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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,ÊS eptemberÊ19,Ê2015

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www.SunCommunityNews.com

In SPORTS | pg. 12

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Season begins in soccer

In OPINION | pg. 4

Respect for Joe

Recaps of boys, girls matches

Alexander looks at Biden

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In SCHOOLS | pg. 3

Dog days at NCS

Therapy dog helps readers

Johnsburg fifth grader transforms lockers into works of Literature By Ryan Edwards

ryan@suncommunitynews.com

Ten-year-old JCS fifth grader Julia Morris poses beside a number of lockers she is working to transform into Literary art. When finished, 14 lockers in a dark second-floor hallway will be painted to resemble the spines of books taught to elementary students at the school. Photo provided

Carlisle brings new strategy to Long Lake Central School By Ryan Edwards

ryan@suncommunitynews.com

LONG LAKE — Donald Carlisle, Long Lake’s new superintendent, has big plans for the district for his first year in the top administrative office. Among his plans for the future of the district is the reintroduction of cursive writing, the inclusion of Long Lake history to the curriculum and the introduction of a new co-teaching strategy to ensure students excel in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to increase their likelihood of college acceptance. Carlisle, who holds a doctorate in educational leadership, comes to the district with 40 years experience spanning 16 schools throughout his career in education. He is beginning his second pension in New York after coming out of retirement for his most recent superintendent position at the Englewood, N.J. school district. Since Long Lake held its first day of classes on Wednesday, Sept. 9, Carlisle said he has introduced a number of new programs to the district. Among them is his new initiative to revive what he considers to be the lost art of cursive writing. The style has fallen out of favor among educators in recent years — a trend Carlisle said he hopes to reverse at Long Lake. “We can’t send them out into the world without knowing how to sign their names,” Carlisle said in an interview. Another recent addition to the district for the 2015-16 academic year is the inclusion of Long Lake history for eight grade students. >> Story Continued | pg. 11

JOHNSBURG — “Dear Mr. Markwica, I have an idea, and like any ten-year-old, I think my idea is great.” So begins Johnsburg Central fifth grader Julia Morris’ letter to Mike Markwica, the district’s superintendent. Her idea: to transform 14 lockers in a “dark and dreary” second floor hallway into the spines of timeless works of literature. The concept came to Julia in August, when her mother Rebecca, a teacher at JCS, showed her a photo of a similar project spearheaded by two teachers at a Mississippi high school. A number of lockers at the school were painted with vibrant colors and adorned with the titles of popular novels. Their intention, the teachers told ABC News in August, was both to brighten up the hallway and to renew a sense of excitement for the written word.

Julia’s initial response was what Rebecca was expecting, her mother said in an interview. “She said ‘oh my gosh, that’s so cool!’” Rebecca recalled. What Rebecca didn’t expect, however, was that her daughter would soon bring the concept to JCS, and that she’d organize the entire project all by herself. After admiring the photos of the Mississippi hallway Julia resolved to imitate the work at her own school, and she had a particular hallway in mind which she concluded to be in need of a facelift. Julia set to work, penning a formal letter of intent to the superintendent, detailing the scope of her project and arguing a case for its necessity. The lockers she intended to paint, she wrote, are used by the district for general storage, and they are located in a section of hallway which sees little natural light. >> Story Continued | pg. 14

Born to run

Area plans for big marathon crowd

Distance running events a boom for local economy By Christopher Pratt

christopher@suncommunitynews.com

SCHROON — If the history of the Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival serves as any guide, thousands of people will flock to the area next weekend, giving it a blast of economic activity totaling roughly $1 million. The festival, spread out over a weekend, includes a full marathon, half-marathon, 5k, 10k and a youth run. The anchor of the event, which has experienced significant growth since it started in 1997, is the 26.2 mile marathon race. That loops around Schroon Lake on Sunday, Sept. 27. Tammy Whitty-Brown, executive director of the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said the marathon “is definitely one of the biggest draws” to the lakefront community.

Overnight accommodations book up quickly and restaurants prepare for the large traffic increase that accompanies the marathon -- traditionally held the last weekend in September. That “really gives us that extra boost,” WhittyBrown said.

But the impact is felt beyond Schroon Lake. Communities including Pottersville and Chester consistently see a bump in activity when the festival rolls around each fall. A study conducted by a Kent State University professor of the 2013 Distance Festival found activity related to it delivered a roughly $1 million to the local economy. The study found 1,184, or about 92 percent, of 1,266 race participants were considered non-local residents. Other findings of the study showed approximately $475,000 was generated by the event, which represents the direct economic impact of both race participants and their guests, according to the 2013 study. It also showed the majority of the economic activity was spent in the main sectors of the economy, including hotels, restaurants, bars and entertainment. >> Story Continued | pg. 2


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