Town, village boards hear about Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza success

by Rachel Hunter

The success of the Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 1 was recognized at the Town of Gouverneur Council and the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees meetings this month. Over 1,000 plastic eggs were filled with candy and toys by volunteers, and were hidden at Riverview Recreational Park in Gouverneur for local youths to locate. The event was made possible due to generous support from local businesses and community members and the hard work and dedication of the Gouverneur Recreation Department, the Riverview Park association, and in partnership with the Gouverneur Community Center.

“It was a huge success,” Gouverneur Recreation Department Director Casey Canell said.

Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. commented, “The Easter Egg Hunt was great. We had almost 200 kids register, but the way the tickets were given out, we could only give one ticket per family. We had 16 gift baskets to give away. I’m going to say we had 500-600 people there easy. We put out 1000 Easter eggs, and they were gone in 10 minutes. It was a nice day. It really worked. The sun shined. It was a little cold, a little windy, but what a great event. It was wonderful to see everybody.”

Town of Gouverneur Highway Superintendent David Perrigo said, “My kids loved it.”

Supervisor Spilman then extended gratitude to Riverview Park association Treasurer Jennifer Link who organized the event alongside Gouverneur Recreation Director Casey Canell. Supervisor Spilman also served hot cocoa and popcorn to the youths in attendance alongside other duties in the Gouverneur Community Center to make the event a success.

“It all worked out well,” Supervisor Spilman said. “It’s going to be bigger and better next year… that’s what I heard from both Jen and Casey. We’ll see what bigger and better brings…” There is much anticipation to see this community event return in 2024.

Gouverneur Recreation Director Casey Canell also submitted the following report detailing the activities of the department in March 2023:

The Before-School Morning Program is held weekdays at the Gouverneur Elementary School, and is hosted in partnership with the Gouverneur Central School District. The enrichment program features early morning wake-up activities, interactive social play, arts and crafts, and breakfast. The highlights this month included kids kindness recognitions and innovative activity stations.

The After-School Program – Recreation Center STEAM Studio – which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, arts, and Math for students in grades 2-4 (Monday and Wednesday), and UPK-1 (Tuesday and Thursday). Bus transportation from the school is provided by the Gouverneur Central School District. Program highlights include recreational opportunities exploring STEAM field, theme days and guests with fine arts appreciation, gaming stations with tournaments, and interactive social play. The highlights this month included the St. Patrick’s Bash and Spring Theme Celebration.

Toddler Town continues on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The recreational preschool playgroup program features interactive socialization, music and art with a story and snack, and active play. This month’s highlights included Leprechaun Fun Day with Parent & Me Social.

The Senior Citizen Program featuring a bingo and coffee social is held on Friday mornings, featuring food bingo games with socialization. All area seniors are welcome to join. The highlights in March featured the Luck of the Irish Bingo Blast.

In other related business, Director Canell reported that the Gouverneur Recreation Department had submitted the Recreation Department’s annual report and grant funding application to the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau.

Director Canell also reported that the Missoula Children’s Theatre Performing arts Week would be held July 24 through July 29 in the GHS auditorium. This year’s production will be Cinderella. Registration will begin on May 1. All those interested are encouraged to call the Gouverneur Recreation Department at 315-287-0524.

Volunteers asked to lend elbow grease to cemetery clean-up efforts

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Cemetery Association’s Cemetery Clean-Up will be held on Saturday, May 6, starting at 8 a.m. at the Riverside (William St.) and East Riverside (Outer Grove St.) cemeteries in Gouverneur.

All volunteer assistance from around the North Country community is gratefully accepted. Volunteers are asked to bring supplies such as gloves, rakes, chainsaws, and more to assist with the clean-up efforts after the long winter and in advance of the Memorial Day holiday. The annual cemetery clean-up is an ideal opportunity for local students and other community groups to get in their community service hours. In past years, the event has drawn 4-H members, FFA members, scouting troops, sporting teams, National Honor Society, and other groups. All support is welcomed.

Organizers told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that hot dogs and refreshments will be served to the volunteers during the annual cemetery clean-up.

The Town of Gouverneur Highway Department and Village of Gouverneur Department of Public Works loaders will also be on site to help with the clean-up efforts.

To learn how you can help with the Gouverneur Cemetery Association’s Annual Clean-Up or for more information, call Donna Besaw at 315-287-2991.

Gouverneur Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Application Deadline Is April 30

The Gouverneur Hospital Auxiliary is pleased to announce that scholarship applications are now available.

The Auxiliary recognizes and honors the service and dedication of four deceased members: Peg Hanlon, Betsy Deuval, Della Evans and Janet Storch. Scholarships in their honor are awarded annually to students pursuing a career in a medical or health related field. These scholarships memorialize the efforts of these community women who worked tirelessly to provide care and comfort to those in need. The scholarships are funded by the Auxiliary on an annual basis and the awards are discretionary, depending upon the qualifications of the candidates and the availability of funds.

To be eligible for this scholarship, an individual must be a high school graduate who has successfully completed at least one semester of college and reside in the Gouverneur Hospital service area. This area includes the Towns of Fowler, Antwerp, Edwards, DeKalb, DePeyster, Harrisville, Hermon, Macomb, Richville and Rossie. Consideration may also be given to current Gouverneur Hospital employees who live outside of the service area. Applicants must apply for the scholarship on an annual basis.

A committee of Auxiliary members will select the award recipients. Criteria for selection includes career interest, financial need and academic achievement.

Applications are available from Valerie Graves at Gouverneur High School Guidance Office [phone: (315) 287-4914]; Lori-Anne McCormick at Gouverneur Hospital [phone: (315) 261-5750]; or Janet Melillo, Auxiliary member [phone: (315) 222-8738].

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY APRIL 30, 2023.

Swatting hoaxes hit local schools

by Rachel Hunter

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe reported on Thursday, March 30 that swatting hoaxes had hit area schools – including Gouverneur Central School District. The threats of violence were unfounded.

Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly reported that the threat was only made toward a “high school.” So the Gouverneur High School was placed in a hold-in-place. The other buildings had a police presence, but were not placed in a hold-in-place. “Thanks to quick action by our administrative team, our SRO, and our local law enforcement officials, who were immediately on the scene, the building was secured so faculty, staff, and students were safe,” she said. “The threat was deemed non-credible and the building was cleared by law enforcement.” The students were later returned back to normal activities and the Gouverneur Central School District continued to have a police presence in and around the school buildings throughout the day.

