On The Sly

I try to live my life safely, especially now that I'm older and retired. I hope my retirement lasts 30 years, or even more! To help ensure that, before I use new products I carefully read the labeling. It's made me so much more aware of the many dangers surrounding me.

For example, I have always loved these hard candies called Creme Savers. Did you know they come equipped with a warning? "SAFETY WARNING: HARD CANDY CAN BE SLIPPERY AND CAUSE CHOKING - ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN." Do they think I didn't realize that? Is that warning there in case I do choke on one and die, they can tell my family, "We warned him!"?

That was the warning on the strawberry flavored ones. Recently Creme Savers introduced a new flavor, butter toffee. The warning there is more succinct: "SAFETY WARNING: HARD CANDY CAN CAUSE CHOKING." Ah, let's not worry about the kids this time. Let's leave "children" out of our new warning.

It's not just choking candy that issues warnings. My can of shaving cream looks harmless enough, until you read its warning: "CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE" (hey, I've been under pressure plenty of times, like remembering my wife's birthday or trying to get good grades back in college) - "DO NOT PUNCTURE OR INCINERATE. DO NOT STORE AT TEMPERATURE ABOVE 120 DEGREES F." Good thing they told me! I was planning on keeping my shaving cream in the oven.

I bought a can of peanuts for my Super Bowl party next weekend. Of course, that has a warning: "MAY CONTAIN NUT TRACES." What, in a can of peanuts there might be nut traces? What can they be thinking? And last week I cooked up a great batch of fresh Lake Champlain perch. Mmmm, fried perch! Good thing I noticed the warning on the bottle of cooking oil: "DO NOT POUR HOT OIL BACK INTO THIS PLASTIC CONTAINER." Just basic science here, folks! Also, don't put your shaving cream can into the hot oil you used for cooking perch.

Some friends suggested recently that instead of cooking with butter or oil I'd be better to just spray the pan with Pam, this "all-natural no-sticking spray." Obviously my friends never read the 13 WARNINGS on the can! The most curious one was "Avoid spraying in eyes." Who do they think buys their products? Sounds like a handy weapon for muggers. "I couldn't do anything, officer. He got me with his Pam!"

Well, I'm sure you see my point. We live in a warning-filled environment. But I noticed that one of the more dangerous items in my kitchen had no warning. My box of toothpicks, which could be used for stabbing and maiming, has no warning whatsover. Neither does my jar of mayonnaise, and can you imagine how dangerous that would be if spread all over the kitchen floor?

Who writes these warnings? Someone with a full-time paying job? Who decides what products get warnings and which ones are so safe they don't merit a warning? I'd like some answers!

Oh, one last warning: DAILY READING OF THIS BLOG CAN CAUSE ONE TO COUNTER-BLOG UNCONTROLLABLY FOR MONTHS. Just ask "The Carver" and "W" and "Bullet" and "Tom-A-Hawk."

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Thursday's front-page headline "City Schools Chief Leaving," brought several emotions to this retired school teacher. After 35 years in the Plattsburgh City School District, I retired last June with no regrets and more than a briefcase full of memories. With the departure of Dr. Michelle Kavanaugh the long procession of superintendents that I worked for will have ended.

My first superintendent was Dr. Antonio Lancione. He interviewed me in May of 1970, just weeks before my college graduation, for an English teacher position at Plattsburgh Junior High School. Sitting in his office at what used to be Elizabeth Street School, I was about a 30-second walk from my home on Johnson Avenue. I remember him as stern, but cordial, and all business. I tried to inject a little humor into some of my answers, but he just stared at me. I've always been grateful to him, though, because he's the man who hired me as a teacher.

A few years into my career Dr. Lancione left, replaced by Robert Utter. His hiring, whether by coincidence or not, may have led me to a side of the teaching business that I didn't expect. Early in my teaching career I learned about contract disputes, picket lines and teacher strikes. I recall walking the informational picket lines carrying a sign that read "We Want An-Utter Contract." Rod Sherman, teachers' union president then and forever, amen, does credit Utter for recognizing "the need to bring more dialogue between the staff of various buildings of the district."

My third superintendent was Dr. Gerald Carozza. I met him many times and found him to be friendly, and he seemed to be an excellent leader of our school district. However, he inherited many of the unresolved negotations problems from the previous years. Our three-day strike in September of 1975 was an eye-opener and an experience I wouldn't wish upon any educator.

