The Adirondack Almanack publishes occasional guest essays from Adirondack residents, visitors, and those with an interest in the Adirondack Park. Submissions should be directed to Almanack editor Melissa Hart at editor@adirondackalmanack.com
By Adele Burnett, Town of Inlet Tourism Director
The Town of Inlet Parks Department is excited to have in the works – the Arrowhead Park Playground Project. There is something wonderful about walking into a local park and seeing young children running around a jungle gym, swinging on a swing, or going down a slide. [Children have the opportunity to] exercise, make friends, laugh, and run as their parents and neighbors catch-up over a cup of coffee.
By James Connolly
The Adirondack Park Agency was established to be a regional land-use agency for the 6-million acres within the Adirondack Park. Just as important were environmental protections for wetlands and administration of the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan. From the very beginning of the Park Agency, it was appropriate for the headquarters to be located in Ray Brook next to its sister agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation. The two agencies, working together, administer many overlapping and complimentary regulations. Areas where the two agencies overlap and require consultation and coordination include APA classification of newly acquired State land, mining and mine land reclamation projects, wetlands regulations, shoreline stabilization projects, pesticide use & control of aquatic vegetation and regulation of Wild, Scenic & Recreational River corridors within the Park.
It has therefore always been assumed that APA & DEC were ideally located in Ray Brook. That is, until now. The Agency’s current Executive Director, Barbara Rice, has promoted the concept of a Village location as being “transformational”. At best, the amount of State money involved would provide limited benefit to the Village and a great deal of funding for the contractors and other construction-related activities. Her past role as a Village Trustee and local business owner may have led her to believe in overstating the case for a Village location, however, it also raises potential conflict of interest concerns given the lack of transparency in limiting analysis to only two locations. Isn’t it about time that the State Ethics Committee weighed-in with an opinion?
This brook near Bloomingdale was recently renamed to John Thomas Brook, for a 19th century Black settler. Photo by Mike Lynch
Editor’s note: This commentary is in the July/August 2023 issue of Adirondack Explorer magazine, as part of our “It’s Debatable” feature. In this regular column, we invite organizations and/or individuals to address a particular issue. Click here to subscribe to the magazine, available in both print and digital formats: www.adirondackexplorer.org/subscribe.
By Paul Sorgule
This morning I read a small letter to the editor in the Adirondack Enterprise about a loon that was apparently killed by a boater in the channel between Lake Flower and Oseetah Lake. I was struck with profound sadness and a touch of anger. For many years, that loon held court on Lake Flower and was a welcome and highly anticipated sign of Spring. For many years he seemed to be without a mate, until this year. There was an obvious gleeful change in his daily routine and soon we were blessed to notice a pair of newborn chicks riding on their mother’s back. It was this loon’s soothing coo in the early morning that signaled how special it was to live in this Adirondack Community.
When we were on the lake (oftentimes in the late afternoon) we would coast around hoping to see him feeding. He had become accustomed to people and sometimes treated us to his presence just 15 or 20 feet off our bow. It was thrilling to watch him dive for fish only to pop up 50 or 60 yards away -loons are excellent swimmers. Maybe he became too familiar with people and failed to understand the dangers that this familiarity brings. While we drifted in our boat if we ever crept too close, he would let us know by fluttering his wings or letting out a distinctive sound that could only mean “back off”. Then he would settle down and provide a pose for another picture to add to our files.
By NYS Sen. Dan Stec
As Senator, I rely on the input of my constituents to advance policies that will improve our communities. To that end, I recently sent out a survey relating to cell service in the Adirondack Park. That survey can also be taken here, at my Senate website. If we’re to ensure our region is up-to-date with the needs of our residents, action on the issue of cellular service is essential.
A lot has changed in 21 years.
Wars began and ended. Google went public in 2004. Facebook was founded that same year.
Scientists mapped the human genome. Rovers traversed Mars. Apple launched its first iPhone.
Amid all that change and technological upheaval, one thing has remained stagnant: the regulation of cellular technology in the Adirondack Park.
Dear Governor Hochul,
The undersigned former Board members and former employees of the Adirondack Park Agency are writing to express our opposition to the proposed relocation of the Agency’s headquarters to a new location in the Village of Saranac Lake. Our reasons for taking this position are detailed below.
