- [Narrator] Tonight on "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories."

If you live in Cape Vincent, you've seen these anchors in the village green.

But how did they get there?

We'll share their journey.

And, invasive species in the North Country are an issue, but the issue can be addressed with a simple pledge to protect.

Also, as we leave summer and head into the fall months, comfort food season is just around the bend.

So how about an ethnic dish to get ready for it?

Your stories, your region, coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories."

(bright upbeat music) - "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories" is brought to you by, the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, Carthage Savings, CSX, the Oswego County Community Foundation at the Central New York Community Foundation, The Richard S Shineman Foundation, and the Badenhausen Legacy Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation.

- Good Tuesday evening, everyone.

And welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories."

I'm Stephfond Brunson.

Two massive anchors are part of the landscape in the tiny village of Cape Vincent.

But how did they get there?

Tracy Duflo, director of production, goes inside the story to find out.

(bright music) (people chattering) - So every ship has anchors.

They have 'em today, they had 'em back then.

It was crucial for their safety.

And occasionally they would drop one in the water and someone would've forgotten to hook up the chain on the other end, and the whole anchor and all the chain would go right into the water.

Now, sometimes they would have anchors that were really anchored and they just had to give up the chain because they couldn't get it back up on their boat.

So you could lose anchors two different ways.

Neither one of these anchors was embedded in the bottom.

These were oopsies where they went to drop anchor and somebody forgot to hook up the chain.

They were just sitting there on the bottom.

And the one with the wooden stock is from the 1700s, and the metal stock one is from the 1800s.

- [Tracy] John Stiefel is a diver and treasure hunter.

He spent many years combing Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River for treasures.

Objects that might not actually be monetary in value, but hold historical interest or sentimental appeal.

- So on the dive boat, we had a sonar system, side scan sonar, with displays where we're operating the boat, inside the dashes.

And we could see 100 yards both directions of the boat, both left and right, but everything that was on the bottom.

And it would pick up the least little deformity on the bottom, it would pick these things up like crazy.

I remember the day we were doin' these, all of a sudden it's like, "Wow, look at that anchor!"

right?

I mean, you could see it right on the screen.

And then it would give us our exact coordinates.

We'd just click on that with our mouse, we'd bring back boat around, drop anchor, and we'd be right on top of the treasure that we were looking at.

We have 1000 pound airbags that we would attach to a piece of treasure like this down on the bottom.

And we'd have an air tank down there, and hoses, and I would hook up and expand and fill up the airbags.

And that's how these things would be taken off the bottom and floated to the surface.

And sometimes that worked okay, sometimes it didn't, but it was all part of the adventure.

The airbags are keeping them supported and we float 'em in.

And the metal one, when we were hooking up the chains from the backhoe to the anchor that was floating there in the water, somebody didn't hook up the chain quite right.

And so as we lifted it up out, I happened to be down there giving directions and the chain let go.

That close to death.

Didn't get hurt, I got outta the way, but I mean, I'm tellin' you, part of it pushed me down into the mud.

Which thank God it wasn't total rocks, okay?

It was okay.

I mean, it's one of those things.

If you're not careful, it's like anything else, can be very dangerous.

And what happens is, if you do this over and over and over, you get used to it and you start not respecting the danger that's still there.

Even though you've gotten so comfortable with it, it's like no big deal to you.

So I took 'em and had 'em in my front yard, or side yard, down in the village here.

So it got a lot of attraction.

A lot of people slowed down, look at the anchors.

And then finally somebody from the DEC came and say, "Hey, I got a complaint that you took these off the bottom of the river."

I says, "Yeah, I did.

I'm not hidin' 'em, here they are."

And he says, "Well, you're really not supposed to do that."

So, "I'm sorry.

I didn't know.

I'll put 'em back if you want me to."

But I said, "I've talked to the village and they're interested in havin' 'em put in the park."

And he said, "Well, that's the perfect thing to do.

And then everybody can see 'em and you're not in trouble, I'm not in trouble, and we can all keep lookin' at the anchors."

And that's how they got here.

All of it has been the adventure of my lifetime.

- [Tracy] The anchors can be viewed in Cape Vincent's Village Green Park, where they have resided since around 1988.

- How familiar are you with invasive species in the North Country?

From bugs to plants, you may inadvertently be bringing these threats to your area after travel.

Here in Watertown for example, the emerald ash borer is a beetle wreaking havoc among the ash trees, but that's not all.

Producer Jolene DesRosiers shares other invasive species with us, and tells us how we can protect our region with a simple pledge.

(bright music) (birds chirping) - [Megan] This tiny little insect with a beautiful emerald green paint job is the infamous emerald ash borer.

