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TI Life in May 2012


Did you see the super moon… you can imagine what it looked like rising and setting over the Thousand Islands. Magnificent. And now it is mid May and we are all ready for Summer ’12…

This month’s issue

Lynn McElfresh writes about the dreaded Fire… Gone in 5 minutes. Res Ennis asks a question - Why the name Chapman Shoal? Do you know the answer? 

Jennifer Caddick presents Is Your Voice Heard… Save The River Announcement, on the subject of water levels. And Kristen Taylor writes her second article about those who are Taking the Plunge: Owners of Gananoque's Pig Iron Barbeque, The Socialist Pig Coffeehouse & Steel Style Garage

I present a Sneak Preview… Kim’s “Island Life Magazine”.  25,000 copies will be delivered on May 17 as an insert into the EMC newspaper delivered to homes from Gananoque to Brockville including Wolfe, Howe and Amherst Islands. Then on May 24th they will accompany the Thousand Islands Sun in the US sector. Copies will also be on sale for $4.95 in local bookstores and outlets around the region.  

New contributors


Martin Zonnenberg  - Martin Zonnenberg captures his miracle..


Martin and Ineke Zonnenberg have two homes, which truly have some of the best habitats for water birds- Grindstone Island in the 1000 Islands and in Mount Dora on Lake Dora in Florida. Martin is out in his boat at dawn when the birds begin their day.  "By 9 A.M. you might as well go and have a coffee", he says, "by then the birds are gone". His specialized digital equipment allows him to capture hundreds of images, daily, and the evenings provide time to sort, discard and choose the very best memories. 

Don Brown - Ticks and Lyme Disease


Don Brown is TILT’s Stewardship Coordinator, responsible for managing conservation easements and fee-owned lands for TILT. A 1968 graduate of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Don worked as a forester in St. Lawrence County with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation from 1973 until retiring in 2003. Prior to that, he taught middle school science in Liverpool, NY.  Don serves on the board of directors of Indian Creek Nature Center and the Ogdensburg Tree Commission. He is a past member of the St. Lawrence County Environmental Management Council, the Potsdam Tree Commission and the Northern New York Forest Owners Association.

David P. Dargie - How Professional Golf is Coming to Smugglers

David P. Dargie is the Director of Tournament Development for Evolution Golf and the Tournament Director of The Great Waterway Classic. He was born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  It was his father who got him involved in golf 54 years ago. David was a teacher and administrator in the Leeds and Grenville school system, 'retiring' after a 32 year career in 2000.  He writes,  “my dream has always been to be a Tournament Director for a professional golf tournament. Dreams do come true if you put the work into making them happen!”

Regional impact…

Normally we publish on the 15th of the month and then I take a two-week holiday!  This did not happen after our April edition; on May 1st we published a special edition launching Ian Coristine’s new eBook for the iPad, One in a Thousand, written with Donna Walsh Inglehart. With its photographs, music, and video, One describes the islands in an extraordinary way that could have a tremendous impact on the region.   

Putting that part of the April edition together was wonderful, as I worked with many of the talented people who collaborated with Ian, including Doug McLellan and Caroline Yung from the McLellan Group, who created the App for the iPad, and Donna, who worked with Ian on the manuscript.  Larry Golden, Chas and Judy Cochand, and ABay.com contributed enthusiastic early reviews. Then the email and comments began to arrive.

One quickly reached the “top 10” list of iPad app books the first week of its launch, bought by readers not only in Canada and the States, but in Germany, France, England, Belgium, and Australia. One reviewer on the iTunes App page writes, “Not only is this book filled with some of the most beautiful photography anywhere but I found the story of the author’s life equally compelling. I have every intention of renting a cottage in the 1000 Islands next year.” 

That’s why One is a community effort: if it succeeds, it may transform the economy of this region. It will draw visitors to our twenty-two Thousand Islands communities who will stay in our B&Bs and motels, enjoy our restaurants, visit the Playhouse or the Opera House and explore the River in the tour boats.

Getting ready for Summer 2012

Both Clayton and Gananoque are sprucing up the waterfront.

 

Gananoque has installed a huge wall mural on the south end of the old Textron building near parking lot of the Gananoque Boat Line. The Look Company from Innisfil (near Barrie, Ontario) was contracted to produce and install the huge print sign which give a “welcome” in several languages and promotes Gananoque. 

In addition the Town has enhanced the Joel Stone waterfront park by installing an 80-foot flag pole, a bronze diorama showcasing the actual town buildings of 1812, placed period cannons and renovated a small lighthouse structure.  There is also an 1812 History Wall.   Unfortunately the waterfront dock facing the Historic Village with the Arthur Child Museum is closed off by fencing.  Repairs to the dock were slated for the fall of 2012 but engineering studies determined the concrete docks a public hazard and have closed off the area. 

Across the River in Clayton, a new pavilion at Frink Park is really taking shape and will be the location of this year's Sailing Seaway Clayton festival in June.  Sailing Seaway Clayton presented this year by Caskinette’s Lofink Ford, will take place June 14 through June 17 in downtown Clayton and will feature the appearance of tall ship Fair Jeanne.  This year the Antique Boat Museum has moved its Family Day to Saturday, June 16 in an effort to support this important North Country weekend. 

Hannah’s Choice

In January Dr. Richard Withington wrote about his Christmas and the service he attended on Grindstone Island on Christmas Day.  He heard Hannah Connolly (Grindstone Island) present a reading, which was the text she used as her college application essay.  In February Hannah shared her essay in  “Shall We Gather at the River”.   Since then we have been asked, where was Hannah accepted?  We learned this week that Hannah is graduating on June 16th from Immaculate Heart Central as valedictorian of her class.  She has decided to attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY as a Trustee Scholar.  She will be playing for their lacrosse team and wants to pursue the pre-med track, but is thrilled about taking a writing course in the fall with the idea that she may want to minor in English.   Congratulation Hannah!

Keeping connected… 

Don’t forget we have a new page on our site:  Excursions.  If you and your family leave your island, dock or cottage and take a day’s excursion, take your camera and tell us about it.  Going up the Rideau, by Tad Clark was our first entry… Now we need more. 

And follow us on Facebook and @TILife (Twitter)  and check our Events page.  We always welcome good photographs and please do not forget If your organization has a special event happening, send us the information. 

By  Susan W. Smith, susansmith@thousandislandslife.com

Editor, ThousandIslandsLife.com

Special thanks to Jane Taylor and David Ray for editing TI Life and to Mike Cox of Creative Information Solutions for his web magic.
  • Supermoon, 5/5/12 by Paul Cooledge

    Supermoon, 5/5/12 by Paul Cooledge

  • Lillian Cooledge, Heron in flight, May 2011.

    Lillian Cooledge, Heron in flight, May 2011.

  • Sagastaweka Island trillium, Janet S. Staples

    Sagastaweka Island trillium, Janet S. Staples

  • Dennis McCarthy Beadles Pointa

    Dennis McCarthy Beadles Pointa

  • Kathy McCarthy

    Kathy McCarthy

  • Maria Furtado Smith

    Maria Furtado Smith

  • Nora Detlor from the Ash Island Bluff

    Nora Detlor from the Ash Island Bluff

 

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