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Indian Lake project turns old landfill site into pollinator meadow, volunteers invited to help plant 5,500 native plants...
06/05/2026

Indian Lake project turns old landfill site into pollinator meadow, volunteers invited to help plant 5,500 native plants on June 20 —

What was once a closed landfill in the Town of Indian Lake is being reimagined as something entirely new: a thriving, eight-acre pollinator meadow filled with native plants, buzzing with bees, and alive with butterflies.

Through a partnership between AdkAction and the Town of Indian Lake, this underutilized site is becoming the focus of a three-year demonstration project to show how capped landfills across the Adirondacks can be transformed into meaningful habitat for pollinators and vibrant community spaces.

Supported by a Smart Growth Grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the project responds to a growing environmental challenge. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are responsible for the reproduction of more than 85 percent of flowering plants, including many crops people rely on for food. Yet their populations are in decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and disease.

On Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., volunteers are invited to take part in a large-scale planting day at the site, located about one mile north of the Town of Indian Lake. In a single morning, up to 150 volunteers will plant more than 5,500 native plants, laying the foundation for a new pollinator habitat.

Taking place at the start of Pollinator Week, the event marks the beginning of a long-term restoration effort. The Town of Indian Lake will also establish a volunteer stewardship group, Friends of the Indian Lake Pollinator Project, to support ongoing care of the site.

Volunteers are encouraged to make a day of it by also attending the Monarch & Pollinator Festival in Indian Lake that day starting at 2 p.m. with live entertainment and hands on DIY activities such as making seed balls and bee houses. The festival will be held at the Town of Indian Lake Welcome Center located at 6132 NYS Route 28. For more information, visit FESTIVALS – Indian Lake.

To register to volunteer, visit: www.adkaction.org/event/volunteer-event-indian-lake-planting-day/

Pictured, from left: Christine Pouch, Town of Indian Lake Economic Development Marketing & Events Manager; Kailey Maher, AdkAction Project Coordinator; and Kylie Canaan, Town of Indian Lake. — Photo courtesy of AdkAction

— By Kristina Hartzell, For the Express

Read more:
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In The Sun – June 2026 e-editionhttps://weeklyexpressnews.com/?p=17780𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.ON ...
06/05/2026

In The Sun – June 2026 e-edition

https://weeklyexpressnews.com/?p=17780

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

ON THE COVER: Guided Paddle Tours are available at Great Camp Sagamore daily from June 13 through October 10. For more info go to www.sagamore.org
— Photo courtesy of Great Camp Sagamore

The Long Lake Central School District has announced the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2026.Camryn Jame...
06/04/2026

The Long Lake Central School District has announced the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2026.

Camryn Jameson Hosley (left), daughter of Nathan and Trisha Hosley, is this year’s Valedictorian of the Long Lake Central School Class of 2026. She is anticipated to graduate with a Regents Diploma with the NYS Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish.

Camryn is an accomplished athlete, participating in soccer and basketball at LLCS and running track for Tupper Lake CSD. She served as captain of her basketball team during her junior and senior years and was named 1st Team All-Northern for the sport.

Additionally, Camryn participated in Student Council and National Honor Society. A member of the travel club, she visited Costa Rica in April.

A dedicated member of her community, Camryn is a junior firefighter for the Long Lake Fire Department. During the summer months, she is employed at both the Park Restaurant and the Long View Lodge. She plans to pursue higher education at Norwich University in Vermont where she will study Exercise Science and participate in the Airforce National Guard.

Griffin Charles Farr (right), son of Gabe and Kami Farr, is this year’s Salutatorian of the Long Lake Central School Class of 2026. He is anticipated to graduate with a Regents Diploma and a Natural Resource Science Certificate from Adirondack Educational Center.

Griffin is an accomplished athlete. He was captain of his soccer team during his junior and senior years. Notably, he broke the school scoring record in basketball, accumulating 1,374 points during his high school career. Griffin also participates in baseball and serves as the squad leader and top shooter of the LLCS Trap team.

