Keene Community Day returns July 3

KEENE VALLEY | The 4th annual Community Day is returning to Marcy Field on July 3 at 5 p.m., and the Steering Committee is now inviting community-based clubs, committees, not-for-profits, and groups to participate. "This community event all started when the Adirondack Mountain Reserve used to do fireworks up at their golf course, and they opened it up to the community. It was really popular, but a few years ago, their membership changed, [and] they could no longer host the fireworks," shared Town of Keene Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson. "So, the town decided to host them instead and make it an actual event." Although specific details need to be mapped out, this year's festivities will be similar to last year's, said Wilson, so there will be kids' activities, lawn games, food vendors, live music, and fireworks at dusk. A few friendly competitions will be returning, as well, including the beaver toss, which joined the line-up of family-friendly fun just last year. For the beaver toss, participants must throw a sand-filled beaver, about 10 pounds, as far as possible down a single lane. This year, due to its popularity, another lane will be added. The winners will be forever remembered on the official "Keene Beaver Toss Champions" wooden plaque, where so far only last year's winners are honored — Sloan Lewis (22'7"), Lincoln Popp (29'10"), Anya Johnson (38'), and David Jayne (64'9"). This special event was added to pay tribute to the official mammal of New York State. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the current beaver population in the Adirondacks is between 50,000 and 70,000. Although it wasn't always like this. "Beavers were abundant before European settlement, and could be found all over New York State, with the exception of Long Island. Unfortunately, the popular New World beaver pelt trade and deforestation left only a few beavers in the Adirondacks by 1840," as stated on the DEC website. "Between 1901 and 1907, 34 adult beavers were released into the region by private landowners and legislators who wanted to help the species' numbers increase. By 1924, the population had grown so significantly that a regulated trapping season was instituted to control nuisance and damage." Historically speaking, according to an article titled "History of the Town of Keene, New York" by the late James "Jim" Bailey, advocate, author, and historian for not only the City of Plattsburgh from 1982 to 2010, but also Essex County from 1971 to 1976, the lands encompassing the original Town of Keene served as prized beaver-hunting grounds for the Algonquin tribes. "There are a lot of references to beavers here in Keene and Keene Valley," said Wilson, referring to the Keene Central School Beavers and the Beaver Pond Walk, a short, 20-foot elevation gain hike behind the school. "There's also just a lot of beavers here in general." Those who wish to have an informational table at Keene Community Day can contact Teresa Cheetham-Palen at teresa@townofkeeneny.gov. For more information or updates, visit townofkeeneny.com. "It's just a good, hometown event," Wilson said, "and we hope that it will be even more successful than last year."

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Keene Community Day returns July 3

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