Saranac Lake, NY, Feb 22, 2011 — This week North Country public radio is celebrating the vibrant culture and business of music in the region. No single person has done more to deepen the roots of the musical arts than Helen Demong.

Over the last three and a half decades, Demong built Saranac Lake High School's choral program into one of the most ambitious and accomplished in Upstate New York.

She announced earlier this winter that this will be her final year teaching in Saranac Lake. Brian Mann has our profile.  Go to full article

Saranac Lake, NY, Mar 08, 2010 — A huge crowd turned out Friday afternoon in Saranac Lake for a parade through the village's downtown to honor the North Country athletes who competed at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Organized by the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Women's Civic Chamber and the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the event brought together eight local Olympians, led by nordic combined gold and silver medalist Bill Demong of Vermontville. As Chris Knight reports, the parade was just as important to the athletes as it was to the local residents who cheered them on in Vancouver.  Go to full article

Vermontville, NY, Feb 24, 2010 — Vermontville's Bill Demong captured a silver medal yesterday afternoon in the Olympic Nordic combined competition in Vancouver. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Feb 22, 2010 — The Olympic buzz in Lake Placid over the weekend was all about native son Andrew Weibrecht. On Friday afternoon, the 23-year-old downhill skier claimed the bronze medal in the Super-G competition in Vancouver. He was edged by a fraction of a second by fellow American Bode Miller, who won silver. Peter Crowley with the Adirondack Daily Enterprise is in Vancouver. He spoke with Brian Mann last night about Weibrecht's win.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Feb 18, 2010 — This afternoon in Vancouver, North Country biathletes Lowell Bailey and Tim Burke could have their best shot at winning an Olympic medal when they compete in the 20 kilometer individual race. Bailey, from Lake Placid, and Burke, from Paul Smiths, have been friends and training partners since they were little boys. They raced together at the Torino Winter Games in 2006. Both men sat down with their former coach, Kris Cheney Seymour from Saranac Lake, to talk about their lives and their careers. Their conversation, recorded in 2008 as part of the national StoryCorps project, offered an intimate and personal look at what it means to spend decades chasing an Olympic dream.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Feb 02, 2010 — This week we're previewing the Winter Games in Vancouver, where more than a dozen North Country athletes will compete.

The Olympics have evolved into a mammoth industry. The spectacle in Vancouver is likely to cost more than $1.5 billion, as athletes from more than 80 countries gather to compete. But there was a time when the Olympics were much simpler. On this thirtieth anniversary of the Lake Placid Winter Games, the small-town version of the Winter Olympics still hold an important place in sports mythology. NPR's host of All Things Considered, Melissa Block, has our story.  Go to full article

Vermontville, NY, Dec 22, 2009 — We heard this week that biathlete Tim Burke from Paul Smiths has claimed the overall lead in the world cup rankings. Burke is part of a remarkable generation of athletes who grew up in the Adirondacks, competing and training together. At least nine North Country skiers, sledders and skaters are expected to compete this winter at the Vancouver Olympics. This morning, we profile another top North Country racer, Bill Demong from Vermontville. As Brian Mann reports, Demong's career has been shaped by a winter culture that cherished the outdoors and embraced Lake Placid's Olympic tradition.  Go to full article

Feb 17, 2009 — World championships kick off tomorrow in Nordic combined. That's the sport that combines endurance cross-country skiing with long-distance ski jumping. For Vermontville's Billy Demong, this week's competition in the Czech Republic comes at the end of what may be his best season yet. Demong is 29 years old and grew up in the Adirondacks. His career nearly ended in 2003 after he fractured his skull in a pool-diving accident. But he arrives at these championships with a new endorsement deal and fresh off a win at the World Cup competition in Germany. He spoke yesterday with Brian Mann.  Go to full article

Jul 11, 2008 — Every day at StoryCorps booths across the country, ordinary people share extraordinary stories with friends and loved ones. Recently, Katy Demong from Burlington interviewed her mother, Helen Demong, who is Choral Director at Saranac Lake High School. Under her direction the students perform around the community, and one of these performances was particularly memorable.  Go to full article

Mar 05, 2007 — Vermontville skier Bill Demong captured a silver medal over the weekend at the Nordic combined world championship in Sapporo, Japan. Demong sprinted into the top three following several near-misses earlier this year. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article