The Park Agency is a regional agency which regulates land use and development throughout the Adirondack Park. It makes little sense to us for the Agency to choose a new location in one community without any outreach to other potentially interested communities and a careful consideration of alternatives.
Our next OurStoryBridge Inc. story share is called The Ladies Climb by Jerilea Zempel. Her story is about a group of women who duplicated the clothing women wore in the 1800s and recreated an expedition. Jerilea put extensive research and planning into the trip in order to honor those women before her. To listen to this story in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/c9a5d576bc9444a5b6faa02db7edaeba/
The Adirondack Almanack will share stories written by those who live, work, and play in the ADK, courtesy of OurStoryBridge Inc. These stories, which will be a combination of current and past events, people, outdoor activities and more, will be published on a weekly basis. The stories will focus on various locations situated in the Adirondack region, including the High Peaks, the town of Keene, and many other areas around the Park. Story topics include arts & culture, catastrophes, work, people, outdoor activities, daily life, community, and natural & man-made environments.
Our next OurStoryBridge Inc. story share features William Reed from Adirondack Community in the Town of Keene. William shares his story, Our 21st Century Library, which details how money was raised to upgrade the library in order to bring it into the 21st century. Listen to this story in its entirety at the following link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/aebc107b54b04facaecad12268e84604/
Editor’s note: This commentary is in the May/June 2023 issue of Adirondack Explorer magazine, as part of our “It’s Debatable” feature. In this regular column, we invite organizations and/or individuals to address a particular issue. Click here to subscribe to the magazine, available in both print and digital formats: www.adirondackexplorer.org/subscribe.
Our next OurStoryBridge Inc. story share features Kayla White from ADK Voices. In her story, My Amazing Career in Wildland and Alpine Stewardship, Kayla shares her story of how she was introduced to the Adirondack region and details her current status as Stewardship Manager. To listen to this story in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/8d2f60985df94c6fbceb2dd828c06ff9/
By Emily Martz, Executive Director, and Connor Williams, Historian, Great Camp Sagamore
Recently, Great Camp Sagamore was mentioned by Peter Baur’s recent article in which he discussed the value that comes from the various uses of lands and waters within the Adirondack Park. This healthy conversation began before the blue line of the Adirondack Park was drawn in 1892 and will continue for as long as the Park exists.
Great Camp Sagamore, a National Historic Landmark, is a nonprofit educational center devoted to historic preservation and life-long learning. Because of its former ownership by William West Durant and Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, it is tempting to paint Great Camp Sagamore today as another retreat for only well-to-do and well-connected people “from away.” We think this is an error.
Our next OurStoryBridge, Inc. story share features John Schneider from ADK Voices. In his story about the ADK Adopt-A-Lean-To-Program, Schneider shares the process and challenges of developing nearly sixty lean-tos for Adirondack campers and hikers. To listen to this story in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/f7a9c431551c4609a9f6eff11ddb8708/.
By Mike Delair
I live in Tupper Lake I am writing you in regards to the epidemic of drugs that has taken over our community and the necessity to help adequately fund our village police department, rid our town of drugs and crime and most importantly save lives.
First off let me tell you about myself. I am 49 years of age, and led a life of drugs, crime, multiple incarcerations and overdoses. It was a life I never thought I could escape from or give up. I look back now and can only imagine how many nights my mother waited up for me- just to know I was okay , not in jail or worse, dead!
Faced with the grim alternatives, my mother, of course, preferred I was in jail and alive than the alternatives of still surviving on the streets or dead. -And believe me! My life on the street was simply survival.
Our next OurStoryBridge, Inc. story share features Maggie Newell from ADK Voices. Newell recounts her story titled “Rescue on Mt. Jo” which details how a teen trail crew completed a bridge in order to do their part to assist an emergency crew rescue an injured hiker. To listen to “Rescue on Mt. Jo” in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/4965a4c377dd467897163cafec0d5a36/
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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.
General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor Melissa Hart.
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Tales of the Adirondacks, Past & Present: Why Advocacy is Important for the Adirondack Park by Diane Fish
Our next OurStoryBridge Inc. story share is called Why Advocacy is Important for the Adirondack Park by Diane Fish. This story is about being an advocate for protected areas that are a blend of people and wilderness. Listen to this story in its entirety at the following link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/2fb1eef1e4894995b7c3d070e1659717/
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