Summer season notable

Dear Ms. Meixner,

Sunday evening, Aug. 22, we stood with other spectators at a packed house in Indian Lake to cheer the cast and crew of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” We want to express our admiration for Stephen Svoboda and the staff at Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.

The 2010 Summer Theatre Festival was innovative, varied, well staged and fun, not least because we saw community members on stage with professionals. In Stephen Svoboda, ALCA has a leader with the vision to bring the art world to the Adirondacks and make it part of the region’s daily experience.

Theatre, of course, is not the only focus. Besides the summer festival, there are productions mounted and toured throughout the year, gallery exhibitions of every sort, concerts, workshops and even cooking classes.

Somehow, Stephen and his staff still find time to help community theatre groups, work with local schools and promote the arts and crafts of local citizens. ALCA offers something for everyone.

In Stephen Svoboda, ALCA has a rare combination — a working artist with superb administrative skills, a creator who can teach and a person of taste who can appreciate the beauty of everyday life in a remote, sometimes difficult place.

His success has been recognized by members of the New York State Council on the Arts. They asked Stephen to be a presenter at a conference that included, among others, a presentation by a staff member from Lincoln Center.

Mr. Svoboda has put ALCA on the American artistic map. We wish him well and hope he will remain with us for years to come.

Judi and Greg Gross

Chestertown

Aug. 26, 2010

Not left out

Dear Editor,

Regarding the letter from Kenda Butterfield of Indian Lake about changes at the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA) in Blue Mountain Lake, the arts center has been struggling financially for years. It could have disappeared had a different business tactic not been tried.

After working in Florida for some time, Tupper Laker Stephen Svoboda (who is not from the moon) came home to the Adirondacks and took the job as executive director. He took a tremendous cut in pay and requested some of his staff come up and work with him as finances allowed. They have done a tremendous job.

At ALCA, audience seating is limited. During the non-tourist season, local audiences are small. Both limit income.

Stephen started taking events on the road. People who wouldn’t normally go to the arts center are appreciating the events in their own communities.

Income from one event multiplies time and time again. Sometimes you have to do what brings in the money.

Many invitations have been extended to area residents to show their creative abilities in many, many programs and events.

I was one of those fortunate enough to act and perform in “Steel Magnolias” and Karen Butters’ ever-popular “Forever Wild.” My son, along with many other Long Lake Central School students, performed in the amazing, “A Year With Frog and Toad.”

Stephen Svoboda and Assistant Director Laura Marsh are professionals. They work long, hard hours to coordinate a number of things going on at the same time.

In the middle of it all people rallied to spruce up the building. I don’t think ALCA is trying to cut locals out. A lot of us have been involved many events. The invitation is there. Take a look at the ALCA website.

Bringing in professional actors to work alongside local talent is a nice mix. If major roles are given these “imported people,” I think a number of us would still be proud to work with and learn from them, and, when they get back to the “Big City,” I bet they might have learned something from us.

Virginia Jennings

Long Lake

Aug. 22, 2010

Beach is sad

Dear Editor,

Ahhh, the good old summertime. I could not wait to go to the public beach this year, as I have done for 50 some years off and on every summer.

I was shocked. The lifeguards, all pretty young ladies, were in skimpy, trashy little bikinis. Yes, I wore the same skimpy, trashy little bikinis when I was their age. With one exception, however, I was not working as a professional lifeguard.

They should look like they could actually save someone other than trying to save their bottoms and tops, which I am sure if they actually had to save someone they would be arrested for indecent exposure.

What kind of message is this sending our young people and anyone who comes here to vacation with their families?

I believe we need to have appropriate dress codes for our lifeguards. One-piece suits would say, ‘Yes, this person is the lifeguard and is professional.’

Is it not in their job description to rake the whole beach and keep it clean? There were used Band-Aids, cigarette butts and other trash including millions of dead snails.

These lifeguards are young people trained to save lives; shouldn’t they be physically fit enough to rake the whole beach?

I was nervous about contracting the dreaded “duck itch” so I went to rinse off under the facet. When I did I almost tripped over an extension cord coming out of the male changing room.

This was a lawsuit just waiting to happen. Village of Speculator taxpayers cannot afford a lawsuit, as our taxes are so high now we can’t pay them.

I returned the next day (duck itch and all) and what do I see but the lifeguards feeding the ducks.

I have always loved swimming in our beautiful lake but now I can hardly bring myself to go to my beloved, formerly pristine public beach. It is so sad it is now a trashy, disgusting beach full of garbage, with goose feces on the raft and lifeguards who are mostly concerned with talking on their cell phones and getting a good tan.

