Tupper Arts Center get new facade

This new colorful banner comprised of art works from high school art teacher Shannon Kavanagh's students now vividly point the way to the new headquarters of Tupper Arts on Park Street.  The new place which will home to a host of artistic and cultural events in the weeks, months and years to come will be officially shown off to the public at an opening gala planned on Tuesday, August 7.  For details of the gala and how to purchase tickets, check out the advertisement  in this week's issue. 

Village officials: “Don't be afraid to water your lawns!”

“Don't be afraid to water your lawns!” is the message from village leaders to village residents and water district customers this week.
“I'd like people to water their lawns!” Trustee Ron LaScala, who oversees the water and sewer department, announced at Wednesday's monthly village board meeting.
“We want to put our new wells to the test...so go ahead and water!” he asserted.
Water and Sewer Superintendent Mark Robillard, in his report to the board, said he'd like “to push the new wells to the limit” to get an exact idea of their performance and recovery times.
He warned homeowners, however, to use some discretion and not let their hoses run continuously. “I don't want folks to be foolish” with their water use.
Mr. Robillard said these hot, dry summer days are optimal to test the new system, which came on line in recent weeks.
In past summers, when all village water was drawn from Tupper Lake and Little Simond, residents were asked to water their lawns only  on alternative days, as those sources required expensive chemicals to treat their water.
“Normally at this time of year we'd be doing a lot of backwashing at those two plants- and running into a lot of overtime” wages because we had employees working weekends and evenings.
With the plentiful supply of water coming out of those new wells beyond Pitchfork Pond, and the fact that the new water source requires a relatively little amount of treatment, his department will see a lot less over-time, it was noted.
Mr. Robillard said since the new village well water system came on line in the past two weeks, customers have been enjoying “cold, clear water” from their taps.
Any cloudiness that was noticed in the days following the start-up should now be gone, and if it persists, he said his office would like to know about it.
“How's the water pressure in the Junction neighborhoods?” Mayor Paul Maroun asked the room that evening.
“I noticed a little drop, but it's still great,” said Cedar Street resident Pete Edwards, code enforcement officer.
“Mine's fine!” noted planning board member Jan Yaworski, who has done extensive renovations to her Oak Street house where she hopes to eventually devote one bedroom to a bed and breakfast operation.
To enjoy the full benefit of the new clean and minimally treated well water flowing into town down the new mains on Kildare Road, Mr. Robillard suggested residents clean the screens on their faucets.
Mr. LaScala said right now all the village's water is coming from the new wells, and not from Little Simond or Tupper Lake, the latter of which will soon be mothballed by the village.
The wells are both holding about 54 feet in height of water and are replenishing almost immediately, the trustee told his colleagues and the public that evening.
“The wells are both holding very level,” in terms of their water content, Mr. Robillard agreed.
As of publishing time, the water experiment has ended.

Evening games delights crowd again

One of the highlights of the Tupper Lake Woodsmen's Days is the Saturday evening games, and this year was no exception.
As always the crowd, dominated with local residents, loved the excitement.
This year offered five male tug of war teams and the groaning and grunting of big men was pronounced throughout the contest.
The winners this year after some major struggles was the Lizotte Logging team.  A pick-up team of kayakers training at the Lake Placid training center plus Brent Bowman's sons Connor and Michael put together the second best effort of the evening. Their team was called Team Gutpa.
A team called Mossy Oak pulled third best.  Young Life had a team in it this year too.
In the women's tug of war Rope Burn, a group of local ladies continued their winning ways for about the fourth year in a row with another first place finish.
An offshoot team from that same winning gang, called Burn Rope, managed the second prize.  Some gals in town for a bridal party put together a third place win with a team called Merger.  The gals even treated the crowd to a patriotic song after the pulling.
Team Danny, another Young Life contribution, was the fourth set of ladies to pull.
By contrast to earlier years when as many as five or six teams tried to scale the grease pole, Saturday's climb only attracted two.
Back for their eleventh try up the pole to ring the bell was Tupper's best, Team Dozer, which is always dominated by members of the Skiff family.
For the first time in ten years, the agile climbers didn't ring the bell, although top man Ryan Skiff came within an inch or so of doing it.
Missing this year on the team was anchor man Ricky Skiff and in his place was Josh Dupuis.  Also missing from the line-up was Travis Skiff.  Back this year were Ryan Moeller and Chase Kavanagh and a new member was Joel Counter.
Although no bell was rung, Team Dozer was still the winner.
The other climbing team was The Bear in Camp from Young Life.
This year featured a team of women climbers, and some of the cast of Rope Burn.  The lady climbers were Michaela Warren, Alyssa Rupert, Crystal (Reandeau) Billian, Yvonne Sutton and Paige Foley.
Good job, girls!

Woodsmen’s Days heavy equipment contests draw many teams

by Rich Rosentreter
Contestants were able to show off their ability to operate functions of heavy equipment as part of the Woodsmen’s Days competitions over the weekend.
Among the heavy equipment competitions were a loading contest, skidding competition, truck driving contest and four-man competition.
There were 15 competitors in the loading contest in which basically each competitor uses a hydraulic loader to transfer eight wooden blocks, one by one, from red squares on a grid to red squares on another grid then return them to the red squares on the original grid for a checker board contest.
This competition was won by Jon Duhaime with a time of 3:22.20. The runner-up was Scott Lizotte with a time of 3:26.08 and taking third place was Buck North with a time of 3:27.09.
The skidding competition featured 20 contestants with 11 being from out of town. Contestants had to dismount the machine, hook chokers on logs, return to machine, fasten seatbelt and proceed around obstacle course as directed by judges. There were also four women who gave it a try as well.
Taking first place was Scott Lizotte with a time of 1:08.33. Coming in second was Mike Moon Jr. with a time of 1:23.32 and taking third place was Will Middlemiss with a time of 1:24.83.
In the trucking competition there were six contestants who demonstrated their truck-driving skills on an obstacle course and also had to back the rig to a loading platform.
Buck North captured first place with a time of 0:45.39. In second place was Scott Lizotte (1:00.72) and taking the third spot was James “Beefy” Donah (1:07.08).
In the four-man competition there were six teams total, with one team being a female squad. This event was introduced to Woodsmen’s Days in 1986 and gives the spectator a first-hand look at what is a typical day for a crew, according to the Woodsmen’s website. Each team member performs one phase of the simulated logging operation as the cutter fells three trees, then the skidder chokes the logs and brings them to the landing. The loader operator and the cutter work together to buck the logs and then load them on the truck. The trucker then hauls the logs to the finish line and the team with the lowest total time is declared “Top Crew of the Woods” the site explains.
In first place was the team of Jon Duhaime, Mike Rust, Scott Lizotte and Frank Tice with a time of 6:31.82 and one penalty. In second place was the team of Mike Trivieri, Bob Schram, Neilson Snye and Buck North with a time of 7:23.15 and one penalty.
The women’s team included Ciera North as the skidder, Stephanie Breton as the loader and Tenielle Moeller manning the truck. Hank Denis served as cutter (we didn't want a woman really running a chainsaw in case of an accident, organizers said).
According to one event worker, the girls had fun and the crowd really enjoyed watching women try what some of these men do every day.

