NCL Magazine Spring 2015

NORTH COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE • VOL. 4 NO. 1

This Merrill Lynch Exec bought Sugarbush Resort Port Henry’s Native Son: Legend Johnny Podres A Tale of Two Children at Great Camp Sagamore

SPRING 2015

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The Region’s Leading Arts Advocacy Group

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Revealing Heaven & Earth in Stone

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Editor’s Note

April/May 2015

I

t’s here!

What a winter it was.

We’re serving up our new spring edition as we listen to the sound of melting water dripping from the rooftops to the ground below.

But after this grueling stretch, even the mud looks inviting.

As you get back into the swing of spring, we have produced another issue designed to help you with the transition.

It’s a showcase of all the North Country has to offer, a blend of intoxicating sights and people doing the impossible.

Like Kenneth Maurice, for example, the Vermont stone carver who reveals heaven and earth hidden in stone.

Then there’s Johnny Podres, the historic ballplayer, who put Port Henry on the map with his stunning athletic achievements.

There’s the story of Win Smith, the Sugarbush owner who decided to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city in exchange for peace, serenity and a snowy mountaintop.

Jan Wellford set a flurry of High Peaks records and is now organizing the Sky Run at Whiteface.

And let’s not forget about the folksy Vermont actor and humorist Rusty DeWees who we get to know personally in this edition of North Country Living.

It’s stories like this that reawaken the human spirit and remind us how lucky we are to live here.

But onto the natural world: We hope after reading our feature on Bigfoot, you’ll zip over to Whitehall and join us in search of the legendary creature.

You could venture to Raquette Lake and enjoy a moonlight cruise under the stars or try your hand at rafting after reading our feature on the Hudson River White Water Derby.

As always, after enjoying this latest edition, we encourage you to support the local merchants who have made this issue possible.

Think spring!

John Gereau, Managing Editor

Published by Denton Publications, Inc. 14 Hand Ave., 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

North Country Living Staff Writer Thom Randall

Editor John Gereau johng@denpubs.com

Thom@denpubs.com

General Manager DJ Alexander

Writer Rebeca Schiller

DJ@denpubs.com

Rebecaschiller425@gmail.com

Writer Pete DeMola

Writer Beti Spangel

Pete@denpubs.com

Bspangel@hotmail.com

Writer Shawn Ryan

Writer Lou Varricchio

Shawn@denpubs.com

Lou@addison-eagle.com

Writer Andrew Johnstone

NY Publisher Dan Alexander

Andrew@denpubs.com

dan@denpubs.com

Writer Keith Lobdell

VT Publisher Ed Coats vermonttimes@gmail.com

Keith@denpubs.com

This photograph, taken by renowned Adirondack photographer Carl Heilman II, shows the view looking south on Lake George last year at ice out from a snow and ice covered rock near Huletts Landing.

On The Cover

Sales Team Ashley Alexander David Allaire Tom Bahre Becky Barnes Mark Brady Ashley Charron Thomas Hollingsworth Heidi Littlefield

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@denpubs.com

4 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

ncliving@denpubs.com

CONTENTS Vol. 4 No. 1

Features The Wejuk Files

9

Read about the history of Bigfoot in the North Country

Grands Camp

17

A grandmother’s tale of Great Camp Sagamore’s Grands Camp

Johnny Podres

26

A tribute to Port Henry’s native son and Baseball Legend

Kenneth Maurice

35

Revealing Heaven and Earth in Stone

Auto Racing

45

17

The North Country is Steeped in Auto Racing History

26 nclmagazine.com

Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 5

CONTENTS April/May 2015

Features White Water

56

The storied History of the White Water Derby in North Creek

Jan Wellford

66

Record-Setting Hiker. Ultrarunner. Skier. Rock & Ice Climber

The Good Thief

40

76

Inside the Walls of Dannemora Prison lies an ornate Catholic Church

Win Smith

85

After 28 years with Merrill Lynch, this executive bought a ski resort

The WW Durant

97

This tour boat is also a Winter Destination on Raquette Lake

Social Scene Q&A

56 40

North Country Living gets Personal with humorist Rusty DeWees

Out&About

52

Middlebury’s Fieldhouse is an asset for the campus, community

Giving Back

73

These Five Tireless Volunteers are Making a Difference!

Community

82

A Crime-Fighting Dog gets a Ballistic Vest thanks to ‘Vested Interest’

Calendar Best bets for events in April and May 6 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

110

97

nclmagazine.com

Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 7

By Lou Varricchio As you read these words, a group of dedicated amateur researchers are searching the northern woods of New York and Vermont for signs of a strange creature — known in folklore as Bigfoot or Sasquatch.

In the North Country of New York, New England and French Canada, this legendary creature is known by its regional Indian name, Wejuk (pronounced wee-juck).

Our story looks at what these everyday citizen researchers of New York and Vermont have discovered about this strange, elusive hominoid.

According to the Skeptic’s Dictionary, “The scientific community discounts the existence of Bigfoot, as there is no evidence supporting the survival of such a large, prehistoric ape-like creature. The evidence that does exist points more towards a hoax or delusion than to sightings of a genuine creature.”

nclmagazine.com

NCL acknowledges that there are many skeptics on the subject of Bigfoot, so we make no claims regarding the veracity of the following account, but we believed it worth examining and then asking the $64,000 question—could a Bigfoot-like animal really exist in the North County? Our region’s Sasquatch experts are members of NSRS, the Northern Sasquatch Research Society, based in Hudson Falls, N.Y. NSRS members include New Yorkers and Vermonters; the group’s veteran investigators include Brian Gosselin of Whitehall, N.Y. (an eyewitness to the creature as you’ll soon see), Cliff South of South Glens Falls, N.Y., along with John Pearson and Bill Brann of Glens Falls, N.Y. Between 2010 and 2015, North Country Living Magazine (NCL) talked with NSRS members Bill Brann and Brian Gosselin about the history of the North Country Bigfoot—also known to the Abnaki people of the region as Wejuk.

continued page 10 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 9

NCL: Let’s

begin with Bill Brann. How did the Northern Sasquatch Research Society get started?

Brann: We organized nearly six years ago, but our mutual interest and experience with Sasquatch sightings goes back 34 years-plus now.

NCL: Are Bigfoot sightings something new in this part of Vermont and New York?

Brann: No. In 1603, Samuel de Champlain reported several native stories about Sasquatch sightings along the St. Lawrence River. The Native Americans of that time were calling the creature the Stone Giant and Hairy Wildman.

In the 1700s, Robert Rogers and his Rangers were pursued by something in the North Woods. One of Roger’s Rangers claimed the creature had legs as large as “spruce logs.”

Around Rogers’ time, Indians were calling the creature Wejuk-which means “wet skin.” Settlers in Vermont in the early 1800s described an animal called Old Slippery Skin or Old Wet Skin. Was it wet or greasy looking? We don’t know. But the thing knocked over settlers’ fence rails, kicked manure piles, threw rocks, even chased cattle and goats.

Today, we use the western American Indian name, Sasquatch, even Bigfoot. And as we got into the 1900s, we started hearing reports of the animal in the Adirondacks.

Members of the Northern Sasquatch Research Society pose alongside a collection of plaster-cast Bigfoot footprints collected in both New York’s Adirondacks and Vermont. Pictured: Bill Brann of Hudson Falls, N.Y., Brian Gosselin of Hamptron, N.Y., and John Pearson of South Glens Falls, N.Y. 10 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

NCL: What put Sasquatch on the map around here? Was it the 1976 sighting, made famous by NSRS research member Brian Gosselin, a former Whitehall police officer?

Brann: In 1976, Brian’s brother Paul Gosselin, 18, and a friend, Marty Padick, were travelling by auto down Abair Road in Hampton, N.Y. (near the Vermont state line, across ncliving@denpubs.com

from Fair Haven), when they thought they heard a woman screaming, perhaps being molested, in the distance. They pulled over.

Paul reached for his gun. He yelled, “What the hell is going on out there?” There was no response. Again, he yelled out. Nothing. They drove down Abair Road, turned around, and came back to the screaming site, facing the opposite way, and stopped. Both teens looked across the field to where the scream seemed to be come from. They noticed movement at a nearby telephone pole. Whatever it was, it immediately started running—fast—toward their vehicle. Marty must have left 50 feet of rubber on the road as they got out of there.

Both guys drove into Whitehall to report the incident to the police. But Brian Gosselin, who also saw the creature shortly after, should tell you the rest of this account.

NCL: Let’s have former Whitehall Police Department officer Brian Gosselin, who was an eyewitness to the now famous incident on Abair Road in Hampton, N.Y., near the Vermont state line, across from Fair Haven, tell his story. Mr. Gosselin, you’ve been featured on several national television documentaries about Bigfoot.

Gosselin: I was a Whitehall patrolman in 1976. I was in my patrol car when another car comes barreling down Williams Street. It came to a dead stop right next to me. The guys in the car were clearly agitated. They told me they had just witnessed a weird creature on Abair Road.

“We need help,” one of them said to me. “We gotta get this and we gotta get that.” They were extremely excited.

I looked at them. Seriously, I replied, “What kind of stuff are you guys on? Are you drinking?”

They were serious all right. They left me there and then went to the Petco station—it used to be an all-night garage—to pick up a friend, Mark Penny.

Brann: OK, since I was the first researcher on the scene, I’ll pick up the story at this point. All three young men went back to Abair Road. I later questioned Mark Gosselin about what he and the others saw. He said that what they saw was a “large shadow” moving out into the field. (The landscape has changed quite a bit around there today). They immediately drove back to Whitehall and then talked to Brian again.

Gosselin: These guys were serious. Mark was wound up; there was really something out there. So I called my father, a fellow police officer, who had just gone off duty. I also called the New York State Police and the sheriff’s department. Two state troopers, a sheriff, my father, Mr. Penny, my brother Paul, and Marty went out there. When they returned there (Abair Road) they all saw the same thing at the same time.

They had, what ever it was, in a spotlight. It was maybe 500 to 600 yards away.

You could see a monstrosity going up along the hedge row, then over a fence, and into a patch of thick briar and thornapple. That’s where it disappeared. But this wasn’t the end of it. It continued into the next day.

NCL: Bill

Brann, you interviewed the eyewitnesses later.

Can you jump in and continue?

Brann: Brian heard a report on the police scanner that something was going on. Now the Gosselins only live a few miles from Abair Road. So, Paul Gosselin and his father had walked out into the field. They were then greeted by a tremendous vocalization that trumpeted across the field. Father and son moved back to the safety of the edge of the road.

Meanwhile, a deputy sheriff was out in the field with a searchlight. The light fell on the thing.

The deputy blurted out: “What the hell is that?!” (He later denied saying that.) They all knew exactly what it was. But they never labeled it (as Bigfoot).

Since the 1970s, several popular television programs have featured recreations of the famous northern Sasquatch sighting by former Whitehall, N.Y. police officer Brian Gosselin near the New YorkVermont stateline. nclmagazine.com

I was there for a long time interviewing everyone to get the story. What they said, as I was told, was that it was between seven- and eight-feet tall. It had long hair in the back and continued page 12 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 11

A few minutes passed. I next heard the trooper yell out: ‘I hear something—what the hell is it?!’ Then, louder, from the trooper: ‘I am getting the hell out of here!’

The trooper backed out of the field and headed back to Whitehall. He was gone. Now this is a New York State Police trooper! He just left me there, alone in the field. It gave me goosebumps.

Next, the branches started moving again. The way that I can explain this—and I will until the day I die—is that if you put a fat person in corduroy pants—you know that swooshing sound the material makes?—well, that’s what I heard. The (swooshing) sound would start and stop. Start and stop.

I heard no other noises. It was a quiet night.

An artist’s rendering of the creature former Whitehall, N.Y. policeman Brian Gosselin saw along Abair Road in Hampton, N.Y., in August 1976.

walked with a slight hunch. Because it was dark outside, they couldn’t distinguish any fingers, hands or other details.

Ah, but this wasn’t the end of it! Brian Gosselin can tell you all about his experience (his close encounter) on the following night.

Gosselin: On the night after the thing was first reported, I contacted a New York State Police trooper. He was on duty, alone, and I was off duty as a Whitehall, N.Y. police officer.

“I asked the trooper to join me—me in my car and the trooper in his state police car—and go out (to Hampton, N.Y.) to see for ourselves.

I went out to Abair Road as a skeptic—I really did. But then when I heard my father talk about it, I started to believe there was something there.

I then realized that, whatever it was, it was getting closer and closer.

I was out of the car with the door open; a 200,000-candlepower electric spotlight in my right hand and a gun in my left hand. Next, something inside told me to turn on the spotlight.

Well, as I turned on the spotlight—maybe 30 to 35 feet in front of my vehicle I saw it.

It brought up its hands—they were not paws—because of the brightness of the light. I could see fingers. It had a lot of hair, hanging like on an orangutan’s arms. It had big eyes that glowed red in the spotlight. It was real—right there in front of me. It let out a scream; not like a woman, it was more like a human male screaming with a deep-tone voice. It made every hair on my body stand right up!

The instinct to ‘shoo’ it away was there, but then I thought: is this a man in a monkey suit? And what if I killed somebody?

I’d go to jail, cop or not.

Then it turned to move away and I saw its back.

It was after midnight and a cool night for August. It was dead silent with better than a half-moon in the sky.

It had muscular tone and its hair was from mid shoulder blade down to the top of its hip area. You could see leaves and mud caked in its hair.

The grass in the field I drove my car into (off Abair Road) was above my hips; it was a field the farmer had let go. I drove the car 100 feet off the main road. (The trooper drove his car into another part of the field.)

NCL: Can you describe the thing you saw?

Gosselin: Here’s what I recall: the thing was always stand-

We switched our C.B. radios to a quiet channel where no other people were talking. He was in another spot of the field about 1,000 yards from me; we were both watching, talking occasionally—like ‘Did you see it yet?’, etc.

Off to my right—and in front of the trooper’s car—you could hear a noise in the branches. There was something in the woods, maybe 700 feet away.

12 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

ing on two legs. And it walked fast. People have asked me if it had a neck. I don’t remember a neck. I remember turning on the spotlight and seeing those big red eyes and the hands that came up (to cover the face).

NCL: Did you make out any facial features?

Gosselin: No, because its hands were up (in front of the face). You could see the hair on its head was long; heavy, coarse hair. I estimated its height as between 7.5 and 8 feet. ncliving@denpubs.com

Maybe it weighed 400 pounds. It covered 1,000 to 1,500 feet toward the woods quickly, then it turned around and howled three times and disappeared into the woods. Following that I sat there for a good 15-20 minutes trying to collect my—well, collect everything you could possibly think of! It was an experience that you’d have to be there to understand. To this day, I have never said it was Bigfoot or Sasquatch. All I know is that it was not a bear and it was not a man in a monkey suit.

Whatever it was, it was strange.

NCL: The description reminds me of an ape.

Gosselin: No, it was not an ape and it was not a bear.

NCL: Did you ever feel your life threatened?

Gosselin: No. If it wanted me, it had me.

But if it had moved any closer, I would have shot it—taken it in the head, the neck. But the thing of it is that between where the trooper was located and where I was located, it could have crossed the road, but it came toward me out of curiosity.

NCL: Did you sense it was a beast or intelligent?

Gosselin: It was both.

NCL: Was it humanlike?

Gosselin: Yes, in the way it walked. But a beast, too.

It is something that doesn’t belong here. It was not a gorilla; it was not a chimpanzee; it was not a bear. A bear’s legs are too short to walk the way we walk, etc.

NCL: What happened next?

Gosselin: I went back to Whitehall. And who do you think I found shaking like a leaf at the Silver Diner in Whitehall? It was Jeff, the New York State Police trooper. When I saw him, I said, ‘What the hell was that all about-leaving me out there all by myself?’ Well, he was drinking coffee and shaking. So

Brian Gosselin points to the field where he believes he saw Bigfoot—Wejuk—along Abair Road in Hmpton, N.Y., near the Vermont state line.

I asked him, ‘What exactly did you see, Jeff?’ He replied, ‘I didn’t see anything.’

NCL: You mean the trooper denied that the encounter ever happened?

Gosselin: After that happened my job was threatened.

‘Keep your mouth shut,’ I was told. Later, I threw news reporters out of my house. They were busting my chops about it.

NCL: Do you ever return to the Abair Road encounter site out of curiosity?

Gosselin: Yes. Sometime later, my nephew Greg Gosselin and I returned to the scene. We walked from the paved road through the field and into the woods to an old, abandoned road near the Poultney River. There’s a lot of clay and sand back there. Near the river bank, I found a footprint covered with pine needles. Finding that footprint was a coincidence.

The toe impressions were perfect; even the heel mark was good. For a human to make that impression you’d have to jump up and down several times. And (judging from the orientation of the footprint), it must have crossed the river (into Vermont).

NCL:

Did anyone else hear or see things around Abair

Road?

Gosselin:

There are people that live near the river in that area on the Vermont side—I do not have permission to mention their names. A TV movie made about the incident was filmed there. At the time of the film shooting, the residents told me that there are many things that they have seen and heard along the Poultney River. It’s the boonies back there—thickets, swamps; it’s just like the Amazon in there.”

Brian Gosselin was an eyewitness to a now famous Bigfoot sighting near the New York-Vermont line in August 1976. nclmagazine.com

continued page 14 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 13

NCL: You have an interesting, proprietary topographic map on the wall of the NSRS’s office. Can you tell us about it?

Brann: This map shows all the reported Wejuk sightings in New York to the Vermont border. It took a long time to put together. There’s a pattern to Wejuk. We know that fall is the most predominant time when you see this thing, but not always. It comes down from around the Fort Ticonderoga area, along Lake George, toward Black Mountain. It moves over to Whitehall and along the Poultney River. On our map— which we do not want you to photograph—red dots represent sightings, yellow dots represent footprints, blue dots represent vocalizations and green dots indicate objects thrown— things like rocks, boulders. We have many stories along the Poultney River of objects thrown. This map is a drop in the bucket; there’s much more than this. We’ve spent 34 years researching this.

NCL: What about creature footprints that people still report

A plaster cast of a large footprint found in the Adirondacks. Members of the Northern Sasquatch Research Society believe it was made by a northern Bigfoot or Wejuk.

Brann: Artist Sue Ellis drew a picture (see page 12) based on the descriptions. It walked with a slouch, bent at the shoulder area, but it walked upright. Brian pointed out the buttocks—Sue indicated that in the drawing. When I asked the eyewitnesses if the drawing looks like what they saw, they said, ‘it does and it doesn’t.’ They were precise about that. It does have features they saw but it isn’t exact. It’s an artist’s conception based on descriptions. I photographed Brian and Paul Gosselin at the (Abair Road) site a few days after the incident.

NCL: We were surprised to learn that you got involved so early in this well-known case.

Brann: Oh, definitely. I did all the original investigation in Whitehall. In fact, it’s still going on today. But let me say that we did a reeanctment later on. We had Brian go out to do the reeanctment. What he forgot to tell you is that he knelt down with his arm extended through the open window with a .357 service revolver cocked, ready to fire if he had to. So we have a photo of the reeanctment at the exact spot.”

14 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

seeing in sandbars along the Poultney River?

Brann: Our group has gone to the Poultney River with Paul Gosselin and internationally known nature photographer Russ Kenny to search for footprints. We flew over the area in a Piper Cub aircraft, too. We can swear to you, trying to leave a footprint in the soil there is like trying to leave a footprint in hard concrete. But we have photos showing a footprint Brian Gosselin found in 1976, a few days after the Abair Road incident. The same footprint has been found in sandbars along the river by Glen LaRose, another Whitehall police officer. He made a good cast that was 19 inches long with a four inch heel. The photos and the casts show we have a heavy animal. Some reports indicate it weighs 700 pounds plus. I should mention that we found a limestone cave along the Poultney River near the footprint. There was an old date, from the 1800s, carved in the rock. It looked too small to be used by an animal the size of what we’re talking about.”

This statue of Bigfoot, on display at the Garden Time retail store in Rutland, Vt. in 2013, is evidence that many local residents are interested in reports about a possible northern Sasquatch or Wejuk living in the region. Photos by Lou Varricchio ncliving@denpubs.com

NCL: Many

of the accounts of the August 1976 Wejuk sighting near the New York-Vermont state line, even those recreated in recent television documentaries, don’t seem to jive with what Brian Gosselin told us. Why is that?

Brann: When the 1976 story was first reported it was full of holes. It was wrong. The reporters seemed to either ad-lib or just didn’t take the time to investigate the story. So, they had Brian being on-duty as a policeman—he was off duty at the time.

A popular book appeared, titled ‘The Bigfoot Casebook,’ and the authors took the original news articles and never did any investigation on their own. So who knows how many people reading the book are thinking it happened another way, the wrong way. This is why it’s good to have Brian here with us to describe what he saw to your newspaper-you get a good, clean version; not a copy.

Gosselin: The event is very fresh in my memory, but I get tired of retelling it. I’ve thought of writing my own book about it, but this person or that person have had their fingers in it. I’ve thought of just writing an article about the incident. But what really upset me was that a certain television network—Outdoor Life Network—produced a documentary movie about it and distorted it all out of whack.

Yes, I was consulted by the film crew, but then I signed a contract without reading it. I could have been getting royalties. The movie wasn’t so much about Sasquatch as about making an author, Autumn Williams, look good. The film crew was actually afraid to shoot the film on location and by the Poultney River. They shot it near Whitehall on land that didn’t resemble the authentic site. They even had me as an on-duty policeman, but I was off duty. It was supposed to be a documentary, not a dramatic film.

Brann: When it comes to Wejuk—Sasquatch—there are always problems. It’s always about the individuals and how they want to interpret things. For example, I co-wrote a book entitled ‘Monsters of the North Woods,’ but I didn’t edit it. There are things in the book that shouldn’t be there and things said that were never said.

NCL: You didn’t see galley proofs of your own book?

Brann: Four of us wrote the book and we never did. These are things that happen. That’s why we’re sitting down with you to discuss these things. We’ve been down this road too many times to get the truth out. Fifty years from now, historians will get it wrong because the contemporary accounts are wrong. It’s important to get it right.

Gosselin: It’s ironic how things have gotten distorted.

Some people have become experts on the Abair Road incident who weren’t even there. I was there. I know how it happened. nclmagazine.com

NCL: So

we come down to it. What is this thing we’re talking about? Your group is very sober. You approach this scientifically. Any ideas? Is this an ape man? An extinct Gigantopithecus? What gives?

Brann: There’s a question mark about what this really was and is. There’s no body, no proof, so you have to be careful what you label it. You can create a false image.

Here’s an example of what can happen: in late August the Northern Sasquatch Research Society was called to investigate an incident at a youth soccer training camp on Goodman Road in Fort Ann, N.Y. We went out there to investigate. The place was deserted. Then a man appeared and told us that it was all an innocent mistake.

Apparently, one of the coaches dressed up in a gorilla costume to entertain the kids around the campfire. They knew this to be true. But one of the teens found a cell phone and called 911 as a gag. The local sheriff arrived, and he investigated. Well, it certainly was not a hoax or a real Sasquatch sighting. But local people had heard the term ‘ape man’ reported on their police scanners at home. So, NSRS got the call to investigate. It turned out to be nothing. That’s why we are very careful.

NCL: There are reports of Wejuk from Rutland County in Vermont and up into the Adirondacks. Do you know where this thing, if it exists, might live?

Brann: Well, this is an area with very dense forested areas and swamps. Brian likes to describe the region—especially the land between Lake Champlain and Lake George—as being like the Amazon.

Gosselin: Yes, it’s like going to the Amazon. From there (West Haven), and once you cross Lake Champlain (and South Bay), you have a stretch of forest that goes clear up to Ticonderoga—and that’s just one mountain range. Northeast of Whitehall, East Bay stream is like the Amazon. There are miles and miles of wilderness and big swamps, mountains, caves. There’s a sawmill along the Poultney River and I am not even counting the 5,500 acres of that operation.

NCL: Thank you, gentlemen, for a fascinating discussion about Wejuk or Bigfoot sightings in the North County. We hope this magazine article will produce some fresh leads for your research.

Check It Out: If you’ve seen what you think is Wejuk in your area, have something unusual to report, or are simply interested in learning more about Bigfoot research in Vermont and New York, contact Bill Brann of NSRS at northernbigfoot@yahoo.com or call 518-747-9134. All sighting information is kept strictly confidential.

Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 15

16 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

ncliving@denpubs.com

A grandparent’s tale of Great Camp Sagamore’s Grands Camp and how it changed two lives forever

By Valerie Pachla nclmagazine.com

Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 17

The Little Boy with the S’More “The Marshmallow Club is a ‘first’ at Great Camp Sagamore’s Grands Camp,” Dan Duggan exclaimed on day three of our sixday adventure.

Nineteen grandchildren from across the country ages six through nine were gathered with their respective grandparents for this one-of-a-kind Adirondack experience. My sevenyear-old granddaughter Sienna’s green eyes sparkled. Sienna decided spontaneously to start a Marshmallow Club and randomly assigned children titles like Marshmallow Daddy or Marshmallow Cousin or even Marshmallow Doggy. They all had marshmallow names. Guess who was Marshmallow Mommy?

Sienna and I unloaded our car in the pouring rain on Sunday,

Story & photos by Valerie Pachla

“Seeing Kannon holding out his hand with a wrapped-up s’more (minus one bite) changed Sienna’s face from tear-stained to a big grin.

Kannon saved the day.”

the first day of our week-long adventure at Grands Camp at Great Camp Sagamore in picturesque Raquette Lake. Great Camp Sagamore is one of the first of its kind to host this special program, which pairs grandparents with grandchildren for a week of activities, building connections between people and nature. The program takes place through the summer months of July and August, with a special Family Week in July.

Sienna and I unloaded our luggage and a second floor twin bedroom facing the lake in the main lodge was ours for the week. The general décor is dark brown wood, not only on the floors but on the walls as well. Red accents abound, outlining the windows and filling in the massive doors. Red is carried over to the upholstery, wool blankets and quilt bedspreads. At registration, name tags, mosquito-net jackets (which were a God-send) and an adult’s whistle for emergencies were handed out.

And, best of all, no cell phone service.

Pictured is Great Camp Sagamore in Raquette Lake.

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The dinner bell rang at 6 p.m. calling us to help ourselves to a delicious array of food. After dinner we toured the property; the main camp proper (sleeping quarters, dining hall, bowling alley, administration and a large playhouse where we had daily meetings), and an area that used to be the servants’ housing and farm (hen house, craft house, barn, gift shop and boat building).

The older buildings are built of logs and trimmed in birch bark.

Orientation followed in the playhouse. On the walls hung all sorts of stuffed animal heads and skins hunted in the Adirondacks and beyond. There was even a smiling moose. We were broken into ncliving@denpubs.com

three groups: the and I were appointed

Bears, the Moose and the Deer. Sienna to the Bear group.

