tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113611252009-11-04T10:00:03.692-05:00Blogging From Behind The Blue Line<p> Culture, Politics, History, and The Environment</p>John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.comBlogger1232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-67887369944943517892009-11-04T10:00:00.000-05:002009-11-04T10:00:03.748-05:00

I'm pleased to announce the addition of Alan Wechsler to the Adirondack Almanack. Alan will be covering the outdoor recreation beat and his regular posts will run on Wednesdays at noon. Alan has been coming to the Adirondacks since his uncle took him on his first backpacking trip—with wet snow, followed by temperatures down to zero degrees—at age 15. He says he still hasn't learned his

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-40870213963224583462009-11-04T00:20:00.007-05:002009-11-04T08:47:30.588-05:00

Doug Hoffman conceded at 12:10 a.m., thanking “every single person out there who joined my team and fought for America. This was the biggest hill I’ve ever faced, and I’m a 46er, so I’ve faced plenty of them.”The crowd at the Hotel Saranac had thinned but was enthusiastic, especially when the Conservative talked about an unlikely campaign that grew into a phenomenon. They cheered lines like, “We

Mary Thillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08403863160209992327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-17120765661814013222009-11-03T23:03:00.006-05:002009-11-04T01:11:16.397-05:00

11:00. High hopes of Hoffman supporters have been eroding all evening. Campaign spokesman Rob Ryan has had to alter his vision from sprint to marathon, as the campaigns prepare to unleash the lawyers.There is much talk about absentee ballots. Campaign staff say they might have to spend the night at Hotel Saranac and get results tomorrow, if then. Hangers on wait for an appearance by Doug Hoffman

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-49760220294960401062009-11-03T22:25:00.001-05:002009-11-03T22:28:46.540-05:00

9:30. Fox News talent waiting to go live.

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-74382340481779579402009-11-03T22:07:00.005-05:002009-11-04T01:10:28.743-05:00

Hotel Saranac. Hoffman HQ. TV outlets have been jockeying for preferred tripod positions on the press platform all afternoon. By 7:30 all the good spots are claimed.. . . At 10:19 p.m. all those here who had said the race would be declared by 10 watch the TV quietly as Owens leads slightly in early returns. The candidate made a brief appearance in the lobby at 9:35, after a live interview with

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-79564947086990087772009-11-03T15:48:00.000-05:002009-11-03T15:49:08.119-05:00

Lunchtime. In an act of symbolic aggression, Democrat Bill Owens orders tea in the backyard of Conservative Doug Hoffman.

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-2640515714630524642009-11-03T15:29:00.001-05:002009-11-03T15:31:03.714-05:00

Noon. Main Street. One of Saranac Lake's endearing and enduring traditions is the Election Day bake sale benefit for St. Bernard's Elementary School. Scheduled to run until two o'clock, the sale closed about an hour and a half early this year, perhaps having been eaten out of business by the hoard of national reporters and photographers covering congressional candidate Bill Owens' lunchtime visit

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-41706460436644659922009-11-03T15:00:00.002-05:002009-11-03T15:03:16.975-05:00

Zachary Berger takes a few moments to answer additional questions regarding his involvement in the first annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit.Q: When you attended the Adirondack Climate Conference, held at The Wild Center, in November 2008, what inspired you to initiate an Adirondack Youth Climate Summit?ZB: Last November's conference was truly a success. I was very honored to have the

Diane Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06574283685579160953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-34982769404981718732009-11-03T12:00:00.005-05:002009-11-03T14:16:30.909-05:00

Registration for the 2009 Youth Climate is closed but schools, universities, parents and children can follow the two-day event via a live stream. Conceived by then 17-year-old Zachary Berger of Lake Placid after attending the Adirondack Climate Conference last year, this year's summit illustrates to all young people that their opinions and ideas can make a difference. After much anticipation the

Diane Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06574283685579160953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-21133076836534765682009-11-03T11:16:00.010-05:002009-11-03T14:16:19.077-05:00

Check in throughout the day for scenes from NY-23 in Saranac Lake.On what was supposed to be a sleepy off-year election day, many counties across upstate New York's 23rd congressional district rolled out new optical scan voting machines. A considerable departure from the old gray crank and ratchet machines that looked like something some glacier deposited in the town hall countless millennia ago,

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-86851134412995220112009-11-03T10:00:00.001-05:002009-11-03T12:35:22.204-05:00

And the focus of the national media focuses on the mythic character of the region. . .

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-1815786104106272062009-11-03T06:00:00.005-05:002009-11-03T12:29:43.671-05:00

Following the capture of John Brown and his associates at Harpers Ferry they were first held in the armory's guardhouse. The next day, October 19th, 1859, they were taken to the County Jail in Charles Town, about eight miles away. On October 25th (after being questioned by Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise, Virginia Senator James M. Mason, and Representative Clement Vallandigham of Ohio) John Brown

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-61923420294122594042009-11-02T15:00:00.004-05:002009-11-02T15:00:00.904-05:00

Winter is nearly upon the Adirondacks and it’s time to blow the dust off your cold-weather gear including your snowshoes. Snowshoeing has increased in popularity and practicality in stride with technology. Gone are the days when the only choice was hand woven wood frame shoes. The framing, decking, cleats (crampons) and bindings are now made with high tech materials specialized for various

Kevin B. MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08757651488566994297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-90027283161399405352009-11-02T12:00:00.008-05:002009-11-02T12:12:25.177-05:00

