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Our Local 2018 Olympic Athletes

With the start of the 2018 Winter Olympics, here is a list our local athletes from New York and Vermont who are competing:

New York (19)
Lowell Bailey M Biathlon 6’1″ 170 7/15/1981 Lake Placid TBD
Codie Bascue M Bobsled 5’9″ 208 7/13/1994 Whitehall Four-Man, Two-Man/Pilot
Tommy Biesemeyer M Alpine Skiing 6’0″ 190 1/30/1989 Keene Super-G
Tim Burke M Biathlon 5’11” 160 2/3/1982 Lake Placid TBD
John Daly M Skeleton 5’9″ 175 6/10/1985 Smithtown Men’s
Matt Gilroy M Ice Hockey 6’1″ 200 7/20/1984 Bellmore Defense
Brian Gionta M Ice Hockey 5’7″ 175 1/18/1979 Rochester Forward
Jordan Greenway M Ice Hockey 6’5″ 235 2/16/1997 Canton Forward
Erin Hamlin F Luge 5’7″ 156 11/19/1986 Remsen Singles
Justin Krewson M Luge 6’2″ 175 7/24/1996 Eastport Doubles
David Leggio M Ice Hockey 6’0″ 185 7/31/1984 Buffalo Goalie
Jon Lillis M Freestyle Skiing 5’6″ 130 8/20/1994 Rochester Aerials
Tricia Mangan F Alpine Skiing 5’8” 140 3/7/1997 Buffalo TBD
Chris Mazdzer M Luge 6’1″ 215 6/26/1988 Saranac Lake Singles
Matt Mortensen M Luge 6’0″ 192 12/11/1985 Huntington Station Doubles
Emily Pfalzer F Ice Hockey 5’3″ 125 6/14/1993 Buffalo Defense
Maddie Phaneuf F Biathlon 5’4″ 140 4/29/1995 Old Forge TBD
Morgan Schild F Freestyle Skiing 5’7″ 150 8/25/1997 Pittsford Moguls
Andrew Weibrecht M Alpine Skiing 5’7″ 190 2/10/1986 Lake Placid Super-G

Vermont (15)
Sophie Caldwell F Cross-Country Skiing 5’7″ 130 3/22/1990 Peru TBD
Caroline Claire F Freestyle Skiing 5’8″ 155 2/2/2000 Manchester Center Slopestyle
Ryan Cochran-Siegle M Alpine Skiing 6’1″ 200 3/27/1992 Starksboro Alpine Combined
Emily Dreissigacker F Biathlon 5’9″ 150 11/29/1988 Morrisville TBD
Susan Dunklee F Biathlon 5’7″ 143 2/13/1986 Barton TBD
Nolan Kasper M Alpine Skiing 5’8″ 180 3/27/1989 Warren Slalom
Devin Logan F Freestyle Skiing 5’9″ 185 2/17/1993 West Dover Halfpipe, Slopestyle
Kaitlynn Miller F Cross-Country Skiing 5’7″ 130 8/9/1991 Elmore TBD
Andy Newell M Cross-Country Skiing 5’10” 157 11/30/1983 Shaftsbury TBD
Caitlin Patterson F Cross-Country Skiing 5’9″ 132 1/30/1990 Craftsbury TBD
Scott Patterson M Cross-Country Skiing 5’11” 160 1/28/1992 Craftsbury TBD
Amanda Pelkey F Ice Hockey 5’3″ 135 5/29/1993 Montpelier Forward
Ida Sargent F Cross-Country Skiing 5’4″ 125 1/25/1988 Craftsbury TBD
Emerson Smith M Freestyle Skiing 6’1″ 168 2/13/1997 Dover Moguls
Liz Stephen F Cross-Country Skiing 5’2″ 105 1/12/1987 East Montpelier TBD

I will attempt to highlight the performances of our local athletes here.

