Almanack Contributor Community News Reports

ADIRONDACKS – Anyone can help prevent the spread of invasive species, even without leaving their yard. That’s the gist of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program’s free webinar “Backyard
Invasives—Identification and Management of Terrestrial Invasive Species,” which will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20.

“A lot of invasive species tend to grow on forest edges and roadsides, and some get planted intentionally, making people’s yards an ideal habitat,” said APPIP Terrestrial Invasive Species Coordinator Becca Bernacki.

Invasive species are plants, insects, fish and other animals that are not native to a region and cause ecological, economic or human health harm. They can reproduce quickly, outcompete native vegetation and are often spread by human activity.

Yards not only provide a welcoming habitat for invasives, they’re also heavily traveled upon, which increases the opportunity for plants and seeds to be unintentionally relocated. Mowing and landscaping are two ways unwanted plants can be spread. And while it isn’t easy to control the spread of invasive species, understanding how to identify and manage them are things anyone can do.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Ballard Park to host free live music summer concert series

WESTPORT, NEW YORK—Ballard Park, in the center of historic Westport, New York on Lake Champlain, will again host a seven-week live music concert series. The concerts take place each Thursday at 7 PM, commencing July 7, and run until August 18. Concerts are free to all, with open seating on a grassy hillside overlooking the Pavilion and Lake Champlain, with the Green Mountains of Vermont beyond.

Food is available for purchase from DaCy Meadow Farms, a local farm-to-table purveyor. Picnicking is encouraged. Blankets or low chairs are recommended. A voluntary raffle at intermission raises funds and earns the winner an enjoyable prize.

All are invited to enjoy a beautiful, outdoor summer evening listening to some of the finest musicians in New England and the Adirondacks. For more information and updates, visit https://www.ballardparkny.org/concerts. Ballard Park is located at 6466 Main St (Rt 9N/22) Westport, NY 12993.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Play ADK contracts with Phinney Design Group for first phase of museum project

SARANAC LAKE, NY — Play ADK has contracted with Phinney Design Group to begin phase one of its project to establish a children’s museum and family resource center in downtown Saranac Lake.

Phase one of the project will establish a scope of work and create a conceptual design and blueprints, which Play ADK hopes to reveal to the community in the fall of 2022. Phase one also includes acquiring permits and site assessments.

“We are thrilled to contract with Phinney Design Group,” said Deb Roddy, chair of Play ADK’s Board of Trustees. “This has been a long time coming, and it’s surreal to see them get to work on transforming our old warehouse into the Adirondack’s first children’s museum and family resource center.”

Monday, July 11, 2022

Boaters required to obtain certification before launching motorized watercraft in ADK waterways

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PAUL SMITHS – A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law was recently enacted that requires boaters operating any kind of motorized watercraft in the Adirondack Park and within ten miles of the Park’s boundary to obtain and possess a certification that confirms their motorboat is free of harmful aquatic invasive species.

The new measure to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species went into effect in June 2022 and is meant to complement the existing Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program operated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.

The public can learn more about this regulation via a new informational video and fact sheet, and can find locations around the region to get a courtesy inspection and a free boat wash at adkwatershed.org/clean-drain-dry.

The mission of the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute is to protect clean water, conserve habitat and support the health and well-being of the people in the Adirondacks through science, collaboration, and real-world experiences for students.

Photo at top: The easiest way for the public to ensure their boat meets the “Clean, Drain, Dry, Certify” standard is to visit a Watercraft Inspection Steward at a boat decontamination station. There are several located across the Adirondack region and a boat wash is free. Photo credit: Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute. Photo provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director of the Adirondack Watershed Institute.

Monday, July 11, 2022

“Go Before You Go” Campaign Underway For Second Year

Lake Placid, NY- Stewart’s Shops and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) are continuing their partnership to educate visitors about the importance of being prepared before beginning their Adirondack adventure. The campaign encourages people to visit a Stewart’s Shop to help prepare for their outing.

The “Go Before You Go” campaign comprises videos, along with audio messages and print materials. Video and audio will be seen and heard by those who visit Stewart’s Shops throughout the Adirondacks.

