Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers:

If spring is the time of year for awakening, summer is the time when everything is finally awake. The flowers, so frail and timid in April and May, now bloom with vibrant color; the trees, bare or budded only a month ago, now teem with healthy green leaves; the people, terrified in springtime by the possibility of one last snow squall, now venture out of their homes with reckless abandon to enjoy the explosion of life that is summer. Spring is the time of coming alive, but summer is the season for living.

Nowhere is summertime living more attractive than in the region we call the North Country. The mosquitoes and black flies may bite us into insanity, but the forests, fields and streams of the Adirondacks are splendid at this time of year. The crowds and construction projects may drive us mad, but the jam-packed schedule of events in Montreal, Burlington, Saratoga, and the area’s other metropolitan areas make it worth the inconvenience. Summer is here, and the possibilities for local fun are endless.    

Unfortunately, you only have three months to enjoy them. That’s where All Points North comes in. We bring you a tasting menu of the summertime delights in and around the North Country. Want to spend the summer outdoors? Check out stories about the remarkable Crab Island, the unique Massena Nature Center, and read a review of one of the classic Adirondack hiking trails. Like history? Learn about the North Country’s missile silos and their uses long after the Cold War ended, a local museum keeping the “Forgotten War” alive, and a man whose legacy ranges from creating America’s first theme park to helping Paul Newman reach his philanthropic goals. Ready for some music? Profiles and reviews on regional bands abound in this issue, and don’t miss the story of a world-famous guitar maker. And that’s just the beginning. So keep your computer on and start planning the best summer vacation you can imagine without ever having to leave your home region.              

As always, All Points North is the product of many hands. Without our dedicated staff of student writers, this site would not exist. Without the additional work put in by senior editors Shaun Kittle and Vanessa White, and designers Dan Hubel and Sae Kagami, you would not be viewing this site today. Without the steady guiding hand of our faculty adviser, Laura A. Ward, All Points North probably would have imploded long ago. A special thank-you to all of these people who have made our summer 2009 issue possible. It is their efforts and labors, many of which go unnoticed, that have brought this edition of All Points North into being.    

And with that, I’ll leave you to your adventures. It’s summer, after all, the season for living. So scan through the pages of All Points North, find something that tickles your fancy, and get out and live. You’ll be amazed at what life you can find — right in your own backyard.    

Sincerely yours,   

Benjamin Pomerance