Tupper Lake Fire Department (05/16/12 – Day 1)

Tupper Lake’s Fire Department reports their response to a 2 car accident at the intersection of Park Street and Parkway on the afternoon of May 14^th. 15 members responded, assisted EMS and performed traffic control. One person was transported to the hospital by Tupper Lake’s EMS.

 Saranac Lake Police Department (05/15/12 - Day 2)

A Raybrook man is charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated after crashing his vehicle into a telephone pole . Saranac Lake Police report the arrest of Ilya Kirkby after finding him to be intoxicated while investigating the May 12^th accident. Mr Kirkby was released to appear in village court at a later date.

 Tupper Lake Fire Department (05/16/12 – Day1)

An Alarm activation at 13 Main Street in Tupper Lake called out one vehicle and 14 members at 1:51am on May 15^th. Members of The Tupper lake Fire Department were unable to find any problems.

 Franklin County Courts (05/15/12 - Day 2)

Remember our story about Robert J Call of Saranac Lake in Early January? He was arrested on the charge of Assault in the 2^nd degree and plead guilty to the charges in March. He is sentenced to 180 days in Franklin County Jail and 5 years of Probation.

 Jordan Vann of Saranac Lake also appeared in court on the 14^th and after being indicted by a grand jury on the charges of Grand Larceny and Petit Larceny he plead guilty to Grand Larceny in the 4^th and is scheduled for sentencing on July 16^th. 

WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION IN TUPPER LAKE

The Village of Tupper Lake Releases a Draft Waterfront Revitalization Strategy and Action Plan on Friday. Melissa McManus is Tupper Lake’s community development consultant. She says Tupper Lake secured funds from the waterfront program to focus on this strategy…

Click here to listen to the full story

The Environmental Protection Fund Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, which is administered by the NYS Department of State provides funding for these revitalization projects.The draft document is scheduled for posting to the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce website (on Friday, May 18^th) and will also be available at the Town Hall and The Village Offices. McManus gives us a preview - she says the draft strategy proposes to take advantage of the beautiful waterfront at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park.

 The revitalization committee worked with Mike Welty, who is the project manager for Behan planning and design of Saratoga Springs. According to Behan, this type of project requires public participation; in fact, Mr Welty says the community plays an integral part in successful community planning and implementation initiatives. 

Community Planning takes many shapes - but Behan Design sees it as an opportunity to bring people together and to identify common themes..

The focus of the report is to prioritize and ultimately implement projects that will improve long-term economic vitality and the quality of life in Tupper Lake.  A draft of the strategy will be made available to the public on Friday, and a community workshop is planned for Thursday, May 24th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Goff-Nelson Memorial Library on Lake Street.

Lake Placid’s waterfront revitalization has also been the beneficiary of EPF Funds, The Beach House on Mirror Lake, along with the work on Peacock Park at the beach received funds from the same program.. Dean Deitrich spearheads many of Lake Placid’s community development projects..  Lake Placid also has access to EPF waterfront funds through the Mill Pond Initiative and new park down by the power pond. Tupper Lake’s Mayor, Paul Maroun says this type of upgrade will take advantage of the current surroundings..

Attendees at the Tupper Lake workshop will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments/suggestions about the ideas presented.  Public feedback will be used by the Tupper Lake Revitalization Committee to make revisions to the draft document before submitting a final draft to the Tupper Lake Town and Village Boards over the summer.

SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN SL

Work begins today on the Downtown Sidewalk Project in Saranac Lake. Phase one includes the demolition and reconstruction of sidewalks on both sides of Broadway between Main Street and Woodruff Street along with a portion of sidewalk between the entrance to the Community Store and Berkeley Green.

Audio on this story is coming shortly

Work will start at the entrance of the Community Store and proceed around Berkeley Green and down the east side of Broadway to Woodruff Street. Work will then continue on the west side of Broadway from the alley across from Woodruff Street up the hill to the alley between Blueline Sports and Pink.

During the project, several parking spaces on Main Street between the Community Store and Berkeley Green will be closed. Several parking spaces in the Pontiac parking lot will be closed and used for a staging area. At various times the Pontiac parking lot will be temporarily closed, however, it will remain open as much as possible during construction.

Access to building and business entrances will be maintained at all times except for limited interruptions when concrete is poured and finished. Sidewalks will remain open as much as possible during the day and in the evening, however, pedestrians are reminded to proceed with caution. Construction will occur anytime between 6AM and 6PM Monday through Friday.

The project is the first phase of the Village of Saranac Lake Sidewalk Replacement Project, a $1 million effort to upgrade sidewalks throughout the Village authorized by the Board of Trustees in 2011.