Campaign videos explain the importance of being prepared, encouraging people to stock up with supplies and to visit the restrooms at trailheads or other public spaces before accessing the trails. Audio recordings, played on the Stewart’s Shops outdoor speaker system, share similar messages for those filling their tanks at the gas pumps.

Monday, July 11, 2022

ADK launches free naturalist programs in Lake Placid

Lake Placid, NY – Starting July 2, ADK will resume its popular naturalist-led walks and programs in the Lake Placid area. This includes all-new, one-hour interpretive walks at the Cascade Welcome Center, which will be offered every Saturday at 1 pm until mid-August.

Walk participants will meet inside the Cascade Welcome Center. All walks and programs are free, open to the public, and do not require advanced registration.**

Additionally, ADK will resume its popular summer naturalist series at the Heart Lake Program Center.

Guests and visitors are welcome to explore the natural world of the Adirondacks through hands-on activities by attending one or all of the following programs:

Naturalist Guided Walks

Join an ADK Naturalist and learn about the natural history of the Adirondacks. Interpretive walks run at 10 am daily all summer long through mid-August. Meeting place is outside the Adirondak Loj.

Sunday, July 10, 2022

John Brown Lives! Seeking Storytellers for Freedom Story Project

LAKE PLACID, NY— On June 29, AARP announced that John Brown Lives! (JBL!) has been selected to receive a 2022 AARP Community Challenge grant for its new initiative, “Freedom Story Project.” JBL! is seeking storytellers whose first stories will be released on a new website on August 20 during the first Adirondack Family Book Festival at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, making these stories and all that follow easily accessible to all.

Freedom Story Project collects and broadcasts three- to five-minute audio stories and related photographs online, centering around themes of freedom and justice, human and civil rights, activism and engagement, at local, national and international levels. One of its goals is to inspire younger generations to tell their stories and connect to their communities and these issues, including through powerful personal narratives by elders who share their experiences.

Friday, July 8, 2022

AdkAction to Transfer Saranac Lake Whitewater Park DRI Grant to Village of Saranac Lake

AdkAction and the Village of Saranac Lake recently announced that AdkAction is transferring its $411,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant awarded in 2018 for a new Whitewater Park in downtown Saranac Lake to the Village of Saranac Lake.

The transfer comes following several years of work by AdkAction on the Whitewater Park project. After suspending work on the project in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project team–Steve Maikowski of AdkAction, former AdkAction Board member Scott McKim, Tyler Merriam of the Ausable River Association, and past AdkAction Executive Director Brittany Christenson–resumed work on the project in 2021.

A Request for Proposals for Design and Permitting of the Whitewater Park was issued, and a company with extensive experience in whitewater park design and construction was selected for the project.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

NNY Audubon Society Hosts July 13 Trivia Night to Benefit New Farm Grant

Saranac Lake, NY.- Trivia lovers of Northern New York have a chance to test their knowledge, enjoy local craft beer and mead, and compete for prizes – all while benefiting the brand-new Farm Grant Program, which supports bird conservation and local farmers.

The Northern New York Audubon Society’s (NNYA) Farm Grant Trivia Night fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, July 13 at 6 p.m. at the Hex & Hop Brewery in Bloomingdale.

Teams of two to six players are eligible to play and there is a $5 per person entry fee. Advanced registration is not required. All money raised will be distributed to local farms through NNYA’s Small Farm Grant program, which provides farms with up to $1,500 in grant money to implement bird-friendly habitats and management practices on their lands.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Little Women: The Broadway Musical

KEENE VALLEY, NY- The Book & Blanket Players, sponsored by East Branch Friends of the Arts (EBFA), has been producing youth musicals-in-a-week summer theatre for 12 years in Keene Valley, usually at Keene Central School. This year the theatrical adventure continues with both performances at the Keene Valley Country Club (KVCC) in Keene Valley.

For the past two years, due to pandemic constraints, the Book & Blanket Players sought outdoor and alternative performance venues.

One of last year’s performances was at the KVCC, “a wonderfully ambient setting,” according to producer/co-director Kathleen Recchia.

“The KVCC was such a welcoming and gracious host that the Players are happy to be holding both performances at this intimate venue for the Summer 2022 youth theatre program,” Recchia said.

