Denice Fredericks, seated at right, poses with much of her family Saturday, Nov. 5 during the Lake Placid Hall of Fame induction dinner at the Lake Placid Conference Center. (Photo provided — Naj Wikoff)

The Lake Placid Hall of Fame was established 40 years ago to recognize individuals who have substantially contributed to enhancing the lives of others in the greater Lake Placid region.

The hall has honored people who have made a difference in sports, arts, culture and civic life. Thus far, they have recognized over 130 individuals and several teams, such as the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and the 1948 U.S. Olympic four-man bobsled team.

As COVID-19 prevented people from coming together to celebrate last year’s inductees, on Saturday, Nov. 5, the classes of 2021 and 2022 were inducted and celebrated with a banquet held in the Lake Placid Conference Center. About 100 people attended. Those honored were Larry Barney, Denice Fredericks, Jack LaDuke, Thomas and Doris Patnode and Howard Riley.

The moniker “coach” fits Larry Barney to a T. Barney was coaching Lake Placid’s first Mites hockey team while in high school, and before graduating from college, he spent summers coaching Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball. In 1976, Barney started coaching Bantam level with his teams going on to win four sectional titles and the state finals for the first time in over a decade.

In many respects, coaching girl’s hockey is where Barney had the most significant impact. Starting in 1984 with the Rockets, the first girls high school hockey team, he coached them to eight sectional titles, three state championships, and four trips to the nationals. The year he organized the first Adirondack women’s team, the team won the gold medal at the Empire State Games and then won gold for the next seven years.

Jack LaDuke, left, and Howard Riley (Photo provided — Naj Wikoff)

“It’s quite an honor being nominated,” said Barney. “Hall of Famer Ray Pratt was my biggest inspiration growing up. He was not just my coach; he was my mentor. He taught me so much about life. I was a sophomore when he took over coaching the hockey team. I was a rascal in those days, but by my senior year, I was voted Most Improved Senior in our class, thanks to Ray Pratt. He didn’t mind us getting beat by the score, but he said, ‘I’m going to change your name from the Lake Placid Bombers to the Lake Placid Doormat.’ I knew exactly what he wanted.”

Denice Fredericks has touched the lives of thousands of people over the years through her decades of volunteerism. She led the North Elba Christmas Fund for nearly 30 years, was treasurer of the Lake Placid Community Lunch program for eleven years, and worked with the Lake Placid Backpack Program since it started in 2009. Fredericks volunteered for years as a Salvation Army bell ringer and 10 years as a merit badge counselor with Boy Scouts Troop 10. She also helped develop Operation Shoebox, which sent supplies to deployed U.S. troops.

While serving as town clerk, Fredericks directed the Lake Placid Section 8 Housing Program for 26 years; and the list continues. Go to any event that supports youth or the disadvantaged, and Fredericks is there with a warm smile, helping hand and big heart.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Fredericks. “Very surprised and very pleased. Throughout all my activities, I tied to give back to this community because we had so many children that needed things that sometimes the parents couldn’t provide because of the seasonal work we have here. So many in the Hall of Fame have given back to the community, like Bob and Denny Allen. How could you not love Denny? I feel very blessed and very honored.”

Living in Saranac Lake, Jack LaDuke has connected and celebrated people living in the northern Adirondacks through his nonstop reporting for WCAX television and now Mountain Lake PBS, the Press-Republican and other outlets. He has worked with Denton Publications, Adirondack Life magazine, the Times Union, and early on as a freelance photographer for the New York Times.

Tom Patnode (Photo provided — Naj Wikoff)

LaDuke was the audio-visual director for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, bureau chief for WCAX-TV, and volunteered for High Peaks Dog Club, the Lake Placid Hall of Fame Committee and the Golden Retriever Rescue Service. The only thing Jack hasn’t done is retire, blowing past the standard retirement age two decades ago with no plans to stop working.

“I feel terrific being nominated,” said LaDuke. “Undeserved, but I feel good about it. Bunny Sheffield was an inspiration. I remember Bunny up at the bobsled run, always putting something together. Those early guys put together an amazing show, they had so little money, yet they made the events happen.”

The late Thomas and Doris Patnode spent decades volunteering to support athletic programs for Lake Placid’s youth through the Pee Wee Association and the Lake Placid Youth Athletic Association, with Tom serving as president. They organized regional and international hockey tournaments, baseball leagues, junior bobsledding competitions, and local, regional, national and international speedskating tournaments.

With the speedskating program, they were hands-on with Tom sharpening skates, and both recruited Olympians like Jeanie Ashworth, Shelia Young and Jack Walters to coach the local youth. They would pile their station wagons full of luggage, skates, jigs and rambunctious skaters and take them to competitions along the Eastern seaboard and in Canada. Their greatest enjoyment was guiding, coaching, encouraging and building confidence among the skaters.

Doris, who had served on a regional and national level as an official, was the chairperson for the 1980 Olympic speedskating events, among other accomplishments. She oversaw the entire venue and was responsible for the safety, accuracy and smooth running of the event, its athletes and its personnel. By doing so, she became one of the first women to be appointed Olympic venue chairperson.

Larry Barney, left, and Mike Pratt (Photo provided — Naj Wikoff)

“I’m feeling very emotional because my parents’ induction is so well deserved,” said Tom Patnode. “They were kind of like underdogs. They would never want this; my sister and I wanted it for them. They loved the community, and it’s nice that people still remember them and all that they did.”

Author, historian, public servant and volunteer, Howard Riley served as a Saranac Lake village trustee, mayor and village manager and as a Harrietstown town justice, council member and deputy supervisor. Additionally, Riley served on the boards of Adirondack Health, Adirondack Scenic Railroad, Harrietstown Planning Board, Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce and Board of Health, and the Lake Placid Figure Skating Club, amongst others.

Through all his activities, Riley fit in time to work with the Adirondack Daily Enterprise — from a newsboy at age 12 to editor and now serving as a weekly columnist — the Lake Placid News as editor, and traveled with the 1973 Lake Placid Olympic bid committee covering their activities for the local papers. He provided public relations support for Paul Smith’s College and the Adirondack North Country Association.

Riley’s gift as a beloved raconteur regaled the Hall of Fame attendees with his fractured English, wit and ability to eventually get to the point after diving into whatever rabbit hole he stumbled across, an ability that made him the hands-on favorite by the organizers to close out the induction ceremony.

“For the three years, I served on the Hall of Fame Committee, I only got one vote per year,” said Riley. With that, he was off and running. His inspiration, former state Sen. Ron Stafford.

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley. He has been covering events for the News for more than 15 years.)