Blog
18th Century Cricket
Members of the British Brigade will visit Johnson Hall State Historic Site on this Saturday August 17th 10:00 – 4:00, to play 18th Century Cricket. The event is co-sponsored by Johnson Hall State Historic Site and the 24th Regiment of Foot of the British Brigade.
The British Brigade Inc. is a NYS Board of Regents charted living history organization that demonstrates the military activities and social pastimes of those British and American soldiers and their families, who served their country loyally during the American War of Independence.
Johnson Hall will serve as an elegant setting for the tournament, as Brigade members play the original version of this 18th century pastime. Period spectators will watch on the sidelines, creating a splendid outdoor scene, as they dine and relax among their comfortable field furnishings.
There will be no food vendor on site, spectators are encouraged to bring their own picnic lunch, locate a comfortable place in the shade and enjoy the matches. To complete the experience, opportunities will be made available for the public to try their hand at Cricket.
Matches are scheduled to take place on Saturday between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Major Paul Novotny will deliver game history and playing instructions at both 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM with matches following. A special match scheduled at 1:00 P.M. to be played by teams representing the 24th Regiment of Foot and St John’s Episcopal Church.
Admission to the house and tournament is free. Donations to support this and other events at Johnson Hall are always appreciated.
Johnson Hall State Historic Site is located at 139 Hall Avenue in Johnstown, just off West State St. (State Hwy 29 West). For more information on this event please contact wade.wells@oprhp.state.ny.us or call 518-762-8712.
Fulton County Tourism Celebrates the 19th Annual $10,000 Bet on Fulton County Raffle
The Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce held the 19th annual fundraiser for the Fulton County Tourism Department to help their work in promoting the area to visitors on Friday, August 9, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Gloversville.
Gina DaBiere-Gibbs, Fulton County’s Director of Tourism said, “I’m grateful to the community for their support of our tourism program and am pleased with the attendance during the evening’s festivities. We are fortunate to have held this raffle for 19 years and to still have the continued support each year.”
The final two tickets holders for the evening’s raffle decided to split 1st & 2nd Prizes of $10,000 and $1,000, each receiving $5,500.
1st Prize & 2nd Prize Shared Winners of a total of $11,000, Ticket numbers 178 and 212 were Amy McCray and Alan Jones
3rd Prize $1,000, Ticket # 199, Julia Brockhum
4th Prize $200, Ticket # 254, Sara Pine
5th Prize $100, Ticket # 083, Kurt Bens
6th Prize $100, Ticket # 252, Michael Bowman
7th Prize $100, Ticket # 281, Barbara & George Heide
Consolation Prize (1st Ticket Drawn) $100, Ticket # 192, Skoda
For more information about Fulton County call (518) 725-0641 or visit our tourism website at www.44lakes.com.
Bassmaster Weekend Series Returns to the Great Sacandaga Lake
The New York Division 23 of the Toyota Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, will wrap up its regular season on Aug. 17, 2013, at the Great Sacandaga Lake.
The competitors will launch at Northampton Beach Campground, located at 328 Houseman Street in Mayfield, N.Y. Anglers may begin fishing at safe light. Registration begins at 4 p.m. Aug. 16 at Northampton Beach Campground. To register for this tournament, see www.americanbassanglers.com/proddetail.php?prod=733.
Anglers fishing the Boater Division may weigh in up to five bass. Co-anglers may weigh in up to three bass. For New York fishing license information, call 518-402-8843 or see www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6091.html.
Great Sacandaga Lake, also known as Sacandaga Reservoir, covers about 24,707 acres of Fulton, Saratoga and Hamilton counties in the southern part of the Adirondack Park in northeast New York. The lake dates to 1930 with the damming of the Sacandaga River. It averages about 32 feet deep, but drops to more than 74 feet deep in places. The name comes from a Native American word meaning “land of the waving grass.”
During the Aug. 27, 2011, BWS tournament on Sacandaga Lake, John P. Damphier of Johnstown, N.Y., won the Boater Division with a five-bass tournament limit weighing 11.73 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 2.38-pounder. Damphier caught most of his fish on a jig fished around rocks and grass in 19 feet of water. Harold K. Miller Jr. of Washington, Pa., won the tournament big bass title with a 3.63-pounder.
