DEPUY NAMED ACTING SL VILLAGE MANAGER

The Saranac Lake Village Board voted unanimously last night to appoint Richard Depuy as interim Saranac Lake Village Manager.

The move, which comes just days before the departure of current Village Manager John Sweeney, means Depuy will be serving both as acting Saranac Lake Police Chief and interim Village Manager.  He took over management of the police department following the suspension and eventual termination of Donald Perryman Jr. last year.

Mayor Tom Michael said the decision to have Depuy serve as interim village manager was based on input from village department heads and a conversation he had with Depuy last week.

“He gratefully, eagerly and willingly accepted the responsibility,” Michael said.

Depuy’s no stranger to the job.  He worked as village manager for eight and a half years from 1984 to 1992.  He’s been acting police chief three separate times and also served a short time as a village trustee.

Depuy will handle the responsibilities of village manager while the search for a permanent replacement for Sweeney takes place.  He’ll be paid only the village manager’s salary, but will also retain the title of acting police chief.

After the meeting, Depuy said most of his day will be spent in the role of village manager, though he’ll be checking in with the police department regularly.  “I don’t plan to let the police department go,” he said.  “I’ve got that going the way I want it.”

The 79 year-old said he won’t be as active getting around the village like he was during his previous tenure as village manager.  “I won’t be running around like I used to, but I think I can handle it,” he said.

Depuy said he plans to meet with Sweeney before his last day on Wednesday.  Sweeney has also agreed to answer questions and help out after his departure.

Earlier in the meeting, the mayor provided an update on the possibility of the village sharing police administration with the Lake Placid Police Department.  Michael said Lake Placid Police Chief Scott Monroe has agreed to move forward with studying the idea.  The next step is to set up a meeting with members of each police department, each village board and the two police chiefs.

Michael also said he spoke with an official from the New York Conference of Mayors who believed there were no legal obstacles to the two village’s sharing a police chief.  “There’s a light on the horizon that legally it can be done,” he said.

LP BOARD TO MEET WITH COUNTY ON DISPATCHING ISSUE

Village of Lake Placid officials plan to meet with Essex County Emergency Services before deciding whether to fund three new police, fire and rescue dispatchers in the proposed village budget.

That’s what Mayor Jamie Rogers told the audience last night during a public hearing on the proposed $5.2 million spending plan for the village’s next fiscal year.

The budget has a $115,000 shortfall that will require a 3.6 percent increase in the tax levy.  But, if the $90,000 for the dispatchers was cut from the budget the tax levy increase would be trimmed substantially.

Some residents said last night that the money isn’t needed because the county plans to take over emergency dispatching.  “I’d really hate to get in a position where we hire these people, Essex County gets up and running and we have a duplicate service here in Lake Placid,” said Jim McCulley.

But there’s some confusion as to how soon the county dispatching system will be ready – the reason why Rogers said they want to meet with Emergency Services Director Ray Thatcher.  “We will go down and make sure before we hire any positions that it’s justified,” he said. 

If they hire the new dispatchers, Rogers said they could be eliminated once the county takes over dispatching and the positions are not needed.

Among other issues during the hearing, some audience members asked for specifics on how many village employees are contributing towards their health insurance.  Rogers said all but a half dozen of the village’s 78 workers make a twenty percent contribution. 

Another speaker asked why the village couldn’t use its reserves to reduce the tax levy.  The mayor said they don’t have enough of a fund balance to make up the $115,000 shortfall at the moment.

Horst Weber urged the board to control its spending for the good of the community.  “You’re elected officials,” he said.  “You’re supposed to keep our taxes down as much as possible.”

Rogers, however, said the board has kept spending in line with the rate of inflation the last three years.  “We’ve done an outstanding job,” he said.

If the budget were approved as is, the tax rate would drop 71 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value – from $6.98 to $6.18 per thousand.

A public hearing was also held on the proposed sewer budget.  Rogers said they’re not planning an increase in either water or sewer rates this year.

NATURE CONSERVANCY BUYS 161,000 ACRES IN ADKS

A nonprofit conservation group purchased 161,000 acres of timberland in the central Adirondacks under an agreement that will allow a lumber company to continue cutting trees for 20 years while the new owners pay local land taxes.

