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\Anything Goes\ spring musical draws praise See Page 6 Boys Scouts Council putting Camp Bedford on the market See Page 7 Eastman School quintet enjoys teaching in Tupper schools i..,ii..i.tt..i....ii..i.ii!<»u>»i<ini.i.>i>>i>Pa^e5 The AJtronJjck M« BlucMt LiU-. NY Tupper Lake Free Press M. M. and Turmer 1Jike Herald'^rssi Volume 110 Number 12 U.S.P.S. (644-140) Tupper Lake, New York and Tupper Lake Herald Wednesday, March 23,2005 Home Delivery 751 PrJCC 60 ^ Specialist explains workings of independent fire districts March is \Reading Challenge\ at LP Quinn These three book worms took little lime to And a comfortable chair last Wednesday to read their favorite books during LP Quinn's annual Rend-a-Thon. The aflemoon and evening event was part of the March Reading Challenge. Today, the school is celebrating Reading Challenge Visitation Day with the theme \heroes.\ Throughout the day, the public is invited to visit classrooms where a variety of heroes will be honored. Shown above, from left are second graders Hunter Savage who was enjoying \Lost in the Woods,\ Nathan Boyea with his novel, \The Invisible Fran,\ and his twin sister, Ashleigh Boyea, teaming all about \Cats.\ (Sue Mitchell photo) TLNB planning second branch in Plattsburgh Hie Tupper Lake National Bank continues to grow! Martin Bier, president and chief executive officer, this week detailed puns for the opening Of a fifth bank branch- this one in downtown Plattsburgh. The new commercial bank, situated between Margaret Street and Roosevelt Drive in the heart of die nearby city, could be open by September. The new downtown branch would be in addition to Tupper Lake National's first branch in Plattsburgh, opened in leased quarters on Route 3 several years ago. The Tupper Lake bank's forthcoming arrival to the center's downtown was announced at a press conference last week hosted by Plattsburgh Mayor Dan Stewart. The former Met Life building is situated in Plattsburgh's new urban renewal zone, which is beginning to see plenty of activity. \Our board of directors decided to buy the building on Margaret Street to give us room we need to continue to grow,\ Mr. Bier said this week. The 4,300 square foot building will see a complete face lift- inside and out Tupper Lake National Bank contracted with Andy Abdallah's Architectural and Engineering Design Associates of Plattsburgh to draw plans for the extensive overhaul of the building. Inside die modern facility will be room for a modern banking institution on the one side and a new insurance agency on the other. Both businesses will be serviced by a large and open vestibule off Margaret Street and large doors off a large parking lot, accessed by Roosevelt Drive. Plans also call for the construction of double drive-up teller windows. \We're currently looking at acquiring a second insurance agency for the one side of (be new building,\ Mr. Bier explained. The hometown bank made its first venture into insurance in recent years when it purchased the Carnil J. Maroun Insurance Agency on Park Street. Mr. Maroun continues as the chairman of that new corporation, with Mark Moeller as president. The decision to open the fifth branch office comes at a rime when the locally owned bank is seeing tremendous growth in assets and deposits. Continued on page 12 by Sue Mitchell Town and village leaders hosted an informational meeting Thursday evening at the Aaron Maddox Hall where over three- dozen firemen joined with representatives from Piercefield. Santa Clara, Harrietstown and Brighton as well as several local residents to hear Attorney Bill Young explain the legal steps involved in forming an independent fire district. Over the past year, fire department officials here have been pitching the idea of an independent district, which, they claim, would provide a more equitable cost sharing between village and town taxpayers. Currently, village taxpayers are charged SI. 32 per S 1,000 assessed valuation to help fund the fire department's annual budget while town taxpayers chip in 23 cents per SI.000. If and when a fire district is created, taxpayers within that district will be charged the same rate, per S 1,000 of assessed property valuation. According to Mr. Young. who has represented fire districts across the state, the first order of business would be for the town and village boards to jointly decide whether or not they are interested in the idea of an independent fire district or not. If they decide to move ahead, they must then hold a joint public hearing to allow residents to voice their support or concerns. Mr. Young explained that a district may encompass more than one town or village but those joining must be contiguous. If both the town and village boards decide an independent district is in the best interest of all concerned, they must then file a joint resolution, subject to a permissive referendum. \A fire district is a municipal corporation, run by a board of five to seven fire commissioners,\ he said. \The commissioners may be appointed or elected but I would encourage an elected board to allow residents to be involved. According to law, elections must be held on the second Tuesday each December. Candidates willing to serve, without pay, must reside within the district. The candidate winning the most votes would be elected to a five-year term. The second top finisher would serve for four years, the third for three years, and so on. Following the first election, one commissioner would be up for reelection each year. \People who sit on the Board of Commissioners aren't compensated in any way,\ Mr. Young said. They serve because they have a love for the fire service.