Supt. Kelly sent a letter to district families on March 30, which said the following: “Dear Gouverneur Families, this morning, March 30, several area school districts, including Gouverneur, Potsdam and Canton, have received unfounded threats of violence.

“According to law enforcement, these identical messages did not target any specific building or person(s). This act is a crime, known as swatting, and is a harassment technique that involves calling in an emergency police response against an innocent target. There have been several more of these "swatting” calls made throughout the region. At this time, the Gouverneur Central School District has been cleared by law enforcement and the threat was deemed non-credible. Students and staff are safe and back to normal activities.

“As always, the safety of our staff and students is our highest priority. As a precaution, families throughout the region may notice an increased police presence at schools following these unfounded threats. We strive to work collaboratively with our communities to keep everyone safe. I would like to remind our students, staff and families that if you see anything out of the ordinary in or around our school buildings please inform us. This is an important way that can help keep our communities safe. Thank you.”

Supt. Kelly also addressed the topic at the GCSD Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, April 3, which was held in the Gouverneur Middle School cafeteria.

“I’d like to take a moment tonight to thank our local law enforcement agencies for their response to the swatting call that was received last week,” she said. “As you likely know, on Thursday, March 30, several area school districts, including Gouverneur, received unfounded threats of violence. This was an example of swatting.

Swatting is a criminal harassment tactic used to deceive an emergency service, such as a 911 dispatcher, into sending a police or emergency service response team to another person’s address. In this case, the police were sent to the Gouverneur High School. Both the Gouverneur Police Department and the New York State Troopers were on the scene immediately. I’d like to thank them for their quick response and continued support. I’m thankful to have such great support and know that the safety of our students and staff is not only our top priority, but it is also the top priority of local law enforcement agencies. Thank you for all that you do to keep our students and staff safe.”

Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education President David Fenlong said, “Thank you very much. I couldn’t have said it any better myself. Nice job, appreciate you recognizing them. It’s a great opportunity here at the board meeting to recognize those people for all that they do for us.”

The very next morning, Tuesday, April 4, the Gouverneur Central School District went on a two-hour delay in response to an email bomb threat, a hoax that was directed at several area schools in addition to schools across New York State. The Gouverneur Central School District was later cleared by law enforcement. The New York State Troopers, along with a K-9, and the Gouverneur Police went through each district building. The buildings were all cleared and the threat was deemed non-credible, and students and staff were safe to come to school on the two-hour delay schedule.

The following message by Supt. Kelly was distributed to District families: “In response to the email threat that we received this morning, April 4th, the District worked with the New York State Troopers and the Gouverneur Police Department to complete a thorough sweep of our buildings, including the use of trained police dogs, to ensure that they are safe for our staff and students. At this time, police have deemed the threat is not credible and we have been cleared to resume all normal operations. Incidents of this nature are unsettling for staff, students, families, and the community at large. While these hoax messages are often not credible, I would like to assure you that the health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. As a result, you may notice an increased police presence at our schools. As a district, we strive to work collaboratively with our communities to keep everyone safe. I would like to remind our students, staff, and families to inform us if you see anything out of the ordinary in or around our school buildings. I would also like to express sincere appreciation to the New York State Troopers and the Gouverneur Police Department for their prompt response and commitment to helping us keep our school community safe. Please contact my office if you have any questions or concerns.”

As a precaution, families throughout the region noticed an increased police presence at schools following these unfounded threats. The unfounded threats of violence caused school delays or closures at area schools. Also affected were BOCES, Hermon-DeKalb, St. Lawrence County Head Start Program, Edwards-Knox, and Morristown. There were reports of similar threats at schools across New York State on Tuesday morning, and is considered to be another example of swatting.

NY-21 Congresswoman Elise Stefanik released the following statement following “swatting” calls reporting fake active shooter and bomb threat claims to schools in Upstate New York and the North Country. “The soulless criminals who committed these shameful and cowardly illegal acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I thank our local and state law enforcement who are working to investigate these threats, so perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.”

The next meeting of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.gcsk12.org.

Town of Fowler eyes hiring court security officer

by Rachel Hunter

The Fowler Town Council is discussing the hiring of a court security officer.

Town of Fowler Supervisor Rick Newvine at the March 13 meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council said that Town of Fowler Justice Timothy Knowlton has requested a court security officer. Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that a similar discussion was held recently in Gouverneur, and led to the hiring of a court security guard or the Town of Gouverneur Justice Court.

Supervisor Newvine told the town council that he had already started to research the matter. “I called our insurance company,” he said. “There’s no extra premium or anything but they were concerned about his training and stuff like that. Once they know we want to hire a retired state trooper, I think they’ll be fine.” Supervisor Newvine then gave the floor to the Hon. Tim Knowlton, who told the town council he had not approached anyone until he had the “graces of the board to do it.”

“The person that Gouverneur has, because that person is a retired state trooper, he is sort of grandfathered in, and doesn’t need the official training. He falls within the guidelines of a New York State security guard. So, that is basically all taken care of. I did have a very long conversation with Judge Youngs from Gouverneur. Judge Dann was one of the forces that was behind that. Basically, just because of the way things are in the world nowadays, we aren’t left alone here in Northern New York. There’s just some craziness in the world. I know Judge Young said that after only two months of having him there, they are very thankful. It sets a tone having him there.

“Rick had asked me to list just some of the jobs that they do, and I came up with 10 of them – not really an official list, but it is what I got from Judge Youngs and doing a little bit of research by myself. One of the biggest ones though is that they check people in and out. They make sure that everyone is signed in, and they basically keep any law and order that needs to go on in the building. That person would also stand in between the defendant, the attorney and the bench. Any paper that gets handed to a defendant, and there is a paper chase, with them between them, that really eliminates any chance for them approaching the bench and anything negative happening. If you have ever been to the courts in Canton, if you’ve been on jury duty or anything, it’s the same way there. No one gets close to a judge up there. Again, with all the craziness that is going on in the world…

“One of the other things is that, whenever we have mediation, that means Attorney Stefan Dufresne, if there is an eviction or any civil matter, before they come in front of me, they actually go into the historian’s office as that is our mediation room, and they haggle it out. Ninety-nine percent of the time it is handled in there and they come to a conclusion and either something is dropped or typically it is, “Okay, I’ll agree to pay.” We have had situations where Stefan Dufresne who is a big man had to get a little snotty with people because they thought it was ridiculous. They thought it was a waste of time. So this security officer would be in there monitoring that too. You have people haggling over hundreds or thousands of dollars, so tempers could tend to flare. Again, we don’t have a metal detector. I can only imagine what a metal detector would cost, plus we would have to have someone to run that. I am not going to be able to on a bench, running the court, and running a metal detector as people are coming in and out for two hours at a time. Obviously, (Court Clerk Irma Ashley) is back and forth in the office, in and out, in and out. I don’t think it is a job for her either. So that is another thing that their presence does during court times…”

Supervisor Newvine then asked the Hon. Tim Knowlton the list of 10 job duties a Town of Fowler Court Security Officer might have.

