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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

Eric won Tinmans in 1998 and 2009.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tinmans are commonly known as half-Ironmans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Valedictorian Olivia Ellis talked of overcoming challenges, pessimism of others

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Important village water meeting June 29 at high school

by Dan McClelland

The public meeting unhappy and concerned water customers have been waiting for since a large public village meeting over a month ago has been called for tomorrow, Thursday, June 29.

Mayor Paul Maroun announced Monday that Senator Dan Stec and Assemblyman Billy Jones were both available to attend the important session to listen to residents’ concerns. The mayor promised upset water customers at his board’s May meeting he’d bring all state parties together soon to publicly discuss the various problems with the village’s current water system- as soon as the two state lawmakers were free.

Both have been in Albany in past weeks as the state legislature is still in session.

Senator Stec and Assemblyman Jones both informed him in recent days the June 29 meeting would fit into their schedules.

The session will begin at 5:30p.m. in the high school auditorium which has seating to accompany over 200 and a stage for the presenters that evening.

Mr. Maroun has also encouraged the state department of health and environmental conservation to send their representatives to the meeting to share the state and legal perspectives on the brown water containing high concentrations of iron from the wells at Pitchfork Pond and the toxin-containing water from the Little Simond source. Also expected to attend are the village engineers from C2AE of Canton that guided the well project.

50th annual Tupper Lake Arts Show begins today at Tupper Arts

Beginning today Tupper Arts on Park Street will host the 50th annual Tupper Lake Arts Show- featuring some of the best paintings, photographs and ceramics produced by local and area artists.

It’s a home-grown show with deeps roots here that has intrigued gallery-goers for decades. For many years the event was held at the local library before Tupper Arts rejuvenated it.

The event runs through Independence Day and those who appreciate great art in a wide cross-section of artistic media- from wood-working to textiles to sculptures to painting should plan to visit the Tupper Arts gallery Wednesdays through Sundays from 11a.m. to 5p.m.

Most everything will be for sale, organizers say. Admission is free.

Senior student musicians honored at last school concert

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mayoral updates on water issue

In response to calls at the recent village board meeting from members of the new residents’ water group on Facebook, Mayor Paul Maroun reports this week that Senator Dan Stec and Assemblyman Billy Jones have both been invited for a Tupper Lake meeting to delve more deeply into this issue. A response from the two state lawmakers is expected soon so a meeting date can be finalized.

The mayor also reports that the state Health Department officials the village are working with are hopeful to start treating the well water with a new phosphorous product soon to stem the iron coloring.

School architects reveal details of proposed new building improvement plan

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All exterior entrance doors would be replaced with card access.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former Oval Wood Factory: “It’s a go!”

by Dan McClelland

“It’s a go!” was the word from Joe Gehm, the lead developer in the former Oval Wood Dish Factory housing project this past week.

The developers were waiting for a package of state tax credits to help them build the estimated $35 million apartment complex on Demars Blvd. which will include a new production brewery by Joe Hockey and Mark Jessie of Raquette River Brewing.

Mayor Paul Maroun, who has been working with Mr. Gehm and his partners on the apartment complex project in recent years, announced the good news at the May board meeting.

He read a letter from Commissioner Ruth Anne Visnauskas of the Homes and Community Renewal Agency of New York that approved the developers’ application submitted last fall.

“HCR has approved awards of up to $1.216 million of Low-Income Tax Credit, $500,000 of NYS Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, $5.2 million of New York State Housing Trust Fund, $1.4 million of Federal Housing Trust Fund, $5 million of Housing Development Fund, $2.133 million of NYS Home funds and $500,000 of Community Investment Fund to assist in the development of 80 affordable residential units.”

The state grant and credits are part of New York “Workforce Housing” initiative, directed by HCR.

The developers had applied for many of those same funds a year ago, but didn’t win the funds. The new award was made by the state in late April.

Mr. Gehm said they are currently working on completing all of their construction documents. “We’re hoping to have a closing date on construction financing by the end of the year.”

“This is our main project with the 80 apartment units and the Raquette River Brewery.”

Mr. Gehm and his partners are also working on a second project on the Fletcher family property behind the former Oval Wood Dish complex.

Mr. Gehm hopes for a ground-breaking on the first phase early in 2024.

