Five feel-good stories from 2020
By Melissa Hart
On this Merry Christmas morning, we present five heart-warming stories from this past year
Melissa Hart
Melissa is a journalist with experience as a reporter and editor, combined with work for nonprofits. As the Explorer's digital editor, she serves as editor of Adirondack Almanack.(com) and helps manage the Explorer's website. When not online, she enjoys hiking, camping and other outdoors activities, and spending time with her husband, their twin daughters, and rescue animals -- two dogs and two cats. Sign up for Melissa’s newsletter
All Stories by Melissa Hart
2020 EXPLORED: COVID-19
By Melissa Hart
Looking back through the stories tagged “coronavirus” from March onward, it’s striking how broadly our lives have changed.
A little kindness, and a look at the week’s top stories
By Melissa Hart
The legacy of Tupper Lake department store owner Mose Ginsberg and more of the week's stories from the Adirondack Explorer and Almanack.
Problems/solutions and more of the week’s news
By Melissa Hart
Even before the pandemic hit, the Adirondack region was dubbed a "child care desert," with families across the park facing a shortage of certified day care providers.
SOS (Save our Stores) and more from this past week
By Melissa Hart
Now more than ever, mom and pop stores in our communities could use our dollars.
Good news/bad news and more of the week’s top stories
By Melissa Hart
A few stories posted this past week have reminded me that there often can be positive and negative takeaways from the news, depending on your point of view.
Fuzzy caterpillar goes viral and more of the week’s top stories
By Melissa Hart
Woolly bully According to folk lore, the woolly bear caterpillar has the ability to predict the severity of the upcoming winter ahead, based on its black and reddish-brown stripes. With all the ups and downs of temps this season, I’m sure these little guys are having a heck of a time trying to get a…
Chefs unite against food waste
By Melissa Hart
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MEALS: From Adirondack Harvest, an article about a chef who combats food waste. Curtiss Hemm uses his skills to teach others how to get the most bang for their buck cooking with locally grown (and often more expensive) ingredients: “Curtiss Hemm thinks about food in ways that others don’t. Along with being…
Putting 2020 to bed and the week’s top news
By Melissa Hart
Forest bathing photo gallery Multimedia reporter Mike Lynch put together a gallery of photos he took on a forest bathing session held at Paul Smith’s College’s Visitor Information Center. CHECK IT OUT The last issue of Adirondack Explorer for the year is now live and we’ve highlighted a few stories from it on the website this past…
As reports come in, all signs point to busy summer
By Melissa Hart
We all know it was a busy summer, just by looking around at our favorite lakes, trails and campgrounds. And now, thanks to recent reports, we have some data to prove it. Take, for example, information from these recent Explorer articles: Boat inspection sites across the Adirondacks and especially on Lake George saw increased activity.…