Slow and Steady, Barely in the Race;

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Like most everyone else, when Ms. Suriano stated that we had a 10 week project to do I was less than thrilled. Then however, she stated that it was a blog project. “Blog project”, I thought. How strange? I was very uneasy because I’d never really experienced the blogging world. I mean, I knew it was like a thing now, but I’d never even seen one before.  (Or so I thought) And so she handed us our packets, and set us off.

Needless to say, it took me a while to “get in the groove” of things. I wasn’t really thrilled about the assignment and it was completely new to me. Other kids seemed to have it all under control, and I was already way behind from the beginning. Slow and steady doesn’t always win the race let me tell you. I was rushing to get it done in the end, and that was NOT the way to do it.

In between all the research and procrastination, I did learn some valuable things. I learned how to cite sources properly and when to give credit where it is due. I was taught the ins and outs of the blogging world, and how truly informational a lot of it can be. It was also fun, writing pieces that were “news-worthy” and interviews. All in all it was a fun process, that I wished I could have realized the benefits sooner.

I didn’t just learn things about blogging in this assignment. It was the first time I was really set on my own to accomplish something with a far-away deadline. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I am probably the world’s biggest procrastinator. I always have been. And not taking proper advantage of my time was probably my biggest downfall.

When our teacher said it wasn’t due for ten weeks, I thought that meant we could do it whenever and we had like a study hall. WRONG! I put off work constantly, ignoring the countless reminders from my teacher. And during the last week, I found my elf stuck in a big pile of poop! I was racing and stressing to finish this project by the deadline (that I so often put off the entire 10 weeks). This sucked. I found myself with too much work, not enough time, and even less sleep.

I guess the most rewarding lesson that I learned from this whole project was the concept of time. Next year is my senior year, and then I’m off to college. In college, everything is up to me, and I’m on my own. I have no reminders, no one up my back, no one telling me to finish, and no one there to help me stay on track. I learned that just because a deadline seems far away, it does not mean you should procrastinate! It was my utter downfall, and I am so lucky that it happened to me now and not when I’m in college and totally on my own. From this I will take out that you should always stay on top of your work. Procrastination isn’t a good way to deal with work and stress.

To be completely honest, I’m not sure if I’m going to continue with this blogging world. I might post now and then. But with no assignments, who knows if I’ll ever get around to it! I hope to keep up with this blog. And I hope even more that I keep up with my work. Thank you so much, Ms. Suriano, for teaching me an important lesson, that wasn’t even in the plan.

No-Man's Land;

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There are no famous people where I come from. There are no famous alumni from my school. No great accomplishments or tourist attractions. At least that’s what I’ve always thought. I never regarded my town as being special. And I am still rather indifferent on the subject. However with doing some further research I have found a few very interesting points.

Unadilla NY was settled not as a town but as an area surrounding the main town of Sidney in 1770. Every town along the Susquehanna River was destroyed during the Revolutionary War. It was later resettled and established as a town separating itself from nearby towns in 1822. The members set themselves aside by creating a village inside their town, as their main locale.

Unadilla is a town located in Otsego County. It was established, like many other towns in the area, along the Susquehanna River. They used water as an electricity generator for a very long time and the mills in the area are still famous. (To its residents of course) The town covers 46.4 square miles, which is perfectly intersected through the middle of town by Route 7. This mile long stretch has become known as Main Street, and it’s where everything that does happen happens.

This area of the state isn’t particularly wealthy. “The median income for a household in the town was $34,619, and the median income for a family was $40,556. The median income for males was  $29,817 versus $21,732 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,908. About 9.6% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those aged 65 or over.” There were 4,548 people recorded as of the 2012 census. The population density was 98 people per square mile. There were 43.5 housing units recorded per square mile.

There are some interesting facts about where I live. Unadilla is the home of Boy Scout Troop #1, that many people I know (my brother included) are a part of. We held the centennial celebration a few years ago. During Teddy Roosevelt’s campaign, it is said that he stayed at the UH, or Unadilla House, which was a hotel/restaurant that still stands today. Every year we host a two day town-wide day of carnivals. We call this Unadilla Days. People from all over the area come to town and stroll by people’s garage sales and buy other peoples junk. (Sadly enough my mother is an avid participator of this and I am required to work them every morning at 5am)

As you can see, there aren’t very many accomplishments that happen around these parts. But everyone dies famous in a small town; that you can count on.

