May 19

Bachelor’s Degree

Alexandria Bay

Molly Joe Russell

Tristan R. Thomson, magna cum laude

Beaver Falls

Shyanne R. Laubscher, cum laude

Canton

Josephine F. Brown, magna cum laude

Emma Collins

Madison P. O’Shea, cum laude

Ema Omeragic, cum laude

Nicole C. Rosenberg

Morgan A. Rosser, cum laude

Tanner S. Sanderson

Jonathan Sklaroff

Colton

Ethaniel J. Cox

Morgan Doyle, cum laude

Copenhagen

Antonio J. Figueroa

Edwards

Abbie J. Hale, cum laude

Evans Mills

Sidney A. Black

Glenfield

Leif G. Lepkowski Ostrum, cum laude

Gouverneur

Sarah E. Yablonski, summa cum laude

Hammond

William J. Bronner, cum laude

Harrisville

Justin M. Brackett, cum laude

Heuvelton

Heather M. Thompson

Lisbon

Sarah A.M. Measheaw

Lowville

James C. Merrell, magna cum laude

Madrid

Sophia M. Roome

Massena

Andrew M. Brush, cum laude

Elizabeth L. Palmer, cum laude

Madeline Thibault, cum laude

Matthew R. Thibault

Norfolk

Edona Hadzovic, magna cum laude

Norwood

Connor W. Fulk

Gabriel E. Thomas

Ogdensburg

Sarah E. Richer Magna, cum laude

Olivia M. St. Pierre

Nathaniel O. Stowe, cum laude

Oswegatchie

Shania E. Muncil, magna cum laude

Potsdam

Kirstie M. Bigwarfe, summa cum laude

Nora L. Bradford

Allison C. Compeau

Gwendolyn J. Deuel

Rodman

Hannah R. Markey, summa cum laude

Watertown

Anna R. Jank, cum laude

Rainy E. Johannessen

Kenneth E. Schimpf, magna cum laude

Waddington

Anna C. Scott, summa cum laude

2019

Master of Education

Adams

Leah M. Conners

Alexandria Bay

Hillary E. Wolfe

Canton

Spencer M. Beaulieu

Jordan R. Berrian

Morgan K. Bruno

Alexandra C. Calder

Melanie S. Locy

Lauren M. McRoberts

Murphy L. Newman

Stefan A. Sloma

Carly Grace Stine

Margaret Downey Sullivan

Elizabeth Dawn Taylor

Mikayla M. Thomas

Hannah E. Tong

Michael J. Wood

Ogdensburg

Victoria A. Peabody

Master of Science

Massena

Carrie A. Caldwell

Parishville

Jenna Converse

Potsdam

Kristen Meek

Carrie Sullivan

Certificate of Advanced Studies in Education

Canton

Rachel M. Atkins

David L. Doe

Drew A. White

Gouverneur

Jessica Elizabeth A. McMaster

Natural Bridge

Troy Patrick Hebert

Oswegatchie

Moriah Jo Warren

Rensselaer Falls

Christopher W. Riordan

April unemployment rates in three north country counties fell from the same time last year.

According to statistics released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor, the April jobless rate for Jefferson County decreased from 6.1 percent last year to 5.3 percent in 2019. In Lewis County, the April unemployment rate dropped from 6.5 percent last year to 5.8 percent in 2019, and in St. Lawrence County, the rate fell from 5.8 percent last year to 5.2 percent this year.

The April unemployment rates for Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties were also down from their respective March rates of 6.3 percent, 7.2 percent and 6.1 percent.

Statewide, the April jobless rate fell from 4 percent last year to 3.6 percent. The nationwide rate decreased from 3.7 percent last April to 3.3 percent.

FORT DRUM — U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum will open cemeteries for visitation on Memorial Day on Monday.

Those wishing to visit the cemeteries can do so anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Quiet hours will be observed from noon to 5 p.m.

Visitors do not need to stop at Range Control to obtain a vehicle pass to go to cemeteries on the training ranges on Memorial Day only.

Directions and database of cemeteries can be found at the following link :https://fortdrum.isportsman.net/Cemeteries.aspxassistance.

Those who wish to visit gravesites on post will need to follow normal gate procedures.

