FB: Liberty League

[AUPepBand]

Ok, so a little upstate topic I wanted to discuss:

I bought some 'Southern Tier' beer the other day (mixpack of IPA), and noticed that the company is located in Lakewood, NY, which is located in Chautauqua County, the southwesternmost county in New York.  I did not think that section of Upstate, NY would constitute the Southern Tier, so I looked it up online.  According to Wikipedia, the Southern Tier really runs along the entire north side of the PA border, while I was always under the impressioin that the Southern Tier was a small section of the border from Steubing County east through Chemung, Tioga and Broome Counties.  (From Corning to Binghamton basically).

Yes, I know its just a name, but I wanted to get the thoughts of the upstate experts on this one.

Having lived much of my life north of Buffalo on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Buffalo news stations would always say "in the southern tier" in reference to Chautauqua, Cattauragus, and Allegany counties. (Those in the viewing area on PA border). I assume it continues east, as you say.

Yeah, the counties along the PA border are called the Souther Tier and I'd include Steuben in that as well.  17/86 is called the Southern Tier Expressway through that whole stretch and the PA counties on the other side of the border are referred to as the Northern Tier.  The cross-state region is then referred to as the Twin Tiers.

Pep has actually heard the Chautauqua/Cattaraugus/Allegany Counties, aka New York's Chautauqua/Allegheny Region for tourism promotional purposes, termed the "Western Southern Tier."

Pep recalls the Allegany County Historian explaining that all of the NY counties that sit on the Pennsylvania border constitute the "Southern Tier" while all of the PA counties that touch the NY border comprise the "Northern Tier" of Pennsylvania. Pep speculates the Twin Tiers' eastern-most point may be where the border "breaks" from its straight path, near Hancock. But don't quote me.

"ALFRED....New York Higher Education at its Highest." Elevation 2300 ft.

[mattvsmith]

Yes, Pep! Hancock, not Liberty as I thought earlier.

[Knightstalker]

Yes, Pep! Hancock, not Liberty as I thought earlier.

Uhuhuhuhuhuh Hancock.

[gordonmann]

The folks in Broome County definitely consider themselves part of the Southern Tier, FWIW.

[AUPepBand]

Yes, Pep! Hancock, not Liberty as I thought earlier.

Yes, Hancock! Hancock is the hometown of one-time AU running back Elmer "E-Train" Newsome, who coincidentally came to Alfred as a transfer from Pep's alma mater, Morrisville State.

Get the fight song ready!

[mattvsmith]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

[AUPepBand]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

Pep knows Norwich on several counts. Pep's alma mater Morrisville College has a branch campus there. It's also home of one-time Saxon Andy Genung and his younger brother Joe. And, it is home of a daily newspaper called the Sun....which happens to be run by some guy by the name of Snyder. In Alfred, they also call the local newspaper the Sun...because in Alfred, the Sun only comes out once a week. (And it, too, is run by a Snyder). Yeah, Pep knows that No Man's Land pretty well. Pep may be serving a life sentence in Alfred, but he gets out of town once in awhile for good behavior.   

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Pep is still thinking about the awesome Memorial Day weekend spent in Cary, NC. Pep had the privilege of seeing his oldest son married to a gorgeous bright young lady. She's a Vanderbilt grad who just over a week ago earned her law degree from George Washington University. He's an AU grad now working as an education specialist with NASA at Goddard. They met at Eastway Middle School in Charlotte, NC where he taught for three years and she did a two-year Teach America Corps stint. THe happy couple is postponing their Hawaiian Honeymoon until this fall, after her bar exam. Her folks--a German physicist married to an Italian sweetheart--were as hospitable as one can find in the South, hosting the wedding reception at the State Club on the campus of NC State. The happy couple reside in Arlington, VA. Pep is pleased as Punch.

On Saxon Warriors!

[mattvsmith]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

Pep knows Norwich on several counts. Pep's alma mater Morrisville College has a branch campus there. It's also home of one-time Saxon Andy Genung and his younger brother Joe. And, it is home of a daily newspaper called the Sun....which happens to be run by some guy by the name of Snyder. In Alfred, they also call the local newspaper the Sun...because in Alfred, the Sun only comes out once a week. (And it, too, is run by a Snyder). Yeah, Pep knows that No Man's Land pretty well. Pep may be serving a life sentence in Alfred, but he gets out of town once in awhile for good behavior.   

On Saxon Warriors!

Andy was a few years behind me and Joe a few years more. I went to school (K-12) with Dick Snyder's kids. The Evening Sun was a terrible rag, but it seems to have improved a lot over the past decade or two. I haven't been home in three years, so it will be interesting to see. By the way, the most popular sections of the paper are naturally obituaries ("Hey, I know--knew!--him!") the police blotter (Hey, I know him. He sat in front of me in detention!") and "30 seconds" where cranks leave opinions on the answering machine and the best ones get published. We have a game where my friends and I try to get the crankiest messages published, and we end with "C'mon Norwich!" or "What about the children!" to tag our work.

[AUPepBand]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

Pep knows Norwich on several counts. Pep's alma mater Morrisville College has a branch campus there. It's also home of one-time Saxon Andy Genung and his younger brother Joe. And, it is home of a daily newspaper called the Sun....which happens to be run by some guy by the name of Snyder. In Alfred, they also call the local newspaper the Sun...because in Alfred, the Sun only comes out once a week. (And it, too, is run by a Snyder). Yeah, Pep knows that No Man's Land pretty well. Pep may be serving a life sentence in Alfred, but he gets out of town once in awhile for good behavior.   

