ABOUT THE WEEK OF JAN. 11, 1963, owners of commercial, special commercial, trailer and farm vehicles were reminded by the Department of Motor Vehicles that they were not allowed to operate the vehicles after midnight Tuesday, Jan. 15, unless they displayed a 1963 validating tab.

Mr. A.A. Makela, officer in charge of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, advised that the annual alien address report program was again in progress. Records maintained by Mr. Makela showed approximately 25,000 aliens reported their addresses in the Albany area in 1962.

The immigration official explained the Immigration and Nationality Act required these reports and provided serious penalties for willful failure to comply.

At HAMILTON COUNTY, all supervisors were present at the organizational meeting held in the courthouse. Donald Wadsworth, Hope, was temporary chairman.

Arthur Parker, Long Lake, was unanimously re-elected chairman. He was escorted to the chair by Ernest Hutchins, Indian Lake, and Norton Bird, Inlet.

Herbert Helms, Long Lake, was the unanimous choice for clerk, replacing Bart J. Kelly, Long Lake, who retired. Helm’s father, Oakman Helms, was clerk for 12 years, preceding Kelly.

The board approved the relocation of part of the Wells-Speculator highway. These banks were named as official depositories for county monies: Manufacturers Bank, up to $500,000; North Creek Bank, up to $50,000; Fulton County Bank, up to $50,000.

The audit report of County Treasurer Robert T. Osborne was accepted. Dog license fees were distributed to the towns as follows: Arietta, $78.75; Benson, $46.50; Hope, $81.75; Indian Lake, $329.25; Inlet, $66.75; Lake Pleasant, $227.25; Long Lake, $49.50; Morehouse, $28.50; Wells, $168.75.

County Judge James D. Curry and County Attorney Charles S. Tracy were authorized to attend their respective state meetings. The contract for printing the proceedings was awarded to the low bidder, Coia Printing Co., Rome.

The Sheriff’s Committee reported on replacing the sheriff’s car. The board heard that Fulton County would negotiate to house overflow or long-term Hamilton County prisoners $6 per day plus medical expenses.

Re-appointed to the Forest Practice Board was David Short, Long Lake, as landowner. Norton Bird, Inlet, was appointed as a Board of Supervisors representative. He replaced Donald Wadsworth, Hope, who could not succeed himself.

At LAKE PLEASANT, Congressman Samuel S. Stratton had announced he had named a principal nominee to the U.S. Military Academy, William H. Osborne Jr., son of Colonel and Mrs. William H. Osborne, Lake Pleasant.

At INLET, some 44 years had elapsed since John C. Owens was wounded in the Aargon Forest in France during World War I, and it was just recently that the State of New York presented Mr. Owens with the Conspicuous Service Cross. He was called to Herkimer when this coveted award was made available and presented with the medal.

He added it to his coveted collection, which included the Purple Heart and the Victory Medal. Mr. Owens enlisted in the U. S. Army Infantry in September 1917 and 13 months later, on Oct. 11, 1918, he was wounded by machine gun fire in the Aargon Forest while fighting under General John J. Pershing.

He was a member of the 9th Machine Gun, 3rd Division. After spending the next five months in the hospital, as the result of his injuries, he was discharged and returned to his home in Ilion. Prior to entering the Army, John was employed by Remington Arms.

Prizes in the Christmas Lighting Contest were awarded to: first, Bernard Patrick; second, Ralph Murdock; and third, Peter Peters. The Firemen’s Auxiliary of Inlet extended thanks to all who participated and to the judges, Mrs. N.H. Kalil, James Meneilly and Mrs. Robert Meneilly.

At OLD FORGE, preparations had begun for building the Ice Palace at the foot of Maple Ridge Ski Slope that would be used for the coronation ceremonies at the annual Old Forge Winter Carnival. The Ice Palace, which was constructed solidly of ice harvested from Old Forge Pond, was built by volunteer workers and members of the Polar Bear Ski Club, the sponsors of the carnival.

Preparations for construction of the palace included clearing the snow at the site of the palace, snowshoe-packing the ice field and building the road on Old Forge Pond where the ice was harvested.

The cakes usually were 24 inches square and varied in thickness from 12-18 inches, depending on the cold weather. The ice was harvested by hand in the same manner of ice cutting some 30 years previous.

Walter Dunn, Big Moose businessman, who had the ice tools and the “know-how, oversaw the harvesting project. The cakes are loaded onto trucks and transported to the palace site some miles away, where another group of volunteer workers placed them in the desired outline of the design for the palace.

About 100 workers turned out each year for this Ice Palace job, as over 5,000 cakes were sometimes needed. The palace took about a day to build with another day for the flags and electrical decorations.

The committee for selection of the Queen of the Carnival had closed the contest as of Jan. 7 and the winner would be announced shortly.

Judges for the contest were Chester Hawley, Floyd King, John Brown and John Woods, all of Rochester; Ben Bucko, Jim Agne, Bill O’Donnell and Joe Beamish of Syracuse; and Len Wilbur, Ralph Allinger, Pete Brown, Andy Kelly and Al Cole of Utica.

Weekend ski parties were starting to arrive by private planes at Old Forge Airport. The airport, less than three miles from McCauley Mountain Ski Area, was located on the outskirts of the village just off North Street. Taxi Service was available from the airport to the ski area.

Bion Kent died at his home in Constableville Jan. 2, 1963. He was known locally as his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Bion Kent, were at Honnedaga Lake when it was known as Jock’s Lake, before it was purchased by the Adirondack League Club.