DEMOLITION OF WAWBEEK BUILDINGS RAISES CONCERN

Plans to demolish two historic buildings of the former Wawbeek resort have been met with protest by at least one historic preservation society.

Dick and Diane Sittig of Malibu, California had purchased the 36-acre restaurant and resort on Upper Saranac Lake last spring for $6.25 million. At the time of the purchase, they announced they planned to close The Wawbeek resort and return the great camp into a private residence.

Recently, Adirondack Architectural Heritage, a Keeseville-based nonprofit that advocates for preservation, sent out a letter to its membership warning that at least two of the main 19^th century buildings are slated for demolition as part of plans for the Sittig's new house.

Steven Engelhart, executive director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, said he had sent a letter to the Sittigs asking that they preserve the buildings but received no reply. He said two buildings – the former restaurant and the Mountain House – were both designed in 1899 by Saranac Lake architect William Coulter, a pioneer of the rustic great camp style.

“They respect the very best of his work, he’s a very significant designer,” Engelhart said. “And I think the other thing that is significant about The Wawbeek is that because it has been a public resort for many many years, thousands and thousands of people have come there, you know, to stay, to dine, to visit the camp; there is a lot of public affection and emotion.”

Dick Sittig noted the property is no longer a business and is a private residence. He said he has no need for a commercial kitchen and dining room that was contained in the former restaurant. The Adirondack Architectural Heritage group, he said, is simply overreacting.

“The property isn’t on any kind of historical register so they don’t really have any standing in this,” Sittig said. “But I think that if they just cooled down they might be happy with the result. We’re building a great camp on a piece of property that deserves that kind of thing. We could have built a motel or condominiums or something. It could have been ‘Wawbeek Point Condominiums’. So I think having a true Adirondack great camp on a property would be a good thing for the architectural record for the area.”

Last month the Sittigs submitted plans to the state Adirondack Park Agency for their single-family home to see if they would need an APA permit. The APA ruled it had jurisdiction since the structure would exceed 40 feet in height and the proposed boathouse exceeded the allowable eight-foot width.

The Sittigs' architect has since revised the plans to bring the house below the 40-foot threshold and narrow the dock to avoid having to go to the APA for a permit.

Meanwhile, Engelhart said his group is trying to get the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation involved in order to save the buildings.

“The Wawbeek was never listed,” said Engelhart. “But we suspect that if it were reviewed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation that they would likely consider it eligible for the National Register and we are reaching out to them to get that done as a way for making a case for its preservation.”

Whether the Park Agency decides it has jurisdiction is still up in the air and won't be decided until next week, said APA spokesman Keith McKeever. If the APA does get involved, it will require consultation with the state office of historic preservation.

“If the APA has jurisdiction on the project, part of our permit review we would ask for the applicant to check with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to determine if the building was of historic significance,” McKeever said. “But if we do not have review, the agency is just not involved.”

Sittig said construction of the new house would be expected to take about 18 months from groundbreaking. The project would also likely require permitting from the Town of Harrietstown whether or not the park agency claims jurisdiction.

-Jacob Resneck

The Town of Harrietstown has a new manager for the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear.

The town board, at a special meeting Wednesday night, voted unanimously to hire Ross Dubarry of Hayward, California for the job.  His salary is not to exceed $58, 623.

Deputy Supervisor Barry Defuria says Dubarry is originally from New York State and worked for four years at the Westchester County Airport.

Since 2004 he’s been employed at the Hayward Executive Airport in the San Francisco Bay area, serving as airport manager for the past year.

“From what he told us when we met with him on Saturday, he’s looking to put down roots somewhere where he can be for the next 15-20 years, which sounds real good to me.”

Since the departure of former airport manager Chris Kreig last fall, and without an assistant airport manager, Defuria and Supervisor Larry Miller have put in a lot of time keeping the facility up and running.  “Now I can slack off a little bit,” Defuria joked.

