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This past September marked the beginning of the Adirondack Communities Advisory League’s (ACAL) thirteenth year of existence, whose mission is to preserve and protect the air, water, land, and wildlife of the Northern Oneida, Southern Lewis region of the Tug Hill Plateau.

 Created for the sole purpose to protect and preserve the environment in the local  communities of Ava, Boonvillle, and West Leyden, ACAL has achieved much in the past 13 years, despite losing nearly every lawsuit to stop  the State appointed Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority from building a landfill in the Town of Ava.

But ACAL doesn’t stand alone in losing on repeated occasions. 

 My grandfather, the late Town of Leyden Justice Edwin A. Smith, was a kind-hearted, honorable man.  As a child, I would spend hours in his office, sitting at his desk.  Under the glass that covered the entire desktop was a small piece of paper, about half the size of a postcard.  On that piece of paper read the following:

 DO NOT QUIT!

 1832 - Defeated for state legislature

1833 - Failed in business

1836 - Had nervous breakdown

1838 - Defeated for Speaker

1843 - Defeated for nomination for Congress

1848 - Lost re-nomination for Congress

1849 - Rejected for land officer

1854 - Defeated for U.S. Senate

1856 - Defeated for nomination for Vice President

1858 - Again defeated for U.S. Senate

1860 - Elected 16th President of the United States

If Abraham Lincoln could persevere with unyielding determination for 28 years without success, then my grandfather believed the quality of perseverance was an important one to possess.

I suppose it is no coincidence that I became involved with an organization that reflects the qualities I so admire:  knowledge, determination, compassion, and above all, perseverance.  I have never known an organization consisting of so many good people, working so hard to protect the communities in which they live.

Politics can be an ugly business, although I do not believe that is what our Forefathers had in mind for us.  Abuse of power, manipulation, dishonesty, and selfishness find their way into most situations if left unchecked.  Despite thirteen years of exposing the truth about OHSWA and its political cohorts for repeated violations of power, manipulation and dishonesty, ACAL’s efforts have fallen on the clichéd deaf ears of State and Federal politicians, and sadly, of some local officials and residents.

ACAL has made repeated mistakes over the years, but none resulting from the abuse of power, manipulation and dishonesty.  Rather, the mistakes that have been made were due to trial and error, learning by doing, and emotions associated with protecting the rights of families, friends, and neighbors residing in this beautiful rural area in Upstate New York. 

How can individuals not become emotional when fighting to protect their rights?  Rights that have been stripped away because rural citizens do not have the power and financial resources to stop the injustice of a powerful  State Authority.  An Authority constructing an unwanted 860-acre landfill in unfavorable hydrogeology surrounded by State and Federal wetlands;  land that was once protected by Oneida County and is located feet from a living Veterans Memorial Forest that was created over 60 years ago to honor World War II veterans.

Yes, ACAL has failed to stop OHSWA from building their disgrace of a landfill despite the repeated lawsuits and facts concerning the dishonesty associated with the siting of this dump in the Town of Ava.  However, OHSWA claimed the landfill would be up and running in 1997.  Is it open today?  Do garbage trucks travel through the town, jeopardizing the safety and welfare of Adirondack Central school children?  Do residents smell garbage, shoo away seagulls, and watch a mountain of trash grow each day?  Are Ava residents sickened and frustrated, like the good people of Rodman, by the fact an Authority controlled landfill wants to expand and accept garbage from outside New York State?

If you can answer no to the above questions, then ACAL has been more successful than you think. 

But ACAL’s success is not theirs alone.  They have been able to hold off the opening of an archaic  landfill because they’ve had tremendous support from the community. 

Before the town and village of Boonville sadly decided to reject ACAL and residents opposing the landfill by negotiating with OHSWA, they supported ACAL, along with the Towns of Ava and Lewis for over 10 years!  Every person, from Utica to Watertown, who attended a dinner, auction, bake sale, food sale, and purchased a ticket for a drawing supported ACAL.  And local businesses … words cannot express how supportive and generous they have been with donations of goods and services to support ACAL and its efforts over the years.  Local media – Joe Kelly and former owner Kathy Lansing of the Boonville Herald, and Bill Flack from WBRV - allowing the truth to be told in print and on the air.  And most recently, the Reverend Bill Mudge … opening the doors of the United Methodist Church in Boonville to ACAL members and supporters so they could gather in prayer and song on behalf of our communities – you are truly a servant of the people and of God.  To all who have continued to support ACAL since its creation in 1993, we sincerely thank you!

Success, my friends, is not measured in terms of wins and losses.  Success is measured by honor and principles, by perseverance and determination,  by morals and justice.  For these characteristics are ones that enable each of us to make a difference in this world; to leave it a better place than when we arrived.

ACAL will not rest until their mission has been completed:  to preserve and protect the air, water, land and wildlife of this beautiful area many of us call home. 

On behalf of my good friends in ACAL, let us rejoice and celebrate one more year without a landfill.  Make us mindful of the beauty found in nature and let us never take it for granted.  May God continue to bless you and your families this holiday season.

Jacki Chamberlain, Communications Chairperson