The Nature Conservancy bought the former Finch, Pruyn & Co., lands – touching 31 towns in six counties and including several thousand acres next to the High Peaks – for $110 million from Atlas Paper Resources and Blue Wolf Capital Management.  The investor group had recently bought Finch, Pruyn.

The agreement announced Monday will allow Atlas to continue logging the forests for 20 years, providing the raw materials that have fueled Finch, Pruyn's mill in Glens Falls since 1905. The mill currently employs 850 people.

The forests have a variety of mountains, cliffs, lakes, ponds, bogs and rivers. The Hudson River Gorge, Blue Ledges, and OK-Slip Falls are within the 161,000 acres. Some 90 mountains and 70 lakes and ponds dot the land.

“It's terrific news,” said John Sheehan, spokesman for the Adirondack Council. “Finch was a good steward of the property but, like every other commercial owner, was unable to hold onto the property in the long term. We were very concerned about the fate of this property.”

The Nature Conservancy will consult with community leaders, leaseholders and others over the next 18 months to identify how best to protect the land while addressing local economic needs and recreation.

Recreational leaseholders such as hunting clubs will still use the land. The public can continue to use the land where easements currently exist, such as along the Northville-Placid Trail between Blue Mountain and Long Lake.

The conservancy first learned of the lands in 2001 when Finch, Pruyn asked the environmental group to conduct an ecological study as part of the paper company's “green forestry” certification.

“We discovered extraordinary biological richness, inspiring TNC to step up and play the leading role in this property's future,” Michael Carr, executive director of The Nature Conservancy's Adirondack Chapter, said in a statement.

The purchase was financed in part through loans from the Open Space Conservancy and from John Hancock Life Insurance Company. The Nature Conservancy will launch a fundraising campaign to help pay for the land.

TOURISM, CONSOLIDATION, POLICE ISSUES TOP TL AGENDA

Tourist attractions, consolidation, and the resignation of a police officer were just a few of many topics discussed during last night’s village board meeting in Tupper Lake.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marty Mozdzier met with the board to discuss the recent collaboration efforts between the chamber and staff at the Wild Center.  Mozdzier said they’ve had one presentation with museum staff and another one is scheduled for after the Fourth of July to spread the word to visitors about other parts of the community. “The purpose is to familiarize the staff and volunteers with all of the numerous facilities we have to offer here in Tupper Lake,” she said.

“That’s a very good move you’ve made,” commented Mayor Mickey Desmarais.

Mozdzier said they’re also working on installing more signage near the Wild Center “to direct traffic to the business district.”

The mayor asked if it was possible for the chamber to have someone at the museum during the summer season to direct visitors to other parts of the community. “That’s a work in progress,” responded Chamber President Don Dew Jr.

In other news Mayor Desmarais said a meeting would be set up either this week or next between himself, Town Supervisor Roger Amell, former Trustee Marvin Madore and the media for a status report on consolidation efforts between the village and town.

Madore and others were selected to serve on a committee tasked with looking at how to save taxpayer dollars by consolidating, dissolving and/or merging services between the village and town.

The mayor said the spirit of cooperation between the two governments was already evident, citing both municipalities work at reducing their budgets for the coming fiscal year.

And, the board accepted the resignation of one of the police department’s recently graduated recruits.

Jennifer King tendered her resignation to Police Chief Tom Fee this past Saturday, citing health reasons. King, along with Officers Justin Perryman and Sloan Bolster recently completed police training school in Canton.

There was no discussion on a possible replacement.

MCDONNELL: YOUTH PROGRAM WILL HAPPEN THIS SUMMER

The Saranac Lake Area Youth Program will happen this summer.

That’s what Harrietstown Councilman and youth program board member Brian McDonnell said following a meeting last night.

“Based on the level of interest and the number of people registered to come to the camp, and the outpouring of community support, the program is going to happen this year,” he said.

The program’s future was in doubt after initial registration sessions failed to reach the goal of getting at least 140 students signed up. 