For information about gate access, call 315-772-9959.

n CAPE VINCENT — Due to a reporter’s error, a story in Wednesday’s Times had the incorrect deadline for applications for the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. The deadline is May 31.

n Due to a reporter’s error, an article in Wednesday’s paper listed the incorrect number of votes received by Carthage Central School District’s newly-appointed board member Joseph Colangelo. He received 293 votes. In the same article, Dr. Nata Parnes’ prefix was incorrect.

This year’s free rabies vaccinations clinics hosted by the St. Lawrence Valley SPCA are underway, and are continuing throughout the county through November.

Clinics are held at the following times and location:

-Today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Potsdam Town Barn

-June 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Star Lake Fire Hall and Tri-Town Arena

-June 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Heuvelton Fire Department

-June 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Canton Human Services Building

-July 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pierrepont Town Hall

-July 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gouverneur Town Barn

-Aug. 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Lawrence Centre Mall, Massena

-Aug. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fowler Town Barn

-Sept. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Canton Human Services Building

-Oct. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ogdensburg Fire Station

-Oct. 17 Lisbon Fire Station from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

-Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Canton Human Services.

Dogs and cats receiving their first rabies vaccination will need a booster in one year. The booster will protect them for three years. Pet owners are being asked to bring a current rabies certificate if they have one.

All pets must be controlled by an adult and must be on a leash or in a carrier.

OGDENSBURG — The annual Memorial Day City Wide Garage Sale is shaping up to be another success, according to Greater Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Laura Pearson.

Ms. Pearson is busy preparing directories that list the sales that have registered with the chamber and pairing them with maps of the city.

The garage sale is a three-day affair starting Friday and continuing through Sunday.

Each sale varies

“Some people are open only on Friday, some only Saturday, some two days and some three days,” she said.

There are several multiple-family sales planned, she said.

The Ogdensburg Chamber Directory will be for sale today at the chamber office, at Kimro’s Medicine Place and the Label Shopper store for $3.

It costs $5 for a sale to be included in the directory.

The chamber nets about $500 on the weekend, Ms. Pearson said, but it is not about the money.

“It’s a nice weekend for people,” she said. “People come from Canada every year because they know it is the same weekend. It’s a little boost for tourism and gives people a chance to declutter.

And, there are more sales that what are in the directory. Lots of people plan their garage sales and don’t register with the Chamber.

“They get to ride the wave,” Ms. Pearson said. “And, that’s OK.”

The Salvation Army, located at 401 Franklin Street, will be opening its doors for anyone interested in having a vendor space in a Flea Market on Friday and Saturday, lots will be sold as 10x10 at $20 for one day or $30 for two days – vendors will be able to rent more than one unit.

The Salvation Army will be selling breakfast and lunch items for customers as well.

Children will be able to use the bounce houses for a nominal fee while their parents shop. To reserve a flea market space, contact AnnMarie at 315-393-3351.

The Salvation Army’s Seek & Find Shop 727 State St. will host a side walk sale — complete with bounce houses and family activities on Friday and Saturday.

The State Appellate Division, Third Department, in Albany ruled 4-1 on Thursday that farmworkers in the state have a right to organize and form unions.

“It is declared that the exclusion of “individuals employed as farm laborers” from the definition of the term “employees” set forth in Labor Law § 701(3) (a) is unconstitutional,” the court ruled in Crispin Hernandez v. the State of New York and the New York Farm Bureau.

The case was brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Mr. Hernandez, a farmworker who was laid off from Marks Farms in Lowville for allegedly trying to organize better working conditions.

“This is a victory for farmworkers, as we have finally had our day in court,” Mr. Hernandez was quoted as saying in a statement from NYCLU. “All workers deserve to have a voice and be heard at their place of work, and farmworkers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”

Under state labor law implemented in 1937, agricultural workers are exempted from the right to unionize. The NYCLU said the law, which imported federal Depression-era protections for workers into state law, was designed to be discriminatory as many farm workers at the time were black. The exclusion remains in place, impacting farm workers who primarily migrate from Mexico and Central America.

Mr. Hernandez was let go by Marks Farms in 2015, when he was 19. New York state declined to defend the law when Mr. Hernandez brought his suit in 2016. New York Farm Bureau, however, filed to defend the law instead, and was allowed to do so. The case was dismissed by a Supreme Court judge in Albany County in January 2018 and appealed by NYCLU to the Third Department in February.

