News stories tagged with "keene-valley"

(01/06/12) About 20 years ago, Matt Horner started climbing rocks and ice in the High Peaks. Today, the Keene Valley resident continues to work and play around granite boulders, but he's found a way to make art. More than 60 of his works -- carved sculptures and stone vessels -- are on display at View in Old Forge this season.

Matt is also a professional fly-fishing guide and well-acquainted with the smooth river stones in the region. He told Todd Moe that shaping stones started a few years ago while working on a rock wall.

(11/09/11) Musical headliners in the Adirondacks will do their part this Sunday to raise money for those still rebuilding homes and businesses in the aftermath of late summer storms. Many of the best-known Adirondack acoustic musicians will gather at the Indian Lake Theater (2 pm) to perform some of their favorite music to benefit victims of Hurricane Irene. Todd Moe spoke with Johnsburg singer-songwriter Tom Akstens, one of the organizers of the concert. He calls the event a celebration of Adirondack spirit.

(10/07/11) The Keene Valley Congregational Church hosts an evening of music, stories and poetry Saturday night (7:30pm), and an opportunity to help those still rebuilding from the summer floods.

Adirondack harpist Martha Gallagher will host the benefit concert. Her home was one of the many heavily damaged by the flooding from tropical storm Irene.

Saturday night's concert, arranged by the East Branch Friends of the Arts, will also mark the release of a new CD that Gallagher recorded recently to benefit flood victims. All the proceeds from the concert and CD will go to the Keene and Jay Flood Recovery Funds. Todd Moe has a preview.

(09/13/11) New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was in the Adirondacks once again Monday morning, this time to announce the reopening of state Route 73 outside Keene Valley.

Appearing in the tiny hamlet of St. Hubert's, Cuomo was joined by Joan McDonald - commissioner of the state Department of Transportation - as well as local and state lawmakers.

Cuomo stressed that reopening Route 73 is vital to the area's economic health, especially with fall foliage season right around the corner.

Chris Morris was on hand for Monday's ribbon cutting and has this report. more

(08/31/11) Roughly 20-percent of Vermont schools are delaying the start of classes because of damage from Irene. Most of the delays are because of washed out roads and damaged bridges that make it impossible for students to get school safely.

But few - if any - schools in New York are opening late.

Julie Grant reports on how New Yorkers are working to get schools, businesses, and homes back to normal after the storm. more

(08/30/11) Governor Cuomo was in the Adirondacks today, and he made a few announcements about post-Irene recovery.

First, Cuomo established the Upstate Storm and Flooding Recovery Task Force, to coordinate disaster response and recovery efforts for the North Country, Catskills, Upper Hudson Valley, and Mohawk Valley.

In a press release, Cuomo's office said the task force would "ensure seamless communication between agencies" to coordinate infrastructure rebuilding, economic development, agricultural renewal, power restoration, and assistance with private insurance. more

(08/29/11) New Yorkers are watching rising creeks and rivers this morning. The Associated Press reports more than 900,000 homes were without power, more National Guard soldiers were deployed to clean-ups, and major highways and roads remained closed.

At least three deaths were blamed on the tropical storm. One thousand National Guard troops deployed over the weekend are to be augmented Monday with more engineers to help clear streets and debris and restore power.

Irene was no longer a hurricane by the time it hit the North Country counties, but it still packed a powerful punch. As of 10:30 last night, dozens of roads in Essex County were closed, the county's emergency radio system was off the air, many people remained stranded by high water and the county was in a state of emergency.

More than 100 roads in the county are closed because of flooding, washouts and high water threatening bridges. While the damage was widespread, County Emergency Services Director Don Jaquish said Keene and Keene Valley were hit the hardest. The Keene fire station was swept away by the floodwaters. "It's been washed away," Jacquish said last night.

People in Keene and Keene Valley had evacuated and Jacquish's crews were preparing evacuations in Upper Jay. He anticipated severe flooding in the hamlet of AuSable Forks, calling the crest of the East branch of the Ausable "unprecedented."

Brian Mann was in Keene early this morning. Talking with Martha Foley, he described a community devastated by the flash flooding. more

(07/13/11) A North Country teen spent most of his summer vacation working on an original musical. Road to Dannemora debuts at Keene Central School on Saturday night. 16-year-old Sam Balzac wrote the music and worked with his mother, Kathy Recchia, on the lyrics. They're both long time members of the Book and Blanket Players, a community theater group in Jay. Todd Moe spoke with Sam and Kathy about the process of creating a musical.

"The Road to Dannemora" will be performed at the Keene Central School Auditorium this Saturday night, 7pm. Free admission. Donations Accepted.

(06/02/11) Scientists say the record-breaking landslide on Little Porter Mountain in Keene Valley is still on the move, driven by last weekend's heavy rains.

The disaster hasn't caused any injuries, but a half-dozen homes are threatened.

Martha Foley has an update. more

(05/26/11) Scientists say the massive landslide in Keene Valley is now the largest ever seen in New York state.

A half-dozen homes on Little Porter Mountain are still threatened and officials say they're monitoring the mass of earth and rock to determine whether more homes below the slide could be affected. Brian Mann has our update. more