Reminder: RSVP for Free Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 28

A free community-wide Thanksgiving Dinner will be held on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 28) at the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur, 34 Grove St., Gouverneur. Serving starts at 11:30 a.m. There is no cost for the Thanksgiving Dinner, featuring turkey with all the trimmings. The meal is sponsored by the Friday Senior Lunch Program, and is available via take-out only. Reservations are required. Call the church office at 315-287-2440 by Nov. 26.

Save The Date: Chamber’s Christmas Parade is Dec. 7

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Christmas Parade and Festivities on Saturday, December 7, in downtown Gouverneur. The event is sponsored by the Chamber’s Marble Member Kinney Drugs, Gold Members Bonaparte Pharmacy, Community Health Center of the North Country, Gouverneur Hospital and Lawrence Manor.

The fun starts in the Gouverneur Village Park at 2 p.m., with free mechanical reindeer rides (2-5 p.m.) and horse-drawn wagon rides (2-4:30 p.m.). There will be free hot cocoa and cookies available in the basement of the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur (34 Grove St.), and a children’s coloring contest will be on site.

The parade will line-up, 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., near Green Funeral Home. All parade participants are required to sign-in upon arrival. The parade will start at 5 p.m. There will be a $50 prize for the best parade float. All businesses, churches, clubs and organizations, schools, and families are welcome to participate. The Chamber encourages all to showcase their holiday spirit with creative lighting during the parade.

Santa Claus will once again be the special guest of the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce for the holiday celebration Santa will greet the children and give them a gift, immediately after parade, under the new village gazebo.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 7, and make plans to join this memorable holiday celebration in Gouverneur. For more information on the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce, visit www.gouverneurchamber.net.

Veterans Day Observance is Nov. 11

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Veterans Day Observance will be held on Monday, November 11, 11 a.m., at the Gouverneur Memorial Arch in the Gouverneur Village Park. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

The guest speaker is LTC Richard T. Sposito, Jr., who hails from Newport News, Viriginia. Upon graduation from the Longwood University ROTC, he received his commission in the Military Police Corps in 2007. Following graduation, he attended the MP Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. His first assignment was to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he served as Platoon Leader and Assistant Operations Officer in the 4th BCT, 101st ABN DIV (AASLT), deploying to Afghanistan in 2008-2009.

LTC Sposito graduated from the MP Captain’s Career Course in 2012 where he received an M.A. in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster’s University and was assigned to 94th MP BN (Seoul, ROK) assuming command of the 55th MP CO (Camp Casey, ROK). Upon completion of command, MAJ Sposito was assigned to The Citadel (Charleston, SC) as an APMS. In 2017, LTC Sposito graduated ILE at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and was assigned to the 16th MP BDE serving both as the BDE Chief of Operations and Training Officer, deploying as part of the contingency response force to the Southwest Border in 2018. While still at Fort Bragg, LTC Sposito served as BN XO, 503d MP BN then BDE XO, 16th MP BDE from 2019-2021. Following the completion of his time in the 16th MPBDE, LTC Sposito served as the Military Police Organizational Integrator, Forces Command from 2021-23.

Currently, LTC Sposito serves as the Commander, 91st Military Police Battalion and Director of Emergency Services, Fort Drum, New York. His awards include Meritorious Service Medal (3OLC), Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device (1OLC), Army Achievement Medal (2OLC). His badges include the Combat Action Badge, German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge (Gold), Chilean Parachutist Badge, US Army Parachutists Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Pathfinder Badge. His unit awards include the Meritorious Unit Citation. He is also a recipient of the General MacArthur Leadership Award.

LTC Sposito is married to the former Carla Blum from Gloucester, Virginia and together they have two children, Kaitlyn and Abigail.

Following the Veterans Day Observance, the public will be invited to attend a luncheon at Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338, 100 W. Main St., Gouverneur. Remember:  “All gave some, some gave all. We did not know them all, but we owe them all.” For more info, call 315-287-4682.

Gouverneur CSD Board of Education hears Wildcat news

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur CSD Board of Education heard the Wildcat news report, given by Gouverneur CSD Supt. Jackie Kelly, at the Oct. 21 meeting.

