FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20th, 2025
Contact: David Sommerstein (david@ncpr.org)
NCPR and Adirondack Explorer to host community conversations on inclusion and growth in the Adirondacks
In June 2024, North Country Public Radio and Adirondack Explorer launched a multi-year project to explore who feels included in Adirondack communities, who is left out, and how the Adirondacks can be a more welcoming place for all.
Starting March 25 in North Creek, the two media outlets are bringing that conversation to three towns spread across the region. The public is invited to join a series of in-person, informal events featuring Report For America corps member David Escobar and managers and editors from NCPR and the Explorer.
They’ll present their latest reporting and moderate a discussion: What are some ways communities can attract new residents? What are the barriers preventing that from happening? What can the Adirondacks do as a region to make our communities more welcoming for all, including those with different physical abilities, religions, classes, races, genders, or sexual orientations?
“As the Adirondacks contend with long-term population decline and its impacts on schools, fire departments, taxes, and more, belonging and welcoming have become front-and-center issues in the Adirondack Park,” said NCPR News Director David Sommerstein. “We want to listen to how Adirondackers think about these issues and ask for their ideas for stories.”
“Over the past eight months, David has made inroads into groups traditionally underrepresented in the Adirondacks, introducing us to a new range of voices and perspectives. Through hosting a series of these small, informal events, we hope to uncover new stories that aren’t currently being told. We’re looking to local communities to help move the conversation forward on how we, as a region, can make this special place even more inviting for visitors and would-be residents,” said Adirondack Explorer editor Melissa Hart.
Escobar has covered a number of issues around the region – from ongoing debates over access for people with mobility disabilities at Great Camp Santanoni to the legacy of Jamaican workers at a Champlain Valley apple orchard.
The events will be a chance for the public to connect with the NCPR and Explorer newsrooms and learn more about David Escobar’s work. The floor will also be open for a Q&A session so attendees can ask questions about the two newsrooms’ coverage and share their thoughts for future stories.
Here is the information for the three upcoming events:
North Creek Listening Session: Tuesday, March 25th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main St, North Creek, NY 12853
Old Forge Listening Session: Tuesday, April 1st, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. View Arts Center 3273 NY-28, Old Forge, NY 13420
Tupper Lake Listening Session: Thursday, April 3rd, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tupper Lake Emergency Services Building 21 Santa Clara Ave, Tupper Lake, NY 12986
Those who can’t attend the in-person events are enthusiastically invited to share their thoughts in a brief online survey.
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North Country Public Radio is a broadcast service of St. Lawrence University. Its 33 transmitters and translators serve Northern New York, including the St. Lawrence Valley, the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Champlain, and the Thousand Islands, in addition to parts of western Vermont and southern Ontario and Quebec.
NCPR’s enterprising news, music and digital operation can be found on air, online, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and mobile. For more information about the station go to ncpr.org, or call 877-388-6277. NCPR serves communities throughout northern New York, Vermont, Ontario and Quebec at these FM frequencies:
89.5 Canton
91.3 Alexandria Bay
91.3 Blue Mountain Lake
91.7 Boonville
88.1 Cape Vincent/Kingston
102.3 Carthage
100.3 Clayton
91.3 Elizabethtown
97.3 Glens Falls
90.5 Gouverneur
105.9 Indian lake
102.1 Jay
90.1 Keene
96.3 Keene Valley
102.1 Lake George
91.7 Lake Placid
91.7 Long Lake
89.7 Lowville
90.9 Malone
90.3 Morristown/Brockville
97.3 Newcomb
89.9 North Creek
104.3 North Creek (downtown)
88.7 Old Forge
88.9 Paul Smiths
88.1 Plattsburgh/Burlington
90.5 Saranac Lake
95.3 Schroon Lake
97.5 Speculator
88.3 Tupper Lake
88.9 Watertown
92.7 Wells
90.5 Bristol, VT