BIOTECH in SARANAC LAKE GETTING ATTENTION FROM MAYORS CONFERENCE

And the Local Government Achievement Award goes to…. The Village of Saranac Lake..

 Empire State Report Magazine recognizes the Village of Saranac Lake for it’s “Saranac Lake Biotech Cluster.” The Project, part of The New York State Conference of Mayors 25 annual local government awards program awards Saranac lake First Place in the Economic Development Category.

 NYCOM President William D Nelson says The Village of Saranac Lake should be commended for this excellent project. He continues by saying “This award recognizes that local officials are working diligently to improve their communities and the quality of life for their residents in efficient and innovative ways.”

 Village representatives will Travel to Sararoga today to attend the conference. They include include Mayor Clyde Rabideau, Trustee Barbara Rice, Former Trustee John McEneany, Community Development Director Jeremy Evans and Village Treasurer Paul Ellis.

 The Conference of Mayors represents 582 cities and villages in New York State.

The Vermont House of Representatives votes to ban Hydrolic Fracturing in the state. The 103 to 36 vote makes Vermont the first state in the nation to ban the practice.  While Fracking has not been creating as much of a stir in Vermont as it has in New York, The state has a reputation for taking this kind of action which may now provide more ammunition for supporters of this type of ban in New York. Governor Cuomo’s Office continues to recognize local government organizations who have chosen locally to ban Fracking in their municipalities but continues to consider all of the arguments for and against the permitting of Hydrolic Fracturing, most especially in the Marcellus Shale which extends south into Pensylvania where many communities enjoy an economic wind fall from the construction of wells and all of the associated development related to the industry..  The Debate will no doubt continue and Vermont’s House, at least is now first to vote for such a ban..

SYLVIE NELSON TO LEAVE SL CHAMBER

Saranac Lake's Chamber of Commerce Announces the retirement of it’s Executive Director. The Chamber’s Mission continues, providing services and representation for it’s membership, while generating economic development and business building initiatives through promotional and marketing strategies. Sylvie Nelson has served as Executive Director since the retirement of Jacques Demattos in January of 2005. Word This morning of her resignation has reached the newsroom.  Joe Riccio, the Chamber’s President says “The Chamber has accomplished a lot under her leadership, including raising the profile of the organization on a more regional and even statewide basis.” And he continued by saying - “While we are entering a challenging new phase, it is also one of opportunity for the chamber.”  The board of directors will be organizing a transition committee to manage the interim period and a separate recruitment committee to find a new executive director.  Mrs Nelson says the Chamber has created many successful partnerships, namely with the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, along with others through her tenure.  She continues by saying “The Chamber is now accredited four stars by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and it has been represented on the Chamber Alliance of New York State Board of Directors since 2010.”   She concluded by adding “I have decided to pursue new challenges and wish the organization and its members nothing but the best.”

CRAIG RANDALL LEADS NYCOM COMMITTEE

Lake Placid’s Mayor is Appointed Chairman of the eight-member Nominating Committee of the New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM). NYCOM President

William Nelson says Mayor Craig Randall  has been an active participant in NYCOM programs and is well suited to serve on this important committee. His commitment to quality public service in New York State will ensure that the continued leadership of the Conference of Mayors remains in good hands.” 

The Nominating Committee is responsible for assembling the slate of officers to be elected on May 7 at NYCOM’s 103rd Annual Meeting in Saratoga Springs. The Conference of Mayors represents 582 cities and villages in New York State, ranging from the smallest village to the City of New York. NYCOM has been in existence since 1910.

RECORD PROFITS FOR NY LOTTERY

New York Lottery Announces the Twelfth Consecutive Year of Record Sales and Earnings.  The Beneficiary, K through 12 education..  Lottery’s fiscal year ended march 31^st with $8.44 billion in sales and net win which produced a profit of nearly $2.9 billion.

The Traditional Lottery business benefited greatly from strong growth of the Powerball game, which implemented a strategic redesign that included a price increase (from $1 to $2), larger starting jackpots and faster roll-ups. The world-record setting jackpot of $656 million for Mega Millions produced more than $67.4 million in profit in the weeks leading up to the close of the fiscal year.

All Lottery profits go to funding K-12 education in New York State representing nearly 15 percent of total state aid to local school districts.

Where Lottery Money Goes:

Overall, 96 percent of the Lottery's $8.44 billion in combined sales and net win was returned to New Yorkers in the form of prizes, aid to education, and commissions to retailers.

• Prizes paid totaled more than $4.1 billion in Traditional Lottery games.

• Commissions paid to nearly 17,000 Traditional Lottery retailers and nine Video Gaming facilities totaled more than $1 billion. The Lottery paid $420 million in commissions to Traditional Lottery retailers and $617 million in commissions to Video Gaming facilities.

