Gouverneur to commemorate Flag Day this Saturday

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce will present the Flag Day Parade and Business Extravaganza in conjunction with the Friends of the Library’s Arts In The Park Celebration this Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Gouverneur Village Park. The day promises to be jam-packed with loads of family-friendly fun for the young and young-at-heart.

Flag Day – which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 – has been celebrated in the Gouverneur community with much fanfare since the Elks held their Flag Day Ritual here in the early 1900s. The Flag Day festivities expanded over time, much to the credit of the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce (going great since 1908), and now is a family tradition for many North Country families, especially those in Gouverneur and the surrounding communities. And the 2023 Flag Day Parade and Business Extravaganza is no exception.

The Gouverneur Village Park will be the place to be on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce’s Business Extravaganza (in keeping with their mission to encourage North Country residents to shop local), the Friends of the Library will host the 32nd Annual Arts In The Park Celebration featuring over a dozen local artists and crafters. Through major fundraisers like Arts in the Park, the Friends of the Library are able to further assist the Gouverneur Public Library with wish-list items as directed by management. Due to generous community support in years past, the Friends have been able to support the Gouverneur Public Library with the purchase of the book drop-off bin located at the library’s entrance, a large screen monitor for the library loft, and a shelving cart to help assist in the re-shelving of books, among other needed items. All North Country residents are encouraged to show their support of the Gouverneur Public Library this Saturday. The artists and crafters will be on site from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The rain location will be St. James School.

Also available throughout the day will be children’s games (made possible by the Gouverneur Recreation Department), farmers market vendors, food trucks (including Rollin’ Soul, Mullin’s, and Cotton Candy ‘N More), static display of vehicles from Ft. Drum, vendors and displays from local businesses, service organizations, churches, and community groups, music by DJ Bob Hughes and so much more.

The Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035 will tell the history of the flag during a special ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in the Gouverneur Village Park. All are invited to come and join the commemoration of the American Flag. The Gouverneur Elks, with support from other volunteers, will carry their large American Flag in the Flag Day Parade. It is reported to be one of the largest in Northern New York.

The Gouverneur Flag Day Parade is at 2 p.m. Line-up is at 1 p.m. Parade participants are urged to enter on Wilson St., marching down to the Johnstown Street intersection. The parade will turn left down Main Street, going over the Route 11 Bridge (over the Oswegatchie River) and march by the crowds in the Gouverneur Village Park. The Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce announced this week that Gouverneur Chamber Director Donna Lawrence will serve as emcee and call the parade. Anyone interested in participating in the parade is welcome. The Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce will award a $50 prize for the Most Patriotic Float (presented following the parade).

Among the many parade participants looking forward to being in the 2023 Gouverneur Flag Day Parade are three marching bands. This includes the Gouverneur Marching Wildcats, the Indian River Marching Warriors, and the Copenhagen Marching Knights. As faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall, the Gouverneur Marching Wildcats will premiere their 2023 Show, “Groovy Gouvy,” which includes “That's The Way I Like It,” “Low Rider,” and “Funkytown.” All North Country residents are encouraged to check out the local marching bands as they start their season.

The Gouverneur Lions Club will hold their Pick a Duck fundraiser in the Gouverneur Village Park on Saturday. The drawing will be held following the Flag Day Parade at 3 p.m. Tickets are being sold by the Gouverneur Lions, and will be available on Saturday. The first place prize of $500 is sponsored by Conklin Insurance. The second place prize is a complete flag pole with set-up sponsored by the LaPierres. The third place prize is $200 sponsored by Precision Contracting. The fourth place prize is a $100 Lottery Tree sponsored by Lawrence Manor. All funds raised will go to support their mission of serve the blind and visually impaired and the greater Gouverneur community.

While enjoying all of the many festivities in the Gouverneur Village Park on Saturday, all North Country residents are urged caution around the Gouverneur Memorial Arch which is scheduled for repair work soon. Much gratitude is extended to the volunteers in the Gouverneur Garden Club for beautifying the Gouverneur Village Park and other areas in the community ahead of Flag Day.

