On The Sly

If smoke, spices, preservatives and salt kill anything that might help pepperoni rot, I think maybe I'll take a bath in the recipe.
I have a lot of good memories from Plattsburgh. Back it the late '70's I played music a lot at the Flagship Lounge at the Holiday Inn with a band called SPUNK (from Montreal) when Gary was Assistant Manager and then he became the Manager (or Innkeeper as they called it).
Jack use to come over from Creative Sound, Gerry Levigne's band use to play at the Lounge also back then and when his band was off he'd come down to jam with us. What a GREAT guitar player.
And , of course, Lita Kelly. We'd go down on our nights off when we could to catch Lita at the Flagship or the Monopole. I think she was playing a Martin at that time but her husband showed us a guitar he was building her while we were all over for dinner.(Great apple pie Lita!) When I was reading Dianne Scott's post, I recognized some of the places that she had mentioned and it brought back memories like Clare & Carl's Michigans and all.
After our gig, though, we'd all head to the Steakman. The place was usually packed late night/early morning.
I really had some good times there in the North country. Thanks for the memories.

(Foxy's note: Welcome aboard the blog, Barry! Thanks for sharing some great memories ... and I'd forgotten about those flaming steaks at the Steakman!)

George,
After I sent that , I knew I was wrong and you ran the 1/2 mile. Bernie Coryer ran the 1/4 mile.

We had our 40th reunion there in P'burgh in 2003. I think we had about 60 out of a 100 show up. We plan to get together again soon maybe as early as next summer. I e-mail with Jim Knight, Lowell Boaz, Bob Dhu and I have quite a few addresses of old PAFB folks.
To everyone I wish Happy Holidays to you and yours and hope to see you on Foxy's place again next year!

Paul

(PS-Foxy have Merry One and Happy New Year!)

Foxy Gagnon, Happy Holidays Talk to next year. George

Hi, Paul Shirley. You bring back old home week. That the half mile that I ran. I miss alot of friends from PAFBase. Take care Paul. HAPPY HOLIDAYS. George Stetz

Foxy:

Man I'm sorry I missed the reunion at Merons. Next year we (Woody, Miney, and who ever else we can recruit will be there). We are always looking for an excuse to get up to the North Country for a get together. Plus running into some old friends is the best. I would like to see Skip, and Goose and yourself. Once somebody told me who was who, cause I know we don't look like we use to. Goose it's been a long time, we competed against each other since little league. One of those people you lose touch with but always remembered as a hell of a guy.
Foxy you're giving the people of the North Country a great treat. Today as I read through your blogs I recognized sports heros of my kid years had left comments. There was Popcorn Smallcombe man what a boxer. Paul Shirley, a football player, shot putter, and I believe a wrestler. Then George Stetz, a product of one of George Kimball's best basketball teams.
Fox have you heard about the Stowaways reunion this summer? Ken philips, Bentley Austin, Jeff Jones, Mike O'Connell,Spence Bosworth,and Jimmy Wells, will be performing again. This is almost as good as a Beatles Reunion. How many of us grew up listening to these guys playing Louie Louie at a local dance, and later at a local pub. I believe it's July 15th and 16th. Gonna encompass a lot of past graduating classes.

Thanks again Foxy

Stan

The "George Stetz" that ran the quarter-mile? Been like old home week on Foxy's Blog.

Foxy,
I appreciate the forum and your memories for all of us that love the P'burgh area and I hope you have many more years there with the PressRepublican. The PHS class of '67 plans to have their reunion there in July or August of '07 and has invited several other PHS classes to join them, so there is a chance of me "putting an eyeball on" and having a "highball with" the Fox!!

Happy Holidays Everone!
Paul

Foxy, I enjoy reading the "On the Sly" on the Press Republican web site. You are doing a fine job and you sure bring back a lot of memories.

Remember the old Montcalm Avenue neighborhood? Between Bailey Avenue and Cornelia Street you could find any of your wants and needs. There was Murray's Grocery, Fountain & Lucas Grocery and Liquor Store, Mose Lucie Grocery, Lagears Moving and Storage, Phil's Cleaners, Goldman's Furniture and Clothing Store, City Cab, Anderson Insurance, Condo's Pharmacy, an IGA at the end of Montcalm and a Esso Gas Station. And of course Cozzie Corner, Happy Lamar's Grocery and the "4th Ward."

I'm retired now and have moved to the Carolina coast. Perhaps you remember some of the guys from my era: Gary Lucas, John Fountain, Sherm Forkey, Wick Cadieux (whom lives in my neighborhood down here now). Gary Butler, Marty Bahawwa, Wayne Lashway and Marty Bernstein. Teddy Dandrow, Gill Murray and Butch Gebo. Hector Duquette from the Fox Hill Gang, Denny Ward from OLVA, the Yetman boys Don and Dave, Dick Garret and Eddie Briggs. And don't forget the Montcalmer's basketball team.

