Along The Mohawk #13

 For the Mohawk Valley, Central New York region. 

Along the Mohawk features local music and interviews with musicians, storytellers, restaurateurs, and manufacturers and also features Soundscapes with local naturalist Matt Perry. The show will also include a short weekly old-time radio serial, Annie and the Loomis Gang, written and produced by Sharry Whitney and performed by a cast of local voice actors. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:01

Steve Ponty Chevrolet and Herkimer, your local family-owned and operated Chevy dealer, presents Along the Mohawk.

SPEAKER_04 0:10

Come with me as we travel along the Mohawk, sharing the stories of people and places where we belong.

SPEAKER_08 0:21

Good morning, and thank you for traveling along the Mohawk with me today. It's nearly summer, so we'll get out for a stroll at shady historic Proctor Park in Utica. And while in Utica, we'll stop at 4 Elements Studio. But first, it's Maggie's Minute, a visit to Maggie Riley's Garden in New York Mills to talk about native plants. Hi Maggie, haven't seen you in like a whole week or two. Hi Sherry, welcome back to the gardens. Well, things have really changed a lot since I was here last. I see these beautiful yellow flowers mixed in with these sweet little light purple flowers. Can you tell me what these flowers are we're looking at?

SPEAKER_13 1:02

As you said, we certainly have seen a huge change just in the last week with our warm weather and we got some rain. The purple is uh wild geranium.

SPEAKER_08 1:12

Wow, and I see bumblebees.

SPEAKER_13 1:14

So the bumblebees love both of these plants. The yellow, bushy-like, beautiful plant is Zizia aurea, also known as Golden Alexander. That is a host plant for the black swallowtail, which is a gorgeous butterfly. The birds love the seeds from the wild geranium. So both of these plants like a little bit of moisture but can thrive in poor soil. And the golden alexander has a really nice leaf, and the seed heads are great for the birds. Once it does finish blooming, the plant needs the butterfly as much as the butterfly needs that plant. But the butterfly, if it is its host plant, is getting both nectar and pollen from that plant.

SPEAKER_08 2:01

Well, they look beautiful together because the shape of the purple flowers are so delicate petals, and then you've got these vibrant bursts of yellow and they bloom at the same time. So it's a great interplanting.

SPEAKER_13 2:13

Yeah, they're kind of like a plant community. The two of them get along really well. One doesn't compete out the other. They look beautiful, like you said, they just look beautiful and the pollinators love them. So I guess if you're gonna introduce some native plants or any plants into your yard that are going to invite pollinators and bees and birds, you don't want to be using pesticides. It's kind of like if you invite somebody over to your home for dinner that has a a really bad allergy, you don't want to feed them that allergen, and I don't want to invite the pollinators and the bees and the birds into my yard, but then use those chemicals that can actually harm them. Well, they're your guests. They are my guests, and I'm trying to get them here, so I want to give them a nice healthy ecosystem and environment. So, where do I find resources? You can go to our Wild Ones site. It's Wild Ones Mohawk Valley, and we have so many resources on that site that will help you. But these two plants, if you're starting, they are the easier ones, they're clump forming, you know, they're not that wild. Sherry and I are standing right out front.

SPEAKER_08 3:28

Yeah, and these are just so complementary of each other. They're just beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

They are attention, listeners. Your Mohawk Valley time travel experiment is about to commence. Stand by as we recalibrate the decades.

