NORTH COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE • VOL. 6 NO. 3
Vol. 6 No. 3
FALL 2017
NYS Senator Betty Little
Day in the life of a state treasure
Asgaard Farm
Rockwell Kent’s dream lives on today
100959
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Publisher Dan Alexander
General Manager DJ Alexander
Writer Elizabeth Izzo
Writer Thom Randall
Writer Teah Dowling
Writer Ed Noonan
Writer Kim Dedam
Writer Lohr McKinstry
Writer Christopher South
Writer Gayle Alexander
Writer Claire Durham
Calendar Kasey Rosselli
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Editor’s Note
September/October/November 2017
F
all is here — and so is our latest edition of North Country Living magazine. You may have noticed we’ve given these pages a visual facelift. After five years, we felt as if it was time for a change. We think the update is cleaner, more elegant and sophisticated and lends itself to an overall more enjoyable reading experience. We’re eager to hear your thoughts, so please drop us a line. But onto the content. Those with a penchant for learning more about your neighbors will receive an intimate look at some of the folks who make the North Country so special. Meet the U.S. Marine who has opened a recording studio in Morrisonville and the New York City transplant who is loving life in Schroon Lake. Our state Senator Betty Little, who we shadowed for a day in Albany, needs no introduction. We hope you immerse yourself in the fascinating story of how a couple resurrected Asgaard Farm in Au Sable Forks, Essex County, the home of famed artist Rockwell Kent. Lovers of the outdoors will find no shortage of engaging storytelling, including a sampler plate of four fall foliage hikes and a look at scarecrows, both staples of the season. Perhaps there’s no better testament to the gravitational allure of the region than the results of our annual fall foliage photo contest. We received so many stunning submissions, it was difficult to select just one. As you experience fall’s golden bounty, please remember to frequent the local businesses who have made this new and improved edition of North Country Living magazine possible. See you this winter. Pete DeMola, Managing Editor 4 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
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MARKETING SPECIALISTS Ashley Alexander Edward Coats Thomas Hollingsworth
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CONTENTS
Vol. 6 No. 3 September/October/November
FE AT U RE S
8
20
30
56
A Day in the Life of NYS Senator Betty Little
Rockwell Kent's Asgaard Farm Lives On
The Dog Cabin: Lake George's Puppy Paradise
Garden Guardians: A History of the Scarecrow
By Thom Randall
By Kim Dedam
By Christopher South
By Claire Durham
SO CI AL S C E N E
16 34 48
Fall Turkey Dog Hunt by Ed Noonan
54 62 73
In the Waters of Lake Champlain: Spitfire by Teah Dowling
84 97 98
Do You Know About Ticks?
Four Fabulous Fall Foliage Hikes by Lohr McKinstry Cooperation: U.S. Barrel Blends Past with Present Manufacturing Method for Craft Distillers by Kim Dedam
2017 Fall Foliage Photo Contest Schroon Lake's Unique Merchant of Style: A Look Inside Pinecone Mercantile and North Woods Bread Company by Elizabeth Izzo
Recipe: Oven Roasted Harvest Ratatouille by Gayle Alexander Community Calendar
DINI NG
108
Local Restaurants and Eateries
6 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
nclmagazine.com
79
89
Fine Craftsmanship at the Wood Carte
Behind the Music: BluVuDu Productions
By Christopher South
By Pete DeMola
ON T H E COV ER 2017 FALL PHOTO CONTEST WINNER A beautiful photo taken from the water of the gazebo in Schroon Lake, NY by Sharron Tyrrell. nclmagazine.com
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 7
“
HOPEFULLY,
I’VE MADE A DIFFERENCE HERE AND THERE”
AT ABOUT 8:35 A.M. ON MAY 9 at the
state Capitol, state Sen. Betty Little was huddled in a dim, cramped soundproof radio studio in the Capitol pressroom. Seated with Susan Arbetter, host of a news program on state government aired by WCNY radio, Little answered questions about 8 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
emerging state legislative issues for half an hour. The interview focused on a pending state Constitutional amendment Little sponsored — which has since passed both the state Senate and Assembly and is now scheduled for a statewide referendum this November.
The proposition establishes a 250acre land bank that will streamline certain infrastructure improvement projects on Forest Preserve in the Adirondack and Catskill state parks. The amendment would allow communities to exchange acreage — and designate a substitute plot nclmagazine.com
Photos By Thom Randall
By Thom Randall
as protected — when projects are pursued to re-configure roads, drill public water wells, install water and sewer mains, bury broadband cable, hang power lines, or create bike paths beside roadways on Forest Preserve land. Little was author of the bill that avoids the delays and uncertainties encountered
to
date,
as
each
project now has to individually go to a referendum. Little has been prime sponsor of a half-dozen of such Constitutional amendments, enabling such infrastructure projects during her decades in office. Arbetter
inquired
about
Little’s
opinion on whether to convene a state constitutional convention, another referendum to be on the ballot Nov. 7. “I’m not in favor of a constitutional convention — it’s dangerous; it could be harmful for the Adirondacks, resulting in the gutting of Forever Wild,” she said. “Adirondack residents are
not
looking
for
cloverleaf
highways and skyscrapers, they live there for particular reasons.” Known
as
a
proponent
of
Adirondack concerns during her political career, Little has sponsored or advanced legislation that has encouraged area job growth and helped area businesses thrive, while protecting the environment and addressing social concerns. Little is serving her eighth term representing
the
residents
of
Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Warren and portions of St. Lawrence and After expressing support for offbusiness
May 9 was a busy day — over 400 proposed bills were listed on the day’s Senate calendar, many scheduled for various hearings. Little sponsored 12 of the measures. The bills range from establishing a personal income tax credit for forestry stewardship and habitat conservation, to authorizing municipalities to contract for services through other governmental entities. A third is aimed to help assure authenticity of fine art. Yet another of hers requires skiers younger than 14 to wear helmets. Fifteen of the bills are on the Senate’s daily “Active List.” Scheduled
signs
along
on
Little’s
daily
agenda were five of the Senate’s 11 committee meetings for the day. She chairs one of them — the committee on Housing Construction and Community Development. The panel debated a law intended to protect tenants in rent-regulated housing, another to strengthen state fire and building codes, and a third to boost district attorneys’ jurisdiction in cases involving illegal use or occupancy of residential rental property. Lobbyists she met with later in the day said the latter legislation would speed up shutting down illegal massage parlors. She also attended the meetings of the Education, Environmental Conservation, Finance and Health committees — all of which she’s a member of. She also serves on the Crime Victims; Crime and Correction; Cultural
Washington counties. premises
AT THE SENATE
Affairs,
Tourism,
Parks
and Recreation; Rules; and Energy & Telecommunications committees.
highways — now all but prohibited in
That day, no less than 186 Senate
the Adirondack Park — Little headed off,
bills were scheduled for potential
at a brisk pace, for a long day of work.
discussion. Among them are three
nclmagazine.com
bills she’s sponsored —one that expands the number of barrels of beer that restaurant brewers may sell at retail, another grants the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation jurisdiction over Camp Santanoni in Essex County. The third requires the state Health Department to include Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome — a treatable autoimmune disorder — in its educational outreach efforts with health care providers. STAYING INFORMED
At the committee meetings, Little spoke her mind, asked questions and debated issues. Between sessions, she reviewed background information. Often through the day, she read pages from a three-inch-thick stack of legislative memos and other documents on her desk. This is no surprise to those who know Little well. Over her political career, she has gained a reputation for delving into issues and becoming well-informed before making decisions. In 1986, Little was first elected to serve as one of four at-large Warren County supervisors, representing the town of Queensbury. A realtor and former school teacher, her prior public service was as a member of the town Recreation Commission. Several years later, when the bicounty Hudson Falls trash-burning plant was proposed, Little gained regional attention. Under intense political pressure, the 29 Warren and Washington county supervisors were given only a week to review convoluted contracts, several thousand pages long, detailing the plant’s construction, operation and financing — in obscure legalese. Little
was
the
only
supervisor
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 9
among the supervisors to fully read and analyze the contracts. Her research prompted her to oppose the project — which initially was touted as a money-maker for taxpayers, but ended up costing taxpayers more than $100 million in development and operational expenses. Nearly all the other supervisors in power in the late 1980s voted for the trash plant — Little was the most vocal among just a few opponents serving on the two boards. Her exhaustive research and keen insight on this project — years later declared a disaster by consultants as she had predicted — won her enduring respect and support from area citizens that helped her get elected to the state Assembly in 1995 and to the state Senate in 2002. FAST PACE
May 9, similar respect was evident as Little charged through the hallways of the state capitol and the Legislative Office Building for the long lineup of meetings. Legislators and state officials greeted her as she passed by. Several stopped and discussed issues. In between these impromptu hallway conferences, Little — the mother of six children and grandmother of 17 — walked at a staccato pace, faster than legislators decades younger than her 76 years. Impatient with the speed of escalators, she jogged down them. It was wise for her to move fast — her personal agenda for the day was 12 hours long. Apart from the five major committee meetings, her schedule included meetups with a dozen organizations and lobbyists, several ceremonies — at one of which, she delivered a key speech — as well as a half-dozen receptions and celebrations, plus a fundraiser — and this was merely 10 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
one workday of the 2017 legislative session that spanned six months. Striding behind Little at 10:55 a.m., one of her aides estimated that the seasoned legislator from Queensbury walks several miles per workday between her appointments. “Betty knows what’s going on, from local concerns to statewide issues — it’s amazing,” Carmella Mantello said. “Betty is so well respected — and she’s very engaged in her district.”
“
FOR YEARS, BETTY HAS BEEN PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHER WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT.” - Mary Pat McDonald
Besides holding a prominent position in Little’s office, Mantello serves as President of the Troy City Council. Her resume includes serving for six years as Director of the state Canal Commission. REPUBLICAN WOMENS CAUCUS
Back in her office for a 10-minute break, Little chomped on Chex Mix handed to her on a paper plate, washing it down with licorice tea.
appointment was well deserved. “For years, Betty has been paving the way for other women in government,” she said. A minute later, Little discussed a legislative proposal to mandate outdoor education in the state’s 800-or-so public high schools. She said that she appreciates the bill’s intent, but added that she opposes it. “Schools already have so much curriculum they have to fit into a school year, and I’d hate to saddle them with another mandate,” she said. “I’d rather that the classes be optional.” At 1:30 p.m., Little walked into a large room to talk to about 50 members of New York State Correction Officers & Police Benefit Association, who were lobbying for a law that would facilitate workers’ compensation coverage for corrections officers undergoing extraordinary work-related stress resulting from aggravated harassment. The state’s corrections officers endured 760 serious assaults in 2016, including prisoners throwing feces, blood and urine at them — and many of the guards were suffering from PTSD symptoms, the union’s officials said. She pledged her support to their priorities. “You folks go to work every day
As she paused for the snack, she was handed a print out of an email declaring that Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan had just announced the formation of the Senate Republican Women’s Caucus — Little was appointed chair of the group. The memo stated that the caucus will be playing a key role in setting the legislative agenda. Mary Pat McDonald, one of Little’s three top staffers, remarked that the nclmagazine.com
and face dangerous situations, and I understand many of the things you are up against,” she said, noting that inmates are more violent nowadays. “Thanks for all you do for the people of our state —We’ll continue to do as much as we can to make your workplace safer for you.” Minutes later, Little took a shortcut through a parking garage and up a ramp to her next destination, the Empire State Plaza, where the annual New York Police Officers Memorial Ceremony was underway. Her Chief of Staff Dan MacEntee jogged to keep up with her. IN MEMORIAM
After listening to hymns, speeches and prayers — and watching the wreath-laying among hundreds of uniformed police and other emergency responders — Little offered condolences and shared hugs with relatives of state trooper Timothy Pratt who died last October in the line of duty. Pratt’s name was one of 40 added to the granite memorial that honors 1,400+ fallen police officers from 141 police agencies. OPEN EARS
After meeting with three more advocacy organizations seeking support for various bills, then discussing legislation at a meeting of the Senate Majority Conference, Little participated in a session of the full Senate, during which she made a pitch for one of her bills. After the hour-long session, she dropped by a reception for Prince Leka II and Princess Elia Zaharia of Albania. The event was to honor the bravery of Albanian citizens for their role in saving hundreds of Jews from the Nazi regime during World War II — Little and dozens of other legislators nclmagazine.com
She also met up with people lobbying to legalize terminally ill patients selfadministering medications that hasten their death; advocating for strengthened prosecution of child sex abuse cases by adding years to the existing statute of limitations; extending the jurisdiction of Native American tribal policing; and expanding health care coverage for volunteer firefighters to include cancer treatments.
plus other New York residents greeted the newly-wedded royal couple. Through the day so far, she discussed issues with representatives of Planned Parenthood, the Women’s Bar Association, Concerned Clergy for Choice, America Achieves, the Katai Center for Health Equity & Justice, the New York State Laborers PAC Fund, an association of health insurance underwriters, forest products industry lobbyists, the Safe Horizon victims assistance organization, and the NY Public Interest Research Group. She also hosted members of the American Massage Therapy Association, expressing support of a bill which would provide for reimbursement to licensed massage professionals under workers’ compensation. In her workday, she listened to lobbyists and discussed initiatives about new ways to curb domestic violence; changes to state educational policy; a measure to ban tanning salons from hosting children under 18, redefining the legal definition of a “speedy trial;” reimbursing municipalities for tax revenue lost as a result of tax exemptions for forest land; allowing more types of audiologists to sell hearing aids; giving professional behavior analysts more leeway in their practices; and authorizing medical marijuana for people with PTSD.
Then, after a dropping by a political party’s fundraiser and meeting with two officials of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Little headed off to a hearing room. HONORING WOMEN
At the Legislative Office Building, Little gave a key speech to hundreds of people gathered for the Senate’s 2017 Women of Distinction ceremony — which honored 62 New Yorkers for their civic and social accomplishments.
“
BETTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WISE AND DIGNIFIED SOURCE WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN INFLUENTIAL DURING HER SERVICE.” - Senate Democratic Conference leader
Noting the honorees were women of “remarkable character,” Little said their work had enriched the lives of all New York State citizens. “You have demonstrated initiative and commitment in pursuit of higher goals,” she said. “And by doing Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 11
so, you have become role models, not only for other women, but for society as a whole.” Next to address the crowd was Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the firstever female leader of a legislative conference in the state. She said she was honored to follow Little in the ceremony, because the senator had, through her career, lead the way for women in New York State government. “Betty has always been a wise and dignified source who has always been influential during her service,” said the Senate Democratic Conference leader. ‘IT’S BEEN A PRIVILEGE’
Recently, Little reflected on her career, which has included successful sponsorship of legislation reforming the adverse possession law to ensure greater fairness for property owners; restricting the sale, possession and importation of invasive species; creating the Adirondack Community Housing Trust; launching an initiative that encourages local governments to work cooperatively and share services to save tax dollars; and advancing measures that encourage investment in renewable power production via solar, wind and biofuels. “It’s been a privilege to serve in the legislature — I really enjoy it,” she said. “You work with so many people working so hard, trying to make a difference in their communities. “Hopefully, I’ve made a difference here and there. As much as you’d like to solve every problem, you can’t always do that — but you work at it.”
12 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
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“IF YOU ARE A TURKEY HUNTER YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO TRY A FALL HUNT WITH A TURKEY DOG.” By Ed Noonan
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I was asked to talk about my turkey hunting adventures at a local sportsman’s show. Now as an avid turkey hunter who has hunted the various species successfully in many states, Canada, Mexico and the even the Yucatan Jungle, I surprised them when I said my most memorable was a fall turkey hunt in the North Country woods in Fulton County. And when asked why that was so special, I answered ,“Because of a dog called Hooper.” And they all wanted to hear about Hooper.
I couldn’t wait for the fall when I got to meet Hooper, an 8 1/2 year old Appalachian turkey dog. On our way to the Fulton County turkey woods, Don told me about the history of these dogs and their development in the hills of Virginia, which actually took about 30 years to develop the perfect Plott hound turkey dog. On this cool morning, I was anxious to see just how good this dog really was. 16 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
THE HUNT
stopped, he would sit next to us with
As soon as we entered the woods, Don unleashed Hooper who immediately put his nose to the ground and started up the hill. Just as Don had said, Hooper would work back and forth out about a hundred yards ahead of us as we slowly moved through the woods behind him. When we stopped, he would come back to check us out and then go back to work. It was fun to watch him. Even when we
his head held high and his nose was working. Not once did he bark. Once on top, we started moving across the ridge and after a while we sat down to give Hooper and us a rest. He couldn’t sit still for too long and Don finally gave him the “go get ‘em” signal.
