Adult Center: best and most affordable lunches in township

by Dan McClelland

If you are 60 years of age and older, you won’t find a better lunch in town than at the Adirondack Adult Center on Demars Blvd. -And lunch cost is only a donation of $2, if the diner is able.

The homemade lunches are the best, regular patrons have been telling us for years. At their invitation we paid the place a visit earlier this month to interview some of the local folks who love the place.

Mona Sapone, one of the regulars, was helping cut up fruit with Assistant Cook Debbie Nadeau in the kitchen before lunch that morning. Mona, the volunteer, does what they need her to, as we watched her mill about the dining room and kitchen.

On that day’s menu was Teriyaki grilled chicken, served over brown rice with stir fried vegetable. It smelled wonderful. Toss in a chocolate chip cookie for dessert- and lunch was complete.

Other great lunches on the menu last week were a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, a steak and cheese sub and spaghetti with meat sauce.

Today, chicken and dumplings was the main fare.

The star of the place is Cook Sally White, and there was a consensus among the 15 or so diners who were the first to arrive that Sally’s cooking is the best. She apparently goes all out for her patrons.

Sally’s kitchen is also the base of the adult center’s meals on wheels program, which is run by Adirondack Adult Center Director Stacey Button.

On the day of our visit 46 lunches left for houses and apartments around Tupper Lake, shuttled by a team of loyal volunteers. There were six drivers that day. Some seniors find it hard to get out, particularly in the cold and snow of winter. Other meals on wheels recipients just like the convenient service.

The meal deliverers make it a point to step inside every residence, to make sure everything is okay. Leaving the meal on the doorstep isn’t allowed.

For many the visit might be the only person they see that day- so for them it’s a life line.

Some of the local volunteer drivers and other helpers here are Scott Shannon, Patty Nichols, Ron Stone, Jenn Bradley, Jason Rolley, Mary Richer, Amanda Farnsworth, Joe and Lisa Kimpflen, Ann and Rudy Gibbs, Patty Flag, Mike Larabie, Kay Pauquette and Tammy Roshia, plus some Sunmount folks and their care-givers.

The meal at the center begins at noon and is over when all are fed, explains Stacy.

After lunch some days there’s a speaker, who talk on a variety of interesting topics.

Last Tuesday, the featured speaker was Pete Gilbert, a highly active Civil War re-enactor here.

Bobbie Newman, who operated the Tupper Lake Motel with her husband Al here for years, calls the place “her second home.” She said she loved the people and the hospitality, always dished out in heaping portions.

Bobbie, a long time resident of Lake Simond, is the unofficial photographer, snapping photos of everyone and anyone. Many of her prints hang on the bulletin.

At 93 Bobbie still pretty handy on the computer- and she sometimes operates the one there, printing out materials for the patrons. The place could use a new computer, so if anyone here has a good one they are not using, the center would like it. She’s the center’s historian and uses the computer there in her work.

“If someone donated a computer to us that would be wonderful,” Stacy told the Free Press.

Bobbie, who will be 91 this May, sent us a couple of photos included with this story.

Of Sally, Bobbie figures she’s the best cook in the county’s entire nutrition program which covers about 15 or 16 town centers. Mona shakes her head in agreement.

Bruce Cooke has the shortest distance to the center of any of the patrons. He lives two doors down. He’s a newcomer at just several weeks, and he gave us a double thumbs up on the meals.

While the meals are great, there are no special requests. All the meals are set by day by the county’s office for the aging in Malone. The meal products are sent to each center for the cooking staff to prepare.

A familiar face at the center that day was former center director, Ray Bigrow and his girl friend Rose Marie Lang. They were both hungry and looking forward to lunch.

Ray, even after his retirement this past year, continues to be an active volunteer at the center.

Says Ray, “the companionship here is wonderful. If someone is not here, we actually get worried about them.”

He remembers that before COVID there would often be 25 people for lunch at the center. Meals at the center were adjourned for the most part during the pandemic, and the focus moved to bringing food to the homes of the elderly, particularly those worried about their exposure to the virus.

During the COVID years it was not unusual to transport over 75 meals to Tupper Lake people at home. Occasionally the delivery list would hit 100 a day.

He said that while there isn’t a formal check- on-a-person system in place, it’s done informally by friends. “Mona was missing one day, so I went to her home to see if she was okay, which she was.”

In order to reserve a lunch, patrons of the place have to make a reservation by 9:30a.m.- so the kitchen staff knows how many lunches to prepare. Reservations can be made the day before or for a week at a time, Stacey noted.

On the day of our visit, there were about 20 diners. On a recent volunteer appreciation lunch there were over 50 for lunch.

Bob Woods, one of the regulars as is his wife, Betty, had a big grin that morning. Bob is a great story-teller and his stories of living his entire life here, with the exception of military service are often part of the lunch fodder.

“I like it all...I like the food, I like the companionship!”

Bob and Betty were active volunteers at the Wild Center for years.

Betty admitted she likes not having to prepare Bob’s lunch every day.

Some times seniors here take in a daily swim at the Sunmount pool, where they work up an appetite for lunch.

Lenny Indellicati from Piercefield is another regular. He said he likes the low $2 donation price for a great lunch.

What would they be serving in Piercefield today, if the center wasn’t offering lunches? “Not much,” Lenny smirks.

Retired Tupper Lake Baptist Chapel Minister Rick Wilburn and his wife, Judy, enjoy some of their lunch-time meals at the center.

Sometimes the Rev. Rick says Grace. Others like Mona share that duty.

“I think it’s great for the community and its seniors,” noted Mr. Wilburn. He also applauded the paid staffers and the volunteers who help keep the entire program running smoothly. “They treat us very well!”

The diners vary in how many days they come for lunch. Bobbi Newman says she attends three times a week. Some people come once a week, while others are there every day.

The consensus of the diners last Monday was the program is both vital and enjoyable for the seniors of Tupper Lake- both the meals enjoyed at the center and those who get them at home. And several shouted: “Sally is the best!”

And Director Stacey is also very well liked and respected. It’s commonplace for her to help in the kitchen or with other lunchtime chores there.

She said she would like to see more people come to the center for their lunches and for the friendships made there. It’s indeed a special place!

Hundreds of kids collect thousands of eggs on April Fool’s Day

by Dan McClelland

Several hundred children, most accompanied by a parent or two, mobbed the fields around the L.P. Quinn Elementary School on April Fool’s Day this year. But it wasn’t a joke. There were nearly 6,000 goodie-filled eggs to gather.

It was another successful and popular version of Erin’s Easter Egg Hunt, which honors the late Erin Farkas Dewyea, who helped create it as a Kiwanis Club event staple over a decade ago.

Although there was light rain in the morning, by noon the sun came out and the mercury began to rise into the 30s, for the enjoyment of the egg hunters and their chaperones.

The hunt was again co-sponsored by the Adirondack Regional Federal Credit Union.

Joining the two local sponsors were a number of community members. A number of businesses donated goodies to be collected inside all those many colorful eggs that day at noon. From The Castle of Toys, which the local civic club also operates at Christmas each year and runs from its home above the VFW Post came a number of the small toys that went into some of the eggs. Small gifts also came this year from McDonald’s on the Boulevard.

A horn set the searchers in motion in three places.

This was believed to be the first Erin’s Easter Egg Hunt on a blanket of snow since the first two around 2013. But it made for easy spotting by the youngsters. Typically the early Easter event is graced with unseasonable nice April weather.

It’s a rain and shine event, but normally the hunts have attracted good weather.

This year, however, the snow was still six inches deep on the Rotary Field and the track that rings it, where parents typically observe the young gatherers. Because of that, the gathering sites surrounded the school this year, where snow cover was thinner. Three different age groups- those in first and second grades, kindergarten to pre-K and pre-K and younger hunted in three difference places: near the bus lanes, on the school playground and on the upper soccer fields.

There were six golden eggs- two on each field- to be found, which entitled the holders to a bundle of Easter loot: an Easter basket with toys, a back pack, legos, board games and more.

Denver Proulx won one, but we don’t know the winners of the rest.

Juli Dukett, one of the key Kiwanis Club organizers, was pleased with this year’s version of the event that honors her friend and fellow club member, Erin.

She again handled the opening announcements, briefing anxious egg-searchers on the respective sites and the rules.

Former LeBoeuf's market building, adjoining buildings destroyed by fire

by Dan McClelland

The building complex that once housed the former corner market where for decades residents of the French Village purchased their milk, bread and meat was completely destroyed in an early morning fire yesterday.

The former LeBoeuf’s Market building at 15 Broad Street, the garage behind it and red house next to it on, both on McFarland Street were all lost to the blaze with flames jumping jumped high into the air by 6:30a.m. It could be seen vividly from blocks away. The fire department was called out at 5:50a.m. and arriving there the firefighters found the buildings fully involved.

Volunteer firefighters here battled the huge fire valiantly for hours. Even two hours later the fire continued to consume the old buildings and volunteers were on the scene most of the morning. Firefighters from Paul Smith’s-Gabriels, Saranac Lake, Long Lake also responded to the conflagration. The Piercefield volunteers stood by at the Tupper station.

For the Schuller family here and for the families who lived there, it represented a huge loss.

Watching his investment burn up, Mr. Schuller was unsure how much insurance he had on the building, if he had any.

His son, Joseph, had recently moved back to Tupper Lake from California and purchased the red two-story house next to the garage which was also destroyed in the multiple-building blaze. That property was reportedly insured, according to the senior Schuller.

The garage was the headquarters for Tupper Lake’s popular garbage man, Fred Schuller. One of his pick-ups parked on McFarland St. and his dump truck, parked on the opposite side of the building, exploded in flames at one point early in the fire. A car parked next to the pick-up on the McFarland St. side was also destroyed by fire. Only shells of the vehicles remained.

Mr. Schuller purchased the former convenience store at county public auction over ten years ago and did considerable renovations to the building over the years, fashioning two apartments.

The Rick Bolia family was renting the first floor apartment. The Michael Thompson family, with two small children, lived in the upstairs apartment.

Fortunately no one was seriously injured. Firefighters had to climb ladders to the second floor window to rescue two adults from the upper apartment, as the flames roared overhead.

The local fire department used its aerial platform truck to rain water on the blaze for hours. Multiple hose crews poured water on the buildings from all sides.

Rick Bolia said that morning he wasn’t at home at the time of the fire, but his teenage son woke up coughing from the smoke in their apartment.

The fire is believed to have started in the garage where Fred kept a wood stove to heat it. Mr. Thompson had been apparently using it as late as Monday evening, and may have forgot to secure it before heading back upstairs to his apartment, according to Mr. Schuller.

As a safety precaution the village electric crew was asked to kill power on the Broad Street circuit during the fire which left some residences as far away as River Road in the dark for several hours.

Superintendent of Schools Russ Bartlett released an emergency call to all families with children in school here, via the district’s emergency telephone system, about 8a.m. yesterday. In the message, he explained because the L.P. Quinn Elementary School was without electricity and because of the poor air quality in and around the middle/high school, several blocks from the fire scene, an emergency dismissal had been called, where middle/high school students were dismissed at 8:45a.m. and the elementary students about 15 minutes later.

Most of the fire was extinguished about 8:30a.m. At about 10a.m. a large excavator was brought in that started tearing down the burned and still standing walls of the three structures.

The Broad St. circuit and the neighborhoods it serves was re-energized by the electric department shortly about 10:15a.m.

Hundreds of feet of hose was used by the various departments- tapping hydrants on Wawbeek Ave. and all around the scene.

By 10:30a.m. the various departments were spreading out their hoses on the bottom of Broad Street and rolling them up.

The fire was so hot at one point it melted the vinyl siding on a garage directly across McFarland St.

During the fire two people were transported by the Tupper Lake Volunteer Emergency and Rescue Squad to the Saranac Lake hospital.

Firemen were able to prevent the huge blaze from spreading to the Bob Fletcher house across a driveway next door. The back of Mr. Fletcher’s adjoining garage did, however, sustain damage when it caught fire at one point.

