Musical Trailers

It's happening again...



They're trading places in the park again. Do not be alarmed - this occurs at least once a year in Lakeview Park - so-and-so moves out, so so-and-so decides to move in, so so-and-so sees an empty trailer and moves in as fast as the last so-and-so moved out. (trying to protect people's identities can be so tricky. I think I did a so-so job).

To give you a little history on this amusing game, here's a run down of the last 4 years in the park...

Resident of lot #1 got married and moved to lot#10, Sweet-little-old-lady moved into lot #1.
Family in lot#8 moved to Landlord's House, residents of lot #11 moved to lot #8, leaving grown daughter her own place at lot #11.
Residents of lot #8's grown son moved back into the country, sister in lot#11 gave them lot#11 and moved into lot#8.
Residents in Lot#9 finally gave up trying to live together and moved out of the park. (separately, and with police surveillance) Residents of lot#10 jumped at the opportunity to upgrade and moved to lot#9.
Sweet-little-old-lady moved away. Bachelor moved into lot#1.
Lot #10 became occupied again with The Newlyweds.
Another Bachelor moved into lot#1.
Residents of lot#5 left the park. Bachelors in lot#1 jump at the opportunity to upgrade.

And that brings us to today. The Bachelors are moving. We wish them well. Meanwhile, if you hear the music, grab your pillow and toothbrush and run to the nearest vacant trailer so you don't get left out!

Read more...

Trailer Park Shooting

Gunshots have been heard several times in the last week at odd hours



Trailerites should be cautious but not alarmed by the occasional report of a gunshot in the Trailer Park. It turns out the shots are coming from the Sniper in Lot #9 and are part of a campaign to rid the park of Unpleasant Rodents. The shot that was heard this morning at approx. 7:12 AM resulted in the swift and painless (for the sniper) death of a Ground Hog just North of the fire pit at Lot #9. The doomed Ground Hog had been convicted of excavating beneath the resident's shed and the Happy Homemaker feared her Romaine Lettuce crop was threatened. The Deceased Rodent is now on display for the eduction and entertainment of the locals in a bucket under the porch of Lot #9.

If you have a Rodent Problem, do not hesitate to alert the local authorities. Measures are being taken to keep Lakeview Trailer Park a Free and Friendly place - for everyone but the squirrels...

Read more...

Wanted: Your favorite old t-shirt

Wanted: Old t-shirts and flannel sheets



I am looking for old t-shirts, worn out sheets (flannel or cotton), cotton batting scraps and any other stained or tired %100 cotton fabric you may have lying around, to be used in an a cloth diapering experiment at lot 9. Also, old wool or polyester polar fleece sweaters to be made into diaper covers. Give your favorite old t-shirt a new life in a better place. Help me 'go green' in Lakeview Trailer Park! Donations can be brought to Church or Holden Coal in Ovid. Thanks very much!

The Happy Homemaker in Lot 9

Read more...

Discover Catharine Valley

Hidden away in the valley at the end of Seneca Lake, the Catherine Valley Trail is a secret too good to keep silent about.

On a recent family bike ride, this reporter was delighted to discover the beauty of Catharine Valley, just outside of Watkins Glen.
The trail begins off a quiet dead end in the little village of Millport, and continues into the town of Montour. New York State Parks describes it as follows,

"This year round recreation trail provides visitors the opportunity to experience the scenic beauty and historic charm of the glacially-carved valley south of Seneca Lake. Following abandoned railroad and canal towpath corridors, the trail passes through a variety of wildlife habitats. The compact stone-dust trail surface accommodates walking, bicycling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Currently six miles of the trail is available for use. When construction is complete the trail will be twelve miles long and extending from the Village of Watkins Glen to Horseheads."

I found the trails to indeed be good quality for walking and biking, and I loved the woods and wildflowers along the way. Eventually the trail led us to Montour, a town full of history and charm.

Montour Falls has had four names during its lifetime. Initially, it was called Queanettquaga by the Indians, then Catharine’s Town by early visitors to the region, Havana when it was settled in 1788 by non-Native American settlers, and Montour Falls beginning in 1890. One of the main tourist attractions of Montour Falls is the 165-foot Chequagua Falls, which can be viewed from the foot of Main Street.

The Greek Revival Village Hall, with its lighted dome and round brick pillars, is the old Havana Court House from the time when Havana was the county seat of Schuyler County. The New York State Academy of Fire Science, built in 1859 as the "People’s College", trains the firemen of New York State.

