Brubeck Brothers Quartet returning to Old Forge for July 26 performance

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is returning to View on Thursday, July 26 at 8 p.m. featuring Chris Brubeck on bass and trombone, his brother Dan Brubeck on drums, with pianist Chuck Lamb and guitarist Mike DeMicco.

The Brubeck brothers are the sons of legendary jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck.

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet

“I was very lucky to be in my father’s life,” said Chris Brubeck, “and actually with my mother, too, who was very creative as well. She wrote lyrics for my dad’s songs and lyrics that were recorded by Carmen McRae, Louie Armstrong, Dinah Shore and a lot of other greats,” said Chris, who is also a composer, lyricist and musical arranger.

He has written three musicals and hundreds of songs that have been sung by a wide range of singers, including Patti Labelle.

The elite jazz combo has performed together for more than three decades and has received critical acclaim.

Their last appearance in Old Forge in 2010 was held in the former Arts Center building to a sold out crowd.

“We got a tour of the new building that was being built at that time and we could see and appreciate all of the dedication, the work and the vision that was involved. We’re excited to go back again because we know we’re coming back to give a concert inside a dream,” Chris said.

In September the quartet will travel to Russia where they will be performing for their third time. Continue reading →

by Mathew Scheidelman, The Antiques Appraiser

 The era of the “general line” antique dealer who had a little knowledge of a wide variety of antiques and collectibles is mostly in the past.

There are many still out there, myself included, but the antique business has changed in many ways since I did my first antique show in 1978.

Times and tastes change, fads come and go, what was hot yesterday may have little or no value tomorrow, so a dealer has to change and adapt with the times. This often means specializing.

A dealer’s speciality usually reflects their own taste and interest whether it is glass and china, primitives, tools, furniture, jewelry, fine art, etc.

To some it is considered better to be very knowledgeable on a few items and rely on their network of friends and colleagues when coming across something they are not familiar with.

One specialty is books. Book dealers often carry other paper goods such as post cards, advertising, matchbooks, brochures, magazines etc.

My knowledge of rare and collectible books is limited. I know that first editions are sought after and factors like rarity, topic, author and condition all affect value.

Condition is one of the most important factors when determining the value of an old book and there is a grading system used by many book dealers in an attempt to standardize condition descriptions.

The condition of books and paper goods is subjective and open to interpretation.

Usually the seller thinks the condition is better than the buyer does! Continue reading →

 Dear Mr. Scheidelman,

I recently acquired a number of Zane Grey books (copyright pre-1920) and would like to find out if they have any value. I live in Old Forge and I’m not sure where to find information on these books.

I saw your article in The Weekly Adirondack and thought you might be able to help.

D.J., Old Forge

Dear D.J., 

First let me say I am a general line antique dealer, books are not my specialty. But I will do my best to help you. I know Zane Grey is a very collectible author and westerns in general are sought after.  Continue reading →

Cindy Hansen on Monday, July 17, her last day as Officer in Charge at the Old Forge Post Office, with Rich Ventura. the new Old Forge Postmaster. Photo by Carol Hansen

Rich Ventura began his duties as the new Old Forge Postmaster on Monday, July 16 following his transfer from the Little Falls Post Office.

Cindy Hansen, Officer in Charge of the Old Forge Post Office since May 2010, was on-hand to assist with the transition prior to her Tuesday return to the Eagle Bay Post Office where she had previously worked for 19 years.

“I’m really happy to be here. I’ve spent summers up here since I was born, so I’ve spent numerous years here. My parents, Lawrence and Sharon Ventura live in Old Forge, and so does my sister, Andrea Hollister. My two boys work at Enchanted Forest, and we come up and spend as much time as we can. So to me, it’s like a semi-homecoming,” Ventura said.

“I’m happy that Rich is the one to come in—he’ll be an asset to Old Forge. I’m going to miss everybody here because I’ve made a lot of friends, but I’ll only be 10 miles up the road at the Eagle Bay Post Office. And if Rich needs me, I’ll come down when I can to give him a hand.,” Hansen said.

Raquette for relaxation: Nothin’ better!

Hey this is Rosy RoX, the girl around town, in the know and here to answer your questions. So, bring them on, along with your problems, at: rosyrox.adk@gmail.com.

Rosy’s Random Review: Raquette Lake is one of my favorite summertime places. You can order a sandwich at the Tap Room, go eat ice cream at the grocery store, and take a dive in the lake. And the scenery there is so amazing!

I love Old Forge too, but if you are someone, like myself, who sometimes needs to be in a more peaceful, quiet, and relaxing place, take a drive up to Raquette Lake. It’s only about a half-hour away.

Dear Rosy RoX,

I’m feeling kind of pressured because of work. My friends want me to hang out with them, and my boss is putting me on the schedule for what seems to be 24/7.

I really do need the money for summer shopping, but how can I do that if I have no time to shop, much less time to even enjoy the summer?

Stressed in Old Forge Continue reading →

Hanson Schmid, a senior next term at the Town of Webb school, recently graduated from the First Annual Junior Firefighter’s Day Camp held June 25 to 29 in Utica.

The training took place at the Utica Fire Academy in partnership with Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC).

Schmid said the camp included a balance of class work in the morning and hands-on training in the afternoons.

“We did search and rescue inside the Utica Fire Station’s tower, and hose attack lines, ladder operations and physical training.

“It shed more light on the balance of safety, with the balance of working at the task at hand. It’s better going in and knowing what’s going on than going in and not knowing what to do,” he said.

Continue reading →

The volunteers at the Thrift Shop of Niccolls Memorial Church will hold their fourth annual Christmas in July Sale in the church’s Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, July 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, July 28 between 10 a.m. and noon, and Sunday July 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Each year, the shop receives an abundance of Christmas items, so there will be a wide variety of items available.

In addition to Christmas decor, there will be items commemorating other holidays, such as Easter, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

All proceeds are used for mission outreach to local food pantries, the Community Transportation Service, Hope House soup kitchen, school scholarships for poor children in Uganda, as well as for medical mission trips.

The Thrift Shop, located in the basement of the church, will also be open during sale hours, except for Sunday.

The church is located at 228 Crosby Blvd. in Old Forge, next to the library.