Plans still in works for new school building project

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He predicted a public vote in October this year.

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

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

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​

Town board uses half of sum offered for police contract to help rescue squad hire drivers

by Dan McClelland

In an effort to give town residents faster emergency response from the Tupper Lake Emergency and Ambulance Squad, the town board at a special meeting Friday, January 27 amended its budget to provide $25,000 more to the squad in 2023- specifically to pay for additional personnel.

The rescue squad began over 60 years ago as an almost all volunteer force. Over the years some of the positions- particularly the senior medical ones- became paid ones.

In recent years, because of a decline in volunteers, some of the ambulance drivers and emergency medical technicians became paid positions too. The squad officers recently hired a part-time paid driver to work Friday and Saturday nights because it was difficult to find volunteers to staff those shifts.. Some of the new town money will help fund that position.

The money will come from the $50,000 pool town leaders last year, under acting Supervisor Mary Fontana, were going to pay the village for the emergency response to the township of the village police.

The village leaders were asking the annual town police contract sum be upped to $60,000 to more accurately reflect, what they thought, represented a fairer share of the PD’s service to the town. Village officials had calculated from recent year’s statistics, the 5% of the department’s work was responding to emergency calls in the town. The village police budget is about $1.3 million.

In negotiations between Trustees David Maroun and Jason McClain and Ms. Fontana and Councilman John Gillis, a town offer of $50,000 was presented, with $15,000 of it contingent on the police department returning this year to full-time service.

In recent years the town has budgeted $29,000 for the service. Up to five years ago, there was no funds exchanged and no contract, and police officers just routinely rolled to the town neighborhoods when there were calls for help from town residents.

Village officers carry defibrillators and other life-savings equipment in the trunks of their patrol cars, and are often first on the scene of a call for help in the town. They have saved lives in the past.

Village officials rejected that offer as too low and the longstanding contract for the emergency services of the village police between the town and village governments expired on December 31.

Councilwoman Mary Fontana began the discussion of the new funding Friday.

“After the village board chose not to continue with the police contract, I reached out to Mark Picerno of the rescue squad to see what their needs were.

“We set up a meeting and met with them on Martin Luther King day and went through their list of immediate needs. -And what voids we could maybe help fill with some funds from the town.”

Their main concern was lack of volunteer drivers and the need to hire paid ones, she continued.

“We unofficially committed that day to $25,000- based on their estimates of need for drivers.”

She said the “fine details” of the arrangement still need to be worked out with the squad’s treasurer, Kelly Fleury.

Supervisor Rick Dattola said the squad officials liked the idea of the town budgeting a line item of $25,000 per year and so when they hire a new driver, the town could then release the money to them to help pay that person.

There is “some flexibility” with the new budget line, including the provision that the cost of training new members could also come from that town money, Ms. Fontana added. She said it is commonplace for drivers to eventually take the medical training to become emergency medical technicians, and their training could come from the town appropriation each year.

“The $25,000 also diminishes the line item of $50,000” the board had set aside to pay the village in any revised police contract. “If the village does come back to us with a contract offer, there’s only $25,000 left to negotiate with,” she told her colleagues.

Councilman John Gillis asked if the town budget still contains a sum of $10,000 the town board has given the rescue squad in recent years to help with their purchase of medical equipment and he was told by the supervisor that money “stays in the budget.”

A past town board established that funding, but it requires that squad officials each fall come to the board to ask for it and explain exactly what type of equipment it will be used to buy.

“It is really good because as the squad leaders said: ‘it solves the problem of response time’ when volunteer drivers aren’t available, Mr. Dattola told his board members.

“If they can get a couple more paid drivers, their response time to calls is going to be that much quicker,” he added. “It will be an ongoing thing. It’s from the $50,000 we put in the new budget for the police contract. Now $25,000 of it will go to pay some of the drivers!”

The board passed a motion to set up the new budget line unanimously.

Councilman John Gillis held out the possibility that more financial support could come from the town in years ahead to make sure the rescue squad has enough drivers and EMTs to be the first responders to every emergency call to the town.

