Columnist
Kindergarten teacher Temnit Muldowney and Nicky Hylton-Patterson pose with a basket filled with donations from local businesses to welcome a new family in Saranac Lake. (Provided photo Naj Wikoff)
On Dec. 2, 2019, Nicole Hylton-Patterson was hired as the Adirondack Diversity Initiative’s first director. A year later, she’s now providing a bundle of gifts gathered from area shops to an African American family that’s recently settled in Saranac Lake. This is one of many initiatives she’s launched to make the region more welcoming to visitors of diverse backgrounds and, in this case, a family that’s taking up residence.