{ title: 'The Altamont enterprise. (Altamont, N.Y.) 1983-2006, November 25, 2004, Page 3, Image 3', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/2004-11-25/ed-1/seq-3/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/2004-11-25/ed-1/seq-3.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/2004-11-25/ed-1/seq-3/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/2004-11-25/ed-1/seq-3/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
The Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, November 25,2004 3 '.%?*- -».^^.V -, * *»*«• >«K The Enterprise — James E. Gardner Attention! Wild torn turkeys strut their stuff in Knox back when Thanksgiving dinner was a long way off. Thomas Jefferson had wanted the wild turkey, rather than the bald eagle, to be the American symbol. Commentary Chemistry a salvation in a world of chaos By Jo E. Prout Thanksgiving is here, and it's about time! I'm taking a course in organic chemistry this semester and the end can't come soon enough. Thanksgiving is the mid-semester hurdle to be jumped before the December fin- ish line. Why does a reporter need or- ganic chemistry? What does chemistry have to do with Thanksgiving? And how am I ever going to finish my holiday shopping with visions of molecules dancing in my head? A part-time reporter and full- time mom needs chemistry to Get Out Of The House. Kids come home from school (my kid and the neighbors' kids who clomp through leaving noise, candy wrappers, and mud in their wake), and eat, fight, and whine. By the time the kids ar- rive, the baby is both exhausted from her day with Mommy, and wound up by the sight of four big, fun kids who make noise, give her candy, and leave mud for her to slip in, pick up and eat, or smear into the floor that I've spent the day trying to keep clean. By the time my husband comes home, I'm ready to sit blissfully alone in my car and lis- ten to the radio with no interrup- tions as I drive to class. I have, actually, sat blissfully alone in my car and merely driven around the block at the end of the day, but it's nice to have a desti- nation. The first words out of the pro- fessor's mouth the first night were, \There's nothing to be scared of.\ Yeah, right, Frank, I thought. Scared? It's organic chemistry — a class in which, a comedian once said, professors will give poor students an F minus, in fairness to the students who only failed. No worries about grades with Frank at Hudson Valley Com- munity College. His lectures are more accessible (and more af- fordable, by the way) than my science classes at University at Albany, with which I was also impressed. Here's an aside: 1 LOVE NY! New York public education is amazing. I ought to know, having been educated on the other side of the country and having had to compete with stu- dents from the Northeast. I love my son's public elementary school here. His school offers computers, art, real books (don't laugh!), and field trips to New York City shows and museums. Do you know where we went for field trips in Texas? The county prison. No lie. Don't get me wrong — prison life is defi- nitely educational, but I'll take Broadway over hard-core civics lessons any day. My own classes at New York state schools have been quality, all the way. Good instruction, relatively inexpensive tuition, and all the selection a student could want. That aside is over,, but here's another: I don't have an \I LOVE NY!\ bumper sticker, even if it sounds like I do. Please don't send me one. If you want to take your 37-cent stamp and send the cost of a bumper sticker to your favorite charity for Thanksgiv- ing, we'd appreciate it — we be- ing my husband and myself (and, presumably, the charity). Hubby does not like bumper stickers, but don't you know he's got an alumni sticker on his win- dow? He says that doesn't count. Our alma mater, Notre Dame, recently sent a survey asking if we would recommend it to new applicants (and, also, if we would send money — probably not for students, but for landscaping). I wrote back, \Yes but I'd rec- ommend that they take their sci- ence classes elsewhere, unless things have changed since I was there.\ Talk about being thrown to the wolves, having to swim with the sharks, and dreaming of sleeping with the fishies! The hoses in lab were so old, we swore Pasteur had \Past\ them on to us. Dried, cracked, broken equipment was the norm for undergrads. Most equipment was thrown into corners in piles at the end of each lab. When a new one started, it was Lord of the Flies all over. Students thought only of themselves as they dove for the best equipment, and then teamed up to sneer at the rest of us who had to scrape up the leftovers and manipulate them into sal- vageable clasps,^stands, and rings. There must have been a professor in the building, but I never saw one. Exhausted teach- ing assistants were no help. They were busy writing scathing comments in our lab books. Nothing to be scared about, said Frankie. 1 didn't believe him, but what were my choices? I could go home and cook a fourth or fifth meal of the day (and clean up, again, and listen to end-of-the-day chaos), or I could stay and try to work the gray cells. I stayed. Thankfully, this class, the stu- dents, and the professor are noth- ing like those others years ago. I told my prof about the sur- vey. \They'll never read it,\ he said. Thanks for putting that into per- spective for me, too, Frank. Two hours into lecture, my mind starts reviewing Thanks- giving recipes. I realize that, if class ends early (but not too early, please!), I can make it home in time for bedtime stories but after the drama that comes -with the announcement, \Time for pajamas!