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Tag: Mohawk Valley

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Canalway Challenge Kicks Off Along New York’s Canals!

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Canalway Challenge Kicks Off Along New York’s Canals
Walk, run, cycle, roll, or paddle to achieve your mileage goal

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor invites New Yorkers to take part in the Canalway Challenge in 2021 and enjoy the great outdoors along New York’s canals and Canalway Trails. Participants choose a mileage goal of 15, 90, 180, or 360 miles. They then walk, run or cycle on the Canalway Trail or paddle on the NYS Canal System to achieve it. People with disabilities are welcome to participate in a 1st Mile Challenge by completing one mile.

“As New York begins to open more, the Canalway Challenge is a great way for people to get outside and discover all they can do along the canals and Canalway Trail,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. “The range of mileage options is suited to people of all ages and abilities, from those who are just taking their first steps toward fitness to more experienced athletes.”

The Canalway Challenge is free and registration is open to individuals and teams. People can complete their miles in one big trip or many small ones.

The 1st Mile Challenge offers people with disabilities and their family and friends opportunities to recreate together and build more active lifestyles. There are numerous places along the canals and Canalway Trail that are accessible and several that offer adaptive bikes and kayaks.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “New York’s Canals and adjoining trails offer unparalleled opportunities for safe, socially-distanced outdoor recreation.  The Canalway Challenge showcases the tremendous investments made in both our canalside communities through Governor Cuomo’s Reimagine the Canals program, and in opening of the 750-mile Empire State Trail – the longest multi-use trail in the nation. As we continue to seek new and engaging ways to get outdoors while remaining safe and responsible, the Canal Corporation is thrilled to support this initiative and to invite all New Yorkers to experience the unmatched history and natural beauty of our magnificent Canalway Trail system.”

New York State Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levi said, “With more New Yorkers looking for ways to safely recreate outside and experience parts of the state they haven’t previously visited, the Canalway Challenge is the perfect opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to explore the state’s canal system and the Erie Canalway Trail.”

The Canalway Challenge is funded with support from the National Park Service, the NYS Canal Corporation, and Market New York through I LOVE NY/New York State Division of Tourism as a part of the State’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

Participants should follow all New York State Department of Health guidelines for COVID-19 safety while on the Canalway Trail and while visiting state parks, historic sites, and communities.

This year’s Challenge runs through the end of October. Sign up at www.canalwaychallenge.com

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY
Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor preserves our extraordinary canal heritage, promotes the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and fosters vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. We achieve our mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York.
http://www.eriecanalway.org/

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Photo: The 2021 Canalway Challenge is on! New Yorkers are invited to sign up, choose a mileage goal, and explore the great outdoors along New York’s canals. The program is free and runs through October.

 

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/5FHm28f791o 

Attention Tourism Properties/Businesses. We need your help!

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The Fulton Montgomery Chamber of Commerce is seeking updated Brochures, Rack Cards, Menus etc. from all Tourism Properties/Businesses in Montgomery County.

We are currently looking for updated and new information to expand our Tourism Center and need your help.

Please email mctourism@fultonmontgomeryny.org if you have anything to provide to us. Pick-up’s can be arranged or you can drop off to our location at the Amsterdam Riverfront Center.

We look forward to hearing from you and expanding our Tourism Center. Thank you!

 

 

 

History at Home Winter Series

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Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) is excited to announce their 2021 Virtual “History at Home” Winter Lecture series. The site will offer free online programs from January to March covering a range of interesting history topics.  Links for the programs can be found on Schoharie Crossings NYS Parks webpage, on their Facebook, or by contacting the site.

On Wednesday, January 20th the site will celebrate the birthday of industrialist and contractor, Otis Eddy.  The program, Otis Eddy’s Aqueduct, will explore Eddy’s life and how he came to be a canal contractor for the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct. Discover his connection to Cornell University and more about the current efforts to preserve the aqueduct remnants at Schoharie Crossing.

January 27th the site will welcome Schenectady Historian Chris Leonard as he discusses the importance of Schenectady’s home front 75 years after the end of WWII.  Leonard will explore how Schenectady’s industrial capabilities helped the Allies defeat Japan and Germany with war time production and groundbreaking technologies created by the city’s twin economic powerhouses, General Electric and the American Locomotive Company.

