Making Camp,” and, to get kids moving while their creative juices are flowing, Ms. Pedrick and Sarah Ada, JCC adjunct professor, are offering a “Performance Poetry” camp during spring break 2014.

KATIE STOKES is an Oklahoma native who has called Northern New York home for more than a decade. She is a freelance writer and blogger and the mother of two children. She and her family live in Hounsfield. Visit her blog at www.NNYLife.com.

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HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND The temptation to hibernate during winter can be quite detrimental to your health. Katie Baker, physician assistant at Family Practice Associates, Watertown and Carthage, said the dangers of spending your winters on the couch in front of the TV include increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and depression.

“We know not everyone is going to put on skis or snow shoes and spend the day on a trail,” Ms. Baker said. “But anyone can enroll in a dance class, or have people over for game night or find a cardio video on YouTube.”

“The important thing is to do something to get your blood pumping,” she said.

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FOOD

Moment of clarity yields plan for a ‘more giving’ new year n Show friends and family how much you cherish them this year

BY BOO WELLS

so like a carpenter I am bound to have a lot of tools … but really? Who needs all this stuff?

Back to my moment of clarity ... Do any of us really need another thing, another pair of socks, another tea pot or stuffed animal, calendar or best-selling novel? Maybe this is the year to

JANUA RY 2 01 4 | NNY LIVING

A friend who is a fabulous baker once gave her son-in-law an IOU for a monthly box of homemade cookies.

What could be better than a box of cookies made from scratch appearing in your mailbox every month?

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A MOMENT OF CLARITY CAME OVER ME LAST MONTH while I was unpacking Christmas decorations. As I looked around, I observed the chaos and the stuff that is part of our everyday lives. For most normal people the energy level in our house is a bit over the top. On any given day, teenage boys wander around half awake in boxer shorts, adult friends drop in for tea, little boys charge through the kitchen brandishing airsoft guns, dogs bark and chase little boys who are brandishing airsoft guns, cats scratch at the screen door, begging for an escape, goats or ducks try to get into the same screen door in search of food, a caffeine-addicted handyman uses the microwave to warm up his 13th cup of coffee, children arrive on bikes, walk into the kitchen and inventory the snack cabinet. It is nuts.

Then, on top of all of the “normal” chaos I was surrounded by … ‘tis the season for tangles of Christmas lights, boxes of ornaments, bows and bells, wrapping paper and all the assorted holiday trimmings. It was all just too much.

Where did all this stuff come from? Now, my children will tell you I tend to exaggerate — but this is no exaggeration.

In our kitchen alone we have a tool inventory that rivals the fabulous kitchen store, Williams Sonoma. There is almost every machine and piece of gadgetry known to man. I must own every variety of maker, blender, steamer, mixer, cooker, canner, processor, opener, sharpener, slicer, packer, baker and toaster that has ever been manufactured for commercial and domestic kitchens. Now, the kitchen is the place where I make my living,

show your friends and family how much you cherish them by not buying them more things. Maybe this is the year to use your talents and your creativity to give gifts that you have created yourself. Create a CD of favorite tunes, an IOU for free babysitting, or breakfast in bed, a jar of candied nuts or homemade pepper jelly. A friend who is a fabulous baker once gave her son-inlaw an IOU for a monthly box of homemade cookies. What could be better than a box of cookies made from scratch appearing in your mailbox every month?

This year I am going to shop less and bake more, surf sales on Amazon less and search for crafts on Pinterest more. I am going to dust off the stand mixer and whip up some biscotti, or a batch of dark chocolate truffles. This year I will wager the receivers feel my adoration all the same — if not even more.

After his moment of clarity the Grinch said it best: The Grinch: It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags.

Narrator: The Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.

The Grinch: Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store.

Maybe Christmas ...

Narrator: He thought The Grinch: ... means a little bit more.

BOO WELLS is chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. Contact her at sacketsfarm housekitchen@gmail.com or visit www.thefarmhousekitchen.com.

Chocolate truffles INGREDIENTS 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature 14 ounces *Dark chocolate, chopped into ½ inch pieces INSTRUCTIONS Combine the heavy cream and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Do not boil for any length of time or you will evaporate too much water from the heavy cream.

Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Add the butter and chopped chocolate to the heavy cream and stir until the mixture is smooth and all the chocolate has melted.

You have created a creamy and delicious chocolate ganache.

Spread the ganache on a parchment lined sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. After an hour (or over night if you are short on time) the ganache will be firm and ready to work with. It is important that the ganache have time to thicken. An hour should be enough time, but it is fine to let it rest longer — even overnight.

Use a rubber spatula, scoop the ganache into a mixing bowl and vigorously stir it. Allow it to rest for five minutes and line a sheet tray with parchment paper or waxed paper. After five minutes the ganache will stiffen up a little more and will be ready to scoop. With a teaspoon or #100 scoop, make balls of ganache and place them on the sheet tray.

Once all the ganache has been scooped, roll each portion by hand into a round ball. Then roll the newly formed truffles in coco powder, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, confectioners sugar or crushed peppermint candy. *The better the quality of your chocolate the better the flavor and texture your finished product with have. Brands like Callebaut, Lindt, Valrhona and Guittard are available on the Internet and in the baking aisle of many grocery stores.

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY LIVING

Chocolate truffles are a great made-from-scratch gift to show someone just how much you care.

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