93.3 WSLP News

Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) recently presented new research detailing the threat of aquatic invasive species in Adirondack lakes at the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society meeting in Lake Placid, N.Y. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Invasive Species Management Grant Program funded AWI to undertake two studies.

The first study was presented by Dr. Michale Glennon, who found that the motorboat traffic in the Adirondacks is highest at lakes that are large, are located in close proximity to interstates, and that have abundant amenities such as parking, marinas, boat rentals, and campgrounds. Because motorboats are the predominant vector for the transport of aquatic invasive organisms, and because these lakes have highest levels of traffic, they are likely to have the highest potential for arrivals of non-native species at launch points.

DEC is looking for participants to join DEC’s Striped Bass Cooperative Angler Programs to help biologists understand and maintain a healthy striped bass population. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) requires New York State to provide catch information from its recreational fishery to manage this species. Volunteer anglers play a crucial role in helping DEC satisfy this requirement, and all anglers who fish for striped bass are invited to participate.

Thirteen members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic figure skating team returned to Lake Placid, Tuesday to take part in the village’s 40th anniversary of the XIII Olympic Winter Games. Among them, Scott Hamilton, Linda Fratianne, Charles Tickner, Tai Babilonia, David Santee, Sandy Lenz Jackson, Caitlin Carruthers Conrad and Peter Carruthers. Also, Sheryl Franks and Michael Botticelli, Lisa-Marie Allen, John Summers and Stacey Smith all returned to the two-time Olympic village.

Job seekers in the Ticonderoga area will get the chance to meet with employers and learn about employment opportunities in the region when North Country Community College hosts a Career Fair on March 12. The Career Fair, which is free of charge and open to the public, will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. at the college’s Ticonderoga campus, located at 11 Hawkeye Trail.
Additionally, it’s not too late for businesses looking for employees to participate in the Career Fair. To register, contact David St. Germain at dstgermain@nccc.edu or 315-566-1376.

Paul Smith’s College and its DECA chapter will host “Adventures in Top Tier Sport,” a panel featuring five sports and event management professionals, on Thursday, Feb. 27. The discussion, which will include topics ranging from career opportunities and marketing to logistics and legacy after use of facilities. Athletic event organizers took in $2 billion last year, marking a 4.5 percent average growth over five years and employing some 13,000 people.

Lake Colby School could be on the selling block in the Saranac Lake Central School District. The Board of Education is looking for public input before making any decisions. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, the district stopped using Lake Colby School, located at 26 Trudeau Road, in 2012 because of a decline in enrollment. Currently, two non-district preschool programs rent out the building — The Adirondack Arc and Headstart.

An additional $15 million is available to help eligible New Yorkers facing a home heating emergency. Starting Tuesday, February 18, households can apply for a second emergency benefit through the Home Energy Assistance Program – or HEAP – if they are in danger of running out of fuel or having their utility service shut off and have already received assistance from HEAP this winter

DEC is now accepting nominations for the inaugural 2020 Stewardship Appreciation Awards, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today. DEC manages 4.6 million acres of public lands, including three million acres in the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves, more than 5,000 miles of formal trails, campgrounds, day use areas, and hundreds of trailheads, boat launches, and fishing piers. Volunteers and partner organizations are essential to the continued stewardship and promotion of these resources.

New York State bear hunters took 1,505 black bears during the 2019 hunting seasons, according to DEC. The 2019 bear harvest played out differently across the state. Hunters took a record 1,179 bears in the Southern Zone, while hunters in the Northern Zone took only 326 bears, the fewest since 2011. In part, the great success hunters enjoyed in the Southern Zone was a consequence of below average harvest in 2018 due to early snowfall and early denning by bears that year.

Assemblyman Billy Jones is sponsoring legislation to address some of the safety concerns that have arisen due to the passage of the “Green Light Bill.” He wants to amend the legislation to allow federal agents the access they need to do their jobs and protect the border. This amendment would create an exception allowing access to DMV records by Customs and Border agents in the course of their duties issuing trusted traveler documents and securing the border.