NORTH COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE • VOL. 4 NO. 3
Vol. 4 No. 3
Into the mines: What was it like to work hundreds of feet underground?
FALL 2015
Straw House
Bolton couple builds unique straw bale home off the beaten path
The intriguing history of the Dude Ranch Trail in the Adirondacks Tough guy actor Charles Bronson now rests in Vermont
Corridor of Sacrifice
Adirondack Americorps Program tackles conservation programs in the region
North Country Living Staff Writer Thom Randall
Editor John Gereau johng@suncommunitynews.com
thom@suncommunitynews.com
General Manager DJ Alexander
Writer David Press
Vol. 4 No.3
Published by Sun Community News and Printing 14 Hand Avenue, Elizabethtown, NY 12932 (518) 873-6368, Fax: 873-6360 New Market Press, Inc. 16 Creek Road, Suite 5, Middlebury, VT 05753 (802) 388-6397, Fax: (802) 388-6399
Editor’s Note
September/October/November 2015
A
s I write this, it is a searing 92 degrees outside. We are officially in what the weather prognosticators like to term a “heat wave” — three straight days of 90 degrees or more. The old timers wallowing in a booth at Stewart’s would say something like “enjoy it while it lasts, cold weather will be here before you know it,” and our beaches are laden with sun worshipers. Me? I hate it. Swatting deer flies while the mixture of sunblock and sweat stings my eyes? Nope. Not for me. I say bring on the crisp cool days of autumn. I like nothing better than the feel of a flannel shirt on my back and Smartwool socks on my feet. Then there is hunting season — oh glorious hunting season. My solace. Pulling into camp with the laughter of family and friends emanating. Rehashing hunts of days gone by around the dinner table. Drifting off to sleep in my bunk to the smell of woodsmoke. Give me fall year round. And with it comes our fall edition of North Country Living Magazine. I’m constantly stopped on the street these days by people who shower me with accolades about the quality of writing in this free publication — and I think you’ll find this edition will not disappoint. Inside you will find an intriguing feature about the allure of geocaching in the region, an historical perspective on how the southern Adirondacks came to be known as “Dude Ranch Trail,” a look into the lives of the men who worked hundreds of feet underground in the Cheever Mine, a feature on a man who built his home from straw and an in-depth expose on how a group of young conservationists work diligently to improve the park they love. Along with that, there is an awesome photo essay on our local bird of prey known as the osprey, many of which were taken by our Productions Manager and budding photographer extraordinaire Bill Coats and much, much more. So, pull on your favorite flannel and enjoy the read. And don’t forget to shop local — it benefits us all and is the reason we are able to produce this high quality publication that is free for our readers to enjoy.
Thank you and I’ll see you in the winter.
John Gereau, Managing Editor
dj@suncommunitynews.com
davidmpress@gmail.com
Writer Pete DeMola
Writer Ryan Edwards
pete@suncommunitynews.com
ryan@suncommunitynews.com
Writer Teah Dowling
Writer Lou Varricchio
teah@suncommunitynews.com
lou@addison-eagle.com
Writer Andrew Johnstone
NY Publisher Dan Alexander
andrew@suncommunitynews. com
dan@suncommunitynews.com
Writer Keith Lobdell
VT Publisher Ed Coats vermonttimes@gmail.com
keith@suncommunitynews.com
Sales Team Ashley Alexander David Allaire Tom Bahre Becky Barnes Mark Brady Ashley Charron Thomas Hollingsworth Jaimee Kuhl
Heidi Littelfield Scarlette Merfeld Amy Schryer Leslie teRiele Ciara Thompson Tanya Welch Beth Wells Susan Zacharenko
To advertise in our next edition contact Ashley at 518-873-6368 ext 105 or e-mail ashley@suncommunitynews.com
Graphics Team Heather Lamb Kelly Bresett Kerry O’Neil
Richele Young Wanda Cox Laurie Goff
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4 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
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CONTENTS Vol. 4 No. 3
Features Adirondack Cowboys
8
The legacy of the Dude Ranch Trail
Huff & Puff
16
This is one straw house you cannot blow down
Into the Mines
20
The story of the men & women working below ground
Plane Crash
26
Tragedy & Redemption after a 1957 airplane crash
Marathoners
34
Long distance running ahead of the trend
Working as One
42
The SCA tackles sustainability and conservation
Adirondack Life
58
Magazine has its roots right here at Denton
The Blacksmith
64
Making beautiful art with steel and fire
A1 NORTH COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE • VOL. 4 NO. 3
On The Cover
Vol. 4 No. 3
Cover photo take by Aspiring Photography by Jessica Capturing memories one click a time. Photographer Jessica Thompson of Elizabethtown, New York.
Into the mines: What was it like to work hundreds of feet underground?
Phone: (518) 873-3292 Email: jthompsonphotography@yahoo.com FALL 2015
nclmagazine.com
Straw House
Bolton couple builds unique straw bale home off the beaten path
The intriguing history of the Dude Ranch Trail in the Adirondacks Tough guy actor Charles Bronson now rests in Vermont
Corridor of Sacrifice
Adirondack Americorps Program tackles conservation programs in the region
Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 5
-
CONTENTS June/July/August 2015
Features A Green Thumb
98
One woman has helped transform downtown Lake George
Tough Guy
102
Actor Charles Bronson once called Vermont home
Geocaching The allure of this unique hobby is catching on locally
54
110
Social Scene Antiques
30
Take a tour on the southern Adirondack antique trail
Living Lucky
48
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino offers something for everyone
Carving History
68
54
The legacy of a chainsaw carving family
Q&A
68
NCL has a conversation with Vermonter Bill Brooks
Vermont’s Famous People
80
A sample of well-known Vermont residents
Eye on the Arts
94
Young’s Studio in Jay is a family affair
Community Calendar The most inclusive events calendar in the region ... bar none
120
110
B y R ya n Ed wa rd s
How the
West hijacked was
The lasting legacy of the ADIRONDACK COWBOY along the DUDE RANCH TRAIL The Adirondack Park is characterized by a cultural affinity to the natural world — similar sentiments to those which fueled the great American westward expansion, which was nearing its end at the close of the 19th century as the movement to preserve the Adirondacks began to win favor among New York state lawmakers. For a bunch of Yankees, you might be surprised by how successfully Adirondackers have captured America’s wild western spirit, with a 90-year history of dude ranches and recurring rodeos throughout the Park designed to encapsulate the romantic cowboy spirit that defined that era in American history. Around the mid-20th century, dude ranches began to crop up all around the North Country — with more than 30 in Warren County alone in the 1950s — and, while many flickered out around the 80s, the Adirondacks is still home to a scenic byway called the “Dude Ranch Trail,” which makes a 40-mile loop through Lake George, Lake Luzerne, Stony Creek and Warrensburg, passing a number of ranches and rodeos along the way. The number of ranches and rodeos along the trail has diminished significantly over the years, however, down to only four today. Now almost a century later, two local women have teamed up to preserve this unique bit of Adirondack history with an annual weekend-long “Ranchers, Rodeos and Wranglers” event, which just saw its third year running this summer and is scheduled to return to Lake Luzerne on Friday, July 22,
2016. Together with Stony Creek Town Historian Cindy Cameron, First Wilderness Heritage Coordinator Pam Morin designed the event as a reunion of Adirondack cowboys and cowgirls, at which to reminisce the early days of the Adirondack dude ranch experience. They also use the event to induct some of the most notable cowboys into the “Cowboy Hall of Fame,” honoring those who worked to establish and maintain nearly a century and counting of equine adventure for visitors to the region. “There is a tremendous amount of history, and it needs to be told — it needs a home,” Pam said in an interview. While Pam is admittedly not a cowgirl herself, she is wife to lifelong Adirondack cowboy Bob Morin — known today by North Country residents as the driver of the pickup towing “Big Bob,” the iconic giant bull statue used to advertise the Painted Pony Rodeo — and mother to Shana Graham, whom together with her husband Shawn owns the Painted Pony Ranch, one of the four holdouts on the Dude Ranch Trail. Undeniably there remains a heavy Western presence in the Adirondacks today — chiefly within Warren County — yet, one’s natural inclination is to ask, “Why?” How has a mythology that originated hundreds of miles away maintained such a significant hold in a region so antithetical to the sprawling plains and prairies of the American west?
continued on page 10
Well, according to Pam, the answer is more bizarre than you might think. Or, maybe it’s exactly what you think. The visionary who came to the North Country, the wild west in tow, arrived in the Adirondacks with one goal in mind: to market cowboys to young, single women. Rumor has it that early in the 20th century cowboy Earl Woodward, born in Forest, Ohio in 1891, pointed to a random spot on a map in search of a location to bring his cowboy-hookup-service dream to life. Where did his finger land? Stony Creek, N.Y. of course. From there, Woodward set to work, buying up real estate with large kitchens, lots of land and cabins on-site, transforming them into dude ranches and flipping them to local entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on the dreamy-eyed, leather-clad young men who began to filter in from the western states. The result was a full-fledged calf ropin’, steer wrestlin’ dude ranch empire, within which were born the first ever Adirondack cowboys. According to Pam, these men were up at the crack of dawn to tend to the horses — which included clean-up duty — give lessons and lead rides all the live-long day, but, when evening fell, they were expected to be showered, shaved and ready to meet the girls out on the dance floor to “fall in love each and every night.” This business model was successful for years, but given the budding reputation of the Lake George region as a family destination, over time most Adirondack dude ranches went out of business, and those remaining underwent a bit of re-branding, growing into the inclusive family-oriented resorts they are today. The following is a brief synopsis of the histories of the four Adirondack dude ranches that continue to carry the flame first lit by Woodward nearly a century ago: A guided trail ride at modern-day 1,000 Acres Ranch Resort.
1,OOO ACRES
A cowboy struggles to last eight seconds on the back of a bull at the Painted Pony Rodeo. Date unknown.
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Founded in 1942 by John and Ester Arehart, 1,000 Acres Ranch Resort — known for decades as “the Cadillac of ranching” — was converted into a dude ranch from Buena Vista (Beautiful View) Farm, and has remained in the Arehart family for 73 years, offering guests a taste of the Wild West in an unlikely, yet strangely fitting environment — along the banks of the Hudson river in Stony Creek. The first Adirondack rodeo was held at 1,000 Acres in 1949, right on the side of the road where today stands a basketball court and main house, and in 1958 a barn and rodeo arena were erected on the property which filled its stands with delighted spectators for decades to come. In 1964, ownership of the ranch was passed down to its founders’ son and daughter-in-law Jack and Polly Arehart, who were infants when it first opened, yet have overseen its operation for over half a century. The ranch has seen a number of significant changes over the years, including the destruction by fire and reconstruction of the Red Dog Saloon — once joined to the main office by an underground tunnel — the 1971 addition of a still-active 9-hole golf course and clubhouse and a now-defunct sister ranch in nearby Thurman called Sittin’ Bull, as well as the loss of a motel-style building to Superstorm Sandy. Montana cowboy Jim Cavanagh, a lifetime member of the Pro-
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“Parents tend to ask, ‘But what is there for my kids to do?’” she said. “Then, when they get here, they are amazed how tired out their kids are at the end of the day.” This comes as no surprise, as the ranch employs a children’s activities director whose duties include organizing field trips, hikes and games for tiring out the kids while their parents recover from their night at the Red Dog before reuniting for their daily trail ride. Adding ranch-wide WiFi helped too, she said.
RIDIN HY
fessional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association, served as the manager of horse operations and rodeos at 1,000 Acres for 40 years. His widow Jeanie, a cowgirl herself, still owns and operates Rafter J Western Store in Warrensburg, which the couple opened together in 1980. Today the ranch offers the standard resort amenities — two outdoor pools, an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, rowboats on the Hudson and various forms of “unplugged” entertainment — yet still it is most noted for its horseback riding through the trails of the surrounding Adirondack forest, guided by resident cowboys and cowgirls, many of whom come straight from the western states and spend the season living and working amongst the guests. From the moment guests arrive at the property — which, although mainly accessed by car, has its own stop along the route of the Saratoga-North Creek Railway — there is no need for them to leave for the entirety of their stay, and many don’t. The entire ranch experience is designed to bring people together; all three meals are served daily in-house, family style, inviting guests to coalesce around 10-top tables and form bonds that may last for an evening, a week or continue for years. In fact, many loyal guests make a yearly pilgrimage to the ranch, some spanning over the course of decades and generations. Certain weeks are even titled after the groups who return on those dates year after year, each with its own traditions and mythologies. 1,000 Acres’ current owners have managed to stay true to the simplicity of its founders’ original vision, so much so that there aren’t even TVs in the rooms. And cell service is highly unlikely. According to Polly, this is becoming an increasingly difficult pitch to contemporary guests, who expect to remain plugged in to the outside world at all times, even up in the mountains.
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Only 25 miles away from 1,000 Acres in nearby Warrensburg, another long-time staple of the Dude Ranch Trail, Ridin Hy Ranch, is going strong after 75 years. Ridin Hy was first opened in 1940 on a property that was once home to a girls’ camp. Purchased by a son of German immigrants named Ed Carstens for its geographical assets, namely Sherman Lake and the 700 acres of surrounding forest, Ridin Hy began as a Woodward-approved haven for single women. Carstens and his wife Orabel added to the original 12-cabin ranch over the decades, including a main lodge built by Carstens and two helpers in 1948. In 1970 the Carstens’ children Gary, Susan and son-in-law Andy Beadnell took over the ranch, and the operating season was extended year after year until finally remaining open year-round for the first time in 1975. Hardships are bound to befall any business nearing a century of operation, and Ridin Hy is no exception, having also endured a devastating fire in 1982 which leveled the ranch’s main lodge. 170 guests’ vacations were cut short, but in 10 days’ time Ridin Hy had reopened, using a converted barn as its headquarters while a new main lodge was built from trees cut down on the property. By the end of that same year Ridin Hy was back to business as usual, and soon an indoor pool was added to the lodge. Today, the ranch has grown into a family-friendly resort, owned and operated by Susan and Andy Beadnell’s three sons — Tod, Tim and Troy, all of whom were raised on the ranch — and Tim and Troys’s wives Patience and Carrie. From their family-style dining to their choice of accommodations — cabin or motel-style rooms — and, naturally, their horseback riding lessons, Ridin Hy is similar to 1,000 Acres in many ways. One major difference between the two is Ridin Hy’s offering of winter activities, which includes downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, snowmobiling, downhill tubing and ice fishing. The ranch continues to host weekly rodeos from May through September at their on-site rodeo arena.
ROARING BROOK
Now advertised as a tennis resort and conference center, Roaring Brook Ranch began as a dream of Albany realtor Joseph Garry Sr., who purchased the “South Farm” of Lake George’s Worden
continued on page 12
Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 11
Hotel off State Route 9N, just two miles from the Village, to build his own dude ranch. But World War II was raging during the years in which he hoped to realize his dude ranch dreams, and a shortage of building material and supplies protracted his efforts considerably. Rather than wallow in his misfortune, Joe capitalized on this setback, using it as an opportunity to redesign and transform a twostory barn on the property into the ranch’s main lodge. The upper level, containing the dining room and lounge, could be accessed by guests straight from the riding arena, and the lower level offered a game room for rainy days and downtime between rides. The war saw its final battle in 1945, Roaring Brook Ranch saw its
Opening day at the Roaring Brook Ranch. 1946.
first season in 1946, and it has continued to thrive as a popular stop along the Dude Ranch Trail ever since. Montana cowboy Cal Wyse, who met the love of his life at the ranch — Carol Lee of Long Island — spent 27 years as corral boss at Roaring Brook, bringing with him a fresh crop of authentic cowboys to serve as wranglers. Joe Sr. had two sons: Jack and Joe Jr., both of whom grew up at Roaring Brook, but Jack eventually settled in Albany to focus on his law career while Joe Jr. had a more active role at the ranch, raising three children there, all of whom helped out at the front desk and in the dining rooms over the years. But it was a cousin, cowboy George Green, who rose to the rank of general manager. Green’s daughters were “young assistants” at the ranch this summer, and Joe Sr.’s great-granddaughter Andrea Jacobs-Merlow serves as both event coordinator and pool-side cabana girl. Joe Jr. and Juanita’s son Jeff began his ranching career at 7 years old when he mowed the lawns with a grass whip, and he now serves as the assistant general manager, a position he has held for the last 38 years. Roaring Brook has evolved over the years, adding pools, three tennis courts, saunas and fitness rooms to the property, but one staple of the dude ranch experience remains unchanged: 25 horses ready to ride the Adirondack trails as they have for nearly 80 years.
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PAINTED PONY Hosting the oldest weekly rodeo in the United States, Painted Pony Ranch has been a staple of the Dude Ranch Trail since its conception, welcoming its first paying guests in 1947. The story of the Painted Pony begins in 1943, however, when Walt Isaacson of New York City reportedly declared to a friend, “I’m going to look for property somewhere in the Adirondacks and I’m going to build a dude ranch.” After nearly a year of correspondence with realtors in the Adirondacks, Isaacson received a letter from the Earl Woodward, the “Baron of Bolton” himself, with whom he made a deal to purchase a ranch just off State Route 9N in Lake Luzerne. After conducting a survey with his wife Betty, the Painted Pony was chosen from a list of 30 possible names. What set the Painted Pony apart from other ranches was that its owners employed the unusual strategy of marketing their ranch as a family destination, as much of their competition discouraged children. “If they don’t want the kids, we’ll take them,” Isaacson is reported as saying. The Painted Pony solidified its reputation as the “family ranch” with a Sept. 4, 1949 feature article by John Hughes in “Wheels, Keels and Wings,” the effect of which ushered in a new era for the ranch. In 1950 Don “Wild Horse” Baxter married the Isaacsons’ daughter Janie, and the couple set out for Montana in search of new horses for the ranch to be shipped by rail back to Lake Luzerne. They spent that entire winter rounding up 20 wild horses from the Montana plains, which arrived in Luzerne the following spring, drawing a crowd of on-lookers who lined the street to watch the fivemile horse drive from the station to the ranch. Even the school children were allowed to watch out the windows as the horses trotted up the street. Wild Horse spent months earning his moniker by personally
Contestants pose for a photo after the Adirondack Rodeo, now known as the Painted Pony Rodeo, in 1953, the year of its conception.
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1,000 Acres Ranch Resort founders John and Ester Arehart.
breaking each horse before he would accept the assistance of his barn boy and two cowboys, his only two employees at the time. But Baxter wasn’t satisfied with only offering rides to his guests at the ranch, and at his suggestion a rodeo arena was built on the property which hosted 10 rodeos on Friday nights throughout the summer. In fact, Baxter traveled to 1,000 Acres Ranch to measure their arena for his dimensions. The Painted Pony saw its first rodeo, known as the Adirondack Rodeo at the time, on the last Friday in June, 1953, at which Don and Janie led the grand entry, the American flag and the Painted Pony flag flapping in the breeze behind them. Over the course of the following six decades, the ranch stopped taking in guests and began to focus solely on its award-winning rodeo. Ownership of the Painted Pony exchanged hands a few times as well, until it was purchased by its current owner, Shawn Graham, in 2001. Shawn and his wife Shana have grown the ranch considerably since taking the helm, including covering the grandstands and overseeing the reconstruction of the on-site Longhorn Saloon which was completely destroyed in a fire. Today the Painted Pony hosts 30 rodeos at the ranch and 35 on the road each year, which continues to fill the stands with residents and visitors to the area alike, and to provide a place for Adirondack cowboys and cowgirls to show their stuff.
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KEEP ON TROTTING While certainly ‘times they are a-changin’,’ these few holdouts on the Dude Ranch Trail have managed to adapt to the climate of the 21st century, and they continue to ensure that the tradition and folklore of the old American west remain in our collective consciousness, reminding us Adirondackers that we are not all that different from the cowboys of old. Many of us prefer a well-fed campfire and a night out sleeping under the stars to the banality of the urban doldrums and a sea of backlit screens; after-all, an appreciation for of all things wild and free was the driving force behind the establishment of our beloved Adirondack Park, and it is the reason the Adirondacks continue today to serve as the site of a peaceful cohabitation between man and nature — the only one like it in the world.
14 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
Can you see why Earl Woodward had such success marketing these cowboys to young, single women?
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huff & puff you’ll never blow this...
Yuliana and David Cummings stand by a solar panel that provides power to their Bolton hillside home built with straw bales. Their timber-frame house, independently solar powered and off the grid, produces the electricity for their lights and appliances year-round, at no ongoing cost. Photo by Thom Randall
StrawHouse
down.
Couple builds straw-bale home — solar powered & off-the-grid
16 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
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By Thom Randall
A
t the top of the stairway to the first floor of his wellappointed three-story hillside home, David E. Cummings paused as he pulled a framed map of Lake George off the adobe-finished wall. “If people who visit don’t believe we live in a straw-built home, I show them this,” he said with a grin. Underneath the painting was an non-plastered rectangle revealing tightlypacked straw underneath inch-thick adobe. “We call this our ‘Truth Window,’” Cummings added. For many people, the fact that Cummings and his wife Yuliana built and live in a new home built with straw bales is difficult to comprehend. Whether it’s the image of the big bad wolf of the classic Three Little Pigs story blowing the straw house down, or concerns over how straw could withstand weather or hold up a roof, some people are perplexed. The truth is, however, that straw bale homes are indeed strong, and they provide remarkable insulation as well as being environmentally friendly and comfortable, while providing a sense of connection with nature, their advocates say. Like the traditional adobe homes in New Mexico, the 20-inchdeep walls of the Cummings house — tightly packed straw cov-
ered inside and out with inch-thick adobe compound — keep the house’s interior temperatures comfortable year-round, day and night. The energy efficiency of the Cummings’ home extends beyond the straw factor — it’s not only solar-powered, but it’s totally independent, off-the-grid. It’s heated in winter by a moderate amount of split-wood fuel. Straw-bale homes are also environmentally friendly, alternative builders say, because they are constructed with a material that grows in a few months, rather than decades. Straw also doesn’t emit toxic gases or disperse harmful particles, like most insulation, drywall and paint products. But while many homes built with unconventional methods are usually primitive, the Cummings’ 2,700-square-feet home has a bright, airy interior that blends a contemporary feeling with an historic ambiance. The home has a timber-frame skeleton that is fleshed out with hundreds of stacked straw bales serving as the walls. Its dozens of massive upright beams — harvested from the southern Adirondacks — are tethered to the ceiling joists with knee braces featuring mortise-and-tenon joints secured with oak pegs — like homes from centuries ago.
continued on page 18
Yuliana and David Cummings cuddle their one-year-old daughter Eleanor in the living room of their solar-powered home constructed with stacked straw bales and adobe. All the rooms feature rough hewn post-and-beam construction. The home’s dozens of massive upright beams are tethered to the ceiling joists with knee braces featuring mortise-and-tenon joints secured with oak pegs, like houses were built centuries ago. Photo by Thom Randall
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Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 17
Years of research, hard work pay off
Yuliana and David Cummings watch their one-year-old baby Eleanor practice her walking skills this week in the family’s spacious, innovative home on a Bolton hillside. Photo by Thom Randal
Their path to an earth-friendly home Recently David and Yuliana reminisced about what influenced them to build their solar-powered home with straw, as well as the process and the hardships involved. While David Cummings was raised in a Long Island suburb, Yuliana grew up in an apartment in Belarus. In 1992, David’s family moved to live in Bolton full-time. In her youth, Yuliana spent summers at her grandparents’ home in the Ukraine — helping them tend to their large community garden plot. For years, they grew tomatoes, grapes apples and Yuliana’s grandfather made his own wine. Both her grandmother and mother were good cooks, and well-versed in traditional self-sufficiency skills, she said. Originally a college-educated rock musician, David learned construction skills in his 20s, and worked for years building luxury homes around Lake George. David met Yuliana when she was employed in Lake George during summer 2000 on a work visa. The two were married a year later. Together, the two developed interest in sustainability. David became disillusioned with building luxury homes, he said. “Building McMansions — the waste of natural resources — it just didn’t feel good to me,” he said. David and Yuliana initially built a tiny, modest house on property they’d bought in 2003 on Edgecomb Pond Road. They lived in this home built with scrap lumber and salvaged windows while they considered how they’d construct their permanent home. This first home, which they call “The Shack,” now serves as David’s carpentry workshop. Together, they helped launch Bolton’s farmers market, selling their homemade pies and free-range chickens. David quit conventional home-building, and started his own enterprise in fine carpentry, crafting furniture, cabinets, and home built-ins. He’s now added crafting wooden homewares and creating fine photographs to his pursuits. His work can be seen at shackvalley.com.
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For their own permanent home, they first considered passive-solar construction. After further study, they pursued solar power, which they had incorporated into The Shack. “The discovery of one approach led to another,” David said. Later, their research into sustainable construction evolved towards straw-bale methodology as well as fully independent solar power, David said. “We first thought, ‘straw built, is this for real?’ But soon, we were hooked,” David said. David helped build a strawbale house in Washington County, which propelled them further down the path towards building one for themselves. David and Yuliana evaluated the advantages and drawbacks of their planned enviro-home — the deficits were primarily the difficulty obtaining permits and financing due to the unconventional construction. David spent countless hours researching straw-bale construction techniques, as well as evaluating and preparing designs for their home. His exhaustive research included figuring out the ideal length of roof overhang and positioning of windows to maximize light and heat during the winter, while minimizing heat gain in summer months. He also devised the 10 layers of insulation and moisture barriers just underneath the roof. With the help of Bolton neighbor Bill Campbell, David also designed the 3,000-watt solar power system, with its 16 golf-cart batteries and various charging and control devices. He and Yuliana sought and secured initial construction financing from Hudson River Community Credit Union — a substantial feat for a straw-bale, off-the-grid home. Construction of the house started in 2009. Following the excavation for the foundation by Campbell, David and three other workers began by building sections of the timber frame, raising them module by module. This process took about five months. The rough-sawn timbers came primarily from a sawmill in Thurman. With winter approaching, the workers covered the looming framework temporarily with plywood and a plastic membrane so it would not deteriorate from the weather. In 2010, David enlisted Jonah Vitale Wolff of Grafton NY, considered an expert in straw-bale construction, for the strawbale setting. He also recruited people experienced in alternative construction as well as volunteers hailing from Ithaca and New Paltz, the Albany area and Massachusetts. In just five days, the tightly-packed straw bales were set around the timbers in an overlapping pattern, as bricks would be laid. The bales were secured in place by driving long wooden stakes vertically through them. Soon after, the adobe mud was plastered to the bales on the outside and inside surfaces with trowels or a spray gun. This initial process also took five days. David finished off this work in two more weeks, on his own. David handled most all the plumbing, electrical construction work, as well as installing the solar control devices. He installed an on-demand hot water system to not only feed to the sinks and other fixtures, but to circulate water through a system of radiant
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heating tubes sunk in the basement’s concrete floor. This system provides backup emergency heat for the house. “Designing and building this house consumed most all my time for three years,” he said. Yuliana worked on the home during evenings and weekends, time off from her job as accounting clerk for the Warren County Treasurer’s office. David and Yuliana finished off the interior walls with a quarter-inch of lime plaster, topped off with a natural glaze. The couple moved into their home in 2012, at first living in the third-floor loft while they finished the first floor interior, David said. The couple then tackled the second-floor interior construction work, which they continue to focus on. The straw and adobe materials allow them to express their artistic sensibilities — including carving out cubbies into the walls where they wish. The straw also makes the home exceptionally quiet, quelling both exterior and interior noises. “The memory of all the hard work building our home is still fresh in my head,” David said, noting the hardships, which included learning straw-bale logistics and “dealing with the unknown,” including financing. Glens Falls National Bank granted them their long-term loan. Those challenges are now memories, David said, noting that the only real disadvantage they’ve encountered — besides plucking a few sprouts growing out of their wall — is that he and Yuliana must schedule their winter laundry loads on sunny winter days, due to their solar power limitations. This latter issue is far outweighed by two advantages — never paying another utility bill and avoiding power outages. “We now experience pure joy over our home,” David said. “One would think it’s crazy to construct a straw-built home off the grid — but it works, and I get a lot of satisfaction from that.” Yuliana added her thoughts, including how well the thick straw-and-adobe walls retain the sun’s heat in winter and reradiate it at night, while soaking up excess heat during the summer and dissipating it. She said the house’s interior temperature stays at about 70 degrees in winter, and it doesn’t go above 75 degrees in summer — no air conditioning is needed. “The construction was trying at times and a long process — it was a learning experience — but we made it through and we now have a beautiful house,” she said. “People feel very comfortable here.” And about that age-old story of the three little pigs? Yuliana now reads it to their one-year-old toddler Eleanor in Russian, David said. He added that in several years, they’ll have to add a disclaimer to the tale. “When she’s five or so, we’ll have to explain to her it’s all just a myth,” he said.
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Into the Mines A look at the iron-rich history of the town of Moriah
Archie Rosenquist talks about an iron ore display at the Iron Center Museum, including a large rock which was donated by an Albany woman who found her father had kept the ore as a momentum from his time in the mines.
