28 YEARS AGO — 1996
• In politics, vision is almost as important as a hefty war chest and a savvy spin doctor. Village Mayor James Strack may not have the money of a Kennedy nor the luxury of a Marlin Fitzwater in his corner. Still, one out of three isn’t bad. Strack’s vision takes him 26 years into the future, to a time when Olympic athletes are competing for the gold on the runs of Mt. Van Hoevenberg and the slopes of Whiteface Mountain. With eyes focused now on the upcoming Summer Games in Atlanta, officials with the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs don’t exactly have 2022 on their minds. In fact, they probably won’t until 2013. But that hasn’t stopped Strack, who’s already initiated discussions with some local officials about trying to bring those Winter Games here. “You have to look at the real possibility of when the Olympics will come back to the U.S. They’re already going to Salt Lake City (in 2002) and Japan. They’ll probably go to Europe a few times and Canada, too, before coming back.” Strack said Lake Placid will most likely make bids in 2014 and 2018, getting the village’s name in front of International Olympic Committee members. His philosophy? “If you keep going to the well enough times, sooner or later you’re going to bring back some water.”
• After a five-day manhunt by dozens of law enforcers, a lone trooper nabbed murderer Darrell Brand as he hitchhiked along a road 165 miles south of here. At about 4 p.m. Monday, Selkirk-based State Trooper Alton G. “Butch” Ostrander Jr. spotted Brand hitchhiking on Route 9W, south of Albany. He had escaped from Clinton County Jail July 4. Brand was found less than a half-mile from the Selkirk State Police barracks. He apparently walked past the station as Ostrander was inside reading the murderer’s profile. Soon afterward, the trooper began his patrol. “He saw me coming, and he pulled his thumb in and was just standing there,” Ostrander said. The trooper was working from a description of Brand but had no picture. Ostrander had been away over the holiday and had only seen Brand’s picture in the paper. Brand was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and black tennis shoes. He had a red windbreaker tied around his waist. His arms and legs were scratched from running through brush. Ostrander pulled over to question him. Brand told the trooper his name was Darrell Lane, but he seemed unsure of his birthday. He said he was heading from Plattsburgh to the Catskills. “I was pretty sure at that point I might have the right guy, Ostrander said. “But it wasn’t until I pulled into the (barracks) parking lot that he told me that I had the right man.” Brand didn’t resist arrest; he had no weapons.
50 YEARS AGO — 1974
• Gen. Alexander Macomb hereabouts is a name without a face — he’s a street, a dormitory, a park. But there’s a push in Michigan and it’s spreading here to make his face every bit as recognizable as his name. A group in Mount Clemens, Mich., is trying to stamp Macomb’s face on the nation’s mind by getting his profile on a 10-cent stamp. And Plattsburgh is taking up the charge. Macomb was a native of Michigan, but he earned a place in the history books right here in the Battle of Plattsburgh during the War of 1812. Mayor Roland St. Pierre has been asked to join the petitioning of the Post Office. He wrote to the postmaster general urging that the stamp be issued. He hopes Macomb’s face will be frequenting letters by bicentennial time in 1976. The push started, apparently, in Mount Clemens with the Alexander Macomb Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. That group’s regent, Mrs. Otto Nickel, wrote to St. Pierre asking for his support. A design of the stamp featuring the left profile of the long-haired, sideburned hero has been submitted to Postmaster General E.T. Klassen.
• Inmates at the Clinton Correctional Facility here consumed 10,000 hamburgers, 6,000 hot dogs, 2,000 pounds of potato salad, 1,800 pounds of macaroni salad and 60 gallons of pickles Thursday and washed it all down with 1,000 gallons of lemonade during the seventh annual 4th of July celebration at the prison. Inmates competed in track and field events, dominoes, checkers and other events all for up to $10 in commissary credit. A total of $150 in credit was given away. In addition, inmates displayed their artwork for sale and for judging. Proceeds from the sales were placed in each inmate’s commissary account.
75 YEARS AGO — 1949
• The Happy Days Club, a spacious building on the grounds of the Catholic Summer School at Cliff Haven, was threatened by fire yesterday afternoon and but for the efforts of volunteers and the ready response of the Plattsburgh Fire Department, might have been destroyed. The Happy Days Club is a large building situated on the shore of the lake. It is a three-story frame structure. It was being made ready for the arrival today of a group of New York children. Thomas McCambley, Cliff Haven caretaker, and a crew of workmen were clearing away brush along a bank leading to the lake shore proper. Weeds were being burned. The blaze got beyond their control and spread quickly to the lattice work on the rear porch of the building. The firemen responded quickly to telephone appeal for help. Meanwhile, Mr. McCambley and his workmen manned hand extinguishers and managed to prevent the spread.
• A handsome four-pound, 21-inch salmon, beautifully marked in nature’s own fashion, was the trophy which Henry C. Thoreson of 42 Clinton Street brought home from Newport, Vt., yesterday. Fishing on Lake Memphremagog Saturday, Mr. Thoreson landed the splendid catch after 20 minutes of rugged battle with the aggressive victim of his angling prowess.
100 YEARS AGO — 1924
• Bootleggers looking for a speedy get-away are believed responsible for the theft of a Cadillac roadster from in rear of the home of L G. Robinson of West Chazy, early yesterday morning. Mr. Robinson reported to Sheriff Day he had several persons visiting him over the weekend and the Cadillac and a Chevrolet were left outside his garage in the rear. Some hard-up rum runner in quest of a speedy machine is believed to have taken advantage of the opportunity afforded and to have made off with the automobile between 1 a.m. and daybreak.
• Ten motorcycle officers will patrol the border from Malone to Rouses Point in order to dam the flood of aliens now attempting to pour into the United States from Canada, according to an announcement yesterday by James Yale, head of the immigration service at Rouses Point. The men have been appointed and took their trial spins on the new steeds yesterday. Mr. Yale expects they will start in on their duties today or Saturday. In order to give better service to the thousands of motorists who pass through Champlain this summer on the road to Canada, a combined customs and Immigration office has been established on the main highway, opposite the First National Bank. Stephen B. Thomas has been detailed to handle the immigration work and Deputy Collector G. H. McCrea and Guy F. Branch will cover the customs end of the office.
— Compiled by Night Editor Ben Rowe