Huge shovel employed for field ground-breaking

Huge shovel employed for field ground-breaking
A collection of village board members, leaders of the Tupper Lake Softball and Baseball Association, pint-size baseball players and local Rotarians gathered Thursday at 7:30 a.m. to officially break ground at the new “Field of  Dreams” Little League-sized field in the municipal park, just beyond the Little Logger playground.  The group did the official start of digging in a big way, with the bucket of Adam Boudreau's giant Volvo excavator.  Kentile Excavating is doing the “dirt work” part of the field development this summer. (McClelland photo)

Drunk driver raises havoc in Tupper Sunday evening

Photo by Jim Lanthier

by Phyllis Larabie
At approximately 9:40p.m. Sunday evening Contractor and Village Trustee Clint Hollingsworth and his wife were watching television in their Lindsay Ave. home when they heard a loud crunching sound. When they looked out the window they noticed a minivan had hit their porch.
Clint said he watched the vehicle back up and head down Lindsay Ave. towards Park Street. He said it appeared that the minivan had been driving down Freeman Street and went straight through the T- intersection, just missing his wife's car, before hitting their porch.
After the crash the minivan's driver apparently left Lindsay Ave.  turned right on Park St.  and headed east on the state highway.
Traveling up Park Street,  the vehicle left the  road and veered across the property of the Park Motel, hitting some chairs on the lawn and dragging them. The van also left ruts in the moist lawn.  
Maggie Ernenwein,  co-owner of the Park Motel said, she contacted the police department via their Facebook page to notify them of an  erratic driver and she was contacted back within minutes. She stated that as she was outside picking up the pieces of the broken chairs, a police car drove past her going out towards Saranac Lake. and within minutes they were flying back by her place, coming back into town.
Before his return to the village, Gilbert, according to state police, veered off the north shoulder of the state highway at 2371 State Route 30, striking a sign post.  He then backed into that private driveway and headed back onto the state highway, failing to yield the right of way.  His vehicle  struck a 2013 Dodge Charger driven b Timothy Larabie, 25, of Tupper Lake.
The Larabie vehicle spun 180 degrees, exiting the north shoulder of the highway and flipped onto the driver's side.  Gilbert left the scene, headed back toward the village.
 State Police responding to the rollover observed Gilbert's 2018 Chrysler Pacifica leaving the scene, traveling west at a high rate of speed.
The driver of the Chrysler failed to comply when troopers activated the emergency lights and sirens. The vehicle continued west, and headed into the Village of Tupper Lake, continued down Park Street and rear-ended a  2008 Jeep at the intersection of Park Street and Hill,  before coming to rest.  
Tupper Lake Fire Department and Tupper Lake Rescue were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at 9:57p.m. to  2712 State Route 30 by Dugal Road for a one car rollover.
At 10 p.m.- just three minutes from the first call- Tupper Lake Fire Department and Tupper Lake Rescue were notified of a two-car motor vehicle accident at the corner of Hill and Park.
The Tupper Lake Rescue Squad volunteers responded with two ambulances.  The driver of the Chrysler van, Leo A. Gilbert, 49, of Ogdensburg, was transported to AMC for minor injuries.
The occupants of the Jeep were Tina Vaillancourt, 49, and Desirae Sutton, 24, formerly of Hammond, now from Tupper Lake. Vaillancourt was treated at the scene for neck pain and Sutton was apparently not injured.
Gilbert submitted to a blood test to determine the alcohol and/or drug content of his blood. He was treated and released from Adirondack Health into state police custody.
He was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment 1st degree, unlawfully fleeing a police officer in motor vehicle, third degree, and driving while intoxicate – first offense, as well as numerous vehicle and traffic violations.
Gilbert was arraigned in the Tupper Lake Village Court before Justice Christopher Delair and remanded to Franklin County Jail in lieu of $500 cash bail or $1,000 bond.
Village Police were assisted by sate police troopers, and the U.S. Border Patrol, which was in the area that evening.  
A unit from the Saranac Lake Rescue Squad responded to the Route 30 rollover.
The driver of the sedan asked this reporter to remind people to "please think twice before getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.”

Local hockey player returns from Russia hockey tourney

by Rich Rosentreter
A local hockey player, 11-year-old Karter Kenniston, recently took part in the EuroChem Cup, which is one of the largest children’s hockey tournaments in Europe.
Kenniston and his family recently returned to Tupper Lake after the trip to Russia and Karter’s father Korey spoke to the Free Press about the hockey tournament, which took place last month in Novomoskovsk, Russia and included teams from eight different nations: Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Switzerland and the United States.
Kenniston said that the U.S. team was composed of players from across northern New York, including Albany, Syracuse and Utica.
“It was great. We were over there for six days. It’s like nothing you’re ever going to do again. It was pretty awesome,” Korey said. “The tournament was set up like a mini-Olympics for kids. We got to see the culture over there and how people live. When you think of people in Russia you think of Moscow. It’s really a lot different when you get outside of the city. It’s a different culture over there. We learned a lot about them.”
“What you hear about in politics, it’s a lot different than what you would think. Before the trip I heard comments like ‘Oh, you’re crazy to go over there,’” Kenniston said. “But it was really safe.”
Kenniston said that Russia was better than he expected and there was a high level of competition at the tournament.
“The level of hockey that the other countries brought was extremely high. For our kids, it was their first experience. The kids stayed in a separate resort area and the parents stayed about a half an hour away,” he said. “We didn’t really see the kids too much. But they got a chance to interact with kids from other countries at the resort, not just playing hockey. They played soccer, ate together and communicated the best they could I guess. Just that experience for the kids was pretty amazing.”
    Despite the difference in hockey training and a language barrier, all the kids in the tournament had one main thing in common: their love of the game of hockey—and it wasn’t all about winning.
“It was basically about the experience. The teams that we played against, our coaches got a chance to talk to them about the game of hockey. Their teams were real national teams and had players from across the whole country. When they’re kids that age at that level they go to a hockey academy which is like a prep school. These kids are away from their families, they play hockey seven days a week.”
Although the European teams had more experience, the locals were not intimidated, Kenniston said. “They had a lot of fun. We didn’t get crushed. We won one game, and other games were like 6-2 and 5-1. The kids competed well. It was really competitive. We weren’t out of place by any means,” he said.
At least one game, against Germany, was played with a greater intensity.
“The game got extremely physical and there were a couple of fights. It was pretty intense,” Kenniston said, adding that the best thing was that any animosity did not follow the kids off the ice. “But the next day, the kids were playing soccer with the German kids and were having a blast. They forgot about the game, and even though they could not talk to teach other (due to the different language), they were playing a sport and forgot about hockey. It was great.”
Kenniston said there were other lessons for the American players and parents during the trip as they experienced another culture. One thing was the food, which he termed as “bad,” mainly because it wasn’t what they were not used to.
“Some stuff was OK. We went to restaurants, but we didn’t really know what to get,” he said. “Sometimes we didn’t even know what we were ordering, some things we never even heard of.”
“We saw how people lived. We go to a lot of hotels (in U.S.) for tournaments, but over there you get a room with a bed and the bathroom is just big enough for you to step inside and that’s the norm over there. It’s a lot simpler lifestyle,” Kenniston said, adding that even players on the other teams provided a learning experience. “Their discipline level was off the roof. It’s not like some of the kids here. They’re really on the straight and arrow, sort of like robots. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But our kids saw that.”
“Our kids got a chance to tour Moscow and saw some of the big churches and Red Square,” Kenniston said. “We took a tour and our guide provided a history of the country. (Russia) is an old country compared to us. I think the kids didn’t realize that. So they learned and that was pretty cool.”
“Kids here take a lot of things for granted. They don’t understand that other people don’t have the amenities that we have and they take for granted every day,” he added. “They got to actually experience that, not just somebody telling them that.”
All-star
Karter had an added bonus at the conclusion of tournament play when he was selected to play in the All-star Game. Kenniston said there were several former National Hockey League players on each squad along with three kids from each country. Segei Federov (Detroit Red Wings), Slava Fetisov (New Jersey Devils and Red Wings) and Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) were some of the former NHL stars to take the ice with the kids.
“That was pretty special. It was pretty special having those guys on the ice,” he said, adding that although Karter scored no goals being a defenseman (he did have two assists), he would love to go to another European tourney in the future.
“He enjoyed it. The way they did the tournament over there was nice. It’s one of the biggest tournaments in Europe. I asked him if he’d want to go back and he said he would in a heartbeat.”

