Rooftop replacement
Ogdensburg council to vote on 2018 budget Monday, passage in question
OGDENSBURG — City Council will meet Monday to consider adopting a 2018 spending plan for the municipality, but it’s becoming increasing unlikely that the board will be ready to pass a new budget at that time.
On Wednesday, the council held its last meeting with department heads to discuss the plan, which calls for overall spending of $20,509,348, a tax levy increase of approximately $96,000 and a hike in the tax rate of 1.5 cents.
But, after multiple budget work sessions, some councilors are still unsure whether they will support the spending plan as it now stands. Suggestions range from wanting deeper cuts in some areas — to wavering on whether to add cuts already proposed — back into the budget.
As an example, the current preliminary budget calls for eliminating the hiring of a videographer to tape City Council meetings for later airing on television. The elimination would save $4,000 a year, but Deputy Mayor Michael D. Morley wants to see the tapings continue.
“I’d like to see that added back in, to continue helping keep people informed on what is going on,” Mr. Morley said.
But, when it comes to other cuts, like a proposed reduction of $20,000 to the Ogdensburg Public Library, Mr. Morley said he would like to see deeper cuts for the organization.
“I’d like to see another $30,000 cut there,” he said.
Another change Mr. Morley said he’d like to see is a downward projection for sales tax revenue in 2018.
“I don’t like it, I think we may have overestimated our revenue there,” Mr. Morley said. “We’re better off to play it safe.”
The tentative 2018 budget for the city of Ogdensburg increases sales tax revenue projections by 5.5 percent, according to City Manager Sarah Purdy. She said in 2017 the municipality budgeted $3.5 million for sales tax. In 2018, the projection is to take in $3,694,000.
Ms. Purdy said Thursday that she understands Mr. Morley’s concerns, and agreed there is always the potential for error when projecting sales tax numbers. But she stopped short of advocating a revision.
“I agree with his perspective on it, but if we want to back off of that revenue expectation, than we have to find something to cut,” Ms. Purdy said. “And frankly, the budget is already bare bones,” she said.
Ogdensburg’s proposed budget for 2018 is within the 1.8 percent tax cap. To help contain costs, six full-time positions are eliminated through attrition, and a seventh position will be eliminated partway through 2018.
Mr. Morley, who has served on the council for 18 years and will leave office at the end of this year, said he is doubtful that the board will be ready to come to a consensus on Monday.
“I don’t think this is going to pass on Monday,” Mr. Morley said. “We each have our own interests and we are each going to protect our own interests. So, I don’t see us coming to any kind of consensus on Monday.”
Mayor Wayne L. Ashley said he too is unsure if the municipal budget will gain enough council support to pass Monday, although he described most of the disagreements over spending as minor.
“Personally, I don’t think the council is that far apart on things,” Mr. Ashley said. “A couple of things need to be readjusted a little bit, that’s all.”
Massena village trustees change course on footbridge project
MASSENA — A project that Massena village trustees had agreed to abandon in September is back on the table.
Trustees decided on Wednesday to spend no more than $16,600 for pre-construction inspection services and asbestos screening related to the footbridge project initially part of a proposed Aluminum Trail. Voting yes on the resolution were Trustee Francis J. Carvel, Deputy Mayor Matthew J. LeBire and Mayor Timmy J. Currier. Trustee Albert “Herb” Deshaies voted no, and Trustee Timothy J. Ahlfeld was excused from the meeting.
The work will be done by Greenman-Pedersen Inc., with the fee covering architectural, engineering and consulting professional services.
By abandoning the project, village officials would be on the hook to pay back more than $300,000 in grant funding after already spending about $315,000 on the project. But, Mr. Currier said, he and Department of Public Works Superintendent Hassan A. Fayad met with state Department of Transportation officials to see if it is possible to continue with the project with the hope of saving money.
“I indicated (at the September meeting) that I was still going to find a way to try and make this project happen. Since then, we’ve had a couple of meetings with the Department of Transportation,” Mr. Currier said.
He said if they were able to get the cost down, “it would make sense in my view to finish the project and spend the money as opposed to not finish the project and spend the money anyway.”
He said village officials will sit down with DOT again “to see if we can change the scope of the project or keep the scope of the project and find a better way to fund it.” But before they can do that, the footbridge must have the inspection and asbestos screening completed to determine the condition of the bridge. It has not been inspected since around 2010, according to Mr. Currier.
He said by having the inspection and asbestos screening done, they would be assured that the bridge was in the appropriate condition to move forward with any type of project.
“This is not an all or nothing proposition with DOT right now. It could be an all or nothing. They’re willing to discuss this with us” and perhaps change the scope so the project could be completed, Mr. Currier said.
“We have to identify exactly what they’re looking for and make a decision,” Mr. Fayad said.
Mr. Currier told trustees they had two options. They could not do the work and wait for a determination about paying the money back, or they could authorize spending $16,600 for the inspection and asbestos screening and then sit down with Department of Transportation officials again to talk about how to proceed with the project and make it affordable for the village.
“They’ve been incredibly cooperative and want to make sure this project gets done,” he said.
Mr. Currier said they’ve been granted an extension to January 2019 to use the grant money they received for the project.
