Restoration Grant Program
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Restoration Grant Program |
Azure Mountain Fire Tower, New YorkFile # - 2002-01AZ Status - Photos |
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NEWS
RELEASE On Friday evening, March 22 at 7 p.m., in the St. Regis Falls Central School Auditorium, the Azure Mountain Friends will proudly present Martin Podskoch's slide show/talk, Fire Towers of the Adirondacks - Their History and Lore. In 1997 Marty Podskoch, a seventh grade reading teacher from Delaware Academy in Delhi, started tracking down the fire observers and the forest rangers, who supervised them, in order to record their reminiscences. Since then he has driven thousands of miles and uncovered a trove of great stories and pictures. He retells them in his first book, Fire Towers of the Catskills: Their History and Lore, published in the summer of 2000 by Purple Mountain Press. Now Podskoch is travelling throughout the Adirondacks and gathering the stories and pictures of the 61 state fire towers and four private fire towers. "I've gathered some great pictures of the old wooden fire towers that were put up in 1909," commented Marty. "I even found a lady who had the old guest registers of her father that were made of birch bark." These stories and pictures will result in a two volume series, Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore, the first volume of which is due to be published by Purple Mountain Press in 2003. Marty is especially eager for local people, family and friends, of the Azure fire observers and forest rangers, to attend his program and to share their stories and photos with him. Following Marty's presentation, Albany filmmaker, Michael Camoin, of Videos for Change Productions will present a fourteen-minute video trailer from his Adirondack Fire Towers Program. This made for television documentary is scheduled for release in Fall, 2002, and explores the history and culture surrounding Adirondack fire towers including those who manned and operated them. Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) has become a partner in this exciting video project. The Azure Mountain Friends also operates in partnership with AARCH. This March 22 program will serve to "officially" launch the $15,000 fund raising effort by the Azure Mountain Friends in their quest to save, restore and maintain the 84 year-old fire tower atop 2,518 foot Azure Mountain. The Friends, formed in December 2001, operate in partnership and under the auspices of the Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the not-for-profit historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park and under the supervision of the New York State Department of Conservation (DEC). In addition to the tower's restoration, the Friends' vision includes summit environment protection, development of an educational component that highlights the mountain's human history and natural features, placement of volunteer interpreters on the summit on some spring, summer and fall weekends, and maintaining and improving the trail and parking lot. The task is an ambitious one and it will require the time, talents and donations, material and financial, of Azure Mountain's numerous friends from near and far. We seek and welcome the support
of Azure's many friends. Contributions are tax deductible. Checks are
payable to: Azure Mountain Friends. Mail to: Azure Mountain Friends, PO
Box 95, St. Regis Falls, NY 12980. For more information contact: Co-Chairs:
Mike McLean (518-856-9206) or Carolyn Kaczka (315-265-4806) or email:
azuremountainfriends@yahoo.com.
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ChronologyAZURE MOUNTAIN FRIENDS -
A CHRONOLOGY
August 9, 2001: Jack Freeman calls Carolyn to tell her that the DEC almost began the process of removing Azure's tower on Wednesday, August 8th. Jack goes into the full story at length August 13, 2001: Carolyn calls Mike McLean from St. Regis Falls to see if Mike and his wife, Pam, a teacher in SRFCS, might be willing to join in an Azure Mountain fire tower restoration effort. Mike responds with an enthusiastic yes! September 30, 2001: A first informal gathering of "potential" Azure Mountain Friends on the Azure summit on a glorious fall Sunday afternoon numbers about twenty. November 5, 2001: The Public Organizational Meeting held in the St. Regis Falls Central School (SRFCS) auditorium is a success. Over fifty people attend. Jack Freeman, from the Adirondack Mountain Club presented his Adirondack fire tower