Keene students present “Much Ado About Nothing.”
APA member concerned about park’s economic development.
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March 20, 2010
Case file
Singing for your supper
LeRoy Douglas takes case to federal court
11 voices of After Thoughts to benefit local food shelves
Millions sought from APA, Adirondack Council By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com
By Matt Bosley
BLACK BROOK — A man who claims environmental organizations inappropriately influenced the Adirondack Park Agency to take enforcement action against him is bringing his fight to the federal level. LeRoy Douglas, the owner of more than 3,500 acres of land along Silver Lake, filed a complaint in United States Northern New York District Court March 15, claiming communication between members of the Adirondack Council and Adirondack Park Agency staff shows the two entities acted in an illegal conspiracy against him.
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[The] APA has evolved from a zoning and land planning agency to a State-funded enforcement regime driven by personal agendas and pressure from environmental organizations and zealots...
”
— Excerpt from Leroy Douglas’ lawsuit claim The lawsuit alleges violations of civil rights to privacy and due process, breach of contract, and other claims against the APA, Adirondack Council, and several of their individual members and officials. There are 13 causes of action listed in the suit, most of which seek $5 million each in reparations. Together they total $67.1 million. “In the whole, this is probably more like a $5-7 million lawsuit,” said Douglas’s attorney, Matt Norfolk of the Lake Placid firm Briggs Norfolk, LLC. The APA issued Douglas a non-jurisdictional letter for his subdivision of seven lakefront lots in 2006, but later began an enforcement file against him claiming he widened a road near his property that passes through a wetland area. A hearing on the matter led to a November 2006 settlement requiring Douglas to narrow the road. According to Douglas, APA staff agreed to extend the deadline for the November 2006 settlement to July 2007 because frozen ground prevented work on the road, but the agency decided to re-open enforcement in March 2007, and in doing so, disregarded the settlement agreement. Douglas claims that decision came “at the behest of the Environmentalists, part of a conspiracy between the [APA] Defendants and the Environmentalists, and was done in bad faith without any legitimate motive or justification...”
Accuser unnamed The lawsuit cites a series of e-mails sent to an APA official March 21 and 22, 2007 in which the sender, whose identification is redacted, urges APA enforcement officers to take specific action to re-open enforcement against Douglas and requests copies of any notices sent to him.
See DOUGLAS, page 8
matt@denpubs.com KEESEVILLE — One local group of singers are putting their voices to good use. After Thoughts, an 11member vocal ensemble based in Peru, will be performing Sunday, March 21 at St. John the Baptist Church in Keeseville, and all the proceeds from their concert will benefit two local food shelves. The group formed in the summer of 2009 and is comprised of experienced and talented singers from other local ensembles such as the Keeseville-Peru Ecumenical Choir and Champlain Valley Voices. They are conducted by Jeanette Woodruff and accompanied by pianist Carol Bachand. Proceeds from Sunday’s concert will be split between the JCEO food shelf in Keeseville and the ACAP food
See MUSIC, page 8
Essex County to add victim impact panels By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com ELIZABETHTOWN — Drunk driving offenders in Essex County will soon be hearing a hard-hitting message closer to home. Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague spoke at the county’s Finance Committee meeting March 15 and said she is working with other departments to start organizing DWI victim impact panels in Essex County. Sprague said she expressed concern to officials in the county’s STOP DWI program about the absence of victim impact panels shortly after being sworn in as District Attorney in January. Victim impact panels are often prescribed as part of sentences for driving while intoxicated and driving while
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After Thoughts, an 11-member vocal ensemble, rehearses for their upcoming concert Sunday, March 21 at St. John the Baptist Chuch in Keeseville. Proceeds from the concert will benefit two local food shelves.
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ability impaired. Offenders are required to sit in on two hour sessions where a panel of victims, their families, emergency responders and remorseful past offenders share their stories. Those assigned to attend a victim impact panel are required to have their blood alcohol levels checked with a breathalizer test on arrival. If they are intoxicated, they risk jail time for contempt of court. “I think it’s a great program; one I’ve been used to having in Clinton County for the past 10 years,” said Sprague. “We’re a little behind the eight ball.” Essex County has never offered victim impact panels. Instead, DWI and DWAI offenders in Essex County must attend in another county. A $25 fee they are required to pay is surrendered to the county where they attend the program. Holding the panels regularly in Essex
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County would allow for those fees to stay local, bringing an additional $5,000 to $7,000 into county coffers each year, Sprague estimated. It would also make attending them more feasible for offenders. “We want to keep the revenue here,” said Sprague. Working in concert with Essex County STOP DWI, Sprague is hopeful the program could be up and running by June. Joe Provoncha is Essex County’s STOP DWI coordinator. He said his department would be doing much of the legwork; coordinating each panel, arranging for a sheriff ’s deputy’s presence and notifying attendees. “The need wasn’t there [before],” said Provoncha, “but the need is there now. There’s enough people now that can take advantage of it.”
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