Tupper Arts now owns State Theater

It’s official!! Tupper Arts now owns the Adirondack State Theater.

Tupper Arts leaders, about to embark on the ambitious renovation and redevelopment of the hometown movie house, are excited to begin this new stage of our development.

Recent days saw the real estate closing of the property between Tupper Arts and long-time operator Sally Strasser, who plans to stay on to help the volunteer group operate the entertainment place.

After raising over $200,000 from many local donors this year, the local arts and cultural organization qualified for financial funding under the village’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

With the money raised and the state grant funds received so far Tupper Arts plans to entirely renovate and restore the theater to its former grandeur, plus develop a stage for local performances.

Stay tuned for updates on our progress, they say.

Movies will continue to run at the same time and price. Over the next several days Tupper Arts is seeking volunteers to help clear out discarded equipment and items that are currently stored behind the main movie screen. Anyone who would like to help is asked to email group leaders at info@tupperarts.org. Clean up work bees will begin Thursday, June 27th.

Our library wants to hear from you!

Commentary

Editor’s note: this commentary was penned by a member of the Tupper Lake Library’s board of directors and it’s a message we very much agree with. Please take the time this week and fill out a survey found in our newspaper this week to tell library leaders here what you think about this important community asset. It’s all about making a great place even better. Please complete their survey!

This summer the Tupper Lake Public Library is conducting a community survey to gather information from citizens in order to improve our services. The survey results will become part of our Strategic Plan which is required by New York State. We hope to hear from as many people as possible.

There are many options for you to participate in this important effort.

You can fill out the survey right here, right now, in the Free Press, rip it out and bring it on over to us at the library or drop it in one of the convenient boxes located around town. Or you can zap the QR code here and send us a digital version. You can also find the survey link on our website and Facebook pages and printed copies at participating locations. It will only take a few short minutes and would be greatly appreciated.

Our library is one of the largest in the Clinton, Essex, Franklin, County Library System and has a vast collection of books and magazines, DVDs and CDs, an amazing collection of photographs, yearbooks and local history resources. It is a beautiful building with a great waterfront view, free WIFi, comfy chairs and a welcoming atmosphere. We have programs for all ages and rotating art exhibits, fantastic meeting space and a stellar staff. But, we feel we can always improve and seek to meet the needs of all Tupper Lakers. That’s why we want to hear from you.

Haven’t been to the library in a while? Why not? Let us know.

Regular library user? How can we make your experience better?

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Now tell a friend to do the same.

Eleventh annual Gary LaQuay Fishing Challenge Saturday

by Dan McClelland

Another big fishing tournament returns to town Saturday when the friends and family members of the late Gary LaQuay host their June 15th Fishing Challenge on local waters. This year’s event will again benefit the good work of High Peaks Hospice.

The popular June tournament has grown in size each successive year, and anglers from all across the North Country now pen it onto their summer must-attend derbies calendar.

The one-day tournament has a modest $30 entry fee again this year and it boasts 100% cash payouts for the best anglers of the day. There will again be first, second and third prizes for the heaviest large or smallmouth bass and Northern pike.

Entry tickets can be purchased online at tupperlake.com/events, or at Mountain Market & Redemption center on the western entrance to the community or at the weigh station at the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club boat landing below the clubhouse on Simond Pond that morning from 7a.m. to 10a.m.

A scan in an advertisement in this week’s issue will take local anglers to the online registration form.

The event will also host door prizes and 50/50 raffles, which will be given out at 4p.m. that afternoon.

Fish will be weighed in at the landing during the tournament hours of 7a.m. to 3p.m.

Fish caught on local waterways- the Raquette and Simond ponds and the big lake- are all eligible to be entered .

This year’s event is again co-sponsored by Neil and Linda Pickering’s Mountain Market & Redemption and by the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club.

Fish caught can be weighed in any time between 7a.m. and 3p.m. at the boat landing on Simon Pond, below the sportsmen’s club.

The event has proven popular with local and visiting anglers every year, despite the weather.

For example, last year at the tenth annual event, despite a day that saw light rain for most of it, 88 determined anglers took to local waters Saturday to compete.

The event that remembers Gary, an avid fisherman here, is produced by his family members and friends each year. And the big winner each year is High Peaks Hospice. Last year was no exception.

The tenth version of the popular summer derby here raised nearly $2,000 to help the important organization make local residents’ final days as comfortable as possible. Gary’s derby has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the work of hospice this past decade.

As usual too, last year many valuable prizes were won Saturday including a $50 bouquet of flowers and a $10 “bouquet a month” every month from Cabin Fever and Florals. One lucky person won a 40-pound thrust Minn Kota trolling motor donated by Neil and Linda Pickering and the folks at their Mountain Market and Redemption.

Although there were a number of visiting anglers the best of this year’s derby were locals, including Ryan Skiff who won first and second prizes in the bass division. Ryan won first place and $400 with a four pound, 13 ounce entry and another $260 for his second prize four pound, nine ounce bass. Third prize angler behind Ryan was Hudson Baldwin, who like his father, Jared, is a good fisherman. Hudson’s four pound, six ounce bass earned him $130 as the third prize winner.

Ricky Dewyea produced the biggest catch of the day with a 11 pound, six ounce Northern. The first prize in that division won Ricky $400- and the envy of the derby field.

Scott LaLonde took second in the pike contest with his six pound, eight ounce fish. His prize was $260.

In third place in the pike contest was Sonny Kentile, with his four pound, nine ounce catch which earned him a prize of $130.

Some of the other years the popular fishing event has drawn a field of well of 100.

The Gary LaQuay Fishing Challenge has become a major June event here- challenging local and visiting anglers and producing a lot of money each year for a great local cause.

Mac’s Safe Ride II rolling again every weekend with eye to keeping everyone safe

Mac’s Safe Ride II is back open for the summer every Friday and Saturday night from 8p.m. to 3a.m. as part of its ongoing mission to safely bring home folks out on the town and keep the streets and roads of our community accident-free.

The program started up for the year on Memorial Day weekend.

It’s a popular program that is open to both residents and visitors.

To operate Mac’s Safe Ride II relies on donations from thankful patrons and on several fundraisers each year.

Its director, Vivian Smith, and her dedicated board of directors work tirelessly to keep the program solvent and continuing to carry out their important mission, which many appreciate here.

The organization’s annual golf tournament is scheduled for August 31 this year at the Tupper 18 and golfers are encouraged to pencil that date onto their calendars.

Earlier in August, in conjunction with Little Wolfstock on August 3 Mac’s Safe Ride will be hosting a cornhole tournament there.

Tupper school budget passes, 622 to 506; bus proposition nixed by tiny margin

by Dan McClelland

In one of the largest voter turn-outs in years, residents of the three towns of the Tupper Lake Central School District gave a solid thumbs up to the district’s controversial $21.9 million financial plan for the new school year.

At the annual meeting and budget vote held in the high school library on Tuesday, May 21 there were 622 “yes” votes cast, compared with the 506 “no” votes.

A week before the vote at the annual budget hearing, over 100 school district residents came out to ask questions about the plan proposed and cite concerns about the consequences to students next school year should it be defeated. Typically only several members of the public- and some years no one- attend the budget hearing. It is customarily about a week in advance of the budget vote and school board election.

A letter to the editor from Bruce Smith, a editorial in the Free Press and two full-page advertisements paid for by local businessman and resident Eric Shaheen all called for the budget to be rejected, as too big an increase all at once.

At earlier budget meetings this spring the board had before it two options for a budget to send to voters- one forecasting a tax levy hike of 4.5% and one with a 9% proposed hike, which carried less faculty and staff cuts. The board in the end selected a version of the latter, but with a 8.75% levy in prospect.

A coalition of budget supporters, including parents, school leaders, faculty and staff at the district all rallied following those calls for the administration to produce a more taxpayer-tolerant plan in a second vote. The outspoken budget supporters, who argued defeat of the budget would take away many important opportunities for local school children, were credited with the budget passage that day.

