UPSTATE “UNDER CONTRACT” WITH POSSIBLE BUYER

The real estate broker whose selling the former site of Upstate Biotechnology in Lake Placid says the property is already “under contract” with a potential buyer. 

It’s still available, but Roby Politi of Merrill Thomas Realty says there is a written agreement between both parties.  The deal could close within the next 45 days “if all contingencies are met,” Politi said.

However, Politi would not identify who the property is “under contract” to be sold to, citing a confidentiality agreement. 

North Country Community College has been investigating the feasibility of relocating the college’s main campus from Saranac Lake to the Upstate property. 

But Politi says as many as 5-10 interested parties, most from out of the area, have also looked at the site.

Asked about Politi’s statements, Ed Trathen, assistant to the college president, said North Country has no contractual agreement to buy the property. “What the college did was an express an interest,” he said.  “There’s no deal or any hold we have over them or they have over us on the property.”

John Friedlander, President of North Country’s Board of Trustees, said the same thing. “There’s no binding contract,” he said.

Two other college board members contacted yesterday agreed that there’s no contract on the Upstate property.  But they said there may be some other kind of placeholding arrangement. 

Trustee Sam Grimone said the college has not signed a purchase contract, but added – quote – “That doesn’t preclude some kind of an agreement to give us some amount of time.”

Those comments were echoed by Trustee Tom Michael, whose also Saranac Lake’s mayor. “There may be an option where the property owner agreed to hold the property for us for a period of 90 days, at which time after that if we haven’t signed a contract it goes back on the market,” he said. “But I’m not aware of a purchase contract.”

If its another party and not the college that’s under contract to purchase the Upstate site, North Country’s board may face a tight timeline to make a decision while the property is still on the market.  “It would be very difficult,” Trathen said.

The issue is one of several that may come up today when the college’s consultants provide a site analysis of the future options for the Saranac Lake campus.  Essex County supervisors and Franklin County legislators, along with the general public, are invited to attend the presentation in the Petty Lecture Hall beginning at 10:30 a.m. 

Afterwards, the college Board of Trustees plans to meet in executive session to discuss the possible move. 

TRUDEAU TO RECEIVE $250,000 IN RESEARCH FUNDS

Officials with Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake have provided more details on how they plan to use $250,000 in funding they’ve been allocated as part of the 2007-2008 state budget.

The money will support research efforts to develop new vaccines against tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease.

Senator Betty Little, who secured the grant, said tick-borne diseases are the cause of many serious health problems and cost consumers millions of dollars each year in expensive tests and treatments.  “This funding is a smart investment in important research being done at the Trudeau Institute to develop new vaccines,” she said. “I am very pleased to be able to support their efforts.”

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne infection in North America.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked New York among the top five states for Lyme disease incidence in 2005.

Dr. Susan Swain, President and Director of the Trudeau Institute, said they’re very grateful to Senator Little for obtaining the funds.  “Information generated from this research will contribute to our understanding the immune mechanisms that can prevent the infection and accelerate the creation of new treatments and vaccines for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases,” she said.

TAX LEVY UP 5.6% IN TENTATIVE TUPPER LAKE BUDGET

The Tupper Lake Village Board is reviewing a tentative village budget that contains a proposed 5.6 percent increase in the tax levy.

Board members got their first look at the $2.4 million spending plan at a special meeting on Friday.

Village Clerk Mary Casagrain says the 2007-2008 budget includes $96,000 more in spending than the current budget.  The levy, or amount to be raised by taxes, would increase 5.6 percent from $1.69 million to $1.79 million.

The tax rate paid by individual property owners would rise 3.7 percent, from $17.24 per thousand dollars of assessed property value to $17.89.  That means the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would pay $65 more in taxes.

Some of the factors responsible for the budget increase include a rise in worker’s compensation costs, higher fuel prices and contractual increases in employee salaries. 

Two of the village’s union contracts will expire this spring and Casagrain said the results of negotiations could change the final numbers.  “The tax levy may change depending on how we settle with the unions,” she said.

Casagrain said the spending increase would have been higher without a tentative agreement from the town to equalize fire contract rates.  This year the town paid the village $80,000 – an amount that would increase to $160,000 next year.

There are no changes to the pay received by the mayor and the village board.

“It’s really a skeleton budget,” Casagrain said. “I think it’s reasonable.  There’s no frills.”