Dan Duggan, music director, started out the evening with catchy songs and presented the counselors: Pat Burdick, Andy Gillcrist, Matt Merkle and Nancy Sue Foltz (craft instructor). Then the grandparents introduced themselves and their grandchildren and told where they lived. San Francisco, where Sienna lives, was farthest, and Schroon Lake, where I live, was closest. One little boy flew by himself from Minnesota—oh my!

The morning sun beamed through our open window on day two and we heard the loons laughing at us. Excited about using the small digital camera I gave her, Sienna tore herself out of bed.

Proudly pinning Sienna’s photo-button on my hat (as I continued to do all week), we donned our shorts, strapped on our cameras and headed out to breakfast. Immediately Sienna started snapping pictures, savoring everything.

Fresh fruit, cereal and toast digested, she dashed ahead, blonde hair flying, to the playhouse for our first morning run-down of the day’s activities.

That is where Sienna met Kannon.

He was a Bear too, as were Julia, Ama, Brooke, Lili, Anna and Nicholas. Seeing how interested Kannon was in Sienna’s camera, his grandfather, Arnold, gave him his smaller camera. Connection made!

Quiet and timid, Kannon stayed mostly to himself. One thing that distinguished him from the rest was his bright red high top sneakers that he seldom took off. Smiling did not come easily for him. But he seemed instantly smitten with Sienna and all the pictures she was taking. Focusing her camera, she said, “smile” and Kannon smiled. Off they went (smiling) to the hen house where the Bears nclmagazine.com

learned the art of making paper mache ladybugs. Sienna’s was red and Kannon’s was green. As they left the building, two large black snakes slithered into the tall grass right in front of them, prompting them into a picture-taking frenzy.

Sienna and I had canoed and kayaked before, so that day’s boathouse orientation in preparation for Wednesday’s canoe trip came easy to us. After lunch the Bears learned a lawn game called “Kubb” which was comprised of throwing wooden blocks to knock down other wooden blocks placed upright on the ground.

It soon became evident that Kannon had a talent for this and everyone clapped. His dark brown eyes sparkled and a smile was forming! Back in the playhouse the Bear cubs played table harps and sang “Every Morning at 8 o’clock” — their favorite. Dan was at his best singing hilarious lyrics and telling funny stories.

Free time was next, and Sienna went canoeing with stately Julia and her energetic grandmother, Carol.

On shore again, the grandchildren were astounded to find a snake eating a frog and a black mouse hiding in a tree. Cameras were busy! Then the grandparents had free time while the counselors amused the grandchildren. That evening was the Barn Dance with guest, Dan Berggren. Do-si-do!

Grands Camp at Great Camp Sagamore is sponsored by Road Scholar (an educational travel organization). It is the perfect venue continued page 20 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 19

that, Kannon!”

see one another twice a year.

Originally built by William Durant for the Vanderbilts over 100 years ago, Great Camp Sagamore sits on a remote piece of property in the middle of the beautiful Adirondack Park with its own pristine lake. There are few modern conveniences here, and that is what makes it so unique.

Hiking was on the agenda for the Bears on day three and Julia’s grandmother, an avid birder, was in her prime listening to the various birds and telling us how to identify them by the different sounds or “calls” that they made.

“Hear that? That was the call of a hermit thrush,” she would say. What a treat it was to have her along. It was so quiet in the woods—all you could hear were birds singing and cameras clicking.

Not being a morning person, Sienna had a hard time waking up. As a result, we were usually the last ones there. Noticing the close bond between Kannon and his grandfather, I asked about it. Arnold confided to me that he is the only father Kannon knows. Behaving impulsively at times, Kannon could be quite a challenge.

Campfire night was quickly approaching and Sienna had practiced her grandparent story that was required by all. Arriving late, Sienna and I squeezed into spots, Sienna opposite me. After stories and songs, it was s’more time. Each child was handed a long stick topped with a marshmallow. Before Sienna received hers, the little girl beside her turned unexpectedly and Sienna got melted marshmallow on her eyelashes and couldn’t open her eye. There was a bathroom nearby and I washed it all off. Not physically hurt, she was frightened and took a while to calm down.

Sienna noticed this behavior but instead of being bothered by it, she figured out a way to handle it and would not put up with any nonsense, saying, “You don’t talk to your grandfather like

By this time the campfire was over and I heard Pat Burdick calling, “Sienna, are you in here?” Sensing her distress, Pat suggested she carry Sienna back to our lodge, which was quite a

Kannon was already at the dining hall door when Sienna came down for breakfast the next day with a look that said “it’s about time!”

Arnold, Kannon and Sienna show off the ladybugs they made.

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The Bears take advantage of a day at the beach. ncliving@denpubs.com

distance. Once there, I thanked Pat and we climbed the winding stairs to our room. When we reached our hallway and turned the corner, who was standing there but Kannon! Seeing Kannon holding out his hand with a wrapped-up s’more (minus one bite) changed Sienna’s face from tear-stained to a big grin. Kannon saved the day.

Sienna was happy to see Kannon waiting on day four.

Breakfast finished and the Bears hurried to their canoes. Having been assigned a canoe with Arnold and Kannon, we were well on our way when Kannon suddenly said, “I want to go back; I don’t like this.” Rarely frazzled, Arnold was about ready to give up trying to convince Kannon that everything was okay when Sienna spoke up and said, “Kannon, you are fine. We all have life jackets on and nothing is going to happen.” Saved again, this time by Sienna.

With our lunches in tow, we arrived at the beach. Swimming was out as the air was a bit nippy so sandcastle building was in and besides, Andy found dragonfly larva. Kannon, his dark hair wet and tousled, was in his element here. Heading back, Kannon exclaimed, “Let’s race the other boats back.” But spotting loons, we slowed down, coming in last. After dinner in the playhouse,

the Bear adults played lap dulcimers while the Bear cubs played table harps. This was freckle-faced Ama’s favorite time as she loved Dan’s music and learning to play the table harps. And Kannon’s, too, as he laughed himself silly at Dan’s jokes! Now when he laughed, it was contagious!

Day five promised another hike with the Bears where we were startled by a grouse and her family. Brooke and Lili and their grandmother turned back, the black flies getting the best of them. Ignoring the bugs, Sienna and Kannon took pictures of wild mushrooms, wild flowers, pine cones, pretty stones, creeks and the Bears. Anna and her brother Nicolas had the most questions like, “Where does the garnet in the rocks come from?”

“I bet I can beat you to the porch,” dared Kannon when we returned. “Just try,” laughed Sienna, dashing off. Guess who won? You guessed it—Marshmallow Mommy! Sienna has long lean legs and seldom loses. Then it was a dash to the Birds of Prey program in the barn and every child was given the opportunity to let a kestrel perch on his/her arm. This was followed by songs in the playhouse and Sienna practiced her Irish dancing with Dan’s special music for the evening talent show.

“Can I have another hot dog, Grandma?” “Sure,” I said, “but hurry as we need to change our clothes.” Cookout over, it was time for the much anticipated performances. Sienna’s Irish dancing (in her pink Crocs, believe it or not) went over well, but the big hit was three boys break-dancing together. Kannon chose not to perform even though he was getting over his uneasiness of people occasionally focusing on him.

“Don’t look at me,” he would shout.

Teasing, I would say, “Why would I want

The children learn all about boat building during Great Camp Sagamore’s Grands Camp. nclmagazine.com

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to look at YOU?” Then he would give me one of his crooked smiles, obviously amused. Later, we sat in over-stuffed leather chairs in the lounge playing cards with our Bear cubs and savoring our last night together.

Can it really be day six? Watching Kannon sitting on the steps in his red sneakers waiting for Sienna for the last time was strangely sad. After breakfast everyone was leaving. Looking pleased, Dan Duggan said to Sienna and me, “What’s happened to Kannon? He’s a changed little boy.”

Sienna found Kannon and hugged him saying “I’ll miss you.”

Instantly, a grin appeared on his impish face. And I thought to myself as I glanced at the two of them, “Kinships were born this week and I was fortunate to witness it.”

Saying our goodbyes was hard, as meaningful friendships were formed and, with a little luck, some will endure.

Kannon lives in Kansas and wants to visit Sienna for his birthday. Is it too far-fetched? After all, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and where there’s a roasted marshmallow, there’s a s’more. Hopefully Sienna will always remember the Grands Camp at Great Camp Sagamore with her grandmother and the s’more that a little boy named Kannon gave her.

Kannon, NancySue and Sienna with their finished ladybugs.

To find out more about Great Camp Sagamore’s Grands Camp visit www.greatcampsagamore.org/events/Grands-Camp.html

Sienna and Julia enjoy an afternoon of canoeing. nclmagazine.com

Pictured here is the ‘Marshmallow Club’.

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Take me out to the

Ball Game World Series: Johnny Podres at work in Game Seven

A tribute to Port Henry’s native son and baseball legend

Johnny Podres

By Keith Lobdell Spring brings a lot of familiar scents and sounds to mind.

For many, those scents can include the smell of a fresh leather glove and the sound of a ball striking that glove or cracking off a wooden bat.

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Named the Most Valuable Player of the 1955 World Series, after pitching a shutout in Game 7 against the New York Yankees

In the North Country, there is a long tradition when it comes to baseball. It was the pastime of workers in Lyon Mountain and Mineville, among other towns, and spawned several local boys who took their turn at the major league level. ncliving@denpubs.com

Hodges, Podres, Furillo, October 4, 1955

Johnny Podres, 1955 MVP World Series.

Perhaps the most revered of these is the late Johnny Podres, who pitched 15 years in Major League Baseball.

“I’m glad I was born in (a) great era of baseball,” Podres once said.

Podres, who died in 2008, grew up on Lamos Place in Witherbee and graduated from Mineville High School in 1950 before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, which later moved to Los Angeles.

The pinnacle of his career came in 1955, when he led the Dodgers to the World Series title against the New York Yankees. Podres didn’t just know about Yankee lore, he lived through it, as the Bronx Bombers had won six of the previous seven titles coming into the Fall Classic.

Podres won games three and seven for the Dodgers, last being a 2-0 classic in which lore states the Witherbee native told his team to just get him one run and they would win the game.

Johnny Podres, teammates celebrate winning World Series 1955 nclmagazine.com

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“In the seventh (game), I established my change-ups early on in the game.

With my fastball, I struck them out,” he said in a 2005 presentation to the Essex County Board of Supervisors on the 50th anniversary of his accomplishment.

The win earned Podres the Most Valuable Player in the World Series as well as being named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year for 1955.

For his career, Podres finished with a record of 148-116 with a 3.67 earned run average. He was named to three All-Star games and was a member of three other World Series teams in 1953, 1959 and 1963.

After his playing career, Podres took to coaching, working the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, among others. Podres and his wife, Joni, retired to Queensbury, but remained in contact with his hometown area.

Joni Taylor Podres was an accomplished athlete in her own right, performing as a member of the Shipstad and Johnson Ice Follies out of high school, making 22 stops across the country.

As a child, she trained under the direction of Gus Lussi. She met Johnny in Los Angeles, and after his playing career they returned to the North Country, and she has been helping with local skating clubs since.

In 2005 Podres was grand marshall of the Moriah Labor Day parade as the community celebrated the 50th anniversary of him being named World Series MVP. In 2014, Joni continued the Podres legacy in Moriah, donating new uniforms for the town’s Youth Commission baseJohnny Podres and Tommy Lasorda ball program.

nclmagazine.com

Members of the Podres family were on-hand when a new sign honoring the Witherbee native was dedicated on the south side of Port Henry.

“I have always strived to keep his legacy alive and wanted these kids to know that he was born in this small town and these kids can do the same things he did with hard work,” Podres said. “I want these kids to enjoy the uniforms.

Johnny would have loved this. I am overwhelmed by the kids that came out to the parade and wore their uniforms.” continued page 31

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“When you are a kid that comes out for baseball, the first time you put on that uniform is the proudest day of your life,” Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava said. “To see that Podres name and that number on these jerseys is the best.”

Johnny Podres statue immortalizes

“For our community, this is a huge deal,” said Tim Garrison, town board member. “We wanted to put his name and number on the front of the jerseys to spark the questions that would lead to having the kids and even parents asking about who Johnny Podres is.”

Along with a statue celebrating his career at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Podres’ legacy can be seen throughout the town he called home.

A sign with a likeness of his 1955 baseball card welcomes travelers entering Port Henry from the south. Also in the village is a mural showing Podres’ classic left-handed delivery.

“He was a baseball great and, more importantly, a great person,” Scozzafava said. “He made us proud. In his life, he touched many generations of baseball fans. He will be remembered as baseball’s best.”

Major League heritage Whether for a “cup of coffee” or several seasons, the following is a list of local residents who played Major League Baseball, according to the Baseball Almanac: Marty Barrett, Port Henry - 1884 Kelly Heath, Plattsburgh - 1982 Dave LaPoint, Glens Falls - 1980-1991 Bill McCorry, Saranac Lake - 1909 Frank O’Connor, Keeseville - 1893 Randy St. Claire, Whitehall - 1984-1994 Dave Palmer, Glens Falls - 1978-1989 Case Patten, Westport - 1901-1908 Johnny Podres, Wihterbee - 1953-1969 Chick Robitaille, Whitehall - 1904-1905 Arnie Stone, North Creek - 1923-1924

Team Brklyn Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers L.A. Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Detroit Tigers Tigers S.D. Padres 17 440

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G 33 29 27 31 39 34 34 32 40 37 2 27 1 36 21 9 340

Johnny Podres World Series box scores 1953 World Series v. New York Yankees, Game 5

IP 2.2

H R ER BB SO Dec. 1 5 1 2 0 Loss - An error by first baseman Gil Hodges led to five un-earned runs; Dodgers lose series, 4-2 1955 World Series v. New York Yankees, Game 3 IP H R ER BB 9.0 7 3 2 2 Ebba St. Claire, Whitehall - 1951-1954

Johnny Podres stats Year 1953 1954 1955 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1966 1967 1969 TOTALS

the baseball great in the court yard next to the Hall of Fame and Cooper Park in Cooperstown, NY

GS 18 21 24 27 31 29 33 29 40 34 2 22 0 13 8 5-6 148-116

W-L ERA 9-4 4.23 11-7 4.27 9-10 3.95 12-9 2.66 13-15 3.72 14-9 4.11 14-12 3.08 18-5 3.74 15-13 3.81 14-12 3.54 0-2 16.87 7-6 3.43 0-0 0.00 4-5 3.43 3-1 3.84 4.31 17 3.68 1,435

SO 82 79 114 109 143 145 159 124 178 134 0 63 1 53 34

SO 6

Dec. Win

SO 4

Dec. Win

SO 3

Dec. Win

1959 World Series v. Chicago White Sox, Game 6 IP H R ER BB 3.1 2 3 3 1 -Dodgers win series, 4-2

SO 1

Dec. ND

1963 World Series v. New York Yankees, Game 2 IP H R ER BB 8.1 6 1 1 1 -Dodgers win series, 4-0

SO 4

Dec. Win

1955 World Series v. New York Yankees, Game 7 IP H R ER BB 9.0 8 0 0 2 -Dodgers win series, 4-3 1959 World Series v. Chicago White Sox, Game 2 IP H R ER BB 6.0 5 2 2 3

World Series totals IP H R ER BB SO 38.1 29 14 9 11 18 -Dodgers were 5-1 in Podres 6 World Series starts

Record 4-1

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STONE SCULPTURER nclmagazine.com

Kenneth Maurice: Revealing heaven and earth in stone.

By Lou Varricchio Native Vermont sculptor Kenneth Maurice, owner of Vermont Stone Sculpturing, Inc., has a rare talent— the gift of transforming inert stone into magnificent works of art. From religious statues, outdoor fountains and sculpted figurines to war memorials, pet memorials and family busts, this master has revealed the human heart and soul in stone.

“My teachers were Vermont sculptors Alcida Fantoni, from the age of 19 to 20,” Maurice says, “and Philip Paini from the age of 19 to 22. At nine years of age, my Dad taught me how to cut and finish stone to the time I was 16.”

As a youth, Maurice worked cleaning up the dusty work floor at his father Leo Maurice’s Barre-based Maurice Memorials business. There the future artist collected “grout,” waste rock, to began his unique, lifelong creative and passionate journey with stone. It was there that the future artist learned a challenging profession that he has carried on for three generations.

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By the age of 15, Maurice sold his first stone work; at age 19 he began cutting stone for Rock of Ages, Vermont’s world-famous granite operation.

Like most sculptors working in the classical tradition, Maurice understands exactly what Renaissance master Michelangelo meant when he said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”

Forever grateful to his father for not only introducing him to the world of stone, but also for being the most important mentor in his life, Maurice carries on the family tradition with pride. He has since made a name for himself and is a sought after sculptor working on both commercial and private commissions. Now with the assistance of his wife, who manages the sales and marketing side of Maurice’s business, he is making his mark in the world of sculpture.

Kenneth Maurice, in his Williamstown, Vt., studio, working on the “Madonna and Butterfly,” a commissioned memorial for a Connecticut family.

Photo by Lou Varricchio

talent he considers “a gift from God.”

from many of Maurice’s memorial works.

the nearby Hope Cemetery.

“I learned both art and the science of anatomy,” Maurice says. “As an anatomical artist I strive for movement in my work. That’s why I like settings, scenes, as well as portraits.”

A privately commissioned 48ton stone obelisk of St. Pope John Paul II stands in a Chicago cemetery. The likeness to the late pope, recently canonized as a Catholic saint, is stunning. This work transcends mere stone; the sculpture manages to express both the deep spirituality and the brilliant intellect of the world’s first Polish pontiff.

It’s also worth mentioning that Maurice’s stunning recreation of 19th-century artist Franklin Simmon’s classic likeness of U.S. President Grant rivals the

Recent stone work by Maurice demonstrates the magnificent

The religious themes of death and resurrection are never far

“I was born a Roman Catholic,” he notes. “I grew up around the Mass and the rosary. I think that’s why I am attracted to do a lot of this work. An accident involving a fallen, broken sculpture at my father’s place of business affected me deeply, but more so, when my father forgave me.

Then, while on his deathbed, my father blessed me and encouraged me to continue this work.

So all my work is to God’s glory and to my loving parents. I find a closeness to God when I carve; there’s consolation in what I do.”

“I was commissioned to do the memorial by a local granite manufacturer,’ he notes.

“Also, I am currently involved with a Massachusetts war memorial.”

continued page 39

Another notable work is Maurice’s “Global War on Terror Monument” in Randolph, Vt. In 2010, the work was dedicated to Vermont’s veterans fighting in the post-9/11 world of international terror attacks.

Rose memorial by Kenneth Maurice. Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

nclmagazine.com

Rose memorial detail by Kenneth Maurice.

Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

According to former Gov. Jim Douglas, who helped dedicate the granite monument, “Vermont has a long history of answering the call to arms to defend our nation, and this memorial recognizes those who volunteered and gave their lives in our defense.”

A portion of Kenneth Maurice’s St. Pope John Paul II memorial. Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

Maurice is especially proud of his unique “chain memorial” in Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 37

“I’ll often pick up stone at the quarry in my own truck and drive it back to my Williamstown studio,” he says. “But even then I am working on multiple jobs, traveling between multiple sheds at various memorial companies.”

consumer with one-of-a-kind works of art. Imported works made to order end up showing their cheapness after just a few years—you’ll see rust, cracks, even disappearing polish. This is, after all, an art form, not a commodity. That’s why I offer my special sculptural services to the monument industry and to individuals worldwide. I have very competitive prices for all kinds of sculpture.”

To solve those unique challenges, Maurice has had to invent his own tools, too.

“For example, I devised my own eye tools, steel bits that help me create the corneas which help to bring stone eyes alive.”

Log memorial by Kenneth Maurice. Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

original not only in spirit but also in natural detail. Today, the Vermonter’s 68-inch tall commissioned work stands in Georgetown, Ohio.

As a stone sculptor, Maurice has developed his own methods regarding both the creative and business aspects of his art.

“I get up at 7 a.m., seven days a week, and work,” he says.

“I may get inspired at 3 a.m.

So I get out of bed and sketch my ideas. I may even go to the quarry and look for blocks already quarried out. I look at different grades of stone and the grains in them. I am very particular. If I am not, the stone can break.”

As far as the human form goes, Maurice likes to return to an emphasis on anatomy. Why? Perhaps because no skilled stone sculptor, in the classical sense, can truly measure up without doing so. As the Vermont artist believes, you must first master an understanding of what lies beneath the flesh before you can sculpt the human or animal form. Certainly Michelangelo stressed this approach in his inspired corpus in stone, canvas and plaster.

“You have to know what the bones, the muscle, the sinews do underneath the skin,” Maurice stresses. “You must know this in order to breathe life into the stone.”

If, as pop culture philosopher Marshall McLuhan once said, “the medium is the message,” then Kenneth Maurice prefers Vermont’s native rock as his

Detail showing a flowering lily plant on a Ken Maurice memorial. Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

major story teller.

“Granite is what I grew up with, so I am very fond of Barre granite and Bethel white granite,” Maurice says,” but I also work with Vermont marble as well as imported material.”

But in the final analysis, art is also business and so the artist recognizes the unabashed facts of life.

“I always think about how I can be more competitive,” Kenneth Maurice says. “With cheap, imported memorials around now, you have to set yourself apart.

That’s why I go directly to the

To sum up the human passion expressed in stone: “Of sculpture,” says artist Chuck Close, “it occupies real space like we do—you walk around it and relate to it almost as another person or another object.” He must have had the inspired works of Kenneth Maurice in mind.

Check It Out: To learn more about Kenneth Maurice’s sculpturing services—including monuments, memorials, granite statues, city sculptures, architectural carvings, head stones, figurines, and other stone sculptures— visit the artist online at vermontstonesculpturingllc.com or call him at 802-461-6755 or send an e-mail directly to: kenmaurice1@gmail.com.

Vermont Stone Sculpturing, Inc., is located at 68 George Rd. in Williamstown, Vt.

When an idea moves to the next stage, Maurice always remains hands on.

For example, while Maurice’s brother takes his drawings and transforms them into CAD renderings, the renderings are then used by the artist when he begins to work.

When he’s not on assignment at a commercial site, such as Rock of Ages, you’ll find Maurice at work in his studio shed. Even an artist of Maurice’s caliber is faced with all the modern demands of multitasking. nclmagazine.com

Carved gloves and stump in granite by Kenneth Maurice. Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

Ken Maurice’s “chain memorial” in Hope Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Vermont Stone Sculpturing

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QA and

with Vermont actor, humorist

Rusty DeWees R

Story and photos by Lou Varricchio

M

eet Rusty DeWees—better known to area residents as The Logger.

The Vermont actor, humorist and impresario has appeared on stage and screen, but recently he’s returned to his roots—live performance.

As a teen, DeWees attended Stowe High School, played well on the basketball court and became an eager entertainer in several high school musicals.

After graduating high school, according to DeWees’s own biographical account, he worked as a school bus driver, basketball coach, stonemason and logger. Yes, The Logger was—at least for a short time—a genuine logger.

Former Champlain College Head Coach Bob Tipson recruited the tall, slim athlete to play basketball on the junior college’s storied team. After graduating, DeWees found employment as a self-described “gas jockey” in Burlington. Despite his college education, DeWees has always been drawn to the simplicity and honesty of the blue collar life.

In 1989, the world changed and set DeWees upon a new career path. He moved to New York City and found work for the auction house of William Doyle Galleries. The steady job supported him while he auditioned for T.V. series, films, commercials and soap operas.

DeWees mentions that rock singer Meat Loaf gave him some 40 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

usty DeWees is a local actor, comedian and impresario who graduated high school in Stowe. Following a stint in New York City where DeWees took several acting jobs, he returned to his Vermont roots and now focuses his entire attention on his traveling show where he is known throughout New York and Vermont simply as “The Logger.”

good advice about how to sharpen and produce his on-stage character, The Logger.

Developing his special talent for storytelling wasn’t difficult for the performer, either. A book titled “Scrawlins” showcases DeWees’ humor and sense of place and nostalgia. “Scrawlins” is a compilation of short stories and essays, many taken from his early 2000s weekly newspaper column in The Vermont Eagle.

DeWees believes in giving back to the community and has helped with a number of regional charities such as the Make-aWish Foundation, Meals on Wheels and the Ronald McDonald House.

North Country Living’s Lou Varricchio spent a morning with DeWees to learn more about the witty man behind The Logger.

NCL: So how’s Rusty DeWees doing?

DeWees: I am having fun!

NCL: You’ve made The Logger a household name in the North Country. The humorous character represents the rugged, doit-yourself, blue collar Vermonter—actually he represents the idealized backwoods man. Everyone associates you with this quintessential Vermonter. Are you a native of Vermont?

DeWees: I was not born in Vermont. My parents are from the Philadelphia area and I was born there. My family vacationed in Stowe. They liked it so much they moved there when I was age 7. So, I lived in Vermont most of my life. Stowe was dreamland ncliving@denpubs.com

Americana, a fantasy land to grow up in. Today, Stowe is known as a touristy place, but when I was growing up, it was old Vermont.”

NCL: How normal was life for The Logger—Rusty DeWees— growing up?

DeWees: My father was a Greyhound bus driver. When he transferred here from Philly, he got the Montreal to New York City route. My mother worked as business manager for the Stowe Reporter newspaper for many years. She did everything—she’d even bundle up the papers for the post office. I grew up working for the paper and helping my Mom. Later, my parents moved to Elmore, Vt. That’s where I live now.

NCL: You spent a lot time in New York City to follow your dream.

DeWees: I’ve been back in Vermont since the year 2000. After my first Logger video, I decided to devote my attention to the character full time. I was 40 and I was going back and forth a lot.

I was doing T.V. and film work—”Saturday Night Live,” “Law and Order,” “Cosby Mysteries,” and lots of soap operas—”As the World Turns,” “All My Children,” “The Guiding Light,” then a public television sitcom, “Windy Acres,” in Vermont, even national T.V. commercials for Chevrolet, Radio Shack, Coke, and Wendy’s. I appeared in films, too, such as “The Devil’s Own” with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, “Black Dog,” “Pieces of April” with Katie Holmes, and many of Jay Craven’s and David Giancola’s films. I was going to be in “Illegal Aliens” with Anna Nicole Smith but there was a scheduling conflict.

Anyhow, my first Logger video—I sold 12,000 tapes in 1998— convinced me to focus on that. I liked writing stories, too; people were laughing at my story telling, like when I was a concrete worker at age 18. I was selling videos, producing, sweeping up the theater after my shows. I was doing it all. That was so much more interesting to me than anything else.

NCL: When did you discover you had a talent for acting and comedy?

