SAIL continues to make difference in people's lives
Queensbury Town Board should address loophole in ethics policy
Please consider supporting The Front Page with a paid subscription: HERE
The first part, the part I'm going to tell you now is the sad part. But it is important that you understand how this happens and that, yes, there is a good chance it will happen to you.
It had been a few weeks since the doctor told Gillian there was nothing more that could be done.
So I took her home.
To be in her bed and snuggle with her dog.
And be with us.
I suspect it is how we all imagine it when that time comes.
I was now the official care-giver and the nurse suggested I might need a wheelchair and a portable commode.
You don't think about those things. Maybe you don't want to think about those things. For me, it was one more thing and a little bit overwhelming. I didn't know where to go, or how much it might cost. The nurse told me to to go to SAIL. I had no idea what she was talking about.
The Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center is a staple in the non-profit community of this region that most of us don't know about because it provides a service we don't want to consider until we must.
When I walked in the door, I told the woman at the front desk my reality.
They are experienced with this reality. They see it daily.
They got me a portable wheelchair and commode. I filled out some paperwork promising to bring it back in 90 days.
It took a few minutes.
There was no cost.
No strings.
No contract to sign.
That may not seem like a big deal, but for me, at that moment, it was a gift.
On my next visit to SAIL, I asked for for the contact information of its Executive Director Tyler Whitney.
There was a story I believed needed to be told.
It is a pretty good story, too.
Tyler did not hesitate when I asked to talk to him about SAIL and its mission. Board President David Bogue also joined us because, as it turns out, there is so much to this story you need more than one person to tell it. By the end of the meeting, Cam Cardinale, their community relations director had joined us as well.
The equipment loan program - they have more than 5,000 pieces of equipment on loan in the community - is just the beginning of the story for SAIL.
It is the contact point.
It is how people come in the door. They are people like me who were looking for a little help at a difficult time.
The clientele ranges from the the elderly, to those in accidents, to those recovering from accidents, from children with developmental disabilities.
I asked Tyler if he had some examples.
"I could probably give you a million," he says.
OK, this is another sad story, but essential to understanding SAIL's mission.
Tyler stops for a second and gathers himself outside the equipment room. A woman had been diagnosed with ALS. It was going to be her last Christmas. She wanted to go with her family to cut down the Christmas tree one last time and she wanted to know if they could help her.
Tyler pulls out his phone and shows a video of him pulling a wagon-like device over rough terrain - is this in the executive director job description ? - that was lent to the woman to cut down the Christmas tree.
Wish come true.
Lives changed.
How astounding is that?
If any of us could pull that off just once in our lives, we'd feel pretty good. Like I said, this is daily at SAIL.
SAIL has some 15 programs where it can help people to be, if not be totally independent, than at least more independent, but it goes beyond that. Its main office is in Queensbury with satellites at the Wilton Mall and Plattsburgh. It served 19 counties. People who help people know about SAIL.
Those programs include helping people get health insurance, getting equipment they need to live a better life, advocating with government agencies and insurance companies, training to be more independent in your daily life and transitioning after illness or accident.
None of us want to think about those scenario, but they happen daily, too.
Whitney tells about one young mother who was billed $10,000 after the birth of her child, despite having insurance, but SAIL advocated for her with the hospital and found it was simple coding error.
SAIL has a fully functioning wheelchair accessible kitchen where it can train wheelchair- bound people how to prepare their own meals. In one session, a wheelchair-bound man was able to prepare himself a salad.
No big deal, right?
No, big deal!
"The father was in tears," Tyler related. "It was the first time in seven years he had prepared a meal for himself. There are a lot of emotions."
There was a high school student who was unable to eat in the cafeteria with his peers because he could not grasp the silverware. SAIL provided him with special weighted silverware that allowed him to eat with his peers.
Life changed.
SAIL also has an Early Intervention room. Early Intervention is a statewide system that provides coordinated services to parents of young children with disabilities and developmental delays. The room is faced with all type of devices to visually stimulate the senses. Many schools have rooms just like it, but the same equipment is often too expensive to have in the home.
