There was a certain amount sadness for my wife and I as we returned to the North Country two weeks ago.  The coronavirus has shut down most of America and New York State was especially hit hard by this pandemic.  While we sheltered ourselves waiting for this to pass we realized that we were not restricted from visiting the Red Barn Preserve and taking advantage of the hiking trails.  We have the good fortune of living walking distance from the Preserve which made it easy to check it out.  To our amazement- we were not alone when we walked the farm site.  I estimate we saw on average a half dozen people on each of our visits.  The excitement and interest in the Preserve centered around the Blue Heron Rookery.  The birds are back and have been there since early March.  The viewing stand that was installed last fall provides an excellent view of the Rookery.  I estimate there are at least 50 nests and they are completely filled up with pairs of birds.  The birds have mated and many of the nests now have eggs in them.  If you go to our Facebook page- I have posted plenty of pictures of all of this bird activity.

https://www.facebook.com/Morristown-Gateway-Museum-219511788809473/?eid=ARD-MBC4k0hZMCLL--_c9nuoPbyzva7tH9SWeoXkpnRUsi65kdiJLd0O8nGMk0nExezdplxZnvuoVJDJ

We also noticed that our large beaver population has been busy.  All of the ponds are at high water because these animals have worked hard to patch the areas that drain the ponds.  While one of the Gateway Museum’s trustees has visited the property over the winter and early spring to dislodge the debris and keep the water flowing- we are losing the battle to these guys. 

I also stopped by the farm house to check on the work progress related to the renovation effort.  The place is totally amazing-  the kitchen and bathrooms are nearly complete and a new oak wood floor was installed throughout the downstairs area.  The work was shut down last month due to the virus.  I estimate that we have 2 or three weeks of construction activity left to complete this project.

The trustees for the Gateway Museum have had to cancel the monthly meetings because we are a “nonessential” activity during this pandemic.  This has created a period of uncertainty for us.  We are not sure when we will be able to open the Museum’s doors to visitors.  This uncertainty applies to the other annual activities such as our garage sale, 4th of July parade, yoga classes, and summer concert series. 

We hope to get back to business in the near future.  In the meantime – our hiking trails remain open at the Red Barn Preserve and we invite all of you to come visit us.  Please practice social distancing.
 
Dean Shelato
Trustee Gateway Museum
April 10, 2020  

Sadly we closed our doors for the season on Sept 30th   It’s a mixed blessing.  We are truly sad to see it all end- no more concerts, guest lecturers, and entertaining visitors touring through our building with their interesting stories.  And at the same time there is relief that the pressure is off-  it takes a small army of volunteers to keep our place going.
 
But the work does not end at the Red Barn Preserve.  In fact the Fall is the best time of the year to get things done.  The list of getting things done includes:  construction of a new viewing platform on the yellow trail, rebuilding of the south end of the Red Barn including a section of roof that was badly sagging, grinding down three large tree stumps that remained when we cut down the locust trees last fall, and hosting a volunteer day on Sept 28th to clear the trails of overgrown weeds and cattails.

Despite less than perfect weather conditions (it rained)- the Volunteer Day was attended by a record number of people.  26 dedicated guests showed up to cut back the vegetation along the trails as well as to start preparing the new Blue trail that is expected to be opened next summer.  One volunteer managed to post “No Hunting” signs along the boundary of the property and another hung “yellow” trail markers on trees to show hikers where this trail is located. 

The farm house renovation continues.  A new roof was installed, drywall hung, new doors and a new furnace secured in place and rough plumbing added to the kitchen and bathroom areas.  It’s a race against time to get as much work as we can get done before the cold weather arrives.  The museum’s budget does not support heating this building through the winter this year.  If all works out- we will lock down the farm house on December 31st and have our contractors return next May to install new hardwood floors and kitchen cabinets.  There has been so much progress done that visitors are amazed to see changes.