The next man hired to lead the Plattsburgh CSD was Art Momot. A strong leader, an experienced educator, Momot was, without a doubt, the right person at the right time. Momot's many years of leadership helped heal wounds from the strike days. Born and raised in the North Country, he had worked in the Plattsburgh community as a teacher and then was a principal at Monty Street School and at Oak Street School in the PCSD, so he understood varying viewpoints. He was a listener and a decision-maker. He is the first superintendent that I really got to know as a friend, and perhaps my best years as an eductor were during his time as superintendent.

When Momot retired, he left big shoes to fill. Fortunately they were filled by the man with the smallest feet. Dr. George Amedore was hired. He is the superintendent who looked best in a ten-gallon cowboy hat. He is the only superintendent who was shorter than I am (I'm 5' 6"). But he was more than that. He was very knowlegeable and his leadership was the right fit to replace Art Momot. Dr. Amedore led the school district through many changes, including capital projects, such as the large additions at Plattsburgh High School and Stafford Middle School.

The departure of George Amedore in 2002 brought Dr. Michelle Kavanaugh to Plattsburgh. Perhaps it will take time, as it has with her predecessors, to fairly judge her impact upon the PCSD. But she is my last superintendent. Who will be next? Will there be someone within the district with the interest and credentials to take this important job? Will it take a nation-wide search to find the right leader? In his role as teacher union president Rod Sherman, who also was hired by Dr. Lancione, has worked closely with each superintendent since 1973. He hopes "that the Board of Education will again reach out to the stakeholder groups for a very open process to find a new leader of our district."

Dr. Kavanaugh noted recently, "Our students have been blessed by the care and attention of the highly competent staff members who continuously work on their behalf ... we have benefited from strong community support in our efforts on behalf of students and families."

Best wishes to Dr. Kavanaugh as she leaves on May 1. We eagerly wait to see who next has the honor of of being named superintendent of the Plattsburgh City School District.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It had to happen eventually -- the debut of Foxy Gagnon's ponytail. I waited until I figured all the karma was right. I didn't want this to be a disaster, a failure, something that would send me running for the shelter of my home, something that would turn me into a reclusive pony-tailed weird old man. I chose what I thought would be a safe haven, a place where I had spent 35 working years, Stafford Middle School. Surrounded by my former colleagues, most of whom, I felt, would understand that this is just Foxy making another step towards adulthood, I felt all signs pointed to today as the right day and to Stafford as the right place.

I arrived at SMS today as a substitute teacher. I was armed with a clipboard, plenty of loose leaf paper, a pen, a pencil, a book ... and a hair-tie. I arrived early intentionally and noticed an eighth-grade girl, Cortney, who I had known for two years. Showing her my blue hair-tie, I asked her to assist me in getting my longer-than-ever locks into a ponytail. She graciously offered a more-masculine-looking black hair-tie and I immediately felt I was on my way to a successful debut.

In less than a minute, Cortney said, "There!" I could feel that the hair was off my neck and it felt odd pulled back into a bunch at the back of my head. So I was ready now to face the public... with the debut of my long-awaited ponytail! It didn't take long for my former colleagues to take note of my short ponytail. The first remark involved the word "scissors," and then I heard a few women say, "Cute, very cute." Yikes! Cute isn't exactly what I was hoping for! "Cute" is what describes a third-grade girl's ponytail, not one belonging to a 57-year-old macho man sportsman with a name like "Foxy."

My first official day in a ponytail brought a wide variety of comments. The worst moment was perhaps when a young colleague with a neat crop of curly brown hair said, "You look like a private investigator who wishes he could work with Nash Bridges on Miami Vice." My best moment came when a seventh-grade girl named Meghan interrupted my lecture about New England colonies to say, "I like your ponytail."

All day I resisted the urge to just rip that hair-tie out and give up on the experiment. I persevered. I think the jury is still out on whether a ponytail truly belongs on the back of my bald head. With Nina, my hairdresser (how can a bald man have a hairdresser?), to keep me neat, and with Cortney to give me lessons on ponytail creating, I've got at least two people in my corner. Who said that ponytails are only for girls?

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Along the sidelines of my blog a battle has developed. All's fair in love and war, and, in this new age of technology, in blogging, as well. About a month ago a reader known as "W" made some comments that rubbed a few readers the "wrong way." As retorts started to roll in, a reader known as "Bullet" emerged as a staunch defender of yours truly and of all that is good and right. "W" didn't back down and counter-blogged, which brought "The Carver" into the fray.

In the weeks following, no matter what the blog topic, the barbs have been tossed, the challenges set forth, from "W" to "Bullet" to "The Carver." And, now enters "Tom-A-Hawk" to even the sides at two-a-piece. Sort of reminds me of the good old days of wrestling when Hulk Hogan and Jake the Snake took on the Bushwackers in a Battle Royale.

