Free movie matinee at Gouverneur Community Center this Saturday

by Rachel Hunter

Town of Gouverneur Supervisor David Spilman Jr. announced at the April 9 Town of Gouverneur board that the Gouverneur Community Center will be open this Saturday, April 13, noon to 2 p.m. for a free movie matinee.

The movie is scheduled to be “Peter Rabbit,” the feature adaptation of Beatrix Potter's classic tale of a rebellious rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer's vegetable garden.

All are encouraged to attend.

Health & Hope Mission 1 John 3:18 Gouverneur Free Clinic closes its doors

by Rachel Hunter

The Health & Hope Mission 1 John 3:18, commonly referred to the Gouverneur Free Clinic, closed its doors on March 29, 2019.

Health & Hope Mission 1 John 3:18 was part of a larger not-for-profit organization called Christ Health Care Ministry. The mission of Christ Health Care Ministry is to support physical and spiritual healing of the least… and raise appropriate funds to operate the free clinics. Locally, Pastor Orv Eacker and Rachel Raven remain on the Board of Trustees.

“God had the clinic here for a season,” Rachel Raven said. “It served an amazing purpose and I am so glad to say we were a small part of it.

On Friday, March 29, volunteer staff helped load a U-Haul with the equipment and furniture from the Gouverneur Office. Much gratitude is extended to those volunteers that assisted in closing the clinic, including the following: Pastor Howard Maxson, James and Donna Moore, Vincent Ferry, Bill and Donna Thorpe, Mark Lingerman, Herb Fuller, Terry Meyers, Rachel Raven, and Noreen Boclair.

Executive Director Mark Lingerman delivered all the clinic content to a new clinic in Warwick NY. The new clinic has volunteer providers, nurses, and clerical staff in place and will open in the upcoming months. Christ Health Care Ministry also has a free clinic in Ferndale NY which is open weekly for uninsured.

“We would like to thank all our sponsors, individuals and local organizations that have helped us keep our doors open for the last six years,” Rachel Raven said. “We have met the healthcare needs of about eighty uninsured adults annually during this time. We (through God’s love and compassion) have provided an invaluable service of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing to our patients and our volunteer staff. We met patients where they were in life and provided the means to help care for the physical health issues, provide medication, routine cancer screenings, monitoring and diagnostics labs, and imaging.

“This was accomplished through the generous donations of our greater community. We have also had a pastor available during operational hours to meet with our patients on an as desired basis.”

Releases for medical records can be directed to PO Box 510 Gouverneur NY 13642 and any future donations to Christ Health Care Ministry can be made online through the website: Christhealthcareminsitry.org.

“Again, we would like to thank the community for being the hands and feet of this medical mission,” Rachel Raven said.

Capital Project Update: Voters to decide whether GCS uses $1 million capital reserve

by Jessyca Cardinell

The Gouverneur Central School District has been under a major overall, involving lots of construction and renovations. The first two phases of the $31.45 million dollar project have been completed. Phase one involving the East Side school's transformation into the upgraded Gouverneur Elementary. Phase two of the project upgraded the West Side school to become the new and improved Gouverneur Middle School.

Lauren French, GCS Superintendent of Schools, gave an update on the project to the Board of Education at their regular meeting held Monday March 25th in the high school auditorium. The project which was set to begin the third phase of construction in the high school had a setback as Mrs. French explained the Board would have to make a decision.

“The bids we received are far in excess of the amount of funds that we have. We have to look at the way to resolve that. What is difficult about this project, is it is not a stand alone project. So you cannot take down the Dean building, without having the ability to finish the area where the Dolan building and the 1961 high school come together. That has to be finished. That involves not only construction but it also involves all the mechanical, plumbing and electricity. Those bids were in excess of the funds that we have.” said Mrs. French

There were four options presented to the Board of Education to consider. Option one would be to rebid the project, option two would be better pricing, option three would be to completely cancel the rest of the project, option four, which was recommended, would use the $1 million dollar capital reserve. This capital reserve has been set aside for projects such as these to use if needed.

“We scaled back the project and have a suggestion for you to consider. That is that we had already put $1 million dollars in a Capital Reserve, that is a separate account. One thing I want to make very clear is that this Capital Reserve can only be used on the building project. So, I want you to make sure that you understand that I can't take that money and balance the budget. It can't be used for salaries or field trips. Just so that is out there, very clear. But that money can be used if the voters pass a referendum by saying we want to use the money that we've set aside for Capital Project to finish this portion of the project so that we can move everyone back into the high school. What that would do is address all the fire alarm systems in the high school, the Dolan building and the 1961 structure. It would take care of all the safety features, with the door closing in the double entry way and the swipe cards. It would remove all the remaining asbestos. It would remove the Dean building, it would also create areas in the Dolan building so that we have a way to enter the building and a way to egress out of the building. This would mean a new set of stairs. As I said, all the safety issues, it would renovate the bathrooms for school use on the first and second floors.” said Mrs. French, who went on to give the items that would have to be removed from the construction completely.

“What this would remove is technology closet, the closet that runs the internet and the local area networks for the school. That would be all up to date and completed ready to use.

“We would not be able to do anything with the third floor, this is the administration offices, that's not an issue to us. We're more than happy to sit upstairs as long as we have running water and heat. It would not address the areas that we wanted renovated in the cafeteria, in terms of the kitchen. It would not renovate the freezer areas, it would not address the old windows. Windows alone came in at $1.2 million. So when looking at the fact we had $5.2 million left, that had to be pulled out.” said Mrs. Lauren French

“The suggestion I am making to you, both Carol and I, would be that we educate the community and the use of the $1 million dollars in Capital Reserve, how beneficial it will be to be able to go back to the high school and get that building as safe and secure as the Elementary and the Middle School buildings are.” said Mrs. French

David Fenlong, President of the Board of Education then spoke to the Board explaining that there were four options the Board had to think about and decide on.

“The fourth option is of course the one Lauren said is most feasible and makes the most sense, but all four are on the table. She went into some detail on the fourth one, if you want to discuss the other three in more detail we can.” said Mr. Fenlong, as he went over the other three options.

“Rebidding this, just as she spoke, will come out worse. They will not rebid like they did the first time. If we rebid this I think we will fall back even further.

“Better prices offers the same exact scenario and finally to cancel the project entirely I think would be a foolish mistake. I think we need to preserve what we've started and everything gathered here completes the security and safety aspects that we started. Again if anyone would like to discuss options one through three or four further we can.” said President Fenlong.

Board member Nick Ormasen stated his opinion on the options presented to the Board of Education.

“I don't seriously want to consider this, but if we were to cancel the project, we would forfeit any additional money from the state and it would go back to the state that was approved for Capital Project?”

Business Manager Carol LaSala replied to Mr. Ormasen's question.

“I don't know that the money would go back, if we did not spend all the money. My concern with that is we already spent money on Phase Two as far as design and things like that. With that project being included, I don't know how we would prove we had those expenses.” said Mrs. LaSala.

“You wouldn't.” replied Board member Dr. William Cartwright.