“The 10 jobs are to inspect and patrol the premise before and during court. Most people are here by noon and our civil cases start at 1:30 p.m., so it could go into 2 p.m., but they would do that, monitor the property, the entrance, and along with that, I know one of the things that I had done there was to monitor the surveillance cameras. I’ll give you a quick update on that. (Office of Court Administration) still has not gotten back to us on the JCAP grant that we spent a ton of time on. We got bids. It was supposed to be in by the end of December… through the grapevine I am hearing that we should hear by the end of March, so maybe by April, May or June is really what I am looking at, which is really sad because of our security system upstairs.

“The other day I said to Irma, “Wow, look at that monitor.” And it was completely black. You couldn’t even see anybody. You could hear people walking up the stairs, and you had to get up real close to look at them. It is just an antiquated system. So they would monitor those also. Again, the big one, they would authorize the people into it. They would report suspicious behaviors and happenings. Obviously, being a retired police officer, if that is who is to be hired, they are very good at that. Those are things that they are trained to see. They would secure exits, doors and windows. Again, monitor those surveillance cameras. The monitors that we have asked the state to purchase for us are nice, large monitors. There will be one in Irma’s office where my desk is, and one out in the courtroom that they would be able to watch. Like the other night, I was in here at 1 a.m., and I waited and waited and waited. I thought I heard a car. Again, with the monitor, I didn’t know what was going on. And then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and I looked and it was the troopers with the defendant. That is really the only way I knew that they were even here.

“Another big one, they would deliver documents from the bench to the defendants and attorneys. They would be in charge of courtroom behavior. Again, the one trial that we did have here, which was Mayor Skelly from Ogdensburg. I had to request from Sheriff Bigwarfe for him to send over a deputy that day. We all know that the County is short of people, short of COs, but he was very gracious and said, “Yeah, I am going to send one over for that, because that could have been a debacle. But I think with that Sheriff’s Deputy up there, and I made it very clear when we started the trial, that we were not going to tolerate any childish behavior or anything… things went really well that day. I think that is a great example of what they will provide.

“Again, they would be present during courtroom mediations and they would monitor all situations and know when to contact police services. We had a gentleman that was to appear in my court. I got an email the morning of court that there was a felony warrant put out for this gentleman by Judge Storie, and if he showed up, would they please call the police. Well, this was a pretty dangerous guy an lo and behold, he showed up – and Irma and I are looking at the TV monitors because I said, “Hey Irma, I think that’s our man.” And she said, “I don’t think it is.” I said, “I think it is.” And she said, “No, it is not.” So when he showed up, I said, “Excuse me sir, what’s your name, could you please sign in? He told me his name and I had to give like baseball signals so Irma would call the police. She called the troopers and they were able to come right up. If that guy had said, “Why do you need to know?” It could have turned bad. He could have bolted or whatever, and the crime that he committed… I am not going to quote Sheriff Bigwarfe… it was not pretty heinous, it was heinous. And so the troopers showed up, and once I was done with him, he turned around and it was almost comical because he said, “Why are you guys here?” And they just said, “Put your hands up.” And they put the cuffs right on him. It was beautiful. He got carted right out of here.”

Supervisor Newvine then asked, “How many hours are you going to need them?” The Hon. Tim Knowlton said, “Well, I believe that the person that Gouverneur is hired is at a minimum of 16 hours per month. I think he gets paid $30 per hour… If it were four hours, you’re only looking at $120 per month.” Knowlton said that the person the Town of Fowler is seeking to hire has his own firearm, taser, bulletproof vest, etc. “I don’t know if he would need something that says Town of Fowler Court Security Officer, but I would think that would be very minimal,” he said.

Supervisor Newvine then asked if Hon. Knowlton had made any progress on getting a court security assessment at the Town of Fowler Hall. “I contacted the Office of Court Administration, and I said, “I would like a security assessment done.” But I don’t think anyone has ever been up here. They don’t know where we are up here. And then all of a sudden I get a text last Friday that said, “If you want that assessment done, I have to contact the Fourth Judicial District judge in Albany and I have to request it in writing on our letterhead from the Courts.” I said, “We would like that assessment done.”

Supervisor Newvine said, “That’s good. I think that is the next step, don’t you?” “Yeah,” Knowlton said in response.

Supervisor Newvine then asked, “Does anyone have any questions?”

Town of Fowler Deputy Supervisor Karen Simmons asked, “Are you thinking about hiring the same person that they are hiring in Gouverneur?” The Hon. Knowlton said, “I know the person. They love him. He is a tremendous presence… I didn’t really want to throw anything at him. But I will touch base. If I have the good graces of the council, I will certainly go to him and say, “Is this something you are interested in?” If not, maybe he knows of somebody… again, it is not like it is a full-time job. There are probably a lot of those guys that are out there and looking to pick up a little something on the side maybe.”

Supervisor Newvine said, “I think you should. I think everybody is in favor of this. If you want to contact him and see if he is interested, then we’ll know where we should go with it.”

“I will,” Knowlton said.

The Hon. Tim Knowlton then gave the Town of Fowler Council his monthly report for February 2023. “December was slow. January was really slow, and February was super slow,” he said. “There was a total of 15 tickets. But again, we started off March with a bang the other night…” There was some discussion before the Hon. Knowlton concluded his report with the following statement: “The police did make a really nice arrest the other night. The only thing I can say about it is it is really scary with the bail reform... what the person was accused of, he walked out of here, and it was mind-boggling to me. Your hands are tied, and your just like it is a non-qualifying offense. There is absolutely nothing that you can do. Something similar, there was a guy last summer I believe in Massena that had 600 bags of heroin and fentanyl. The guy got arrested, caught with it all, and was released on his own recognizance. That’s basically all you can do… So if anyone is talking with you about bail reform, it is really sad. You have to almost commit murder or bioterrorism or some pretty heinous crimes to be put in jail or be a convicted felon and commit another felony, then it is automatic.”