history slideshow; Views from on High. Steven Engelhart, from Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), and Tom Martin, DEC Regional Forester for Region 5, also attended and spoke about the Azure tower. The Forest Ranger for the Azure Mountain area, Jeff Balerno, was present. Jeff, no doubt, will be the most important person in the restoration effort. December 10, 2001: First meeting of the Azure Mountain Friends executive committee in the SRFCS library at 7 p.m. Pam has arranged for the monthly meetings to be held at the school. The committee presently numbers around 20. The response both locally in St. Regis Falls and from all across the North Country has been really heartening! The committee agrees to meet on the 2nd Monday of each month. AMF officers elected were: Carolyn Kaczka (Hannawa Falls) & Mike McLean (St. Regis Falls) to serve as Co-chairs, Peggy MacKellar (Lake Placid), Treasurer and Ron Chorba (Winthrop), Secretary. (Carolyn & Mike have been working "informally" together since September 2001 to have the AMF reach this point; a first "official" committee meeting.) January 14, 2002: Second meeting of the AMF executive committee. The Azure Mountain Friends Memorandum of Agreement with Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) became "official" on December 21, 2001. The five year ADOPT-A-NATURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT with the NYSDEC also became "official" on January 11, 2002 when it was signed by Stuart A. Buchanan, Region 5 Director. Peggy MacKellar asks to be replaced as Treasurer (She views her lack of a computer as a big handicap to doing the job well.) David Petrelli (Malone) is elected to fill this position. February 11, 2002: Third meeting
of the AMF executive committee. The AMF fund raising brochure draft was
approved with minor changes. It was agreed that the AMF establish an email
address: azuremountainfriends@yahoo.com. Azure Mountain Friends Bylaws
were presented, discussed, modified and approved. Officers shall serve
for two year terms. February 24, 2002: Bob Spear from the Forest Fire Lookout Association writes to tell the AMF that its grant application has been approved. The AMF is the first recipient, from their newly established fire tower restoration program, of a $50.00 FFLA restoration grant. This is an AMF first as well as it is its first grant. March 11, 2002: Fourth AMF executive committee meeting. Articles written by Duncan Cutter and Carolyn Kaczka, plus a full page back cover tower photo, appear in the St. Regis Falls Historians Association Newsletter, Number 30, March 2002. Judy Wever, the Town of Waverly Historian, and the newsletter's editor, has been a marvelous resource for the Friends. March 22 (afternoon), 2002: Carolyn Kaczka receives a Friday afternoon call from J. Patrick Barrett from his home in Manlius, NY. Pat, a gentleman who grew up in St. Regis Falls, has become a most generous benefactor to his boyhood hometown in recent years. The local folks speak of his gifts to the Catholic Church, the community of St. Regis Falls and to Alice Hyde Hospital in Malone. Pat's call comes in response to an Azure Mountain fire tower fund raising appeal mailed to the Barretts approximately two weeks earlier. After asking a number of questions related to the $15,000 fund raising effort slated to "kick off" that evening, Pat indicates that he and his wife Chris (Christine) will be willing to donate $10,000 toward the restoration effort. He says that the Azure tower has always meant a lot to him. Needless to say, Carolyn is nearly speechless! March 22 (evening), 2002: The Azure Mountain Friends $15,000 fund raising effort is "officially" launched with a second and widely advertised Adirondack fire tower program for the public. Held in the SRFCS auditorium on a Friday night, the program features two presenters: Marty Podskoch, fire tower researcher and author, and Mike Camoin, Albany videographer working on an Adirondack fire tower project. March 23, 2002: Mike Camoin is accompanied by some Azure Mountain Friends who snowshoe/hike up Azure Mountain on a day when it snows 6 inches or more in the St. Regis Falls area. Mike had wanted some winter film footage for his Adirondack video; he surely got it on this "spring" day. The nine people climbing the mountain were Mike Camoin, his wife and her brother, Mike McLean, Sandy Hildreth, David Petrelli, Pete "Mickey" Oshier, Brad Meachum and Tom Ortmeyer. Folks are still talking about getting cars stuck in the snow on the way out on the Blue Mountain