Monthly Archives: December 2012

Talkin’ Code with Andrew Getty

Who needs that silly certificate of occupancy anyway?

Certificate of Occupancy

Just like watching those bubbles floating to the surface in a glass of ginger ale, the failure to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy after the house is completed usually also rises to the surface… then pops as well.

This town is no different than other towns in many ways. Years past, permits were issued with good intent.

Inspections may or may not have happened during the different stages of construction.

The last and final inspection, which will determine if the Certificate of Occupancy can be issued, may also have been over- looked.

Now move forward ten, twenty or thirty years.

The house is still owned by the original person and they are selling.

For all these years, nobody thought any different about never having obtained the final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy.

The buyer’s attorney has asked for copies of the original permit and C/O.  But it does not exist.

Of course, the request is made a few days before the scheduled closing.

So, now what happens?

The Code Office is asked to produce the C/O.

There is no record of inspections for anything: framing, plumbing, electrical, emergency egress, insulation, footings, foundation, smoke alarms, railings, stairs, septic system, nothing on record at all.

Obviously the house has been used for all these years and everything seems okay, why not just issue the C/O?

The answer is simple; the basic life safety things should be verified.  Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

Combat the holiday blues with exercise and good nutrition

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… except when it’s not. There is so much pressure and stress to make everything “perfect,” not to mention the running around shopping, baking, cleaning, etc.

Many of us are missing those we’ve loved and lost and trying to figure out how to get through without them with us.

Then, of course, this year, the events at Sandy Hook have made us sad and a bit fearful.

What can we do to brighten our mood?

Get active! Being active can help improve self-esteem and general mental health.

Research has shown that being physically active is an effective, but often underused, treatment for mild to moderate depression.

Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety as well as improve sleep.

There’s no evidence that any one kind of physical activity has a greater impact on depression than others.

It appears that any form of physical activity can help!

As always, please check with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program.

This is particularly important for people with a medical condition and people who have not been physically active much in the past.

To get the most benefit, you should be active at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, three days a week.

Current studies suggest that four or five times a week is best. If you are a beginner, exercise for 20 minutes and build up to 30 minutes.

But remember, any amount of activity is better than none.  Continue reading →

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Growing up Adirondack by Mitch Lee

Burning candles spark fond memories of holiday traditions

Swedish CandlesThere were many opportunities to enjoy the sights of burning candles during the Christmas season when I was a boy growing up on Limekiln Lake.

My mother had a variety of special ones scattered throughout our home.

Large and small, thick and thin, smelly and unscented—they seemed to be in every corner of the house.

The candle placement ritual symbolized the beginning of the long winter months to come. Before long presents would be found under the Christmas tree.

There was one display of white slender candles that I was most fond of.

Made in Sweden, they were surrounded at the base by four trumpet-blowing cherubs that spun around making a chiming sound as they struck tiny brass bells.

When the candles were lit, the energy from the heat caused the fan-shaped brass carousel to spin into motion.

At the very top was a lone cherub blowing its trumpet upward to the sky, twirling tirelessly on one toe.

I was mesmerized by the spinning and tinkling bell chimes as the light from the candle reflected off the shiny surface of the display.

The scattering of candles was just one of many of our Christmas traditions.

I can picture my father’s body half-in and half-out of the attic as he tried to retrieve the many boxes of Christmas decorations.  Continue reading →

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Just Call me Mrs. Lucky by Jan from Woodgate

Home Alone—Together

Tis the season… for many of the wives of construction fellas, this is the time of year when we have to start sharing our inside space.

That’s right—the sections of the home that are solely, exclusively ours the rest of the year now become fair game for the man, and no, it’s not always pretty.

We have our schedules, our routines, our SYSTEMS, and when they are tampered with things can get a little, well, sticky.

Take for instance the other day, when I was diligently saving our home from potential fire hazard.

We gals all know that the clothes dryer hosts a huge partay and invites all forms of dust to live behind and underneath it—danger danger danger.

This is why said dryer needs, no begs, to be moved so that removal of crud and such can take place. Because the dryer lives inside the home this is a girl job—always has been.

Women have this hidden incredible brute strength, not always visible to the naked eye.

I know this to be true because when I’m home alone I can move mountains unassisted—rolling out the fridge, rearranging furniture, and in this case, the amazingly light clothes dryer.

So here’s my question:

Was it really my fault that the stupid hose which vents the stupid dust wasn’t long enough to sustain my superior strength, and completely disconnected itself?

I’m going with ‘no’, not my fault at all.

And, in the event that I was the sole occupant of the house at the time of crime, chances are I may have been able to hide—I mean fix—this tiny infraction on my own.