Behind the scenes a couple of museum trustees are busy managing the paperwork.  Our 5 year charter came up for renewal.  After filing the necessary forms- NY State has advised that the matter has been completed and our new Charter is on the way.  Other ambitious Trustees have set out to update our bylaws.  It is fascinating how many changes have occurred over the years.  The biggest change has been the acquisition of the Bogardus Farm property and the museum’s desire to establish hiking trails.  We hope to complete the bylaw changes and vote on them at a board meeting in the near future.

In the next week or so- the Gateway Museum will be rolling out Red Barn Preserve 2019 Apparel as part of our year end fund raising drive.  These screen print T-shirts will make wonderful Christmas gifts.  You can order the shirts at mgmredbarnapparel.itemorder.com.  The Morristown Gateway Museum appreciates and needs your support.  These funds will go toward maintaining both the main street location and the Red Barn Preserve.  All orders must be in by December 1, 2019- to guarantee that you will receive the shirts in time for Christmas.

I like to end each of my postings with a note about our volunteers.  We have so many people that freely give their time to help us.  Some volunteer to help with the annual June Garage sale, some like to help with our annual spaghetti dinner, some decorate the museum windows, many help out at the Red Barn Preserve with trail or farm house activities.  If you would like to join us –please leave a message on the museum’s phone 315-375-4910 or call one of the Trustees.

Thanks again to all of you that support our mission to attract tourists to Morristown and to make Morristown a better place.

Dean Shelato- Trustee
October 16, 2019
 

The weather in the north country is different each year.  Our Spring was cold and rainy and created problems for the farmers and local gardeners.  The summer was not so bad.  We did not get the crazy hot temperatures that we have had in years past.  And now we are seeing a cool rainy fall that has our lawns as green as you see in the spring.

Out at the Red Barn Preserve we are enjoying the cool rainy weather with trails that are beautiful.  Seems like the cattails this year have extra energy and have shot up high above the wetlands and ponds.  Walking along the boardwalks is like taking a path thru the jungle.  The bugs seem to be under control and it is a great time to hike the trails.

The Farm house renovation continues.  We recently stripped off the roof and are working to install a new metal deck roof that should keep us dry for another 30 years.  We also removed the first floor bedroom addition that Lorraine Bogardus had built to help her husband Allan out when he had an accident and was told to avoid climbing stairs.  The HVAC contractor has installed ductwork and will soon put in the new furnace.  Thanks to some talented volunteers we have finished wiring the house.  We hope to install the kitchen appliances and center island before winter arrives.

The Red Barn is getting some badly needed upgrades.  We recently replaced the siding along the south end of the Barn’s lean-to.  We are looking to do some repairs to the roof in the same area before the end of September.   Not far from the Barn along the yellow trail we will be installing an observation platform to enable hikers to have a great view of the Blue Heron Rookery and ponds.

The summer concert series came to an end on August 26th with a performance by Sweet Adelines.  The Museum’s concert team worked very hard this year to bring 9 concerts to Morristown.  Our attendance averaged close to 100 people per event.  Thank you Morristown  for supporting us with your attendance – it means NY State will fund us for another year

Julie Pratt – an artist associated with the Remington Art Museum -conducted a drawing class entitled “Drawing in Nature” at the Red Barn Preserve on August 27th.  Eight local artists participated in the class.  It was not too difficult for the artists to find great scenery to draw.

We have scheduled a Volunteer Day for September 28th at the Preserve.  Looking forward to seeing a lot of friends and museum family members to help us clean up the trails and to do light maintenance on some of the farm buildings.  Our ambitious goal is to stake out another hiking trail.  Dr Jessica Rogers from SUNY Potsdam will bring students from the university to participate in this one day work program.

Our deadline to participate in the Memorial Brick program is September 30th.  For the cost of $60- a person can get a customized brick to have placed in the sidewalk at the entrance to the Museum.  The message can range from cheerful greetings, to serious memories of loved ones.  Stop by the museum to pick up a form or call and leave a message on our recorder.

We are soon to roll out a beautiful long sleeve T shirt this fall. The one-of-a-kind colorful graphics and soft to the touch shirt comes in sizes XS to XL.  The cost is $29.  XXL will cost $32.   This is a quality, unisex, relaxed fit shirt.     

