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** Story 1- Dwindling Family Farms  ** Family farms in Ticonderoga County have been dwindling steadily for more than 40 years now, and agricultural officials say there is no comeback in sight. “Our image is that the family farm is the backbone of America, the ultimate expression of American values,” Jeff Mackey, professor of sociology at Ticonderoga College, said. “Unfortunately, the family farm is becoming as rare as the dinosaur,” he said. That is certainly the case in Ticonderoga County, where in 1955 the U.S. Department of Agriculture said there were more than 800 working farms. A farm is defined by the department as land on which $1,000 worth of farm produce was made or could have been made during the year. ** Story 2- New Hotel Referendum  ** Residents of Elizabeth City will be asked in June whether they approve of using public funds for a new downtown hotel and convention center, even though there is no specific recommendation for such a project. In a technical compliance with a recommendation from the state Department of Elections, the Ticonderoga County Election Commission on Thursday voted to put the referendum on the ballot. It will be on the June 5 ballot, and only city residents will be able to vote on the question. It will simply ask for a yes or no vote on whether public funds should be used for such a project. Although City Commission members approved an ordinance to prohibit any public funding for a hotel and convention center shortly after the petition was certified, state Coordinator of Elections Bailey Throckton said the referendum still must be held. “Putting this on the ballot is appropriate,” Ticonderoga County Commissioner of Elections McKenzie Martin said at Thursday’s meeting of the commission. ** Story 3- Accident at subway central  ** A restaurant patron died of a heart attack today after an automobile crashed through the front window of the restaurant where he was dining. John Barker, 59, a resident of the Roaring Creek Community, died at Memorial Hospital. Barker was sitting in the Subway Central Restaurant shortly after noon today when a car crashed through the large plate glass window. The car was driven by Annie Coulter, 82, of Midville. Police said Coulter reported that the brakes on her car failed as she swerved to avoid a pedestrian. Coulter was hurt in the accident. Barker was not hit by the car but did receive minor cuts from flying glass. Moments after the accident, however, Barker complained about pains in his chest. He was then taken to Memorial Hospital. No other injuries were reported ** Story 4- School system restaurant  ** A fter a decade of running The Eatery on State Street, the Ticonderoga County school system has decided to get out of the restaurant business. The restaurant, where special-education students came during the school day to work and learn about the food-service industry, will close at the end of this school year. he move will save the school system $20,000 to $50,000 a year, according to school spokesman Randall Styles, whose office in the downtown Franklin Pierce Building is just upstairs from the restaurant. “It will certainly save us money to close The Eatery,” said Styles, who ate lunch at the conveniently located restaurant almost daily for the past three years. “But it’s something that is not needed anymore because we can provide the same level of instruction at other facilities.” The school system has relationships with some 80 other Midville-area restaurants, where special-education students can get experience preparing food and waiting on customers, according to Ray Coward, who runs the school program.
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