suns along the Mohawk

– The Van Dyck, 237 Union St. Schenectady Stockade –

– a great place to celebrate Father’s Day or the Summer Solstice today –

Although they’re still awningless [but see the June 22 update below], the MacDonalds are unveiling their new and improved version of The Van Dyck Restaurant & Lounge today, with a “preview concert” of the Pan Jazz Festival, at 4 PM and 7:30 PM.  (See Daily Gazette, “Van Dyck ready to make its debut“, June 19, 2009) Here’s the blurb about the preview concert from their website’s Entertainment Page (where you can go to purchase tickets for all shows):

Enjoy the jazz sounds of  Caribbean steel pan drums. The Pan Jazz Festival performers are appearing at the Van Dyck following their Lincoln Center performance. Featuring:Othello Molineaux – Steel DrumManolo Badrena – Percussion Andrew Atkinson – Drums Nicky Orta – Bass Rich Lamanna – Synthophone $25

Because I’m often at 246 Union Street, the headquarters of Family & Child Service of Schenectady as a volunteer, I’ve been watching all the reconstruction activity directly across the street at The Van Dyck the past couple of months.  The entire staff of FCSS is anxiously awaiting the rebirth of The Van Dyck and welcomes manager Jeff MacDonald and his family and staff to our end of the block on Union Street.

. . . . . . . . 

When I stopped by around 9 AM this morning (Sunday, June 21) to see what might be going on as the Van Dyck’s preview day begins, I snapped this shot of the Van Dyck’s front door, and inadvertently caught the reflection of Family and Child Service across the street. [This reflection could, of course, have never been captured if the new awning were already installed.]

Van Dyck front Door, early on preview day, reflecting FCSS across the street

. . . .

The two Stockade institutions have been facing each other across Union Street and serving our community — in important but very different ways — since the 1940s.

. . . I also found two early bird staffers unloading a van-full of framed artwork into The Van Dyck, and expect they will be well hung long before concert time this afternoon:

On June 29, The Van Dyck will officially re-open for lunch and dinner, with entertainment Thursday through Saturday. It’s great to have The Van Dyck back and I hope it will be thriving and jiving, and making our community an even more diverse and enjoyable place to live and visit, for many decades to come.

p.s. For more about the “new” Van Dyck, see Beverly Elander’s article on page 2 of the May 2009 edition of The Stockade Spy.

update (June 22, 2009): The Van Dyck’s classy new black awning with gold script was installed this morning.   Here’s the face that the “new” Van Dyck will show visitors and passers-by:

. . . and a closer look at the new awning:

..   ..

. . . 

A cherry tree is down this evening behind 18 – 24 Washington Ave, here in the Stockade.  But, we can’t blame our mythically-honest, hatchet-wielding President.  The culprit was a line of powerful thunderstorms that swept through the region this afternoon, dropping a lot of hailstones, and leaving thousands without electrical power in Schenectady County (see Daily Gazette, “storm brings wind, hail,” June 15, 2009).  Just two weeks ago, we showed the same tree in front of 1 Cucumber Alley, in our posting about colorful houses here and in Takoma Park.  Compare then and now:

…..   

– front view of 2 Cucumber Alley, May 29, 2009 (l) and June 15, 2009 (r) –

. . .

That tree will be missed by many of us who live (or park or stroll) along Cucumber Alley — for its grace, its blossoms and cherries, and its shade.

Tonight, it is lying peacefully in front of several garage stalls, and I bet quite a few of my neighbors got a surprise when they returned home today and had to scramble to find the Elusive Stockade Parking Space.