Editorial: PD's bike rodeo was amazing

Tupper Lake Police Officer Mike Vaillancourt outdid himself this year in the 11th staging of his bike rodeo, sponsored annual by the Tupper Lake PD and several local groups and businesses.  Mike promised our readers last week the event would be bigger and better than any he has produced in the past and it was.
It was a grand affair, from its start at 10a.m. Saturday to the finish four hours later.  The laughter of hundreds of children and the very visible efforts of youngsters challenging themselves through skills and drills to be better bicycle operators were clear evidence of its success.
From humble beginnings 11 years ago when Officer Mike started the program to teach kids bicycle safety, its growth over the years has been amazing.  He told us last week he only had enough money to give out 15 bicycle helmets down at the firemen's strip that first year.
Last year, the first time it was held at the new Emergency Services Building after years at the L.P. Quinn lower parking lot, the event drew about 300 children and there were 140 bike helmets given away to local bike riders.
This year Mike figures there were 600 participants and 225 helmets were distributed to kids without them.  What a great investment in the community and in the health of our youngsters!
The weather was perfect Saturday, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the high sixties and low seventies....perfect bike riding weather.
Mike said this week our strong plug for his event in the story we ran about it in last week's issue was a big factor in the huge attendance boost this year.  Thanks, Mike! It's easy to promote good things and the annual bike rodeo is certainly one of those things.
There were some important lessons for kids and their parents to learn that day.
The New York State Police “seat belt convincer” roll-over vehicle, brought to the event by Trooper Mike Kohan and Station Commander and Sergeant Ryan Fountain, made a very vivid impression on the minds of everyone who watched it roll over that seat belts save lives.
Without a seat belt the dummy inside was freely tossed about and sometimes tossed out.  It didn't take much imagination to figure out how serious the injuries would have been to the dummy not wearing a seat belt.
At one point he folded like a crushed cup under the vehicle after expulsion.
Another greater demonstrator of danger that day was the Franklin County Traffic Safety Board's pedal car which youngsters were encouraged to drive through a course of cones, while wearing goggles that simulated impaired driving.  We took a look through them and everything was very distorted.  The kids struggled to stay on course, as a drunk driver would.
Through Rick Reandeau, who always brings along the Woodmen Life bounce house, two new portable slides were secured for the event from Taylor Rental in Saranac Lake.  Judging by the lines of kids waiting to board them they were extremely popular.
The little ones seemed to like to bounce but older kids really liked the slides, one of which was an alligator.
So popular were the inflatables that Mike plans to add another Taylor Rental piece- a 60 foot long inflated obstacle course with lots of challenges for youngsters.
There were both off road and on road courses to challenge the bike skills of kids, and there was a constant flow of riders through them.
DPW Superintendent Bob DeGrace and his men created an incredible course between the ESB and the arena and it featured a number of obstacles.  Great job, DPW'ers.
Flutterbug the Clown who has been making kids laugh and painting their faces since almost the event started was another popular feature of this year's event.
A large number of community volunteers were also present from the members of the Kiwanis Club signing up kids for free things including two new bicycles to students like Henry Denis tending to the
 obstacle courses to firemen like Haji Maroun and Scott Shannon cooking hot dogs and hamburgers.  The one we were offered was great, but paled, of course, to one of those Lions burgers, smothered with Lions onions, that were being served that day by Lions Kurt and Mark Garrelts down in the park at the James Person Memorial Tournament
The inside of the fire station was filled with booths and vendors giving out assortments of safety reminders and souvenirs to the kids.
One of the greatest things about Mike's event is that there is never an excuse for any child or adult to leave hungry.
Shaheen's Supermarket generated the makings of 500 hamburgers and hot dogs- and added another 50 sets when the firemen ran out.  The local IGA is very generous when it comes to kids, as many of our local businesses are.
Dozens of pizzas were furnished by Guido's Pizzeria.
Stewarts completely ran out of its five large tubs of ice cream, given out as part of its make your own sundae gift.
There were only five bottles of water left from a donation by Jreck Subs of over 400 bottles.
The Larsen family's ice machine couldn't keep up to the demand for free snow cones.
Judging by the sticky faces we saw the Piercefield Fire Department ladies auxiliary's cotton candy was a hit too.  Pounds and pounds of delicious popcorn was generated by the Aubuchon Hardware staff.
With all the various types of treats available, we reckon there was more than a few kids with upset bellies that evening.
The availability of two bike mechanics from High Peaks Cyclery, who came armed this year with a host of bike parts for fixes on the spot, was a big boost for the event this year.  In past years there has been only one mechanic there for free tune-ups.
One local mother on a fixed income was incredibly appreciative of the repairs done to her daughter's bike there.  Without the assistance of that company she didn't have the money to get her child's bike fixed this summer and the girl would have went without.  The mother's eyes were full of tears as she thanked Officer Vaillancourt.
Something new this year- in an effort to keep kids there until 2p.m. was a huge giveaway of 75 gift certificates to McDonald's for Happy Meals and 100 Stewart's sundaes.  It didn't work out as well as Mike planned, time-wise.  It took almost 45 minutes to call out and find the winners.  Next year  Mike is just going to call up all the kids and give them free certificates for the treats.
The budget for the event has grown dramatically over the years.  In the early years Officer Vaillancourt spent weeks drumming up funds for it.
This year the event got a $2,000 boost from the village its the police department's budget and $5,000 when a $2,500 gift from the Sellon family of Gull Pond was matched by the Adirondack Trust.
Mike will be working with the Adirondack Trust's Russ Cronin in the week's ahead for other gifts from the charitable foundation.
Not counting the very generous donations of food products and gifts from local business, over $10,000 is spent each year on helmets and other products that are given out to local children.
Mike told us this week his event would not be possible without the amazing support he gets from this community, its organizations and businesses.
They are the reason, he says, the event continues to flourish year after year, treating kids and their families to a great day and teaching them valuable lessons of bicycle safety.
-Dan McClelland

Plenty of action last weekend at James Person Memorial Tournament

All weekend long,  both local and out-of-town softball teams got together for the James Person Memorial Softball Tournament.
Out of the ten co-ed teams that participated, five were made up of local players. The Tupper Lake teams were, Park Street Hair and Nails, Hollingsworth Hammers, Sportfolios, Dobber’s Dogs and the Team Against Cancer.
Despite the informal nature of the tournament with altered rules to move the games along quicker, each team played competitively with heavy hitting and fast plays. “It’s really is great softball,” said Mayor Paul Maroun. “Everything went great,” said organizer, and Hollingsworth Hammer’s player Kyle Kavanagh. “It was another smooth year with great weather.”
The winner of the tournament was Clint Hollingsworth’s team the Hollingsworth Hammers.
All of the proceeds generated by the tournament go towards the James Person scholarship—a scholarship that is given each year to a Tupper Lake student, who mirrors James' robust and outgoing personality. In the wings at the tournament was the famous Lion’s Club Cook Shack, under the direction of tournament fans Lions Kurt and Mark Garrelts.  The club donates all of its proceeds from the weekend sales of hamburgs, hot dogs, sausages and breakfast sandwiches to the scholarship. The announcement of the monies raised will come in an upcoming issue.