Dubarry was the top choice of a three person search committee assembled to find a new airport manger.

Defuria said he was picked because he has extensive managerial experience in general aviation.  The town received a $400,000 grant last year to help build a new general aviation terminal.

Dubarry doesn’t have as much background with facilities like Adirondack Regional that have Part 139 certification through the FAA, which covers airports that provide commercial service with planes of ten seats or more.

But, combined with the recent hiring of Corey Hurwitch as assistant airport manager, Defuria said they have a good team in place. “With our new assistant, who’ll be starting March 10, he has all that Part 139 and TSA background,” he said.  “These two guys should compliment each other real well.”

Dubarry has accepted the job, according to Defuria.  His start date has yet to be set.  Defuria expects it will be sometime in April.

Dubarry had also been sought by an airport in Glens Falls which was offering a higher salary - $65,000. “I told him there wasn’t any way the Town of Harrietstown could meet that,” Defuria said.

But the town did bump up the airport manager salary to $58,623 – a number that was recommended last year in a wage and salary survey conducted by the town’s human resources consultants. 

-Chris Knight

LAWSUIT FILED OVER ABC COVERAGE IN ABUSE CASE

A Vermontville woman filed a lawsuit against ABC News on Wednesday claiming negligence and recklessness in a “Primetime” segment that showed the young woman being beaten by her stepfather.

20 year-old Kyle Nelson filed the civil action in Essex County Court. The suit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages, names ABC News; its parent corporation, the Walt Disney Company; ABC's president, David Weston; news anchor Diane Sawyer; producer David Sloan; and three psychologists associated with the "Primetime" special.

The lawsuit involves video footage included in a "Primetime" segment called "Stepfamilies in Crisis" which aired on April 21, 2006. It shows Nelson, then 15, being held down, berated and punched repeatedly by Joe Nelson, her stepfather.

The footage was taken from hundreds of hours captured at the Nelson home in Vermontville several years before the show was aired. Viewers responded with thousands of e-mails questioning why ABC didn't step in to stop or report the abuse.

ABC responded at the time with a statement posted on its Web site: "While we felt the incident in question was disturbing, it was the only scene of physical punishment in the hundreds of hours of footage that ABC News reviewed."

Attorney Matthew Norfolk of Lake Placid, who filed the lawsuit on Nelson's behalf, said the young woman suffers lasting effects from the abuse and ABC's airing of it. He said she moved out of the abusive household to live with her maternal grandparents before the show aired.

Norfolk said the suit seeks punitive damages in an amount to be determined by a jury; a permanent injunction against ABC showing the film of Nelson's abuse again; and a judgment compelling ABC to fulfill its promises to provide Nelson with counseling.

“We maintain that a situation of continual, ongoing child abuse could have been stopped by ABC,” Norfolk told the Plattsburgh Press-Republican.

Paige Capossela, a spokeswoman for ABC News, said the network hadn't been served with any lawsuit as of Wednesday evening, and had no comment.

The lawsuit requests damages on eight claims relating to the "Primetime" segment, including failure to rescue Nelson; promotion of a hostile, hazardous, unsafe and abusive atmosphere; invasion of privacy; failure to report abuse; and publication of Nelson's condition and mental-health status.

-AP wire reports

JUDGE’S INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESS QUESTIONED

When a Saranac Lake village judge nominated a candidate to run for village board, he may have broken a rule barring judges from political activity.

At last month’s village Democratic caucus Village Justice Paul Herrmann nominated former Village Manager John Sweeney to run for village trustee. Sweeney accepted the nomination and will appear on next month’s ballot.

The state Commission on Judicial Conduct which investigates judges at all levels does not comment on specific cases. But the commission’s administrator Robert Tembeckjian said that judges have in the past gotten in trouble for getting involved in partisan politics.