DeWees: In Erdenheim, Pa., when I was six years old, I appeared in a Christmas nativity play at my parents’ church. I had one line to speak on stage and I didn’t say it. The teacher whispered it from the off-stage, but I still wouldn’t say it. I was very nervous, but the audience thought it was funny. I dug it—the

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laughter. After the show, parents came up and then I uttered my line.

NCL: Who were the people who inspired you?

DeWees: I watched my sister Holly who acted in school plays.

She was good. I wanted to emulate her. There was also Johnny Carson of “The Tonight Show” fame. I was watching Carson before the age of 7. I love the old showbiz.

NCL: How did your Logger character evolve? Was it overnight or something you worked on for a long time?

DeWees: At age 24, I performed in the stage play “Judevine” written by playwright David Budbill—it’s a Vermont version of “Our Town.” I played Vermonty characters and the audience loved it. I’d say the Logger was born after that performance, in 1996.

NCL: There’s a line from “Judevine”: “What seems real one moment is fiction the next and gone out of existence the moment after that. Nostalgia is the greatest enemy of truth, and change our only constancy.”

The Logger seems a wee bit nostalgic, maybe, yearning for the vanished days of American blue collar ascendency—when we built products that lasted instead of just greedily consumed ephemeral things.

DeWees: My ear and desire are attracted to the working class.

As a young man I did concrete work; I logged in the north woods. I guess I’m a mix between a Garrison Keillor raconteur and a bluecollar humorist. What comes out of me is the rural, hard working person—I find that interesting.

NCL: There’s quite a product line connected to The Logger.

DVDs, CDs, books, calendars, t-shirts, sexy thongs, Turtle Fur hats, slinky tops. Are we missing anything?

DeWees: The last Logger calendar I did in 2014. I’ve done seven calendars, but I am pretty sure I will never do a calendar again.

NCL: Really? Well, you got naked in the 2014 calendar. There was a maple sap bucket that was very strategically placed.

DeWees: Ha! Yes, that bucket was strategically placed. But it was only for one month and the girls appearing in the photograph with me held the bucket.

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NCL: All kidding aside, as a one-man band you have to market yourself and all your Logger products. That doesn’t look too fun.

DeWees: As fun as telling a joke and getting laugh is to me, so is the business side. Sometimes maybe even more interesting. I enjoy the business side. For example, I did five Christmas shows in Stowe at $25 a ticket. I did well; you can do well doing this kind of thing. Another example: between my CDs and DVDs, I’ve sold 100,000 units. That’s with no distributor. I learned all about running your own business from my former employer and mentor, the late William Doyle. Mr. Doyle owned William Doyle Galleries in Manhattan. And now it’s The Logger—and I’m Rusty DeWees. William Doyle was sincere, and he liked the people he did business with. I try to emulate Mr. Doyle.

NCL: What’s the difference between performing on screen versus on stage? What are the rewards?

DeWees: I just read Robert DeNiro’s biography. One of the things he writes about is how an actor goes through take after take on a movie set. Well, sooner or later you’re going to get it right—but it’s a director’s and editor’s medium mostly. On stage, you only get one shot. You go by what you’re feeling, but in a movie you’re going by what you feel in that particular scene. And in doing motion picture work you stand around a lot. So, I’d have to say I prefer the stage.

NCL: You are a smashing success on regional T.V. with your Heritage Ford commercials—with a cute little feline sidekick.

DeWees: The Heritage Ford contract was for five years. It has turned into 10 years. That started with a cold call I made looking for a show sponsor 15 years ago. I wanted Heritage to be a sponsor, but that didn’t work out. However, five years after that, Heritage called me. So, that cold call I made 15 years ago has given me job security for 10 years now. For those folks who always ask me—yes, Scarlet is the name of my real cat, but the advertising agency uses another, better trained cat for the commercial work. This has been a lot of fun. We’re working on more as we speak.

NCL: So, where’s Rusty DeWees going to be in 5 years? Will your Logger shtick continue?

DeWees: Humor is timeless. Every town has a goofy sheriff, a guy with a lazy eye who charges you too much in the general store and a gal who might have gotten around town a little too much. It really doesn’t matter where you are; there’s something universal in my work. So, I’ll continue to produce myself as well other artists. I have contracts to generate, motivational talks to give and graduation speeches to deliver. I guess I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve been very lucky.

NCL: Thank you.

Check It Out: To learn more about the Logger and a schedule of Rusty DeWees’s upcoming performances in our region visit: http://thelogger.com.

Pictured Above: T.V. commercial: The Logger and Scarlet the Cat. Courtesy of Heritage Ford-Toyota-Scion

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From Ticonderoga to North Hudson to Warrensburg, the North Country is steeped in auto racing history

A

By Beti Spangel

Feb. 10, 1949 editorial in Ticonderoga’s Sentinel Newspaper announced the formation of a corporation to operate “a midget car and jalopy racing track” on property owned by Elwin Swinton on Routes 22 and 9N in North Ticonderoga.

“The area, in summer, is filled with vacationists willing to spend money on good entertainment,” The Sentinel stated. “Midget car racing has proven to be an extremely popular, if somewhat hazardous, spectator sport in other sections of the state and nation.” nclmagazine.com

Driver Leo Wells of Hague in No. 19 at the Champlain Speedway in Ticonderoga. Photo courtesy of Joan Swinton Walker.

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It also noted the location was advantageous as being “…a few minutes by ambulance to Moses Ludington Hospital.”

The editorial concluded with “Good luck to Mr. Swinton and the members of the corporation still to be formed – and an extra measure of good luck to the hardy (we’re tempted to say fool-hardy) group of intrepid folks who constitute the midget car racing fraternity.”

Luck was hard to come by for the Champlain Speedway. Swinton and other local racing enthusiasts, determined to bring racing to the area, counted on hard work and tenacity to swing luck around to their side.

Build It and They Will Come

Swinton was the operator of an auto salvage yard in Ticonderoga and aspired to bring weekly car races to the area, featuring the many locally made and driven roadsters and three-quarter sprinters. Roadsters were similar to bucket T street rods popular at the time. Three-quarter sprinters were similar in style for, accordingly, only three-quarters the length. Both styles were hazardous by today’s standards as they were not fitted with any kind of roll cages or safety bars. But in 1949, that wasn’t much of a consideration.

At the time, the nearest midget car track was Empire Raceway in Menands. Other tracks featuring roadsters and jalopies, as they were then called, were noted in Bolton Landing and Warrensburg.

Work on the track started in the summer of 1948 and “utilized a power excavator operated by Lawrence Huestis,” according to The Sentinel. Huestis was to become a regular competitor at the raceway. Construction continued in the spring of 1949 as Swinton installed the clay half-mile oval with the intention of holding the Speedway’s inaugural race on Memorial Day. He began construction of a grandstand to seat 1,000 spectators. The width of the track was to be 50 feet on the straightaways and 60 feet on the turns.

The Adirondack Auto Racing Club was thus formed as a compilation of fans and drivers. Two preliminary meetings were held in the Albany area and then in Ticonderoga in March and Crown Point in April.

About 20 people gathered at Burke’s Inn in Ticonderoga to discuss rules and specifications for the racing of roadsters. Dick Brown, a prominent racing promoter and former driver of the day, attended. The meetings were to determine the number of drivers interested in racing in Ticonderoga for the summer and to offer advice and assistance to those in the process of readying jalopies for competition. Brown remained in the area over the weekend to inspect vehicles under construction.

An undated aerial view of Ashland Park Raceway in Warrensburg.

Photo courtesy of Warrensburg Museum of Local History.

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The scheduled opening of the raceway on Memorial Day was contingent upon issuance of liability insurance from Lloyds of London and receiving New York State’s blessing for approval of the track prior to Memorial Day. And, that the weather cooperated.

Races planned for the card were four to five roadster and stock car races, plus a feature event. Most events scheduled would be 10 laps of the half-mile oval and the feature set for 20 laps.

Admission was $1.20 and for an extra fifty cents you could sit in the grandstand.

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Swinton also had the track soaked with water prior to the races in an effort to keep the dust from choking the spectators.

P.A. Soaper of Essex was a well known driver and car builder in the Plattsburgh area. The first event of the day featured his three-quarter cars, which was delayed when one of the cars lost a wheel. The second event, for roadster and stock models, was won

by Leo Wells driving Miss Ticonderoga. The highlight race of the day was when the three-quarter cars were pitted against the roadster and stock cars.

Miss Ticonderoga emerged victorious.

Vehicles line up at the Champlain Speedway in Ticonderoga.

Photo courtesy of Joan Swinton Walker.

Roadster events included the entry of Ti Motors Garage’s “Miss Ticonderoga” driven initially by Ernest Duquette and later steered with great success by Leon Wells of Hague. Other roadster drivers included Jack Wells of Ticonderoga with stock cars entered

by Jack LaTour of Crown Point Center, George Hamner of Crown Point, William McLaughlin of Whitehall and Jim Ide of Lake George. Roadsters classes were popular with entries from Glens Falls, Canajoharie, Nassau, Rensselaer and Connecticut.

Drivers, Start Your Engines

Scorching heat wilted attendance at the July 3 meet, with a scant 200 fans braving the sun and dust. The heat was so intense that the racing cars couldn’t negotiate over 10 laps at a time without boiling up, necessitating the lopping of five laps off the scheduled 15 lap main event. Leo Wells in Miss Ticonderoga set a new track record of 24.4 seconds for one lap on the half mile clay oval.

The grandstand, while finished, had not gotten the blessing of New York State, and racing was temporarily suspended for the July 19 meet, pending inspection. The local favorite Miss Ticonderoga was gaining interest on the circuit as it turned in the fastest time recorded in time trials at Richlieu Park in Montreal on July 24.

Wet weather and the failure to obtain the liability insurance led to the postponement of the opening races to June 12. That day 1,000 attendees braved the early summer heat and subsequent dust kicked up by the racers. The grandstand wasn’t totally completed, but the racing club said it would be by the June 26 race day, and with better dust control.

“There were no serious crashes during the afternoon, although spectators had an opportunity to gasp at several peril–laden spins,” The Sentinel reported. William Pratt of Bolton Landing raced an entirely stripped-down jalopy in which he was protected only by roll bars. Jack Wells raced in his 1933 Ford, minus its fenders, which he had resurrected from a local junk yard that morning after he broke an axle on the car he had been grooming for competition.

Bob Whitbeck of Canajohrie, who had been leading in his race, was knocked back into second when a stone flew up from the track and knocked off his oil plug, causing him to burn out three rods. Leon Wells locked wheels with another entrant on a turn and was spun off the track.

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A local roadster at the Champlain Speedway in Ticonderoga.

Photo courtesy of Joan Swinton Walker.

A Local Attraction

After the state gave the grandstand a thumbs up, the engines revved again on July 31. Swinton and his group continued to tweak and improve their attraction. Now the track was oiled down before races to manage dust. Admission was reduced to $1.00 and included parking and access to the grandstand.

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Flight for Life stunts. It did not appear that regular racing took place that day, and seems to have been the last time the track was utilized.

A meeting of drivers with Elwin Swinton (in dress hat) at the Champlain Speedway in Ticonderoga.

Photo courtesy of Joan Swinton Walker.

A “regulation 600-16 passenger car tire” was given as a gate prize. The card included the addition of stunt driver Ted Bruno of Bolton Landing performing roll-overs, a show he had taken to various tracks and fairs in the area.

Racing continued through the summer months.

While the stands filled with tourists and locals alike, the majority of drivers were local amateurs who still had to earn a living. When a regular face did not compete, they were missed. The Sentinel noted in its race recap that Ed Palmer crashed Lawrence Huestis’ No. 20 racer. “Smiley Hogan, who had cracked up the No. 20 car on a former occasion and usually finished well up among the leaders, was delivering apples to New York City and did not complete Sunday,” it reported.

The 1949 season ended with attendance records being made at the October 16 meet, when Leo Wells driving Miss Ticonderoga broke the speed trials record with a time of 22:09. The duo improved on that at the October 23 meet with a time of 22:02.

Track roadsters, popular at Champlain Speedway and other small tracks in the 1940s and early 1950s, were notoriously unsafe. They were not designed with roll cages and the drivers who rolled them often died. In 1950, New York State began cracking down on their racing. The 1950s also saw the introduction of closed stock cars, and the roadsters were phased out. It appears that Champlain Speedway failed to make the transition successfully, and ended its existence only two years after it began.

The property is now partially under the shallow waters of Miller’s Marsh, having been reclaimed by the land, and the outline of the oval only slightly visible via Google Earth’s aerial viewpoint. Elwin Swinton died at the age of 80 in 1986.

Warrensburg’s Ashland Park

Ashland Park in Warrensburg started out as a harness track built in the late 1800s by the Warren County Agricultural Association. It was also the location of the Warren County Fair when the area was a largely agriculture-based community.

The inn on site was called the Agricultural Hotel, at the gateway to the grounds. When Maurice Ashe took over operations from his father, Henry, in the 1930s, he renamed it Ashe’s Hotel and continued featuring the harness racing. After a period of inactivity, the racetrack was reincarnated as a half-mile dirt oval for stock car racing and operated by various individuals and partnerships from 1954-1961.

After a grandstand fire in 1961, the property was subdivided and sold. Ashe’s Tavern remains today.

The 1950 season opened on May 28 with over 500 people in attendance and continued dust control efforts being made. Swinton stated the track would be open every Sunday, weather permitting. Al Belden of Ticonderoga was leading driver that day, driving Irv Rooker’s new entry, when he swerved in the third lap of a race and took out about 50 feet of hub rail. “Belden broke a tooth and suffered a punctured lower lip,” The Sentinel reported. “The car was not badly damaged.”

After the meet on July 30, Swinton announced that racing would be discontinued until further notice, for reasons that are unclear. Races resumed on September 24, with The Sentinel reporting that they had the largest crowd of the season.

On October 1, the International Helldrivers, a group of thrill drivers that performed at small racetracks and county fairs, performed their show including The Leap of Death, The End for End Jump and The 48 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

Karl Duell, Jr., a top driver at Ashland Park Raceway.

Photo courtesy of Warrensburg Museum of Local History.

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North Hudson Dragway

The Adirondack Eliminators formed in 1958 as a group of racing enthusiasts and investors in the Schroon Lake/North Hudson area who purchased a tract of land in North Hudson. They cleared the land and built an eighth-mile drag strip. By 1962, the North Hudson Dragway was in full operation, boasting a control tower and electronic timing. The dragway operated successfully from 1962 through 1970, until the onset of the Vietnam War when drivers and money began disappearing, making the track no longer viable. In 1970 the partners sold the land to a developer. An informal annual drag strip reunion is held each spring in North Hudson, organized by the North Hudson Volunteer Women’s Auxiliary.

Most local dirt race tracks and speedways are now mere shadows on subdivided properties or reclaimed land. But once they were early economic drivers bringing in tourists and their dollars, while serving as wholesome family entertainment in their local communities. They also served as springboards for

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young drivers who continued their careers at tracks such as Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh and Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta. The memories of these early tracks serve as their foundation and part of the Adirondack’s history.

Vehicles line up at the Champlain Speedway in Ticonderoga.

Photo courtesy of Joan Swinton Walker.

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OUT AND ABOUT | Middlebury College

Campus Celebrates Story by Lou Varricchio

New

Fieldhouse

The new 110,000 Virtue Field House at Middlebury College is not only a beautiful asset for the campus, but for the wider community as well

M

iddlebury College’s new Virtue Field House is not only a beautiful, functional asset for the campus, but it’s also a wonderful asset for the wider community in Addison County. The new complex was designed by Sasaki Architectural Associates of Boston.

The new field house was dedicated Jan. 24 with college officials, students, parents, alumni and VIPs in attendance.

Middlebury President Ronald D. Liebowitz headed up the dedication ceremony of the new complex named after college class of 1982 alumnus and trustee Ted Virtue and Dani Shaw Virtue.

Shaw Virtue is also a class of 1982 graduate.

“I am thrilled and honored to dedicate the field house in their name,” Liebowitz announced to the gathered guests. He was especially proud to mention that the field house, along with the squash center and the improvements to the Peterson Family Athletics Complex, marked “the first building project in the modern history of Middlebury to be fully funded by donors.”

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According to Virtue, “We have an incredibly talented and passionate coaching staff to teach our sports and teach those important life lessons to all of our athletes. We at Middlebury play to win and we win a lot, and that carries on into other parts of life for every athlete who comes here.”

According to a news statement about the project by Sasaki architects, “The fieldhouse for Middlebury College is one of the most unique training and competition venues in collegiate athletics. The flexible facility incorporates an indoor practice space, competition track, expanded recreation space, and improved spectator accommodations. A rigorous master planning and CONTINUED ON PAGE 53

Pictured Above: Middlebury College’s new Virtue Field House was designed by Sasaki Architectural Associates of Boston.

Photo by Brett Simison

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programming effort determined the size and location of the facility, carefully considering the building’s relationship to the existing athletic center and outdoor fields. The plan also enhances critical outdoor spaces to better integrate the entire sports complex with the campus fabric.”

During the Jan. 24 dedication, Virtue publicly thanked his 1960s-era Panther coaches Mickey Heinecken and Russ Reilly Liebowitz thanked the Virtues and also credited the alumni family of James S. Davis and Milton Peterson, in addition to the Dahl, Fritz, Goldsmith, and McCormick families.

The Virtue Field House is enormous—encompassing 110,000 square feet with room for varsity, club, intramural, and recreational sports, according to Liebowitz.

Among the various facilities within the field house, several are notable: •A six-lane, 200-meter track with nine lanes for sprinters; •24-foot-wide ceiling fans for clean air circulation; •High efficiency, eco-friendly LED lighting; •Abundant use of natural light throughout the complex; •Recycled materials used for flooring, super insulated walls and ceilings; •Various spaces that can be used for many uses; •McCormick Field, named for Trustee Roxanne McCormick Leighton, class of ’67, will accommodate numerous field events, including high jump, shot put and weight throw; •Fritz Family Balcony, named in honor of Martie and Rick Fritz, class of ’68, sports a spectacular glassed-in view of sporting activity

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taking place inside the field house; it also contains the latest in cardio physical education equipment: •Goldsmith Lounge is a multipurpose space that will be used for hosting both classes and event spectators: •Dahl Plaza, named in honor of W. Robert Dahl, class of ’78, and Leslie Dahl, acts as the new entrance to the Peterson Family Athletics Complex: According to Leibowitz, the college plans to seek a LEED Gold designation for the building from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Current athletic director Erin Quinn said he was pleased with the new field house.

“It’s the culmination of visionary leadership, years of planning, and the generous support of our donors,” Quinn said.

The field house’s first season kicked off after relay batons were passed along by team captains Ola Fadairo, Sarah Guth, Holly Lanchantin, Alison Maxwell, Emma McGuirk, Fritz Parker, Chris Veasey and Kevin Wood.

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Taking on the...

Hudson River’s

Big Waters Swift or smooth, broad as the Hudson or narrow enough to scrape your gunwales, every river is a world of its own, unique in pattern and personality.

Each mile on a river will take you further from home than a hundred miles on a road.

- Bob Marshall

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By Rebeca Schiller

What’s the next best thing after a long, hard and snowy winter in the Adirondacks? Spring, and when the Hudson River comes alive with big water swells that rush and roar through the scenic Adirondack Mountain landscape, its ideal and idyllic conditions for extreme water sports enthusiasts.

The Hudson River White Water Derby

Historically, the Hudson River was used by Adirondack loggers to transport timber, but the use of the river by the loggers was fought by cities downstream where officials worried that logging threatened their water supply. However, the river today is a major draw to tourists, especially naturalists, fisherman and kayaking, canoeing, and rafting aficionados, but also whitewater rafting competitors who come to compete in the world famous Hudson River White Water Derby.

In 1958, the Johnsburg Fish and Game Club organized the First Annual Hudson River Whitewater Derby. The competition began as a one-day, eight-mile down river race with 44 participants. The course ran from North Creek to Riparius, New York. A year later, the derby was turned into a two-day event, adding slalom courses, where boaters navigated a decked canoe or kayak through hanging gates, which tested steering skills through rough waters.

Ten years after its launch, in 1968, the derby attracted competitors from across the globe. One of the derby’s most famous competitors was the late US Senator Robert Kennedy, his wife Ethel, their seven children, as well as Caroline Kennedy, Chris Lawford, son of Peter and Pat Lawford and Stephen Smith, son of the senator’s sister. Secretary of the Interior and Mrs. Stewart L. Udall; James Whitaker, the first American to scale Mr. Everest, and Robert Harrigan, organizer of the Washington Canoe, were also on hand to compete.

Sen Robert Kennedy negotiating a gate in May 1967 during the Hudson River Whitewater Derby.

- Photo courtesy of the Blue Mountain Lake Museum.jpg

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According to the Adirondack Museum’s website, David Binger loaned Senator Kennedy a 13’2” fiberglass kayak, built by Bart Hauthaway. The kayak is one of the earliest all-fiberglass kayaks. Previously, builders found it difficult to join the hull of the boat to the deck, so they were made from cloth. Hauthaway solved the problem by fastening a fiberglass deck to the hull with pop rivets. The kayak is

This kayak was used by Robert F. Kennedy in May 1967 on the Hudson River near North Creek.

- Photo courtesy of the Blue Mountain Lake Museum.jpg

now part of the museum’s collection.

Apart from the political superstars who have attended the event, one of the more inspirational participants was Dr. Homer Dodge. In 1974 at the mature age of 86, Dr. Dodge had already participated in 14 consecutive derbies. He was recognized as “the dean of American canoeing” in the 1960s and 1970s. Before the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, Dr. Dodge was the only person on record to have beat the Long Sault Rapids in an open canoe built by Grumman, the most popular aluminum canoe manufacturer of the time.

In 2014, the derby introduced THE “NOT-SO-WHITEWATER” RIVER RACE

A new race designed for boaters just starting out. The race course is 2.5 miles of moving water on the Hudson River—a little further downriver from the traditional Slalom races in North River. The purpose of the new course was to entice novice through intermediate level canoers and kayakers. The Hudson River Whitewater Derby will be held this year on May 2 and 3. continued page 58 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 57

Taking on the...

Hudson River’s Big Waters

Playing guitar at the Hudson River White Water Derby.

A kayaker goes through the gates of the slalom course during the Hudson River White Water Derby.

Hiring an outfitter and what to expect If you’d rather skip the competitive nature of the derby and get to know the river at its most vigorous, get an early start in April with an outfitter who knows the area, the water conditions and the peculiarities of the river.

“During spring you usually see the biggest water of the year from snow melt and spring rains,” according to Gary Staab of Adirondack River Outfitters.

With an outfitter, licensed whitewater guides take paddlers out to the river on inflatable rafts that can carry up to 12 or more people. “When rafting first became popular, the rafts were “bucket boats” that had a solid floor and needed to be bailed out with buckets,’” said Staab.

Later self-bailers were introduced, which looked like traditionally inflated rafts. However, the edges of the base are laced to the sides of the raft allowing water to flow across the floor, down the edges and out through the lacings. Today, most modern rafts are self bailers and are the most desirable for avid rafters.

pile socks under the booties.

Once out on the river, paddlers can expect whitewater rafting runs that range from easy to challenging. Class I—the easiest—features small rough areas, but require no maneuvering. Whereas Class V—the most challenging—consists of whitewater, continuous rapids, large rocks and other hazards. In this category, paddlers need to be precise with maneuvering the raft and should have an expert skill level. Class VI is considered not navigable, with rapids that are not passable. The Hudson River varies from Class IV, consisting of whitewater and large waves, rocks, and possible large drops to Class V in early spring, and Class III—whitewater with medium waves during the warmer months with suggested skill level of experienced paddler.

Other pieces of equipment are supplied, including life jackets, helmets, paddles and wet suits. Staab also recommends paddlers to wear a shell-like rain jacket and rain pants over the wetsuit. Wetsuit booties are included in the rental of a full suit, and he recommends wool or 58 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 4 No. 1

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Safety Considerations Whether your paddling in Class 1 waters or in more challenging ones, be prepared. The national not-for-profit organization American Whitewater has the following guidelines for personal safety: • Boating alone is discouraged.

For more information about the Hudson River White Water Derby, visit whitewaterderby.com. To schedule a whitewater rafting trip with Adirondack River Outfitters, visit aroadventures.com. For more safety guidelines, visit americanwhitewater.org.

The minimum party is three people or two craft.

• Be a competent swimmer, with the ability to handle yourself underwater.

• Wear a life jacket. A snugly-fitting vest-type life preserver offers back and shoulder protection as well as the flotation needed to swim safely in whitewater.

• Wear a solid, correctly-fitted helmet when upsets are likely. This is essential in kayaks or covered canoes, and recommended for open canoeists using thigh straps and rafters running steep drops.

• Do not boat out of control. Your skills should be sufficient to stop or reach shore before reaching danger. Do not enter a rapid unless you are reasonably sure that you can run it safely or swim it without injury.

Hannah Kaufman reacts to the frigid water after falling into the Hudson River on May 4, 2013 during the Hudson River Whitewater Derby Giant Slalom race.

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s ’ t n o m r Ve

e l p o e P s u o Fam

people s u o m a f ’s t n o erm A sampler of V

Stephen Douglas (1813-1861)

Politician of Brandon, VT

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 and many patriotic heroes, among 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 the first in a series of mini-biographies showcasing famous Vermonters. Because there are so many men and women worthy of mention—and we can’t acknowledge everyone—we have chosen to assign our spotlighted celebrities to one of four compass quadrants—northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast.

We thank the State of Vermont and the Vermont Welcome Center in Fair Haven for assistance in planning this series.

We begin our sampler series in the southwest corner of Vermont bounded by Middlebury in the north and Bennington in the south:

Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Poet of Ripton & Bennington, Vt. Pulitzer Prize winning poet Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, CA but made his move to New England at a young age.

His first poem, “My Butterfly. An Elegy,” was published in 1894. From the 1920s until his final years, Frost taught writing at the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. He is best known for reading his poem “The Gift Outright” during the 1961 inauguration of U.S. President Kennedy.

Frost enjoyed time spent in Florida and New England in his later years. He died in Boston.

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America’s “Little Giant” was born in Brandon. Douglas became the Democratic Party’s U.S. presidential candidate in 1860 and ran against Abraham Lincoln on a pro-slavery platform. Douglas left Vermont in the 1830s and settled in Illinois where he became a U.S. senator. He is well known for his oratorical skills which were on display against future President Lincoln during the 1859 Lincoln-Douglas senatorial debates in Illinois.

Long estranged from Vermont, Douglas’ final days were spent in Chicago, where he died of typhoid fever.

His grave is along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Thomas Davenport (1802-1851)

Inventor of Brandon & Salisbury, VT. Inventor Thomas Davenport began his career as a blacksmith, but the world of engineering honors him for the invention of the first DC electric motor in 1834. Davenport was born in Williamstown, but he spent many years in the Forest Dale section of Brandon.

