Posts Tagged ‘coronavirus’

Monday, May 4, 2020

Humanities New York offers Emergency Relief Grants

Humanities New York has released new grant guidelines for distribution of “CARES act” funding for New York cultural non-profits affected by COVID-19.
Almost $1,000,000 will be awarded in $5000 to $20,000 grants in order to be distributed to every region of New York. The HNY CARES emergency relief grants complement the NEH CARES act, which offers relief grants of up to $300,000 available to larger organizations across New York, as well as the rest of the country. HNY CARES will be primarily awarded to organizations with a humanities focus.

To view the application guidelines for the grants, please visit https://humanitiesny.org/our-work/emergency-grants/. The deadline for application is May 15, and applicants will be notified of the results by June 15.


Monday, May 4, 2020

Adirondack Health Expands COVID-19 Testing

Adirondack HealthIn accordance with the state health department, Adirondack Medical Center has expanded testing the public for COVID-19, as stated in a press release from Adirondack Health Communications Director Matt Scollin. The testing clinic has expanded to include those with orders from their provider, as well as any of the 40 categories of essential workers. In order to be tested for COVID-19, speak with your primary care provider to have them order a test. If this is not an option for you, you may directly contact the COVID-19 clinic to make an appointment between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. To do so, call 518-897-2462.

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Friday, May 1, 2020

Quarantine reads: More recommended Adirondack reading

Thanks to all who responded to our call for recommended Adirondack, environmental and nature-themed reading to pass the time in COVID-19 quarantine.

Here’s the original post

We also reached out to a handful of Almanack contributors to ask for their input and here’s some additional suggestions to add to the list:

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Friday, May 1, 2020

Sembrich cancels summer music festival

The Sembrich — a cultural center in Bolton Landing that honors international opera singer Marcella Sembrich at her former teaching studio — has announced the cancellation of its season, 20/20: Musical Visionaries.

sembrichAn announcement from the nonprofit was posted today: “Although we lament not being able to present our planned summer festival this year, we will be focusing on ways to be helpful to you during this difficult time. New, unique online content will be developed for our website, TheSembrich.org, which we hope you will visit often and find engaging. We are also increasing our activity through social media, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please consider following us to receive updates regarding our activities.

Pending permission from the appropriate governmental authorities, we hope to open our grounds to the community for peaceful walks with appropriate social distancing. We will continue to follow all CDC, state, and local guidelines for safety. It is currently unknown whether or not we will open the museum in 2020.”

Editor’s note: Check out our list of closings at https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2020/04/covid-19-related-closings-and-delays-in-the-adirondacks.html. Send cancellation announcements to editor@adirondackalmanack.com


Tuesday, April 28, 2020

2020 Seagle Season cancelled due to COVID-19

For the first time in its 105 year history, the Seagle Music Colony in Schroon Lake is cancelling its summer season.

Tony Kostecki and Darren K. Woods, the General and Artistic Directors of the Seagle Music Colony, made the decision for the health and safety of their artists, staff, patrons, and audience members. Seagle leadership did not make this decision lightly and had the following to say about it in an announcement sent this week:

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Monday, April 27, 2020

Micro-grant awards focus on farmers coping with COVID, climate change

farmers marketThe Adirondack Council awarded 10 micro-grants totaling over $32,000  to local farmers. According to a press release, the grants are an effort to address the greatest short-term and long-term threats to public health and the Adirondack Park: COVID-19 and climate change.

“COVID-19 and climate change each have the potential to devastate Adirondack communities,” says Adirondack Council Conservation Associate Jackie Bowen, the coordinator of the grant program alongside the Essex Farm Institute. In some cases, farms/food producers need to prepare more serve-at-home meals…others need equipment and funding to protect and sustain their employees who work in urban farmers markets.

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Monday, April 27, 2020

Siena poll: NYers give Gov. Cuomo high marks

New Yorkers give Gov. Andrew Cuomo record high job performance and favorability ratings. His favorability rating is 77-21 percent, up from 71-23 percent last month, matching his highest ever in February 2011. His job performance rating is 71-28 percent, up from 63-35 percent last month, his best ever.

By a 78-16 percent margin, voters say they trust Cuomo over President Donald Trump to make a determination about opening New York, according to a new Siena College Poll of registered New York State voters released today.

“Mired in middling poll numbers for the last two years, Cuomo is feeling the love from New Yorkers of all stripes
in year three of his third term, and his first global pandemic. He is viewed favorably by 90 percent of Democrats,
73 percent of independents and 53 percent of Republicans, his first time favorable with Republicans in more than
six years,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

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Saturday, April 25, 2020

The Joy (and Importance) of Exercise

The old neighborhoods of Saranac Lake are lively these days, as people of all ages take a break from solitude to go out walking at all hours. Like the TB patients of the past, we are eager to stretch our legs, breathe some fresh air, and wave to a friendly face across the street.

