- Tonight on WPBS Weekly.

Inside the Stories, the struggles, small bookstores face against giants like Amazon and what they're doing to compete.

And at Dansani Dance Company, the rhythm is contagious and the energy, electric.

Discover how this Kingston based studio offers more than just dance lessons.

Also, discover how the Erie Canal is making recreation accessible to all one small business at a time.

Your stories, your region.

Coming up right now on WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories, - WPBS weekly inside the stories is brought to you by - When you're unable to see your primary care provider.

The Carthage Walk-in Clinic is here for you.

Located off Route 26 across from Carthage Middle School.

Comfort and Healing close to home when you need it most - North Country Orthopedic Group is there for your urgent ortho or sports related injuries.

With our onsite surgical center and same or next day appointments, we're ready to provide care for patients of all ages.

Your health matters to us North Country Orthopedic Group.

Keeping healthcare local.

- We are the north country.

We're protecting one another like family is who we are and where our tomorrow will always be worth defending.

Find out how we keep the North Country strong, at claxtonhepburn.org.

Today, - Select musical performances are made possible with funds from the statewide community Regrant program, a REGRANT program of the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York state legislator administered by the St.

Lawrence County Arts Council.

- Good Tuesday evening everyone, and welcome to this edition of WPBS Weekly Inside the Stories, I'm Michael Riecke.

What started as a passion project for Rebecca Kinnie has turned into a safe and inviting place where everyone can enjoy their favorite books.

For the last five years, this little bookstore has served the Clayton community, whether through celebrating local authors and regional stories or hosting events that bring neighbors closer together as producer Gahyun Ku found out its impact on patrons is anything but small.

- Hi.

Whether it's looking for the next read or discovering a new passion, there's a lot of stories the bookstore can tell both for and about their community.

This is the case for The Little Bookstore in Clayton, where Rebecca Kinnie builds a safe and welcoming space for those stopping by.

- There hadn't been a bookstore in Clayton or anywhere in the Thousand Islands for about 10 years at that point.

And the entire community seemed to really miss it.

And I really wanted to have a store of my of my own.

I love bookstores.

I love reading, I love authors.

I love finding new gyms and talking about books.

And I thought that maybe we could give it a try.

- We really promote local writers here and regional writers and also local interests and regional interests.

We do a lot of signings and we also give people maybe that aren't published yet, a chance to try to get their book out there.

And it's amazing how many people support local authors as well - To the people of Clayton.

It's become a trusted source of knowledge, comfort, and connection.

Where do - You find these, Rebecca?

Reading is something that I really value and I really want my kids to love and enjoy as much as I do.

Being able to refer clients and friends and community to a little bookstore so that we can share our journey based on reading the same book for me too will.

It really forms a strong community of educated people who can work on the same ideas and build something even better.

- Not only do they have the variety of books, which helps me fulfill my own intellectual and I love that you can come in and you can meet people that are also shopping for, for books and get recommendations not just from the staff, but, but forming those connections.

- Every community is slightly different and there's a lot of really interesting things with just learning the different tastes of the different communities, learning what people are really hoping for and being able to provide that.

- Rebecca sees a community as a forest each part connected, each part important.

She's creating an ecosystem where bookstores thrive it's with its own character to explore.

- One of the things that is really cool that Rebecca has just done is she just created the bookstore passport.

And this this is now sold across the country and it benefits a book organization that that helps bookstores, independent bookstores that are having issues.

Portion of each one of these goes to, you know, the organization the organization decides to do with the money - This bookstore means to.

It represents the promise of tomorrow.

The act of owning and sharing books is so important.

Passing on past information and current information in a way that's easily attainable for the community.

It brings a vibrancy and a commitment to education.

And having something brick and mortar in the community is somewhere we can all go.

- More and more communities are feeling the quiet power of this bookstore, allowing them to grow into neighborhoods like Watertown.

And just recently, Cape Vincent.

- There is space for workshops, there's space for book clubs, there's space for reading groups, there's space for authors to do presentation.

And also Cape Vincent community has just embraced the bookstore wholeheartedly.

