Posts Tagged ‘Herkimer County’

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Friday Declared ‘French Louie’ Seymour Day

young-louie-300The Herkimer County Legislature has named Friday “French Louie Day” in honor of the noted French-Canadian Adirondacker Louis Seymour. A celebration is planned for Saturday in the Town of Inlet.

Friday marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Seymour, who made the wilderness between Inlet and Lake Pleasant his home from the 1860s until his death in Newton’s Corners (now Speculator) on February 27, 1915.  Seymour’s name became legend after the 1952 biography Adirondack French Louie: Life in the North Woods by Utica author Harvey Dunham, which portrayed him as a man of hard work, determination and humor.  » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Adirondack ‘Great South Woods’ Ideas Sought

Great South Woods AdirondacksAn effort latter this month hopes to gather public input about how to diversify and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities in the what organizers are calling the “Great South Woods” – a more than 2 million-acre area of public and private lands in the southern Adirondack Park that includes parts of Oneida, Herkimer, Hamilton, Fulton, Saratoga, Warren, and Essex Counties.

The driving forces behind this new initiative have been Bill Farber, Chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). » Continue Reading.


Thursday, June 12, 2014

DEC Seeks Comments On Adirondack Foothills Management

Adirondack Foothills UMPThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)  is preparing a unit management plan (UMP) which will include six state forests, 21 detached parcels of Forest Preserve and one Office of General Services (OGS) parcel located close to but outside the southwest boundary of the Adirondack Park in northern Oneida and Herkimer counties. The public is invited to submit comments for a draft Adirondack Foothills UMP that will guide management of these unique state lands well into the future.

The state forests included in the unit are Hogsback, Popple Pond, Punkeyville, and Woodhull in Oneida County and Black Creek and Hinckley in Herkimer County. These state forest lands total 7,252 acres. The Detached Forest Preserve Parcels total 2,025 acres and the OGS parcel is 25 acres in size. The Adirondack Foothills Management Unit lands are located in the Oneida County towns of Boonville and Forestport and Herkimer County towns of Norway, Russia and Salisbury. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Charlie Herr: The Founding Of The Town of Webb

1895 County MapOn a recent election day, I was reminded of the Supreme Court’s historic decision that determined the 2000 Presidential election and of the importance of every vote cast.  I learned of another close election while researching the building of the Sucker Brook Bay Road (now Uncas Road).  I also discovered why the building of the segment from Eagle Bay to Old Forge took five years while Sucker Brook Bay Road was completed within two.

Examining this delay revealed that a court ultimately approved the handling of highway contracts.  I also learned that a judge determined who would be the first supervisor for the new Town of Webb and that the decision was based on improperly completed ballots. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 18, 2014

General Nicholas Herkimer And The Battle of Oriskany

image001(7)During the critical Battle of Oriskany in August 1777, Continental forces led by General Nicholas Herkimer defeated the British army under St. Leger in the heart of New York’s Mohawk Valley. It was a hard-won victory, but he and his troops prevented the British from splitting the colonies in two.

In The Battle of Oriskany and General Nicholas Herkimer: Revolution in the Mohawk Valley (History Press, 2013), Paul Boehlert presents a gripping account of the events before, during and after this critical battle.

Although they did not succeed in relieving the British siege of Fort Stanwix, Herkimer’s citizen-soldiers turned back the British and protected America’s northern flank from attack. Herkimer was mortally wounded, but his heroism and leadership firmly placed him in the pantheon of Revolutionary War heroes. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Adirondack Independence Day Celebrations

fireworks_newThe Adirondacks can host some unique events and festivities and being a part of all or some of them can make for a great Independence Day.

Long Lake hosts a full July 4th of activities from face painting to live music, but it’s the bed races that will make a lasting impression. Four pushers and one rider in the bed will attempt to cross the finish line first. Yes, spectators are encouraged. Children will enjoy the field games at the Long Lake Ball Field starting at 10 am with egg toss, three-legged races, sack races and other classic games with prizes for everyone.

Ticonderoga holds to its moniker of the “Best 4th in the North” with a four-day celebration of food, vendors and carnival rides. Starting on July 1st, the music is free to enjoy but there is a $20 bracelet fee, which covers unlimited carnival rides. On July 4th, Ticonderoga has their own bed races, a parade, and live music. Carnival bracelets are only available from July 1-3, tickets will be needed to access the carnival rides on the 4th. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Where Exactly is the North Country?

north county eben holdenWhen New Yorkers say with pride that they come from the North Country, strength, courage and rugged individualism can be seen written all over their faces. In addition, everyone knows they have the ability to withstand abnormally cold and miserable weather, and to survive natural disasters, such as the Great Ice Storm of 1998. But, exactly where is the North Country?

Yes, it is in the northern part of New York State, but north of what? Yonkers? Albany? The Erie Canal? The Adirondacks?