Special thanks go out to members of the community for donations to our organization.  Rick and Carolyn Johnson have donated a painting.  Herb Holmes provided a wonderful drawing of Morristown’s ferry boat.  Kent and Annette Stobel donated the beautiful flowers out front of our Main Street location.  Clara Warren continues to provide amazing window displays out front  If you have something to donate – please reach out to a museum trustee or stop by.  Our criteria for accepting items is that the items must be donated with “no strings” attached and they must relate to Morristown.

The Museum is extremely grateful to our many volunteers.  If you would like to volunteer –please reach out to a trustee or leave a message on our phone and we will get back to you.
 
September 15, 2019
Dean Shelato
Trustee

It’s almost September and our summer has zoomed by.  The Gateway Museum has kicked into high gear in the last month and has delivered entertainment, benefit dinners, speakers, yoga classes, and outdoor adventures at the Red Barn Preserve that drew many friends and out-of-town tourists to the area.  “Wow” is the expression we use to describe all this activity.

Starting with the Summer Concert Series- we have been entertained by 9 Bands this year including the Chipman Jazz All-Stars, Atkinson Family Band, Mockingbirds, Bob Sauter and the Non Committals, Steeling Country, Jack Kelley’s Little Big Band, Northbound, and the Ft Drum Band.  Attendance has been high and the Museum is inspired by support from our crowds

We managed to put together two benefit dinners in August including our annual Spaghetti Dinner and our bi-annual Shore Dinner.  Don Ceresoli takes great pride in having his family sponsor the Spaghetti Dinner and provide the labor and food to deliver the wonderful meals and good will to our community.  The Museum is deeply appreciative Don’s efforts and pleased that we drew over 185 people this year to the event.  And similarly- the shore dinner put on by Gary Alford, Jeff and Dot Swift and Carolyn and Rick Johnson exceeded expectations.  I continue to be amazed that someone can go out into the St Lawrence River and find as many walleye as they found.  Delicious!  Thank you to the 60 people that ponied up the money to make this such a success.

Our Guest speakers included Rich Henderson – President of the Black Lake Association and retired scientist.  His presentation included a history of Black Lake and information about the ecological issues that are being managed by the Association.  Dr. Jessica Rogers from SUNY Potsdam spoke to us about her Grant project at the Red Barn Preserve which included cataloging all the plant species at that site as well as studying the invasive species that have gained a foot hold and her plans to help eliminate these invaders.

The Red Barn Preserve continues to deliver amazing reviews from hundreds of tourists and locals over the summer months.  The sign in sheets are filled with up beat comments about the Preserve.  Sadly our Blue Herons have fledged from our Rookery and are gone from the area.  It has been exciting to watch these birds occupy the Rookery, lay their eggs, and raise the young.  Early this month we were thrilled to receive pictures of River Otters visiting one of the ponds   While we have a long list of species that have shown up in the ponds- this was the first time we have otters stop by.

The farm house renovation project continues to dominate our volunteer’s time this summer.  Our progress has been huge as we rewired the house, replaced all the plumbing, and added a new kitchen.  We are soon to get a new roof installed and shortly after that will replace sheet rock in many of the rooms.  The furnace contractor has started to replace all the old ductwork.  We hope to have most of the work completed by the end of September.

The farm house garden project turned out to be a weak spot for us.  A couple of volunteers (including this writer) attempted to grow a giant pumpkin exceeding 500 pounds.  While our energy and enthusiasm remained high- we were not successful in getting the seeds to germinate and had to settle for two plants and two small pumpkins.  Lots of lessons were learned and we will be back out in that garden next year !

We have been very fortunate to pick up new volunteers this year.  We know there are many more that want to join us.  If you are one of those that want to join a fun team of people that are trying to make a difference in Morristown-please reach out to us. 

Our donations to the museum have been generous.  Thank you to everyone that contributed their time and money to support the many activities that we get involved with.  We look forward to everyone’s continuing support.
 