“We’ve had at least two extensions. We’re to a point where we have to do the inspection,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that we can do this, but it will require this inspection at a cost of $16,000.”
The project has been on the table since 2006 when the village secured a federal grant through the state Department of Transportation to finance the project. It had been scaled back twice due to funding concerns and logistical issues related to land acquisition.
Canton officials holding comprehensive plan public workshop Nov. 16
CANTON — A long process of planning the future of Canton is under way, and local officials are looking for input from the community. The village and town of Canton and the village of Rensselaer Falls have been working for about a year on a new comprehensive plan, and now they would like to hear new ideas.
A public workshop and open house about the plan will take place at the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES office, 40 W. Main St., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 16.
According to a website dedicated to the comprehensive plan process, the plan is intended to provide the principles, guidelines, standards and strategies for the orderly and balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental and fiscal development of the area that reflects community commitments to implement the plan and its elements.
“The idea is it is looking at all aspects of Canton, Rensselaer Falls and the village of Canton like economic development, recreation, land use, housing, transportation, all of those and then saying ‘OK, where do we want to be?’” said village Trustee Carol S. Pynchon, co-chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee. “It is almost a literal road map to say ‘what can we be? What do we want to be? Where are our obstacles and where are our opportunities? So if you have places like Riverside Drive, if you have trails, you have this sort of wish list. It is a wish list with a plan to get there.”
The open house will feature several activity stations, including areas where residents will be asked to detail their vision for Canton, where challenges or opportunities can be identified, and one station to learn more about the comprehensive plan.
There will also be one station dedicated solely to hearing ideas about developing Taylor Park.
“The trails committee, the recreation committee, everybody looks at (Taylor Park) and says ‘This is an underutilized area,’ so somebody will be helping us get a really focused look on how that might be used better and what else we could do there,” Mrs. Pynchon said.
Getting input from a variety of community members is key to developing a plan beneficial for everyone.
“We really want to get real public engagement. The comprehensive plan can only be as thorough and complete and focused in the way the people of Canton want it to be if we hear from them,” Mrs. Pynchon said. “It is just so exciting, the potential is so great. It has been such a long time since we have had a new one.”
Economic Developer Leigh B. Rodriguez stressed the importance of the younger demographic to voice their opinions.
“It is important to get people from all aspects of the community engaged in it, but I really want to focus on the younger people who are looking to build their lives here over the next five or 10 years and what they want this community to be,” she said.
The comprehensive plan is a collaborative effort between members from both the town and village boards, Rensselaer Falls Village Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals members and other at-large voices.
The plan, according to Mrs. Pynchon, will help focus the municipality’s efforts.
“We have jumped when there have been programs, or money or grants available and in the end gotten some really good things from that, but it has not been very concerted effort. This would help us have a more focused, concerted effort and plan for moving forward,” she said.
Committee Co-Chair James T. Smith said not only would it help the municipality get a better idea of what kind of state support they should pursue, but can also help the state justify giving funding to the villages or town.
“When the state looks at municipalities now in terms of requests for grants, one of the things they look at very closely is whether or not your municipality has a plan,” he said. “The state is being more selective on how they pass out funding and if the state knows when you apply for a grant for something specific that they can look at the comp plan and say ‘This fits in very well with what their vision for their community is going to be, so this looks like something that would be good to fund.’”
The comprehensive plan process is supported by funding provided by the New York State Department of State, Local Waterfront Revitalization Program under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. For more information on the comprehensive plan, visit cantonnycomprehensiveplan.com.
Local paragraph
n CARTHAGE — Due to a problem with bears, the Wilna Town Council approved the installation of an electric fence at the transfer site on Avery Road. R.W. Amell Enterprises was hired for the installation at a cost of $4,875, which includes material and labor.
Local paragraph
n CARTHAGE — The Wilna Town Council agreed to remove Lane 1 in the hamlet of Herrings from the Inventory of Highways. It was decided to take this action for the lane connecting First and Second streets since it is not technically considered a roadway and it is too narrow for the recently purchased truck to plow.
Stefanik-sponsored broadband bills reintroduced in Congress
A pair of broadband expansion bills sponsored by U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Willsboro, have been reintroduced in Congress.
The bills are the Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act, also known as the B-CROP Act, and the Precision Farming Act of 2017. The B-CROP Act (which is also sponsored by four other congressmen from both parties) includes more broad policy changes to provide more funding for broadband projects in upstate rural areas. Among those changes are to allow up to 50 percent of a project’s cost, as well as up to 75 percent for high-priority areas, to be funded in combination with loan funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service. It also increases RUS’s Broadband program funding to $50 million per fiscal year.
The second pertains specifically to precision farming, which involves greater use of internet connectivity for large farming operations.
The bill would offer financial incentives for broadband providers and farms. Service providers would receive a one-time $15,000 reimbursement for each line installed for a qualifying precision farming operation. Additionally, farmers who apply for loans to cover installation costs will have their applications prioritized per the Rural Electrification Act.
In a Times interview Wednesday, Ms. Stefanik said she is hoping to make more progress on both bills, which were first introduced last year.