Seussical the musical delights audiences as promised in three shows

by Dan McClelland

The Tupper Lake Middle/ High School’s Red and Black Players lit up the auditorium stage and generated tons of laughter from the hometown audience March 24, 25 and 26 when they presented Seussical, a musical comedy.

Although we can only base our praise on the Friday evening performance we attended, the Red and Black Players- to a person- outdid themselves. The show was fun, flawless and just what audiences here cooped up all winter needed, a delightful tonic for the blues.

The songs and music of “Seussical” were funny, peppy and whimsical, like the quirky tales of the famous author. All were well sung by the 30 or more local students in the larger than usual cast in a spring musical on Tupper High stage.

What was very clear to us was that everyone on stage took their roles very seriously and did their best to bring great passion to them. Together they were an amazingly gifted group of kids.

And there were some real standout performances by the leads.

Meika Nadeau, the Cat in the Hat, will graduate this June. Seussical was her last show on the hometown stage and she will be deeply missed by the Red and Black troupe.

Her singing was excellent and her dancing was even better. Her tap routine that opened the second act was top shelf.

When she was on stage, Meika controlled it.

Cody Auclair turned in a great performance too as the passionate Horton the elephant...sometimes thoughtful, sometimes worried, all of the time caring for the tiny population of Who-ville.

Cody, a junior, handled all the songs he sang well, projecting clearly into the audience each time. Cody is comfortable on stage. His facial expressions are most telling. He obviously loves the stage...it was easy to tell!

Raegan Fritts, like Cody, is also a junior, so we’ll get to see her again on stage this next school year. Raegan is a wonderful singer, polished and solid. She’s regularly asked to sing the national anthem at public events here, her singing is so good. Her ukulele performance in Seussical was delightful.

Raegan has the gift of poise in movement. She moved effortlessly across the stage, sometimes on one foot, or bending and twisting with ease. It was like watching a seasoned gymnast perform a well-practiced floor exercise.

She handled some of the dramatics of her part very convincingly- and was not afraid to scream loudly when Miss Gertrude McFuzz was infuriated.

We saw a couple of relatively new performers emerge into lead parts this time: Junior Shae Arsenault as the no-nonsense Mayzie LaBird and Sophomore Sophia Staves as the confident Sour Kangaroo. Both sang very well and both have been performing on stage here for years. It certainly showed by their supporting lead roles this weekend.

The Who mayors, Ayden Rabideau and Nevaeh Toohey, also both handled their support leads well. Ayden is blind but that doesn’t let it stop him on the high school stage or on the basketball court. Both Nevaeh and Ayden have been part of productions here since they were in elementary school. Both are sophomores so we’ll see them on stage for two more years, that’s great news!

Lacey Pickering, making her second Red and Black performance in as many years, is only in seventh grade, so we’ve got a lot more to see from her in the years to come. Her acting as JoJo, a Who-ville boy was very believable with very appropriate facial expressions to carry the message of her part. Like all the leads in Seussical, she handled her singing parts very well.

The entire performance was full of dance and song, and action on the stage was kept lively throughout by the very able performances of over 20 young back-up performers in grades 7, 8, 9 and 10. It was witness there’s a lot more to come from these players in the next few years.

Seussical is based on the book by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, based on the many children's stories of Dr.Seuss, with most of its plot being based on Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg while incorporating many other stories. The musical's name is a portmanteau of "Seuss" and the word "musical".

Following its Broadway debut in 2000, the show was widely panned by critics, and closed in 2001 with huge financial losses. It has spawned, however, two US national tours and a West End production, and has become a frequent production for schools and regional theaters.

Much the following narrative comes from publicity we found on the web about the show.

​Plot

​Act I

The show opens on a bare stage, save for an odd red-and-white-striped hat in the center. A small boy wanders into view and notices the hat, wondering to whom it might belong. He finally mentions the Cat in the Hat, who appears before the boy and tells him he has been brought to life by the boy's “Thinks.” The Cat (Meika Nadeau) urges this boy to Think up the "Seussian" world and its characters.

"Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!" is the opening number sang well by the Cat in the Hat, Jojo, Horton, Miss Gertrude, Mayzie, Sour Kangaroo, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor, the general, and Whos and the Jungle Creatures.

The Cat then reveals to the boy that he is about to tell a story about someone as imaginative as the boy is.

To begin the story, the Cat encourages the boy to think up the Jungle of Nool, where Horton the elephant (Cody Auclair) is bathing. Horton hears a strange noise coming from a nearby speck of dust. He reasons that someone must be on it, calling out for help. He carefully places the speck on a soft clover and decides to guard it.

Horton (Cody) sings about his dilemma with "Horton Hears a Who,” accompanied by the Bird Girls (Hannah Barber, Aubrey Nadeau and Aubrey Sparks) and the Jungle Creatures (Lily Wilber, Ghost Switzer, Yana Kucipak and Rain Skiff). But Horton is mocked mercilessly by the Sour Kangaroo (Sophia Staves) and the other animals of the jungle, who do not believe him. "Biggest Blame Fool" is how most of the characters on stage felt, as they joined in song to vividly make their point. The only exceptions are Horton's bird neighbors, Gertrude McFuzz (Raegan Fritts), who admires his compassion, and Mayzie LaBird (Shae Arsenault), a self-centered colorful bird who seemed more concerned about herself.

Horton soon discovers that the speck is actually a microscopic planet populated by creatures called Whos. The citizens of Who-ville introduce themselves and their yearly Christmas pageant directed by their friend, the Grinch (Noah Switzer). They also reveal that in addition to being unable to control where the speck flies, they are on the brink of war and their entire population of Truffula Trees has been cut down ("Here on Who"). The Whos thank Horton and ask for his protection, and he agrees to guard their planet.

The Who mayor, Mrs. Mayor, the Grinch, the Whos join Horton in the song “Here on Who,” to describe life on the tiny speck.

At this point, the Cat pushes the boy into the story; he becomes Jojo (Lacey Pickering), the son of the Mayor of Who-ville and his wife, Mrs. Mayor (Ayden Rabideau and Nevaeh Toohey).

The opening song “The Thinks You Can Think” is sang again for the enjoyment of the audience by the Cat and his new friend.

Jojo has been getting into trouble at school for having Thinks, so his parents order him to "take a bath and go to bed, and think some normal Thinks, instead. Jojo blames the Cat for getting him into trouble and tries to send him away. The Cat refuses and persuades Jojo to imagine the tub is McElligot’s Pool. Several two-dimensional fish began floating about the pool.

Jojo (Lacey) and The Cat (Meika) sing that "It's Possible". The two students sang very well together. Jojo inadvertently floods the house, leading the Who-ville mayor and his wife to contemplate what to do with their son when they sing: "How to Raise a Child". When the Cat hands them a brochure, they decide to send Jojo to a military school run by General Genghis Khan Schmitz (Ava Facteau), who is preparing to go to war with those who eat their bread with the butter side down. The general and his cadets (Ash Barber, Jeevika Branchaud, John Fallon, Gabby Frenette and Bryce Richer) belt out a song, "The Military". While there, Jojo meets Horton, and finds a mutual friend in him. Together they do a nice job singing all about "Alone in the Universe".

Gertrude, meanwhile, has fallen in love with Horton, but is afraid he does not notice her because of her own tail, which consists of only “one droppy-droop feather. Raegan, who has a strong singing voice tells the audience about it with the song, "The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz". At the advice of Mayzie (Shae), whose tail is enormous and dazzling, she consumes pills which make her tail grow new feathers. Gertrude is so excited that she overdoses, causing her tail to grow long and unwieldy.

"Amayzing Mayzie," is sung and explained by Miss Gertrude (Raegan) and Mayzie (Shae) with back-group vocals help from the Bird Girls.

Another song, “Amazing Gertrude,” is Miss Gertrude’s response, with vocal help by the Bird Girls again.

Horton is ambushed by the Wickershams (Emily Roberts, Haylee Callaghan, Joelle Bedore and Dean LaVigne), a gang of delinquent monkeys, who steal the clover and make off with it, bragging loudly as they sing "Monkey Around".

Horton gives chase until the Wickershams hand the clover to an eagle named Vlad Vladikoff (Dean LaVigne), who drops it into a large patch of identical clovers, detailing the mischief in a song called "Chasing the Whos". Many of the lively characters joined in on that song, including Sour Kangaroo, the Bird Girls, the Wickershams, the Cat in the Hat, Horton, all the Whos (Gabby Frenette, Jeevika Branchaud, Ash Barber, Brittany Curry, John Fallon Aubrey Bissonette, who played Cindy Lou Who, Eliza Bujold, Oliver Roberts, Noah Switzer, Ava Facteau and Bryce Richer), the Jungle Creatures (Lily Wilber, Ghost Switzer, Yana Kucipak and Rain Skiff), as well as General Vlad (Dean).

At this point in Act I, the Cat in the Hat cuts briefly into the action to remind the audience how lucky they are to not be Horton, performing a strong vocal solo, "How Lucky You Are"). Undeterred, Horton (Cody) begins to look for the clover, hoping the Whos are still alive, when Gertrude catches up with him and tries to get him to notice her new tail. Horton is too busy, so she leaves to take more pills, singing a nice duet with Horton (Cody) about feeling sorry for themselves- a song called "Notice Me, Horton".

Horton is about to search his three millionth clover when he loses hope. Mayzie (Shea Arsenault), sitting in a nearby tree, offers to help him forget about the Whos by hatching an egg that she is too lazy to care for. Horton and Mayzie do a nice job with the song "How Lucky You Are,” a reprise sung earlier by the talented cat (Meika).

Horton reluctantly agrees, and Mayzie leaves for a vacation. Horton sits through months of harsh weather as he tries to decide between the egg and the Whos. Horton sits on the egg and sings about it before he is captured by hunters (Bryce Richer and John Fallon), who take him away along with the entire tree. Gertrude (Raegan) tries to stop the hunters, but cannot fly due to her heavy tail.

Almost the entire cast returns for the finale of the act- the Cat in the Hat, Horton, Gertrude, Jojo, the Whos, the Bird Girls, Wickershams and the Jungle Creatures.

​Act II

The act opens with an amazing dance routine by the hatless cat (Meika Nadeau). It featured some very proficient solo tap dancing by the local senior, at times lifting her self between steps into the air, in close step with the polished and well played pieces performed by the all-adult pit band. The musicians were Conductor Liz Cordes on keyboard, Laura Davison, woodwinds and pit band coordinator, David Fortino, woodwinds, James Bamonte, trumpet, Jonathan Dallas, trombone, Wayne Davison, bass guitar, Alanna Kogut, auxiliary percussion and Jeffrey LeFebvre, drums.

The act begins with Horton (Cody), still hatching the egg, is auctioned off to the traveling Circus McGurkus. The song "Egg, Nest, and Tree," well explained in song by Sour Kangaroo (Sophia Staves), and accompanied by the Bird Girls, Wickershams and the Jungle Creature.

“Circus McGurkus" was described in song by the Cat in the Hat (Meika) and Meika teamed up with the very troubled Horton (Cody) in another reprise of “How Lucky You Are!” and “The Circus on Tour.”

At one show in Palm Beach, Horton (Cody) meets up with Mayzie (Shae) who insists that he keep the egg for himself before leaving. The junior tells the audience just how amazing Horton is when she sings alone this time another rendition of "Amayzing Horton".

There’s a comical scene too with Mayzie, relaxed on Palm Beach, getting her nails done by The Cat, and the pair sing well about it.

The very distraught elephant (Cody) delivers a very moving version of "Alone in the Universe.

Horton also sings in soft and emotion-packed lullaby fashion with Jojo (Lacey) about a magical place called Solla Sollew in a song by the same name. At the same time, the Who Mayor (Ayden) and Mrs. Mayor (Nevaeh Toohey begin to miss Horton and Jojo, and join them in song about the special place, with vocal help from the 11 Whos and the Jungle Creatures (Lily, Ghost, and and Rain)

Jojo (Lacey) General Schmitz (Ava) and his platoon as the Butter Battle commences. Jojo deserts Schmitz, but sprints into a minefield and vanishes in an explosion. Schmitz assumes the worst and heads to Who-ville to tell Jojo's parents that their son has died. The Cat returns to perform a re-enactment of the dramatic scene. But in reality, Jojo has survived, but is lost with no idea of where to turn. The Cat appears to him with a band of Hunches (completely clothed creatures in flag-style colorful garb), encouraging him to use his Thinks to find his way home. "Havin' a Hunch" is sung by The Cat, Jojo and the Hunches.