Dawn Moran

Speculator

Aug. 23, 2010

Another blow

Dear Editor:

Aug. 16 I attended the DEC and APA public meeting at Indian Lake Central School on the proposal to change Moose River Plains Recreation Area.

Personnel from the DEC and APA described how the “new” plan would close many existing campsites and sections of dead-end roads, build a connector trail and move another 15,000 acres into the “Wilderness” designation.

Eventually the DEC would build campsites back off the existing main road. If all goes as planned some day we would see as many as 150 campsites. We now have 173 campsites.

The new plan would reduce the total number of campsites by 15 percent. No time frame was mentioned, and there was no mention of where the money to fund the project was to be found.

Everyone knows the state is broke. By the time the new campsites are built the people that come to our area to use the existing sites will have moved on to places like Vermont, Maine or Pennsylvania. We will have lost them forever (recognize the word?).

The “new” plan is another example of old thinking. Where is the growth component?

Both the DEC and APA acknowledge campers are a vital part of local economies. There are over 40,000 acres in Moose River Plains. Why are we not asking for 300 campsites?

The dead-end roads are little used because they are poorly maintained and do not contain enough campsites. Let’s start there.

And another 15,000 acres into wilderness? The following is a quote from this years hunting syllabus printed by the DEC with a foreword by DEC Commissioner Peter Grannis: “Mature forest stands are usually characterized by relatively low wildlife abundance and diversity.”

If 15,000 acres does go into “Wilderness” it will be yet another blow to the economic survival of our towns.

I believe the DEC should start the planning process over. They should work in partnership with the communities to develop a plan that helps grow local economies and fosters more use of these beautiful lands.

It’s one thing to preserve the Adirondacks. It’s another to embalm them.

Bill Murphy

Indian Lake

Aug. 27, 2010

So sorry

Dear Cris,

In reviewing my notes that I used to address those present at the meeting on Monday, Aug. 23, regarding Oak Mt., I find I made an erroneous statement that cast Supervisor Neil McGovern and the Lake Pleasant Town Board in a bad light.

I stated that the tax rate I derived from the article in the Aug. 11 edition of the Hamilton County Express would raise $75,034, when in fact it would raise only the 53 percent as stated in the paper.

This is my error alone for which I take sole responsibility. I apologize to all present that night and have left a message on Supervisor McGovern’s phone when I could not reach him at home or by cell.

Roger Leadley

Lake Pleasant

Aug. 25, 2010

The weeds win

Dear Cristine,

Looking out the back door, it’s raining, and I am aware how beautiful everything looks, lush and different shades of green.

How many times I have done this very same thing and complained about the weeds and my poor gardens. Today is different somehow; the weeds have taken over my once lovely gardens. The perennials still grow, and the weeds surround them.

I no longer get upset or unhappy. Over the years I have slowly stopped pampering my gardens. I weed them here and there, but it has become overwhelming to once again manicure my gardens.

No longer do I care; everything is beautiful just as it is. I am surrounded by nature, so I decided to join in and enjoy.

What a wonderful relaxing feeling it is to look out my back door and see all this beauty. All these years trying to get rid of the weeds, and alas they have different ideas, and come back to show me their beauty and quietness. I have surrendered to what has always been.

Josephine Stehlin, Blue Mt. Lake

Aug. 22, 2010

Time to act

To the editor,

I have spent a lot of time on staff and as a volunteer for the past three winters at Oak Mountain Ski Center. Every day people told us how happy they were the ski center was open, and thanked us for our part in keeping it open.

Many learned to ski here when they were children. Now they are bringing their own children and grandchildren.

We are a resort area. Having various recreational activities is critical to our economy. Not only is it critical for our tourists and daily visitors, but the substantial numbers of skiers from surrounding communities tells me it is important for the quality of life of many of our residents, especially our youth.

Regarding having Oak Mt. cost the taxpayers something, there is cost for the beach, the pavilion, the cemetery, the ball field etc. These will never be profitable. The ski center could be.

In July we established an enthusiastic group, Friends of Oak Mountain Inc., to raise funds and recruit volunteers for Oak.

Although I strongly feel the Village of Speculator cannot do this alone, I fee we cannot let Oak fall by the wayside like so many of our other attractions and businesses.

Many suggestions have been made in regard to making this a year-round, profitable facility. Most require minimal investment.

We have talked and talked. Call your local town and village board members and let them know you want this to happen. It is time to act.

Barbara Tracy, Speculator

Aug. 13, 2010