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ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS/ NEW MARKET PRESS PO Box 338 Elizabethtown NY 12932 Postal Patron

Saturday,ÊD ecemberÊ12,Ê2015

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www.SunCommunityNews.com

In EVENTS | pg. 2

Santa Claus is coming to Mooers

Mr. and Mrs. Claus to make appearance at Begor’s

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In HISTORY | pg. 5

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In FEATURES| pg. 18

Local publisher North Country releases calendar Youth Hockey

2016 Champlain Historic Calendar on sale now Program aims to incite interest in local youth

NY fire districts push for requirement of sprinklers in townhouses By Teah Dowling

teah@suncommunitynews.com

PLATTSBURGH — The New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC) and Plattsburgh Fire District 3 conducted a demonstration last week to illustrate the effectiveness of residential sprinkler systems in saving lives and reducing damage from fire. Two simulated residential rooms were set on fire — one protected by a sprinkler system and the other non-sprinklered. The room without sprinklers quickly reached high temperature that caused flashover — the spontaneous combustion of all the contents in the room. The room with sprinklers seized growth in

fire and temperature after the room reached 150 degrees about 30 seconds after the smoke detector went off. These sprinklers, in an actual fire, would allow the residents to safely escape, firefighters to seize the fire easier and save the house. Worst case scenario with residential sprinklers: water damage to the room where the fire actually occurred. “A very few amount of homes have these,” said Stephen Parker, director of operations for All Safe Free Sprinkler Service LLC. “There’s so few out there other than where they’re mandated.” URGING SPRINKLER REQUIREMENT

HavingÊ aÊ Ê

bluegrassÊ Christmas Gibson Family North Country Christmas Show to take place Dec. 12 ELLENBURG DEPOT — Having a blue Christmas? Have a bluegrass Christmas instead with the Gibson Brothers and their family. “We tried it last year and everyone had Teah such a fun time,” Eric Gibson said. “The Dowling Writer night had such a warm feel and so many people told us that the concert put them in the Christmas spirit. “We must have done something right, so we decided to try it again.” The second annual Gibson Family North Country Christmas Show will have community members rockin’ around the NACS High School Auditorium on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. Ellenburg Depot’s own Eric and Leigh Gibson will be joined by singers Tom and Julie Venne, drummer Sam Zucchini from Albany, bass player Mile Barber, Eric’s son Kelley for a few songs and beloved sister Erin. The group will be performing all Christmas music with a dash of the Gibson Brothers bluegrass flare — spreading >> Story Continued | pg. 13

The demonstration took place as a call to action — a way to urge code council to require residential sprinklers in townhouses and, eventually, all homes throughout New York State. A townhouse is a single family dwelling unit constructed in a group of three or more attached units in which each unit extends from the foundation to roof and with open space on at least two sides. The focus on townhouses comes from firefighters’ trouble putting out a fire in a townhouse since they’re only able to fight the fire from the front or the back, not from the sides. “Sprinklers in structures are very important and that’s why we’re trying to get that

Members of Plattsburgh Fire District 3 and All Safe Free Sprinkler Service gathered Thursday, Dec. 5 to conduct a demonstration on residential sprinkler systems.

>> Story Continued | pg. 10

Photo by Teah Dowling

Clinton County taxes down again By Teah Dowling

teah@suncommunitynews.com

PLATTSBURGH — For the second consecutive year, Clinton County property owners will see a drop in taxes. The 2016 budget features a .01 percent drop in the tax levy and is under the state tax cap by $1,706. “It’s not a lot, but it’s in the right direction,” said Michael Zurlo, county administrator. “It meets both our fiduciary responsibilities and our moral obligations.” The tax rate is $5.97 per $1,000 — a decrease of 7 cents from last year. The total appropriated budget is $162,991,272 — up by 1 percent from last year. Total revenues is $134,481,643 — up by 1.2 percent from last year. The fund balance is exactly $2 million. Zurlo stated this budget was possible because of the County Legislature’s continuation of instilling a culture of fiscal discipline, along with applying judicial use of reserves and fund balances and avoiding employing nearsighted fiscal gimmicks. DEPARTMENT CHANGES There was an overall decrease of $295,474 in the health department as a result of nearly all programmatic budgets being >> Story Continued | pg. 11


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