The Lake Placid School Board has seven candidates to choose from to be the next superintendent of schools.

Outgoing superintendent Ernie Stretton says the original list of over 40 people who inquired or applied for the job has been narrowed to seven finalists, ranging from existing superintendents to high school principals.

There were no internal or local applicants for the job and only one candidate was from the North Country, Stretton explained.  The rest of the applicants are from other parts of New York State or as far away as Maine and North Carolina.

Stretton says the finalists are all well qualified on paper.  “The purpose of interviewing is to not only get a sense of what’s been provided to us on paper but to be able to ask specific questions and get a handle on personality and ability to work with folks and consensus building – all the main issues that superintendents today are going to have to address.”

Stretton, who announced his retirement last year, said he believes there is a candidate among the seven finalists that is ready to take the reigns of the school district.  (news2) “I believe there’s a candidate there that will be able to come in and move the district to a different place, which is what I know the board is looking for, and continue with the good things that have happened and also bring their fresh, new ideas to the organization.  I think that’s in the mix.”

The first round of interviews with the remaining candidates began last week and wrapped up on Tuesday.

Stretton said the list will then be trimmed to three finalists who will visit the district for second interviews on March 10, 11 and 12. Some members of the school board will then visit the district where the top candidate is from. 

Stretton said the board is hoping to hire a new superintendent before spring break. 

-Chris Knight

STATE BUYS TAHAWUS TRACT IN NEWCOMB

The state has purchased most of the historic Tahawus wilderness tract in the central Adirondacks from the nonprofit Open Space Institute and added it to New York's Forest Preserve.

The Department of Environmental Conservation acquired 6,813 acres including Henderson Lake in the Town of Newcomb for just over $5 million.

The institute, after buying 10,000 acres in 2003-2004 from a mining company, had already opened the area to the public for hiking, canoeing, fishing and camping. The 315-mile-long Hudson River starts at the Henderson Lake spillway and runs through the tract.

Another 2,900 acres that the institute sold separately is covered by a conservation easement that permits ongoing lumbering.

The land purchase through the state Environmental Protection Fund closed Jan. 31 and the state plans to acquire the easement later this year, DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said Tuesday.

OSI kept 1.5 acres around its cabin at Preston Ponds and about 210 acres in the historic area containing the former community of Adirondac, where its blast furnace and some buildings are being restored.

“Till we figure out a better alternative we're committed to owning it,” OSI President Joe Martens said of the former mining town. With a state arts council grant, a consultant will develop a master plan for visitor interpretation, he said.

The OSI also kept 46 acres around the Maston House, which it plans to let the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry use for ecological programs, Martens said. It also kept about one-third acre around the Mt. Adams fire tower and an observer's cabin farther down the mountain.

The Tahawus tract was purchased for $8.5 million in 2003-2004 from NL Industries, which had operated a titanium mine and mill on the site from the 1940s to early 1980s.

Tests for soil and water contamination were conducted, but the mining was largely mechanical, with crushing and sifting and few chemicals. OSI officials said they found little evidence of contamination except at a couple of old dump sites.

The mining company retained about 1,200 acres, and county highway departments still truck out waste gravel and rock from the pit mines. NL Industries removed the old industrial buildings, Martens said.

-AP wire reports

LP BOARD REOPENS STREET TO TWO WAY TRAFFIC

Lake Placid village trustees have voted to reopen another street to two-way traffic. Dow Road, which links Mill Pond Drive with Sentinel Road in Lake Placid will be reopened to eastbound traffic within two weeks.

Following Tuesday evening's public hearing, trustees voted unanimously to reopen the residential street to eastbound traffic. The residential street had been made one-way in 2006. Village employees and some residents had approached the village about reversing the decision to limit traffic to one direction.

The move was relatively uncontroversial. By contrast, the village's decision to reopen Spring Street to two-way traffic late last year had led to fractious testimony at village board meetings and public hearings.

In other news, village trustees are seeking village residents to serve on the Lake Placid-North Elba Joint Review Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Recently, JRB member Peter Roland resigned. A second member has indicated his intention to step down. While the village has received at least two names so far, Mayor Jamie Rogers said the village is hoping more candidates will step forward.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is also expected to have a vacancy soon. Under the local law, both boards are jointly appointed by the village and the Town of North Elba. Village residents interested in serving on either board may call 523-2584 for more information.

-Jacob Resneck

COMLINKS RESPONDS TO NEWS COVERAGE

The board of directors of ComLinks is responding to the media coverage of the non-profit’s recent personnel changes.

In a statement, ComLinks board member Fred Mueller disputes the characterization of the agency as being in a state of turmoil.  That word was used by WNBZ in a February 13 news story describing the termination of a pair of ComLinks program directors who had been vocal in their criticism of how the organization was being managed.  

“Comlinks is not in a state of ‘Turmoil’,” Mueller wrote.  “Comlinks terminated a number of employees as part of a restructuring plan.”

The community action agency, as part of the restructuring, has hired human resources consultant Patricia Gaganiease, and is planning a series of team training, consulting and support sessions.   Don Merrick, a former school administrator, has also been hired to manage the domestic violence department.  And John Tubbs will serve as a ComLinks business analyst.

Mueller writes that the ComLinks board was proactive to a letter received from a number of employees that raised concerns about the management of the agency and called for the termination of CEO Nancy Reich.  “We mandated a human resources department immediately and established a confidential committee to allow employees to express concerns without fear of retribution,” he said.  “We also installed board members to function as mentors for each functional business area of the agency.”

