“It was not the most elegant public forum, but room 38 in the high school did provide a place for that fundamental American Institution, an open public debate.

“The issues, depending on who you were, the dangers of Communism and the right to free speech, the right of dissent and the cultural rights of an artist. And when it was all over Tuesday evening, the Lake Placid School Board was not persuaded that an appearance by folksinger Pete Seeger was a clear and present danger to Lake Placid, its youth or the nation.

“The argument over Seeger [who died in 2014] was spurred by the local chapter of the John Birch Society which protested that taxpayers should not ‘subsidize’ Seeger by offering him the high school auditorium. He was, they claimed, an ‘identified Communist, affiliated with ’23 Communist front organizations.’

“They had earlier appeared on WIRD radio, at their own request, with similar comments, written letters to The Enterprise and The News.” (Both of which were judged slanderous and libelous and were not printed.)

The last sentence in the long lead story ended when a school board member said: “Unless I hear a motion otherwise, Pete Seeger will be heard in the school auditorium.”

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Then a mild protest settled

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“Pete Donnelly, of Chrystal Spring Dairy in Harrietstown [when I read this I thought he was bringing ice cream to the board members] about the board awarding the contract for milk to the local Peoples Diary, even though they were the high bidders.

“They decided, after hearing Mr. Donnelley, to reverse their decision on awarding the contract to People’s Dairy and awarded the contract to Chrystal Spring. Of course the legal question was settled because the board must award the contract ‘to the lowest responsible bidder.’

Zoning board denies trailer permit

“The topic of mobile homes, both individual dwellings and trailer courts, has occupied the North Elba zoning board of appeals in recent weeks. The board has considered, both informally and at a public meeting, applications for zoning variances from two individuals in town, an application for a trailer court in a residential area and violations in an existing trailer court.

“Both Larry Barney on Balsam Street and Robert Lacey on Old Military Road have asked for trailers on their lots now zoned for one-family dwellings. At its meeting Monday evening the board said it could not grant a temporary permit to the Barneys and accepted a variance application from the Laceys.

“The Barneys want to move a mobile home on their lot which is 7,500 square feet, already sub-standard for one dwelling. A total of 20,000 square feet is necessary for two dwellings to meet regulations.

“The Lacey’s had already moved a mobile home onto their lot without a permit from the building inspector who ordered it to be removed by June 30. An application for a variance has been accepted, so that action is stayed until a decision is made after a public hearing.”

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Holiday Inn ski hill in violation

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“The Holiday Inn of Lake Placid will be notified by the town’s zoning board of appeals that the ski hill operated by them this winter was in violation of the town’s zoning ordinance.

“Serge Lussi of the Inn will be asked by the board to appear before them and ‘straighten out’ the matter.

“The zoning board, under Chair Ruth Hart, met Monday evening when they considered the Holiday Inn matter, a situation which dates back to a request in 1968.

“Mrs. Hart said the board ‘assumed Lussi had obtained permission’ from the planning board. In November 1968 the building inspector disapproved a plan for a ski hill, Mrs. Hart said.

“Operation of a ski hill would depend on a ‘planned development’ status which must be obtained from the town board.

“The Holiday Inn apparently began a legal procedure, but according to Mrs. Hart, ‘got bogged down.’ ‘We all thought regulations had been complied with,’ she said.

“The conclusion was that Mr. Lussi must make application for the ski hill through a ‘planned’ development’. Mr. Lussi said, ‘there had been some confusion on his part but that all regulations will be complied with.'”