Category Archives: Community Events

It’s Probably My Age

Posted on April 3, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I continue to feel tired and dull.  I could blame yesterday’s colonoscopy (do NOT say Too Much Information!) or my age, but then I thought: perhaps I am still tired from the Elk of the Year Banquet last Saturday. I did dance a portion of my butt off.  This gives me an excellent opportunity to share the rest of the pictures I have from that memorable evening.

Not as good as the other two pictures, perhaps.

Here I am dancing with the man of the hour (and the year, of course), my friend Joe.  It was lovely to see him so honored, and also a thrill to dance to the music of my favorite band, The Posers.

They rock down, yes they do!

At one point, a guest artist joined them on the bandstand (yes, I know, it was just a corner of the room; I was trying to sound impressive).

She was adorable.

A young girl who had been having as much fun as I was dancing took over on the drums for a short time.  She didn’t do too badly.  My great-nephew Sheppy is taking up percussion.  Maybe if he joins me for one of the Posers’ gigs, they will let him sit in for a number.

I guess I do not mind being tired, although I hope if I make a few sensible lifestyle changes I can get some energy back.  Then again, when have I ever done anything sensible?  At any rate, I will try for a few Mohawk Valley Adventures and hope you will tune in to future blog posts.

 

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Monday Night Flights

Posted on February 24, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was at the Ilion Elks Lodge when I remembered I did not make a blog post today.  That was OK, though, because I was about to partake in an excellent subject for a blog post: Monday Night Flights.  I have attended Monday Night Flights before but thought I would not make tonight’s, because I had to cover the Ilion Village Board Meeting.  Imagine my delight when the meeting did not last very long.

I was happy to walk in and see some friends.  They were happy to see me, too.  I ordered a glass of wine, because there were no flights in sight.  Jackie, the bartender, gave me a beautiful glass.

Alas, I did not get the best picture!

You can’t really tell, but there are flamingos on it, and the base has polka dots.  Eventually Jackie poured the flights.  We sampled three cocktails: Cherry Rose Mudslide, Very Sexy Martini, and Tiffany Mimosa.

I thought they were all pretty good, but my favorite was the Cherry Rose Mudslide.  A regular Mudslide is kind of like a chocolate shake with a kick.  This one had hints of cherry.  I later found out they use Tequila Rose in it.  I seem to remember sampling Tequila Rose some years ago but do not remember it very well.  I liked the Tiffany Mimosa better than the regular kind.  I found out I have been making Mimosas wrong to begin with.  Apparently you are only supposed to  add enough orange juice to change the color.  A fellow flight sampler told me that.  I guess I don’t know if it is true.

The Very Sexy Martini was interesting, but I prefer a regular martini, perhaps a dirty martini.  However, this martini had champagne in it, which I found interesting.  I guess I like to drink straight champagne, but to each their own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.

They were selling turkey wrap sandwiches, so I ate one of those, which helped me not get tipsy.  The flights were not large: enough to let you taste the cocktail but not enough to get you drunk.  I meant to take a picture of the three little glasses but foolishly forgot.

I highly recommend Flight Nights as Ilion Elks Lodge.  You can follow their Facebook page to see when the next one will be.

 

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I Get my Wish for Fish!

Posted on February 21, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

All week I looked forward to going to Fish Fry at Herkimer Elks Lodge.  I got the fish to go several times last year and, YUM!  This year, I planned to dine in and sit with friends.  My parents may join me later in the season.  I encourage anybody who likes fish to check it out!

Who doesn’t love fish fry? I guess somebody somewhere, but I love it!

Being an Elk Lodge member, I showed up early and had a glass of wine at the bar before eating.  When we sat down, I was hungry!  In fact, I did not get fried fish but, with calories and my finicky stomach in mind, asked for the baked. Dinner included fish, cole slaw, fries or baked potato, and a roll with butter.  I opted for the baked potato.  Mmmm… sour cream!

Such a good meal!

I hope to get the fish fried another Friday, if my stomach is feeling good, but I will probably stick with the baked potato.  Dinner is $17.  For an additional $4, you can get clam chowder.  Cash bar is available.

Herkimer Elks Lodge is located at 124 Mary St., Herkimer, NY.  Fish Fry runs Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. during Lent.  You can eat in or take out!  Call 315-866-1439.

 

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Yay! Books!

Posted on November 19, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just got back from the book sale at Ilion Free Public Library.  Yay!  Books!

Picture taken last year when I went to the sale.

I heard about the sale yesterday, at the Ilion Village Board of Trustees meeting.  Regular readers may recall my side hustle of covering some meetings for Sentinel Media.  I like to include a picture with the story so thought a couple pictures of the book sale would be nice.  The fact that I could also purchase books was strictly by the way.