Sitting on a bench at the Iron Center Museum, Archie Rosenquist eagerly awaits those who travel to Port Henry to learn more about a past that was carved out thousands of feet below the buildings and roadways here. The story of iron in the Moriah area dates back to the 19th century, when iron ore beds were first worked. The Cheever Mine, located just north of the Port Henry hamlet, started to be an economic driver in the 1850s, attracting many to set up shop in the region. Names like Witherbee, Sherman Company and Republic Steel became the pillars of the community through the 19th and into the late 20th centuries.
In the mines
Rosenquist came into the community of miners with his family. “I was a mining camp merchant coming from Colorado,” he said. “My father came here for work and I ended up working in the mines from 1951 until 1968.” Archie was a third generation miner, with his grandfather having a working gold mine in the backyard of his house. “My dad followed him and worked in the mines,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of playmates when I was young so I hung around with my dad in the mines and would work with him.”
Archie, who would later become a industrial safety officer, then added, “I think OSHA would have had a fit if they had been around back then and seen me down there.” However, the experience paid off for Rosenquist, as he was hired on to a job which was “one of the best around.” “In 1951, I would make 90 cents an hour as a laborer,” said the miner who eventually made his way up the line to repairman, hoistman and eventually an assistant mining engineer. “It was like any other factory job, to me,” Rosenquist said. “You came to work, clocked in for your shift and went through your day. Shifts were 7
a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sometimes you would work a shift—and—a—half and other times a double.” The main difference with this factory job, however, was the plant was located well underground. “For B shaft, you would go down 4,000 feet, walk 1,500 feet and go down some more,” Rosenquist remembered. “The mines would start around 1,300—to—1,400 feet above lake level and go down to the bottom level, which was 2,450 feet lower than lake level — not under the lake, they just used lake level as a measurement instead of sea level.” Like any career, Rosenquist said mining was a “way of life” for those in Mineville and Witherbee, which were populated almost entirely by miners and their families. He added it did not take long to find out who would make it in the business. “New employees would come in, go down for a day or two, and you would never see them again,” he said. “If you were at all claustrophobic, you were not going to make it. For me, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back into the mines.” In 1968, his final year working the mines, Rosenquist said he was involved in discussions about bringing new systems into the mine. “They were trying to justify a new system and they elected not to do it,” he said.“That’s when I decided I needed to find a career with a little more future to it.”
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The end
Rosenquist said shutdowns and employee strikes were a regular part of the business, leading to work stoppages from time to time. Many people saw the work stoppage in 1971 as part of the process, with workers leaving their boots and clothes in their lockers, heading home to wait for the call back. “There were always strikes, layoffs and times when the mines would close down for economic reasons,” he said. “I thought this was just another shutdown.” Instead, Republic Steel would never return. “It really went donwhill from there,” Rosenquist said. “We had a viable community with five or six grocery stores and 17 bars and taverns all around. Rosenquist’s work in construction and industrial safety took him across the country for numerous years before settling back down in the region. “I married a Port Henry girl,” he said. “I like the west, but I missed the change of seasons and the Adirondack environment.”
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An infamous moment
After the mine shut down, Rosenquist said there would be “old wives tales,” of people who would go exploring and never return. However, a major criminal in North Country history used the mines as a graveyard. During the trial of Robert Garrow in 1974 for the murder of Phillip Domblewski, defense attorneys evoked attorney—client privilege, not giving prosecutors the location of another one of Garrow’s victims, Susan Petz, in exchange for a plea deal. Garrow later pleaded guilty to the deaths of Petz, Donald Porter and Alicia Hauck, after Petz’s body was found in one of the mine shafts in Mineville. The New York Times reported on the admission by attorney Francis Belge to knowing the whereabouts of Petz in 1974. According to the report, Garrow told Belge about raping and killing her in an abandoned mine shaft a few weeks after he was shot and captured by law enforcement. About three weeks later, Belge went to the shaft and found the body. continued on page 22
Workers get ready for the day, heading into the mines in search of iron ore.
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Into the Mines According to a quote from the New York Times: “We passed the shaft 10 times before I found it with a flashlight at twilight,” Mr. Belge said. “Frank (Armani, another member of the Garrow defense team) lowered me into the shaft by my feet and I took pictures.” However, it was not until four months later the body was reported to police by two children who had been playing in the mine. Belge also received a visit from Petz’s father. “I spent many, many sleepless nights over my inability to reveal the information, especially after Mr. Petz came in from Chicago and talked to me,” Belge told the Times.
A new future
A vision for the former mines, created in 1990, is one hurdle away from becoming a reality, bringing new life to the pits and underground tunnels that put Mineville on the map. James Besha, Sr., President of
Albany Engineering Corp., presented to the public a plan for the Mineville Pumped Storage Energy Project at Moriah Central School April 8. “It will be a go, the question is when,” Besha said about the final federal permit the company submitted recently. “It is highly unlikely this would be a no-go. The regulatory process is long and it could take anywhere from six months to a number of years. I am expecting it will take a year to see the final license be issued. We have been patient to this point and we will continue to be patient.” Besha has been exercising his patience since 1990, when he first approached Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava about the potential project. “When we first talked about this, I have to be frank, I thought he was nuts,” Scozzafava said. “But it was a dream he hung onto and spent a lot of money on, and now it is becoming a reality.” For Scozzafava’s part, the chief administrator of the town pointed to the economic benefits for the municipality.
Archie Rosenquist looks over old advertisements from the mining days, included wages for different levels of workers.
The wives of miners would get the chance to see where their husbands worked on occasion as Republic Steel would give them tours of the mining areas. Almost all of the women have been identified, but some information is still being sought. This photo includes, top to bottom, left to right: Mrs. Plonka, Frances Karkoski; Sophie Rytell, Mary Combalski, Frances Mullen; Helen Rytell, Kavil Aski, UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN; Helen Pratt Turevich, Helen Trybendis Visor, Dorothy Bassillion, A. Perry; UNKNOWN; Liz Gonzalez, Ethel Lobdell Kozma, Lois Lobdell; Anna Schuppe, Goodspeed (unknown first name), UNKNOWN; Kay Lebednick.
A mine rescue team poses for a picture. It includes, from left, instructor from Bureau Mines, Fred Rowe, Francis Beeman, John Sears, LeRoy “Jeff” Vanderhoof, Joseph “Jim” Pratt and John Lebednik.
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“The town and the school will benefit with a substantial increase in the tax base,” he said. Currently, the assessed property value of the town comes in around $205 million. Besha said the proposed energy project would be assessed at $265 million, more than doubling the current overall value. “We have had no lack of private entities who have wanted to help on this,” he said. “Federal or state grants will not be expected, applied for or desired. We do not want them. If you ask for help and the help does not come through, then you are done.” “It’s the real thing that really excites me,” Scozzafava said. “It is not dependent on any type of gov-
ernment funding and will all be done through private funding.” Along with a boost to the tax base, Besha’s company will also be providing several infrastructure improvements, including renovating Linney Field, water district expansions, and the creation of a new building which, once used as a construction hub for the project, will be given to the town for use as a highway garage. The Mineville Pumped Storage Energy Project will involve moving water between levels within the 2,500-feet deep mines, using the Don B and Harmony Mines. Water will be pumped to an upper level reservoir, using surplus energy, while creating energy when sent into the lower reservoir through power turbines.
A view of the town of Mineville during mining days.
Workers drill for iron ore in one of the shafts well below the surface.
Indian Lake, NY
“Home of the Adirondack Moose Festival”
Sept 16th - 20th
Adirondack Mountains Antiques Show
Sept 26th & 27th
Great Adirondack Moose Festival
Nov. 27th & 28th
Country Christmas Tour www.indian-lake.com | 518-648-5828
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By Lou Varricchio
Historian and writer Bill Powers of Rutland, VT
Wreck of the U.S. Army U.S. Army De Havilland L-20 Beaver, belly up, in October 1957 where former servicemen died. The exact site of the wreck was lost until 2009. Image courtesy of Bill Powers & Brian Lindner
enjoys meeting the public and telling stories — true stories about Vermont’s colorful history, from the early colonial days to the modern era. Since the beginning of 2015, Powers has been touring Rutland and Addison counties talking about the state’s least known air disaster. It’s a true story which Powers knows all to well — especially since he was an eyewitness to the incident which occurred in 1957. On the lecture tour this year, Powers is joined by aviation-crash expert Brian Lindner of Waterbury to dis-
1957 airplane crash story of...
tragedy, redemption Historian, researcher and author Bill Powers of Rutland will discuss how a lost 1957 U.S. Army plane wreck was discovered near Brandon Gap, Vermont. Photo by Lou Varricchio
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cuss the October 1957 crash of a U.S. Army, Canadianmade, De Havilland L-20 Beaver and the deaths of four U.S. servicemen onboard. At the age of 12, Powers — along with his father, Dr. William Powers, M.D., Rutland County’s medical examiner at the time — was an eyewitness at the crash site as a 12-year-old in 1957. Ironically, he played an important role in rediscovering the crash site after it was lost for more than half a century. On the morning of Oct. 2, 1957, Pilot Capt. Eual Cathey, 33, and three fellow officers — Col. David M. Perkins, 51 Col. Emery Hyde, 48, Lt. Col. Clinton Merrill, 44 — took off from Governor’s Island Field in New York Harbor bound for Burlington, Vt. Flying up the Hudson River Valley, the aircraft made it into Vermont air space, but bad weather caused it to veer off course and crash into the east side of a heavily forested mountain, somewhere off the Long Trail, near Brandon Gap. Pilot Cathey left behind four young sons and a wife who was pregnant with twin girls. Powers said that his father had carried an 8mm movie camera with him to the crash site and the brief footage is the only newsreel of the wreckage, found 10 days after the crash. “When the airplane came in, it clipped a tree and flipped over; it landed belly up,” Powers says. “My father and I — along with an Air Force medic — appear in several Army and newspaper photos taken Oct. 14 at the scene.” Powers points out that three of the Army officers nclmagazine.com
Crash story headline in the Burlington Free Press in October 1957.
burned to death in the plane. The bodies were found under the engine in the wreckage. “As I remember it,” Powers recalls, “I only saw one identifiable body that was burned. There wasn’t much left of the other men. But Col. Perkins got away from the crash somehow. The only visible sign of trauma on him was that he was missing his right ear. He had lived a couple of days following the crash. He had tied a bandana or handkerchief around his head; he also tried to start a fire in his shoe. He was down hill from the crash site in an open area. Now how he got through all the underbrush in his condition no one will ever know.” To compound the tragedy of
Image courtesy of Bill Powers & Brian Lindner
the crash, it took 10 days before a rescue crew reached the site. “Because the Army had some misinformation, they though the L-20 had landed in Hartford, Conn.,” Powers says. “They were a digit off on the plane’s serial number so they didn’t find it for 10 days.” Perkins might have been rescued if medics got to him in time. “As I remember Col. Perkins, he was in full uniform,” he adds. “To me he didn’t look that bad but he was dead.” In 1958, Mrs. Cathey joined Dick Herd, director of operations for the former Vermont Department of Aeronautics, and hiked to the site where he husband died — eventually located in the Town of Chitten-
den, approximately 2.25 air miles south of Brandon Gap Road. After that, the crash faded into history, as did its exact location. Fifty years later, Powers says, Capt. Cathey’s son, Jeff, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot who was age three when his father died, mounted a search for the wreck with the help of aviation-wreck expert Brian Lindner of Waterbury. Powers helped with his eyewitness recollection. According to Powers, Jeff Cathey had wrestled with many unresolved issues about the meaning of his life in the decades following his father’s tragic death. continued on page 28
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tragedy, redemption
The discovery team at the site of a wrecked U.S. Army De Havilland L-20 Beaver in May 2009. Four Army officers died at the site. Image courtesy of Bill Powers & Brian Lindner
“Efforts to find the crash site took Brian on a flight over the crash site area and also on many bushwhacking forays,” according to Powers. Possible crash sites reported since 1957 have included Bloodroot Mountain, Brandon Mountain, and Lookoff Mountain. In the end, the site was on the slope of Far Peak. “We hadn’t heard of Far Peak back in 1957,” Powers notes. Powers met a Rutland County map dowser, who ended up nearly pinpointing the wreck using a simple pendulum device. “I met the map dowser in April 2009. I gave the dowser’s mark on the map to archeologist Dave Lacey of the Green Mountain National Forest. I asked him to give me GPS coordinates for the dowser’s mark. Then in May, while searching for the wreck, the search team took the dower’s GPS coordinates and — I kid you not — found the wreck, exactly where the dowser said it would be,” Powers says. 28 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
This amazing story of a family’s tragedy and redemption comes full circle when Cathey family members finally visited the wreckage to find closure. Cathey family members hiked to Far Peak and then carried out a heavy, metal wing strut of the wrecked De Havilland. The strut was later restored. According to Powers, “Jeff Cathey had the strut refurbished at a machine shop where he lives in Tampa, Fla. It was repainted Army green. And on the side, sticking out, are two small steps — ‘That’s the last two steps my father took alive,’ Jeff said.” Note: For specifics about the times and locations of Bill Powers’s and Brian Lindner’s presentations about the 1957 Vermont U.S. Army airplane crash — including a screening of Dr. Powers’s historic 8mm movie clip — call Powers at 802-468-5105 or e-mail him at: blueshoehh@hotmail.com. ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Southern Adirondack
Antique Trail By Ryan Edwards From the cannon-fire of the American Revolution to the campfires of our famous Adirondack guides, the North Country is a region truly intune with its unique and storied history. Accordingly, the area is littered with antique shops, each one offering an individual glimpse into the past through eclectic assortments of collectible treasures, each one with a touch of North Country flavor. The following is a brief list of some of the Southern Adirondack region’s premiere antique shops — obligatory destinations for a rainy day or your next North Country treasure hunt.
Antiques Markeplace in Lake George Recently moved to a newly remodeled and expanded building on the corner of Bay Road and Route 149, Antiques Marketplace offers a mix of high-end and affordable finds, from American folk art to vintage kitchenware from 20 different dealers. At
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this shop — voted the best in the region the last three years — you will find such treasures as vintage lighting, Adirondack items, jewelry, advertising, toys and all styles of furniture — from country and Victorian to industrial and mid-century modern. Antiques Marketplace is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call ahead at (518) 798-0010.
Whitehall Antique Mall in Whitehall Located on U.S. Route 4 and operated by partners with over a quarter century of experience in antique sales and acquisitions, the Whitehall Antique Mall works with 26 vendors to offer a host of items including glass, jewelry, vintage clothing and shoes, coins, dolls, primitive, mid-century, tools, furniture, vintage hardware, paper, postcards, lighting, Civil war memorabilia, indoor and outdoor items. The Whitehall Antique Mall is open every day but Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call ahead at (518) 499-2915.
Carol’s Collectibles in Whitehall Located on Route 22 next to the Whitehall Post Of-
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fice, Carol’s features 12,000 sq ft of daily updated inventory acquired from weekly auctions and estate purchases. At Carol’s you will find furniture, jewelry, new and primitive tools, glassware and pottery, paintings and prints, electronics, appliances, audio books, kitchenware, linens, holiday, fishing equipment, and collectibles by the thousands. Carol’s is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call ahead at (518) 499-0728.
Lonergan’s in Ticonderoga Converted from a barn on State Route 9N, Lonergan’s has been a family owned and operated Adirondack destination for over 60 years, specializing in antiques, artifacts, old guns and militaria. At Lonergan’s you will also find such treasures as taxidermy, new and antique books, furniture and folk art. Lonergan’s is open daily from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and in the off season by appointment. Call ahead at 518-585-3374 or 518-585-4477.
a Fin de siècle barn — complete with a loft and a deck overlooking its glittering namesake — Abanakee offers visitors a selection of antiques, furniture, Adirondack books, and handmade items such as soaps, socks, mugs, jewelry and gourmet foods. In addition to their shopping selections, Abanakee also offers classes from some of the area’s most experienced instructors, from basket-making to watercolor painting, to bird watching. From June 26 through Labor Day, Abanakee is open Thursday through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On weekends in September and October, they are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their Christmas Country tour in November is open from 9:30 a.m.-4 :30 p.m. Call ahead at (518) 648-5013.
The Pillars Antiques in Warrensburg The Pillars antique shop is something of an antique itself; located in
Abanakee Studios in Indian Lake Located right off the shore of Lake Abanakee in
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a historic building constructed in 1840 and modeled after the design of Thomas Jefferson’s home, The Pillars boasts 11 treasure-packed rooms, making it the largest antique shop in the Adirondacks. Among the treasures to be found therein are antiques, art, books, sports, vinyl and various gift items. Located right on Main Street, The Pillars Antiques is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Call ahead at 518-832-3370.
Raven and Ring Antiques in Warrensburg Raven and Ring Antiques on Main Street in Warrensburg specializes in Adirondack primitive goods, antique sportsman’s gear, and assorted Adirondack gifts and collectibles. Raven and Ring is open year-round seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call ahead at (518) 623-3691.
Miller Art and Frame in Warrensburg Miller Art and Frame, nestled along the banks of the Schroon River on Main Street in Warrensburg, is a seasonally open shop, generally open from April through the end of December. Miller Art and Frame offers seven rooms packed with framed art, North Country books and magazines, nostalgic signs, antique jewelry, furniture, sportsman’s gear, candy, toys and seasonal items from around the region. Miller Art and Frame is open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Call ahead at (518) 623-3966
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The Foothills in North Creek The Foothills in North Creek, located right on Main Street, is a two-story mix of new and old items, including furniture, lighting, paintings, prints, pottery, jewelry, figurines, and small gift items. The foothills’s treasures are ever-changing, as its owners take in new merchandise every day throughout the year. The Foothills is open year-round, but closed on Mondays for the off-season after October. Their hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Also, stop by the The Foothills’ sister shop, Mountain Niche Antiques for more antiques and collectibles. Mountain Niche is located on Route 28N in Minerva, two miles down from the Post Office, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day but Christmas and Easter. Call ahead to The Foothills at (518) 251-3550 or Mt. Niche at (518) 251-2566.
Wide River Antiques in Long Lake Just 15 miles away from the village of Long Lake on Rte. 30, Wide River offers a menagerie of antiques and uniques from period furniture, Adirondack pieces, paintings, prints and gifts. Wide River is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the first week in June until mid-October. Call ahead at (518) 624-4749.
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Running ahead of the trend
Runner Janne Rand won the Adirondack Distance Festival half-marathon in Schroon Lake in September 2013. Photo by Nancy O’Brien
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The Vermont City Marathon and Adirondack Marathon got started before many other U.S. races
Participants make their way through the streets of Burlington during a recent running of the People’s United Bank Vermont City Marathon. About 1,700 volunteers signed up to help pull off the event in 2015. Photo by Steve Mease
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By Christopher Pratt With more than 1,200 contested marathons each year, the United States has experienced a four-fold increase in the number of races in its cities and towns since 2000. But two regional races — the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington and the Adirondack Marathon in Schroon Lake — can lay claim to being ahead of the trend. The Burlington race, which takes place on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, has been held since 1989. The Adirondack Marathon loops itself around Schroon Lake in late September. It was first held in 1997. Whatever is behind the latest marathon surge, local organizers have gotten in the groove of hosting big crowds for the races. When the Burlington marathon got started, competitive marathoning was not as widespread as it is today. “We didn’t know what was going to happen with this whole marathon boom,” said Jess Cover, director of marketing and communications for RunVermont, which oversees the Burlington marathon. But Cover is exuberant as she explains how the city has embraced the event. “It’s like Christmas,” she said. “We also have great scenery and an amazing community.” As the race meanders Burlington’s streets, runners are cheered on by thousands of spectators as they make their way toward the finishing line by Lake Champlain.
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With the marathon, half-marathon and relay races, about 8,000 runners stride through Burlington during the event. There’s a sense that everyone is part of the race. “It’s about 1,700 volunteers that make us tick,” Cover said. A similar scene unfolds for the Schroon Lake event, which organizers say has a capacity for 500 marathoners, 650 halfmarathoners and 100 relay teams. Joel Friedman, race director of the Adirondack Marathon, said it takes in the range of 700 volunteers to pull of the weekend of festivities. “The community supports this event — it’s incredible,” Friedman said.
Rise in marathons
In 2014, there were 1,200-plus U.S. marathons contested as compared to approximately 300 marathons in 2000, according to Running USA’s Annual Marathon Report. The industry tracking report released in May also found a record number of people finished marathons — more than 550,000.
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An increasing number of people are participating in marathons for a variety of reasons. Some desire to donate to charities that can benefit from their participation. Others might want to test their physical limits, perhaps wanting to gain a better understanding of Pheidippides — the ancient soldier who ran 26.2 miles to give word of a victory in the town of Marathon, Greece.
Communities see economic impact
Tammy Whitty-Brown, executive director of the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said the marathon “is definitely one of the biggest draws” to the lakefront community. Overnight accommodations book up quickly and restaurants ramp up operations to prepare for the crowds that accompany the marathon, which is traditionally scheduled near the end of the tourist season. That “really gives us that extra boost,” Whitty-Brown said. Friedman, who has been involved with the marathon since its inception, cited a study conducted by Kent State University, which found marathon-related activity delivered roughly $1 million to the local economy. Cover noted that it’s not solely businesses that get a financial boost due to the Burlington race. Numerous nonprofit organizations across the state have benefited thanks to runners who raise money for worthy causes. It’s likewise for the Adirondack Marathon. Last year alone, Friedman said, about $18,000 was raised to benefit local students and nonprofit organizations.
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Visit Ticonderoga S h o p L o c a l . E a t L o c a l . E n j o y L o c a l . w w w . t i c o n d e r o g a n y . c o m
F G M
Work along the
Corridor of Sacrifice
Bridges, fire towers, trail work — you name it, the SCA Adirondack Corps has probably done it. How crews of young conservationists work to help improve the Park. Story/Andrew Johnstone
T
he trunk of a spruce tree — the two-ton, 30’ log felled nearby and stripped of its bark — spanned half the river. One end sat on the bank, belayed by a young woman in boots, blue shirt and a yellow hard hat. The other dangled above the stream, held there by a cable running out of sight into the trees. Standing in the water were two men, one wielding a rock bar and the other a peavey, about to work the timber past a nearly head-high boulder. “Tension!” shouted one of the men. “Tension!” replied two women’s voices from beyond the trees, their faraway retort nearly drowned out by the running water. They worked the lever of a griphoist — essentially a supersized ratchet — anchored to a standing tree. It was as if they were propelling a handcar, only instead of riding down a railroad track, the two were inching the log closer one crank and fraction of an inch at a time. The log eased up and forward as the men wrestled the leading end past the rock and onto another spruce stringer already spanning the brook. Without tools, it would be a job for 100 hands. Instead, six people (another helped belay) guided the stringer — one of two backbones for a backcountry bridge-to-be — across Lillian Brook, a mountain waterway on the western flank of the Dix Range. Meanwhile, four others moved logs and stones as the crib began to take shape, a stone-filled log cabin of sorts on which the two stringers would soon sit. It was midday then, the work to continue throughout the afternoon. By six o’clock — sometimes later — dinner. As early as seven the crew would retire to tents, another day of work having come to an end, well over an hour before the setting of the late July sun. Meet the SCA Adirondack Corps.
Act. For some, it’s a unique post-collegiate experience of spending nearly half a year living and working in the woods. For others, it’s field experience that may open doors for continued schooling or a job in environmental education or conservation. But for all, it’s most definitely gritty, hands-on work. “The SCA as a whole is the biggest and oldest youth conservation organization in the country,” said Burns, whose job involves site visits, working with group leaders and the DEC, organizing food and tools, and so on. Each week, members are split into three different crews and set out for a project either five or 10 days in length — what they call a “hitch.” Hitches are lined up by the DEC and take place through-
Working as one “It’s the best-kept secret in the Adirondacks,” said Jeremy Burns, program manager of what is officially known as the Student Conservation Association’s (SCA) Adirondack AmeriCorps Program. The SCA, founded in 1957 and modeled after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, now places thousands of young people around the country to undertake sustainability and conservation projects. The numbers over the years are staggering: 70,000 members, 26 million hours of conservation service, and over half a thousand of locations worked at in all 50 states. Of that widely-spread, environmentally-minded workforce, 18 of them now call the Adirondack Park home for five months of the year. Burns is the point-man for the residential internship based out of the state-owned Whitney Headquarters on Little Tupper Lake. Now in its 16th year, the Adirondack Corps is part education, part work experience for the members who sign on to the May-October stint. For those five months, 18 young conservationists — between the ages of 18 to 25 and often in their early 20s — work alongside Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) operations and foresters, as well as forest rangers, on projects ranging from invasive species work to bridge building, fire tower restoration and backcountry access points under the Americans with Disabilities
CREW EFFORT: Beginning high in the mountains between Hough and South Dix, Lillian Brook (above) is intersected by the trail that threads from Elk Lake to Dix. Nearby campsites and a lean-to make the area surrounding the bridge a popular spot. Jenna Moen, Max Phinney and Jeremy Burns (middle, left to right) work on guiding a stringer across the brook. The pulling power came from a griphoist cranked by Kadie Mercier and Ceeanna Zulla (bottom photo). Photos by Andrew Johnstone
out Region 5, within which lies about three-quarters of the Adirondack Park and over two million acres of Forest Preserve. The connection between the DEC and SCA is a two-way street: Members not only gain experience from the physical and technical nature of the projects, but communication and leadership skills as well. The state, meanwhile, benefits from a sizeable workforce that can tackle a wide variety of backcountry infrastructure projects. Burns calls the relationship between the two as a good example of the state working with a nonprofit to get work done and teach skills along the way. Tom Martin, the regional natural resource supervisor for the DEC, agreed. He’s been working with the SCA, he estimates, since about the beginning. “It’s been an outstanding partnership for us,” Martin said, adding that without the program a lot of backcountry work wouldn’t get done. While the Adirondack Corps program is partially funded by AmeriCorps, the DEC’s contribution outlined by Martin is a substantial one. A contract between the two includes an annual payment, loaned or funded vehicles, and a lodging and operation base at a complex that generates its own heat and electricity. And then the program gives back. “They do amazing work,” Martin said. “We get an incredible value for the dollars that we spend on the program.” Each winter, the DEC begins looking at incoming resources, from within the department to the SCA, the Adirondack Mountain Club crew, volunteers and contractors, deciding who or which fits best for projects on the “wish lists” of forest rangers, field foresters and operations. The SCA crews are often a perfect fit. Martin added that he’s never had a crew suggest not tackling a particular project, whether it’s blazing a trail or remediating wetland violations — “You name it, they’ve done it … they’re always happy about it,” Martin said. One of the biggest recent services has been getting newly acquired lands ready for public access as soon as possible, something Martin anticipates will continue to be the case moving into the future.
WHITNEY HEADQUARTERS: The SCA Adirondacks Corps and the Department of Environmental Conservation have an advantageous connection. The DEC helps fund the program and provides a home base on Little Tupper Lake. The crews, meanwhile, take on dozens of projects throughout the summer that may otherwise go uncompleted.
Future leaders
Photos by Andrew Johnstone
While the crew recognized the service done for the DEC, members at the Lillian Brook bridge project spoke more to the biggest beneficiary of the work they do — the recreating public. “When I was younger and saw rock work, I didn’t think much of it,” said Sean Anderson, a crew member from Seneca Falls. “Now, realizing the work, someone worked really hard to put that there.” Continued on following page
Learn the lingo
It can sound like the crews out there speak in a different language. And in a way, they do. Here are a few of the common words the crews use for tools of different components of a backcountry structure.
Peavey
Like its cousin, the cant hook, the peavey often has a long wooden handle with a metal point on the end. Attached near the point is a pointed hook. The tool grips and rolls logs.
Rock bar
Rigging
Sailors know this word, and when it comes to the backcountry, the meaning isn’t much different. Rigging is your network of cables, ropes, straps and pulleys that supports and/ or moves a structure’s components.
When it comes to moving something heavy and stubborn, it’s all about strength and leverage. A rock bar provides jus that. It’s simply a heavy-duty rod for when the prying gets tough.
Stringer
A portable winch. Operated by a lever, the griphoist is capable of dragging thousands of pounds. Without one some tasks would take scores of people to handle.
Crib
Griphoist
Come-along
Similar to the griphoist, the come-along is essentially a big ratchet, also used for pulling well far more weight than any human could with his or her body alone.
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For cars, it’s called a girder. For hikers, a stringer. When it comes to a rustic timber bridge, generally two massive logs serve as the backbone. They’re often cut on or near site, stripped of the bark and hauled to the crossing location. Underneath the stringers are the cribs. A crib is a log cabinlike structure filled with large stones. Not only does a crib support the weight of everything above, but it also needs to withstand the powerful flow of water. In the High Peaks, a trickling brook can turn into a raging river rapidly.
