The Adirondack Park Agency gave final approval Friday to a new waterfront resort in Saranac Lake. The 93-room structure with two restaurants, a spa and meeting facilities will sit on the shore of Lake Flower. The four-acre property is squeezed between the lake and Rt. 86, one of the busiest small highways in Upstate New York. But questions continue to be raised about whether the project could have been made smaller, with fewer impacts on traffic and the environment. [full story]

Everybody's got a system for starting seeds indoors. One thing everyone has to sort out right is the lighting. Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy unpacks questions about what bulbs to choose (should you upgrade to LEDs?) and how to set them up.Short version: she's sticking with conventional fluorescent shop lights, one warm, one cool. There are increasingly efficient ones. LEDs are most efficient, but switching can be costly.And she's got a cool way to set them up. See the links. [full story]

State Senator Patty Ritchie joined leaders from the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands in Ottawa Wednesday. They testified in Parliament in support of a bill that would iron out Canada’s confusing reporting requirements for boaters on the St. Lawrence River. [full story]

This week saw some new snow, followed by rain and then an additional several inches of snow in the southern half of the Adirondacks. Last night’s temperatures took another dive, and this morning wind chills of 45 below zero are expected on summits. Luckily, more seasonable, though still cold, temperatures are in store for this weekend, with summit wind chills in the single digits expected for tomorrow and Sunday. [full story]

The Adirondack Park Agency gave preliminary approval yesterday to two projects, including a waterfront resort proposed for Saranac Lake and a new subdivision outside Lake Placid near the Adirondack Loj road that leads into the High Peaks. [full story]

Friday is not only the best day of the morning crew's work week. It's often a day of good food — live in the kitchen and/or the studio. This morning, Paul Graham stopped by again to make us breakfast. Paul is a teacher (at St. Lawrence University), a writer ("In Memory of Bread") and a cook. He's gluten free; all his cooking for us is wheat-free, too. Today, he made us fresh tortillas and scrambled eggs. [full story]

Besides making our food taste better, sodium chloride (salt) is necessary for our bodies to function. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager whet their appetites on the science of salt. [full story]

Law enforcement officials in Plattsburgh say they’ve seen an uptick in phone scams.There have been a few different schemes in the last couple of weeks: urgent-sounding calls and text messages, trying to get people to give out their personal information. The scams can be convincing, and police want people to stay alert. [full story]

A faction of breakaway Democrats in the State Senate has been gaining members lately, but they are now facing a backlash, including raucous opposition at meetings in their districts. [full story]

The Adirondack Park Agency meets in Ray Brook this morning to take up a list of possibly history-making decisions, including the future of the Boreas Ponds land classification in Essex County and a proposed new hotel and resort on the shore of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake. [full story]