So an insect that's small enough to fit on the size of a penny can take down an entire forest.

- [Jolene] Megan Pistolese is the education outreach coordinator for SLELO PRISM, or the Saint Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management.

Part of her job is to educate the public on the various species in the region that wreak havoc.

The emerald ash borer is just one threat, and it's invading the ash trees in the city of Watertown.

- You can also see at the lower portion here, sucker sprouting in the lower portion of the trunk, which lets us know that this tree has a massive emerald ash borer infestation.

- [Jolene] Michael DeMarco, Watertown city planner, has a heart for trees.

And here in Thompson Park, various Ash trees have met their demise because of the emerald ash borer.

Out of the hundreds that have been planted throughout the city of Watertown, only 314 ash trees remain.

And if the infestation isn't properly managed... - We stand to lose thousands of trees throughout the local region.

Certainly hundreds throughout the city.

- [Jolene] According to Pistolese, the emerald ash borer is brought to the area most often by campers.

- It's easily spread, believe it or not, through the movement of firewood.

So, just consider having some firewood on your property.

You wanna go camping, you're like, oh, I'll pack up this firewood, I'll bring it camping, and I'll have a nice fire when I'm camping.

What you may not realize is that deep inside that wood is an insect that can emerge and then invade your favorite camping area.

- [Jolene] Invasive species in the North Country include fish, plants, and other bugs inadvertently brought to the region by us.

Even boaters are bringing in species unaware.

Zebra muscles, for example, have been a problem in the Great Lakes and waterways for some time.

Now water chestnuts are clogging waterways, and if not properly managed, can form dense floating mats, severely limiting light, which in turn reduces oxygen levels for the fish below.

- [Megan] If you have water chestnut in your water body, you can organize a hand pull, a water chestnut pull, and actually go out and spend the day in the water, be in some kayaks, some canoes, and you can cut the rosette right off and take that out of the water.

And if you do that enough throughout the years, eventually you'll suppress the water chestnut.

- [Jolene] Pistolese also warns the public about this species.

- And then here is the spotted lantern fly.

Beautiful insect, this is the adult stage here.

- [Jolene] The fly is a newcomer to New York State and threatens over 70 plant species, including grape vines, hops, apple trees, and maple trees - [Megan] Who doesn't like maple syrup on their pancakes in the morning?

So just think about that next time you enjoy a hot breakfast and you're pourin' that beautiful maple syrup on your pancakes.

The spotted lantern fly does threaten our maple trees, so if there's no maple trees, then there's no maple syrup.

- [Jolene] So how does a region like the North Country reduce the threat of invasive species?

While there are chemical treatments or community action plans that can greatly reduce their presence, we, as a community, can also act.

By pledging to protect your community, you can take simple steps to keep safe the health of trees, plants, and other invasive species.

- [Megan] What to do in your community to protect our beloved trees here that are making our community so beautiful and helping us with the climate crisis that our planet is in right now with the carbon sequestration that they do.

The trees are really important to protect, and invasive pests like the emerald ash borer or spotted lantern fly and many, many others are out there threatening our trees and the community can be empowered to protect those trees and our other natural areas.

- Invasive species can have a dramatic impact on communities, and we see the emerald ash borer having one silently here.

- [Jolene] Whether you're in the city of Watertown or another region in the North Country, you can take the pledge to protect by visiting ipledgetoprotect.org.

- [Megan] It signs you up to become an official protector, and you get the tools, you can earn a virtual badge, and you can join a community of people that are out there trying to protect our lands and waters from the impacts of invasive species.

You'll get monthly emails that are tailored towards the pledge category that you've chosen.

So, again, if you like to garden you'll get information about specifically what to do as a gardener to protect your own garden from the impacts of invasive species, and then therefore the natural surroundings.

What to do in your community to protect our beloved trees here that are making our community so beautiful and helping us with the climate crisis that our planet is in right now with the carbon sequestration that they do.

The trees are really important to protect, and invasive pests like the emerald ash borer or spotted lantern fly and many many others are out there threatening our trees and the community can be empowered to protect those trees and our other natural areas.

- [Jolene] Meantime, if you see an infestation of the emerald ash borer, the spotted lantern fly, or any other invasive species, contact the DEC for next steps.

In the city of Watertown for WPBS Weekly, I'm Jolene DesRosiers.

- As we leave summer and head into the fall months, comfort food season is just around the bend.

So how about an ethnic dish to get ready for it?

Check out this beef curry recipe from One World Kitchen chef, Pailin Chongchitnant.

(bright music) (dishes clattering) (deep upbeat music) - There are hundreds of different kinds of curries in Thailand.

Some are light, bright, and spicy, but the ones with coconut milk like this one are rich and luscious.

