Some of the preliminary sketches for a redesigned Watertown Square prepared by the consultants. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
All day, Wednesday, hundreds of residents gave their opinions about what they want Watertown Square to look like when it is redesigned, and the City of Watertown’s consultants showed some first efforts at ways to improve traffic flow, as well as the pedestrian experience in the area.
Urban Designer Jeff Speck showed a packed room several options for ways to change the design of roadways in Watertown Square. Some included roundabouts, some opened the roadway around the Delta to all traffic (not just buses as it is now), and many altered the roadways leading into the Square.
By eliminating some of the spokes going into the main intersection would make traffic lights simpler, said Ralph DeNisco, a traffic engineer from VHB. Speck said he wanted to “fix” some tricky areas near the square, including the fork at Arsenal Street and North Beacon Street, and remove the spoke at Charles River Road. He suggested creating a “T” intersection for both by doglegging North Beacon into Arsenal, and Charles River Road into Riverside Street.
Another target for possible change is Pleasant Street. Speck showed designs that either reversed the direction of the one way at Main Street, or eliminated traffic and made vehicles from Pleasant use Cross Street to get to Main Street.
Three ideas were shown to residents at the Wednesday night session, called “Four corners,” “Deltabout,” and “Mini Main Street.”
Three drafts for redesigning Watertown Square: “Four corners,” “Deltabout,” and “Mini Main Street.” (Courtesy of Nicole Gardner)
Final designs will be presented Thursday evening (Nov. 30) when the consultants will present multiple scenarios which they have designed using the input received during the charrette. (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Light dinner and time to mix will precede the presentation, beginning at 5:30 p.m. It will take place at 64 Pleasant St. (the former Sasaki building).
In other sessions, residents gave input about which parcels in Watertown Square they would like to see redeveloped, and what kinds of things they would like to be see built. Many wanted mixed use buildings with retail on the bottom and residential units on top.
The MBTA
Two of the sessions on Wednesday involved the MBTA, and how buses would operate in the Square.
People asked whether the bus service in Watertown Square could be improved, including linking the 71 (up Mt. Auburn to Harvard Square) and 57 (down Galen Street to Kenmore Square) lines, which currently end on either side of the river. Robert Guptill from the MBTA’s Director of Service Planning said that the T would be amenable to bringing the end of the 57 up to Watertown Square or the 71 crossing and ending at Watertown Yard. This would also bring the lines together with the 70 line, the line running on Main and Arsenal streets in Watertown.
Residents speak with consultants about what they would like changed in Watertown Square during the design charrette. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
This would require a bus lane over the Galen Street Bridge, and would definitely require parking areas for buses that are not in service, because Watertown Square is a terminus of both lines.
The MBTA owns the Watertown Yard, just south of the Charles River on Galen Street. Tim Love, of Utile, is a consultant for the Watertown Square project, and also has been working with the MBTA. He said the T has plans to develop parts of the Watertown Yard, while keeping some to create a bus garage.
During one of the work sessions, Utile showed possible plans for a lab building and/or multi-unit residential buildings on part of the parcel. Love said the MBTA will likely put out a request for proposals (RFP) for projects at Watertown Yard in the not too distant future.
The design charrette continues Thursday with a couple of work sessions before the evening’s presentation:
Making Watertown Square a destination to shop, eat, play, and live will be the focus of the first work session on Thursday. (10-11 a.m.) How we design a Square where small business can thrive?
The final work session will focus on the much discussed MBTA Communities Law zoning. (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) How do we get to the 1,701 zoned units we need under the new law?
Beta Terms By using the Beta Site, you agree that such use is at your own risk and you know that the Beta Site may include known or unknown bugs or errors, that we have no obligation to make this Beta Site available with or without charge for any period of time, nor to make it available at all, and that nothing in these Beta Terms or your use of the Beta Site creates any employment relationship between you and us. The Beta Site is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and we make no warranty to you of any kind, express or implied.
In case of conflict between these Beta Terms and the BBC Terms of Use these Beta Terms shall prevail.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The city of Lexington wants to make sure tenants and landlords know their rights.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Division of Community & Resident Services is hosting a workshop at the Lexington Public Library Eastside Branch at Palumbo Drive and Man O’ War Boulevard.
The workshop will consist of several short presentations that will answer various questions like what to do if your landlord isn’t fixing anything or what your legal rights are in a court of law.
There will be presentations from a number of organizations including Lexington’s Division of Code Enforcement and Kentucky’s Fair Housing Council. If you have any questions specific to your situation, there will be people on hand for one-on-one help.
Fayette district judges, the Kentucky Fair Housing Council, and Legal Aid of the Bluegrass will also be there.
The workshop will take place in two sessions. The first is from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and the second is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
We’re experiencing a work evolution. Hybrid is the future—but even that can look different from one organization to the next. It’s time to ask: Is today’s office design giving employees what they need to do and feel their best?