In addition to all of the events in the Gouverneur Village Park, the following events have also been announced:

The Gouverneur Masonic Lodge No. 217 will hold its annual Flag Day Chicken Barbecue fundraiser on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m., at the Gouverneur Masonic Temple, Trinity Ave., Gouverneur.

A craft fair will be held on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 NY-58, Gouverneur, to benefit the Ryan’s Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to celebrate the inspirational life of Ryan Saidel. The foundation is dedicated to helping people who are battling a serious illness to “play and live strong.” The Foundation serves people in the tri-county areas of Northern New York: Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. Funds received from the Foundation can help offset traveling costs and other expenses incurred by individuals and their families during treatment or hospitalization.

The Gouverneur Wrestling Golf Outing will be held on Saturday, 10 a.m. tee-off, at the Emerald Greens’ 18-hole golf course in Gouverneur. All proceeds will benefit Friends of Gouverneur Wrestling. The next Gouverneur Wrestling Club Inc. fundraiser will be a Father’s Day Chicken BBQ on Sunday, June 18, 11 a.m. till gone, at the Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035.

All North Country residents are encouraged to join the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce’s Flag Day Parade and Business Extravaganza and the Friends of the Library’s arts In The Park Celebration this Saturday in Gouverneur Village Park, as well as the many other events in and around the Gouverneur community. For more information about Gouverneur’s Flag Day activities, visit www.gouverneurchamber.net.

Gouverneur Memorial Day Observance to be held Monday

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Memorial Day observance will be held on Monday, May 29, 10 a.m. in Gouverneur. The annual observance is jointly hosted by the James Maloy American Legion Post 65 in Gouverneur and the Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 in Gouverneur. The public is invited and encourage to attend to help pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The Gouverneur Memorial Day Parade is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. sharp. As is tradition, the parade will line-up on Rock Island St. (in front of Dunkin’) in Gouverneur, starting at 9:30 a.m. All marching bands, marching units, local clubs, local businesses and civic organizations are welcome to participate in the parade. American Legion Post 65 Commander Jason Carvel told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that he has received confirmation that the Gouverneur Wildcat Marching Band, Civil Air Patrol, Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce, Gouverneur Rescue Squad, Gouverneur Fire Department, local dignitaries, among others will be participating in the Memorial Day Parade. Coffee and donuts will be available for all parade participants starting at 8 a.m. at the James Maloy American Legion Post 65, 163 E. Main St., Gouverneur.

The Gouverneur Memorial Day Parade will start at 10 a.m. sharp, turning right onto East Main St. (Route 11) in Gouverneur and traveling past the Gouverneur Village Park, over the West Main Street (Route 11) bridge over the Oswegatchie River where the U.S. Navy Remembrance will be the conducted. The parade will then turn left on Hailesboro St. to the Riverside Cemetery where the Gouverneur Memorial Day ceremony will be held.

American Legion Commander Jason Carvel confirmed to the Gouverneur Tribune Press that the guest speaker will be Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Joseph Grimsey of the 91st Military Police Battalion, Fort Drum, NY. The Civil Air Patrol will escort the special guests during the presentation of ribbons.

Following the Gouverneur Memorial Day observance at Riverside Cemetery, all North Country community members and visitors in attendance will be invited to the James Maloy American Legion Post 65 for a free luncheon.

For more information about the Gouverneur Memorial Day observance, call American Legion Commander Jason Carvel at 315-877-2411.

Hydrant flushing notice

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 am to 3:00 pm Wednesday, May 24, 2023 and then again from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm on Thursday, May 25, 2023. 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. If you have any further questions, you can contact the Department of Public Works at 287-0110.

Polling Location Reminder: Gouverneur voters cast ballot at Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center

by Rachel Hunter

Gouverneur voters are reminded that the Gouverneur polling place is the Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 NY-58, in Gouverneur.

The St. Lawrence County Board of Elections recently mailed out reminders to local residents, detailing information about the 2023 Primary Election and General Election and related information. The notice also tells each voter’s jurisdictional information, party affiliation, election district, and polling place.

