Tri-Lakes Humane Society announces “ADK Bark-in-the-Park event and annual fundraiser

The hard-working folks at the Tri-Lakes Humane Society are planning a fun afternoon on a Sunday next month at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park that is also intended to be a major fundraiser to help them underwrite some of the many services they provide in our area to help pets and their owners.

The “Adirondack Bark-in-the-Park”will feature many enjoyable activities on Sunday, September 17 for pet owners, their pets and residents of the area, in general.

There will be live music by a local band, “Night School,” from noon to 3p.m., a beer and wine tent for those 21 years of age and older, food trucks with plenty of good fare and plenty of fun things to do for people and their pets.

Between noon and 4p.m. event there will be plenty of activities and vendors for people to enjoy. Fun raffles and creative contests will be set up alongside activity stations. A new station implemented this year is the “swap tent,” where gently used pet items can be exchanged or donated. Examples include but are not limited to collars, leashes, toys, bedding, etc.

Franklin County Public Health officials will be there to conduct a rabies clinic from noon to 2p.m. Pre-registration is necessary by contacting that county agency (518-891-4471).

There will also be pet micro-chipping from 1:30p.m. to 2:30p.m. for a small extra fee.

There is admission to the event but all of it will go to support the many good works of the society. Those under 12 years of age will be admitted free. Donations of any size will be graciously accepted.

Each admission ticket can be redeemed for one free alcoholic beverage (if 21), or one non-alcohol drink, plus an ice cream treat.

The first 100 people who pre-register will receive a custom tote bag with goodies inside.

The major sponsors of the afternoon event are Adirondack Regional Federal Credit Union, One Group, Long Run Wealth Advisors and Martin and Dukett Accounting. The credit union is again the main sponsor of the event, as it has been in recent years.

Supporters who have also made this fundraiser possible include: ADK Food Oasis, Bad to the Bone Pet Grooming, Boulevard Wine & Spirits, Cabin Fever Floral and Gifts, Critters, Fairytale Dram Photography, LaVigne’s IGA, Porkbusters BBQ, Raquette River Brewery, Shaheen’s IGA, Stacked Graphics, Tupper Lake Supply, Tails of Long Lake, Tractor Supply, the Village Mercantile and UPS, as well as some other smaller vendors in the area.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the society and its many important services.

The Tri-Lakes Humane Society is a no-kill, not for profit animal center in Saranac Lake. Its mission is to advocate for the humane treatment of animals and provide care and shelter for the animals that need it most. The staff works to reunite lost pets with their owners, to find loving homes for the animals in its care and to educated the public about humane animal care, animal laws and spaying /neutering to reduce overpopulation. The shelter and its staff also provide shelter and dog control services for a number of communities.

The society has deep roots in the tri-lakes area. In 1942 a group of animal-loving teenagers founded the ADK Animal Welfare Society. About 30 years later official documents were signed and the Tri-Lakes Humane Society was created. In 1994 the society won 501-3-c status from the Internal Revenue Service, making all donations to it tax deductible.

Shortly thereafter the society was given an old restaurant building on the western edge of Saranac Lake at 255 George LaPan Memorial Highway. After much renovation, it has been its home ever since.

Tri-Lakes Humane Society is the shelter for 11 towns including Tupper Lake and Long Lake. It has helped over 1,000 animals from Tupper Lake since 1972 alone. Giving food, water, shelter, medical attention and all essentials for a new beginning to all animals that come through its door is central to its ongoing mission.

The society’s staff and volunteers are able to care for between 300 and 400 animals every year.

Aside from town contracts, Tri-Lakes Humane Society depends solely on donations. Many fundraisers are planned each year to help the shelter to receive the resources needed to continue providing for the animals in need.

In recent weeks the Free Press interviewed Kim Charland, an active volunteer board member of the society, and Victoria “Tori” Tanner, the executive director, and both were excited about the September 17 event in the local park.

They explained that this is the third time the event has been held at the municipal park here, noting that this year they hope to make it the best and most enjoyable yet.

Full details of the event can be found at infotrilakeshumanesociety.org.

Preserving Tupper Lake History: Tupper Arts launches ‘Encore’ capital campaign to save historic Adirondack State Theater

Tupper Lake is very fortunate to have a year-round movie house still in operation. The Adirondack State Theater is a cherished landmark that has been the cornerstone of the community for over 100 years, but it is in dire need of restoration. To ensure the preservation of this iconic theater, Tupper Arts is excited to announce the launch of an ambitious capital campaign: “Encore: Saving the Adirondack State Theater.”

In a statement released this week, Susan Delehanty, current president of the Tupper Arts board of directors announced, “Tupper Arts has the unique opportunity to renovate and restore the beloved 1914 movie house, which has been a mainstay in the community for over a century. It’s important to save this historic venue, but equally important to preserve a vibrant hub for arts and entertainment.”

As a part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative awarded to the Village of Tupper Lake, Tupper Arts was granted $700,000. As a prerequisite to access these funds, Tupper Arts must own the building. The goal of the Encore campaign is to raise $200,000 to purchase the property in order leverage the $700,000 state grant. A successful campaign will ensure the theater will continue to show first-run films, in addition to film festivals, themed viewings, and live performances.

Sally Strasser, the current owner of the building, is ready to pass the torch and sell the venue. However, she understands the importance of keeping the theater an integral part of the community and would like to stay involved by helping Tupper Arts navigate the movie industry business. “Sally has a wealth of knowledge about the business and was instrumental in organizing the Go Digital or Go Dark Campaign that saved the theater two decades ago,” said Mrs. Delehanty. “We are fortunate to have her as a consultant on the exciting new venture for Tupper Arts.”

At a recent presentation, Louise McNally, founding past president of Tupper Arts spoke of the sense of urgency and why Tupper Arts plays a crucial role in saving the theater from demise.

“I cannot stress enough, the urgency and cultural importance of this campaign. With the success of streaming platforms, rising costs, and the aftermath of COVID-19, the future of small regional commercial theaters is very grim. Without Tupper Arts’ intervention and commitment, the theater may be lost forever. With the support of individuals, local business, and philanthropic organizations, I believe we will breathe new life into this historic space and create a venue that will captivate audiences for generations to come.”

There is a major challenge facing the Tupper Arts leaders, Mrs. McNally explained this week. They have only four months to raise the $200,000 that is required as the local share of the $700,000 DRI state award award.

Evie Longhurst, the new director of operations at Tupper Arts, has a unique perspective on the campaign. “As a new resident to Tupper Lake, I have been welcomed so warmly to the area and my new role at Tupper Arts. When I first learned of the opportunity to save the State Theater, I was excited by the prospect. The town spirit I have experienced in Tupper Lake is something new to me. The energy and passion of the people of Tupper Lake has been a joy to witness.

“I am confident our community will rally together to save this treasured landmark.”

The Encore Campaign has several levels of giving, including naming opportunities.

Donations of $1000 or more will receive their name on the back of a theater seat, a $25,000 donor can name the upstairs balcony theater and a $50,000 donor can have their name on the newly renovated and expanded main theater stage.

Donations to the campaign can be made online at tupperarts.org, mailing a check to Tupper Arts Inc. 106 Park St, Tupper Lake, or drop in to see the volunteers and pick up an Encore Campaign fundraising packet.

Eclipse committee chair briefs business leaders of what to expect next April

The Adirondack Sky Museum and Observatory purchased local billboard space on upper Park Street to promote next year’s “Totality in Tupper” to passing motorists this summer in the hope they may return here for it.

by Dan McClelland

Earlier this month Seth McGowan, president of the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, presented details of the total solar eclipse coming next spring to over a dozen community and business leaders here. The solar eclipse is at the heart of an event called “Totality in Tupper” next April 8.

Mr. McGowan’s presentation was organized by the Regional Office Of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) to brief business owners here on some of what they may expect when thousands of people come here for the once in a life time celestial event.

The program began with some video footage of a similar event that was held in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in the summer of 2017 which drew thousands to the rural community for the best view of the eclipse.

“There are two sectors of the community who we wanted to talk to this evening about the coming 20-24 eclipse,” Mr. McGowan began after the five-minute video. He said one group was the community at large- “everyone who lives here”- and the second the business owners and managers.

He said the event has been dubbed “Totality in Tupper”- the 2024 eclipse.

“The event is not only an Adirondack Sky Center event- although we are all about eclipses- this is a community-wide event!”

A number of people attended the community briefing on line, it was noted.

He said his organization has a number of partners working with it in planning the big event- ROOST, the town and village of Tupper Lake, The Wild Center, the Goff-Nelson Library, the local school district, Adirondack Frontier (the county) and Tupper Arts, among others. Tupper Arts generously donated the space for the meeting that evening and some refreshments for the guests.

For about six months a planning committee, consisting of about one dozen volunteers representing various groups has been meeting at least monthly developing plans for it.

He explained the goal of the sky center: “to bring the wonders of the universe to everyone.” He added that “you don’t need to be an astrophysicist to be stunned and study and enjoy the heavens above.”

Mr. McGowan said his organization hosts regular public observing programs at its roll-off roof observatory at Little Wolf- typically on Friday nights.

“We also do private star-gazing parties.” He showed a photo of a young man looking through one of their telescopes at the heavens above, with his parents standing around him. “We do a lot of outreach to schools,” using their portable and inflatable planetarium.

“We go to the schools all across our region, doing these sorts of programs” where the kids get a view of the planets and the solar systems of the universe. They love it!”

The organization also conducts summer programs and after-school programs for students here at their headquarters on High Street.

“One of our keystone events will be the 2023 annual astrophotography conference, which takes place over the course of four days here in Tupper Lake. We have people from all over the country coming each year to take advantage and photograph our dark skies! We teach...we learn from each other...it’s a great experience!”

He also mentioned the sky center’s online series where some of the most knowledgeable scientists in the field of astronomy present lectures.

He also showed a slide of an overhead view of their Little Wolf site, and the coming museum and planetarium proposed there.

Moving on to the topic of the evening, he said what happened in Hopkinsville in 2017 “is key to us” in preparation for the big solar eclipse this coming April.

The retired teacher and school administer offered the audience what he called “an astronomy lesson”- how eclipses are made and why 2024 the eclipse is going to be so different than anything we’ve ever seen in Tupper Lake before. He called it “the baking” of an eclipse.

He showed slides of two types of eclipses and their mechanics. “A solar eclipse is simply when the moon gets in front of the sun and casts a shadow on the earth. There’s all sorts of solar eclipses,” noting he would explain some of them later.

“Eclipse is just a vocabulary word that means something gets in the way of something else so that you can’t see it.”

The other type of eclipse is a lunar eclipse. “That’s when the earth gets in front of the sun, if you were standing on the surface of the moon.”

“Lunar eclipses happen all the time and they are no where near exciting for that reason as solar eclipses.”

“There are a number of things that need to be in place for a total solar eclipse to occur,” he continued.