On November 30 at 1 p.m. ET, interior designers Dani Arps of Artisan, Niya Bascom and Anishka Clarke of Ishka Designs, and Ahmad AbouZanat of ProjectAZ will sit down virtually with AD PRO editor Mel Studach to explore how the realities of our new hybrid and increasingly globally distributed workplace have translated into the world of interior design. Presented in partnership with Zoom, “How to Design for the Modern Workplace” will cover:
The design features and floor plans that are necessary for the way teams work today
Technology upgrades that make hybrid collaboration more seamless
the modern office perks that will help convince employees to make the commute
…and much more! The talk will culminate in the reveal of three Zoom Room integrations, as well as an interactive Q&A. This virtual event is free and open to all. Reserve your spot now.
ASHEVILLE - On a breezy, late November morning, the light pitter-patter of a hand drum echoes through the guitars, basses, keyboards and ukuleles of Musician's Workshop, a Merrimon Avenue landmark.
The beat is followed by a characteristic upward twang of an acoustic guitar being tuned in the back of the store, and, then, by a swell of noise from an electric guitar modified by a series of pedals. 'Electioneering' by Radiohead plays through a speaker.
Store owners Frank and Becky Dosier know that this is how musicians find their instruments. After all, they've been doing this for nearly 50 years.
"Musicians don't take in with their eyes. They take in with their fingers and ears," Becky Dosier said. "That's how they discriminate what they want."
While the noise is not necessarily coordinated, one thing is clear: Musician's Workshop is singing its swan song.
After 56 years of the store being open — and 46 years of joint partner ownership — the Dosiers are retiring in December.
When announcing their retirement, Frank and Becky were initially excited by getting to live closer to their two sons and two grandchildren. Yet, another surprise was in store.
"Going into it, the excitement was going to be moving to Raleigh where our boys in their 40s and we have two grandkids. That was the original excitement," Frank said. "The other excitement surprised me — and I'm sure Becky — is the mass response of people."
The Dosiers' decision to retire was announced in mid-November and with near unanimous support from customers — new and old.
"People are coming in — whether they buy anything or not — some people buy from us because they just feel like: 'I want to support the store again one more time!'" Frank said. "And that makes you feel good, but they're coming in just to say 'hi,' and they could be back from the 60s and 70s."
A long history of sound
The store opened in 1967, started by Asheville local John Moritz and run as Moritz Music until Frank and Becky purchased it in 1977 — not long before the couple were married.
Since then, the Dosiers' changed the name, modified the store layout and with exceptional results.
In 1989, the National Association of Music Merchants gave the store the "Best Showroom Design" award primarily for its progressive design, which is not too unlike a small venue with a stage and delicately placed instruments.
Frank said the store hadn't changed its layout since winning that award, and said it was Becky's idea.
"She insisted when we designed the store that the guitars be down where people could walk to them and touch them," Frank said of the layout of the store.
From a 'tick tock mallet' — a mallet with two wooden balls on a string intended to make a tick-tock noise — to bright pink Squier Fender Stratocaster guitars, the store comes with practically anything a musician could dream of.
In the past 20 years, the store has also been host to a number of "Taylor Road Shows" — a series of educational events hosted by Taylor Guitars. The shows would frequently be packed, Becky said.
"Sometimes we couldn't get everyone in and we'd have to wait," Becky said.
The store's memory of those who have travelled past its guitars, basses and drum kits is evident.
On one side of the store, a signed poster of session guitarist Andy Timmons — dated 1993 — sits on top of a wall. The other side has a series of "Best of WNC" awards hanging up. Frank doesn't even know how many years they placed first.
Both Frank and Becky said they would miss the relationships — with customers and employees — the most.
"Every person is a new relationship, and Becky is famous for saying 'Relationships matter,'" Frank said. "And that's true."
Encore?
Frank and Becky Dosier own the Musician's Workshop building in North Asheville, meaning they are looking for a new owner.
Hopes are for a new music store — for someone to continue the song, so to speak.
"We'd love for someone to come in and take it over and keep it going," Frank said. "They would probably change things to their desire. I know we would, because the world changes every few years."
"We would love to, if we could get a serious buyer: we would do it," Becky said.
The rest of the inventory is currently on sale, as Musician's Workshop will be open until Dec. 30.
"I've been wanting to do this since my granddaughter was born eight years ago. I couldn't get him to even budge," Becky said.
"It's going to be nice to be part of their lives."
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.
Most people who have followed the work of banjo performer and instructor Bill Evans think of him as a west coast guy. That makes sense, as he has lived most of his adult life in the Bay Area of California.
But, in fact, Bill was raised in coastal Virginia, leaving from there to study at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, before he ever made the trek out west. He also lived for a while in Owensboro, KY while working at the Bluegrass Museum during its early days.
Now he has returned to his Virginia roots, with his wife and fellow banjo picker, Babi, living in a rural community near Waynesboro. Evans continues to offer private banjo lessons, both in person and online, and is in constant demand as an instructor for banjo camps and workshops all over the US.
