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My “Selfie” and Memories

So I’m not into selfie’s but here is the story that goes with the above picture. We’re trying to get the Casino painted and the golf benches were stored inside for the winter. So around Memorial Day they got moved around the back. So the painters are now trying to finish the back and the benches are in the way – so I asked Mr. Quick if I could move them out onto the golf course. So today we started moving them. The dedications on the benches brought all types of memories back to me of the people whose names are emblazoned on the backs. So, because I’m getting older, as I stopped to take a break on the bench dedicated to Mr. Corby, I remembered that when I was about 8 years old, he gave me my first set of left-handed golf clubs. He said to me the day he gave them to me. “Sometime when you’re out on the course, take a break and remember who gave you your first set of clubs.” So I did it, and here’s the picture. Looking forward to a great summer of 2016 and new happy memories for everyone!

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Huletts Landing’s Connection to Different Sports Continued


Sanford Stragnell of Huletts Landing refereeing a women’s rugby match.(Click to see full-scale.)

I recently learned that Sandy Stragnell of Huletts now referees rugby matches. If I had known this earlier, I would have included this in my recent post on local connections to sports. So if you don’t know anything about a scrummage or the difference between the rugby league and the rugby union, Sandy would be the one to know.

Sandy was a rugby player in high school and in college. While playing for the Oregon State Rugby Club he was part of a traveling side that played in Wales and England one summer. He also coached both men’s and women’s rugby at Castleton State College (now Castleton University) in Vermont. He played briefly with the Rutland Men’s club and is now a Level 1 Rugby Referee.

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Huletts Landing’s Connection to Different Sports Continued


Liam Ballantyne (5th from the left) with the United States Coast Guard Academy’s sailing team. (Click picture to see full-scale.)

In my recent post on our local connections to sports, I failed to include Liam Ballantyne’s participation on the United States Coast Guard Academy’s sailing team, currently ranked fourth in the Northeast. Liam is the son of Peter and Angela Ballantyne.

You can read Liam’s Coast Guard Academy’s sailing profile here. Liam is the skipper of a J70 sailboat, which is quite large, as seen in the picture below.

This past October he won his race at the Boston College regatta where he made a quick tack right approaching the finish line and surged ahead of three other boats.


Liam skippering his J70 (on the left) for the Coast Guard Academy against the Harvard team (right). (Click picture to see full-scale.)

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Ticonderoga Ball in NYC: March 4th


Fort Ticonderoga’s fundraising event, the Ticonderoga Ball, begins at 7 pm on March 4, featuring music, dancing, a silent auction and a lavish dinner.

Spend an elegant evening at the Union League Club in New York City celebrating Fort Ticonderoga’s history and future. The Ticonderoga Ball will be held on Friday, March 4, 2016 beginning at 7 pm. Music, dancing, a silent auction and a lavish dinner make for a festive black-tie evening benefiting Fort Ticonderoga. Individual tickets are $350 and junior tickets are $225 (30 years old and under); Reservations are required.

“The Ticonderoga Ball is Fort Ticonderoga’s largest fundraising event of the year, “said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “The event, set in the elegant and historic setting of New York’s Union League Club, brings together Fort Ticonderoga supporters from across the United States to celebrate Fort Ticonderoga’s epic history, current programs, and future plans. The Ticonderoga Ball’s theme this year is inspired by Fort Ticonderoga’s 2016 annual focus on the year 1777. That was the year that British and American troops vied for control of Ticonderoga, with the British cannon ultimately compelling the American army to evacuate. Support for this event makes possible Fort Ticonderoga’s educational programs, exhibitions, gardens, and all other preservation and restoration efforts.”

The Ticonderoga Ball attracts more than 170 people each year who attend in support of Fort Ticonderoga’s mission of preservation and education. The Event Honoree for the 22nd Annual Ball is Phebe Thorne, longtime Fort Ticonderoga supporter and enthusiastic advocate of Fort Ticonderoga’s mission. The night begins with a cocktail reception and silent auction at 7 pm; followed by an elegant dinner at 8 pm. A live auction and dancing complete the night. Dance music will be provided by the Lester Lanin Orchestra, known for their unique, homogenized music with lively patina. For more information or to receive an invitation, please contact Martha Strum at 518-585-2821 or by emailing mstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org.

Fort Ticonderoga is an independent non-profit educational organization. All proceeds for the Ticonderoga Ball support Fort Ticonderoga’s mission to ensure that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history.

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Huletts Landing’s Connection to Different Sports

While so many of us are fans of some team or sport, I wanted to try and put as many connections that Huletts Landing has to individuals, teams or sports that might be of interest. While I can’t say that these are all of them, I wanted to try and start compiling a list. So here’s to sports in our community:


Aileen Colligan holds her Silver Medal in Figure Skating from the 2016 Empire State Games.

Empire State Games

Aileen Colligan, daughter of John and Beth Colligan of Huletts Landing, recently won a Silver Medal in Figure Skating at the 2016 Empire State Games in Lake Placid. This follows her Gold Medal from the 2015 Winter Games.