In the majority opinion delivered Thursday, four of the judges — Presiding Justice Elizabeth A. Garry and Justices Michael C. Lynch, Christine M. Clark and Eugene P. Devine — held that a carve-out exempting farm workers under state labor law clashed with a section of the state constitution that allows all workers the right to organize.

“Application of these longstanding principles here leads us to the inescapable conclusion that the choice to use the broad and expansive word “employees” in NY Constitution ... without qualification or restriction, was a deliberate one that was meant to afford the constitutional right to organize and collectively bargain to any person who fits within the plain and ordinary meaning of that word,” the decision reads. “Indeed, there is nothing in the language of the constitutional provision to support the suggestion that the drafters intended for the term “employees” to be narrowed or limited in any way.”

The Farm Bureau said it was disappointed in the decision.

“The Appellate Court was considering the trial court’s decision on a motion to dismiss, which, if denied would have permitted Farm Bureau to fully litigate this case in the trial court,” New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher wrote in a statement. “Instead, the majority of the court decided to make a far-reaching determination by declaring the right to collectively bargain as a “fundamental right,” on par with the freedoms of speech and religion. We believe that the majority’s conclusion is unsupportable and disregards decades of precedent.”

The Farm Bureau pointed to the sole dissent from Justice Stan L. Pritzker, who disagreed with the court that the constitution guaranteed a right to organizing.

“One need only imagine and compare laws that would prevent farm laborers from exercising freedom of speech, voting, traveling, marrying, raising children or appealing criminal convictions to recognize the distinction and understand why a fundamental constitutional right is not implicated here,” Judge Pritzker wrote.

Both Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James applauded the decision in a press release.

“This is a victory for some of the most vulnerable members of New York’s workforce,” Gov. Cuomo was quoted as saying in a press release. “From the beginning, we chose not to defend against this lawsuit because farmworkers never should have been denied the same basic rights as other workers and we believed this to not only be morally wrong, but also unconstitutional.”

Ms. James, who normally would have been responsible for defending the law, applauded its overturning.

“I applaud the court’s decision to affirm the right for farm workers to organize in the state of New York,” she was quoted as saying. “My office will always fight for the hardworking people in this state, and their fundamental rights to organize, access workplace protections, and get paid fair pay for a fair day’s work.”

Separate from the legal case, Mr. Hernandez is also supporting a legislative solution to allow organizing of labor on farms, The Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act (S. 2837/A. 2750) would end the carve-out for agricultural workers, along with one day off a week, overtime pay and other labor protections.

“Right now farm workers don’t have an authentic voice in their workplaces,” Mr. Hernandez told the Times in February. “Farmworkers deserve more and we want that to be recognized in the Senate.”

Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand, both D-N.Y., announced Thursday that funding for two major projects at Fort Drum had passed the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

The Committee-approved NDAA includes $21 million to fully renovate the Fort Drum railhead and $23 million for a new unmanned aerial vehicle hangar. Both projects have already passed the House, but will require approval from the full Senate before funding is finalized.

“Securing a new railhead that will increase mission readiness and deployment speed for the world-class troops at Fort Drum is the base’s #1 objective, so I am very pleased the funding authorizations just advanced out of the Armed Services Committee in the NDAA,” Sen. Schumer said. “Not only would these projects greatly enhance Fort Drum’s mission readiness, they would also bring good-paying construction jobs to the North Country, boosting the regional economy.”

The railhead was identified as lacking capacity in 2008, but was not included in the requested appropriations submitted by the Army for next year. U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, was a vocal supporter of the project, and it was added to the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill.

“Fort Drum is an invaluable asset to our country’s national defense, and the railhead and hangar projects are absolutely vital to making sure that the 10th Mountain Division is adequately prepared when called to duty,” Sen. Gillibrand said. “As Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Committee, I was proud to fight to ensure these projects were included as a part of the NDAA. The railhead project is central to the 10th Mountain Division’s mission and its completion will help make sure that our troops can do their job.”

With the current railhead, the post is currently unable to load and unload trains simultaneously and cannot deploy within the 72-hour target. The project would double the number of loading sides and ramps, add 1.2 miles of loading track and address other issues like limited storage, unpaved vehicle staging areas and cold weather limitations. The UAV hangar will allow soldiers to store and service new Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. It will allow for the addition of three new TUAV platoons by adding a runway extension, storage facilities and vehicle parking space, among other improvements.