Bill will also continue to offer one of his most popular offerings each year, his Banjo Essentials workshop, taught alongside Ron Block and Kristin Scott Benson. The 2023 edition of the online class is scheduled for December 10 from 1:00-6:00 p.m. (EST) on Zoom.
Banjo players have long admired Ron Block for his work as a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, on his multiple solo projects, and with his own instructional materials. Kristin Scott Benson, a four time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year honoree, has earned her stripes with The Grascals, and before that with Larry Stephenson.
This afternoon of workshops is designed for all levels of players. All sessions will be recorded for later viewing and study for years to come via a YouTube link available only to participating students. All handouts will be distributed before the workshop session and will be permanently available for download after the session via a private Google docs folder.
The workshop brings together three of the world’s best players and teachers of bluegrass banjo for an afternoon of Banjo Essentials, designed to help players of all levels to develop a great sound, play with relaxation, develop your ear, and organize your practice time to keep growing and moving forward as a banjo player.
Each of three instructors will tackle portions of the five hour workshop.
Kristin Scott Benson: Right- and Left-Hand Essentials – the Secrets to Sounding Great
Ron Block: Developing Focused & Effective Practice Techniques
Bill Evans: Integrating Creative Listening and Ear Training Into Daily Practice
The fee to attend the workshop on Zoom December 10 is $85, which entitles a student to view the Zoom session live, and keep a copy of the full video and the various handouts in perpetuity. Payment can be made via Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, credit card, or check.
More details about what will be covered in the Banjo Essentials workshop, and details about payment, can be found online.
ASHEVILLE - On a breezy, late November morning, the light pitter-patter of a hand drum echoes through the guitars, basses, keyboards and ukuleles of Musician's Workshop, a Merrimon Avenue landmark.
The beat is followed by a characteristic upward twang of an acoustic guitar being tuned in the back of the store, and, then, by a swell of noise from an electric guitar modified by a series of pedals. 'Electioneering' by Radiohead plays through a speaker.
Store owners Frank and Becky Dosier know that this is how musicians find their instruments. After all, they've been doing this for nearly 50 years.
"Musicians don't take in with their eyes. They take in with their fingers and ears," Becky Dosier said. "That's how they discriminate what they want."
While the noise is not necessarily coordinated, one thing is clear: Musician's Workshop is singing its swan song.
After 56 years of the store being open — and 46 years of joint partner ownership — the Dosiers are retiring in December.
When announcing their retirement, Frank and Becky were initially excited by getting to live closer to their two sons and two grandchildren. Yet, another surprise was in store.
"Going into it, the excitement was going to be moving to Raleigh where our boys in their 40s and we have two grandkids. That was the original excitement," Frank said. "The other excitement surprised me — and I'm sure Becky — is the mass response of people."
The Dosiers' decision to retire was announced in mid-November and with near unanimous support from customers — new and old.
"People are coming in — whether they buy anything or not — some people buy from us because they just feel like: 'I want to support the store again one more time!'" Frank said. "And that makes you feel good, but they're coming in just to say 'hi,' and they could be back from the 60s and 70s."
A long history of sound
The store opened in 1967, started by Asheville local John Moritz and run as Moritz Music until Frank and Becky purchased it in 1977 — not long before the couple were married.
Since then, the Dosiers' changed the name, modified the store layout and with exceptional results.
In 1989, the National Association of Music Merchants gave the store the "Best Showroom Design" award primarily for its progressive design, which is not too unlike a small venue with a stage and delicately placed instruments.
Frank said the store hadn't changed its layout since winning that award, and said it was Becky's idea.
"She insisted when we designed the store that the guitars be down where people could walk to them and touch them," Frank said of the layout of the store.
From a 'tick tock mallet' — a mallet with two wooden balls on a string intended to make a tick-tock noise — to bright pink Squier Fender Stratocaster guitars, the store comes with practically anything a musician could dream of.
In the past 20 years, the store has also been host to a number of "Taylor Road Shows" — a series of educational events hosted by Taylor Guitars. The shows would frequently be packed, Becky said.
"Sometimes we couldn't get everyone in and we'd have to wait," Becky said.
The store's memory of those who have travelled past its guitars, basses and drum kits is evident.
On one side of the store, a signed poster of session guitarist Andy Timmons — dated 1993 — sits on top of a wall. The other side has a series of "Best of WNC" awards hanging up. Frank doesn't even know how many years they placed first.
Both Frank and Becky said they would miss the relationships — with customers and employees — the most.
"Every person is a new relationship, and Becky is famous for saying 'Relationships matter,'" Frank said. "And that's true."
Encore?
Frank and Becky Dosier own the Musician's Workshop building in North Asheville, meaning they are looking for a new owner.
Hopes are for a new music store — for someone to continue the song, so to speak.
"We'd love for someone to come in and take it over and keep it going," Frank said. "They would probably change things to their desire. I know we would, because the world changes every few years."
"We would love to, if we could get a serious buyer: we would do it," Becky said.
The rest of the inventory is currently on sale, as Musician's Workshop will be open until Dec. 30.
