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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15,1995 PAGE 3 PRESS-REPUBLICAN 'People without knowledge naming things' Rea Brook finally has a name true to early settlers William and Isabel Rea. Staff Photo/Mike Dowd For local brook, a Rea of truth By JEFF MEYERS Staff Writer BEEKMANTOWN - A tiny brook me- anders through the rolling countryside, dissecting cow pastures, cornfields and woodlands as it flows downstream. • It makes a pretty scene, one poets and painters might be interested in.,But Rea Brook in Beekmantown — not to be con- fused with the Ray Brook near Lake Placid — has attracted a lot more than merely esthetic interest recently. For more than 50 years, people traveling through Beekmantown on Route 22 passed over the small brook and probably noticed that it had the same name as its more famous Adirondack tributary: Ray Brook. Put up in 1930s During Franklin D. Roosevelt's ad- ministration, the state constructed the new- Route 22 as part of the Works Progress Administration, with signs along the road to point out landmarks. \What you had were a lot of people without much local knowledge naming things,\ said former Clinton, County histo- rian Addie Shields. \Since the brook was called 'Ray,' they named it 'Ray.' \I've been hooting about it for a long time now,\ she added. \A lot of people have been concerned, so they finally changed it.\ Earlier this year, the \Ray Brook' 1 sign was taken down and replaced with \Rea Brook.\ Irish family \John Rea started a foundry on Rea Brook in the 1850s,\ Shields said. \The brook was named for Rea Foundry.\ Shields has dedicated a lot of time to researching Beekrhantown's past. In the^ local publication \Beekmantown: A Land-* mark in a Passageway,\ she devotes an en- tire chapter to the Rea family. William and Isabel Rea, who were born in Ireland, moved to Montreal in 1820 and then to Beekmantown in 1825. He bought farmland adjacent to a small brook, close to where Beekmantown Central School now sits. Family sawmill William Rea built a sawmill on the farm, using the brook to run his waterwheel. In 1845, his son, John Rea, purchased the mill, and in the subsequent years, he built the foundry. For several years, he operated a store to sell and repair the agricultural tools he manufactured. Rea Brook flows east from Beartown to Beekmantown Corners and then south toward Lake Champlain. It empties into Scomotion Creek near the Beekmantown- Plattsburgh border. Ironically, the tributary is spelled \Ray Brook\ in several New York state maps, including the popular \New York—State- Atlas and Gazetter.\ According'to Mike Rose of the New York State Department of Transportation, the old \Ray Brook\ sign had to be replaced, and the correct spelling had been used when the new signs were ordered several years ago. -, The real Ray Brook Ray Brook, in the town of North Elba, flows from Alford Pond, through the hamlet of Ray Brook and empties into the Saranac River. According to Town Histori- an Mary McKenzie, the brook was named after Daniel Ray, who moved into the area some time around 1810. \Our first settlers came around 1800,\ she said. \Daniel Ray was on the 1810 cen- sus. He didn't live here very' long, but he was here long enough to have his name at- tached to the brook.\ Most of the early settlers were farmers, McKenzie pointed out, and there were no mills on Ray Brook when Daniel Ray lived in the area. By 1850, loggers were using the brook to float logs down to the Saranac River. In its early days, the brook was well known for its good trout fishing, McKenzie said. Police join forces to curb holiday drinking By MARK HOLLMER Staff Writer PLATTSBURGH - Thinking of drinking and then driving home from any of the Christmas parties you're planning to attend this year? Think again. New York State Police on Thursday held a press conference to announce that, once again, blanket road and speed checks will be conducted throughout the region this holiday season in an effort to promote safe driving. The holiday road patrols of- ficially begin today with a sym- bolic gesture. Police will keep their vehicle headlights on all day as part of a nationwide effort called \Lights on for Life Day\ — a remembrance of people killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes. All motorists are en- couraged to do the same. The holiday season \is a tradi- tional period where people have Christmas parties and tend to imbibe more than they should,\ said Capt. Michael A. Klusacek, State Police zone commander in Pittsburgh. Photo Editor/Dave Paczak State Police Troopers turn their headlights on to mark \Ligtt on for Life.Day\ — a nationwide-*remembrance of people killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes. All motorists are asked to do so today to join in the effort. Stats show decreases Klusacek said enforcement is working in the North Country and fatality statistics show it. Nationally, 40 percent of all annual fatalities on the road are alcohol- or drug-related, he said. For the state that average is 24 percent. Locally, 7.3 percent of all driving fatalities in Clinton County were alcohol- or drug- related, he said. In New York state, 405 people lost their lives in alcohol- or 400 set to graduate from SUNY Pittsburgh today PLATTSBURGH — More than 400 can- didates for bachelor's and master's degrees are eligible to attend Winter Commencement at SUNY Plattsburgh at 2 p.m. today at the Field House. Almost 1,000 parents, friends, faculty and staff are also expected to view the ceremony. Two candidates will graduate summa cum laude (highest honors 3*^4.0). They are Laura Marshall, an accounting major from Malone, and Scott Hamm, a computer science major from BrattlebOro, Vt.. There are 17 candidates graduating magna cum laude (3.7-3.89) and 39 people graduating cum laude (3.4-3.69). Dr. Rodney Cavanaugh, the 1995 New York state Professor of the Year and assis- tant professor of education at SUNY Platt- sburgh, will deliver the commencement ad- dress, \Making a Difference.\ Assessments redone; few to increase By MITCH ROSENQUIST Staff Writer drug-related auto accidents in 1994. MoYe than 11,000 people were injured during that period in related accidents, he said. Blanket checks held At least one blanket road check will be held this season, though there will likely be more. Checks will cover things in- cluding speeding and making sure people are wearing their seatbelts. \We're not giving tickets just to give tickets,\. Klusacek said. \We're giving tickets to save a life.