The village board will be reviewing the budget over the next few weeks.

The first public hearing will take place April 11 at 6 p.m. in the village offices. The budget has to be adopted by May 1.

TL POLICE INVESTIGATE PROSTITUTION INCIDENT

Police in Tupper Lake have arrested two people on charges of prostitution.

Police Chief Tom Fee says 26 year-old Danielle Thatcher of Harrisville was arrested on a warrant by State Police in Harrisville at 6:46 p.m. Tuesday.

She was transported to Tupper Lake and arraigned on a charge of prostitution, a misdemeanor. 

Police also charged 36 year-old Howard Thatcher of Harrisville with fourth-degree promoting prostitution, petit larceny and assault with intent to cause physical injury. 

The charges stem from an incident March 4 on Park Street.

Fee says Danielle Thatcher allegedly engaged in prostitution with an individual in Tupper Lake.  “There was an argument of who owed what to who,” he said.  “Mr. Thatcher got involved in the argument and allegedly assaulted the victim.” 

The police department worked with the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office on the case.

Danielle Thatcher was released of her own recognizance to appear in court at a later date.  

Howard Thatcher was remanded to the Franklin County Jail in lieu of $1500 bail.

DA’S OFFICE, TLPD WARN OF LOTTERY SCAM

The Franklin County District Attorney’s Office and the Tupper Lake Police Department are warning the public about an ongoing scheme involving a bogus lottery scam.

The scam involves an advance fee scheme where unsuspecting citizens receive an “official notification” that they have won a lottery drawing, usually in another country, and are asked to keep all matters in strictest confidence.

The victim is then asked to cash an “official” check and forward most of the funds to a lottery agent as payment of advanced taxes and/or fees prior to receiving their windfall.

Authorities say compliance with the instructions always results in losses to both the bank or credit union cashing the official looking but forged check.  And the unsuspecting victim’s bank account is usually liable for the nonpayment.

Police say two local financial institutions, who were not named, have recently reported losses due to the scams or a variation of them.

Tips to avoid being taken by these or similar schemes include know who you are dealing with, make sure you understand all terms of a business agreement before entering into it, and never give anyone your personal identification information like date of birth, social security number, bank account or credit card numbers.

Anyone with information about a suspected fraud should report it to local, state or federal law enforcement authorities. 

ESSEX COUNTY SEEKS TO QUELL HORACE NYE RUMORS

Essex County officials plan to contact employees and families of residents at the Horace Nye Nursing Home in Elizabethtown to reassure them that the county has no plans to close the facility.

The decision, which came during Monday’s meeting of the county Board of Supervisors, is an attempt to quell recent rumors about the nursing home.  “People are speculating,” Lewis supervisor Anthony Glebus said.  “There’s much ado about what the county is going to be doing with Horace Nye Home.”

Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava said there’s a lot of anxiety among the employees.  “The rumors are the county plans to sell the nursing home and get out of the nursing home business,” he said.

While the county is looking into the possibility of selling the facility, “We’re not going to close it tomorrow,” Scozzafava explained.

The county created a task force to assess the future of the nursing home because it’s a financial loss every year.  Options have included selling it to a private operator, building a new facility or doing nothing. 

“It’s premature to say anything about what would happen,” said Essex Supervisor Ron Jackson, chair of the task force.

“Give them a chance to do their job,” said Supervisor Joyce Morency of St. Armand.

The board directed County Manager Clifford Donaldson Jr. or Nursing Home Administrator Deborah Gifford to send a note to employees and families of residents to reassure them no decisions have been made.  “All options are still open,” Donaldson said.  “I don’t know what else can be said about the issue at this time.”

POLICE AND FIRE REPORT

Tupper Lake Village Police charged 45 year-old James A. Beausoleil of Tupper Lake with disorderly conduct, harassment and obstructing governmental administration at 3:29 p.m. yesterday.  Police say the charges stem from an incident on Baker Avenue and Park Street where Beausoleil allegedly slapped another person.  He was arraigned and remanded to the Franklin County Jail on $2000 bail or $5000 bond.

Tupper Lake firefighters were called to the Tupper Lake Civic Center at 6:07 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a brush fire.  Two trucks and 27 members responded and extinguished the small blaze using 25 gallons of water.  The fire was attributed to someone dumping ashes from a woodstove.  Firefighters returned to the fire station at 6:28 p.m.