There's nothing we vintage Christmas collectors like better than being able to pinpoint the origin and or date of our vintage and antique decorations and ornaments. There are a number of sources for finding this information. One of the best is the Wishbook Flickr site. This site contains scans of many of the catalogs we so looked forward to receiving during the holiday season--from places like Sears, Montgomery Ward, etc. The earliest currently available is the 1948 Sears Wishbook. You can see them at http://www.wishbookweb.com/
Another great source for dating this material came from right here in Croton, courtesy of Amy's "& Antiques". In fact, the Cotton women, Amy and Cornelia, run a shop that is chock full of researching opportunities in almost every corner. (All under one roof too: "& Antiques", "The Old Book Room", "Cornelia Cotton Gallery"--111 Grand St. 271-6802).
Here are the Christmas pages from the 1916 Sears Fall catalog, a recent purchase. While this is one of the more common catalogs around, we've specifically concentrated on scanning only those pages that center around Christmas lighting, ornaments, honeycomb decorations, and more--much of it made in Germany, Europe in general, the U.S., and some Made in Japan items too. Here are the links. Enjoy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5242928514/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5242913340/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5242299885/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5242875084/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5242870634/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5242817610/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5239575570/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5238970385/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5238939987/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/5238926961/
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
IF YOU LOVE THE OLD DEPARTMENT STORE CHRISTMAS WINDOWS OF YESTERDAY
From time to time, we'll feature local articles and brief bits on vintage holiday collectibles.
IF YOU LOVE THE OLD DEPARTMENT STORE CHRISTMAS WINDOWS OF YESTERDAY:
There once was a time when department stores were everywhere, and never was their presence more keenly felt than at Christmas. Their windows would be filled with holiday displays, often animated, and they inevitably became a destination for families looking for an inexpensive night out.
Howard Lamey of www.littleglitterhouses.com sent me a fascinating link today. Just keep scrolling down the page once you get there for an endless series of old Christmas windows from Scranton, Pennsylvania:
http://scrantonchristmas.blogspot.com/
IF YOU LOVE THE OLD DEPARTMENT STORE CHRISTMAS WINDOWS OF YESTERDAY:
There once was a time when department stores were everywhere, and never was their presence more keenly felt than at Christmas. Their windows would be filled with holiday displays, often animated, and they inevitably became a destination for families looking for an inexpensive night out.
Howard Lamey of www.littleglitterhouses.com sent me a fascinating link today. Just keep scrolling down the page once you get there for an endless series of old Christmas windows from Scranton, Pennsylvania:
http://scrantonchristmas.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 21, 2010
CROTON RESIDENT KATHLEEN RIEDY, OBITUARY
Long time resident Kathleen Riedy has passed away. A true loss for our village, a staunch opponent of Harmon re-zoning and Metro-Enviro, an active member of The Rotary. Here is the link to her obituary, as well as visitation hours at Carter's; link is only good for a few weeks: http://www.nyjnews.com/obits/index_full.php3
Friday, October 8, 2010
NEW AT ROBERT SCOTT'S POSTSCRIPTS: THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
We're so lucky to have Robert Scott. Thanks to his
exposes on the Croton bow hunting proposal (now successfully stopped for this
year at least) and his treatment of the Harmon housing/re-zoning plans, more
and more residents are taking a hard look at our village government.
At the end of the 19th century, the populist movement was growing in America. Robert Scott’s latest Postscripts article uncovers a hidden social and political message in the famous children’s classic. Author L. Frank Baum’s delightful book (and movie) is really an allegory based on unhappiness with banks and Wall Street. Sound familiar? Read it at http://notorc.blogspot.com/2010/10/wonderful-wizard-of-oz-does-childrens.html
But there's another side of Scott by way of his wonderful
Postscripts blog. Here's what's happening on it now: THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
At the end of the 19th century, the populist movement was growing in America. Robert Scott’s latest Postscripts article uncovers a hidden social and political message in the famous children’s classic. Author L. Frank Baum’s delightful book (and movie) is really an allegory based on unhappiness with banks and Wall Street. Sound familiar? Read it at http://notorc.blogspot.com/2010/10/wonderful-wizard-of-oz-does-childrens.html
Thursday, August 26, 2010
KIERAN MURRAY'S 8/26 GAZETTE LETTER NOW ONLINE, SAYS SPECIAL PERMIT IS THE ANSWER
Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things
Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our
houses of worship--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.
