newyork.news 061226

Spanning New York State
Covered Bridge News

By Bob and Trish Kane

Hyde Hall Covered Bridge - June 6, 2006

September 9, 2006 - In spite of a brief afternoon shower just as the celebration was to begin, the day was a huge success! It began with a welcome reception at the Bath House sponsored by Glimmerglass State Park. This was a great opportunity to touch base with covered bridge friends traveling from near and far.
      At 9 am, many history buffs took advantage of the informative guided tour of the Hyde Hall Estate which was very interesting. Tour guides spoke of the role George Clarke played in the building of the covered bridge. Following the tour, those present were able to learn more about New York's Covered Bridges through a slide show presented by Dick Wilson, President of the NYSCB Society.
      Throughout the morning, folks were able to view various covered bridge displays and pick up covered bridge memorabilia at the sales tables. In honor of this historic event, a special commemorative postcard was issued. A representative from the Cooperstown Post Office was on hand to cancel these cards with a beautiful cancellation stamp designed especially for this event. (If you are interested in purchasing one of these postcards, there are only a few left. Contact Bob and Trish Kane at: bobtrish68@frontiernet.net to order one.) Glimmerglass has a wonderful picnic area and those who brought a picnic lunch, enjoyed the spectacular view of the lake.
      The celebration at the bridge was due to begin at 1:30 pm but a quick downpour postponed the event by about 30 minutes. The Park's staff quickly moved the podium, flags, chairs and guests inside the covered bridge. How fitting it was that the Hyde Hall Covered Bridge provided shelter from the storm. Once the storm moved on, the celebration got under way. Chuck D'Emperio, DJ from the WDOS/WSRK Radio Station in Oneonta, was the Emcee for the event and he was just terrific. Dave Peterson, Manger of Glimmerglass State Park welcomed everyone on behalf of Bernadette Castro, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Trish Kane, Event Chairperson, also welcomed guests to the event. Following the invocation by Dan West of the First Christian Church of South Valley, Pamela Powell from the Sherburne-Earlville Central School sang the national anthem. Pamela's voice is just spectacular, especially for someone who is only 13 years old! Guest speakers included: Hyde Hall Historian, Douglas Kent, Dick Wilson, President of the NYSCBS, and Joseph Conwill of the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges.

Bob and Trish Kane chatting with Senator Seward following the celebration

      Our distinguished guest speaker for the day was Senator James Seward from New York's 51st Senatorial District. He was a fabulous speaker and all around great guy! Senator Seward grew up in the Cooperstown area and knows Hyde Hall and the covered bridge very well. He was pleased to know that the Hyde Hall Covered Bridge is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. He spoke about the importance of preserving our state and national landmarks so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy them as much as we do today.
      Following Senator Seward's remarks, Trish read congratulatory letters from the Presidents of the following Covered Bridge Organizations: Covered Bridge Society of Oregon, Indiana Covered Bridge Society, Ohio Historic Bridge Association, The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania and the Vermont Covered Bridge Society. Leola Pierce, President of the Virginia Covered Bridge Society, was in attendance and read her congratulatory letter personally.
      Next came the unveiling of the historical marker (donated by the NYSCBS) by Senator Seward, Dave Peterson and Dick Wilson. Bob and Trish Kane made the presentation of the State and National Register of Historic Places certificate to Dave Peterson on behalf of the NY Parks Office. (The National Register of Historic Places lists buildings, sites, structures and objects worthy of being preserved. This official list includes places of national, state, and local importance.) Trish and Bob Kane then presented Senator Seward with a framed photograph of the Hyde Hall Covered Bridge in appreciation for his taking part in the celebration. Trish went on to thank everyone involved in making the event a success. The celebration ended with the benediction and Pamela Powell singing God Bless America. At the conclusion of the celebration there was a reception at the Bath House. It was an event that will long be remembered by those in attendance that day.

Unveiling the Historical Marker	Bob & Trish Kane making the State and National Register presentation to Dave Peterson

Special Thanks ~ It goes without saying that an event of this magnitude is only as successful as the people involved in organizing it. Bob and I would like to personally thank Senator James Seward, Bernadette Castro, Commissioner, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Dave Peterson, Manager, Glimmerglass State Park for their generosity in using their facilities and their wonderful assistance in organizing this historic event. Without them, this event simply would not have been possible.

Rexleigh -- NY 32-58-03 and Eagleville -- NY 32-58-01 -- Both of these bridges are currently under rehabilitation and are scheduled to be completed in 2007.