A 12-month to 14-month construction period is anticipated for occupancy by its new tenants in 2025.

As part of the funding package to help finance the project, at the May meeting Mayor Maroun announced that the Village of Tupper Lake was awarded $1.6 million for phase 1 of the project, which involves the redevelopment of 126,000 square feet of vacant former industrial space in nine connected buildings- a combination of workforce housing, market-rate housing and various types of commercial space, including the production brewery.

He said it was part of the Restore New York Communities Initiative.

He said the village grant is in addition to $32 million in private funds, low-interest loans and the state tax credit package.

The tax credits approved by Governor Kathy Hochul will come, he said, in the amount of $1.75 million per year for ten years. The balance of the state funding package, he noted, comes in very low-interest loans.

He called it wonderful news for the community, as a partial remedy to Tupper Lake’s tight housing market where it’s very difficult for people to find apartments and houses, so they can move here and fill currently unfilled job positions- many of them in the construction trade and in direct care at Sunmount.

Art teacher and her students share new exhibit at Tupper Arts

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

Three meaningful but enjoyable events set Saturday

by Dan McClelland

Three meaningful but potentially fun events are on tap this coming Saturday, as Tupper Lake moves into its early summer agenda.

The Jamie Rose Power Walk will be again staged Saturday where friends and family members of the late Jamie Rose Martin will again do their best to “break the silence of domestic violence.”

The event is a tribute to Jamie, who was murdered by a former domestic partner a half dozen or so years ago. It’s a call from the grave by the young mother for the community to do whatever it can to stop the scourge of domestic violence, which comes in many forms.

The event will be between 11a.m. and 2p.m. at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park Rotary Pavilion.

The registration cost includes a souvenir shirt, a swag bag and a donation to the Jamie Rose stop domestic violence fund.

To register go to jamierosepowerwalk.racewire.com.

There promises to be plenty of raffles, good music and games.

More details can be found in our “Events Calendar,” sponsored by the Merrill J. Thomas/ The Gillis Team, which appears in this issue for the first time this summer season.

After the power walk, the attention will turn to the VFW Post No. 3120 at 196 Park Street where the local veterans are staging what they are calling “a triple toss fundraiser” for the Veterans Memorial Park in the center of our uptown business district on Park Street.

Monies raised will help the local veteran organizers buy an Amish shed for storage there, and to update the landscaping and sprinklers there, which were originally donated by the Brainard Beausoleil family over a decade ago.

There’ll be plenty of picnic-style goodies served at the post from 3p.m. to whenever the fun is done.

The triple toss will be comprised of three games- corn hole, shuffle board and darts. Teams will consist of two players and their will be first, second and third prizes for the best shooters and tossers.

Saturday here will also be the start of Tupper Arts’ speaker series featuring an afternoon with Dr. William Tortolano, beginning at 2p.m.

The learned speaker’s talk will be on the Group of Seven, an early 20th century group of influential Canadian painters. It’s free but donations are always welcome to support the arts organization’s many events throughout the year. The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts is the co-sponsor of the lecture.

On Friday evening the weekly Friday night stargazing begins for the season at the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory at 178 Big Wolf Road. It’s a free laser guided tour of the heavens. Call (518) 359-3538 for details.

Memorial Day celebrated with style, honor on a sunny Monday

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Retired Pastor Rick Wilburn delivered the closing prayer.

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

Memorial Day observance planned Monday

It’s the Adirondack Leatherneck Marine Corp League’s turn to host the Memorial Day service at the Veterans’ Park on Park Street Monday at 11a.m.

The two veterans’ events here each year always feature performances by both the Tupper Lake High School Band, under the direction of Laura Davison, and the Tupper Lake Honor Guard, led by Mike Larabie.

This year’s guest speaker will be Tupper Lake Town Supervisor Rickey Dattola.

Wreaths will be laid at the monument of those veterans who have passed. All local organizations are welcome to join and lay a wreath.

Poppies are being given out this week at Saturday’s “Party on Park” and at the two local supermarkets. Donations to the local poppy fund go to help local veterans.

Many more trains coming and leaving Tupper this summer

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

Two fun events for residents, visitors Saturday: Mud Ball and Tupper Lake Adult Prom

by Dan McClelland

Tupper Lake adults have two events in the community to enjoy this Saturday evening.