He said the earth is not “up and down” but on a 23-degree tilt. He said it’s lop-sided essentially, and it spins around that way as it rotates around the sun. The other things that needs to be in place is that the moon doesn’t orbit the earth in a perfect circle. There is a five plus-degree tilt to the moon in its orbit around the earth.

“So you can only imagine the geometry that has to be in place for the moon’s shadow to be cast on the earth.”

The earth rotates around the sun every 365 days except leap years and the moon rotates around the earth every 27 days. “All of those factors go into the recipe of making eclipses!”

He said add to that recipe the ingredient that the moon doesn’t orbit the earth in an exact circle- but as an ellipse, and sometimes its farther away from the earth than at other times.

“The same is true of the sun, so add another quarter cup of the earth varying in distance, as it orbits the sun. Some times its closer, some times farther away.”

He said too the earth’s tilt doesn’t change, regardless of where it is around the sun.

The faces we see of the moon in the evening sky is dependent upon where it is in its 27-day orbit around the earth, he explained.

“So there’s lot of stuff going on” to result in a rare solar eclipse.

“On average the moon is 238,000 miles from earth- but sometimes it’s farther away and sometimes it’s closer!”

“The same is true of the sun- sometimes closer, sometimes farther away. Some times it’s 91.4 million miles away, some times 94.5 million miles away. On average it’s 93 million miles away!”

Another factor is that as things are closer or farther, they appear to get larger in view, or smaller.

In a total solar eclipse, the sun would be the farthest away and would appear smaller and the moon is closest and appears larger. “The moon at that point appears to be the same size as the sun in the sky.”

He said there are two times in the course of a year when the moon’s five-degree tilt and the sun’s orbit intersect, and they are called nodes. They are the times when eclipses happen, he explained.

“So they are all the ingredients in the recipe for solar eclipses. Let’s do the math!”

“The sun is about 400 times wider than the moon, but it’s also 400 times farther away.” In an eclipse they appear about the same size in the sky, however.”

If the 23.5-degree tilt of the earth and the 5.14- degree tilt of moon are factored in and it occurs at a node, and the sun is farther away and appears small and the moon is closer and appears larger, we get a smaller sun and a bigger moon, then we get a total solar eclipse, he told the group. He said all those conditions are necessary for the rare eclipse to occur.

“This is rare and it hasn’t ever happened in Tupper Lake... ever!”

He said, however, there was a partial solar eclipse in 2017 which brought a number of eclipse fans to town. “We weren’t in totality, although we were in the penumbra of the eclipse. The moon that time moved across the sun but didn’t completely cover it.

Many places around the country also saw partial eclipses that year. Much of the country will experience partial eclipses in 2024, but Tupper Lake and places near it will see total eclipses.

“An annular eclipse is the opposite of a total eclipse when the sun is closer and appears slightly larger and the moon is larger because it’s slightly farther away and appears smaller. We get this ring of fire around the sun!”

He said while this phenomenon is no where near as spectacular as a total eclipse, “you do get these really intensive rings” around the sun, which you can see with proper eye protection. He noted one of these will happen this October.

What will happen next April in Tupper Lake is that the sun and the moon will appear to be the exact size and the moon will eclipse the sun, he told the audience that evening.

He also listed the phases of solar eclipses where eye protection is absolutely required.

“Any day when the sun is out, always use eye protection to view it, not just sun glasses,” he emphasized. “You need to wear specially-approved eclipse glasses.”

“You can use these glasses to look at the sun tomorrow, if the sun ever comes out again in Tupper Lake,” he joked, referring to this summer’s many overcast or rainy days.

He showed a chart of the partial eclipses leading up to a full solar eclipse and then the partials following it, when special glasses must be worn to look at the sun. He emphasized that the only time glasses need not be worn is when the moon fully covers the sun in a full solar eclipse. A full solar eclipse expected here next April will be for about three and one half minutes- the longest span of most communities in the northeast.

“For children, I tell them to leave their glasses on for the entire experience!”

The Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory has purchased thousands of eclipse glasses that will be given to every student in the North Country free of charge, he told the audience. The glasses also sport the new “Totality in Tupper” logo.

Also we have worked with ROOST to develop special glasses that will be offered for sale to everyone in the region, which carries on it an Adirondack regional logo, he announced that evening.

“We’re buying these glasses in groups of 50,000 pairs,” he said of the orders being placed.

He said the version of the glasses which will carry only the Tupper Lake logo will be only be sold to visitors in Tupper. Although the sky center is buying them “at an extremely low price” there will still be a marginal profit and those profits will be used by the sky center to pay for the free glasses for all students in the North Country.

He showed a very vivid photo of a total solar eclipse taken at the 2017 Kentucky event. It showed a tiny diamond-shaped ring or corona around the sun when the sun was not completely covered.

He showed another photo taken from space which showed a giant shadow of the moon cast on the earth.

Mr. McGowan said the corona of an eclipse is what the scientists love to study.

The dark shadow that moves across the country in an eclipse is called the umbra. “The area of darkness is where the moon completely obstructs the area of the sun.” The grey area beside the darker one is called the penumbra, where partial eclipses occur, he added.

The shadows just carve their way across the country during eclipses, according to Mr. McGowan.

“In 2017 it came in over Washington or Oregon and made its way out on the east coast.” That hadn’t happened in over 100 years, he stressed.

That year, he said, Tupper Lake was in the penumbra or grey shadow, while Hopkinsville, where he was, was in the path of direct totality.

This coming year, he said, the eclipse path comes across from Mexico and then Texas and moves diagonally across the country, eventually to New York State and Tupper Lake and beyond.

He said what happened in 2017 in Hopkinsville “became the role model.”

He said the community fathers “knew what was coming and prepared for it,” while most other places in the path of totality from Washington to the Carolinas didn’t.

For a time Hopkinsville renamed itself Eclipseville.

In addition to the thousands who packed that small Kentucky town for the eclipse, many others came to visit in the years that followed to see where it happened.

There the eclipse lasted two minutes and 41 seconds. “People that year flocked to the places of totality and Hopkinsville was one of the prime centers of viewing” because of the eclipse duration.

“In Tupper Lake in 2024 our totality will be three minutes and 33 seconds- almost a full minute longer than what was seen in Hopkinsville.”

“What happened was people went there.” His photos showed huge crowds and streets packed with people all looking through glasses at the eclipse. One of the photos showed a packed highway going to the rural community and even busier ones leaving it after two or three days of visits there.

He said in 2017 it took him and his wife Sue three hours to drive from Lexington, Kentucky to Hopkinsville on “the beautiful Bluegrass Parkway” before the event. Immediately after the event that same highway was so clogged with traffic, the return trip to Lexington took 11 hours, he has said in the past.

He said the community leaders in Hopkinsville turned their main street- which was very similar in appearance to Tupper Lake’s- into a giant festival with all sorts of street vendors and attractions. “They made a big deal out of it, and that’s another reason people went there to view the eclipse.”

He said the good publicity the small community enjoyed from the fact the visitors were treated so well lasted for years.

“It was fun. However when the eclipse ended, every car engine started” and people left in droves.”

He said he and Sue arrived for the event about three hours early and got the last spot in the Wal-Mart parking lot where they spent the night.

He said Wal-Mart was very accommodating, providing those packed in their parking lot with restrooms, food, whatever people needed.

“During the eclipse the store closed for a time to allow all the employees to view the eclipse. It was very moving and moving for everyone there that day in Hopkinsville.

He said but when the event was over the exodus onto highways not unlike Routes 3&30 was “absurd.”

The thousands who came for the event cleaned out the entire community. “McDonald’s ran out of food. Bathrooms ran out of toilet paper. Gas stations out of gas. This was all because of the influx of people who were not expected! It felt almost apocalyptic!”

He said too, however, it was almost a religious experience. Before the event the birds and the insects were making a lot of noise and when the darkness happens, everything goes silent.” He said a sort of stir occurs among the humans present and then they start to cheer, almost like a rock concert. “We were hugging people we didn’t even know...it was just that kind of experience! It was very ethereal!”

“People have asked me about what happens if it’s stormy or raining that day- because remember this will happen here in April.

“People who go to these things don’t care if they get their shoes wet. They’re coming for the experience.” He said they will come regardless of the weather.

He said the eclipse will be able to be seen even if the skies are cloudy and grey. At the Hopkinsville event, there was even thunder and lightening at one point.

Mr. McGowan said people went to Hopkinsville that year knowing the weather was going to be bad.

When the eclipse occurs it will be like night and the stars and the constellations in the sky will be visible.

Continued next week….

Stitchin’ Bees don’t make honey, they make beautiful quilts

by Dan McClelland

Typically Tupper Arts on Park Street is filled with color jumping from canvasses. But on the weekend of July 22 and 23, the color was leaping from fabric in intricately crafted designs when Tupper Lake’s hometown quilt group, the Stitchin’ Bees, took over the place.

Over a dozen members brought their wonderful quilts to display- and some brought as many as five or six and some entered more. They filled the entire show room there.

The club is a mix of permanent and seasonal quilters. The exhibitors this show included year round residents Cindy Bisson, Liz Black, Beth Retzloff, Pam Savard and Donna Sloan; Julie McKim and Redia Spada of Saranac Lake; and seasonal residents Janet Bailey, who spends her time between here and North Carolina, Leslie Gifford and Terry Kinter, both of Pennsylvania, Terry McGuire, who spend three seasons at home in Western New York and Marie Wood of Georgia.

Former Tupper permanent resident Holly Mineau, now of Texas, also entered her quilts in the show.

The show was organized and directed by Janet Bailey, who summers at Eagle Craig Lake. Her organizational skills were most apparent.

The amazing quilts hung one after another along colorful “hallways” in the Tupper Arts spacious second room.

The Stitchin’ Bees have been quilting together for about ten years. Before those ladies began creating their fabric art, Tupper boasted an earlier quilting group, the Raquette River Quilters, whose members included Gerry Godin, Maggie Gillis, Pauline Villeneuve and others. The club began in 1981 with four members. That club hosted biennial quilt shows in the basement of the local library during the 1980s and 1990s into the early 2000s- all of which which drew high praise.

The raffling off of a quilt they all made together went to benefit dozens of important community groups over the years.

The new club fashioned a beautiful quilt that was also raffled off, with proceeds shared by Tupper Arts.

The Stitchin’ Bees meet twice each month during the summer months when most of the members are here, Mrs. Bailey said during their show. “We meet summers at St. Thomas Church and officials there are very generous to us.” Some of our members are members of the congregation, she noted.

She said they send out e-mails of the meetings to about 25 quilters and normally seven to ten show up to sew together.

“And over the winter we do Zoom meetings from our homes around the country.”

She noted that the current show featured 85 quilts, entered by 14 exhibitors.

“We didn’t put a limit on how many the members could enter and we told members to bring as many as they wished.” A few club members entered almost a dozen.

Seven husbands of members hung the quilts on wooden wracks created several shows ago by Jim Bisson. Tupper Arts now allows the quilters to store the frameworks in its spacious basement.

