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The World Visits Lake Placid in February… Bobsled and Skeleton World Championships Return

February 3rd, 2012 · No Comments · Adirondack News

Whiteface - Lake PlacidLAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The world is getting ready to visit Lake Placid, N.Y., and once again the tiny two-time Olympic village in upstate New York will be the center of the sliding universe when the FIBT Bobsled and Skeleton World Championships, presented by Conceptum Sport Logistics gets under way on the Olympic Sports Complex track. This will mark the second time since 2009 that Lake Placid has hosted the sport’s biggest race outside the Olympic year.

“We’re ready… what more needs to be said,” remarked New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) chairman Pat Barrett. “We’ve been preparing for this event since it was awarded to Lake Placid and everyone is ready to show the fans, officials and most of all the athletes an unforgettable time.”

Olympic Bobsled RunMore than 20 nations are expected to compete on the 1,455-meter long course in men’s two and four man bobsled, women’s bobsled and men’s and women’s skeleton, including the reigning four-man Olympic bobsled champion Steve Holcomb (Park City, Utah) of the United States. Holcomb rode his 2009 world championship victory in Lake Placid into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, in Vancouver, Canada, where he became the first American bobsled pilot to win an Olympic gold medal in more than 60 years. Many of the athletes competing this time around are also hoping that the momentum gained at the world championships will carry over to the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Racing begins on Friday, Feb. 17, at 9:30 a.m. with the opening two runs of the women’s bobsled race. The women’s world champion will be crowned under the lights, Saturday night when runs three and four begin at 5 p.m. Saturday also features runs one and two of the two-man bobsled competition, beginning at 9 a.m.

Sunday’s schedule will feature the crowning of the two-man world champion when racing begins at 9 a.m. and the team competition. The team event will feature at least 10 nations competing in men’s and women’s skeleton, men’s two-man bobsled and women’s bobsled, all racing for the lowest combined time.

Racing will resume, Thursday, Feb. 23, when the world’s best women’s skeleton athletes take to the 22-curve track at 9:40 a.m. They will take two runs before a world champion is crowned on Friday, Feb. 24, when racing begins at 9:45 a.m. The men will also race, Friday, starting at 5 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule features four-man bobsled action, with heats one and two beginning at 9 a.m., before the men’s skeleton action resumes with its final two runs at 5 p.m. Finally, the 2012 FIBT Bobsled and Skeleton World Championships, presented by Conceptum Sport Logistics will conclude, Sunday, with the third and fourth runs of the four-man race, beginning at 9:20 a.m.

Be sure to bring the entire family to the world championships and be a part of the excitement, on and off the track. Public skeleton rides are scheduled for Monday, Feb. 20, through Thursday, Feb. 23, from 5:30-7 p.m., and on Friday, Feb. 24, from 1-2 p.m. Reservations are required. To reserve your spot, call 518.523.4436 or e-mail oscreservations@orda.org.

A fireworks display at the track, sponsored by Aubuchon Hardware and Benjamin Moore Paints, will light up night’s sky Saturday night, Feb. 18, beginning at 8:45 p.m., following the women’s bobsled award ceremony and the public draw for the team event. Fireworks are also slated for Saturday, Feb. 25, also beginning at 8:45 p.m.

Plus join the World Championship Concert Sunday night, Feb. 19, inside the Conference Center at Lake Placid. The doors open at 6 p.m., with Roadside Mystic playing at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony for the men’s two-man event and team competition. The music will continue at 8:30 when Assembly of Dust takes to the stage. Tickets are just $20 for Sunday’s party.

Tickets are on sale now for the 2012 FIBT Bobsled and Skeleton World championships, presented by Conceptum Sport Logistics. Single day tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for seniors and juniors. Tickets to see all seven days of competition are $50 for adults and $35 for juniors and seniors. Tickets are available on line by visiting http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=2439, through the Olympic Center’s box office at 2634 Main St., Lake Placid, or at the Olympic Sports Complex box office.

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Newcomb acquires properties from The Nature Conservancy

January 31st, 2012 · 1 Comment · Adirondack News

Community and conservation goals advance together

Town of Newcomb, NYNewcomb, NY – The Town of Newcomb on January 27, 2012 purchased 348 acres for a total of $256,591.00 from The Nature Conservancy. The town’s purchase of the properties helps to advance economic development, particularly along the Route 28N travel corridor, and other community objectives outlined in its Comprehensive Plan, which was updated in 2009. Descriptions of the properties are as follows:

