Tonight on WRGB at 11

They keep calling it CBS6 but it will always be WRGB to me. 

I had the pleasure today to meet Ali Messore, one of the News Producers at WRGB and videographer, Barry Suydam.  Ali’s challenge was to interview me about the Kama Sutra worm which has been in the news recently.  If you read this before 11 PM on Jan 31th, 2006 you can tune in to see me on 11 O’clock news on channel 6.  If not, I’ll probably update this page with a link to the video segment recorded by my TiVo.

Update Feb 1, 2006  2:30 PM
Ali did a pretty good job at both making me look good and distributing some good information to the CBS6 News audience. Click here to see news video.

 

Cop Car Donut Shop

My topics today are a little off topic but I’m told a truthful Blog should reflect a little personal information. That way your readers can get to know you and be aware of any personal bias.

Today I have an opportunity to share some information about my family. I have one older brother John who is the Chief of Police in our little community of Scotia, NY. I mention him today because tomorrow night the Discovery Channel is re-airing a segment that reveals another one of my brothers many talents.

Monday night, January 30th at 9:00 PM EST and later at 1:00 AM, the Discovery Channel airs an episode of Monster Garage created one week in the summer of 2003 we spent in Long Beach, CA. Jesse James along with a gang of cops and one doughnut guy, transform a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria Police Cruiser into a mobile Doughnut Shop. If it sounds like something you’d be interested in plug it into your TiVo.

 

Free Kids Craft Program

I haven’t had a lot of success maintaining the “Events” page on the main VisitScotia.com web site. So, I’ll take this time to mention the Free Kids Craft Program being offered this Saturday by the Friends of the Flint House.

The program will be offered at 2, 3 and 4 PM although I’m told the 2 PM slot is full.  The theme is “Snowflakes”.  Juice, milk & cookies will be provided.  Stories will be read in the Victorian Room.  Any questions can be sent to Cindi@FlintHouse.org

 

Mild Scotia Winter?

The sun is shining today and yesterday the high was 61 degrees. A typical Scotia winter? Not exactly.

2005 was certainly the year of disasters. It started with the Tsunami and included the worse hurricane season of my lifetime. Earthquakes, fires, mudslides and a month of rain in the northwest have created pain and sorrow for many.

The Village of Scotia has escaped any unnatural events but one of my predictions may be coming true. I've been saying we're either going to experience the worse snow/ice/cold spell in our history or a freak warm winter.

It's January 22 and while it's still chilly, there is no sign of snow to be seen as I look out on my yard. Snow showers are forcast for later this week but I still think the great northeast is having an unusual winter. If this trend continues we may see folks moving back to the area, not only for our history and culture but for our weather.

Gilboa Dam

 We were all a little mystified to see the following item on the agenda for the January 2006, Village of Scotia Board of Trustee’s meeting.

#9 "Announce Public Information Meeting regarding Flood Threat from the Gilboa Dam"

My first reaction was “Huh???”  Well it turns out, the experts say, on the rare case of the Gilboa Dam breaking, most of the Village of Scotia would be under water.   As a precaution, the Village is creating an emergency plan. 

The Gilboa Dam holds back up to 20 billion gallons of the Schoharie Creek Reservoir. The reservoir provides drinking water for New York City. It’s 5.8 miles long and is 150 feet deep in spots. The dam itself is 182 feet high and 2000 feet long.

Even though the Gilboa Reservoir is south-west of the Village of Scotia, the flow is north via the Schoharie Creek into the Mohawk River just above Amsterdam.  By my own calculations, the Schoharie Creek has about 40 miles to go before it flows into the Mohawk. According to GilboaDamInfo.com, flooding would take about 12 hours to reach Fort Hunter on the Mohawk.  I’m guessing the next 20 miles to Scotia would add another 5 hours to our preparation time.

There will be a public meeting to reassure the residents that steps are being taken to provide a plan just in case. A meeting will be held at the Scotia-Glenville Senior Center on Weds, Jan 25th at 7:00 PM.

Sacandaga kindergarten

There was a nice article in todays Gazette regarding early enrollment at Scotia-Glenville schools for kindergarters. I mention is here today only because I wanted to show off my grand daughter, Kerrington who was pictured in the article. 
It’s not her best photo but like other family members she’s getting her name in the press at an early age.

MARC SCHULTZ/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER
Sacandaga Elementary School kindergarten students Joelle Michetti, Taya Morris and Kerrington Pavone, from left, play a game with puppets Monday afternoon. The district is organizing an early kindergarten registration to improve planning.

 

Flint House Looks for Funds

This week the “Friends of the Flint House” made the local papers again.
The local volunteer organization has been very successful in promoting the Flint House and making for folks in the village aware of its value and needs.

Jim Millard, pictured above, has been using his skills as a painter to breath life into the Flint House interior. This weeks article can be viewed by clicking here.

First Park Board Meeting

This week I had the pleasure of running my first Village Park Board meeting of 2006. January isn’t a busy time for village parks so it was an easy, uneventful meeting.

We did mention the request by Electric City Riders to hold races on a frozen Collins Lake and as I expected there wasn’t enough support to consider the concept. It looks like the ice fisherman will have the lake to themselves.


We will however be voting in February on a request by “Cycling the Erie Canal” to use our meadows area of the park as a stop on their Eighth Annual Bike Tour, July 9–16th, 2006.  This would be the third year the bikers will get a chance to enjoy the hospitality of the village. I’m sure the Freedom Park Foundation will try and choose appropriate entertainment for the night.

Grant for Flint House

President of  “Friends of the Flint House”, Cindi Pytlovany announced some very good news today at the weekly Scotia Rotary luncheon. Cindi has been very successful at promoting the historic Flint House and has attracted the attention of 44th district Senator, Hugh Farley. 

Senator Farley recently let Cindi and the Friends know that he has secured a $10,000 grant intended to “renovate, repair and make improvements to the Flint House”.  This is another great example of what can be accomplished by hard working volunteers in our community.