“We are thrilled to be a very small part of a very big movie,” said Mike Bova, publisher of M3P Media, LLC.

According to promoters, the film stars mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, a young, tough, beautiful freelance covert operative. She is hired out by her handler, Kenneth, to various global entities to perform jobs that governments can’t authorize and heads of state would rather not know about. For all her looks and youth, Mallory is still the best in her field, and her skills are in constant demand.

After a mission to rescue a hostage in Barcelona, Kenneth quickly dispatches Mallory on another mission to Dublin. There she partners with another operative, the suave and debonair Paul. When the operation goes awry and Mallory finds she has been double-crossed, she needs to use all of her skills, tricks and abilities to escape an international manhunt, make it back to the United States, protect her family and exact revenge on those that have betrayed her.

According to information on IMDb.com, producers have signed actors Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewen McGregor and Channing Tatum, to name a few.

Knockout, which is filming now, is being directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed “Erin Brockovich” and “Ocean’s Eleven.”

The movie is expected to be released sometime next year.

“This was a community-wide effort, and we want everyone to come and celebrate this remarkable achievement with us,” said John Hobika, Jr., the 2009 Campaign Chair.

The event kicks off at 5:00PM and includes great food, lots of recognition, music from Monk Rowe, and a special performance by Danceworks.

The event is open to the entire public and attendees can call 733-4691 ext 223 for reservations. The cost is $15 and can be paid at the door

Caption: Edson Page and his children in a photograph taken in Jewell in 1870. Standing (left to right) Homer, Louella, Charles; 3 seated in middle row, Lena, Edson, Ellsworth; 3 in front row, Leta, Edson Lee, Laura.

Thanks to the hard work of our codes officer, Nate Mosley, the Town Workers and the co-operation of our citizens an eye sore that had become a danger to the community has been removed. Located on Mulholland Road just past Dixon Road; in 1900 it was the home of James Nichols and his wife Anna. According to the census taken in 1900 by none other than James’ brother Dexter Nichols, they had five children; Rose born 1878, Edward born 1882, Violet born 1887, Lillie born 1889 and Florence born 1894. James was listed as a gardener on the census. Sophie referred to the place as Nichols’ Corners in her book; in later years the Browns’ lived there until they moved into the village.

James and Dexter Nichols had a sister named Elnora; she married Joseph Cook, Casper Cook’s brother, so that makes her my great, great aunt by marriage. Like I said, seems like we’re all related in one way or another.

Unfortunately I haven’t been so chipper the past couple of weeks so I’ve had to stay home, take medicine and rest. Ugh!!!! No it wasn’t the swine flu; more likely to be canine flu in my case.

Still I was able to devote an hour or so each day to my work during my illness. Emails from folks needing or sharing information are always fun. However, I’m thrilled to report that two very kind gentlemen have taken the time to share family photos and the history of their family with your humble Frog.

The first gentleman is Cornelius Wolgum Jr.; there’s a picture of his Dad and Grandparents on page 121 of my book “Around Sylvan Beach.” I’ll tell you more about the information I’m gathering from ‘Corney’ later on as I’m still working on it. Two of Walton Rogers’ daughters, Mae and Myra married Woglum’s. There’s even a group picture that includes Nettie Rogers McClanathan, another of Walton’s children. So to save these properly they must be cross indexed or a folder created on Wolgum and then saved in the folder on Rogers, and the one on McClanathan. Oh, and then of course they have to be saved in a folder in the hamlet where they lived. A daunting task perhaps, but necessary I believe, if anyone wants to find the information again.

The next gentleman is Charles Page. He has a web site at www.pagestories.com and oh what a “jewell” it is. Please excuse the pun, but for more than two years I’ve hunted for information about Jewell. Once a thriving community, very little is known about the folks that built it. Also he included information to add to the George Marsden file. Marsden’s granddaughter Polly married Edson Page and her brother Ben Franklin Marsden served in the Civil War. Thanks to Charles we even have pictures to go along with the information with promises of more to come.

Charles has been a resident of Madison County all his life. Working with his dear wife and helpmate Alberta, who passed in 2006, they have gathered and shared the history of their family in Jewell, Oneida and various other places. Charles even wrote a book, “Family Stories from Madison County, New York,” available at the Madison County Historical Society. 

And so I quote from Charles work, “Ira Page and his wife, Laura Leach, and their then three children moved to Jewell [West Vienna] from Swanzey, N.H. in 1835. He bought from a Mr. Jewell a house and grist/sawmill located on the western side of Lake Street. The house was still standing in 1972 [per Lynn Case, Page family researcher][update- year 2001-This house and other Page houses are still there and we have pictures taken this year]. After Ira, the mill was subsequently operated by Edson Page, and later Leroy Page.

 Ira and Laura had 10 kids – Charles, Walter, [Ira] Edson, Laura, Franklin, Olive, Fidelia, Emily [Emma], Lauretta, and Leroy.

Edson married Polly Marsden, and later Eliza Davis, all buried in Jewell. Polly’s grandfather was George Marsden, who was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and an aide to General Washington, who later on a trip through Jewell, stopped to talk with Marsden. Gen. Marsden is buried in a special tomb on the southern side of Rte. 49 not far from Jewell. [It is known as the "Old Vienna Cemetery" on the Oneida County site on Rootsweb].”

Thank you my dear friends and readers for making my time at home interesting and fun in spite of my illness.

Have a good week and God Bless. ©

The Murray Brook Frog is written by Brandyann Phelps, author and Historian for the Town of Vienna.