A few Gouverneur voters have reported that they were directed to cast their ballots in the Town of DeKalb. Gouverneur voters are encouraged to look at their polling place reminder card. If the polling place reminder card says DeKalb, voters need to the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections at 315-379-2202 to correct their polling place.

The St. Lawrence County Board of Elections has announced the Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 27, and polls will be open, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting is being held June 17 to 25. The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, and polls will be open, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting will be held October 28 to November 5.

Information about polling places, early voting sites, and more is available at www.votestlawrence.org. If you are interested in serving as an election day worker, need an absentee ballot application or voter registration forms or have other questions, contact the Board of Elections at 315-379-2202.

Town, village boards hear about Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza success

by Rachel Hunter

The success of the Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 1 was recognized at the Town of Gouverneur Council and the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees meetings this month. Over 1,000 plastic eggs were filled with candy and toys by volunteers, and were hidden at Riverview Recreational Park in Gouverneur for local youths to locate. The event was made possible due to generous support from local businesses and community members and the hard work and dedication of the Gouverneur Recreation Department, the Riverview Park association, and in partnership with the Gouverneur Community Center.

“It was a huge success,” Gouverneur Recreation Department Director Casey Canell said.

Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. commented, “The Easter Egg Hunt was great. We had almost 200 kids register, but the way the tickets were given out, we could only give one ticket per family. We had 16 gift baskets to give away. I’m going to say we had 500-600 people there easy. We put out 1000 Easter eggs, and they were gone in 10 minutes. It was a nice day. It really worked. The sun shined. It was a little cold, a little windy, but what a great event. It was wonderful to see everybody.”

Town of Gouverneur Highway Superintendent David Perrigo said, “My kids loved it.”

Supervisor Spilman then extended gratitude to Riverview Park association Treasurer Jennifer Link who organized the event alongside Gouverneur Recreation Director Casey Canell. Supervisor Spilman also served hot cocoa and popcorn to the youths in attendance alongside other duties in the Gouverneur Community Center to make the event a success.

“It all worked out well,” Supervisor Spilman said. “It’s going to be bigger and better next year… that’s what I heard from both Jen and Casey. We’ll see what bigger and better brings…” There is much anticipation to see this community event return in 2024.

Gouverneur Recreation Director Casey Canell also submitted the following report detailing the activities of the department in March 2023:

The Before-School Morning Program is held weekdays at the Gouverneur Elementary School, and is hosted in partnership with the Gouverneur Central School District. The enrichment program features early morning wake-up activities, interactive social play, arts and crafts, and breakfast. The highlights this month included kids kindness recognitions and innovative activity stations.

The After-School Program – Recreation Center STEAM Studio – which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, arts, and Math for students in grades 2-4 (Monday and Wednesday), and UPK-1 (Tuesday and Thursday). Bus transportation from the school is provided by the Gouverneur Central School District. Program highlights include recreational opportunities exploring STEAM field, theme days and guests with fine arts appreciation, gaming stations with tournaments, and interactive social play. The highlights this month included the St. Patrick’s Bash and Spring Theme Celebration.

Toddler Town continues on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The recreational preschool playgroup program features interactive socialization, music and art with a story and snack, and active play. This month’s highlights included Leprechaun Fun Day with Parent & Me Social.

The Senior Citizen Program featuring a bingo and coffee social is held on Friday mornings, featuring food bingo games with socialization. All area seniors are welcome to join. The highlights in March featured the Luck of the Irish Bingo Blast.

In other related business, Director Canell reported that the Gouverneur Recreation Department had submitted the Recreation Department’s annual report and grant funding application to the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau.

Director Canell also reported that the Missoula Children’s Theatre Performing arts Week would be held July 24 through July 29 in the GHS auditorium. This year’s production will be Cinderella. Registration will begin on May 1. All those interested are encouraged to call the Gouverneur Recreation Department at 315-287-0524.

Volunteers asked to lend elbow grease to cemetery clean-up efforts

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Cemetery Association’s Cemetery Clean-Up will be held on Saturday, May 6, starting at 8 a.m. at the Riverside (William St.) and East Riverside (Outer Grove St.) cemeteries in Gouverneur.

