News stories tagged with "holiday"

(12/20/11) Between Jupiter in the east and Venus rising in the west, there's lots to see at night. And as the Solstice approaches, there's plenty of nighttime hours at both ends of the day. Aileen O'Donoghue teaches astronomy at St. Lawrence University. She stopped in to give Martha Foley the highlights of the night sky in late December.

(12/19/11) Whether you cut your own or buy from the local fire department, there are things to look for to find the perfect Christmas tree. And there are a couple of must-do's do keep it as fresh as possible. (Water soon, and often.) Cornell Cooperative extension horticulturist Amy Ivy shares tips with Martha Foley.

(12/09/11) The Polar Express train ride to see Santa Claus might have been even more memorable than usual - when it went off the rails on the way to the North Pole last night. More than 300 children and adults were on the train. The Utica Fire Department says there was one minor injury, but otherwise no one was hurt.

Molly Hartnett of Manlius was on board with her two grandchildren. She says they hadn't even had hot chocolate yet, when the incident occurred.

"We had pulled out of the station, probably riding about two minutes, very slowly. And bang, bang, bang, it felt like we were being hit or run over by things, and felt like we were in a dip or pothole or something."

Hartnett says the train quickly came to a stop, and it was announced that the train had gone off the tracks. Utica police say four cars derailed.

Hartnett says they waited for a long while, but everyone was in good spirits because Santa's elves were singing and telling jokes. And before they knew it, she says Santa himself was on board, taking his time to talk with each of the children.

"It was really exciting. I think the kids didn't understasnd what was going on, but they knew that something had happened to the train. And Santa told my grandson that Rudolph and the other reindeers had been playing reindeer games, and had gotten into a game of tag football and knocked the train off the tracks."

The passengers eventually boarded buses back to the Utica station. Utica police say an investigation is up the Railroad police. Adirondack Scenic Railroad officials say tonight's two scheduled Polar Express trips have been canceled, but they expect to have the tracks fixed in time for Saturday's 4:30 p.m. trip.

(12/09/11) Getting your kids' pictures taken with Santa Claus has been a longtime holiday ritual for many. In recent years another group has begun vying for Santa's attention--pets...and a picture of an awkward dog or an annoyed looking cat in Father Christmas' lap has become a fairly common site on the mantle.

In Ogdensburg on the day after Thanksgiving, Amvets Auxiliary post 19 invited people to come out to Tractor Supply with their pets to meet Santa. The event was a benefit for St. Jude Children's research hospital. Nora Flaherty's dog gets nervous in crowds, so she stayed home--but Nora did bring her recorder for this Heard Up North:

(11/24/11) With so many Americans facing diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems, the Thanksgiving meal has become a battleground in some families. Some family members want to make it a healthy meal, others want to stick with their traditional family dishes. Julie Grant reports:

(03/03/11) Today is Girls' Festival Day in Japan. It's a day to celebrate the future success and happiness of daughters. Peach blossoms, tri-colored cake and festive sushi are all part of the celebration. Yuka Uno is a Japanese exchange student at St. Lawrence University. She says, traditionally, the day is celebrated with a display of formal dolls on a red-robed stand, crowned by the emperor and empress. Yuka Uno spoke with NCPR's Barb Heller and is today's "Heard Up North".

(11/29/10) Whether you cut your own tree in the back 40, or do some judicious trimming of the shrub in the backyard, holiday greens are on the agenda. Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy has been making her own wreaths and garlands for years. She shared some tips with Martha Foley.

(12/25/09) A bright winter day, and a meadow full of balsam trees. Martha Foley reprises a family outing to find the perfect Christmas tree.
The postcard from a Vermontville clearing first aired in 1994.

(12/22/09) It's the holidays... which for some of us means time to deck the halls with boughs of holly and, oh yeah, pick out a Christmas tree. We sent reporter Jennifer Guerra to find out which tree is greener - real or artificial. more

(12/15/09) Host Jackie Sauter is joined by cook and food enthusiast Carol Berard to share holiday recipes and tips with callers. The call-in is an annual NCPR holiday feature.