It was noted in the discussion that afternoon, that is was better to have a trained EMT at the scene of an emergency than a police officer. The board action was designed to make that happen more often.

Northern Challenge draws 714 anglers on coldest weekend so far

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“They are a nice group of people.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The organizer said he was a very happy man.

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

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Photos by Jim Lanthier)

Two local linemen promoted to supervisory positions

by Dan McClelland

Two local linemen were promoted to supervisory roles in the Tupper Lake Electric Department, Superintendent Mike Dominie announced at January’s village board meeting.

Chris Zaidan, who has served as “chief line worker” in recent years directing the crews, was promoted to “line supervisor”- the second in command in the department under Mr. Dominie. Chris replaces Carl Larson, who retired this year and who has held that senior post for a number of years.

William “Willie” Bencze was promoted to Mr. Zaidan’s old position.

Both promotions were effective January 15.

Both were open positions and the promotions came after recent interviews by the superintendent and Trustee Eric Shaheen.

Only Mr. Zaidan’s promotion to “chief line supervisor,” was provisional, as the permanent appointment awaits the candidate successfully passing the civil service test for the supervisory position. By contrast, according to Mr. Dominie, the “chief line worker” is a “seniority position” under civil service law.

Mr. Dominie said he was not aware when the next test for Mr. Zaidan’s position will be offered.

New supervisor’s first comments include applause for the work of 2022 board

by Dan McClelland

Tupper Lake’s new town supervisor Rickey Dattola began the meeting Thursday which kicked off his new term with thanks to the many town residents who supported him in his election bid in November.

He also applauded the four council members on his board for doing all they did in 2022, functioning as a board of four.

“It was a tough, tough year for the town. We lost a really good guy in Clint Hollingsworth. He would have done a fantastic job as supervisor. We lost him early in his tenure!”

“I want to thank the board for filling in, but especially Mary Fontana,” who served the year in Clint’s absence as acting supervisor. “You did a wonderful job and I know it was tough, and I know it was something you weren’t expecting!”

Loud applause by the three other board members.

“You certainly rose to the occasion...so thank you, Mary!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Among the Drew clan was female hockey player Katie Drew.

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

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

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

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

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

New site plan drawn for Little Wolf facility

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Very busy,” Mr. Gillis agreed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AARP’s Tax-Aide Program Set to Resume Here

For the fourth year running, free help in preparing income tax returns will be available to area residents. The Tax-Aide program, which operates under the umbrella of the AARP Foundation, uses IRS-trained and certified volunteers to provide residents help in preparing and filing their federal and state returns. The volunteers will once again meet with residents by appointment, on Sunday afternoons in the Goff-Nelson Library Community Room, from January 29 through mid-April.

The program is open to any individuals, seniors or families desiring assistance, and is not limited by age or income level; you do not need to be an AARP member. The team of local volunteers has grown, and hopes to be able to help even more residents this year than in years past. The only limits on eligibility involve the complexity of the return; some more complicated tax situations—for example, involving income from a business with employees—may be beyond the scope of the program.

To receive help, start by picking up an advance meeting packet at the library beginning Jan 17th, then phone 518-359-5012 to schedule an appointment, and to have any eligibility questions answered. Leave a message and your call will be returned. Appointments are recommended; walk-ins will only be accommodated if a tax preparer is available.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest volunteer-based free tax preparation service. Volunteers are re-trained and IRS-certified every year to ensure they understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code. They also adhere to strict rules of ethics and confidentiality. More information about the program, including what documents you will need, is available online at aarpfoundation.org/taxaide, or by emailing 141028051@aarpfoundation.org.

Village leaders told of excessive vehicle noise

by Dan McClelland

Underwood Ave. resident Doug Menge first appeared before the town board here on December 8, along with his wife Kayla, to ask town officials’ help in bringing some relief for them and many residents here from loud and very offensive vehicle noise.

Many neighborhoods in past months have been harassed by the presence of loud vehicles- sometimes with illegal mufflers- roaring through them, and sometimes late into the night.

Mr. Menge was directed by town leaders to the village board because the village operates the village police force and so on their advice he appeared on December 21 to address those local leaders.

