Paul Smiths College

Paul Smiths College is expecting a lot more students in this year's incoming class. Spokesman Ken Aaron says it's likely good economic news for the area, especially Saranac Lake. The school is re-opening a dorm in the village.

He tells Jonathan Brown that numbers aren't yet certain, but all signs point to a big jump over last year—when the school welcomed 930 first-year students.

Trying to put nature back the way we found it can be more complicated than just leaving things alone. Dr. Curt Stager talks with Martha Foley about attempts to restore "green tree reservoirs," flood-plain forests that have been reduced 80 percent in size by human encroachment.

The first Mountain Arts Gathering took place at Paul Smith's College all of last week. It's a music camp for adults who have been playing for a while, or just beginning. Joel Hurd paid a visit last Thursday and sent this audio postcard.

A new music camp for adults will be held in the Adirondacks this summmer. Paul Smiths College will host Mountain Arts Gathering, a weeklong music camp from July 18-24. The camp will feature nationally known musicians, four musical workshops each day along with jam sessions, staff concerts, a contra dance and a talent show.

The camp's director, Kary Johnson, grew up in the Adirondacks and taught in public schools for several years. In recent years she has been an instructor at the Meadowlark Music Camp in Maine, an experience that she says inspired her to launch the Gathering this July. She spoke with Todd Moe.

NCPR station manager Ellen Rocco will be delivering the commencement address at Paul Smith's College this weekend and will receive an honorary degree. The theme of her address is service. She sat down with Martha Foley to talk about how to talk about community service.

Before we were blanketed with spring snows, black flies and plenty of other bugs were already buzzing in the warm, April air.

Now, that buzz has all but died away.

Paul Smiths College biology professor Curt Stager tells Jonathan Brown the snow and cooler temperatures could affect birds more than insects—even though many people assume spring snows mean a more bug-free summer.

Healthcare reform is back in the headlines. President Barack Obama plans to unveil his own legislation today. He’s called for a bipartisan summit with lawmakers in Congress, scheduled for Thursday. At a meeting on Friday at Paul Smiths College, Representative Bill Owens - a Democrat from Plattsburgh - called for the reform effort to be broken down into smaller pieces. Chris Morris has our story.

The Winter Olympics in Vancouver are just about halfway done. There are just four medal events on the schedule today, and they're all being held at Whistler. First up is the men's Super G. Bode Miller will be looking for his second medal of these games. In cross-country skiing, the women compete in the 15 kilometer pursuit. Finally, at the Whistler Sliding Center, both the women and the men will complete the skeleton.

Weather forecasts look good, if a tad warm. After a cold night, skies should be clear with highs in the low 40s.

Overall, the US team is leading the medal count. Last night, figure skater Evan Lysacek added to the gold medal count, the first American to win gold since Brian Boitano in 1988.

We've been following the dozen-plus North Country athletes in Vancouver, and they've had their disappointments this week. Martha Foley has more.

A diverse group gathered yesterday to look at ways to keep the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Centers in Newcomb and Paul Smiths going.
The meeting was hosted by Paul Smiths College, and came just over a week after Gov. David Paterson announced plans to close the two VICs by next January.
Local and state elected officials, business owners, tourism officials, environmental groups and other NGOs came. No decisions were made, but as Chris Knight reports, the VIC-boosters had plenty of ideas for how to keep the popular facilites open, either in whole or in part.

The Adirondack Park Agency's Visitor Interpretive Centers in Paul Smiths and Newcomb would be closed under Gov. David Paterson's proposed 2010-11 budget.

The proposal says closing the two facilities will save the state $129,000 in the next fiscal year and $583,000 each year thereafter.
The VICs provide environmental education programs to school children and adults, and offer miles of trails for hikers, skiers and snowshoers.
As Chris Knight reports, supporters are shaking their heads.