The latest report of Adirondack search and rescue incidents is a good sampling of the usual hijinks, with snow and cold temperatures thrown in for fun:
Tags: climb·dec·essex county·franklin county·hamilton county·hike·ski·snowshoe·warren county·whiteface
Annual Competition Will Recognize Innovative and Sustainable Practices
Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Environmental Excellence Awards program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The program recognizes businesses, governments, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and individuals in New York State that are achieving environmental excellence through innovative and environmentally sustainable practices or partnerships.
DEC is especially interested in acknowledging projects that achieve significant environmental benefits through: innovative and cutting-edge pollution prevention technologies; manufacturing process improvements; initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; projects using green infrastructure practices; programs that make schools and businesses more “green;” energy conservation and green energy production efforts; waste reduction and recycling efforts; innovative approaches to stormwater management and watershed planning; environmental protection and restoration efforts; and land conservation.
Previous award winners have helped improve New York’s environment through initiatives that have eliminated 2.10 million pounds of hazardous waste, saved 26 million kilowatt hours of electricity; reduced water use by 15 million gallons, recycled 382.5 million pounds of solid waste, and preserved 149,000 acres of open space.
Applications for the awards must be post marked no later than Friday, May 20, 2011. Information about the award program, the application materials and information on past award winners is available on the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/945.html; or by writing to:
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Pollution Prevention Unit
625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-1750
Or by phone to DEC’s Pollution Prevention Unit at (518) 402-9469; or by email to eeawards@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
Examples of previous winners include:
The Golden Arrow Resort in Lake Placid instituted green programs on a variety of fronts to reduce the environmental impact not only of the hotel, but also of the traveler. The resort features a “green roof” – a rooftop expanse of native plants that provides wildlife habitat, reduces water runoff and helps keep the inn warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The limestone beach reduces the impacts of acid rain. Guest rooms feature in-room recycling, insulated windows, energy-efficient lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
Garlock Sealing Technologies of Palmyra voluntarily eliminated 119 tons of toluene emissions in the manufacturing of fiber sheet gaskets. By using a non-hazardous solvent to produce a viable product, they provided the industry with a new benchmark for environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. The new gasket is being made at a comparable price and seals even better than its solvent-containing predecessors. This has additional benefits for the environment since tighter seals mean less fugitive emissions and a healthier work environment for employees. Other highlights of this innovative pollution prevention project include a reduction of fire risk and the ability to recover and recycle over 95 percent of the non-hazardous solvent.
Monroe Industries in Livingston County exemplifies how a small, family-owned business of nine employees, can achieve environmental excellence, serve as a model of innovation and sustainability, and enter emerging markets for green products. The company custom manufactures cast-polymer countertops, shower walls and floors, and vanity tops. Traditionally these products are made with a variety of mined minerals and gemstones, such as granite and quartz and are typically mixed with a liquid polyester resin and binder. While developing the Robal Glass product line, Monroe identified a supplier of bio-based resins which resulted in a more sustainable product. This innovative product line uses 60,000 lbs. of recycled glass each year.
Town of North Hempstead was honored for a groundbreaking recycling partnership program involving 8 of the 11 school districts within the Town. More than 28,000 students have been involved with this comprehensive recycling program. Each classroom in every participating school maintains statistical records of the recyclables collected. As a result, students are becoming environmental stewards; taxpayers are saving money, school districts are receiving the benefit of a worthwhile service they otherwise would have to pay for and 279 tons of material has been diverted from landfills.
Tags: conservation·dec·environment·new york
Design Created by 16-Yr-old Hannaford Career Center Student
Crown Point, N.Y./Addison, Vt. – The Lake Champlain Bridge Community, the grassroots organization entrusted to create, plan and lead the public festivities that will celebrate the replacement and re-opening of the Lake Champlain Bridge, is pleased to unveil the logo design that will be used to promote the event.
The Lake Champlain Bridge Community solicited Vermont- and New York-based professional and student graphic artists to submit prospective designs, pro bono. The selected design was created by Linus Biederman, a junior in the Design & Illustration Program at the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury, Vt. Linus is a Middlebury resident and the son of William Biederman and Gloria van den Berg. He is also an active member of the Middlebury Union High School varsity boy’s lacrosse team.
The logo will be used on the Community’s website, letterhead, marketing collateral, event materials, and commemorative merchandise promoting the re-opening festivities for the Lake Champlain Bridge.