“For my colleagues that represent urban centers, this isn’t an issue they are hearing about,” she said. “We’re making sure that we work with caucuses that focus on rural issues.”
Ms. Stefanik, who held a broadband roundtable discussion with local officials and internet providers over the summer, said one of the most common challenges she hears from providers is the large costs of building internet infrastructure in remote areas. Because providers are taxed on the lines they construct, building miles of line for only a few customers means there is little return on investment.
Ms. Stefanik said she would also be against any efforts by the Federal Communications Commission to lower the 25 megabits per second minimum download speed for home high-speed broadband to 10 megabits per second. FCC wants to allow internet service providers to promote slower internet speeds as more customers continue to use mobile networks over land-based broadband connections.
U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has called on the FCC to halt these efforts, and Ms. Stefanik said she would consider doing the same.
Winter MASH Camp now accepting student applications
The Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization is now seeking student applications for 2018’s winter MASH Camp.
MASH, which stands for the Medical Academy of Science and Health, teaches local students in grades eight through 12 firsthand about some of the many medical careers they could pursue.
The camps are sponsored by the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization and hosted by four hospitals in Jefferson and Lewis counties and Jefferson Community College. The camps are held twice a year, with Samaritan’s most advanced camp in summer.
Regardless of hospital placement, each day provides different and “interesting, thought-provoking exercises and real-life experiences.”
One of the program’s main purposes is to reduce the strain of the region’s health care shortage. Getting local students interested in the industry can be easier than recruiting outside health care professionals to rural hospitals and practices.
All MASH Camps run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for two or three days.
Applications can be found at www.fdrhpo.org/mash-camp-program/. Space is limited, so applicants are asked to submit no later than Dec. 15.
For more information, contact Julia LaPorte at jlaporte@fdrhpo.org or 315-755-2020, ext. 29.
MASH Camp dates and locations:
n Carthage Area Hospital: Feb. 20-22.
n Lewis County General Hospital, Lowville: Feb. 21-23.
n River Hospital, Alexandria Bay: Feb. 19-20.
n Samaritan Medical Center: Feb. 20-22.
Fire district budget approved
CARTHAGE — Following a public hearing, the Carthage-Wilna Fire District Board of Commissioners adopted the 2018 budget as proposed. Since the tax levy remains at $601,000, the tax cap override was not needed.
Although wages and contractual increased employee benefits and the debt service for the station and apparatus decreased.
There was also an estimated $135,000 unexpended balance.
Crow hazing to begin on Monday in Watertown
WATERTOWN — Recent chilly nights have brought back roosts of crows into the city.
And wildlife biologists will return to Watertown next week to try to get rid of thousands of the pesky birds that gather in trees around town as soon as the weather gets colder.
At the request of the city, wildlife biologists from its crow hazing contractor, Loomacres Wildlife Management, Warnerville, will conduct their first effort of the season Monday night.
The harassment methods used to disperse crows include pyrotechnics, lasers, air rifles and other devices.
The biologists are asking for help from residents to provide the location, estimated size and dates and times of crow flock sightings in their neighborhoods.
They rely on this information to identify nuisance crow flocks and to target hazing efforts.
The toll-free number to report crow activities is 1-800-243-1462, extension 1. To report crow activities online, go to www.airportwildlife.com/crows.php or click on the link on the city’s home page at www.watertown-ny.gov. The link will appear in the center of the page, in the “Press Releases” column.
Glenfield goat dairy wins $10,000 through national Farm Bureau program
GLENFIELD — A new goat dairy farm here has been awarded $10,000 through a nationwide American Farm Bureau Federation competition.
Hidden Pastures Dairy, a 250-head goat dairy in the town of Turin owned by Andrew and Blake Place, was to receive a $10,000 check Thursday evening for being one of 10 recipients of 2018 Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge awards, according to a release from the New York Farm Bureau.
Mrs. Place said the phrase “nothing is impossible” came to mind after learning of the award, since there were nearly 500 applicants.
The couple, which this spring began milking goats and shipping out fluid milk at the former Reed farm on Route 12, plan to use the money to build an on-farm creamery to produce value-added products, she said.
Hidden Pastures won the Best Local Product Startup category for its plans to produce goat milk gelato on their farm, the release states.
“The Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge is the first national business competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs with food and agriculture businesses,” it states. “Awards were given for the best startup in several categories that highlight diverse and emerging trends in food and agriculture, including agricultural technology, craft beverage, agritourism, farm-to-table, farming and local product.”
Sponsors of the nationwide challenge include Farm Credit, John Deere and Farm Bureau Bank.
New York Farm Bureau President David M. Fisher, Madrid, was slated to present the award Thursday during a Taste of Lewis County event in the Lowville Academy Elementary School cafeteria. The event — a joint effort of the Lewis County Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County and the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District — celebrates the diverse agricultural industry and the hard work and dedication of farmers in the county. A business meeting was also planned prior to the event.
Mrs. Place, also a veterinary practices instructor at the Howard G. Sackett Technical Center in Glenfield, was recently named by to NNY Business magazine’s latest 20 Under 40 class. She and other members of the class, which includes 20 people under the age of 40 who have shown great promise in their careers and strong involvement in their community, will be honored at a luncheon Dec. 7 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown.