SPEAKER_09 3:52

Welcome to Utica Rome Speedway. Sunday, September 3rd, 1978. The summer air in Vernon, New York is thick with racing fuel, cigarette smoke, fried onions, and the sound of modified engines echoing through the valley. Fans are packed shoulder to shoulder on the wooden grandstands tonight for one of the biggest races of the year, the New Yorker. And everybody here knows who they came to see: Richie Evans. Car number 61 sits glowing orange under the track lights, looking fast, even standing still. Mechanics lean over the hood making final adjustments, while fans crowd the fence, hoping for a closer look at the rapid Roman himself. Kids wave programs, fathers point toward the pit area. The loudspeaker crackles overhead with that unmistakable short track echo. Excuse me, sir. Yeah? Think Richie's got a shot tonight? A shot? Around here, Richie always has a shot. Green flag, and they explode into turn one. The crowd erupts. This isn't more than race day in central New York. This is Saturday night tradition. Factory workers, farmers, families, teenagers on first dates, everybody gathering under the lights after a long week, united by speed, noise, and hometown pride. And tonight, Richie Evans is giving them another memory they'll talk about for years. Another lap flies by, the Orange 61 out front, smooth, fearless, unstoppable. Sadly, just seven years after this night, Richie Evans would lose his life in a racing accident at Martinsville Speedway in 1985. He was only 44 years old. But here in central New York, the Rapid Roman would forever be remembered as the winningest driver in NASCAR modified history, capturing nine NASCAR modified championships, including eight in a row, while making the orange number 61 a symbol of short track racing across the Northeast. But here on this warm September night in 1978, Richie Evans is still flying around Utica Rome Speedway, and the crowd is roaring like it always would whenever the rapid Roman took the lead. But for now, well, time to get back to the future.

SPEAKER_08 6:30

After the break, we head to Utica to take a stroll around historic Proctor Park and talk with artist Bartan Pagosian.

SPEAKER_04 6:39

Come with me as we travel along the Mohawk.

SPEAKER_09 6:46

Big Apple Music in New Hartford has served Central New York and the best musicians since 1979. Guitars, amps, drums, sound systems, digital pianos, and school instruments, and providing sales, rentals, repairs, and musical instrument private lessons. Got an instrument that needs a little love? Let Big Apple Music repair it for you. Check us out for Sound System installs and repairs, the best brands for the best bands. Shop local, shop smart, shop Big Apple Music in New Hartford. Loving people for over 46 years. Check us out on Facebook and our website.

SPEAKER_19 7:19

Since 1917, NGMs Flooring America has delivered quality floors and expert installations, save on carpeting, laminate flooring, ceramic tiles, and more. Plus, we offer 12 months of interest-free financing for qualified buyers. Stop by our location today.

SPEAKER_16 7:34

You work hard here in the Mohawk Valley. You make a difference. You leave your mark. You deserve a financial advisor who works hard to make a difference for your future.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

Investing for retirement, college, thinking about your legacy. We've spent most of our adult lives giving you straightforward answers for your financial decisions.

SPEAKER_16 7:54

We pride ourselves on being local, prudent, and trustworthy for you. Van Meter and Van Meter, with three offices to serve your financial future.

SPEAKER_08 8:10

It's a great time of year to get out and get your steps in. And what better place than historic Proctor Park in Utica? There's a convenient parking area on Rutger Street right off of Culver Ave with new facilities and covered picnic area. I'm here on a breezy day at Proctor Park in Utica, doing the evening stroll. I learned many years ago doing a regular segment in East Utica that the Italians would walk after dinner in what is called a Passa jet. The main upper walking loop is about 0.7 miles. If you walk the upper and lower walk, it's about a total of one mile. Proctor Park is part of Utica's Olmstead-designed park system. This park system is tied to Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who is the son of Central Park's designer. It was designed in the early 1900s to be a country park. So it's in the city, but you're supposed to feel like you're in a natural setting. This park was built in the early 1900s and named for the Proctor family. The same Proctors of Munson Williams Proctor. Although it feels very natural, this was engineered. The ravines and the meadows and the views were all planned. So it feels wild, but it's actually a landscape design. Off to the side here, there's this beautiful staircase that leads down slate steps, surrounded by boulders that make up the wall, or large rocks, maybe not boulders, but well, some of these are boulders. And it leads you down into the woods. And down here off of the main loop, there is a gravel path. And it's amazing that this is right in the city, but you feel now deep in the woods. And down here, there's a bridge over a creek, and more staircases leading up. Quite magical down here. It's incredible to think that they thought of this over a hundred years ago as something that was important to the city. The stone structures and staircases were added during the Great Depression, part of the WPA works project. It's really fun when you bring kids here because they can lead you on adventures and choose which path to take. I see a large group of young people going on a walk. This place is a nice escape in the summertime when it's hot because it's very shady, and especially the lower loop. Oh, it's a nice swimming spot here. A nice stretch of the creek runs alongside the path here. There's a marsh, marsh area on the left, and the creek runs all the way down parallel to the path. Very inviting, luring you into the creek. There's even old steps leading down right into the water. Did you guys do a creek walk? Yes. Is it nice on a hot day? Yes. What do you like about this park? Uh the creek. Creek? How often do you guys come here?