In the Co-Angler Division during that tournament, Reed Poulton of Schenectady, N.Y., landed a three-fish division limit going 6.86 pounds with a 2.68-pound kicker. Poulton caught most of his fish on topwaters around weeds, but caught his biggest fish on a green pumpkin grub fished in 35 feet of water. William B. Adams of Piscataway, N.J., won the Co-Angler Division lunker competition with a 3.08-pounder.
Slated for Sept. 21-22, 2013, the two-day divisional championship will be held on Lake Oneida out of Oneida Shores County Park near Brewerton. At the end of the season, one BWS angler will win the opportunity to compete in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
For more information on this tournament, call Joe Angelone, tournament manager, at 256-777-6152 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Micropolis “Meet the Artists” Reception on Friday, August 9
Two new gallery members, Patsy Suydam, photographer and digital artist, from Johnstown and Carol Law Conklin, batik artist, of Fort Ann, will be introducing their artwork at this show.
Special guest artist Joel Chapin will be on hand to present a collection of his watercolor and oil paintings. Joel is a multi-talented artist who heads the Art Department at Fulton Montgomery Community College in Johnstown. He has a BS in printmaking from Skidmore College, and an MFA in drawing and painting from the University at Albany. Joel’s work is included in collections at the State University of New York and the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls.
Also on display will be a new selection of original artwork by Micropolis artists Laurie Cerasia, Ruth Crotty, Michele Drozd, Susy Easterly, Katherine Ehle, Frances Gaffney, Cheryl Gutmaker, Alexandra Higgins, Linda Hinkle, Michael Intrabartola, Dragan Konakov, Betsy Moore-Galinsky, Lynda Naske, Judy Olson, Judith and Stan Plotner, Sandy Smith, and Janet Marie Yeates.
Artwork in a variety of media will be on display including original paintings, drawings, photographs, fiber collages, mixed media, woodwork, glass, digital art, sculpture, jewelry, batik, and pottery.
The reception will be held between 5 and 7pm and is free and open to the public. Micropolis is located inside Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market, 30 North Main Street, Gloversville, NY.
For more information about the gallery and membership information for artists, please go to www.micropolisgallery.com. Membership applications can be downloaded from the website.
Peck’s Lake Triathlon Registrant Information
Welcome to the 4th Annual Peck’s Lake Sprint Triathlon!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Registration begins at 7:00AM
at Sunrise Bay, North Shore Road, Gloversville
Please remember:
- Race Start Time is 8:30AM
- Competitive and Participant starting waves will be segregated prior to the start of the race
- Do NOT bring dogs to the race
- The Transition Area is Athletes ONLY
- Earphones, iPods, MP3 players, etc. are NOT allowed during the race
- Non-finishers please report to the Race Timer
- Split times will be available on the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce websiteapproximately 2 days after the race
- Photos from the event will be posted on the Visit Fulton County, NY Facebook page
- Medals will be given out tentatively between 10:30 and 11:00AM
- Refreshments are available for athletes after the race
- A local Velo Club will be located near the bike racks to help with simple bike repair issues
- A local triathlon club will be soliciting for members near the registration tent
- Extra Peck’s Lake Triathlon hats may be available for at the registration desk for $15 each
- Team Members can “touch” after the swim (past the timers) at the shore or in the transition area
- Team Members will “touch” after the bike ride in the transition area (this is new this year)
- SWIM LEG: Athletes swim clockwise around red/orange buoys to the last buoy. Safety boats will be on the outside with a kayak or two possibly in the center. Exit at the designated exit ramp and yell your number to the timers. Wet suits are optional; water temperature is approximately in the high 70s.
- BIKE LEG: Ride on the right side of the road. Circle the marker at the end of South Shore Road then ride back to the transition area. Dismount the bike prior to entering the transition area.
- RUN LEG: Run on the left side of the road (facing traffic). Circle the marker on North Shore Road then run back to the finish line near the transition area.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Gloversville, which promotes the social, educational, health, leadership, and character development of boys and girls during critical periods of their growth.
Thank you to our sponsors, to-date, Brown’s Ford of Johnstown, Alpin Haus, Wal-Mart DC #6096, and Railside Café. And to the LUNA Chix Albany Triathlon Team for their donation of LUNA bars.
