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In NEWS | pg. 12
Raising awareness on breastfeeding County becoming more breastfeeding friendly
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In NEWS| pg. 3
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In EVENTS| pg. 11
Farm stands WoodmenLife to targeted host open house
Rash of thefts threatens rural tradition
500 back-to-school packs to be given away
City voters to decide future form of government
Common Council approves ballot question on whether residents want a strong mayor or city manager By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
PLATTSBURGH — City voters will decide if they want a manager or mayor at the general election this fall. Last week, the common council voted 3-2 to put a question on the ballot asking the voters which they prefer. Councilors Dale Dowdle, Becky Kasper and Joshua Kretser voted in favor, while Rachelle Armstrong and Mike Kelly voted against it. Councilor Paul O’Connell’s absence counted as a negative
vote, which tied the tally at three, leaving the final vote up to Mayor James Calnon, who approved it. “I’m honoring my commitment to the commission to put this up this year,” he said during the meeting. The Charter Commission revamped the city’s 114-year-old charter last year. Voters adopted a change in charter language and changes in the length of terms for the mayor and councilors. The strong mayor or city manager line item stayed off the ballot because the councilors and the chamber wanted the best possible turnout this election year. The city held a public hearing before the meeting last week to gather public input. Two residents spoke up.
>> See Mayor vs. Manager | pg. 5
ADKÊC oast
Drought-like conditions raise concerns across Champlain Valley
WineÊ Fest Local wineries enthusiastic about first-ever centralized tasting event next Saturday
WEST CHAZY — This summer, craft beverage enthusiasts won’t need to travel 33 miles to taste local wines and hard ciders. Instead, several wineries and cideries will set up tasting stations at Conroy’s OrTeah ganics in West Chazy during the first-ever Dowling ADK Coast Summer Wine Fest on SaturWriter day, Aug. 27. The change came after several visitors from last year’s tour said it was tough going from place-to-place. Travelers said they needed to find a designated driver or take precautions with how much they consumed per stop. Each winery differs in how much they offered per tasting. While some allows a limited number of samples, others offer anything and everything behind the bar in small doses. Amazing Grace Vineyard and Winery contains a small restaurant, which drew in plenty of visitors wanting to fill their stomachs, said Owner Mary Fortin. But the turnout wasn’t at the level Fortin wanted. Other wineries shared the same disappointment last year, said Dan Vesco, owner of Vesco Ridge Vineyards and president of the Adirondack Coast Wine Trail Association.
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NO INFORMATION City resident Lonnie Fairchild said she was against putting the issue ballot due to a lack of information. “There’s a lot that’s not clear to me,” she said. According to the commission, a city manager, which would be appointed by the council, would oversee the daily operations; prepare and submit an annual budget; make appointments and oversee all city officers and department heads, among other tasks. No informational sessions have been held. And with only three months until the election, Fairchild felt that wasn’t enough time to fully inform the public before the vote. Both Armstrong and Kelly agreed and floated the idea of postponing the decision for another year.
Lack of rainfall has municipalities, farmers concerned The Adirondack Coast Wine Trail Association planned the new festival to showcase wines and bring more traffic into the North Country. Photo by Teah Dowling
Because of this, the association came up with the idea of bringing all the wineries and cideries into one central location. “We wanted to try something different,” said Vesco. Vesco said this event will act as a trial to see what’s more effective: a festival in one location or a tour from Peru to Chazy. Several wineries and cideries said they weren’t concerned with the change, especially since people can embark on the wine trail anytime throughout the summer. “The wine trail is increasingly becoming recognized for the quality of its wines,” said Colin Read, owner of The Champlain Wine Company. “This event will allow all of the com >>See Wine Festival | pg. 10
By Pete DeMola, Lohr McKinstry, Kim Dedam and Teah Dowling pete@suncommunitynews.com
ELIZABETHTOWN — It’s been a blazing hot and dry summer across the North Country. While the region saw a small degree of relief over the weekend with a series of thunderstorms, the unseasonably dry summer has plunged the region into drought-like conditions. While not as severe as a “warning,” Essex and Clinton counties, like most of Department of Environmental Conservation’s Region 5, is in drought “watch” stage. Rainfall has been below average this summer, a result of atmospheric blocking patterns above Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, explained Paul E. Roundy, a professor at SUNY Albany’s Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. Though not particularly unusual, paired with the intense heat, the weather has vexed municipalities, stymied farmers >> See Drought Concerns | pg. 14