Heating assistance applications to be accepted starting Monday
ALBANY — Eligible New Yorkers can apply for home heating assistance starting Monday.
The Home Energy Assistance Program will offer $327 million in federal funding to older and low- to moderate-income residents to ease the burden of heating costs.
“As cold winter nights begin to set in, this funding will ensure New Yorkers receive the assistance they need to heat their homes and keep their families safe,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a public statement.
During the 2016-17 winter, 35,839 north country households received heating assistance.
“Cold temperatures and the inability to afford to keep a home warm can lead to health and safety risks,” Office for the Aging acting Director Greg Olsen said in the statement.
“Not only is the HEAP benefit vital, but in New York there can be a secondary benefit for older adults that comes with being HEAP eligible, and that is potential eligibility for SNAP, the federal nutrition program that puts an average of $2,100 in the pockets of low-income older adults annually.”
Eligible households can receive up to $726 in assistance, depending on income and how the house is heated. A family of four earning up to $53,482 per year can still qualify for help.
“By securing this federal funding, residents across the state will no longer be forced to choose between buying food for their loved ones or paying their heating bill. I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to apply for this assistance in order to stay warm this winter season,” Gov. Cuomo’s statement said.
Emergency benefits also are available to households at risk of having their heat shut off or their fuel run out, beginning Jan. 2.
“Hundreds of thousands of fixed-income seniors and low- to moderate- income New Yorkers each year rely on this federal funding to help pay for the home heating costs that have become a larger and larger share of their budget,” U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer said. “This means fewer people will have to make the agonizing decision over whether to pay energy bills or put food on the table.”
Applications are accepted locally at Social Services departments, or for anyone living outside New York City, online at myBenefits.ny.gov.
Jefferson County Department of Social Services
250 Arsenal Street
Watertown, NY 13601
Phone: (315) 785-3229
Days Open: Monday - Friday
Lewis County Department of Social Services
PO Box 193
5274 Outer Stowe Street
Lowville, NY 13367
Phone: (315) 376-5400
Days Open: Monday - Friday
Oswego County Department of Social Services
PO Box 1320
100 Spring Street
Mexico, NY 13114
Phone: (315) 963-5021
Days Open: Monday - Friday
St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services
6 Judson Street
Canton, NY 13617
Phone: (315) 379-2303
Days Open: Monday - Friday
Henderson man gets prison for making meth
CANTON — A Henderson man was sentenced to prison Wednesday in St. Lawrence County Court for making methamphetamine in Waddington.
Lee M. Alverson, 39, of 5493 Nutting Street Road, Henderson, was sentenced as a second-felony offender to two years in prison with two years of post-release supervision for his guilty plea to felony third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.
As part of the deal, the indictment charging him with an additional charge of felony third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance was also satisfied.
On Nov. 13, 2012, in Jefferson County Court, Mr. Alverson was convicted of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of post-release supervision.
Mr. Alverson said that on Feb. 17 in the town of Waddington, he had lab equipment, reagents, a solvent and catalyst, all with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
In addition to his prison sentence, Mr. Alverson was ordered to pay $375 in court fines, fees and surcharges.
In other court action Wednesday:
Andre Williams, 35, an inmate at the Gowanda Correctional Facility in Erie County, a former inmate at Gouverneur Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 1½ to 3 years in prison for his Sept. 25 guilty plea to felony tampering with physical evidence in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.
As part of the deal, the remaining charge of first-degree promoting prison contraband was satisfied.
He will serve the sentence consecutively with his current 2½- to 4-year sentence for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and first-degree promoting prison contraband.
On March 7, on contraband watch in the Gouverneur Correctional Facility, Mr. Williams defecated balloons and mixed the contents with his fecal matter to prevent their use at a proceeding against him.
In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $375 in court fines, fees and surcharges.
Sabbath L. McGregor, 20, of 6037 County Route 14, Chase Mills, was sentenced to one year in the St. Lawrence County jail for his Aug. 24 guilty plea to second-degree attempted assault, the reduced charge of second-degree assault, in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.
On Jan. 22 in the village of Massena, Mr. McGregor assaulted Massena Village Police Officer Brandon A. Huckle while he was on duty, causing him physical injury.
According to court documents following his Jan. 22 arrest, about 6 a.m. at the Massena Village Police station, Mr. McGregor was being brought from the booking room into a holding cell by Mr. Huckle when officers said he head-butted Mr. Huckle on his eyebrow, immediately giving him a migraine-like headache, substantial pain and a large bruise on Mr. Huckle’s forehead and eyebrow.
After being struck, court documents state, Mr. Huckle temporarily lost vision, at which point he took Mr. McGregor to the ground and subdued him in the booking room.
In addition to his jail sentence, Mr. McGregor was ordered to pay $375 in court fines, fees and surcharges. An order of protection was also issued in favor of Officer Huckle.
John P. Cosores, 51, of 783 Route 11C, Brasher Falls, was sentenced to five years probation for his Sept. 12 guilty plea to the reduced count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, satisfying an indictment charging him with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, on Feb. 19 in the village of Massena.
