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Saturday,ÊO ctoberÊ22,Ê2016
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www.SunCommunityNews.com
In FEATURE | pg. 9
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White Cane Awareness Day
In EVEnts | pg. 3
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In NEWS | pg. 5
Customer ETS gives insight Appreciation on new generation
Annual awareness event held in Elizabethtown
Begor’s Supply hosting event Oct. 22
Millenials taking over the workforce today
Mooers residents irked by stray cats
Town officials exploring different options to combat current feral, community kitty epidemic By Teah Dowling
teah@suncommunitynews.com
MOOERS — Residents are hissing at what they say is an uncontrollable cat problem. Several attendees complained about the rise of felines at last week’s board meeting. “I love all creatures,” said Michael Reeves, a resident. “But I just don’t want them in my yard.”
Several residents said the cats reside in the empty buildings within the old village boundaries and feed on either garbage or food put out by other people. Reverend Sally Chase-White of Mooers United Methodist Church said she’s noticed a recent influx of cats coming out of the large, two-story abandoned house across the road on East Street. Chase-White said she has been spraying repellent around the church every day to keep them off the premises. While this system works for Chase-White, it doesn’t for other residents. “They’re all around our house,” resident Beverly Perras said. “Our dogs need to be tied up when they go outside now.” >> See Feral Cats | pg. 11
ÔIÊA mÊO dd IÊ AmÊ NewÕ
Photo by Teah Dowling
Students pose questions to state Assembly candidates at town hall forum
Beekmantown fifth-grader Benjamin Giroux’s poem touches local, national hearts
BEEKMANTOWN — It all started with a classroom assignment. Back in April, Benjamin Giroux, along with his other fifth grade classmates at Beekmantown Central School, was assigned to write a poem using the theme Teah “I Am.” Dowling Writer The then 10-year-old’s poem “I Am Odd, I Am New” encompassed his day-to-day struggle with autism. “I just wrote about how I felt at school,” said Benjamin, referring to wanting to fit in instead of feeling like a “castaway” and a “boy in outer space.” The morning after writing the poem, Benjamin’s father, Sonny Giroux, said he suffered from an anxiety attack and decided to stay home. He was then worried that his classmates would laugh at him for being honest about how he felt. “No matter how many times his mother and I told him his poem was amazing,” said Sonny, “he kept saying that we had to say that being his parents.” So, with Benjamin’s permission, Sonny posted the poem on the public section of the National Autism Association’s website to gather feedback from complete strangers. About 15 minutes later, Sonny got an email from the NAA
Reverend Sally Chase-White of Mooers United Methodist Church said she’s noticed a recent influx of cats coming out of the large, two-story abandoned house across the road on East Street.
ADK P-TECH students say they were pleased with civil tenor of forum, which took place under raging national backdrop “I want my poem to be read by everyone so they understand how I feel and how others like me feel.” — Benjamin Giroux. Photo provided
requesting permission to post the poem on their main page. Sonny agreed and within hours, he said, it got thousands of likes, shares and comments. “I’ve always been proud of my son,” he said. “But for him to express himself so honestly and put himself out there so exposed, he has brought a new level of pride.” Since then, Benjamin has been interviewed by local media and national media, including The Today Show and The Huffington Post. The town of Plattsburgh and Beekmantown Central School District named Benjamin the first-ever Poet Laureate.
By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
PLATTSBURGH — Students got a crash course in political civility last week as candidates from three local races converged at a town hall-type meeting sponsored by ADK PTECH. In their first joint appearance, state Assembly candidates Billy Jones and Kevin Mulverhill outlined their respective policies using questions posed by the students, who are enrolled in a six-year vocational program that runs concurrent with a degree from Clinton Community College. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
>> See Benjamin Giroux | pg. 15
>> See ADK P-TECH | pg. 12
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