Opinions are not facts

To the editor:

Regarding the Sept. 18 letter from Norm Germain about Oak Mountain and the Hamilton County Industrial Development Agency:

Mr. Germain is certainly entitled to his opinions, however he is not entitled to present opinions as facts.

Anyone with questions about Oak Mountain may call me at (518) 548-3076 or any member of the IDA Board of Directors.

Ann Melious, executive director, Hamilton County Industrial Development Agency, Lake Pleasant

Chimney cleaning slated

Dear Editor,

With cold weather once again on the horizon, the Lake Pleasant Vol. Fire Dept. will again be cleaning the chimneys of Lake Pleasant residents on Saturday Oct. 13, starting at 8 am. To schedule your chimney for cleaning you must: 1) be a resident of the Lake Pleasant Fire District and 2) call the Lake Pleasant Fire Hall at 548-3760 and leave a message with your name, the complete address of your property and a number where you can be contacted; or contact any Lake Pleasant fireman. For liability reasons we request that someone be present at the property on cleaning day. The cut-off date for signing up is Friday, Oct. 12.

This program has proven to be a great success not only for us but also for the homeowners of the district. Since the start of this program the number of chimney fire calls has dropped to almost zero. So for peace of mind, have your chimney cleaned and also replace the batteries in your smoke detectors. The lives of your loved ones may depend on them.

For legal and contract reasons we cannot clean any chimneys outside the Lake Pleasant Fire District.

Stephen Jaquish

for Lake Pleasant Vol. Fire Dept.

Sign chimneys up by Oct. 3

To the editor,

Piseco Volunteer Fire Department will be doing courtesy checks and cleaning chimneys for Town of Arietta property owners again this year. The service will be provided Saturday, Oct. 6.

Any Piseco resident wanting this service should call Aaron at 548-5700. Leave your name, 911 address, best phone number to reach you to schedule, and your availability in Piseco on Oct. 6. To accomplish a complete job, we normally need access to your residence. Please call soon — the deadline for getting on the list is Oct. 3.

Most of the chimneys we have been checking lately are in good shape. It’s the ones we’re not seeing that we worry about.

Chimneys are among the most common sources of structure fires in the North Country. If a wood-burning fireplace or stove is used frequently, it is very important to routinely have it inspected, by us or someone else.

While we’re on the subject of fire prevention, working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in homes are lifesavers. They significantly increase your chances of escaping in the event of fire or an equipment failure. These should be checked and batteries changed at least every six months. The beginning of the heating season is a great time to do that.

We would like to thank those who donated bottles and cans for our bottle drive this summer. It was a very successful fundraiser for us. We also thank Tom Boni Signs for making the signs for this fundraiser.

Jonathan Lane, president

Piseco Volunteer Fire Department