ZEMAN-ADAMEK Family Cyber Reunion

* REUNION 1999 * FAMILY ALBUM * GENEALOGY * HELPFUL PHRASES * SLOVAK RECIPES * SOKOL *
* ANTIQUE POSTCARDS OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK * LITTLE FALLS NEWS/OBITS * SLOVAK ARTS *
* THE MANY FACES OF SLOVAKIA *
(Photographs from 1999 Trip to Slovakia)
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Little Falls, New York
2000
OBITUARIES (as reported in LF Evening Times)

Spring Runoff from the Mohawk River at Little Falls

Looking east over Ann Street bridge;
old Holy Trinity Church in upper right of photo

Lower falls, looking west

Upper falls, viewed from Hansen's Island

NEWS ARTICLES FROM THE LITTLE FALLS EVENING TIMES
(Most recent news listed first)

SECTION III CHAMPIONS
SENIOR BRIAN DODGE LED THE LITTLE FALLS MOUNTIES to a Section III championship with 20 points in Friday's 45-39 C-2 title game victory over LaFayette. The Mounties meet Class C-1 champion Hannibal Tuesday at LeMoyne College. (Evening Times Photo)
SYRACUSE � Little Falls survived a sluggish offensive performance to win their first Section III championship since 1988 Friday night at Manley Fieldhouse. Brian Dodge scored 20 points in a 45-39 victory over the LaFayette Lancers. Little Falls went almost four minutes without a field goal at the end of the game, but hit four free throws and held on with tough defense. "We did not play well, but we got away with it because we defended well inside," Little Falls coach Dick Andrews said. Phil Schoff, Brian Mosher and Brett Wehrum combined to block five shots in the fourth quarter as LaFayette tried frantically to claim a championship of its own. The Lancers missed 13 of 16 fourth quarter shots and shot 6-31 in the second half. Matt Spack led LaFayette with 14 points. Little Falls did not score for almost four minutes to start the game and went more than five without a field goal. Mosher had five points and six rebounds in the opening period and Little Falls took the lead with a 10-2 run late in the quarter. The Mounties got up by as many as nine points in the second quarter but LaFayette had a three-pointer and free throw in the final 14 seconds to get back within five. LaFayette pulled to within two points twice in the fourth quarter but did not score from the 3:03 mark on. "Its a lot better feeling this time around," said Dodge, who played on a sectional runner-up team two years ago. "Its my senior year and this was my last chance to win sectionals." The Mounties will meet the section's Class C-1 champion in a playdown game for the right to represent the section in the state Class C playoffs. Sauquoit Valley and Hannibal played in the Class C-1 title game last night. The playdown game will be played at a neutral site, probably Tuesday night.

"First Lady Makes Campaign Stop In Little Falls"
By MAT RAPACZ Evening Times Staff Writer (from Fri., Feb 11, 2000)

LITTLE FALLS � Pat Bailey got a hug and Brittany Cerasi an exciting last day as a BOCES intern. They were but two of the numerous area residents who had an opportunity to touch and talk with first lady and U.S. Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton at her campaign stop at the Ann Street Restaurant and Deli yesterday. Word around Little Falls that Clinton was to stop in Little Falls spread rapidly. Bailey, a high school student, heard about it at Ed's Pizza and headed for Ann Street. At about 11:20 a.m. Clinton emerged from her van and headed right for a group of about 25 people standing in front of the right side of the Deli. "How about a hug?" Bailey asked, the first one to greet her. "Have you been a good boy?" Clinton responded before giving him his hug. "It was very impressive. Now I can say I hugged the first lady," he said afterward. After shaking hands and exchanging greetings with most of the rest of the group, she made her way inside an already filled restaurant, mostly by people who had advance word of the visit. Cerasi, an intern with the Little Falls Police Department was one of them. When she arrived at the police station 9 a.m., she said, she thought officers were kidding when they told her Clinton was to visit. Like many others inside the restaurant, Cerasi had a chance to chat with Clinton. She asked about my career, Cerasi. "She's a very beautiful lady, very pleasant. I had no idea my internship would end with something like this." Among those Clinton talked with were restaurant workers, including Amber Rohacek and Beth Vickery, neither of whom had much advance notice of the first lady's visit. Rohacek got an autograph for her grandmother, who she described as a Clinton fan, and Vickery got autographs for her grandmother and nephew. Vickery said the first lady ordered a ham and cheese omelet for herself to go and club sandwiches for her staff. After more talk, autograph signing and picture taking, she sat down for a chat with Little Falls Mayor Ted Wind. Wind is clearly impressed with the first lady. "She wasn't the typical politician who I've dealt with many times in our community," Wind said. I don't think she missed anybody who wanted to talk to her." Wind said she went to each and every table to talk with people, give autographs, and discuss their concerns. The mayor said he talked with Clinton about problems the upstate area is having economically. "She knows upstate has been neglected," said Wind, adding that Clinton expressed knowledge about high tech industry as well as agricultural problems. At about 12:30, she left the restaurant for a 15-minute press conference, surrounded by reporters, and cameras. Then it was on to Raindancer Restaurant in Perth, north of Amsterdam, for another luncheon. From there she went on to evening appearances in Albany. Although, of course, this was a campaign stop, most people seemed to come out not because she is a Senate candidate, but because she is the first lady. The word used most often by those who came out to see her was "excited" to describe their feelings. To describe Clinton personally, words like "gracious," "friendly," "nice," "down-to-earth," were heard most frequently. Among the Clinton supporters in the crowd was Cathy DeLorme who said "It would be nice to have a woman as senator." There were also Herkimer County Democratic officials who has advance word of her visit. More people were like a woman who did not wish to be identified, who said she was a "maybe" Clinton supporter. When asked why come to see her, she replied "She is still the first lady."