The SAIL folks gave a non-verbal autistic child what is essentially a robotic cat, but that does not do it justice. The cat is soft and fuzzy and when you hold it you can feel its heart beating and as you caress it and gently snuggle it, its heart slows, helping the subject to also calm themselves.
It is quite remarkable.
The autistic child took the cat home and after a few days, the mother called SAIL back.
"He had said the word Cat," Tyler related. "It as his first word ever. In those ways we are changing lives.
"The Independent living journey is about small steps," Tyler said. "It doesn't have to be grand. It can be as simple as being able to button your shirt."
But in many ways, for the disabled and their care-givers, it is grand.
These are not the type of stories that do not garner headlines in the newspaper.
The reality is that the aging Baby Boomer population means that SAIL's services are needed more and more.
"You may not need us yet, but you should start planning," Tyler advises. "Come in and talk to us."
SAIL does assessments of homes to ensure they are safe from simple trips and falls, but also what can be done to make them more accessible - just in case.
It also does assessments for workplaces.
Tyler tells about one public institution that reached out so it could evaluate its accessibility for those in a wheelchair.
Tyler came equipped with a wheelchair and put the director in it so he could experience first hand what it was like. They toured the entire building, all its facilities, including the bathrooms with the director in a wheelchair.
"By the time we were done, he was in tears," Tyler said.
The healthy among us just don't understand the barriers of those trying to be independent.
"The other thing was that he said he was conscious of the way people looked at him, how they didn't know whether to hold the door open for him or what," Tyler said.
Tyler admitted it is a nervous time for independent living centers.
With all the political talk about eliminating the Department of Education, Tyler pointed out some of its funding comes from the Department of Education.
"The state just hired a chief disability officer two years ago," Tyler said. It is a small office, but it is a win in our book."
Tyler and his staff of 42 continue to promote their services in the community and they believe they are making progress even if it is only through word of mouth.
"We have regular outreach meetings, but the best thing to do is call or stop in," Tyler said. "It's OK to be totally clueless," Tyler said. "Do we have more work to do? Absolutely."
But here is the other thing.
The staff at SAIL can relate, because many of them have been there.
More than half the staff has to have some sort of disability to be employed.
The same with the board of directors.
"We are consumer led," Tyler said. "We have experienced the system. We understand the barriers."
And the need is growing.
SAIL has seen an increase from 5,000 to 7,000 consumers over the past year who have received some 18,000 services. And of course it is not SAIL alone. They are interacting, cooperating working arm and arm with other non-profits and government agencies all across the region. It has garnered them an outstanding reputation for the work they do.
"We're really kind of like an onion," Tyler said. "The equipment is the front door. It's the first step. And we peel back the onion from there."
Hopefully, that gives you peace of mind, especially if you are in your 60s like me.
It may be the one gift we take for granted above all the others - our independence.
To do what we want, when we want without limitation.
And losing that may be our greatest fear. Call SAIL today. Stop by and see what services they offer. Get an assessment of your own home or business.
You aren't getting any younger.
Conflict of interest
I don't want to cause any trouble - OK, maybe I do - but I looked up the Town of Queensbury's ethics policy and under "Conflict of interest" it said this:
A conflict of interest is a situation in which a person has a duty to more than one person or organization but cannot do justice to the actual or potentially adverse interests of both parties. This includes when an individual's personal interests or concerns are inconsistent with the best for the Town or when a public official's personal interests are contrary to his/her loyalty to public business. Town officials, employees, and consultants should avoid even the appearance of conflict.
Considering that Town Board member Tim McNulty is the chairman of the Warren County Republican Committee and has a direct role in who the Republicans choose to run for office in the Town of Queensbury as well as having any Republican currently on the board beholding to him for their position, that would seem to be a conflict.
The town later covers this provision in its document with:
This provision shall not be interpreted or construed as precluding any municipal officer or employee from being involved in the political affairs of the Town as a private citizen, nor shall it preclude any municipal officer or employee from soliciting and/or receiving campaign contribution in the course of a political campaign for public office...