He told the village lawmakers about his town board appearance, noting it was the first local government meeting he’d ever attended.

“Our discussion that evening was about the excessive vehicle noise in town.”

He said, however, since his town board appearance, there’s been a decrease in the noise from vehicles in his Underwood Road neighborhood. Mr. Menge said some of that reduction can likely be traced to the amount of coverage Publisher Dan McClelland devoted to it in a front-page article in his newspaper on December 14. He said he believed that “was a huge contributor” to eliminating some of the noisy vehicle practices.

“I’ve spoken with a number of Tupper Lake officials including the Tupper Lake police chief and several of his officers about the topic a number of times.”

He said he was not sure how long this improvement in the vehicle noise situation would last- “but that’s all we want...for it to last!”

In speaking with others in the community about the noise, he said that all anyone wants here is some peace and quiet in their neighborhoods.

At the earlier meeting he attended he said he often has to report in the winter months to his state Department of Transportation job here in the early morning hours, and so tries to sleep in the evening. He noted that is routinely interrupted when loud vehicles scream down his street.

“We don’t want any kind of retaliation” against anyone here complaining about this noise.

He said he was not looking for these vehicle drivers to be arrested, but would just like this upsetting practice to stop and for them to show a little courtesy to their neighbors.

“I just want this situation resolved!” he told the village leaders.

He said he’s been told by people who know some of these culprits that these people make other kinds of trouble here, “but I won’t get into that!”

He said the reason he has attended the local government meetings to raise this issue is “I wanted others here who are suffering to know they are not alone here.”

He called it a community-wide issue that must be solved.

Mr. Menge said he would certainly be interested in helping people in other neighborhoods who might be experiencing these same problems and expressed a willingness to return to the board to support them.

Mr. Menge was supported that evening by another resident, Robin Jacobs, who first addressed the village board about the excessive vehicle noise in town six months ago.

“I’ve had it with this also,” she told the village leaders.

“It’s the same trucks doing it all the time...I’ve said that before.”

She asserted that she has seen an uptick in the excessive noise again in recent weeks. She said too she worries about retaliation from some of these people.

“I hear their noise at sometimes 2a.m. or 3a.m. They roar up and down Park Street!”

Councilman Rick Donah, who lives at the corner of Park and Mill, told his colleagues at the earlier town board, excessive noise, particularly in the late night and early morning hours, is a huge problem here.

Trustee David “Haji” Maroun, who lives uptown, said he hears the loud trucks many nights.

“It’s very disturbing at night. You want to have a nice sleep. It’s very loud and it’s very disturbing.”

Ms. Jacobs said she agreed with Mr. Menge it really is a big problem. “I was here six months ago and nothing has changed!”

Asked by Mr. Menge if there has been some improvement in recent weeks since the article was published and she admitted it had. “There’s still a few at 2a.m. or 3a.m. sometimes,” she added.

“It may be because we have no village police presence from 7p.m. to 7a.m.,” she guessed. “-And they know that!”

“I’ve said before that I don’t expect everything to be silent all the time here,” Mr. Menge told the board.

They both said, however, it’s the common practice of vehicles roaring around the community that is troubling.

Mr. Menge mentioned an incident he’d been told that someone’s pet had recently been killed at the park by a reckless driver here.

Mr. Menge said while he’s enjoyed the relative quiet in his neighborhood in recent weeks, he figures there will be a resurgence of the problem soon.

“This is a huge issue. But I don’t think this problem lays solely on the shoulders of the Tupper Lake Police Department. I think this is everyone’s problem.” He said he realizes the police can’t be everywhere, all the time arresting these troublemakers.

He said he favors a community-wide strategy to combat this problem, and an important first step would be town-wide communication.

Promoting a civil dialogue here- and even including the views of some of the violators- would be a most welcome tool in improving things here. He said he and others here would like to know why these people think they need to squeal their tires and roar their engines while driving through town. “Do they have problems with our town? Is this their way of somehow retaliating against it? Is there some way we can help them resolve how they feel?”

A public meeting where everyone would be welcome to attend to discuss this problem might be very helpful too, he thought.

He told the village officials that local teenagers are very aware of this problem “and it’s affecting them too.”