"Hillary in Central New York"
Staff reports, Feb. 10, 2000

LITTLE FALLS � Hillary Clinton�s quest for votes and the U.S. Senate brought her to central New York Thursday as she made her way from Syracuse to Little Falls. Why Little Falls? It turns out this small city has a �home-grown� connection to the first lady. The first lady was at the Ann Street Deli in Little Falls where a small crowd gathered outside, waiting for a glimpse. Although the �open� sign was lit, only a handful of supporters had the chance to get inside and rub elbows with Mrs. Clinton. Donald Buckley was among them. �Had a picture taken, very down to earth,� said Buckley, a Democrat and state committeeman. Kris Balderston is responsible for bringing the first lady to Little Falls. He works in Washington, but he�s from Little Falls and he�s had the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Clinton about upstate issues. �And I told her so much about Little Falls, she thought it would be a great idea to come here and see it. So whenever I saw her, she�d say, �I�m going to Little Falls, I�m going to Little Falls.�� Thursday, she did, much to the pleasure of people like Frances Brinksi, a Republican, who says her mind�s not made up yet, but she�s leaning toward Hillary Clinton. �I think she�s going to be good for this part of the country,� said Brinski. �I kind of think the other one�s more for the big city.� Little Falls is a small city and not accustomed to having the country�s first lady come to town. But not everyone was that enamored with Mrs. Clinton or her candidacy for U.S. Senate. �Why are we making such a big deal about a woman who isn�t from our area?� asked Lisa Corrigan. �And as a woman, she�s allowed her husband to cheat on her?� Corrigan is a Republican, but Elaine Cardarelli is a Democrat and says she, too, favors New York�s GOP mayor, Rudy Giulianni, for U.S. Senate. �Guiliani�s done a wonderful job in New York City, he knows the state. I wouldn�t even consider her,� she said. A poll released just last week did show among white women, Giuliani is favored by 18 points, but overall, the race is nearly dead even.

"Work on portion of Shoppers' Square to begin next week"
By LORRAINE HEATH Evening Times Staff Writer (from the Fri., Jan. 28, 2000 edition of The Evening Times)