The first day we were open, I think everybody in Kate Vincent came to come visit us and say hello.

- There's such a, a large population there that's underserved for, for things like this, that, that having that as part of the community is, is so important.

- Rebecca is really in the right spot for the job.

She does a great job finding books, staying aware of current trends and sharing her enthusiasm for books that I haven't read yet.

- The Little Bookstore has grown alongside is community Caring Memories with every page.

It's more than a bookstore.

It's a reminder that supporting local keeps those stories alive.

- It's extremely important to support local bookstores because they have the ability to curate the local community and, and, and give you a taste of what's going on locally, but also what's going on in the independent bookstore community in general.

We gotta open up to ideas and empathy and understanding different cultures, understanding different beliefs.

And that's what a bookstore is all about.

'cause you have, you're surrounded by them.

- When you come into a bookstore in a local community, you get a feel for that community because all of the things that you see on the shelves are indicative of what people are reading and what people are interested in.

And you can tell an awful lot about the community just by what their bookstore looks like.

In 10 years.

I'm hoping that we will be even more of a focal point of the community and have a be a bit more of a destination and a bit of a draw to the North Country and the whole river and Thousand Islands area - In Clayton.

For WPBS Weekly, I'm Gahyun Ku, - You can visit The Little Bookstore in Clayton, Watertown, or Cape Vincent.

For more information.

Visit facebook.com/littlebookstore.

Well, the Dansani Dance Company welcomes dancers of all experience levels.

Whether you are preparing for a special event, picking up a new hobby, or simply looking to add some flare to your evenings, specializing in Latin and ballroom dance for adults.

This Kingston based studio offers more than just dance lessons.

It's a place to connect, have fun, and rediscover the joy of the movement.

The rhythm is contagious.

And the energy electric, take a look.

- 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, and three.

Specializing in Latin and ballroom dance.

Dansani Dance Company is more than a place to learn the cha-cha or waltz.

Whether students are complete beginners or experienced dancers, they come for the rhythm, but stay for the sense of community.

I grew up in a culture - Where dance really is a part of life.

You know, we, we danced in school, we would dance if there was like a, a dignitary coming to your city or your town visiting or your village and they'll gather, you know, school children to come and dance.

So it really is a, a way to welcome people into your community.

So I've been dancing since childhood, really.

And in my earlier years I became a competitive ballroom dancer.

And so with ballroom dancing it really taught a lot.

I mean, it really contributed to my growth and development.

I learned a lot about myself through ballroom dancing and through doing competition I learned about, you know, human connection, how people connect, how people communicate, even without words.

Just in the, in the way that we interacted.

I grew community, I developed long lasting friendships through that.

I really wanted to continue sharing my passion for dance.

That's really what inspired me.

I just, I love dance so much and I'm so passionate and I just wanted to share that with people and help them experience that for themselves.

- For many, it has been years since they have danced or maybe they never have, but first timers are right at home here.

There is no pressure to be perfect, just a warm, welcoming space where people are free to try to stumble, to laugh and to move.

- If I had a dollar or a penny for every time someone said that to me, I mean, of course not everyone, but there are people who really come and said, I can't dance.

I have two left feet.

And my famous line is, you've come to the right place.

I got you, I got you.

But yes, no, I mean it's amazing how many people actually really believe they cannot dance.

And so, and I really love working with those people because my goal for the very first session when we come together is not for me.

Of course I reassure them, but it's not for me to convince them that they can do it.

I want them to experience it for themselves, right?

So I take them through the steps, just like step by step.

And by the end of the first session they be like, I did it.

Oh my goodness, I didn't believe I could do this.

And so this is my goal with every single new participant, new student, is just to convince them that they can do it.

- You know, there is this misconception about dancing that dancing is for, for specific kind of people.

But that is absolutely wrong.

Dance is for everyone.

Regardless of your body type, your body shape, your size, it's you.

It's all about movement, body movement.

It is not the way, it is not rocket science.

It's not the way people see it most times.

So it is when you get involved in it.

