Volume 17, Issue 4, April 2022

15 Articles for readers this month. May you stay safe as you return to the River and enjoy the spring weather.

Island Winter

People who hear that I spent my winter on an island in upstate New York typically have one of three responses. They're envious; they couldn't do it because they'd feel lonely; or ask, with dismissive incredulity, “Why would you freeze your ass off wintering in the Thousand Islands?”

Glenn Sandiford

From the Editor, April 2022

The start of another summer - boats launched and cottages opening. We pay tribute to two lost Canadian champions. John Taylor, Tremont Island and Island Dave Beatty from Brockville.

Agreement Reached to Protect Blind Bay; TILT to Conserve Critical River Habitat

(Clayton, NY) Wednesday, April 13 – The Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Blind Bay Associates LLC to acquire the 295 feet of undeveloped waterfront and adjacent 20 plus acres of upland in Blind Bay.

Watch "The River, Living the St. Lawrence! from WPBS"

Did you see the PBS Series "The River, Living the St. Lawrence?" All six episodes are here to watch, including one with me - Susie! (For sure it was a honor to be part of this project)

Synthetic Photosynthesis!

Every so often, an obscure technical innovation really lights me up. In the fall of 2021, a team of German scientists published a report on their work injecting tadpole noggins with algae.

Clayton's 150th: Clayton's Opera House

There will be more than 80 events scheduled in 2022 that include both TIPAF events and rentals – yes, right here in the Clayton Opera House - but what is its history? The cornerstone was laid in 1903 . . .

Childhood Memories of Bullhead Fishing

A bullhead is a primitive looking fish, armed with fins that are capped with very sharp horns, one on each side on top of the head. Fishing for bullheads is a ritual, an almost sacred ceremony.

Manley L. Rusho

Team Rubicon: Soooo . . . what did you do for Christmas?

Me? Well, four days after we arrived back in California, I was deployed with Team Rubicon, so I grabbed my GO bag and headed to the airport. I joined a flood recovery strike team to conduct an emergency disaster response operation in Sumas, Washington.

Michael Laprade

Projected Seaway Season 2022

What about the 2022 season? That depends on what is happening in Ukraine. Think grain and more grain.

"Queen of the Inland Seas"

"SS South American", a 321-foot overnight Great Lakes passenger steamer, did not normally ply the waters of the St Lawrence River. Her realm was the waters of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie.

Early Navigation on the Chaumont River, Depauville

To look at the shallow and winding six-mile Chaumont River, running between Chaumont and Depauville, NY, it’s hard to believe that this stream was once navigated by steamboats and even by a sizable schooner.

Growing Community in the Garden

Each spring, about 20 families, swaddled in raincoats and fleece, don their rubber boots and brave the changeable April weather to begin rousing a little corner of Zenda Farms Preserve.

Before the Summer! Art Show

Yes, the artists are excited to be able to exhibit the paintings that have been piling up in their spare rooms, and this year we have decided to add some sculpture, too.