ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS/ NEW MARKET PRESS PO Box 338 Elizabethtown NY 12932 Postal Patron
Saturday,ÊO ctoberÊ3,Ê2015
>>
www.SunCommunityNews.com
In SPORTS | pg. 22
Vikings alone
Moriah lone undefeated in football
>>
In OPINION | pg. 6
>>
In SPECIALS | pg. 15-17
Checkpoint Breast Cancer should check out Awareness Month North Hudson patrol point should not open
ILH offers mammography technology
Forest fire burns east of Schroon Lake Strong winds and dry conditions were likely factors
By Christopher Pratt
christopher@suncommunitynews.com
PARADOX — New York State fire crews worked to contain a blaze that burned across a roughly 120-acre area in the town of Schroon following a fire spawned from an unattended campfire last weekend. Department of Environmental Conservation officials said in a statement that
the fire began on Saturday near Crane Pond in the Pharoah Lake Wilderness area. No injuries have occurred, nor have any structures been damaged, officials said. The fire has caused concern and curiosity from residents. Much of the firefighting effort has taken place on Bear Mountain, which rises up from the shores of Crane Pond. The remote location has posed challenges for fire crews, who have been accessing the island site through boat and by foot. Pyramid Life Center is a retreat center located along a
vast stretch of land in Paradox. Sister Margaret McKenna, a staffer at the site, has seen a spree of onlookers come to the property to look at the fire on Bear Mountain. Looking out across a small lake from the retreat center on Monday evening, smoke could be seen billowing off the mountain. Area resident Gretchen Sunderland was among those who came to get a view. “It’s got to be difficult to put out a fire like that,” Sunderland said. According to the Depart>> Story Continued | pg. 19
Consultants go over dissolution process Laberge Group officials touch on impact of changes at recent session; Next meeting to address more financial aspects
By Christopher Pratt
christopher@suncommunitynews.com
PORT HENRY — Residents of Port Henry got a chance to hear new information from a consulting group brought on to map out a dissolution scenario during a meeting last week at the Knights of Columbus hall. Since a kickoff meeting in August, the consulting group has held interviews with department heads of the village of Port Henry and the town of Moriah. The Laberge group was hired by the village to carry out a dissolution study following a petition to put the issue to voters. A vote will be held Oct. 27. The meeting, which drew around 70 people, lasted approximately two hours and touched on some of the potential positives and negatives that could come from dissolving the government. More detailed and up-to-date financial information is expected to be compiled in time for an Oct. 21 public meeting. Nicole Allen, a planning services manager with the Laberge Group, called the information presented “a quick snapshot of where we are so far.” While some numbers were discussed, the evening was geared more towards helping residents understand what services could look like if the village is dissolved. The October
workshop will focus on fiscal implications, Allen said. The consulting group showed a slide presentation with pros and cons of the dissolution. Among the pros was an assertion that the government would be “streamlined” through the town, including through the elimination of town council positions. Another positive listed is that “all village DPW employees will be absorbed by the Town,” which could improve efficiencies. Additionally, code enforcement could be made more efficient and garbage and recycling services would continue to exist. On the con side, the presentation showed village residents would lose some decision making power. Garbage and recycling services would be part of a special district and dependent on a private hauler. Another possible con listed showed village residents would pay an improvement cost of approximately $275,000 to connect to the town’s water system. Dissolution would also change how fire services are organized. The presentation went over four possible options related to future fire coverage in Port Henry, including a new fire district and the expansion of the Moriah fire district. The Laberge group, which is based in Albany, has assisted other communities with the dissolution process. The dissolution study is being funded at a cost of $40,000, with the bulk of it being covered by the state. A similar dissolution scenario was mapped out in 2010, but Port Henry residents voted 186146 to keep the village. The consulting group has been gathering information from a variety of places in recent weeks. It will be analyzing data >> Story Continued | pg. 10
Moss: Where do we go from here? 2014 Lt. Gov. candidate offers GOP pep talk By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
TICONDEROGA — After Republicans failed to take back a single statewide seat last year, the state party brought in advisors who offered a post-mortem analysis of the race that saw Team Blue thoroughly throttling Team Red. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, handily won re-election, sailing past Republican challenger Rob Astorino, 54 percent to 40.6 percent. (Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins garnered 4.9 percent.) Astorino running mate Chris Moss said he hopes the party can use the defeat as a learning experience. Moss, speaking to Essex County Republicans at their annual dinner last week, offered a list of improvements that he said will allow the party to start adding statewide offices to the win column. While money is always an issue — the Cuomo campaign spent $35 million to their $6.8 million, Moss noted — the state party needs to do more to build farm teams and nurture >> Story Continued | pg. 3