"I've been wanting to do this since my granddaughter was born eight years ago. I couldn't get him to even budge," Becky said.
"It's going to be nice to be part of their lives."
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — After 56 years in the business, Musician’s Workshop in Asheville will be closing its doors for good.
A press release from the company says the Merrimon Avenue business, which has served Western North Carolina as "a cherished hub for musical instruments, sound systems and equipment, music instruction and repair services," will be shutting its doors on Dec. 30, 2023.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of Musician’s Workshop," the Dosiers, owners of the shop, said in a press release. "We have had the privilege of being part of countless musicians' journeys and have enjoyed every moment of serving this wonderful community. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our customers who have supported us throughout the years. It's been an incredible ride."
Founded in 1967 by John Moritz, Musician’s Workshop quickly established itself as a go-to destination for musicians of all levels selling pianos, organs, guitars, banjos and band instruments. It was in that year that Frank Dosier began working for Moritz as an after school job. Dosier worked through college and in 1977 he and his wife, Becky Dosier, purchased the company and have been successfully running the store ever since.
The Dosiers have decided it's time to retire and spend more time with their family.
As the store prepares to sell off its remaining inventory and officially shut its doors on Dec. 30, customers are encouraged to take advantage of sales and discounts on instruments and accessories.
For more information about Musician Workshop’s closing sale, remaining inventory, and any ongoing service commitments, visit their website or contact (828) 252-1249 or mail@musiciansworkshop.com.
T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Santa (Todd Egleston) and his team — from left to right, Lisa Pieters, Brooke Vaughn, Leia Collins and Lori Egleston — pose for a photo at the new Santa’s Workshop inside the Nicholas Center on Friday afternoon. The address is 2501 S. Center St. Ste. D.
For the last 25 years, Santa’s Workshop, led by the big man himself aka Todd Egleston, has been a fixture inside the Marshalltown Mall around the holiday season, but the recent power shutoff and subsequent closure of the common area at the order of the fire marshal forced St. Nick and his crew to look for a new home.
Luckily, they found it across the street inside of the Nicholas Center, the strip mall that also houses entities like Subway, Guiding Star, T2K Nutrition and Dunham-Fritz Chiropractic. So in 2023, the place to go for Christmas fun is 2501 S. Center St. Ste. D.
“I feel sorry for the people at the mall. Even the mall manager (Scott Wacha), we graduated together. I feel terrible for him,” Egleston said. “We put out a feeler that we were gonna need a place to be, and the people at T2K, they got a hold of the manager here and told her the situation and she said that we could use this place because of the situation, which was painfully nice of them.”
For the uninitiated, it doesn’t cost anything to come in and talk to Santa, but those who visit can purchase picture packages, frames, snow globes, Santa mailboxes, and more — they can also view the expansive collection of hundreds of nutcrackers. Egleston, who joked that he’s legally authorized to sign a check as Santa Claus, stays busy every holiday season between the Marshalltown Holiday Stroll (where Michelle Garrett plays Mrs. Claus) and events in other nearby communities including Ames, and he noted that a shortage of professional Santas is beginning to emerge in the area.
“Because there are so few of us, (a colleague) and I work together on bookings and try to cover all the events. This year, I am just getting hammered with requests,” Egleston said.
Santa’s Workshop will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. until Dec. 23 — though the team was quick to note they won’t turn anyone away who’s waiting in line after those times. Anyone with more questions is encouraged to reach out to Egleston at (641) 691-4167, and if he doesn’t immediately respond, he’s probably busy working on one of his private snow removal jobs.
Pet nights will also be held in partnership with the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown on Dec. 12 and 19. With their holiday season and business previously in peril, Egleston and his wife Lori are thankful for the owners of the Nicholas Center — or the St. Nicholas Center, as they’re now calling it — for welcoming them into their new space.
“This is an ideal spot. We can do so much with it. We just want the kids to have a wonderful experience,” Lori said.
Egleston and his team of elves and other helpers are excited to carry on the tradition of providing a regional hub for those in search of Christmas cheer. They aren’t sure what their long term plans are, but they’re happy to have a home this year.
T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Santa (Todd Egleston) and his team — from left to right, Lisa Pieters, Brooke Vaughn, Leia Collins and Lori Egleston — pose for a photo at the new Santa’s Workshop inside the Nicholas Center on Friday afternoon. The address is 2501 S. Center St. Ste. D.
For the last 25 years, Santa’s Workshop, led by the big man himself aka Todd Egleston, has been a fixture inside the Marshalltown Mall around the holiday season, but the recent power shutoff and subsequent closure of the common area at the order of the fire marshal forced St. Nick and his crew to look for a new home.
Luckily, they found it across the street inside of the Nicholas Center, the strip mall that also houses entities like Subway, Guiding Star, T2K Nutrition and Dunham-Fritz Chiropractic. So in 2023, the place to go for Christmas fun is 2501 S. Center St. Ste. D.
