At LIFL magazine, we love our thesauri. So when we needed a cool word to describe this olio/mélange/gallimaufry/macédoine of stories written by a class of clever, local 8th graders, we chose our favorite other word (sort of) for “smorgasboard.” With topics that range from Finger Lakes places and industry to history and indigenous wildlife, this roundup/mixed bag/cornucopia/treasury of creative writing is truly a festive farrago. See what you think.
Kid-ding Around
Does (female goats) are typically used for milk. It takes about 100 goats to make the same amount of milk as one cow. In other words, Lively Run goat dairy produces the same amount of milk as three cows.
Once infertility hits them (no kids means no milk), they are given to good homes to keep as pets. This year, the farm is looking for homes for four old nannies. Bucks often have a less promising future, albeit a tasty one. A buck will usually be sold to a butcher, where they will be made into a delicious meat. If they are young, it is called Cabrito, Spanish for kid. If they are older it can be called either mutton or Chevon. Although the idea of eating goat may alarm some, it is a very popular dish in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
– by Sarah
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Staying On Track
The Lehigh Valley Railroad had an astronomical impact on the daily lives of the Finger Lakes people. A job with the rail company could support a family of four. It gave financial security in a time of an economic crisis. The rail line workers could become conductor someday as they had opportunity to work their way up the ladder.
Even though the Lehigh ended on February 28, 1975, there are still many uses today. Long time Rushville resident Janet Landcastle said, “During the summers, older kids go jump off the bridge into the stream.” Many people go to the old tracks and take radiant pictures of the breathtaking scenery around them. There is an angelic hiking trail that goes where all of the old tracks once laid. I find it quite relaxing. It is a place where you can escape the stresses of everyday life and try to remember the simplicity of the past. You can rest up against a tree, close your eyes and try to imagine all the people who were here before you. All of them piling into trains and working the coal beds. The old trails are a place to transport you back in time to 1892.
– by Sadie
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Caring Communities
The Finger Lakes is home to many services for people with disabilities. There are three, however, that really go above and beyond: People, Inc., Happiness House, and
Finger Lakes Community College.
People, Inc. was created because they wanted to bridge a gap so that people with disabilities were more confident and felt like they belonged. Within People, Inc. there are different jobs that help the company run.
Service Coordinators work with clients to help them figure out what services they may need and then help them get those services. They also help coordinate the activities, services, and resources that you can get and organize them into schedules. Most importantly they assist people in achieving their goals.
Community Intake Providers meet with people who would like services and help them get those services. They also talk about other services that a person might need even if the service is not provided by People Inc.
People Inc. tries to bridge the gap of what school does and what the family does to help the person with a disability.
– by Gracie
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Breaking Technologies
Corning Inc. has a very unique history, one that you may not expect. The company, founded in 1851 by Amory Houghton in Somerville Massachusetts, was originally called Bay State Glass Co. The company operated soundly for many years until in the years surrounding 1868, the company moved to Corning, New York and changed its name to Corning Glass Works. The company then kept their name and headquarters until 1989, when it changed its name to Corning Incorporated, a name which we know very well now.
There are many current technologies that Corning Incorporated is involved in. Corning produces optical fiber and cable for the communications industry. Along the same lines, Corning has developed LCD Glass and Gorilla Glass to be used in smart phones. Gorilla Glass is a high-strength, thin sheet glass used as a protective cover for many handheld devices. Gorilla Glass was used in the first iPhone, released in 2007. Out of many Corning products, there are few that don’t catch the public’s eye. One of Corning Inc.’s well known glasses is Lotus Glass: an environmentally friendly and high-performance glass developed for LCD displays.
– by Gabriel
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Nature is Calling
Journey through all 6 miles of hiking trails when you visit the Cumming Nature Center (CNC). The most popular trail is the Beaver Trail. It has everything from woods to ponds to animals.
Protecting and maintaining their trails and wildlife is one of the Nature Center’s major priorities. “Any natural resource that should be protected is avoided entirely…” says David Gotham, the Center’s Director. But he is sure to keep the variety in these general areas. He has yearly inspections of all kinds and maintains permits.
He tries his best to make sure that everyone gets to see each and every part of the trail’s characteristics. With all this hard work you can see that the center has a unique interpretative setting of trees, animals and geography. Now with support from the Nature Conservancy’s Rochester Based Central and Western New York Chapter, they have given the CNC more protection. It has now 2,200 acres at Honeoye Lakes Southern Inlet and 365 acres south of the CNC of protection.
– by Amanda
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The Forgotten Fish
The cool, fresh, crisp morning air fills my lungs as the engine transitions from a slow purr to a roar during the entry from the canal into the beautiful Seneca Lake. The orange sunrise reflects off of the water, smooth as glass. It’s gorgeous out here, and what could make it any better? The simple fact that this beauty has a beast, cloaking itself with depth. Hiding in the darkness, these creatures of illusion have successfully tamed the raw power of Seneca Lake. It demands and deserves respect.
This creature is known as a lake trout. They live in 75 to 100-foot deep water, seldom seen by the naked eye. They are not easily found, much less fooled. Unfortunately, these masters of invisibility receive little respect. They are dismissed as “unchallenging to catch” by many anglers. Being the only native coldwater fish species in the entire Finger Lakes, you would think that they are the most respected of all. But the native fish are slowly disappearing, and are being replaced by stocked fish.
– by Peyton