Where will it all end? No one knows. And no one knows who next will enter the blog / counter-blog battle. Doesn't matter. It's 2006. You can blog , you can counter-blog, but, as "Bullet" says, just don't be a "blog-hog." What's nice is that I hold the fate in the balance, because the original blogger (me, in this case) holds the key in deciding what eventually appears at "On the Sly." In the touch of a delete key I can rub out the profound thoughts of a blog commentator. So, fret not, I'll stand guard and make sure that "W" and "Bullet" and "The Carver," good sportsmen all, play within my foxy rules!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

A chorus of comments followed my accounts of growing up on Johnson Avenue in the 1950s and 1960s. Pride swelled from Fox Hill to Montcalm Avenue to the West End and even all the way to Dannemora. But before we all drown in our syrupy-sweet memories of how great those days were, let's remember that there were a few negatives in those days, too!

I can recall how littered our roadsides and streets were, and how common it was to just roll the car window down and toss out some trash. Some roadways looked like dumpsites. Some readers commented about going around neighborhoods picking up bottles. That's because those bottles had been thrown there by litter-bugs. I remember bringing my wagon over to Underwood Avenue and filling it up with discarded soda and beer bottles. In those days I think our streets and roads were much more littered than today.

And our dads had so little regard for clean air! Can you remember your Dad raking leaves on a Saturday afternoon, piling them up by the curb and setting fire to them? Up and down Johnson Avenue on a fall afternoon would be little piles of smoking leaves. The older boys would create a stir by riding their bikes through the piles, pretending to be Jack Kotchman's Hell Drivers. Clean air wasn't given a consideration; it was much more important to have a clean front lawn.

How many of us as kids had the job of taking out the trash? Behind our garage stood a couple of 50-gallon barrels used for burning the trash. That was one of my after-school chores. Load up that barrel and strike a match to it. Place a screen over the top so that big pieces of paper wouldn't rise out of the flaming barrel and land on Lamonda's garage. Clean air? Not a concern.

Speaking of smoke, there is the issue of cigarette smoking and how common that was. As shocking as it sounds today, I can recall school teachers having an ashtray on their desk filled with cigarette butts. My beloved Stafford Middle School had a "smoking lounge" for teachers! I remember the doctor giving his prognosis while inhaling a Camel cigarette, ashes scattering atop his paperwork. If you don't think so, watch one of the early Johnny Carson Shows and checkout the ashtray on his desk. You'd be shocked if Jay Leno suddenly pulled out a pack of Marlboros and lit one up. Even in the wholesome Andy Griffith Show, Sheriff Andy sometimes lights up a smoke to help him solve his love problems with Helen Crump.

Most likely there were other negatives to life back then. Years seem to make the negatives fade and the positives sparkle. That's okay -- that's good! As I put the "In the Neighborhood" subject to rest I guess I have to admit that in some little ways our life is better in 2006. Clean streets instead of littered streets! Fewer people puffing smoke on me! Greater concern for the environment and the air we breathe! But video games over pick-up games? NAH! I don't think so!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

... And every neighborhood, almost every street, had their own "mom and pop" grocery store. Just as Johnson Avenue had Burdo's Market (first Arnold Burdo and then Lester Burdo) the streets nearby had their stores, where the owners became familiar faces. Most store owners even extended credit. Many times my mom would ask me to go get a loaf of bread and a pound of bologna and she'd say, "Tell Mr. Burdo to put it on our bill."

Monty Street had Vi Ashline's store. That building has been remodeled into a private residence now. Elizabeth Street had two stores. One was Carmen's, located at the corner of Elizabeth Street and Sherman Street. Most likely you'd be greeted by Art, who was Fox Hill's biggest Red Sox' fan. The other was Yetman's, which was located near the end of the street next to Charlie Thompson's Sixth Ward Tavern. Those buildings were located on the property now belonging to Durocher's Auto Sales.

Fox Hillers will remember the grocery story on West Elizabeth Street, which is now called LeBlanc Lane. That store was Bedard's and I'm sure we all remember Mr. Bedard, Ephram, who ran the business. Right around the corner from Bedard's on Waterhouse Street was Abare's Grocery. I don't remember a grocery store on Hartwell Street, nor on St. John's Street, but I do remember Johnny Bell's Bar, a popular late afternoon stop for some of the boys heading off work from Imperial Mill. A few streets away on Main Mill Street you could stop at Cora Beauharnois' store.

If there was big shopping to do, I remember walking with my mom to Jennette's IGA on South Catherine Street. That property now houses the South Catherine Street Grocery store, owned by the Tetreaults.

