Almanack Contributor Community News Reports

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Lake Placid, NY — ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) has been awarded a $303,960 Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) State Economic & Infrastructure Development (SEID) grant for renovations at Cascade Welcome Center. The grant was announced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik on Wednesday as part of a $4.1 million package awarded to projects in NY-21.

The funding will be used to make Cascade Welcome Center available to the public for skiing and other outdoor activities, as well as to develop the Center into a fully accessible, year-round, world-class outdoor education and visitor information center. This will help visitors and residents connect with the Adirondack Park’s numerous outdoor opportunities as they travel to and from the region.

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Saranac Lake: Northern Current Music Festival set for Sept. 4

SARANAC LAKE — The Northern Current Music Festival returns to Riverside Park on Sunday, Sept. 4, with an irresistible lineup of live music.

“We’re thrilled with this year’s lineup and can’t wait for folks to join us,” said Kiki Sarko of Northern Current’s organizing committee. “Our acts explore a huge array of musical genres, representing different countries and cultural backgrounds — and we’ve got a great slate of activities for kids, plus some incredible food. You don’t want to miss it.”

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Adirondack Land Trust Recognizes Jon Kislin and Jess Grant as Volunteers of the Year

KEENE, NY — The Adirondack Land Trust at its annual meeting in North Creek recognized two Volunteers of the Year: Jess Grant, of Willsboro, and Jon Kislin, of Wilmington.

Grant, a former land trust Intern for the Future of the Adirondacks, was recognized for the key role she plays in building and co-leading the land trust’s Next Gen Council. The Next Gen Council engages a variety of individuals—primarily in their 20s and 30s—in environmental conservation. With different career fields, backgrounds and identities, Next Gen Council members have in common a deep interest in the health and sustainability of the Adirondack Park and are committed to helping to ensure it is a place for all to enjoy and care for. Grant represented the council this summer during two events on the land trust’s porch in Keene that attracted more than 50 interns and young professionals.

Friday, August 26, 2022

13th Annual Plein Air Paint Out Art Auction set for Sept. 3 in Old Forge

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Old Forge, New York — Looking to add a new piece to your art collection? Come to View, the Center for Arts & Culture in Old Forge, on September 3 and find your next masterpiece at the 13th Annual Plein Air Paint Out Art Auction starting at 4 p.m.

Over 40 participating artists in the 3-day Plein Air Paint Out event will donate at least one painting for the live auction. The artists will spend Thursday to Saturday moving around the Old Forge area looking for the perfect Adirondack scene to capture with their paints. Each artist may also offer consignment paintings (pay and take) that are on display starting September 1 at View and will be available for purchase from through September 3, after the auction.

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake offers fall events, Aug. 27 – Oct. 2

BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE, N.Y. – Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX) is moving full steam ahead with its roster of events for the fall. Check out these family-friendly festivals and performances planned through the end of the 2022 season.

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Paul Smith’s VIC to host free Monarch Fest on Sept. 3

The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently added the migratory monarch butterfly, known for their flight to California and Mexico during the winter, to their “Red List,” a compilation of animals that they deem endangered. The native populations of this butterfly have shrunk by at least 22% in the past decade, due to numerous factors, including deforestation, pesticides, and climate change.

Deforestation in Mexico and California to clear the way for urban spaces, has destroyed much of the monarch’s shelter. Pesticides and herbicides used in large-scale agriculture have killed butterflies and milkweed, the plant that the larvae feed off of. Drought, wildfires, and extreme weather and temperatures caused by climate change has also damaged these butterflies’ homes, as well as killed many of them.

In celebration of these beautiful creatures, Paul Smith’s VIC has organized a Monarch Fest which is scheduled for September 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Adirondack Artists Guild to host Sept. 2 opening reception for Barry Lobdell exhibit

The Adirondack Artists Guild of Saranac Lake will host an opening reception, showcasing the work of photographer Barry Lobdell, on September 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. This year represents Lobdell’s 50^th as a photographic artist and 24^th as a member of the Guild.

Lobdell’s love of photography began in 1968, when he walked out of a pawn shop in Ocean View, Virginia with a used 35mm half-frame camera. The camera cost him $20 and its half-frame format allowed him to shoot 72 exposures on a 36 exposure roll of film, a great help to his limited budget. He used the camera for several years while he was in the Air Force, taking snapshots of friends and places he visited.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

TCM commentator Jeremy Arnold to introduce “The Maltese Falcon” at Schroon Lake’s Strand Theater on Aug. 29

SCHROON LAKE, NY — You’ve seen him on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) as a guest host commenting on a wide range of films—from Oscar-laden jewels of the silver screen to more obscure gems once considered “B-movies.” Now you can see him at the Adirondack North Country’s beloved Art-Deco movie house, the Strand Theater in beautiful Schroon Lake, introducing one of Hollywood’s all-time great movies and the film that helped launched the film noir rage of the 1940s and 50s—“The Maltese Falcon.”

