Local resident recovering from COVID-19 warns about its reality; ‘I was scared’

Michelle poses with her five daughters, from left, Madison, Taylor, Chloe, Lucy and Ella.

(photos provided)

by Rich Rosentreter

Michelle Reardon with her daughter Lucy, now 8-years old, who contracted the coronavirus from her mother. (photo provided)

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague the nation, the North Country has been pretty much spared a severe outbreak, but that doesn’t mean we have been unscathed. Tupper Laker Michelle Reardon, who also works as a nurse at the local Adirondack Health Medical Center, is still recovering from the virus and warns it is a dreadful and scary experience. She believes there are too many people who are not taking the pandemic seriously.

The Free Press recently spoke to Mrs. Reardon, who also described her bout with the virus on social media’s Facebook on August 10. She introduced her experience online by announcing that, for some, the coronavirus isn’t real until it touches their lives.

“I’m starting to feel and see that this virus is not going to be real to some people until they know somebody who has it or has had it,” she wrote. “COVID is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was and is the worst illness I’ve ever experienced.”

How it started

Mrs. Reardon said her first symptoms started on June 22 with gastrointestinal symptoms (also known as gi symptoms), which includes heartburn, indigestion/dyspepsia, bloating and constipation and loss of appetite.

She said the day before got tested she was at work and “didn’t feel very good, but I really didn’t think I had COVID.”.

“As soon as I left work, I felt sick to my stomach, but I felt fine when I woke up in the morning the next day and I went to work. Then I got tested that day and I was positive. I was shocked,” she told the Free Press adding that she had been careful and was taking all the precautionary measures recommended by health professionals to prevent getting the coronavirus.

Michelle wasn’t the only one surprised by the positive virus diagnosis - her family and friends were too.

“We were all shocked, nobody could believe it,” she said.

And her health soon began to deteriorate. Michelle said that the symptoms progressed into losing her senses of taste and smell. “Then I had this awful taste in my mouth where I couldn’t eat or drink. I went two weeks without eating and barely drinking.”

On the fourth day, she became short of breath along with getting severe head pain.

“I had some extreme pressure and pain in my head. I get migraines and this was nothing like a migraine. I had a sore throat that would come and go but I always felt like I had this lump or something in my throat. Then came the chest pain,” Michelle wrote, and that after a week her chest filled up with mucous and she couldn’t cough it up. “It was like it was stuck in there and I couldn’t breath.”

She said she then called the Department of Health, who told her to call 911 while she was still able to talk.

“It was one of the scariest moments of my life. At times I would find myself hunched over and gasping for air and sleeping or laying on my stomach to breath better,” she wrote.

After more than 16 days after her positive test the DOH cleared her to come off isolation and go back to work.

“So that’s what I did for one and a half days, went back to work. I thought if I just went back to my life I would feel better, my body wasn’t ready. Then I felt like things were getting worse. Like I was having more symptoms. My hands started feeling tingly, I had body and muscle aches, joint pain, fatigue, my throat was getting sore all over,” she wrote. “I ended up with a temperature of 103 for three days, two weeks after I was determined to be resolved and recovered by the DOH. My gi symptoms continued for a total of 45 days. My chest pain seemed to be getting worse along with the shortness of breath. I was then prescribed some meds. My joint pain gets so bad sometimes I can’t even hold a pen or write.”

Michelle also reported that she started getting heart palpitations, “that wake me up out of a sound sleep and that I can feel clear into my throat. I did go back to work last week for half days. I take two naps a day on the days I work. I’m getting used to living with the chest pain, the joint pain, body aches and nerve pain, I just cannot get used to living with this fatigue.”

Michelle speaks

Now after eight weeks since being diagnosed with COVID, when contacted by the Free Press, Michelle spoke about how she is doing now and provided more details about her experience.

“I’m still the same. Yesterday I did a little too much, did some laundry and vacuumed. I still have sore joints and body aches. I do a little and feel fatigued. I can’t do very much, I get really tired in what I do,” she said.

Michelle said the reason she posted her ordeal onto social media was that she was getting a lot of messages from people and referred to it as “Tupper talk,” as rumors began to spread as a report came in the news about a person who worked at the medical center that had the coronavirus.

“I just wanted to get it out there and be real with everyone,” she said, adding that she also wanted to let people know it can happen to anyone, even those in a small town in the Adirondacks such as Tupper Lake.

“I did everything. I didn’t do anything with my kids, we practiced social distancing. I even pulled my kids out of day care. I was doing everything that I thought was right and still ended up getting sick,” she said.

Michelle was asked what is required to beat the virus and the steps she has been taking to get better.

“Mostly I’ve been resting a lot,” she said, and is taking a few medications to help subside some of the symptoms. “I’ve never taken meds in my life for anything. I do take something everyday now.”

She also stressed that her bout with COVID-19 has been the worst experience of her life.

“Yes, definitely. It was scary. I was scared. I read so much and heard all the bad stuff,”she said, adding that her fear grew as the symptoms worsened after she found out she was positive. “A few days later when I started getting short of breath and having chest pains, I really got scared. Here I was alone, I really had nobody. I could just text my family or talk on the phone. Nobody was allowed in the house or even allowed outside of my door. It was really scary. Just being alone, I was really scared just to fall asleep.”

Her voice began to crackle as she spoke about fearing for her life. “I was worried I might not even wake up.”

But her fears were multiplied when she found out she had passed the virus onto her own seven-year-old daughter Lucy.

“When I found out it was awful. I was scared, she was scared,” Michelle said, adding that a few days after finding out her daughter tested positive, she learned two other people she was in contact with also tested positive for the coronavirus. “It came from me and I just wanted to die thinking that I got these people sick and I tried to do everything right.”

And the thought of infecting her daughter was a heavy weight.

“Every day I was making sure she had no symptoms. Every day she was scared for me. She was going through a lot too, not being able to be with me and knowing that she was positive. She always associated the coronavirus with dying because that’s all that was ever on the news,” Michelle said.

Now, thankfully, her daughter and the other individuals are healthy and never did get symptoms as bad as Michelle.

“My daughter actually had no symptoms and one other did. Luckily none of them had any underlying conditions, but if they had, who knows what could have happened. I don’t know if I’d have been able to live with myself,” Michelle said. “Oh my God, I was so relieved that even the one who was sick that all of their symptoms had gone away. It was a huge relief.”

Michelle turned emotional as she described her greatest fear during the worst of the her virus symptoms.

“That I would never see my kids again,” her voice again crackling. “That something would happen to me and just being alone and not seeing them again. I have five daughters, I was very scared of that.”

“I don’t think people are taking it as serious as it is. I feel as if people are not in the hospital it’s just like a cold or flu. But it’s nothing like that,” she added.

Michelle said she has passed the worst part of the pain and suffering the virus caused her.

“Now it’s mainly the fatigue. I worked just five hours on Monday, but I felt like I just worked forty hours in one day,” she said.

Michelle also posted her message to others.

“I’m not the same and it’s unknown how long I will have these problems- if they will resolve with time or if they will be lifelong. COVID has changed my life and there are a huge number of people like me that neither die from COVID nor have a mild case that resolves in a few weeks,” she wrote on Facebook. “This is real, to those of you who are not taking it seriously I hope you do now. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I have or someone you love to experience the same thing. Wear a mask, social distance, help others around you to live. Because for me, this isn't the way I want to live.”

Prior to being diagnosed she was taking the virus seriously – and she still does - and was asked if it bothers her that not everybody takes it equally as seriously.

“Yes it does bother me. I just think that there’s just so much misinformation out there and people just really need to know just how debilitating it can be, even if you are not sick enough to be hospitalized. People need to know just how real it is!”

Saturday’s food distribution wildly successful

by Dan McClelland

Saturday’s huge food distribution event that was organized by Trustee Ron LaScala was wildly successful. So successful, in fact, that all the milk products and produce were gone less than two hours into the three-hour event.

The food giveaway was staged in the municipal park, with village officials and other volunteers helping their friend Ron.

The trustee said later Saturday that everything had been distributed in an hour and 50 minutes. The original plan was for the distribution to go from 9a.m. to noon- had the supply lasted. So excited by the prospects of the food giveaway, there were cars lined up in the park by 7:30a.m. that morning.

This food distribution event to help people down on their luck during this pandemic was part of a second round in Franklin County and Mr. LaScala hopes to do it again as part of a third round of giveaways in the county.

Other previous events have been done in Malone and Saranac Lake. Several weeks ago the trustee figured the people of Tupper Lake are just as deserving of the free food and wanted an event here.

So he went to work planning it, getting help from Assemblyman Billy Jones and others.

At the heart of the program is the Malone-based food processing company, Glazier Food Packing, which received a $2.6 million federal grant as part of the U.S.D.A.'s farm assistance program to distribute free milk, dairy products and produce, raised locally. Not only do the giveaways help people stretch their weekly food dollars, it also helps county and North Country farmers sell their products.

Also helping Mr. LaScala, in addition to Assemblyman Billy Jones was Malone Mayor Andrea Dumas.

A huge allotment of goods was distributed Saturday including 1,050 gallons of milk, 400 boxes of produce featuring potatoes, carrots and other vegetables and 400 boxes of dairy products including yogurt, sour cream, string cheese and more milk.

Over 400 enjoy delicious lunch, courtesy of Community Connections, Larkin’s Depot

by Dan McClelland

A delicious lunch was on the house for over 400 local residents and visitors Wednesday, thanks to a one-day partnership between Community Connections of Franklin County and Larkin’s Junction Depot on Main Street.

Community Connections operates an outreach and recovery center in newly renovated quarters at 64 Demars Blvd. and Wednesday’s event was one way for staff members to meet many more folks in the community and for people here to familiarize them with all the good things the agency does.

According to Lee Rivers, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Franklin County which oversees the Community Connections program, the agency’s mission here is to help support “the Tupper Lake community through these trying times that may have had a negative impact on some here.”

“We are so happy too that Larkins’ Junction Depot partnered with us which shows how much they also want to give back to the community.”

He said he and his staff members appreciated the efforts by community members to spread the word about that free lunch event. The free lunch was publicized two weeks ago in the hometown weekly.

Mary Kathleen Larkin, who operates the business with her husband Steve, said they enjoyed working with Community Connections. “We got to feed a lot of people and hopefully made some new customers.”

The free lunch ran Wednesday from 11a.m. to 4p.m. and they served the last sandwiches just before the close of the five-hour event.

Mary and staff members Suzette Rayome and Rene Chesborough produced over 400 meals comprised of 200 wraps, 150 deli sandwiches and over 50 salads. A bag of potato chips and a bottle of water went with every serving. Mary’s mother Sheila came out of retirement to help. Over 75 pounds of deli ham and turkey were sliced by Mary’s husband Steve for the sandwiches and wraps. The salads featured many kinds of home-made dressings.

“It was so much fun and so good to work with the girls at Community Connections,” said Mary.

All the free meals were served curbside to permit social distancing. The servers wore masks and gloves.

Mary explained that people lined up in their cars in front of the building and were given menus. They selected what they wanted and then the deli staff bagged up the selections and they were served by the Community Connections staff members. The depot placed plenty of coolers curbside to keep everything cold.

The agency has done meal giveaways in both Malone and Potsdam in recent weeks.

“It was a great idea and we were excited to work with them,” Mary said.

“A lot of people wanted to pay but we told them just to pay the kindness forward in the community,” she added.

Mary thought the event proved very helpful to introduce the community to program manager Krista Piasecki and her staff.

A few years ago Krista worked part-time at the local deli.

“A big thanks to them for all they do” at the new satellite office here. Mary said too often there is a stigma when people reach out for help with depression or other illnesses or who are struggling with addiction.

“To have a conversation and take that away” can bring more here to their center for the help they need, Mary figured.

A member of the Community Connections staff, peer advocate specialist Michelle Howland, said Thursday she really enjoyed meeting so many from the community at their event. “I was very excited to be there!”

Over 120 meals were served the first hour, she noted.

Peer advocates are trained to talk with people one on one about their problems and share with them their life experiences. They can refer people who are struggling with mental illnesses to other specialists for more help.

