FATAL SNOWMOBILE CRASH IN SANTA CLARA

One person was killed in a snowmobile accident this weekend in the Town of Santa Clara.

Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department members were called to railroad tracks off of Floodwood Road at 7:16 p.m. Friday.  10 members and two trucks responded.

State Police in Ray Brook say 45 year-old Nannette Liedtke of Accord, New York was operating a 2005 Artic Cat snowmobile in a northerly direction on the D&H snowmobile trail.  She was riding with a group of seven other individuals. 

At approximately 7:22 p.m., police say Liedtke failed to negotiate a right hand curve and collided with a tree located on the west side of the trail.  She was ejected and as a result of the collision sustained fatal injuries. 

Police say a preliminary investigation found excessive speed was a factor in the collision. 

An autopsy was conducted Saturday at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake and found the victim’s cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries as a consequence of a snowmobile accident.  The death was ruled accidental.

Police say the investigation is continuing.

Saranac Lake firefighters returned to the fire station by 11:22 p.m. Friday night.

-Chris Knight

LP WOMAN SENTENCED IN EMBEZZLEMENT CASE

A Lake Placid woman was sentenced to state prison time Friday for embezzling more than $150,000 from a Lake Placid homeowners association.

49 year-old Penny Bruce-Schmidt appeared in Essex County Court after pleading guilty to two felony counts of grand larceny in November.

She was sentenced by Judge Richard Meyer to two to six years in state prison on each count, according to Essex County District Attorney Julie Garcia.  The sentences are to run concurrently.

“I believe the sentence is fair,” Garcia said.  “I’m pleased with the outcome of the case.  This sentence serves as a deterrent and will prevent future crimes like this from occurring in our county.”

Bruce-Schmidt was arrested last year after police investigated complaints received from the Lake Placid homeowners associations where she served as property manager – Pine Hill Homeowners Association Phase One and Phase Two.

Tom O’Leary, president of the board of directors of Pine Hill II, submitted a statement that was read into the record at sentencing on Friday.

He said Bruce-Schmidt “consistently and methodically” stole approximately $70,000 belonging to sixty families in the Pine Hill II townhouse complex over a 15 month period.

O’Leary said Bruce-Schmidt lied about the missing money, first blaming it on a former employee and later stating she took the money to cover funds that were stolen from her by a former employee.

“Based on her history and her actions during this ordeal, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that given the opportunity, Penny will steal and lie again showing the same remorse that was shown during this episode – none,” he said. 

O’Leary asked for a sentence of prison time to give Bruce-Schmidt “time to reflect on her wrongdoing and as an example to others who may be considering similar actions.”

In court on Friday, Bruce-Schmidt read a statement aloud saying she feels “relentless guilt” and has brought shame on her husband, her children, her parents and her church.  “It has forever destroyed my good name and reputation in my hometown,” she said. 

Bruce-Schmidt apologized to the members of the homeowners associations.  “All of those people trusted me with their money and I misused it,” she said.  “I apologize to everybody that I hurt.”

Although Bruce-Schmidt had asked to be able to serve time on weekends, Judge Meyer sentenced her to two to six years in prison on each grand larceny count.  He called the crimes a “systematic calculated effort to take other peoples’ money.”

Garcia, the district attorney, credited State Police investigator Larry Cragle for his work on the case.  “He brought us a case that was solid,” she said.  “That’s why we were able to get the sentence the judge handed down.”

Bruce-Schmidt was also ordered to pay more than $80,000 in restitution.  She has already paid back approximately $72,000.

-Chris Knight 

SKIERS INJURED IN SUNDAY ACCIDENTS AT WHITEFACE

Two skiers were injured, one critically, in separate accidents Sunday at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington.

Olympic Regional Development Authority spokesman Sandy Caligiore says a 60 year old male from Utica fell on the expert Skyward trail on Sunday morning and hit a tree.  He was wearing a helmet and was skiing with two friends who are doctors, Caligiore said.

As a precautionary measure, the skier was flown by North Country Life Flight helicopter to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.  He was listed in stable condition this morning.

The second crash occurred Sunday afternoon when a 40 year-old male from Boston fell on the intermediate River Run trail, which is located on the lower mountain directly under the Face Lift High Speed Quad Chair.

Caligiore says he skied into the rocks on the skier's left and was not wearing a helmet.  He was conscious and was brought to Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid and then taken to AMC Saranac Lake, where he was listed in critical condition this morning.