And within
minutes, for the first time, we heard barking, followed by turkeys putting their alarm and thrashing wings
© ginettigino/Adobe Stock
It all began when I met Don VanDerwerKer in a gun shop and he asked me if I would like to hunt with him and Hooper, his Appalachian turkey dog. I had heard about these dogs but never hunted with them. Well it did not take long for me to say yes,
A HG U
H 12
GE
GE
H 12
flew over but that would take the fun out of it. We just watched. When the barking stopped, I could see Hooper on the run coming back to get us — but not before he flushed a grouse. What really amazed me is how well he did his job. Once every bird was flushed and in the air, he returned to us, and he never chased any of them. Again Don and I set up on the side of the hill, I went high and he and Hooper went low. Our plan was to wait about 30 minutes before making any calls. This would give the birds time to calm down and then we could try to coax them in. When scattered like this in the fall, turkeys will almost always try to reassemble by calling to each other. The calls that Don was using resembled clucks of the mature birds and the kee kee run made by the younger birds also attracted them.
A HG U
when he barked. When the barking
our calling never got the birds within
ended, Hooper returned and guided
shooting range. After an hour and
us to where he had broken up the
a half, we regrouped and headed
flock. “He won’t come back to us until
out after them. All this time, Don
he gets them all in the air,” Don said.
was calling Hooper remained in his
Quickly we set up about 25 yards
camouflaged bag patiently and quietly.
apart and it was comical to see how
It didn’t take Hooper’s nose long to
cooperative Hooper was when he
relocate the flock and again when
slipped into his camouflaged bag and
the barking started the sky was full
got zipped in. Only his nose and eyes
of turkeys flying in every direction
could be seen. Once in the bag he
through the tree tops. We could
never barked or moved. Unfortunately,
have shot several of them as they
nclmagazine.com
I had nestled into the base of an uprooted fallen tree and in about 20-25 minutes, I heard clucks to my right and as I faced in that direction of the heavy brush I saw movement and then the outline of the turkey. Although she disappeared, she continued to cluck. Picking a spot in the brush where I would take the shot I raised my gun, and just in time, because I could again see movement in the brush about 50 yards out. At about 40 yards, I placed the fiber optic front sight half way down its neck I gently squeezed the trigger of my old H&R 10 gauge. It was quick and it was clean - thank you Hooper. Quickly I gave the thumbs up to Don to let him know I was successful then settled back into the tree. It was less than a minute when we heard more birds calling and Don was already talking to them. They were coming in from all directions and I dared not move. It was fun just to sit there, listening and watching. What I didn’t realize was that I had an audience. One hen walked right past me and hopped up Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 17
18 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
on the fallen tree I was sitting against. She was no more than 10 feet from me while two others were about 15 feet to my right. It was hard not to laugh watching those bobbing heads, but I dare not move and disrupt Don’s chances. Fortunately Don, who had been watching several others below him, got his chance and his 10 gauge H&R echoed through the hills and rewarded him with a turkey as well.
bag quivering and watching. Don
As for those birds around me, they wasted no time and flew in three different directions — one of which flew up in a tree right next to me.
Guess he was just admiring his work
It did, however, take off when I stood up and yelled: “a double.” This is something that does not often happen when turkey hunting. What more could you ask for in a turkey hunt? Later I found out that Hooper’s best day resulted in four harvested fall turkeys.
this fall I will be turkey hunting with
While all this excitement was going on, Hooper just laid in his
hunts with dogs. Check them out at
said that when he hears the birds clucking and putting nearby, he does get a little fidgety and occasionally will whine but by then the turkey is usually down. What also amazed me is that when he was let out of the bag he ran to both my downed bird and Don’s, but showed very little interest in them. and I swear that I saw him wink at me when he ran by. Hooper has since passed on and Don’s new turkey dog Skeeter. If you are a turkey hunter, you owe turkey dog. Turkey Trot Acres located in Tioga County offers fall turkey www.turkeytrotaces.com.
nclmagazine.com
Photos by Ed Noonan
it to yourself to try a fall hunt with a
By Kim Dedam HIDDEN IN METICULOUS PASTORAL lanes and sun-spackled woods at Asgaard Farm & Dairy sit deep undertones of Rockwell Kent’s artistic legacy, an art and illustration career that thickens when you turn it like butter from fresh cream. Kent’s penchant to illustrate the politics of peace over war chronicled turmoil drawn through the Great Depression into World War II further through the McCarthy Era and a Cold War. The Asgaard artist was seen as leaning left toward progressive ideology, socialism and the benefits of one for many. He heralded philosophies behind the New Deal and civic discourse and painted several major murals and other civic works, including Christmas Seals to raise money for medical research.
Hands that teased colors from dabs of different paint one day mowed Asgaard fields, unloaded hay, milked cows, mended fences and repaired barns the next. Reminiscing on his love for farming, Kent writes in “It’s Me, Oh Lord”: “To own a farm, and live on it! ... Whose hopes aren’t kindled by the thought? “I don’t mean merely buying an old farm house and fixing it to live in while you let the barns decay and the fields revert to wilderness. “No: I mean farming it; and all, in terms of wholesome toil and peaceful leisure and sound sleep at night that ... farming implies.” There are dozens of Asgaard landscapes in Kent’s works, held now in collections and at fine museums around the world. His paintings and books reflect travels to Alaska, 20 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Greenland, time spent on Monhegan Island in Maine, Tierra del Fuego, Newfoundland and in many places worlds apart from Au Sable Forks.
are also sold to date in commercial galleries.
But he loved coming home, as described in his books, to Asgaard.
But many important works were conveyed by Kent and his wife Sally Kent Gorton to Plattsburgh State University, where they are shown daily at the Rockwell Kent Gallery.
There are canvases of Asgaard alive in springtime lime-green meadows baked under bright lemon skies; others caught dark gray storm clouds rolling over autumn fields; or wintry night barns tinged blue by cobalt heavens. Some recall entire summer afternoons Kent spent here, au plein air with clouds piled around the mountains like a fat halo. He illustrated books and created wood carving designs for advertising, one of which was his own Asgaard milk label. Rockwell Kent paintings and illustrations are currently held at the National Gallery of Art; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; at the Hirshhorn Museum; at the Dallas Museum of Art; at the Art Institute of Chicago to name but a few. His prints, illustrations and paintings
The Smithsonian Archives of American Art holds a large collection of photographs and papers.
Enormous resources about Kent, his books, his life and his artistic pedigree and style are readily available at local libraries and online. ROCKWELL KENT GALLERY The Rockwell Kent Gallery At Plattsburgh State University is open every day. It holds a large collection of Kent materials, papers and artwork. Founded in 1974 when Sally Kent Gorton first presented the university with some of her late husband’s works, the Gallery includes “paintings, prints, drawings, dinnerware, books, design art, photographs, bookplates, archives and personal items from his travels and life at Asgaard Farm,” the university says in museum gallery publications. nclmagazine.com
Photos Provided.
In his second biography “It’s Me, Oh Lord,” he mused: “By awakening us to the beauty of our world and to the dignity of man it (art) can be a powerful factor in human progress; or it can lure us apart from this world into the sterile, loveless solitudes of never-never-land.”
The Rockwell Kent Gallery is located in the Feinberg Library on the Plattsburgh State University campus, near the Myers Fine Arts Building and is open from 12 noon until 4 p.m. daily. To arrange a group or private tour of the Kent collection, contact Docent Coordinator, Marguerite Eisinger: marguerite.eisinger@ plattsburgh.edu or call (518) 564-2813.
X THE ROADWAY SPILLS OVER a curve
a hill coming north from Stickney Bridge Road beyond the deep shadows of Jay Mountain. on
At a steep bend, the road falls gracefully toward a landscape wrapped in a shawl of blue mountains. By late summer, the fields lay in run-together hues of deep emerald, olive green and ochre. Thin fence lines cordon off lush Asgaard Farm & Dairy grasses from looming forests. nclmagazine.com
As autumn nears, meadows here settle certain with summer’s bounty. Asgaard’s herd of contented Alpine and Nubian goats lounge satisfied on thick grasses mingled with trefoil and alfalfa. Their faces turn, narrow jaws mulling in circles around ruminant hay, curious to watch farm visitors come in or go out. On meadows opposite their pasture, Asgaard’s Devon beef cattle graze leisurely in the warm summer air. The goat dairy farm remade in Au Sable Forks is winning national and state awards for its Fresh Chevre flavored in summer with dill, maple and garlic. Their Barkeater Buche earned top honors in American Dairy Goat Association competition alongside accolades for their sea salt caramels. Their community
supported agriculture shares provide beef, pork, chicken and goat meat along with premium cheese products. Farmers Rhonda Butler and David Brunner earned a top 10 win among New York cheesemakers in July this year from New York Makers for their artisanal cheese. It’s a busy place, but well-ordered with summer’s affirmation. Butler and Brunner’s 30 years of renovation and improvement at Asgaard pull from a story that began 90 years ago when famed landscape artist, illustrator and writer Rockwell Kent bought this land and built its barns, silos, houses and began dairy farming with a well-bred line of Jersey cows. Modern goat dairy equipment has since replaced the larger parlor accoutrements for cows. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 21
c into the thick, flat slab of granite.
The phrase was title to an early memoir, one of numerous books he wrote, that tells how the farm came to be.
Likely as important to Adirondack farming industry, Butler and Brunner providentially restored vital elements of American art history.
Kent named Asgaard’s farmland for a place in Icelandic legend at the center of the Earth where the land was “lovelier and better in every way,” he tells in “This is My Own,” published in 1940.
Their efforts began when they bought the farm and started reclaiming fields in 1988.
The gods who lived in that land “made for themselves in the middle of the world a city which is called Asgaard.”
THIS IS MY OWN Traveling into Asgaard feels just like falling into a work of art, moving slowly so not to rustle dust on the long, tree-lined driveway. The approach draws the neatly set white collection of farm barns and silos closer against the blue Adirondack sky. Vibrant and colorful lives have added various strokes of commerce, life and livelihood, to crops and livestock and forest here, history tells. Kent came and went from his Au Sable Forks farm. Long travels to Greenland, Terra del Fuego, Washington, D.C. plus junkets to many odd corners of the Earth, always ended here. He is buried beside his Asgaard farmhouse lot with his third wife Sally Kent Gorton and her second husband, Rev. John F. H. Gorton. An epitaph “This is My Own” is carved 22 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Paradise. “It was named for those who lived there, the Aesir, and for what to the wishful thoughts of Nordic men it was: a gaard. And that means farm. ‘Farm of the gods,’” Kent says. The farmhouse he built new soon after buying the property in 1927 was named from the same legends: Gladsheim. And Asgaard’s guesthouse, open for lively gatherings of friends, food, spirit and song, was named Valhalla. “There (at Asgaard),” Kent quotes an Icelandic poet, “dwelt the gods and their kindred; and many tidings and tales of it have come to pass both on earth and aloft.” His arrival in 1927 won high praise in the local news. The Adirondack RecordElizabethtown Post newspaper on Oct. 6 pronounced: “There is one thing about such men as Mr. Kent. They do not spoil
natural beauty. The do not cheapen it. Rather they bring to it the ripe knowledge which comes with artistic education. They enhance natural beauty rather than detract from it.”
FINDING ASGAARD - BUTLER & BRUNNER
Butler and Brunner have worked with the same muse through their stewardship, reassembling the Asgaard parcels, living in its buildings, and reinstating dairy commerce with fresh and aged cheeses, meats and sweets. “We kind of walked the property line when we first saw the farm,” Butler said in a late summer interview. “And there was something about this place. We knew it had a past and you could see it had a future.” In 1988, the couple wasn’t aware of Rockwell Kent’s life’s work but his wife Sally (Kent Gorton) was still here, having subdivided and kept 75 acres at Gladsheim. “We lived side-by-side for 10 years,” Butler said of their neighbor. And slowly, in part by cultivating the land, in part by finding elements of an earlier era, they uncovered Asgaard’s past. “We just fixed up what was here,” Butler says. “I like to think Sally believed we would use the whole place, and respectfully.” nclmagazine.com
Photos by Kim Dedam.
But the reputation for Asgaard quality stands renewed. The farmland is fully in active use, including the 250 original Kent acres with a core herd of 55 goats, cattle, pigs and chickens.
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Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 23
Visits in years past from two of Kent’s five children -- Gordon Kent and Kathleen Kent Finney -- brought their family’s rich history into clearer view. “I do realize that Kathleen was pleased to see it was still a farm,” Butler said. Gordon relayed provenance of the farm’s small cottage built beyond the barns, offered now as a farm stay for Adirondack travelers. “What we call The Emerson House was originally built for Rockwell Kent’s son Rocky,” Butler said, referring to the Kent’s eldest child, Rockwell Kent III.
The Emerson House is named not for Rocky but for Kent’s longtime farming partners Ulysses and Gladys Emerson, whose children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren hold their own place in Essex County agriculture. FINDING ASGAARD - ROCKWELL KENT In his writing, Kent tells how he found the place with his second wife Frances. There were about 250 acres with the farm at the time, its buildings rundown and in disrepair. In "This is My Own," Kent says coming north around that corner, “And we turned north again -turned north and stopped. “And there, westward and heavenward to the high ridge of Whiteface, northward to the northern limits of the mountains, southward to their highest peaks, was spread the full half-circle panorama of the Adirondacks. It was as though we had never seen the mountains before,” he wrote. “And every time throughout our lives we see that view it will be to us as though we had never seen the mountains before.” Rockwell describes how they held 24 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
(Above) Rhonda Butler standing in front of barn at Asgaard Farm. (Top Right) Interior of barn with stacked hay bales. (Lower Right) Cows grazing at Asgaard Farm.
their breath as they offered James McKee $5,000 for the place. It was all they had. First glimpses of Asgaard were very similar for those who have come here since. Hired by Rockwell, Ulysses “Tink” and Gladys Emerson arrived with their three young children in 1955 fresh from farm management for an A&P Grocery heiress near Cambridge, NY. Their daughter Linda (Emerson) Dubay was eight years old and recalls the truck Rockwell Kent sent to make the wintry drive north with all of their belongings. “We moved here in December, 1955 or ‘56, and came over that hill from Au Sable Forks,” she said in an August interview. “Mom and dad were in our vehicle, and my sister Joyce and I were in the truck. And we saw that barn and it was just, ‘Ah, oh Lord,’” Dubay said. “It was about 3:20 in the afternoon, it was beautiful.” Asgaard’s farmers and proprietors Butler and Brunner found the core parcel of the original farm, serendipitously for sale, while visiting
family in Lake Placid about 1988. With jobs in New York City, they had been looking for a farm to cultivate as a second career. “We just fell across this property,” Brunner said of the day they rounded that same northern bend in the road that Kent did and saw the fields, the white barns and silos. The view took their breath away. “It really struck a chord with us. “We didn’t really know about Rockwell Kent, his farm or his art,” Brunner allowed of those first few years. “But we were absolutely fascinated.” ARTIFACTS AND ANSWERS The Butler/Brunner family was fortunate, Brunner said, to start their tenure with neighbors in Sally Kent Gorton and Gladys Emerson, each woman holding pieces of the legend in place. “We were blessed in a way to live on the farm with Sally and Gladys,” Brunner said. The farmers remembered Sally’s grace and worldly disposition, wellconnected and sharp on current events. nclmagazine.com
Photos by Kim Dedam.
“He had hoped Rocky would take on the farm, and he tried. It just didn’t last.”
9
looking toward the barn. She greatly appreciated it.”
can and prepare food for the farm’s large freezer.
Tink and Gladys Emerson’s daughter, Linda Dubay, remembers the star, too.
“Rockwell invented and built this French slicer for beans, I think it’s now at Plattsburgh State University in the Kent Collection,” Linda recounted.
“Sally loved that star,” Linda said. “And it was wonderful when you came up that hill (from Au Sable Forks) and saw it lit up. When Rockwell put it up, there were long streamers -- half the length of the buildings -- coming from each side. He arranged the colored lights in a certain order along the streamers.”
9
Sally stayed on Asgaard Farm after Kent died. Her lifelong home was at Gladsheim, which had been rebuilt after a fire in 1969. That stretch of time, from her marriage to Kent in 1940 through her second marriage until her just before her death in 2000 encompassed almost 60 years. She was born in England and moved to Canada as a child. Linda recalls Sally was close to her father, an English sailor with the Royal Navy, which accounts for the anchor, the lone work of art carved into Sally’s gravestone. EMERSON ERA STEWARDSHIP The Emerson family ran the farm with Rockwell and Sally for nearly 30 years through the artist’s final few decades on Earth. Their care and ownership spanned three generations. Their interactions remained formal, Butler said, and respectful of Sally’s privacy and space. But her recollections going back some 60 years with Asgaard helped frame their renovations. “One time, we found a big wooden star someplace where we were cleaning,” Brunner said. “It was a huge star, 15 feet across and strung with lights. We rebuilt it and rewired it and lit it for Christmas. And Sally would often sit at the big front window of her home nclmagazine.com
“Sally lived a very regimented life with Rockwell, with set times to start the day, she would take dictation at set times and prepare meals,” Linda says softly. “She would get in that yellow Mercury convertible and travel twice a day to the post office.” “I can see her. She’d go down that road in that yellow car, just a beautiful woman. Sally was such a love. I miss her terribly.” At Gladsheim, Linda said, Sally and Rockwell kept a very large vegetable garden and at summer’s end would
“They would have these enormous dinner parties. Sally managed to get everything started for the huge meals, and then my mother and I would help. But she always served everything herself.” Linda recalls Kent celebrations filled with serenity, good food and laughter all around. “Rockwell was a very good storyteller, he always had everyone laughing.” Close friendship across Asgaard’s acres with Sally mark decades of Linda’s life, as she and husband Walter stayed on to raise their children on the farm, along with the Jersey cows, beef cattle, chickens, “You name it, sheep, goats, everything,” Linda said. The Dubays raised and bred famed Asgaard Jersey cows, winning yearly awards through the 1980s, along with their children, at both the Essex and Clinton County fairs. “There is no better way to raise kids,” Linda said of growing up at Asgaard. Rockwell and Sally gifted all three Dubay children with registered Jerseys to start out. “And after showing at the county fair, they would run to show the Kents the ribbons we won. I think Rockwell and Sally were always as excited as we were.” The legacy of Asgaard Jerseys earned national honors, in a unique way. One year, Linda entered a favorite cow in the “Elsie the Borden Cow” contest. “It got down to the last five, and she was still in, and I was afraid to have Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 25
to give her up,” Linda recalled fondly. “And she came in second. I was very glad,” she chuckled.