As a young teenager I'd sometimes ride my bike cross town to Bailey Avenue Field for a football or baseball game. I remember Yelle's Grocery right across the street from the school. It was a tiny store, but any time I went in there Mr. and Mrs. Yelle would both be there to greet the kids. I remember they were very friendly and Mr. Yelle was very tall!

A cold bottle of soda and bag of chips were always just a quick bicycle ride away if a teenager needed a snack. And, if I remember correctly, your 25-cents weekly allowance would buy you a bottle of cola (15 cents) and a bag of chips (10 cents). My favorite shopping, though, was buying baseball cards. During baseball season I'd sometimes ride my bike from one street to the next to see who would be the first to have baseball cards. Remember those penny packs? One baseball card and one stick of gum for a penny. Or, you could buy the 5-cent pack, which held 5 cards and 1 piece of gum. Any smart shopper would know it was better to buy five penny packs because you'd get 5 pieces of gum for the same price.

I'm certain I've forgotten some of the wonderful "mom and pop" grocery stores that were scattered around Plattsburgh. I hope some readers will refresh my memory. Very few exist today. I don't think that Richard's Bait & Tackle Shop, in the building on Johnson Avenue that was Burdo's Market, would qualify as a "mom and pop" grocery store. I think there is still one on Sailly Avenue, that used to be Lou's Market. Many of us were sad when Fountain and Lucas on Montcalm Avenue closed their doors a few years ago. Those "mom and pop" stores were just another little slice of life of days gone by, days that we will never see again. Places that some of us will never forget!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

I grew up on Johnson Avenue in Plattsburgh. We thought it was the most perfect street in the city. Across the road from our 48 Johnson was the Elizabeth Street schoolyard. It made the world's greatest baseball stadium. On any summer's day you could see about 10 of us, sometimes more, playing baseball from sunup till sundown. Goose (then called Gary) and I (then called Ray) would meet the Baker boys (Gary and Jim) or Harold Beauharnois, or Mike Aley and Bobby Gertsch from Elizabeth Street, or Ronnie Zak, or Terry Prentice, or Gerald Burdo and his brothers, who lived a foul ball away from the field.

The school itself made for the home run fence, and if anyone had the power to hit the school in the air, it was a home run. There were no windows on that side of the school, so the home run fence was an entire solid brick wall. Kids from as young as six and as old as sixteen played there. The schoolyard was a great place for "Flies and Grounders" if we didn't have enough guys to form two teams.

There were windows, though, on each side of the field. Down the first base line was Sparky and Mary Gagnier's house. As a lefty batter I can't tell you how many times I pulled the ball into their backyard, and, just once, I broke their kitchen window. They never got mad at us. I can still picture Sparky driving home from work, getting out his car, and tossing a lost baseball back over the fence to us. And then he'd stop and watch us for a few minutes, perhaps dreaming of the days when he was 12 and playing baseball.

On the left side was John and Dawn Cichelli. They were as easy-going as the Gagniers. We always got our baseball back. In deep left field, over on Elizabeth Street, were the Vaughns. Some will remember Desi Vaughn was the boss in the service department at old Montgomery Ward's when it was downtown. They had a big garden, as I recall, but they let us tromp around their tomato plants to fetch an errant baseball.

We thought the whole street was great! Watching us play ball from across the road, sitting on their front porches, were Mr. D'Avignon and, next door, "Grampa" Bouyea. They loved to stop us if we walked by and they'd talk baseball, telling us about when they played. When we took our break from the game, we headed to Burdo's Market, just down the street, to buy an RC Cola and a bag of Kitchen Kooked potato chips.

You don't hear much mention of girls in those days. The girls were busy with their Barbie dolls, I guess. The Gagnier girls never joined us to play baseball, nor did Bonnie LaPorte or Valerie Larocco. It just seemed like the street belonged to the boys.

The street is different now, though. The Elizabeth Street schoolyard is filled with condos. Burdo's Market has been replaced by Richard's Bait & Tackle Shop and Beverage Center. Most of us aspiring major leaguers have moved to other streets on "Fox Hill" or to other parts of town. It was fun while it lasted. I hit .525 the summer I turned 11 and I dreamed of replacing the aging Gil Hodges at first base for the Dodgers. I wonder if neighborhoods like Johnson Avenue in the Fifties and Sixties still exist today.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

If you'd like something to do this week check out the sports pages of the Press-Republican and drive over to the nearest high school basketball game. It's the time of the season when the action really heats up. There's perhaps no greater example of that than last week's varsity boys basketball matchup between Saranac Central School and Northeastern Clinton Central School. If you didn't get there early, and I mean a couple of hours early, you didn't get a seat. It had all the ingredients of a great game. Both teams were undefeated (7-0). Both teams have great athletes. Saranac's veteran coach Gary Castine grew up in the NCCS school district. The NCCS coach, young Robb Garrand, is enjoying his first year on the varsity level. Both schools have fans that love to support their teams. The players didn't let their fans down. It was a great game and Saranac prevailed by one point in overtime. Saranac remains undefeated, and it won't be the last you'll hear about NCCS. Fans from both schools went home exhausted, knowing they'd gotten their two bucks worth.

