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Saturday,ÊJ ulyÊ16,Ê2016
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In EVENTS | pg. 16
Mayor’s Cup Fire Truck Pull
Several teams compete for first-ever event
www.SunCommunityNews.com
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In NEWS | pg. 4
Stefanik takes huge cash lead GOP incumbent amasses 3-1 lead
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In FEATURES | pg. 9
Pooches now welcome
Several municipalities to add dog parks
Conflicts arise with Rouses Point water rates
Resident paying double fights for equal rates By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
ROUSES POINT — Tensions grew high at last week’s village board meeting when a resident asked village officials to reduce his recently doubled water rate. Clifford Sterling, who has been living in the area for over 40 years and serves as the village code enforcement officer, said his water payment doubled from $46 a month to $92 two months ago after the village discovered an error in his billing. Sterling, who’s been living at his current residence for six years, owns three acres of land. While a quarter-acre is within the village limits, the remainder is within the town of Champlain.
Mayor Daniel Letourneau said although he has land within the boundary lines, his property on Prospect Street is not. While Sterling uses village services and pays over $100 a year in village taxes, “he’s a town resident,” Letourneau said. “Period.” Sterling disagrees, stating everything he does — from eating at Sandy’s Deli to shopping at the Dollar Store — helps the village. “I consider myself to be a Rouses Point resident,” he said. “I just want my bill to be like everyone else’s.” BILLING SYSTEM Rouses Point residents must use village water and pay the flat rate of $46 per month. Town residents near the existing pipes could request to hook up to village water. However, they would have to pay
HonorÊF light
INCREASING RATES Over the years, the water and sewer rates have been steadily increasing due to the possible closing of the village’s larger water and sewer customer Pfizer. >> See Clifford’s Fight | pg. 17
Durkee Street lot to receive makeover
receivesÊ bus AuSable Valley Central donated, refurbished vehicle gets heroes welcome
CUMBERLAND HEAD — North Country Honor Flight processions are a staple of summer. Beginning in early-spring, veterans are picked up at their homes in the wee hours by local law enforcement officials and Pete escorted to the Plattsburgh Oval, where DeMola Editor residents and dignitaries gather to send off their heroes. The second leg of the trip sees the vets shuttled to the Plattsburgh Airport, where they depart for a day visiting monuments in Washington, D.C. A newly refurbished bus will see the World War II and Korean War vets and their guardians riding in style. North Country Honor Flight had been using the bus for years as part of an agreement with AuSable Valley Central. But when the vehicle reached the end of its lifespan with the district, Superintendent Paul Savage had an idea: Why not donate it to the non-for-profit organization? The district did. The veterans organization quickly raised $7,000 for repairs and modifications through donations designated specifically for the project. The full-sized bus, now painted bullet gray and wheelchair-
double, said Letourneau. Instead of using village water, town residents have the option of drilling their own well. Sterling does have a well. But he said he prefers village water due to the convenience of it always being available. However, if he doesn’t get the village rate, he said he’ll convert over to his well. “I don’t want to go down that route if I don’t have to,” he said.
Officials entering detailing stages of transforming the concrete block into a new city center By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
Veterans stand in front of the newly refurbished North Country Honor Flight bus. The bus was restored at Precision Auto in Plattsburgh. Photo by Teah Dowling
accessible, is adorned with military insignias from each branch of the service. Betty Boop also makes an appearance, as do scenes from Iwo Jima and D-Day. “Transporting our hometown heroes,” it says on the side. A special permit was also obtained to outfit the vehicle with blinking red and blue lights. “It’s not just a paint job,” said North Country Honor Flight Director Barry Finnegan. “It’s a rolling piece of art.” Following completion of the work Friday afternoon at Precision Auto, veterans boarded the bus and received an escort across the city to North Country Classic Cruisers in Cumber>>See Honor Flight Bus | pg. 18
PLATTSBURGH — The large concrete parking lot in the middle of downtown will become the new city center thanks to a $10 million downtown revitalization grant. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement last week in the Strand Theatre, giving the city the OK to finally start the planning process for the Durkee Street lot. The city’s proposal, “Durkee Street Reimagined,” focused on the two and a half acre Durkee Street parking lot that borders the Saranac River, the Strand Theatre and Strand Center for the Arts, several local businesses and restaurants and numerous walking and biking trails, including the Saranac River Trail. Currently, the site contains 380 parking spots, a seasonal farmers market and a remediated former gas station. City planners envision a gateway to the heart of the city. Plans include the construction of a mixed-use building for >> See Durkee Street | pg. 15