Thursday, September 28, 2023

A new weather station; the struggles around water funding

weather station

A constant stream of weather information will soon flow from a suite of sensors with a view of the Great Range to phones and computers around the world.

A statewide network of weather stations managed by scientists at the University at Albany this fall will make its first new addition to its 126 sites by opening a new station at the Uihlein Farm in Lake Placid. The site will measure temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, snow depth and soil conditions and support the work of climate and weather researchers, farmers and private businesses and recreation enthusiasts visiting the heart of the High Peaks.

Thanks to Tim Rowland for covering this newsletter over the summer while I was off on parental leave. Sorry, you’re now stuck with me and my lack of any angling skills for the foreseeable future.

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Fall foliage: Parts of the Adirondacks at near-peak

foliage map

This is the third 2023 I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Report for New York State. Reports are obtained from volunteer field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon.

Beautiful fall colors continue to arrive across New York State, with near-peak leaves expected to make their first appearances this weekend in parts of the Adirondacks. This is according to the field reports from volunteer observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, September 27, 2023

2023 Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Annual Forum

The 2023 Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Annual Forum is hosted in collaboration with Adirondack Association of Towns & Villages.

Join us Friday, Oct. 20 for the 2023 Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Annual Forum, in collaboration with AATV. This in-person event will again be held at Gore Mountain in North Creek.

Get ready for a day filled with insightful discussions, engaging presentations, and networking opportunities. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and contribute to the future of the Adirondacks. Register here » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Essex Community Fund names 2023 grant recipients

A permanent overhead weather shelter, constructed with support of an Essex Community Fund grant, will enhance outdoor education programming at Lakeside School.

Nearly $25,000 awarded to local nonprofits, schools, community organizations

Essex, NY – The Essex Community Fund (ECF) at Adirondack Foundation has awarded nearly $25,000 in grants to 11 organizations serving the town of Essex and nearby communities. ECF awards grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, church programs and local government activities serving residents of the town of Essex. Grants are traditionally given in support of community services, beautification, historic preservation, culture, the arts, education, and programs for youth and senior citizens. The fund was established in 2004 and has awarded over $315,000 in grants to date.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Hiker air lifted from Mt. Marcy following leg injury

forest ranger reportTown of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 20 at 2:35 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch alerted Forest Rangers to a hiker with an unstable leg injury on Mount Marcy. The 53-year-old from New Jersey was approximately half a mile from the summit, just below the tree line. New York State Police (NYSP) Aviation was called to assist. With Ranger Baldwin as the crew chief, NYSP Pilot Beck flew Ranger Corey to the scene. Ranger Baldwin lowered Ranger Corey to the patient.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Shipwrecked

stones spelling out SOS

Celebrating my 50th Adirondack Almanack story appearance! Sharing a Zen boat journey of discovery, exploring Middle Saranac Lake’s Ship Island.  To share in this shipwrecked Adirondack adventure, click the link & read on: https://adirondackoutlaw.com/shipwrecked/


Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Adirondack Experience’s Fall Fest free for locals

Adirondack Experience museum in Blue Mountain Lake is holding a Fall Fest on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Event is included with admission. FREE admission to ADKX and Fallfest for Adirondack Park residents.

Celebrate fall with traditional pastimes like apple pressing, autumnal crafts, and fiber arts. Demonstrations and music all day! This family-friendly day is packed with activities, games, and much, much more.

Activities include: 

  • Horse-drawn wagon rides
  • Apple pressing and cider tasting (while supplies last)
  • Pumpkin painting (while supplies last)
  • Fall crafts + Fall games
  • Live music
  • Fiber Arts Demonstrations
  • And More TBA!

More info here: https://www.theadkx.org/event/fallfest/

And check out this article by Phil Terrie about a new, permanent art exhibit featuring pieces from ADKX’s collection.


Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Poem: Day’s End

cardinal

DAY’S END

Relaxing on the porch

with book and drink

is my reward

for persevering

through a myriad of chores.

The sharp, incessant chirp

of a nearby cardinal

makes me think

we both enjoy the rain.


Monday, September 25, 2023

Essex Farm Note: A school visit and lots of rain

We hosted fifty middle schoolers from the Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Vermont last Thursday. They hiked from the ferry to the farm via the Essex Gateway CATs trail in the humid heat. They had spent a week confronting the thorny ethical issues of food production. Mark and I talked about how to distill what we do and why we do it into something easily consumable, but then decided it was more of a show don’t tell opportunity. We hunted for dung beetles while talking about soil health, visited the dairy cows while talking about agricultural diversity, grazed our way through the vegetables while talking about the importance of basing our diets on whole food that’s locally produced, pulled some carrots for the road, and then hiked back to the ferry. They made it across the lake just before a huge thunderstorm hit, the one that knocked a tree through the library roof across from the ferry dock. Whew! » Continue Reading.