In addition to his probation sentence, he was ordered to pay $374 in court fines, fees and surcharges
Crystal D. Hamilton, 38, of 236 Route 11B, Potsdam, was sentenced to five years probation for her Sept. 12 guilty plea to the reduced count of third-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in satisfaction of the indictment charging her with four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.
On June 19 in the town of Potsdam, Ms. Hamilton reportedly attempted to possess cocaine with the intent to sell it.
In addition to her probation sentence, she was ordered to pay $375 in court fines, fees and surcharges and $300 in restitution.
Kurtis C. Meuten, 30, of 59 Haggert Road, Ogdensburg, pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted rape, the reduced second count of the indictment charging him with five counts of first-degree rape, three counts of predatory sexual act, all felonies, and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
The indictment charges that during the school summer break and the fall semester of 2014 in the town of Oswegatchie, Meuten had sexual intercourse with a child who was incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless and was less than 11 years old, an act that likely was injurious to the physical, mental, or moral welfare of the child.
As a part of his plea, Meuten admitted that during the school summer break of 2014 in the town of Oswegatchie, he attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with the child who was less than 11 years old.
Zachary L. Raymond, 19, Willow Street, Evans Mills, and Austin L. Woodward, 18, 4629 Log Hill Road, Redwood, each pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted burglary, a reduced count of a Superior Court Information charging them with third-degree burglary.
On Aug. 21, at 234 Meachum Road, Hopkinton, the teens attempted to enter the home of Timothy Baxter illegally with the intent to commit a crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 2.
New lunch spot opens on Market Street
POTSDAM — The owners of the Hideaway Cafe in Colton have opened a small lunch spot in Potsdam named Two Deweys at 63 Market St.
Deb A. Dewey has run the Hideaway for almost 14 years, and has decided to bring some of the virtues of that restaurant to her family’s hometown of Potsdam, along with her husband, Bruce A. Dewey.
“We’re taking a little fraction of the Hideaway, and we came nine miles up the road,” Mrs. Dewey said. “We decided to come this way, make it or bust, and try to see if there’s a desire for wholesome sandwiches, homemade soup, hot coffee.”
Mrs. Dewey said she wanted to offer quick, tasty food with healthy options for working class people on their lunch break. She said she hopes it will not only offer a good meal, but uplift people’s spirits as well.
“You can look around the room and see that we’re Christians,” Mrs. Dewey said, referring to the plaques with Bible quotes that decorate the restaurant. “So more than a good sandwich, we would hope people leave feeling a little better, feeling the spirit of God when they walk in here, and maybe having a nice lunch as well.”
This is only the third week that the lunch spot is open, and so far it does not have a website or, until recently, a phone number.
“I said, well, let’s just flip the open sign around and see” what happens, Mrs. Dewey said. “I wanted to be really proficient in what we did even before we put a phone number out there, which is just happening today.”
So far, the Deweys have found that, despite their taking great care to find tasty and healthy options, the chicken tenders are proving to be most popular.
“I took six months to try and decide on a good roast beef product and a good smoked turkey, honey-smoked turkey, and great ham,” Mrs. Dewey said. “And everybody wants deep fried chicken tenders in wraps and on salads.”
The homemade soups are also proving popular, and people already offer asking for hot meals, which Mrs. Dewey said she is considering adding.
Some customers certainly seem to appreciate the healthier options, too; during Mrs. Dewey’s interview with the Times, a customer finished checking out and came over to tell her, “I really appreciate your fresh, healthy food. It’s very good. Thank you, and good luck.”
“I live for that. I live for making people like that happy,” Mrs. Dewey said as the customer left.
Mr. and Mrs. Dewey are hoping customers also appreciate the consistent service they can provide. In her 30 years in the restaurant business, Mrs. Dewey said, she has constantly had issues with staffing kitchens.
“You’re only as good as what the people you employ are giving to the public,” she said. “I came up with Two Deweys, because I can count on Bruce, and he can count on me, and that’s our name, and we know what we can give. And we hope that that’s something customers want.”
After closing the Two Deweys for the day, Mr. and Mrs. Dewey head back to the Hideaway, where Mr. Dewey also has an electronic repair shop.
“We never really want, we never aspire for it to be bigger or greater or morph into something more than what this is,” Mrs. Dewey said. “It’s something the two of us can do that does not depend on 10 other people.”
Asked what the best part of running the Two Deweys is, Mr. Dewey said, “Getting away from the Hideaway.”
Mrs. Dewey clearly has no intention of leaving the Hideaway, but the lunch spot can serve as a refuge.
“There’s been a lot of talk about us closing the Hideaway. We’re not closing the Hideaway,” she said. “We can’t exist here without the Hideaway; that’s the mother ship. ... But as bizarre as this is to say, walking away from something that is so intense and coming over to this little piece of heaven is a great escape for me, even though it’s work. And I get to do it with my kids and my husband.”
Two Deweys is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and offers sandwiches, soup, sides and pie.
$30 million investment nearly finished on downtown apartments
WATERTOWN — Kim L. Delello wasn’t thrilled when she had to move from her home during a major renovation project at the Henry Keep Apartments for nearly three weeks last year.
