The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
Don’t overlook the dangers of acid snow In your March/April 2013 issue there was an article by Paul Post titled “Undoing acid-rain damage.” Most everyone who writes about this issue does not address the total problem of acid precipitation and deposition. From my experience, acid snow has a major effect on the waters of the…
I have to agree with Russ Nelson of Potsdam [Letter to editor, March/April 2013] that to dismantle a functioning railroad in this day and age is a mistake. Just because it’s only used by an excursion train now does not exclude its possible use for scheduled passenger service and freight in the future. I know…
The article “Touring the Chateaugays” [January/February 2013] brought back many fond memories of the sixteen years I spent working at Camp Chateaugay—the children’s camp mentioned in the article. The boathouse of the camp was shown in the view up the narrows from the boat launch. I have paddled many times to Moffit Island—some trips in…
I keep coming back to your article “Skiing the quiet groves” [March/April 2013] (good trail, good experience, good writing) and feel it deserves a comment. The Peavine is good in all seasons, and can be as short or long as time allows. It would make a nice overnighter to the shelter from the Route 3…
Your recent article about the railroad vs. a rail trail, “Towns skeptical of train,” [January/February 2012} was interesting, fair, and unbiased. Unfortunately the comments from Kate Fish of the Adirondack North Country Association and Garry Douglas of the state-sponsored North Country Regional Economic Development Council were not. The North Country Association’s mission is building local…
If I may add some historical notes to your recent articles on commercial rafting. Pat Cunningham’s involvement with rafting on the Hudson goes back to the 1950s with trips organized by the Northwoods Club in Minerva. It is hard to say, though, if these were commercial trips or that he was the first commercial outfitter in New…
Back in the 1930s as the United States was struggling through the Great Depression, rural parts of the country were at an even greater disadvantage. Many areas had little hope of creating jobs, and homes lacked the basic comforts that urban areas offered, because they had no electric service. As part of the New Deal,…
Agency says the public has the right to travel on a disputed stretch of Shingle Shanty Brook. By Phil Brown Weighing in on a long-running controversy, the state Department of Environmental Conservation says the public has the right to paddle through private land on Shingle Shanty Brook and adjoining waterways that connect two pieces of…
Every twenty years the state constitution provides the state legislature with an opportunity to ask the voters, statewide, whether they want to have a constitutional convention to try to fix the problems of state government. Once in session, however, these conventions can get out of control and have unintended consequences. The last convention was held…
I’m a mountain-bike rider and a rail fan. So I see both sides on whether the Adirondack Scenic Railroad remains or gets pulled in favor of a recreation trail. I just want to point out that I know of no rail trail in New York, or indeed anywhere, which was created by destroying an existing…