“As you know, our cafeterias have begun to use locally sourced food, and tonight I have some facts about that to share with you,” Supt. Kelly said. “The Gouverneur cafeterias have served approximately 1,600 pounds of locally grown, picked and processed apple slices as well as unprocessed apples. We served 250 pounds each of salsa mix, diced onions and diced green peppers. We also just began to receive butternut squash. We started using corn on the cob and green beans that had been flash-frozen allowing us to have fresh vegetables throughout the entire school year. These fruits and vegetables are grown and harvested by our local farmers right here in St. Lawrence County. Then, they are processed and packaged in the Harvest Kitchen at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Canton. Apples, salsa mix, onions and green peppers are delivered to Gouverneur and neighboring school districts each week by St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES staff. We are also using local potatoes to make homemade French fries as well as fresh beef and pork products that are sourced locally. We are very excited to be able to offer these vegetables, fruits and meats to our students, and we are continuing to work to offer more locally grown produce in the future.

“Next, in our Wildcat news, I want to share a great opportunity in which some of our students participated last week. On Thursday, October 17, some of our high school students here at Gouverneur participated in St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Annual Manufacturing Day. The event had students tour manufacturing facilities across the region, learning about the array of products that are made right here in the North Country and discovering the variety of careers possible in the industry. This year, some of the companies right here in Gouverneur (including Kinney Drugs, CIVES Steel, and Riverside Iron) participated in this special event. Our students from Gouverneur visited Riverside Iron and the Five Mile Farm in Lisbon. At Riverside Iron, our students saw some of the miscellaneous ornamental and structural steel fabricated right here in Gouverneur. Our students also visited the Five Mile Farm in Lisbon, which has been in the Akins family since the mid-1800s. Today, the fifth, sixth and seventh generations work together on the farm. Our students got to see a modern farm, including a 50-cow rotary parlor that improves the efficiency of milking cows in operation. Manufacturing Day is a national initiative spearheaded by the Manufacturing Institute. It is traditionally held in the month of October, or whenever there is an opportunity to spark interest in the next generation of manufacturers. In this part of the region, the effort is organized by St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, who coordinates the business visits with St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency. Over 340 students from St. Lawrence County attended this event, and students from Hammond, Morristown, and Lisbon visited businesses right here in the vicinity of Gouverneur. I’d like to thank Mr. Sochia for chaperoning this educational opportunity for our students.

“Finally, I’d like to provide an update on the RECOVS grant. As you know, we were the recipient of the 2023-2025 New York State RECOVS Recover from COVID School Program Grant in the amount of $508,000. This money is helping us continue some of our ARP-funded positions through the year 2025. In addition to the two social worker positions that were created, we will still be working with Gouverneur Behavioral Health to expand student access to school-based mental health professionals right here in our school buildings. We are all very excited about the development of this relationship with a local organization that will help support our students and their families. As a reminder, Gouverneur was one of only two school districts in the North Country to receive this grant, and it is a tremendous opportunity for us, our students and their families. Thank you!”

Much gratitude was extended to Supt. Kelly for her report.

In other news:

The Gouverneur CSD Board of Education was recognized during the School Board Appreciation Week, October 14-18. The Board includes: David Fenlong, President, Todd Bates, Vice President, Brooke Bush, William Cartwright, Lisa McGregor, Nickolas Ormasen, Laurie Roberts, and Laura Spicer. Appreciation was extended to the Board for all that they do. Gouverneur CSD Supt. Kelly said: “The New York State School Boards Association recognized Oct. 14-18, 2024 as School Board Recognition Week,” she said. “This is a time to promote awareness and understanding of the important work performed by our school boards. Board members are required to make difficult decisions and spend countless hours studying education issues and regulations in order to provide accountability to our community stakeholders. Our board members spend many hours volunteering their time to ensure strategies, resources, policies and programs align with our district goals. School board members give the citizens of Gouverneur a voice in decision making. They are advocates for public education. It takes strong schools to build a strong community. These men and women devote their time to make sure our schools help every child to have the opportunity to be successful. Every decision they make is not only in the best interest of our 1,444 students but also in the best of interest of our district families, our faculty and staff members, and the entire community of Gouverneur. Thank you, to each and every one of you, for all that you do for all of the stakeholders in our district.” A tribute video was posted on the Gouverneur CSD Facebook page following the board meeting. During public comment, Jerrilyn Patton, Co-President of the Gouverneur Education Association, presented a small token of appreciation (gift certificate to the Casablanca Restaurant in Gouverneur) to the school board members in gratitude for all the work that they do, and the support of the students, school programs, etc. For more information on the Gouverneur CSD Board of Education, visit www.gcsk12.org.

