September 2016

Craig Mongeau - September 2016

One of my earliest memories as a child was travelling with my mother and father to Lake George. While there (and we went many times), we would ride the Minne Ha Ha. I was always terrified when over the loudspeaker they would announce when we were floating over the deepest part of the lake, which, if I remember correctly, was about 200 feet or so.

I also remember we would spend a day, both at Gaslight Village and Storytown USA. I know that the latter has been called the Great Escape for many years now, and I saw online that it looks like they retained some features of the old park. And I know that the old Gaslight Village has been gone for a long time.

We used to go to Howe Caverns every now and then, too. Again, if I’m remembering correctly, one of the really cool parts of the visit was being taken down to the cave via an elevator. It felt like a long trip down.

Of course, there were so many other places I’d visit as a child in New York State — the Baseball Hall of Fame, Saratoga, Lake Placid and so much more. All of this got me thinking about how beautiful and how many wonderful things there are to do and see in New York State. To some people outside of the state, it’s probably hard for them to get beyond the big city in the southern part — that gets a lot of attention. But there’s so many other places upstate that deserve attention, too.

So, to draw some attention to these places, if in your spare time, you have some older, and even some current photos of attractions, landmarks, etc., and you have access to a scanner, please send them along to me at cmongeau@cegltd.com. I’ll publish them, giving you credit. I’d especially like to see any old Storytown and Gaslight Village photos you may have. As I’ve said before about Superintendent’s Profile: this magazine is as much about you and the great work you do as it is about your communities and the wonderful state of New York as a whole.

And just a quick reminder that this year’s N.Y.S. Highway & Public Works Expo will be held Oct. 19 in Syracuse. Please see page 64 for a brief pictorial recap of last year’s expo. Also, in next month’s Superintendent’s Profile you’ll find a complete exhibitor listing for N.Y.S. Highway & Public Works Expo, as well as lunch and door prize details. Hope to see you there!