Film historian Jeremy Arnold’s latest book—his third for TCM—is “The Essentials Vol 2: 52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter,” which features “The Maltese Falcon.” On Monday, August 29, at 8 p.m., Mr. Arnold will introduce the movie, which stars the incomparable Humphrey Bogart as the ultimate private eye, Sam Spade, and then sign purchased copies of his book immediately following the screening.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Adirondack area non-profits welcome new hires, trustees

Several Adirondack-area nonprofit organizations, including the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), Adirondack Foundation, Protect the Adirondacks, and the Tannery Pond Center in North Creek recently announced a lineup of new hires including trustees.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Trumpeter Chris Coletti to perform lakeside at The Sembrich, Aug. 31

BOLTON LANDING – Acclaimed trumpet player Chris Coletti presents a lakeside evening of reimagined favorites from the Classical and Jazz repertoires on Wednesday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. Comfortable in many
styles, the program includes a Baroque concerto to showcase his skill on piccolo trumpet, classical works by Clara Schumann and Lili Boulanger, and an arrangement of Gershwin’s Three Preludes for trumpet and piano. Rounding out the program and highlighting Coletti’s “jazzy” side, are the Harry James “concerto,” a four-minute joyride through some of the famous band leader’s most virtuosic trumpet solos, and Coletti’s own arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s ever-popular Libertango.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Valcour Island stewardship work addresses critical maintenance needs

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) — with support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the Lake Champlain Basin Program and volunteers — has completed long overdue maintenance of campsites on the historic Valcour Island.

Valcour Island, located southeast of Plattsburgh near Lake Champlain’s western shore, offers abundant opportunities for paddlers, campers and anglers. The NFCT’s stewardship crew rehabilitated more than 10 campsites over the course of six days, and made numerous improvements elsewhere on the island.

“Valcour Island is one of Lake Champlain’s finest recreation areas and is an important tourist destination,” said Noah Pollock, NFCT’s stewardship director. “We were happy to put our crew and volunteers to work to help the NYSDEC complete a variety of important maintenance tasks.”

Sunday, August 21, 2022

ADK recognized by NYS legislature for centennial, public land leadership

Lake Placid, NY — Earlier this month, New York State Senator Dan Stec presented ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) with a legislative resolution recognizing ADK’s 100 years of teaching people how to explore and protect New York’s public lands and waters. The resolution acknowledges the many ways in which ADK has achieved this over the last century, including through educational outreach, stewardship programs, and trail work.

The resolution was sponsored by Senator Dan Stec in the Senate, Assembly member Matt Simpson in the Assembly, and co-sponsored by Assembly members Jones, Ashby, Byrne, Salka, Mikulin, DeStefano, Hawley, Manktelow, Cusick, McDonald, Smullen, McMahon, and Walsh. A physical copy was given to ADK Deputy Executive Director Julia Goren during an event at the Adirondack History Museum.

Saturday, August 20, 2022

North Country CC to offer EMT, Wastewater Management training this fall

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SARANAC LAKE – North Country Community College will provide training this fall for two important and in-demand career opportunities in the region.

The college is once again offering New York State Emergency Medical Technician classes as part of an effort to address a shortage of emergency medical service workers in the North Country. Classes will take place in Malone and Saranac Lake this fall, and in Ticonderoga in the spring.

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Hickory Legacy Foundation to host Bands, Brews and BBQ fundraiser on Aug. 27 in Warrensburg

The Hickory Legacy Foundation will be hosting a fundraising event at the Hickory Ski Center in Warrensburg on August 27^th from 3-9, featuring live music, great food and local Adirondack brews and wine. Casual listening with popular hits in the afternoon and welcoming back Soul Sky with Mark Emanatian from 6-9.

We will be serving our standard BBQ fare featuring Oscar’s meats, Adirondack Brewery Micro Brews and Adirondack and Ledge Rock Hill Wines. The gate is $10 with 12 and under free.

Friday, August 19, 2022

First inaugural Adirondack Cuisine Trail Open Farm Weekend set for Sept. 2-5

Lewis, NY – Farm tours, local food workshops, you-pick, and more are scheduled for the first inaugural Adirondack Cuisine Trail Open Farm Weekend. Events will be held through Labor Day Weekend highlighting farms and small businesses along the Boquet Valley Cuisine Trail, one of the six distinct cuisine trails that highlight agriculture in the Adirondacks.

After the success of the 2021 Open Farm Week that took place in lieu of the traditional one-day Adirondack Harvest Festival due to COVID-19 concerns, Adirondack Harvest is excited to host both an Open Farm Weekend and the one-day Adirondack Harvest Festival this year.