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The Weekend Warrior Apr 16, 2008 Back in the early 70s, for reasons which will forever remain a mystery, I became nostalgic for military service and almost on a whim I decided to join the active Army Reserve and become a Weekend Warrior.
Getting the most out of the moment... Mar 4, 2008 Sometimes it seems like my wife and I take turns driving each other nuts. We have vastly divergent philosophies; she worries about everything and I worry about almost nothing. I tell here it's an ideal situation because between the two of us we have just the right amount of anxiety.
When I was about 12-years old my father decided it was time for me, "use your head for something else besides a hat rack." He then proceeded to teach me the game of chess. We played endless chess games and for about a year I got trounced in everyone one of them. He was a good player, ruthless and intense.
A Kingston Christmas... Nov 27, 2007 Christmas in Kingstons a young child, Christmas in Kingston was the highlight of the year. I spent summers in Kingston with my grandmother and grandfather while my parents toured the country doing summer-stock theater (my dad was a professor of Drama at Ithaca college).
Dog Biscuits and Dandelions Jul 23, 2007 The other day I was sitting on our back deck trying not to burn dinner. I’m not the greatest BBQ chef and nearly everything I toss on the grill comes out either half cooked, burned or charred beyond recognition. While watching the chicken smolder I started day dreaming of summers gone by. Bits and pieces of memory trickled back, each connected like a daisy chain to another memory. In no particular order here are some of the fragments of summers past.
Learning from October... Jun 25, 2007 History is a blizzard of events and often lost in the drift of recollection are the small stories which paint a larger picture. One such memory is about a boy and his dog. The boy is my son, Bradford Randall, and this is his story...
Hard Days and Dark Nights May 21, 2007 Kingston "back then" was quite a bit different than it is now and I was lucky enough to grow up in a family which bridged the divide between yesterday and today.
Future History: Improving Town Meeting Apr 23, 2007 I don’t envy Fran Hoeg’s position as moderator. It’s a daunting and largely thankless task. While she may have the best seat in the house, there have got to be times when she feels like she’s getting a duck’s eye view of a shotgun blast.
Fire & Ice on Silver Lake Mar 16, 2007 Myrtle Bradford Higgins was my grandmother and she was an old Yankee with a distinctively ‘down-east’ accent. She ran a General Store at the end of Grove Street and was the last postmistress of the Silver Lake Post Office. She lived and breathed history. To hear her talk, the Civil War ended last month and the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock a little over a year ago.
Life & Death in Kingston Feb 23, 2007 Life in early Kingston was hard and frequently short. In 1859 Dr. Thomas Bradford Drew surveyed the old burial grounds of the Kingston Cemetery and recorded the names and ages of death of all 935 graves and markers.
A Town By Any Other Name... Jan 20, 2007 The history of names and places in a community is trivia to some and to others it is a link to the unique spirit of a town or city. Kingston has a plethora of odd and obscure place names worth exploring...
When Christmas Was Against the Law Dec 16, 2006 New England’s antagonism toward Christmas has a long history dating back to at least 1621. On Christmas morning of that year, Governor William Bradford chanced upon a group of settlers who were taking the day off. Bradford scolded the men and threatened them with punishment if they did not return to work.
Kingston’s History Keepers Nov 17, 2006 Kingston is a community with an abundance of history and we are fortunate that much of our past is being preserved for future generations. We are especially blessed to have a person like 29 year old Archivist Carrie Elliott who manages the Local History Room at the Kingston Public Library. Carrie is quick to point out that she couldn’t do it alone and sings the praises of her team of volunteers who spend thousands of hours sorting through and cataloguing a blizzard of artifacts, historical documents, antique books, and more than 7,000 photographs from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Topaz Tragedy: Pirate Attack Oct 27, 2006 Hidden deep in the shadows and moss of the Evergreen Cemetery an intriguing epitaph can be read on an almost forgotten memorial stone: "Capt. Martin Brewster, Master of Ship Topaz (husband of Betsey Russell) killed by pirates 1827 on passage from Calcutta to Boston."
The Jumping Place... Sep 22, 2006 It’s been years, but the memories are still as fresh as yesterday. My son, Bradford, and I running full tilt toward the edge of the cliff and then leaping with all our might into blue sky and empty space. Time seemed to stumble and then stand still as the swooshing sound of running feet on sand was replaced the whisper of the wind rushing by our ears. We seemed to hang suspended in space for an eternity. We were flying.
Down and Out in Kingston Aug 18, 2006 "A poor man is only a rich man with no money." That was my grandmother’s optimistic assessment of poverty. The presence of impoverished citizens in a community of any size is as sure as death and taxes. There have always been poor souls who have fallen on hard times - even the bible notes that the poor will always be among us.
Randall Prevails on Recount May 14, 2008 After a 30 minute instructional period and less then two hours of counting, Selectman Dennis Randall can finally feel better about continuing in the position. The re-count showed no change in his three vote victory over ZBA Chairman John Haas, 386-383. Not a single ballot was ever challenged during the process. Randall was gracious in after the process as was Haas.
It is with a heavy heart that The Observer announces the death of Mauro Mazzilli, 65, of 13 Cedar Lane in Rocky Nook. EMT's were called to his home earlier this morning and he was pronounced dead at the Jordan Hospital. Mauro was a colorful man who loved the political process and being a part of it. He most recently ran for Selectman. Mauro had many friends and had a kind heart. We will miss him terribly and find it difficult to believe he is gone. Our heart goes out to his wife Dotty, his children and his beloved grandchildren.
We will pass on more specific information after we speak with Dotty.
The re-count for the three year Selectman's seat will take place Wednesday, May 14 in room 220, second floor, Kingston Town Hall. Dennis Randall won the seat by three votes over John Haas. The issue will be put to rest around 4-5 hours later.
MARTIN RESIGNS
Assessor William Martin has resigned his seat but will continue on as Veteran's Agent. Details to follow.
GRINHAM REINSTATED
Tax Collector employee Eileen Grinham has been reinstated to her job following a Union challenge and a closed door Selectmen's Hearing after being fired by Collector Priscilla Palombo. No other particulars are available but the woman is back at her desk
Kingston Reporter Wishes to Correct Error May 1, 2008 I just got off the phone with Kingston Reporter Editor Scott Smith who wanted me to know, and to pass on to our web readers, the fact that a portion of a recent post election story was incorrect.
(Click headline for story)
Food Prices are Rising - Tips to Outsmart the Register Apr 17, 2008 With food prices on the dramatic rise, consumers need to get creative on how to reduce their bills while still leaving the store with food for a week. My grovery bill used to hit nearly $300 per week. Thanks to some store savvy strategies, we have (and you can too!) cut the bill in half! Here are some tips to make this possible.
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