I have begun research on my next book, which will tell the story of The Oswego County Pioneer Land Search & Rescue Team. The story starts in 1971, before the days of 911 and organized emergency support systems, when a local boy was lost in the Adirondacks and never found. A Fulton man was following the tragic story and vowed to do something so that no family would ever have to suffer such a loss again. Within weeks of the boy's disappearance, the man had reached out to the Central New York community and the first search and rescue team in New York State was born. Today it is one of the most respected teams throughout New York State and beyond.
I'll be writing the full history of the team, now in its 45th year, by profiling the heroic men and women who started it and the many accomplishments they achieved along the way. To facilitate my research, I'll be hosting a series of programs at Oswego County libraries, where I'll tell some of the group's history and ask for audience reactions, hear stories of any connection they may have to the search and rescue team and any storiesof the group's work. To see where I'll be presenting the program, please click on the "Readings" link above and review the list of my upcoming appearances. You can contact me for more information by using the "Contact" link above.
This writing project has been made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts. I am proud to be a 2016 recipient of the CNY Arts' Individual Artist Commission.