FOWLER — Potential layoff notices that were given to 87 employees at Empire State Mines in February have been rescinded because the mine is producing more zinc than expected at lower cost, the mine’s chief executive officer said Thursday.

“As indicated at the time of the restructuring, we expected to benefit from greater efficiencies associated with a smaller group of miners,” Don Taylor, chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “Our workforce has outperformed expectations at every opportunity and delivered positive results since the reduction in workforce.”

The potential layoff notices were given a week after the mine laid off 108 workers and restructured in order to match staffing levels with planned mining activities,

At the time, mine officials said they were following federal and New York Worker Adjustment and Retraining Acts by providing remaining staff with notices of potential layoffs.

Clara Cummings, the mine’s human-resources director, said the workforce is up to 91 employees and the company intends to hire “a very limited number of personnel back in the coming months.”

Mr. Taylor said increased focus on safety has resulted in 188 days or 164,000 hours without a lost-time accident.

Since the workforce reduction, he said, hoisted tons, milled tons, zinc grade and payable zinc pounds produced have been higher than expected, and direct operating costs lower than projected.

“Additionally, near-mine exploration continues to expand and better define higher grade zinc mineral resources that will be key to our future success,” he said.

A revised life-of-mine plan, expected to be finished later this year, will provide additional information about the mine’s outlook.

“The Empire State Mine continues to invest in mine development and exploration and remains positive on the potential for further discoveries,” Mr. Taylor said.

He said the company is very pleased with how the entire workforce at Empire State Mines responded in the face of adversity.

“This announcement is obviously great news,” said Patrick J. Kelly, executive director of the county’s Industrial Development Agency. “Empire State Mines and its workforce have worked very hard to reach this level of operational performance. This progress is very positive both for the company and for the local economy.”

The mine, just south of Gouverneur, restarted zinc mining operations in January 2018 after a $33 million investment by Titan Mining Corp. The 2,700-acre mine dates back more than 100 years in St. Lawrence County.

WATERTOWN — The badge that new city firefighter David Herman will wear on his uniform was a gift from his boss.

It was the same badge that his father, Fire Chief Dale C. Herman, put on when he first became a city firefighter 33 years ago.

“Every time I leave the station, I’ll take it with me,” the new firefighter said about the badge he’ll proudly wear.

Mr. Herman was joined by three other new firefighters who became the newest members of the Watertown Fire Department on Thursday morning.

For the past 12 weeks, the four new firefighters — Robert Schultz, 26, of Croghan; Lane Broadhurst, 28, of Adams Center; and Jonathan Stetson, 23, of Cape Vincent; and Mr. Herman — trained at the Massey Street fire station.

They learned such things as how to run fire equipment, giving first aid and what to do during fire rescues.

And how to be a part of the Brotherhood of Firefighters.

About 70 family members, fellow firefighters and city officials watched as they received their badges for the first time on Thursday.

Mr. Broadhurst’s 5-year-old son, Chase, pinned the badge on his father.

“It’s something that he’ll always remember,” Mr. Broadhurst said.

It also was a proud day for the fire chief. His son, who graduated from Jefferson Community College, where he took a fire investigators course, is starting in a career that they both love.

“He’s got the job he’s always wanted,” the fire chief said. “It showed that he has the ability to do the job.”

Over the years, there have been many instances when sons of firefighters have been hired as firefighters themselves and ended up working with relatives in the fire department. Retired Utica Chief Russell Brooks worked with his son for years.

But Chief Herman stressed that he recused himself and did not play a role in the hiring process.

On Wednesday night, Chief Herman came up with the idea to give the badge he received as a rookie firefighter in 1986 to his son. “It took me a couple of hours to find it,” Chief Herman said.

As it turned out, it was buried in a bedroom closet in a bag with his first uniform shirt and hat.

Grandmother Lois Herman said her grandson comes from a firefighter family. Her husband and David’s grandfather, Carl Herman, belonged to the North Pole Fire Department for 64 years as a volunteer.

“It was something I grew up around,” David Herman said. “It was always there.”

She remembered her grandson was so enthralled with the job that he wore a toy firefighter hat and boots when he was a little boy.

“Now he’s wearing bigger boots,” she said.