Time’s passage at Asgaard left the women to survive.
The Tink and Gladys Emerson contribution to Essex County 4-H programs stands to this day.
Tink Emerson died right there in a hayfield, according to his daughter, in 1977, not long after Rockwell death in a Plattsburgh hospital in 1971.
Two top ribbons at the Essex County Fair remain in place: the Gladys Emerson Award and the Emerson Grand Champion Award for livestock, which is named in honor of Linda’s father Ulysses “Tink” Emerson.
The Emerson’s had purchased a section of the farm from Rockwell, and sold it to former Sen. Ronald Stafford. Linda said the paperwork conveying the property was signed just a few months before her father’s death.
“And the Au Sable Echoes 4-H Club is still going,” she said.
With her mother keeping lifelong tenancy at the Emerson House, Linda stayed nearby as caretaker through the final years, helping Sally catalogue several important sets of Rockwell Kent’s illustrations, including those completed in Newfoundland.
AU PLEIN AIR Linda told of work in the fields and in the barnyards, working with and around her father in near silence and of Rockwell, his regimented days split between farm chores and artwork. Rockwell Kent took immense pleasure in painting the land he tilled, she said. or
“From about age eight and on, most of my childhood,” she said she remembered Rockwell painting in the open air, above a field or along the road or beside the forest.
REASSEMBLING ASGAARD By the late 1980s, the Butler/ Brunner family had begun to plant rye and other grains, rebuilding Asgaard soils.
“It was just the love of the land; the love of the mountains; the love of every tree,” she said of what stirred Rockwell Kent.
“Rockwell Kent’s farm had been divided into three pieces,” Butler said, sitting at the plank table inside the Asgaard farm market.
“One time, I remember, we were out haying. We had a lot of hay bales out there, he was painting the scene. When we finished the field, Dad said, ‘we can’t pick up the hay,’ and I said ‘oh but it’s going to rain!’ And he told me ‘we can’t until Rockwell’s done. We have to be patient.’”
“The first 10 or 15 years were primarily repairing, cleaning and restoring,” Brunner said.
The bales did get wet in a rainstorm, Linda said, but were salvageable when moved a few days later. “It all worked out in the end.” 26 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Brunner and Butler are now building a new house on the same footprint as Sally’s ranchstyle building, a replacement to the original Gladsheim which was destroyed by fire with a lightning
Sally died in May of 2000. And Gladys passed a year later in November of 2001. It was Sally who suggested Butler and Brunner purchase her acres to add to the resurgent Asgaard.
One vocation informed sometimes overruled the other.
guest cottage, Valhalla, was found on a barn shelf and is now stationed properly over the doorstep. What used to be the guest house and is now living quarters for farm interns.
“We took our time. Sometimes it is better if you can do that.” Fresh coats of white paint and crossbeams stabilized the twin white silos and the gambrel-roofed barn with the farm’s historic name painted black in Kent’s “four-foot” letters: ASGAARD. The winged sign for the Kent
Rockwell Kent's "Asgaard Jerseys." 1965. Plattsburgh State Art Museum. Used with permission.
strike in 1969. They consulted the original drawings for Gladsheim, Brunner said. “We had the original house redrawn, but given the room sizes, it wouldn’t be in keeping with today’s standards. We started brand new with an almost identically placed footprint.” The new farmhouse is being built now with materials taken wholly from Asgaard. It will heated with a nclmagazine.com
geothermal system and powered by Asgaard’s sun. “This one will be ours I suppose,” Butler thought aloud. The Asgaard farmers aren’t sure if they, too, will call their house Gladsheim. “We didn’t do any of the naming around here, so maybe we should respect the history,” Brunner mused.
VISITING ASGAARD Asgaard Farm & Dairy has an onsite farm store in addition to their stands at several weekly farmers’ markets throughout Essex and Clinton Counties and in farm stores, such as those at the Deer’s Head Inn in Elizabethtown and at Craigardan in Keene, among others. The store on the farm is open 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. To find out more: asgaardfarm.com
www.
X UPCOMING EVENT: ESSEX COUNTY CHEESE TOUR, OCT. 8TH Asgaard Farm & Dairy is also one of three locations featured in the Essex County Cheese Tour, which is scheduled for Oct. 8, 2017. “People definitely like to see the animals and the cheesemaking process itself, and they enjoy seeing the cheese cave,” Asgaard farmer Rhonda Butler said of the autumn event. Of four creameries in the Adirondacks today, three are in Essex County, she added. ASGAARD INTACT While reassembling and reengaging Asgaard has been a 30 year labor of love and hard work, the place always had great bones to begin with, the farmers suggest. “It’s a very functional place,” Brunner mused. “Our objective was to build a farm, which is coming to fruition after all these years.” “So Asgaard is intact,” Butler said.
nclmagazine.com
Along with Asgaard, Sugar House Creamery in Upper Jay and the North Country Creamery in Keeseville have participated in the popular event. “We are all along the Ausable River,” Butler said of the 20-mile stretch of waterway that connects the creameries here. The Essex County Cheese Tour features foods created with cheeses made at each of the creameries. It is a self-guided tour held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ASGAARD FARM & DAIRY PROPRIETORS Rhonda Butler and David Brunner acquired Rockwell Kent’s artists’ studio with the purchase of Gladsheim acres. They hadn’t seen much of the shop and studio until they bought it. Hidden in wooded glen not far from his gravesite, there sits Rockwell Kent’s art studio, a squat, clapboarded, one-story building with four rooms. The eaves reach long over the siding. Stepping inside is like stepping back in time. The dusty coating of decades past hasn’t entirely won over the fragrance of cleaners or paint. The building has a woodworking shop in the entry hallway where artist and illustrator Rockwell Kent kept a printing press, which is now held in the Kent Collection at Plattsburgh State University, Butler allows. “This was in okay shape,” she shared of their repairs. “We were worried about the roof and parts of the envelope were getting weak.” They restored cedar shingles to the building. “And we matched the exterior stain in keeping with the original building.” Inside, lengths of canvas sit on a shelf, still rolled-up as if awaiting frames. Vacant hand-made frames line long racks hung from the ceilings. Some of Kent’s paintbrushes are there, strapped neatly into a canvas painter’s roll. One of Rockwell’s palettes sits on a studio bench, colors lined by wavelength like a rainbow. A row of incomplete canvases covered with first layers of paint align a top shelf, one already brushed with Kent’s signature billowing clouds. The main studio room’s signature feature is a window probably 12' square. All of the old glass panes have been reglazed, only a few were cracked and therefore replaced, Butler said. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 27
artwork around the country and the world. “We’ve left it in exactly the condition we found it,” Brunner said of the studio. But much of the works and papers were removed long ago. After Sally’s death in 2000, officials from the Smithsonian Institute and also from Plattsburgh State University had sorted through memorabilia and items in the studio, Butler said. The Smithsonian spent three weeks cataloguing Kent’s materials and Sally’s inventories. As farmers and proprietors of the historic Asgaard Farm & Dairy, Butler and Brunner see functionality in Kent’s studio and are considering a program to put it back into use, making room for a Kent Studio artist-inresidence program. They are parsing details for such an offering with Jason Andrew at Norte Maar for Collaborative Projects in the Arts, a non-profit organization that coordinates the Ausable River Valley Studio Tour in July each year. The final decision is forthcoming, likely by next year. “It’s a perfectly good workspace, but it’s just sitting here, so we thought: Why don’t we make it available to an artist?” Butler suggests. (Top Left) Valhalla sign by Rockwell Kent. (Top Right) Studio image with photo of Rockwell Kent hanging on the wall. (Bottom Left) Studio woodshop. (Bottom Right) Rockwell Kent paintbrushes and palette on display.
“But 95 percent of it is original glass,” she adds, looking toward the fractured summer forest light that pours into the room.
perfect, block handwriting indicating the rooms, bathrooms, sauna and living areas he designed and shortly rebuilt.
Two light fixtures hung from the high ceiling in the main studio room are both original and fitted still with the original bulbs.
The studio fans out into other functional areas.
“And they work,” Butler said of the incredible functionality still in place. “We haven’t turned them on too often, for fear of burning them out and then not being able to replace them.” Rockwell Kent’s daybed is pushed flush against one wall. There are several photographs of the artist at work in the room. “Gordon (Kent), his youngest son, gave us these,” Butler says of the images. And two wooden drafting tables remain standing near the enormous window. “His big, gorgeous easel is at Plattsburgh State,” Butler said of another major element once kept here. But one small drafting table covered in white cardboard contains the actual floorplan Rockwell Kent drew in the hours after his farmhouse Gladsheim burned down in 1969. Light pencil strokes are labeled with 28 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
“We’ve always had an ambition to create a summer residency program,” Brunner said.
A writing nook with a bay window and built-in desk canters lengthwise off the studio. Kent designed and crafted the cabinets and shelves. In a drawer below the shelves, an ink bottle sits, empty, near a narrow, cream colored paper sheaf labeled in red ink: 8 Stk. dobb. falsede Rensenaale Nr.100 (stiften afsleben) for Svea, Primus, Effektiv, Aetna etc., Mensterbeskyttet Nr. 947 The envelope is likely Icelandic, as “stiften afsleben” translates in that language to: The pins are sealed. The items it once contained may have been parts to a writing pen or other crafting tool. The fourth room is a loading dock area with two bay doors that open to a forest trail on the northeastern end. Carrels there still holds many gargantuan crates he used to ship nclmagazine.com
Lake George’s Puppy Paradise TRE ATS, TOYS & TOKE N S GALOR E By Christopher South
to notice what is going on inside the Dog Cabin in Lake George, but according to owner Lisa Giknis, dogs pick up on it right away. “I put the strongest smelling items near the front door, and when I’m baking dog treats they know it,” she said. Some dogs have even lead their owners into the store. Replete with dog toys galore, Dog Cabin is a puppy’s paradise. In true Adirondack style, the store is decked out with wood furnishings, a pine needle wall trim, and even a canoe — lending the store a true cabin feel. Giknis said the Dog Cabin has everything for dogs, from the normal dog accessories and homemade treats to unique offerings like life jackets, travel items and dog-themed Christmas ornaments. “The life jackets are a big thing,” she said. “If they fall out of a boat dogs can swim, but they can also get tired in the time it takes you to turn the boat around and go get them.” 30 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Giknis opened her Montcalm Street store six years ago, but she hasn’t always catered to dogs.
husband, Giknis decided to do what made her happy.
DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY
GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT
Giknis worked in the insurance industry for 27 years, and in her words, she got burned out due to downsizing. “I was sitting behind a desk, the company was downsizing to the point where there was one person for every four jobs. I was getting yelled at by people, and I didn’t like anymore,” she said. Giknis said her husband, Chas, works in his own DJ business and he would come home talking about what a great time he had at work. “Then he would ask me, ‘How was your day?’” Giknis said. Hearing how she felt, he encouraged her to do something she liked. Then, in 2005, Giknis was diagnosed with cancer, and her mother passed away around that time. All of this, she said, changed her perspective on life. With the encouragement of her
And the Dog Cabin was born. Giknis is known for her specially made dog treats. Most of the treats seem like they would be appetizing to people — like the peanut butter cookies and peanut butter carrot “ruffins” (muffins). “Dogs love peanut butter. Just don’t give them the dollar store peanut butter because it contains xylitol,” she said. Xylitol is a sugar substitute used in some peanut butters and can have dangerous effects on a dog’s health. Giknis also makes “Brew Balls,” dog treats made with spent grain, primarily barley, oats, and wheat, from the Adirondack Brewery in Lake George. After seeing people give their dogs ice cream in the summer, Giknis even started making frozen yogurt treats for dogs. All the sugar contained in ice cream is not good for the dogs, she said, so nclmagazine.com
Photos by Pete DeMola
PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE
she makes the frozen treat with plain yogurt, beef liver, and honey. “They love the yogurt, there is no sugar, only good stuff,” she said.
Giknis also carries a number of Stinky Dog T-shirts from designer Samantha “Sam” McCullough out of Saratoga Springs.
Her own dogs, Zorra and Tabby, help out in the store as food inspectors, trying out the dog treats.
“When I opened my store, I wanted to have Stinky Dog in my store,” Giknis said.
They have never disliked any of the treats she has made, she said.
Giknis is also a dog trainer and trained in dog massage.
Her dogs also investigate all deliveries and will play with new toys that come in.
She also provides a printed guide for tourists to direct them to pet friendly lodging, campgrounds, places to eat and play, veterinarians, groomers, and pet sitters.
Asked if any of the dogs that come in her shop ever shoplift, Giknis said “once.” A dog once ran out the door with a ball, but the dog’s owners paid for it, she said. “We once had a German shepherd come in and put a ball on the counter and it barked at its owner until they bought it.” KEEPING IT LOCAL
The Dog Cabin carries a selection of Lake George collars and leashes made by a local vendor. Like the spent grain from the Adirondack Brewery and bacon from Oscar’s Adirondack Smokehouse in Warrensburg she uses in her treats, Giknis likes to use local products and vendors. She works with the maker of the “I Wear Local” line of clothing in Bolton Landing to make a “local” line for dogs. “Dogs can get into Lake George pride also,” Giknis said.
All in all, Giknis said, life is a lot happier when you are doing what you love. DOG POETRY
Since the inception of the Dog Cabin, Giknis has been able to combine two of her loves: dogs and writing poetry. Giknis is the author of “Fetching Words: Poems By Dogs For Humans,” a collection of 20 poems written from a dog’s perspective. “I’ve written poetry my whole life,” she said. “From being in the dog business, I’ve been observing the dogs, wondering what they were thinking, and I started putting ideas together and it all just fell into place.” Giknis said she also had inspiration from her own two dogs. “I’m always wondering what they are thinking,” she said. Giknis said she understand a lot.
thinks
dogs
After a lifetime of writing, her first book of poetry is in print — it’s available in bookstores and specialty stores around the Adirondacks and even in Vermont. “I think the book is a cute gift for dog owners,” she said.
Dog Cabin owner Lisa Giknis shows statements certifying her doggy treats meet New York State guidelines.
nclmagazine.com
The poems, she said, describe dogs engaged in activities in the local area, including “Boat Dog” and
"Casey” the dog, visiting from Michigan with her family, sits on a bench near a photo of a superstar dog, “Lassie.”
“Vacation Dog.” She has one about veterans, and about a dog park. Giknis said she worked for seven years to get a dog park at Lake George, and it is finally happening. Warrensburg graphic artist Mechelle Roskiewicz illustrated the book. Giknis met Roskiewicz at the Dog Days of Summer event held at the Adirondack Experience in Blue Mountain Lake, and the two made a connection. Roskiewicz created a portrait of Giknis’ dog, which hangs in the store, before asking her to illustrate the poetry book. Giknis also has sample of portraits Roskiewicz has painted, including portraits painted on Christmas ornaments. Giknis said part of the proceeds from the book, which is published by Glens Falls Publishing, are donated to support victims of breast cancer. She collects cans and bottles to help fund animal shelters. In the past two years she raised $2,000 by doing this. She also donates $1 from the sale of America-themed leashes, collars, or bandanas which goes to Operation At Ease, which rescues dogs from shelters, pairs them with veterans, and trains them to become PTSD service dogs. The Dog Cabin is located at 32 Montcalm Street, Lake George. Call them at 518-668-3251 or visit thedogcabinlg.com.
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 31
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FOUR FABULOUS
Hike up Castle Rock, Severance and Cook Mountain, Roaring Brook Falls By Lohr McKinstry
That said, these are four easy-tomoderate hikes we’ve chosen to help our readers enjoy the gorgeous fall foliage season in the Adirondack Mountains. Before you go: prepare a small pack with sunscreen, insect repellent, a water bottle, a compass or handheld GPS device, sunglasses, flashlight, first-aid kit, energy bars, and a map. A Swiss Army knife wouldn’t hurt. Wear proper clothing, hiking shoes or boots, and consider a hat and 34 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
long-sleeve shirt for bug and sun protection. You should also carry a cellphone.
