To the editor:

Thursday night will be a “Saranac Lake Night,” and I invite everyone to stop by downtown and enjoy all things Saranac Lake: our history, our culture, our arts and our heroes.

All will be celebrated this Third Thursday Art Walk Night joined with the unveiling of Walk of Fame plaques for baseball celebrities Christy Mathewson and Larry Doyle, along with a pitching contest and a sing-along with the St. Bernard’s student body of the iconic tune “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

The Art Walk starts pulsating from the Harrietstown Town Hall and on up Main Street and Broadway to Bloomingdale Avenue at 5 p.m. and goes to 7:30 p.m., with artists setting up shop on the sidewalks and musicians doing the same with all our many galleries open for viewing. Your neighbors and friends will be there along with many of our summer residents who call Saranac Lake their home away from home. The weather forecast calls for clear skies and temps in the 70s. Oh, what a night to stroll through downtown Saranac Lake it will be and it may be just the night to dine out in one of our many fine restaurants.

At 6 p.m., things will vibrate on Main Street, which will be closed off in front of the Saranac Lake Free Library and Hotel Saranac, as we celebrate the American pastime, baseball, and our strong Saranac Lake connection to it.

Everyone of any age is invited to toss baseballs at a “Strike Zone” cut-out with a box of Cracker Jack given to each participant and special ball caps for the top finishers in five different age groups; 7 and under, 8 to 10, 11 to 13, 14 to 18 and 19 and over.

Remember going out to watch the hometown team play baseball? Remember watching Little League or the High School Team? We can relive those nostalgic times in a fun, gentle and celebratory atmosphere right on Main Street, this Thursday night and, afterwards, at 7:30 p.m., you can share and hear and share our local baseball stories with Historic Saranac Lake in the John Black Room on Church Street.

Thursday evening will be truly special and it will be very Saranac Lake. If you are a Saranac Laker, whether here or in spirit, you should be around for all the fun and memories. And, if you’re not a Saranac Laker well you should be!

Clyde Rabideau

Saranac Lake mayor