And most important in very importantly, in the right atmosphere, the right community, you have the good hands, good instructors that can put you on the right track and guide you.

So that is where you need that guidance from the very good instructors.

And that is what we do here - At Dansani, That guidance is everywhere.

Passion radiates from every corner of the studio.

You feel it in the way they demonstrate a move in the laughter between songs and in the small encouraging moments for first timers, especially that kind of teaching can make all the difference.

- We're getting married and we wanted to learn how to dance and put on a little bit of a show.

The first couple times I was a little, little apprehensive.

I was not very good.

Took me a little while to find my timing.

But after that I really enjoy it.

I look forward to it.

It's, it's a fun thing that we do together.

And yeah, we we're going on round four now, I think.

So we keep coming back 'cause we're honestly, I kind of want to continue afterward on our wedding too.

'cause I, I'd like to get better 'cause I really enjoy it.

- And for many students that joy becomes the most unexpected gift of all.

What begins as a new skill quickly becomes something deeper, something to look forward to, something that lifts the mood and moves the soul.

People often arrive carrying the weight of the day, but that changes as soon as the music begins.

- I really have learned more about communication and connection.

Watching people dance and communicate on the dance floor.

You know, you get the whole spectrum.

You get people coming in in different, at different stages of their relationships and you know, right from early on to later on all kinds of different life circumstances.

You know, people come in and they just feel heavy.

Life feels heavy for whatever reason.

I mean, that's part of life.

And some days that's more not sensible than others, but that sort of lightness of mood as they live through the class, as they do this, they feel lighter, they feel happier, they look happier.

They say, they express that just, oh my gosh, it feels great.

I love coming to dance class because when I live I just feel so amazing.

The smiles, they don't even have to say it.

You just see it in people's faces that they've had a wonderful time - For WPBS Weekly.

I'm Gail Paquette.

- To learn more about available classes, visit dansanidanceco.ca.

The National Hockey League's 25-26 regular season officially started today.

Last Spring Akwesasne's Carey Terrance Jr.

Of the St.

Regis Mohawk tribe signed a contract to become a professional hockey player with the NHLs Anaheim Ducks.

We hear from Carey and tribal leaders on what this important event means for Akwesasne and indigenous youth everywhere.

- Oh, I think it was great for council to be here.

It's an honor to give somebody that deserves the, the credit where it's due and nobody, nobody earns it more right now than Carey Terrance.

So we're just proud that he could be here, we could be here to honor him.

And then for all the younger generations to see what's coming - Forward.

- There's a lot of young Akwesasne that now see that there's no such thing as a ceiling for what they can accomplish in life.

And we're really excited for him to continue to be that role model moving forward.

And on behalf of the tribe, we just wish him future success and we're honored to be part of this presentation on behalf of CAA management.

- Well obviously it's a dream come true.

You know, you dream of playing on the NHL as a little kid.

That's every hockey player's dream and you know, getting signed or getting drafted and getting signed.

Kind of that first step.

And you know, I'll be up there next year and you know, it's just another step and another step in the way I can feel the community support, you know, every single day, even when I'm home, you know, to have this night recognized it's an honor.

I'm usually not the one to, you know, kind of don't really like, don't really like the spotlight, but you know, if it's for the community and they wanna recognize me that I'm all for it.

And you know, thanks to Jesse and all the people that were involved, it was a great night.

And you know, it's not over yet.

We gotta win a lacrosse game.

But it was great I'm Kevin Lazore, Akwesasne TV.

- 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal.

We're celebrating this technological marvel with a multi-part special series.

Tonight we conclude our series with a look at on the Canals, an accessibility education program that offers free recreational adventures on the Erie Canal.

It's the result of a partnership whose goal is to establish inclusive recreational activities across the canal system.

- Sometimes I think people think it might be a little hard to convert this canalway into an accessible recreation space, but I also know that we did it already.

We converted this industrial use canal into a space of recreation and we needed to take it that next step so that everything that we're doing around reimagining this canal way is done through more universal design perspective.