Town of Fowler Councilman Lynn Bishop said, “If we weren’t at a board meeting, I’d tell you what I think of it.”

There was no further discussion.

The next meeting of the Town of Fowler Council will be held on April 10, 6 p.m., at the Fowler Town Hall, 87 Little York Road, Fowler. For more information, call 315-287-0045 or visit FowlerNY.com.

Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza to be held at Riverview Park on April 1

by Rachel Hunter

The Riverview Park Association and the Gouverneur Recreation Department will present the 2023 Riverview Park Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 1, starting at 11 a.m., at Riverview Park, NY-58, in Gouverneur. This free event is open to all youths (10 and under) in the community to hunt for the over 1,000 candy-filled plastic Easter Eggs on the fields at Riverview Park, take pictures with the Easter Bunny, enter free Easter Basket drawings, etc. All North Country families are encouraged to attend this community event.

This will be the first community-wide Easter Egg Hunt at the Riverview Park in over a decade. It was Riverview Park Association Treasurer Jennifer Link who had the idea to bring back the ever-popular Easter Egg Hunt to Riverview Park in 2023. She hopes this will be the first of many other community events that will be held at the park in the future. The Riverview Park Association and the Gouverneur Recreation Department are proud to work in collaboration, and with the support of the Gouverneur community, to make the 2023 Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza a success. It is hoped that this event will draw North Country families, perhaps for the first-time ever, to enjoy the Riverview Park in early spring, before athletic contests get underway.

Organizers plan to group the youths in the attendance into three age groups (2-4, 5-7, 8-10) and the hunt will be held simultaneously with all youths going after the more than 1,000 candy-filled plastic eggs that will be hidden by volunteers on the grounds and around the playground/concession area at Riverview Park.

The event is made possible due to the outpouring of community support from Gouverneur and the surrounding community. There have been anonymous monetary donations, candy donations, plastic Easter Egg donations, basket donations, and so much more. All donations are welcome, and will be accepted at the Gouverneur Recreation Center, Trinity Ave., Gouverneur, or at the Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 NY-58, Gouverneur, during regular open hours leading up to the grand community event on Saturday, April 1. Monetary donations earmarked for the Easter Egg Hunt can be made through Riverview Park Association, P.O. Box 3, Gouverneur, NY 13642.

The Gouverneur Recreation Department staff and Riverview Park Association volunteers have already stepped up to help to make the 2023 Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza an event not to be missed. Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. has agreed to ask the Gouverneur High School National Honor Society and other youth groups with their advisors looking for community service opportunities to lend a helping hand. Organizers are looking forward to spending hours in the upcoming days packing candy in the more than 1,000 plastic Easter eggs in preparation for the event.

The Easter Bunny will be at the Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center, 4673, NY-58, Gouverneur (adjacent to Riverview Park) for families to take holiday photos. The free Easter Basket drawing will also be held at the Community Center, and all North Country families are urged to participate. There will be refreshments available.

Mrs. Link told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that this will not be a one-time event. There are plans for the Riverview Park Association to continue collaborating with the Gouverneur Recreation Department to make the event bigger and better every year. “There’s a lot of potential in it,” Gouverneur Recreation Director Casey Canell said. Mrs. Link agreed saying that the event will start small in 2023, with plenty of growth potential in upcoming years. “We want this to be a hit,” she said.

“We’re really looking forward to it, and looking forward to the partnership,” Director Canell said. “What a great opportunity for the community. This is going to be really neat!” Mrs. Link added, “We’re looking for a successful event so that we can continue to do it…”

In case of inclement weather or ground conditions at Riverview Recreational Park, the 2023 Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza will be rescheduled for the end of April. The decision to reschedule will be made at least a day in advance of the event, and organizers will start spreading the word at that time. For more information about the 2023 Riverview Park Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza, call 757-323-9974 or 315-287-0524.

Gouverneur High School to present Into The Woods Jr. on March 24-25

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur High School will present “Into The Woods Jr.” on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25, 7 p.m. curtain both nights, in the GHS Auditorium. Into The Woods Jr. was originally directed on Broadway by the original author James Lapine, and includes music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Into the Woods Jr. is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized materials are supplied by Music Theatre International, New York.

“Be careful what you wish for” seems to be the ongoing theme in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Brothers Grimm-inspired musical, Into the Woods. The story follows The Baker (Maxwel Lucas) and his wife (Allison Carvel) who wish to have a child, Cinderella (Niciara House-Bowman)who wishes to go to the King’s Festival, and Jack (Hazen Given)who wishes his cow (Alexis Dake) would give some milk. When the Baker and his wife are visited by the Witch (Faith Leader) from next door, who reveals to them that she placed a curse on their family, the two set off on a journey “into the woods'' to reverse the curse. There, we meet Little Red Riding Hood (Jahonna Sloan), on her way to visit her grandmother (Akaysha Shippee-Ray), the Wolf (Sylvia French) who loves tasty little girls, the Witch’s daughter Rapunzel (Jaylynn Dalton), and two lovelorn Princes (Jack Schroeder, Tiamane Hull ). By the end, everyone has gotten their wish and will seemingly live happily ever after.

Other cast members include: Alexandra McDougall (Cinderella’s Stepmom), Brook Garrett (Jack’s Mom), Charlie Newvine (Lucinda (step sister), Zaphire Hall (Florinda (step sister), Derek Hall (Cinderella’s father), Mariah Manning (Narrator), Mysterious Man (Tigran Sahakyan), and Steward (Abigail Lucas).

The Gouverneur community is invited to the GHS Auditorium on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 for the spring musical, “Into the Woods Jr.” Curtain time, 7 p.m. both nights. Tickets will be available at the door. The cost is $6 for students and senior citizens, and $8 for adults. For more information about the Gouverneur Central School District, visit gcsk12.org.


GCS School Staff Recognition Award Presented to GHS Teaching Assistant Laurie Shrewsberry

Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education Vice President Todd Bates (left) and Board Member Naaman Lowry (right) present the GCS School Staff Recognition Award to GHS Teaching Assistant Laurie Shrewsberry during the March 6 school board meeting in the GHS cafeteria. (Rachel Hunter photo)

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education at its Monday, March 6 meeting presented a Gouverneur Central School Staff Recognition Award (2022-23 School Year) to Gouverneur High School Teaching Assistant Laurie Shrewsberry.