On March 4th, Bill Merchant of the D&H Canal Museum will join Schoharie Crossing for a program about The Black Experience on the D&H Canal.  Merchant will discuss the people that worked and traveled on the Delaware and Hudson Canal during its heyday as it conveyed coal from Pennsylvania to New York’s Hudson River.  An often under-represented segment of canal history, the experiences of black people along this waterway will examined with documents, images, and anecdotes.

The following week on March 11th, Anne Clothier will provide a lecture on the History of Phrenology. While phrenology often merits only a footnote in modern examinations of social and medical history, it played an important role in how people regarded themselves and others during the formative years of the 1840s.  Influencing topics as varied as courtship, employment, criminal justice, abolition, medicine, and suffrage, phrenology was intertwined throughout the everyday lives of many.  We will also examine the darker sides of the now debunked concepts, exploring how people of color and indigenous populations were further disenfranchised by its teachings.  Clothier is Director of Education at the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa.

Hudson Valley Community College professor Matthew Zembo will provide a discussion on February 18th titled, “The 34th Regiment of Foot: A British Regiment in the Northern Frontier of the American War of Independence.” Zembo will discuss how the regiment operated in a vastly different theater of war then those experienced in Europe, how civilians played a role, and what actions the soldiers engaged in during the fight to put down rebellion in New York.

On March 4th, Schoharie Crossing educator David Brooks will present DeWitt’s Duel.  The life of DeWitt Clinton is an interesting exploration into the politics of early America and New York State. Recognized now as the “Father of the Erie Canal,” NYS governor and former mayor of New York City, Clinton had tended to personal and political rivalries to accomplish legislative goals. Join in to discover some of the intrigue, wrangling, and dirty politics that lead ultimately to DeWitt’s Duel on the plains of Weehawken, New Jersey.

To wrap up the series, Audrey Humphrey from Johnson Hall State Historic Site will present an exploration of Sir William Johnson and his connection to Fort Hunter on March 18th.  Johnson was one of the largest landowners in New York by the mid-18th century and his influence in the Mohawk Valley is evident even to this day.  As Superintendent of Indian Affairs, his connection to the Mohawk village of Tionondoroge and congregation at Queen Anne’s Chapel influenced the how the American Revolution played out in New York after his death in 1774.

All the programs will begin at 6:30pm and are offered for free via the online platform, WebEx. The links for these programs go live at 6:20pm. There are no tickets to purchase and no need to pre-register.

For information about this program series, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our web page: https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/schohariecrossing/details.aspx (opens in a new tab) .

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 71 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

Virtual Classes and Workshops

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The Landis Arboretum aims to foster appreciation and understanding of trees and other plants and their importance in our environment. The educational curriculum is a major component of the Arboretum’s program.  Events and workshops designed for elementary school classes as well as the general public focus on the flora and fauna of the Arboretum.  Associated activities are as wide-ranging as botanical drawing classes, garden and trail tours, astronomy nights, and bird- and owl- watching sessions. The Arboretum as a dynamic, outdoor classroom of hundreds of acres is reflected in its wide-ranging Calendar of Events.

Landis is currently offering a wide range of Virtual Classes and Workshops. Click here (opens in a new tab) to visit their website and click on Videos to access all Virtual Classes and Workshops.

Erie Canal Art the Topic for Presentation

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Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host Mary Alexander, Curator of Education and Public Engagement at the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie, for a program on Tuesday, October 13th.  Tune in at 6:30pm for the presentation, “Perennial in Frame: Picturesque History with The Arkell Museum.”

Explore some of the great paintings in the collection at the Arkell Museum with Mary Alexander, and David Brooks of Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site. Discover more about the collection, the artists, and the history represented in the amazing portraits and landscapes. “Pleasure is a shadow, wealth is vanity, and power a pageant; but knowledge is ecstatic in enjoyment, perennial in frame, unlimited in space and indefinite in duration.” ― DeWitt Clinton, The Life and Writings of DeWitt Clinton.

As part of the sixth annual Tuesday Talk series to recognize New York State History Month, the site will offer this program for free and via the online platform Webex.  The link can be found on the Schoharie Crossing Facebook, the NYS Parks Website, or by contacting the site.

