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Saturday,ÊD ecemberÊ26,Ê2015
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In SPORTS | pg. 7
All Valley teams inside
Joel Morris, Hannah Whitney named captains
www.SunCommunityNews.com
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In OPINION | pg. 4
Our selfless North Country
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things
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In OTHER | pg. 3
Stuffing food shelves Volunteers step to the plate
Mild weather presents mixed verdict Tourism officials fret over Grinch-like conditions
The extended stretch of spring-like weather is expected to last for another week, say meteorologists. Andrea Lang, a professor of atmospheric science at SUNY Albany, said the trend can be attributed to two factors: the polar vortex is one of the strongest on record, keeping cold air By Pete DeMola trapped at the poles. And in the tropics, the El Nino is among pete@suncommunitynews.com the three strongest since the 1950s, which typically leads to mild temperatures in the northeastern US. “Those two things together are giving us some exceptional ELIZABETHTOWN — What happens when you expect a winter wonderland, and just one week from Christmas, it’s warmth this time of year,” said Lang. more Miami than the North Pole? It’s a development that has baffled the North Country and
HanginÕ Ê Tough
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For Stec, it’s high energy at low key town halls
By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
Local mechanic says business expansion key to survival
WESTPORT — Winter is tough in the North Country. But the next 30 days are likely to be more harrowing than usual for Bobby McGee, a local mechanic awaiting a decision by the town planning board that will allow him to grow his business. Pete McGee said the expansion is critical for DeMola the future of his operation, which started Editor as a small engine repair shop, but has since morphed into a towing operation that employs 12 people. The mechanic has two plots of land on Lake Shore Road, which is zoned residential. The current shop operates under a special permit. Another will need to be granted to allow for the expansion, which McGee envisions will contain a permanent carport-type structure to house tools and other equipment. McGee hopes the expansion will allow him to take on more repair work, a measure that will aid in the sustainability of his business, which right now, is touch and go. McGee has already lined up a contract with the state police
threatened to upend the tourism industry in what’s traditionally one of the busiest times of year. “The weather outside is frightful,” Regional Office for Sustainable Tourism CEO James McKenna told Essex County lawmakers on Monday. With the weather patterns expected to continue well into the holiday season, tourism officials have assembled a task force to ensure travelers don’t get cold feet and cancel scheduled trips. “There’s going to be a time period where they’re going to
McGee’s Towing and Recovery in Westport is seeking to grow their business into a neighboring parcel. To do so, the business requires a special permit from the town’s zoning board. Owner Bobby McGee (center) says the expansion is critical to the company’s survival. Photo by Pete DeMola
to work on their fleet. “I’m not here to make a mess,” said McGee. “I’m just trying to do business. You look at Main Street and 95 percent of businesses are for sale.” McGee said he aims to keep the 2.8 acre lot tidy and clean. On Wednesday, McGee made his case to the planning board at a public hearing. The board systematically went through several checklists, including state-mandated environmental requirements, as they considered his application. Earlier site visits by planning board members revealed no >> Story Continued | pg. 3
KEENE — For the past week, Assemblyman Dan Stec has been holding a series of town hall meetings across the district. The freewheeling sessions, which the Queensbury rep describes as “low key” gatherings, are a dose of equal parts policy briefs and what the assemblyman frequently refers to as “inside baseball.” On Wednesday, he talked shop with about a dozen residents in Keene. Stec hit them with his big three issues — Pension forfeiture, the minimum wage and the region’s ongoing infrastructure needs, including broadband, which he called the “water and sewer” of the modern era. Many town halls from politicos are sanitized and varnished, talking points and platitudes. Then there’s Stec, who isn’t afraid to lambast Albany and shine some light into the state’s Byzantine structure of governance. Stec, who has positioned himself as the state legislature’s leading voice on stripping corrupted officials of their pensions, theorized something happened when three men went >> Story Continued | pg. 5