Friday

This was yesterday ................... minus 11 degrees

at the Brouillettes on Barton Avenue!

Only snomobilers cheered!

Trail east from Osborn Avenue.


After all, a year ago now there was no snow .......



.......... just ice!

***

This morning, in Whiskey Hollow, it's 9 degrees ABOVE zero!

WKTV's Weather Forecast: "Clouds will hang around Friday morning, but we should see some breaks of sunshine by afternoon. While we're not talking about a heat wave, conditions should be less harsh with temperatures rebounding into the mid and upper 20's by late in the day.
A strengthening area of high pressure will direct warmer air from the southern states our way for Saturday. Some question marks remain as to exactly how much of that warm air gets in here, but 35-40 degree readings are a fair call for Saturday afternoon. If we see any extra sunshine, lower 40's are not out of the question.
A cold front will arrive with some wet snow and rain showers for Sunday and then temperatures will temporarily cool down before a warmup and maybe some snow, ice and rain by the middle of next week. "

Is there anyone in the Waterville area who records snowfall amounts?

*************


The weather will be just right for Ice Harvesting in Millers Mills on Sunday!

Just to get you going - drive E. on Route 20 past Winfield and take Route 51 N.
Watch for a right-hand turn onto Millers Mills Road.

This is the important part:

When you get to a crossroads, make sure you turn left!

*******************

Last night:

"The Last Train from Paris."

Strangers on a train. There's been a murder, and one of them is guilty!



A traveling salesman and a seamtress from Sangerfield!

Are they telling the truth?

How could anyone suspect this pretty young lady of being a malcontent, murdering soldier-of-fortune?

Clues, cheese quiche and comedic clichés
kept the volunteer suspects giggling for a full three hours
at the first "How to Host a Murder" party
sponsored by the Waterville Public Library -
Jill Getman and Jeff Reynolds, hosts.

Who Done it?

No one's telling, because it would be a crime to
not do a repeat "performance" for eight more suspicious sleuths:

soon!

**********************

IN THE NEWS

Today is National Wear Red Day!

Remsen's Olympic Luger, Erin Hamlin, Gears Up for the National Championships in Lake Placid.

*********************

Blog-reader Marlene Jones Fuks has taken pity on us and sent some Springtime pictures from Arizona!





Thanks, Marlene.

You have no idea how good GREEN looks!

**********

COMING NEXT WEEK

METALS COLLECTION ON TUESDAY.

*****

Have a Great Weekend, everyone!

Get Solar-powered!

Thursday

It's Garbage Day!

2.2 degrees at 7:20

*********

First of all, I want to extend my condolences to the family of Mrs. Marjorie Gorton
whose obituary appears in this morning's edition of the Observer-Dispatch.

*******

- and thank Terry Tanner for this morning Email:

"Last night the Optimists had Darrin Cope, Gail Prentice and Roger Mason as the speakers – it was fascinating to hear about the crash (of USAirways Flight 1549) and how (the crew's) training and the technology worked to save the passengers. I wanted to thank you for your suggestion - it was a program enjoyed by all and was absolutely fascinating! We tend to forget all the skills pilots and attendants are required to have to handle so many situations and how talented they all are. "

She also added:

"Kudos to Roger Tanner …

he gave his 100th pint of blood at
Saturday’s Red Cross Blood drive.

Waterville seems to have many dedicated donors as was demonstrated by the full house waiting to give on Saturday."

(Thanks, Terry!)

(and Thank YOU, Roger!)

********

At 9:06, the blog-reader from Forge Hollow Heights reports that the temperature, earlier, was

MINUS- 7.2 degrees!



"Now up to minus-5. Sunny, no wind.

I want outta here!"