This reckless and inconsiderate driving sets a very bad example for new drivers here, he added.

“I don’t want to be the face of this problem and I definitely don’t want to be a martyr. But I just want a resolution to this!”

Mayor Paul Maroun told Mr. Menge that he appreciated him raising the issue. “It’s something we talked about over the years!”

He said “from the enforcement side” of the problem, the village would first have to pass a noise or what he called “a decibel law.”

“The chief and I have talked about it a number of times. There’s a new state law on the books that a person cannot amend an exhaust system on a vehicle.”

He said if a community adopts a noise or decibel law it would also cover motorcycles. It just can’t be spot enforced” to curb truck noise.

The mayor admitted he’s heard many complaints about loud vehicle noise and he’s often heard it himself at a house he owns on Wawbeek Ave.

He said he hoped the owners of these potentially loud vehicles would try to be considerate of their fellow residents “however, they don’t always think that way!”

Mr. Menge said there are owners of specially equipped vehicles here who are very considerate about how they operate them.

“I’m not angry or upset at the people making this noise, but I am disturbed by it as are the members of my family.”

He said the recent article in the Free Press helped to a great degree, at least in his neighborhood.

“Well, Danny is a great communicator;” there’s no doubt about that, Mr. Maroun told him.

The mayor also told Mr. Menge and Ms. Jacobs the village would try several public relations things in the weeks ahead to ask these noisy drivers to be considerate of their neighbors here.

“But I’m going to tell you my experience: they are not going to change!” He held out the hope, however that “maybe some common decency will prevail.”

Chief Eric Proulx said the recent change to the faulty muffler law just involved increasing the fines.

Amazingly, Don Smith’s tenants could be back home within weeks

A few of the cots that Ray Bigrow and Stacy Button at the Adirondack Adult Center set up for 13 Don Smith’s residents last Monday night in a shelter-style arrangement were awaiting disassembly Tuesday morning after everyone was moved to local motels. (Dan McClelland photo)

by Dan McClelland

Amazing as it sounds, many of the tenants of Don Smith’s Apartments who were displaced last Monday due to a major water line break could be back home in several weeks.

That good news came Monday from Debbie Reil, who manages the complex on Wawbeek Ave.

There are several key reasons for the rapid return of tenants to the water-soaked building. The first was quick action by the disaster remediation company that were engaged. A crew from Servicemaster was on the scene Monday with some of its clean-up equipment only hours after a main sprinkler system valve cracked open on the third floor. A second reason was how fast the building’s maintenance man got the water shut off. Another reason, according to Ms. Reil was the prompt attention of the downstate company that owns the building. -And the final, and perhaps most important reason was that the contracting company that had been renovating the building since June, was still on the scene.

When the sprinkler system valve erupted about mid-day last Monday water rained down on the three floors of apartments.

All tenants were evacuated almost immediately in an operation directed by the volunteers of the Tupper Lake Fire Department, in conjunction with local Emergency Coordinator Carl Steffen and others.

Many of the occupants of the 50 apartments were collected by families here and many are still there.

Ms. Reil said that 16 of the apartments did not receive water damage and the residents of those units have returned. Three other residents whose apartments were damaged are staying with their neighbors in their apartments.

Thirteen residents were bussed to the town’s Aaron Maddox Hall where they stayed Monday night, sleeping on cots that had been set up there in a shelter-style arrangement by Adirondack Adult Center Director Stacy Button and past director, Ray Bigrow.

Eleven of those people were moved into local motels last Tuesday and are still staying there. Their temporary lodging is being paid for by the company that owns the building. Most are staying at the Schuller family’s Tupper Lake Motel. One is staying at the Park Motel and one is at Faust Motel, where they asked to stay.

One of the displaced resident, Mary Lou Andre was back at the Aaron Maddox Hall Wednesday to collect her cats.

Renovations were expected to start in a big way yesterday.

In preparation for the rebuilding effort, the third floor apartments have already been stripped. All flooring was removed to expose the sub-floor plywood. Any cabinets touched by water will be removed.