The Gouverneur CSD Board of Education heard the audit report from Crowley & Halloran, CPAs, P.C. The Board then accepted the external auditor’s report for fiscal year, ending June 30, 2024.

The Board approved the following recommendations for tenure: Bobbie Holmes (Science Teacher) and Jean C. Johnson (English Teacher).

The Board approved the addendum to the Memorandum of Agreement #5 between the Gouverneur Central School District and the Gouverneur School Related Personnel Union to provide additional compensation to teacher aides who substitute teach when no substitutes or other appropriates means are available to extend through the 2024-25 school year.

The Board approved Memorandum of Agreement #1 between the Gouverneur Central School District and the Gouverneur Education Association to amend Appendix A to recognize DEI Club (Class E).

The Board accepted resignation requests from Erika J. Woodrow (Individual Aide), Elizabeth Rathbun (2.75-hour Food Service Helper), and Michelle Fiacco (2.75-hour Food Service Helper).

The Board approved the following appointments: Ashley Barr and Lindsey McCormick were named Gouverneur Elementary Afterschool Tutoring Instructors. Pam Stevens was named a Middle School Afterschool Tutoring Instructor. The following substitutes were appointed: Carlton M. Bresett, Mallorie Fuller, Rachel Laso, Morgan Prashaw, Jennifer Stiles, Gabrielle Platt. The Board approved the following 2024-25 advisors: Select Strings (Janeen L. Streeter), FFA Assistant (Taylor A. Rollins), FFA Summer 2024 (Kylie Torres).

The Board appointed the following 2024-25 winter coaches: Varsity Wrestling (George J. Baer), Basketball Girls 8th Grade (Evelyn G. Barton), Basketball Boys 7th and 8th Grade (Jarrett W. Bullock), JV Wrestling (Shawn Cummings), Wrestling 7th & 8th Grade (David M. Dailey), Varsity Girls Basketball (Sean Devlin), Winter Cheerleading (Erica Dowling), Volunteer Girls Basketball (Chelsi Peck), Girls Wrestling (Dylan Morrison), Modified Indoor Track (Julie K. Neiss), Basketball Girls 7th Grade (Korrine Patterson), Varsity Boys Basketball (Michael A. Shattuck), Basketball Girls JV (Rick L. Vrooman), Indoor Track (Kurtis P. Wells), Swim Boys Volunteer Assistant (Saddie R. Whitaker), and Swim Boys (Brett M. Worden).

The Board appointed students Kristen Burns as lifeguard, fitness room attendant. It also appointed Cayleigh Flynn as fitness room attendant.

The Board revised the appointment of Grace Mashaw, School counselor, to a probationary period, effective September 24, 2024 to September 23, 2028.

The Board appointed Madison L. Hurlbut to the non-probationary position of long-term substitute to replace a certain employee, effective September 17, 2024 to approximately December 13, 2024.

The Board had its first reading in its policy review for the following: 3231 (Complaints and Grievances by Employees), 3232 (Complaints and Grievances by Students), 3421 (Title IX and Sex Discrimination), 4250 (Evaluation of the Superintendent and other Administrative Staff), 5240 (School Tax Assessment and Collection/Property Tax Exemptions), 5681 (School Safety Plans), 8212 (Fire and Emergency Drills, Bomb Threats, and Bus Emergency Drills), 6550 (Leaves of Absence), 7220 (Graduation Requirements), 7224 (Virtual Instruction), 7470 (Student Government), 7540 (Student Directory Information), 8130 (Equal Educational Opportunities), and 7555 (Educational Services for Married/Pregnant Students). It is anticipated that the Board will adopt the recommendations at the Nov. 4 board meeting.