“One of our favorite things to do is to recognize a staff member for going above and beyond for our kids, District and each other,” Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education President David Fenlong said. “Today, we have another great example to share. The District Shared Decision-Making Committee receives nominations on wonderful people and employees, and have the difficult decision of narrowing it down to just one.”

President Fenlong then read the award as follows: “Whereas, the efforts of the Gouverneur Central School District support staff are essential to the successful operation of the District’s schools and programs, and

“Whereas, the District Shared Decision-Making Committee, in consideration of her nomination, recognizes Mrs. Laurie Shrewsberry as a worthy recipient of the Gouverneur Central School Staff Recognition Award for the 2022-23 school year, and

“Whereas, The District Shared Decision-Making Committee determined Mrs. Shrewsberry’s worthiness of this recognition because, “Mrs. Shrewsberry always steps in to help when there are absences or shortages of substitutes within the classroom. When the main teacher is absent from the classroom, she steps in to run lessons and support the supporting staff in the classroom. Laurie is able to work effectively with any student in the classroom with patience and kindness. She also provides support for the students when they are conducting different life skills such as cooking, budgeting, and social interactions. She is an overall kind person who would do anything for anyone. Laurie not only interacts with her students, but other students as well. She supports aides with recommendations of what to do better to engage the students more in the lessons and skills to provide them with a better life outside of school.”

“Therefore, the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education recognized Mrs. Laurie Shrewsberry as a recipient of the Gouverneur Central School Staff Recognition award for the 2022-23 school year. The Board of Education congratulates Mrs. Shrewsberry on her nomination and award, and extends its appreciation for her dedication and service to the students and families of the Gouverneur Central School District.

“Approved, this 13th day of February, 2023, by the Board of Education of the Gouverneur Central School District.” It was signed by David Fenlong, President of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education. The award was presented to Mrs. Shrewsberry by Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education Vice President Todd Bates and Board Member Naaman Lowry. Great applause sounded throughout the GHS cafeteria as the award was presented to Mrs. Shrewsberry.

In other school news:

Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly gave the following recognition at the March 6 meeting: “I’d like to take a moment tonight to recognize our Winter student-athletes who competed in New York State athletic competitions this year. Last weekend, Gouverneur was well represented at the State Wrestling Competition in Albany. Representing the Wildcats were Cyler Baer, Drew Gates, Zoe Griffith, Hunter Mashaw, JD Minckler, Paul Minckler, Turner Sochia, and Vandavian Way. Vandavian took fourth place for the second year in a row, becoming Gouverneur’s 58th New York State Place Finisher. The Gouverneur Wildcats were also well represented at the State competition for Track and Field on Staten Island. Competing were Abigail Bowman, Audrey Gaines, Meadow Greenhill, Jacey Sheen, Owen Siebels, and Emily Smith. The 4x200 relay team of Abigail Bowman, Jacey Sheen, Meadow Greenhill, and Emily Smith set a new school record. Riley Shepherd represented the Gouverneur Wildcats at the State swimming competition in Ithaca. Riley swam the butterfly and achieved a new personal best. Our Boys Varsity Basketball Team had a very successful season, and it was topped off by our very own Raine Rumble being named Section 10 Central MVP. Jared Donaldson and Ethan Fitzgerald were named to the second team, and John Finne IV earned the Sportsmanship Award. And then, of course, our Girls Varsity Basketball Team won the Overall Section 10 title for the first time since 1989… Chloe Smith was named Section 10 Central Co-MVP. Meredith Bush and Elizabeth Riutta were named to the first team, while Lia Canell received second team honors and Addison Conklin received the Sportsmanship Award. Congratulations to all of our student athletes and their coaches.” Great applause sounded in recognition of the student-athletes hard work and dedication to excellence.

Board Member Laurie Roberts extended gratitude to the Wildcat fans for their faithful dedication to supporting the student-athletes during the regular and post-season play.

Board Member Brooke Bush also extended a special word of appreciation to GHS Yearbook Editor Cory Young for his dedication in photographing the student-athletes each season. “He’s taking great pictures,” Mrs. Bush said. “He’s everywhere,” Supt. Kelly said.

At the Feb. 23 school board meeting, Supt. Kelly congratulated the students who recently competed in the Adirondack Science Olympiad competition at SUNY Plattsburgh, including Ava Bartholomew, Carly Bartholomew, Ivey Bulger, Madison Hopper, Noel LaPierre, Mariah Manning, Elizabeth Riutta, Jack Schroeder, Danielle Shattuck, Riley Shepherd, Caitlyn Storie, Dillon Storie, Kaden Wells, and Nathan Worden, and advisors Lisa Dunkelberg, Sam Sochia, and Sarah Wood. The students came away with multiple medals in events such as Engineering, Technology, and construction. She also recognized student athletes including Zoe Griffith, who took 2nd place at the first State Competition for Girls’ Wrestling; the Girls’ Basketball team for their record of 19 and 1 going into playoffs; and the Boys’ Swim team, who won the Section 10 title for the first time in over 20 years. The team members include Carter Lumley, Chase Tuttle, Gavin Warren, Gavin Davis, Tigran Sahakyan, and Riley Shepherd, who qualified for states in the 100M butterfly.

At the March 6 school board meeting, Student Board Representative Mariah Manning reported that the GHS Spring Musical, Into The Woods, Jr., would be coming to the GHS Auditorium Stage on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25, 7 p.m. curtain. In addition, she said that there was a American Red Cross Blood Drive, sponsored by the National Honor Society, which had a good turnout. Much gratitude was extended to Miss Manning for her report.

The Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education approved the following appointments as a consent agenda: Under Instructional, Agriculture Teacher Kylie A. Spinner was appointed to a four-year probationary period, commending on February 2, 2023. The school board appointed Special Education Teacher (Secondary) Jill M. Davis to a 3-year probation commencing on May 1, 2023. The school board appointed Special Education Teacher (Elementary) Keegan Little to a 3-year probation commencing May 1, 2023.