It was the first time in years that her apartment and 253 others went through a major upgrade at five low-income senior citizen housing buildings that Neighbors of Watertown Inc. owns in the city.
Work is now finished and the tenants have moved back to apartments with new kitchens, bathrooms and other amenities.
“I think I did all right,” Miss Delello said.
Considered an important economic development boon for the community, the $14.5 million project on the five apartment buildings is “at the finishing stage,” Neighbors deputy director Reginald J. Schweitzer Jr. said.
Besides Henry Keep Apartments, renovations were completed at the Brighton/Empsall building on Court Street, Centennial Apartments on Washington Street, the Bugbee building above the downtown Family YMCA facility and Olympic Apartments on Franklin Street.
New doors, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, energy-efficient heating and air conditioning equipment and roof work were part of the upgrades.
The Brighton/Empsall Plaza building, 122 Court St., also includes redoing 36 upper-floor apartments and adding eight new units on the second floor. An elevator also was replaced.
The project will be celebrated with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on Dec. 7 there.
Under new structuring, Neighbors held the Brighton/Empsall building before acquiring the other properties from previous owners, allowing them to become under control of a single ownership.
With the acquisitions, it ended up a $30 million investment in the community, with investors taking advantage of tax credits.
On Thursday morning, Mr. Schweitzer gave an update on the project for members of Advantage Watertown, a group of community and business leaders who meet monthly to talk about city issues.
They liked what they heard.
Later in the day, Mr. Schweitzer showed off 15,000 square feet of commercial space that once housed the old Frank A. Empsall Co. Department Store.
Tin ceilings from the days of the department store were restored. The space features large interior windows along a common hallway. Downstairs space once occupied by the Dungeon, a music venue where local bands played, is no longer dark and dreary. It now features cream-colored walls.
The local housing organization is still looking for a tenant for commercial space, which most recently housed Velocity, a fun center that abruptly closed in 2013.
Potential tenants “have expressed interest” in the commercial space, but “nothing has been confirmed,” Mr. Schweitzer said.
There were also improvements to the outside of the Brighton/Empsall building.
A horseshoe-shaped driveway and tenant parking lot was created on the building’s J.B. Wise parking lot side.
The Watertown Trust board also committed a $250,000 boost to make improvements to the rear facades on several structures near Brighton/Empsall building.
Still in the planning stage, the facade work will be finished next spring.
Purcell Construction, Watertown, was the general contractor. The Syracuse architectural firm of Crawford and Sterns designed the project.
Dr. Jason White, chairman of the Advantage Watertown group, said the $14.5 million project will continue the momentum in the city’s business district.
“It’s just tip-of-the-iceberg,” he said.
But Mr. Schweitzer believes the improvements are changing tenants’ lives.
“They’re living it,” he said.
At the time, moving out of her home of 10 years was inconvenient, Miss Delello said. And now she’s happy in her cozy, one-bedroom apartment.
“I love the place,” she said.
Workers at Samaritan Summit Village and Keep Home unionize, hospital to schedule negotiations
WATERTOWN — Certified nursing assistants and resident care aides at both Samaritan’s Summit Village nursing home and the Keep Home have officially unionized.
After a secret ballot election was held by the National Labor Relations Board at Summit Village in late October, CNAs and care aides also voted in favor of joining the union. Both elections were certified after seven-day waiting periods.
“Though we remain disappointed with the outcome of the vote, and would rather work directly with our staff than through a union, we continue to value the important role that our CNAs provide,” Samaritan spokeswoman Krista A. Kittle said in an email. “They are critical to the care we provide to our Long-term care residents.”
The workers will be represented by 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers East.
“We decided we needed to have a voice,” Lisa Lowes, a CNA at Summit Village, told the Times last month. “A lot of CNAs are thrilled, the morale is ecstatic.”
According to Ms. Lowes, the biggest motivation to hold a union vote has been issues with staffing.
“Just being short-staffed all the time is hard on (the CNAs and RCAs,)” Ms. Lowes said. “It’s hard not being able to do a lot of quality individual care when short-staffed.”
Ms. Kittle said the hospital’s next steps are to schedule negotiation sessions for the first collective bargaining agreement and contracts.
“Their jobs are among the most physically challenging in health care, and we rely on them every day to care for our residents,” she continued.
“The vacancies and call-in rates we are experiencing are not unique to our area but a trend across the country,”
Ms. Kittle said, adding that this “certainly will not affect the care that is delivered to our residents.”
North country’s Amish population continues to grow
CANTON — Reflecting a statewide trend, the number of Amish settlements continues to grow in the north country, according to a retired SUNY Potsdam anthropology professor who has studied Amish culture for more than 30 years.
Karen M. Johnson-Weiner, an author and Canton resident who is considered an expert on Amish culture, discussed the growth trend Thursday during a lunchtime presentation at Traditional Arts in Upstate New York. The gathering was part of TAUNY’S Talk & Taste lunchtime program.
“The Amish are growing and the Amish in New York are part of that growth,” Mrs. Johnson-Weiner said. “Other states are seeing Amish families where they couldn’t imagine an Amish presence.”
Gary Edwards, Massena, said he grew up in Long Island and came to the presentation to learn more about the north country’s Amish.