“We couldn’t be happier with the design chosen. Linus captured the essence of what the Community is all about—the new bridge and its importance in the reunification of the regional communities of Crown Point and Addison, as well as bordering towns on both sides of Lake Champlain,” said Lorraine Franklin, co-chair of the LCB Community and co-owner of West Addison General Store.
Website Design Donated by Wolpin & Associates
A new website design is underway and will be launched by the end of February 2011. The design work is being donated by Wolpin & Associates, based in Bristol, Vt. Wolpin & Associates is the consulting practice of Joyce Wolpin, a marketing and computer specialist. Ms. Wolpin’s skills combine 28 years of direct marketing experience with web site design and development expertise.
“As an unfunded grassroots organization, we don’t have the resources to hire the expertise we needed to give us a presence on the Web,” said Sue Hoxie, communications chair of the Lake Champlain Bridge Community. “Joyce stepped forward and volunteered her services, which we greatly appreciate. Having a professionally-designed website to promote the celebration activities will help educate and attract nearby residents as well as out-of-town visitors to this important regional event.”
About the Lake Champlain Bridge Community
Members of the Lake Champlain Bridge Community include area residents, representatives from local business, historical sites, local governments, and chambers of commerce. The Community can be found on the Web at www.champlainbridgecommunity.org.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, N.Y., made the cut and is a finalist in the About.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards for the favorite ski resort in the eastern United States. Voting is open through March 8 and the winner will be announced on March 15.
Whiteface which boasts the greatest vertical in the east, as well as 283 skiable acres and 86 trails was the only State of New York ski resort to reach the finals. This winter more than 160 inches of natural snow has fallen at Whiteface, making the 2010-2011 skiing and riding season one of the best in recent memory.
The other finalists include Vermont’s Killington, Mount Snow, Stratton and Stowe. To cast your vote, log on to: Best Ski Resort – East.
The recipients of the Reader’s Choice Awards will have the unique opportunity to display the coveted About.com Readers’ Choice Awards badge on their Web site.
In December, About.com recognized Whiteface as one of the nation’s top family ski destinations, one of only three eastern resorts to make the list. The on-line article touted the mountain as “an ideal venue for a family ski vacation,” and also describes many of the off-hill activities found in Wilmington and in Lake Placid including a tour of the Olympic sites, ice skating and partaking in the full schedule of winter events for the family.
It’s those off-hill activities, as well as the wide array of Olympic-style sports including bobsledding, ice skating, cross country skiing, ski jumping, and events such as World Cup racing, shows and concerts, that have made Whiteface/Lake Placid #1, for 18 consecutive years, for its Off-Hill Activities by readers of SKI Magazine. And this season, readers of both SKI Magazine and SnowEast Magazine tabbed the Olympic mountain as the #1 Ski Resort in the eastern United States.
Tags: essex county·ski·whiteface
Tupper Lake, NY – The Wild Center’s Wild Winter Weekends continue with activities from now until the end of March. There is a program guaranteed to keep everyone in the family entertained, enlightened and warm during these long winter months.
On Sunday, February 27th Family Art and Nature day begins at 1pm. Bring the entire family and explore this week’s theme, Owl Wisdom. Have you heard owls in the night and wondered how they live? Let’s take a closer look at owls – what they eat and how they survive in the Adirondack forest. Explore owl habitats and see live owls up close. Then transform yourself into this winged wonder as you design your own life-size owl.
As always, there are hikes on free snowshoes, animal encounters, feature films and great food offerings. Wild Winter Weekends are free for members or with paid admission.
The Wild Center is open throughout the winter on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. For additional information on The Wild Center, visit www.wildcenter.org or call (518) 359-7800.
Tags: bird·events·franklin county·tupper lake·wild center·wildlife
Lake Placid, Adirondacks USA – The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism/Lake Placid CVB is pleased to announce the results of the 2011 Board of Directors election.
Over the last 60 years, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism has evolved from the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce, providing traditional business services and tourism promotion, to the accredited Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Lake Placid and Essex County through traditional marketing efforts, communications, and destination planning.