Extra Curricular: The school board made the following appointments to the Marching Band for Summer 2023: Director Jenelle Yeoman, Assistant 1 Hailey Cook, Assistant 2 Madison Kurdziel, Color Guard Ryan Burt, and Volunteer Lynn Kurdziel. The school board also appointed the following 2022-23 Spring Coaches: JV Girls Softball Saddie Whitaker, Assistant Softball Volunteer Edward Smith, JV Boys Baseball Christine Cognetti, Assistant Baseball Volunteer Matthew Ashley, Assistant Boys Track Robert Webster, and Golf Volunteer Nicholas Sterling. The school board rescinded the appointment Shawn Typhair (JV Girls Softball) and Saddie Whitaker (Modified Girls Softball).

The school board also acknowledged the leave of absence covered under FMLA provisions for a probationary employee.

Under New Business: The school board approved the appointment of Pat Williams, who is permanently certified in N-6, as a long-term substitute from April 24-June 23, 2023.

The school board created six 2.75-hour Food Service Helper positions, in the Labor class of the civil service, represented by the GSRPU, effective March 7, 2023.

The school board approved the request from the Gouverneur High School Chapter of FFA to attend and participate in the following: Northeast All-Breeds Spring Cow Show (April 17-22, 2023), FFA State Convention in Buffalo (May 17-20, 2023), and Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. (June 6-11, 2023).

The school board approved the Memorandum of Agreement for Election Services between the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections and the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education, applicable to the GCSD Election being held on May 16, 2023, and any subsequent revote(s) related thereto, as presented.

The school board approve to compensate election inspectors at the rate of $175 per day on School District voting days during the 2022-23 school year.

The school board appointed inspector and officers for the annual vote. The following resolution was approved: “Whereas, the Board of Education of the Gouverneur Central School District, St. Lawrence County, New York, has called an Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote of the qualified voters of said School District to be held on the 16th day of May 2023, and

“Whereas, it is now desired to provide for the appointment of inspectors and officers for said Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote, Now Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Board of Education approve the appointments as follows: Laurie Roberts, a duly qualified voter of said School District, is hereby appointed as the Chairman of the Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote on May 16, 2023, and the Budget Hearing on May 8, 2023. The following named qualified voters of said School District are hereby appointed to act as Inspectors off Election of the Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote, so that there shall be at least two inspectors for each voting machine to be used thereat: Diane Kelley, Chief Election Inspector, Judith Poticher, Election Inspector, and Susan McHeffey as Alternate. Lisa Sheen is designated as Acting Clerk in the absence or inability to act of the District Clerk, for purposes of said Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote. Kim Shampine is designated as Assistant Clerk of said Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote. Be it further resolved, the Board authorizes the Clerk to make any changes to the appointments as deemed necessary, per the county list of approved inspectors, or appoint at least two inspectors for each voting machine from the list of certified inspectors.”

The school board approved a merger with Harrisville Central School District to allow their students to participate on the Gouverneur Boys and Girls Track teams during the 2022-23 school year.

The school board also accepted the donation of 500 Quidel at-home COVID test boxes (two tests per box) from the Community Health Center of the North Country, for distribution as needed. Much gratitude was extended to the Community Health Center of the North Country for the gift.

The next meeting of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education will be held on Monday, March 20, 5:30 p.m., in the GHS Cafeteria. For more information about the Gouverneur Central School District, visit gcsk12.org.



Gouverneur Town Council Member Jaimee McQuade resigns

by Rachel Hunter

The Town of Gouverneur Council at its March 14 meeting accepted with regret the resignation of Town of Gouverneur Council Member Jaimee McQuade.

Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. read the letter he received earlier that day. “To the Town Board and Supervisor Spilman, please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position on the Gouverneur Town Board. Thank you for the opportunity to serve my community over the years. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will be stepping down from this position, effective immediately. Sincerely, Jaimee McQuade.”

Supervisor Spilman then said the following: “I texted back and forth with Jaimee today, and she just had to make this decision for her family. I respect it. She’s been a good board member… family first.”

Supervisor Spilman then asked for a motion to accept Jaimee McQuade’s resignation with regret. The motion was made by Town of Gouverneur Councilman Curran Wade, and seconded by Town of Gouverneur Deputy Supervisor Jay Bowhall and Town of Gouverneur Councilwoman Lory Whitton. The motion carried with all votes cast in favor.

There was no further discussion.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 6 p.m., at the Town of Gouverneur Offices Building, 1227 US Highway 11, Gouverneur. For more information, call 315-287-2340.

Lake Placid man charged in Rossie man’s murder, prime suspect in homicide of Gouverneur man

by Rachel Hunter

A Lake Placid man has been charged with the murder of a Town of Rossie man and is also the prime suspect in the homicide of Ronald “Huck” Durham of Gouverneur.

A news conference was called by St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe on Tuesday, March 7 in regards to the two homicides. He was joined by SLC Undersheriff Sean O’Brien, SLC District Attorney Gary M. Pasqua, and law enforcement officers.

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe took to the podium and said the following: “Today, at approximately 3 p.m., the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Police have charged Adam W. Smith, age 46, of Lake Placid with Murder in the Second Degree, an A-1 Felony. After investigating an incident that occurred on March 1 of this year at 258 County Route 10 in the Town of Rossie, Smith was arraigned by Rossie Justice Phillip J. Gentile, and remanded to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility without bail. We will provide as much information as we can, however, this is still an active investigation, and to not hinder that investigation, we will not get into certain specifics of that case.

“To recap, deputies were initially called to the residence on March 2 at approximately 2:18 p.m. for a body that was located inside that residence. Upon their arrival, deputies found William Freeman, age 67, of Rossie deceased inside the residence with stab wounds to his body. Deputies also discovered that Mr. Freeman’s vehicle had been stolen. On that same day at approximately 5 p.m., Adam Smith was apprehended by law enforcement and Freeman’s 2018 Chevrolet Silverado in Jefferson County on the intersection of 81 Northbound, near the Bradley Street ramp. Smith was subsequently brought back to the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the Fourth Degree, and was arraigned in front of Canton Town Justice Michael Morgan, and remanded to the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office on $10,000 cash bail.

“An autopsy was performed on the victim the next day by Forensic Pathology Specialist Dr. Michael Sikirica where the preliminary report ruled Mr. Freeman’s death as a homicide from injuries sustained in that knife assault.

