August 2012
Longtime
Chiefs Retire
More Inside • Schroon Lake names Citizen of Year ........p2 • New Arts Gallery opens in Ti....................p4 • Supervisors vote to sell Horace Nye......p5-6 • Man wins car at Essex County Fair...........p7 • RSVP News & Notes .............................p8-9 • Crown Point organist honored.................p10 • Employee retires after four decades ........p11 • HN residents honor Flag Day..................p12 • Sid Couchey remembered .......................p13 • Sun and Seniors a dangerous mix ..........p14
katherine@denpubs.com MORIAH — After 58 years of being ready at a moments notice, laying out clothes before bed for a quick exit to an emergency, Moriah Volunteer Fire Department chief will be retiring. Ralph Jaquish, now 81, has been a member of the Moriah department for 58 years and served as chief for 53. Recently recognized as the longest continually serving fire chief in the state of New York, Jaquish said he felt his career has gone out with a bang. “When we arrived at my last big fire in Moriah Center, the fire was blazing 30-feet through the roof and within seconds, it felt like, (the fire) was through the east wall
of the building,” Jaquish said. Jaquish said his last year as chief has been a very “interesting” time. The year was capped with the Moriah Center fire and an arson fire at the Mountain Lake Services building that put emergency responders at risk when the arsonist drove over fire hoses. Jaquish said firefighting has changed tremendously in the nearly six decades he has volunteered. “No body can imagine, unless you were there,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Pictured above: Moriah Fire Department Chief Ralph Jaquish and Mineville/Witherbee Fire Department Chief Paul Tromblee each announced their retirement after several years of dedicated service to their communities. Photo by Keith Lobdell
ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS/ NEW MARKET PRESS
• County recognizes Firefighters ...............p16
By Katherine Clark
P.O. BOX 338 ELIZABETHTOWN, NY 12932 POSTAL PATRON
• Practice caution with exercise .................p15
Longest serving Fire Chief in NY steps down