Tag Archive for "Keene" - The Adirondack Almanack

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In the spirit of sharing informational, intriguing, and inspiring stories to help highlight the rich social and cultural history of New York State’s Adirondack Mountains, The Adirondack Almanack will share stories written by those who live, work, and play in the ADK, courtesy of OurStoryBridge/Freedom Story Project. These stories, which will be a combination of current and past events, people, outdoor activities and more, will be published on a weekly basis, starting with today’s first story titled, Winning the Olympic Gold Medal by Charity Marlatt. 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. Stories are compartmentalized into the following categories, arts & culture, catastrophes, work, people, outdoor activities, daily life, community, and natural & man-made environments.

Monday, March 6, 2023

Adirondack Garden Club Fund grant application period open until April 1

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Keene, NY – The window for the Adirondack Garden Club’s 2023 grant applications is now open.

The Adirondack Garden Club offers three grants:

Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Nature Fund was established in 2005 to give financial assistance to individuals and not-for-profit organizations, including schools, involved in programs whose purpose is to study, protect, and enjoy the natural environment within the Adirondack Park. These requests are considered and distributed by the ELP Committee. The maximum amount per Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Nature Fund grant is $1500.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Photographer Manuel Palacios to Lead Two Winter Photography Workshops on March 1, 4

KEENE, NY – The Adirondack Land Trust invites shutterbugs with an interest in environmental conservation to join a free, virtual winter photography workshop Wednesday, March 1, noon-1:30 p.m. with landscape photographer Manuel Palacios. Beginners and pros will find new ideas for creating impactful winter photographs. There is no limit to the number of participants for this virtual workshop.

Palacios will share his favorite photography techniques and approaches to winter photography – from special equipment needs for shooting in harsh and unforgiving winter conditions to finding ways to use the elements of the season to express a deeper connection to the landscape.

Monday, January 9, 2023

472 acres of ADK land protected through Adirondack Land Trust and Lake Placid Land Conservancy merger

KEENE — The merger of two nationally accredited land trusts streamlines operations and ensures continued open space protection in New York’s Adirondack Park.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Lake Placid Land Conservancy (LPLC) will merge into the Adirondack Land Trust as approved by the New York State Attorney General’s office and the Secretary of State. The assets, programs and land stewardship responsibilities of LPLC will be transferred to the Adirondack Land Trust.

Through the merger, 472 acres in the towns of North Elba, Jay, Keene and Wilmington will be added to the Adirondack Land Trust’s portfolio of land protection sites. This includes the Three Sisters Preserve in Wilmington, which is a popular destination for mountain biking, trail running, hiking and snowshoeing, and serves as a community connector between the town’s bike skills park and Forest Preserve trails adjacent to Hardy Road. Public access will remain the same and preserve signage will be updated.

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Adirondack Garden Club makes over 40 wreaths for Families First agency

KEENE—In early December, over 25 Adirondack Garden Club (AGC) members and their guests gathered at the Whallonsburg Grange to decorate lovely evergreen wreaths, many intended for members’ homes but even more destined for those served by Families First in Elizabethtown, a countrywide agency that works with families facing mental health challenges. The Families First wreath-making program was created four years ago and has become a favorite project for AGC members.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Keene adopts green burial cemetery plan

by Peter Slocum

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The Town of Keene is creating a Green Graveyard as part of the expansion of its Norton Cemetery. This is believed to be the first significant Green burial ground in the Adirondacks.

The Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday Dec. 13 to embrace the new plan, beginning with burials in 2023. » Continue Reading.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Front-country steward in Keene shares first-hand experiences

by Peter Slocum

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Is a diminutive, soft-voiced recent college grad really the answer to the over-crowding problem in the Adirondack High Peaks?

She might be part of it. Naomi Hodgson is one of the new, home-grown “front country stewards” stationed at critical spots on busy hiking weekends. Their job is to direct hikers to right-sized hikes for their experience and skill level, recommend necessary gear and preparation, and provide critical pointers and friendly advice.

“I don’t get so many flip flops here,” she said. “Just sneakers, which is not so bad, really. I haven’t seen a person with flip flops in a while. “

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Adirondack Land Trust Recognizes Jon Kislin and Jess Grant as Volunteers of the Year

KEENE, NY — The Adirondack Land Trust at its annual meeting in North Creek recognized two Volunteers of the Year: Jess Grant, of Willsboro, and Jon Kislin, of Wilmington.

Grant, a former land trust Intern for the Future of the Adirondacks, was recognized for the key role she plays in building and co-leading the land trust’s Next Gen Council. The Next Gen Council engages a variety of individuals—primarily in their 20s and 30s—in environmental conservation. With different career fields, backgrounds and identities, Next Gen Council members have in common a deep interest in the health and sustainability of the Adirondack Park and are committed to helping to ensure it is a place for all to enjoy and care for. Grant represented the council this summer during two events on the land trust’s porch in Keene that attracted more than 50 interns and young professionals.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Adirondack Garden Club announces 2022 Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Nature Fund grant awardees

KEENE— Named for one of the Adirondack Garden Club’s most outstanding members, the Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Nature Fund was established in 2005 to give financial assistance to individuals and not-for-profit organizations involved in programs whose purpose is to study, protect and enjoy the natural environment within the Adirondack Park. Mrs. Paine, who passed away in 2005, was an avid gardener who took great pride in the gardens of her family properties.