He is on the National Honor Society, Student Council and serves as a junior member of the Long Lake Fire Department.

During the summer months, Griffin works for Alex Helms Excavation. Following graduation, he plans to attend SUNY Delhi to study Electrical Construction and Utility Operations in preparation for a career as a lineman.

About the week of May 27, 1978...In Indian Lake —A photo published in the Hamilton County News of Sculptor Bob Longhurst...
06/01/2026

About the week of May 27, 1978...

In Indian Lake —

A photo published in the Hamilton County News of Sculptor Bob Longhurst next to his creation of Noah John Rondeau at the Adirondack Museum in May 1978.

It was reported in the Hamilton County News during May of 1978, that a then new statue was added to the “Woods and Water: Outdoor Life in the Adirondacks” exhibit at the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain.

The carved statue of Noah John Rondeau was the creation of Bob Longhurst, a sculpture of contemporary art who was born and raised near Albany.

The statue was carved from a block of laminated white pine and weighed approximately 120 pounds.

Longhurst, who held a degree in architecture from Kent State University, worked six days a week for three months at his studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, to complete the sculpture which arrived at the ADK Museum early in May of 1978. — file photo

Read more from The Way Things Were by Aaron Weaver:
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Congratulations to this month’s Character Award recipients at Wells Central School. This months’ character trait was for...
05/31/2026

Congratulations to this month’s Character Award recipients at Wells Central School. This months’ character trait was for integrity. Pictured are Superintendent Thomas D. Sincavage; award recipients Jude Towers, Elia Reenders, Augustus Ossenfort and Cole Harrington; and Building Principal Ryan Marshall. — Photo submitted

The Town of Indian Lake is currently taking nominations for the 2026 Citizens of the Year Award.This award started back ...
05/30/2026

The Town of Indian Lake is currently taking nominations for the 2026 Citizens of the Year Award.

This award started back in 2009 recognizing citizens who go above and beyond for our community through volunteer work and other generous deeds. These individuals truly make our town the wonderful, generous community that it is.

Recent Citizens of the Year include Bob & Sandy Scanlon (2025), Ken Cannan (2024), Sue Cory Montgomery (2023), Greg George (2022), and Meade Hutchins (2021).

This year, the Town of Indian Lake is expanding the award to recognize two citizens who reside within our community – one full-time citizen and one seasonal citizen. We have noticed that our dedicated volunteers aren’t made up entirely of full-time citizens or seasonal citizens, but a mix of both, which is something we want to recognize. Nominations can be submitted for an individual or for an organized group of individuals within our community.

Hard copies of the form are available at Town Hall and The Welcome Center. You can also email your nominations to [email protected]. In your submission, please include the name and address of the individual, along with your reasons for nominating them. Please feel free to include details and examples to show how the nominee has positively impacted our community.

The deadline to nominate someone has been extended to June 5.

Nomination letters can be mailed to Town of Indian Lake (Attn: Christine) PO Box 730 Indian Lake, NY 12842; emailed to [email protected]; or dropped off in a sealed envelope at Town Hall (117 Pelon Road) or Welcome Center (6132 NYS Route 28).

The winners of this award will be announced at the Town of Indian Lake Board Meeting on Monday, June 8 at 7 p.m.

Candidates cannot be Town of Indian Lake employees or Town Board members.

If you have questions, please reach out to 518-648-5828.

Pictured is the Town of Indian Lake 2024 Citizen of the Year Ken Cannan.

— By KYLIE CANNAN, For the Express

As migratory birds return to Adirondack breeding grounds in May and June, the Adirondack Land Trust is proud to partner ...
05/29/2026

As migratory birds return to Adirondack breeding grounds in May and June, the Adirondack Land Trust is proud to partner with local libraries to offer free birdwatching kits to make it easier for community members to observe birds and bird behavior.

The Indian Lake Public Library is among the libraries participating in the program.

Each Birding for All kit includes a sturdy backpack, high-quality binoculars, field guides, and tip sheets that can be checked out just like a book from the hosting libraries.

