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Welcome to another episode of Watertown365 podcast for the week of September 17h. We bring you Watertown’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business spotlights that you have to watch out for in the later part of this episode. Sit back and relax, and let’s begin with our first story – Key Bank employees used Tuesday afternoon to give back to their community. Are you into paranormal activities? A ‘Haunted’ upstate New York home hits the market. Next, City approves COVID memorial plan in Thompson Park. Have you ever had strange stories about Thompson Park? City Officials put up a warning sign to help visitors remain cautious while in the vicinity of the “supernatural vortex.” At the end of the episode, we will share to you the latest updates about COVID 19 in Jefferson County. Also, let’s show some love and support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as we give the spotlight to 2 business in Watertown this week. All that and more today for this week’s Watertown365 podcast.
Key Bank employees volunteer to make a difference
Key Bank employees used Tuesday afternoon to give back to the community. It’s part of the bank’s 30th annual Neighbors Make the Difference Day.
Members from the bank’s branches on Washington Street and Arsenal Street in Watertown received paid time off to help out at Thrifty Shopper in Watertown.
The workers go through racks of clothes and remove old merchandise that will eventually be donated to people in Third World countries. Staff at Thrifty Shopper say the work put in by the Key Bank employees will help cut down clutter in the racks and make the shopping experience better for customers.
‘Haunted’ upstate New York home hits the market
It’s a four bed, two bath and nine ghost.
A spooky historical residence in upstate New York that is allegedly home to nine ghosts recently hit the market for $444,444 — a listing price that’s a nod to the paranormal.
The Enslin Mansion in Troy’s Lansingburgh neighborhood has been featured in shows on Discovery ID and TLC and its queen bedroom has been listed on Airbnb for those daring enough to stay the night.
Constructed in 1890, the home is currently owned by Michele Bell, a self-described empath who told The Times Union her great-grandfather, Frederick A. Feyl, bought the property in 1919.
Bell said five of the ghosts are members of her family, including her late son Nick.
Another spirit is Shirley, a one-time boarder who was found dead in the basement. The other three ghosts are unidentified men, according to Bell.
Bell keeps the basement locked and said it’s been the site of spiritual activity.
Paranormal investigators have detected some ghostly activity in the home, the report said.
Bell is hopeful a young couple will buy the house and said she doesn’t plan on changing the asking price.
The number 444 is considered to be a sign of encouragement sent from guardian angels. The so-called “angel number” is supposed to help someone through a difficult time in their life.
City approves COVID memorial plan
The woman who has put together decorations for a small park on South Massey Street for years has received informal approval to create a COVID-19 memorial in Thompson Park.
The City Council on Monday night gave TenEyck Street resident Allison F. Gorham the go-ahead to create the memorial with a black granite base and circle of 4-inch-thick cobalt blue glass. It will be erected just east of the Rotary Pavilion and nestled among some white pines.
With Monday’s informal vote, Mrs. Gorham and her advisory committee can start raising money for the memorial. She made a presentation on Monday night about the project before three council members gave her permission to proceed. Mrs. Gorham said the memorial is needed to honor the people in the region who have died during the pandemic. So far, 89 people in Jefferson County and 229 in the three-county region have died since April 2020.
The memorial would simply read “For those who we’ve lost during COVID-19.” The memorial will cost $37,000, but the advisory group has a goal of $80,000 it plans to raise through donors, community organizations, grants and possibly federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The funds would be used to purchase four benches and to create an account to pay for maintenance costs in the future.
BCA Architects and Engineers, Watertown, is working on the design of the memorial. It could be completed at the start of next summer. Donations must be sent to the Northern New York Community Foundation.
Council members had some reservations about that particular location, but after stopping to see it before the meeting they decided it was an appropriate location. Councilman Leonard G. Spaziani opposed the project, saying he doesn’t believe the city’s historic park should have a memorial of any type. The park should only be for people to enjoy, he explained. Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith was absent from the meeting.
In February, Mrs. Gorham put up a temporary COVID memorial in Clinton Park, the small city-owned park at Holcomb and South Massey streets, with the hopes of creating a permanent one in the city. She’s been involved in beautification efforts in the city for a long time. For the past 11 years, she’s decorated that South Massey Street park for Christmas, Halloween, Easter and other holidays. Mrs. Gorham, with the help of her husband, Brett, has planned, and in some cases funded and actually constructed, many improvements and projects throughout the city, such as the gardens at Hospice and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Community Garden and that small city park.
Aliens in Upstate New York? Explore Area 51 in Watertown
Area 51 isn’t just in Nevada. There’s another one in Upstate New York where people have claimed to travel through a ‘time vortex.’
If you walk through Thompson Park in Watertown, you’ll see a zoo, tennis courts, hiking trails, and a ‘vortex’ where you may lose track of time, become disoriented or confused and find yourself in a different location inside the park.
If that’s not creepy enough, the codename for Nevada’s infamous Area 51 is ‘Watertown Strip,’ according to declassified information. Turns out, the head of the CIA, Allen Dulles, was actually a Watertown native.
City officials have even acknowledged the strange stories about Thompson Park, putting up a warning sign to help visitors remain cautious while in the vicinity of the “supernatural vortex.”
The vortex isn’t just in one spot either. The location seems to move throughout the park, according to Haunted History Trail.
A group of paranormal chasers were asked to investigate the ‘time vortex’ and found very unusual energy patterns throughout the park in 2007. They believe the high electromagnetic fields (EMF) are what causes confusion and hallucinations, leading people to believe they traveled to the past.
If you want to see and experience Area 51 for yourself, head to Thompson Park on Gotham Street in Watertown, New York.
1 new COVID death, 188 new cases reported in region
Another St. Lawrence County resident has died from COVID-19. The death toll since the pandemic began now stands at 111.
County Public Health also reported 114 new COVID infections Thursday. There are 21 people hospitalized with the virus.
Jefferson County had 67 new cases and 14 hospitalizations.
Lewis County reported 7 new infections. Six people are in the hospital.
Business Spotlight:
Glory Construction and Development
Location: Glory Construction and Development, Reasoner Rd Watertown NY 13601
Tel. No 315-779-4022
Operation Hours: N/A
If you are looking for a quality construction company in Watertown, you have come to the right place! With a proven track record, Glory construction will go above and beyond to make your renovation or building dreams a reality. Glory Construction has been building in and around Watertown for more than 10 years and has the expertise and manpower to see your project all the way to fruition. It’s time to transform those ideas and dreams into reality!
Location: True Cut Tree Service 20377 Reasoner Rd
Tel. No: 315-836-4828
Hours: n/a
Whether the weather took you tree down, your tree is old and dying, or you just want see more of your own yard, True Cut can remove any unwanted Trees efficiently and effectively. True Cut Tree Service provides professional Tree Trimming and has the equipment to deal with 24 Hour Emergency Tree Removal (from Winter Blizzards, to Ice Storms and Microbursts, they have seen it all.)
Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, https://watertown365.com/, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/watertown365 and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!
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