This is panang curry, a classic classic Thai coconut curry, and I'm making it with beef short ribs.

Look at all this marbling.

This is why the beef ribs are so tasty.

(soft snappy music) My beef ribs are gonna become tender and sweet after simmering in coconut milk for two hours.

♪ Every day's a new day ♪ ♪ Know we're gonna make it through ♪ ♪ Every day's a new day ♪ ♪ When I run into you ♪ ♪ Every day's a new day ♪ ♪ I hope that you feel it too ♪ ♪ Every day's a new day ♪ (soft upbeat music) Peanuts are what make panang curry unique.

And I boiled these to soften them up a bit, and they're gonna make the curry smooth and creamy.

(thumpy upbeat music) I'm using red dry chilies and takin' the seeds out so it's not too spicy.

Into the grinder with earthy cumin and citrusy coriander seeds.

(grinder whirring) (thumpy upbeat music continues) (knife scratching softly) (vegetables crunching) Garlic, shallot, lemongrass, galangal, and cilantro roots are classic curry paste ingredients.

(food processor whirring) (soft bright music) (bright thumping music) These are so soft and gooey.

All that beefy goodness in the coconut milk, that's the base for my curry.

(milk bubbling) And just watch the color of the dried red chilies infuse into this coconut milk, and all the flavors of the galangal, the lemongrass, cumin and coriander.

This is when it's happening.

It's all melding and marrying together right now.

And you're gonna see how rich and thick this sauce is, 'cause all those peanuts, the secret ingredient.

Can't have a Thai curry without fish sauce.

Sharp, salty kick, so important.

(upbeat music) Every curry is balanced by sweetness of palm sugar.

Butterscotchy.

You see all that coconut oil breaking away from the sauce?

That is good Thai curry.

Now the beef is so tasty on its own already, but it's just about to get better, as it's absorbing all the spices.

I am loving the way it looks, and I just know I'm gonna love the way it tastes.

Panang curry is quite different from all the other curry, it's thicker, it's peanuty, and there's something about that lusciousness that I just love.

And here's a tip, if the curry is looking a bit thick on you, just a little splash of coconut milk to thin it out.

That's looking perfect.

Now, to finish this off, crunchy sweet red bell pepper, just what I needed.

And that's ready.

Finish it off, sweet floral Thai basil.

(Pailin sniffing) Mm.

Mm.

(basil snapping) Kaffir lime leaves.

This is gonna be so important in brightening up all that richness.

Very very thin.

(knife scratching) Back home in Thailand, these grow in my backyard.

And every time I walk by the tree, I cannot help but grab one and smell it.

(knife clattering) This is it.

This is it right here.

Ooh, yes.

Can't have Thai curry without a hot bowl of steamin' jasmine rice.

(soft bright music) I don't know about you, but I am so ready for this.

The beef, so tender.

All that fat, that marbling, just melting in my mouth.

And the spices.

This is the beauty of Thai cuisine.

So many different ingredients, but they combine like an orchestra.

It's unbelievable.

And, peanuts, that richness.

If you haven't had this curry, this right here, this should be your next meal.

(bright music) - Our next musician is a favorite throughout central and Northern New York.

His songs are filled with powerful imagery, and thought provoking themes.

And his performances are more than a concert.

Mike Powell visited our studios for a session, and here he is with his band singing "Pink Motel."

(drum drumming) - My name is Mike Powell, and I'm a singer songwriter.

So I went down the road of playing music.

I guess the road started when I was 13 years old.

I found my dad's old guitar in our attic.

It was an old Fender guitar and it just had the top three strings on it.

And I remember I brought it into my room and figured out that bass line, that old country bass line, boom, boom, boom, boom, dicka doo, dicka doo.

And I wrote like 100 songs in my room just with those top three strings.

And I said to my dad, I said, "Dad, I wanna get the bottom three strings."

He said, "What do you need the bottom three strings for?"

I didn't really know.

I didn't really know, but I was fascinated with music and just being able to, I was always into poetry and writing as a kid as an outlet, and this gave me a foundation to work with.

The song I'm gonna play today is "Pink Motel," and this one happened because in 2020 we couldn't do much traveling, right?

So, as a songwriter you need to be able to experience things, I've found, and talk to people, and learn their stories, and I was kinda forced to take mental trips.

So I would go out into my wood shop and kind of imagine myself going on these trips.

And then this one particular night, I think it was in March or April when COVID just started happening, I took a trip in my head to a little pink motel in the middle of the desert and there was a married couple, they were just married, and they were sharin' the hotel with me, or the motel with me.

And I kinda just wrote the song based around this story of going on this trip to this little pink motel with pink flamingos in the the lawn, and a broken water machine, and pulled on a lot of imagery from a little roadside motel.