Janet said her members would like to host a show every year going forward. It has hosted about a half dozen shows in recent years, the last one in 2019 before COVID.

“Years ago we did a couple of shows at the Big Tupper lodge and one in a local church.”

Some of the quilts were for sale. Some were family keepsakes and not for sale.

“How do you price a quilt?” we asked Janet.

“We price it by the square inch.” Right now the price is eight cents per square inch, because the price of fabric has increased dramatically in the past year, she explained.

She estimated a queen-sized quilt should sell for in excess of $500, based on that formula.

“Of the ten I’ve entered, only one is for sale,” she admitted.

Many quilters give their creations to loved ones- their children, and grandchildren and other family members. “I’ve maxxed out my grandchildren with quilts,” she joked. “My daughter too told me: ‘Mom, no more!’”

She said many quilters give away their pieces to charities to help with their individual fundraising projects.

The quilts at the recent show came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. On some the fabric colors blended together for a sort of fuzzy effect. In others the patterns and colors are crisp and sharply defined.

Some quilts featured animal sketches and cartoon characters. Some are all about lively designs, heavily accented in bright colors.

Pam Savard and Kim Davies are two members who were distributing programs at the front door and peddling raffle tickets on the afternoon of our visit. They have many quilts to their credit, but neither of them entered this time.

Pam said she has retired from both teaching and real estate and “is flying under the radar these days.” She said quilting is one of the things now that keep her busy and happy.

Kim relocated here a number of years when she was hired by Adirondack Health as nursing director at Mercy Living Center. She and her husband, Bob, built a house on Route 3 in Childwold. Right now she heads the nursing department at SUNY Canton. In recent years she completed her doctorate in nursing and her online teaching certificate and said she is hoping someday soon to work remotely from home, where she also quilts.

For those who missed the Stitchin’ Bees July show, there’ll be more in coming years, the members say. So watch out for them, as the pieces displayed at Tupper Arts last month were nothing short of exquisite!

First-class parade opens Saturday’s Field Day

by Dan McClelland

The Town of Tupper Lake Recreation Department produced a first-class parade to open the second annual version of the Tupper Lake Field Day Saturday.

It was again under the skilled direction of veteran parade organizer, Amanda “Bird” Lizotte, who directed a number of Tupper Lake Woodsmen’s Association parades in the past. Mrs. Lizotte also rode in a parade here for the first time, at the insistence of her children.

The parade began in the parking lot in the town hall and emptied out into the village park.

Like most parades here the procession was punctuated by several police vehicles- with lights flashing and sirens sounding. Retired Police Chief Tom Fee piloted one.

This year’s announcer was again Dan McClelland and sitting in the judges’ gallery were Bridgette Shaheen, Village Trustee Jason McClain, Town Councilman Rick Donah and Councilwoman Mary Fontana, who again this year worked closely with Recreation Director Laura LaBarge planning the Field Day event.

Leading the parade was a side by side carrying officials from the Barton J. Tarbox/ Phillip Smith Amvets Auxilary No. 710. Walking along or riding were some of the members including Cindy Hoyt, Denise Divirgeles and Jeannie Kavanagh.

Right behind them was a trio of marchers representing the Tupper Lake Honor Guard, led by Commander Mike Larabie. He was accompanied by VFW Post Commander and Town Councilwoman Tracy Luton and retired Adirondack Adult Center Director Ray Bigrow.

Next came the shining and polished fleet of the Tupper Lake Volunteer Fire Department, featuring several pieces the volunteers have purchased themselves in recent years.

In one of the first trucks perched high above the crowd lining Demars Blvd. was this year’s grand marshal- Mike Russell, a.k.a. Tupper Lake’s Santa Claus.

As the announcer said, few people here donate the amount of time in community service here that Mr. Russell does.

Not only does his gifts to the community span the six or eight weeks before Christmas when he attends dozens and dozens of activities both public and private, giving every community kid the opportunity to sit on Santa’s knee and whisper their wishes into his ear many times each season.

In that same altruistic fashion Mr. Russell gives his time and labors selflessly and constantly throughout the year, doing whatever any one or any group calls on him to do.

He’s one of Tupper Lake’s biggest and loudest sports boosters, attending most matches of many school teams and has long been an active member of the Tupper Lake Football Boosters, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote the sport and to make significant field and infrastructure improvements to the Rotary Club track and grid iron field.

Mike and his late brother Ralph cooked dinners for years at many of the community big banquets and fundraisers from the kitchen of the Knights of Columbus Hall on High Street.

It was clearly evident at the parade that Mike is deeply loved by his family.

Over 50 members of the Russell family- spanning three and four generations- participated in the parade, all dressed in bright red garb and hats as their Santa’s many elves.

Some rode in cars, like the family’s matriarch, Mike’s older sister Sally Poirier, alongside her brother, Tom. Some, including many of the younger Russells rode on a brightly decorated float and some marched behind in support of their brother, father, grandfather, uncle and great uncle, all overjoyed and proud to see Mike Russell so deservedly honored.

Russells came from all around the country. On the float were two of Mike’s elderly aunts, who came for the honoring of their nephew.

Never before have there been so many Russells in a local parade.

The Russells won first prize in the float category.

In one of the fire trucks were Merrick Cole and Cooper Willett, sporting the trophy their nine and ten under baseball team won the night before when it faced the number one seed, Saranac Lake Rapid Roofing team and won 4 to 3 for the league championship.

Like the Tupper Lake volunteer firefighters the small but dedicated staff of the Tupper Lake Emergency and Rescue Squad was well represented with several of its ambulances.

In one of their rides, EMS Supervisor Josh Clement was carrying a passenger and special guest, Wyatt Damon. Wyatt is the son of Jon Damon who passed away while on duty when he was working with the local squad in 2020.

Ambulance 568 was driven by Chief Lenny Clement and Ambulance 569 was piloted by driver Kate Beaudette and EMT Phyllis Larabie. Volunteers and supporters accompanied the rigs on foot.

The Piercefield Fire Department with its very small but very dedicated membership placed its polished pumper into the parade line-up.

Right behind it came a driver and the 2005 American LeFrance from the Long Lake Fire Department.

Andrea O’Neill, driving her prized 2007 Ford Mustang convertible, special edition with Mike Arsenault in the passenger seat, let out a huge howl of protest when the announcer purposely announced the collector’s vehicle was owned by her husband, Mike. Andrea lambasted the parade announcer at the VFW beer tent later that afternoon.

Mac’s Safe Ride, which is staging several important fund raisers this summer to help underwrite its operation, entered its van, well-decaled with its many supporters’ names and logos.

Its mission is to keep local roadways safe by keeping people who partake in drinking alcoholic beverages from behind the wheel on weekend nights. It’s a program that has been lauded by many visitors as something this community should be very proud to have to keep residents and visitors safe.

Behind the wheel of the van was one of the organization’s most dedicated drivers, Connie Kennedy.

Geomatic’s Land Surveying is now owned by Robbie LaLonde of Tupper Lake and in his trucks were a number of his friends and family members, including he and Katie’s infant son, Landen, who she held up for the judges to admire.

In the firm’s second truck was employee Joe Dembik and his girl friend, Jolene.

Dave Mattison entered his classic 1961 Chevy Apache truck.

The Adirondack Arc, which is dedicated to providing opportunities to people with developmental disabilities to lead full and meaningful lives, produced an entry of dozen of the folks under its care, all true fans of The King of music, in many colorful outfits.

The star of the entry was, of course, Elvis, proving the point of many that Elvis is still with us and living in Piercefield. Great costume, Elvis!

The judges determined the entry of Adirondack Arc was worthy of the second place prize for best float.

A freshly cleaned school bus, a piece of the local school district’s fleet, accompanied by several teachers including Kate Bennett and Laurie Mitchell, was a reminder to all local residents of the importance of the institution and its education of our young people.

The district’s push these days is to get as many residents with school-aged children hooked up to the federal school lunch program. People can apply online and this year the district will be offering free breakfasts and lunches.

Girl Scout Troop No. 4170 was nicely represented by a handful of local girl scouts.

Next up was Town Clerk Laurie Fuller piloting her shined up 2002 Ford convertible and in the passenger seat was her dad, retired co-owner of LeRoy’s Auto and one time village trustee, Richard “Bucky” Clark.

Jessie Kavanagh, owner of CJE Framing and JK Motorsports rounded up all his children and nieces and nephews to sit aboard a trailer of a half dozen sleds. The very able builder and repair man was at the wheel of one of his company trucks.

MX Fuels, which recently purchased Homenergy, had one of its fuel delivery trucks shined up for the parade.

A Tupper Lake Youth softball team, coached by Erica Stevens, also joined the line-up.

Riding on two well decorated floats entered by the town recreation department were the lifeguards at Little Wolf Beach, whose job it is to keep every swimmer safe, and the town’s very popular summer day camp on a float filled with local kids. Asked to yell “Tupper Lake” by the announcer in front of the judges, they screamed it.

It may have helped the campers win third prize as a float- an honor shared by the lifeguards.

Pat Bedore, co-owner of Stacked Graphics, worked out a car loaded with tee-shirts and driven by Mary Churco and her sister-in-law, Andrea, in the passenger seat. He fired dozens and dozens of shirts into the crowd from his shirt gun, much to the delight of folks along the parade route who caught one.

As a business, Kentile Excavating entered the most vehicles- over six full-size dump trucks, some pick-ups and a piece of heavy equipment or two, all driven by Kentile Excavating employees.

Up front were the owners: Adam Boudreau and his family and behind him was his partner Jay Merrihew in big rigs and then the team of the fast growing local company were in tow.

The company founded by the owners’ grandfather, Herbert “Bucky” Kentile, specializes in land clearing, road construction, foundation preparation, the installation of utilities and septic systems plus landscaping. In winter the crew turns its attention to plowing, sanding and snow removal.

The Tupper Lake Sportsman’s Club presented a brightly colored float, with angler and club mainstay Mike Savage trying to repeatedly catch the big one with his fly rod.

The club, known for decades as the Tupper Lake Rod and Gun Club, now offers an archery range, skeet range, rifle range and is the deservedly proud sponsor of numerous events including its giant Northern Challenge the first weekend of each February and its Mountain Challenge 3-D archery shoot the last weekend of August.

The Village of Tupper Lake’s department of public works had a couple of its heavy equipment piece entered in the second annual Field Day parade this year.

Concluding the procession were several dozen motorcycle-riding members of the Gunfighters MC Club, the members of which are many former police officers and correctional officers.

Also on their bikes were some of the members of the Warthog MC Club.

Laura LaBarge and Amanda Lizotte offered thanks this week to the individuals and organizations that fielded entries this year, and hope that more will join next year’s version of it to showcase their programs and services.