“Each apartment has been assessed individually for water damage,” Ms. Reil explained. All carpeting has been removed. She said the plan is to remove all the sheetrock on the walls of the third floor apartments, stripping those units to the studs.

Some of that same work will also be done on the second floor units, depending on the amount of damage they saw from the flooding.

Servicemaster technicians with their squeegees and other water extraction tools “had to dry out the entire building before all the damage could be determined,” she explained.

“Considering when the event happened that company was wonderful. Because of our emergency situation, I immediately called several companies last Monday and Servicemaster was the first one that responded.” She said it had an inspection crew on site later that same afternoon.

Its crews worked through the evening until about 9p.m. doing the initial mopping up of all the water. It installed de-humidifiers that first evening once all the water was removed to continue the drying out process.

Village Code Enforcement Officer Pete Edwards was inspecting the building late Monday along with the Servicemaster crews.

The 16 apartments on what he called “the outer wings” of all three floors were the apartments that escaped the damage.

He noted that flooding is a particularly troubling kind of damage to a building “as there is often a lot of hidden damage that isn’t found right away.” He predicted the building will require extensive remediation.

He said the renovation project this summer was extensive. “The apartments, which saw some of the bathrooms reconfigured along with the other renovations, were beautiful!”

The apartment complex was purchased earlier this year by a company called Ogden Realty, which is owned by the Carbone family, who live in the New York City area. The family and its companies also own the Greenwood building in Lake Placid, as well as other North Country businesses.

“I called both corporate offices and my district manager immediately after this happened, and the severity of what we were facing. I sent to them 42 photographs showing the extent of the damage.”

“My district manager who lives in the Saratoga area came up immediately. Tom Carbone, one of the owners, was here first thing Tuesday morning and walked the entire building to look at everything,” Ms. Reil noted.

She said once all the water was removed from the building- it showed a lot of damage, but it also showed it could have been much worse.

“I definitely credit the work of our maintenance man and all the fire department volunteers who responded. They did a fantastic job!”

She said Jon Depuy, who heads maintenance at the complex had just left the building when the calls from tenants began. He was on his way home to Saranac Lake and was out of cell service for some minutes. As he neared Saranac Lake his cell service returned, his phone started ringing and he immediately returned to Tupper to shut of the water.

“He got back here as fast he could to shut off the main lines.”

Ms. Reil said the community “has been wonderful about helping people. I cannot say enough good about the Tupper Lake community. Many people pulled together in a very unique crisis situation.” She said they have received donations of towels, blankets, food to feed tenants who have been displaced, etc.

There was insurance on the building, but it is not known at this point how that will all work out, she told the Free Press.

“We’ve documented everything with photographs and incidents reports,” she said which should help with any and all insurance adjustments.

She said surprisingly that tenants could be moving back to the building within two weeks.

“Our contractors are already in place” from the complete restoration and renovation of the building that began in early summer. That work involved a new roof, new masonry exterior work, new windows and doors and the complete renovation of each apartment, including new flooring, new cabinets and appliances. “We still have workmen on site.”

“They already know all the square footages in the building, how much tile and other flooring is needed for each apartment, etc.,” she explained.

Before that project began in June, the last two years under the previous owners saw extensive electrical and plumbing upgrades in the building, Ms. Reil stated.

She said the contractors “already know the complete scope of the building and all the dimensions.

ECT Contractors, whose crew boss lives in New Jersey, is the name of the company that tackled the entire renovation and some of its workers were finishing up projects when the flood occurred last Monday.

She said the building has been almost totally renovated with Monday’s disaster happened. “It’s a major undertaking but we’re ready for it,” she concluded.

Mayor Paul Maroun applauded the broad community effort to help the 50 or more displaced residents of Don Smith’s.

Although he was on vacation in Minnesota visiting his sister, Cindy, over Christmas, he was on the telephone with local agencies and groups the minute he was told of the disaster last Monday.

He said he was in contact with Emergency Coordinator Carl Steffen every day for the past week, and with Ms. Reil and her people.

“This was a real tragedy for the people of Don Smith’s. The village and town really stepped in to help!”