Queen Catharine Montour, for whom Catharine’s Town and Montour Falls were named, was a descendant of Madame Montour. She was adopted by Frontenac, the French Governor of Canada and married an Oneida Chief. Her log palace at Catharine’s Town was burned during the Revolutionary War.

Montour Falls was an important hub in its early years. In addition to being the county seat, it was the head of navigation on the Seneca Lake Inlet when the Chemung Canal was built in 1827. The Chemung Canal connected Seneca Lake with the Chemung River and, ultimately, the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers.

Excerpt from Persons, Places and Things In the Finger Lakes Region by Emerson Klee

I was fascinated to read on the historic plaque by the Falls that
Louse Philippe I, future king of France, visited this spot when he was in the stated in the late 1700's and sketched the falls. His sketch is now in the Louvre.

The Falls were breathtaking, and I enjoyed the history surrounding us as we explored this lovely destination in our own backyard. I hope you, too, can visit this beautiful spot. For more information, visit New York State Parks :: Catharine Valley.

-the Backyard Tourist

Read more...

Strays Causing Headaches

What is it with people feeling the need to feed all the strays that drop on their door step?



I mean seriously. From dogs to cats, there seems to be an abundance of loose animals wandering the trailer park. They obviously have no one to care for them and so certain individuals have taken to feeding them. It's starting to cause a problem; especially for the cat population. We currently have a family of cats living under our house. I don't like them there. Not only are they starting to make our trailer smell, they are more than likely ripping the insulation off the bottom of the trailer. And living in a trailer, insulation is kind of a necessity. It's really starting to irritate me. I even noticed that garbage got dragged out of the dumpster and then strewn all over the ground. I'm not for certain on this but I'm willing to bet either cats dragged it out or it fell out and the dog got into it. Between that and the cats under the trailer and the dog that barks and growls at me every time I walk past, I'm beginning to be very perturbed with the stray animals running around.

Read more...

Update on Space Invasion Story

Never before seen photos!

Read more...

Space Invasion

Some interesting news has just surfaced.


Mrs. Edgar Sute has now reported a suspected alien landing on the night of May 24th. She says she was just enjoying a nice peaceful evening when suddenly she heard some weird sounds coming from the neighbor's back lawn. She observed a bright light, possibly a fire, and many strange figures around it. Supposedly they had glowing ears, or rings around their necks and were tossing a glowing orb of light back and forth. They also were screaming/chanting something. Mrs. Edgar Sute was so petrified of these aliens that she locked herself inside her house for over 3 days and it is only just now that the story is coming out! If only we had known about it sooner! There's a chance that others of us could have gotten a glimpse of these aliens too!

Read more...

Color Coordination

I was driving down the road today and noticed something.



What is up with all the cars that are one color but have a different color door? I mean, I know there are accidents, people hit other cars, fire hydrants, and trees and have to replace a door. Or a side panel. Not a big deal. But why is it that they always get such a contrasting color to their original car color? I mean, there's always a red car with a green door. A blue one with a brown panel. A green truck with a red tail gate. Isn't there something that the junk yards can do about it? Since obviously I wouldn't set out to pick something that clashes so drastically with my car color! I think they should do car lots organized by color. If I have a blue car and I need a door, I go to the junk yard, look in the blue car door pile and pick one. Even if it's not the same shade of blue at least it's still blue. To me, it just makes sense. Someone should really pick up on this idea....

Read more...

Ovid Observes Memorial Day

Ovid remembered our veterans in style on Memorial Day.







Residents gathered along the streets of Ovid yesterday at noon for the annual Memorial Day Parade. Highlights included the High school's marching band which was first in the county last year, all of Ovid's fire and rescue vehicles, and, of course, the candy.










This young resident enjoyed the free flag he received from a lady in the parade, and waved it dutifully throughout the rest of the festivities.















Residents on Main Street raised their own flag from half mast to full mast after 12 PM according to the Flag Master General's guidelines for observance of Memorial Day.

Read more...

Don't Miss the Parade!

Memorial Day Parade starts at 12 on Monday.



The Ovid Memorial Day Parade starts at the school and proceeds the the park on Main Street. Services follow the parade in the park. The Band has been practicing every Wednesday evening and the volunteer firemen have polished Ovid's fleet of firetrucks in preparation for this event. Don't miss the fun!

Read more...