Land Conservancy and is open to
Don’t forget to sign in at the trailhead register. If you’re reported lost or injured, one of the first things the New York State Forest Rangers will do is check the register book.
takes about an hour to hike. On the
COOK MOUNTAIN, TICONDEROGA
of environments, from damp wetlands
Cook Mountain is a moderate hike, with three trails available at the trailhead on Baldwin Road in Ticonderoga.
and overgrown farmland to mixed
The hike is on the Cook Mountain Preserve owned by the Lake George
the public all year. The main trail ascends rapidly, and way up, you’ll see a large stone cairn that hikers have been adding to over the years. The trail passes through a diversity
hardwood and coniferous forest and dry rocky-summit grassland. There’s a beech and maple forest full of birds. nclmagazine.com
© kerkezz/Adobe Stock
LIVING IN THE ADIRONDACKS,
we’re blessed with lots of hiking opportunities amid thousands of trails.
Rare wetland plants, such as Hill’s Pondweed, are off the lower portions of the trail. The summit is an open place with a good open view in the summer. There is a nice view looking south to Lake George, with Roger’s Rock on the right. Flat Rock and Anthony’s Nose can be seen on the left. The main trail is called the Ridges Trail, and ascends steeply for the first half-mile, then becomes more gradual, following the gentle contour of the hillside. Cook Mountain’s elevation is 1,213 nclmagazine.com
feet — the trail is three miles, roundtrip. CASTLE ROCK, BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE
The trailhead to Castle Rock is difficult to find, but the hike is well worth it: From the intersection of Route 30 and Route 28N in the Town of Long Lake, follow Route 30/28N south to Blue Mountain Lake. Then turn right to Maple Lodge Road. Follow this road about a mile to the parking and trail register on the right. As you start the 1.5 mile hike to
the summit, you’ll be on a dirt road, which changes to a footpath. At a split in the trail, keep left over a footbridge. The bridge is over the outlet to Chub Pond, which is soon in sight. Next, there’s a split in the trail; stay on the ascending part and you start a steep climb to Castle Rock. The last section of the trail is exhausting, so be prepared, but it then moderates as you approach the top. The trail takes a right, then a left, with some great views of Castle Rock’s walls and caves. The summit is open rock. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 35
COOK MOUNTAIN S U M M I T Hikers are treated with views of Vermont and a clear view of Lake George.
C AS T L E RO C K S U M M I T From the top, hikers see Blue Mountain Lake and its islands spread out below.
MOUNT SEVERENCE S U M M I T Providing a scenic view of Schroon Lake and the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness.
ROARING BROOK F A L L S
36 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Photos by Lohr McKinstry
The view of Roaring Brook Falls from Route 73 is spectacular.
nclmagazine.com
Going back down, return to the last intersection and follow the red trail markers to the right. There are springs running off Peaked Mountain, so be ready for a wet trail. The trail comes out near the footbridge and back to the trailhead.
and the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area. A second outlook faces northeast and shows Paradox Lake. There are some breathtaking views. This is a good hike to take children on and no one will get too exhausted or complain too much.
Castle Rock’s elevation is 2,430 feet — the hike is a three mile loop.
Mount Severance’s elevation is 1,693 feet — the hike is 2.4 miles, roundtrip.
MOUNT SEVERANCE, SCHROON LAKE
ROARING BROOK FALLS, KEENE VALLEY
This is another fairly easy hike with some nice views of Schroon Lake and Pharaoh Lake Wilderness from the top.
This is the easiest of the four hikes, at only about one-third mile, and usually takes about 30 minutes to get up.
The Mount Severance trailhead is across from the Alder Meadow Road intersection near I-87, on U.S. Route 9, one half mile south of the intersection with Route 74. It’s about a mile north of the hamlet of Schroon Lake.
The trailhead is off Route 73, about 5.5 miles north of the infamous “Malfunction Junction” intersection of Routes 9 and 73.
The trail passes through a pair of tunnels under the Adirondack Northway. The sign-in register is located between the two tunnels.
The trail to the base of the falls is about a third of a mile and the one to the top is a half-mile; both trails start at the sign-in register. The one to the base is flat and easy for almost anyone.
Be sure to use insect repellent on this hike, as mosquitoes proliferate in the area. The hike isn’t very steep and takes about 30 minutes to the top. The steepest part of the trail is about three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead. The ascent includes bridges and rock stairs. The view from the summit is looking south and southeast at Schroon Lake
The falls are visible from Route 73 on the south side of Giant Mountain, east of Keene Valley.
Visitors should be wary on the trails, especially during high water, as there is a serious risk of injury or death from unstable footing while hiking. It can also be slippery at the top of the falls, so be very cautious if you’re taking photos. The trail is mostly smooth and flat until you get to the base of the falls, then it requires climbing over some rocks. The hanging falls are about 300 feet high. The view from the base is spectacular looking up; from the top you can see the High Peaks. Roaring Brook Falls’ elevation is 1,950 feet — it’s a one mile distance to the top, roundtrip.
Mount Severance in Schroon Lake is an easy hike.
nclmagazine.com
BEFORE You Go:
PREPARE A SMALL PACK with sunscreen, insect repellent, a water bottle, a compass or handheld GPS device, sunglasses, flashlight, first-aid kit, energy bars, and a map. A Swiss Army knife wouldn’t hurt. Wear proper clothing, hiking shoes or boots, and consider a hat and long-sleeve shirt for bug and sun protection. You should also carry a cellphone. Don’t forget to sign in at the trailhead register. If you’re reported lost or injured, one of the first things the New York State Forest Rangers will do is check the register book. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 37
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IN THE WATERS OF LAKE CH Vessel sunken during THE Battle of Valcour Island, one of the oldest recorded By Teah Dowling
The gunboat’s sole purpose: to serve Brigadier General Benedict Arnold during the Revolutionary War. In haste, the American military general asked for the construction of eight 54-inch gunboats in 1776 as the Americans prepared for the British advance from Canada. Spitfire, one of the 15-boat fleet, ventured out on Lake Champlain on Oct. 11, 1776 during the Battle of Valcour Island. That day, the British fleet under Sir Guy Carleton defeated Arnold’s fleet. The Spitfire was sunk. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s (LCMM) Lake Survey team discovered the gondola on the bottom of the lake in 1997. 42 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
“It was intact when we found it,” said Eloise Beil, curator at LCMM. “Lake Champlain is very cold and deep with no tides to break apart the wood.
Because it’s protected under the Sunken Military Craft Art, the gunboat’s exact location is a secret to this day.
“It’s like putting it in a refrigerator.”
According to LCMM, approximately 300 boats lie on the bottom of Lake Champlain, said Beil.
According to LCMM’s website, Spitfire was originally identified as “missing gunboat” upon discovery — the finders didn’t know which of the gunboats it was; Spitfire, Jersey, Philadelphia, Providence, New Haven, Boston, Connecticut or New York. Too badly damaged, Jersey and Providence were abandoned. New Haven, Boston, Connecticut and New York were beached as the Americans retreated on land to Fort Ticonderoga. Like Spitfire, the Philadelphia also sunk that day but was recovered in 1935 and put on display in the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. in 1964.
ALSO IN LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Spitfire, the last unaccounted-for vessel of the Battle of Valcour Island, is one of the oldest recorded vessels found in the lake. The oldest identified is the Boscawen, a 115-ton sloop built in 1759 in Ticonderoga. The remaining boats found date back to the 1800s. Four vessels are from the War of 1812: Allen, Eagle, Linnet and Ticonderoga. The lake is filled with sunken canal boats, steamboats, powerboats, sailboats, tugboats and ferry’s, said Beil — along with airplanes, cars, nclmagazine.com
© Ryan/Adobe Stock
DEEP IN THE WATERS of Lake Champlain lies Spitfire, a 240-yearold wooden vessel.
AMPLAIN:
trucks and horse drawn carriages. All of these sunken treasures are being preserved underneath Lake Champlain today. “It’s quite fascinating,” Beil said. “Every shipwreck discovered gives you one more detail into our area’s rich history.” PRESERVING HISTORY
LCMM is looking to preserve the Spitfire outside of Lake Champlain waters due to invasive species threatening the boats existence. “If invasive species get in our lake, all detail of the Spitfire and other shipwrecks will eventually be lost,” said Beil. “We don’t want to lose that detail with one of the boats from the Revolutionary War fleet.”
Artist Ernie Haas’ rendition of the shipwrecked Spitfire.
nclmagazine.com
LCMM recently made a recommendation to the Navy and outside agencies to take the boat out of Lake Champlain and preserve it.
If approved, LCMM Co-Founder and Senior Researcher Art Cohn laid out a 20-year plan in his book “A Tale of Three Gunboats: Lake Champlain’s Revolutionary War Heritage.” The five-phase $45 million plan starts with planning and constructing a new facility somewhere in Burlington to house the vessel before it is brought to the surface between 2024 and 2026. After a 15-year preservation process, the vessel would be placed in a newly constructed museum in Plattsburgh between 2038 and 2040. City of Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read said he’s looking forward to a partnership between the City of Plattsburgh and LCMM if this plan goes through. “It’s an amazing idea,” Read says. “It’s going to create a real attraction for us and bring the Battle of Valcour Island to life.” Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 43
Q&A with Lake Champlain Sea Grant Aquatic Resource Specialist
Mark Malchoff THE U.S. SPITFIRE, along with 300 vessels in Lake Champlain, are in jeopardy of falling victim to invasive species, which could send them to permanent shallow grave. Here’s what Malchoff had to say: Q: What kind of invasive species are you concerned with? A: “At first, the concern was zebra mussels, but they can only reach down to 60 feet. Now we’re concerned about quagga mussels, which can go down to 400 feet. There are a lot of shipwrecks in Lake Champlain. If they get in the lake, it will be a big problem.” Q: What can quagga mussels do to the boats in Lake Champlain? A: “Quagga mussels speed the breakdown of wood. What zebra mussels can do in a century, quagga mussels can do in a decade. If anything gets colonized with any kind of mussel, you won’t be able to recognize it anymore. For example, what once was
a boat will turn into a blob of mussels.” Q: Is there any way to get the mussels off? A: “No. There’s been some instances, but it costs hundreds of thousands to millions to do. The best cure is prevention.” Q: What is being done to prevent this from happening? A: “All boaters across the country are encouraged to clean, drain and dry their boats before putting them into any of the Great Lakes. It’s slowed the pace a great deal. But the bass tournaments on Lake Champlain draw in boaters from around the country and there’s several canals connected to other bodies of water. It hasn’t happened yet. But it could be a potential problem.” Q: Any advice to boaters who like to travel? A: “Be careful. Don’t move these mussels around.”
(Above) 1. “A Tale of Three Gunboats: Lake Champlain’s Revolutionary War Heritage” by Art Cohn. 2. A drawing of Spitfire compiled from ROV footage and verification dives. (Below) Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s full-size replica 1776 gunboat Philadelphia II, a sister boat to Spitfire.
Take a tour underneath
THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN Maritime
was built in 1868 to ferry railroad
Museum is offering shipwreck tours
cars from Burlington to Plattsburgh.
to the public. On this one-hour
A shipwreck tour is scheduled
excursion, guests will be able to see
for Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. The tour can
a wooden wreck through a camera
accommodate up to 40 people.
that dives deep down into Lake
Admission costs $40 for adults and
Champlain waters. The wreck often
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shown is of Champlain II, which
information, call 802-475-2022.
44 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
All photos provided by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
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Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 47
coopeRation: U.S. Barrel blends pas present manufacturing method fo By Kim Dedam
With the hum of saws cutting double-compound curved staves from straight, quarter-sawn lengths of North American White Oak, U.S. Barrel became the first cooper since the days of Prohibition to operate in the Northeastern United States. “I like to say, ‘We’re not running into the future, we’re running into the past,’” founder Bob Hockert muses, leaning on a shop table in his cooperage. The walls are lined with precision tools of a newly oldfashioned trade. Lengths of premium cut oak are stacked neatly in one corner. “Every town had a cooper in the early days,” Hockert says of this industry, one he’s regenerated with a few proprietary design elements. Hockert’s engineering background 48 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
incorporated several noteworthy innovations at this cooperage, including joinery he designed for barrel heads that resembles a threedimensional puzzle lock. It’s called an Interference-Fit Lock Joint. “We love working in thousandyear-old technology with modern precision,” Hockert says. “It’s the precision to one or twothousandths of an inch is new.” New to an American commodity. The humble, cylindrical container was imperative to civilization’s expansion. For centuries, barrels stowed food, water and rum on every ship that sailed the seas. But it is how the charred oak barrel imparts color, palate and nose to spirits that survived the test of time. “You can’t make whiskey without a barrel,” Hockert says. The demand for cooperage has grown exponentially since about 2006, when New York revised regulation
costs for small craft distilleries, Hockert explains. “There were about six distilleries in the state 10 years ago. There are well over 200 now and the number is still growing.” The demand for small batch barrels is what actually pushed Hockert, along with coopers and Upper Jay natives Justin Bidelspach and Justin’s father Chris Bidelspach, to transform their cedar-barrel Adirondack Sauna business into U.S. Barrel LLC. The manufacturing company was born the day a distiller ran up to Hockert’s truck, which had paused at a stop light in Saratoga, and pushed a business card through the window. Hockert was transporting a sauna, an eight-foot cedar barrel. “Where did you get that barrel?” the craft distiller asked with wild excitement. nclmagazine.com
Photos by Kim Dedam
COOPERS RETURNED THE CHIME of hammers to quiet boreal woods beneath Whiteface Mountain about 10 years ago. Their steam chamber, charring fires and the soft groan of tightening barrel staves revives a craft that dates back to early American pioneers.
t with
r craft distilleriEs (Top Left) At U.S. Barrel, coopers Justin Bidelspach, left, Bob Hockert, center, and Chris Bidelspach, at right, discuss the properties of quarter-sawn white oak they use in making barrels. (Top Right) Using a hot poker, the bung hole in a newly coopered barrel at U.S. Barrel is sealed water tight. Fibers in oak are like small straws and cauterizing the edges prevents any potential for leakage. (Bottom Left) Varied stages of charring, numbered 1 through 5, with an open flame will impart varied color and flavor to various distilled alcohol spirits in reaction with the oak wood while aging. (Bottom Right) U.S. Barrel founder Bob Hockert describes how their barrels are kept standard in design across various size volume capacity, using standards developed in their shop.
“We made it," Hockert answered. Unheard of in these parts, the distiller from the lower Hudson Valley called every single day for four months until Hockert and Justin agreed to build a prototype out of North American White Oak. The business name, U.S. Barrel, marks their product wholly Made in the U.S.A., but can also be read U.S. for Upstate, Hockert said. Beyond the elegant, six-hooped shape of U.S. Barrel’s products, sustained one-on-one design interaction with the distiller in southern New York spread to new distilleries at Gristmill here in nearby Keene; to Caledonia Spirits in Vermont; and throughout the northeast. The cooperation garnered U.S. Barrel a welcome reputation. Some distilleries nclmagazine.com
meet their barrel delivery with a crowd. “They can’t get barrels like this anyplace else,” Justin explains of the niche market. “We build things that nobody else would ever think about doing.” Hockert calls the interaction with the distillers a “dance.” “We can control where the wood comes from, where the wood is milled, how it’s quarter-sawn, what sections of wood we use, how the wood is aged and how it is charred. We have no aspiration to become the General Motors of the coopers’ world,” Hockert smiled wryly. “But we like to see the small distilleries succeed any way they can. We’re believers in the adage that ‘a rising tide floats all boats.’” That individual approach is built into the barrels. Working with Hockert, Justin and Chris make small-batch barrels, in 10-gallon or 30-gallon sizes, generally, with some smaller for home brewing industries and special orders.
The manufacturing pace in the forest beside Whiteface is a far cry from the industry in parts of Kentucky or out west where some 6,000 53-gallon “American Standard” barrels roll out the doors every day. An average shift at U.S. Barrel might begin at 2 a.m., with Justin working through cool morning hours to char — or finish — barrel heads. Chris might bend 300 steel hoops over a few days time, with Hockert cutting and stacking staves, marking piles cut for each distiller. Every barrel comes together in its time. There are 24 staves in each 30 gallon barrel, all cut with precision. Called “raising a cone,” the staves are then aligned in a circle and hooped for setting in the steam chamber. On a hot July morning, while songbirds fuss in the pines, Justin pulls a barrel from the chamber to demonstrate how the staves are bent. The oaky steam smells perky, deep — almost like hot forest strewn with wet moss. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 49
"Where did you get that barrel?"
The steamed barrel is wrapped on a windlass that Hockert designed. And actually loosened for a few seconds then rejoined. The staves’ oak fibers, hot and damp, knit together, pressed water tight. Charring, the next step, is what actually sets the wood and makes the bend in the staves permanent. Finish rings, or hoops, that hold the barrel tight are made of galvanized steel and set in place using an eightarmed “hoop spider.” The wood groans gently as hoops are pulled with great pressure over the arched staves. Using steel, Hockert explains, prevents any iron staining on the barrels. U.S. Barrel does not use iron anything because contact with that metal can spoil any moonshine or the wood meant to age and flavor it. In the last step, Jason drills a bung hole on the side of the barrel (or top, depending on the distillery) and cauterizes it. The hole’s edge smokes against the heated steel iron, closing any fissure in the tiny oak fibers. U.S. Barrel fills each one with water to test it before stacking them together for immediate delivery to distilleries from here as far south as West Virginia. An unfilled barrel that sits around too long can become stale, Hockert says. The future of racing toward the past continues to expand out of the simple shop not far from the fourcorners in Wilmington. U.S. Barrel is considering addition of a new size barrel to the line along with an idea of expansion. Those changes, too, will be self-engineered, driven by interaction with distillers much like the raw spirits that age in time and contact with charred oak. “It’s the same thing, only different,” Hockert says of their own evolution. “But the way it’s being done in the northeast is like no place else in the world.”
