News stories tagged with "french"

(08/24/11) A new book offers a slightly different view of life in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. What started as a hobby collecting old photographs for Tom French has grown into a fascination with historic stereographs--antique 3-D photographs--and a passion for preserving Thousand Islands history. French was raised on Thousand Island Park. He teaches English in Massena and splits his time between the St. Lawrence River and his home in Potsdam.

The amateur historian has compiled and edited a book of old stereographs of the region. River Views: A History of the Thousand Islands in 3-D, includes more than 100 sepia-toned stereograph cards that illustrate the history of the Thousand Islands. But he told Todd Moe that it was also the stories behind the old photos that intrigued him.

(03/16/11) There's a new school building in a small community in Ethiopia thanks to the work of three SUNY-Potsdam alumni. Alex and Kayla French and their friend Daniel Smith raised $20,000 and helped build a school in Gembeltu, Ethiopia.

For many years, classes were held under a big tree. The new, four-room school is made of mud, eucalyptus and cement.

As part of our series, Moving the World, Todd Moe talks with Alex, Kayla and Daniel about their grassroots fund raising success and humanitarian work in east Africa.

(A public slideshow of their work in Ethiopia will be shown this Saturday, 4:30 pm, in SUNY Potsdam's Kellas 103.)

(09/09/10) A SUNY Potsdam alumnus successfully raised $20,000 this year to help build a school in a small east African community. Alex French travels back to Gembeltu, Ethiopia this winter to help with some of the finishing touches on the school, and to talk with government leaders who've promised to provide a small yearly budget and a modest salary for the teachers. Todd Moe spoke with Alex French for an update on his humanitarian work in Africa as part of our series, Moving the World.

(02/06/09) Hill and Hollow Music in Saranac continues its commemoration of the Champlain Quadricentennial this Sunday with music that takes its influence from many styles and many centuries, all of it celebrating music of France and lands touched by French culture. Joel Hurd has a preview.

(07/18/08) Organizers of next year's 400th anniversary celebration on Lake Champlain say they're struggling to build momentum and funding for the event. Frenchman Samuel de Champlain was the first European explorer to reach the lake in 1609. As Todd Moe reports, historians and local activists hope to match big commemorations held in the past.

(07/18/08) As part of the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial celebration, researchers in Crown Point have begun a new archaeological dig. The peninsula was occupied by a French garrison for a quarter-century, beginning in the 1730s. But researchers think they may have also found the site of an early village. Brian Mann visited the work site and sent this audio postcard.

Program Note: Tune in on Monday when we'll return to Crown Point for another chapter of the town's history. Jonathan Brown reports on efforts to save a local cemetery where heroes of the Civil War are buried.

(07/14/05) In the early 1600s, French Jesuit priests paddled hundreds of miles up the St. Lawrence River. They settled on the fertile land by the river's source at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. It's estimated a third of today's population in northern Jefferson County is descended from those French settlers. Last weekend, Cape Vincent held its 37th annual French Festival to celebrate that heritage. North Country Public Radio was also celebrating there. It was the grand opening of our new translator in Cape Vincent, reaching listeners at 93.9 FM. David Sommerstein was on hand and sends this audio postcard.

(05/18/04) Exchange students and their American hosts have been breaking down the barriers of language and culture for decades. Erin Shatraw is honors English student in the 11th grade at Canton High School. She found those barriers come down person to person, in unexpected ways.

(09/04/03) The Essex County board of supervisors voted this week to build a 120-bed jail in the town of Lewis. The controversial project has been debated for decades and could cost as much as 25 million dollars. Brian Mann has details.