Keeseville mayor seeking re-election

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March 11, 2008

Anonymous The Press Republican Tue Mar 11, 2008, 11:22 AM EDT

BY LUCAS BLAISE

Contributing Writer

KEESEVILLE — The job of Keeseville mayor will be up before voters Tuesday, March 18, along with two trustee seats.

Voting is noon to 9 p.m. in the board room at the Village Offices in the Keeseville Civic Center.

VILLAGE BOARD

Mary E. King and Stephen Johnson’s two-year terms as village trustee are up for vote this year.

King is seeking re-election, while Johnson is not. John Casey is running for the second open seat.

CONTESTED MAYOR’S RACE

In the mayoral race, a four-year term, incumbent Mark Whitney runs against former Trustee Meegan Rock.

Rock thought she would be running the race alone until recently. Earlier this year, Whitney told the Press-Republican he would not seek re-election.

He had taken a job as a culinary manager at an Olive Garden in Vermont, making it necessary for him to commute back and forth every day. It was a drive that he felt made him less accessible to the village residents.

“But, I had an outpouring of support from the community and the trustees,” he said recently, and that changed his mind.

He is still working at Olive Garden but feels he can handle the job of mayor.

For Rock, that isn’t enough.

“I am a lifelong resident of Keeseville, where my family and I presently reside. I currently work in the village and would be available to serve the residents of Keeseville on a daily basis,” she said. “We need somebody we can go to. We need somebody who is here.”

YOUTH CONCERNS

Both candidates agree the village has a consistent problem with youths loitering or skateboarding downtown on Front Street.

“That’s not just a local concern, but a national issue,” said Whitney. “I think, in some ways, we don’t reach out to the youth.”

One of his plans for the youth of the community has been a skate park, a campaign promise during his first term.

The basketball court across the street from the Civic Center is set up with two hoops and skateboarding equipment. A few skating benches, pipes and ramps have been purchased and set up there.

Teens play basketball and also use the skateboarding equipment.

During the winter, the skating equipment is take out, the nets are removed, and the pavement is iced for a winter ice rink.

“Another (upcoming) purchase is a half pipe,” Whitney said.

Youths started playing basketball there after they were discouraged from using the Keeseville Elementary School hoops, she said.

“You’ve got to give them something to do.”

Part of her plans, if elected, would be to try to involve Plattsburgh State and Clinton Community College students with Keeseville’s younger generation.

“Get those youths to spend time with our youths. I know a lot can be done. You’ve got that building down there by the ice rink. It’s centrally located, easy enough to walk to.”

SIGNIFICANT GROWTH?

The two candidates take opposing views regarding the state of the village’s economy and appearance.

“When you’re little, squeezed in between two towns, it’s hard,” said Rock.

Keeseville sits in the towns of AuSable and Chesterfield.

Much of what is generally regarded by North Country residents as Keeseville is, in fact, divided throughout three municipalities.

Housing worries, employment and the higher cost of living are all cited by Rock.

“It is time to look at merging, sharing some of the services,” she said. “People just can’t afford it right now. I know; I feel it too. You have to get a board that can get its facts together and get those to those residents.

DISSOLUTION

Ultimately, Rock would like to approach dissolving the village.

A report she’s seen from the New York comptroller on the subject discusses villages that were formed in the 1800s and have seen no significant growth since the 1920s.

“That’s certainly Keeseville,” she said. “Fact finding shows how they’ve (villages) become outdated.”

And villages she’s heard of are prospering now after dissolving into nearby towns, she said.

“If it was feasible, I think it could be done in a few years.”

But, it would first take gathering information to see if it is a financially sound move for the village.

“If it’s not, it’s not,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s the voters that decide (about dissolution).”

DOWNTOWN GROWTH

Whitney, however, feels good things have been happening to Keeseville.

“We’ve actually seen significant growth over there in the past few years,” he said of Front Street.

First was getting a new grocery store, Bourgeois IGA, to replace the cavity left by Tops Markets’ abrupt departure. Whitney worked with Tops, the building owner and Bourgeois over the course of a year to get the store opened.

A regular pizza shop has continued to be open by different businesses renting the space. The latest is Sophia’s.

“They seem to be doing very well,” Whitney said.

“There are actually not that many storefronts that are empty. I’d like to see us continue to fill them. I think we need to continue the revitalization of Front Street.”

A church exterior has been refurbished, and an Army surplus store opened across from the IGA. Family Dollar was constructed outside of the village’s downtown area.

Veterans Park, which has been planned for about six years, is still awaiting completion, but money for a sculpture has been donated.

During Whitney’s term, water and sewer districts were formed.

But Rock doesn’t see the situation affecting the long-term.

“I just don’t see the progression,” Rock said. “Nobody (on the Village Board) seems unified. The concerns are the same year after year.”

COMMUNICATION

Rock is concerned that residents don’t get enough information from the Village Board.

“When there are village meetings, there is no one there. I’m not sure anybody even knows when they meet,” she said. “We need to let them know who is on the board, how to contact them and not just on Tuesday nights.”

She suggests developing a Web site and a monthly newsletter to the keep the voters informed and “allow good communication both to and from the Mayor’s Office.

“This communication would ensure that our residents have a voice in our government.”

MARK WHITNEY

Age: 40.

Party: People’s Party.

Occupation: Culinary manager for Olive Garden, Burlington.

Previous government experience: Village trustee, four years; mayor, past four years.

Education: Clinton Community College, associate of applied sciences degree.

Civic organizations: Elks Lodge 2072; American Veterans; American Legion.

Military: Navy, four years.

Family: Wife, Amy; three daughters, Keirstin, Emily and Victoria, and one son, Mark.

MEEGAN ROCK

Age: 50.

Party: Citizen’s Party.

Occupation: Manager of Riverside Hotel in Keeseville; does accounting on the side.

Education: Clinton Community College, general education degree; one class away from a bachelor’s degree from Plattsburgh State with social science, political science and criminal justice majors.

Previous government experience: Village trustee, four years.