“If you just trashed it, you would have problems in the future that you are going to have to figure out how to pay for it. Repair the roofing, the asbestos and probably water problems and so forth. They probably won't grant you another building project for five or six years, under the document, someone could come in and say, “why haven't you gotten rid of the asbestos here?” said Dr. Cartwright.

“I think it would also damage our credibility with the community.” said Board member Lisa McGregor.

“If we said to them we're not going to do this after you said its what you want.”

Board member Laurie Roberts posed the question of whether that $1 million dollars mentioned was in place for future projects and if it was in fact there for the capital reserve. Mrs. French confirmed that yes her thinking was correct.

“Hopefully in the future we can get that funding back up.” said Mrs. Roberts.

“That was my concern that if we did not move forward, we've lost not only the momentum on this, but what Dr. Cartwright points out. I think it would be very difficult to go back to the state and say, “we're ready now.” said Mrs. French, as she explained the funding may not be there in the future, as it is now.

“We looked at the cost of steel alone, that was a significant increase from the initial phase to when the tariffs went into place.” said Mrs. French, who explained there is only one firm that does a certain aspect of the construction, there is an 18 month wait. If the District does not stay on top of getting construction done, this could be an issue of things getting completed.

“Using the $1 million dollars that we already have set aside is going to be a matter of educating our community as to why we need to use that now to finish this project.

“I think we also hold out as much possible that is not directly student related. We all benefit from having a safe and secure and locked facility. We all benefit from swipe cards. Looking at the third floor alone, that was going to be an expense of I believe $489,000. We don't need that for office space, that was an easy thing to peel away. Some of the other things we don't want to peel away, so we've taken out everything else that you can take out and still have functioning. You can't have plumbing through floors one and two and not go to floor three. The same thing goes with electricity.” said Mrs. French

“So major construction will be on floors one and two, bridging the building back together and the large part of that is going to be the technology, setting up for second floor secure technology space for what runs the district.” said Mrs. French

“We have people who have turned in bids and they are willing to hold their bids at the level that we would accept through the duration of our project. So that is very nice to hear from them, because they don't have to do, but they are willing to do that.

“The timing is going to be not as pleasant as what we would have liked because now we can't move forward, until we get voter approval. Technically tonight you would have been accepting bids and now, we can't until May and we will take action in June, opposed to April, and that's if it passes.” said Mrs. French

Mr. Ormasen inquired if the district would have to scale back more of the project if the community does not vote to use the $1 million in reserve.

“There's nothing in this really left to remove. When you start taking this apart, the General Contractor number is about $4 million dollars, when you start layering in as I said, the plumbing, the electrical, the mechanical and the technology, that has to be an all or a none. You can't just say you'll do two thirds of the electrical, that's not going to work.

“I personally think, my intent is to run with your support of this project is to run this just like I ran the initial project, that is I will go out and speak to the people. I did 32 presentations for the initial project in 2014. We will speak with our staff, we'll speak with our community and we'll speak with the parents. The focus on this is safety and security of our students. The feedback that we've had on our Safety Resource Officer has been phenomenal. People want their children safe and I think that they will go ahead and say that we'd like our children safe in the high school as well.

This is not going to be an additional burden financially because we are using money that is set aside. It's just to have people understand that in my household the checking account and savings account go back and forth. I have that ability, but in a school I can't just take capital reserve funds and hire a teacher. That's going to be an educational point of view. That's not how people run their homes but that's how you have to run a school budget, so that's going to be a point of education.” said Mrs. French, as she asked the BOE members for their support in this fourth option.

Mr. Fenlong and Dr. Cartwright both explained that there is no wrong doing or mismanagement that caused this to happen with the Capital Project, but rather the 30% increase in tariffs. Mrs. Carol LaSala as well stated that there is a lot of work right now for construction companies so their bids are going to be higher at this time.

The Board of Education discussed what had been presented to them and it was then time to make a decision on the proposed proposition.

BOE member Lisa McGregor made a motion to approve the proposed proposition to be on the budget vote for registered voters of the community to have the ability to vote whether to use the $1 million capital reserve or not. Dr. Cartwright seconded the motion. The motion carried with one abstention.

As the future of the remainder of the Capital Project is up in the air, be sure to get out and vote on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.

Fiery blaze rips through Welch Road home

Fiery blaze consuming the Welch Road home in the Town of Gouverneur. The Gouverneur Fire Department determined it a total loss. (photo provided)

Fiery blaze consuming the Welch Road home in the Town of Gouverneur. The Gouverneur Fire Department determined it a total loss. (photo provided)

By Rachel Hunter

A family of seven in Gouverneur lost their home and everything they own when a fiery blaze ripped through their Welch Road home on Thursday, March 7, leaving nothing more than an empty charred shell of a house.

The Gouverneur Fire Department was dispatched to a reported house fire at Roberts’ Welch Road Farm, 88 Welch Road in the Town of Gouverneur. The property is owned by Jeremy Roberts and Kimberly Worden who made their home there with their five young children.

GFD’s 11-1 reported on scene with a heavy fire showing on sides B and C of the structure. The Gouverneur firefighters worked for hours to suppress the fire as the wind played a major factor in the spread of the fire throughout the structure. Unfortunately, even with all the efforts of the firefighters, the dwelling is a total loss and the homeowners lost three dogs. There were no injuries reported, as the family was not home at the time of the fire.

The Gouverneur Fire Department responded with 11-1, 11-2, Engine 17, ETA-101, Truck 2, Rescue 4, TA-6, R-7, R-75 and 20 members. Gouverneur Rescue brought one ambulance. Assisting with mutual aid for water supply were the following: Richville Fire (draft and tanker to the scene), Oxbow Fire (two tankers to the scene), and Heuvelton (super tanker to the scene).

Insurance on the house is very limited and will not be enough to allow the family to rebuild their home.

A GoFundMe page “Roberts Family House Fire” has been established to help them family at their time of need.

“Our team is trying to raise money to help this beloved family regain a sense of hope and pride and help them rebuild their farmhouse,” the GoFundMe page says. “They need the resources to acquire the necessities of food and clothing as well as the personal strength and perseverance to face the daunting journey ahead of rebuilding not only their home but their sense of family security as well. There is a long journey ahead for the Roberts family. With your and our entire community's help we can begin working on supplying this family the financial ability to rebuild their farmhouse and help with necessary items to help get them on their feet again. We all hope the Roberts' Welch Road Farm can rebuild their country farmhouse filled with love, laughter and memories.”

As of press time on Tuesday, a little over $3,000 of the $30,000 goal had been raised. For more information on how to donate, visit the following website: gofundme.com/xh8an-roberts-family-house-fire.

Gouverneur business owner purchases iconic Jumbo’s Diner

by Rachel Hunter

The Town of Gouverneur has conditionally accepted a purchase offer from Clark Porter of Gouverneur for 1, 3, 5 and 7 East Main Street in Gouverneur at the price of $30,000, payable upon passing the deed. This includes the vacant commercial properties from the former Jumbo’s Diner at the corner of Clinton and East Main Street to the former Deep Down Divers Shop. The Town of Gouverneur board unanimously approved Town Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. to sign the purchase offer, contingent upon legal counsel approval.

