Ann Ward is the former executive director of Save the River. She says she started out in the organization 40 years ago because of her love for the St. Lawrnece River. Over the years, she worked with many of the organization’s environmental projects. She remembers one project they did testing sewage. At the time, the […]
John Cranker has spent most of his life managing parks – he was the golf course maintenance supervisor at St. Lawrence State Park, and managed Cedar Point State Park. Among other things, he’d have to check on rowdy campers, schedule crews to clean bathrooms and mow, and organize lifeguard schedules. Listen to Cranker’s story here!
Elliot “Manny” Slate was born in Alexandria Bay in 1929. His father worked at Boldt Castle doing renovation work since he was 16 years old. Manny learned to follow in his father’s footsteps and eventually started working there as well. Listen to Slate’s story here!
Greta Slate worked at the Alexandria Central School in the cafeteria for more than 28 years, including while her three children attended school there. She is now the town historian. Listen to Slate’s story here!
Fairman “Sampie” Sutton was born in 1934 and grew up in Alexandria Bay. Over the years, he held many jobs, including town supervisor. Sutton says he was influenced by his stepfather, Mr. Hutchinson. He gave Sutton his first official job when he was a teenager. Listen to Sutton’s story here!
Former ski instructor Natalie Leduc skiing at Whiteface. Circa 1980. Wilmington, NY. Courtesy of Natalie Leduc. During the five decades of her working life, Saranac Lake native Natalie Leduc wore a lot of hats: ski, instructor, substitute physical education teacher, rug salesman, lifeguard, swimming instructor, and finally real estate agent. Listen to the highs and […]
Mary Brown volunteered for Saranac Lake Rescue as an EMT for 21 years, starting in 1993. She also served on the board for six years. Now that she says she’s aged out of being an EMT, she still volunteers around the space doing odd jobs, from helping with fundraising to legislative work.
Leavitt Farms is located on Route 86 between Gabriels and Saranac Lake, with high, open fields and stunning views of the Adirondacks. Lenore Leavitt married into a seed potato farming family. She helped the business grow from just a few acres into the many still used today.
When Fobare’s first husband was finishing up his schooling in Louisiana, she had to work to support them. Even though she didn’t have a high school diploma, she got a job working for a Certified Public Accountant who said he would teach her everything she needed to know. She learned to work as an accountant, […]
Kathleen Camelo is the Family Practitioner and the Director of the Student Health and Counseling Center at Plattsburgh State; she’s been in the position since 1994, and oversaw the merging of the Health and Counseling departments. Kathleen grew up in the North Country, and here she explains why she got into medicine.
