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ADK Journal
20th Anniversary for The Adirondack Kids!
Story and Photos by Gary VanRiper
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A special edition of The Adirondack Kids #1 has been released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series
stick-to-itiveness.
I still coach high school basketball, and used the word during practice with some new players and one of them asked, “Is that even a word?”
Yes, it is. And, for many, it is a way of life. Synonyms include words like dedication, determination, tenacity, persistence, stamina, steadfastness.
The publishers of this magazine and the owners of the multiple businesses represented within these pages certainly know the practice, if not this particular word. It speaks of the dogged resolve to never give up—to keep putting one step in front of the other—regardless of the challenges, the obstacles, put in one’s path.
stick-to-itiveness.
Like everyone whose lives have been jolted and upended by Covid-19 with schedules and plans interrupted, postponed, and canceled, the 20th anniversary for our book series, The Adirondack Kids®, has been no exception. This was the year for several special events to celebrate 20 books in 20 years, and this was the month we normally announce a brand new book and our summer book tour.
However—despite the cancellations and delays and the closing of certain venues for the season, we are happy and thankful to announce we are releasing the special revised and expanded 20th Anniversary Edition of our first book, The Adirondack Kids® #1.
Sporting a new cover, enlarged nonfiction section, and some 20 pages of bonus features, including the story behind the stories, the most important part of the celebration is still on.
The series centers around three best friends, and their adventures throughout the Adirondack Park. Most of the stories take place along the Fulton Chain of Lakes in the west-central region of the Park. A camp that has been in the family there for more than a century inspired the setting for the first story. The team behind The Adirondack Kids: Gary, Carol, and Justin VanRiper
The Adirondack hamlet of Inlet, NY and the Fulton Chain of Lakes is the epicenter for the book series
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Passing on a love for reading, coauthor Gary VanRiper shares a book with his grandson Levi, the latest Adirondack kid in the family.
Justin, his cousin, and friends were the models for the characters brought to life by the illustrators
stick-to-itiveness.
It was in 2001 when 9/11 occurred and our country came to a grinding halt. We were finishing up our second book at that time and under a looming cloud of uncertainty about the future, kept on working. We were glad we did. It was in 2011 when my wife, Carol, had major complications with what was supposed to be a routine hip replacement and spent a month in the hospital before being released – and told she had permanently lost the use of her leg. Much of our eleventh volume was written in the hospital during that time and was released on schedule. (Carol is still hiking today – to the amazement of her doctors, her leg completely restored.)
There has been a great benefit to hiking the mountains of the Adirondacks during the past several decades, including an impalpable attraction as strong as the beauty of the landscape itself. And that is the joy of the push, sometimes to the limit, marching on when you think you can’t take another step. It is willing to make progress upward, as grueling as a bushwhack can be, to reach the summit. I understand it is not everyone, but have discovered it to be excellent inside-out training for perseverance in everyday life.
So, what does the future hold right now? Shall we continue working on our 20th volume in 20 years for its autumn release? I do not know what even tomorrow may bring – but I do know how I intend to greet tomorrow when it comes: stick-to-itiveness.
All the best to our Mohawk Valley family of readers and business owners. Stay safe and well •
Gary VanRiper is an author, photographer, and pastor at the Camden Wesleyan Church. He has written 15 children’s books with his son, Justin. Find out more at:
www.adirondackkids.com
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