Daily Archives: March 7, 2013

Basics of Alzheimer’s topic of upcoming View workshop

by Lauren Kiefer Harrington

One of the best things about living in the Adirondacks is being a part of the community.  But knowing how to help with aging neighbors, friends and family can be difficult. We want to help, but sometimes we just don’t know how.

A free workshop will be presented on Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at View, the arts center in Old Forge.

The workshop will include a presentation by Linda Manzo, ADK Program Manager of the Alzheimer’s Association titled, “The Basics of Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Besides discussing the basics, there will be an open discussion on ways to network with others to get information and reach out for help.

Other topics will include Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Form (MOLST) and why it works so well, services provided by local agencies that you may not know about, and when and how to reach out to friends and neighbors in order to allow the people you love to stay in their own homes and age in place safely.

Representatives from the local health care community and fire department will be present to talk about other available services, as well as other senior program providers.

The workshop is free, but registration is requested. Refreshments will be provided.

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Four Alpine Polar Bears headed for Kandahar Championships

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Kandahar winners Hannah Kane, Mara Gaffney, Calvin Barkauskas and Blake Greene. Kane and Barkauskas were also the winners of the Skimeister Award.

The Kandahar Ski Festival held Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3 attracted 200 young alpine ski racers and their families to McCauley Mountain Ski Area.

The giant slalom competition, hosted by the Polar Bear Ski Club, drew racers from clubs from around the region.

The Polar Bears had a fine showing at the race, with many of them headed to Song Mountain in Tully on Sunday, March 10 for the Kandahar Championship Races.

Advancing to the championships are Hannah Kane, Mara Gaffney, Calvin Barkauskas and Blake Greene.

karleigh kandahar 2013

Karleigh Hollister

Following Sunday’s race, Polar Bears Hannah Kane and Calvin Barkauskas were announced as this year’s recipients of the Skimeister Award.

The results of last weekend’s races are as follows: Continue reading

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Talkin’ Code with Andrew Getty

What is a clerk of the works? Can the code officer act in this capacity

The Code Officer and Clerk of the Works have similar, but very different roles. A Clerk of the Works is not the Code Officer. Nor is the Code Officer a Clerk of the Works.

The Code Officer will be working directly for the local municipality to administer the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.

Usually they also administer the local Zoning regulations as well.

All too often Code Officers are called Zoning Officers, making an assumption that all they enforce are “local” regulations.

Years ago [pre-1984] zoning was the primary function, but now more time is spent on state building and fire safety regulations than on zoning.

The two issues are so closely interwoven in almost every project application, it is often impossible to say whether more time is spent on local zoning issues or on the State building and fire codes.

The Code Officer’s job is to review permit applications and documents, communicate with the applicant in that process and grant permits when appropriate.

Also to conduct selected inspections and issue final certificates upon reasonable verification of substantial compliance.

Record keeping is a huge part of the process, therefore being organized is essential.

In the Town of Webb code office, Tina is invaluable for this. Continue reading

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Eileen Tobin honored as Sr. Citizen Volunteer of Year

Eileen Tobin, left, with Kathy Fox, director of Herkimer County Office of the Aging

Eileen Tobin, left, with Kathy Fox, director of Herkimer County Office of the Aging

Eileen Tobin of Old Forge was honored as Herkimer County Senior Citizen Volunteer of the Year by Herkimer County’s Office of the Aging at a luncheon held in Little Falls on Monday, March 4.

Tobin was nominated for the honor due to her extreme volunteer efforts in assisting with area and regional organizations.

A retired teacher, Tobin gives of her time as supervisor of the St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church food pantry and a volunteer driver with the Community Transportation Service (CTS).

Tobin is also a member of the Central Adirondack Search and Rescue Team (CASART) and  a member of the Utica Chapter of the Red Cross.

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Behind the scenes as crew readies ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ musical

Jeff Evans and Jeff Rockhill traverse a piece of their Bye Bye Birdie set construction. Photo by Wende Carr

Jeff Evans and Jeff Rockhill traverse a piece of their Bye Bye Birdie set construction. Photo by Wende Carr

For three months, Town of Webb School drama students have been rehearsing with play directors Valerie Gaudin and Ann DeFilipps for the March 15 and 16 production of Bye Bye Birdie.

Active behind the scenes building sets for the play are contractors Jeff Evans and Jeff Rockhill. According to Gaudin they have been giving their weekends and some weekday afternoons to complete their task.

Also volunteering his time and talent in painting sets is area artist Shannon Grover.

“Their generosity is overwhelming. All of a sudden, there’s this interior of a house, with kitchen, livingroom and a staircase. I think the stairs are better than those in my house. There’s an upstairs bedroom with a window, and the train,” Gaudin said.

Gaudin also extended high praise to co-director DeFilipps.

“Ann is a natural talent on the stage. She’s got a good eye for things, and a good sense of how things are done for the stage. She guides the actors well and has great relationships with them,” she said.

Diane Amos, Health and Family Consumer Science teacher at Webb, is volunteering as costumer designer, and also doing a tremendous job, Gaudin said.

As students have worked on the play these past three months, Gaudin said she has seen tremendous growth among them in areas of confidence, stage presence, participation and attitude.

Gaudin is responsible for the revival of the big school musicals at Webb. Since 2006 she has produced a performance every year except for one. Continue reading

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VIEW: Gary Lee to lead bird banding talk on March 17

Local naturalist and nature photographer Gary Lee will present an illustrated talk on Banding Local Birds at View on Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m.

The program is part of the Science on Sunday programming held in the Eco Gallery.

Lee was an area DEC Forest Ranger for 35 years and has worked for 14 years with the Biodiversity Research Institute watching and banding loons.

His outdoor column, Daybreak to Twilight, appears in The Weekly Adirondack newspaper. He has published several photos and articles in Adirondack Life, among other publications.

He is also co-author of Adirondack Birds and has banded birds at his home in Inlet and throughout the Adirondacks for many years. Continue reading

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