Dean Shelato- Trustee
Gateway Museum

22 High School Students From NY City Visited the Red Barn Preserve on July 17th


The last 30 days have been busy for the Gateway Museum.  We held the Annual Garage Sale on June 15th and matched last years results as our friends of the museum donated many items that sold well on that Saturday.

At the Red Barn Preserve we held Volunteer Day on June 22nd.  Over 20 volunteers came to the Farm to rake wood chips along the hiking trails, cut cattails next to the boardwalks , clean debris from the barn and paint bedrooms in the farm house. 

July 4th featured the Morristown Parade.  The museum was proud to enter a beautiful float covered with attractive artwork showing pictures of the Dr Morse Indian Root Pills exhibit that was installed this year in the museum.  Other pictures captured the natural beauty of the Red Barn Preserve and its attractive hiking trails.  George Coslar drove the float truck with World War II veteran Bob Shelato riding shotgun.  Bob drew a standing ovation when he stepped out of the vehicle to be acknowledged by the crowd in front of the grandstand.  Rich Bzura threw out candy from the back of the float.

On Saturday July 8th we kicked off the summer concert series with a solid performance from Northbound.  Despite strong winds and rain at the time- over 75 people braved the elements to attend the event.  On July 8th we sponsored the second concert with the Chipman Jazz All Stars.
Our third concert featured the Atkinson Family Band on July 15th.

Jake Tibbles- the Executive Director of the Thousand Island Land Trust was a guest speaker at the museum on July 17th.  The Thousand Island Land Trust (TILT) has been a big supporter of the Gateway Museum.  Much of the work done at the Red Barn Preserve was done after consulting TILT on how to create new hiking trails and build structures like the boardwalks.  Jake's speech was entitled "Corridors and Conservation" and focused on the development of land between NY State's Adirondack State Park and Canada's Algonquin Park in Ontario.  He entertained the crowd with true stories about Alice the Moose - and how this large animal traveled hundreds of miles from the Adirondack Park to the Algonquin Park.

Work continued at the Red Barn Preserve.  The team installed colorful graphics signage on the kiosk that displayed the map of our current trails.  A sign-in box was installed to capture the names and addresses of visitors.  The farmhouse renovation team wired the kitchen, a plumber completed rough plumbing for the kitchen and two bathrooms, and painting continued in all the rooms. 

Our blue heron rookery saw active adult birds feeding many young birds.  The young birds have grown so large that it is hard to differentiate between the adults and the young.  The birds will leave the Rookery in the next few weeks.  If you want to have a last look at this years flock- now would be the time to visit the site.

We continue to be impressed by the large number of visitors to Preserve each day.  Word has certainly gotten around about our trails and its connection to nature and wild life.  We were honored on July 17th to have 22 high school seniors from New York City spend a day at the Farm with Dr Jessica Rogers to learn about the plants and conservation efforts Dr Rogers and her team have done at the site.  Each student received "hands on" training in wetland management and learned to identify invasive plant species and ways to eradicate them.  They were also given a chance fly drones over the Preserve. 

We quietly planted a small garden this year at the farm.  Our intentions were simply to grow a 500 pound pumpkin.  The weather has not cooperated and the project has resulted in only two seeds ( out of twenty five planted) germinating and surviving the wet and cold weather.  We have high hopes that the two plants will produce a couple of giant pumpkins.  

The museum is always looking for volunteers.  If you have some spare time- we have lots of projects to work on.  Last month's Volunteer Day was a great example of people working outdoors on a sunny perfect day to improve our trails at the Preserve.  If you would rather work inside on our exhibits we are putting together a team to build a Black Lake fishing exhibit that will be opened next summer.  Stop by the museum and let us know what your interests are.

The Gateway Museum would also like to thank you for supporting us.  We could not do what we do without volunteers and people that donate money to keep us going.  The Morristown area is a wonderful place to live and raise a family.  We are committed to making a difference.

