This photo is from a 1989 calendar published by the Saranac Lake Free Library. Photo probably taken by Mr. William Kollecker, shot in a rainstorm, showing the shiny brick road. A complex network of power poles and lines were on both sides of the street. Street lights extend straight out to the middle of the street. The location today is the Downhill Grill which was then a 3-story building housing apartments above the Bijou Theater. Next door was a wine and liquor store so the picture was before Prohibition [Jan. 17, 1920 - Dec. 5, 1933]. I miss my neighbor Hawkeye for lots of reasons but I know he could tell me the year of that Model T Ford in the picture. I examine these old photos under bright lights with a magnifying glass but I could not make out the year on the car’s license plate. The theater space, as I remember, last housed an IGA store. (Photo provided)

The following SLPD blotter (which readers continually ask about) are entries from August 1942. I pick and choose since there would not be space for an entire month’s entries. Since this all happened just shy of 80 years ago I will not change the names in the blotter except for serious offenses … if there are any.

8-1 — 9 PM — Call from Mrs. Lulu Lyons. Frankie Scarcelli, 8-years-old, had run away from her and she heard he was in Prescott Park. Wanted me to find him. Police unable to find him, searched the Park and that area until 10 P.M. Wallace

8-2 — 5 A.M. — Broken Water Main in the street in front of 157 River Street. Got a barrel and some planks to block it off and put a torch on it. Notified Leo Demerse. Higgins

8-2 — 10:30 A.M. — Call from 14 McComb Street to dispose of a cat. Taken care of. Duprey

8-2 — 10 P.M. [Calls continued until 11:45 P.M.] — Called Leo Maple to go over to the incinerator. Leo Maple reports fire very bad. Requested me to bring Truman Welles, Walter Mousseau to dump. Did so. Call from fire house. Wanted police to get Glen Ryan to gas up fire trucks. Fire bad at the incinerator. Wallace

8-3 — 6:35 P.M. — Call for a police officer immediately to Mark’s Grill. Investigated by Wallace who found one John Slater swearing and cursing on the side walk and trying to go back in. He was bleeding profusely from the mouth. Put him in the police car and as we were going up the Berkeley Hill he turned on the police officer and almost turned the police car into a parked car. After being subdued he was taken to the police station and locked up for disorderly conduct. Called Dr. Gedroiz who examined John Slater and diagnosed case as a cut lip and intoxication. Wallace

8-3-8:20 P.M. — Call from Mrs. Amell of Broadway. Said boys who stole her fishing pole from her front porch have thrown it into Lake Colby at the Latour ice house. Wants police to go and get it. Wants kids brought into Children’s Court. Advised her to come down and sign a petition to Children’s Court. Jones

8-4 — 2 A.M.– Call from Mrs. Wilkins at 161 Broadway that the people downstairs were fighting. Went up and found the Smith’s were having a family argument, told them to quiet down. Ryan

8-8 — 12:15 A.M. — Call from Mrs. Halloran. Someone was in the woods near her barn with a flash light. Was unable to find anyone around. Jones

8-10 — 6 A.M. — Call from McVeety’s [aka Miss Saranac Diner] -the boys just put two drunks out of there that were raising hell – they were on the St. Regis corner now raising rumpus. Locked up Floyd McElphatric and Delbert Garrow of Tupper Lake. Higgins

8-14 — 10 P.M. — Complaint from Mrs. Julia Havens of Keene, N.Y. Said that while her car was parked on Main Street near the Telephone Company building, and she was in the movies, a suit coat was stolen from her car. Dark gray and light gray stripes with navy blue satin lining. Value $5.00. Jones

8-17 — 10:30 A.M. — Complaint from John Ridenour [Enterprise publisher, 76 Main Street] that someone makes a mess in front of his building every night. Throws paper and trash around. Wants police to keep an eye out. Duprey

8-18 — 6:45 P.M. — Mr. Waterstratt, 11 Jenkins Street says that last night somebody tried to break into Mrs. Gay’s house about 10:30 p.m. Mrs. Gay’s daughter was home alone so he did not tell her. Says there were two men. Wants police to keep an eye on the place. Ryan

8-18 — 11:35 P.M. — Call for police at Wilson’s house, 1 Lake Flower Avenue. Investigated by Wallace and Higgins. Oliver Wilson came home and had been drinking, started an argument with his wife, mother and father. Warned him to keep the peace or he would get locked up. Got him to go to bed. Higgins [I must remind readers that during WWII there were required blackouts throughout the village. Our neighbors, now Civilian Air Raid Wardens were all over the place. When the fire station horn would blow a certain code (number of blasts) all lights were to be turned off at all homes and businesses. There was an air raid post on top of the Hotel Saranac manned by Wardens looking for enemy planes. Also any number of Wardens patrolled every neighborhood to enforce the blackout. Now read the following when Ron Keough’s dad got in ‘trouble’.]

8-19 — 8:55 P.M. — Call from a lady on St, Bernard Street — no Air Raid Wardens around. Three different lights on. Taken care of. Wallace

8-19 — 9:20 P.M. — Call that Gene Keough left the lights on at Conley’s Funeral Home. Notified District Police Leader. Higgins

8-19 — 9:50 P.M. — Call for police at the Alpine Tavern – fight going on – Locked up Carl Clarkson of Tupper Lake. Throwing glasses in the tavern, refused to leave. Duprey

8-22 — 1 P.M. — Joe McCormick, operating garage at 44 Bloomingdale Avenue, reports that on August 7th or on the night of August 6th the lock was broken on the garage. He did not miss anything so he did not report it. Today, Sullivan’s man was there to check the cigarette machine and found that it had been broken into. About $11.60 in cigarettes and money taken. Investigated by Chief.

8-31 — 5:30 p.m. — Complaint from the superintendent at Swift’s [meat packing plant]. Somebody had broken into the plant and initials had been painted all over the walls with some white paint which was in the garage. Initials W.S. Loves J.M. C.E.M. D.L.M. I found out that WS stands for Wilfred Sheftel, JM for Joyce Monica, CEM foe Claude Miner and DLM is fro Donald Monica. Claude Miner says that he does not know how his initials got there but these are all kids who play together.