(03/09/12) The Potsdam Museum recently rediscovered an historic War of 1812 officer's uniform in its archives -- just in time for bicentennial commemorations. Museum officials say the dark blue and red wool uniform is in "very nice" condition for a 200-year old garment.
It's thought to have belonged to Shubel Clark, a soldier from Canton who was assigned to the New York Detached Militia in Ogdensburg. The heirloom was donated to the museum in 1953 by Clark's family.
Todd Moe stopped by for a closer look yesterday. The story behind the old coat is today's Heard Up North.
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St. Lawrence Valley NYSee also: Akwesasne & the Mohawk Nation | Clarkson University | St. Lawrence University | SUNY Canton | SUNY Potsdam
Shubel Clark's War of 1812 jacket at the Potsdam Museum.
(03/09/12) The House Agriculture Committee convenes a hearing this morning on the federal Farm Bill at North Country Community College in Saranac Lake.
The hearing is one of only four scheduled for outside Washington DC so far on the bill. It comes at the invitation of Rep. Bill Owens of Plattsburgh. The public is welcome. See the live webcast via the link below, and hear more this afternoon on All Before Five. more
(03/08/12) U.S. Representative Bill Owens says environmentalists shouldn't be concerned about his stand on a new water level plan for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
The International Joint Commission started controlling high and low water levels in the 1950s. While that's kept a stable water level, the agency now says it's bad for the environment. The new plan allows water levels to reach higher highs and lower lows. The IJC has yet to release all the plan details. Congressman Owens recently wrote to the agency, urging closer attention to shoreline property damage along Lake Ontario. He says that damage could exceed $3 million annually. more
Bishop Terry LaValley. Source: Diocese of Odgensburg
(03/08/12) Church officials in Ogdensburg say Roman Catholic parishes across the North Country will lose roughly a third of their priests over the next decade.
The Diocese has expanded efforts to recruit new seminarians willing to serve as priests. But the rapid decline is forcing big changes in the way Catholic churches operate. Brian Mann spoke recently with Bishop Terry LaValley and has this update. more
Photo: Akwesasne Housing Authority
(03/08/12) The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe will get a $129,000 grant to build a diabetes center, from USDA rural development.
The USDA allotted $206,900 for the facility last year--the center's expected to cost about $3 million. more
Cuttting and prying loose the blocks of ice. Photo: Sustainble Living Project
A team of Belgians hauls the harvest to the icehouse. Photo: Trevor Alford
(03/05/12) It's a scene that was common-place in the early 20th century, horses out on a frozen lake cutting through the ice with bladed plows.
Ice harvesting may not be part of your family's plans this year, but for one rural St. Lawrence County family it's the only way to keep food cool during the summer. Trevor Alford visited the Douglass family farm outside Canton and has our story. more agriculture ·
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(03/05/12) Canton Central and other north country school districts are asking the community's opinions on where to make budget cuts for the coming year.
Canton faces a $2.5 million budget deficit. School leaders largely blame the gap on the state aid formula. The district has scheduled two community forums open to all residents. The first is set for Thursday evening. Potsdam Central is also holding public forums, to deal with its projected $1.2 million budget shortfall.
Ryan Martin, CHS sophomore, faxing legislators while we wait. Photo: Carol Pynchon
(03/01/12) Three busloads of students and parents from Canton Central Schools are recovering today from a roundtrip to Albany yesterday (Wednesday). They were among 600 rural school advocates there from around the state to lobby for a bigger share of the state budget.
Martha Foley has more. more
Students from Canton's AP Government class after an assembly to explain state aid cuts to other students.
(02/29/12) What started as a field trip for a Canton Central School Government class has become a live-issue that has busloads of students, parents, and school officials headed to Albany Wednesday.