Krista Piasecki described Friday the rational of the event. “During this time of COVID, we thought it would be a great service for the community.”

“We were really pleased how everything turned out. We weren’t sure about how many meals we needed and were very pleased” the last lunches went as the event concluded.

“During this whole COVID thing we haven’t seen that many people at our place, so it was great to be out into the community meeting people.”

Staff member Rachel Stender was also part of the Community Connections serving team that day.

Krista said she would look forward to doing it again. “The people who came out were so wonderful...so thankful! We had senior citizens. We had children; people of all ages.”

She said their lunch customers that day had many questions about “what we do here and we were able to answer their questions,” which was good from a public relations standpoint.

“We want people to know we are here to help in any way we can!”

During the pandemic Krista and her staff have been helping with the local food distribution program and at the local food pantry.

The new facility here features a living room-style drop in center for people to come in a chat with staff members and others. Unfortunately since March that room has been closed, but counseling and other services are still available in the other portion of the building by appointment.

Tupper Lake Crossroads Hotel project gets green light from planners

by Dan McClelland

Planning board members Jan Yaworski and Jim Merrihew review elements of the new hotel plan at last week's planning board meeting where the project was approved with two conditions. The developers' point man Jacob Wright is shown at left. (McClelland photo)

The town and village planning board approved a permit for the Tupper Lake Crossroads Hotel project at its July meeting Wednesday at the Emergency Services Building’s community room.

Social distancing and face coverings were the norm. This is the second meeting in a row the planners met there. Planning board clerk Samantha Davies took temperatures at the door.

Jacob Wright, whose firm is developing the project at the corner of Park and Mill, again represented developers Betsy Lowe and Nancy Howard.

To a person the board members spoke enthusiastically of the project, its coming importance to the uptown business district and the community in general and the preparation done by Mr. Wright and his clients.

In the public hearing that started the meeting Chairman Shawn Stuart said he and his fellow board members had read the 15 letters received by Town Planner Paul O’Leary from the many supporters here in the past month since the project was sent to public hearing. “They contained glowing endorsements and many positive comments” from supporters about the project and what it will mean to the community. “There was no negative commentary,” he said of the contents of those letters.

At that evening’s hearing Free Press publisher Dan McClelland, whose business is across from the site of the proposed hotel, said as a neighbor he welcomed the project. “A modern hotel in the center of our community will help make Tupper Lake a four-season tourist destination and serve as a badly needed anchor to our uptown business district to help it grow and flourish.”

The only other person to offer kudos to the project was Village Code Enforcement Officer Pete Edwards.

“As a citizen in the community I’ve always wanted to see something to go in there,” he said of the former 330 Lodge and before that Bob’s Steakhouse site.

“I was around when that corner was at full build out. -And then of course the buildings became dilapidated, ignored and torn down and then the tragic fire. To see all that vacant space in our downtown community is very negative so I’m very excited you are doing this project in the community,” he told Mr. Wright that evening.

The developers’ representative thanked both the speakers for their positive comments.

Mr. Edwards said that evening’s meeting comes on the eve of the bids being opened by the state on the work developing the rail trail between Tupper and Lake Placid and the reconstruction of the rail line from Big Moose to this community.

“There will be a big influx of tourists here soon which should help your business,” he told Mr. Wright.

Mr. Edwards and Mr. McClelland were the only guests from Tupper that evening.

Chairman Stuart called the hotel project “a very important one for Tupper Lake.” He expressed disappointment that there were not any town or village leaders present to celebrate the permitting milestone in the unfolding process.

“I think it’s a fabulous project,” he began after the public hearing closed and the agenda item came up in the regular portion of the meeting.

“Jacob has worked very well with us to make the couple of tweaks we wanted. The new hotel will certainly be a cornerstone of our community and hopefully it comes to fruition.”

Jim Merrihew was next to speak. “I agree with you Shawn that this will be a fantastic addition to our downtown area for a lot of different reasons- employment, business development, hospitality...every thing!”

He asked Mr. Wright about a question he gave him earlier on the ground floor railings and the various access points into the building at the street level.

His question concerned specific access to the different parts of the building- the restaurant, the bar, the lobby or will the restaurant and bar be accessed from the main entrance area.

Mr. Wright said he would e-mail him more specifics of those arrangements.

Mr. Merrihew said he was comfortable with the overall design and layout of the new 44-room hotel from the preliminary drawings the management and development company had furnished to the planners.

He asked if the final designs, which will cost the developers $400,000 to have prepared by their architectural and engineering firms, would give the planners better detail of the hotel and Mr. Wright said they wouldn’t from an exterior viewpoint.

It was noted the interior design of the new accommodation place was not something the planners needed to review.

Mr. Merrihew wondered how Mr. Wright and his team were doing garnering the various permits needed.

Mr. Wright said the zoning board of appeals permit is just awaiting the shared parking agreement for use of nearby properties for the parking of 12 vehicles that won’t fit on site. The village ZBA volunteers looked at height, building set backs, the amount of space the building will occupy on the combined lots and parking and approved variances for all four with a condition that an off-site parking plan be developed.

That plan is in the hands of their attorneys and the village attorney right now, he told the planners.

“We received a letter from the Adirondack Park Agency a day or so ago” and the agency staff was concerned about the flow of traffic past the site on the two streets.

“They have required us to do a traffic study, which is pretty much par for the course.” He’s hoping to avoid doing it, however, if he can.

“I’ve put in a call to the DOT to get its stats on the number of cars that pass there on the state highway every year.

He said when his firm undertook the large hotel under construction in Saranac Lake there were a lot of people concerned about the amount of traffic that would be going around that big corner nearby. The DOT studies, he said, showed that the amount of traffic going around that corner was only 14% of the maximum amount of usage that corner could handle.

“If the APA requires us to do a traffic study, we’ll just pay for it and move forward.”

He also said the APA staff requested the agreement on the off-site parking arrangement required by the village ZBA, which they intend to furnish to the agency.

“Other than those two things, they were all minor, normal things” they are asking of us, he told the planners.

Mr. Merrihew wondered if the board had received letters from the village electric department and the village waste water and water departments indicating those respective systems could adequately provide services for the new hotel. Mr. O’Leary said there was a letter on file from the water and sewer department indicating that, but not yet from the electric department, although Superintendent Mike Dominie had walked the site and reviewed the plans with the developers.

Mr. Merrihew said he didn’t feel having the letters on file was an impeding issue but he thought having those assurances that services could be provided was important for the planning board’s files on the project.

Mr. Wright said he would contact Mr. Dominie for the letter.

“It’s a great project, Jacob, and I can’t wait to see the first shovels in the ground,” Mr. Merrihew told the designer.

Board member Jan Yaworski asked about several lighting issues she had raised at an earlier meeting and he answered them to her satisfaction that evening.

He also identified several plant species they are proposing for the green space below the hotel that she had asked about.

“Needless to say, it’s a great project...wonderful for the community,” she told Mr. Wright when he finished answering her questions.

Mr. Wright in turn thanked Jan for her “feedback” and questions, particularly on the landscaping. She had been assigned by Chairman Stuart to work with the designers on the landscaping and had several meetings with them in the past six weeks or so.

Asked to comment Doug Bencze said that after the considerable back and forth between the board and Mr. Wright, “the end result is going to look very good,” and certainly a lot better than what exists there now.

He thinks it will be a big asset to the community.

Chairman Stuart read the conditions that were attached to the permit approval.

“The planning board shall retain continuing jurisdiction over the exterior lighting plan and the wattage and shielding of lights until one year after the improvements have been completed. During this one-year period the planning board may prescribe reasonable modifications if it sees fit to mitigate adverse impacts by the project’s lighting.

The second condition was: “The planning board shall retain continuing jurisdiction over the landscape and planting plan aspects of the project until one year after the improvements have been completed. During this one-year period the planning board may prescribe additional plantings and sees fit to mitigate visual impacts. Plantings which do not survive will be replaced in kind before or after the one-year period.

Doug Bencze made the motion to permit the project, subject to those two conditions. Jan Yaworski seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Several planning board members were absent that evening.

Mr. Wright thanked the board for its support and noted that the search for more financing continues to be a challenge, given the business climate during the pandemic.

Helping the proposed hotel's financing package is a $10 million grant the project was awarded about five years ago by the North Country Economic Development Council as part of the state’s annual economic development awards.

Hollingsworth, McLean to represents GOP in village election this November

by Dan McClelland

GOP candidates for village trustee this fall, Jason McLean and Clint Hollingsworth, briefly pulled off their masks Tuesday after the GOP caucus for a quick team photo behind the Aaron Maddox hall. (McClelland photo)

The Village of Tupper Lake Repubilican committee, directed by Ray Bigrow, nominated incumbent trustee Clint Hollingsworth and political newcomer Jason McLean to run for two open trustee spots on the village board this November.

The lightly attended caucus Tuesday was held in the spacious meeting hall of the Aaron Maddox building, with the 25 or so party faithful sporting face coverings and social distancing.

In his bid for a third two-year term as trustee, Mr. Hollingsworth will be running on the GOP line for the first time. He recently switched his voter registration from Democrat, on whose line he ran the first two times.

The trustee, who oversees the electric department, garnered 19 votes Tuesday night. Mr. McLean received one less and a second political newcomer, planning board member Jan Yaworski, managed a respectable 13 votes.

Joanne Clement was the caucus secretary. Counters were Trustee Ron LaScala, who also switched political affiliation in recent years to Republican from Democrat, and Ray Tarbox.

Deputy Mayor Leon LeBlanc was the first to rise to nominate a candidate and he nominated Jan Yaworski. Mayor Paul Maroun seconded her nomination.

Mr. LeBlanc rose again to nominate Clint Hollingsworth. His nomination was seconded by Trustee Ron LaScala.

Mr. LaScala then nominated his friend Jason McLean. Ray Tarbox seconded Jason’s nomination.

Mr. Bigrow called three times for more nominations and there were none. The mayor then forwarded a motion to close nominations and it was seconded by Mr. LeBlanc. Mr. Bigrow and his caucus officers then conducted a secret paper ballot to select the two candidates.

The two successful candidates were asked to briefly address the caucus.

Clint Hollingsworth thanked his new fellow party members for their support as he runs for this his third term on the village board.

“I believe in the past four years I’ve accomplished a number of things as a member of the board. I always tried to look forward and look out for prosperity for our village and our community in general!”

“There are many personnel issues that routinely come before the village board. It’s more than just being a taxpayer.” There are business issues to consider. “We are running a community!” he stressed, saying he tries to balance those things in all his decisions.

He said he has enjoyed overseeing the electric department during his time on the board and he is very proud of the department’s record and its accomplishments under his watch.

Mr. Hollingsworth said the village is fortunate to have good, dedicated crews working on its behalf and its residents. “We have a great group of guys” in all our departments.

“It’s been both an honor and privilege to serve the village” and he said he looks forward to re-election on November 3.

Jason McLean, who is married to the former April Tyo of this village, told the caucus members he has been a property owner in the village for over ten years.

“I have watched the village board go through a very difficult time of late during this COVID crisis and I feel some of them may be getting burned out and may be looking for new life to give the board new energy.”

He said if elected he would be most happy to provide that new energy for the village board.

Mr. McLean is a registered nurse at Adirondack Health and also an accomplished carpenter. In fact, he was one of the first members of Clint Hollingsworth’s crew when he opened his contracting business here.

Not running in Tuesday’s caucus was multi-term trustee, David “Haji” Maroun, who now lives in the township and thereby is ineligible to serve as village trustee.

Mr. Maroun does plan, however, to continue to direct the Keepers of the Diamond, the committee that has been working very hard since last summer to bring the River Pigs team and the Empire League semi-pro baseball to Tupper Lake.

Wild Center reopening today with safe plans to entertain its guests

By Rich Rosentreter

The Wild Center will reopen to its regular schedule starting today as the nature museum has initiated a creative plan to entertain guests and do it safely amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wild Center Deputy Director Hillarie Logan-Dechene told the Free Press on Monday that she and the rest of the center’s staff are extremely happy to once again be open and plenty of planning has gone into the occasion.

