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The Hometown Newspaper of Clinton, Essex, Franklin Counties Vol.103 - No. 119 ©Copyri^tl996,Pi«M-ItopubU«ui Plattsburgh, NY 12901, Tuesday, December 19,1995 Suggested Price: 50 c 20 Pages By KENNETH LOVETT OttawQy News Service ALBANY - Officials here say Plattsburgh can expect to get more money next year for helping redevelop its former air base, but exactly how much is unclear. • In his 1996-97 executive budget request released Friday, the governor said he was overhauling New York's economic development programs to lower administrative costs and improve oversight. Grants to local projects such as Pittsburgh's would be paid from a consolidated $57.9 million economic development fund rather than from small programs scattered throughout the state budget. As a result, the base redevelopment corporation would have to compete against other projects around the state, with the decisions being made by officials at the state economic development agency. \You won't see a specific line for it, but certainly there is money in that fund that can be used\ for the air base redevelopment, said a Division of Budget spokeswoman. This year, $2 million was earmarked for the redevelopment corporation's operations. State aid has been used to pay for studies and consultants on options for re-using the base, which closed last September. PARC signs up another tenant fdr former PAFB .. '»., ,,...»JFAGE 3 Now the redevelopment corporation is looking for help in making repairs to some of the base buildings and to purchase surplus Air Force equipment. To help do this, the corporation is hoping for $1 million in next year's state budget. Sen. Ronald B. Stafford, R-Plattsburgh, said he is confident the air base redevelopment effort will get state aid again next year, although he would -reuse not give a price tag. \I've been assured we're going to get support for our air base,\ Stafford said. Redevelopment corporation president David Holmes and Plattsburgh Mayor Clyde Rabideau Jr. expressed little concern about the state's new ap- proach to economic development grants. \It would be better if it were earmarked just for . us, but on the other hand I can see what they are doing it,\ Holmes said. \I have no problem with it.\ \I'll take them at their word,\ Rabideau said. \I have not been given'anything to indicate anything to the contrary. We'll just have to see how the budget shakes out.\ Photo/P. Maicus A home-made wood stove set a large barn afire on Route 9N a mile north of AuSable Forks Monday evening. The barn is on the former W.J. Vbtraw property, recently purchased by Ernest Drake. See story, Page 11. Sources: Fitts to head APA Clinton vetoes 2 bills; shutdown goes on By DAVID ESPO Associated Press Writer Plattsburgh Social Security office still doing business — for now WASHINGTON (AP) - In a battle without letup, President Clinton vetoed two bills Monday that would have eased a partial federal shutdown, citing \unac- ceptable cuts\ in key programs. A leading Republican demanded the White House \stop playing politics and start balancing the budget.\ With Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress at an impasse, the fallout includ- ed a striking, 100-point decline on the stock market — and a quarter-million federal workers laid off on a mass, pre-Ghristmas furlough., ' \ • \It's absolutely disgusting,\ said Walter Martin, sent home from his Labor Department job. \There's a lot of work to be done that's not being done.\ Clinton spoke with House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Dole in separate, midafternoon telephone calls, but said he didn't know if they would later meet. \I offered some ideas about how we might By RICHARD C. TEN WOLDE Staff Writer PLATTSBURGH — The area's recipients of aid from the Social Security Administration can rest easy. The offices will remain open, for now. The Administration's employees haven't been sent home, because field offices were deemed essential by the federal government this time around. \The question always comes down to: who is an essential worker?\ said Dave DiRenzo, district manager of the Plattsburgh offices. \When you re- alize the number of people who rely on Social Secu- rity and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) to supplement their incomes, then you realize how important the offices are.\ ; : , DiRenzo's staff handles about 80 inquiries and claims each day. The office handles applicants for Medicare, as well as SSI and Social Security. Though offices here remain open, employees at the administration's regional offices in New York City have been furloughed. The financial and personal anxiety served to those relying on the administration's programs in November caused Washington politicians to add field offices to the essential personnel list. \When we closed for three days, we had a lot of work to do to catch up,\ DiRenzo said. \If we closed down now, it would be an awful lot of work to meet deadlines. The checks have to go out, and we may not be able to do it.\ The abbreviated work week in November sent local employees home, Tuesday through Friday, a setback that took about three weeks to overcome. They were called back to work on Monday, Nov. 20, after Congress and President Clinton reached a short-term spending agreement to fully reopen the government. That agreement expired Friday, Dec. 15. The Social Security managers^^ruggled through the November weekj answering qiKJStions and re- quests from walk-in visitors, serving only about one-fifth of the normal client flow. And if Congress and Clinton don't reach another temporary decision or a budget agreement, the of- fices, here could be forced to furlough its 20 or so employees. '*We deal with income maintenance for people, who if they don't receive those checks, can't make it,\ DiRenzo added. \It's a hardship for the public.\ reopen the government and how reporters.. we might resume negotiations\ \They agreed to take my ideas on balancing the budget, he told under advisement,\ Clinton said. House Republicans, accusing Clinton of intransigence on Continued Page 10 WEATHER Mostly sunny, then increasing afternoon clouds. Highs 15 to 20. Northeast Winds 10 to 15mph. INDEX Bridge 18 Business .......9 Classified, 16-20 Comics, Landers 8 Editorial 4 TV Listings 9 Health 6,7 Public Record 16 Sports 12-15 Weather....... 10 WHERE'S RUPpLPH WHEN VOUM£EP HIM? Dec. 19 6 shopping .; Lottery: 525. 