“Birdwatching from your backyard, a nearby shoreline, or along a trail in the Adirondacks can introduce you to dozens of feathered neighbors,” says Adirondack Land Trust Stewardship Manager Derek Rogers.

“Birding for All makes it easy and cost-effective to try a family-friendly way to explore nature,” said Rogers.

The Adirondacks is one of the two most important large stopover areas for migratory birds from Maryland and Virginia to Maine, according to Doppler radar-based research. Connected and protected forests and farmlands across the Adirondacks provide essential habitat where birds can fuel up for further migration or settle in for the season to nest and mate.

The Adirondack Land Trust is also proud to sponsor the Great Adirondack Birding Celebration, which offers guided birding tours from May 29-31, and the Adirondack Black Birders Week Celebration presented by the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and the Adirondack North Country Association in partnership with John Brown Lives!

As part of the Black Birders Week Celebration, renowned ornithologist, naturalist, and author Dr. J. Drew Lanham will speak at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake on May 30.

Pictured, young readers at the Indian Lake Public Library use a Birding for All backpack, children’s books, and stuffed animals from the library’s collection to explore Adirondack wildlife. — Photo by Kathy Woughter courtesy of Adirondack Land Trust

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High school students excelled at the Hamilton County Envirothon where they took tough environmental exams and networked ...
05/28/2026

High school students excelled at the Hamilton County Envirothon where they took tough environmental exams and networked with conservation career professionals. For 31 years, the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has coordinated the outdoor competition that puts students’ natural resource knowledge to the test. The 2026 event was held May 1 on the Adirondack EcoTrail behind the SWCD office.

“The addition of the middle school students of Hamilton County to our Envirothon really helped to step up the competition,” said Technician and event coordinator Katie WhitKovits. “These students are excited to learn and are more empowered to prepare for the state event.”

The event —
Natural resource experts wrote and proctored exams in five core categories including Forestry (Seth Thomas, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), Wildlife (Christine Campeau, Adirondack Experience the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake), Soils (Olga Vargas, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Tom Bielli, retired friend), Current Issue: Non-Point Source Pollution Mitigation: It Begins at Home (Ryan Cunningham, NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee), and Aquatics (Caitlin Stewart, Hamilton County SWCD).

Teams had 20 minutes to complete each exam, many that incorporated place-based field components such as identifying tree species, analyzing soil permeability, and recognizing wildlife tracks. Presenters reviewed the answers, and then teams hiked to the next station.

The winners —
Long Lake Central School’s middle and high school students were the sole competitors at this year’s event. Daphne and the Bio Boys dominated the competition and earned the top score in Forestry, Aquatics, Wildlife, and Current Issue. The Champions received the top score in Soils.

First place went to Daphne and the Bio Boys, who received a plaque and are bound for SUNY Cortland where they will represent Hamilton County at the New York State Envirothon May 27-28. The Champions placed second and the Aquatic Aces took home third.

“It is inspiring to see students work as a team to complete the Aquatics exam,” said SWCD Manager Caitlin Stewart. “Communication is key, especially for questions relating to taxonomy and emerging aquatic contaminants. This year’s teams brought it, were strong-willed with their answer selections, and showed kindness by thanking presenters and volunteers.”

Volunteers John Stortecky of the SWCD’s Board of Directors, Cheryl Bielli, Lyn Troxel, and Joyce and Tom WhitKovits kept the event running smoothly.

The District has been working to manage and promote the wise use of natural resources in Hamilton County since 1965. For more information go to hamcoswcd.org or call 518-548-3991.

Pictured: 1. Hamilton County Envirothon coordinator Katie WhitKovits (left) and Long Lake CSD team adviser Nicole Curtin (third from right) are pictured with the 2026 Envirothon champions Daphne and the Bio Boys. 2. Team Trash Talkers complete the Wildlife exam. 3. The Champions calculate tree growth rate at the Forestry station. 4. The Aquatic Aces identify a fish fin at the Aquatics station.
— Photos courtesy of Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

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2942 State Route 28
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