Summer's First Heat Wave

It's gonna be a hot one in the park today, and even warmer tomorrow. Here are some tips for staying cool in the park



1. Open all doors and windows early in the day to fill your trailer with the cool morning air. Due to the temperature extremes between night and day in May in New York, this means you may have to put on your winter coat again while you eat breakfast. Don't worry, you'll be plenty warm in a few hours.

2. Refrain from using your oven or other heat-producing appliances during the heat of the day. Schedule your baking for early in the day, and plan to use the GRILL!

3. In the afternoon, pull your shades or curtains to keep the late day sun from broiling you in your own home. And remember,

4. If the heat gets too extreme, don't take any chances - LEAVE your trailer and get to the safety of a shady tree or, even better, the cool of one of the near-by lakes!

Don't miss the weekly weather forecast at the bottom of Lakeview News.

Read more...

Trailer Park Excitement

Life in the trailer park makes for perfect poetry.

The water pressures low again
Lot 10 is doing laundry
If we all washed at the same time
Now that would be a quandary.

Music playing two doors down
Kept us awake last night
Paper thin walls just don't give
A lot of peace and quiet.

The neighbors food just smells "delish"
They have a barbeque I can see
But if I showed up with my plate
I doubt the invite would be free.

Run and look out the window
A car has just drove by
Looks like Lot 9 has company
Stopping in to just say 'hi!'

Life in a trailer park can be
Oh so very exciting
Cause there's always something going on
Like lawn mowing and lightening.

Read more...

Fireworks at the Strawberry Fest!

The Ovid Strawberry Festival is celebrating 25 years on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20th.

This June residents and fans of our small town will gather to celebrate 25 years of celebrating strawberries. Now, if you think that strawberries are a small thing to center a town festival around, up in Montezuma they have a parade and all in honor of the mosquito. As one loyal Ovid resident said, "I'd rather eat the town festival theme than be eaten by it!"
Our town festival also highlights the historic buildings in the center of Ovid, known as the Three Bears. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, these three buildings of graduated size were built beginning in 1845 and represent the Greek Revival style of architecture popular throughout America in the 1800's. Walter Gable says in his article on the Three Bears,

The popularity of the Greek Revival style in the United States was partly due to its symbolic association with the democratic ideals of ancient Greece.

You can read the full article on the history of the Three Bears HERE.

Festivities begin on Friday with a block dance in the village park behind the municipal building (the pavilion you can see from the back of The Landlord's Main St. property). If you cannot attend the block dance, be assured that the music can be heard quite clearly from your own front porch if you are a resident of Lakeview Park.

Saturday's activities begin with a breakfast at the Ovid Federated Church and a flea market on the Church lawn. There will also be the yearly craft bizarre with displays from community-related organizations in the Ovid fire station on Brown Street. There will be games for the children attending the festival, as well as a Chinese auction, and a festival quilt raffle.

This year the Festival committee is pleased to announce that in honor of the 25th anniversary there will be a Fireworks display on the fireman's field (between Co Rd 139 and the school.) The committee is looking for the community's help in raising the $2500 to fund the show. Donations jars will be set up in local business to collect spare change to help make this happen. This reporter hopes that her favorite local business, (the one that keeps so many of us toasty warm throughout the winter) will put up a jar so she can contribute toward one of her favorite forms of summertime entertainment.

Hope to see you at the Strawberry Festival!

Read more...

Residents Again See Flooding

Rain, rain, go away, and quit flooding the trailer park...



It has been reported that rain again brought flooding to the trailer park. After some hard rain, residents looked out their windows to see some major flash flooding. The pot holes are becoming bigger due to the rain and constant traffic and so are collecting more water than before. Thankfully the water drained out of them before we had to call a state of emergency for this area.

Rob Bassett

Read more...

The Ongoing Saga of Life in Lot 10; Upstairs

Update on the life and times of Mr. and Mrs. Scratch...



Mr. Scratch has been heard to quote, "I am for certain sure now that the humans intend to end our existence..." (quote taken from the book, Squirrels: A biography of the injustices attempted on our species, written by Mr. A.J. Leaper) As evidence, Mr. Scratch presented this.

"Last night, while attempting to find an alternate way of getting in our house - because we all know that the humans in the down stairs apartment intend to take away our front door - I was yelled at by the man human something to the effect of extermination, either by car wheel or bb gun. I'm not sure which. I was too busy running for the nearest tree. Unfortunately it wasn't an acorn tree. He would have regretted what he said the minute I started throwing those acorns at him. I was champion marksman for my class in high school. I managed to hit the mailman every time he walked down Maple Street."

