ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS
Editorial
All boards should follow Open Meetings Law. Page 6
January 12, 2013
A Denton Publication
N News ews
Enterprise E En nterrpprise
2013
4 192
Douglas returns as Essex Co. chairman
P.O. BOX 338 ELIZABETHTOWN, NY 12932 POSTAL CUSTOMER
HOOPING IT UP
This Week ELIZABETHTOWN
IN NORTH CREEK
By Keith Lobdell
Johnsburg board organizes for 2013
keith@denpubs.com ELIZABETHTOWN — Saying that it was a challenge, “that I must do,” Randy Douglas again took the gavel to preside over the Essex County Board of Supervisors for an unprecedented fourth term. “These times we have faced over the last three years have been very difficult,” Douglas said during the 214th Organizational Meeting of the board Jan. 7. As reported, Douglas was joined by Keene Supervisor Bill Ferebee, who was sworn in as the vice chairman of the board, replacing North Elba Supervisor Roby Politi. “Your leadership, wisdom and most of all, your friendship, have been appreciated over the past three years,” Douglas said of Politi. “I am happy to have my good friend Bill Ferebee join me as vice chair. He has shown his leadership with his dedication to lead his town out of Irene.” Douglas set forth his priorities for the new year, focusing on finances. “We are now forced with the heavy burden of funding a tax levy and tax rate that our constituents can live with,” Douglas said. “We need to quit the blame game and saying that it was someone else that put us here. I believe that we must scrutinize every tax dollar that we CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Index
PAGE 2 IN NORTH CREEK
Alexis Jackson plays with a hula hoop at the Indian Lake Central School. Photo by Nancy Frasier
New Warren Co. chair sets 2013 goals By Thom Randall thom@denpubs.com QUEENSBURY — For the first time in a half-century, Warren County’s chief executive is from the upcounty town that’s the county’s namesake. Warrensburg Supervisor Kevin Geraghty was installed Friday, Jan. 4 as chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, following the reign of former Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec, who was sworn in Jan. 1 as the new state As-
sembly representative for the region. The last Warrensburg supervisor before Geraghty to serve as county chairman was Lee Orton, who served in the post from 1958 to 1961. At the county’s reorganizational meeting Friday, Geraghty reviewed the county leaders’ accomplishments of 2012 as he gave the annual “State of the County” speech. He noted the turnaround in the county’s finances since 2008, including its increase in workforce efficiency and the restoration of its depleted fund bal-
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PAGE 4 IN SPORTS
Teams make headway on basketball court PAGE 8
Neighbor objects to rafting company’s proposal By Mike Mender
NORTH CREEK
ance. Although the era reflected the time he was serving as county Budget Officer, Geraghty deferred credit to others. “Sometimes things got testy, but we as a group held together, made it through the hard times, and created a better future for the county as a whole,” he said. “It was the county as a group — employees, department heads, the county administrator and his staff, and the supervisors — that made it happen.”
Basil & Wick’s to host Donegal beard contest
newsenterprise@denpubs.com NORTH CREEK — Sometimes one man’s vision is another man’s blight. Such is the case in North River where Peter Burns seeks to move the base of operations for Wevertown-based Beaver Brook Outfitters to a parcel of land along Route 28. Burns’ potential neighbor, Bart Monda, believes the proposed business will ruin his view of the Adirondacks and therefore his quality of life,
something he says prompted him to move to the area 20 years ago. The Johnsburg Planning Board attempted to sort through the conflicting agendas Jan. 7. Burns seeks to operate a legal business that is permitted within the zoning along that stretch of Route 28. The complex will include a new rafting base, some office space, a small retail store, some storage space and a parking lot. Monda believes his right to an unobstructed view takes precedence. Monda repeatedly told the Planning Board that the project would turn his view of the
HOMETOWN OIL
Adirondacks into a view of a parking lot and he urged the board to force Burns to flip his project so that the parking lot was on the side nearer someone else’s property and not his. Various Planning Board members repeatedly told Monda that Burns’ proposed business is allowed under the zoning law in place and that the board must consider the project application that is before them, not the project as Monda believes it ought to be. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
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