About Gwendolyn Craig

Gwen is an award-winning journalist covering environmental policy for the Explorer since January 2020. She also takes photos and videos for the Explorer's magazine and website. She is a current member of the Legislative Correspondents Association of New York. Gwen has worked at various news outlets since 2015. Prior to moving to upstate New York, she worked for a D.C. Metro-area public relations firm, producing digital content for clients including the World Health Organization, the Low Income Investment Fund and Rights and Resources Initiative. She has a master's degree in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She has bachelor's degrees in English and journalism, with a concentration in ecology and evolutionary biology, from the University of Connecticut. Gwen is also a part-time figure skating coach. Contact her at (518) 524-2902 or gwen@adirondackexplorer.org. Sign up for Gwen’s newsletter here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joan Grabe says

    I object to your comment and wish you would stop. There is no “ neighborhood rich mob scene “ but there are home owners with environmental concerns and an APA that seems to have misread it’s rules. And as for John Ernst you are totally off base. Mr. Ernst is an Adirondack land owner who has placed much of his beautiful Elk Lake property in a conservation easement, who runs a successful resort, employs local year round residents, donates unceasingly to local projects and programs, has served on many local Boards and should supply much needed guidance to the APA.

  2. Skeptical ADK says

    Upper Saranac is overrun with HOA Karens and Kevins… The kind of nut jobs who want other people’s sewage running across their lawns and to use trails they made on privately owned vacant land. There is a real problem in Upper Saranac for second homeowners here, not from burglary or unknown suspects but from chronic trespass from the “locals,” who think they can walk wherever they please whenever they please. Try to report it to the local authorities, and they got their relatives there. Nepotism is alive and well. I feel sorry for Leinwand and Cicarelli, but it shows you absolutely have to do research on the place you are going to live. Unfortunately for them, even if they win this case, which it looks like they will, they are going to face nonstop harassment, because this is really nothing to do with their septic or the environment. And they’re gonna have a real problem with the town, if they are not already, because it’s all the same clowns. The good news is the national community is becoming less and less tolerant of people trying to keep the neighborhoods white. They should document everything, get video cameras, report everything (even if you have to make reports to relatives). Make A Paper Trail!

    There are at least 5 HOAS operating in the tiny Upper Saranac community. Excessive? Of course, but unfortunately the reality in this area. You would think surrounded by the great woods, there would be no need for this petty garbage, but it seems to breed geriatric arm chair bullies and wannabe forest rangers with nothing to do and endless time on their hands. This is not a one time case. There are multiple families that have *already* been impacted by harassment in this area. If the Explorer wants to do an expose on it someday, all they have to do is start looking. There is plenty of evidence and people ready to drop names. It’s many of the same players performing many of the same acts, and it would make quite a story. Locals in the community who may not like their dirty deeds and corruption exposed.

  3. chris cohan says

    A well written balanced report on the Deerwood Subdivision on Upper Saranac Lake in Franklin County. There are a lot of unanswered questions like did the APA ignore agency rules creating “weaker standards” that will result in “lasting negative impacts to not only the residents of the Deerwood Subdivision”, entire Upper Saranac Lake, its watershed and “the entire Adirondack Park due to the precedent that this case will set.”

    The Judge seems to agree and is demanding more information.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Is the state kicking the can into another winter season? WAITING FOR THE ROAD SALT REPORT
+

Like what you're reading?

Join the community of people powering our rigorous, nonprofit Adirondack journalism with a donation.

Wait! Before you go:

Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox