As shown above, the new addition on the
Central School is well underway and the start of brick laying is in progress. The about 82X250-foot structure connecting
onto the rear of the present building will make room for 10 more class rooms, nurse's office, teachers' room and a combination
cafeteria and recreation room. The view is looking north. The school garage may be seen in the distance.
September 1952
The new school wing will be used for the first time next Monday morning, September
8th, when school opens for a one-half day session. Equipment has been moved from the old building and everything is
set and ready to go. The new addition contains auditorium, cafeteria and kitchen, 10 grade rooms - kindergarten through
4th grade, nurse's office and teachers' room.
The first day of school for the DeRuyter Central School district will be on Monday, September 8th,
with a half day's session.
All pupils in grades kindergarten through fourth will report at 8:30 in the new cafeteria where they
will be assigned to teachers and rooms. Pupils in grades five through twelve will report in the high school auditorium
for the same purpose. Classes will terminate at 11:45. Full day session will start on Tuesday, Sept. 9th.
The school bus routes will be approximately the same as last year. Wherever changes have taken place,
both parents and bus drivers will be notified.
There will be only one kindergarten section this year with two half-day sessions with noon bus to
return and pick up pupils.
At the August meeting of the Board of Education the following program was adopted concerning minimum
age requirement for entrance into the kindergarten and first grade:
1. For entrance into kindergarten the child must have reached the age of five on or before December
1st.
2. For entrance into first grade (children entering school for the first time) the child must have
reached the age of six on or before December 1st.
This policy is in line with recommendations of the New York State Department of Education and educational
leaders throughout the country. It has been proven that the more mature child is much better able to do the work in
the lower grades than those younger. It is better for a child to learn easily from the start of his school career and
be a class leader than be just an average or below average pupil throughout their school life. This fact has been proven
time and again in our schools throughout the country by checking school records and running experimental classes in many of
our larger school systems.
Teaching Staff
The following teaching staff for the coming year as announced by Principal Albert Truman is as follows:
Miss Marian I. Poole, Kindergarten; Mrs. June A. Lee and Miss Joyce A Han Chette, Grade One;
Mrs. Marie J. Naber and Mrs. Madaline S. Wood, Grade 2; Mrs. Beverly S. Larkin and Mrs. Mary M. Stoddard, Grade 3; Mrs.
Lillian G. Webb and Mr. Paul E. Knefley, Grade 4; Mrs. Mildred P. Blowers and Mrs. Iva S. Skeele, Grade 5; Mrs. Beulah
Kelley and Miss Shirley J. Chase, Grade 6; Mr. Kenneth J. Barlow, Grade 7; Mrs. Joyce W. Newcomb, Reading.
Mrs. Elizabeth K. Stahl, Social Studies; Mr. Robert O. Slentz, Science; Mr. James C. Harriger, Mathematics;
Mr. Gordon R. Muck, Art; Miss Catherine A. Nevin, French and Typing; Mr. George B. Ames, Music; Mr. Edward vanAalten, Music;
Mr. Frank D. Slater, Physical Education; Mrs. Gertrude Seely, Homemaking; Mr. William B. Cornish, Vocational Agriculture;
Miss Cynthia M. Comstock, English; Mrs. Marion T. Fox, Latin; Mrs. Anita M. Cornish, Nurse-teacher; Mrs. Josephine Hay, Physical
Education.
At the closing of school this year, DeRuyter Central
School lost four long-term teachers and two Civil Service employees to retirement.
Arthur Curtis of Cuyler, retired June 1, after 16 years as custodian
at DeRuyter Central School, and his wife, Mrs. Zelia Curtis, retired at the end of school after 18 years as school nurse-teacher
in DeRuyter. She has a total of 21 and a half in-service years, coming to DeRuyter from Fabius in 1955.
Mrs. Virginia Whitmarsh of Cuyler has been an elementary teacher
for 20 years, 18 of them in DeRuyter. She has taught fourth grade for the last few years.
Mrs. Mary Stoddard of Truxton retires after 32 years in the teaching
profession, 22 of them at DeRuyter Central School. She has most recently taught sixth grade.
Mrs. Mary Barlow of DeRuyter retired after 17 years of service
at DeRuyter Central School as teachers aide, receptionist and treasurer. She has been in the school office for many
years, directing office traffic and doing many different jobs.
Kenneth Barlow of DeRuyter has been a junior high math teaher at
DeRuyter Central for the past 33 years. He has taught at least two generations of students and earned the respect of
both. In addition to teaching, he has coached several different sports and has been Boy Scout leader in DeRuyter for
more than 30 years.