Anniversary Lecture Series Continues at Johnson Hall
Johnson Hall State Historic Site’s 250th Anniversary Lecture Series, marking the building of the historic Johnson Hall estate, continues on Saturday, August 3.
Through October, on the first Saturday of each month, lectures that focus on the period surrounding the 1763 building of the home will be held in the first floor hall of the Johnson Hall, beginning at 11am. Refreshments will be available following each lecture in the Stonehouse. Regular public tours will be available after 1:00pm on these days.
On Saturday, August 3, Lois Feister-Huey will present “Archeaology at Johnson Hall”. A retired archeologist with the New York State Bureau of Historic Sites, Ms. Feister-Huey directed many of the archaeological projects carried out at Johnson Hall in the past. The results not only found missing outbuildings, but also developed a better understanding and interpretation of the material culture of the Johnson family, as well as of their slaves, servants and visitors to the 18th century estate.
Before she retired, Ms. Feister-Huey consolidated the information from all the work done by both herself and those archeologists who preceded her into a 1995 single hard-covered volume entitled Johnson Hall Outbuildings, Landscape History and Forgotten Features: Documentary and Archeological Research Conducted between 1945 and 1991. This information is used by the Johnson Hall Site staff to enrich their knowledge and interpretation of Johnson Hall. In addition, she collaborated with Bonnie Pulis, former Education Curator at the site, to write the 1997 book Molly Brant: A Legacy of Her Own. Brant, a Mohawk Indian, was the lady of the house who, with Sir William Johnson, raised their family of eight children and served as a partner in the diplomatic relations with Native Americans during New York’s colonial period.
Additional lectures will include “Colonial Johnstown, According to the Daybook of Robert Adems, Sir William Johnson’s Bookkeeper” presented by Gayle Ann Livecchia on Saturday, September 7, and the final lecture on “Georgian Opulence – in the Wilderness, above the Hudson, and on the Seacoast” presented by Judy Anderson on Saturday, October 5.
For more information on this and other 250th anniversary special events, contact Johnson Hall at (518) 762 – 8712, visit the Site’s Facebook page, or visit www.nysparks.com.
Walking Tours Highlight 18th Century Johnson Hall Estate
To further highlight the 250th anniversary of the building of historic Johnson Hall and the development of its surrounding estate, the State Historic Site will present special interpretive walking tours during the 2013 season.
Beyond The Mansion: A Walking Tour of the Johnson Hall Estate and Outbuildings will be led by Aaron Robinson, Johnson Hall’s Senior Historic Site Interpreter. Archeological evidence, historic documents and ongoing research have provided a better understanding and interpretation of the property. Robinson will detail the historic grounds and outbuilding locations of Sir William Johnson’s 700-acre 18th century working estate, highlighting how the craftspeople, guests, servants and slaves utilized these spaces to make Johnson Hall function.
Robinson, a graduate of the University at Albany Public History Program, has been on the Johnson Hall interpretive staff since June 2011.
The next Beyond The Mansion guided tour will be held this Thursday, July 25 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Tour-goers should meet in the East Stonehouse.
The tour will be repeated on Thursday, August 22nd from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, and on Saturday, September 21st from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.
For more information on this and other 250th anniversary special events, contact Johnson Hall at (518) 762 – 8712, visit the Site’s Facebook page, or visit www.nysparks.com.
What would you do with $10,000?
The Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce wants to remind the community that tickets are on sale for its 19th annual fundraiser to help their work in promoting the Fulton County region to visitors. The $10,000 “Bet on Fulton County Raffle” drawing will be held on Friday, August 9, 2013, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Gloversville, 308 N. Comrie Avenue, Johnstown, NY.
Tickets are available for $100 each and only 300 will be sold. Tickets are available at the Chamber office, 2 North Main Street, Gloversville; Partner’s Pub, 21 South William Street, Johnstown; and at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Gloversville, 308 North Comrie Avenue, Johnstown. The Grand Prize is $10,000, and additional cash prizes will be awarded. Ticket holders are invited to enjoy great entertainment, a picnic style dinner, and cash bar at the event on August 9.
Funds raised from the raffle will be used by the Tourism Department for marketing and advertising Fulton County to prospective visitors throughout the year, and for promoting events that benefit our region.