“We are really thrilled, we have so carefully planned over the past several months and we are just beside ourselves excited to be welcoming people back,” she said. “We have been really careful about making sure we can do this properly, so the word is just getting out there. We are really cautiously optimistic that we can reopen and start doing our mission again and start bringing some vibrancy back.”

Reopening details

According to Ms. Logan-Dechene, although the center will hold normal hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the big change is that the center is only going to be open outdoors and no indoor attractions will be open to the public.

Admission will be allowed only by timed ticket reservations, a rule that applies even to Wild Center members.

“That’s so that we can manage our capacity and keep the flow even and keep everybody’s experience really wonderful and ensure that we have the right physical spacing between people and really manage it so everybody can have the respite that they’ve been looking for and have that real good Wild Center experience,” the deputy director said.

Hillarie said that to get tickets to the Wild Center, they must be purchased in advance, which can be done in three ways – online, by email or over the phone. Once tickets have been purchased, guest names will be placed on a reservation list at the museum entrance and will also include visitor’s contact information, which is required by the state for contact tracing purposes.

“It’s to make sure we know who’s on site. We’re going to ask you a couple of questions just to make sure that everybody is well and understands that wearing masks are required,” she said. “We’re going to explain to everybody what the expectations are so there are no surprises. Then they can go and have a great time visiting our site.”

Although making reservations are the only way to get tickets, the museum is still prepared for those who did not follow the proper procedure.

“We’re going to be pretty strict about it, it’s going to be a cashless site,” Ms. Logan-Dechene said, adding that the center will still do it’s best to conduct good customer service. She said there will be “pullover” spaces similar to McDonald’s where customers pull to the side when their order is not ready.

“We will have a staff member with a phone number guests can call to make an online reservation on the spot. We’re not going to send people away if there’s still capacity, unless it’s a fully sold out day. We’re going to try to work with people to the extent that it is possible,” she said. “The only way we would not be able to work with people is if we were completely sold out that day.”

Although the indoor attractions are closed, the Wild Center has launched an online store and guests will be able to shop on that medium while at the museum and order curbside delivery for the outdoor snack bar.

“If you order online our staff will bring your bag out to you, or staff can have your order ready for pickup before you leave,” she said. “We do have a small snack bar. We don’t have full food service, so we’re encouraging people to dine at other establishments in Tupper Lake.”

Those visiting from out-of-town are encouraged to check with the chamber of commerce to locate other places to eat prior to visiting the Wild Center, she said, adding that guests should look at other options for a meal such as planning a picnic. The indoor restrooms will be available for guests.

She also recommended potential guests visit the Wild Center website to get an idea of what to expect during their visit.

“And definitely reserve those tickets. Don’t show up without a pre-reserved ticket,” she said.

Safety measures

Ms. Logan-Dechene said that the center is taking several steps to ensure the well-being of its guests due to COVID-19 – including the requirement of having them wear masks to help prevent the spread of the virus.

“It’s a walk and face masks are required to visit the Wild Center. You will be signing off on that when you purchase your tickets that you understand that, so we sort of have an understanding with our visitors that they are agreeing to that when they are purchasing their tickets,” she said. “We have a visitor Code of Conduct that everyone is agreeing to when they come on our site. We’ll make that very clear when they come to the ticket booth and remind people that they have agreed to that.”

She added that throughout the Wild Center there are also “wonderful otter posters” that depict the animal with a face mask on.

“As a science museum, we follow the science – face masks make us all safer. We urge people to come with their face masks, or if they don’t we do have some backup face masks that we will give to people who didn’t bring theirs,” she said, adding that if visitors are on the Wild Walk and not wearing a face mask, there will be staff members who will give a “gentle reminder” to wear one and they as guests “have agreed to this.”

“Hopefully we won’t have any trouble. It is the law in New York State,” she pointed out. “If we have to get more serious, we’ve taught our staff about conflict resolution, so we’re preparing our staff just like any business would for any type of conflict that may happen.”

As an additional measure, there will also be sanitizing and hand-washing stations throughout the museum grounds.

“Thanks to Mayor Paul Maroun, he was able to secure us New York sanitizer, and we have stations – eight or nine – around the site, and we also were able to find some cool portable hand-washing stations. You pump it with your foot - it’s really cool actually – you pump it and stick your hand in, you don’t have to touch anything,” Ms. Logan-Dechene said. “Plus we have extra custodial staff hired to wipe down surfaces. We’re very into the cleaning and disinfecting protocols, we’re actually training all of our staff in that. Again, we’re a science museum and we’re following and looking at the best practices and we want to be a model in those best practices.”

“Nothing is no-risk, but we’re looking at this as we’re trying to lower the risk as low as possible,” she said, adding that the reason the center doesn’t have its indoor attractions open is a “bit more complicated,” but with the outdoor attractions, “we are looking at what capacity we can handle, we’re looking at how we can clean and disinfect, we’re looking at the experiences, we’re looking at crowd control. All those things, we’re keeping the risk as low as we can while still allowing people to get out and enjoy nature and what we have to offer in terms of our mission and bringing people and nature together.”

The deputy director stressed that the Wild Center has taken all the precautions to make a visit to the facility as safe as possible for its guests.

“We would not be doing this if we did not think we could do it as safely as we can. Our number one priority is keeping visitors, the community and staff safe. Then we think about if we could deliver a good experience,” she said.

What to expect

According to the deputy director, the Wild Center has enough attractions available to make for an enjoyable experience for guests.

“We’ve got some surprises in terms of animal encounters. We figured out a way in which people can still see our otters. Hopefully we thought of things to make it a positive experience for our visitors,” she said. “It’s going to be very different. They are not going to have the same inside experience, but we have managed to figure out ways of having a new type of experience.”

She said the Wild Walk will be open but the interactive attractions will be different.

“We’re not going to have a lot of touchy things. Now it’s more of an experience where you’re seeing things and going to have a more of an individualized experience, she said. “We’re going to have small groups of people coming to do things with their own family unit or the five people they came with. We can’t gather people in large groups, we don’t want to do that.”

“What we’re doing now is we’re going to have three different stations along the Wild Center outside and each family will have five minutes with our animal care staff,” she said, adding that guests will be required to maintain social distancing while they have “one-on-one time” with an animal.

Hillarie said the animal staff member will explain a little about the animals and the guests will be able to ask questions. There will be a new area where Cora the raven, Stickley the porcupine and Olivia the pigeon will be and guests can learn about them.

“Where it used to be a group of people at a time, now you’re going to have a chance to go one-on-one with a Wild Center staff for your experience,” she said, recognizing there is one special attraction that is still available. “The super cool thing is that we know that no visit to the Wild Center will be complete without some sort of otter encounter.”

At first, the museum’s staff struggled to find an effective way to provide access to the otter exhibit since it is inside, but Ms. Logan-Dechene said they found a way to utilize the outside area.

“We found a way to create a viewing area where you can come and see the otter play area,” she said. “You can actually get so close to them – you’re safe. You can really see them up close and personal, so a family will have a very private experience visiting with the otters outside in the environment that they are used to just hanging out in, it’s like in their own backyard – and that’s a cool thing.”

One thing guests need to be mindful of are the social distance requirements and having respect for other guests. Ms. Logan-Dechene compared the “keep it moving” concept to being out playing a round of golf on a course with others.

“When you see people coming up behind you, make sure you keep it moving, give them a chance to see things too,” she said. “We’re just going to ask that people be considerate of the next group. We always have great visitors and I think they’ll understand.”

It’s important

The reopening of the Wild Center is good news as it signals somewhat of a sense of normalcy to a challenging time, but Hillarie said the local attraction is lucky to be where it is.

“We’re so fortunate that we have over one-hundred acres that we can space people out on and that we have open air. If we were a different kind of place this might not be possible. We’re lucky we have trails, we have the musical forest where people can space themselves out and walk around,” she said. “We’re fortunate that we have our canoe program where people can sign up and a family can be in a canoe. They can go out with our naturalist on the Raquette River and they can sign up for that and have an experience on the water very safely – and that can be such an amazing thing for a family to have that opportunity to do. Maybe they’ve never done that before and they’re going to learn about all the plants and animals on the river. So for us it’s super important for us to fulfill our mission.”

Entertainment and education are two key factors in the Wild Center’s reopening, but it also has another major role.

“We also believe we’re an economic driver for the community and that’s part of the reason that we were created. There’s a lot of jobs at the Wild Center, and if we’re not open, we don’t have jobs. We’re an employer and if we’re not employing people that’s not too helpful to the community,” Ms. Logan-Dechene said, adding that she and the Wild Center team believe they are ready and set to reopen to visitors, although it’s not without a certain level of stress.

“It’s always nerve-wracking when you try something new. I really feel confident on how we’ve trained our staff. I started working on this reopening plan from the get-go, studied how other countries did it before we did and then studied how other regions of the country did it and looked at all the changing sciences and went through all the different iterations of the plan. We’ve got a forty-seven page plan on how to do this and we’re writing new protocols every day,” she said. “We’re being extremely careful and we’re going to learn things along the way but I feel confident that we’re opening the best possible way we can with this outdoor experience. I know our staff has been super creative with the program.”

“I think people will love to be back on site and I just hope that the people enjoy it. I think they will – and I just hope we can get a vaccine soon for this pandemic. That’s all I hope for!”

Ben Gocker takes over the helm at Goff-Nelson Memorial Library

by Rich Rosentreter

The Goff-Nelson Memorial Library reopened to the public on Monday and the facility also has a new director, Ben Gocker, who began at the post on April 7 replacing Peg Mauer who retired after nine years at the helm.

The Free Press recently spoke to the new director about his new role and how important the library is to a small community such as Tupper Lake.

Mr. Gocker has lived in Tupper Lake for nearly four years and worked part-time at the library for three years prior to taking the director position. He is married and has three children ages 3, 1 and a half and 2 months. His wife works as a librarian at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake.

“So the kids sort of were born into a bookish family,” he said, adding that his oldest daughter and son did story time on Facebook page while quarantined at home just to provide some type of programming for the community. “My kids would join me and we’d read children’s books. That was a lot of fun and they enjoyed hamming it up in front of the camera.”

Mr. Gocker said he is happy that the library finally reopened, and it is the first library in the area to do so.

“I’m nothing but excited and relieved. I think we’ve taken the appropriate measures and followed all the state guidelines. I feel like we’re ready to do this in the safest way possible and let the people of Tupper Lake back into their library,” he said, adding that on Monday, about 20 people came in to browse and check books out. “It went very smooth. There were a few happy dances, people were pretty psyched. A few people said they needed their fix, and they got it.”

According to Mr. Gocker, the library is a vital component of a community and so far its patrons have been respectful of the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Libraries are not just a community resource where you lend materials, but also as a public space I think is one of its most valuable assets. We want people to come into the library and know that the library staff is going to make it as safe as possible for them to do so,” he said. “By this point for everybody a mask is really just second nature, so no one really has an issue. They didn’t really care what they had to do (as far as safety). They just wanted to get back at their books. That was way more important.”

He said disposable gloves are also available to patrons and there are also hand sanitizing stations throughout the library.

Experience

Mr. Gocker has worked in libraries for about 13 years ,including being a part-time employee at the Goff-Nelson Library. He started library work in the New York City area, and worked at the Brooklyn Public Library, which has several locations in the borough, for about nine years.

“I worked all over. I was the adult librarian in Bushwick, the local history librarian in Brooklyn,” he said, adding that by the time he left Brooklyn, he worked as the manager at the Coney Island branch. “It was a bit different working in an urban setting than working up here.”

And that experience has prepared him for working in just about any library setting.

“Managing the branch in Coney Island, I oversaw a staff 13 employees, had a security guard because we needed one, five librarians, along with a custodian, volunteers and part-time workers,” he said. “I got a lot of hands-on experience with management, but there’s a lot that’s new to me here. You have to do sort of soup to nuts at the library when you’re the director of the library.”

Here at the local library, Ben is the only full-time employee and he said he does everything from creating the website to managing the facility to paying the bills and doing the payroll.

“It all comes down to me,” he said, adding that he has had assistance getting acclimated to his new post. “The board has been really helpful in helping me learn all these aspects of managing the library. So far, it’s been really great.”