Jojo gets the idea and happily reunites with his parents, who forgive him for his Thinks.

Miss Gertrude (Raegan) sneaks into the circus to free Horton, explaining she plucked out all but one of her tail feathers to fly there, and confesses her love for him. She also reveals she has found his clover, delighting and relieving Horton to find the Whos alive and well. "All For You" is the solo Miss Gertrude sings, explaining her infatuation with the elephant. However, the Sour Kangaroo (Sophia Staves) and the Wickershas arrive to take Horton back to the jungle.

In the jungle, Horton is put on trial for such heinous crimes of "talking to a speck, disturbing the peace, and loitering... on an egg.

"The People Versus Horton the Elephant" is jointly performed in song by most of the cast.

Aided by Miss Gertrude, Horton makes his best case, but Judge Yertle the Turtle (Antwon Gachowski) finds him guilty. He orders Horton remanded to the "Nool Asylum for the Criminally Insane" and the clover destroyed in a kettle of hot "Beezle-Nut" oil.

Desperate, Horton encourages the Whos to make as much noise as possible to prove their existence, but the animals do not hear them. Jojo finally uses his Thinks to conjure a new word, "Yopp", which he shouts loudly enough to reach the animals' ears. Convinced at last, the animals repent and promise to help protect the Whos, and Horton is acquitted.

Horton (Cody) and Miss Gertrude (Raegan) pair up to sing the song “Yopp,” and reprise “Alone in the Universe.”

Jojo (Lacey) is accepted by his parents and the rest of Who-ville as "Thinker Non-Stop" for saving their planet. Horton's egg hatches into a tiny flying "Elephant-Bird", amazing everyone, but dismaying Horton, who panics at the thought of flying progeny. Gertrude reassures him that they can raise the child together, and they agree to do so.

With the story finished, the Cat returns to close the show with the entire cast, belting out the finale,”Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!" The Cat then vanishes along with the scenery, leaving only his hat and Jojo, who is now the boy again. The boy picks the hat up, dons it, and says, "Seuss!"

The show finishes with bows from the cast with a rousing version of “Green Eggs and Ham”- one of Dr. Seuss’ best tales.

The artistic personnel of the show were Stage Director George Cordes, Music Director Liz Cordes, who together have directed the Red and Black Players here for many years, Assistant Director Danielle LaMere, Choreographer Kendall Davison and Technical Director David Naone.

Making up the stage crew was the stage manager, Genna Carmichael, Jack LaQuay, assistant stage manager, Liza Crouse, crew chief and Hannah Callaghan, Rylee Kennedy, Morgan Lohr and Alison Richer.

The lighting crew comprised of spot operators, Rebecca Becker and Jack Dukette, with help from Kaileigh Dukette and Jackson Rice.

The props crew was Vivian Allen, Heather Bujold, Lucy Frenette, Molly Hales and Raegan Hudak. The costume crew was Claire Snye and Mariah Young.

Making up the painting crew which produced some vivid, colorful back-drops, were Vivian Allen, Heather Bujold, Hannah Callaghan, Jack Dukette, Kaileigh Dukette, Lucy Frenette, Molly Hales, Raegan Hudak, Rylee Kennedy, Jack LaQuay, Morgan Lohr, Alison Richer and Claire Snye.

The performance program at the show praised a number of local residents for helping to make Seussical the success it was this weekend. Jamie Gachowski, Meagan Sparks and Stephanie Hachey helped feed the hungry group of actors and the behind the scenes workers this pat week. Also applauded were Stephanie Bissonette and everyone who contributed to the Seussical bake sale, to the parent volunteers who sold refreshments and souvenirs in the high school lobby, to Bryce Davison and Patrick Clark for the strong backs, the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts for the loan of microphones, to Curtis Switzer for his hours spent as Ayden’s aide and for the assistance offered by the school’s faculty and staff.

Seussical was presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International.

Seussical the Musical coming to high school stage

The Tupper Lake Middle/ High School’s Red and Black Players will light up the auditorium stage and generate tons of laughter from the hometown audience when they present Seussical, a musical comedy. The performances will be March 24 and 25 at 7p.m. and March 26 at 2p.m.

The musical is based on the book by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, based on the many children's stories of Dr.Seuss, with most of its plot being based on Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg while incorporating many other stories. The musical's name is a portmanteau of "Seuss" and the word "musical". Following its Broadway debut in 2000, the show was widely panned by critics, and closed in 2001 with huge financial losses. It has spawned, however, two US national tours and a West End production, and has become a frequent production for schools and regional theatres.

Much of the following narrative comes from Wikipedia, the free encylopedia.

​Plot

​Act I

The show opens on a bare stage, save for an odd red-and-white-striped hat in the center. A small boy wanders into view and notices the hat, wondering to whom it might belong. He finally mentions the Cat in the Hat, who appears before the boy and tells him he has been brought to life by the boy's “Thinks.” The cat urges this boy to Think up the "Seussian" world and characters around the boy and himself ("Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"). The cat then reveals to the boy that he is about to tell a story about someone as imaginative as the boy is.

To begin the story, the cat encourages the boy to think up the Jungle of Nool, where Horton the elephant is bathing. Horton hears a strange noise coming from a nearby speck of dust, and reasons that someone must be on it, calling out for help. He carefully places the speck on a soft clover and decides to guard it ("Horton Hears a Who"). But he is mocked mercilessly by the Sour Kangaroo and the other animals of the jungle, who do not believe him ("Biggest Blame Fool"). The only exceptions are Horton's bird neighbors, Gertrude McFuzz, who admires his compassion, and Mayzie LaBird, who is more concerned about herself.

Horton soon discovers that the speck is actually a microscopic planet populated by creatures called Whos. The citizens of Who-ville introduce themselves and their yearly Christmas pagenat directed by their friend, the Grinch. They also reveal that in addition to being unable to control where the speck flies, they are on the brink of war and their entire population of Truffula Trees has been cut down ("Here on Who"). The Whos thank Horton and ask for his protection, and he agrees to guard their planet.

At this point, the cat pushes the boy into the story; he becomes Jojo, the son of the Mayor of Who-ville and his wife. Jojo has been getting into trouble at school for having Thinks, so his parents order him to "take a bath and go to bed, and think some normal Thinks, instead". Jojo blames the cat for getting him into trouble and tries to send him away. The cat refuses and persuades Jojo to imagine the tub is McElligot’s Pool ("It's Possible"). Jojo inadvertently floods the house, leading the Mayor and his wife to contemplate what to do with their son ("How to Raise a Child"). When the cat hands them a brochure, they decide to send Jojo to a military school run by General Genghis Khan Schmitz, who is preparing to go to war with those who eat their bread with the butter side down ("The Military"). While there, Jojo meets Horton, and finds a mutual friend in him ("Alone in the Universe").

Gertrude, meanwhile, has fallen in love with Horton, but is afraid he does not notice her because of her own tail, which consists of only “one droppy-droop feather ("The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz"). At the advice of Mayzie, whose tail is enormous and dazzling, she consumes pills which make her tail grow new feathers. Gertrude is so excited that she overdoses, causing her tail to grow long and unwieldy ("Amayzing Mayzie"/"Amazing Gertrude").

Horton is ambushed by the Wickersham brothers, a gang of delinquent monkeys, who steal the clover and make off with it ("Monkey Around"). Horton gives chase until the Wickershams hand the clover to an eagle named Vlad Vladikoff, who drops it into a large patch of identical clovers ("Chasing the Whos"). Here, the cat cuts briefly into the action to remind the audience how lucky they are to not be Horton ("How Lucky You Are"). Undeterred, Horton begins to look for the clover, hoping the Whos are still alive, when Gertrude catches up with him and tries to get him to notice her new tail. Horton is too busy, so she leaves to take more pills ("Notice Me, Horton").

Horton is about to search his three millionth clover when he loses hope. Mayzie, sitting in a nearby tree, offers to help him forget about the Whos by hatching an egg that she is too lazy to care for ("How Lucky You Are (Reprise)"). Horton reluctantly agrees, and Mayzie leaves for a vacation. Horton sits through months of harsh weather as he tries to decide between the egg and the Whos ("Horton Sits on the Egg") before he is captured by hunters, who take him away along with the entire tree. Gertrude tries to stop the hunters, but cannot fly due to her heavy tail.

The cat closes the act with a reprise of "How Lucky You Are", and conducts the band during the intermission.

​Act II

Horton, still hatching the egg, is auctioned off to the traveling Circus McGurkus ("Egg, Nest, and Tree"/"Circus McGurkus"/"How Lucky You Are (Reprise)"). At one show in Palm Beach, he meets up with Mayzie, who insists that he keep the egg for himself before leaving ("Amayzing Horton"). Horton mourns the loss of the Whos and Jojo, but vows just as surely to protect the egg, as it, too, is alone without its mother ("Alone in the Universe (Reprise)"), and sings it a lullaby with Jojo about a magical place called Solla Sollew. At the same time, the Mayor and his wife begin to miss Horton and Jojo, and wish for Solla Sollew, as well ("Solla Sollew").

Jojo is with General Schmitz and his platoon as the Butter Battle commences. Jojo deserts Schmitz, but sprints into a minefield and vanishes in an explosion. Schmitz assumes the worst and heads to Who-ville to tell Jojo's parents that their son has died. The cat returns to perform a re-enactment of the dramatic scene. But in reality, Jojo has survived, but is lost with no idea of where to turn. The Cat appears to him with a band of Hunches, encouraging him to use his Thinks to find his way home ("Havin' a Hunch"). Jojo does so and happily reunites with his parents, who forgive him for his Thinks.

Gertrude sneaks into the circus to free Horton, explaining she plucked out all but one of her tail feathers to fly there, and confesses her love for him. She also reveals she has found his clover, delighting and relieving Horton to find the Whos alive and well ("All For You"). However, the Sour Kangaroo and the Wickersham brothers arrive to take Horton back to the jungle.

In the jungle, Horton is put on trial for the crimes of "talking to a speck, disturbing the peace, and loitering... on an egg" ("The People Versus Horton the Elephant"). Aided by Gertrude, Horton makes his best case, but Judge Yertle the Turtle finds him guilty. He orders Horton remanded to the "Nool Asylum for the Criminally Insane" and the clover destroyed in a kettle of hot "Beezle-Nut" oil. Desperate, Horton encourages the Whos to make as much noise as possible to prove their existence, but the animals do not hear them. Jojo finally uses his Thinks to conjure a new word, "Yopp", which he shouts loudly enough to reach the animals' ears. Convinced at last, the animals repent and promise to help protect the Whos, and Horton is acquitted. Jojo is accepted by his parents and the rest of Who-ville as "Thinker Non-Stop" for saving their planet. Horton's egg hatches into a tiny flying "Elephant-Bird", amazing everyone, but dismaying Horton, who panics at the thought of flying progeny. Gertrude reassures him that they can raise the child together, and they agree to do so.

With the story finished, the Cat returns to close the show with ("Finale - Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"), then vanishes along with the scenery, leaving only his hat and Jojo, who is now the boy again. The boy picks the hat up, dons it, and says, "Seuss!"

Seussical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International.

Red & Black Players explore the worlds of Dr. Seuss with the fantastical musical ‘Seussical’ March 24-26

The Red and Black Players continue their musical exploration of the worlds of the imagination as they present Seussical at the Tupper Lake Middle/High School auditorium, 25 Chaney Avenue, on March 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. and March 26 at 2 p.m.

There will be flowers and a bake sale in the lobby before the show and during intermission of each show. There will also be a 50/50 raffle in the lobby to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation; the winner will be drawn on Sunday, March 26. That Sunday is World Epilepsy Day, and audience members are encouraged to wear purple to support this worthy cause.

