News from June 1941 looks much like today’s news. According to an Enterprise article from Sept. 9 about Saranac Lake’s infrastructure project, the village board plans to purchase a new heavy rescue truck for the fire department for $900,000 by 2027.

Prices have gone up a little in the last 84 years … Read on …

“The village board moved one step closer to the acquisition for a new fire truck last night when the Saranac Lake Fire Council, meeting with Village Manager Millar S. Johnson, endorsed the low bid of $3,479 for a two and a half ton truck, and gave its authorization for purchase of the truck by the village board.”

[Johnson was the second Saranac Lake village manager. That form of government was adopted by the village in 1929 when Wayne E. Timmerman of Massena was appointed the first manager. Early managers were required to have an engineering degree.]

“The new truck is a hefty two and a half ton GMC model, completely equipped with the latest fire fighting devices, fast and maneuverable.

“The village board opened eight new bids at its meeting last Monday after it had re-advertised for revised estimates. Those bids averaged around $4,500.

“Members of the fire council present at the meeting last night were James Fortune, Chief E. L. Boon, J. Alfred Douglas, Maurice McPherson, Ray Bell. Absent were Matthew M. Munn and Richard Harrington.”

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New bus line — SL to Malone

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“Regular bus service between Saranac Lake and Malone appeared a certainty today after the Malone village board granted a franchise to the Adirondack Transit Lines to operate its busses through Malone.

“Two round trips daily from Saranac Lake through Malone are proposed by the bus firm. All necessary franchises have been secured awaiting approval by the public service commission.

“The corporation now operates a line from New York City to Saranac Lake and proposes to extend the line to Massena by way of Malone and Fort Covington. The application for a franchise in Malone was opposed by the New York Central Railroad.

“The War Department [as the Defense Department was then known, and is now known again as of last week] has requested the Adirondack Transit Lines to extend service to the Massena area to facilitate transportation for national defense workers in that section.”

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Lawyers convene at Saranac Inn

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“Between 400 and 450 members of the New York State Bar Association and their families are expected to attend the association’s annual midsummer meeting which will be held Friday and Saturday.

“The majority of the delegates are expected to arrive by private special train Friday morning before the opening of the first meeting which will be led by the association president, John C. Jackson of New York City, former head of the National Golf Association.

“Edward H. Foley, General Counsel of the United States Treasury department will be the first speaker at 10:30. He will discuss ‘The Constitutional Powers of the President.’ [How ironic.]

“Henry Epstein, Solicitor General of New York State will speak on ‘The Last Frontier of Democracy.’ The meeting will conclude with an address by Robert E. Daru, President of the Federal Bar Association of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He will outline the first complete code of ethics for prosecution and defense of criminal cases.

“Professor Arthur L. Goodheart, professor of jurisprudence at Oxford University and Editor of the Law Quarterly Review, who was scheduled to speak had been unexpectedly called back to England and had to cancel the talk. [A reliable source tells me that Saranac Lake Attorney John J. Muldowney was asked to step in for Professor Goodheart that day, but he had an appointment to take his cat to the vets and couldn’t make it.]

“Other speakers at the Saturday session will be Allan J. Flattery of the Onondaga County Bar, Jackson A. Dyckman, chairman of the committee on national defense and Lt. Col. Edmund Ruffin Beckwith, Judge Advocate General of the New York State Guard.

“The annual banquet at 7 will be highlighted by addresses by Oswald D. Heck, speaker of the state assembly; [some may remember his brother Erwin Heck of 49 Petrova Avenue, who was head of the New York Telephone company here with offices at 68 Main Street]. Hon. John C. Knox, U.S. District Judge for the southern district of New York and Hon. Harley N. Crosby of Falconer, presiding justice of the appellate division, fourth department.

“Manny Fleishman of Buffalo will speak at the special meeting Saturday morning of the young lawyer’s section. George H. Bond Jr., of Syracuse, will preside. Membership in the group is limited to lawyers under 36 years of age.

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Bloomingdale news

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“Helen Sawyer spent the past week in Utica with her brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Buckley.

“Mark Clark left Sunday for Ticonderoga to spend a few days at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Clark.

“Jean Melvin, who has been staying with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Melvin at Paul Smiths through the school year has returned home, and Martha Block of Paul Smiths is visiting a week with her.”

Jumping over to a short story about a grade school ceremony in Vermontville was this: “Awards for politeness were given Elizabeth Watson and Oliver LaPradd Jr.”