CROWN POINT, NY • (518) 597-3444
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PO Box 338 Elizabethtown NY 12932 Postal Patron
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HOMES EVERY WEEK! November 16, 2019
Valley News
suncommunitynews.com
• EDITION •
TAKING STOCK
Towns hold steady on budget spending
Essex County counting up the damage from October storm
Tax caps generally less than 2%, many near 1%; health insurance cost increases around 7%
By Tim Rowland STAFF WRITER
ELIZABETHTOWN | Essex County continued to mop up from a significant flood this week, as state officials surveyed the damage to help determine if the region would be eligible for disaster aid. Town and county officials said they feel confident that the 11 affected New York counties will break through the $30 million damage threshold to qualify for federal help. There is also a chance that individual home and business owners could get assistance, even if they were not covered by insurance. Donald Jaquish, director at Essex County Emergency Services, said about 50 homes were significantly damaged by the rising waters, which most agreed were the highest since Irene in 2011. He said federal money is not guaranteed at this point, but the state is surveying the damage this week and if it’s deemed severe enough the governor will petition the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help. The volume of water was illustrated in Ticonderoga where, on a dry day, the sewer plant handles flows of 1 million gallons a day. But on the day of the flood it handled 50 million gallons, said sewer and water superintendent Derrick Fleury.
By Kim Dedam STAFF WRITER
The Port Henry beach on Lake Champlain suffered significant damage in a Halloween storm said to be the worst since Irene in 2011. Photo by Tim Rowland Much of the more serious damage was in the Schroon River valley. “We are recovering,” said North Hudson Supervisor Stephanie DeZalia. “The highway crew and the fi re department worked hard, and the roads are open and people have power.” But she said permanent repairs to the roads will have to wait until warm weather next year, when asphalt plants resume production. North Hudson was still assessing the damage, but DeZalia said it appeared that between 20 and 30 homes had suffered damage from the rising waters. Residents were also finding out that their homeowners insurance did not cover flooding, she said. And those that did have flood insurance weren’t always covered for the full damage. “I talked with one business that had
$300,000 to $400,000 in damage and $150,000 in coverage,” DeZalia said. “Hopefully we’ll be getting some help from FEMA.” In Moriah, Tracy Road was still closed as of late last week. “That creates a real hardship for the community because it’s the main route to the Interstate,” said Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava. The beach at Port Henry also received major damage and could cost up to $500,000. Scozzafava said the state, power companies, fire companies and highway departments have all been “very responsive” to community needs. But repair crews often found themselves cut off from the locations in need of help by rising waters. “Getting from Point A to Point B was a struggle,” Scozzafava said. See STORM DAMAGE » pg. 7
ELIZABETHTOWN | Area town governments are finalizing spending plans for 2020. Generally, tax levy caps were calculated below 2 percent this year, many close to 1 percent.
WILMINGTON 2020 BUDGET
In Wilmington, the Town Council adopted the fi nal budget Nov. 12. The public hearing was held in late October. Of the total $ 1,752,611 spending plan for next year, the amount to be raised by taxes — the tax levy — is $1,134,283. The general budget figure does not include Wilmington Fire District costs. Interim and incoming Supervisor Roy Holzer said Wilmington’s budget stayed under the tax cap and reflects a 1.94 percent increase with a 0.006 cents increase per thousand dollars of assessed value on a home. See BUDGETS » pg. 7
Early voting nets 294 voters in Essex County Commissioners work to gauge efficiency, costs, sites, e-poll system
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By Kim Dedam STAFF WRITER
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ELIZABETHTOWN | A total 294 people in Essex County took part in the inaugural round of Early Voting. The provision was made law in January and mandated one early polling site per 50,000 voters. The total 28,000 voters in this county had access to one location established at the Essex County Public Safety Building in the Town of Lewis. As Early Voting days approached, Board of Election Commissioner Allison McGahay told the county Board of Supervisors law requires them to hold nine days of Early Voting for each major election. The system put in place here accomplished the goal using hand-held scanners to read the bar code associated with each voter’s name, signature and town. The central polling site in Lewis was open every day with a mixed schedule to include evening and daytime hours. A major hitch came on Friday, Nov. 1, when it closed due to a county-wide emergency declaration from the Halloween storm. In its first year, numbers for Early Voting were slim, less than 1 percent of total voters. But the process seemingly worked smoothly. “Overall, Essex C ou nt y ’s f i rst f o r ay i nto E a rl y Vot i ng went w e l l ,” E l e c t i o n s Commissioner Sue Montgomery-Corey told the Sun. See EARLY VOTING » pg. 5
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Design plans for the proposed new Westport Hose Co. fire station utilize the back section of several vehicle bays as storage room for firefighter lockers and storage area for turnout gear and equipment. Photo by Kim Dedam
Westport Fire Commissioners set date for station referendum vote New facility designed to improve readiness, optimize safety for volunteer fire company By Kim Dedam STAFF WRITER
WESTPORT | The Westport Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners voted last week to bring plans for their new $3.2 million fire station to vote.
The new facility, with added bays for equipment storage, radio communications desk and a decontamination area, is designed to fit all current equipment under one roof including firefighters’ bunker gear, allow addition of apparatus in the future and provide room for training. Jim Rule, chairman of the Westport Board of Fire Commissioners, said improved readiness is a very big reason Westport Hose Company 1 needs the new station. “One of the challenges we face here,” he said, seated in the current and aged fire station, “is that when we return from a call, we cannot clean and return apparatus to service inside the station. It has to be done outside.” See WESTPORT FIRE STATION » pg. 3
TH TH 3609 Essex Road, Willsboro, NY • (518) 963-8612 • Fax: (518) 963-4583 NOVEMBER 14 - NOVEMBER 20
MEAT
Boneless Sirloin Steaks ....................................................... $5.99 lb. Extra-Lean Stew Beef ........................................................... $4.49 lb. Boneless Beef Chuck (Pot Roasts) ..................................... $4.49 lb. Boneless Pork Shoulder (Perfect for Pulled Pork) ......... $2.29 lb. Boneless Pork Chops ............................................................ $2.49 lb.
PRODUCE
5# Bagged Russet Potatoes ...............................................$3.49 bag Fresh Tomatoes on the Vine.................................................$2.99 lb. Large Hot House Tomatoes ..................................................$2.19 lb. Fresh Local Honeycrisp Apples ............................................89¢ ea.
DELI
Sandwich Pepperoni ............................................................ $5.99 lb. Land O’ Lakes American Cheese ........................................ $5.49 lb. Smoked Turkey....................................................................... $6.99 lb.
HOURS: MON. - FRI. 6AM-8PM • SAT. 7AM-8PM • SUN. 7AM-7PM
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