POWER LINE AMENDMENT PUSHED BACK TILL 2008

It will be at least November 2008 before a constitutional amendment can be approved to allow for the building of a new 46-kilovolt transmission line across state Forest Preserve land in eastern St. Lawrence County.

But, officials are exploring ways around the delay so it doesn’t hold up the project, designed to bolster the municipal electric systems in the Tri-Lakes region. 

The planned route of the 26-mile transmission line follows existing rights-of-way from the Stark Reservoir to Tupper Lake, except for a six mile section in Colton that circles around Forest Preserve land.

Upset that the detour would have required cutting through acres of forest and wetlands, environmental groups worked with state legislators to draft a constitutional amendment allowing the line to be built on Forest Preserve land that parallels state Route 56.

Amending the state Constitution requires approval from two consecutive sessions of the Legislature and approval from New York voters.

The amendment had cleared the Senate and Assembly last year and was expected to do so again and be put on the statewide ballot this fall.

That was until several “typographical errors” in the language of the proposed amendment were discovered.  In one case, route 56 was described as a county highway instead of a state highway.

Dan McEntee, an aide to Senator Betty Little, said they tried to work with the governor’s office to get the constitutional amendment changed, but were unsuccessful. “It had to be redone,” he said.

Peter Bauer of the Resident’s Committee to Protect the Adirondacks said the mistakes in the amendment should have been caught. “We missed it,” he said.  “It passed through the eyes of the bill writers, DEC and NYPA and they missed it.  There were dozens of eyes that looked at this and unfortunately these small errors managed to get through.”

A new, correctly-worded version was drafted and approved in June by the Senate and Assembly.  If the same happens next year, the amendment could finally be put on the ballot in November 2008.

“We’re disappointed in the delay, but it hasn’t fallen apart,” McEntee said.

Rather than wait until late next year to see if the constitutional amendment is approved by the voters, National Grid may pursue a temporary permit allowing construction to take place on the state Forest Preserve lands along Route 56 – the middle section of the line.

“There is the possibility of a temporary permit,” said National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella. “We’re looking into it.”

Peter Bauer of the Resident’s Committee says they’re hopeful the project will not be slowed down. “We anticipate next spring they will make a connection, with a DEC temporary revocable permit issued, to allow this through the Forest Preserve section along the roadside of Route 56,” he said.  “I think everybody is confident the line will be in place before heading into the winter of 2008-2009.”

Construction at the northern end of the project is already underway.  National Grid crews have been clearing trees and building access roads.  Work on the southern section is scheduled to start next month.

Franklin County Legislator Paul Maroun said he was pleased that work on the new transmission line is underway.  He said the project is critically important to residents in Tupper Lake and surrounding areas.  “I will continue to work with Senator Little and the New York Power Authority to make sure this power line becomes a reality whether it needs to cross a piece of the forest preserve or not,” Maroun said in a news release.

-Chris Knight

TUPPER TRAIN STATION CONSTRUCTION MOVES FORWARD

A summer resident of Tupper Lake has offered to match three to one every dollar collected this fall up to $100,000 to aid in completing work on the restored Tupper Lake train depot.

Robert Merrill, a longtime resident in the area, made the pledge to the Next Stop! Tupper Lake campaign.

Dan McClelland, chairman, said Merrill has been a strong supporter over the years. “He’s been a long time contributor to our train station,” explained McClelland.

McClelland said they’re currently at the halfway mark in raising the necessary funds for completion of the project. If the challenge from Robert Merrill is met, McClelland said it would bring them close to their goal.

And this isn’t the first contribution from Merrill. “We’ve also had a donation from Mr. Merrill of about $14,000 for the windows, which was excellent,” said McClelland.

He said the committee hopes the new train station will help in the effort to bring railroad service back to Tupper Lake. “We all went on the premise, if you build it they will come,” he said. “We think that if Tupper Lake shows the initiative to recreate a historic train station I think the state should jump on board and bring the train here. It makes good sense to me and I think it would be a create thing for our community, tourism and economy.”

McClelland said a lot of work on the depot has been done over the summer and fall with the help of numerous volunteers. “We’re moving right along,” he said.

Eugene Falvo of the Adirondack Railroad Preservation Society said Merrill’s challenge will further draw attention to the importance of the railroad. “Anytime someone takes an interest in a civic project like this it’s good news,” he said.

Falvo also thanked members of Next Stop! Tupper Lake. He said their work is similar to the efforts of volunteers in Remsen and Holland Patent who built their own train depots.

“I hope they max out Mr. Merrill’s generosity,” Falvo said. “It’s beginning to build a critical mass.  And the folks in Tupper Lake are to be commended for this leap of faith about putting all this effort into the station before there is a train. But the train will be there.”

Once complete the depot will provide space for performances, railroad artifacts, some commercial space, and be a place to buy railroad tickets.

McClelland said they anticipate having an open house in the middle of October.

-Mike Fritts

DROUGHT AFFECTS SARANAC LAKE WATER SYSTEM

Low water levels and a lack of rainfall this summer are affecting the Village of Saranac Lake’s water system.

Village Sewer Plant Operator Kevin Pratt says normally the top of Lake Flower is six inches above the spillway of the Lake Flower dam. 

But, because of a dry summer, the lake is 12 inches below the spillway or a foot and a half below normal.  “This is the lowest I’ve ever seen Lake Flower below the spillway naturally,” Pratt said. 