Regarding Harmon re-zoning: Mr. Murray now has concerns about mandated affordable housing and believes that the village can exempt a special permit based on negative tax implications; this is not allowed however, under NYS law and could prove problematic with HUD in the future.
8/26 Gazette Letter
The Harmon Commercial Development Committee (as it was called at the time) delivered its final Harmon zoning change recommendations to then Mayor Schmidt on November 17, 2008. Since that time Westchester County unexpectedly lost the widely publicized Anti-Discrimination lawsuit and is now obligated under a settlement to build 750 affordable and subsidized housing units in the next few years.
Mandated affordable housing can wreak havoc on the residential property and school tax equation, particularly in a village like Croton with a very small commercial tax base.
On October 12, 2005, then Governor Pataki signed the Affordable Housing Property Tax Assessment Bill into law. This law requires local assessors to assess subsidized housing projects under the Income Method approach, excluding tax credits, subsidized mortgage financing, and project grants. On January 7, 2008, the Erie County Supreme Court applied this statute for the first time to a case involving a 24-unit subsidized housing development which resulted in a reduction in tax assessment from $220,000 to just $6,158.
I am a firm believer that providing zoning incentives for market rate mixed use development is the correct approach for attracting investment to Harmon. However, I recognize that the Anti-Discrimination Settlement, coupled with the Affordable Housing Property Tax Assessment Law discussed above has exponentially increased the chances of mixed use development that will not cover its own municipal and school costs. Any new development that does not cover its own costs increases the tax burden for everyone else and runs counter to the intentions of the Harmon zoning change recommendations.
As a result, I propose leaving the mixed use incentives (.8 FAR, 3rd story in roofline, etc) in the Harmon Zoning Law but having them be subject to a Special Permit by the Village Board. This will give the Village Board the legal right to examine the tax implications (as well as traffic, parking and other concerns raised by petitioners) of any proposed project on a case by case basis while still providing the incentives for market rate mixed use development that could improve the area and provide tax relief to the disproportionate and overburdened residential tax base in Croton.
Regarding Harmon re-zoning: Mr. Murray now has concerns about mandated affordable housing and believes that the village can exempt a special permit based on negative tax implications; this is not allowed however, under NYS law and could prove problematic with HUD in the future.
8/26 Gazette Letter
The Harmon Commercial Development Committee (as it was called at the time) delivered its final Harmon zoning change recommendations to then Mayor Schmidt on November 17, 2008. Since that time Westchester County unexpectedly lost the widely publicized Anti-Discrimination lawsuit and is now obligated under a settlement to build 750 affordable and subsidized housing units in the next few years.
Mandated affordable housing can wreak havoc on the residential property and school tax equation, particularly in a village like Croton with a very small commercial tax base.
On October 12, 2005, then Governor Pataki signed the Affordable Housing Property Tax Assessment Bill into law. This law requires local assessors to assess subsidized housing projects under the Income Method approach, excluding tax credits, subsidized mortgage financing, and project grants. On January 7, 2008, the Erie County Supreme Court applied this statute for the first time to a case involving a 24-unit subsidized housing development which resulted in a reduction in tax assessment from $220,000 to just $6,158.
I am a firm believer that providing zoning incentives for market rate mixed use development is the correct approach for attracting investment to Harmon. However, I recognize that the Anti-Discrimination Settlement, coupled with the Affordable Housing Property Tax Assessment Law discussed above has exponentially increased the chances of mixed use development that will not cover its own municipal and school costs. Any new development that does not cover its own costs increases the tax burden for everyone else and runs counter to the intentions of the Harmon zoning change recommendations.
As a result, I propose leaving the mixed use incentives (.8 FAR, 3rd story in roofline, etc) in the Harmon Zoning Law but having them be subject to a Special Permit by the Village Board. This will give the Village Board the legal right to examine the tax implications (as well as traffic, parking and other concerns raised by petitioners) of any proposed project on a case by case basis while still providing the incentives for market rate mixed use development that could improve the area and provide tax relief to the disproportionate and overburdened residential tax base in Croton.
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