But there is yet another sad spin on this story. That very night the Scratches received a telegram dropped via rock, paper, string mail (rps mail) onto their roof. It stated that in attempting to cross a little used road, Mrs. Scratch's aunt's grandma's second cousin's best friend's uncle's son was chased by a man on a bicycle. Teddy was unable to stand the strain of the run and had a heart attack. By the time the rescue team arrived, he had already passed on to the great golden acorn gathering grounds. The bike in question is red with a basket on the front containing rocks, a sweatshirt, two water bottles and some lilacs. Any clues to the where abouts of said bike and owner would be greatly appreciated by the grieving family.

H.I. Storing

Read more...

Residents Combat Rising Energy Costs

Park resident Nick L. Back takes NYSEG to task...

With the cost of living continuing to rise, more people are looking for alternatives to paying high utility bills.

I spoke this week with Mr. Back and asked him how he is handling the budget crunch.

"The way I figure it, every minute my clothes dryer runs it's draining my checking account. And with the days growing longer and warmer I have access to more and more free drying." said Back.

On Tuesday, Mr. Back installed a new pulley clothesline. The new clothesline looks like many others you might see while driving around the southern portion of Seneca County. It runs from the side of the Back's house to a tree in the side yard with a large pulley on either end. Mr. Back told me he found the necessary hardware at a local Amish store. "And the rope was just something I found lying around."

"There might be some up front expense, but after that the breeze is free," he said. "And I like free!"

Reporting for Lakeview News, I'm Ben Baroque

Read more...

Landlord's House Invaded

Mouse trap sales escalate as Landlord tries to get rid of mouse problem.

The Landsbury house is in a tizzy as they try and figure out how to get rid of all the little scampering mice. Mr. Landsbury says the house has just come alive with little pattering feet. There is one problem as to catching the little mice though, apparently the mice are so small that they are not getting caught by the traps. "Let us hope that these mice get bigger fast so that they will quit squeezing through the traps." says Laura Landsbury. Mr. Landsbury on his way down the stairs Sunday night accidentally stepped on one of the little intruders in the dark in just his stockinged feet. Little Jack Landsbury was also able to stop one of rodents after he found it limping across the living room floor. Apparently it had had a mishap with one of the traps and its right leg was not in complete working order. He was able to apprehend it with one of Laura's shoes. All of the Landsbury's are hoping to get rid of the rodent problem soon.

Read more...

Saw, Rip, and Bang

Many hands make light work at Lot 10.

Half the trailer park turned out in true neighborly fashion to help put a set of new front steps on the trailer on Lot 10. After much sawing, pounding, rock moving and shoveling, the steps are now in place. The happy couple is enjoying them immensely and are very thankful for all the help.

Read more...

Unexpected Power Outage

The power went out in the trailer park from about 5am to just before 8am this morning.



One would think this would be a quiet, convenient time of day for the power to go out- what with everyone sleeping calmly, yet the daylight already seeping over the eastern horizon negating the need for artificial light. Unfortunately such was not the case. Us trailerites need electricity same as the rest of the world - even in our sleep. See, the temps are still in the 30's at night so most of the coal stoves are still running in the park. A sudden cessation of all fans, blowers and other appliances is enough to wake one out of a dead sleep. It also messed up this reporter's internet connection, delaying the unveiling of our new blog till Lakeview News' Web Designer and all-around Maintenance Man fixed the connection on his lunch break. The guy never stops working. All clocks have been reset, however, and life is once again moving along like a gentle spring breeze here in the park...

Read more...

The Upstairs Apartment in Lot 10

The squirrel population in the trailer park has been growing lately.


I talked with Mr. and Mrs. Scratch a couple days ago in reference to their recent move to the roof top location in Lot 10.

"We were evicted from our previous residence at 132 Oak Tree and just had to find a new place to live. With little ones on the way, you know, it wouldn't do at all for us to be stranded under a shed somewhere," says Mrs. Scratch.

"Yes. But the scary thing there is that these humans who live in the downstairs apartment have been heard talking about cutting down the branches from the maple tree that hang over the roof. That is our front door. Our front door and they are taking that away!" adds Mr. Scratch. "I don't know what we will do then. It will be a leap of faith, either from the electric lines or the neighbor's tree. We never expected this to happen to us. I just wanted a good home for my family."