“Several leads and interviews have been conducted along with numerous search warrants that have been executed to include residents’ vehicles and personal property. We’ve also been assisted by the New York State Forensic Investigative Unit (FIU) that has collected and processed an abundance of forensic evidence. With the ongoing investigation, the Sheriff’s Office is and has been assisted by the New York State Police, the Office of Homeland Security, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Watertown Police Department, North Country Crime Analysis Center, and the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office. I want to personally thank these agencies for their assistance in this case. It was their outstanding dedication and persistence in numerous hours of investigation has led us to this arrest today. I recognize the frustration with the lack of information that has been released, however, providing any details on this criminal investigation might have tainted the upcoming prosecution or alerted the suspect of our progress.”

Sheriff Bigwarfe reported that the multi-agency investigation has followed the pursuit of justice for the victim and their family. “I want to send my condolences and prayers to family and friends of William Freeman,” he said. “We can only hope that this arrest today can bring some comfort to the family.”

St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary M. Pasqua then took to the podium and said the following: “As you know, the last few days, there have been developments as well in the investigation into the death of Ronald Durham, which occurred on February 11, which is under investigation by the New York State Police. As you know, in the last few days, Frederick Wing, who was originally arrested for that crime and charged with murder, was released Friday at the request of my office as well as law enforcement after new information was developed during the investigation into Mr. Freeman’s death. At this time, I can say that Adam Smith is the primary suspect in Mr. Durham’s death. I do expect that within the upcoming days, there is an expectation that Mr. Smith will be charged in the homicide of Mr. Durham. That has not occurred at this time, as the New York State Police continues to investigate leads into that matter and continues to execute search warrants in that matter. Based upon the physical evidence that has been collected as well as additional interviews that have been conducted, we do believe that Mr. Smith will be charged with that crime – shortly.”

The floor was then opened for questions from local media outlets in regards to either investigation. Among the questions posed were the following:

Q: “Are there any other suspects?”

A: “There are no other suspects in either of the investigations at this time,” DA Pasqua said.

Q: “On Frederick Wing, anything on his charges?”

A: “His charges remain pending at this time,” DA Pasqua said. “While I have said that we don’t believe that Mr. Wing is ultimately the person that took Mr. Durham’s life, the investigation into what occurred on that day continues and what, if any, actions Mr. Wing took during that time and after that time certainly are under investigation, whether or not any charges ever come of that will remain to be seen, but we are thankful that at this time it appears that Mr. Wing now has been released. We do not believe that Mr. Wing took Mr. Durham’s life and it appears that he is being truthful and honest with law enforcement at this point.”

Q: “There has been some reporting that (Frederick Wing) might be a witness in the case. Is there anything you can say on that?”

A: “All I will say to that is at the time that law enforcement began investigating that crime, they were provided with information from Mr. Wing that made it clear that he had imminent knowledge of what happened,” DA Pasqua said. “Law enforcement did not make the decision to arrest Mr. Wing on some whim. They had solid information based upon what was relayed to them, based upon the physical evidence, that they had probable cause to believe that Mr. Wing committed that crime, which is why they made the arrest. Take from that what you will, but we believe that he had solid, concrete information about what happened. We believe he shared that truthfully and I am willing to share that information now, because his attorney has come out and shared that before we even did…”

Q: “As far the relationship between the victims and Adam Smith, did they know each other?

A: “They were associated,” SLC Sheriff Bigwarfe said. “I can give you that much information… When you’re in the middle of an investigation, you don’t want to get too much into specifics. But generally, we can tell you that they were associated. It wasn’t a random act by some stranger. Hence, we knew early in the investigation that the public wasn’t in danger.”

Q: “What about Frederick Wing and Adam Smith, did they know each other?”

A: “What I will say about that is all the individuals involved in the Durham case were known,” DA Pasqua said. “There certainly were no random coincidences really in either of these cases. As we’ve said, from the beginning, the general public was not in danger. We knew that from early on. We knew they weren’t random acts…”

Q: “Historically, can you remember other cases… similar to it?

A: “Not locally,” DA Pasqua said. “Not since I’ve been here in the North Country, but I think it just goes to show how thorough and how hard working our law enforcement community is. It is unfortunate that we weren’t able to link Mr. Smith right away to the Feb. 11 incident, but based upon the information that we had and all the evidence available, I don’t believe it was possible at that time. But law enforcement didn’t stop that investigation, didn’t stop working those leads. I think the collaborative effort that was put forward by all the agencies is really what led to being able to make that link, and being able to make sure that we got to the right individual.”

Q: “Does Mr. Smith live or stay in the area? I know you said he was from Lake Placid.”

A: “Yes, in St. Lawrence County, I believe it’s in Rossie. Is it Gouverneur? Yes, it’s Gouverneur, the Town I believe.”

SLC Sheriff Bigwarfe then said the following: “I’d just like to say that the individual arrested for this crime – a pretty heinous crime – through our investigation appears to be a very dangerous individual. We’ve got him on one murder, and probably a second pretty soon. To get him off the streets in St. Lawrence County and our adjoining counties, it is pretty important. Again, a lot of hours of work from all of our agencies in St. Lawrence County. That’s what it is all about – solving these as quick as possible. These dangerous individuals, to get them off the streets, is so, so important to the citizens. That’s why the individuals behind me and the law enforcement officers put all those hours and time into those investigations, because they know it is important to get those individuals off the streets. Again, I want to commend them on all that they did as quickly as we did to get them arrested. That’s a pretty quick turnaround for a homicide. But, like Gary said, we are still not done. We still have a lot to do. But that level of getting him off the streets, for myself as Sheriff, the Sheriff’s Office, and all the law enforcement agencies – it's super important to keep every citizen in the county as safe as we can.”

Q: “Is Adam Smith suspected of any other crimes in St. Lawrence County besides the murder and stealing the truck?”

A: “We are looking hard at everything he has done in the past several months, if not years,” SLC Sheriff Bigwarfe said. “We have a lot of unsolved crimes in this county. Was he part of some of those crimes? That is what we are looking into. We are looking hard at all of these things, and we continue to do that.”

Q: “Does Smith have any type of a criminal record?”

A: “Yes, he does,” SLC Undersheriff Sean O’Brien said. “He is currently on probation. It was violated and he is being held in the custody of the Sheriff since Friday when we had the arrest on the larceny charges that he had. So, he was out on the street on probation. It’s unfortunate that people had to lose their lives for that.”

Q: “What crime is he on probation?”

