The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has announced the hire of the new director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI). Tiffany Rea-Fisher, who has extensive leadership experience in the arts, activism and community organizing, will be the second director of ADI, an ANCA program that aims to make the Adirondack region a more welcoming and inclusive place for residents and visitors. [Read more…] about New Director for Adirondack Diversity Initiative
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Adirondack Advocates, Officials, Seek Reuse of State Prison
Leaders of Adirondack environmental organizations joined with local elected officials Tuesday to urge Governor Kathy Hochul not to mothball the former Moriah Shock Incarceration Facility in Essex County, NY, as is planned by December 31, but instead to reuse it to bolster conservation and boost employment.
The leaders said there were several possible options that would bring new life to the structure. Reuse would help a small Adirondack community recover from the job losses and lost business opportunities associated with the closure of a state institution, they said. They also pointed to several recent state initiatives that would benefit from an additional state building in the Adirondacks, from which to offer training and housing. [Read more…] about Adirondack Advocates, Officials, Seek Reuse of State Prison
Philipse Manor Hall Reopens With Improved Accessibility
The Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers, Westchester County, has reopened after a $20 million renovation of the building and grounds, as well as the design of new exhibits.
These new exhibits advance a recent Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation initiative to ensure that the state’s historic sites embrace stories that reflect the diversity of the state and nation’s history. [Read more…] about Philipse Manor Hall Reopens With Improved Accessibility
‘Open Spaces for All’ Plan Released
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) has announced their support for Open Spaces for All, a report issued by the Open Space Institute (OSI), in partnership with the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NYORC), of which PTNY is a member.
The Open Spaces for All report presents a comprehensive set of state-level recommendations designed to improve equity and access to parks and other open spaces for residents and visitors of New York State. The full report can be viewed online. [Read more…] about ‘Open Spaces for All’ Plan Released
Albany’s Historic Cherry Hill to Redesign Museum’s Core Tour
Historic Cherry Hill in Albany‘s South End has announced that the museum has received two competitive federal planning grants for a large, multi-year reinterpretation project.
Entitled We Carry It Within Us: Reinterpretation at Historic Cherry Hill, the project was awarded $48,165 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and a $50,000 Inspire! Grant for Small Museums from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
With these grants, Historic Cherry Hill is now expected to complete plans for a new tour and orientation exhibit which incorporates new research and scholarship on underrepresented narratives at Cherry Hill. [Read more…] about Albany’s Historic Cherry Hill to Redesign Museum’s Core Tour
The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, Andrew Porwancher, the Wick Cary Associate Professor of History at the University of Oklahoma and the Ernest May Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, joins Liz Covart to investigate the Jewish world and upbringing of Alexander Hamilton using details from his book, The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton (Princeton, 2021). [Read more…] about The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
The Adirondack Park & The NYS Legislative Session
The closing hours of the NYS Legislative Session saw three Adirondack Park Agency appointees confirmed by the Senate, including the first Black appointee, Benita Law-Diao.
The Legislature also approved policy advances to curb the impacts of climate change, such as the commitment to protect 30% of New York’s forests by 2030. None of the several proposed amendments to the NYS Constitution’s “forever wild” clause were approved. [Read more…] about The Adirondack Park & The NYS Legislative Session
Lake George Village Eyes International Student Dorm
Students who travel from foreign countries to work on Lake George face a scarcity of affordable, safe housing, according to Mayor Bob Blais.
As a founder of the Student Connection, a group established to help foreign workers resolve issues related to their employment, Blais has promoted initiatives to improve the stock of available housing, from inspecting facilities to posting listings from landlords. [Read more…] about Lake George Village Eyes International Student Dorm
New Adirondack Coalition Launches Campaign
A new coalition is launching a campaign for to protect the Adirondacks.
The Forever Adirondacks Campaign Director Aaron Mair released a 15-point agenda for protecting clean water, creating new jobs and preserving wilderness in the Adirondack Park.
State officials are about to set their budget priorities for the 2022-23 fiscal year. [Read more…] about New Adirondack Coalition Launches Campaign
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance occurs annually on November 20th.
It’s a day to memorialize people killed as the result of transphobia, the hatred or fear of transgender and gender non-conforming/non-binary people. We also remember those who died as a result of suicide. This day serves to bring attention to the continued violence and non-acceptance endured by the transgender community which we see at an alarming new rate. [Read more…] about Transgender Day of Remembrance