Many non-profit organizations and educational institutions in the Adirondack region have recently welcomed new staff members/leadership, including Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES, the Lake Placid and North Elba Destination Management Plan (DMP) Committee, Champlain Area Trails, the Saranac Lake Civic Center, and the Lake George Land Conservancy. Please see below for more details on these new hires and appointments.
Adirondack area school district, non-profits welcome new hires
Several Adirondack area non-profit organizations and school districts have recently welcomed new staff members including The Adirondack Council and Northern Forest Canoe Trail, the Adirondack Sports Council, and the Raquette Lake Union Free School District. Please see below for details on these new hires and look for another roundup of new staff announcements on The Adirondack Almanack website tomorrow.
Alexander String Quartet performs in Saranac on Oct. 15
The Alexander String Quartet will perform at the historic Saranac Methodist Church on Route 3 in Saranac on Sunday, October 15 at 3 p.m. The program features masterpieces from the first half of the 20th century: Jean Sibelius’s String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56 “Voces Intimae” (1908-9) and Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68 (1944) plus a contemporary work by British-American composer Tarik O’Regan: Gradual (2016, rev. 2022). General admission at the door is $20, seniors and students are $15, and children under 12 are free. A family rate is also available.
The Alexander String Quartet stands among the world’s premier ensembles, having performed in the major music capitals of five continents. The quartet is a vital artistic presence in its home base of
San Francisco, serving since 1989 as Ensemble-in-Residence of San Francisco Performances. Widely admired for its interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Shostakovich, the quartet’s recordings have won international critical acclaim.
Recording birds in two counties while away for Grandson Jacob’s wedding
Fall weather has finally hit here in the North Country, with the first frost on Thursday, [September] 21, but it was light enough that my wide leaf plants didn’t get hit. My bed of nasturtiums, which have very big leaves and hundreds of flowers, wasn’t touched. Not too many bees (or other bugs) doing any pollinating this time of the year to make seeds for next year. I did see my last hummingbird on Friday morning [September 22] which gave us a new record for Eight Acre Wood by seven days longer than ever before. We were down Rochester way [on] Saturday and Sunday, [September 23 and 24,] so that record will have to stand for now. Maybe they have adapted to global warming faster than we know, staying this late.
DEC Urges Fall Hikers to Avoid the Adirondack Rail Trail During Ongoing Construction
Find Alternate Trails to Enjoy and Prevent Safety Concerns and Construction Delays
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging community members, visitors, and recreationists to avoid the Adirondack Rail Trail, to ensure the protection of public safety and assist in timely completion of the project. There is ongoing construction to complete Phase 1 of the project spanning from Lake Placid Depot to Saranac Lake Depot. While some sections of the trail between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake may appear complete, crews are still working on the trail surface, parking areas, fencing, intersections, and more. The area is closed for use and should be avoided until the project is complete.
DEC Launches Pilot River Creel Survey on Saranac and Boquet Rivers
Anglers Encouraged to Participate; Surveys Conducted through Dec. 31
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a pilot River Creel survey is being conducted on the Saranac and Boquet rivers to complement the Lake Champlain Angler Creel survey.
The survey began Sept. 1 and is focused on the Atlantic salmon spawning runs in the Saranac and Boquet rivers. Survey results will provide DEC fisheries biologists with a better understanding of angler use, catch, and harvest and angler expectations on major tributaries to Lake Champlain used by Atlantic salmon. Information gathered will be used to develop a bi-annual River Creel survey that will monitor the Atlantic salmon fishery and inform management actions on these rivers.
Anglers will be asked to voluntarily participate in the survey by providing information about their day of fishing. Collected data will include catch and harvested information along with the angler’s satisfaction of the fishery. Participating anglers are also encouraged to provide biological data from fish caught, including length, presence of fin clips, and number of sea lamprey wounds.
Survey locations on the Saranac River include the Green Street angler access site and the pool below the Imperial Mills Dam in the city of Plattsburgh. The Boquet River sites include the stretch of river from the town of Willsboro boat launch at Gilliland Park upstream to the fishing pool just below the cascades and the parking areas along this stretch of the river.
A survey report is planned to be released in Spring 2024 on DEC’s website (https://www.dec.ny.gov/
Adirondack Loon Celebration at Paul Smith’s College VIC

2023 – Joe Poliquin, Fish Creek Pond
Saranac Lake, NY – The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation invites one and all to celebrate Common Loons, one of the Adirondacks most fascinating icons, at the Paul Smith’s College VIC (8023 NYS Rte. 30) from 1-4:30pm on Sunday, October 8th . This free, fun-filled, “loony” day will feature activities for the whole family, including: » Continue Reading.
Fighting against ‘sameness’
By Kristin Kimball, Essex Farm
I’ve had my nose in the farm account books all week, and I am ready to stretch my legs and get out there, see what fall has wrought. I hear the winter squash and pumpkins are in, and some of the carrots; potatoes are ready, and when we have time and a dry window to harvest them, we would love extra hands for that. I can see for myself through the window that the maple trees in the sugarbush are starting to turn, and I think it will be a pretty fall, if it’s true that a wet summer brings more fall color. » Continue Reading.
Housing series wraps with in-person event
The gap between what people earn and the housing they can afford has been widening in the Adirondacks.
Add to the problem a shortage of available housing and constraints on development and you’ve got a housing crisis.
This summer, Adirondack Explorer launched a series that shows how Adirondack housing issues are connected to other community challenges. As part of the reporting, the articles also highlight efforts underway to offer potential solutions.
Adirondack Explorer’s “Taking Stock of Housing” series is wrapping with an event, comprised of individuals and organizations doing housing work across the region. Connect with others who care deeply about how to fix this problem, while we ask “what’s next” for how to get there.
Event highlights include:
Outdoor Conditions (9/29): Hikers encouraged to visit less popular trails to view fall foliage
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
DEC Launches Pilot Mobile Education Station Sept. 22
Fridays through Sundays from Sept. 22 – Oct. 15, a DEC environmental educator will be stationed at a converted shuttle bus at the corner of Route 73 and Airport Road at Marcy Field. Stop by and come on in!
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My Dreams for My Community: Getting out of boxes
By Lee Ames
All of my life I’ve been surrounded by boxes. It doesn’t matter what, but weaved throughout our world as a whole, there are boxes upon boxes of stereotypes. It could be something as simple as deciding what sport to be a part of, or what job you want to do in the future, how you dress or cut your hair. Some think if you’re a sports kid, then you can’t be a theater kid, it just doesn’t work that way. However, all of these things aren’t necessarily a spoken truth, it’s just an unspoken fact many of us go about our days carrying. It’s what’s in our media, it’s in our day to day life, it’s in the way our school systems are set up. No matter the circumstances, we have been given a box that we must fit into. » Continue Reading.
Fall is Garlic Planting Time
Garlic is Delicious
Garlic is one of the most-time-honored and widely-used seasonings in the world. It’s a staple in home- and restaurant-kitchens on every continent. The name is actually derived from the Old English word ‘garleac’, which translates as ‘spear-shaped leek’.
Garlic lends its flavor to many different recipes and, depending on the variety, has a flavor and aroma that can be sweet, spicy, pungent, or just plain mellow. I’ve heard garlic described as a ‘true culinary joy’, ‘an essential part of any well-stocked pantry’, ‘the secret weapon’, and ‘a seasoning that can quickly bring a dish from bland to bold.’
You can use it chopped, sliced, sautéed, minced, or roasted whole. And you can add it to sauces, soups, side dishes, and main dishes. It’s that versatile!
» Continue Reading.