An important part of Saranac Lake’s history will be remembered on Sunday, July 3. The Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race will be reborn.
The race began in 1962 as a tribute to Saranac Lake’s famous guideboat builder, Willard Hanmer. For 50 years the race ran successfully. Now, after a 10 year hiatus, for its 60th anniversary, “Traditions in the Green Side Group” volunteers hope to bring it back to its former glory. This group is led by Sue and Kathy Dyer.
Join us for the 11th I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 7I Love My Park Day, held the first Saturday in May, attracts thousands of volunteers from across the state to participate in cleanup, improvement, and beautification events at New York State parks, historic sites and public lands. Join us to celebrate New York’s park system and prepare our public lands for spring by cleaning up park lands and beaches, planting trees and gardens, restoring trail and wildlife habitat, removing invasive species, and working on various site improvement projects.
Click here to volunteer and/or create an event at a park near you
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) last held an adjudicatory public hearing in 2011 – the kind of hearing that involves sworn testimony and cross-examination of evidence before a law judge, followed by a full hearing record on which to base a judicious, carefully examined, evidence-based decision. That 2011 hearing was for the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort subdivision and development near Tupper Lake. In the eleven years since, and despite the many hundreds of permits issued by the APA since, including many large, regional projects, not a single adjudicatory public hearing has been convened by the APA.
Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions
Town of Webb
Herkimer County
Wildland Rescue: On April 11 at 1:07 p.m., Raybrook Dispatch received a call from Herkimer County 911 advising that a hiker had sustained a head injury near the summit of Rondaxe Mountain. Forest Ranger Lt. Hoag and Rangers Evans, McCartney, Milano, Miller, Shea, and Thomes responded. EMTs from Old Forge Ambulance administered care to the 57-year-old hiker from Sherrill. Rangers conducted the technical rope work necessary to safely lower the subject down the mountain through four steep-angle locations to an ambulance. The hiker was transported to Old Forge Airport where Mercy Flight flew him to the hospital. Also assisting in the rescue were members of DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement, Old Forge Fire, Inlet Fire, Eagle Bay Fire, and Webb Police. Resources were clear by 4:30 p.m.
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration (GABC) returns this coming June 3-5 for the 18th time.
Following a COVID-induced break, this 3-day event is designed to introduce birders of all ages and skill levels to the unique boreal bird species and habitats in the Adirondacks. The celebration features birding field trips to local Important Bird Areas (IBAs), with full day field trips on Friday and half day trips on Saturday and Sunday, and presentations by accomplished ornithologists on Saturday afternoon. Click here for the full schedule of events.
The field trips have limited capacity, so be certain to register soon. Pay attention to the date and specific field trip when registering (we want to make sure you register for the trip that you want!). The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration is hosted by the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center. The VIC is partnering with Hotel Saranac to host the celebration.
Adirondack Explorer file photo by Mike Lynch.
The Ausable River Association (AsRA) and three regional Rotary Clubs are partnering to host an Ausable River cleanup on Saturday, April 23. This year, The Rotary Club of the Au Sable Valley and Lake Placid Rotary Club will focus on roadways and riverbanks in the Lake Placid, Wilmington, Jay, Upper Jay, and Keene Communities. The Plattsburgh Rotary Club is hosting a simultaneous cleanup event in and around Ausable Point near Peru, NY.
New York State offers several youth hunting opportunities to allow young hunters time afield with experienced adult hunters outside of the regular hunting seasons. As a result, they gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become safe and responsible members of the hunting community. This spring, the youth turkey hunt is April 23 and 24.
If you’re an experienced, licensed hunter, please consider taking a youth out! The youth season is open throughout upstate New York and even in Suffolk County. Several non-profit groups sponsor specific events, and we encourage experienced hunters to reach out and take a kid hunting.
Other details of the youth turkey hunting weekend are as follows:
Photo at top: A youth turkey hunting participant. DEC photo.
The Kelly Adirondack Center at Union College is pleased to present a discussion with Paul Miller, Searching for Timbuctoo filmmaker, on May 10 at 7 p.m. at the Reamer Auditorium in the Reamer Campus Center at Union College. The event is free and open to the public.
Miller is a writer, filmmaker and photographer based in upstate New York. A long-time (20-year) veteran of both broadcast and cable television, Miller has worked for national networks and shows, such as The History Channel, National Geographic Channel, PBS, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Winosha Steele, a recent graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh, is already one of the area’s most recognizable and versatile creatives. Several of Winosha’s oil portraits are included in Reflections, a duo exhibition with Peter Russom at Saranac Lake’s BluSeed Studios. Some of the portraits are of family or friends, and some are of herself. Every face is different, and every expression is endearing.
What immediately caught my eye at the exhibition was, Evocation, a collage of self portraits, using pencil, paper and chalk pencils.
Pictured here: Winosha with Evocation at BluSeed Studios, Saranac Lake, New York March 5, 2022. Photo by Skip Murray.
“The literal meaning of Evocation is the act of recalling a feeling, memory or image to the conscious mind. This is precisely what I want this piece to do. To resonate with my constant development as an artist, throughout the years, throughout my existence.”
The Lake George Park Commission (LGPC) applied for and was granted on April 14 a permit from the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to put the herbicide ProcellaCOR into Lake George at two pilot sites: Blair’s Bay in Glen Burnie and Sheep Meadow Bay in Hulett’s Landing. Although both sites are located on the east side of the lake, they are part of the Town of Hague, whose boundaries extend to the eastern shoreline.
An Adirondack publishing company has launched a new, faster and more flexible way to send and receive news about the North Country arts and entertainment scene.
Adirondack A&E, or ADK A&E, is a powerful online arts and entertainment information and resource guide for the Adirondacks, covering art and craft galleries, the performing arts —including theater, concerts and musical performances — museums, restaurants, nightclubs and breweries.
By Moose Murphy
When I was a puppy, my Uncle Ray often came to my house to see Papa (Joe). I was so excited to see Uncle Ray that I would run to the front door as fast as my little paws could scurry across the floor. I was taught not to jump on people or go crazy when a visitor came to our house, but I couldn’t help running circles around Uncle Ray and doing figure-eights in between and around his legs. He always says, “That’s a good lookin’ dog you got there, Joe!”
Uncle Ray stayed for a short time before Papa grabbed his backpack and headed out the door with him. I had so many questions for Papa as he patted me on the head and said goodbye. Where are you going? Why can’t I go? When will you be home? Papa and Uncle Ray smiled and joked as they left, so I thought wherever they were headed it was going to be fun. When Papa returned home happy and sometimes muddy and dirty, I knew he had a great time.
April 17th is International Bat Appreciation Day
Bat Day is a great time to appreciate New York’s nine bat species. When spring temperatures become warm enough, bats will leave their hibernation sites and may be seen flying in search of insects. Unfortunately, many species of bats, including little brown bats, have faced severe population declines due to White-nose Syndrome.
Some bat facts:
To view bats, check out your local park or forested area, especially near water and along trails. Even your own backyard can be a great place to view bats if you have trees near your home!
Learn more about bats in Bats of New York State (PDF).
Photo by Al Hicks.
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The hikers are coming … but how many?
In 2020, the Adirondack trails were overwhelmed with hikers looking for Covid-safe recreation. People were lined up long before dawn for trails in the High Peaks. Highways turned into parking lots, and wilderness rangers into meter maids.
Then in 2021, with Covid still a presence in the Northeast, the hiker crisis evaporated.
The crazy busy hiker weekends were gone. Keene Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson says he towed only one (ONE!) car from the Garden trailhead in 2021. That place is usually a combat zone.
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