But on any given night, fans can be treated to great high school sports. By virtue of our television coverage of local sports, I get to watch athletes almost every night. In basketball this season try to catch the Ausable Valley girls team. Their tandem of Nikki Dirolf and Shannon Nutbrown are leading the way. Again this season the NCCS girls are outclassing the competition with the Coryea sisters, along with Alex Forey and a cast of others. I like watching hard-working Lauren Vilbert at Plattsburgh High School, and Peru's Jenna Ruff has had some big games.

In boys' basketball in addition to the treat of watching Saranac or NCCS, you can try to catch the Ausable Valley boys, who work so hard for Coach Jamie Douglas. For pure outside shooting check out Seton Catholic's Josh Davis. Peru's Ian Passino can take over a game at the sound of a whistle.

Basketball is a very different game from the Sixties when I played. However, from game to game and gym to gym, I see the stars of 10 years ago, 20 years ago and more, back in the bleachers watching high school basketball. See you at a game this week, I hope!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

As I've mentioned before, my new life as a retired teacher is fun. Some days I have to pinch myself to see if this is all real. People have asked, "Foxy, what do you do all day?" Answer: eBay, errands, blogging, time with friends, videotaping tv shows, editing tv shows, shopping, cooking, watching tv, laundry, just to name ten possibilities. What else would I like to do? Good question! I've thought about it ... about what job I would like to do if I had my pick. Following is a list of TEN NORTH COUNTRY JOBS I'D LIKE TO DO FOR A DAY (in no special order or preference):

1. City Court Judge - oh, I know Judge Penny Clute is doing a great job. She's knowledgable, fair, and experienced. But I'd like just one day. Let me wear the robe, hold the gavel, and lecture some of my former students who didn't heed my words of advice back when they were in eighth grade. No second chances. Pay up, serve your time the first time ... maybe that's when the lesson will be learned.

2. Mark Sudol's sports anchor job - Mark has had fun with his "I Challenge Mark" series. And he's a great sports anchor at NewsChannel 5. Since I love sports so much, I would love getting the chance to announce "The Dodgers won Game 7 of the World Series tonight, beating the New York Yankees on a ninth inning home run off Mariano Rivera." That's what I call a Dream Job.

3. Lead guitarist in a local rock band - I don't care what local band it is, and no matter that I can't really play guitar. I could fake it. I'd just like to look cool and look at the ladies looking at me.

4. Coach the Saranac Chiefs boys varsity basketball team - (or the Northeastern Clinton Central girls or boys varsity teams) - Any undefeated team would do, but I'd enjoy coaching the boys more, and, since I know the players at Saranac better, I choose them. Coach Gary Castine is a one-of-a-kind coach. His team is hard-working and talented. I think I could coach them to a victory. If the game were close in the final quarter I'd give the guys my "bucket of wings" speech and Devin, Evan, Dustin, Chris and the other Chiefs would go out and win one for the Fox.

5. New York State Police trooper (summertime only) - It really bugs me when cars go cruising by me on the Northway. Here I am maintaining my legal 65 (okay, maybe my semi-legal cruise control 70) and these cars go zooming past me. Wearing those mandatory sunglasses, I'd catch every one of those reckless speedsters. But could I play my CDs while patrolling the Northway? And would they consider a convertible police cruiser?

6. Short-order cook at McSweeney's - I helped finance my way through college by working four years at Gus's Red Hots over by the beach. I loved being a short-order cook! I miss it! Gus's, though, is now a full-course-meal restaurant. I want to cook fries and onion rings or stream that michigan sauce over a hot dog and bun. I threatened the Farrell boys over at McSweeney's that when I retired I'd apply for a job there. I haven't done that yet, but I haven't forgotten about it, either.

7. Ice-cream Ding-Dong truck salesman - Bring on those ice cream cones, popsicles, creamsicles, and milkshakes. Just the thrill of driving down the hill over at Fox Hill during a Little League game would get my heart racing. And the temptation! The treats at my fingertips! The old "serve one, sample one" theory would be in effect.

