Hemmer Cottage getting transported up Park Ave. in Old Forge ten years ago. Courtesy photo

The Town of Webb Historical Association is planning a celebration to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the move of Hemmer Cottage on May 31, 2002, from the grounds of the Town of Webb School campus to the Old Forge waterfront. A special reception will be held at the Hemmer Cottage on Thursday, July 19th.

During the winter of 2001, the Hemmer Cottage was saved by a group of local citizens from being demolished when the Town of Webb School could not find a buyer for the historic house, where local artist, Bernard Hemmer and his wife, Mary, once lived.

The cottage, built in 1931, was one of a dozen unique cottages built in the 1920s and 1930s by Hemmer, a World War I veteran.

In 2001 the citizens group circulated a petition and collected funds to save the unique structure.

They were overwhelmed by the donations by the community and visitors which enabled an Ad Hoc team to present a bid to the School Board in the amount of $751. It turned out to be the winning bid, which was accepted by the School Board.

The move to its new location was made possible with a grant of $25,000 that was secured by then-Senator Ray Meier.

Additional grants were received by various organizations in 2002 and 2003 to make improvements. Since the move to the new site overlooking the Old Forge Pond, the upper floor of Hemmer Cottage has served as rented office space and a conference area for CAP-21, and meeting space for small groups.

On the first floor there are exhibits by the Historical Association, including Bernard Hemmer’s oil paintings.

The Historical Association has hosted fundraisers on the grounds of Hemmer Cottage to cover ongoing expenses of maintenance and upgrading.

The community is invited to the 10th anniversary celebration.

For planning purposes, those wishing to attend are asked to register by calling the Historical Association at (315) 369-3838 or by emailing: director@webbhistor.org.

Rich Chapman, Head Golf Professional at the Thendara Golf Club, will be hosting a series of free golf clinics between 4 and 5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout the summer. The clinics began this week and Chapman invites anyone who is interested in learning the game of golf.

Women’s clinics will take place on Thursdays; men’s on Fridays, and family clinics will take place on Saturday afternoons.

Chapman is able to host the clinics for free, he said, thanks to the generosity of the Muriel Cohen Memory Celebration Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that strives “to bring the joy, discipline and life lessons of the sport to golfers of all ages and skill levels.’’

“We spoke with the Muriel Cohen Memory Celebration Tournament Committee to see if they wanted to jump on board and they thought the outreach to the community for the game she enjoyed so much was a good idea. We’d all like to see more people get involved,” Chapman said.

According to Chapman, each clinic will cover all of the basics of the sport, beginning with swing skills on the driving range, and progressing to chipping, putting, and sand shots.

The Club will also offer participants the opportunity to play at reduced greens fees following each clinic.

Additionally, thanks to the Muriel Cohen Tournament Committee, Chapman will teach two free Junior Golf Camps this summer at the golf course.

The first is scheduled to take place between Monday, July 30 and Friday, August 3 and the second is scheduled for Monday, August 13 through Friday, August 17th.

Children will be split into different classes based on age, and registration for the camps will take place the week prior to the events.

For more information, call Thendara Golf Club at (315) 369- 3136.

The Old Forge Farmers’ Market will open for the season on Friday, June 29 at 2 p.m., and according to CAP-21 Executive Director Nick Rose, visitors to this year’s market will see some pleasant additions of services. Most of last year’s vendors will be returning, he said, and there will be some new vendors too.

Also, Rose announced, that through New York State Agriculture and Markets, CAP- 21 was able to secure a grant that allows for a partnership between Community Transportation Services (CTS) and the Farmers’ Market. Continue reading →

The Kiwanis Club of the Central Adirondacks will host the 3rd Annual Kiwanis Old Forge Paddle Classic on Saturday, June 30th. There will be two races departing from the Town of Webb Navigation Dock in Old Forge Pond.

The first is a six-mile race from the Old Forge lakefront to Treasure Island on First Lake and back. The second race is a 12- mile race from the Lakefront to Alger Island on Fourth Lake and back.

Continue reading →

George Mitchell with 1938 Plymouth owned by Tim Teesdale of Westernville (Winner)

The Central Adirondack Association’s 15th Annual Father’s Day Weekend Car Show was held Saturday, June 16 at the North Street field in Old Forge, adjacent to the George T. Hiltebrant Recreation Center.

The event drew 132 car entries that competed in 16 classes for awards, and 628 spectators who came to get a close look at the classic and antique vehicles, and modified street rods.

Cindy Beckley, one of the organizers of the show, said it was one of the organization’s biggest and best car shows to date.

Todd Sliker and son Justin of Southington, CT and Okara Lake, with 1966 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray Coupe owned by Richard Barry of Manlius. Carol Hansen photos

On Friday evening Johnson & Company Band entertained spectators at Point Park until the start of the 7 p.m. Parade of Cars up Main Street. The band’s performance was the first in a series of Friday night concerts that will be sponsored by the Town of Webb.

The following is a list of award winners:

Best in Show – Antique/ Classic: 1930 Buick owned by Brad Perkins, Dryden

Best in Show – Modified/Street Rod: 1937 Chevrolet Pro Street owned by Kevin McGibney, Deposit

Spectators’ Choice Award: 1981 Chevrolet Corvette owned by Robert Nora, Utica

Oldest Vehicle Award: 1930 Buick owned by Brad Perkins, Dryden Continue reading →

New York State Boater Safety Courses will be held in Inlet and Raquette Lake in the upcoming weeks.

The NYS Boater Safety Certificate is required for operators ages 10 to 17 operating solo, and mandatory for all PWC operators from ages 14 to adult. Many insurance companies offer discounts with proof of certificate.

The first eight-hour course will be held at the Inlet Town Hall on Friday, June 29 from 6 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, June 30 from 2 to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, July 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. Continue reading →

The Inlet Historical Society will present its first summer program of the season, “Final Trail For Fulton Chain Pioneers, on Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m. at the Inlet Town Hall.

Charles Herr will discuss the results of his visits to cemeteries in Lewis, Herkimer and Oneida counties where he has located the final resting places of the pioneering and legendary early settlers of Brown’s Tract, Fulton Chain (Thendara), Inlet, Big Moose Lake and the Fulton Chain.

Herr will discuss briefly the role of such notable families as: Foster, Arnold, Garmon, Crosby, Galvin, Wilcox, Marks, Meeker, Grant, Tiffany, Covey, Wilcox, Codling, Delmarsh, Williston, Lyon, Gould, Wood and others, showing the locations of the final resting places of these families. Since the Fulton Chain region did not have a formal cemetery until the 1921 opening of the Riverview Cemetery in Old Forge, many of the plots are at cemeteries in the Adirondack foothill towns at the gateways to the Fulton Chain. Some are out of state.

Continue reading →