Three Lions Club dignitaries visit Tupper club

About two dozen members of the Tupper Lake Lions Club entertained special guests on April 18 when the current district governor, the last district governor and the next district governor came to town. The meeting was held at Allison Hollingsworth spacious staff room above Hollingsworth Construction on High Street. Flanking Lions Club President Stuart Nichols were at right DG Priscilla Laurin of Chazy and her husband, Rickey, was district governor last year and at immediate left, Holly McConcie of Galway, incoming district governor and Margot Warlrath, another Lion from the Galway club who accompanied her that evening.

An amazing prime rib supper with all the fixin’s was prepared by the club’s culinary pros- Lions Kurt and Mark Garrelts, Paul LaMere and Rick Skiff. Carrott cake fresh from the oven of Lion Cindy Lewis crowned off a meal fit for Lions. Club members raved about the main course and the dessert.

In her address to the local Lions DG Laurin encouraged the club to donate to the Lions Club International Foundation, which performs major acts of disaster relief around the world. Through LCIF local clubs can apply for generous matching grants to help fund local civic projects and she encouraged the hometown club to apply.

Last year the club embraced the Tupper Lake Varsity Hockey Team and purchased new special team uniforms as well as publicly feting the successful team and its top players.

DG Laurin said those expenditures would have been great candidates for LCIF grants.

Donations of $250 a year for four years qualifies the club for a Melvin Jones Award to recognize outstanding Lions and community members.

She applauded the club for its recent boost in membership, noting the club has grown by over ten members since last year. Such growth makes the local club eligible for an award from Lions International, she announced.

DG Laurin also encouraged Lions to bring their children and grandchildren along with them as they work on community civic projects. She said it instills in them community pride early in their lives by working on projects that help this community. Those young folks, learning the ways of Lionism early, make them excellent candidates for Lions membership when they become adults.

She also urged the local Lions to consider starting a teenage Leo Club here.

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planners see preliminary plans on new Boulevard hotel project

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

He also provided a project overview:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He said that was his purpose that evening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New book by Jerry Hayes details history of Tupper Lake Civic Center

by Dan McClelland

The history of the Tupper Lake Civic Center is the focus of a new book by long time coach and local attorney, Jeremiah Hayes.

The story of the civic center- one of Tupper Lake’s crowning moments in volunteerism- is now on sale exclusively at Park Street’s Spruce and Hemlock. All the net proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated later this year to the Tupper Lake Minor Hockey Association, as a gift by the author and the owners of Spruce and Hemlock, Faith and Andrew McClelland.

Cost of the new book is $11 plus tax.

The new book covers the period of 1980 to 2020, but focuses in large part on the founding and construction years of the major community recreational asset in the early 1980s. The book is dedicated to Tom Proulx and Phil Edwards who conceived, planned and supervised the construction of the facility, according to Mr. Hayes.

The local author devoted entire pages to each of them and their families in his new publication.

According to the author, “it’s a story about the marvelous community achievement accomplished selflessly by donors, volunteers, town, village and school boards, local professionals, parents and players in constructing this facility which is one of the finest in the North Country.”

The author began work writing the book over a year ago, and interviewed a number of local people who were involved with the civic center project from the start. The book includes many photos of the work bees taken by long time Free Press Photographer Kathleen Bigrow, from her collection now held by Jim Lanthier. Mr. Lanthier also contributed several shots for its cover.

Mr. Hayes grew up in Potsdam where in the 1950s he played hockey in the Potsdam Junior Hockey Association and at Potsdam Central School. He moved to Tupper Lake in 1977 with his family and practiced law for the next 37 years. His first son, Jay, began playing hockey on the outdoor rink here in the early 1980s and brothers Brendan and Mike joined Jay in playing minor and school hockey at the Tupper Lake Civic Center. The local lawyer worked closely with Tom Proulx and his group behind the scenes in the arena-building campaign, providing legal and professional advice.

Jerry coached many teams here during the time his sons played hockey and continued to coach long after they graduated from the program and from school here.

Now retired, he’s still a frequent visitor and avid hockey fan at games held there.

In an interview with the first-time author last week he said his motivation for writing the book came from several things.

“I was involved pretty much in this from the beginning in the early 1980s. I was involved in coaching in minor hockey at that time and I coached all three of my sons” as they advanced through the hockey program. He said he began working with Tom Proulx and his group as they were working hard to raise the money to build the civic center, providing whatever counsel and advice he could.

Over the years he coached with Garry Lanthier, Bill Hutt and other long-time coaches in the program.

In 2006-07 the high school hockey team didn’t have a coach, so he and Jed Dukett stepped forward, at the urging of their wives, Eileen and Julie, who were both teachers at L.P. Quinn Elementary School.

They were both welcomed into their new jobs by the local athletic department.

In all Jerry coached the varsity team for six years, the first four with Jed.

About 2010 Dan Cook of Potsdam was hired by the school district as a math teacher and he joined the two coaches as a volunteer.

“It was great, because Dan brought a lot of hockey experience with him.”

When Jed stepped down to tend to his young family, Dan, who had been a hockey player, was named as head coach, and Jerry stayed on as his assistant for several years.

“-And I enjoyed those years very much. So that was one of the reasons for the book.”

He said the second reason was his involvement with Tom Proulx and Phil Edwards and their small band of volunteers in the early 1980s as their fundraising began and the project was gaining momentum. “At that time I did whatever they needed me to do, legal or otherwise.”

His secretary Sue LaVigne was serving as the group’s secretary/treasurer at the time, and he joked there wasn’t a day that passed that Tom Proulx wasn’t in his office with money to drop off or for some other matter.

“From the start it was a tremendous community effort- largely volunteer, gathering small donations,” he explained, adding that for years he has felt this wonderful story needed to be told and placed in print for future generations to learn.

He said it was “hand to mouth” for the group for a number of years until it was taken over by the town and then the school district where it benefitted by major improvements like refrigeration in a number of successive capital construction campaigns.