As was earlier reported, The Town of Gouverneur purchased the property, which was last owned by former Gouverneur resident Tammy Groves, after being the only bidder at a foreclosure auction in December 2018. Groves filed for bankruptcy in 2017, and she owed $76,448 on the property, including roughly $49,000 that remained on a $50,000 micro- enterprise loan she received. The Town of Gouverneur purchased the building to protect their assets, and subsequently put it up for sale.

Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. reported at the March 12 town board meeting there was interest from two parties, but the other potential buyer backed out on March 5. “I am hoping we can make Mr. Clark Porter the new owner of the Jumbo’s building,” he said. “I have been talking with him since before we took the building back. He was interested in purchasing the building from Mrs. Groves, but unfortunately when she was in bankruptcy nothing could happen till we came to this point. I told him I would pass along the big word that he hit me with. He said he was going to start with the gentrification process on the building as soon we can get all the legal stuff done... It’s a word that he learned from all the stuff he does in Potsdam, and it does refer to the historical renovation of these types of buildings.”

Supervisor Spilman also added that while Mr. Porter’s plans for the building are not definite, he is considering using the ground level as retail space on the ground floor, and putting apartments in on the second floor. “There will be more news to come on that,” Supervisor Spilman said.

The Town of Gouverneur board agreed to reconvene the regular monthly board meeting on Wednesday, March 13 to read the purchase offer and take preliminary action. During that meeting, Supervisor Spilman informed all gathered in the town offices building that the purchase offer was contingent upon the seller (the Town of Gouverneur) being willing to pay all real estate taxes assessed against premises up to and including 2020 town and county taxes, contingent on the sale and including all furniture, furnishings, equipment presently located in the premise, and contingent on the allocation of purchase price of real property and furniture, furnishings, equipment to the satisfaction of the court system. It was at this meeting that the Town of Gouverneur board unanimously approved Town Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. to sign the purchase offer, contingent upon legal counsel.

On Thursday, March 14 Supervisor Spilman met with Town Attorney Henry Leader of Case & Leader Law Firm, LLP in Gouverneur to sign the purchase agreement. This fact was made public knowledge at the March 19 meeting of the Village of Gouverneur board of Trustees.

Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall said the following: “On Thursday, while the ink was still wet, he was up on the roof…” Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. the commented: “Yes, he was up on the roof making temporary fixes to it. He got it slowed down I believe from 50 gallons per hour to 1 gallon per day.”

At the village board meeting, the trustees decided to use their shared services agreement in exchange for the unpaid water/sewer bill in the amount of $4,246.08. For an explanation on this matter, Mayor McDougall turned to the village’s legal counsel, Henry Leader of Case & Leader, LLP in Gouverneur.

“It is very important and the Town has worked very, very hard to preserve a landmark known as Jumbo’s Diner,” Attorney Leader said. “They are working diligently to get the property back on the tax rolls. As for the water/sewer bills, the Village would like to cooperate and forgive that bill but they are unable to. A municipality cannot make a gift. However, it appears the Town has provided several days of assistance for snow removal, use of equipment, and Internet service, so there can be consideration, not in the form of monetary consideration, but in the form of equal exchange of services. And that would allow the Village to consider the water/sewer bill satisfied. It will be an accounting thing to.”

Deputy Mayor Charles Newvine then asked, “To put it in layman’s terms?” “You can’t forgive it, but you can trade,” Attorney Leader replied.

Continuing the discussion on the properties’ water/sewer, Mayor McDougall said “He has seven units presently. It’s actually one deed. We are proposing that when he starts he be billed for one sewer unit, until he gets up and running and he when he puts his first business in there, he’ll still have one, but when he gets his second business in there, he’ll have the second sewer unit, etc., and of course with the water meter for all seven that makes that a moot issue, but we have to make a motion to accommodate this.”

The motion was made by Deputy Mayor Charles Newvine, seconded by Trustee Richard Wood. Mayor McDougall asked if there was any more discussion. Trustee Troy Besaw asked, “We aren’t setting a precedence by doing this?” “I don’t think we are,” Mayor McDougall said. “You are well within your rights,” Attorney Leader said.

“The only thing I ask, because I am sure Clark will cooperate, is we ensure that when he does get another unit on that he is charged on the sewer bill in a timely fashion and that it follows the local law as far as it should be restaurant or diner, it’s one and a half units, whatever the local law reads. Just to ensure that Clark cooperates with us, which I am sure he will be, so that when he adds another unit on, it is billed properly.”

Mayor McDougall then said the following: “Along those lines, we are working on (even though it is in private property now), the Main Street grants, downtown grants do qualify. We’ve been working very hard. We talked to Bernier & Carr about that, and that grant allocation has not come out yet, but when it does we will be getting on that, in particular for that property.”

“To ensure that the planning and zoning is not followed strictly, but followed just like it would be anyone else, that we are not doing anything different than what should be allowed, and that it is going through the proper channels, planning and zoning as far as what businesses can be there, what apartments can be there… If there are apartments there, there would be more parking issues which would make it more difficult for us to clean the municipal parking lot. So there’s a lot of things. This is going to need attention, so that we don’t let it fall through the cracks like some other things have.”

Mayor McDougall then commented, “Along those lines, we were quite pleased when the town went to the foreclosure sale, and was able to get that, and at least get it in to what I perceive to be a re-developer.”

The village board then approved the motion regarding the water/sewer billing at the properties in question.

The next meeting of the Town of Gouverneur board is to be held on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. in the town offices building. The next regular monthly meeting of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees is to be held on April 16 at 7 p.m. in the municipal courtroom.

Village of Gouverneur Republicans nominate incumbents

by Rachel Hunter

The Village of Gouverneur Republicans nominated Incumbents Richard Wood of Gouverneur and Shelly Simons-Washburn of Gouverneur for village trustee positions and Ronald McDougall of Gouverneur for the village mayor position at the Village of Gouverne…

The Village of Gouverneur Republicans nominated Incumbents Richard Wood of Gouverneur and Shelly Simons-Washburn of Gouverneur for village trustee positions and Ronald McDougall of Gouverneur for the village mayor position at the Village of Gouverneur Republican Party Caucus on Saturday, March 16 in the municipal courtroom. Also at the caucus to address the crowd was Brooks Bigwarfe of Potsdam who is a candidate for St. Lawrence County Sheriff. (Rachel Hunter photo)

The Village of Gouverneur Republican Party Caucus was held on Saturday, March 16 at the municipal courtroom to nominate candidates for village offices to be elected during the General Election on Tuesday, November 5. All duly enrolled members of the Republican Party in the Village of Gouverneur were eligible to participate.

The caucus was called to order at 9:15 a.m. by Gouverneur Republican Committee Chairman Eldon Conklin who was later sworn in as caucus chairman alongside Bonnie Reed as caucus secretary by Attorney Henry Leader of Gouverneur. Also sworn in were tellers for the caucus.