Tupper Arts is thanking its many supporters here with the Return of the Mud Ball- a fun event that has drawn nice-sized crowds in the years it has been held here.

It’s the popular arts group’s way of encouraging its patrons and many friends to shake off the winter blues and come out and dance.

This year’s Mud Ball will again be held at Raquette River Brewing.

The very dance-able tunes of the 1970s and 1980s will be supplied in robust fashion by the talented six musicians of Tupper Lake’s “Night School.” So wear your comfortable, dancing shoes!

The admission, as in the past, is free and the first drink of the evening is on Tupper Arts.

The evening will also feature a raffle and silent auction, with proceeds to benefit Tupper Arts and all its programs throughout the year.

Mud Ball happens Saturday from 5p.m. to 8p.m. For information about it or any of the many classes, performances and exhibits sponsored by Tupper Arts, visit TupperArts.org.

A new event that same evening is the Town of Tupper Lake Recreation/Youth Activities Department’s adult prom, entitled “What’s My Age Again?”

For those here with fond memories of their high school prom and maybe their first official date, it’s sort of a trip back in time to a 90s-themed prom. The adult prom (18 years and older) doesn’t begin until 7p.m.- so there’s enough time to take in both events that evening. The prom runs to 10p.m.

The Adult Prom will be held at the Tupper Lake Country Club restaurant, under the operation this year of Scott Bell and his staff. Scott’s calling his new place “The Clubhouse.”

There will be appetizers and a cash bar, and music will be served up by DJ Max Nason of Saranac Lake.

Tickets have been selling well, reports Recreation Director Laura LaBarge, but people shouldn’t delay as only 200 tickets are available. The $30 per person tickets may be purchased by using the scan code shown on the town department’s advertisement in this week’s paper.

The idea for new adult prom event came from the town’s new recreation director. Laura explains that she loved the proms when she was in high school and attended every one in your years at Tupper High.

“Every once in a while I’ll be out somewhere in the community, and someone will tell me: ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have a prom for adults here?’”

Adult prom have been popular in other communities, she noted last week.

Laura said she’s hoping people will take in both events that evening.

All proceeds from Tupper Lake’s first adult prom will go to the town’s youth programs, which include youth sports and the summer day camp, to name just two.

She said she is hoping to create several “signature drinks” at Scott’s new bar- “perhaps with funny names to mark what she hopes is the evening’s nostalgia.

To help with the fundraising there will be a
Chinese auction for ten or so gift baskets- full of all sorts of goodies- that will be raffled off and awarded. A very nice, very expensive Yetsi cooler will also be given to some lucky ticket-holder that evening in a separate drawing.

As the popularity of the town’s various youth programs increases- with growing numbers- so go the costs, and hence the reason for this new event, explains Mrs. LaBarge.

To add a little silliness to Saturday’s event, the recreation director has arranged to have a do it yourself photo booth on hand to snap posed photos of prom-goers and their friends.

Many of the participants will be sporting the tradition dress finery of proms, while others many take a less formal approach, in keeping with Tupper Lake custom.

But the aim, according to Mrs. LaBarge, is to return that evening to the 1990s and its trademark music, dust off their old prom duds, and relive some old memories with friends.

Cloudsplitter Foundation gift to help install new museum floor

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

New budget doesn’t fund three police positions, but produces tax rate like two years ago

by Dan McClelland

The tax rate that Tupper Lake village taxpayers are looking at when they get their tax bills next month is about the same one they were looking at this time two years ago.

That’s because the board, at various workshops in recent weeks cut about $190,000 in projected spending for next year.

A new smaller budget was adopted by the village board at a special meeting last Monday.

In the proposed budget the board has been reviewing in recent weeks, total spending for next year was forecast at $3.395 million- which was a spending decrease over the current year of 0.17% or $5,841.

After an expected fund balance of $100,000 and projected revenues in the new village year beginning in June of $1.049 million, a tax levy (amount paid by village taxpayers collectively) of $2.346 million was in prospect. That levy projected was up by 4.57% or $49,189 over the village’s allowable state tax cap of $2.296 million.

In the proposed budget before the cuts in recent weeks a tax rate of $16.459 per $1,000 of assessed valuation of property was in view.