“I thought it was wonderful that the village, the town and the school district officials” worked cooperatively to help this community group build and develop this amazing facility- the pride of the community!”

“-And it was important to tell that story, so generations of hockey players and coaches to come will know how this community came together to build this wonderful arena!”

When Coach Hayes was coaching the high school hockey team one of the most dedicated players was the team’s current head coach, Broyce Guerrette, who played on the team from eighth grade through graduation.

“About three years ago when his team finished the season, I was out of town on vacation. I got a call from Broyce and he told me they wanted to name a sportsmanship award in my honor and I was humbled by that. In the days following his call, I thought about that a lot. Broyce was probably 25 or 26 years old at the time and it dawned on me that he wasn’t even born when our arena was conceived and built.”

“So I think it is important that those younger players and the younger parents in the hockey association now and those involved in the future know this important story!”

In addition to the copies that will be sold at Spruce & Hemlock, the author has also donated a handful of copies to the local library.

Editorial: Seth believed and he was right!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-And fortunately that’s what happened this weekend.

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

Kudos to everyone who made it the success it was!

-Dan McClelland

Big party at Wild Center kicked off “Totality in Tupper” weekend celebration

by Dan McClelland

The Total Eclipse kick-off party Saturday at the Wild Center brought together many residents and weekend visitors to celebrate this once in a life time event in Tupper Lake.

The Wild Center was joined in co-sponsorship of this welcome party by the Adirondack Sky Center, the Tupper Lake Rotary Club, Woodmen Life Lodge, Blueline Concerts and the Tupper Lake Public Library. Each of the sponsors had booths set up with some of their informational products and large prizes which were the subject of online auctions that evening.

Hillarie Logan-Dechene, deputy director of the Wild Center, addressed the 150 or so guests that evening in the Wild Center’s great room, telling them there were three simple goals that evening.

“We want to have fun celebrating Totality in Tupper Lake. We want to shine a light on some of the great things that are happening in our community and the organizations that are making that possible. -And thirdly we want to give you a chance to support all the organizations you love with the silent auction.”

“Bid early and bid often,” she encouraged the guests. She said the procedure to bid was detailed on numerous signs in the room that evening, and staff members and volunteers were available to help.

Following her to the podium that evening were representatives of some of the Wild Center’s event partners, many of whom have spent what she called “countless hours” preparing for the eclipse event.

“The first person you will hear from is the epitome of that, Tupper Lake’s number one fan of totality, Mr. Seth McGowan,” chairman of the Adirondack Sky Museum and Observatory.

Loud applause.

“Welcome everyone and welcome to Totality in Tupper Lake. The year 1349 was the last time we had this party,” he told the cheering guests.

He jokingly encouraged the guests to buy their tickets that evening for the next total solar eclipse coming to Tupper Lake in 2399. “I hope you’re here for it...I’m getting my tickets for it tonight!”

“Let’s talk about the big issue: the weather! Everyone is looking around...we have snow on the ground, we have clouds. You know what? The eclipse doesn’t care!”

He said the eclipse will occur if snow is falling. He said it will still get dark and it will still get cold.

It is estimated the temperature drops between 5 degrees and 15 degrees F. during a total eclipse.

“Animals often act weird...humans sometimes go weird- you know who I’m talking to, right?” pointing out into the crowd. “Pplus because of the instability in the atmosphere when that cloud comes moving 2500 miles an hour, it sometimes causes thunder and lightening and there’s an amazing array of light. It’s a beautiful event- even if there’s clouds. Don’t stay at home!”

He predicted “a bright sunny day and we’ll all get to celebrate that beautiful corona together (ring around the sun). So let’s pray for that and if we don’t get it, who cares? We’re still going to celebrate!”

On the note of celebration, he said “Totality in Tupper” is a community-wide event where his organization partnered with all of the organizations represented that evening.

“We have partnered with all of these organizations here plus the village, the town, the local newspaper and The Wild Center.

He said he hope those able partnerships last until the next one in 2399. “They have all helped put Tupper Lake on the map!”

He offered a special shout-out to Michelle Clement, marketing director of ROOST and the ROOST staff “for not only helping to bring many tourists to Tupper Lake for the event, but for their work spreading the word to bring many visitors this weekend to the entire Adirondack region.

“Finally I’d like to acknowledge that this is the event that the Adirondack Sky Center has hoping for, for a long, long time. We’ve been planning this since 2017, the last time the total eclipse happened across the United States.

Mr. McGowan and his family were at that event in Hopkinsville, Kentucky that year.

“This one is special because it’s happening in our own hometown!

Tupper Lake is positioned in the direct center of the 2,000 plus mile long, 100 mile wide “Path of Totality” that stretched from Texas to Maine, diagonally across this nation.

He said his organization has a very supportive board of trustees and that some of the founding members, including co-founders Marc Staves and Tim Moeller were in the room that evening. He also mentioned Gordie Duval and other observatory visionaries.

“What a tremendous idea this was to form our organization 24 years ago...when this little idea blossomed into an enormous lift for Tupper Lake. What a positive idea (the creation of the observatory organization) for the entire community!”

“I want everyone to enjoy themselves this evening. I’d like to thank the Wild Center for hosting this. Thanks everyone for coming and we’ll see you at 2:12p.m. Monday,” for the start of the eclipse.

Mr. McGowan introduced the next speaker, Susan Delehanty, president of the board of directors of Tupper Arts.

The local arts center on Park Street hosted an impressive art show at its headquarters the evening before that drew several dozen area artists with works themed about “darkness.”

“I wanted to start by giving a community shout-out” to Seth and his team at the sky center for their help in organizing this event and to the Wild Center for its role too, she began that evening.

“It was just over a year ago that Seth invited Tupper Arts to be part of the planning group for this event, and we were very touched to be involved with this!”