“I feel sorry for the people at the mall. Even the mall manager (Scott Wacha), we graduated together. I feel terrible for him,” Egleston said. “We put out a feeler that we were gonna need a place to be, and the people at T2K, they got a hold of the manager here and told her the situation and she said that we could use this place because of the situation, which was painfully nice of them.”
For the uninitiated, it doesn’t cost anything to come in and talk to Santa, but those who visit can purchase picture packages, frames, snow globes, Santa mailboxes, and more — they can also view the expansive collection of hundreds of nutcrackers. Egleston, who joked that he’s legally authorized to sign a check as Santa Claus, stays busy every holiday season between the Marshalltown Holiday Stroll (where Michelle Garrett plays Mrs. Claus) and events in other nearby communities including Ames, and he noted that a shortage of professional Santas is beginning to emerge in the area.
“Because there are so few of us, (a colleague) and I work together on bookings and try to cover all the events. This year, I am just getting hammered with requests,” Egleston said.
Santa’s Workshop will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. until Dec. 23 — though the team was quick to note they won’t turn anyone away who’s waiting in line after those times. Anyone with more questions is encouraged to reach out to Egleston at (641) 691-4167, and if he doesn’t immediately respond, he’s probably busy working on one of his private snow removal jobs.
Pet nights will also be held in partnership with the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown on Dec. 12 and 19. With their holiday season and business previously in peril, Egleston and his wife Lori are thankful for the owners of the Nicholas Center — or the St. Nicholas Center, as they’re now calling it — for welcoming them into their new space.
“This is an ideal spot. We can do so much with it. We just want the kids to have a wonderful experience,” Lori said.
Egleston and his team of elves and other helpers are excited to carry on the tradition of providing a regional hub for those in search of Christmas cheer. They aren’t sure what their long term plans are, but they’re happy to have a home this year.
Björn Larsson, who runs a workshop outside Gothenburg in Sweden, recently spoke out against IF Metall’s ongoing strike against Tesla. As per the business owner, it is smaller players such as himself that are really being adversely affected by the ongoing efforts of the union.
Larsson works at Mölnlycke Paintwork and Body Shop, which was founded by his father in the 1960s. The vehicle workshop is located in an industrial area in Mölnlycke. The business has about 25 employees, and in recent years, the turnover has been about SEK 34-36 million ($3.2-$3.4 million) annually.
As noted in a Dagens Industri report, Larsson’s shop is among the first in Sweden to support the repair and service of Tesla’s electric vehicles. Today, Teslas account for about 70% of the business’ operations. Larsson noted that if his shop, which employs workers that are members of IF Metall, loses its Tesla business, it might not be long before layoffs are in order.
There are people who thinks this is insanity😠
”The union has sick power. This strike is killing Swedish business"
”Our existence is threatened”
says Björn Larsson” owner of a car workshop outside Gothenburg who have 70% Tesla related business!
“In here, we are not allowed to work with the Tesla cars from next Wednesday. We were among the first to start with Tesla in 2013. Now 70% of the business is Tesla. I honestly don’t know how we’re going to manage without having to do those jobs. It won’t be long before we have to lay people off,” Larsson said.
Tesla and IF Metall do not seem to be closing in on an agreement. Tesla has noted that it would not be signing a collective agreement, while the union has proven that it will be escalating its anti-Tesla efforts until the electric vehicle maker is forced to sign an agreement. Larsson noted that in the midst of these conflicts, it is small business owners like himself that are most at risk.
“The union has sick power. This strike is killing Swedish business… Our existence is threatened. It’s us little ones who are sacrificed and the giants don’t care… IF Metall doesn’t seem to understand how many jobs are being put at risk,” he said.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
IF Metall’s anti-Tesla strike is “killing Swedish business:” car workshop owner
APALACHIN, NY (WBNG) -- Farmer Browns Marketplace hosted “Santa’s Workshop” on Saturday, an event with 30+ vendors consisting of crafters and artists.
Community members enjoyed a day filled with holiday cheer as they shopped. They were also able to get their pictures taken with Santa.
The event emphasized the importance of local shopping this holiday season.
“It’s local vendors, local people, local crafts and artisans,” said the Owner of Farmer Browns Marketplace, Logan Keenui. “It’s not imported stuff. It’s stuff that people have made themselves. It’s all about the community and that’s what this time of year really should be about.”
Fresh-cut Christmas trees and wreaths were on sale by a local landscape company too.
The last day to visit the workshop is tomorrow, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. 6 p.m.
Chris the Moose, Miranda Mouse, and Frosty the Snowman greet visitors at the Santa’s Workshop Entrance and Post Office — officially recognized by the postal service in 1953. NBC affiliate WPTZ (WIRI at the time) used the North Pole as its sign-on from 1954 until 1999. Photo by Tom French
Nostalgia at the heart of theme park that has weathered through the decades
By Tom French
Many enchanting experiences emerge from the Adirondacks, but nothing compares to witnessing Santa in his sleigh sliding through the switchbacks above his workshop. He laughs as he barrels down the hillside, faster than imaginable, barely slowing as he swings through several turns.