“Everyone has wished me well and so far so good, but they probably want to wait and make sure I do a good job before they give me a passing grade,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s definitely been a challenging time. One of the first things I had to do on the new job was to write a pandemic outbreak policy, which I think most library administrators never have to write. We’ve been doing a lot of learning on the fly and responding to an unusual and dynamic situation, but so far the job has been equal parts exciting and challenging.”

Important to community

Mr. Gocker said the local library is an integral part of the community and he explained his view on the role it plays.

“I think a library is essential. I mean we’re not essential right now in the same way a grocery store or hospital is, but maybe we’re at that second tier as to what is essential for a really healthy and strong community. It’s not just about what we provide in terms of the collections or the services, it’s about having a space that’s free and open to the public where anyone is welcome,” he said, adding that it’s not just the individual aspect but the community aspect as well. “We do programming here. We do story time for kids, we have a GED class that meet here. We can provide a place for people to come together. In the times we’re living in now, it’s hard to say what the future has for public libraries, not just for small communities but for anywhere, because of the fact that public spaces may have to be re-imagined. I hope that we can act as not only a library but as a community center. We can also offer programs people may expect such as a literary, for children, for the elderly and craft programs and things like that.”

“If the library is not a backbone, it’s definitely a vertebrae in the backbone of a small town.”

Future vision

Libraries across the nation are facing challenges due to changing technology – and that includes the Goff-Nelson Library, a fact not lost to Mr. Gocker.

“I think libraries in general are having to respond to 21st Century demands put on them by the changing technologies or be able to offer more e-books, and we’ve seen a dramatic rise in ebook usage during the pandemic. Maybe that’s something we’ll do more of, maybe our budget will shift to purchase more of those digital items for the community, but not to lose sight of the in-person sort of power that the library really has to bring people together,” he said. “It’s old-fashioned maybe in that regard – I mean it hasn’t changed since libraries were invented - but to me it’s still very much the future of libraries, and we always have to look to safeguard these public spaces to make sure that we don’t lose them before we realize what we had.”

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks about a library are its books, something that is not appreciated as much due to today’s focus on modern technology. But Mr. Gocker said the one-on-one relationship someone has with a book has great value.

“It’s just you and the book, there’s no mediation through technology. You don’t have to have a proprietary platform like Kindle, you don’t have to login. You pick up a book and you’re reading and immediately you’re having a private experience, and yet it’s a private experience that opens the door to unparalleled moments of empathy where you can really learn about other people and other cultures and other times – and there’s never been more of a time that we need to focus on what reading does for people and in getting away from the screen and having more of an active engagement with the content that you’re devouring,” he said with clear passion in his voice. “I think that books still can’t be beat.”

Today’s youth are enamored with video games, and Mr. Gocker had his thoughts on that, and compared that technology to books.

“As incredible as some of these video games are today and the narrative that they create, playing a video game is a unilateral relationship because most people who play video games do not know how to make a video game, but if you know how to read you also know how to write, and by reading, the more you read, you’ll just have an almost instinctive knack for writing or for what language can do,” he said. “Books are so easy to take for granted, but they are so fundamental and so powerful. Children can be pretty absorbed with their tablet, but a kid with a picture book - that’s where the real spark is. It’s both tactile and personal because it’s being read to someone. There’s something really there that I think is lost if you translate it to technology.”

Adapting

The library has to adapt due to the restrictions of a post-COVID-19 landscape, and there are still plans to engage the community in the future. Mr. Gocker said among the things the library would like to do is offer adult learning classes.

“We have a great big community room that we would love to transform, we want to add more computers down the road. We have an incredible local history collection here and an Adirondack collection, the Simmons Memorial Room, that is something we’d like to promote a little more,” he said. “We have a historic photo collection that can be found online. We’d like to bring people in and offer them more access to these primary source material that we have.”

Starting this Friday the library will begin operation of its own Youtube channel and on Saturday programs used via the library’s Facebook page.

“On Friday we’ll have the first of what will be a weekly summer reading videos – all of which will be remote,” he said, adding at 10 a.m. on that day the library will post first summer reading video. “We’re working with school teachers who also are members of the local Kiwanis Club who help the library with its reading program.

“On Saturday we will have a regular story time, sing-a-long and craft time,” he said as crafts material will be provided by library and kids and families can come to library and pick up a craft kit in the lobby and take it home to do the crafting online with the staff on Facebook. “That will be a live program rather than pre-recorded. They can go to the Goff-Nelson Library Facebook page to access it.”

The Saturday programs will begin at 11 a.m. - that and the Friday program will then take place weekly.

Message to community

Mr. Gocker said that although things are on the road to some type of normalcy, the process is not complete and time is still needed to get back up and running at full speed as the library going through its reopening phases.

“I just want to say that we’re really happy to be open again, but I would ask for everyone’s patience,” he said, adding that people can read the library’s complete reopening plan on its new website: tupperlakepubliclibrary.org. “Come on back but also be patient because we’re going to reopen very slowly. We want to ensure everyone’s health and well-being above all else.”

He said that currently the library does allow browsing and checkout services, but will not permit people to stay and use computers or sitting areas.

“As long as people can bear with us, we’re doing the best job that we can,” he said, “Just so people know, we are the first library to reopen in the Tri-County system. We’re taking the steps to serve everybody but we want to do it as safely as possible.”

“I can’t thank Peg Mauer the outgoing director enough. She was a fantastic mentor and she did a lot to bring the Tupper Lake public library into the 21st Century. We all miss her dearly,” he added. “The staff that we have on hand are just incredible and they’ve worked uncomplainingly during a very trying time to get the library up and running again and they’re just fantastic and I love having them all on staff.”

“I love this library,” he said. “And the proof is in the pudding.”

Tupper Lake Class of 2020 treated to a memorable outdoor graduation

by Rich Rosentreter

It may have been a lot different than graduations of the past, but on June 25 the Tupper Lake High School Class of 2020 was treated to a memorable ceremony to conclude their academic lives in the district.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2020 was deprived many events and experiences that seniors typically have, but their graduation ceremony took place in an outdoor setting at the L.P. Quinn Elementary School amid doubts that such an event was possible – and thanks to great weather the event took place without problems and only plenty of pomp and circumstance.

The ceremony kicked off with a parking lot full of vehicles packed with proud parents, family and friends and a huge screen set up for all to see the graduates walk across the stage, thanks to Good Guy Productions.

The event began with the graduates coming out of the school wearing their personal protective masks as horns beeped in enthusiastic celebration. One by one they took their seats – placed six feet apart – in front of the stage.

Following opening remarks by Senior Class Secretary Loran Kavanagh, Principal Russell Bartlett stated the obvious as he recognized just how different the ceremony was by exclaiming, “Wow! This is weird!”

“This is one last chance to be together and say good-bye to the Class of 2020,” he said, adding that the district had five or six different plans for graduation over the last three months. He said what he kept on hearing from students is “‘What we wanted is to be together one more time to cheer for each other when we go up on stage.’ That to me speaks volumes for than anything about who you guys are as people. The sentiment wasn’t that ‘I want to walk on stage’ and ‘I want my diploma,’ it was ‘I want to share this moment with my friends and I want to be there for them.’”

“And at a time where it can be fairly easy to wonder about where we’re going in terms of our relationships with each other and the way people treat one another, it was really awesome to me that what you guys wanted most was to support each other and to share the moment together,” Mr. Bartlett said. “It was really cool. And that gives me hope that it hasn’t all gone completely sideways and that in a moment of despair and scary weirdness unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, all you guys wanted was just to be here with each other.”

Mr. Bartlett then officially welcomed the audience and praised the Class of 2020 before event staff prepared the microphone for a new speaker by wiping it down with a sanitizer, which they did for each speaker – each one also treated to beeping horns and celebratory shouts and screams.

Up to the podium came Senior Class President Katie Harriman, who focused on each graduate being a spark for change.

“I don’t think any of us imagined a parking lot party for graduation,” she said, adding that her class’s senior year has been spun around. “We’ve missed out on a lot. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of greater challenges that lie ahead of us. I wish I could be funny, sentimental or even a little bit sappy, but these are not normal times.”

“It’s clear now more than ever that change is needed. What that change might look like is up to you. It’s our responsibility to contribute our part as to what change will look like,” Katie said. “I’ve seen the change we could do as just one class. Imagine what we can do when we take on the world. Here’s to what we have done, what we’re doing and the infinite amount of potential for what we’re going to do. What will your change be?”

Next up was Salutatorian Logan Dominie, who started by stating it was a privilege to be giving his speech, mainly due to the fact he was “unsure there would be a ceremony of this caliber due to COVID-19.”

“I’m so happy that we were still able to do this though as this is a really special moment for my entire class and their families,” he said, adding a special thanks to all his teachers and school staff. “I would not be standing here today were it not for the exceptional learning environment that the staff has provided every step of the way.”

After praising his family and parents for helping motivate and support him along the academic path, Logan gave his message to his classmates.

“Today is the biggest day that any of us has ever faced. This is the beginning of our futures and all of our education here in Tupper Lake is finally complete. This is the start of the rest of our lives. We are all faced with the greatest opportunity we have ever known, a chance to choose who we want to be in the future. Whether you are entering the work force, going to a trade school or enrolling in a four-year college, you’re going to experience countless new people over the coming years,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone! This is your chance to find whatever makes you happy and run with it.”

Logan said one thing his parents always told him was that he could achieve whatever it is he wanted if he put in enough effort.

“The same could be said of you and the rest of the class of 2020. The sky is the limit for all of us,” he said. “I think the most important thing that I’m never going to forget is this ceremony. This is the day we’ve all been working so hard to get to.”

The next speaker was Valedictorian Stephanie Fortune, who said prior to constructing her speech she reviewed some other valedictorian messages online that just offered advice - but that approach just didn’t “seem right” to her.

“I don’t think I could offer any wisdom that I can add that you don’t already know. Instead, I started to look back at my memories,” she said, adding that many unexpected stories came back to her. “It is the little things that I’m going to miss the most!”

“We have all changed so much, right now high school is all we know. Even I tend to look at graduation as an ending. An end of high school, an end to our childhood, an end of seeing our friends every day, the end of seeing our favorite teachers and coaches, it’s the end of an era,” Miss Fortune said. “But as cheesy as it sounds, this is only the beginning and the first step to the rest of our lives – we’ve got a long way to go. Every single one of us should look at how far we’ve already come and then keep going. Keep becoming better people and find ourselves. So let’s continue down memory lane and see how much we’ve changed.”

Stephanie spoke about her days in Pre-K and her and classmates being “wild-eyed children,” eventually getting used to kindergarten and the routine of school. She worked her way up describing her experiences throughout her academic life in Tupper. When she got to the high school level, she told her classmates that they would agree that they are not the same people they were when they entered as freshmen.

“We are different people with different ambitions, but we all have great futures. These last few years were spent making terrifying life-changing decisions, find a passion, choose a career path, choose a college, plan your life out, blah, blah, blah. The thing is most of us are probably going to end up doing something completely different than we plan on right now. We need to find out who we are outside of high school,” Stephanie said. “Life is an uphill battle, it is going to throw challenge after challenge at you. I think we should all agree not to run from them and meet them head on. This is the time to take risks, step out of your comfort zone, push your limits. Think of it however you want.”

“Let’s be honest, we’ve all said it, ‘I can’t wait to get out of this town.’ But at this moment, all I can think about is coming home at winter break and seeing all of my friends,” she added. “So after one of the most crazy senior years that’s probably ever been, congratulations to the Class of 2020.”

Then School District Superintendent Seth McGowan gave an address to the graduating class for the last time as his retirement is slated to begin this week. Instead of taking his customary photo of the graduates, he had to take a short video since the students were spaced out too far.

As indoor graduations have been the norm in Tupper Lake, the first order of business for Mr. McGowan was to thank the students for helping him break that trend and have an outdoor ceremony in the light of the restrictions placed on any gatherings due to the pandemic.

“You are the first class that has ever been able to convince me that an outdoor graduation where you could all be together was worth the risk of getting rained on or blown away with some kind of extreme weather,” he said. “I for one am thankful that you did finally break that barrier and convince me that outdoors was better.”