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Like every two days.

SPEAKER_08 11:26

Every two days? Have a good walk. There's a peace garden on the walk. It has some flocks in it. Oh, I do see a columbine. Oh, there's some things coming up. So it's kind of early for this garden. Hello. Can I ask you a question? What are you guys doing in the park today? Uh just walking.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Enjoying nature, enjoying the scenery. This is beautiful.

SPEAKER_08 11:51

How often do you come? How often do you come here? Well, in the summer we come here. I do. Oh, you come here.

SPEAKER_18 11:56

This is your place. Yep, a lot. And what do you do here? I just sometimes walk through the river, just ride my skateboard down here. It's pretty peaceful.

SPEAKER_08 12:05

And it's probably a great place to be on a hot day being in the creek, huh? How far do you live from here? Not even a mile. Okay, so this is very convenient. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 12:14

They've kept it up very well, you know, putting the benches in so that you could really and just sit here and commune with nature. It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_08 12:21

Well, thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your walk. Thank you. If you walk clockwise from the parking lot, the first trail that runs off of the main trail leads you down to a pretty little fountain. A formal fountain, which fits nicely with all this natural landscaping, having something that is formal is a nice contrast. This is the Lily Pond. I just see irises in it right now. When I traveled this loop many, many years ago with our friend Richard Enders, my husband and I noticed that there seems to be an unspoken rule that the flow of traffic is counterclockwise. It's not a written rule, but it seems to be the trend. So I got my steps in today at Proctor Park in Utica. A reminder and a shout out to Luke across the street at the Willows. The restaurant was named because it's across the street from the park and in sight of the willow trees. So it has all the makings of a beautiful night out, dinner at the Willows, and La Passagetta around Proctor Park. Next, I head to the brewery district in Utica to the historic brick building at 809 Court Street, the new home of Four Elements Studio. Local artist Vartan Pagosian is a skilled potter known for his beautifully ornate large vessels, but he's building something even more impressive and lasting here.

SPEAKER_15 13:59

Every floor is a flexible use space. This floor, this is a gallery/slash waiting room, sitting room, reading room. Anybody could just walk in and be immersed with the artwork that's being created here and do some work and work independently. It's free to all. Immediately inspired by the space because you're seeing these old beams 40 feet long. They're huge. And every floor has them. I mean, this was built to last and outlast us. What I'm thinking is I want to preserve this place and not change too much. Because why would I? Let's go to the second floor. Let's do it. Just short staircase up, which hopefully won't be usable when we have the lift. Oh, somebody's beeping it.

SPEAKER_08 14:54

Let me let them the first thing I see here is this giant steam engine coming out of the floor.

SPEAKER_15 15:00

Yes, Jonathan Kirk's old King Cole. It fits beautifully here. Isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. I should have thought about the weight of this sculpture, but of course, you know, that's the last thing you think of.

SPEAKER_08 15:13

It's the size of a car. What does this weigh?

SPEAKER_15 15:15

It probably weighs more than a car.

unknown 15:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 15:19

So tell us about this floor.