The adopted budget now means school taxpayers will see an increase of about 8.75% in their taxes when they open their school tax bills in late summer. The exact tax rates, however, which reflect the levy, will not be announced until later this summer when the assessments in the three towns in the district are finalized. The budget sent to the voters for consideration this month featured a levy that was under the state’s 9.18% allowed tax levy cap for this school district for the coming school year.

About $1 million of the $21.9 million financial plan was factored in from the district’s $20 million capital improvement plan adopted by voters earlier this school year.

While they got their budget passed, elected leaders and school administrators suffered a narrow loss on their proposition to buy two new school buses again this year. The proposition vote went down by just a squeaker of three votes: 562 “yes” votes to 565 against.

In recent years the district has been on a bus replacement plan where two new vehicles are ordered every year on a five-year rotation of the fleet. The bus replacement strategy increases state transportation aid the district receives each year and permits the district to sell its five year old buses and receive a much higher trade-in value, than if they were sold after seven or eight years of use.

Since the proposition failed, the district will not be permitted to continue its ongoing replacement plan, at least for this year.

Of the approximately 1,128 voters who went to the polls on May 21, 879 voted for School Board President Jane Whitmore and 870 for Vice President Jason Rolley. Both those volunteers have served on the board for over a decade, and most of those in the leadership roles.

The two board leaders were unopposed in their re-election bids.

For School Superintendent Russ Bartlett, who is retiring at the close of June, the budget’s passage was gratifying. He said he “very much appreciated the people who came out to support the budget, and actually “everyone in the district who took it upon themselves to be educated about the proposed budget and who came out to vote either way.”

He admitted to being “pleasantly surprised” by the budget passage and the size of the voter turnout this year.

He noted the voter turn-out was very large this year, and more than the voter participation at the last two budget votes combined. Last year only about 300 voters cast their ballots for the budget predicting only a 3.06% tax levy increase and it was narrowly adopted by only eight votes.

In the literature school officials circulated in advance of the annual meeting and at various budget preparation meetings, it was said of the $21.9 million spending plan that the tax levy in prospect would cost the owner of a property assessed at $100,000 about $137 more when they received their tax bills in September.

Unfortunately many properties here are assessed far more than $100,000.

Mr. Bartlett said that the bus proposition has failed in previous years on occasion, “and so we hope we can get another year” out of the buses that the district had planned to retire this year.
“Five years has always been picked (for replacement) because it is the sweet spot of reliability and resale value.”

“So the only thing we can do now, in terms of those buses we wanted to retire, is cross our fingers and hope they stand up for another year!”

State bus regulations are very strict. For example, even though a school bus may be mechanically sound, if there is one area of rust on the body or chassis, it must be pulled from the fleet.

He speculated that a second bus vote might take place, but that will be up to the school board, based on a review of the current status of the bus fleet.

At the heart of the budget debate here this year was a $1.7 million budget deficit forecast.

Here is what school officials said about that in the budget literature that was distributed.

“Roughly $1.1 million in federal COVID funds that we began receiving in 2021 are set to run out in September. You may have noticed that we haven’t replaced many positions that have become vacant this past year or two if we could help it. Yes...we have replaced a couple...because there is always the hope that we will be able to retain the things that we offer kids. But alas, it was not to be. So if you add up all the positions that have been left vacant from 2022 to now, what appears on paper to be 16 or 17 cuts, actually resulted in roughly five or six… The majority of these positions have been vacant or will become vacant at the end of this year without someone losing their job in many cases.

“A few years ago we proposed a budget with a modest 3.06% tax levy increase. It passed by a margin of only eight votes. In subsequent years, portions of the district’s fund balance (roughly $350,000 in each of two years) were used to offset the tax levy and we did not levy the full tax cap amount available out of fear that a budget with the full levy might get the support it needed to pass. In an effort to minimize the financial impact on the community, we left money on the table, as they say in the business office. And now the full impact of those decisions are at our doorstep. We were always going to get to the point we are right now, but we’re there now in one larger step instead of a few smaller steps. You always hope that election cycles will offer up more funding as they sometimes have in the past, but that hasn’t happened recently.

“Voters also approved a capital project referendum in October of 2023 to improve, repair, replace a number of the school district’s facilities and structures. This year’s tax levy includes a portion of that project’s previous discussed increase in costs.”

The budget newsletter also spelled out exactly what would happen if the budget was defeated. It left the board with three options: submit the same budget for a second vote, submit a revised budget for a second vote or adopt a contingency budget.

“If the budget was rejected a second time, the board must adopt a contingency budget. The tax levy under a contingent budget, by state law, can be no greater than the tax levy of the prior year (that is, no tax levy increase). That would mean looking for an additional $800,000 in cuts, and there certainly wasn’t a lot of wiggle room to remove much from where we are now. More cuts would mean we need to start carving away opportunities that round out and make the school experience whole in the name of preserving what we have to provide in order to meet legal requirements. Nobody wants that!”

“Party on Park” will be the place to be Saturday

by Dan McClelland

Residents need to plan on staying in town Saturday for what is expected to be another successful “Party on Park.”

The uptown business district is expected to be in high gear with over 25 itinerant vendors filling the street with the local retailers, many of whom have many specials planned for the day.

It’s the official kick-off of Tupper Lake’s normally robust summer season.

Vendors are expected to arrive by 10a.m., with activities and sales blossoming from there from 11a.m. through 4p.m.

There are expected to be ribbon-cuttings hosted by ROOST of new businesses on Park Street, including A.J. Beaudoin’s Battlefish Charters and custom rod-making shop. The fishing pro offers a full line of outdoor services, including workshops, bait and tackle, fishing rods and reel sales, kayak sales and guiding. A.J. caters to any outdoor adventurer in search of many outdoor experiences.

A ceremonial ribbon will also be cut at Andrew and Faith McClelland’s McClellands’ Family Farm store, just open now right next to their popular Spruce and Hemlock Store and Bakery.

The Adirondack Sky Museum and Observatory has moved its headquarters to the former Casagrain Gallery across from Community Bank, and museum following are expected to be on hand to talk about forthcoming celestial programs and exhibits coming to town soon.

A ribbon-cutting is set there too during the afternoon’s excitement.

In past years the event has been hosted by the retailers there, but this year it was turned over to the able hands of Tupper Arts, which brings to Tupper each year dozens of arts and cultural programs, as well maintaining a retail front-room filled with painting and sketches by local and regional artists. It’s a colorful world when you step into its door.

Throughout the day Park Street stores and their vendor guests, which will include several food trucks, will welcome both residents and guests from around the region.

There’ll be special promotions and attractions to punctuate the day.

There will be live music at Tupper Arts by Tupper’s country and western stand-out, Brock Gonyea.

In a recent press release, Tupper Arts President Susan Delehanty, called the event “a great opportunity to celebrate our community.”

She said under their new sponsorship her volunteers have been working very hard to bring every retailer here out for the kick-off to summer event, as well as all sorts of street vendors and activities never witnessed here before. The goal, she said, is to bring a festival-like atmosphere to the two blocks and side streets of the uptown trading center here.

New village budget proposal advanced

by Dan McClelland

After several budget workshops in recent weeks the village board has produced a new budget for the 2024-25 village year which will be voted on likely when the board meets next Monday.

Total appropriations will be $3.319 million next year if the budget is adopted. That represents a spending increase of 3.56% or $113,929 more than the village government spent this current year.

The general budget covers the police and fire departments, the department of public works and the village office operation.

In the first draft of the budget sent to the mayor and trustees last month, spending for the new budget year was up only 3.3% or by $107,000.

After estimated revenues predicted for this coming year of $954,236 and the application of a $100,000 fund balance carried forward, a $2.265 million tax levy now remains, which must be carried by village taxpayers.

That tax levy figure predication is down from the first budget draft where it was posted at $2.33 million or up by 8.396% over the figure at this time last year.

The village’s allowable New York State tax levy cap of $2.2 million, so the numbers in the first draft showed the budget would be over it by $111,554.

After the workshops in recent weeks the tax levy is up only 5.66% but still $44,254 over the state tax cap.

The board, in preparation for that eventuality, introduced a local law earlier to allow it to exceed the tax cap, if necessary.