Open on weekends in November and December, any visit to Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole (with its own zip code and as recognized on official USGS maps), begins with Santa. Visitors form a line in front of his house as soon as the park opens – families rush down the hill and stamp their feet (hopefully in snow) while waiting their turn to sit on the big guy’s knee. And he doesn’t disappoint.
For almost 75 years, Santa has been entertaining kids (and adults) from his home near Wilmington. Everyone I know seems to have been there at least once. My mother visited in the early-1950s. I first dropped by when my kids were little. We have video of our son tentatively testing Santa’s bed while waiting to enter Santa’s chamber.
Quality time with Santa is one of the highlights of Santa’s Workshop and can be seen in the awe on children’s faces as he tells them to be “pick up your toys, be good for your parents, and love each other.” Photo by Tom French
Opened with a boom
Considered one of the first theme parks in the United States, it opened on July 1, 1949, with 212 visitors, mostly adults. With no rides, the main attraction besides Santa and the frozen North Pole was a number of shops, many of which are still present today. Visitors didn’t pay the 76-cent entrance fee until they left. Instead, “shopping cards” were attached to guests with strings where purchases were tallied and paid upon leaving, along with the entrance fee.
Animals roamed freely. The reindeer discovered the lollipop tree and the goats ate people’s clothing (and the shopping cards), so the animals were eventually placed in paddocks, and a different payment method was devised. Reindeer can still be found near Santa’s house.
When visitors only stayed for an hour, live shows and rides were added. Jason Gregg, the park’s current maintenance supervisor, has renderings by Arto Monaco showing how the Christmas tree ride was converted from a helicopter ride and the bobsled ride from an airplane ride.
A picture of Santa giving toys to kids was picked up by the Associated Press. Feature articles in magazines such as Esquire and Mechanix Illustrated, along with Pathé Newsreels, generated hype. Soon, daily attendance was often in the thousands. On Labor Day Sunday in 1951, over 14,000 people visited.
The icy “north pole” was one of the biggest attractions when Santa’s Workshop first opened in 1949. A novelty at the time, people traveled out of their way just to see it. It is still a popular spot for pictures and fascination, especially in the summer when it sweats. Photo by Tom French
The inspiration
According to Julie Robards, guide for a recent AARCH (Adirondack Architectural Heritage) tour, “They had to shut down Wilmington. They ran out of food and gas. When people couldn’t get all the way to Santa’s Workshop, they got out of their cars and walked up the mountain.”
Arto Monaco is often associated with the park, but it was actually the brainchild of Julian Reiss, a businessman who was introduced to the Adirondacks in the 1920s because of tuberculous. While traveling through the mountains with his family in the 1940s, he would spin tales. One involved a lost baby bear happening upon a village with Santa’s house, elves, and reindeer. When Reiss’s daughter Patti asked to visit, the concept of Santa’s Workshop was born.
Monaco was born in Elizabethtown and his family later moved to Upper Jay where Rockwell Kent discovered Arto’s murals in the family restaurant. Kent helped Monaco enroll at Pratt Institute. Other connections with vacationers, including John Steinbeck and movie director Lewis Milestone, led Monaco to Hollywood. In addition to working for MGM, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and Walt Disney, he moonlighted for Hasbro, Mattel, and the Ideal Toy Company. World War II disrupted his run in Tinseltown, but the skills he’d developed resulted in the military asking him to create a miniature Bavarian village as a training ground.
After the war, he returned to Upper Jay to build a toy factory with his brother, which is where Reiss found him.
“Reiss explained that he was interested in creating a little park where children could come and meet Santa and his reindeer and see where Santa was living in the summer,” Robards says.
The site was chosen because of its proximity to the Whiteface Memorial Highway, already a major tourist attraction.
Although open in summer and fall, the busiest time of year is the holidays. Part of the charm is riding amusement rides, albeit small ones, bundled up and covered in snow.
“The train is the most popular,” according to Gregg. Other kiddie rides include a carousel, mini coaster, Ferris wheel, and “Peppermint Swing.”
Keeping the vintage rides running, especially in the cold, can be challenging. “The maintenance crew run the rides, and it helps because we have the eyes for it. Plus, we all enjoy happy kid faces and the stories ‘of when I was a kid, I was here.’”
One of the charms of visiting Santa’s Workshop in December is riding the kiddie rides bundled up and in snow. Photo by Tom French
Looking ahead
Three generations of the Reiss family were involved with the park. The current owners, Doug and Carol Waterbury, became partners with Julian’s son, Bob, in 2002.
“My wife had great memories from her childhood,” Doug says. “And we came with our children in the ’90s. We just fell in love with it. To see the twinkle in my children’s eyes… In their minds, this was the real North Pole. That is the real Santa, and those are his real reindeer. It was so authentic.”
Many of the Waterburys’ business ventures involve projects “that need a loving hand and some vision for the future.” When they learned Santa’s Workshop was for sale, they decided to “go for it.”
“We came to an arrangement and worked with Bob Reiss for many years until he passed (in 2018). He had a fair amount of knowledge to share.”