“Little Women: The Broadway Musical” is based on the novel by Louisa May Alcottis, and is written by Allan Knee with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. It was first on Broadway in 2005 with Sutton Foster playing Jo March and Maureen McGovern as Marmie. It has since been produced in England and that production is currently streaming on Broadway HD.

This cast and crew are eager to bring their vision of this classic to life on Saturday, July 16 at 4 p.m. and Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m. at The Keene Valley Country Club. The cast consists of fourteen students ranging in age from 8 to 18 years old. They will spend the week prior to the performances rehearsing at Keene Central School.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Lake Champlain Cover Crop Program Funding Available for NY Farms

Thanks to funding from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, farms on the New York side of the Lake Champlain Basin are eligible to apply for a cover crop cost share payment. The project’s goal is to implement at least 1,000 acres of cover crops per year for 2 years.

Cover crops are an effective best management practice to reduce erosion on agricultural fields. Cover crops protect the soil surface from the negative effects of rainfall and erosion during storm events.

Cover crops also improve soil health by reducing soil erosion, increasing soil porosity (and subsequently water infiltration and field drainage) and increasing nutrient supply. The improvement of soil health can also enhance climate resiliency by providing protection to agricultural fields due to the ever-increasing number of extreme weather events.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Lake Placid Sinfonietta: Free “American Patriot” concert set for July 6

In the first of six Wednesday night performances, all are welcome to celebrate the 4th of July holiday-week with the Sinfonietta’s “American Patriot” concert. This free concert will take place in the Paul White Memorial Shell in Mid’s Park in Lake Placid on July 6th, from 7 to 8 pm.

Enjoy inspiring music in a family-friendly atmosphere with a magnificent view of Mirror Lake. Seating is limited, so please feel free to bring a blanket or lawn chair, and even a picnic dinner.

Mid’s Park is located at 2445 Main Street, Lake Placid, NY, 12946.

In case of rain, or temperatures below 65, the concert will be moved to the sanctuary of St. Agnes Church, located at 169 Hillcrest Ave, Lake Placid. Indoor concerts will begin at 7:15 pm. Concert dress ranges from business casual to just getting off the mountain. All concert-goers are welcome as they are.

Visit the link HERE for more information and the full summer schedule of performances.

Activities of the Lake Placid Sinfonietta are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Lake Placid Sinfonietta, Inc. also receives public support from the Town of North Elba, and the Village of Lake Placid, and from an Essex County Arts Council CAP grant funded by the Essex County Board of Supervisors. A current financial statement is available on request.

Photo at top: Adirondack Arts and Entertainment photo.

Monday, July 4, 2022

Essex Theatre Company Presents John Cariani’s Almost, Maine

What is it like to experience the wonder the northern lights from a remote section of the state of Maine near the Canadian border?

Essex Theatre Company in Essex, New York, will explore this in John Cariani’s romantic comedy, Almost, Maine, in a pay-what-you-can preview on Friday, July 8 at 7 pm, and then July 9, 15, and 16 at 7 pm and July 10 and 17 at 5 pm at the historic Masonic Lodge, located at 2756 Essex Road in Essex.

The author points out, “Almost, Maine takes place over a period of about ten minutes. Each scene starts at around 8:50 pm and ends a little after 9 pm on a Friday night in the middle of winter. The plot of each scene in Almost, Maine includes some sort of ‘magical moment’. These magical moments are all happening at exactly the same time – at 9 pm. The northern lights and the magical moments give rise to one another.”

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Fireworks, live music set for July 4 in Inlet and Old Forge

The Inlet/Old Forge area will be a hub of activity this Independence Day weekend, with a wide array of activities planned ranging from engaging childrens’ activities, an informative presentation by Inlet’s American Legion Post #1402, fireworks displays, and live music on Adirondack lakefronts.

The festivities kick off on the evening of Sunday, July 3, with a free Summer Concert Series performance featuring local musicians, Alisha Kay Cartsens, and Joe Bolton at 7 p.m. on the Old Forge Lakefront. The summer concert series is sponsored by the Town of Webb. The fun continues in Old Forge on July 4 with live music by Floyd Community Instrumental Ensemble at the Old Forge Lakefront beginning at 7:30 p.m. A brilliant fireworks display over the Old Forge Pond will follow at dusk. For more information, please call (315) 369-6983.

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation to host children’s programs this summer