Unlike some years, that resolution will not likely be rescinded.

With a total taxable valuation in the village (all the assessments of all the properties in the village) of $143,459,737 expected for the coming year, the new budget will produce a tax rate for village residents on their June bills of $15.79 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That’s up by 5.09% over the current village tax rate of $14.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The total taxable evaluation of all village properties is up by only 900,000 from a year ago or six-tenths of one percent. That’s a vivid reminder the village tax base is stagnant.

In 2022-23 the village tax rate was 15.78 per $1,000. It dropped in 2023-24 to $14.92 per $1,000 but is now back to the figure of two years ago.

Important school, library dates coming up

School district voters are reminded of three important dates in coming weeks.

The public hearing on the proposed $21.92 million budget vote is set for next Monday, August 13 in the Michelle LaMere Library in the L.P. Quinn Elementary School at 6p.m.

The next day will be the annual library vote at the local library between 11a.m. and 7p.m.

The district’s annual meeting, budget vote and election of board members (Jason Rolley and Jane Whitmore are running unopposed) is set for Tuesday, May 21 at the Tupper Lake Middle/High School library from noon to 8p.m.

Tupper Lake’s Party on Park organizers encourage businesses and vendor participation

Party on Park, organized and presented by Tupper Arts, will take place on Saturday, May 25, from 11a.m. - 4 p.m. in Tupper Lake. Organizers are inviting local businesses, artisans, area attractions, food vendors, local service organizations and other exhibitors to take part.

Vendor spots along Park Street are available beginning at $25 for a 10’x10’ space.

Throughout the day, Park Street businesses will welcome Tupper Lake residents and visitors, as well as those who travel from area communities to take part. Vendors, artisans, attractions and exhibitors will offer their information and products at locations along the street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic, creating the event's festival-like atmosphere. Community restaurants, food trucks and breweries will also be on-hand to provide food and beverages for community members and visitors enjoying the celebration.

According to Sue Delehanty, president of Tupper Arts, Party on Park is considered to be the official kickoff to summer in Tupper Lake. “This event has become a great opportunity to celebrate our community,” she said. “We are working to make the event bigger and better by encouraging even more business owners, vendors, local attractions, and other exhibitors to take part.”

Those who would like additional information about becoming involved as a vendor, business or entertainer should complete the registration form at TupperLake.com/PartyOnPark.

Party on Park is a joint initiative of Tupper Arts and the Park Street business community.

Tupper Arts, based in Tupper Lake NY, supports and encourages appreciation of artists and artisans, supplies artistic opportunities for the Tupper Lake community and offers a tradition of year-round community programming providing easy access to the arts through gallery shows, classes for all ages, live performances, and community events.

Board happy with rec dept.’s Brewski budget for 2025

by Dan McClelland

Recreation Department Director Laura LaBarge submitted to the town board this month her projections for a budget for next year’s Brewski at the golf course.

The town sold about 1,300 tickets to the wildly successful event this year and Mrs. LaBarge and her staff are considering making 1,500 tickets available. In addition to those who buy a ticket to drink beer on their stops around the golf course trail, hundreds of others- all non-drinkers- come just for the fun of the outing in February.

Organizers are also hoping to grow the number of brewers from 20 to 25.

Expenses anticipated for 2025 include a supply of many mini-cups, $3,036; lanyards to hold them around participants’ necks, $1,840; bracelets to be worn by drinkers, $420; caribiners, $150; septic services, $900; payment to brewers, $7,200; liquor license, $36; souvenir hoodies to sell, $5036; souvenir shirts to sell, $1,710; fat tire bike rentals from High Peaks Cyclery, $600; donation to Mac’s Safe Ride, $500; donation to youth ski program, $500; and donation to town ski trail program, $7,500. The total of expenses is estimated to be $29,628.

Balanced against expenses next year are a number of revenues: pre-registrations, $36,000; Adk Frontier grant for events, $1,500; donation from Roberts Sports, $500; cash sales day of event, $3,140; merchandise sold via QR, $1,405 and 50/50 raffle profits, $1226.

The revenues Mrs. LaBarge and her staff are projecting is $43,771. That revenue figure would realize a profit of $14,143.

“Laura wanted to give us an idea where she was headed in 2025, based on last February’s revenues and expenses,” Supervisor Rickey Dattola told his board that evening.

“I know it’s a busy, busy place...I wonder how many more people can the event accommodate?” Councilman Tim Larkin said that evening.

Mr. Gillis, who is a big part of the event’s organizing team, said the event can easily accommodate 1,500 paid customers. “Absolutely we can handle that many. Everything is so smooth...the crowds seem the right size...there’s no one pushing or shoving to get a beer.”

He said in recent years participants seem to stay spread out around the course, with the only crowds at the brewing stations.

“I pulled up last year to one of the stations and there were 30 people standing around a fire pit singing.”

He said the entire event has a very relaxed tempo. Inviting an additional 300 could easily work, he assured his colleagues.

“It’s a great event. It has a great vibe. I don’t think we don’t want to go a lot bigger, but I think we can go a little bigger! -And 300 is a good number!”

He said even without the snow this year, and most walking the course as a Brew-shoe, there were no major hiccups.

Planners see preliminary plans on new Boulevard hotel project

by Dan McClelland

The village and town planning board at its meeting late last month saw some preliminary plans for a new hotel proposed on the old Oval Wood Dish Corp. former warehouse site next to the town hall at 124 Demars Blvd. Proposed is a 90- to 100-bed branded hotel.

Appearing before the board that evening was Mike Dunyk of Washington Street Partners LLC of Syracuse. Mr. Dunyk is also one of the partners in Joe Gehm’s Syracuse-based Lahinch Group which is tackling the $30 million plus Oval Wood Dish apartment development on the other side of the town hall.

The young entrepreneur was hoarse that evening, jokingly blaming it on the games in March Madness the nights before.

Mr. Dunyk provided the board with the draft architectural sketch for discussion purposes only that night, that is shown above.

He also provided a project overview:

“The North Country Regional Economic Development Council has identified an accommodations development as a ‘priority project’ for Tupper Lake.

“The site consists of 18.8+/- acres. Within that acreage, is a 2.4+/- acre concrete foundation that remains from the former Oval Wood Dish factory’s warehouse that burned many decades ago. The proposed hotel can be developed on the existing foundation promoting sustainable development with little to no disruption of the surrounding land. Following principles of new urbanism and smart growth, the proposed hotel can be positioned with incredible visibility along NYS Route 3 with parking behind the building all of which will be located on the concrete pad site.

“There is currently no hotel with indoor corridors in this sub region of the Adirondacks, which is a limiting factor on the region’s ability to capitalize on the state’s ongoing investment in Tupper Lake’s DRI, The Wild Center, and the Adirondack Rail Trail. The hotel will increase the ability of the Wild Center to capitalize on tour bus travel and to hold conferences.

“The hotel will be connected to the Adirondack Rail/Trail and Adirondack Scenic Railway hub at the Junction train station by both Demars Boulevard and the community connector Crossroads of the Adirondacks Trail. The hotel will add value to the Adirondack Rail/Trail construction by ensuring a pleasant visitor accommodations experience necessary to convert recreational benefits of the rail/trail to economic benefits.”

The plan showed an entrance to the proposed hotel on the east side of the elevated parcel, which for years has been screened from public view by a fence that was donated to the community by the late Roger Sullivan, president of O.W.D. Inc.

A pool and hot tub that the new accommodations will offer are enclosed in the building itself, Mr. Dunyk said in answer to a question from Planning Board Member Andrew Chary.

He also asked about access wide enough for firefighting equipment to be staged on premises and off the state highway and the developer pointed to the space on site where they could easily set up in emergencies.

The hotel would be three stories high but lower in elevation than the Adirondack Park Agency’s 40 foot maximum elevation, according to the developer.

The facility’s mechanical equipment would be stationed on the roof of the hotel.

A dumpster enclosure would also sit in the back corner of the parcel.

Jan Yaworski, another member of the planning board, asked about the availability of landscaping and lighting plans and Mr. Dunyk said they haven’t been developed yet.