All volunteer assistance from around the North Country community is gratefully accepted. Volunteers are asked to bring supplies such as gloves, rakes, chainsaws, and more to assist with the clean-up efforts after the long winter and in advance of the Memorial Day holiday. The annual cemetery clean-up is an ideal opportunity for local students and other community groups to get in their community service hours. In past years, the event has drawn 4-H members, FFA members, scouting troops, sporting teams, National Honor Society, and other groups. All support is welcomed.

Organizers told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that hot dogs and refreshments will be served to the volunteers during the annual cemetery clean-up.

The Town of Gouverneur Highway Department and Village of Gouverneur Department of Public Works loaders will also be on site to help with the clean-up efforts.

To learn how you can help with the Gouverneur Cemetery Association’s Annual Clean-Up or for more information, call Donna Besaw at 315-287-2991.

Gouverneur Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Application Deadline Is April 30

The Gouverneur Hospital Auxiliary is pleased to announce that scholarship applications are now available.

The Auxiliary recognizes and honors the service and dedication of four deceased members: Peg Hanlon, Betsy Deuval, Della Evans and Janet Storch. Scholarships in their honor are awarded annually to students pursuing a career in a medical or health related field. These scholarships memorialize the efforts of these community women who worked tirelessly to provide care and comfort to those in need. The scholarships are funded by the Auxiliary on an annual basis and the awards are discretionary, depending upon the qualifications of the candidates and the availability of funds.

To be eligible for this scholarship, an individual must be a high school graduate who has successfully completed at least one semester of college and reside in the Gouverneur Hospital service area. This area includes the Towns of Fowler, Antwerp, Edwards, DeKalb, DePeyster, Harrisville, Hermon, Macomb, Richville and Rossie. Consideration may also be given to current Gouverneur Hospital employees who live outside of the service area. Applicants must apply for the scholarship on an annual basis.

A committee of Auxiliary members will select the award recipients. Criteria for selection includes career interest, financial need and academic achievement.

Applications are available from Valerie Graves at Gouverneur High School Guidance Office [phone: (315) 287-4914]; Lori-Anne McCormick at Gouverneur Hospital [phone: (315) 261-5750]; or Janet Melillo, Auxiliary member [phone: (315) 222-8738].

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY APRIL 30, 2023.

Swatting hoaxes hit local schools

by Rachel Hunter

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe reported on Thursday, March 30 that swatting hoaxes had hit area schools – including Gouverneur Central School District. The threats of violence were unfounded.

Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly reported that the threat was only made toward a “high school.” So the Gouverneur High School was placed in a hold-in-place. The other buildings had a police presence, but were not placed in a hold-in-place. “Thanks to quick action by our administrative team, our SRO, and our local law enforcement officials, who were immediately on the scene, the building was secured so faculty, staff, and students were safe,” she said. “The threat was deemed non-credible and the building was cleared by law enforcement.” The students were later returned back to normal activities and the Gouverneur Central School District continued to have a police presence in and around the school buildings throughout the day.

Supt. Kelly sent a letter to district families on March 30, which said the following: “Dear Gouverneur Families, this morning, March 30, several area school districts, including Gouverneur, Potsdam and Canton, have received unfounded threats of violence.

“According to law enforcement, these identical messages did not target any specific building or person(s). This act is a crime, known as swatting, and is a harassment technique that involves calling in an emergency police response against an innocent target. There have been several more of these "swatting” calls made throughout the region. At this time, the Gouverneur Central School District has been cleared by law enforcement and the threat was deemed non-credible. Students and staff are safe and back to normal activities.

“As always, the safety of our staff and students is our highest priority. As a precaution, families throughout the region may notice an increased police presence at schools following these unfounded threats. We strive to work collaboratively with our communities to keep everyone safe. I would like to remind our students, staff and families that if you see anything out of the ordinary in or around our school buildings please inform us. This is an important way that can help keep our communities safe. Thank you.”

Supt. Kelly also addressed the topic at the GCSD Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, April 3, which was held in the Gouverneur Middle School cafeteria.