“There are a number of judges who have been disciplined for political activities including caucus events,” Tembeckjian said. “The general rule which is promulgated in New York under the rules governing judicial conduct, which applies to all judges, prohibits a judge from participating directly or indirectly in the political campaign or activities of any individual running for political office.”

Village Justice Paul Herrmann, who practices law in Saranac Lake, declined to comment for this story.

Looking at past cases that have come before the commission, Herrmann’s case is not unique. According to the commission’s website, a town justice in East Greenbush near Albany was removed in 1986 for participating in a party caucus. That doesn’t mean that an infraction against this rule would necessarily be grounds for removal, Tembeckjian said.

Commissioners weigh each case on its individual merits and if the judge is found guilty the result can run the gamut from a private cautioning, a public admonishment all the way up to the recommendation that the judge be removed from office.

-Jacob Resneck

GROUPS TEAM UP TO EDUCATE YOUTH ON STERIOD ABUSE

A group of organizations and government agencies are teaming up to educate youth on the dangers of steroid abuse on Saturday.

The Lake Placid Regional Winter Sports Commission, Olympic Regional Development Authority, U.S. Olympic Committee and the Empire State Games are working with the Taylor Hooton Foundation, Luge Silver Medallist Gordy Sheer and the Albany County District Attorney’s office to offer a steroid education program.

The program, according to a news release, will educate parents, athletes, and coaches about the physical, emotional, ethical and legal dangers posed by anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

Don Hooton, President of the Taylor Hooton Foundation will speak at Saturday’s event. His 17-year old son, Taylor, committed suicide after using anabolic steroids. 

“Too often, our parents and coaches fail to recognize steroid usage that is going on right under their noses,” Hooton said. “The good news is that a properly trained eye can identify a steroid user and open the door to helping kids to avoid this terrible drug.”

Carol Ash, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which administers the Empire State Games, said athletes need to be made aware of the long-term dangers of steroid abuse.  “Coaches, athletes and parents must continue to work together to prevent steroid abuse and eradicate these dangerous drugs from sports,” she said.

ORDA President and CEO Ted Blazer said the authority is “proud that our facilities can be used in this manner to bring about awareness to athletes, coaches, parents and interested individuals.”

Free and open to the public, the program will be held twice in the Olympic Center’s Lussi Rink at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.

-Chris Knight

INDIAN LAKE WATER PROJECT AWARDED $2.67 MILLION

The Town of Indian Lake is getting $2.67 million in funding to upgrade its water system to meet state and federal quality standards.

That's according to Governor Eliot Spitzer, who announced the package Wednesday that includes a $2 million grant and $670,000 in interest-free financing.

The Hamilton County town is expected to install a new ground water well system that will include iron, manganese and disinfection treatment.

In addition, the leaking water storage tank and distribution system will be upgraded, with meters installed to improve operations and conserve water.

Completion is expected in October.

Town Supervisor Barry Hutchins said water system improvements are important to small communities but costly.

The state Health Department said it is examining the water system upgrade needs of New York State communities.

-AP wire reports

POLICE REPORT

Tupper Lake Village Police arrested 23 year-old Robby L. Lines of Tupper Lake at 2:06 a.m. today.  He was charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle subsequent to a vehicle and traffic stop on McLaughlin Avenue.  Lines was processed and released to return to village court at a later date.

Tupper Lake-based State Police arrested a 16 year-old female from Tupper Lake on Thursday.  She was charged with making a false written statement and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Police say the charges stem from their investigation of a domestic dispute.  The teenager, whose name was not released, was arraigned in Village of Tupper Lake Court and released to appear in Town of Tupper Lake Court at a later date.

Saranac Lake Police charged 25 year-old Neal Conway of Saranac Lake with resisting arrest and fourth-degree criminal mischief at 3:10 a.m. this morning.  Police say Conway was arrested after police received a report he had allegedly broken a window at a local bar.  He allegedly attempted to run from police and struggled with officers while being questioned about the incident. Conway was arraigned in village court and released to appear again at a later date.