My Little Falls is a product of The Creative Outpost, Inc., a local media site covering the City of Little Falls, the Town of Little Falls, Dolgeville, Salisbury, and the surrounding area. Its mission is to generate interest in those communities and connect residents more meaningfully by facilitating deeper conversations about how news and events will shape the area’s future.
It’s about big news in small towns and how it impacts everyday life.
It’s about timely local news for the community, keeping citizens informed about important issues, telling stories about the people who live and work here, and allowing locally owned businesses to reach a very targeted audience of residents and tourists alike.
It’s a new form of media-rich content developed specifically for today’s mobile lifestyle and listeners.
Studies have shown that when news coverage disappears, people are less informed, civic participation drops, and political corruption increases.
My Little Falls also has a monthly print product called the Mohawk Valley Express. The paper is distributed on the first Friday of each month and focuses on the upcoming month’s activities. You can pick up a free copy of the paper at many of your local stores, restaurants, and businesses. It covers the Valley from Fort Plain to Frankfort.
For daily Valley news, follow the online version at www.mohawkvalleyexpress.com.
The founders of My Little Falls
David E. Warner has been a photographer since 1976. In 2001, he began focusing on using the arts and cultural programs as an economic stimulus to revitalize downtown districts in Texas. This was accomplished by working with Chambers of Commerce, Tourism groups, and area businesses to develop community branding and marketing action plans around cultural programs.
He was a founder of the Earthman Art Center in Galveston (and its Executive Director), was a co-owner of Bremond House Gallery, a Director of the Galveston Art League, helped form the 501C3 Elgin Arts Association, and began Art Walks and other arts-related events in Texas. In New York, he has been involved in several art-related activities – most recently as a panel member of the Saratoga Arts Grants panel, serving as its chair in 2015.
At the end of 2008, Dave and his family moved to the Little Falls area. In his ‘spare’ time, he works on capturing the breathtaking beauty of the Mohawk Valley and Southern Adirondacks region with his landscape and aerial images. He also captures the profiles of the unique people living in each area through his “Signature Series” of painted portraits and film documentaries.
Dave started Art in the Adirondacks – the first media company devoted solely to delivering news about the arts through its regional coverage of art events and interviews with artists who the Adirondacks inspire.
Today, Dave fully focuses on The Creative Outpost, Inc., whose mission is to build a skilled-trades workforce of content creators supporting the technology, media, and film industries. My Little Falls is one of the resulting products of this focus, as is the Mohawk Valley Express print edition. If you want to follow some of his more personal stories, images, and video projects, you can sign up below.
Deborah A. Kaufman is an experienced entrepreneur and marketing executive with a 25-year track record of developing successful marketing plans to commercialize products and services for Fortune 500 companies and technology startups. Over the years, Kaufman founded four companies and held C-level positions at private and publicly traded technology companies. Her company, Kaufman Marketing Group, was listed as one of the Top 25 Ad Agencies and Top 25 Web Developers in the Austin area for several years. Kaufman was often called upon as a public speaker on Internet marketing and branding.
Kaufman’s passion for the arts grew during her off time; as a stained glass artist for over 30 years (installations can be seen throughout Houston and Galveston) and, more recently, as a self-taught landscape artist inspired by her childhood spent in the Adirondacks (her work can be found at www.deborahkaufmanstudio.com). Kaufman has also been a co-owner of two fine art galleries and an arts incubator, learning to appreciate the history of art and the often subtle nuances of what collectors look for in representational and abstract art.
Throughout the years, Kaufman has been a staunch supporter of arts and arts organizations, helping artists to create and build upon their unique brands. In 2002, Kaufman began transitioning her consulting business to focus on empowering small arts communities with the marketing tools necessary to use art and arts activities as a catalyst for economic development.
Through her love of the arts and her extensive background in commercializing products and services, she developed arts-related marketing strategies for artists, organizations, and communities that include: Earthman Art Center, Art in the Park Galveston, Historic Downtown Partnership – Galveston, Galveston Seaport Museum, Rosenberg Library Museum-Galveston, Bremond House Gallery-Elgin, Treenware Folk Art Gallery & Studio-Elgin, City of Elgin, Georgetown Arts Group, Wimberley Arts League, Village of Salado and others.