  • Newcomb - Farmhouse Parcel by C. HeilmanFarmhouse Parcel – a 4-acre property along State Route 28N that includes a two-story residential house that had been used in the past as a field office for foresters and logging contractors. The town, in cooperation with Newcomb Central School, is considering converting the house into a dormitory for foreign exchange students or substitute teachers.
  • Log Yard Parcel – a 20-acre triangular-shaped tract near the intersection of the Tahawus Road and State Route 28N that has been used for temporary storage of logging equipment and logs. The property, zoned by the Adirondack Park Agency for industrial use, has potential to attract and support a small-scale private enterprise.
  • Newcomb - Aerial Hudson River by C. HeilmanGolf Course Parcel – a 324-acre tract bordering the town’s public golf course and a winding stretch of the Hudson River. This parcel may be suitable for expanding the High Peaks Golf Course from nine holes to 18, as well as developing cross country ski trails. Under the terms of a conservation easement now held by the Adirondack Land Trust, approximately three miles of Hudson River shoreline, as well as an ecologically significant wetland complex, will remain undeveloped. Those natural features will continue to provide flood and storm-water runoff controls, which are recognized in the town’s comprehensive plan as valuable, cost-effective services.

“There are all kinds of options for these lands,” said Newcomb Supervisor George Canon. “Now that the transactions with The Nature Conservancy are complete, we look forward to exploring those options. The log yard parcel is probably the most important acquisition; it is an excellent site for a potential business.”

The Nature Conservancy“This is another great example of DEC working closely with The Nature Conservancy and other stakeholders to make sure that the disposition of the former Finch lands benefits the communities and residents of the Park,” said Joe Martens, Commissioner NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. “Congratulations to The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Newcomb for this agreement that will help bolster the community.”

“Working with Newcomb on these land sales—and the larger conservation project—demonstrates how community and conservation goals can go hand in hand,” said Michael Carr, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter. “We quickly learned how important new economic development opportunities are to the town, as well as how much Newcomb residents value their rural quality of life and view the surrounding natural beauty as an asset.”

The lands sold to Newcomb were originally part of The Nature Conservancy’s 2007 purchase of 161,000 acres touching 27 towns in six counties in the Adirondacks. The community enhancement parcels are part of a balanced conservation plan that also includes commercial working forests and new state lands. The working forest component was solidified in December of 2010 when New York State purchased a conservation easement on 89,000 acres—20,270 of which are in Newcomb. That transaction is already helping to advance the community’s recreation objective to develop snowmobile trails to surrounding communities. The new state lands, when they are acquired, will enhance additional recreational opportunities for hunting, hiking, fishing and other activities.

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DEC Region 5 End of Big Game Season Enforcement Report

January 13th, 2012 · No Comments · Adirondack News

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 5 Environmental Conservation Police were busy enforcing against poaching activities during the recently ended big game season.

NYSDEC LogoOn November 29, 2011, an Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) was interviewing a witness as part of investigating a possible hunter trespass complaint in the Town of Benson, Hamilton County. The witness reported confronting three men allegedly on property without the owner’s permission and attempting to retrieve a female bear that they had previously shot in its den. After observing the dead bear in the den, the ECO followed human tracks to a camp on an adjacent property. Finding nobody present the ECO staked out the camp and when two of the men returned observed them attempting to clean alleged bait pile and salt licks. After interviewing the two men the ECO instructed them to retrieve the dead bear and to have all three men meet with him at the camp the next day. On November 30, 2011, the ECO seized the bear and issued multiple tickets to each of the men returnable to the Town of Benson Court as follows:

  • Benjamin I. Van Nostrand, 38, of Northville was charged with aiding in the illegal taking of a bear, a misdemeanor, and trespassing while hunting and unlawful feeding of deer, both violations. He faces maximum possible penalties of $2500 in fines and up to 1 year in jail.
  • Daniel J. Van Nostrand, 40, of Edinburg, was charged with the illegal killing of a bear, a misdemeanor, and two violations – hunting with the aid of bait, trespassing, failing to tag a bear as required. He faces maximum possible penalties of $2750 in fines and up to 1 year in jail.
  • George J. Van Nostrand, 36, of Northville, was charged with trespassing on posted property, a violation. He faces maximum possible penalties of $250 in fines and up to 15 days in jail.

On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, two DEC ECOs investigated a complaint of antlered deer shot near Lindsday’s Orchard’s in the Town of Clifton Park, Saratoga County. The deer was reportedly shot under the apple orchard’s nuisance deer permit, which allow only for the taking of antlerless deer. The ECOs reviewed the permit and associated paperwork and interviewed the orchard’s caretaker and another worker. Upon concluding the investigation, Duane R Lindsey, 59, of Rexford was charged with taking big game out of season, taking deer with the aid of an artificial light – both misdemeanors, and violating the terms and conditions of a deer nuisance permit, a violation. He was issued an appearance ticket for the Town of Clifton Park Court and faces maximum possible penalties of $4250 in fines and up to 2 years and 15 days in jail. In additions the deer’s antlers were seized as evidence, the remaining nuisance permits were confiscated, and the permit was terminated.

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