His battery-powered electric motor powered the world’s first miniature automobile along a section of track at his workshop in Brandon. Davenport was a frequent visitor, across Lake Champlain, to the Penfied & Traft Ironworks and mines in Crown Point, NY. Davenport improved upon an electromagnetic motor used at the ironworks, and the rest is history. Davenport died in Salisbury, VT, at the age of 48. ncliving@denpubs.com

Norman Rockwell

Grandma Moses

(1894-1978)

(1860-1961)

Illustrator, Arlington & Rutland, VT Popular artist Norman Rockwell, known for his idealized scenes of Americana, pictured every conceivable allAmerican activity from Thanksgiving Day family dinners to NASA astronauts on the way to the Moon. Rockwell was born in New York, NY. His realistic works, many with a deep searching soul as well as displaying some down-home humor, graced the covers of widely circulated U.S. magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell settled in the Rutland area of Vermont during the 1930s, but he later found rural Massachusetts to his liking. Rockwell left behind a monumental legacy of art.

Today, you can enjoy his original work, and museumquality copies, at the Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont in Rutland.

Horace Greeley (1811-1872)

Newspaper editor of East Poultney, VT When editor Horace Greeley proclaimed in 1851 “Go west, young man...,” he really meant the western frontier of Pittsburgh, PA. No matter, the famous quote helped spawn Manifest Destiny and the history-making migration of Easterners to the vast plains and deep canyons of the wild West. As a teen, Greeley honed his newspaper skills as an apprentice to Amos Bliss, editor of The Northern Spectator News in East Poultney. Poulney residents considered him to be a “walking encyclopedia” because he read the complete Encyclopedia Britannica as well as many other books. When The Northern Spectator ceased publication in 1830, this young man went west— to Pennsylvania. Greeley is best known as editor of the now defunct New York Tribune. He was elected as a U.S. congressman from New York and even ran against Ulysses S. Grant for president in the Republican primary. Tragically, Greeley died just before the electoral votes were cast at the national GOP convention. nclmagazine.com

Painter of Bennington, VT When she died at the age of 101, artist Grandma Moses—born Anna Mary Robertson Moses in Greenwich, NY —was one of Vermont’s most notable folk artists. Moses began her career late in life, at age 78, but considering how long she lived, she had plenty of time to make a name for herself. According to The New York Times, “The simple realism, nostalgic atmosphere and luminous color with which Grandma Moses portrayed homely farm life and rural countryside won her a wide following...

In person... (she) charmed wherever she went. A tiny, lively woman with mischievous gray eyes and a quick wit, she could be sharp-tongued with a sycophant and stern with an errant grandchild.” She is buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery on the Vermont-New York state line near Bennington.

Pearl Buck (1892-1972)

Author of Winhall & Danby, VT Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winning author Pearl Buck is best known for her novels about China, her humanitarianism, and her advocacy for international women’s rights. Buck’s most famous novel, titled “The Good Earth,” was the best-selling fiction book in 1931; it won her the 1932 Pulitzer Prize. Six years later, she received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces.” Through Welcome House, she was an advocate for multi-racial adoption. U.S. President George H.W. Bush was an admirer of Buck; he enjoyed touring her home. She died in Danby after a battle with lung cancer.

While several of her residences are open, sadly, the former Pearl Buck home in Vermont is abandoned and off limits to the public.

Credits: Public domain historical image credits include the Library of Congress, Arnold Genthe, Roger Higgins, Fred Palumbo/World Telegram Collection, Mathew Brady, Alexander Hesle, and the Penfield Museum.

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A JAN OF ALL TRADES

Record-setting hiker.

Ultrarunner. Skier.

Rock and ice climber.

Now Adirondack everyman Jan Wellford is up to a new task—opening the door for others to push their bodies to the absolute brink.

Story by Andrew Johnstone Photography provided

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[JÄN] It’s pronounced “yahn.” Jan Wellford. If there’s anyone in the Adirondacks whose way of tackling an outdoor sport is worthy of putting the ultra prefix in front, it’s him. Most outdoorsfolk in the North Country have heard of him. For those who haven’t, here’s the Cliffs Notes version: in 2008, he broke the supported High Peaks speed record. A year later, he and Cory Delavalle (another ultra-worthy hiker) set a new best in the unsupported—no cars, no food drops, no assistance whatsoever—round of the 46.

Let those hundreds of miles and tens of thousands of feet of elevation gain settle in for a moment.

Now approaching a decade in age, the records (or as some would say, “fastest known times”)

haven’t been touched. It’s not to say they won’t ever be—that’s the nature of those sorts of feats— but for now, the two are on top of a very short, hard-earned Adirondack list.

But that’s only a part of the story. Word of what Wellford is up to travels through the outdoors community on a regular basis, whether it’s a story about the slender, dark-haired hiking in a day what would take others a week or a hair-raising ski descent of the north face of Gothics. Now, the latest chapter is “Skyrunning,” a racing event of epically athletic proportions that he’s working on bringing to Whiteface this summer.

It’s no easy task to neatly sum up all that Wellford has done and intends to do, but here’s a go at it.

TIRELESS I hiked with Wellford once, in the summer of 2011. At the time another hiker and I were considering our own go at the 46 in a single push and Wellford was eager to help out, proposing a bushwack that would cut miles from the trail route.

We dropped a car off at Elk Lake and backtracked our way to the AuSable Club in St. Huberts to park. Just a few hundred yards onto the Lake Road, Wellford was ready to run, just “a little warmup” for the hike. We summited Dial, the first of six High Peaks that day, before breaking off the trail and heading southeast down a steep, sometimes cliffed-out pitch that hit its low point at the North Fork of the Boquet. I had a map and compass, but neither came out of my pack. Too far south, Wellford warned with a finger pointed to his right, and you end up in Hunter’s Pass. Too far north and you bushwack more than you need to. We ended up hitting the trail with GPS precision.

Soon after we were back on trail and ascending Dix, covering along the way one of the steepest pitched trails in the High Peaks.

That is no hyperbole—Wellford had done the math.

With plenty of trail to come, there were no mountaintop breaks.

A bite here, a drink there, the occasional stretch. I was proud of my hiking shape, but Wellford’s motor was on another level. Dix, Hough, South Dix, East Dix (at the time; it’s now officially known as Grace), Macomb and down. It flew by. By the time we reached the 2.3 mile truck trail from Slide Brook to Elk Lake, my knees were on fire.

But in the waning light, after six High Peaks to go along with a solid trek through trailless woods, Wellford turned toward us.

You guys want to run? I couldn’t say no, but I had to run with a noticeable gimp. Ahead of me Wellford looked as light on foot as he did on the Lake Road.

As impressed as I was, no part of hiking with Wellford came as a surprise. I had, after all, read about the man long before I met him, and the list of truly notable Adirondack athletes is a short one.

Wellford grew up hiking and backpacking in the park on onceor-twice-a-year family trips to Keene Valley. After college he took a job at an AMC backcountry in New Hampshire, where a desire to pack in miles between breakfast and dinner duties got him hiking. Or, more specifically, hiking quickly. After moving to the Adirondacks with his wife, Meg, the momentum continued.

Top: Jan Wellford on his three day, 17 hour supported hike of the 46 High Peaks that bested the prvious record holder by an hour.

Middle: Almost there—ascending Whiteface on the unsupported round of the 46, with just that summit and Esther remaining in the 196 mile journey.

Bottom: Wellford, left, and Cory Delavalle are still the fastest to have climbed every High Peak in a single push with zero assistance, from food to transportation, in between.

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The Adirondacks has a special draw to Wellford. The challenge of hiking here, he says, is what keeps him the most engaged.

“Adirondack mountains are steep, and the trails are rough, unforgiving, often wet, and demand your full attention. For me, and I’m sure many others, it’s the challenge of the trails that keeps me coming back and ensures that I’m never bored,” he explains. ncliving@denpubs.com

It was that mentality, along with some big names in Adirondack backcountry, that eventually led him into the world of what can only be called ultrahiking.

“When I would visit my aunt and uncle in Keene Valley as a child I always heard about Ed Palen,” says Wellford. “My aunt worked for him, and he and Sharpe Swan held the record at the time for the fastest round of the 46.

I was always amazed to hear about this and never considered it something I could achieve.”

“The final push over the Dix range was mentally excruciating,” Wellford explained. “We struggled to stay warm in the cold rain. Fortunately we knew there would be friends with plenty of extra clothing about the summit of Dix, waiting to celebrate with us.”

When the two got to the summit, Wellford’s time was three days, 17 hours and 14 minutes. He not only bested Keizer, but put the record back in the hands of someone who lives within the park.

He also improved on the record in more ways than time alone.

Palen and Swan actually set the mark two times, once in their teens before Keizer and his support later hiking a full round in crew of “ — Dogs” started four days and 18 hours as adults. The two held the Wellford on a ski with his son, Finn. He and his wife, Meg, also welcomed another addition the clock on the base of the first mountain and top time for a quarter of a this winter. He calls family a main priority and uses running and cross country skiing to summit of the last. Both century until “Cave Dog” train closer to home. tackled the Sewards first, Ted Keizer, an Oregonborn ultrahike record bagger, shaved a day off the time in but while Keizer started time at the base of Seymour, June of 2002, when he, with the help of a sizable crew, Wellford hit the button at the Corey’s Road trailhead, adding about five miles to the start of the route. He also hiked finished in 3 days, 18 hours and 14 minutes. the Santanoni Range as would any ordinary hiker whereas A year later, Wellford settled in Keene Valley, started Keizer carved off another handful of miles by taking an hiking the High Peaks regularly and began thinking about ATV to a “Santanoni Slide Trailhead,” miles down a private road and beyond the public-access trailhead to the range. his own attempt. In 2008, he decided to go for it.

“I trained hard but in hindsight I wasn’t properly prepared for the record hike,” Wellford says. “My knees and ankles were in rough shape even before the hike from training only on the peaks.”

He was able to do just enough by managing knee pain and taping ankles, even rerouting his itinerary on day two when he started to fall behind schedule. The third day, he says, was the most difficult. He was behind, mostly alone and moving quickly in humid weather. But the next day, Delavalle—who he met on the adkhighpeaks.com forum when he was seeking volunteers—came out for company and pacing.

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Wellford did use one private access road on Allen when the added miles had him behind Keizer’s time, though in the end he still hiked about a dozen more miles while completing the feat an hour faster. Fun fact: with the clock running, he even spent a night out of the woods and took a hot shower.

“Style matters!” exclaims Wellford. “One of the main goals I had when attempting to break Cave Dog’s record was to try to make the record hike a little more stylistically pure,” adding that he hopes any future challenger will add his or her own improvements on the hike.

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A year later he and Delavalle were at it again, this time hiking the 46 start to finish in the unsupported style. If Wellford’s first record could be seen as a sprint, this one was a marathon. Their unsupported route consisted of 196 miles of trail and about 65,000 feet of elevation gain. On top of that, a week’s worth of gear and the mental toughness required to get themselves from the Sewards to Whiteface and Esther, hitting every peak in between.

The idea was inspired by Ed Bunk and Jim Kobak, friends of Delavalle who had done the route in 2002. Their 10-plus day hike was the only known one of its kind. The aim was far from an attempt to beat Bunk and Kobak’s record. After Bunk passed away, Delavalle wanted to do the traverse as a tribute to the close friend.

The seven day, 14 hour and 15 minute hike is worth another story in itself. The thru-hike was nearly abandoned early on, but the two found it in themselves to string together marathon-length days over the rugged trails of the High peaks.

Despite all he’s done, Wellford is humble. He’ll talk about the records if you ask, but he doesn’t carry with him an air of selfimportance. When I asked him how many times he’d climbed Mt. Marcy—I’d already heard the answer elsewhere—he had this to say: “59 that I’ve counted. That’s nothing—[retired Forest Ranger] Pete Fish is around 800.” He does have a point, but roughly 826 miles of one mountain alone is still no small feat.

And it’s not as if he has the time to keep hiking the same mountain. Come winter it’s ski season. Backcountry skiing is more than about getting to the top without a lift. It’s about getting back down, too. The routes are steep, avalanche risk very real and conditions can change on a dime. Skiing a slide, like the one pictured to the left, is a far cry from a ski resort. Wellford has also gotten into cross country skiing recently.

Wellford has built himself an impressive trailrunning record.

He’s taken first and second in the last two years in the Wakely Dam Ultra (33 miles in less than five hours), but even that pales in comparison to last year’s Manitou’s Revenge Race, a 54-miler with about 15,000 feet of climbing that Wellford ran in 10:54:34, setting a course record.

On top of all this, he’s a father of two. Family, he says, is a main priority, and spending entire days in the High Peaks has become less appealing to him. It’s what has led him from spending most of his time in the mountains to getting out in shorter bursts on foot or skis.

Come winter, the trip back down the mountains goes a lot quicker. Wellford catches some powder above, while below he puts in turns on Giant. Cross country ski racing has become a more recent passion of his as well.

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“Running roads and trails and cross country ski racing are my new passions,” he says. “They only take an hour or two and are just as rewarding in their own ways. Fortunately I’ve found that they also serve to make me faster in the mountains, so when I do get the opportunity to hike and run in the peaks I feel like I haven’t missed a beat.” ncliving@denpubs.com

SKYRUN Wellford’s latest running project has been working to put together the Whiteface SkyRuns, two races planned for June 27-28 that are part of the US SkyRunning Series. He’s co-directing the event with Ian Golden of the Ithaca-based Red Newt Racing.

Wellford and Golden had to get approval from both the Olympic Regional Development Authority and the Department of Environmental Conservation. ORDA gave it the thumbs up earlier in the winter and, more recently, the DEC permit was okayed. The two hope the race will bring runners from around the continent to Wilmington to take on the challenge.

The SkyRunning series, he explains, aims to bring a more European style of mountain running to North America. The circuit makes stops around the country, including stops in Colorado, Utah, Washington, Montana and Arizona.

What’s the incentive to run such a gruelling course? For one, there’s a draw that only those who do it can understand.

What looks like punishment—and surely feels that way— carries with it a powerful mental and physical reward.

The terrain at these races is steep and challenging, making Whiteface a great fit, and the athletes who tackle the courses are some of the most elite runners around.

Running a marathon is one thing—covering as many or more miles over rugged terrain is an entirely different feat.

And then there’s the cash purse. For the racers who follow the circuit, finish positions lead to points and monetary prizes at the end of the season. Wellford won’t be running in the race as working it will have him busy enough, but did say “maybe someday.”

The first race will be the Whiteface VK, followed by the SkyMarathon a day later. The VK, short for vertical kilometer, is about three miles in length but gains 3,280 feet of elevation. In other words, it’s a leg burner. The course follows trails at the ski area, including the notoriously steep Lower Skyward and Cloudspin runs. The SkyMarathon, meanwhile, will gain 9,000 feet over 26 miles as it uses trails both at the ski area and the Flume system, going as high as Little Whiteface.

Each event is capped at 250 racers. If interested in learning more, or registering, visit www.rednewtracing. com/whiteface.

In the meantime, he’s got plenty on his plate. The recent birth of his daughter has him training on a smaller scale—if you can call the Boston Marathon a short race. He ran and completed it last year. Wellford also plans to race in the Patch Sprint, a 12-mile trail run in Willsboro that benefits a scholarship foundation for the Pok-O-MacCready camp that he says he loved and plans on training hard for.

The Wellford of today may not be out on week long backcountry epics, but little else has changed. Especially this—it’s a safe bet he’ll be doing it fast.

The numbers alone can make your legs hurt. The marathon (course at left) gains over 9,000 feet, including two trips up Little Whiteface and another steep incline to connect to the Wilmington Trail. The VK, meanwhile, is an onslought of steep:

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3,280 feet of climbing in about three miles. Pictured is a tentative course for the SkyMarathon, complete with an elevation profile, and Wellford on a scouting run at Whiteface last fall.

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GIVING BACK | Vermonters who Make a Difference

Five Tireless Volunteers

2

Story by Lou Varricchio

1

People with broad ambitions that transform lives

E

veryday, friends and neighbors are working behind the scenes to make the North Country community a better place to live.

North Country Living has a long tradition of recognizing those who are making a difference here and now.

In this issue we salute five tireless Vermonters who are doing the work which reflects the philosophy of farm labor activist Cesar Chavez: “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community,” Chavez said. “Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”

The following five individuals have broad ambitions that transcend mere personal and career goals; they are part of the prosperity of our region and help further the progress which transforms lives.

1) Cathy Trudel

Cathy Trudel of Middlebury is known by many residents through her professional affiliation with the National Bank of Middlebury. She is also recognized as a community leader with the local Rotary Club.

According to Serena Eddy Guiles of the United Way in Middlebury, Cathy has been a volunteer driver for CVAA, the

3 Champlain Valley Agency on Aging, since 2008.

“I think MOW is one of the most important programs we offer our community members,” according to Cathy. “It keeps hunger at bay and gives us a chance to interact with home-bound elders.

The excitement on the faces of the people receiving MOW is especially gratifying. Sometimes we can say or sing ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘Happy Anniversary.’ It warms my heart each time I go.”

The long-time volunteer, who is also a volunteer at Middlebury Community Dinners and has served the community as a Rotarian for the past 12 years, is, according to Guiles, “one of the sweetest, kindest women we know. It’s such a joy to have her on the team. In addition to her regular route, she’s often the first to volunteer when a spot needs filling.”

2) Alice Munson

Alice Munson, of Weybridge, has been volunteering at area blood drives for more than 15 years.

Every two months, she organizes more than a dozen volunteers to work at the various stations.

Alice, who spends most of her time at the front desk welcoming donors, explains that she loves having the opportunity to feel helpful: “It just makes you feel good. I also enjoy getting to meet new CONTINUED ON PAGE 75

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4 people,” Alice says.

Alice also volunteers her time as a Bone Builders Instructor and makes “chemo caps” for the American Cancer Society.

3) Amber Dumas

Up and coming broadcast journalist Amber Dumas made her debut on public access PEGTV in Rutland County this year— while still an undergraduate student.

Amber is a hard worker and committed to bringing community news to local residents via public access Channel 15, operating in southwestern Vermont.

A spring 2015 graduate of Castleton State College, Amber says she wants to make a difference to local residents by bringing them news they might not find elsewhere. Amber believes in the concept and power of public access television.

As a field producer for Channel 15’s popular “Access” news magazine show on PEGTV, she is now helping to put the focus back on neighborhood news via the power of television.

Dumas grew up in Rutland Town and that’s why she was eager to jump in and start covering Rutland County news on the nonprofit channel.

“Amber is a new kind of community broadcaster,” says one PEGTV volunteer. “She’s part of a young generation that is smart, informed and very engaged in all the good things about living here.”

4) Erik Eisenhower

Erik Eisenhower has been named the DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution, Good Citizen of 2015.

Since 1901, the DAR has involved young people in its patriotic programs nationwide.

The DAR Good Citizens program started during the Great Depression in 1934 and involves students from kindergarten to high school with a simple mission of promoting the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

Each year, a Vergennes Union High School senior is chosen by local DAR members for the organization’s Good Citizen’s Award. nclmagazine.com

5 This year’s award process was no different from past years.

Erik has been a student leader, and in his allegiance to the concept of good citizenship, he has become a role model to not only the VUHS student body, but to the entire City of Vergennes.

According to Angela Gilbeau of DAR, “The DAR Good Citizen’s Award recognizes a student that possesses the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism to an outstanding degree. Erik has truly earned this recognition.”

Gilbeau said the special award program is organized by the DAR Seth Warner-Rhoda Farrand Chapter and is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship.

5) Lindsay Brown

Last year, Lindsay Brown contacted the United Way of Addison County looking for a rewarding volunteer position in which she could pursue her interest in childhood literacy.

United Way’s Serena Eddy Guiles connected Brown with a group of young readers in Addison County.

Within six months, Brown finished a successful, productive internship with the non-profit organization.

“I love knowing that books bring joy to children and develop their love of reading,” Lindsay says. “United Way is a great organization; every parent in Addison County should support and benefit from it.”

According to Guiles, “Lindsay is always positive, always willing to take on a new task. She recruited children, wrote grants, made promotional materials, and helped in countless other ways. She loves to read and feels that all young children deserve to have books of their own in their home.”

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THE GOOD

THIEF

By Shawn Ryan

“Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults.”

- John Calvin

There are many beautiful churches sprinkled liberally around this little corner of the world. With any luck, there’s one you’ll never get to see.

Driving up State Route 374 into the Village of Dannemora from Plattsburgh and points beyond, a traveler is met by the looming and foreboding south wall of Clinton Prison, the largest and third oldest prison in New York State, and home to roughly 3,000 lost souls. The massive steel reinforced concrete wall, which juts from the earth not 10 feet from the road, blocks from view all but the highest cell blocks in the prison, shrouding from the outside world anything that goes on inside the prison walls.

Little would a person know that one of the most historic and beautiful buildings in the entire country is nestled comfortably within.

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The Good Thief

As Christian tradition goes, Jesus was crucified with two other men, common thieves whose punishment, like Jesus’, was death on a cross. One thief, Gestas, jeered Jesus, saying he should save himself and them if he was truly all powerful. The other, Dismas, admonished Gestas, and asked that Jesus remember him in paradise. Jesus said to Dismas that he would be with him in paradise, thus becoming the only person ever canonized by Jesus himself, and the only person canonized while still alive.

Religion has long been a tenant of American penal culture. In many instances, from the Puritans up through more recent times, the Bible was the only reading material inmates were allowed in their cells. Prison conversions are common enough to be considered cliche. ncliving@denpubs.com

St. Dismas church in its full regalia.

Church of the Good Thief a hidden North Country jewel That fact not withstanding, into nearly the middle of the last century there were no free-standing, single-denominational churches in any American prison. One man in tiny, far-flung Dannemora would change that; an unassuming Roman Catholic priest named Rev. Ambrose Hyland.

Hyland came to Dannemora’s Clinton Prison as pastor in 1937.

There he found a junk room being used for church services, bereft of any of the trappings of the Catholic Church, equally as shabby and forlorn as the lost souls who prayed there. He approached the warden one day, and asked permission to build a church.

The warden grudgingly gave him permission; but the funding, labor, and materials would all have to be provided by Hyland; a feat the warden likely thought insurmountable to one man. nclmagazine.com

Labor, it turns out, would be the least of the industrious clergyman’s issues. He had a captive labor pool, so to speak. No inmate was compelled to work; the days of forced labor in New York had long since ceased by that point, but the religious faithful and non-faithful alike took to the task at hand with zeal. In the years of physically demanding labor that would follow, not a single disciplinary issue was recorded.

Many other hurdles, though, would lie in Hyland’s path.

Materials were an issue only partly overcome by what was readily at hand. It was determined that a barn would be torn down and the materials, mostly rock and part of a foundation wall, would be utilized for the building of the church. continued page 78 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 77

Most of the structures in and around early Clinton Prison, from wardens and officers’ housing, to smaller buildings inside the looming concrete walls, were built with stone. One can hardly plunge a spade into the earth in this part of New York State without encountering either field-stone or boulders.

The church walls were begun.

Rev. Ambrose Hyland.

Donations Flowed

While he went to work overseeing the physical construction of the church, Hyland also embarked on an ambitious fund-raising campaign, which stretched well beyond the sleepy confines of Clinton County.

Soon a $25,000 organ was donated by a pair of Jewish brothers from New York City; a hand-made crucifix was donated by the Passion Players at Oberammergau; wood and cement came in from around the state; money came in dribs and drabs; and perhaps the piece-de-resistance: a wooden alter which had come to the New World aboard one of Magellan’s ships was donated by a wealthy New York woman. It would find a place in the vestibule of the church, when a grand main alter was fashioned from red African and Vermont marble, donated to the church.

Other, less well-healed benefactors stepped forward to offer materials for the church. Reputed mobster Charles “Lucky” Luciano, once a resident of the upstate prison, donated enough red oak to fashion the pews for the growing church.

Untapped Talents

Men come to prison with often untapped talents and experiences from their previous lives. Hyland learned to tap these talents for his growing edifice. Most famously, an incarcerated forgerer named Carmelo Soraci put his artistic talents to work designing and crafting the stained glass windows throughout the church. So beautiful was his work, he was later transferred to a downstate prison to do the same.

But no good deed, as they say, goes unpunished, and soon Father Hyland found himself wrangling more with the courts in New York State than the harsh and often unpredictable Dannemora weather.

A group calling itself The New York League for the Separation of Church and State petitioned for a stop to the work on the church.

The injunction, however, did not slow down construction, but a court battle loomed.

In early 1940, the case was settled in favor of Father Hyland’s church. The publicity over the case, it turns out, only helped with donations, and construction leapt forward.

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Prisoners working within the church. Mobster “Lucky” Luciano donated the wood that would become the pews at St. Dismas.

Growing by the day, the footprint of the church soon measured a massive 132 feet long by 52 feet wide, and commanded a prominent position on the highest spot of the steeply sloping prison yard. The walls climbed to over 106 feet high, topped by a steep slate covered gable roof.

Dedication

The prison was finished the following year, and was dedicated on Aug. 28, 1941. Text of the dedication reads in part: “Four years ago, Father Ambrose R. Hyland brought to this prison the inspired dream to build an edifice devoted exclusively to the worship of God and dedicated to Saint Dismas the Good Thief, Patron of the Condemned. At that time, his “black sheep” parishioners had faint hope in their Chaplain’s visionary inspiration…That the Church will be a “little bit of Heaven” inside these walls, and make possible the moral and spiritual training which is the fundamental basis of the reclamation…of these unfortunates confined herein is our hope and prayer.”

Free standing churches now dot the American penal landscape, but their start was undoubtedly in the “God-forsaken” penal colony known to inmates and locals alike as Little Siberia.

The Church of the Good Thief was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Tours of the church are closely controlled, and seldom granted by the New York State Department of Corrections. It remains as it was originally conceived; a bastion and sanctuary for the condemned of Clinton Prison. ncliving@denpubs.com

This outdoor alter was set up for prisoners to use during the construction of St. Dismas.

St. Dismas’ proximity to the prison’s north wall.

Prisoners are responsible for all of the upkeep on St. Dismas. Here several inmates refurbish the stone exterior of the building. All photos courteous of Dannemora Village Historian W. Peter Light. nclmagazine.com Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 79

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COMMUNITY | Vested Interest

In the

Line of

Duty Story by Lou Varricchio

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Rutland K9 gets help from national organization

R

ecently, a police “K9” crime-fighting dog named Buck, a member of the Vermont State Police at the Rutland Barracks, received a ballistic vest thanks to a nationwide “groupon” effort that raised over $335,000.

The VSP’s Occasions campaign for Groupon Grassroots to outfit Buck with a bullet and stab protective vest was spearheaded by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Thanks to the participation of area residents, the effort paid off and directly helped VSP troopers on duty in Rutland County.

Vested Interest is the nationwide non-profit organization and charity partner selected by Groupon Grassroots to participate.