Other NY State History Month programs being offered by Schoharie Crossing are:

  • The Schuyler Sisters with Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site staff Jessica Serfilippi on Tuesday, October 20th at 6:30pm.
  • The Life and Times of DeWitt Clinton with Ashley Maready of the Erie Canal Museum on Wednesday, October 21st at 1:00pm.
  • Converging on the Canal: the 19th Century Through Food with Amanda Massie and Valerie Balint on Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30pm.
  • 10 Stories with Bob Cudmore on Wednesday, October 28th at 1pm.

For information about this program, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 71 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

Halloween 2020 Drive-Thru Trick or Treat Sponsored by MCT Federal Credit Union

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The City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing & Recreation Department presents Amsterdam’s Drive-Thru Trick or Treat Sponsored by MCT Federal Credit Union on Saturday, October 31st at 1PM.Treat bags will be given to the first 1,500 kids. Children must be present in the car to receive a bag and the event is open to children age 12 and under. The event will take place at the Veteran’s Park parking lot, on Locust Avenue.

 

Due to COVID-19 the City of Amsterdam had to make a few changes to our annual Trick or Treat. This year you will get to enjoy a free family Drive-Thru Trick or Treat on Halloween! Veteran’s Park will be spooktacularly decorated while we hand out fun treats and great prizes! If your business or organization is interested in becoming a Treat Sponsor, your donation will help provide kids in the City of Amsterdam with candy & prizes in their goodie bags. Your business name will be displayed proudly on the City of Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing & Recreation Department social media outlets and a thank you flyer will be placed in the 1,500 goodie bags.

 

Mayor Mike Cinquanti said the City’s traditional Trick or Treat on the MVGO Bridge, which annually packs the span with thousands of adults and children was not an option this year due to concerns about spiking a COVID-19 outbreak. “We also felt that a large number of parents would be hesitant having their children go door-to-door trick-or-treating and our residents would not be eager to hand out candy this year” explained the Mayor. “So we created this alternative event so that children could dress up in their costumes and get a bag full of treats safely, at one stop.”

 

For information on how to become a Treat Sponsor please visit the City of Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing & Recreation Department Facebook page or call Michele Pawlik at 518-841-4307.

Schoharie Crossing Offers Online Programs

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Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will continue to offer online programs throughout the summer even as the Visitor Center is now open by appointment.  The Erie Canal historic site will provide programs through Webex as well as other online platforms and social media.

The next “virtual” program is scheduled for 6:30pm on Tuesday, July 28th and the topic will be how foodways in America changed because of westward expansion and the Erie Canal.  Lavada Nahon will discuss how the movement of people and the mix of cultures transformed the way people eat.  Nahon is a culinary historian, editor and historic interpreter for the Bureau of Historic Site and Park Services.

On Thursday, August 13th at 6:30pm, join us via Webex as Schoharie Crossing hosts Schenectady City Historian Chris Leonard as he delivers a rollicking ride on the Erie Canal through Schenectady, from the Rexford Aqueduct to old Lock 23, the busiest transit point on the entire canal. Spend time with GE executives on boisterous pleasure cruises and hustle through backstreets with greenhorns desperately seeking whiskey. Travel with Leonard as he spins yarns of Schenectady’s unique characters, ne’er-do-well wharf rats, and foul-mouthed parrots, who made their livings on the canal.

During the month of August, the site is hosting a book club with weekly check-ins that will include discussion on the reading and an opportunity to pose questions.  The selection is the 2016 release by author Jack Kelly, “Heaven’s Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal.”  Participants can submit questions for the author, as Kelly will be providing an online presentation with Q&A on September 2nd.

Additional programs are being planned. The site grounds are open for appropriate socially distant recreational use from sunrise to sunset daily.  Please observe NYS Guidelines while visiting Schoharie Crossing.

For information about these programs, please find us on Facebook or you can call or email the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov.  You can make a reservation to explore the Pathway to Empire exhibit by contacting the site.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 71 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

Schoharie Crossing re-opening Visitor Center

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Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will be opening their Visitor Center for the 2020 season on Wednesday, July 22nd.  Days of operation for exhibit reservations will be Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 3pm.  The site grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

In response to the covid-19 pandemic, the following health and safety guidelines will be in effect for the season:

  • Guided tours of the site grounds will be given on Wednesday through Saturday by advance reservation only. These tours are $2 per person. Grounds Tours will be limited to 10 people.
  • Access to the exhibit, “Pathway to Empire” is by reservation only.  Visitors can call (518) 518-829-7516 during normal business hours to schedule.  Exhibit area limited to 6 people.
  • Masks must be worn by all visitors inside the buildings or when social distance cannot be kept.
  • Access into the buildings will only be provided by staff.  Visitors should arrive no more than 10 minutes prior to their scheduled reservation. Tours will start in front of the Visitor Center. Access to the exhibit will meet at the entrance door.

