Scott Thompson of Beaver River reported that Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates (ARTA) hosted members of the press Dec. 27, 2011 to announce a number of steps made to foreword the effort to convince New York State to remove the rails from the tracks from Old Forge to Tupper Lake, Saranac and Lake Placid. Speaker Lee Keet outlined the mission of ARTA in creating the Great Adirondack Trail, how it  raised $25,000 to contract with Rails-to-Trails for a two-part study of the trails economic impact from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid and then to Old Forge. He said there is also a coalition with Parks and Trails New York, a not-for-profit group, to act as a fiduciary partner and accept what may qualify as tax deductible donations to ARTA until the Group’s corporation is certified. Paul Smith’s College’s Sociology Department will conduct a survey to determine the benefits the past 11 years of recreational train operation in the Saranac Lake/Lake Placid section, with the first phase of these studies to be completed by June 2012. He said ARTA’s free membership is growing rapidly at 100 per week as the snowmobile season is underway and its pamphlet is distributed to riders. Updated information is at www.theARTA.org.

George Stadalski, for The North Country Arts Council Writers’ Guild, announced the Group is expanding its outreach to other North Country writers’ groups that would like to connect with other local writers’ groups in the area that offer programs to  help writers in every stage of their careers. He offered an open invitation to writers and literary groups to join the Writers’ Guild for networking and fellowship at any of its scheduled meetings in 2012: Jan. 17, Feb. 21, March 20, April 17, May 15, June 19, July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18, all 6 ñ 8 p.m. at North Country Arts Council’s Arts on the Square, 52 Public Square, Watertown. Guests are also welcome. Contact groups.yahoo.com/group/NCACWG or Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/NCAC-Writers-Guild/185474781531104.

Ashley Booton, a junior at Paul Smith’s College, was named an Adirondack Scholar and named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 Semester with a 3.91 GPA. She is earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in hotel/resort/tourism/management and is also employed by The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid. She is the daughter of Sandy and Ed Booton of Eagle Bay and granddaughter of Peg Morgan of Old Forge.

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