At her insistence, he also said any lighting would be dark sky compliant, in keeping with the community’s dark skies policy to accommodate the observatory.

“You are here tonight to give us your conceptual thoughts on your project?” Planning Board Chairman Shawn Stuart asked him, and he replied that was his intent for their initial meeting.

Mr. Stuart asked about the time frame for the development and Mr. Dunyk said construction would begin sometime after the closing on the site purchase.

Mr. Chary, looking at the preliminary architect’s sketch, wondered about the presence of trees between the new hotel and Demars Blvd. and Mr. Dunyk noted he wasn’t sure about that at this point in their planning.

Asked about the existing foundation of the old warehouse still in place, he said they plan to use some or all of it for the hotel’s foundation, if possible.

“So you are here tonight to share some of your thoughts with us and then you will return later with a more detailed plan?” the chairman asked the developer.

He said that was his purpose that evening.

“That’s great. I think it’s a great plan. At hotel on the Boulevard would be fantastic,” he told the developer.

“-And there’s a lot of space there to do it!” he added.

“Would your new hotel host a bar and restaurant?” he asked him. Mr. Dunyk said that would be up to the hotel chain that locates in their new building.

The plan is to draw a national brand hotel to their project, he told the planners.

The building, Mr. Dunyk said, would be 18,000 square feet in size, adding that multiple hotel chains desire structures of that size. “The brand, at this point, is still to be determined.”

It was noted the hot tub and pool will be enclosed in a solarium type wing of the hotel.

Mr. Stuart asked for comments from his board members and Andrew Chary said he understood the shape of the hotel planned was rectangular and “stiff,” making for a loss in aesthetics but which makes for maximum use and probably an important part of their mission to make the hotel sustainable 12 months of the year.

“I’m hoping some of the articulations you are planning on the building” will make it attractive and make up for its less than attractive overall shape, he told Mr. Dunyk. “-And give the building some texture!”

“-And I’m sure your parking plan will be appropriate for your building size,” he said adding: “Thank you for investing in Tupper Lake!”

Mr. Stuart wondered how the franchise process worked. “Do you find the brand to be there and does it create its own version of what will sit there?”

The developer said “there can be some latitude with the brand” and what it will accept for its new hotel. He said he and his partners want to keep the Adirondack theme prevalent in any final hotel product.

“You know you see those cookie-cutter Holiday Inn Expresses. We want it to look very Adirondack instead!”

Mr. Stuart asked him when he would return with final plans and Mr. Dunyk said shortly after the hotel brand is selected, “which we hope will be very soon!”

By their informal comments, the board members welcomed the project and said they looked forward to his next presentation to them.

Editorial: Seth believed and he was right!

“Totality in Tupper” Chief Organizer Seth McGowan believed from the time he and his family left Hopkinsville, Kentucky where the last total solar eclipse to cross America happened in 2017 that the next event in Tupper Lake would be huge. He was 100 percent correct!

He knew because Tupper Lake sat squarely in the center of the 100 mile plus wide “Path of Totality” that ran diagonally across this nation Monday from Texas to Maine. He also knew Tupper Lake would be a popular viewing spot because it was the only community that hosted an active astronomical organization in the entire region.

Seth said from the start that there were thousands of eclipse purists who would need to experience the entire three minutes and 33 seconds that only Tupper Lake and other communities in the direct center of the path could offer.

The president of the sky center, his board of directors and its staff began planning for this year’s event shortly after his 2017 experience in Hopkinsville. The planning ramped up in a big way earlier last year when Seth asked about a dozen community-minded folks to join him in the final planning process. The group met monthly since March, 2023 to create many fun and scientific events to punctate eclipse weekend here. By the final meeting several Fridays ago, there was a full calendar at both the staging area, dubbed “The Apollo Field” at L.P. Quinn, and at The Wild Center.

The original plan was to place the main staging area in the Tupper Lake Municipal Park, which can be either under four feet of snow or four feet of water on any April 8th. Organizers wisely moved their Apollo Field to the local elementary school, which was guaranteed to be higher and dryer. Other bonuses of the new location, were the empty school for activities inside and its proximity to the planning committee’s main partner, The Wild Center., and.

A short walk across the soccer and baseball playing fields connected the two sites.

The sky center organizers were able to garner support from a number of other organizations here to join in the effort, the lead partner being The Wild Center, which hosted dozens of interesting solar eclipse events inside and outside for its visitors this weekend. The natural history museum which now normally draws 2,000 people here on summer days, saw a good crowd Sunday this weekend which rivaled that and a barn-burner of attendance Monday, when there could have been as many as 7,000 or more visitors- rivaling or surpassing its crowd on opening day two decades ago.

We found the glass-blowing demonstrations by Corning to be very interesting and its trailer performing area drew a crowd every show, which were every 45 minutes.

Seth began trying to sell the magnitude of the crowd that would materialize for “Totality in Tupper” over a year ago. In an effort to help many nearby communities prepare for the influx of eclipse visitors, he gave dozens of presentations to community audiences around region- likely putting thousands of miles on his car and devouring hours and days of his time.

NASA officials learned about all he was doing and made him the official NASA ambassador here.

Incidentally the NASA coverage of the national event was live-streamed here and at one point in the screening before the event’s large audience, NASA announcers offered a shout-out to Seth and his organization’s work and even showed a photo that would be viewed all over the country of the packed crowd of thousands sitting on Apollo Field.

That’s the kind of advertising for our community money can’t buy!

Seth faced many doubters initially, including some in elected office. He was frustrated but he kept pushing.

In the end the town and village boards, as they always do, both came to his aid with the town providing over 50 portable toilets which were distributed around town for the visitors to use. We saw many doing just that this week, so we know they were appreciated.

The village assigned Chief Eric Proulx to the planning committee and he solicited and secured help Monday from the county sheriff’s department and state police to help with traffic control. Eric made a wise move to have an officer at the Park Street/Hosley Ave. intersection all day Monday to help the traffic keep flowing in the most congested area in town, near the two viewing sites. It was also Eric’s idea to close off some of the streets in the east end of the village to only locals and we think that was strategically wise!

The village crew also helped erect directional signs to parking lots around the community.

Town Recreation Director Laura LaBarge was out in the community yesterday taking down all those signs.

The Tupper Lake Board of Education was stellar in its support for “Totality in Tupper,” giving the retired superintendent of schools free rein to use the elementary school and its grounds however he wished.

The board put its very hard-working superintendent of grounds, Pierre St. Pierre, and his crew at Seth’s disposal, to run services outdoors where needed.

The event was blessed with abundant sunshine- both Sunday when people really began arriving in a big way and Monday for the eclipse. Unlike some other communities in the path, Tupper saw cirrus or wispy clouds, which made for excellent viewing of the eclipse, and pleasant to be outdoors doing that. The mercury Monday surpassed 60 degrees F.

During the eclipse we noted that the temperature dropped from 63 degrees F. to about 57- and that was expected.

The event brought many pedestrians to the uptown business district, starting about noon Sunday and continuing right up until show time shortly after 2p.m. when every visitor rushed to the Upper Park Street viewing area or the Wild Center.

A number of us had worried about a potentially tumultuous exodus of cars when the eclipse was over, particularly if the weather was bad, but fortunately that didn’t happen. People meandered back to their cars and quietly drove out of town. There were no traffic jams, to our knowledge.

Some visitors even stayed to dine here Monday evening, before returning home. Some stayed overnight and left yesterday morning.

Local motels seemed to have many lodgers Saturday night and most were booked full Sunday night, according to reports. Many of the short-term rental properties saw lodgers too this past weekend.

Perhaps a key piece of the planning for this event was well handled by ROOST’s Michelle Clement, who arranged for adequate public parking lots around town and a bus shuttle system to carry visitors from those lots to the main staging areas. The entire temporary transportation system seemed to us to go very smoothly. We saw many people riding the buses, which were generously provided by the school district. We saw many happy faces on them. People waited patiently at the many bus stops around town for their time to board.

