Snowmobilers amenable to ARTA’s track conversion ideas

Jim McCulley, ARTA board member and president of the Lake Placid Snowmobile Club holds a clipboard as Angela Burleigh puts the 10,000th signature on a petition to the governor and other state officials calling for a 90-mile rail trail between Lake Placid and Old Forge/ Photo by Lee Keet.

Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates (ARTA), a non-profit citizen organization that seeks to establish a year-round, multi-use recreation trail utilizing the railroad corridor between Lake Placid and Old Forge, signed up its 10,000th supporter at the Snodeo event held in Old Forge over the weekend of December 8 and 9.

Angela Burleigh of Oriskany Falls became number 10,000 when she signed the ARTA petition at the annual snowmobile event sponsored by the Central Adirondack Association (CAA).

ARTA is proposing a 90-mile trail that would run through the heart of the region on the old rail bed of the Adirondack Division of the New York Central Railroad.

It envisions the proposed rail trail as a world-class venue for bicyclists, walkers, runners, bird watchers, wheel-chair users, families with young children, senior citizens and commuters. Continue reading →

Mike Griffin, president of the Kommunity Youth and Activity Center (KYAC) located at the North Woods Community Center in Old Forge, has announced that the organization will be conducting sales of a 2013 Lotto calendar. Proceeds from the fundraising effort will benefit the operations of KYAC.

The 2013 Lotto calendars are numbered from 001 to 999 and are available for $20. Each day of the year a $20 prize will be awarded if your number is selected in the New York Lottery drawing.

On holidays, the prize is increased to $50.

You may win multiple times during the year.

KYAC will monitor the daily Lotto drawing and will be responsible for distributing the prize awards to the individuals holding the selected number.

Anyone interested in purchasing a calendar either for themselves or as a gift can call KYAC at (315) 369-6750 (leave a message), or email Annette Mahoney at annette2261@hotmail.com.

Calendars are also available from any KYAC board member.

Students of Greg Clark, Instrumental Music Teacher at Town of Webb Schools, are preparing for “A Holiday Collage” concert to be held in the school gym on Wednesday, December 19 at 7 p.m.

All sixth through 12th grade band members will participate. The audience will enjoy several small group performances as well as numbers by the junior, senior and stage bands.

The program will include traditional holiday tunes as well as highlights featuring the high school trumpet, sax, clarinet and low brass sections.

The public is welcome to come and enjoy the holiday program.

All are asked to consider bringing a donation of a canned good to be included in a collection sponsored by the fourth grade students of Diane Gaige.

At left, Town of Webb Supervisor Ted Riehle receives a gant check from Adam Hutchinson, Director, Herkimer County HealthNet. To the right of Hutchinson are Page Hannah, West Adirondack Recreation Development Association, and Nick Rose, Executive Director of CAP-21. Courtesy photo.

Through the community grant writing assistance of CAP-21, the Town of Webb has been awarded $5,000 as one of four Municipal Incentive grants issued by the Herkimer County HealthNet program.

These incentive grants are part of the county’s Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play initiative and are intended to be used by communities to promote extracurricular physical activity, access to outdoor recreational facilities, areas that support cycling and walking, and to promote safety in areas where persons are physically active.

The Town of Webb grant funds will be utilized to add at least three addition FitTrail exercise stations to the McCauley/Maple Ridge Trail in addition to the three exercise stations already purchased.

In addition, the Town will use grant funds to purchase a swing set and additional picnic tables and benches for the town park areas. Continue reading →