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TAKING SHAPE: While a pair of trail stewards continue work near the crib, two crew members stretch out on the spruce stringers that span Lillian Brook as the bridge takes shape. While most of the material was harvested in the area, some pressure-treated lumber was flown in to nearby Dix Pond and carried to the site by a NOLS group also in the area.
Anderson is a recent graduate of the SUNY ESF Ranger School at Wanakena and went right into the SCA. Taking a break from crib work on the edge of Lillian Brook, he outlined a summer that had already involved work against invasive species, water bars on Mt. Baker in Saranac Lake and a 10-day hitch on Big Island on Raquette lake, one that involved canoeing and lean-to work.
EARLY WORK: Ian McGregor uses his cell phone to capture work on the bridge as the sun rises above the Dix Range off to the east.
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Photo by Ian McGregor
Photo by Ian McGregor
Along the way, he had heard lots of thanks, ranging from vocal appreciations to offers of money and goods (which crew members can’t accept) — and even a note left on a car windshield by a forest ranger. Many of the 2015 projects have and will take place in areas at risk of “being loved to death,” a term Burns used to describe parks as a whole around the nation. The first week of the season saw work on the trail to OK Slip Falls, a recent acquisition by the state that’s seen visitors drawn to one of the biggest waterfalls in the Park, as well as fire tower restoration on Hadley Mountain. Two more fire towers closed to the public — on St. Regis and Hurricane mountains — were also on the slate as of when this story was written. Not to only satisfy hikers, SCA hitches this summer also focus on a handful of snowmobile trails, a horse mounting platform, even camping and waterway access for persons with disabilities at the “tube,” an area in the Essex Chain Lakes between Fourth and Fifth. In the end, it leaves a big mark. The 2014 crew blazed, maintained and restored over 20 miles of trail and improved 640 acres of land, according to the year-end report. Lots of the trail work combatted erosion from water and foot traffic alike, including 150 blowdowns removed and another 139 combined water bars and stone stairs. Jenna Moen, a Rhode Island native who just graduated from the University of Pittsburgh this spring, got her first taste of SCA work at 16 years old when she joined an SCA National Crew, a summer program for high schoolers. She called it her “first outdoorsy experience” and the “toughest 10 days of my life,” those two elements coming together to ultimately hook her on the lifestyle. The Adirondack Corps is her fourth season of trail work and second with the SCA. Moen, who studied creative nonfiction writing while doing both cross country and track and field at Pitt, said she’s drawn to the SCA by the combination of hard work, travel and meeting new people. She had been to the Adirondacks before, having spent time with family on Osgood Pond in Paul Smiths, and the program here was one of those recommended to her after filling out a general application. With crew members busily wrestling with the stringer and carrying rocks behind her, Moen sat on a rock and described the balance between conservation work and a true backcountry experience. Quoting Burns, she called trails a “corridor of sacrifice,” a term that speaks to a swatch of what nature “gives” in order for people to get out experience ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
it. The line between accessibility and keeping the land wild is a fine one, making Leave No Trace ethics an essential part of the crew’s day-to-day operations. And then there are the people to share the backcountry work experience with. Moen said it’s hard for anyone to understand just how tough the work is, whether it’s the physicality or lack of creature comforts so many people are accustomed to living with. But if there’s anyone to get it, that person is probably an SCA peer. “The people are a big reason I come out here,” Moen said. Early on, the end of a hitch would mean an internet binge, but over time the world wide web became less interesting. Cell phones still make the trip out with the members, but generally as a lightweight, point-and-shoot camera rather than a digital trail to the outside world. Instead, the little human interactions supercede. Take, for example, what Moen calls the sensation of being “trail drunk”: Far from anything involving alcohol, the term speaks to the effect that a long day of digging, sawing, or hauling rocks or trees leaves on the psyche. If anything, it’s like the mind going back in time a decade or two, and it can be contagious. “By the end of a tough day, you act like a kid,” Moen laughed. Her example? Another member making a flatulent noise. In that moment, there’s nothing funnier. And such is life working in the woods. Hard work for the greater good? Check. The camaraderie and human interaction? That, too. But there’s also the educational aspect, one that leads to a third of members landing a job in a field related directly to what they did with the SCA. Skills taken from the job can carry over directly into the next thing, whether that’s a master’s program or a career. Take Ian McGregor. Another college grad, he’s from Huntington Beach, California, nestled in between San Diego and Los Angeles. In
the spring he wrapped up a bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, the state’s flagship UC campus. Just five days separated the tossing of caps on the West coast and the swinging on an axe on the East. McGregor, like Moen, had worked with the SCA before. In his case, he did two Alternative Spring Break service projects, working at Joshua Tree and the Santa Monica Mountains. Likely on the verge of attending graduate school in Copenhagen, the environmental studies major — or, more specifically, conservation research and society and environment — wanted more experience in the environmental field and found another stint with the SCA to be the avenue. And sure, it proved to be tough. He spent his first week following training doing draining work in the pouring rain. Two weeks later, cutting stumps for a snowmobile train at Santanoni. Demanding the hitches may be, there was a sense of pride coming from McGregor as he pulled out his iPhone and shared pictures of the Lillian Brook project as it progressed throughout the hitch. And then there’s all that is learned. SCA members walk away with a wealth of knowledge. There are the physical skills — chainsaw, rigging, carpentry, tools, drainage, just to name a few — as well as what are called “soft skills,” the ones that may transcend the physical work. Leadership, conflict resolution, group dynamics, the interpersonal toolbox that can come into play daily in a variety of jobs, from conservation to much further beyond. When Martin attends the SCA’s annual end-of-season recognition service, he makes a comment that with each passing year, as his beard grays and retirement looms closer, there is always this: “Knowing people who have come through the program, who are truly the conservation leaders for tomorrow, makes me feel really comfortable.”
Leaving a mark
THAT’S A WRAP: Ten days and one bridge later, the project was complete. With the completion came a week-long break before two more months of projects around the Park.
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Photo by Max Phinney
By the end of July, the bridge across Lillian Brook was completed. The final structure was a work of labor and love. The decking comfortable wide, log- and rock-work price, and massive cribs ready for high water. Max Phinney, one of two SCA staff leaders and the one who oversaw the bridge project, beamed knowingly after comments about the build. The rest that hitch’s crew — Jared Hinken, Ceeanna Zulla, Kadie Mercier, as well as a handful of trail stewards — did the same. For all the merciless backpack loads, long days, cuts, bruises and bugs, but in the end, satisfaction and pride. “Gritty work in a gritty environment,” grinned Anderson at one point during the hitch. Back at Whitney Headquarters, they and 12 other members prepared for their mid-season week off. In the main building, several hundred feet from their ranch-style summer homes, young men and women trickled in and out of the dining area. They looked different than several days prior — a shower will do that — but still showed the same enthusiasm. Some talked food while others shared plans for the short vacation, from heading home to sticking around the area and working on the 46 High Peaks. Pins on a map mark hometowns. California, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado. Some will move on to classrooms, some officers, others outdoors. A diverse group, but one with a consistent effect on others. “Anytime that I work with them, that I can actually get out in the field, I always come away with a big smile on my face,” Martin said. And that’s what they do: Leave their mark. Sometimes hundreds of hours of work can be traveled across in mere seconds, but in the end, their collective impact will serve generations.
Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 45
FRANKLIN COUNTY, NEW YORK — It’s the stuff of dreams: Wake up, order room service and luxuriate in bed for the morning. Take a dip in the pool, head to the spa and rejuvenate before venturing out onto the game floor. Add a blend of fine and casual dining, top-notch entertainment and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable weekend.
The Akwesasne Resort and Casino, located in Hogansburg in Franklin County, New York, boasts 1,800 slot machines and a wide variety of table games.
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ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Something for everyone at the...
LIVING LUCKY
By Pete Demola
continued on page 50 nclmagazine.com
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It’s an experience that’s available right here in the North Country at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and Resort in Franklin County, New York, just minutes from the Canadian border. Over the last 16 years, the property has evolved from a small casino with several table games to a full-fledged resort, a regional destination that has stayed at the vanguard of evolving trends in both the hospitality and gaming industries. Located in Hogansburg, the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and Resort is an hour south of Montreal, 90 minutes north of Saranac Lake and about three hours northwest of Burlington, Vermont. Despite the high-powered sheen that attracts guests from across the region, the resort likes to take a modest approach: “We’re a locals’ casino,” said Benjamin Herne, the resort’s promotions and entertainment manager. The resort boasts 130,000 square feet of casino games, including 1,800 slot machines. Guests can partake in all of the classic table games, everything from blackjack to poker, while high-rollers can try their hand in the Cascade Room, which is reserved for high stakes betting. Bingo fan? Next door’s Mohawk Bingo Palace seats up to 540. Make sure to bring your friends. Cosmic bingo nights are wild, said Herne, and are a hit with the public, including senior citizen groups from the surrounding area.
Originally opened in 1999, the Akwesasne Resort and Casino recently underwent a $74 million expansion that allowed the construction of a 150room hotel, spa and pool.
Weekends are popular at the Akwesasne Resort and Casino, including live entertainment and karaoke at the resort’s in-house lounge, Cascades.
The resort, which is located minutes from the Canadian border, boasts a constantly-evolving lineup of events and promotions, including a popular ladies night.
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The resort has something for everyone, including foodies. Food and drink opportunities are ample. Culinary options range from the casual — Sticks, the in-house sports bar, hosts all manner of pub grub — to fine dining, like the fare offered at the Maple Room Steakhouse, an upscale restaurant designed to get away from the hustle and bustle. Those who like variety are encouraged to take a cruise through Native Harvest, the resort’s buffet. Smoking is also permitted on the game floor, which is key to attracting guests, noted Herne.
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Start with a buffet dinner that includes prime rib, shrimp, pizza, salad, dessert and more. It’s all-you-can-eat, so take your time and enjoy every last bite. Then head to the casino, the pool or the spa.
The wide spread of promotions, which change daily, ensures everyone can be included. Mondays and Wednesdays are designed for seniors and are very popular, said Herne. Military veterans are always offered discounted hotel stays and dining discounts, while ladies nights never fail to pack the house. Popular promotions can see the resort cycling through 6,000 patrons daily. The casino’s in-house membership program, the Winners Club, allows guests to rack up points and prizes — including complimentary rooms — through a four-tiered system. Sometimes the resort even gives away luxury cars. These programs, perks, events and amenities are all designed to make guests feel welcome and valued in an intimate atmosphere, said Herne. “We know them by name and treat them so well.”
The Akwesasne Resort and Casino draws guests from across the region who aim to strike it big at one of the casino’s 1,800 slot machines. A typical day sees an average of 2,500 guests, including bus tours, enjoy the resort.
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Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 51
Crown Point, New York
Crafts including wooden bears and eagles dot the Cavoli family business located off exit 27 on the Northway.
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Father-son business
Carves Legacy through bears
Adirondack carving company has cranked out close to 40,000 pieces in 25 years By Christopher Pratt For a quarter century, Frank Cavoli Sr. has steadily carved a legacy of jolly looking bears. The keepsake wooden items are chiseled out of local pines and displayed prominently at his studio located off exit 27 along the Northway. A few years ago, his son, Frank Jr., decided he wanted to join the family business. Sculptures By Frank has been a staple of the North Country since it was established in the 1990s. A studio south of Schroon Lake on U.S. Route 9 serves as the duo’s creative shelter. Frank Sr., 62, has had a knack and passion for art since he was a youngster. On a break from carving at the studio, he recently recalled moving up to the Adirondacks from downstate, where he worked in the construction industry. “Frankie was just born, and I started to carve pine logs with a Sawzall,” he said with his endearing New York accent. “And then I started to use an electric chainsaw and making abstract (art).” At a key junction along the way, as he tells it, somebody said he should carve a replica of the animal defined by its thick hair and growl. “I’ve been making bears ever since,” Frank Sr. said. Over the years, he has traveled far and wide to promote his work. He’s been recognized at venues in places including Saratoga Springs and New York City.
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The location of the shop on the heavily-trafficked road has helped generate steady business. Frank Sr. said he estimates the company has made roughly 40,000 bears. Sure, say the Cavolis, there are other bear carvers out there. But what makes his bears unique are their jovial faces. A priority is to keep the chainsaw art affordable. For instance, smaller carvings can be purchased for around $35 — happy bears shouldn’t be a privilege of the wealthy, he said. The studio is located next to the Paradox Brewery and across from the Moutainside Bible Chapel. Rows of the finely carved objects are an essential attribute to the character of the busy corridor off the Northway. Frank Sr. said a good chunk of business over the years has come from tourists and visitors to the Word of Life facilities in Schroon Lake. Local residents also make up a healthy part of the customer base. The business also carves items including moose, eagles, flamingos and chairs. We do “a little bit of everything,” Frank Sr. said.
Eye on the future Frank Jr., 29, has a passion to expand the reach of the business via modern technologies. The company has launched www.sculpturesbyfrank.com and consistently updates its Facebook site. The SUNY Adirondack graduate said he’s excited to be a part of the tradition. “When you’re born into a business like this ... you either accept it or reject it. It took a long time to accept it, but here I am,” Frank Jr. said. “The second generation is huge. I’m very moved by that,” Frank Sr. said. The father said the company will remain true to the core of what established it as a premiere craft maker: knowledge of the Northeast corridor business terrain and an eye for finding excellent raw materials. The quick access to Adirondack pines helps the Cavoli shop crank out materials and sell them for more competitive prices than could be found in some other places, Frank Sr. said. “We hunt around for most of our wood to keep pricing really fair for the people.”
Frank Cavoli Jr. demonstrates his carving talents at his business located along U.S. Route 9 in the town of Schroon.
Frank Cavoli Sr. demonstrates his carving talents.
It’s Your Lake: We’re just watching over it for you. When you join the Lake George Association, you become a critical part of the Lake’s protection. Join us and help protect Lake George water this year and every year, as we have for more than a century.
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MAGAZINE
.
nearing its...
Adirondack Life is today a popular fanzine. And it started right here at Denton. With its healthy paid circulation of over 40,000, it is seen as a reflection of Adirondack living — of all that the waterways, mountains and forest here has to offer. Chugging along successfully from its offices in Jay, NY, the publication is nearing its milestone 50th anniversary and shows no sign of slowing down in an economy in which printed publications have struggled. What many may not know, however, is that the concept for the national magazine was born in the mind of Denton Publications founder William D. Denton. It was first published as an insert in The Warrensburg News. In the mid 1950s, Denton Sr. started a new feature in one of his Elizabethtown-based newspapers, which later became Adirondack Life, but discontinued it after deeming it too time consuming. A few years later his son, William “Bill” A. Denton, joined Denton Publications after being discharged from the U.S. Army in 1958, and the duo decided to resurrect the idea. “It was a good idea we started but put it on the shelf,” Denton said. “We always wanted to go back and get it.” Resurrecting idea the feature, B ythe R ya n for Edwa rds the Dentons came up with the 58 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
name “Adirondack Life” and the first edition appeared inside The Warrensburg News newspaper on Jan. 25, 1962.
FIRST BEGINNINGS
At the time, Robert Hall was president of Adirondack Life with assistance from vice president Denton Sr., general manager and treasurer Denton Jr., secretary John Manning and other writers and photographers, such as the North Country’s own Jack LaDuke. LaDuke remembered the fledgling magazine as a way of recording the people and places of a bygone era. “For me it was about being able to take pictures of a way of life, even at that time, I could see was vanishing,” LaDuke said. “There was a new modern era coming and some of the old ways were disappearing and you could record these things, these ways and the people and keep it as a record.” The first issue of Adirondack Life — insertncliving@suncommunitynews.com
ed inside the newspaper — had a wintertime theme and featured Marjorie Porter with her article “The Good Old Winter Time.”
“CRAZY AS HELL”
In the summer of 1968, the Dentons expanded Adirondack Life, increasing its frequency throughout the summer — offering 10 weeks of feature material of interest to vacationers and summer visitors through their newspaper chain which included the Essex County Republican, Essex County News, The Warrensburg-Lake George News, Hamilton County News and Valley News. When asked what that time was like for Denton, he responded: “What was it like? Crazy as hell.” Adirondack Life featured a weekly schedule of entertainment under the moniker “The Week That Will Be,” including upcoming local events, as well as a listing of restaurants, night spots and attractions. “We intend to expand space devoted to interesting articles about the Adirondacks,” Editor Robert Hall wrote in the publication. “With three counties to offer — Warren, Hamilton and Essex — there is a wealth of material. Some of it’s history, some folklore and some is about our present-day neighbors, who are doing interesting things.” Stories featured inside the first weekly issue included those about Warren County’s tanneries, uncommon Hamilton County news and Essex County’s Grandma Moses. Writer Bill Roden wrote a weekly article on the outdoors covering fishing, camping and boating subjects. Muriel Collier oversaw a homemaker’s page with Richard Kline providing material for the home gardener and landscaper. The last Adirondack Life of the summer season was published on Aug. 29, 1968, an issue welcoming the fall with a hunting special by conservation biologist Nathaniel Dickinson. Adirondack Life continued the following summer of 1969 and appeared every week until the Aug. 28, 1969 edition. nclmagazine.com
“I think they’ve done a really good job with it,” Denton said. “It’s come a long way since a newspaper supplement.” CHANGING HANDS
Robert Hall then sold the name “Adirondack Life” to Eustis Paine and Richard Lawrence Jr., who went on to be the president and vice president of the magazine. “He sold the name because he didn’t have the resources to develop it as he would’ve liked to see it developed. Richard Lawrence and Eustis Paine were his friends and they had those resources,” said Robert Hall’s son Tony, who is also the editor of The Lake George Mir Mirror newspaper. With editor Stuart Ludlum and art director Robert Whitney at the helm, the first issue of Adirondack Life the magazine in colcol or came out the winter of 1970 with writers such as John Cadwell, Verplanck Colvin, Peggy Byrne and Thomas Jefferson. “Five million uncrowded acres between Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River, Saratoga and Canadian Customs are astir with mystery and romance,” wrote Ludlum in the first Adirondack Life. “It’s the lore-laden land of the Adirondack Mountains...the Forever Wild Forest Preserve...lakes to numerous to name...plunging waterways and placid ponds...rugged scenery and a natural wilderness of evergreens and hardwoods.” Based in Elizabethtown, the magazine devoted its attention to the Adirondack region along with the people who resided in it and the guests who visited it. The magazine received no support from the state, chamber of commerce or from any special interest groups. Adirondack Life also carried no advertising — at least for the first two years.
EVER CHANGING
That changed in 1972, when the publishers released their first edition containing advertising. Inside, the editors wrote that it was impossible for them to exist on income derived solely from subscription and newsstand sales because high costs of quality printing, paper, color reproduction, photography and writers were too great. continued on page 60 Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 59
Bill and Ann Marie Denton.
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As years went on, many changes besides including advertising occurred, including the magazine’s location and its logos. The Adirondack Life office remained in Elizabethtown until Lionel “Tony” Atwell, first being a treasurer and circulation manager, took the reigns for the 1971 fall issue — the last issue of the year — and moved the office to Willsboro. The company then moved depending on the owner. In 1984, the company moved briefly to Breitville, near Syracuse, until current owner of the magazine, Barry Silverstein, moved it back to the Adirondacks. Throughout all the moving, the magazine changed its logo several times, much more than what Denton Publications did when they owned the name. Each of the changes in years — 1970, 1977, 1984, 1987 and 1993 — led to the current logo today, which last changed four years ago.
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MAGAZINE TODAY Adirondack Life, now based across from the Village Green in Jay in a brick church, produces six bi-monthly issues, its annual Guide to the Great Outdoors and At Home in the Adirondacks.
One thing that hasn’t changed since its first issue: “The magazine always had profiles of people doing interesting things,” said Elizabeth “Betsy” Folwell, creative director for Adirondack Life who’s been there since 1989. “Now, there’s a much broader range of people doing things. “The magazine is a lot bigger, and our circulation is a lot bigger. People read it because they want to stay connected, and people should read it to stay connected,” she said.
Photographer Jack LaDuke took photos and wrote stories for Adirondack Life, including a winter feature titled “Keeseville-Skisvile
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Adirondack Life featured many different aspects of the Adirondacks, including arts, outdoors and profiles on people living in the Adirondacks.
Admission
Map not to scale
DIRECTIONS:
Route 28
Each edition contains a seasonal hook with good geographic distribution and a wide range of topics, includ including the region’s people, places, wildlife history and public is issues, including Hurricane Irene and, coming for the Novem November/December publication, the Dannemora prison break.
Adirondack Life logo as it looked in 1962 .
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In late spring, the Annual Guide to the Great Outdoors is devoted to out outdoor pursuits. In fall, At Home in the Adirondacks features archi architecture, interior design, garden gardening and home products reflect reflecting the region’s signature style.
Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 61
Russell Bailey
Deep in the woods,
a blacksmith carries the torch of the ancients By Pete DeMola
WADHAMS, ESSEX COUNTY — Russell Bailey slowed down on a scenic stretch of rural highway. He turned around in a pull-off spot, got back on the road and steered his pickup truck into a previously concealed gash in the woods. He drove onward, past the giant ferns, over the railroad tracks and onto the floodplain. You’d never know it was there — a forge on the banks of the Boquet River. It’s a place where iron and steel is ham-
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mered, shaped and forged into elaborate creations before being shipped back out through the Adirondack Park to adorn homes and businesses. Bailey lives a quiet life. His cabin eschews modern-day trappings like the Internet and television. The Essex native has no cell phone, but rather a old-school model with a short cord that keeps him tethered to a wooden chair. Vinyl records provide the soundtrack, as do the chirping of birds and the calm gurgle of the river. From the moment Bailey saw a log-cabin in a history book as a child, the future blacksmith was sold. “It’s just how I always wanted to live,” said Bailey. Growing up in a family of carpenters, Bailey always had a knack for craftsmanship. First came chores at the Old Dock House, the local restaurant his family once owned and where he grew up.
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the
Blacksmith Historical restoration work followed. While walking in the woods one day, Bailey came across an abandoned forge. Smithing was something that always intrigued him. He brought the unit home and, over time, forged a career. “I just fired it up and started,” said Bailey. The solitude gives him a laser-like focus on the ancient craft. Bailey likens the monk-like dedication to a Butterfly Effect-type philosophy in which outcomes can be drastically altered based on a random sequence of events. Time spent twiddling on a smartphone, for instance, could instead be reinvested in an hour of workshop tinkering that may produce, say, a sculpted fish. Or a new guitar lick. Or another wondrous creation. Bailey’s technique is the same as that of the old masters: Heat, hammer and shape.
Forging is about changing the shape of wrought iron and steel — not fabrication, which is done by welding. Each object, once shaped, is then assembled with the use of mechanical joints. Since there’s no material loss in forging — punched holes are drifted, not drilled — the result is unparalleled durability. Bailey cited the Eiffel Tower, which is constructed from sections of puddled iron that are riveted together, as an example: “If that was allowed to rust, it would crack and fall apart,” he said. The blacksmith likes working with wrought iron. Compared to the rest of the world, the United States only produced that material for a brief window. Over time, it was replaced with mild steel.
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The difference between the two is that wrought iron has almost zero carbon, making it more malleable than steel, which is harder and stronger. Wrought iron isn’t as strong, which meant builders had to use larger sections that they would rivet together. Not only did the advent of mild steel allow for the use of smaller sections, but it also became more readily available. While he works with both, Bailey prefers wrought iron for historical projects. Since it’s no longer manufactured in this country — and only in small batches in England — he goes on special excursions to retrieve it from undisclosed locations, exhuming the artifacts of another time and offering them resurrection through fire. Bailey often has several irons in the fire. He walked over to the forge and turned a knob. Before long, the bituminous soft coal glowed with a volcanic sheen. The temperature reached 1,300 degrees, the level needed to shape steel. Bailey pulled his hat down, inserted a pair of earbuds and slipped on a pair of goggles. Then he started on something simple — a tool, a knife billet. He held the steel in the fire for a moment, then rushed to a power hammer. He placed the steel on an anvil and hit the switch. Clank clank clank. Heat, then shape. Heat, then shape. The blacksmith rushed back and forth between the fire and the automatic hammer in 30-second bursts. The coals glowed and he worked in a state of deep laser-like concentration. Clank clank clank. As he worked, a train passed and blew its horn, sending its mournful cry through the forest. Wrought iron stays hot and workable for a longer time compared to steel, which cools quickly, explained Bailey. That’s why speed and precision is important. “Everything’s done hot.” 66 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
Eventually the knife began to take shape. While these and other tools are a labor of love for Bailey, who is also a historic reenactor, the iron is hot across the region for more complicated projects. A quick drive around Essex, a historic hamlet located on the shores on Lake Champlain in Essex County, will reveal his handiwork — including most of the town’s wrought iron railings. As Bailey refined his craft over two decades, the word spread. Seasonal residents and second homeowners can’t get enough. He’s now more or less working continuously on commissions from the surrounding community — a fireplace grate or screen here, a set of railings there. Sometimes the occasional chandelier or abstract sculpture. After a client approaches the blacksmith with a general idea or concept, Bailey lets his imagination soar: “It’s so wide open, there’s no rules with this stuff — that’s why it’s so cool,” said Bailey. “It’s almost like music — there’s no rules there, not enough to bother me, anyway. And it’s the same with this.” Aside from the automated tools, his shop isn’t much different from those from, say, 1480. Even the ailments are the same. Blacksmiths used to be atrophied on one side because they were cold and weren’t walking much. “They’d be blind and deaf and whatever side they used would be huge,” said Bailey. “And I saw that happening to me a long time ago.” The relative stasis of the industry over time is what makes Bailey’s work so exclusive. There are only a few blacksmiths in the Adirondack Park who can take on these largescale projects, said Bailey. The future looks bright for the blacksmith, who would eventually like to relocate to a shop with an attached storefront in the area — perhaps Whallonsburg, a nearby farming hamlet that is crackling with small-scale economic vitality. “I want to stay right here,” said Bailey.
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Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 67
QA and
with Vermont museum director
Bill Brooks C
ommunity leader Bill Brooks is the executive director of the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, the oldest community based museum in the USA. Brooks is an expert in American history and folk art, a respected community leader and a member of numerous civic organizations.
Story and photos by Lou Varricchio
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CL met up with William Brooks, executive director of the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, at his museum office, at 1 Park St., in downtown Middlebury.
The Sheldon Museum, the oldest community based museum in the USA, has welcomed visitors and researchers since 1882. The museum began with the private collection of prominent Middlebury resident Henry Sheldon who died in 1907. Sheldon spent more than three decades collecting and preserving man-made objects, records and photographs relating to Vermont and elsewhere. Perhaps Sheldon’s most talked-about treasure is the mummy of an Egyptian prince, named Amum-Her-Khepesh-Ef, who died in 1883 B.C. The badly damaged mummy — placed under a tombstone carved with hieroglyphs — is buried in Middlebury’s West Cemetery. Today, following in the tradition of founder Henry Sheldon, the Sheldon Museum is in excellent hands under Brooks’ directorship. A community leader, he served as president of the Addison County Economic Development Corporation and was on the board of Grass Roots and Community Effort, an arts organization headquartered in Vermont. He is on the board of the Middlebury College Museum of Art, is co-chairman of the New Haven, Vermont Planning Commission, and is a past member of the Vermont Human Resources Board of Directors, appointed by Gov. Jim Douglas. Brooks is an expert in American history and folk art, a respected 68 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
community leader, a member of the of the Middlebury Rotary Club, a Middlebury College Museum of Art board director, past president of the Addison County Economic Development Corporation, and a board member of several Vermont arts organizations. Brooks says that the mission of the Sheldon Museum is to serve the public by preserving the historic memory of Addison County and neighboring Vermont communities, heightening the awareness and enjoyment of our rich cultural legacy, and stimulating the study of connections between Vermont’s past and broader historical themes. The museum, located across from Middlebury’s Ilsley Public Library by the new traffic rotary, offers tours, exhibits and programs to enrich the understanding of Vermont’s past in each of the three main areas of the facility: •The Judd-Harris House showcases a wealth of objects depicting small town life in nineteenth century Vermont. •The Stewart-Swift Research Center houses one of the state’s premier archival collections, documenting the history of Middlebury, Addison County, and Vermont. •The Walter Cerf Gallery hosts changing exhibits throughout the year. The museum boasts an education program offering on-site and outreach programs using reproductions of maps, documents and artifacts ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
from the Museum collections. Public programs at the Sheldon Museum include a popular Annual Holiday Open House, an outdoor pops concert in the summer, and many other events throughout the year. NCL: Welcome, Bill Brooks. NCL readers love Vermont and New York history, so we thought it was time to talk to one of the people responsible for preserving local history. First, we want to know a little bit about your family which has rich threads woven into the tapestry of historic Middlebury. Can you tell us about this? Brooks: Certainly. My mother lived here in Middlebury and her father — my grandfather — was a highly respected local physician, Dr. Jacob Johnson Ross. Both my maternal grandparents were UVM graduates. My grandmother taught mathematics at Middlebury High School. Also, the Ross’s lived in the historic Kitchel House. In 1867, Middlebury College President Kitchel built this grand house in the Italianate style of Twilight Hall located across the street on the college campus. Sadly, my grandfather died prematurely in 1929 of an appendicitis attack: it was a shock to everyone. My father was from Massachusetts, but he grew up in Arlington, Va. He practised law in Washington, D.C. I should mention that our family had purchased a summer home in
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North Ferrisburgh, on Long Point, so I was coming to Vermont every summer. I have many Vermont relatives, too. Chuck Ross, the current Vermont secretary of agriculture, is my cousin. NCL: How did you establish a professional career in history and museum work? Also, your curriculum vitae indicates that you have an academic background in folk art, as well. Brooks: I attended Kenyon College in Ohio and received an undergraduate degree in American history. Later, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. I served as a special agent in the Office of Special Investigations; I was stationed in Korea during the Vietnam era, 1964-68. Next, I returned to Washington and began a career in banking. I eventually moved to the Maryland shore to work for a bank there and remained on the shore for 25 years. At that time, I began an interest in American folk art — I started with shorebird decoys and migrated to other areas of the art. I wanted to do something different. So I moved to New York City to pursue my interest in folk art. I studied and received a master’s degree in folk art studies from NYU. I also developed an interest in endurance athletics. I did the Ironman triathlon in my 40s and crossed the USA — from California to North Carolina — by bicycle. I also took part in the Liberty Triathlon; I swam from the Statue of Liberty to Liberty CONTINUED ON PAGE 70
Vol. 4 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 69
Park, then bicycled to Philadelphia, and swam the length of the Annapolis Bay Bridge in Maryland. I continue to stay healthy in Vermont by exercising via bike and kayak.
husband and then death resulted; one of them, I don’t recall which one, fell down the stairs (perhaps during a scuffle). It’s wonderful to learn new insights into local history found in our own collection.
