Memorial Day Parade

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Beck

Every Memorial Day the Perry High School Marching Band would don those heavy and hot uniforms and march from Olin Avenue – down from the High School football field/track – and move out onto Main Street… up to Gasoline Alley to Center Street and up Lake Street ending at the Vets Club where either Mr Hughes or Mr Bichalaney (had to consult with Yearbook for spelling!) would play Taps as part of the Ceremony honoring our fallen war heroes.  Being the tall Sousaphone player I was often used to set one of the corners of the band – it was easy for the others to “mark off” on me since I couldn’t be missed!  My mom made the cover for the bell of my instrument in our Yellowjackets colors of Blue and Gold.

Who remembers the year that Merle Cowie – father of our dear friend and Clarinet player Michelle Cowie – buzzed the band from the back while we were marching down Main Street and playing??  Merle was a Cropduster and kept his plane on his farm property adjacent to the Perry-Warsaw Airport – along Route 20A – halfway between Perry and Warsaw (brilliant name for the Airport).  He must have been just above the two- and three-story buildings along Main Street – somewhere along the northern stretch of downtown near the old Robeson Cutlery building.  I just remember how we were all suddenly shocked to the point of not being able to play or march!  We were all over the place and he simply scared the crap out of us!

Proximity to The Switch – at the end of the Parade and during the Ceremony – we were underneath it!

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Jan Brady’s Winter Coat and an Un-Neutured Family Dog

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Beck

Duke is seen here with Glenna sometime on or after 1975.  Judging by the snow on the ground this appears to be Fall or Springtime in Perry (that’s sarcasm).

We DID watch the Brady Bunch everyday… and Glenna is living it out in Jan’s Winter coat.  The phrase that echoes in my hair-free head this time of year is “Dress to walk”.  Our mother taught us well in that regard and I drilled it into my children.  We didn’t have Live Doppler Radar accessible on our SmartPhones to warn us of impending storms.  Often our Early Warning Systems were our gut, the local farmer or the experience of getting snowed in when and where it was least expected.

You have to admit that she looks totally prepared for the weather – head to toe.  The real reason for Bell-Bottoms was for them to fit around our snow boots – it was NOT a California thing but instead a Buffalo Snowbelt functional fashion requirement (sorry, Greg).  A wardrobe malfunction is not a welcome occurrence in this type of weather (sorry, Janet).  The furry sleeves, hood, and matching  trim were strictly for functionality (sorry, Jan).

What’s with the “Neuter” reference in the Title?  Duke was not neutered and seemed to do quite well as a roaming dog.  Unlike a town drunk, Duke knew exactly where he was – with the exception of the Police Patrolman’s back seat – a car was a car.  He behaved himself entirely that we know of (perhaps a litter here and there).  Well, speaking of a Police Patrolman, there was one who lived one block over.  There was the occasion when his female dog (also not “fixed”- that’s another subject – I tend to think of it as broken) was in heat and Duke disappeared for some time without so much as a text, email, or voicemail to let us know where he was.  Patrolman Terry informed us that our Yeller dog was scratching on the side of his house.

Yet another way we did things differently in the 70′s.

Proximity to The Switch – 400 yards to the West.

Posted in Pets, Winter Activities | 2 Comments

Little People

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Beck

This is in the backyard of one of the our neighborhood family houses.  I’m fairly certain that this was Sam’s HS grad party in 1981.  Cheri is holding Glenna in the palm of her hand.  We did fun and creative things since we didn’t have cell phones to text with and FB to let everyone know when we were going to the bathroom.

Proximity to The Switch – 400 yards to the North/Northwest.

Posted in Summer Activities | 2 Comments

Wayne’s World – July 2011

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Beck

What a great time we had reconnecting.  Wayne came up from VA and me from PA.  We both caught up with our “bucket list of people to see – places to go” for the few days we were both there.   It was on this trip that I caught up with Mike Laraby.

We stayed at the Perry B&B – the yellow house in the photo – directly next door to the Beckary Homestead which is on the left of the photo – over Wayne’s truck and the hedgerow that my mom planted and I trimmed many times over the years.

I look forward to the next trip.  Perhaps in the Winter to experience the snow!

Proximity to The Switch – 200 yards to the North.

 

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Silly Activities by Young People

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Beck

On the last day of regular classes in our Senior Year we were given some freedom.

In 1982 we used it as an opportunity to raise money for an awesome teacher whose infant son was born with Spina-Bifida.  It simply gave us an excuse to block the entrances to the school property – sanctioned obnoxiousness!  We raised over $100 if I recall correctly.  Check out the boat of a car in the foreground.  The School was built in the 50′s – obviously years before anyone had a clue about attractive colors.

Tom has his back turned to the camera.  Within weeks he was serving in the US Navy. Bob – in the afro, mustache, and blue jacket found himself in the Army while the dude behind the camera did a hitch in the Air Force. All three of us did our time and got out Honorably.

