News stories tagged with "rvsp"

(12/05/07) You've got to feel sorry for NCPR's Joel Hurd and TAUNY's Varick Chittenden. Our look at very special places has forced them to sample great diner food from Lloyds of Lowville, sweets from Freeman's Taffy Stand, ice cream from Donnelly's in Lake Clear, Michigans from Clare and Carl's in Plattsburgh, and cider and donuts from the Burrville Cider Mill. Hard work...but they've struggled through it. Well it turns out they've saved the toughest assignment for last. Last year, just before Christmas, they paid a visit to the Crystal Restaurant in Watertown to learn more about this North Country landmark and sample a holiday favorite, a tasty and potent creation called the "Tom and Jerry."

(11/27/07) The largest suspension footbridge in the United States is located in a tiny Adirondack hamlet with just a half dozen year-round families. Located in southern St. Lawrence County, Wanakena is probably best known as the home of the New York State ranger School. But for many people it just isn't summer until they've walked the 171 feet from one end of the bridge to the other and dipped their toe in the Oswegatchie River. Today NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. Varrick Chittenden made several trips to the footbridge this past summer and talked with folks who have a soft spot for the bridge and the town. Varrick and Joel Hurd recently talked about the bridge and its importance, past and present, in the northwestern Adirondacks.

(11/14/07) There are few seasonal flavors that are as strong on the senses as apples and apple cider. For months and months we settle for fruit imported from who-knows-where, until late summer, when local apples are ready for picking and pressing. For many decades, people in Jefferson County have known that the first turning of the leaves means that Burrville Cider Mill is running at full capacity, producing some of the tastiest cider in the region. Today, NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. A few weeks ago, Joel Hurd and Varick Chittenden visited Burrville to learn more about cider, donuts and why many people think this oldest building in the county is haunted.

(10/09/07) The old main street theatre marquee is a fading sight on the American landscape. Lake Placid not only has a beautifully restored marquee, but the inside of the theatre has been restored with the same care and attention to detail, thanks to its owner of 46 years, Reg Clark. Today, NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. Varick Chittenden and Joel Hurd talk about the Palace Theatre in Lake Placid and learn more about its history and one-of -a-kind organ.

(09/25/07) The northern edge of Franklin and Clinton Counties is a guitar fan's paradise. Not only is Malone home to one of the world's best-known inlay artists, Dave Nichols, but Orville Gibson, founder of the Gibson Guitar Company, was born in Chateauguay and is buried in Malone. And a few miles east of Chateauguay on a quiet stretch of Route 11, is a store that attracts guitar players, hunters and passers-by whose cars, and stomachs, are running on empty. Today, NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. In the shadows of some newly-constructed wind turbines is Dick's Country Store and Music Oasis in Churubusco. Earlier this summer Varick Chittenden and Joel Hurd visited the store and learned why musicians and hunters travel hundreds and even thousands of miles to this North Country landmark.

(09/11/07) Many communities define themselves, at least somewhat, by their food traditions. Clinton County is no exception to this with it's take on the classic american chili dog called the Michigan. Today NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at very special places in the North Country. While michigans are easy to find in and around Plattsburgh, many of the original establishments that have served michigans since the 1940s have gone away. But one place, Clare and Carls, is still going strong, selling hundreds of hot dogs a day for the few months it's open each year. Joel Hurd and Varick Chittenden visited the restaurant to find out why it's so popular.

(08/28/07) The classic American diner is such a revered symbol that it's common to see new restaurants designed to look like old diners. But the personal service, fair prices, great desserts and relaxed, friendly atmosphere usually let you know that you're in a diner that's been around a while, and is an important part of the community. Today NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. Joel Hurd and Varick Chittenden visited Lloyd's of Lowville earlier this year to find out why it's such an important part of Lewis County's largest town.

(08/21/07) Mention communal living and it's easy to imagine the back-to-the-land movement of the late sixties and early seventies, which brought many people to the North Country for the first time. While many of these people have continued to call the region their home, many of the shared communities in which they lived have gone away. But for nearly thirty-five years, one North Country farm has continued to carry on the ideas on which it was founded. Today NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. Last month Joel Hurd and Varick Chittenden visited Birdsfoot Farm in Canton to find out what it means to live in a common space with shared values and shared responsibilities.

(08/14/07) The dairy farm-turned ice cream stand is a common sight in the Northeast. And for many people in the Adirondacks only one place will satisfy their ice cream cravings and that's Donnelly's. For over fifty years it has been a favorite summer gathering place in the tri-lakes region. Today, NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. For most of our features in this series Varick Chittenden and Joel Hurd visit a place, gather interviews and sound and head for home. But for Donnelly's they felt it was important to make several stops in the last few months just t make sure the ice cream is as good as everyone says it is. Here's what they found on this tough assignment.

(07/24/07) There was a time when the industrial centers of the northeast were filled with social clubs for various communities. These were meeting places for men who flocked to these cities for the good-paying factory jobs that were available. There is no town in Northern New York where this was more true than in Massena, which used to have the most diverse population in the region. These days all of the social clubs that catered to these various communities have gone away, except for one. Today NCPR and TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, continue our look at some very special places in the North Country. A few weeks ago, Joel Hurd and Varick Chittenden visited the Italian American Club.