On the beaten path

By GERIANNE WRIGHT
Staff Writer

I almost committed an egregious and irrevocable error. I was about to leave negative feedback on an Ebay seller’s rating. And anyone who uses the online auction site knows that once you leave feedback, it cannot be changed.

The item in question was clearly listed as coming from a smoke-free home, yet when I got the package on my doorstep, it reeked of cigarette smoke.

Continue reading "What do you expect for 44 cents? Smoke-free mail?" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By LOIS CLERMONT
News Editor

The school votes are over, bringing a big sigh of relief to most North Country schools — and to everyone here in the Press-Republican newsroom.

It takes months of work to be able to tell you what kind of budget each district is offering and who is running for school board.

Continue reading "School budgets are behind us for another year" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By GERIANNE WRIGHT
Staff Writer

Sorry, Mr. Turcotte, but I must disagree with your assessment that people who don’t leave tips or leave less than the customary 15 percent must be cheapskates. I’ll grant that some most definitely are. No doubt about it. And shame on them, especially if they received exemplary service. Even if they received adequate service, 15 percent is the norm.

But tips aren’t taxes. Tips aren’t inevitable. They’re additional, meant to say thank you for a job well done.

Continue reading "Tips are reflective of service in a service industry" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

By GERIANNE WRIGHT
Staff Writer

I think the Plattsburgh City School Board made an egregious error in its recent denial of tenure to Principal John Fairchild, a decision that may well turn around and bite them on their collective rears.

Previously, my interest in who served in that office was professional – as a reporter covering education – and as a taxpayer. As a professional, my viewpoint has always been to view both administrators and board members as conduits to news stories, good and bad, about their schools and educational topics. As long as he or she is forthcoming with information, I’ve never had a problem with any school administrator or board member.

Continue reading "District voters may cast more than aspersions in Fairchild decision" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

BY JACK DOWNS
Design Editor

Tens of thousands of people are ill, some seriously. Hundreds of Americans are dying every week. By the time the year is up it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people will die worldwide.

This is an emergency. This is a crisis. We're not taking flu seriously enough.

Swine flu? H1N1 flu? No, I'm talking about regular seasonal flu.

Continue reading "Not taking (seasonal) flu seriously enough" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By LOIS CLERMONT
News Editor

I’m a little tired of the Speakout snobs.

You know, the people who think everyone who writes a Speakout is a moron.

I’m the person here who edits Speakout, and I can see from the e-mail addresses who sent many of them. Many of them are coming from local professionals and businesspeople, from professors and teachers, from community leaders and retirees who once held influential positions around here.

Continue reading "Why the North Country needs Speakout" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By LUCAS BLAISE
Contributing Writer

The Press-Republican reported two things Friday, March 27, that most of us are all aware of, but we finally have some numbers to put to it.

On the front page we saw two articles from the Associated Press reflecting the face of the Adirondack Park.

Continue reading "Job losses in the North Country" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By DENISE RAYMO
Staff Writer

I fell head over heels in love with my husband all over again on March 17 at 3:30 in morning.

We have 11 outdoor cats who, during cold and rainy weather, manage to squeeze in and out of our basement through loose stones in our ancient foundation walls.

Other times, if we feel it’s too cold or too rotten out, we carry them in, one by one, to the safe, dry basement.

We also have an indoor cat, Sam, who is 14 and unfriendly to anything with four legs.

Continue reading "Another reason ot love him" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Lucas Blaise
Contributing Writer

As a freelancer to the Press-Republican, I've been covering Beekmantown Town Council meetings for a few years. At the beginning, at most of the meetings I attended, the audience before the council wasn't more than five people on the average.

One static attendee was well-known local Democratic voice and HAM Radio Operator Dan Jerry.

When Windhorse Power LLC first came into Beekmantown three years ago, the room became filled with people - all of them angry that their leaders hadn't informed them of the project.

Continue reading "Pressure from the people" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By GERIANNE WRIGHT
Staff Writer

“Pat me,” my almost-3-year-old daughter whispered as she lay in her pretty princess toddler bed on the eve of her third birthday.

"Pat me.”

Continue reading "Massaging a toddler through the years" »

Posted by Lois Clermont at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)