• The entire operation of the Traditional Lottery, including advertising, marketing, printing, systems, telecommunications, finance and administration is funded from just 3.3 percent of sales.

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school district's size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.

More online at WNBZ.com

The Traditional Lottery business includes draw games such as Powerball, Mega Millions, daily Numbers, and scratch-off games such as Win-for-Life and Cashword. Traditional Lottery sales increased 3.8 percent to $7.0 billion, a result of a $221.5 million increase in draw game sales (6.9 percent) and a $32.5 million increase in instant game sales (0.9 percent). Traditional Lottery growth was concentrated in Powerball, Quick Draw, daily Numbers and Win 4, while growth in instant games came primarily from higher priced ($10+) games.

The Video Gaming business line generated a record $1.4 billion in net win and $697.1 million in profit, with increases at all nine casinos. Resorts World alone contributed $253.3 million in net win and $116.8 million in profit with less than five months of full operation in Fiscal 2011-12. The year over year increase in net win from all nine casinos totaled $317.2 million or 28.6 percent, producing an increase in profit of $149.7 million or 27.4 percent.

New York Lottery Director Gordon Medenica said of the Lottery's strong showing in all business segments, "We're always thrilled to set a new record and continue as the nations largest and most successful Lottery. But most importantly, we are proud of the significant contribution we make to support New York's schools. We look forward to continuing our record of success in the future."

Traditional Lottery:

Within the Traditional Lottery business, draw game sales were up 6.9 percent, due mainly to the price increase of Powerball during the fourth quarter and the resulting higher jackpots, which generated $296.6 million in sales and $121.7 million in profit. As anticipated, sales for Mega Millions were up only slightly in the wake of the Powerball growth, but results for the two games combined still showed an increase of more than $95.5 million or 14.3%. Sales for Mega Millions picked up substantially during a roll up that started in late January and set a new world record of $656 million before being hit on March 30. Sales for Lotto, a game with a statutory low prize payout percentage (40 percent vs. 50 percent for most other draw games) continue to decline, down 7.8 percent from the previous year. Quick Draw sales increased 18.4 percent ($77.8 million) over the previous year due to extended hours of operation and more creative display designs. New York's daily Numbers and Win 4 posted gains of 3.1 percent and 4.8 percent ($26.1 million and $37.2 million), respectively. Take 5 sales were essentially flat (up 0.2 percent) due to game maturity and continued cannibalization from a greater number of higher jackpot games. Sales for scratch-off games have begun to rebound, increasing 0.9 percent or $32.5 million, attributable to the increased popularity of higher price point games and a revised strategy for new game launches and advertising support.

Video Gaming:

Within the Video Gaming business, net win was up substantially at all casinos, led by the opening of Resorts World Casino New York City, the first casino located within the five boroughs, as well as continued strong performance from Empire City Casino at Yonkers. Net win from the now fully operational Resorts World facility totaled $253.3 million. Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, our largest contributor, saw its annual net win increase despite the opening of the newer Resorts World Casino, with a $14.7 million year-over-year increase. All other Video Lottery casinos posted excellent gains due to a full year of extended hours, the effective implementation of a new free play program and strong results from new electronic table games. Saratoga Casino and Raceway, the oldest of the state's casinos, posted an impressive 10.8 percent ($15.1 million) increase in net win. Hamburg Casino at the Fairgrounds saw its net win increase 17.0 percent ($11 million) over last year; Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack grew by 6.0 percent ($7.1 million); Tioga Downs Casino increased net win 11.0 percent ($5.9 million); Monticello Casino and Raceway grew 7.9 percent ($4.6 million; Batavia Downs Casino saw an 8.9 percent increase ($3.4 million) and Vernon Downs Casino and Hotel grew 5.1 percent or $2.1 million.

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing nearly $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2011-2012 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery's contribution represents nearly 15 percent of total state education aid to local school districts.

VILLAGE DECIDES TO BE MORE SOCIAL!

The Village of Saranac Lake announces a new tool for connecting with residents.  Village Manager John Sweeney tells WNBZ that many residents may not realize that villages and towns across the region are moving to social media to connect more directly and Saranac Lake has created a page at Saranac Lake dot gov that lists all of the social media tools the village is using..

 The village police department was the first to create a Facebook page. Mt. Pisgah has a Facebook profile, The Village’s Facebook pages are newer…  and Community Development Director Jeremy Evans says they have some work to do…

 The Objective for the Village in addition to Transparency, is to be sure that residents are aware of village activities.. Evans says that meeting notices on a bulletin board will reach only those who have some other reason to visit the Village offices but various social media outlets are a cost effective way to connect.