Seussical is a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Once on This Island, Ragtime), have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird, and a little kid with a big imagination – Jojo. The colorful characters transport us from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos.

The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust that contains the Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many "thinks." Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant. Seussical is fun for the whole family!

The cast features Meika Nadeau as the Cat in the Hat, Cody Auclair as Horton the Elephant, Lacey Pickering as Jojo, Raegan Fritts as Gertrude McFuzz, Shae Arsenault as Mayzie La Bird, Sophia Staves as the Sour Kangaroo, Ayden Rabideau and Nevaeh Toohey as Mr. and Mrs. Mayor of Whoville, Ava Facteau as General Ghengis Khan Schmitz, Hannah Barber, Aubrey Nadeau, and Aubrey Sparks as the Bird Girls, Joelle Bedore, Haylee Callaghan, Dean LaVigne, and Emily Roberts as the Wickershams, Antwon Gachowski as Yertle the Turtle, Noah Switzer as the Grinch. Portraying an array of other Seussian characters are Ash Barber, Aubrey Bissonette, Jeevika Branchaud, Eliza Bujold, Brittany Curry, John Fallon, Gabby Frenette, Yana Kucipak, Bryce Richer, Oliver Roberts, Rain Skiff, Ghost Switzer, Lily Wilber, and Raina Gillette.

Crew for Seussical are stage manager Genna Carmichael, assistant stage manager Jack LaQuay, along with Vivian Allen, Rebecca Becker, Heather Bujold, Hannah Callaghan, Liza Crouse, Jackson Dukette, Kaileigh Dukette, Lucy Frenette, Molly Hales, Raegan Hudak, Rylee Kennedy, Morgan Lohr, Jackson Rice, Alison Richer, Claire Snye, and Mariah Young.

Stage director George Cordes and music director Elizabeth Cordes have again been joined by their own intrepid team: lighting and tech director David Naone, assistant director Danielle LaMere, and choreographer Kendall Davison. This production will also mark a return to a live pit band, featuring an all-star lineup of musicians.

Seussical is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized materials are supplied by Music Theatre International. It follows the Red and Black Players’ 2022 production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. sWith this production, the Red and Black Players celebrate their 17th anniversary of bringing musical theatre to Tupper Lake. Previous shows include also Footloose: The Musical, Guys and Dolls, Godspell, Anything Goes, Hello, Dolly!, All Night Strut: A Jumpin', Jivin', Jam!, Back to the 80s: The Totally Awesome Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Annie, Seussical: The Musical, The Boy Friend, and Bye, Bye Birdie. In 2020, they had to cancel their production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The directors hope to revisit this production (with the original cast) sometime in the future. Stay tuned!

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens and will be available at the door. Children 5 and under admitted free.

Total Solar Eclipse coming to Tupper Lake next April 8

On April 8, 2024, a spectacular Total Solar Eclipse will occur in Tupper Lake. On that day, the moon will pass in front of the sun and cast a shadow across the United States starting in Texas and moving north and east across the country. It will eventually reach Tupper Lake and begin covering us in darkness at 1:12 p.m.

By 2:26 p.m., the moon will totally eclipse the sun for three minutes and 33 seconds. The moon will end its pass in front of the sun at 3:36 p.m., and this unprecedented astronomical event will be over.

For some perspectives, Tupper Lake has experienced eclipses in the past. Within the last century, Tupper Lake experienced a number of “partial” eclipses where the moon did not fully cover the sun. Those occurred in 1925, 1932, 1963 and 2017.

On May 10,1994, an annular eclipse occurred when the moon, because of its varying distance from earth, moved in front of the sun, but was too small to fully cover it. Another annular eclipse will occur in Tupper Lake on July 23, 2093.

Astronomical records show that a Total Solar Eclipse has not occurred in Tupper Lake in almost two centuries.

The Sky Center is developing educational programming that will help our community and visitors better understand the science behind eclipses, as well as the cultural and historical significance of this rare and truly once in a lifetime event.

The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory is the sole public astronomy-based organization in the Adirondack Park. Large crowds are predicted to visit on that day in order to make use of their expertise and abundant resources. Astronomers from around the country will be on hand, live video feeds from NASA, and a full range of activities for the community and visitors of all ages are already being planned. The organization’s state-of-the-art equipment and knowledgeable staff will provide guidance and support to eclipse viewers.

“We want this to be a come-early-stay-late event for visitors,” says Seth McGowan, president of the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory. “But what’s even more important,” he continues, “is we want everyone to have an enjoyable experience that will make them want to come back to our community in the future.”

Mr. McGowan has already engaged with local and regional partners, including schools, businesses, museums, and community organizations, to create a comprehensive plan for the eclipse. In addition to logistical planning for such large crowds, the plan also includes educational programming, public outreach, and scientific research. An organizational meeting is set to take place at The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory’s 36 High Street Office where representatives from the Town, Village, Arts Center, Library, Wild Center, and ROOST will begin their planning.

Look for regular updates on the April 8, 2024 eclipse here from the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory.

editorial What an event the BrewSki was!

The James C. Frenette Recreational Trails at the Tupper Lake Golf Course were packed with skiers, snow-shoe users, walkers and even a few fat tire bike riders Saturday for what we figure might have been the best BrewSki yet.

Even the 94 year old creator of the town’s popular multi-season trail network which is named after him was there skiing that day with daughter Margaret and son-in-law Paul O’Leary.

A brand new event for the town’s recreation director, Laura LaBarge, after the chamber of commerce leaders handed over their events to the town this past fall, it’s staging was flawless, in our estimation.

Participants waited in a line that stretched almost 100 yards back from multiple processing tables in the large admission tent, next to the now heated pro shop.

Inside the pro shop Lion Cindy Lewis was selling her club’s annual BrewSki 50-50 tickets and Councilwoman Mary Fontana was peddling souvenir Brewski clothing. When she ran out she started taking orders to be produced and mailed to the happy BrewSki crowd.

There was no pushing or shoving in the long line outside, only smiles and an upbeat mood of happiness being outdoors and ready for an afternoon of recreation and dozens of types of tasty craft beer from 16 beer-makers across the region. Only one brewer scheduled to be there didn’t make it.

Throughout the four-hour afternoon there were long lines at each vendor- sometimes 75 to 100 people deep, but no one was complaining. All of them eager to sample the next craft beer.

Three Februarys ago, the chamber of commerce’s BrewSki, on the eve of COVID, participant numbers topped 1,500. That unusual February day the mercury topped 40 degrees F. and the sun shone brightly. It was like spring had arrived early that day. Last year’s crowd was much smaller when frigid gale-force winds blew through the area and kept many BrewSki fans away.

This past Saturday was different. A typical February day that began early about minus 20 degree F., the mercury eventually rose by mid-afternoon to about 20. It was overcast. People came dressed for the weather.

While the town recreation department’s attendance numbers don’t seem to indicate it, we think Saturday’s crowd topped the best-attended BrewSki three years ago. The place just looked busier than in the past.

And there were more parked cars on Country Club Road than we’ve ever seen before. They stretched from above the golf course all the way to John and Patti Gillis’ place at the bottom, near the state highway. Cars were also parked on Schugar Lane and Tamarac Road and just about anywhere someone could squeeze in their vehicle.

When we arrived about 11:45a.m. we couldn’t believe the number of cars lining the town road already, and they hadn’t reached the bottom yet.

Parking was kept to the downhill side of the town road and well marked with the loaned signage the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club uses so well to keep parking in check for their often 1000-angler Northern Challenge each February. Club volunteer Alan Imlach laid out all the signs early Saturday morning, so all directional markings were in place when people started to arrive shortly after 11a.m.

“We wanted to make everything as safe as possible when it came to parking.” Her dad, whose is her town assistant, Bill Cote, has over 20 years of law enforcement experience and in public parking and his experience proved invaluable to that part of the planning.

The recreation director said the town highway department was able to push back the snow banks so that there was room for one-side parking and for oncoming vehicles to move up and down the road during the event without major difficulties.

One happy group in the parking lot from Rochester were snacking “tail-gate” style-all with bright smiles and some mustard on the faces-while they waited for BrewSki to start.

Organizer Laura said the she thinks in the past the chamber organizers capped admission at 1,000 beer-drinking participants who pay for the full ticket. Non-drinkers and youngsters who come not to imbide but to just enjoy the day always flesh out the crowd bringing it to 1,500- for example in 2020.

Her town team capped ticket sales this year at 1,200. Of that number, 1,100 were pre-sold before the event. Tickets sold for $25. The non-beer drinking crowd, pushed total numbers to about 1,500- by Mrs. LaBarge’s count.

The number of brewers was up from last year’s number of 13 and Laura hopes to draw more next year.

In preparation for her first time hosting of the event, Laura and helpers tracked every pre-sale ID before any lanyards were handed out Saturday. “We were checking passports and other IDS from provinces in Canada, California, Colorado, Florida. Plus Virginia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut- from many places all up and down the east coast.

Some were already visiting in the area but many came here expressly for the BrewSki.

It’s strong evidence the event is gaining traction across the country among craft beer fans who love recreation between beers.

Standing at the fire near the Raquette River Brewing station we met two couples who had driven up from Virginia just to attend the event. “When we left it was 73 degrees F.,” one man laughed. It was at least 80 degrees difference at noon at the course.

A half a mile or so up the trail we met four young bucks, swilling the beer from tiny lanyards at another beer station. They drove here the day before from Boston.

One of them, a computer guy, had just launched a start-up company this year. “So you’ll be rich next year when you come back?” we asked him. “Or broke!” he answered with a knowing smile of his risk.

Mrs. LaBarge’s only disappointment with the attendance at her first crack at BrewSki was a local turnout which she called “pretty small.”

We too noticed the absence of familiar faces, with the exception of Laura’s many volunteers.

A goal for next year is to boost the locals numbers, she said, adding she feels more people here would really enjoy the event if they gave it a chance. More promotion of BrewSki locally might be the answer to drive local numbers up.

For next year’s BrewSki and the Field Day event she pioneered last July, she hopes to draw more locals as both volunteers and participants.

“I want more local folks to enjoy our events too each year.”

She said she spent recent months talking to people who have helped run the BrewSki in the past, and those who have attended them here and from the brewers who have exhibited.

In past events it was commonplace for some of the brewers to run out of product. To make sure that didn’t happen this year Laura asked them to double the number of kegs they were going to bring “and we paid them more this year” that they had ever been paid here before.

Each brewer was paid $400 this year. For most of them it made their visit here worth the trip, over and above exposing their products to a new crowd. Each brewer also received a $50 meal voucher at a restaurant in town, which helped spread some extra cash around town that evening.

Mike Reandeau, the Swiss Kitchen’s hardworking chef, said they were jammed with visitors over the weekend and happy about it.

Many of the BrewSki visitors headed to Raquette River Brewing to taste how well Tupper Lake makes its beer. Mickey and Claire were there to entertain the crowed. Some apparently hit P-2’s as well, on owner Michelle’s invitation out front.

The winter event was made safer for some of the attendees by the presence of Mac’s Safe Ride which shuttled locals from their homes to the event, to an after-BrewSki party and back home. We don’t know how many took advantage of that great service but we hope many people did. Hopefully too some of our local moteliers pointed their guests to Mac’s- Tupper’s unique “get home safe” program.

We ran into John Gillis riding one of the town tracked vehicles as he was hauling wood to the fire pits at each vendor stop.

The town board’s point man on the BrewSki, having been a part of it with his trail grooming team from the start, he figured the event filled all or most of the town’s motel rooms, as well as many short-term rental properties here.

Laura brought a cadre of volunteers to help her run the BrewSki- many we had never seen before helping at major events. Many were her family members and friends, including her two best friends, Melissa DeVirgeles and Katie Drasye, who she said always have her back.

Understanding that volunteers are always in short supply, she admitted Monday she is trying to come up with a way for volunteers to be paid a small stipend when they help- either in the form of cash, gifts or other incentives.

From a personal stand-point as a novice event organizer and “a small town girl from Tupper Lake,” she said she was stunned by Saturday’s turn-out. “For that amount of people to come to our town on a very cold Saturday was amazing to me!”

