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Saturday,ÊS eptemberÊ19,Ê2015
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www.SunCommunityNews.com
In BENEFITS| pg. 2
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Hat Trick hockey benefit
In EVENTS | pg. 8-9
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Battle of Plattsburgh
Chazy Youth Hockey saving up for new zamboni
Celebrating 201 years of rich history
In NEWS | pg. 11
P’Burgh Library receives grant Other libraries to undergo renovations
Program offers group rowing on Great Chazy River By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
CHAMPLAIN — The Village of Champlain, in partnership with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum from Vermont, launched a rowing program on the Great Chazy River. The group rowing experience takes place every Friday at 6 p.m. at the Bill Earl Park boat launch - at least until October when the program will end. Janet McFetridge, Village of Champlain trustee, said the turnout has been successful
and community members have enjoyed their group rowing experiences. “This is our first year and the turnout has been very successful,” McFetridge said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue it next year.” THE BEGINNING The program launched in early June after the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, who wanted to expand its program into New York, agreed to send over a 32-foot-long, six-oared pilot gig rowing boat
and, later on in August, a fouroared, 25-foot Whitehall-style rowing boat to serve the growing number of participants. The board decided to incorporate this program to promote activity within the village. Along with a new playground, picnic area, disc golf course, ice rink and community garden, they reached out to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to offer an activity on the river. “We set some very ambitious, but realistic, goals,” McFetridge said. “One of them
was to promote physical activity and recreation and the rowing program really fit that goal.” ROWING BOATS The rowing boats used in the program were built by high school students at the museum boat shop in what is known as the Champlain Longboats Program. “It’s like an alternative school over there where kids who don’t function well in a The Champlain rowing program takes place on the Great Chazy River every Friday evening at 6 p.m.
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MaryÊ Ocher
Discussions get heated about snow removal
The Queen of the Berlin Underground to perform in Plattsburgh
Teah Dowling Writer
PLATTSBURGH — The self-proclaimed Queen of the Berlin Underground, Mary Ocher, will be returning to the ROTA Gallery for a second time. On Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., the solo musician traveling from Berlin will take the stage — gracing the crowd with both her voice and a rare piano performance on the Steinway
Public hearing about snow removal in the city to take place Thursday, Oct. 1 By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
and a tour all over Europe in the underground circles. She was discovered by acclaimed underground figure King Khan at a karaoke bar in Berlin in 2011. He immediately invited her to record at Moon Studios where she released an album called “Buback” on June 14, 2013. Her most recent album, “EDEN,” came out shortly afterwards. “People should come experience this performance because Mary is a very unique songwriter and musician,” Harrison-
PLATTSBURGH — The City of Plattsburgh and the Snow Removal Advisory Committee are continuing discussions based on snow removal operations within the city. In January, the City of Plattsburgh Common Council unanimously established the Snow Removal Advisory Committee charged with the task to research immediate and long range solutions for pedestrian access on city sidewalks. The council — property owner Nancy Allen, Ward 1 Councilor Rachelle Armstrong, advocate Debra Buell, retired educator Lonnie Fairchild, librarian Steve Graf, retired educator John Haubner, optometrist Steve Krieg, former Champlain mayor Jeff Moore, health care professional Sandra McNeil and retired educator Linda Noyes — presented their findings and recommendations to the common council on Aug. 27. The committee’s report was broken up into two parts: Have the city assume the operations of the sidewalk snow removal by next year’s snow season and revise the current city code by this coming snow season.
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Piano. Her performance, Ocher said, “might make you question some very fundamental truths.” “You can expect an amazing evening of music and entertainment,” said Catie Harrison-Wurster, vice president and music coordinator of the ROTA Gallery. “This is going to be a blend of talent and with numerous guest appearances.” MARY OCHER Ocher, born in Moscow, Russia, moved to Tel Aviv at the age of 4 where she played with various media — words, sound, color and movement — since mastering the craft of songwriting at 11. At the age 20, fate brought her to Berlin — a time when she set her mind accomplishing everything DIY, or do-it-yourself. With her first band, Mary and The Baby Cheeses, that notion led to releasing five limited edition independent releases
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