To the editor:

When the North Country Community College president and Board of Trustees decided to build dorms for students it didn’t have, I thought: Well, maybe they know something I don’t.

Then they decided to overpay for ill-suited property on which to construct a Welcome Center the college didn’t need. After all, they already had a building in place that would be ideal for such a purpose and wouldn’t cost nearly as much as the exorbitant cost of buying real estate, tearing down asbestos-laden houses and new construction. I understand the college didn’t directly fund the purchase, but as president, why not ask the NCCC Foundation to spend its money on improvements to buildings that already exist? It’s the equivalent of building a state-of-the art, professionally equipped garage when your house is falling down. But again, I think, what do I know?

Next comes the announcement of President Tyrell’s pay raise and housing allowance at a time when enrollment is at its lowest and negotiations with faculty and employees are at a standstill, at a time when they are scrambling to cut $1 million from the budget. I begin to wonder what the leadership is thinking. Is anyone steering this ship?

If even I could see these errors in judgement, along with apparently 90 percent of the faculty and staff, surely the Board of Trustees must see it as well? It’s their responsibility to be fiscally responsible and ensure the survival of the institution they serve, not be a rubber stamp for the ill-advised notions of the man they elected to be at the helm.

North Country Community College is a gem in the heart of Saranac Lake. Without it, many high school students couldn’t continue to pursue a higher education, and adults couldn’t seek better opportunities. The Board of Trustees and the president must be held accountable before we lose this treasure at the center of our community.

Respectfully,

LeeAnne Baker

Saranac Lake