This year, the Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Nature Fund awarded eight grants ranging up to $1,500.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Keene Valley Library to host July 23 celebration for Adirondack Community story project’s success

KEENE VALLEY, N.Y.— Town of Keene residents and guests will gather at the Keene Valley Library from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 23 to celebrate the over 250 stories available through “Adirondack Community: Capturing, Retaining, and Communicating the Stories of Who We Are,” an OurStoryBridge project. All are welcome.

Adirondack Community, sponsored by the Keene Valley Library, is a multi-year local history project that collects and organizes 3- to 5-minute audio stories and related photographs from town of Keene community members through an online platform to share the rich social and cultural history of this community located in New York State’s Adirondack Mountains. Stories are used in classrooms from elementary school through college. In a town of about 1,100 residents, six times that number of users have visited the website to listen to stories. Adirondack Community is the model used by the national story project charitable nonprofit, OurStoryBridge Inc.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Beyond Books: Libraries Lend Binoculars to Beginner Birders

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KEENE VALLEY & SARANAC LAKE, NY — Are you interested in bird watching, but don’t know where to begin? Starting this summer, the Keene Valley Public Library and Saranac Lake Free Library are loaning backpacks stocked with binoculars and field guides to give people an opportunity to try out birding.

The backpacks are part of the Adirondack Land Trust’s “Adirondack Birding for All” program, which is working with the libraries to increase awareness and appreciation of Adirondack birds and their habitats.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

Adirondack Route 73 Shuttle Season Starts July 9 in High Peaks

by NYS DEC

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On Tuesday, July 5, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Essex County, town of Keene, and Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) announced the Route 73 shuttle system launched in 2021 will return on Saturday, July 9. The shuttle system helps manage safe, sustainable visitation along the busy Route 73 corridor in the Adirondack High Peaks region. The free shuttle system will operate on weekends and holidays through Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. New this year, additional runs on select weekends in August and October will be piloted from Frontier Town Gateway in North Hudson.

“The Route 73 hiker shuttle provides a valuable resource to visitors of the High Peaks region, allowing safe access to preferred trails while helping to mitigate public safety and environmental concerns related to crowded roadside parking,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “This shuttle system is another excellent example of visitor use management actions that benefit visitors, local communities, and our natural resources. I appreciate our partners in the town of Keene, Essex County, and ROOST who worked with us to develop and implement the service again this year.”

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Keene Arts begins June Concert Series with Trillium Chamber Players

Join Adirondack favorites the Trillium Chamber Players Sunday, June 5^th at Keene Arts at 4:00 PM for a delightful afternoon of classical music for voice, viola and piano. Violist Patricia McCarty, pianist Timothy Mount and soprano Amy Nelson will perform works ranging from Bach to Gershwin, including Brahms’ much beloved songs Longing at Rest and Cradle Song of the Virgin, Ferenc Farkas’ lively Rumanian Dances, and the lush, exotic songs of early 20th century American composer Charles Martin Loeffler, set to poems by Verlaine and Baudelaire.

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Work underway to replace Route 73 roadside barriers

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Concrete Barricades to be Replaced with New Railing to Allow For Unimpeded Views; Segments of Route 73 to Be Resurfaced

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez announced that work is underway on a $8.3 million project to replace concrete barriers and portions of guiderail along three segments of State Route 73 in the towns of Keene and North Elba, Essex County, with new railing that will allow travelers to better enjoy the scenic views while maintaining safety. The project includes a stretch of Route 73 along Upper and Lower Cascade Lakes that is part of the annual Lake Placid Ironman course. Work will be completed by late fall, ahead of the Lake Placid 2023 International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games coming this January.

Monday, March 28, 2022

Telling Our Stories: The Adirondack Story Project

by Lorraine Duvall

We are blessed to have quality news outlets in the Adirondacks – local newspapers and magazines, social media, and including, of course, the Adirondack Almanack and Explorer. These resources are place-based and provide us with the current news and events. They also serve as archival records for future generations.

Since 2014, I’ve shared a number of my stories on the Adirondack Almanack. There are more avenues for telling one’s stories now, eight years later, primarily through the perfection of online resources because of the Covid-19 pandemic and our resultant isolation.

I want to introduce readers of the Almanack to a project for recording audio stories which began a few years ago through the Keene Valley Library. To date, this Adirondack Community Story Project has collected over 250 three-to-five-minute audio stories on the historical and social cultural history of the Town of Keene.