The Montcalmer's had a reunion this past summer. Wick Cadieux and myself were sorry that we were not able to attend. Hopefully I'll be able to visit the neighborhood in 2007.

I really enjoy reading "Foxy's on the Sly", keep up the good work, you are doing a fine job. Thanks for bringing back good memories.

George Stetz

Well, it is good see that my presence on the blog has been missed! I have, however, replied several times to the blog since Election Day. I have been called many things in my life so whatever you all feel comfortable with is fine with me. I am sure the list of names will only increase as the year progresses!

Congratulations for a year well done with the blog. I am sure all of your readers and writers appreciate your time spent on this effort.
Dianne mentioned the Pizza Corner as a place she remembers. I can recall nothing but fond memories of Mike's. It was a place everyone was a friend. It made no difference if you were a Jonnie, Mountie, OLVA, or PHS.
Mike was a great person. He offered the teens of the time a place to get together for fun and friendship.
Foxy, as for carver you and myself getting together at Meron's to talk about a couple of things, I'm always up for that.

Greatest quote ever from the carver. " We couldnt keep our Stewarts straight"
......Think about it :)

Foxy,
Congratulations on the first anniversary of “On The Sly”.

It has been quite an educational, as well as very rewarding experience reading the blog. I can’t say that my learning would have been nearly as thorough if the blog was presented by anyone else. Being the raconteur that you are has given me great insight into life in Plattsburgh well before my very existence. I feel that learning about the lives of others who grew up in Plattsburgh has helped me appreciate growing-up in the city even more. When I moved from the area after high school, I figured I would never have any reason other than Mom and Dad to ever come back to the small, uneventful, college town. But now, when I see the value in childhood experiences, and the golden memories associated with growing up in our community and neighborhood, I can’t wait to share my anecdotes with my wife and son.

Thank you, Foxy, and keep up the good work!

Speaking of Don, Donnie or Donny...where is he?. Don/Donnie/Donny was was an active particpant in your blog prior to November 7, but hasn't been heard from since. hmmmm.....

Last comment on the ie, ee or y factor. Greatest of them all -----simply Ronnie to many in the north country. Not a bad guy to use as a model.

Wow, guess it's true ...Everybody does "Love Raymond"!!!
Fine job fox, I think we're all enjoying it!
Although I find it hard to believe Grady came up with such I great title... he probably stole it from Dynko before he left!

as for the pepperoni...didn't know you could leave it out??

and Rubble be realistic,
lets Hope there won't be any confusion between Plattsburgh's Donny and Peru's Donny...Don't think their management styles will have anything in common!!....we couldn't keep our Stewarts staight so let's work extra hard on keeping our Donny's straight...

and Foxy ,lastly, I'm thinkin you , me and Carr ought get together at Meron's soon...there's a couple of things I'd like to go over..if ya catch my drift...maybe ought have "Skip" there too!

keep up the good work!

Foxy:
Congratulations on your anniversary. For those of us not native to the area your blog certainly provides us with some informative and entertaining reading.
Your point about what name the media will use for our new mayor strikes a cord with me. Awhile back, I had a conversation with one of our local media folks telling them I feel the use of nicknames (i.e. Bernie, Don, Jim) is inappropriate for journalists. This gives the incumbent, who already has an inherent advantage, an even greater edge since nicknames present a sense of comfort and familiarity. Which is exactly what politians hope to achieve. Lets face it, John Q. Public feels more comfortable, and has a greater sense of familiarity with "Bernie" Sanders as opposed to Bernard Sanders; "Dan" Stewart than Daniel Stewart; and "Betty" Little more so than Elizabeth Little. So, in essence, the media is buying into the politians or officials plan. Anyway, just my little rant. Once again, congratulations on a job well done and here's to many more years of blogging.

Foxy!!

Hats off and a pat on the back for a wonderful first year. Your blog has proven to be "more than you expected and a wonderful addition to the North Country."

I anxiously await your latest edition. I may not post to all of your blogs but I have answered a few. Like the Old Timer, Carver, Bullet, Skip, Fred, et al, your blog has become a great opportunity to keep updated or to go back into the past and remember some wonderful places that hold fond memories.