She also said she was also amazed at all the “positive energy” the event generated. “No one was miserable; no one was complaining. -And these were people before they were drinking, talking to us while they were waiting in line. They were cheering as they waited to go in and I found that fantastic!”

Laura is working this week on another town event, “Cards Against Potter,”- a Harry Potter themed adults-only game night at Raquette River Brewery Sunday. She’s also working on plans for an adult prom in May at the Tupper Lake Golf Course restaurant.

We hope Laura will continue to be stunned and amazed by the crowds her town events attract as she moves forward in her new career bringing more and more visitors to our community. Kudos to her and her helpers on a fantastic BrewSki.

-Dan McClelland

Plans still in works for new school building project

by Dan McClelland

Superintendent of Schools Russ Bartlett at the board of education meeting earlier this month presented a report on the latest chapter of the current building project saga. Every five to seven years the district embarks on a multi-year project to upgrade school buildings. The most recent one about five years ago included among other things major renovations to the high school auditorium, the completion of the heated community room- named in honor of civic center-builder, Phil Edwards, at the local arena, and a reconfigured parking arrangement at the L.P.Quinn Elementary School.

Most of the major infrastructure improvement campaigns of late have been financed in large part by generous amount of state building aid.

“This is something you have been hearing about forever,” the superintendent joked as he began his report that evening.

“When we first started talking about this (in recent years), you’ll remember we had a building conditions survey (required by the state education department) that was due.”

“-And we were also looking for an architect, so we sent that out to bid. C.S. Arch was the architectural firm that gave us a bid on architectural services and completing the building conditions survey.”

“We knew going into this there would be some things identified in the building conditions that we were going to have to address. We know, there are things in the middle/high school, but at this building too- the L.P. Quinn School, he said from the Michelle LaMere Memorial Library where school board meetings are now convened.

He said in both buildings, “the set-up for someone coming in is less than ideal. At the middle/high school they come in the door by the auditorium and walk unattended some 50 feet down the hall. That should never happen in 2023!”

He also noted that everyone knows “that things are going to continue to be problems, so we need to be able to address them.”

“When we initially talked about this, we said our goal was not a huge project...addressing things we needed to do.” He said the financial aim at the time was to keep the project total under $10 million. That felt that was the financially responsible way to go!”

Then we got the building conditions survey back “-and we had to remove anything that wasn’t a building conditions survey finding or a safety issue.”

“Right now there is nothing in this project which is a ‘wish list’ item.” He said many of the things that officials felt needed to be addressed” in the next building project “got pushed down to a lower priority...things that need to be done, but that we don’t have the (financial) wherewithall to do at this point.”

“As of January, 2023, when we last met with the architects, we had removed everything from the list that was not a direct result of the building conditions survey and/or changing the entry to both buildings to make then more secure. And we are still struggling very hard to get the project total under $20 million!”

He said the current goal is to get the project total to be about $18 million.

So what changed? Labor and building materials have gone through the roof in the last three years. “We can’t forget the middle/high school building is almost 90 years old. Any time you start messing around with stuff that was built in the 1930s, you have the potential for all kinds of things to go wrong.”

The roof at L.P. Quinn “is in rough shape, and replacing it is probably the largest single cost associated with this project.”

He said also at the high school you have a 1934-vintage building attached to a 1954 building which is attached to a 1970-something building which has a 1980-something attachment. Added too are “attachments” in the 1990s and the 2000s, he told the elected school leaders.

He said he was personally familiar with the improvements to that building in the 2000s, “because that’s where my classroom used to be.”

“The plumbing in that portion of the building has all be replaced.”

“We have to address what all we have to do. The buildings are all well maintained.” He said, however, the roof at the elementary school is in critical need of repair!”

“So just to be clear, a building project is separate from a building project?” Board President Jane Whitmore asked at that point.

Business Manager Dan Bower explained they are similar but different in this school district. Here “capital projects” are the kind addressed in smaller sums in annual school budget. What school officials call “building projects” are also capital projects but they are larger and more extensive in scope and “too large to address in any given year.”

Capital projects require the approval of district’s voters in a building referendum, he noted.

Capital projects are financed by bonds negotiated by the district and paid off in successive years.

Superintendent Bartlett said he will continue to work closely with C.S. Arch through April to determine the exact scope of work that will be included in this project. He and Mr. Bower will also be consulting in coming months with Bernard Donnegan’s firm, the district’s financial consultants “to determine what the financial impact is on the community so we can explain that in detail to out taxpayers. -And then we finalize our plans.”

Once the final figures are arrived at, they will be provided to the architect to determine final cost estimates, he explained.

He expected that work should be completed about August when district officials will conduct a series of public meeting to explain the project fully to taxpayers.

He predicted a public vote in October this year.

On a related issue, the repair or replacement of the elevator at the high school, he said he talked with the district’s architect and “the prep work they were planning to do over spring break” to prepare for the work itself, they had a rough idea of what that should cost. “So we put it out to bid and we received one bid. It was five times higher” that the architect’s initial estimate for that part of the project.

“We are working with the architects right now to figure out what are options are at this point.” He said the architects are also working with the company that submitted the bid to see if its offer could be tailored somewhat. “There was a concern there may have been some overlap in” the two parts of the project and we’re looking to see why the bid came in so much higher than the estimates.”

“101 Dalmations" delights hometown audience two nights last week’s

by Dan McClelland

The local fourth and fifth graders who performed in last week’s production of “101 Dalmations” deserved an A Grade for their work. -And not in our decades of coverage of school musicals and plays here have we seen a more enthusiastic bunch of singers and actors on stage. It was so apparent the kids were having a ball with the musical and their roles!

“The 101 Dalmatians” Musical is based on the 1956 children’s novel, "The Hundred and One Dalmations," written by Dodie Smith.

The musical follows a pair of Dalmatian dogs as they search through London in search of their litter of fifteen puppies, which were stolen by Cruella DeVil to make dog skin fur coats.

The original version on Broadway apparently had the actors sharing the stage with 15 real Dalmation dogs and using stilts to simulate the novel's original canine perspective.

The musical was praised by critics for the cast performances and the innovative use of stilts and live dogs. While the plot was generally praised, several reviews noted that the plot suffered from filler and excessive scenes. Reviewers also generally found the music to be fun but forgettable.

Not so the Tupper Lake Auditorium audience. Proud parents and family members loved it from start to finish. And for the first time since Covid19, the auditorium was packed.

The original plot of the musical goes something like this and our local version mirrored much of it well:

In London in 1957, a pair of Dalmatian dogs, Pongo and Missus, live with their human owners, the Dearlys, and enjoy a happy life. One day Missus gives birth to eight puppies, and the family is visited by Cruella De Vil, a former classmate of Mrs. Dearly. Cruella tries to buy the litter, but Pongo and Missus' owners refuse to sell them. She hires two men, Jasper and Jinx, to kidnap the puppies, along with many other Dalmatians in the city, to make dog-skinned fur coats. Pongo and Missus run away from home to find their puppies. With help from other dogs across the country, they find them, along with many other puppies, at Cruella's mansion and must get them back home without getting caught by the pursuing Cruella and her henchmen.

The singing of a number of pieces by the young players was very enjoyable and their lively antics on stage were very entertaining. Many times the audience broke out in loud laughter. The choreography was quite polished.

Elizabeth Lohan led the cast as the dastardly Cruella De Vil. Lucas Gardner as Roger had another lead role, as did Sidney Howard as Anita.

The other cast members included Franklin Tremblay as Pongo, Delaniee Wilson as Perdita, Ryan Dewyea as Lucky, Garrett LaValley as Patch, Emmie Brunette as Penny, Chloe Wilson as Pepper, Annabella Baker as Nanny, Martin Hughes as Horace, Lance Schaffer as Jasper, Cailyn Norton as the Boxer Narrator, Mallory Snyder as Scotty Narrator, Victoria Hudak as Poodle Narrator, Anna Kavanagh as Chihuahua Narrator, Madison Strack as Sergeant Tibbs, Aiden Trombley as Freckles, Aryanna Snickles-Ottley as Spotty, Addison Heading as the police officer and Isabelle Sauvageau as the dog catcher.

The “Dogs of London” were Emma-May Allen, Annabella Baker, Sophia Callaghan, Ellis Combs, Piper Davis, Addison Heading, Adelyn Pick, Isabelle Sauvageau, Aryanna Snickles-Ottley and Aiden Trombley.

The crew members, responsible for some very colorful and well decorated backdrops included Sophia Callaghan, Ryder Chapman, Aubrey Chesbrough, Isabella Charron, Ella Combs, Harper Conlon, Piper Davis, Adelyn Peck, Denver Proulx, Berlyn Sala, Isabelle Sauvageau, Jackson Shore, Landon Smithers, Carsyn Trudeau and Brayden Whitman.

The musical was very well directed by Danielle LaMere who was helped by Music Director Alanna Kogut, Choreographer Kendall Davison and the creative team of Anna Kittle and David Naone.

Support for the event came from teacher Miss Larkin, Superintendent Russ Bartlett, Principal Elizabeth Littlefield, Vocal Music Director Liz Cordes, Amanda LaScala, Transportation Chief Shawn Auclair and numerous bus drivers, Pat Bedore and Andrew McClelland of Stacked Graphics, Shae Arsenault, Jackson Dukette and Raegan Fritts. Many parents also contributed to the effort.

​

Northern Challenge draws 714 anglers on coldest weekend so far

by Dan McClelland

Ice anglers obviously don’t mind the cold, because 714 of them hit the ice at the Tupper Lake Sportsmen Club’s Northern Challenge on Lake Simond Saturday undeterred by the frigid blast that rolled through the North Country last weekend.

Organizer Dave McMahon said when he left his house that morning to go to the clubhouse on Lake Simond Road at 3a.m. it was 35 below F.

At the start of the derby at 7a.m., it was still about 20 below, he said. The high for the day was about eight degrees above zero.

On Sunday, when all the fishermen were headed back home, the mercury jumped back up to 35 degrees F.

The weather hadn’t really cooperated for Tupper Lake’s biggest winter event. The weeks leading up to the Challenge saw some relatively balmy winter weather with many days above freezing and not many frigid nights. Fortunately for the organizers, on Friday and Saturday it dipped to the mid-thirties below when an Arctic blast roared through the Northeast. That solidified the lake cover, which had been about 10 inches thick a week before the derby.

Pre-registration through ROOST was down a little this year at 390 participants. It appears some anglers were waiting for the weather to change and consequently registered on derby day.

The overall total was down from some years in the past which saw nearly 1,200 participants.

Mr. McMahon saw many familiar faces among the registrants.
“Some of these folks have been coming for seven or eight years” and one or two from the start over 30 years ago.

“They are a nice group of people.”

He said he and his volunteers combed the lake after the ice huts were all gone Sunday and found very little debris. Nor was there very much litter around the club grounds. “They really picked up after themselves,” he noted.

Mr. McMahon also canvased the many motels where many fishermen stayed and “there were no complaints at all.” The motel owners were very happy to have the guests at an otherwise very quiet time of the year.

He considers participation-wise this was something of “a down year,” with the sketchy weather preceding their big annual event.

“But it was a good turn-out and everyone who came seemed to enjoy themselves. There were no complaints.”

“Everything ran smoothly,” and that’s testament to the organizing committee and all the volunteers who helped, he stressed. He estimated about two dozen volunteers from the start of planning to the finish of the derby made it again the success it always is.

Dave and the other organizers were scheduled to have a committee meeting yesterday to review the 2023 event and “go over anything we want to change for next year, anything we want to add while the event is fresh in everyone’s mind.”

Mr. McMahon said that one of the things that really speaks to the quality of the people who come here to fish happened when a Paul Smith’s student lost his wallet during the derby.

“Some one out on the ice found it and turned it in to the command trailer. We went into the wallet and found his telephone number and called him and he came over and got it. All of the money he had in the wallet was still there.”

The organizer said he was a very happy man.

Editorial note: Kudos to Dave and the other organizers and volunteers of the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club on another top “Northern Challenge.” You put Tupper Lake on the map again last weekend with all your hard work! A list of prize winners will be published in next week’s issue.

