Almanack Contributor Community News Reports

Community News

Community news stories come from press releases and other notices from organizations, businesses, state agencies and other groups.

Submit your contributions to Almanack Editor Melissa Hart at [email protected]


Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Adirondack Interpretive Center Summer 2021 Events

2021 rubber loon race poster

The Adirondack Interpretive Center is happy to be back open for the 2021 season. The AIC building will be open Wednesday though Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Masks will be required in the building but not during any of our outside activities.  We are still developing our summer program as we await guidance from New York State and our University. But we already have some great events lined up. Hope to see you soon!

The AIC’s 9th Annual Rubber Loon Race will be on July 17th at 3:00 PM. Come join the fun as we release our rubber loons to race down the outlet of Rich Lake. You can sponsor a loon for $10 and all proceeds support educational programming at the AIC. You do not have to be present at the race to win! Click to sponsor a Loon.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, June 21, 2021

Adirondack Wild applauds dedicated forest ranger academy

ranger truckLeaders of the nonprofit advocate Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve are hailing the recent announcement of an independent Training Academy for the NYS DEC Forest Rangers to be held next year. The welcome announcement was made by Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos and Acting Forest Ranger Director John Solan.

“We are pleased that this training academy will be 100% dedicated to Forest Ranger recruits,” said Adirondack Wild’s David Gibson. “It’s something we have long sought.”

For decades, Forest Ranger recruits have had to share a training academy with Environmental Conservation Office recruits, where law enforcement and policing became the training emphasis. The two positions are very related, but also very distinct.

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Monday, June 21, 2021

Mobile Farmers Market kicks off 2021 Season

woman shopping inside of mobile market truck

The Mobile Farmers Market has returned for the 2021 season, with community-based stops set across Franklin and Clinton counties.

A program of the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity (JCEO) and the Heart Network, the Mobile Market provides access to fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods and a salad bar; the market made its debut in 2018 and has since expanded its stops and offerings. The Mobile Market accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits with the additional bonus of the Double Up Food Bucks Program that doubles the amount of produce SNAP recipients can purchase; customers can also use farmers market vouchers.

JCEO and the Heart Network will continue to follow all state and federal COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. Only one person and a JCEO employee are allowed on the bus at a time. Masks are required and customers waiting to enter the bus are asked to maintain social distancing.

The Mobile Market schedule is subject to change. To view the schedule, visit heartnetwork.org/mobile-farmers-market or call (518) 319-4028.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 20, 2021

Celebrate Pollinator Week with Activities in the Adirondacks

pollinator gardenAdkAction’s Adirondack Pollinator Project is pleased to announce the annual celebration of Pollinator Week, June 21-27, recognizing the invaluable role pollinators play in supporting biodiversity, food availability, and the economy.

An estimated one third of all foods and beverages is dependent on pollinators. In New York State alone, $350 million per year is accrued in services provided by bees and other pollinators. The work of pollinators ensures full harvests of crops and contributes to healthy plants everywhere. Vital pollinator populations are declining due to pesticide use, disease and parasite problems, and loss of food and nesting habitat.

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Sunday, June 20, 2021

Ticonderoga Historical Society commemorates WW II with Home Front Program

Ticonderoga, NY – The Ticonderoga Historical Society will commemorate U.S. entry into World War II with a free public program on Friday, June 25 at 7 p.m.  at the Hancock House, 6 Moses Circle, Ticonderoga.  

“We’ll Meet Again:  The Home Front in World War II” will take a look at the significant efforts of the men, women and children who helped staff coastal defenses, established victory gardens, took over jobs in factories and farms, and otherwise contributed to support the overall war effort.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to the United States’ entry into the war.  “Wars are not only fought on battlefields,” said program presenter Diane O’Connor.  “The physical and emotional support of the citizens at home was a vital element in ultimate victory.  During World War II, citizens took part in bond and scrap drives, put up with shortages and rationing of food and materials, stepped into jobs vacated by young men in factories and on farms, and otherwise supported the war effort in a remarkable manner.  We have to ask if we would be up to facing those challenges today.”

