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ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEW MARKET PRESS/ DENTON PUBLICATIONS
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June 13, 2009
Keene benefits from stimulus
TAMING A MONSTER By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com
By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com KEENE — The town of Keene will find the burden of its upcoming water project a little lighter thanks to $3.1 million in federal stimulus funding. The $3 million grant and $100,000 low-interest loan was announced May 28 by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak as part of $143 million doled out by the USDA through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 60 separate projects in 21 states. The money will be used to offset the cost of a $5.3 million water storage and distribution system planned for Keene Water District 2, which serves the hamlet of Keene Valley. “Initially when we applied to [USDA] Rural Development, it was for a $500,000 grant,” explained Keene Supervisor Bill Ferebee. “When the stimulus funding came down, the grant increased significantly.” Ferebee said the money will be used to pay off most of a $4.2 million no-interest loan secured for the project last year through
See KEENE, page 13
WILLSBORO — An art exhibit in Willsboro recently gave visitors the chance to see the Lake Champlain Monster up close and personal – along with the man who draws him. The Willsboro Heritage Society opened its doors for the season June 5 with an exhibit featuring original art by Sid Couchey, the Harvey Comics cartoonist and longtime Essex resident who has helped make “Champy” a household name in the Champlain Valley and beyond. The exhibit is one of a handful of summer events in Willsboro designed to celebrate the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial. It also served as a birthday celebration for Couchey, who turned 90 on May 24 and was present at the reception. With several dozen original paintings showing Champy in a wide variety of context, the exhibit is the most extensive display of Couchey’s Champy artwork. Altogether, he estimates having composed more than 100 separate works featuring the monster.
Cartoonist and Essex resident Sid Couchey poses beside one of his original paintings that depicts the artist “riding” Champy. The painting is one of several dozen original works by Couchey on display at the Willsboro Heritage Society throughout the summer. Photo by Matt Bosley
Among the many original paintings and drawings is a series entitled “Champy by the Masters” in which Couchey depicts the fabled monster in the distinct styles of famous artists like Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh. Couchey, who is wellknown for his drawings of Richie Rich and other Har-
vey Comics characters, has been producing visualizations of Champy for more than 30 years and said the creature is one of his favorite subjects. “Champy is number two,” said Couchey, “right behind any Cleveland sports team.” Even at 90 years old, the accomplished cartoonist still managed to work the room with his sharp-witted
charm, greeting friends and admirers, and autographing prints of his work. Copies of an August 1978 edition of the Valley News featuring a Champy supplement illustrated by Couchey are available for purchase at the exhibit. “Sid became known for his rendition of Champy based on that,” said Morris
See COUCHEY, page 12
Verizon plans to activate 10 new cell towers By Chris Morris denpubs@denpubs.com
Two-year-old John Sanpietro of Jay spent some time bucket gardening at Point au Roche State Park May 30 during the annual Spring Field Day. Other events included learning about pond critters, making smoothies and storytelling. Photo by Sarah Cronk
NEW YORK — Representatives of Verizon Wireless announced the company’s plans last week to activate at least 10 new cell phone towers this summer across the North Country. Verizon spokesman John O’Malley said the towers should be operating by the end of the year. “We’re very excited about these various projects – they will be beneficial to the North Country,” he said. O’Malley wouldn’t provide specifics on tower location. But he said the new projects will provide Verizon with 90 cell towers in the company's northern network, including 26 cell sites within the
Adirondack Park. Currently, the company has six applications pending with the Adirondack Park Agency. The list includes two towers in the Town of Wells and single towers in Westport, Duane, Wilmington and Queensbury. One of the company’s goals has been to bring better service to the I-87 Northway. To date, Verizon Wireless has activated four of its planned 13 new sites to bring service to a previously uncovered stretch of the highway. Marquett Smith, president of Verizon’s upstate region, said the new cell sites reflect the company’s commitment to providing reliable wireless service. “We’ve taken the lead on expanding wireless service throughout the Adiron-
dack region, both inside the park and outside,” Smith said. “We believe wireless service is essential to the people who live in the region.” The new towers will provide increased cell phone service, as well as access to Mobile Broadband, Verizon’s high-speed wireless Internet service. In the past 18 months, Verizon has activated 14 sites in the North Country. The new cell towers cost approximately $550,000 apiece, representing an investment of more than $5 million during 2009. O’Malley says Verizon plans to invest more than $100 million in the upstate New York network in the coming year. “We keep adding customers,” he said. “So it only makes sense to provide better service moving forward.”
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