After speaking about several specific memories he had of some students, he told the graduates this moment in their lives was part of a timeline.

“As you are all too well aware, some events are not predictable and happen at different points along different people’s timeline. A worldwide pandemic is a great example. It happened to all of us at the same time but at a different point on each of our timelines. For you, it blew up your senior year, and that is too bad, but that’s what happened. For other people not graduating from high school it blew up other things. But finishing high school is a big graduation mark,” he said. “I do have to keep reminding myself that however difficult past four or five months have been, we’re all lucky to be here today and we’re healthy, and those with us today out there in car land are also lucky enough to be here today and part of the celebration of your commencement into the future.”

The superintendent spoke about seeing the graduates grow up through the school system.

“Some of my perceptions of you were seemingly insignificant at the time in retrospect, but were life affirming,” he said, as he went on to describe a situation involving graduating senior Dalton LaFountain.

Mr. McGowan said he was sitting alone at an event in the high school auditorium and although he did not remember if it was a play or something else, he did remember the details. Dalton, although he was there with some friends, recognized that the school administrator was alone and after a brief conversation offered to sit with him for the remainder of the event – and that moment had a lasting impression.

“What a nice gesture Dalton, and truly nobody ever really wants to sit with me, so I’ll never forget that,” Mr. McGowan told the audience. “It was the kind of thing I’ll always remember about you and I will remember about this class. You are nice people, you have always been nice people. And we could use more people like you in the world, so thank you for being that way all of these years.”

He said that after the graduation, the students will “be the pioneers of a future post-pandemic world.”

“I object to the phrase that this is the new normal. There is nothing normal about any of this. The new normal is actually down the road in the future some place. You’ll be the ones in part who determine how that world will be shaped.”

“This is not a new normal, but it is truly a new beginning. If there was ever a group of graduates suited and prepared for that expedition it’s you, and it’s all of you. Grit, perseverance, kindness, adaptability, hard work, strength, perspective, character, all of these things. All of these impressions that I’ve had of you over these years were built from memories over the course of your fourteen years. This is not a first impression of mine but a long string of first-hand experience that demonstrates a pattern,” he said. “So while you broke one pattern by getting me to agree to an outdoor graduation, you have the responsibility of creating a new pattern for everyone in the future and knowing you, things are going to be just fine. I promise. Best of luck to you.”

The keynote address by TLHS alum Caitlin (Poirier) Jarvis was to follow and she was introduced by graduates Lauren and Clair Denis who both provided Mrs. Jarvis’ background.

Mrs. Jarvis graduated from TLHS in 2006 and graduated Sienna College with a degree in biology and went on to get a master’s degree in health science from the University of South Alabama. She currently works at the Naval Medicine Readiness and Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island.

Mrs. Jarvis started by going back to her graduation, which took place at the high school in a “hot, crowded gymnasium” to today in which families sat in cars or watching online at home.

“But just because we may be more separated by a little more distance this year, does not make this day any less important for any of you,” she said. “We’re here because we are proud of your hard work this year and your perseverance. This year in particular has presented challenges that most of us, our parents and even our grandparents have never seen in our lifetimes. Yet here we are together celebrating this important day. I know this is not the graduation ceremony you were expecting and although we’ve all been social distancing here, we doing this for the greater good, and that is something you guys should be very proud of.”

She said when she was figuring out what to say in her speech, it was difficult to find the right words.

“I’m not here as a fellow student, as a teacher, or even a celebrity. I’m standing here as a healthcare provider during a pandemic who was born and raised in this town,” Mrs. Jarvis said. “All my experiences during my childhood here, helped shape my future. Since my high school graduation, so much has changed in the world and for myself.”

According to Mrs. Jarvis, who has traveled around the globe, students must recognize how everyone is connected in some way.

“I can tell you that there are different cultures and that uniqueness is something we all need to embrace, especially now. We’re all different, but we all bring something important to the table,” she said, adding that during her job in the healthcare field, she has seen thousand of patients, young and old, servicemen and women all over the world, including World War II veterans. “I’ve listened to their stories and I’ve taken it all in. I encourage you to listen to the stories of others. The ability to learn and grow if only you listen is so important.”

Mrs. Jarvis told students that although they may have missed so many important events from their senior year, they must appreciated their experience.

“I want you to take a moment and look at what you’ve gained during these challenging times. Although you feel like you lost out on so much the past few months, you gained a skill set that you can take with you your entire life, and that’s the ability to adapt. I can tell you that the ability to adapt is a real-world skill. This period of time has opened our eyes,” she said. “We’ve all been challenged and realize now more than ever this world is a big, interconnected place where we depend on each other. We have a greater appreciation for humanity knowing we are not doing this for ourselves. We are more compassionate knowing we are protecting our grandparents. We spent more time with our immediate family, for better or worse. And we’ve all become more creative.”

“Finally, despite COVID, your high school administration has developed a fabulous graduation ceremony today, and for that I thing we need a honking round of applause for,” she said, which resulted with the area being filled with a barrage of horn-honking bliss, bringing her joyful laughter.

“So whenever you have a difficult time looking at the positives this year, because we know it’s difficult, we need to be mindful that this will not last forever. Remember that this was a year unlike any other and despite the hurdles, you all made it to the finish line. Once you graduate, you hold the key to your future and I want you to take your experiences from your time here in Tupper Lake and use them to find your own path,” she said. “If you haven’t figured out what you want to do with the rest of your life yet, that's OK too. You have tie to learn and figure out exactly it is you want to do in this world.”

Mrs. Jarvis said that when she returned to Tupper Lake to give the graduation speech, she realized just how much she appreciated the Adirondack region and compared the difficulty and challenge of life to climbing a mountain.

“There are highs and lows, just like there are when you go hiking. But when you get to the top of that mountain, you need to stop for a minute and take a moment to look at the beauty that exists,” she said. “So for a moment, take a deep breath, enjoy your accomplishment and every time you struggle in the future, whether it’s your future career, your family, just remember you can make it over that mountain. And as Dr. Suess said: ‘You’re off to great places, today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.’You’re resilient, so take what you’ve learned from 2020 and get on your way to the next chapter in your life!,” she said. “I wish you the best of luck in the future. Congratulations Class of 2020.”

Finally, closing remarks were made by Senior Class Vice President Ava Cuttaia, who focused on the challenges of the pandemic and said she had..

“Before we know it, our senior year got cut short and we had to end it online. We didn’t get to say good-bye to our coaches, classmates, teachers, and it felt so unfair and it still does,” she said. (adding? “But although we all were stripped of that one year we’ve all been waiting for since we were freshmen, something amazing happened.

The community and the school made us feel pretty famous,” she said, referring to the signs of each graduate placed around the community. “I’ve never seen my face around town in my life. And all of a sudden we were being adopted on Facebook and our posters were all over the community. As a senior in the Class of 2020 I would like to thank all of you for making us feel so unforgotten and giving us a memorable end to our senior year.”

“It’s definitely going to be a year I’ll never forget. I wish I could have ended my school year in class ...but instead I got to live through history, at the moment, it stinks, I’m not going to lie. But one day when we’re all old and wrinkly, our grandkids are going to ask about this for their history project and ask: ‘Did you really live through all that?’ and ‘Is that seriously a real thing?’ Then we can tell this story all over again,” Ava said. “It’s hard to say good-bye to the familiar, but it’s so exciting to see what the future holds for all of us.”

L.P. Quinn graduates treated to a parade ceremony, gifts

by Rich Rosentreter

The L.P. Quinn Elementary School Class of 2020 was treated to a Family Car Parade on June 16 as part of their 6th Grade Moving Up Celebration as these youngsters will now move on to the middle-high school in the fall.

The ceremony took place with two phases, the first being a virtual program at 6 p.m. on Youtube that featured the graduates in photos ranging from outdoor and other adventures to family poses and candid shots of the student. Following the photographic tribute, District Superintendent Seth McGowan gave a virtual speech.

“It’s my hope that we never have to do it like this again,” he told the graduating “moving up” class. “Having said that, I want to acknowledge that there were many interesting educational things that happened during the past few months and I want to acknowledge the hard work of your teachers in your school for all of their hours and planning during that time, and in particular I want to thank them for putting tonight’s event together for you - that took an additional many, many hours of hard work and planning.”

“At some point, please make sure they know just how grateful you are, after all, without them you wouldn’t be going to the middle-high school next year at all.”

Mr. McGowan – with a screen of a star-lit sky in the background - then said he wanted to talk about the wilderness in his message to the students.

“We often talk about the wilderness as our immediate surroundings and for us it’s this great Adirondack Park in which we live. It’s filled with fresh air and beauty. But sometimes we get nose blind to it, just like in those Febreze plug-in commercials. I want to remind you never to forget to look at it with fresh eyes and smell it with a fresh nose each and every day. And if it’s dark outside, you can always cast your eyes at the great wilderness above – the sky,” Mr. McGowan said. “Nature doesn’t necessarily end at the tree line. We’re a part of the largest nature center in the universe, and it’s name? The universe. All that we are, and all that exists on our planet, including everything in Tupper Lake, everything in L.P. Quinn and everything inside of you, came from out there at some point, and it’s always free to look up, so please do.”

“The reason I mention this as your time at L.P. Quinn draws to an end, is that we shouldn’t lament about not seeing the trees when it gets dark, instead we should celebrate because we can now see the universe,” he said. “While the end of the year has been different for you, there were many new and exciting things that happened. You were the pioneers of this time, and if you do it right, you’ll take those experiences with you to the next stage of your life at the middle-high school, and I’m sure you will.”

“Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars,” he ended, coining a phrase by Casey Kasem. (Look that name up).

The parade

Then the next phase - the Family Car Parade started around 7 p.m. at the Wild Center where cars full of family members and the graduating students – who were sporting Class of 2020 T-shirts - lined up for the drive up the block to the elementary school. As the entourage made its way up Hosley Avenue led by a school bus, the vehicles carrying graduates beeped the entire time from the Wind Center to the spot where faculty and administrators lined the front of the elementary school.

One by one, the 50-plus cars pulled in front to the waving school personnel, including Mr. McGowan and Business Manager Dan Bower. Traffic flow was well under control on the avenue with the help of the Tupper Lake Police Department. Each vehicle in the procession drove past the school front where they received a heroes welcome – plenty of clapping, yelling, waving and smiles – along with a gift bag of goodies that was handed to them by teachers, some of them giving words of praise and encouragement to the grads.

The continuous serenading sounds of horns beeping made the entire event feel like a festive celebration – and the balloons and décor on many of the vehicles certainly helped the celebratory mood.

And the huge smiles adorning the faces of the Class of 2020 didn’t hurt either.

Over 75 Tupper Lake protest racism, police brutality Monday at park

by Dan McClelland and Rich Rosentreter

Over 75 Tupper Lake people Monday evening joined in solidarity with thousands of people in communities of all sizes around the country who have been protesting against racism and the racial injustice since the death on Memorial Day of 46 year old George Floyd, a black man, when a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for eight minutes while three fellow officers watched.

The video of the incident went viral, angering many in this country and conjuring up memories of many incidents of racial injustice in this country's recent history.

Although some of the protests have turned violent with fires and looting, Tupper Lake's protest was very orderly and very peaceful, as has been the case in most communities across the country.

The protesters here, all wearing face coverings, lined the paved sidewalk near the park entrance, carrying signs with familiar messages from recent protests and cheering chants at times. Many passing cars and trucks beeped their horns in support. The event last nearly an hour and a half.

There were people in a couple of cars, however, who shouted things that clearly showed they objected to the demonstration.

The protest was organized by two local ladies, Kelsey Amell and Liz Boylan, with help from several friends Ashley Lynz and Lexi Hodgson. The announcement of the event was carried on Facebook.

As the protesters gathered, Miss Boylan said they wanted to do something “because black lives do matter,” citing the central theme of the many recent protests. Joining them was their friend, Jade Kenyon of the Frary-Stuart Funeral Home.

Kelsey said “black people in this country have been oppressed long enough and they have every right to be angry. I get angry with them just watching my fellow white people being ignorant about it.”