Through the work of Michelle, the ROOST marketing manager, ROOST provided hundreds of traffic and other signs to guide the many visitors, some with QR codes to detail many of the community’s events, parking places, etc. to those cell phone users. Along with Seth, Michelle was one of the stars of this event.

At 4p.m. Monday, the buses became express buses to the parking areas farthest out, not stopping along the way and so those people could get out of town first and congestion could be avoided. That system seemed to work well- as we saw no congestion.

The whole exit plan was slow and methodical and worked out well.

As part of our cruising of the community which began early Saturday, we took a drive down Park Street a half hour after the eclipse and while there were still many visitors present, everything and everyone seemed cool and calm- another testimony to good planning.

As it turns out there was more parking spaces available than was probably needed- but that’s a good thing. The parking lots on Washington Street- including the new 175-car one the state just built at the end were only about one-quarter way full, if that.

Some folks didn’t venture from there, we noted. A family from Schenectady put down their blanket on the landscaped buffer between the large new parking area for the rail/trail users and the trail itself. They were close to town-leased port-a-jons, sitting in the sunshine and happy to be in Tupper Lake away from the crowds to see this once in a life-time event.

We chatted with a number of people over the weekend about their trip here, and many said they selected Tupper Lake because of how well prepared it was for it.

Michael, a summer resident on Raquette Pond and a volunteer at the Wild Center, told us that during his family’s trip north for the event he was amazed at how many communities there were south of here where there was no visible signs the big event was taking place. Consequently why would someone stop in those places when there was so much going on here, he wondered.

He applauded the overall organizing effort here, as did many people over the weekend.

In our early planning discussions there was two outcomes predicted. If the planning wasn’t done correctly, convincing people to come here for the eclipse could have resulted in disaster, particularly if Mother Nature had conjured up something nasty for us this past weekend. Tupper could have suffered a tourism black mark that could have taken decades to wash off. -Or “Totality in Tupper Lake” could be the kind of event that was enjoyed by thousands who would be so impressed with this community and its organizers, they would long to return some summer very soon, to enjoy all the other many things we offer.

-And fortunately that’s what happened this weekend.

Seth said from the beginning of the planning effort that Hopkinsville, Kentucky planned so well for its banner event in 2017 that it was able to capitalize on it and received robust tourism dividends for years after the eclipse. We think that may happen here, judging by how well “Totality in Tupper” was done.

Kudos to everyone who made it the success it was!

-Dan McClelland

Important information for residents on this coming “Totality in Tupper Lake” event

In recent weeks the Town of Tupper Lake and ROOST (Regional Office Of Sustainable Tourism) have been assembling information on preparations for Monday, April 8- what has been billed as “Totality in Tupper.”

The two agencies collaborated on a letter that was sent last week to all Tupper Lake residents and enclosed was a postcard with QR codes detailing eclipse parking and transportation including bus maps around town on one side and a total guide of the event including viewing locations, events and helpful tips. The events schedule can also be downloaded by scanning the QR code.

Much of that information is also included in special pages in this week’s issue.

The following is the text of the preparation letter from the town to all local residents. The letter also holds valuable informations for our many guests this weekend.

The total solar eclipse on the afternoon of Monday, April 8, is expected to draw a significant number of visitors to Tupper Lake and other communities within the “path of totality.” In anticipation of this event, we want to provide important information to enhance your experience of the eclipse and assist you in preparing for the anticipated influx of people to our area.

Traffic

Traffic is anticipated to be heavy and potentially backed up in the hours leading up to and following the eclipse on Monday, April 8. To avoid crowds, consider limiting unnecessary travel such as non-critical appointments and grocery runs. Gas up and have any necessary medications and essentials in advance!

Communications

On Monday, April 8 there is the possibility that increased demand on cell phone towers may impact your service. Emergency services recommend establishing alternative communication methods such as landline or internet phones, designated meeting points, and relying on family and neighbors to check on one another.

Eclipse Glasses

To enjoy the event safely, you must wear special eclipse glasses. These glasses will be available while supplies last at the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory and Wild Center events on Monday, April 8, 2024. You can also purchase eclipse glasses ahead of time at the Sky Center and area businesses.

Eclipse Timing

In Tupper Lake, the total duration of the April 8, 2024 eclipse will be 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 41 seconds. Totality, the time when the moon completely covers the sun, will last 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

Partial eclipse begins at 2:12:19 p.m.

Full totality begins at 3:24:27 p.m.

Maximum totality at 3:26:13 p.m.

Full totality ends at 3:27:58 p.m.Partial eclipse ends at 4:36:18 p.m.

Events and Activities

While the eclipse is taking place on Monday, local businesses and attractions have been busy preparing a full schedule of events and activities for the days leading up to it. A complete list of events and activities can be found at www.TupperLake.com/eclipse.

Viewing Events

The two primary eclipse viewing locations in Tupper Lake are:

The L.P. Quinn Elementary School, where the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory will host their main event. This free public event will include NASA livestreams and broadcasts, experiments and activities, a planetarium, guest speakers, food trucks, and more. (See inside pages for more details).

The Wild Center will host an eclipse watch party on their campus, with an array of exciting activities throughout the day, glass-blowing demonstrations, pinhole viewer-making, solar-powered activities, and more. Free advanced registration is required.

TIP: Both of these locations will offer programming in the days leading up to the event. This presents a great opportunity to enjoy the festivities while avoiding the crowds. Visit www.TupperLake.com/eclipse for details.

Transportation & Parking

FREE bus transportation will be provided by the Tupper Lake Central School District with drop-offs for each route at The Tupper Lake Public Library, Tupper Arts Center, L.P. Quinn Elementary School, and The Wild Center.

Schedule: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2024. Parking in the Hosley Avenue area for the events hosted by Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory as well as The Wild Center will be extremely limited and by ticket reservation only.

Designated parking areas will be available throughout the community with bus pickup and portable restrooms available at each.
Blocking of driveways, intersections, etc., will result in the offending vehicle being towed at the owner's expense.

Temporary bus stop signage will be installed to assist in locating designated parking areas and bus stops.

Passengers under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Find bus route details at TupperLake.com/eclipse-bus

Get Involved

The Town of Tupper Lake is looking for volunteers to help be ambassadors for Tupper Lake, sharing information with visitors, helping park cars, etc. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact clerk@townoftupperlake.gov or call (518) 359-9261.

County, village against any plan by Governor to house migrants here

by Dan McClelland

Rumors have been plentiful in the community in recent weeks about a plan by Governor Kathy Hochul to transport homeless immigrants north and house them in empty state buildings in the North Country, including some at Sunmount here. At last Monday night’s village board meeting, Mayor Mary Fontana said that wasn’t the case, at least for this county and this community.

School Board Vice President Jason Rolley attended the meeting briefly and when the public comment period opened he said: “I have been hearing rumors about migrants coming to Tupper Lake and I wonder about the official policy on migrants is in Franklin County and in Tupper Lake. Are we a sanctuary place or not?”

Mayor Fontana told him that Franklin County is not a sanctuary community that would open its doors to migrants and the village is following the county’s lead.

“So you are saying ‘no thank you’ to the Governor’s plan” to house migrants here? he asked her.

“Correct!” the mayor told Mr. Rolley, who thanked her for the information and left.

Trustee David “Haji” Maroun, who is a state correctional officer, said one of the Governor’s ideas to move migrants out of the now migrant-filled New York City was to move them to idle space in some of the state prisons, and particularly ones that have closed in recent years.

The mayor said she thought the Governor had originally listed Franklin County as “a sanctuary county.” She said some time later the county board of legislators made it clear it wasn’t.

Two Park St. area businesses broken into early Friday; chief encourages installation of inexpensive security cameras

by Dan McClelland

Early Friday, March 15 two local businesses- Anne Eldred’s Cabin Fever and Florals on Upper Park Street and Alicia Nichols’ hairdressing salon, Shear Paradise, on Cliff Ave. were broken into, with the perpetrators making off with some valuables, and leaving some damage in their wake.

In Miss Nichols’ case, she lost two computer tablets, some cash and a good amount of her jewelry she makes from clay and sells in her shop.

The culprits who broke into Cabin Fever and Floral took cash and the cash register that held it. They also broke many items in the store, including the front door and door leading into a shop from the lobby.

