For the lead story, Senior Sports Writer Lou Reuter talked with Ironman organizers and racers old and new about 20 years of Ironman here. It’s the brand’s second-oldest triathlon, after only its original one in Hawaii, and the people Lou talked to said Lake Placid is still one of the favorite Ironman destinations due to the challenging course, mountain scenery and excellent volunteers.

Twenty years before Ironman, Bill and Judy Borzilleri launched a low-key run-swim race called Over Hill and Dale that became a predecessor of the village’s triathlon scene. The Borzilleri family is reviving Over Hill and Dale this year, and our Staff Writer Griffin Kelly sat down for a interview with Bill and Judy for an Up Close feature article.

Griffin also visited the wood shop of Sid Ward in Jay for a Giving Back feature. Sid may be retired from his family business, Ward Lumber, but he still works full-time in his shop making cutting boards. He sells them and gives 100 percent of the proceeds to local organizations that do good, such as fire departments, churches, etc.

Editor Andy Flynn reports on a delegation of Rotarians from India visiting Lake Placid’s Rotary Club during the Fourth of July and horse shows.

Several news articles this week come from last week’s state Adirondack Park Agency board meeting. The chairman announced he’s stepping down, and the board approved new management plans for an expanded High Peaks Wilderness area as well as the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest in the central Adirondacks. The board also looked at plans for the Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg and for highway corridors throughout the Adirondack Park, and sent them out for public comments.

The Arts page contains Steve Lester’s review of the latest performance by the Lake Placid Sinfonietta, as well as a preview of the upcoming concert.

Columnist Naj Wikoff (On the Scene) reports on author Peter Kiernan’s talk at a recent Lake Placid Institute Adirondack Roundtable. Columnist Martha Allen (Martha Sez) writes about various bear encounters. The Rotary Club of Lake Placid reports on Tony Goodwin of Keene, who received the group’s “Service Above Self” award. And for our editorial this week, we look back at an old issue of the News from August 1999, which was jam-packed with coverage of the exciting first Ironman Lake Placid.

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Sports

Brian Delaney has competed in each of the 19 Ironman races held in his hometown of Lake Placid. Lou caught up with Delaney last week as he prepared for his 20th in a row.

In other non-Ironman sports news this week, readers will find stories about the upcoming Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships and updates from the USA Luge team as it looks to build on a successful Olympic campaign in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

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Outdoors

The heat is on in the Adirondacks, and Lake Placid News outdoors writers Justin Levine and Joe Hackett provide a few strategies for how to deal with it.

Justin writes about a 2.4-mile round-trip hike to the top of Sawyer Mountain, which was quickly followed by a cool-down swim in the soothing waters of nearby Buttermilk Falls.

Joe focuses on fish behavior, describing how bass and pike make for a more ethical target because they are more tolerant of the warmer water than trout.