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Showing posts with the label Plattsburgh

Adirondack Coast Hikes: Pointe Au Roche State Park Nature Trail, Museum, Playground and Beach

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Pointe Au Roche State Park Trail Map We have been traveling to Plattsburgh to visit two friends of ours on a weekly basis. In order to have a calm beneficial visit I take the advice of a woman I know who raised six sons. “Run them like dogs,” she said when I would wonder how to manage two kids. So, now quite a few years later, I still think of that advice and am always looking for a place to expel their excess energy. Not so surprising it is usually the adults that need to indulge in some old-fashioned play and use the kids as an excuse to do it. Pointe Au Roche State Park is just a short drive from Plattsburgh and an easy jaunt for anyone visiting the area. With over 800 acres it is a unique combination of forest, marsh and shoreline. It has an interesting history that still can be seen skulking in the landscape. The land was first cleared and used agriculturally and then during WWI as a training site (similar to ROTC) for young men. The parcel then became a variety of businesses

Shine On! Empowers Young Girls and Parents with Media Safety Workshops!

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By Diane Chase Kids are bombarded by negativity on computers, on their phones, in ads, on television shows and that can be without ever leaving the house. How do we present a positive message that isn’t in the form of another lecture? Shine On! was founded in 2011 by SUNY Plattsburgh Professor Colleen Lemza with just those questions in mind. After encountering young women struggling with self-esteem issues driven by a negative media impact, Lemza wanted to raise awareness, communication skills and confidence.  This evolved to an annual day-long conference for fourth and fifth grade girls led by student mentors.  Now in its 5 th  year, Shine On! has grown from a one-day workshop with 90 young girls to an overnight conference for over 200 participants. The spring conference has expanded to include girls in third through fifth grades. The overwhelming response now has Shine On! also offering parent workshops and educational outreach.

Adirondack Coast Free Museum Day Schedule June 1-2, 2013

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For the 6 th year, the Adirondack Coast Cultural Alliance (ACCA) and Press Republican have pulled together a free passport to 14 participating museums, cultural centers and historical societies for the first weekend in June.  Make sure to ask about the ACCA Passport. Though this weekend offers free admission, each passport can be used to collect the necessary stamps from each venue throughout the summer. Participants must collect one stamp from each venue by September 12, 2013 in order to be eligible for prizes from Ausable Chasm, Titus Mountain, Parker Family Maple Farm and more.    

Battle of Plattsburgh Schedule of Events and History

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In History: The Battle of Plattsburgh, (September 11, 1814) 15,000 British soldiers invaded New York from Canada supported by the Royal Navy on Lake Champlain. The purpose was to reach New York City and split the nation in half. With only 1,500 men led by General Macomb (32) and a small flotilla commanded by Commodore Macdonough (30) the two armies fought valiantly in the village of Plattsburgh. The Americans were overwhelmed and outnumbered but a lack of wind gave them the advantage to overtake the British fleet. The ground troops were withdrawn after the defeat of the British ships. It was an unexpected victory but with a great loss of life. The American victory scuppered the British plans to control Lake Champlain which is said to have a direct effect of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812.

Plattsburgh NY Summer Concert Series at The Vilas Home

The Vilas Home's ~ Second Annual Summer Concert Series Thursday, July 7 at 6:00pm  -  August 25 at 7:00pm Location 61 Beekman Street (across form Hawkin's Hall) Plattsburgh, NY Created By Vilas Home More Info It's time wonderful time of year...we are having our annual summer concerts on the lawn. Every Thursday night starting in July and lasting until the last Thursday in August. This Year's Line up: 7/7- The Castaway's 7/14- Charlie Stone & The Split Rock Band 7/21- The Meter Maids 7/28- Gary Sargeant 8/4- Rod Driscoll (from the Too Tall String Band) 8/11-Roy Hurd 8/18 - The Sweet Adeline's 8/25 - The Back Porch Band The concerts will be held on our lawn's under a large tent and provided seating. We will also provide lemonade. We hope you join us for a great time!

Be a Nature Detective: Alpaca vs. Llama

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By Diane Chase What is the difference between an alpaca and llama? Well, there are quite few. Though alpaca and llama are related (they're kissing cousins) the llama can weigh up to 3 times that of an alpaca. Alpaca and llama come from  Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Since they are a hardy breed many people in the Adirondacks breed them for a variety of purposes.  Alpaca are more timid while the llama are brave Llama are used more extensively as pack animals You may see alpaca and llama in the same field because the l lama will protect the alpaca . Llama serve as herd guards. Llama's have a course fleece while alpaca's fleece is soft, fine and seen as hypoallergenic . Alpaca have been domesticated and breed for their fleece for thousands of years. Llama has ears that are shaped like bananas while the alpaca's ears are smaller and The two breeds can be interbreed but there is no purpose as the offspring would not be as strong as the llama or have as lux

Schedule for Plattsburgh Museum Day June 4, 2011

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Click here for the rest of the schedule for Plattsburgh's FREE Museum Day