Bandshell skeleton pegged, bolted in place in short order by framing crew

Bandshell skeleton pegged, bolted in place in short order by framing crew
Last Tuesday evening saw the start of the erection of the timbers that form the skeleton of the new Lions bandshell in the Flanders Park section of the village municipal park. A small crew from New Energy Works timber framers with the help of the company's crane was able to peg all the timbers together in less than five hours and by mid-day Wednesday it was all put together.  This week a Lions Club detail of volunteers consisting of carpenters both in the club and in the community will begin to put some meat on the bandshell framework which will include inch and one half thick mahogany tongue and groove roof decking.  The finish work there, which will also include a small closet in the rear of the performing venue,  is under the direction of Contractor Tom LaMere, an officer of the Tupper Lake Lions Club for for many years. These photos show some of the company's crew members handling the large Douglas Fir timbers early Wednesday.  Also on site that morning were Electrical Superintendent Marc Staves and Lineman Chris Zaidan to keep an eye on the conduits and other electrical infrastructure placed there in recent weeks by the village electric crew.  The photos below show some of the village leaders on site about 9:30 a.m. and some of the work in the late morning. (photos by Dan McClelland and Ian Roantree)

New arts center to open on Park St.

by Dan McClelland
Tupper Lake's uptown business district will soon be home to a new arts center where  various types of art and music will be enjoyed and cultivated throughout the entire year.
Two years ago Louise McNally took over the direction of Tupper Lake's Art Show and last year she paired it with a very successful street festival with the help of a small committee of volunteers.  She is also currently the mainstay of the Tupper Lake beautification program with the village, where pots of flowers and greenery now grace our business districts every season of the year.
Since last summer the local resident has been working on a replacement to the defunct Tupper Lake Arts Council, which folded about two years ago.  This spring saw the birth of the new cultural organization here called Tupper Arts.
 Tupper Arts' first event happened in April with the successful staging of Tupper's first Mud Ball at the train station.  The informal gala raised over $4,000 to pay for  entertainment Friday nights this summer at the new Lions bandshell in what Tupper Arts is calling its Summer Sunset Series of free concerts.
Two of the people who Louise has gathered around her this past year are newcomers Tony and Lynn Quinn who three years ago purchased from the Tupper Lake Christian Center congregation the building that was for decades the home of Futterman Furniture at 106 Park Street.
Louise and members of her small group and the Quinns have been meeting in recent weeks and in recent days finalized an arrangement where the spacious storefront building will be home to a new arts center.
“We're very excited about it!” Mrs. McNally said Monday.  She said one of her dreams in recent years has been to open an arts center in Tupper Lake.”
“Tony and Lynn were very supportive of providing us space when we approached them.  Like us they are very excited about what can happen there in the years to come.”
“They love the community.  They really want to make a difference!” Mrs. McNally told the Free Press.
Lynn is the daughter of  Woody Maroun, a popular barkeeper here for many years and Nancy (Peets) Maroun.
Lynn was born in Tupper Lake and she and her parents moved to Buffalo when she was three but visited here often over her childhood as w the majority of her family members live here.  She lived here in 1984 and 1985, helping her dad run Woody's High Hat Lounge on Park Street. That was also the year she met Tony in Florida.
The couple lived there through 2012 when they moved to Tennessee. They are currently transitioning into Tupper Lake full time.
The storefront areas in the front of the building will become retail space where Tupper Arts in a new gift gallery will sell the paintings, crafts, jewelry and other products of local artisans and crafts people.
The organization will be looking for volunteers in the months to come to staff the store.
In the spacious area  partitioned off behind the retail and office areas in front is where arts, culture and music will be enjoyed and promoted in various types of exhibits, shows and live performances in the months ahead.
The building features about 9,600 square feet of space spread over its main level and basement level floors- so there's plenty of room for cultural endeavors and activities of all sorts.
“In addition to art shows, musical theater, dramatic productions, etc. for the community to enjoy we want to be a place to foster local talent,” Mrs. McNally explained.  To that end, the new Tupper Arts Center will be home to a variety of workshops and classes over the course of the year where people can take art lessons, music lessons, dance classes- the majority of them taught by local artists and musicians.
She said she was hopeful those folks will come forward to share their talents with others.
The goal of the Tupper Arts leaders is to also make the new place self-supporting through the activities hosted there.
“Our goal is also to become the hub for many good things to happen here, and particularly the development of a love and appreciation of art and music by our young people.”
The fledgling Tupper Arts committee is in the process of obtaining not for profit status through the Internal Revenue Service and once that designation is granted all donations will be tax deductible.  In the meantime the new group is working with ARISE, which has that status currently.
The building that the Quinns will make available to Tupper Arts is “perfect for our purposes,” she noted this week.
Louise is currently working with high school art teacher Shannon Kavanagh, who has challenged her students to create artwork that will be affixed and displayed all across the top of the building's front on Park Street.
They will be just temporary, however, until a new facade for the building is created in a flavor appropriate for an arts center.
The first event the new place will host will be a gala and fundraiser organized by Tupper Arts on the eve of the annual art show on Tuesday, August 7 at 7p.m.
“It should be a very historic, celebratory evening to welcome this year's summer art show in our new place on Park Street,” said Louise.
For decades the art show was run out of the community room in the basement of the Goff Nelson Memorial Library.  Two years ago it was moved to the Tupper Lake train station and last summer to the former Ginsberg's Department Store building on Park Street.
Now with a new and permanent home, the art show this year is expected to be extended from four days of so to the entire month of August.
“We are truly indebted to Lynn and Tony for their belief in Tupper Lake and its brighter future and for their support of our dream to create an arts center here for the enjoyment of the people of our community and our visitors,” Mrs. McNally said in closing. 

