Tag Archives: Ilion NY

I Have No Defense

Posted on December 17, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I did it again.  I went three whole days without posting. In my defense…

The three words that best describe me are as follows, and I quote…

I guess it isn’t really a defense, but I have been running around like I have health, energy, and ambition (I bet you thought I was going to say, “like  a chicken with its head cut off”) (you know who you are).  Saturday I ran the Reindeer Run 5K on unreliable streets in Little Falls.  After returning home to shower, I went to Ilion to take a picture of the Frosty Forest at their Municipal Hall, a fundraiser for Hoffman Wellness Center.  I wrote a quick blurb for Sentinel Media (must also do a blog post), which I emailed out.  Next I went to the cookie sale at Herkimer County Historical Society, because, well, cookies.  I had a very nice visit there with a couple of my favorite volunteers.

Finally I went to the Elks Lodge where I donated a few canned goods to Feed Our Vets and watched part of the Army/Navy football game. I wore my Army shirt, just to harass a couple of Navy vets I’m friends with.  Once of them did an end run around me, though, and wore Army stuff.  He served in both branches.

Sunday I was up early and off to Herkimer High School to volunteer for the Elks Hoop Shoot, a nation-wide foul shot contest.  That was a little nerve-wracking, because I had to pay close attention as one of the score-keepers.  I am not so good with numbers.

So it has been a weekend of lots to blog about but no time to blog.  You may be tempted to point out that today is Tuesday, and I had all day Monday to write numerous blog posts.  You are, of course, at liberty to point out whatever you would like.  I did a few things Monday, as it happens, but I feel I have blathered on for long enough.  I am going to bill this as a Tired Tuesday post and feel justified in doing so.

Bunny looks interested in hearing whatever I have to say.

I close with a picture of the bunny from Herkimer County Humane Society, because I like that bunny.

 

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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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I Stumble in my Blogging Journey

Posted on November 3, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I started my November of posting every day by, you guessed it, not posting on November 2 (today is Nov. 3 by my calendar, although my WordPress Timestamp may say Nov. 4; I don’t properly understand these things).  However, it is only a little after 5 a.m. (ah, the miracle of Fall Back).  I had quite a stretch of making my posts late, in the morning, before I left for work.  We’ll pretend this is one of those days.

As it happens, I no longer work.  Except for almost every night when I am asleep, I dream I am at work at various places.  I must find a book on dream interpretation and see what it means, although I might scare myself.  Who wants to be inside my head?

A little fall color, at least.

I throw in a picture to pep things up.  I have fallen off the running wagon for one reason and another (explanations are tiresome), but I have tried to at least walk.  This shot was from a walk I took while staying at my sister Diane’s house last weekend.  I liked the look of the dark green against the bright yellow.

The road less traveled?

This is a picture I took in Ilion last week to possibly go with my story for Sentinel Media about the Ilion Town Board meeting.  It is one of the entrances to Russell Park, a good place to take a walk.  I may go there for a walk one day before it gets too cold.

So I guess this is another nothing post, but one does what one can.  I shall try to continue with a better blog post later today.

 

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The Old Broad Blogs Lame

Posted on July 26, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is still Friday, that is Lame Post Friday, and I am having a very hard time coming up with anything to say.  It was opening night of Four Old Broads on the High Seas, the play I am in at Players of Utica (perhaps you read some of previous blog posts about it). The performance went pretty well.  The audience laughed a lot.  Is there much more to say about it?

Three out of Four Broads surveyed said we rock!

This is a previously used photo.  I think technically I am supposed to delete all the pictures I take during performances, since photography and video recording is prohibited by law.

Here are all four Broads!

I show a photo from an earlier rehearsal, just for the sake of showing all four broads.  Joan Crawford was famously insulted at being referred to as an old broad.  That was after the success of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.  I must admit, it is not my favorite thing to be described as, but one must take the parts one can get in the theatre.

A different kind of an old broad, perhaps.

This is a picture of me in my last stage appearance, at Ilion Little Theatre in Prescription: Murder.  I guess I was an old broad then too, but nobody referred to me as such.  However, my husband was anxious to trade me in for a younger model. I find that even more insulting than being referred to as an old broad, quite frankly.