Just the other day Fred Forkey was talking about Leonard "Popcorn" Smallcombe and one of his big games of basketball at the YMCA. Many might remember Popcorn, Paul Savage, Buddy DeCarlo and Bobby Smart and Pat Malloy all of those Golden Gloves boxers that trained at the old Horicon Hose Building at the top of Montcalm Avenue and then fought in the Vermont Golden Glovers and many times brought home the Champions Belt in the Division. Buddy diCarlo's father Frankie was their coach.

Some might even remember Buck Burns and his sons, Jeff and Scott and the many other fine speed skaters that our area had and the Speed Skating races that took place down behind the old PHS. Thanks for the blog and a change to let some of us vent about the great past and history of the North Country.

congratulations on the first anniversity .. reading the blog the past year has really brought back alot of great memories.. although i did not grow up in plattsburgh and attend school there i still call it my second home.. i guess it was the luck of the draw to be assigned to PAFB and work part time for the Steltzers at the sunoco station ...keep up the good work, foxy..

Would you rather be called Fox? or Andy Rooney / Andrew???

Im glad your blog is doing so well, In fact I bought a laptop to accompany me to Myrtle Beach this winter so I can keep up with the wild escapades of some of the fellow bloggers and keep in tune with the songs and sagas of Plattsburgh.
Although I'm not a native of Plattsburgh I've only lived here for 47 years after I escaped from the Air Force. There must be a reason for that, eh?
So, Foxy, or do you prefer Fox?
If I don't see you at the local watering hole before the holidays, enjoy them!! and to the other bloggers I wish the same.

Skip

Foxy (Ray),
Congratulations on your first anniversary of this blog!! The nostalgia, memories and even the current topics (along with comments) are great! I especially enjoyed hearing about your "adventure" at the OLVA skating rink. It brought back memories of many fun times, which I had there, as a child before I initially left Plattsburgh. There's never been any doubt in my mind that the Press Republican would continue the blog! Keep up the good work.

Congratulations on your first anniversary. You're the "best." Merry Christmas to you and your family! Hugs from Texas!

Foxy,
YOU THE MAN!!!!!!!!!

A few musings:

1. The press chose the right man.
2. The Youngstown Penguins (I believe) are the only school that uses the penguin as a college mascot in the U.S.
3. Better Penguins than the SUNY College Red Dragons of both Cortland and Oneonta. You would think that two schools in New York in the same conference could each come up with their own imaginative beast to champion their cause. It is really pretty hard to dress up a dog like a red dragon. Might be easier to dress one up like a penguin.
4, Donny or Donnie is just following the local footsteps of sometimes called Donnie Covel or Jimmy Langley in ee fashion. Actually I suppose that Donnie was Donnie before the other two made it fashionable to be political ee's. Perhaps there will be a mayor named Jackie someday. Maybe the outgoing mayor could appoint one.
5. I suspect that the city counselors will be able to handle Donneaze, let's remember that they have been challenged before to keep the Stewart's straight.
6. Be careful of mentioning the big bucks made off ebay too often. There may be a tax man around the corner --Pete Rose can tell you how that works.

(Foxy's note: Good ones, Rubble!)

Fox man! Greetings from Japan! Congratulations on your first year of "on the sly!" As you know from our phone conversations your blog has kept me in touch with home while i'm on the road. I'll see you the Week of December 17th!

(Foxy's note: My friend Bryan Benway, a graduate of Ausable Valley Central and Plattsburgh State, is traveling the globe as the court announcer for the Harlem Ambassadors professional show basketball team.)

Congratulations on your first year of "On The Sly", Foxy! I am a dedicated reader and a once in a while poster. I have so enjoyed not only your take on life in Plattsburgh, past & present, but the responses you have garnered from your readers. I haven't lived in NY for nearly 20 years, and haven't lived in Plattsburgh for even longer than that. Some of my favorite memories? Shirley Temples made for me by Kenny the bartender at my cousin's Union Hotel; playing with the Holcombe boys & Chrissy Hurley whenever I visited my great-aunt Margaret Ariel at 41 Draper Avenue; attending St. John's Academy (if only for 1 year) and being one of Principal Sister Mary Bernadine's favorites; singing in the St. John's choir with Lita Kelly; volunteering to stuff envelopes at the YMCA under Mr. Anthony, hanging out at Mike's Pizza Corner, Chet Hazen's music store and Nelson's Music Center; pizza with other "Johnnies" at Arnie's, walking to the Stowaways' YMCA dances from my Aunt's house, kissing at the "College pond", michigans at Clare & Carl's, and attending the brand new Clinton Community College during its first 2 years of operation. I may live in Texas, but my heart is still in the beauty of the North Country. Thanks for keeping that link open and alive! Here's to the next year,
Dianne in Austin

(Foxy's note: Thanks so much for sharing so many great memories. The reunion of the Stowaways is in July 2007!)