The online $10 donation suggested interested persons purchase a “groupon”—a tax deductible donation—through the secure website.

Based in New England, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the country.

“We exclusively offer a state of the art bullet and stab protective vest made in the United States that offers ultimate protection for the K9. The cost is $950. Vest warranty is five years,” founder Sandy Marcal says.

All funds were allocated to purchase ballistic vests for the VSP’s four-legged crime fighters who put their lives on the line for the community and their partner.

As a result of the Rutland area effort, Vested Interest was able to provide Buck with protective body armor in memory of K9 Rocco of the Pittsburgh Police Department. Rocco sacrificed his life in the line of duty in January 2014.

Vested Interest has extended the lives of many police dogs in Vermont and elsewhere, according to Marcal.

A lifelong animal lover, Marcal has dedicated years to attending to the wellness of animals.

According to VI’s website, Marcal “has volunteered over the past 13 years working with K9 teams across the country and has assisted in securing funds for over 1,220 bullet and stab protective K9 vests. She also produced and hosted an internet/cable television production called ‘The Pet Zone’ featuring monthly pet professionals for four years. Previously she organized fundraising events for over a dozen different nonprofit animal rescue organizations. She currently shares her life nclmagazine.com

with 6 rescue cats.”

Marcal is joined by board members Linda Fitzgerald, Justine Long, Jodi Roos and Kriscel Estrella, as well as advisory law enforcement board members Lt. Victor Guerrieri, Sr., Patrolman Brian Berdine and Capt. Dwane Foiy.All vests will be embroidered with the sentiment, “In Memory of K9 Rocco, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police”.

There are an estimated 30,000 police dogs throughout the United States.

You can become a sponsor and help protect Vermont and New York K9 officers by either calling 508-824-6978 or e-mailing info@vik9s.org.

FACING PAGE: Vested Interest will provide a Vermont State Police law enforcement dog in Rutland with protective body armor in memory of K9 Rocco of the Pittsburgh Police Department who sacrificed his life in the line of duty in January 2014.

ABOVE: Fozzie, the K9, recently received protection thanks to Vested Interest. You can become a sponsor and help protect Vermont and New York K9 “officers”.

Photos courtesy of Vested Interest

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A

fter 28 years with Merrill Lynch, the company known for bringing Wall Street to Main Street, Win Smith put a literal twist on the expression when he traded his Manhattan career for one in Vermont and took over ownership at Warren’s Sugarbush Resort.

Story by Andrew Johnstone Photography provided/

By Andrew Johnstone nclmagazine.com

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T

he restaurant can best be described as a massive yurt, 50 feet high at its center with long wooden beams converging on a round window, and beyond the bluebird winter sky.

The light inside is bright and natural. Beyond a wall of windows a dozen skiers and snowboarders walk awkwardly in rigid boots to the ski lift. But for those coming down the hill, that same hardshell footwear helps them turn skis and boards with grace and precision.

Winthrop Smith Jr. enters the room. His eyes are both kind and sharp. When introducing himself it’s just “Win.” He sits, places a napkin on his lap, and opts for coffee, bacon and eggs.

Today he’s the owner and operator of Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vt., but his journey that took him there is wholly unique.

Up until 2001 Smith was the executive vice president of Merrill Lynch, the well-known investment banking company co-founded by his father, Winthrop Smith, over a century ago. He spent 28 years with the company before resigning, a response to E. Stanley O’Neal’s assuming as president and his straying from the company’s guiding principles.

O’Neal, explains Smith, took Merrill Lynch in a different direction, getting rid of thousands of years of staff experience in the process. Smith’s departure turned out to be welltimed—by 2007 the company was losing billions under O’Neal. He was removed and less than a year later Bank of America acquired the nearly century-old Merrill Lynch.

Over breakfast Smith talked about his former career, one he’s written about in his recently-published Catching Lightning in a Bottle. The book, explains Smith, traces the history of Merrill Lynch, the company’s Wall Street to Main Street approach and how its five principles—customers first, teamwork, respect employees, operate with integrity and a responsibility to community—led to a rise that began in 1914.

Soon, the numbers changed from dollars to trails and acreage. Smith’s Summit Ventures bought Sugarbush in 2001 with the initial plan to fix up the then-deteriorating ski hill. “We had an empty palette to paint on,” explains Smith. “We gave it the look and feel of Vermont.”

It certainly has that vibe. The Clay Brook hotel is styled after a barn, red with white trim, complete with a silo and cow emblazoned with images of skier and snowboarders. To the right is the appropriately-named Schoolhouse, home to the ski school.

Smith beams when he talks about the Mad

River Valley, the swath of land that unfolds beneath the mountains.

No fast food, no stoplights. Quaint, quiet streets and farmland that supports a strong localvore movement. An eclectic blend of farmers, residents who have been there for generations and those who have relocated to Warren for all that’s been described.

That Smith chose Sugarbush was no coincidence. As an undergrad at Amherst College he’d travel to Mad River Glen, just down the road from Sugarbush, to ski with friends. Mad River Glen is more of a grassroots ski destination, known for non-allowing of snowboarders, narrow and natural trails and “ski it if you can” mantra. He spent 15 years away from the sport before putting his

Above: the base of Lincoln Peak come summertime. Left: Smith on a ski day with his grandson. Below: Smith’s book, Catching Lightning in a Bottle, outlines the history of Merrill Lynch, a company his father held find in the early 1900s.

Sugarbush is actually comprised of two main mountains. The first is Lincoln Peak, home to more slopeside development, with 2,400 feet of vertical drop, while Mount Ellen lies to the north.

The 4,083 foot peak has an extra 200 feet of skiable elevation change and is a chairlift or car ride away. Nestled in between the two is Slide Brook Basin, ski-friendly woods that funnels down to a road where all one needs to do is wait for the shuttle that runs between the mountains.

Smith talks pridefully about the resort, from the wildlife to new energy-efficient snowmaking that adds to the 260 inches of annual snowfall there. “Everything is in bounds,” he says of the gladeskiing friendly mountains. Some wooded areas have been thinned to allow for quicker and wider turns while the rest has been left to its natural state. Skiers dart in and out of the trees as the quad makes its way upward.

Skiing aside, the views from the top make the trip up well worth it. We look out over the Champlain Valley and the Adirondacks.

The Green Mountains stretch north and south while on a clear day one can see Mt. Washington and the Whites of New Hampshire to the east.

As the day goes on, it becomes easy at times to forget about his Wall Street past or even ownership of Sugarbush. After a few hours of putting in turns he talks mostly about what seem to be his two loves: skiing and family. He has four children who live in Connecticut and make the trip to Sugarbush often as well as four grandkids he calls phenomenal Left: A stone skier keeps a watchful eye on the slopes. skiers. “It’s a gift for life,” he says of the sport. “It Below: The ““look and feel of Vermont” is in full display keeps families together.” at Clay Brook.

There is, of course, more to Smith’s job than playing in the snow, and early in the afternoon the skis come off and he makes his way to his office. He has until early May to balance work in and out of ski gear. Come summer the resort’s golf course will have thawed. Dozens of couples will choose the valley for weddings. Fall foliage will bring droves of tourists. Warren may be a ski town, but Smoth talks of plenty more for him to do come summer.

He paints a clearer picture of this with a blog on the Sugarbush website he calls “Win’s World.” While the winter posts well outnumber those from the rest of the year, he talks golf, fishing, reducing the resort’s carbon footprint—and plenty of posts about Murphy.

Smith seems to have two sides. There’s the Wharton-educated many with a story attached.

He saves the best anecdotes for the lift rides back up. Like the Wall Street veteran running a resort that isn’t doing well by one about Murphy, the bull moose that calls the area home. A accident. He explains that there’s no control over the weather or couple of years ago Murphy (briefly) chased a skier at the base economy, but the rest? Maybe its those five principles that have of the mountain. Someone filmed it, put the video on YouTube, Sugarbush earning consistent national honors. But then there’s the and the story was picked up by national media. Murphy, some man who puts on his skis, flashes his pass, hops on a lift and skis speculate, may frequent the ski resort out of laziness—groomed for the sheer love of it. There’s a true passion for the sport.

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skis back under his feet on a family ski trip. “It hooked everyone,” says Smith, who now tries to ski over 100 days of the year. “I’ve more than made up for it.”

After breakfast we head out. He looks just like everyone else.

Red coat, black pants, helmet, goggles, and red Völkl skis. In the lift line he pulls out a pass and has it scanned. The lift attendants know him, say good morning, and comment on the skiing weather.

It’s 30 degrees, island weather after a historically cold February.

Smith talks to the staff before settling onto the quad. On the way up he explains the value of getting out and interacting with the employees. “There’s walk-around management,” he says. “This is just ski-around management.”

Smith, born in 1949, does not ski like he’s in his mid-60s. Feet close, turns disciplined, he navigates the winding trails while stopping occasionally to point out places near and far,

“This is just

ski-around management ”

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Improv Music Workshop

envisioned to boost cultural awareness, tourism

By Thom Randall GLENS FALLS —Manhattan has its SoHo, Montreal has its Griffintown, and Columbus Ohio, the “Short North” district — destinations for people yearning for a vibrant arts and cultural scene.

Glens Falls is now poised to join these cities, with its own nationally renowned neighborhood.

The region’s leading arts advocacy organization is now seeking a $50,000 federal grant to establish an arts and cultural district, which is expected to draw people to Glens Falls — not only from upstate New York, but from around the nation.

The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council, known to locals as LARAC, is seeking to “brand” downtown Glens Falls as a destination for the arts, both visual and performing.

The proposed arts district is focused primarily in downtown Glens Falls — which hosts the Adirondack Theatre Festival and its venue, the Charles Wood Theater; the North Country Arts’ exhibition space in City Hall; and the Folklife Center in Crandall Library. The district extends up Glen St. to the Chapman Historical Museum, west on Hudson Avenue to include the nclmagazine.com

Hyde Collection and the World Awareness Children’s Museum, and northwest to the Shirt Factory Arts & Healing Center. The area also includes various art galleries, brew pubs, restaurants, a jazz club, coffee houses and several taverns.

The arts district proposal includes sidewalk markings to lead pedestrians on an “arts trail” from one cultural site to another, sculptural bicycle racks created by local artists, decorative banners, and infrastructure upgrades. continued page 92

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Arts district

in Glens Falls

Perhaps most important is the development of a smartphone and tablet app that will direct people to museums, galleries and other local cultural and entertainment destinations, providing information about the venues as well.

The arts and cultural district initiative grew out of the 2012 Downtown Glens Falls Vision & Development Strategy effort, through which community leaders pondered the prospects of the city’s future and devised objectives to accomplish their goals.

The Arts & Culture focus group of this task force dreamed up the concept of an arts district, and LARAC administered the grant application.

Ed Bartholomew, Economic & Community Development of Glens Falls — and president of Warren County Economic Development Corp. — said this week the Arts District initiative would help people from afar recognize Glens Falls’ remarkable cultural assets, boost tourism, create jobs and drive prosperity.

“This is a another step in the recognition of Glens Falls as being the ‘Arts and Entertainment Gateway to the Adirondacks,’” he said.

Ellen Butz, Executive Director of LARAC, was among those serving on the focus group that developed the “Gateway” title.

She said that the arts district concept was sparked by the unexpected, record-smashing attendance at The Hyde Collection’s 2013 exhibition “Modern Nature — Georgia O’Keefe and Lake George.” About 35,000 people from across the continent and around the world attended the show, nearly doubling the total attendance the prior year at the famed art museum. A study conducted afterwards indicated the exhibit generated about $2.5 million in economic activity locally.

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ADK Shakespeare Performance “This exhibition shined a spotlight for both The Hyde and the City of Glens Falls on the national and international arena,” Alice Grether of The Hyde said this week.

Evolving from mill town to art mecca

Butz and other area arts organization leaders have observed the revitalization that has occurred in Glens Falls over the last 30 years, and how arts and cultural attractions have played a big part in the city’s new vitality.

“In the 1960s when I was in high school, downtown Glens Falls was a dying blue-collar mill town, and I couldn’t wait to get away,” she said.

Gallery Install ncliving@denpubs.com

an arts and cultural district fine artworks for under $99; outdoor cinema; and a presentation of original drama conceived, drafted, rehearsed and performed for an audience within 24 hours.

Another anchor of the proposed arts district has been a formative element in the emerging arts scene.

In 1996, Eric Unkauf bought a historic shirt factory on Lawrence Street, restored and partitioned it, and rented it out studio spaces to artists who appreciated the low rents, expansive windows and the creative, communal spirit. Over the next 18 years, the Shirt Factory attracted dozens of both established and emerging artists and artisans, some of whom have garnered national attention.

Today this Glens Falls landmark features 77 unique studios, home to more than 100 different tenants — fiber artists, painters, sculptors, metalsmiths, jewelers and photographers, as well as art galleries, healing practitioners, and a wide array of shops featuring handmade wares.

Salem Hist. Courthouse Grant Recipient After living and working elsewhere in the U.S. for 30 years, Butz recently returned to the city.

“The change has been incredible — Glens Falls really experienced a renaissance,” she said, noting that not only were buildings restored and the streetscape beautified, but cultural attractions had flourished, she said.

The emergence of the Adirondack Theatre Festival in the 1980s, the redevelopment of the vacant downtown Woolworth’s building into the Charles Wood Theater, and the founding of the World Awareness museum were key elements to sparking this transformation, as was the more recent $19 million Crandall Library expansion project.

LARAC publicist and gallery curator Jenny Hutchinson also recalled the change.

“In the late 1980s, when my mother drove through Glens Falls to my dance lessons, she’d lock the car doors,” she said, noting that she left the area for arts school, but decided to return because of the emerging arts scene.

“It was great to see the sidewalks redone, the building fronts restored, and all the new galleries businesses that had opened up.

Glens Falls really is a city now — it has an urban feeling but it’s not overly gentrified — and the arts scene and its energy is a big part of it all.”

LARAC — influential in the evolution

Throughout the four decades of this cultural transformation in Glens Falls, LARAC has been a driving force behind the progress, as it has maintained a high profile in arts advocacy.

Founded in 1972, LARAC has for decades sponsored its juried crafts festivals — as well as providing publicity, networking, and other resources for local artists, including training in preparing portfolios, business management, bookkeeping and marketing, Butz said.

“We help area artists put food on their tables,” she said.

For decades, LARAC has raised awareness of the arts in both children and adults by sponsoring workshops and programs.

They’ve distributed state and federal money to area organizations, schools and artists through mini-grants for arts programming.

Arts scene embraces new directions

Part of why Hutchinson returned to Glens Falls was the eclecticism and innovation of the art scene as well as its innovation, she said. Not only did Glens Falls host the Old Masters paintings at The Hyde, but the arts locally were taking a variety of new innovative directions, she said.

Examples of this new thrust include the Arts in the Public Eye group, which sponsors various events including an annual sale of

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Gallery Reception

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LARAC also operates its renowned Lapham Art Gallery, which not only hosts seven fine art exhibits per year, but features its own gift shop featuring handmade goods.

As Marketing Coordinator for LARAC, Hutchinson is helping boost the arts district initiative by publishing the Arts Bulletin, a monthly listing of art openings, concerts and screenings published on behalf of the new Arts District of Glens Falls — a collaboration of 13 arts-related entities in Glens Falls.

At this point, this Arts District collective includes all the aforementioned venues and organizations, plus the Glens Falls Community Theater, the Feeder Canal Alliance and Glens Falls Community Theater — and there are bound to be many more in the near future, Butz said, as the entities seek to jointly raise their profile in the region, enriching the lives of both residents and visitors.

An arts district, Butz concluded, is an effective tool in boosting the influence of the arts in the lower Adirondacks.

“Besides increasing tourism, it’s a matter of enhancing the livability of community — as well as encouraging people to come here, live and launch businesses, create jobs, boosting the prosperity and quality of life.”

The process is already underway, Butz said.

“There’s been a real change in attitude here in Glens Falls,” she said. “It’s not just a physical change, but there’s an air of optimism and pride.”

Performance with Joseph Bruchac

Gift Shop

NFP Workshop

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RAQUETTE LAKE — They came from across the frozen expanse, starting in the Fulton Chain Lakes, through Seventh and Eighth, before getting dumped back out onto the open vista of Raquette Lake.

Why not?

The catalyst was simple: The local contractors wanted to contribute to the economy, to a sustainable future.

“No one was doing anything like that Snowmobiles, dozens of them. Maybe hundreds, within 100 miles,” recalled Dean Pohl. “We were a black line cutting a striking contradiction against the just trying to fill a void and make a living.” blotted-out white landscape.

The newly-minted Raquette Lake Navigation Company The machines zipped along in tight formation, through provided their ideas to a marine architect, who came pines and snow, before decelerating and coming to rest back with the design specs — a graceful steel hull and in front of a steamboat. framework with an elegant interior lined with southern yellow pine, the same type used on those original vessels.

ORIGINS

Construction began in the winter of 1990, with a pause Twenty-five years ago, Dean and Donna Pohl had a viin the spring, summer and fall to allow Pohl to focus on sion — A dinner boat, like the ones in Lake George and work, before resuming the following winter. along the St. Lawrence, right here in this remote stretch Pohl did most of the carpentry and welding, while three of Hamilton County.

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Ice-bound in the frigid water of Raquette Lake, the WW Durant is the ultimate four season port of call

By Pete DeMola

employees, Don Bird, Garry Hazen and Bill Cooley, played critical roles in engineering, planning, plumbing, wiring and mechanical work.

The sweet spot between Memorial and Columbus Day sees the diesel-powered vessel taking patrons out onto the lake for moonlight cruises, where they drink, dance and dine under the stars.

In all, it took 30 months for the project to blossom from a “what-if” idea to a full-fledged dinner boat bobbing in Weddings are popular — Pohl, an appointed marriage Raquette Lake, which is located about 90 minutes north- officer, has actually presided over 250 of them — as are east of Utica. somber funeral ceremonies where the ashes of the departed have been scattered across the lake and down Pohl said they wanted the craft to resemble those popular in 1900 when steamboats were the main form of the Raquette River. transport for visitors to the region.

Its namesake?

And then are thematic events like murder mysteries, wine pairings and historical lectures.

An engaging storyteller who offers a workmanlike spin on the history of Raquette Lake and the Central AdironAmong his most prominent projects was Great Saga- dacks — the barons, their entourages and the origins of more Camp, which is located just across Route 28 from the railroad lines and Adirondack tourism — Pohl tries the hamlet of Raquette Lake. to present an educational overview without getting bogged down in minutia.

William West Durant, the famed Great Camp developer.

BON VOYAGE

Over the years, the WW Durant, which can seat 64 comfortably, has evolved into a creature with dueling personalities: nclmagazine.com

“We make it interesting and don’t overpower them with history,” he said. continued page 98 Vol. 4 No. 1 | North Country Living Magazine | 97

BACK TO PORT But come winter, when the vessel is docked, and icy tendrils creep up the lake, the WW Durant takes on another identity — that of a snowmobiling destination, a measure that helps the Pohls extend the season well into what had traditionally been the lean months.

For many years, they would anchor the Durant in the center of the lake. But changing weather patterns made the practice undependable.

Now, with an aerator designed to keep water moving about the hull, the boat occupies prime real estate on the lake’s southeastern shore, offering food and fuel to hungry riders.

The Raquette Lake Navigation Company owns and operates the WW Durant, a dinner boat that offers moonlight dinner cruises during the summer and acts as a snowmobiling beacon during the winter.

Pohl estimates the ship serves 8,000 meals per summer, all served on linen tablecloths and fine glassware.

“It’s basically a warm spot on the snowmobile trail system,” said Pohl.

Riders come from Old Forge and make it as far east as Long Lake.

The boat occupies a central node amongst the region’s network, said Pohl, because it is equidistant from Inlet and Long Lake.

“We’re told we’re as good as any four-star restaurant in the Adirondack Park,” he said.

Pohl cited the hamlet’s long-running winter carnival that Food is prepped at the nerve center up the street sees riders making the circuit. and ferried down for the final touches.

“You’ll see more snowmobiles that you’ve ever seen in

Raquette Lake is equidistant from Inlet and Long Lake, making the WW Durant a popular respite for snowmobilers navigating the area’s trails.

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Hundreds of snowmobilers gathered at the WW Durant in Feb. 2015 as part of the Raquette Lake Winter Carnival.

your life,” he said.

northeastern Pennsylvania.

He was right.

They love the Adirondacks and have been visiting for years.

The following morning, the machines came and went, blasting across the lake under silver skies and a 16 de- In fact, they were married in Old Forge. gree clime.

The couple plans trips around the region’s series of winOn the boat, they clomped in and stood cheek-to-jowl ter carnivals, which they often zip to on their sleds. sipping drinks and devouring grub — including the es- “It’s just got this hometown feel,” said Carrie of the Aditablishment’s namesake, the Durant Dog, a Hoffman hot rondack Park. “We just love the ‘Northern Exposure’ vibe, dog topped with shaved pulled pork — before setting like the bartender who also works at the hardware store.” off again.

Conditions on the snowmobile circuits from Old Forge, A jukebox stood in the corner, its sounds mixing with the some 400 miles in all, she said, were in peak condition. cha-ching of the register.

“But it could be a little warmer,” she said.

The snow, falling currency.

John and Carrie Hearl are from Wyoming County in nclmagazine.com

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25 YEARS The Raquette Lake Navigation Company remains a family-centered business: Dean, Donna, son Jim and his wife, Rachel, all play day-to-day roles in the company.

“We’re a true family run business,” said Jim. “We haven’t killed each other yet, which means we’re doing some thing right.”

This year marks the WW Durant’s 25th anniversary.

Dean reflected from his toasty perch in front of a fireplace: “It’s unique for this area, no one believed we could make a living doing this,” he said. “It took twoand-a-half years to build, and they said it couldn’t be done, but we kind of fooled them on that one.”

The Raquette Lake Navigation Company: 254 Antlers Road, PO Box 100, Raquette Lake, NY 13436. For information, call 315-354-5532.

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RECIPES |

Comfort Food for a Meat Thick and Hearty Minestrone for a crowd

Shopping List

Olive Oil Garlic Carrots Celery w/leaves Yellow or White Onions Red Potatoes Who le Peeled Tomatoes Chicken Broth Tomato Paste Red Kidney Beans Cannellini Beans Zucchini/Yellow Squash Green Beans Spinach Italian Seasoning Tabasco Sauce Basil (optional garnish)

Quantity

2 TBSP 4 large cloves (more to taste) 1 ½ cups Divided ¾ bunch Divided 2 softball sized Divided 4 med ium Divided 28 oz and 14.5 oz cans 28 to 32 ounces 3 TBSP 40.5 ounce can (or less) 2- 15.5 oz cans 2 small any combination ¾ cup frozen cut or who le 1 to 1½ cup frozen chopped 3-4 TBSP ½ to ¾ tea (3-4 shakes of bottle) chopped (to taste)

HEARTY

Prep: In the food processor with the chopping blade inserted; rough chop half of the carrots, celery, onion and potatoes. Pulse until finely chopped.

On a cutting board cut the remaining carrots, celery, onion and potatoes into bite sized pieces, set aside.

Grated Parmesan Cheese on top at serv ing time

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less Monday

or freeze ahead meals

by Gayle Alexander

MINESTRONE

IN A LARGE STOCK POT add: the olive oil and contents of the food processor, sauté on medium 3-4 minutes until lightly cooked.

Add the “set aside” chopped veggies and sauté another 4-5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic in the last minute being careful not to let it burn.

Add chicken broth reduce heat to simmer.

Using the food processor (no need to wash), pulse the tomatoes just until lightly chopped; add to pot, stir in the tomato paste.

Stirring occasionally, add the rest of list except the Parmesan and simmer until the vegetables are tender not mushy; 2 hours or more depending on your schedule.

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Yields 6-7 quarts. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, for up to 4 days or freeze in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 6 months.

Simmer your soup to achieve tender but not mushy ingredients; never allow your soup to boil. nclmagazine.com

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RECIPES |

ONE SKILLET PASTA Ingredients

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil 2 Sausage Links - Sliced 1 tsp of Garlic Powder ½ Tsp of red pepper flakes ½ Cup of Basil Leaves Pinch of Salt and Pepper ½ Cup of Parmesan Cheese, shredded 2 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded 28 Oz of Pasta Sauce 12 ounces penne pasta ½ Cup of Milk

Instructions

In skillet - add oil and sausage - cook over medium heat 3 - 5 minutes - add seasoning - salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder. Add pasta sauce - stir Add Pasta (uncooked) plus 2.5 cups of water - bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes Stir in milk and ½ cup of basil.

Cover with parmesan and mozzarella cheese - either bake at 350 for 10 minutes to melt the cheese

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ARTS & CRAFTS |

r a g u S

Sugar on Snow is a sugar candy made by boiling maple sap past the point where it would form maple syrup but not so long that it becomes maple butter or maple sugar. It is poured onto the snow and then lifted either with a small wooden stick, such as a popsicle stick, or a metal dinner fork.

Traditionally served with yeast-risen donuts, sour dill pickles, and coffee. The pickles and coffee serve to counter the intense sweetness of the candy.

The candy is made by boiling maple syrup to about 112 째C (234 째F). It is best to use a candy thermometer. The thick liquid may be kept hot over a very low flame or in a pan of hot water, but should not be stirred as it will form grainy crystals. This liquid is then poured in a molten state upon clean snow whereupon the cold causes it to rapidly thicken. If the syrup runs rather than hardens when it is poured on the snow, then it has not yet been boiled long enough to make the soft maple candy. Once sufficiently hardened the candy can be picked up and eaten. The higher a temperature one boils the initial syrup, the thicker the final result will be. As it is popularly eaten soft it is usually served fresh.

no ...

W O SN

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A Beautiful Handcrafted Rustic Rock Vase Made From Something Very Unexpected

Crafts What you’ll need: Pringles container Leak Seal rubber coating Rocks 3M Super Spray Adheasive Grout Sponges Paint Brushes Water Paper towels Mod Podge

Step 1: Spray the rubber seal inside the can to seal it to prevent water leaks.

Step 2: Turn your can on it’s side and spray a section of glue. Then start placing rocks in a pattern that’s pleasing to you. Repeat this step across the entire can until you’ve completely covered it with rocks. Let dry.

Step 3: After your glued rocks have dried, using a knife start spreading on the grout in sections. Layer the grout all the way down the length of the can. Then, before the grout dries, start to rub the grout off as much of the rocks as you can while at the same time pushing the grout in between the rocks. First rub off the grout with a paper towel, then take some water on a paint brush and brush around and across the rocks. Then take a moist sponge and rubbed the rocks down again. Repeat this process until you’ve grouted the whole container.

Step 4: Once the grout has dried, (usually after a night), layer the grouted rocks with some Mod Podge to create a shinny surface.

