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HOMES EVERY WEEK! Burgh/North Countryman
August 17, 2019
suncommunitynews.com
• EDITION •
SegundoClark admits to ‘physical dispute’ 25-year-old accused of killing grandmother Ginger Clark, 73 By Sarah Elizabeth Morris
Staffing concerns follow Plattsburgh fire
STAFF WRITER
PLATTSBURGH | Gustavo Segundo-Clark admitted to police that he had a knife in his hands prior to a fight with his grandmother, Ginger Clark. On day four of the trial of Segundo-Clark, 25 — who is accused of causing the 73-year-old Beekmantown woman’s death — videos of his interview following his Gustavo Segundo-Clark, 25, arrest were shown to the is on trial for the murder of his court. At first, SegundoClark denies knowing a grandmother, Ginger Clark. Ginger Clark or Rooney Photo provided Road. As the interview goes on, Segundo-Clark admits to Ginger Clark being his grandmother and even putting his hands on her, claiming that she fell to the floor and he left due to nervousness. After more questioning, Segundo-Clark then admitted to having a knife. When Segundo-Clark was physically examined, his clothing was taken in for testing. His hands were photographed, too, and shown to the court, exposing what appeared to be scabbed-over scratches on the backs of his hands. Pictures from the crime scene revealed blood splatters along light switches, counters, the floor and clothing owned by Segundo-Clark. One of these items of clothing included a pair of black gloves, allegedly used to help clean the knife of fingerprints, none of which were found. See TRIAL » pg. 8
The City of Plattsburgh Fire Department has long fought a battle for more staffing. However, there has yet to been passed a bill allowing a minimum staff requirement. Photo by Sarah Elizabeth Morris
By Sarah Elizabeth Morris STAFF WRITER
PLATTSBURGH | It came to light following the recent apartment fire at 32 Adirondack Lane that the City of Plattsburgh Fire Department is lacking in employment. At the recent city common council meeting, Plattsburgh Professional Firefighters Local Vice President Jamie Schwartz stood up to thank the mayor and council for the recognition of the firefighters who saved the lives of eight children and adults. However, Schwartz had more to say. “Everyday firefighters are fighting previous injuries from this job,” Schwartz said. “It’s a very physically demanding job … we have firefighters right now that have had previous back injuries that they’re trying to milk to get through and be able to help the people of Plattsburgh.” At the recent fire, which was called in at 10:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, only six firefighters were on duty that night. According to Schwartz, who recounted the events of the night, two firefighters
had stood up a 26-foot-tall ladder by themselves, a job that would take normally two to three people. After securing it in place, they climbed up and saved those trapped in the apartments while withstanding the extreme heat from the fire. Another firefighter was acknowledged for operating the hoseline by himself. “We had a firefighter that was injured at this fire,” Schwartz said. “He was operating a hoseline by himself … thankfully, injuries are not life threatening. That might be okay with you guys, but it’s not with us. It’s not with me, it’s not with my fellow firefighters and we’re not standing for it anymore. We dodged a bullet and we’re very thankful that we did.” Also at the meeting to speak was Jilly Aley, the wife of retired firefighter Todd Aley. While up, she talked about how her husband was injured while on the job due to the lack of help he received. Because of this, he was forced to retire early from a job he loved. “I’ve personally seen exactly what happens when there’s lack of staffing,” Aley said. “Two years ago, my husband
pulled up to a fi re without adequate manning. He was doing the job and duties of three others who were not there. Inevitably he was injured and ending up having to retire.” Staffing at the City of Plattsburgh Fire Department has been a hot button issue for a while now. In 2018, a union that was formed to ensure more protection for firefighters, a minimum staffing requirement of 36 people and better benefits lost a legal case against the city. As a result, the demands the fire department had were not set into place. This, however, hasn’t stopped people from the group speaking up about the needs of the fire department. According to the union, the need for more firefighters is a matter of safety. Schwartz said he and others are willing to sit down and discuss a different, more fiscally responsible way of getting more firefighters in Plattsburgh. “I’m really not sure how many more injuries are going to occur before you’re going to address staffing is an issue,” Aley told the council. “Our community members deserve their safety.” ■
Literacy Volunteers seek Clinton County funding Group looking for outreach, better programs By Sarah Elizabeth Morris STAFF WRITER
The Literacy Volunteers of Clinton County is located at 101 Broad St. in Plattsburgh, 052 Hawkins Hall, a building on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. Stock photo
North Country suffrage Women’s voting rights a contentious issue more than a century ago By Tim Rowland STAFF WRITER
KEENE VALLEY | Better than a century ago, a merchant in Plattsburgh took out an advertisement in the paper, using copy that must have seemed hilarious at the time. The ad posited that if women were
as excited about voting as they were about shopping at this particular store, they’d have had the ballot by now. But seriously. Helen Allen Nerska, director of the Clinton County Historical Association, speaking to a gathering at the Keene Valley Library last week, said the ad demonstrated the degree to which women’s suffrage was on the minds of North Country residents as states and the nation lurched toward equal voting rights. Articles show that as the debate heated up, there were many clubs, meetings and visits from prominent suffragists in Clinton and Essex counties, Nerska said. See SUFFRAGE » pg. 3
PLATTSBURGH | The Literacy Volunteers of Clinton County (LVCC) uses its limited budget and resources to help improve literacy in adults. Whether it be helping non-English speakers learn the language or combating adult illiteracy in the North Country, the mission statement is clear: “To empower residents who seek to improve their literacy skills.”
According to LVCC statistics, there are 114 adult learners, 84 from Plattsburgh, which comes out to 5,000 hours of instruction. However, outside towns are in need of outreach, of which the group says it doesn’t have enough. The volunteer group was created in 1972 and teaches people of all ages. The LVCC has two programs: Imagination Library and Literacy Camp. The Imagination Library is a program that gives children free books in the mail monthly. This is meant to not only encourage children to learn to read faster, but also get them excited about reading. This is especially helpful for lower-income families who cannot afford books. See LITERACY PROGRAM » pg. 8
Why Tell th e Story Sharing an .1ppreci,3tion fo r th e
length and breathe of the strugg l e Respecr fo r i e terans of the cau se
Recognition that some iss u es sti ll
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Helen Allen Nerska, director of the Clinton County Historical Association, speaks on North Country suff rage issues to a gathering at the Keene Valley Library. Photo by Tim Rowland
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