Road. March 23, 2002: Carolyn Kaczka joins Marty Podskoch in the morning as he interviews some local folks who have remembrances of the Azure Observers and Forest Rangers. The morning begins with coffee at the Adirondack Café in SRF and a conversation with Mike Richards, the last observer in the Azure tower in 1978, and with Judy Wever, the Town of Waverly Historian. Moving across the street to the Waverly Reading Room/library, Marty meets with Frank Brockway, Maurice Potter and his 90 plus year old mother, Pearl Potter Palmer, and Earl Debar. April 8, 2002: Fifth AMF executive committee meeting. April 22 (or thereabouts), 2002: The $10,000 donation from the Central New York Community Foundation (Pat & Chris Barrett) is received at the Adirondack Architectural Heritage office in Keesesville, NY made on behalf of the Azure Mountain Friends. (AARCH is the AMF's non-profit sponsor and valued partner along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). April 27, 2002: On this lovely spring Saturday, Mike McLean scheduled the first trail work day to be held by the AMF. Some large trees were cleared from the trail (with Peter Gillespie wielding his chain saw) and general trail cleanup was done from trailhead to summit. Trail work participants were Peter & Marilyn Gillespie, Michael Bailey, Wendy Wais, Pete Oshier, Dale Pondysh, Ron & Holly Chorba and Mike McLean. Sandy Hildreth arrived late and enjoyed some hiking as well. May 5, 2002: Mike McLean arranged
a "learning" hike up Snowy Mountain (Indian Lake area) with
Ranger Greg George. Greg was the lead person in the DEC's "quietly"
done restoration of the Snowy fire tower last summer. In the early nineties,
he was involved with the restoration of the Blue Mountain fire tower.
The day is lovely. Mike, Carolyn & Gene Kaczka, Jeff Balerno, May 10, 2002: Mike McLean retrieves the AMF display board from the main entrance area of the Ray Brook DEC building. He had arranged to have it there for all of the month of April. What great "pr" where it may count the most - at the home of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for Region 5. May 11, 2002: Celebrating the
Earth Festival, sponsored by the Friends of the Nature Center at Robert
Moses State Park, Inc. in Massena has the Azure Mountain Friends represented
with the May 13, 2002: Sixth AMF executive committee meeting. May 31, 2002: Pam McLean has
arranged for Marty Podskoch to present some of his wonderful fire tower
stories to the students in the SRFCS. Marty has a very busy morning making
contact with children of all ages. In the afternoon, Carolyn Kaczka and
Sandy Hildreth join Marty on a drive over to Plattsburgh to meet with
and interview Maurice Camp. Maurice's father, Burt Camp, was the Azure
Forest Ranger for over 30 years and his brother Lyman "Jim"
Camp followed his father as Ranger. June 11, 2002: Meeting with the DEC personnel (Jeff Balerno, Forest Ranger, and Phil Johnstone, Conservation Operations Supervisor) on the Azure summit to plan the helicopter landing, to evaluate the tower's non-structural needs once again and to discuss soil erosion strategies that could be taken by the AmeriCorp workers. Participants: Tom Ortmeyer, Ron Chorba, Carolyn Kaczka, Sandy Hildreth & Mike McLean. June 23, 2002: Nancy Elblom, a Field Botanist from Potsdam, accompanied by Natalie Panshin (Canton) climbs Azure recording plants seen along the trail and on the summit. Her intent is to note the plants that the general public might be interested in for use in future AMF educational materials. June 24, 2002: A special executive committee meeting is called by Jeff and Mike to work out details for the helicopter lift on June 26. (AMF meeting #7). June 26, 2002: NY State Police helicopter airlifts supplies to the Azure summit. (7 helicopter flights carrying 3 & ½ tons of materials. The helicopter lands four times on the summit and drops a sling load on three other occasions.) Blue Mountain Road landing zone (LZ): Rangers - Jeff Balerno & Joe Rupp. Participants: Lois & Duncan Cutter, Perry Yaw, Mike McLean, Gene Kaczka, Pete Fraser, Ron Chorba, Tom Ortmeyer & Wendy Wais. Azure Summit LZ: Rangers: Jim Giglinto, Wayne LaBaff & Christie Blanchard. Participants: Sandy Hildreth, Dale Pondysh, Carolyn Kaczka, Denise Goodrow and four SRF teens: Kent Goodrow II, Tyler Goodrow, Michael Richards, & Kevin Buffham. June 30, 2002: Motorcycle Run fund raiser organized by Marlene Nadeau, one of our committee's hikers, also a biker. Michael Bailey and the SRF fire department provide an excellent chicken barbecue at the end of the 100 plus mile Adirondack scenic ride. Nearly thirty bikers participate on a glorious day. The Chinese Raffle is enjoyed by all. Tom and Ann Ortmeyer assist in the registration process at Harvey's Yamaha in Malone as does Marlene's daughter. Co-chair, Carolyn, gets her first motorcycle ride ever riding with Mike McLean. $350 is raised for the AMF thanks to Marlene's fine effort. July 8, 2002: Executive committee
