Mayor's Cup scaled down for 2007

Tax payers don't want to cover the charges of annual Mayor's Cup Event

Story and photos by Christine Thompson

The recent scale down of Plattsburgh Mayor's Cup may prove to be more disappointing to the visitors of the event than anticipated. Originally started in 1978, the Mayor's Cup has brought together a lot of people in the Adirondack region.

The Mayor's Cup went from a two-day sailing event, to a four-day festival (starting in the mid-90s) and eventually reached a nine-day event before decreasing the number of days for financial reasons in recent years.

According to Plattsburgh Mayor Donald Kasperzak, increasing the amount of days for the event will eventually lead to up to $20,000 in overtime each year, which Plattsburgh simply can't afford right now.

"People really want to do something [still], and I felt like I needed to so something," Kasperzak said. "I decided we were going to do something that's very simple. It's going to be two days, but I asked myself what [events] can you do in two days?"

"The mayor has continued the effort to keep the Mayor's cup, but with private [not taxpayer] funding," said George Rabideau, a city councilor of Plattsburgh, about the 2007 Mayor's Cup.

This year's event was cut from the budget by city of Plattsburgh councilors in an effort to keep the tax rate down. The Sailboat Regatta will still take place on July 7, and Kasperzak is working to still have the July 4th fireworks, parade and a concert.

"We're getting back to the basics," Kasperzak said.

The mayor hopes to raise enough funds for the event through private sponsorships with the help of councilor Amy Valentine.

"Approximately 50,000 people come to the cup and if you suspect that they each spend about $20 that's about $1 million."

"The Mayor's Cup brings a lot of people into Plattsburgh to spend money and enjoy free entertainment. It provides a lot of different cultural experiences for those in the area who don't necessarily go to Burlington or Montreal for entertainment," said Bruce Carlin of Media Central. Media Central was hired by the City of Plattsburgh for the past nine years to set up the festival. Their services aren't needed this year because of the scale back.

With the budget cut for this year, Plattsburgh may experience the effects of a smaller Mayor's Cup.

"Downtown businesses will suffer, and non-profit organizations, like the Peru Boy Scouts," Carlin said. "Approximately 50,000 people come to the cup and if you suspect that they each spend about $20, that's about $1 million."

"We're getting back to the basics."

Sue Armstrong, the Peru Troop Committee Chairman has been affiliated with the Peru Boy Scouts troop for 23 years. Last year, between selling cotton candy and selling light-up hats and necklaces, the troop made approximately $3,500.

"This year we sent some boys on high adventure trips to the Bahamas and to New Mexico, which probably cost about $1,500 during their spring break," Armstrong said. "The money they made from working our stand at the Mayor's Cup helped pay for their trips. It [the Mayor's Cup] is a major part of how we make money for our troops."

Arnold Pavone, owner of Arnie's Restaurant in Plattsburgh for 56 years, disagrees.

"I think the event was way too long last year and people were getting sick of it. I don't really see any negative effects to it being scaled down this year. In fact, I like that it is."

While Plattsburgh businesses might suffer a loss this year, Kasperzak feels that he did a positive thing by bringing something back.

How do you feel about the budget cut for the Mayor's Cup?

Sailboat Regatta

This year marks the 30th annual sailboat regatta, partnered with the Mayor's Cup event. The sailboat regatta started off as a small one-day sailboat race and has since grown into the largest sailing regatta on Lake Champlain.

The regatta is spilt into divisions; racing, multi-hull, cruising, sunfish and laser.

A hull is the body of a ship or boat which provides the buoyancy and keeps the boat from sinking. A multi-hull sailboat creates more stability against the sideways force of the wind on the sails. Multiple hulls make the sailboat faster by reducing the weight and the amount of drag through the water.

Cruising on a sailboat references to longer journey's that aren't linked to racing. It's more of a pleasure event than a competitive one.

A sunfish sailboat is a typical singlehanded sail boat, but can be sailed by two to three people. It's more of a traditional racing boat, and one of the simplest sailboats to maneuver. It's used by a lot of beginner sailors.

A laser sailboat is a singlehanded sail boat. It's popular for it's simple rig to sail process. The laser typically references the laser standard which is the largest sail on the hull.

The race path extends from the Plattsburgh Bay, southward around Valcour Island, and back to the Plattsburgh Bay.

This year's Sailboat Regatta will take place on July 7.