Recent Press Releases
September
9,
2006
Capt. Allen Benas Receives Bass
Pro Shops 1st Annual "Pass It On" Award..
By Leo Maloney
Pass It On. Share the
outdoor heritage. Help others gain the skills, knowledge, and love of
the outdoors that you have. Get others, especially youngsters, involved
in outdoor sports. Bass Pro Shops agrees. That is why Bass Pro Shops
has initiated the "Pass It On" Award to recognize the outdoor writer
who has done the most to share this knowledge and pass on a heritage of
involvement in outdoor sports. Bass Pro Shops is donating to the
scholarship fund in the name of the writer that the New York State
Outdoor Writers Association annually decides best exemplifies this
ideal.
Although there were several worthy candidates
nominated, the NYSOWA is proud to announce that Allen Benas is the
winner of the first annual "Pass It On" Award. Allen is a writer
for various publications and a member of NYSOWA since 1984, the
Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers
Associaiton of America. He is currently a member of the Board of
Directors of NYSOWA. Allen Benas has been responsible for getting more
than a thousand youngsters involved with fishing through the Clayton
Kids Fishing Contest and its Take A Kid Fishing Program.
Because this event has been so well organized and
functioning for so long, it has been recognized by the International
Game Fish Associaiton as the state qualifying event for their Junior
Angler Programs' National Championship. Because the
youngsters who participate have varied backgrounds, Allen has insured
that no child will be
left out. The Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Clayton
Lions Club and Allen and Susan Benas annually contribute money to pay
the airfare and hotel expenses of the winner and their adult traveling
companion to attend the IGFA event in Key West, Florida.
The excitement of fishing and the love of the
outdoors has certainly been passed on to well over a thousand
youngsters thanks to Allen Benas. It is appropriate that NYSOWA has
chosen Allen as the winner of the first annual award. He has set the
standard for all of us to follow.
June 3,
2006
12 Year Old Hunter Shafer Becomes The 2006
New York State Champion Junior Angler
12 year old Hunter Shafer of
Clayton, NY landed a 28.5" northern pike
that
weighed almost five pounds making him the winner of the 2006 Take-A-Kid
Fishing Contest in Clayton, NY.
As the
winner, Hunter will look
forward to next June when he and his adult traveling companion will fly
to Key West
for the
national championship tournament. They will fly from Syracuse to Key
West and stay at the Grand Key Resort, Key West's newest and largest
resort. Jeremy will then fish with one other young angler for two days,
with their adult companions looking on, with a professional Key West
guide towards becoming the 2007 World Champion IGFA Junior Angler.
The Clayton Take-A-Kid Fishing Contest
continues to be one of only 38 qualifying events in the nation. It was
specifically
selected by IGFA because of its long standing reputation and success.
It is the oldest and most prestigious kids fishing event in New York
State and one of the longest standing in the country.
The
event was
sponsored by 1000 Islands Fishing Charters and Thousand Islands Inn
in co-operation with the Clayton Chamber of commerce. For the exciting
story
of the contest please visit
the
event's webpage
December 2, 2005
Travel Channels'
Taste of America Series wraps up 2005 schedule.
What started out as a
speculation
show on the Travel Channel, the Taste of America
series seemed to take the viewing public by storm and was quickly moved
to an 8 P.M. "prime time' slot after only three weeks on the air.
Filling the 8-9 P.M. time slot was another ratings buster, Made in America,
hosted by John Ratzenburger who achieved tv stardom as postman Cliff
Claven on the popular tv show Cheers several
years ago.
Between mid-May and late
November Thousand islands Inn was featured 12
times on the show in a segment tracing the origin of popular Thousand
Island Dressing. The segment included 1000 Islands Fishing Charters and
a famous 1000 Islands Shore Lunch, where it was first served by then
fishing guide George LaLonde and concocted by his wife Sophia, the Thousand Islands Inn, where the
dresing was first served to the dining public and where The original
recipe dressing is still made daily by hand for both serving in the
Inn's dining room and for retail sale in the immediate area and over
the internet.
As a
result of exposure in the many shows Thousand Island Dressing
sales set a new record in 2005 with orders shipped throughout the U.S.
During the summer season hundreds of vacationers stopped by the Inn
both to enjoy the Inn's cuisine and to buy dressing to take home with
them. The one thing everyone agreed on about the 'Original'
dressing is that "it sure doesn't taste anything like the stuff you buy
in the super market."
