Solar power for Saranac
TO THE EDITOR: I was not able to make it to the town meeting last week and had an idea for the town to mull over.
With all the open farm space we have, and numerous grants and assistance programs available to help with such a project, why not put Saranac at the forefront of green energy production and install a solar-power field?
Unlike wind energy, the panels won't stick up above the treeline like a sore thumb, and neighbors will be happy in that the movement mechanisms that track the panels to the sun are practically silent.
There are a number of open fields in Saranac that could be bought or leased from the owners, providing income to those individuals, then local contractors could be found within Clinton County to do the ground prep, engineering and installation.
After installation, residents of the town could be found for training to maintain the fields, creating multiple temporary and permanent job positions.
Saranac would be able to produce its own power and sell energy back into the grid for a profit that could be used to maintain and repair roads, upgrade the schools, put in place community programs, and go towards the general upkeep of the town.
Saranac is relatively poor at this point because there is nothing here, a couple gas stations, an RV park and a hardware store, but on the whole Saranac has no real tourist trade because tourists travel from Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake and stay in hotels and buy from stores and restaurants there, and we don't actually produce anything, so everything for the town is based solely on land taxes (combined with school taxes are huge and the profit from this venture could provide some relief on that front).
In this way, Saranac could ideally look forward to a brighter future through sunlight!
Just a thought for all the town's residents.
Jared Miller
Saranac
Kindnesses remembered
TO THE EDITOR: Our family member, Mary Dubrey, had an unfortunate fall on Aug. 17 in the Friendly's parking lot. We would like to thank family friend (and favorite server) Jodi Rhodes, the staff at Friendly's, the Chauvin sisters and all those whose names we do not know who offered their assistance.
Unfortunately, Mary did suffer a fractured hip but subsequently had surgery and is on the road to recovery. Your kindness will never be forgotten.
Trudy and Bill McNeil
Marci, Leo, Ethan
and Molly King
Ellenburg Depot