He said there was expected to be a meeting yesterday with the owners of the building and with some of the local emergency officials and town and village officials. He said he expected to be briefed on it by Village Clerk Mary Casagrain, who would be there.

“Some of those recently renovated apartments saw major damage, unfortunately.”

“The village will continue to assist in every way we can.”

He said he contacted Kim Higgins, the campus director at Sunmount, who furnished new pillows and pillow cases for those 13 who stayed that first night at the Aaron Maddox Hall.

The 911 Emergency Services Center in Malone helped with the evacuation process last Monday.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the building owners to get those residents back home as soon as possible!”

“The Tupper Lake community really pitched in. It always does when there’s a disaster...we always will!”

“The VFW Post has helped, as has the food pantry, the adult center, Ray Bigrow and Stacy Button...many people and groups have stepped forward to help.”

“I know that village and town officials will help anyway they can to help these people get through this!”

“-And this was a real shame...those remodeled units were all very nice. I’m confident they will be again!”

“I’ve met with the owners from New York City and they want to keep Don Smith’s up to snuff and very nice in the years ahead!”

“Their manager Debbie has done a nice job during this event. -And I talk with Carl Steffen every day! Carl did a good job through all of this as did our firefighters!”

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many accomplished singers headed for local stage tonight

by Dan McClelland

Many folks familiar with the Tupper Lake High School stage but who have been absent from it in recent years will be returning tonight (Wednesday) for what the Tupper Lake Red & Black Players are calling a reunion concert.

The event begins at 7p.m. and it promises to be musically packed.

Some of the returning musicians will be from as current as a year ago to some who performed a decade ago or longer.

Here’s a run-down on some of the talent the audience will find on stage tonight. Some of the singers will be accompanied on piano by Liz Cordes and some will perform to the musical sound track of the song.

Local teacher Danielle LaMere will sing “Gimme, Gimme” from “Thoroughly Modern Millie” which the Red & Black Players did in 2011.

Kendall Davison is all set to sing “Little Girls” from the musical “Annie,” performed on stage here in 2010.

Kirsten Denis will perform “Everybody Loves Louis” from the musical, “Sunday in the Park with George.”

George Cordes, who founded the Red & Black Players over a decade ago with his wife, Liz, will apply his rich bass voice to “The Impossible Dream” from “Man of LaMancha.” He will be accompanied by his wife on piano.

George and Liz’s daughter Annachristi will entertain the crowd that evening with her rendition of “Whatever Happened to My Part,” from “Spamalot.”

Noah Cordes will offer up the lively “Luck Be A Lady,” from the popular “Guys and Dolls,” performed by the Red & Black company in 2018.

“She Used to be Mine” from “Waitress” will be sung by Samantha Brickey, accompanied by Mrs. Cordes.

Bryce Davison will team up with his cousin Noah and maybe a few others to belt out “Mama Says”- one of the favorites from “Footloose,” performed her in 2019.

Laura McGowan, who graduated over 15 years ago, will be back tonight to sing “What I Did For Love,” from “Chorus Line.” She will be accompanied on piano.

Mitchell Jensen will sing the light-hearted “I’m Allergic to Cats,” from “Theory of Relativity,” never performed here.

Another familiar face on the local stage in recent years will be Saide Johnson, performing “Dandelions.”

Laura and Bryce will sing a duet, “I’ll Cover You” from the Broadway hit, “Rent.”

Laura will also be singing with her friend Redia Spada the familiar “Stepsisters Lament” from “Cinderella,” performed here a decade ago.

“Dear Theodosia” from the Broadway musical “Hamilton” will be sung by another duo, Abby St. Onge and Kendall Davison.

Another local pair, Stephanie Fortune and Sophia Martin will put their voices together in harmony when they perform “By My Side,” from “Godspell,” performed here in 2017.

The trio of Annachristi Cordes, Danielle LaMere and Kirsten Denis, accompanied by Mrs. Cordes, will perform “Ladies Who Lunch” from the musical “Company.”

Vocalists Melissa Savage, Morgan Facteau, Jamie Gachowski, Allison Sexton, Maurice Fortune and Amy Wilson are expected to have a lot of fun with “Kids” from “Bye, Bye Birdie,” last performed on stage here 15 years ago.

