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Quoted Text
ROTTERDAM JUNCTION
Historic papers put online
Irene nearly destroyed diary, other documents

BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Norman Clute’s observations about Rotterdam at the turn of the 20th century range from the profound to the mundane.
    The man who served stints as county sheriff, city treasurer and justice of the peace in Rotterdam during the 19th century kept many of his thoughts tucked away in a small journal. He recounts a murder in Rotterdam that sent a man to the gallows and soldiers from the area shipping off to fight in the Spanish-American War.
    Clute, who was apparently in his 80s when the journal was written in 1898, also chronicles day-to-day life: The people who visit him, the direction the wind blows and the weather it brought in. He also tells of how he is slowing down and can’t do nearly as much work as he once could.
    “It’s a real snapshot of life for that person and that year,” said Melisa Tacke, the Schenectady County Historical Society’s librarian.
    But it’s a snapshot that came perilously close to never being seen again. Clute’s diary was among a trove of historical documents and photographs that was almost destroyed after the flooding from Tropical Storm Irene last summer.
    The basement and bottom fl oor office of longtime Rotterdam Historian Dick Whalen’s home in Rotterdam Junction were badly flooded after the Mohawk River swept down Main Street on Aug. 29. Whalen’s basement and garage, where he kept three old refrigerators filled with historical documents, remained submerged in the fetid fl oodwater for nearly three days.
    Tacke and several volunteers were able to salvage 47 binders from the collection, which were then put on ice in the Schenectady Museum’s lab freezer to prevent molding or any further deterioration.
    Now Tacke and other volunteers are digitizing the salvaged material, ensuring copies of the collection will be protected and available to the public at the Grems Doolittle Library. Some of the material —now known as the Dick Whalen Collection —is already available on the library’s blog: A page from Clute’s diary, a 1937 photo of Woestina High School students performing in an operetta, a picture of former Rotterdam Supervisor John Kirvin marching in a parade on Hamburg Street in 1978, and a picture of Carman Fire Department members standing in front of the old station during the 1940s.
    Whalen, who now lives in Schenectady, was thrilled to learn some of his old collection has been salvaged. He recalled pulling many of the binders from a trash pile that was formed as his relatives cleared his home and then hoping someone could save some of the materials.
    The 83-year-old was also pleased the items will soon be in a format where they can be easily reviewed. And he suggested adding a few other books he was able to keep from getting doused in the fl oodwaters.
    “I’m all for it,” he said Friday.
    In total, the group has salvaged and digitized items from 44 albums. The process has been long and arduous, primarily because each album required roughly 72 hours to dry before volunteers could begin cleaning and scanning the material.
    The cleaning also needed to take place in an area away from the main collection in a small stand-alone building on the Mabee Farm, since most of the materials being scanned are considered contaminated. The floodwater contained a toxic porridge of contaminants, including fuel, industrial solvents and wastewater —all of which can pose long-term health risks. ............................>>>>.....................>>>>.....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00902&AppName=1
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Rusty Shackleford
August 20, 2012, 5:24am Report to Moderator
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Ron lost his job?
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joebxr
August 20, 2012, 6:49am Report to Moderator

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JOB????  Puleeze!!!!


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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Shadow
August 20, 2012, 7:09am Report to Moderator
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You can't lose what you never had.
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rampage
August 20, 2012, 7:11am Report to Moderator

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Sadly, Rusty, I don't see it that way.  It says this person was the longtime historian, which is what was known.  The fact of the matter is that this person no longer is, Ronnie is, and he is the one who failed to set up the time to retrieve these articles prior to the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene, putting them in jeopardy.  Obviously, Dick Whalen, the former historian, didn't trust the current caretaker to actually take care of them.


Reignite Rotterdam
c/o MARY L. FAHY


Kidney Wheels, (800) 999-9697
http://www.HealthyKidneys.org


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Rusty Shackleford
August 20, 2012, 8:52am Report to Moderator
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Quoted from rampage
Sadly, Rusty, I don't see it that way.  It says this person was the longtime historian, which is what was known.  The fact of the matter is that this person no longer is, Ronnie is, and he is the one who failed to set up the time to retrieve these articles prior to the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene, putting them in jeopardy.  Obviously, Dick Whalen, the former historian, didn't trust the current caretaker to actually take care of them.


I thought so too, maybe it was just the Gazette's "accurate" reporting, but this caption confused me: "Dick Whalen, Rotterdam Town historian, cleans his basement after the Mohawk River fl ooded it last August, damaging many historical documents he stored there. "  Notice, it doesn't say "former" or anything like that.  