Tupper Lake gathers to pay respect to the fallen

by Ian Roantree
On Monday’s warm bright morning, community members and local veterans came together to participate in the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Tupper Lake War Memorial. They came together to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedom and safety of Americans here at home.
Monday’s ceremony was lead by American Legion Commander Mark Moeller.
Moeller, standing behind a VFW podium, welcomed everyone who attended the service on behalf of the American Legion Post 220, VFW Post 3120, AMVETS Post 710, Adirondack Leatherneck Marine Corps League and the Tupper Lake Honor Guard.
After Commander Moeller’s opening remarks, he invited the Rev. Rick Wilburn to the microphone to lead the opening prayer.
After amens were said from all in attendance, the Tupper Like Middle High School band performed the Star Spangled Banner.
Boy Scout Troop 23 and Cub Scout Pack 23 led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commander Moeller returned to the podium to introduce and invite the VFW Post 3120 latest, and first ever female Commander, Tracy Luton, who was also the ceremony’s guest speaker, to approach the podium.
To some, many people would know Tracy Luton as a mom, a dental assistant, or the lady at the VFW, or even as the woman who speaks her mind, sometimes too much. “I’m still learning,” Tracy said.
From 1987 to 1992, Petty Officer 3rd Class Tracy Luton served in the United States Navy as a Machinist aboard the USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37), a 645 foot Destroyer Tender. On that ship, Tracy was one of the approximate 300 females aboard. With around 1000 men aboard, “needless to say, I was the minority,” she said.
During her time with the navy, Tracy sailed the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. She’s been to the Persian Gulf, Dubai, Bahrain, the Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Japan. She was initiated into the Shellback Society, a long standing naval tradition of when “pollywogs” cross the equator at sea.
In 2005, Tracy joined the VFW, then the Tupper Lake Honor Guard in 2010. For the several years, she served as the First Vice Commander of the VFW under Ray Tarbox, and just this spring, she was elected as the first female commander of the VFW Post 3120.
Even with her naval accomplishments (which include the Battle Efficiency Ribbon, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment ribbon, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Unit Commendation and Good Conduct Medal) and her work with the local veterans associations, Tracy’s greatest accomplishments are her three daughters, Paige, Amie and Shannon and her granddaughter, Brooklynn. “They have made me so proud and I’m so glad God chose me to be their mom and grandmother,” she said.
She continued, “I was born in a small town not much bigger than Tupper Lake. I was raised in Central Square, N.Y. I have three older brothers and I assure you they never took mercy on me. They treated me like one of the boys. My parents did the best they could for what they had. My dad raised us with a strict hand while mom kept things as calm as possible.”
Tracy wasn’t the first member in her family to join the United States Military, and she knew from a young age that she would serve her country.
“My dad was a Marine,” she said. Her dad’s brother and her Uncle Robert “Bob” Catherman was a Marine too, both of them having served in Vietnam.
“My dad came home,” she said, “but my Uncle did not.”
Tracy’s Uncle Bob was killed in action in 1968 when his platoon was ambushed in the middle of the night.
“He gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom as did so many young men and women.”
Tracy never knew her Uncle Bob personally, but nonetheless, he made a huge impact on her life having heard his story of how he was killed and how brave he must have been. “I grew up listening to my grandparents talk about my uncle and how they missed and grieved him. I couldn’t imagine the terror in those young soldiers’ eyes.”
Tracy’s Uncle Bob was only 19 when he died.
Tracy said, “the silver lining to this story is that 15 or so years later, my grandparents received a call from a man and asked if their son was Robert Catherman and whether he served in Vietnam. This man said, ‘I have been looking for you for years and I have something that belong to you that was your son’s. He came and met with them. He brought with him a shoebox with some pictures, letters, one dog tag, and some other things that belonged to my Uncle Bob. My grandmother said that day made her heart fill with such joy because she got to touch him again.”
“Memorial Day to me is my Uncle Bob, but not only my uncle, but all the uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters and most important, the sons and daughters who gave their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, so we could have our freedom. It’s also to remember all who served our great country, who have departed even if they didn’t die while in the service.”
As Mrs. Luton finished her speech, members of the community began the ceremonial laying of the wreaths.
Wreaths were laid at the memorial by the following community organizations: Boy Scouts of America Troop 23 and Cub Scout Pack 220, Girl Scouts of Northeastern NY, Tupper Lake’s Service Unit 454, represented by Cadette Troops 4170 and 4123, Knights of Columbus Council #2177, the staff of Sunmount, Tupper Lake Central School District, Tupper Lake Volunteer Fire Department and the Ladies Auxiliary, the Village of Tupper Lake, the Town of Tupper Lake, the American Legion Post 220, the Tupper Lake Honor Guard, the Adirondack Leathernecks #1268 Marine Corps League, Amvets Post 710 and the VFW Post 3120.
After the laying of the wreaths, Mike Larabie, Commander of the Tupper Lake Honor Guard initiated the three-round rifle volley, another ceremonial ritual of Memorial Day. The  members of the Honor Guard are Ray Tarbox, Tracy Luton, Joe Leblanc, Ray Bigrow and Kodata Britton.
After the thunderous shots from the honor guard, the crowd at the war memorial fell silent, as a Tupper Lake High School student performed the bugle call, Taps, followed by a performance of a medley of patriotic songs from each of the military’s service branches. Year after year, those students perform so well.
Finally, Deacon Jim Ellis ended the ceremony with a closing prayer, as the Rev. Rick Wilburn did to open the ceremony.
Ellis started, “on this monument are nearly 40 men who have given their lives in defense of our country. They’re Tupper Lake natives, each of them, from World War I through to Vietnam. By the numbers, 400,000 women have served in our armed forces. We appreciate them and we appreciate the mothers who stayed behind and took care of their families in a time when we didn’t recognize the value of our women in the armed forces. Up in the Tupper Lake cemetery, over to the left, towards the rear in the fourth quadrant, you’ll find white tombstones that remind you of Arlington, these are the bodies of the men that we have been entrusted with from the days at Sunmount when it was a veteran’s hospital. We don’t forget them, as veterans we decorate their graves with the colors of our nation. This day is specially hard for those of us who have lost good friends, friends that I drank beer with, friends that I played cribbage with. May god have mercy on all of their souls, and may they be rewarded for their sacrifices they made on our behalf so that we’re able to celebrate this day. We also ask Lord, that you inspire us to be both Americans and those who worship their God. We thank you for all these blessings. We ask your benediction in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.”

Editorial... Anne Marie Lewis was devoted to kids, to her community

The Tupper Lake community was shocked and deeply saddened this week by the news of the very premature death of Anne Marie Lewis.
Over the years as the district's speech language pathologist we heard her speak several times at board meetings about her work and some of the programs with students she directed.  We also spoke to her numerous times privately about her role there and the assistance she offered her charges.
We always found her to be incredibly serious when she spoke of her profession. She was very proud  of some of the gains that were being made in her field medically and instructionally, and she spoke of them  with enthusiasm.
Anne Marie was all about her students and how she could best help them learn and overcome any difficulties.  She was the consummate educator and she held the respect of all of her colleagues for her fierce dedication to the kids and her defense of them.
A tireless worker we routinely saw her at board meetings long after the end of the traditional work day, representing one or more of the school-associated organizations she volunteered to help.
Anne Marie was not all work, however.  She was lots of fun- with a great and often dry sense of humor.
She devoted many volunteers hours to the workings of the L.P. Q'ers parent-teacher group, both as a parent and an educator.  Her baby was the elementary school book fair each year which she ran tightly and efficiently so that it was financially successful to further the good work of her group and to put as many books in the hands of local kids as possible.  Anne Marie glowed every time she gave a report of its success to the board of education.
During her adult years here Anne Marie made a big difference in the community, and her family should be very proud of her and of all she accomplished in a relatively short time with us.
-Dan McClelland

Lemieux firm keeps giving

Lemieux firm keeps giving
The Skip Lemieux Contracting company, under the direction of Mark “Chip” Lemieux, continues to massage the Lions bandshell site into shape.  In the photo atop taken Thursday  Chip was leveling out the area in front of the new bandshell for the placement of granite patio stones which will be tackled by Mike Donah's Adirondack Fireplace crew in upcoming days and that will form a new dance floor. At the far left in that photo Adam Hurteau was doing some grading work with one of Lemieux's smaller machines.  Before the final pour of the bandshell platform and the final grading was done last week the village electric crew ran electric lines in conduit for the new electrical service going into the back of the structure and for various lighting and electrical devices planned there to light the grounds and terrace areas.  Below two electric department employees were not doing what linemen do generally but were mixing concrete to fill in one of the conduit-carrying piers that will carry some of the Bullard-style lights.  Mixing concrete the old fashioned way were Tyler Chiasson and Chad Montana. Last week too a worker from Moores' Flatworks returned to the poured foundation and sealed its top for a shiny finish.  (McClelland photos)

Money for the bandshell

Money for the bandshell
Dan McClelland, president of the Tupper Lake Lions Club, presented to village officials Wednesday two checks totalling about $40,000 that will paid to Moores' Flatworks and to New Energy Works this month for the new Lions bandshell.  Flanking the hometown publisher are Trustees Clint Hollingsworth and David “Haji” Maroun, Mayor Paul Maroun and Trustees Ron LaScala and Deputy Mayor Leon LeBlanc.  Moores' Flatworks poured and created  the bandshell foundation and base platform and New Energy Works is the timber-peg company which created the skeleton of the new performing place.  The  Lions raised the money this past year through several benefits and generous donations from many community supporters. (Ian Roantree photo)