Chief Eric Proulx said Monday that his officers are investigating both incidents which appear to be connected. “All I can tell you right now, however, is that those two businesses were broken into, and at this time we don’t have any suspects.”

“We do have some video footage of possible suspects taken on Park Street” around 2a.m. Friday. Both break-ins were the same night.

As part of the investigation of the crimes so far and the departments’ canvassing of those and other businesses Chief Proulx said Monday he was “quite discouraged to find the lack of video cameras” employed throughout the uptown business district.

“I would have thought more people would have had cameras in their businesses.”

Chief Proulx said he has installed Blink brand cameras at his house and at his family members’ houses. He said the “door bell” style cameras work well as long as they are not mounted too far away from the doors.

The cameras can be set to pick up video footage at different distances for the door, he explained.

“One of the best camera systems I’ve seen used in town is the Lorex brand with 4K resolution cameras.”

He said he routinely sends his officers to a business with one in town, if there’s an investigation in that part of the community. “The clarity of the Lorex videos is unbelievable.”

He said Lorex is a little more expensive than the Blink or Ring systems, noting: “but you get what you pay for.”

He said a Blink system with three cameras sells for about $150.

“You don’t have to have a complicated system where you need someone to come wire them for you. They mount on the side of your house, they run on batteries, and you hook them into your wireless network. The video footage is stored in The Cloud and goes right to your cell phone!”

The chief said he installed a system at his parents’ house and that morning, his vehicle was scheduled to go into the shop for service and so he went to his parents’ house to borrow their vehicle for the day. “I just stepped inside their garage when my cell phone rang and it was my mother wondering why I was in their garage.”

“It was 7a.m. and I’m sure the pinging on her phone woke her up, and I told her it was just me, so go back to bed,” he said with a chuckle.

He did say, however, those new cameras are a relatively inexpensive way to beef up residential security.

The chief said he would encourage more residents here to install those systems at their residences and businesses. “The fact we are no longer around at night and so much happens at night,” he would recommend that.

“Back when we were a full-time police department, the night shift officers knew the people who were out in the community at night. If something happened on a particular night the night shift officers probably saw the people who were out and about and so they could furnish the day shift officers with that list of people they saw on their night patrols.

“They could tell them this person was out last night, or I saw this other person. That’s how we solved crime here then!”

He said the troopers patrolling the community now- particularly during the evenings and nights when there is no longer a village police presence, don’t often know the locals, so they can’t provide to us the identities of those people they may have seen overnight.

The chief said it makes it more difficult for his officers, who come into the station each morning “blind” for the start of their shift in the morning and learn about crimes that happened overnight. He said they don’t have that informal information-gathering from the night before to use to begin their investigations.

“In the full-time police department days, we knew who was driving cars around town late at night, those who were walking around,” and that would give us a head’s up on solving crime here.

It’s prom night for adults here Saturday, March 23

Adults in the community who may have never attended their high school prom have a second chance next Saturday evening when the town recreation department hosts it annual Adult Prom at Raquette River Brewery.

Recreation Director Laura LaBarge, whose idea it was several years ago to stage the unique event, is hoping for a turn-out of upwards of 200 prom-goers.

Those who plan to make an evening out of it are encouraged to wear their formal attire- or some form of it, including the comical and the home-made. Prom-style attire, while preferred, is not required.

There will be prizes, raffles, tasty hors d’oeuvres from Fusion Street and assorted fun activities, including a photo booth with DIY backgrounds.

The event is expected to be a major fundraiser for the town’s popular and fast-growing summer day camp. The camp has enjoyed such popularity in recent years among local youngsters and their families that daily attendance has boomed.

What used to be the need for a single bus leased by the town from the school district to transport the camp attendees to day trips, has grown to a need of two or three buses to transport all the kids and their counselors. Consequently transportation costs for the program have soared in recent years.

The adult prom proceeds will go to help the town department offset those increasing transportation costs.

Pro-goers will dance the night away from 7p.m. to 10p.m. to the well-loved 70’s and 80’s sounds of Tupper Lake’s popular Night School, featuring the McClelland brothers- Ben and Andrew- and Jay Martin, Micah Tyo, Ryan Gillis, Lauren Connell and Corinne Mather.

Tickets are available on line at tupperlake.com or will be sold that evening at the door.

John Gillis again proposes short-term rental permits

by Dan McClelland

For the second time in as many years, Councilman John Gillis has encouraged his colleagues on the town board to consider a permitting procedure for short-term rental lodging businesses in Tupper Lake. His latest push came Tuesday at a special meeting of the town board.

Mr. Gillis had distributed information about the best and safest ways for communities to deal with this recent boom here in short-term rentals before that afternoon’s meeting.

“My goal is to do permitting, not regulation,” he began, explaining there was a considerable difference in the two.

“We all enjoy and have been recipients of the new bed tax money this year. It’s awesome and we welcome it. My goal is to be a good host community.”

He explained that means helping the county collect its correct share of the bed tax money that all lodging facilities in Franklin County must now charge their guests and remit to the county.

The councilman noted that in the past year or two since the bed tax program began, the county officials have had some difficulties collecting all the bed tax money due them from motels, hotels and short-term rental places here.

“So I think we should be working with them and if we have this new permit system in place,” then we know what lodging places there are here “to make sure everyone is playing fair!”

He said another reason to be “a good host community” is to insure the safety of all visitors who come here to stay in these short-term rental (STR) businesses.

That could be accomplished, he said, through yearly inspections of all STR premises to insure the presence of enough smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, properly functioning and clean gas grills and such. Another part of an annual inspection could be bedroom inspections to make sure all are safe for occupancy.

“The other big thing I think we need to get ahead of before any local residents turn against STRs in their neighborhoods is “developing local good neighbor policies- such as town-wide quiet hours, making sure there’s adequate parking,” highlighting places where on-street or on-road parking is not acceptable” and having owners of these lodging premises have their rules posted in very visible places in their rental units.

He said the other “big reason” he wants to see a permitting system adopted in the township is because we have some sewer districts like sewer district No. 17, 17-1, 17-2 and 23 where there are many grinder pumps in use. “Those grinder pumps cost the districts $100,000 per year in repairs. If we don’t know what places are short-term rentals and which are just regular homeowners, it could lead to big problems when visitors are unfamiliar with their limitations.

He remembered when Mary Fontana was acting supervisor, the town sent a letter to every resident in a sewer district with a grinder pump and informed them if certain harmful materials are flushed down the toilet, they are responsible for any damage to the pumps. “The district won’t be responsible to fix it; the damaging homeowners will,” is what he said those people were told in that town board letter.

Mr. Gillis said many of the new STRs here are in those waterfront districts which have many grinder pumps. “Because that’s where the big money is: the STRs on our waterfronts!”

“So if we have a permit system and know where all the STRs are, the town could monitor those places with grinder pumps to see which ones are getting damaged. That way the entire district wouldn’t have to pay to fix them, the responsible property owner would. He said it was not fair to all district residents with grinder pumps who do follow the safe flushing rules, when visitors in STRs don’t.

“The people in the districts who live here year round know what’s safe to put down a garbage disposal or flush down a toilet!”

“If grinder pumps are getting damaged by STR people using them, the town needs a way to check that!”

He said the town office has information of what can and cannot be flushed when a grinder pump is present, and that is limited pretty well to human waste and tissue.

Supervisor Ricky Dattola said his position on the topic hasn’t changed from a year ago. “Right now I don’t think we have a problem with STRs!”

“I think what you are asking this board to do is to create some more bureaucracy,” he told Mr. Gillis. He said a permitting system would require the engaging of an inspector to check all premises rented on a short-term basis. “We would have to hire someone, and start charging people a permit fee to cover the cost of that new employee.”

“Right now we don’t have a problem with it, and as far as good neighbors go, a good neighbor is a good neighbor,” wherever they live.

He said some of his neighbors at Haymeadow rent their homes on a short-term basis, “and they’re great neighbors!”

“For me, my position hasn’t changed. I don’t think we should be dealing with (regulating) short term rentals right now, because right now they are not a problem!”