Since early April when the draft budget was released to the board by Treasurer Mary Casagrain there have been cuts- the most significant of them in the $1.3 million proposed budget of the Tupper Lake Village Police Department.

In the proposed budget of Chief Eric Proulx were $647,639 in salaries for the chief, three sergeants and four uniformed officers. Also included were about $155,000 in salaries for replacements for Officer Mike Vaillancourt, who retired this year and Officers Brandon Duchaine and Kris Clark, who resigned their positions this past year.

Because the department can’t find officers to replace them, the village leaders removed $190,100 from the final budget, which included the $154,500 in salaries, $1,600 in the clothing allowances for the three, and $34,000 for social security payments and hospital and medical benefits for those positions.

Another major adjustment- this time on the revenue side of the plan- was an increase of $20,000 in new revenue from the increased price of garbage stickers in the new year (See related story this week).

So in the final plan total spending that funds the police, fire, public works and office departments in the village’s general fund spending was cut to $3.2 million- down by 5.75% or $195,941. It produced a new tax levy of $2.136 million which is under the allowable state tax cap by 4.79% or by $160,919.

The final budget forecasts a tax rate of $14.98 per $1,000- down by 79 cents per $1,000 below the current tax rate and only a penny per $1,000 assessed valuation over the rate in 2021-22 budget two years ago.

At a special meeting last Monday, the board began by rescinding the motion it made in recent weeks and dispensed with the local law which would have permitted it to override the state-mandated tax cap.

“No matter what we do with the budget tonight, we are now under the tax cap, so we need to rescind the tax cap override we passed earlier,” Mayor Paul Maroun said calling for a motion to rescind it.

“We do it every year once we know we’re under the cap!”

Trustees Eric Shaheen and David Maroun made that motion and it passed unanimously.

At one point in the meeting the board adjourned briefly to executive session to consider a budget-related personnel matter.

In advance of going into private deliberations, Trustee Eric Shaheen said the main reason the budget was decreasing and would be under the tax cap is that the three vacant police positions were not included in the budget spending forecast.

“If there were police officers we could hire, we’d be in a different situation right now. If we could have filled those positions, it wouldn’t have been an easy budget year. We would have been well over the tax cap!” Mr. Shaheen stressed.

“Following up on what Eric said, it’s not our fault” we couldn’t find police officer candidates to fill those positions, stated Mayor Maroun. “We tried to find candidates to hire.”

Responding to some of the comments he’s read on social meeting, Trustee Shaheen stated: “We did not choose to do 12-hour shifts” and reduce police coverage here to one shift per day. “There is no one out there to hire...nobody.”

He said when the New York State Police can’t hire enough troopers, the state prison system cannot hire enough correctional officers, “it’s 100% out of the village board’s control” to find police officers.

“We can’t pull people out of the air!”

The Free Press publisher asked the board about its canvassing and recruitment efforts around the state and region, other than just canvassing off county civil service roles.

“The chief did,” Mayor Maroun assured him. Chief Proulx apparently made many calls to other departments around the state looking for officers to hire here.

“Look at corrections,” noted Trustee “Haji” Maroun, himself a state correctional officer. “They got rid of the test- and I don’t know how they did it with civil service rules. But it’s application-only now when people apply to be correctional officers.”

Mr. Shaheen said the state police have also dramatically lessened their once strict hiring requirements. “The state police cannot find people to become troopers!”

Mr. Shaheen claimed that New York State’s poorly thought out bail reform laws introduced by former Governor Cuomo is one of the roots of the problems that young people don’t want to become police officers today. “It has crucified police officers in this state. No one wants to become a police officer. Until bail reform is changed, you won’t see a difference!” he insisted.

Trustee Leon LeBlanc made it very clear that evening that he didn’t like the decision the board made to not fund those three police positions this year. “We made it very clear to Eric (Chief Proulx) that if he comes up with someone or several people to hire six months from now, we’ll find the money some where to hire them!”

“Yes, we will,” asserted Trustee Shaheen.

“The majority of the problem with crime” in this town and in this state is the bail reform laws. “You can have 150 police officers in your town but there will still be crime, because for law-breakers there are no repercussions for any crime you do now!”

“Criminals now get arrested and then released on their own recognizance” to appear in court months later, Trustee Shaheen asserted.

“Most times no one in this state goes to jail now,” added Trustee Maroun.

