NCPR News Staff: Todd Moe, Morning Host and Producer

Doing good deeds is nothing new to SUNY Potsdam student Tyler Kellogg. He grew up in Adams Center, near Watertown, where his generosity earned him the nickname Tyler "Dogood." Last summer, as part of a project at school, Kellogg took to the road — travelling south to Florida. He spent 55 days living out of his car and helping strangers along the way. He recorded his experiences in a blog and journal. This winter, he's sharing his story with high school students and college classmates. Todd Moe spoke with Tyler Kellogg about his summer road trip adventures and generosity.

Some of the members of Canton's community theater troupe stopped by to talk about their upcoming winter production, Enchanted April. With settings in London, on trains and an Italian villa, the show is a new incarnation of an old-fashioned romantic comedy. Enchanted April opens Thursday, February 11th, at the Presbyterian Church in Canton. Todd Moe talks with some of the cast for a sneak peek at the production.

Lake Placid’s Olympic heritage goes deep — back to 1932, and through the “Miracle on Ice” 1980 games, to this month’s games in Vancouver, Canada. The story of how Lake Placid developed as a winter sports resort and hosted two Olympic Winter Games is told in the documentary Small Town, Big Dreams. The film is being shown nationwide on public television this month as part of the 30th anniversary of the winter games in Lake Placid. It includes rare film footage and audio recordings from museums and private collections. Todd Moe talks with Adirondack-area filmmaker Scott Carroll about some of the people behind the '32 and '80 Winter Olympics, and whether the region could host the winter games again.

Three students at the Little River Community School, near Canton, are collecting food donations this week, and learning more about families in need. As part of a social action lesson, the students are in the midst of collecting canned goods to donate to Canton and Potsdam food shelves. They told Todd Moe that the goal is to help keep local food shelves stocked this winter, and give back to their community.

The Our Town Theatre Group in North Creek has invited back a guest director to perform a one-man show this weekend. Bob Paisley, from Kansas City, takes center stage in "The Event" at Tannery Pond Community Center on Saturday night (7:30). It's a one-night-only performance and fundraiser for the theater group. Todd Moe spoke with Bob Paisley about how sometimes a simple piece of theater can shake perceptions of reality.

Flutist and piper Chris Norman and violinist David Greenberg performed music from Scotland and Cape Breton live on The Eight O'Clock Hour while visiting St. Lawrence Univeristy for a 3-day residency.

A new exhibit at the Hyde Collection art museum in Glens Falls explores American Impressionism. The "Enduring Legacy" exhibit includes 64 paintings from the private collection of Saratoga County resident Thomas Clark. His collection is considered one of the finest of this genre in upstate New York. The show is up through March 28. Todd Moe talks with Hyde Collection chief curator Erin Coe about the new exhibit, Thomas Clark and Impressionism, a genre that began in France in the 1870s.

Four North Country men are determined to see that the good old days of barbershop quartet singing are not forgotten. Members of the Adirondack Harmony Company quartet will travel to Tampa this weekend to compete for an international title against 25 other quartets. They’re members of the Canton Goldenaires Barbershop Chorus and the Seaway Sound Chorus from Cornwall, Ontario. Last fall, the quartet won top honors at the Seneca Land District Championship in Rochester. Todd Moe stopped by a recent rehearsal and found four guys who share a love of classic barbershop harmony.

The Lewis County Historical Society’s Black River Valley Concert series continues its sixth season this Saturday night in Lowville. Before she struck out on her own, Kelly Flint made a name for herself, as the sultry voice in Dave’s True Story, a jazzy New York City cult band. Drive all Night is Flint’s first solo cd. These are songs from heart. “Postmodern folk with a tinge of Americana”, according to her website. Todd Moe spoke with Kelly Flint about her own music and the title track from Drive all Night.

Birders looking for the best birding spots along the big waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River have a new resource. The Seaway Trail Foundation has published a new birding theme guidebook to help birders find their favorite raptors, songbirds and waterfowl. Todd Moe talks with ornithologist Gerry Smith, author of Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, about some of his favorite birding hot spots.