Scenes from the Field Days

Many come out to greet, ride on Sunday’s first train

About 150 people were at the Junction train station to greet the first Adirondack Railroad Preservation Society’s revenue train of the 2023 summer season. Trains will run from Utica to here and back every Sunday through September and possibly early October. There’s four hour lay over here where passengers are shuttled by school bus to various points in town. Although the first run north only attracted 19 paying riders, the two-hour trip from Tupper Lake- the first of its kind in decades- to Sabattis was much more popular with nearly 135 people making the trip.

Heavy rain, flooding wreak havoc in Long Lake

by Dan McClelland

Heavy and continuous rains Monday and early Tuesday caused incredible flooding and severe infrastructure damage in Long Lake.

These dramatic photos show just some of the damage.

The damage prompted Town Supervisor Clay Arsenault to declare a state of emergency at 5a.m. yesterday in the aftermath of the natural onslaught of rain.

“This state of emergency has been declared due to severe flooding causing the destruction of roads, bridges, sidewalks and dams; possible damage to the Long Lake Water District’s infrastructure, downed electric transmission lines and poles and the evacuation and/or relocation of affected residents,” read the supervisor’s declaration.

The declaration gave Mr. Arsenault and town officials the authority “to preserve the public safety and hereby render all required and available vital to the security, well-being and health of the citizens of the town. His declaration also gave him authority to direct all agencies and departments of Hamilton County and the town to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure and provide emergency assistance deemed necessary by him.

Town and county and state crews were out in force yesterday to open up and repair the main arteries through the community to make travel possible again.

Rain didn’t deter committed athletes in June’s Tinman events

by Dan McClelland

It was one of the soggiest Tupper Lake Tinman’s in recent history- and fortunately there were no rain-related mishaps.

The 41st version of the major June athletic event here started off under overcast skies as the triathletes entered the water in waves at 8a.m. But there were some major rains throughout that Saturday a week ago that made for slippery road conditions for the cyclists and cooling baths for runners in the final leg.

This was the first year the Tinman was sponsored by the Town of Tupper Lake Recreation Department, after a pass over last fall where the town board agreed to take charge of all of the chamber of commerce’s traditional summer events.

A familiar face was first over the finish line in the full triathlon. Eric Roy, a Canadian from Gatineau, Quebec, was this year’s Tinman king, the third time he was crowned since his first attempt at the half-Ironman in 1997.

Eric won Tinmans in 1998 and 2009.

His winning time was four hours, 18 minutes, 48 seconds- more than 16 minutes faster than second place finisher Matt Crave of Schenectady. Third best full triathlon time of the day came from another Quebec athlete: Olivier Breton of Quebec City.

It was a double win this year for the Roy family. Eric’s 14 year old son Simon won the sprint division for the second year in a row. It features the shortest distances for a single athlete each year.

Simon’s time this year was one hour, 13 minutes and 13 seconds.

We carried Simon’s photo on our front page last week, as he crossed the finish line.

In second and third place in the abbreviated event were Andrew Putnam of Ithaca and Wesley Hall of Troy.

Three locals tried their hand at the sprint this year. They were Timothy Swierad (1:45.01), Shannon Littlefield ((1:52:53) and Rachael Wild (2:02:11).

Tupper Lake was well represented in the 41st version of the event again this year. Completing the challenge again was one of the most senior men in the sport- Tupper Lake’s Bob Tebo, who finished the three legs in six hours, seven minutes and 39 seconds. Bob, in addition to the many triathlons he’s tackled around the country, also has also completed a number of Ironmans in Hawaii, Lake Placid and other venues under his belt.

Ironman events challenge the best in the sport to double the Tinman distances.

Tinmans are commonly known as half-Ironmans.

Another local athlete who finished this year’s Tinman and who like Bob is seen running through the community in training often, was Mark Yamrick. Mark’s time this year was six hours, 31 minutes.

Another avid runner here, Town Accountant Samantha Davies was back in the field of competitors again this year, tackling the aquabike competion (swim and bike legs only) in a time of three hours, 23 minutes, 33 seconds. Sam was the fastest woman and placed second overall in that division.

A complete list of winners is available on the Tupper Lake Tinman web site.

The event was again well directed by Wendy Peroza, with help from very able event captains: Dan Brown, Brian and Courtney Bennett and new this year to the team, Hayden LaMere.

Wendy was very happy how the Tinman again turned out, she noted in an interview last week.

“The weather reports were forecasting thunder storms all that week for that Saturday, and fortunately they didn’t materialize.”

She said the swim started out under cloudy skies and the rain arrived about 10:30a.m. when most competitors were on their bikes. “I could see the rain come in across the pond,” she said of its arrival.

The bike riders, she said, weren’t daunted by the wet road conditions, and as usual there were a few flat tires, but nothing major on the rides west.

“We’re always concerned about safety,” and she was glad to report there were no major accidents this year.

There was what she called “a good chunk of rain” through mid- to late morning and then it was on and off throughout the afternoon.

It made for unpleasant conditions for many of the local volunteers who man the various aid stations on the bike and run legs.

Mrs. Peroza said the rain persisted through most of the finish period.

She said she felt the triathletes this year were happy with the 41st hosting of the Tinman for the most part.

She gave credit for a smooth-running Tinman to “the many local and area volunteers” who help stage the popular June event each year.

Volunteer numbers of climbing back to normal, after a couple of the COVID years where a shortage of volunteers was seen here by the event organizers.

“We can always use more volunteers,” she admitted. She said it’s becoming pleasantly commonplace in recent years to have the family members of the athletes offer to help- as they are typically very familiar with the workings of these types of events.

She also offered praise for the state and local police departments and the Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies. Traffic control during the event, she said, went very well.

Our thanks this week to Photographer Jim Lanthier for these photos displayed here.

Valedictorian Olivia Ellis talked of overcoming challenges, pessimism of others

by Dan McClelland

The valedictorian of the Tupper Lake High School Class of 2023, Olivia Ellis, focussed her message Thursday to classmates and commencement exercise guests on overcoming the impossible. Her address was laced with humor.

Olivia is the daughter of John and Heidi Ellis of this village.

The stand-out soccer player and pentathlon champion, Olivia, began her address by noting “that if there was something everyone here has experienced in their life, it’s someone telling them they can’t achieve something.”

“This achievement could range from eating an entire piece of pizza in one bite (-and please ask my father about that one later...” and then she confided it almost involved a car crash and family contest for the last piece of pizza in the box) to something much more substantial, like someone telling you that you wouldn’t succeed in school, or in a sport, a play or musical or maybe not having a successful life at all.”

“I know people have said those types of things to me. Anyone who has worked in any kind of customer service job can attest to the fact that this happens a lot more often than people think.

“-And that sometimes it can be easy to believe those words and bring them into reality, but don’t let those words define your worth or who you are!”

Another option, however, is to prove these critics wrong, she stressed. “This is something that our class can attest to. While it may not have always been in the most productive fashion, we have always fought against people telling us that we can’t. In elementary school we rebelled against that giant traffic light that was installed in the cafeteria. That light was not going to stop our lunch-time conversations.

“But in all seriousness, this trait of not allowing others to define your abilities and futures is something, I hope, all of us carry with us into our lives beyond school.

“This principle is something that I have come to live by and carry with me into the different areas of my life. If someone said I can’t achieve something, I will work ten times harder just to prove them wrong. My mom likes to call it being spiteful, but I just see it as being highly motivated...a sort of spite-success, if you will.

“Actually this entire speech is centered around the fact that when I was in eighth grade, my family and I were driving back from a Sam’s Club trip to Plattsburgh a few days after that year’s graduation. We were discussing the speeches given that year and my dad said that in my graduation speech I should include this made-up word that I found hilarious at the time. I agreed to his idea, albeit thinking it was very funny, although admittedly actually not planning on doing it or even remembering it.

“That was until my mother turned to me and called my bluff. She was so confident I wouldn’t, she bet me $100 that I wouldn’t say this made-up word in my speech. At that exact moment my path of my high school career was defined and I decided I must become valedictorian, so I could give this speech, prove my mother wrong, say this word and, of course, get my $100.

“I figure this method has worked out for me pretty well so far. I hope all of us can look people in the eye when they tell us we won’t ever achieve what we want, what we hope, and prove them very, very wrong. All of us in this class can achieve something quite amazing. It may take a little spite and a whole lot of work, but we can all do it!

“Everyone one of us can spite-succeed in one way or another and I can’t wait to see what we will all do!

“-And so with that I will say congratulations to all my classmates. I’m grateful I got to grow up with all of you and “Mushigaga! Mom, pay up!”

Her finish brought laughter and loud applause from the grads and the audience.

According to reports this week at a graduation party last week, her mom, Heidi, presented Olivia with a framed copy of the word written out and a $100 bill.

Salutatorian Meika Nadeau: “live in the present, cherish the moment!”

by Dan McClelland

Salutatorian Meika Nadeau began her presentation Thursday evening at Tupper Lake High School graduation by first thanking the elementary school and middle/high school teachers, on behalf of her fellow graduates. Meika, the daughter of Lynn and Nadeau, was this year’s class vice president.

“We truly wouldn’t be here today without their lessons and instructions from pre-K to the end of high school.

On behalf of her classmates she also thanked “all their amazing families for their help and support over the years and for always going above and beyond for us. -And a special thanks to my mom and dad. I wouldn’t be here today without the love and guidance they have showered me with over the years and I will always be grateful. People always say ‘reach for the stars’ but my parents always pushed me to reach farther than the stars and cheered me on every step of the way!”

Meika also offered a special thanks to student Ava Lilley for designing what she called the school’s “amazing yearbook cover” this year. “She also designed our senior shirts and made art work for multiple other random projects for the class. Thank you, Ava, for always being willing to help us out and doing it beautifully!”

“It’s been a long time coming but the Class of 2023 members are finally here and just moments from graduation.

“We have all worked extremely hard for years and it’s paying off. For me and I’m sure for the rest of you,” she told her classmates, this day could not come any faster.

“After today we will never have to deal with random hallways that reek of body odor, crazy middle-schoolers, random screaming in the cafeteria and the hallways and basically every other annoying thing that happens in high school.

“Even though high school is extremely annoying, stressful, stinky and hectic, high school is also an experience we will never be able to replicate and now we have so many great memories and hilarious stories we’ll all still be telling years from now.

“With that being said, I’m not going to stand up here and preach advice to you all like I know what I’m talking about, because I certainly don’t. But I can repeat something someone told me last winter. “Last year, our junior year and days before the big musical, I was talking with Mrs. Savage after class. I don’t remember what I was asking her about. It may have been I was just over-thinking another English project. After telling me to chill out and keep things simple, she told me something that has stuck with me all of senior year and I thought I’d share it with you.

“She told me to soak everything in. She told me to enjoy every moment I can because time moves faster than you think. I knew she was right, but I brushed it off. Sorry, Mrs. Savage. It was only the middle of my junior year and I had a whole year to think about graduation, and I have plenty of time, at least I thought.

“She was right. I did need to soak it all in, because before I knew it I was standing up here on this podium. A year seems like a lot of time but in reality, it’s really not. All of a sudden we’re just moments away from a new chapters in our lives with some many exciting, first-time experiences before us.