The Inescapable Decision;

There are many differences between small town living and city living. One main reason people move out of the city is for the good quality of schooling people get around here. I know for a fact, that I enjoy my schooling a lot and the quality of teachers and connections I make every year. However, there has been a great downfall in this area. New York State has been in some debt and trouble for some time now, but teachers all over the nation are experiencing cuts and job shortages. The main problem the upstate community is facing right now is that we lack serious funding.

Many people feel that the City areas deserve all the money because they have more kids. It is apparent that in the city many people live at or below the poverty line and are dependent upon state aid. However, when claiming this, they forget all of the wealthy individuals that also reside in their respective areas. The city schools are less dependent upon state aid, because they have the ability to raise taxes and make up the money that they lose or get cut every year. They often receive more grants are the attention of many politicians when deciding where to place the state money. Many people make the claim of how unfair the distribution is on percent generated versus percent given. Since the downstate and city area generate a higher percent of income tax, they should receive a higher amount of aid percent. “New York City generated 45 percent of state revenues in 2010, but received 40 percent of spending. The gap is even larger for the four major suburban counties: a collective 24 percent of revenues paid to Albany, and 18 percent of expenditures received in return.”

People in upstate are being hit very hard from this latest recession. In my school they have virtually cut everything they can while leaving some sports in the mix. We haven’t gone on field trips for three years, and have cut nearly every AP course. The next step is to cut sports as a whole, and perhaps shut down entirely. There are some very wealthy people in the area; however the medium yearly income for my town was $34,619 as previously recorded. There is never much that generates or stimulates the upstate economy to raise it. Therefore, when the prices go up, and the income stays the same, the poverty line comes closer and the jobs start going away. You will often hear people claiming how “cheats students in low-income areas and lavishes rich districts in tax money”. However, it is true to say that “We may have less political power because we have less wealth…”.

People may have their own opinions on the topic. It is true, however that it all really depends on where you live. I live upstate, and therefore my opinions go along with the second statement. But I have family downstate, and I know they hate seeing my shot at a good education be compromised due to insufficient legislative decisions.

Gossip, Girls, and Plaid Jumpers;

I'm the one on the left... for reference.

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Growing up, I’ve always lived in the same small town. However, for the first two years of my schooling, 1^st and 2^nd grade, I went to catholic school. St. Mary’s was my favorite place to go. I made great friends and loved all of my teachers. A lot of my friends weren’t necessarily from Oneonta, where the school was, but from around the area, like myself. We hung out when we could and had a ton of fun. We knew each other’s families and our parents said hi in the supermarkets. It seemed like the dream world. And then, some of my friends moved (myself included) to other schools in their respective towns. And I started public school.

It wasn’t too bad going to public school. The school was right across from my house, and I didn’t have to ride the bus for almost an hour twice a day. (not to mention there was no uniforms, meaning I could look like I changed my clothes more than just once in a while!) I had to make new friends with people who had already known each other for four years. I felt like the odd one out. But quickly enough, being the social butterfly I always have been, I made friends, best friends actually. But making new friends wasn’t the only change I would experience coming into a public school. This girl in the other third grade class told everyone how much she hated me and a ton of lies about me, when I’d never even seen her before. Quickly enough, I learned about girls and DRAMA.

Growing up in a town where everyone’s parents went to school together I was already the odd one out. I only knew the people I would see on a daily basis. But everyone else knew everyone. Along with knowing everyone, comes knowing every detail about their lives. Around here, it’s so small that everyone knows everyone’s business. Sometimes, they know about it before you do. It’s weird being thrown into a world where instead of seeing your friends in school and only on occasions like Halloween parties, you see them EVERYWHERE. (and I literally mean that)

I’ve learned to adjust as the years go by. I can’t count the times my mother has received phone calls from other mothers exclaiming not to let me be friends with a girl or group because they were “talking crap” about their daughters. I have found that I am just like my mother when it comes to this high school drama. Let them work it out themselves and just move on.