There were 82 eligible voters and six guests in attendance (including Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ronald McDougall) for a total of 88 in attendance.

The public notice was read, and Chairman Conklin said it had been posted at the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections, Village Office, Town Office, Save-A-Lot, Newvine’s NAPA Auto Parts, Kinney Drugs (both stores on Main St. and Clinton St.), 1 E. Main Street, Gouverneur Community Center, Northland Veterinary and Washburn’s General Store.

Nominations were opened for village mayor. Incumbent Ronald McDougall of Gouverneur received the first nomination, and George Harder of Gouverneur received the second. Former Village of Gouverneur Mayor Dorothy Vorce then said the following: “I am sure there are a lot of new Republicans here today that don’t know George. I am not going to make a speech, but I am going to tell you about George, and it will take me about three minutes.

“George is very well qualified… He served for many years on the planning board. He was a member of the board of trustees. He went to live in Clayton and he was gone a couple years. He got so lonesome for all you folks in Gouverneur that he decided to come back, and he is here now. He was my deputy mayor when you folks gave me the honor of serving as your mayor. He is very, very well aware of all the departments in the village and how they function as well as the layout of the village, etc. He is very knowledgeable. He listens to complaints. He doesn’t always agree, but I found that out the hard way. If he is not right, he is not afraid to say he is not right, and if he is right, he doesn’t say, “I told you so.” He is very accessible and a very good problem solver. George will be a hands-on mayor. He wants to work together with the town and the village boards to improve Gouverneur. He wants to create a village that will attract businesses, provide safety and security for the residents, and make Gouverneur a community to be proud of.

“This has nothing to do with George… I think this is wonderful that all these Republicans are out today. This is terrific, but there is one Republican who has always attended every caucus, and he is not here and that is Bill Scozzafava. And I would just like to say that his spirit here today is here with us, and that he is proud of all the Republicans… and he would like to see a Republican, I know, on the ticket.”

Chairman Conklin then asked if there were any more nominations for mayor, and upon hearing none, closed the nominations and the voting began. The ballots were passed out, and all eligible voters cast their ballots. The tellers counted the vote, and the final tally was Ronald McDougall (57) and George Harder (25). Applause filled the room as the incumbent, Ronald McDougall, won the nomination. “Do you accept this nomination, Mr. McDougall?” asked Chairman Conklin. “Yes, I do,” Mayor McDougall said as he extended appreciation to all those in attendance. All then gave Mayor McDougall another round of applause.

Nominations then opened for the two village trustee seats. Nominations were received for Rick Wood, Scott Hudson, and Shelly Simons-Washburn. The nominations were closed, and the voting commenced via the ballot process once again. Once all votes were casted, the tellers counted the votes and Chairman announced the tallies as follows Shelly Simons-Washburn (62), Rick Wood (55), and Scott Hudson (33). Chairman Conklin asked Mr. Wood and Mrs. Simons-Washburn if they accepted the nomination. Both accepted, and extended their appreciation to the Gouverneur Republicans for their support.

Chairman Conklin then welcomed St. Lawrence County Undersheriff Brooks Bigwarfe, candidate for St. Lawrence County Sheriff, to talk about his background, experience, and platform.

Brooks was born and raised in St. Lawrence County, and has been serving the county for the past 32 years at the SLC Sheriff’s Office. He started his career in 1987 as a Deputy working patrol for seven years before being promoted to Juvenile Officer giving him the opportunity to go into schools and talk with students about the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (DARE). During that time he became a K9 Officer and worked for many years with his dog “Bo” tracking and apprehending criminals, finding lost children and adults, and working with drug interdiction.

As his career continued he was promoted to Detective Sergeant assigned to the Investigative Unit. There he worked on numerous major crimes including homicides, robberies, and sexual abuse crimes. One of the greatest accomplishments of his career was being one of the Lead Investigators in the Amish kidnapping case where he along with his team captured, arrested, and prosecuted two of the most dangerous criminals our communities had ever seen. For this he was invited to Washington D.C. and awarded the Missing and Exploited Children Law Enforcement Heroes Award for dedication to the protection of children and exemplary performance of duty.

In 2016, Brooks was promoted to Undersheriff where he began a different phase of his law enforcement career. He incorporated regional training with all the law enforcement agencies of the County to include the local police departments, Border Patrol, Rangers, ICE/Homeland Security, Park Police, and State Police. He enacted new policies and procedures, has written and supervised numerous grants for the Sheriff’s Office to increase revenue, and has assisted the Sheriff with the budget process. Throughout his career, Brooks has worked hard to make St. Lawrence County a safer place to live – and hopes to continue on that journey as St. Lawrence County Sheriff in 2020.

“Going forward, I have been endorsed by the executive committee of the Republicans and by the Conservative Party also. I have been out there, pounding on doors for the last six weeks. I’ve met a lot of people in this fine North Country weather,” he said. “I’m not going to change much of what Sheriff Kevin Wells has. He is one of the best guys you will ever meet. I am not saying that because his mother is here, it is the truth. I know I am in Gouverneur, and this is his base and everybody knows him. He is one great guy. He really is. He is truly a great guy that likes people, cares about people… He has been my mentor, and he has been helping me so much with my campaign every day and every night. I bounce a lot of questions off him.”

Bigwarfe then focused on the issues, outlining them one at a time.

Opioid Crisis: Bigwarfe hopes to continue the fight and expand efforts to combat the opioid and methamphetamine addiction crisis facing many families and communities in St. Lawrence County. Not only arresting offenders who make our communities unsafe, but also assisting other agencies on treatment and educational solutions to the drug problem.

“Opioid addiction is rampant in the county,” he said. “It’s not an Ogdensburg problem. Its not a Massena problem. It’s a St. Lawrence County problem. We’ve got people coming up from Philadelphia, Penn. We have people coming up from New Jersey, Syracuse, Rochester coming into our communities and bringing the awful, nasty drugs. I know the Sheriff is big on this. I have been right there beside him. I want to increase our investigations on this… The opioid crisis is something I am going to tackle.”

Bigwarfe also talked about the School Safety Initiative he created that would expand on the school safety initiative that began two years ago. Under this plan, Deputies have a presence in schools including attending school events. Working with school superintendents and administrators, the Sheriff’s Office will assist with school safety including policy and procedures, training, mock drills, and other safety measures determined to make our learning institutions in this County a safe place for students and staff.

“We’ll go into all the schools in the county with our officers,” he said. “Even when they are on patrol, I want them stopping in for many reasons. Number 1, they should know the schools, know the layout in case, God forbid, something happens. They’ll know all the egresses, the entrances. They’ll know how to get in their and keep everyone safe. It is good to have police officers get into schools and for the kids to see police officers to know that we are their friends. We work a lot of bad situations, but we are out their helping the communities. So, we want police officers there. And we don’t just want them there during the school day. I want them to go to functions like sporting events, plays… any of those things, I want officers in there at no cost to the taxpayers. We do it during our shifts. I know they are talking about getting some patrols into the schools. We’ll support that if we can. We have to work through legislative body. We’re trying to work through that, and hopefully get into some schools this fall. That School Safety Initiative is something that we have been pushing, and I am going to push it if I become Sheriff event more.”