“Whether or not that’s eight hours away at college or interviewing for a new job, we’re all stepping into unknown territories that can be very scary. They can also be very exciting.

“So as we sit together one last time, let’s make sure we appreciate every little detail of this day and all of the other good parts of high school.

“We should appreciate Spirit Weeks, homecomings, coming into school and seeing the students and faculty decked out in red and black, or whatever the crazy theme was that day, going to football games in the fall and freezing our butts off in the bleachers, senior nights and the final moments playing the sports we loved, getting our teachers to talk for half the class so we could avoid our school work, talking with friends at our lockers for so long we were late for class and so many memories and moments that we should appreciate.

“There are also so many more things to cherish in our last moments together.

“There were a lot of bad parts of high school but there were so many good parts. We hold so many memories we should always appreciate and always remember. We will never have another high school graduation, and so let’s cherish the last time we sit together as one group and soak it in!”

“Look around and capture everything around you. Let’s no worry about how much debt we are going to be in after college. Let’s not worry about if our roommates will hate us or if the food will be gross on campus, or if we’ll fall victim to the ‘freshman 15.’ All we can do is live in the present and cherish the moment!

“Here’s to a new, exciting, scary, unknown stage of our lives. Let’s enjoy it, relax and have fun!”

“So to Class of 2023: I’m so proud of each and everyone one of you. It’s been a pleasure to grow up with you!”

Senior student musicians honored at last school concert

by Dan McClelland

The talents of eight graduating seniors at Tupper High were at center stage Tuesday, June 6 when the TLHS music department held its annual spring concert and senior night.

Principal Amanda Zullo offered a very warm welcome to the family members and friends who came out to see the young musicians perform for a final time this school year. She paid tribute to all their hard work to prepare for their public performances this year- and in particular the seniors performing on their alma mater stage this last time.

She thanked the school district leaders, including Superintendent of Schools Russ Bartlett and the school board for supporting the work on the music department, as well as the custodial staff, but mostly the parents of the students who supported their child’s love of music and their work with the student department. The officers this year were students Olivia Ellis, president, Emily Roberts, vice president and Meika Nadeau, secretary/treasurer.

The eight seniors opened the concert by singing Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with accompaniment by Olivia Ellis on flute and Jamin Whitmore on alto sax.

The high school chorus, under the enthusiastic direction of Elizabeth Cordes, did a great job with four songs that evening. First was the traditional “Down to the River to Pray, followed by the haunting and popular Nants’ Ingonyama (Circle of Life) from The Lion King.

The seniors this year picked Taylor Swift’s “Long Live,” an appropriation selection for their senior song that evening.

The entire auditorium came together in somewhat raucous fashion for the chorus’ finale: Irving Miller and Duke Ellington’s popular and lively “It Don’t Mean a Thing!”

Members of the high school chorus which entertained in style that evening were Seniors Genna Carmichael, Hailey Denis, Meika Nadeau, Emily Roberts, Olivia Tallman, Sierra Welch and Jamin Whitmore. Juniors in the chorus were Cody Auclair and Raegan Fritts. At one point in the program the pair introduced and applauded the seniors, as they came up on stage.

The sophomores in the 2022-23 chorus were Hannah Barber, Elli Dukett, Samantha Flagg, Charels Levey, Ayden Rabideau, Sophia Staves, Tylor Stoll and Nevaeh Toohey. Freshman singers were Joelle Bedore, Hannah and Hailey Callaghan, Antwon Gachowski, Morgan Lohr, Amelia Pratt and Averie Switzer.

Likewise the high school band delivered very strong performances, starting with “American Patrol” by F.W. Meacham and “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Mozart.

The band, under the skilled direction of Laura Davison, next performed the well-loved theme from the 1960s favorite television show and later movie, “Mission Impossible.”

The entire evening came together nicely when the chorus and band teamed up for the favorite of many Neil Diamond fans, “Sweet Caroline,” which left many in the audience singing and humming it as they left the auditorium that evening.

As has become something of a tradition for the two local music teachers the seniors were posed with their proud parents at the close of the show.

Members of the 2022-23 high school band included: Olivia Ellis, flute and HS All-County Festival participant, Jamin Whitmore, alto sax, Meika Nadeau, tenor sax and flute and participant in the All-County Festival, Hailey Denis, flute and Sierra Welsh, alto sax. Junior instrumentalists were Raegan Fritts, clarinet and attendee at the All-County Festival and Jamie Henry on mallet percussion. Sophomores in the band this year were Mary Becker, flute, Hannah Barber, alto sax and participant this year at the NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Festival, CJ Levey, baritone save, Dane O’Conner, percussion and Ayden Rabideau, percussion who attended both the All-County and NYSMA festival.

Those in the band in the freshman class were Alison Richer, clarinet, who participated at both festivals, Amelia Pratt, bass clarinet, Brock Fleishman, alto sax, Averie Switzer, trumpet and Antwon Gachowski, who also took part in both festivals this year.

The following are the senior biographies taken from this year’s program:

Genna Carmichael: Genna has been in Chorus since fourth grade. She has been very active with the Red and Black Player stage crew since 7th grade and was Stage Manager for the last four productions. She played volleyball and is on the Yearbook staff. Her first chorus concert is one of her favorite memories. Genna will be joining the workforce after graduation. She would like to thank Mrs. Cordes and Mrs. Davison for everything they have taught her.

Hailey Denis: Hailey has been in Chorus since fourth grade and joined band in fifth. She was selected to MS All-County Chorus, participated in NYSSMA and took piano class with Mrs. Cordes. She has played volleyball since 7th grade and played softball, too. Memories of her time with the music department include her mom attending almost every one of her concerts. Also, she has always appreciated that the warm ups stay the same every year (ex:”One bottle of pop…”). Hailey would like to go to North Country CC for Criminal Justice. She’d like to thank her parents for trying their best to help her succeed. And especially her grandparents and Uncle Josh for giving her the world when she asks.

Olivia Ellis: Olivia has been in band since fourth grade and is currently President of the Music Department. She has performed in multiple plays and one musical, Footloose. She was captain of the soccer team, involved in outdoor/indoor track and field, basketball, volleyball, and cross country. She is also the newly-crowned section X Pentathlon Champion! Olivia is co-president of the Green Team and the treasurer of both National Honor Society and the Senior Class. She will be attending the University of New England in Maine to study Marine Affairs. A favorite musical memory is playing her first-ever Community Concert. Olivia would like to thank her Grandma and Grandpa, along with her Mom and Dad for always encouraging her.

Meika Nadeau: Meika has been in chorus for 8 years and band for 7. She is currently the secretary/treasurer of the music department and president of the Red and Black Players. She has been involved in musicals since 5th grade and has performed at NYSSMA, All-County, Area All-State and Trills and Thrills. Active in sports, she has competed in varsity cross country, varsity soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field. She is a member of the Green Team, National Honor Society and is a Senior Class officer. A favorite memory is seeing the Blue Man Group in New York City on the music department trip. Meika will be attending St. Lawrence University in the fall to major in biology to pursue optometry. She would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her, and Mrs Cordes and Mrs Davison.

Emily Roberts: Emily has been in Chorus since eighth grade and is currently vice president of the music department. She has also been involved in several musicals including Aladdin Jr. Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods., and Seussical. In addition, she played varsity volleyball. A favorite musical memory is going to Area All-State and meeting new people. Emily will be attending SUNY Potsdam in the fall, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She would like to thank her mom and grandma.

Olivia Tallman: Olivia has been in chorus for six years. In addition, she played soccer, golf, and basketball, involved in art club, and is on the yearbook staff. A favorite memory is her first solo in middle school. Olivia plans to join the workforce after graduation as a home health aid. She’d like to thank Mrs. Quonce, her mom and Mr. Bennett.

Sierra Welch: Sierra has been in both and chorus for seven years. In addition to the music department, she is also involved in figure skating and volleyball. In her spare time she enjoys painting and drawing. In the future, Sierra plans to study Marine Biology and Geology. She’d like to thank her mom, dad, and boyfriend Kaiden.

Jamin Whitmore: Jamin has been in both chorus and band since fourth grade. He was captain of both the football and hockey teams, played baseball and ran track. He is president of both the senior class and National Honor Society and a member of boy scouts. A memory he’d like to share is how difficult it was getting through band and chorus during COVID and even recording songs virtually. Jamin will be attending Clarkson to become an aerospace engineer. He’d like to thank his parents, who were his main support in music.

School architects reveal details of proposed new building improvement plan

Present at last week’s board of education meeting were representatives of the district’s architectural firm, CSArch. The purpose of their visit was a presentation of a new and proposed $20.47 million school building improvement plan. With Dan Woodside and Joe Metzger (from the right above) were (from left) Eric Robert and Chris Brunette of Schoolhouse Construction, that will oversee the building project during construction if it is accepted by voters here this fall. (Dan McClelland photo)

by Dan McClelland

Two representatives from the school district’s architectural firm- CSArch- presented details of a new building improvement plan, which has been in the works for several years.

Dan Woodside and Joe Metzger presented with slides the half dozen or so components of a new $20.47 million renovation plan for school buildings.

The community is invited to a forum tomorrow night (Thursday) at the high school at 6:30p.m. where the entire plan will be detailed and discussed.

Superintendent of Schools Russ Bartlett has been giving updates to the elected district leaders on the unfolding plan since before the pandemic. From the start of those reports from the superintendent the price tag constantly grew from a starting place of about $10 million to the current number, as a result of large building materials hikes and increased labor costs in the past several years.

Typically the district has embarked on building improvement projects every half dozen or so years to address many structural and safety needs in school buildings. The building projects also typically generate large amounts of state education department building aid and the minority of the cost is financed at relatively low interest rates over many years as bonds.

“I think we started talking to you about two years ago about the ‘building conditions’ survey, which is the official record of the condition of all your buildings,” Dan Woodside of CSArch began that evening. Districts are required by state ed to do those surveys every five years.

“We started with that and there was a list of items which then got prioritized- as to structural items, health and safety items, mechanical and electrical items.”

From that point, he said, they also started “having conversations with school leaders about what some of the programatic needs might be and what some of the wants might be,” Mr. Woodside reminded the board.

He said the initial plan has been “pared back in terms of prioritizing for the district, in concert with conversations with the district’s staff.”

Mr. Woodside said he think they really have got the plan down “to the true needs of the district, to make sure its a project that makes sense for you and for your community. We really focused on security at both schools and health and safety and infrastructure.”

He admitted frankly, “there’s nothing glamorous in this project whatsoever!”

“But we think it’s the right project to bring forward now for your consideration and ultimately your approval to take to your voters.”

Accompanying the two representatives of CS Arch was Eric Robert, who grew up here at the Tupper Lake Motel when his parents, Nancy and Barry Robert, owned it. Eric is owner of Schoolhouse Construction. Eric’s firm has worked as site manager and clerk of the works on several building projects here in the past, in association with the architects. With Eric that night was his employee, Chris “Coot” Brunette of Tupper Lake.