Dean Shelato
Gateway Museum Trustee
July 18, 2019

I would have to say the Gateway Museum is firing on all cylinders.  On May 25th we opened our doors to start the 2019 season.  Featured this year on the first floor is a new exhibit about Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills.  At the turn of the century the Comstock family making their Indian Root pills was the largest employer in Morristown and sold the pills worldwide. The exhibit captures the enticing advertising from the era and displays images that are designed to get you to buy this elixir. 

Over at the Red Barn Preserve the Morristown Highway Department arrived the week of May 19th to install a 300 foot long board walk along pond #2.  A week later students and faculty members from BOCE’s arrived to spend a day building a number of trail improvements along our new Trail #2.  The trail opened May 25th.   At about the same time as the trail construction was completed Dr. Jessica Rogers SUNY Potsdam showed up with three summer interns to start her project to study and eradicate invasive plant species at the Preserve.  The team has already identified over 180 plant species at the site and will soon focus on the invasive plants including purple loosestrife and methods to eradicate them.

The real excitement at the Red Barn Preserve is the blue heron rookery and all the activity going on in this nesting site.  The blue heron eggs have all hatched and the birds are busy feeding their young.  We have over 60 active nests in the Rookery.  To our surprise a very talented photographer from North Carolina showed up last week and decided to photograph the birds.  His sensational picture of an adult blue heron standing over 3 young birds sent our Facebook page soaring with over 1650 views.  His pictures by far and away are the best we have ever have seen taken at the Rookery.  A big thank you goes out to Greg Perry for sharing these pictures with the Museum (you can see other wildlife pictures taken by Greg at his website http://browncreek.smugmug.com/.)
 
 
Our garden has gotten off to a slow start.  The wet and cold weather has slowed things down.  We prepared 6 mounds of dirt and planted over 25 Atlantic Giant Pumpkin seeds on May 19th.  On June 10th our first plant emerged and since then we have gotten 2 more to grow.  If you are optimistic you say- what the heck – I only need one plant to create my 500# pumpkin !

We are looking for support for our museum activities this summer.  There certainly is plenty of work to do.  We welcome anyone that wants to help staff the museum for a couple of hours a week (we will provide training) or perhaps there is interest in working out at the Red Barn Preserve.  There is a volunteer day scheduled for Saturday June 22nd at the Preserve to help us with trail maintenance.  Activities include trimming the trails, working on some demolition in the Red Barn and painting around the farm house.  It’s a good chance to get out and reacquaint yourself with your neighbors.  This event is from 9am to 1pm.

The museum is trying to increase our advertising in the community. We have been on Facebook for some time but really did not consistently post pictures and news items on a regular basis.  That has changed and we are now posting almost daily to let the community know what we are doing.  I think we are making some good progress.   I have observed that we usually reach at least 100 people with our posts and occasionally more.  Out latest post of Greg Perry’s pictures of Blue herons has reached over 1,650 people!  If you consider that the village of Morristown has a total population of 325 people- reaching 1,650 people is a big deal !

Our concert series kicks off on Saturday June 29th with Northbound.  (Some of our earlier advertising had this as a Shoes concert- but that has changed) You can see this concert and all of our summer concerts at the Morristown Fire Department Pavilion. Check this website for a complete up-to-date schedule.  As a general rule- our concerts are usually on Monday evenings. Concerts start at 6:30pm. 

There are great guest speakers lined up for this summer.  Jake Tibbles- Executive Director of the Thousand Island Land Trust will talk at the Gateway Museum’s Main Street location on July 17th at 6:30pm. Rich Henderson – President of the Black Lake Association in lined up to talk on August 8th at the Museum.

Many of our supporters have received our patron letter this month requesting donations to the museum that will enable us to continue to provide services to the community.  Most people understand that it requires funds to build museum exhibits or hiking trails.  And I think most people think that the Gateway Museum does a good job providing these services.  If you have not received a patron letter and would like to make a donation please send your donation to the Gateway Museum, Box 231, Morristown, NY 13664 or go to our website at www.morristowngatewaymuseum.org and make a PayPal donation.
 