The Waterburys also operate the Sylvan Beach Amusement Park and Sterling Renaissance Festival. This spring, after an extensive restoration, they plan to reopen Yesterday’s Royal, an historic hotel and restaurant also in Sylvan Beach.
“It takes dedication and passion to invest in these kinds of projects, and the North Pole has struggled for years whether from the economy, weather, or COVID.”
As they near retirement, the Waterburys recognize the need to find “capable hands who share the love and passion” for the park’s long-term survival. They’ve considered an application to the National Register of Historic Places, which would provide grant opportunities. Creating a not-for-profit is another idea that might garner public support.
“There’s still a place for Santa’s Workshop. With all the kids that live within five or six hours. It’s our job to rekindle awareness of this charming Christmas Village and preserve it for future generations.”
Santa steals the show
Gregg explains how Santa “is the real deal. When my girls get a little unruly, I’ll text him and say, ‘Hey, could you call real quick.’ A few moments later, ‘It’s Santa’s calling. He wants to talk to you.’
“And he always dresses the part. It may be a Hawaiian shirt, but it’s a Santa Hawaiian shirt. He was in Florida and some kids asked, ‘What are you doing Santa?’ And he replied, ‘Santa’s on vacation kids. I’m doing some fishing, enjoying my time off.”
Whenever we visited, Santa bellowed to the kids as if he’d known them for years. “Come on there, Big Guy. Come over here and see me. You too, Pretty Lady. Let me talk to you.” (I have all the encounters on video).
When Daniel asked for a pool table, Santa looked right at my wife who was furiously shaking her head. Santa rubbed his chin and said it was too late in the year for his elves to make a pool table. Daniel asked for a marble run, Carrie nodded her head, Santa took his cue, and the deal was done.
As visitors to Santa’s Workshop know, Santa takes his time with each child. As our kids looked up in awe, he advised them to be “extra good” along with a host of other suggestions such as “go to bed when you’re supposed to, eat all your vegetables,” and, of course, “pick up your toys.” He even told Daniel, “Keep an eye on your little sister ‘cause they get into trouble sometimes.” Remember, I have it on film. His finale was the coup de grâce, “Most of all, be good for your parents and love each other and I’ll come see you on Christmas and we’ll have a jolly time.” And then he laughed gleefully, “Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas! Ho ho ho.”
As a nonprofit, we rely on the support of readers like you.
Join the community of people helping to power our independent,
Adirondack-focused reporting.
Neema Githere: Afropresentism, Ancestry, and Incantation. Screenshot from workshop. Courtesy of The Immigrant Artist Biennial.
One Sunday, as the Israel-Hamas War raged, dividing nations and families, a workshop on Zoom begins with a penetrating question: “Whose love brought you here?” which led to a discussion about the technology of love. To me, linguistically, the technology of love means two different things: one, love as a technology and an instrument, and, two, the technologies available to us so that love can be manifested.
The first meaning of the term speaks to actions—imminent and full of force. Our host Neema Githere notes that “love” is a verb that transforms our reality. It is more concrete than being a fluffy, undefinable concept. It is as close to social activism and civil disobedience as it is to poetry, art, and (im)mortality. Love expresses itself through its many action-based synonyms. For instance, philosopher and activist Cornel West famously said: “Justice is what love looks like in public.” This view of justice is echoed by Omid Safi, a scholar of Sufism and Middle Eastern studies, in his 2016 article titled “Justice is Love, Embodied,” in which he writes: “If we seek a life of the spirit, how do we confront social injustice, poverty, racism, sexism, living under occupation, and violence by both states and non-state entities?” In our present time, this conversation seems ever-more-relevant, as many protests—an investment in love—are taking place in physical and virtual spaces but are frequently misconstrued as aggressive.
Photo of Neema Githere. Courtesy of the artist and The Immigrant Artist Biennial.
We certainly dove right in. This online workshop, led by Kenyan-born guerilla theorist Neema Githere, aimed at exploring how we can aspire to situate our political and philosophical thinking at the intersection of technology, identity, heritage, and love. Presented in collaboration with The Immigrant Artist Biennial 2023 and Wendy’s Subway on October 29th, it took place during a time when the consumption of digital content was becoming increasingly challenging and even precarious at times. As a 2023-24 Practitioner Fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University, Githere’s research focuses on how indigeneity and connectivity are fostered by technology and social media. In this session, they held space for difficult emotions, aspiring to understand colonial trauma to seek healing via “algorithmic debris”—a concept that quickly led us to consider computational sequences and data processing.
This allowed us to move on to the second interpretation of the technology of love: How do indigeneity and Afropresentism find themselves contemporary media? In Githere’s own words, Afropresentism is born from Kodwo Eshun’s Afrofuturism, and it emerges as a “genre fusing archival, documentary, and fine arts on and through new media in the articulation of an Afrofuturist lived reality.” The “-present-” in the term means to take up space and to consider what is currently at stake. In the digital realm, as we repost messages of empowerment via Instagram stories, these words, signs, numbers, and icons result in a “collective incantation” with spiritual tenacity and strength. If something you read off of your phone screen ever caused your heart to tremble, the collective incantation may be at work—from big data to somatic experiences, from intangible media to physical reality.