Buried by the hoopla surrounding the 23rd congressional district special election, New York Supreme Court races have gone largely unnoticed this year. The Adirondack Park is divided between two Judicial Districts: The fourth, comprising Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties (with Montgomery and Schenectady outside the Blue Line); and

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-55904658893570955042009-11-01T21:00:00.004-05:002009-11-02T12:47:40.544-05:00

Over the course of an eventful weekend in New York's 23rd CD, Lake Placid resident and congressional aspirant Douglas Hoffman showed the flexibility of a skilled politician in declaring two significantly disparate feelings for his former Republican rival. On Saturday, Hoffman's website displayed a heartfelt tribute to Dede Scozzafava.Sunday brought a new week, a new month, a new clock setting,

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-92058314269530015052009-11-01T15:58:00.004-05:002009-11-01T16:45:06.971-05:00

In a last minute move Republican Candidate Dede Scozzafava, who only yesterday withdrew from Tuesday's election for the 23rd Congressional District, has announced that she is throwing her support to her Democratic opponent, Bill Owens. Scozzafava withdrew after garnering only 20 percent in the latest poll—she has said that she does not have the money to wage the all-out media effort required to

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-22272963267525971542009-11-01T06:00:00.008-05:002009-11-01T16:18:12.030-05:00

On Saturday, when Dede Scozzafava’s campaign bus turned into a pumpkin, it came as a shock but not a surprise to North Country political observers. The unpredictable five-month, three-party campaign to fill the vacated House seat of Army Secretary John McHugh was elevated in its early stages to a war of surrogates for political forces both at the state and national levels, according to a close

Mark Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987510558008988310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-17202398403490666822009-10-31T12:51:00.006-04:002009-11-01T16:01:03.574-05:00

In a move that has the potential to shift the outcome of the coming election for the 23rd Congressional District spot once held by fellow Republican John McHugh, Dede Scozzafava has announced that she has suspended her campaign. Scozzafava, a state assemblywoman, has not yet given her support to either of her opponents, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, or Democrat Bill Owens. A Siena

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-78307801261736121442009-10-31T06:00:00.002-04:002009-11-01T15:47:41.975-05:00

When one is a practicing naturalist, one must always be willing to say two things. One, "I don't know." And two, "Hm...I guess I was wrong." Y'see, Mother Nature is always ready to send you down the wrong path by making some identifications tricky. And, let's face it, we can't all be experts at everything. In fact, as a friend of mine once put it, I don't consider myself to be an expert at

Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-72012937947380561432009-10-30T15:00:00.004-04:002009-10-30T17:46:51.075-04:00

These Americans: Photos of Adk Deer Hunters, 1970s Extreme Bumper Jumping in Saranac Lake, 1944 Upstate Earth: Ghosts of Beardslees Mills Adirondack Paddler: Moose River Whitewater Photos Huffington Post: Wall Street's Man in the Adirondacks VOA News: A Scary Adirondack Halloween Story The Landscapist: Politics Adirondack Musing: Doug Hoffman for President? Walking the Berkshires: "Henry, Get

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-7183876175553498102009-10-30T12:00:00.000-04:002009-10-30T12:08:39.070-04:00

The locally-made documentary about the French and Indian War, “Forgotten War: The Struggle for North America,” has been selected for broadcast by more than two hundred public broadcasting stations.The documentary, which was produced by Plattsburgh’s Mountain Lakes PBS in conjunction with commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian Wars, will be seen in three of the biggest

Anthony F. Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10637658996956515630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-18288729198766957642009-10-30T06:00:00.005-04:002009-10-30T17:36:24.503-04:00

Hundreds Protest at Plattsburgh State Leahy Boosts Aid to Bats NY Declares Swine Flu Emergency Chairlift Wins Planning Board Approval NY-23: Hoffman Refuses To Debate Local Teacher Resource Center Funded Crown Point Bridge Closed Until Spring 23rd Candidates Avoid Debating Free Ferry Travel For Bridge Users Brandreths Insist Shingle Shanty Brook is Closed

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-12897634961332439612009-10-29T15:00:00.007-04:002009-10-29T18:34:06.183-04:00

So this my last post for approximately a month. I will miss the North Country and all of the wonderful events I'm sure to hear about when I return in December. I'm headed to Portugal and Normandy. It's sure to be an exciting trip and I already have a planned meeting with a cool musician, Aurel, in Burgundy. Who knows what other musical adventures I shall have in between. (Note to self: find a

Shamim Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09384928949792194960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-22135223076885155412009-10-29T12:00:00.002-04:002009-10-29T13:41:45.824-04:00

As you might expect, my desk-side book shelves are heavily burdened with Adirondack books. Guides to hiking, climbing, wildlife, forestry; books of photography sit beside fiction and various technical reports—all here within easy reach. Most are history—general histories, political histories, environmental and cultural histories, books on logging, tanning, prohibition, Native Americans, county

John Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844483212763666949jnwarrenjr@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11361125.post-22793057149723749782009-10-29T06:00:00.017-04:002009-11-03T19:21:30.577-05:00

The Adirondack Park has not quite returned to Google Maps, but something is taking shape: the Adirondack Forest Preserve.On October 8 we noticed that the green shape representing “Adirondack State Park” was reduced to a little slice over the Cranberry Lake area. Users let Google know about the error through its “Report a Problem” link. As it incorporates user data, Google is apparently trying to

Mary Thillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08403863160209992327noreply@blogger.com2