June 7, 2005
13 Year Old Jeremy Edwards Becomes The 2005
New York State Champion Junior Angler
13 year old Jeremy Edwards of Syracuse, NY landed a 22.5" northern pike
that
weighed almost five pounds making him the winner of the 2005 Take-A-Kid
Fishing Contest in Clayton, NY.
As the winner, Jeremy will look
forward to next June when he and his grandfater will fly to Key West
for the
national championship tournament. They will fly from Syracuse to Key
West and stay at the Grand Key Resort, Key West's newest and largest
resort. Jeremy will then fish with one other young angler for two days,
with their adult companions looking on, with a professional Key West
guide towards becoming the 2006 World Champion IGFA Junior Angler.
The Clayton Take-A-Kid Fishing Contest
is one of only 38 qualifying events in the nation. It was specifically
selected by IGFA because of its long standing reputation and success.
It is the oldest and most prestigious kids fishing event in New York
State and one of the longest standing in the country.
The
event was
sponsored by 1000 Islands Fishing Charters and Thousand Islands Inn
in co-operation with the Clayton Chamber of commerce. For the exciting
story
of the contest please visit
the
event's webpage .
March 20, 2005
Travel Channel
Announces Airing of 1000 Islands Show
Announcement
of the spring programming schedule has been made by Travel Channel headquarters in N.
Hollywood, CA. The show featuring their September, 2004 visit to the
1000 Islands and Thousand Islands Inn is scheduled to be aired on
Tuesday, April 26th at 8 & 11 P.M. Please see the following
news release for program details.
September 8, 2004
Travel
Channel
Makes Show in 1000 Islands
Mark DeCarlo, star of the upcoming Tastes of America series on the
Travel Channel traveled to Clayton and the 1000 Islands on Monday and
Tuesday in search of the history of famous Thousand Island Salad
Dressing. He was accompanied by the show's producer, a cameraman and a
sound technician. The crew stayed at the Thousand Islands Inn where
Thousand Island Dressing was first served to the dining public nearly
100 years ago.
In tracing the history of the dressing DeCarlo wanted a shore dinner,
where the dressing originated when it was concocted by Sophia LaLonde,
wife of Clayton
fishing guide George LaLonde for him to serve as part of his shore
dinners
offered to his fishermen.
Needing fish for the dinner meant that DeCarlo also had to go fishing
in order
to catch his lunch. He Fished with 1000 Islands Fishing Charters owner
Capt.
Allen Benas. Despite strong winds and the fact that he had never held a
fishing
rod before, he managed to catch more than enough fish to serve the
entire
crew. The dinner was cooked at the Clayton Guides grounds on
Grindstone Island.
Following the
fishing trip and shore dinner DeCarlo returned to the Thousand Islands
Inn in search of the recipe for the dressing. Here he was met with
resistance since the recipe is a closely held secret that will only be
divulged to the next owner
of the Inn. The film crew shot pictures of the "manufacturing" process
where everything is done by hand from washing the new bottles to
labeling, filling and packaging them; all 5,000 bottles made each year.
The crew then went to the Thousand Islands Museum to take still shots
of early
20th century fishing pictures, some picturing the same shore dinner
they
had experienced only hours earlier.
The program will air sometime after the series premiers in mid
February, 2005.
The segment will be 15 minutes long and part of either a one hour or
two
half hour shows that will run back to back.
.
June 5, 2004
12 Year Old Jacob Judd Becomes The 2004
New York State Champion Junior Angler
12 year old Jacob Judd of Naples, NY landed a 26" northern pike that
weighed almost six pounds making him the winner of the 2004 Take-A-Kid
Fishing Contest in Clayton, NY.
As the winner, Jacob will look
forward to next July when he and his dad will fly to Key West for the
national championship tournament. They will fly from Rochester to Key
West and stay at the Grand Key Resort, Key West's newest and largest
resort. Jacob will then fish with one other young angler for two days,
with their adult companions looking on, with a professional Key West
guide towards becoming the 2005 World Champion IGFA Junior Angler.
The Clayton Take-A-Kid Fishing Contest
is one of only 40 qualifying events in the nation. It was specifically
selected by IGFA because of its long standing reputation and success.
It is the oldest and most prestigious kids fishing event in New York
State and one of the longest standing in the country.
The
event was
sponsored by 1000 Islands Fishing Charters and Thousand Islands Inn
in co-operation with the Clayton Chamber of commerce. For the exciting
story
of the contest please visit
the
event's webpage .