He said the town board currently has many big problems in front of it that must be tackled like the new zoning law that is still in draft form, the new water and sewer infrastructure repair project (see article this week) and as I tell our staff members at the town hall: “we should be trying to make things easier for people and we should be trying to cut down on government regulation!”

“That’s my feeling, but if the four of you want to put a permit system in place, I would be happy to do that!” he told his four colleagues.

John Gillis said the motel owners are required to meet state Department of Health regulations and undergo fire inspections. “If you open an Airbnb right now in Tupper Lake, all you need is an e-mail address!”

“The last time we stayed in an STR, we drove up and it was above a two-stall garage. I said to my wife I hope they have a smoke detector inside. Well, they did, and it was brand new, but it was still in the box!”

“I just want us to be a good host community! I want guests to be safe in our community!” he asserted.

“I think it is irresponsible of us not to have someone go in the STRs to insure they meet code.” He added that he understood the difficulties and cost of engaging someone to do that, but he called it a question of safety.

Supervisor Dattola said that most or all of the owners of short-term rental properties here carry insurance, which typically involves inspections of the premises by those companies.

“So some insurance person went in there and said these things need to be done, or otherwise no insurance will be provided. “So there is already a safety check system in place!”

He also noted that many short-term rentals here are handled through the real estate agencies here, which routinely inspect them. “All I’m saying is right now we don’t have a problem!” he told Mr. Gillis.

He said his other concern is that if regulation becomes too burdensome for property owners here “people will go underground!”

“For every action, there is a reaction,” he said of the old adage.

He also noted there is only grey area between the terms “permitting” and “regulating.”

Councilwoman Crystal Boucher wondered if there was “a middle ground” to Mr. Gillis’ proposal.

She suggested the town might again send out a letter to all sewer district residents who are on a grinder pump and who might rent their properties from time to time to clearly post rules on what to flush and what not to flush, as the town did last year.

She explained those rules could be included with the other rules that are always posted by short-term rental owners, and which tenants have to abide by.

Councilman Tim Larkin said the system of STRs already has a good system of self-regulating through the agencies. “If someone comes to your STR and finds a problem, believe me they are going to tell you and the rental agency.” One major complaints will cause rental customers to immediately dry up, he said of how the system now works.

Mr. Larkin also wondered who would police an overcrowded parking situation at a STR? “So we hire some enforcement person to tell them to move their cars, while next door there’s a year round neighbor having a family party where there are six cars parked. What do we do about that?”

“I think the self-regulation with comments on social media will handle 99% of the problems,” he determined.

“Can we make people in the sewer districts more aware of the problems with the pumps?... yes! We can send them another letter!” he proposed.

He suggested letters be sent to people with grinder pumps at least twice a year.

Mr. Larkin said landlords here typically remind their tenants several times each winter to run their water a little in very cold times.

Councilman Rick Donah, after Mr. Gillis told him earlier of his proposal, said he asked several people he knows who have STRs about what they felt about permitting. “One fellow off Country Club Road said he was not opposed to a permit system, because he was a fireman who wants the town to have a system to check these places for safety.”

Mr. Donah said as a local landlord he wasn’t opposed to a town person inspecting his apartments to insure they were safe. “Right now that doesn’t happen here- in either the town or village.”

“Tupper Lake has not been proactive about being particularly (vigilant) about looking at the conditions of people’s properties.”

He said if the town embarks on this program it will be singling out STR owners, versus all landlords here.

“I don’t agree with just singling out the STR owners!”

He said to be fair the town would have to permit all rental property owners: short-term and long-term. “It must be fair across the board!”

“Are we going to go into every house and check to see if there are working batteries in their smoke alarms?” Ms. Boucher wondered, noting the issue can be a slippery slope.

Mr. Donah felt that STRs are “policed by the market place! It’s simple. If you don’t do a nice job with your place for someone” the business will be soon blacklisted.

He liked Mr. Gillis’ idea, however, about being “a good host community” for all visitors.

He said he was in the ROOST office in a building he owns this past summer and there was a couple there from Europe and they were staying in an Airbnb here “that was a really bad set-up on Dugal Road. They had a bad experience. They went into this place at 11p.m. and it was very dark. The door didn’t lock. There was someone living in a trailer on the property a few feet away who came over and banged on their door. They didn’t know who that person was!”

He said the incident was a problem that made the entire community look bad.

“So there certainly is something to be said for being a good host community!”

“So I’m basically in the middle on this issue. It’s not something we have to do today, because what we have to do today is the implementation and the ratification of our new zoning laws. That must be priority No. 1!”

Mr. Gillis said he agreed with Mr. Donah. “I just wanted to re-open the discussion on short-term rentals and to hear what people have to say about it!”

Mr. Donah proposed a town hall-style meeting soon to hear what the public here thinks about short-term rentals here.

He said as a local landlord, he doesn’t mind being held accountable for the conditions in his rentals. “If there are things in my apartments that need to be updated, then go and inspect it….I’m okay with that!”

Mr. Donah said, however, that the town can only likely do what he called “a bare minimum” of inspection.

He said too that Tupper Lake doesn’t seem to have the problem with STRs that many other communities are wrestling with these days!”

“To Ricky’s point, I think we must be growth-friendly, but as a landlord, I think we should do a better job looking at the condition of people’s properties here!”

Mr. Gillis said the reason he raised the issue again was the recent apartment fire in Saranac Lake where there was a fatality “and there’s a lot of discussion around the landlord.”

The board took no action on Mr. Gillis’ proposal.

Wild Center named “Best Science Museum” in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards Celebrates with community free day, March 9

After four weeks of voting, the Wild Center is proud to announce its victory as this year's "Best Science Museum" in USA TODAY's 2024 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

To celebrate the recognition, the Wild Center is holding a Community Free Day on Sat., Mar. 9 and inviting area residents to join.

Handpicked by a panel of esteemed travel experts and voted on by readers, the list of top 10 recipients showcased the finest museums across the nation. The Wild Center stood out among its peers, surpassing competition like The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and Exploratorium in San Francisco.

"Winning this award is a testament to our community. It's not just about being named the best, it's about showing the world what the Adirondacks are made of," remarked Nick Gunn, marketing director at the Wild Center. "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us."

In 2023, the Wild Center secured an impressive second-place finish, trailing closely behind another esteemed institution, COSI (Center of Science and Society) in Columbus, Ohio, who claimed the title for its fourth year in a row. This year, however, the Wild Center has risen to the top, cementing its status as a leader in science education and public engagement.

For more information about the Community Free Day, visit wildcenter.org/communityfreeday.

For more information about the 10Best Awards and to explore the full list of winners across various categories, please visit www.10best.com.

Brewski this Saturday

The golf course’s James C. Frenette Trail Network will be alive with beer lovers and fans of the great outdoors this Saturday when the Town of Tupper Lake Recreation Department again hosts Brewski. In recent years the major February event has drawn over 1,500 to the cross-country facility in back to back years.

Combined with the Brewski again this year will be the Tupper Lake Lions Club’s Fire and Ice golf tournament. The outdoor golfing event is expected to again draw several dozen teams, who will knock around the colorful tennis balls to the six or so holes on the makeshift snow course.

Initiated by the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce a number of years ago, Brewski was one of the major events taken over by the town when the chamber board dissolved over a year ago.

According to Recreation Director Laura LaBarge 16 brewers were featured at last year’s event and this year there will be 20.

In its early years brewers donated their products to promote them to a broader audience in the region, but in recent years organizers have been buying their beer to make sure there is plenty to go around for everyone throughout the day. Because of the new arrangement, the ticket price has been upped by $5 this year.

This year’s event has attracted the interest of several Western New York brewers who have never participated before- including breweries from both Rochester and Watertown.

Laura noted she and her family went to Buffalo Bills game over the holiday and stopped at various breweries on their trip home to collect their contact info.

If visitors aren’t playing Lions Fire and Ice golf, they are meandering the trails, stopping every hundred feet or so to taste the free homemade ales and lagers, and enjoying the enthusiastic conversations with the proud beer-makers.