 Village Manager John Sweeney says All of the traditional forms of communication will continue including newspaper and radio along with the growth of social media. The list is available at www.saranaclake.gov

HISTORY MATTERS

Historic Saranac Lake announces a new seminar series, titled "History Matters."  Three Thursday discussions are focusing on various topics of interest in Saranac Lake’s Past including The Development of the APA, Homesteading in the Adirondacks, and Remembering the Olympics. The three part series begins May 17^th at 7pm in the John Black Room of the Saranac Laboratory on Church Street in Saranac Lake..

 More on the series is online at WNBZ.com

 The three Thursday discussions will focus on various topics of interest in Saranac Lake’s past. The talks are presented by Historic Saranac Lake in collaboration with Paul Smith’s College.

The series begins on May 17, with “The Development of the APA”, a panel discussion with

Sandy Hayes and Steve Erman, moderated by Jim Hotaling. On May 24, the topic will be

SUPERVISOR TO SPEAK AT NCCC GRADUATION

North Country Community College Announces spring Commencement celebrations. This year marks the 45th annual commencement for North Country Students. Supervisor Robi Politi will deliver the commencement address on Saturday, May 12th, at 11 a.m. here on the Saranac Lake campus. Outgoing president Carol Brown will also speak two the Two hundred and fifty-six students and those in attendance at the commencement.

 N triple C’s Board of Trustees recently announced the appointment of Dr. Steve Tyrell to serve as the college’s sixth president, effective June 15, 2012. Dr Tyrell will be returning home to the region and lead North Country Community College into its next phase. He told WNBZ in a statement that he is looking forward to working with community leaders in advancing the local workforce partnerships that extend the impact of North County throughout the region.

Dr. Tyrell is completing his 29th year in higher education and his 19th in SUNY.

ITS CURTAINS FOR K2

The New York State Senate today passes legislation criminalizing the sale and possession of synthetic marijuana. The bill would also criminalize the sale and possession of hallucinogenic chemicals deceptively called “bath salts.” 

                Majority Leader Dean Skelos tells WNBZ in a statement These chemicals are just as dangerous as illegal drugs, and maybe more so because of how readily available they are to children and teen.. He continues by saying

 “We are taking an important step in protecting the health and safety of our communities by banning the sale and possession of synthetic marijuana and bath salts.”

                 Senator Betty Little has heard from parents, educators, substance abuse counselors and district attorneys urging her to make the sale and possession of these drugs illegal. “But the most compelling pleas have come from teenagers who have used or seen someone use these drugs.” She says.. “  The effects are so alarming that they’ve asked me to do something.  That says a lot about just how deceptively dangerous these drugs are and why it is important we act today and  that the Assembly joins us in this effort.”

 More below here online at WNBZ.com

                 In addition to outlawing the sale and possession of synthetic marijuana and bath salts, this legislation would establish a Statewide Synthetic Cannabinoid and Substituted Cathinone Surrender Program.  For 90 days following the effective date of the law, the program would allow individuals to voluntarily turn over any products containing synthetic cannabinoids and substituted cathinones at locations throughout the State.

                 A state database would also be created and available on the New York State Department of Health’s website to provide retailers, law enforcement and the general public with a listing of trade names, physical descriptions, brand names and images of the various products known to be either synthetic marijuana or “bath salts.”

       Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said, “If anyone has a doubt about the impact of synthetic marijuana, they need only look at the cases we are seeing in the court system where the defendant was under the influence of the drug. Case after case, we see otherwise non-violent people committing horrific acts, such as the 18-year-old who stabbed his mother repeatedly, leaving her without any use of her right hand. To ban the sale of such a dangerous drug is a great first step, but does not go far enough.

I commend the Senate for outlawing the possession of synthetic marijuana and urge the Assembly not to hesitate in following suit. The safety of New Yorkers is too important.”

       “I applaud Senator Little, and the efforts of our state legislators, for introducing a bill to ban synthetic marijuana and criminalize the sale and possession of herbal incense products,” said Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES District Superintendent James Dexter. “We see the effects of fake weed on our young people in our schools more and more frequently, and it’s not good. Students who use fake weed can’t learn – they’re agitated, aggressive, paranoid, and unmanageable. We are finding that these behaviors accelerate the more students use the drug, and their bodies are not returning to normal.

Several young people have been sent to the Emergency Room, the police station, and home on suspension as a result of using synthetic marijuana at school.”

                 “Fake pot has real health consequences, as do bath salts and other products that are aggressively being marketed to young people on Long Island and around the State. Several journal articles published in the last three months have detailed a wide range of psychiatric symptoms experienced by users including paranoia, hallucinations, delusions and extreme anxiety.