Mrs. Scratch jumped in then. "And another thing about these humans. They are pounding on our floor all the time! When the babies were small it would wake them up out of a sound sleep and they would all be crying at once. And now it's just a nuisance. All that noise all the time. Between the kids playing catch with the acorns and the pounding on the floor. My nerves can't take too much more of it."

"The space is getting a little cramped though, dear," said Mr. Scratch. "You know it has just been getting smaller and smaller ever since you let your second cousin's aunt's best friend's kid move in with his family. Those birds take up more room than a missile. And they are just about as destructive! They have added more noise and annoyed the humans more than we have. I don't mean to frighten you, but I heard something about bb guns too. I think they mean to exterminate....oh! Dear, come back! It will be alright! Oh, come back..........."

Well, I guess I will leave them to settle their living problems. Obviously it's a tad hard for them and the stress is showing.

H. I. Storing

Read more...

Base Jumping Trailer Park Style

For those of you who have nerves of steel there is a new sport in the trailer park. But for those of you who can't stand heights or flinging yourself into mid air, you may want to send yourself a memo to never, I repeat NEVER, attempt this feat.



The boy instigated the first jump. After Mrs. Tenner knocked on the window and waved to him while he was playing in his back lawn, he began waving his arms around quite madly. Finally she opened the back door, much to his delight. When asked what was wanted of her, there was a frantic waving of hands. "I think he wants me to come out," she said to her husband. Only problem in the coming out bit was that as yet the Tenner's have no back steps for their trailer and the boy's head was level with Mrs. Tenner's feet. When asked if he wanted her to jump out the door, he responded with an emphatic, "ESSS!!!!" Preparing herself for the leap, Mrs. Tenner at first toyed with the idea of sitting down and gracefully sliding out the doorway, but if the boy wanted a jump, than a jump is what he'd get. With a smile on her face, Mrs. Tenner leaped from the doorway and landed next to the boy. Intact with no broken bones. It was then that she heard Mr. Tenner's voice above her say, "You sank...." Sure enough, she was almost over the top of her shoes in freshly spread dirt that hadn't had time to settle yet. Carefully extracting herself from the dirt without filling her shoes, Mrs. Tenner and the boy stood back in the lawn to watch Mr. Tenner's jump. It would be spectacular of course! Backing up as far as he could go in the narrow trailer, he got a running start and took a flying leap into the air. The boy shrieked with delight to see Mr. Tenner come sailing through the air. With a thud, he dropped in front of the boy, sliding a bit on his hands so he wouldn't crash into a section of wooden fence that was lying on the ground. It would bode no good to stop oneself with ones face against said piece of fence. Much better to miss the sinky ground altogether, aim for the grass, and successfully stop before mashing into the fence. Which is what Mr. Tenner did.

The sport may just become a hit. The stairs may never be put under the back door. But at this time, Mrs. Tenner is still voting for them. "It would be much handier..." she was heard to say. As for Mr. Tenner, he is in favor of base jumping whether the steps are there or not. Something about an element of excitement I do believe.

Marlene Mendolsen

Read more...

Rain Brings Flooding

Rain causes temporary problems for residents


On Friday, May 8th, there was localized flooding in front of lot 10. A driving rain, accompanied by thunder and wind, caused the potholes in front of the residence to flood. All the occupants are said to be safe, but were stranded inside their house for a few hours. The water has now dissipated and life has returned to normal.

Rob Bassett

Read more...

Spring in the Trailer Park

Spring is in the trailer park! The bees are buzzing, you can hear lawn mowers working hard to trim back the abundance of dandelions, and the trees have leafed out in all their green glory.

The lilac at lot #7 is now in full bloom, nearly engulfing the far end of the trailer. The happy homemakers in lots 9 and 10 wish their neighbor were not quite so reclusive so they could have a relationship that permitted freedom to gather said blossoms.

Pothole #32C has swelled due to the recent spring rains. It is now advisable when passing lot #11 to swerve to the far left and then around #'s 47-53 in front of Lo t#4 (otherwise known as The Rockies).

The notorious snake at #10 has been eliminated. Get the full scoop on this slithering tail HERE.

Bonfire Season has begun at lot #9! If you see, hear or smell a fire - don't call the volunteer fire department! Instead, come on over and pull of a chair. You may be just in time for a round of "tellephone" or "behind the looking glass door". Remember, there is wood but no logs...

Read more...