Step 5: When the Mod Podge has dried, fill the container with water and your favorite flowers.

Step 6: Step back and admire your amazing work!

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diy so easy...

outdoor seating

wooden spool finds new life with a coat of paint and stapled underneath batten filled pillow on top.

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easy... cinder blocks with piece of wood on top, done.

cinder blocks, pillows... and you’re sitting pretty!

cinder blocks (painted if you like) insert landscape timbers through to each end, add pillows and relax. ncliving@denpubs.com

paint a wooden bowl trunk stools... cut plywood red/white spots, flip over into a circle cover with onto stump.... toad stool. batten and fabric, secure.

landscape stones, stacked glowing idea... paint to desired height, top with stumps with glow in the weathered wood. dark paint.

easy, affordable and fun... do it yourself seating

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Arts & entertainment

Save the Date!

EVENTS CALENDAR

| SPRING 2015

Everything you need to know about what’s happening this spring in the North Country Every Thursday

SARANAC LAKE — A weekly session meets at the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce / Visitors Center at 191 River Street about 7 p.m. and play until around 10:30 p.m. There will be a mix of Celtic, Irish, Scottish and Old Time tunes. Musicians of any level, playing either acoustic or Celtic style instruments, are always welcome as are all audience members. To view the most current discussion and to make sure they will be getting together on a particular Thursday night send an email to psbenson1@ gmail.com.

Through Friday, April 10

LAKE GEORGE — The Courthouse Gallery will display artworks from Maria Mangano at Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst Street. Print, Drawings and mixed media. Ms. Mangano has exhibited in Pittsburgh and at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York. For information call 668-2616 or go to lakegeorgearts.org. The season hours are Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; and by appointment.

Through April 11

GLENS FALLS — The Saunders Gallery will display the Winter Blue, Benefit Show “Code Blue” at The Shirt Factory, 71 Lawrence St. Multi-media works inspired by word, color or emotion of blue/blues by local and regional artists and artisans. For information call 793-9350 or go to saundersgalleryoffineart.blogspot.com. The season hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is free.

Through Sunday, April 12

GLENS FALLS — The Wild Nature: Masterworks from the Adirondack Museum will be displayed at The Hyde Collection at 161 Warren Street. There are 62 masterworks

that reveal how images of the Adirondack landscape shaped America’s perception of the wilderness. Includes paintings, rarely exhibited photographs, and prints dating from the 19th to the early 21st century. The season hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; and closed Monday and most national holidays. For information call 792-1761 or hydecollection.org.

Through Sunday, April 19

MIDDLEBURY — The Andy Warhol Foundation has recently made a gift of 10 prints to Middlebury College Museum of Art at the Overbrook Gallery. The prints include “Mao, Sitting Bull, and others”, thereby more than doubling our Warhol holdings. Now, in addition to the artist’s iconic images of Marilyn Monroe, Mick Jagger, and Campbell’s Soup, the museum owns vivid portraits of Chairman Mao, Goethe, Sitting Bull, Ingrid Bergman, and Queen Ntombi of Swaziland (one of Warhol’s Reigning Queens of the mid-1980s). For more information visit middlebury.edu/arts/news/14-15/jan15.

Through Sunday, June 21

GLENS FALLS — Technologies Around the World comes to the World Awareness Children’s Museum at 89 Warren St. A custom art exhibit incorporates images of technology from around the world. See how technology intersects with our daily lives. Selected art pieces converted into magnetic puzzles, allow handson play. Have fun building, and creating with new daily craft project supplies, including Legos and erector sets.

The hours are Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information call 793-2773 or visit worldchildrensmuseum.org.

Wednesday, April 1

WILMINGTON — Present any Coca-Cola product at the Whiteface Mountain ticket office and get a lift ticket for $45 on Wednesdays (non-holidays). For information call 946-2223.

MIDDLEBURY — The Vermont Humanities Council’s first Wednesdays lecture series for April presents “An evening with Julia Alvarez at 7 p.m. at the Ilsley Public Library, 75 Main St. At the outset of National Poetry Month, celebrated author, recent recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and activist Julia Alvarez speaks and reads from her early and recent work. For information go to vermonthumanities.org/WhatWeDo/FirstWednesdays/FirstWednesdaysMiddlebury/tabid/166/Default.aspx or call 802-3884095.

QUEENSBURY — Sean Thomas Dougherty will be part of the SUNY Adirondack Spring Writers Project at the SUNY Adirondack Visual Arts Gallery, Dearlove Hall 640 Bay Road at 12:40 p.m. Mr. Dougherty is author or editor of thirteen books across genres including “All You Ask For is Longing: New and Selected Poems”. For information call 743-2200 ext. 2601 or go to sunyacc.edu/ news/suny-adirondack-announces-spring-2015-writersproject-schedule. There is no cost for this.

GLENS FALLS — The Upstate Model Railroaders will be holding an open house at 190 Glen St. 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. For information call 747-4112 or go to upstatemodelrailroaders.com. The season hours are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. There is no cost for this event.

Wednesday, April 1 through Thursday, Oct. 15

LAKE GEORGE — Trout Season Begins countywide. Season begins on those bodies of waters not classified as year round. Verify regulations on ponds, lakes, rivers, streams.

Some waters have prohibitions on the use or possession of bait fish, please adhere to these regulations where

Thursday, April 2

LAKE GEORGE — The 2015 Rachael Ray Spring Benefit Cooking Show will take place at the Lake George Central High School, 381 Canada Street.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. “Dish” with Rachael! An enjoyable evening wit Rachael as she returns to her alma mater for her annual cooking show including tasting of the menu, and “dishing”. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 14, at Lake George School, from 9 a.m. to noon. Ticket purchase is limited to six (6) tickets per person. For those requiring special assistance or more information call 696-7184. The event is sponsored by the Lake George Alumni Association.

Thursday, April 2 through Sunday, April 5

LAKE PLACID — There will be three days of adult tournament hockey at the CanAM games in the Olympic Center, 2634 Main Street. For more information call 523-1655.

Saturday, April 4

WHITEFACE — The Rock the Face Concert at Whiteface Mountain, 5021 Rte 86. There will be weekly live entertainment in the Cloudspin Lounge at Whiteface Mountain’s base lodge. The best in regional bands entertain during apres ski. For information call 946-2223. The event is free.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will be held at the Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information call 307-6239 or go to gffma. com. There will be locally grown produce and more.

GLENS FALLS — There will be a Beach Party Boys and Mark Thomas as Neil Diamond concert at the Charles R Wood Theater, 207 Glen Street at 7 p.m. This is a Beach Boys tribute and brings the fun, fun, fun of California’s summer sun! Mark Thomas is a must see for any and all Neil Diamond fans. Sure to be an evening of memories!

For more information call 480-4878 or go to woodtheater.org.

GLENS FALLS — The British Invasion/American Revolution of the 1960’s takes place at the Charles R. Wood Theater,207 Glen Street at 2 p.m. British Invasion will feature songs you will not believe you are hearing live! For information call 480-4878 or go to woodtheater.org.

| SPRING 2015

GLENS FALLS — Folklife Center, Battenkill Inspired will be on display at Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen St. The waters of the Battenkill watershed are the source of inspiration for the art and artifacts in this Folklife Gallery exhibition. For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. The hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. The event is free.

applicable. For information call 897-1200 or go to dec. ny.gov/outdoor/38365.html for more information.

Arts & entertainment

Through Tuesday, June 30

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Saturday, April 4 through Saturday, April 25

BOLTON LANDING — Nature Programs take place 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 go to upyondafarm. com.

Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5

LAKE PLACID — There will be four days of adult tournament hockey at the CanAM games in the Olympic Center, 2634 Main Street. For more information call 523-1655.

Sunday, April 5

NORTH CREEK — Sunrise Service at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road at 7 a.m. Nondenominational service atop Bear Mountain. The gondola boarding begins at 6:30 a.m. For more information call 251-2411 or go to goremountain.com. This event is free WHITEFACE — Super Sundays at Whiteface Mountain, 5021 Rte 86. Five selected Sundays that will feature discounted lift tickets, food and drink specials in the Cloudspin Lounge, fun slope-side games and more! Buy tickets online for the best price, $48 adults, $42 teens and $35 juniors. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For information call 946-2223.

Monday, April 6

SHOREHAM — The Addison County Legislative Breakfast at the Congregational Church from 7 to 8:45 a.m. breakfast is at 7 a.m. and the program begins at 7:30 a.m.

People can meet with their Addison County legislators.

The breakfast is sponsored by Bridport Grange #303 and Addison County Farm Bureau.

GLENS FALLS — The Spring Break! Vacation Art Studio will be on display at The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Have art fun in the studio using your drawing, painting, and sculpting skills. This is for ages 6 to 14. Space is limited. People need to register by Wednesday, April 1. For information call 792-1761 ext. 327 or go to hydecollection.org.

Thursday, April 9

GLENS FALLS — There will be a live Folklife Concert featuring Wooden Dinosaur at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. This is a folk and rock concert.

For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. This event is free.

Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12

LAKE PLACID — There will be four days of adult tournament hockey at the CanAM games in the Olympic Center, 2634 Main Street. For more information call 523-1655.

Friday, April 10

GLENS FALLS — The Hofstra University Chamber Choir Concert will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, 400 Glen Street, at 7 p.m. This is a 40 voice choral ensemble which performs an a cappella program led by Dr. David Fryling. For information call 793-2521 or go to fpcgf. org. The concert benefits the Beeman Music Fund.

NORTH CREEK — The Pond Skimming Contest will be held at Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road at 11 a.m. This is a Wacky ski / snowboard competition! Wear your costume! Great prizes will be awarded. For information call 251-2411 or go to goremountain.com. Advance registration is requested.

POTTERSVILLE — There will be a Roast Pork Dinner at the Pottersville United Methodist Church, 7899 State Rte 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. The food is prepared by some of the best local cooks! For information call 494-2840, 494-3210 or 494-3594.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 9 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

| SPRING 2015

Tuesday, April 7 through Friday, April 10

Arts & entertainment

OLD FORGE — Paint on Pottery Open Studio will take place at the View Art Center from 10 a.m. to noon. No experience is needed and is suitable for all ages! Great family activity! From small figurines to large serving platters, we have an extensive selection of unfinished pottery - our version of the blank canvas. Come unleash your inner artist! Choose a piece of bisque and start painting today!

We provide paints, brushes, helpful assistance, so all you have to do is pick your pottery, pick your paint colors and leave your masterpiece with us to be fired! Your piece will be fired in the kiln and ready to pick up within a few days.

All materials used are nontoxic, dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. For More Information Call: 315-369-6411 ext. 201. Fee ranges from $3 to $25.

Arts & entertainment

Saturday, April 11

| SPRING 2015

LAKE LUZERNE — There will be a Woodworking Hand Tools-Basics with Jim Schreiner from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street. Have you ever thought about making something you’ve seen in the stores? Or do you need to fix something around the house but you don’t know how to begin and want to be safe using the tools? If yes, then this is the class for you.

Woodworking and using hand tools isn’t something just for “Tim the Tool Man”, but is for anyone. With the basic knowledge you will get in this class you will be well on your way to building, creating, and working safely with a wide variety of both hand tools and portable power tools.

We will take the mystery out of working with hand tools and provide you one-on-one coaching so you can learn how to go from idea to creation. The building blocks to creating in wood are universal: planning, measuring, cutting, joining, assembly, and finish. This is a great class for beginners, but is equally valuable for those wanting to take their woodworking skills and dreams to the next level. The cost for tuition is $95, member tuition is $85, and materials fee is $15. For information call 696-2400.

Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12

TICONDEROGA — The Winter Workshop Series: Women’s Clothing Accessories will be portrayed at Fort Ticonderoga. Perfect your portrayal with women’s clothing accessories; mitts, caps, bonnets, & pockets.

Discover interesting details of these garments as well as how to build and wear your own.

Advanced reservations required. The cost is $160 and friends and volunteers are $140.

WHITEFACE — The Rock the Face Concert will be held at Whiteface Mountain, 5021 Route 86. The weekly live entertainment in the Cloudspin Lounge at Whiteface Mountain’s base lodge. The best in regional bands entertain during apres ski. For more information call 946-2223.

LAKE LUZERNE — There will be a portrait class with Carol Maher taking place at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Beginning with a photocopy enlargement of a close-up photograph of you or a loved one, you will transfer reference points of the face onto stretched canvas. Using fast-drying acrylic paints, you will create a one color under painting. Then layer by layer, and area by area, you will build up a likeness of the colored photograph. Starting with this fool-proof foun-

dation, you will be amazed what a fine portrait can be achieved. You will take home your painting, brushes, and a set of tubes of acrylic paints. The cost for tuition is $190, member tuition $170, and the materials fee is $25. For More Information call 696-2400.

Sunday, April 12

GLENS FALLS — The free Second Sunday, Discovery Days is held at The Hyde Collection. Click! And Frame!: See the photography exhibition Click! Selections from the George Stephanopoulos Collection and make a frame to take home to display your favorite family photo. This event takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. For information call 792-1751 ext. 327 or go to hydecollection.org.

LAKE LUZERNE — Let’s Weave a Colorful Sock Rug with Caroline Dvorak at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street from noon to 4 p.m. Using ‘pre-dressed’ looms, this introductory level half-day weaving class allows the beginning or experienced weaver to learn or relearn the basics of using a floor loom. You will quickly move on to take strips of colorful sock remnants, chained together, and turn them into a bright, colorful, thick cotton rug.

These rugs are suitable for any area in your home, from bathmats to children’s rooms, or anywhere you wish to add a bright accent. Enjoy the camaraderie of others in a relaxed learning environment and walk away with a one-of-a-kind sock rug. The cost for tuition is $75 and the member tuition $70. The tuition includes all materials.

For more information call 696-2400.

Monday, April 13

WEYBRIDGE — The Addison County Legislative Breakfast goes from 7 to 8:45 a.m. Meet with your Addison County legislators at the Weybridge Congregational Church. Breakfasts start at 7 a.m. and the program goes from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. The event is sponsored by Bridport Grange #303 and Addison County Farm Bureau.

Tuesday, April 14

OLD FORGE — The Girls’ Night Out-Yoga and Pottery Dessert Dish takes place at the View Art Center, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Relax, visit, share, and enjoy a girl’s night out. The evening starts with a fun, restoring, soothing alllevels and ability, 45 minute Yoga class led by Kathy Queen. After class relax with a glass of wine, a hot cup of tea, and some yummy treats and create a one-of-a-kind decorated pottery dessert dish with Marie Imundo, pottery instructor at View. This is your time to escape for a sweet girl’s night out. Part of living a fulfilled and happy life is having a supportive community of women around us. This night is all about connecting with your body, feeling amazing, getting creative then hanging with like-minded friends. So grab a friend and make a date of it. Space is very limited, register early! The cost is $35 and

Thursday, April 16

GLENS FALLS — There will be a Live Folklife Concert featuring the Honey Dewdrops at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. The concert features bluegrass and folk. For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. The event is free.

Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 19

LAKE PLACID — There will be four days of adult tournament hockey at the CanAM games in the Olympic Center, 2634 Main Street. For more information call 523-1655.

Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19

LAKE LUZERNE — Blacksmithing to Get a Grip: Door Handles with Jonathan Nedbor will take place at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street. This class will focus

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| SPRING 2015

Wednesday, April 15

QUEENSBURY — Michele Battiste with the SUNY Adirondack Spring Writers Project, will be at the SUNY Adirondack Visual Arts Gallery, Dearlove Hall, 640 Bay Road, at 12:40 p.m. Ms. Battiste, poet, is the author of Uprising and Ink for an Odd Cartography. For information call 7432200 ext. 2601 or go to sunyacc.edu/news/suny-adirondack-announces-spring-2015-writers-project-schedule.

This event is free.

on door handles, using traditional forged iron door handle designs as a starting point.

The styles of historic door handles found in the US vary by region, due in most part to the country of origin of each region’s inhabitants. In this class we will look at a number of door handle designs found in the Northeast, showing Dutch, German, French and English influences. Starting with a simple Dutch style handle, we will then move on to several designs found in and around the Hudson Valley of NY showing these varied influences. We will also cover the inner groupings (latch bar, staple and keeper) for these handle styles. Some of the skills we will refine are: shouldering, pre-shaping and spreading forms, punching, drifting, hammer welding, and nail making. We will also discuss considerations when working with “wrought iron”, as compared to steel.

Students are invited to bring any door handles they have found for discussion, new or old. This class is best for students with some forging experience, who can find their way around the anvil and forge. NOTE: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student safety. The cost for tuition is $345. The member tuition is $315. The materi-

Arts & entertainment

$30 for members. For More Information. For information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

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als fee is $45. For nore information call: (518) 696-2400

Saturday, April 18

| SPRING 2015

TICONDEROGA — The King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga presents the fourth annual Garden & Landscape Symposium, in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. The public is invited to join us, whether you are an experienced gardener or just getting started, for helpful insight from garden experts who live and garden in northern climates. This one-day program focuses on practical, easy-to-implement strategies for expanding and improving your garden or landscape. The programs are offered in an informal setting that encourages interaction between speakers and attendees.

BOLTON LANDING — Amy’s Park Volunteer Work Day on Padanarum Road from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Help LGLC re-route the trail to High Nopit. Enjoy a moderately challenging hike to view Lake George. Advance registration is required. For information call 644-9673 or go to lglc.org.

There will be a registration and the event is free.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 9 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

QUEENSBURY — The April Tea will be held at Harrisena Community Church, 1616 Ridge Road from 1 to 4 p.m.

Celebrate spring by enjoying tea and light refreshments in Robinson Hall. For information call 792-1902 or go to harrisena.org.

QUEENSBURY — There will be a Cabin Fever Book Sale at the Warren County Historical Society, 195 Sunnyside Road from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There is a great selection of books, small collectibles, household items, costume jewelry and more. For information call 743-0734 or go to warrencountyhistoricalsociety.org.

PLATTSBURGH — The Survival Skills for Daily Living with Discovery Channel co-star Joseph Teti will be held at the Strand Theatre, 25 Brinkerhoff Street from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is a Powerful Seminar for the whole family by the US Special Forces Veteran. Autographs and pictures will be available. Tickets start at $20 at Strand Box Office or Pine Harbour. Visit PineHarbour.org for more information.

LAKE LUZERNE — Build a Rustic Birdhouse with Don Polunci at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to noon. Anyone can learn to make a rustic birdhouse in just a few hours. A birdhouse is a simple structure with seven basic parts: two sides, a front and back, a bottom, and two pieces for the top. Power tools are not necessary to cut the wood; it can be done with a handsaw. Using

rough-cut lumber, you will construct a rustic birdhouse that can be functional and/or decorative. Choose from several birdhouse designs. There will be a short discussion about nesting birds, feeding birds, and suitable houses for area birds. Participants are encouraged to bring objects (such as old drawer pulls, door knobs, hardware, etc.) from home. Adults and teens welcome. Children ages 10 to 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The cost for tuition is $50, member tuition $45 and the materials fee is $10. For more information call 696-2400.

Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19

LAKE LUZERNE — Make a Hobo Quilt with Sandy Collins at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a great project for the first time quilter and also for the experienced quilter. The blocks are layered and quilted before sewn together which makes this a very fast project to complete. This is a good opportunity to use up some of your stash or to go shop for more. Everyone will want to snuggle up with this super comfort “Hobo” quilt. Good for beginner to intermediate quilters.

NOTE: A list of materials and equipment needed for this project is available at AFS. The cost for Tuition is $95 and the member tuition is $85. For more information call 6962400 or stop by for a copy.

Sunday, April 19

TICONDEROGA — The Fort Fever Series: Cameron Green, Assistant Director of Interpretation will be speaking on “A Layered Legacy”. Discover the continuing story of Ticonderoga, after the guns had ceased firing; see the flowering of agriculture, tourism, and hospitality as told through the King’s Garden. Join Green and get a sneak peak of all the new ground being broken for the 2015 season, as well as some of the great structures and stories recently uncovered. The program takes place at 2 p.m. Check in at the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. The cost is $10 per person. The Friends of Fort Ticonderoga get in free.

BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — “The Abenaki in the Adirondacks: Diverse Experiences from the 18th Century to the 21st Century” with Christopher Roy and an Abenaki panel will be held at the Museum Auditorium, 9097 State Rte 30, at 1:30 p.m.

Admission is free for museum members, students and children and $5 for nonmembers.

Refreshments will be served. Hear from several Abenaki panelists about their families’ experiences in the Adirondacks and anthropologist Christopher Roy, who will highlight important

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Monday, April 20

LAKE LUZERNE — Come see a Fused Glass Platter at the View Art Center, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Come express yourself in glass! No glass experience needed.

This class is suitable for all ages and children under 12 will be restricted to pre-cut glass. Using various shapes, colors, and types of glass create a one-of-a-kind 9-10” square glass platter. Pieces are melted flat in the kiln, and then returned to the kiln in a mold to shape into a platter. Pieces will be available for pickup the following week.

The cost is $28 for nonmembers and $24 for members. For More Information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

| SPRING 2015

and hospitality as told through the King’s Garden. Join Assistant Director of Interpretation, Cameron Green, to get a sneak peak of all the new ground being broken for the 2015 season, as well as some of the great structures and stories recently uncovered. The cost is $10 per person and free for members. For More Information call 585-2821.

Arts & entertainment

Abenaki-related collections at the Adirondack Museum.

LAKE LUZERNE — Make the Adirondack Landscapes in Felt with Robin Blakney-Carlson at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street from 9 a.m. to noon. Felt is a perfect medium to capture the essence of the Adirondacks in a landscape. In this workshop we will use natural fibers and learn a simple wet felting technique to make our felted “sketches”. You will discover the unique felting characteristics of various fibers and how to use them to their best effect: wool batt, wool roving, nepps and locks, mohair, silk hankies, silk top and silk blends, linen and hemp. Students should bring two old hand towels; all other materials will be supplied. Wear sleeves that can be rolled up out of your way to stay dry; a heavy cloth or waterproof apron is helpful too. Appropriate for all levels of experience.

NOTE: Please wear sleeves you can push up to class, and bring 2 Old Towels and a heavy cloth or waterproof apron.

The cost for tuition is $50, member tuition $45, and the materials fee is $18. For More Information call 696-2400.

GLENS FALLS — The Lake George Community Band Spring Concert at the Glens Falls High School, 10 Quade Street at 3 p.m. There will be a wide variety of numbers featured. Motion picture themes and selections, circus tunes and marches, light classics, and much more will be performed by the 65-plus members. For information go to lgcb.org.

TICONDEROGA — Visit A Layered Legacy at the Mars Education Center, in Fort Ticonderoga at 2 p.m. Discover the continuing story of Ticonderoga, after the guns had ceased firing; see the flowering of agriculture, tourism,

Wednesday, April 22

GLENS FALLS — The Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with Steve Mackey of the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society Program will be at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. For information go to southerna-

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dirondackaudubon.org. The event is free.

Thursday, April 23

GLENS FALLS — There will be a Live! Folklife Concert featuring the Emerald Rae Trio at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. There will be folk, guitar, fiddle and crwth, the ancient welsh fiddle, pronounced krooth.

For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. The event is free.

| SPRING 2015

Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26

LAKE PLACID — The CHE Hockey three-day youth hockey tournament will be held in the Lake Placid Olympic Center, 2634 Main Street. For more information call 5231655.

Saturday, April 25

OLD FORGE — Have a Lei’d Back Night with your BFF’s!

Grab the Girls and head to the Water’s Edge Inn for an evening of Hawaiian themed fun, pampering, and girl time with your BFF’s! Spend time catching up with friends and current trends while whimsically wearing your complimentary flowery leis and reveling in the Hawaiian theme! Specialty products and services geared directly toward women are on-site, providing the “latest and greatest” and offering beneficial information. Then live it up later in the evening, enjoying music, karaoke and dancing in the privacy of your friends. No boys allowed!

Packages include: Accommodations, Complimentary Leis & Event Wristband, Admission to the Vendor Displays, Product Exhibitions & Demos, Win Raffle Tickets from Contests - Best Costume, Door Decorating, Hula Hoop, Limbo, Karaoke and more! Use Your Raffle Tickets to win Door Prizes, Teriyaki Chicken Sliders, Music, Karaoke, Dancing & Fun! Hot Continental Breakfast, Late Check Out. For more information and reservations call (315) 369-2484 .

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 9 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

LAKE LUZERNE — There will be an Introduction to Fly Tying with Paul Sinicki at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to noon. What better way to appreciate the Adirondacks than through fly fishing, with its long and rich local tradition. Fly fishing leads us to learn more about our environment and natural resources and increases the time we spend outdoors appreciating nature and living a healthier life. Most fly fishers become strong stewards of our resources as they learn to fish; fly fishing is considered one of the most humane ways to catch a fish. The art of fly tying dates back many centuries and is also steeped in tradition. The cost for tuition is

$50, member tuition $45, and the materials fee is $15. For more information call 696-2400.

Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26

KATTSKILL BAY — YMCA Camp Chingachgook on Lake George, 1872 Pilot Knob Road, hosts a volunteer work weekend from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is an opportunity for members of the community, alumni, and anyone interested in lending a hand to help ready camp for the summer of 2015. Join them in giving back to this wonderful Camp. There are work projects available for enthusiastic skilled and unskilled volunteers. Projects include painting, raking, light carpentry, firewood splitting and stacking, brush clearing, boat repairs, gardening, landscaping, and trail work. These will be done between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. This event is free for guests and lodging is provided if needed. Contact our offices at (518-656-9462 for more information and to RSVP. HADLEY — Upstate Model Railroaders, Maple in April will be held at the Town Hall. Learn about the building and operation of a model railroad. HO, O, G scale operating layouts. For information call 747-4112 or go to upstatemodelrailroaders.com. This event is free.

Saturday, April 25 through Sunday, May 31.

GLENS FALLS — The Hyde Collection will feature The Juried Show, a annual High School Exhibition. The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street will show works in various media by the best of high school art students from schools located in Essex, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties. For information call 792-1761 ext. 327 or go to hydecollection.org. The hours for the season are Tuesday through Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. excluding holidays.

Sunday, April 26

GLENS FALLS — Ensemble Vivant will perform at the The Hyde Collection at 2 p.m. Hailed as “Canada’s Chamber Music Treasure” (Toronto Star), this outstanding group has been in demand touring various parts of the globe for over 20 years. Since its inception, Ensemble Vivant has been a pioneer in the piano chamber music world championing an exciting and innovative genre-diverse repertoire ranging from classical to Latin and other jazz persuasions.

The groups receives accolades internationally in both the classical and jazz worlds and its 12 recordings have become classic’s which are heard around the world.

Led by the group’s founder, pianist and artistic director Catherine Wilson, the ensemble is comprised of Norman Hathaway, Sybil Shanahan, Stephen Sitarski, and Don Thompson. These sensational performers bring rich lyricism, passionate depth of artistry and sensuous, virtuosic playing to the performances. This is part of the de Blasiis Chamber Music Series.