My name is Mike Powell, and this is a song called "Pink Motel."

(bassy guitar music) ♪ Oh ♪ (fast-paced upbeat music) ♪ Sittin' on rice in a black Chevelle ♪ ♪ An all white bride and a pink motel ♪ ♪ He thought about a dolla' ♪ ♪ But he never learned to spend it well ♪ ♪ Broken straps on a poolside chair ♪ ♪ If you want some ice, you better go upstairs ♪ ♪ And listen to the hissin' of a thirsty water line ♪ ♪ There's cussin' in the kitchen, hair in the drain ♪ ♪ The bible the bed is missin' a page ♪ ♪ Even Jesus is tryin' to leave this place ♪ ♪ A plastic spoon ♪ ♪ A honeymoon ♪ ♪ Showin' her ring to flamingos in the yard ♪ ♪ Yellow balloons ♪ ♪ Bad luck monsoon ♪ ♪ Love was in the air ♪ ♪ No one else was there ♪ ♪ Sink another penny in the well ♪ ♪ In the pink motel ♪ (fast-paced upbeat music continues) ♪ Drank all night, they didn't get sleep ♪ ♪ Made love on the dresser and over the sink ♪ ♪ Took a break, cut a cake, and smoked under the moon ♪ ♪ The lightbulbs broke, the fuse got blown ♪ ♪ The moths packed up and they went on home ♪ ♪ To work in the mornin' with dusty bloodshot eyes ♪ ♪ And out from the covers these brand new lovers ♪ ♪ Got old and decided to divorce one another ♪ ♪ And they went to a courthouse, signed on the dotted line ♪ ♪ A plastic spoon ♪ ♪ A honeymoon ♪ ♪ Showin' her ring to flamingos in the yard ♪ ♪ Yellow balloons ♪ ♪ Bad luck monsoon ♪ ♪ Love is in the air ♪ ♪ No one else was there ♪ ♪ Sink another penny in the well ♪ ♪ In the pink motel ♪ (fast-paced upbeat music continues) (upbeat bass music) ♪ She kept his suit, he kept her gown ♪ ♪ They think about each other when the sun goes down ♪ ♪ And they meet up every Sunday in room 103 ♪ ♪ Each day's a little different, but kinda the same ♪ ♪ The moths return to get burned by the flame ♪ ♪ And they wake in the mornin' to the way it used to be ♪ ♪ When they were sittin' on the rice in a black Chevelle ♪ ♪ An all white bride in a pink motel ♪ ♪ Thought about a dolla' ♪ ♪ But he never learned to spend it well ♪ ♪ Plastic spoon ♪ ♪ Honeymoon ♪ ♪ Showin' her ring to flamingos in the yard ♪ ♪ Yellow balloon ♪ ♪ Bad luck monsoon ♪ ♪ Love was in the air ♪ ♪ No one else was there ♪ ♪ Sink another penny in the well ♪ ♪ In the pink motel ♪ (fast-paced upbeat music continues) (upbeat bassy music) - That does it for us this Tuesday evening.

Join us next week for a fresh look inside the stories.

When you hear motorcycles rumbling through Manotick and Ottawa on September 11, know it's for a good cause.

We'll take you to the 35th annual guide dog ride where funds are raised to help train guide dogs for the blind.

And, what's new on Parliament Hill?

We'll take you inside the newsroom at the Hill Times for the latest.

Also, September is suicide awareness month.

It's a time to remember those affected by suicide, and to raise awareness.

Meantime, we wanna tell your story.

If you or someone in your community has something meaningful, historic, inspirational, or educational to share, please email us at wpbsweekly@wpbstv.org, and let's share it with the region.

That's it for now, everyone, and we'll see you all again next week.

Good night.

(soft music) - [Narrator] "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories" is brought to you by, the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, dedicated to improving the wellbeing of communities by helping disadvantaged children and families, online at dmjf.org.

The Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business.

Serving Jefferson Lewis and Oswego counties since 1986.

Online at watertown.nysbdc.org.

Carthage Savings has been here for generations, donating time and resources to this community.

They're proud to support WPBS TV.

Online at carthagesavings.com.

Carthage savings, mortgage solutions since 1888.

Additional funding provided by CSX, the Oswego County Community Foundation at the Central New York Community Foundation, the Richard S Shineman Foundation, and the Badenhausen Legacy Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation.

♪ Balloons ♪ ♪ Bad luck monsoon ♪ ♪ Love was in the air ♪ ♪ No one else was there ♪ ♪ Sink another penny in the well ♪ ♪ In a pink motel ♪ (fast-paced upbeat music) (soft bright music)