The crashes occurred during the President’s Day weekend when Whiteface had one of its busiest days in history on Sunday with 5,410 skiers and riders on the mountain. That came after 4,800 people visited Whiteface on Saturday.

-Chris Knight

SAYWARD COMMENTS ON NATURE CONSERVANCY LAND DEAL

As we reported Friday, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and The Nature Conservancy have reached an agreement to protect lands formerly owned by Finch, Pruyn and Co. in the Adirondack Park.

Under the terms of the deal nearly 58,000 acres would be sold to the state for addition to the Forest Preserve. Another 73,000 acres will be protected as working forest through conservation easements.

The agreement also will allow the continuation of timber harvesting, sets aside land for community housing and other local needs, and bolsters snowmobile trail networks.

Those behind the deal say it was developed after extensive consultation with local government officials.

Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward, who’s been a staunch opponent of more state land acquisition in the Adirondack Park, was briefed on the state’s agreement with the Nature Conservancy last week. 

In a conversation on Friday, she described it as a model for how land deals should be approached.  Click here for more.

The Dillenburg case, currently on appeal, ordered the state to stop paying all land tax payments and payments-in-lieu-of-taxes.  The judge handling the case issued a stay on the order, until the matter is reviewed in appellate court.

Sayward said the state can’t take the risk of acquiring more land if local communities aren’t going to be reimbursed.  The state pays $70 million a year in property tax payments to local governments in the Adirondacks. 

-Chris Knight

H-TOWN BACKS REQUEST FOR RESTROOM FUNDING

The Town of Harrietstown is supporting a plan to secure funding from state Senator Betty Little to build public restroom facilities in Saranac Lake.

Sylvie Nelson and Keith Wells, representing the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, asked for the support of the town board at its Thursday night meeting.

Nelson said they’ve submitted a member item request to the senator that could lead to funding to build as many as three public restroom facilities – one near the boat launch and Riverside Park, another near Berkeley Green and a third near the depot or the future site of the Adirondack Carousel.

Nelson said the lack of public restrooms in the village is an issue that’s come up again and again.  It topped the list of priorities in a recent community planning survey. 

Having public restrooms may also help local businesses, Nelson explained, if tourists stop to use the facilities then visit village shops and restaurants.

The chamber contacted the Village of Lake Placid for information on the costs associated with its public restrooms.  Nelson said annual maintenance and utility costs are about $13,000.  That doesn’t include any personnel costs associated with keeping up the facilities.

Nelson emphasized that they aren’t asking the town to help fund the project, just support it.  She said the town and village may want to develop a shared services agreement in the future to maintain the facilities.

The board raised no concerns with the proposal and voted unanimously to support the member item request.

In other business the board unanimously approved a resolution supporting the effort to keep Camp Gabriels open.

And the board approved the appointment of Jack Drury as chair of the Town of Harrietstown Planning Board, replacing Jim Edmonds.

-Chris Knight

SL MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BURGLARY

A Saranac Lake man was sentenced to state prison time on burglary charges on Thursday.

20 year-old Justin Beede was given one and a half to four and a half years in prison by Franklin County Judge Penelope Clute after pleading guilty to third-degree burglary. 

He had faced additional charges of criminal mischief, petit larceny and possession of burglar’s tools.

The charges stem from the daylight burglary of a home on Margaret Street in Saranac Lake in March of last year.

Village police were called to the scene and were told by a witness that the suspects were seen fleeing the rear of the home.  Patrols searched the area and found Beede hiding in a rail road car near the train depot.  The other suspect was later found at home.

In addition to the prison term, Beede was ordered to pay more than $900 in restitution.

In other county court action, a Tupper Lake man plead guilty to three counts of third-degree attempted burglary.

20 year-old Christopher Beaudette had faced additional charges of burglary, grand larceny, criminal mischief and petit larceny stemming from a string of break-ins at Tupper Lake businesses from December 2006 to March 2007.

At the time of his arrest, Tupper Lake Village Police said Beaudette was involved in burglaries at Larkin’s Enterprises, the Tupper Lake Moose Lodge and Adirondack Machines.

Following his guilty plea on Thursday, the case was adjourned for sentencing in March.

A youthful offender arrested as part of the same investigation plead guilty to two counts of third-degree burglary and was sentenced Thursday to five years probation.

The 19 year-old from Tupper Lake had also faced charges of criminal mischief, petit larceny and harassment.

Another Tupper Lake youthful offender was sentenced Thursday on a charge of second-degree criminal trespass, stemming from an incident on February 16 of last year.

