Keene Valley – The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) is gearing up for a summer of diverse educational programs on the importance of reporting, managing and preventing the spread of invasive species by offering a free summer education series. On June 9, APIPP will celebrate New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week with two programs, one field trip and one webinar.
Ruth Kuhfahl died at age 99 on March 22, 2023 and her indomitable spirit will be greatly missed. Her story is the perfect example of the importance of capturing the stories of our elders, according to Jery Huntley, OurStoryBridge, Inc. President.
“We in the Town of Keene mourn a life well lived and a spirit that can guide us all into our elder years,” said Huntley.
Listen to “Almost 98 and Still Kickin” by Ruth Kuhfahl, an interview with Jery Huntley on July 9, 2021 at this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/29fa4c3cb94345a1bd795c7755bb43a5/
(Story #2 of our sharing series shared with permission from Adirondack Community, courtesy of OurStoryBridge, Inc.)
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. 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.
By Lorraine Duvall
March 25, 2023 – A dear Adirondack friend, Ruth Kuhfahl, died March 22, 2023 at the Adirondack Health hospital in Saranac Lake after experiencing a stroke at the age of 99. She was known for her many contributions to multiple organizations in the Adirondacks. Ruth began hiking and paddling in the High Peaks region in the 1970s with her friends from the Buffalo chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club. They hosted a reunion for her 95th birthday with a hike to John’s Brook Lodge in 2015.
Friend, Karen Boldis, told me that they hummed Pomp & Circumstance as they approached the lodge. Karen said, “I loved seeing Ruth hike with a set of pearls! Every person who passed us on the trail either coming or going in seemed to know Ruth.”
KEENE VALLEY, NY- The Book & Blanket Players, sponsored by East Branch Friends of the Arts (EBFA), has been producing youth musicals-in-a-week summer theatre for 12 years in Keene Valley, usually at Keene Central School. This year the theatrical adventure continues with both performances at the Keene Valley Country Club (KVCC) in Keene Valley.
For the past two years, due to pandemic constraints, the Book & Blanket Players sought outdoor and alternative performance venues.
Join Adirondack favorites the Trillium Chamber Players Sunday, June 5th 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.
‘The Bakery’ concert series ‘Music for Contemplation’ will present four performances this Spring featuring musicians from Keene Valley, New York City, Rochester, and Chazy. Each performance will
center on music composed post 1900 including original works and improvisation. The series will be presented in collaboration with Old Mountain Coffee in Keene Valley and will be curated to present music which is meditative, relaxing, and experimental.
Each ‘Bakery’ concert is carefully curated to focus on sharing music and musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds including classical, pop, avante-garde, jazz, and improvisation. ‘The Bakery’ indicates the involvement of Gene and Esther BAKER, but also the idea of a place one can peruse a variety of musical treats and find something new to experience. Past performances have included music by Maurice Ravel, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, and Steve Reich, together with graphic scores, microtones, kitchen matches (yes, you read correctly!), improvisation with text, electronic music, cello duos and more.
It’s not every day that Keene Valley hosts Actors Equity Association (AEA) actors, but thanks to East Branch Friends of the Arts (EBFA), three members of the union for professional stage artists will take center stage at the Keene Valley Congregational Church on Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m and Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m.
September 29, 2021 marked the one-year anniversary of OurStoryBridge, the free online resource and tool kit for producing crowdsourced, web-based community story projects. And with this anniversary comes the launch of several oral history projects OurStoryBridge has inspired across the United States, with even more to follow.
The tool kit, posted on www.ourstorybridge.org, has received national interest from librarians, historical societies, teachers, and other organizations beyond the original expectations of its creators.
The Book & Blanket Players, sponsored by East Branch Friends of the Arts (EBFA), has been producing youth musicals-in-a-week summer theatre for 11 years in Keene Valley, usually at Keene Central School.
This year the theatrical adventure continues with an emphasis on flexibility and outdoor rehearsals and performance. The Keene Valley Library will serve as the hub and the performance will be on the lawn at the Neighborhood House on July 17 at 1 PM and outdoors at the Holt House at Marcy Field in Keene Valley at 3 PM on July 18. The production is a new and improved original musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice” with lyrics by Kathleen Recchia, music by Kathleen Recchia and Sam Balzac and arrangements by Sam Balzac. The original musical is written in the style of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lerner & Loewe.
Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve will make free hard copies of its guidebook Pathways to a Connected Adirondack Park available during its Keene Valley meeting on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at the Keene Valley Congregational Church.
The illustrated guidebook, authored by conservation biologist Dr. Michael Klemens, was written to de-mystify the process of ecologically-informed land use and development for a general audience. It defines and describes the threat to people and wildlife of fragmentation of large contiguous areas in the Adirondack Park by being broken up into ever smaller, isolated patches of land. The publications describes ten strategies for localities and for regional entities like the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to adopt which can lead to better land use decisions that avoid or minimize fragmentation, reduce the ecological footprint of development and still accommodate vibrant human communities, working forests and outdoor recreation. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve is set to hold its 2019 Annual Meeting of Members and Friends on Saturday, October 12 at the Keene Valley Congregational Church in Keene Valley. The meeting begins with program news, elections and announcements at 11 am. » Continue Reading.
The Keene Valley Library is set to host a 100 Story Celebration for the multi-year local history project, Adirondack Community: Capturing, Retaining, and Communicating the Stories of Who We Are, on Saturday, September 14th, from 2 to 4 pm. Light refreshments will be served.
The multi-year local history project collects and organizes audio stories and related photographs from Town of Keene community members through an online platform to share the unique social and cultural history of Keene. » Continue Reading.
During an afternoon lunch at the Adirondack Mountain Coffee Café in Upper Jay with Ruth Kuhfahl, there is hardly a face in the place she doesn’t recognize, though, she tells me, at 95 she often has to say to some, “Now, help me remember where our paths have crossed.” » Continue Reading.
The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter has announced one Adirondack conservation associate, two freshwater stream barrier assessment technicians, and one invasive species management steward have been added to their summer staff.
The Conservancy’s Adirondack Conservation Associate program gives motivated young professionals a start in conservation through on-the-job experience. In addition to tackling a specific lead project, the associate is expected to work across departments to gain interdisciplinary experience from professional staff in conservation science, fundraising, environmental stewardship, and communications. » Continue Reading.
Latest News Headlines
Latest News Headlines
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.
General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor Melissa Hart.
To advertise on the Adirondack Almanack, or to receive information on rates and design, please click here.Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox
Help us keep bringing you the Adirondack information you value.
Email
Twitter
RSS
Facebook
Tales of the Adirondacks, Past & Present: Who Was That? by Paul Martin
Our next OurStoryBridge story share is titled, Who Was That? by Paul Martin. In this story that he recounted for Adirondack Community, Martin shares a fascinating tale about how a young man who worked as a caddy at the Ausable Club located in Keene Valley once met a celebrity. To listen to this story in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/593def99a0204b74a12e293672d4d906/
» Continue Reading.