ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS P.O. BOX 338 ELIZABETHTOWN, NY 12932 POSTAL CUSTOMER
A DENTON PUBLICATION
Schroon, Ti tally baseball wins; Lady Sentinels split a twinbill with AVCS Ticonderoga continues to dominate in track and field action; athletes don’t fair as well on the links. See sports on pages 22-23.
FREE
May 14, 2011
Ti native meets First Lady, celebrities Invited to attend Operation Shower
By Fred Herbst Kindergarten registration set in Ti TICONDEROGA — Kindergarten registration and screening for Ticonderoga Elementary School will take place on May 24, 25 and 26. Children who turn age 5 on or before Dec. 1, 2011, may attend school in September 2011. Children who turn age 6 on or before Dec. 1, 2011, must attend school from the start of classes in September 2011. Children who turn age 6 after Dec. 1, 2011, must begin school no later than the first day of session in September of 2012. Families new to the school district who have children of kindergarten age are asked to contact the elementary school office at 585-7442, ext. 2210.
Putnam School Board to meet PUTNAM — The Putnam Central School board of education will meet Tuesday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m.
THIS WEEK Ticonderoga..................2-9 Opinions ......................6,7 In Brief ........................10 Calendar......................14 Moriah .............................15 Schroon Lake ..............18 Crown Point ................17 Obituaries....................22 Around the Region ........24-25 Classifieds ..................28-30 Auto Zone ....................33-34
fred@denpubs.com TICONDEROGA — Rachel (Rafferty) Blasdell has been keeping some pretty exclusive company of late. The Ticonderoga native recently had an opportunity to meet First Lady Michelle Obama along with Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and television personality Martha Stewart. She even received gifts from each woman. “I was very impressed they care
Area Girl Scouts enjoyed their annual Mother/Daughter Tea at the Knights of Columbus in Ticonderoga this year. Val Mildon, leader of Moriah Brownie/Junior Troop #4040, visits with her daughter Brooke, a junior Girl Scout. Photo provided
See CELEBRITIES, page 10
Area school budgets face voter scrutiny next week In Ticonderoga
In Putnam
In Crown Point
In Moriah
Board makes budget cuts
Health care concessions help
Spending cut, but taxes rise
Moriah proposes School board reduced budget proposes cuts
In Schroon Lake
By Fred Herbst
By Fred Herbst
By Fred Herbst
By Fred Herbst
By Andy Flynn
fred@denpubs.com
fred@denpubs.com
fred@denpubs.com
fred@denpubs.com
andy@denpubs.com
TICONDEROGA — The loss of state aid and the cost of a district building project raised taxes in the proposed 2011-12 Ticonderoga Central School District budget. Those costs along with increasing expenses created a $2.1 million budget deficit for the school board.
PUTNAM — The proposed 2011-12 Putnam Central School District budget is down thanks to a new employee health care program. The proposed spending plan totals $2,152,314, a .01 percent cut from the present $2,152,427 budget. Putnam’s tax levy in the
CROWN POINT — The Crown Point Central School board of education has proposed a 3.1 percent cut in its 2011-12 budget. The proposed 2011-12 budget totals $6,084,266, a decrease of $194,865 from the current spending plan of $6,279,131.
PORT HENRY — The Moriah Central School board of education has proposed using reserves to hold down taxes in 2011-12. The proposed 2011-12 Moriah school budget totals $13,856,410. That’s a $91,691 decrease — 0.066 percent — from the present
SCHROON LAKE — The Schroon Lake Central School Board of Education is asking voters on May 17 to pass a proposed 2011-12 budget that includes cutting some positions and extracurricular activities while keeping the spending increase to less than 1
See TICONDEROGA, page 7
See PUTNAM, page 11
See CROWN POINT, page 17
See MORIAH, page 16
See SCHROON LAKE, page 18
Artists combine efforts to liven up Port Henry village PORT HENRY — The town of Moriah and the village of Port Henry are the home of the wellknown artist Ruth Rumney. Now, village residents Linda Smyth, a painter, and Jackie Viestenz, a quilter, are looking for more local talent to carry on Rumney’s tradition with the visual arts. The idea is to begin to enliven the village of Port Henry with color by adding paintings and murals and quilts to the windows of empty storefronts. With the help of neighborhood kids, including four of Rumney’s grandchildren, Smyth created a mural depicting a whimsical version of the vil-
lage itself. The colorful canvas now hangs on Main Street. Viestenz’s quilts hang in the old Bell Store. “People admire them when walking or driving by, and two were sold,” Smyth said. This past fall, as Smyth passed by the large Lee House windows of the lobby, she noticed, especially at night, that color needed to be added to the interior walls. She rounded up local talent including members of another creative Port Henry family, the Bryants. She recruited more young artists from the Moriah Central School. Now, a row of large paintings on wood with the
C V
Heating & Endless Hot Water Also
HAMPLAIN ALLEY
• Sales • Service • Installation
HEATING & PLUMBING SERVICE
ADDITIONS • DECKS • REMODELING • SIDING ROOFING • ELECTRIC • PLUMBING Fully Insured - Free Estimates PO Box 230, Ticonderoga, NY 12883 Phone/Fax: 518-585-2271 • Cell: 518-570-7319 80112
HEATING • PLUMBING • AIR CONDITIONING
SERVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT 24/7 PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SINCE 1985
585-3600
www.cvhp.net
theme of flowers “We encourage others hang in the to become involved in lobby of the the arts in Port Henry Lee House. Each paintand Moriah.” ing is for Linda Smyth sale. Building manager Stella Blaise is watching over them. Essex County’s Alan Hipps granted permission for the use of the storefronts.
80113
Commercial & Residential
See PORT HENRY, page 16
FREE Estimates!
B eC ool
Air Conditioning, LLC
“We do whatever it takes.”
Locally Owned & Operated 130 Pine Springs Park, Ticonderoga, NY
Call Today! 518-222-7483
Visit Us Online at www.timesofti.com • Subscribe to our eEdition, simply go to www.denpubs.com/eEditions
91175
Follow us on Facebook