Having grown up about a quarter-mile from the dam/police station, some of my fondest childhood memories were made fishing this section of the Saranac River. Kids from Jenkins, Lake, South Hope, Petrova and other surrounding neighborhoods would spend countless hours fishing and playing in these ...

Ken Youngblood’s recent letter to the Enterprise envisioned the delights of a rail trail on the obsolete railroad corridor connecting Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. Let’s hope that, 10 years after this idea was seized upon by a newly formed group called Adirondack Recreational ...

What are neonics anyway? “Neonic” is shorthand for neonicotinoid pesticides. There is a saying that goes, “If a food ingredient is hard to pronounce, chances are it’s bad for you.” Well, neonicotinoid is hard to pronounce and very bad for pollinators. They are a class of ...

Although vast amounts of the ocean remain unexplored, the things we do know about the largest habitat on Earth are enough to make us realize that humans, as stewards of this planet, have an innate responsibility to look after the ocean. This watery habitat covers 71% of the Earth’s ...

“Sunset and evening star, but one clear call for me. Let there be no moaning at the bar when I put out to sea.” So began a new admiralty judge when he first took the bench. The courtroom bar keeps the public outside side the “well” of the courtroom where court business is done. ...

Recently proposed to the Lake Placid-North Elba Joint Review Board by the Hurley Brothers, a local fuels dealer, is to convert an acre atop Vitvitsky Hill, the highest hill between the AuSable and Chubb rivers on Old Military Road, into a tank farm for LPG, liquefied propane gas, for unloading ...

Surfing radio stations I happened upon Elton John’s “Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word,” and two lines jumped out at me: “It’s sad, so sad. And it’s getting more and more absurd.”  These 11 words perfectly capture the Trump presidency and likely caught my attention, as I had ...

Four hundred thousand dollars for a “whitewater kayak feature” in the village! Rebuild a river so people can play in their kayaks? First of all, rebuilding a river so it suits the needs of a single recreational group is a pretty disgusting and arrogant idea. We long ago learned what ...

In response to the title of Elizabeth Izzo’s article, “Did Kate Smith make up for racist songs,” I would suggest an answer in the negative, although perhaps her historical embarrassment may be put to good use in well-meaning dialogue. Kate Smith’s admirable words in her 1945 plea for ...

There was a time, 15 or so years ago, when I was making several trips a year to Washington, D.C. While killing time before a meeting, I’d often stroll over to the White House grounds and just stare at it. I was in awe, even as an adult, of my country and of the presidency. I can’t ...

Kate Smith, the singer famous for her rendition of “God Bless America,” is in the headlines, and that calls to mind the headlines she made after her death nearly 32 years ago when I was a cub reporter at the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. My coverage of Smith, who was a longtime summer ...

Anzac Day is Australia’s and New Zealand’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day all rolled up into one. Usually such occasions mark the end of a war or a great victory. Down Under, April 25 commemorates the first day of a battle which, eight months later, would become a terrible defeat. On ...

It is ironic that all-terrain vehicles are not welcome on many terrains. Although some towns in the area have passed local laws that allow ATVs on certain local roads, they are usually banned from public roads, for good reason. ATVs don’t mix well with regular vehicular traffic, and they ...

Consider what professions have a well-above average suicide rate and you are unlikely to include veterinarians. However, individuals who care for our pets and farm animals are significantly more likely to take their lives than members of other professions and occupations. A 2014 study by the ...

I read with interest in Monday’s paper the article about Hurley Brothers application to install a 36,000-gallon propane storage tank at 132 Old Military Road. The article ends with Mr. Hurley quoted as saying, “This is small potatoes.” I assure you it is not. I was one of the small ...

John Droz Jr. wrote a Guest Commentary in the March 26 Adirondack Daily Enterprise entitled “Science or political science?” in which Mr. Droz responded to Dr. Curt Stager’s “What climate deniers get wrong,” recently published in the Adirondack Explorer/Almanack. Mr. Droz’ ...

“All politics are local” is a phrase attributed to Tip O’Neill in 1982, a former speaker of the House. The same can be said about education. What happens in education happens at the local level. Its not that politics or education exist in a vacuum; they don’t. But after all is said and ...

With each criminal conviction, the state of New York matter-of-factly tells the defendants how long they will spend behind bars. Hidden from view, in the “fine print,” is a long list of additional penalties attached to these convictions.  Only upon leaving prison and while attempting ...

In paleoclimatologist Dr. Curt Stager’s recent Adirondack Almanack piece about me, it’s startling that he so openly disavows traditional science. Consider his 2011 quote: “… my preference is for refraining from aggressive activist stances. I do so because I value science itself ...

A few weeks ago, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told the Christian Broadcasting Network: “I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times. ... And I think he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that’s why he’s here.” Sanders is hardly alone in ...