Rounding out what is expected to be a wonderful musical evening here are two familiar pieces, “Anything Goes” and “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” that will be sung by ensembles of two dozen or more, who will include (not mentioned above) Karen Bujold, Billie Gadway, Andrew Trudeau, Lowden Pratt, Jenna Switzer, Mitchell Baker, Emileigh Smith, Breanna Trombley and Nolan Savage.

While there won’t be an admission charge, the event is actually a fundraiser for needed musical supplies and equipment that the Red & Black Players generally provides its young musicians.

Microphones and head sets for the young performers are in short supply and so all proceeds from the concert will be to buy more of those, according to Liz Cordes, who will be directing the concert with husband George.

Donations of every size are most welcome and together they will go a long ways to helping our students this year and in future years when they are performing on the school stage, Mrs. Cordes told the Free Press in recent weeks.

Charlie’s back….

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

Kiwanis Castle of Toys delivering toys Saturday

The Kiwanis Club’s Castle of Toys extends a very hearty Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all its many supporters here The Kiwanis Castle of Toys, its busy elves and an even busier Santa will deliver gifts on Saturday, December 17, starting at 9 am. Pick-ups will occur beginning at 9 am at the VFW Post 3120, Santa’ home away from the North Pole.

Reunion concert to enrich school concerts here this month

by Dan McClelland

The holiday concert series in local schools this month will be enriched by a new event featuring the alumni from many past musicals and concerts here. It’s a power-packed Reunion Concert presented by the Red & Black Players. Those talented musicians performing are past performers on the high school stage here, who are now in college or in work careers.

Students of the local school district will be in concert three nights next week, entertaining parents and family members.

On Tuesday the high school chorus and orchestra will perform in the high school auditorium, beginning at 6:30p.m. The next night, Wednesday, the fourth and fifth graders at L.P. Quinn are all set to perform at the elementary school at 6:30p.m. The third in the three-night concert series will be on Thursday when the middle school students of sixth, seventh and eighth grades will delight the audience at the high school auditorium, beginning at 6:30p.m.

The next week, on Wednesday, December 21, is when many who have performed on stage in the musicals and dramas of the Red and Black Players will be coming home early for Christmas for the big Reunion Concert.

While there won’t be an admission charge, the event is actually a fundraiser for needed supplies and equipment that the Red & Black Players generally provides its young musicians.

Microphones and head sets for the young performers are in short supply and so all proceeds from the concert will be to buy more of those, according to Liz Cordes, who will be directing the concert and who with her husband George formed the Red & Black Players over seven years ago. George and Liz are huge boosters of musicals and drama every year in local schools.

Donations of every size are most welcome and together they will go a long ways to helping our students this year and in future years when they are performing on the school stage, she told the Free Press this past week.

Some of these sophisticated microphone/receiver units run $300 or more each.

If the event can produce $1,500 to $2,000 in donations upwards of a half a dozen units can be purchased for young Red & Black players to use when they perform here. Right now, when the company performs plays and musicals, headsets are borrowed from the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, which Mr. Cordes has been closely associated with over the years. There’s never enough of them for every singer or performer in a production, and so typically only the leads are loaned one.

What began as a comment on Facebook, has blossomed into a full-blown production that evening over two dozen singers ready to perform solos, duets and ensemble numbers.

Some singers will perform to track music, while others will be accompanied by Mrs. Cordes on piano.

Some of the alumni members already signed up for the show include: Jenna Switzer, Abby St. Onge, Mitchell Baker, Emileigh Smith, Saide Johnson, Bryce Davison, Allison Sexton, Kirsten Denis, Breanna Trombley, Nolan Savage, Stephanie Fortune, Annachristi Cordes, Kendall Davison, Danielle LaMere, Mitchell Jensen, Johnathan Jauron, Sophia Martin, Karen Bujold, Billie Gadway, Andrew Trudeau, Lowden Pratt, Samantha Brickey, Redia Spada, George Cordes and Laura McGowan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ten local projects that made the final cut were:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Griffin Shaheen

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

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

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

Kyler McClain and Brendan Clark.

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