The Board approved the request for the Varsity Wrestling team to attend and compete in the following tournaments: Windsor Holiday Tournament, Windsor, NY (December 27-28), Peru Invitational, Peru, NY (January 4), Dame of Thrones, Halfmoon, NY (January 5), and King and Queen Bison Invitational, Latham, NY (January 25-26).

The Board approved the request for the Varsity Girls Basketball team to attend and compete in the following tournament: VVS Holiday Basketball Tournament, Verona, NY (December 27-28).

The Board approved the request for one member of the local chapter of the FFA to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis from October 20-26, 2024. The student traveled with Assistant FFA Advisor Taylor Rollins and the Lowville chapter, and will cover her own expenses. The Board noted that it is interested in hearing about the trip at a future meeting.

The Board approved the request from the Class of 2025 for an overnight trip to Boston, Mass. in May 2025.

The Board authorized the Business Administrator to dispose of items declared as surplus that are obsolete, no longer useful or necessary for school district purposes and of no value to the school district.

The Board appointed Alissa McEathron, Julie Neiss, and Stephanie Plaisted as Teacher Ambassadors to the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES for the 2024-25 school year.

The next regular meeting of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education will be held on Monday, November 4, 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.gcsk12.org.

Community Watch in Gouverneur gaining momentum

by Rachel Hunter

Interest in the Gouverneur Community Watch group is growing in the local community.

The community watch program’s purpose is to create an alert neighborhood by using simple crime prevention methods. The program works through the mutual aid of neighbors watching the property of other neighbors and reporting suspicious activity to police. The monthly meetings are maintaining the interest of over 30 community members. Also there are representatives from the New York State Police, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gouverneur Police Department. Local dignitaries who have expressed their support include Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall, Village of Gouverneur Deputy Mayor Charles Newvine, Village of Gouverneur Trustee Floyd McAdam, Village of Gouverneur Trustee Troy Besaw, Village of Gouverneur Trustee Shelly Simons-Washburn, Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr., Town of Gouverneur Deputy Supervisor Jay Bowhall, Town of Fowler Supervisor Rick Newvine, among others.

The third meeting of the Gouverneur Community Watch Group was held on Oct. 16 at the Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center. The 80-minute meeting provided updates, and answered community members’ questions and concerns with the support of local law enforcement.

The meeting was emceed by Village of Gouverneur Deputy Mayor Charles Newvine, who reported that work has already begun to establish crime reporting zones in Gouverneur. The zone committee met a couple of times in the past month to arrive at the following recommendation: Zone 1 (Jefferson, W. Babcock, W. Barney, Austin, Clinton, Mill, Vaile, Snow, Dexter, Pearl, Johnstown, Ethel, E. Babcock, Trinity, E. Main, Barnes), Zone 2 (E. Barney, Barnes, Howard, Trinity, E. Main, N. Gordon, Caroline, Rock Island, Gleason, Valley, Meadow, Dale, Birchwood, Waid, Rowley, Edith), Zone 3 (Grove, Dodge, S. Gordon, Sterling, Beckwith, Averell, Depot, Pooler, Dorwin, Spencer, Factory, Lincoln, Bullard, Scotch Settlement), and Zone 4 (Bellevue, Vista, Adelia, Smith, Wilson, Murdock, Washington, Preston, W. Main, Reid, Starbuck, Prospect, McKean, Helena, Eckman, Parker, Hailesboro, River, Graves, William, South, Water). The group used the Village of Gouverneur’s brush pick-up zones to determine the zone recommendation. The zones may be further developed as future input is given.

Deputy Mayor Newvine said the success of the Gouverneur Community Watch group depends on community participation. The Gouverneur Community Watch Group needs volunteers, who are interested in seeing change in the local community. The group is currently looking to tailor the program to the needs of the Gouverneur community. But it needs people who are willing to put their name on the dotted line and sign-up to help. Deputy Mayor Newvine said now is the time for the Gouverneur Community Watch group to get organized.