Today, Kaufman resides in the Little Falls area with her husband and continues to share her marketing knowledge about the positive economic impact that arts and arts-related activities can bring to a community.
My Little Falls Contributors
As a Professional Nature Photographer, Naturalist, and Outdoor Educator, Joan Herrmann has been teaching and doing programs for Schools, Garden Clubs, Libraries, and Nature Centers, for about 38 years. After moving from the Rochester area in 1995, she began her Photography business, Essence of Nature, and became a co-owner of The Artworks in Old Forge, New York. As a docent at Munson, Williams, Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, New York, she has been educating children and adults for nineteen years.
In 2007 she began working with the Black River Outdoor Educational Program (BROEP). In 2013 and 2014 did a week-long summer program at BROEP in conjunction with Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC). Using her love of nature and photography, she created a Flora/Fauna outdoor educational program teaching students (ages 6 to 14) the joys of nature and creative photography skills.
Joan’s love of nature has been a lifelong study of Birds, Wildflowers, Mosses, Ferns, Trees, Amphibians, Reptiles, Grasses, Insects, Spiders, Tracks, Scat, and Galls. She has assisted in cataloging all trails used by the hiking Coaches and photographed and identified seasonal Flora.
Since October 2016, she has been writing a bimonthly nature column with Adirondack Express Newspaper. In October of 2019, she began a bi-monthly column with My Little Falls Newspaper. You may reach her at Jmphoto8442@gmail.com.
Katie Drake moved to Little Falls in 2003 and fell in love with this city. She says she isn’t really a writer but a storyteller.
The opportunity to highlight the great people of Little Falls and share her personal perspectives and some humor from time to time piqued her interest, and here we are.
Just ask her, and she’ll tell you that after growing up in Millers Mills, with a population of 25+ (according to the sign), Little Falls was just the right size. Katie is the oldest of two brothers and five sisters.
In 2020 Katie and her best friend Chris began their greatest adventure yet in 2020 with the birth of their sweet and sassy son Nolan who makes them laugh every day.
In her free time, Katie loves to snowmobile, golf, hike, and travel.
If you have feedback on one of her articles or an idea for a story, please feel free to reach out to Katie at KatherineDrakeLF@gmail.com. She would love to hear from you.
If this article leaves you wanting more, or you are just bored out of your mind, feel free to check out other articles she has contributed by visiting Katie Drake Archives – My Little Falls.
A Marketing professional for over 20 years, Carol Vogel is always writing. She enjoys telling stories, from crafting brand strategies and identities to creating social media campaigns, copywriting, and building websites. Carol has also designed and developed course content as an adjunct faculty member at Herkimer College.
Carol was raised in Dolgeville, N Y, the youngest of seven children. Moving away to pursue her education and career strengthened her appreciation of this beautiful area. She is excited to highlight stories from her hometown for the readers of My Little Falls.
Carol loves to entertain. Hosting game nights and outdoor movies allows her to gather people together. She loves making homemade pasta, is obsessed with great food, and when given a choice, she will always choose cake.
Carol lives in Little Falls with her husband, Andy, and their black lab, Gypsy, who likes to take walks very early in the morning.
If you have a story idea or want to reach out, you may contact Carol through her email at carolvogel11@gmail.com.
Denise Gregorka is a longtime Little Falls resident who has a love for the city’s people & history.
She is married to Craig, who is a Little Falls native, retired photographer & former business owner.
Denise has done costume collaboration for Broadway and off-Broadway theatre for 18+ years and has also been an antique/collectibles dealer for over 25 years.
She is not a professional writer but is compelled to hear and share the “background story” from engaging Little Falls residents.
If you’d like to reach out to Denise about a story idea, you can email her at gork4444@gmail.com.
Allysa was born and raised in the Mohawk Valley and returned after graduating from SUNY Fredonia in 2013.
Allysa spent ten years working full-time in the Human Services field, including domestic violence victim advocacy, social services, and a health homes organization. Allysa is now focusing on homeschooling her daughter and starting a small farm on the property she and her husband, Dusten, own outside Little Falls.
Allysa enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, and creating art.
She strives to write articles that give practical information on self-sufficiency and homesteading and pieces that focus on local farms, homeschooling, and family events in the area.