Six-hour stand-off at Stewart’s ends when alleged bomber surrenders

by Dan McClelland

A six-hour stand-off between local and state police and a local man who claimed to have a bomb in the Tupper Lake Stewart’s Shop Wednesday afternoon and evening ended without injury or incident, after the alleged bomber surrendered.

The Village of Tupper Lake police officers were dispatched to the Stewart’s site in the center of the village’s uptown business district shortly before 3p.m. that afternoon for what was reported to be “a general alarm panic.”

En route, officers were advised that there was a man inside the store claiming to have a bomb, according to a statement from the local PD Thursday.

“Officers quickly evacuated the occupants of the store and confirmed the presence of the alleged bomber, David A. Payrot, 44, of Tupper Lake.”

He had claimed to have a bomb and a remote detonator switch.

The half dozen or so village officers established a perimeter around the corner of High Street and Park, using yellow crime scene tape. Police vehicles also partially cordoned off the site.

The village police requested help from the New York State Police and the Department of Environmental Police, and numerous uniformed state troopers and Encon officers were on scene shortly after 3p.m.

In addition to troopers were a number of Troop B officers, its negotiation and SORT teams and K-9s and their handlers.

Mr. Payrot reportedly told the two Stewart’s staff members in the store at the time- Tammy Clement and Jamie Jaquish- that inside his backpack he was in possession of what the police statement said was “a high yield explosive devise.” He suggested they leave and they did, according to reports.

There were no customers in the store when Payrot entered, although one person was approaching and was told by the staff leaving to go.

Payrot reportedly went first into the bathroom and then sat down in one of the store’s dining booths and called 911 Dispatch, telling the dispatcher he was in Stewart’s in Tupper Lake and he had a bomb, according to comments later from Stewart’s employees. He then settled in for what ended up being a six-hour stand-off.

In the early minutes of the incident, when local officers first on the scene were making sure there were no other occupants, Payrot encouraged the officers repeatedly to leave to avoid injury.

“Payrot also displayed a device to police claiming it to be a ‘Deadman’ detonator,” according to the statement.

Between 3:30p.m. and 4p.m. officers began visiting nearby buildings and asking occupants to vacate. The Free Press building next door was one of their first visits.

One of the concerns of local and area law enforcement, according to reports that afternoon, was the proximity of the Stewart’s fuel pumps to the building. Had a bomb have exploded inside the building, it could have triggered much larger explosions at the adjacent pumps.

Members of the Tupper Lake Fire Department apparently assisted law enforcement with a canvass of the homes and businesses within a block of scene- on Park Street, Vachereau and Mill Street, asking occupants to evacuate. The order was later modified with the option “to shelter in place” and not go outside.

About 4p.m. the Franklin County Emergency Services Department also issued a bulletin that “due to the incident at Stewart’s” those people on those blocks should evacuate.

Several of the residents from the evacuated blocks went down to the community room of the Emergency Services Building to wait out the drama.

About 4p.m. the wind picked up and snow began to fall and it continued through the evening. With the mercury hovering in the mid-20s for those six hours, the falling snow added to the evening’s cold for the police officers and the volunteers manning the perimeter and the road blocks.

About 4:30p.m. a large armored vehicle of one of the state police special units arrived on the scene and parked in front of the building.

The community’s emergency director, Carl Steffen, monitored the incident from start to finish, spending some of that time making arrangements for temporary shelter for some of the evacuees, should the incident had gone through the night.

Within the first minutes after the police first arrived at Stewart’s, roadblocks were established at all the nearby intersections: at the top of Park St. at Chaney, at the top of Vachereau Street, at the intersection of High Street and Cliff, near the old fire station, at Park and Cliff and at the bottom of Mill at Lake. Manning those roadblocks were volunteer firefighters from the local fire department, although the top of narrow Vachereau was blocked with a truck.

The volunteers manned those roadblocks for the entire six hours, much of that time in the miserable snow and wind.

At each road block, law enforcement vehicles were intertwined with some private vehicles of the fire department members.

There were also temporary signs erected at places like the intersection of Boyer Ave. and Park Street, directing through traffic around the center of the village’s uptown.

After the village police first established the perimeter, there were several cars parked in the Stewart’s lot, next to the Free Press, where the owners were told they couldn’t be moved.

There were a handful of cars parked in the main block of the Park Street business district when the roadblocks were put up, but the owners were eventually permitted to drive them out of the cordoned off area.

During the hours of the stand-off New York State Police investigators and negotiators were in communication with Payrot, attempting to end the situation without incident, according to the press release.

About 9p.m. Payrot came out of the building, with one hand in the air and the other holding up his shirt to show he wasn’t carrying an explosive device or a weapon, at the direction of the negotiators. He was taken into custody by officers by officers of the state police Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team without incident. The state police bomb disposal unit officers, dressed in bomb protection gear, examined the device that Payrot had claimed to be explosive and determined it wasn’t.

Many of state special unit officers were in full camouflage body armor, with high powered rifles, also with camouflage markings.

Several times during the stand-off many of the police officers had their revolvers drawn and their assault rifles pointed at the store. Fortunately no shots were fire.

The alleged bomber was taken to the village police station in the emergency services building where he was processed and charged with the following: Making a Terrorist Threat, a D Felony, Placing a false bomb or hazardous substance in the second degree- a Class E Felony and Burglary in the second degree- a C Felony.

Payrot was arraigned in village court and remanded to the Franklin County Jail on $25,000 cash and $50,000 bond.

The village police action, with the assistance of the troopers and special state police units, was under the direction of Sgt. Jordan Nason. Police Chief Eric Proulx was out of town on vacation.

In the statement by the local PD, Sgt. Nason commended what he called “the heroic actions of all the officers who responded to this call.

“The incident that transpired was extremely dangerous and could have ended catastrophically if not for tremendous cooperative effort between the Tupper Lake Village Police, New York State Police and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police.

“No one was physically harmed during this incident and that was the best outcome we could have hoped for,” he continued.

He also thanked the Tupper Lake Volunteer Fire Department “for assisting with the road closures and scene control, as well as the Tupper Lake Village Electric Department and Tupper Lake Ambulance and Emergency Squad who were standing by at our request.”

About 9:30p.m. that evening, after the roadblocks were removed by the volunteers and the police, the county emergency department issued its final bulletin, that people who live on those blocks could return to their homes.

During the event there were a number of acts of kindness by local citizens. The Wawbeek Quick Stop staff, for example, delivered hot coffee to police and volunteers. At the top of Park Street, 11 year old Erin Amell brought coffee, hot chocolate, danishes and roast chicken sandwiches she made out to the three firefighters manning a roadblock next to her house.

(Photos by Jim Lanthier)

Seventh annual Phil Edwards Memorial treats community to a weekend of great hockey

The seventh annual Phil Edwards Memorial Hockey Tournament on the hometown ice sheet brought players and hockey fans from all over the North Country for a very busy first weekend in the January.

Since the Free Press publisher was out of town that weekend, we’re indebted to tournament organizer and premier fan, Krit LaMere, for providing some excellent photos from the weekend and a little overview of the hockey action.

The event each year remembers one of the biggest supporters of Tupper Lake hockey in our community’s history and the highly skilled carpenter and contractor who devoted thousands of hours to building the arena over the course of several years. What’s been done since Phil literally built the recreational facility himself, has been thousands of dollars of improvements under the ownerships of the Town of Tupper Lake (then Altamont) and the Tupper Lake Central School District where artificial ice-making was added, as were physical improvements like locker rooms with showers, new spectator area heating and the completion of an enormous community room which provides warm seating overlooking the ice sheet. It’s now one of the best arenas in the North Country, folks who come here to play hockey and watch have remarked.

The nine-team tournament opened that Friday evening with a match against some hometown favorites- Phil’s Hammers who included many from the Edwards family and Fletcher’s, who boasted the only female goaltender of the tournament, Katie Snyder.

Other teams that hit the ice that weekend were Lizotte Logging, Eric’s Shaheen’s E&M, Paradise Valley Tree Service, the Chazy Chicken Hawks, Benders, Locker Room 5 and the Border Bandits.

In the end on Sunday morning the Championship A division saw a victory as best in the tourney for Locker Room 5- a compilation of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake players but including the gamesmanship of former tournament organizer Adam Baldwin.

The Championship A play-off saw a defeat forthe Chazy Chicken Hawks, previously called Giroux Poultry. It was the first time in the team’s three years in the event they lost a game. Some older dads joined their sons for a real family effort that unfortunately wasn’t good enough to bring home their trophy back to Chazy.

Among the Drew clan was female hockey player Katie Drew.

Third in that top division was the Border Bandits, who hail heavy from the border region of P’Burg and Chazy.

Tupper Lake’s E&M featuring lady player Stephanie Demars rounded out that division.

In the Championship B division the Potsdam heavy Paradise Valley Tree Service took first place in Sunday morning’s final when they beat Benders, which featured many players from the hockey-strong community of Massena.

Lizotte Logging, of course featuring many Tupper Lake players and some New Hampshire imports played well enough that weekend to win third place in their division.

Phil’s Hammers and Fletchers- both boasting lots of Tupper Lake talent, showed plenty of spirit but not enough goals to make it to the finals in their division.

New site plan drawn for Little Wolf facility

by Dan McClelland

Town officials this month took a first look at a new site plan for the town’s Little Wolf Beach and Campground they commissioned a landscape architectural and engineering firm to complete. The firm engaged by the town was EDR, and that action followed an extensive search for qualified applicants for the town by the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC).

The town leaders held several meetings at the beach this summer to gain the opinions of the people who call it home every summer in order to furnish those opinions to the consultants as they began their planning.

The improvement work eyed at the town-owned recreational facility on Little Wolf Lake followed the completion of a master plan ordered by a previous town board in 2017.

“The previous board had wanted to look at way to enhance and improve the facility,” which culminated in the 2017 master plan for the town place, Acting Supervisor Mary Fontana explained at the December board meeting.

She said her board selected EDR as one of four firms suggested by DANC this fall to do a site plan, and corresponding engineering study.

She said the project involves more than “modifying the existing facility. We wanted to really capitalize on the asset we have there!”

“The other difficulty with Little Wolf is that you can’t go online and book a reservation because you have to know what site you are reserving and what size of trailer will fit on it,” added Councilman John Gillis.

He said the sites at Little Wolf are all different sizes, after years of adjustments to them to accommodate different sizes of recreational vehicles.

Mr. Gillis figured the overall site lay-out of the place was determined over 50 years ago “when campers were a lot smaller.”

“John and I have been meeting with representatives of EDR- the most recent of which was December 5. They gave us this preliminary site plan, based on a walk we had with them earlier this fall,” Ms. Fontana told the other two board members.

“It looks like a whole lot when you first look at it,” she said of the document pictured above. “It looks very congested and a little bit scary!”

“Very busy,” Mr. Gillis agreed.

The acting supervisor said the changes eyed are simpler than they first appear. “In reality we would be adding about ten recreational vehicle sites.”

She said the tentative plan includes an expansion of the primitive camping sites plus some beachfront sites designed for “car camping,” which is apparently becoming very popular in camping circles.

There are some more picnic tables planned on the beach side of the caretaker’s cabin and concession building.

“The basketball court will stay where it is for now, but we’re talking about eventually moving it to the playground area to put all the recreational facilities in the same place.

John Gillis said some parents have told them they think the swings and such should be closer to the beach itself so it is easier to keep an eye on their kids if they are in two different places.

Councilwoman Tracy Luton noted, however, that the children of the campers are more likely to use the playground and courts versus the beach-going families. She said that was her experience when her children were little and they camped at Little Wolf.

Ms. Luton thought having the playground placed near the existing site of the basketball court would be the most visible place for the campers to watch their children at play.

Mr. Gillis said the current plan as advanced by the EDR group would be to move the beach parking from the giant oval near the beach to a more organized area behind the caretakers’ building, closer to the road.

That would allow for ten more RV sites and more tent sites in one of the best spots in the place, near the water and where the parking has been to date.