50 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
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A history of the scarecrow
Visitors and locals can easily spot this cheery scarecrow on the main street in Port Henry with a bright shawl and a sunflower-adorned hat.
By Claire Durham
AUTUMN IN THE ADIRONDACKS brings back familiar sights: pumpkins, costumes, changing foliage and of course, scarecrows. Driving along any of the rural back roads winding through the Adirondack Park during this time of year, one can see acres of cornfields spanning across the horizon to the base of the High Peaks. Poking 56 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
through these golden expanses, like men lost at sea, are simple yet effective guardians that farmers have relied on for centuries. Since ancient Egyptian times, scarecrows were used to protect the wheat fields along the Nile River from quail. Other cultures, such as Romans and the Japanese also used them to protect their crops. The scarecrows would be fashioned out of life-sized, wooden carvings of scary men or, in some instances; actual humans would stand among the crops ready to react to the birds. In North America, Native Americans would use scarecrows to keep birds and crows away from the corn crops.
Along with farms and communities across the country, scarecrows have also been seen in popular pop culture references such as the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, who has a heart of gold, even though his head is stuffed with straw, or the Batman: Arkham Knight Scarecrow. Craft stores showcase seasonal scarecrow displays, as well as the supplies to make them at home. Festivals in the United States and around the globe celebrate scarecrows, and allow visitors the chance to make one on site. Classic movies such as the 1973 film Scarecrow, starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino as two vagabonds making their way to Pittsburgh, as well as a handful of horror movies depicting a scarecrow as the monster, will make viewers instantly recognize this symbol in a corn maze, such as the pair of scarecrows at Country nclmagazine.com
Autumn in the Adirondacks brings back familiar sights: pumpkins, costumes, changing foliage and of course, scarecrows.
Scarecrow DIY
The art of making a scarecrow has been around for thousands of years, and with these simple steps, anyone can create their very own to have for the holidays or for use in the garden. Step 1: Create a cross-frame: This step is for scarecrows being used to guard plants and crops. You can skip this step if you just plan to use the scarecrow as a decoration. • Nail two thin boards together to create a crossframe. Make sure the nails are placed slightly apart so the cross-frame will not spin at the center of the boards. • Use a hammer to knock the cross-frame in the ground near the crops you want to protect. Step 2: Take an old shirt and bring the arms through the horizontal piece of the crossframe. A buttoned-shirt works best so it will stay more secure on the frame. Decoration-only scarecrow: Take an old shirt.
Step 3: Gather a length of string or twine around the bottom of the shirt and tie it tightly. This will allow the straw to be stuffed into the main body of the scarecrow without coming out.
A scarecrow on display outside the Glens Falls National Bank on the main street in Port Henry, comes complete with a black robber getup and a money sack stuffed with loot.
nclmagazine.com
Step 4: Tie off the sleeves with additional string or twine in order to create hands for the scarecrow. You can choose to add gloves Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 57
A bride and groom scarecrow pair on the main street in Port Henry catch the eyes of visitors and locals alike.
Displayed outside the firehouse in Port Henry is a fully-equipped scarecrow fireman with mask and gear.
In front of the Public Library in Port Henry, stand a mother and child scarecrow holding one of the many books that can be found inside to check out.
Some local businesses sponsor the scarecrows, like this one on the main street sponsored by Gregory’s Pavement Marking.
All Photos By Claire Durham
Local artist, Linda Smyth created this colorful display of a scarecrow painting a scene on a canvas.
58 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
nclmagazine.com
Step 5: Stuff the shirt with straw with as much as you choose. Step 6: Take some old pants. Ones with belt loops are best as you’ll see in next step. Measure the length of them against the scarecrow so you can see how long you’d like to make the legs. Tie off the ends of the legs at that point. Stuff the pants with straw. For crops-only scarecrow: Stuff the pants with straw before attaching to the cross-frame. Step 7: Attach the pants by securing the string through the belt loops and tying around the body. Crop-only scarecrow: Tie around the frame. Step 8: Find a pair of old boots or shoes and add them to the base of the pant legs.
A “witch doctor” scarecrow welcomes customers to the pharmacy in Port Henry.
Dreams Farm in Plattsburgh marking the entrance to the maze. In one northern New York community, the yearly appearance of scarecrows is like clockwork. In the past four years in Port Henry, costumed scarecrows line the streets and are displayed outside wellknown establishments like the Glens Falls National Bank which has a scarecrow dressed as a robber grasping a money sack, or a bride-and-groom couple positioned outside an apartment building on the main street.
Step 9: Add an old pillowcase stuffed with straw and tie the bottom to create a head. Put it on top of the body. Pull up shirt collar and button the shirt as high as possible to conceal the string on the pillowcase. Step 10: Create your scarecrow’s personality by adding an old hat and sticking straw out from under it for hair. Use a needle and thread to secure the hat to the top of the pillowcase. Extra features such as eyes and a mouth can be created with weather-resistant paint or markers. Step 11: Place scarecrow on a hay bale or a cluster of pumpkins to create a seasonal decorative display.
Some scarecrows also have names, like this one on the south side of Port Henry called ‘Penelope the Clown’.
Spearheaded by the Town of Moriah, the tradition has become one that the residents anticipate, collecting used clothing throughout the year for the various costumes and putting their scarecrows out in late September. “It is such a fun time dressing them.” says Moriah Chamber of Commerce President Catherine Sprague, “The whole community gets in on it. Some dress their own. Many are named; the clown on the south side of town is ‘Penelope The Clown’. She is sponsored by Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union.” Near the main entrance into Port Henry, visitors and locals glimpse a scarecrow with a variety of detail, including sunglasses, scarf, and necklace.
“We call them our “Funky Folk” and they seem to have their own little personalities,” says Moriah Chamber of Commerce member Bernadette Trow. She and her husband Tom brought up the idea in a meeting after a leaf-peeping trip. “We happened to pass through a quaint little town in Brandon, Vermont,” says Trow. “The town was adorned with these scarecrows. We thought it might be fun to do the same thing in our town.”
60 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Trow has noticed mostly positive feedback from the area, which makes the event that much more fun. “We welcome others to participate and create their own “Funky Folk,” says Trow. Sources: www.gardenersnet.com/birds/scarecrow.htm www.vogue.com/13368770/scarecrows-fall-harvest/ www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/crafts/ making-a-scarecrow
nclmagazine.com
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Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 61
2017 Fall Foliage Photo Contest
THE WINNER AND COVER SHOT of this year’s Fall Photo Contest is Sharron Tyrrell. She submitted a beautiful photo taken from the water of the gazebo in Schroon Lake, NY.
62 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
WHAT ELSE CAN BE SAID ABOUT AUTUMN in the North Country — it's simply stunning, and the waning days and crisp fall nights herald an annual reminder about what makes living here so amazing. We received far too many photos submissions to include within these pages.
Here are some of the best:
nclmagazine.com
Photo by Tonya Whiteford Condon
Photo by Alan Schroeder
nclmagazine.com
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 63
ACCOMMO Relaxation Recreation
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Photo by Sharron Tyrrell
Photo by Greta Thomas
Photo by Sharron Tyrrell
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66 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
nclmagazine.com
Photo by Sharron Tyrrell
Photo by Alan Schroeder
nclmagazine.com
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 67
Photo by Tonya Whiteford Condon
Photo by Alan Schroeder
68 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
nclmagazine.com
Photo by Sharron Tyrrell
Photo by Greta Thomas
Photo by Greta Thomas
Photo by Alan Schroeder
Photo by Tonya Whiteford Condon
nclmagazine.com
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 69
1999. In the tinually evolving since opening in THE SHIRT FACTORY has been con artists and offices, now there are almost 100 l of art work. beginning it was home to a handfu of shops, services, classes and original mix ctic ecle an r offe who individuals tery, locally such as salt lamps, loose leaf tea, pot Find a range of goods in the shops s including ium med y man in k more. Artists wor made food, reclaimed furniture and and wood. ercolors, pastels, photography, clay activities, fiber, glass, precious metals, wat n’s dre ses, massage, acupuncture, chil Other offerings include fitness clas and a beauty salon. For the best the halls daily from 8am-5pm. Visitors are welcome to wander schedule, if own r thei sets io -5pm. Each stud experience, visit Thurs.-Sat., 12pm making the re with them for their availability befo visiting an individual please check trip to the building.
The Stone Stash: A Collective Collaboration
STRICTLY NATURAL GEMSTONES, ONE OF A KIND PIECES OF JEWELRY AND HANDMADE ARTWORK!
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Wander The Halls, Discover Our History, Buy A Gift, Treat Yourself, Learn Something New
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OPEN WEDN ESDAY TO SAT U RDAY FR OM 1 2-5 PM WWW. S H I RT FAC TORYG A LLE RY.CO M 105733
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Featuring Custom Topo Pillows & T-Shirt Quilts www.GreentreeFiberArts.com GreentreeFA@Yahoo.com - 518.330.5176 -
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U
SCHROON LAKE’S UNIQUE
MERCHANT OF STYLE SA LO O K IN S ID E T
THE PINE CONE MERCANTILE pNORTH WOODS BREAD COMPANY By Elizabeth Izzo
NESTLED AMONG A CLUSTER of quaint storefronts in downtown Schroon Lake lies The Pine Cone Mercantile, a cozy gift shop run by a New York City transplant.
The intimate storefront boasts an array of rustic art, decor and trinkets lovingly curated by native Lisa Marks — a variety of collections that lend the store a homey, countryside feel. The place immediately screams Adirondack. nclmagazine.com
Upon walking in, guests are greeted with those hallowed local icons: Pine cones. Adirondack chairs. Rustic furniture constructed from barnwood. And the smell? Freshly baked bread. But we’ll get to that later. The overall atmosphere is comforting, familiar — an echo of its bucolic surroundings. “I love the Adirondacks,” Marks
said, gesturing toward a set of upcycled barnwood furniture. “There is such a rich history in rustic design. What I wanted to do was embrace that, but with a modern twist.” Marks opened the Pine Cone Mercantile in July 2015 shortly after moving to the region. “When my husband and I moved here, I really wanted to open a lifestyle store with a lot of beautiful things in it,” she said. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 73
“When you’re a fashion designer, you work for a brand,” she said. “You create things that make sense under the brand. This business is the first thing that I’ve created based on what I love, what I like. “I created this brand from start to finish. I handpick everything in this store.” For Marks, it’s all about beautiful aesthetics and building collections. When asked about her favorite offerings, Marks pointed to a wreath hanging on the wall behind the front desk. “These wreaths are created by an artist in New Hampshire,” she said. “We are the only store in the Adirondacks that carries her work.” On a shelf across the store, she pointed out a collection of pottery made in Woodstock, Vermont; a cluster of artisan chocolate bars from the Saratoga Chocolate Company, a 74 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
display of cocktail starters from the Forever Wild Beverage Company and a number of candles from Old Forge.
culinary school,” he said. “While she
“We cover a lot of price ranges,” she said. “We have something here for everyone — our products range in price, anywhere from $1.55 to $4,000.
— which requires adding water and
“When you come in, the only employees are my husband and I. We’re able to work with our customers on a personal level — we pride ourselves in that.” NORTH WOODS BREAD COMPANY
Beyond the proliferation of rustic eye candy, open the doors to the Pine Cone Mercantile and you’re also greeted with the smell of bread — baked every morning in the North Woods Bakery housed in the back of the store.
was in school, one of her assignments was to keep a sourdough starter alive flour (every so often).” When baking sourdough bread, the
process
something
often
called
begins a
with
“starter”
—
normally a mixture of water and flour that is left to sit for anywhere from days to years. Keeping a sourdough starter alive requires a baker’s nearconstant attention and care. When it’s time to bake a loaf of sourdough bread, bakers tear off a
The bakery features everything from bread and locally-sourced cheese to homemade crackers, granola and coffee. That operation is run by Marks’ husband, Edward — who started baking bread just three years ago.
Photos Provided
Before moving to the Adirondacks, Marks worked as a fashion designer — a personal history that is reflected in the thoughtful design of the business.
“Lisa was the one that went to nclmagazine.com
- FOUR WAYS T O GI VE YO U R H OME A N
ADIRONDACK QFEELR piece of the starter and mix it with salt, water and flour.
Woods Bread Company shift with the seasons.
Just like that, they have a traditional dough.
In the fall, Edward is known to bake a number of seasonal goodies — everything from pumpkin muffins to bread baked with squash and herbs.
Frustrated that his wife’s starter was left unused, he asked her to teach him how to bake bread. “She wouldn’t teach me — she said I didn’t know how to follow directions, and directions are key in baking bread,” he joked. Eventually, she gave in. “I took to it immediately. Eventually, I got better than her.” He got a job baking bread for a small cheese shop in New York City shortly after. Three years later, and Marks owns his own bakery.
During the holidays, custom orders are available for customers seeking to treat their loved ones. Both the Pine Cone Mercantile and the North Woods Bread Company are open year-round at 1079 U.S. Route 9. For more information, visit facebook.com/pineconemercantile, facebook.com/northwoodsbread or call 518-532-0220.
INCORPORATE NATURE-INSPIRED ELEMENTS: These tree-inspired candles can spruce up any room and lend a woodsy feel to your coffee table.
PLAY WITH OUTDOORSY PRINTS: Integrating nautical and campthemed artwork is an easy way to bring an Adirondack vibe into any livingspace.
CELEBRATE THE RUSTIC LIFESTYLE: Rustic wood furniture, like this hanging chair, are popular around the region for their distinct country style.
And his wife’s sourdough starter? Marks still uses it to this day. “It’s really healthy,” he said, smiling. “It’s around twelve years old now.” FALL FEATURES
As autumn gives way to wintertime, the offerings at Pine Cone Mercantile and the North nclmagazine.com
LET THE WILDLIFE IN: Quirky elements like these fabric animal heads are a perfect way to add a splash of kid-friendly North Country flare to your home.
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 75
Photos provided by The Wood Carte
Shown is the finish shop at The Wood Carte. Customers can order their choice of finishes on selected unfinished items.
78 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
nclmagazine.com
FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP AT THE
“A
LL
THIN
AD GS WOODEN & WELL M
E”
“We are committed to selling real wood furniture, and have never strayed from that, and I don’t regret it,” says owner Chris Carte.
By Christopher South
THE WOOD CARTE FURNITURE store is very up front about what they sell:
Plattsburgh, but later moved to the Glens Falls/Queensbury area.
“Real Wood Furniture, Finished and Unfinished,” reads the sign greeting visitors at the store on state Route 9.
Their father, a paper plant manager in Glens Falls, was handy and he passed on some skills to his sons.
Owner Chris Carte said he and his brothers decided to focus on real wood furniture when they started the business 35 years ago, and although his older brothers Kelly and Lindsay have retired, he maintains the commitment to selling real wood furniture:
The sons took woodshop in high school, but were primarily selftaught, with a lot of learning coming by trial and error.
Ninety percent of the store’s stock — some 10,000 items — is made by Amish craftsmen in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. SELF-TAUGHT
Carte, 54, said his family is from nclmagazine.com
Carte said he basically started in the business right out of high school when The Wood Carte opened in 1982. Carte said the business started simply — they built things and people bought them. “Early on, we figured out there was a desire for what we were doing,” Carte said.
The Wood Carte started making things people needed: microwave cabinets, stereo cabinets and basic, functional pieces. While they worked with all types of wood, oak was popular because it was inexpensive and durable. Carte said the demand for functional pieces suited their abilities at the time. “Everything was contemporary – straight lines, minimal molding – it was called Danish modern,” he said. The style was also characterized by having no visible hardware. Doors were made with finger grooves for opening. Carte said these pieces were easy to build, which was good in a time when people wanted items built to their exact specifications. Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 79
“That set us apart from other furniture stores. We would build to one-quarter inch of what people were looking for,” he said. VARIED CLIENTELE As word about The Wood Carte started to spread, the business received more orders, but most of the profits were being reinvested into more materials and equipment. “There was not much of a paycheck in the beginning, but we were staying busy, and it got to the point where we couldn’t keep up with the demand,” he said. The demand caused the Carte brothers to look for other sources of furniture. Carte said, today, all The Wood Carte’s furniture comes from outside sources, primarily Amish furniture makers. Carte said The Wood Carte began carrying rustic-style furniture only 15 to 18 years ago, and it really caught on. “Here in the Adirondacks, rustic
furniture became a big part of what we offer,” he said. The Wood Carte’s clientele has also evolved from initially being mostly local people to include those who want to decorate their second-homes in a rustic style, to regional customers — some of whom will drive two or three hours to shop at The Wood Carte. REAL WOOD Carte repeatedly stressed the significance of all real wood furniture. He said the store does not carry any particle board or laminated finished furniture. The only exception is the inside of drawers, which might be made from plywood.
