SARANAC LAKE — Village Manager Bachana Tsiklauri will be leaving the village government next month to study international diplomatic relations in Estonia with a focus on military conflict resolution.

A native of the country of Georgia, he saw what happens when diplomacy fails and devolves into conflict. As a teenager, he saw tanks roll through his hometown and heard bombs exploding as Russia invaded his country.

kAm“x’> 8@:?8 E@ 5@ 6G6CJE9:?8 😕 >J A@H6C E@ AC6G6?E 2?JE9:?8 =:<6 E92E 7C@> 92AA6?:?8 E@ 2?JH96C6 6=D6[” %D:<=2FC: D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6 E@=5 E96 3@2C5 @7 9:D 4@>:?8 56A2CEFC6 😕 |2C49[ @H:?8 E92E E96 A@D:E:@? 😀 =@2565 H:E9 2 =@E @7 H@C< 2?5 H2?E:?8 E@ 8:G6 E96 G:==286 6?@F89 E:>6 E@ 7:?5 2 C6A=246>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 G:==286 😀 4FCC6?E=J 2446AE:?8 =6EE6CD @7 :?E6C6DE E@ 7:== E96 >2?286C A@D:E:@?]k^Am

kAm%D:<=2FC: D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ DE2J E9C@F89 E96 6?5 @7 yF?6 — E96 6?5 @7 E96 7:D42= J62C — E@ 96=A E96 ?6H >2?286C 62D6 :?E@ E96 ;@3] %96 G:==286 H6?E E9C@F89 2 >2;@C EFC?@G6C H96? 96 DE2CE65 2D E96 EC62DFC6C 😕 a_aa] %96C6 H2D ?@ @?6 2C@F?5 E@ D9@H 9:> H96C6 E9:?8D H6C6] w6 H2?ED E@ =62G6 E96 ?6IE >2?286C 😕 2 36EE6C A@D:E:@?]k^Am

kAm|2J@C z6==J qCF?6EE6 D2:5 %D:<=2FC:’D =62G:?8 😀 2 “9F86 =@DD” 7@C E96 G:==286]k^Am

kAmw6 😀 H6==\G6CD65 😕 G:==286 @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 @HD >F49 @7 E96 3F586E 3J 962CE]k^Am

kAmx? 3F586E >66E:?8D[ 96 42? C2EE=6 @77 244@F?E 4@56D 7@C DA64:7:4 DA6?5:?8 =:?6D @77 E96 E@A @7 9:D 9625[ 2D H6== 2D 9@H >F49 😀 3F586E65 7@C @? E92E =:?6] u@C 6I2>A=6[ H:E9:? 2 76H D64@?5D[ 96 42? E6== J@F E92E A2C6?E 😀 3F586E65 @? =:?6 __`\f“_\_a__ 2?5 E96C6 😀 S`_[___ 😕 E96C6 E9:D J62C]k^Am

kAm%D:<=2FC: DE2CE65 2D E96 G:==286 EC62DFC6C 😕 a_aa 2?5 H2D 2AA@:?E65 2D E96 G:==286 >2?286C 😕 a_ab[ 27E6C E96 7@C>6C >2?286C C6D:8?65 7@==@H:?8 2 4@?7=:4E H:E9 E96 E96?\>2J@C]k^Am

kAmw6 92D 366? 2446AE65 E@ 2 EH@\J62C >2DE6C’D AC@8C2> 😕 x?E6C?2E:@?2= #6=2E:@?D 2?5 s:A=@>24J 2E %2==:?? &?:G6CD:EJ 😕 E96 4:EJ @7 %2==:??[ E96 42A:E2= @7 tDE@?:2[ H9:49 DE2CED 😕 pF8FDE]k^Am