“Crime is in your backyard in this small little town,” Deputy Mayor Newvine said, and then asked those present: “Will you be willing to observe, document and report?” He highlighted the reporting excellence by Dale Cronk, Sr., a Village of Gouverneur resident. “Mr. Cronk is very well-documented. Where he lives is a very problematic area in the Village. He keeps it very well-documented with a portfolio of where, what, when and why and how it happened. If you are willing to do that, then that’s a great thing. I will tell you: You will have to sign something. You will have to put your name on a piece of paper. That criminal will know your name and your address. That is the truth. They have the right to know that. That process isn’t slow for them to get it… What is your commitment level to this as far as having a community watch and having your name and personal information out there. That is something you have to ask yourself. The truth is that people are going to know who you are, and that’s not a lot of fun.” Deputy Mayor Newvine encouraged all those interested in volunteering to have a point of contact card that lists all local law enforcement phone numbers, and the zone coverage schedule.

Deputy Mayor Newvine said there are no protections that exist for those involved in the Gouverneur Community Watch group. He told the crowd, “If someone breaks onto my property, and my father sees it and tries to do something about. He is going to get arrested for assault, and that criminal is going to get trespass. He doesn’t care. He is a criminal, and it just goes in his file. This working class gentleman is going to get assault, and he is going to pay a lawyer and go to court and it is going to cost him money. That’s why these guys say that the justice system is broken… Are you willing to patrol and observe? Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to patrol the streets at 2 o’clock in the morning till 4 o’clock in the morning. There’s no coverage here from the Village police department from 11 p.m. on. So, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., and 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. These criminals are working while we are sleeping. That’s the shifts we are talking about here. Is it going to happen in the day? Yes, crime happens during the day too. But a lot of it goes on at night. Are you willing to do that? That is something you need to ask yourself.”

Deputy Mayor Newvine then gave the crowd the good, the bad, and the ugly about crime in Gouverneur and the surrounding community. “The good news is that we are here. We have people involved here, and we are going forward with this. We are going to be proactive and not reactive to this. That is what we are trying to do. That is the good news. We are trying to do something,” he said.

“The bad news is that it is worse than you think. If you think it is bad out there, it is worse than you think. Very recently, I have gotten up early to drive through the Village with my dog. I check on Newvine’s Auto Parts and I cruise around by the car wash, and I go back through town. If you want to get up at 5 o’clock in the morning and check on what’s going on in this Village, please do. Driving through the Village during the day, it doesn’t get much better. So, it is worse than you think. There’s probably about 11 people sleeping underneath the bridge. (Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr.) runs into it at Riverview Park all the time. That is the bad news, and there’s not much help out there… for them or for us. The other thing is that it is going to get worse before it gets better. If you think it is bad now, it is going to get worse before it gets better.

“This is the ugly part. I am going to give you the truth with as much grace as possible. If you haven’t talked about home defense with your loved ones at your house, you are already behind the eight ball. I have had the discussion with my kids not too long ago. They know exactly what is going to happen at my house if somebody breaks in. They know exactly what they are going to do, where they are going to be, and what they are going to do when they get there until I come get them. I know what I am doing at my home. I know exactly what is going to happen at my home if somebody should break in. If you don’t have that conversation with your loved ones, you are already behind the eight ball. That is the truth with as much grace as I can muster.

“Are you going to be willing to patrol? Meaning, if you are going to take the 2-4 a.m. shift on Prospect Street, are you going to patrol? I’ll give you a sign. I’ll give you a hat. We’ll put something on your car. What if a criminal comes up to you? Do you have a taser? Do you have mace? Do you have a pistol? If you do, I hope it is concealed carry. If not, you have to be going to the range or from the range. And if you do have concealed carry, you have to be retreating with that firearm and it has to be your last line of defense. If it isn’t, you are going to jail. That is the truth. If you are on patrol and you are observing and reporting, and you get out of your car, and that criminal comes to you, are you going to go hands on? Because there are people who talk about fighting and there’s people that fight. Those criminals are the last one. That is the truth… If you haven’t talked about home defense with your family, you need to do that. The First Amendment says that you can say anything you want. The Second Amendment says you better have a gun if you are going to do it. That is just the truth. If you are going to try to observe and report, and somebody wants to go hands on… are you going to go hands on? That is something you have to ask yourself.”