“I’d like to take a moment tonight to thank our local law enforcement agencies for their response to the swatting call that was received last week,” she said. “As you likely know, on Thursday, March 30, several area school districts, including Gouverneur, received unfounded threats of violence. This was an example of swatting.

Swatting is a criminal harassment tactic used to deceive an emergency service, such as a 911 dispatcher, into sending a police or emergency service response team to another person’s address. In this case, the police were sent to the Gouverneur High School. Both the Gouverneur Police Department and the New York State Troopers were on the scene immediately. I’d like to thank them for their quick response and continued support. I’m thankful to have such great support and know that the safety of our students and staff is not only our top priority, but it is also the top priority of local law enforcement agencies. Thank you for all that you do to keep our students and staff safe.”

Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education President David Fenlong said, “Thank you very much. I couldn’t have said it any better myself. Nice job, appreciate you recognizing them. It’s a great opportunity here at the board meeting to recognize those people for all that they do for us.”

The very next morning, Tuesday, April 4, the Gouverneur Central School District went on a two-hour delay in response to an email bomb threat, a hoax that was directed at several area schools in addition to schools across New York State. The Gouverneur Central School District was later cleared by law enforcement. The New York State Troopers, along with a K-9, and the Gouverneur Police went through each district building. The buildings were all cleared and the threat was deemed non-credible, and students and staff were safe to come to school on the two-hour delay schedule.

The following message by Supt. Kelly was distributed to District families: “In response to the email threat that we received this morning, April 4th, the District worked with the New York State Troopers and the Gouverneur Police Department to complete a thorough sweep of our buildings, including the use of trained police dogs, to ensure that they are safe for our staff and students. At this time, police have deemed the threat is not credible and we have been cleared to resume all normal operations. Incidents of this nature are unsettling for staff, students, families, and the community at large. While these hoax messages are often not credible, I would like to assure you that the health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. As a result, you may notice an increased police presence at our schools. As a district, we strive to work collaboratively with our communities to keep everyone safe. I would like to remind our students, staff, and families to inform us if you see anything out of the ordinary in or around our school buildings. I would also like to express sincere appreciation to the New York State Troopers and the Gouverneur Police Department for their prompt response and commitment to helping us keep our school community safe. Please contact my office if you have any questions or concerns.”

As a precaution, families throughout the region noticed an increased police presence at schools following these unfounded threats. The unfounded threats of violence caused school delays or closures at area schools. Also affected were BOCES, Hermon-DeKalb, St. Lawrence County Head Start Program, Edwards-Knox, and Morristown. There were reports of similar threats at schools across New York State on Tuesday morning, and is considered to be another example of swatting.

NY-21 Congresswoman Elise Stefanik released the following statement following “swatting” calls reporting fake active shooter and bomb threat claims to schools in Upstate New York and the North Country. “The soulless criminals who committed these shameful and cowardly illegal acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I thank our local and state law enforcement who are working to investigate these threats, so perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.”

The next meeting of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.gcsk12.org.

Town of Fowler eyes hiring court security officer

by Rachel Hunter

The Fowler Town Council is discussing the hiring of a court security officer.

Town of Fowler Supervisor Rick Newvine at the March 13 meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council said that Town of Fowler Justice Timothy Knowlton has requested a court security officer. Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that a similar discussion was held recently in Gouverneur, and led to the hiring of a court security guard or the Town of Gouverneur Justice Court.

Supervisor Newvine told the town council that he had already started to research the matter. “I called our insurance company,” he said. “There’s no extra premium or anything but they were concerned about his training and stuff like that. Once they know we want to hire a retired state trooper, I think they’ll be fine.” Supervisor Newvine then gave the floor to the Hon. Tim Knowlton, who told the town council he had not approached anyone until he had the “graces of the board to do it.”

“The person that Gouverneur has, because that person is a retired state trooper, he is sort of grandfathered in, and doesn’t need the official training. He falls within the guidelines of a New York State security guard. So, that is basically all taken care of. I did have a very long conversation with Judge Youngs from Gouverneur. Judge Dann was one of the forces that was behind that. Basically, just because of the way things are in the world nowadays, we aren’t left alone here in Northern New York. There’s just some craziness in the world. I know Judge Young said that after only two months of having him there, they are very thankful. It sets a tone having him there.

