Nothing
compares with being in the midst of a group,
singing with good courage. From my soprano
days in a boys’ choir to leading audiences
on choruses, it’s the most fun that I’ve ever
had and continues to be so.
North Country
Advocating for Sunday Rock
Sunday Rock, a large boulder on the roadside of New York State Highway 56, just west of the hamlet of South Colton in St. Lawrence County, is an important landmark for locals and travelers alike…. Many places, however, still deserve national recognition and protection for their long-standing —and continuing— value to their communities, as part of the living heritage of life there. Such recognition may contribute to a sense of place not only for visitors but for local residents as well. To recognize that a place can be more than an example of an architectural style or site of a political or economic event really matters.
Good Read
Until the publication of Tahawus Memories, this old titanium town seemed as though it was destined to end up in the dustbin of history.
Upstate
Just as those of us who live up north like to protest that “there’s more to New York than New York City,” I like to say there’s
more to Upstate than wild rivers and rugged mountain peaks. There’s plenty going on culturally as well…. pancake breakfasts during maple syrup season, fish fries during Lent, chicken barbecues all summer long, harvest
dinners in the fall, and chicken and biscuit suppers and spaghetti dinners in the winter months. There are outdoor events all year long—maple festivals in the spring; firemen’sfield days, fireworks, parades, and county fairs in the summer; college homecomings and hunting club gatherings in the fall.
Upstate
Cat Bennett and Milkweed Tussock Tubers: A Vision in Purple Potatoes (Among Other Kind)
Milkweed Tussock Tubers is a regenerative agricultural project that is helping to maintain a range of traditions, from seed to field to fork. Farming which has the goal of sustainability helps to return a community to a critical level of local knowledge and skill that connects humans to the environmentl.
Wild Edibles
A photo essay on wild edibles.
Upstate
The author’s search for a humorous song, collected by Frank and Anne Warner from Lena Bourne Fish who was born in the Adirondack region.
Echoes of a New England Past: The Hopkinton Town Green
The village green is a public common that is found in many northern New York towns and is reflective of the influence of settlement by former New Englanders. The influence of New England migration is also evidenced in place names, foodways, dialect choices, and vernacular architecture. Hopkinton, New York is an example of such cultural migration.
Roslin Castle and the Battle of Plattsburgh
Ransom explores the association of Scotland’s Roslin Castle and the Battle of Plattsburgh.
Dance Night at the Barn: Documenting the Line Dancing Tradition of Upstate New York
A fieldwork inspired portrait of line dancing in a rural, Saratoga County Town in New York State.
Upstate
An essay about the present and future of Adirondack folk music and the places to hear it.
Good Read
A review of “One Rough Life. Ted Aslaw: Adirondack Lumber Camp and Barroom Singer,” by Robert D. Bethke.
Upstate
Donnelly Beach in Minerva, NY, with a look at its origins.
Two Minutes: The Making of the Battenkill Inspired Video Series
The author chronicles her experiences shooting and producing a series of mini-documentaries about life and work along the Battenkill Creek in Washington County, NY.