Joe Metzger took the board through a tour of the buildings and their plans for them in this project.

He said much of the work planned there regards safety and infrastructure improvements. The plan involves the replacement of a large fuel oil tank, replacing a series of exterior egress, doors “which currently bind when they are pushed open and replacing all the exterior windows in the elementary school building.

A full tear-off and replacement of the building’s flat roof is also planned as well as the replacement of some of the structural steel and canopy in the rear of the school gymnasium that “is starting to fail,” he said.

“The other additional things are replacing a handful of corridor door hardware sets.” Knobs would be replaced with ADA lever-style hardware. Other details in the LP Quinn proposal include replacing all water pipes in the building, replacing ventilators with similar ones, replacing that old mechanical vent unit on the roof, which is in very poor condition.

“As part of a larger secure vestibule” created there would be the addition of a new camera system throughout the school, he noted.

The plan involves too the reconfiguration of the school’s main office area to create the new secure vestibule, where the visitor would come into it through main entrance doors where they would check in with someone in the front office, most likely a security officer. From there the person would be “buzzed into” the main office, Mr. Metzger explained.

“It’s kind of a check point needed with everything going on in the world today! No one will be able to freely enter the school building without checking in!”

“We wanted to make sure we set this up so there were several check points (when it came to entering the building) and you couldn’t just wander into the building, without passage through some secure vestibule.

He said the outside door into the library would be on some sort of key fob or card access so a person couldn’t enter that door without “being buzzed in.” The library door would primarily be an exit door.

Mr. Metzger said on the L.P. Quinn grounds at the Rotary Track and Field, the retaining wall behind the bleachers is starting to deteriorate. “It’s currently in pretty poor condition!”

“We’re proposing to remove the entire press box and remove your existing wooden visitor bleacher section on the other side of the field.” He explained the existing metal bleachers would be moved to the other side. They would take down and regrade that entire retaining wall, removing it completely, provide a new elevated grandstand with integrated press box attached to it.”

Mr. Woodside said they went through several discussions with school leaders “looking at different iterations and the costs of different options.” He said at the last meeting here Building and Grounds Superintendent Pierre St. Pierre brought to their attention the fact that in the plan at that time there was a budget item for removing and replacing that retaining wall which was “quite expensive to do. When we were out their looking at it, we thought why do we ever want to keep that berm there? Let’s take it down and we’ll still have bleachers that elevate the spectators above the track, and just eliminate that retaining wall issue altogether!”

“We were able to save quite a bit of money by doing that!” he told the board. “It seems like a good solution to something that is currently problematic!” he stressed.

Joe Metzger said the track would be “reconstructed” in the new building plan. “It’s at the end of its life,” having been coated many times.

“It will continue to crack and bubble from underneath. It needs a full re-construction,” agreed Mr. Woodside. The track’s sub-base will all be replaced in its complete redo, it was noted.

Mr. Woodside said many of the renovation plans at the elementary school are replacing the original materials and systems. “It’s time to replace many of those original systems!”

The men said similar renovations were recently made by their company at the Ausable High School’s track, should the board members want to visit it to get a clearer idea of what they were proposing.

At the middle/high school building many of the proposed upgrades involve health and safety improvements.

All exterior entrance doors would be replaced with card access.

“We’re proposing replacing the main entrance steps as the existing ones are starting to fail significantly.”

The plan also includes replacing all the windows in the Baker wing as well as several small roofs over it and the locker room in the school.

“There’s currently a bathroom in the Baker wing that doesn’t meet ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) requirements. We’re proposing to update that to meet those standards,” explained Mr. Metzger.

“Additionally, a lot of exterior paved areas and sidewalks are in pretty poor condition as well.” One of the worst areas of pavement is where the buses are parked behind the bus garage, Mr. Metzger told the board.

The asphalt there will be re-milled and laid back down as would the surface of the bus loop in the front of the school, he said of their plan.

At the back entrance of the cafeteria, the floors are starting to disintegrate, “based on all the salt that is tracked into the building.” The lower steps there are deteriorated and so “there’s small maintenance-related work needed there to fix that.”

He said too the existing high school generator “doesn’t meet the required exhaust standards. After looking at various options for improving it, we are proposing purchasing a new generator that meets current building codes.”

“The existing air handling units to the gym and auditorium are original to the building” which dates back to the 1930s. “We’re proposing replacement of both of those units, as well as electrical switch gear and panels, which are also original to the building. They are pretty big infrastructure needs for that building,” he stressed.

They are proposing a similar secure vestibule at the high school as they are at the elementary school. “The only bigger piece of scope at the high school, however, is modifying the existing stairwell. In order to renovate the main office and the existing nurse’s office and guidance suite, we would modify that stairwell, remove the first floor landing and put in a new stair addition thereby creating a continuous office suite that would house all of your offices.” The guidance and nurse’s offices would no longer be separated by the stairs, he added.

“The stair relocation is the thing that makes all of this happen,” Mr. Woodside assured the board. “It’s the only way we can connect (these front office) spaces!”

He said the state education department would not ordinarily provide building aid for such a change, “but because we are doing it to improve health and safety, they will! So that was good to hear.”

The new secure vestibule to interview visitors would work similar to the one proposed at the elementary school, where a security officer would check in visitors at a secure window.

All visitors would have to enter through the secure vestibule, it was noted in response to a question from President Jane Whitmore.

A new gas detection system and oil separator system are planned at the bus garage, Mr. Metzger said. Other improvements planned there include a new bus wash, French drain and enclosing the diesel fuel tank. At the civic center, he said, the ice-making system “is approaching the end of its life cycle, and so that system would be upgraded in the new improvement plan.

Mr. Woodside said on many of the existing systems in the school building the machines are so old it is difficult to find parts to fix them. “It’s difficult for your maintenance people to take care of them!”

He said that after “paring” down many of the original plan, the total project cost is now $20.47 million.

A slide was shown indicating the share of the total going to each building, with the lion’s share of the money going to the two schools.

No work is planned at the school-owned Tupper Lake Public Library this round.

“We’re working with Eric and Scott and their team on many of these cost estimations, and so it’s always nice to have a third-party estimator in the mix,” he told the school officials. “So it’s not just us coming up with these numbers!”

He said the total includes all the costs, including the contingencies and “the things you need to move a project forward.”

On the time line of the project, a building tour for the board was scheduled for 5p.m. on Thursday, June 15 followed by a discussion of the plan for the public at 6:30p.m.

The board is expected to vote on whether or not to move the project forward at its August meeting. If the board okays the plan, an October public vote will be held to decide its fate.

Mr. Woodside said all the final design and planning work would be completed by his firm by the vote.

He predicted if voters approve the plan it would be submitted to the state education department for its approval and bids could be let by late spring or early summer which he called “a very good time” in the construction world.

Art teacher and her students share new exhibit at Tupper Arts

by Dan McClelland

It’s not that common that an accomplished artist and teacher shares the stage with her students, but that’s what happened on Thursday, June 1 when Tupper Arts opened its latest show featuring the works of High School Teacher Wendy Cross and the local teens who study under her.

The show by Wendy and her students is called “Fair Winds & Following Seas” and it runs through half of June through the 18th. It’s free so people should definitely stop by to enjoy many types of works. Tupper Arts is open Mondays to Saturdays, 11a.m. to 5p.m. and Sundays from 11a.m. to 4p.m.

Wendy works with mixed media and often on wood to create rich and colorful scenes of landscapes and seascapes- many of which are haunting. Many of her scenes are of windswept and wild places, some with boats and roiling seas.

Her show also features the works of many of her most talented students, in pieces that range from conventional to abstract.

Memorial Day celebrated with style, honor on a sunny Monday

by Dan McClelland

Tupper Lake celebrated Memorial Day with both honor and style Monday under bright, sunny skies with the mercury in the high 70s.

Under the direction this year of the Adirondack Leathernecks Marine Corp League Post 1268, Terry Tubridy, commandant, welcomed the big crowd of 200 or so on Park Street that morning. “On behalf of the Marine Corp League, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the AmVets, I thank you all for being here for today’s 2023 Memorial Day ceremonies.

Air Force veteran, the Rev. Rick Wilburn, delivered the opening prayer as he has many recent observances in the veterans’ park. “Father God we thank you for the freedom you have given to us for the price that was paid so that we might live free. We remember today the cost of it all and the great sacrifices made for freedom. Bless all who are here and pray this in your Holy Name. Amen.”

His prayer was followed by the National Anthem, played by the Tupper Lake Middle/High School Band, under the direction of Laura Davison. As they have done for so many years here under Mrs. Davison’s tutelage, the band’s performance was top-shelf.

The Tupper Lake Veterans’ Honor Guard marked the anthem’s start, when the volunteers presented arms at Commander Mike Larabie’s call.

Mr. Tubridy lead the participants and spectators in “The Pledge of Allegiance.”

He next introduced that day’s guest speaker, a man who he said was a Tupper Lake native, who most of you know as your town supervisor. “I would present to you, Mr. Rick Dattola.”

Mr. Dattola gave a relatively brief, but very powerful speech, in his trademark informal manner.

“Hi folks, thanks for coming today. I want to thank the VFW and Mr. Leon LeBlanc for asking me to speak today. I’m not just honored, I’m humbled that you guys asked me to do this!”

“I told Mr. LeBlanc that I never served in the military, but my family, my uncles, my brothers, almost everyone served. I had a cousin, David, who served in the Marines. My brother in law, Tim LaBarge served as a pilot and officer in the Air Force. So I know what it is like to have people missing from certain family events- Thanksgiving, Christmas, weddings, anniversaries. I know the sacrifices that they made and they endured for us to be free!”

“My brother, Dan, who was severely wounded in Vietnam, spent two and one-half years in a body cast, so that put an awful toll on my family...my mom, my dad. Dan feels that pain every day. It’s not just his physical pain, but the ongoing mental pain servicemen and women have to deal all of their lives.

“When someone says freedom is not free, they are not kidding. It is true! Today, we’re here, to honor the people who gave their lives, who paid the price. We’re here on Memorial Day to make sure they are never forgotten.

“I always have a little spot in my heart for the men and women who are still missing in action (MIA). I always feel a special place in my heart for their families. That they have no closure. But on Memorial Day there are all of us here to say thank you for what you did for this country.”

“I look at the reason they say World War II guys and gals were ‘the greatest generation.’ They deserve that. They faced evil...true evil in Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. They not only saved our country, they saved the world. We’d be in a different place today if they hadn’t done what they did!”

“The unbelievable thing about those people is they came back home and never asked for a thing. All they did was get married, had babies and create an economy and a middle class that was the envy of the world….unbelievable!”

The supervisor said: “if there any World War II vets out there...my hat is off to you! You gave me and my family a great life, and I appreciate that!”