For years there has been little activity on the heavily treed northern side of the property where there have been a few primitive camp sites.

That area, Ms. Fontana noted, plus undeveloped town property beyond that, could accommodate some of the expansion planned.

She said too there has been discussion about relocating the boat launch from the center of the beach which is typically congested with bathers and sun worshippers to the northern end, which would be safer for everyone.

Mr. Gillis said one of the problems with the present boat launch on the beach is you have to drive your car, boat and trailer into the campgrounds and onto the beach area to launch the boat.

“It’s sort of a hidden boat launch right now, if you didn’t know it was there!”

He said the aim was to not put more boats on the lake, but to make it safer for swimmers and the people on the beach when a boat is being launched right in the middle of all of them.

“It’s not a very safe arrangement the way it is now,” commented Councilwoman Luton.

It was also noted that when people launch their boats on the beach it sometime turns into a brief tailgate party there.

Mr. Gillis said there might also be a handicapped accessible canoe and kayak launch area near any new boat launch at the north end of the site.

Ms. Fontana thought that area may have originally sported a boat launch.

“Now the boat launch would be at the end. There would be plenty of parking for the primitive camping.”

She said there are plans for a second bathhouse and bathroom building in the place and a smaller bathroom near the beach pavilion which would eliminate the need to position portable toilets there each summer.

Every camping site would be 30 by 60 feet in size in the new plan. That arrangement would make it possible to create more beach-front sites on the south side of the place.

According to the acting supervisor, the new plan is still in the very formational stage. “These are just working documents,” she said of the proposed site plan. Copies are available at the town office on Demars Blvd.

John Gillis called that night’s discussion “a first look for the board.”

Ms. Fontana remembered her shock when the maps were first shown on the video screen by the consultants. “It’s very busy to look at and it seemed like a bit much. But as we went through it piece by piece, it really is going to be a wonderful thing to do down there!”

There is no plan to pave the campground roads, it was stressed that evening.

L.P. Quinn music students perform with style, enthusiasm

by Dan McClelland

Second up on holiday concert week in the Tupper Lake Central School District was the elementary school’s winter concert on Wednesday, December 14.

It was a delightful three part production, under the direction of L.P. Quinn’s second year music director, Alanna Kogut.

The fourth grade band members , using batons and five-gallon buckets as their instruments tackled three Christmas favorites- Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls. Although the vigorous drum-beating by the kids made it a little tough to distinguish the individual songs there was no shortage of enthusiasm by the budding young musicians.

The fourth grade band members wrapped up their Christmas concert with the song, “Happy,” the very upbeat song by Pharrell Williams which is one of the theme songs of the “Minions.”

The fourth grade band members included: Caden Amell, Emmie Brunnette, Piper Davis, Ryan Dewyea, Logan Jones, Elizabeth Kohan, Graham Lanthier, Garrett LaValley, Samuel Mozdzier, Cailyn Norton, Adelyn Peck, Denver Proulx, Avarie Quesnel, Jackson Shore, Tommy Skiff, Anderson Taylor, Ian Taylor, Liam Toohey, Mitchell Utter and Aide Wilber.

Next to perform that evening was the fifth grade band, which performed with traditional instruments.

The first song it played was “Big Bad Band” by Jerry Frazier. Frazer is a master of young band writing. “Big Bad Band” has all the rhythmic elements that excite students and make audiences wonder, can they really play that? The answer was Wednesday night, they certainly could.

The challenging song, “Firebird,” by Igor Stravinsky, was presented by the fifth grade musicians next. It’s a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer. It is based on the Russian fairy tales of the Firebird and the blessing and curse it possesses for its owner.

Many major orchestras around the world have performed it and the fifth grade band did a very good job with the difficult piece.

The band returned to more traditional holiday fare for their last number and even donned red elf caps for their final number, “Rock the Halls,” the hard-driving Christmas rock classic.

Members of the fifth grade band included: flute- Aubrey Beaulieu, Josie Desmarais, Chanelle Whitman; clarinet- Jayden McIntyre, Isabella Sauvageau, Aryanna Snickles-Ottley; alto sax- Addison Curran, Sidney Howard and Martin Hughes; trumpet- Serenity Hare and Peyton Mandigo; trombone- Emma-May Allen and Peyton LaPorte and percussion- Victoria Hukak, Anna Kavanagh, Levi Quesnel and Landon Smithers.

The fourth and fifth grade chorus was the final act that evening, with Elizabeth Cordes accompanying the young singers under Mrs. Kogut’s direction.

The chorus began with the traditional holiday piece, “List to the Bells” and then pulled their kazoos from their pockets to rock the cafetorium with “Kazoo Koncerto.” The kids had a ball with the number.

Their two other songs were Sisi Ni Moja (“We are One”), Jacob Narverud’s very moving Spanish song, and the very lively, “Reindeer Rap” by Sally Albrecht, how the reindeers “rap” they don’t get their fair share of Christmas credit.

Martin Hughes and percussionists Levi Quesnel and Landon Smithers had stand-out roles.

The chorus members included Emma-May Allen, Annabella Baker, Scott Barton, Aubrey Beaulieu, Emmie Brunnette, Martin Hughes, Aubrey Chesbrough, Ryan Dewyea, Elizabeth Kohan, Aria Lanthier, Garrett LaValley, Jayden McIntyre, Chloe Methot, Samuel Mozdzier, Cailyn Norton, Adelyn Peck, Avarie Quesnel, Berlyn Sala, Isabelle Sauvageau, Lance Schaffer, Isabella Schaffer, Natalie Sheldon, Aryanna Snickles-Ottley, Ian Taylor, Railyn White, Aubreigh Whitley, Chloe Wilson and Delainee Wilson.

Kiwanis Club’s “Castle of Toys” makes holiday brighter for over 600 children here

The Kiwanis Club’s annual “Castle of Toys” program was again a robust success this year. On Saturday about a dozen Kiwanis elves, directed by the Jolly Old Gent himself, delivered over 600 baskets of toys to children here whose Christmases were made much brighter. Says Organizer Juli Dukett, the Christmas magic couldn’t have happened without the generosity of many here and the support of the local VFW Post 3120, which is Santa’s home away from home. With Santa above headed out from the VFW Post are some of the elves who delivered that day, all local teachers, Kathleen Fletcher, Noelle Casagrain, Danielle LaMere and Juli Dukett. (McClelland photo)

Charlie’s back….

Charlie Blackman is back this season ringing the bell for the Salvation Army to help fund its many good works in the region, both at Christmas and throughout the year. This is Charlie’s 18th year at his holiday perch in front of Shaheen’s Supermarket. Other Salvation Army bell ringing volunteers typically handle Saturday’s shift. The retired downstate teacher who lives on Lake Simond Road is on duty every day of the work week from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. On the day we stopped last week Tupper Lake’s popular retired CO, Walter Barrett, had just made a nice donation to Charlie’s Sally Ann kettle. Walter’s gift rated three rings of Charlie’s bell. (Dan McClelland photo)

Governor Hochul announces 10 “transformational” projects for Tupper Lake as part of $10 million DRI

Governor Kathy Hochul Wednesday announced 10 what have been described as “transformational” projects in the Village of Tupper Lake as part of the $10 million Downtown Initiative Award, first announced late last year. These projects will improve downtown public spaces and streetscapes and expand commercial, residential, entertainment and recreational opportunities in the Village's waterfront Uptown District, according to the Governor in her announcement.

There was considerable excitement in town early last week that Governor Hochul was expected to make the announcement in person but high winds that day prevented the new Governor from appearing here at Tupper Arts as planned. The plan had been for her to arrive by helicopter from Whitehall, where she had an earlier meeting that day.

Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez came in her place to deliver the wonderful news to this community.

"With revitalized waterfront trails, expanded housing options, and even a new brewery, Tupper Lake is shaping up to be a four-season, must-visit destination in New York," Governor Hochul said. "While we are already seeing the benefits to communities across the North Country, I am excited to continue our investment in small businesses and the upstate economy."

According to the Governor’s announcement, “Tupper Lake is a resurgent Adirondack community that aims to make the community a nationally-recognized, vibrant, four-season Adirondack destination through the ongoing revitalization of their compact, mixed-use, walkable, waterfront uptown business district. The village, which is located on the easternmost shore of Raquette Pond, originated as a logging and timber center in the late 1800s. Now, Raquette Pond and the surrounding forests attract tourists and outdoor recreation enthusiasts who contribute to the local economy and downtown businesses. The DRI awards will enhance tourist amenities, improve the streetscape and inter-connectivity among various destinations and create significant new housing, commercial and entertainment options.”

The investments are part of the Governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the upstate economy and create more opportunities within the North Country. The DRI is led by the Department of State providing technical assistance as each participating community develops a strategic investment plan identifying specific projects with a unique vision for the revitalization of the downtown area.

The specific projects to be funded through the DRI support several goals and strategies contained in the community's strategic investment plan, such as expanded housing options; improved walkability and streetscape connectivity; and increased arts, cultural, entertainment and recreational opportunities by supporting small businesses. The $9.7 million state investment in these projects through the DRI will leverage an estimated $55 million in additional public and private sector investments as the revitalization process proceeds and builds momentum.

In September the Tupper Lake planning committee of the DRI program had submitted 17 possible projects for funding, all of which had been vetted by the committee. The final decision and the selection of the ten was done by state officials and consultants working on Tupper’s DRI.

The ten local projects that made the final cut were:

Redeveloping the Fletcher & Sons company’s buildings into what will be called Oval Lofts. The DRI Award is $2.5 million.

The project will rehabilitate the current Fletcher & Sons Company’s property, part of the former Oval Wood Dish Factory site. The certified historic redevelopment will feature approximately 70 apartments with on-site tenant amenities including parking, a fitness center, community space, outdoor garden and grills and include a first-floor commercial/retail space.

Right next to it is the redevelopment of the former Oval Wood Dish Corp. factory site on Demars Blvd. The DRI award is $1.95 million.

This project will redevelop the OWD factory to include workforce housing, co-working space and a new production facility for Raquette River Brewery.

The third project announcement is also about needed housing and involves a new multi-family housing project in Tupper Lake The DRI award is $725,000.

This project sponsored by the Northern Forest Center will renovate three high-visibility, multi-unit residential properties, including the former Plaza Hotel on Upper Park Street, within the DRI boundary to create high-quality workforce housing. The project aims to retain talented members of the workforce by increasing the local supply of affordable rental housing, while improving aesthetics and public safety in the uptown zone.

A large portion of the DRI award- a public initiative through the village- is aimed at what is called “improved walkability and streetscape connectivity,” through sidewalk and other infrastructure improvements in the uptown target area.

It is called Enhancing The Uptown Streetscape. The DRI award is $2.495 million.

The goal is to enhance streetscape to tie together the uptown corridor, connecting Park Street, the proposed DRI private sector investments, and the district's scenic Adirondack waterfront setting. Improvements to the corridor's pedestrian and cycling experience include way-finding signs and other elements, lighting, street trees and benches to create a unified uptown streetscape aesthetic.

Another DRI project involved the total renovation of 70 Park Street. The DRI award is $110,000.

Jewelry creator Rachel King and her silversmith partner, Brandon Cooke, plan to completely renovate the two-story building across from Community Bank for first floor retail and second floor rental. The scope of work includes interior remodeling as well as exterior façade, siding, and deck work. Extensive siding work has already started on the building what was once Katie Raymond’s Liquor Store.

Another important piece of the DRI grant is called “Energize Uptown,” and its mission is to help spread the help across the entire uptown business district area. The DRI award is $600,000.

A new fund for matching grants will be created so many of the businesses in the uptown target area which did not apply for DRI funds, can apply to this special fund program intended for interior/exterior building improvements in the uptown district, as well as business assistance. The Franklin County Economic Development Agency will be helping to direct this program.

Another piece of the DRI fund is aimed at increasing arts, cultural, entertainment and recreational opportunities by supporting small business upgrades and enhancing Tupper Arts' presence on Park Street. The DRI award is $693,000.