That we are intentionally and strategically planning to bring people here with intellectual, physical, emotional disabilities and the whole family along with them.

Rochester accessible adventures has a pretty distinct mission that we want to work with businesses and industries in the recreation, sports and tourism basis and encourage them and teach them and empower them to include people with disabilities whenever their programs are running on the shores of Erie Canal.

I used to come with adaptive cycles and I ran a program from here for people with disabilities on Monday nights.

People with disabilities could come, they would be matched with the equipment that they would be using along the canal and off they would go.

I then turned and asked Erie Canal boat companies owner Peter Ley, if he would be willing to have us work with him to revamp how he operated because he was a provider of cycling and kayaking rentals along the canal way.

And he said yes.

And so we were able to begin working with him with a, a deep dive into his complete operations, programmatic, the backend operations as well as equipment.

In that first summer of his operations as an inclusive business, he had a 31% increase in revenue because of people with disabilities that were now coming here and coming with family and friends.

And that was the new narrative for Erie Canal Boat Company.

Our vision is that any small business along the canal way, whether it's a museum, whether it's a kayaking, rental, cycling, rental, or artists that are coming by and doing some of the visionary outdoor painting or even outdoor yoga on the canal, that they're able to do that in an inclusive manner with a program like on the canals.

We're assisting in their desire that every program that's funded through on the canals would be inclusive of people with disabilities as well.

Not a program for people with disabilities, but inclusive of every family and friend group.

Every individual with a disability that wants to play and engage in those adventures.

- In my role as inclusion specialists, I work with recreational businesses.

We look first and foremost at their social inclusion, their administrative practices, their website, their registration processes to help them from the start.

Let people with disabilities know that they're expected and welcomed at their, their business and programs.

And then we look also at their operations, how they run their programs, how they can be more inclusive.

And then at the physical space, if you can't physically access a business, you can't.

The other part doesn't happen.

We are working with businesses now to get them started.

Spring of 2025 is when we are hoping that these bus, this first set of businesses are up and running inclusively.

- When we start developing our villages and towns through a lens of inclusion, we're recognizing that there is incredible spending power by people with disabilities.

$4.9 billion in discretionary income.

And we can tap into that if and only if we are places that are designed inclusively.

With 80% of upstate New Yorkers living within 25 miles of the canal and knowing that there are 3.9 million people living with a disability in New York State, these businesses stand to win the villages, the towns, the cities stand to win when they are designing their economic development strategies and plans from a lens of inclusion because they're going to get all of those people, not just part of those people coming to play.

- And that does it for this Tuesday night.

Join us next time for a fresh look inside the stories Improbable Escapes in Kingston offers immersive story-driven escape room adventures, packed with challenges, hidden clues, and just the right amount of magic.

Then the exhibition, La Cartoneria Mexicana displays over 100 historic sculptures made out of paper and paste.

Also, Laura Tiberiu is back.

Her review of Harry Potter in the Half Blood Prince is a must for all Harry Potter fans.

In meantime, if you have a story idea you'd like us to explore, we would love to learn more.

All you need to do is email us at wpbs weekly@wpbstv.org and let's share it with the region.

That's it for tonight.

Have a safe evening everyone.

Until next time, take care.

- WPBS Weekly.

Inside the Stories is brought to you by - When you're unable to see your primary care provider.

A Carthage Walk-in clinic is here for you.

Located off Route 26 across from Carthage Middle School.

Comfort and Healing Close to home when you need it most - North Country Orthopedic Group is there for your urgent ortho or sports related injuries.

With our onsite surgical center and same or next day appointments, we're ready to provide care for patients of all ages.

Your health matters to us.

North Country Orthopedic Group, keeping healthcare local.

- We are the north country.

We're protecting one another like family is who we are and where our tomorrow will always be worth defending.

Find out how we keep the north country Strong, at claxtonhepburn.org.

Today, - Select musical performances are made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant program, a REGRANT program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State legislator administered by the St.

Lawrence County Arts Council.

- It is not for me, of course, I reassure them, but it's not for me to convince them that they can do it.

I want them to experience it for themselves.