ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS/ NEW MARKET PRESS P.O. BOX 338 ELIZABETHTOWN, NY 12932 POSTAL CUSTOMER
FREE
November 21, 2009
A Denton Publication
North Creek
Newcomb
Long Lake
Depot Museum will use grant to teach children about their local history.
Assemblywoman Sayward visited Newcomb to honor local veterans.
The fitness center at Long Lake school is now open to the public. Page 5
Page 3
Page 2
Plane down in Newcomb
Long Lake educator honored by Protect the Adirondacks
Two confirmed dead By Lindsay Yandon lindsay@denpubs.com NEWCOMB — Two men were confirmed dead on Tuesday as a result of a plane crash that occurred at the base of 4,609-foothigh Santanoni Peak in Newcomb on Sunday, Nov. 15. The wreckage of the Piper Cherokee 140 single engine aircraft carrying its owner Dan Wills, 48 of North Bangor and fellow pilot Ronald Rouselle, 66 of Malone was recovered by a search party Tuesday afternoon by the New York State Police Aviation and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Aviation. Police said the exhaustive search for the plane began by helicopter late Monday evening and continued through the night. The flight was en route from Saratoga to Malone and left the Saratoga Springs Airport on Sunday afternoon and never arrived at its destination at the MaloneDufort Airport. It was reported missing on Monday afternoon after Wills never showed up for another scheduled flight. Wills logged at least 15,000 hours in the air during his 20 years of flying. “It’s not like Dan to miss appointments,” said Jeff Kearney, a pilot and family friend. “He was not answering his cell phone, and we couldn’t find him. About 3 o’clock, we called the State Police.” An investigation conducted by the New York State Police, working with the Federal Aviation Administration, determined that the aircraft was last at 4,200 feet in elevation and was headed toward terrain at 4,600 feet in elevation near the Tahawus mining area near the Santanoni Mountain Range. “The problem is, with that area, there is a valley on the right and the mountains on the left,” said Kearney. “It’s not unusual for the airport to lose radio contact over the mountains when they are flying at that altitude anyway.” “There was no radio contact whatsoever that he was in any kind of trouble,” said MaloneDufort Airport Manager Mark Besio. Besio said the plane was in “excellent running condition” and Wills was very familiar with flying in the area. “Danny’s flew that route so many times that there would be no chance of him being too low because he knows that like the back of his hands,” Besio said. “He's done that flight a lot, as far as I know.” “He's basically the driving force of aviation in this entire area,” Besio said. “I wouldn't even want to know how many students he's taught.”
By Lindsay Yandon lindsay@denpubs.com
Elementary students from Newcomb Central School present the American flag in a processional presentation at their annual Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 12. Photo courtesy of Newcomb Central School
GLENS FALLS — More than 100 people gathered at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls on the evening of Nov. 14 to honor longtime Long Lake educator John R. Collins, Jr. Collins, who taught at Long Lake Central School for 26 years and served on the APA board for 11 years, was honored for his work in education, community, and building and wilderness preservation. He received the Howard Zahniser Adirondack Award by the directors of Protect the Adirondacks! at their Forever Wild dinner. Collins also served as a member of the board and as executive director at the Adirondack Museum as well as a trustee and president at the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. In his acceptance speech, Collins was typically modest, crediting his family, chance and proximity to teachers and other influential people in his life for any success he had in teaching, community planning and environmental protection in the Adirondacks. Protect the Adirondacks! Director Dean Cook from Ticonderoga noted John's, “determination and courage under-fire in, for example, the founding of the Residents' Committee to Protect the Adirondacks in 1990.”
See COLLINS, page 4
Sprague claims win in Essex County DA race Absentee ballots put victory out of reach for Garcia By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com ELIZABETHTOWN — The count of absentee ballots has upheld Kristy Sprague’s victory in the race for Essex County District Attorney. Sprague finished with a 125-vote lead over incumbent Julie Garcia after Essex County Board of Elections officials completed their count of more than 850 absentee ballots Nov. 16. With more than 12,000 votes counted on election night, Sprague, who ran on the Republican and Independent lines, held
just a 75-vote lead over Garcia, who ran as a Democrat. Tabulation of absentee ballots began Nov. 12 under the close scrutiny of County Attorney Daniel Manning and lawyers representing both Garcia and Sprague. Both candidates picked up hundreds more votes, but as Sprague’s lead slowly grew, Garcia ultimately admitted defeat. “Kristy has won the race, and I congratulate her and wish her success,” said Garcia. “I wish her well in her new position.” Sprague said she was very pleased with the results and how the absentee votes followed the typical trend of mirroring
See SPRAGUE, page 8
Kristy Sprague
Julie Garcia