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. Bill Keller says

    “Carrothers plans to bar the public from accessing a causeway and island on Jennings Pond behind his Main Street property”. Just like a spoiled child would react.

    • Rosemary Nyman says

      You are mean! Your comment is infantile and unnecessary! No you would think a normal adult would have left name calling back in elementary school!

  2. Eric says

    So the APA has basically become a mechanism to screw your neighbors just because “I don’t like that guy”. It’s time to disband the APA. They once served a purpose and I’m glad they stopped development in some spots thirty years ago. But every single thing I’ve read in the last twenty years is them interfering over ticky-tack stuff that no one cares about. Then when big projects that a lot of people care deeply about (for or against) come along the projects get approved because someone knew somebody. If they aren’t defending the little guys and aren’t opposing the big guys just get rid of it. They had a good run.

  3. Tim says

    Isn’t one of the most basic tenets of our legal system that you get to face your own accuser? You can’t accuse someone of theft and not identify yourself. Why is the APA not identifying who the complainant is in these cases? It’s probably the same person a lot of the time.

  4. nathan says

    ALL SNOWMOBILERS BOYCOTT “Another Paradise” spread the word snowmobilers to everyone you know!
    Carrothers makes mistakes with APA, punishes town and tourists by denying trails and access..Long lake residents boycott bakery and boat rental shop. As a snowmobiler I will from this point on not do business at “Another Paradise”. i will recommend everyone I know in Newcomb, Minerva to boycott also. Two can play that game Mr. Carrothers!!!

    • Rick Becker says

      Do Snowmobilers really rent kayaks in the winter? Or even in the summer, for that matter?

      This seems like a business (two actually) that supports tourism and needs community support in return, not resistance.

      • nathan says

        do you really think snowmobilers don’t do other outdoor activities besides ride in snow?? Most snowmobilers are outdoors people and do many activities, and simply we don’t stop at a bakery and get something and a coffee? dont eat lunch at establishments? thousands of riders boycotting has effect.

  5. Lydia says

    Yes, get it in writing! As a licensed architect you know you must have the required permits and variances in hand before any work starts, does not matter how many mansions and upscale homes you have built in the past. I’ve heard people say the heck with that permit or permission I will just pay the fine. Guess the fine was larger than expected?
    These gentlemen chose to live in the park, like it or not we must all follow the rules. I live within the park, I have to follow the rules too.
    Lastly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it looks like a Ron Jon’s surf shop to me.

  6. Joan Grabe says

    So much for the rights of private property. Perhaps you want tourists, residents and strangers using your property as a right of way but there are liability issues and nuisance issues that could affect usage. If this is a fit of pique so be it but I assume something will be worked out between the parties as it usually is. This is a businessman and businesses need local goodwill.

    • Todd Eastman says

      Property rights come with limits…

      … zoning, covenants, taxes, etc…

      … next thing, you’ll be using the word, “taking”…

    • gid says

      More likely that the long history of use of the right of way has terminated Mr. Carrother’s ability to change it now. And why does he want to be mean to his neighbors anyway when he is the party responsible for not following normal procedures? Does he think that he is also entitled to go 80 mph on Route 8, just cause he’d like to?

  7. Ray Letterman says

    If you know what you will get in writing and that you won’t like what it says then just do it anyway and hope that no one notices or cares (or that you can bully your way out of the fix.) Whoever is tormenting poor Mr. Carrothers, I am on there side. And let’s all hope the APA keeps trying to do their job.

  8. Cyril Volney says

    Kick some a** George. We are 100% behind your effort to upgrade your property from “Walmart” standards to better. Everyone benefits from improvements. You have a standard of quality building in your work history. Fear not. Onwards and upwards.

  9. Joe B says

    The “conversation” and supposed “negotiation” was meaningless if there isn’t anything in writing. Carothers should have known that if he’s an experienced architect, so he only has himself to blame. Regarding the APA, if it wasn’t created 50 years ago to regulate and control development, I can assure you the Adirondack Park would be a disaster today.

    • nathan says

      So very right JOE, otherwise every bit of shoreline would be cabins and every lake, pond full of sewage. even with APA look at water issues with Lake George, Lake champlain as two extremely well know issues with run off and sewage.

  10. Helen Elix says

    Goodness, that property stands out like a sore thumb in that location. Maybe raze it and try harder for the French cottage permits. Or even, imagine it, an Adirondack style building.

    • Rick Becker says

      Fear not, Helen, rumor has it the APA plans to eliminate the building and install an anti-aircraft battery to eliminate those noisy seaplanes. LOL

  11. Laurie says

    will not be stopping here…really missing the old days with Mike fixing breakfast, lunch and the occasional dinner….

    • Nathan says

      Thumbs up Laurie
      Oh yeah!!! We used to get a group of friends and ride over from Newcomb and get breakfast on the way to canoing somewhere and/or fishing or off to drop snowmobiles for a day of riding.

    • May says

      So miss Big Wallie’s, that was when Long Lake was simple. Not a lot of ppl or any of those big ass houses, campgrounds still existed.

  12. gid says

    Mr Carrothers claims to have been an experienced architect who renovated old houses down in Dutchess County. Would anyone like to guess what Dutchess County would have done to him for doing building work without the correct permits? It is hard to believe he really did major building/renovation work downstate or he’d know that not getting required permits and clearance before doing work would be malpractice for any builder.
    Maybe Mr. Carrothers thinks Adirondackers are not as smart as he thinks he is and he thinks that he does not have to follow rules here?
    So, he is going to punish us, who he calls “the masses”, apparently not high class enough for Mr. Dutchess County. It is a shame to see people come from elsewhere and create problems for our community because they feel above the rules. Arrogance is never pretty. It currently seems popular to substitute arrogance for civility and neighborliness.

  13. May says

    So miss Big Wallie’s, that was when Long Lake was simple. Not a lot of ppl or any of those big ass houses, campgrounds still existed.

  14. Kirsten says

    I enjoyed kayaking on Jennings Pond and taking a walk along the lovely new nature trail there. Neither the pond nor the nature trail are natural. They were projects created by public funds. Maybe someone knows how to apply for a grant to fill in part of Jennings Pond to create a better public launch point for kayaks and a new path to the causeway. Then, the deck will no longer be too close to the pond. Everyone wins and a few more hours of labor are created for people who need them.

    • Karen says

      Kirsten, I like your idea – Too bad Mr.C feels the need to restrict usage on Jenning’s Pond! We will always protect our forest and waterways from people who abuse them. You got caught, you were wrong! Your community knows what you are trying to do…it’s not right.

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