Bigwarfe also said he will make the SLC Sheriff’s Office be fiscally responsible, and to seek grants and find creative ways to keep costs down. “I pretty much with the Sheriff run our budget. It’s an $11 million budget. We have the jail, civil department, and the criminal division. It adds up to about $11 million. I’ve been involved in the budget processes. We keep our costs down, and we do it several ways. Number one, getting grants. I have been the grant writer for the last three years. I have brought in probably $300,000 or $400,000 into the Sheriff’s Department that saved the county money, whether it be for boat patrol, snowmobile patrol. We get a grant called the Stonegarden Grant which brings about $200,000 that puts boots on the ground that helps give us more patrols. You can be 90 miles in, we can drive from this grant all the way through the county. That’s a federal grant. Obviously we want more grants. We get grants from (NYS Senator) Patty Ritchie for cars, for overtime, for drug asset money. There’s ways to get revenues that keep our cost down. I will continue to do that… and get the most bang for our buck. We’ll do due diligence to keep that budget in check.”

Bigwarfe also promised to keep the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office’s open-door policy. “Kevin has an open-door policy. I see it every day. People come in, knock on the door, and he tells them to come in, and sit down, and he says, “What’s your issue? What’s your problem?” That will continue. That’s a great thing for the Sheriff that knows that county, knows the people. When they can walk in or call and make an appointment… When they have a concern, he talks to them. That will continue. That is a great policy to have as a Sheriff.”

Bigwarfe also said he wants to expand the K-9 Unit. “This one is dear to my heart,” he said. “I was a K-9 unit officer for 10 years. We have one K-9 at our department right now that is pretty much for drug extradition or interjection. I want to get a dog in there that is going to track people if they get lost, kids if they get lost, Alzheimer’s patients if they get lost, or criminals that we lose from the scene like the bank robbery. I want to get a K-9 unit that basically all he does is track. I can do that for a cost of probably $5,000. I can raise $5,000 in donations. It is not going to cost anyone any money. That, going forward, is going to be one of my prime issues. This is a countywide thing that helps everyone.”

In conclusion, Bigwarfe said the following: “If I am elected Sheriff I will continue to work for the citizens like I have been doing for the last 32 years.”

There was a small question and answer period, followed by a round of rousing applause, and then Chairman Conklin took the floor.

All were encouraged to sign the petitions for the following: two delegates for the 4th Judicial District – 117th (Henry Leader of Gouverneur and Emery Webb of Edwards), St. Lawrence County Sheriff (Brooks Bigwarfe of Potsdam), Town of Gouverneur Supervisor (David L. Spilman, Jr. of Gouverneur), St. Lawrence County Clerk (Sandra Santamoor of Canton), NYS Rep State Committee – 117th Assembly (Karen Simmons of Fowler and Emery Webb of Edwards), Town of Gouverneur Councilman (Jay Bowhall of Gouverneur), Town of Gouverneur Councilwoman (Jaimee McQuade of Gouverneur), and Town of Gouverneur Justice (Stanley Young of Gouverneur).

The Village of Gouverneur Republican Caucus was then adjourned by the Village of Gouverneur Republicans.

GHS to present Aladdin Jr. on March 22-23

by Jessyca Cardinell

Everyone is invited out for a night of enjoyment, as the Gouverneur high school drama club presents Aladdin Jr.

Performances of the musical will be held on the evenings of Friday March 22nd and Saturday March 23rd beginning at 7p.m. in the high school auditorium. The cost per ticket is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children and senior citizens.

Emily Bason, Gouverneur high school teacher and director of this year's musical, is very excited for this show.

“The students have been working so hard to make up for rehearsal time lost due to early dismissals and snow days, but it is a labor of love and it's really coming together. I'm very proud of them all,” said Mrs. Bason.

“This is my first year directing the high school musical. I did direct shows for the middle school drama club for 10 years,” said Mrs. Bason of the experience.

“I was in several shows when I was in high school here and also did some of the community theater performances. I've also helped with hair, make-up, set construction and costumes for the high school shows when needed,” said Mrs. Bason of her experience in theater.

As this year's theme is a Disney show, she said children attending are encouraged to dress as their favorite Disney character if they would like.

“There will be audience participation,” said Mrs. Bason. “It should be a night of entertainment for all indeed.”

Be sure to come and support the high school drama club and enjoy a fantastic show!

Opening Night Success: 388 St. James Fish Fry Dinners Sold

by Jessyca Cardinell

St. James School hosts their annual fish fry dinners during the season of Lent. Lent officially began on Ash Wednesday, March 6 and the fish fry dinners kicked off on Friday, March 8 on a fantastic note.

Joe Laurenza reported there were 388 dinners sold on the opening evening of the fish fry, a record-breaking number that tops any sales to date. A showing of tremendous amount of support from the community and beyond.

St. James School's gymnasium tables were filled with those dining in, enjoying the fantastic meal before them and the company around them.

The dinners will continue every Friday evening through Lent, ending on Friday April 19th. The fish fry begins at 4:30p.m. until sold out.

All monies collected from the fish fry dinners help St. James School and its mission to provide the best possible Catholic education to its students.

Many volunteers, under the direction of Bridgette LaPierre, come together to prepare, serve and assist in ensuring all attendees are satisfied and enjoying a delicious meal complete with all the fixings.

The dinners are sit in or take out with many options to choose from for the perfect meal. Big fish, small fish and shrimp with sides to choose from including a favorite of macaroni and cheese, french fries, coleslaw and roll and butter.

What meal is complete without dessert? The dinners also offer a delicious sweet treat to end with. All desserts are made by the ladies of St. James Church as well as parents of St. James students.

It is through a combined extensive effort that these meals are such a mouthwatering success. Be sure to stop in and give your taste buds a satisfying delightful treat.

Country Star John Michael Montgomery to headline Gouverneur Fair opening concert

by Rachel Hunter

John Michael Montgomery. (Submitted photo)

John Michael Montgomery. (Submitted photo)

Award-Winning American Country Music Artist John Michael Montgomery – who has sold over 16 million albums – will headline the opening concert at the 2019 Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair on Tuesday, July 30 at 8 p.m., Fair Manager Don Peck announced this week.

John Michael Montgomery has turned an uncanny ability to relate to fans into one of country music’s most storied careers. Behind the string of hit records, the roomful of awards and the critical and fan accolades that have defined his phenomenal success lies a connection that goes beyond his undeniable talent and his proven knack for picking hits. Since the days when “Life’s A Dance” turned him from an unknown artist into a national star, John Michael’s rich baritone has carried that most important of assets—believability. Few artists in any genre sing with more heart than this handsome Kentucky-born artist.

It is readily apparent in love songs that have helped set the standard for a generation. Songs like “I Swear,” “I Love the Way You Love Me” and “I Can Love You Like That” still resonate across the landscape—pop icon and country newcomer Jessica Simpson cited “I Love The Way You Love Me” as an influence in a recent interview. It is apparent in the 2004 hit “Letters From Home,” one of the most moving tributes to the connection between soldiers and their families ever recorded, and in “The Little Girl,” a tale of redemption that plumbs both the harrowing and the uplifting. It is apparent even in the pure fun that has always found its way into John Michael’s repertoire—songs like “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” where John Michael’s vocal earnestness takes musical whimsy to another level.

John Michael’s origins lie in deceptively modest beginnings. He was born in Danville, Kentucky, to parents who imparted a lifelong love of music.

“Where most people have chairs and sofas in their living rooms,” laughs John Michael, “we had amplifiers and drum kits.”

The family band played on weekends throughout the area, and John Michael and his brother Eddie eagerly soaked up everything about it.

“To a certain extent,” he says, “my dad always had a natural ability to draw fans and entertain people; I don’t care if it was on the front porch, the living room, or on a stage. I think that transitioned to me and my brother being able to do that on stage.”

John Michael took over lead singing chores after his parents divorced, and he performed for a while in a band called Early Tymz with Eddie and their friend Troy Gentry. Nashville talent scouts began hearing about and then seeing John Michael perform and by the early ‘90s he had a record deal.

The hits followed steadily, with songs like “Rope The Moon,” “If You’ve Got Love,” “No Man’s Land,” “Cowboy Love,” “As Long As I Live,” “Friends” and “How Was I To Know” establishing him as one of the elite acts of the era. He received the CMA Horizon award and was named the ACM’s Top New Vocalist, setting off a long series of awards that included the CMA’s Single and Song of the Year, Billboard’s Top Country Artist, and a Grammy nomination. Heavy touring meant he kept the close touch with fans he had begun in the clubs back home.

“You get to know your fans and what they like more and more through the years,” he says, “and you kind of gravitate towards one another.”

Indeed, he has always had an extraordinarily close relationship with his fans, and they have stayed with him through good and bad times.

Asked what he thinks gave him the edge in a career that calls millions but gives stardom to just a few, he pauses, then thinks back to the legacy of his parents.

“I reckon it was good genes and good blood,” he says with a smile. Few who know the depth and breadth of his own growing legacy would disagree.

Among John Michael Montgomery’s achievements are four Academy of Country Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, one American Music Award, four Billboard Awards (Single, Top Country Artist, Top Male Artist), and two Grammy nominations. He was also named Artist of the Year by American Songwriter Magazine. Fair Manager Peck this week announced the following ticket prices: VIP Reserved Track Seats ($45), Reserved Track Seats ($35), General Admission Grandstand ($25).

The 2019 Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair (Tuesday, July 30 through Sunday, August 4) features the following grandstand entertainment schedule:

The Annual Firemen’s Parade will be held on Wednesday, July 31 and will feature local fire departments and high school bands, and is sure to pack the grandstand. Admission is free.

Gouverneur and St, Lawrence County Fairgoers were captivated with the infectious joy and energy of the Amish Outlaws during last year’s fair. They will return to perform at the 2019 Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair on Thursday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. The ticket price is $15. With a set that is always evolving as the Brothers discover more and more music and culture, The Amish Outlaws constantly surprise the audience and keep them guessing as to what they could possibly play next, from Johnny Cash to Jay Z, Lady Gaga to Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, Pitbull to Elvis Presley, Luke Bryan to Dropkick Murphys, to theme songs from the TV shows they have come to know. Throughout, The Outlaws spin yarns about the Brothers' upbringing and adventures since Rumpspringa. Amish Outlaw gigs are less performances than they are initiations into the life of an Amish Outlaw and parties celebrating the Brothers' newfound freedom.

On Friday, August 2 at 7 p.m. will be the local talent show. The grandstand is free.

Fully Completely Hip, the Tragically Hip Tribute Band will take the grandstand stage on Saturday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m. The ticket price is $10. Just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of Canada’s most iconic band, Fully Completely Hip hail from the small town of Cornwall Ontario, Canada. After leaving his full time band the Trench Town Oddities in late 2016, frontman Sean Harley knew he wanted to do something new and exciting. He’d been toying with the idea of putting together some type of tribute act but was torn as to which one he really wanted to do. Having a few ideas lined up, things did not begin to crystallize until after seeing the Tragically Hip on TV for their historical concert from Kingston Ontario Canada on August 20, 2016. Being a fan of the Hip since he was a teenager, Sean had short listed the Hip (and a few unmentionables) as possible projects but sitting through that show and remembering all the great songs the band had to offer made the decision easy.

In the early months of 2017, on a cold Canadian winters night, Sean gathered together an unlikely group musicians to jam. Even after the first song, the group of musical misfits knew they were onto something special. Made up of seasoned musicians, Fully Completely Hip consisting of fellow ex-Oddities drummer Randy Lalonde, multi-musician Ron Piquette (Winston Marley, Beyond the Void) on rhythm Guitar, Jesse Andrews on lead guitar, and Matt Leger (Red Flag) on Bass.

Having hit the road hard in 2017, the band played many markets in the North East including New York and Vermont as well as Ontario and Quebec on the Canadian side. Having played a mixture of club shows, casinos and festivals, the band has already established themselves as one of the premier Tragically Hip Tribute acts and continue to gain new fans at every appearance.

On Sunday, August 4 at 1 p.m., Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair will hold the much-anticipated annual demolition derby. The ticket price is $15, $10 for those 10 years of age or under.

Fair Manager Peck also announced that there will be free ground acts all week, including the following fairgoer favorites: Eudora Interactive Petting Zoo, Rosaire’s Racing Pigs. There are also plans in the works for a Family Fund Day on Saturday, August 3.

Fair Manager Peck also announced that Coleman Bros. Carnival will be bring aa new large spectacular ride to the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds this year!

Tickets go on sale this Monday, March 18. Visit gouverneurfair.net for more information.

GCS staff members recognized

by Jessyca Cardinell

The Gouverneur Central School Staff Recognition Awards were held on the evening of Monday, March 11 at the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting in the high school auditorium.

Throughout the school year, members of the staff are asked to send in their nominations for recognition with a letter explaining why the staff member is deserving of the award. The committee then decides who will be the recipients of the staff recognition awards.

Jerrilyn Patton, Co-President of the GTO, presented these awards to two deserving individuals and read the letters received upon their nomination.

“The first recipient is Heather Davis, who works in the Elementary. She goes above and beyond her duties when she uses her own money to buy supplies or snacks when needed. She washes all the dishes, even though they are not hers to do. When we cook a large meal or our teacher is out she goes out of her way to provide the best working environment for her students. Heather is always there to help, inside and outside of the classroom and has been doing so for years.” Mrs. Patton read of the deserving award recipient as she presented her with her certificate of recognition.