The other three firefighters always had aspirations of going into a career of firefighting, they said. All three also volunteered in their communities before deciding to join the city’s paid fire department.

“I got into a career I truly love,” Mr. Schultz said.

The four came from a civil service list from 2015. Mr. Herman, Mr. Broadhurst and Mr. Stetson are filling current vacancies, while Mr. Shultz is an over hire whom the City Council approved in anticipation of a pending retirement,

Four previous firefighter hires finished training back in January and have been on the line since. Those hires are being paid by the $561,202 federal Staffing for an Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.

HAMMOND — Former Hammond Central School Superintendent Douglas H. McQueer will be returning to the position starting in the 2019-20 school year, replacing Karen Carswell, who will retire in October.

Hammond Central School Board of Education selected Mr. McQueer following a series of interviews which began on May 13 with four candidates and concluded with two finalists who advanced to stakeholder group interviews on May 15 and 16.

Mr. McQueer was selected after reviewing feedback from those interviews, according to a news release.

Mr. McQueer currently is superintendent of schools at Morristown Central School, a position he has held since 2015. Prior to this position, he served as the interim principal and athletic director for Morristown. He also served as superintendent of schools at Hammond Central School from 2006 to 2013. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from SUNY Potsdam, a master of science in education from SUNY Potsdam and a certificate of advanced studies in educational leadership from St. Lawrence University.

“Feedback from the school staff and community was instrumental in the hiring process,” Board of Education President Douglas E. Delosh said in the release. “We are confident that Doug McQueer will serve the students, staff and community of Hammond Central School District well as superintendent.”

The Board of Education called upon St. Lawrence-Lewis District Superintendent Thomas R. Burns to act as a consultant in the selection of a superintendent of schools, and in the recruitment, screening and evaluation of candidates.

The service is provided under the BOCES Administrative Services.

“After both of the finalist candidates met with school staff and community members, the Board carefully reviewed the feedback from those groups to make a final selection,” Mr. Burns said. “The Board is confident they made the right choice in selecting Doug as the district’s leader.”

Salary and start date will be negotiated with the Board within 30 days.

CANTON — A Raymondville mechanic accused of using a customer‘s car to run a motorcycle carrying his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend off the road, then ditching the car in the woods is now charged with attempted murder.

Timothy A. Bethel, 8648 Route 56, Norfolk, was indicted by a St. Lawrence County grand jury Thursday with two counts of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault, all felonies.

The indictment charges on Sept. 17 in the town of Norfolk, Bethel intended to cause the death of Amy Baxter and Ronald Brothers and caused them each serious injury.

At the time of his arrest by state police, Bethel was charged with seven felonies, none as serious as the attempted-murder charge, but included two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of third-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal mischief and first-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

According to court documents, at 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 17 on Marsh Road, Mr. Bethel was driving a white 1997 Buick LeSabre, headed east, when he saw his ex-girlfriend, Amy L. Baxter, heading west on the back of a 2014 Harley Davidson operated by her boyfriend, Ronald C. Brothers.

Ms. Baxter told police that she recognized Mr. Bethel, her former boyfriend of 17 years, and said he had the vehicle with him earlier that day when she was dropping one of their two children off to him at his home.

As he passed, Ms. Baxter said she looked over her shoulder to see if Mr. Bethel was going to turn around and follow them.

“... Tim always had me on edge and this was the first time Tim had seen Ronald and I together,” Ms. Baxter said in her statement. “I did not see him behind us so I assumed he did not turn around.”

Then, as she and Mr. Brothers approached Nation Road, she said the two of them were thrown from the motorcycle after it was rear-ended by the white sedan, although it was so sudden that neither rider of the Harley could identify the driver.

Mr. Brothers told police that he was thrown onto the hood of the white sedan before he joined his motorcycle skidding across the blacktop.

Both Mr. Brothers and Ms. Baxter were taken to Canton-Potsdam Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released.

Mr. Bethel has another misdemeanor charge of second-degree aggravated harassment pending against him that involves Ms. Baxter. In that case, it is charged that on Dec. 5, while working at his family business, Bethel’s Garage, 8653 State Highway 56, Raymondville, during a telephone call with Ms. Baxter, Mr. Bethel made threats to kill their children.

