SEVERAL PROPOSALS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE DISCUSSED. FACTORS ARE PRESENTED WHICH RULE OUT A LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR THE ADIRONDACK LAKES REGION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BRANCH OF THE CANTON AGRICULTURAL-TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN THE LAKES AREA. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN, THOUGH, TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OR NEAR SARANAC LAKE TO SERVE ALL OF ESSEX AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN NEW YORK. THE TWO COUNTIES SHOULD BE COMBINED TO CONSTITUTE THE LOCAL SPONSOR. THESE TWO COUNTIES COMBINED WILL HAVE A PROJECTED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS OF 1,131 IN 1970, AND A GOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY ATTRACT HALF OR MORE OF THESE GRADUATES, THUS MEETING THE ENROLLMENT OF 500 FULL-TIME STUDENTS IN 4 YEARS. A POSSIBLE IMMEDIATE (AND PARTIAL) SOLUTION TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN THE HIGH PEAKS AREA WOULD BE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER. A MAJOR CRITICISM OF THE CENTER IDEA IS THAT THERE IS NO PRECEDENT FOR SUCH A MECHANISM WITHIN THE OPERATING FRAMEWORK OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK. (HS)