SARANAC LAKE — Here are some comments by people who worked with Lou Reuter, either as a co-worker or through sports, about his departure from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News after 26-and-a-half years as sports writer.

“I cannot think of a more invested, truly local sports reporter than Lou Reuter. His love of community and the role of athletics within it are abundantly clear. Lou consistently highlighted the very best among our youth and their accomplishments. His unwavering commitment to covering our interscholastic events will surely be missed.”

— Eric Bennett, athletic director and head football coach, Saranac Lake Central School District

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“Lou has been such an inspiration to me since I started working at the Press-Republican. I remember meeting him for the first time when I was just an intern for the Press in 2016. I was covering my first sporting event ever, which was golf sectionals at the Saranac Inn. I was riding around in a golf cart, and a guy pulled up to me in a different cart and said, ‘Hey man, what’s up?’ That guy was Lou. He was so welcoming to me and said anytime I ever needed help with anything or had any questions to let him know. Since then, Lou and I created what we like to call the North Country Sports Wire Service, which involved him and I sharing stories and photos with each other to run in our respective papers’ sports sections. I will always remember all the great conversations I had with Lou over the years. We developed a great friendship, which is something I know will continue even though he is wrapping up his time at the Enterprise.”

— Joey LaFranca, sports editor, Press-Republican

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“Lou is a master of words and sports imagery (and more!). He has kept us up-to-date on all our important local sports, from school competitions to world-class events and Olympics. He can spin a phrase, make a great image and put it all together on deadline. He loves it, and it shows. Wishing him well in as he moves on with his horticultural activities but expect to see him surface at an event or two just to keep himself in the game. Game on, Lou!”

— Nancie Battaglia, photographer, Lake Placid

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“I’ve often worked with Lou at various events at the Olympic venues, and he’s phenomenal. He is so good with the athletes, with the coaches, with the fans. He’s a professional, and he takes great photography, and he writes phenomenal copy. He’s the full deal.”

— Naj Wikoff, LPN columnist

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“I have always appreciated Lou’s enthusiasm for photography and pursuing his passions. He went out of his way to show me the ropes of photographing Olympic sports in the Lake Placid region. We had some fun days at Whiteface Mountain and the sliding track at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Sorry to hear he is leaving, but I’m glad he is staying local. I’m looking forward to seeing him this summer as I work on my vegetable garden.”

— Mike Lynch, ADE reporter 2006-14

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“Lou was one of the best community journalists I’ve ever known. We’d often grab breakfast after deadline at DJ’s Rustic, where they knew his order and had it on the griddle before he’d even sat down. The old-timers would josh him and feed him news tips. I was a hard news guy, but I learned quick that if I really needed to know what was going on, I’d just ask Lou. Or the mailroom. They had their ears to their ground. He’s the kind of guy newspapers need to keep in order to thrive. People who have deep roots and can be trusted. I’m stoked for him.”

— Jacob Resneck, regional news director for CoastAlaska public radio, ADE reporter 2006-07

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“If I had to use one word to describe Lou, it would be professional. Whether it was covering a high school football game or the Winter Olympic Games, he represented the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News with the utmost grace and professionalism. His writing and photography was truly world-class, and his rapport with athletes, coaches and the people within the Tri-Lakes area and Olympic Region was second-to-none. Rarely do you find an individual who lives and breathes his work. Lou was the epitome of what an outstanding sports journalist encompasses: knowledge, talent, drive and personality. As a lifelong resident of the area, I have seen a few outstanding sports writers in my time but no one the caliber of Lou. I will always cherish the many hours we worked together in the news room and certainly those spent together in the field. It is truly an end of an era at the ADE/LPN, and I wish him well as he moves into the next stage of what had been a very successful and rewarding career.”

— Bill Johnson, ADE/LPN sports editor 2000-07

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“I worked alongside Lou in the sports department in the late ’90s. His command of the language, his rapport with the Tri-Lakes sports community, and his exhaustive knowledge of every sport he covered made him an invaluable part of the team. Lou is a unique character, to say the least, and knowing him professionally and personally has been a joy throughout the years.”

— Doug Buchanan, ADE sports editor and managing editor 1997-99

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“I remember hiring Lou Reuter and, wow, did that turn out to be a good decision for the Enterprise! He had such a great career there. Lou didn’t come in with a lot of experience … But he had passion, and he loved his community and the people who live there. Through words and photos, he has captured their humanity for others to see — and has done so for decades. The community has surely been enriched by his work.”

— John Penney, ADE managing editor 1989-97

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“Lou Reuter spent many years covering games enduring weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow and sub-zero temperatures. Lou never complained about the brutal weather (only if his camera froze up) because he loved the outdoors and the people he covered. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, his job duties changed since sporting events were canceled and he was summoned to more inside desk duties. He worked hard at any task given him with deep dedication and sense of purpose through changing conditions of the weather or the pandemic.

“Lou was loved by his co-workers and especially the community. He treated everyone he met the with the same genuine excitement as his dog Larry would greet him. He cared deeply for the young student-athletes he covered, watching their successes and defeats with the same emotions as a parent.

“Those who didn’t follow sports were able to marvel at his many award-winning photos that captured the action, the reaction and the essence of people and nature. We will miss those great photos, but we know he will soar in his new career like the photos of the eagle that are hung in the Adirondack Health Center.

“We wish him the best of luck and hope this free spirit finds his happy place working outside in nature at the Hhott House. But just like Larry the dog, we will jump with excitement to see him if he walks through the door to help out on occasion.”

— Catherine Moore, retired ADE/LPN publisher

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Also in today’s Enterprise:

— Longtime sports writer leaves ADE

— Lou Reuter’s farewell column: He says covering the kids is what he’ll miss most.