*****

From WKTV: "Clear skies, a deep snowpack, and relaxing winds have made for another brutally cold start to the day. Average overnight lows range from 0 to -10. Bring all the heavy winter clothes and accessories heading in to work or school this morning. High temperatures this afternoon are only expected to be near 10! With a bit of a breeze this afternoon, wind chill values will be below zero again. Skies will once again continue to average partly to mostly sunny, with more clouds by evening.
Lake effect, which has stayed in Western New York, will lift to the north and east late this afternoon and into this evening. A few snow showers are possible, with light accumulations west of town. Clouds will increase for all late this evening. We will run the risk of a few snow showers as a weak warm front passes through later on tonight. Little accumulation is expected. Unlike last night, temperatures aren't expected to go much below zero, if at all, tonight. Temperatures will bottom out before midnight between 0 to +5 before slowly rise during the overnight.
Clouds will hang around Friday morning, but we could see some breaks of sunshine by afternon. While we're not talking about a heat wave, conditions should be less harsh with temperatures rebounding into the mid and upper 20's by late in the day."

***********

After a zub-sero start to the day, the temperature climbed to about 10 or 12 degrees!

The sun was bright, however, and people were out and about on their usual routines.

Sonny Olmstead, above, appeared to be playing "king of the mountain" outside of his Sanger Avenue residence as he took the top off of a snowbank so high that it was blocking his driveway view of the main road.

Spring arrived at Joan Albert's doorway, on E. Bacon Street ..............

........... and at Mrs. Manion's on Madison Street, across from the Park.



Out in the country, fields behind the American Legion were pristine .......

............ but, up near Paris, liquid fertilizer had been applied to huge areas of cropland.

Area's Agriculture Picture: Fewer, Smaller Farms.

**************

From this morning's Observer-Dispatch: "High School Seasons Shortened: State Proposes Fewer Games to Cut Costs."

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Paris Hill.

_____

"Paris!" That's where eight or ten of us will be going, later today! But it won't be this Paris!

I've got to organize my wardrobe and pack; get out my passport; make sure that I have my Special Border Pass at hand and put extra steno pads and fountain pens in my briefcase!

"The Last Train from Paris*" leaves the Waterville Public Library at 5:30

and, before it reaches the coast,

there will be a murder!

It will be up to the travelers to figure out

"Who Done it?"

(* The Murder-mystery Game night at the WPL! There are no more seats available on tonight's train, but the event is one that's sure to be repeated!)

******************

FOR THE WEEKEND

Fish Fry every Friday in February

5 - 8: 00 P.M.

at the Deansboro Fire House.

Adults: $9; Children $6.

Take-outs available.

******************

The VILLAGE DINER

will open on Saturday morning at 6:00!

**********

SANDY MANION BENEFIT

Spaghetti Dinner

Saturday from 4 - 8:00 at the Waterville Fire House.
Adults: $8; Children 5 and over, $5.
******

"Victory over Cancer"

CELEBRATION

Spaghetti Dinner for Lois Morris

Sunday from 11:30 - 2:00 Fellowship Hall, Brookfield

Donations at the Door.

********

MILLERS MILLS ICE HARVEST

Sunday at 11:00

**************************************

THINK WARM!

One blog-reader sent these pictures of a balmy autumn day in Maine:

Take me there!


A Garden Near Ogunquit.


Mark Masca sent these pictures of a Stingray Migration
in the Gulf of Mexico.

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea, thousands of Golden Rays are
seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico . The spectacular scene was
captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass
migrations to more agreeable waters.
Gliding silently beneath the waves, they turned vast areas of blue water
to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula . Sandra Critelli, an
amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for
whale sharks. She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The
surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked
like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

'It's hard to say exactly how many there were, but in the range of a few
thousand'

'We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we
could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was
there in the right place at the right time to experience nature at its
best'

Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 meters) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays
are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays.

They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in
front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance. Despite
having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening
when in large schools.
The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as
10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan ..

Thanks, Mark!

**********************************

Have a Great Day, Everyone!

Wednesday w/ warm view Add-on!

Recyclables Day!


Clear, and just one degree above zero. 

John Peterson reports MINUS-11 degrees in 

Forge Hollow Heights between 5:30 and 6:00 A.M.

****************

"Dear Mr. Gore. Please send us some Global Warming. Thank You!"