“Some of you may have attended our art show that opened last night. Thanks to the hard work of Evie Longhurst, our director, and all of our volunteers and our board members, to put together” one of the first events of this exciting weekend. She said her organization also appreciated being invited to be part of that evening’s online auction.”

She hoped everyone that evening would have a chance to see all the wonderful pieces at the various stations hosted by the participating organizations, and bid, and possibly be one of the successful bidders.

“We’re all looking forward to a nice sunny day on Monday, but as Seth explained, that doesn’t really matter! -And have fun tonight!”

She introduced Therese DeSalvio from the Historic Beth Joseph-based Blueline Concerts.

She explained the concert series will run this year at the local synagogue, the first performance that evening at the same time as the Wild Center party. “If you have been there, it’s a wonderful place to visit to learn its history, and we like it for concerts because the acoustics are absolutely beautiful.”

She said the entire interior is made of wood, “and the musicians who perform there love it!”

That evening’s concert will be repeated for the benefit of all who missed it Saturday on August 20, she told the crowd at the Wild Center. Party.

Another concert in the series is planned for August 15, according to Ms. DeSalvio.

“We bring up top- notch musicians from the city to perform and sometimes from the musical community at Potsdam.”

She encouraged everyone here to come out this summer and enjoy them.

The final speaker was Libby Clark, the development director at the Wild Center.

“First of all thank you for supporting this event. -And thank you also to our sponsors and to our many volunteers!”

She explained to the audience that evening how to bid online for the variety of paintings and other valuable donated prizes at the sponsors’ stations around the great room that evening.

“The proceeds from the sale of the auction items go to the organizations” that donated those keepsake items for the evening’s event.

She pointed to one of the unique gifts up for auction that evening: Larry Churco’s snowshoe coffee table, the proceeds from which will go to Tupper Arts.

The money raised by another special prize, a private star-gazing party, will benefit its host, the Adirondack Sky Museum and Observatory.

She pointed the guests, unfamiliar with the online bidding process, to the many posters in the room with instructions printed on them, and to the volunteers around the room who were there to help.

She told guests too the silent disco was planned later that evening, as well as the films being screened in the Flammer Theater.

The event featured complimentary drinks and an elaborate buffet of hors d’ oeuvres.

Also highlighting the evening were a number of door prizes awarded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traffic

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

Communications

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

Eclipse Glasses

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

Eclipse Timing

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

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

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

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

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

Events and Activities

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

Viewing Events

The two primary eclipse viewing locations in Tupper Lake are:

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

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

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

Transportation & Parking

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get Involved

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

Final “Totality in Tupper” plans reviewed at Friday’s planning session

by Dan McClelland

Seth McGowan, president of the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, has for more than a year directed much of the planning for Monday’s “Totality in Tupper.” He presided over the final planning meeting Friday. Joining him in the board room at L.P. Quinn Elementary School that is the main staging area for the eclipse event, were 15 or so members of the community and representing different organizations here who have been working with Seth for the past year, meeting monthly.

Joining Mr. McGowan that morning for the final wrap-up planning session were Natalie Zurek of the Adirondack Sky Center, Evie Longhurst of Tupper Arts, Michelle Clement of ROOST, Free Press Publisher Dan McClelland, Police Chief Eric Proulx and Sgt. Travis Farmer, Town Councilman Tim Larkin and Rick Godin, Leeanne Favreau, Nick Corcoran and Anna Stuckey- all of the Wild Center.

Others who have been involved with the planning but who were not present for the final session were the library’s Courtney Carey, Tupper Arts President Susan Delehanty, Sarah McGowan, Mark Moeller, Leslie Karasin and The Wild Center’s Hillary Logan-Dechene and Nick Gunn.

Mr. McGowan began the discussion by looking at the digital clock on his web site being streamed which showed ten days, four hours, 47 minutes until what he called “go time.”

“That’s the Totality time, but by now everyone is also amped up with their own activities that are part of the weekend-long event.

The Adirondack Sky Museum has dozens of activities planned for this coming weekend at its staging area at L.P. Quinn Elementary School. So does the Wild Center. An entire schedule of events is published inside this week.

Also planning events are the Goff-Nelson Memorial Library, Tupper
Arts at its headquarter on Park Street and the new Tupper Museum, which is staging an advance opening to show off its spiffy new quarters on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

“My purpose this morning is to bring everything back around to where we started. That is: creating an event that is fun, safe, educational and just a fantastic experience for the community so that people can come in” and be impressed at how well Tupper Lake has done this “and plan to come back and enjoy our community more when they have more time and when it’s not so crowded.”

“That was the premise of this whole group. Everyone had their compartments to deal with- the sky museum had its role to play, the Wild Center had its role, and no one was the overlord of this event, with the exception of The Almighty, himself.”

He said the sky center’s schedule of events for Sunday and Monday is complete. That too is found inside our issue this week.

He screened a map of the L.P. Quinn (also printed inside) that showed the various locations of the activity and merchandise tents, the food trucks, the locations of several media sources which are coming. Aerial drones will be flying above the event to gather what he called “future footage” for planetarium exhibits when it is built here in coming years.

Mr. McGowan said about five food truck operators have been engaged for Sunday and Monday.

“We have our speakers ready to be set up; our volunteer army ready to go!”

He said the school district and its very able building and grounds superintendent, Pierre St. Pierre will be running power lines to the various exhibitors on the fields around the school building this week.

There will be a solar telescope set up for public viewing, “as well as our live feeds to NASA.”

NASA officials are expected to be in attendance at the event.

In addition to the live feeds of the event to NASA, Good Guy Productions of Saranac Lake will also be streaming footage to the NASA channel, Mr. McGowan noted.

The video company’s live screens will also be set up on the grounds Monday.

“So we’re ready to go!” he told his volunteer board that morning.

“All of the equipment is starting to be moved to this building.” He praised the Tupper Lake Board of Education for its support of the solar event there- giving him, the former superintendent of schools, what he called “free rein” of the building and grounds.