While gazing at and bemoaning the loss of the cherry tree, early this evening, we failed to notice the demise of a lovely linden tree in the sideyard of 1 Cucumber Alley.  Around sunset, I was viewing the downed cherry tree with Sylvie Briber, when we turned toward her little riverside cottage and she noticed a strangely diagonal tree trunk.  This afternoon’s wind apparently pushed over the linden tree, which can be seen here, leaning against the side of 1 Cucumber Alley:

– Sylvie and Lollipop survey the damage –

No damage was obvious to either of the affected structures on Cucumber Alley.  I’ve lost far too many of my favorite trees in the years that I’ve lived along the Mohawk.  I guess I need to practice Buddha-like detachment, and simply enjoy and appreciate the trees (and the neighbors and neighborhood) a day at a time.

update (June 21, 2009):  Six days later, the remains of both toppled trees have been removed.  The cherry tree at 2 Cucumber Alley disappeared on Saturday, while Tom Killeen’s crew did a quick job with the triple-trunk linden at 1 Cucumber Alley on Wednesday.  Here are the resulting scenes:

. . . 

– the large cherry tree is gone from Cucumber alley –

. . .

– the magical spiral staircase at the rear of 1 Cucumber Alley is revealed, with the loss of the linden cluster this week –

p.s. Although distracted by toppled trees, I did remember to spend a little time enjoying tonight’s sunset (Monday, June 15) at the rear of 1 Cucumber Alley, along the Mohawk River.  Actually, it was even lovelier from that same spot, yesterday evening, June 14, 2009:

– more shots from sunset on June 14, 2009 (some rather strange), here –

. . .   . . . . . . . . .   . . .

– Polachek Square [Google Map]: N. Ferry, Front and Green Streets, at Lawrence the Indian’s Circle, Schenectady Stockade (photos taken June 13, 2009, by D. Giacalone)  –

– as always, you can click on a photo for a larger image –

Shortly past noon today, after a brief ceremony, a sign was unveiled to make “official” what we’ve known for several decades:  Art Polachek was (and still is) the heart of our Stockade neighborhood, and Arthur’s Market anchors a small plaza that in spirit is Art’s Circle as much as it is Lawrence‘s.  Now, the area in the Stockade Historic District marked by the intersection of Front, N. Ferry and Green Streets has been (unofficially but lovingly) designated Polachek Square.

. . .  . . . . . . 

– well-wishers listen as Peter Polachek expresses his family’s gratitude (sad update: see “a sunset without Peter” posted August 8, 2009 to commemorate Peter’s too-early death)  –

As the Schenectady Gazette noted this morning (“Plaza to be named for store owner,” by Kathleen Moore, June 13, 2009):

“The man who created a community center in a corner store will be immortalized in steel today in the Stockade neighborhood.

“The plaza in front of Arthur’s Market will be renamed ‘Polachek Square’ today to honor Arthur Polachek, who ran his store not as a businessman but as a father confessor. . . .

“Polachek died on May 23, 2007, at the age of 87.  For most of his life, he lived above the market . . . He knew the name and life story of nearly every customer.  Now they won’t forget his.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Today was a great day for the dedication.  It’s the sort of lovely, breezy, blue-sky day, when sitting at a table outside Arthur’s Market with a few neighborhood friends, while watching and greeting others, is especially enjoyable.  It’s hard not to think about sharing a table or a few words with Art, and petting his good old doggie.  I’m glad Joyce and Artur Wachala are working to continue the Arthur’s Market tradition; now, we Stockade neighbors need to keep the spirit alive at Polachek Square.

afterwords (9 PM): It appears there is some controversy over whether the naming of “Polachek Square” is good or appropriate for the Stockade Historic District.  I do not believe that this informal designation in any way detracts from the Stockade as a living neighborhood that is also a Historic District.  Yes, I love the architecture and history, but I want to live in a neighborhood with people who feel like a community, not in a museum filled with memories of its prior illustrious inhabitants.

Bob Gavel wrote earlier today that Polachek Square was his idea several years ago, when a member of the Association’s Board.  He reminds us that “This is an honorary sign.  No existing street names were changed.”  Although it “reflects the space around the circle,” it does not rename Lawrence’s Circle.

. . .  Note: On July 4, 2007, the family and friends of Art Polachek came together in a joyous celebration of his life.  That day, as is the custom in the haiku-poet community to memorialize a beloved friend, I posted at my weblog  f/k/a the Arthur Polachek Celebration — a collection of haiku in his honor by a number of well-known haiku poets. ( It is formatted so that it can be printed on two sides of a letter-size sheet and folded into a tri-fold brochure.)