The 19 year-old, who had faced a charge of third-degree burglary, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $337 in restitution.

-Chris Knight

ESSEX COUNTY CORONERS HAVE COVERAGE ISSUES

Essex County has four coroners, but only one has been responding to most reports of unattended deaths across the county because the other three are often not available.

Coroner Walter Marvin, based in Elizabethtown, spoke with supervisors about the problem this week.

“We have four coroner’s in the county,” said County Manager Cliff Donaldson.  “[Walter Marvin] has been the only one for some time that has really been answering any of the calls that have been going out for coroners throughout the county.”

Marvin said that with no coroner in Lake Placid, he’s had to travel to that area more frequently to handle unattended deaths.  He’s also received calls in Mineville, in the Town of Moriah, which another coroner, Kellie Valentine, is supposed to be covering. 

Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava said Valentine told him she’s just not getting any calls. “Maybe it is time to go to one coroner,” Scozzafava said.  “I mean if you have one coroner that is doing everything.”

Marvin, after contacting various police agencies and emergency rooms, said they’re calling him because they’ve found him to be more available. “They can get a hold of me and they know if they call me I will respond,” he said.  “It is not because I don’t have any less going on than anybody else.”

Apart from Elizabethtown and Moriah, there are also coroners in Willsboro and Ticonderoga.  There is currently no coroner in the Town of North Elba although Marvin explained that Franklin County Coroner Ron Keough of Saranac Lake has been filling in on occasion in that area.

Marvin said the four coroners never meet to discuss issues they’re dealing with or to set protocols.  With 14 years of experience, he said, he’s able to determine over the phone that some reports are not unattended deaths, which saves a lot of time and expense.

“It seems obvious the elected system isn’t working,” said North Elba Supervisor Roby Politi. “Is it possible to change this to an appointed system so you have people who actually work?”

Supervisor Dale French of Crown Point said they would research the system and probably get the county attorney involved.

Ron Jackson, Town of Essex Supervisor, agreed. “I don’t know if we should set up districts and go to a sole coroner or something but I think we need to ask Mr. Manning to do some research and make some recommendations,” he said.

-Chris Knight

POLICE AND FIRE REPORT

Lake Placid Police arrested an 18 year-old male youthful offender from Lake Placid at 9:51 p.m. on Friday.  He was charged with trespass after police investigated a complaint from ORDA in reference to the defendant allegedly trespassing at the Olympic Center.  The teen was processed and released to appear in village court at a later date.

Lake Placid Police charged 26 year-old Daniel D. Brzywczy of Lake Placid with first-degree criminal contempt, second-degree criminal contempt and second-degree unlawful imprisonment at 5:47 p.m. on Friday.  Police say he was arrested after failing to comply with an order of protection.  Brzywczy was arraigned and remanded to the Essex County Jail to appear in Lake Placid Village Court at a later date.

38 year-old William H. Cave III of Saranac Lake was charged with second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, driving while intoxicated and failure to submit to a chemical test at 11:40 p.m. on Friday.  Lake Placid Police say Cave was stopped for failure to signal and failure to keep right.  He allegedly refused police orders to get out of his vehicle.  Cave was allegedly found to be intoxicated and refused to take a chemical test.  He was processed, arraigned and released on $1500 cash bail.

Lake Placid Police charged 44 year-old Kevin D. Reynolds of Saranac Lake with second-degree harassment at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday.  He was arrested on a warrant issued by a Lake Placid Village Justice.  Reynolds was arraigned and released to appear again in court at a later date.

Lake Placid Police charged 25 year-old Patrick C. Brown of Lake Placid with driving while intoxicated, unlawful possession of marijuana and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle at 2:16 a.m. on Sunday.  Police say they observed Brown crash his vehicle into a snow bank and found him to allegedly be intoxicated and in possession of marijuana.  Brown was processed and released on police bail to appear in village court at a later date.

Tupper Lake firefighters were called to a car-deer accident on Saturday at 5:58 p.m.  One truck and 24 members responded to Route 30 South.  They performed traffic control.  No injuries were reported.  Firefighters returned to the fire station by 7:08 p.m.

Saranac Lake firefighters responded to a chimney fire at 10 Ridge Way on Friday at 10:15 p.m.  Seven members and one truck were called to the scene.  They extinguished the fire and cleared the chimney.  No damage to the residence was reported.  Firefighters were back at the station by 11:22 p.m.