Tupper slapped by fast, but ferocious storm

by Dan McClelland
Near gale-force winds and a ferocious rain storm slapped Tupper Lake and nearby Adirondack communities in the face for about  20 minutes Friday evening, tossing about trees and utility poles as if they were matchsticks.
Winds during the brief attack by nature surpassed 70 miles per hour in some parts of the North Country, according to reports this week.
Most of the damage in Tupper Lake occurred in neighborhoods around Upper Park St. and Stetson Road, as well as River Road. The Junction area fared much better, just experiencing one outage.
Electrical Superintendent Marc Staves said that some of the system's infrastructure in the downtown area which had been damaged and which had been isolated from the main circuits for repairs, was hit again, before the village crews had time to re-energize those areas of the local grid.
The ferocity of the storm also broke a utility pole near the town's Little Wolf Beach and Campgrounds which serviced the North Little Wolf Beach area, which saw a number of downed trees.  One large tree snapped in the front yard of the Lalonde residence, opposite the town beach.
Another utility pole was damaged at Moody near the Landry and Radimer residences.
A pole was also destroyed on  Demars Blvd. near Family Dollar that had to be changed.  From that pole, electric serve flows underground to the retail site.
Mr. Staves said that for a time Friday evening one of his department's crews just tackled pole replacements needed around town, leaving the other crews to concentrate on transmission line repairs.
He estimated Monday a half a dozen utility poles were damaged to the point their need replacement.
A brief forest fire occurred at Moody Friday evening when lines there were energized prematurely.  It was quickly contained.
The forecast for the brief but violent storm contained the threat of tornados. Some here figure a microburst of sorts touched down briefly on upper Park Street, roared down Sunmount hill and cross the Wild Center campus and then up Raquette River, where it roiled water already over its banks.
Many smaller trees, which are more flexible, flopped from side to side, with their tops often touching the ground.  Larger trees had a tendency to snap and topple to the ground.
At the intersection a village of Park Street and Lincoln Drive two utility poles, both carrying transformers, were snapped in two.
One of the two, in the driveway behind 335 Park Street, formed something an oval when the transformer toppled to the ground, but the top stayed suspended in the air.
Village electric crews replaced both broken poles that evening, restoring power to the  upper Park St.  neighborhoods serviced by them.
Electrical service to Dugal and River road neighborhoods, knocked out about 7:05p.m. when the utility pole on the state highway was broken in two, was restored shortly after 9p.m.
Most uptown neighborhoods were out of power for most of that evening.  Every one of the village's main circuits  were back on by midnight.  There were some customers which were serviced by lateral lines that did not see their service restore until later in the weekend, when repairs could be made to those secondary lines.
The village electric crews worked through the night and until about 7:30a.m. making line and equipment repairs.  The village employees caught a few hours of sleep and then returned about 11a.m. and worked through until nearly midnight.  The crews worked most of Sunday as well.
Mr. Staves said his crews received help from a crew and single trucks dispatched here to help from the Lake Placid Municipal Electric System.  He said there was apparently less damage in that neighboring village from the storm.
Many of the property owners on River Road saw one or more trees down. For a brief time it looked like a war was underway.
Two large pines dropped in Karen and Newton Greiner's yard, just brushing their boat and motor, trailered there. Next door at Randy Bedore's, another large pine fell.
The former residence of the late Harold Nichols across the street had a large pine dropped into the river.
A similar thing happened at Chris and Regina Bramberger's riverside house at 37 River Road, where two large pines, snapped at their base, both ended up in the river.
A third large tree fell and brushed the roof of Mary and Andy Christie's house about 60 feet away, fortunately only damaging  a small part of the roof's soffit and fascia.
At the log cabin house next door that was for decades the residence of Dick and Gerry Godin, a large pine fell and covered most of its riverside deck and staircase leading to it.
Down the hill at Dan and Judy McClelland, two large pines and two smaller birch trees, that were growing on a narrow easement of river access for property owners on the north side of the road, all fell towards the house, two of them coming to rest on the edge of the main roof.  Damage is expected to be minimal, once flood waters subside and the trees are removed.
For the hours following the sudden storm Friday volunteer firefighters were stationed at most major intersections around the community, diverting traffic away from areas were trees were being cleared and electric transmission work was underway.
One of the largest trees to come down, perhaps, was a mighty evergreen in the front yard of Wendy and Steve Peroza's place on Park Street next to Mark Counter's garage.  When the tree fell it pulled up a massive root ball and much of the top came to rest on one of the cars parked at the garage next door, damaging it.  When the tree was cut up by the crew of “Those Tree Guys” the next day, the tree's root ball fell back in place- restoring the corner of the Perozas' yard.
The tree missed the house by inches.
One of the local houses damaged by falling trees was the Mike and Eileen Richer residence on Hosley Ave., where large tree limbs crashed through the front porch roof and through second story windows.

Homeowners ask: what will it take to get guard rails?

Homeowners ask: what will it take  to get guard rails?
By Phyllis Larabie
The Wolberts were at their Albany home when they were notified by their daughter on Thursday morning that they need to contact the Tupper Lake Police Department. Their daughter told them their garage at the corner of McLaughlin Ave. and LeBeouf Street had been hit again.  Debbie and Rob had to take time off from their jobs to come to Tupper Lake.
At approximately 11p.m. Wednesday evening April 25, the Wolberts' garage was again struck by an errant vehicle.  This time it was  29 year old Michael Valentine of Tupper Lake who was driving a Chrysler 300 when he left the side of the road.
The camera that the Wolberts had  installed on the outside of their garage shows the Chrysler leaving the road rolling over twice, striking their covered snowmobile trailer and then going through the garage door, before coming to rest on all four wheels. The passenger, Kevin Beaudette  was able to get out of the vehicle on his own.
Valentine had to be extricated by the Tupper Lake Fire Department. Both individuals were transported to AMC in Saranac Lake by the Tupper Lake Rescue with non-life-threatening injuries. Mrs. Wolbert told the Free Press reporter this week she estimates the car was traveling over 70 mph.
Valentine refused to a sobriety test on scene and refused blood work at the hospital. He was arrested and charged driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction, imprudent speed and moving from lane unsafely. He was arraigned and bail was set at $6,000. He posted bail and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, April 30, at 1p.m. for a preliminary hearing. He will return to court on Monday, May 21 at 5p.m.
Debbie Wolbert noted that   by Thursday afternoon the garage area had been cleaned up, thanks to the help of  approximately 50 people, who included Tim O’Neil, Wally and Jeannine Kennedy, Buck North, Tony Roy and a large pizza.
As this reporter walked around the scene Debbie pointed out the mud and pieces of car all over the inside and out side of the garage, the hole in the wall and other damages done to the structure of the garage. She  also pointed out some damages to a tractor, a bumper pool table, shelving and other items.  The garage door has been removed and the opening is now covered with a blue tarp. The couple lost about a tank of propane due to the accident as they keep the garage heated. With the garage door  damaged all the heat went out the door.
Mrs. Wolbert stated, “I don’t sleep at night: I’m not making this up! When we come up here and I hear a car tires screech. I wake up in the middle of the night worrying this is going to happen. I worry about my husband, when he works out there and when my grandchildren are out there. I worry that someone is going to get killed!”
The Wolberts are now in the process of having some large boulders put up on the edge of their property.
“I have to  barricade my house to protect my property,” she said.
After the October 2017 incident Mrs. Wolbert spoke to Franklin County Highway Superintendent Brad Marsh to ask for guardrails to be put up to help to protect her property. McLaughlin Ave. is a county road. According to the homeowner, after a town board meeting, Mr. Marsh told her that guardrails would be put up in the summer. She pointed out that in the fall the department put up a few extra signs, the yellow ones with arrows. “Drunk drivers are not going to pay attention to those,” she stated. “We need guardrails!”
Thursday morning as they were cleaning up the debris from the accident, she noted that Mr. Marsh drove by and as she waved for him to stop he kept driving.
She said she called out to him: “whoah, whoah  and he replied “no.” He drove up the road more and then turned around to come talk to her.
She said that in their conversation Mr. Marsh denied that he said that guard rails would be put up. According to Mrs. Wolbert  Mr. Marsh said there was no money in the budget, and guard rails are expensive.
Debbie figures “Those guardrails can’t cost more than a life!”
The homeowner put a call in to Legislator and Mayor Paul Maroun as well as to Paul Lauzon, Franklin County chairman  of the public works and safety committee about having the county  erect guard rails put on that corner and the approaches to it.
On January 26, 2018, the Wolberts woke up to the crash of  a large pine tree that is decorated with lights for the holiday toppling to the ground. They watched the video footage and watched as a vehicle left the road, crossed their lawn, over the driveway and a small embankment of snow, striking the tree, continuing down the lawn, and out of sight.
On October 29, 2017, Matthew Bushey of Saranac Lake was driving a 2005 Toyota pick-up truck, when he lost control of the vehicle and struck their  enclosed snowmobile trailer and then became lodged into the side of the garage. All five passengers in Bushey’s vehicle escaped serious injuries.
In June of 2016 their home was hit by a young man who drove his fathers' car into the house. Mrs. Wolbert was home when the car hit the house, and got outside in time to see the driver flee the scene. It was then they decided to put up a security camera. It was certainly  worth the  purchase price as it has caught the other three incidents.
Rob and Debbie Wolbert of Albany purchased the property at 242 McLaughlin Ave back in 2008 and began to get it set up for their retirement home.  In 2015 they built a two-car garage at the edge of their  property.  In the two and half years that the garage has been standing it has been struck twice, and both times in the past six months.
County Legislator Maroun said the county is looking at hiring a private contractor to install the guard rails the Wolberts are requesting.  At this writing he did not know when the work could be done.  The county's estimate for the work is between $12,000 and $15,000- according to Mr. Maroun.