SPEAKER_15 15:21

Um, multi-use floor. We do clay classes, pottery, wheel throwing sessions, and we have artists that rent spaces here, and also we have workshop spaces that we teach classes on a daily basis.

SPEAKER_08 15:38

You're an artist?

SPEAKER_15 15:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 15:40

I met you many, many years ago.

SPEAKER_15 15:42

I think about yeah, about 28 years ago.

SPEAKER_08 15:45

And you were new to this country?

SPEAKER_15 15:47

Yes, I was.

SPEAKER_08 15:48

How did building pots come to building something like this?

SPEAKER_15 15:53

A couple things. One is impact. Impacting the community, impacting on a larger level. Since I started teaching, I was like, there's so many people that want to learn this, and clay is something where people really gravitate toward. It's something that you can manipulate really quickly. In the beginning, it was just sharing. Share and work with so many people, as many people as possible. And then I wanted to be my own boss. Also, I'm very stubborn. I have my um way of unemployable. I am unemployable. Exactly. I'm terrible. And yeah, when it comes down to following rules, and unless they're there are my rules. I create them and then I follow through. But I always think of the community. How is this impacting the community? How is this impacting everyone? And then how do we make this accessible for everyone? And then it just grew from working in the basement, throwing pots, being learning lots of patience, learning the language to speak and being and articulate what I'm my feelings and what I want to do, what I my vision is. That took a while. It was a dream. It was always a dream. It was a small dream when I came here just to be a full-time artist. People always say, starving artist, and that actually makes me really upset. There's no such thing as starving artists. There's there's the that mentality. You if you think it, then okay. But it is possible, if you're true to yourself and your mission, to be a full-time artist. I want this for other artists also, and I think this building and four elements provides that and um makes me happy. I'm selfish. Makes me happy.

SPEAKER_08 17:49

Visit Four Elements Studio at 809 Court Street in Utica. For more information, visit alongthemohawkradio.com. After the break, chapter 11 of Annie and the Loomis Gang, and Matt Perry talks about the curious and vocal barred owl as we travel along the Mohawk.

SPEAKER_19 18:08

Since 1917, NGMs Flooring America has delivered quality floors and expert installations, save on carpeting, laminate flooring, ceramic tiles, and more. Plus, we offer 12 months of interest-free financing for qualified buyers. Stop by our location today.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Previously on Annie and the Loomis gang, after learning that Washington Loomis claims her uncle owes a large debt, Annie rides straight to the Loomis homestead, seeking answers. There, she finds a house with too many voices, too many watching eyes. She is met by Grove and Rhoda Loomis, who deflect her questions and offer hospitality that feels more like control than welcome. Annie leaves without answers, only the sense that she has stepped into something far larger than a debt. Chapter 11. Rhoda Loomis comes for tea.

SPEAKER_06 19:00

I won't go back there. That house, Rhoda, her sons, the others, it isn't safe to walk into again. I'll find another way. Focus on today, like Ganya says. Yes, today is enough.

SPEAKER_08 19:13

Sunday arrives cool and clear. It has been barely a week since Annie arrived in Waterville. The road to church is familiar beneath the buggy wheels. Hunter's steady gait draws Annie into memories of her school years in Clinton and weekends on her uncle's farm. Only now the seat beside her is empty. No Uncle Shay holding the reins, no Aunt Kelly smoothing her gloves before church. Near the village green, a fine carriage passes beside her.

SPEAKER_05 19:40

Miss O'Connor. Good day, Mrs. Loomis. You've taken proper conveyance already. It seems sensible for Sunday. It does.

SPEAKER_08 19:49

The white-framed Presbyterian Church stands beside the green. Annie ties Hunter far from the other horses.

SPEAKER_07 19:56

No causing a stir today, understand? Uncle Shay said you near upset half the congregation first time he brought you here. Though, truth be told, I think the greater scandal wasn't O'Connor attending a Presbyterian service.