8. WIRY deejay - My favorite WIRY deejay is Charlie Stone. He plays those oldies on Sunday morning and serves up those "snippets" for free prizes for music experts. Back in the old days, when he was just getting started in the radio business at WKDR, Charlie would let me sit in on some of his shows. He knows what buttons to push. I'd love to play those 45s and comment on those oldies. The first song I'd play: "Groovin'" by the Rascals.

9. Lifeguard at the city beach - That's an easy one. I'm a guy! I'm not much of a swimmer, but I am a very good observer.

10. Rick Perry, City Building Inspector - This one isn't so much about the job, it's more about the vehicle. He gets to drive one of those electric cars around the city. He gave me a ride in one in the summer of 2004. I haven't forgotten it. I'd spend my day driving around, looking at buildings, and waving at friends. I'll save the paperwork for Rick to handle.

That's my list. What North Country job would you like to do for a day?

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Yesterday Bruce Sutter was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I met him a few times during his career and he was a nice guy, but I'm not happy. This guy with a losing record (68 wins and 71 losses) gets a plaque in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, while two of my favorite baseball players may never be so honored. I'm talking about Gil Hodges and Steve Garvey. Both Dodgers' first basemen have career records that merit induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I know you can twist statistics to make anyone look good, but Hodges played 18 major league seasons and Garvey 19, while Sutter played 12. Hodges played in 1908 games, Garvey in 2261 and Sutter in 661 games. Experts will point to Sutter's 300 saves and his contributions to the importance of the relief pitcher in baseball, which is noteworthy stuff, but he pitched in a total of 1042 1/3 innings. Hodges and Garvey played that many innings in one season. And they retired with great overall numbers.

Hodges hit .273 lifetime, admittedly not so special, but he hit 370 career home runs and drove in 1274 runs. His slugging percentage is .487. Garvey hit .294 lifetime with a slugging percentage of .446 and he hit 272 home runs in his career, driving in 1308 runs. In addition, both Hodges and Garvey were outstanding defensively (does that count?). Hodges fielded .992 at first base lifetime and Garvey's fielding percentage is an amazing .996 (Sutter's is .963).

I never met Gil Hodges, but from all accounts he was a gentleman of the game and was loved by the Brooklyn Dodgers' fans (and later by the New York Mets' fans when he managed the Miracle Mets to the 1969 World Series title). I met Steve Garvey several times and he always made his fans feel special. He never walked away from a fan who wanted his autograph. For certain, he was a Hall of Famer off the field.

Instead, next July it will be Bruce Sutter getting his plaque hung in Cooperstown, while fans of Gil Hodges and Steve Garvey wonder about the sense of fair play. I love baseball, and I love visiting the Hall of Fame, but I'm not happy!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

My blog thoughts today are based on previous blogs and readers' comments:

In case you were wondering ...
... retirement is as terrific as everyone (Sal Righi, Skip Zatonski, Luther Weisman, Sandy Lashua, to name a few) said it would be. Every day I have something to do -- if I choose to do it!
... I am still on my quest to grow a ponytail. A few days ago I tried putting my hair into a ponytail (I have to admit, I needed help since I've never done this before!) and, at this time, I have a short tail with curls at the end. Okay for a third-grade girl, but not okay for a macho guy like me.
... my mom's advice to keep my feet warm this winter is still working. Temperatures have dipped, I've walked through snow at my ankles, but not a sniffle yet!
... high school sports takes up a part of my life almost every day ... and I love it. I even attended a bowling match today and was amazed at the organization, the parent support, the good sportsmanship and the skills of these young athletes.

In case you were wondering ...
... I have added to my list of North Country nicknames and hope to start my book next summer! There are so many good ones -- "Weasel," and "Chi-chi" and "Fuzzy."
... my first Christmas not being able to watch my son (Erik, now 27) open his gifts from me was changed with a pleasant surprise. "Big E" and his wife Sarah made a videotape on the night they opened gifts, and Dad got to see their reactions after all!
... I am still buying and eating instant mashed potatoes... several times a week! My blog on this subject brought several comments here and a barrage of comments when readers saw me at basketball games or at the post office. There are bigger controversies to deal with in life, but, for now, the mashed potatoes controversy rages on. Should I take a vote?
... I haven't heard from Assemblyman Ortloff about my suggestions for new laws. At least one or two of those might pass the Assembly in 2006.
... soccer isn't the only sport where there is "mania." There is another kind of "mania" that takes place in the bleachers at high school basketball games, and much of the hoopla is aimed at the hard-working officials who are trying their best in front of several hundred would-be officials who claim to have better eyesight.
... I am still not running for mayor. My TV show "Fox on the Run" doesn't have anything to do with political ambitions. I can hardly wait to see who does run for mayor, but I think several current city councilors (and a few former ones -- what's Jack Stewart doing these days?) would make excellent mayors.
... the banter at "On the Sly" between "W" and "Bullet" is heating up ... and I'm enjoying it. Perhaps it will lead to a face-to-face confrontation with our "Fox on the Run" cameras to record the meeting.