Rexleigh Covered Bridge Photo by R. Kane, November 22, 2006	Eagleville Covered Bridge Photo by R. Kane, November 22, 2006

Oxford, NY -- Connecting the Past with the Future - A true Bridger always gets excited when they hear of the possibility of a new covered bridge being built. And if you are one of those people, now is your chance to let your voice be heard! The iron bridge that spans the Chenango River in Oxford, NY is just around the corner from the Theodore Burr House (known as the Oxford Public Library) and is seriously failing and needs to be replaced.and soon. Dave Kennicutt, Project Manager for Delta Engineers, PC is fairly certain that construction of a new bridge will be necessary. He also stressed that the collaborative input from citizens and local leaders are extremely important elements that will determine the final design decisions. At a recent public meeting, the subject of design elements, and the famous Theodore Burr Arch came up. Kennicutt explained that a covered, authentic Burr bridge would not be a reasonable request; however, certain design elements suggestive of the Burr designs would be a possibility if there was enough public demand. Well folks, here is your chance to let your voice be heard. Please write, call or email with your request that an authentic Burr Truss Covered Bridge be built. Don't let them say, "It can't be done, as we all certainly know that new Covered Bridges are being built everyday, but there hasn't been a true Burr truss bridge built in quite some time. And it goes without saying that it would be a wonderful complement to the Theodore Burr House right around the corner. It will never happen if you don't let them know your thoughts. Please write to: Mayor Terry M. Stark, PO Box 866, Oxford, NY 13830-0866. You may also visit their website at: http://www.oxfordny.com. Look under the Bridge Survey Section on the right, and then click on Fill Out the Form Here section to submit your comments. Please note we only have a small window of opportunity to voice our concerns so please, write soon and let your voice be heard! The next public meeting will be held in early February.

Jay -- NY 32-16-01 -- Home Again! Many covered bridge enthusiasts never thought the day would come that the Jay Covered Bridge would ever be put back across the East Branch of the Ausable River, but indeed, it is now home again! And what a site to see! Stanley Graton, 3-G Construction of New Hampshire and Jerry Matyiko of Expert Home Movers from Maryland combined their efforts for this move.

October 1994	Under Rehabilitation - October 3, 2004

November 23, 2006	November 23, 2006

Delaware
Smith -- DE 08-02-01 #2 The following are excerpts from an email message we received from Sandy Adrion from New Jersey. We thought it was worth sharing.

      We went to Delaware today to see a couple of covered bridges that we had not seen in a while. First, we visited the Smith Bridge and stopped to take pictures as I think it is my favorite bridge down that way. But as we were going through the bridge, my sister June saw that someone had thrown out a cigarette and it was on top of some leaves against the side of the bridge. I asked her, "Wasthere smoke?" and she said, "Yes". I said, "Stop up here and I will go back and put it out." It is a busy covered bridge with lots of traffic and only one car can fit through the bridge at one time so there was no convenient place to stop. We went through the bridge and she pulled right over at the end of the bridge. At that point, I didn't care. I said, "If people can be that careless, then they can wait until we can get out and put it out." June jumped out and went over to where the cigarette was smoldering, and immediately put it out. When she got back into the car, she said if another car had come through the bridge, the leaves would no doubt have ignited from the breeze of it going past. I told her she saved another covered bridge from being damaged, AGAIN.ÿ I thanked her for doing that for all of us "Covered Bridge Fanatics." I just can't believe how careless and inconsiderate people are. Maybe they threw it out in the bridge on purpose, who knows!!! So that was my sister's good deed for the day!!!
Thanks to both Sandy and June for their eagle eyes and for putting out the smoldering cigarette!

Oregon

Coyote Creek/Swing Log - OR 37-20-02 Bill Cockrell reports that the Coyote Creek Covered Bridge has been closed to all traffic. The county plans to repair the bridge in 2007. Bill also reports that the Dorena Bridge/Star - OR 37-20-23 bridge near Cottage Grove was repaired. It was necessary to splice both the upper and lower chords and replace one of the diagonals. It is currently open with a 3-ton weight limit. The rehabilitation of the Harris Covered Bridge - OR 37-02-0 is now complete. Funds are currently being raised to support rehabilitation of the Ritner Creek Covered Bridge - OR 37-27-01. Thanks, Bill, for all this wonderful information on Oregon's Covered Bridges.

      Our deepest condolences are extended to Bill Cockrell and his family on the loss of his wife, Linda, on December 6, 2006. If you were fortunate to have known Linda, you were truly blessed. She was a lovely person and a true Bridger.ÿ She was by Bill's side during any and all covered bridge events and was very active in covered bridge preservation efforts.ÿ She was the impetus behind the Oregon Covered Bridge Festival and her passing will be a tremendous loss to this annual event.ÿ There will be a celebration of her life on December 30, 2006.

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