From WKTV's meteorologist: "The cold breeze out of the north will continue. This cold air will flow over the warmer waters of Lake Ontario and kick up some snow showers, but with winds oriented from north to south, most of this snow should stay west of the Mohawk Valley and sorrounding areas. Still, a stray flurry or snow shower is possible, along with periods of sunshine. Tomorrow's high temperatures will be in the teens.
Another cold night is on the way for tomorrow night. Temperatures will rebound into the 20's on Thursday with the chance of some scattered snow showers as the leftover lake moisture lifts through the area toward the Tug with veering winds. Warmer weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday.

SIGNS OF SPRING

I went for a long ride in the country, yesterday, hoping for a glimpse of a red-winged blackbird or, perhaps, a few first pussy willows, but - no luck.

I did, however, see a new wreath of flowers on the Briggs' front door ..........

........... a shiny heart at the Misiaszeks' home on Osborn .........

............. another at the Starings' on Sanger Hill ..............



........ and pussy willows on the door in Whiskey Hollow.


******************

Think Warm Thoughts!


(Some warm-looking pictures would be nice to look at, too, if any of you would be willing to share!)

(Click for warm  "wallpaper!"

 Mark Masca came through with this beauty! Thanks, Mark!

Stay Warm, everyone, and have a Good Day!

Tuesday

IT'S BIG TRASH DAY!

(but don't put it on top of a snowbank!)

13.5 degrees and starry-clear.

FROM WKTV: "A storm system will intensify in the Atlantic Ocean over the next 24 hours. The center of the storm will track well to our east tomorrow and significant snowfall is not expected in CNY. Along the Atlantic Coast there may be a period of steady snow for a time tomorrow, but locally we expect only a few scattered snow showers. Highs on our Tuesday will be a few degrees colder than today. We expect temperatures to top off in the upper 20's.
As the Atlantic storm spins away, the counterclockwise circulation of air around it will draw in colder temperatures from Canada. We'll see readings only in the single digits by early Wednesday and high temperatures will struggle to reach the upper teens by Wednesday afternoon.
The cold wave doesn't look to last too long. As a ridge of high pressure strengthens offshore later in the week, our winds will turn to a more southwesterly direction. We should see temperatures warm above freezing by the weekend.

*********************

That brief two-day burst of Springlike weather was wonderful, but ..........

................ it left the village looking more dingy than a detergent commercial!

Main Street didn't look quite as dismal as side streets like Elmwood and Berrill, above.

"Pot holes" are starting to appear!

The only really cheery-looking place in the village seemed to be the Car Wash,
where the bays were filled with

Happy Cars!

**********

It's a busy week!

Tomorrow night:

WCS Girls' Varsity Volleyball plays Morisville-Eaton at 7:00

WCS Girls' Varsity Basketball plays Stockbridge Valley at 7:30.

the Harlem Globetrotters are at the Aud at 7:00

Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Stanley at 7:30

*******************************

On Thursday evening at the

Waterville Public Library:

Mother - Daughter Book Club Meeting
Ages 7-9
We will be picking out our first book to read. Join us if you are interested.

Murder Mystery
5:30pm

(This program is full. There will be another one in April)
Knitting Circle
6pm
Join other knitters at the library
Bring your own supplies

*****************

Girls' Varsity Volleyball at Brookfield Central at 7:00
WCS Boys' Varsity Basketball vs. Mt. Markham at 7:30 (H)

*****

Behind the Scenes at "Hello, Dolly!" rehearsals are well under way and Ms. Daniluk writes that set construction by Don Brown, Pat Moshetti and several students has begun!
Also in progress,
student Fund raising for the production.
If you do NOT have a youngster or grandchild in school and have not already been approached for a contribution, here's a copy of the letter that they are distributing. You, too, can help!

Waterville High School
381 Madison St.
Waterville, NY 13480

January 21, 2009

To whom it may concern,

This year’s Waterville Central School Musical Production of “Hello, Dolly!” is upon us. Now, more than ever, we are in need of financial assistance. Without your generosity we could not uphold Waterville’s tradition of excellence. If you have helped us out in the past we look forward to your continued support, and if you haven’t donated then please consider starting this year. The performances of “Hello, Dolly!” will be held on Friday, March 20th, and Saturday, March 21st, 2009 at 8:00 P.M. in the high school auditorium. We hope to see you there!
If you are interested in donating, cast members have patron forms available to fill out. Also, donations can be mailed to the school, attn: Musical Production. Receipts will be returned to patrons after all information has been catalogued.
All donations are appreciated—so thank you for your continued support of the students, teachers and community members who make these productions possible.