She said that while she doesn't believe racism is an issue in the North Country, “that's what makes it an issue.”

“People stay blind to it rather than face it and accept it as a reality.”

Miss Amell said many of the black people who years ago were forced to use segregated restrooms and drink from segregated water fountains are still alive today.

“People don't realize these things just happened...it wasn't 300 years ago.”

She said people take for granted that we live in a small area “where bad things don't happen.”

“Many people think these things don't matter, but as a country it does!”

Liz Boylan said she attended the recent protest in Saranac Lake where she didn't see a lot of people from Tupper Lake. “That was my motivation for this one: why don't we bring it here and educate more people and open more eyes and make them realize that even though this is a small town” prejudice and racism exists.

At 5p.m. the two organizers predicted more people would be coming and they did, as cars rolled into the park. A few minutes later the delegation of dozens of people moved to the park's entrance and lined up in front of the fence.

Miss Amell said shortly after their arrival one car pulled up with people inside who told them they don't support the protest. She said she wasn't surprised.

Leah Bedore and her husband Randy Ketcham from Green Pond were among the first to arrive.

Leah said “it's important” to know that black lives do matter. She said it was important to speak out and not stay quiet.

She said she was unable to make the protest in Saranac Lake as she was working so she wanted to be at the Tupper Lake event.

Accompanying Leah and Randy was Connie Rockefeller of the Saranac Inn area said the voices of those in “all little communities” matter.

Ellen Maroun of Tupper Lake said she was there to protest the racism in this nation “because there has been beyond evidence that's it's been too long, too much talk and absolutely no action. It's time for change!”

Mrs. Maroun said she believes “it's individuals who are to blame in a system that has to change.”

Protestors occasionally broke out in chants of “This is what democracy looks like” and “Black lives matter.”

Most of the passing motorists beeped their horns and/or waved salutes in support- and each time this happened the protestors clapped back with a show of appreciation. There were a few, however, who gave derogatory hand gestures and others driving large pick-up trucks revved their engines loudly.

The atmosphere was peaceful and at times the mood was somewhat somber as many of the protestors appeared to recognize the gravity and importance of being along the roadside holding up their signs that evening.

No Memorial Day service

The veterans groups here are not planning any formal Memorial Day services here on Monday, May 25, due to the corona virus pandemic. Racks, however, will be set up in front of the monument in the days ahead where local organizations may hang their Memorial Day wreaths.

Russell Bartlett named new school superintendent

by Rich Rosentreter

The Tupper Lake School District Board of Education last week announced that it has officially selected former middle/high school Principal Russell Bartlett as its new school superintendent with an anticipated start date of July 1.

The school district along with the Franklin Essex Hamilton BOCES district superintendent’s office has been in the process of finding the replacement for Seth McGowan who last year announced he was retiring from his post.

Mr. Bartlett began working in the Tupper Lake School District in 1994 as a science teacher and has also served the district in the capacities of athletic director and dean of students and since 2015 has been serving at the principal of the middle/high school.

According to school board President Jane Whitmore, the board received and reviewed 10 applications at a special meeting on February 26, and of those initial applicants, the board invited five to a confidential round of interviews with the board of education on March 9.

“Upon completion of those interviews, the board selected three finalists to advance to a second round of interviews on March 26 with three constituent groups representing school staff and community members,” Mrs. Whitmore wrote on the school’s Facebook page. “Because of Governor Cuomo’s executive order against gatherings, the March 26 interviews were initially postponed. As it became more evident that the restrictions against public gatherings would continue indefinitely, the BOE became concerned that the delay in hiring a replacement could have a severe impact on the stability of the district. Luckily, one of the finalists from the initial interviews stood out above the other field of impressive candidates, and he happened to already be working for the district.”

Mrs. Whitmore also indicated that the school board “felt strongly that as it was becoming increasingly clear that schools will be facing significant challenges in the next several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, having someone with an intimate knowledge of the school and community was vital,” she wrote, adding that although “the board was disappointed that the constituent groups were not able to weigh in on this important decision,” it was solely the board’s decision to hire a superintendent.

Now the board and Mr. Bartlett are in the process of finalizing an employment agreement and plans to appoint the new superintendent at a special board meeting as soon as the process is completed, according to Mrs. Whitmore, who added that Mr. Bartlett will begin working immediately with Mr. McGowan on a transition plan for the district.

The new superintendent

The Free Press contacted Mr. Bartlett following the announcement of his selection as the new school district superintendent and the following is the Q&A session:

What are your thoughts on being named as superintendent and what does this position mean to you?

“It has really set in over the past couple of days now and honestly, it's humbling. There are a lot of people who were here at TLCSD a long time before me who put a lot of work into making it the great district it is. I've had the opportunity to learn a lot (and experience some) of that history and it's really given me a deep sense of responsibility to do everything I can to continue that work.”

What are the qualities you bring to the table for this post?

“I think one of the most important qualities anyone brings to the position is an ability to see the "big picture. Seth (McGowan) frequently refers to the 30,000 foot view, and you have to be able to see that 30,000 foot view while keeping in mind the individual kids and families who are impacted by every decision you make. I think I have a pretty good grasp of the Tupper Lake community and its values and expectations because they're my values and expectations too. I may have been born about 60 miles north of here, but I've been here long enough that I can't imagine calling anywhere else home. I have a personally vested interest in seeing the school and its students succeed.

How do you plan to help the Tupper school district through the COVID-19 crisis and its impact in the future?

“I wish I knew what that impact was going to be. I think the fallout of this situation is going to continue to unfold over the next year. There's undoubtedly going to be a ‘new normal’ and before long, things we wouldn't have imagined are going to be a part of everyday life, I just don't know what those things are right now. I know that we've learned an awful lot about the strengths and weaknesses of remote learning, and it's going to be important that we bring people together once we can do so to evaluate those things. The more prepared we can be for ‘next time,’ and I hope there isn't a next time, the better off our kids will be for it.”

How do you plan to maintain the success of the school district?

“I think it starts with listening and communicating. I don't think, in education, you can spend a lot of time ‘maintaining.’ You always have to be planning and looking for ways to improve. I don't think, as a district, we have any glaring deficiencies right now, but the world is changing fast and we have to make sure that we do everything we can to give our kids a chance to succeed after they leave us. I think in this position you have to listen to as many different voices as you have access to, and then you need to communicate with people once decisions are made. If you're going to listen to everyone, you're going to get differing opinions, and you need to validate the opinions that didn't make it into the final decision in order to keep that line of communication open in the future.”

How excited are you for the future of the TL school district?

“Very. I do think there are some tough times coming around the bend, we keep hearing hints of bad, bad things happening to school funding from the State every day. I lived through what seemed like educational Armageddon in 2009-10, when we saw almost 25% of our staff disappear in the blink of an eye, but we bounced back. Yeah, there are still some visible scars from that time, but for the most part we’ve still managed to continue to provide some awesome educational opportunities for the kids of our district. The Tupper Lake community is unique in its willingness to pitch in and help each other through tough times. That's an amazing security blanket to have when the clouds start building on the horizon.”

Any message to the students and parents of the district?

“My door is open. I know everyone who has ever started a new job anywhere has talked about their door being open, but I think the students and staff who I've worked with over the past 26 years at the middle/high school will tell you that I work hard to make sure that it's absolutely true. The basic premise of education is simple: Find out what kids need and help them get it. It can get exponentially harder from there, but step one has to be to listen. It's the only way you can hear them tell you what they need!”

Little WolfStock version 4 postponed until next summer

Another pretty river shot

For those readers who enjoyed that magnificent gray and orange shot from the photographic collection of Tall Paul Chartier, and there were many who liked it, here's another reflective beauty taken last October. It's a slightly different angle of Raquette River off River Road near Paul's house, with a detailed reflection of the evergreens that line the river and the clouds above.

Organizer Paul Chartier announced yesterday that Little WolfStock 4 will be postponed until next summer.

The music festival that has been staged every few years at Little Wolf beach from its pavilion has served as a giant reunion for many classes at Tupper Lake High School. The event each time has featured many musical acts by local performers and former Tupper Laker musicians to the delight of large crowds of classmates.

The talented musicians have performed for free for the big, day-long party.

“As much as it pains me to say this, it must be done. I am postponing Little WolfStock 4 until next year,” Mr. Chartier wrote this week. “I can't in good conscience host a party for a thousand people from all the country in Tupper Lake. This party should be a celebration filled with hugs and handshakes, not masks and gloves.

“Please stay safe and plan on attending next year!”

This year for the first time the July 25 event was to be sponsored by the Tupper Lake Lions Club, of which Mr. Chartier is currently president.

New historic walking trail to show off Tupper Lake’s heritage, nature

Caroline Welsh, project director of Tupper Lake’s new historic walking trail “Crossroads of the Adirondack Trail” (standing) shows off colorful mock-ups of the new trail signs to members of the ARISE board this past month. ARISE is a not for profit partner on the project. To Mrs. Welsch's right were Kate Bencze, Michelle Blair and David Tomberlin. To her left were Mark Moeller, Rick Dattola, Russ Cronin, Jim LaValley and Jeannelle Lavigne. Board member Dan McClelland took the photo.

by Dan McClelland

This spring two popular local trails will be refashioned into a new historic walking trail, with colorful way-finding signs drenched in historical facts about our community.

The name of the project and the trail is “Crossroads of the Adirondack Trail: Take a walk with Tupper Lake History, Heritage and Nature.”

The project is a collaboration between the Aseel LegacyFfund, ARISE (Adirondack Residents Intent on Saving the Economy), the village and town and the New York State Department of State.

The new historic walkway will include the municipal park waterfront walk which begins near the Flanders Park bandshell and connect across Demars Blvd. behind McDonald’s with the multi-use Junction Pass Trail between uptown and downtown Tupper Lake.

The historic trail will include two types of full-color signs mounted on trailside uprights. Heritage signs are funded by a grant from the Aseel Legacy Fund at the Adirondack Foundation. Natural History signs along the trail are funded by a grant the Village of Tupper Lake received from the department of state.

The Aseel Legacy Fund signs will focus on Tupper Lake’s heritage and history. The state department signs will point up the area’s natural history and the transformation of forest to industrial sites to the reclamation of those sites in recent years.

Of the contents of the new trail signs there will be story-telling text and historic and contemporary images will illustrate, chronicle and celebrate the many contributions that Tupper Lakers, especially its immigrants, made to entrepreneurship, culture and community-building in Tupper Lake along with its natural resources and recreational opportunities to showcase Tupper Lake’s rich historic and natural heritage with the hope of energizing community pride, Project Director Caroline Welsh told the Free Press in recent weeks.

Caroline, who was the curator at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mt. Lake for many years and who has headed many North Country initiatives over the years, penned much of the text for the new signs.

Since last year she has been working closely on the sign preparations with project designer Rob Carr and his company, Darwin Graphics.

Rachel Kmack has assisted Mrs. Welsh and Mr. Carr on the project.

The Aseel Legacy Fund was created by the family of the late Alfred Aseel this past year with the intent to facilitate projects that will enhance and improve the Tupper Lake community life and the lifestyles of its residents. The family fund underwrote a number of the children’s performance last summer at the Lions bandshell in the village’s Flanders Park.

Junior Lumberjack Players present “Giants in the Sky”

The Junior Lumberjack Players in grades five and six delighted family members who packed the L.P. Quinn Elementary School cafetorium two nights last week when they presented a rousing and music-filled version of “Giants in the Sky.” A new children’s musical by Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm, the magical story explores the world of Giants who live above the clouds. Ever since they left Earth a long time ago, the Giants have made a life up above where their job is to keep the sky beautiful. The kids those two nights on stage did a good job of convincing the audience of that. (Dan McClelland photos)

Stephanie Fortune nominated as U.S. Presidential Scholar

by Rich Rosentreter

Local Tupper Lake High School senior Stephanie Fortune was recently notified by state Assemblyman Billy Jones that she was nominated by his office to be a United States Presidential Scholar, which is a program established in 1964 that honors high school seniors for their accomplishments.

