Arrival of new dock system in park celebrated Wednesday

by Dan McClelland

Village officials were joined by about 30 of their counterparts from various local, county and state agencies on the shore of Raquette Pond Wednesday morning to celebrate the arrival of new docks- the latest addition to hundreds of thousands of dollars of state money invested in the Tupper Lake Municipal Park in recent years.

Mayor Mary Fontana welcomed the well-wishers to the 20-minute ceremony in Flanders Park adjacent to the bottom of Cliff Ave. She apologized in advance for reading from a prepared script, joking that was the best way for her to address the group.

“Our celebration today is only possible by the partnership that began over 10 years ago when residents coming to meetings and sharing their ideas that led to the development of a master plan, including these docks. The village board and committee members put in the time to sit through meetings, consultants gave their input and played the all important role of making sure what was built aligned with our community goals.

“Volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to help improve the park and provide matching funds for grants. Partners included ROOST which shared its expertise and helped us draft a strategy to help us develop this waterfront park with high quality designs and amenities that would meet the needs of residents and visitors and encourage them to return.

“Staff, who shouldered the tasks to get these improvements built. Funders, including the New York State Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization program, Department of Environmental Conservation and its Adirondack Community Smart Growth, the Aseel Legacy Fund, the Fund for Tupper Lake and Adirondack Foundation, the Cloudsplitter Foundation- all of whom provided the funding that made these improvements possible.

“The installation of these Flanders Park docks and our new wayfinding signage are the latest enhancements installed as part of our ongoing efforts to welcome residents and visitors to Tupper Lake to our beautiful waterfront park.

“The docks were designed by Environmental Design and Research of Saratoga Springs and fabricated by Dock Doctors. The Village of Tupper Lake Department of Public works assisted in their installation and site preparation. The new docks have had several weeks of heavy usage by boaters accessing the Sunset Stage performances and for uptown dining and shopping. They are also being used by residents to get out on the water to fish and enjoy the waterways. We heard during the planning sessions that Raquette Pond is a favorite fishing spot of many so we are not surprised to see people with lines in the water.

“It won’t be long until a new fishing pier will be constructed just a short way down the shoreline. It’s been designed and permitted and we have received a Department of State grant to help construct it. We hope to be inviting you to another ribbon-cutting ceremony next summer.

“Also keep an eye out for the new scoreboard that will soon be installed at the grandstand ball field, which was also funded by our Department of State grant and matched by our many generous donors.

“I’d also like to draw your attention to the new wayfinding signs behind you which connect the Junction Depot train station, the shoreline walkway along the crossroads of the Adirondack Trail. These signs guide Tupper Lake visitors to key community assets including the Wild Center, the Adirondack Rail/Trail, the Waterfront Park, and dining and shopping in both downtown and uptown Tupper Lake.

“The signage was designed and fabricated by Rob Carr and Derek Pryor of Darwin Designs and installed by the village’s DPW crew. The wayfinding signage was funded by the New York State DEC’s Adirondack Community Smart Growth grant program, and grants from Heart Network and the Fund for Tupper Lake at Adirondack Foundation.

“We’ll also be celebrating the new signs at Oktupperfest on September 28 right here in the park and we hope you can join us for that event!”

Before about a dozen of the dignitaries present that day gathered to officially cut a red and black plaid ribbon, the young mayor called on Kate Black, the regional supervisor for the North Country region of the Local Waterfront Revitalization program at the department of state.

“Our office is dedicated to partnering with waterfront communities across the state to protect our natural and cultural assets, redevelop underused sites, provide public access opportunities and strengthen the local economy.

“Today it is an honor to be here to celebrate these achievements and to be here in Tupper Lake. The village here holds a lot of happy, childhood memories for me and it’s always a pleasure to return to see everything that has been happening here over the years. Today is particularly special as we cut the ribbon on this latest park improvement!

“Here in Tupper Lake the department has had the pleasure of working closely with the village in a relationship that spans decades.

“Today we are celebrating the latest accomplishment and the completion of new Flanders Park docks funded by our Environmental Protection Fund Local Waterfront Revitalization program. These new docks will offer boats convenient access to downtown amenities and to the Sunset Stage where they can enjoy performances. This project is the perfect example of how downtown revitalization and waterfront recreation are coming together to make Tupper Lake a lively, public destination for residents, businesses and visitors.

“On behalf of Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley and all the dedicated staff and community volunteer partners that made this happen,” the village is applauded. Your commitment both on these docks and the decades-long commitment to revitalize and realize your community vision is truly commendable. The successful completion of this project is a testament to everyone’s hard work and needs to be celebrated!

“I look forward to our continuing partnership for waterfront revitalization through our LWR program as well as the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). Congratulations on reaching another significant milestone!”

Loud clapping!

Melissa McManus, the community development director who was instrumental in winning the many LWR grants for the village, called up a dozen or so of the guests that day to help Mayor Fontana cut the ribbon.

Invited to do the ceremonial cutting were Benefactors Lee and Nancy Keet of Saranac Lake, Supervisor Ricky Dattola, DEC Forester Keith Carrow of Lake Placid whose both parents are Tupper natives and who is helping to direct the agency’s rail/trail project, Ms. Black, Jeremy Evans from Franklin County Economic Development Agency, the new ROOST chairman Dan Kelleher and Village Clerk Mary Casagrain. The cutting event is shown above.

The cutting was actually done twice, with a little adhesive applied to permit the mayor to cut it a second time.

Brownies and other sweet items were served to the guests.