May 4, 2004
Foreign Exchange Students to Return in June
This season, as last, the Inn will host college students from abroad.
Unlike last year when they were on their first adventure, the students
will be
returning to the Clayton-1000 Islands from Slovakia. Jana and her
fiancee Rudo were anxious to return to Clayton for another season of
service.
Their duties at the Inn include everything from housekeeping to food
service. Jana supported the server staff in the dining room and kitchen
and Rudo,
under professional supervision quickly proved his expertise on the line
as
a fryer cook. We are anxious to welcome them back in mid June and they
will
be with us until closing in September. Yana and Rudo will return to
Slovakia
in the fall as seniors in their respective universities, benefitting
from
a busy summer of work that helps them accomplish their educational
aspirations.
They quickly became friends within the Clayton community and easily
identifiable as they traveled the streets of Clayton and highways of
the north country from Alex Bay to Tibbetts point on the Inn's "bicycle
built for two." It
is an inspiration for all of us at the Inn to host these two ambitious
young adults who travel thousands of miles for a summer job, at their
own expense, as part of an international program.
April 6, 2004
Enter our 2004 Take-A-Kid Fishing contest!
The 26th annual Take-A-Kid Fishing Contest will be held on Saturday,
June 5th. The contest is co-sponsored by 1000 Islands Fishing Charters
and Thousand Islands Inn, both located in Clayton-1000 Islands, NY.
The contest is open to all youngsters born between 7/14/89 (14 yrs. 10
mos.) and 5/14/95 (9 years old)* who reside in NY, VT, MA, CT, NJ and
PA. In total, 30 kids names will be drawn from a fishing net (what
else) on May 5th. The first 20 names will be the contest winners. The
last 10 names will be drawn as alternates, in the event that any of the
20 winners are unable to attend. The 20 winners will be notified on May
5th and asked to confirm their attendance by May 9th. Alternates will
be notified on May 10th and asked to reply by May 14th. The northern
pike fishing tournament will be held Saturday, June 5th.
10 kids, on board 1000 Islands Fishing Charters' 15 passenger, U.S.C.G.
Certified sport fishing boat "A.B.'s OFFICE", will fish with charter
service owner Capt. Allen Benas and his first mate
from 8 A.M. until 12 noon. The remaining 10 kids will fish from
12:00 to 4:00 pm.
The Grand Prize for catching the largest northern pike of the day, and
Grand it is, is an expense paid trip for the winner and his or her
adult traveling companion to fish in the 9th Annual IGFA National
Junior Angler Tournament in Key West, Florida from
July 11-14, 2005.
This "dream" fishing adventure includes two days of both near and
offshore tournament fishing with a professional Key West guide, in
quest of their next fishing achievement, two breakfasts, lunches and
three dinners, compliments of IGFA. Rreturn air and ground
transportation from an airport convenient to the winner to Key West and
three nights accommodations
at the plush Grand Key Resort are being provided by the Clayton Chamber
of Commerce, Thousand Islands Inn, 1000 Islands Fishing Charters and
other
Clayton civic organizations.
Submit email entries at www.1000-islands.com/fishing/contest .
Note the "-", or dash, between 1000 and islands is critical .
Entries by email must be received by midnight May 3rd. Postal entries
should be submitted on a post card and include the youngster's name,
complete address, telephone number, age, date of birth, the name of the
publication they saw the contest announcement in and the name of the
outdoor writer who wrote the story. Address postal entries to
Take-A-Kid Fishing Contest, c/o 1000 Islands Fishing Charters, P.O. Box
69, Clayton-1000 Islands, NY 13624
and must be postmarked no later than May 3, 2004.
April 15, 2003
History of Thousand Island Dressing Featured in May Issue of
Gourmet Magazine
The following appeared in the May issue of Gourmet
magazine along with a beautiful aerial picture of the river and private
island estates. Many callers misconstrued the lavish summer homes for
the
Inn. We hoped that they wouldn't be too disappointed when we directed
them
here, to our website! I wouldn't even want to think about paying the
taxes
on thoses places...it's no wonder they are in a section of the 1000
Islands
appropriately known as "Millionaire's Row." AB
Dressing It Up in the Empire State
In Clayton, New York we learned that a favorite salad dressing was
christened almost 100 years ago by actress and cookbook writer May
Irwin, who had
gone upstate to fish where the St. Lawrence River flows from Lake
Ontario,
a stretch of waterway known as the Thousand Islands. Her fishing
package
featured a twilight meal hosted by guide George LaLonde. A shore dinner
amid the natural beauty of the islands is the traditional climax to a
day
of fishing these waters and LaLonde's menu featured a salad made with a
dressing that had been concocted by his wife Sophia. Irwin likes the
dressing
so much that she persuaded Sophia to give her the recipe.