The low water level is affecting the village’s water system because the water coming over the dam is used to run turbines that pump drinking water drawn from McKenzie Pond uphill to the village water reservoir. Typically the village can pump 1.3 million gallons per day. 

But, with the water level below the spillway, the turbines are only able to pump a little less than 1 million gallons per day. 

Any time the demand for water exceeds 1 million gallons, booster pumps near McKenzie Pond have to be turned on.  Pratt said the pumps, which use a lot of electricity, have been activated at least once a week since early July.

He doesn’t foresee any major problems with the water supply, provided there isn’t a large water line break.

But if the drought conditions continue, Pratt says the cost of running the booster pumps will begin to add up for the village. “The demand has gone up this summer because it’s been so dry,” he said.  “We’ve had to run the pumps more to keep up with the demand – with people watering their lawns.  We haven’t had to put a water ban on yet, but there’s definitely an increased cost to the village.”

The area finally got some rain on Wednesday and more is expected today.  But, Pratt said, it’s going to take a significant amount of rain over an extended period of time for the situation to improve. Lake Flower is fed by Lower, Upper and Middle Saranac Lake, “and they’re all low too,” he said.

“It’s going to take some time for this to turnaround.  As far as the pumping capability, we’re going to get that back at the latest by spring.  But we’re probably going to be dealing with this for at least another month, even if we get significant rainfalls.”

The low water levels have also been affecting boat traffic on local lakes and rivers. 

DEC spokesman David Winchell says some larger boats may not be able to pass through the upper lock between Lower and Middle Saranac Lakes. Also some boats have encountered sandbars in the channels.  In some places stumps and even the bottom are exposed or just below the surface. 

Winchell said all boaters should be cautious, avoid areas they are not familiar with and travel much slower.

The dry conditions have also caused a number of forest fires and brush fires around the region.  In the last two weeks, DEC Forest Rangers and local fire departments have worked to suppress seven fires totaling 8.4 acres.

-Chris Knight

MALONE MAN SENTENCED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION

A Malone man was sentenced this week to a year and a half in prison on drug charges.

45-year-old Scott L. Boyea was sentenced in Albany by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy to 18 months in prison for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Boyea had pleaded guilty in May.

He was arrested in February 2006 when he attempted to avoid the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint on the Adirondack Northway near North Hudson. In the bed of his pickup truck authorities found two duffel bags containing packaged marijuana. The weight of the pot was more than 44 pounds and less than 88 pounds.

As part of his conviction Boyea must forfeit his 1997 GMC Sierra pickup truck, a cellular phone, two-way radio and pay a special assessment of $100. He’ll also serve three-years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol, Ray Brook-based State Police and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department.

-Mike Fritts

BOCES HIRES NEW SUPERINTENDENT

The region’s BOCES system has a new superintendent.

Stephen T. Shafer was appointed to the position at Wednesday’s regular meeting of the Franklin-Essex-Hamilton Board of Cooperative Educational Services.  He replaces David DeSantis who retired earlier this year.

Shafer, since 2005, has been the superintendent of schools in Malone.

He began his career in education as a high school science and math teacher in Pulaski in 1983.  Shafer also worked as an assistant high school principal in the Norwood-Norfolk Central School District before taking a job with FEH BOCES in 1994. 

He worked as a school improvement and planning coordinator and assistant director of special services until leaving BOCES to become an assistant superintendent in the Malone School District in 2000.

Shafer’s appointment as BOCES superintendent comes after a six month process of advertising, screening and interviews and is contingent on the approval of state Education Commissioner Richard Mills.

As superintendent, Shafer has a number of responsibilities including the planning, administration and supervision of BOCES services provided in area school districts.

Shafer and his wife Cindy live in Malone with their four children.

-Chris Knight

POLICE AND FIRE REPORT

State Police in Ray Brook arrested two people as part of an underage drinking enforcement initiative in Essex County on Tuesday.  66 year-old David L. Brookman of Wilmington was charged with prohibited sale of an alcoholic beverage to a minor for allegedly providing alcohol to a 17 year-old female at Swedish Hill Winery in Lake Placid.  He’s scheduled to appear in Town of North Elba Court on October 1.  Police also charged 27 year-old Tabitha A. Hunt of Elizabethtown with prohibited sale of an alcoholic beverage to a minor for allegedly providing alcohol to a 17 year-old female at the Grand Union in Elizabethtown.  She was given an appearance ticket for Elizabethtown Town Court on October 4.

Saranac Lake Police made two arrests early this morning after receiving a report of persons tipping over a flower pot on Main Street.  22 year-old Danny A. Gillette of Saranac Lake and 27 year-old Robert M. Woods were each charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.  They were processed and released to appear in village court at a later date.

Lake Placid firefighters responded to a smoke condition on Moose Island in Lake Placid at 6:36 p.m. Wednesday night.  One truck, three boats and 22 members went to the scene and found a small fire below ground.  They dug into the ground and used portable pumps to extinguish the small blaze.  Firefighters returned to their station by 9:10 p.m.

Saranac Lake firefighters were called to a small brush fire at 11:46 a.m. Wednesday. Two trucks and 10 members responded to Ampersand Avenue, behind the St. Bernard’s Cemetery.  They pumped water from a nearby pond and extinguished the small blaze, returning to the fire station by 1:17 p.m.  The cause of the fire was unknown.