“Rick had asked me to list just some of the jobs that they do, and I came up with 10 of them – not really an official list, but it is what I got from Judge Youngs and doing a little bit of research by myself. One of the biggest ones though is that they check people in and out. They make sure that everyone is signed in, and they basically keep any law and order that needs to go on in the building. That person would also stand in between the defendant, the attorney and the bench. Any paper that gets handed to a defendant, and there is a paper chase, with them between them, that really eliminates any chance for them approaching the bench and anything negative happening. If you have ever been to the courts in Canton, if you’ve been on jury duty or anything, it’s the same way there. No one gets close to a judge up there. Again, with all the craziness that is going on in the world…

“One of the other things is that, whenever we have mediation, that means Attorney Stefan Dufresne, if there is an eviction or any civil matter, before they come in front of me, they actually go into the historian’s office as that is our mediation room, and they haggle it out. Ninety-nine percent of the time it is handled in there and they come to a conclusion and either something is dropped or typically it is, “Okay, I’ll agree to pay.” We have had situations where Stefan Dufresne who is a big man had to get a little snotty with people because they thought it was ridiculous. They thought it was a waste of time. So this security officer would be in there monitoring that too. You have people haggling over hundreds or thousands of dollars, so tempers could tend to flare. Again, we don’t have a metal detector. I can only imagine what a metal detector would cost, plus we would have to have someone to run that. I am not going to be able to on a bench, running the court, and running a metal detector as people are coming in and out for two hours at a time. Obviously, (Court Clerk Irma Ashley) is back and forth in the office, in and out, in and out. I don’t think it is a job for her either. So that is another thing that their presence does during court times…”

Supervisor Newvine then asked the Hon. Tim Knowlton the list of 10 job duties a Town of Fowler Court Security Officer might have.

“The 10 jobs are to inspect and patrol the premise before and during court. Most people are here by noon and our civil cases start at 1:30 p.m., so it could go into 2 p.m., but they would do that, monitor the property, the entrance, and along with that, I know one of the things that I had done there was to monitor the surveillance cameras. I’ll give you a quick update on that. (Office of Court Administration) still has not gotten back to us on the JCAP grant that we spent a ton of time on. We got bids. It was supposed to be in by the end of December… through the grapevine I am hearing that we should hear by the end of March, so maybe by April, May or June is really what I am looking at, which is really sad because of our security system upstairs.

“The other day I said to Irma, “Wow, look at that monitor.” And it was completely black. You couldn’t even see anybody. You could hear people walking up the stairs, and you had to get up real close to look at them. It is just an antiquated system. So they would monitor those also. Again, the big one, they would authorize the people into it. They would report suspicious behaviors and happenings. Obviously, being a retired police officer, if that is who is to be hired, they are very good at that. Those are things that they are trained to see. They would secure exits, doors and windows. Again, monitor those surveillance cameras. The monitors that we have asked the state to purchase for us are nice, large monitors. There will be one in Irma’s office where my desk is, and one out in the courtroom that they would be able to watch. Like the other night, I was in here at 1 a.m., and I waited and waited and waited. I thought I heard a car. Again, with the monitor, I didn’t know what was going on. And then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and I looked and it was the troopers with the defendant. That is really the only way I knew that they were even here.

“Another big one, they would deliver documents from the bench to the defendants and attorneys. They would be in charge of courtroom behavior. Again, the one trial that we did have here, which was Mayor Skelly from Ogdensburg. I had to request from Sheriff Bigwarfe for him to send over a deputy that day. We all know that the County is short of people, short of COs, but he was very gracious and said, “Yeah, I am going to send one over for that, because that could have been a debacle. But I think with that Sheriff’s Deputy up there, and I made it very clear when we started the trial, that we were not going to tolerate any childish behavior or anything… things went really well that day. I think that is a great example of what they will provide.