The board of directors, responsible for governing the organization, is comprised of 15 individuals, with at least one director from each of the four tourism regions in Essex County; the Lake Placid/High Peaks, Lake Champlain, Schroon Lake and Whiteface regions. The 2011 slate of officers are as follows: Chair, Justin Smith, Northwoods Inn and Prestige Hospitality Group; Vice Chair, Ed Finnerty, Champlain National Bank; Second Vice Chair, Joe Kelly, Glens Falls National Bank; Treasurer, Mike Beglin, Beglin’s Jewelers, and Secretary Jenn Webb, Golden Arrow Resort.
Newly elected Directors include Beth Hill, Executive Director at Fort Ticonderoga; the Lake Champlain Region representative, and Bob Hockert, owner of Little Peak Chalet and Clearwater Camp vacation rentals, and the Whiteface Region’s board representative. Joe Kelly was reelected to a second term, and is the Schroon Lake Region representative.
They join sitting Directors Deborah Fitts, Lake Placid Sinfonietta; Mary Ann Hawley, Parajax, Inc.; Kate Fish, Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA); Deb McLean, the UPS Store, Jamie Rogers, energy program coordinator at ANCA; Charlie Cowan, financial consultant with Janney Montgomery Scott; and Carol Brown, president of North Country Community College.
“With representatives from diverse facets of the business community, including lodging, retailers, financial institutions, attractions, the arts and educators, the Board of Directors represents a broad range of perspectives and expertise,” said James McKenna, CEO of the DMO. “Our Board commits a lot of time on behalf of the work that we do to promote our destinations, and we extend our gratitude to them all, with special recognition to our outgoing Director, Don Poulsen of Swedish Hill Winery for his dedication.”
“I’m proud to be part of this great team of dedicated volunteers, and excited and optimistic about 2011, said board chair Justin Smith. “With the upcoming opening of the new Conference Center at Lake Placid, and other positive momentum such as the destination planning projects throughout the County, it promises to be a terrific year for our organization and the destinations we represent.”
The election took place during the business portion of the members’ annual meeting on January 31. The business meeting was adjourned, to be reconvened with the social portion this spring in celebration of the opening of the new Conference Center at Lake Placid.
The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is a private, 501c6 not-for-profit corporation. Most recently doing business as the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, the organization has continuously evolved to stay ahead of the changing destination marketplace. Marketing partner news and resources can be found on the organization’s website, www.roostadk.com.
Tags: economic development·essex county·lake placid·marketing·tourism
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. – The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) may soon have a new chapter devoted to enhancing and promoting the celebrated Northville-Placid Trail (NPT).
The NPT, which stretches 133 miles through some of the wildest and most remote parts of the Adirondack Park, was the first trail project undertaken by the Adirondack Mountain Club after it was formed in 1922. In November, Tom Wemett, ADK Trails Committee member and a self-described “NPT fanatic,” launched a new Web site devoted to the Northville-Placid Trail (www.nptrail.org). According to Wemett, the site has been very successful and well received by hikers as well as ADK and Department of Environmental Conservation staff.
“The next logical step in bringing additional focus and resources to the Northville-Placid Trail is the formation of a separate chapter of ADK,” Wemett said. “An NPTrail Chapter will allow people who have an interest in the NPT to identify themselves by joining and coming together as a group to help protect, preserve and promote the trail. It also would help in raising funds that can be used specifically to enhance and maintain the trail.”
A chapter formation meeting is being held on Wednesday, March 2, at the Dakota Steak House, 579 Troy-Schenectady Road (Route 2), Latham, N.Y., just east of exit 6 on the Northway. Registration is from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with the program and presentation from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Adirondack Mountain Club members and nonmembers are welcome and invited to attend.
The meeting will include a presentation by ADK Executive Director Neil Woodworth and ADK Membership Director Laurie Schweighardt. A petition for establishing a new chapter will be available that evening. At least 25 signatures from ADK members are required to form a new chapter. Signup for ADK membership will be available at the meeting, and any new members will be allowed to sign the petition.
ADK has 28,000 members and 26 chapters throughout New York and northern New Jersey. ADK chapters organize a variety of hikes, paddling tips, bike rides and other outings in the Adirondacks and closer to home. ADK chapters also sponsor social gatherings, trail maintenance projects, and lectures and educational programs. The chapters provide a voice on local conservation and environmental issues of importance to their members.
The Adirondack Mountain Club is the oldest and largest organization dedicated to the protection of the New York Forest Preserve. ADK helps protect the Forest Preserve, state parks and other wild lands and waters through conservation and advocacy, environmental education and responsible recreation. ADK publishes “Adirondack Trails: Northville-Placid Trail
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