The program will be held outdoors, under a tent and attendees should bring their own lawn chairs.  Reservations may be made by calling the Hancock House at 518-585-7868 or via e-mail to:  [email protected]


Thursday, June 17, 2021

Historic Saranac Lake hosts book talk series

wild ideaJOIN OUR ONLINE BOOK TALKS ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APA
  • ​June 18 at 2:00 pm — Rural Indigenousness with author, Melissa Otis. The discussion will be moderated by Iakonikonriiosta, Museum Manager of the Akwesasne Cultural Center.
  • June 30 at 6:00pm — Contested Terrain with author, Phil Terrie. The discussion will be moderated by Ann Norton Greene.
  • July 8 at 6:00pm — 50 Years of the APA: A Wild Idea with author Brad Edmondson. The discussion will be moderated by Jim Hotaling. Register for the talk and receive a 30% discount to order and read the book in advance.
REGISTER HERE for any or all of these three presentations.
Please consider making a donation to help support these great presentations.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

John Brown Farm pairs Juneteenth celebration with 125th anniversary

John Brown FarmOn Friday, June 18, 2021, John Brown Lives! (JBL!) and NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSORHP) will unveil a banner heralding the 125th anniversary of NYS’ acquisition of the John Brown Farm in 1896.

NYS Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid and DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos are expected for the unveiling and special tour of the Farm, including the Memorial Field for Black Lives.  Also present will be 125th Anniversary Honorary Committee Co-Chairs novelist Russell Banks and visual artist, historian and acclaimed author Nell Painter. 

They will be joined by environmental leader Aaron Mair, Nicky Hylton-Patterson, director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, and Saranac Lake artist and creator of the Memorial Field for Black Lives, Ren Davidson.  

The tour, from 11am-12pm, will include the Dreaming of Timbuctoo Exhibition and a moment of silence in the gravesite where Brown and fellow Raiders are buried and in the Memorial Field.  The public is welcome to attend.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Wildflowers of the Ausable

Spring is a wonderful time to get out and hunt for the early signs of wildflower season in the Ausable and Boquet watersheds. In an article by Leanna Thalmann, a water quality associate for the Ausable River Association, various types of wildflowers are explained and shown in beautifully captured pictures.

The article acts as a small guide to going out to the watersheds yourself to begin locating these wildflowers, which grow in a variety of places: rich, moist areas, dry meadows, and mixed forests alike.

Leanna Thalmann has some advice, however for those who wish to hunt for flowers themselves: “As with any encounter with wild things, it’s important to look at and love these beautiful flowers but leave them for the next person to admire. Never pick a wildflower. Many are protected species in the state of New York. ”

To read the full article, visit this link at ausableriver.org.


Monday, June 14, 2021

Long Lake Kids Fishing Derby Wrap Up

kids long lake fishing derby

The Long Lake Kids Fishing Derby was held in Long Lake, New York on Saturday, June 5, 2021. The event was staged at the Long Lake causeway overlooking Jennings Park Pond.  Over 46 children through age 15 registered for the event.  Jennings Park Pond had been stocked by the Long Lake Fish and Game Club and Town of Long Lake with trout provided by Avery’s Fish Hatchery.  In addition to the rainbow and brook trout two Golden Trout were stocked as part of the coveted catch.

A variety of sunfish, perch and trout were weighed in by Garrett Clark. Master of Ceremonies and Fish and Game Club volunteer Jimmy Waite and his trusty assistant Louie the Lobster were happy to get back to business collecting prizes and coordinating the event.  Jim Waite garnered over $800 in prizes and  donations from businesses in the community.  Volunteers Jim Swedberg and Marty Furlong handled bbq duties serving up hot dogs and hamburgers to all the participants. Bruce Jennings helped get the grill and tent to the staging area provided by Another Paradise Cove.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 13, 2021

Barbara Linell Glaser named Council’s Adirondack Conservationist of the Year

Barbara Glaser and Clarence Petty walk together in the woods near Camp Uncas, Raquette Lake.

The Adirondack Council will present its Conservationist of the Year Award to Barbara Linell Glaser, EdD, during the organization’s Forever Wild Day celebration on July 9 at Great Camp Sagamore, near the hamlet of Raquette Lake.

“Barbara Glaser has devoted her life to protecting the ecology and beauty of the Adirondacks.  She knows that this requires constant vigilance – the kind that can only come from many generations working together and learning from one another,” said Adirondack Council Board Chair Michael Bettmann. “She has taken on the personal mission of ensuring that the next generation of Adirondack advocates has paid internships, so they can learn from today’s advocates.  And she has done so much more!”

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Saturday, June 12, 2021

Champlain Area Trails announces Northern Pathways Challenge

patch of cats northern pathways challenge

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) has announced the Northern Pathways Challenge. Participants can register on the CATS Website. Hike three of the five trails described on the website, and earn a limited-edition commemorative patch.