“Mrs. Barb Gauthier of the Middle School is next to be recognized. She also goes above and beyond everyday for her students and families. One year a student expressed that their Christmas tree had broke and the mother was sad because they couldn't afford another one. That day at lunch Mrs. Gauthier went out and purchased a Christmas tree, she dropped it off on the porch before the student and his family returned home. The following day the student told her all about their new Christmas tree and how his mom was so excited that she gave him the biggest hug ever. Mrs. Gauthier has also been known to quietly purchase shoes, jackets and food for students and their families. She is empathetic and understanding to the various needs of all students and staff members. A teen has had many health concerns this year and she is always checking in and supporting our team. Congratulations!” said Mrs. Patton, as she presented Mrs. Gauthier with her award of recognition.

Mr. David Fenlong, President of the Board of Education gave a heartfelt sentiment to this award process.

“I am on the Shared Decision Committee who has the pleasure of helping to choose those two winners. We also get to read all of the thoughtful sentiments and stories of heroism, like so many staff members we're lucky to have them all, congratulations to the winners.”

Fantastic job to each recipient of their recognition award, your efforts and contributions truly do make a difference in the lives of many.

BOE responds publicly to previous voiced concerns of bullying

by Jessyca Cardinell

The Board of Education publicly responded to the concerns and comments from parents and community members given at the previous BOE meeting held on Monday, February 11th.

Many had stepped up and stated how bullying was affecting their children and the concerns how these situations were being handled.

Board of Education, President David Fenlong, was able to shine some light on this issue, as well as the protocol the BOE follows upon hearing these voiced concerns at the BOE meeting held Monday, March 11.

“At the last meeting, we had several people here that brought up some issues on discipline, specifically bullying. As we stated earlier in the comment section, we typically do not answer questions, on occasion we may clarify if something is stated incorrectly. However, for the most part we will wait and collect our thoughts and everyone else's information before we respond.” said BOE President Fenlong

“At the heart of what it takes for our scholars to survive are support, respectful and trusting relationships. When students and staff feel safe, they are more willing to focus on learning from and with others and take academic risks. It is paramount that our parents, staff and students feel safe in this school, everyone is dedicated to safety and we have strict policies and procedures to both prevent and stop harassment or bullying. The District takes allegations seriously and it follows rigorous procedures to document and investigate all allegations. We also make sure we protect all scholars during those times of an investigation.” said President Fenlong, who went on to state what these situations need as an approach.

“We also need a holistic approach with overlapping efforts from the school and at home to achieve the results we desire. This is what this challenge will take, so please talk to everyone, talk to your neighbors, to your friends, parents, teachers, administration, but please use the chain of command. We can help sunset this problem together. Please, don't bash the school or bully in anyway that tarnishes you're own integrity. Our school staff spends a lot of time with children and peers and I have unequivocal support for educators and personnel. They get to see how everyone interacts together, they get to notice patterns and recognize classroom dynamics. They establish collaborative relationships with your teacher in school. That is as important as advocating for your child, as it helps them with educational questions and talks about concerns of social interaction that may actually involve the bully. I have the honor of working with many of our staff, both professionally and as a parent and I recognize those roles as monumental and I thank them endlessly for their services as a professional educator and all that entails. I also hold that role of the parent and guardian to that same degree.” said BOE President Fenlong

When it came to handling the problem, he was firm in his response, “As you can see there are no plans from anyone here to minimize the problem. We are all caring and respectful adults and at our meetings we hold the same respectful line. We want to show respect, while managing our emotions. This diverse group of people are also parents and volunteer because they genuinely care. They deal with a lot and like you have seen before most times cool heads and warm hearts make the best decisions. We also like to listen, as a good prerequisite for this position, a lot of times we listen more than we speak. As listening gives us data and sometimes our own thoughts and opinions are not enough. We listen to both sides and never assume, we don't interrupt and we limit responses and criticism. As criticism and defensiveness increase, listening decreases, so we focus on the job at hand, solutions to problems and we keep the emphasis on every scholar and what everyone needs to succeed.” said Mr. Fenlong, who went on to give the specifics of the Gouverneur Central BOE and the procedures and policies of the District.

It is the policy of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education to hear comments from the public during open session at the regular board meetings. However, these public comment periods are not meant to be a discussion and the role of the board members is to listen only not provide feedback. In some cases this means the board does not correct false statements or respond to allegations against school personnel or the board. When appropriate, the Superintendent or Board President may follow up with individuals to correct false information or hold a discussion at a later time.

Above all, Gouverneur Central School District strives to protect the safety and dignity of all scholars. The District abides by strict policy procedures when it comes to allegations or concerns of bullying, and all instances are thoroughly investigated.

When a school staff member is first notified of a possible bullying situation, the situation is immediately investigated within 24 hours. School staff may take complaints or reports from parents or other relatives, students or bystanders. These reports can be made in person, through a written message, email, or via phone call. Each and every report is documented according to NYS Law in the parent log, discipline referral or the completion of Dignity for all Students Act (DASA) form.

Each building has Board of Education appointed designees called DASA coordinators who are responsible for handling all reports of bullying.

The District uses the following definitions as outline in the Board Policy and the Student Code of Conduct:

1.Harassment: verbal threats, intimidation, or abuse that creates a hostile environment that substantially interferes with a student's educational performance, opportunities, or well-being or reasonably causes(or would be expected to cause)a student to fear for his/her safety.

2.Bullying: unwanted and aggressive behavior stemming from a perceived or real imbalance of power. Repeated over time, and the victim feels helpless to respond.

If a report is investigated through the proper channels and it is determined to NOT be a case of bullying or harassment, the District and school administration will work with those involved to reach a mutually agreeable solution to the problem.

“We will continue to educate parents, staff, administration and the board members to do this all together. Thank you for listening.” BOE President Fenlong said in closing.

Town of Fowler appoints animal control officer

by Rachel Hunter

Daniel Moyer of Moyer's Wildlife Control was appointed as the animal control officer for the Town of Fowler at its March 5 regular board meeting.

The motion was made by Town Councilwoman Karen Simmons, and seconded by Town Councilman Jeff Andrews. Deputy Town Supervisor Rick Newvine, Town Councilwoman Karen Simmons, and Town Councilman Jeff Andrews voted in favor, and the motion passed.

Town Councilman Lynn Bishop and Town Supervisor Michael Cappellino were not in attendance.

The next meeting of the Town of Fowler board is to be held on April 2, 7 p.m., at the Fowler Town Hall.

Town of Fowler board hears animal control report

by Rachel Hunter

The Town of Fowler heard the following report from Animal Control Officer Daniel Moyer at its March 5 meeting:

“We got one dog in the pound that was actually picked up today,” he said. “We already checked him for a microchip, and put pictures on the website. I haven't had any hits on it yet. And issued tickets for dogs running at large.”

Deputy Supervisor Rick Newvine asked, “What kind of dog?”

“It's a small Terrier mix, I'd say,” ACO Moyer said. “Just a small female.”

“And you picked it up on the Northwoods road?” asked Councilwoman Karen Simmons. ACO Moyer replied in the affirmative. “Someone said it had been there for about a day and a half, and figured it was a drop-off. Nobody has called. Nobody has posted on the site that they have claimed it at this point.”