It does not specifically address whether a "leadership" position in the county Republican Party might be a conflict of interest.
I think it should.
It appears to me that McNulty has a "duty to more than one person or organization" - the Town of Queensbury and the Warren County Republican Committee as its chairman.
It also says in the ethics policy that "Town officials, employees and consultants should avoid even the appearance of the conflict."
McNulty's dual positions absolutely have the "appearance of conflict."
Several years ago, the Warren County Republican chairman punished a Queensbury Town Board member for voting the wrong way on a change in legal representative of the town by withholding the party's endorsement.
In that case a non-elected private person was trying to influence town business with political retribution.
I worry that could happen again and believe the Town Board should discuss this loophole in its ethics policy.
Oh my!
Amidst the flurry of cabinet picks this week - and there were a few doozies - you might have missed the announcement that Jay Clayton was chosen to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The Southern District of New York position is considered one of the most important federal law enforcement jobs in the country. Rudy Giuliani made a reputation going after the mob in New York City while Preet Bharara was nationally recognized for winning huge financial settlements. from some of Wall Street's biggest companies - CitiBank, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Bank of America - after accusations of fraud and insider trading.
Considering the reputation the Southern District for holding big business and big-name politicians accountable, it is not in the best interest of the public for President-Elect Trump to choose the former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, to this powerful Justice Department position.
Before joining the SEC, Clayton worked as a lawyer representing major financial institutions on Wall Street.
While at the SEC, Clayton rolled bank regulations, despite the protests of consumer advocates, although he did target Elon Musk's company Tesla.
But here is the part that may be most concerning.
Clayton is not a former prosecutor.
That type of experience would seem to be important.
McFarland sale
McFarland Books, which published my book, The Last American Newspaper (soon to be a play), has announced it is currently holding a sale on all its books that provides a 35 percent discount. Since my book is $39.95, this offer might be attractive to anyone who hasn't purchased the book yet.
All you have to do to get the discount is put in under coupon code: HOLIDAY 24.
The offer is available from Nov. 15 through Monday, Dec. 2. After that, the offer drops to 20 percent.
Sectional champs
Glens Falls' football team made a rousing comeback in the second half Saturday to defeat Ravena 20-14 to win the Section II Football Championship. It leaves the Black Bears one win away from going to the Dome in Syracuse.
Glens Falls, unbeaten at 12-0, will take on Ogdensburg Free Academy Friday night at a site still to be determined.
Ken Tingley spent more than four decades working in small community newspapers in upstate New York. Since retirement in 2020 he has written three books and is currently adapting his second book "The Last American Newspaper" into a play. He currently lives in Queensbury, N.Y.
Thank you, as always, Ken.
Your story on SAIL -- the equipment, the staff, the mission -- will hopefully plant a seed so that donors will support it and community members will find it. Having had care of a few elders in my life, I am aware of the fine line we must walk with regard to independence.
Thanks also for calling out the conflict of interest with the Queensbury Town Board's ethics conflict.
But what I really want to comment on today is this statement at the very bottom of your column: "This is a new type of journalism for all of us." Many readers, myself included, are searching for information and perspective. I'm so glad I discovered your work. As the so-called "legacy media" shifts in the new political landscape, I appreciate the hyper-local, yet broadly applicable nature of your column.
No one could have told this story of SAIL better than you, Ken. SAIL has been and continues to be one of our most vital community agencies, with a staff that embodies compassion and connectedness for patients and their family members, at a time when they feel most isolated and overwhelmed with the myriad of physical, financial and emotional challenges of acute, chronic or terminal illness.
Your tribute to SAIL deserves wider dissemination, perhaps the Post Star might publish it…as well as the Chronicle. It could create a peaceful bridge for wounded journalists on all “fronts” to walk over and join a collective focus on the greater good of our local community… at a time when many of us feel helpless/hopeless to make a difference on a state/national level.
Making monetary donations to SAIL this season…in honor of someone you love… as the staff donates their time, energy and assistive equipment to those in need…could replace Xmas gift cards to family members/friends this holiday season… and all the seasons ahead. Truly a gift that will keep on giving!