Schroon Lake Kids Fishing Derby Winners

Photos and Story By Joe Steiniger

Seventy seven young anglers participated in last Saturday's Schroon Lake Kids Fishing Derby, held each summer for children under twelve years of age. The event is co-sponsored by the Schroon Lake Fish and Game Club and the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Prizes were awarded in multiple categories. The largest catfish was landed by Tyler McLaughlin of Latham, NY. Val DeCesare of Glenville entered the largest crappie. Brennan Halbohm of Balston Spa entered the largest rock bass. Skyler Johnson of Brunswick, NY, entered a sunfish that won that that category.

The largest perch was caught by Noah Armstrong. Schroon Lake's own four year old Shane Aikan entered the largest fish of the tournament, a 2.4lb largemouth bass. Entrants who landed the three largest fish in each of the six categories were awarded rod and reel combo outfits.

Kids Inspire Their Own Shakespeare Show

When ADK Shakes set up shop in Schroon Lake last year, the company was amazed by the number of kids that were turning up at their performances. Kids as young as four were "mesmerized" by the performances, recalled Tara Bradway, the show’s Artistic Director.

"They were wrapped. The kids got it. They are a lot smarter than a lot of adults give them credit for in understanding Shakespeare."

That experience led to a special commission of an adapted Shakespeare work just for kids, "Theseus And The Minotaur", two of the characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. True to their roots, the performance Wednesday will be in “raw” form, where the focus is on the words --- not the sets or costumes. Says Tara:

The play encourages children to use their imaginations -- which they are so wonderful at doing. We are using simple props -- a ship is made from two dowels and a swath of fabric. The same fabric is used to veil the Minotaur. The actors employ considerable energy in order to bring the story to life, but it's really the children who provide that final step of creating the play.

Tara says adults will enjoy the show just as much as the kids, and actor Celeste Moratti gives this heads up:  “Listen closely for the David Bowie reference. That one is just for the grown ups.”And if you haven’t seen an ADK Shakes show, did we mention how much fun you’ll have?  "This is in my top-ten favorite stories about bulls", says Bennett Fisher. "In all seriousness, this is such a fun play for kids. They're going to have a great time!"

"Kids are so much better with Shakespeare's language than we give them credit fo," Tara says. I challenge the parents to bring their children to our full production -- not only will your children understand the play, but they'll be able to explain it to you!”

11 am The Boathouse. Wednesday, July 27. $5. The show runs about an hour

Kid's Day Out

Need a break from the lake? There’s lots to do with the kids in the the next 48 hours, starting today:

10am The Adventures of Mr. Toad presented by the Hampstead Stage Company @ The Boat House. Free.

10:00 -  10:.30 am Kids Yoga at True North Yoga. Deb Philp will have your little ones stretching while having a load of fun. (Ages 5 – 12)

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Adirondack Tall Tales@ The Paradox House. Read a review here.

Wednesday

11 am Theseus And The Mintour, a special kids performance by Schroon’s own ADK Shakes @ The Boat House.

6 pm Co-Ed Basket Ball @ The Town Courts. Grades 7 – 12.



Tall Tales Of The Adirondacks

By Heather Dibble

If you are looking for a unique Adirondack experience this summer for kids, be sure to check out "Adirondack Tall-Tales: Storytelling for Children",  each Tuesday night at the historic home of Merritt Hulst and Analise Rigan.

Kids young and old gather at The Paradox House at 7 pm for this delightful hour in which local storytellers and authors share memories, folktales and stories of the Adirondacks and wilderness.

Two children’s authors, a novelist, the daughter of the town's doctor of long ago and a maple sugar farming couple are just a few of the story tellers who have shared their tales. This week we were treated to stories from a guest who has been learning about and teaching Native American culture for more than 60 years. She shared her collection of crafts and tales with five children and their parents.  The children were curiously attentive and especially pleased to have a hands-on learning experience.  

My favorite part of the evening largely centers around the setting itself. It is great to sit in the parlor room, where Mr. Hulst says "we were never allowed as children" and listen to the conversations focused on real-life experiences in the Adirondacks.

For my sons, seven and five-years-old, it is likely a toss-up between participating in the story of Polly the Polliwog and eating cookies with lemonade (to say nothing of the fresh mint leaf to drop in the drink) that stole their hearts. 

Mr. Hulst said that their hope in creating this storytelling session was to bring local children and those visiting for the summer together and establish friendships. He and Ms. Rigan gave interested guests a tour of the retreat and provided refreshments following the story hour.

Mr. Hulst has long-been restoring the house his great-grandfather built over a hundred years ago on Route 74 in Severance. Ms. Rigan is an accomplished artist. Her studio will be up and running from the home in the near future.  The couple hopes many locals and out-of-townspeople will use their house as a retreat, as it is now open and designed to house guests in five bedrooms with private bath and kitchen accommodations. 

For more information about Adirondack Tall-Tales or the Paradox House Gallery Retreat, call 518.351.5003 or email analise@riganstudios.com