There is a great deal of inappropriate rudeness being displayed here. Many are displaying their middle fingers while Craig (in the red shirt) is doing the unspeakable with a water balloon. Craig died in an auto accident the following Fall. Leo, on the far left, is shown leaning on his car and looking away from the camera. I got word two years ago that he died of a heart attack in 2009. Farewell dear brothers – we were blessed knowing you and miss you now.

Proximity to The Switch – 1/2 mile to the Northeast.

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How It All Began For The Beckary Family & Perry

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Beck

My dad – Jules A Beckary – came to Perry in 1953.  As this plaque shows, he served in the FBI from 1949-53. His last assignment was the Field Office in Rochester.

Well into the 90′s he attended monthly meetings in Rochester of a former FBI Special Agents’ group to keep up with his old buddies. I attended one of those meetings and heard the story of how he chose Perry.

According to one of his old FBI buddies, my dad used a compass (the kind that draws circles) to draw a circle around Rochester that designated an hour drive. Perry landed on that line and he moved and setup his Law Practice there in 1953.

His office was originally a rented space in one of the buildings on the east side of S Main that burned along with the Sport Shop in the 80′s.  At some point he built what still stands as a Law Office by the corner of South Main and “Gasoline Alley” (Mill Street).  For the first six years my dad was on his own and added Secretary Sharon Holtz when she was 16 years old.  Sharon served him for 36 of his 42 years in Perry and has everything to do with how successful and loved he was in that work!

Some of you might remember him walking between the house and office everyday — or perhaps his morning and evening walks around the Village Park.  One of you can complete the phrase referring to mittens….

Proximity of the Office to The Switch – 1/2 mile to the East.

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Loss of a Community Servant – Mike Laraby

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Beck

How strange that I recently told the story of acquiring The Switch with the great help of Mike Laraby.  Mike and his wife Cynthia became victims of an horrific accident today.

Not sure what to say on this one.

WHEC Channel 10 Rochester

Proximity of the accident scene to The Switch – 1/4 mile to the South.

Posted in Tragedies | 3 Comments

Love Affair With Our Cars

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Beck

When we came of age and started to drive things changed.  Freedom to drive.

Here is Wayne at the Beckary Homestead with his 1970 Pontiac Tempest T-37 that he purchased for $300 from Mrs Bellanca – his  third grade teacher.

I have many great memories in that old car!

Proximity of driveway to The Switch – 25 yards to the Northwest.

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Ski Patrol Trip to Whiteface Mt

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Beck

Several of us became Junior Ski Patrollers at Honey Hill Ski Area in the Winter of 1980-81.  Here we are having fun at Whiteface Mt for a Ski Patrol Seminar.

Proximity to The Switch – 5 hour drive to the North/Northeast.

Take a look at updated Bike Rodeo post.

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Best Friend Duke

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Beck

Duke was a major part of our family.  He was the friendliest, most faithful of friends and never talked back or argued with anyone.  He followed Al and me on our paper routes regardless of the weather so often he could have subbed for us!  One very cold winter day (they were all cold!), he waited outside a friend’s house for over two hours for me to come out and take him home.

Duke came to us from a neighbor where the couple was separating.  We could hear him bark when tethered to his chain and offered to have him sleep over one night.  Soon after he was ours permanently.  He was 2 then and stayed with us until his death at age 12.

He was mostly a Yellow Lab – but his curled tail showed that he was 1/4 Shepherd.  He was very gentle and great with kids.  He did have a protective side and needed to be locked up prior to the daily visit from the mailman.  Let me remind you that the mail was actually brought to the mailbox on our house by a mailman who, imagine this, walked.  He liked to hide behind a large tree and pounce on the poor man.   Mace was used on more than one occasion.  When a Jehovahs Witness, Mormon, or other solicitor came to our front door we would put Duke on the front porch and let the visitor decide on whether they wanted to enter the porch.  They quickly went on to a neighboring house.

Several ladies in the area would save steak bones for the next time Duke wandered by.  The Village did have a “Leash Law” that required all dogs to be… you guessed it…on a leash, chained up, or inside a fence.  Duke’s wonderful personality and the friendship between my dad and the Dog Catcher gave him a Stay out of the Pound card and saved us a bunch in fines.  In later years, after Al and I were off in the Air Force, the friendly Dog Catcher was no longer, and the local Police served in that role as needed.  Because Duke enjoyed car rides so well, the Policeman knew that they simply needed to open the car door and invite him to ride.  That raised far too much revenue for the municipality and caused our family to make some adjustments in Duke’s freedom.

He was a gem – people in Perry still comment on how much they liked him.

Duke’s regular proximity to The Switch – usually within 1/4 mile in any direction.

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