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Your Turn: Your Feedback On Water Levels, Food Pantries & New Jobs
March 31, 2008
There’s plenty of criticism about the International Joint Commission. After several years and millions of dollars of study, the IJC plans to do little to change the water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Here are some of your emails:
“The results…were a terrible waste of taxpayer’s money. Nothing has changed. They should be ashamed of the results!”
Darrell Burton
“I’m very disgusted. The IJC needs to reconsider and look at the broader picture and future of our beautiful waterways before they disappear completely and…our children have nothing in the future.”
Claude
“I own property on the river in Cape Vincent. The water levels need to be higher on the river or all over.”
Mark VandeViver
“I am appalled at the lack of consideration for those of us who live along the banks of the St. Lawrence River. We have suffered for several years with low water levels & it seems as if the IJC really doesn’t care that we have become nothing but a trench between the lakes and the ocean.”
Lois Langtry
“Last year the levels were so low wells were dangerously low or dried up altogether. If it’s caused by weather, that’s one thing. To have the levels so altered by controls is inexcusable.”
John A. Bang
Local food pantries are seeing a growing demand for assistance and more working people asking for help.
Here’s one message about that:
“While many of us are struggling to buy food, our taxes are going up to help bail out private industries and people who make poor borrowing decisions.”
Dawn Grundhofer
Source Bio-Plastics Inc., which manufactures biodegradable plastics, will join forces with Michelex Plastics in Massena and create at least 175 new jobs over the next three years. The company expects to receive many job applications from General Motors workers who will lose their jobs when the Massena Powertrain plant closes this year.
Here’s what a couple of you had to say:
“This is good news.”
Jane Wilson
Potsdam
“Last I knew, Michelex Plastics paid minimum wage. I don’t see how 175 jobs at $7 an hour could possibly help 300 - 400 people who are used to making $30 plus an hour.”
Name Withheld
See Diane Rutherford’s report:
Youth Pleads in Snowmobile Case
March 31, 2008
A 19 year old Jefferson County man pleaded guilty Monday to attempted assault for his role in a snowmobile accident.
Timothy Danks of County Route 47 will be sentenced May 19.
Danks was driving a snowmobile that was involved in an accident January 20, in which Anthony Colangelo, 17, of state route 126, was seriously injured.
Colangelo was Danks’ passenger. He was injured when the snowmobile hit a ditch.
At the time, police said colangelo suffered a large head wound, a fractured neck and loss of blood.
Danks fled from the accident and his the snowmobile, police said.
Judge Weighs Delay in Winters Case
March 31, 2008
A judge is considering whether a 26-year delay in charging a north country woman with the 1980 death of her 5-month-old son jeopardizes the woman’s right to a fair trial.
During a three-hour hearing, defense attorney Ken Moynihan tried to persuade the judge that the delay was unreasonable.
Moynihan is arguing that three medical examiners previously reviewed Shirley Winters’ case and determined her baby died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Prosecutors, however, say they didn’t have enough evidence to charge Winters with murder until 2006.
Onondaga County Court Judge Joseph Fahey says he will issue his decision on April 25.
Winters is also a suspect in the death of two of her other children in a fire in Jefferson County in the late 1970s, and is scheduled to stand trial for the death of a friend’s grandchild last year in St. Lawrence County.
Burch Named Lewis General CEO
March 31, 2008
The head of Lewis County General Hospital can drop the ‘interim’ from his title.
Eric R. Burch was named the hospital’s chief executive officer, according to a statement from the hospital Monday.
Burch was one of two finalists for the job.
Burch was the hospital’s chief fiscal officer, and took over the job of CEO last September as a temporary replacement for Mark Rappaport, who resigned after a dispute about what he should be paid.
As CEO, Burch will make $200,000, a hospital spokesman said.
Burch was picked after extensive interviews by the hospital board, the Lewis County Board of Legislators, and various doctors, managers and hospital employees.
Icy Weather Conditions Responsible for West Carthage Accident
March 31, 2008
Three off-duty Fort Drum firefighters came across a truck off the side of the road in the Town of Denmark this morning.