But the difference is deciding to purchase something of value, one time, as opposed to buying something “disposable.” “Some companies are making pressed-board furniture that is starting to look really good, but then you go to move it and you find out the fasteners don’t work, it’s gotten wobbly, and it can’t be fixed — it has to be replaced,” Carte said. He said in a year or two, probably 100 percent of his inventory will be American-made. “I think it’s a good thing to be able to tell people all our furniture is American-made,” Carte said.
“It’s all real wood, built for the long term,” he said. “I think that is what people respond to.
AMISH CRAFTSMEN Carte continues to use primarily Amish craftsmen.
“We are committed to selling real wood furniture, and have never strayed from that, and I don’t regret it.”
But the relationship can often present unique challenges.
Real wood furniture is not the least expensive option.
The Amish do not use telephones, computers or internet, which can make communication difficult.
“I think it’s a good thing to be able to tell people all our furniture is American-made,” - Chris Carte The Wood Carte Real Wood Furniture Store owner Chris Carte sits in his showroom among some of the 10,000 items of furniture he carries, most of it made by Amish craftsmen. Photo by Chris South
80 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
nclmagazine.com
Carte said he must communicate with the Amish furniture-makers by letter. He said he was forced to adapt to doing things their way in order to do business with them, but he can’t complain about the quality of their work. The Amish, he said, are committed to doing things their way, and maintaining the integrity of their beliefs — although some are more orthodox than others. On a very hot day last summer, he visited an Amish furniture shop where all the equipment was run off a line shaft powered by a gasoline engine. He said he knew of other Amish who would use a fan by connecting it to the line shaft, but this particular man said he believed it was wrong to artificially move the air. On the other hand, Carte said the Amish know some of the furniture they are making — including TV cabinets and wine carts — is being used for something they themselves would shun.
nclmagazine.com
“They are alright with it because they are making it for the English — for us,” Carte said. “They have to support their families. A lot of the people we work with have small shops and are just trying to support their families.” HARDWOOD FURNITURE Walking through the store, Carte pointed out furniture made from various types of hardwood. He pointed out a table made of elm, which he said not many people have seen. “It’s fairly new to our furniture world, it’s very hard, durable, and has a nice grain,” he said. Moving to a hickory table top, Carte said it is one of the hardest woods, is tough to cut, drill or shape, and it tends to dull the wood worker’s tools the quickest. Carte highlighted a table with a black walnut top with two cedar stumps for a base. The walnut slab top had what Carte called a “live edge” — which maintains the natural outer edge of the tree, including the bark.
The Wood Carte also has oak furniture, including a table made from reclaimed barn wood, which Carte said was solid oak. Carte said hard woods with a durable finish resists scratching and water marks, which he said are a sign of an inferior finish. “But it’s what’s under the finish that really matters,” he said. Carte said they decided to stop custom building furniture about eight years ago, but still do some finishing work. Once more popular, unfinished furniture has become a much smaller part of the Wood Carte’s inventory. In March, the business acquired a building next door and opened Wood Carte, Too, which carries poly-wood patio furniture. Carte said polywood is much better than real wood for outdoor use, and is made with 97 percent recycled plastic. The Wood Carte is located at 1063 St. Rt. 9, Queensbury. Call (518) 7937655 or visit www.woodcarte.com.
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 81
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RID
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BY R
ID ERS.
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 83
DO YOU
KNOW
ABOUT
TICKS? MOST TICK BITES are harmless and don't need medical treatment. However, Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 1824 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls. Deer ticks cannot jump or fly, and do not drop onto passing people or animals. They get on humans and animals only by direct contact. Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected area. • Tick-infested areas, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work, or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself.
Image from www.healthvermont.gov
• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
84 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants. • Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors and check again once indoors.
• Consider using insect repellent. Follow label directions. • Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid contacting vegetation. • Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls. • Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening. • Check your body for ticks after showering CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF: • The tick might have been on the skin for more than 24 hours. • Part of the tick remains in the skin after attempted removal. • A rash of any kind develops (especially a red-ringed bull'seye rash or red dots on wrists and ankles). • The bite area looks infected (increasing warmth, swelling, pain, or oozing pus). • Symptoms like fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck or back, or muscle or joint aches develop. For More Information Visit: www.healthvermont.gov nclmagazine.com
W hitehall
COME VISIT
NEW YORK
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Delivery Available
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PROVIDING ICE TO THE NORTH COUNTRY!
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We don’t have everything and we cannot compete with the state of Vermont’s pricing, but we will attempt to purchase all requests and price them as fairly as possible. Remember, a percentage of the money you spend in Washington County helps lower your county taxes.
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We accept clean New York State returnable bottles. Large amounts are accepted. We count all returns ourselves. Hours: Mon 12-9; Tues-Wed-Thurs 11-9; Fri 11-10; Sat 11-9:30; Sun 12-9 ~ Located at the Rear Entrance of Joes’ Pizza ~ 132 Broadway • Whitehall, NY • 499-0534 or 499-0603
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Skenesborough Museum Whitehall, NY • 518-499-1155 Heritage Visitor Center • Birthplace of the US Navy
• Historical Artifacts from Revolutionary War & War of 1812
86 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
• Railroad and Canal History • Diorama Display of Historic Skenesborough/Whitehall
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• Champlain Canal/Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
• Open Weekends thru Mid-October
nclmagazine.com
nclmagazine.com
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 87
Visit the beautiful
T R I - L A K ES RE GI ON LAKE PLACID ◆ SARANAC LAKE ◆ TUPPER LAKE ◆ WILMINGTON
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Behind the music:
B l uv u d u Pr od uc ti on s FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, JOHN BRADLEY HAS BEEN LABORING TO BUILD A WORLD-CLASS STUDIO MECCA IN MORRISONVILLE By Pete DeMola
SAFELY ENSCONCED BEHIND a pane
of glass, an explosives expert twirled knobs as a punk band issued dissonant blasts of pop punk perfection. Things are happening in this splitlevel house tucked away in a pleasant suburban neighborhood: A fertile sonic laboratory. With BluVudu Productions, John Bradley is trying plant a flag and set a new standard for local music production by creating a world-class recording studio and record label right here in the North Country. ORIGINS Bradley, 36, grew up in Morrisonville, a hamlet just west of Plattsburgh.
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 89
“Plattsburgh’s never had a FAC I L I T Y LI KE TH IS. .."
(Top) Part mentor, studio guru, agent and talent scout, Bradley takes an active role in shaping the careers of his clients. (Left) Bradley spent years cutting his teeth at recording studios in Arizona, working with a diverse range of artists, from smooth jazz to county crooners. (Right) BluVuDu Productions is a life-long dream for Bradley, a graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences.
The self-professed metalhead played guitar and bass as a kid and was weaned on a steady diet of loud music: Bands like Pantera, Clutch and Deftones fought for space on his CD rack with local acts.
1990s era metal rife with pinch harmonics and chugging riffs. Their demo was a recorded at a place in Vermont called “At a Clip Studios.”
and Sciences in Phoenix, where
“This is what made me fall in love with the studio,” Bradley recalled.
who has retained his military sense of
Despite being from a remote northern outpost located far from the cosmopolitan centers that attract a regular lineup of touring outfits, Plattsburgh’s music scene in the mid1990s was robust, Bradley recalled, and competed with regional hotspots like Albany and Burlington, Vermont.
The band dissolved after their drummer got a full ride to the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
as a recording engineer in Arizona
Bradley performed with a handful of bands, outfits with names like Hob Nail, Perfect Salesman and Face Rake, which he joined at age 16.
GAINING EXPERIENCE Bradley graduated from high school and joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he spent eight years, perhaps appropriately, as an ammunition and explosives expert.
He flipped a switch on the console and the room filled with vintage
Afterwards, he attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts
90 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
point average. Bradley, a heavily-muscled figure crisp politeness, cut his teeth working with artists from across the spectrum. About a dozen embossed records line
the
wood-paneled
wall
of
BluVudu’s basement studio. Bradley paused in front of them: They are records by folks like smooth jazz guitarist Pete Gitlin, whose “Lucky in Love” was on the smooth jazz charts for three weeks in 2012. Acoustic blues maestro Paris James is here. So is flautist Sherry Finzer. nclmagazine.com
Photos by Pete DeMola
But Bradley’s love for the studio only deepened.
he graduated with a 4.0 grade
“That’s mood music,” Bradley beamed. To hone his skills, he took as many gigs as possible, and spent countless hours in the studio. For Bradley, surrounding himself with experts and studio musicians has been formative. After spending years working for others, the next logical step was to fulfill a long-time dream by opening a place of his own — a decision that would also aid in Bradley’s ongoing teaching and educational efforts. Bradley returned to his hometown and bought the house where he grew up. BluVudu opened in November 2015. ONE-STOP SHOP Northern New York has an unmet need for professional recording services, Bradley said, and the market is ripe. “Plattsburgh’s never had a facility like this, and I don’t think people are used to it, either,” he said. “They’re used to doing everything on their own.” Bradley is like a kid in a candy shop, and is creating exactly the type of place he always wanted to have access to as a kid. The basement studio contains spacious recording space, and he’s investing in new equipment regularly — including a drum kit designed especially for heavy metal. Three members of the Plattsburghbased quartet Call Shotgun made a beeline downstairs on a cloudy summertime morning and plugged in their gear. The outfit, sans bassist, sailed through a handful of songs, from “Sleeping In, Staying Out” — a burst of unfettered pop punk — to “Fly on My Wall,” which was given flight by soaring riffs directly inspired by iconic L.A. badboys Guns N’ Roses. They put down their gear and
tumbled into the control room. “You’re getting really good, guys,” Bradley said. He turned to a reporter: “Joe’s got crazy solos now — he can rip,” he said. Bradley doesn’t just want to offer a world-class recording studio, but is also taking young bands like Call Shotgun under his wing. Consider him equal parts mentor, studio guru, agent, talent scout and record label owner. “When there’s no platform in your hometown to launch off of, what do you do?” he asked. “I want to be that nest for them.” In addition to recording and releasing recordings from Call Shotgun — including the full-length effort “Everything is Gonna Kill Me” — Bradley has put out nearly a dozen releases from local artists, including Skip Brown (Saranac) and Aliendog, a groove band from Vergennes, Vermont. Plattsburgh-based artists include Justin Vancour and the Justin Vancours, Model 97, Speratic and Cutthroat Logic. Call Shotgun is one of his brightest prospects, and he has signed them for two releases. Bradley is kept the Seton Catholic classmates busy. He has booked shows on the regional tour circuit whenever possible — including gigs in Ontario and another with popular do-ityourself outfits Black Cat Attack and Anti-Queens in Plattsburgh — as well helped them create merchandise and network with other industry figures. For the band, it’s exactly the type of lift that may offer a toehold into the big time — or at least get them off their feet. “We came in and it was a professional atmosphere,” said Joe Aabye, singer and lead guitarist. “It
“It’s just a place to come back to that is consistent.”
- J o e A a by e Si nger / lead gu ita r ist for Call Shotg u n
helped us to grow as a band.” Bradley hopes releases on his label and tours will lead to momentum — including a deal with a larger label. “If they make it, I’ll always be there for them,” Bradley said. “If anyone has the potential to make it, it’s these guys.” FILLING A VOID Plattsburgh is a small town, and it’s not easy being a punk. Healthy local music scenes relay on a number of strong institutional pillars, including age-appropriate performance venues, a critical mass and well-established bands and artists.
in which young bands can perform — local institutions like Burlington’s Higher Ground, for instance, or Syracuse’s Funk ‘n Waffles. “It’s kind of sporadic, maybe,” Bradley said. “It’s peppered. And I think the best reason for that is there’s not a reason to throw shows.” While Bradley has his hands full juggling local talent and building a scene, he’d also like to put BluVudu on the map as premier destination for outside musicians.
“I’ve never been afraid to do that,” said Bradley on spreading his wings. BluVudu Productions is located in Morrisonville, New York. For more info, visit www.bluvuduproductions. net/ or find them on Facebook.
“The interest is already here,” Bradley said, “and the talent is here.”
But the historic spottiness of these elements locally has somewhat kneecapped the music scene, which goes tends to experience fallow and fertile periods.
The site is available for rental as a retreat, and guest housing is available — including a walking trail “so you can really resort it up,” Bradley said.
The key weakness in the Lake City, said Bradley, is the lack regular venues
All clients are welcome — not just metalheads.
92 | North Country Living Magazine | Vol. 6 No. 3
Bradley cited recent session work with Amanda Martin, whom he referred to a “hot new country artist.”
nclmagazine.com
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Enjoy our beautiful Fall foliage while experiencing one of our many Fall events.
Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 93
Clinton County NEW YORK
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Begor’s Supply, Inc. 2698 State Route 11, Mooers, NY • 518-236-7587 M-F 8am-5pm • Saturday 7:30am-Noon 105235
We carry the largest selection of musical instruments in northern New York. We are musicians who have specialized in serving musicians for over 35 years.We pride ourselves on choosing high quality products that are made to last. We sell: GUITARS MANDOLINS KEYBOARDS BASSES UKULELES PA EQUIPMENT VIOLINS DRUMS STRINGS BANJOS AMPLIFIERS ACCESSORIES & much more We service before the sale. Every single instrument is professionally set up before you buy it. We will also maintain the playability of your instrument or adjust to your needs free for a year. We are also able to service or repair your instrument should it be necessary after the one year warranty period. HANDGUNS•RIFLES•SERVICES LAW ENFORCEMENT GEAR Gas • Groceries • Deli Platters Breakfast & Lunch Menu 7429 US Route 11 Churubusco, NY 12923 (518) 497 6962 (518) 497 3253 Gun/Music Shop Hours: Mon - Sat 9am-6pm Sun 10am-3pm Deli/Grocery Hours: Mon - Fri 7am-7pm Sat 8am-7pm • Sun 9am-5pm
105141
The
A F amily F eed C ompany
I
t’s Fall and there is a nip in the air, a frost is predicted for the weekend. Oh no! What to do with the last bounty of vegetables in your garden? Harvest Ratatouille is an easy way to use them. There are no specific ingredients, just use what you have, and add to it, if needed. • Eggplant • Mushrooms • Zucchini and Yellow summer squash • Tomatoes • Onions • Peppers red, green, or hot if you like • Carrots • Broccoli and/or Cauliflower • Spinach • Beans and/or peas • Oregano • Garlic • Basil The first 6 are my go-to choices. Almost any vegetable will work. I would use cabbage sparingly. It might “take-over”.
nclmagazine.com
Start by rough chopping everything into pieces that will all be done at the same time, half the mushrooms and quarter the tomatoes. Add some of the grated garlic to each batch. Spread single layer on an oiled baking sheet, drizzle a little more on top and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Use more baking sheets if needed, to keep single layer. Pour off the liquid half way through; this is GREAT veggie broth for another recipe. Bake until tender crisp. Transfer to a casserole dish. Add oregano, salt, pepper and basil to taste. At this point you can call it done. Top with grated Parmesan if desired. I prefer to add just enough spaghetti sauce to coat and more garlic. Makes a great tasting, healthy side dish or add more sauce and serve over pasta for a hearty meatless meal. Note: Traditional ratatouille recipes call for sautéing all of the vegetables. That can be very time consuming and messy, roasting in the oven is so much easier! Enjoy!
Gayle Alexander Vol. 6 No. 3 | North Country Living Magazine | 97
FALL EVENTS 2017
Arts & Entertainment
Adirondack Region Everything you need to know about what’s happening this Fall in the North Country
Sept. 6 Lake Placid — Lake Placid Farmers Market held at St. Agnes Parochial School; 8:00 a.m.. Find all things you need or want for cooking and snacking and gift giving at our Lake Placid Farmers Market. Located in St. Agnes School parking lot on Saranac Avenue next to St. Agnes Church. Warrensburg — Summer Band Concert: held at Floyd Bennett Memorial Bandstand; 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.. Part of the 2017 Summer Band Concert Series, featuring Foggy Mountain! The concert will go on rain or shine! Sponsored by the Town of Warrensburg. Saranac Lake — Trudeau Sanatorium Walking Tour held at Riverside Park Grandshell; 10:30 a.m.. Take a walking tour of historic downtown Saranac Lake. Meet at 10:30 AM at the Riverside Park bandshell, cattycorner from the Town Hall. The tour concludes with a visit to the Saranac Laboratory Museum on Church Street. The museum visit is included in the cost of the tour. Rain or shine. $5/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. Saranac Lake — Road to Retirement Series: Telling Your Story through Photographs held at Saranac Village at Will Rogers; 2:00 p.m.. Holly Chorba will present Storytelling for Photographers. Discussion and questions will follow the presentation.This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Details: 518-891-7117.
17
Battle of Plattsburgh Sept. 7 - 10 Downtown Plattsburgh • New Reenactments • Live Music • Kids Activities • And More.