For more information, call the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce at (518) 725-0641 or e-mail tourism@fultonmontgomeryny.org.
Fifth Annual Walleye Challenge Ice Fishing Tournament Gives Back to The Great Sacandaga Lake
A $1,500 check was presented by representatives of the Fifth Annual Walleye Ice Fishing Tournament to the Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation for fish stocking this fall. The Walleye Challenge, this year was held on held on January 26, on the Great Sacandaga Lake. Event Coordinators Lou Stutzke (Owner of Fuel-N-Food of Mayfield), Hank “Beaver” Ross and Fulton County Director of Tourism, Gina DaBiere-Gibbs, presented the check to Randy Gardinier of the Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation at a recent ceremony at the Fulton County Visitors Center in Vail Mills.
The tournament registered 1500 fishing enthusiasts with approximately 54% of participants from outside of Fulton County including participants from seven states. The event has sold out in each of the five years it has been held. Besides cash prizes for the heaviest fish caught in each hour (between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM), there were several door prizes awarded throughout the day, and two four-wheel recreational vehicles and a snowmobile were given away to three of the participants.
The 2014 Walleye Ice Fishing Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, January 25, 2014. Anyone interested in adding their name to the event’s mailing list is asked to call the Fulton County Tourism Department at (518) 725-0641 or to send a request via e-mail at info@fultonmontgomeryny.org.
Featured Artists for Annual Woodworkiing and Fine Arts Weekend Announced
This year’s Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend is highlighting two accomplished painters with different styles who have both been inspired by the area they are from. Ellen Babin comes to us for the third year from Cape Cod, Massachusetts and our own Constance Dodge all the way from Edinburg who is joining us for a fourth time. For both artists, painting has become more than a profession or passion. Having survived serious illnesses, they believe their painting is an integral part of the healing process.
Constance Dodge
As an artist living and working in the Southern Adirondacks, Constance Dodge has been drawn to the history and the beauty of the environment. Imagination and the immediacy of pastels have allowed her to interpret the incredible natural surroundings with a more impressionist palette, focusing on light and shadow. Connie’s education includes a BS in Art Educations from Nazareth College and a Masters in Fine Arts from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. She taught both at the high school and community college levels and was an adjunct instructor at a number of local colleges including the College of St. Rose.
Connie’s paintings were exhibited at Amos Eno Gallery in New York City from 1975-98. Her work appears in many public and private collections, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and she was published in the New York Magazine. The Lake George Visitors Center includes a mural she co-created. To cite a few of her many honors, Constance won “Best Overall Landscape” at the 2010 Central Adirondack Show, a Project Grant in 2002, a 2009 Artist Grant from NYSCA through the Saratoga Arts Council, and a Fellowship at the Millay Colony. You can view some of her paintings on her website: www.constanceadodge.com.
Ellen Babin
In her early years, Ellen Babin was inspired by the work of Andrew Wyeth. She is an award winning landscape artist of the Cape Cod Art Association in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Specializing in acrylics, her subjects include the beaches of Cape Cod as well as the mountains, wilderness trails, and streams of the Adirondacks. While pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant, Ellen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Medicine with a minor in Art from Alderson Broaddus College in West Virginia. A Cape Codder at heart, Ellen moved to Yarmouth Port in 1983. Recently retired from medicine, she now spends her time fulfilling her passion – painting fulltime.
Ellen has participated in numerous juried art shows from Cape Cod to Blue Mountain Lake and has been published in many issues of the American Art Review, including 2010 July-August issue, 2010 September-October issue, 2010 November-December issue and 2011 January-February issue. Presently her work is displayed in galleries in Sandwich, Massachusetts and locally at Colorful Collections here in Northville New York. She is scheduled for a mother/daughter show at the Cultural center in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts in September 2014.
Northville Rotary’s Fifth Annual Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend will be held in Northville at the Bradt Building and Town Park on Main Street Friday July 19th from 5:30-8:30, Saturday the 20th from 9-5, and Sunday the 21st from 10-3. In addition to our featured painters, over 50 artists including woodworkers, jewelers, photographers, weavers, sculptors, potters, a blacksmith and batik artist who will be displaying their unique talents. We will have a silent auction of items donated by the artists and will again be raffling a kayak and bicycle. Come join us. It is a great weekend in Northville on the Sacandaga Lake!