Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers:

Three years ago, when I made the decision to attend college at Plattsburgh State, I was met with a chorus of skepticism from acquaintances who acted like I had accepted an offer from the University of Siberia. “Why do you want to go to college in your hometown?” they’d ask me again and again. “Don’t you want to try something new?”

Ultimately, I did go to college in my hometown. And despite the well-intentioned misgivings of many, I did try something new…many, many things new. In a home such as this, one cannot help but find novel experiences to enjoy. With Montreal to the north, Burlington to the east, Saratoga to the south, and the matchless beauty of the Adirondacks seemingly everywhere in between, the region we call the “North Country” offers more than enough natural wonder, cultural stimulation, and historic heritage for a lifetime of discoveries.

The problem is, we often forget what’s here. Too often, our own backyard remains a mystery to us. Which is why we, the staff of All Points North online, are proud to bring you this seasonal reminder of the riches of our region, a map to North Country treasures unearthed this spring. From a month-long chamber music festival to a band based on the science of math, from a beloved hockey franchise to a beloved maple sugar house, from a blues group with members who still have their day jobs to an animal shelter turning into one lady’s second job, from geodesic domes to historic homes and much, much more, you will find it here. And chances are, as you peruse the pages of All Points North, you will discover something about this area that you never knew before. 

It is my honor to present to you the Spring 2009 issue of All Points North online. It is the product of many hands, and I owe many thanks to the staff of student writers who have worked diligently to put this issue together. And I am grateful now, as I was three years ago, to live and write in an area such as this, a place one can call home for a lifetime and yet still enjoy the thrill of “trying something new”.

May All Points North take you on many new adventures this spring.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Pomerance