 I try to stay out of drama. I have never liked it from the beginning. Neither has anyone in my family really. I guess we’re just blessed. Staying out of drama and picking fights, hasn’t necessarily helped me though. I lose friends all the time because I won’t get in the middle of the two of them. But one thing I can always count on are my few best friends, my guy friends (who never have drama, thank GOD!), and my family. They never let me down, and always support me. So I guess it wouldn’t really matter where I grew up, city or country, drama would still exist. But no matter where I go, I know that my family will always be there. Behind me. Supporting me. 100 %. For the rest of my life. And I can’t thank God enough for giving me the best one out there.

From a City-Slicker's Point of View;

We were told that for another post on our blog we were to conduct an interview relevant to our topic. Since mine is about small town living I chose my dad. Not really for the obvious “easy-street” system, but because he’s someone who’s really seen it all. In this interview, we will discuss his growing up vs. his adult life. His name is Kevin Scott. He is 54 years old and currently resides in Otego, NY.

Q. Where did you grow up?

A. Brooklyn, NY on St. John’s Place. But Lake Carmel is where I really grew up.

Q. How long did you live there?

A. Brooklyn till I was 7 ½, and Lake Carmel till I was around 13.

Q. What was your favorite part about growing up where you did?

A. In Brooklyn it was nice having so many other kids in our neighborhood to do stuff with. There were a lot of things to do with the parks, subways, museums and libraries. Mainly it was Coney Island. In Lake Carmel it was great having the woods at our back door, and the lakes, beaches and streams and what not to explore.

Q. Were there any drawbacks to living there?

A. I can’t think of any.

Q. Why did you leave?

A. We left Brooklyn because my parents got separated, so we moved. I left Carmel because my dad relocated to California, where I also moved to.

 Q. Where else did you live?

A. I lived in Sacramento, CA. Los Angeles, CA. and Santa Cruz, CA.

 Q. What made you move to the area?

A. I got married and my dad’s retirement home was available so we moved there. We wanted to see what it was like and possibly start a family here.

Q. Do you like this choice?

A. Yes, it is a nice area. I started a family and had four kids. I also had family that moved to the area as well, my sister and brother-in-law, by brother and his wife, who also had a child, and my other brother.

Q. What are your favorite things about the area?

A. The terrain, and abundance of nature and wildlife, I really appreciate that. The schools and good neighbors and friends are also a plus. My favorite is really the changing of the seasons being so apparent.

 Q. Have you ever wanted to go back? Why/Why not?
A. I like to visit the city, and I do. But I wouldn’t want to move back there beause it is too crowded and stressful of a lifestyle for me.

 Q. Finally, What advice do you have for other people who are possibly looking to move out of the city for various reasons?

A. Try it! You may like it. It’s nice to work and live in a close proximity and have a nice area to call home . There is wonderful countryside, beautiful seasons and a nice quality of life surrounding living in a small town.

         Below is a link to an interview of an older gentlemen talking about his city vs country life.

Country vs. City Life

The Infamous Chicken;



Brooks House of Barbeque, Oneonta,NY.



The main problem faced with living in upstate, is there is never really anything to do. We don’t have any “claim to fames” or anyone famous from here. (Unless you go over a couple towns and by that I mean a few hours!) However, each summer the small towns surrounding Cooperstown are flooded with baseball families, and so attractions come about. There are the seasonal dream parks, and seasonal restaurants and what not, but what about all the people that are left for the rest of the year? We have found many ways to entertain ourselves, and made restaurants last outside the “busy” season. The most famous place around is Brook’s House of Barbeque. Nearly everyone around for two hours has eaten there, and can agree that it is just delectable!

Brooks wasn’t originally a restaurant. Griffin Brooks married Francis McClelland, who both graduated in the 1940’s from Delhi College. (Brooks in animal husbandry and McClelland in food management) They soon after bought her father’s poultry farm in Stamford, NY. In 1951 Frances began her own catering business from her home, where they raised chickens for meat and eggs. This started with just a few catering opportunities, but by the mid 1950’s it grew to be accommodating most catering jobs in the area, including Saturday night barbeques at their farm stand from April to mid-September. Frances and Griffin long dreamed of owning their own restaurant, and have two very successful seasons of operating a concession stand at a local business enabled them to do that. Their first restaurant opened on June 10, 1961 very close to their current location. By 1965 Brooks realized that it needed a much more spacious area to accommodate their quickly grown fame. They then moved to their current location. In 1975 Frances and Griffin sold it to their son John and his wife Joan, and in 2005 they sold it to their son Ryan and his wife Beth.

