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Ausable Forks' Night to Remember
Not very many residents of Keeseville, Ausable Forks and even Jay stayed home last night. That's because most of them were at the Ausable Forks American Legion Post 504 for the second annual Ausable Valley Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. I never would have thought that 2000 people could fit into the building. But it seemed as though that many people were in attendance.
The pre-game "Happy Hour" was indeed just that. Lots of happy memories of the days when our waistlines were trimmer and our hair was thicker. Lots of old newspaper clippings of Keeseville High School and Ausable Forks High School sporting events. Lots of stories about coaches, umpires, basketball officials and fans. I was there at the invitation of the Hall of Fame Committee in order to document the event on videotape.
This year's inductees reads like a who's who of great athletes south of Plattsburgh: John Dennett, Robert Devins, Bob Meconi, David Ghiloni, Gary Finney Jr., Marty Snow, Mike McCormack, Jamie Douglass and John Nixon. At gametime, each inductee was introduced by a speaker they had selected. The presenters included brothers, teammates and coaches.
As you might guess the speeches were nostalgic, humorous and oftentimes poignant. The most touching moments were when Joey Nixon introduced his brother Johnny. As many people know, Johnny, the youngest of the inductees, is battling Lou Gehrig's Disease, and he was present, along with many family members, including Johnny's infant daughter.
Joey's presentation was straight from the heart and it touched most of us in the room. Joey made us happy, proud and sad all at the same time. And then ten-year-old Meghan Strong, a Nixon family relative, sang "Wind Beneath My Wings." She sang it beautifully and proudly, but towards the end she was overcome with emotion.
And so were most of us there. The crowd erupted into a standing ovation for Meghan and the Nixons. I have to admit that the Nixon fifteen minutes were the most touching moments in my 17 years of videotaping North Country events.
Other schools in the North Country have had Sports Hall of Fames or similar recognitions for many years. Ticonderoga and Saranac Lake may have been the first, followed by Plattsburgh High School and Seton Catholic, whose Wall of Fame recognizes members from Plattsburgh's parochial schools through the years.
And now Ausable Valley has theirs. And it's a good one! Last year the committee inducted twelve charter members: Eddie Yelle, Duke Latourelle, Poppy Rock, George Kurz, John Konowitz, Maurice Hickey, Danny Hoey, Paul Savage, Ed Barrie, James "Ned" Hoey, Billy Hackett and John Steffy. Many of them were at last night's festivities.
It was clear to this "city boy" that growing up in a hamlet like Keeseville or Ausable Forks has its advantages. Throughout the entire evening, through the laughter and the tears, it was so clear that people in that room had love and respect for each other. And the teenagers present saw that. I have a feeling that those are qualities that will never fade in this community.
Comments
Foxy,
It was great to see you last week. I really enjoy your blog. Being far away, reading your blog brings back memories and reminds me of all the great memories and people back home. Thanks for the fun stories and bringing back many fond memories.
Regarding the AVCS Hall of Fame, I am embarrassed that I neglected to mention what I think was the most troubling times but one of the greatest rescues during the schools existence. In 1978 (I think), the school budget was voted down and there was no money approved for any sports or after school activities. Many of the students were looking to transfer to Lake Placid or other local schools. Who knows maybe even run away?? It seemed like the only thing to do. A school without sports is like a brushing your teeth with a toothbrush without toothpaste. So a handful of parents got together from both the Au Sable Forks and Keeseville townships and founded the AVCS Booster Club.
It was amazing how this group of people brought both the Au Sable and Keeseville communities together and raised the funds to support all of the sports and after school activities during that year. Donations came in from the community, local merchants, people from outside the district, from alumni who lived far away and even from people who voted the budget down. Coaches went without salaries and bus drivers donated their time to drive bus to transport teams to and from the games. Some of us had parents that spent night after night at the school working the snack bar, taking admission or creating the next fund raiser.
As the years went by the members of booster club would change faces. But today you can still see many of the same faces doing some of the same functions as they did back in 1978. It is to the founders of the booster club and all of the boosters over the years that have built a foundation that all of the people at AVCS should be proud of. In that room last Saturday night the number of people that went through that school and have continued to give back to the kids of today through coaching, donating their time or just participating in some way is amazing.
This is my way of recognizing the founders of the AVCS Booster Club and thanks for what all of the people in the valley have done for me and my teammates. It was great to be home.
(Foxy's note: Thanks for the comments, Gary! I'm sure you and many other Hall of Famers will return year after year to honor the new inductees.)
Posted by: Gary Finney Jr | September 29, 2007 4:30 AM