Editorial: Mud Ball good tonic for season

Over 175 people here came out Saturday evening to support the new arts and entertainment organization in town and to shake off the late winter blues. What resulted was a big party and just the right tonic after a far too long winter here.  
Spring dragged its feet this year until that Saturday, when the sun reappeared after a two-week long absence.  After weeks this month when the mercury didn't peek its nose much above 40 degrees F., and folks woke up to new snow most mornings,  it hit the fifties for party day.
Tupper Arts' first Mud Ball  drew its clever name, at least we thought it was clever, from the season which has traditionally marked close for the winter work of the loggers and lumberjacks here, and a time  too wet and muddy in the woods to go back cutting and hauling.
In our early years it was the time when lumberjacks came out of the woods with their pockets full of winter earnings, eager to spend much of it on wine, women and song.  Early bar owners and innkeepers welcomed the bounty, and often grew fat on it.
 The first time event at the train station was heralded by organizers as a big success.
Tupper Arts was initiated by Louise McNally over the winter and she has been helped by a small group of volunteers including  David Tomberlin, Russ Cronin, Paul Chartier, Wayne Davison, Liz  Cordes and the hometown publisher, who created Tupper's first Summer Sunset Series at the soon to be built bandshell and organized Saturday's Mud Ball.
Tupper Arts organizers modeled their new event after the ARISE Snow Balls in support Big Tupper, which were year after year  here earlier this decade.
Who turned out Saturday evening was an interesting cross-section from the community- from 20 somethings to well beyond social security eligibility.  Our   mother, Joyce, who is a trooper when it comes to arts and entertainment endeavors,  was the oldest in attendance.  She was in town to visit great grand baby Remi and see her two grandsons perform as part of a week long celebration  birthday later this week. Nana Joyce, who turns 92 tomorrow,  stayed for the whole show and loved it!
Guests arrived at the front of the station and entered along a walk framed with giant tires, highlighted by ornamental lights.  The massive old tires- some of them still muddy- were on loan from the county transfer station, with the blessing  of Manager Nelson Landry.
To move them to the site, and stack them in chest-high piles required the services of Jay Merrihew's and Adam Boudreau's Northern Diesel division of Kentile Excavating.
Mike Price, the company's talented mechanical guy and staffer Kody Churco used a company boom and trailer to move the giant tires, some of which apparently weighed a thousand pounds.  Consequently there were no takers among the volunteer decorators  to rearrange them later.  The tires are headed back to the transfer station this week. The Kentile Excavating owners and crew are a giving bunch!
Bales of hay also lined the entrance as well as creating islands inside to show off the baskets of thousands and thousands of pansies- always the hardiest and one of the first flowers of spring.  The yellow color was everywhere inside.
A truck load of hay and straw was donated by Moody Farms.
When the town crew moved the flowers in baskets from Lydia Kriwox's Usher Farms Friday afternoon aboard small dump trucks, we wondered if they would weather the ride, given the near-freezing temperatures that afternoon.  They wilted a little, but rebounded in the warmth inside.
In recent weeks the colorful baskets were prepared by Lydia Kriwox with the help of Louise, Ed and Donna Donnelly and their daughter, Jessie.
The Mud Ball was a brief stop for the thousands of pansies. On Monday they were headed to Park Street to the hangers of business owners who purchased them with the village as part of the village's beautification program, which Louise  directed starting last summer.
The pansies will be replaced with summer flowers in mid-June by the village and Louise's volunteers and then converted to winter arrangements in late fall.
About 20 flower baskets have been ordered for the Junction business district this week.
The Mud Ball hors d'oeuvres were prepared with skill by David Tomberlin and his staff at Well Dressed  Food.  Chefs Mary and Mitch outdid themselves.  They hung around late into the event to make sure the food kept flowing. The owners of the popular eatery on Park Street catered the affair at or below their costs.
David and his team received a big assist from seven high school students, who served the culinary treats from trays they circulated. They included Jacob Stradley, Noah Cordes, Kate Harriman, Stephanie Fortune, Alyssah Martinez, Lily St.Onge and  Sandra Kwasniak. Each was  very courteous, diligent and eager to please those in attendance.  Remarkable young people, all!
Jacob and Noah also peddled 50-50 tickets throughout the evening.
The evening's band, Ben, Jay and Ian were terrific, although we freely admit to our bias.  The crowd loved their music from the sixties and seventies, such old folk we are and many of the mud ballers stayed until the music finished at the strike of midnight.  Ben McClelland, our son, Ian Roantree, our nephew and new arrival at the hometown weekly and Ben's good friend Jay Martin, son of Ray and Laurie, donated their talent and their musical efforts to the inaugural event to support Tupper Arts and its future cultural endeavors ahead.  Incidentally the band is opening the Tupper Arts Summer Sunset Series, which begins on the eve of Independence Day, so plan to  catch them at the bandshell.
The lads really enjoyed the fact so many people danced and the applause to their tunes was robust.  Performers apparently enjoy playing more when people clap their approval and dance to their music.
The Mud Ball generated thousands of dollars for performances Tupper Arts will sponsor this year at the bandshell and other venues here.  The exact take wasn't known at this writing.
Contributing in a large way to the first time event's financial success were three local businesses whose owners are very community-minded.  Each made large donations to the Mud Ball.  Donations of kegs of delicious craft beer came from Mark Jessie and Joe Hockey at Raquette River Brewing.  Mark was also helpful in setting up their  station that evening, which was manned by a smiling Wayne Davison.  He liked that job, it seems. Mango wheat was the clear crowd favorite there.  
Across the room at another popular beer station were the products of Jim LaValley and his partners at Big Tupper Brewing.  The Touk and  the new summer ale were favorites there among the Mud Ball beer drinkers. Thanks, Jim, Rickey Dattola  and partners.
The Barbara Meade ticket counter at the station doubled Saturday as the wine station and board members Liz and George Cordes kept it flowing.  The wine came in many flavors and there were two sources.  Neil and Linda Pickering, who own Boulevard Wine and Spirits donated cases of wine to the party as their gift to local arts.  The Pickerings are very generous in support of all good things here.
Bill Merritt, the father of music teachers Liz and Laura, continued his very supportive ways of Tupper events and donated four cases of his Merritt Estate Winery products to help the event raise money.  His plan worked. Bill also had 300 wine glasses inscribed with the new Tupper Arts logo and his winery's logo as a keepsake of the fun evening. Those glasses were sold, some with wine in them, and will be at future Tupper Arts events this summer.   Bill's an incredibly generous guy whose done a lot for  the hometown of his children and his grandchildren.
Another highlight of the evening were the many door prizes, donated by a number of local and area firms, which included Laura Davison's Norwex products, Earth Girl Jewelry, Jessica's Cuts and Colors, Larkins' Deli, Park Street Nails, Mary Chapman at Ray's Wine and Liquor, Usher Farms, Well Dressed Food, Tupper Lake Supply, Christine Marquis and her ADK Bloody Mary Tonic, Cory and Lilian at Amado Restaurant and Cafe, Aubuchon Hardware, Raquette River Brewing, Merritt Estate Winery,  P-2's Irish Pub, Cabin Fever and Floral, local artist Ed Donnelly, Homenergy, Sevey's Point, Shaheen's IGA, Faith and Andrew McClelland's Spruce and Hemlock store, Stacked Graphics, the Village of Tupper Lake and Casagrain Gallery.
The door prize winners that evening were Erin Safford, Jackie Beattie, Sellin, Anne Churco, Liz Cordes, P.J. Kavanagh, boB and Sioux Collier, Cory Whitman, Shannon Surdyk, Rodney Bashant, Dianne and Jim Lanthier, David Naone, who also won the $150 50-50, Katie, Shawn and Joni Stuart (wow...three prizes in one family) and Tim Merrihew.
Other local firms like Day Wholesale and the Tupper Lake Free Press covered event expenses to help fatten revenues.  A regional food wholesale, U.S. Foods, donated a substantial portion of the food products that went into the  Well Dressed Food servings.
The fledgling Tupper Arts group also received help with on-line ticket sales from Adirondack Foundation, the tri-lakes not for profit organization that promotes Adirondack giving in a variety of meaningful ways and in robust fashion.
The broad base of support from the local and area businesses was a major factor in the success of the event, organizers said this week.
-And those who came to celebrate the changing season Saturday all seemed to enjoy themselves.  That was another mark of success for the event.
The best comment about the evening we heard came from a guest that evening who said “there was a really good feeling in the room Saturday...lots of good energy!”
Will there be a second Mud Ball next spring?  We suspect so!
-Dan McClelland

