What caught our eye - 6/22/19

June 22, 2019

 

CanoeOnWater.jpeg On a warm almost-summer weekend, a kayak noses its way into serene
Kayaderosseras Creek, Saratoga Springs. Happy Summer, everybody!

MOUNTAIN OF MIRACLES: You know that thousands of people flocked to the Adirondacks for the cure when, in the late 19th century, tuberculosis ravaged New York City. One company went further, purchasing a mountaintop retreat for its employees to recuperate in the cool, clean air. Pat Gormley uncovers the mystery in this week’s The Adirondacks You Don’t Know.

GRANT THE DESIGNATION: Dying and broke, Ulysses S. Grant repaired to a mountain in Wilton, Saratoga County, in June of 1885, to complete one more task. He needed to finish his memoirs, both for history and to provide financial security for his family. In his final hours, Grant produced one of the most important memoirs of a U.S. president and military hero. Now, Grant’s Cottage has been nominated for National Historic Landmark status. http://bit.ly/GrantCottageLandmark

NEVER A CROSS WORD: Two young journalists meet and fall in love. Proposal time comes. What do they do? Find the clue in the comics section.   http://bit.ly/CrosswordProposal

PECK OF SUCCESS: In a region full of great restaurants, Troy’s Peck’s Arcade stands out for the DJ vibe and the imaginative vegetable-forward cuisine. Founded by Brooklyn’s Vic Christopher and Queensbury’s Heather LaVine, it’s now been named one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants, the only one in Upstate New York, for exceptional food, service and atmosphere. http://bit.ly/PecksArcadeWine

YADDO, RESTORED: From a single address in Saratoga Springs came 76 Pulitzers, 68 National Book Awards, 29 MacArthur Fellowships and a Nobel. John Cheever wrote that these “forty or so acres on which the principal buildings of Yaddo stand have seen more distinguished activity in the arts than any other piece of ground in the English-speaking community and perhaps the world.” The former home of Spencer and Katrina Trask, this 1893 Queen Anne Revival mansion is a national landmark and a cultural treasure, and now the retreat that nourished the spirits of so many writers and artists has itself been restored. http://bit.ly/YaddoHistory

OUR WORLD THROUGH HIS LENS: Photography is a testimony to truth. Cliff Oliver learned that in Vietnam. Then he made another discovery: He was black. Mike Hansen of Mountain Lake PBS introduces us to an inspiring Washington County veteran in “Rise Above,” this segment of his “Veterans Coming Home” series that has now been honored with an Emmy Award from the New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  http://bit.ly/HansensVeteransSeries

FIVE YEARS FOR A TAXI? By 2023, Uber believes it will be ferrying customers by air between Manhattan and JFK in luxe electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft perfect for sightseeing. http://bit.ly/UbersFlyingTaxi

HUMANITARIANS ALL: In a single week, the Glens Falls area lost three great humanitarians of the last half-century: Retired Warren County Judge John Austin, youth advocate Matt Congdon and Glens Falls attorney and civic leader Peter FitzGerald. Judge Austin, a distinguished historian, author and genealogist, founded Warren County’s Felony Drug Court and considered it his greatest achievement. Matt Congdon, as director of the Glens Falls Youth Center, helped more teenagers find productive lives than anyone can count. Peter FitzGerald, a proud Marine and Vietnam vet, combined a successful law practice with community service as a leader and supporter of the Glens Falls Family YMCA, Crandall Public Library, Tri-County United Way, Meals on Wheels, and the state and local Bar Associations.

MOLLY’S TASTE: This week, we also lost the great Molly O’Neill, who celebrated American food, from civilized to wild, drive-through to farm-to-table. She probably would have made a great baseball player. Fortunately, for us, she chose the table over the plate. http://bit.ly/MollysTaste

BOLTON SO SUBLIME: Awesome views of Lake George have drawn generations of artists to the hilltops around Bolton Landing. Now, Bolton is celebrating their work in a new exhibit, “Two Centuries of Art from Bolton Landing,” displayed in the beautiful new wing of its historical museum that’s the talk of artists and curators regionwide. You’ll be inspired by  the more than 50 works curated by Bernie and Jeanne Brown and Lisa Hall.   http://bit.ly/2CenturiesofBoltonArt

PAYING A PREMIUM FOR A TASTE OF NOSTALGIA: We’re willing to bet you didn’t know there’s a market for vintage Kool-Aid packets. Yes, really. Purplesaures Rex, here we come. http://bit.ly/VintageKoolAid

