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Saturday, October 24, 2015 >>
www.SunCommunityNews.com
In REGION | pg. 19
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Airport expansion
A tour of the growing Plattsburgh airport
In OPINION | pg. 4
We’re broke!
Why are candidates talking about more debt?
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In OUTDOORS | pg. 13
Our season
Fall, hunting seasons underway
Supers boost ballot security Absentee ballots will be transported from post office to county complex in locked bag
By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
In debate, judge candidates spar over policy, experience By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
ELIZABETHTOWN — Essex County Judge Richard Meyer, seeking to rattle his challenger, Brian Barrett, questioned his experience at a debate last week in Elizabethtown. “Are you claiming you have more trial experience than me?” Meyer asked Barrett, citing a news report in which Barrett said the
best candidate for the job should be based on trial experience. “In the 10 years I’ve been on the bench, I’ve had many, many trials — too many to court,” said Meyer, citing his decade spent on the job presiding over criminal, family and surrogate’s courts. Before that, Meyer worked in private practice and as the county attorney. >> Story Continued | pg. 10
ELIZABETHTOWN — Ahead of next month’s general election, Essex County lawmakers have voted to tighten up the chain of possession for absentee ballots. A locked bag will now be used to transport the ballots from the Elizabethtown Post Office to the Essex County Government Center, which is located right behind the facility, separated by a thin copse of trees. Supervisor Gerald Morrow said he called the special session after concerns started trickling back to him about security. Typically, mail is picked up by county workers each morning and brought to the mailroom. Material from the board of elections is placed in a locked box and retrieved by a pair of deputies, one from each political party. The room and hallways are monitored by security cameras.
Despite these measures, some are concerned about potential holes. Harry Gough, who attended the session with several other citizens, said he knew of at least three absentee ballots that were sent in 2013 but never counted. “We don’t know of any absentee ballots that weren’t returned to us,” said Republican Election Commissioner Allison McGahay. “Our county employees do an excellent job with the security of ballots.” The manila envelopes containing absentee ballots have no marks that could identify voters, a policy McGahay implemented after taking office in Feb. 2013. Both the return address and destination address is to the Board of Elections. While the board sends out absentee ballots, it’s up to the voter to opt to return them. Both McGahay and her counterpart, Mark Whitney, said the system worked well and approved the increased security measures. “I would fully support idea of a locked bag,” said McGahay. Willsboro Supervisor Shaun Gillilland, who serves as the Essex County Republican >> Story Continued | pg. 10
Local high school students ‘go to church’ at Gospel festival Ithaca College Gospel Festival attracts area students By Keith Lobdell
keith@suncommunitynews.com
ITHACA — Students from five local schools made the trip to Ithaca College to take part in the 11th annual High School Gospel Music Invitational Sept. 25-26. Students from Peru, Saranac, Saranac Lake, Willsboro and Westport Central School attended two days of rehearsal which culminated in an evening concert of traditional and contemporary gospel music. Local students first started attending the event when current Saranac Lake music teacher Drew Benware was an Ithaca student. “The beginnings of the North Country
connection actually stretch way back to when I was a graduate student at Ithaca College at the very beginnings of Gospel Fest,” Benware said. “When I finished my graduate degree, I taught for a year at Peru Middle/High School and was hopeful that I would be able to bring students from the North Country to what I perceived as a wonderful opportunity to fuse cultural and musical experiences across a broad array of students from up and down the Eastern Seaboard. I saw in this festival a chance for students from a students from a rural setting to learn from and perform with students from a more urban background and be totally immersed in the Gospel music tradition in a culturally affirming musical setting. When Benware moved to Saranac Lake, current Willsboro teacher Jennifer Moore took his place. >> Story Continued | pg. 7