“I’m looking forward to this challenge,” said Derek Rogers, CATS Development Director, “It will give our supporters a chance to explore some wonderful Clinton County trails.”

The Northern Pathways Challenge will be Clinton County-based, and participants will have to complete three out of the five trails to be awarded a patch. It runs from National Trails Day, June 5th, 2021 until December 31st, 2021. Registration is $5 per hiker.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 12, 2021

Piracy in the Ausable?

As the great glacier that once covered most of the surface of New York State retreated towards the end of the Pleistoncene Epoch, Lake Champlain’s outlet to the north remained blocked. Champlain Valley remained mostly underwater until present day drainways emerged, and the land returned to their current elevations.

Water levels dropped in the valley and the Ausable River was building a delta at Wickham Marsh… until something caused the Ausable to abandon its delta for another at Ausable Point. What caused the Ausable River to divert its Wickham Marsh delta?

Stream Piracy (or stream capture) is a common event, where a river or a stream is diverted into the channel of a nearby river.  They are kept under control by feats of engineering. In the case of the Mississippi River, the Old River Control structure. “a mammoth floodgate system costing hundreds of millions of dollars for construction, operation, and maintenance that keeps the Mississippi on its course to New Orleans.”

Read the full story, written by Gary Henry, a Stream Restoration Associate of the Ausable River Association, by following this link to Ausableriver.org


Friday, June 11, 2021

Empire Trail Challenge aims to introduce NYers to new statewide trail

Empire TrailIn 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo launched the Empire State Trail to promote outdoor recreation, encourage healthy lifestyles, support community vitality, and bolster tourism-related economic development. It is now complete! The trail showcases New York’s special places, diverse history, and iconic landscapes.

The trail welcomes bicyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities to experience the Empire State’s urban centers, village main streets, rural communities, and diverse history, from New York City through the Hudson River Valley, west to Buffalo along the Erie Canal, and north to the Champlain Valley and Adirondacks. Click here to visit the trail website.

An event is now underway, to encourage NYers to to try out this new statewide trail system.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, June 10, 2021

Adirondack History Museum Open for 2021 Season

A collection of 46er hiking canisters in the Hiking Exhibit.

ELIZABETHTOWN — Doors to the Adirondack History Museum opened Memorial Day weekend with additions and new exhibits that promise to intrigue, inform and delight.

Lobby and ground floor rooms and halls welcome area residents and guests to explore the history of fishing in the Adirondacks with Gone Fishin’, a look at how lakes, ponds, and rivers sustained and challenged fishermen going back to the earliest inhabitants of these lands. Some of the Essex County Historical Society’s most rare fishing rods, lures and reels are on display.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, June 10, 2021

Historic Saranac Lake launches new mobile museum project

cure porch on wheelsHistoric Saranac Lake (HSL) is launching a new project, titled: “Pandemic Past and Present.” This project will take place on their Cure Porch on Wheels, and is funded by the 2021 Corridor of Commerce Interpretive Theme Grant from the Champlain Valley National Hertiage Partnership.

HSL will be hosting programs from its mobile museum (the Cure Porch on Wheels) in order to explore local history in public health with new and larger audiences. Visitors to the mobile museum will be able to watch videos and take part in activities centered around Saranac Lake’s health resort history.

Mahala Nyberg, HSL’s new Public Programs Coordinator and leader of the project had the following to say: “As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, Saranac Lake’s sanatorium history is newly relevant. Our history as a community built on the treatment and research of a highly infectious disease helps to shed light on issues in public health today. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic inspires us to explore untold stories in our local history and make new connections to broader themes.”

The mobile museum will be operating within 640 square miles of the Saranac Lake School District, and the Lake Champlain Basin Program grant will support the creation of short videos exploring the history of Saranac Lake’s TB history. This project is a natural outgrowth of a new exhibit soon to be unveiled at the Saranac Laboratory Museum titled, “Pandemic Perspectives.” Following its closure through the winter due to the pandemic, the museum reopened May 25, 2021.



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The Adirondack Almanack

The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities

We publish commentary and opinion pieces from voluntary contributors, as well as news updates and event notices from area organizations. Contributors include veteran local writers, historians, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the Adirondack region. The information, views and opinions expressed by these various authors are not necessarily those of the Adirondack Almanack or its publisher, the Adirondack Explorer.

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