\ Police from Clinton, Franklin, Essex counties attended the press conference, held to of- ficially launch the \National Holiday Lifesavers Weekend,\ a multi-agency effort to fight drunk and drug-impaired driving dur- g the holiday season. iClinton County • STOP DWI was also involved in the press conference. The agency has distributed red ribbons and baskets with red ribbons as still another reminder to drive sober. The ribbons are to be tied on a prominent part of your motor vehicle.as a reminder to drive sober/ 1 according to Lisa Moore, STOP DWI executive director. Cavanaugh, who was named Professor of the^Year in October by the Carnegie Founda- tion for the Advancement of Teaching, joined the faculty of the Center for Educational Studies and Services in 1992. He supervises pre-special-education teachers in school districts within a 25-mile radius of the college and serves as the un- dergraduate program coordinator in special education. PLATTSBURGH - The coun- tywide property update is nearly complete, and officials say most landowners will see only minor increases in their assessments. Assessors' paperwork goes to Albany today to be analyzed and computed, and notices of the new assessments will be mailed to property owners in February. \About as many properties have stayed the same as those that have gone up\ in value, said - Clinton County Real Property Director James Gonyo. That's in contrast to the last update in 1990, when a vast ma- jority of properties increased, many significantly. \Some municipalities in the western side of the county saw more of an increase propor- tionately\ to reflect more build- ing • activity there, Gonyo said, but even in those cases, the in- creases aren't significant. Towns such as ^Saranac and Black Brook have seen a propor- tionately greater amount of building activity, and sale prices there have jumped more than in other parts of the county^ In essence, Gonyo said, those towns are catching up with other towns in the county, which in the past experienced growth and higher sale prices. In the city and across the county, residential homes have gone up in value somewhat, even with the closure of Plattsburgh Air Force Base. \With housing we are still seeing a slight increase, and I can't explain why,\ said Platt- sburgh City Assessor Debra Peda. She said even small building lots within the city are selling higher than would be expected, some in the $50,000 range. However,'while sale prices are increasing, houses are taking longer to sell. \There are more houses on the market, so buyers can take longer to shop around,\ Peda said. The intrinsic value of vacant industrial property has also in- creased, while commercial prop- erty has increased mostly'due to inflation. After notices are sent out to property owners in February, a lengthy grievance period will follow. By the end of May, all values should be set, G.pnyo said. The new values will take effect for next fall's school tax rates.' Computers coming soon to Broad Street School By RICHARD C. TEN WOLDE Staff Writer 3 PLATTSBURGH - The city school board voted unanimously Thursday night to borrow $300,000 to finance a computer system for Broad Street Elemen- tary School. The system will include about 40 terminals that can move be- tween classrooms, and can be plugged into a central unit, allowing students, teachers and administrators to communicate over the system. \There is a real need for the technology, because children come to school already techno- logically literate,\ said Superin- tendent George Amedore. \It doesn't make sense to bring them into classrooms without techno- logical tools.\ The computers will be install- ed over the summer for use in the fall semester. Teachers will _X§c_eive initial training to be enhanced periodically. The system's approval comes as an advisory committee reviews how city school space should be used in the future, and there is a possibility that Broad Street would close. That possibility causes some board members to question whether the cost of wiring the system would be wasted. Connecting each room carries a price tag of $30,000 to $60,000, but the project will be designed so that changes to the building won't mean abolishing the system. Amedore said the building would be used for administration offices if closed to students, and \in today's educational world everybody in the business needs to have technology.\ OF INTEREST Pataki budget proposal aired on public television PLATTSBURGH - Mountain Lake Public Television, Channel 57 will pre-empt programming beginning at 2\p.m. today to broadcast Gov. George Pataki's budget presentation. Saranac concert features choruses and bands SARANAC — The winter concert of the Saranac Junior High School has been changed to Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m. It will feature performances by two junior high bands, a junior chorus and two high s,chool bands. The event will be held in the gym at Saranac Junior High School and is free and open to the public, . Task Force Against Violence to meet PLATTSBURGH - The next Clinton County Task Force Against Violence meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec 19, at 4 p.m , 2nd Floor Meeting Room, Old Courthouse Building, 1 M.'i Margaret St . Plattsburgh. The attorney general of the state of New York, Dennis C. Vacco, will address the Task Force about the fight against crime and reform of the juvenile justice system. .... The meeting is open to the public. For more information, contact Lisa Moore, Youth Bureau/STOP- DWI, at 565-4750. Saranac class's reunion meeting moved SARANAC — Saranac Central School Class of 1976 organizational meeting to plan its 20th class reunion has been moved to the Breakout Saloon in Dannemora at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5. For information, call 592-7729. Dance set Saturday at fairgrounds PLATTSBURGH — North Country Squares will hold a dance Saturday, Dec. 16, from 7:30 to 8 p.m. plus dancing and from 8 to 10 p.m. mainstream and rounds at Clinton County Fairgrounds. The caller is Bob LaBounty; the cuer, Walt Wall. The western-style square dance is open to all. Craft fair set at Broad Street School PLATTSBURGH — Broad Street Elementary School is hosting its first Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. There will be michigans, baked goods, white- elephant table and raffles. Square dance coming up at fairgrounds PLATTSBURGH — A westernrstyle square dance sponsored by the Mix-N-Match Steppers will be held Sunday, Dec. 17, at the North Country Squares Building, Clinton County Fairgrounds from 2 to 4:30 p.m. _ . It is open to all. For further information, contact caller Peter Ostrander at 563-9050.