SPEAKER_08 20:09

Irish meant Catholic to most, but Annie's grandfather had carried his Protestant faith across the sea from Ulster.

SPEAKER_10 20:16

Miss O'Connor, settling in some?

SPEAKER_08 20:18

I'm trying to, Mr. Bissell. William Bissell nods in the direction of a burly man talking with some farmers.

SPEAKER_10 20:25

That there's Jim Filkins, I told you about. If your concerns involve Washington Loomis, he's the man you ought to know.

SPEAKER_08 20:33

After the service, the congregation spills out into the sunlight, gathering in clusters along the green.

SPEAKER_07 20:39

Mr. Filkins, I'm Annie O'Connor. My uncle was Seamus O'Connor.

SPEAKER_11 20:44

Aye, Miss O'Connor. I'm sorry for your loss. We searched near three weeks after he vanished.

SPEAKER_07 20:49

Thank you. I was told I should speak with you regarding Washington Loomis. He claims my uncle owed him money. I went to see him earlier this week.

SPEAKER_11 20:57

You went to the Loomis place alone?

SPEAKER_07 20:59

I wanted answers.

SPEAKER_11 21:01

Don't do it again. That family's dangerous in ways decent folks often fail to recognize until too late. Wash Loomis and his boys hauled me from my own house just this past spring and dragged me half-conscious to their property before I could get word to anyone. And you've likely heard whispers already concerning that poor Miss Anna Wright.

SPEAKER_07 21:19

No, I didn't know.

SPEAKER_11 21:21

Wash Loomis understands exactly how close a man may come to the law without stepping fully across it. Papers disappear. Witnesses forget. So hear me carefully. Never meet with him alone again. Any agreement, any payment, any claim, it happens before witnesses, plenty of them.

SPEAKER_07 21:41

I didn't realize.

SPEAKER_11 21:42

Men like Wash Loomis prefer shadows. Don't give him one.

SPEAKER_08 21:47

For days afterward, Philkin's warning about the Loomises stays with her. Yet each morning, another Loomis arrives at the farm. William, steady as the sun, always with a different horse, but each one quiet. Quiet under his hand. Even Hunter, restless with nearly everyone else, settles when William is near. And in that steady rhythm, her days begin to take shape. Annie turns to her studies. From the window, she watches the hot pickers move over the hill toward the fields and swamp, vanishing into work she doesn't yet understand.

SPEAKER_06 22:20

Three acres. Too many pickers for a small field. Or am I missing something? Do what is in front of you, Annie, like Ganya says.

SPEAKER_08 22:27

William arrives and heads to the barn. He always goes there first. Drawn by habit as much as curiosity, Annie goes to the barn. You'll keep coming?

SPEAKER_14 22:37

As long as there's work?

SPEAKER_06 22:39

And I'll pay you from the horse sale.

SPEAKER_14 22:41

When you're ready.

SPEAKER_06 22:42

What are you working on?

SPEAKER_14 22:43

Just clean Hunter's hooves before turning him out to pasture.

SPEAKER_06 22:46

Hunter trusts you. That's something.

SPEAKER_17 22:49

Morning, Annie.

SPEAKER_06 22:49

Oh, Ganya. I didn't see you.

SPEAKER_17 22:51

Shadow calls.

SPEAKER_06 22:53

Hunter must have startled him. He's eager for the pasture. How's the harvest going?

SPEAKER_17 22:57

It is coming as it should. The hands are many, the work is steady.

SPEAKER_06 23:02

I'd like to speak with you about it.

SPEAKER_17 23:04

That is wise. I will take Hunter to the pasture. Then we will talk.

SPEAKER_08 23:09

He leads Hunter out, but pauses at the door.

SPEAKER_17 23:12

There is more moving through this land than lies in the rows.

SPEAKER_06 23:19

William, remember how you cautioned me not to go into the swamp?

SPEAKER_14 23:22

I do.

