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Saturday,ÊJ anuaryÊ14,Ê2017
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www.SunCommunityNews.com
In SPORTS | pg. 14-15
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Lady Bobcats improving this year
In FEATURES | pg. 9
Jones gets tour of BCS
Seeking third-straight trip to Troy
Beekmantown hands-on programs shown
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In NEWS | pg. 4
Chazy to tackle wastewater project Engineering study to add disinfection station
Trump administration sparks concerns by green groups Incoming EPA chief could mark rollbacks in acid rain recovery By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
PLATTSBURGH — With just days until president-elect Donald Trump takes office, environmental groups in the Adirondack Park are expressing concerns over an administration they fear may be hostile to the environment. Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, has said he wants to eliminate federal environmental regulations and reduce the size and scope of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Federal regulations administered by the agency have re-
sulted in significant reductions in the air pollution that causes acid rain in the Adirondack Park, more than 80 percent of which is generated from out-of-state. The roots of recovery stretch back to 1990, when amendments to the Clean Air Act started a cap and trade program for emissions. Since then, depleted fish populations and damaged forests have been resurrected across the region. The president-elect, who takes office Jan. 20, tapped Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA, an organization he has spent years fighting. His oversight, said the Adirondack Council, could reverse decades of recovery. “If acid rain makes a comeback during the Trump Administration, we will lose this newfound protection and every>> See Donald Trump | pg. 12
MoreÊe vents Champlain Meeting House owners seeking public input to add more events for people of all ages
Teah Dowling Writer
a close second. McFetridge immediately jumped on that self-improvement bandwagon and hosted a New Year’s walk, which was attended by 30 people. There, McFetridge obtained other ideas from the participants, such as starting gardening and canning workshops. Besides adults, McFetridge’s goal is to increase offerings for children, pre-teens and teens. According to the poll, several parents showed interest in more arts and craft programs for their children, on top of story hours, fun runs and arts and crafts programs already offered. Not much is currently offered for pre-teens and teens, said McFetridge, except for the summer boat rowing program and
File photo
Rouses Point receives grant for water treatment plant rehabilitation
tappedÊ forÊ 2017
CHAMPLAIN — Get ready because the Champlain Meeting House is planning a lot of new events this year. An online poll spearheaded Janet McFetridge, co-owner of the facility, generated over 200 responses. Incorporating more events involving arts and crafts came out on top. Activities focusing on self-improvement came in at
Stakeholders in the Adirondack Park are concerned environmental safeguards will be rolled back under the presidential administration of Donald J. Trump, who will take office Jan. 20. Trump is pictured here in Plattsburgh on April 15, 2016.
The Champlain Meeting House is located on 1175 Main St. It was purchased in 2014 and opened a year later to serve as a community center.
one-time babysitting clinic.
Photo by Teah Dowling
Project will make water supply safer, says mayor By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
RAVE REVIEWS Local couple Clarke Herdic and McFetridge opened the Champlain Meeting House in late 2015 as a community center to offer residents and visitors of all ages something to do. So far, the privately-funded facility has been quite a hit with community members, like Champlain resident Heather Dean, who said she’s been a big fan of the Champlain Meeting House since it opened. McFetridge, who also serves as a village trustee, said she’s particularly a fan of the activities offered for children that her two young ones can participate in.
ROUSES POINT — It’s finally official: the water treatment plant will be rehabilitated this year, a measure that will give residents a cleaner supply for drinking water. Rouses Point recently received $200,000 from state Senator Betty Little’s office to replace all the interior piping, pumps and filters. An additional $140,000, split between funds from the Independent Energy Efficiency Program and the village budget, will go toward this project. “I didn’t think it was going to happen, but it did,” Mayor Daniel Letourneau said during last week’s board meeting. “This is a huge step in the right direction for us.” Letourneau said this complete interior renovation will make the current system more efficient and cheaper. The vil-
>> See Champlain Meeting House | pg. 11
>> See Water Plant | pg. 13