Dean Shelato
June 14, 2019

Actually there is nothing calm about the month of May as far as the Gateway Museum is concerned.   Our volunteers have worked hard cleaning the Main Street building from top to bottom.  With the opening day planned for May 25th- there are too few days left to get everything done.  The Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills Exhibit is nearly complete, planning for the June 15th Garage sale is underway, and once again Clara Warren has created yet another beautiful window display.  We are determined to be ready to open the doors for Memorial Day weekend!

Over at the Red Barn Preserve the team is also going crazy.  The Town of Morristown highway department is preparing to install a 300 foot long boardwalk over marshy areas along trail #2.  The rainy weather does not seem to be cooperating and it will be a challenge to complete this work in time to open the trail for Memorial Day weekend.  We are also hoping to get the garden planted in the next two weeks.  It takes 120 days to grow a giant pumpkin which means those seeds need to be planted now.  The farm house renovation project is scheduled to kickoff June 1st.  We hope to complete this work by Fall and have a new kitchen, bathrooms, hardwood floors, new ceilings and decorated walls throughout the house.

The blue herons have settled down in the rookery and are busy warming those eggs.   Many visitors report seeing only one or two birds in the Rookery.  Those that have powerful binoculars notice that all 60 bird nests are occupied and the female birds are so low in the nests that you only see the tops of their heads.  Visiting the site in early morning and late evening improves your chances of seeing more herons.

We love, love, love the attention the Red Barn Preserve has been getting lately.  This morning a key member of the Laurentian Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club (190 members) showed up at the Red Barn to look at the trail system that we are developing.  The club is interested in doing a front page article on the Preserve in the near future.   We have also been approached by an educator from the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg about offering a nature sketching class in late June.   A BOCES teacher visited the Red Barn Preserve two weeks ago to explore a partnership with the museum that would enable students to work on projects at the Preserve.  These students are learning to identify trees and plants and can build trails as well as locate property boundary lines.  An agreement with BOCES would be very helpful to the museum and the students.   All of these things are just way too cool !

Many of our supporters have received our patron letter this month requesting donations to the museum that will enable us to continue to provide services to the community.  Most people understand that it requires funds to build museum exhibits or hiking trails.  And I think most people think that the Gateway Museum does a good job providing these services.  If you have not received a patron letter and would like to make a donation please send your donation to the Gateway Museum, Box 231, Morristown, NY 13664 or go to our website at www.morristowngatewaymuseum.org and make a PayPal donation.

Each month I end my Blog with a request for volunteers to step up and join the organization.  You can imagine my pleasant surprised when I received this email this morning “I will be in Morristown for 2 weeks starting May 19th.  Do you want any help with trails, the boardwalk or kiosks? I am handy and like getting my hands dirty to help a great cause.” Wow- you made my day !  If anyone else would like to volunteer- we have jobs at the Main Street location as well as the Red Barn Preserve that need to be filled.  Volunteer Day at the Red Barn Preserve is scheduled for Saturday June 22nd.  You can write an email to morristownmuseum@gmail.com or call me or text me on my cell phone at 614-205-8437

Dean Shelato
May 15, 2019

Everywhere I look I see signs that Spring is returning to the North Country.   Our first signs of this included the sightings of the blue herons in the Rookery.  As we have been reporting for the last Month- our Blue Heron Rookery has over 60 nests and these nests are fully occupied.  It has been almost comical to watch these large beautiful birds come together in a single nest.   We encourage hikers and bird watchers to come to the Red Barn Preserve to see these amazing birds.  It is a one quarter mile hike from the entrance of the Preserve back to the boardwalk viewing area.  Visitors should bring waterproof footwear, warm hiking clothes and binoculars.  The nests are about 500 feet from the trail and the end of a large pond.  

A second hiking trail has been planned for the Preserve and will be completed by Memorial Day this year.  With the help of the Town of Morristown Highway Department and Gateway Museum volunteers- a new 300 foot long boardwalk is scheduled to be constructed beginning May 13th.    When this trail has been completed there will be a viewing stand that will enable visitors to have excellent views of blue herons, beavers, ducks and other wildlife living in the ponds on the property.

