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It’s been over 18 months since Inlet earned the world record (for the second time) for the largest floating raft with 1902 canoes, kayaks, and guide boats held together only by hands. But, thanks to the magnificent photo by Nancie Battaglia, the event is still in the forefront of national periodicals. You will recall that Battaglia’s photo appeared in Sports Illustrated and National Geographic. Recently it reappeared in the March issue of Reader’s Digest and the May/June edition of Sierra Magazine.

Whether due to the photo going viral or just because the Inlet event offered a popular activity for paddlers, challenges to the record are popping up everywhere. So far no one has succeeded in besting the record, but this year there are four attempts, any one of which may find Inlet having to recapture the world record.

On August 17, 2013, a group in Illinois calling themselves Floatzilla (floatzilla.org) will have a third go at the record, their first two attempts falling short, but gaining in numbers each time. They form their raft on the Mississippi River as part of a daylong series of water events.

Labor Day weekend will see two record attempts: on Saturday, August 31, a group in Sutton’s Bay (sbfloatilla.com) will try for a second time to make their “Floatilla” on Lake Michigan larger than Inlet’s. Last year they were getting close with their over 1750 boat total. On Sunday, September 1, a new entry in the competition will try to break Inlet’s record. This group is the Vashon Youth and Family Services group (vyfs.org) on Vashon Island in Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington.

Another new contender is the New Hampshire Lake Association (nhlakes.org) on the other side of the country. They will make their attempt on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire on Saturday, September 7.

The latter two groups have enlisted the aid of the One Square Mile of Hope Committee by way of conference calls. The Inlet group has generously shared the organizational information and tips they have gained from their two successful record-breaking events.

So far, OSM has not heard of any international attempts to wrest their world record title, but their fame has certainly spread from “sea to shining sea.” For further information about any of the challenges, go to their websites, listed above.

2013 Black Fly Challenge jerseys are on sale now!  Order your by April 29, 2013 and it will be there for you pick up on race day.  Any order placed after April 29 will be shipped directly to your home and there is no guarantee that you will receive it prior to race day.

Check out the Black Fly Challenge website www.BlackFlyChallenge.com

Or order it directly from here: Black Fly Challenge Jersey

Tickets are now available in the Inlet Information Office and the Town of Webb Visitor Center for “An Evening with the Symphony”.  Join us on Saturday, July 6, 2013 for a night with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Free Children’s Concert under the tent at Arrowhead Park begins at 3:00 pm.
Cocktail Benefit at The Woods Inn begins at 4:00 pm.
Symphony under the tent at Arrowhead Park begins at 7:30 pm.

General Admission Tickets are $25 each until June 1, 2013 at which time the will then go up to $30 each.

Cocktail Tickets, which include preferred seating during the performance, are $110 each.

The new version of the web map is now live. You can use it on your tablet device, just tap away! Desktop and laptop users, use your mouse to click on any map icon or trail.  Check it out here!

Watch the appStore and Google Play Store for our new, free Black Fly Challenge app. iPhone version now out, Android version coming later this month.

Get out and enjoy all the region has to offer!

Frozen Fire & Lights Thank You

The Town of Inlet would like to say Thank You to all those who made the 11^th Annual Frozen Fire & Lights a great success!

At Fern Park, donuts were enjoyed around the fire.  The sledding hill was a very popular spot, and the ski trails were enjoyed by many.  The Inlet Public Library had visitors stop in for their book sale.  The Inlet Youth Commission had a nice turnout for their Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop held at the Inlet Town Hall.  Around 5:30 people started gathering around the huge bonfire at Arrowhead Park, where free hot cider, hot cocoa, donuts and Zweigle’s hot dogs were served.  At 6:45 PM the kayak raffle for the Alexandra Sutherland Scholarship Fund came to a conclusion with the winning ticket being drawn by Alex herself. The winner was Trudy Menzzennto of Randleman, N.C.   Thank you so much for all of you who contributed to this fund to help Alex and to honor Kirsty’s memory, and to all of the volunteers and local establishments who helped to raise a total of $5200 to further Alex’s education.  Promptly at 7:00 PM began the wonderful display of fireworks by American Fireworks out of Utica.  After the fireworks, many wandered over to Matt’s Draft House @ Screamen Eagle for Wine & Chocolate Sampling.

Thank you so much to Shelby McGill and her helpers Autumn Townsend and Shelby Townsend for the wonderful snow leopard in front the town hall at Arrowhead Park.  And thank you to the Inlet Highway Department for piling the “fresh” snow for them to work with.

The Third Annual Cardboard Sled Race was another success!  We had 24 entries this year!  7 awards were handed out to 6 sleds.  Thank you to Dennis Hudson for his master of ceremonies performance and for manning the starting line at the top of the Fern Park sledding hill.  Thank you to the following for their assistance with judging, timing, inspecting, registration and making sure the sleds stayed upright: Adele Burnett, Margie & Bruce O’Hara, Nancy Jennings, Patty Wittmeyer, and John & Andrea Frey.  We are looking forward to next year’s entries!