\ He noted that the Tupper Lake Department has 60 volunteer members, which, he claimed, \is tremendous'\ Once the commissioners are appointed or elected, they then have the taxing authority, which. legally, provides them up to SI.000 for every million dollars of assessed value. That means, if there is 120\ million dollars worth of assessed property value within the district, the district's basic spending limit would be SI20,000. Each district would also have an appointed or elected secretary and treasurer who must also reside in the district. The treasurer cannot be a commissioner but the secretary can. Each is compensated for their service. It is up to the board of commissioners to establish rules and regulations. It is also up jo them to approve or disapprove of the fire chief and assistant fire chief as well as each ne> member. Local resident Wayn£ Leonard questioned why there should be a fire district when there are two boards now taking careof the situation. \Nothing's going to change,\ he said. \It will still come out of the taxpayers* Continued on page 2 Ice-out contest underway Once again, La Valley Real Estate and die Tupper Lake Free Press are announcing their annual Ice-Out Contest. As spring approaches, one of the final signs that winter is truly behind us, is the absence of ice on Raqucne Pond. Those interested in signing up, may stop by the offices of LaValley Real Estate or the Tupper Lake Free Press during regular business hours. Each entrant gels one opportunity to sign up for the day and time they chink the ice will be completely gone from the pond. Officials of (he Ice-Out Contest use the northeastern bay of Raquette Pond as their gauge, and will consider ice-out as being all ice and shish out of sight from that area. First prize will be a $30 dinner gift certificate, second prize a $15 lunch certificate, and third prize will include a group of lottery tickets. For more information, contact LaValley Real Estate at 79 Demars Blvd. or call 359-9440. Jim Ayotte honored on one century milestone By Newton Greiner Jim Ayotte celebrated a milestone in his life Saturday when he turned 100 years old. He was joined by 17 of his family members at the local Mercy Healthcare Cenier where he now resides after breaking his hip last February when he was 99 years old. He and his good friend Gladys Kucipeck had resided at Don Smith Apartments until he broke his hip and could not stay on his own any more. He was one of the first people to move into Don Smith Apartments when it first opened. James was born in 1905 in Lake Placid, the son of Francis Nelson Ayotte and Delia LaGoy Ayotte on March 19.1905. He was the first of seven children bom to the Ayottes, and was followed by two brothers, Ross and Victor, and four sisters Olive. Hazel. Margaret and Mary. Margaret and Mary are his only surviving siblings. When Mr. Ayotte was a youngster he moved with his family to Morrisonville where some of his siblings were bom, and later the family moved lo Redford. Later still, they would move to Piercefield and eventually ended up in Tupper Lake. According lo Mr. Ayotte's nephew, Victor, the centenarian worked for the New York State Conservation Department from 1927 until 1941. At some point he attended ranger school during those years according to his nephew. Public hearing set for DEC'S draft plan to restrict ATV use The stale Department of Environmental Conservation has scheduled a public hearing at the Tupper Lake High School on Wednesday. April 27 to hear comments regarding a draft plan, which could result in limited public all-terrain vehicle access within the Adirondack and Catskill parks. For the pasi several years, environmentalist groups, such as the Adirondack Council have encouraged the slate lo take action against ATV use w iihin the park, claiming use of the vehicles is causing severe environmental degradation. Last July, the stale Adirondack Park Agency, in conjunction wiih ihe DEC. closed -13 roads, totaling nearly 155 miles, that had been open to public ATV use in ihe Aklrich Pond. Black River and Independence River wild forest areas. The April 27 hearing will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The slate plan can be viewed by visiting www.dec.statc.m .us.web-site dlf imlcx.html. In 1941 he entered the service, enlisting in the US Army. He was headquartered al the \5* Station Hospital\ and his occupation was listed as \light truck driver.\ Mr. Ayotte saw action during World War II in a number of different battles and campaigns in New Guinea during that time. He was decorated with ihe American Service Defense Medal. The Asiatic Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal during those years. Il was also during that campaign that James Ayotte contracted malaria. He' was honorably discharged from the Army on June 10, 1945 after he served four years, one month and IS days. After that he relumed lo the Tupper Lake area where he went back to work for the New York Slate Conservation Department, where he worked with gypsy moth and blister rust control. Following his tenure with the NYSDEC he worked at Sunmouni Veterans Administration Hospital until hi» retirement on May 21. 1965. From thai lime he went back home and took care of his aging mother. Continued on page 2 Jiappv \Birthday Jim Ayotte! Jim Ayotte la pictured in front of this group photo on the occasion of Ma 100** birthday. Pictured with him from left are Mary LaBarge (his slater), fllcheHa Burman, Margaret Fortune (his other slater), Katie GUIigan (great, great niece), Victor Burman (nephew), Donna Burman (Victor's wife), AInsleigh Burman (Ms great, great ntece), Alice CetoJIo (his niece), and Lll Burman (niece-ln-taw). In the back row, from left are Tom Burman, Gordon Burman, and and Rosa Burman, Jim's three nephews, Oale Burman, {great-nephew), Debbie Gilligan (great niece), Mike Celello (husband of Jim's niece). Rick Burman (nephew of Jim) and Tammy Burman Rick's wife. (Sut Mltchtil photcft