Work continues on the Farm House renovation project at the Red Barn Preserve.  New windows have been installed, the kitchen floor area rebuilt, roof repairs completed, furnace ductwork replaced, and demolition of bathrooms completed.  It is expected that the bulk of the renovation project will be completed by Fall of this year.

This is also Grant season.  The museum depends on funding to complete the projects that keep the place interesting and appreciated by our patrons.  We recently submitted a grant to the Northern New York Youth Philanthropy Council to seek funding for the viewing stand at the Red Barn Preserve.  We are also applying to the St Lawrence River Redevelopment Authority to obtain funding to complete work at the Preserve including building another hiking trail and renovating the Red Barn and stone wall fence along River Road East.  The Redevelopment Agency are been an excellent partner and funded our projects in the past.  The third Grant in progress is a SAM grant (State Aid to Municipalities) from New York State to provide HVAC for our 309 Main Street location.  State senator Patti Ritchie has been a wonderful friend of the Museum and sponsor of this project.  It is expected that the project will be completed by the Fall.

We have not forgotten about our downtown Gateway Museum location.  Two board members have collaborated on a plan to prepare a new Dr Morse Indian Root Pills Exhibit this summer.  Details will be unveiled as we get closer to our Museum opening on May 25th

And lets not forget our summer concert series.  The museum sponsored 7 concerts last year.  This year we have booked 10 concerts including the Fort Drum Band.  Please join us at the Morristown Fire Department Pavilion when we kick off the series with The Shoes- Rock and Roll From the 50's, 60's, and 70's on Saturday June 29th at 6:30pm.

Thanks to go out to Clara Warren for her work on the Museum’s front windows.  Clara brings special talent to the museum and her windows are “works of art”.  The Spring and Easter look makes you smile !

If you know anyone that would like to volunteer some of their time working at the Museum or Red Barn Preserve- please reach out to us by commenting on this website or call me on my cell phone (614-205-8437)  Our volunteers have fun working on the many projects and events outlined above and would welcome new faces to the team.  

Dean Shelato
April 15, 2019
 
   

News Flash- The Blue Herons have returned to their nesting site at the Morristown Red Barn Preserve.  The Rookery has over 60 active nests and has been home to the birds for many years. Hikers and bird watchers can observe the birds along the blue heron hiking trail established last year at the Preserve.  The trail is located one quarter mile from the entrance to the farm to the boardwalk viewing area.  Visitors should bring warm hiking clothes and binoculars.  The nests are about 500 feet from the trail at the end of the large pond.

Last month’s article about the Red Barn Preserve written by Patty Mondore and published in the Thousand Islands Life Online magazine has generated a lot of “buzz” in the community.  The article outlines the history of the Preserve and the legacy of Alan and Loraine Bogardus.   If you did not get an opportunity to view this please paste the link below into your browser:

https://thousandislandslife.com/the-red-barn-preserve-just-the-beginning/

The Board of Directors of the Gateway Museum met recently to discuss some of the plans that are in the works for this summer.  Much of this discussion centered around the work at the Preserve.  Listed below is a partial list of plans for this year:

1.   Construct a second hiking trail.  The Town of Morristown has agreed to have the Highway Department help with the building of a new 300 foot long boardwalk across marshy areas along Pond #1.  We are also planning to build a viewing stand along Pond #3 that will enable visitors to have better views of the Blue Heron nesting site as well as wildlife in the ponds. The new trail will be at least ½ mile long and intersect the existing Blue Heron hiking trail that was built last year. The new trail will be opened by Memorial Day
2. Complete Renovation work for the Red Barn area of the Preserve.  We expect to repair the North foundation wall, paint the roof with aluminum paint, replace some worn out siding on the south side of the barn, and replace the stone wall fence along River Road East.  The success of these projects depends upon receiving grant money.
3. Complete major renovation work in the farm house.  We are extremely proud of this house that was built in 1835.  Generous donations have been collected to enable our team to replace windows, bathrooms, flooring, ceilings, water heater, and kitchen appliances.  We hope to have this renovation substantially complete by Labor Day.