Village of Gouverneur resident Judy Brown then asked: “Where are they all coming from?” Deputy Mayor Newvine responded, “There is a mental health crisis in this community, and we are seeing it. Gouverneur Hospital sees it. They go Thursday to get help… on Sunday, they sign themselves out until Monday. They cope until Thursday, and they do it all over again. And there’s nothing you can do. There’s people in such a mental health crisis that they don’t know what to do. There’s help out there, but they don’t want it.”

“Why is it happening more here?” asked Village of Gouverneur resident Miki Hopper. “Don’t think it is happening just here,” Deputy Mayor Newvine said. “It’s not. It’s Canton. It’s Ogdensburg. It’s Potsdam. It’s worse in other places. But you are going to see more foot traffic here.” Deputy Mayor Newvine reminded the crowd that citizens are to observe and report only, and to let the local law enforcement agencies handle the policing. “There cannot be vigilante justice,” Deputy Mayor Newvine said. “But we’ve got to try to take back our community. “Can we fix all of it? Probably not. We can’t fix Canton. We can’t fix Ogdensburg. We can’t fix Potsdam. We’re concerned about that, but we need to fix Gouverneur. It’s a small, little town that I grew up in, was fortunate to move away for four years to go to college, and came right back here to sell brake pads. You all have a vested interest in this town. If you didn’t have a vested interest, you wouldn’t be here. We’re not doing it for our own sake. I mean, we are. But we are doing it for the sake of our children, our grandchildren. It doesn’t look like it did when I was in high school. It doesn’t look like it did five years ago. Things have changed. The system is broken.”

The Gouverneur Community Watch group wants to purchase and install 10 solar-powered surveillance cameras at high-crime locations in the Village of Gouverneur. The locations have been noted by Village of Gouverneur Chief of Police Darren Fairbanks of the Gouverneur Police Department. Maps of potential locations were distributed at the community watch meeting. “We are going to first prioritize where the problem areas are, and stick them in the right spot. You are going to see that the hottest spot is over by Prospect St.,” Deputy Mayor Newvine said. “That is just the truth. They go over there a lot. You can cut from Prospect St., right behind NAPA onto Main St., and you can get from Prospect St. over to Parker St. where they can hide a little bit on the west side of town.” It is estimated that $50,000-$100,000 is needed to fund the project. Generous donations are already being promised. The group is also discussing fundraisers to help support the project. There also have been discussions on signage, social media presence, and so much more.

But more people need to be involved. The Gouverneur Community Watch Group is looking for participation from local clubs and community organizations, and is seeking representatives from the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce, the Gouverneur Lions Club, the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club, the Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035, among others. The group also plans to reach out to elected officials, including: St. Lawrence County District 5 Legislator Harry Smithers (R-Gouverneur), NYS Senator Mark Walczyk, NYS Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, and others.

The Gouverneur Community Watch group needs a logo. Deputy Mayor Newvine said he contacted GHS Art Teacher Robert Decker on the topic. A logo design contest is anticipated, and local students are encouraged to participate.

The Gouverneur Community Watch group meets on the third Wednesday of each month, 6 p.m., at the Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 NY-58, Gouverneur. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 20. All those interested are encouraged to attend. For more information on how you can get involved, email cwnewvine@yahoo.com or phone Newvine’s NAPA Auto Parts at (315) 287-4098.

Village sets trick-or-treating hours

by Rachel Hunter

It’s official! Trick-or-treating in the Village of Gouverneur will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 31 (Halloween). The Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees voted on the matter during the Oct. 15 meeting. See the Tribune’s community calendar for local Halloween happenings.

Gouverneur Trunk or Treat is Oct. 25

by Rachel Hunter

The 7th Annual Gouverneur Trunk or Treat, sponsored by the Community Health Center of the North Country and Seaway Valley Prevention Council, in partnership with the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Association and Gouverneur Central School District, will be held on Friday, October 25, 6 p.m., at the Gouverneur Fairgrounds. All trunk-or-treaters are encouraged to wear their best costume, as the annual event once again is held via a walk-through format.

Motorists are asked to park in the Gouverneur Central lot on E. Barney St. Costumed children will then make their way through the fairgrounds entrance between the parking lot and the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair office. They will then walk down the Gouverneur Fair Midway, stopping at each vehicle with decorated trunks and receive their treats. This is a free community event, and all are invited to attend.