“Again, they would be present during courtroom mediations and they would monitor all situations and know when to contact police services. We had a gentleman that was to appear in my court. I got an email the morning of court that there was a felony warrant put out for this gentleman by Judge Storie, and if he showed up, would they please call the police. Well, this was a pretty dangerous guy an lo and behold, he showed up – and Irma and I are looking at the TV monitors because I said, “Hey Irma, I think that’s our man.” And she said, “I don’t think it is.” I said, “I think it is.” And she said, “No, it is not.” So when he showed up, I said, “Excuse me sir, what’s your name, could you please sign in? He told me his name and I had to give like baseball signals so Irma would call the police. She called the troopers and they were able to come right up. If that guy had said, “Why do you need to know?” It could have turned bad. He could have bolted or whatever, and the crime that he committed… I am not going to quote Sheriff Bigwarfe… it was not pretty heinous, it was heinous. And so the troopers showed up, and once I was done with him, he turned around and it was almost comical because he said, “Why are you guys here?” And they just said, “Put your hands up.” And they put the cuffs right on him. It was beautiful. He got carted right out of here.”

Supervisor Newvine then asked, “How many hours are you going to need them?” The Hon. Tim Knowlton said, “Well, I believe that the person that Gouverneur is hired is at a minimum of 16 hours per month. I think he gets paid $30 per hour… If it were four hours, you’re only looking at $120 per month.” Knowlton said that the person the Town of Fowler is seeking to hire has his own firearm, taser, bulletproof vest, etc. “I don’t know if he would need something that says Town of Fowler Court Security Officer, but I would think that would be very minimal,” he said.

Supervisor Newvine then asked if Hon. Knowlton had made any progress on getting a court security assessment at the Town of Fowler Hall. “I contacted the Office of Court Administration, and I said, “I would like a security assessment done.” But I don’t think anyone has ever been up here. They don’t know where we are up here. And then all of a sudden I get a text last Friday that said, “If you want that assessment done, I have to contact the Fourth Judicial District judge in Albany and I have to request it in writing on our letterhead from the Courts.” I said, “We would like that assessment done.”

Supervisor Newvine said, “That’s good. I think that is the next step, don’t you?” “Yeah,” Knowlton said in response.

Supervisor Newvine then asked, “Does anyone have any questions?”

Town of Fowler Deputy Supervisor Karen Simmons asked, “Are you thinking about hiring the same person that they are hiring in Gouverneur?” The Hon. Knowlton said, “I know the person. They love him. He is a tremendous presence… I didn’t really want to throw anything at him. But I will touch base. If I have the good graces of the council, I will certainly go to him and say, “Is this something you are interested in?” If not, maybe he knows of somebody… again, it is not like it is a full-time job. There are probably a lot of those guys that are out there and looking to pick up a little something on the side maybe.”

Supervisor Newvine said, “I think you should. I think everybody is in favor of this. If you want to contact him and see if he is interested, then we’ll know where we should go with it.”

“I will,” Knowlton said.

The Hon. Tim Knowlton then gave the Town of Fowler Council his monthly report for February 2023. “December was slow. January was really slow, and February was super slow,” he said. “There was a total of 15 tickets. But again, we started off March with a bang the other night…” There was some discussion before the Hon. Knowlton concluded his report with the following statement: “The police did make a really nice arrest the other night. The only thing I can say about it is it is really scary with the bail reform... what the person was accused of, he walked out of here, and it was mind-boggling to me. Your hands are tied, and your just like it is a non-qualifying offense. There is absolutely nothing that you can do. Something similar, there was a guy last summer I believe in Massena that had 600 bags of heroin and fentanyl. The guy got arrested, caught with it all, and was released on his own recognizance. That’s basically all you can do… So if anyone is talking with you about bail reform, it is really sad. You have to almost commit murder or bioterrorism or some pretty heinous crimes to be put in jail or be a convicted felon and commit another felony, then it is automatic.”

Town of Fowler Councilman Lynn Bishop said, “If we weren’t at a board meeting, I’d tell you what I think of it.”

There was no further discussion.

The next meeting of the Town of Fowler Council will be held on April 10, 6 p.m., at the Fowler Town Hall, 87 Little York Road, Fowler. For more information, call 315-287-0045 or visit FowlerNY.com.