The Adirondack Almanack

For Some Bumblebees, Future Not So Sweet

Guest Contributor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:00:08 +0000

In early summer, my roses are buzzing with bees. European honeybees from my hives are tripping over the tiny metallic native bees while burly black and yellow bumblebees, the sumo wrestlers in this ring, shoulder through the stamens.

It would appear all is right with bees. But it’s not. Everyone knows honeybees are in trouble, but bumblebees are also in worldwide decline. In North America, several species are extinct, or perilously close to it.

“You can find lots of bumblebees out there, but the biodiversity is really going down,” said Kent McFarland of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Last year, a VCE sampling showed some alarming results: of the 17 species of bumblebees historically resident in » Continue Reading.

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North Country Cross Burnings Are Nothing New

Lawrence P. Gooley — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:00:17 +0000

Last week the Watertown Daily Times reported a story that was disturbing on many levels. Knowing that it wasn’t equally disturbing to everyone (rest assured that bigotry is alive and well even in our lovely North Country) makes it even more unsettling. A snippet from the article said, “A Gouverneur man is worried about the safety of his family after he claims he was threatened by a Hammond man …. Ryann A. Wilson burned a cross and threatened to lynch Nigel A. Spahr, a black man ….”

If that is indeed what happened, it’s sickening in my opinion, but Wilson’s case will be settled by the courts. The point here instead is » Continue Reading.

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Cabin Life: Preparing to Raise Chickens

Justin A Levine — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:00:30 +0000

Well, there’s finally been a bit of a break in the rain, and even though the bugs are bad and the hammock is soaked, I’m really enjoying sitting outside in the sun. After spending the last couple of weeks cleaning up the yard, I’m about ready to move on to another project. Fortunately and unfortunately, my next project has a deadline of two weeks. That’s when I will be getting chickens, and I’ve got a lot to do before they get here.

During my yard cleanup, I actually dragged something additional into the yard. Back behind the woodshed in the brush was an old trailer with a wooden box built on it. » Continue Reading.

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Commentary: ARTA Rail Trail, Economic No-Brainer

Pete Nelson — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:00:42 +0000

Here’s a classic Adirondack contradiction of the kind that drives me crazy.

For a thousand years we have had a perceived face-off in the Adirondacks (sometimes perception is reality, sometimes not, right?), one which plays out every day on the pages of the Almanack – and everywhere else there is an outlet for opinion. In the green corner we have the the preservationists and environmentalists who want more wilderness, more protection for the ecology of the park and less development. In the blue corner we have many local residents, businesses and government leaders who want to see healthier communities. They see the restrictive policies of DEC, the APA and the preservationist agenda as a » Continue Reading.

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This Week’s Adirondack Web Highlights

Editorial Staff — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:02:32 +0000

Adirondack Events This Weekend (June 14)

Editorial Staff — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:30:21 +0000

Visit the Adirondack Almanack each Friday to find out what’s happening around the Adirondacks.

Featured Adirondack Events – chosen by Adirondack Almanack contributors.

Outdoor Conditions in the Adirondacks – for those headed into the woods or onto the waters this weekend.

We’ve also gathered the best links to regional events calendars all in one place:

Lake George Region Events

Lake Placid Region Events This Weekend

Old Forge Area Events This Weekend

Saranac Lake Area Events This Weekend

Tupper Lake Region Events This Weekend

Subscribe! More than 9,900 people get Adirondack Almanack each day via » Continue Reading.

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Lake George Hike-A-Thon Set For July 5th

Editorial Staff — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:56 +0000

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is hosting a Hike-A-Thon on July 5th, the first of its kind for Lake George. The lake-wide event will involve eight parks and preserves in six towns and is expected to engage hundreds of participants of all ages.

The Hike-A-Thon will include nine simultaneous hikes and events at eight locations around Lake George: eight different hikes and one gathering at LGLC’s Peggy’s Point, an accessible park in Hague. Participation is free and open to the public. Everyone who pre-registers will receive an event t-shirt and certificate of participation.

To document the occasion, aerial photographs will be taken by photographer Carl Heilman » Continue Reading.

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This Week’s Top Adirondack News Stories

Editorial Staff — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:03:13 +0000

On Friday mornings Adirondack Almanack compiles for our readers the week’s » Continue Reading.

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The Kitchen Garden: Smoked Rhubarb Barbeque Sauce

Shannon Houlihan — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:00:37 +0000

It is now mid-June and I, along with most people who raise vegetables here in the Adirondacks, have finished getting the plants into the garden. At this point, it is pretty much a waiting game. We already have some lettuce and herbs, but otherwise it will be a month or two before serious vegetables start rolling in. In the meantime, different fruits and berries will be ripening at regular intervals, the first of which has already made its appearance – rhubarb.

Actually, rhubarb is a vegetable, but in the United States, it was decided by the courts back in 1947 that since rhubarb was used in the United States as a fruit, it would be considered » Continue Reading.

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Current Conditions in the Adirondack Park (June 13)

Editorial Staff — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:57 +0000

This weekly Adirondack outdoor conditions report is issued on Thursday afternoons, year round.

Get The Weekly Outdoor Conditions Podcast

Listen for the weekly Adirondack Outdoor Recreation Report Friday mornings on WNBZ (AM 920 & 1240, FM 105 & 102.1), WSLP (93.3) and the stations of North Country Public Radio.

SPECIAL NOTICES FOR THIS WEEKEND

** indicates new or revised items.

** WET AND MUDDY TRAIL CONDITIONS: Most trails around the region are wet and muddy after considerable recent rains, especially in low lying areas and near waterbodies. Water levels are high; low » Continue Reading.

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