According to a statement by St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Thivierge, Ms. Baxter said that Mr. Bethel was “aware she was at Ronnie Brothers’ house recently and that he was going to ‘kill her kids’ and that ‘someone’ is going to get hurt.”

She said the statement was unusual as the kids are his as well, but she picked up her son from school and had her daughter meet her at a residence where she was staying.

There was no order of protection issued in that case.

After Mr. Bethel allegedly hit the motorcycle, troopers said he left the scene, but they recovered car parts, including the vehicle’s Buick emblem, from the scene.

Witnesses of the crash reported Mr. Bethel as having taken a right down Nation Road and, at about 4 p.m., Casey A. Breault reported seeing the vehicle pulling into a wooded area across the street from her Louisville-Raymondville Road home but never saw it or the driver come out. A few doors down, Darlene M. Coller said she recognized Mr. Bethel as he ran down the road.

“He was wearing his Bethel’s Garage work shirt that he always wears when he is working at his garage,” she told police.

She said Mr. Bethel approached an older-model dark sedan that was parked near Route 310 and Louisville-Raymondville Road, got into the passenger’s side, and the car appeared to head south, toward Raymondville.

The following day, Sept. 18, Ms. Breault said her children were riding ATVs back in the wooded area and found the white sedan with the damaged front end.

The owner of the white sedan, Jamie H. Clark, Madrid, told police he had left the car at Bethel’s Garage between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 for what he thought was a skip in his engine. He was told the car would be taken for a test drive, but at 6:30. that night, he said police came to his home asking if he knew where his car was.

When he went to pick up the car the following day, Mr. Bethel told him that he thought Mr. Clark picked the car up the day before and that he didn’t know where his car was, Mr. Clark told police.

“I don’t know who has my vehicle or where it is, but I never gave anyone permission to use my car other than to test-drive it,” Mr. Clark told police. “I believe my car has been stolen at this point.”

Mr. Bethel was arraigned in Norfolk Town Court and released under probation supervision.

n Due to a copy desk error, an article in Tuesday’s Times incorrectly stated the court where a Lowville woman appeared. Ruth Green appeared in St. Lawrence County Court.

WATERTOWN — Developer P.J. Simao made it known in a very public way that he’s not happy with the views that mayoral candidate and former City Council member Jeffrey M. Smith has taken on the Watertown Golf Club.

Mr. Simao, who also owns Ives Hill Country Club, is using a billboard on Factory Square to criticize Mr. Smith about things he recently said about the lease that the golf club has with the city.

In a recent Watertown Daily Times article, Mr. Smith said people care more about fixing roads and sidewalks and keeping taxes down than the controversy over whether a golf club parking lot, septic tank and three tee boxes encroach on city-owned park land.

It was those comments that prompted Mr. Simao to place the message on the billboard, which he owns.

“It’s nothing personal,” Mr. Simao said. “I did not like his views on the golf club, and he knows that.”

Mr. Simao accuses Mr. Smith of condoning the golf club illegally using city-owned park land.

As a council member, Mr. Smith voted to renew the lease in 2000 when he also was a member of the golf club and subsequently voted for renewing it again in 2006.

Mr. Simao has criticized the city for providing the golf club with a sweetheart deal.

“I don’t want anyone in office that thinks anything illegal is OK with it,” he said.

The billboard isn’t bothering Mr. Smith or having an impact on his campaign, the mayoral candidate said Thursday.

“I’m fine with it,” Mr. Smith said. “He can do what he wants. He’s an angry individual who called me twice. He’s trying to be a bully in his phone calls.”

Mr. Smith, who is in a four-way race for a June 25 primary, reiterated that voters don’t care about what’s going on with the lease with the golf club. Instead, they are talking about such issues as fixing roads and keeping taxes down.

As he did in 2006, Mr. Smith recommends that the city sell the nine holes it owns to the golf club.

Asked about Mr. Smith’s comments, Mr. Simao said the former councilman isn’t addressing the issue and how he voted in 2000 and 2006.

“It’s business, not personal,” Mr. Simao said, adding city taxpayers will decide the issue in the voting booth.

Developer Michael E. Lundy, who acquired the other nine holes in December, plans to replace the clubhouse and make a series of major improvements to the facility over the next two years.

Last year, Mr. Simao filed a lawsuit against the city over the lease, but state Supreme Court Judge James P. McClusky dismissed the legal action in March.