Princeton University Football

Brett Stewart, son of Jeff and Pam Stewart of Huletts Landing, just finished his freshmen year playing defensive back for the Princeton Tiger’s football team. Stewart’s grandfather played football in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. Read Brett’s Princeton football profile here.

George Washington University Basketball

Mike Lonergan, who I interviewed when he was the head coach of the men’s basketball team at the University of Vermont, is now the head coach at George Washington University, where his team is fighting for an NCAA berth. Mike and his family are frequent visitors to Huletts Landing. Recently, he recounted for a DC Radio station, the hilarious story of when he was asked to leave his daughter’s JV basketball game.

Historical

1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games

Russ Considine, who grew up in Huletts, and who continues to visit, took many award-winning photographs at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics. His blog account of the famous games can be found at: http://rustyconsidine.blogspot.com

The following video by Yahoo Sports, contains many of his award-winning photos of speed-skater Eric Heiden who won 5 gold medals at the 1980 games. (It contains a short 15 second advertisement at the beginning.)

Former MLB Baseball Player – Ebba St. Claire

Former Major League Baseball Player, Ebba St. Claire, and his wife Maxine ran the Soda Fountain during the 1970’s while their son Shane constructed some docks in Huletts Landing. Randy St. Claire, one of their other sons, has had a long career in Major League Baseball, first as a pitcher for the Montreal Expos and later as a pitching coach. Most recently, he served as the pitching coach for the Miami Marlins last year.

Former NFL Quarterback – Ken O’Brien

Finally, I have been told, that former NY Jets starting quarterback, Ken O’Brien, who was born in Rockville Centre, once visited the Casino when he stopped by Huletts. He evidently posed for some pictures – which if anyone has – I will gladly post. Is this enough to make any Patriot’s fan switch their allegiance to the Jets??

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Calling all Sports Fans – Please Help

With the Superbowl behind us, I am working on a post regarding individuals involved in sports with a connection to Huletts or the local area. Now I know that we have many fans of various professional teams, but what I’m looking for is the local connection.

Do we have any people who live in or visit Huletts who play for a college team? Do we have anyone who visits or who stays in Huletts with a connection to a certain sport? It’s always more fun to root for a team or person who has a local connection and I would like to spotlight those people. Do we have any retired athletes, either amateur or professional, who would like to share their sporting stories? So if you know a person with a certain unique connection to a team and/or an athlete, no matter how small the connection to the Landing, I would appreciate you dropping me a note.

Do you know the former professional Quarterback who visited the Casino? Please consider letting me know any connection you are aware of by dropping me an email or by using the “contact us” page. I hope to finish this in the next two weeks and I want to be sure I have as many as possible. Thanks in advance for sharing.

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Saturday Quote

“A sunny disposition is worth more than [a monetary] fortune. Young people should know that it can be cultivated; that the mind like the body can be moved from the shade into sunshine.”

Andrew Carnegie

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ANNUAL Rachel Ray Cooking Show: APRIL 29, 2016

ANNUAL Rachel Ray Benefit Cooking Show: APRIL 29, 2016 6:30-10:30 pm

Lake George High School Auditorium

Pre Show: Pet and People Food Exchange for Door Prize Chances

Evening Program includes Recipe Handouts, Books Sales & Signing, Photo Opportunity and Recipe Tasting.

Proceeds are directed to LGHS graduates (Alumni) entering their 2nd year of an educational program including college and/or tech schools and also to the LG High School and Elementary enhancement projects.

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Year End Fun

To end the year with a smile on your face, watch Jerry Seinfeld take President Barack Obama for a spin in a 1963 Corvette Stingray Split Window Coupe but finds it hard to spirit the leader of the free world off the White House grounds.

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee

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Saturday Quote

Too Many Daves
by Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel)

Did I ever tell you that Mrs. McCave
Had twenty-three sons and she named them all Dave?
Well, she did. And that wasn’t a smart thing to do.
You see, when she wants one and calls out, “Yoo-Hoo!
Come into the house, Dave!” she doesn’t get one.
All twenty-three Daves of hers come on the run!
This makes things quite difficult at the McCaves’
As you can imagine, with so many Daves.
And often she wishes that, when they were born,
She had named one of them Bodkin Van Horn
And one of them Hoos-Foos. And one of them Snimm.
And one of them Hot-Shot. And one Sunny Jim.
And one of them Shadrack. And one of them Blinkey.
And one of them Stuffy. And one of them Stinkey.
Another one Putt-Putt. Another one Moon Face.
Another one Marvin O’Gravel Balloon Face.
And one of them Ziggy. And one Soggy Muff.
One Buffalo Bill. And one Biffalo Buff.
And one of them Sneepy. And one Weepy Weed.
And one Paris Garters. And one Harris Tweed.
And one of them Sir Michael Carmichael Zutt
And one of them Oliver Boliver Butt
And one of them Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate …
But she didn’t do it. And now it’s too late.