“They’re sort of a pleasant reminder of the way life used to be, uncomplicated,” Mr. Edwards said.
Unlike other religions, the Amish don’t seek out new members to join their church.
“Very few people join the Amish, so growth really comes from within, with large family sizes.” Mrs. Johnson-Weiner said. “Approximately 80 to 95 percent of all children born into an Amish home remain Amish. They grow up and are baptized into the Amish church at age 17 or 18. Each Amish person is Amish because they have chosen to be Amish.”
The gathering gave participants a chance to ask questions about Mrs. Johnson-Weiner’s work, including the second edition of her book, “New York Amish,” released in the spring.
Since the first edition was published in 2007, there have been 20 new Amish settlements in New York, making it the fastest-growing Amish state in the nation.
Those include two new settlements in St. Lawrence County, a Swartzentruber group in the hamlet of Somerville near Gouverneur and a Troyer Amish group in Hermon.
In Jefferson County, an Old Order Swartzentruber group started a settlement in the town of Philadelphia.
New settlements have also been established in Clinton and Essex counties.
With 55 settlements, New York state has an estimated 20,000 Amish people.
Giving some historical context, Mrs. Johnson-Weiner said the first wave of Amish came to North America in the 18th century, followed by another wave in the 19th century, The first north country group came from France to Croghan, Lewis County, in 1831. The first settlement in St. Lawrence County arrived in the Heuvelton area in 1974.
In 1900, there were an estimated 5,000 Amish people in seven states. The Amish population has grown to 300,000 people in 32 states and four Canadian provinces, she said.
Mrs. Johnson-Weiner touched on a variety of topics related to the Amish culture, explaining that Amish lifestyle varies among different church groups. Some are more progressive, allowing members access to more modern amenities, while others are more conservative.
Styles of buggy, dress codes and home furnishings may differentiate Amish groups.
“There are also car-driving Amish, since 1926. The cars have to be all black, so they’re often called the black bumper Amish,” Mrs. Johnson-Weiner said.
Most of the Amish in the north country are in the more conservative groups like the Old Order Swartzentrubers in the original Heuvelton settlement, she said.
Doris Robinson, Massena, said she attended the program to learn what motivates Amish people to stick to their 19th-century customs.
“I think it’s an interesting community. I want to know why they follow that culture when we’re living in the 21st century,” she said.
In the past few years, Vermont saw its first Amish settlement and there are now three settlements in Maine, Mrs. Johnson-Weiner said.
10th Combat Aviation Brigade commander recounts soldiers’ European deployment (VIDEO)
FORT DRUM — The commander of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade said he and his soldiers made key connections with allies as they returned from a deployment across Europe.
“On a personal level, we know these people now. We’ve gone over there and made some lifelong friends with people, people that have served in Afghanistan with us, will probably serve with us in the future,” said Col. Clair A. Gill. “On a ... tactical level, now we can just say let’s get together and fly an air assault, let’s put an attack weapons team together, let’s do something and it’s not friction full, it’s not ... a first-time event like it used to be.”
Col. Gill spoke to media at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield as he returned with about 170 other soldiers on Thursday.
The deployment, a part of Operation Atlantic Resolve 2.0, had soldiers mostly in Germany, with others spread to Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland. It was the brigade’s first deployment to Europe.
The military operation is designed to reassure allies around the region following Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. About 85 aircraft from the brigade, including Chinooks, Black Hawk and Apache helicopters, along with 700 pieces of support equipment, were transported by the brigade for their mission.
Statistics provided by the brigade stated soldiers participated in 1,200 missions with NATO allies, completed 10,571 hours of flight training and 78,741 hours of maintenance and convoyed 1 million miles across Europe.
One convoy in particular had the brigade’s soldiers traveling more than 1,300 miles each way across multiple countries, which Col. Gill said showed their wide range of skills.
“You’ve got soldiers — in some cases they never drove before they came into the Army — and we put them in a convoy, five nights, five days, 12 hours each day,” he said. “You can imagine what a 12-hour drive in your nice car would be like. These are in Humvees and trucks, all the way there, and then they did all the way in return. We deployed ourselves all around Europe.”
The mission also included the distribution of 503,791 gallons of fuel and the firing of 764,894 rounds of ammunition and 3,838 rockets.
Soldiers also provided air security to President Donald J. Trump as the president traveled to Tel Aviv, Israel.
The deployment also allowed some of the soldiers the opportunity to visit sites where the 10th Mountain Division fought during World War II.
Recent spike in inmate outboarding costly to Jefferson County
WATERTOWN — Inmate outboarding from the Jefferson County Jail saw a steady increase between July and September.
From January to June of this year, outboarding fluctuated comfortably between about 200 and 400 inmates per month, with April seeing the lowest number at 194 inmates outboarded. But in July, that number spiked to 840, followed by 928 outboardings in August and 1,157 in September. October data is not yet available.
The last time the number of inmates outboarded in one month cleared 1,000 was in January 2015, but numbers steadily declined after that.
In the years prior to that, the county had to spend millions on outboarding a couple thousand inmates per month, prompting an exploration of constructing a new jail pod. The county jail has three pods that hold 64 inmates each, and the daily cost to house an inmate is around $158 per day. Under rules set by the New York state Commission of Corrections, the jail can operate only at 90 percent capacity.