Upon her return to New York City, Irwin presented the mixture as
Thousand Island Dressing to George C. Boldt, owner of the
Waldorf-Astoria. He was so impressed that he put it on the menu just as
Irwin had sampled it in
Clayton - on top of a tossed salad with a garnish of chopped
hard-boiled
egg. With Waldorf maitre d' Oscar Tschirky as its promoter, Sophia
LaLonde's
picnic style salad dressing became a Park Avenue counterpart of Creole
remoulade and an emblem of fine hotel dining.
The place where Irwin stayed in Clayton, then known as the Herald
Hotel, is now the Thousand Islands Inn. Naturally the Inn serves
Thousand Island Dressing on its dinner salads, and it is still a base
camp for angling expeditions during which guests fish the St. Lawrence
and later enjoy their catch pan fried over an open fire. The hotel is
only open from May through September, but the original-recipe dressing
is available all year by mail from Gold Cup Farms (800-752-1341). "The
only salad dressing," boasts the label, "even named for a region of the
United States." - Jane and Michael Stern
March 13, 2003
Thousand Islands Inn Selected For Cultural Exchange Program
Boston, MA: Well known as a favorite place to stay among
European visitors, Thousand Islands Inn has been selected to host three
European university students on a summer cultural exchange program. The
program is run by the Council on International Educational Exchange,
headquartered in Boston.
Two of the students that will be working at the Inn this summer,
Jana Hlavacova and Rudolf Hyriak, are from Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.
Banska Bystrica is the administrative, economic and cultural center of
Central Slovakia and a popular tourist region, offering winter sports
and recreational attractions and summer vacation attractions including
thermal baths offering speleotherapy. Both students have had experience
in the tourist and service industry and are fluent in English, as
required for program participation. They will return as seniors
to the University of Mathias Bel where Jana majors in public
administration and economy and Rudy majors in banking and investmnt.
The third student is Albena Velikova who will come from Varna,
Bulgaria. Albena will be a senior in the fall at the University of
Economics. Varna is Bulgaria's third largest city and also very much a
tourist city and major seaport on the Black Sea. The city has a history
dating before 580 B.C. when the Greeks established a colony there. It
became a major seaport, trading
with Constantinople, Venice and Dubrovnik, when under the control
of the Romans and there successors, the Slavs. In 1393 it was captured
by the Turks and made an important military center.
"Susan and I are delighted to have been asked to participate in
this program" said Inn owner Allen Benas. "Last year we were asked to
offer a similar training venue for Rochester institute of Technology."
Benas said. "We hosted a young lady who was a student in the college's
Hotel and Hospitality Management Department, where our daughter Barbara
graduated from." "Michelle performed several duties while she was with
us, including line cooking and food preparation, inventory control and
purchasing and office clerical duties," Benas said.
"As a result, she was able to get a real insight into the "real
world" operation of a hotel and restaurant, which she couldn't get in a
class room." "While the Inn is not a Riveredge, Pine Tree Point or
Edgewood, we all function under similar operating principles and share
common problems. It's just that we operate on a much smaller scale,"
Benas said. "We are also planning on hosting another R.I.T. intern this
season," he said.
"Working with students who are there expressly for the purpose of
learning was exciting for not only Allen and I," said Susan, "but also
for our staff." "Our kitchen staff became instructors and were highly
gratified when their lessons produced results up to their high
standards and the expectations of our guests."
Thousand Islands Inn will open for the season on May 16th and the
three European students are due to arrive in June.
February 26, 2003
Thousand Islands Inn Headquarters for N.Y.S. Outdoor Writers Spring
Safari
Alexandria Bay, NY: The Thousand Islands Regional Tourism
Development Corporation has been selected to be the official host of
the 2003 New York State Outdoor Writers Association annual Spring
Safari. The
event is scheduled from May 15th through 17th and will be headquartered
at the Thousand Islands Inn, a historic small hotel in the center of
the 1000 Islands, in Clayton, NY. Writers other than N.Y.S.O.W.A.
members
are also expected to attend, including magazine and newspaper travel
writers.