When I was just over the age of 50 I began my second career in museum and gallery work — starting in Rhode Island. I returned to Vermont, full time, in 1997.
NCL: What kinds of researchers visit the Sheldon Museum’s archives?
I ran Frog Hollow Art, the Vermont State Craft Center, then went to work as development director for the Calvin Coolidge Foundation in Plymouth Notch, Vt. While there I helped raise funds to build the new education facility attached to the visitors center, all honoring President Coolidge and his family. Then I joined the Sheldon Museum as the executive director in 2012. NCL: By all accounts, the Sheldon Museum is located in one of Middlebury’s most beautiful downtown buildings, the Judd-Harris House. Anything interesting to say about this historic structure?
Brooks: All kinds of people. For example, sometimes we have Vermont police officers doing research here at the museum. Recently, a detective was investigating the 1970s missing person case of a Middlebury College student. She wanted to recreate the retail stores that were in business here at the time the student disappeared. There was also the unsolved (1930s) East Middlebury murder case; the police have been in here to research that one, too. NCL: What’s the current spotlighted exhibit at the Sheldon Museum?
Brooks: Yes, the Judd-Harris House, the rooms of which display much of our museum collection, was built in 1829 by the marble merchant Eben Judd and his son-in-law Lebbeus Harris. The men were owners of a quarry and marble works near the falls of Otter Creek. This three-story brick Federal house is a monument to their expertise in the marble industry. Judd and Harris both died in 1837. In 1882 Sheldon founded the Sheldon Art and Archaeological Museum and Historical Society in the Judd-Harris House, which he purchased.
Brooks: Our “Warren Kimble All-American Artist: An Eclectic Retrospective” runs through Oct. 18, 2015. This exhibit spotlights the career of internationally known Brandon, Vt., artist Warren Kimble; he came to prominence for his folk art, but since has concentrated on diverse themes. These themes include his “Sunshine” series, his “Widows of War” paintings and sculpture, and more recent “House of Cards” and “Into the Box,” open-faced boxes which feature found objects and architectural assemblages. Warren, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, displays the youthful energy and creativity of someone half his age.
Interestingly, a researcher uncovered the fact that this building was a brothel at one point. The story goes that a wife came looking for her
For visiting hours, exhibit details, and directions to the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury, Vt., call 802-388-2117.
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Osprey 72 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
The Osprey Sometimes known as the fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk or fish hawk. Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons.
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Osprey Adept at soaring and diving but not as maneuverable as other hawks, ospreys keep to open areas, flying with stiff wingbeats in a steady, rowing motion. Primarily solitary birds, they usually roost alone or in small winter flocks of six to ten. Nesting ospreys defend only the immediate area around their nest rather than a larger territory; they vigorously chase other ospreys that encroach on their nesting areas. In breeding season, males perform an aerial “sky-dance,”sometimescalled“fish-flight.”With dangling legs, often clasping a fish or nesting material in his talons, the male alternates periods of hovering with slow, shallow swoops as high as 600 feet or more above the nest site. Sustaining this display for 10 minutes or more, he utters repeated screaming calls while gradually descending in an undulating fashion to the nest.
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ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Ospreys are a conservation success story and their populations grew by about 2.5 percent per year from 1966 to 2010, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 500,000 with 21 percent spending some part of the year in the U.S., 28 percent in Canada, and 3 percent in Mexico. They rate a 7 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score and are not on the 2012 Watch List. The species’ decline was halted by pesticide bans and the construction of artificial nest sites. Osprey numbers crashed in the early 1950s to 1970s, when pesticides poisoned the birds and thinned their eggshells. Along the coast between New York City and Boston, for example, about 90 percent of breeding pairs disappeared. Osprey studies provided key support for wider legal arguments against the use of persistent pesticides. After the 1972 U.S. DDT ban, populations rebounded, and the osprey became a conservation success symbol. But the birds are still listed as endangered or threatened in some states—especially inland, where pesticides decimated or extirpated many populations. As natural nest sites have succumbed to tree removal and shoreline development, specially constructed nest platforms and other structures such as channel markers and utility poles have become vital to the osprey’s recovery. Sadly, a growing cause of death for ospreys is entanglement at the nest: the adults incorporate baling twine and other discarded lines into their nests; these can end up wrapped around a chick’s feet and injure it or keep it from leaving the nest.
Habitat
Look for ospreys around nearly any body of water: salt marshes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries, and even coral reefs. Their large, conspicuous stick nests are placed in the open on telephone poles, channel markers, and dead trees, often over water.
Diet
Live fresh and saltwater fish account for 99 percent of the osprey’s diet. On very rare occasions, the birds have been observed feeding on birds, snakes, voles, squirrels, muskrats, and salamanders. continue on page 76 nclmagazine.com
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Osprey
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Size & Shape
Ospreys are very large, distinctively shaped hawks. Despite their size, their bodies are slender, with long, narrow wings and long legs. Ospreys fly with a marked kink in their wings, making an M-shape when seen from below.
Color Pattern
Ospreys are brown above and white below, and overall they are whiter than most raptors. From below, the wings are mostly white with a prominent dark patch at the wrists. The head is white with a broad brown stripe through the eye. Juveniles have white spots on the back and buffy shading on the breast.
Behavior
Ospreys search for fish by flying on steady wingbeats and bowed wings or circling high in the sky over relatively shallow water. They often hover briefly before diving, feet first, to grab a fish. You can often clearly see an osprey’s catch in its talons as the bird carries it back to a nest or perch.
Breeding
Ospreys are migratory birds that breed in the north and migrate south for the winter. They lay eggs (typically three), which both parents help to incubate. Osprey eggs don’t hatch all at once, but are staggered in time so that some siblings are older and more dominant. When food is scarce these stronger birds may take it all and leave their siblings to starve. nclmagazine.com
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North Warren, New York
s ’ t n o m Ver
e l p o e P s u o Fam
By Lou Varricchio
For a tiny state, Vermont has a long history of largerthan-life personalities — from artists to rabble rousers, the fourteenth state has produced dozens of authors, two U.S. presidents, various entertainers, and patriotic heroes — among many others. Famous men and women have walked the landscape of the Green Mountain State since its founding in the 18th century. In this issue of North Country Living, we present another installment of our ongoing series of mini biographies showcasing famous Vermonters from the past and present. We have chosen to assign our spotlighted celebrities form all four compass quadrants of the state — northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast. We thank the State of Vermont, the Vermont Historical Society, the Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, and the Vermont Welcome Center in Fair Haven for assistance in planning this series.
U.S. President Chester A. Arthur 21st President (Oct. 5, 1829 – Nov. 18, 1886) Fairfield, Vt. The Vermont Historical Society notes that although his exact birthplace is contested, we at least know that Chester A. Arthur was born on Oct. 5, 1829 in Fairfield. “He became a New York lawyer and Republican politician 2 80 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
people s u o m a f ’s t n o erm A sampler of V
and was elected U.S. Vice-President in 1880,” according to the state’s historical at Fairfield. “Upon the assassination of President James Garfield, Arthur became President on Sept. 10, 1881. His administration was distinguished by the creation of the U. S. Civil Service, better relations with Central and South America, and the revival of the U.S. Navy.”
Barbara Cochran (Jan. 4, 1951 — ) Starksboro, Vt. Starksboro resident Barbara Cochran won an Olympic gold medal winner in skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan. She is the second of four siblings of the famous “Skiing Cochrans” family of Richmond, Vt. According to the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum, “Her father, Gordon ‘Mickey’ Cochran, was a coach at the Smuggler’s Notch Ski Club, the University of Vermont Ski Team and the U.S. Ski Team. Cochran now lives in her home in Starksboro, working hard on her own business, ‘Golden Opportunities in Sports, Business, and Life’, which teaches people how to handle the pressures of competition, work, academics, and other obstacles that life throws at you. Cochran was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.” ncliving@denpubs.com ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Dorothy Canfield Fisher (Feb. 17, 1879 – Nov. 9, 1958) Author, educator, activist Arlington, Vt. Although she was born in New Hampshire, Dorothy Canfield Fisher is best known for her years living in Vermont. Fisher was a popular novelist—depicting life in rural Vermont in the early 20th century—and a proponent of women’s education. According to the Vermont Historical Society, Fisher introduced the Montessori teaching method to American readers and helped found the Adult Education Association in the U.S. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, she received a Ph.D. from Columbia University and lived most of her life in Arlington at the Canfield family home. It was her book, “The Brimming Cup,” published in 1921, which made her a famous novelist. She served as the first woman appointed to the Vermont Board of Education and on the selection committee for the Book-of-the-Month Club (1926-1951). She advocated life-long learning, equal education and job training for women, and racial equality.
Ray Fisher (Oct. 4, 1887 – Nov. 3, 1982) Major League Baseball player, coach Middlebury, Vt. Yet another famous Vermont Fisher (although not related to Dorothy) was born in Vermont, too—this time in Middlebury. Ray Lyle Fisher grew up on a farm located along the Otter Creek in Middlebury. Fisher demonstrated a talent for sports while still a student at both Middlebury High School and Middlebury College; he excelled at playing baseball and football. Following school, in 1910, he was recruited by the New York Yan-
kees. According to the Vermont Historical Society, “Ray pitched in the major leagues for ten seasons, compiling a 100-94 record and 2.82 ERA. In 1921 Fisher became baseball coach at the University of Michigan, where he coached for 38 seasons and won 15 Big Ten championships.” Later, Fisher was a respected coach where he spent summers at a camp on Lake Champlain and coaching in Vermont’s Northern League. The famous Yankee player died at age 95.
Rudy Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986) Island Pond, Vt. Rudy Vallée, a French-Canadian American, was an American singer, actor, jazz bandleader, and multitalented ent e r t a i n e r. For the Baby Boom generation, he is best remembered as goofy Lord Marmaduke Ffogg on the campy 1960s television series “Batman.” However, to an earlier generation, he was the first of the modern era’s pop singers and teen idols. During the 1920s, teenage girls, called flappers, mobbed him during singing performances and during live coast-to-coast radio broadcasts. His caricature was popular in cartoons of the era including Betty Boop, and later Bugs Bunny, where he is shown signing through his iconic cheerleader’s megaphone.
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doesn’t pay—when you’re a volunteer
crime 86 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Retired engineer Paul Crossman of Rutland, Vt., has always been interested in law and order. And for the dozens of Rutland-area judges, attorneys, police officers and inmates beginning in the 1990s, Crossman is now well known as a one-of-a-kind, unpaid court observer, police ride-along, and advocate. Crossman’s life as a criminal-justice system volunteer may have started out as a fun, learning experience, but it quickly evolved into a retirement passion which has positively affected numerous lives. His passion for criminal-justice began a long time ago — growing up in Rutland. “I was born and raised in Rutland,” Crossman says. “I worked and traveled for General Electric from 1954 to 1990, then came back to Rutland, built a house, and settled in. I was never into sports. I was the indoor type, more serious, read technical books and magazines, had a home workshop and used to build things, repair electrical appliances, do house wiring, was a photographer for the Rutland High School newspaper and yearbook. I even had darkroom at home. I never had a girlfriend in high school; I was very shy then.” Long before he retired to spend his retirement days in courtrooms, prison cells, and police cars, Crossman — a University of Vermont graduate and registered professional electrical engineer — worked as a General Electric engineer specializing in military electronics. “I was a field service engineer on shipboard working on gun and guided missile fire-control systems for the U.S. Navy,” he says. continued on page 88
81-year-old retired engineer Paul Crossman spends his spare time in court and prison. Former G.E. engineer Paul Crossman, 81, enjoys his retirement as a volunteer court observer, advocate, Rutland High School Class of 1951 leader, local historian, and Paramount Theatre usher.
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Paul Crossman at his “home away from home”—the courthouse in Rutland, Vt.
“My work included shipboard installations and checkout of these new systems for various Navy and private shipyards. I was also an engineering consultant at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois and a G.E. Liaison with the U.S. Naval Ship Weapons Systems Engineering Station in Port Hueneme Calif. In 1988, I was transferred from G.E. in Pittsfield, Mass., to G.E. in Rutland as a process control engineer until 1990 when I took early retirement. I was happy to return to my hometown.” After 36 years of service to G.E., Crossman wasn’t going to spend long hours relaxing in a lounge chair or spend valuable time playing golf — ”I was never into sports,” he adds. However, being an avid fan of the late actor Andy Griffith’s “Matlock” crime-drama television series since the 1980s, Crossman decided to learn more about the criminal justice world for himself. “It was like I was going to work,” Crossman says about his daily volunteer routine. “I‘d dress up in suit and tie and head off to the courthouse at 8 a.m.” 88 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
While not as active as court observer as he was a few years ago, Crossman remains a steady observer at criminal court proceedings in Rutland County. But his volunteer days in court actually began in Maryland. “Following retirement, I left Rutland and spent a couple of years in Baltimore where I volunteered at Mercy Hospital as a patient advocate — that also included the University of Maryland Medical Center, and then at the Office of the Medical Examiner in the autopsy room,” he says. “I was surprised I was permitted to watch the doctor performing autopsies. Then I found myself being a kind of volunteer assistant in the medical examiner’s office. Well, you certainly couldn’t do that kind of thing in a small community.” Following the stint in Baltimore, Crossman returned to Rutland. “Back home in Rutland I volunteered as a patient advocate at the Rutland Regional Medical Center for two years and then found my new hobby — court watching at district, federal, superior and bankruptcy courts in Rutland County.” Crossman says his fascination with the criminal mind eventually resulted in befriending several inmates. “For two years I volunteered for Rutland District Court and at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Center by meeting with inmates and filing applications for public defenders for those who were indigent and in need of counsel.” Crossman said that religious convictions were not the reason behind helping Rutland-area inmates. While he is a devout Roman Catholic, Crossman said he just felt an urge to help in a volunteer capacity. “Everybody got to know me,” he notes. “I ended up doing ride alongs with Rutland and State Police; that was one of my passions. Now for the past several years, I have served as ward clerk and ballot clerk in the City of Rutland’s Ward 4.” Now add to all this work as a private investigator for Deter Security, Paramount Theatre usher, researcher for the Rutland Historical Society, and Rutland High School Class of 1951 reunion organizer — you simply won’t find a busier, more engaged octogenarian. “I live alone now,” Crossman says. “I was married, then divorced. My one daughter, Paulette, had progressive multiple sclerosis for 16 years then died at age 43 in 2012. I miss her. I am caring for her cat Maggie May and we’re good companions. Since I lost my brother in 2014, I have no immediate family left. But despite these hurdles, I am thankful for my good health and my ability to be independent and meet new challenges. I am enjoying my retirement....
Life is Good.”
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T. Morris Longstreth
So Longstreth set out on writing one of the first books about the Adirondack Park, just after President Theodore Roosevelt nationalized the area. In “The Adirondacks” (1917), Philip G. Terrie’s rehe was teaching in Kings- view of the book in the ton, Ontario. From then on Adirondack Explorer, he was a freelance writer. Terrie talks about the He wrote over 40 books long descriptions talkin his career. He start- ing about conservaed out writing travel tion of the park thanks journals on the Adiron- to the declaration of dacks, the Laurentians, President Roosevelt. the Catskills, and wrote “The advantages of a biography of Abraham not despoiling the wilLincoln’s son. Eventually derness further are so he wrote historical fic- clearly seen that the tion, the first such foray tendency to keep and was Mac of Placid, which even extend it can be I came into reading after said to be under way. talking with Mike Delah- The period of exploitaant, curator of the Robert tion is being succeeded Louis Stevenson Museum by the age of conserat Baker Cottage in Sara- vation, and right glad nac Lake, NY. That title were we to find it out.” was the fictionalized acLynn and Longstreth count of Stevenson’s chore spent six months in boy by the name of Anson the park, walking from MacIntyre. spot to spot, and along The Adirondacks is a the way got many leslovely dedication and sons in hospitality and exploration of the area encounters with civilijust a year after Presi- zation. In one section, dent Roosevelt preserved Longstreth declares the the park. It begins with park: “quiet lakes and Longstreth and his friend haunting vistas that are Lynn walking from the unutterably satisfying train station at North to a man’s soul.” TerCreek to Indian Lake, rie talks about an encontinuing to Raquette counter with a new Ford Lake, onto Cranberry automobile, which gets a Lake, Paul Smiths, Long rise out of Longstreth Lake, Lake Placid, Keene that the machines will and Schroon Lake chroni- eventually come for the cling their great hike in park. a 300 page book. In the In the chapter, “The foreword, Lynn says to Gospel According to Longstreth: Paul Smith” we get a look at what it means “Did you ever see a book to be an Adirondack on the Yellowstone Park?” person: idealism fu“Dozens. Why?” eled by the woods. Paul “Well this park’s big- Smith helped Edward ger, but did you ever seen Livingston Trudeau reone [book[ about it?” cover from his tuberculosis by having him I thought a moment, but stay at his hotel, and couldn’t remember having was an integral part seen anything of the sort. in Trudeau’s formation “You haven’t,” he went of the Sanitorium that on, “because there isn’t helped Robert Louis such a thing.” Stevenson. ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
An Original Adirondack Chronicler
By David Press
Tucker did help me Thomas Morris Long- out a short biographical streth is a hard man to sketch of Longstreth. He get to know. For the past was born, raised, and died three weeks, I’ve been in Philadelphia, PA, 11 rifling through the years short of his hunarchives of the Saranac dredth birthday. He was Lake Public Library born to Benjamin Taylor (judiciously helped by Longstreth and Frances the kind Michelle Tuck- Haldeman on February 17, er the curator of the 1886. He was educated at Adirondack Research Haverford college, graduRoom), the Joan Weill ating in 1908, and from Adirondack Library at there he was a traveling Paul Smith’s College, tutor and teacher. The and sifted through the sketch says he De Lancey Lake Placid Club ar- School in Philadelphia chives at the Lake from 1912-1913, MontgomPlacid Library. Not one ery County Day School in photograph of the long Wynnewood, PA from 1917 time Adirondack nature and then on. By the time he wrote his first book, writer. 90 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
This is where an early connection can be made between Paul Smith, Trudeau, Stevenson, and Longstreth bringing them into conversation with each other. Longstreth became a longtime resident of Lake Placid’s Club after this book. He regarded his ten years at the Club as the center of civility, but in all of the writings I found about his time at the Club, he never once talked about the anti-semitism laced throughout Melville Dewey’s policies at the Club. Perhaps the reason behind this glaring omission was Longstreth didn’t want to be kicked off the property he loved and wrote about for St. Nicholas Magazine, a magazine by his publisher the Century Club. “It is a beautiful spot near a lake called
Dark-Eyed Water, and a mountain, Clouds’ Cobble, and we live there year around. We have two chief amusements: living and answering letters.” He lived with three other men named Essex Lad and a Canadian named Prunier at the Wilderness Inn, or Wildyrie. They would answer questions from relatives who want to know what they do when the temperature reaches forty below zero. In an article “Winter at Wildyrie” from February 1922, Longstreth talked about skiing, snowshoeing, and most of the other activities that could be found at the Club. Mac of Placid is probably Longstreth’s most popular work among Adirondack locals, but only about a 1,000 copies were printed and distributed amongst Club members. In a letter to a Mr. Davis from Westtown, PA, found
at the Saranac Lake Public Library’s Adirondack Research Room, Longstreth writes, “I doubt that Dickens or any other great author had had particular experience,” of scarcely anyone not reading his book on the grounds of the old hotel. In the introduction to Alfred L. Donaldson brought to Longstreth’s attention the story of Anson MacIntyre who was a young chore boy for Stevenson. The novel was a fiction, and in a letter from 1965, Longstreth admits that he made up MacIntyre. Longstreth lived in Westtown, PA, from 1949 until his death, and worked in the largely Quaker population and its school system. It many papers it’s believed that Longstreth was Quaker himself and wrote in 1974, at the school’s 175th commencement: “Westtown
lasts because it keeps heading in the right direction[and because the Quaker ethic that supplies its energy draws largely on immortal truth.” The travel writer continued to write about his time in the park, writing many books on the Canadian mounties as well as many other travel books, including a pulp science fiction book called Time Flight (1968.) Loose criteria for what makes Longstreth an Adirondack writer is he loved the outdoors and the park itself, celebrating it in nearly everything he wrote, and he made it through many winters, and if you can do that, then you’re an Adirondacker.
Terry Young’s love of art began with his mother, who was an artist in Long Island. Some of his earliest memories consist of going to art galleries with her. His father always drew, so there was always an isel set up with paints — leading him to have his own. He studied art at the Art Students League in New York City in the early 70’s. He didn’t, however, study any of the art mediums he practices today. Instead, he studied portrait art but didn’t continue it after he left the Art Students League. Now, Terry embodies a wide variety of arts from etching and pencil drawings to oil paintings and book arts — using surroundings and the imagination to create pieces of art.
A family affair Young’s Studio and Gallery By Teah Dowling The Young’s Studio & Gallery came to be through the love of two people and their love of art.
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Terrance “Terry” Young embodies a wide variety of arts from etching and pencil drawings to oil paintings and book arts — using surroundings and the imagination to create pieces of art. Sue Young focuses on the practical side of art, creating items one can use within their own home. She creates mainly pottery, along with ceramic pendants and sculpture. The Young family creates and sells their carefully crafted pieces in their gallery on one side and lives on the other, where they raised two kids, Emily and Corrine “CJ,” who grew up with a love of art just like their parents did.
SUE’S ARTISTIC JOURNEY
Sue was born in 1959 in one of the smallest hospitals in the Adirondack Mountains. Sue grew her love of art from her mother — a creative seamstress — and creative siblings. When she attended high school, she took pottery and enjoyed it. But she had a broader interest of printmaking. She studied printmaking at SUNY Potsdam. Due to a requirement for her degree, she took pottery once again. “Once I got into the pottery studio, that was it,” she said. “There were so many different techniques and it seemed like an endless system. “It took over.” Once she graduated in 1981 and received her degree, a BA in Fine Arts, her father built her a pottery studio that opened April 1, 1982, during a recession but got through it with the support of her friends, family, community members and Terry.
TERRY’S ARTISTIC JOURNEY
Terry’s love of art began with his mother, who was an artist in Long Island. Some of his earliest memories consist of going to art galleries with her. His father always drew, so there was always an isel set up with paints — leading him to have his own. He studied art at the Art Students League in New York City in the early 70’s. He didn’t, however, study any of the art mediums he practices today. Instead, he studied portrait art but didn’t continue it after he left the Art Students
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League. “I went to art school without going for a degree, and I’m doing very little of what I’m doing today,” he said. “It wasn’t my thing.” Terry moved to the Adirondacks from New York City in 1979 when his family decided to build home in the Adirondacks and continued his artistic journey here, eventually with Sue.
THE GET TOGETHER
Sue and Terry met through a party for local artists at Steve Bowman’s house in Wilmington. The group of artists wanted to put together a craft show, so the couple decided to run it together. “Meeting Terry was key,” Sue said. “I was a super shy person and he had experience with selling and promoting yourself, organizing and putting shows together. “It was made for a pretty good partnership.” A year after Sue opened her own shop, she married Terry. In 1984, they put in a 10x12 original showroom. They opened the store itself in 1995.
A GALLERY TOUR
As you enter through the French double doors, an island display with Sue’s pottery is there to greet you, along with works of 60 other artisans in the gallery from Adirondack pack basket makers to fine jewelers and woodworkers. The island display, along with the other gallery displays, were designed and made by Terry who embodied a rustic appearance using slab lumber, cedar bark and birch twigs. Etchings and paintings by Terry are hung on the walls as well as fine art from the Young’s personal collection that they have accumulated over the years. The gallery is connected to their studios, letting customers roam at will and watch Sue and Terry at work while they browse through the gallery of their works. “It’s the interest that you want to see, and you want to see the sparkle in people’s eyes,” Terry said. “It validates what you’re doing in that back room.”
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SIMPLE COUNTRY POTTER
Sue creates and sells items that are oven-proof and microwave and dishwasher safe, including vases, batter bowls, berry washing cups, knit bowls, casserole bowls and, high demand products, teapots and mugs. “I don’t really consider myself an artist but a simple country potter,” she said. “I want to make something that I would want to use myself.” Sue uses the raku process to make some of her pottery — making each piece to become a unique and one of kind work of art. The basic technique came to the United States from Japan in the 1950s by artists who went over to Japan to study art. Though she considers herself to be a simple country potter, Sue likes to bring out the artist in her pottery with unique designs and colors, along with creating sculpture, ceramic pendants and silk painting. “When you’re working and being honest as you work, whatever comes out, I think, will resound with the people,” she said. “That’s my theory.”
TERRY’S CREATIVE PROCESS
When Terry creates art, specifically his oil paintings and etching, he gets inspiration from his surroundings, including Jay Mountain, Marcy Dam and Gill Brook Flume. “I guess what I love most about doing etchings is the element of the unknown,” he said. “The fascination never ends when I examine a plate up close and look at all the tiny grooves I
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made.” With his pencil drawings and book arts, however, Terry gains inspiration from his imagination — bringing in fantasy and stories of discovering castles and ancient cities. In a few of his pencil drawings, Terry discovers one of his book arts, made with a specific pitfiring technique. It all starts with a garbage can drilled with eight holes with hardwood sawdust on the bottom and fired stoneware pots on top combined with hardwood sawdust and copper and iron sulfates. On top of that, he places hardwood kindling, covers everything with newspaper and then ignites. In this firing came several small slump bowls and a pyramidal shape called “The Tower of Inspiration,” which includes hand bound books he makes. “It’s created by whatever your mood is that day,” Terry said. “It’s a feeling, a zone you go into when you’re alone in your studio.”
VISIT THERE TODAY
Young’s Studio & Gallery is located at 6588 NYS Route 86 in Jay. It’s open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 518—946—7301, email suebyoung@hotmail.com or terrydy terrydyoung@hotmail.com, visit their website at www. youngsgallery.com or visit their Facebook page “Young’s Studio & Gallery.” “We’re inspired by the Adirondacks and we’re making original work,” Terry said. “We realize how lucky we are that we can make and sell what we do.”
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Lush, artistic gardens in...
