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Burgh/North Countryman
February 22, 2020
suncommunitynews.com
• EDITION •
Beebie is GOP candidate for mayor By Sarah Elizabeth Morris STAFF WRITER
PLATTSBURGH | Members of the City of Plattsburgh Republican Committee announced their candidate for mayor, officially adding a Republican to the race. Scott Beebie was recently introduced by the committee to the public as the opponent to the larger party’s candidates. Up until mid-February, only Democrats were seeking election in this year’s Plattsburgh mayoral election: Miles Davis, a student at Clinton Community College, Tenzin Dorjee, a local restaurant owner, and current mayor, Colin Read, who is seeking his second term. The three will have to gather signatures from Plattsburgh residents in order to qualify for the primary in late June. The time slot to send in names from those petitions are from Monday, March 30, to Thursday, April 2. The republican committee introduced Beebie at the Clinton County Government Center to make the official announcement on Thursday, Feb. 13. There, members of the committee and press were invited to listen to Beebie announce his candidacy and his plans for the future of Plattsburgh. “We need to open the lines of communication,” Beebie said on what he plans on doing if elected mayor. “We need to sell the banner of Plattsburgh as a region, not the city, not the town. We need to work cooperatively to bring in more revenue, bring more people to our area.” See BEEBIE » pg. 4
Cuomo, Little share strategy for growth U.S. Sen. Betty Little with Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the two shared common ground and methods they’ve used to achieve economic growth in the North Country. Photo by Darren McGee, Office of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
STAFF WRITER
Country in 2018, he said, a figure up 21.6 percent since 2011. The added visits reflect a direct spending increase of more than 23 percent to $1.26 billion, according to data from SUNY Potsdam.
SARANAC LAKE |New York’s newly launched winter tourism “push” is part of continued investment throughout the North Country; it’s a “push” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he believes is and will pay dividends long term. Over 13 million people visited the North
Since taking office in 2011, Cuomo said New York has invested over $5 billion in the North Country, supporting infrastructure, tourism, priority projects, international commerce and economic development. He agrees that it’s a substantial
“Make it work” By Kim Dedam
INVESTING IN THE NORTH COUNTRY
contribution to the local economy. “It’s $5 billion which is a lot of money, but I say to the legislators every year and to the people of this state, it’s an investment,” the governor told a standing-room-only crowd gathered at the Hotel Saranac on Sunday. “We’re not taking $5 billion and throwing it out the window. We’re investing it in economic development and it will pay dividends and it has.” See CUOMO » pg. 2
Plastic bag ban begins March 1 Stores will no longer provide plastic bags By Sarah Elizabeth Morris STAFF WRITER
Coins for koalas
Rouses Point Elementary School K-Kids recently organized a “Coins for Koalas” coin drive to benefit wildlife affected by the Australian bush fires. Students contributed a total of $1,251 to tcause, making the donation to the World Wildlife Fund of Australia.
Photo provided
EMTs recognized for saving life Man revived in an ambulance paying it forward By Andrea VanValkenburg STAFF WRITER
PLATTSBURGH | Thomas O’Keefe hadn’t been feeling well when he left for a business trip to Washington, D.C., last summer. After nearly a week of meetings,
O’Keefe still wasn’t feeling right when he returned home and decided to skip his high-school reunion that weekend. Opting for a few days of rest instead, the Plattsburgh man tried to unwind, but his fluttering heart continued to give him pause. “Finally, my wife said ‘That’s it, we’re going to the hospital’,” O’Keefe recalled about the next few minutes that changed his life forever. “I thought I was having a stroke.” By the time O’Keefe showered, his wife had called 911; it was a fateful decision
that led him to cross paths with two emergency-medical technicians (EMTs) he now credits with saving his life and going above and beyond the call of duty. “I was fi ne. I was talking like this, kind of joking around and they saw something on the monitor and said it was time to go,” O’Keefe recalled. What CVPH Medical Center EMTs Marissa Ducatte and Sebastian Barie saw was a quick three-second glitch in the heart monitor that made them change their course of action without pause. See EMT » pg. 3
PLATTSBURGH | Starting on March 1, New York is implementing its statewide Bag Waste Reduction Law in an effort to cut down on littering and damage to the environment. According to the New York state website, over 23 billion plastic bags are used every year in New York alone, most of which are wasted. As a result, it was decided to ban plastic bags in stores. “Plastic bags can be seen stuck in trees, as litter in our neighborhoods, and floating in our waterways,” according to the state website. “From the significant recycling and disposal issues they pose to the harm they can do to wildlife, the negative impacts of plastic bags are easily seen.” There will be some plastic allowed in certain retail stores, some that are returnable to Retail Film Plastic Recycling centers, and some that are not. Returnables include plastic bags that food was wrapped in, plastic that products, such as paper towels, were wrapped in, bubble wrap, packaging materials and similar plastics. Plastic such as snack wrappers, containers, bottles, six pack rings and more are non-returnable. Grocery and retail stores have reusable bags for sale, usually between $1 and $10, some that are insulated for perishables. They are machine washable and can hold up to 50 pounds, saving space and plastic. “While shoppers can bring any type of bag,including film plastic, note that there are many alternatives to choose from which are more environmentally friendly,” the Bag Waste Reduction Law says. “Some stores may choose not to switch to paper and may only have reusable bags for purchase. That is why it is important for consumers to #BYOBagNY - Bring Your Own Bag.” The law takes effect on March 1 in all New York stores including retail and grocery businesses. ■
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