Safari writers will be offered an array of area activities to enjoy
including river fishing for northern pike and lake fishing for trout,
pike and walleye with private professional fishing guides, guided
inland stream fishing for trout and spring turkey hunting. Also, guided
Kayak trips through Clayton's French Creek Wildlife Refuge, golfing,
ATV and hovercraft tours and visits to the numerous attractions in the
region, including the Antique Boat Museum, Thousand Islands Museum and
Boldt Castle. A highlight of the safari will be an authentic 1000
Islands Shore Dinner, prepared
for the visiting writers. Shore dinners are one of the region's most
long
standing traditions and include freshly caught St. Lawrence River fish,
fatback & onion sandwiches, garden salad with 'Original'
Thousand
Island Dressing, corn on the cob, boiled potato, French Toast for
desseert
and famous "Guides" coffee.
Outdoor writers from across New York will represent the writers
association with travel writers coming from throughout the northeast
and mid Atlantic states.
December 9, 2002
Thousand Islands Inn Wins 11th Golden Fork Award
West Palm Beach, FL: It is with great pleasure that
we announce that Thousand Islands Inn has been selected
as one of the 1000 Islands region area's most outstanding
restaurants and has been awarded the 2003 Golden Fork Award
and official designation as a Gourmet Diners Society 2003 Restaurant of
Distinction.
The Gourmet Diners Society of North America annually presents
awards to restaurants across the United States and Canada. Selection
for the award is based on professionalism in
the field of food service, quality of food, customer service
and hospitality. Recipients clearly display that they stand out, far
above their competition.
In presenting this award, the Society recognizes Thousand Islands
Inn as a business that everyone in the 1000 Islands region area should
be proud of. Recipients are usually
one of few, or perhaps the only national award winning restaurant in
their area. Earning the 2003 Golden Fork Award should
be considered a great source of both personal and professional pride
for the owners, their staff and their community.
Thousand Islands Inn is owned and operated by Mr. &
Mrs. Allen Benas and is located at 335 Riverside Dr. in Clayton.
The restaurant, featuring Continental/American cuisine, specializes
in Roast Prime Rib of Beef, broiled steaks and chops, sauteed and
fried seafood and fowl, freshwater fish and wild game.
Thousand Islands Inn is also now featured in the Society's
electronic Dining Guide to 2003 Restaurants of Distinction on the
Internet, which can be viewed at http://www.goldenfork.com.
December 5, 2002
Inn/Charter Service Chosen to Participate in World
Fishing Record Attempt
St. Joseph, MO: George Bayless, aspiring world
fishing record setter, announced that Thousand Islands Inn will serve
as host for his New York State stopover in his attempt to become
the first angler in history to fish all 50 of the United States in
50 consecutive days. He will fish with 1000 Islands Fishing Charter's
Capt. Allen Benas on Friday, September 19th, the 16th stop of his
50 day adventure. Bayless begins his record breaking attempt in
Soldatna,
Alaska on September 3rd and concludes on October 22nd in Kona, Hawaii.
Bayless, an experienced pilot, will fly between destinations, except
Hawaii, in his private amphibious aircraft. He will fly on a commercial
aircraft to his final destination in Hawaii.
October 5, 2002
T. I. Inn to be Headquarters for 2003 New York State
Outdoor Writers Association Conference
Rochester, NY: At the conclusion of the 2002 Annual
Conference of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association it was
announced by association President Leo Maloney that the Village of
Clayton
had been chosen to host the 2003 annual event in September, 2003.
This will mark the 6th time since 1975 this St. Lawrence River
community, located on the New York/Ontario, Canada border, in the heart
of New
York's 1000 Islands Region, has been selected as conference host.
The four day event, scheduled from September 18th through 21st, will
expose the state's prominent outdoor writers to the many activities
available to outdoor enthusiasts including sport fishing, upland bird
hunting and white water rafting. The conference also includes
opportunities for writers to compare experiences of the past months and
become familiar with new products in the outdoor world from the dozens
of Associate Members of the group representing national manufacturers
of outdoor related equipment.
A highlight of the conference will be a visit to the new New York
State Living Museum in nearby Watertown, NY. One of less than 125
accredited zoos in the entire U.S., the museum showcases wildlife in
their
natural habitat in New York State as well as animals indigenous
to other parts of North America.
The association will be headquartered at Clayton's landmark Thousand
Islands Inn.
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