Lake George are intriguing tourists. By Thom Randall LAKE GEORGE — An impeccably dressed man stood in front of a lavish, colorful floral arrangement atop the Centennial Fountain in Shepard Park. The man — an interior decorator for celebrities’ personal jets — took a series of photographs of the lush arrangement, which includes a miniature landscape, complete with water trickling through moss — representing a tiny meandering stream. “These arrangements are absolutely stunning,” the man said of the array of plants which includes hemlock bound and pruned to grow into elegant twisted shapes. “They stopped me in my tracks.” Nearby, the woman responsible for creating the garden — and dozens of others in Lake George — went about her daily work. Judy Gearwar tended to weeding, as well as restoring damage to some plants that had been trampled by tourists. “It’s a joy to do this stuff,” she said. With no formal training in garden design, Gearwar has transformed the village in recent years with colorful, lush gardens and bold, creative landscaping that is now intriguing tourists as well as residents. And, she’s accomplished this work without pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Gearwar and her seven assistants even pick beetles and other pests off plants by hand. When Gearwar first started managing the village’s landscaping, it consisted of primarily rows of shrubbery, and plants chosen primarily for their durability. While most municipal gardens are staid, linear plots, Gearwar’s are created with undulating forms, staged on multiple levels, with contrasting textures, vibrant harmonious colors, and alluring scents. Her arrangements range from intricate miniature gardens to towering displays, containing arrays of plants up to 10 ft tall. Gearwar’s work has prompted many dozens of complimen98 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 3
tary letters and emails to the village government, Lake George Mayor Robert Blais said. “I’ve been to resort areas all over the nation, and Judy’s gardens are among the very best anywhere,” said Blais. Blais said he believes Gearwar’s floral displays in Shepard Park and Blais Park represent her best work. “Her arrangement at the Centennial Fountain is absolutely astounding,” he said of the plantings which include a tiny blueberry bush, and a baby maple tree. “She made that monument into a Monet!” Blais Park includes one of Gearwar’s gardens that’s also been called a masterpiece. It was created by Gearwar to provide an ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
environmental setting for a sculpture of a heron by renowned artist P.J. LaBarge. For that setting, she personally chose boulders on municipal hillside property — and village employees hauled them to the garden site. There, they worked for hours to arrange and rearrange them according to Gearwar’s instructions. Then, she and her assistants planted 70 varieties of plants and flowers, creating a lush landscape, arranged as if nature’s forces had created it. Blais Park gardens, and others in town, have often been used as backdrops for weddings, Blais said. Working with a limited budget, Gearwar has supplementnclmagazine.com
ed nursery-grown plants with ones she brings from home or finds in nature. She often wanders woods and fields, observing nature, returning with new ideas for arrangements and landscaping. When highway crews widen a roadway, she’s there to rescue plants, which she nurtures and transplants in municipal gardens, she said. “This used to be a ratty little thing along a local road,” she said, gesturing towards a sinewy strand of hemlock winding through one of her arrangements.
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Gearwar Garden Town Hall Rock Gearwar’s knack with plants may be rooted in her family. Her grandfather grew a wide variety of robust plants in the family garden. Judy’s artistry with flowers and plants, however, may have stemmed from a youthful misdeed, she said. As a child, she once picked a huge bouquet from a neighbor’s flower garden, and brought it home as a gift for her mother. Unbe-
knownst to Gearwar, the flowers had been destined for a floral competition. As punishment, her neighbor required her to work in her garden for a summer, primarily weeding flower beds. “The flowers and the garden were gorgeous,” she recalled. “It was there in my neighbor’s garden that I developed an appreciation for floral design.” Over the following decades, Gearwar dabbled at gardening, but in recent years, it be-
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came a passion — with Gearwar routinely researching floral and garden design. “I guess I taught myself,” she said. “Now, I read everything on floral design that I can get my hands on.” Gearwar was hired as a member of the village street crew about 14 years ago, and village officials subsequently embraced her enthusiasm for floral design, cooperating with her to transform the local landscape.
The village and town are now cooperating on the new multi-million-dollar Lake George Gateway project to create a new ambiance in the southern end of town, which is to include a landscaped median down the center of state Rte. 9. Lake George Town Supervisor Dennis Dickinson said he’ll be lobbying for Gearwar to oversee the plantings. “Judy has a remarkable natural talent for floral and landscape design,” he said. “She’s got a real eye for it.”
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Charles Bronson: By Lou Varricchio Tough guy Hollywood actor Charles Bronson—whose plaintive grave is set on the high ground of a small cemetery looking south to Mt. Ascutney in Vermont— never forgot his early years living in the hardscrabble coalfields of southwestern Pennsylvania. Described as a “man with a face like an eroded cliff,” Bronson was a true American blue-collar loner. “I guess I look like a rock quarry that someone has dynamited,” he once admitted to a talent agent early in his career. Beginning during the 1970s, and until his death in 2003, Bronson was lucky to have escaped paparazzi flashbulbs and autograph seekers—all to lead a very private, quiet life on a magnificent 400-acre rural spread he and his wife dubbed Zuleika Farm, located off an unmarked dirt road in West Windsor, Vt. Apparently, the forested hills of West Windsor were evocative of the Allegheny Mountains of the late actor’s boyhood; the green hills helped “center” Bronson by reminding him of his rugged Appalachian roots. Although the Bronson’s also owned upscale homes in California and Colorado, Vermont was where they appeared to be the happiest; it was in the Green Mountain State where Charles and his second wife put down roots on an 18th-century farmstead filled with horses, dogs, garden flowers, and laughing kids. Built in 1791 by a country squire who was a Tory during the Revolution, the Bronson’s farm was tucked behind a copse of beautiful white, paper birch trees. “No one sits at the head of our (round dinner) table,” Bronson told American Home magazine writer Muriel Davidson in an April 1975 article about the Vermont estate. “Charlie and I enjoy being here alone,” Bronson’s wife told Davidson. “We rarely bring guests, just the children.” The couple fell in love with their six-bedroom Vermont farmhouse at first sight; a friend and realtor—living in nearby Woodstock—took them on a Sunday drive to inspect the farmhouse before they bought it.
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At home: Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland hold daughter Zuleika in front of their 18th-century West Windsor farmhouse in April 1975. The couple were featured in an article about life in Vermont in American Home magazine. Since Bronson’s death in 2003, the house was significantly remodeled by a new owner. For nearly 30 years following, Bronson and his beautiful wife, the late British actress Jill Ireland, raised their children in Vermont—all of the children were from the couple’s previous marriages, save one girl, named Zuleika, the couple had together. It was in Vermont where the Bronson’s let down their hair, so to speak, to enjoy running in the autumn leaves, horseback riding, skiing at Mt. Ascutney, hiking on the Long Trail, and collecting antiques at places such as Brookside Farms in Orwell. According to popular radio commentator Mark Steyn, a resident of New Hampshire, “Charles Bronson made a few good movies, a lot more lousy ones, and, either way, piled up enough dough to buy a horse farm in West Windsor, a little way’s down the Connecticut River from me. I wish I could say I’d seen his great craggy face and weary eyes hunched over a steaming mug of coffee in the booth of the local diner. But, as far as I can tell from reported local sightings, he tended to favor the tonier joints, like the basement café at Rosey Jekes in Hanover, N.H., and the chi-chi boutiques of Woodstock, Vt. If these retail patterns are accurate, he would appear to have had the conventional tastes of the celebrity rich. Nonetheless, Bronson was a most unconventional celebrity. ...” “I don’t have friends,” Bronson once told a Hollywood reporter. “I have thousands of acquaintances. No friends. I figured I had a wife and children.” Born Nov. 3, 1921 as Charles Buchinsky of Lithuanian immigrant parents, the future actor grew up in the Allegheny coalfields of Ehrenfeld, Pa. He was number 11 of 15 Buchinsky children. Life in Ehrenfeld had its challenges during the Depression years of the 1930s—physically, financially and psychologically. At an early age, Bronson displayed artistic talent as well as a dramatic flair.
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“When I was a kid,” he told film critic Roger Ebert during a rare, unfiltered 1974 interview, “I was always drawing things. I’d get butcher paper or grocery bags and draw on them. And at school, I was the one who got to draw on the windows with soap—turkeys for Thanksgiving, that kind of thing. It seemed I just knew how to draw I could draw anything in one continuous line without lifting the crayon from the paper. I had a show of my stuff in Beverly Hills and it sold out in two weeks —and it wasn’t because my name was Charles Bronson, because I signed them Buchinsky.” When his father died suddenly in 1931, 10-year-old Bronson went to work in a coal mine owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Co. (the company also owned the family’s house). Down in the mine, the craggy-faced lad who spoke broken English, earned money for his mother and family. The child miner earned $1 for every ton of “black diamonds” hauled to the surface in horse-drawn ore carts. “Times were poor,” Bronson told Ebert. “I wore hand-me-downs. And because the kids just older than me in the family were girls, sometimes I had to wear my sisters’ hand-me-downs. I remember going to school in a dress. And my socks, when I got home sometimes I’d have to take them off and give them to my brother to wear into the mines.” From the age of 10 until 20 Bronson, with fossil carbon staining every young wrinkle and scar on his face, literally inhaled and exhaled tons of coal dust just to earn his keep down in the mines. On his 20th birthday—and after dealing with bouts of claustrophobia exactly like his POW “Danny” character in the watershed, action-packed 1963
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Charles Bronson’s second wife, British actress Jill Ireland in 1966. She appeared with her husband in more than a dozen films.
war movie “The Great Escape”—Bronson reckoned he was done with axe picking, timber shoring and mine-tunnel collapses for good. By the time of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the nation had been slowly emerging from the Great Depression. And until America joined the war effort, Bronson left the mines to work as a Pennsylvania postal carrier, a bread baker and an onion picker—ironically reflecting a future acting role in the 1974 movie “Mr. Majestyk.” In 1943, Bronson was drafted in the U.S. Army Air Force. He served as a tail gunner aboard a B-29 bomber in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He rarely talked about his war experience in later years, but he sported a shoul-
der wound from attacking Japanese fighter planes. “Getting drafted was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me,” he admitted to Ebert in 1974. “I was well fed, I was well dressed for the first time in my life, and I was able to improve my English.” After the war, Bronson attended art school in Philadelphia on the G.I. Bill. He drifted from art to theater —as a scene painter, then as a budding actor— where he met his first actress wife, Harriet Tendler. The couple—who had two children together—moved to Los Angeles to break into the motion-picture business along with Philly pal Jack Klugman of TV’s “Odd Couple” and “Quincy, M.D.” fame.
Charles Bronson
born Charles Buchinsky; 1921 – 2003, starred in films such as The Great Escape, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the Death Wish series. He was often cast as a police officer, gunfighter, vigilante in revenge-oriented plot lines.
Jill Ireland Charles Bronson (right) with actors James Coburn and Steve McQueen, and director John Sturges (center) on location while filming “The Great Escape” in 1962.
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1936 – 1990, was an English actress and singer, best known for her many films with her husband, Charles Bronson. ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Charles and Harriet later divorced over Jill Ireland. Tendler wrote in her 2010 autobiography, ”Charlie and Me”— “I put my ambitions aside willingly. That’s what women did in those days. I was in love… He once called me, ‘Com’er’ (he said)… Nobody ever talked to me that crudely.” Always leaning to the right of Hollywood’s liberal politics, the young actor changed his name to “Bronson” (supposedly taken from a gateway to the old Paramount Studios) during the Communist “Red Scare” days of the late 1940s and ‘50s. Newly christened Bronson, the young actor didn’t want to taken as a Russian. Soon, credited motion picture and television appearances became a regular thing: ”Red Skies of Montana”, “House of Wax”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “X-15”, even a starring role in the series, “Man with a Camera”. But Bronson’s big screen breakthrough came in 1960 in the Western classic, “The Magnificent Seven”. He earned $50,000 for the role when all doors began to open. Two years later, Bronson’s part in “The Great Escape” earned him kudos and the friendship of fellow star David McCallum (who starred in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “NCIS” on the small screen). It was during the filming of the true story of “The Great Escape” in Germany when Bronson first met McCallum’s wife, Jill Ireland. Later, in 1968, after Jill divorced McCallum, the couple wed. Bigger and bigger box office hits, featuring Bronson, followed—”4 for Texas” with crooners Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, ”The Dirty Dozen”, “Chino”, “Once Upon a Time in the West”, ”The Mechanic”, “Chato’s Land”, “Mr. Majestyk, “Hard Times”, ”Death Wish” and many more. In Europe, Bronson assumed superstar status during the 1970s. At the height of his stardom, he signed multi-million dollar contracts and was increasingly cast in violent, action-oriented films. “...He’s very bright, very perceptive about people,” said co-star Jacqueline Bisset during a 1970s publicity interview. “He holds back a little and watches. People who watch tend to be interesting.” “Bronson did all his own stunts, like dangling in an elevator shaft 12 stories up,” according to the late English director J. Lee Thompson. “My stunt coordinator said to me, ‘Ask him and he may do it.’ And he did!” Bronson met physical challenges head-on as part of his craft.
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I look like the kind of guy who has a bottle of beer in my hand. ~ Charles Bronson continued on page 106
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A visitor pauses to pay his respects at the grave site of Charles Bronson located in West Windsor, Vt. Mt. Ascutney rises in the background.
“As long as it isn’t violent for violence sake, it’s worth taking a few risks,” he said while making Thompson’s action-thriller “St. Ives” released in 1976. “Acting isn’t just speaking. You can run, ride horses, swim—everything you can possibly do with that body. You entertain with it; you just don’t use tongue.” As a husband and wife team, Charles and Jill starred together in 14 movies, a feat which helped cement their happy marriage—even the children joined mom and dad on movie locations around the world. Two long-time Vermont residents have fond memories of a very different, down-to-earth Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland, hen they were relaxed and off the set. Beebe Pond, Vt., resident Nick Zeoli—no stranger to meeting New England celebrities such as the late actor Paul Newman and radio bad-boy Don Imus—met Bronson during the late 1980s, while skiing on the slopes of Mt. Ascutney. “I was skiing at Ascutney, waiting in the lift line, when I jostled against a kid with long blond hair,” Zeoli recalls. “I said, ’Sorry young lady.’ Then I heard a guffaw from behind. I turned. It was Charles Bronson. Then Bronson said to the young man, who turned out to be his son, ‘I told you look like a girl with that long hair!’ There was a second when I thought Bronson might take offense. I even imagined getting into a fist fight with him. But Bronson and I were about the same age and we ended up spending the afternoon skiing together. Bronson invited me up to the farm, but I couldn’t make it for some reason.” Zeoli didn’t admit to regrets passing on the actor’s personal invitation to visit Zuleika Farm. Former Hollywood film and television graphic designer Sandy Korda, now a resident of Orwell, Vt., recounts his California and Vermont connections with Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland. “I first met Charles Bronson and Jill in ‘76 when he was filming ‘The White Buffalo’ at the caves in the Hollywood Hills. Ms. Ireland was visiting the set, and in conversations with her I learned about their home in Vermont, and how they escaped the Hollywood scene. Little did I know that, a few years later, my own parents would do the same. I followed them to Vermont in 1983, during the film industry strikes in L.A.
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“But that wasn’t the last time I saw the Bronsons,” Korda recalls. “My parents ran an antique shop on the grounds of their estate, Brookside Farms, in Orwell and—wouldn’t you know it—the one day I was working in the shop, Charles and Jill walked in. Being serious antique collectors, they were enjoying a summer weekend outing. Jill was first to notice that I looked familiar; she recalled having seen me in the Hollywood Hills a few years before. Charles was blown away, too, to find me 3,000 miles away. This impromptu visit was wonderful, but all too short; they had other shops to see before day’s end. Through my parents’, and my own work, in the film industry I’ve had the pleasure of knowing many celebrities; the Bronson’s were affectionate, gracious and genuine—not only to one another, but to those around them. Rare finds these days. Even more so, now that they’re gone.” Charles Bronson’s and Jill Ireland’s halcyon days together in Vermont came to a close in 1980. At age 54, Jill was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died while at the Bronson’s home in Malibu, Calif., and was cremated. While there is no grave marking Jill Ireland’s life, her cremains are likely buried alongside her husband in Vermont. The actress’s ashes, or so the story goes, were given to Bronson. For the next 33 years, the actor kept his second wife’s ashes safely sealed inside a custom-made, partially hollow walking cane; purportedly, he used the cane until his death in 2003. Charles lived alone until 1988 when he married his third wife, Kim Week, a New York publishing executive. Even while in declining health during the early 1990s, the actor had popular, starring roles in several films. The 1994 movie, “Death Wish 5: The Face of Death”, was his last appearance on screen. During the final years of life, the actor suffered from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. On Aug. 30, 2003, Bronson died, at age 81, while at his California home. His body was returned to Vermont where family members buried him—along with the walking cane bearing Jill Ireland’s ashes—in Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor. He is survived by four children, two stepsons, and two grandchildren.
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A few days after Christmas 2007, auctioneer William Smith closed the books on the Bronson estate forever. Advertised price for Zuleika Farm: $4,895,000. Included were a giant indoor arena, 22 horse stalls, tack rooms, office quarters, a large jumping arena, fenced paddocks, sheds, and miles of riding trails. Included in the final sell-off of the actor’s possessions was a large collection of antiques, china, original paintings, sculptures, Bronson movie memorabilia, a circa-1823 English piano, and even a sleek Ford Thunderbird convertible automobile. So ended the material life of Charles Bronson.
“Do not stand by my grave and weep” Sources: “Roger Ebert Interviews”, “Bronson: A Biographical Portrait” by W. A Harbinson, “Charlie and Me” by Harriett Bronson, Encyclopedia of World Biography, Click Americana.com, and Luxury Real Estate. com. Thanks to Mark Steyn’s blog and special thanks to Nick Zeoli and Sandy Korda for sharing their memories of Charles Bronson in Vermont.
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Inscribed in native Vermont stone, the words of poet Mary Elizabeth Frye grace the actor’s final resting place in West Windsor— Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft starlight at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.
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Marks the Spot Geocaching — a hobby that spans the globe — has some North Country residents using digital treasure maps in a search of fun and hidden mysteries. Story by Andrew Johnstone
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O
sgood Pond Paddler’s Cache #5: The Landing
Attempt No. 1 Well, I thought, this is humbling. I was combing the shoreline of Osgood Pond is search of some mystery container. Well, probably. Maybe an ammunition box, or maybe a Tupperware container. I wasn’t entirely sure. It had been 30 minutes since I entered GPS coordinates into my cell phone, taking me to a canoe launch area on the shore of the Paul Smiths pond. The hint that came with the latitude and longitude was vague — “Things are not always what they seem” — and I was getting nowhere. Frustration set in. I pulled out my smartphone and went through comments. Just a little over half of geocachers who signed in to comment on this particular hide seemed to have found it. Some called its existence into question, only to have that theory rebuked by another to have come by and found it. At least I wasn’t the only one stymied by #5. Maybe I picked the wrong place to start. I switched back to the mapping application and zoomed out, finding another mark several hundred yards to the north along an offshoot of the Jackrabbit Trail. I entered the coordinates and set west through the deciduous stand. Not long after, according to my Motorolla, I was supposedly there. The hint this time was much more to the point, alluding to a fourtree cluster. I scanned the area, spotted what seemed to be the place, and zeroed in. Nestled in between the trunks, and carefully concealed by the last person to find it, was a dark green ammo box that once carried 7.62 millimeter rounds. But instead of bullets, it was a treasure trove of small trinkets and a notebook. For the first time since I was a youngster, it was fun to be holding a Treasure Troll. Okay, now I’m starting to understand the draw. X In some ways, geocachers are like modern day pirates. ‘X’ still marks the spot of hidden treasure, only now on a handheld screen. It’s seems about the thrill of the search, the wonder of what may be found sealed away in a hidden location. Well, almost hidden.
Armed with coordinates, GPS devices and maybe even a clue, these geo-sleuths travel the region, the country, even the world in search of cases filled with, at least it seems after finding a dozen or so, toys and a notebook. The geocacher may make a trade — a Happy Meal toy for a Hot Wheels — or just sign in, relish the moment, and move on to the next. Geocaching, as we know it today, owes its existence to letterboxing. That hobby, one that started about 160 years ago in England, was a mix of orienteering and puzzles. When the US government eventually allowed private access to global positioning satellites in 2000, the stage was set for a much more modern take of the 1800s activity. On May 3 of that year, an Oregon man stashed a bucket containing videos, books, money, even a slingshot, in the woods. He provided the coordinates on the Internet, and just several days passed before others found and logged their discovery of the “geocache.” Now, 15 years later, the number of caches has ballooned to somewhere in the neighborhood of two-and-a-half million. From ammo boxes to Tupperware containers, these curiosities can be found right out the backdoor in the Adirondacks. The website www.geocaching.com, the internet hub of geocaching, has an interactive map with the location and nature of caches, searchable by location. Typing in “Saranac Lake, NY” yielded 90 caches within 10 miles. If that’s not enough, Lake George has a whopping 1,005 in the same radius. From there, coordinates can be sent to a smartphone or GPS unit, and the search is on. Caches on the website are given names by their hiders, as well as a description and sometimes a decryptable hint. Geocachers rate the terrain around the cache, difficulty, and can choose favorites. And with over eight million users of the site worldwide, there’s plenty of action within the community. Even within the Blue Line. “Cobble Hill,” located somewhere on its namesake of a mountain in Lake Placid, is the most favorited in the area. Described as small, with a 4.5-star terrain rating and 3-star for difficulty, it comes with the following clue: Ybbx va ebbg onyy. Or, “Look in the root ball.” Over 200 different geocachers have found and logged their visit to Cobble Hill, leaving comments like “superb view,” “after picking some wild raspberries, we found it!” and lots of “TFTC” – or thanks for the cache. GPS spearheaded geocaching, the availability of the location-tracking technology in smartphones, has made it even easier for someone to dial in the numbers and go. Osgood Pond Paddler’s Cache #5: The Landing Attempt No. 2
I didn’t intend to look for #5 that day. I had gone for a run, zigzagging on and off the Jackrabbit Trail, and followed the shoreline to what was then becoming my “white whale” of a geocache. I had ncliving@suncommunitynews.com
Above: From the Adirondacks to the Caribbean, geocaching has taken Tim Bresett and his family well off the beaten path. His son Carson looks out across Cooper Kiln, a quiet mountain pond near Whiteface Mountain. Top right: He and his wife Aubrey took a cruise for their 10-year anniversary. While on it, geocaching took them to this Sint Maarten vista, one they wouldn’t have found were it not for a cache. Middle right: The couple’s daughter Kylee, left, and Carson pose with a find on Belfry Mountain. The caches, oftentimes repurposed military storage, endure all sorts of Adirondack weather. Hiders can note online whether one can be found when snow is on the ground. Bottom right: Tim and Carson at one of Cooper Kiln’s two trailheads, about three miles from the lean-to and body of water above.
gone from batting .500 to .750 after finding another pair in the area. One of those was called the Desert Island Bookswap. It wasn’t the quickest find, as the last to come across the five-gallon bucket concealed it under a poster-size chunk of birch bark, but I eventually spun the lid off before eagerly looking inside. I had even brought a book in anticipation of the relatively easy find: The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (it seemed fitting). The rules said bring a book, take a book – what I found to be a novel take on a geocache. But I’ll admit, I came away with an empty pack. If I were actually stranded on a desert island, the last thing I would want to read was a guide on how to eat well and stay fit while on it. Commenters who had found #5 called the cache a clever one, so this time I brought a pair of Keens and even went in the water. Nothing. Suspiciously axed log? Nope. Plastic “Loon Survey” box affixed to tree? Actually intended for scientific study. I was empty handed again. Part of me didn’t want to leave until finding the cache, but the sun was setting and I had a few miles to put between it and home, so off I went, saving #5 for another day. X According to the hobby’s most trafficked website, there are three rules to geocaching: 1. If you take something from the cache, leave something of equal or greater value. 2. Write about your find in the cache logbook. 3. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com. Geocachers know this well. Meet Tim Bresett, the general manager of the AuSable Chasm and nclmagazine.com
Photos provided.
someone who has tracked his way to nearly 600 different geocaches. He heard about geocaching through several friends and one day, while sitting at his desk, downloaded a cell phone application and gave it a try. One was about a quarter mile away, so off he went. He searched for it, found it, and began to think of the possibilities. After work, he tried again. This time, he ended up at a scenic wildlife area he didn’t know existed. “Wow, it was amazing,” recalled Bresett. “From then on I was hooked.” And that he was. Since then, using either a cell phone or GPS unit (data charges skyrocket out of country), Bresett has navigated his way to caches in the U.S. and beyond. When on vacation, he uses geocaching to find the best local spots tourists may otherwise not find. On Saint Maarten, an island in the Caribbean, a cache called Natural Pool brought he and his wife along cliffs and rocky shores to a spot he called “one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.” It also happened to be his 10-year anniversary and the two had the spot to themselves. “The entire cruise vacation we let geocaching lead the way,” Bresett said. “The adventures took us to many unique and scenic spots and was, without a doubt, the best vacation we have ever had.” Adventure and curiosity, he added, is what keeps him coming back for more. He also does it with his two children, including the self-proclaimed “Master Cacher” in his 6-year-old son, Carson – who, Bresett admits, seems quicker to find the oftentimes carefullyhidden treasure troves than the rest of the family. Geocaches don’t come in just one form. Most that I found came in the form of repurposed military storage, but one two-stepper in Continued on following page
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between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid involved GPS coordinates taking me to a treasure map, which in turn led me to the final result — called a multi-cache. Others, like a puzzle cache, can be even more complicated. Matthew Rine, a Peru resident and student at Plattsburgh State, began geocaching four years ago after an earth science teacher described the activity to the class. One of the 323 caches he’s found, one memorable one involved a jigsaw-like puzzle, cryptex (imagine a bicycle lock with rotating disks, requiring a word to be formed to unlock the cylinder) and a specially-made electronic puzzle. Others are just plain fun, like one Rine tracked down in Florida that involved finding a fishing reel, releasing the line and watching the cache drop down from the trees above. Though those two finds stood out to Rine, he’s had too many memorable times, including with friends and family, to describe just one. “That’s why I keep geocaching. With every cache I find a new special location that I never would have known about before,” he said. “Whether it’s a secret pond hidden out in the woods, a hiking trail that isn’t listed in the books, or a little-known corner of Plattsburgh, geocaching continues to help me discover the world right around me.” Osgood Pond Paddler’s Cache #5: The Landing Attempt No. 3
Okay, this one didn’t exactly take me back to Osgood Pond. I figured earning my chops on some other area caches might provide some insights on how to find #5. First off, the Adirondack Loj road for 5 Canadians Gruff. It wasn’t rated highly for difficulty or terrain, but did have eight favorites — a decent number for the area given that only premium geocaching.com members can favorite a cache, and even then can only do so once for every 10 logged finds — and Pictured above: The Rice Pine cache was filled with toys and trinkets as well as this sheet of paper that outlines some of the “rules” of geocaching. This particular find dates back to August 2005 and has 159 logged visits. Pictured at left: The contents of a geocache are in constant flux. Toys, keychains, coins, even geocacher cards may turn up in a particular find. With millions around the world — including dozens locatable in Antarctica — a particular trinket could exchange dozens of hands as it travels the globe. At left are the contents of 5 Canadians Gruff, though it likely looks different today. The idea is that if one is to take something from a cache, he or she must also leave something behind. Included here is a laminated “Leave No Trace Pledge” card. Geocachers follow the mantra carefully, and there is even an international event called “Cache In, Trash Out,” in which geocachers pick up litter and garbage.
My fourth attempt at the Osgood Pond Paddler’s Cache: The Landing didn’t end in a find, but instead this view out across the water following a heavy thunderstorm.
was out near the High Peaks. I parked my car along North Meadow Brook and began the task of matching the blue arrow (me) and the red pin (the cache). My cell phone, I had found, was serviceable to hone in on a cache, though it did lack the accuracy, battery life and durability of GPS units generally used by geocachers. Once I reached the location, the phone went into my pocket and the search began. Warning: Spoiler to follow. It took about five minutes before I learned why some folks had given 5 Canadians Gruff the favorite nod. There it was, a water bottle-sized container wrapped in black tape and affixed to a bridge girder by magnet. I spent a few minutes rummaging inside with the beautiful backdrop of a quiet river and distant peaks, signed in and set back off. Next up, The Rice Pine. This one had an interesting description, telling a story about a Civilian Conservation Corps cook who inadvertently cooked far too much rice for a returning continent of tree-planters in the woods outside of Lake Placid. To cover his mistake, he was said to have buried the rice and planted a sapling atop, a tree that was later rumored to have grown faster and larger than any other. While the description continued to say follow the path, I was bushwhacking in no-time. And judging by the comments, I wasn’t the only one to meander around and over fallen trees on my way to the .50 caliber ammo box. Aided by a strong signal, I nearly kicked the green container. In addition to the usual trinkets, I made another find: The value of either marking coordinates of the car or bringing a backup navigation aid. Finding a cache is only the halfway point, and in that peacefully dense forest, I was glad to have a compass to point me north for the way back out. X July of this summer marked 10 years since Gracanne Stermer read an article and picked a screen name — Zennia-WP — for geocaching. At the time, her children were in school and uninterested in joining in, but soon after they were out and she decided to give it a go solo. As someone getting disability, she credits geocaching as “just about the only thing that would get me out of the house.” Since then, the hobby has blossomed to 632 caches located, including countless FTF’s (first to find). The Churubusco resident’s favorite was actually a series of caches — 37 in total — along an 11 mile stretch of the Schroon River. Joined by her sister-in-law, they spent two days kayaking and finding each. But it wasn’t her most nclmagazine.com
memorable experience. Accompanied this time by her daughter, Stermer set off up Jay Mountain for four caches, one of which had yet to be found. Hidden by Bresett, Jay Mountain: Over the Summit was placed in late September somewhere east of the peak. Thought the push to the top of the mountain took longer than expected, Stermer was undeterred — even if getting the FTF meant spending the night. “I talked my daughter into it because I just could not leave without getting that cache,” recalled Stermer. With enough food, a favorable forecast, and cell service to call home and explain the change of plan, the decision was made. They bushwhacked their way a successful first find and made their way back down in the morning, an experience she said she’d do all over again. Stermer is admittedly addicted to FTF’s, which sometimes entail around-the-clock hours and sleeping in her truck. It’s also meant amassing several backpacks, a boat, kayak, snowmobile, tent and so on. And then there’s the joy of sharing the experience. “My 3-anda-half year old granddaughter loves going with me and now tries to hide things all over the house,” she said. Osgood Pond Paddler’s Cache #5: The Landing Attempt No. 4
Early August had just arrived. In trying to learn more about geocaching I had found 11 over a couple of months. Some were easier than others, but each time I found that mystery something hidden away in a village, alongside a river, off in the forest or on the shoulder of a mountain. All but once, that is. Evening brought with it heavy rain. I was describing the #5 mystery to a friend when I had a lightbulb moment. The register box! There must be a clue at the register box! The downpour had turned to a drizzle. I grabbed my pack, hopped in the car and drove to the launch, half running on my way to what I thought was my big break. I opened it up and scanned the book. Nothing. I ran my hands along the inner walls of the box. Nothing again. Checked the outside. For the third time, nothing. Another dead end. Defeated again, I walked to the water’s edge and sat down. The stormclouds drifted away to the northeast, revealing a late-summer sunset over the pond. Two loons called to one another, their eerie cry echoing across the water. While I didn’t come across #5, I did find something else I otherwise wouldn’t have that night. Maybe I didn’t get it that first day after all. I think I do now.