On Saxon Warriors!

Andy was a few years behind me and Joe a few years more. I went to school (K-12) with Dick Snyder's kids. The Evening Sun was a terrible rag, but it seems to have improved a lot over the past decade or two. I haven't been home in three years, so it will be interesting to see. By the way, the most popular sections of the paper are naturally obituaries ("Hey, I know--knew!--him!") the police blotter (Hey, I know him. He sat in front of me in detention!") and "30 seconds" where cranks leave opinions on the answering machine and the best ones get published. We have a game where my friends and I try to get the crankiest messages published, and we end with "C'mon Norwich!" or "What about the children!" to tag our work.

The obit page is the best read as folks check to see whether they're still living. The Mayberry Moon does a pretty good job with them. In fact, the paper took third place in the "Best Obituaries" category in the 2012 New York Press Association Better Newspaper Contest! It's so good that Pep has heard that people are just dying to get their names on the Alfred Sun obituary page!

Perhaps Pep's attendance at that 6th Great International Obituary Writers' Conference in Las Vegas, NM back in 2004, paid off, despite his missing Alfred's Traffic Light Festival, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the installation of the first and only traffic light in the Village of Alfred.

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUKaz00]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

Norwich, that's the Central Leatherstocking Region, no?

Pep is still thinking about the awesome Memorial Day weekend spent in Cary, NC. Pep had the privilege of seeing his oldest son married to a gorgeous bright young lady. She's a Vanderbilt grad who just over a week ago earned her law degree from George Washington University. He's an AU grad now working as an education specialist with NASA at Goddard. They met at Eastway Middle School in Charlotte, NC where he taught for three years and she did a two-year Teach America Corps stint. THe happy couple is postponing their Hawaiian Honeymoon until this fall, after her bar exam. Her folks--a German physicist married to an Italian sweetheart--were as hospitable as one can find in the South, hosting the wedding reception at the State Club on the campus of NC State. The happy couple reside in Arlington, VA. Pep is pleased as Punch.

On Saxon Warriors!

You left out the best part, Pep.  When you played the official card game of the AU Pep Band in the hotel afterwards!

[mattvsmith]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

Norwich, that's the Central Leatherstocking Region, no?

That is correct, sir!

[AUPepBand]

The Rev grew up in Norwich (Chenango County). We considered ourselves too far north to be Southern Tier. Then again, we were too far south to be whatever that Erie Canal/I-90 corridor is called. If you've ever been through our town, you'll recognize it as a true no man's land.

Norwich, that's the Central Leatherstocking Region, no?

Pep is still thinking about the awesome Memorial Day weekend spent in Cary, NC. Pep had the privilege of seeing his oldest son married to a gorgeous bright young lady. She's a Vanderbilt grad who just over a week ago earned her law degree from George Washington University. He's an AU grad now working as an education specialist with NASA at Goddard. They met at Eastway Middle School in Charlotte, NC where he taught for three years and she did a two-year Teach America Corps stint. THe happy couple is postponing their Hawaiian Honeymoon until this fall, after her bar exam. Her folks--a German physicist married to an Italian sweetheart--were as hospitable as one can find in the South, hosting the wedding reception at the State Club on the campus of NC State. The happy couple reside in Arlington, VA. Pep is pleased as Punch.

On Saxon Warriors!

You left out the best part, Pep.  When you played the official card game of the AU Pep Band in the hotel afterwards!

Indeed, that was after winning an interesting game of Pinochle with Pops and Sis around midnight (and immediately being evicted from their room), a couple games of rummy with cousins, working up to the premiere introduction (for the cousins) to that official AU PepBand card game. Pep knew the Kaz00 had it covered. Gotta love it when a founding member of the band is responsible for developing (and marketing) a great new card game.

+Kaz00...

[dlippiel]

And RPI continues it's beastly scheduling ways with filling out it's 9th game with perennial powerhouse....NORWICH.  So we have Norwich, Alfred, and Castleton St.  I'm a big fan of 1 doormat, 1 intermediate, and one beast.  Instead, we have 2 ECFC beasts(sarcasm), and Alfred who could be more in the intermediate level on most years.  Such a shame.  How about growing some balls and throwing a Fisher/Ithaca/Rowan/Montclair type on the schedule?  Shoot, i'd even respect a Hartwick game more than this!!!  It's embarrassing sometimes to be an RPI fan.  Unfortunately, if they are doing well, it's a shocker when they hit Hobart and Union towards the end of the year, rather than being battle tested.

dlip hears ya Lew. He has been hoping for RPI to beef up the schedule a bit but it just doesn't seem to be happening. Yet looking at the upcoming season in particular this may not be so bad for RPI considering some of the player losses and the on going coaching issues. Maybe it allows the Engineers some time to rebuild and regain some positive momentum with a win heavy season? To dlip RPI still holds water as a solid D3 program and the semi-final run still lingers in the back of dlip's mind. With the new facilities over in Troy and the history of RPI football in the last 15 years dlip feels the Engineers need to do something to get some attention back in Troy before they lose the momentum and presitge the program has aquired. dlip wishes them luck as always and would love to see them schedule some tougher OOC teams and beat them!

[ITH radio]

RPI graduated 22 SRs, including Hermann, which will be tough to overcome.  Regardless, they'll look good in these new unis

USMMA looking at new helmets too