98
events
Scan this QR-Code for the latest events listed on nclmagazine.com Lake George — 29th Annual Adirondack Nationals Car Show held at Lake George Village; . See all the classics! The show features classic cars, special events, music, and more! Event Highlights: Friday, September 8 7am - 6pm: Fort William Henry Museum tours every hour on the hour, DJ spinning sounds, Show N’ Shine, Vendor area, 7pm - 10pm: Cruisin’ on Canada Street. Saturday, September 9 7am - 6pm: Fort William Henry Museum tours every hour on the hour, DJ spinning sounds, Vendor area 10am: Coloring contest for kids 7pm - 10pm: Cruisin’ on Canada Street Sunday, September 10. 9am - Noon: Winner’s Circle Car Show Awards Ceremony Vendor area.
Sept. 7 Bolton Landing — Grow Up Yonda! held at Up Yonda Farm; 10:00 a.m.. 1 hour program is for 3-6 year old and is a part of a collaboration with Cornell Master Gardeners and Up Yonda Farm. This kid-friendly hour includes story-telling, activities, and hands on exploration. Participants of all 4 sessions receive a certificate. Free admission. Hague — International Dinner by the Northern Lake George Rotary held at Hague Volunteer Firehouse; 6:00 p.m.. The cost is $30 per person includes beverages, appetizers, entrées and desserts. Entrées include Australian Braised Balsamic Chicken, Cuban Beef Stew w/rice, Brazilian Pork Ribs, quinoa and black beans, roasted root veggies and an Asian salad. Bananas foster bread pudding over ice cream for dessert. Make reservations in advance by contacting a Rotary member or calling Diane 518-543-8051.
Sept. 9 - Sept. 10
Sept. 9 - Sept. 10 Cont’d »
North River — Garnet Mine Tours will be offered by the Gore Mountain Mineral Shop weekends from Sept 9thOct 8th. Hours are Saturday 9:30- 5:00 and Sunday 11:00- 5:00. These tours offer a breadth of activities! Prospect and discover your own gemstones, learn about mining history, and explore the Old Fashion Mineral Shop. For more information, visit garnetminetours.com or call 518-251-2706.
Washington County — The Cheese Tour with Wine & Beer! held at Various locations; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.. At each farm, guests will sample specially selected cheeses with the opportunity to tour the farm.The 11th Annual Washington County Cheese Tour with Wine and Beer will delight palates and enthrall cheese lovers of every age. On a self-guided tour, visitors can drive through lush, rolling hills and bucolic countryside. Relax and enjoy visiting the farmers and cheesemakers to learn what makes their cheese so unique. Participating Farms & Producers: Argyle Cheese Farmer, Consider Bardwell Farm, Dancing Ewe Farm, Moxie Ridge Farm and Creamery, R.S. Taylor & Sons Brewery & Victory View Vineyard.
Blue Mountain Lake — 30th Annual Rustic Furniture Fair held at Adirondack Experience; 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. During this festival weekend and you’ll see unique interpretations of classic and contemporary rustic art presented in handcrafted furniture, furnishings, and Adirondack paintings. Are you looking for the perfect piece of furniture for your home or camp? Look no further! Renowned artisans from all over the United States will showcase and sell their one-of-a-kind creations during the event, discuss custom-made pieces, and answer your questions about their work. Entrance to the Rustic Furniture Fair is included with general Adirondack Experience admission. All Adirondack Experience tickets are valid for a second visit within a one-week period. The Adirondack Experience’s Lake View Cafe will be open during the event. Several public programs will be available on the Adirondack Experience’s campus throughout the event, including staff-led tours, audio guides, and numerous children’s activities. All Adirondack Experience exhibitions will be open.
Sept. 9 Wilmington — Festival of Colors held at Tee-ball Field; 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. The event features numerous local artists, produce growers, bakers, homemade crafters, and an all new Battle of the Cupcakes. The day kicks-off with a live children’s comedy routine performed by our favorite clown and her assistants. Then make way for a well-known band, Raisinhead. Other items throughout the day include arts demonstrations, food vendors, and many children’s activities.
Festival of Colors in Wilmington Sept. 9
Sept. 9 Cont’d » Plattsburgh — Plattsburgh Rotary RoDucky Derby held at McDonough Park; 3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.. Buy a duck for the race before the green flag is waved! Watch your duck compete for the checkered flag to win one of a dozen fabulous prizes! Meet the RoDucky himself - choose your personal duck...a day for the whole family and community as we raise funds for our community! Buy your duck early or at the Battle of Plattsburgh all day until the race begins.
St. Augstine Church
Applefest
Sept. 16
Adk. Park — Big Loop Ride! held at Adirondack Mountains; 6:00 a.m. 7:30 p.m.. This ride is approximately 443 miles. We will travel approximately 182 miles before lunch and then approximately 261 miles after lunch. This ride will circle the entire Adirondack State Park. Meet at Nice and Easy West Carthage, End in Lowville.
Sept. 10 Lake Placid — Ironman 70.3 held at 7:30a.m.. Very first IRONMAN 70.3 event.
Sept. 11 Cadyville — Cadyville Disc Golf Free Evening for Doubles held at Cadyville Disc Golf Course; 6:00p.m.. We ran randomly draw partners & compete for fun! Players of all ages & abilities are welcome. 562-6860 or visit:townofp lattsburghrecreation.com
Sept. 15 - Sept. 17 Cont’d »
Saranac Lake — Annual Fall Rummage Sale held at Saranac United Methodist Church; . Thurs. from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Fri. from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Items 1/2 price, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Items are 25-cents a bag; Sat. from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ALL Items are FREE.
Lake Gerorge — King George Fishing Tournament; All Weekend. Don’t miss the third annual King George Fishing Derby! Over $15,000 in prizes ! Adult and Junior Divisions. A full weekend of family fishing fun. Highlights include: multiple launch sites, live music, food and beverages, door prizes, fish, fish and more fish! Lake Trout, Largemouth Bass & Smallmouth Bass Categories. Cash prizes for the following three categories: Lake Trout, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass. Cash Prizes for Adult Division, Each Category (Minimum size 27 for lake trout, 16 for bass)
Wilmington — The Amazing Story of Antique Bottles held at ASRC: Whiteface Mountain Field Station; 7:00 p.m.. From Ancient Egypt to Modern Figural Avon Bottles. Learn how to determine a bottle’s age, its use and how it was made. A visual and informative presentation by Marc du Bois. Free and open to the public, 518-946-2142. Saranac Lake — Historic Downtown Walking Tour held at Riverside Park Bandshell; 10:30 a.m.. The tour concludes with a visit to the Saranac Laboratory Museum on Church Street. The museum visit is included in the cost of the tour. Rain or shine. $5/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. Peru — All Day Events. Enjoy fall festivities; including crafters, vendors, games, horse rides, music, food and more!
Lake George — Lecture by local author Lorraine Duvall held at CaldwellLake George Library; 6:00 p.m.. Ms. Duvall will present an historical perspective on how the Waters of the Adirondacks were saved from exploitation, based upon her award winning memoir In Praise of Quiet Waters: Finding Solitude and Adventure in the Wild Adirondacks. She will also discuss her recent project on the history of A Woman’s Place a women’s collective established in Athol, NY, from 1974-1982.This event is Free and opened to the public. Reservations are recommended. Contact the library at 518-668-2528.
Sept. 15 - Sept. 16 Various locations — Rum-Runner’s Weekend held at Chestertown, Pottersville & Brant Lake; . Celebrate the rich Prohibition-era history of local communities during the sixth annual Rum-Runners’ Weekend! Highlights include: Friday - Feds chase the bootleggers starting 5 pm at The Hub and traveling to Black Bear, OP Fredericks, Odd Duck & The Bullhouse Friday - 9 pm - Casino Night at the old firehouse on Church Street - Blackjack, Roulette, The Wheel & More, $25 admission. Saturday - 11:45 am - Classic car parade leaves Pottersville - ends in Chestertown at noon followed by American Legion USA Show & Chinese Auction at Dynamite Hill $19.25 specials at local restaurants on Friday and Saturday. Free carriage rides by Circle B Ranch around the town of Chester. 8 pm - Speakeasy at the Panther Mtn. Pub, jazz bands & Charleston.
Sept. 15 - Sept. 17 Newcomb — Teddy Roosevelt Weekend in Newcomb. During the three-day celebration, events will take place all over the Town of Newcomb. There will be nature walks, demonstrations, rides, a fishing derby, dinners, fireworks, activities for kids and families, and more! FREE ADMISSION (some small fees may apply for food, etc.) Teddy Roosevelt (TR) Weekend is considered the town of Newcomb’s premier event of the year, celebrating TR’s journey from Newcomb to the White House. This year’s celebration highlights the Anniversary of World War I and will feature outdoor and indoor activities. Details: 518-582-2583.
Sept. 16 - Sept. 17 Westport — Adirondack Harvest Festival held at Westport Fairgrounds; . Work up an appetite with a hike in the Lake Champlain Region,thencelebratetheAdirondackharvest with music and locally produced food. On Saturday, there are two pre-dinner options: Spend the day hiking or learn about life on the farm with an afternoon of demonstrations, a movie screening, and a Q & A with filmmaker Ben Stechschulte
Arts & Entertainment
Newcomb Sept. 15-17
Sept. 14
Indian Lake — The Adirondack Mountains Antique Show held throughout the Town; 12:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.. Visit Indian Lake NY to find amazing rustic and camp furniture, hunting and fishing antiques, boats, taxidermy, antlers and more! Join us for this great offering of diverse Adirondack antiques and enjoy the Fall foliage of the Adirondack Mountains.
FALL EVENTS 2017
Teddy Roosevelt Weekend
Sept. 13
Lake George — Lake George Jazz Weekend held at Shepard Park; All Weekend. A tribute to jazz innovation. “One of the bestkept secrets on the Eastern jazz festival circuit, the Lake George Jazz Festival is a gem worth discovering.- Bill Milkowski, Downbeat Magazine. Lawn Seating, All Concerts are FREE! Sat. 2:45: Ola Onabule 4:30: The Cookers. Sun.1 PM: Camille Thurman & the Darrell Green Trio 4:30: Emilio Solla. Special Saturday evening performance 7:30 PM: Dave Liebman Tribute to Coltrane. lakegeorgearts.org/ lakegeorge-jazz.htm” - 1 PM: Lyric Fury, 2:45: Orrin Evans.
Sept. 16 Ticonderoga — Cookie Decorating held at Ti Farmers Market; 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.. Come to Ticonderoga Area Farmers’ Market! On September 16, participate in cookie decorating!
Rum-Runner’s Weekend Chestertown, Pottersville & Brant Lake Sept. 15-16
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FALL EVENTS 2017
Arts & Entertainment
Sept. 16 Cont’d »
Sept. 20
Blue Mountain Lake — Antiques Show & Sale at The Adirondack Experience Museum 10:00a.m- 5:00p.m.. Browse and shop! Dealers in quality antiques & art from across the U.S. feature antiques at home in the Adirondacks. Visit:theadkx.org/
Saranac Lake — Cure Cottage Museum Tour held at Cure Cottage Museum; 10:30 a.m.. Visit a patient room and cure porch in an historic private home. Meet on the porch of 103 Helen Street in Saranac Lake at 10:30AM. $5/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free.
Lake George — ADK 5K held at Adirondack Pub & Brewery; 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.. Scenic lakefront 5k, followed by 4 hours of live music and lawn games at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery.5k Race starts and finishes at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery. Free Modern Pilsner Glass and custom metal coaster to all finishers. Great team and group incentives. Stay for lunch with the Hops, Chops & Roll Food Truck or Brewpub! Lawn game zone with Cornhole, Life Size Beer Pong and Kan Jam!
Spooky pumpkin decorating at the Ti Farmers Market! Sept. 23
Sept. 21 - Sept. 24 Various locations — Adirondack Hot Air Ballon Festival held at Glens Falls & Queensbury; All Weekend. Hundreds of hot air balloons take to the sky at the 45th Annual Adirondack Balloon Festival! There will be balloons of all shapes and sizes. Watch from the ground as they take off into the sky or go for a ride and see a view you won’t soon forget!
Saranac Lake — Joe Dockery Trio in Concert held at Saranac Village at Will Rogers; 7:30 p.m.. Joe Dockery, Donna Moschek and David Mishanec will present an evening of songs from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s along with a few jazz standards and more. This program is open to the public a $5 donation is requested. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call 518-891-7117.
Saranac Lake — Ventures in Verse held at Saranac Village at Will Rogers; 7:30 p.m.. Two North Country writers, Caperton Tissot and Nadine McLaughlin, will offer an hour-long reading of their original poetry. Books by both authors will be available for purchase and signing.This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Details: contact Debbie Kanze at 518-891-7117.
Lake Placid — Author Signing: Marguerite Mooers held at The Bookstore Plus; 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Marguerite Mooers will be to autographing copies of her book “The Girl in the Woods”. Come meet the author and get your copy of her book autographed. For more information on this event, call The Bookstore Plus at 518-523-2950.
Saranac Lake — Book Signing: Paul Sorgule held at The Book Nook; 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.. Paul will be joining us to autograph copies of his book, The Event That Changed Everything: A Novel About Cooks, Chef’s, Restaurant Life, Farming, Relationships and Environmental Consciousness Come join us and get a copy of his book signed!
Octoberfest
Be sure to check out all the festivities taking place this October.
37th Annual
World’s Largest
Garage Sale
in Warrensburg Starting Sept. 29
Sept. 21
Sept. 23 Cont’d »
Plattsburgh — 2017 Women of Distinction held at Westside Ballroom; 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.. As Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York educates girls to be future community leaders, we want to recognize the community leaders of today. Since 1985, GSNENY has been hosting Women of Distinction events across the council. Honorees are awarded for their strength of character, dedicated community service, emphasis on life-long learning, along with their dedication to fostering self-confidence and leadership skills in others
Ticonderoga — Spooky Pumpkin Decorating! held at Ti Farmers Market; 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.. September 23, participate in spooky pumpkin decorating!
Sept. 23 - Sept. 24 Indian Lake — The Great Adirondack Moose Festival held throughout the town; 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.. Get ready for an adventure during the 8th Annual Great Adirondack Moose Festival! This is your chance to catch a glimpse of one of the region’s most mysterious and powerful animals: the moose. The Festival features two days of special events, games, contests, exhibitions, guided tours and hikes, and shopping. Sponsored by the In Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce.
Sept. 23 Lake Placid — Lake Placid Brewfest held at 1932 Rink in the Olympic Cen Center; 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.. Lake Placid’s 6th Annual Brewfest comes to town to give you a truly unique experience. You’ll get to sample beers from across the country and talk to beer experts right in the historic 1932 Rink of the Lake Placid Olympic Center. So if you are looking to taste some of the best beers around and talk with the brew brewers who brew them, this event is for you! Tickets for this event: whiteface. com/events/lake-placid-brewfest.
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Peru — Kids Fair & Festival held at Babble Rural Farm & Learning Museum; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.. Experience and enjoy old-time games like hopscotch, sack races, corn box, bobbing for apples, pumpkin tic-tactoe, egg races & bean bag toss. Visit: http://www.babbiemuseum.org/ Chazy — Alice T. Miners 154th Birthday Celebration held at Alice T. Miner Museum; 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Children of all ages are invited to help celebrate Alice’s 154th birthday! Play croquet and other games that were popular during Alice’s childhood in the 1860s, make a craft to take home, and enjoy some birthday cake! Keene Valley — Dinner in the Field held at Craigardan; 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.. First annual fall harvest benefit event celebrating the farm, the food, and the plate! There are two options for attending - come for drinks, appetizers and art - or attend the entire evening including dinner by Farmstead Catering, a gallery opening, film debut, and silent auction. All guests take home handmade pottery by artist Catherine Seidenberg.
Sept. 24 Chazy — Frankie’s Crock Pot Cook Off held at Sacred Heart Church Hall; 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.. $20 to compete - includes event apron. Cooks please pre-register. Forms available at Chazy Central Rural School main office. Questions: call/text Irene at 518-569-3569.
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Oct. 1
Plattsburgh — Adirondack Memoir Retreat on Lake Champlain held at Point Au Roche Lodge; . Led by award-winning authors Elizabeth Cohen & Kate Moses, this memoir retreat at Point Au Roche Lodge gives attendees access to intensive, individual manuscript consultations & small group feedback amidst the backdrop of Lake Champlain. More info, visit:birdsandmuses.com/adirondack-memoir-retreat/
Long Lake — Hoss’s Octo-BEAR-Fest held at Hoss’s Country Corner; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.. Second annual event! This benefit festival will be raising funds for Randy’s Patient Assistance Fund through the C.R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital.
Essex — Bike the Barns held at Whallonsburgh Grange; 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Bike the Barns is a fully supported recreational road cycling tour supporting the rich agricultural movement of the North Country. This one-day Champlain Valley farm-bybike experience will feature farm tour stops staged along the route where you can personally connect with the local food revolution. The agritourism experience culminates with a finish line local food celebration complete with a meal, beverages and live music. The music and after-tour event is open to the public. - All proceeds will be used to support local farms and a portion of every rider’s event fee will go directly into the FarmShare fund.”