Lots of books!

The books are donated by patrons, not just discarded books from the collection, so there are a lot of new and like-new books available.

And the price is right!

Last year I found some biographies of famous figures from the American Revolution.  This year I lucked out on fiction.  I try not to read a whole lot of fiction, because I have a hard time putting it down once I start reading, but I love it.

Another angle.

The sale continues through Saturday, Nov. 22.  They keep putting out more books as books sell, so even if you have stopped by, you might like to check back.  I hope to do so later in the week.

Ilion Free Public Library is located at 78 West St., Ilion, NY, phone number 315-894-5028.

 

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Ilion Honors Vets

Posted on November 11, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ilion has a proud tradition of service to the country in the armed forces, from the Civil War to the present time, Mayor John P. Stephens said at the Village of Ilion Veteran’s Ceremony Monday, Nov. 10. That tradition is recognized at the Town Hall Auditorium with the names of Ilion Veterans on the Memorial Wall, grouped by the conflicts in which they served. On Monday,  22 names were added to the Wall.

The high school students added gravity to the ceremony.

After Mayor Stephens’ welcome and introductions, the ceremony opened with the Presenting of the Colors by Central Valley (CVA) Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and a rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” by the CVA Chamber Choir under the direction of Mark Bunce.

Mayor Stephens is very proud of Ilion’s tradition of service.         

The reading of the names was followed by a Choral Tribute to the Armed Services by the CVA Choir, a medley of tunes famously associated with each branch of service. 

They were awesome.

I was very impressed with the choir and the JROTC students.  The harmonies of the choir were incredible, and the military bearing of the soldiers was excellent.

Stephens concluded the ceremony by mentioning a number of village employees who had also served and again praising Ilion’s long tradition of service.

“If you see a vet, thank a vet,” he said.

 

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A Little Local Music for Me

Posted on August 26, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Earlier tonight I made a short top at the Herkimer Downtown Chowdown, the weekly food truck festival in Meyers Park, to hear a little bit of K.O. Grainger.  It could only be a short stop, since I had to attend the Ilion Village Board meeting, but it was worth it.  For one reason, I got a hot dog from The Corner Office.  Yum!

They rock!

 

I first heard Matt Grainger playing acoustic guitar at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort (you may have seen a couple of my blog posts mentioning him).  K.O. Grainger is a two-man band with him and his brother, and they are awesome!

A closer view.

I sat at a picnic table and ate my hot dog, tapping my feet. I had to get up and dance to one song.  Nobody joined me, but at the Chowdown, people don’t judge (that I can see).  The audience was enjoying the tunes, clapping and singing along.

There are not many weeks left of the Downtown Chowdown, which runs Mondays in Meyers Park, starting at 4 p.m.  According to their Facebook page, September 1 and 8 are the last two this year.  If you like food truck food and live music, I suggest you check it out!

 

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I Bounced Over to the Block Party

Posted on July 30, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last Saturday after the second performance of Four Old Broads on the High Seas (you knew I wasn’t done mentioning that play, didn’t you?), I went home to Herkimer and caught part of the block party on Main Street.  Other events had been going on earlier in the day, but of course I missed them due to my drama fixation.  Still, I walked down, took a couple of pictures, and thought I would just mention it in a post.

I bet he’d like to meet Bonita!

The first thing that caught my eye was the skeleton hanging out behind the band.  Every band should have such a cool groupie!  Or was he a roadie?

I didn’t catch their name, unfortunately.

Here is a shot of the band.  They were playing some pretty dance-able country music, but nobody was dancing at the time. I busted a move or two as I moved in for the photo.

The next step after Bounce House.

I checked out a few of the vendors, then noticed the Bounce Obstacle Course.  It looked fun.  I asked a couple people, and they said yes, some grown-ups had gone through it.  Brock was in front of the End Zone (he is the proprietor) and agreed to watch my bags.  I kicked off my sandals and went for it!

It was fun!

It was not beyond my meager athletic prowess!  But I did end up going down the final slide head first.  I had a good laugh at myself, and I hope other people saw me and had a laugh as well.  Since Brock was nice enough to watch my bags, I went into the End Zone for a glass of wine.  Sitting on a bar stool is really more my speed!

 

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I Did the DooDah

Posted on July 22, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a real Mohawk Valley Adventure Friday when I attended the Ilion DooDah Parade.  The Parade is a major event of Ilion Days, which ran from July 12 through 20 this year.  I was there to cover the event for Sentinel Media (regular readers may remember that is my part-time writing gig), but I ended up riding on a float, so I participated as well.  I took a number of good pictures, so I may have more than one DooDah post.