A: “There was a violation probation filed on Friday,” DA Pasqua said. “It was filed in open court. I believe it was filed for Burglary in the Third Degree conviction. I am not positive about that, but I believe that is what it was filed.”

In closing, SLC Sheriff Bigwarfe told the local media: “I appreciate you guys coming here and covering this. It is important for St. Lawrence County citizens to know what happened here in this investigation.”

To view the full press conference, visit St. Lawrence County’s YouTube page.

Town, Village boards hold moments of silence held in memory of Ronald E. “Huck” Durham

by Rachel Hunter

Moments of silence were held in memory of Ronald E. “Huck” Durham during the February meetings of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees and the Town of Gouverneur Council.

Durham passed away on Saturday, February 11. His full obituary ran in the Feb. 17 edition of the Gouverneur Tribune Press. Faithful readers will recall that Durham worked for the Village of Gouverneur Department of Public Works for over 40 years. The news of Mr. Durham’s tragic death was released on Sunday, February 12 after the investigation conducted by the New York State Police with the assistance of the Gouverneur Police Department. The investigation remains ongoing.

The first moment of silence was held at the Town of Gouverneur Council meeting on Tuesday, February 14, led by Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr., and joined by Town of Gouverneur Deputy Supervisor Jay Bowhall, Town of Gouverneur Councilman Curran Wade, Town of Gouverneur Councilwoman Lory Whitton, Gouverneur Town Clerk Marion Bowhall, Town of Gouverneur Bookkeeper Diane Kelley, St. Lawrence County Legislator District 5 Harry Smithers, Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall, Gouverneur Code Enforcement Officer Rick Wood, Gouverneur Assessor Sherry Geer, Gouverneur Data Collector Phyllis Shaw, among others.

A week later, the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees held a moment of silence at the meeting on Tuesday, February 21, led by Mayor Ron McDougall. Also joining the moment of silence was Village of Gouverneur Deputy Mayor Charles Newvine, Village Trustee Troy Besaw, Village Trustee Floyd McAdam, Village Trustee Shelly Simons-Washburn, Attorney Henry Leader of Case & Leader LLP, Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr., Village of Gouverneur Clerk/Treasurer Barbara Finnie, Village of Gouverneur Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Kristina Ayen, Gouverneur Police Chief Laurina Greenhill, among others.

Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall encouraged all those in attendance to remember Mr. Durham during the moment of silence. “It was a brutal death,” he said.

Later in the meeting, Mayor Ron McDougall said the following during department reports: “I appreciate the Department of Public Works and particularly the Gouverneur Police Department in handling, even though the State Police is the lead and I am not sure if the Sheriff’s Office helped or not, with Huck and the brutal situation... I appreciate all the help and extra resources. Obviously, by the news media, the investigation is ongoing even though an arrest has been made and an incarceration with that, with no bail set of course. But I just appreciate all the help from the DPW and in particular our police department.”

Chief Greenhill then gave the monthly GPD report as follows: The notable activities since the last board meeting on January 17, 2023 are as follows:

Chief Greenhill attended the monthly EMDT and CIT meetings. Also attended the quarterly Citizen’s Advisory Committee meeting at the Gouverneur Prison.

This month, GPD received a request from NYSP Criminal Gun Clearinghouse to update our ATF eTrace account to indicate we would participate in “collective data sharing” with other law enforcement agencies within our state. This is to help us comply with the mandates of NYS Executive Law 230 – Gun trafficking interdiction program. The data sharing mandate was effective December 3, 2022.

St. Lawrence County Department of Human Resources and Civil Service have announced they will be holding a Police Chief examination on 032523. The deadline to apply is 02/22/23. This is a promotional examination and have encouraged our staff that meet the prerequisite to apply. The list will be established to fill any future vacancies throughout the county.

The same office has also reported they requested the Civil Service Commission to allow for the certification lists time allowance to increase from 60 days to 120 days and that request was granted. SLC has recognized the hiring agencies need more time to complete the hiring process due to the psych process.

Chief Greenhill also reported that the newly hired part time dispatcher is now working on his own. “Thus far, he has shown exemplary work ethic and we look forward to his continued growth in that position as he gains more experience,” she said.

For the month of January 2023, the Gouverneur PD received 391 calls for service. 201 required police intervention and 70 were IBR criminal complaints. The PD effected 25 arrests for a total of 34 charges. The breakdown is as follows: Felony- 1, Misdemeanors- 16, Violations- 2, Infractions- 3, Bench/ Arrest Warrants- 3. Mental health – “We received 31 calls for various welfare checks in which 18 were mental health related. 16 of those mental health calls were handled by our agency and 2 by another outside agency. Of the 16 calls our agency handled we took into custody 9 for emergency involuntary evaluation (6 were under 9.41 by police observation/investigation and 3 by pick up order from another authorized agent). 2 others went for evaluation voluntarily and 1 was diverted to G.H. for altered mental state evaluation,” Chief Greenhill said.

The next meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council will be held on March 10, 6 p.m., at the Town of Gouverneur Offices Building, 1227 US Highway 11, Gouverneur. The next meeting of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 6 p.m., in the municipal courtroom.

Town board approves appointments to planning, zoning boards

by Rachel Hunter

The Town of Gouverneur Council at its Feb. 14 meeting approved the following appointments:

The town council appointed Jay Emerich of Gouverneur to fill the vacant seat on the Town of Gouverneur Planning Board. The motion to approve the appointment was made by Deputy Supervisor Jay Bowhall, seconded by Councilman Curran Wade and Councilwoman Lory Whitton. The motion carried with all votes cast in favor.

The town council appointed Rick Strate of Gouverneur to fill a vacant seat on the Town of Gouverneur Zoning Board. The motion to approve the appointment was made by Councilman Curran Wade, seconded by Councilwoman Lory Whitton. The motion carried with all votes cast in favor. There is still one vacancy of the Gouverneur Zoning Board.

Supervisor Spilman also announced that in the Spring 2023 the Town of Gouverneur Planning Board would be losing one of its members, Charlie Titus, as he relocates out of the Gouverneur community. “That will be a vacancy then,” Supervisor Spilman said. “We can serve across boards, so at that point we can appoint Rick to the Planning Board also to fill that vacancy. But we will cross the bridge once Charlie crosses the town line.”

There was no further discussion.

The next meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council will be held on March 14, 6 p.m., at the Town of Gouverneur Offices Building, 1227 US Highway 11, Gouverneur. For more information, call 315-287-2340.