Sept.27 Saranac Lake — Little Red and Trudeau Statue Tour held at Trudeau Insititue; 10:30 a.m.. Meet at Trudeau Institute, 154 Algonquin Avenue, for a tour of one of Saranac Lake’s first cure cottages and to visit the statue of Dr. Trudeau. Meet at the sign by “Little Red,” the small red cottage on the hill. Rain or shine. $5/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. Saranac Lake — Giving Women a Voice in Silent Film: History Matters Series held at Saranac Laboratory Museum; 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.. Barbara Tepa Lupack will present on women in silent movies as part of our History Matters Speaker Series. Ms. Lupack will present clips from silent films of the 1910s and 1920s and discuss the roles of women in those films and in a changing society. This presentation will take place in the John Black Room of the Museum, and light refreshments will be served. This program, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities’ Public Scholars program.
Sept.29 - Oct. 1 Warrensburg — 37th Annual World’s Largest Garage Sale held throughout the town; All Weekend. Thousand of vendors selling antiques, new items, kids toys, clothing, crafts, candles and much more. Resident’s throughout town also have their treasurers for sale. Food galore, you won’t go hungry here!! Hot dogs, sausage peppers, taco’s, gyro’s, fudge, popcorn, etc. Sponsored by the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce more info call 518- 623-2161 or visit their website at warrensburgchamber.com.
Sept. 29 Essex — Concert: Cole / Nakoa / Treacher held at The Whallonsburgh Grange Hall; 7:30 p.m.. Heart-stopping harmonies, soulful sounds.
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Plattsburgh
Comic Con Sept. 30-Oct. 1
Crete Civic Center; 10:00a.m- 5:00p.m.. Plattsburgh Comic Con welcomes Cosplay, Guest Stars, Gaming, Anime, Sci-Fi, Furries, Geeks, Nerds, Comic Books, Artists, Collectables, & Vendors! Fun for everyone at our show Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2017! Buy from Regular Passes to VIP Passes! CHILDREN 6 AND UNDER GET IN FOR FREE! Tickets can be purchased online or on the day of the event. plattsburghcomiccon.com/home.html
Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 Lake Placid — Oktoberfest held at Whiteface Mountain; Sat. 12:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Every October, we dust off our lederhosen, fire up the oompah band and enjoy a tall mug of German beer at the Whiteface Mountain Oktoberfest weekend-long, Bavarian-style celebration with authentic music, dancing, food and beer, rated one of the 5 Must-Visit Oktoberfests in North America by SKI Magazine! Putnam Station — Apple Fest Billy Bob’s Orchard 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 Saranac Lake — Adirondack Shakespeare Company: Love’s Labour’s Lost held at Pendragon Theatre; 7:30 p.m.. Plattsburgh — Tom Chapin in Concert held at The Strand Theatre; 7:00p.m.. 3 - time Grammy winner & SUNY Plattsburgh graduate - Tom Chapin is a renowned singer - songwriter & plays guitar, banjo & autoharp. For more info visit: strandcenter.org Tupper Lake — OkTupperfest 2017 held at Flander’s Park; 11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.. When autumn is at its peak in the Adirondacks, there really is no better way to celebrate the season than heading uphill for OkTupperfest. Guaranteed to have something for everyone! Includes live music, ice cold beer, great food, helicopter rides, children’s activities, craft fair and much more!! Presented by the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce, all proceeds from the event will go to support winter recreation and tourism in Tupper Lake.
Ticonderoga — Heritage, Harvest & Horse Festival held at Fort Ticonderoga; 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Experience the power and thunder of hooves through demonstrations of equestrian sports and working horses; take part in family-fun activities including; sack races; and explore the splendor of the King’s Garden and the annual plant sale and harvest market. The day will not be complete without a visit to Fort Ticonderoga’s highly acclaimed Heroic Corn Maze: A Corn maze Adventure! where visitors explore the new 2017 corn maze design in the shape of the fort and find their way through the maze by selecting the correct answers to clues connected with the fort’s history! Admission to this day-long event is included in a Fort Ticonderoga’s general admission ticket. Malone — The Great Inflatable Race! held at Malone Recreation Park; 9:00 a.m.. It doesn’t matter if you’re an adult, a kid, fast, slow, young or old, this race is for YOU! Each course varies in length but will typically be between 1.5 miles and 3.1 miles. But don’t worry because this race isn’t timed or judged, which means you have all the time in the world to have as much fun as humanly possible on these amazing inflatable obstacles! Register: thegreatinflatablerace.com/ malone.
25th Annual
Glens Falls — 25th Annual Taste of the North Country held at Glens Falls City Park; 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Sample a variety of foods from the North Country’s Best Restaurants! Participating restaurants are from the Glens Falls Region, as well as Lake George and surrounding towns! Food coupons are $1 each. Restaurant samples are priced in food coupons and can range from $1 to $4.
Arts & Entertainment
Sept. 30 Cont’d »
FALL EVENTS 2017
Sept. 26
Lake Placid — North Country Out of the Darkness Walk to Fight Suicide held at Olympic Speed Skating Oval; 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Proceeds benefit local and national suicide prevention and awareness programs of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Includes advocacy for public policy, suicide prevention education, and support programs for survivors of suicide loss. Register to walk, be a virtual walker, make a donation, volunteer or become a sponsor at afsp.org/northcountry. Contact Shelby at 518-962-2077 or Shelby@mhainessex.org for more information.
Taste of the North Country Glens Falls City Park Oct. 1
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FALL EVENTS 2017
Arts & Entertainment
Oct. 4
Oct. 6
Oct. 7
Oct. 7 Cont’d »
Saranac Lake — Road to Retirement Series: Alexa for Seniors held at Saranac Village at Will Rogers; 2:00 p.m.. Application Designers Ed Potter, Erum Azeez Kahn and Andy Kropa, will speak about the Amazon Echo, a sound-activated speaker & computer that is operated by Alexa. Discussion and questions will follow the presentation.This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Details:518-891-7117.
Plattsburgh — The Art of Living held at The Strand; 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.. The ghosts of Lund Manor are used to hosting some of the best parties in town until real-life Ily and her freespirited mother show up and ruin everything. Ily meets Arthur, a young and handsome ghost, who lives there. Feelings of love develop but how will Arthur find a way to be with Ily? Everyone has a helpful suggestion on how to bring Ily and Arthur together but this leads to a murder plot and a family secret threatens to be revealed. $25.
Long Lake — Harvest Craft Fair held at Town Hall; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.. Free admission. As the mountains turn to fire with the colors of fall let’s celebrate the changing of the seasons with the annual Harvest Craft Fair. Vendors will be selling hand-made crafts. Call 518-624-3077 for more information.
Malone — 37th Annual Oktoberfest held at Titus Mountain; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.. Live Music, Vendors Galore, Beer & Brat, Chairlift & Hay Rides, Ski Swap, Titus Sign-Ups, and FIREWORKS at Dusk. $5 at the gate, $1 goes to benefit Adirondack for Kids! Live Music from 1pm ‘til 11pm! Don’t forget to bring the kids for the Titus Teddy Kids’ Zone with bounce houses, cotton candy, games and--of course--a celebrity visit from Teddy himself! Food sales benefit our Ski Patrol!
Oct. 6 - Oct. 8 Lake George — 7th Annual Lake George Oktoberfest & Fall Festival held at Canada Street & Shepard Park. Fri. 5:00PM - 10:00PM, Sat. 12:00PM - 10:00PM & Sun.12:00PM - 5:00PM. Enjoy a beer in the Bier Garden featuring local handcrafted Germaninspired Ales & Lagers from Lake George’s own Adirondack Brewery, including their annual Oktoberfest Lager, brewed with all New York State hops! Be sure to sample some of the authentic German Food as well, including various types of Wurst, German potato salad, spatzle, and more! Enter a yodeling contest, muscle into a Keg Toss, compete in a Roll-OutThe-Barrel Race, and more! Oktoberfest in Lake George Village is a 3 day celebration of Fall, fun & food! Canada Street is blocked off and transformed into a European-style street fair. Rain or shine, festival tents ensure a fun filled weekend for the thousands of annual festival goers.
Plattsburgh — The VERY Adult Hypnotist Show held at Butcher Block; 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.. The VERY Adult Hypnotist Show is back by popular demand! 18+ ONLY! Doors open at 6pm with show starting at 7pm. Tickets are $20 and are only available at the Butcher Block on RT3 in Plattsburgh, NY at the hostess station. This show will sell out get tickets asap! Have dinner before the show. Your ticket entitles you to a discount on your entree. See details at the Butcher Block.
Oct. 7 -Oct. 8 Chazy — Hearts Delight Farm Heritage Exhibit held at the Miner Institute; 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.. Join them for NY State’s Path through History weekend. They will have a special exhibit about William Miner’s hydro power project. Visit: whminer.org
Zombie 5k Run in Lake George Oct. 7
Lake George — Zombie Run 5k! held at Six Flags Great Escape; 8:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m.. In addition to running a race through an amusement park, this event is also a fundraiser, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross to support their life saving mission. Before the race, all runners will be given a flag belt with three flags. These flags represent your lives. As a runner, the goal is to finish the race with all of your lives. And it’s the zombies’ goal to take the lives! In the event that as a runner you lose all three lives, you will still be able to complete the course and receive an official Zombie Run 5K time and finishers medal. Thurman — Thurman Fall Farm Tour held at Various locations; 10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.. Come to the Thurman Fall Farm Tour to celebrate the bounty of autumn! Farms all over town invite you in for tours, talks, samples and sales. Pet animals, paint pumpkins, make a bead, take a hay ride, see quilts. Free family fun, and super food available. This year, the Thu Thuman Fall Farm Tour has announced two new participating sites, bringing the total to 9! Valley Road Maple Farm, Martin’s Lumber & Lucyann’s Artistry, Nettle Meadow Farm, Whitefield’s Farm, Toad Hill Maple Farm, Peru Llama Farm, Blackberry Hill Farm and Sanctuary, Windy Ridge Farm, LLC & Thurman Quilt Show
Saranac Lake — Birds of East Africa held at Saranac Village at Will Rogers; 7:00 p.m.. Photographer and world traveler, Gerry Lemmo, will present a digital slide show about his time spent traveling through Kenya and Tanzania, focusing on bird species. This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call 518-891-7117.
Oct. 8 Essex County — Cheese Tour held in Essex County in the Adirondacks; 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Each creamery will be doing different activities & tastings at their own locations. Check out Asgaard Farm & Dairy in Ausable Forks, North Country Creamery in Keeseville & Sugar House Creamery in Upper Jay. Saranac — Hill and Hollow Music Present Soovin Kim & Gloria Chien held at Methodist Church; 3:00p.m.. Enjoy a violin-piano duo concert. Visit:hillandhollowmusic.org/?page_ id=178 Beekmantown — 3rd Annual Celtic Crafter’s Annual Harvest Festival held at VFW Post 1466; 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Spellman Rd. Featuring local artisans and market sales during the craft & vendor show. The Adirondack Refuge & Champlain Valley Irish Dancers join us again this year! Fire Dance performance with Jenn!
Oct. 13 Essex — The Adirondack Shakespeare Company presents: “Love’s Labours Lost” held at The Whallonsburgh Grange Hall; 7:30 p.m..
Oct. 14 Ticonderoga — Area Crop Walk 1:00 p.m., Ticonderoga Heritage Museum.
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Cont’d »
Lake George — Adirondack Brewery Oktoberfest held at Adirondack Pub & Brewery; 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Enjoy a day full of all things Oktoberfest with the beautiful Lake George Fall foliage as your backdrop. Nonstop Polka Music, Adirondack Brewery Beer Garden, Bratwurst, Dancing, Knackwurst, Keg Tossing, Weisswurst, Potato Pancakes, Stein Hoisting, New York State Guest Breweries, Costume Contest, Endless Beer Sampling, Local Wine, Craft Cider, Cornhole, Dancing Chickens, Fall Foliage, Local Craft Vendors, Artisan Cheese, and so much more! Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/adirondack-brewery-oktoberfest-tickets36518992289?aff=efbeventtix
Essex County
The Gibson Brothers
Cheese Tour Oct. 8
Nov. 3 - 4
Oct. 18
Oct. 22
Nov. 1 - Nov. 5
Tupper Lake — The Wild Center’s Homeschool Day held at The Wild Center; 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Curiosity opens up a world of possibilities; it’s what pushes us to keep learning, keep moving forward, and keep trying. Spend the day around the exhibits and trails looking beneath the surface to discover mysterious unknowns. Why do skunks spray? What are snake’s scales made of? We invite all homeschool students to delve into the natural world and awaken curiosity for all things untamed. $6 per student, 1 adult free, all other adults $8.
Essex — Concert: Archie Fisher held at The Whallonsburgh Grange Hall; 7:30 p.m.. Scotland’s best-loved folk musician’s final tour
Plattsburgh — Lake Champlain International Film Festival held at The Strand; . Highlights new films and filmmakers working in a wide variety of film genres and forms. Great entertainment & artistry combine to create a truly unique viewing experience. Details: Facebook or visit: http:// www.strandcenter.org
Oct. 21
Plattsburgh — PBS Plattsnerd 2.0 held at Champlain Centre; 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Announcing PBS Plattsnerd 2.0, the return of Plattsburgh’s original locally sponsored comic-con! After the smashing success of last year’s fabulous festival of all things geeky and great we are excited to say PBS Plattsnerd is back, bigger and better than before. This year we will be hosting the event at the Champlain Centre Mall. More space for parking, a wonderful food court, special deals at shops and more. The event will feature a cosplay competition, gaming, artists tables, special vendors, all the fun you enjoyed at last year’s inaugural PBS Plattsnerd and more!
Peru — 7th Annual Octoberfest Half Marathon 5K, 10K, 40K Bike held at Peru Fire Department; Race starts at 9:00 a.m.. Runners and walkers will enjoy an exhilarating run or walk through the Town of Peru & Peru’s Apple Country while viewing the beautiful Adirondacks fall foliage. Bikers will enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Champlain as well as Peru’s Apple Country. There will be a post race party with entertainment, food and free cold beer! The Octoberfest Event is an annual event in Peru, NY to raise awareness and money to help the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation find a cure.
Oct. 27 Ticonderoga — Ticonderoga HalloweenFest, Various events & locations including Glow Bowl party, Haunted Homestead, Halloween Puppet Show,Horse Drawn Wagon Rides, Pumpkin Walk, Monster Mini Golf Party, Trick or Treating, Haunted Hallway and more!
Oct. 28
Arts & Entertainment
Glens Falls — Walk to End Alzheimer’s held at Glens Falls Civic Center; 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. This inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease! When you participate in the walk, your fundraising dollars fuel our mission, and your participation in the event helps to change the level of Alzheimer’s awareness in your community. The Alzheimer’s Association provides free, easy-to-use tools and staff support to help participants reach their fundraising goal. While there is no fee to register, we encourage participants to fundraise in order to contribute to the cause and raise awareness.
FALL EVENTS 2017
Oct. 14
Nov. 3 - Nov. 4 Lake Placid — The Gibson Brother’s held at Lake Placid Center for the Arts; 8:00 p.m.. The Gibson Brothers’ brand of bluegrass is a visceral mix of heritage and soaring harmony, making them the premiere brother duet of the genre. Tickets in Advance: $20, At Door: $25, 518-523-2512.
Nov. 4 - Nov. 5 Ticonderoga — St. Mary’s Craft Fair. Various vendors located St. Mary’s School.
Oct. 27 -Oct 28 Ticonderoga — Maze Quest! The Maze By Moonlight held at Fort Ticonderoga; 7:00p.m. - 10:00p.m.. Grab a flashlight & explore Fort Ti’s 6-acre corn maze under the light of the full moon! $10 person; tickets at door. Last ticket sold at 9pm, the maze closes at 10 pm. Info visit: fortticonderoga.org/
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GANIENKEH WHOLISTIC TREATMENT CENTER An Alternative Health Care Center
CHIROPRACTIC - DR. PETER VANCE, D.C. MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS Over 30 years experience - specializing in headaches, sciatic, chronic pain, worker’s comp & personal auto injuries. NATUROPATHIC - DR. DEBRA DAHLER, N.D. MONDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS Offering holistic health care options for most health concerns. Herbalism, nutrition & lifestyle counseling. PULSED ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD THERAPY AND THE ONDAMED - RICK WHITE MONDAYS THROUGH FRIDAYS 8AM-3PM BY APPT ONLY - Energy Medicine is any healing modality that affects positive change in the energetic system of living beings.
3083 Rand Hill Road • PO Box 275 • Altona, NY • 518-493-6300
GANIENKEH TERRITORIAL MINI BINGO SUPER T JACKPO
$1,000 rds Full Ca
ADMISSION: 9 Face Cards $5.00; 2 Special Books $5.00; 10 70/30 Games $8.00 Wednesday & Friday doors open at 5pm • Games start at 6:30pm Sun. doors open at 10am & Games start at Noon.
Devil’s Den Road via Altona, NY • 518-493-2247 105128