This is Tupper Arts new plan to acquire and renovate the State Theatre, with insulation/HVAC/roof upgrades to the theatre and the Tupper Arts building next to it. The scope of work also includes façade and marquee upgrades to the exterior of the theatre building and stage/screen upgrades to the interior, which will result in an all-season indoor performance space. This will bring live theater to the community and perhaps the creation of a local community players group.

Another funded project in the DRI involves the upgrading and further expansion of Cory and Lilian Rohrbach’s Amado Restaurant and Amado Experience in its backyard. Their DRI award is $280,000.

The plan is for more interior and exterior improvements to the restaurant building at 10 Cliff Avenue and the adjacent property at 38 Lake Street, for restaurant expansion. Exterior improvements include façade enhancement to both structures as well as a covered walkway and landscaping upgrades. Interior improvements include the addition of a "live kitchen," with the associated upgrades to building electrical and plumbing systems.

Another funded project is called creating a Miniature Golf Destination. The DRI award is $199,000.

This is Jed and Julie Dukett’s project to create a seasonal miniature golf and ice cream business to operate between May and October on Demars Blvd., at the Santa Clara intersection.

The DRI money will also be used to creating a new brewery and taproom at 138 Park Street. The DRI award is $148,000.

Neil and Sara Kriwox intend to construct a new 850 square foot brewery and taproom with an outdoor beer garden between Little Italy and the Tupper Lake Free Press buildings, a recently cleared lot that for years was the site of the former Jenkins’ Storage.

The Governor’s announcement also carried applause from many local and state officials:

New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said "This $10 million grant will build on the momentum in Tupper Lake to create a true four-season community. Tupper Lake's uptown district will become a local and regional economic driver, providing much needed housing, employment, and amenities that will put the community on a trajectory for success for years to come."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said "the Tri-Lakes are experiencing tremendous investment through the DRI and the upcoming World University Games, solidifying the North Country region as a world-class, year round destination. These strategic projects planned for Tupper Lake enhance connectivity between uptown and the waterfront and will increase opportunities through supporting small businesses, investing in placemaking, and expanding much-needed workforce housing."

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said "the ten awarded projects in Tupper Lake will solidify the village's reputation as a regional tourist destination while also supporting the creation of three new residential properties to benefit those who call the village home. Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, New York is helping communities like Tupper Lake reach their full potential with strategic investments that produce quality housing, improve streetscapes, attract new businesses, and upgrade public facilities. Thanks to this successful initiative, New York is generating more vibrant downtown districts and building a stronger economy for the future."

State Senator Dan Stec said "the Tupper Lake is a vibrant community with a great deal of economic potential. The $10 million DRI funds will play a key role in expanding affordable housing and helping to grow the local economy. With this funding, Tupper Lake can continue to develop its tourism and recreational possibilities and become a key economic hub for years to come."

Assemblyman Billy Jones said this continued revitalization of the Village of Tupper Lakes's Uptown district is great news for the North Country and stressed the need to support housing, small business, arts and entertainment, and recreation. “This will continue to enhance the lives of the people who live there while also bringing in tourism to help the local economy. I want to congratulate everyone involved and their continued efforts and thank state and local officials and community members for realizing Tupper Lake's true potential."

Mayor Paul Maroun said Wednesday he believes "the ten projects announced today will boost our efforts to reinforce Tupper Lake as a four-season Adirondack community for year round activities. There is excitement surrounding these projects as they will energize the local economy and support our mission to make our downtown a vibrant destination to live and visit. Thank you to Governor Hochul for your continued support."

New York State's DRI, a cornerstone of its economic development program, transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative "plan-then-act" strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the state's bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles.

Hockey Night in Tupper brings players of all levels, all sizes together under one roof

by Dan McClelland

A new event this year at the Tupper Lake Civic Center on November 21 brought together in a fun and mutually-supportive way all the hockey players in Tupper Lake- from varsity on down.

The evening began with a mingling of players of all sizes, all ages and all levels on the local ice sheet, beginning at 5p.m. The players skated, posed for photos, gathered in bunches, hugged each other- just sort of relaxing in the camaraderie of the moment.

It was the first time in local history, perhaps, that all of Tupper Lake’s hockey teams were in the same place at the same time.

The event was organized by Tupper Lake High School Athletic Director Dan Brown and officials and coaches of the Tupper Lake Hockey Association.

The formal part of the evening when all of the players present joined at the three lines to stand for the National Anthem, sang in very accomplished fashion by student Raegan Fritts.

A large group shot at the blue line was taken of all the players present. That photo appeared in last week’s edition.

Master of ceremonies for the evening was a local hockey coach and hockey booster, Larry Callaghan, who introduced each youth hockey team and each player present that evening. So enthusiastic were his announcements, it could have been a professional wrestling match.

He introduced the Tupper Lake Youth Hockey’s leaders first: President Marcus Wilson, Vice President Briggette Shaheen, Treasurer Eric Proulx, Secretary Amanda Lizotte and Board Members Wes Keays, Monique Seafuse, Janelle Wilson, Chris Dewyea and Lynn Ostrander.

“Thank you all for your countless hours of service,” he told them all.

He introduced that night’s Varsity Lumberjack “Home Team” wearing white:

Brayden Shannon, Bryce Hutt, Noah Plumley, Griffin Shaheen, Collin Bencze, Sawyer Dewyea, Logan Flagg, Garrett Dewyea, Gavin Mitchell and Avery Amell, who filed onto the ice one after another to the loud applause of the crowd that evening. He next introduced the varsity “Black Team (Away)”:

Tyler Wood, Jamin Whitmore, Phil Beaudette, Aiden Churco, Kyler McClain, Brendan Clark, Christian Moody-Bell, Brenden Arsenault, Cooper Cuttaia, Bauer Callaghan and Jack Desmarais.

Not participating because of injury that evening were Jack Brooker, Phil Lindsey, Lucas Shaheen, Thomas Smith, Mason Fowler and Brady Skiff.

The varsity team then gathered at the eastern gate to the ice and formed an honor guard, holding up their sticks to create an archway.

Mr. Callaghan first introduced the 2022-23 14U Bantam team: Brenden Arsenault, Carver Bell, Leo Brooker, Aiden Churco, Adrianna Dattola, Luka Dukette, Ivan Favreau, Carson Flagg-Schneider, Daniel Flagg-Schneider, Brayden Harris, Alyvia Huckle, Liam Kavanagh, Gauge LaValley, Alexa Lindsay, Luca Rishe, Owen Schofield, Brady Skiff, Abby Stalhammar and Nolan Wilson.

He next introduced the Tupper Lake 12U Peewee team: Gavin Brown, Brody Dewyea, Graedyn and Traxon Ellers, Jacob Hanley, Nolan Macagg, Nathan Ostrander, Anderson Sparks, Benjamin Thompson, Zackary Todd, Wyatt Trudeau, Jace Wagner, Brayden Whitman and Blake Young.

Next up was the Tupper Lake Second Year 10U Squirt Team: Anna Kavanagh, Maddox Lizotte, Denver Proulx, Brandon Schofield, Ryan Smith, Landon Smithers, Kole Snyder, Ian Taylor, Carson Toohey, Liam Toohey, Carsyn Trudeau.

Playing for the First Year Squirts this winter are Peyton Clark, Kieran Furlong, Logan Hosley, Garrett LaValley, Grady and Greysen Pelkey, Grayson Roberge, Tommy Skiff, Franklin Tremblay and James Zaidan.

Mr. Callaghan then introduced who he called “the undefeated” 8U Mite team: Remi Bean, Beckett Bell, Jason Brown, Merrick Cole, Phoenix Counter, Finn Dewyea, John Keays, Zayne King, Skylinn Proulx, Daryl Smith, Louis Tremblay, Oliver Trudeau and Copper Willett.

On the 6U “learn to play” Mini Mite team were Radar Brown, Kaden Clark, Roland Counter, Darrah Dattola, Kelley and Kylie Eggsware, Oliver Gagnier, Theo Guerette, Evangeline and Vivian Hutt, Christopher Kohan, James Lalonde, Hunter Phippen, Abel Schaffer, Paisley Silvia, Eve Taylor, Thomas Tremblay, Patrick Williams and Lilliana Zeallor.

In addition to the loud applause from the audience, came the pounding of sticks on the ice by all the players that evening.

The final highlight of the evening was a four-part skills and drills competition among select Varsity players and an inter-team scrimmage, which was won by the White Team, 5 to 0.

Gavin Mitchell and Logan Flagg, both of the White Team, were the two fastest skaters of the evening when each team entered four skaters. The time was measured from one blue line once around the rink and back.

It featured a lap by both goalies in full goal dress- Jamin Whitmore and Braydon Shannon, which Jamin did in a time of 19.9 seconds. Braydon’s time was one-tenth of a second faster.

Griffin Shaheen

and Noah Plumley, again from the White Team, posted the hardest shots on goal.

In the stick-handling relay, the best varsity players were Garrett Dewyea, Collin and Grant Bencze and Avery Amell.

In the Breakaway Relay, which featured some fast skating and quick moves, the winners were Phil Beaudette, Ryder Willette,

Kyler McClain and Brendan Clark.

In the overall scoring the White Team dominated the four events, 22 to five.

VFW leader urges young veterans to get involved

by Dan McClelland

At Friday’s Veterans’ Days service at the Park Street war memorial, it was VFW Post Commander Tracy Luton’s turn to host the observance. She used that opportunity to encourage young veterans here to join the local veterans’ organizations here to help stage events like Friday’s.

Each year the leaders of the five veterans posts here rotate the oversight of Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and serve as the masters of ceremonies.

Welcoming the guests that cool morning VFW Commander Luton began by asking the definition of a veteran.

“A veteran, whether active duty, discharged, retired or reserve is someone who at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check, made payable to the United States of America for an amount to and including his or her life. That’s a veteran!

“Some gave all. Some gave some. You know that, right? So look around and thank a veteran today!”

She paid recognition to a group of high school students who recently took the old podium used at past observances here and in their shop classes restored it. She was standing behind the refurbished speakers’ stand.

“So I want give Tupper Lake Technology Education a shout-out, and particularly students Luke Robillard, Wyatt Godin and Tyler LaPlante” for restoring the podium. The flag on its side was painted by Kendall Kenniston and Lee Ann Stevens. “They all did a great job!”

She also had a strong message for the younger veterans of the community. “You guys have to start stepping up. We’re aging out,” she said of her colleagues currently active in the local veterans posts. “If you want things like this to continue on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, you are going to have to start” coming into the VFW post and the groups here which use it as their headquarters, “and sign up!”

“Many of our board members are passing away, or getting sick. I’m one of the youngest ones at the VFW right now!”

She said most people here who organize these veterans events each year are not even veterans, “but they help out a lot.” She was referring to the VFW post bartenders and the many volunteers.

“If you are a veteran, get your butts up to the VFW and join...and start helping out!

She said staging the annual events are getting more and more difficult for the aging veterans here to tackle. She pointed everyone to the dozen or so elderly veterans- a few in their nineties- all standing proudly next to each other along the recently recoated State Theater wall.

Ms. Luton said if younger veterans don’t soon take over the reins of these various veterans groups here, these special events will soon cease.

“-And that’s a sad thing to say. But we need you younger guys to step up!”

She said she often hears from people fresh out of the military that they intend to become involved with veterans activities here. “Well then do it! We need you to do it!”

She said there was a big gap between the Vietnam War and later Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Iraq and Afghanistan. “But it’s time for those veterans to come forward and help us!”

The town councilwoman said she often hears from young veterans here that the VFW Post on Park Street is “just a bar.” She said it’s much more than that! “We do a lot, we give a lot, we host many functions!”

“Get out there and start doing your part,” she said to all the young veterans of our community. “Don’t tell me you don’t have the time. Make the time!”

At the close of Friday’s service she paid special recognition to the work of Brent Cook and Mary Kay Kucipeck, two volunteers who care for the veterans park. “They did a great job again getting everything ready for today, and sprucing things up here. They do a great job all year long!”

She also invited the crowd back to the VFW Post for refreshments. She thanked the residents who attended that morning’s ceremony and supporting the local veterans. “It’s a great place to be… Tupper Lake!”