ATC Endurance, an organization responsible for bringing running and multisports events to the Mohawk Valley and surrounding areas, hosted the second annual ATC Endurance Triathlon in Old Forge on Sunday, August 18th.

The event was sponsored by Enchanted Forest/Water Safari.

Old Forge Triathlon photos by Gina Greco

This intermediate distance triathlon featured a 1000m swim, 22-mile bike trek, and a four-mile run. Matt Migonis of Hamilton won first place overall, Travis Kuhl of Lowville came in second, with Keith Murray from Wynantskill coming in third.

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Kevin Jost, a 50-year seasonal resident of Old Forge, addressed the Town of Webb Board at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 13 regarding his concerns for water safety on the Fulton Chain.

Jost spoke as a concerned citizen and in response to a boating collision on First Lake near his dock that resulted in injuries to Old Forge residents Doc and Judy Foley on Saturday, July 27th.

The boating incident prompted Jost to question the state of current patrol coverage for the Fulton Chain of Lakes.

As a result, he and his wife Candy hosted an informal meeting on August 2 of local and county law enforcement, state officials, town elected officials, Fulton Chain of Lakes Association members, Rivett’s Marine owners and concerned community citizens.

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Jennifer Potter-Hayes, executive director of View, has announced that Cory Card of Rochester has been selected to fill the permanent position as View’s Exhibitions Manager.

Card comes to View with a great background in exhibitions, said Potter-Hayes.

He has a Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology and has worked at the George Eastman House in Rochester and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo preparing material for exhibitions.

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The New York Public Service Commission has instituted a public comment period to evaluate the options for adding additional phone numbers in the 315 area code region.

The relief plan proposed by the Commission follows forecasts by the North

American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) that the number of available 315 phone numbers in the region would run out in early 2015.

This forecast is an adjustment to two earlier predictions that overestimated the time in which the demand for new numbers would exhaust the 315 numbers available.

The options under consideration are to either create an overlay, superimposing a new area code on the present 315 region, or geographically splitting the region into two zones.

With the overlay, new numbers would have a new area code and everyone in the region will be required to use the full 11-digit number (1+area code+7 digit number) when making calls.

With the geographic split, one region would keep the 315 area code and the other would be assigned a new area code.

The public comment period is due in part to a letter from State Senator Patty Ritchie of the 48th District to the Commission asking them to delay action on the relief plan due to questions about the need for a new area code.

In her letter, Ritchie notes that “it is not clear that recent growth in the use of mobile or other devices…has brought the region anywhere near the point where we are at the risk of exhausting the supply of available numbers” with a 315 area code, which the NANPA identifies as 600,000 numbers.

Senator Joseph A. Griffo of the 47th District urges residents and businesses to contact the Public Service Commission with their opinion on the proposed plans stating that the 315 area code has been a part of the region’s telecommunications system for decades.

“Those three little numbers have become part of our identity and everyday lives, so when someone wants to change them, the consequences are real,” Griffo said.

Additional information and a survey are available on the Public Service Commission’s website www.askpsc.com.

While public hearings were held this past week in Utica, Watertown and Syracuse, written and phone comments are still being accepted via the following avenues:

• The Internet or In Writing:  Submit comments electronically to Hon. Jeffrey C. Cohen, Acting Secretary, at secretary@dps.ny.gov or by mail or delivery to Acting Secretary Cohen at the Depart-ment of Public Service, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350.

Comments may also be entered directly into the case by locating the case via the home page of the Commission’s website, www.dps.ny.gov, by clicking on “Search,” and entering 07-C-1486 in the “Search by Case Number” field.

After clicking to open the case, enter comments in the “Post Comments” section located at the top of the page.

• Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may choose to submit comments by calling the Commission’s toll-free Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120.

This line is set up to receive in-state calls 24-hours a day. Callers should press “1” to leave comments about “Case 07-C-1486 – Area Code 315 Overlay.”

Comments are requested by August 16, 2013.

Visitors and residents have been enjoying the local farmers’ market since it opened in June 2008, but area restaurants are also finding it to be a valuable resource as they seek out homegrown ingredients to offer in special entrees.

For the past few years, Jones Family Farm has been a vendor at the Old Forge market, providing such products as all-natural goat cheese, grass-fed meats, free-range eggs, and new to this year’s offerings, gelato.

Their food has become the basis of selections that appear regularly on the menu of Sisters Bistro, and for special events at Five Corners Café.

The Jones Family Farm, located in Herkimer, started almost 10 years ago with the motto, “Eat Well, Live Well. Locally.”

And they seem to be doing just that as they do most of their business in a 60-mile radius of the farm.

Their primary outlets for sale are at various Farmers’ Markets in Herkimer, Oneida, and Madison counties, and they also provide products to The Tailor and the Cook and the Bagel Grove in Utica, Nola’s in Clinton, and Peter’s Cornucopia in New Hartford.

Suzie Jones, the face of the operation, and her husband, both have farming in their backgrounds having grown up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, respectively.

After having their first child they left their nine-to-five jobs outside of Boston and settled in the Mohawk Valley to start the farm. The land prices were good, reminding them of their midwest roots.

“We found a great fit here,” said Suzie.

Wanting to  “feed our community” and “to be diversified,” the Joneses began to raise and sell meat chickens and meat goats as well as produce goat, cow and sheep’s milk with milk purchased from four different neighboring farms. This summer they started making gelato.

The Old Forge Farmers’ Market is in operation every Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. through October. It is located on Park Avenue behind the Old Forge Hardware.

The team at Don’s Polaris Sales & Service in Old Forge recently won the Polaris Ryan Newman Snow Check contest for the highest increase in sales from last year during this preseason sales event.

The prize is a trip for two to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 and includes airfare, hotel accommodations and first class VIP treatment.

Don’s Polaris owner Jamie Loson and mechanic Michael Russell will attend the August 15 through 18 event, representing the entire Northeast Region with their win.

While there, Loson and Russell will have the opportunity to see Ryan Newman race. Newman was the recent winner of the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.

Established in the fall of 1969, Don’s Polaris is one of the nation’s oldest Polaris dealerships.