kAmw6’== =62G6 62C=J E@ H2E49 9:D A2CE?6C[ p=>J q2CE:D[ 8C25F2E6 H:E9 2 >2DE6C’D 568C66 😕 2 D:>:=2C 7:6=5 7C@> 2 4@==686 😕 E96 }6E96C=2?5D 😕 yF=J] %96 EH@ 92G6 366? =:G:?8 =@?8\5:DE2?46 7@C EH@ J62CD]k^Am

kAm~?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E 2EEC24E65 9:> E@ %2==:?? &?:G6CD:EJ 😀 E92E :E A2JD C6DA64ED E@ EC25:E:@?2= 5:A=@>2E:4 >6E9@5D[ 3FE 2=D@ =@@A@C2CJ >6E9@5D 😕 E96 >@56C? H@C=5]k^Am

kAm%D:<=2FC: D2:5 96 H@F=5 =@G6 E@ H@C< 7@C E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 $E2E6[ H9:49 92?5=6D 7@C6:8? A@=:4J 2?5 C6=2E:@?D[ 27E6C 8C25F2E:?8[ 3FE E92E’D 2 =@?8 H2J @77]k^Am

kAm“%96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 😀 E96 <6J E@ AC@8C6DD @7 E96 9F>2? C246[ E92E’D >J A6CD@?2= @A:?:@?[ 7@C >2?J 724E@CD[” %D:<=2FC: D2:5] “xE’D 24EF2==J 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 8@@5 7@C 9F>2?:EJ 2D 2 H9@=6]”k^Am

kAms:A=@>24J 😀 2 7:6=5 E92E 92D 2=H2JD 2EEC24E65 %D:<=2FC:’D 2EE6?E:@?] xE 😀 32D:42==J ;FDE E96 AC24E:46 @7 8@@5 4@>>F?:42E:@? E9C@F89 4@?7=:4ED] w6 D66D :E 2D E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 H92E 92D 2==@H65 9F>2?D E@ 3F:=5 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E E96J 92G6[ 2?5 2 H2J E@ :>AC@G6 E96 H@C=5 7C@> H96C6 :E DE2?5D E@52J]k^Am

kAm“s:A=@>24J 😀 E96 E@@= 7@C 7:?5:?8 E96 D@=FE:@?D 7@C E96 AC@3=6>D E92E 2== @7 FD 2C6 562=:?8 H:E9[ 2== E96 :?923:E2?ED @7 E9:D A=2?6E[” %D:<=2FC: D2:5]k^Am

kAmxE 😀 D@>6E9:?8 F?:BF6 E@ 9F>2?D] (:E9@FE :E[ 96 D2:5 :E 😀 :>A@DD:3=6 E@ E6== H92E @E96CD 2C6 E9:?<:?8 @C ECJ:?8 E@ 5@] xE’D 9@H 9F>2?D 4C62E6 A6246[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmx?DE625 @7 4@?7=:4E[ 7:89E:?8 2?5 H2C[ 5:A=@>24J D6EE=6D 5:776C6?46D E9C@F89 4:G:= 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ A=2??:?8 2?5 4@@A6C2E:@?[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%9@F89[ 8=@32==J[ 96 D2:5 E96C6 2C6 E@F89 E:>6D 7@C 5:A=@>24J C:89E ?@H[ 96 😀 @AE:>:DE:4 E92E E96C6’D 2=H2JD 2 H2J @FE E@ 2 3C:89E6C 7FEFC6]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ 86?6C2E:@? 😀 3=6DD65 H:E9 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 5@ E92E[” %D:<=2FC: D2:5] “x 5@?’E E9:?< @FC 86?6C2E:@? 😀 2? @FE=:6C]”k^Am

kAmw6 H2?ED E@ 565:42E6 9:D =:76 E@ A6246 2?5 AC@DA6C:EJ E9C@F89@FE E96 8=@36] w6’D ;FDE @?6 8FJ[ 3FE 96 @HD E96C6 2C6 A6@A=6 H9@ E9:?< =:<6 9:>]k^Am