“Then there was Korea and Vietnam. Those veterans did the same thing. Communism raised its ugly head and they went and stopped communists from taking over other countries. When I think of the Vietnam vets, I think America has a little black stain the way we treated those vets when they returned. Again, none of those guys complained. None of them belly-ached. They went on to become lawyers, doctors and engineers and created a beautiful economy for us. The one thing that amazes me about Vietnam vets, is when we were hit by the 911 terrorists, and we had to go and fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, they stepped up to the plate and said collectively, ‘that never again will our returning soldiers be treated like that!”

“When our troops returned from those two wars they were treated with respect and dignity- as they should be. I want to thank them and the Korean vets and all those who served after 911!”

“-And I will say one thing about the VFW Post here and the people who serve in it. When we need to raise money here to build a track and a field or a baseball field, they are unbelievable” when it comes to donations of their time and financial resources. “They are outstanding when it comes to community support and service!”

“I thought our band did a great job today. I hope those young people will talk to our veterans- their grandparents, their parents, their aunts and uncles, to their neighbors.” From them, important lessons about society, and bravery and love of country can learned,” he said in conclusion.

Mr. Dattola’s talk was followed by the always rousing medley of service anthems, the official hymns of each of divisions of this nation’s military. Those pieces are always performed by the school band in stirring fashion, and this year’s performance was no different.

The laying of over a dozen wreathes by local groups and organizations was next in the ceremony and the sponsors included: the girl scouts of Tupper Lake, the 4-H Winged Eagles, Woodmen Lodge (presented by Joanne Wilber and Phil Wagschal), Tupper Lake Knights of Columbus (presented by Bob Guiney and Tom Arsenault), Tupper Lake Central School District (presented by Seniors Jamin Whitmore and Brock Fleishman), The Village of Tupper Lake (presented by Mayor Paul Maroun), The Town of Tupper Lake (presented by assistant Town Clerk Mary Kay Kucipeck), American Legion Post 220 (presented by William “Steve” Stevenson), Tupper Lake Honor Guard, Adirondack Leathernecks, detachment No. 1268 Marine Corp League (presented by Deputy Mayor Leon LeBlanc), Sunmount DDSO, AmVets Post 710 (presented by Paul Cormier), CSEA Local 431 (presented by one of its officers, Lyndon LaVallee), VFW Post 3120 (presented by Robert Vaillancourt and Dave Premo).

The Tupper Lake Veterans Honor Guard, with about six members present, then fire three rounds of volleys, as had become a tradition at Memorial Days and Veterans Days here.

“Taps,” as is also customary at services here, was played well by trumpeters Wayne Davison and his daughter Kendall- and again another stirring part of the ceremony.

The final band pieces played by the band were: “America the Beautiful” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Retired Pastor Rick Wilburn delivered the closing prayer.

Master of Ceremonies Tubridy said the Memorial Day is set aside to honor veterans. “But we would be remiss if we did not recognize our local community members who have also sacrificed. I’m talking about our first responders, our police, firefighters, EMTs, and those who go out into the mountains here to rescue people.”

Many more trains coming and leaving Tupper this summer

by Dan McClelland

Trains in and out of Tupper Lake will be much more commonplace this summer, with a solid schedule announced this week by the Adirondack Railroad Preservation Society (ARPS).

ARPS is the Remsen-based not-for-profit volunteer train organization that will be running the trains this summer. The train company has been running trains and excursions out of Utica, Remsen and Thendara stations for over a decade.

Every Sunday, beginning July 16 and running through the Columbus Day weekend a train will arrive from Thendara (Old Forge) at about 11:30 a.m. The return trip south will leave the Tupper Lake station at 4p.m. each Sunday.

Those train times will offer passengers a four and one half hour opportunity to explore the community, including visits to the business districts, the Wild Center, the Adirondack Observatory, take in a Riverpigs game and other local offerings.

On those Sundays there will also be a train departing the Tupper station at 12:30p.m. for a short ride to Sabattis and back, pulling into the local station about 2:45 p.m.

This afternoon excursion will be the first train to ever officially depart Tupper, ARPS officials said this week. When New York Central was running passenger trains through Tupper Lake prior to the mid-1960s, its service permitted passengers to board or exit trains that were running through the Junction here but no trains ever started here.

The third type of train service that will begin this summer on the Adirondack Railroad will be full-day round trips from Utica to Tupper Lake and back. ARPS leaders plan to operate six of what are being called “High Peaks Limited” trains on Saturdays in late July, August, September and early October.

Members of the ARPS board of directors have worked very hard in recent years to convince the decision-makers of Albany to extend summer train service from Big Moose to Tupper Lake. It resulted in a $32 million restoration of the line by the railroad division of the New York State Department of Transportation. It materialized in a compromise advanced by former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who proposed extending the train operation to Tupper Lake and tearing up the tracks between here and Lake Placid for a new four-season hiking and biking trail.

The Tupper Lake Junction will soon be the busy terminus of both tourism operations.

Ably representing this area on the ARPS board are Jim Ellis of Tupper Lake, Al Dunham of Saranac Lake, Steve Potter from Long Lake and Bob Hest from Owl’s Head.

The final piece of the rehabilitation of the railroad is work that needs to be done at the Tupper Lake station yard, including a new platform that will be situated between twin tracks in front of the station, a large Y to turn the trains around and the construction of a large train repair garage between the tracks and Washington Street several hundred yards past the station.

Originally that work was planned last summer but when bids were let in early 2022 they came in way over cost estimates.

A re-bidding earlier this year produced a similar result and so the construction around the station was postponed again.

There was one benefit to the delays, however. With no construction planned around the station this summer, it has permitted ARPS to run more trains to and from here that it hadn’t counted on being able to do.

“We are very excited about partnering with the Tupper Lake business community to deliver memorable experiences for visitors and residents, combining the unique opportunity to see parts of the Adirondacks visible only from a vintage railcar with the offerings of many businesses and attractions in Tupper Lake,” Jim Ellis said this week.

His colleagues, Bob Hest, Al Dunham and Steve Potter echoed his sentiment, noting the new passenger train operation will bring hundreds and hundreds of new visitors to Tupper Lake, beginning this summer- both by rail and by car to board a train here.

Another exciting piece of tourism news this week is ARPS announcement that the rail bike operation will be returning to the Tupper station, beginning Saturday, May 27.

The rail bikes which cruised south to the Gull Pond intersection of the railroad three times each weekend day last summer proved wildly popular with both visitors and residents last summer.

The excursions on the easily-pedalled bikes will begin at 9a.m., noon and 3p.m. day from the local station.

Directing the operation this summer will again be ARPS Joe Van Ells.

The rail bike tours are expected to run weekends through Columbus Day.

Fun and good info at L.P. Quinn’s Wellness Fair

by Dan McClelland

A Wellness Fair produced lots of fun and valuable information for students and parents who attended the event Tuesday at the L.P. Quinn Elementary School.

The event featured a bounce house, appearances by both the Tupper Lake Rescue and Emergency Squad volunteers and several Tupper Lake firefighters who brought along the department’s aerial platform truck (shown here).

Inside the school there were about a dozen information booths staffed by agencies like Community Actions of Franklin County, Citizens’ Advocates, Adirondack Health, ARC, Franklin County Suicide Coalition, Sunmount, the county sheriff’s department, Family Matters and others.

One of the highlights for those in attendance was the free pizza prepared by the school cafeteria staff.

Cloudsplitter Foundation gift to help install new museum floor

by Dan McClelland

Renovations to the largest room at the new Tupper Lake History Museum received a big boost this week from the tri-lakes-based Cloudsplitter Foundation, a not for profit charitable organization which funds many worthwhile civic projects in the region. The Cloudsplitter Foundation routinely partners with the Adirondack Foundation to support local community projects.

In the above photo Museum President Kathleen Lefebvre (left) receives a very generous check for $2,000 from Chenelle Palyswiat, director of the Cloudsplitter Foundation.

The money will be used to pay for a major portion of the new wooden flooring in the new museum’s largest room which has seen extensive renovation this winter by Volunteer Jim Lanthier.

After a winter of major renovations the board of the museum is expecting to have the interior of the premises completed enough to open to the public this summer, with many of the historic artifacts in place.

Local farm owners win planners’ okay to host various agri-tourism events in coming months and years

by Dan McClelland

A host of agriculturally-oriented festivals and other events are on the horizon for the community at a new agri-tourism business on the outskirts of the village, following approval of the plan and the issuance of a special use permit by the members of the village and town planning board Wednesday.

An overview of the plans for the McClelland Family’s 100-acre farm at 107 Old Wawbeek Road just behind Sunmount Developmental Center came during a presentation from one of the co-owners, Andrew McClelland.

“We’re proposing land use for agri-tourism purposes, the co-owner of Stacked Graphics began that evening. “We intend to do a pumpkin festival this fall,” with the results of our pumpkin harvest this year.

The public will be invited to join us in these events. Some of the events will include maple syrup festivals in the spring and wild flower events in the late summer and fall.

In addition to the sale of the agricultural products grown there some of the future events may include other vendors.

The McClelland family here purchased the farm, which is now mostly wooded, from Dan and Chiprle in the summer of 2021 and did extensive renovations to their century-old farm house that next winter. The purpose was to create an agri-tourism opportunity in Tupper Lake- by blending agriculture with family fun on the farm.

Agri-tourism is defined as the creation of a commercial enterprise that links production of agricultural products with tourism, bringing people here to enjoy the attractions and the entire community.

The house, once the renovations were completed early last July, saw brisk short-term rental trade all last summer and fall. More bookings have been made for coming months.

On the property, besides the main house, is situated a large barn, where a number of restoration projects have been underway since winter, and the stables building, which too will be rebuilt in the future.

This past year the McClellands have demolished several dilapidated out buildings including a three-side 30 foot high hay barn, built in 1975 by Mr. Mecklenburg and Kevin Baker, a chicken coop, a goose house and an open-sided animal pen. Several of those buildings may be replaced in the future.

Mr. McClelland told the planners Wednesday that a new driveway is planned off Old Wawbeek Road and it will run directly behind the barn up onto a ten-acre pasture behind the farm house where many of the events will be staged.

Dan McClelland and Highway Chief Bill Dechene met recently to plan the entrance of the new driveway off the town road.

“It’s a great location right on the corner before the barn- as it boasts great visibility in both directions,” the elder McClelland told the planners Wednesday.

“The large barn- believed to be the only full-size hay barn left in the community from the days when it boasted a dozen or so farms- will block from view the driveway and its use from the guests in the main house to or from any event,” he added.

Andrew McClelland presented the planning board members with a sketch of the new driveway proposed behind the barn and its two-car wide entrance off the town road.

The perimeter of the large open pasture has space for a large parking area that is out of sight from passing motorists on Old Wawbeek Road.

The second driveway to the stables will never be used by visitors, as a courtesy to neighbors there, he explained.

At events we will have tents set up on the pasture “in order to create a retail or festival atmosphere.

He said the new parking planned around the big field will also eliminate the need for anyone to ever have to park on the often busy Old Wawbeek Road.