Decorative concrete sections to be replaced like new

by Dan McClelland
Several pieces of missing decorative concrete in the uptown area which saw the extensive highway redo by the state two summers ago will be replaced like new this summer, a local resident was assured last week when the village board convened.
One block of the salmon-colored concrete with its decorative markings was removed in front of the Chinese restaurant on Park Street last summer and another section is missing near the corner of Wawbeek Ave. and Broad Street.
Jim Lanthier, well known local photographer, asked the village board Wednesday about any plans to repair them, adding: “-And will they be repaired to their original state?”
Mayor Paul Maroun said they would be.
Water and Sewer Superintendent Mark Robillard explained his crew was “mapping out” the water connections along the improved state corridor last summer to update his department's records  but several of the water shut offs couldn't be found.
The crew was successful finding a shut off under the sidewalk in front the Tupper Lake Free Press office with its metal detecter  without having to tear up the sidewalk.
But another in front of the Chinese restaurant was more difficult to locate.
Mr. Robillard said they were getting “hits” with their device there and so excavated the one concrete section.
When it couldn't be found, the general contractor on the state job, Kubricky, was summoned to help and that crew also excavated a plot with a tree planted in it next to the concrete piece where the shut-off device was found.
Mr. Robillard assured Mr. Lanthier that any and all repairs would return those sections to their original state.
Trustee Ron LaScala echoed that, noting the concrete color would be matched, as would the shallow nature markings.  The village apparently was given the decorative concrete stamp used to make those markings.
“-And the corner of Wawbeek and Broad?” Mr. Lanthier pressed.
“Like original,” the trustee assured him, noting the damage had been done by the Verizon company's contractor, Morrisonville Electric,  in order to complete the installation of  the cellular  company's   new infrastructure there.
Mr. Lanthier said he appreciated the village's attention to his concerns.

Shake mud off your boots and welcome spring at Saturday's Mud Ball

by Dan McClelland
Saturday evening's the time to kick the mud off your mudders and come inside the train station  to  party at Tupper Arts' first Mud Ball.  The goal of the benefit is to generate money to pay the performers in the group's Friday evening Summer Sunset Series at the new Lions band shell announced this week (see separate story this week).
The fundraising event to help bring more arts and entertainment to Tip Top Town marks the official start of spring in the North Country.
The dress that evening will be “Tupper Lake formal”-  pressed wool pants, cleanest plaid shirt and sturdiest, but practical  footwear.  Fox hats are optional. One of the organizers, Tall Paul Chartier, promises to wear his!
Come by yourself or with  your beau or favorite gal.
The Mud Ball has been mirrored after the Snowball, which raised thousands of dollars each year for about six years  in support of the ARISE volunteer operation of Big Tupper in recent years.  
“Despite the abundance of mud and even snow outside right now in this far too long winter, inside the train station there'll be spring on Saturday night,” explains an enthusiastic Tupper Arts organizer Louise McNally this week.
To help the fledgling group raise money for culture and arts endeavors, beginning this summer, the musical trio of Ben McClelland, Jay Martin and Ian Roantree have donated their time and talent to perform popular music  from the 1960s and  1970s that evening.  The musicians do a great job with the music of the Beatles, Neil Young, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan  and other signature artists of that era.  Dancing is encouraged.
The kitchen elves at David Tomberlin's Well Dressed Food  started working today on preparations for the   platefuls of delicious hors d'oeuvres that will be served to the Mud Ball guests.  Several of the popular eatery's wholesale suppliers have made big donations of products to help with the event's fundraising.
A number of high school students have volunteered to serve the goodies from trays.
The price of the admission ticket (see advertisement this week for details) will include the entertainment, the food served and a complimentary glass of wine or craft beer.  Saturday's guests will also qualify for a host of valuable door prizes donated by local merchants and can also try their luck at winning the pot from which is expected to be a robust 50-50 sale.
The event will feature some of the best craft beer in the North Country- and perhaps the state- from stations featuring the products of Raquette River Brewing and Big Tupper Brewing, which are both donating generously to the event.
A variety of delicious wines will come from the shelves of Linda and Neal Pickering's Boulevard Wine and Spirits and from the vineyard of Bill Merritt's Merritt Estate Winery  in Forestport, N.Y.  Both companies and their owners are making substantial donations to the event to boost arts endeavors here for the enrichment of the local population and its visitors.
Tickets have been on sale all month from at a variety of places around town including Larkin's Deli, Well Dressed Food, Tupper Lake Supply, Tupper Lake Free Press, Boulevard Wine and Spirits, the village office, Cabin Fever Floral and Gifts and Jessica's Cuts and Colors and from individuals Joni Stuart, Lynn Quinn, Liz Cordes, Louise McNally, Shannon Bradley, Donna Sloan, Katie Stuart at the ROOST office and Donna Donnelly.  Those places and people will have tickets available through Saturday and tickets will also be available at the door of the train station that evening, so there's no reason not to go.
In order for ticket purchases to be tax deductible, checks should be made out to ARISE.
Tickets can also be purchased online at tupperarts.com and hitting the “donate” button.
The Adirondack Foundation, and its benevolent arm, Adirondack Gives...is also working with Tupper Arts these days to direct funds into entertaining and meaningful events here in coming months.