In case you were wondering ... a new "On the Sly" appears every few days at this website. It is not found in the pages of the Press-Republican newspaper. I hope you'll keep visiting and commenting at "On the Sly."

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

People in Mayberry often laughed at Barney Fife, but I didn't. I thought he was a pretty smart guy sometimes. My brother Goose has always been quick to point out that Barney always had a great way of dealing with certain situations. I think "the Barney Fife method" is what we need here. You see, a few days ago a blog reader commented that what with Mayor Dan Stewart having already announced that he will not be seeking re-election I should run for mayor. That idea was supported by another blog reader and then I received several private e-mails, one from as far away as Albany, suggesting the same!

Barney Fife's saying in situations such as this would be, "You gotta nip it in the bud! Nip it! Nip it! Nip it!" And that's what I'm doing now. Foxy Gagnon will not be running for mayor. I have known that for several years. I received an early education in politics from my mother. Many years ago, when Don Garrant was a County Legislator, someone in the Democratic Party asked me about running against him. You see, Don is a Fox Hill boy and so am I. We are both graduates of Our Lady of Victory Academy, although Don graduated several years before I did. In fact, he was the guest speaker at my high school graduation in 1966. He was the epitome of success and the pride of the good sisters at OLVA, and rightfully so. I guess that this one politician felt that Foxy Gagnon challenging Don Garrant was an election made in heaven.

I was even considering the possibilities until I told my Mom about running against Don Garrant. Her reaction was immediate. "You can't do that!" she shouted.

"Why not?" I wondered.

"Because I always vote for Don Garrant!" she replied. It became crystal clear to me in that moment. If even my own mother wouldn't vote for me in competition against Don Garrant, then I knew I had little chance of swaying the masses. Thus ended the political career of Foxy Gagnon.

And now, so many years later, when it is suggested that the retired Foxy would have time to run for mayor, I say "Nip it! Nip it! Nip it!" I can suggest several men and women in the community who would make excellent candidates for mayor. I have no doubt in my mind that the lessons taught by Barney Fife and my Mom should be my guide. Personally, I think Mayor Dan should stay and win re-election. Or, maybe Don Garrant should run for mayor. I know he'd get my Mom's vote!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

The article came out of London via the Reuters News Service. "Soccer has become the most exciting sport for the last 100 years ..." is the finding from a panel of scientists who studied the outcomes of sporting events over the past century. Go-kart racing, NASCAR and darts weren't included in the survey so that leaves many of us in the North Country with a bone to pick with this finding right from the get-go.

But soccer? Exciting? Most exciting? Most of us growing up in the city of Plattsburgh in the Fifties and Sixties didn't even know what a soccer ball looked like. Oh, it was played, but by those boys outside of the city, like in Dannemora and Ellenburg. Only they had big enough yards to play that game anyway. Did you ever really look at the size of a soccer field? Plus, those boys wore shorts to play a fall sport, while most of us were bundling up in football pads and helmets for the real fall sport, you know, the manly one, football.

Somehow when us baby boomers weren't looking our kids started playing soccer... and wearing those shorts! My one experience with the sport came sometime around 1980 while I was teaching at Stafford Middle School. I was an athlete back in high school, so I can play this sport, I thought. But I'm not wearing those shorts! So off we went (the faculty, I mean) to challenge the eighth graders in an after-school soccer game. Did you ever really look at the size of a soccer field? I did that day. That is one big field, bigger than a football field.

But I ran and ran, and even laughed a bit at my own fatigue, and then, in one quick moment, my days as an athlete were over! There was that soccer ball just a few feet away from me (so that's what a soccer ball looks like!), ready for me to kick a game-winning goal. Taking aim I moved my formerly-agile body into motion for the heroic kick, just at the same moment that my colleague Gale Carroll (you know Gale Carroll, former star athlete at Peru Central prior to Title IX and now an outstanding math teacher at SMS) took similar aim at the soccer ball. We collided. Oh, it was an event to behold! Gale went one way, I went the other way, and the ball stayed right there without being stirred. Parents ran with their cameras to capture the exciting event! Gale ended up with grass stains on her shorts and I ended up in traction! Okay, it wasn't that bad, but I did have to wear one of those cushiony collars to school for the next week and a half!