Town Councilman John Gillis and his team of trail groomers, who include Eric “Shakey” Lanthier, John Quinn, Scott Chartier and others have sort of adopted the event as their own, not only putting the trails in the best shape they can be for the skiers, shoers, fat tire bike riders and walkers, but putting up enough wood to make sure there are warm fires at every beer station to warm the beer-drinking participants.

At the end of the 1.5 mile long main trail around the golf course, participants will be welcomed by a full contingent of local Lions, serving the club’s grilled specialties of Lions hot dogs and hamburgs, smothered with Lions onions. It’s the right finish after a few beers along the trails.

For those looking for a good chance to go home with a couple of thousand dollars, the Lions will be selling the traditional 50-50 drawing tickets. The prize in recent years has approached $2,500.

At registration that day Brewski-goers will again be provided with souvenir lanyards and tiny mugs to sample the many beer products.

The town is again selling tickets in advance, as has been done in the past, and the target right now is for a crowd of about 1,200.

Things seem to be shaping up weather-wise for this year’s event. Although the mercury is expected to creep into the forties every day through Friday, overnight lows are in the teens and snow is predicted for Friday, to dress up the trails a bit. The forecast Saturday is cold (in the mid-teens during the day) but sunny. It ought to be a great day to enjoy plying winter trails, cold beer, warm fires and plenty of outdoor fun for the entire family.

Friday’s snow storm returned a lot of snow cover to the area just in time for the Empire Game’s first winter triathlon at the same site last weekend and Mr. Gillis, who helped orchestrate the new event here, figures this week’s occasional light rain and snow and cold overnight temperatures should make the trails perfect for navigating Saturday.

Big week for Tupper Lake Basketball Jacks clinch East, Peterson all time scorer, Corneau hits 1,000th point

by Dick Sterling

To say the Tupper Lake Lumberjacks had a busy week would certainly be an understatement!

Last week the Jacks played league games on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. They won all four, including a Friday evening showdown with Chateaugay in front of Tupper’s home crowd, that clinched the Lumberjacks first place in the Northern Athletic Conference (NAC) East Division.

The Jacks remain undefeated in the East (12-0) and have an overall record of 14-3.

In addition to the team’s exciting week, a couple of Lumberjack players also carved their way into the Tupper Lake Basketball history files.

Tom Peterson scored career point number 1,223 on Tuesday evening, earning him the distinction of becoming the top scorer in Lumberjack history.

On Friday, Mikey Corneau swished a jump shot from just inside the three-point arc, giving him 1,000 points for his career.

The home crowd cheered for Corneau at the contest against Chateaugay, early in the third quarter, was stopped so that the special moment could be captured with the presentation of a special ball and photos. As he neared the 1000-point mark at the start of the second half, many youngsters in the crowd were yelling “Mikey just need two more.”

The Jacks toughest game of the week came on Monday with a showdown against the Colton-Pierrepont Colts. The two NAC East foes played to as 13-13 draw in the first quarter, and the Colts, behind a big night from their top scorer, Eric Friedel, actually held a 27-26 lead at the intermission.

After the break, the two league foes continued to battle as Tupper Lake outscored the Colts 17-12 to hold a slim 43-39 advantage heading to the final quarter. The Jacks sharp-shooting season returned for the final eight minutes as they tallied 24 points and gave up 13, winning by a final score of 67-52, in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate.

Corneau drilled seven 3-pointers and finished with 27 to lead the Jacks. Tyler LaPlante had a big game as he finished with 15 and Peterson scored 14 and dished out 11 assists. Ashton Clark scored six.

Friedel nailed six three-pointers and finished with 24 to lead Colton-Pierrepont. Nate Smith scored eight points and pulled down 14 rebounds and Cody Trimm added seven.

On Tuesday, the Lumberjacks raced to a big 18-2 advantage after one quarter against Brushton-Moira and went on to roll over the Panthers 69-27. Peterson entered the game needing 27 points to establish the new school scoring standard… he finished with 29.

Tom Peterson connected on five of his eight three-point attempts, collected six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Mikey Corneau, who also swished five of his eight three-point tries, finished with 17. Garrett Pelkey scored nine points and pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.

Last Wednesday, the Jacks played for the third night in a row as they tangled with the St. Lawrence Central Larries. St. Lawrence surprised the Jacks as they scored the first six points of the contest, four of them from Ayden Beach, who is battling with Peterson for the East Division scoring lead. It took the Jacks three minutes to score as Peterson drove the lane for a lay-up, which ignited a 13-0 Tupper Lake run, Beach scored the last basket of the quarter as Tupper held a 13-8 advantage after one.

The two East Division rivals played even in the second quarter, trading baskets, as Tupper Lake headed to the half-time break with a 24-18 advantage. The Jacks had trouble shaking off the Larries as Beach continued scoring and St. Lawrence Central did their best to play tough defense against the Lumberjacks.

Tupper won the third quarter 16-13 and headed to the final eight minutes with a 40-31 advantage.

Peterson finally got on track offensively in the final quarter as he scored the first six of Tupper Lake’s 24 points, and finished the quarter with 13 as the Jacks outscored the Larries 24-4 in the quarter and pulled away for a 64-35 victory.

Peterson finished with 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out six assists and contributed five steals. LaPlante scored 10, Corneau added nine, Pelkey finished with eight, and led the team with 14 rebounds and Clark added eight points and finished with 10 rebounds. Sophomore Tim Peterson, Tom’s younger brother, scored his first varsity points as he connected on his only attempt, a three-pointer, with an assist going to his big brother. Beach finished with 25 points to lead the Larries. Logan Lemay added seven.

Lumberjack Head Coach Brian Bennett commented on the special moment, “the fact that Tim Peterson’s first varsity points were assisted by his brother is amazing!”

The Jacks were only called for three personal fouls in the entire game.

On Friday, the Jacks entertained the Chateaugay Bulldogs with first place in the East on the line. Tupper Lake has been the only team in the division to beat the Dogs this season, who have dominated the East Division for many years.

The Jacks opened up a 13-6 advantage after the opening quarter, but then found their shooting touch starting in the second quarter as they opened with a 12-3 run to open up a big 25-9 advantage, and closed the period with a 10-0 run to up the advantage to 35-11 at the halftime break. The Jacks fans and players were excited to see Corneau shoot the ball late in the half, knowing he was just a basket short of reaching the 1,000-point mark.

The senior sharp-shooter lined up a long jumper early in the third quarter and found nothing but net as the game was stopped long enough to honor Number 21 on his special accomplishment.

The game resumed, and so did the rout as the Jacks put up another 24 points in the quarter to extend the lead to 59-27 after three quarters and rolled to the easy win by a final score of 73-38.

Corneau paced Tupper Lake with 23 points. Peterson finished with 18, Pelkey earned another double-double as he scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, as the big crowd chanted “he’s a freshman,” every time the Jacks’ youngster scored.

Wyatt Godin and Clark each scored six, LaPlante finished with four and the crowd came to their feet when reserve Caleb Roberts scored the final two points of the game with a layup just beating the final horn.

Coach Bennett commented on the big week the Jacks had last week, “it was an amazing week! So many milestones. Although those boys earned those milestones this week, they were long in the making. There were so many countless hours in the gym working, when no one is watching. I have coached both Tom and Mikey since fifth grade, so it’s amazing seeing these things happen. I knew we needed more emphasis on the youth, and now look where we are today,” said the coach.

The Tupper Lake head coach also commented on winning the NAC East.

“The East is a big deal. It’s been a long time since a team besides Chateaugay or Madrid-Waddington has won the East. It’s a great accomplishment, but my eyes are on the Class C title.”

The win extended the Lumberjacks winning streak on their home floor to 17 straight games. On Monday the Jacks headed to Edwards-Knox for a non-league contest against the Cougars. Tuesday they entertained Madrid-Waddington and Friday they will wrap up the regular season with a road game at Colton-Pierrepont.

Congratulations to Coach Bennett and the Lumberjack team on an incredible season… a championship season! And let’s hope that the best is still to come for this talented group of Tupper Lake athletes.