“Any room, field or space we needed, the district has gone above and beyond to provide it to us!”

The complete sky center schedule of events is on its web site, with live links to what every activity is, he explained.

Most of those events are listed too on our inside pages this week.

“I hope everyone out there in the world has started to plan their own experience. We’ve been promoting not to wait to come and make a decision what you want to do when you get here, but instead look before you come through the events we’re doing, the events the Wild Center is doing, and make a plan in advance where you want to be at that ground zero moment!”

Many of the exhibits at the school will be on the large soccer field behind the school and bordering Park Street or on what has been dubbed “the Artemis Field,” which is the one below and beyond the parking lot.

Many of the sites at the school have been named for celestial or solar terms.

The school’s playing fields below that field next to the parking lot will also be available for people to gather- depending on how many come, he added.

The school and The Wild Center will be connected for this special event by the bus transportation route and by a primitive road and the fields that connect the two sites.

The Wild Center’s Leeanne Favreau said she and her facility colleagues will be using parking signs that ROOST furnished to guide visitors between the two places. Those signs will be erected on Thursday of this week, she expects.

“Most of our festivities begin on Saturday but we do have some starting on Friday, she told the group.

A list of the Wild Center events is also carried on our inside pages this week.

She said Wild Center video photographer Rick Godin will be live-streaming their events on You Tube all weekend, with links to the Wild Center’s various social media networks.

“The You Tube events can be embedded on any web page,” Mr. Godin explained to the group that morning. “That way when someone goes to one of your web pages, the You Tube footage is there.”

Ms. Favreau said the Wild Center’s Marketing Director Nick Gunn will be on site some of the weekend and she’ll be there when he isn’t to help “the streaming people” and others with their jobs.

She provided Mr. McGowan with several portable radios so he and others can be in constant contact with the Wild Center staffers through their new mobile communications system.

Cell phones will also connect officials at both sites, as a back up to the radios, it was noted.

Ms. Favreau said there will be medical response teams through the Tupper Lake Rescue Squad at both the Wild Center and the school on Monday.

“We are sold out for Monday for pre-registered tickets,” she was pleased to report that morning. She predicted the crowd Monday could be as big as the one that celebrated the opening of the Wild Center several decades ago. The opening day crowd approached 7,000 people.

On recent summer days, and especially since the opening of Wild Walk the facility has seen crowds of over 2,000 people a day. Monday’s sell-out event will at least double that. Saturday and Sunday will likely see a typical summer-time daily attendance, she thought.

Ms. Favreau said it is not uncommon for the crowd on any given day at The Wild Center to double or triple the pre-registered visitors.

“This event will likely be our largest event in our history, aside from our opening day” many years ago. “So this is super exciting!”

“We’re open 10a.m. to 6p.m. to the public on Monday. Our staff people will be coming on site starting at 6:30a.m. so we can prepare.”

She asked that the bus loops Monday not have a stop at The Wild Center until the 10a.m. opening, and Michelle Clement of ROOST, who developed the parking and bus systems, agreed to that.

Mr. McGowan thought too that was a good plan not to have guests arrive before the day’s opening.

Ms. Favreau figured that many of the early birds to the Wild Center might stop first at the school, since the “Totality in Tupper” starts there at 8a.m.

Natalie Zurek assured her the volunteers at the school wouldn’t send any visitors down to the Wild Center until 10a.m. that morning.

The bus routes conclude at 7p.m. and so there will be an effort at both places on Hosley to get visitors on the bus back to the various parking lots in advance of 7p.m.

“We will be announcing throughout the day, in addition to messaging from our greeters here, the importance of people knowing where their cars are parked and which bus route-blue or green- they should be on to get back to their vehicles, Mr. McGowan noted.

He said when the eclipse is over, the buses leaving the school grounds and the Wild Center will be going to the parking lots that are the farthest out first, like the Tupper Lake Golf Course. “These will be express buses, and they won’t stop on their way there through town.”

Mrs. Clement said “all the transportation information and maps are out there” on social media and the ROOST sites,” as well as by scanning the postcards the promotional agency had printed, which is also reprinted in our paper this week.

Mrs. Clement said signs have been printed and will be posted prominently indicating there will not be parking on either side of Hosley Ave. and the Country Club Road- to make room for buses on two of the major corridors of the new bus routes.

She said sections of the village municipal park- especially the lawn areas which are still very wet- will be also posted for no parking.

Mr. McGowan said the school district will have personnel at the bus garage on Monday so that if one of the buses encounters mechanical trouble, another bus from the fleet can be dispatched immediately.

He noted too there will be smaller events at the school grounds after the eclipse which people can stay and enjoy. They are designed to help curb what is expected to be a mass exodus from town late Monday.

“We’ll be re-running on our big screens some of the videos we captured before and during the event and some of the astrophotography shots taken of this solar eclipse,” he gave as one of the activities planned later Monday.

“We’re also thinking about screening the 2014 movie ‘Interstellar’ in the hours after after the eclipse to keep people on site longer,” he told the group.

Ms. Favreau said the Wild Center will continue some of their demonstrations like the glass blowing by Corning and the silent disco through to 6p.m. to try to help slow the exodus.

Her facility, she reported, has received some cancellations from regional schools who were planning a field trip that day to The Wild Center because those school officials are now worried about traffic congestion here on Monday.

Eclipse glasses required for the event are available from ROOST at its office at 2608 Main Street in Lake Placid and from the sky center at the eclipse staging area at L.P. Quinn. Mr. McGowan reported his organization purchased 20,000 pairs of glasses, and they are available free at the school site while supplies last.

Ms. Favreau predicted her organization has about 7,000 glasses to provide visitors.

The Wild Center will also have available what are called “disco balls” to provide hundreds of different sun projections in all directions- one of the fun things planned over the weekend.

