The Village Mercantile (formerly The Community Store) in Saranac Lake is set to host Adirondack Raptor proprietor Mark Manske for a book signing and a meet and greet with one of his owls on Saturday, December 21 from noon until 2 pm.

Mark Manske has written two mystery novels for youth centered around Marvin Stone, “Stoney,” and his buddy Bill Short as well as a mysterious owl, a modern-day treasure hunt, and a skunk.

Manske’s books, The Great Snowy Owl Caper and Chasing the Ghost of an Adirondack Elephant will both be available for purchase and signing at The Village Mercantile on the Saturday before Christmas. The books are illustrated by former Brasher Falls Central School art teacher Kristen Towne, who worked with Mr. Manske for 17 years at the school while he was a science teacher there.

The Village Mercantile will be open from 9 am to 6 pm that day and has a large assortment of unique Adirondack gifts for all ages. The store now also has an e-commerce website that make shipping Adirondack-made and inspired products easy.

In addition, the Village Mercantile offers exclusive items made especially for them – like the locally renowned Donnelly’s ice cream stand print and tumbler with original art by Matt Burnett; eco-friendly items like reusable glass straws, Swedish dish towels, beeswax wraps, lunch and snack pouches, reusable maple syrup containers; Adirondack books, maps, and photo cards; balsam pillows from Moody Farms; tinctures and teas from the Birch Boys of Tupper Lake; and much more.

The store also offers a wide variety of craft items, children’s clothes, and toys like stuffed owls similar to the live one that folks will meet on Dec. 21 with author Mark Manske.

Manske established Adirondack Raptor, Inc., in 2008 and is the founder and sole owner of the company based in Dickinson Center, NY. Manske was a public school educator for 27 years, an Adjunct Professor at Paul Smiths College and has also served as a wildlife rehabilitator, a master falconer, a master raptor bander, and a licensed nuisance wildlife control agent.

Manske has published stories in his column in the EMBARK, a periodical that is published every other month by the Adirondack Daily Enterprise in Saranac Lake. He has also published several articles on birds of prey in scientific journals through the years.

Manske writes that the mission of his business, Adirondack Raptor, Inc., “is to educate the public about the importance of birds of prey in the environment, and to manage and conduct research on local raptor populations in order to protect the species.”

The Village Mercantile on Main Street sells clothing, accessories, natural health aids, lots of maple products, household items, books and everyday needs.

For more information on the Village Mercantile e-commerce site or the store at 97 Main Street, call (518) 354-8173 or email terry@community-store.org.

Photo of Mark Manske and owl provided.