But NOOOOOOO…

Along comes Timmy Tinkerton, who happened to hear the commotion from his Man Space directly below the traitor of a dryer. Continue reading →

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Gary Lee’s Daybreak to Twilight

Tragedy at Sandy Hook: It’s time to take action against assault rifles 

Chinese Chestnuts

Chinese Chestnuts

I had to take a short walk this morning before putting any thoughts on paper. The Chickadees were already taking seeds from the feeder and the Turkeys were calling from their roost as it was about time for them to come down and eat.

I took a look at the rub a buck left on one of my trees a couple weeks ago. An icy rain was falling.

I have to reflect on the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School of last Friday as it still brings tears to my eyes.

Karen and I were shopping in Utica and heard the news when we stopped at Pumpernickel’s for lunch.

The details came across the TV screen: several small children and teachers had been killed at the Newtown, CT school.

The scope of the tragedy unfolded as we ate. Twenty children ages 6 to 7 years old and the six teachers who were trying to protect them had been killed.

The assailant had taken his own life.

How many times will this kind of a tragedy occur before some action is taken on assault rifles and gun clips for guns that hold multiple rounds of ammunition.

This has got to be the time for change, no matter what the NRA fights it with.

I gave up my NRA membership five years ago and it wasn’t until a year ago that they finally stopped sending me applications.

I am a hunter and a sportsman, but there is no need for assault rifles or clips holding more than five rounds for any guns used in the hunting world.

All it takes is one good shot to take down any type of game when hunting.

If this tragedy doesn’t change some minds I don’t know what will.

I will still have my hunting guns, as will everyone else who uses them for that purpose.

I know there are enough of us in the hunting community who  feel that the laws can be changed without our rights of using guns for hunting being affected.

I hope the politicians who have supported the NRA in the past will change their minds.

Some of those victims could have been their own children.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy. It will take a long time for folks to heal from it, if they ever do. So much hurt caused in just a few short minutes.

On a lighter note, the Audubon Christmas Count was on Saturday (12/15).

I have to say my heart wasn’t in it, however I did get to take a couple walks in the woods.

Most of the birds were found at feeders as there is little wild food out in the woods.  Continue reading →

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OLD FORGE: Recreational trail proponents hit 10K signature mark at last weekend’s Snodeo

Snowmobilers amenable to ARTA’s track conversion ideas

Jim McCulley, ARTA board member and president of the Lake Placid Snowmobile Club holds a clipboard as Angela Burleigh puts the 10,000th signature on a petition to the governor and other state officials calling for a 90-mile rail trail between Lake Placid and Old Forge/ Photo by Lee Keet.

Jim McCulley, ARTA board member and president of the Lake Placid Snowmobile Club holds a clipboard as Angela Burleigh puts the 10,000th signature on a petition to the governor and other state officials calling for a 90-mile rail trail between Lake Placid and Old Forge/ Photo by Lee Keet.

Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates (ARTA), a non-profit citizen organization that seeks to establish a year-round, multi-use recreation trail utilizing the railroad corridor between Lake Placid and Old Forge, signed up its 10,000th supporter at the Snodeo event held in Old Forge over the weekend of December 8 and 9.

Angela Burleigh of Oriskany Falls became number 10,000 when she signed the ARTA petition at the annual snowmobile event sponsored by the Central Adirondack Association (CAA).

ARTA is proposing a 90-mile trail that would run through the heart of the region on the old rail bed of the Adirondack Division of the New York Central Railroad.

It envisions the proposed rail trail as a world-class venue for bicyclists, walkers, runners, bird watchers, wheel-chair users, families with young children, senior citizens and commuters. Continue reading →

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Lotto Calendar sales to support KYAC

Mike Griffin, president of the Kommunity Youth and Activity Center (KYAC) located at the North Woods Community Center in Old Forge, has announced that the organization will be conducting sales of a 2013 Lotto calendar. Proceeds from the fundraising effort will benefit the operations of KYAC.

The 2013 Lotto calendars are numbered from 001 to 999 and are available for $20. Each day of the year a $20 prize will be awarded if your number is selected in the New York Lottery drawing.

On holidays, the prize is increased to $50.

You may win multiple times during the year.

KYAC will monitor the daily Lotto drawing and will be responsible for distributing the prize awards to the individuals holding the selected number.

Anyone interested in purchasing a calendar either for themselves or as a gift can call KYAC at (315) 369-6750 (leave a message), or email Annette Mahoney at annette2261@hotmail.com.

Calendars are also available from any KYAC board member.

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