The photo is from The Enterprise, Feb. 12, 1973 and the photo credit needs a full name, Gar Munn. I knew Dr. Lopez and what an incredible human being — a veterinarian, handsome, gracious, soft spoken and known for his compassion. He delivered his own 14 children with his wife, Marjorie. He founded the North Country SPCA, ran in 65 marathons and in a 50 mile JFK memorial event. Obviously the photo is unrelated to the column but with winter arriving full bore and complaining about the cold, looking at this photo warms my heart. He owned practices in Saranac Lake (on River Street), Lake Placid and Westport.

Page One was loaded with local stories, 67 years ago, from Lake Placid’s First Annual Eastern Invitational Ski Jump to the Saranac Lake Free Library looking to buy the Guild House. And you know what else? Jim Ellis and John McGill won oratorical awards … and my friend, Mr. Ellis, hasn’t stopped talking since.

I love finding these stories that contain a bunch of local names, but they leave me still looking for my pal, Olympian Jay Rand, who that long ago was probably just learning to ski.

“Lake Placid’s First Annual Eastern Invitational Ski Jump will get underway Easter Sunday at the Olympic Ski Jump in Lake Placid. Taking part in this unique late season event will be the outstanding United States and Canadian FIS and Olympic competitors of the last several years. The jumpers, some 25 of them in ‘A’ and ‘B’ classes will be taking their last fling at major jumping before hanging up their skis for the season.

“To appear in Lake Placid includes FIS team member Art Tokle, Olympians Art Devlin, Roy Sherwood; Canadian stars Jacques Charland and Lucien Leferte. Also entered in Class ‘A’ are Bernie Blackstead, Odd Oistead, Thor Franzen, Roger Dion, Charley Tremzley and Norm Cummings.”

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I never heard of this!

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“A special feature of the afternoon will be exhibitions of double and triple jumps on the Big Hill. In a seldom seen demonstration of skill and timing jumpers will speed down the inrun together and takeoff and land simultaneously.

“Class ‘B’ entries to date Sig Evenson, Torlip Wattne, Bernard Dion, Doug Dion, El Letson and Earl Morris. Judges for the event will be Jack Wilkins and Ron MacKenzie of Lake Placid.

“The 1st Annual Easter Invitational represents the newest addition to Lake Placid’s rapidly expanding ski jumping program. Under the direction of the Town of North Elba Park district and chairmanned by Art Devlin and John Viscome. Techniques developed during the holding of the Fourth of July Ski Jump will be used to insure the condition of the jump including the use of ‘Snow Cement’ to inhibit the melting of snow on the tower. Mr. Viscome has stated that snow conditions on the rest of the hill are ideal. The heavy snows of the past winter season have left the Intervales Jump in fine condition.”

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Tupper boys win K Of C honors

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“James Ellis, senior at Holy Ghost Academy in Tupper Lake, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Ellis, Park St., Tupper Lake, won first place in the local oratorical contest sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council. Second place went to John McGill of the Tupper Lake High School. McGill is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond McGill, Racquette Drive.

“In winning last night’s contest Ellis earned the right to go and compete at the district level, which includes contestants from the Tri-Lakes, Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Tupper Lake. In view of no contestants from either Saranac Lake or Lake Placid, Ellis will win the district contest by default.

“On Sunday, April 27, he will compete in the Northern Conference which will include all contestants from the Ogdensburg diocese. This event will be held in Malone.

“The winner in Malone will continue on to Elmira where the finals will be held on May 23 during the state Knights of Columbus convention.

“The subject which the boys were required to talk about was ‘a Catholic in the Atomic Age.’ The local K of C presented Ellis with a cash award of $10.”

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Library looks at Guild House expansion

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“The members of the Saranac Lake Free Library Associations agreed last night that acquisition of the Guild House property adjoining it to the west was a ‘must’ to facilitate the expansion program slated for the library.

“Discussion regarding the feasibility of acquiring the property owned by the Saranac Lake Rehabilitation Guild and consisting of a large house and 67 feet of frontage on Main Street, was prompted by word that a local service organization which wishes not to be identified was interested in aiding the library to raise funds to provide desperately-needed space, particularly for more stack room, an exhibition room and a children’s reading room.

“Dr. Edward Jameson, association president, opened the discussion by stating that the William White Memorial Fund had reached about $15,000 and asserted that something should be done to indicate to the various contributors to the fund that definite steps are being taken to get construction of the memorial underway.”

That space, now Vest Pocket Park, seems too small for the big, two-story Guild House that occupied that space. Obviously the Library made other plans.