Every time I’ve ever been to Brooks it was wonderful. You can always count on that same taste you’ve always had. Every meal comes with complimentary loafs of bread and countless sides of the famous Brooks Barbeque Sauce. I almost always get the half a chicken and a baked potato. The salad bar is also simplistically phenomenal. The prices are relatively cheap and everything you get is great! They cook everything in their charcoal barn, which contains the largest charcoal pit on the entire East side of the country. It is38 feet in length, and just about always running. You can smell the scent of their chicken cooking in the air when you get close enough!

I’m aware that everyone has different taste buds. I myself know a handful of people who don’t like it. Another problem that is frequent nearly all year round is the business. If you don’t go at the right time, you are almost positive to find yourself waiting in a line to be seated. It’s never tremendously long, and usually moves at a steady pace. However, if you’re not into the” hustle and bustle” of a large, loud restaurant, than this probably wouldn’t be your choice.

People from all over have been to this restaurant. They, throughout the years have kept their original style and décor. It really sets the chicken barbeque mood. They have held countless famous people while coming through the area for whatever reason. I encourage all to go and try this restaurant. It is located off of exit 16, on route seven in Oneonta, NY near Price Chopper.

In case you don’t trust my taste buds, you should check out Rachel Ray’s video of when she visited on her show '$40 a Day', and listen to her review of her experience below!

 

The Little Things;

 

As previously stated, when most people hear that I am from New York, they automatically think of New York City and Manhattan. Often times, I wish I could say that’s where I’m from; that I got to grow up in the greatest city in the world. For a long while I resented growing up in a small town. There was nothing ever to do, nowhere ever to go. My entire village is almost a mile long. That mile gets old going back and forth for a whole 18 years. The main reason I think I resented it was because I was fortunate enough to travel and see real cities. All the commotion and hurried busy-ness would be overwhelming for many from rural areas, even suburban areas. But not me. I found peace and tranquility in the ability to walk down the road and have everything you could possibly need on one street. You could walk for hours and never cross the same street twice. I was baffled at the amount of people and culture you found everywhere, the languages, neighborhoods, complete societal changes by walking a few blocks. 

However, now that I am older and reaching the age where college is just around the corner, my views seem to be changing.  I still am fascinated by cities and large urban areas, but I find a comfort in my small town I overlooked before. 

When I was growing up, especially during the summer, we would always go to the town playground and hang out and play around. We played with whatever kids were there at the time and made new friends every day. We would return home for lunch and an ice pop when the weather got too hot. Other than that, our lives were simple; Wake up, eat breakfast, play, eat lunch, play, eat dinner, play, go home and repeat the next day. With our village being so small, everyone knows everyone and everybody’s business. When we go into the pizza place to pick up a slice, the owners know us by name, and always reference how big we’ve gotten. (even though we haven’t really changed much in years) We go to the Great American to pick up an errand and the clerk already knows what we need. It always seemed so simple. It was nice that everyone knew you and was looking out for you. No one ever feared for their child’s safety, because someone somewhere was keeping an eye on them. 

People who are born and raised in cities often only see small towns as the backwoods dirt roads of America. They think we’re all rugged rednecks who own and live on farms. Farming is a large part of culture up here, but so are small businesses. People thrive on the ideas of entrepreneurship and owning their own, unique business. Every corner you turn is someone else, selling something different, and trying to make it work. Seeing and investing in these businesses daily, is what small town living is all about; helping your neighbor. Not only do you know your neighbor (and their whole families it seems like) but you get to know everyone in your community and ensure the safety of you and your family, as well as everyone and theirs. “Neighborsin small towns also tend to be much more supportive of each other and arewilling to help out in hard times.”, was stated by a review on small town living versus city life.

As I’ve grown older, I have learned to appreciate living and growing up where I do much more. Anytime I need something I can walk over and ask my neighbor. If someone needs me to pick up their kids and watch them shortly after school, I’m glad to do it. Living in a small town is a cycle of respect. If you help out and do your share for the community, you are guaranteed to be helped in your time of need. Everyone is there for each other. Everyone shops local and supports each other in their dreams. And still no one’s views and beliefs are lost. Everyone is still different, and yet underneath thankful for being the same.