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Arts & entertainment | SPRING 2015

LAKE GEORGE — Lake George Half Marathon & 5k is a challenging course along west side of Lake George. The 5k course runs along Beach Rd. to American Legion Rd/State Rte 9L. Runners meet at the Fort William Henry Hotel, 48 Canada Street at 9 a.m. for the half marathon and for the 5k at 9:15 a.m. For information call 603-429-8879 or go to 3craceproductions.com/schedule.php. The run is benefiting Strong To Serve, an organization helping orphans in 3rd world countries.

QUEENSBURY — Come see the Cooper’s Cave Coin Club Spring Show at the VFW Post #6196, 32 Luzerne Road from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is fun for all ages! Everything for a new collector to an experienced collector. Always a great selection of stamps and coins. Refreshments. For information call 623-2178. There is no cost for this.

LAKE GEORGE — Celebrate Arbor Day with a Family Program at the Chapman Historical Museum, 348 Glen Street from 2 until 4 p.m. Celebrate trees with fun family activities geared for pre-k through 5th grade in historic DeLong House including the history of Arbor Day, how to identify some trees and how to plant a tree. Cool crafts too. One looks like a tree and one is made out of a part of a tree!

Reservations are recommended by calling 793-2826 or go to chapmanmuseum.org.

PLATTSBURGH — The sixth annual Plattsburgh Half Marathon will begin on the US Oval at 8 a.m. The event includes two relay events, both of which run concurrent with the half marathon. Then a fun filled day with food, drinks, entertainment, a silent auction raffle and more!

Visit plattsburghhalfmarathon.com for information.

LAKE LUZERNE — There will be a Lampworking: Beads Don’t Have To Be Round with Renee Kingsley at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tired of Round beads? Beads come in many shapes and sizes. In this class you will learn how to use tools and marvering techniques to shape glass into square, triangle, bi-cone, tube and tab shaped beads. Previous lampwork experience required. The cost for tuition is $70, member tuition $60, and materials fee is $20. For more information call 696-2400.

LAKE LUZERNE — There will be an Introduction to Woodturning with John Kingsley at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to noon. To every season turn, turn, turn! This course is for people who have an interest in learning how to turn. The emphasis will be on learning how to use the lathe and tools safely and correctly. In this class you will learn the basics of creating spindle-based objects. Then you will use your new-found skills to create a candlestick and a wooden pen. Friends and family will be truly impressed! You’ll need to take this class before moving on to the more advanced turning classes. For your safety do not wear loose fitting clothes, hair tied back, comfortable shoes, and no jewelry. If sensitive to wood

dust, registration for turning classes is not recommended.

The cost for tuition is $50, member tuition $45, and the materials fee is $15.

Wednesday, April 29

OLD FORGE — There will be an introduction to Stained Glass Bear Sun Catcher at the Art Center from 1 to 4 p.m.

The process will include an introduction to the fundamentals of pattern design and utilization; cutting, sizing and fitting various pieces of glass; and use of modern joining methods. This workshop is for aspiring stained glass artists with little or no experience with this medium who would like to learn procedures, techniques, and special insights into creating original works of art involving the material glass. All materials and tools are provided for students to create a stained glass bear sun catcher. The cost is $45 and $35 for members. For more information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

Thursday, April 30

LAKE LUZERNE — The Tuesday Night Summer Lecture with Marty Podskoch, Adirondack 202 takes place at the HadleyLuzerne Public Library, 19 Main Street at 7 p.m. For information call 696-3423 or go to hadluzblog.sals. edu. There is no cost for this event.

Friday, May 1

GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls Law Day Run/Walk starts at the Glens Falls YMCA 600 Glen Street, at 5 p.m. This three mile trail run/walk will go through Cole’s Woods.

There will be race day registration only. For information go to adirondackrunners.org.

Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3

GLENS FALLS — “A View from the Bridge” by the Glens Falls Community Theatre will take place at the Charles R Wood Theater 207 Glen Street Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The story of a family from Brooklyn, an intense drama by Arthur Miller. Presented by Glens Falls Community Theatre, one of the oldest Community Theatre organizations in New York - begun in 1935! For information call 792-1740 or go to gfcommunitytheatre.org.

Friday, May 1 through Monday, May 4

LAKE LUZERNE —The workshop Tools from the ‘’Smithy’’ with David Court will be held at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The smithy is both the maker and the place of the making. Useful tools from the “smithy” can range from hammers and chisels for work to corkscrews and straining spoons for home life. The rough and ready to the finely finished. With this in mind we offer an opportunity for the beginner to advanced student to design and build tools for their needs whether making tools for their own workshop or as family gifts. Our goal is to allow students to step out on their own course of interest while utilizing diverse work experiences. Group inclusion in design discussion will be encouraged and the wide range of potential techniques needed should provide for interesting forge demonstrations. For this workshop work tools will be constructed using mild steel and hardened using super quench. Students should come with a list/drawings of desired projects as this class is designed to be individualized for specific challenges and interests. If alloy steel is required, students must provide their own material along with heating specifications.

NOTE: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student safety. The cost for tuition is $460, member tuition $420, and the materials fee is $50. For more information call 696-2400.

Saturday, May 2

WARRENSBURG — The Chris O’Connor Charity Golf Tournament takes place at Cronin’s Golf Resort, 40 Golf Course Road with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. This is a four person scramble. It is organized by the members of Psi Phi Delta, SUNY Potsdam in memory of Chris O’Connor. For information go to oconnorcharitygolf.com.

LAKE GEORGE — There will be an exhibition reception for Robert Gullie and Anthony Pezzulla at the Courthouse

| SPRING 2015

Gallery, Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst Street from 4 to 6 p.m. Recent works will be on display. For information call 668-2616 or go to lakegeorgearts.org. There is no cost for this event.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 8 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

LAKE GEORGE — The Spring Dinner and Dance with the Lake George Music Festival takes place at the Dunham’s Bay Resort, 2999 State Route 9L at 6 p.m. This is an all inclusive dinner, and entertainment by Danny Lombardo Duo with door prizes, silent auction, and raffles. The Lake George Music Festival comprises 65 musicians and presents an eight day festival each August. For information call 791-5089 or go to lakegeorgemusicfestival.com.

GLENS FALLS — Wing Fest 2015 will be at participating downtown Restaurants from noon to 5 p.m. This will be family friendly fun with music, street performers and tastings. For information call 232-1290 or go to glensfallscollaborative.com.

LAKE LUZERNE — The Photography: Perfect Pictures Every Time for Beginners with Carl Heilman II class will be held at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Understanding photography basics is the key to taking control of your camera, and knowing you got the shot when you were taking it. If you would like to take your skill level from shooting in Auto to having full control over your camera, this intensive class is for you! A step by step Powerpoint presentation helps teach the basic principles of photography including: camera options and set-up, peripheral equipment, image exposure and histograms, and will touch on shooting for HDR, and working with motion, depth of field, and composition. The class is paced to allow time for questions and interaction, with about half of the day in the classroom experimenting with the cameras, and the other half spent in the field, practicing camera techniques and shooting options. A comprehensive handout will include all the major points covered in the presentation. While the class instruction is mostly landscape based, these techniques and principles can be applied to all photographic situations. Equipment requirements include a DSLR and lens system/OR full featured point and shoot camera (preferably with screw-on filter and tripod capability), a sturdy tripod, and a remote release. In addition, bring along whatever variety of lenses you have. The cost for tuition is $205 and member tuition is $195. For more information call 696-2400.

Arts & entertainment

LAKE LUZERNE — How to Get A ‘’Head’’ in the World of Woodcarving with Gerry Holzman at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, on Friday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The class, designed to accommodate students at a variety of skill levels, is based on the carving of a stylized monk’s head. This charming chap, whose ancestor was once a beam support in the rathskellar of the Hotel Buffalo, has graciously offered to model for us. Working from a band-sawn cutout (2 inch thick basswood blank provided), you will complete one of these caricatures. Those with advanced carving and modeling skills will be encouraged to introduce some personal variations. The finished corbel can be hung like a picture, used as a shelf or, as the instructor has done in his own post & beam home, actually be put to work as a beam supporter. A basic set of carving tools will be provided, but if you have your own set and mallet you certainly should bring them along. Sharpening equipment will also be available. Please bring a hand mirror so you can copy some of your own facial details. The cost for tuition is $240, member tuition $215, and the materials fee is $10. For more information call 696-2400.

Arts & entertainment | SPRING 2015

OLD FORGE — The Paint on Pottery Open Studio will be held at the View Art Center, from 10 a.m. to noon. There is no experience needed, and is suitable for all ages! Great family activity! From small figurines to large serving platters, we have an extensive selection of unfinished pottery - our version of the blank canvas. Come unleash your inner artist! Choose a piece of bisque and start painting today! We provide paints, brushes, helpful assistance, so all you have to do is pick your pottery, pick your paint colors and leave your masterpiece with us to be fired! Your piece will be fired in the kiln and ready to pick up within a few days. All materials used are nontoxic, dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. The cost fee ranges from $3 to $25. For more Information call 315-3696411 ext. 201.

Saturday, May 2 through Sunday, May 3

LAKE GEORGE — Lake George Townwide Garage Sale.

Throughout Lake George Village.

NORTH CREEK — Hudson River Whitewater Derby will take place at the Hudson River, 228 Main St. This is the longest running white water derby including novice slalom, giant slalom. Enjoy a weekend of Adirondack Fun! Music, awards and more! For more information go to LakeGeorge.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Coming Home Quilt Show takes place at the Queensbury Hotel, 88 Ridge Street. The show Saturday will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The admission is $6 per person with children under 6 free. There will be many handcrafted quilts, featured members exhibition, vendor mall, silent auction, kid’s corner and vendor demonstrations. Email WFQGinfo@gmail. com for information.

NORTH CREEK — The Hudson River Whitewater Derby will be flowing at the Hudson River, 228 Main Street. This is the longest running white water derby including novice slalom, giant slalom. This is a weekend of Adirondack fun, music, awards and more! For information call 251-2612 or go to whitewaterderby.com.

Saturday, May 2 through Saturday, May 30

BOLTON LANDING — Nature Programs will take place 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 information call 644-9767 or go to upyondafarm.com.

Saturday, May 2 through Friday, June 5

LAKE GEORGE — The Courthouse Gallery will exhibit works from Robert Gullie and Anthony Pezzulla, as part of the Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst Street, Tues-

day through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment. Recent works will be on display. For information call 668-2616 or go to lakegeorgearts.org for more information. There is no cost for this event.

Sunday, May 3

SARANAC LAKE — Daffest is Saranac Lake’s newest community movement to plant one million daffodil bulbs and to celebrate these blooms each year with a fun filled festival. To date over 80,000 bulbs have been planted!

Come join us and you will see our streets lined with these festive, beautiful blooms. For information on all the activities visit daffest.com or call 891-3365.

PLATTSBURGH — Walk! MS will talk place at the US Oval Historic District, 52 US Oval, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the walk 10 a.m. Walk MS is the rallying point of the MS movement, a community coming together to raise funds and celebrate hope for a future without MS. Through our 50 state network of chapters, Walk MS provides an opportunity to connect people living with MS and those who care about them. This community event raises critical funds to support life-changing programs and cutting-edge research. Nearly 340,000 people come together nation-wide to show the power of connections. Right here in Upstate New York, our 19 Walk MS locations raised more than $1.3 million in 2014. We encourage you to get connected and be part of the Upstate New York Chapter’s largest signature event by sponsoring this event. For more information call 585-271-0805.

LAKE LUZERNE — A photography class featuring Spring Lakes and Waterways Full Moon Photo Tour with Carl Heilman II will be held at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 1 to 9 p.m. A gorgeous sunset as the moon is rising awaits you in this one day nature photography tour. Moonrise is about 20 minutes before the 8 PM sunset, creating opportunities to photograph the moon and the landscape under the moonlight. This nature photography tour is designed for those who are already comfortable with camera basics such as the relationship between aperture, shutter, and ISO settings. Start this eight hour day with a very brief introduction and discussion, then take the rest of the day to play with photo techniques in the field at beautiful nearby Adirondack lakes and waterways. A great class for those who wish to receive mentoring while in the field. NOTE: Equipment requirements include: a DSLR and/or full featured point and shoot camera (preferably with screw-on filter capability), a sturdy tripod, and a remote release. In addition, bring along your widest angle lenses (shortest focal lengths), longer focal length zooms (that can be used with extension tubes), macro lenses, extension tubes, tele-extenders, and closeup diopters you have in your camera bag. The cost for tuition is $205 and the member tuition is $195. For more information call 696-2400

Tuesday, May 5

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Voices Spring Concert featuring Americana will be held at the Christ Church United Methodist Church, 54 Bay Street at 7:30 p.m. This is always an enjoyable evening with the 70-voice chorus under the direction of Penny Schiek performing with the Lake George Community Band under the direction of Michael Cramer. Tickets will be available at the door. For information go to sites.google.com/site/adirondackvoices/ home/concert-information.

PLATTSBURGH — Shine On! Raising Resilient Girls Spring Parent Workshop takes place at 30 City Place from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Learn tips and tricks about talking to children about social media safety and online responsibility. The event is catered and free. Visit shineongirls.org for more information.

Tuesday, May 5 through Tuesday, May 26

GLENS FALLS — Cole’s Woods Trail Series - 5k Race takes place at the Glens Falls YMCA, 600 Glen Street. Registration will be Tuesday at 6 p.m. This trail is rooty and rocky but always lots of fun! For information go to adirondackrunners.org.

OLD FORGE — Create silver jewelry on Tuesday’s at the View Art Center, from 6 to 9 p.m. This 6 week course is designed for the aspiring jewelry artist with little or no experience with this medium who would like to learn procedures, techniques, and special insights into creating original works of art involving silver. Students will learn basic techniques including sawing, texturing, and soldering, through demonstrations and projects, as well as vocabulary and safety related to studio procedures. The cost is $100 and $75 for members. Materials fee is based on pieces created. For more information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

OLD FORGE — Sketching Cory Card Tuesday’s will be held at the View Art Center, from 6 to 9 p.m. Learn suggested sketching techniques from View’s Exhibits Manager. This class is for the beginner to advanced artists. The cost is $120 and $90 member. For more information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

Wednesday, May 6

WARRENSBURG — The Spring Garden Lecture and Pot Luck Luncheon will be held at The Glen Lodge Bed & Breakfast, 1123 Rte 28 at 11:30 a.m. Join the Warrensburgh Beautification Committee for their annual affair. To register or for more information call 466-5497.

GLENS FALLS — The Upstate Model Railroaders Open House will be held at 190 Glen Street from 8 to 9 p.m.

Learn about the 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. For information call 747-4112 or go to upstatemodelrailroaders.com. There is no cost for this event.

Thursday, May 7

GLENS FALLS — There will be a live Folklife Concert featuring Maire N. Chathasaigh at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street, at 7 p.m. For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. The event is free.

Friday, May 8

TICONDEROGA — The Gunning Family Dance Studio Presents a Cinderella Dance Recital at the Ti High School Auditorium beginning at 7 p.m.

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KATTSKILL BAY — Experience the joy of sailing on beautiful Lake George with YMCA Camp Chingachgook’s “Learn to Sail” program at 1872 Pilot Knob Road. This three-day course, taught by instructors from the camp’s Y-Knot Sailing program, is a perfect introduction for those looking to learn how to sail for the first time and for those who want to brush up on their sailing skills. Instruction will be in the classroom and on the water, utilizing Chingachgook’s 24 foot Rainbow sloops - stable, safe and roomy boats built for teaching. Chingachgook’s “Learn to Sail” course consists of three consecutive Sundays - May 3, May, 10, and May 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. each day. The cost is $75 per person.

Tuesday, May 5 through Tuesday, June 9

Arts & entertainment

Sunday, May 3 through Sunday, May 17, 2015

Arts & entertainment

Friday, May 8 through Sunday, May 10

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BOLTON LANDING — The Sagamore will be holding a Girlfriend’s Getaway at 3 p.m.

Relax the Body, Renew the Mind and Refresh the Spirit!

This is a weekend of women’s wellness workshops, lunfitness classes, welcome reception, fashion show, lun cheon, hula hooping, hikes and more. Experience the tranquility and nature of the Adirondack Mountains like never before.

Saturday, May 9

TICONDEROGA — Fort Ticonderoga Opens for the 2015 Season from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 8 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

LAKE GEORGE — The Prospect Mountain Road Race begins at 9 a.m. This is a 5.67 mile race up 1,601 ft to the summit of Prospect Mountain. For more information go to adirondackrunners.org.

QUEENSBURY — National Train Day with Upstate Model Railroaders will take place at the Aviation Mall, 578 Aviation Road from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be HO, O, N, and G scale operating layouts. This is one of the only clubs in country which operates 8-scale layouts at their Club located at 190 Glen Street in Glens Falls. For more information call 747-4112 or go to upstatemodelrailroaders.com.

LAKE LUZERNE — Come do a ‘’Cathedral Window’’ Quilt Block with Sandy Collins at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This great “take-along” project is back. Come learn the art of folding fabric and hand stitching to create a beautiful family treasure. We will review the process from start to finish. Choose whether to make a pillow-sized quilt or a larger size quilt you will finish at home.

Good for beginner and intermediate quilters. Make a lovely patterned quilt that will grace your home. NOTE: A list of materials and equipment needed for this project is available at AFS. The cost for tuition is $50 and the member tuition is $45.

For more information call 696-2400.

LAKE LUZERNE — Classes for beginning mandolin with Nick Barr will be held at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to noon. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the “lute” family and is usually

plucked with a pick. Originating from Italy in the 18th century, mandolins blossomed in the United States in the 1800’s and continue their popularity today. In this beginning class students will learn “simple chords”, learn four finger chords to play rhythm, and be taught some simple melodies to play so that they might enjoy this lovely past time in the future. This is a 2-day class, May 9 & 23. NOTE: Bring your own mandolin, paper and pencil The cost for tuition is $95 and member tuition is $85. For more information call 696-2400.

NEWCOMB — There will be an Adirondack Fly Fishing Workshop at the Adirondack Interpretive Center, 5922 State Rte 28N, at 9 a.m. Join licensed Adirondack guide Rick Kovacs for this introductory workshop, where you will be introduced to the art and science of fly fishing. Instruction will focus on the basics of fly casting, fly fishing insects, gear and technique. If you “get the bug” after this workshop, you can sign up at a reduced rate for our Fly Fishing Weekend Retreat on September 18-20 where further instruction takes place directly on the water. No prior knowledge of fly fishing is necessary, nor is gear, which will be available for use. Pre-registration is required. The cost is a $25 workshop fee. Call 582-2000 to register and for more information.

Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Winery will be holding a Mother’s Day Wine Tasting at 285 Canada Street at 11 a.m. Cheers to Mom! Samples of local wines and cheeses, upgrades for all Moms with a fee for tastings. For information call 668-9463 or go to adirondackwinery.com.

Sunday, May 10

GLENS FALLS — The free Second Sunday, Discovery Days is held at The Hyde Collection. YOU are the ARTIST!: See the works in the 24th Annual Regional Juried High School Exhibition and be inspired to make a new and different work of art - maybe something for Mother’s Day! This event takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. For information call 792-1751 ext. 327 or go to hydecollection.org.

GLENS FALLS — A Mother’s Day Concert with Tony DeSare and the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra will take place at the Glens Falls High School, 10 Quade Street at 4 p.m. The Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra is joined by the international performer, award-winning composer and a favorite local jazz musician. For information call 793-1348 or go to theglensfallssymphony.org.

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Arts & entertainment

Monday, May 11, through Friday, May 15

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LAKE LUZERNE — Build a Wee Lassie Canoe with Larry Benjamin at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The original “Wee Lassie” was a lapstrakebuilt open cedar canoe made in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton, of Canton, NY. Rushton was one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. George Washington Sears, who wrote of his adventures under his pen name of “Nessmuk” as he recorded his paddling adventures throughout the Adirondacks, popularized these small, finely crafted canoes. Come spend 10 wonderful days at AFS building your own Wee Lassie. You will be guided through every step of the building process. Leave with a beautiful, lightweight canoe that handles well in the water. Open to all level of student. Tuition is $950, member tuition $850, and the materials fee is $900. For more information call 696-2400.

Tuesday, May 12

OLD FORGE — Girls’s Night Out-Yoga and Painted Floral Platter will be held at the View Art Center, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Relax, visit, share, and enjoy a girl’s night out. The evening starts with a fun, restoring, soothing all-levels and ability, 45 minute Yoga class led by Kathy Queen. After class relax with a glass of wine, a hot cup of tea, and some yummy treats and paint a one-of-a-kind floral decorated ceramic platter. This is your time to escape for a sweet girl’s night out. Part of living a fulfilled and happy life is having a supportive community of women around us. This night is all about connecting with your body, feeling amazing, getting creative then hanging with like-minded friends. So grab a friend and make a date of it. Space is very limited, register early! The cost is $35 and $30 for members. For more information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

Wednesday, May 13

GLENS FALLS — Sesame Street Live! Make a New Friend comes to the Glens Falls Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza with shows at 10:30 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, and their Sesame Street friends welcome Chamki, Grover’s friend from India, and celebrate cultural similarities, singing, dancing, and sharing cookies! This is great family entertainment featuring your favorite Sesame Street friends. For more information call 855-432-2849 or go to glensfallscc.com.

LAKE LUZERNE — Make jewelry and do a precious metal clay exploration with Nancy Miller at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the introductory class to take if you’ve never taken a metal clay jewelry class, or if you’ve been away from working with Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and would like a refresher. Explore the many ways that you can use fine Silver PMC to

create jewelry designs of your own. You’ll make pendants, earrings, simple beads, charms, and rings with a focus on incorporating nature into the pieces. You’ll even learn to set and fire stones in your pieces. You will fully finish three or four pieces of jewelry in this one-day class! Techniques and projects will be demonstrated. Come create jewelry that you’ll want to make and wear. Students at all levels of experience are welcome to join in the fun. The cost for tuition is $110, member tuition $100, and the materials fee is $78. For more information call 696-2400.

Thursday, May 14

GLENS FALLS — There will be a Live! Folklife Concert at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m.

For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. There is no cost for this event.

Wednesday, May 15

STONY CREEK — Adventures In and Around the Adirondacks with Peter Federick takes place at the Stony Creek Free Library, 37 Harrisburg Road, from 7 to 8 p.m. Mr. Federick, an avid hiker, will present a pictorial journey, and music to some Adirondack gems. Featuring often overlooked places for paddling, hiking and biking available in our backyard. For information call 696-5911 or go to stonycreekfreelibrary.sals.edu. There is no cost for this event.

CHESTERTOWN — The Car Show comes to Panther Mountain Inn, 6359 Main Street at 5 p.m. There will be Vintage cars and a sunset cruise. View and vote for your favorites. Trophies will be awarded. For information call 573-4386 or go to trilakesalliance.com. The event is free.

Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17

TICONDEROGA — Fort Ticonderoga hosts the Twentieth Annual War College of the Seven Years’ War from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. Since 1996, the War Colrelege has become a top venue for historians on subjects re lating to the French & Indian War, drawing speakers and participants from across North America. An enthusiastic audience of nearly 200 people represents all levels of interest, from general lovers of history to scholars. The War College offers a unique, informal setting that promotes interaction and discussion between speakers and attendees.

Our speakers include both established and new scholars studying the French & Indian War in North America. For More Information call 585-2821.

LAKE GEORGE — The St. James Episcopal Church Estate Sale will take place at 33 Hubbell Lane from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a collection of fine items, including antique furniture, china, glassware and jewelry. For more information call 668-2001.

LAKE LUZERNE — A Beginning Blacksmithing class with David Court will be held at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The art of blacksmithing begins with a solid foundation and a focus on the fundamentals of safety, the proper construction and control of the forge fire, hammer control, and an introduction to tooling and its purpose. Beginning with the basic techniques of tapering, upsetting, squaring, rounding, scrolling, basic joinery and more, you will leave with a finished project of your own design. This class is designed for both the novice and those with some forging experience. It is a sound platform from which students may move on to more advanced courses. So strike while the iron is hot.

Owing to the physical demands and to safety issues, this class is suggested for students 18 years of age and older.

NOTE: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student safety. The cost for tuition is $460, member tuition is $420 and the materials fee is $50. For more information call 696-2400.

Saturday, May 16

KATTSKILL BAY — Join Camp Chingachgook for Women’s Kayaking Day at YMCA Camp Chingachgook, 1872 Pilot Knob Road from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our women’s kayaking day allows you to learn the basics in paddling, steering, and safety of flatwater kayaking while exploring and picnicking on an island or the shore of Lake George. Kayaks provided by Chingachgook serve as your mode of transportation for the day as you enjoy the sights and sounds of the historical 32-mile long lake. The cost is $48 for the public, $43 for Y Members.

LAKE GEORGE — Randy’s Run-5k Run & Walk & Murphy’s Mile will begin at the Lake George Elementary School, 69 Sun Valley Road at 9 a.m. The is an annual benefit for local Lake George Charities and the High School 9th grade in honor of former Lake George Teachers Randall Madison and Ed Murphy. It’s an uphill and then downhill run.

There will be awards to follow. For more information call 668-5456 or go to lkgeorge.org/calendar_events.cfm.

LAKE GEORGE — Stewardship With Style and the Lake George Community Garden Club invites the public to

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Friday, May 15 through Monday, May 18

Shepard Park, Canada Street from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be exhibits, speakers, and displays promoting low impact “lakescapes” which protect Lake George health.

Perennials from the Lake George Community Garden Club for your lawn and garden will be on display. They will also share planting instructions and tips. This is presented by FUND for Lake George. For information call 668-9700 or go to fundforlakegeorge.org. There is no cost for this event.

LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George Historical Association and Museum Opening Day takes place at the Lake George Institute of History, Art and Science, 290 Canada Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Exhibits include diorama created

by Clarke Dunham depicting Lake George circa 1930 and Georgia O’Keeffe. Logging exhibit features 2-man chainsaw. Courtroom, jail cells, and much more history. For information call 668-5044 or go to lakegeorgehistorical. org. There is no cost for this event.

CHESTERTOWN — There will be a Chicken and Biscuit Dinner at the Community Methodist Church, Church Street 5 to 7 p.m. For more information call 494-3374.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 8 a.m. to noon.

There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

LAKE LUZERNE — Come visit backyard plants and simple home remedies with Susan Havens at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to noon. Did you know common plants and weeds growing in your yard or at your favorite garden shop can be used in your home to help you stay well? Learn to use these plants as food or simple home remedies for common complaints. Guides will be provided with step by step instructions for making your own at home. Weather permitting we will take a plant walk. You will go home with a basic understanding of what our “grandmothers” did long ago for their families. Bring a notebook and pen.