But that's not what this blog is about. It's about the excitement of soccer, and I saw that firsthand this past high school soccer season. I was invited to videotape the Plattsburgh High School boys' soccer team during the season. And, indeed, I gained a new respect for a sport I really didn't know much about. Yes, they wore those shorts! But the real excitement is when a guy like Dustin Rabideau headbutts a ball past the goalie for a game-winning score. Or when goalie David Rosoff dives fully-extented to grab a ball that was destined for the back of the net. Or when a player like Ean Kelleher or Patrick Shaughnessy weaves past the defenders with the soccer ball. The quickness, the agility, the stamina that it takes to play soccer became apparant to me. Hey, I bet if I'd had the chance to play soccer in my day ... oh, wait, no way! I would never wear those shorts!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

On the front page of the Press-Republican on January 1, 2006, a headline grabbed my attention. "New Year, New Laws" in bold print was followed by "Dozens of new rules begin today." Great, I thought! I'd been hoping we'd have some new laws in the upcoming year. As I read the story I realized that my kind of laws weren't what the lawmakers in Albany had in mind. The new laws had to do with 13-year-olds riding a watercraft alone, and another had to do with tax rates, something I've never understood, and another law had to do with the activities of lobbyists. Important stuff, I suppose, but not what I see as great strides for the making of a better New York, a better 2006, a better world!

Maybe Assemblyman Ortloff can take my list with him the next time he journeys to Albany. I am thinking that every kid should be forced to watch reruns of "The Lawrence Welk Show" or, at least, "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour." I think every kid should be forced to eat dinner with the family at least once a week. And every kid should be forced to stay at the dinner table to hear Dad's stories of when he was a high school sports star, even though they've already heard each story ten times. I think every family should go for a car ride once week, preferably on Sunday afternoon or early evening (no MP3, no laptop, no cellphones allowed). I think every kid should be forced to kiss their parents goodnight before they get in bed.

I think it would be a better Plattsburgh if the city shut down one street each Friday night in the summer, hired a DJ, and hosted a block party (with music by Chubby Checker, Ricky Nelson and the Beatles). And as for music, as much as I have recently come to enjoy the music of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Maroon5 and Lifehouse, I think every kid should be forced to listen to Bobby Vinton sing "Roses Are Red" or Ronnie Dove sing "Kiss Away" or Patsy Cline sing "I Fall to Pieces" so they know what a romantic song sounds like.

I think every kid should have a chore to do at home, like take out the garbage or wash dishes or vacuum the living room floor. I think each kid should get a bag of marbles on their eighth birthday to learn the thrill of playing for "one-zies" or "two-zies" and to learn the heartbreak of losing a "pucker." I think every kid should be forced to eat shredded wheat at least once a month (sugar and warm milk required). And every kid should be forced to bait a hook and drop a line in the Saranac River at least once before the age of 50. I think Plattsburgh and the world would be better if every kid were forced to wear a homemade Halloween costume at least one October 31st.

Maybe I'm just an old "softie," as one blog comment called me, but I think these laws would be important laws. These laws would set some of us back on the right path, get us focused on what truly matters. Maybe a reader has a law they'd like to see passed. I'd be interested! Let's give Assemblyman Ortloff a briefcase full of ideas to bring to the State Legislature in 2006.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

2006 is 16 minutes old. The house is quiet and logs are crackling in the fireplace. 2005 arrived and left in a hurry, it seems. My 2005 was very likely pretty much like yours, filled with countless happy moments, special occasions to celebrate, family activities to keep us busy, and sadness at the loss of friends and loved ones.

During the past year I mourned the loss of special friends and enjoyed the companionship of new friends, who taught me once again to smile and then to enjoy the sound of my own laughter. In some ways, I'll always consider 2005 as a special year. I found that retiring from one job brought unexpected opportunities for other endeavors, not the least of which is this "On the Sly" blog at the Press Republican website. As always my family (son Erik, brother Goose, sister Darlene, and, of course, Mom) has offered support, friendship, wisdom and understanding as this 57-year-old faced new challenges a year ago.

Now it's on to the mystery of 2006. Tradition asks us to pick out a "New Year's Resolution." I've never been good at that. Even when I was younger, I found it difficult to go even a week without abandoning my "resolution." So, no resolution here. Just good wishes for all that 2006 will have special moments with special people and that at least one person will make you smile each day.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)