There is an organization called Astronomers Without Borders that collects used eclipse glasses after each celestial event and stores them until the next one. The sky center is participating in this collection process after the event Monday and there will likely be bins at the school site to collect them as people leave, Mrs. Zurek reported at the Friday meeting.

Ms. Favreau said the Wild Center would like to do the same thing, using their Americorp volunteers to collect the used glasses and package them up.

She reported that the Astronomers Without Borders has changed its strategy from past eclipses, and is asking donor groups to store those discarded glasses until the group can collect them for the next event in future years.

The sky center organization will have two volunteers on each bus on Monday, serving as tour guides.

Michelle Clement noted that ROOST is encouraging the visitors to all communities to plan doing activities on Saturday and Sunday, while making Monday all about the eclipse and viewing it from their lodgings or a designated viewing place near them.

Mr. McGowan said his group has encouraged visitors in nearby communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Long Lake or Malone to visit the sky center’s events at the local school on Sunday, when things won’t be so congested as Monday.

There will be six food trucks at the school site on Monday but only Tupper’s PorkBusters BBQ will be there Sunday. The other five on Monday only are: The MacFactor, Perk and Pine Coffee, Big Bear ADK, Love, Peace and Grilled Cheese and 876 Jerk. At The Wild Center there will be three food trucks and a bakery stand on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday there will be a fourth food truck. Most will open at 10a.m. or 11a.m. that day.

Ms. Clement said of the local restaurants that are open here this week, several have expanded hours. Several local restaurants, however, will be closed Monday.

Some are selling single specialty items from their front doors or parking lot, she noted.

Ms. Favreau said they have contacted all of their pre-registered visitors to come prepared with coolers and snacks for a possible long ride home. -And bring cash, should there be cell phone interruptions and resulting credit card processing issues.

“Yes, bring coolers of snacks of drinks and food, but leave them in your car, because you may need that stuff on your way home,” Mr. McGowan agreed.

At the close of the hour-long the volunteers that day gave Mr. McGowan a round of applause for the work he put into the planning of what is expected to be the largest event of its kind to be held in this community, since the hey days of the Woodsmen’s Days in the 1990s.

Mr. McGowan also offered “a shout out” to Michelle Clement for her contributions to the various logistics of the event.

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recreation Department’s Adult Prom raised over $1,500 for summer day camp

The Town of Tupper Lake’s Recreation Department reports there was a great turnout for its second annual Adult Prom at the Raquette River Brewery Saturday evening.

The event was billed as a major fundraiser for the town’s growing summer day camp program and to that end it produced a big boost for the town program. Over $1,500 was raised to help underwrite growing costs each summer.

Besides local supporters, it brought people in from Vermont, Lisbon and the Watertown area. A few adults were grateful as it was their first prom experience ever or they got a chance to "re-do" their original prom. There was a mixture of formal attire and casual 80's wear.

Organizers Laura LaBarge and Christielee Geiger say the event wouldn’t have enjoyed the success it did, without the help of many volunteers who included Mary Kay Strack, Brent Cook, Courtney Carey, Katelyn Drasye, Laurie Fuller, Jessica Eggsware, Kathy Savage, and the four Wild Center AmeriCorps volunteers.

Other individuals and groups also had a big hand in the success, including the host site, Raquette River Brewing, bartenders Annie and Allison who did amazing work all night. The musical entertainment provided by “Night School” and the band’s new sound man, Leon Jessie, was top rate and Magnus and his crew at Fusion Street turned out some delicious food.

Another highlight of the evening were the “Moon Cookie” treats produced by Mary Churco at Spruce and Hemlock bakery.

Michelle Clement, the ROOST marketing director and one of Night School’s biggest fans, arranged for the more than 125 guests free Eclipse stickers and county’s Tourism office and its Adirondack Frontier division provided free “Totality in Tupper Lake” eclipse glasses.

Organizers also noted that MAC's Safe Ride Continued was another important piece of the event for being available to prom-goers to have a safe ride home from the event.

Sponsors/Basket donations were furnished by Santa and his Elves, Brooke Bell, Jessica Vaillancourt, Lisa Reed, Pam Arsenault, Birch Boys, KW Ranch, Vicki Hubbard, Laurie Fuller, Mary Kay Strack, Christielee Geiger, Laura LaBarge, and Wild Center. The many raffles and auxiliary fundraisers helped make the event the financial success it was.

Some of the prize winners of the evening were: Donna and Matt Averill, Kati King, Brittany Bush, Kellie Trudeau, Clay Sauvie, Rachel Helt, Ashley Colby and Bobbie Jo White.

Mrs. LaBarge called the community support for the Adult Prom “truly a blessing” for the local kids, many of whom wouldn’t be able to attend the camp without the town scholarship this event will help to provide. (All photos by Christielee Geiger)

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

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Legally Blonde, the Musical” coming to high school stage this weekend

These are just some of the scenes local musical-goers will see when the Tupper Lake Red and Black Players present the delightful “Legally Blonde, the Musical,” on the high school stage. The lively show is all about the musical journey of Elle Woods from the Delta Nu Sorority at UCLA to Harvard Law School and the antics along the way as she charms here way in. There are three shows- March 22 and 23 at 7p.m. and a matinee on Sunday, March 24 at 2p.m.

Tickets are available at the door and children five years and under are free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

County’s social services agency opening more offices here

by Dan McClelland

Franklin County Commissioner of Social Services Michelle Mulverhill met with County Legislator Nedd Sparks at Ivy Terrace in recent days to scope out some of the rooms her office will be renting there.

It’s part of an overall plan to expand the services of her agency to Tupper Lake to better serve those who rely it here.

The first step occurred several months ago when the county rented one office off the large Ivy Terrace community room.

That led to the recent hiring of Adirondack Adult Center Director Stacey Button to staff that office on a full-time basis. Stacey’s now there during normal business hours each day of the week to distribute applications to people seeking public assistance and to explain to them what information is needed for them to include in their applications.

