Biscut Creek's new path

During the Irene deluge, Biscuit Creek found a new path. Photo by Bill Abbott.

organizational structure and trustee committees, 1959

Click on the image for a larger view.

when Lake Cole was brand new

The article here was published in a local New Jersey newspaper in 1959--probably the Westfield paper. It marks the completion of the construction of what we now call "Lake Cole" at Frost Valley. The article refers to it as "Wawayanda Lake." The camp had moved from New Jersey to Frost Valley the summer before. During that first summer, campers swam in a rectangular muddy pond built by Forstmann in the field across from the Castle, and also in Biscuit Creek Falls, Devil's Hole, and various swimming spots. At the time of this article - presumably late spring - what was a marshy field was bulldozed and fed by an inlet diverted from the Neversink River (near where the boathouse is now) and by a creek (which still has no name) coming across the Deus property across the bottom of what is now the hill leading up to cabins 31-35. Three Westfield boys posted for the newspaper's cameraman - allegedly the first people ever to go boating in our lake. Two of them became Frost Valley legends - Jim Ewen and John Ketcham.




Dave King remembers as follows: "As I remember it, the 'pool' across from the Castle was dug prior to opening Wawayanda in 1958. Thus, the VERY MUDDY pool. The pool was made in order to say that we had a "water program". Hal Russmeyer did as much as he could with it. The Board attempted to build a lake during 1959, but the builder was not able to stop the water from flowing out. The builder went bankrupt, and Harry Cole, the property manager, repaired the earthen dam and controlled the exit flow so that the lake levels could be stabilized. Thus, the lake was named for him. Also, 1959 was an arid summer. Biscuit Creek was about 2 feet wide and 4 inches deep. Somewhere, I have a picture of me standing on both sides of the lake (actually, it was more like a drainage ditch)."

Thanks to Ellen Rutan, who found the old article among the files of Liz Ewen, Jim's mom.

dedication to the point of tattoo

Nick Lomauro was one of our CIT Coordinators this summer--an extremely devoted fellow. The job clearly meant everything to him and he did remarkably good work with his CITs and the other coordinators. Near the very end of fourth session, as we all stood around between acts at Hirdstock, someone heard a rumor about a new tattoo under his t-shirt. So he took off said shirt and revealed his then-new expression of commitment to the Y. He asked me not to post this blog entry until he'd had a chance to get his parents (Y people themselves) and sister (Lauren, former VC, etc.--and herself a great FV staffer) a chance to get used to it. Well, I have to say that we're not necessarily recommending such displays of dedication, but we have to admit we admire the depth of Nick's feelings. May those feelings remain in him exactly as long as the tattoo lasts!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Totem Village having fun!

A cabin of boys in Totem Village, summer of 1962. We don't know which cabin (it would have been 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) and we can't identify any of the boys. If you can help, please email me at afilreis [at] gmail.com. Jim Wilkes thinks that the village chief of Totem that year was Mike DeVita. Dave King believes that Mike was the counselor of this cabin (and VC of the village). Dave was the Program Director in '62. When Wawayanda moved to Frost Valley in 1958, Mike DeVita was the VC of Forest that first summer.