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Beautiful Panoramic View of Mars

On a cold winter day, here is a beautiful panoramic view of Mars taken by the Curiosity Rover. Curiosity Project Scientist, Ashwin Vasavada, gives a descriptive tour of the Mars rover’s view in Gale Crater. The scene looks back over the journey so far.

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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

To celebrate Christmas, I offer a short video below about the Church of the Navity in Bethlehem which has the greatest historical significance to Christians throughout the world. I would also like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. May you be at home with the ones you love.

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Bits of Everything

Post Star: Washington County Supervisors Approve Budget
The Post Star reports on the 2.06% increase in next year’s county budget.

Time: 8-Year-Old Steering Car During Crash Is Seriously Injured, Police Say
Time has a sad story out of Whitehall.

Video: Local 2018 Olmypic profile – Lake Placid to Pyeongchang – Tim Burke – Biathlon athlete

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Photographing the Eclipse in Wyoming


Longtime Huletts guest, Michael Pass (left), stands with his son, Adam (right), who was photographing Monday’s eclipse in Wyoming for a major software manufacturer.

The big national news from this past week was Monday’s eclipse of the sun. Longtime Huletts guest, Michael Pass, emailed the following pictures of he and his son, Adam, who was on the job in Wyoming photographing the event for a software company. Below is how Mr. Pass described it.

“Adam has a camera that has its own wifi that shows whatever is framed in the camera onto his iPad. This allowed hundreds of people at the park we were at to view the live image shielded from the sun. At times, there were lines of people to view this and photograph it with their smart phones. Even a group of local police came to see the setup. These pictures show images on the shrouded iPad and camera.”


A perfect view on the iPad.


The lens used to capture the eclipse.


Adam hard at work.


The memorable event captured as it was happening.

Many thanks to Mr. Pass and Adam for sending these unique shots in! (Click all images to see larger view.)

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Congresswoman Stefanik Visits Afghanistan


Congresswoman Stefanik with servicemen in Afghanistan.

This weekend Congresswoman Stefanik returned from a bipartisan Congressional Delegation visit to Afghanistan and the Middle East. As the Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, this was an important opportunity for the Congressional delegation to conduct oversight of the policy, strategy, and resource issues associated with Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq/Syria and Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan.

Among the briefings and meetings, the delegation met with the Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces in Iraq and Syria for full updates on current and future operations to counter ISIS, including partnering engagements and operations with the units from the Iraqi Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

This trip was also a special opportunity to visit with the brave men and women in uniform deployed in this region. Congresswoman Stefanik had the opportunity to visit many constituents from our district, including servicemen and women from Greenwich, Plattsburgh, Star Lake, Schuylerville, Turin, Saranac Lake, Saratoga, Wilton, Cambridge, South Glens Falls, Lake George and Massena.

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Happy Easter

This morning’s Gospel reading is John 20:1–9:

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Crown Him With Many Crowns – Fountainview Orchestra and Singers

Wishing you much much happiness and joy as the world celebrates Easter today.

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Palm Sunday 2017

Entry into Jerusalem
Pieter Coecke van Aelst
circa 1530 and 1535
From the collection of Bonnefantenmuseum

“In the foreground, several figures are cheering Christ on his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus and his disciples have come from, can be seen in the distance. The painting gives a very lively impression. The movement in the composition, along with the abundance of human figures and the bright, fresh colours, creates an exuberant whole. A striking element of this painting is the unusual contortions of the figures. The architecture of the city wall works like a sort of stage set for the scene in the foreground. The bright colours are characteristic of the wings of a large retable, as the pictures had to be seen and understood from a great distance by people who were mostly illiterate.”

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Shiffrin Wins USSA World Cup Slalom at Killington

The first Alpine downhill World Cup race, to be held on the east coast in 25 years, happened this weekend in Killington, Vermont. 16,000 fans showed up to watch the best skiers in the world race. Team USA’s Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) grabbed first place in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women’s slalom.