Seaway Valley Prevention Council and the Community Health Center of the North Country hope that the Gouverneur Trunk or Treat will once again be a fun, family-friendly way to get the word out about what services are available for people dealing with substance use issues. The idea originated with the Seaway Valley Prevention Council who in partnership with the Massena Drug-Free Community Coalition held a successful Trunk or Treat at Massena High School years ago, drawing in hundreds of costumed children. Piggybacking on this rousing success while seeking a fun, engaging way to spread the word in the local community about the services available to those with substance use issues, SVPC and CHCNC thought the best way would be to bring a Trunk or Treat event to Gouverneur. The event drew an estimated 1,400 costumed community members in 2023.

The Community Health Center of the North Country and the Seaway Valley Prevention Council have put a call-out for trunks at the 2024 Gouverneur Trunk or Treat. All businesses, organizations and individuals interested in decorating a trunk are encouraged to register their vehicle by emailing clebeau@svpc.net. The Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce informed the Gouverneur Tribune Press that they will be there with their decorated trunk, and encourage the local business community to register. All those entering decorated trunks are encouraged to start the planning process, and pack candy (or other treats) for the trunk-or-treaters. Make sure to arrive early for set-up so that you can hand out candy and show off your decorations.

Mark your calendars today for the 2024 Gouverneur Trunk or Treat event, sponsored by the Community Health Center of the North Country and the Seaway Valley Prevention Council, on Friday, October 25, 6 p.m., at the Gouverneur Fairgrounds.

Village of Gouverneur hears monthly GRD report

by Rachel Hunter

The Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees at its Sept. 17 meeting heard the following report from Gouverneur Recreation Department Director Casey Canell.

The Before-School Morning Program meets weekdays at Gouverneur Elementary School, and is hosted in partnership with the Gouverneur Central School District. Enrichment program features early morning wake-up activities, interactive social play, arts and crafts, and breakfast. Highlights this month included a Meet & Greet with families at the school

The After-School Program meets at the Gouverneur Recreation Center STEAM Studio on Trinity Ave., Gouverneur, for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Match activities. The After-School Program is held on Mondays and Wednesdays for Grades 2-4, and Tuesdays and Thursday for those in UPK-Grade 1. Bus transportation is provided by the Gouverneur Central School District. The program highlights include recreational opportunities exploring STEAM field, theme days and guests with fine arts appreciation, gaming stations with tournaments, and interactive social play. This month, the youths enjoyed Fall Fun theme days.

Toddler Town meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for a recreation pre-school playgroup. The program features interactive socialization, music and art, story and snack, and active play.

The Senior Citizen Program continues to be held weekly on Friday mornings for food bingo games and coffee social. All area seniors are welcome to attend.

The Gouverneur Recreation Department was at the 13th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Festival at the Gouverneur Fairgrounds on Sept. 22 with various youth activities, including scarecrow making, carnival games and a scavenger hunt. They also had various youth activities at the Community Health Center of the North Country’s Celebration of Dr. Schuessler on Sept. 14 at the Gouverneur Village Park. The Gouverneur Recreation Department also attended the Youth Bureau Advisory Board Meeting on Sept. 10.

Gratitude was extended to the Spilman family for their continued support of the Gouverneur Recreation Center facility.

Also, gratitude was extended to GS&L for the recent contribution to the Gouverneur Recreation Department. Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that the Gouverneur Savings and Loan Association (GS&L) recently applied for and distributed $10,000 grants to five local businesses and organizations in the Gouverneur community. The $50,000 was made available through the 2024 Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) program. This grant, provided by the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, offers substantial financial support to businesses and non-profits across their district.

The next meeting of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 6 p.m., in the municipal courtroom. For more information, call 315-287-1720.

Notice: Hydrant Flushing in Gouverneur is Oct. 2-3

The following is a public service announcement from the Village of Gouverneur:

The Village of Gouverneur Department of Public Works wishes to inform residents that hydrant flushing will be done during the day, from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and then again from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 3, 2024.

Residents may notice a loss of water pressure and a slight discoloration of the water. While the water is safe to drink, residents are encouraged to hold off on doing white laundry.

“Thank you for your cooperation and we are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause,” DPW Supt. TJ Simmons said. If you have any further questions, you can contact the Department of Public Works at 287-0110.

