When we published this August issue, we just learned of the fire on August 14th, on Wellesley Island at the corner of St. Lawrence Avenue and Rainbow Street east, home of the Guzzle.  Our thoughts are with all those whose summer-lives are touched by this tragic event.  Luckily there were no injuries, however the Park lost its Fire Station and equipment.

I find the footage difficult to watch, but it is important to capture this sad moment in the history of this Thousand Islands community.  Those of us who research Thousand Islands history, well remember the scene captured by Les Corbin Studio in 1912 when the Columbia Hotel burned in the Park.  That night the fire took many more cottages.  This time, thanks to  the many firefighters who arrived on the scene, no other cottages caught fire. We thank Joseph Palmer, who was visiting family in the Park this week, for capturing these photographs and video and sharing them with the media.   

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On to happier news:

Solve a bunch of mysteries:  First, Richard (Dick) Withington provides Do You Know Where Your Buoy is tonight? Are You Losing Your Markers?  - we really want to know where this marker came from!   Second, Finding 1000 Islands Pump Houses by John Peach and see if you can help us put together a real history of these wonderful island structures. Third,  It's Kismet, as mystery by Kim Lunman, we too wonder …

Tour the Islands: with Kathleen Thomas’ Oak Point- Where Else?  and Sue March’s Sailing Through The 1000 Islands, June 2014 will do just that.  while Elaine Vedette Tack has created a number of videos to give us Come and visit the Grenadier Island Country Club…

Enjoy the past: As Cary Brick provides Talk About A Piece of River History!

Visit: The new 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton through Rex Ennis’  Dream Realized After 120 Years;

Ponder:  the plight of the fisherman with Hunter Grimes’ An Essay: I Hate to Burst your Bubble. 

Meet: Hugh P. Papworth, Nine Decades a River Rat

And don’t miss these special events:   Join the Paint Out by Bruce Sherman

New Contributors

	Sue March – Sailing Through The 1000 Islands, June 2014 Sue March, originally from NJ, graduated from college in Maine, lived in Maine for several years, and moved to CNY at the age of 27. Sue has been involved in Nature Centers, Scouting, Land Trusts, and not-for-profit work for many years in the Central New York area, including serving as Board President for Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus, NY. She recently retired from Housing Visions, a neighborhood revitalization not-for-profit company based in Syracuse, NY, that offers affordable housing to low and moderate income families in many cities through NY. Sue is currently volunteering, kayaking, travelling, taking pictures, and enjoying life.
	Elaine Vedette Tack - Come and visit the Grenadier Island Country Club… Elaine Tack is well known in the Thousand Islands for her many volunteer activities, including serving on the board of the Thousand Islands Land Trust.  She is the daughter of Martha and Dan Tack and grew up both at summer camp in Vermont and on the River at her parent’s cottage just outside of Clayton, NY. Elaine’s 14-year broadcast journalism career was spent reporting and anchoring for CBS, ABC and NBC affiliates in Chicago, Cleveland and Las Vegas. Presently she is creating her own Independent Video “storytelling” company. Over the years, she has rented her own special piece of “River Heaven” to call her own.  You can reach this videographer at elainevedette@aol.com.
	Bruce Sherman - Join the Paint Out Bruce Sherman and his wife Deborah, can be found at The Paint Box Gallery, in Rockport, ON. After a successful career in teaching, Bruce moved to Ontario’s Georgian Bay for a time and then returned to Brockville where he met Deborah and together they have settled in Rockport. It is here in the Islands that he has fostered his passion for both teaching and building a community of artists.  In July 2012, TI Life profiled Bruce in Bruce Sherman - Just a River Boy... and Painter Passing Through!.
	Kathleen Thomas - Oak Point- Where Else? Kathleen (Katy) Thomas is a retired building and landscape designer, now living at Oak Point in the town of Hammond, on property that has been in her husband Everett's family since before the Civil War. Katy was 'bitten' by the Oak Point bug while on vacation in 1961 when she accompanied an aunt and uncle at a camp, owned by her husband’s grandparents. The following summer she was smitten by the young man who was to make her his bride. Katy and Ev retired to Oak Point in 2008, in the home Katy designed. Katy has been working on a project to digitize the 'History of Oak Point' by the late Alice Gorham, so it can be available online.

50th Antique Boat Show

We are honored to present Horizon Aerial Media Services video versions of both the 50th Boat Show and the Raceboat Regatta 2014 at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton.  [Horizon Aerial Media services is the work of Jason & Amanda DesJardins]

Artist Viva Hoffmann’s Works on Exhibit

Shortly before Paul Malo died in 2008, he wrote an article about Viva Hoffmann.  I was intrigued with this artist then and pleased that her work is now on exhibit again at the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton until  August 29.  “Viva, Viva! Landscapes, Seascapes East to West” will be open during museum hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.  For more information about the exhibit and the artist see: WDT Article, July 28 by Chris Brock, or NPR story by Todd Moe.

Secrets of Hallstead House

Want a Thousand Islands mystery story with a touch of romance?  You will find it in Secrets of Hallstead House, set in the Islands: 

“Macy Stoddard, a nurse from Manhattan, comes to Hallstead Island in the North Country of New York to escape her haunting pain.  It is here that Macy discovers secrets that were not meant to be shared – secrets that reach back into Macy’s past and that will change her future and the futures of the people on Hallstead Island.  There are those, however, who will stop at nothing to keep the secrets that are hidden there.

Secrets of Hallstead House is now on sale at Corbins River Heritage book shop in Clayton.  Amy M. Reade who hails from Watertown, NY, will be on hand on August 23 to sign copies. 

Amy, a lawyer by profession, and a storyteller by trade, writes women’s fiction which she says, “has strong elements of setting and suspense, plus an added touch of romance.”  She even includes references to the writers - Paul Malo and Ian Coristine, and she beautifully describes some of our favorite historical places  including Boldt Castle, Devil’s Oven, Singer Castle and much more.  Enjoy the new read.

Farewell John

We lost a special islander in July with the passing of John N. Russell, 83 of Alexandria Bay.  Many will remember his greetings at Pine Tree Point and the Bonnie Castle Resort but he did even more for the region as he started the July 4th Boldt Castle Fireworks, Alexandria Boat Show, the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony and many other popular events over the years.  His accomplishments and his spirit will live on as memorial donations may be made in John’s memory to the Foundation for the Community Betterment, PO Box 73, Alexandria Bay, NY. 13607.

For Additional news see the article And More…

Please Don’t Forget

Remember our facebook page throughout the month, as we post information and photographs & follow us on Twitter

Do you write about the River - near to it, from above or below?  If so, please consider submitting an article.  Let us know what you like, or dislike, about TI Life, so we can all share more ideas.  And… most of all; please ask questions and leave comments.

By Susan W. Smith, Editor info@thousandislandslife.com

Special thanks to our editors: David Ray, Jane Taylor, Bill Stallan, Beverly L. Ouderkirk and Georgia Barker.