She’s doing interviews with people that are required at the beginning of the process, Mrs. Mulverhill explained. Once all the initial work is done, the paperwork is then sent to the main office in Malone for processing.

According to Mr. Sparks, who has been lobbying since last fall to have a permanent presence for the county’s social services agency here in Tupper Lake, the first office and Stacey’s presence have been very well received thus far. It’s helping people avoid the trips to either Saranac Lake or Malone to apply for help.

The next step was the reason the reason for Mrs. Mulverhill’s visit to the administrative wing of the local housing complex.

Social services is expected to create again a full-service satellite office in Tupper Lake, under the current plan, according to the county commissioner.

“We’ll have case workers working here” representing several parts of her agency which deal with children, including child protective services.”

She noted that several CPS case workers already live in Tupper Lake so it will be handy for them. Case workers in other social services divisions will also use the office space when they are in town seeing local clients. While they will be using the new office space for their paperwork, typically the county case workers visit people in their homes for reasons of privacy.

In all the county is looking to occupy three of the Ivy Terrace offices and the commissioner and Mr. Sparks were there that recent day to forge the new office plan. As the director of maintenance at Ivy Terrace Mr. Sparks knows every aspect of the facility.

The case workers who work in prevention, adult protective care and foster care will also be using the new offices from time to time when their work brings them to Tupper Lake, according to the commissioner.

Mr. Sparks feels that bringing more county offices here is not only good for the local economy and for those in need of county services, it will also build traffic and add riders to the local county buses circulating here and throughout the county.

The county legislator and Supervisor Ricky Dattola have also secured a promise from the county board to provide surplus buses to the town as early as this summer- to help further community bussing programs here.

The one office that social services will use is the one on the most westerly end of the building which for a time was called “the library.” That’s where the various case workers will be.

The second office, across the community room from Stacey Button’s financial office, will be for private meetings between case workers and clients, out of public view.

As for its other south-end offices in Saranac Lake, the social services agency is in transition, as the lease for its space in the former Niagara Mohawk building is up. That’s the building which some on the APA are interested in situating, relocating from the agency’s long time headquarters in Ray Brook.

Mrs. Mulverhill said they expect to have a smaller satellite office in Saranac Lake in new quarters there with a financial person like what Ms. Button is doing here.

She said they are looking at various places for the offices, but no decision has been made yet on specific locations.

The commissioner noted that with respect to space size and rental fees, officials at the Tupper Lake Housing Authority which operates Ivy Terrace “have been very accommodating” to bring more county offices here.

In an interview several weeks ago County Manager Donna Kissane explained that finding affordable office space is always a big part of bringing county services to all parts of the county. Mrs. Mulverhill agreed, saying having more county offices here really helps local residents get the services they need.

She noted, too, having offices in all the three communities in the county provides more opportunities for more “face to face” meetings between case workers and clients.

All offices at Ivy Terrace are handicapped accessible, making for easy access to all residents who rely on the county’s social services agency.

John Gillis again proposes short-term rental permits

by Dan McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An MVP Season! Griffin Shaheen, Tom Peterson the best in Section 10

by Dick Sterling

Two Tupper Lake seniors have been honored by the Northern Athletic Conference for their excellence in high school athletics. Tom Peterson, the son of Rose and Cecil Peterson, and Griffin Shaheen, the son of Tina and Andy Shaheen, have been named the winners of very special awards for the 2023-24 winter high school sports season. Tom was recognized for his tremendous season on the basketball court and Griffin was honored for his outstanding season with the Tupper Lake ice hockey team.

Tom, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Northern Athletic Conference East Division at the conclusion of the season, has now been announced as this year’s winner of the Joe Jukoski Award, which is presented annually, by Section 10 league officials, to the player who best demonstrates excellence both on and off the court. Tom was also nominated for the award last year.

Griffin was recognized for his incredible season as the Northern Athletic Conference Division II Most Valuable Player. In addition, the Tupper Lake senior has recently been notified that he will be the Tupper Lake Class of 2024 Salutatorian. In addition to his MVP Award, Griffin was also named an Athlete of Distinction Award winner.

Tom Peterson

Tom has been a three-time First Team All Northern, including his winning the MVP this season. He has scored 1,408 points in his varsity career, which is the most in school history. Tom’s Head Coach Brian Bennett, who has been coaching him since fifth grade, and who was named the NAC East Division Coach of the Year, said “Tom is the hardest worker I have ever coached, and a leader of the whole Tupper Lake basketball program.”

Other finalists for this year’s Jukoski Award were: Tanner Sullivan, of Harrisville, Ian VanWagner of Potsdam and Ryan Jones of Canton.

Tom scored 20 or more points in 16 of the Lumberjacks 23 games. He has averaged 24.2 points per game. On Dec. 12, he scored a season high 41 points against Brushton-Moira, he scored 38 in a 70-66 loss to Saranac Central and netted 32 in a game against Lisbon, in which he surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career. Peterson averaged 17.3 points per game as a sophomore and 21 points a game last year as a junior.

Tom said that his senior season has been nothing short of amazing. “I’m really happy with the way everything has gone. What is really amazing is the fact that the entire community is behind us. It lifts us all to see a big crowd, all cheering us on,” said the Lumberjack senior over the weekend.

He said that winning the Jukoski Award was very special. I was nominated last year, and hoped to win. This year I knew I had a decent shot, but any of the other guys who were nominated deserved it too. They all had very good seasons. I felt that it would be cool to win, but I was still surprised when they announced my name as this year’s winner,” said Tom.

The Jacks senior said that he is a year-round basketball player. “I’ve been playing since the fifth grade, including in the spring and fall. I just love the sport! In 11th and 12th grades I played with the Cap City Scrappers from Albany. I tried some other sports when I was little, but once I started playing basketball I knew it was for me.”

Tom said that even though he’s still undecided, “I am definitely playing college basketball. I’ve received a few D (Division) 3 offers and I may decide to play for a SUNYAC school. I would love to stay fairly close to home,” said Tom.