LITTLE FALLS - For years, Shoppers' Square has been left on its own to slowly decay. Finally, after years of waiting, activity at the shopping mall is evident. The new owners of Shoppers' Square, TRB Associates, have begun preparations for work on Shoppers' Square. According to Tony Carlisto of Ward Associates, who has been retained by TRB as a consultant, the owner has some very good ideas and is a sound businessman to boot. "He is right on the ball. Things are moving right along," Carlisto told the members of the Urban Renewal Board yesterday. Jules Berke, president of TRB, has many ideas Carlisto said and wants to rejuvenate the building the right way. Carlisto said the only thing that may stop him will be the lack of money. "We have a lot of projects lined up using the $300,000 HUD loan and will go as far as money allows," Carlisto said. Presently, workers are in the old McCrory's portion of the building preparing for their new tenants - Family Dollar. Because of the need for more space, the discount variety store will move into the Shoppers' Square as soon as they can. "It is all a matter of space. They have outgrown their present location and we faced the risk of losing the store to another community. Luckily, they have found another place and the space they need," said Urban Renewal Director Mark Feane. Family Dollar employees said the current store location has become very cramped and cluttered. During the Christmas season, the store was packed full of merchandise leaving little room for customers to move around and shop. Employees said their spring stock is now arriving, making it difficult for shoppers to move around the stock-piled merchandise once again. Carlisto said the plan for McCrory's calls for the store to be split in half leaving one section for Family Dollar and the other for another potential business to locate within the store. Carlisto said the store has 24,000 square feet of space available for Family Dollar and another merchant. Employees from TRB were busy all last week preparing for the contractors to begin their phase of the project sometime next week. Family Dollar will be ready to move in to their new location sometime in March. Along with renovations to the old McCrory's store, TRB plans many outside renovations as well including: General conditions, $20,000; monolithic curb and sidewalk (remove and replace), $18,000; renovate four entrance canopies, $44,000; repair retaining concrete walls, $10,000; new fascia trim, $8,000; steam cleaning of masonry, $18,000; painting the fascia, $12,400; painting concrete planer and retaining walls, $6,000; painting building block, $16,000; paving parking lot, $40,000; striping parking lots, $1,500; raise and repair catch basins, $1,000; new entrance sliding doors, $31,000; new canopy roofing, $30,000; repair wall and floor, P&C north wall, $6,000. The price tag for the projects is $293,900. The color scheme for Shoppers' Square will match that of the Main Street Canopy's beige and green. "It's nice to actually talk to a person (Berke) and not to some pseudo corporation that did or did not exist," Carlisto said. "The new owner is actively marketing Shoppers' Square and that will make the community better for it," Carlisto said. Berke, who is in Florida, was unavailable for comment.

"Wind asks P&C to include local store in renovation plans"
By LORRAINE HEATH Evening Times Staff Writer (from the Tues., Feb. 1, 2000 edition of The Evening Times)

LITTLE FALLS � Little Falls Mayor Ted Wind has written a letter to officials of the P&C chain asking them to include the Little Falls store in their plans to upgrade other stores throughout the state. In his letter Wind says the residents of the city have been patient � waiting for the store to receive some kind of upgrading. City residents without transportation or not wanting to leave the city, including many senior citizens, rely on the Little Falls store for their shopping needs. Wind says he thinks the local P&C has long been neglected in P&C's modernization of other stores. Wind feels updating the local store would do a lot to further enhance Shoppers' Square, which is under new ownership. In recent days, the new owners of Shoppers Square have begun work revitalizing the structure. "To make the P&C store more convenient for Little Falls residents as well as potential customers from the surrounding areas, could only be mutually beneficial for both P&C and the community," Wind said in his letter. Anthony Carlisto, retained as a consultant for TRS Associates, new owners of Shoppers' Square, showed the Urban Renewal Board a set of plans from 1998 that shows what P&C had proposed to do a number of years ago to revitalize the store. In the plans, the wall separating P&C and the old Brooks Pharmacy store would be torn down and additional space would be provided to the store for check-out lines and indoor cart storage. That expansion would greatly improve not only the store's appearance, but provide better services for customers Carlisto said. Unfortunately, the chain filed for bankruptcy shortly after 1998, and the plans were put away. Now with the financial resurgence of the chain and the planned renovations of numerous other stores throughout the state, Wind wants this store to be a part of their plans. "Mr. Berke discovered when he purchased the building, P&C has not paid on their lease for the old pharmacy in three years. He plans on using this as a bargaining chip," Carlisto said. Jules Berke, president of TRS, who is in Florida, is in agreement with Wind and the city that something should be done to the store, Carlisto said. Carlisto added Berke has also forwarded a letter to the chain. "We have supported this store for many years. It's about time they do the same for us," Wind said. According to an Associated Press story two weeks ago, Penn Traffic Co. based in Syracuse, has reported they are now "stabilized" financially and have begun to move forward. The company has just come out of bankruptcy they filed six months ago. The company's plan calls for upgrades to 44 stores. Between 1994-1998, the company lost more than $324 million before they sought bankruptcy protection. David Norcross, vice president of real estate for Penn Traffic, did not return repeated telephone calls to him to request company comment.