meeting #8. Jeff reports on AmeriCorps' first day on the mountain. Equipment
and materials details are further worked out. August 12, 2002: Executive committee meeting #9. Eleven people attend. After informational reports on the status of the tower's restoration and the Treasurer's Report indicating that the AMF has exceeded its fund raising goal of $15,000 (monetary & material donations), a discussion of What's next for the Azure Mountain Friends is begun. It soon became apparent that while there has been unanimous committee agreement on the fund raising and restoration efforts, there is a healthy diversity of viewpoints as to how to proceed with educational initiatives. Several ideas were discussed with no decisions made. September 9, 2002: Executive committee meeting #10. The committee approves twice yearly publication of a one page Azure Mountain Friends newsletter to be mailed to our AMF contributors and special North Country friends. September 29, 2002: Work Day #4. Assistant Forest Ranger, Christie Blanchard, and Sandy Hildreth undertake additional summit protective measures including some seeding. Mike McLean and Peter Gillespie nearly complete installation of a new cedar ceiling in the tower's cab. A few boards short, Mike plans to complete the project soon. Pam McLean joins them on the summit; one of her first mountain climbs since her April knee surgery. October 4, 2002: Nancy Eldblom, Potsdam Field Botanist, accompanied by husband, Lars, makes a second plant identification visit to Azure. October 6, 2002: Gene and Carolyn
Kaczka lead an Azure Mountain hike, a Field Workshop choice, for the International
Conference, Wildlands Exchange: Beyond the Border (WEBB), held at Paul
Smith's College (October 4-6), hosted by the college and the Adirondack
Mountain Club (ADK). Hikers were Tom Gliddi (NYS Forest Ranger from Malone),
Larry Newman, Donna Rae Sutherland with her nine year old son, Evan, and
Jack Freeman, author of ADK's recently published book Views from On High,
Fire Tower Trails in the Adirondacks and Catskills. (It was Jack who in
a very real sense saved the Azure tower when he learned by accident in
early August 2001 that it was scheduled for removal in two days time.)
He was thrilled with the appearance of the restored tower. Both Jack and
Larry were impressed with recent trail work done by the AMF. October 13, 2002: Mike McLean spent time on the summit on this fall Sunday as the AMF's first "unofficial" summit/tower interpreter. Some patches and "T" shirts are sold. Mike does further work on the cab ceiling. Many hikers are quick to voice their appreciation for the restored tower that now permits a dramatic 360 degree North Country/Adirondack panorama. October 14, 2002: Columbus Day finds Sandy Hildreth on the summit as interpreter. The day is a beautiful one and the climbers many of all ages. Sandy sketches, talks with hikers and, yes, sells a good number of AMF patches. Mike McLean climbs the mountain yet again to do the final finish work on the ceiling assisted by Sandy. Next to come are cedar window inserts in the cab's channel iron window dividers to simulate the original wood frame windows; a project that Gene Kaczka is working on. October 15, 2002: Gene Kaczka gives a talk to his fellow Lions in the Potsdam Lions Club about the Azure Mountain Friends and their fire tower restoration effort. Gene wears his AMF hat and sweatshirt. Brochures and the display board enhance his presentation. He stresses the very necessary and successful collaborative partnership between the NYSDEC and the AMF volunteers that made this "cosmetic, non-structural" restoration possible within a nine-month period. November 4, 2002: Executive Committee meeting #11. Fall AMF newsletter ideas are discussed as are winter 2003 plans to develop a Summit/Tower Interpretive Guide as well as a Trailhead Educational Brochure. It was noted that one year ago on November 5, 2001 the first public meeting, which led to the formation of the Azure Mountain Friends, was held in the SRFCS.
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