But, once people heard that the camp may be cancelled, McDonnell says the community came forward with donations and support. “The energy is high and it looks like the kids will have a place to go this summer,” he said.

McDonnell says the youth program’s board and other interested residents will be working with Bill Wilson, the program’s director, to make sure they have the necessary staff.  The civic center has kept the dates open for the camp and is willing to accept a reduced rental rate, McDonnell said.

Saranac Lake Trustee Susan Waters said at last night’s village board meeting that Randy Cross had raised over $4000 from area churches to defer the program’s costs. 

So far about 100 area kids are registered for the camp, which runs for five weeks beginning in July.  Another registration date will be announced soon.

Meanwhile, the subject of recreation throughout the community will be discussed at a meeting Thursday at the Harrietstown Town Hall.  The Saranac Lake Village Board and Town of Harrietstown Board will be discussing the creation of a recreation commission.  The meeting begins at 5:15 p.m.

WILD CENTER CELEBRATES 100,000 VISITOR

The Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks in Tupper Lake has been open for close to a year and has already passed the 100,000 mark for visitors.

The milestone, which occurred this weekend, puts the Wild Center ahead of its original projections.

On Sunday, three-year-old Christina Maglione of Plattsburgh was the 100,000 visitor and received an assortment of gifts and a special visit from the museum’s otter mascot.

“We’re ahead of our expectations,” said Managing Director Stephanie Ratcliffe. “This has been a great year for the museum and we’re ready for the summer.”

Along with the 100,000 visitors, from twenty different countries, museum officials provided some other interesting facts leading up to their one-year celebration.

Since opening July 4 a total of 5,200 fish have been stocked in the manmade Blue Pond.  More than 500 pounds of fish and meat have been consumed by two of the museums river otters and an estimated 27,000 crickets have been eaten by the museum’s reptiles and amphibians.

The Wild Center’s website has also received over 7 million hits.

And of course the museum has had one Presidential candidate make a visit - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The statistics comes as museum staff gear up for the Wildfest Celebration on July 4. The daylong event features Grammy Award Winner Ralph Stanley, recording artist Martin Sexton and local favorites the George Bailey Trio.

Also Wildfest will feature a preview of the museum’s latest endeavor Wings Over the Adirondacks.

TROOPER SHOT AND WOUNDED NEAR POTSDAM

A state trooper fresh off a maternity leave was shot in the shoulder while responding to a domestic dispute, then shot and killed her assailant as he ran at fellow officers.

That’s how State Police Major Richard Smith told the story of 29 year-old Trooper Amanda Reif, who was wounded yesterday during a confrontation on Route 56 in the Town of Potsdam.

Smith described what happened at a press conference yesterday. “She exited her vehicle and approached the residence,” he said.  “She was immediately fired upon by a resident.  While additional responding units were arriving, Trooper Rief returned fire at that subject and, we believe, is responsible for killing that individual in response to his aggression.”

45 year-old Steven McCumber was pronounced dead at the scene.

Reif, who has a seven-month-old baby boy, is recovering at Fletcher Allen Healthcare in Burlington where she was listed in serious condition.

McUmber was a registered level 3 sex offender. He had convictions of attempted sexual abuse for incidents involving girls ages 10 and 12, and one for rape involving a 13 year old girl.

POLICE AND FIRE REPORT

Saranac Lake Police responded to a personal injury motorcycle accident last night on Edward Street.  Police say the operator, 25 year-old Shane A. Paye, was operating at a speed not reasonable or prudent when he lost control of the motorcycle. It went into a skid and struck a utility pole, heavily damaging the bike and injuring the operator.  Paye was taken to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake by the Saranac Lake Rescue Squad.  A hospital spokesperson said he’s been admitted to the facility, but no further details on the extent of Paye’s injuries was available.  The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded at 9:28 p.m. with six members and one truck, returning to the fire station at 10:28 p.m.

Saranac Lake Police arrested 27 year-old Kellie M. Sutton of Saranac Lake for a family court violation at 2:58 p.m. Monday.  Police say Sutton was picked up on a Franklin County Family Court warrant.  She was processed at the police station and remanded to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department for arraignment.