The price tag for a new pod, however, would have been more than $12 million. County legislators instead opted to renovate jail recreational space into a dormitory-style pod to house an additional 32 inmates.
The dormitory pod proved successful, and the cost of outboarding went from $1,719,030 in 2014 to $335,925 in 2016. But this year, the total cost as of September is over $414,000.
Jefferson County Sheriff Colleen M. O’Neill said that outboarding numbers do generally spike in hotter months of the year, but the opioid epidemic could be one of several factors contributing to particularly high numbers this year. Most of the inmates who come through the jail, she said, do so because of some sort of drug-related offense.
“It’s a vast majority of the people that we have here at our facility,” Sheriff O’Neill said. “And it’s a national problem. We are not unique.”
While most outboarding costs go toward housing the inmates, the county must also pay for transportation. Sheriff O’Neill said law enforcement is on the road almost every day transporting inmates, putting wear on vehicles and increasing overtime hours.
“What concerns me the most is the safety aspect of it,” she added.
So far this year, the county has spent over $361,000 in housing costs and over $52,000 in transportation costs. Because of the recent spike, the county may have to allocate an additional $200,000 to cover those costs, according to the proposed 2018 county budget.
Philip N. Reed, chair of the Jefferson County Legislature General Services Committee, said costs would be much higher had the pod not been converted.
“The outboarding situation would definitely be worse if we didn’t convert that space into a pod configuration,” he said.
The Jefferson County Probation Department has also made extensive use of its pre-trial release program, saving the county millions of dollars every year. The program provides services and incarceration alternatives for those who are charged with a crime and are waiting for their arraignment.
In 2015, the pre-trial release program saved the county around $4.6 million.
Trump talks tough on trade in Vietnam, no formal meeting with Putin
DANANG, Vietnam - President Donald Trump revived his tough talk on trade Friday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit here, warning that he will not allow “the United States to be taken advantage of anymore.”
Speaking to a gathering of business leaders, Trump demanded trade “on a fair and equal basis,” and returned to his campaign rhetoric, promising to place the United States first in global deals and agreements.
“We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore,” he said, speaking shortly after arriving in Vietnam, his penultimate stop on a five-country, 12-day swing through Asia. “I am always going to put America first, the same way that I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first.”
But the president’s more fiery and protectionist tone Friday offered a stark departure from just a day earlier, when on Chinese soil in Beijing, Trump seemed reluctant to press his case as sharply with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
There, Trump lavished praise on Xi, touting their “great chemistry” and saying that he did not blame China - a line he has repeated since - for the trade imbalance that had become a trademark of his aggressive campaign rhetoric.
The president has previously expressed admiration for strongmen leaders, including authoritarian rulers and even dictators, which might explain his reluctance to confront Xi so directly head-on. Trump arrived in China as Xi had just consolidated his power at China’s Party Congress in October.
On Friday, Xi spoke directly after Trump, and the U.S. president’s remarks, which came on more friendly soil to the United States, seemed at least obliquely aimed at China. Trump expressed concerns about intellectual property, ensuring “fair and equal market access,” product dumping, currency manipulation, predatory industrial policies, and freedom of navigation.
When he did mention China by name, it was to rehash his “excellent trip” to the country, where he said he and Xi discussed “China’s unfair trade practices and the enormous trade deficits they have produced with the United States.”
Trump also reiterated his previous line, which he also tweeted, that he does not blame China - or any other nation, for that matter - for a trade imbalance.
“I do not blame China, or any other country, of which there are many, for taking advantage of the United States on trade,” he said. “If their representatives are able to get away with it, they are just doing their jobs. I wish previous administrations in my country saw what was happening and did something about it. They did not, but I will.”
Meanwhile, shortly before Trump’s address, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not have a formal, sit-down meeting at the summit, putting to rest much speculation on the topic.
“There was never a meeting confirmed, and there will not be one that takes place due to scheduling conflicts on both sides,” she said, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Vietnam.
But Sanders noted that because the two leaders were going to be in the same place, they might still have a less scripted encounter. “Are they going to bump into each other and say hello? Certainly possible and likely,” she said. “But in terms of a scheduled, formal meeting, there’s not one on the calendar and we don’t anticipate that there will be one.”
The Kremlin, meanwhile, said that a formal sit-down may still be possible. Dmitri Peskov, the press secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that discussions were ongoing, adding that “contradictory information was coming from the American side.”
“They will communicate on the sidelines one way or another,” Peskov told reporters, according to the Interfax news service.
The relationship between Trump and Putin is complex and fraught, in part because of the president’s refusal to definitively acknowledge the conclusion of his intelligence agencies that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Trump had stoked the impression he would meet with Putin in comments to reporters shortly after leaving Washington for his marathon trip through Asia, though other administration officials had downplayed the likelihood of such a meeting.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said while “it wouldn’t be at all unusual if they ended up with some kind of a pull-aside,” he did not anticipate any official meeting. “The view has been if the two leaders are going to meet, is there something sufficiently substantive to talk about that would warrant a formal meeting.”