Thank you to the following for their contributions towards the fireworks: Central Adirondack Association – Burkhard Evans Insurance & Real Estate – Adirondack Images – Adirondack Reader – Adirondack Fairway B&B – Bear Up North Cottages – Frank & Carolyn Belknap – Big Moose Yamaha – BJ Queen Enterprises – Tim & Jill Brownsell – Buzz Chew Racing – Channel House Barber Shop – The Cinnamon Bear B & B – Clark Energy – Clark’s Marina & Snowmobile Rentals – Construction Effects – Brad Damon – Deer Meadows Motel & Cottages – Bill & Lynn Faro – French Louie Adirondack Sports – D. Gerace, Attorney at Law – Drake’s Inn – Golden Acres – Eagle Bay Village – Hard Times Café – Heroux Construction – Inlet Barnstormers Snowmobile Club – Inlet Department Store – Inlet Golf Club – Kalil & Kalil, PC – Kalil’s Grocery – Levi Lumber Company – Richard H Lutz Building & Mechanical, Inc. – Marina Motel – Mike Marleau Builder – Nelson’s Lakefront Cottages – The Ole Barn – Pedals & Petals – Peter’s Cottages – Raquette Lake Supply, Co. – Red Dog Tavern – Rocky Point Properties – Nick Rose – Screamen Eagle Pizza – Seventh Lake House – Penny Stuart – T’s EZ Mart – Tamarack Café & Movie House – The Tavern – Ted Payne’s Bus Service – The Wine Shop – Hall & Patty Wittmeyer – The Woods Inn – Zone 3.

Thank you to the following for their time spent setting everything up, attending bonfires and manning hospitality booths: Paul & Reggie Chambers, Patty Wittmeyer, Dennis & Barb Thibado, Nancy Jennings, Aaron Glue, Brian Smith, Lisa Gambacorta, Mitch Lee, Jay Latterman, Doug & Betty Hugelmaier, and the Rochester Post Explorers.

Thank you to the Town of Inlet Highway Department and Parks Department for moving snow, grooming the sledding hill and trails, moving tables, and everything else necessary to ready the parks for this event.

Huge thank you to Mary’s White Pine Bakery for supplying hot dogs, donuts, cider & cocoa, and to the Inlet Youth Commission for providing the grill.  Thank you to the Inlet Emergency Services for being on standby with the ambulance.  Thank you to Mary Marleau, Sue Beck & Georgia Levi of the Inlet Youth Commission for hosting the Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop with help from Robin Murdock & Erin Timmerman.  Thank you to American Fireworks for an awesome show!  Thank you to the Town of Inlet and the Inlet area businesses for their support during this event.  And thank you all for your enthusiasm.

And if we have missed anyone, forgive us.  Thanks again for a wonderful weekend.

Inlet Area Business Association

Snowmobile trails tightened up good last night with the cold weather and were still flat this morning. Groomer will be going out tonight for a trip to Eagle Bay to flatten that out so it can tighten up again overnight. Tomorrow groomers will be out in the Plains and on the local trails all day.

Ski trails at Fern Park (good) and the Inlet Golf Course (excellent) are hard packed and in good condition with 6-8 inched of base and no wet spots.  Groomers will be out tomorrow.

Ice Skating Rink is open and in fair condition.

Sledding Hill has snow and looks great!

Snowshoe Magazine has listed Inlet’s Frozen Fire & Lights as one of the Top Adirondack Winter Festivals and Events

Read the full article here: The New Year Brings Winter Events and Family-Friendly Fun in the Adirondacks

Avoid the hassle and the crowds … shop with us Thanksgiving Weekend and participate in some fun small-town activities!

Download the map & schedule here: Adirondack Christmas on Main Street 2012

THE BUSKERS at Arrowhead Park – Saturday, August 4, 2012

   As part of Inlet’s Sunsets by the Lake summer concert series at Arrowhead Park, Dennis & Eileen Michael will present folk/pop/jazz artists THE BUSKERS on Saturday, August 4 from 6-8 pm.  This will be the fourth season THE BUSKERS are in the area and they put on a show you don’t want to miss.  So bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy a spectacular sunset with them.  (Rain location Fern Park Pavilion.)

The Buskers are Kathy Sommer on acoustic and electric violins and mandolin,  Craig Jaster on piano, bass, and accordion, Paul Hubert on guitars, and Kyle Tupper on drums, all with three and four part vocal harmonies. Their “roots” repertoire ignores traditional boundaries between jazz, folk, pop and rock and their sound is defined by deep respect for the craft of songwriting and arranging.  In performance, they play a lively fusion of their original acoustic folk/pop, New Orleans-influenced R&B, and jazz, and they always throw fiddle tunes somewhere in the mix.  All members write most of the songs in their repertoire.  A review in Fourth Coast Entertainment magazine describes THE BUSKERS, “Spunky, energetic, fabulously talented…see this band if you get a chance. I’d even call them luminescent. As well as versatile, passionate, and funny.”

The original group formed in 1993 after meeting at an open mic night in Bristol, NH.  Since then they have produced three recordings, gone on to represent New Hampshire at the Eastern States Expo, and perform at historic venues like Canterbury Shaker Village and at town bandstands, music festivals, and opera houses and coffeehouses in the northeast.

For serious BUSKERS fans, more information about this eclectic band and their 2012 schedule can be viewed on their website and blog at www.thebuskers.com.

This concert series is brought to you by the Town of Inlet, Eugene Melnyczuk, Dennis & Eileen Michael, Mountainman Outdoor Supply Co., JRWPhoto.com, the Central Adirondack Association, Overlook at Fifth, The Wine Shop, Red Dog Tavern, Screamen Eagle Pizza, Adirondack Reader, French Louie ADK Sports and Ken & Julie Biehn.

Skiing Magazine lists Black Fly Challenge #1 of “Five Bad-Ass Things to do in June”

Read it here: “Bucket-list worthy events to add to your roster.”