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Olympic History

A Constitutional Amendment Proposed for Mt. Van Hoevenberg

May 26, 2022 by Peter Bauer Leave a Comment

Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports ComplexAn Article 14 Constitutional Amendment is being proposed for the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in the Adirondack Park outside Lake Placid.

At the Mt. Van Hoevenberg complex, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) currently manages around 1,220 acres of Forest Preserve classified as Intensive Use by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). Abutting these lands is 319 acres of land owned by the Town of North Elba.

Together this complex houses the Olympic bobsled and luge track, cross-country skiing and biathlon trails, and associated facilities, with most of the intensive buildings and facilities located on the town lands. These facilities have seen massive upgrades and state spending in preparation for hosting the World University Games in 2023. [Read more…] about A Constitutional Amendment Proposed for Mt. Van Hoevenberg

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondacks, Article 14, development, Environmental History, Essex County, Forest Preserve, High Peaks, Mt Van Hoevenberg, North Elba, NYS Constitution, Olympic History, ORDA, Political History, Protect the Adirondacks, Sports History, wilderness

Jack Niflot: Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler

May 11, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

Isidor “Jack” NiflotNew York State’s connection to Olympic wrestling goes all the way back to 1904, the very first year freestyle wrestling was included in the summer games, when Isidor “Jack” Niflot, then of New York City, but later a longtime Sullivan County resident, won a gold medal in the bantamweight division. [Read more…] about Jack Niflot: Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History Tagged With: Manhattan, New York City, Olympic History, Queens, Sports History, Sullivan County

North Country Prisons Talk On ‘Empire State Engagements’

April 24, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

A Prison In the Woods - Environment and Incarceration in New York's North CountyOn this episode of Empire State Engagements, Dr. Clarence Jefferson Hall, Jr., talks about his book A Prison in the Woods: Environment and Incarceration in New York’s North Country (UMass Press, 2020). [Read more…] about North Country Prisons Talk On ‘Empire State Engagements’

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Books, History Tagged With: Adirondacks, Crime and Justice, Olympic History, Podcasts, prisons

Prison In the Woods: Environment & Incarceration in Northern NY

February 26, 2022 by Erin Becker-Boris Leave a Comment

A Prison In the Woods - Environment and Incarceration in New York's North CountyThe Adirondacks in Northern New York covers approximately 5,000 square miles. Widely known for its natural beauty, recreation opportunities and tourism, it may surprise many of those travelers to learn that the Adirondacks’ trails and amenities are intrinsically connected to New York’s carceral history.

In A Prison In the Woods: Environment and Incarceration in New York’s North Country (Univ. of Mass. Press, 2020), Clarence Jefferson Hall Jr. traces the planning, construction, and operation of penitentiaries in five Adirondack communities – Dannemora, Ray Brook, Gabriels, Lyon Mountain, and Tupper Lake – between 1840 and the early 2010s to show the intersections between the environment and mass incarceration.

Hall’s own personal history adds an interesting aspect to his narrative. His father worked for the New York prison system from 1973 to 1998, mostly at the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora. He states that “the rhythms of the prison system became natural to our family, just as they did for so many other families in towns and villages across the Adirondacks.” [Read more…] about Prison In the Woods: Environment & Incarceration in Northern NY

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Books, Capital-Saratoga, History, New York City Tagged With: Adirondacks, Black History, Books, clinton correctional facility, Crime and Justice, environment, Essex County, Franklin County, Labor History, Lyon Mountain, Olympic History, Political History, prisons, Ray Brook, Tupper Lake

Lake Placid Speed Skating Oval Renovations Complete; Free Skating Jan 6th

December 23, 2021 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

James C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval courtesy Wikimedia user LunchboxLarryThe New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) has announced that after a 10-month construction project, the 400-meter James C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval at the Olympic Center has reopened to the public.

The Speed Skating Oval was dedicated to James C. “Bunnie” Sheffield by the Olympic Organizing Committee in 1978. Sheffield was inducted into the National Speed Skating Hall of Fame in 1971, and his inspiration contributed to the organization and promotion of winter sports, including the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. [Read more…] about Lake Placid Speed Skating Oval Renovations Complete; Free Skating Jan 6th

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondacks, Lake Placid, Lake Placid Olympic Museum, Olympic History, ORDA, Speed Skating

New York’s Olympic Bobsled Track: Some History

August 2, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

1932 Lake Placid Bobsled Track ConstructionThe 1932 and 1980 Olympic bobsled track, located on Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y., is on The National Register of Historic Places.

Clearing for the original one and a half, 26-curve course began in August 1930 and the track, specifically built for the 1932 winter games, was open to the public just 148 days later on Christmas Day 1930. [Read more…] about New York’s Olympic Bobsled Track: Some History

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondacks, Essex County, Lake Placid, National Register of Historic Places, Olympic History, OPRHP, Sports History

The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Facility and Forever Wild

June 21, 2020 by Peter Bauer Leave a Comment

Mt. Van Hoevenberg courtesy PROTECTThis is the second article in a 5-part series that looks at amendments to Article 14, Section 1, the famed forever wild provision, of the State Constitution. This article looks the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Winter Sports Complex in the Adirondack Park, managed by the Olympic Regional Development Authority. The first piece looked at the recent history of Article 14 amendments.

Protect the Adirondacks has long believed that an amendment to Article 14, Section 1 is needed for the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Winter Olympic Sports Complex currently managed by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). At Mt. Van Hoevenberg, ORDA currently manages 1,220 acres +/- of Forest Preserve classified as Intensive Use by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). Abutting these lands is 319 acres of lands owned by the Town of North Elba, Essex County. This complex houses the Olympic bobsled and luge track, cross-country skiing and biathlon trails, and associated facilities. [Read more…] about The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Facility and Forever Wild

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: APA, Article 14, DEC, Forever Wild, Mt Van Hoevenberg, NYS Constitution, Olympic History, ORDA, Political History, PROTECT, Protect the Adirondacks, wilderness

40 Years After An Olympic Miracle

March 1, 2020 by Devin Lander Leave a Comment

a new york minute in history podcastThis episode of A New York Minute in History recalls the “Miracle on Ice,” when the U.S. Men’s Hockey team upset the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. [Read more…] about 40 Years After An Olympic Miracle

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History Tagged With: Adirondacks, Lake Placid, Olympic History, Podcasts, sports, Sports History, winter sports

Considering the Controversy Around Melvil Dewey

February 5, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

portrait of melvil deweyNorth Country native Melvil Dewey was obsessed with order from the time he was young. At the age of 5, he would alphabetize the spices in his mother’s pantry. He was preoccupied with numbers, lists, rules and efficiency.

This obsession helped change the way we categorize information across the world with the invention of the Dewey Decimal system, which is still in use today at libraries in 150 countries worldwide. He also founded the Lake Placid Club and was instrumental in helping to bring the 1932 Winter Olympics to the region. [Read more…] about Considering the Controversy Around Melvil Dewey

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History Tagged With: Lake Placid, Olympic History, Podcasts

Events Added for 1980 Olympics Celebration

January 27, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

olympic torch runner courtey Lake Placid Olympic MuseumLake Placid is one of only three cities world-wide to have hosted two Olympic Winter Games, 1932 and 1980. Since then, it has played host to annual World Cup events and other large-scale sporting competitions.

The community is set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games from February 13-23.

[Read more…] about Events Added for 1980 Olympics Celebration

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Events, History Tagged With: Lake Placid, Lake Placid Olympic Museum, Olympic History, winter sports

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