I guess I'll go visit the town clerk today and try to get some answers.  If I'm not here tomorrow, send bail money.
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joebxr
August 20, 2012, 9:47am Report to Moderator

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Quoted from 1975


I thought so too, maybe it was just the Gazette's "accurate" reporting, but this caption confused me: "Dick Whalen, Rotterdam Town historian, cleans his basement after the Mohawk River fl ooded it last August, damaging many historical documents he stored there. "  Notice, it doesn't say "former" or anything like that.  

I guess I'll go visit the town clerk today and try to get some answers.  If I'm not here tomorrow, send bail money.


Tell them Ronnie sent you!!!


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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SueM2342
August 20, 2012, 10:21am Report to Moderator
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Careful  the town cluck has the state police on speed dial  -  I hear he is young and cute, anyone know if that boy is single
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Libertarian4life
August 20, 2012, 11:21am Report to Moderator

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Quoted from 1975


I thought so too, maybe it was just the Gazette's "accurate" reporting, but this caption confused me: "Dick Whalen, Rotterdam Town historian, cleans his basement after the Mohawk River fl ooded it last August, damaging many historical documents he stored there. "  Notice, it doesn't say "former" or anything like that.  

I guess I'll go visit the town clerk today and try to get some answers.  If I'm not here tomorrow, send bail money.


Nearly one year ago, the Rotterdam Junction home of former Rotterdam town historian Dick Whalen was severely damaged by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene

From the gremsdoolittlelibrary

http://gremsdoolittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-first-look-at-dick-whalen-collection.html
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joebxr
August 20, 2012, 11:32am Report to Moderator

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From http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/contacts.html#rot
Quoted Text
Town of Rotterdam
Town Clerk
Diane Marco
John F. Kirvin Government Center
1100 Sunrise Boulevard
Rotterdam, NY 12306
(51 355-7575 x318
Fax: (51 355-7837
E-mail: mgolden@rotterdamny.org
http://www.rotterdamny.org/main/departmentdetails.asp?DepartmentName=Town+Clerk

Town Historian
Ronald Severson

(51 887-2451


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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Rusty Shackleford
August 20, 2012, 11:52am Report to Moderator
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Interesting joebxr - I just looked up that phone number

Schenectady County's website http://www.schenectadycounty.com/FullStory.aspx?m=220&amid=748   says

Town of Rotterdam
Richard Whalen, Town Historian
(51 887-2451

and

http://411.info/people/New-York/Rotterdam-Junction/Whalen-Richard/5635178.html

says:

Richard Whalen

(51 887-2451
1263 Main St
Rotterdam Junction, NY 12150


So, is that Richard Whalen's number (at his residence in the Junction) or is it Ron Severson's who lives at his aunts house, in Rotterdam near the Guilderland line? It seems more like a Rotterdam Junction number

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rampage
August 20, 2012, 12:01pm Report to Moderator

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All 887 numbers are in the Junction.


Reignite Rotterdam
c/o MARY L. FAHY


Kidney Wheels, (800) 999-9697
http://www.HealthyKidneys.org


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joebxr
August 20, 2012, 1:04pm Report to Moderator

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Can't say anything more than what I found on web....don't know who's phone number it is, but since Historian's name is listed along with recently elected (started office JAN 2012) Town Clerk, and based on previous threads in this forum, I believe Historian name is likely the current/correct name and goes back to an earlier date than just JAN of this year.


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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rampage
August 20, 2012, 1:12pm Report to Moderator

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Quoted from joebxr
Can't say anything more than what I found on web....don't know who's phone number it is, but since Historian's name is listed along with recently elected (started office JAN 2012) Town Clerk, and based on previous threads in this forum, I believe Historian name is likely the current/correct name and goes back to an earlier date than just JAN of this year.


Same thing here, as well as knowing from previous experience.

https://www.google.com/search?.....F-8&sourceid=ie7

Quoted Text
Phone Numbers in 518-887-xxxx | WhitePages
phones.whitepages.com › Phone Number Browsing › 518
Free search for phone numbers in (518) 887-xxxx. [Rotterdam Junction, NY]


Reignite Rotterdam
c/o MARY L. FAHY


Kidney Wheels, (800) 999-9697
http://www.HealthyKidneys.org


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joebxr
August 20, 2012, 1:16pm Report to Moderator

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2012 Budget http://rotterdamny.org/pdf/2012AdoptedBudget.pdf, page 22, shows fund A7510 approved for HISTORIAN OFFICE SUPPLIES $250 and HISTORIAN CONTRACTUAL $250


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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