The Tupper Lake all time scoring leader said that playing with his current teammates has been a wonderful experience. “Playing with this group of guys has been great. We just love playing… we’re always playing basketball,” Tom pointed out that he and his teammate Mikey Corneau, who was named First Team All Northern, have been teammates for many years. “Mikey and I have been on the court together a lot. He had an incredible season… if we needed a three-pointer, we knew who to go to.”

Tom said that the team has scouted out Maple Hill, their first opponent in this year’s Class C state playoffs (the game was played last night), and we’re ready for them… we hope to just keep on playing as long as we can,” said young Peterson.

Griffin Shaheen

There was an indication that this freshman, Griffin Shaheen, just might be a bright spot for the future of Tupper Lake hockey when he first took to the ice during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. The Jacks only played four games, but this freshman scored five of the team’s 10 goals… it was just a sign of what was to come.

During his sophomore season Griffin scored 17 goals and dished off 14 assists for a 31-point season. Last year, his junior year, Shaheen upped his goal total to 27 goals. Other teams were certainly taking notice. He also handed out 18 assists to finish the season with 45 points. In each of those two seasons the Lumberjacks finished the season with identical records, 2-17-1.

When Griffin’s senior season started there was plenty of hope for a much improved team. The Jacks lost their first two league games, with their senior captain scoring just one goal and assisting on another… but then something happened. The Jacks discovered they could celebrate after the final horn had sounded. The Jacks put together a four-game winning streak, beating Malone, Saranac/Lake Placid, Thousand Islands and Canton. In the four games the Jacks outscored their opponents 20-14. Shaheen scored 11 of those goals and was credited with six assists. He had back-to-back hat tricks, and certainly cemented himself near, or at, the top of the Division II scoring race. Tupper won two of their next three games, making their streak six out of seven.

As the season progressed the Jacks certainly had their ups and downs, but they were certainly in nearly every single game, and Griffin Shaheen was right at the heart of their attack. On Jan. 19 he scored four goals against Plattsburgh, On Feb. 10 Griffin enjoyed a six-point game against Northeastern Clinton scoring three goals and picking up three assists in an 8-2 win, and then on Feb. 14, in a league game, the senior sharp-shooter scored four goals and dished out four assists in a rare eight-point outing as the Jacks won 8-5, with Shaheen figuring in on every single goal.

The Jacks finished the season with nine wins, making it their most successful season. Griffin topped Division II with 35 goals and 59 points, stretching his career totals to 84 goals and 140 points.

The Jacks gave St. Lawrence Central all they wanted in the playoffs, storming back from a three goal deficit to tie the score, only to see the Larries score late to win 5-3. Griffin scored two of the three goals and assisted on the other. St. Lawrence went on to claim the Division II championship.

For his efforts Shaheen was named the Northern Athletic Conference Division II Most Valuable Player. Griffin said over the weekend that he didn’t know for sure what to expect before the award was announced. “I was a little bit surprised, but I earned it,” said the Lumberjack captain and top forward in Section 10. “What was really nice was being a part of putting Tupper Lake back on the map in hockey. It’s been a long time, and this season we finally started to get some respect. It was a fun season. We really played well.”

Griffin has been playing hockey since he was four or five years old. He has been a member of the St. Lawrence Steel, out of Canton, for some time and gets in about 20 games a season.

In addition to Griffin’s expertise on the ice, he is also an all-star caliber baseball player, not to mention an excellent student. In fact, Griffin has been announced as the Class of 2024 Salutatorian. But right now he’s looking forward to the 2024 baseball season. Shaheen is an all star catcher for the Lumberjacks and also plays some shortstop and is in the pitching rotation. “Our baseball goal for this year is to win Sectionals, and then advance to the State Final Four in Class C,” said Griffin.

The talented student/athlete has plenty of choices to further his education, but Clarkson University, in Potsdam, is at the top of his list. “I hope to look into playing both hockey and baseball at some level at Clarkson. When asked which sport he prefers, Griffin stated that “it’s really about 50/50. I love playing both.”

Congratulation to Tupper Lake’s two very special seniors… Tom Peterson and Griffin Shaheen… champions in every sense of the word!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brewski a sell-out as hundreds come here again four outdoor fun and beer

by Dan McClelland

The Town of Tupper Lake Recreation Department’s second annual Brewski proved that without a doubt that despite the cold, people will come from miles around to celebrate with copious amounts of beer in the great outdoors in February.

The mercury didn’t quite make it to 20 degrees F. that day but bright sunshine prevailed, making the town’s second version of the popular winter event a banner success. Every one of the 1,200 participant tickets was sold- making it a sell out event before registration opened Saturday morning.

Recreation Director was very pleased how everything went and credited the event’s huge success with her cadre of able volunteers- particularly John Gillis and his maintenance team and the small band of Americorp volunteers working out of the Wild Center this winter.

Despite a shortage of snow, the 1.5 mile trail around the golf course had been packed hard by the groomers, making for great walking that day. Cross country skis and snowshoes weren’t needed but some Brewski-goers wore them anyway.

The grooming team kept the fires roaring at each of the almost 20 brewery stations, to provide the welcome warmth that cold but pleasant winter day.

This year’s event drew more brewers than in the ten or more ones in the past. The event was first held for several years in the Tupper Lake Municipal Park and later moved to the golf course to take advantage of the excellent trails there. Last year there were 16 companies dispensing the craft products- the most event at that point. Some earlier events, under the sponsorship of the chamber, drew ten or 12 brewers.

In the early days the brewers who participated donated their beer products. Some years they ran out of beer. But two years ago Laura LaBarge made the decision to pay the brewers for their beer, as insurance there would be no short supply.