Moderate exercise was a key part of the treatment in Saranac Lake. Doctors recognized that exercise could boost the immune system by strengthening the body and improving mental health. Not all TB patients were bedridden, and those who were well enough to get out of bed went walking on their doctors’ orders.

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Saturday, April 25, 2020

Keene Limits Parking to Combat COVID-19

The Town of Keene is prohibiting spill-over hiking parking, in order to reduce health risks during the governor’s “New York State on PAUSE” directive. Access to the Garden, a jumping off point for all major trails into John’s Brook Valley and the Great Range, will remain open to local hikers and visitors, but once the 46-car lot is full, no more parking will be allowed. There will be signs and barricades to mark where it has been made illegal to park and violators of the new restrictions will have their vehicles towed.

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Friday, April 24, 2020

Equity & ecology in a post-pandemic world

On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, I think about my sister’s prescient and intentional decision to live a life that is marginally dependent on global systems, as locally sourced as possible, and with as light a carbon footprint as she can muster.

My sister lives on a high mesa in Utah. Her home sits 16 miles up Sand Flats Road, just outside of Moab. She has no power, no water, no cable or WiFi, or connections to the normal things that link most of the rest of us to greater dependence on global systems.

She built the house herself. Since she had no power and everything had to be sawed by hand, she designed the house using standard-sized lumber which required minimal sawing.

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Friday, April 24, 2020

Adirondack Outdoor Conditions (4/23): Recreate responsibly

This weekly report of outdoor recreation conditions in the Adirondacks sent out from the NYS DEC.

For the safety of all visitors and to reduce the community spread of COVID-19, DEC and State Parks are undertaking steps to reduce public density:

  • Closing all playgrounds;
  • Limiting access to athletic courts and sporting fields
  • Canceling all public programs and events at state parks, lands, forests and facilities until further notice;
  • Closing all indoor visitor facilities, such as nature centers, environmental education centers, visitor centers, and historic houses to the public until further notice;
  • State Parks has closed all State Parks golf courses;
  • DEC is closing access to DEC-controlled fire towers to the public. Trails and the summits to the towers remain open, but the towers themselves present a potential risk with multiple people climbing the stairs, in close quarters, unable to appropriately socially distance, and using the same handrails; and
  • Limiting parking. If the parking lot is full, visit a different location to recreate responsibly. For visitor safety and the safety of others, do not park on roadsides and only park in designated parking areas.
  • New Yorkers are required to wear masks in public when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, April 23, 2020

Reading in Place

Good Books from Wild Places to Help Us Through Bad Times

Entodon cladorrhizans. ©Northern Forest Atlas Foundation

If you must “shelter in place”, the North Country is a good place to do so.  Those of us fortunate to live in New York’s great Adirondack Park are already accustomed to “social distancing”, and generally have ample space to get fresh air and exercise – thanks to the good work of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and regional land trusts in protecting millions of acres of wild lands and waters. We are also fortunate to have thousands of brave neighbors continuing to go to work to provide us essentials, like groceries, heating fuel, and health care.

Still, even we lucky Adirondackers – nearly as much as our fellow New Yorkers down-state wishing they could be up here – likely have more time alone now than we usually have.  Quiet time affords us chances to read. Here is a quick list of books of regional interest and/or environmental bent that I’d suggest to neighbors sheltered at home through this upsetting pandemic.

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Thursday, April 23, 2020

Indian Lake Offers Free Face Masks

Now that face masks are deemed “essential,” (and required in public to help stop the spread of COVID-19), a group of volunteers in Indian Lake have been making cloth masks and distributing them free of charge. As of Friday, April 17,  they are available for pick up at Pines Country Store in Indian Lake and in the vestibule of the Adirondack Lakes Center for The Arts in Blue Mountain Lake. The contributors ask people to only take one per person. Those willing to help out with the effort by donating masks can drop them off at the Pines Country Store.

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Thursday, April 23, 2020

Quarantine reads: Suggestions from Almanack readers

Anne LaBastille, author of the “Woodswoman” series.

Looking for new ways to pass the time indoors?

Here are some suggestions for Adirondack and/or environmental themed books offered up by Almanack readers, who responded to a post on our Facebook page.

A mix of fiction and non-fiction, old and new (in no particular order), feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Business loan program aims to help Lake Champlain/Lake George region

The Lake Champlain – Lake George Regional Planning Board is helping the region’s small businesses by offering working capital micro-loans for enterprises within Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington Counties. The loans will be available for businesses that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The funds are not to be used to pay off existing debt, refinancing other loans, acquire a position in business, purchase of equipment, investments, expansion, or personal expenses. Other restrictions also apply and more information can be found here.

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