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Saturday, October 24, 2015
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In NEWS | pg. 14
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P’Burgh airport expansion update
In OPINIONS | pg. 05
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In NEWS | pg. 15
Little Bits: Syringe Exchange Perspective Program success
Get a sneak peak at the new terminal
Little discusses his favorite word
Local group collects 17,000 used syringes
City approves local law for snow removal, adding fine By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
PLATTSBURGH — City councilors approved last week a local law governing the removal of snow and ice on public sidewalks. The new law includes imposing fines on property owners who don’t clear their sidewalks of snow or ice within 24 hours after public notice of the end of a storm. The fines will be placed on top of fees ranging from $174 to $215 that the city can already charge for maintenance. The amount of the fine, however, is yet to be determined. SNOW REMOVAL CONCERNS
Before the voting took place, two public hearings took place that night and Oct. 1, where community members expressed their concerns to the council regarding the revised city policy. On Oct. 1, Councilman Paul O’Connell read an email sent by community member Connie Durkee, who lives off of a three-lane road making it more difficult to clear snow due to snow plows. The code now states that if the city plows deposit snow on a sidewalk more than 12 inches, which was previously six inches, then the owner is exempt from removing the snow — a challenging effort for some members of the community. “Snow can be hard and even unsafe to
shovel,” said Lonnie Fairchild, who was part of the Snow Removal Advisory Committee. “The city should not make residents clean up any snow that plows accidently deposit on the sidewalk.” If the snow is lower than 12 inches and the property owner fails to clear or remove the snow or ice within those 24 hours, city employees or designated contractors will remove and treat the snow or ice, but that’s where the fine comes in — another major concern for the public. “Fines as a next step is just not acceptable,” said Nancy Allen, who was also part of the Snow Removal Advisory Committee. She suggested at the last public hearing to >> Story Continued | pg. 17
Seeing things
Town of Beekmantown
NCAVI honors White Cane Awareness Day through blind simulation and walk
>> Story Continued | pg. 11
Photo by Teah Dowling
Meet the candidates:
differently
PLATTSBURGH — With no sound traffic signal to guide them, the blind and visually impaired relied solely on the driver’s vision as they crossed the intersection at Margaret and Cornelia, hoping they would notice the white cane and Teah know its meaning. Dowling This difficult task surprised temporarWriter ily visually impaired Mayor James Calnon and councilman Joshua Kretser as they took on the challenge themselves. “To approach an intersection with no audio aid of when the lights are changing and rely on your other senses to hear traffic patterns was nervewracking,” Kretser said. “I never realized how much goes into being able to maneuver around the city or any place with a visual impairment.” The North Country Association for the Visually Impaired (NCAVI) celebrated National White Cane Awareness Day on Oct. 15 at City Hall. Calnon and Kretser joined the blind and visually impaired and NCAVI workers in a simulation event beginning on the
Concerned citizen Nancy Allen spoke her concerns about the proposed code during the Oct. 1 public hearing.
Candidates talk town issues ahead of elections By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
BEEKMANTOWN — With the Town of Beekmantown election approaching, the candidates are cracking down on the issues they hope to solve if elected. For this election, Democrats and Republicans will be running opposed and unopposed for a number of positions, including town councilperson and assessor. Terry Sears, town councilman (incumbent) Republican Party
Mayor James Calnon led the way of the blind and visually impaired using his white mobility cane and blind simulation goggles. Photo by Teah Dowling
Sears graduated from Beekmantown Central School in 1972 and Paul Smith’s College in 1974 with an associate’s degree. Upon graduation, he worked almost 34 years for the state and retired as a correctional lieutenant. He’s served on the town board for four years and hopes to continue the projects he helped start, such as bringing natural gas to the town and sending Beekmantown Central students to summer camps for free. >> Story Continued | pg. 16