At the end of the course (or beginning depending which way you headed out on the trail) the Lions were busy preparing their legendary hot dogs and hamburgs, smothered with Lions onions. Other Lions, like Tom LaMere and Scott Edwards coaxed more than a dozen team of three to try their luck at the Fire and Ice snow golf tourney. The half dozen holes were much more snowless than in the past, but participant numbers were up larger than any year the Lions have been sponsoring the event.

Scott’s team with his wife, Pam, and Spencer Lanthier, didn’t win this year, despite their track record of at least five or six wins. Newcomers Eddy West, Mike Kelly and Mike Zande were the winners and team to beat this year.

The other piece of the Lions role Saturday was the culmination of the club’s annual 50-50 raffle, which always nets the winner more than two grand. The lucky ticket this year was purchased by Linda Pickering, providing over $2,000 for her two grandchildren- Keegan and Emerson Pickering, children of Nicole and Kevin Pickering. The winners were announced after the Brewski down at Raquette River Brewing. Lions Cindy and Bob Lewis spent Saturday selling tickets in the pro shop.

One of the skillful elements of the town staff’s able event organization was keeping traffic to the east side of the Country Club road, making for safe and easy access up the mountain. Vehicles were lined up almost a mile beyond the golf course up Mt. Morris and all the way to the base of the town road at Route 30- something we’ve never seen in our many years operating and covering events in that area of town. Many of the subdivision roads off the Country Club road were also packed with cars.

Kudos to Laura and her staff and all the volunteers who helped them produce another first-class Brewski for Tupper Lake- bringing hundreds of visitors here in what otherwise would have been a sleepy winter weekend!

Brewski this Saturday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No. 1 seeded Jacks open C playoffs at home

By Dick Sterling

Let the playoffs begin!

The road to the New York State Class C playoffs begins tomorrow evening when the top-seeded Tupper Lake Lumberjacks open the Section 10 playoffs with a semifinal game against either fourth seeded Brushton-Moira, or fifth seeded St. Lawrence Central.

The game will be the final one of the season on the Jacks home court, where they have won 18 straight, a streak that stretches back into the 2022-23 season. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tupper heads to the playoffs with an overall record of 17-3 (14-0 NAC East). The Lumberjacks are currently ranked No. 18 in the New York State Sportswriter’s Association Class C poll.

The other opening round Class C game which was played on Tuesday featured sixth seeded Madrid-Waddington at number three seeded Heuvelton. The winner of that game will play second seeded Lisbon tomorrow (Thursday). The two winners will battle in the Section 10 Class C championship game next Friday (Feb. 23), with tip-off scheduled for 5:45 at SUNY Potsdam.

Last week the Jacks reeled off three straight victories for the second consecutive week. On Monday they headed to Russell to tangle with the Edwards-Knox Cougars in a non-league contest that had been postponed twice because of winter weather issues.

Tom Peterson opened the game with a three-pointer, but the Cougars responded with threes from Kale Geer and Cooper Allen to grab an early lead. Another three from Allen and a putback from Dawson Matthews gave Edwards-Knox a 13-7 lead, before the Jacks regrouped and reeled off 12 straight points, from four different players, and they never trailed again as they held a 19-15 advantage after one and scored the first six of the second quarter to open up a double-digit lead. The Jacks reeled off 18 straight points in the quarter to race to a 45-21 lead at the intermission.

Peterson scored Tupper’s first 11 points of the third quarter, and the Jacks outscored Edwards-Knox 24-5 in the period to open a huge 69-26 lead as both teams slowed the pace and left the final quarter to the bench players as Tupper coasted to a 78-34 victory.

Peterson finished with 29, leading four scorers in double figures. Ashton Clark scored 12, Mikey Corneau finished with 11 and Tyler LaPlante added 10. Garrett Pelkey and Wyatt Godin each finished with eight. Allen scored nine to lead the Cougars. Kyle Reif added eight.

On Tuesday, the Lumberjacks hosted the Madrid-Waddington Yellowjackets for their last home game of the regular season and, once again, faced a stiff challenge in the opening quarter. Peterson took just three seconds to score off the opening tip, but Madrid-Waddington’s Ryan Mayette scored his team’s first eight points as the visiting Jackets took an early 8-7 lead, and the two NAC East division foes battled back and forth over the first eight minutes with the Jacks taking a 17-14 lead after one.

Tupper opened the second quarter with a 20-4 run, with all five starters contributing to the scoring run. At the half-time break the Lumberjacks held a 40-21 advantage, and they kept the offense rolling through the third quarter, where they put up another 25 points, 11 of them from freshman Garrett Pelkey and 10 more from Peterson as the Jacks lead swelled to 65-34 and they rolled to an easy 78-45 victory.

Peterson scored 21 to lead Tupper Lake. Pelkey finished with 19 and Mikey Corneau added 17. LaPlante scored eight, Godin had seven and Clark finished with six. Ryan Mayette, who was hot early, scored 13 to lead the Jackets. Jakob Mayette scored 10. Jamison Zysik and Kolby Todd each added seven.

On Friday, Tupper Lake wrapped up the regular season by traveling to Colton to battle the Colts. The Jacks eased out to a 15-6 advantage after the opening quarter and outscored Colton-Pierrepont 20-5 in the second quarter to open up a big 35-11 advantage at the half. The Colts were much more competitive after the half-time break, outscoring Tupper Lake 18-15 in the third quarter as the two NAC East Division foes played nearly even in the second half as the Jacks wrapped up the season, and put the final stamp on their undefeated league season, improving to 14-0 in the East (17-3 overall) with a 65-40 victory.

Peterson scored 19 points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out five assists and was credited with six steals to lead Tupper Lake. Pelkey scored 15 points and had 15 rebounds and Corneau added 12. Eric Friedel scored 18 to lead the Colts. Ty Farns finished with six.

Tupper Lake Head Coach Brian Bennett is proud of his group. “I am very happy with the boys going undefeated in the league, but our true goal is a Class C championship. So I told them that they still need to be hungry, and not to be satisfied yet as we still have a couple of weeks ahead of us,” said Coach Bennett.