Since then, he filed a motion to renew the lawsuit, claiming new facts emerged and that if the information had been known at that time, the outcome of the case would have been different.

Mr. Simao claims that the golf club is encroaching on city-owned parkland not covered by the lease, including an overflow parking lot, golf cart storage and a septic system. The club is allegedly using the land without paying any additional rent.

Earlier this week, City Councilman Cody J. Horbacz expressed concern about the city spending as much as $75,000 to defend itself from the lawsuit.

He also expressed concerns that the golf carts haven’t been moved to the golf club land and club members continue to park on city parkland.

He asked City Manager Rick Finn why the city cannot do something, particularly about the parking situation. Mr. Finn told him that an agreement with Mr. Lundy about all of the encroachment issues will be signed soon.

U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, is cosponsoring Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s Miranda Vargas School Bus Driver Red Flag Act.

The act would require school bus companies and schools to receive and alert within 24 hours if a school bus driver received any kind of traffic infraction other than a parking ticket.

“No parent should have to worry about their child’s safety when they drop them off at the school bus stop,” Ms. Stefanik was quoted as saying.

Ms. Stefanik has also co-sponsored the SECURES Act, which would require seat belts on all school buses.

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, joined Republican colleagues on Tuesday to unveil Ramona’s Law, a proposal to increase the time between parole hearings for some inmates.

Instead of being eligible for parole hearings every two years, the bill would extend the time between hearings to five years for first-degree rape, murder and sodomy, along with a few other charges.

Democratic legislators, who control the Assembly and Senate, have been pushing a string of criminal justice reforms this session aimed at creating a fairer system and reducing mass incarceration. Republicans, including Mr. Blankenbush, have said the proposals do not take into account crime victims.

WATERTOWN — The Thompson Park splash pad is opening for the season this weekend.

Making its debut last summer, the spray park will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on holidays and weekends and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays until further notice, depending on weather.

U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, said on Thursday that she voted for seven bills supporting veterans, in time for Memorial Day.

“Despite our differences, much of what Congress does is bipartisan and has a meaningful impact on so many Americans,” Ms. Stefanik was quoted as saying in a news release. “I’m proud that my colleagues and I worked together to pass this legislation, which will expand physical and mental health care access for veterans, equip the VA with the resources they need to prevent suicide, increase disability compensation, and promote education and employment programs for veterans.”

Among the laws is the Veterans’ Education, Transition and Opportunity Prioritization Plan Act, which transfers resources related to education, employment and transition to a new administration, the Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration.

WATERTOWN — The city and the Watertown Wolves have reached a tentative agreement to keep the Federal Hockey League team at the Watertown Municipal Arena next season.

Erin E. Gardner, the city’s parks and recreation superintendent, said that team owner Don Kirnan and City Manager Rick Finn tentatively agreed on a new lease after a 90-minute meeting Thursday morning.

Terms of the new contract were not released because the City Council has not reviewed them yet, although City Councilman Cody J. Horbacz said it was for three years and the team agreed to pay more for advertising in the arena at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.

Councilman Horbacz said he was on the phone with Mr. Kirnan every day this week to help get the deal done.

Mr. Kirnan should have the final agreement in his hand next week. Council members will vote on the lease agreement either at the June 3 meeting or the meeting two weeks later, Ms. Gardner said.

“Last year, it wasn’t signed until September, so we’re ahead of where we were last year,” she said.

But Councilman Horbacz said the team needed to know what to expect from the city.

“It’s great it’s done,” the councilman said, adding he expected to get an email later in the day from Mr. Finn with more information about the details of the agreement.

Earlier this week, Mr. Kirnan threatened to move the team if the city didn’t act quickly on a new contract. He said the Wolves are the only team in the Federal Hockey League without a lease for next season.

He posted on Facebook that the city was not willing to work with him on the new agreement, angering council members who accused Mr. Kirnan of being unprofessional.

On Tuesday night, Mr. Finn said the Wolves got a break on the lease for the past season when the team did not do well with attendance.

He planned to ask for more revenue in the new lease agreement, citing that the Wolves did well at the gate this past season.

The Wolves averaged 956 fans a game this past season, the second year that Mr. Kirnan has owned the team.

He took over the team from a local group that started the team after the arena went through an $11 million renovation.