No other comments were made by the town council members.

The next meeting of the Town of Fowler board is to be held on Tuesday, April 2, 7 p.m., Fowler Town Hall.

Town of Gouverneur revises employee manual

by Rachel Hunter

The Town of Gouverneur board unanimously approved revisions to the town's employee manual, and made the changes retroactive to January 1, 2019.

“The biggest part was equalizing sick days, personal days and that type with our regular employees compared to the contracted employees in the highway department,” said Town Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. “We also added a line item in there about the deferred compensation program that we initiated.” Other minute changes were made in wording.

A motion to approve the revision was made by Town Councilman Jay Bowhall, and seconded by Deputy Town Supervisor Eldon Conklin (with the stipulation that it be made retroactive to January 1, 2019). Town Councilman Jay Bowhall, Deputy Town Supervisor Eldon Conklin, Town Councilman Curran Wade, and Town Councilwoman Jaimee McQuade voted in favor, and the motion carried.

The next meeting of the Town of Gouverneur board is to be held on Tuesday, April 9, 6 p.m., at the town offices building.

Gouverneur Police Blotter

The Gouverneur Police Department released the following police blotter from Monday March 4 through March 9, 2019 to the Gouverneur Tribune Press on Sunday, March 10 as follows:

Monday, March 4, 2019

Nicole L. Cash, 30, Gouverneur, NY, arrested at 8:16 a.m. for Inadequate/No Stop Lamps, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 3rd, Harassment 2nd Degree, Resisting Arrest, and Assault 2nd Degree. Defendant was observed to be operation a vehicle on East Main Street with a defective driver’s side brake light. Further investigation revealed that the defendant has a suspended New York State driver’s license. Defendant became disorderly by screaming and yelling profanities, causing a scene for passing traffic. Defendant attempted to bite a Gouverneur Village police officer’s hand while gaining custody of the defendant. Defendant then kicked and scratched a New York State Trooper in the face for which he suffered facial lacerations while removing the defendant from the vehicle. Defendant was arrested, transported to the Gouverneur village police department where she was processed. Defendant was arraigned in the Gouverneur Town Court before Judge Stanley Young and released under the supervision of probation. Defendant is to return to Gouverneur Town Court on a later date.

John R. Lajoy Jr., 33, Gouvernuer, NY, arrested at 11:14 a.m. for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th, Disorderly Conduct, Harassment 2nd and Resisting Arrest. Defendant did, during the early hours of the morning and into the early afternoon, play his music loud enough to warrant two phone calls from the upstairs tenant to the police to report the defendant for his music. Subsequent to police investigation the defendant did slam his apartment door in the police officer’s face causing said door to strike the police officer after the defendant was told he was under arrest. After the defendant was taken into custody, a small container was found in the defendants left front pants pocket with a white powdery substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine. Defendant was arraigned in Gouverneur Town Court in front of Judge Travis Dann and remanded to the St. Lawrence County Jail on $500 bail/ $1,000 bond.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

James R. Petrie Jr., 35, Gouverneur, NY, arrested at 7:56 p.m. for Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd, Uninspected Motor Vehicle, Improper Plates, Operating without Insurance and Displayed Forged Certificate of Inspection. Defendant was driving a vehicle traveling west on South Street with an unregistered motor vehicle. The defendant also had improper New York State plates, no inspection, no registration, a revoked NYS driver’s license for a previous conviction of DWI and was displaying a forged inspection sticker. Defendant was given uniform traffic tickets returnable to Gouverneur Town Court at a later date.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Dustin A. Hitsman, 30, Gouverneur, NY, arrested at 2:14 p.m. for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 3rd. Defendant was observed to be traveling on East Main Street; a driver’s license check revealed that the defendant has a suspended New York State driver’s license. Defendant was issued a uniform traffic ticket returnable to Gouverneur Town Court on a later date.

Aaron M. Bush, 30, Gouverneur, NY, charged at 9:50 p.m. for Uninspected Motor Vehicle on Johnstown Street following a traffic stop. Subject issued a summons returnable to the Gouverneur Town Court.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Derrick S. Marcellus, 48, Gouverneur, NY, arrested at 7:51 p.m. for Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. Defendant was reported waving a handgun inside Serendipity bar. Defendant was found to unlawfully have a Raven model P-25 pistol inside his pants pocket and was found to unlawfully have marijuana on his person. Defendant was placed under arrest and transported to Gouverneur Police Department for processing. Defendant was then arraigned in Gouverneur Town Court in front of Judge Travis Dann and released under supervision of probation. The pistol was flagged as stolen, further investigation to continue.


GCS readies for third and final stages of capital project

by Jessyca Cardinell

The Gouverneur Central School District has been undergoing many extensive upgrades and changes throughout the three phases of the Capital Project.

The first two phases included the transformation of the East Side into the newly renovated Gouverneur Elementary and the West Side into the upgraded Gouverneur Middle School.

The third and final phase of the Capital Project is in the works currently at Dean-Dolan building and the High School, located on Barney Street.

Bids for the project are currently out and will be opened on Friday, March 15 to give a better scope of the project and all that it will involve.

This phase will include the roof, window replacements, upgrades to technology infrastructure and security measures.

What is currently known as the Dean building will go through a demolition process which will provide an area for a handicap accessible entrance. There will be a new elevator available, this will provide access for the Dolan building as well as the high school.

The Village of Gouverneur years ago donated a stained glass window to honor the Dean family, this piece will continue on as it will be incorporated in the new entrance.

The District is working hard to ensure that as little impact is made on the students as possible during this part of the renovation. The Central Office Staff has been divided and relocated in two areas to help alleviate some confusion. The Gouverneur Middle School is now temporarily housing the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Registration and CIO at the CSE offices. Across from the auditorium, the Business Offices have been placed in an empty classroom.

All of these temporary placements are to allow the construction crews to work along and complete their work in a timely manner.

“The goal will be to have central office relocated on the third floor of the Dolan building when all abatement, demolition and reconstruction is finished. In just the short period of time we have been located in the Access Center I already feel disconnected from my student and staff population. A superintendent should be available and accessible for her students and staff. I know March 1st, I had a student find me in the high school and indicate that she had been looking for me and it's just not the same. I couldn't agree more,” said Superintendent Mrs. Lauren French.

Mrs. French also stated, “I have asked everyone else in the District to be inconvenienced and relocate yet keep a happy demeanor, I shouldn't expect anything less from myself or my staff. What we are doing is for the instructional quality and physical safety of everyone, that will always be a priority. Our move is facilitate that process.”

As for the staff of building and grounds, headed by Harold Simmons, Mrs. French has been quite pleased with their efforts and work performance.

“Our staff is exemplary. They helped us on Saturday and the holiday Monday to get everything boxed, moved and reassembled,” she said. “I am so proud of this team and thankful they are part of our school family.”

While these changes can cause some inconveniences, they are assured to be temporary and in the end worth it as Gouverneur Central School District is in the final stages to being a completely renovated, updated and upgraded school system.