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Unlike the majority of us, trapped indoors during the current scourge, Trumansburg resident and SCUBA diver Tim Coffey finds solace in the extreme quiet of his work down in the chilly depths of the Finger Lakes, where the only noise is that of bubbles exiting his air tanks. 

He is completely unintimidated by the prospect of spending four or five hours in icy immersion on winter days when many of us hardly venture outdoors at all. B-r-r-r-r! Coffey, doing business as “diver for hire,” is one of the few builders in the area who does underwater contracting.

Thirty years ago, with a newly minted high school diploma, and before heading off to the University at Buffalo to earn a degree in anthropology, young Tim Coffey journeyed across the Pacific to explore the wilds of Australia. There, he fell in love with SCUBA diving and spent the remainder of the travel money he’d saved on dive lessons, exploring Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

In case you’re wondering, the word “SCUBA” is an abbreviation of “Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus,” the air tanks, gauges and other external equipment that keep divers alive. Coffey dives in a drysuit, whose purpose is merely to keep the water out.

Underneath, divewear, sort of an inside-out snowsuit, traps air between its fibers to keep the diver warm-ish. In the worst of weather, Coffey can get his body heat back up in his truck between dives, with the help of a battery-operated sweatshirt. He says he can stay in the cold lake up to five hours, but the more pressing restriction has to do with air, where a 3,500-pound tank will last one and a half hours at a depth of 10 feet.

At 130 feet, the tank will last only about 20 minutes. Safety is a concern, of course.

“There’s always somebody on shore,” he said, “but I’m alone in the water.”

On the job, Coffey repairs or changes broken or displaced water lines, pumps and filters for people who draw their water from a lake. Water systems wear out, and boats dragging their anchors close to the shoreline have been known to catch and drag off entire home systems, causing many thousands of dollars worth of damage. Living without water is miserable, and he says that lake dwellers who call are very happy to see him diving in to bring their water supply back.

He also does commercial work, locating and removing submerged pilings, grinding down metal pipes, and chasing down other submerged construction remains. He’s been called upon to retrieve and re-secure runaway rafts, and to dredge up valuables tipped out of boats. A call to locate and bring up a loaded shotgun from the lake was one of his odder calls, but he says he’s usually game for just about any underwater challenge.

Coffey holds an international license from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, as well as marine general liability insurance and workers comp, required by contractors on large-scale jobs. He travels throughout the Finger Lakes and beyond. A member of Trumansburg’s exceptional community of tradespeople, he also works with builder Peter Cooke, and with him has built several lake properties. He also works with local plumbers Dick and Joe Houseworth and Hubbard’s, and with Zebra Mussel Filter Systems out of Romulus, which holds several patents on zebra mussel remediation devices, important these days for keeping lines open.

Coffey, his wife, Colleen Coffey, a psychologist, and their daughter, Maeve, enjoy life in the cozy village of Trumansburg. For more information, check out his website, FingerLakesDiver.com.

The Farmers’ Market is back

Hooray! The Trumansburg Farmers’ Market opened Wednesday, May 6 and will be open for the season from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, with special COVID-19 safety protocols, including hand-washing stations, packaged produce, six-foot distance markers to protect vendors and customers, and reminders to wear face coverings.

 “We’ve instituted new product packaging, physical distancing and cleaning requirements to keep everyone safe,” said market manager Natalie Baris. “But we never considered not opening. Farmers’ markets are essential services that support individual health and the regional economy.

“As the virus abates and state and local restrictions are lifted, we will incrementally shift the market back to more normal operations,” Baris said. “Health and safety is our top priority.”

New grocery delivery service

If you or someone you know is in need of groceries and is unable to utilize grocery delivery services, or should not be going to the grocery store because they are part of the vulnerable population (age, preexisting condition), consider utilizing a new service. Its vetted and screened volunteers will work with those who have weekly or emergency grocery needs.

This resource is not for those who are food insecure due to financial insecurity; they will be redirected to appropriate existing services. For more information, email michelle@ulysses.ny.us, or call 592-0203.

In praise of Louise Adie

Smothering under a bandana (and feeling lost without my six-shooters), I was delighted to cadge a proper hand-crafted, well-fitting mask from Louise Adie, who was handing them out via grabber (to maintain distance) to the barefaced, in front of the Village Hall. 

She’s also held mask giveaways at the Trumansburg Food Pantry and at the ShurSave, and is geared up to make more masks as needed. Thank you, Louise Adie, for your thoughtful generosity.

And if you’d like to make your own, Ulysses Philomathic Library director Ksana Broadwell says she has three loaner sewing machines to lend for community mask making.

Rotary news

The Trumansburg Rotary Club, helmed by internet savvy president Mary Bouchard, has been meeting Thursday evenings via Zoom, and looks forward to starting up chicken barbecues again. Community grants will be announced by the end of the month. 

And the winner of this year’s Supermarket Sweepstakes is Laura Lees, of Hector. She said she’ll share her $500 bounty with the Trumansburg Food Pantry. If you haven’t been by the fairgrounds recently, the Cornus mas bushes along Route 96 are in bloom, and the Dolgo crab and redbud trees are about to burst forth. Enjoy! And take care of yourselves.

Takin’ Care of T’burg

Director Karen Powers sent out the call to Takin’ Care of T’burg volunteers for tasks including cleanup around the Kids’ Village, village offices fore and aft, the Redbud/bench area in front of the school, and litter pickup along Main Street. The group would usually do the cleanup together, but these are distancing times. Yet to be done is the fun job of filling the planters along Main Street. 

Thanks, Karen and the Takin’ Care of T’burg gang for helping to keep Main Street beautiful.

Ulysses Town Talk appears every other Saturday/Sunday. Have a news tip or an event to publicize? Contact David Wren at ulyssestowntalk@gmail.com or Peggy Haine at peggyhaine.1@gmail.com.

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