I forgot where I was going with this post.  Nowhere in particular, I suppose, because it is Lame Post Friday. The important thing (to me, at any rate) is that I am over 250 words.  Score!  I have blogged another day.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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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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Happy Lame Weekend!

Posted on July 19, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was just about to do something useful when I remembered, I never made my Lame Post Friday blog post!  OK, I probably wasn’t really about to do anything particularly useful.  Who is the arbiter of what is useful anyways?  Not me! (Ooh, I just flashed on when I was a kid, and you all yelled, “Not It!” then argued about who actually said it last and had to be It) (And how about, “Last one there’s a rotten egg, first one has to eat it!”)

So much for my parenthetical stroll down Memory Lane.  Save it for Throwback Thursday, me!  Quick, throw in a picture, because I obviously do not have much of substance to say.

See me in the back, looking like the Statue of Liberty? That was not my intention.

Here is a picture from July 2019, when I participated in the DooDah Parade in Ilion, NY with Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  ILT did not participate in this year’s DooDah Parade, which was last night, but I was there covering the event for Sentinel Media. That is one reason I did not make my blog post yesterday.  I may make a whole blog post about that (Preview of Coming Attractions), but right now my phone is across the room charging, so I can’t transfer pictures to WordPress (First World Problems).

Who me? Drink wine?

This is a completely unrelated picture.  I include it  because it’s Saturday.  I may, in fact, have a glass of wine.  I hope you will feel free to indulge in whatever you may like and have a wonderful weekend.

 

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Saw One Play, Rehearsing Another

Posted on June 30, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sunday afternoon I went to the closing performance of Getting Sarah Married, the last production of Ilion Little Theatre’s 2024-25 season.  I had a feeling I should have gone the first weekend; then I could have made a post encouraging local readers to go.  As it is, now I can only say, it was a very funny performance.  I congratulate all involved.  Alas that I do not have any pictures of it.  I ought to at least have a picture of Ilion Little Theatre in my Media Library, but I do not think I do.

It’s complicated.

I got on my Tablet and found this rehearsal shot shared by a cast member and stole it.  It includes all but two of the cast, and I think it shows something of the chaotic nature of the plot.

Today I have other theatre things on my mind.  I have to study my lines for Four Old Broads in the High Seas, a play I am in a Players of Utica.  Yes, I am one of the old broads, the one that is (a quote from the script) “dumb as a box of rocks.”  Yes, it is type casting.  It is an extremely silly script, but I imagine it will get a lot of laughs.

Me, doing my stuff.

The director shared this rehearsal shot on one of my Facebook posts.  I asked for silly photos to cheer me up.  Who, me, be silly?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!

Four Old Broads on the High Seas will be presented at Players of Utica, 1108 State St., Utica NY, July 25, 26, and 27, all seats $15.  For more information you can visit playersofutica.org

 

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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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Happy Blogiversary to Me

Posted on May 23, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Under the heading Shows How Much I Pay Attention, WordPress just wished me a Happy Anniversary (or did they mean Blogiversary?).  I did not even remember that was coming up.  I have been blogging since 2011.  Fourteen years (took me a minute to do the math).  Full disclosure:  my lightheadedness continues, so I am not up to doing much of a blog post anyways.  I think a Throwback Thursday will just about fit the bill.

Look how cute he is (was).

From May 2011 to October 2016, my blog was unillustrated, because I did not know how to add pictures (what, unillustrated is not a word?  I’ll be damned).  One of the first posts I did with pictures featured my dear, since departed, husband Steve at Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit, NY.

A creepy shot from one of my favorite movies.

Once I learned how to add pictures I took, I soon learned how to download pictures from the internet, so I was able to indulge my love of movie monsters.

Yes, I am a drama queen.

And I was able to use my blog to tout my community theatre endeavors in Little Falls, Ilion, and Herkimer.

This was a great evening!

 

I also like to plug local businesses as well as the music and art scene.  The above picture is Oscar Stivalo and friends playing jazz music at the Renaissance Pub in Little Falls.  The Ren was hosting an exhibit of Stivalo’s paintings, and this was the opening.

And so my blog continues.  There are some new businesses in the area I need to check out and write about, as well as some favorites I want to revisit. As always, I thank you for staying tuned.

 

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