Mark Kurtz named Citizen of the Year

LAKE PLACID - Local photographer and outspoken community member Mark Kurtz was named the winner of this year's Don Duso Citizen of the Year award at Wednesday night's Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting and dinner.

Speaking to an audience of more than 100 people at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, chamber Executive Director Sylvie Nelson praised Kurtz for his work as the official photographer of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, his "internationally recognized" talent as a photographer and his involvement in various community initiatives.

"The committee felt it was long overdue," Nelson said. "He's a selfless person, and we know that at the chamber first hand, just because of the fact that he doesn't count his time and he's always willing to come to the table and help out. He doesn't just do that for us. He does it for the whole community."

Nelson also said Kurtz is known for being "very opinionated," a reference to his willingness to speak out against Walmart's attempts to locate in the area and for a retail size cap in Saranac Lake.

Kurtz, who lives near Vermontville and has a photography gallery in downtown Saranac Lake, was nominated by local artist Tim Fortune, a previous winner of the award. Kurtz seemed shocked to hear his name called and received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked to the podium.

"I didn't see that coming," Kurtz told the audience. "I probably should have picked up on it when Sylvie said 'opinionated.' I'm overwhelmed, quite honestly. I'm blown away."

Kurtz said he felt there are many other people who are more deserving of the honor.

"There's so many people in our community who get involved, and that's one of the things that makes our community so special," he said. "This whole region has that kind of spirit that gets people to come out, get involved and make our community a much better place to live than it already is."

Two other awards were presented Wednesday night.

The Volunteer of the Year award went to Roger Steinbrueck, co-owner of Scott's Florist, who has spent countless hours volunteering for the chamber and maintaining the flowers in village parks, flower baskets and barrels over the years.

"Roger's work is priceless for the chamber," Nelson said in a prepared statement. "We are fortunate to have someone who, without being asked, will come and ensure that our building is as welcoming as possible."

The Business of the Year award went to St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers, which provides alcoholism and substance abuse treatment services. Nelson noted that St. Joseph's, with 140 employees, is one of the biggest employers in the area and has made the list of best places to work in New York state for the past two years. She also cited the organization's involvement in veteran initiatives through Homeward Bound Adirondacks, formerly Patriot Hills of Saranac Lake.

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace | All Over Albany

The Saranac Lake Ice Palace really is a sight to see. Thousands of blocks of ice weighing in between 400 and 800 pounds a piece were used to build the structure and luckily, it's no hands-off exhibit.

The public is welcome to come in and sit on the ice thrones (the theme this year is "medieval"), climb the stairs, take photos with the animal ice carvings, and squeeze through the small tunnels and mazes.

It was packed on Sunday -- the last day of the carnival, but the word is that the ice palace will be up (pending melt) until the end of February.

Here's more information and videos about the construction of the palace -- and a history of the carnival .

More photos after the jump.

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