Board members, according to Mueller’s letter, held a town hall-style meeting where employees expressed “personal negative experiences and general concerns for how the agency has been managed.”

The board reportedly requested specific examples of irregularities and promised immunity to whistle blowers.  “To date, we have not received one single request to investigate an area of inappropriate or unethical activity by staff,” Mueller said.  “The Department of State Audit team was given examples of alleged irregularities by some employees; these were independently investigated and found to have no basis in fact.”

Mueller faulted the employees for refusing to use the systems put in place to help with grievances and instead going to the media.

“The board has taken a responsible business approach to ensure our services are delivered seamlessly, focusing on process reviews and root cause issues that need fixing,” he wrote. “We have avoided personal attacks in the media or otherwise.”

The letter also addresses the financial strains put on the organization by the Peaceful Valley housing project in North Creek calling it a “very attractive development that is complete but suffered delays for a multitude of unforeseen reasons.”

Mueller says Peaceful Valley’s finances are separate from other ComLinks programs.

“The partners are endeavoring to settle litigation and provide attractive, affordable housing,” he said. “That was and still is the goal.”

The ComLinks board said it regrets if any of the recent publicity has dissuaded anyone from using the organization or has resulted in a loss of confidence in the agency.  “Be assured we are here for you,” reads the statement.

-Chris Knight

ANOTHER SNOWMOBILING FATALITY IN ADKS

One person was killed in a snowmobile crash in the Town of Waverly on Tuesday afternoon – the fifth person killed while snowmobiling in the Adirondacks since Friday.

Tuesday’s accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Blue Mountain Road. 

State Police in Malone said 24 year-old Kevin F. Ryan of East Granby, Connecticut, was operating a 2006 Polaris snowmobile northbound on Blue Mountain Road.  He entered a curve and collided with a 2008 Kenworth tractor-trailer traveling southbound on the road and driven by 45 year-old Geoffrey G. Cary of Potsdam. 

Police say the snowmobile struck the front passenger side of the tractor-trailer.  Ryan was ejected and sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision. 

The St. Regis Falls Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene.  Franklin County Coroner Brian Langdon ordered the body removed to Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone where an autopsy will be scheduled to determine the cause of death. 

Police say their preliminary investigation found the snowmobile was traveling at an unsafe speed while negotiating the curve and failed to keep in its lane.

It’s the fourth fatal snowmobile crash, and fifth person killed, in a span of five days.

Another accident took place Monday night near White Lake, in western Oneida County.

Authorities say 22-year-old Craig Albert of Woodgate failed to make a sharp left turn, crashed and was thrown from his snowmobile.

A group of snowmobilers found Albert's wrecked sled early Tuesday and alerted authorities. The county coroner is conducting an autopsy to determine Albert’s cause of death.

The other two crashes took place Friday night – an Ulster County woman was killed after losing control of her sled and striking a tree in the Town of Santa Clara; and two New Jersey residents died near Woodgate when their snowmobile failed to negotiate a curve on the trail and hit a tree.

State Police have cited excessive speed as a factor in several of the accidents.

-Chris Knight and AP wire reports

FISHERMEN ARRESTED FOR EXCEEDING LEGAL LIMIT

DEC Environmental Conservation Police have arrested four ice fishermen for possessing almost 300 fish over the legal limit on Lake George.

DEC says 43 year-old Thomas Iezzi and 42 year-old Randy Rivette, both of Queensbury, along with 43 year-old Patrick Collins and 30 year-old John Fisher, both of Fort Ann, had been fishing in a group on February 16 and were found to have a total of 494 perch.

The legal number of perch that can be possessed on Lake George is 50 per day per person, meaning that the group had 294 more fish than legally allowable.

DEC says the men had hidden the fish in a variety of places including their ATVs, shanties, and backpacks. 

The four were issued appearance tickets in Lake George Town Court for taking fish in excess of daily limits in violation of Environmental Conservation Law.  Additionally, Fisher was ticketed for failure to have a fishing license.

-Chris Knight

POLICE REPORT

A Malone man was taken to the hospital after a one-car accident on State Route 86 in the Town of Brighton on Tuesday.  State Police said 41 year-old Guan Y. Zheng was driving west at about 9:30 a.m. in a 2000 Toyota 4Runner when he lost control of the vehicle due to snowy road conditions and unsafe speed. The vehicle left the south shoulder of the road and rolled onto the passenger side.  Zheng complained of lower back and neck pain and was transported to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake by the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad. Zheng was ticketed for failure to keep right.

Lake Placid Police arrested a Vermontville man at 8:52 p.m. on February 16.  29 year-old Brock T. Brown was charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, driving while intoxicated and unlawful possession of marijuana.  Police say Brown was stopped for a vehicle and traffic violation and was allegedly found to be intoxicated, in possession of marijuana and an unlicensed operator.  He was arraigned and released of his own recognizance to appear in village court at a later date.

Lake Placid Police arrested a Manhattan woman on shoplifting charges on Sunday.  62 year-old Svetlana S. Furman was charged with six counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.  Police say they were alerted to an alleged shoplifter by a local business clerk on Main Street.  A short time later, patrols located Furman and allegedly found her in possession of stolen property from six different stores.  She was arraigned and released to appear in village court at a later date.