Village board hears GPD report

by Rachel Hunter

The Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees at its Sept. 17 meeting heard the monthly report from the Gouverneur Police Department.

Village of Gouverneur Chief of Police Darren Fairbanks reported the following: “The last week of August 2024, members of the Gouverneur Police Department participated in a multi-agency training held at Clifton-Fine Central School in Star Lake, New York, and were trained Active Shooter scenarios. Thank you to the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office for the invitation and having my agencies participation in that event.

“For the month of August 2024, the Gouverneur PD received 477 calls for service 269 of those calls for service required police intervention. 151 of those calls for service were IBR criminal complaints (on average 25 new criminal investigations per officer for the month with 52 concurrent investigations previously reported). The PD effected 23 arrests for a total of 36 charges - Felony- 8, Misdemeanors- 13, Violations- 2, Infractions- 6, Bench/ Arrest Warrants- 0, Fugitive From Justice – 1 (United States Marshal Service).

“In the month of August 2024, the Gouverneur PD responded to and investigated 16 motor vehicle collisions.

“In the month of August 2024, the Gouverneur PD responded to 9 incidents inside and outside the Village of Gouverneur due to outside law enforcement not being available or to provide assistance to outside law enforcement and 18 incidents involving the Gouverneur Fire Department and or Gouverneur Rescue Squad at incidents requiring our presence.

“We received 51 requests for general welfare or mental health checks in which 12 were determined mental health related. Of the 12 mental health calls our agency took 7 into custody for emergency involuntary evaluation with all 7 being by police observation/investigation. 2 were individuals under 18 years of age and 0 repeats. There were 0 attempts at utilizing the Mobile Access Program.

“There were two reported non-fatal drug overdoses inside the Village of Gouverneur.

“I would also like to commend my staff for their hard work and dedication in ensuring that the students and staff had a safe return to school on Monday with the recent events and social media threats involving Gouverneur Central School District. I’d like to thank the New York State Police, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, NYS Police BCI, and our federal law enforcement partners for their assistance this weekend.”

Much gratitude was extended to Chief Fairbanks for this monthly report, and for answering questions that followed at the monthly village board meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 6 p.m., in the municipal courtroom. For more information, call 315-287-1630.

Village board hears property maintenance officer report

by Rachel Hunter

The Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees at its Aug. 20 meeting heard a report from the Village of Gouverneur’s Property Maintenance Officer Glen Besaw.

“I wrote six more tickets,” he said. “Four more properties were inspected, and this Thursday (Aug. 22) will be a very busy day in court. I think we have like six cases coming to court. Some of them have been dragging a long time. Hopefully, some of them will be taken care of this week… I have noticed that some people that I have contacted lately have been more than willing to comply without having to take any action on them. So maybe we are making some headway there. Hopefully that is a bright spot for us. I found that, by working in the evenings, it is easier to make contact with people. So I’ll be doing that. This evening, I’ll go and see six more people. Hopefully we will have some success in court. And hopefully word will get out, and people will become even more willing to comply.”

Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall then opened the floor for questions.

Village Trustee Troy Besaw said: “So, you seem to be getting a good response then for some of these individuals that are getting in front of a judge?”

“It’s finally that some of them are coming around,” PMO Besaw said. “I think they realize that we are not going away.”

“That’s good,” Trustee Besaw. “It’s a slow process.”

PMO Besaw said, “It’s not our court’s fault or anything like that. It’s just the system we have through the state.”

“You have been in the court with some of these people four times, correct?” Trustee Besaw said.

“Oh yeah,” PMO Besaw said.

“Holy man,” Trustee Besaw said. “That’s not a cheap venture for the village in any stretch of the imagination.”

“Yeah,” PMO Besaw said. “I think they are getting the point that it’s not going to go away. They have to comply sometime.”

Trustee Besaw said: “I would hope so… thanks!”

There was no further discussion on PMO Besaw’s monthly report.

The next regular meeting of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 6 p.m., at the municipal courtroom. A public hearing on Local Law No. 2 of 2024 (Establishing Burning Regulations) will be held at 5:55 p.m. For more information, call 315-287-1720.