 

For information about the historic site, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 71 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

Canalway Challenge Promotes Health and History Along New York’s Canals

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Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor invites New Yorkers to take part in the Canalway Challenge in 2020, tracing history and tracking miles along New York’s canals and Canalway Trail. Part fitness challenge, part journey of discovery, the Canalway Challenge is free and registration is open to people of all ages and abilities.

“Staying healthy is a #1 priority for everyone right now. The Canalway Challenge is a great way for people to get outside and invest in mental and physical health, while exploring the canals in their local area,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

Participants register online and choose a mileage goal of 15, 90, 180, or 360 miles; then walk, run or cycle on the Canalway Trail or paddle safe sections of the NYS Canal System to achieve it. The Canalway Challenge can be done in one big trip or many small ones.

This year’s Challenge runs through the end of October, so people have plenty of time to complete it.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Set alongside our state’s iconic canals, the Canalway Challenge offers participants an opportunity to enjoy the bucolic landscapes of Upstate New York, exercising their minds and bodies, while also practicing safe social distancing.”

Families are encouraged to use the Canalway Challenge to supplement home-based learning about New York State history. Educational worksheets and learning resources are available from the National Heritage Corridor to complement what children will see while on the trail.

Participants in last year’s Canalway Challenge logged 285,000 miles, the equivalent of circling the Earth 11 times.

Participants should follow all New York State Department of Health guidelines for social distancing, wearing a mask and proper hygiene while on the Canalway Trail and while visiting state parks, historic sites, and communities along the way. Updates are posted https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause.

Sign up at www.canalwaychallenge.org

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY
Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor preserves our extraordinary canal heritage, promotes the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and fosters vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. We achieve our mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York.
http://www.eriecanalway.org/

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NOTICE TO MARINERS – 2020 CANAL SEASON OPENING SCHEDULE

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The New York State Canal Corporation today announced that much of the 524-mile Canal system will open for through navigation of the locks by July 4, 2020 as maintenance and construction projects are set to resume on a regional basis under the “NY Forward Reopening” plan.

Canal Corporation crews and contractors will mobilize to work sites in the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley, Central NY, Finger Lakes, and Western NY regions as those areas reopen. Maintenance work that needs to be completed at specific Canal facilities varies by location and locks along the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals will open for passage in a staggered fashion. Announcements regarding specific lock or regional openings will be communicated through the Canal Corporation’s “Notice to Mariners” notification program available at www.canals.ny.gov.

 

OPENING SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)

Capital Region – “NY Forward Reopening” Date TBD

  • Erie Canal from Lock E-2 in Waterford to Lock E-9 in Rotterdam
  • Champlain Canal from Lock C-1 in Waterford to Lock C-12 in Whitehall

Mohawk Valley Region – Locks opening in phases, targeted for between July 4th & August 10th

  • Erie Canal Lock E-10 in Cranesville through Sylvan Beach at Oneida Lake

Central NY Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th

  • Erie Canal from Oneida Lake to Lock E-25 in May’s Point
  • Oswego Canal – except Lock O-7 in Oswego

Finger Lakes Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th

  • Erie Canal from Lock E-25 in May’s Point to Locks E-34/35 in Lockport – except Lock E-26 in Clyde
  • Cayuga – Seneca Canal – except Locks CS-2/3 in Seneca Falls

Western NY Region – “NY Forward Reopening” Date TBD

  • Erie Canal Locks E-34/35 in Lockport through Tonawanda

As maintenance and construction work commences, most boaters, paddlers, and anglers can access sections of the Canal system for recreational use today. Mariners are advised that some sections of the Canal system will have reduced water levels until such time as the Canal Corporation completes its projects. In addition, navigation aids are not currently in place, but will be installed on the Canal system as the regions open.

All users of the Canal system and adjacent Empire State Trail are encouraged to practice social distancing while using boat launches, trails and other public resources.

The Canal Corporation appreciates the public’s patience during this time and urges all users to register to receive updates through the “Notice to Mariners” notification program

at www.canals.ny.gov.