“Dust Rings in Space” lecture Thursday

The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory continues the free Live Virtual Lectures on Thursday May 4th at 7 p.m. with "Dust Rings in Space" presented by Dr. Josh Thomas.

James Webb Space Telescope has captured an amazing set of ring-like features around a pair of stars called WR 140. These rings are the result of complex interactions between winds in the binary (pair) of stars. Despite some headlines, astronomers were not baffled by these rings. Some of the basic measurements about the nature of the system and how the rings formed will be presented in this exciting but windy talk.

Join Dr. Thomas for this free zoom lecture on May 4th at 7pm. Josh is an Associate Professor of Physics and the Director of the Reynolds Observatory at Clarkson University, as well as a member of the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory board.

To register for this free zoom event, go to the Adirondack Sky Center.org/events or our facebook page.

The Adirondack Sky Center inspires people to discover and explore the “Wilderness Above” through curiosity, observation and scientific investigation. All previous lectures have been recorded and available for viewing on the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory YouTube channel.

To learn more, visit adirondackskycenter.org info@adirondackskycenter.org or call (518) 359-3538.

“Party on Park” is on, but food, beverage mobile vendors out

by Dan McClelland

“Party on Park” is still on for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, but there’s a new condition.

In its final approval of the street-closing of the two blocks of the Park Street business district Monday night, the village board, at the insistence of Trustee Eric Shaheen, voted to not permit mobile food or drink vendors to participate.

The street closing still awaits approval from the Watertown office of the state Department of Transportation.

Mr. Shaheen first raised his concern about including the mobile food units in the coming event and the harm they could do to the actual restaurants and eateries in the uptown business district when the board met to continue work on the new budget Thursday.

Following the discussion that evening Mayor Paul Maroun said he talked with Dan McClelland and Josh Mclean about the food vendor condition. Mr. McClelland, as acting chamber of commerce president and retailers Josh Mclean and Garrett Kopp pitched the “Party on Park” revival plan at the regular April board meeting. The mayor said he also spoke with Tupper Arts President Sue Delehanty, who also appeared that night to back the event.

Mr. Maroun said Monday the event organizers said they could accept the board condition.

Mr. Shaheen asked Monday if the board could put his condition into a formal board motion and his colleagues agreed.

Trustee Leon LeBlanc brought the motion, noting that only that actual businesses on the street that sell food could sell it.

“But if someone wants to bring some beer-testing thing to the event, that’s fine,” he added to his motion.

“Why is that?” Trustee David “Haji” Maroun asked. “It would be a booth.” He noted that Stewart’s Shop in the uptown business district sells beer, asking why it should have competition from a beer vendor.

At the past two “Party on Park” events Raquette River Brewing has brought samples of its beer to give away.

“I’m talking about food, Haji,” Mr. LeBlanc stated. “I want the people who come to the event to go into the restaurants to eat. I don’t want food vendors on the street!”

Mr. Maroun wondered if organizers had requested an exception to the town’s open container ordinance, as Tupper Brewing had done when it hosted events on Cliff Ave. in past years.

Mr. LeBlanc said that was not part of the request by the retailers to the board.

“So what kind of vendors” do you want to permit to operate on the street, the mayor asked them that evening.

“No food or beverage vendors,” Trustee Shaheen suggested.

“Well, what about a brick and mortar business here like Raquette River Brewing that has a vendor cart?” the mayor asked his board members.

“If they sell food, then no,” Trustee LeBlanc told the mayor.

“The visitors can’t be drinking alcohol on the streets anyways. That’s a local law,” Trustee Jason McClain told his colleagues.

Trustee David Maroun suggested that Well Dressed Food, which sells Raquette River products in its restaurant, could sell that beer there. The local restaurant features sidewalk tables all summer, and it could be served there.

Trying to gauge the board sentiment Mayor Maroun wondered if Annie Eldred, who owns Cabin Fever Floral could bring a mobile flower cart to the event and the board members felt she could, since she operates at brick and mortar business here.

“So it’s just food and beverages” we’re not allowing? The mayor asked. “I just want to make sure.”

The board members said they were the two items that shouldn’t be sold by a mobile vendor, out of consideration for the restaurants on the street.

“That was the big gripe last year,” Trustee Shaheen reminded them.