\ I might, instead, make it to the department store before it closes and pick up a few holiday gifts — quickly, since I'm alone. I could even grab a cup of tea and drink it while it's still hot. So many choices, so much for which to be thankful. Altamont Enterprise, November 25,1904 From Sporting Affairs: About 350 deer and elk at Belle Meade near Nashville, Tenn. were on Thursday purchased by a hunting club in which Harry Payne Whitney of New York and other wealthy men are interested. The animals will be turned loose in the 60,000 acre game preserve the New Yorkers own around Hickory valley in that state. — In the swimming race at Honolulu Saturday, Dan Renair won the 100-yard race in 1 minute flat, a world'6 record. The world's amateur record for the yards in the open air was held by E.G. Schaefer, an Australian, whose time was 1 minute, 53.5 seconds. — Cornell runners won the intercollegiate team cross-country championship a t Travers Island, New York, on Wednesday with a total of 12 points, beating Pennsylvania, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. E.T. Newman was the individual winner. From Village and Town: The linemen connected with the Hudson River Telephone Co. are in the village putting\up the wires broken down in the storm of the 13th and 19th last. — The introduction of new rural free delivery postal routes calls for many changes in the address of our subscribers. Wo are pleased to make them but they would greatly aid us if they woidd give us their present address as well as the address to which they wish their paper changed. * :|: * * From Local Brevities: The public school was closed yesterday and today in observance of Thanksgiving. — Mrs. Joseph Shutter, while engaged in household duties on Saturday, fell and sprained one of her wrists. — Nearly every night we see large parties of young and old people tobogganing in this village. — On Monday, Mr. Charles Comley finished manufacturing cider. He will put a large force of men at work at once to rebuild his saw mill. The foundation has already been laid. — Mr. S.E. Van Dermark has secured the contract to paint the Slingerlands public school building both the interior and exterior. The inside work will be done during the holidays. The building has needed painting for a long time and the Board of Education deserves credit in its wise selection of Mr. Van Dermark to do the work. A good job may be expected. From Berne: Morgan Sand has sold his farm, formerly known as the Shaver place, to Lester Hassler. — Ed Pier is making the fur fly or rather he is rounding it up having trapped 14 skunks and seven muskrals. — Powder must necessarily advance in price, and the usual prognostication is being passed around, in regard to a hard winter, in this locally at least. The reason so many weddings taking place. The Enterprise Awarded for editorial writing by the New York Press Association The Enterprise Published continuously since July 26. 1884 \We seek the truth and print, it\ JAMES E. GARDNER Publisher MELISSA HALE-SPENCER Editor §f NEWS OFFICE • Staff Writers .. Advertising Director. Advertising Representative Office Manager Production 861-5005 or 861-5008 BUSINESS OFFICE — 861-664 1 . JO E. PROUT, TIM MATTESON, NICOLE FAY BARK, IIOLLYGROSCH, MATT COOK, BILL SHERMAN . JANISTASTOR-861-5893 JACKIE GENOVESI WANDA GARDNER —861-6641 JAMES E GARDNER JR., CARLALUFT, BARBARA DEGAETANO, DIANE GROFF, DEBRA PRATT, SUSAN SPACCARELLI The Enterprise is the newspaper oflecord for Guildcrland, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Kensselacrvdle. Our mission is to find the truth, report it fairly, and provide a forum for the open exchange of ideas on issues important to our community PUBLISHED THURSDAYS at 123 Maple Ave, Altamont, NY 12009 Periodical postage paid at Altamont, NY Postmaster Send address changes to The Altamont Enterprise, PO Box 654, Altamont, NY 12009 USPS 692-580, ISSN 0890-6025 FAX: 861-5105 EMAIL altamontenterprisefrtsdsl net OFFICE HOURS. 9am to 5 p m , Monday through Friday SUBSCRIPTION RATES For Albany County residents, one year, S28, six months, S21 For out-of-county subscribers, one year, S30, six months, $24 Postal charges incurred by a subscriber's failure to notify the newspaper of an address change will be billed to the subscriber upon renewal No refunds on subscriptions. Single copy. 75 cents. ADVERTISEMENT RATES available upon request. The publisher reserves the right to reject advertising at any time for any reason Liability for errors in advertisements will, at the publisher's discretion, be limited to the value of the ad only NEWS DEADLINES For correspondents' columns, Monday before publication For all other contributions, Tuesday before publication. CORRECTIONS: The Enterprise will correct errors and clarify misunderstandings in news stories when brought to the attention of the editor, phone 861-5005. VIEWPOINTS expressed by staff members, contributing writers, and correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership of The Enterprise. QUESTIONS and COMMENTS concerning the content of this newspaper should be directed to the editor by calling 861-5005 or in the form of a letter to the editor. WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS will be printed free of charge. A $12 fee will be charged for announcements with a photograph PHOTOGRAPHS will be printed with announcements about students for a $25 fee. There is no charge to print announcements without photographs.