For a complete list of the Gateway Museum’s 2019 activities please look at the home page of this website and the tab entitled “2019 Events”.

Our garden at the Preserve is going to look a lot different this year.  We have obtained seeds for growing Atlantic Giant pumpkins and will attempt to grow a 500 pound pumpkin.  Giant pumpkins are regularly grown to 2,000 pounds or more each year.  We thought we would be modest and strive to create a 500 pound beast.  The seed stock we obtained says the female pumpkin named “Sproule” was 1,650.8 pounds and the male pumpkin- “Kline” was 1303 pounds.  The secret to this project is chicken poop.  I intend to provide lots of updates to this project as we get into the growing season.

The museum would like to thank all of you that have made donations over the last year to the museum.  We have been very successful seeking donations through our patron letter and fund raising activities. What has surprised us a bit is that donations continue to flow to us in the off season.  We are grateful to have such dedicated donors.  Our long list of projects are easier to do when we have funding.

If you know anyone that would like to volunteer some of their time working at the Museum or Red Barn Preserve- please reach out to us by commenting on this website or call me on my cell phone (614-205-8437)  Our volunteers have fun working on the many projects and events outlined above and would welcome new faces to the team.  

Dean Shelato
Updated March 25, 2019
  
   

We are pleased to have the Red Barn Preserve featured in an article written by Patty Mondore entitled “The Red Barn Preserve- Just the Beginning”.  The article is published in the Thousand Island Life Online Magazine- February Edition.  It can be seen at the following link:
 
https://thousandislandslife.com/the-red-barn-preserve-just-the-beginning/. 

Patty has been a friend of the Gateway Museum and chose to write an article last Spring about the Red Barn Preserve and the opening of our first hiking trail on May 26, 2018.  The T.I. Life magazine is widely read by people interested in outdoor hiking and conservation. We have no doubt that readers will show up this summer to explore the Preserve and check out our new trail that will open this Memorial Day weekend.

Dr Jessica Rogers has notified us that she has received funding for her project- “Eradication of Purple Loosestrife in the Heron Trails Reserve, Morristown, NY”.  Dr Rogers and two interns will start work this Summer on a two year program to study methods of eradication for this invasive species of plant that works to strangle the cattails and native grasses associated with wetland areas.  The Red Barn Preserve is a good site to conduct a study because there are several wetlands in the 160 acre site and a significant presence of Purple Loosestrife plants.

The Gateway Museum has applied to the Northern New York Community Foundation for a $2,000 Grant to fund a viewing platform along the second Blue Heron hiking trail that is scheduled to open before Memorial Day this year.  The platform will provide an excellent view of the Blue Heron Rookery and its 60+ nests.  There will also be views of the large pond on the western end of the Preserve and its wildlife including the beavers and beaver dams.

Speaking of Blue Herons- we are anxiously waiting for the Blue Herons to return to the Blue Heron Rookery.   Each year the birds return in late February/early March to mate and raise another generation of birds.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate……………….

I have mentioned in previous Blogs that members of the Board of Directors of the Gateway Museum have been involved with a project to replace the “Welcome to Morristown” signs that are mounted along Route 37.  The three signs are important to Morristown because they create awareness to tourists about the Town and attractions in the area.  The project to replace the signs with new graphics was moving ahead nicely until the New York State Department of Transportation recently stepped in to challenge the location of the signs.  The project is now on hold until we can better understand the DOT concerns.

We are pleased to announce that a new guest speaker has been added to the summer schedule.  Mr Rich Henderson- President of the Black Lake Association will join us at the Main Street museum location on August 8th at 6:30pm.  Rich is a retired scientist and familiar with the ecological issues at Black Lake.

If you know anyone that would like to volunteer some of their time working at the Museum or Red Barn Preserve- please reach out to us by commenting on this website or call me on my cell phone (614-205-8437)  Our volunteers have fun working on the many projects and events outlined above and would welcome new faces to the team.

Dean Shelato
2/15/19