Ancestry was an operative word in the title of the workshop, and among the most enlightening moments of the session was when Gilbert Githere, Neema’s grandfather, spoke to us through pre-recorded videos. He pointed out that formulas are what’s bridging spoken language, incantation, oral history, and computer algorithm. Through this bridge, not only can one access ancestral wisdom, but we, as a generation, can also actively curate a new form of digital history, as an alternative or addition to material history.
Towards the last part of the discussion, participants of the workshop were invited to share their reflections on ancestral specificity, answering questions such as “Who are your ancestors? What did they do/overcome?” or “What is the present moment calling you to do?” This open system of sharing diasporic experiences ties to Guerrilla Theory, which focuses on the decentralization, or “constellation,” of knowledge acquisition; it “emphasizes conversation as the highest mode of speculation.” A thought-provoking topic that emerged from this discussion was indigenous mental health: For survivors of colonial trauma, is it effective, or just, to use Western-centric epistemological systems and medical manuals such as the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), which were likely born out of socio-academic contexts with lingering colonial legacies as well as unequal representation?
Many questions remain, but we are pointed towards a more healing and optimistic way of thinking. Neema Githere’s workshop offered a deep and multidimensional exploration of topics like ancestry, love, technology, and decolonization. By encouraging open conversations and by challenging conventional perspectives, the workshop invited participants to think critically about the power of the internet and all forms of algorithms that we interact with on a daily basis, oftentimes unknowingly. Underscoring the various formats of love—care, critique, stewardship, intention, justice, and so on—this workshop sent a powerful message of hope at a time when we need it most.
FINCASTLE, Va. (WFXR) — A woodworking workshop was damaged after a fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon.
Around 3:44 p.m. on Nov. 22, the Fincastle Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1400 block of Blacksburg Road. When crews arrived on the scene, they found the roof of the shop covered in flames.
Woodworking workshop fire roof in flames in the 1400 block of Blacksburg road on Nov. 24. (Photo courtesy: Fincastle Volunteer Fire Company)
Additional crews were called to the scene including the Troutville Fire Department, Read Mountain Fire & Rescue, and Botetourt Fire EMS. Together, firefighters extinguished flames on the main floor.
Crews then worked their way to the attic where they worked to contain additional flames.
Currently, it is unknown if anyone was injured and how the fire started.
Wood Shop fire roof in flames in the 1400 block of Blacksburg road on Nov. 24. (Photo courtesy: Fincastle Volunteer Fire Company)
The University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Photo: Jeff Janowski/UNCW
The All Blue 201 workshop scheduled for 1-3 p.m. Tuesday in Wilmington is an opportunity to delve into a comprehensive discussion of the coastal economy in North Carolina.
Attendees will examine various aspects of the blue economy and discuss topics such as whether the seafood we’re eating is sustainable, how to grow entrepreneurial ecosystems to support the blue economy, what to know about blue economy policy, how to create a blue economy financial index, and how to build an EcoTech Innovation Engine.
Speakers on the schedule are CIE Scientist in Residence Troy Alphin, as well as Dr. Jenny Biddle, program coordinator for the master’s of coastal and ocean policy. Visitors will also hear from CIE Entrepreneur in Residence Richard Keary and Jay Schach, CIE entrepreneur educator, Cameron School of Business adjunct.
Attendees will be asked to provide their perspectives.
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WV News) — Mountain CAP Family Support Center, in partnership with Community Care of West Virginia, will start another SMART Recovery Family & Friends Workshop every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The workshop will be held at 30 E. Main St. in Buckhannon for 14 weeks.
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WV News) — Mountain CAP Family Support Center, in partnership with Community Care of West Virginia, will start another SMART Recovery Family & Friends Workshop every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The workshop will be held at 30 E. Main St. in Buckhannon for 14 weeks.
Stage 212 in La Salle announced its 2024 lineup of workshops for people seeking more specific theater knowledge.
Workshops include theatre fundamentals in January, improv in March, acting through song in May, stage combat in June, dance in August, stage makeup in October and tech in December.
The organization is offering registration for 2024 workshops in bundles of seven for $70, a savings of at least 17% over the cost of registering for individual workshops priced at $12 and $15.
Each bundle will guarantee people ages 10 and older spots at seven workshops. Unused spots will not be refunded, and spots cannot be transferred to other individuals.
Workshop bundles can be bought by visiting www.stage212.org or by calling the box office and leaving a message at 815-224-3025. The bundling opportunity will only be available until Jan. 15.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/URM6FRDM3ZBT5CLQN4CTGZT4DY.png)
Photo of Neema Githere. Courtesy of the artist and The Immigrant Artist Biennial.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/SDMXRVUENZCMZABTVIC6XKRVYQ.jpg)