The cost for tuition is $50 and member tuition is $45. For more information call 696-2400.

Arts & entertainment

THURMAN — The Thurman Townwide Sale will be held at various locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Always a great selection and lots of fun. Map available at sales near edges of town and online will guide you to old-fashioned yard sales. Rain or Shine! For more information call 623-9305 or got to thurmantownwidesale.com.

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LAKE LUZERNE — Make a checkerboard market basket with Barbara Boughton at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A generous sized market basket, which always elicits compliments, this basket is a fun and satisfying weave. Reed, hand-dyed in red and black, is woven in a plain weave to create the checkerboard pattern. A solid bottom adds strength and functionality to the basket. Students will be introduced in several methods of weaving a solid bottom. The basket is finished with a hand-carved swing-handle, making this a beautiful basket for display when not in use. Dimensions are approx.

15”L x 8”W x8”H at sides, 12” high at handle. Participants must be 12 yrs old or older. The cost for tuition is $95, member tuition $85, and the materials fee is $35. For more information call 696-2400.

LAKE LUZERNE — Come see square foot gardening with Patricia Goldberg at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn all about Square Foot gardening from a local gardening guru. Square Foot gardening is the practice of planning small but intensively planted gardens. It combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including composting, closely planted raised beds, and attention to a small, clearly defined area. It is a high-yield, space-saving gardening technique that allows you to extend your season. The beds are made to fit your space and are the ideal answer to maximizing your time, energy, and results! You will leave this class with tons of ideas and all the information you will need to plant your own garden at home. Come learn from a “pro”,

watch nature do her work, and then come back during the summer to tend your garden and harvest your efforts.

Though the class is geared to vegetable gardening, the techniques discussed are applicable to other types of gardening as well. A terrific class for beginning gardeners or experts alike - and a great way to get out in the sun and enjoy our Adirondacks! The cost for tuition is $75 and the member tuition is $65. For more information call 6962400.

OLD FORGE — Make a Miniature-Triple Step Little Basket with Linda Allen at the View Art Center, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This little basket is perfect for holding trinkets, rings or something special for the little one. Start weaving with the base and spokes already glued in by Linda prior to class. The design is woven with cotton cord and finished with a folded rim. The cost is $60, $45 for members, and $25 materials fee. For more information call: 315-3696411 ext. 201.

LAKE LUZERNE — Make Pastels Plein Air with Robert Selkowitz at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Plein Air is working directly with nature, pulling inspiration from the world around you in the field. Our instructor, Robert Selkowitz has been doing this with pastels for 35 years. When he started he used brown kraft paper and a variety of inexpensive chalks and pastels. If you are new to pastel you can start cheaply and add as you get more interested. Pastels use the same pigments as in oil paints, without the oil. They are rich and vibrant. You will use dry pastels in hard, medium and soft consistencies, mixing colors on the paper as you work, rubbing and drawing. You will love working in pastels from life in nature, inspired by a composition that you perceive as interesting and beautiful. If you would like to try your hand at pastel or deepen your experience with pastel, take this class. The instructor will demonstrate his technique of direct work and respond to your efforts on an individual basis. A materials list will include kraft paper or pastel paper, a starter set of Nupastel hard pastels and a few Rembrandt or other mid-market pastels, a backing board and clips for the paper, wet wipes and a rag, a seat or easel. A materials list will be provided upon enrollment.

The cost for tuition is $95 and the member tuition is $85.

For More Information Call: (518) 696-2400.

Saturday, May 16, through Sunday, May 17

LAKE LUZERNE — Come to the Tole Painted Spring Flowers Tray with Carol Maher at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 1 to 5 p.m. Blooming with the colors of spring, this charming Pennsylvania Dutch folk art design will warm your heart. The wooden tray is perfect as a display piece, but don’t be afraid to use it, as it will be finished with a coat of polyurethane varnish. A great piece for your home, or a delightful gift. You will practice the basic strokes, transfer the design, and paint the flowers.

No previous painting experience required. The cost for tuition is $95, member tuition $85, and the materials fee is $20. For more information call 696-2400.

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bury Middle School Select Choir under the direction of Laura Lee Conti. For more information call 251-3911 or go to tpcca.org/EventSchedule.asp.

LAKE LUZERNE — Make an Adirondack coat rack with Jim Schreiner at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Even if you don’t hang your hat “in” the Adirondacks, you can still hang it “on” the Adirondacks! Using native materials from the area, you will construct a one-of-a-kind horizontal coat and hat rack, perfect for the camp, cabin, or home of any Adirondack enthusiast. Learn how to choose the right materials and which tools to use as you construct your unique coat rack.

This a perfect starter project for those wanting to create their own rustic pieces. No prior experience required. The cost for tuition is $95, member tuition $85, and materials fee is $20. For more information call 696-2400.

LAKE LUZERNE — Weave a Colorful Sock Rug with Caroline Dvorak at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from noon to 4 p.m. Using ‘pre-dressed’ looms, this introductory level half-day weaving class allows the beginning or experienced weaver to learn or relearn the basics of using a floor loom. You will quickly move on to take strips of colorful sock remnants, chained together, and turn them into a bright, colorful, thick cotton rug. These rugs are suitable for any area in your home, from bathmats to children’s rooms, or anywhere you wish to add a bright accent. Enjoy the camaraderie of others in a relaxed learning environment and walk away with a one-of-a-kind sock rug. The cost for tuition is $75 and member tuition is $70. Tuition includes all materials. For more information call 696-2400.

Arts & entertainment

CHESTERTOWN — Come to the Introduction to Bookbinding with Robert Walp at the Chester Creek Press, 29 Pine Knolls Road, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Come discover an ancient art form that will give you a greater appreciation for how books were made long ago. In this class you will learn the basic skills needed to make bindings for albums, journals or other book-arts projects. Moving from simple to complex bookbindings, you will create several books that will help you develop skills in tearing, folding, sewing, and gluing both paper and hardcover bindings.

Emphasis will be on good craft techniques and working in harmony with materials and their different properties. A fun class for both men and women. This Adirondack Folk School class will take place in the instructor’s professional studio. A great chance to experience this work where it happens. The cost for tuition is $105, member tuition $95, and the materials fee is $20. For more information call 696-2400.

Sunday, May 17

NORTH CREEK — The North Country Singers Spring Concert will be held at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street at 2 p.m. The North Country Singers perform under the direction of Denise Conti with the Queens-

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Wednesday, May 20

LAKE LUZERNE — The Open Forge Night will feature Blacksmithing with Steve Gurzler at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Watch a professional blacksmith at work, or try your hand at the forge. For more information call 696-2400 or go to adirondackfolkschool.org.

PLATTSBURGH — There will be a Job Fair at the West Side Ballroom from 4 to 8 p.m. This is free to the Public!

Come see the Job Fair and see what Employers are hiring.

For more information contact the Chamber at 563-1000 or visit northcountrychamber.com.

Thursday, May 21

GLENS FALLS — There will be a live Folklife Concert at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. For more information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. The event is free.

GLENS FALLS — There will be a Senior Theater Workshop Performance at the Charles R. Wood Theater, 207 Glen Street at 1 p.m. They will be performing an original work. For more information call 480-4878 or go to woodtheater.org.

Friday, May 22

WARRENSBURG — Farmers’ Market - Warrensburgh Riverfront 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 LUZERNE — There will be an Introduction to Coopering: Make Your Own Wooden Bucket with David Salvetti, at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In this class, students will learn to make a wooden bucket using traditional hand tools and authentic techniques. Beginning with boards, you will finish with a functional bucket to take home. This is an introduction to the historic trade of coopering: the making of containers made from staves held together by hoops. No glue is used; a watertight seal is created by perfect fit of the staves and bottom. Other items made by the cooper include butter churns, washtubs and barrels. Hand tool experience is helpful, but not required. This class is for students 18 years and older. The cost for tuition is $190, member tuition $170, and the materials fee is $15. For more information call 696-2400.

Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 31

LAKE GEORGE — The Spirits of History Ghost Tours takes place at Fort William Henry, 48 Canada Street at 7:30 p.m.

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. This is not recommended for children younger than 12. This is a walking tour, and not recommended for those with medical conditions. Reservations are required. For details and reservations call 964-6649 or go to fwhmuseum.com.

Saturday, May 23

OLD FORGE — Spend Memorial Day Weekend in Old Forge and salute the troops! This is a special “thank you” to those men and women who serve and have served in the military. Those with an active or retired Military ID will enjoy an extra 10 percent off at Waters Edge Inn. Enjoy the beautiful Adirondack scenery and get outdoors.

Ask about local rental locations for biking, canoeing, or kayaking needs. Walk up and down Main Street and enjoy unique gift shops, you’re sure to find something for every person on your shopping list. Treat your family to a meal at one of the many fine restaurants. Ask at the Front Desk for a complete list of restaurants throughout town.

During Memorial Day weekend, Old Forge transforms into a garage sale headquarters! Grab a map of local garage sales at our town Information Center. There will be a free carwash in the Enchanted Forest Water Safari parking lot from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. Donations will be used to benefit the club. Memorial Day weekend specials at Calypso’s Cove Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, with $10 for any topping medium pizza at Pizza Hut Express and $5 off your Family Fun Deal that includes four personal pan pizzas, four ride tickets, 40 arcade tokens, and four 16oz. fountain drinks which is regularly $45.99. There is $15 Unlimited Go-Karts from 2 until 5 p.m.

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LAKE LUZERNE — Build a Wee Lassie Canoe with Larry Benjamin at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The original “Wee Lassie” was a lapstrake-built open cedar canoe made in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton, of Canton, NY. Rushton was one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. George Washington Sears, who wrote of his adventures under his pen name of “Nessmuk” as he recorded his paddling adventures throughout the Adirondacks, popularized these small, finely crafted canoes. Come spend 10 wonderful days at AFS building your own Wee Lassie. You will be guided through every step of the building process. Leave with a beautiful, lightweight canoe that handles well in the water. Open to all level of student. Tuition is $950, member tuition $850, and the materials fee is $900. For more information call 696-2400.

Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23

Arts & entertainment

Monday, May 18, through Friday, May 22

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Arts & entertainment

LAKE GEORGE — The Memorial Day Parade will travel down Canada Street at 11:30 a.m. For more information call 668-2045.

WARRENSBURG — The Green Thumb Perennial Swap will be held at the Warrensburgh Mills Historic District Park, 173 River Street from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be the Warrensburgh Beautification Committee perennial plant swap exchange, Master Gardener station, soil pH testing and refreshments. For more information call 466-5497.

HAGUE — The Memorial Day Parade and Family Fun Day will be held at the Hague Town Park, 9060 Lake Shore Drive starting at 10 a.m. The parade will begin at 2 p.m. This is a day of great family activities! Parade and memorial service for veterans. For more information call 543-6463 or go to townofhague.org.

NORTH CREEK — Teresa Walters will be performing on the Piano at the Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street at 7:30 p.m.

Walters is a renowned international First Lady of the piano. The concert is presented by Upper Hudson Musical Arts who are providing professional music performances, accessibility of classical, chamber, and jazz music to the Adirondack Park community. For more information call 251-3911 or go to upperhudsonmusicalarts.org.

WARRENSBURG — The Farmers’ Market will be held at the Warrensburg Gateway, State Rte 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Locally grown produce, meats, wine, gluten free products, knife sharpening, rustic Adirondack furniture, jewelry and more. For more information call 623-6123.

BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be held 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 more information go to facebook.com/clarkscountrymall.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 8 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

LAKE LUZERNE — Come make a Crazy Quilt with Sandy Collins at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In “Crazy Quilt” construction there is no set pattern, no worrying about “are the corners going to match correctly?”

No two blocks will look the same, therefore no two quilts will be the same. Your biggest decision today will be what size block to make and how big are you going to make your quilt. The cost for tuition is $95 and member tuition is $85. A list of materials and equipment needed for this project is available at AFS. For more information call 696-2400.

Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25

HAGUE — Memorial Day Celebration.

Monday, May 25

BOLTON — The Memorial Day Parade takes place at 10 a.m. from Rogers Memorial at Rogers Park to Veteran’s Park. There is no cost for this event.

CHESTERTOWN — The Memorial Day Parade will run down Main Street at 10 a.m. For information go to facebook.com/groups/308855542515350.

WARRENSBURG — The Memorial Day Parade will run down Elm Street at 9 a.m. For information call 623-9511.

WARRENSBURG — The Navy Ceremony will be held at the Warrensburg American Legion Post 446 at Flynn Park at 7:30 a.m. Join in honoring the thousands of American service men and women who died on the oceans of the world, from all wars. We also honhon or all POWs/MIAs and their families. For information call 504-4202.

GLENS FALLS — Memorial Day Parade begins at the Civil War Monument, Glen Street at 10 a.m. For information call 761-3751.

Tuesday, May 26

LAKE LUZERNE — The Tuesday Night Summer Lecture takes place at the Hadley-Luzerne Public Library, 19 Main Street at 7 p.m. For more information call 696-3423 or go to hadluzblog.sals.edu. The event is free.

Thursday, May 28

GLENS FALLS — There will be a live Folklife Concert at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street at 7 p.m. For information call 792-6508 ext. 237 or go to crandalllibrary.org. The event is free.

Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, May 31

LAKE GEORGE — The Elvis Festival at the Lake George

Friday, May 29

WARRENSBURG — Farmers’ Market - Warrensburgh Riverfront 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.

Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30

QUEENSBURY — The 20th Anniversary Relay for Life takes place at the Queensbury High School Track, 429 Aviation Road from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Join in this great cause.

The race celebrates, remembers, and is a commitment to fighting back. Each donation helps save lives. So we can all celebrate more birthdays. For information call 2206902 or go to relayforlife.org/warrencountyNY

Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31

KATTSKILL BAY — Women are welcome to spend a full weekend “away from it all” at the Spring Women’s Weekend at YMCA Camp Chingachgook starting Friday at 6 p.m. to Sunday 1 p.m. at 1872 Pilot Knob Rd. Women of all ages can treat themselves to relaxation, adventure, fellowship, and fun on the camp’s 200 acres of Adirondack Park. Activities will be offered all weekend, including yoga, hikes, aerobics, campfires, nature walks, massage, crafts, sailing, canoeing, and swimming. Women stay in cozy Adirondack-style cabins and enjoy delicious, healthy meals served in the dining hall all weekend. Participation in activities is optional; the most important part of the weekend is relaxation! The cost is $195 for the public, $185 for Y Members.

QUEENSBURY — The ESTRA Tow Truck Show will be held at the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark, 89 Six Flags Drive Friday 2 until 6 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. You won’t believe what some of these trucks look like! Empire State Towing and Recovery Association display the newest equipment and accessories; demonstrations. Family fun featuring children’s activities, face painting balloon creations and Tow Truck Rodeo! For more information call 631-7287752 or go to estratowshow.com.

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BOLTON LANDING — The Bolton Landing Emergency Squad Arts and Crafts Festival will take place at Rogers Memorial Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be 30 to 40 Art & Craft vendors. This is a free admission event.

SCHROON — Help get the summer started in Schroon Lake at 1075 US Rte 9. Join them rain or shine as they celebrate opening weekend and welcome summer to the Schroon Lake region! Enjoy great events sponsored by local vendors, including live music on the Strand’s newly refurbished stage, free community yoga, restaurant specials, and more! For more information call 532-7675.

Forum, 2200 State Rte. 9. This festival is celebrating the life and music of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll! Tribute artists including Shawn Klush, Cody Slaughter, Chris Connor, Lake George Elvis Festival Champion David Lee and the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Thursday evening show, Elvis Meets the Beatles with the Liverpool Legends!

Arts & entertainment

Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24

Arts & entertainment

Friday, May 29 through Saturday, June 6

WARRENSBURG — The Adirondack Bike Rally begins at 3965 Main Street 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The annual motorcycle rally runs along Main Street with free parking and vendors. For information call 623-2559 or go to adirondackbikerally.com.

Saturday, May 30

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WARRENSBURG — The 5K Burgher Dash begins at the Warrensburg Elementary School, 1 James Street.

Registration is from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. The race begins at 9 a.m. Come and support the Warrensburg Elementary School PRIDE Program. Online registration is available at active.com. For information call 623-9747 or go to wcsd.org.

GLENS FALLS — The Farmers’ Market will take place at Sanford Street School, 10 Sanford Street from 8 a.m. to noon. There is locally grown produce and more. For information call 307-6239 or go to gffma.com.

BOLTON LANDING — The Northwest Bay Guided Hike begins at the Lake George Land Conservancy, 4905 Lake Shore Drive from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is a moderately challenging hike to Pole Hill Pond. Advance registration is required. For information call 644-9673 or go to lglc.org.

GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls Urban Assault will be held at 206 Glen Street, at 5:30 p.m. This is a 3.4 mile obstacle course in and around the City of Glens Falls. There will be rope courses, stairs, slip-n-slide, climbing walls, more than 20 obstacles! Come as individuals or run as a group, family, friends and neighbors. Prizes for best dressed team and individuals, male/female. Awards for top 10 male and female runners. Please register by Wednesday, May 27th.

For more information go to adkracemgmt.com/race/ glens-falls-urban-assault/#.VMKJ0nsRTIU. BRANT LAKE — The Farmers’ Market will be held 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 more information go to facebook.com/clarkscountrymall.

NEWCOMB — Take the Wetland Detectives Training Workshop at the Adirondack Interpretive Center, 5922 State Rte 28N, from 9 a.m. to noon. Take advantage of the free admission and join the Wetland Detective Monitoring Corps! This is your opportunity to learn about the natural world and help protect it as well. Climate change may drastically alter Adirondack wetlands. Become a citizen scientist and collect information on plants, birds and amphibians to help preserve these vital ecosystems. For

more information or to register, call 582-2000. These workshops will also be held at the Paul Smiths Visitors Interpretive Center on the same dates, from 2 until 5 p.m.

For more information call 582-2000.

Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31

LAKE GEORGE — The St. James Spring Fling Fair will be held at the St. James Episcopal Church, 172 Ottawa St. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be unique crafts, collectibles, baked goods, plants and more! Always something for everyone.

GLENS FALLS — Step Out In Style with the Adirondack Ballet Theater at the Charles R. Wood Theater, 207 Glen Street, Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

From Broadway Babies to Showthe Chorus Line Finale an enjoyable performance. Show casing an array of dance technique by students of all ages.

Adirondack Ballet Theater is the Resident Dance Company of the Charles R. Wood Theater. For information call 4804878 or go to woodtheater.org.

LAKE LUZERNE — Do some Forging a Double Caliper: A classic shop tool with Jonathan Nedbor at the Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This class will cover the design, forging and assembly to make a double caliper. This tool is a classic forge shop measuring instrument. The double caliper is used to measure rough and then finished forged dimensions as well as the width and thickness of a forging. Students will choose a design then forge all the elements and embellish the handle to personalize their caliper. With this project students will learn accurate forging techniques, hot splitting, hot punching and riveting. NOTE: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student safety. The cost for tuition is $230, member tuition $210, materials Fee $50. For more information call 696-2400.

LAKE LUZERNE — Learn painting the urban landscape with Roger DeMuth at the View Art Center, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 315-369-6411 ext. 201.

Saturday, May 30 through Saturday, June 6

WARRENSBURG — The 15th annual Warrensburg Bike Rally will be held at the Warren County Fairgrounds, 353 Schroon River Road from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is something for everyone in the family! Great riding and great scenery of the Adirondacks. Motorcycle vendors, activities and more. For information call 791-8728 or go to warrensburgbikerally.com. statemodelrailroaders.com. This event is free.

April 4 Noon April 5 2:30 p.m.

The Vermont Country Stores in Weston and Rockingham, 657 Main St., Weston, and 1292 Rockingham Rd., Bellows Falls •Experience a time honored tradition of sweet maple syrup drizzled on snow.

When the two meet it is Heaven on Earth, the combination of the sweet sticky maple with the cold crunchy snow are a true delight. At both the Rockingham and Weston stores.

Vermont Farmers Market

April 8 4-7 p.m.

Vermont Farmers Market, 251 West St., Rutland •The Vermont Farmers Market is one of the largest and most diverse farmers markets in Vermont, and the first to operate 52 weeks out of the year. We bring together as many as 60 vendors from Vermont and Washington County, NY. We run multiple markets in the Rutland region: two in Rutland City and one in Fair Haven in the summer and one in Rutland City during the winter.

Montshire Unleashed: An Evening for Adults

Date: April 10 Time: 6-9 p.m.

Montshire Museum of Science, 1 Montshire Rd., Norwich, Vt.

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| SPRING 2015

Sugar on Snow at Vermont Country Stores

Phone: 8026492200 Event Description: Montshire Unleashed: An Evening for Adults The Montshire Museum is open after hours (6–9 p.m.) for adults of all ages!

Allow your inner curiosity to run wild! The Montshire is open after hours for adults of all ages. Pull up a stool at the Science Discovery Lab for some amazing activities or simply explore the Museum’s visiting and permanent exhibits on your own. Jasper Murdock Ale and wine from the Norwich Inn will be available for purchase. Free with Museum admission. Programs free with museum admission: $14 for adults, $11 for children 2–17, free for members and children under 2 years of age.

Location: Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vt. See www.montshire.org.

The Montshire Museum of Science is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, 363 days a year. Parking is free and adjacent to the museum. The Museum is directly across the Connecticut River from Hanover, New Hampshire, home of Dartmouth College.

Arts & entertainment

The Social Scene in Vermont

Community Informational Dinners for Boys & Girls Club

April 10, 4-6 p.m.

•The Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County is opening a site at 15 Juneberry St.t, Rutland, (off Forrest Street). The dinners are open to the community to get program information, applications, dates and to meet the staff. Program is designed for children 6 – 12 years old (note: 6 year old children must be in 1st Grade). Grand Opening will be April 13.

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Arts & entertainment

Peking Acrobats

| SPRING 2015

April 10 8 -10 p.m.

Paramount Theatre, 30 Center St., Rutland •Direct from the People’s Republic of China, this astounding company has been thrilling audiences around the world with their breathtaking, gravity-defying showmanship.

Rooted in ancient Chinese traditions, yet totally mesmerizing to contemporary audiences, these spectacular routines are guaranteed to thrill audiences of all ages and backgrounds. A performance by The Peking Acrobats brings with it the opportunity to experience the epitome of a rich and ancient folk art tradition with the addition of the pageantry and spectacle of modern Chinese.

Central Vermont 4th Annual 50+ Expo

April 11 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Holiday Inn, 476 Holiday Dr., Rutland •The Expo is a day of fun and learning designed for Vermonters age 50 and older, though all ages are welcome to attend. This free event includes more than 40 exhibitors offering useful information and giveaways, as well as workshops on topics.

Vermont Farmers Market

April 11 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Vermont Farmers Market, 251 West St., Rutland •The Vermont Farmers Market is one of the largest and most diverse farmers markets in Vermont, and the first to operate 52 weeks out of the year. We bring together as many as 60 vendors from Vermont and Washington County, NY. We run multiple markets in the Rutland region: two in Rutland City and one in Fair Haven in the summer and one in Rutland City during the winter. Open every Saturday HOURS Starting November 1st, 2014 Saturdays, 10am to.

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Celtic Thunder

April 12 8-10 p.m.

Paramount Theatre, 30 Center St., Rutland •Celtic Thunder, the singing group from Ireland, are a composition of six male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Accompanied by the Celtic Concert Orchestra, Celtic Thunder have become a household name all around the world. Thrice hailed as Billboards’s Top World Music Artist and Top World Imprint (2008, 2009 and 2011), the phenomenon that is Celtic Thunder has achieved sales of over 2 million copies to date. Celtic Thunder also continues to extensively tour the USA, Canada.

Free: “Songs For A New World” Lecture

Date: April 12 Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Briggs Opera House 5 South Main St., White River Junction, Vt. Phone: 802-296-7000 Event Description: FREE! Athena Lecture Series The Athena lecture is a free one hour conversation highlighting contextual themes in a production. Usually scheduled prior to a Sunday performance, the goal of this event is to promote and provide a place for dialogue between audience members, theater professionals, and experts brought in to expand on specific themes found in our productions.

We hope our audiences walk away from these lectures with a deeper understanding and enjoyment of our main stage productions. Songs for a New World – April 12, 3:304:30 PM, Briggs Opera House Stay tuned for more information on our speaker!

Location: Briggs Opera House

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Event Description: Join on Sunday, April 12 at Majestic 10 Cinemas in Williston for for the Planet Cat aCATemy awards, a cat video festival with a screening of our top cat video entries! YOU select the winners by texting your vote at the festival! One winner in each videolength CATegory will win an aCATemy Award!

$20 Tickets for “Orwell in America”

Date: April 14 Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Briggs Opera House 5 South Main St. White River Junction, Vt. Phone: 802-296-7000 Event Description: Low Cost: $20 Tuesdays There is one performance of each production in which all seats are $20, our lowest adult ticket price offered. We want to make sure the theater is accessible to everyone, and discount night is very popular, so books seats early.

More information about all these programs can be found at our website northernstage.org or by calling our box office 802-296-7000

Shelburne Vineyard Unfiltered — Wine & Poetry

Date: April 15 Time: 6 p.m.

6308 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, Vt. Phone: 802-985-8222 Event Description: Join us the 3rd Wednesday of every

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Eggs Away!

Date: April 18 Time: Noon-2 p.m.

1 Montshire Rd., Norwich, Vt. Phone: 802-649-2200 Event Description: Will a raw egg survive the harrowing 18-foot plunge over the second story balcony? Build a container that will protect your egg—either at home, or at the Museum from noon to 2 p.m. Then, at 2 p.m., it’s “eggs away” as you launch your egg over the balcony. Free with Museum admission ($14 Adults, $11 Children 2-17, Free for members and children under the age of 2). The Museum is open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

| SPRING 2015

Date: April 12 Time: 10 a.m.-noon 190 Boxwood St., Williston, Vt. Phone: 802-862-0135

month for a night of raw, unfiltered poetry and Vermont wines. Listen and share, bring your own snacks. Wines by the glass are available for purchase. Free admission.

Location: Winery and Tasting Room is located 6308 Shelburne Road (U.S. Route 7) in Shelburne, just south of historic Shelburne village and the Shelburne Museum and north of Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.

Arts & entertainment

Planet Cat: the aCATemy Awards!

49th Annual Vermont Maple Festival

Date: April 24-26 Time: 10 a.m. start Downtown St. Albans, Vt. Phone: 802-524-5800 Event Description: Celebrate Vermont’s signature product: pure Vermont maple.

Main Street entertainment, maple exhibits, antique and craft shows, cooking demonstrations, sugarhouse tours, face painting, Maple Buffet, pancake breakfasts, fiddlers’ and youth talent shows, carnival, Sap Run, historical museum, Taylor Park picnicking, downtown of delightful shops, maple treats, and Grand Parade.

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