Family Fun: Circus Smirkus in Plattsburgh

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By Diane Chase Circus Smirkus is coming to Plattsburgh this weekend, July 2-3 behind the Crete Memorial Center, 4 Beach Road. Since 1987, Circus Smirkus has provided an avenue for young people ages 11-18 an opportunity to learn circus performing arts through in-school and summer circus camp opportunities. Children are representing this year’s Big Top from 13 states and the United Kingdom. This lofty goal initiated a movement to teach fundamentals as well as creativity from coaches from around the world as far reaching as China, Russia, Mongolia and around the U.S. Children are immersed in the traditional circus lifestyle. They learn multiple circus acts as well as technical aspects like staging, concession, cleaning and rigging all while living at the Vermont base. There is even a Smirkling Camp for children ages 6 to 8. So children can actually run away to the circus. The relief for parents is to know that it’s under the guise of summer camp. There is no Circus Smirkus camp for pa

Adirondack Family Fun: Fun Fly for Hospice

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Fighter planes and dogfights are just part of the program for the Plattsburgh Radio Aeromodelers (PRAM) this weekend at Memorial Field in Beekmantown. For the 8th consecutive year this radio controlled air show will be raising funds for Hospice of the North Country. On average the event draws 24-50 pilots who in turn bring anywhere from 6-24 planes. The sky will be awash with replica WWII radio-controlled planes like the Spitfire, P51 Mustang, B25 Mitchell, F6F Hellcat as well as a few jets aircrafts and other more recent models. The two-day event is just a chance to introduce people to the radio control flying hobby. This event is not a competition but a fun opportunity to see the machines in action and get a chance to perhaps even fly one. That is what got my children’s attention when I mentioned wanting to attend. To be surrounded by interesting model planes is fun but getting a chance to take the controls is raising the bar to a whole new level. The last time we went to a model a

Adirondack Theatre: Would you like popcorn with your free movie?

There is something so powerful about the word free. In my humble opinion it needs to be used with more frequency. I don’t think we should reserve it for special occasions or use it with the solemn shake of the head, “in times like these.” We should be hearing it all the time. The word plays like a musical in my head, “Free!” I can sing it, dance it and if someone is giving something away I can stand in line for it. (My husband manages to stand on line but I can’t cater to that.) Well, for the second year in a row the Champlain Centre 8 Cinema in Plattsburgh is hosting its Family Film Festival and yes to add to the tongue twister it is free and fun. As much fun as walking through the movie turnstile without a ticket and choosing between two free films can be. My kids feel pretty powerful just waving to the attendant as they pass by and I have to say I do too. These second-run films are a mid-morning fiesta with kids pondering over such tough decisions as should they see the free G rate

Adirondack Museum: Alice T Miner Museum

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Assistant to the Curator Stephanie Pfaff leads us on a whirlwind tour of the Miner family in Chazy. It is astounding how one family could shape a community. She touches on some of the basics like Heart’s Delight Farm as an experiment in modern farming, starting a K-12 school that became the 1st centralized school, building a hospital, church and the Alice T Miner Museum. The unusual part of the museum is that Alice Miner had the museum specifically built to replicate a house to highlight how people lived in the mid 1800s. Her directive was to showcase American history. This isn’t a renovated building altered to fit the museum’s vision but a specific example to allow visitors a glimpse into the Colonial Revival time period. We are shown the downstairs sitting and formal rooms. The children are asked to identify various articles from the collection and play three guesses. For the first item my son guesses a spoon warmer correctly. His recent fondness for soup has him rethinking our tab

Free Museum Days

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Even with criticism of over-scheduled youth, there is still a part of me that believes carefully laid out plans and a boxed lunch can accomplish anything. The voice in my head warns me that we’re one pit stop away from complete chaos. The other devil argues that just a small percentage of kids are over-scheduled while a good portion do nothing at all. So I justify our carefully laid out plans knowing we will be waylaid along the way. That said, the June 6th Plattsburgh Museum Day seems more museum marathon than museum day. This is not an open door to one museum but eight different venues offering lectures, children activities and free admission. I spin briefly wondering how to fit it all in. The earliest event is the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association Conference at SUNY Plattsburgh (8:30-10:00 a.m.) where one can learn about the Champlain Valley Underground Railroad Canadian connection. Then perhaps to the Feinberg Library where films on the Underground Railroad,

Adirondack Hikes: Skipping stones on Lake Champlain

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By Diane Chase Skipping stones. I wouldn’t think that would be enough to keep my child entertained but I am proven wrong. We enter Pont au Roche Park and follow signs to the playground. It is officially off-season so parking is free, a bonus we didn’t expect. I try to get the kids to walk the one-mile bicycle path to the nature center, but they see the unoccupied beach and want out. The car is hardly in park when they start running to the beach as if wild dogs were chasing them. What is the hurry? I just sit and watch the water lap over the sand in its season finale. I turn to get the lunch. I am in charge of the food. Everyone wants to eat it but it has become my role to worry about having it. Perhaps it’s a mother’s obsession but like some kind of magician I have been known to pull the makings for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of my bag. So it’s certainly no surprise my family expects me to have provisions on demand. The kids are in a self-made competition to contrib