Monday, September 25, 2023

Siena Poll: Cost of Living in New York Is Top Issue for Albany to Address

housing

More than eight in ten voters say that the cost of living in New York is a major problem – including at least 80% of Democrats, Republicans and independents – and 27%, a plurality, say it is the most important issue that the Governor and Legislature should be working on now. Crime, the recent influx of migrants and the availability of affordable housing are the next three most important issues for New Yorkers. Fifty-seven percent say the quality of life in the state is getting worse, while 27% say it’s staying the same and 14% say it’s getting better, according to a new Siena College poll of registered New York State voters released today.

A plurality of voters, 34%, say neither President Joe Biden nor former President Donald Trump is fit to serve a four-year term as the nation’s next President, while 28% think Trump is fit but not Biden, 26% say Biden is and Trump isn’t, and 9% say both are fit. Voters say, 55-39%, Trump should not be allowed to run for President based on his indictments, and by 46-40%, voters support the House opening an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, September 25, 2023

The wait for forest preserve plans

unit management plan map

A few newsletters ago I was talking about unit management plans and how difficult it is to make them sound interesting. We have since posted our September/October magazine piece about this online, with some special interactive elements we hope will better tell the story.

About 50 years ago, the state Department of Environmental Conservation was charged to create these physical and natural resource inventories and project lists for more than 50 chunks of forest preserve in the Adirondacks. Former Gov. George Pataki tried to kick start these plans back in 1999. He called for them all to be finished in five years. Nearly 25 years later, about 782,000 acres still don’t have plans.

Why is this important? Without a plan, no major projects can be done in a unit. For a place like Lake George Wild Forest, which has no plan, that means the DEC cannot build a marked trail up Rogers Rock. It cannot reroute the trail up Prospect Mountain, which DEC has already called “dangerous to hikers.” The William C. Whitney Wilderness has no plan, either. Campsites there cannot be moved, which some said needs to be done to protect sensitive shorelines and habitat.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, September 25, 2023

My Dreams for my Community: Life Behind the Window

Adirondack Center for Writing

A soft hum coming from my window fan pushes in the only fresh air I breathe all day. The light from the half open window pooled onto the floor trying to push back the overwhelming darkness of my room. The blue walls looked black; the honey-colored hardwoods now stained a
deep maroon. My once vibrant space glowing with relics of my various hobbies throughout the years now lay dormant, shrouded in shadow. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, September 24, 2023

Adirondack Voices: A look back at a landmark publication

RCPA clip

Organizing my historical Adirondack materials, I came across the newsletters (Adirondack Voices) from the 1990s published by the Residents’ Committee to Protect the Adirondacks (RCPA). This organization was founded in 1990 by full-time residents of the Adirondack Park intent on trying to keep some peace in the Adirondacks. They believed that the integrity and economic viability of the Adirondack communities they lived and worked in could be enhanced while preserving their unique wilderness and wild forest landscape. This view was contrary to the tenure of the time when there was tension, sometimes violent, between local residents of the Park who did not want the government telling them what to do and those who supported conservation efforts of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA).

The contributors to Adirondack Voices were from all walks of life throughout the Adirondacks.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, September 24, 2023

Saranac River projects impact access for paddlers, other users this fall

Northern Forest Canoe Trail logo.

 

Several projects along the Saranac River section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) will impact access for paddlers and other users this fall. The projects include construction on Casey Road, a dam removal near Indian Rapids, and a fish ladder being installed at Imperial Mills Dam.

“Our community partners have done great work to inform us of the impact these projects will have on users,” said NFCT Stewardship Director Noah Pollock. “We want to be sure that paddlers, anglers and other outdoor recreationists know about this work and adjust their plans accordingly — the goal is to keep people safe and informed. Ultimately, these projects will enhance these sections of the Saranac River and we’re excited to see them come to fruition.” » Continue Reading.


Sunday, September 24, 2023

Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region announces 2023 grants

A grant from the Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region helped the Tannery Pond Center bring the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company to North Creek and the Gore Mountain region.

Nearly $32,000 awarded to 30 community organizations

The Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region (CFGMR) at Adirondack Foundation has announced its 2023 grant recipients. This year, over two dozen organizations from the towns of Chester, Horicon, Johnsburg, Minerva and Schroon received CGMR funding, totaling nearly $32,000. Grants were awarded to programs and projects that address community beautification, historic preservation, culture and the arts, education, recreation and programs for youth, seniors and veterans. The fund has awarded over $270,000 since being established in 2005.

“Every year, we’re amazed to learn about the incredible work people are doing in our communities,” said Mindy Preuninger of the CFGMR committee. “This year’s grant recipients demonstrate passion and dedication to making life in the Gore Mountain region the best it can be.”

» Continue Reading.



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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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