Every year, approximately 4,000 high school seniors across the entire country are nominated to apply to be candidates in the program and only a fraction of those - up to 161 - are eventually given the honor, which is one of the nation’s highest for high school students. Once nominated, each student is sent an application to enroll for the program and then the final selections are made as to who makes the grade of being a Presidential Scholar. Fortune told the Free Press on Monday that she plans to follow through on that process.

Being nominated

High school guidance counselor Lisa Gillis said that she was contacted around October by Assemblyman Jones’ office and asked to select one or more TLHS students for the honor.

“Once they told me what type of student they were looking for, Stephanie was the first one who came to my mind,” Mrs. Gillis said. “She’s motivated, she’s bright, she takes all the accelerated classes. She goes over and above what we expect of her.”

Mr. Gillis said that it wasn’t just Miss Fortune’s academics that make he stand out, but her motivation and level of involvement in extras-curricular activities.

“The one thing that really stood out to me was the she decided she was going to take the AP physics exam in May in her junior year, which is pretty ambitious in of itself, but we don’t offer that class here so she had to study by herself independently. That’s just the kind of student she is. She is also a talented athlete, a talented musician. You name it.”

Among Stephanie’s activities are: being a member of the National Honor Society; playing on the school’s soccer, basketball and track teams; a member of the student counsel; a writer for the The Lumberjack Lyre, the student newspaper; performs in school musicals; volunteers as a member of St. Alphonsus Church; and figure skates and organizes children at the Tupper Lake Skating Club.

Mrs. Gillis said she submitted the names of two students, and it was Stephanie who was selected by the assemblyman.

Stephanie said that she was both excited and surprised to learn the she was chosen to be among a select few, but that was not the emotion caused by the prestigious occasion.

Confusion

Adding a bit of intrigue to the moment was that both Mrs. Gillis and Miss Fortune, prior to learning about the nomination, neither had even heard of the Presidential Scholar Program, and each had to investigate whether or not it was legitimate or they were being scammed.

“I had never heard about this program before so I wasn’t too sure what to do,” Mrs. Gills said, adding that in all her years as a guidance counselor – about 30 years – she had never encountered a student being nominated for the honor. She said that everything started when she received an email from Assemblyman Jones. “That’s when I found out about the program in general. He told a little about the program, so I knew what the criteria was when I nominated a student.”

As for Stephanie, she was probably more surprised as she became enlightened about the program.

“I didn’t know about it until I was called on the phone and even after that I had to research it myself,” she said, adding that it took a while for the magnitude of the honor to sink in. “Because I didn’t know about it or what it was, I was really confused. I was more confused than surprised.”

“I was definitely excited when I realized what it was. It’s nice to be recognized for all of the hard work I’ve done in high school,” she said, adding that her mother had a more excited reaction. “It’s not that I wasn’t excited but my mom was more excited than me! She was like jumping up and down.”

As for the guidance counselor, she said her reaction was that of pride.

“I was obviously pleasantly surprised although not that surprised that they recognized Stephanie’s talents and abilities. I am super proud of her,” she said.

The school guidance counselor also discussed the example that Stephanie sets and one upcoming opportunity to do just that. Fortune was recently chosen to speak at the Junior Honor Society Induction this week and address the 7th and 8th grade students being inducted.

“She told me that she didn’t know what to say,” Mrs. Gillis said. “I told her to just talk about all the things she has done to get her to where she is such as doing community service and keeping her grades up.”

Next step

According to the Presidential Scholar website, the list of nominees gradually gets withered down as the approximately 500 semifinalists are chosen by an independent, national committee of educators convened by the Commission on Presidential Scholars. Then 6 to 20 semifinalists are chosen for each state or jurisdiction by the review committee. Finally in April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars makes the final selection of the 161 students.

Stephanie said that she will not be too upset if she doesn’t make the final cut as just being nominated makes her feel satisfied.

“I think it’s enough of a recognition. If I go further, I’d be happy, but I don’t think it’s something that needs to happen,” she said, adding that being recognized at a small school was one of the biggest surprises to her. “I think that’s one of the more shocking things. It’s cool because most people don’t even know where Tupper Lake is and it’s nice to have our name circulating a little bit.”

Mrs. Gillis agreed that just being nominated is a huge deal and can have a positive impact on Stephanie’s future.

“There is no monetary gain,” she said of being a Presidential Scholar. “It’s more like recognition and I just might open some doors for other scholarships.”

Of course Stephanie said she is pleased knowing that all her hard work in school has been justified.

“It could be stressful at times and it’s hard to juggle, but it’s good to know that it means something,” the teenager said. “Having the nomination now reminds me to stay focused and maintain all the work I’ve been doing. I definitely feel I have to keep trying hard.”

She also said she hopes that others will take note of how hard work can pay off.

“I feel that it’s best to lead by example and keep what I’m doing and hopefully others will learn from that,” she said, offering her advice to other students. “I would definitely say do get involved in as much as you can without overwhelming yourself and prioritize schoolwork and you can do everything you want as long as you work hard.”

According to Miss Fortune, this latest honor hasn’t had her change her plans for the future. Her plan is to attend college and study civil engineering.

Her efforts did not go unnoticed by High School Principal Russell Bartlett who said he too is extremely proud of Stephanie and is pleased such an honor was bestowed upon a student at TLHS.

“It’s a great thing. I don’t know that there’s been another kid from Tupper Lake nominated for this honor. She’s a great kid. She’s well-rounded, she’s not just some academic star, she’s athletic and does every little extra-curricular thing. She’s one of those kids who attacks school with gusto and gets everything out of it that she can get,” he said. “It’s awesome and I’m super proud.”

Local brothers helping Australia tragedy cause with magnets

Louis and Franklin Tremblay stand in front of their refrigerator which is covered with the special magnets they created to help raise funds for the fire victims in Australia.

by Rich Rosentreter

An effort to make a monetary donation to help animals and people suffering in Australia due to the recent rash of fires is underway by a local first-grader who attends the L.P. Quinn Elementary School. As of Tuesday, the a GoFundMe page set up for the effort had raised nearly $700.

Six-year-old Franklin Tremblay, who is being helped by his younger brother Louis, age 4 and a Pre-K student in Long Lake, first learned about the fires in Australia at school. Frankie is a sensitive youngster and seeing such suffering had an impact on him. Frankie’s mother Shannon spoke to the Free Press on Monday and said that her son became heartbroken watching images of animals and people suffering.

According to Shannon, it was the images of the koalas that first grasped little Frankie’s attention and as he learned more he found out that people were losing their homes.

“He became really interested in learning more and began reading a bunch of articles and watching videos on Youtube,” she said. “He decided he wanted to do something to help, so he came up with the idea of selling magnets to raise money. His little brother copies whatever he does, so he wanted to help out too.”

Among the videos Frankie watched were that of firefighters dropping water on the fire ravaged landscape.

“He was watching all of it and began asking a lot of questions,” Shannon said, so she explained to her young son that it was dry season in Australia and they needed rain. “He was very relieved to see they got some, but he was really concerned about the koala population and that it was dropping as a result of the fires.”

Both Frankie and Louis told the Free Press about their thoughts on helping the fire victims.

“It (raising money) makes me feel happy because I’m helping the people and koalas who have lost their homes,” Frankie said.

“I feel sad that fire hurts their homes. I’m going to make magnets for everyone!” Louis said.

The magnets

Shannon said that the magnets her sons are creating are small but large in meaning.

“They’re always making things and always making crafts. (Making magnets) is an easy thing to do,” she said. “They were thinking hard on exactly what to do and that is what they came up with. People would always see them on their refrigerator and think about Australia.”

The magnets are being send to donors in sets.

“One has a picture of a koala and the other a picture of Australia,” Shannon said, adding that a pair is being given to everyone who makes a donation.

“Originally Frankie wanted to send the magnets directly to Australia, but I explained how that would work and that it would just be easier to send the money over there.”

The boys began making and selling the magnets on Sunday and as of Monday they had already made 100 magnets and had sold 88 of them, or 44 sets. They are in the process of mailing them out and collecting the donations – and of course making more magnets.

According to Shannon, Frankie had set a goal of raising $100 but he quickly exceeded that expectation in about two hours as nine people had paid about $200 so far. And although most of the magnets have been sold locally, one donation came as far as Hawaii from Frankie’s uncle Jason.

Shannon, who is a teacher at the L.P. Quinn School, said she is not sure how much her sons will raise, but the current plan is not to sell magnets too long, perhaps another week or so.

“We really don’t know how much is going to come in,” she said.

There is no set cost for a set of magnets, as the boys are only asking a donation to their cause. Shannon said people may donate any amount and she has helped the boys by creating a GoFundMe page – and Frankie has blown far past his original goal.

Whatever amount the Frankie is able to generate for the fire victims in Australia, he has a pair of very proud parents in Shannon and her husband Josh regarding their son’s effort and motivation to help others.

“I’m so proud of him. We’re just really proud that he’s taken an interest in something other than himself and his toys,” Shannon said. “It really affected him and I’m really proud to see his brother view him as a role model.”

“And I think he’s really feels good about himself as well. This is something that is beyond himself.”

Those who wish to make a donation to help the fire victims on behalf of Frankie and Louie, and receive a pair of magnets, should visit the link to GoFundMe at: www.gofundme.com/f/frankie-and-louis039-australian-relief-effort?utm. Donations will go to the Australian Red Cross and WIRES, Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization (WIRES).

Two new officers sworn in

Tupper Lake's two newest police officers were officially sworn in at a village special session Wednesday. Gage Madore and Kristopher Clark, both hometown lads, were signing their oaths of office that day while flanked in the photo by (at left) Chief Eric Proulx, Trustee Clint Hollingsworth and Mayor Paul Maroun, and at right by Deputy Mayor Leon LeBlanc, Kris' grandfather, and Trustee Ron LaScala.

Chief Proulx explained that the two new officers were two of three on the preferred state civil service list for Tupper Lake and he was given permission by the agency to hire them. The two officers also recently passed their required police physicals. The third candidate on the list declined the job offer.

The motion to hire them was moved by Trustee LaScala and seconded by Trustee Hollingsworth. Trustee Leon LeBlanc abstained due to his relationship with Kris. The measure passed unanimously.

Their mandatory schooling began Monday at SUNY Canton which the village will pay for. Their lodging in an apartment in Canton for the next four months at a rate of $850 per month will also be paid, as will a meal allowance of $100 per person per week. Living in the furnished apartment, they can make their own meals, as opposed to eating in restaurants.

With the rental arrangement, the village will see considerable savings, as opposed to them driving to Canton for class each day. In the past the village has paid for officers' mileage at a rate of 54 cents per mile.

Chief Proulx estimated if the two officers drove to class it would have cost the village $13,000 in mileage over the next four months.

“Paying them mileage would have been a considerable amount more money for the village,” he noted.

The village will also pay the pair's tuition at $1,200 each. There are other college costs at about $750 each for books, fees, etc.

He said the police academy at Canton is considerably cheaper than the similar program at SUNY Plattsburgh which is about $5,000 per officer.

The chief also said that the $18,000 the village recently received from the Village of Malone for reimbursement of training costs for Officer Hesseltine who recently joined the Malone force more than pays for the training of the two new officers.

Officers Madore and Clark will replace Officers Muldowney and Hesseltine, who both left the local PD this past year.

The chief noted that he would still like to hire two more police officers this year to fill the positions of school resource officers.

He said once Gage and Kris finish their schooling in May they will engage in on-the-job training in the local department for several months and by late summer will be able to patrol the village on their own.

Incidentally Kris Clark is a third generation officer with the Tupper Lake Police Department. His other grandfather George “Bozo” Clark had a long and decorated career here and Kris' father Stacey also served on the force for a time.

Gage is the son of Rob Madore and Andrea Duval and Kris is the son of Stacey Clark and Bridgette LaPierre.

Great strides made in developing new, all-season “off the fairway” trail at golf course

by Dan McClelland

For years since Jim Frenette began grooming the nordic trails at the Tupper Lake golf course which are enjoyed by hundreds of skiers each year, the wind and the sun have been the challenges to maintaining well-covered trails.

Now one new 1.5 mile long trail cut through the woods these past three years will soon offer tree-sheltered skiing almost entirely off the open fairways of the course. It will also provide year-round use by people walking and riding their bikes, and particularly the new “fat tire” ones which can be used year-round.

