Keene Valley, NY, Sep 20, 2012 — It'll be all things rutabaga in Keene on Sunday. The Fifth Annual Great Adirondack Rutabaga Festival begins at 9am on Marcy Fields--the final event of a week-long celebration of local food in Essex County. Last Saturday, the Adirondack History Center Museum and Adirondack Harvest kicked off the festivities with "A Taste of Local" in Elizabethtown. Chefs and culinary artists showcased their favorite appetizers, entrees, desserts or other prepared items featuring local foods.  Go to full article

Aug 30, 2012 — Governor Andrew Cuomo was in the Adirondacks Wednesday, announcing new state funding for the recovery effort from Tropical Storm Irene. He pledged $640,000 to help rebuild the Keene town firehall, which was destroyed by last year's storm.

Local officials say the money is another step in the long recovery effort. They also praised Cuomo for his response and leadership after the storm.  Go to full article

Aug 30, 2012 — A year after Tropical Storm Irene slammed the North Country, a regional coalition has formed to help people still struggling to recover. The Long Term Disaster Recovery Group of Clinton/Essex/Franklin Counties includes nonprofit organizations and state agencies.

The group hosted a special event at the Jay Community Center on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the storm. The event aimed to link victims of the storm with resources to help them get back on their feet.  Go to full article

Jan 02, 2012 — 2012 is officially underway, but for towns along the Ausable River, there's still a lot of work ahead cleaning up from the floods of 2011. Communities were hit hard by heavy spring rains last year, and then slammed by tropical storm Irene in late summer.

Brian Mann checked in last week with Bill Ferebee, town supervisor in Keene. Ferebee says a lot of progress has been made restoring normalcy in the Ausable Valley. But fears remain that more floods could come next spring.  Go to full article

Saranac Lake, NY, Dec 09, 2011 — William Luce's one-woman play celebrating the life and poetry of Emily Dickinson, The Belle of Amherst, will be presented in a special performance benefiting residents of the Town of Jay who experienced the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Irene this summer. The one-woman show will be performed Saturday night (7 pm) at BluSeed Studios in Saranac Lake. Todd Moe talks with Jay actress Kathleen Recchia, who reprises her role as Dickinson for this special performance, about the show and clean-up efforts that still continue this month.  Go to full article

Nov 29, 2011 — A group of Burlington College students will conduct oral history interviews to record the Tropical Storm Irene stories of Jay and Keene residents this Saturday at the Keene Community Center. Everyone is invited to share their stories and memories. Instructor John Warren told Todd Moe that participants will be asked a number of questions about their experiences during the storm, and will have the chance to tell the stories they think are important to remember. To schedule your interview, contact John Warren via email at jnwarrenjr@gmail.com or call 518-956-3830.  Go to full article

Nov 09, 2011 — Musical headliners in the Adirondacks will do their part this Sunday to raise money for those still rebuilding homes and businesses in the aftermath of late summer storms. Many of the best-known Adirondack acoustic musicians will gather at the Indian Lake Theater (2 pm) to perform some of their favorite music to benefit victims of Hurricane Irene. Todd Moe spoke with Johnsburg singer-songwriter Tom Akstens, one of the organizers of the concert. He calls the event a celebration of Adirondack spirit.  Go to full article

Keene Valley, NY, Oct 07, 2011 — The Keene Valley Congregational Church hosts an evening of music, stories and poetry Saturday night (7:30pm), and an opportunity to help those still rebuilding from the summer floods.

Adirondack harpist Martha Gallagher will host the benefit concert. Her home was one of the many heavily damaged by the flooding from tropical storm Irene.

Saturday night's concert, arranged by the East Branch Friends of the Arts, will also mark the release of a new CD that Gallagher recorded recently to benefit flood victims. All the proceeds from the concert and CD will go to the Keene and Jay Flood Recovery Funds. Todd Moe has a preview.  Go to full article

Oct 06, 2011 — It'll be all things rutabaga on Sunday in Keene. Not even a tropical storm could keep this Adirondack community from celebrating the obscure vegetable. The 4th-annual Great Adirondack Rutabaga Festival was supposed to be held last month, but flooding forced organizers to put the event on hold until the community could recover. Laurie Davis, Adirondack Harvest coordinator, says the festival, one of only two in the country, was the idea of former Adirondack Harvest board chair Tom Both.  Go to full article