kAms~|x}~$k^Am

kAm%D:<=2FC: H2D `b H96? v6@C8:2[ 2 7@C>6C $@G:6E C6AF3=:4 @? E96 q=24< $62[ H2D :?G2565 3J #FDD:2 😕 a__g]k^Am

kAm%9@F89 E96 H2C @?=J =2DE65 7:G6 52JD[ E96 wF>2? #:89ED (2E49 ?@?\8@G6C?>6?E2= @C82?:K2E:@? 92D :56?E:7:65 E9:D 2D 2? 6E9?:4 4=62?D:?8 2?5 E96 tFC@A62? r@FCE @7 wF>2? #:89ED CF=65 E92E #FDD:2 925 4@>>:EE65 9F>2? C:89ED 23FD6D 😕 v6@C8:2] #FDD:2 DE:== @44FA:6D 2C@F?5 a_T @7 v6@C8:2? =2?5 E@ E9:D 52J 2?5 2C@F?5 `ha[___ v6@C8:2?D H6C6 5:DA=2465 3J E96 H2C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &?:E65 }2E:@?D w:89 r@>>:DD:@?6C 7@C #67F866D]k^Am

kAm{@?8 AC@46DD:@?D @7 #FDD:2? E2?3D 6IA=@5:?8] w6 H2E4965 9:D 4@F?ECJ 36 :?G2565] w:D 72>:=J D6?E 9:> 2?5 9:D D:3=:?8D E@ 2 49FC49 7@C D6G6C2= 52JD H9:=6 E96J DE2J65 2E E96 9@FD6] %96J 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ DE2J[ 3FE H6C6 27C2:5 @7 E96:C 9@>6 36:?8 C@3365 5FC:?8 E96 492@D]k^Am

kAmw62C:?8 96=:4@AE6CD 7=J:?8 2?5 3@>3D 72==:?8[ 9:D 72:E9 😕 9F>2?:EJ E@@< 2 9:E[ 3FE :E H2D?’E 4CFD965] w6 DE:== 36=:6G6D 😕 E96 8@@5 A6@A=6 42? 5@[ 2?5 E92E 8@@5 5:A=@>24J 😀 E96 H2J E@ 3C:?8 E92E 23@FE]k^Am

kAmx? `hh`[ 2D E96 $@G:6E &?:@? 5:DD@=G65[ v6@C8:2 564=2C65 :?56A6?56?46] $6A2C2E:DE >@G6>6?ED 😕 C68:@?D @7 E96 4@F?ECJ[ 324<65 3J #FDD:2[ H2?E65 E@ 7FCE96C D6A2C2E6 E96 C68:@?D @7 p3<92K:2 2?5 $@FE9 ~DD6E:2 7C@> E96 4@F?ECJ @7 v6@C8:2] pE E96 4@C6 @7 E9:D 4@?7=:4E 😀 @:=[ =2?5[ 8@G6C?>6?E DECF4EFC6 2?5 >:=:E2CJ 2==:2?46D]k^Am

kAm%96C6 H2D 2 462D67:C6 28C66>6?E D:8?65 😕 `hha[ 3FE :E H2D 7C2F89E] s:A=@>2E:4 C68F=2E:@?D 56E6C:@C2E65 :?E@ 2 4C:D:D 2?5 D6A2C2E:DE 7@C46D 3C@<6 E96 462D67:C6 28C66>6?E[ =625:?8 E@ %96 u:G6\s2J (2C 😕 a__g]k^Am

kAm(92E’D 8@:?8 @? ?@H H:E9 E96 H2C 😕 &:?@ 67764E]” %96 9F>2? C246 😀 42F89E FA 😕 E9:D 4J4=6 E92E 4@>6D 2?5 8@6D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAms:A=@>24J 2EE6>AED E@ C6>@G6 5@>:?@D 7C@> E92E 492:? E@ AC6G6?E 7FEFC6 4@==2AD6D] %9:D 😀 D@>6E9:?8 96 H2?ED E@ 36 2 A2CE @7]k^Am