The term North Country was first widely popularized for use in New York State by the author, Irving Bacheller, when his novel, Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country, became a literary sensation in 1900. Bacheller was born in Pierrepont, St. Lawrence County, NY in 1859 and graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1882. Two years later, he founded the first U.S. newspaper syndicate and introduced the writing of Stephen Crane, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle and Joseph Conrad to American readers. Bacheller retired from newspaper work in 1900 to concentrate on writing novels. Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country was his fourth novel and it became a runaway best seller. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

NYS Makes Large Investment in Adirondack Broadband

Broadband_Wired_PkGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that New York State will award $25 million in funding to expand high-speed Internet access in rural upstate and underserved urban areas of New York through the Connect NY Broadband Grant Program, including several projects that will affect the Adirondacks.  This newest round of funding brings the total amount for broadband projects during Governor Cuomo’s administration to more than $56 million, the largest statewide broadband funding commitment in the nation, according to the Governor’s office.

Eighteen broadband projects were selected to receive Connect NY Broadband grants based on the endorsement of the Regional Economic Development Councils and technical scores awarded by a committee who analyzed and ranked projects competing for the $25 million in broadband funding. In December, Governor Cuomo also awarded nearly $6 million in funding, from Round 2 of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, to four project sponsors who will expand high-speed Internet into the North Country region.
» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Adirondack Family Activities: Old Forge’s Strand Theatre

StrandTheatre_newValentine’s Day may just be the time to have a small town film experience with old-fashioned appeal. The Strand Theatre in Old Forge offers a heady dose of nostalgia, not only with its beautiful Art Deco setting, but also with an eclectic collection of movie memorabilia. With four screens and seating of 708, the year-round Strand Theatre at Old Forge continues to bring new movies to the screen. Make sure to leave time to explore before choosing your seats.

For us, seeing a film isn’t what brought us inside the theatre doors, it was a window display of film reels and camera parts. After meeting co-owners Bob Card and Helen Zyma, my children and I were pleasantly surprised to turn the corner to find a mini-museum dedicated to film. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

‘The Wild Life’ at View in Old Forge

Whether an eagle soaring majestically through the sky, or a raccoon knocking over your garbage can, wildlife is a part of Adirondack life.

“The Wild Life” is an exhibition that puts our wild neighbors front and center will be on display at View from December 8, 2012 – April 28, 2013. The exhibition will have a wild opening reception and preview on Friday, December 7, from 5-7pm that is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to show their wild side with furs, antlers, tails, and any wild apparel encouraged.
» Continue Reading.


Monday, December 3, 2012

Fracking and the Adirondacks

One doesn’t read much about high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing (HVHHF) for natural gas extraction in the Adirondack media – for a good reason. After all, who thinks they would ever profit from drilling into the bedrock of North America – crystalline granitic-gneissic bedrock yielding uphill to massive anorthosite blocks making up the high peaks region, part of the Canadian Shield, and among the oldest root rocks in North America. The geological survey of the Mount Marcy region in 1837 knew more than enough of their science not to expect gas-laden sediments here.
» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Adirondack Family Activities: Running Colors Race

The VIEW in Old Forge is set to celebrate it’s own Festival of Colors on Saturday, October 27 with its first annual 5K Fun Running Colors race. According to Jody Pritchard, VIEW Media Manager, Running Colors is based on other charity running races that use an eco-friendly, fine-colored cornstarch to color bomb participants during the 5K run.

VIEW receives the food-grade safe colors from a church in Utah that also supplies colors for Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi, the Festival of Colors is a Hindu celebration of the triumph of good over evil and a welcoming of spring.

Color races are popular  nation-wide as a celebration of color with such foot races as Rainbow Race, Color Me Red and The Color Run. What better way to celebrate the change of seasons and benefit an arts organization like the Old Forge VIEW than with a huge splash of color! » Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Adirondack Scenic Railroad’s Pumpkin Trains

Over the next two weekends, October 13-14 and 20–21 the Adirondack Scenic Railroad will be hosting it’s third annual Pumpkin Train.   The trains will be departing the Thendara (Old Forge) Station at 10 am, 11:15 am, 12:30 pm, 1:45 pm and 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays rain or shine.

Each train will travel North to the former site of the New York Central’s Carter Station. Along the way children will be on the lookout for ghosts and goblins and have an opportunity to win a jar of candy. At Carter Station, families can leave the train at Wally’s Pumpkin Patch.
» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Civil War: A Musical Journey

Four Seasons, Four Years is a new Old Songs production featuring eleven singers and musicians from the Adirondacks performing a selection of songs extant in America between 1850 and 1865. This performance takes place at View (the former Old Forge Arts Center) this Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 7:30pm. The show includes both popular songs of the period as well as songs composed in response to the Civil War itself and events leading up to it. The songs are interspersed with historical narrative specific to New York State and the New York Volunteer Regiments. » Continue Reading.


Monday, August 13, 2012

Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors

Gordon and Mildred Evans Memorial Award WinnerIf you happen into the Adirondack Park, you might find yourself in Old Forge, but probably not. Of a variety of places off the beaten track, Old Forge is probably one of the farthest off. But come here you will, if you have any real interest in art, because this is home to the annual Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors, one of the 10 top such exhibitions in the country.

The 2012 exhibition starts officially today, with an opening last night that packed the exhibit halls of the state-of-the-art, leeds-certified venue, View, which opened just over a year ago in Old Forge, NY. » Continue Reading.



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