Clayton, NY, Oct 25, 2012 — In today's Heard Up North, we meet a woman who's one of the last experts in ecclesiastical embroidery in America. Emily Holt has spent 60 years illuminating church altars and vestments with specialized and painstaking hand-work.

Martha Foley visited her summer work space in the Thousand Islands, where she was finishing up her latest project. After two and a half years of work, she hopes to have a reproduction of an altarpiece for her church done for Christmas.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Oct 09, 2012 — It is absolutely cider season, from big operations to small. Martha Foley and her neighbors usually gather at this time of year for "cider day." The hand-cranked press lives in an old milk house. It's a barrel-shaped contraption, with heavy slatted sides.

Whole apples, mostly wild, are washed, chopped and packed into the press. The cranking starts, squeezing the apples tighter and tighter, and eventually, the cider flows.

The whole process is a team effort, starting outside with a bath for the apples.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Feb 02, 2012 — There were clear skies, cool temperatures...and a woodpile. A perfect combination for our Heard Up North.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Jul 22, 2011 — With so much on our minds these days, some people forget to take time and just breathe. To re-teach people how to breathe, stretch and find inner peace, the Yoga Loft's Sarah Scafidi McGuire started Yoga in the Park in the summer of 2007.

She still still runs the free program on the Canton Village Green every Friday at 11 a.m. during the Canton Farmers Market.

Steve Knight borrowed her yoga mat for today's Heard Up North.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Mar 03, 2011 — Today is Girls' Festival Day in Japan. It's a day to celebrate the future success and happiness of daughters. Peach blossoms, tri-colored cake and festive sushi are all part of the celebration. Yuka Uno is a Japanese exchange student at St. Lawrence University. She says, traditionally, the day is celebrated with a display of formal dolls on a red-robed stand, crowned by the emperor and empress. Yuka Uno spoke with NCPR's Barb Heller and is today's "Heard Up North".  Go to full article

Jul 20, 2010 — The town of Essex, along Lake Champlain, is one of those bucolic spots in the North Country with views of the lake, blue-gray mountains and rolling green pastures. Kristin and Mark Kimball run Essex Farms, a sustainable farm where they do most of the work with teams of draft horses instead of tractors. They run a CSA and raise pasture-fed cows, chickens, pigs, bees and immense fields of veggies. We visit the farm's bovine beauties for today's Heard Up North.  Go to full article

Ottawa, ON, Jun 07, 2010 — Cold, blustery, and rainy weather kept lots of people indoors yesterday. But not the participants in the Ottawa Bicycle Club's annual season kickoff event. They had done the first leg of their Rideau Lakes Tour, from Ottawa to Kingston on Saturday. And yesterday, they headed back. Lucy Martin caught up with Alan Marriott at the end of a challenging ride home.  Go to full article

Charlotte, VT, Oct 19, 2009 — October is a peak season for scenic outings and harvest festivals. Ottawa correspondent Lucy Martin was in Vermont earlier this month, enjoying a sunny holiday weekend. She and her husband were touring covered bridges by bike, when they peddled through a small town that was filling up fast. Spectator Samuel Lurie explained they were just in time for something special.  Go to full article

Ottawa, ON, Aug 18, 2009 — There are any number of labor-intensive crafts that have faded away, replaced by time-saving mechanization. Some of the devotees who keep the old techniques alive are eager to share those skills. Lucy Martin recently ran into a working display put on by ladies from the Ottawa Guild of Lacemakers. For today's "Heard Up North", one of the Guild's members took a break from teaching the public to talk about why she likes the hobby.  Go to full article

Jul 20, 2009 — You don't have to go to Madison Square Garden to enjoy the beauty and drama of different breeds going paw to paw for prize ribbons. Each summer, various regional dog shows practically come to you. Marilyn Ryan of Ottawa dropped by a three-day event in near-by Kars, Ontario this past weekend. She's today's Heard Up North.  Go to full article