New York

While I applaud the development of formal designated all-terrain vehicle trail systems in Northern New York counties, the wholesale opening of village, town and county roads plus a lack of either codified usage regulations or police enforcement is creating dangerous and deadly situations, which are obvious to all highway travelers. ATVs have become the vehicles of choice for those unable to have a driver's license, and forbidden state highways are routinely traveled.

However, in Lewis County, the county Legislature has entered the depths of an Alice in Wonderland world. Miles of roads have been opened to allow connections not only among off-road trails (as allowed by state law only for short distances) but also to create connections among previously opened roads and business districts (clearly not legal).

Nancy Madsen

Expansion of an all-terrain vehicle trail system in the southern part of Jefferson County and creation of a similar system in the northern part of the county are in the works.

By June, necessary sections of private land and county and town roads in Rodman, Lorraine and Worth opened to connect county forest lots and public trails for ATV traffic. The original 42-mile system connects to systems in Oswego and Lewis counties.

Jessica Collier

MALONE - In the first meeting of the task force to work on opening all-terrain vehicle trails in Franklin County, the group broke out some maps to examine the options they may have.

"We're, at this point, an exploratory committee," said Neil Seymour, chairman of the task force and head of Franklin County Tourism.

Denise A. Roymo

MALONE — Franklin County named people to a task force Thursday to begin studying the feasibility of pursuing a trail system for all-terrain vehicles.

A larger working committee will be named in the future to carry out the duties the task force develops under the leadership of County Tourism Director Neil Seymour, who was named chairman of the group.

Denise A. Raymo

MALONE — Franklin County may form a committee to look at the merits and problems associated with opening land to all-terrain vehicles.

The County Legislature's Economic Development and Planning Committee will meet 10 a.m. Thursday in the fourth-floor chambers of the County Courthouse to discuss committee appointments and what the duties might be.

Cathy Woodruff

Roger Dames loves his home on a neat residential street in Rotterdam, but he hates the noise, dust and exhaust that seem to visit when he least expects them.

“It’s sporadic,” he said, but it’s enough to prevent him from opening the windows to let in a summer breeze or planning family gatherings in his spacious back yard.

Stephanie Veale

OGDEN — A proposed noise ordinance in Ogden has raised questions about the role towns should play in neighborhood disputes.

The Town Board has decided to update its noise ordinance after receiving frequent complaints over a three-year period, Town Supervisor Gay Lenhard said. The board held multiple public hearings and is now drafting a noise ordinance that includes a decibel threshold for allowable noise. Lenhard expects a vote on the law next month.