SPEAKER_06 23:23

Sometimes it feels like I'm already in it, just listening to him.

SPEAKER_14 23:27

I believe his words are meant to guide you.

SPEAKER_06 23:29

My uncle trusted him. I trust that.

SPEAKER_05 23:32

Miss O'Connor. William.

SPEAKER_06 23:34

Grandmother. Good day, Mrs. Loomis.

SPEAKER_05 23:36

I hope I'm not interrupting. Well you'll not refuse me a cup of tea, will you? I'm sorry. I need to speak with Jedadiah first. I didn't come here to be scheduled around field hands. Annie concedes and leads Rhoda to the house. A practical house. Your uncle kept things as he liked them.

SPEAKER_08 23:56

Annie takes her copper kettle from the shelf.

SPEAKER_05 23:59

That's a fine piece. Shines better than most I've seen in a farmer's house. I saw no need for it, but but you chose it all the same. I've always taught my children that if you want something, you don't wait for it to come to you. You take it. A cistern kept so well is no small thing.

SPEAKER_06 24:18

My uncle set a ram pump at the spring.

SPEAKER_05 24:21

He was very clever. Clever men have built many fine systems that did not save them in the end. Wash has taken to expanding his business. Some would call it progress. I call it risk. So I'll ask you plainly, what business do you have with my son? I'm sure it's no more than what any neighbor might bring to another. Wash has a way of looking after his neighbors, but that is not always what brings a woman to his door. So I will ask again, what brings you to him?

SPEAKER_06 24:52

My business is with your son, not with you. Is that so?

SPEAKER_05 24:56

I hear William has taken to your farm.

SPEAKER_06 24:59

Your grandson has been helpful.

SPEAKER_05 25:01

That is all. My grandson. The young woman who bore that child. She made certain claims. I did not find her a woman of the sort who strengthens a family. Not all who carry the Loomis name carry the strength to stand behind it. William has proven himself by his work. Careful is so calm. A young man coming and going from a woman's home, you would do well to remember how quickly a name and a reputation can be called into question. There is nothing to speak of. Pity. I do so value good conversation. Though I find they are most useful when both parties are willing to speak plainly. Thank you for the tea, Miss O'Connor.

SPEAKER_08 25:48

Annie closes the door. The house no longer feeling her own, Rhoda has left it unsettled. She turns, and on the table, among her uncle's simple things, rests a fine silver knife.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Next week, Chapter 12. Seamus's Secrets.

SPEAKER_14 26:11

This is Mohawk Valley Soundscape for late May 2026. Morning mist still clings to the forests and wetlands as sunlight filters through the newly leafed canopy. Most of the valley's night voices are faded now, but one often lingers well into the day, the barred owl. If you hear an owl calling on a bright spring morning in the Mohawk Valley, it is likely this species. Unlike many owls that retreat quickly after dawn, barred owls often remain active well into the morning, especially during nesting season. From wooded swamps and mature forests come their familiar rhythmic hooting. Look carefully into the shadows overhead, and you may glimpse one perched motionless on a branch. Unlike the great horned owl, the barred owl lacks eartufts entirely. Its smooth, rounded head and dark eyes give it a striking appearance among eastern owls. Right now, the adults are hunting constantly. Mice, frogs, crayfish, snakes, and even large moths may all become prey. They may also wade through shallow water in pursuit of aquatic animals. Hidden high inside a hollow tree, fuzzy owlets wait for the next delivery. As the young begin climbing onto nearby branches, a stage known as branching, the adults become fiercely defensive. Wander too close, and a barred owl may swoop low overhead, clacking its bill in warning. So next time you walk the wooded swamps or upland forests of the Mohawk Valley, pause and listen carefully. The night shift may not be finished just yet.

SPEAKER_08 28:15

Thank you for tuning in this week. I look forward to sharing more stories and adventures with you along the Mohawk. Along the Mohawk, sharing the stories of