These six employees represent a total of 124 years of service to
the DeRuyter School system.
DeRuyter Recreation Swimming Program
Finally Gets Underway
Rev. Alan Peabody and Neil Brown pictured in front of DeRuyter school bus on the disputed road, Friday
afternoon, ready to take DeRuyter children for their first recreation swimming program this year.
The village recreation swimming program that was held up last week, for the DeRuyter
youngsters, officially ended last Thursday evening, when the Village Board met and signed an agreement drawn up earlier in
the day by the two attorneys for the parties involved.
The agreement asserts the village's right to travel over the road. The buses
taking the children to and from the swimming area will not stop anywhere along the road, leading down to the recreation area.
Mayor Milks declares that neither the village nor the lakeshore residents has a right
of superiority over the road.
The Mayor pointed out that the deeds of the property owners showed only that they
had the right of way, a view he has always held since the dispute began several years ago.
The village made no concessions. It did not give the cottage owners a waiver
of responsibility and no extended insurance coverage.
The dispute involving some lakeshore residents and the village officials, but not
the Lake Association, was settled and the taxpayers and citizens of DeRuyter and members of the Lake Association, not living
in DeRuyter, were happy to see it settled in the manner in which it was settled.
In a statement from Neil Brown, he said, "I am sorry this ever happened, I was wrong
and I was misinformed all along the way."
The Mayor faces tremendous responsibilities and many times it has involved the children.
It is important that he determines common grounds of arguments in all his efforts, in all his phases of the village activities.
I was criticized by one man for not giving this incident more publicity in last week's
paper, but then again, I was compensated by a large majority of the people for not adding fuel to the fire, by blowing this
thing all out of proportion, when we were so near to having it settled.
As to this question, our freedoms can be used for good or for evil, but before we
exercise those privileges, I asked myself, "Will what I say be beneficial or detrimental to my community?"
I felt intelligent people often sincerely express opposite points of views, but honest
differences of opinions with more facts, more reason, fair discussion and the application of the Golden Rule would settle
this dispute.
We are happy that the parties concerned, and as good thinking DeRuyter citizens,
used their cherished right, not to "win an argument", but to settle the dispute by finding the right answer in a sensible
manner.
The article reads:
That village smithy who used to stand under the spreading chestnut tree has come a long way.
Now he drives a modern pickup truck with a two-way radio and goes to his four-legged "clients."
At least that's the way it is with Alek Narsasian of DeRuyter, who is an expert at an art which many
consider to be dying.
The village blacksmith shop is no more; a part of the vanished
Americana. Tractors have replaced teams of horses on farms.
One must go many
miles to find a farm team, unless a farmer who loves horses and owns a draft team of the proud and mighty French Percherons
or the blocky, hairy fetlock Belgiums, takes pride in their pulling ability and takes them to country fairs or the larger
state exhibitions to compete in pulling contests.
The proper setting of shoes on
draft, saddle or racing horses requires the services of a skilled black smith and these smiths are very scarce.
Narsasian is a husky, farm-raised young man. He received his training in blacksmithing from the
late John Hinds, another DeRuyter man who was an expert in that line.
Alek has been
in the work for 15 years. He covers the shoeing jobs for a radius of 75 miles surrounding his home town. All necessary
tools are carried in his truck which has a two-way radio operated by his wife, who keeps him in touch with his customers.
He drives to the horses' stables to attend to their needs.
Alek gets calls from horse owners
as far away as New Hampshire who want his services, and are willing to pay air transportation both ways. Horsemen in
New York City also call for his services. There is a need of 50 to 75 blacksmiths there, according to Narsasian.
Horses are becoming more numerous all over the country - especially saddle and racing stock. The
DeRuyter smith services 4-H Club horses and attends 4-H meetings to give advice.
Barbara
Lutzelberger of Cazenovia is among those who use Alek's services. She is a member of the Limestone Creek Hunt Club and
has had her horse cared for by Alek for about four years.
Miss Lutzelberger's jumper
competes in horse shows and other events. She is typical of those who have put new life into the blacksmith business.
National statistics have shown that horses are making a big comeback, especially in New York State.
And Alek is the man to take care of them.
Ground breaking ceremony for what was to be Key Bank (currently
Citizen's Bank). Pictured are Village Mayor, Nancy Parkhurst; a Key Bank Official; and former Town Supervisor Susan
Waterstripe.
Grand Opening of Key Bank. Pictured are Village Mayor,
Nancy Parkhurst, Rev. John Werley and a Key Bank official.
Winter in old DeRuyter.
