Waterville Blog 2014

It's Recyclables Collection Day

64 degrees at 5:00 a.m.

and, after unusually heavy downpours throughout yesterday afternoon and evening,  the rain has finally stopped .....

or not!!!!!  Radar at 7:00 a.m.

The TWCNY Weather Forecast:

"Early Rain/Late Day Breaks of Sun, Cooling Down for the Weekend

"It is a wet start to the day with periods of steady rain still working into the area with tapering rain for the morning and just a few lighter showers into the afternoon. It will still be mild and above average with most areas holding into the upper 60s and low 70s. Not as breezy.
The next few days we start the drop off in temps with highs sliding in the 60s and 50s. But a cold front for the weekend does us in with air getting as chilly as the 40s by Sunday.
Next week looks to rebound for now back into the 50s and even 60s. 

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IN THE NEWS

Front Page Headlines from

THE WATERVILLE TIMES

"A Wilde And Funny Night"

"Tanks Removed From Putnam Street Site"

"Girls Basketball Coming To BCS"

"WCS Soccer Reunion"

"Meeting For Dairy Farmers"

"Scary Tales On Tap"

To read more, please click HERE.

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Here & There

Many of the recent "make-overs" are visible from Main Street, 

but here's a rainy-day view of the back of one of the buildings on West Main Street

where extensive improvements are being made.

(I don't know which building it is: Main St. Liquors? or The Slaughtered Lamb Pub?)

A few days ago I had a nice long conversation with Mr. Stanley Gethel, known to his neighbors and many acquaintances as just plain "Stanley," the owner of what many of us refer to as "the Home for Homeless Ladies" on Putnam Street.

Ever since he began working to repair and restore the building he has been collecting bits of information about it: he knows that it was built by George Putnam in the 1860's. 

Putnam built nearly all of the homes on the street but saved this one for his own family's residence. In the 1880's, presumably when the Putnams moved into their new home on the corner of East Main Street and Stafford Avenue (now the Swanberg Home) the house was sold to Alonzo Tower and his wife. After Alonzo died, his wife and their son, George continued to live there.  Mrs. Tower has been credited with installing the elegant Victorian decorations that many of actually remember and a social note in The Waterville Times recounts all of the details of an elegant dinner party and dance for 150 people held there, once!

George Tower and his mother remained there until her death in the 1920s and, then, his own, in 1932. In his will, he left $1,500 to the Presbyterian Church as well as $150 to the Waterville Cemetery Association. All of the balance of his estate was left to endow a charitable corporation to be known as "the Waterville Home for Homeless Ladies" which opened in 1934. Operation of the Home ceased in the mid-1970's and the building was sold and its contents actioned off in March, 1976. 

I was involved in the operation of the Home for a year or two and had a few stories of my own to add to Stanley's collection, but was taken completely by surprise by a question he asked:

"Why were the women 'homeless' and where had they come from?"

This is what he - and, I imagine, many others who are new to the community and/or who are much younger than I  - was picturing .....

"Homeless"

No: the contemporary word "homeless" and the images it evokes just aren't applicable, here. The ladies who made their home there were what one might have called "gentle ladies." Sometimes  they were spinster ladies who could no longer maintain a birthplace or family homestead by themselves, some were widows who either had no offspring with whom they could live in their older age, or who preferred the company of their peers.

At the Home for Homeless Ladies they lived in safety and comfort surrounded by Victorian elegance.  Supervised by a Board of Directors, there was always a full-time matron (I remember Lucy Carter, who cooked the ladies' favorite meals, served "silver tea" in the afternoon and kept the rooms filled with greenery and fresh flowers) and a day-time housekeeper (the wonderful Louise Greene, who set the gold standard for efficiency and kindness.) 

Although there are several of us who wish that the Home was still in operation, we certainly wish "Stanley" and his family a long and happy life here in Waterville.

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Yesterday's Favorite photo - on Gridley-Paige Road. 

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IN THE MAIL

Where in the world is Glen Carroll?

I wonder if he knows that Jack Rienzo is there, too!!!

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from Jody Hildreth, in his garden.

Top to bottom:  Monkshood, Yellow-jacket on Monkshood, Pink Poodle Echinacea, Anemone, and "a Golden Orb Spider that appears every Fall."

(Thanks for those wonderful, super-close-up views, Jody!)

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COMING EVENTS

AT THE LIBRARY

 - Thursday -

"Superhero Club" at 6:00

Ages 5-10 | Sign Up

This month kids can dress up as their favorite superhero and we'll have a Superhero Costume Contest! After we'll run through an obstacle course!

October: Costume Contest

-Friday -

Movie Matinée at 1:00

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-Saturday -

PUBLIC STAR GAZING

The Mohawk Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS) 

will be hosting star gazing on Sat Oct 18th from dusk to 11PM 

at the Barton-Brown Observatory, 

Waterville Public Library 206 White Street Waterville, NY

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WCS SPORTS

(Click to Enlarge.)

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A SPECIAL LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY

from the Waterville Historical Society.

Originally published in The Waterville Times and welcomed by 

"At Home in the Huddle" in order to ensure the greatest possible readership.

To the Editor:

There is only one organization collecting and preserving the history of the greater Waterville area. The Waterville Historical Society’s mission is to preserve local history and artifacts, and interpret them with entertaining and educational exhibits and programs. Like many organizations today, we are faced with declining membership, reduced revenues, and rising costs.  We need a concerted effort by the community to continue this essential public service. We are calling on the general public to support the Society through memberships, financial donations, and participation. Please bring or send your contributions and suggestions to the Society or pick up a membership form at 220 East Main Street, Waterville, open Wednesdays from 10 am to 4 pm.

To further this effort, the Board of Directors is establishing an Advisory Board of community members to assist in maintaining a viable and sound organization, especially in the areas of fundraising, finance, and planning programs and special events. We need people with varied talents, experience and backgrounds. If interested, please call 315-841-4018 or contact any Board member.

Get involved in your community’s history and help preserve our past for the future. Thank you!

Waterville Historical Society Board of Directors

Joseph W Falk, President

Patricia Ford, Vice President

Donna Green, Treasurer

Carol Wood, Secretary

Doris Stephan, Archivist

Kent C. Cole, Director

Debbie Conway, Director

Rev. Kirk Hudson, Director

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PLANNING AHEAD

Brothertown Music Boosters 
are conducting a 
Can and Bottle Drive on  

Sat. Oct 25 from 9:00am to noon. 

Please place bagged cans and bottles  

where the teams can pick them up. 
For large amounts, pick up can be  

arranged by calling 877-5684 or 861-7613; 
or bottles and cans may be  dropped off at Nickelback 
(please specify they are for Music  Boosters). 

We are raising funds for the WCS Music Dept. trip to Disney  in July 2015. All contributions are appreciated!

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FOR THE RECORD

Tuesday's blog post.

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A Question from the Blogger:
Are there any trained Geologists in the area?


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Have a good weekend, everyone!