THOSE PUPPYDOG EYES: Anyone who’s ever spent any time around a dog knows the look. As The New York Times describes it, “the one that’s a little bit quizzical, maybe a bit sad, a bit anticipatory, with the eyebrows slanted?” There’s a reason those puppydog eyes work, and it helps explain the connection between dogs and their people. http://bit.ly/PuppyDogLook

A CELEBRATION OF SERVICE: Homeless and filled with despair, people gather at Academy Park in Albany, Baker Park in Troy, and Vale Park in Schenectady one night each week. Renee Fahey of Selkirk and her friends show up with compassion and a hot meal. What started as a quiet effort by Renee and friends to provide food and other essentials to Albany’s homeless has grown to become Street Soldiers, a coalition of volunteers working across the Capital District.  This week, Renee was honored by the organization Multiplying Good with its top prize, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting the Local Community. http://bit.ly/ReneeFaheyHonored

SUNNY DEVELOPMENT: For the first time in history, the United States is generating more power from renewable energy sources than coal. http://bit.ly/MoreSunThanCoalPower

 WHO’S COUNTING?

 CONQUERING EL CAPITAN: Selah Schneiter has set a world record for climbing "The Nose" route on El Capitan, one of the world’s most difficult climbing routes, at the ripe old age of… http://bit.ly/YoungestElCapitanClimber

 ‘HURRICANE’ JULIA: She already holds the world record (for her age group) in the 100-meter dash. And she continued to dominate at the National Senior Games. Why do we think “Hurricane” Hawkins is just getting warmed up? http://bit.ly/HurricaneHawkinsSeniorGames

Crandall Library.jpgCrandall Public Library in Glens Falls bestows an annual community service award named for its principal benefactor, Henry Crandall, a successful lumberman who could not read.

CRANDALL’S CHOICE: Retired banker Dan Burke, who capped a sterling career in community service with his distinguished leadership of the Adirondack Civic Center Coalition, will receive Crandall Public Library’s Henry Crandall Award. http://bit.ly/DanBurkeHonored

HIDDEN HUDSON VALLEY: Decades ago, the New York Thruway consigned many charming and historic communities to back-road status. But a drive through the heart of the Hudson Valley remains one of the prettiest in America. http://bit.ly/HudsonValleyGems

RECORD-BREAKING CLEAN-UP: A Guinness Record 663 divers contributed to a day of cleaning up a Florida beach this week. They collected 1,626 pounds of trash and more than 60 pounds of fishing line. When all is yanked, pulled and weighed, an astonishing 3,200 pounds of trash may have been collected. http://bit.ly/RecordDiverCleanup

LOTS OF LOVE: Northern New York’s Malissa and Dean Hale had plenty of love to go around. So they started fostering children — 100 kids over the last 12 years. http://bit.ly/FosterParentsExtraordinaire

ONCE IN A BLUE …? Blue Moon with an orange slice. Blue crab. Blue cheese. We’ve heard of them. But never this 1-in-2 million find at a Cape Cod seafood restaurant.  http://bit.ly/CapeCodeBlueLobster

 OLD FASHIONED COUNTRY LEGAL AID: CountryTime Lemonade is setting up a Legal-Ade fund to help kids who have had their small lemonade stands shut down by bureaucrats. Perhaps they’ll be assisting Ballston Spa’s Brendan Mulvaney, who had his stand shut down last year. http://bit.ly/CountryTimeLegalAde

NEARLY FINAL WORDS

In honor of the thousands of high school seniors about to cross the stage:
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

THE SIGNOFF

MOM, ARE WE THERE YET? New Yorkers could fly to Orlando and back and then back again in the time some people stood in line for Universal Orlando’s new Harry Potter-themed roller coaster on opening day. http://bit.ly/10HoursForACoaster

PLEASE SHARE: Feel free to pass this along to your friends and colleagues.

THANK YOU to our content contributors John Brodt, Bill Callen, Lisa Fenwick, Colleen Potter, Tina Suhocki, Bill Richmond, Tara Hutchins, Nolan Murphy and Pat Gormley.

FACING OUT: FACING OUT is what we do. We help companies, organizations and individuals work effectively with their most important external audiences – their customers, their shareholders, their communities, the government and the news media.  www.behancommunications.com

Facing Out features news and other nuggets that caught our eye, and that we thought might be of value to you, our friends and business associates. Some items are good news about our clients and friends, others are stories that we hope will leave you a bit more informed or entertained than you were five minutes ago. As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. 

Let’s make it a conversationmark.behan@behancom.com

 

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