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THIS WEEK Lake George ..........................2,3 Warrensburg ..........................4,5 Turning Back The Pages ..........6 Chestertown..............................9,12 Thurman....................................13 Sports ..................................14 Community Calendar................15 Classified ..............................16-18 Auto Zone ..............................19,20
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January 1, 2011
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iPhone app
Sports Wrap
This year’s Polar Plunge expected to break records.
A Chestertown resident blazes a trail by creating an iPhone app dealing with biking. See Page 9
All the stats and scores from all your favorite teams.
See Page 3
See Page 14
Sayward, Duprey defend pension ‘double dipping’ allegation Public interest group cries ‘foul’ By Chris Morris denpubs@denpubs.com LAKE CHAMPLAIN — Two North Country lawmakers are defending their decision to take pension payments that some describe as “double-dipping.” Assemblywomen Teresa R. Sayward, R-Willsboro and Janet L. Duprey, R-Peru, will retire from office effective Dec. 31 and then go back on the state payroll Jan. 1 — an action allows them to collect pension from the state retirement system while also receiving their pay as members of the state Assembly. Taxpayers are already crying foul over the socalled “double-dipping” — and officials with watchdog groups like the New York State Public Interest Research Group say constituents have the right to be angry. But Sayward is defending her decision. “It’s incorrect in to say our pension diminishes — it does not,” she said. “What diminishes is our death benefit. After you reach 60-years-old, your death benefit keeps decreasing every single year. It was also incorrect to use the $75,000 figure — I’ve lost nearly $50,000 in my death benefit. If I die while I’m in office, my husband just gets the death benefit; he’ll never get any of my retirement.” Sayward said she’s worked more than 20 years for her retirement, both as an Assemblywoman and as supervisor for the town of Willsboro. She noted her pension won’t be very large — less than $40,000 annually. She added she took her pension to protect her husband. “We were dairy farmers,” Sayward said. “All he has is social security and the little bit we were able to put aside.” Sayward said taxpayers may not realize how much personal money she puts into her job as a legislator. Noting that she covers a large geographical district, Sayward said most of her gas money comes from her own pocket. She also maintains a residence in Glens Falls so she doesn’t have to drive home to the North Country in between
See PENSION, page 5
STORM CLEANUP — Piloting his 1974 John Deere garden tractor/snowblower, Dana Robichaud clears the edge of his driveway in Warrensburg the day after a Nor’easter passed through the region. Defying predictions, the storm — the first major one of this winter — dumped just a few inches in Northern Warren County while depositing up to a foot of snow on areas of the Capital District. In August, Robichaud retired from his post as transportation supervisor for Warrensburg Central Schools. Photo by Thom Randall
Murphy reflects on tenure in Congress Job with Obama, Cuomo awaits? By Chris Morris denpubs@denpubs.com WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a few days, Chris Gibson will head to the nation’s capitol to be sworn in as the next representative of New York’s 20th Congressional District. Earlier this year, the Republican from Kinderhook defeated Democrat Scott Murphy of Glens Falls in a heated Congressional election. Gibson rode a wave of voter anger that saw many incumbent Democrats swept out of office.
The U.S. House of Representatives rounded out its final legislative session last week — a session that was marked by the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a policy that long-banned gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. armed forces. Congress also helped approve a health care package for 9/11 rescue workers. Murphy was first elected to Congress in 2009 during a special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand — who vacated the seat after being appointed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate post. Murphy called his final day on Capitol Hill a historic one. “I started out the day at the bill-signing
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