They're worried that Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal for school aid this year will mean huge cutbacks to their programs. Cuomo has called himself the lobbyist for students. These were his comments during his budget proposal speech last month, talking about refocusing education on student needs, "This was not supposed to be about the adults, it was supposed to be about the children. It was supposed to be the best way to educate children, and respecting the tax dollar to do it." Cuomo has proposed a 4.1% hike in education funding. But that still leaves Canton Central with a $2.5 million shortfall. The students want the Governor to see how his budget is affecting kids in poor, rural districts. Julie Grant reports. more
(02/29/12) One of two young Amish children who were listed in critical condition after their horsedrawn buggy was rear-ended by a FedEx truck Monday, is now listed as stable.
The Watertown Daily Times reports that the driver of the FedEx truck has been identified as 28-year old Robert Williams of Gouverneur. Neither he nor his passenger was hurt. more
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Community Calendar Events:Special Reports  Audio Slideshow:A bounty of art from the garden Todd Moe visits a group of "plein air" painters near Malone who are celebrating another season of creating art outdoors.  Audio Slideshow:Donkey Basketball in Edwards The loopy sport of donkey basketball has been used by North Country schools as a fundraiser since the 1950s. Visit a game in the St. Lawrence County town of Edwards. David Sommerstein reports.  No Bigger Than a Piano Box: a North Country Schoolhouse in 1893 By historian Betsy Kepes. Based on the 1893 diary of a North Country schoolteacher. A Women's History Month special. Teacher's guide and CD available.  SlideshowFishing on the St. Lawrence Walleye and northern pike season opened the first Saturday in May. David Sommerstein spent a morning with two veteran guides.  Audio SlideshowInside the Aging Eisenhower Lock The locks and channels of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system are getting old. Some were built more than 75 years ago. While the Seaway is closed in winter, workers empty the locks of their water for annual maintenance. David Sommerstein climbed eight stories down to the bottom of the Eisenhower Lock on the St. Lawrence River near Massena to see how it's aging. 
Audio SlideshowMusic Hall Restoration in Heuvelton A group of residents and historians in Heuvelton is trying to preserve Pickens Hall, one of the oldest buildings in the village. And the building's restoration has sparked a renewed interest in the career of Bessie Abott, a granddaughter of the original owner of Pickens Hall. Bessie took the opera world by storm in the early 1900s. Todd Moe reports.  Photo Audio EssayRestoring the Common Tern Once plentiful along the St. Lawrence, the common tern is now threatened. David Sommerstein joins volunteers creating artificial nesting habitat using Seaway navigational markers.  Audio SlideshowSuperfund and Brownfield Sites in St. Lawrence County Jody Tosti surveys the 20 Superfund toxic sites in St. Lawrence County. 
Photo Audio EssayMassena at 200: A Walking Tour John Michaud III, a local writer and historian, has published the first bicentennial history of Massena, called Yesterday in Massena: A Bicentennial Celebration 1802-2002. He and David Sommerstein took a walk down Massena’s Main Street to see how the town has changed.  Photo Audio EssayPCB Dredging at Alcoa/Reynolds in Massena Reports on how Alcoa/Reynolds, the EPA and the Mohawks see the PCB problem at the Superfund sites along the St. Lawrence River near Massena NY. Photo Audio EssayTurtle Cove: GM's PCBs on Mohawk Land The effects of GM's landfill on Turtle Cove and the people who live there. David Sommerstein reports.  Photo Audio EssayRelicensing the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project The St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project was the largest public works project in the world. The power project's 50-year operation license expires in 2003. A three-part series by David Sommerstein.  Audio SlideshowFree Trade Protests at the Border (Real) The Free Trade Area of the Americas pact is drawing protestors to talks in Montreal. Crossing the border proved to be difficult for many.  Audio SlideshowAboard the St. Lawrence River Icebreaker Robinson Bay (Flash) David Sommerstein climbed aboard the Robinson Bay for one of the tugboat's first missions of the season – breaking ice in the canal between Eisenhower and Snell Locks near Massena. Adirondack News Fund Founding Supporters: Paul Smith's College, The College of the Adirondacks · Wildlife Conservation Society · Adirondack Medical Center Foundation · Adirondack Museum · Niagara Mohawk Foundation · Schumann Foundation · John A. Sellon Charitable Trust · several anonymous individual donors |