'Pick 4': 5077. PlCkid: i| 18,21, 3d, 81, 3T, 38, 41,42; 44, 48, SO, 51, 52, 57, 58, 67, 74, 78,79. New England: 'Pick 3': 144. 'Pick 4': 5545. Communists gain in Russia By DEBORAH SEWARD AtiocibfadPreK Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Boris Yeltsin's humiliated government hinted Monday it might try to appease angry voters after Communists and right-wing na- tionalists scored major victories in parliamentary elections. • \It is necessary to draw con- clusions from the results of the Sunday elections and to correct the.. course\ of reforms,\ said Sergei Filatov, Yeltsin's chief of staff. Vote-counting was proceeding slowly, but in a field of 43 par- ties, the Communists led their closest competitor by more than 10 percentage points and were expected to hold their lead. The strong hard-line showing was a harsh indictment of Yeltsin's painful free-market reforms just six months before presidential-elections. No one in the Yeltsin camp said what exactly they might to do to regain public confidence. Yeltsin could dump some reformers from his Cabinet, quickly pay back wa,ges to public workers who haven't received a paycheck in months, or order yet another crackdown on crime, a focus of voter, anger. Whatever he does, the Com- munists undoubtedly will claim it is not enough and try to press ahead with their goals of restor- ing the Soviet Union and rolling back reforms. \They won't be able to keep things unchanged even if they wanted to very much,\ Commu- nist leader Gennady Zyuganov said Monday. With 40 percent of the vote counted, the Communists had 22 percent, the Central Election Commission said Monday. The Continued Pag* 10 By USA FORREST Staff Writer Sora-Ptacid Buraau ' Daniel Fitts RAY BROOK - Daniel Fitts will be the hew Executive Direc- tor of the Adirondack Park Agen- cy, according to high-ranking sources in Albany. Though it has not been officially an- n o u n c e d , Fitts is ex- • pected to be named to the position by Gov. George P a t a k i as soon as this week. Fitts has been ac- ting director since the summer. APA Chairman Greg Campbell gave a \no comment\ Monday evening about the reported choice of Fitts. When contacted at home, Fitts also said he was not at liberty to comment. Without indicating whom the choice would be, Campbell had said earlier in the day that he expects an announcement might be made this week. \It's possible, but things have to come together,\ he had said, adding that negotiating the nec- essary channels and getting the right people connected to com- plete the process is not always an easy feat during the week before Christmas. The Park Agency has been without a permanent director since this past summer when Robert Glennon was asked to resign. It was part of the chang- ing , of the political guard when .Campbell was appointed to replace then-chairman John Col- lins. Fitts, an administrator at the APA, was apparently up against other strong contenders, in- cluding Karyn Richards, a plan- ner~with the state Department of Environmental Conservation,' and Franklin County Republican chairman James Ellis. Born and raised in Rouses Point, Fitts has been with state government for 15 years, begin- ning as legislative aide in 1979, and then legislative coordinator for state Sen. Ronald Stafford from 1982 until 1987, when he joined the Park Agency. After earning his B.A. in En- vironmental Science from SUNY Plattsburgh, he studied com- parative environmental policies at the University of Amsterdam, Holland, and conducted research at the Miner Center in Chazy. Fitts received his masters' degree in environmental science jointly from SUNY College of Environmental Science and For- estry and Syracuse University with concentrations in law and policy administration, resource management,and land-use plan- ning. Other APA issues include the lack of an official legal officer. Besides directing the land planning and regulating body, former APA chief Glennon had also acted as the agency's legal counsel. When he resigned, it was an- nounced that associate APA counsel Barbara Rottier would become acting counsel until the position could be filled perma- nently. That, however, has not occurred. Gov. Pataki's new budget pro- Sjects the elimination of 10 posi- tions at the APA, but Campbell said the figure was arrived at after a new counsel was factored in. He said Monday the resumes of several attorneys are being considered, but the emphasis has been to fill the directorship. \The position has not been ig- nored; we'd just like to get this one taken care of first.\ Dog, shot and left to die, loses battle to survive Scruffy mourned by trooper who found him By JOE LoTEMPUO Staff Writer PLATTSBURGH - A recent story that warmed the hearts of many North Country folks, ended sadly this past weekend as Scruf- fy was put to sleep. Scruffy was the dog that was shot in the neck and left for d e a d i n Harkness about a month ago. He was saved by State Police Trooper Richard Scruffy O'Brien, who found him shiver- ing and barely alive on the side of the road after somebody called police. O'Brien took Scruffy to Cham- plain Valley Veterinary Services, where doctors treated him for wounds that left his hind end paralyzed. But the mixed breed, described as extremely friendly and well-mannered, could not make it. \It's really a shame. We really gave that dog every single effort we had,\ Dr. Sheldon Hagar, said. Scruffy was put to sleep this past weekend after several doc- tors discussed his case thoroughly last Friday night. Hagar said at first it appeared that Scruffy showed some pro- mising signs, but his legs just did not improve. Doctors had to squeeze Scruffy's bladder three times a day to extract urine. \He was beginning to grow weary of it all and was beginning to suffer,\ Hagar said. \He was shot, and it did a lot of damage.\ O'Brien, who along with his wife, Dina, had visited Scruffy several times, was greatly sad- dened by the loss of his new friend. \My wife and I became greatly attached to him over the past month and we are thankful to everyone who helped out,\ he said. \But unfortunately the re- ality of it was that it just would not have been fair to let him live like that.\ Champlain Valley Veterinary Services was flooded with cards, letters, food and cash donations for Scruffy from a sympathetic North Country. Hagar said that $267 was collected to help pay for Scruffy's care. \Everyone seemed to rise to the occassion and we did the best we could here. We hate to have it end this way,\ Hagar said.