The new grass or graveled parking area will be built large enough to accommodate all the visitors, he noted.

He said the new drive will keep event visitors away from the vacationers who may be renting the farm house on event day.

This past spring Andrew and Faith, with a big help from Faith’s uncle, Fran Jessie, tapped over 300 maple trees on the farm. Boiling down the sap over a two-week period produced over 30 gallons of McClelland Family Farm syrup. More taps and more gallons of syrup are planned for next year.

“Next spring we hope to have the infrastructure in place to tap hundreds of more trees.”

Most of the tree taps were made this year on the 50 acres the McClellands own south of the National Grid power line to the village substation on McLaughlin Ave. A timber study performed by the Pekin Branch Forestry firm in 2017 found the 50 acres north of the line has many stands of maple and enough to produce enough taps “to support a viable sugaring operation for years,” according to the younger McClelland. The study also estimated the worth of the standing hardwood timber at $50,000.

“We may also do a maple week next year in collaboration with the harvest- with special events like are done all across the region, Andrew told the planners.

Included in those events may be food sales, music, vendors and most importantly maple sales- to generate agri-tourism income during a normally slow rental season, he noted.

There were no comments from the public during that evening’s hearing.

Planner Paul O’Leary said he received one call from a neighbor after the legal notice of the hearing was published in recent weeks. “They were just inquiring about the kind of events that would be planned there”- but didn’t have a position on the plan either way.

According to a packet of information furnished to the planning volunteers before the meeting last week, it was noted that pumpkins from the new pumpkin patch would be sold there each fall, perhaps from a roadside stand at first.

The family’s goal is to eventually grow between 2,000 and 3,000 pumpkins a year.

In the fall too, when the rentals drop off, the farm house will become the headquarters of the pumpkin sales and the sale of other fall products. That retail operation is expected to go hand in hand with various fall events in the years to come.

Following that theme, according to the McClellands’ long range plan, would be for the farm house/store to transform into holiday mode with holiday goods for sale. They also plan to decorate the grounds around the farm house in holiday décor such as wreaths and kissing balls, plus may sell Christmas trees harvested from the forests of the farm.

“Some of these events will also feature music and food- producing a real festive flavor,” Andrew said.

Because the property is not serviced by either village-provided water or sewer, port-a-jons and portable hand-washing stations will be set up at each event.

Eventually, the family hopes to rent the property for special events like wedding and family gatherings.

Another possible event in the plans of the family members is a flower festival, where patrons may be able to pick their own wild flowers and other flowers grown there each summer.

The farm was originally in the Quesnel family- as two separate 50-acre parcels, but was later purchased by Dan Mecklenburg, who dramatically renovated and expanded the size of the farm house. Dan originally dug the original house’s basement by hand, before adding a major addition, which included among other things a large central stone chimney and solarium.

Dan also built the adjacent stables where he and his wife, Chiprle, had their own horses and made space available for the owners of other local horses. Dan built many of the farm’s out buildings.

The Mecklenburgs also kept goats, ducks and sheep at various times.

Between 2018 and 2021, when Dan and Chiprle had the property in contract sale with another party, many of the smaller buildings fell into disrepair.

Last year a new four-season chicken coop building was erected which is now home to two-dozen egg-layers. Some of those eggs are now used or sold at Andrew and Faith’s Spruce and Hemlock bakery.

“It’s a beautiful piece of property, but it needs a lot of love to bring it back to the way it was when Dan was there,” Andrew told the planners.

Paul O’Leary pointed out the language in the local zoning code which details the use of agriculture and its commercial purposes, “so their application fits in that category for what they are proposing.”

Andrew Chary, a member of the planning board, noted that any more buildings there would require building permits from the code enforcement officer, and Mr. McClelland told him that for right now they are concentrating on repairing the existing buildings and have no plans at the moment to erect new ones. Any events held there would use tents and other portable structures, he told the planners.

“Some day we may erect a pavilion on the top of the pasture for agricultural events,” he added.

Dan McClelland said they are working to preserve the framework of the large barn so that some day it may be home to weddings or other events.

Wedding celebrations at farms are growing in popularity, he noted.

His son said most events they plan to stage would be one-day ones. Several might extend to several days or a week at the most.

Mr. Chary asked about their capacity for parking and Andrew McClelland didn’t know, but he said the area that rings the top of pasture is many acres in size.

“We don’t really know at this point how many people we will get to our events at any one time- so we thought we’d open up a reasonably-sized area there for parking, and then expand parking as needed.”

“We want to keep all parking off Old Wawbeek Road and away from our neighbors.”

The closest neighbors are Darcy and David Turcotte, who live opposite the driveway to the stables. “Out of respect for their privacy, we want to keep our parking and our activities as far away as we can from their property.”

Asked by Chairman Shawn Stuart their opinions on the project, Board Member Jim Merrihew said he liked the design of the parking area away from Old Wawbeek Road and up in the pasture. “As you know, I believe the best parking lot is the one that is very hard to see.”

“Most of our parking area you can’t see from the road,” the younger McClelland told him, to which Mr. Merrihew replied: “That’s a huge plus for me.”

The design of the driveway entrance will permit two vehicles to exit or enter off the town road at the same time at a width of about 30 feet. The McClellands have agreed to furnish 20 feet of the culvert to supplement the town highway department’s 11-foot section. “We want to make it very easy and very safe for people to access our new driveway.”

“I love the business idea of the farm. It’s excellent,” Mr. Merrihew told the applicants. “It’s very novel for around here.”

Mr. Merrihew asked about the acreage in the back of the 100-acre tract and the two men said it was heavily wooded and would eventually become part of their sugaring operation.

Trails will eventually be cut there for hikers and skiers to enjoy the forests, they said.

“I think you are going to see huge success,” Mr. Merrihew told them. “I think you are going to be surprised at the turn-outs at your events and the interest people will have!”

“I love the idea of what you are proposing!”

Jan Yaworski, another member of the board, liked the two-lane entrance plan. “I love your whole idea...I love the idea of a pumpkin patch!” she told them. “-And I love the idea of your holiday events!”

Mr. Stuart wondered about their plans for signage and was told there would be some- perhaps even temporary and erected before each event. “We don’t want visitors going in our circular driveway to the house and bothering people staying there,” Andrew told him.

Any exterior lighting on the pasture would be probably temporary and always downward-pointing, in keeping with the community’s dark skies policies.

Mr. Stuart asked about possibilities for overnight camping, and the two men explained it would be in the distant future, if ever. Before that could happen, however, a substantial well and septic system would have to be installed, and winterized bathroom building would have to be built on the pasture, they said.

The vote on granting the special use permit, on a motion by Doug Bencze and Jan Yaworksi, was unanimous.

Saturday Andrew and Faith, with help from Mary Jo and Lee Wells, spread thousands of square feet of heavy black plastic across what was previously a four-acre paddock for horses.

It’s a non-cultivation way to grow a garden, without having to till up the soil.

John and Patty Gillis have been using the method to grow their large multiple-vegetable garden at Moody for years. They put Andrew and Faith onto it.

Once all the sod has been deprived of moisture and sunlight for over a month by the thick black tarp of plastic, strips of garden fabric are placed down and those strips are seeded or planted with young seedlings.

Proponents of the modern practice argue that conventional cultivation with tillers turns up the soil, but in doing so disturb its environment, killing many of the microbes which promote plant growth.

Information about activities at McClelland Family Farm can be found at mcclellandfamilyfarm@

gmail.com.

Lumberjack spring track season underway; Olivia Ellis wins twice; boys relay team first

By Dick Sterling

The 2023 high school spring track and field season is underway. Last Monday the Tupper Lake Lumberjacks battled against Potsdam, Massena and Ogdensburg at Potsdam. Tupper Lake standout Olivia Ellis finished first in the 100 meter hurdles and the high jump and also earned second place finishes in two other events. For the boys, the Lumberjack 4x100 relay teams earned an impressive first place finish in their race.

Lumberjack Head Coach Hannah Klossner said that right out of the gate, they work hard to get her kids ready for sectionals. She said that this Saturday’s invitational will be a great early season indicator on just where Section 10 athletes stand at the start of the new season. “The event, the Section 10 Invitational, is this Saturday at St. Lawrence University (10 a.m.).

In the first meet of the year the Lumberjack boys were beaten by Potsdam 170-44; lost to Ogdensburg 106-68 and fell to Massena 164-44. The Ladyjacks lost to Potsdam 169.5-47.5; they fell to Ogdensburg 95-84; and picked up a win against Massena, earning a 100-67 victory.

Coach Klossner said that both the boys and girls teams have more athletes this season and is looking for the boys and girls teams to win some dual meets. “There’s lots of new kids on both teams and right now we’re figuring out where they are best placed.”

Lumberjack senior Olivia Ellis kicked off her season with an outstanding performance at Potsdam as she won the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 18.28 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of her closest rival, Jaedyn Rutledge, of Potsdam. Olivia also placed first in high jump with a winning effort of 4-feet and 8-inches. Olivia also earned second place finishes in the 400 meter hurdles, with a time of 1:19.50; and the long jump with a leap of 14-feet 2 ½-inches.

The Lumberjack boys 4x100 relay team may have surprised some of the other teams with their performance in their event. The team of Sean Bujold, Brock Fleishman, Cohen Gerstenberger and Brayden Shannon sprinted to a time of 51.75 seconds to beat Potsdam by just over three-quarters of a second.

Two Ladyjack relay teams earned top three finishes. The 4x400 relay team of Rebecca Becker, Raegan Fritts, Sadie Safford and Livia Meade ran their race in 5:23.20, finishing second to Potsdam. The girl’s 4x100 relay team of Caydence Flagg, Emily Bissonnette, Lacey Tarbox and Livia Meade placed third with a time of 1:02.49.

Other Ladyjacks to turn in outstanding efforts included: Meade, who finished fifth in the 200 meter dash (32.30) and fourth in the 400 meter dash (1:11.30); Tarbox, who placed sixth in the 100 meter dash (15.39 seconds) and sixth in the 200 meter dash (33.34 seconds); Becker placed sixth in the 400 meter dash (1:14.23) and fifth in the long jump (12-feet and ½-inch); Fritts finished fourth in the 400 meter hurdles (1:28.80) and fifth in the long jump (26-feet 3 ½-inches); Sammy Flagg finished fifth in the 800 meter run (3:24.40) and Meika Nadeau placed sixth in the same race (3:29.60); and Mary Becker finished sixth in discus (49-feet and 11-inches).

For the boys: Shannon placed third in the high jump (5-feet 0-inches), fifth in the 200 meter dash (25.00 seconds) and sixth in the 100 meter dash (12.65 seconds); Gerstenberger finished sixth in the 400 meter dash (1:03.15); Dane O’Connor finished fifth in the 800 meter run (2:35.20); Logan Flagg placed fifth in the 3,200 meter run (12:12.20); and CJ Levey finished sixth in the shot put (32-feet 9 ½-inches).