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Classic Fall Comfort Food
Bu ernut Squash Soup! By: Gayle Alexander
The weather has started to cool after our hot summer, farm stands are brimming with apples, squash and pumpkins. It makes me think of all the comfort foods I have not had for a while. One that always comes to mind is butternut squash soup. It is such an easy yet hearty meal you’ll wonder why you have not made it before. The variations are endless; it can have a “spicy bite� or a comforting “pumpkin pie in a bowl� warmth. However you enjoy yours; here are the basics to get that restaurant quality flavor. It just takes some pre-planning. The actual soup is ready in minutes.
Ingredients:
2 8� to 12� butternut squashes about 4-5 lbs (OR Pumpkin it is completely interchangeable) 4 apples: Cortland or Macintosh are good choices 1 Garlic bulb for roasting Celery ž cup Carrots ½ cup Onion 1 medium 14.5 oz can Chicken Broth Olive oil: 4 to 5 Tablespoons, divided Sugar to taste to sweeten applesauce Spices: Sea salt, fresh ground pepper, Tabasco sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder. Parchment paper to cover baking sheet Aluminum Foil
Oven Prep:
Earlier in the day or even the day before‌cut the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, place face up on a baking sheet that has sides. (For easier clean up‌ line with parchment paper). Drizzle half of the olive oil over the flesh, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast the Garlic: Cut the top off the bulb of garlic to expose the tops of the cloves. Drizzle top with a small amount of olive oil. Wrap tightly in double thickness of foil, place in corner of baking sheet. Place the cored and roughly chopped apples in an appropriately sized oven proof dish (skin optional) 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water plus cinnamon and sugar to taste. Roast everything in a 350 degree oven. The squash should be soft, a sharp knife easily pierces the skin and is caramelized on the edges. About 1 hour The garlic is ready when it feels soft when you squeeze the sides of the foil package. 20 to 30 mins. The apple sauce is ready when the apples are soft and create applesauce when stirred. 30 to 40 mins Set aside and allow to cool.
Time to make the soup! 45 minutes before dinner;
Using a sharp knife slice the skin from the squash, mash and set aside. Rough chop the carrots, celery and onions. Add the remaining olive oil to the bottom of a Dutch oven or stock pot set on medium heat. Add in the carrots, celery and onions; cook until they are soft and the onions are translucent. 5+ minutes Add 2 to 3 cloves of the roasted garlic (more if you like). Stir in the apple sauce and the mashed squash. Add enough chicken broth to reach the desired soup consistency.
Let ’s spice it up…..
Here is where you can make the soup our own: Do you like a chunky or smooth soup? A blender or immersion blender will create the smoothness you are looking for. In the case of a chunky soup it is still a good idea to blend half of the soup to meld the flavors. Add: 1 tea nutmeg 1 tea chili powder cinnamon to taste 1 or more dashes Tabasco sauce.
Variations to try in place of the above spices
Curried–ginger…. ½ tea curry powder and 1 tea grated fresh ginger Extra creamy….½ cup sour cream and ½ tea sage Rosemary-Pear….Substitute 4 peeled & sliced pears for the apples and ¼ tea chopped fresh rosemary Protein packed: Add 1 can rinsed and drained Cannellini beans to bring this versatile soup up to entrée status! Note: Roasting is a wonderful way to prepare your butternut squash for any dish.
Enjoy!
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FALL EVENTS 2015
Arts & Entertainment
Adirondack Region Everything you need to know about what’s happening this summer in the North Country
Tuesday Sept. 1 through Sunday, Sept. 13
Scan this QR-Code for the latest events listed on nclmagazine.com
Tuesday Sept. 1
ELIZABETHTOWN — Rock N’ Lil local duo offering acoustic bluegrass, folk, and classic rock will perform at the Elizabethtown Social Center, 7626 U.S. 9, at 6:30 p.m. The free summer performances are held Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., rain or shine at the Elizabethtown Social Center. Donations are appreciated. Bring a lawn chair! Performances will be moved indoors if necessary. For more information call 873-6408.
GLENS FALLS — A Seneca Ray Stoddard exhibition showcasing fifteen images of camp life in the Adirondacks in the 1870s and ‘80s, Lake George to Raquette Lake will be shown at the Chapman Historical Museum, 348 Glen Street. The photos capture the full range of camping options, small lakeside tent sites to permanent camps that featured log lean-tos and even kitchens. For more information call 793-2826 or visit chapmanmuseum. org. The season hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday noon to 4 p.m. The museum is closed major holidays. GLENS FALLS — Homer’s America will be displayed at The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street. The exhibit features two dozen works from the permanent collection including engravings, paintings, and etchings focusing on the Homer chronicling American life. For more information call 792-1761 or visit hydecollection. org. The season hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday noon to 5 p.m. They are closed Monday and most national holidays.
Pat Traver’s still life oil paintigs will be on display beginning Sept. 1 at the Saunders Gallery
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events Tuesday Sept. 1 through Saturday, Sept. 26
GLENS FALLS — Pat Traver, the Dramatic Still Life oil paintings will be on exhibit at the Saunders Gallery, The Shirt Factory 71 Lawrence Street. For more information call 793-9350 or visit saundersgalleryoffineart.blogspot.com. The seasons hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday Sept. 1 through Sunday, Sept. 27
GLENS FALLS — The Late Drawings of Andy Warhol: 1973-1987 will be on display at The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street. The exhibit features 50 pieces, many of which have not been displayed, from the Warhol Museum, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. For more information call 792-1761 or visit hydecollection. org. The season hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday noon to 5 p.m. They are closed Monday and most national holidays.
Tuesday Sept. 1 through Wednesday, Sept. 30
LAKE GEORGE — Spirits of History Ghost Tours will be held at Fort William Henry 48 Canada Street. With this much history there are bound to be ghosts! Will you see a ghost? Learn about some of the spirits still calling the Fort and grounds home. Not recommended for children younger than 12. This is a walking tour, and not recommended for those with medical conditions. For more information and recommendations call 9646647 or visit fwhmuseum.com. The hours are Wednesday through Sunday 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. PAUL SMITHS — The Great Camps of the Adirondacks, luxurious rustic retreats built for our nation’s wealthiest families during the Gilded Age, have been a fascination for many years. One of the most interesting and unique of these properties is White Pine Camp. This Camp served as the President Calvin Coolidge Summer White House. One of only a small hand full of these historic camps open to the public, White Pine Camp will conduct walking tours through September. The property has a rich and colorful history having hosted many celebrities and dignitaries during its hay day of the early nineteen hundreds. The pre-
16th annual Saranac Lake’s Third Thursday Art Walks
modern architectural design by renowned architects William Massarene and Addison Mizner is most unique among the Adirondack Great Camps. Tours will include the history of the camp and colorful stories about the rich and famous owners and guests who enjoyed the property. Tour participants will enter several of the buildings including the bowling alley, two boat houses, the Japanese Tea House, the Great Room and the Tennis House as well as the Alpine Rock Garden. Tours are Wednesdays through Sept. 30 and Saturdays through Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Participants should meet at the White Pine Camp gate located at the end of White Pine Road off Rte 86 in Paul Smith’s. The tours are approximately two hours. For further information call 327-3030 or visit the White Pine Camp web site at whitepinecamp.com. Reservations are not necessary.
Tuesday Sept. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 11
GLENS FALLS — Out to Work, The Transformation of Women’s Labor will be shown at the Chapman Historical Museum, 348 Glen Street. This is a look at the history and impact of changing societal attitudes about gender roles as they played out in the Glens Falls region. Women who found work outside the home as telephone operators, nurses, secretaries, teachers, clerks, and factory workers at the dawn of the 20th century. The exhibition combines the stories and photographs with relevant artifacts from area museum’s collections, including such work related tools as typewriters, sewing machines and women’s clothing. For more information call 793-2826 or visit chapmanmuseum. org. The season hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday noon to 4 p.m. The museum is closed major holidays.
FALL EVENTS 2015
Tuesday Sept. 1 through Thursday, Dec. 31
GLENS FALLS — “A Transitional Interpretation: American Roots Music by Five Photographers” will be on display at the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street. The photographers include Enid Farber, Lawrence White, Joe Deuel, Joshua Black Wilkins, Andrzej Pilarczyk. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 3 or visit crandalllibrary.org. The hours are Monday, Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 2
CHESTERTOWN — The Farmers’ Market will be at Municipal Ctr, 6307 State Rte 9 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information call 494-3336 or visit chestertownfarmersfarket.com. GLENS FALLS — Upstate Model Railroaders Open House will be held at 190 Glen Street from 8 to 9 p.m. Learn about building and operation of a model railroad. One of the only clubs in country which operates 8-scale layouts, including G, Standard, O, HO, S, N, Z scales and Lego trains, train memorabilia. For more information call 747-4112 or visit upstatemodelrailroaders.com. QUEENSBURY — The Cor y Penrhyn Welsh Male Choir Concert will perform at the Queensbury High School, 429 Aviation Road, at 7 p.m. This international, award-winning choir from Bethesda, Gwynedd, North West Wales and the concert is hosted by Poultney area St David’s Society. For more information visit rootsweb. ancestry.com/~vtpasds. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be held on Durkee Street Parking Lot Pa-
vilion, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. SARANAC LAKE — Take a tour through the Trudeau Sanatorium located at 89 Church Street. Visitors will meet at 10:30 a.m. inside the Park Avenue gates of the American Management Association, where street parking is available. If anybody would like to plan a visit, the Saranac Laboratory Museum is open year-round through mid October, Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are also open on Thursday evenings until 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 891-14606. TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138.
Wednesday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 28
NORTH CREEK — David Avigdor and Lynn Thomas will be on display at the The Widlund Gallery in the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main St. There will be photography by Mr. Avigdor; carved and inlaid gourds by Ms. Thomas. For more information call 251-2505 or visit tpcca.org. The hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and when the “OPEN” flag is out.
)NORTH CREEK — Cruise Night runs down Main Street from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be classic cars, sports and hot rod, live music, and more. For more information visit gorechamber. com. The event is free. SARANAC LAKE — Rasinhead will be performing at The Waterhole, 48 Main Street at 6 p.m. For more information call 891-9502. SOUTH HERO, VT — There will be a free, family friendly concert. Bring your lawn chair and picnic, Enjoy the beautiful view and variety of music. Picnicking begins at 5 p.m. Music goes from 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. There will be hot dogs, hamburgers, fries and flat bread pizza available for purchase. Wine and Beer are also available for purchase. For more inforamtion call 802-372-9463 or Lanes@snowfarm. com.
Friday, Sept. 4
WARRENSBURG — The Farmers’ Market, Warrensburgh Riverfront, will be at the Warrensburgh Mills Historic District Park, 173 River Street, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be locally grown produce, maple products and live music. For more information call
466-5497 or go to localharvest.org/ warrensburg-riverfront-farmersmarket-M22857. BOLTON — The Farmers’ Market will be held at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 7 Goodman Avenue, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, meats, eggs, fresh fish. Handcrafted soaps, scents, woodworking, jewelry, and food. For more information call 480-9118 or go to boltonlandingfarmersmarket.com. LAKE GEORGE — Fridays at the Lake features Brews and Bands Funk Concert at Shepard Park, Canada Street, from 4 to 8 p.m. Tim Ortiz, solo performer will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Stony Creek Band from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be craft beer and wine garden, catered food. For more information go to fridaysatthelake.com. SARANAC LAKE — Suzanne Langelier-Ledeba: Re-Imagine will be on display at the Adirondack Artist Guild, 52 Main Street. There will be a reception at 5 p.m. For more information call 891-2615. SARANAC LAKE — There will be an opening reception of “The Other Eye” at the NorthWind Fine Arts Gallery, 11 Woodruff Street, beginning at 5 p.m. For more information call 354-1875.
Arts & Entertainment
Upstate Model Railroaders will hold an open house in Glens Falls on Sept. 2
The Cor y Penrhyn Welsh Male Choir
Thursday, Sept. 3
NORTH CREEK — The Farmers’ Market will be at 112 Ski Bowl Road from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information visit northcreekfarmersmarket.com.
Cruise Night runs down Main Street in North Creek Sept. 3
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Friday, Sept. 4 and Saturday, Sept. 5
PLATTSBURGH — The Huntley Trucking Championship Weekend at Airborne Park Speedway will be shown at 70 Brokerick Road, from 2 until 10 p.m. There is free grandstand admission on Friday. Saturday will be the Championship Finals. For more information visit airborneparkspeedway.com.
Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6
PLATTSBURGH — Visit First Weekends at different sites throughout Downtown from 2 until 8 p.m. The first Friday and Saturday will bring music, arts and entertainment to the streets of downtown Plattsburgh. For more information on visit the First Weekends website.
Saturday, Sept. 5
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GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will be at the South Street Pavilion, 31 South Street, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, baked goods, milk, cheeses, eggs, meats. Locally roasted coffee, locally crafted soaps, scents, hand-crafted wood products. For information call 3076239 or visit gffma.com. WARRENSBURG — The Farmers’ Market, Warrensburg Gateway, will be at State Rte 9/Raymond Ln, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be locally grown produce, maple products and live music. For more information call 623-6123 or go to facebook.com/pages/Gateway-Market/ 1435811690025971?fref=ts. LAKE GEORGE — The Tenth annual Lake George Triathlon Festival takes place at the Battlefield Park, Beach Road, starting at 7 a.m. This is a USAT sanctioned triathlon. There will be a kids Splash-n-Dash for ages 6-10 and 11-14. Preregistered participants will get a Tshirt and finishing medal. BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be at 6752 State Rte 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be seasonal New York Grown produce, dairy, seafood, honey, bake goods. For information visit facebook.com/clarkscountrymall. NORTH CREEK — The Trio Casals Concert will perform at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Always an enjoyable performance by the highly acclaimed, international performers. Presented by Upper Hudson Musical Arts; providing professional music performances, accessibility of classical, chamber, and jazz music to the Adirondack Park community. For more information call 251-3911 or visit upperhudsonmusicalarts.org. WARRENSBURG — The Warrensburg Gateway Farmers’ Market will be held at State Rte 9/Raymond Lane, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be locally grown produce, meats, wine, gluten free products, knife sharpening, rustic Adirondack furniture, jewelry and more. BOLTON — The Sembrich Gala Concert features “Visions of Vienna” will perform at The Sembrich, 4800 Lake Shore
Drive, at 7:30 p.m. William Ferguson, tenor; Kenneth Merrill, piano. Celebrating the conclusion of 2015 Sembrich Summer Season - On Wings of Song, The Marriage of Music and Poetry. For more information call 644-2431 or visit thesembrich.org. CHESTERTOWN — There will be a Smorgasbord of the best recipes of the area at the Community Methodist Church, Church Street from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 494-3374. PLATTSBURGH — The ELFS Farm Pigs and Pinot Birthday Party will be held at ELF’S Farm Winery and Adirondack Cider Co., 7411 Rte 9, from noon to 6 p.m. Celebrate ELFS Farm Winery’s 10th Birthday with live music and slow smoked barbecue pork. For more information or to purchase tickets visit the ELFS Farm Winery website. AuSABLE FORKS — Spend the morning hearing the stories and visiting the sites of the underground railroad in Keeseville and Peru with a Mini Bus Tour starting at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Road. You will learn about the men and women who traveled on the underground railroad and those who provided safe passage to fugitives from slavery. There will be several stops including one at the hidden room located in a
The Sembrich Gala will feature “Visions of Vienna” with tenor William Ferguson on Saturday, Sept. 5
barn at the former Stephen Keese Smith farm in Peru. Tour leaders are members of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association. Bus boards at 9:30 a.m. Reservations required. Call 8345180 or email ugr@frontier.com or visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum website for more information.
BOLTON — Come see the Arts &
programs at Up Yonda Farm, 5239 Lake Shore Drive, at 1 p.m. There is always something FUN and educational! What will you learn today? For more information call 644-9767 or visit upyondafarm.com.
Sunday, Sept. 6 BENNINGTON, VT — The 20th annual Southern VT Garlic and Herb Festival will be held on Rte 9 West Road Camelot Village. Come enjoy food and crafts from hundreds of different vendors. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., no dogs please, Service animals will be issued a badge at the Main Gate. For more information call 802-447-3311 or marie@bennington. com.
Saturday, Sept. 5 through Saturday, Sept. 12
RUTLAND, VT — The Vermont State Fair returns to the Rutland Fairgrounds! Entertainment includes rides, events, music concerts, demolition derby, agricultural exhibits, farm animals, culinary, vegetable and floral exhibits, maple sugar house and dairy barn, grandstand attractions and more, To see more exciting features visit VermontStateFair.org or call 802775-5200.
Saturday, Sept. 5 through Saturday, Sept. 26 AuSABLE FORKS — Spend the morning hearing the stories and visiting the sites of the underground railroad in Keeseville and Peru with a Mini Bus Tour starting at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Road. You will learn about the men and women who traveled on the underground railroad and those who provided safe passage to fugitives from slavery. There will be several stops including one at the hidden room located in a barn at the former Stephen Keese Smith farm in Peru. Tour leaders are members of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association. Bus boards at 9:30 a.m. Free admission to the Museum. Call 834-5180 or email ugr@frontier.com or visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum website for more information.
BOLTON — Come explore nature
LAKE GEORGE — The fifth annual BIG George Triathlon begins at Battlefield Park, Beach Road, at 7 a.m. This is a USAT sanctioned Half Iron, 1.2 mile swim; 56 mile bike; 13.1 mile run. No race day registration or packet pick-up. For more information call 518-792-5999 or visit adkracemgmt. com/race/lake-george-triathlon-festival-big-george-triathlon-half-irondistance/#.VMKKOnsRTIU. BOLTON — Celebrate Labor Day with music and fireworks at Rogers Park, 4928 Lake Shore Drive from 5 to 8:30 p.m. There will be fun and more fun! For more information call 6443831 or visit boltonchamber.com. SARANAC LAKE — Beginning at 10 a.m., HoboFest, an all-day free music festival will be held “at the tracks” at the Railroad Depot. Help us celebrate railroad culture and the “hobo spirit.” We showcase many of the area’s finest musicians, traveling veterans, and amateurs who are moved by the day’s entertainment. We start with Americana and then run with it for the next 11 hours! It is a grassroots effort that uses music to celebrate community.
Arts & Entertainment
Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6
Crafts Festival at Rogers Park, 4928 Lake Shore Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is always great fun! Local and regional artists, artisans and crafters for benefit of the Bolton Landing Emergency Squad. For more information call 644-3831 or visit boltonchamber.com. LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George Brewfest will be featured at The Festival Commons at Charles R Wood Park, 33 West Brook Road, from 5 to 9 p.m. Come enjoy tastings from craft beer and ale brewers including local and regional favorites; food and entertainment. Have some fun and support Adirondack Theatre Festival, the Feeder Canal Alliance, World Awareness Children’s Museum, and S.A.V.E. Lake George too! For more information call 7266093.
FALL EVENTS 2015
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake Village Farmers’ Market Riverside Park at the Corner of Main and Rte 3, beginning at 9 a.m. It is featuring local fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, artisanal cheeses, fresh baked bread, pastries, free range meats, maple syrup, crafts, live music, and more. Come support our local farmers and artisans. TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Area Farmers’ Market will take place at the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, Montcalm Street, at 10 a.m. For more information call 585-6619. The Market will feature local foods from area farmers. TICONDEROGA — Civilians are welcomed to participate in the NBAA Northeast Military Division Fishing Tournament at Mossy Point, Black Point Road, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participation can be made by forming a team with a member of our U.S. Military Branches; Active, Retired, and Veterans, their dependents or Department of Defense employee. All participants must be members of the National Bass Anglers Association. Anglers under the age of 18 are permitted with an adult team member. The Northeast Military Division is the only all Military Division nationally. For more information call 848-3333809 or visit NEMilDiv.com/#!5-sep--george/cdpa. THURMAN — There will be a North End Local Showcase at Thurman Station, Saratoga & North Creek, Rte 418, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be talks, demonstrations, displays by regional artists, artisans or authors. For more information visit thurmanshowcase.com.
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The Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration will the held Sept. 10-13
Sunday, Sept. 6
LAKE PLACID — The 33rd annual Olympic Car Show and Parade will be held at the Olympic Speed Skating Oval, Main Street, beginning at 9 a.m. This is open to all years, makes and models. There are 49 Classes. Cash and Trophy awards for best of show. There will be Olympic style medals for top three in classes, plaques for top 25. THE CARS MUST BE PREGISTERED! There is no registration at the gate. No refunds. Rain or Shine. There is plenty of family entertainment, barbecue, DJ entertainment, and snack cart. Win money in the cash cube, participate in scheduled events. All proceeds support the Lake Placid Ski Club’s youth ski programs. Check out our website for more information and to register online.
GLENS FALLS — The live Folklife Concert performs at Crandall Public Library 251 Glen St, at 7 p.m. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or visit crandalllibrary.org. NORTH CREEK — The Farmers’ Market will be at 112 Ski Bowl Road from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information visit northcreekfarmersmarket.com.
Wednesday, Sept. 9
CHESTERTOWN — The Farmers’ Market will be at Municipal Ctr, 6307 State Rte 9 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information call 494-3336 or visit chestertownfarmersmarket.com. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. SARANAC LAKE — Meet at the Riverside Park Bandshell for a historic downtown tour beginning at 10:30 a.m. The tour meets at the Riverside Park Ba Walk down historic Main Street to the Saranac Laboratory Museum, at 89 Church Street. For more information call 891-4606.
Thursday, Sept. 10
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NORTH CREEK — Cruise Night runs down Main Street from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be classic cars, sports and hot rod, live music, and more. For more information visit gorechamber.com. The event is free.
Thursday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 13
LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Nationals Car Show will be shown at the Fort William Henry Hotel 48 Canada Street at various times. There will be classic, antique, muscle cars, custom and street rod car show, always a favorite! Don’t miss this huge show featuring all kinds of cars, family activities, vendors and more including the car cruise! For more information call 416-7387 or visit adirondacknationals.com. PLATTSBURGH — The Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration will be held at various locations in Downtown Plattsburgh. The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. Join us as we commemorate the Bicentennial of General Alexander Macomb’s and Master Commandant Thomas MacDonough’s defeat of the British army on September 11, 1814. The commemoration weekend will include tours, concerts, reenactments, fireworks, entertainment, parades and much more for the whole family to enjoy! For more information visit the Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration website.
WARRENSBURG — The Farmers’ Market, Warrensburgh Riverfront, will be at the Warrensburgh Mills Historic District Park, 173 River Street, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be locally grown produce, maple products and live music. For more information call 466-5497 or go to localharvest.org/warrensburg-riverfrontfarmers-market-M22857.
Operation Vettefest in Queensbury celebrates Corvettes and raises money for Operation Santa Claus
FALL EVENTS 2015
Friday, Sept. 11
Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 13
Saturday, Sept. 12
NEWCOMB — The Newcomb Quilters Craft Fair will be held at the Newcomb Central School. For all details on this weekend go to newcombny.com or discovernewcomb.com. LAKE LUZERNE — Come take the Camp Challenge Bicycle Ride & Run at the Double H Ranch 97 Hidden Valley Road, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bring family friends and coworkers - form a team - make a difference in the life of a child. For the casual or experienced cyclist. Choose the 30 mile or 62 mile
Newcomb will host Teddy Roosevelt Weekend Sept. 11-13
ride. Also 5k trail walk/run. All skill levels welcome. Benefits Double H Ranch, a serious fun camp. For more information call 696-5921 ext. 269 or visit doublehranch.org. GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will be at the South Street Pavilion, 31 South Street, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, baked goods, milk, cheeses, eggs, meats. Locally roasted coffee, locally crafted soaps, scents, hand-crafted wood products. For information call 307-6239 or visit gffma.com. BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be at 6752 State Rte 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be seasonal New York Grown produce, dairy, seafood, honey, bake goods. For information visit facebook.com/clarkscountrymall. NORTH CREEK — Weave your own full sized Adirondack Pack Bas-
ket complete with solid pine interior base and skids, and a custom cotton harness and matching sewn-in hanhan dle at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This all-day class is suitable for adults and includes materials, tools, instruc instruction, and lunch. Participants should bring a work shirt. Space is limited to a maximum class size of 8 people, contact Barbara to reserve today! For more information call 315-369-6445. TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Area Farmers’ Market will take place at the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, Montcalm Street, at 10 a.m. For more information call 585-6619. The Market will feature local foods from area farmers. LAKE PLACID — The 45th annual Lake Placid Classic Half Marathon & 10K (previously known as the Lake Placid/North Elba Half Marathon & 10K) begins at 9 a.m. Both distances will start at the Olympic Skating Oval and end at the North Elba Show Grounds. Visit lakeplacidclassic.com for race details and to register. BURLINGTON, VT — Birchwood Terrace at 43 Starr Farm Road, is proud to announce 50 years of service! Join us in celebration at Family Fun Day from 111 a.m. until 2 p.m. Come enjoy live music, food, velcro wall, dunk tank, face painting, photo booth,
bounce house, craft booths, raffle and more. They will be accepting donations for each activity to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. For more information, email abilene.smith@kindred. com.
Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13
Arts & Entertainment
NEWCOMB — Teddy Roosevelt Weekend kicks off Friday Night. Ac-tivities will held thru out the entire “Town of Newcomb” Come see the historic reenactment of the Day Teddy Roosevelt became the President! QUEENSBURY — The Adirondack Vettefest celebrates Corvettes to ben-efit Operation Santa Claus. This fun weekend is for Corvette aficionados. Friday night event. Saturday cruise through the Adirondacks or Auto Cross on Prospect Mountain. Sun-day All Corvette Car Show features America’s only Sports Car. The festival will be held at the Ramada Inn, 1 Abby Lane. For more information call 5273329 or visit adirondackcorvettes. com. The hours are Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. PLATTSBURGH — The Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration will be held in Downtown Plattsburgh. Enjoy tours, concerts, reenactments, fireworks, entertainment, parades and more for the whole family. Visit champlain1812.com.
BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — The Rustic Furniture Fair will be held at the Adirondack Museum, 9097 State Rte 30 PO Box 99.
Tuesday, Sept. 13
GLENS FALLS — The Hyde Collection will have its Free Second Sunday featuring Discovery Day at 161 Warren Street from 1 to 3 p.m. Parents enjoy the exhibitions while children have fun being creative in the Art Studio! The Hyde Collection is a historic house and art museum featuring a distinguished collection of works by American and European artists. Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Picasso, Homer and Eakins, as well as decorative arts and antique furnishings. For more information call 792-1761 or visit hydecollection.org. NORTH CREEK — Gore Mountain hosts the North Creek Farmers’ Market Brunch at 793 Peaceful Valley Road, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This tasting brunch is presented by the region restaurants using Market ingredients. For more information call 251-2411 or visit goremountain.com.
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area. Participating restaurants are of offering three-course selection menus. Reservations are requested. For more information call 668-5755 or visit lakegeorgechamber.com.
Wednesday, Sept. 16
NORTH CREEK — Gore Mountain welcomes you to the sixth annual Farmers’ Market Brunch at 793 Peaceful Valley Road from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a unique display of healthy, local foods from Gore Region Restaurants. This brunch gets rave reviews and everyone dining enjoys samples from the restaurants below, plus a scenic Northwoods Gondola skyride is included! All proceeds go directly to providing locally grown foods to our region. For more information call 251-2411.