The driver of the pick-up lost control of his vehicle when it hit a patch of ice on the road, striking a few mailboxes along Route 26 outside of West Carthage.
There were reports of freezing rain across the North Country as winter weather continues to hang on to the coat tails of Spring.
The driver was taken to Carthage Area Hospital.
Watch our noon report with Diane Rutherford and Jeff Cole:
Updated: Residents in Morristown Vote Yes on Two Propositions
March 31, 2008
Morristown voters passed two propositions yesterday
The first proposition was for repairs to the main school building estimated at $2.2 million.
115 voted yes.
54 voted no.
The second was a half-million proposal for repairs to the bus garage.
It was a slightly closer contest where 93 voted yes and 73 voted no.
Your Weather Photos, Week of March 31, 2008
March 31, 2008
Here’s the newest gallery of weather-related photos sent to Rick DeFranco by folks from the North Country. Rick DeFranco asks you to send your photos to him so he can pick one a day for his weather forecast on 7News at 6:00, but he can’t use them all on TV. All of your photos wind up here, in a weekly gallery.
Got a good weather photo to share with us? Use the form below to send Rick a photo and we’ll add your best shots to this gallery.
cforms contact form by delicious:days
Earl M. Smith, 94, Norfolk
March 31, 2008
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR 94 YEAR OLD EARL M. SMITH OF 89 GROVE ST., ST REGIS NURSING HOME AND FORMERLY OF NORFOLK, WILL BE HELD TUESDAY AT 10AM AT THE CHURCH OF THE VISITATION IN NORFOLK WITH REV. ANDREW AMYOT, PASTOR OFFICIATING. SPRING BURIAL WILL BE HELD AT THE SOUTH COLTON CEMETERY. FRIENDS MAY CALL AT THE BUCK FUNERAL HOME IN NORWOOD MONDAY FROM 6-8.
MR. SMITH DIED FRIDAY AT CANTON-POTSDAM HOSPITAL.
SURVIVING: DAUGHTERS- MARIE GARVELLE AND HER HUSBAND LOU ROTTIER, MASSENA; SON– RICK AND SUE SMITH, NORFOLK BROTHER- PETER; NORFOLK 3 GRANDCHILDREN- MR.AND MRS. AARON GRAVELLE, MR. AND MRS. JEFF FAYETTE, AND RICKY SMITH AND HIS COMPANION DEANNA DERAGON ; 6 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN-AVERY GRAVELLE, JEREMY FAYETTE, PAIGE FAYETTE, BROOKE FAYETTE, BRIELLE SMITH, SETH SMITH
PRE- DECEASED BY 3 BROTHERS; OLIVER, WOODY, LAVERN AND 4 SISTERS BERNICE LAVAIR, RUTH COLE ANNABELL QUIEOR, MARJORIE HUFF
BORN IN NORFOLK ON OCTOBER 8, 1913, SON OF PETER AND EVA TRIPPANY SMITH; HE MARRIED PATRICIA L. LEROUX ON NOVEMBER 20, 1943. SHE DIED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2007. HE WAS A SERVED IN THE ARMY AIR CORP.
MR. SMITH WAS SELF-EMPLOYED AT SMITHS STORE ON MECHANIC STREET, NORWOOD FROM 1959-1973.
HE THEN WORKED AS A CUSTODIAN AT POTSDAM STATE FROM 1973-1981.
HE WAS A COMMUNICANT OF THE CHURCH OF VISITATION, AND A MEMBER OF THE NORWOOD AMERICAN LEGION.
DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO HOSPICE.
ARRANGEMENTS ARE WITH THE BUCK FUNERAL HOME IN NORWOOD.
John R. O’Neil, 75, Chase Mills
March 31, 2008
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR 75 YEAR OLD JOHN R. “FRANCIS” O’NEIL OF 180 DISHAW ROAD CHASE MILLS; WILL BE HELD MONDAY AT 10AM AT ST. RAYMOND’S CHURCH IN RAYMONDVILLE WITH REV. ANDREW AMYOT AND REV. EVERETT DENESHA, PRESIDING. SPRING BURIAL WILL BE IN VISITATION CEMETERY IN NORFOLK. FRIENDS MAY CALL AT THE BUCK FUNERAL HOME IN NORFOLK SUNDAY FROM 2-4 AND 7-9. MR. O’NEIL DIED THURSDAY AT OGDENSBURG UNITED HELPERS NURSING HOME.