Thank you,

Jessica Daniluk
WCS Musical Director

***************************


Only eight weeks 'til Snowdrops!

Have a great day, everyone!

Personal Superbowl favorite!

Monday

THINK SPRING!

It's 31.1 degrees!

And it's Garbage Day!


FIRST THINGS FIRST

This Special Request from DPW Superintendent Jamie Bechy:

"Please put your Garbage and/or Recyclables

Containers in your driveway

- or other shovelled space -

NOT on top of a snowbank!"

*********

I also have a request to extend a

Special Thank You
to

JOSH WALKER and CORY BUGBEE
from the lady whose car was stuck in the church parking lot!

******

IN THE NEWS

At the Superbowl, it was the Steelers, 27 - 23.

If the COMMERCIALS are your "thing," click HERE.

*****

Today is "Groundhog Day!"




7:33 A.M.

Phil Says "Six More Weeks of Winter!"

Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:
Hear Ye Hear Ye

On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009

Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators

Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper

And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths

After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,

Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time

And a bright sky above me

Showed my shadow beside me.

So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.


For an interesting history of this 121-year-old celebration, click HERE!

*****************************

NOW FOR THE WEATHER



Yes - 40 degrees, yesterday afternoon!


Snomobiles were everywhere!





The Sangerfield plow was pushing back snowbanks on Babbott ......

..... and this fellow, cleaning off his Putnam Street porch, was shoveling so fast that even before one shovelful of snow had landed he was scooping up another!

WKTV's prediction for today: "Quiet and mild weather continues into Monday with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures once again into the 30s. There may be a few flurries or light snow showers in the evening as a storm system develops in the south. Based on the latest trends, the track of the coastal storm looks too far east to have a serious impact on our weather in central NY. The heaviest snow appears to fall across New England and extreme Eastern NY on Tuesday. As for central NY, we may see a general light snow throughout the day as temperatures fall into the mid to low 20s. Besides the cold temperatures, the wind will pick up throughout the day as the storm system intensifies to our east. It's too early to give snowfall forecast amounts at this time. Cold air will dive in from Canada on Wednesday, with lake effect snow. But the cold air will not last as temperatures moderate to near to above normal by next weekend."

On Saturday, Habitat for Humanity volunteers were working at the new home on Gridley-Paige Road. At least the men who were working outdoors in the cold knew that they'd be able to get warm inside the building: there was smoke coming out of the chimney - a good sign!


The Village DPW didn't have that luxury. They spent much of Saturday controlling a water line leak on Madison Street, next to the Park.

Meanwhile, Dave and Connie Bocko were bushwacking their way up Tassel Hill on cross-country skiis.



The road less taken.

View from the summit.

(Thank you, Connie!)

*************************************



Just to tease us - this picture of the Indian River sent with
Greetings to Everyone
from Jamie Bush in Port St. Lucie, Florida, who wrote:

"I get very jealous in the summer when the temps in Waterville are 75, 80 degrees and here in FL it's 90, 95. So for all my friends in Waterville right now I am sending this picture to get back at you for teasing me. Love you all and I miss the Wonderful little town of Waterville. " Jamie Bush

(Thanks for that, Jamie! Come and visit!)


********

FOR THE RECORD

I telephoned Rick Garrett on Friday and asked him if he would be willing to talk about or confirm persistent rumors that had been circulating for several days, suggesting that "Foodking's been sold!"

Well: that's NOT actually the case!

Rick IS talking with members of "Emerald Holding" of Utica in re: a possible sale, but it's not a "done deal" - yet.

Emerald Holding has four partners. One member - Gary Wandley of Whitesboro - is the one who would be managing Foodking, if the deal goes through. The sale hinges on his acquisition of a beer license.

Rick has kept all of the employees informed and they have been reassured that they will be "staying on."

(Thank you, Rick!)

******************

Have a Great Day, everyone!