Sunday, Sept. 13 through Saturday, Sept. 19
LAKE GEORGE — Lake George Region Restaurant Week features participating restaurants through the
CHESTERTOWN — The Farmers’ Market will be at Municipal Ctr, 6307 State Rte 9 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information call 494-3336 or visit chestertownfarmersmarket.com. STOWE, VT — The Vermont Jazz Ensemble is celebrating “39 Years in the Moonlight” at 5:30 p.m. The bring their big band sound to the concert meadow at the Trapp Family Lodge Concert Meadow, Bring your picnics and lawn chairs! For more information call 802-253-7729 or info@stoweperformingarts.com QUEENSBURY — The Warren County Historical Society Program features Charles Wood and Tourism at 7 p.m. Mr. Wood was a long time figure in Warren County beginning with the building of Storytown, and then Gaslight Village. The program is presented by Marilyn Van Dyke and Stan Cianfarano. For more information call 743-0734 or visit warrencountyhistoricalsociety.org. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking
Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. GLENS FALLS — The Upstate Model Railroaders Open House will be held at 190 Glen Street, from 8 to 9 p.m. Learn about building and operation of a model railroad. One of the only clubs in country which operates 8-scale layouts, including G, Standard, O, HO, S, N, Z scales and Lego trains, train memorabilia. For more information visit upstatemodelrailroaders.com. TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138. GLENS FALLS — Annie & the Hedonists will perform at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glens Street, 7 p.m. They will perform folk roots Americana, acoustic blues, vintage jazz, swing. For more information call 7926508 ext. 237 or visit crandalllibrary. org. SHELBURNE, VT — The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction will be held at the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms, at 5:30 p.m. The auction features a tasting from the menus of a dozen of the best Chefs in the area, paired with wine tasting. The evening features a super silent auction and
famous ‘mystery boxes’ and a live auction featuring unique packages created by our featured Chefs. Individual tickets are $100, couples tickets $175, and a table for ten is $900 Info: 802734-9685
Thursday, Sept. 17
NORTH CREEK — The Farmers’ Market will be at 112 Ski Bowl Road from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information visit northcreekfarmersmarket.com. NORTH CREEK — Cruise Night runs down Main Street from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be classic cars, sports and hot rod, live music, and more. For more information visit gorechamber. com. The event is free. GLENS FALLS — Witness the Opening Ceremonies of the Adirondack Balloon Festival at Crandall Park 576 Glen Street, at 4:30 p.m. The Family fun includes tethered balloon rides, live music, children’s activities and launch of hot air balloons! PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG TO THE FESTIVAL. Balloon lift-off is wind and weather permitting. The family fun includes tethered balloon rides, live music, children’s activities and launch of hot air balloons! PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG TO THE FESTIVAL. Balloon lift-off is wind and weather permitting. For more information call 222-4593 or visit adirondackballoonfest.org.
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Come have a Big Balloon Breakfast. PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG TO THE FESTIVAL. Balloon lift-off is wind and weather permitting. If you are planning on bringing an RV, pre-register to bring your RV to the festival at northeasthotairrvers.org. For more information call 222-4593 or visit adirondackballoonfest.org.
Adirondack Balloon Festival Sept. 17-20
Saturday, Sept. 19
Thursday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Sept. 20
QUEENSBURY — NY’s Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival is a delight to perennial visitors, passerbys and locals alike, the Adirondack Balloon Festival takes place the week from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Adirondack Balloon Festival is free to all, and events are weather-permitting. Be sure to bring your camera, because every year there is a photo competition, with awards for first through fourth place, grand prize, kids categories, and honorable mentions. When is the next time you’re going to see so many balloons in one area? Why, the next time you come to the Adirondack Balloon Festival, of course! All balloon launches scheduled are weather permitting. Please check with the official Adirondack Balloon Festival organization if you are unsure about weather conditions and their effect on the festival. BOLTON — The 1935 Lake George Gold Cup Festival takes place at Rogers Park, 4928 Lake Shore Drive, at various times. There is fun for the whole family celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the 1935 Gold Cup Race. A fleet of vintage race boats take to the water in a nostalgic tribute to a bygone era in power boating’s classic past. Demonstration Race will be Saturday, at 1 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 18
WARRENSBURG — There will be an Apple Festival at Farmers’ Market - Warrensburgh Riverfront, Warrensburgh Mills Historic Dist Park, 173 River Street, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be apples galore, recipes and gifts. There will be other locally grown pro-
duce, maple products; live music. CHESTERTOWN — Come view vintage cars and a sunset cruise at the Car Show at Panther Mountain Inn, 6359 Main Street at 5 p.m. View and vote for your favorites, trophies awarded. For more information call 573-4386 or visit trilakesalliance.com.
Friday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 20
HAGUE — The Hague Oktoberfest will be held at the Hague Town Park, 9060 Lake Shore Dr. This is a weekend of family fun! The best Oktoberfest in the North Country! German food, beer, children’s activities, games and music! There will be a Sunday nondenominational service. The festival will be Friday 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday 9 to 10 a.m. BOLTON — The 1935 Lake George Gold Cup Festival will be held at Rogers Park, 4928 Lake Shore Dr. This is fun for the whole family celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the 1935 Gold Cup Race. A fleet of vintage race boats take to the water in a nostalgic tribute to a bygone era in power boating. The
demonstration race will be Saturday at 1 p.m. CHESTERTOWN — Take a trip back in time and celebrate the Roaring Twenties with a speak easy, Vaudeville act, and talent show at the Rum Runner’s Weekend at 6359 State Rte 9, from 1 to 11 p.m. For more information call 494-2401 or visit trilakesalliance.com. QUEENSBURY — The Zonta Fall Craft Show will be at the Adirondack Balloon Festival at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, 443 Queensbury Ave. There will be various items, including homemade crafts, artists, vendors and more including Hot Air Balloons! The hours are Friday 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday, 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 4:30 to 11 a.m. For more information call 743-1844 or visit zontadistrict2.org/glensfalls/fallcraftshow. QUEENSBURY — Check out quality antiques at the Antique Show, indoor and outdoor, rain or shine at Glenwood Manor Antiques & More, 60 Glenwood Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 798=4747. QUEENSBURY — Check out special shaped balloons at the Adirondack Balloon Festival at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport 443 Queensbury Avenue, beginning at 5 a.m. There will be family activities and entertainment.
SHELBURNE, VT — Celebrate Vermont farm and forestry traditions through connections with food, agriculture, and community at the Harvest Festival! There will be music, storytelling, hands-on activities for children, traditional craft demonstrations, educational exhibits on Vermont’s agricultural, environmental, and energy future. Also featuring antique farm machinery, birds of prey, farm animals, hay bale maze, rug hookers, woodworkers, weavers, spinners, cheese makers, gardeners, and a “forest to furniture” demonstration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 802-985-8686 or visit shelburnefarms.org.
Arts & Entertainment
NORTH CREEK — The Carl Heilman II Photography Camp will be held at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This is Gore’s fifth annual photography camp with Carl Heilman. Learn how to shoot various nature photography from the best in the business, with Gore as the backdrop. Explore fall foliage techniques, landscapes, wildflower photos, moving water, and more. Includes lunch, scenic gondola ride, and instruction. Our comprehensive one day Gore Mountain Photo Camp is for beginner to intermediate photographers and features instruction on many facets of photography. Please contact Carl to reserve your spot, this class will sell out at 494-3072.
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The thirteenth annual Wilmington Festival of the Colors is set to begin
Saturday, Sept. 19
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh City Beach is the place for the Rockeater Adventure Race - Run For Your Life. Get the kids involved with Pebble-Eater Adventure Race. For more information visit rockeateradventurerace.com. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. STOWE, VT — Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center presents New
York City’s Ballet with a Twist by Mint Julep and Other Spirited Dances at 7:30 p.m. The show reinvents the glamour and excitement of classic entertainment with an original mix of charismatic choreography, intoxicating music and exquisite costume design. To purchase tickets visit bit. ly/SprucePeakTickets or call the box office at 802-760-4634. AuSABLE FORKS — Spend the morning hearing the stories and visiting the sites of the underground railroad in Keeseville and Peru with a Mini Bus Tour starting at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Road. You will learn about the men and women who traveled on the underground railroad and those who provided safe passage
to fugitives from slavery. There will be several stops including one at the hidden room located in a barn at the former Stephen Keese Smith farm in Peru. Tour leaders are members of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association. Bus boards at 9:30 a.m. Reservations required. Call 834-5180 or email ugr@frontier.com or visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum website for more information. LAKE GEORGE — The Flashlight 5k Run at Night will begin at the Lake George Firehouse, 179 Ottawa St. This will be lots of fun for families! Enjoy the psychedelic light show on the bike trail. Bring your flashlight and wear your funkiest costumes, headlamps light, reflective vest/clothing anything reflective. This is a fun, fast “out and back” course with fireworks follow. For more information visit adkracemgmt.com. LAKE GEORGE — There will be Fireworks at the Lake George Village beginning at 9:15 p.m. The fireworks will be shot from a barge on Lake George. People can view anywhere along shoreline from Shepard Park to Million Dollar Beach. WILMINGTON — The 13th annual Wilmington Festival of the Colors is set to begin. This multi-hued event is a traditional hometown celebration of autumn, with live entertainment,
local arts, crafts, photography, furniture, fresh produce, and homemade baked goods including the popular pie baking contest! Kids will enjoy a number of free activities, games and special guest appearances from Santa’s Workshop characters. Numerous Vendors will have local fresh produce, baked goods, arts and crafts. There will be a live chainsaw carving demonstrations and horse rides with TESS Stables. The free kid activities include face painting, balloon sculptures, Inflatable bounce objects, pumpkin painting, scarecrow building contest and Festival of Colors The sponsors for 2015 include Whiteface mountain, High Peaks Cyclery, NBT Bank, Adirondack Chocolates, Wilderness Inn, Hungry Trout resort, Wildwood on the Lake. WILMINGTON — 2015 marks the 38th annual Whiteface Uphill Footrace. This year will offer participants stunning views of the foliage at that time. Whiteface Mountain Uphill Foot Racers climb 3,500 feet up the scenic Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway to the top of New York’s 5th highest peak for a 360 degree panoramic view of the Adirondacks, New England and Canada. A course map can be downloaded at whitefaceregion.com/events/whitefacemountain-uphill-footrace. GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’
Learn about the moon at Up Yonda Farm on Sept. 19
by Thursday, Sept. 17. For more information call 644-9673 or visit lglc.org. BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be at 6752 State Rte 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be seasonal New York Grown produce, dairy, seafood, honey, bake goods. For information visit facebook.com/clarkscountrymall. GLENS FALLS — There will be a Curator’s Talk and Exhibition Reception on A Transitional Interpretation: American Roots Music by Five Photographers Enid Farber, Lawrence White, Joe Deuel, Joshua Black Wilkins, Andrzej Pilarczyk at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street, from 4 to 7 p.m. Curator’s talk and meet the photographers from 4 to 5 p.m. The recep-
tion, music and refreshments will be from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 237 crandalllibrary. org. LAKE GEORGE — There will be lots of fun for families at the Flashlight 5k Run at Night, and Fireworks! Enjoy the psychedelic light show on the bike trail beginning at the Lake George Volunteer Firehouse, 179 Ottawa Street, at 7:30 p.m. Bring your flashlight and wear your funky costumes, headlamps, lights, reflective vest/clothing - anything reflective! A fun, fast “out and back” course! Fireworks follow. For more information call 792-5999 or visit adkracemgmt.com/race/ flashlight-5k/#.VMKIDnsRTIU.
Arts & Entertainment
NORTH CREEK — Carl Heilman, an award-winning photographer, instructs you how to capture various nature photographs with Gore as the backdrop, fall foliage, landscapes, wildflower photos, moving water, and more. Includes instruction, lunch, and scenic gondola skyride. Space is limited, please call to reserve. The class will be at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. NORTH CREEK — The Seagle Music Colony will be having a Musical Theatre Review at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street, at 7:30 p.m. Seagle Music Colony is the oldest summer vocal training program in the United States and the premier opera and musical theatre producing organization in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. In 2015 Seagle Music Colony will celebrate their first 100 years! Presented by Our Town Theatre Group. For more information call 406-8840 or visit ottg.org. BOLTON — Learn about the moon and NASA’s lunar programs on the International Observe the Moon Night with Rosemary Millham, Ph.D at Up Yonda Farm, 5239 Lake Shore Drive, from 6 to 8 p.m. We’ll head outside to observe the moon through telescopes. See the website: observethemoonnight.org for information on the moon, including downloadable flyers and moon maps. Registration is required
FALL EVENTS 2015
Market will be at the South Street Pavilion, 31 South Street, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, baked goods, milk, cheeses, eggs, meats. Locally roasted coffee, locally crafted soaps, scents, hand-crafted wood products. For information call 307-6239 or visit gffma.com. LAKE GEORGE — There will be lots of fun under the Big Top with the Oriental Shrine Circus, at the Festival Commons Charles Wood Park, 33 West Brook Road, at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Children 12 and under are admitted free with paid adult, with tickets being 2 per adult. CHESTERTOWN — Take a trip back in time and celebrate the Roaring Twenties with a speak easy, Vaudeville act, and talent show at the Rum Runner’s Weekend at 6359 State Rte 9, from 1 to 11 p.m. For more information call 494-2401or visit trilakesalliance.com. QUEENSBURY — Be apart of the Lighting up the Night-Moonglow featuring over 30 balloons. BRING YOUR FLASHLIGHTS at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport 443 Queensbury Avenue beginning at 8 p.m. PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG TO THE FESTIVAL. Moonglow is wind and weather permitting. For more information call 222-4593 adirondackballoonfest.org.
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Learn the ancient art of atlatl throwing in Crown Point
Saturday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 20
LAKE GEORGE — The 2015 Lake George Jazz Festival is at Shepard Park. Jazz enthusiasts, you don’t want to miss this weekend festival of outdoor entertainment, featuring a talented lineup of jazz musicians and groups down by the Lake. All concerts are FREE! The schedule of performances are as follows: Saturday is Julian Lage Trio 1 p.m., Jamie Baum Septet 2:45 p.m., The Jazz Passengers 4:30 p.m., Special Saturday evening performance 7:30 p.m. and Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet The Sunday performances are Victor Prieto Trio 1 p.m., “Works” with Joe Lovano 2:45 p.m., Ghost Train Orchestra 4:30 p.m.
View a LakeGeorge.com Jazz Fest Video! Want to view a recap of events and see what to expect at this years festival? Watch our video with footage from past festivals! LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George In-Water Boat Show takes place at the Village Dock on Beach Road, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be Lake George area dealers, demo rides, new and used boats in water and on lake. LAKE GEORGE — The Oktoberfest at The Great Escape will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Celebrate the German culture with Bavarian cuisine and beverages. There will be live music, dancing, games and crafts. LAKE GEORGE — The Shrine Circus will perform at Charles R. Wood Park, 33 West Brook Road with shows at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. There will be
lots of fun under the Big Top! Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult with two children per adult. CROWN POINT — Turn back the clock thousands of years to participate or watch the 19th annual Open Atlatl Championship. Competitors will be using the atlatl, an ancient spear-throwing tool, to test prowess in accuracy and distance shooting. Also on deck are demonstrations and discussions of flint-knapping (making tools out of stone), Woodland period pottery, hafting points, and atlatl making. Demonstrations run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., competition registration starts at 10:30 a.m., at 11 a.m. is the International Standard Accuracy Competition, and the accuracy and distance event begins at 12:30 p.m. Competition ends with a “Grand Champion” shootout. Competition categories include youth girl and boy, women, and men, and usually the field ranges from interested novices to some of the best in the country. Call 802-759-2412 to register. On Friday from noon to 5 p.m., is an atlatl workshop with Robert Berg of Thunderbird Atlatl and pre-registration is required. Berg teaches all over the United States and Europe. BRANDON, VT — Maple View Farm Alpacas and Vermont Fiber Mill & Studio will be holding an open house. Guests are invited to learn about al-
pacas, raised for breeding as well as their luxurious fiber. Visit the fiber mill and see demonstrations on fiber production. Fiber products made from luxurious alpaca will be on display and available for sale at the farm store. For more information call 802247-5412 or mvfalpacas@gmail.com.
Saturday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Oct. 18
CHESTER, VT — See the beauty of the fall foliage, rivers, farms, and covered bridges in the Green Mountains by train! There will be three round trips each day from the depot at 535 Depot Street in Chester. Rides depart Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Two rounds trips are available between Chester and Ludlow, and one round trip between Chester and Rockingham each day. For more information call the Vermont Rail System at 802658-2550 or shoughton@vermontrailway.com
Wednesday, Sept. 23
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website.
Friday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Sept. 27
SCHROON — Take on the Adirondack Marathon, Half-Marathon, Relays, 5K, 10K, or Children’s Fun Run. On Friday Come and pickup your 5K/10K packet between 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday begins with the 5K/10K registration is from 7 to 8:30 a.m., 5K/10K start at 9:30 a.m., Race Expo & Packet Pickup at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1K Children’s Fun Run at 2 p.m., Pasta Dinner is from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m. For Sunday the Packet pickup 6:45 to 8:15 a.m., Early Bird marathon start at 7 a.m., Half-marathon and relay buses depart at 8:40-9:05 a.m., Marathon and relays start at 9 a.m., HalfMarathon awards ceremony at 1 p.m., Marathon awards ceremony at 2 p.m., Course closes at 2:30 p.m., Postrace party at Witherbee’s will be at 4 p.m. Register NOW, spaces are limited! For more information call 532-7675.
Saturday, Sept. 26
BRANT LAKE — ATV Rides will be held at different times. They start at the Tin Tee Pee campground. They might also be sponsoring a Jeep Poker Run to benefit Toys for Tots. For infor-
Take on the Adirondack Marathon in Schroon Lake
mation contact 573-4386. BRISTOL, VT — The 17th annual Bristol Harvest Festival takes place at the Bristol Town Green from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day is filled with crafter/ vendor booths, food, fun, entertainment and other activities around town. For more information visit eventbrite.com. NORTH CREEK — There will be a Watercolor Workshop of “Painting The Adirondacks” at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This watercolor workshop is led by skilled teaching artist Frances Gaffney. Students will enjoy exploring traditional watercolor approaches to landscape painting and develop and enhance their own personal style. Painters at any level are welcome! We’ll paint outdoors, weather permit-
ting. Bring your own supplies. Please be sure to reserve in advance. For more information call 251-2411. MALONE — The Mud & Mucker Challenge takes place at Titus Mountain, 215 Johnson Road, from noon to 11:30 p.m. Are you up for a challenge? Spend a day with friends, family, coworkers, and the guy you just met in the registration line! Sign up for the 2nd Annual Titus Mountain Mud & Mucker Challenge! This challenge is an obstacle course set on the lower, middle, and upper mountains of Titus Family Ski Center with 20+ obstacles spread throughout to test your strength, balance, gumption, and overall tenacity! It’s all about the fun and getting out and getting active! For more information visit The Mud & Mucker website.
Arts & Entertainment
ADIRONDACKS — Experience an Adirondack adventure of a lifetime by running with Double H Ranch for ‘Health and Happiness’ in the 2015 Ragnar Relay Adirondacks! Your support will help Double H Ranch provide programs and year-round support for children and their families living with serious illnesses, completely free of charge! As you make your journey along the 200-mile relay from Saratoga Springs to Lake Placid, this Adirondack experience will include late nights, crazy costumes, unforgettable stories, silly jokes, and conquering challenges together with friends-just like at camp. Around here, laughter and fun is the best medicine! All Participants Will Receive an invitation to a pre-race Rally, Double H team apparel, additional VIP race incentives and post-race celebration. There is a minimum fundraising commitment of $500/runner (The goal is to have each team of 12 participants collectively raise $6,000, thereby sending two children to camp entirely free of charge. Each participant will receive their own fundraising page. Team Captains must first sign up with Double H online and form a team. Team Members must then join their respective teams online. LAKE GEORGE — The Ragnar Relay Adirondacks will begin on Beach
Road. This is not your average 10k or half marathon, this is Ragnar! The course skirts the Hudson River, through the Lake George Region ending in Lake Placid! For more information visit ragnarrelay.com.
FALL EVENTS 2015
Friday, Sept. 25 through Saturday, Sept. 26
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The Harry Elkes Ride with the Warren County Safe and Quality Bicycling Organization will be held in Brant Lake
LAKE GEORGE — People can view the Fireworks in Lake George Village beginning at 9:15 p.m. They will be shot from barge on Lake George. People can view from shoreline between Shepard Park to Million Dollar Beach. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Visi t t h e Plattsb u r g h Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. LAKE GEORGE — The Oktoberfest at The Great Escape will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Celebrate the German culture with Bavarian cuisine and beverages. There will be live music, dancing, games and crafts.
THURMAN — The Thurman Fall Farm Tour starting at the Town Hall, 311 Athol Road, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Site times vary) Family fun showcasing working farms including tree farm and lumber mill practicing silviculture to promote sustainable forestry. There will be Maple and artist demonstrations, children’s activities, crafts, wagon rides, tractors and punkin’ chunkin’. There is a schedule and map in town and online at thurmanfallfarmtour.com. TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Area Farmers’ Market will take place at the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, Montcalm Street, at 10 a.m. For more information call 585-6619. The Market will feature local foods from area farmers. GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will be at the South Street Pavilion, 31 South Street, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, baked goods, milk, cheeses, eggs, meats. Locally roasted coffee, locally crafted soaps, scents, hand-crafted wood products. For information call 307-6239 or visit gffma.com. BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be at 6752 State Rte 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be seasonal New York Grown produce, dairy, seafood, honey, bake goods. For information visit facebook.com/clarkscountrymall. BRANT LAKE — The Harry Elkes Ride with the Warren County Safe and Quality Bicycling Organization begins at The Hub, 27 Market Street with registration beginning at 10 a.m. This 15 plus mile or 35 plus mile ride along scenic North Country roads. Lunch, presentation follow. Harry Elkes of Glens Falls was a champion cyclist at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. 15 plus mile ride 1 1/2-2 hours begins at noon; 35 plus mile ride 2 1/2 to 3 hours begins at 11 a.m. The ride is suitable for kids who are accustomed to riding on trafficked roads. Fee includes Harry Elkes T-shirt. WCS and QBO promotes safe and quality
bicycling in Warren County. For more information call 796-2397 or visit bikewarrenco.org. POTTERSVILLE — The area’s best cooks provide a delicious Chicken Dinner and great desserts will be held at the Pottersville United Methodist Church, 7899 State Rte 9, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 494-2840, 494-3210, 494-3594. LAKE LUZERNE — The Fall on the Hudson Artisan’s Festival will be held at 37 Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be artists, fine crafters, face painting, food, fall flowers and produce. For more information call 6963500 or visit lakeluzernechamber.org. NORTH CREEK — There will be photography by David Avigdor and Inlaid Gourds by Lynn Thomas at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street, from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 251-2505 or visit tpcca.org. QUEENSBURY — There will be a guided tour of a cemetery where local characters come to life! Meet a few of these characters and maybe a ghost from the past! Collaboration of Glens Falls Community Theatre and Chapman Historical Museum at the Pine View Cemetery 21 Quaker Road. Tours are every half hour. Please call for reservations. Golf carts are available for 10 a.m. and noon tours, and advance reservations are required for carts. For more information call 7932826 or visit chapmanmuseum.org. QUEENSBURY — Celebrate the German culture with Bavarian cuisine and beverages at Oktoberfest at the Great Escape, 1172 Rte 9 from noon to 6 p.m. There will be live music, dancing, games, and crafts. For more information visit sixflags.com/greatescape. CASTLETON, VT — There will be a Chili Cook Off from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Main Street will be lined with over 25 cooks, competing for the best tasting Chili, Come sample some of the best chili around! Contact (802)2352421 for more information or to sign up, rutlandvermont.com. Fall is a favorite time for Farmers’ Markets. Check out the one in Brant Lake
Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27
LAKE GEORGE — Head to Lake George’s Mega Festival for a weekend of fun! The 2015 American Music Festival for the Lake celebrates the Festival Space at the new Charles R Wood Park in the West Brook enviro-park project (on the site of the former Gaslight Village theme park), all while raising funds and awareness for S.A.V.E. LAKE GEORGE Partnership in its efforts to eradicate the invasive species that are currently threatening the lake’s biological health. For more information call 879-2835. LAKE GEORGE — The 260th Anniversary of the Battle of Lake George will be displayed at the Battlefield Park, West Brook Road. The battle will be Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is an 18th century encampment and reenactment of the French & Indian War. There will be skirmishes, battle reenactments, trade demonstrations, military drill, sutlers and more. There will be special admission in the Fort William Henry. CHESTERTOWN — The Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival begins at the Chestertown Municipal Center, Town Hall 6307 State Rte 9. Saturday begins at 9:30 a.m. with a 5k/10k; at 2 p.m. with the 1k Children’s Fun Run. Sunday begins at 7 a.m. with the Marathon; and at 1 p.m. with the Half 5K, 10K; full, half marathon, relays. This is a USATF Certified Course and Boston Qualifier. Half begins in Adirondack. For more information call 5327675 or visit adirondackmarathon.org.
Saturday, Sept. 26 through Friday, Oct. 30
LAKE GEORGE — Come explore the recent works of Abraham Ferro at the Courthouse Gallery at LG Arts Project, 1 Amherst Street. The hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday noon to 4 p.m. and by request. For more information call 668-2616 or visit lakegeorgearts.org.
Saturday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 3
GLENS FALLS — The Hyde Collection will display Audrey Flack: Transformed Drawings at 161 Warren St. The hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Ms. Flack is a painter, sculpture and pioneer of Photorealism. Ms. Flack’s work is in major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and others.
Sunday, Sept. 27
PLATTSBURGH — The Bass Federation Collegiate Cup Challenge begins at the Dock Street Landing, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Bass Federation Collegiate Cup Challenge Fishing Tournament will be on Lake Champlain. For more information click here. BRISTOL, VT — The Better L8 Than Never Car Show will be held at the Bristol Recreation Field. This is the 11th annual Car Show. They are expecting over 200 cars plus music, food and a great relaxing day for all. Hosted by the Snake Mountain Cruisers. The show is sponsored by the
Addison County Chamber of Commerce. The show will be held between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 802388-7951. GLENS FALLS — The Taste of the North Country Food Festival will be held at the City Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be sample delicious foods from the North Country’s best restaurants. Enjoy music and children’s activities. Food coupon rate varies. Rain or Shine! Arrive early for best selections. Always great fun in support of the Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls. For more information visit glensfallstaste.com. CROWN POINT — The Crown Point State Historic Site will sponsor an historian narrated bridge tour of the Lake Champlain Bridge beginning at 1 p.m. GLENS FALLS — de Blasiis, the Manchester Piano quartet will be performing at The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street at 2 p.m. The quartet is founded by sisters Giovannina (Gio) and Virginia (Ginny) de Blasiis. The de Blasiis Chamber Music Series is one of the oldest in the country presenting performances throughout the year. For more information call 792-2383 or visit deblasiischamber-music.org.
Wednesday, Sept. 30
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. CHESTERTOWN — The Farmers’ Market will be at Municipal Ctr, 6307 State Rte 9 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, fresh fish, vegetables, maple products and more. Fore more information call 494-3336 or visit chestertownfarmersmarket.com.
Thursday, Oct. 1
NORTH CREEK — Gore Mountain hosts the North Creek Farmers’ Market Brunch at 793 Peaceful Valley Road, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This tasting brunch is presented by the region restaurants using Market ingredients. For more information call 251-2411 or visit goremountain.com. GLENS FALLS — Glens Falls native Marika McCoola presents her newly published graphic novel Baba Yaga’s Assistant at the Crandall Public Library 251 Glen Street from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 3 or visit crandalllibrary.org.
Thursday, Oct. 1 through Wednesday, Oct. 28
NORTH CREEK — The Widlund Gallery presents Northern Lights Quilt Guild at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street. There will be handmade felted garments and free-form furniture. The hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and when the “Open: flag is out. For more information call 2512205 or visit tpcca.org.
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Thursday, Oct. 1 through Saturday, Oct. 31
LAKE GEORGE — Spirits of History Ghost Tours will be held at Fort William Henry 48 Canada Street. With this much history there are bound to be ghosts! Will you see a ghost? Learn about some of the spirits still calling the Fort and grounds home. Not recommended for children younger than 12. This is a walking tour, and not recommended for those with medical conditions. For more information and recommendations call 964-6647 or visit fwhmuseum.com. The hours are Wednesday through Sunday 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 2
WARRENSBURG — The Farmers’ Market, Warrensburgh Riverfront, will be at the Warrensburgh Mills Historic District Park, 173 River Street, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be locally grown produce, maple products and live music. For more
information call 466-5497 or go to localharvest.org/warrensburg-riverfront-farmers-market-M22857. LAKE GEORGE — There will be a Military March to Fort Edward beginning at Fort William Henry, 48 Canada Street. The 18th century soldiers will depart Lake George to march 16 miles to Fort Edward. This marks the end of the summer campaign and soldiers will arrive at Fort Edward in time for the Rogers Island French and Indian War reenactment that runs from Saturday, Oct. 3 to Oct. 4. Route to be announced. For more information call 964-6647. GLENS FALLS — There will be an exhibition reception for Realism vs Abstraction at the LARAC, Lapham Gallery, 7 Lapham Place, from 5 to 7 p.m. This Juried exhibition displays selected works by local and regional artists. Pieces that depict and define realism or abstraction.
Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4
LAKE GEORGE — There will be a Military March to Fort Edward to Fort William Henry Museum, 48 Canada Street. The 18th century soldiers will depart Lake George to march 16 miles to Fort Edward. This marks the end of the summer campaign and soldiers will arrive at Fort Edward in time for the Rogers Island French & Indian War reenactment The route to be announced. GLENS FALLS — The Friends of Crandall Public Library will be holding a book sale at 251 Glen Street. There is something for every age and interest. The hours are Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 3 or visit cradalllibrary.org.
Friday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 30
GLENS FALLS — The Realism vs Abstraction will be on display at the LARAC, Lapham Gallery, 7 Lapham Place, from 5 ro 7 p.m.
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Check out the military march to Fort William Henry on Oct. 2
This juried exhibition displays selected works by local and regional artists. Pieces that depict and define realism or abstraction.
Saturday, Oct. 3
NORTH CREEK — The Gore Mountain Leaf Cruncher 5K begins at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road, at 10 a.m. Check out this fun and family-oriented 5K which includes a scenic ride aboard the Northwoods Gondola to every runner. The course will be a combination of our rolling cross-country trails and flat base area, with a few steeper spots within the wooded areas. Treasure hunt for prizes on-course, as well as be “in the running” for great raffles following. Easy parking and great value in this fall 5K! All ages welcome, walkers should join us too! For more information call 251-2411. MALONE — Oktoberfest comes to Titus Mountain, 215 Johnson Road. Titus Mountain’s 35th annual Oktoberfest is going to be back and better than ever. There will be ven-
dors showing off local crafts and cool gadgets, a Titus Teddy Kids’ Zone with bounce houses and games, chairlift and hay rides, a ski swap and as always a grand Fireworks display to finish off the night. Great food and beverage is available throughout the day with food proceeds benefiting the Titus Mountain Ski Patrol. For more information visit the Titus Mountain website. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh City Beach is the place for the Rockeater Adventure Race - Run For Your Life. Get the kids involved with Pebble-Eater Adventure Race. For more information visit rockeateradventurerace.com. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website.
FALL EVENTS 2015
Arts & Entertainment
AuSABLE FORKS — Spend the morning hearing the stories and visiting the sites of the underground railroad in Keeseville and Peru with a Mini Bus Tour starting at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Road. You will learn about the men and women who traveled on the underground railroad and those who provided safe passage to fugitives from slavery. There will be several stops including one at the hidden room located in a barn at the former Stephen Keese Smith farm in Peru. Tour leaders are members of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association. Bus boards at 9:30 a.m. Reservations required. Free admission to the Museum. Call 834-5180 or email ugr@frontier.com or visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum website for more information. BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — The Fall Fest & Fiber Arts Fair will be at the Adirondack Museum, 9097 State Rte. 30 PO Box 99, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake Village Farmers’ Market Riverside Park at the Corner of Main and Rte 3, beginning at 9 a.m. It is featuring local fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, artisinal cheeses, fresh baked bread, pastries, free range meats, maple syrup, crafts, live music, and more. Come support our local farmers and artisans.
TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Area Farmers’ Market will take place at the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, Montcalm Street, at 10 a.m. For more information call 585-6619. The Market will feature local foods from area farmers. BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be at 6752 State Rte 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be seasonal New York Grown produce, dairy, seafood, honey, bake goods. For information visit facebook.com/clarkscountrymall. CHESTERTOWN — The Chestertown Garage Sale will be held on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are lots of bargain. For more information call 494-2722 or visit northwarren. com. GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will be at the South Street Pavilion, 31 South Street, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, baked goods, milk, cheeses, eggs, meats. Locally roasted coffee, locally crafted soaps, scents, hand-crafted wood products. For information call 307-6239 or visit gffma.com.
Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4
LAKE GEORGE — Fright Fest with Thrills by Day, Chills by Night will take place at The Great Escape, 1172 State Rte 9. The hours are Saturday
noon to 9 p.m. Sun. 12-6 PM ~ Scary fun and a ghoulish good time with Zombies! The North Country’s scariest Halloween celebration! WARRENSBURG — The World’s Largest Garage Sale will be held townwide. There will be hundreds of vendors from across the nations offering something for everyone! Antiques, memorabilia, clothing, furniture, electronics, children’s items and more! A community of garage sales, food and fun! ~ For more information visit warrensburgchamber.com/garage.php. WILMINGTON — Once a year, Whiteface dusts off its lederhosen, fires up the oompah band and enjoys a tall mug of German beer for Whiteface Mt. Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is a weekend-long celebration of Bavarian culture, with authentic music, dancing, food and beer. But it’s not just about eating and drinking (not that there’s anything wrong with that). You’ll find complimentary rides for kids and adults, craft vendors and discounted trips on the Cloudsplitter Gondola to the summit of Little Whiteface. The views from up there will make it pretty clear why Fall in the Adirondacks is something worth celebrating.
Sunday, Oct. 4
NORTH CREEK — The Northern Lights Quilt Guild exhibition reception will be held at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. There will be handmade felted garments and free form furniture. For more information call 2512505 or visit tpcc.org. NORTH CREEK — Boston’s Ensemble Aubade will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp at the Tannery Pond community Center, 228 Main Street, at 3 p.m. For more information call 251-2505 or visit tpcca. org. LAKE GEORGE — Bark in the Dark - A Howling Good Time! takes place at
Dust off the lederhosen for the Whiteface Mtn Oktoberfest
the Great Escape, 1172 State Rte 9 at noon and the contest is at 1 p.m. It’s a canine costume contest! A chance to win great prizes. One guest per dog will receive complimentary park admission. Discounted admission is available for other guests accompanying their costumed pooch. Contest takes place at Timbertown Theatre in Timbertown. Register at front gate. All dogs MUST exit the park by 4 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 5 through Friday, Oct. 30
GLENS FALLS — Lacey Weigand’s photography will be exhibited at the 2nd Floor Gallery at City Hall, 42 Ridge Street, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit northcountryartscenter. org/calendar.html.
Wednesday, Oct. 7
TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138.
Thursday, Oct. 8
GLENS FALLS — North & South Dakotas and will be playing folk rock and roll at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or visit crandalllibrary.org.
Thursday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 11
GLENS FALLS — Willy Wonka Jr Broadway Upstate will be performed at the Charles R. Wood Theater, 207 Glen Street Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
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Saturday, Oct. 10
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market will be displayed at the Durkee Street Parking Lot Pavilion, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market to get a true taste of the Adirondack Coast. For more information visit the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market website. LAKE GEORGE — There will be Fireworks at the Lake George Village beginning at 9:15 p.m. The fireworks will be shot from a barge on Lake George. People can view anywhere along shoreline from Shepard Park to Million Dollar Beach. PLATTSBURGH — You are cordially invited to The Adirondack Coast Wine, Cider, Beer & Food Festival now in it’s forth year being held on the shores of Lake Champlain at the Crete Civic Center. It is a fall harvest festival that features live music, sampling of local food, pies, jams, maple syrups, meats and has adult beverage sampling including wine, beer and hard cider. Last year we had to stop selling tickets due to the crowds. So please purchase your tickets early. We are working to include more NY craft breweries, cideries and wineries. Both the VIP and General Admission tickets include 1 food ticket, tasting, glass and wine tote bag. The VIP includes a ticket to the trolley bus.
The DESIGNATED DRIVER TICKET includes one food ticket and one N/A beverage ticket. Please be careful when purchasing your tickets because of the VIP or GENERAL ADMISSION. The tickets ARE NOT transferable. This is a no refund festival. Decide if you want VIP or General Admission. Additional food tickets are available on line and will also be available at the festival. Enjoy the beauty of the fall on the beach with the comfort of the indoor venue steps from the shoreline that overlooks the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. For more information on the festival, places to stay and things to do visit adirondackcoastwinetrail.com The trolley bus will have two routes this year. Down Rte 3 with stops at several hotels. Also from the ferry dock on the NY side to the Crete Civic Center. Cars can park on the Vermont side and walk across and pick the ferry up in the NY parking lot. The stops times/hotel stops will be emailed to registered VIP ticket holders. PERU — Saturday marks the running of the fifth annual Octoberfest Half Marathon Octoberfest 10K and the NEWLY ADDED 5K Course and Octoberfest 40K Bike! Runners will enjoy an exhilarating run through the Town of Peru and Peru’s Apple Country while viewing the beautiful Adirondacks fall foliage. There will be a post race party following the race with entertainment, food and FREE COLD BEER! Thank you to all who continue to support and celebrate with us! We are excited to announce we have training T-shirts, hats and magnets for sale. Please email us for more information and to register, visit runoctoberfest.com. SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake Village Farmers’ Market Riverside Park at the Corner of Main and Rte 3, beginning at 9 a.m. It is featuring local fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, artisinal cheeses, fresh baked bread, pastries, free range meats, maple syrup, crafts, live music, and more. Come support our local farmers and artisans.
The Adirondack Coast Wine, Cider, Beer & Food Festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 10 in Plattsburgh
Arts & Entertainment
WARRENSBURG — The Garlic Festival will be held at the Farmers’ Market at the Warrensburgh Mills Historic Dist Park 173 River Street, from 3 to 6 p.m. Celebrate garlic with samplings, food contests, recipes, horticultural information, bulbs and locally grown produce, maple products; live music. GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will be at the South Street Pavilion, 31 South Street, from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be locally grown produce, maple products, baked goods, milk, cheeses, eggs, meats. Locally roasted coffee, locally crafted soaps, scents, hand-crafted wood products. For information call 307-6239 or visit gffma.com.
FALL EVENTS 2015
Friday, Oct. 9
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FALL EVENTS 2015
Arts & Entertainment
TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Area Farmers’ Market will take place at the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, Montcalm Street, at 10 a.m. For more information call 585-6619. The Market will feature local foods from area farmers.
Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11
LAKE GEORGE — Rocktoberfest will be held at Charles R Wood Park, at the Charles R. Wood Festival Space, 33 West Brook Road, at 11 a.m. Don’t miss Rocktoberfest in Lake George! For more information call 668-2017. PLATTSBURGH — The “Threads Through Our Lakes & Mountains Quilt Show XV” will be shown at the SUNY Fieldhouse, 167 Rugar St, at 10 a.m. The Champlain Valley Quilters’ Guild of NY hosts with over 200 quilts, raffles, demos, prizes, vendors & more! Visit sites.google.com/site/cvqgnewyork for more information. LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George Oktoberfest and Fall Festival will be held at Canada Street. This is fun for all ages! Strolling musicians, food, children’s activities include a petting zoo, horse and pony rides and bounce houses. This is an arts and crafts show. LAKE PLACID — Come out and join us for our annual two-day celebration of Fall Flaming Leaves Festival. Bring the whole family–there’s plenty for all of you to enjoy. North America’s top ski jumpers compete, soaring through the air while on the ground below live Blues bands play and barbecue chefs grill up ribs and burgers. Play the day away with various lawns games, enter a horseshoe tournament, check out the craft vendors and even make your own tie dye T-shirt (bring your own or buy one there). Make sure to save time for a trip to the top of the 120-meter ski jump. A chairlift and elevator combine to get you there, and once you’re there, you won’t believe your eyes: the Adirondacks during peak Fall foliage - hills and mountains in every direction turned bright red, orange and yellow. For more information call 5231655 or visit whiteface.com/events/flaming-leavesfestival.
Saturday, Oct. 10 and Monday, Oct. 12
LAKE GEORGE — Fright Fest with Thrills by Day, Chills by Night will take place at The Great Escape, 1172 State Rte 9. The hours are Saturday noon to 9 p.m. Sun. 12-6 PM ~ Scary fun and a ghoulish good time with Zombies! The North Country’s scariest Halloween celebration! NORTH CREEK — The Gore Mountain Harvest Festival will be held at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road. There is family fun featuring local Adirondack artisans and children’s activities. Live entertainment all weekend! Hearty fall food.
Sunday, Oct. 11 through Sunday, Jan. 10
GLENS FALLS — Important American Prints will be displayed at the Hyde Collection Art Museum, 161 Warren Street. There will be 50 prints by artists who put their designs on paper between 1930 and 1980. Among artists represented are Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, Anne Ryan, Milton Avery, Dorothy Dehner, Robert Motherwell, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Richard Estes to name a few. This exhibition was organized by the Syracuse University Art Collection. The hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16
WARRENSBURG — There will be a Graveyard Walk and Homemade Dessert Buffet at the Warrensburg Cemetery, Hudson Street, at 7 p.m. Meet some of Warrensburg’s notable citizens and hear their stories. Homemade desserts follow at the Warrensburg Senior Center, 136 Main Street. Reservations are required by calling 623-2207.
Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 18
LAKE GEORGE — Fright Fest with Thrills by Day, Chills by Night will take place at The Great Escape, 1172 State Rte 9. The hours are Saturday noon to 9 p.m. Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Scary fun and a ghoulish good time with Zombies! The North Country’s scariest Halloween celebration!
Saturday, Oct. 17
LAKE PLACID — The 2nd annual Dirty Dog Mud Run takes place at Whiteface Mountain Ski Center, at 1 p.m. What is the dirty dog mud run? It’s your chance to be a dog for a day. A dirty dog at that. Run and jump and crawl and roll and yeah, bark if you want to. The Champlain Valley Search and Rescue Canine Unit is proud to announce our 2nd annual Dirty Dog Mud Run-but for the human folk only! We are planning up to 25 search and rescue themed obstacles spread out over 8 kilometers up and down the regions Olympic Mountain- Whiteface!. The course will be a challenge, but it will be doable. There will be tears and sweat and maybe even a little blood. If you want to compete against everyone else, do it. Compete against your friends? Do it. Compete against yourself? Do it. Or maybe you just want to come and see what you’ve got, flop in the mud and have a few laughs while supporting many great causes. Do whatever moves you. All racers get a racer goody bag and free T-shirt. The obstacles include Search and Rescue, Squeaky Clean, The Gauntlet, Spider’s Web, Life’s A Beach, Hit the Hay. Come and see what you’ve got, flop in the mud and have a few laughs while supporting a great cause. And we’ll have some of our search dogs at the event so that you can ask questions and see exactly what you’re supporting. Go ahead and register for a great day, a great cause and some great fun! At the Dirty Bash people can use their free beer coupon, listen to live music (both band and DJ), participate in contests, watch live entertainment (more info to come), receive an award if you earned one, congratulate the bad-asses on getting an award, show off your Dirty Dog Fashion, visit our vendors, eat, drink, and be merry. Celebrate your accomplishment!
Wednesday, Oct. 14
SARANAC LAKE — The Lake Placid Poets’ Guild will present a poetry reading at Saranac Village at Will Rogers, 78 Will Rogers Drive. This group comprises poets whose mission is to make poetry accessible and to nurture the art of poetry making. Please call to find out this months theme. Free. For more information call 891-7117.
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Participants in last year’s Dirty Dog Run in Lake Placid
Rock out at Rocktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Charles R. Wood Festival Space
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Boo 2 You! Trick or Treat in downtown Glens Falls Saturday, Oct. 24
LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Brewery Oktoberfest will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. They are celebrating the Oktoberfest traditions. They will have samplings for charity. They will be featuring Oktoberfest beer, live German music and special German menu. Costumes are welcome and encouraged!
Sunday, Oct. 18
LAKE LUZERNE — The Town of Chester and the North Warren Chamber of Commerce have passed along the annual Halloween Pug Party and Parade to the Town of Lake Luzerne. This unique Day Out for Pugs and Family Affair will be held rain or shine at the Lake Luzerne Pavilion Park along Luzerne’s Adventure Row (9N South) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Town of Lake Luzerne, Lake Luzerne Chamber of Commerce, Green Mountain Pug Rescue from Vermont, Parker’s Pooches in Hadley, Rockwell Falls Committee, Absolute Sounds, The Dog Cabin in Lake George and the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor Program are cohosting the event. The Day Out includes registration, costume contests and awards. Admission is free. Further information and contest schedule contact Pam 696-7184 or pammorin@frontiernet.net.
Wednesday, Oct. 21
TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138.
Friday, Oct. 23
WARRENSBURG — There will be a Graveyard Walk and Homemade Dessert Buffet at the Warrensburg Cemetery, Hudson Street, at 7 p.m. Meet some of Warrensburg’s notable citizens and hear their stories. Homemade desserts follow at the Warrensburg Senior Center, 136 Main Street. Reservations are required by calling 623-2207.
Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24
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ESSEX JUNCTION — Spookywood, located at 105 Pearl Street, is a familyfriendly Halloween walk through the Champlain Valley Expo. The route will take you through Spookywood Manor, a mysterious old house with creepy secrets. Then it’s out into Spookywood Vil-
lage, lit by hundreds of jack-o lanterns. There’s something for kids of all ages. This is handicap accessible. For more information call 802-355-3107 or visit spookywood.org.
Saturday, Oct. 23 and Sunday, Oct. 25
LAKE GEORGE — Fright Fest with Thrills by Day, Chills by Night will take place at The Great Escape, 1172 State Rte 9. The hours are Saturday noon to 9 p.m. Sun. 12-6 PM ~ Scary fun and a ghoulish good time with Zombies! The North Country’s scariest Halloween celebration!
Saturday, Oct. 24
GLENS FALLS — Boo 2 You! Trick or Treat and other area events takes place on Glen Street, Downtown, from 2 until 4 p.m. Bring out the whole family for the Halloween Block Party, Boo 2 You. Glens Falls welcomes all the little goblins, witches, and princesses for a Halloween block party complete with entertainment, family friendly activities, a costume parade and more! Over 3,000 ‘boos and ghouls’ are expected to attend! Festivities include pony rides and petting zoo, spooky dance performances by local dance groups, trick-or-treating, popcorn, and much more! There is free admission. So come out, bring your friends and family, and enjoy this Halloween event! Boo 2 You is produced by the Glens Falls Collaborative. For more information call 761-3864. AuSABLE FORKS — Spend the morning hearing the stories and visiting the sites of the underground railroad in Keeseville and Peru with a Mini Bus Tour starting at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Road. You will learn about the men and women who traveled on the underground railroad and those who provided safe passage to fugitives from slavery. There will be several stops including one at the hidden room located in a barn at the former Stephen Keese Smith farm in Peru. Tour leaders are members of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association. Bus boards at 9:30 a.m. Call 834-5180 or email ugr@ frontier.com or visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum website for more information.
The Special Olympics New York UNDEAD 5k takes place Sunday, Oct. 25
VERGENNES, VT — Bring the family and enjoy the Pumpkins in the Park. Most of the activities will occur at the City Park in downtown Vergennes. Trick or Treating will run down Main Street along with games and activities and the Great Pumpkin Cook-off. Evening ends with lighting and judging of the pumpkins in City Park. For more information visit Vergennes.org.
Sunday, Oct. 25
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Special Olympics New York UNDEAD 5K, Presented by VENT Fitness, takes place at the Saratoga Springs State Park from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This 5K trail run supports Special Olympics New York. The obstacles on this run are zombies!! Will You Survive? Each runner will start off with a flag belt and three flags. These flags represent your lifelines. Zombies throughout the course will be attempting to take these one at a time. If you lose all three, you’re dead and the zombies have won. If you finish the race with at least one flag, you’ve survived. If zombies have taken all your flags you can complete the race but you won’t be eligible for awards. Make Yourself a Meal! Join The Mob! Zombies can sign up as individuals or teams. We’ll place zombie teams together along the course. Each zombie receives their official transformation, a UNDEAD race T-shirt, participation in race day festivities and the thrill of the chase. All ages welcome! There will be two flights for runners. A competitive flight, “Fast Food”, and a noncompetitive flight, “All You Can Eat”. Each runner will receive access to the course, race day festivities and an official UNDEAD race day T-shirt. Runners can sign up as individuals or as teams. Is running not exciting enough for you? Be a zombie! Each zombie will be transformed in our “Mob Tent” the day of the event! There are two types of zombies: “Hunters” will be allowed to chase runners for a short distance, and “Crawlers” can walk, stumble, shuffle or band together to strategically remove flags. Zombies can sign up as individuals or teams. Each zombie receives their official transformation, a UNDEAD race T-shirt, participation in race day festivities, and the thrill of the chase. All ages welcome! For more information call 338-0790 ext. 109.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
SARANAC LAKE — The Will Rogers Senior Outing Club’s October event will be featuring tours, one historical and one natural, of White Pines Camp in Paul Smith’s. Between the two walks we will have a picnic lunch in one of the boat houses on the property. This program is open to the public. Please wear good walking shoes and clothing for potentially cool or inclement weather. Departure will be from Will Rogers at 10 a.m. Please call 891-7117 between Monday, Oct. 20 and Friday, Oct. 24 to reserve a spot on this trip.
Friday, Oct. 30
TICONDEROGA — HalloweenFest is happening in Downtown Ticonderoga which includes safe Trick or Treating and a variety of other events in coordination with the Ticonderoga businesses and organizations with the possibility of additional events on Saturday, October 31st. For more information call 585-6619.
Saturday, Oct. 31
RUTLAND, VT — The 56th annual Halloween Parade runs through Downtown Rutland. This is an ideal event for the entire family with over a hundred floats created by organizations from all over the Rutland area. See school groups, scout troops, local businesses, marching bands, political organizations, local businesses and so many more creative entries!
Saturday, Oct. 31 and Sunday, Nov. 1
LAKE GEORGE — Fright Fest with Thrills by Day, Chills by Night will take place at The Great Escape, 1172 State Rte 9. The hours are Saturday noon to 9 p.m. Sun. 12-6 PM ~ Scary fun and a ghoulish good time with Zombies! The North Country’s scariest Halloween celebration!
Wednesday, Nov. 4
TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 5859138.
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FALL EVENTS 2015
Arts & Entertainment 142
Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7
GLENS FALLS — The Rodeo comes to the Glens Falls Civic Center, One Civic Center Plaza, at 7 p.m. Don’t miss the Adirondack Stampede Charity Rodeo at the Glens Falls Civic Center for the 25th year! This annual tradition is a PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowbows Association) rodeo, featuring all the excitement of a pro rodeo’s top national and regional competitors. The Stampede showcases 200 competitors in the seven standard rodeo events. After the rodeo, everyone is invited to the Ro u n d Up Party in the C i v i c Center’s Heritage Hall! Pro Proceeds ben benefit several local children’s charities, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The Glens Falls Youth Center, and The United Way, among others. For more information call 7980366.
Friday, Nov. 6 through Friday, Nov. 29
SARANAC LAKE — There will be an exhibition of art by Elaine Vollherbst, the Winner of the Adirondack Artists Guild’s 2015 Juried Exhibition at Adirondack Artist Guild, 52 Main Street. There will be an opening reception Friday, Nov. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 891-2615.
Wednesday, Nov. 11
SARANAC LAKE — The Lake Placid Poets’ Guild will present a poetry reading at Saranac Village at Will Rogers, 78 Will Rogers Drive. This group comprises poets whose mission is to make poetry accessible and to nurture the art of poetry making. Please call to find out this months theme. Free. For more information call 8917117.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138.
Saturday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 22
NEWCOMB — Holiday Fair features locally made crafts and a special visit from Santa! All proceeds to benefit “Operation Santa Claus”.
Saturday, Nov. 30
LAKE GEORGE — Come see the Village of Lake George light up for the Christmas season.
Wednesday, Dec. 2
TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138.
Friday, Dec. 4 through Tuesday, Jan. 5
SARANAC LAKE — The Valerie Patterson “Passing Through” exhibition of recent watercolor paintings will be on exhibit at the Adirondack Artist Guild, 52 Main Street. An Opening Reception will be held Friday, Dec. 4, from 5-7 p.m. For more information call 891-2615.
Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5
SARANAC LAKE — Annual Sparkle Village Arts & Crafts Fair takes place at the Harrietstown Town Hall, 39 Main Street at the intersection of Main Street and Rte 3. There will also be a Silent Auction with a number of items donated by area businesses. The event opens Friday, from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Support local artisans and get some of your holiday shopping done! For more information call 891-1990.
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FALL EVENTS 2015
Wednesday, Dec. 9
SARANAC LAKE — The Lake Placid Poets’ Guild will present a poetry reading at Saranac Village at Will Rogers, 78 Will Rogers Drive. This group comprises poets whose mission is to make poetry accessible and to nurture the art of poetry making. Please call to find out this months theme. Free. For more information call 891-7117.
Arts & Entertainment
Friday, Dec. 11 through Sunday, Dec. 13
LAKE PLACID — Celebrate the holiday season in the Adirondacks featuring holiday shopping with the annual Holiday Village Festival full of festive family fun, arts and entertainment. The Village of Lake Placid transforms into a winter wonderland full of family activities and sugar plums all weekend long! Join in on the Jingle Bell Run, movies, story time, parade and visits from Santa Claus. Enjoy music, evening skating on the Olympic oval along with wine tastings and dining specials.
Wednesday, Dec. 16
TICONDEROGA — Join Ti’Coustics for an evening of music and talent at the Burleigh House, 120 Montcalm Street, at 7 p.m. Some evenings will be themed. For more information call 585-9138.
Thursday, Dec. 31
SARANAC LAKE — First Night Saranac Lake is an alcohol free alternative to ringing in the New Year. From live music all over the community, to dining specials and fireworks, this event has grown from its humble beginnings in 2006, to being recognized for the best First Night button in the country in 2011. As the event draws closer, many events will be added to the schedule. Check back often for updates and see First Night’s website at saranaclake.com.
Friday, Jan. 8, through Tuesday, Feb. 2
SARANAC LAKE — There will be a Benefit Art Show for The Adirondack Carousel at the Adirondack Artist Guild, 52 Main Street. This exhibition of art work by members of The ADK Artists Guild. Sales of works will go to benefit the Adirondack Carousel. There will be an Opening Reception Friday, Jan. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 8912615.
Don’t miss the benefit art show, sales from which will benefit The Adirondack Carousel in Saranac Lake
It’s A Given:
That no matter how good a driver you are...
BOOM!
Someone hits you! It’s a Given:
That no matter how good a driver you are...
CRUNCH!!
BOOM! Trees Fall, Biblical Hail, You Follow? Someone hits you!
WHOA!! CRUNCH!!
BadTrees Road Fall, Conditions, 1 O’Clock!! BiblicalGuardrail Hail, YouatFollow?
So ThenWHOA!! After All This:
That Insurance You Pay Good Money For Wants You Bad Roadcompany Conditions, Guardrail at 1 O’Clock!! To Fix It Their Way.
So Then After All This:
ENOUGH!!
That Insurance company you pay good money for wants you to fix it their way. We Will Restore Your We Think You’ve Had Enough Hassles, Car To It’s Pre-collision Condition. ENOUGH!!
We think you’ve had enough hassles, we will restore your car to it’s pre-collision condition.
AND:
We work for you, NOT the insurance company. AND: It’s What We Do.
We work for you, NOT the insurance company. It’s What We Do.
Professionalism, Excellence And Integrity At Every Turn
To learn more visit our website. parkersauto.com
72220
144
Restaurant Guide
Champlain NEW YORK
MAP N O R T H E R N
N E W
St. Albans VERMONT
Plattsburgh NEW YORK Pg. 150
Pg. 160
Y O R K
Peru
Pg. 147
Burlington VERMONT
Wilmington NEW YORK
Saranac Lake
Willsboro
NEW YORK
Shelburne VERMONT
NEW YORK
Lake Placid
Tupper Lake
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
Elizabethtown
Pg. 154
Pg.153NEW YORK Pg. 161
Middlebury VERMONT
Ticonderoga
Blue Mountain Lake
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
Schroon Lake NEW YORK
Pg.149
North Creek Pg. 155
NEW YORK
Rutland
Pg. 162
Pg. 157
VERMONT
Pg. 148
Warrensburg NEW YORK
Lake George
Pg. 156
Pg. 146 Pg. 152
Pg. 151
Pg. 158
Pg. 159
Restaurant Section Index By Page Number: 146 ........................NY Diner and Pizzeria 147 ... Livingoods Restaurant & Brewery 148 ...Market Place Steakhouse & More 149 ............................ The Hague Market
150 ................................Everett Orchards 151 .........................The View Restaurant 152 .........Green Mountain Market Place 153 ..................................Halfway House
154 .............................. SubAlpine Coffee 155 ...............................Garnet Hill Lodge 156 .....................Caldwell Country Store 157 ...................The Black Mountain Pub
158 ......................................... Bella’s Deli 159 ...................................The Barn Sider 160 ..................................Banker Orchard 161 ..................Westport Hotel & Tavern 162 ................O.P. Frederick’s Restaurant
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