Cool car, nice fellow!

This was the Grand Marshall of the parade, Yasushi Takase. He was an American Field Service (AFS) exchange student his senior year in Ilion in 1975, and returned for the 50th reunion.   I got his picture after the parade, so it was good I rode on a float till the end.

The view from the front.

You can’t read it very well, but it is the post number from the Herkimer American Legion. I boldly asked if I could ride with them, and they graciously allowed me.

Other Legions were represented as well.

It was the Ilion Legion, however, who gave me a bottle of water, which I sorely needed by then. I had been walking up and down in the hot sun, taking pictures, and talking to people who were lining up for the parade.

I didn’t think the Baby Boomers had ever left.

I wondered if I should have asked to ride with this group, since I am technically a boomer.  Really the tail-end of boomerdom.  I guess I fit in better with the Legion, being as I am a Veteran.

The most colorful group!

What I really should be is a Happy Hagg! I once asked if I could join them, and they were very welcoming.  I just need to learn the dance, figure out a costume, and go to some of their practices.

Look how cute they are!

This was our view off the back of the Legion float (it was a trailer with chairs on it, really).  I’d like to have one of those sunflower hats.

I am afraid this has not been a very coherent account of my evening at the parade.  Full disclosure:  I am back from rehearsal for the play I am in (you may have read some of my blog posts about it) and I am very tired.  However, I am approaching 400 words.  I say OK.  Happy Monday, everyone!

 

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Congratulations, Ilion Fire Department!

Posted on June 29, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Saturday I had the honor to attend a Ribbon Cutting and Dedication at the Ilion Fire Department, celebrating their new ladder truck and the addition built onto their firehouse to hold it.  I was there to cover it for Sentinel Media, but I am a huge fan of fire departments, so I was happy to be there.

A pretty impressive piece of equipment.

The ladder truck, which replaces a 2003 vehicle, is state of the art and comes at a bargain price.  It seems another fire department ordered it, then the financing fell through.  The Village of Ilion was able to purchase it for some $1.55 million as opposed to $2.4 million.  However, the truck would not fit in the firehouse, which was originally built in 1929.  The building has already been modified just about as many times as is feasible, necessitating the addition.

I guess it doesn’t match, but what are you going to do?

The new truck was dedicated to Deputy Chief Larry DelGrego, who served from 1992 until his death from cancer in June of 2024.  Fire Chief Andrew Monahan gave a moving speech about Larry, or Larzy as some called him.

In case you thought ribbon cutting was just an expression.

The Village Board of Trustees was on hand, as well as representatives of Herkimer Next.  I chatted with a few people, most notably with some firefighters.  I got an open invitation to stop by the firehouse and chat some more, as long as the door was open and they were between calls.  Maybe I can hear more about their fancy new fire truck.

 

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Post Pride Stride Post

Posted on June 14, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well I am home from running the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls, NY. In all, I feel I did not acquit myself too badly.  Of course, as regular readers know, what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term. Then again, I think it is good to be generous.

Who couldn’t be proud of this outfit?

As usual the most stressful part was getting there.  I got out of bed betimes, had coffee, made sure I ate with plenty of time for my nutritious breakfast to digest.  The second most stressful part was waiting for the race to start, especially when my carefully planned nutritious breakfast began to unsettle my stomach.  Luckily that passed.  I had some delightful conversations with the other runners prior to starting.  I was only disappointed there were not more of them.  I commiserated with one of the organizers about this.

Once we got started, the stressful part was worrying if I would get lost, especially when almost everybody went WAY ahead of me.  I managed to keep two runners in sight: a guy in a pink unicorn outfit (wish I had a picture of that!) and a lady with a better rainbow skirt than mine. I was a little worried about losing them till after the half-way point.  I managed to catch up and, miracle of miracles passed them!  I think the fellow in the unicorn outfit was finding it awkward to run.  It was one of those blow-up kind of suits.

I had to turn around a few times and ask them, “Which way?”  Then the pace car came back and led me to the finish line.  I finished strong! At least for me.  I cheered for everyone coming in behind me.  I couldn’t believe there WERE people behind me!  Unfortunately, race endorphins do not last long.  I drove home subject to a case of Post Race Letdown.

This is actually a photo I was saving for Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.

Who me, drown my sorrows?  Actually, I may have a glass of wine with friends later, but I do not plan to tie one on.  I took the above picture, because I liked the Art Deco bottle.  I share it now, because I have not found another opportunity to use it.  Incidentally, my post race letdown is passing and I am wondering with what I should challenge myself next.  Will it make a good blog post?  If so, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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