A Message from our friends at Tannery Pond The Wild Life of Theodore Roosevelt NORTH CREEK, NY - President Theodore Roosevelt was one of the nation’s most accomplished presidents — but he had a wild side! On May 18, the first event in the new series Tannery Talks at North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center will explore just how wild. Historian Connor Williams will share his research on the ways that wild places, including many in the Adirondacks, inspired Roosevelt and helped to shape his legacy. Roosevelt created the U.S. Forest Service and protected more land than all his predecessors combined. A story that many Adirondack fourth-graders know, but most other Americans do not, is that it was during a frantic midnight ride to North Creek from Mt. Marcy, where his family was vacationing, that Roosevelt actually became the 26th president. From his days cattle ranching in North Dakota to his days storming up San Juan Hill as a Rough Rider, Roosevelt was a significant aberration from his predecessors in the White House. Williams will speak about Roosevelt’s many forays into the North Country during his years as New York’s governor and growing up in New York City, passionate about the great outdoors. Williams, the historian at Great Camp Sagamore and a lecturer at Middlebury College, grew up in Saratoga Country and spent his childhood hiking the High Peaks. Before joining the Sagamore staff, he was lead historian for a commission charged with identifying and changing the names of Department of Defense facilities that commemorate the Confederacy. The Wild Life of Theodore Roosevelt is the first of a series of educational talks and workshops being introduced this year at Tannery Pond Center. There is no admission charge but a $10 donation is encouraged. The talk will start at 2 pm and end with audience questions and discussion. Tannery Pond Center, which is dedicated to bringing the best performances, art exhibits and community events to the Gore Mountain Region, is on the corner of Route 28N and Main Street, North Creek. For further information, call 518-251-2505, visit: tannerypond.org, email: director@tannerypondcenter.org. (fb)

Silver Bay YMCA receives Y-USA grant for swim lessons Grant received by Silver Bay YMCA to help provide youth swim lessons Silver Bay – According to the American Red Cross every year in the United States an estimated 4,000 people die from unintentional drowning, which is an average of 11 deaths per day. Silver Bay YMCA has received a $5,000 2025 Youth Swim Lessons Grant from YMCA of the USA. This grant allows Silver Bay to provide swim lessons to youth, teaching them a vital life-saving skill. "Water safety is important everywhere, but especially important in our area where families are able to spend time at so many different bodies of water. The biggest piece of water safety is learning how to swim,” said Silver Bay YMCA Interim VP of Programs Chet Lastowski. “This grant makes it possible for Silver Bay YMCA to provide scholarships to families enrolling their children in swim lessons. We are excited to be able to make swim lessons more accessible to our community, and in turn, make our community safer in and around all of our amazing lakes." In 2024, Silver Bay YMCA was able to provide swim lessons to 224 youths. This grant allows Silver Bay to keep teaching life-saving skills to area youths and youths enrolled in Silver Camp, a day camp program run by Silver Bay YMCA. Silver Bay YMCAs Aquatics Director Caleb Cutting stated, "I am honored to utilize this grant to offer a life-saving skill to children. Swim lessons provide not only an enjoyable experience but also present valuable challenges that foster confidence and skill development both in and around the water. We are optimistic that this initiative will allow us to expand our reach and provide this essential service to a larger segment of the community, helping more children acquire these vital skills." To learn more about Silver Bay YMCA or find out about swim lesson opportunities visit silverbay.org. Swim Lessons – Swim lessons take place during a Silver Camp at Silver Bay YMCA. About Silver Bay YMCA: Silver Bay YMCA, founded in 1902, is in Silver Bay, NY, just minutes south of Hague. Its 700-acre campus along one mile of Lake George shoreline offers a breadth of programs for all ages. Silver Bay YMCA is consistently ranked one of the top ten family reunion sites in the country and is on the National Register of Historic Places with the U.S. Department of the Interior. As a mission-based charity, Silver Bay YMCA offers outreach programs in addition to its core activities as a premier conference and family retreat center. Learn more about Silver Bay YMCA at www.silverbay.org. Our MISSION: To cultivate relationships, strengthen communities and nurture spirit, mind and body for all. Our IMPACT: Because of Silver Bay YMCA, connections between people and family are stronger. People are more connected, respectful and caring. They have the confidence to develop to their full potential and to positively impact the communities in which they work and live. As a result, communities are more dynamic, comprehensive and varied. As stewards of Lake George, we inspire people to be stewards of the environment while they are visiting our magnificent campus and in their home communities. (fb)