Last week the Free Press found three of the mainstays of the project finishing up the first of what will soon be three bridges that will cross small streams on the trail in the woods that rings the hometown course. With Trail Director John Gillis were his wife, Patty, and John's right hand man, Eric Lanthier. The small group was first drilling and then screwing the plank deck boards across eight or so utility pole stringers the town purchased recently from a supply of spare poles owned by the Big Wolf Association. The bridge supports were set in place and “pinned” at a work bee on a recent Saturday involving the core three plus volunteers Nate Lewis and Adam Hurteau. “Pinning the stringers” involved drilling through each utility pole and with a ground rod driver sending five foot long sections of rebar into the ground, securing the understructure.

“When I went to the town board six and one half years ago to get permission to cut into the woods along the ninth fairway, what I told them was we wanted a four-season, multi-use trail,” said Mr. Gillis, who was enlisted many years ago by his uncle, Jim Frenette, to help him groom and shape the network and who has been at it ever since.

Last year the town board named the popular trail network used by a growing number of cross-country skiers each year after Mr. Frenette, for his years of dedication to it.

“We're now 99% off the golf course,” he proudly said Thursday. Of the trail's length of a mile and one half, only 300 feet of it is out of the woods. That small exposed section of trail is between the ninth tee-box and the eighth green.

John and his volunteer groomers who include Mr. Lanthier, Councilman John Quinn, Mr. Frenette and others here groom five miles of trails, week after week all winter when there's enough snow.

The new trail will transfer 1.5 miles of the network off the golf course playing areas and put users into the more sheltered woods. The new trail through the woods is about 12 or more feet wide. It's wide enough to safely accommodate traffic in both directions.

The project has seen great gains in recent weeks with help from both the village department of public works and the town highway department.

Both DPW Chief Bob DeGrace and Highway Chief Bill Dechene have spared men and machinery when possible to help with the trail building, when they weren't needed with street sanding and road plowing. The weeks of mild weather and little snow around the Christmas season have made outdoor work possible.

Most of the trail work recently has had to happen at the last minute, Mr. Gillis explained. “For example, last Tuesday I got a call at 8a.m. that the town's Herbie Kentile and a machine were headed there, so up we went. There's not a lot of time to plan.”

He said he fully understands that, given that the town's and village's first obligations are road plowing and street sanding each winter. He said, however, he thoroughly appreciates the help when town and village employees and machinery are available.

“I can't believe what these guys have done for us!”

Over the past three years volunteer Eric Lanthier either cut the trees on the new trail himself or directed much of the tree removal that cleared the way for its development. Mr. Dechene and his crew did much of the stump removal.

On Thursday, the DPW's Brian Kennedy was hauling hardwood mulch fill from the Tupper Lake Hardwoods plant so town operator Herbie Kentile could spread it on the part of the trail that parallels the Big Tupper Road. He was building up the approaches to two other bridges to be built over streams on other parts of the trail.

In recent years Herbie has also volunteered extensively and used machinery donated by his former employer, Kentile Excavating during work bees when other sections of trail were opened and groomed into shape. “Herbie's been our trail builder since we started!” John stated.

The bridge the three were finishing Thursday is the largest at 40 feet long. The other two will be 20 feet and 14 feet long.

John said when all three are finished in upcoming days the new trail will be essentially done. “We've been at this for over three years!”

“We came around the sixth green one year. The next year we cut it a little more. So this is our third season working on this side of the course!”

Before the bridge construction could occur the town, which owns the golf course, needed to get permits from the Adirondack Park Agency to cross those three small wetland area. Former APA staffer and town councilman John Quinn filed the application for the town.

Mr. Gillis also said retired APA biologist Dan Spada helped to lay out the new trail to avoid as many wetland areas as possible and thereby avoid major wetland remediation.

He estimated that the two other bridges will be completed very soon. “Next big snowfall, we'll have the trail open!”

At a special end meeting in recent weeks the town board approved a quote of about $2,000 from Tupper Lake Supply to supply screws and other fasteners so the volunteers could start the construction of the three bridges. Two other building firms bid a $1,000 or more higher and the decision to buy from Tupper Lake Supply was conditional on having all the hardware in stock, as the bridges builders were eager to go.

Crossing the streams and wetland areas with bridges is what Mr. Gillis called “their most ambitious project yet” when it comes to trail-building.

The new woods trail is entirely on town property. Some other sections of the town's five-mile nordic network of trails runs up onto land farther up Mt. Morris owned by Preserve Associates LLC. The owner, Mike Foxman, recently permitted the town again to use their property for the trails.

The new in-the-woods trail is called “the golf course loop” on the town's trail map. It essentially runs around the perimeter of the upper nine.

Six and one half years ago when the small crew first developed what he called the fairway trail, there was a 30 foot long bridge built there.

“It's going to be a great trail,” predicted Mr. Gillis. “It'll get skiers out of the wind in winter” and hikers and bikers out of the sun in the summer.

Once the snow cover returns and trail grooming again commences, Mr. Gillis said they intend to open the trails to “fat tire” bike traffic, which is getting to be very popular.

Their best operation on snow is when the trails are hard packed, he noted.

The unusual bikes are “fun,” according to the trail director, and they work well in the snow. Some even come with the electric-assist mechanism, which is drawing many adults back to bicycling.

“It's like an electric dirt bike,” John joked.

The “fat tires” are soft and hold only ten pounds of pressure. The result, according to John, is that they grip well to snow or mud.

He said he hopes to approach the town board to try to purchase a special pull-behind attachment for the town trail groomer with an eye to grooming the cart paths on the golf course especially for the “fat tire” bikes.

“It will be another element to bring people to Tupper Lake. There are no groomed fat tire trails within a hundred miles of here!”

He said the popularity of those bikes is growing immensely.

On the section of course above the driving range and along the road to Big Tupper where the crews have been working this winter a short cut-out between the trail and the town road has been fashioned so that summer users won't have to cross the golf course to access the trail. “There will be no interruption for golfers,” he explained.

Mr. Gillis noted, according to what one engineer said, building the trail through the woods without the help of the volunteers and the manpower and machinery from the village and town would have cost the town about $50,000. “But I think that figure is way under what the actual cost would have been!”

The town's expenses on the new trail, however, have been a tiny fraction of that!

Middle/ High School students spread holiday cheer

by Rich Rosentreter

The chorus and band of the Tupper Lake Middle High School spread holiday spirit during their annual Winter Concert held December 12 in the school auditorium.

First on stage was the middle school chorus who performed “Yonder Come Day,” “The Never Ending Story,” “The Cuckoo,” and “Winter Lullaby.”

Next up was the middle school band who performed “The Avengers,” “Up on the Housetop” and “The Tenth Planet.”

Elizabeth Cordes then led a Ukulele Christmas – which drew laughs and applause from the appreciative audience - with Jayce Clement, Bryce Davison, Stephanie Fortune, Shannon Soucy, Riley Strader, Colby Boudreau, Aaron Clark, Patrick Clark, Lauren Denis, Lowden Pratt and Lily St. Onge.

The high school chorus then took center stage as they performed “Ma Navu” (How Beautiful), “African Noel” and “White Winter Hymnal.”

The high school band came up next and performed “The Pink Panther,” “Shenandoah,” “Jingle-Bell Rock,” “Snow Miser/Heat Miser” from “The Year Without a Santa Claus” and “Christmas Vacation.”

The performance of the Snow Miser (Lowden Pratt) and Heat Miser (Bryce Davison) especially had the audience giggling with delight as one sung about his delight for the snow and cold while the other responded with his preference for anything hot and toasty. The accompanying ensemble all wearing decorative hats swayed as each miser shined in the spotlight.

The evening concluded with an audience sing-a-long led by the entire mixed chorus that engaged to crowd to promote a truly festive atmosphere. Just in case the audience did not know the words, they were conveniently supplied on the evening program to ensure maximum participation. Both groups provided a holiday finale of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” “Silver Bells,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

The high school band members are: Seniors, Aaron Clark, euphonium; Ava Cuttaia, alto sax; Bryce Davison, tuba; Nicholas Skiff, tenor sax; Shannon Soucy, trumpet; Stephanie Fortune, horn; Jayce Clement, trombone; Juniors, Rylee Fletcher, flute; Molly Sullivan, flute; Lily St.Onge, clarinet; sophomores, Karen Bujold, flute; Morgan Dewyea, flute; Emileigh Smith, flute; Trista Strader-Moore, clarinet; Jasmine LaPlant, alto sax; Maia Polzella, alto sax; Lowden Pratt, trumpet; Johnathan Jauron, bass clarinet; Nolan Savage, bari sax; Dawson Symonds, tuba; freshmen, Angela Bujold, percussion; Genna Carmichael, mallets; Keegan Dattoma, percussion; Hailey Denis, flute; Olivia Ellis, flute; Meika Nadeau, flute; Brian Hall, trumpet; Jayden Farnsworth, trumpet; Kylie Mashtare, percussion; Logan Sutton, bari sax; and Sierra Welch, alto sax.

The high school chorus members are: Seniors Aaron Clark, baritone; Jayce Clement, baritone; Bryce Davison, baritone; Lauren Denis, soprano; Stephanie Fortune, alto; juniors Colby Boudreau, tenor; Patrick Clark, tenor; Emily Sipler, soprano; Lily St.Onge, alto; Molly Sullivan, soprano; sophomores, Hailey Bissonette, soprano; Morgan Dewyea, alto; Jasmine LaPlant, alto; Maia Polzella, alto; Lowden Pratt, baritone; Emileigh Smith, alto; Trista Strader-Moore, soprano; Jenna Switzer, soprano; Angeleena Vaillancourt-Metz, soprano; freshmen, Katherine Barkley, soprano; Genna Carmichael, soprano; Hayleigh Conlon, alto; Hailey Denis, soprano; Alexis Drasye, alto; Olivia Ellis, alto; Meika Nadeau, soprano; Caterra Ratelle, alto; Emily Roberts, soprano; Logan Sutton, tenor; Sierra Welch, soprano; Jamin Whitmore, baritone.

The middle school band is: 8th graders, Tory Amell, tuba; Emily Bissonette, trombone; Adrianna J. Cassell, percussion; Erick LeBlanc, alto sax; Riley Methot, alto sax; Margaux-Angel Flagg, bass clarinet; Logan Phillips, tenor sax; Kylie Rohrbach, flute; Peyton Williams, flute; 7th graders, Robert Ayotte, trombone; Mary Becker, flute; Dillon Boudreau, trumpet; Fox Brownell, trumpet; Sean Bujold, clarinet; Campbell Casagrain, clarinet; Samantha Flagg, flute; Sarah Higgins, clarinet; Bryce Hutt, trumpet; CJ Levey, tenor sax; Dane O’Connor, percussion; Ayden Rabideau, percussion; Sophia Staves, flute; Nevaeh Toohey, flute.

The middle school chorus is: Class of 2022, Aiden Dattoma, part 3; 8th graders, Shae Arsenault, part 1; Cody Auclair, part 2; Michael Baker, part 3; Adrianna Cassell, part 2; Garrett Dewyea, part 1; Raegan Fritts, part 1; Julius Johnson, part 3; Abby Rogers, part 2; Jennifer Russell, part 1; Dominick Skeans, part 2; Aubrey Sparks, part 2; 7th graders, Keiden Annette, part 2; Chase Barnes, part 2; Bauer Callaghan, part 2; Campbell Casagrain, part 1; Kelsey Dewyea, part 2; Elli Dukett, part 2; Samantha Flagg, part 1; Amira Foster, part 1; Liam Graton, part 1; Octavious Harrison, part 2; Genavieve LaScala, part 1; Charels Levey, part 2; Sophia Nadeau, part 1; Dane O’Connor, part 1; Ayden Rabideau, part 1; Abbigail Smith, part 2; Sophia Staves, part 1; Taylor Stoll, part 1; Nevaeh Toohey, part 1; Sadie Tower, part 1; Alexa Towle, part 1.

Elizabeth Cordes is the vocal music director and Laura Davison is the instrumental music director.