Inaugural event rides wave of sport’s growing popularity

Mountainman Outdoor Supply Co. staff practiced their teaching tech prior to the fest in this photo taken by Carolynn Dufft.

The first New York Stand Up Paddle-board Festival was held on the Old Forge lakefront near the Pied Piper on Saturday, July 21 with free demonstrations and a three-mile race.

The race was won by Erik Grimm of Rochester, who completed the race in 40 minutes.

Grimm said he is a canoe and kayak paddler but it was the first time he had tried paddling on a stand up board.

Waiting for him on shore to congratulate him was his mother, Sherry Grimm of Inlet and his 16-month-old triplet sons, Alex, Bradley and Colten.

Eric Grimm, the first racer to finish, with his mom, Sherry Grimm, and his triplet sons, Alex, in front, Bradley and Colten. Photo by Carol Hansen

The inaugural event was brought to Old Forge by John Nemjo of Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company, who was present at the event and watched paddlers trying out the stand up boards for the first time.

‘This is the most exciting thing to hit paddle sports in the last 20 years. It’s a spin-off of the surf industry. It’s fun, it’s a good workout, and it offers a different perspective of paddling,” he said.

Representatives from BIC Stand Up Paddleboards conducted demonstrations about the techniques of paddleboarding, how to choose the right board and provided the opportunity to test the paddleboards throughout the day.

The 1st Annual Rick ‘Scooter’ Wolcott Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Sunday, August 19 at the Bear Creek Golf Course beginning at 9 a.m.

The event is sponsored by Scooter’s Bar in Forestport and is being coordinated by Jeannie ‘Beep’ Wolcott and Cindy Combs.

Entry fee for the two-person scramble tournament is $70 which includes greens fee, cart, skins, lunch at the turn and a Steak Bake at the Bear Creek Lodge.  Continue reading →

Joe and Jesse Bruchac

Seventy-five people gathered under the big tent on the Forge Motel knoll on Sunday, July 22, to listen to storytellers at the Old Forge Library’s annual Adirondack Storytelling Festival.

Native American storytellers, Joe Bruchac and his son, Jesse, entertained the audience with Abenaki legends and haunting melodies on a native flute.

Beauty & the Beast Storyteller Martha Hamilton

Also featured were the husband and wife team, and award winning authors and recording artists, Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton, as Beauty and the Beast, who acted out the characters in their stories.

Adirondack storyteller Bill Smith also entertained the crowd with humorous North Country tales and songs passed down to him at an early age.

Following their performances, the entertainers’ books and recordings were available for sale.

The talents of two local artists were tapped to create the Town of Webb Historical Association’s raffle quilt, Adirondack Trails.

The overall design of the quilt is in the traditional Log Cabin pattern, but the center hosts a large square that is a fabric interpretation of a watercolor painting by Sandra J. Wall of Tonawanda.

“Many years ago I bought the watercolor in Old Forge. It depicts a young man overlooking a precipice into what you are sure is a beautiful valley. I had worked at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps and knew that the picture was a scene the boys who went hiking in the High Peaks must have seen,” said Sue Russell, project chairperson of the local Pointed Pine Quilters group.

With help from fellow Pointed Pine Quilters Louise Watson and Sandy White, Russell went to work on the design.

Louise created a pattern, which was used to help guide the picture’s development, while White scoured her personal fabric collection to find motifs that would match the different items that were represented in the picture.

“You really need to see the painting itself to appreciate the skills demonstrated in the center of the quilt,” said Gail Murray, Goodsell Museum director.

Murray invites all to see for themselves and stop by and view the painting and quilt which are currently on display.

Raffle tickets are available at the Goodsell Museum located at 2993 State Route 28, across from the Old Forge Post Office.

It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The drawing is scheduled to be held Wednesday, August 15th.

For more information, call (315) 369-3838 or visit www.webbhistory.org.

New York State passed a law effective January 1, 2012, prohibiting the use of fertilizers containing phosphorus within 20 feet of any surface water, in addition to other restrictions.

The Fulton Chain of Lakes Association has run ads for a number of years urging residents that do fertilize their lawns to be sure to use phosphorus-free fertilizers.

Phosphorus affects water quality in a number of ways. Excess phosphorus has been linked to causing excessive aquatic vegetation and smelly algae bloom.

The algae and weeds discourage swimmers, anglers and boaters from using a water body.

Once the weeds die they use up oxygen that is vital to fish and other animals.

Phosphorus can also feed toxic blooms of blue-green algae—a bacteria called cyanobacteria—which can result in beach closings and health alerts.

Our water is precious and subject to many varieties of invasive plant life and other threats.

All are invited to join the Fulton Chain of Lakes Association on Friday August 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Inlet Town Hall for their annual meeting where Margaret Murphy PHD will be speaking on the many challenges we have to preserve and protect the Fulton Chain.