SURVIVING: DAUGHTERS- MRS. PATRICIA AND GERALD MARTIN; NORFOLK AND MRS. SHARON AND TIMOTHY BRADY WADDINGTON BROTHER- WILLIAM; CHASE MILLS
SISTERS- MRS. COLLEEN FABRIZIO; SOLVAY AND MARGARET LANGFORD, CHASE MILLS
FOUR GRANDCHILDREN; AND SEVERAL NIECES AND NEPHEWS
PRE-DECEASED BY A SON MICHAEL, 2 BROTHERS; CHARLES AND JOHN
MR. O’NEIL WAS BORN ON AUGUST 30, 1932, SON OF THOMAS AND HELEN PAIGE O’NEIL; HE MARRIED SHIRLEY CLARK ON MAY 11, 1957 IN THE CHURCH OF THE VISITATION, NORFOLK, WITH REV. FRANCIS J. CONNORS OFFICIATING. SHE DIED ON JULY 6, 1985. HE GRADUATED FROM MADRID CENTRAL SCHOOL AND ATTENDED POTSDAM STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE JOINING THE UNITED STATES NAVY. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON JULY 12, 1954. HE WORKED FOR THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY BEFORE JOINING THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS. HE WAS HONORED IN 2007 WITH A COMMEMORATIVE WATCH, PIN AND CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR 50 YEARS IN THE OPERATING ENGINEERS.
DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO A CHARTIY OF ONE’S CHOICE. ARRANGEMENTS ARE WITH THE BUCK FUNERAL HOME IN NORFOLK.
Elizabeth C. Riordan, 93, Town of Pamelia
March 31, 2008
Elizabeth C. Riordan, 93, of Fox Road, town of Pamelia, and widow of Robert F. Riordan, Sr., died Saturday afternoon at the Samaritan Keep Nursing Home following a brief illness.
Mrs. Riordan taught elementary education in rural schools in Moira, Bigelow and Perch Lake. She later substitute taught in many local districts to include, Watertown, Brownville, Evans Mills and Philadelphia retiring in 1974.
Born July 10, 1914, in Irvington, N.J., a daughter of Henry and Matilda Barkman Curtis, she moved to Brushton with her family at age 7. She graduated from Brushton High School in 1931 and from Potsdam Normal School in 1936.
She married Robert F. Riordan on March 27, 1937, at the Stone Mills Methodist Parsonage with Rev. William Fuller officiating. Mr. and Mrs. Riordan lived in Antwerp, Evans Mills, Richmond, Vt., and Cincinnatus before purchasing their current home on the Fox Rd. in 1946. Mr. Riordan, a retired plant manager for the Borden Research Facility in Syracuse, died Aug. 16 at their home.
Mrs. Riordan was a member of the Evans Mills United Methodist Church. A life member of the Pisgah Lodge# 164, Evans Mills, Order of the Eastern Star, and the Perch River Home Bureau.
She enjoyed traveling, cooking, entertaining, sewing, reading, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and spending time at the family camp on Bob’s Lake in Ontario, Canada.
Surviving are two sons and a daughter-in-law, Robert Jr., Watertown, David and Karen, Adams; a daughter and son-in-law, Carolyn and Charles Covell, Calcium; six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.
A son-in-law, Roger W. Taylor, three sisters, Eunice Van Ess, Ruth Winters and Esther Earle, and a brother Henry Curtis Jr., all died before her.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Evans Mills United Methodist Church with Rev. Penni Farrington officiating. Burial will be later in the spring at the Parrish Road Cemetery, Town of Pamelia. Calling hours are 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Reed & Benoit Funeral Home, Watertown.
Contributions may be made to the Evans Mills United Methodist Church.
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